JК
The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 23 из 149”
“I know,” said Mason, “but you’d tell me if that wasn’t the conversation, wouldn’t you?”
“Maybe,” she said.
“All right, then, are you telling me anything?”
“No!”
“That’s all I wanted to know,” he told her, and grinned.
Chapter 4
Perry Mason walked into the Detective Bureau at Police Headquarters.
“Drumm in here?” he asked.
One of the men nodded, and jerked a thumb toward an inner door.
Perry Mason walked in.
“Sidney Drumm,” he said to one of the men who was sitting on the corner of a desk, smoking. Some one raised his voice, and yelled: “Oh, Drumm, come on out.”
A door opened, and Sidney Drumm looked around until he saw Perry Mason, then grinned.
“Hello, Perry,” he said.
He was a tall, thin man, with high cheek bones, and washedout eyes. He would have looked more natural with a green eyeshade on his forehead, a pen behind his ear, keeping a set of books on a high stool, than in the Detective Bureau at Police Headquarters, which was, perhaps, why he made such a good detective.
Mason jerked his head and said, “I think I’ve got something,Sidney.”
“Okay,” said Drumm, “be right with you.”
Mason nodded and walked out into the corridor. Sidney Drumm joined him in about five minutes.
“Shoot,” he said.
“I’m chasing down a witness in something that may be of value to you,” Mason said to the detective. “I don’t know yet just where it’s going to lead. Right now, I’m working for a client, and I want to get the low down on a telephone number.”
“What telephone number?”
“Freyburg 629803,” said Mason. “If it’s the party I think it is, he’ll be as wise as a treeful of owls, and we can’t pull any of this wrong number business on him. I think it’s probably an unlisted number. You’ve got to get it right from the records of the telephone company, and I have an idea you’d better do it personally.”
Drumm said: “Gee, guy, you’ve got a crust!”
Perry Mason looked hurt.
“I told you I was working for a client,” he said, “there’s twentyfive bucks in it for you. I thought you’d be willing to take a run down to the telephone company for twentyfive bucks.”
Drumm grinned.
“Why the hell didn’t you say so in the first place?” he said. “Wait till I get my hat. We go down in your car or in mine?”
“Better take both,” Mason said. “You go in yours, and I’ll go in mine. I may not be coming back this way.”
“Okay,” the detective said.
“I know,” said Mason, “but you’d tell me if that wasn’t the conversation, wouldn’t you?”
“Maybe,” she said.
“All right, then, are you telling me anything?”
“No!”
“That’s all I wanted to know,” he told her, and grinned.
Chapter 4
Perry Mason walked into the Detective Bureau at Police Headquarters.
“Drumm in here?” he asked.
One of the men nodded, and jerked a thumb toward an inner door.
Perry Mason walked in.
“Sidney Drumm,” he said to one of the men who was sitting on the corner of a desk, smoking. Some one raised his voice, and yelled: “Oh, Drumm, come on out.”
A door opened, and Sidney Drumm looked around until he saw Perry Mason, then grinned.
“Hello, Perry,” he said.
He was a tall, thin man, with high cheek bones, and washedout eyes. He would have looked more natural with a green eyeshade on his forehead, a pen behind his ear, keeping a set of books on a high stool, than in the Detective Bureau at Police Headquarters, which was, perhaps, why he made such a good detective.
Mason jerked his head and said, “I think I’ve got something,Sidney.”
“Okay,” said Drumm, “be right with you.”
Mason nodded and walked out into the corridor. Sidney Drumm joined him in about five minutes.
“Shoot,” he said.
“I’m chasing down a witness in something that may be of value to you,” Mason said to the detective. “I don’t know yet just where it’s going to lead. Right now, I’m working for a client, and I want to get the low down on a telephone number.”
“What telephone number?”
“Freyburg 629803,” said Mason. “If it’s the party I think it is, he’ll be as wise as a treeful of owls, and we can’t pull any of this wrong number business on him. I think it’s probably an unlisted number. You’ve got to get it right from the records of the telephone company, and I have an idea you’d better do it personally.”
Drumm said: “Gee, guy, you’ve got a crust!”
Perry Mason looked hurt.
“I told you I was working for a client,” he said, “there’s twentyfive bucks in it for you. I thought you’d be willing to take a run down to the telephone company for twentyfive bucks.”
Drumm grinned.
“Why the hell didn’t you say so in the first place?” he said. “Wait till I get my hat. We go down in your car or in mine?”
“Better take both,” Mason said. “You go in yours, and I’ll go in mine. I may not be coming back this way.”
“Okay,” the detective said.