Read Online The Case of the Sulky Girl by Erle Stanley Gardner - Free Book Online
Authors: Erle Stanley Gardner
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and heavy, the nose distended at the nostrils. The lips were not thin, but uncurving. The mouth was a straight line, stretching under the nose and calipered at the ends by wrinkles which came from the nostrils. The forehead was rather high, and the eyes black and snapping – highly polished eyes that glittered as though they had been huge, black glass beads.
Perry Mason continued his pacing for several seconds before he sensed her presence. Then, as he turned, the woman's form struck his vision, and he came to an abrupt pause.
Mason looked at her with eyes that were steady in their scrutiny, yet seemed to take in every detail of the woman's appearance from head to foot.
She said: "You're the lawyer."
"Yes," he said, "I'm Perry Mason."
"I want to talk with you," she told him.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Mrs. Mayfield."
"I don't know that that conveys anything to me, Mrs. Mayfield," he said. "Could you be more explicit?"
"I live here," she told him.
"Indeed," he said tonelessly.
"Yes, sir," she said, "my husband and myself."
Mason stared at the broad shoulders, the thick arms, the black dress which covered the rugged lines of her body.
"You're the housekeeper?" he asked.
"Yes."
"And your husband?"
"He acts as gardener and general man about the place."
"I see," said Mason, unsmilingly, "and what was it you wanted to talk with me about?"
She took three steps toward him, lowered her voice, and said: "Money."
Something in her tone caused the lawyer to glance over her shoulder to the door of the room. Then he took her arm and led her to the far corner of the room.
"Exactly what," he asked, "was it about money that you wanted to discuss with me?"
The woman said in a low, intense voice: "You're an attorney. You're not in business for your health. You're representing Miss Celane. She's going to get a lot of money, and when she gets it, you're going to get a big slice of it. I want some money. I want some from you, and want some from her."
"Just why," asked Mason, "should you want money from her and from me?"
"Because," said the woman, slowly, "if I don't get it, you don't get it."
"Exactly what do you mean by that?"
"Just what I say. If you think you can deal me out on this, you've got another think coming."
Mason laughed, a laugh that was utterly mechanical.
"Really, Mrs. Mayfield," he said, "you have got to explain. Things have been happening rather rapidly to-night, and I was called in at the request of Miss Celane. I don't know exactly what my duties will consist of, but I presume it is possible that I may have charge of handling the estate. I don't know whether or not there was a will."
"Never mind that," said the woman, "it isn't Norton's estate that I'm talking about. I'm talking about the trust money."
Mason simulated surprise, but his eyes were patiently watchful and very hard.
"Why," he said, "that matter is all taken care of by a decree of distribution made months ago. Miss Celane doesn't have to employ an attorney to collect that money for her. It will be distributed to her by an order of the court under the provisions of the trust."
"You're not fooling me any with all that line of talk," said the woman.
"Exactly what," asked Mason, "do you have reference to?"
"I have reference that if she ain't careful she don't get any of that money at all," said the woman.
"And you are intimating, I take it," said Mason, cautiously, "that you can assist her in being careful?"
"I don't know what you're driving at now," she said, "but I think you've got my idea."
She smirked and put her hands on her broad hips, tilted her chin upward, and stared with unwinking intensity into the attorney's face.
"Suppose," he said, "you should be more explicit."
"The girl's married," she said.
"Indeed," said Mason.
"Yes," she said, "does that mean anything?"
"Not now it doesn't," said Mason. "In the event what you say is true, I understand that Mr. Norton had the right to terminate the trust by delivering a small amount of
Perry Mason continued his pacing for several seconds before he sensed her presence. Then, as he turned, the woman's form struck his vision, and he came to an abrupt pause.
Mason looked at her with eyes that were steady in their scrutiny, yet seemed to take in every detail of the woman's appearance from head to foot.
She said: "You're the lawyer."
"Yes," he said, "I'm Perry Mason."
"I want to talk with you," she told him.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Mrs. Mayfield."
"I don't know that that conveys anything to me, Mrs. Mayfield," he said. "Could you be more explicit?"
"I live here," she told him.
"Indeed," he said tonelessly.
"Yes, sir," she said, "my husband and myself."
Mason stared at the broad shoulders, the thick arms, the black dress which covered the rugged lines of her body.
"You're the housekeeper?" he asked.
"Yes."
"And your husband?"
"He acts as gardener and general man about the place."
"I see," said Mason, unsmilingly, "and what was it you wanted to talk with me about?"
She took three steps toward him, lowered her voice, and said: "Money."
Something in her tone caused the lawyer to glance over her shoulder to the door of the room. Then he took her arm and led her to the far corner of the room.
"Exactly what," he asked, "was it about money that you wanted to discuss with me?"
The woman said in a low, intense voice: "You're an attorney. You're not in business for your health. You're representing Miss Celane. She's going to get a lot of money, and when she gets it, you're going to get a big slice of it. I want some money. I want some from you, and want some from her."
"Just why," asked Mason, "should you want money from her and from me?"
"Because," said the woman, slowly, "if I don't get it, you don't get it."
"Exactly what do you mean by that?"
"Just what I say. If you think you can deal me out on this, you've got another think coming."
Mason laughed, a laugh that was utterly mechanical.
"Really, Mrs. Mayfield," he said, "you have got to explain. Things have been happening rather rapidly to-night, and I was called in at the request of Miss Celane. I don't know exactly what my duties will consist of, but I presume it is possible that I may have charge of handling the estate. I don't know whether or not there was a will."
"Never mind that," said the woman, "it isn't Norton's estate that I'm talking about. I'm talking about the trust money."
Mason simulated surprise, but his eyes were patiently watchful and very hard.
"Why," he said, "that matter is all taken care of by a decree of distribution made months ago. Miss Celane doesn't have to employ an attorney to collect that money for her. It will be distributed to her by an order of the court under the provisions of the trust."
"You're not fooling me any with all that line of talk," said the woman.
"Exactly what," asked Mason, "do you have reference to?"
"I have reference that if she ain't careful she don't get any of that money at all," said the woman.
"And you are intimating, I take it," said Mason, cautiously, "that you can assist her in being careful?"
"I don't know what you're driving at now," she said, "but I think you've got my idea."
She smirked and put her hands on her broad hips, tilted her chin upward, and stared with unwinking intensity into the attorney's face.
"Suppose," he said, "you should be more explicit."
"The girl's married," she said.
"Indeed," said Mason.
"Yes," she said, "does that mean anything?"
"Not now it doesn't," said Mason. "In the event what you say is true, I understand that Mr. Norton had the right to terminate the trust by delivering a small amount of
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