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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 133 из 149Norma knows that! The lawyer knows that! I talked with them and they said that they couldn’t wait to get a divorce, because that would take a long time, but that Norma had a chance to marry this manand that I would get a piece of change out of it if I let Norma go ahead and file this action. Then I was to file some kind of an answer in which I admitted that I had had another wife living, but claimed that I thought that I was divorced at the time of the marriage. They said that that would keep me in the clear, but it would fix things so she could get the marriage annulled. The lawyer had an answer of that kind already fixed up, and I signed it. He’s going to file it tomorrow.”
“And then rush the annulment through, eh?” asked Mason.
Loring nodded.
“Well,” said Mason, “it doesn’t ever pay to try and lie to people who are trying to get the facts of the case. Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place and save all this trouble?”
“The lawyer told me not to,” said Loring.
“Well, he was crazy,” Mason said, “we’ve got to make a report on the thing. So you’d better give us a written statement to that effect, and then we can turn it in when we make our report.”
Loring hesitated.
“Or else,” suggested Mason, “you can come on down to Headquarters and explain it down there.”
Loring said, “No, no. I’ll give you the statement.”
“Okay,” Mason said, and took a notebook and fountain pen from his pocket. “Sit down there on the trunk,” he said, “and write out the statement. Make it complete all the way along the line. Say that you never had another wife, that the lawyer explained to you that he wanted Norma to get a quick annulment, and that he fixed it up that you were to say you had another wife living so that Norma could marry this chap that’s going to inherit the fortune.”
“That won’t get me in any trouble then?”
“That’s the only way you can keep out of trouble,” said Mason. “There’s no use of my explaining it to you, but you almost got yourself in a pretty serious mess. It’s a good thing you came clean with us. We were just planning to take you down to Headquarters.”
Loring sighed. “All right,” he said, and took the fountain pen. He sat down and began a laborious scrawl. Mason stood and watched him, feet planted wide apart, eyes steady and patient. Drake grinned and lit a cigarette.
It took Loring five minutes to make the statement. Then he passed it over to Mason. “Will this do all right?” he asked. “I’m not much good at this sort of stuff.”
Mason took the statement and read it.
“That’s fine,” he said, “sign it.”
Loring signed it.
“All right,” said Mason.
“And then rush the annulment through, eh?” asked Mason.
Loring nodded.
“Well,” said Mason, “it doesn’t ever pay to try and lie to people who are trying to get the facts of the case. Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place and save all this trouble?”
“The lawyer told me not to,” said Loring.
“Well, he was crazy,” Mason said, “we’ve got to make a report on the thing. So you’d better give us a written statement to that effect, and then we can turn it in when we make our report.”
Loring hesitated.
“Or else,” suggested Mason, “you can come on down to Headquarters and explain it down there.”
Loring said, “No, no. I’ll give you the statement.”
“Okay,” Mason said, and took a notebook and fountain pen from his pocket. “Sit down there on the trunk,” he said, “and write out the statement. Make it complete all the way along the line. Say that you never had another wife, that the lawyer explained to you that he wanted Norma to get a quick annulment, and that he fixed it up that you were to say you had another wife living so that Norma could marry this chap that’s going to inherit the fortune.”
“That won’t get me in any trouble then?”
“That’s the only way you can keep out of trouble,” said Mason. “There’s no use of my explaining it to you, but you almost got yourself in a pretty serious mess. It’s a good thing you came clean with us. We were just planning to take you down to Headquarters.”
Loring sighed. “All right,” he said, and took the fountain pen. He sat down and began a laborious scrawl. Mason stood and watched him, feet planted wide apart, eyes steady and patient. Drake grinned and lit a cigarette.
It took Loring five minutes to make the statement. Then he passed it over to Mason. “Will this do all right?” he asked. “I’m not much good at this sort of stuff.”
Mason took the statement and read it.
“That’s fine,” he said, “sign it.”
Loring signed it.
“All right,” said Mason.