erlestanleygardner.thecaseofthehorrifiedheirs-第13部分

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！


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