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The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 34 из 146I thought at the time there was something funny about the fire. I told Frank Oafley about it and he said I should keep quiet. I screamed and tried to arouse Mr. Laxter—that's Peter Laxter—the old man. By that time the flames were all over that end of the house. I kept screaming, and groped my way up the stairs. It was hot there and smoky, but there weren't any flames. The smoke bothered me a lot. Frank came after me and pulled me back. He said there was nothing I could do. We stood on the stairs and yelled, trying to arouse Mr. Laxter, but we didn't get any answer. Lots of black smoke was rolling up the stairs. I looked back and saw some flames just breaking through the floor near the bottom of the stairs and I knew we had to get out. We went out through the north wing. I was almost suffocated with smoke. My eyes were red and bloodshot for two or three days."
"Where was Sam Laxter?"
"I saw him before I saw Frank. He had on pajamas and a bathrobe, and he was yelling 'Fire! Fire! He seemed to have lost his head."
"Where was the fire department?"
"It didn't get there until the place was almost gone. It was very isolated, you know—the house."
"A big house?"
"It was too big!" she said vehemently. "There was too much work in it for the help they employed."
"What help was employed?"
"There was Mrs. Pixley; a girl named Nora—I think her last name was Abbington—I can't be certain; and then there was Jimmy Brandon—he was the chauffeur. Nora was sort of a general maidofallwork. She didn't live at the place, but came every morning at seven and stayed until five in the afternoon. Mrs. Pixley did all the cooking."
"And Charles Ashton, the caretaker—was he there?"
"Only occasionally. He kept the town house, you know. He'd drive in at times when Mr. Laxter would ask him. He'd been there the night of the fire."
"Where did Peter Laxter sleep?"
"On the second floor, in the south wing."
"What time did the fire take place?"
"Around one thirty in the morning. It must have been about quarter to two when I woke up. The house had been burning for some time then."
"Why were you employed? What was wrong with Mr. Laxter?"
"He'd been in an automobile accident, you know, and it had left him quite nervous and upset. At times he couldn't sleep and he had a dislike of drugs. He wouldn't let the doctor give him anything to make him sleep. I'd been a masseuse, and I massaged him when he had those nervous fits. It relaxed him.
"Where was Sam Laxter?"
"I saw him before I saw Frank. He had on pajamas and a bathrobe, and he was yelling 'Fire! Fire! He seemed to have lost his head."
"Where was the fire department?"
"It didn't get there until the place was almost gone. It was very isolated, you know—the house."
"A big house?"
"It was too big!" she said vehemently. "There was too much work in it for the help they employed."
"What help was employed?"
"There was Mrs. Pixley; a girl named Nora—I think her last name was Abbington—I can't be certain; and then there was Jimmy Brandon—he was the chauffeur. Nora was sort of a general maidofallwork. She didn't live at the place, but came every morning at seven and stayed until five in the afternoon. Mrs. Pixley did all the cooking."
"And Charles Ashton, the caretaker—was he there?"
"Only occasionally. He kept the town house, you know. He'd drive in at times when Mr. Laxter would ask him. He'd been there the night of the fire."
"Where did Peter Laxter sleep?"
"On the second floor, in the south wing."
"What time did the fire take place?"
"Around one thirty in the morning. It must have been about quarter to two when I woke up. The house had been burning for some time then."
"Why were you employed? What was wrong with Mr. Laxter?"
"He'd been in an automobile accident, you know, and it had left him quite nervous and upset. At times he couldn't sleep and he had a dislike of drugs. He wouldn't let the doctor give him anything to make him sleep. I'd been a masseuse, and I massaged him when he had those nervous fits. It relaxed him.