JК
The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 107 из 149”
Mason shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, Locke,” he said, “I’m sorry. I may get in touch with you later on. In the meantime, I’d be awfully careful about mentioning anything at all about Mrs. Belter’s business, or about my business, and that goes double for anything connected with this Beechwood Inn business, or Harrison Burke.”
“Hell,” said Locke, “you don’t need to rub it in. I’m off of that stuff for life. I know when I’m licked. What are you going to do about thatGeorgia business? Anything?”
“I’m not a detective or an officer. I’m simply a lawyer. I’m representing Mrs. Belter. That’s all.”
The cage dropped them into the lobby of the hotel, and Mason went to the door and signaled a taxi.
“So long, Locke,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”
As the cab drove away, Locke was standing in the doorway, leaning up against the building for support. His face was pale and his lips twisted into a frozen smile.
Chapter 15
Perry Mason sat in his room at the hotel. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his face was gray with fatigue. The eyes, however, were steady in their calm concentration, dominating the entire face.
Morning sunlight was streaming in through the windows. The bed was littered with newspapers. Headlines streamed across them news of the Belter murder, which had developed enough interesting angles to betray to the newsskilled reporters that a major sensation was due to break.
The Examiner carried headlines which monopolized the front page.
Murder Bares Romance
Underneath in smaller headlines:
Nephew of victim engaged to housekeeper’s daughter…
Secret romance bared by police—will contest filed in Belter Estate…
Disinherited widow claims will forgery—police trace gun to missing man—widow’s chance remark starts search for lawyer…
These headlines appeared over different articles on the front page of the paper. The inside page showed pictures of Eva Belter sitting with her knees crossed, a handkerchief to her eyes. There were headlines with the byline of a wellknown sob sister:
Widow Weeps as Police Question
Reading the newspapers, Mason had kept abreast of the situation. He had learned that the police had traced the gun to one Pete Mitchell, who had mysteriously disappeared immediately after the shooting, but who had a perfect alibi covering the time when the crime had actually been committed.
Mason shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, Locke,” he said, “I’m sorry. I may get in touch with you later on. In the meantime, I’d be awfully careful about mentioning anything at all about Mrs. Belter’s business, or about my business, and that goes double for anything connected with this Beechwood Inn business, or Harrison Burke.”
“Hell,” said Locke, “you don’t need to rub it in. I’m off of that stuff for life. I know when I’m licked. What are you going to do about thatGeorgia business? Anything?”
“I’m not a detective or an officer. I’m simply a lawyer. I’m representing Mrs. Belter. That’s all.”
The cage dropped them into the lobby of the hotel, and Mason went to the door and signaled a taxi.
“So long, Locke,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”
As the cab drove away, Locke was standing in the doorway, leaning up against the building for support. His face was pale and his lips twisted into a frozen smile.
Chapter 15
Perry Mason sat in his room at the hotel. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his face was gray with fatigue. The eyes, however, were steady in their calm concentration, dominating the entire face.
Morning sunlight was streaming in through the windows. The bed was littered with newspapers. Headlines streamed across them news of the Belter murder, which had developed enough interesting angles to betray to the newsskilled reporters that a major sensation was due to break.
The Examiner carried headlines which monopolized the front page.
Murder Bares Romance
Underneath in smaller headlines:
Nephew of victim engaged to housekeeper’s daughter…
Secret romance bared by police—will contest filed in Belter Estate…
Disinherited widow claims will forgery—police trace gun to missing man—widow’s chance remark starts search for lawyer…
These headlines appeared over different articles on the front page of the paper. The inside page showed pictures of Eva Belter sitting with her knees crossed, a handkerchief to her eyes. There were headlines with the byline of a wellknown sob sister:
Widow Weeps as Police Question
Reading the newspapers, Mason had kept abreast of the situation. He had learned that the police had traced the gun to one Pete Mitchell, who had mysteriously disappeared immediately after the shooting, but who had a perfect alibi covering the time when the crime had actually been committed.