JК
The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 32 из 149”
Mason said, impatiently: “Every time you come here you lie to me. You’re one of those babyfaced little liars that always gets by by deceit. Just because you’re beautiful, you’ve managed to get by with it. You’ve deceived every man that ever loved you, every man you ever loved. Now you’re in trouble, and you’re deceiving me.”
She stared at him with blazing indignation, either natural or assumed.
“You’ve no right to talk to me that way!”
“The hell I haven’t,” said Mason, grimly.
They stared at each other for a second or two.
“It was something down South,” she said, meekly.
“What was?”
“The trouble that Locke got into. I don’t know what it was. I don’t know where it was. I only know it was some trouble, and that it was down South somewhere. It was some trouble over a woman. That is, that’s the way it started. I don’t know how it finished. It may have been a murder. I don’t know. I know it’s something, and I know it’s something that George holds over him all the time. That’s the only way George ever deals with anybody. He gets something on them and holds it over them, and makes them do just as he wants.”
Mason stared at her, and said, “That’s the way he handles you.”
“That’s the way he tries to.”
“Was that the way he made you marry him?” asked Mason.
“I don’t know,” she said. “No.”
He laughed grimly.
“Well,” she said, “what difference does it make?”
“Maybe not any. Maybe a lot. I want some more money.” She opened her purse.
“I haven’t got much more,” she said. “I can give you three hundred dollars.”
Mason shook his head.
“You’ve got a checking account,” he said. “I’ve got to have more money. I’m going to have some expenses in this thing. I’m fighting for myself now as well as for you.”
“I can’t give you a check. I don’t have any checking account. He won’t let me. That’s another way that he keeps people under his control, through money. I have to get money from him in cash, or get it some other way.”
“What other way?” asked Mason.
She said nothing. She drew out a roll of bills from the purse. “There’s five hundred dollars here, and it’s every cent I’ve got.”
“All right,” said Mason. “Keep twentyfive and give me the rest.”
He pressed a button in the side of the desk. The door to the outer office framed the inquiring features ofDella Street.
Mason said, impatiently: “Every time you come here you lie to me. You’re one of those babyfaced little liars that always gets by by deceit. Just because you’re beautiful, you’ve managed to get by with it. You’ve deceived every man that ever loved you, every man you ever loved. Now you’re in trouble, and you’re deceiving me.”
She stared at him with blazing indignation, either natural or assumed.
“You’ve no right to talk to me that way!”
“The hell I haven’t,” said Mason, grimly.
They stared at each other for a second or two.
“It was something down South,” she said, meekly.
“What was?”
“The trouble that Locke got into. I don’t know what it was. I don’t know where it was. I only know it was some trouble, and that it was down South somewhere. It was some trouble over a woman. That is, that’s the way it started. I don’t know how it finished. It may have been a murder. I don’t know. I know it’s something, and I know it’s something that George holds over him all the time. That’s the only way George ever deals with anybody. He gets something on them and holds it over them, and makes them do just as he wants.”
Mason stared at her, and said, “That’s the way he handles you.”
“That’s the way he tries to.”
“Was that the way he made you marry him?” asked Mason.
“I don’t know,” she said. “No.”
He laughed grimly.
“Well,” she said, “what difference does it make?”
“Maybe not any. Maybe a lot. I want some more money.” She opened her purse.
“I haven’t got much more,” she said. “I can give you three hundred dollars.”
Mason shook his head.
“You’ve got a checking account,” he said. “I’ve got to have more money. I’m going to have some expenses in this thing. I’m fighting for myself now as well as for you.”
“I can’t give you a check. I don’t have any checking account. He won’t let me. That’s another way that he keeps people under his control, through money. I have to get money from him in cash, or get it some other way.”
“What other way?” asked Mason.
She said nothing. She drew out a roll of bills from the purse. “There’s five hundred dollars here, and it’s every cent I’ve got.”
“All right,” said Mason. “Keep twentyfive and give me the rest.”
He pressed a button in the side of the desk. The door to the outer office framed the inquiring features ofDella Street.