JК
The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 10 из 146My Lord, you'd think I was a corporation lawyer, sitting at a desk, advising banks and probating estates! The reason I specialized in trial law was because I didn't like the routine, and you're making this business more and more of a job and less and less of an adventure.
"That's what I like about the practice of law—it's an adventure. You're looking behind the scenes at human nature. The audience out front sees only the carefully rehearsed poses assumed by the actors. The lawyer sees human nature with the shutters open."
"If you will insist on mixing into minor cases," she said acidly, with that degree of familiarity which comes from long and privileged association in an office where conventional discipline is subordinated to efficiency, "you'll have to organize your time so you can handle your work. Mr. Nathaniel Shuster is in the outer office waiting to see you."
Perry Mason frowned. "Shuster?" he said. "Why, he's a damned jurybriber—a pettifogger. He poses as a big trial lawyer, but he's a bigger crook than the people he defends. Any damn fool can win a case if he has the jury bribed. What the devil does he want?"
"He wishes to see you in regard to a letter you wrote. His clients are with him—Mr. Samuel C. Laxter and Mr. Frank Oafley."
Abruptly Perry Mason laughed. "The caretaker's cat, eh?" he asked.
She nodded.
Mason pulled the file of mail over toward him.
"Well," he said, "as a matter of professional courtesy, we won't keep Mr. Shuster waiting. We'll take a quick run through this important stuff and see if there are any telegrams to be sent out."
He looked at a folder, and frowned. "What's this?" he asked.
"Quotations from the N.Y.K. Line on a deluxe single stateroom on the Asamu Maru—stops at Honolulu, Yokohama, Kobe, Shanghai and Hong Kong."
"Who made the inquiry?"
"I did."
He pulled a letter from the pile of mail, stared at it, and said, "The Dollar Steamship Company—quotations on a deluxe single stateroom on the President Coolidge— Honolulu, Yokohama, Kobe, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Manila."
Della Street continued to look demurely at her notebook.
Perry Mason laughed, and pushed the pile of mail away.
"We'll let it wait," he said, "until after we've disposed of Shuster. You sit right there and if I nudge your knee, start taking notes. Shuster's a pretty slippery customer. I wish he'd have his teeth fixed."
She raised her eyebrows in silent inquiry.
" Franklin teeth," he told her, "and they leak."
" Franklin teeth?" she asked.
"Yes, aircooled, you know.
"That's what I like about the practice of law—it's an adventure. You're looking behind the scenes at human nature. The audience out front sees only the carefully rehearsed poses assumed by the actors. The lawyer sees human nature with the shutters open."
"If you will insist on mixing into minor cases," she said acidly, with that degree of familiarity which comes from long and privileged association in an office where conventional discipline is subordinated to efficiency, "you'll have to organize your time so you can handle your work. Mr. Nathaniel Shuster is in the outer office waiting to see you."
Perry Mason frowned. "Shuster?" he said. "Why, he's a damned jurybriber—a pettifogger. He poses as a big trial lawyer, but he's a bigger crook than the people he defends. Any damn fool can win a case if he has the jury bribed. What the devil does he want?"
"He wishes to see you in regard to a letter you wrote. His clients are with him—Mr. Samuel C. Laxter and Mr. Frank Oafley."
Abruptly Perry Mason laughed. "The caretaker's cat, eh?" he asked.
She nodded.
Mason pulled the file of mail over toward him.
"Well," he said, "as a matter of professional courtesy, we won't keep Mr. Shuster waiting. We'll take a quick run through this important stuff and see if there are any telegrams to be sent out."
He looked at a folder, and frowned. "What's this?" he asked.
"Quotations from the N.Y.K. Line on a deluxe single stateroom on the Asamu Maru—stops at Honolulu, Yokohama, Kobe, Shanghai and Hong Kong."
"Who made the inquiry?"
"I did."
He pulled a letter from the pile of mail, stared at it, and said, "The Dollar Steamship Company—quotations on a deluxe single stateroom on the President Coolidge— Honolulu, Yokohama, Kobe, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Manila."
Della Street continued to look demurely at her notebook.
Perry Mason laughed, and pushed the pile of mail away.
"We'll let it wait," he said, "until after we've disposed of Shuster. You sit right there and if I nudge your knee, start taking notes. Shuster's a pretty slippery customer. I wish he'd have his teeth fixed."
She raised her eyebrows in silent inquiry.
" Franklin teeth," he told her, "and they leak."
" Franklin teeth?" she asked.
"Yes, aircooled, you know.