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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 84 из 149He was out until aroundmidnight, then he got a telephonecall, and went out again. After that, the telephone kept ringing all night. I didn’t answer it, because I knew he wasn’t here, and my feet get cold when I get up in the middle of the night. And I don’t appreciate being called out of bed at this hour, either!”
“How long after he came in before there was a telephone call?” asked Mason.
“It wasn’t very long, if it’s really any of your business.”
“Do you think he was expecting the telephone call?”
“How do I know? He woke me up when he came in. I heard him open the door and close it. I was trying to go to sleep again when I heard the telephone ring, and heard him talk. Then I heard him run up to his bedroom. I thought he was going to bed, but I guess he was putting some things in a suitcase, because this morning the suitcase is gone. I heard him run down the stairs and slam the front door.”
Perry Mason said, “Well, I guess that’s all, then.”
She said, “You bet it’s all!” and slammed the door.
Mason got in his car, and stopped at a hotel to call his office.
When he heardDella Street’s voice on the line, he said, “Is Mr. Mason there?”
“No, he isn’t,” she said. “Who’s calling?”
“This is a friend of his,” he told her, “Mr. Fred B. Johnson. I wanted to get in touch with Mr. Mason very badly.”
“I can’t tell you where he is,” she said rapidly, “but I expect he’ll be in soon. There are several people looking for him, and one of them, a Mr. Paul Drake, I think has an appointment. So I think he’ll be in soon.”
“Well, that’s all right,” Mason remarked, casually. “I’ll call again.”
“You haven’t any message to leave with me?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he told her, “except that I’ll call again,” and he hung up.
He called back the number of Drake’s Detective Bureau and got Paul Drake on the telephone.
“Don’t make any cracks where anybody can hear you, Paul,” said Mason, “because I have an idea a lot of people would like to ask me some questions that I’d rather not answer right now. You know who this is.”
“Yeah,” replied Drake, “I got some funny dope for you.”
“Shoot,” said Mason.
“I went out to this chap’s house. The one on West Sixtyninth Street, and I found something funny.”
“Go on,” Mason told him.
“This bird got a telephone call from somebody a little after midnight, and told his wife that he was called out of town on important business.
“How long after he came in before there was a telephone call?” asked Mason.
“It wasn’t very long, if it’s really any of your business.”
“Do you think he was expecting the telephone call?”
“How do I know? He woke me up when he came in. I heard him open the door and close it. I was trying to go to sleep again when I heard the telephone ring, and heard him talk. Then I heard him run up to his bedroom. I thought he was going to bed, but I guess he was putting some things in a suitcase, because this morning the suitcase is gone. I heard him run down the stairs and slam the front door.”
Perry Mason said, “Well, I guess that’s all, then.”
She said, “You bet it’s all!” and slammed the door.
Mason got in his car, and stopped at a hotel to call his office.
When he heardDella Street’s voice on the line, he said, “Is Mr. Mason there?”
“No, he isn’t,” she said. “Who’s calling?”
“This is a friend of his,” he told her, “Mr. Fred B. Johnson. I wanted to get in touch with Mr. Mason very badly.”
“I can’t tell you where he is,” she said rapidly, “but I expect he’ll be in soon. There are several people looking for him, and one of them, a Mr. Paul Drake, I think has an appointment. So I think he’ll be in soon.”
“Well, that’s all right,” Mason remarked, casually. “I’ll call again.”
“You haven’t any message to leave with me?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he told her, “except that I’ll call again,” and he hung up.
He called back the number of Drake’s Detective Bureau and got Paul Drake on the telephone.
“Don’t make any cracks where anybody can hear you, Paul,” said Mason, “because I have an idea a lot of people would like to ask me some questions that I’d rather not answer right now. You know who this is.”
“Yeah,” replied Drake, “I got some funny dope for you.”
“Shoot,” said Mason.
“I went out to this chap’s house. The one on West Sixtyninth Street, and I found something funny.”
“Go on,” Mason told him.
“This bird got a telephone call from somebody a little after midnight, and told his wife that he was called out of town on important business.