【惊险悬疑小说】红玫瑰追杀令4
4
The man who had stepped from the car had begun to move around the market, speaking to tradesmen and shoppers alike. It was noticeable that he was treated with great respect. Less noticeable, were two men who had followed him from the car and never far behind him.
I was turning back to see if the photographer was still in the fish shop, when a man bumped into me. He looked drunk. He was eating boiled octopus from a small, aluminium foil dish.Grabbing my arm as if to steady himself,and mumbling something in Sicilian,he began to wave the now empty dish in front of my face.I suddenly realised that something was scratched on the buttom.It said,‘Your life is in danger.Be in the Corridor of Men in the catacombs of the Capuchin Convent tonight at a quater to five.'
The man crumpled the dish and staggered off into the crowd.I didn't understand the warning,but something told me to take it seriously.I left the market returned to my hotel.Remembering the photographs in my pockt,I was going to try the shop again,when I had a new and disturbing thought.
Sicily is the original home of the world's biggest criminal organisation,the Mafia.Was the envelope in my pocket information for a Mafia killing?
I had lived in San Francisco for long enough to know how the American Mafia operates.People who get in the way are removed-permanently!The Mafia has its own killers-‘torpedos'or‘hitmen'.( 文章阅读网：www.sanwen.net )
If those responsible for the killing are anxious to avoid suspicion falling on them,even in Mafia circles,then they employ an outsider,a professional assassin.Such a killing is known as 'a contract'.
A professional assassin may have no direct contact with his employers.He is supplied only with the necessary information:photographs of the victim,a name and ,perhaps,an address.Were these the photographs of the victim-his name,Alberto Lippari?
But if I had given the wrong photographs,where were mine?My film contained shots of me.The envelope would give my name and my address as Villa Scalini.
Should I keep the appointment at the catacombs(11),or should I not(9)?
注释：
1，when a man bumped into me：突然一个男子撞到了我怀里。when=suddenly,at that moment突然，就在那时；bumped into sb撞入某人怀里。
2，boiled octopus煮过的章鱼片/条/丝。
3，aluminium foil 铝箔。
4，catacomb 地下墓地。
5，the Capuchin Convent嘉布遣会修道院
6，take it seriously认真（严肃）对待这个警告
7，when I had a new and distuebing thought.这句的when=suddenly,at that moment突然，就在那时。
8,original home;起源地；criminal organisetion:犯罪组织；Mafia黑手党。
9，operate 运作，活动。
10，People who get in the way那些挡道的人get in the way挡道remove除去permanently:永久地
11，torpedo鱼雷，水雷。
12，those responsible for··· 对······负责的那些人。
13，to avoid suspicion falling on them为了避免杀人嫌疑落到他们身上；suspicion嫌疑。
14，professional职业的，专业的；assassin暗杀者，刺客，杀手。
15，is known as 以···而闻名； contract合同，协议，契约
16，is supplied only with···只提供······
17，victim被害者。
18，shots（照片）影像。
19，keep the appointment,keep one's appointment:守约；lose one's appointment:失约。appointment：（公务、商务等方面的）约会；date：（恋爱、交友性质的）约会。
4
那男人下了车，开始在市场里逛来逛去，不时与那些商贩、店主之类的人交谈几句。显而易见，那些人都对他毕恭毕敬。跟随他下车的两个男子则不那么引人注目，但总是跟在他身后，不即不离。
我转头去看那个摄影师是否还在那家鱼店里，突然一个男子撞到了我怀里。他似乎醉醺醺的，正吃着一个小铝箔盘子里的章鱼片；他一把抓住我的手臂似图站稳，同时咕哝着用西西里话说了些什么。他开始在我眼前挥舞着空盘子。我突然发现盘子底部刮擦出了一行字：“你有生命危险！请务必于今天下午四点四十五赶到嘉布遣会修道院地下墓穴的男人走廊。”
这个男子把盘子捏得皱成一团，跌跌撞撞地走进人群中了。我并不明白这个警告究竟是什么意思，但凭感觉，绝不能掉以轻心。于是我离开市场，回到了旅馆里。因为忧着衣袋里的照片，正打算到照相馆去退换时，我突然灵光一闪，顿觉坐立不安。
西西里是世界上最大的犯罪组织——黑手党——的起源地，我手中的这个信封，莫非是黑手党为暗杀某人而给杀手准备的资料？
我长期居住在在旧金山，也风闻过美国黑手党的一些内幕情况。如果有谁挡了他们的道，就会被清除掉——永远消失！黑手党有自己的专职杀手，叫做“鱼雷”或者“打手”。在黑手党圈子里，为避免杀人嫌疑，主谋者甚至也会雇佣圈外的职业杀手，双方签订合同而成交。这样的杀人行为以“合同杀人”著称。
这种圈外的职业杀手或许与他的雇主并没有直接联系，雇主只提供必要的信息：被杀者的照片，姓名，也许还有住址。这些难道是那个将被暗杀者的照片？他的名字，阿尔贝托·李帕利？
但是，如果这些照片是误给了我的话，那么，我的照片又在哪儿呢？我的胶卷上是我的影像，信封上应该是我的名字，我的住址：斯卡丽妮别墅。
我应该准时到那个修道院的地下墓穴赴约呢（11），还是不去呢（9）？
注释：
1，嘉布遣会
嘉布遣会（Capuchins），是罗马天主教行乞修士方济各修会的三个独立分支之一。嘉布遣会的名称是指行乞修士所戴的尖帽。意大利方济会会士玛窦·巴西在1526年成立了关注穷人属灵和身体需要的嘉布遣会，并通过遵守由圣方济倡导的严格的贫穷誓言而与穷人保持一致。如同其他方济会，他们是行乞的修士，依靠捐赠的支持。该嘉布遣会在世界所有地区进行传教工作。嘉布遣会在美国有7个教区，每个教区管理若干行乞修士。
2， 巴勒莫嘉布遣会修士的地下墓穴
1599年，西西里岛巴勒莫嘉布遣会的修士在一座修道院下发现了一些地下墓穴，在墓穴中有一些制作木乃伊的完整工具。于是，他们决定在刚刚去世的一名修士身上试试这种技术。从那时起直到1880年这种行为被禁，制作木乃伊的风气一直在西西里岛上盛行。时至今日，人们还可以在当地看到身着各时期服饰的，腐烂程度不一的，高高悬挂着的尸体。一具被称作“睡美人”的木乃伊是一具保存完好的两岁女童的尸体。
3,黑手党:黑手党初指起源于意大利的西西里岛及法国的科西嘉岛的当地秘密结社犯罪组织。后随着意大利裔移民而散布于世界各地，特别是美国。如今已经成为了有组织犯罪的代名词，也是影视作品热门的主题。
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