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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 124 из 149“I’ve had an idea what happened but getting an idea and getting proof are two different things. Now I’ve got to save her.”
“Forget it,” said Drake. “In the first place she isn’t worth it, and in the second place, you can’t. Her only chance is selfdefense and that won’t work because she admits he was across the room from her when she shot.”
“No,” said Mason. “She’s a client. I stay by my clients. She forced my hand, and I had to make the play I did. Otherwise, we’d both have been in a mess.”
“I wouldn’t give her any consideration whatever,” Drake said. “She’s just a twotiming little tart that saw a chance to marry money, did it, and has been giving everybody the doublecross ever since. You can talk all you want to about your duty to a client, but when the client starts framing a murder rap on you, that’s different.”
Mason surveyed the detective with heavy eyes. “That’s neither here nor there. I’m going to save her.”
“How can you?”
“Get this straight,” said Perry Mason. “She isn’t guilty of anything until she’s convicted.”
“She confessed,” said Drake.
“That doesn’t make any difference. The confession is evidence that can be used in the case against her, that’s all.”
“Well,” said Drake, “what’s a jury going to do? You’d have to save her on the ground of insanity or selfdefense. And she hates your guts. She’ll get another lawyer now.”
“That’s just the point,” said Mason. “There might be any one of several different methods by which she might be saved. I’m not talking about methods now. I’m talking about results. I want you to get everything you can on that Veitch family from the present time, back to the year One.”
“You mean the housekeeper?” asked Drake.
“I mean the housekeeper and the daughter. The whole family.”
“You still think that housekeeper is keeping something back?”
“I know it.”
“Okay, I’ll turn the men loose on the housekeeper. How did thatGeorgia stuff suit you?”
“Swell.”
“What do you want me to find out about the housekeeper?”
“Everything you can. And about the daughter too. Don’t overlook a single bet.”
“Listen,” said Drake. “Have you got something up your sleeve, Perry?”
“I’m going to get her out.”
“Do you know how you’re going to do it?”
“I’ve got an idea. If I hadn’t had an idea how I could get her out, I wouldn’t have got her in, in the first place.
“Forget it,” said Drake. “In the first place she isn’t worth it, and in the second place, you can’t. Her only chance is selfdefense and that won’t work because she admits he was across the room from her when she shot.”
“No,” said Mason. “She’s a client. I stay by my clients. She forced my hand, and I had to make the play I did. Otherwise, we’d both have been in a mess.”
“I wouldn’t give her any consideration whatever,” Drake said. “She’s just a twotiming little tart that saw a chance to marry money, did it, and has been giving everybody the doublecross ever since. You can talk all you want to about your duty to a client, but when the client starts framing a murder rap on you, that’s different.”
Mason surveyed the detective with heavy eyes. “That’s neither here nor there. I’m going to save her.”
“How can you?”
“Get this straight,” said Perry Mason. “She isn’t guilty of anything until she’s convicted.”
“She confessed,” said Drake.
“That doesn’t make any difference. The confession is evidence that can be used in the case against her, that’s all.”
“Well,” said Drake, “what’s a jury going to do? You’d have to save her on the ground of insanity or selfdefense. And she hates your guts. She’ll get another lawyer now.”
“That’s just the point,” said Mason. “There might be any one of several different methods by which she might be saved. I’m not talking about methods now. I’m talking about results. I want you to get everything you can on that Veitch family from the present time, back to the year One.”
“You mean the housekeeper?” asked Drake.
“I mean the housekeeper and the daughter. The whole family.”
“You still think that housekeeper is keeping something back?”
“I know it.”
“Okay, I’ll turn the men loose on the housekeeper. How did thatGeorgia stuff suit you?”
“Swell.”
“What do you want me to find out about the housekeeper?”
“Everything you can. And about the daughter too. Don’t overlook a single bet.”
“Listen,” said Drake. “Have you got something up your sleeve, Perry?”
“I’m going to get her out.”
“Do you know how you’re going to do it?”
“I’ve got an idea. If I hadn’t had an idea how I could get her out, I wouldn’t have got her in, in the first place.