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The Case of the Lucky Legs :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 12 из 154"In other words, I'm to remember thatyou're the one who arranged that Miss Clune should have the benefit of my services, and that the credit goes to you exclusively. Is that it?"
A frown of annoyance came to Bradbury's face, which was speedily dissipated by a smile.
"Well," he said, "that's putting it rather directly, but I guess you have the idea."
Mason nodded.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"That's all. I've given Mr. Drake all of the details, a complete mass of details."
Paul Drake nodded to Perry Mason.
"Let's go," he said.
"You can reach me at any time," Bradbury said, "at the Mapleton Hotel. I'm in room 693. Your secretary has a note of the address and the telephone number, Mr. Mason; and Drake also has the information."
Drake nodded.
"Come on, Perry," he said.
The two men turned toward the elevator. Bradbury watched them for a moment, half turned toward the cigar counter, ran his eye over the file of magazines on display; then strode briskly out to the sidewalk.
"I owe you one on that," said Paul Drake to Perry Mason in the elevator.
"Got a good fee?" asked Mason as the cage stopped at his floor.
"Pretty fair. He's rather tight on money matters, but I've worked out a good arrangement with him. The case is a cinch."
"You think so?" Mason asked.
"I know it," said Drake as Mason pushed open the door of his office.
"This man Patton has put on the same kind of a racket other places. It's too well thought out and too smooth to have been tried out just once. I won't bother about the Cloverdale angle. I'll pick out some of the other places… Hello, Miss Street. How are you today?"
Della Street smiled at him.
"I presume," she said, "you came in to look at the photograph."
"What photograph?" asked Paul Drake, trying to look innocent.
She laughed.
"Oh, well," Drake said, "I may as well look at it while I'm here."
"It's in on Mr. Mason's desk," she told him.
Perry Mason led the way to his private office, dropped into the swivel chair and picked up the legal jacket which was on the desk. He passed it over to the detective. The detective looked at the photograph and whistled.
"Plenty of class," he said.
"Yes," Mason said, "that's one thing about Patton, he's a good picker. What was it you wanted to see me about, Paul?"
"I want to know what's going to happen in this case," the detective said.
"Nothing in particular," Mason remarked.
A frown of annoyance came to Bradbury's face, which was speedily dissipated by a smile.
"Well," he said, "that's putting it rather directly, but I guess you have the idea."
Mason nodded.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"That's all. I've given Mr. Drake all of the details, a complete mass of details."
Paul Drake nodded to Perry Mason.
"Let's go," he said.
"You can reach me at any time," Bradbury said, "at the Mapleton Hotel. I'm in room 693. Your secretary has a note of the address and the telephone number, Mr. Mason; and Drake also has the information."
Drake nodded.
"Come on, Perry," he said.
The two men turned toward the elevator. Bradbury watched them for a moment, half turned toward the cigar counter, ran his eye over the file of magazines on display; then strode briskly out to the sidewalk.
"I owe you one on that," said Paul Drake to Perry Mason in the elevator.
"Got a good fee?" asked Mason as the cage stopped at his floor.
"Pretty fair. He's rather tight on money matters, but I've worked out a good arrangement with him. The case is a cinch."
"You think so?" Mason asked.
"I know it," said Drake as Mason pushed open the door of his office.
"This man Patton has put on the same kind of a racket other places. It's too well thought out and too smooth to have been tried out just once. I won't bother about the Cloverdale angle. I'll pick out some of the other places… Hello, Miss Street. How are you today?"
Della Street smiled at him.
"I presume," she said, "you came in to look at the photograph."
"What photograph?" asked Paul Drake, trying to look innocent.
She laughed.
"Oh, well," Drake said, "I may as well look at it while I'm here."
"It's in on Mr. Mason's desk," she told him.
Perry Mason led the way to his private office, dropped into the swivel chair and picked up the legal jacket which was on the desk. He passed it over to the detective. The detective looked at the photograph and whistled.
"Plenty of class," he said.
"Yes," Mason said, "that's one thing about Patton, he's a good picker. What was it you wanted to see me about, Paul?"
"I want to know what's going to happen in this case," the detective said.
"Nothing in particular," Mason remarked.