他们默默地看着它燃烧。
They watched it burn in silence.
突然杰克说：“你到底是怎么拿到那些文件的？”
Suddenly Jake said, “How the hell did you get those papers?”
马龙自豪地说：“我知道艾伦?奥格特里是那种会把重要文件放在手提包里的女孩。当我在海滩上和冯?弗拉纳根谈话的时候，我把手提包从他的口袋拿到我的口袋里，把文件从里面拿出来，然后又把手提包放了回去。” 他停顿了一下又说：“我曾经有一个客户是个扒手。”
Malone said proudly, “I knew Ellen Ogletree was the sort of girl who would carry important papers in her handbag. While I was talking to Von Flanagan there on the beach I moved the handbag from his pocket to mine, slipped the papers out of it, and put the handbag back.” He paused and added, “I had a client once who was a pickpocket.”
“他一定是个非常出色的扒手，” 杰克钦佩地说。
“He must have been a damned good one,” Jake said in admiring reverence.
“你告诉冯?弗拉纳根的有多少是真的？” 乔治?布兰德问道。
“How much of what you told Von Flanagan was true?” George Brand asked.
马龙叹了口气说：“我真希望我知道。” 他搓掉手指上烧焦的纸，拿起他的雪茄。“我知道艾伦有谋杀冈布里尔的动机。她被绑架了。他收到了五万赎金，而他的银行存折告诉我他一分都没留。就像我们今晚了解到的，马克斯?胡克的手下只拿到了一千美元。有人拿走了剩下的钱。可能是艾伦的父亲，甚至可能是艾伦的母亲。或者可能是艾伦。海伦曾经告诉过我艾伦的父亲从不给她零花钱。然而达芙妮告诉我艾伦正用贵重的礼物赢得伦纳德?马奇蒙特的欢心。”
Malone sighed and said, “I wish to God I knew.” He rubbed the burned paper from his fingers and picked up his cigar. “I knew Ellen had a motive for murdering Gumbril. She was kidnapped. He received fifty-grand ransom money and his bankbooks told me he didn't keep any of it. As we learned tonight, Max Hook's boy only got a grand. Someone got the rest. It might have been Ellen's father or it might even have been Ellen's mother. Or it might have been Ellen. Helene told me once that Ellen's father never gave her any spending money. Yet Daphne told me that Ellen was winning Leonard Marchmont's affections with valuable presents.”
海伦点点头。“这说得通。然后冈布里尔勒索她？”
Helene nodded. “It adds up. Then Gumbril blackmailed her?”
马龙点点头。“五万块似乎是一大笔钱，但是一方面她的男朋友很花钱，另一方面冈布里尔又经常勒索她。艾伦很快就发现她的银行账户又见底了。说到见底……” 他看了看他的杯子然后大喊，“格斯！如果你不专心做生意，你怎么指望发财呢？”
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