erlestanleygardner.the.caseofthesulkygirl-第21部分

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　　　　　　She　nodded　her　head　again。
　　　　　　Perry　Mason　stepped　to　the　door　of　the　outer　office。
　　　　　　〃Della；〃　he　said；　〃get　me　Doctor　Prayton　on　the　telephone　right　away。　Tell　his　nurse　that　it's　vitally　important　…　a　matter　of　life　and　death。　Get　him　on　the　telephone　personally；　and　do　it　now。〃
　　　　　　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃There's　a　Mr。　Paul　Drake　in　the　office　who　wants　to　see　you　about　a　personal　matter。　He　won't　tell　me　what　it　is。〃
　　　　　　〃All　right；〃　snapped　Perry　Mason。　〃Tell　him　to　wait；〃　and　he　stepped　back　into　the　office；　slamming　the　door。
　　　　　　〃Now；〃　he　told　the　girl；　〃you're　going　to　have　a　nervous　breakdown。　You'll　be　sent　to　a　sanitarium　under　another　name。　The　police　will　find　you　sooner　or　later。　But　I　want　it　to　be　later。　Don't　let　anyone　know　who　you　are；　don't　show　any　undue　interest　in　the　newspaper　reports　of　the　case；　and；　no　matter　what　happens；　don't　get　stampeded。〃
　　　　　　She　stared　at　him　searchingly。
　　　　　　〃How　do　I　know　I　can　trust　you？〃　she　asked。
　　　　　　He　met　her　gaze　with　a　steady　stare。
　　　　　　〃That's　one　of　the　things　you　can　use　your　own　judgment　about；〃　he　said；　〃and　it's　going　to　make　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　difference　what　you　do。〃
　　　　　　〃All　right；〃　she　told　him；　〃I'm　going　to　trust　you。〃
　　　　　　He　nodded。
　　　　　　〃Under　those　circumstances；〃　he　said；　〃I'll　order　the　ambulance　right　now　before　Doc　Prayton　gets　here。〃
　
　
　　　　　　CHAPTER　TWELVE
　
　　　　　　PAUL　DRAKE；　the　detective；　bore　no　resemblance　whatever　to　the　popular　conception　of　a　private　detective；　which　was；　perhaps；　why　he　was　so　successful。
　　　　　　He　was　a　tall　man；　with　a　long　neck　that　was　thrust　forward　inquiringly。　His　eyes　were　protruding；　and　glassy；　and　held　a　perpetual　expression　of　droll　humor。　Nothing　ever　fazed　him。　In　his　life；　murders　were　everyday　occurrences；　love　nests　as　mon　as　automobiles；　and　hysterical　clients　merely　part　of　an　everyday　routine。
　　　　　　He　sat　in　the　big　high…backed　leather　chair　in　Perry　Mason's　office；　and　turned　sideways；　so　that　his　long　legs　were　crossed　over　the　right　hand　arm　of　the　chair。　A　cigarette　was　in　his　mouth；　hanging　pendulously　at　an　angle　from　his　lower　lip。
　　　　　　Perry　Mason；　seated　back　of　the　big　desk；　stared　at　the　detective　with　patient　eyes　that　were　calmly　watchful。　His　manner　was　that　of　a　veteran　fighter　relaxed　in　his　corner；　waiting　for　the　sounding　of　the　gong。　He　looked　like　a　man　who　would　presently　lose　his　relaxed　watchfulness；　spring　from　the　chair；　and　engage　in　swift　conflict；　with　the　ferocity　of　a　tiger。
　　　　　　〃Well；〃　said　Drake；　〃what's　eating　you？〃
　　　　　　〃Awhile　back；〃　said　Perry　Mason；　〃you　were　telling　me　something　about　a　rough　shadow。〃
　　　　　　Paul　Drake　inhaled　placidly　on　his　cigarette。　His　glassy；　protruding　eyes　watched　Perry　Mason　with　an　expression　of　quizzical　humor。
　　　　　　〃You　must　have　a　good　memory；〃　he　said。　〃That　was　a　long　time　ago。〃
　　　　　　〃Never　mind　when　it　was；〃　Mason　told　him。　〃I　want　to　get　the　lowdown　on　it。〃
　　　　　　〃Somebody　trying　it　on　you？〃　asked　the　detective。
　　　　　　〃No；〃　said　Mason。　〃But　I　have　an　idea　I　can　use　it！　Give　me　the　sketch。〃
　　　　　　Paul　Drake　removed　the　cigarette　from　his　mouth；　pinched　it　out；　and　dropped　it　into　an　ashtray。
　　　　　　〃It's　a　stunt　in　detective　work；〃　he　said。　〃We　don't　ordinarily　talk　about　it　…　not　to　outsiders；　anyway。　It's　a　psychological　third　degree。　It's　predicated　on　the　idea　that　a　man　who　has　something　on　his　mind　that　he's　trying　to　conceal；　is　likely　to　be　nervous。〃
　　　　　　〃How　does　it　work？〃　Mason　asked　tonelessly。
　　　　　　〃Well；　let's　figure　that　you're　working　on　a　case；　and　you　figure　somebody　has　got　some　knowledge　…　not　just　ordinary　knowledge；　but　a　sort　of　guilty　knowledge　that　he's　trying　to　conceal。　You've　got　two　or　three　ways　of　approaching　him　in　order　to　get　him　to　spill　the　beans。　One　of　them　is　to　use　the　routine　stunt　of　getting　an　attractive　woman　to　get　acquainted　with　him；　and　start　him　boasting。　Another　one　is　to　plant　some　man　who　bees　friendly　with　him；　and　gets　his　confidence。
　　　　　　〃Usually　one　of　those　ways　works　out。　But　sometimes　they　don't　work。　Sometimes　a　man　won't　fall　for　a　woman；　or；　if　he　does；　won't　start　boasting；　and　he'll　get　suspicious　if　one　of　your　operatives　starts　getting　friendly　with　him。　That's　when　we　use　the　rough　shadow。　It　takes　two　men　to　work　a　rough　shadow　job。　First；　you　have　your　contact　man　who　makes　a　contact　with　the　suspect；　but　can't　seem　to　get　under　his　hide；　can't　get　him　to　talk。
　　　　　　〃Well；　you　pick　the　time　and　a　suitable　place；　and　have　your　rough　shadow　trailing　along　behind。　The　contract　man　starts　the　fireworks　by　giving　a　signal。
　　　　　　〃Of　course；　you　understand；　shadowing　is　a　job　in　itself。　The　public　gets　goofy　ideas　about　the　work　of　a　shadow；　and　how　he　operates。　The　public　gets　the　idea　that　a　shadow　puts　on　disguises　and　ducks　into　doorways　or　hides　behind　telephone　poles；　and　all　that　sort　of　stuff。　They　get　that　way　from　looking　at　the　movies　and　reading　a　lot　of　detective　stories　written　by　guys　that　don't　know　anything　about　the　detective　business。
　　　　　　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　your　real　shadow　is　a　smooth　guy　who　almost　never　uses　a　disguise。　He's　just　a　casual；　innocent…looking　bystander。　No　matter　what　happens；　he　never　gets　rattled　and　never　does　any　of　this　business　of　ducking　in　a　doorway。　He　looks　so　matter…of…fact　that　the　suspect　always　takes　him　as　part　of　the　general　scenery；　and　never　thinks　of　him　as　an　individual。〃
　　　　　　〃I　know　all　that；　in　a　general　way；〃　Perry　Mason　told　him。　〃What　I　want　to　get　straight　is　just　how　this　rough　shadow　game　is　worked。〃
　　　　　　〃Well；　that's　simple；〃　said　the　detective。　〃It's　like　all　of　the　good　things　…　they're　simple　when　you　e　right　down　to　analyze　them。　The　rough　shadow　simply　acts　the　way　the　suspect　figures　a　shadow　should　act。　In　other　words；　he　quits　being　a　regular　shadow；　and　bees　crude。　He　does　all　the　things　that　the　suspect　naturally　expects　a　detective　would　do。　He　hides　behind　telephone　poles　and　ducks　in　doorways；　and　all　of　that　stuff。〃
　　　　　　〃So　that　the　suspect　knows　he's　being　shadowed？〃　asked　Perry　Mason。
　　　　　　〃That's　the　idea；〃　said　Drake；　taking　another　cigarette　from　a　case　in　his　pocket；　and　tapping　it　gently　on　his　thumb　nail。
　　　　　　〃You　see；　the　contact　man　has　established　a　certain　amount　of　friendly　relations　with　the　suspect。　The　suspect；　however；　is　a　guy　who　won't　talk　about　the　thing　that　the　contact　man　wants　him　to　talk　about；　so　the　contact　man　gets　a　shadow　to　tail　along　behind。　The　suspect　never　knows　that　he's　being　tailed；　because　the　shadow　is　a　smooth　worker。　But；　when　the　circumstances　are　right；　the　contact　man　gives　a　signal；　and　then　the　shadow　gets　crude　about　his　methods。　He　starts　ducking　around　behind　telephone　poles；　putting　on　disguises；　and　doing　the　hundred　and　one　amateurish　things　which　defeat　the　very　purpose　of　a　skilled　shadow。　Naturally；　the　suspect　takes　a　tumble　that　he's　being　tailed。
　　　　　　〃Now；　it's　a　funny　thing　about　a　man　finding　out　that　he's　being　shadowed；　particularly　a　man　who　ain't　used　to　it。　As　soon　as　he　finds　that　somebody's　tailing　him　around；　he　starts　getting　nervous。　Usually　the　first　thing　he　does　is　to　start　walking　faster；　and　looking　back　over　his　shoulder。　Naturally；　the　contact　man　has　the　rough　shadow　game　sprung　when　he's　walking　with　the　suspect；　and　the　contact　man　always　slows　down　and　saunters　along。
　　　　　　〃So　the　suspect　wants　to　hurry　things　up　a　little　bit；　and　he's　nervous　and　jumpy　all　over。　After　a　while；　ninety…nine　chances　out　of　a　hundred；　he'll　turn　to　the　contact　man　and　say　that　there's　a　detective　following　him　and　he　wants　to　ditch　the　shadow。　The　contact　man　helps　him　to　do　it；　and　that　makes　the　suspect　loosen　up　and　take　the　contact　man　into　his　confidence。〃
　　　　　　〃Suppose　the　suspect　doesn't　say　anything　to　the　contact　man？〃　asked　the　lawyer。
　　　　　　〃Then；〃　said　Drake；　〃the　contact　man　says　something　to　the　suspect。　He　taps　him　on　the　shoulder；　and　says：　'Listen；　old　man；　I　don't　want　to　get　personal；　but　do　you　know　there's　somebody　shadowing　you？'　Or　else；　he　may　say：　'Say；　look　at　that　fellow　behind　us。　I　believe　he's　shadowing　me。'　If　it's　a　crime　he's　working　on；　the　contact　man　usually　prete