Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 Dink explained about the orange peels they'd found on his uncle's balcony. Roger shook his head. "But how would a thief climb the building?" he asked. "Why don't we go outside and take a look?" Josh suggested. "Maybe we'll find a clue." "Kids, it's pretty late," Roger said. "Perhaps you should wait till tomorrow. …" "We'll only stay a minute," Dink said. "Well, okay." Roger directed them to a metal door around the corner from the elevator.

丁克解释了他们在他叔叔的阳台上发现的橘子皮。 罗杰摇了摇头。“但是一个小偷怎么爬上这栋楼呢?”他问。 “我们为什么不出去看看呢?”杰克建议。 “也许我们能找到线索。” “孩子们，很晚了，”罗杰说。 “也许你应该等到明天。 “我们只待一分钟，”丁克说。 “嗯,好的。”罗杰把他们领到电梯拐角处的一扇金属门。

Dink slid back a long bolt and shoved the door open. They walked out into a narrow, well-lit space behind the building. It was completely enclosed except for an alley that led to the street. Next to the building, a Dumpster sat in the shadows. "I wonder," Ruth Rose said, staring at the Dumpster. "What if the thief climbed on top of that? Could he reach the first balcony?" Dink stared up. "The first two floors don't have balconies," he observed. "Even standing on the Dumpster, I don't see how the crook could have gotten up or down this way." "Then he had to go through the front door," Josh said. "But if Roger didn't see him …" Just then, an angry voice came out of the darkness. "What are you doing back here? This is private property!" "Who … who's there?" Dink asked. A figure walked out of the shadows. It was Miss Booker. She didn't look happy to see them. "It's just us," Dink said. "My uncle is Mr. Duncan. We met you at the block party earlier tonight."

丁克推开一根长长的门闩，把门推开。 他们走到大楼后面一个狭窄、光线充足的地方。 除了一条通向大街的小巷外，它是完全封闭的。 在大楼旁边的阴影里，有一个垃圾箱。 “我想知道，”露丝·罗斯盯着垃圾箱说。 “如果小偷爬到上面怎么办?” 他能到第一个阳台吗?”丁克抬起头来。 “头两层没有阳台，”他说。 “即使站在垃圾桶上，我也看不出那个骗子是怎么从这条路上下的。” “然后他不得不从前门走，”乔希说。 “但如果罗杰没看见他……”就在这时，黑暗中传来一个愤怒的声音。 “你回来干什么?” 这是私人财产!”“谁……谁在那儿?”丁克问道。 一个人影从阴影中走了出来。 是布克小姐。她看起来不高兴看到他们。 “只有我们，”丁克说。 “我叔叔是邓肯先生。我们在今晚早些时候的街区聚会上见过你。”

The woman stopped a few feet from the kids. Her hands were jammed into her coat pockets. She wore a cap pulled down over her orange hair. "Why are you kids out here?" she asked. "There was a robbery in my uncle's apartment," Dink said. Miss Booker nodded. "I know. Roger just told me." "We thought the crook might have come this way," Ruth Rose said. "Yeah," Josh said, "except he'd have to have wings." Miss Booker looked up the side of the building. She touched the bricks with a long finger. "A few years ago, I could've climbed this no problem," she said. The kids stared at the woman. Miss Booker smiled. "When I was your age, my father and mother owned a carnival. My brothers did the high-wire act. They were known as the Flying Bookers. I was the girl on the trapeze." "Um, did you happen to see anyone in the alley?" Dink asked. Miss Booker shook her head. "The alley was blocked off," she said.

那女人在离孩子们几英尺远的地方停了下来。 她的手插在大衣口袋里。 她戴着一顶帽子，帽子拉得低低的，盖住了她橘黄色的头发。 “你们这些孩子为什么在外面?”她问。 “我叔叔的公寓里发生了一起抢劫案，”丁克说。 布克小姐点点头。“我知道。 罗杰刚刚告诉我的。”露丝·罗斯说:“我们以为骗子会从这边来。” “是啊，”乔希说，“不过他得有翅膀。” 布克小姐抬头看了看大楼的一侧。 她用长长的手指碰了碰砖头。 “几年前，我可以毫不费力地爬上这座山，”她说。 孩子们盯着那个女人。 布克小姐笑了。“我像你这么大的时候，我父母开了一家狂欢节。 我的兄弟们在高空走钢丝。 他们被称为“飞行布克”。 我是空中飞人的女孩。” “嗯，你在巷子里碰巧看到什么人了吗?”丁克问道。 布克小姐摇了摇头。 “小巷被封锁了，”她说。

"Blocked off? How?" Ruth Rose asked. "I'll show you." The kids followed Miss Booker down the alley toward the front of the building. "Right here," Miss Booker said, stopping where the alley met the street. "There was a trailer parked here during the block party." "A trailer?" Dink asked, trying to remember. Just then, Roger opened the front door and leaned out. "Donald, your uncle wants you and your friends to come upstairs," he said. "Okay, we'll be right in," Dink said. "Good night, Miss Booker. Maybe we'll see you tomorrow." "Maybe you will," the woman said. Then she turned and walked back down the dark alley.

“封锁?如何?”露丝·罗斯问。 “我指给你看。”孩子们跟着布克小姐穿过小巷，朝大楼前面走去。 “就在这儿，”布克小姐说着，在小巷和街道的交汇处停了下来。 “在街区派对期间，有一辆拖车停在这里。” “一个拖车吗?”丁克问，努力回忆。 就在这时，罗杰打开前门，探出身子。 “唐纳德，你叔叔要你和你的朋友们上楼来，”他说。 “好的，我们马上进去，”丁克说。 “晚安，布克小姐。也许我们明天会见到你。” “也许你会的，”女人说。 然后她转过身，沿着漆黑的小巷往回走。