erlestanleygardner.thecaseofthehorrifiedheirs-第8部分

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ork；　specializing　in　estate　matters；　the　reporter　had　taken　poetic　license　and　had　written　that　while　Virginia　Baxter　had　been　working　on　criminal　cases　which　Delano　Bannock　was　defending；　it　probably　had　never　occurred　to　her　in　even　her　wildest　dreams　that　the　time　would　e　when　she　herself　would　stand　before　the　bar　of　justice　accused　of　a　serious　crime。
　It　was　from　an　article　in　another　evening　paper　that　Virginia　received　a　shock。
　The　reporter　had　done　some　background　investigation　and　the　article　stated　that　Colton　Baxter；　estranged　husband　of　Virginia　Baxter；　was；　by　coincidence；　an　employee　of　the　very　airline　which　had　checked　the　suitcase　to　its　destination。　He　was　not　immediately　available　for　ment。
　Virginia　read　that　twice；　then　impulsively　reached　for　the　telephone　and　called　Mason's　office。　Suddenly；　realizing　the　hour；　she　was　about　to　hang　up　when；　'to　her　surprise；　she　heard　Della　Street's　voice　on　the　line。
　〃Oh；　I'm　so　sorry。　I　didn't　realize　how　late　it　was。　This　is　Virginia　Baxter。　I　read　something　in　the　paper　that　startled　me　and　。　。　。　I　never　thought　about　it　being　so　long　after　five。〃
　〃Do　you　want　to　talk　with　Mr。　Mason？〃　Della　Street　asked。　〃Just　a　minute　and　I'll　connect　you。　I　think　he　wants　to　talk　with　you；　too。〃
　A　moment　later；　Mason's　voice　said；　〃Hello；　Virginia。　I　suppose　you've　read　the　papers　and　learned　that　your　husband　was　located　by　one　of　the　reporters。〃
　〃Yes；　yes；　Mr。　Mason。　That　makes　it　just　as　clear　as　day。　Don't　you　see　what　happened？　Colton　planted　that　stuff　in　my　suitcase　and　then　tipped　off　the　newspapers。　If　I　had　been　convicted；　he　could　then　have　had　perfect　grounds　for　divorce。　He'd　claim　that　I　had　been　a　dope　fiend　all　the　time　we　were　married；　that　I　had　been　dealing　in　dope　and　that　he　had　left　me　because　of　that。〃
　〃So；〃　Mason　said；　〃what　do　you　want　to　do？〃
　〃I　want　to　have　him　arrested。〃
　〃You　can't　arrest　him　without　proof；〃　Mason　said。　〃All　you　have　so　far　is　surmise。〃
　〃How　much　would　it　cost　to　get　proof？〃
　〃You'd　have　to　employ　a　private　detective　and　he'd　charge　you　probably　a　minimum　of　fifty　dollars　a　day　and　expenses；　and　then　the　chances　are　he'd　be　unable　to　get　anything　except　more　grounds　for　surmise。〃
　〃I　have　a　little　money。　I'd　。　。　。　I'd　spend　it　in　order　to　catch　him…〃
　〃Not　through　me；　you　wouldn't；〃　Mason　interrupted。　〃As　a　client　of　mine　I　wouldn't　let　you　spend　that　amount　of　money　for　that　purpose。　Even　if　you　got　some　evidence　it　would　only　leave　you　exactly　where　you　are　now；　with　good　grounds　for　divorce。
　〃Why　don't　you　just　wash　your　hands　of　that　man；　get　rid　of　him；　dissolve　the　marriage　and　begin　all　over　again。
　〃If　you　had　religious　reasons　for　not　getting　a　divorce；　I　would　probably　handle　it　in　another　way；　but　you're　going　to　get　a　divorce　sooner　or　later　and…〃
　〃I　don't　want　to　give　him　that　satisfaction。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃That's　what　he's　wanted　all　along；　a　divorce。〃
　Mason　said；　〃You're　not　doing　yourself　a　particle　of　good。　All　you're　doing　is　some　real　or　fancied　harm　to　your　husband。　For　all　you　know　you　may　be　playing　into　his　hands　right　now。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃He's　playing　around　with　this　other　woman；〃　Mason　said。　〃He　keeps　telling　her　that　if　he　could　ever　get　a　divorce　he'd　marry　her；　but　you　won't　give　him　a　divorce。　The　woman　knows　all　this　is　true。
　〃But　suppose　you　give　him　a　divorce；　then　he's　in　a　position　where　he　is　not　only　free　to　marry　this　woman；　but　he　has　to　do　it　to　make　good　on　his　promises。　He　may　not　really　want　to　marry　her。
　〃It　may　be　that　your　husband　is　in　exactly　the　position　he　wants　to　be　in。〃
　〃I　had　never　thought　of　it　that　way；〃　she　said；　slowly；　but　then　added　quickly；　〃Then　why　did　he　plant　the　dope　in　my　suitcase？〃
　〃If　he　did；　it　was　probably　because　he　wanted　to　have　you　thoroughly　discredited；〃　Mason　said。　〃Yours　was　one　of　those　marriages　that　has　been　dissolved　in　hatred。　You'd　better　quit　looking　back　over　your　shoulder；　turn　around　and　face　the　future。〃
　〃Well；　I…I'll　sleep　on　it　and　let　you　know　in　the　morning。〃
　〃Do　that；〃　Mason　said。
　〃I'm　sorry　I　disturbed　you　at　this　hour。〃
　〃Not　at　all。　We　were　working　on　some　briefs　here　in　the　office；　and　after　I　read　that　statement　in　the　paper；　I　thought　you　might　be　calling；　so　I　told　Della　to　plug　in　an　outside　line。
　〃You're　in　the　clear　now；　stop　worrying。〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　she　said；　and　hung　up。
　The　phone　had　hardly　been　cradled　when　there　was　a　buzz　at　the　door　of　her　apartment。
　Virginia　crossed　over　and　opened　the　door　a　few　inches。
　The　man　who　stood　in　the　doorway　was　somewhere　around　forty…five　years　of　age；　with　dark　wavy　hair；　a　closeclipped　mustache　and　intense　obsidian　black　eyes。
　〃You're　Mrs。　Baxter？〃　he　asked。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃I'm　very　sorry　to　bother　you　at　this　time；　Mrs。　Baxter。　I　know　how　you　must　be　feeling；　but　I　e　to　you　on　a　matter　of　some　importance。〃
　〃What　is　it？〃　she　asked；　still　keeping　the　chain　on　the　door。
　〃My　name；〃　he　told　her；　〃is　George　Menard…I　read　about　you　in　the　paper。　I　don't　like　to　bring　up　a　disagreeable　subject；　but　of　course　you　know　that　the　news　of　your　trial　has　been　in　all　the　papers。〃
　〃Well？〃　she　asked。
　〃I　noticed　in　the　paper　that　you　had　been　the　secretary　of　Delano　Bannock；　an　attorney；　during　his　lifetime。〃
　〃That's　right。〃
　〃Mr。　Bannock　died　several　years　ago；　I　believe。〃
　〃That　also　is　correct。〃
　〃I　am　trying　to　find　out　what　was　done　with　his　files；〃　the　man　said。
　〃Why？〃
　〃Frankly；　I　want　to　locate　a　paper。〃
　〃What　sort　of　a　paper？〃
　〃A　carbon　copy　of　an　agreement　which　Mr。　Bannock　drew　up　for　me。　I've　lost　the　original　and　I　don't　want　the　other　party　to　the　agreement　to　know　it。　There　are　certain　things　that　I　have　to　do　under　that　agreement　and　while　I　think　I　can　remember　what　they　are；　it　would　be　an　enormous　help　if　I　could　locate　a　carbon　copy。〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃I'm　afraid　I　can't　help　you。〃
　〃You　were　employed　by　him　at　the　time　of　his　death？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃What　happened　to　the　office　furniture　and　all　that？〃
　〃Why；　the　office　was　closed　up。　There　was　no　reason　for　the　estate　to　go　on　paying　rent。〃
　〃But　what　happened　to　the　office　furniture？〃
　〃I　believe　it　was　sold。〃
　The　man　frowned。　〃To　whom　was　it　sold？　You　know　who　bought　the　desks；　filing　cases；　chairs？〃
　〃No；　they　were　sold　to　some　second…hand　office　furniture　outfit。　I　kept　the　typewriter　I　had　been　using。　Everything　else　was　sold。〃
　〃Filing　cases　and　everything？〃
　〃Everything。〃
　〃What　happened　to　the　old　papers？〃
　〃They　were　destroyed…No；　wait　a　minute；　wait　a　minute。　I　remember　talking　with　his　brother　and　telling　him　that　the　papers　should　be　kept。　I　remember　now；　I　wanted　him　to　keep　the　filing　cases　intact。〃
　〃The　brother？〃
　〃That's　right。　Julian　Bannock。　He　was　the　sole　heir。　There　weren't　any　other　relatives。　The　estate　was　a　small　one。
　〃You　see；　Delano　Bannock　was　one　of　those　devoted　attorneys　who　was　more　interested　in　doing　a　job　than　in　getting　a　fee。　He　worked　literally　day　and　night。　He　had　no　wife　or　family　and　he　spent　four　or　five　evenings　a　week　in　his　office；　working　until　ten　or　eleven　o'clock。　But　the　modern　idea　of　keeping　track　of　time　by　the　hour　just　never　occurred　to　him。　He　would　put　in　hours　and　hours　on　some　little　agreement　that　had　a　point　that　interested　him　and　then　he'd　make　only　a　moderate　charge。　The　result　was　that　he　didn't　leave　much　of　an　estate。〃
　〃What　about　the　fees　that　were　due　him　at　the　time　of　his　death？〃
　〃I　wouldn't　know　about　that；　but　it's　very　well　known　that　the　estates　of　professional　men　have　a　lot　of　trouble　with　outstanding　accounts。〃
　〃And　where　could　I　find　Julian　Bannock？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　she　said。
　〃Do　you　know　where　he　lived？〃
　〃Someplace　in　the　San　Joaquin　Valley；　I　think。〃
　〃Could　you　find　out　where？〃
　〃I　might　be　able　to。〃
　Virginia　Baxter　had　been　sizing　up　the　man　and　finally　unlatched　the　door　chain。　〃Won't　you　e　in？〃　she　invited。　〃I　think　perhaps　I　can　consult　an　old　diary。　I　have　been　keeping　diaries　for　years…〃　She　laughed　nervously…〃not　the　romantic　type；　you　understand；　but　business　diaries　that　contain　little　ments　about　when　I　went　to　work　at　a　certain　place　and　how　long　I　worked　there；　events　of