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The Case of the Howling Dog :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 24 из 146If it turns out your man is making false statements, and is mentally deranged we're going to go right through with a commitment, unless you want to find some relative and have the man committed privately."
"Now," said Mason, "you're commencing to talk sense. Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"
"Tell you what?"
"Tell me that I could find a relative and get the man committed?"
"Well," said Dorcas, "he started the machinery of this office on a criminal matter which seems to have been entirely without foundation. Then Mr. Foley came in and impressed upon us the fact that his safety was being jeopardized…"
"Exactly," said Perry Mason, "that's what I was combating.
"There's no hard feelings, Pete, but I'm representing my client, and when I represent a client, I fight for him — to the last ditch if necessary."
Dorcas sighed and made a gesture with his hands, spreading them out, palm upward on the desk.
"That's one thing about you, Mason," he said, "nobody can ever say you don't represent a client. You're hard to get along with."
"Not when my clients get a square deal," Mason said.
"Your client will get a square deal here," Dorcas told him, "as long as I'm running things. Bill Pemberton is fair, and he's going out and make an investigation."
"I want to go with him," Mason stated.
"Can you go, Mr. Foley?" Dorcas asked.
"When?" asked Mr. Foley.
"Right away," said Mason. "The sooner, the better."
"Yes," said Foley slowly, "I can go."
A figure silhouetted against the frosted glass of the outer door, then the door pushed open, and a rawboned man, of fortyfive years of age, grinned goodnaturedly as he walked into the office.
"Hello, everybody," he said.
"Hello, Pemberton," Mason replied.
"Bill," said Dorcas, "shake hands with Mr. Foley. Mr. Foley is one of the parties to the controversy."
The deputy sheriff and Foley shook hands, and then Pemberton extended his hand to Mason.
"Great fight you made on that murder case, Mason," he said. "A nice piece of detective work. I want to compliment you on it."
"Thanks," Mason told him, shaking hands.
"What's this about?" Pemberton inquired of Dorcas.
"A howling dog," said the deputy district attorney, wearily.
"Making a lot of fuss over a howling dog, ain't you?" Pemberton asked. "Why not give him a piece of beefsteak and shut him up?"
"He's shut up already," Foley laughed. "That's the trouble."
"Foley will tell you the story on the way out," Dorcas said.
"Now," said Mason, "you're commencing to talk sense. Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"
"Tell you what?"
"Tell me that I could find a relative and get the man committed?"
"Well," said Dorcas, "he started the machinery of this office on a criminal matter which seems to have been entirely without foundation. Then Mr. Foley came in and impressed upon us the fact that his safety was being jeopardized…"
"Exactly," said Perry Mason, "that's what I was combating.
"There's no hard feelings, Pete, but I'm representing my client, and when I represent a client, I fight for him — to the last ditch if necessary."
Dorcas sighed and made a gesture with his hands, spreading them out, palm upward on the desk.
"That's one thing about you, Mason," he said, "nobody can ever say you don't represent a client. You're hard to get along with."
"Not when my clients get a square deal," Mason said.
"Your client will get a square deal here," Dorcas told him, "as long as I'm running things. Bill Pemberton is fair, and he's going out and make an investigation."
"I want to go with him," Mason stated.
"Can you go, Mr. Foley?" Dorcas asked.
"When?" asked Mr. Foley.
"Right away," said Mason. "The sooner, the better."
"Yes," said Foley slowly, "I can go."
A figure silhouetted against the frosted glass of the outer door, then the door pushed open, and a rawboned man, of fortyfive years of age, grinned goodnaturedly as he walked into the office.
"Hello, everybody," he said.
"Hello, Pemberton," Mason replied.
"Bill," said Dorcas, "shake hands with Mr. Foley. Mr. Foley is one of the parties to the controversy."
The deputy sheriff and Foley shook hands, and then Pemberton extended his hand to Mason.
"Great fight you made on that murder case, Mason," he said. "A nice piece of detective work. I want to compliment you on it."
"Thanks," Mason told him, shaking hands.
"What's this about?" Pemberton inquired of Dorcas.
"A howling dog," said the deputy district attorney, wearily.
"Making a lot of fuss over a howling dog, ain't you?" Pemberton asked. "Why not give him a piece of beefsteak and shut him up?"
"He's shut up already," Foley laughed. "That's the trouble."
"Foley will tell you the story on the way out," Dorcas said.