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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 146 из 149“When she comes in,” he said, “would you mind telling her that the person who was to let her know when the shoes that she ordered came in, telephoned, and said that he had her size in stock now, and that she could get them whenever she was ready.”
He smiled into the transmitter, nodded his head once or twice as though he had been addressing an invisible audience, replaced the receiver with meticulous precision, and pushed the telephone back across the desk.
“Thank you, counselor,” he said. “I am more deeply grateful to you than I can well express. My entire career was in jeopardy, and I feel that it was through your efforts that a very grave wrong was averted.”
Perry Mason grunted an inarticulate comment.
Harrison Burke stood to his full height, smoothed down his vest, and thrust out his chin.
“When one is devoting one’s life to public work,” he said in his booming voice, “one naturally makes political enemies who will stoop to any form of trickery in order to achieve their ends. Under the circumstances, any little innocent indiscretion is magnified and held up in the press in a distorted light. I have served the public well and faithfully…”
Perry Mason got to his feet so abruptly that the swivel chair was pushed back until it slammed against the wall.
“You can save that,” he said, “for somebody that wants to hear it. As far as I’m concerned Eva Belter is going to pay me five thousand dollars. I am going to suggest to her that about half of this amount should come from you.”
Harrison Burke recoiled before the grim savagery of the attorney’s tone.
“But, my dear sir,” he protested, “My dear sir! You weren’t representing me. You were merely representing her upon a murder charge, a misunderstanding which might have had the most serious consequences to her. I was involved only incidentally, and as a friend…”
“I’m just telling you,” said Perry Mason, “what my advice is going to be to my client. And, as you may remember, she is now the owner of Spicy Bits. Whatever Spicy Bits publishes or doesn’t publish is going to be up to her. I don’t think that I need to detain you any longer, Mr. Burke.”
Harrison Burke gulped uncomfortably, started to say something, thought better of it, started to hold out his right hand, caught the glint in Perry Mason’s eyes, brought the hand to his side, and said, “Oh, yes, of course. Thank you, counselor. I wanted to drop in and express my appreciation.”
“Not a bit,” said Perry Mason. “Don’t mention it, and you can get out to the corridor through that door.
He smiled into the transmitter, nodded his head once or twice as though he had been addressing an invisible audience, replaced the receiver with meticulous precision, and pushed the telephone back across the desk.
“Thank you, counselor,” he said. “I am more deeply grateful to you than I can well express. My entire career was in jeopardy, and I feel that it was through your efforts that a very grave wrong was averted.”
Perry Mason grunted an inarticulate comment.
Harrison Burke stood to his full height, smoothed down his vest, and thrust out his chin.
“When one is devoting one’s life to public work,” he said in his booming voice, “one naturally makes political enemies who will stoop to any form of trickery in order to achieve their ends. Under the circumstances, any little innocent indiscretion is magnified and held up in the press in a distorted light. I have served the public well and faithfully…”
Perry Mason got to his feet so abruptly that the swivel chair was pushed back until it slammed against the wall.
“You can save that,” he said, “for somebody that wants to hear it. As far as I’m concerned Eva Belter is going to pay me five thousand dollars. I am going to suggest to her that about half of this amount should come from you.”
Harrison Burke recoiled before the grim savagery of the attorney’s tone.
“But, my dear sir,” he protested, “My dear sir! You weren’t representing me. You were merely representing her upon a murder charge, a misunderstanding which might have had the most serious consequences to her. I was involved only incidentally, and as a friend…”
“I’m just telling you,” said Perry Mason, “what my advice is going to be to my client. And, as you may remember, she is now the owner of Spicy Bits. Whatever Spicy Bits publishes or doesn’t publish is going to be up to her. I don’t think that I need to detain you any longer, Mr. Burke.”
Harrison Burke gulped uncomfortably, started to say something, thought better of it, started to hold out his right hand, caught the glint in Perry Mason’s eyes, brought the hand to his side, and said, “Oh, yes, of course. Thank you, counselor. I wanted to drop in and express my appreciation.”
“Not a bit,” said Perry Mason. “Don’t mention it, and you can get out to the corridor through that door.