If tomorrow comes （3）假如明天来临

Chapter 3

第三章

Tracy left her hotel in the late afternoon and walked along Canal Street until she came to a pawn shop. A cadaverous-looking man wearing an old-fashioned green eyeshade sat in a cage behind a counter.

接近黄昏时分，特蕾西离开旅店，沿着运河街来到一家当铺。一个戴着老式绿色墨镜、脸色苍白的男人坐在带有栅栏的柜台后边。

"Help you?"

“您要买什么？”

"I--- I want to buy a gun."

“我——我想买一支手枪。”

"What kind of gun?"

“什么式样的？”

"You know... a... revolver."

“噢……一支……左轮手枪。”

"You want a thirty-two, a forty-five, a---"

“您是要三十二、四十五口径的，还是——”

Tracy had never even held a gun. "A--- a thirty-two will do."

特蕾西从来没有摸过枪。“嗯——三十二口径的就可以了。”

"I have a nice thirty-two caliber Smith and Wesson here for two hundred twenty-nine dollars, or a Charter Arms thirty-two for a hundred fifty-nine..."

“我这儿有一支上等的史密斯-韦森工厂制造的三十二口径的左轮，价钱二百二十九美元，还有一支特许兵工厂生产的三十二口径的，价钱是一百五十九美元……”

She had not brought much cash with her. "Have you got something cheaper?"

她身上的现款不多。“还有便宜一点的吗？”

He shrugged. "Cheaper is a slingshot, lady. Tell you what. I'll let you have the thirty-two for a hundred fifty, and I'll throw in a box of bullets."

他耸了耸肩。“小姐，再便宜一点的只有弹弓了。这样吧，这支三十二口径的就收您一百五十块，我再白给您一盒子弹。”

"All right." Tracy watched as he moved over to an arsenal on a table behind him and selected a revolver. He brought it to the counter. "You know how to use it?"

“好吧。”特蕾西看着他走到他身后一张桌子上放着的武器柜前挑了一支左轮手枪。他把枪放到柜台上，“您知道怎么用吗？”

"You--- you pull the trigger."

“您——您搂一下板机看看。”

He grunted. "Do you want me to show you how to load it?"

他哼了一声：“要我教您怎么装子弹吗？”

She started to say no, that she was not going to use it, that she just wanted to frighten someone, but she realized how foolish that would sound. "Yes, please."

她刚说不用，说她并不打算用它，只是想用它来吓唬一下人，但转念一想，这种说法听上去真是太荒唐了。“好，请您示范一下。”

Tracy watched as he inserted the bullets into the chamber. "Thank you." She reached in tier purse and counted out the money.

特蕾西看着他把子弹装上膛。“谢谢。”她掏出钱包，把钱数好交给他。

"I'll need your name and address for the police records."

“请您留下姓名和住址，好向警察局备案。”