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The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 61 из 146"
"Mind if I smoke?"
"I'd like one myself. You must think I'm an awful baby."
Mason took a cigarette case from his pocket, gravely proffered her one and held a match to the end of the cigarette, when she had placed it between her lips.
"Not at all," he said, lighting his own cigarette. "Pretty lonesome here, isn't it?"
"It hadn't been; it will be."
"Tell me about it any time you're ready," he invited.
"I'm not ready yet." Her voice was stronger now, but there was still that overtone of near hysteria. "I've been sitting here in the dark too long, thinking, thinking…"
"Quit thinking," he said. "Let's just talk. What time did Douglas Keene leave Ashton's place?"
"Around eleven I think. Why?"
"He was there about an hour?"
"Yes."
"Waiting for Ashton to come in?"
"I believe so."
"And then he brought the cat here to you?" Mason asked.
"Yes."
"Let's see—when did it start raining? Before eleven or after eleven?"
"Oh, earlier than that—around nine, anyway."
"Can you tell exactly what time it was when Douglas brought you the cat? Have you any way of fixing it definitely?"
"No. I was cooking waffles for the aftertheater trade. Why are you asking me all these questions?"
"I was just trying to make conversation," Mason remarked casually. "You feel as though I'm too much of a stranger to confide in me right now. I'm trying to put you at your ease. Did one of the servants let Douglas in?"
"You mean to the town house? No. I gave Doug my key. I didn't want Sam to know I was taking the cat. Grandfather had given me a key to the house. I'd never turned it back—in fact, I guess there was no one to turn it back to."
"Why didn't you let Ashton know you'd taken the cat? Won't he be worried?"
"Oh, but he knew Doug was coming after Clinker," she said.
"How did he know?"
"I telephoned him."
"When?"
"Before he went out."
"What time did he go out?"
"I don't know, but I talked with him over the telephone and we decided, everything considered, that it might be best for me to keep Clinker for a while. He said he'd be there when Doug arrived, and told me to give Doug my key so Sam wouldn't know."
"But Ashton wasn't there when Douglas arrived?"
"No. Doug waited an hour. Then he took the cat and left."
Mason, leaning back in the chair, studied the cigarette smoke which spiraled upward.
"Clinker always sleeps on Ashton's bed, doesn't he?"
"Yes.
"Mind if I smoke?"
"I'd like one myself. You must think I'm an awful baby."
Mason took a cigarette case from his pocket, gravely proffered her one and held a match to the end of the cigarette, when she had placed it between her lips.
"Not at all," he said, lighting his own cigarette. "Pretty lonesome here, isn't it?"
"It hadn't been; it will be."
"Tell me about it any time you're ready," he invited.
"I'm not ready yet." Her voice was stronger now, but there was still that overtone of near hysteria. "I've been sitting here in the dark too long, thinking, thinking…"
"Quit thinking," he said. "Let's just talk. What time did Douglas Keene leave Ashton's place?"
"Around eleven I think. Why?"
"He was there about an hour?"
"Yes."
"Waiting for Ashton to come in?"
"I believe so."
"And then he brought the cat here to you?" Mason asked.
"Yes."
"Let's see—when did it start raining? Before eleven or after eleven?"
"Oh, earlier than that—around nine, anyway."
"Can you tell exactly what time it was when Douglas brought you the cat? Have you any way of fixing it definitely?"
"No. I was cooking waffles for the aftertheater trade. Why are you asking me all these questions?"
"I was just trying to make conversation," Mason remarked casually. "You feel as though I'm too much of a stranger to confide in me right now. I'm trying to put you at your ease. Did one of the servants let Douglas in?"
"You mean to the town house? No. I gave Doug my key. I didn't want Sam to know I was taking the cat. Grandfather had given me a key to the house. I'd never turned it back—in fact, I guess there was no one to turn it back to."
"Why didn't you let Ashton know you'd taken the cat? Won't he be worried?"
"Oh, but he knew Doug was coming after Clinker," she said.
"How did he know?"
"I telephoned him."
"When?"
"Before he went out."
"What time did he go out?"
"I don't know, but I talked with him over the telephone and we decided, everything considered, that it might be best for me to keep Clinker for a while. He said he'd be there when Doug arrived, and told me to give Doug my key so Sam wouldn't know."
"But Ashton wasn't there when Douglas arrived?"
"No. Doug waited an hour. Then he took the cat and left."
Mason, leaning back in the chair, studied the cigarette smoke which spiraled upward.
"Clinker always sleeps on Ashton's bed, doesn't he?"
"Yes.