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！
that you're not to touch anything； or interfere with the evidence at all。〃
〃Of course；〃 said Crinston； and pushed on ahead of him into the house。
CHAPTER SIX
FRANCES CELANE wore a short sport outfit； with a blue and gold sweater which set off to advantage the spun…gold effect of her silken hair。
She sat in her bedroom on an overstuffed chair； with her knees crossed； her dark eyes staring at the face of her lawyer。 There was that about her which indicated she was warily watchful。 She seemed to be listening； waiting for something to happen。
All about them the big house echoed with sounds； creaked with a suggestion of packed occupancy。 Feet were constantly pounding the boards of floors； hallways and stairs in an endless procession。 Doors made noise as they opened and shut。 The drone of voices sounded as a distant rumble。
Perry Mason stared down at Fran Celane。 〃Go ahead；〃 he said； 〃and tell me exactly what happened。〃
She spoke in a voice that was a low monotone； expressionless and thoughtful； as though she might be reciting a part that had been learned by rote。
〃I don't know very much about it。 I had a fight with Uncle Edward after you left。 He was impossible。 He was trying to make a chattel of me and break my spirit。 I told him that that wasn't what father wanted； and that he was being false to his trust。〃
〃What did you mean by being false to his trust？〃 asked Mason。
〃I meant that father had created that trust only because he wanted to see that the money didn't go to my head too much； and make me too wild。 He didn't intend that Uncle Edward should grind me down so I became just an automaton。〃
〃All right；〃 said Mason。 〃Did anyone know of the quarrel？〃
〃I guess so；〃 she said dispiritedly。 〃Don Graves knew about it。 And I think some of the other servants heard it。 I got mad。〃
〃What do you do when you get mad？〃 he asked。
〃Everything；〃 she said。
〃Did you raise your voice？〃 he inquired。
〃As high as I could。〃
〃Did you do anything unladylike？ That is； did you curse？〃
She said； still in the same toneless voice： 〃Of course I cursed。 I was angry； I tell you。〃
〃All right；〃 he said； 〃then what happened？〃
〃Then；〃 she said； 〃I came downstairs and decided that I would run away and leave Edward Norton and his money and everything。 I just wanted to get away。〃
〃That was when you took the car？〃 asked Mason。
〃No；〃 she said； 〃I'm ing to that。 I got things packed up as though I was going away； and then decided not to do it。 I menced to cool off a little bit。 I've got a bad temper； but after I get over it； I can realize when I've made a mistake。 So I knew that I'd make a mistake if I ran away。 But I did want to get some air。 I didn't want to go out and walk。 I wanted to drive a car。 I wanted to drive a car fast。〃
Perry Mason made a dry ment： 〃Yes； I can understand how you could keep your mind off your troubles by driving fast。〃
〃Well；〃 she said； 〃you have to do something to get your mind off your troubles。〃
〃All right；〃 he told her； 〃go on。 What happened？〃
〃Well；〃 she said； 〃I went to the garage。 My Packard was in behind the Buick and I was going to have to move the Buick anyway； so I moved the Buick； and didn't see any reason why I should go back for my Packard。〃
〃The Buick was your uncle's machine？〃 he asked。
〃Yes；〃 she said。
〃He didn't allow you to use it？〃
〃He'd never forbidden me to use it；〃 she said； 〃but I've never used it much。 He babies it along a lot； keeps records of the mileage and the oil and gas； and all of that； and has it greased every so many miles； and the oil changed every so often。 I don't bother with my Packard that way。 I run it until something gets to sounding funny； and then I have it repaired。〃
〃So you took the Buick without your uncle's consent？〃
〃Yes； if you want to put it that way。〃
〃And where did you drive it？〃
〃I don't know。 I just drove it around； taking curves as fast as I could take them。〃
〃That was pretty fast？〃 he asked。
〃Of course that was pretty fast；〃 she told him。
〃How long were you gone？〃
〃I don't know。 I came back to the house a little while before the police arrived here。 I must have returned ten or fifteen minutes after the murder。〃
〃And while you were gone your uncle discovered the loss of the car … that is； he discovered that the car was missing。 Is that right？〃
〃I think that Devoe must have told him；〃 she said。
〃How did Devoe know？〃
〃I don't know。 Perhaps he heard me drive away； and went out to the garage to see what car I'd taken。 I never did like Devoe。 He's one of those big； cumbersome fellows who can't think a thought of his own； but goes through life making motions。〃
〃Never mind that；〃 he told her； 〃what makes you think that Devoe told your uncle？〃
〃I don't know；〃 she said。 〃It was the time of uncle's telephone call； I guess； and then I always had him figured for a snitcher。〃
〃What time was the telephone call？〃
〃Uncle called the police to report the car theft at about a quarter past eleven。 I think the police records show that it was exactly eleven fourteen。〃
〃When did you leave with the car？〃 he asked。
〃About ten forty…five； I think it was；〃 she said。
〃Then you'd had the car for half an hour before your uncle reported the theft？〃
〃Yes； about that long； I guess。〃
〃And when did you return？〃
〃Somewhere around quarter past twelve。 I was out about an hour and a half。〃
〃What time did the police arrive here？〃
〃About an hour and a half ago。〃
〃No； I mean how long before you returned the car。〃
〃Ten or fifteen minutes； I guess。〃
〃All right；〃 he said； 〃what did your uncle tell the police？〃
〃All I know；〃 she said； 〃is what they told me。 One of the detectives talked with me and asked me if I knew any reason why my uncle should have reported the car as stolen。〃
〃All right；〃 he said； 〃what did your uncle tell them？〃
〃Well；〃 she said； 〃according to what this detective told me； my uncle telephoned the police and said that it was Edward Norton talking； and that he had a criminal matter to report。 Then there was a delay。 I think he was cut off or something； and the police officer； I guess they call him a desk sergeant； held the telephone for a minute until Uncle Edward got another connection； and said that he wanted to report a crime … the theft of an automobile。 And he described it； a Buick sedan； 6754093； with license number I2MI834。〃
〃You seem to remember those figures pretty well；〃 said Mason。
〃Yes；〃 she said； 〃they're likely to be important。〃
〃Why？〃 he asked。
〃I don't know；〃 she said。 〃I just feel that they may be important。〃
〃Did you tell the detective that you had the car？〃 he asked。
〃Yes；〃 she said； 〃I told him exactly what happened。 That I took the car out about quarter to eleven； and brought it back about twelve fifteen； but that I hadn't asked my uncle's permission。〃
〃The pol