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The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 56 из 146Do you want me to take legal steps to…"
His voice trailed away into silence as he caught sight of Burger's figure standing in the light of the porch.
"Come in, Shuster," Burger said. "You'll get wet standing out there."
Rain glistened on Sam Laxter's face. The cut on his cheek dripped blood, unheeded. His lips were twisting with emotion. "What's the big idea?" he asked.
"I'm just making an investigation," Burger said, "and I wanted to ask you a few questions. Have you any objection?"
"Certainly not," Laxter replied, "but I don't like the way you're going about this thing. What was the idea digging up…"
"Not a question! Not a question!" Shuster shouted. "Not unless I am present, and not unless I tell you you should answer."
"Oh, bosh, Shuster!" Laxter said. "I can certainly answer any question the district attorney wants to put to me."
"Don't be foolish," Shuster screamed. "It's not an investigation by the district attorney, it's stirred up by that busybody, Mason. It's all over this damned cat. Don't answer them. Don't answer anything. The first thing you know, you'll be outside in the cold, and then what? All your inheritance gone. Mason sitting in the saddle. Winifred inheriting your property. The cat laughing…"
"Shut up, Shuster," Burger said. "I'm going to talk with Sam Laxter, and I'm going to talk with him without having to put up with a lot of your insane interruptions. Come in the house, Laxter. Do you need a doctor to dress those wounds?"
"I don't think so," Laxter said. "I skidded and hit a telephone pole. It shook me up a bit and I've got a bad cut on the right forearm, but it only needs washing with a good antiseptic and a clean bandage. I may have a doctor look at it later, but I won't keep you waiting."
Shuster ran toward him. "Please!" he said. "I beg of you! I implore you! Don't do it!"
"Shut up," Burger said once more, taking Sam's arm as Sam walked up the steps toward him.
Laxter and Burger entered the house, closely followed by Glassman. Shuster slowly climbed the stairs, moving like an old man whose every step was an effort.
Mason watched the three men cross the living room and disappear through a door. He entered the living room and sat down. Drake pulled a cigarette from his pocket, sat crosswise on an overstuffed chair and said, "Well, that's that."
Jim Brandon stood in the doorway and said to Shuster, "I don't know if you're supposed to come in or not."
"Don't be silly," Shuster told him, and then lowered his voice, saying something which was inaudible to Mason and the detective. Brandon also lowered his voice.
His voice trailed away into silence as he caught sight of Burger's figure standing in the light of the porch.
"Come in, Shuster," Burger said. "You'll get wet standing out there."
Rain glistened on Sam Laxter's face. The cut on his cheek dripped blood, unheeded. His lips were twisting with emotion. "What's the big idea?" he asked.
"I'm just making an investigation," Burger said, "and I wanted to ask you a few questions. Have you any objection?"
"Certainly not," Laxter replied, "but I don't like the way you're going about this thing. What was the idea digging up…"
"Not a question! Not a question!" Shuster shouted. "Not unless I am present, and not unless I tell you you should answer."
"Oh, bosh, Shuster!" Laxter said. "I can certainly answer any question the district attorney wants to put to me."
"Don't be foolish," Shuster screamed. "It's not an investigation by the district attorney, it's stirred up by that busybody, Mason. It's all over this damned cat. Don't answer them. Don't answer anything. The first thing you know, you'll be outside in the cold, and then what? All your inheritance gone. Mason sitting in the saddle. Winifred inheriting your property. The cat laughing…"
"Shut up, Shuster," Burger said. "I'm going to talk with Sam Laxter, and I'm going to talk with him without having to put up with a lot of your insane interruptions. Come in the house, Laxter. Do you need a doctor to dress those wounds?"
"I don't think so," Laxter said. "I skidded and hit a telephone pole. It shook me up a bit and I've got a bad cut on the right forearm, but it only needs washing with a good antiseptic and a clean bandage. I may have a doctor look at it later, but I won't keep you waiting."
Shuster ran toward him. "Please!" he said. "I beg of you! I implore you! Don't do it!"
"Shut up," Burger said once more, taking Sam's arm as Sam walked up the steps toward him.
Laxter and Burger entered the house, closely followed by Glassman. Shuster slowly climbed the stairs, moving like an old man whose every step was an effort.
Mason watched the three men cross the living room and disappear through a door. He entered the living room and sat down. Drake pulled a cigarette from his pocket, sat crosswise on an overstuffed chair and said, "Well, that's that."
Jim Brandon stood in the doorway and said to Shuster, "I don't know if you're supposed to come in or not."
"Don't be silly," Shuster told him, and then lowered his voice, saying something which was inaudible to Mason and the detective. Brandon also lowered his voice.