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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 56 из 149Maybe he couldthink straight even if he was drunk.”
Perry Mason shrugged his shoulders.
“Have it your own way,” he said, carelessly.
From the bathroom came the sounds of violent retchings.
“I’ll bet you he sobers up,” remarked Sergeant Hoffman, watching Perry Mason with wary eyes, “and says the same thing about the woman when he’s sober.”
“I’ll bet you he’s drunk as a lord, no matter whether he seems to be sober or not,” snapped Mason. “Some of these fellows are pretty deceptive when it comes to carrying their booze. They get so they can act as sober as judges, but they haven’t very much of an idea what they’re doing or saying.”
Bill Hoffman looked at him with a suggestion of a twinkle in his eyes.
“Sort of discounting in advance what ever it may be that he’s going to say, eh, Mason?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Hoffman laughed.
“No,” he said, “you didn’t say it. Not in exactly those words.”
“How about getting him some black coffee?” asked Mason. “I think I can find the kitchen and put some coffee on.”
“The housekeeper should be out there,” Hoffman said. “I don’t want to offend you, Mason, but I really want to talk to this man alone, anyway. I don’t know exactly what your status in this case is. You seem to be a friend of the family and a lawyer both.”
“That’s all right,” Mason agreed readily enough. “I understand your position, Sergeant. I happen to be out here, and I’m sticking around.”
Hoffman nodded. “You’ll find the housekeeper in the kitchen, I think. Mrs. Veitch, her name is. We had her and her daughter upstairs questioning them. Go on out there and see if they can scare up some coffee. Get lots of black coffee. I think that the boys upstairs would like it as well as this chap,Griffin.”
“Okay,” Mason said. He went through the folding doors from the dining room, then pushed through a swinging door into a serving pantry, and from there into the kitchen.
The kitchen was enormous, well lit, and well equipped. Two women were seated at a table. They were in straightbacked chairs, and were sitting close to each other. They had been talking in low tones when Perry Mason stepped into the room, and they ceased their conversation abruptly and looked up.
Perry Mason shrugged his shoulders.
“Have it your own way,” he said, carelessly.
From the bathroom came the sounds of violent retchings.
“I’ll bet you he sobers up,” remarked Sergeant Hoffman, watching Perry Mason with wary eyes, “and says the same thing about the woman when he’s sober.”
“I’ll bet you he’s drunk as a lord, no matter whether he seems to be sober or not,” snapped Mason. “Some of these fellows are pretty deceptive when it comes to carrying their booze. They get so they can act as sober as judges, but they haven’t very much of an idea what they’re doing or saying.”
Bill Hoffman looked at him with a suggestion of a twinkle in his eyes.
“Sort of discounting in advance what ever it may be that he’s going to say, eh, Mason?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Hoffman laughed.
“No,” he said, “you didn’t say it. Not in exactly those words.”
“How about getting him some black coffee?” asked Mason. “I think I can find the kitchen and put some coffee on.”
“The housekeeper should be out there,” Hoffman said. “I don’t want to offend you, Mason, but I really want to talk to this man alone, anyway. I don’t know exactly what your status in this case is. You seem to be a friend of the family and a lawyer both.”
“That’s all right,” Mason agreed readily enough. “I understand your position, Sergeant. I happen to be out here, and I’m sticking around.”
Hoffman nodded. “You’ll find the housekeeper in the kitchen, I think. Mrs. Veitch, her name is. We had her and her daughter upstairs questioning them. Go on out there and see if they can scare up some coffee. Get lots of black coffee. I think that the boys upstairs would like it as well as this chap,Griffin.”
“Okay,” Mason said. He went through the folding doors from the dining room, then pushed through a swinging door into a serving pantry, and from there into the kitchen.
The kitchen was enormous, well lit, and well equipped. Two women were seated at a table. They were in straightbacked chairs, and were sitting close to each other. They had been talking in low tones when Perry Mason stepped into the room, and they ceased their conversation abruptly and looked up.