Chapter 2 Chapter two

The apartment I rented was not as good as I thought it would be.It was a third-class apartment with three floors, but there was a telephone above the aisle on each floor.The furniture is old and moldy, and the whole aisle smells like boiled cabbage all year round. Getting a used car went well and was cheaper than what the used car guidebooks indicated. I wrote a letter, wrote my new address, and sent it to Box 685.The letter contained the phone number at the bottom of the corridor on the third floor where I lived.I also stated that I would wait for the phone call at 10 o'clock that night. If it is inconvenient, I can do it at 11 o'clock the next day.

I signed the end of the letter with my real name Lai Tangnuo.I'm sure they'll ask to see my driver's license, I don't have enough time for fake documents. Of course, the name of a private detective is never voluntarily listed in the phone book.If they check the phone book to find out who Lai Tangnuo is, they won't find anything. If they check the detective agency, they may check the private detective agency of the Curry.But there are too many private investigators in Los Angeles that I can take a chance on. I deliberately ignored my ten o'clock appointment.I went home and went to sleep.But the next morning, at eleven o'clock, I was at the telephone when the phone rang.I picked up the phone when it rang for the first time.

The other party was a woman who spoke very professionally and directly. Are you Mr. Lai? Yes. We advertise, you respond Yes, about the car accident. You say you can make us meet witnesses? I pretended I was doing things cautiously, and there were bonuses advertised. If you read the words of the ad carefully, you will understand: If someone can provide a witness who can swear under oath what is said in our newspaper, there will be a bonus. You have found what you want.I said. The one I want? Yes, I said quickly: I mean I can I better talk to you first. Well, Mr. Lai, where are you?

I gave her the address. At twelve thirty this afternoon, you come to Room 1624, Monador Building.You can go directly to 1624 and sit down.I will try to see you on time.One thing to note, it is neither early nor late, twelve thirty. Sure to arrive.I promise, hang up the phone. I drove the second-hand car to a parking space near that address, and I was going to go to the appointment on time, and I also wanted to check the nearby scene first. Monador is a very old office building.The elevator was already shaking a bit.Part of the tiled floor in the lobby is already uneven.The retail store in the lobby is not well managed, and cigarettes, tobacco, newspapers, miscellaneous papers are mixed together in a big pile.There are books on the bookshelves, and there are piles of books on the ground in front of the bookshelves.The whole place is not well lit.

I decided not to speculate, so I didn't go upstairs to see the scene first.Old-fashioned elevators have operators, and I don't want people to know that I've seen the terrain beforehand. I backed out, walked around, and was returning to the building at 12:23, taking the elevator to the sixteenth floor. 1634 is an office with the names of six or seven companies on the door.I haven't heard of any of them. I walked in, and a woman sitting behind a desk shamly handed me a card.Please fill in your name, address, and who you want to meet here.she says. I wrote down my real name and the newly established address, and filled in the advertisement in the application newspaper.

Oh yes.The woman said: Mr. Lai, I believe your time is twelve thirty. She looked at her watch and it said you were five minutes early.she says. I nod. Mr. Lai, please sit down and wait a moment. Of course, of course. I sat down for less than three minutes, when the outside door opened, a girl in her twenties stepped forward two steps into the office, stood there looking left and right. The way she stands still is not the situation that ordinary people enter a new environment to look around.She stopped as if making a decision, whether she must go forward to complete a job without hesitation, or turn around and run away.

The woman behind the desk still used the same pretense, good afternoon.she says. The woman at the door turned her shoulders back and walked straight to the desk. The woman gave her a card and asked you to fill in your name and address. Who do you want to see here?she says.I watched the girl fill in the card with cold eyes.The woman behind the desk said: Oh, you are Miss Ge, your time is 12:45, you came a little too early. The girl laughed nervously, yes I am not familiar with this city, I don't want to be late, I Well, you can sit down and wait, and of course you can come back later.

The girl went to a chair on my side, then changed her plan and went to a chair on the side facing me and sat down. For a few minutes I just had to look at her.There wasn't much else to look at in the room either.There is only one desk with a few chairs to the left and right.It looked a bit like a private physician's waiting room, but there were no desks other than the desk, and there were no magazine racks, not even newspaper racks. I looked at Miss Ge again. She has beautiful legs, curly chestnut hair, and she's a bit of a nerd at the moment. I have been carefully studying all kinds of women's clothing, but women are ever-changing, and I always feel that I don't know much when I want to use it.

An outfit worn by a girl, apparently designed for work or travel.The suit she was wearing seemed to have come from afar, and there were cracks in one or two places, but the original suit must have been very expensive.Other accessories on the body are complete, a long coat, made of the same material as the two inside, a pink silk scarf on the neck.Her shoes are made of snakeskin, matching the brown-red color of her hat and gloves. I could see that she was also watching me deliberately pretending not to care that I was another person to meet by chance, or someone who would make things difficult for her?

The door to the inner walkway opened and the girl I was watching was startled and looked to one side. A modest man with a suitcase said: Twelve A's are all right, Miss Li. The woman nodded, smiled, picked up the phone and said a few words that I couldn't hear. The man who said everything was fine in No. 12A went out, and the door closed automatically.The woman behind the desk said: Mr. Lai, you can go in now.Then he smiled and said to Miss Ge: Miss Ge, it will be your turn in two minutes. Thanks, I'll wait. I walked in past the desk.The woman behind the desk handed me a note, she said: go in the third door on the right.

I looked at the slip of paper, it said twelve A. I opened the door and entered the inner corridor, which contained six small offices.There are three rooms on each side of the aisle. Twelve A I'm going to is the last room on the right, I opened the door and went in. A brown-haired, broad-shouldered man with glossy hair was looking at me from head to toe, his eyes were no less cold than Ke Baisha's. Mr. Lai?he asks. Yes. sit down. This office is small, square like a dice.There was a desk, a swivel chair, two straight chairs, another intercom telephone, and nothing else. The man behind the table said: Mr. Lai, my name is He Long, nice to meet you.You write to say that you have seen an advertisement in a newspaper. Yes. You thought you could tell us there was a witness? Yes. Can you tell us about the background of this witness? He is an acquaintance of mine. He Long smiled and said: Of course, of course. He Long was very tall, with his big hands lying flat on the desk.On the desk was a set of shelves for pens, a stack of note papers, and the intercom phone. I said: The newspaper said there was a bonus. Yes, there is a bonus, he said: But for now I will explain everything to you first, so that there will be no misunderstanding later. He Long bent down to pick up a suitcase from the table, took out a map from the suitcase, and spread it on the table.Then he took out two small toy cars from the suitcase and carefully placed them on the map. The map was drawn by myself with a large scale. All road signs and traffic signals are clearly marked at the intersection of Jidong Street and Kelun Street in the urban area. look.He Long said: This one is a Ford Uranus.It comes down Jidong Street.You should remember that there are traffic lights at the intersection.Mr Lai. He continued: When the accident happened, the Cadillac was walking along Cron Street, and the Ford Uranus was coming down Jidong Street at high speed.When approaching the intersection, the signal facing Jidong Street was yellow, and the driver obviously wanted to cross the intersection before the signal changed.But when the car rushed into the intersection, the light signal had definitely turned red.The Ford was so fast it was impossible to stop. It raced across the intersection at high speed to hit the Cadillac. I don't say anything.He Long moved the car representing Kaidi and came from Kelun Street.You see, this Cadillac is walking in the direction of Jidong Street.There is a car parked in the right lane.Caddy was driving in the left lane, intending to stop, but before reaching the intersection, the signal had turned green, and Caddy's driver naturally went straight ahead. Has he seen the Ford? He Long hesitated for a moment, he was looking at the green light, and he said: Because it was a green light, he went straight ahead.And that Ford, who was driving too carelessly, rushed through the red light, came to the middle of the intersection, and rammed directly at high speed from Caddy's left side. Where was the Caddy washed up? This is a bit embarrassing to say.He Long said: Kaidi saw that it was a green light, so the natural speed is not too low.The driver suddenly saw Ford rushing towards him and immediately braked.Instead of slowing down, the Ford car accelerated to rush past Caddy.Anyway, it was Caddy who actually ran into that Ford Uranus.At the moment of the collision, Caddy almost stopped. Oh, that's right.I said. Of course you know that Ford Uranus is at fault for everything. Oh, of course.I said. You said you have a witness for this incident?He Long asked. I said: You said you got a bonus for this matter? Yes, three hundred yuan bonus. As long as I provide a witness? He Long tapped his fingers on the map on the table. You have to provide a witness. He said: The witness should claim that Ford ran a red light, and he should be responsible for the whole case. I understand.I said, keep silent. Did you really know there was such a witness?he asks. Yes. We would very much like to have a face-to-face conversation with him.He said: Of course, for your benefit, we agree that you will bring him to us. If that's the case, when can I get the 300 bonus? Regarding this point, He Long is not sloppy at all.Wait until you bring witnesses to us.He said: We have to wait until we have spoken to him and think his testimony is reliable.Not until after he's sworn to record his testimony. Can I get money after everything is done? That's right, three hundred yuan. What if his testimony was different from what you said? Tsk!Tsk!He Long said: Not what I said, young man.I want him to testify and state the true facts of what happened.I told you everything.You also know the facts.We already have affidavits from drivers who have insured us.We certainly wouldn't be so foolish as to pay three hundred dollars to a dazed witness who wouldn't tell the truth.If he stands on the other side, doesn't that mean he slaps himself in the mouth? That's true, I said: but in case I bring witnesses and something goes wrong along the way, you won't pay anything. Mr. Lai, I keep my word. I think I should have a little upfront money first. We cannot pay until the witnesses we are looking for are found. If I were that witness, would I still get the bonus? He frowned, this was a question I couldn't answer for a while, and he said: We have no concept at all that would develop into the situation you mentioned.The fact that you keep asking questions shows how little you know about this matter. I'm testing your attitude.I said. Are you a witness yourself?He Long said suddenly. If I am, can I get a bonus of 300 yuan?I asked back. He twisted on the swing chair, and he said: I have to discuss this matter with my boss before I can decide.Mr. Lai, you can call me at three o'clock this afternoon.I will give you a phone number, which is not the phone number here, nor is it the number where you can find me later. He wrote a seven-character number on a piece of paper, folded the paper in half, stood up by himself, shook hands with me, handed the folded paper to my hand, and waited for your call at three o'clock.He said. three o'clock.I said, get out of the office. As soon as I entered the outer office, I heard the lady in charge say: Miss Ge, it's your turn, No. 12A, the last room on the right. I took the elevator to the lobby of the building, bought a pack of cigarettes at the magazine stand, walked to the sidewalk, looked at the display of a sports equipment store, and slowly killed the time.It was lunch time, and the street in this area of ​​offices was very busy with people coming and going, but I still tried not to make people suspicious, and wandered carefully around. Twenty minutes later, she came out of the building. I followed her down a road and a half. She turned into the lobby of the Qula Wenting Hotel, walked directly to a row of sofas facing the street window, and sat down.Her actions were too decisive, so no one dared to ask her if she was a resident of this restaurant. I stood on the other side of the window, careful not to be seen by her, but I could observe her.I'm almost certain that someone from the hotel will walk up to her and ask her which room she lives in, because this area is clearly marked as a rest area for tenants only. After another fifteen minutes, I didn't want to stand there like a fool.Although I can see that she has been completely occupied by her own difficulties, I don't want to be too careless and vent the bottom. I walked in from the main entrance of the hotel in a big way, looked left and right in the hall, and stopped my eyes on her sitting, pretending not to remember who she was, oh, what a coincidence, hello.I said. She smiled hesitantly, hello.she says. I looked around the hall again, obviously looking at the person I didn't find again, and then stopped my eyes on her again. She kept looking at me, curious and apprehensive. I walked a few steps up to her.I said: I made an appointment for lunch with a friend, and I was late, maybe he decided not to wait.I know I saw you, but I'm so stupid I don't remember stopping suddenly. She laughed like a silver bell, you remember now, don't you? Yes, I remembered.I said: You are also in the office in the Monador building.I sat there for a few minutes watching you hi!You must not think that I have a heart.I came here on a date, and your face is so familiar, I'm so sorry. There is nothing to apologize for.she says. do you live hereI asked. I am also waiting for a friend. I looked at my watch and said: My date is gone, I am only thirty minutes late, did he not wait for dinner? I asked as casually as possible, hoping not to arouse her suspicions. No.She said: I am also waiting for a girlfriend, I don't think she will come. The restaurant here has pretty good business lunches.I said: My friends and I often eat here.The dishes are okay.Since both of our appointments are not coming, would it be an honor to have a meal with you? I expressed my enthusiasm and hoped that she would agree. She feigned hesitation, in order not to seem too quick to agree.I don't think my friend will be coming. I should have been here at half past twelve. That incident delayed me a little longer. You know it took me a long time to come out and I came here. Then I know, I said: Your friend must have thought that the appointment was wrong and left, let's go to eat. I slowly turned towards the direction of the restaurant, and she followed. I look at my watch, should I be a little hungry?I asked. In fact, she said: I was starving.Breakfast is too little. I have changed my mind.I said: If my friend comes back and sees me having dinner with you, he will misunderstand that I missed the appointment on purpose.It will be embarrassing if your friend comes back.Let's walk a little more, there's a steak house down a street, let's go there to eat. Steak house?she asked. Best steak in LA.I said, sticking my thumbs up high.Very thick, filet or New Yorker, baked yams, onion rings.lettuce salad, and Stop talking, she said: My figure! Best of all, it won't affect your figure.I said: This kind of food is low in fat. Of course, she said: especially yams. Put a lot of butter in it and I say: sprinkle some pepper on top.Plus some garlic bread, nicely toasted. I have a business appointment to attend this afternoon. With good wine, the garlic flavor is less pronounced. She laughed, you must be the best salesman in the world, and she said: What's your name? Lai, I said: Lai Tangnuo. My surname is Ge.She said: Godafin. Mrs or Miss? Now it's miss.Actually Mrs.My husband has left.She said ironically: My dear husband became interested in another woman and abandoned me. Even a little bit she stopped suddenly, and after a while she continued to say: The concern did not stay. She suddenly became cheerful: it is not always a pleasant thing to explain her marital situation to others all day long.So I just used my maiden name. Instead, feel at ease? Instead, I felt relieved. She took half a step back in front of the steak house.She said: Tang Nuo, this is a very expensive place. Not cheap is true.I admit it: the food served here, of course, is not comparable to that at the stalls. I mean is there a problem?can you afford itI can't afford this kind of place even if everyone pays for it. I laughed to reassure her.I said: Who said that each pays his own?Don't look at the line on the right side of the menu.You just look at the left side of the menu, tell them what you want, and that's it. Tang Nuo, you're quite optimistic. After eating such a meal, don't you have to eat until three o'clock, and you don't have a job? I work for myself, and I said: I am an employer who loves employees like me very much. Since my employees have the opportunity to invite a beautiful lady like you to dinner, how can I not take a day off as an employer? Woolen cloth?It's a way to boost morale anyway. She smiled and said: I have an appointment at four o'clock.I'm free before four o'clock.There is nothing better for me to eat at this time. That's great.I said. The waiter at the front desk took us to a deck in a serious manner.I ordered cocktails and appetizers, two extra-thick filet mignon, medium rare; soup, roasted whole potato, cauliflower, onion rings, French garlic bread, I ordered a stout for myself, and for her Ordered a small bottle of red wine. Cocktails were served extremely quickly but with just the right mix.Duffin made no secret of her heartfelt satisfaction with the hors d'oeuvres.We drank vegetable soup and used some green salad; at this time the steak arrived.Baked just right, piping hot and slightly steamed.The steak knife is heavy but very sharp. Every time a knife is cut into the steak, the light red juice leaks out from the steak, forming a small pool of blood on the porcelain plate. I grab a slice of garlic bread and sip the rich steak juices on my plate.Daphne followed up right. I drank my stout, and Daphne drank the red wine I ordered for her. It was from a special French brewery, and I was sure she would like it. Gradually, her cheeks returned to pink. She scraped every morsel from the plate into her mouth, ate two pieces of garlic bread, drank the red wine, and sat back in her chair, satisfied. Hey.She said: It's really enjoyable to eat. I said: Is your purpose of going to Monador Mansion the same as mine? Are you talking about the car accident? Yes. She hesitated and said, "Yes." That car accident was very strange, I said: Where were you standing at that time? I'm on Jidong Street.she says. You do know that the lights have changed when Fords cross the street? Oh, that's right.At that time, I was eager to cross the street, but before I reached the intersection, the traffic signal changed to yellow.When I got to the corner, it had turned red. The lights may still be yellow when the Ford is rushing out, but the lights are definitely red when it is in the middle of the street.He rushed so fast that he thought he could pass. I nodded, did you get the three hundred yuan?I asked. Not yet, I signed an oral deposition.Mr. He will show it to his superior first.I'm going back there at four o'clock this afternoon.If they want me as a witness, I can get three hundred dollars. That's not what the ad says.I said: The advertisement said that anyone who can provide information so that they can find a witness can get a reward of 300 yuan. This she said: I am a layman when it comes to fidgeting.I am not here to provide a witness, I am a witness myself. The waiter came over, waiting to see when our conversation would be interrupted for a while. I asked Duffin: How about some pineapple low-fat ice cream? She smiled and said: I have already eaten, and I don't care about eating more. I nodded to the waiter and ordered two, followed by dessert. We are drinking coffee and eating ice cream. There was still a little room in time, and I told her: Any plans? No, she said: before four o'clock, I'm free anyway. I asked: Daphne, where do you live? She was about to speak, but stopped herself.Looking at me, she said: To tell you the truth, I just arrived in this city.I left my luggage in the coin-operated temporary locker at the station, which is also very close to here, and I will get it back when I have a place to live. I can help you, I have a car That would be great, and it would be nice if you could help me find a place to live.I don't want too expensive a big hotel donno, I'm looking for a job. I leaned forward a little, met her eyes, and said: You don't have a dime.Yeah? She looked away, a little panicked, then turned back to me, looking me in the eye too, and said: I don't have a dime. I said: April 14, when the car accident happened, you were far, far away from here.You didn't see the accident at all, you just saw this advertisement in the newspaper. You have run out of options.You came to this city to find a job.You read newspapers in order to find a job.You saw the advertisement and thought that you could get the three hundred yuan by pretending to be a witness Don Nuo, stop talking, Dafen said: Don't look at me like that.You scare me! Can you tell me a little bit about your own past? There is nothing to say.She said: I'm a pretty good secretary in fact I've been working as a secretary.I can take shorthand; I can listen to the recording and type; I can do it quickly and correctly.I have a good job.Then Prince Charming came along and I fell in love with him anyway.I married him.I gave him all my cash and turned all my savings into a joint account for both of us. Something strange happened, and I got suspicious, so I did some research.The guy was married, had a wife and a daughter, and wasn't divorced yet.Another home is here, Los Angeles.Anyway, I did something wrong, I was so mad, I told him I knew about him.The next morning he was gone.Withdrew all the money in our joint account. You can sue this kind of person for bigamy and fraud.I said. What's the use?She said: He can speak well, and the dead can be said to be alive.Once in court, everyone will believe him.He would say he regretted it, and now all he wanted was to be in his own home with his wife and daughter.The judge will give him probation and even without probation or bond and putting him in jail, it still doesn't help me. How long have you lived with him? six months.Of course, he was often away from home during this time.He said he was a representative of the factory and was often on business trips. Why not go back to the old standard and go to work? She shook her head violently. It was a small town in the Midwest.All the ladies in the office are very envious of me having such a marriage.Let me tell you, that man looks handsome.He can influence anyone.I was so proud when I married him!I tell everyone that I am lucky to be Cinderella, I can't afford to lose this man! Office women are very cautious.I must not let them know that Cinderella's final fate is over, it is so unbearable. Does his wife know there is such a person as you?I asked. I can't see it.I was in the dark, I knew her, and her seven-year-old daughter. What's his name?I asked. She shook her head. Can tell me best.You've said so much, his name won't be anyone I know. Tang Nuo, why do you want to know his name? If by chance, I meet this man, I can hide him far away by myself, and I won't be fooled by him. She shook her head again. Are you still in love with him?I stimulate her. I hate him! Then why did you come to Los Angeles?And why keep it a secret for him? I didn't keep him a secret! Follow you.I said, and then I will not speak again.She is not very used to not talking to me anymore. I counted all the money I had left and could only come here by bus.After a while she said: I was dirty and hungry when I got out.I still urgently need to take a shower, change clothes, I interrupted her: You came here to beg him to come back to you again? Beg him a fart!She said indiscriminately: This bastard won 120,000 yuan in betting tickets for three consecutive matches, and his name was published in American newspapers.And his picture. So I have to come here and send a postcard back from here to the girlfriends in the office.Postcards must have a Los Angeles postmark. The newspaper says he lives here. What can I do? I can't let the girls in the previous office think that I am rich and ignore them, let alone make them suspect that something is wrong with me. At some station, someone stole my money from the pouch in my duffel bag and put the pouch back in.When I got here, I realized that I had no money left. I don't have a dime anymore, Don Nuo.I don't have a dime anymore. I went to him, and I said: I must ask him to give you half of it. I would rather die of thirst in the desert than ask him for a glass of water.To be honest, if I can't find a job, I'd rather sell myself, Tang Nuo, I don't have a dime anymore. I paid the bill. let's go, i said. Where to go?she asked. I have an apartment.I told her it was pretty close from here.It's not fancy, but I'll take you there, leave you, and give you the keys.You can turn on the hot water and take a good bath by yourself. When you take a bath, I will take you to the station and bring your luggage back. If you hurry up, you can change into your clean clothes before four o'clock.Your appointment at four o'clock, do you want to call or do you have to go by yourself? to go by yourself. Well, I said: you can No, no, Tang Nuo.She said: I can't do this.No matter how you say it, you are still a stranger. You just said that you can sell yourself to someone you don’t know, and I said: The door of my apartment can be locked from the inside.You can lock the latch.I'll give you ten minutes to soak in the bathtub and ten minutes to change clothes.My only request is that the tub be cleaned after using it. The words had an effect.It was this sentence and the fact of soaking in the bathtub that attracted her so much. She smiled and said, "Tang Nuo, you are such a nice person.I think it's too much to bother you. It wasn't a bother, and it wasn't a big deal, so I told her: You need a place to take a shower and change clothes.You have an appointment in the afternoon, and at the end of the appointment you have three hundred dollars in your pocket, that's all. She sighed: I think the bathtub is more important than anything else. I pulled my used van out of the parking spot and took her to the apartment I was using for cover. Well, I said: You are the only one here now, and I will take your luggage for you.There's a latch on that door, you can go from inside Tang Nuo, how could I lock you out of my apartment? It doesn't matter, though the latch.I told her: Before I come back, you are the only one here anyway.I will knock on the door when I come back, and you can open the door to get your luggage.You get dressed and come out, and I'll drive you to your appointment. I see her hesitating.I went on to say: At that time, your job will be over, and you will have 300 yuan in your pocket, which you can use slowly until you find a job.With your oral testimony, the car accident case will probably be closed in private. You don't need to testify in court at all. Oh, I really hope so, she said: I wonder myself if I'll get by in court.However, I did this purely on the spur of the moment after seeing the advertisement.I'm at a loss.Not so, and certainly.I knew it was difficult for her to say anything, so I explained to her: Everyone would do this in this situation.God, if you were forced to be so forced, you would have to find a random stranger.You know, this city is most famous for having a lot of plainclothes police officers who are begging for cheap. Afterwards, they will take you to the police station and leave a record for you. If your female colleague who works in the office finds out, then She was speechless with astonishment, which I did not expect.she says. I was imagining for you, I said: give me the key to the luggage locker, I have to do it quickly. She gave me the key. Tang Nuo, how are you doing?She asked: Did you see that car accident? I said: I was thinking, maybe I can really dig out a witness who saw the car accident, and it might be the man I had made an appointment to have dinner with.But I don't need him now, because you can solve his problem in a moment.Don't forget to clean the bathtub! She laughed loudly and said: Tang Nuo, I do housework, it's great! I left, and I said: When I come back, just open the door a little bit, and I will stuff your luggage in. Thanks Tang Nuo, thank you for everything!She started undressing before I could lock the door. I waited outside the door to see if she had bolted the door on the inside.she didn't. The road station is not far, but I took a taxi to avoid parking difficulties.I went in, took out the key, found the numbered chest, and produced a nice trunk and a leather bag for the night.I took the original taxi and hurried home. I knock on the door. The door is not closed.cried Daphne. I open the door.She was only wrapped in a towel, her face was sweaty, and she was in good spirits.oh!Tang Nuo, you are really a good person. I smiled and said: Hurry up.Put the luggage in and exit the door by yourself. I saw her laughing when I closed the door. When will you come in?she yelled at me. ten minutes.I said. I walk to the phone at the end of the aisle.I called the number He Long left for me. It was he who answered the phone. Mr. He, I said: I am Lai Tangnuo.I was supposed to call you at three o'clock, I was a bit late and you said you would hear back. Yes, Mr. Lai. Is there an echo? Yes, Mr. Lai. how? Feel sorry.He said: "I think you are an absolutely reliable young man.But the people above me are more conservative.They think that there is no way for you to be a witness in this case, and your purpose is only the three hundred yuan.Say you are willing to be any witness for money. Lai, don't be angry about this.Hear me out first.I myself am just a middle man running errands and passing on messages.I listen to my boss.They believe that paying someone who is willing to perjure to testify is perjury.I want to apologize to you for this incident, but there is nothing I can do about it. How can you make it clear to your boss what we are talking about?I asked: can I see Of course, I used the recording method.He interrupted me: I have a tape recorder that you can't see.Remember the pen holder for two pens on your desk?There is a hidden tape recorder in the seat.People above me have listened to your tapes.As I said, this lawyer pays special attention to words. He thinks that he listened to your recording twice anyway. He said that if you are the witness, you should say that the witness is yourself from the beginning.But your questioning, your way of speaking, anyway, things in the world are like this, Mr. Lai, they have already made this decision.We thank you for contacting us and for taking the trouble to do this.Bye now. Without waiting for my answer, he immediately hung up the phone on the other end. I went downstairs, sat in the car for ten minutes, went upstairs and knocked on the door of the apartment. Godafin opened the door at once.She is bright and bright, full of confidence. Oh Donno, she said: I'm all right now.I didn't know before that taking a bath would be so comfortable.Let's go now, can we make it by four o'clock?I hope I won't be late. It's exactly four o'clock, which is the most suitable. Then you must go quickly.I said. What about my luggage, Don Nuo? No time to take care of luggage.Just stay here.Take it when you get back. Do you have another key to the apartment door?She asked: That's the snap lock. correct.I said. She laughed and said: I have never used the latch you mentioned once.Tang Nuo, I just realized that there is indeed a latch on the door.I probably have confidence in you. I took her down, got in the car, and drove to the Monador Building, and then a little further. One thing was very important, I warned her: it would be weird for these people to see the two of us together.When you talk to Mr. He, you must also be careful not to reveal that we know each other.Otherwise there will be very bad consequences. There is a parking lot half a street ahead from Monador.I'll drive down and wait for you in the parking lot.After you finish your work, come over, and I will sit in the car and wait.You just stand at the entrance and I can see yours. Tang Nuo, you are so kind!She said, took my hand, squeezed it hard, jumped out of the car, and ran to the entrance of the building. I drove the car forward again, came to the parking lot, and parked the car.I told the administrator that my wife was shopping nearby and I was waiting for her.Then I sat in the car and pointed the front of the car in the direction of the street. At four twenty-three, she appeared ahead.I honk my horn twice, start the engine, and drive the car toward her to let her in. How about it?I asked. Can!She said: It's just that they didn't give me the three hundred yuan. Why?Didn't they already have your oral testimony. There is. Then why don't they give you money? I can have that money at ten o'clock tonight. Where can I get it? Somewhere in the direction of Hollywood.They'll pick me up at the Monador Building.It seems that some kind of lawyer wants to read my oral testimony carefully and proofread it with the facts of this matter.The lawyer is very concerned about the correctness of the text, and he must know for sure that the people he is dealing with must be real eyewitnesses. What if that lawyer thought there was something wrong with the witness? I don't know, she said: Maybe I can't get the three hundred yuan! What if you can't get it? She said: In case I couldn't get it, I saw her breasts suddenly collapsed, like a flat tire. She didn't say anything for a long time, she said: Tang Nuo, why did you say that?你想他們為什麼要費那麼多時間，又叫我簽了證詞，而不給我那三百元呢？ 我不知道，我老實告訴她：我不過說說而已。 唐諾，那三百元現在變成我全部希望寄託的東西了。我身邊祇有三角五分錢，由於這三百元有點希望，其他報上的廣告，我都沒有去應徵即使我一個一個去試試，說不定跑穿鞋子，還是落空得多。 三角五分連公車費都不夠，打電話都沒有幾個好打這就是為什麼我一看到這份找證人的廣告，立即動了心。 我現在知道我有多傻，把所有剩下的錢放在身上，跑到一個陌生的城市來。我恨那偷我鈔票的小偷！ 你見到我的時候，我正在想是不是要把這幾毛錢用來買點東西吃，我又餓又失望。 唐諾，這些混蛋傢伙一定要把這三百元給我，否則，我 小心了，別亂開口。我阻止她道。 她突然就停下。 過了一下，她說：唐諾，大都市對一個沒有錢，沒有熟人的女孩子來說，是一個可怕的大魔鬼。 什麼叫沒有熟人？I asked. 就是沒有熟人呀，我一個人也不 妳有熟人。我糾正她說：我不就是妳認識的熟人嗎？ 她轉過來看我，她說：好吧，唐諾，我有你這個熟人。我想我也該給你說個明白。我對你很感激。我差點不知怎麼辦，是你拖了我一把，我謝謝你幫我忙，我不是個太隨便的人，我還是對你感激。 不要太在意。我告訴她：事實上，過了今晚十點鐘，妳可以拿到那三百元。 唐諾，對那件車禍你到底知道什麼？ 我以為我可以牽線使他們找到一個證人。我說：但是那個躲在幕後的律師，一定是一個很難纏的傢伙。他認為我對這件案子重視的不是正義，而是那三百元錢。他回絕我了。妳千萬不要和那批傢伙談到你認識我，或知道這些內情。 Will not.She promises.過了一下，她說：你現在是不是回去回公寓去？ 有禁忌嗎？ No no.我跟你回去把東西整理好。唐諾，今天晚上十點鐘的約會你能送我過去嗎？ certainly. 目前呢？ 妳有特別地方想去嗎？ No. 看來最好妳能守在公寓裡。我說：我還有一些工作要做。妳可以倒在床上蒙頭睡上一覺。 唐諾，你說有事不回公寓，是不是因為我留在公寓裡的關係？ 我真有事要做。I told her. 唐諾，你是個君子人。你明明是把公寓讓給我。你實際上不必如此。 別太計較，我說：一切會否極泰來的。 我們開車回公寓。我把鑰匙給她一套。 妳自己進去，當它是妳的家。我告訴她：記住門上有閂可以上閂。最好人在裡面能閂上比較安全。 唐諾，我不要把你閂在自己公寓門外。 nothing. 其實也可以我是說假如 no.我告訴她：九點三十分我會到這裡來接你。我們來得及去赴十點鐘的約。辦完事還可以來點速食消夜。 那時候我請得起你了。她說：我該有三百元了。 就算是個約會好了。I said. 我送她到公寓大門口，拍拍她肩膀鼓勵她一下，自己開車回辦公室。 我進門的時候，其他人正在下班。卜愛茜還坐在辦公桌後。柯白莎也還在辦公室。 卜愛茜說：唐諾，白莎急著要見你，她每分鐘問一次你回來沒有。 good.我說：我去看看白莎在想什麼？ 我走進白莎的私人辦公室。我才把門打開，白莎道：唐諾，你死到那裡去了？ 為那保險公司案子辦事呀！ Hey!那個鄧邦尼今天下午打了七、八個電話來，他急著想知道你有沒有和對方建立關係。他說一定得十分十分的小心從事他有原因相信他們會疑心你是個偵探。 好吧，我說：還有什麼事嗎？ 什麼意思還有什麼事？你見過他們了，是嗎？ have. 他們起疑心了嗎？ 我也說不上來，我被他們召見了，我告訴他們我很願為他們作證，但是他們不要我。 鄧邦尼就怕一點，唐諾。你一定是什麼地方露了馬腳了。他怕你辦事鹵莽。他要一張報告。 過一下我會和他聯絡的。I said. 姓鄧的不太高興。白莎道：他認為我們辦事不力。他留了一個電話號碼，說是見到你叫你馬上聯絡。 All right!妳就打電話給他吧。I said. 白莎道：他也許會對我們不太客氣。他說他很失望，反正這狗娘養的是在生氣。 先用電話聯絡一下再說。我說：試那個電話看看。 白莎要了一個外線，撥了一個電話號，她說：鄧先生？ 她用甜蜜的語調說：這是柯白莎呀！鄧先生。唐諾才自外面進來，我告訴他，你要和他談話。我現在請他聽電話。 我拿過話機。我說：哈囉，我是賴唐諾。 唐諾，你搞什麼鬼？鄧邦尼道：你把事情全搞砸了。 為什麼說我把事情全搞砸了？I asked. 他們一定在什麼地方把你看穿了。 看穿什麼東西？ 看穿你是假貨，看穿你是私家偵探。 I do not believe.I said. 我知道他們是這樣。He said. 你的消息來源是什麼？I asked. 他說：據我知道，他們已經另外選定人選了。 什麼叫另有人選？ 他們決定選用另外一個證人了。 廣告裡並沒有說祇能選用一個證人呀。 你試試看，他們會不會出兩個證人的錢。Dunbanney said. 不過，出現第二個證人，我有什麼辦法。我告訴他：看到廣告的人何止千萬，隨便那個看到廣告的一高興 看到廣告個屁！鄧邦尼大聲地說：這就是我為什麼那麼快要求發動。我就怕他們一下子和別人決定不再要人了。 我去應徵時，他們對我的印象不錯呀！I said. 你拿到那三百元錢了嗎？he asks. No. 你什麼時候和他們聯絡的？ 大概三點鐘。看來有什麼賊律師介入了這件案子的決定，在幕後操縱全案的法律觀點 狗屎，邦尼打斷我話道：我告訴你，他們把你掃地出門了。你這角色演得不夠好。 好吧，我告訴他：隨你怎麼說。我不和你爭。現在你要我做什麼？ 我要把給你們的錢退回來。 all? all. 已經有不少錢花掉了。我說：我們是不保證結果的。我們保證努力服務，如此而已。 你給我聽到。邦尼說：你用這一點作推辭，你就死定了。我代表的是大事業。我給你們一個工作，你們搞砸了。 我還沒有搞砸呀！I told him. 你已經搞砸了。你和他們再也聯絡不上了。即使你再試，但越試他們越疑心，更不可能接近他們了。 你完全知道了嗎？I asked. 我完全知道。 好吧，我說：我祇問你一個問題：你怎麼會知道的？ ? 千萬別以為我會完完全全相信你。我當然尚有別的佈線。 exactly.我說：那些別的佈線才是把這件事搞砸的主要原因。你們外行人就都一個樣想做內行的事情。祇是在保險公司佔了這樣一個職位，就自以為懂了怎樣做偵探工作。 我不知道還有多少人知道我們的行動。事實上，是你把這件事搞砸了。是你在我要走的路上設了很多路障。是你使我未開始出動就註定要失敗。不過從現在開始，我要用自己的戰略來辦這件案子，你給我躲遠遠的。 你認為還有希望？ 殺豬有很多方法，你愛殺頭，我偏愛殺屁股。我告訴他：我當然還有希望。從一個方向打開不了，可以從另外一個方向試一試。不過，我不要你湊在裡面亂混。do you know? 你怎麼能給我命令？ Why not?我說：我現在就在給你命令！你現在開始在裡面搗亂，倒霉的是你自己。你已經把事情搞砸了。我替你爭回面子來。 那一頭平靜了幾秒鐘；他說：我看不出你會有什麼把握。 我問：什麼地方可以隨時聯絡到你？ 這個電話就可以。 也許會是今天相當晚的時候。 這電話反正一定可以聯絡到我。 OK.我說：能給我你的地址嗎？ no.電話是沒有登記的。來電話我一定接。不過我要你聽清楚了 我什麼都清楚。我告訴他：我和你訂了合約辦一件案子。我的立場是把它辦好。我不要你湊進來一起混。你也聽清楚了。 那倒可以。他說：但是你不可以用這種語調和我說話。 那就別湊進來搗亂。我告訴他：兩人互有共識，各辦各的。 I hang up the phone. 白莎用焦急的眼神，兩眼啪啪搧動地看我。你怎麼可以對客戶這樣說話呢？she asked. 去他的不可以！我說：非但可以，而且已經可以了。那傢伙是個什麼人都信不過的人。他請我們替他做一件工作，要不是他另外請別的偵探社來看我們做得如何了，就是他利用他自己的幹員在查我們做得如何了。這樣的結果，等於是火上加油。我再要把它扭過來，可更得花精神了。 他是一個有影響力的人呀。白莎道：你不可以和客戶硬頂嘴，你 亂講，我說：我知道他那種人。他是自以為是，吹牛拍馬的生意人他把你放在被動位置，榨乾你為止。我不希望被他牽著走。 現在準備怎麼辦？Baisha asked. 繼續辦案，有結果為止。I said. Can you? 每次都能的，不是嗎？ 你是一個聰明鬼，白莎恨恨地承認：不過我還是希望你剛才沒那樣對他說話。 我湊向柯白莎的辦公桌。把鄧邦尼給她的電話號碼抄進自己的記事本，我說：這是他對外唯一的聯絡，我想我已經知道為什麼消息會漏出去。萬一他打電話來，你在電話上不要亂嚼舌。 他有沒有說要把錢拿回去？Baisha asked. 他想往那個方向走。 白莎對他的看法大打折扣，這樣的話，她說：你罵罵這狗娘養的，也是應該的。 妳別忘了妳說過這句話。I told her.自己走出門去。 我向愛茜道晚安，告訴她萬一她好多天不能見到我，可以不必擔心，但是要三緘其口，對任何來訪的人要保持神秘兮兮。 我開車來到市警局，找上交通意外科，開始找老朋友翻尋資料，不多久，我找到了我要的。四月十五日，在吉東街和克倫街口，凱帝拉克車的駕者是封山繆，福特天王星的駕者是貝喬治。警方記錄錯在封山繆，也就是凱迪的駕者，他在紅燈時該停不停，衝撞了有路權的福特車。 我又到一家有交情的報社去翻看剪報，查出那連三場獨贏馬票得主的名字。那位贏家叫花大松。 自照片看來，他是個大嘴巴的帥哥。我把他的地址抄了下來。