erlestanleygardner.thecaseofthehorrifiedheirs-第13章
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ffice？〃
〃I'll be here all afternoon；〃 Mason said； 〃and if you need me after office hours； you can get me through the Drake Detective Agency。 Ask for Paul Drake。 The offices are in the same building where I have my offices and are on the same floor。〃
〃You'll be hearing from me；〃 Dr。 Alton said。 〃In the meantime； I'm going to make arrangements right away to insure that nothing else questionable will happen。〃
〃Please bear in mind that we must try to keep from making any accusations or any statements which will alarm your patient until we're certain；〃 Mason said。
〃I understand； I understand；〃 Alton said sharply。 〃Damn it； Mason； I've been practicing medicine for thirtyfive years…My God； man； you've given me a jolt。 。 。 Classic symptoms of arsenic poisoning and I never suspected a thing…you'll be hearing from me。 Goodbye。〃
The connection was sharply terminated。
Mason said to Virginia； 〃I don't like to restrict your liberties； Virginia； but I want you to be where I can reach you。 Go to your apartment and stay there。 Report every single thing out of the ordinary。 I'll have my phone so you can get to me at any time。〃
Drake frowned and said； 〃But they couldn't prove a will by using a copy； could they； Perry？〃
〃Under certain limited circumstances； yes；〃 Mason said。 〃If a will is missing； the general presumption is that it was destroyed by the testator； which is equivalent to a revocation。 But if； for instance； a house should catch on fire and the testator should perish in the flames； it would be generally presumed that the will was burned up at the same time and； if there could be proof that it was still in effect at the time of the fire and the testator's death； then the contents could be established by secondary evidence。
〃However； that's not what I'm thinking of。〃
〃What are you thinking of？〃 Drake asked。
Mason glanced at Virginia and shook his head。 〃I'm not prepared to say at the moment。
〃Virginia； I want you to go on home。 You may receive a call from this man you now know is George Eagan； Lauretta Trent's chauffeur。
〃You'll remember this man told you he was George Menard。
〃Now； if he calls on you； be very careful not to let on that you know who he really is。 Be na？ve； gullible and perhaps a little greedy。 If he acts as if he wanted to make you any sort of a proposition； let him feel you are willing to listen。 Then stall for time。
〃Call me…or if I'm not available； Paul Drake…as soon as you can get to a phone。 Let us know what the man wants。〃
〃I'm to let him think I'm willing to play along？〃
〃That's right。 And if you are asked to do any typing； use new carbons with each sheet of paper。〃
〃It won't be dangerous？〃
〃I don't think so at the moment。 Not if you don't let on you know who lie really is； and if you manage to stall him long enough to get to a phone。 Later on we may have to take precautions。〃
〃All right；〃 she promised； 〃I'll try。〃
〃Good girl；〃 Mason said。 〃Go on home now and phone me if anything happens。〃
Her laugh was nervous。 〃Don't worry；〃 she said； 〃the very first thing that occurs out of the ordinary； I'm going to dash to a telephone。〃
〃That's right；〃 Mason told her。 〃Get Paul Drake on the line if you can't get me。 His office is open twenty…four hours a day。〃
Della Street held the exit door open for her。
〃Just be careful；〃 Mason warned； 〃not to let this chauffeur know that you have any idea who he is。 Be na？ve； but let him feel that if he has any proposition to make you could be tempted。〃
Virginia Baxter flashed him a smile and left the office。
Della Street gently closed the door。
〃You think this chauffeur is going to be back？〃 Drake asked。
〃If he didn't get what he wanted；〃 Mason said； 〃he'll be back。 We have two people looking for a paper； and since the paper that we think they're looking for doesn't seem to be in the files； the probabilities are that one of them has already found it。 Therefore； the other will be back。〃
〃Just how significant is all of this？〃 Drake asked。
〃I'll tell you；〃 Mason said； 〃when we get the samples of hair and fingernails from Lauretta Trent。 A person can't rely on a copy of the will unless two things have happened。〃
〃What two things？〃 Drake asked。
〃First； the original will is missing。 Second； the person who executed it is dead。〃
〃You think it's that serious？〃 Drake asked。
〃I think it's that serious；〃 Mason said； 〃but my hands are tied until we get a check on that arsenic factor。
〃Go back to your office； Paul； alert your telephone operator and have things in readiness so that you can have a man out at Virginia Baxter's place at a moment's notice。〃
CHAPTER TEN
The man with the black hair； the close…clipped mustache and the black； intense eyes was waiting in a car that was parked in front of Virginia Baxter's apartment house。
Virginia spotted the car first； recognized the driver sitting there concentrating on the front door of the apartment house and breezed on by without attracting any attention。
From a service station four blocks down the street； she telephoned Mason's office。
〃He's out there； waiting；〃 she said； when she had the lawyer on the line。
〃The same man who called on you before？〃 Mason asked。
〃Yes。〃
〃All right；〃 Mason said； 〃go on home； see what he wants； make an excuse to break away if you can and call me。〃
〃Will do；〃 she said。 〃You'll probably hear from me within the next twenty or thirty minutes。〃
She hung up the phone； drove back to her apartment house； parked her car and entered the front door； apparently pletely oblivious of the man who was seated in the parked automobile across the street。
Within a matter of minutes after she had entered her apartment house； the buzzer sounded。
She saw to it that the safety chain was on the door； then opened it to confront the intense； black eyes。
〃Why； hello； Mr。 Menard；〃 she said。 〃Did you find what you wanted？〃
The man tried to make his smile affable。 〃I'd like to talk with you about it。 May I e in？〃
She hesitated a brief instant； then said cordially； 〃Why； certainly；〃 and released the chain on the door。
He entered the apartment； seated himself； said； 〃I'm going to put my cards on the table。〃
She raised her eyebrows。
〃I wasn't looking for an agreement made with Smith and relating to the sale of a machine shop；〃 he said。 〃I was looking for something else。〃
〃Can you tell me what？〃 she asked。
〃Some years ago；〃 he said； 〃Mr。 Bannock made at least one will for Lauretta Trent。 I'm under the impression he made two wills。
〃Now then； for reasons that I don't want to take the time to go into at the present time； it is highly important that we find those wills。 At least； the latest one。〃
Virginia let her face show surprise。 〃But…but I don't understand。 。 。 。 Why； we only had the carbon copies。 Mrs。 Trent would have the original wills in her safety deposit box or somewhere。〃
〃Not necessarily；〃 he said。
〃But what good would a copy do？〃
〃There are other people who are interested。〃
She raised her eyebrows。
〃There is one person in particular who is willing to do anything to get his hands on a copy of the will。 Now； I would like to lay a trap for that individual。〃
〃How？〃
〃I believe you purchased the typewriter that you had used in the office？〃
〃Yes。 That is； Mr。 Bannock's brother gave it to me。〃
He indicated the typewriter on the desk。 〃It's an older model？〃
〃Yes。 We had it in the office for years。 It's an exceedingly durable make and this model is pretty well dated。 When the appraiser appraised the office furniture he put a very low value on this typewriter because it was so old； and Mr。 Bannock's brother told me to just keep it and forget about it。〃
〃Then you could prepare a carbon copy of a will and date it back three or four years and we could mix that carbon copy in with the old papers that went to Mr。 Bannock's brother and if anyone should happen to be snooping around through those papers looking for a copy of Lauretta Trent's will； we could fool him into relying on that copy and perhaps get him to betray himself。〃
〃Would that do any good？〃 she asked。
〃It might do a great deal of good。 。 。 。 I take it you'd like to help a person who was a client of
