erlestanleygardner.thecaseofthehorrifiedheirs-第27节

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！


　〃I　don't　get　it；〃　Drake　said。
　Mason　said；　〃He　had　to　have　it　so　he　could　conceal　himself　in　the　event　he　didn't　have　time　to　get　back　down　to　the　highway。　Now；　how　would　he　do　that？〃
　〃That's　simple；〃　Drake　said。　〃He'd　rent　a　unit　at　the　Saint's　Rest　Motel。〃
　〃That；〃　Mason　said；　〃is　where　you　e　in。　I　want　you　to　go　to　the　Saint's　Rest　Motel；　check　the　registrations；　get　the　license　numbers　of　each　automobile　and　run　down　the　owners。　See　if　you　can　get　a　line　on　anyone　who　checked　in　and　then　left　without　sleeping　in　the　bed。　If　so；　get　a　description。〃
　Drake　snapped　his　notebook　shut。　〃All　right；〃　he　said；　〃that's　a　job；　but　we'll　get　on　it。　I'll　put　a　bunch　of　men　on　it　and…〃
　〃Wait　a　minute；〃　Mason　said。　〃You're　not　finished　yet。〃
　〃No？〃　Drake　asked。
　Mason　said；　〃Let's　look　at　what　happened　after　the　car　was　crowded　off　the　road；　Paul。〃
　〃There　were　big　rocks　there；〃　Drake　said。　〃The　chauffeur　fought　for　control　and　lost　out。　The　car　toppled　over　into　the　ocean…you　couldn't　have　picked　a　more　perfect　spot　for　it。　I've　checked　it　carefully。　The　road　makes　a　left…hand　curve　there。　As　soon　as　you　get　off　the　shoulder；　there　are　rocks…some　of　them　eighteen　inches　in　diameter…just　regular　rough　boulders。　There's　only　about　ten　feet　between　the　road　and　the　sheer　drop　straight　down　to　the　ocean。
　〃At　that　point　there's　an　almost　perpendicular　cliff。　The　highway　construction　crews　had　to　blast　a　road　out　of　that　cliff。　It　rises　two　hundred　feet　above　the　road　on　the　left　and　it　drops　straight　into　the　ocean　on　the　right。〃
　〃Presumably；〃　Mason　said；　〃that's　why　this　particular　spot　was　chosen。　It　would　be　a　perfect　place　to　crowd　a　car　off　the　road。〃
　〃That；　of　course；〃　Drake　said；　grinning；　〃is　elemental；　my　dear　Holmes。〃
　〃Exactly；　my　dear　Watson；〃　Mason　said。　〃But　what　happened　to　Lauretta　Trent？　The　chauffeur　told　her　to　jump。　Presumably　she　tried　to　get　out　of　the　car。　The　door　on　the　left　rear　was　unlatched。　There　was　no　body　in　the　car；　therefore；　she　must　have　been　thrown　clear。〃
　〃Well；〃　Drake　asked；　〃what　does　that　buy　us？〃
　〃Her　missing　handbag；〃　Mason　said。　〃When　a　woman　jumps　from　an　automobile；　she　hardly　bothers　to　take　her　handbag　with　her　unless　it　contains　a　very；　very　large　amount　of　money　or　something　that　is　very；　very　valuable。
　〃That　was　why　I　had　to　find　out　from　Eagan　whether　or　not　she　was　carrying　something　of　great　value。　If　she　had　a　large　sum　of　money　or　something　of　great　value　in　her　handbag；　it's　quite　natural　that　she'd　have　told　the　chauffeur　to　be　alert。
　〃Yet　Eagan's　surprise　was　too　natural　to　be　feigned。　We're　forced　to　the　conclusion　that；　if　there　was　anything　of　value　in　her　purse　or　handbag；　he　knew　nothing　about　it。
　〃Yet；　when　Lauretta　Trent　was　faced　with　that　moment　of　supreme　emergency；　that　moment　of　great　danger；　she　either　grabbed　up　her　handbag　from　the　seat　before　trying　to　jump；　or　it　was　washed　out　of　the　car…otherwise　it　would　be　in　the　car。
　〃Now；　my　questioning　about　fifty　thousand　dollars　being　in　the　handbag　will　spur　the　police　to　go　back　and　make　a　desperate　search　for　that　handbag　with　divers　and　submarine　illumination。　If　the　handbag　is　lying　there　among　the　rocks　on　the　floor　of　the　ocean；　they'll　find　it。　A　body　would　be　carried　away　by　the　ocean　currents；　a　handbag　would　be　trapped　in　the　rocks。〃
　Drake　gave　a　low　whistle。
　〃Then；　of　course；〃　Mason　said；　〃we　e　to　the　peculiar　conduct　of　the　heirs。　Someone　was　trying　to　get　Virginia　to　furnish　a　forged　will　which　could　be　planted　in　the　office　copies　of　Bannock's　wills。〃
　〃That　is　the　thing　that　gets　me；〃　Drake　said。　〃With　a　perfectly　good　will　in　their　possession；　why　should　anyone　want　to　plant　a　forged　will？〃
　〃That；〃　Mason　said；　〃is　what　we　are　going　to　have　to　find　out…and　find　out　before　ten　o'clock　tomorrow　morning。〃
　〃And　why　the　second　spurious　will？〃　Drake　asked。
　〃That；〃　Mason　said；　〃is　good　practice　in　will　forgeries；　Paul。　If　in　some　way　forged　will　number　two　is　knocked　out；　then　forged　will　number　one　has　to　be　faced。
　〃Heirs　are　much　more　willing　to　promise　when　they　have　two　difficult　hurdles　to　jump。〃
　〃Well；〃　Drake　said；　〃it's　too　much　for　me。　I　not　only　don't　think　we　have　the　right　answer；　but　I　don't　think　we're　even　on　the　right　track。〃
　Mason　smiled；　〃What　track　do　you　think　we're　on；　Paul？〃
　〃The　one　that　makes　Virginia　blameless；〃　Drake　said。
　Mason　nodded　thoughtfully。　〃As　her　attorney；　Paul；　that's　the　only　track　I　can　see。〃
　
　CHAPTER　NINETEEN
　Back　in　his　office；　Mason　said；　〃How　about　working　late　tonight；　Della；　and　then　having　dinner？〃
　Della　Street　smiled。　〃You　know　I　never　go　home　until　you　do　when　we're　working　on　a　case。〃
　Mason　patted　her　shoulder。　〃Good　girl；〃　he　said。　〃I　can　always　depend　on　you。　Put　some　paper　in　the　typewriter；　Della。　I'm　going　to　give　you　a　list　of　questions。〃
　〃Questions？〃　she　asked。
　Mason　nodded。　〃Somehow　I　have　a　feeling　that　I'm　letting　my　client　down　in　this　case　simply　because　I'm　not　using　my　head　and　breaking　the　case　down　to　basic　fundamentals。
　〃Someone　in　the　background　is　carrying　out　a　preconceived　plan　or；　rather；　has　carried　out　a　preconceived　plan。
　〃That　plan　makes　sense　to　him；　but　the　outward　manifestations　of　it；　which　we　see　in　the　light　of　events　which　have　taken　place；　simply　don't　make　sense。
　〃When　that　happens；　it　means　we're　looking　at　only　a　part　of　the　picture。　Let's　start　taking　things　up　one　at　a　time　and　trying　to　see　if　we　can　get　answers。
　〃We'll　start　with　question　number　one；〃　Mason　said。　〃Why　did　someone　plant　a　shipment　of　contraband　in　Virginia　Baxter's　suitcase？〃
　Della　Street　duly　typed　the　question。
　Mason　started　pacing　the　floor。　〃First　answer；〃　he　said；　〃and　the　most　obvious　answer　is　that　this　person　wanted　Virginia　Baxter　convicted　of　a　felony。
　〃Question　number　two：　Why　did　this　person　want　Virginia　Baxter　convicted　of　a　felony？
　〃First　and　most　obvious　answer　is　that　he　knew　she　was　a　subscribing　witness　to　Lauretta　Trent's　will。　He　intended　to　do　something　which　would　indicate　that　will　was　a　forgery　and；　therefore；　wanted　to　be　able　to　weaken　her　credibility　as　a　witness。
　〃Question　number　three：　Why　did　anyone　go　to　Virginia　Baxter　and　ask　her　to　type　two　fraudulent　wills？
　〃The　obvious　answer　to　that；　of　course；　is　that　he　intended　to　plant　those　carbon　copies　somewhere　where　they　could　be　used　to　his　advantage。
　〃Next　question：　Why　could　those　spurious　carbon　copies　be　used　to　his　advantage？　What　did　he　expect　to　gain　by　them？〃
　Mason；　pacing　the　floor；　paused；　shook　his　head　and　said；　〃And　the　answer　to　that　question　is　not　obvious。
　〃Then　we　have　the　question：　Why　did　Lauretta　Trent　want　to　talk　with　Virginia　Baxter？
　〃The　obvious　answer　to　that　is　that　she　knew；　in　some　way；　conspirators　were　trying　to　use　Virginia　Baxter。　Probably；　she　knew　about　the　spurious　wills。　Or　perhaps　she　just　wanted　to　interrogate　Virginia　about　the　location　of　the　carbon　copies　of　the　wills　Bannock　had　drawn。
　〃There　again；　however；〃　Mason　went　on；　〃we　run　up　against　a　blank　wall；　because　why　would　Lauretta　Trent　bother　about　any　will　which　she　was　supposed　to　have　executed　years　ago？　If　she　had　wanted　to　make　certain　her　will　was　the　way　she　wanted　it；　she　would　have　gone　to　an　attorney　and　inside　of　an　hour　have　had　a　new　will　properly　executed。〃
　Mason　paced　the　floor　for　a　few　minutes；　then　said；　〃Those　are　the　questions；　Della。〃
　〃Well；　it　seems　to　me　you've　got　most　of　the　answers；〃　she　said。
　〃The　obvious　answers；〃　Mason　said；　〃but　are　they　the　right　answers？〃
　〃They　certainly　seem　logical；〃　Della　Street　said　encouragingly。
　〃We'll　put　one　more　question；〃　Mason　said。　〃Why　in　that　moment　of　supreme　danger　did　Lauretta　Trent　grab　her　handbag？　Or；　putting　it　another　way；　why　wasn't　Lauretta　Trent's　handbag　found　in　the　automobile　when　the　car　was　fished　out　of　the　ocean？〃
　〃Perhaps　she　had　the　strap　of　her　handbag　over　her　arm；〃　Della　Street　said。
　〃She　wouldn't　have　been　riding　with　the　strap　over　her　arm；〃　Mason　said。　〃Even　if　she'd　picked　it　up　at　the　time　of　the　collision；　when　she　was　catapulted　into　cold　ocean　water　she　would　at　least　have　tried　to　swim。　When　you　try　to　swim；　you're　using　your　arms；　and　when　you're　using　your　arms　under　water；　a　handbag　strap　isn't　going　to　stay　over　your　arm。〃
　〃Well；〃　Della　Street　said；　〃we　have　a　rather　imposing　list　of　questions。〃
　Mason　paced　the　floor　for　a　few　minutes；　said；　〃You　know；　Della；　when　you're　trying　to　recall　a　name　and　can't　do　it；　you　sometimes　think　about　something　else　and　then　the　name　pops　into　your　mind。　I　think　I'll　try　thinking　about　something　else　for　a　while　and　see　what　happens　with　these　questions。〃
　〃All　right；〃　she　said；　〃what　else　would　you　like　to　think　about？〃
　〃You；〃　he　told　her；　grinning。　〃Let's　drive　out　someplace　where　we　can　have　a　cocktail　and　a　nice；　quiet　dinner。
　〃How　about　going　to　one　of　the　mountain　resorts　where　we　can　sit　in　a　dining　room　looking　out　over　the　lights　of　the　city　and　feel　far　removed　from　everyone　and　anything？〃
　〃And　I　take　it；〃　Della　Street　said；　pushing　back　her　secretarial　chair　and　putting　a　plastic　cover　on　the　typewriter；　〃we　take　this　list　of　questions　and　answers　with　us？〃
　〃We　take　those　with　us；〃　Mason　said；　〃but　we　try　not　to　think　about　them　until