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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 74 из 149So many times a woman will come in and ask you about something, particularly if it happens to be a domestic problem, and won’t bring her husband along so that you cansee what he looks like. In fact, I’ve even heard of two or three instances where women went to law offices and didn’t want their husbands to know anything about it. But of course that’s just a rumor and hearsay, and I wouldn’t want you to take my word for it.”
Drumm kept grinning. “Well,” he said, “would you say that this was that kind of a case?”
“I would say nothing,” Mason replied.
Drumm quit grinning, and tilted his head back, his eyes became dreamy as they looked at the ceiling.
“That gives it an interesting angle,” he said. “Wife comes to attorney who is noted for his ability to get people out of trouble. Attorney doesn’t know husband’s private telephone number. Attorney starts working on case for wife. Attorney uncovers telephone number. Attorney traces telephone number to husband, and goes out there. Wife there, husband murdered.”
Mason’s voice was impatient. “Do you think you’re getting anywhere, Sidney?”
Drumm grinned once more. “I’ll be damned if I know, Perry,” he said. “But I’m moving around.”
“Let me know as soon as you get anywhere, will you?” asked Mason.
Drumm got to his feet. “Oh,” he said, “you’ll know it fast enough.” He grinned from Mason toDella Street.
“I presume,” he said, “that last remark of yours was my cue to get out.”
“Oh, don’t be in any hurry,” Mason told him. “You know we come down to the office at three and four o’clock in the morning just to be here to receive friends who want to ask us foolish questions. We don’t really have any work to do. It’s just a habit we’ve gotten into, of getting down here early.”
Drumm paused to stare at the lawyer. “You know, Perry, if you’d come clean with me, I might be able to help you a little bit. But if you’re going to stand off and be snooty, I’ve got to go out and pry around a little bit.”
“Sure,” Mason admitted, “I understand that. That’s your business. You’ve got your profession, and I’ve got mine.”
“That means, I take it,” said Drumm, “that you’re going to be snooty.”
“That means,” said Mason, “that you’ve got to find out your facts on the outside.”
“So long, Perry.”
“So long,Sidney. Drop in again some time.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
Sidney Drumm closed the door behind him.
The girl moved impulsively toward Perry Mason.
Drumm kept grinning. “Well,” he said, “would you say that this was that kind of a case?”
“I would say nothing,” Mason replied.
Drumm quit grinning, and tilted his head back, his eyes became dreamy as they looked at the ceiling.
“That gives it an interesting angle,” he said. “Wife comes to attorney who is noted for his ability to get people out of trouble. Attorney doesn’t know husband’s private telephone number. Attorney starts working on case for wife. Attorney uncovers telephone number. Attorney traces telephone number to husband, and goes out there. Wife there, husband murdered.”
Mason’s voice was impatient. “Do you think you’re getting anywhere, Sidney?”
Drumm grinned once more. “I’ll be damned if I know, Perry,” he said. “But I’m moving around.”
“Let me know as soon as you get anywhere, will you?” asked Mason.
Drumm got to his feet. “Oh,” he said, “you’ll know it fast enough.” He grinned from Mason toDella Street.
“I presume,” he said, “that last remark of yours was my cue to get out.”
“Oh, don’t be in any hurry,” Mason told him. “You know we come down to the office at three and four o’clock in the morning just to be here to receive friends who want to ask us foolish questions. We don’t really have any work to do. It’s just a habit we’ve gotten into, of getting down here early.”
Drumm paused to stare at the lawyer. “You know, Perry, if you’d come clean with me, I might be able to help you a little bit. But if you’re going to stand off and be snooty, I’ve got to go out and pry around a little bit.”
“Sure,” Mason admitted, “I understand that. That’s your business. You’ve got your profession, and I’ve got mine.”
“That means, I take it,” said Drumm, “that you’re going to be snooty.”
“That means,” said Mason, “that you’ve got to find out your facts on the outside.”
“So long, Perry.”
“So long,Sidney. Drop in again some time.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
Sidney Drumm closed the door behind him.
The girl moved impulsively toward Perry Mason.