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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 102 из 149You didn’t dare to cross Belter because he knew too much about that Savannah affair. He could have sent you back on a murder rap. So you went out there and had an argument with him, and killed him.”
Locke was staring at Mason. He had ceased walking, and stood stockstill, his face white, his lips quivering. A blow in the stomach would not have jarred him more. He tried to speak and could not.
Mason was elaborately casual. “Now I want to be fair Locke,” he went on. “And I think the Jew is on the square. If it is a frameup they won’t convict you. You’ve got to prove that a man’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, you know. And if you can raise even a reasonable doubt, a jury is duty bound to return a verdict of not guilty.”
Locke found his voice. “Where do you come in on this?” he asked.
Mason shrugged his shoulders. “I’m counsel for Eva Belter,” he said. “That’s all.”
Locke tried to sneer but it didn’t get across very well. “So she’s in on this too! You’ve teamed up with that twotiming broad!”
“She’s my client, if that’s what you mean.”
“That isn’t what I mean,” Locke said.
Mason’s voice became hard. “It might be a good plan for you to keep your mouth shut then, Locke. You’re attracting attention. People are looking at you.”
Locke controlled himself with an effort.
“Listen,” he said, “I don’t know what your game is, but I’m going to spike it right now. I’ve got an absolute ironclad alibi for last night at the time when that murder was committed, and just to show you where you stand, I’m going to spring it on you.”
Mason shrugged his shoulders.
“Okay,” he said, “spring it on me.”
Locke looked up and down the street. “All right, we get a taxicab.”
“Fine,” said Mason, “we get a taxicab.”
A cab caught Locke’s signal, pulled into the curb. Locke said, “Wheelright Hotel,” climbed in and settled back in the cushions. He mopped his forehead with a handkerchief, lit a cigarette with a hand that trembled, and turned to Mason.
“Listen,” he said, “you’re a man of the world. I’m going to take you to a young lady’s room. I don’t want her name brought into this. I don’t know what your game is, but I’m just going to show you how little chance you’d stand of making this frameup stick.”
“You don’t need to prove that it’s a frameup, you know, Locke. All you’ve got to do is to raise a reasonable doubt.
Locke was staring at Mason. He had ceased walking, and stood stockstill, his face white, his lips quivering. A blow in the stomach would not have jarred him more. He tried to speak and could not.
Mason was elaborately casual. “Now I want to be fair Locke,” he went on. “And I think the Jew is on the square. If it is a frameup they won’t convict you. You’ve got to prove that a man’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, you know. And if you can raise even a reasonable doubt, a jury is duty bound to return a verdict of not guilty.”
Locke found his voice. “Where do you come in on this?” he asked.
Mason shrugged his shoulders. “I’m counsel for Eva Belter,” he said. “That’s all.”
Locke tried to sneer but it didn’t get across very well. “So she’s in on this too! You’ve teamed up with that twotiming broad!”
“She’s my client, if that’s what you mean.”
“That isn’t what I mean,” Locke said.
Mason’s voice became hard. “It might be a good plan for you to keep your mouth shut then, Locke. You’re attracting attention. People are looking at you.”
Locke controlled himself with an effort.
“Listen,” he said, “I don’t know what your game is, but I’m going to spike it right now. I’ve got an absolute ironclad alibi for last night at the time when that murder was committed, and just to show you where you stand, I’m going to spring it on you.”
Mason shrugged his shoulders.
“Okay,” he said, “spring it on me.”
Locke looked up and down the street. “All right, we get a taxicab.”
“Fine,” said Mason, “we get a taxicab.”
A cab caught Locke’s signal, pulled into the curb. Locke said, “Wheelright Hotel,” climbed in and settled back in the cushions. He mopped his forehead with a handkerchief, lit a cigarette with a hand that trembled, and turned to Mason.
“Listen,” he said, “you’re a man of the world. I’m going to take you to a young lady’s room. I don’t want her name brought into this. I don’t know what your game is, but I’m just going to show you how little chance you’d stand of making this frameup stick.”
“You don’t need to prove that it’s a frameup, you know, Locke. All you’ve got to do is to raise a reasonable doubt.