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The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 96 из 149“You know, the funny part of it is,” he said, slowly, “that it goes farther back than just the blackmail. It goes back to the time that you changed your testimony, and gave Dawson an opportunity to get a hung jury. When he’s brought back and tried on that murder charge, the fact that you have been here with him and taking these checks from him will put you in kind of a tough spot on a perjury prosecution.”
Her face lost its color. Her eyes were big, dark and staring. Her mouth sagged open and she breathed heavily through it.
“My God!” she said.
“Exactly,” said Mason. “You were asleep last night.”
She kept her eyes on him and asked, “Would that square it?”
“I don’t know,” Mason told her. “It would square things at this end. I don’t know whether anybody’s going to make a squawk about the Georgia business or not.”
“All right. I was asleep.”
Mason got up and moved toward the door.
“You want to remember that,” he said. “Nobody knows about this except me. If you tell Locke that I was here, or the proposition I made you, I’ll see that you get the works everywhere along the line.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said. “I know when I’ve had enough.”
He walked out and closed the door behind him.
He got in his car and drove to Sol Steinburg’s Pawnshop.
Steinburg was fat, with shrewd, twinkling eyes, a skull cap, and thick, curling lips, which were twisted in a perpetual smile.
He beamed on Perry Mason, and said, “Well, well, well. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, my friend.”
Mason shook hands. “It certainly has, Sol. And now I’m in trouble.”
The pawnbroker nodded and rubbed his hands together.
“Whenever they get in trouble,” he said, “they come to Sol Steinburg’s place. What is your trouble, my friend?”
“Listen,” said Mason, “I want you to do something for me.”
The skull cap nodded in vigorous assent.
“I’d do anything I could for you, y’understand. Of course, business is business. And if it’s a business matter, you’ve got to come to me on a business basis, and take business treatment. But if it ain’t business y’understand, I’d do anything I could.”
Mason’s eyes twinkled. “It’s business for you, Sol,” he said, “because you’re going to make fifty dollars out of it. But you don’t have to invest anything.”
The fat man broke out in laughter.
Her face lost its color. Her eyes were big, dark and staring. Her mouth sagged open and she breathed heavily through it.
“My God!” she said.
“Exactly,” said Mason. “You were asleep last night.”
She kept her eyes on him and asked, “Would that square it?”
“I don’t know,” Mason told her. “It would square things at this end. I don’t know whether anybody’s going to make a squawk about the Georgia business or not.”
“All right. I was asleep.”
Mason got up and moved toward the door.
“You want to remember that,” he said. “Nobody knows about this except me. If you tell Locke that I was here, or the proposition I made you, I’ll see that you get the works everywhere along the line.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said. “I know when I’ve had enough.”
He walked out and closed the door behind him.
He got in his car and drove to Sol Steinburg’s Pawnshop.
Steinburg was fat, with shrewd, twinkling eyes, a skull cap, and thick, curling lips, which were twisted in a perpetual smile.
He beamed on Perry Mason, and said, “Well, well, well. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, my friend.”
Mason shook hands. “It certainly has, Sol. And now I’m in trouble.”
The pawnbroker nodded and rubbed his hands together.
“Whenever they get in trouble,” he said, “they come to Sol Steinburg’s place. What is your trouble, my friend?”
“Listen,” said Mason, “I want you to do something for me.”
The skull cap nodded in vigorous assent.
“I’d do anything I could for you, y’understand. Of course, business is business. And if it’s a business matter, you’ve got to come to me on a business basis, and take business treatment. But if it ain’t business y’understand, I’d do anything I could.”
Mason’s eyes twinkled. “It’s business for you, Sol,” he said, “because you’re going to make fifty dollars out of it. But you don’t have to invest anything.”
The fat man broke out in laughter.