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The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 58 из 146Plenty of trouble! You hear me? You…"
He broke off as District Attorney Burger, accompanied by Tom Glassman, reentered the room. Burger's features were puzzled. "Mason," he said, "do you know anything about diamonds your client Ashton has?"
Mason shook his head. "We can ask him," he suggested.
"I think we want to talk with him," Burger said. "Apparently he's mixed up in this thing."
Mason nodded.
Shuster said, "A damned outrage! A frameup! Mason cooked this up in order to bust the will."
Mason's smile was tolerant as he remarked, "I told you, Shuster, that I always hit in an unexpected place."
"Do you wish me to call the caretaker?" the flabby woman in the wrapper asked, as Oafley, in bathrobe and slippers, shuffled into the room.
"Who are you?" Burger inquired.
"The housekeeper," Oafley interposed. "Mrs. Pixley."
"I think we'll go and interview the caretaker without giving him previous notice," Burger announced.
"Look here," Mason said. "In view of the circumstances, don't you think it would be fair to let me know just what it is you're after?"
"Come along," Burger said, "and you'll find out, but don't interrupt to ask questions or give advice."
Shuster darted around the table. "You've got to watch him," he warned. "He's hatched up this whole business."
"Dry up," Tom Glassman said over his shoulder.
"Go on," Burger said to Mrs. Pixley; "show us the way."
The woman moved along the hallway, her bedroom slippers slopping against her heels as she walked. Paul Drake fell into step beside Perry Mason. Oafley dropped behind, for a word with Shuster. Burger held Sam Laxter's arm.
"Funnylooking character—the housekeeper," Drake remarked in a low voice. "All soft except her mouth and it's hard enough to make up for everything."
"Underneath that softness," Mason said, his eyes appraising the woman's figure, "is a great deal of strength. Her muscles are cased in fat, but she's plenty husky. Notice the way she carries herself."
The woman led the way down a flight of stairs to a basement. She opened a door, crossed a cement floor, paused in front of another door, and said, "Shall I knock?"
"Not unless it's locked," Burger told her.
She turned the knob of the door and stepped to one side, pushing open the door.
Mason couldn't see the interior of the room but he could see her face. He saw light from the inside of the room strike her features. He saw the flabby flesh of her face freeze in an expression of wild terror. He saw the hard lips sag open, and then heard her scream.
Burger jumped forward.
He broke off as District Attorney Burger, accompanied by Tom Glassman, reentered the room. Burger's features were puzzled. "Mason," he said, "do you know anything about diamonds your client Ashton has?"
Mason shook his head. "We can ask him," he suggested.
"I think we want to talk with him," Burger said. "Apparently he's mixed up in this thing."
Mason nodded.
Shuster said, "A damned outrage! A frameup! Mason cooked this up in order to bust the will."
Mason's smile was tolerant as he remarked, "I told you, Shuster, that I always hit in an unexpected place."
"Do you wish me to call the caretaker?" the flabby woman in the wrapper asked, as Oafley, in bathrobe and slippers, shuffled into the room.
"Who are you?" Burger inquired.
"The housekeeper," Oafley interposed. "Mrs. Pixley."
"I think we'll go and interview the caretaker without giving him previous notice," Burger announced.
"Look here," Mason said. "In view of the circumstances, don't you think it would be fair to let me know just what it is you're after?"
"Come along," Burger said, "and you'll find out, but don't interrupt to ask questions or give advice."
Shuster darted around the table. "You've got to watch him," he warned. "He's hatched up this whole business."
"Dry up," Tom Glassman said over his shoulder.
"Go on," Burger said to Mrs. Pixley; "show us the way."
The woman moved along the hallway, her bedroom slippers slopping against her heels as she walked. Paul Drake fell into step beside Perry Mason. Oafley dropped behind, for a word with Shuster. Burger held Sam Laxter's arm.
"Funnylooking character—the housekeeper," Drake remarked in a low voice. "All soft except her mouth and it's hard enough to make up for everything."
"Underneath that softness," Mason said, his eyes appraising the woman's figure, "is a great deal of strength. Her muscles are cased in fat, but she's plenty husky. Notice the way she carries herself."
The woman led the way down a flight of stairs to a basement. She opened a door, crossed a cement floor, paused in front of another door, and said, "Shall I knock?"
"Not unless it's locked," Burger told her.
She turned the knob of the door and stepped to one side, pushing open the door.
Mason couldn't see the interior of the room but he could see her face. He saw light from the inside of the room strike her features. He saw the flabby flesh of her face freeze in an expression of wild terror. He saw the hard lips sag open, and then heard her scream.
Burger jumped forward.