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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 94 из 149Otherwise, when I open the door something might happen, and I’d get pushed out.”
She got up, puffing placidly at the cigarette, crossed to the door, opened it, reached out and picked up the paper.
The headlines screamed the news of the Belter murder. She walked back to the bed, sat down with her feet tucked in under her, legs crossed, and read through the paper, smoking as she read.
“Well,” she said. “I still don’t see that it’s anything in my young life. Some guy got bumped. It’s too bad, but he probably had it coming to him.”
“He did,” said Mason.
“Well, why should that make me lose my beauty sleep?”
“If you’ll use your noodle,” he explained patiently, “you’ll find out that Mrs. Belter has come into a position where she controls all of the property in the estate and I happen to represent Mrs. Belter.”
“Well?”
“You’ve been blackmailing Frank Locke,” he said, “and Locke has been embezzling trust funds in order to pay the blackmail. That special account of Spicy Bits was an account that was given him to use in purchasing information. He’s been handing it over to you.”
“I’m in the clear,” she said, tossing the paper to the floor, “I didn’t know anything at all about it.”
He laughed at her.
“How about the blackmail?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, yes, you do, Esther. You are shaking him down on account of this Georgia business.”
That remark registered with her. Her face changed color, and, for the first time, there was a startled look in her eyes.
Mason went on to press his advantage.
“That,” he said, “wouldn’t look pretty. You may have heard of compounding a felony. It’s a crime in this state, you know.”
She appraised him watchfully. “You’re not a dick, just a lawyer?”
“Just a lawyer.”
“Okay,” she said. “What do you want?”
“Now you’re commencing to talk turkey.”
“I’m not talking; I’m listening.”
“You were with Frank Locke last night,” he said.
“Who says I was?”
“I do. You went out with him, then came back here, and he stayed until long in the morning.”
“I’m free, white, and twentyone,” she said, “and this is my home. I guess I’ve got a right to entertain men friends if I want to.”
“Sure you have,” he said.
She got up, puffing placidly at the cigarette, crossed to the door, opened it, reached out and picked up the paper.
The headlines screamed the news of the Belter murder. She walked back to the bed, sat down with her feet tucked in under her, legs crossed, and read through the paper, smoking as she read.
“Well,” she said. “I still don’t see that it’s anything in my young life. Some guy got bumped. It’s too bad, but he probably had it coming to him.”
“He did,” said Mason.
“Well, why should that make me lose my beauty sleep?”
“If you’ll use your noodle,” he explained patiently, “you’ll find out that Mrs. Belter has come into a position where she controls all of the property in the estate and I happen to represent Mrs. Belter.”
“Well?”
“You’ve been blackmailing Frank Locke,” he said, “and Locke has been embezzling trust funds in order to pay the blackmail. That special account of Spicy Bits was an account that was given him to use in purchasing information. He’s been handing it over to you.”
“I’m in the clear,” she said, tossing the paper to the floor, “I didn’t know anything at all about it.”
He laughed at her.
“How about the blackmail?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, yes, you do, Esther. You are shaking him down on account of this Georgia business.”
That remark registered with her. Her face changed color, and, for the first time, there was a startled look in her eyes.
Mason went on to press his advantage.
“That,” he said, “wouldn’t look pretty. You may have heard of compounding a felony. It’s a crime in this state, you know.”
She appraised him watchfully. “You’re not a dick, just a lawyer?”
“Just a lawyer.”
“Okay,” she said. “What do you want?”
“Now you’re commencing to talk turkey.”
“I’m not talking; I’m listening.”
“You were with Frank Locke last night,” he said.
“Who says I was?”
“I do. You went out with him, then came back here, and he stayed until long in the morning.”
“I’m free, white, and twentyone,” she said, “and this is my home. I guess I’ve got a right to entertain men friends if I want to.”
“Sure you have,” he said.