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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 129 из 149“I can’t keep on with the rent here.”
“Never been married, eh?”
“No, I’m a bachelor.”
“Where are you moving?”
“I’m sure I don’t know—yet.”
Loring looked from face to face with his eyes blinking.
“Are you gentlemen officers?” he asked.
“Never mind about us,” said Drake. “We’re talking about you.”
Loring said, “Yes, sir,” and lapsed into silence.
Drake flashed Mason another glance.
“Packing up rather suddenly, aren’t you?” Drake went on.
Loring shrugged. “I don’t know as it’s sudden. There isn’t much to pack.”
“Now listen,” Drake said, “there’s no use for you to try to string us along, because we can check up on you and find out the facts. You say you have never been married. Is that right?”
“Yes, sir. I’m a bachelor, just like I told you.”
“Okay. Now the neighbors say you were married. There was a woman here who lived in the apartment with you, as your wife, up until about a week ago.”
Loring’s eyes blinked rapidly. He shifted his position on the trunk, nervously.
“I wasn’t married to her,” he said.
“How long have you known her?”
“About two weeks. She was a waitress at a restaurant.”
“What restaurant?”
“I’ve forgotten the name.”
“What was her name?”
“She went under the name of Mrs. Loring.”
“I know that. What was her real name?”
Loring paused and darted his tongue to his lips. His eyes fidgeted uncertainly about the room.
“Jones,” he said, “Mary Jones.”
Drake laughed sarcastically.
Loring said nothing.
“Where is she now?” asked Drake, suddenly.
“I don’t know. She left me. I think she went away with somebody else. We had a fight.”
“What was the fight about?”
“Oh, I don’t know. It was just a fight.”
Drake looked over at Mason once more.
Mason stepped forward and took the conversational lead. “Do you read the papers?” he said.
“Once in a while,” said Loring, “not very often. Sometimes I look at the headlines. I’m not very much interested in newspapers.”
Mason reached to his inside pocket, and took out some of the clippings from the morning newspaper. He unfolded one which showed a picture of Norma Veitch.
“Is that the woman that was here with you?” he asked.
“Never been married, eh?”
“No, I’m a bachelor.”
“Where are you moving?”
“I’m sure I don’t know—yet.”
Loring looked from face to face with his eyes blinking.
“Are you gentlemen officers?” he asked.
“Never mind about us,” said Drake. “We’re talking about you.”
Loring said, “Yes, sir,” and lapsed into silence.
Drake flashed Mason another glance.
“Packing up rather suddenly, aren’t you?” Drake went on.
Loring shrugged. “I don’t know as it’s sudden. There isn’t much to pack.”
“Now listen,” Drake said, “there’s no use for you to try to string us along, because we can check up on you and find out the facts. You say you have never been married. Is that right?”
“Yes, sir. I’m a bachelor, just like I told you.”
“Okay. Now the neighbors say you were married. There was a woman here who lived in the apartment with you, as your wife, up until about a week ago.”
Loring’s eyes blinked rapidly. He shifted his position on the trunk, nervously.
“I wasn’t married to her,” he said.
“How long have you known her?”
“About two weeks. She was a waitress at a restaurant.”
“What restaurant?”
“I’ve forgotten the name.”
“What was her name?”
“She went under the name of Mrs. Loring.”
“I know that. What was her real name?”
Loring paused and darted his tongue to his lips. His eyes fidgeted uncertainly about the room.
“Jones,” he said, “Mary Jones.”
Drake laughed sarcastically.
Loring said nothing.
“Where is she now?” asked Drake, suddenly.
“I don’t know. She left me. I think she went away with somebody else. We had a fight.”
“What was the fight about?”
“Oh, I don’t know. It was just a fight.”
Drake looked over at Mason once more.
Mason stepped forward and took the conversational lead. “Do you read the papers?” he said.
“Once in a while,” said Loring, “not very often. Sometimes I look at the headlines. I’m not very much interested in newspapers.”
Mason reached to his inside pocket, and took out some of the clippings from the morning newspaper. He unfolded one which showed a picture of Norma Veitch.
“Is that the woman that was here with you?” he asked.