JК
The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 138 из 146"
"I thank your Honor for holding out a lifeline to me," Mason said smilingly, "but I hardly thinkit will be necessary."
Truslow said, "Your name is Perry Mason? You are an attorney at law?"
"That is right."
"You are the attorney representing Douglas Keene?"
"I am."
"Did you go to the waffle place operated by Winifred Laxter on the night of the twentythird?"
"I did."
"Did you take into your possession a cat at that place?"
"I did."
"What did you do with that cat?"
Perry Mason smiled. "I'll even go farther than your question, Mr. Truslow, the cat was given to me with the statement that it was Clinker, the caretaker's cat, and Winifred Laxter stated that the cat had been in her possession ever since shortly after eleven o'clock when it had been delivered to her by Douglas Keene, the defendant in this case.
"I told Miss Laxter that it was important the police did not find the cat there, and I took the cat and personally delivered it to my secretary with instructions to keep it in her possession."
"And just why did you do that?" Truslow asked.
"I did it," Perry Mason said, "so that there would be no chance for the cat to escape and return to the Laxter residence."
It took a moment for the meaning of Mason's words to penetrate to Truslow's consciousness. He frowned and said, "What?"
"I did it so the cat couldn't get back to the Laxter residence."
"I don't understand," Truslow stated.
"In other words," Mason remarked calmly, "I wanted to establish that if the cat tracks on the counterpane of the bed in which Charles Ashton was found dead were those of Clinker they must have been made prior to the time Douglas Keene left the house."
Truslow frowned. For a moment he forgot his role of questioner as he sought to follow Mason's reasoning. "That," he said, "doesn't benefit your client any."
"It does to this extent," Mason answered. "It clarified the situation so that the real murderer could be found."
Truslow asked no question, but stood in puzzled contemplation, waiting for Mason to go on, while Judge Pennymaker leaned forward in order to miss no word.
"I acted on the assumption," Mason said, "that Keene was innocent. I couldn't definitely prove his innocence except by proving someone else was guilty. The police officers jumped to the conclusion that Keene was lying. On the face of it, Keene must have been lying. Ashton was undoubtedly killed at ten thirty. Keene was undoubtedly in Ashton's room, where the body was subsequently found, at ten thirty. There were cat tracks on the counterpane.
"I thank your Honor for holding out a lifeline to me," Mason said smilingly, "but I hardly thinkit will be necessary."
Truslow said, "Your name is Perry Mason? You are an attorney at law?"
"That is right."
"You are the attorney representing Douglas Keene?"
"I am."
"Did you go to the waffle place operated by Winifred Laxter on the night of the twentythird?"
"I did."
"Did you take into your possession a cat at that place?"
"I did."
"What did you do with that cat?"
Perry Mason smiled. "I'll even go farther than your question, Mr. Truslow, the cat was given to me with the statement that it was Clinker, the caretaker's cat, and Winifred Laxter stated that the cat had been in her possession ever since shortly after eleven o'clock when it had been delivered to her by Douglas Keene, the defendant in this case.
"I told Miss Laxter that it was important the police did not find the cat there, and I took the cat and personally delivered it to my secretary with instructions to keep it in her possession."
"And just why did you do that?" Truslow asked.
"I did it," Perry Mason said, "so that there would be no chance for the cat to escape and return to the Laxter residence."
It took a moment for the meaning of Mason's words to penetrate to Truslow's consciousness. He frowned and said, "What?"
"I did it so the cat couldn't get back to the Laxter residence."
"I don't understand," Truslow stated.
"In other words," Mason remarked calmly, "I wanted to establish that if the cat tracks on the counterpane of the bed in which Charles Ashton was found dead were those of Clinker they must have been made prior to the time Douglas Keene left the house."
Truslow frowned. For a moment he forgot his role of questioner as he sought to follow Mason's reasoning. "That," he said, "doesn't benefit your client any."
"It does to this extent," Mason answered. "It clarified the situation so that the real murderer could be found."
Truslow asked no question, but stood in puzzled contemplation, waiting for Mason to go on, while Judge Pennymaker leaned forward in order to miss no word.
"I acted on the assumption," Mason said, "that Keene was innocent. I couldn't definitely prove his innocence except by proving someone else was guilty. The police officers jumped to the conclusion that Keene was lying. On the face of it, Keene must have been lying. Ashton was undoubtedly killed at ten thirty. Keene was undoubtedly in Ashton's room, where the body was subsequently found, at ten thirty. There were cat tracks on the counterpane.