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The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 54 из 146We want certaininformation. We stopped in the garage on the way up, and looked through Sam Laxter's machine. We found a long, flexible tube."
Oafley said without surprise, "Yes, Edith said she saw it quite distinctly."
"Just where is Sam Laxter now?"
"I don't know. He went out."
"How did he go out? His car's in the garage."
"Yes," Oafley said, "his car is. He didn't want to take it out and get it wet. The chauffeur drove him uptown in the Pontiac, then brought the Pontiac back. I don't know how Sam will come back, unless the Chevvy is uptown somewhere."
"The Chevvy?"
"Yes. It's a service car. Ashton usually drives it. We keep it for hauling things and running errands."
"You have a car?" Burger asked.
"Yes, the Buick in the garage is mine."
"And the big Pontiac?"
"That's the car my grandfather bought shortly before his death."
"The cars were saved when the house burned?"
"Yes, the garage was in the corner. It was one of the last things to go."
"In other words, the fire was started at some point removed from the garage?"
"It must have been started near grandfather's bedroom."
"Have you any ideas as to how it was started?"
"Not one… Look here, Mr. Burger. I would much prefer that you talked with Sam about this. My position is rather delicate. After all, Sam's related to me. Frankly, I had heard Edith DeVoe's story before, but I hadn't given it any attention. The carbon monoxide was, of course, a new thought to me. I simply can't believe it's possible. There must be some explanation."
Glassman entered the room carrying the telegram in his left hand. He stood in the doorway and made his report. "It's a genuine telegram all right. It was telephoned in. It was to be signed 'A Friend, but the telephone number of the sender was Exposition 62398. The phone's listed under the name of Winnie's Waffle Kitchen."
Mason got to his feet and said, "Baloney!"
"That will do, Mason," Burger told him. "You keep out of this."
"Like hell I will," Mason retorted. "You can't boss me, Burger. Winifred Laxter never sent that telegram."
Oafley stared at Tom Glassman. "Why," he said, "Winnie wouldn't send a telegram like that. There's some mistake."
"She sent it, all right," Glassman insisted.
"The hell she sent it!" Mason exploded. "It's a cinch to send a telegram over the telephone in someone else's name."
"Yeah," Glassman remarked. "Your clients always have someone conspiring against them.
Oafley said without surprise, "Yes, Edith said she saw it quite distinctly."
"Just where is Sam Laxter now?"
"I don't know. He went out."
"How did he go out? His car's in the garage."
"Yes," Oafley said, "his car is. He didn't want to take it out and get it wet. The chauffeur drove him uptown in the Pontiac, then brought the Pontiac back. I don't know how Sam will come back, unless the Chevvy is uptown somewhere."
"The Chevvy?"
"Yes. It's a service car. Ashton usually drives it. We keep it for hauling things and running errands."
"You have a car?" Burger asked.
"Yes, the Buick in the garage is mine."
"And the big Pontiac?"
"That's the car my grandfather bought shortly before his death."
"The cars were saved when the house burned?"
"Yes, the garage was in the corner. It was one of the last things to go."
"In other words, the fire was started at some point removed from the garage?"
"It must have been started near grandfather's bedroom."
"Have you any ideas as to how it was started?"
"Not one… Look here, Mr. Burger. I would much prefer that you talked with Sam about this. My position is rather delicate. After all, Sam's related to me. Frankly, I had heard Edith DeVoe's story before, but I hadn't given it any attention. The carbon monoxide was, of course, a new thought to me. I simply can't believe it's possible. There must be some explanation."
Glassman entered the room carrying the telegram in his left hand. He stood in the doorway and made his report. "It's a genuine telegram all right. It was telephoned in. It was to be signed 'A Friend, but the telephone number of the sender was Exposition 62398. The phone's listed under the name of Winnie's Waffle Kitchen."
Mason got to his feet and said, "Baloney!"
"That will do, Mason," Burger told him. "You keep out of this."
"Like hell I will," Mason retorted. "You can't boss me, Burger. Winifred Laxter never sent that telegram."
Oafley stared at Tom Glassman. "Why," he said, "Winnie wouldn't send a telegram like that. There's some mistake."
"She sent it, all right," Glassman insisted.
"The hell she sent it!" Mason exploded. "It's a cinch to send a telegram over the telephone in someone else's name."
"Yeah," Glassman remarked. "Your clients always have someone conspiring against them.