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The Case of the Caretakers Cat :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 7 из 146Sam Laxter says heburied it somewhere, but I know the master better than that. I think he put it in a safety deposit box under an assumed name. He didn't trust the banks. He said that when times were good, the banks loaned his money and made a profit on it, and when times were bad, they told him they were sorry they couldn't get it back. He lost some money in a bank a couple of years ago. Once was enough for the master."
"A million dollars in cash?" Mason asked.
"Of course it was in cash," Ashton snapped. "What else would he take it in?"
Perry Mason glanced at Della Street.
"How about Winifred—you say she's disappeared?"
"Yes, she pulled out. I don't blame her. The others treated her shameful."
"How old are the grandchildren?"
"Sam's twentyeight; Frank Oafley's twentysix; Winifred's twentytwo—and a beauty! She's worth all the rest put together. Six months ago the master made a will leaving her everything and cutting off the other two grandchildren with ten dollars each. Then two days before he died, he made this new will."
Mason frowned, and said, "That's hard on Winifred."
Ashton grunted, said nothing.
"Just how much money did you plan to spend in enforcing your rights to keep Clinker?" Mason asked speculatively.
Ashton whipped a billfold from his pocket, pulled out a sheaf of bills.
"I'm not a piker," he said. "Good lawyers come high. I don't want anything but the best. How much is it goin' to cost?"
Mason stared at the thick bundle of bills.
"Where did you get all that money?" he asked curiously.
"Saved it. I don't have any expenses, and I've been saving my salary for twenty years. I've put it in giltedged stuff—stuff that the master recommended—and when the master cashed in, I cashed in."
"On Mr. Laxter's advice?" Mason asked, eyeing his client curiously.
"If you want to put it that way."
"And you're willing to spend your money to keep your cat?"
"I'm willing to spend a reasonable amount of it; I'm not going to throw it away. But I know it costs money to get a good lawyer, and I know I'm not going to get a poor lawyer."
"Suppose," Mason said, "I should tell you it was going to cost you five hundred dollars by way of retainer?"
"That's too much," Ashton said irritably.
"Suppose I should say two hundred and fifty dollars?"
"That's reasonable. I'll pay it."
Ashton started counting bills.
"Wait a minute," Mason said, laughing. "Perhaps it won't be necessary to spend any large amount of money.
"A million dollars in cash?" Mason asked.
"Of course it was in cash," Ashton snapped. "What else would he take it in?"
Perry Mason glanced at Della Street.
"How about Winifred—you say she's disappeared?"
"Yes, she pulled out. I don't blame her. The others treated her shameful."
"How old are the grandchildren?"
"Sam's twentyeight; Frank Oafley's twentysix; Winifred's twentytwo—and a beauty! She's worth all the rest put together. Six months ago the master made a will leaving her everything and cutting off the other two grandchildren with ten dollars each. Then two days before he died, he made this new will."
Mason frowned, and said, "That's hard on Winifred."
Ashton grunted, said nothing.
"Just how much money did you plan to spend in enforcing your rights to keep Clinker?" Mason asked speculatively.
Ashton whipped a billfold from his pocket, pulled out a sheaf of bills.
"I'm not a piker," he said. "Good lawyers come high. I don't want anything but the best. How much is it goin' to cost?"
Mason stared at the thick bundle of bills.
"Where did you get all that money?" he asked curiously.
"Saved it. I don't have any expenses, and I've been saving my salary for twenty years. I've put it in giltedged stuff—stuff that the master recommended—and when the master cashed in, I cashed in."
"On Mr. Laxter's advice?" Mason asked, eyeing his client curiously.
"If you want to put it that way."
"And you're willing to spend your money to keep your cat?"
"I'm willing to spend a reasonable amount of it; I'm not going to throw it away. But I know it costs money to get a good lawyer, and I know I'm not going to get a poor lawyer."
"Suppose," Mason said, "I should tell you it was going to cost you five hundred dollars by way of retainer?"
"That's too much," Ashton said irritably.
"Suppose I should say two hundred and fifty dollars?"
"That's reasonable. I'll pay it."
Ashton started counting bills.
"Wait a minute," Mason said, laughing. "Perhaps it won't be necessary to spend any large amount of money.