cw.blackalibi-第10部分

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ny　crumbs　of　coral；　broken　off　a　string。
　　The　mass　sidled；　disintegrated　all　over　the　threshold。
　　
　　
　　Manning　saw　her　in　the　Morgue；　the　Caja　de　los　Cadaveres　as　it　was　familiarly　called　by　those　who　had　to　do　with　it；　the　next　day；　before　her　people　had　claimed　her。　He　went　there　with　one　of　the　men　from　the　police　department；　an　inspector　named　Robles；　who　felt　bound　to　acmodate　him　because　Manning　had　once　secured　him　a　couple　of　passes　to　one　of　Kiki　Walker's　shows。
　　〃If　you　insist　on　looking；　my　friend…〃　this　Robles　warned　him。　〃I　advise　you　not　to；　unless　you　have　exceptionally　strong　nerves。　You　are　liable　to　see　it　in　your　sleep　for　weeks　to　e。　The　authorities　should　really　have　her　cremated；　if　her　own　people　can't　afford　it。　Open　this　one；〃　he　said　to　the　attendant。　He　stood　aside；　to　give　the　other　an　unhampered　view。　〃Formidable；　isn't　it？〃
　　The　American　looked　without　flinching。　His　face　whitened　a　little；　that　was　all。　He　nodded；　spellbound。
　　〃That's　enough；〃　Robles　said　to　the　attendant。　He　turned　to　Manning；　evidently　with　the　idea　of　reading　him　a　little　lecture。　〃So　you　see　what　your　foolish　stunt　has　led　to。　It　has　cost　a　human　life。　And　this　may　not　be　the　last；　before　it　is　over。　That　thing　has　not　been　caught　yet。〃
　　Manning　didn't　answer。　He　was　staring　down　at　the　cement　floor。　But　in　a　way　that　suggested　puzzlement　of　some　sort；　rather　than　contrition。
　　〃Juridically；　of　course；　you　are　not　responsible；〃　Robles　went　on。　〃That　is　to　say；　you　did　not　foresee　this；　did　not　mean　it　to　happen；　cannot　be　punished　personally　for　it。　But　morally　you　are　to　blame　for　it。　It　is　through　you　alone　that　this　girl　lost　her　life。　That　is　why　I　so　readily　acceded　to　your　request　and　brought　you　down　here　with　me　to　let　you　see　her　for　yourself。　It　may　teach　you　a　lesson。〃
　　〃It　wasn't　remorse　that　made　me　ask　to　e　here；〃　Manning　said　quietly。　〃Nor　morbid　curiosity　either。　You've　got　me　wrong。　It's…well　I've　had　a　troubled　feeling　that　I　can't　seem　to　shake　off　ever　since　I　first　heard　of　it。〃
　　〃You　should　have；〃　said　Robles　severely。
　　〃No；　you　still　don't　get　me。〃　He　ran　one　hand　baffledly　up　through　his　hair。　〃Are　you　sure　that　thing；　as　you　call　it；　did　this？〃
　　Robles　looked　at　him　first　in　astonishment；　then　almost　in　scorn。　〃What　are　you　trying　to　suggest；　it　didn't？　Well；　you've　just　seen　with　your　own　eyes。　What　else　but　the　claws　of　such　a　monster　could　leave　such　ravages？　She　was　in　ribbons。　No；　there　is　no　doubt　in　our　minds　on　that　score；　how　can　there　be？　I　could　take　you　over　to　our　laboratory；　let　you　talk　to　some　of　the　men　there。　Small　bits　of　fuzz；　loosened　hairs　from　its　coat；　were　found　upon　her　body。　They　are　in　our　possession　right　now。　What　more　do　you　ask？〃
　　〃Nothing；〃　admitted　Manning；　looking　down。　〃Nothing　more。　But　then　why　have　I　got　this　dissatisfied　feeling…？〃　He　didn't　finish　it。　〃Was　she…did　it　make　any　attempt　to…？〃　he　faltered　presently。
　　Robles　finished　it　for　him　without　a　qualm；　with　the　matter…of…factness　of　the　professional　investigator。　〃Was　she　eaten；　is　that　what　you　are　driving　at？　No。　I　don't　know　whether　they　do　or　not；　I　don't　know　enough　about　them。　I　must　ask　the　curator　of　the　zoo。　In　any　case；　there　is　sufficient　reason　for　its　having　done　so　this　time。　It　occurred　outside　her　very　door；　in　full　hearing　of　the　mother　and　brother。　They　came　rushing　out；　and　the　monster　was　undoubtedly　frightened　away　before　it　had　time　to…acplish　its　full　purpose。　If；　as　I　said；　they　do　that。〃
　　〃Well；　was　it　seen？　〃　Manning　persisted　discontentedly。　〃That's　what　I　want　to　know。　If　you　say　this　happened　right　in　front　of　her　own　door；　and　there　are　other　houses　around　there；　was　there　anyone　who　actually　saw　it？　There　should　have　been；　if　she　screamed。〃
　　〃Oh；　unless　someone　saw　it；　it　doesn't　exist；　is　that　it？　That's　a　very　risky　theory　in　police　work；　don't　you　think？　The　houses　around　there　are　of　the　poor；　you　know　the　kind。　One…　or　two…room　hovels；　mostly　without　windows；　simply　with　a　single　entrance　at　the　front。　By　the　time　they　began　peering　timidly　forth　up　and　down　the　…lane；　it　was　over。　Some　claim　they　were　just　in　time　to　glimpse　some　black　form　slinking　around　the　turn　at　the　bottom　of　the　alley。　They　may　have；　they　may　not　have。　What　difference　does　it　make？〃
　　〃It　isn't　that　I　really　doubt　the　jaguar　attacked　her；〃　Manning　said　hesitantly。　〃I　have　no　theories　about　this。　I'm　not　a　detective　at　all；　just　a　press　agent　out　of　a　job。　Only…only…I　just　have　that　peculiar　feeling　I　spoke　of；　that　there's　more　to　this　than　meets　the　eye。〃
　　〃More？　What　more　could　there　be？〃　countered　Robles。　〃What　more　should　there　be？〃
　　Manning　tugged　perplexedly　at　the　skin　on　the　back　of　his　neck。　〃I　don't　know　myself。　I　can't　explain。　But；　tell　the　truth；　doesn't　it　strike　you　as　strange；　almost　incredible；　that　a　wild　thing；　a　jungle　animal　the　size　and　conspicuousness　of　this　jaguar；　should　remain　at　large；　undetected　and　absolutely　unseen　by　the　human　eye；　in　a　city　this　large；　and　for　this　length　of　time？　This　isn't　a　hill　village；　with　the　jungles　near　by。　This　is　the　third　largest　city　of　South　America。　It　has　not　left　it　and　then　e　back　again；　obviously。　It　has　been　here　the　whole　time。　Where？　How？〃
　　Robles　pursed　his　lips　in　conditional　agreement；　nodded。　〃It's　unprecedented；　it's　unbelievable；　but…it　has　undeniably　happened；　hasn't　it？　The　animal　has　not　been　recaptured　alive；　its　body　has　not　been　found；　therefore；　it's　still　at　large。　That's　logical　enough；　isn't　it；　Manning　my　friend？〃
　　〃But　where　does　it　keep　itself；　where　does　it　hide　in　the　daytime；　where　has　it　found　refuge？　This　place　is　built　all　of　stone；　remember。　Asphalt；　cobblestones；　cement　sidewalks；　stone　houses。　There　are　no　trees；　except　out　in　the　Bosque　and　in　a　few　small　plazas　and　parks。　Where　can　it　go？　Thousands　of　people　swarming　about　it　all　day　long。　It　was　seen　to　go　into　the　Callejуn　de　las　Sombras　at　six　o'clock　one　evening…with　a　crowd　almost　at　its　heels。　Presto！　it　disappears。　Not　another　glimpse　of　it　from　then　on。　It　didn't　get　out　at　the　other　end。　The　police　and　fire　departments　searched　every　house　along　that　alley　from　top　to　bottom。　No　sign　of　it。　Now　this　young　girl　is　found　torn　to　pieces　all　the　way　over　in　the　Barranca　working　quarter；　half　the　city　away。　How　did　it　get　over　there　unseen？〃
　　All　Robles　could　give　him　on　this　was；　〃It's　true；　it's　an　amazing　thing。　Who　can　say　what　happened？　Perhaps　it　squeezed　itself　down　into　a　sewer　and　traversed　one　of　the　big　drainpipes　that　run　under　the　city。　The　water　in　most　of　them　would　not　be　deep　enough　to　drown　it。　And　then　again　there　is　that　so　ridiculous　suggestion　some　onlooker　was　heard　to　make；　that　night　it　disappeared；　which　may　not　be　so　ridiculous　as　it　sounds；　after　all。　That　it　took　refuge　in　the　back　of　some　van　or　merchandise　truck　standing　in　there　along　the　Callejуn；　was　driven　unsuspectingly　away　by　the　driver；　and　bolted　out　again　undetected　at　the　next　stop　the　vehicle　made。〃
　　〃Augh！〃　Manning　swung　his　arm　at　him　impatiently。　〃Now　I'll　tell　one。　Here's　something　else：　what　has　it　lived　on　during　these　past　days　and　nights？　Where　has　it　gotten　its　food…and；　above　all；　its　water？〃
　　〃How　do　the　less　ferocious　animals；　stray　dogs　and　cats；　for　instance；　get　theirs？　From　refuse　heaps；　from　puddles；　from　the　river　margin。〃
　　〃Yes；　but　they're　seen。〃
　　〃How　do　we　know　it　hasn't　been　seen；　more　than　once；　in　the　distance　or　in　the　dark；　and　mistaken　for　some　large　black　dog？　There　are　other　ways　possible　for　it　to　keep　itself　alive；　too；　which　we　need　not　dwell　on。　These　same　homeless　dogs　and　cats；　lizards　clambering　up　and　down　cracked　walls；　rats　from　the　sewers。〃
　　Manning　turned　his　head　away　involuntarily　for　a　moment。　Then　he　looked　back　again；　went　on：　〃How　is　it　it　wasn't　easily　tracked　down；　cornered　almost　at　once；　this　second　time？　How　is　it　you　lost　it　again　like　the　first　time？　Its　claws；　the　pads　of　its　paws；　the　fur　about　its　belly；　must　have　been　soaked　after　such　an　attack。〃
　　〃It's　true；　there　were　numerous　traces　of　blooddyed　paw　prints　and　even　drippings　found　near　by。　None　led　very　far　away；　however。　The　dirt　and