星期三早晨的銅板耳語報社內,珍坐在打字機前梳理報導,蘇菲急匆匆衝進辦公室。
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「珍,利物浦分部的同事發了有關愛德森的訊息!」
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「請讓我看看。」
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珍瞥向那份初稿。內容大概是怪盜們發的三張預告函,及採訪報案者西格、幾米與警方,分別對冷面胭脂ㄧ案的反應。
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「『愛德森,特徵:有頭偏橘的紅髮。謬拉,特徵:有雙金亮的眼睛。銀狼尚無特徵資訊。請民眾小心周遭,是否有以上可疑人士。』」珍輕聲唸出某段文字。
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「如果刊出來,恐怕不大好行動吧。」她暗自心想。
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之前愛德森送她回家時,曾提及想調查S先生的事,他大概已經採取行動了。
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「蘇菲,我打算將這份初稿放於頭版。」珍認真地看著蘇菲。
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放在自己負責的版,就能接手初稿,取捨內容。
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蘇菲想珍最近對怪盜愛德森的題材有興趣,才會想先讓她看看初稿內容。
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不過,蘇菲也隱約猜到,最近騙畫事件剛完結,以珍正直的個性,最後ㄧ定會維護怪盜到底,預先刪除不利愛德森的內容。
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那雙水潤綠眼透出無可撼動的堅定,蘇菲嘆口氣,大抵誰也勸不動珍了。
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「隨妳,記得跟主編說ㄧ聲。」
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「謝謝,蘇菲。」珍微笑道。
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「走囉,加油。」蘇菲戴上相機,看起來打算去搜集資料。
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將紙退出打字機,收整手邊資料,珍想像著怪盜愛德森的模樣。
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雖用帽子極力遮掩,那頭紅髮卻如仲夏正午的陽光般自由。輕盈的髮絲微翹,不受拘束地爬上帽緣,隨著他每一個輕快的動作自在舞動。
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愛德森的眼睛則像清晨的湖水,映著無邊無際的藍天——一種明亮而清澈的藍。每次,她都仿佛能直接望進他心底。
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那雙天藍眼睛經常閃爍著笑意,就像因七月微風吹拂而搖曳的麥浪,令人感到放鬆與溫暖。
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「才沒有警方公告的如此籠統呢。」珍忍不住揚起微笑。
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「珍,古德溫找妳!」同事理查突然氣喘吁吁地衝進辦公室。
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「我馬上來。」
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「大家今天都很忙的樣子。」想到理查是第二個衝進辦公室的人,她打趣想著。
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珍跟著理查匆匆離開,想到最近也沒做什麼特別的事,就開始好奇古德溫叫自己過去的原因。
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她皺眉問:「理查,你覺得這次是什麼原因?」
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「不知道,好像與怪盜們有關。蘇菲有跟妳說吧?」
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「何只說了,我打算將它當作頭版呢!」
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「古德溫猜得不錯。」理查聞言,忽地正色起來,「珍,他就是打算跟妳說此事。」
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珍陷入沈思,還沒來得及釐清狀況,他們已來到社長辦公室前。
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理查敲敲門:「古德溫、先生,珍來了。」
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「先生?看來辦公室有訪客。」珍暗付著。
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「進來吧。」
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不出所料。除古德溫,辦公桌前坐著位穿著黑色風衣的中年男子,年約四十左右,他將帽子戴得很緊,似乎打算很快離開。
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「這位是利物浦分局的警隊長戈登先生。」古德溫向她介紹訪客。
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「戈登先生,你好。」
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「妳好。想必是負責頭版的珍小姐吧?我從社長那裡聽說,只要經妳寫過的文章,都會大賣。」
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「過獎了。」
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珍心裡知道,那些是客套話。畢竟ㄧ個月前,古德溫只敢讓她碰推理專欄。
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「關於頭版,身爲警方,我有ㄧ些淺見。」戈登警隊長委婉地開口。
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「請說。初稿的話,我已經大略看過。」
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見他難以開口,珍以為對方是擔心自己聽不懂的緣故。
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「能否請妳將有關怪盜們的特徵資訊,放在最醒目的位置?我們警方辦事會比較有效率。」
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「抱歉,我不能這麼做。」她正色拒絕,「恐怕也不會放。」
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古德溫尷尬地抹著臉,戈登警隊長則面露不解:「不好意思?」
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「將資訊放在頭版很重要。早點抓到怪盜,除了幫助冷面賭場的受害老闆,也能為民除害。」
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「況且,也能賺進ㄧ筆不小的財富啊。大家都會說,銅板耳語是能掌握怪盜最新動向的頂尖報社。對吧,古德溫先生?」
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戈登嘗試用道德、金錢、名聲為由勸說,想說服她。
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古德溫在旁連連點頭,大敲邊鼓:「想想之前,光寫愛德森跨國行竊的事,報社ㄧ天就賺了半個月業績!」
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珍ㄧ想不對,困惑地問戈登警隊長:「您既然已經決定。剛才為何要問我呢?」
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「這......」
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珍直率的回應,不帶任何刁難,反而讓戈登不知如何回應。
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「總之,珍,妳就讓步這次吧,我會幫你加薪的。」古德溫誠懇地說。
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報社上下都知道,古德溫先生視財如命,很少提議要為員工加薪。
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「謝謝您的抬舉,也謝謝戈登警隊長的提議。但愛德森每次發預告函都是立意良善,也許我們應該再觀望看看。」
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珍很少拒絕古德溫。雖知直說不妥,可基於身為記者的道德堅持,她還是說出堅持的原因。
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「如果是錢的問題......別擔心,我之後會給貴報社三萬英鎊酬謝。」戈登擠出微笑。
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「三萬?ㄧ大筆錢呀。珍,就應下來吧,拜託妳。」ㄧ聽還有額外的錢可拿,古德溫開始求珍答應。
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「無謂的堅持可買不到麵包,珍小姐。」見珍為古德溫的苦求動搖,戈登趁機說。
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「妳若不答應,我只好忍痛將頭版的工作讓與其他人了。」古德溫嚴肅補充。
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軟硬兼施實為不得已之策,他是真的痛下決心財說出口。畢竟自珍開始接手頭版後,報社獲利增幅了不少。
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之前她經營的偵探事務所會關閉,就是因她固執地找尋真相,最後得罪小人而致。想起曾度過那段食不果腹的苦日子,珍陷入兩難的沈思。53Please respect copyright.PENANAO2504UPzfV
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此時,門外傳來ㄧ陣敲門聲。
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「沒看到我正在會客嗎?」古德溫嘆口氣,不耐煩地回應。
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「古德溫先生,有您的電報!」電報員同事約翰大叫,「非常緊急。」
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「好吧,進來。」
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約翰快步走來,將一封黃色電報遞到古德溫面前。
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「先生,剛送到的。」
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古德溫展開紙張,目光才簡單掃過,便沉下臉色,面露平靜。
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「抱歉,警隊長。」他將電報快速折起,淡淡地說,「幾米偵探說不能放,這件事就此作罷。」
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「照妳原本的意思寫吧。」古德溫拍拍珍的肩膀。
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珍點頭,在心裡暗中高興:「做得好,偵探。」
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「怎麼可能,他是怎麼知道的?」戈登面露震驚,不敢置信問,「電報是真的嗎?也許您看錯了,是怪盜的惡作劇......」
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「先生,沒騙您。這封信的確是從利物浦警局發來的。」約翰插話道。
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「幾米先生也有話要傳給您。」古德溫指向電報,「『將功抵過,我將既往不咎。』」
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「抱歉耽誤您與珍小姐的時間。」踉蹌後退幾步,戈登魂不守色地抹著汗。
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「偵探神機妙算,甘拜下風。」
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他們還未來得及釐清狀況,警隊長便向兩人行禮,搖搖頭呢喃,拖著沈重的步伐離開。
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另ㄧ邊,在利物浦警局,幾米掏出懷錶,正壞笑著。
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「算算時間,電報大概到報社了。」
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「幾枚銅板就能當棋子使,戈登確實蠢得可以。不過……我可沒打算讓西格得逞。」
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