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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
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Perry looked ather, then turned abruptly to Sidney Drumm.
“This is a break for you, Sidney,” he said. “You’re going to be able to make the arrest. This is Eva Belter, who has just confessed to the murder of her husband.”
Eva Belter screamed, got to her feet and swayed uncertainly.
Drumm looked from one to the other.
“It’s a fact,” Paul Drake said.
Mason motioned toward Della Street.
“It’s all down there,” he said, “in black and white. We’ve got witnesses, and we’ve got her statement taken verbatim.”
Sidney Drumm whistled under his breath.
“By God, Perry,” he said, “that’s a lucky break for you! They were going to charge you with the murder.”
Mason’s voice was savage, “There wasn’t any luck about it. I was willing to give her a break as long as she shot square. But when I read in the paper about her dragging me into it, I made up my mind that I was going to call for a showdown.”
Paul Drake said, “Do you really know where Harrison Burke is?”
“Hell, no!” said Perry Mason. “I didn’t even get out of this room last night. I simply sat here and thought. I did get hold of Mrs. Veitch, and told her that Eva Belter was going to be in here this morning and wanted her to be here in order to corroborate a statement she was going to make to the reporters. I sent a taxi out for Mrs. Veitch and had her come in.”
“She wouldn’t have backed you up in the statement?” asked Drake.
“I don’t know,” said Mason. “I don’t think so. I didn’t talk with her at all. She wouldn’t talk with me. I think she’s holding something back, though. I’m satisfied she knows something. I simply wanted to have you open the door and let Eva Belter see her here for the purpose of exerting a little pressure.”
Eva Belter stared whitefaced at Perry Mason.
“Damn you,” she said, “for a doublecrossing backstabber!”
It was Sidney Drumm who gave the situation its last touch of irony. “Hell,” he said, “Eva Belter was the woman who told us where you were, Perry. She said she was going to see you this morning and that we could wait until someone else came here and claim we’d followed that other person. She wanted to have you think we’d followedDella Street or someone, instead of her.”
Mason made no comment. His face was suddenly very weary.
Chapter 16
Perry Mason sat in his office looking very tired.
Della Street sat across the desk from him and avoided his eyes.
Perry looked ather, then turned abruptly to Sidney Drumm.
“This is a break for you, Sidney,” he said. “You’re going to be able to make the arrest. This is Eva Belter, who has just confessed to the murder of her husband.”
Eva Belter screamed, got to her feet and swayed uncertainly.
Drumm looked from one to the other.
“It’s a fact,” Paul Drake said.
Mason motioned toward Della Street.
“It’s all down there,” he said, “in black and white. We’ve got witnesses, and we’ve got her statement taken verbatim.”
Sidney Drumm whistled under his breath.
“By God, Perry,” he said, “that’s a lucky break for you! They were going to charge you with the murder.”
Mason’s voice was savage, “There wasn’t any luck about it. I was willing to give her a break as long as she shot square. But when I read in the paper about her dragging me into it, I made up my mind that I was going to call for a showdown.”
Paul Drake said, “Do you really know where Harrison Burke is?”
“Hell, no!” said Perry Mason. “I didn’t even get out of this room last night. I simply sat here and thought. I did get hold of Mrs. Veitch, and told her that Eva Belter was going to be in here this morning and wanted her to be here in order to corroborate a statement she was going to make to the reporters. I sent a taxi out for Mrs. Veitch and had her come in.”
“She wouldn’t have backed you up in the statement?” asked Drake.
“I don’t know,” said Mason. “I don’t think so. I didn’t talk with her at all. She wouldn’t talk with me. I think she’s holding something back, though. I’m satisfied she knows something. I simply wanted to have you open the door and let Eva Belter see her here for the purpose of exerting a little pressure.”
Eva Belter stared whitefaced at Perry Mason.
“Damn you,” she said, “for a doublecrossing backstabber!”
It was Sidney Drumm who gave the situation its last touch of irony. “Hell,” he said, “Eva Belter was the woman who told us where you were, Perry. She said she was going to see you this morning and that we could wait until someone else came here and claim we’d followed that other person. She wanted to have you think we’d followedDella Street or someone, instead of her.”
Mason made no comment. His face was suddenly very weary.
Chapter 16
Perry Mason sat in his office looking very tired.
Della Street sat across the desk from him and avoided his eyes.