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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 46 из 149If I had wanted to lie to you, I wouldn’t have told you at first that I’d heard from him.”
“Oh, yes, you would,” said Mason. “You told me then because you didn’t think there was any possibility that I would suspect him of having been in that room with your husband when the shot was fired.”
“That’s not so,” she said.
He nodded his head slowly.
“You’re just a little liar,” he said, judicially and dispassionately. “You can’t tell the truth. You don’t play fair with anybody, not even yourself. You’re lying to me right now. You know who that man was that was in the room.”
She shook her head. “No, no, no, no,” she said. “Won’t you understand, I don’t know who it was? I think it was you! That was why I didn’t call you from the house. I ran down to this drug store to call you. It’s almost a mile.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Because,” she said, “I wanted to give you time to get home. Don’t you see? I wanted to be able to say that I called you and found you at your apartment, if I should be asked. It would have been awful to have called and found that you were out, after I recognized your voice.”
“You didn’t recognize my voice,” he said quietly.
“I thought I did,” she said demurely.
Mason said, “There’s no thinking about it. I’ve been in bed for the last two or three hours, but I couldn’t prove any alibi. If the police thought I’d been to the house I’d have the devil of a time trying to square myself. You’ve figured that all out.”
She looked up at him and suddenly flung her arms around his neck.
“Oh, Perry,” she said, “please don’t look at me that way. Of course, I’m not going to tell on you. You’re in this thing just as deep as I am. You did what you did to save me. We’re in it together. I’m going to stand by you, and you’re going to stand by me.”
He pushed her away and put his fingers on her wet arm, until she had released her hold. Then he turned her face once more until he could look in her eyes.
“We’re not in this thing a damned bit,” he said. “You’re my client, and I’m sticking by you. That’s all. You understand that?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Whose coat is that you’re wearing?”
“Carl’s. I found it in the corridor. I started out first in the rain, and then realized I would get soaking wet. There was a coat in the hallway, and I put it on.”
“Okay. You be thinking that over while I’m driving up to the place.
“Oh, yes, you would,” said Mason. “You told me then because you didn’t think there was any possibility that I would suspect him of having been in that room with your husband when the shot was fired.”
“That’s not so,” she said.
He nodded his head slowly.
“You’re just a little liar,” he said, judicially and dispassionately. “You can’t tell the truth. You don’t play fair with anybody, not even yourself. You’re lying to me right now. You know who that man was that was in the room.”
She shook her head. “No, no, no, no,” she said. “Won’t you understand, I don’t know who it was? I think it was you! That was why I didn’t call you from the house. I ran down to this drug store to call you. It’s almost a mile.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Because,” she said, “I wanted to give you time to get home. Don’t you see? I wanted to be able to say that I called you and found you at your apartment, if I should be asked. It would have been awful to have called and found that you were out, after I recognized your voice.”
“You didn’t recognize my voice,” he said quietly.
“I thought I did,” she said demurely.
Mason said, “There’s no thinking about it. I’ve been in bed for the last two or three hours, but I couldn’t prove any alibi. If the police thought I’d been to the house I’d have the devil of a time trying to square myself. You’ve figured that all out.”
She looked up at him and suddenly flung her arms around his neck.
“Oh, Perry,” she said, “please don’t look at me that way. Of course, I’m not going to tell on you. You’re in this thing just as deep as I am. You did what you did to save me. We’re in it together. I’m going to stand by you, and you’re going to stand by me.”
He pushed her away and put his fingers on her wet arm, until she had released her hold. Then he turned her face once more until he could look in her eyes.
“We’re not in this thing a damned bit,” he said. “You’re my client, and I’m sticking by you. That’s all. You understand that?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Whose coat is that you’re wearing?”
“Carl’s. I found it in the corridor. I started out first in the rain, and then realized I would get soaking wet. There was a coat in the hallway, and I put it on.”
“Okay. You be thinking that over while I’m driving up to the place.