esg.thecaseofthevelvetclaws-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　back　to　the　office。〃
　　Della　Street　asked：　〃Can　I　get　in　touch　with　you　anywhere？〃
　　He　shook　his　head。　〃I'll　get　in　touch　with　you；〃　he　said。
　　He　drew　the　letter　toward　him　and　scribbled　on　the　margin。　She　hesitated　for　a　moment；　then　walked　around　the　desk　so　that　she　could　look　over　his　shoulder。
　　Perry　Mason　wrote　on　the　letter：　〃Go　back　to　the　outer　office。　Ring　Drake's　Detective　Bureau；　and　ask　for　Paul　Drake。　Get　him　to　shadow　this　woman　when　she　leaves　the　office。　But　don't　let　her　know　she's　being　tailed。　Tell　him　I　want　to　find　out　who　she　is；　that　it's　important。〃
　　He　took　a　blotter；　blotted　the　note；　and　handed　it　to　Della　Street。
　　〃Have　that　attended　to　right　away；〃　he　said；　〃so　that　I　can　sign　it　before　I　go　out。〃
　　She　took　the　letter　casually。　〃Very　well；〃　she　said；　and　left　the　office。
　　Perry　Mason　turned　to　the　woman。　〃I've　got　to　know　something　about　how　high　I　can　go　on　this　thing；〃　he　told　her。
　　〃What　would　you　consider　reasonable？〃　she　asked。
　　〃Nothing　at　all；〃　he　said　crisply。　〃I　don't　like　to　pay　money　for　blackmail。〃
　　〃I　know；〃　she　remarked；　〃but　you　must　have　had　some　experience。〃
　　〃Spicy　Bits；〃　he　told　her；　〃will　charge　everything　they　think　the　traffic　will　bear。　What　I'm　trying　to　get　at　is；　how　much　will　it　bear？　If　they　want　too　much　I'll　try　stalling　them　along。　If　they　are　willing　to　be　reasonable；　I　can　handle　it　quickly。〃
　　〃You've　got　to　handle　it　quickly。〃
　　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃we're　getting　away　from　the　question。　How　much？〃
　　〃I　could　raise　five　thousand　dollars；〃　she　ventured。
　　〃Harrison　Burke　is　in　politics；〃　he　told　her。　〃From　all　I　can　hear；　he　isn't　in　politics　for　his　health。　He　runs　with　the　reform　crowd；　and　that　makes　his　patronage　all　the　more　valuable　to　the　other　crowd。〃
　　〃What　are　you　getting　at？〃　she　asked　him。
　　〃I'm　getting　at　the　fact　that　Spicy　Bits　probably　won't　consider　five　thousand　a　drop　in　the　bucket。〃
　　〃I　could　raise　nine　or　perhaps　ten；〃　she　said；　〃in　a　pinch。〃
　　〃It'll　be　a　pinch；〃　he　told　her。
　　She　bit　her　lower　lip　between　her　teeth。
　　〃Suppose　something　turns　up　and　I　need　to　municate　with　you　without　waiting　for　the　ad　to　be　published　in　the　paper？〃　he　asked。　〃Where　can　I　get　in　touch　with　you？〃
　　She　shook　her　head　swiftly　and　positively。
　　〃You　can't。　That's　one　thing　that　we've　got　to　have　understood。　Don't　try　to　reach　me　at　my　address。　Don't　try　to　telephone　me。　Don't　try　to　find　out　who　my　husband　is。〃
　　〃You're　living　with　your　husband？〃

　　She　snapped　him　a　swift　look。
　　〃Of　course　I　am；　otherwise　where　would　I　get　the　money？〃
　　There　was　a　knock　at　the　outer　door　of　the　office；　and　Della　Street　thrust　her　head　and　shoulders　into　the　room。
　　〃I　have　that　matter　attended　to　so　you　can　sign　the　letter　any　time　you　want；　Mr。　Mason；〃　she　said。
　　Perry　Mason　got　to　his　feet；　looked　meaningly　at　the　woman。
　　〃All　right；　Mrs。　Griffin。　I'll　do　the　best　I　can。〃
　　She　arose　from　her　chair；　took　a　step　toward　the　door；　paused；　and　looked　at　the　money　on　the　table。
　　〃Do　I　get　a　receipt　for　the　money？〃　she　asked。
　　〃You　do　if　you　want　it。〃
　　〃I　think　I　would　like　to　have　it。〃
　　〃Of　course；〃　he　said；　meaningly；　〃if　you　would　like　to　have　in　your　purse；　a　receipt　made　out　to　Eva　Griffin　for　a　retainer；　and　signed　by　Perry　Mason；　it's　quite　all　right　with　me。〃
　　She　frowned；　and　then　said：　〃Don't　make　it　that　way。　Make　a　receipt　to　the　effect　that　the　holder　of　this　receipt　has　paid　you　the　amount　mentioned；　as　a　retainer。〃
　　He　scowled；　scooped　up　the　money　with　his　swiftly　petent　hands；　and　beckoned　to　Della　Street。
　　〃Here；　Della；〃　he　said；　〃take　this　money。　Give　Mrs。　Griffin　a　ledger　page；　and　make　a　receipt　to　the　effect　that　the　account　listed　in　our　ledger；　under　that　page　number；　is　credited　with　five　hundred　dollars。　Mark　on　the　receipt　that　that　amount　is　by　way　of　retainer。〃
　　〃Can　you　tell　me　what　your　total　fees　will　be？〃　asked　the　woman。
　　〃It'll　depend　on　the　amount　of　the　work；〃　he　said。　〃They'll　be　high；　but　fair。　And　they'll　depend　on　results。〃
　　She　nodded；　hesitated　a　moment；　and　then　said：　〃I　guess　that's　all　I　have　to　do　in　here。〃
　　〃My　secretary　will　give　you　the　receipt；〃　he　told　her。
　　She　smiled　at　him。　〃Good　day。〃
　　〃Good　day；〃　he　said。
　　She　paused　at　the　door　of　the　outer　office；　to　turn　and　look　back　at　him。
　　He　was　standing　with　his　back　to　her；　his　hands　thrust　in　his　pockets；　looking　out　of　the　window。
　　〃This　way；　please；〃　said　Della　Street；　and　closed　the　door。
　　Perry　Mason　continued　to　stare　out　at　the　street　for　some　five　minutes。　Then　the　door　from　the　outer　office　opened　once　more；　and　Della　Street　came　into　the　office。
　　〃She's　gone；〃　she　said。
　　Mason　whirled　to　face　her。
　　〃Why　did　you　think　she　was　phony？〃　he　asked。
　　Della　Street　stared　him　steadily　in　the　eye。
　　〃That　woman；〃　she　said；　〃spells　trouble　to　me。〃
　　He　shrugged　his　broad　shoulders。
　　〃To　me；　she's　five　hundred　dollars　cash　for　a　retainer。　And　another　fifteen　hundred　by　way　of　a　fee　when　I　get　the　thing　squared　up。〃
　　The　girl　said；　with　some　feeling：　〃She's　phony；　and　she's　crooked。　She's　one　of　those　well…kept　little　minxes　that　would　double…cross　anybody　in　order　to　take　care　of　herself。〃
　　Perry　Mason　surveyed　her　appraisingly。
　　〃You　don't　find　loyalty　in　wives；〃　he　said；　〃who　pay　five　hundred　dollar　retainers。　She's　a　client。〃
　　Della　Street　shook　her　head；　and　said：　〃That　isn't　what　I　meant。　I　meant　that　there's　something　false　about　her。　She's　concealing　something　from　you　right　now；　something　that　you　should　know。　She's　sending　you　up　against　something　as　a　blind　proposition　when　she　could　make　it　easy　for　you　if　she'd　only　be　frank。〃
　　Perry　Mason　made　a　gesture　with　his　shoulders。
　　〃Why　should　I　care　if　she　makes　it　easy　for　me？〃　he　asked。　〃She's　the　one　that's　paying　for　my　time。　Time　is　all　I'm　investing。〃
　　Della　Street　said；　slowly：　〃Are　you　sure　that　time　is　all　you're　investing？〃
　　〃Why　not？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　she　said；　〃the　woman's　dangerous。　She　is　just　the　kind　of　a　little　minx　who　would　get　you　into　some　sort　of　a　jam　and　leave　you　to　take　it；　right　on　the　button。〃
　　His　face　didn't　change　expression；　but　his　eyes　glinted。　〃That's　one　of　the　chances　I　have　to　take；〃　he　told　her。　〃I　can't　expect　my　clients　to　be　loyal　to　me。　They　pay　me　money。　That's　all。〃
　　She　stared　at　him　with　a　speculative　look　that　held　something　of　a　wistful　tenderness。　〃But　you　insist　on　being　loyal　to　your　clients；　no　matter　how　rotten　they　are。〃
　　〃Of　course；〃　he　told　her。　〃That's　my　duty。〃
　　〃To　your　profession？〃
　　〃No；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃to　myself。　I'm　a　paid　gladiator。　I　fight　for　my　clients。　Most　clients　aren't　square　shooters。　That's　why　they're　clients。　They've　got　themselves　into　trouble。　It's　up　to　me　to　get　them　out。　I　have　to　shoot　square　with　them。　I　can't　always　expect　them　to　shoot　square　with　me。〃
　　〃It　isn't　fair！〃　she　blazed。
　　〃Of　course　not；〃　he　smiled。　〃It's　business。〃
　　She　shrugged　her　shoulders。　〃I　told　the　detective　that　you　wanted　her　shadowed　as　soon　as　she　left　the　office；〃　she　said；　abruptly　getting　back　to　her　duties。　〃He　said　he'd　be　there　to　pick　her　up。〃
　　〃You　talked　with　Paul　Drake　himself？〃
　　〃Of　course；　otherwise　I　wouldn't　have　told　you　everything　was　all　right。〃
　　〃Okay；〃　he　said；　〃you　can　bank　three　hundred　out　of　that　retainer；　and　give　me　two　hundred　to　put　in　my　pocket。　We'll　find　out　who　she　really　is；　and　then　we'll　have　an　ace　in　the　hole。〃
　　Della　Street　went　back　to　the　outer　office；　returned　with　two　hundred　dollars　in　currency；　which　she　handed　to　Perry　Mason。
　　He　smiled　at　her。
　　〃You're　a　good　girl；　Della；〃　he　said。　〃Even　if　you　do　get　funny　ideas　about　women。〃
　　She　whirled　on　him。　〃I　hate　her！〃　she　said；　〃I　hate　the　very　ground　she　walks　on！　But　it　isn't　that。　It's　something　more　than　the　hate。　It's　sort　of　a　hunch　I've　got。〃
　　He　planted　his　feet　wide　apart；　thrust　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　and　stared　at　her。
　　〃Why　do　you　hate　her？〃　he　asked；　with　tolerant　amusement。
　　〃I　hate　everything　she　stands　for！〃　said　Della　Street。　〃I've　had　to　work　for　everything　I