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The Case of the Howling Dog :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
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"And curable?"
"Oh, yes,completely curable."
"All right," said Mason irritably, "let's get rid of that howling dog then."
"Of course," said Pete Dorcas, twisting a pencil in his fingers, "we haven't any one's word for the fact that the dog is howling, other than this man Cartright's unsupported statement."
"Oh, forget it," Mason told him. "You're not getting out a warrant. Go ahead and make a notification to Clinton Foley, stating that complaint has been made that he's violating ordinance number so and so, and give him a general idea of what the ordinance contains. He'll shut up the howling dog if he's got one, and if he hasn't he'll telephone in and let you know."
Mason turned to Dr. Cooper.
"That idea of the howling dog isn't apt to be a delusion, is it, Doctor?"
"They have delusions in manic depressive psychosis," said Dr. Cooper, "but usually they are delusions of persecution."
"Well," Dorcas remarked, "he thinks he's being persecuted. He thinks the dog is being put up to it by Foley."
Perry Mason looked at his watch.
"Let's get in a stenographer," he said, "and we can dictate a notice that will cover the case, and get it dispatched."
Dorcas turned to Dr. Cooper and raised his eyebrows.
Dr. Cooper nodded.
Dorcas pushed a button with his forefinger.
"Very well," he said, "I'll dictate it and sign it."
"I want to talk with the deputy who's going to take it out," said Mason. "I can perhaps expedite matters a little by seeing that he has ample transportation provided, and…"
Dorcas grinned.
"You mean giving him a few cigars," he said.
"Perhaps," Perry Mason said, "I might give him a bottle, but I wouldn't want to commit myself in front of a deputy district attorney."
"Go on down to the sheriff's office," said Dorcas, "and get a deputy assigned to deliver the notice. I'll have it ready by the time you get back. You can go out with the deputy if you want to."
"Not me," Mason said, grinning. "I know the proper place for a lawyer and the proper place for a deputy sheriff. One's in the office and the other's on the ground, delivering notices. I'll be in my office when the notice is delivered."
He opened the door of the office and turned to Dr. Cooper. "Don't think I'm argumentative, Doctor. I appreciate the position you're in, but I hope you appreciate the position I'm in. This man came into the office, and I could see that he was in a nervous condition. I didn't know whether he was insane or not. I wanted to find out."
"Of course," Dr.
"And curable?"
"Oh, yes,completely curable."
"All right," said Mason irritably, "let's get rid of that howling dog then."
"Of course," said Pete Dorcas, twisting a pencil in his fingers, "we haven't any one's word for the fact that the dog is howling, other than this man Cartright's unsupported statement."
"Oh, forget it," Mason told him. "You're not getting out a warrant. Go ahead and make a notification to Clinton Foley, stating that complaint has been made that he's violating ordinance number so and so, and give him a general idea of what the ordinance contains. He'll shut up the howling dog if he's got one, and if he hasn't he'll telephone in and let you know."
Mason turned to Dr. Cooper.
"That idea of the howling dog isn't apt to be a delusion, is it, Doctor?"
"They have delusions in manic depressive psychosis," said Dr. Cooper, "but usually they are delusions of persecution."
"Well," Dorcas remarked, "he thinks he's being persecuted. He thinks the dog is being put up to it by Foley."
Perry Mason looked at his watch.
"Let's get in a stenographer," he said, "and we can dictate a notice that will cover the case, and get it dispatched."
Dorcas turned to Dr. Cooper and raised his eyebrows.
Dr. Cooper nodded.
Dorcas pushed a button with his forefinger.
"Very well," he said, "I'll dictate it and sign it."
"I want to talk with the deputy who's going to take it out," said Mason. "I can perhaps expedite matters a little by seeing that he has ample transportation provided, and…"
Dorcas grinned.
"You mean giving him a few cigars," he said.
"Perhaps," Perry Mason said, "I might give him a bottle, but I wouldn't want to commit myself in front of a deputy district attorney."
"Go on down to the sheriff's office," said Dorcas, "and get a deputy assigned to deliver the notice. I'll have it ready by the time you get back. You can go out with the deputy if you want to."
"Not me," Mason said, grinning. "I know the proper place for a lawyer and the proper place for a deputy sheriff. One's in the office and the other's on the ground, delivering notices. I'll be in my office when the notice is delivered."
He opened the door of the office and turned to Dr. Cooper. "Don't think I'm argumentative, Doctor. I appreciate the position you're in, but I hope you appreciate the position I'm in. This man came into the office, and I could see that he was in a nervous condition. I didn't know whether he was insane or not. I wanted to find out."
"Of course," Dr.