【惊险悬疑小说】红玫瑰追杀令34
34
I soon discovered that the young Sicilian was a crew of one.He gave me a rough sweater to exchange my anorak,which looked as if it had had a bad attack of moths.He told me to settle myself on the deck.We should make contact with the Corsican freighter in a little over two hours.
We were not more than one hour out of Taormina when a small ship appeared on the horizon.My crew man got out a pair of field glasses and took a look at it.
‘Italian customs!'he said and then ,turning to me,‘Are you good swimmer?'
I said I wasn't.
‘Bad luck!'he answered,stripped off his shirt and dived over the side!( 文章阅读网：www.sanwen.net )
‘Why should the Italian customs be interested in us?'I shouted.
‘Cargo!'he called back.
He was already moving away from the ship.I thought that he shouted ,‘oranges'.
I stopped the boat's engine and waited for the customs vessel to draw alongside.I was taken aboard and shown to the master's cabin.
‘We know who you are,'he said.‘You are not under arrest.My instructions are to take you to Reggio where you 'll be flown back to the States.Somebody must have decided that it was a fair exchange for the cargo you're carrying.'He handed me an orange.‘Go on,'he said,‘split it open.'
I saw that the orange had a small cut in it.I split it apart.Inside was a small plastic bag filled with white powder.
‘Pure heroin,'he said.'The whole cargo would have a street value in the States of maybe two million.'
When I returned to my office in San Francisco,I expected to meet the ‘friend of a friend'who had arranged my ‘holiday'.He worked in the same building and I sought out his secretary to ask where he was.
‘You tell me!'she answered.‘Three days ago Mr Santini came into the office.Five minutes later he left,and we haven't seen him since.'
She opened his office door.There was a single red rose in a vase on the desk.
‘That's all he left,'she said.'Guess it's love!'
I wondered.I still didn't know the meaning of the red rose I'd received in Palermo.Maybe Santini did.I knew it wasn't love!
Notes:
1,crew:船员；one：one boat。
2,rough：制作粗造的；exchange my anorak：换下我的风雨衣；
3，which looked as if it had had a bad attack of moths：那件风雨衣就像是被无数飞蛾猛烈扑打过的。本句是非限制性定语从句，其先行词是anorak，关系代词在从句中作主语。have a bad attack：经历了猛烈的攻击。
4，settle oneself on the deck：在甲板上休息。
5，make contact with the Corsican freighter：与科西嘉货轮联系；in a little over two hours：再过两小时多一点儿。
6，appeared on the horizon：出现在天边。horizon：地平线，水平线。field glasses：双筒望远镜。
7，Italian customs：意大利海关（缉私警）。
8，stripped off his shirt and dived over the side：脱掉衬衣，跃出船舷。
7，be interested in ：对······感兴趣；Cargo：(装运的）货物。I thought that he shouted：我以为他喊叫的是。
8，vessel：船舶。draw alongside：靠拢，到达旁边。
9，master's cabin：船长室。be under：处于······（状态）； arrest：被捕。My instructions：我接到的指示是。Reggio：瑞吉欧，意大利东北部一城市。 where you 'll be flown back to the States：你从那儿飞回美国。这句是Reggio的定语从句，关系副词where在从句中作地点状语。decide：判断，断定。a fair exchange：公平的交易。the cargo you're carrying：你所运的这些货。you're carring是the cargo的定语从句，关系代词在从句中作宾语，可以省略。split it open：把它掰开。
10，cut：切口，创口。 plastic bag filled with white powder: 装满白色粉末的塑料袋。
11，Pure heroin：高纯度海洛因。a street value ：价值一条街，可以买下一条街。
12，sought out his secretary ：找到了他的秘书。
13，you tell me：我一点也不知道；我也不大清楚。
14，since：since then，从那时起。
15，single：单一的（强调只有一朵）。 vase：花瓶。
16，the red rose I'd received in Palermo：我在巴勒莫收到的那朵红玫瑰。I'd received是the red rose的定语从句，关系代词在从句中作宾语，可以省略。
17，Maybe Santini did：Maybe Santini knew the meaning of the red rose.
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我很快就发现这个西西里小伙子是一名船员。我身上那件风雨衣就像是被无数飞蛾猛烈扑打过的，那小伙子就拿出一件粗糙的毛衣，让我换下来。他叫我就在甲板上休息一会儿。他说，再过两小时多一点儿，就同那艘科西嘉货轮联系。
就在我们驶离了陶尔米纳还不到一个钟头的时候，突然，天边出现了一艘小小的船影。那名船员拿起双筒望远镜仔细观察。
“意大利海关缉私警！”然后，对着我，“你水性好不好？”
“旱鸭子”，我回答。
“倒霉透顶！”他随即脱掉衬衣，跃出船舷。
“关我们什么事？”，我大叫道。
“货物！”他回答。
他已经游得较远了。我以为他说的是船上所装的橙子。
我关了船上的引擎，等着海警船来靠拢。
我被带上了缉私船，并到了船长室。
“我们知道你的情况，不会逮捕你。我的任务是送你到瑞吉欧，你就从那儿飞回美国。有人的如意算盘：由你来运送这些货物，那可真是一桩公平的交易！”他递给我一个橙子，“请吧，”他说，“掰开看看。”
橙子上有一条小小的切口；我掰开了它。里面有一个小塑料袋，袋里装满白色的粉末。
“高纯度海洛因，”他说，“这批货大约价值两百万美元，可以买下美国的一条街了。”
回到美国旧金山后，我去上班，就去找那个安排我这次度假的那位“朋友的朋友”，他也在同一栋大楼上班。我找到了他的秘书。
“我还指望你告诉我呢！”她回答道，“三天前，桑蒂尼先生到公司来过，五分钟以后就走了。这以后就一直没见过他。”
秘书打开了桑蒂尼的办公室，桌上的花瓶里插着一朵红色的玫瑰花。
“他留下的只有这朵红玫瑰，”她说，“我猜，与爱情有关！”
对这个说法，我深感疑惑。我至今也不知道在巴勒莫收到的那朵红玫瑰究竟有什么含意。很可能桑蒂尼知道。
我只知道，这朵红玫瑰，根本就与爱情无关！
