cw.blackalibi-第28节

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　　Neither；　for　that　matter；　was　Manning。　〃Your　theory　must　be　pretty　shaky；〃　he　said　witheringly；　〃if　it　can't　stand　a　little　honest　difference　of　opinion。　What's　the　matter；　afraid　it'll　fall　down　flat。　Take　your　hands　off　me。　This　is　a　public　street。　I'm　entitled　to　stand　here　as　long　as　I　want。〃
　　It　could　very　easily　have　been　the　starting　point　of　actual　ill…feeling；　bad　blood　between　them。　Fortunately；　an　interruption　occurred　just　then　which　took　everyone's　mind　off　all　lesser　matters。
　　There　was　a　great　motion　and　fanfare　at　the　curb；　and　the　jefe　de　policia　himself　stepped　down　from　a　breath…taking　Bugatti；　one　of　the　last　to　be　imported　before　the　war。　Everyone　fell　silent；　drew　himself　up　where　he　stood　at　stiff　attention；　as　he　approached　surrounded　by　a　small　group　of　subordinates。
　　He　was　a　short；　wiry　clerical…looking　man；　with　an　aggressive　manner　and　a　voluminous；　resonant　voice　that　must　have　been　ideal　for　addressing　large　gatherings。　He　cast　only　the　briefest　of　glances　at　the　vestiges　remaining　on　wall　and　ground；　concentrated　on　the　men　before　him　instead。　He　stood　there　glittering　balefully　through　his　spectacles　at　them；　like　an　infuriated；owl　blinking　in　the　sunlight。
　　〃You　are　in　charge　here；　inspector？〃　he　thundered　after　a　dramatic　pause。
　　〃　Si；　excelencia；〃　Robles　quailed　in　a　small　voice。
　　〃How　many　more　times　is　this　going　to　happen？　This　fiend　must　be　exterminated！　I　want　its　carcass　shown　to　me　within　the　next　twenty…four　hours；　is　that　clear？〃　He　included　the　others；　turning　his　head　to　take　them　in。　〃Is　that　clear　to　all　of　you？　The　mayor　and　the　ayuntamiento　are　showing　concern；　are　having　a　reward　posted　to　the　general　public；　independent　of　your　efforts。　It　is　a　reflection　on　my　department。　There　is　already　a　city…wide　panic　brewing。　The　tourist　season　is　about　to　begin。　This　can　do　incalculable　harm；　people　will　avoid　ing　here！〃
　　He　strode　back　to　the　Bugatti；　delivered　the　postscript　from　there。　〃There　should　be　nothing　plicated　about　this　matter！　If　one　animal　has　a　better　head　on　it　than　the　best　heads　we　have　on　the　police　force；　then　it　is　time　there　was　a　general　reorganization；　from　head　to　foot！〃
　　
　　
　　Robles　sat　at　his　desk　dismally　scanning　a　specimen　of　one　of　the　municipal　council's　new　posters；　fresh　from　the　printer's。　It　was　so　large　it　curled　over　the　edge　of　the　desk　at　both　sides。　It　was　a　vivid　yellow；　and　dozens　like　it　were　going　up　on　every　advertisement　kiosk；　signboard；　and　vacant　wall　in　town。
　　At　the　top；　in　beetling　black　betters；　it　had：　AVISO　AL　PUBLICO。　Then　numerous　lines　of　fine　print。　Then　at　last；　toward　the　lower　right…hand　corner；　again　in　heavier　type：　1；000　REWARD。
　　Manning　knew；　by　the　very　fact　that　he　was　being　allowed　to　remain　there　in　the　office　while　gobles　struggled　with　himself；　that　the　batter　intended　eventually　to　give　in。
　　〃I　still　say　I　do　not　agree　with　you；〃　Robles　said；　thumping　the　desk　despairingly。　〃But　when　my　official　position；　my　job　itself；　is　involved；　I　am　forced　to　give　any　possibility　a　trial；　even　though　it　goes　against　my　own　beliefs。　I　cannot　afford　to　pass　anything　by。〃
　　〃Hold　on　a　minute；〃　Manning　said　quickly。　〃I'm　not　making　an　accusation；　you　understand？　I　haven't　any　proof　against　the　man；　none　whatever。　There's　only　this　one　incriminating　circumstance　involved：　I've　been　inquiring　around；　here；　there；　the　next　place；　privately；　on　my　own　account；　you　understand；　and　I　find　he　has　been　in　the　habit　of　ing　in　to　the　city　on　overnight　visits。　Every　now　and　then；　every　so　often；　at　irregular　intervals。〃
　　〃There　is　nothing　criminal　in　that。　Hundreds　of　people　e　into　the　city　every　day　and　night；　just　as　hundreds　go　out　again。〃
　　〃I　agree　with　you；〃　Manning　said　mildly。　〃Some　have　fixed　days　for　it。　Every　Saturday　night；　say。　Or　every　Sunday。　Or　twice　a　week；　regularly。　As　the　case　may　be。　Then　there　are　others　who　e　in　haphazardly；　as　hedoes。　Just　whenever　the　impulse　hits　them。　As　you　say；　there　is　nothing　particularly　incriminating　in　either　of　those　habitudes。〃
　　〃Well　then？〃
　　〃Just　idly；　let　me　give　you　the　three　last　haphazard　dates　on　which　he　repaired　to　the　city。　They　are　authentic；　you　can　rely　on　them；　I　obtained　them　from　various　disinterested　sources：　bus　drivers　on　the　line　that　goes　out　that　way；　cantina…keepers；　and　the　bike。　See　if　they　interest　you。〃
　　Robles　looked　down　at　the　poster　staring　him　in　the　face；　kept　tapping　his　fingers　rotatingly　on　the　edge　of　it；　with　a　moody　sort　of　thoughtfubness。
　　Manning　took　out　a　scrap　envelope；　scanned　the　back　of　it。　〃May　the　fourteenth…〃
　　Robles'　eyes　went　up　from　the　poster　before　him。
　　〃May　the　twenty…sixth…〃
　　Robles'　head　went　up；　as　his　neck　stiffened。
　　〃June　the　eighth…〃
　　Robles'　whole　body　went　up；　to　a　standing　position　before　his　desk　chair。　Then　leaning　over；　he　brought　the　flat　of　his　hand　crashingly　down　on　the　desk；　left　it　there　for　a　long　moment。
　　〃Teresa　Delgado　met　death　on　the　night　of　May　fourteenth。　Conchita　Contreras　came　to　her　end　on　the　night　of　May　twenty…sixth。　The　girl　nicknamed　Clo…Clo　was　found　at　daybreak　on　June　the　ninth。〃　He　glowered　at　the　American。　〃Once；　you　would　call　a　coincidence。　Twice；　you　would　call　suspicious。　But　three　times；　what　would　you　call　that？〃
　　〃I'm　not　good　at　naming　things；〃　was　all　Manning　said　quietly。
　　Robles　thumbed　the　lever　of　the　voice　conveyor　on　his　desk。
　　〃Bring　me　in　Juan　Cardozo；　foreman　of　the　ranch　at　Las　Cruces。　It's　about　fifty　kilometers　out；　on　the　overland　road。　Just　follow　that　and　you'll　e　to　it。　No　charges；　just　wanted　for　questioning。〃
　　
　　
　　He　was　burned　a　deep　mahogany　from　year…around　exposure　to　the　sun。　He　had　e　in　just　as　they　found　him：　blue　cotton　work　shirt　open　at　the　neck；　a　sort　of　poncho　arrangement　slung　over　one　shoulder；　corduroy　pants；　the　embossed　silver　belt　of　the　typical　riding　man　about　his　middle；　and　a　shapeless　felt　hat；　wavy…brimmed　from　being　continually　soaked　down　and　allowed　to　dry　out　again；　probably　right　on　his　head。
　　He　had　a　small　but　very　stiff…haired　black　mustache。　Occasionally；　during　the　long　hours　it　went　on；　they　bet　him　smoke。　As　if　to　bet　him　remember　what　fort　and　ease　were　bike　after　all　this　time。　The　implication　being　he　could　have　them　back　again　at　will；　if　he　would　only　admit　the　worst　about　himself。　Whenever　they　did　let　him　smoke；　he　would　take　a　paper　from　his　pocket　and　slowly；　lovingly　roll　one　for　himself。　It　was　almost　a　pleasure　to　watch　him　at　it；　he　was　so　deft；　so　artistic　about　it。
　　〃I　found　it　when　I　was　making　my　rounds　on　horseback　one　day；〃　he　was　saying　when　Manning　slipped　unobtrusively　into　the　room　behind　all　their　backs。　Strictly　speaking；　he　had　no　business　there。　But　then；　strictly　speaking；　they　had　no　business　holding　the　man　Cardozo　there；　either。　Not　as　yet。
　　〃Its　mother　had　been　killed；　and　it　was　shivering　there　by　the　body。　It　was　just　a　little　mite　then；　a　cub；　coal　black。　I　picked　it　up　and　took　it　back　with　me　to　the　ranch　house　and　kept　it　there。　For　a　while　we　kept　it　right　in　the　house；　bike　a　kitten。　Then　when　it　got　a　little　bigger；　I　knocked　together　a　sort　of　pen　for　it　outside　and　kept　it　in　that。　Then　one　day　seсor　here　happened　to　e　out；　and　he　saw　it；　he　asked　me　if　he　could　borrow　it　for　twenty…five　pesos；　he　wanted　to　have　a　lady　show　it　off　in　her　car　with　her。〃
　　〃Who　fed　it？〃　Robles　wanted　to　know　in　a　dangerously　minor　key。
　　〃I　did。〃
　　〃It　knew　you；　then？〃
　　〃　Claro。　Any　animal　knows　the　one　that　feeds　it。〃
　　〃You　spoke　to　it　when　you　fed　it？〃
　　〃Sure。　Like　you　do；　you　know。〃
　　〃You　had　a　name　for　it？〃
　　〃　Negrote。〃　*　＇The　big　black　one。＇
　　〃In　other　words；　it　knew　you；　it　was　familiar　with　you。　You　could　approach　it　more　easily　than　anyone　else；　isn't　that　true？〃
　　The　ranchman　sensed　where　he　was　being　led。　He　shifted　uneasily。　〃Anyone　could　approach　it。　All　of　us　out　there。　The　seсor　had　no　trouble；　bringing　it　in　to　town…〃
　　〃Let　us　go　back　to　dates；　again；〃　Robles　said　disarmingly。　〃You　have　admitted　you　were　in　the　city　all　night　the　night　of　the　fourteenth　of　May。〃
　　〃I　have　already　told　you　where　I　was。　At　the　Cantina　Estrella　de　Media　Noche。　Ask　all　the　bunch　who　goes　there；　Hipobito；　Benito　Doinguez；　they　all　saw　me…〃
　　〃We　have　already；　never　fear；〃　Robles　said　with　the　placidity　of　an　idol。　〃There　is　no　clock　in　the　cantina。　They　saw　you；　yes；　early　in　the　evening。　But　then　after；　for　instance？〃
　　〃After　it　closed；　I　was　where　one　always　is　after　a　cantina　closes：　lying　with　my　back　propped　up　against　a　wall；　outside　in　the　street　somewhere。〃
　　Robles　scratched　his　ear　perplexedly；　as　though　at　a　boss；　not　knowing　what　question　to　ask　next。　A　pletely　false　impression；　Manning　knew；　watching　him　from　the　background。　〃Let　us　leave　the　night　of　the　fourteenth；　it　seems　to　be　getting　us　nowhere。　On　the　twenty…sixth；　you　say…〃
　　Cardozo　showed　his　teeth　around　at　them。　〃I　have　already　told　you　that　too。　They　will　be　charging　me　for　three　visits；　instead　of　one。　Very　well；　I　was　at　the　house　run　by　Doсa　Sara…〃
　　〃Tell　me；　were　you　planning　to　elope　with　one　of　the　girls　there？〃
　　〃The　andante　is　joki