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The Case of the Howling Dog :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 14 из 146Cooper said, "Ican't make a complete diagnosis…"
"I understand that," Mason told him.
"Did he say anything else?" asked Dorcas. "Did he want to consult you about anything other than the howling dog?"
Perry Mason smiled, a slow, patient smile.
"Now," he said, "you are asking questions. I can tell you, however, that the man paid me a retainer, if that will be of any help?"
"In cash?" asked Dorcas.
"In cash."
"That settles it," said Dr. Cooper, laughing, "a certain sign of insanity — a departure from the normal."
"I'll say it's a departure from the normal," Perry Mason remarked, and closed the door behind him.
Chapter 3
Della Street had Perry Mason's morning mail opened when he pushed open the door of the outer office with a cheery "Good morning. What's new, Della?"
"A lot of the usual stuff," she said, "and one that isn't usual."
"We'll save the cake until last," he told her, grinning. "What's the usual stuff?"
"One of the jurors on that last case," she said, "wants to talk over a corporation matter with you. A couple more rang up to congratulate you on the way you handled the case. There's a man who's been trying to get an appointment and won't tell me the details of what it's about. It's got something to do with some mining stock be bought. There are letters asking about minor matters…"
He made a wry face and a sweeping gesture of dismissal with his hand, then grinned at her.
"Kick 'em all out, Della," he said. "I don't like routine. I want excitement. I want to work on matters of life and death, where minutes count. I want the bizarre and the unusual."
She looked at him with eyes that held a tender solicitude. "You take too many chances, Chief," she protested. "Your love of excitement is going to get you into trouble some day. Why don't you simply handle trial work instead of going out and mixing into the cases the way you do?"
His grin was boyish.
"In the first place," he said, "I like the excitement. In the second place, because I win my cases by knowing the facts. I beat the prosecution to the punch. It's lots of fun… What's the unusual thing, Della?"
"That's plenty unusual, Chief," she said. "It's a letter from this man who was in here yesterday."
"What man?"
"The man who wanted to see you about the howling dog."
"Oh," said Mason, grinning, "Cartright, eh? Wonder if he slept last night."
"This letter," she reported, "came special delivery. It must have been mailed some time during the night.
"I understand that," Mason told him.
"Did he say anything else?" asked Dorcas. "Did he want to consult you about anything other than the howling dog?"
Perry Mason smiled, a slow, patient smile.
"Now," he said, "you are asking questions. I can tell you, however, that the man paid me a retainer, if that will be of any help?"
"In cash?" asked Dorcas.
"In cash."
"That settles it," said Dr. Cooper, laughing, "a certain sign of insanity — a departure from the normal."
"I'll say it's a departure from the normal," Perry Mason remarked, and closed the door behind him.
Chapter 3
Della Street had Perry Mason's morning mail opened when he pushed open the door of the outer office with a cheery "Good morning. What's new, Della?"
"A lot of the usual stuff," she said, "and one that isn't usual."
"We'll save the cake until last," he told her, grinning. "What's the usual stuff?"
"One of the jurors on that last case," she said, "wants to talk over a corporation matter with you. A couple more rang up to congratulate you on the way you handled the case. There's a man who's been trying to get an appointment and won't tell me the details of what it's about. It's got something to do with some mining stock be bought. There are letters asking about minor matters…"
He made a wry face and a sweeping gesture of dismissal with his hand, then grinned at her.
"Kick 'em all out, Della," he said. "I don't like routine. I want excitement. I want to work on matters of life and death, where minutes count. I want the bizarre and the unusual."
She looked at him with eyes that held a tender solicitude. "You take too many chances, Chief," she protested. "Your love of excitement is going to get you into trouble some day. Why don't you simply handle trial work instead of going out and mixing into the cases the way you do?"
His grin was boyish.
"In the first place," he said, "I like the excitement. In the second place, because I win my cases by knowing the facts. I beat the prosecution to the punch. It's lots of fun… What's the unusual thing, Della?"
"That's plenty unusual, Chief," she said. "It's a letter from this man who was in here yesterday."
"What man?"
"The man who wanted to see you about the howling dog."
"Oh," said Mason, grinning, "Cartright, eh? Wonder if he slept last night."
"This letter," she reported, "came special delivery. It must have been mailed some time during the night.