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The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 52 из 146He stiffened and said, "What's this man doing here?"
"He's here at my request," Burger said. "He's representing Charles Ashton, the caretaker. I had some questions I wanted to ask Ashton, and I wanted Mason to be along. Did you find anything where you were digging?"
"I found the stick," Oafley said, pulling a small stake from his pocket. "That was sticking in the ground. I dug clean through the loam and down to gravel. There wasn't anything there."
"Who sent the telegram?"
"You can search me."
Burger said in a low voice to Glassman, "Tom, take the key number of that message, get on the telephone and have the telegraph company dig up the original. Find out all you can about it. Get the address of the sender."
"Did you come out because of that telegram?" Oafley asked. "It's a rotten night. I shouldn't have gone out and dug, but you can realize how I felt after I got that message."
"We came out in connection with another matter," Burger said. "Where's Sam Laxter?"
Oafley seemed suddenly nervous. "He's out. What did you want to see him about?"
"We wanted to ask him some questions."
Oafley hesitated for a moment, then said slowly; "Have you been talking with Edith DeVoe?"
"No," Burger said, "I haven't."
Mason stared steadily at Oafley. "I have," he said.
"I knew you had," Oafley told him. "It's a wonder you wouldn't mind your own business."
"That'll do from you," Burger said. "Come on in the house. What's this about the Koltsdorf diamonds being hidden in Ashton's crutch?"
"You know just as much about it as I do," Oafley said sullenly.
"Sam isn't in?"
"No."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know—out an a daze, I guess."
"Okay," Burger said. "Let us in."
They climbed up to the tiled porch. Oafley produced a bunch of keys and opened the door. "If you'll excuse me a minute, I'll wash some of this mud off and slip on another suit of clothes."
"Wait a minute," Glassman said. "There's a million bucks involved, Buddy. We aren't doubting your word any, but we'd better frisk you and see…"
"Glassman," Burger warned, "Mr. Oafley isn't to be handled that way."
He turned to Oafley. "I'm sorry Mr. Glassman used exactly those words, but the thought is something which has occurred to me, and will doubtless occur to you. There's a large sum of money involved. Suppose the person who sent that telegram should claim you had been in the garden and found some or all of that money?"
"But I didn't find any.
"He's here at my request," Burger said. "He's representing Charles Ashton, the caretaker. I had some questions I wanted to ask Ashton, and I wanted Mason to be along. Did you find anything where you were digging?"
"I found the stick," Oafley said, pulling a small stake from his pocket. "That was sticking in the ground. I dug clean through the loam and down to gravel. There wasn't anything there."
"Who sent the telegram?"
"You can search me."
Burger said in a low voice to Glassman, "Tom, take the key number of that message, get on the telephone and have the telegraph company dig up the original. Find out all you can about it. Get the address of the sender."
"Did you come out because of that telegram?" Oafley asked. "It's a rotten night. I shouldn't have gone out and dug, but you can realize how I felt after I got that message."
"We came out in connection with another matter," Burger said. "Where's Sam Laxter?"
Oafley seemed suddenly nervous. "He's out. What did you want to see him about?"
"We wanted to ask him some questions."
Oafley hesitated for a moment, then said slowly; "Have you been talking with Edith DeVoe?"
"No," Burger said, "I haven't."
Mason stared steadily at Oafley. "I have," he said.
"I knew you had," Oafley told him. "It's a wonder you wouldn't mind your own business."
"That'll do from you," Burger said. "Come on in the house. What's this about the Koltsdorf diamonds being hidden in Ashton's crutch?"
"You know just as much about it as I do," Oafley said sullenly.
"Sam isn't in?"
"No."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know—out an a daze, I guess."
"Okay," Burger said. "Let us in."
They climbed up to the tiled porch. Oafley produced a bunch of keys and opened the door. "If you'll excuse me a minute, I'll wash some of this mud off and slip on another suit of clothes."
"Wait a minute," Glassman said. "There's a million bucks involved, Buddy. We aren't doubting your word any, but we'd better frisk you and see…"
"Glassman," Burger warned, "Mr. Oafley isn't to be handled that way."
He turned to Oafley. "I'm sorry Mr. Glassman used exactly those words, but the thought is something which has occurred to me, and will doubtless occur to you. There's a large sum of money involved. Suppose the person who sent that telegram should claim you had been in the garden and found some or all of that money?"
"But I didn't find any.