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The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 25 из 146If I could support her I'd marry her tomorrow, but I can't support her and I won't let her support me. I'm an architect, and you know it takes a while for a young architect to get started. You just don't begin making money right away. But the country needs architects today more than ever. With credit inflated and more and more young families and more and more babies, it's only a question of time before I'll be sitting pretty."
Mason surveyed the youthful enthusiasm of the young man's face and nodded.
Paul Drake said, "Yeah… a couple of years." He said it tonelessly.
"And don't think I'm waiting for business to pick up, either," Keene said. "I'm working in a service station, and darned glad to get the job. Today the big boss was through. He stopped at the service station without anyone knowing who he was. And when he left he gave me his card and a pat on the back for the way I was handling the trade."
"Good boy," Mason told him.
"I'm just telling you fellows this," Keene said, "so you'll know where I stand, because I'm going to find out where you stand."
Mason glanced over at Winifred Laxter. Her eyes were absorbed in Douglas Keene. Her face was flushed with pride.
Keene took a step backward, so that he was between both men and the door.
"Now then," he said, "I've put my cards on the table and you chaps are going to put yours on the table. Peter Laxter died. He didn't leave Winifred a cent. So far as I'm concerned, I'm glad he didn't. She doesn't need his money. She's better off now than she was when she was living with him.
"I'm going to support her. I don't want any of her grandfather's money and she doesn't need any of her grandfather's money, but I don't like the idea of you birds trying to slip something over on her."
Mason's hand dropped to the young man's shoulder. "We're not trying to slip anything over on her," he said.
"What are you hanging around here for, then?"
"I want to get information," Mason said, "so I can represent a client."
"Who's the client?"
Mason grinned. "Believe it or not, but the client's a cat."
"A what?"
Winifred interrupted. "It's Charlie Ashton, Doug—you know, the boys have to keep him on as caretaker, but Sam has threatened to poison the cat, and Mr. Mason's representing Ashton, trying to fix things up so he can keep the cat."
Keene 's jaw set grimly. "Do you mean to say that Sam Laxter threatens to poison Clinker?"
She nodded.
"Well, I'll be damned," Keene said slowly. He turned to Perry Mason.
Mason surveyed the youthful enthusiasm of the young man's face and nodded.
Paul Drake said, "Yeah… a couple of years." He said it tonelessly.
"And don't think I'm waiting for business to pick up, either," Keene said. "I'm working in a service station, and darned glad to get the job. Today the big boss was through. He stopped at the service station without anyone knowing who he was. And when he left he gave me his card and a pat on the back for the way I was handling the trade."
"Good boy," Mason told him.
"I'm just telling you fellows this," Keene said, "so you'll know where I stand, because I'm going to find out where you stand."
Mason glanced over at Winifred Laxter. Her eyes were absorbed in Douglas Keene. Her face was flushed with pride.
Keene took a step backward, so that he was between both men and the door.
"Now then," he said, "I've put my cards on the table and you chaps are going to put yours on the table. Peter Laxter died. He didn't leave Winifred a cent. So far as I'm concerned, I'm glad he didn't. She doesn't need his money. She's better off now than she was when she was living with him.
"I'm going to support her. I don't want any of her grandfather's money and she doesn't need any of her grandfather's money, but I don't like the idea of you birds trying to slip something over on her."
Mason's hand dropped to the young man's shoulder. "We're not trying to slip anything over on her," he said.
"What are you hanging around here for, then?"
"I want to get information," Mason said, "so I can represent a client."
"Who's the client?"
Mason grinned. "Believe it or not, but the client's a cat."
"A what?"
Winifred interrupted. "It's Charlie Ashton, Doug—you know, the boys have to keep him on as caretaker, but Sam has threatened to poison the cat, and Mr. Mason's representing Ashton, trying to fix things up so he can keep the cat."
Keene 's jaw set grimly. "Do you mean to say that Sam Laxter threatens to poison Clinker?"
She nodded.
"Well, I'll be damned," Keene said slowly. He turned to Perry Mason.