JК
The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
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“All right,”he told her. “That’s something. You said you couldn’t hear what was being said?”
“I couldn’t,” she said, slowly, “but I could hear the sound of their voices. I could recognize the tones. I heard my husband’s voice, and then this other man’s voice.”
“Had you ever heard that other voice before?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know who it was?”
“Yes.”
“Well, don’t be so damned mysterious,” he said. “Who was it? I’m your lawyer. You’ve got to tell me.”
She turned and faced him. “You know who it was,” she said.
“I know?”
“Yes.”
“Look here, one of us is crazy. How would I know who it was?”
“Because,” she said, slowly, “it was you!”
His eyes became cold, hard and steady.
“Me?”
“Yes, you! Oh, I didn’t want to tell! I wasn’t going to let you think I knew. I was going to protect your secret! But you wormed it out of me. But I won’t tell any one else, never, never, never! It’s just a secret that you and I share.”
He stared at her with his lips tightening. “So that’s the kind of a playmate you are, eh?”
She met his eyes and nodded, slowly.
“Yes, Mr. Mason, I’m the sort you can trust. I’m never going to betray you.”
He sucked in a deep breath, then sighed.
“Oh, hell,” he said, “what’s the use!”
There was a moment of silence. Then Perry Mason asked, in a voice that was entirely without expression: “Did you hear a car drive away—afterwards?”
She hesitated a moment, and then said: “Yes, I think I did, but the storm was making a lot of racket up there with the trees rubbing against the house and everything. But I think I heard a motor.”
“Now listen,” he told her. “You’re nervous and you’re unstrung. But if you’re going to face a bunch of detectives and start talking that way, you’re just going to get yourself into trouble. You’d either better have a complete breakdown and get a physician who will refuse to let any one talk with you, or else you’d better get your story licked into shape. Now you either heard a motor or you didn’t hear one. Did you, or didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she said, defiantly, “I heard one.”
“Okay,” he said. “That’s better. Now, how many people are in the house?”
“What do you mean?”
“Servants and everybody,” he said. “Just who’s there. I want to know everybody that’s in that house.
“All right,”he told her. “That’s something. You said you couldn’t hear what was being said?”
“I couldn’t,” she said, slowly, “but I could hear the sound of their voices. I could recognize the tones. I heard my husband’s voice, and then this other man’s voice.”
“Had you ever heard that other voice before?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know who it was?”
“Yes.”
“Well, don’t be so damned mysterious,” he said. “Who was it? I’m your lawyer. You’ve got to tell me.”
She turned and faced him. “You know who it was,” she said.
“I know?”
“Yes.”
“Look here, one of us is crazy. How would I know who it was?”
“Because,” she said, slowly, “it was you!”
His eyes became cold, hard and steady.
“Me?”
“Yes, you! Oh, I didn’t want to tell! I wasn’t going to let you think I knew. I was going to protect your secret! But you wormed it out of me. But I won’t tell any one else, never, never, never! It’s just a secret that you and I share.”
He stared at her with his lips tightening. “So that’s the kind of a playmate you are, eh?”
She met his eyes and nodded, slowly.
“Yes, Mr. Mason, I’m the sort you can trust. I’m never going to betray you.”
He sucked in a deep breath, then sighed.
“Oh, hell,” he said, “what’s the use!”
There was a moment of silence. Then Perry Mason asked, in a voice that was entirely without expression: “Did you hear a car drive away—afterwards?”
She hesitated a moment, and then said: “Yes, I think I did, but the storm was making a lot of racket up there with the trees rubbing against the house and everything. But I think I heard a motor.”
“Now listen,” he told her. “You’re nervous and you’re unstrung. But if you’re going to face a bunch of detectives and start talking that way, you’re just going to get yourself into trouble. You’d either better have a complete breakdown and get a physician who will refuse to let any one talk with you, or else you’d better get your story licked into shape. Now you either heard a motor or you didn’t hear one. Did you, or didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she said, defiantly, “I heard one.”
“Okay,” he said. “That’s better. Now, how many people are in the house?”
“What do you mean?”
“Servants and everybody,” he said. “Just who’s there. I want to know everybody that’s in that house.