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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 26 из 149They stared fixedly at Perry Mason.
“Why come here about it?” asked Belter.
“Because I think you’re the one that I want to see.”
“Well, I’m not.”
“I think you are.”
“I’m not. Don’t know anything at all about Spicy Bits. I’ve read the sheet once in a while. It’s a dirty, blackmailing rag, if you ask me.”
Mason’s eyes became hard. His body seemed to lean forward slightly from the hips.
“All right,” he said. “I’m not asking you, I’m telling you.”
“Telling me what?” Belter asked.
“Telling you that I’m an attorney, and I’m representing a client that Spicy Bits is trying to blackmail, and I don’t like the setup. I’m telling you that I don’t intend to pay the price that’s demanded, and I’m telling you further that I don’t intend to pay a damned cent. I’m not going to buy any advertising in your sheet, and your sheet isn’t going to publish the story about my client. Get that, and get it straight!”
Belter sneered. “It serves me right,” he said, “for seeing the first shyster ambulance chaser that comes pounding at the door. I should have had the butler kick you out. You’re either drunk or crazy. Or both. Personally, I have an idea it’s both. Now are you going to get out, or shall I call the police?”
“I’ll get out,” Mason said, “when I finish what I was saying. You’ve kept in the background in this thing, and had Locke for your goat to stand out in front and take it. You’ve sat back and raked in the cash. You’ve received dividends out of blackmail. All right. Here’s where you get an assessment.”
Belter stood staring at Mason, saying nothing.
“I don’t know whether you know who I am, or whether you know what I want,” Mason went on, “but you can find out pretty quick by getting in touch with Locke. I’m telling you that if Spicy Bits publishes anything about my client, I’ll rip off the mask of the man who owns the damned rag! Do you get that?”
“All right,” Belter remarked. “You’ve made your threat. Now I’ll make mine. I don’t know who you are, and I don’t give a damn. Maybe your reputation is sufficiently spotless so that you can afford to go around and make threats. Then again, maybe it isn’t. Perhaps you’d better watch some of your own fences before you start throwing mud over other people’s.”
Mason nodded curtly. “Of course, I expected that,” he said.
“Well,” Belter said, “you won’t be disappointed then.
“Why come here about it?” asked Belter.
“Because I think you’re the one that I want to see.”
“Well, I’m not.”
“I think you are.”
“I’m not. Don’t know anything at all about Spicy Bits. I’ve read the sheet once in a while. It’s a dirty, blackmailing rag, if you ask me.”
Mason’s eyes became hard. His body seemed to lean forward slightly from the hips.
“All right,” he said. “I’m not asking you, I’m telling you.”
“Telling me what?” Belter asked.
“Telling you that I’m an attorney, and I’m representing a client that Spicy Bits is trying to blackmail, and I don’t like the setup. I’m telling you that I don’t intend to pay the price that’s demanded, and I’m telling you further that I don’t intend to pay a damned cent. I’m not going to buy any advertising in your sheet, and your sheet isn’t going to publish the story about my client. Get that, and get it straight!”
Belter sneered. “It serves me right,” he said, “for seeing the first shyster ambulance chaser that comes pounding at the door. I should have had the butler kick you out. You’re either drunk or crazy. Or both. Personally, I have an idea it’s both. Now are you going to get out, or shall I call the police?”
“I’ll get out,” Mason said, “when I finish what I was saying. You’ve kept in the background in this thing, and had Locke for your goat to stand out in front and take it. You’ve sat back and raked in the cash. You’ve received dividends out of blackmail. All right. Here’s where you get an assessment.”
Belter stood staring at Mason, saying nothing.
“I don’t know whether you know who I am, or whether you know what I want,” Mason went on, “but you can find out pretty quick by getting in touch with Locke. I’m telling you that if Spicy Bits publishes anything about my client, I’ll rip off the mask of the man who owns the damned rag! Do you get that?”
“All right,” Belter remarked. “You’ve made your threat. Now I’ll make mine. I don’t know who you are, and I don’t give a damn. Maybe your reputation is sufficiently spotless so that you can afford to go around and make threats. Then again, maybe it isn’t. Perhaps you’d better watch some of your own fences before you start throwing mud over other people’s.”
Mason nodded curtly. “Of course, I expected that,” he said.
“Well,” Belter said, “you won’t be disappointed then.