“There isn’t,” Tom Burrows told him, “unless you count in that Jerry Luckstone is engaged to the late Senator’s daughter, and that Arlene used to be crazy about Jerry Luckstone. As a matter of fact, I suspect she still is.”
“嗯。” 海伦说。“这样一来，犯罪发生时在法院二楼的就还剩两个人了。”
“Well,” Helene said, “that leaves us two people who were on the second floor of the courthouse at the time of the crime.”
“埃德?斯金丁斯鲁德可能会杀人。” 汤姆?伯罗斯说。“但他会在盛怒之下杀人，而且很可能是赤手空拳。他是个看起来很温和的小个子，但脾气却像个野人。他当了二十四年的县委员会主席，而且是个非常出色的主席。在私人生活中，他是个非常成功的农民，也是农民合作社的负责人。”
“Ed Skindingsrude might murder somebody,” Tom Burrows said, “but he’d do it in a rage, and probably with his bare hands. He’s a mild-looking little guy, but he’s got the temper of a wild man. Been chairman of the county board for twenty-four years, and a damned good one. In private life, he’s a very prosperous farmer, and head of the fanners’ cooperative.”
“和参议员有什么可能的联系吗？” 杰克问。“我不知道。” 新闻记者若有所思地说。“大约两年前，他在银行大厅里差点打了参议员一顿，但有人拦住了他。他声称参议员在一笔股票交易中骗了他。他曾是银行董事，但一气之下辞职了。不过，这还不足以成为两年后冷血谋杀的理由。”
“Possible links with the Senator?” Jake asked. “I don’t know,” the newspaperman said thoughtfully. “He started to beat him up, right in the lobby of the bank, some two years ago, but somebody stopped him. Claimed the Senator had rooked him on some stock deal. He’d been a director of the bank, but he resigned in a huff. Still, that’s hardly enough to bring on a murder in cold blood two years later.”
“嗯。” 海伦说。“还有那个英俊的县书记员，那个爱引用名言的天才。”
“Well,” Helene said, “there’s still the handsome county clerk, the quoting genius.”
“菲尔?史密斯连只跳蚤都不会杀。” 汤姆?伯罗斯有力地说。“他是世上最温和的人。” 他停下来打开最后一瓶啤酒。“大约十二年前，参议员佩维利和学校董事会认为古典文学对杰克逊的年轻人来说是浪费时间，而一个农场管理系会更有意义，在此之前，他一直在这里的高中教拉丁语、希腊语和古典历史。” 他又停顿了一下，然后说：“是的，我知道你要说什么，但那不是谋杀的动机。”
“Phil Smith wouldn’t murder a flea,” Tom Burrows said forcefully. “He’s the gentlest man alive.” He paused to open the last bottle of beer. “He used to teach Latin, Greek, and classical history in the high school here, until about twelve years ago when Senator Peveley and the school board decided the classics were wasted on Jackson’s youth and that a department of farm management would be more purposeful.” He paused again, and then said, “Yes, I know what you’re going to say, but that’s no motive for murder.”
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