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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 132 из 149“Well, why the hell didn’t you say so instead of putting us to all this trouble? Your name is Harry Loring, and you married Norma Veitch on the date mentioned in this complaint. Is that right?”
Loring leaned forward to look at the date mentioned in the complaint.
Mason indicated it with his right forefinger.
Loring nodded his head. “That’s right.”
“And you separated on this date. Is that right?” said Mason moving his forefinger down to the next date.
“That’s right.”
“All right,” said Mason, “this complaint says that at the time you were married, you had another wife living, from whom you had not been divorced, and that therefore the marriage was illegal, and that the plaintiff wants to have the marriage annulled.”
Again Loring nodded.
“Now listen,” said Mason, “that’s not right, is it?”
Loring nodded.
“Yes, sir,” he said, “that’s the ground she’s getting the marriage set aside on. That’s right.”
Mason asked, “Is it true?”
“Of course it’s true.”
“Then it becomes my duty to arrest you for bigamy.”
Loring’s face blanched.
“He said there wouldn’t be any trouble,” said Loring.
“Who said that?” asked Mason.
“The lawyer that called on me. Norma’s lawyer.”
“Just stringing you along,” Mason declared, “so that they can get the marriage set aside and Norma could marry this fellow who’s heir to a couple of million dollars.”
“That’s what they said, but they said there wouldn’t be any trouble, that it was just a formality.”
“Formality be damned!” Mason told him. “Don’t you know there’s a law against bigamy?”
“But I wasn’t guilty of bigamy!” protested Loring.
“Oh, yes, you were,” said Mason. “Here it is set forth in black and white, over the signature of the lawyer, and the oath of Norma. It says right here that you had another wife living at the time of the marriage, and that you were never divorced from her. Therefore, we’ve got to ask you to go to Police Headquarters with us. I’m afraid you’ve got in serious trouble over this thing.”
Loring became nervous.
“It isn’t true,” he said, finally.
“How do you mean it isn’t true?”
“I mean that it isn’t true. I mean I was never married before.
Loring leaned forward to look at the date mentioned in the complaint.
Mason indicated it with his right forefinger.
Loring nodded his head. “That’s right.”
“And you separated on this date. Is that right?” said Mason moving his forefinger down to the next date.
“That’s right.”
“All right,” said Mason, “this complaint says that at the time you were married, you had another wife living, from whom you had not been divorced, and that therefore the marriage was illegal, and that the plaintiff wants to have the marriage annulled.”
Again Loring nodded.
“Now listen,” said Mason, “that’s not right, is it?”
Loring nodded.
“Yes, sir,” he said, “that’s the ground she’s getting the marriage set aside on. That’s right.”
Mason asked, “Is it true?”
“Of course it’s true.”
“Then it becomes my duty to arrest you for bigamy.”
Loring’s face blanched.
“He said there wouldn’t be any trouble,” said Loring.
“Who said that?” asked Mason.
“The lawyer that called on me. Norma’s lawyer.”
“Just stringing you along,” Mason declared, “so that they can get the marriage set aside and Norma could marry this fellow who’s heir to a couple of million dollars.”
“That’s what they said, but they said there wouldn’t be any trouble, that it was just a formality.”
“Formality be damned!” Mason told him. “Don’t you know there’s a law against bigamy?”
“But I wasn’t guilty of bigamy!” protested Loring.
“Oh, yes, you were,” said Mason. “Here it is set forth in black and white, over the signature of the lawyer, and the oath of Norma. It says right here that you had another wife living at the time of the marriage, and that you were never divorced from her. Therefore, we’ve got to ask you to go to Police Headquarters with us. I’m afraid you’ve got in serious trouble over this thing.”
Loring became nervous.
“It isn’t true,” he said, finally.
“How do you mean it isn’t true?”
“I mean that it isn’t true. I mean I was never married before.