于是，他们把她留在那里，开始忙自己的事情——搜索整个住宅。时不时地，一个探员会跑过来问她一些问题。有时，当杰克·努南从她跟前经过的时候，会像一个绅士，和她说上几句话。他告诉她，她的丈夫是由于后脑勺遭受很沉的钝器猛击而致死的，基本上可以肯定，凶手所用的凶器是一件大型的金属器具。他们正在寻找这个凶器。凶手可能已经把它随身带走了，但是也不能排除把它扔掉了，也有可能藏在这栋房子的某个地方。

“都是老一套了，”他说，“只要找到了凶器，就很容易抓到凶手。”

过了一会儿，其中的一个警探走到她身边坐了下来。他问她，房间里是不是有一些可以当作凶器的东西，如果她不介意的话，可以四处检查一下，看看有没有少了某些东西——比如，那种特别大的扳手，或者是很重的金属质地的花瓶。

她告诉他们，家里从来就没有那种很重的金属质地的花瓶。

“那是否有那种大型的扳手呢？”

她说也没有印象他们有过大的扳手。但是，她说这种东西应该能在车库里找到。

他们继续进行搜索。她知道，除了眼前的这些警察，还有其他的警察在院子里面，遍布整个宅子。她能清晰听到他们的脚步声，听到他们踩在石子上面的声音。偶尔，她会透过窗帘的缝隙看见手电筒的闪光。夜色慢慢变深，她看见壁炉上方的钟表指针已经指向九点。搜查房间的那四个男人估计有些疲倦了，看起来有点恼火。

“杰克，麻烦你帮我拿杯喝的好不好？”努南警官再次在她身边走过时，她对他说。

“当然可以，这就给你拿，你是不是要这个威士忌？”

“没错，就是这个，谢谢。不过，一小杯就行了。我想，这也许能让我感觉好些。”

他把一小杯威士忌递给她。

“你何不也倒一杯呢，”她说，“你一定累坏了吧，喝一杯吧。一直以来，你对我都这么关心。”

“是这样，”他答道，“我们有严格规定，不许喝酒，不过稍微喝一点也无妨，这样好有力气干活。”

其他的警察也陆续走进屋，在她的鼓励下，他们都喝了一小口威士忌酒。他们在她周围站着，手里都拿着酒杯，可能是因为她在场的原因，所以有点拘谨，不自在。他们尽量对她说一些安慰的话。努南警官晃晃悠悠地走进厨房，但是很快又出来了，“我说，马勒尼夫人，你是不是忘了你们家的烤箱还开着呢，并且烤肉还在里边。”

“啊，天哪！”她叫道，“我还真把它给忘了，烤箱确实还开着呢！”

“我还是帮你把它关了吧，怎么样？”

“真让你费心了，那就麻烦你把它关了吧，太谢谢你了。”

当杰克·努南警官再次回来时，她用她那双又黑又大的眼睛望着他，眼睛里充满着泪水，“杰克·努南，”她说。

“怎么了？”

“你可不可以帮我一个小忙？——你，还有剩下的人，”她对屋里所有的人说。

“我们会尽力而为的，马勒尼夫人。”

“是这样，”她说，“你们今天都来到这里，还有亲爱的帕特里克的好友们，你们为了抓到杀害他的凶手费尽心血。我想，现在你们肯定饿得不行了，因为现在早已过了晚饭的时间了，并且，如果我继续让你们待在房子里，而不好好地招待你们一下的话，我的丈夫帕特里克永远不会原谅我的，上帝保佑他的灵魂。我有一个想法，想让你们把烤箱里的烤羊肉吃掉，当作晚餐吧。我想，羊肉应该刚好烤熟了，怎么样？”

“真是连做梦都梦不到的好事，”努南警官说。

“拜托你们了，”她乞求道，“你们就把它吃掉吧。就我本人而言，我不能碰这里的任何东西。当然，当他在的时候，情况是不一样的。但是你们不一样，你们可以随便碰屋里的东西。你们要是把羊肉吃了，那可真是帮了我的大忙了。吃完后，你们就有力气继续工作了。”

四名警察犹豫了很长一段时间，不过很明显，他们确实都已经非常饿了。经过她一番真诚地邀请后，他们急忙跑到厨房，为空****的肚子填东西去了。女人坐在原位上，听着他们在厨房里说笑着，他们的声音虽然很大，但是说话的声音不太清楚，因为嘴里塞满了烤熟的羊肉。

“多吃点，查理。”

“还是算了吧，别把人家的肉吃光了。”

“是她要我们吃光的，她不是说了嘛，务必帮她这个忙。”

“那好吧，再给我来点。”

“歹徒肯定是用一根可以置人于死地的大型棒器杀害可怜的帕特里克的，”其中一个人说道，“法医说，他的头骨已经被击碎了，好像是被铁锤击过一样。”

“所以说，这么大的凶器应该很容易找到的。”

“这正是我要说的。”

“不管是什么人，干完之后，都不会携带那么笨重的东西四处溜达。”

其中一个人打了个饱嗝。

“要我说呀，那凶器肯定就在这儿，就在宅子的什么地方藏着呢！”

“可能就在我们眼皮子底下。你说是吧，杰克？”

这时候，在另一个房间里，玛丽·马勒尼笑了起来。

The room was warm and clean， the curtains drawn， the two table lamps alight-hers and the one by the empty chair opposite. On the sideboard behind her， two tall glasses， soda water， whiskey.Fresh ice cubes in the Thermos bucket.

Mary Maloney was waiting for her husband to come home from work.

Now and again she would glance up at the clock， but without anxiety， merely to please herself with the thought that each minute gone by made it nearer the time when he would come. There was a slow smiling air about her， and about everything she did.The drop of a head as she bent over her sewing was curiously tranquil.Her skin-for this was her sixth month with child-had acquired a wonderful translucent quality， the mouth was soft， and the eyes， with their new placid look， seemed larger， darker than before.When the clock said ten minutes to five， she began to listen， and a few moments later， punctually as always， she heard the tires on the gravel outside， and the car door slamming， the footsteps passing the window， the key turning in the lock.She laid aside her sewing， stood up， and went forward to kiss him as he came in.

"Hello， darling，"she said.

"Hello， darling，"he answered.

She took his coat and hung it in the closet. Then she walked over and made the drinks， a strongish one for him， a weak one for herself；and soon she was back again in her chair with the sewing， and he in the other， opposite， holding the tall glass with both hands， rocking it so the ice cubes tinkled against the side.

For her， this was always a blissful time of day. She knew he didn't want to speak much until the first drink was finished， and she， on her side， was content to sit quietly， enjoying his company after the long hours alone in the house.She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man， and to feel-almost as a sunbather feels the sun-that warm male glow that came out of him to her when they were alone together.She loved him for the way he sat loosely in a chair， for the way he came in a door， or moved slowly across the room with long strides.She loved intent， far look in his eyes when they rested in her， the funny shape of the mouth， and especially the way he remained silent about his tiredness， sitting still with himself until the whiskey had taken some of it away.

"Tired， darling？"

"Yes，"he said."I'm tired."And as he spoke， he did an unusual thing. He lifted his glass and drained it in one swallow although there was still half of it， at least half of it left.She wasn't really watching him， but she knew what he had done because she heard the ice cubes falling back against the bottom of the empty glass when he lowered his arm.He paused a moment， leaning forward in the chair， then he got up and went slowly over to fetch himself another.

"I'll get it！"she cried， jumping up.

"Sit down，"he said.

When he came back， she noticed that the new drink was dark amber with the quantity of whiskey in it.

"Darling， shall I get your slippers？"

"No."

She watched him as he began to sip the dark yellow drink， and she could see little oily swirls in the liquid because it was so strong.

"I think it's a shame，"she said，"that when a policeman gets to be as senior as you， they keep him walking about on his feet all day long."

He didn't answer， so she bent her head again and went on with her sewing；but each time he lifted the drink to his lips， she heard the ice cubes clinking against the side of the glass.

"Darling，"she said."Would you like me to get you some cheese？I haven't made any supper because it's Thursday."

"No，"he said.

"If you're too tired to eat out，"she went on，"it's still not too late. There's plenty of meat and stuff in the freezer， and you can have it right here and not even move out of the chair."

Her eyes waited on him for an answer， a smile， a little nod， but he made no sign.

"Anyway，"she went on，"I'll get you some cheese and crackers first."

"I don't want it，"he said.

She moved uneasily in her chair， the large eyes still watching his face."But you must eat！I'll fix it anyway， and then you can have it or not， as you like."

She stood up and placed her sewing on the table by the lamp.

"Sit down，"he said."Just for a minute， sit down."

It wasn't till then that she began to get frightened.

"Go on，"he said."Sit down."

She lowered herself back slowly into the chair， watching him all the time with those large， bewildered eyes. He had finished the second drink and was staring down into the glass， frowning.

"Listen，"he said."I've got something to tell you."

"What is it， darling？What's the matter？"

He had now become absolutely motionless， and he kept his head down so that the light from the lamp beside him fell across the upper part of his face， leaving the chin and mouth in shadow. She noticed there was a little muscle moving near the corner of his left eye.

"This is going to be a bit of a shock to you， I'm afraid，"he said."But I've thought about it a good deal and I've decided the only thing to do is tell you right away. I hope you won't blame me too much."

And he told her. It didn't take long， four or five minutes at most， and she sat very still through it all， watching him with a kind of dazed horror as he went further and further away from her with each word.

"So there it is，"he added."And I know it's kind of a bad time to be telling you， but there simply wasn't any other way. Of course I'll give you money and see you're looked after.But there needn't really be any fuss.I hope not anyway.It wouldn't be very good for my job."