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The Case of the Howling Dog :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 49 из 146Then, at the far end of the room, he saw a blotch of shadow, from which protruded something grayish, which proved, on closer inspection, to be the clutching hand of a man.
Perry Mason walked around the table and switched on one of the floor lamps so that he could see into the corner.
Clinton Foley was stretched at full length on the floor.
One arm was outstretched, the hand clutched tightly. The other hand was doubled under the body.
The man wore a dressing gown of brown flannel, and had slippers on his bare feet. From the body was seeping a pool of red which reflected the floor lamp from its viscid surface.
Perry Mason did not touch the body. He leaned forward and saw that there was an athletic undershirt showing beneath the bathrobe, where it had fallen open at the neck.
He noticed, also, an automatic lying on the floor some six or eight feet from the body.
He turned back to look at the dead man, and saw then that there was something white showing on his chin. He bent forward and observed that it was a spot of caked lather. Part of the right side of the face had been freshly shaven. The evidences of the razor strokes were plainly visible.
Perry Mason walked to the telephone from which he had called his office on the occasion of his prior visit, and dialed the number of Paul Drake's office. After a moment, he heard Paul Drake's drawling voice on the telephone.
"Mason talking, Paul," said Perry Mason. "I'm out here at Foley's house. Can you get in touch with the men you have watching the house out here?"
"They're going to call in in five minutes," said Drake. "I'm having them make reports every fifteen minutes. There are two men on the job. One of them goes to the telephone every fifteen minutes."
"All right," Perry Mason said, "as soon as those men telephone, get them to come to your office at once."
"Both of them?" asked Paul Drake.
"Both of them," Mason said.
"What's the big idea?" asked Drake.
"I'll come to that in a minute," said Mason. "I want both of those men off the job and called into your office where I can talk with them. Do you get that?"
"Okay," Drake said, "I've got that. Anything else?"
"Yes. I want you to double your efforts to find Cartright and Mrs. Cartright."
"I've a couple of agencies working on that now. I'm expecting a report almost any minute."
"All right, get two more agencies working on it. Put up a reward. Anything you can. Now, here's something else."
"Okay," Drake said, "shoot."
"I want you to find Mrs.
Perry Mason walked around the table and switched on one of the floor lamps so that he could see into the corner.
Clinton Foley was stretched at full length on the floor.
One arm was outstretched, the hand clutched tightly. The other hand was doubled under the body.
The man wore a dressing gown of brown flannel, and had slippers on his bare feet. From the body was seeping a pool of red which reflected the floor lamp from its viscid surface.
Perry Mason did not touch the body. He leaned forward and saw that there was an athletic undershirt showing beneath the bathrobe, where it had fallen open at the neck.
He noticed, also, an automatic lying on the floor some six or eight feet from the body.
He turned back to look at the dead man, and saw then that there was something white showing on his chin. He bent forward and observed that it was a spot of caked lather. Part of the right side of the face had been freshly shaven. The evidences of the razor strokes were plainly visible.
Perry Mason walked to the telephone from which he had called his office on the occasion of his prior visit, and dialed the number of Paul Drake's office. After a moment, he heard Paul Drake's drawling voice on the telephone.
"Mason talking, Paul," said Perry Mason. "I'm out here at Foley's house. Can you get in touch with the men you have watching the house out here?"
"They're going to call in in five minutes," said Drake. "I'm having them make reports every fifteen minutes. There are two men on the job. One of them goes to the telephone every fifteen minutes."
"All right," Perry Mason said, "as soon as those men telephone, get them to come to your office at once."
"Both of them?" asked Paul Drake.
"Both of them," Mason said.
"What's the big idea?" asked Drake.
"I'll come to that in a minute," said Mason. "I want both of those men off the job and called into your office where I can talk with them. Do you get that?"
"Okay," Drake said, "I've got that. Anything else?"
"Yes. I want you to double your efforts to find Cartright and Mrs. Cartright."
"I've a couple of agencies working on that now. I'm expecting a report almost any minute."
"All right, get two more agencies working on it. Put up a reward. Anything you can. Now, here's something else."
"Okay," Drake said, "shoot."
"I want you to find Mrs.