JК
The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 49 из 146"
Glassman opened the door, climbed out into the rain and turned aflashlight on the padlock which held the garage doors. He produced a bunch of keys from his pocket, and, after a moment nodded to Burger, and pulled back the sliding door of the garage.
The men opened the door of the garage.
"Be careful," Burger cautioned, "not to slam those doors shut. We don't want to alarm anyone until after we've looked the place over."
There were three cars in the garage. Glassman's flashlight flickered over them in turn. Mason stared with narrowed eyes at a new green Pontiac sedan. Burger, seeing the expression on his face, inquired, "Have you discovered something, Mason?"
Perry Mason shook his head.
Glassman's flashlight explored the registration certificates. "This one's in the name of Samuel C. Laxter," he said, indicating a custombuilt sports coupe with spare tires mounted in fender wells on either side. It was a powerful, lowhung car of glistening enamel and chrome steel.
"Sure built for speed," Burger muttered. "Turn your flashlight down here on the muffler, Tom."
Glassman swung the beam from his flashlight to the exhaust pipe, and Burger bent over to examine it. He nodded slowly. "Something's been clamped around here," he said.
"Well, let's go have a talk with Mr. Samuel Laxter and see what he has to say for himself," Glassman suggested.
Perry Mason, leaning nonchalantly against the side of the garage, tapped a cigarette on his thumb nail, preparatory to lighting it. "Of course, I don't want to interfere, but there's just the possibility you might find that flexible tubing if you looked hard enough."
"Where?" Burger asked.
"Some place in the car."
"What makes you think it's there?"
"The fire," Mason pointed out, "originated at a point in or near Laxter's bedroom. The garage was some little distance from that. They managed to save the automobiles that were in the garage. That bit of flexible tubing was a damaging piece of evidence which Laxter wouldn't ordinarily have left where it could be discovered. Of course, he may have hidden it afterwards, but there's a chance it's somewhere in the car."
Glassman, without enthusiasm, pulled the trigger which raised the back of the rumble seat, climbed into the car, and started exploring with his flashlight. He raised the front seat, opened the flap pocket, prowled around in the back of the car.
"There's a compartment here that's locked," Burger pointed out.
"For golf clubs," Glassman explained.
"See if one of your keys will fit it.
Glassman opened the door, climbed out into the rain and turned aflashlight on the padlock which held the garage doors. He produced a bunch of keys from his pocket, and, after a moment nodded to Burger, and pulled back the sliding door of the garage.
The men opened the door of the garage.
"Be careful," Burger cautioned, "not to slam those doors shut. We don't want to alarm anyone until after we've looked the place over."
There were three cars in the garage. Glassman's flashlight flickered over them in turn. Mason stared with narrowed eyes at a new green Pontiac sedan. Burger, seeing the expression on his face, inquired, "Have you discovered something, Mason?"
Perry Mason shook his head.
Glassman's flashlight explored the registration certificates. "This one's in the name of Samuel C. Laxter," he said, indicating a custombuilt sports coupe with spare tires mounted in fender wells on either side. It was a powerful, lowhung car of glistening enamel and chrome steel.
"Sure built for speed," Burger muttered. "Turn your flashlight down here on the muffler, Tom."
Glassman swung the beam from his flashlight to the exhaust pipe, and Burger bent over to examine it. He nodded slowly. "Something's been clamped around here," he said.
"Well, let's go have a talk with Mr. Samuel Laxter and see what he has to say for himself," Glassman suggested.
Perry Mason, leaning nonchalantly against the side of the garage, tapped a cigarette on his thumb nail, preparatory to lighting it. "Of course, I don't want to interfere, but there's just the possibility you might find that flexible tubing if you looked hard enough."
"Where?" Burger asked.
"Some place in the car."
"What makes you think it's there?"
"The fire," Mason pointed out, "originated at a point in or near Laxter's bedroom. The garage was some little distance from that. They managed to save the automobiles that were in the garage. That bit of flexible tubing was a damaging piece of evidence which Laxter wouldn't ordinarily have left where it could be discovered. Of course, he may have hidden it afterwards, but there's a chance it's somewhere in the car."
Glassman, without enthusiasm, pulled the trigger which raised the back of the rumble seat, climbed into the car, and started exploring with his flashlight. He raised the front seat, opened the flap pocket, prowled around in the back of the car.
"There's a compartment here that's locked," Burger pointed out.
"For golf clubs," Glassman explained.
"See if one of your keys will fit it.