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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 63 из 149He’s a baldheaded chap, who used to do some personal injury work. They say he always settles his cases out of court and always gets a good settlement.”
“How did you happen to see the will in the presence of your lawyer?” pressed Sergeant Hoffman. “It’s not usual for a man to call in the beneficiary under his will, together with his lawyer, in order to show them how the will is made, is it?”
Griffin pressed his lips together. “That’s something that you’ll have to ask my attorney about. I simply can’t go into it. It’s rather a complicated matter and one that I would prefer not to discuss.”
Sergeant Hoffman snapped. “All right, let’s forget about that stuff. Now go ahead and tell me what it was.”
“What do you mean?” askedGriffin.
Bill Hoffman turned around so that he was squarely facing the young man, and looked down at him. His jaw was thrust slightly forward, and his patient eyes were suddenly hard.
“I mean just this,Griffin,” he said, slowly and ominously, “you can’t pull that stuff. You’re trying to protect somebody, or trying to be a gentleman, or something of the sort. It won’t go. You either tell me what you know here and now, or else you go to jail as a material witness.”
Griffin’s face flushed. “I say,” he protested, “isn’t that rather steep?”
“I don’t give a damn how steep it is,” Hoffman said. “This is a murder case, and you’re sitting here trying to play button, button, who’s got the button with me. Now come on, and kick through. What was said at that time, and how did it happen that the will was exhibited to you and to your lawyer?”
Griffin spoke reluctantly. “You understand that I’m telling you this under protest?”
“Sure,” said Hoffman, “go ahead and tell me. What is it?”
“Well,”Griffin said slowly and with evident reluctance, “I’ve intimated that Uncle George and his wife weren’t on the best of terms. Uncle George had an idea that perhaps she was going to bring a suit against him for divorce in the event she could get the sort of evidence she wanted. Uncle George and I had some business dealings together, you know, and one time when Atwood and myself were discussing a business matter with him, he suddenly brought this other thing up. It was embarrassing to me, and I didn’t want to go ahead and discuss it, but Atwood looked at it just the way any lawyer would.”
Carl Griffin turned to Perry Mason. “I think you understand how that is, sir. I understand you’re an attorney.
“How did you happen to see the will in the presence of your lawyer?” pressed Sergeant Hoffman. “It’s not usual for a man to call in the beneficiary under his will, together with his lawyer, in order to show them how the will is made, is it?”
Griffin pressed his lips together. “That’s something that you’ll have to ask my attorney about. I simply can’t go into it. It’s rather a complicated matter and one that I would prefer not to discuss.”
Sergeant Hoffman snapped. “All right, let’s forget about that stuff. Now go ahead and tell me what it was.”
“What do you mean?” askedGriffin.
Bill Hoffman turned around so that he was squarely facing the young man, and looked down at him. His jaw was thrust slightly forward, and his patient eyes were suddenly hard.
“I mean just this,Griffin,” he said, slowly and ominously, “you can’t pull that stuff. You’re trying to protect somebody, or trying to be a gentleman, or something of the sort. It won’t go. You either tell me what you know here and now, or else you go to jail as a material witness.”
Griffin’s face flushed. “I say,” he protested, “isn’t that rather steep?”
“I don’t give a damn how steep it is,” Hoffman said. “This is a murder case, and you’re sitting here trying to play button, button, who’s got the button with me. Now come on, and kick through. What was said at that time, and how did it happen that the will was exhibited to you and to your lawyer?”
Griffin spoke reluctantly. “You understand that I’m telling you this under protest?”
“Sure,” said Hoffman, “go ahead and tell me. What is it?”
“Well,”Griffin said slowly and with evident reluctance, “I’ve intimated that Uncle George and his wife weren’t on the best of terms. Uncle George had an idea that perhaps she was going to bring a suit against him for divorce in the event she could get the sort of evidence she wanted. Uncle George and I had some business dealings together, you know, and one time when Atwood and myself were discussing a business matter with him, he suddenly brought this other thing up. It was embarrassing to me, and I didn’t want to go ahead and discuss it, but Atwood looked at it just the way any lawyer would.”
Carl Griffin turned to Perry Mason. “I think you understand how that is, sir. I understand you’re an attorney.