The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom
- Автор: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
- Серия: Perry Mason #35
- Год: 1949
- Язык: английский
- Год: William Morrow
- Жанр: Классические детективы
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He paused dramatically, said, “What I’m going to tell you is the whole truth.”
There was another momentary pause, and then he said, standing with his back to the wall, his eyes moving from face to face watching to see how they were taking it, “I own a ranch in Nevada. It’s rather a large holding. I like it. I like to live there. I have never married because I don’t care for marriage. I am not a hermit, I like women, but the idea of settled domesticity simply doesn’t appeal to me, and never has.
“There’s a guest ranch, a so-called dude ranch, adjoining my property in Nevada. I find some of the guests who stay there are rather interesting. As you can well judge, many of these guests are not there simply because they like the idea of recreation on a guest ranch in Nevada. They’re there because they want to establish a six weeks’ residence in order to get a divorce.
“I’m frank to admit that some of those women have taken something of an interest in me and I in them. The woman who severs her domestic ties goes to a state where she has no friends, and finds herself, perhaps for the first time in years, entirely on her own, is apt to be lonesome and is apt to be seeking companionship. I happen to have a ranch that is accessible. I happen to be available, and perhaps by some of them I am considered eligible.
“I had always lived on my ranch and enjoyed it until Ethel Garvin came to Nevada, to establish a residence on this adjoining dude ranch. I liked Mrs. Garvin. I enjoyed being with her, but gradually I began to realize that she was a very determined, and a very resourceful woman. I also began to realize that she had a very definite plan of operation, and that the plan in some way concerned my future.
“I waited until it became apparent that something had to be done. The situation was drifting to a point where I, for one, found it intolerable. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. We’d been too good friends for that. I didn’t want to tell her simply and plainly that I was not going to be at home when she called. I chose the easy way. I had long been looking for the right sort of investment in California. My real estate broker found this place. It was offered at what I considered a bargain as prices go these days. I told my dealer to close the deal very quietly and as far as possible to keep news of it out of the papers.
“When he had the property all in escrow, I simply slipped away from my ranch in Nevada. I left word for Ethel that I had been called away very suddenly on business that would keep me out of the state for some time, that I would get in touch with her as soon as an opportunity presented itself, but that in the meantime I was working on a deal that was so confidential I couldn’t take any chance of having any slip.
“Then I jumped in my own plane and flew to Denver. At Denver I put my plane in storage, took a passenger plane for Los Angeles and picked up a new automobile which had been ready for delivery to my order, and came here to this place.
“I was very careful not to let Ethel Garvin know where I was. The information that she is or was in California comes as a distinct shock to me, something in the nature of an unpleasant surprise. I had an idea she would think I was in Florida. I rather expected she would go there.
“Needless to say, she did not come here last night or any other time to have the gasoline tank of her automobile filled, and I haven’t seen her since I left Nevada.
“The news that she was murdered early this morning is more than a shock. It fills me with a sense of anger. She was a very lovable woman...The only comment that I could make is one that I hardly care to make under the circumstances. I will state that I happen to know that, during her lifetime, Ethel Garvin had a deep-seated fear of her husband. She was planning something. I don’t know exactly what it was but I do know that she was very much afraid of what her husband would do when she started to put her plan into execution.
“There are some things which I do not care to say here in the presence of witnesses but which I would tell the police if I were required to do so, things that would not put your client, Mr. Mason, in the most favorable light.
“And now I think that concludes any statement I care to make and terminates the necessity of prolonging the interview.”
“Very interesting,” Mason said. “You will appreciate the importance of telling us the absolute truth?”
“I am not accustomed to deviating from the truth.”
“You are absolutely certain that Ethel Garvin did not come here at an early hour this morning, that perhaps she didn’t fill the gasoline tank without your knowing she was on the premises?”
“Absurd, gentlemen. In the first place, the gasoline pump is locked up. In the second place, she had absolutely no idea that I was in California. I took elaborate precautions to see that she didn’t know where I was.”
“Had you,” Drake asked, “made any attempt to find out when she left Nevada?”
“What makes you ask that question, Mr. Drake?”
“You were attached to your Nevada ranch. It is hardly conceivable that you intended simply to walk away and leave it. One would gather that when the embarrassment caused by the presence of Mrs. Garvin had passed you would return.”
Hackley acknowledged the point with a slight bow. “I see that you have a certain ability, Mr. Drake. I am quite certain that Mr. Mason finds you a valuable assistant. The question is well taken.”
“And the answer?”
“The answer,” Hackley said, “is that I couldn’t have secured the information without having someone on the ground who would give it to me. That someone must necessarily have known where I was in order to communicate the information. I didn’t care to let anyone know where I was. Therefore, while I would have liked very much to have had some source of information such as you have suggested, Mr. Drake, I did not. I came here, and no one, absolutely no one, knew where I was.”
“How did you keep your ranch running?”
“My foreman and manager is a very close-mouthed individual. I appreciate both his loyalty and his integrity. I also appreciate the shrewd business acumen with which he safeguards my interests. He has a checking account in an amount sufficiently ample to enable the ranch to be run during periods of my absence.
“And now if you will excuse me, Miss Street, and you, gentlemen, I have other matters to attend to. I have given you all of the information which is available and I do not care to discuss the matter further.”
“You were here last night?” Mason asked.
“I said that I didn’t care to discuss the matter further,” Hackley said firmly. “I’ve given you all of the information and now I am going to wish you a good night.”
He strode past them, walked with calm deliberation through the door of the living room out into the hall, and opened the outside door.
Della Street caught Mason’s eye and nodded. “Go ahead, chief,” she said.
Della Street walked along the edge of the room inspecting the books in the bookcases, waited for Mason and Drake to leave the room first. Then she followed after a moment.
“Good night,” Hackley said with some formality.
“Good night,” Mason said.
Drake said nothing.
Della Street, looking very demure, caught Hackley’s eye, gave him a very personal smile, and said, “Good night, Mr. Hackley, and thank you so much.”
“It was a pleasure,” he told her.
“Rex,” Hackley said, “stay there. These people are leaving.”