esg.thecaseofthevelvetclaws-第35部分
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Loring shrugged。 〃I don't know as it's sudden。 There isn't much to pack。〃
〃Now listen；〃 Drake said； 〃there's no use for you to try to string us along； because we can check up on you and find out the facts。 You say you have never been married。 Is that right？〃
〃Yes； sir。 I'm a bachelor； just like I told you。〃
〃Okay。 Now the neighbors say you were married。 There was a woman here who lived in the apartment with you； as your wife； up until about a week ago。〃
Loring's eyes blinked rapidly。 He shifted his position on the trunk； nervously。
〃I wasn't married to her；〃 he said。
〃How long have you known her？〃
〃About two weeks。 She was a waitress at a restaurant。〃
〃What restaurant？〃
〃I've forgotten the name。〃
〃What was her name？〃
〃She went under the name of Mrs。 Loring。〃
〃I know that。 What was her real name？〃
Loring paused and darted his tongue to his lips。 His eyes fidgeted uncertainly about the room。
〃Jones；〃 he said； 〃Mary Jones。〃
Drake laughed sarcastically。
Loring said nothing。
〃Where is she now？〃 asked Drake； suddenly。
〃I don't know。 She left me。 I think she went away with somebody else。 We had a fight。〃
〃What was the fight about？〃
〃Oh； I don't know。 It was just a fight。〃
Drake looked over at Mason once more。
Mason stepped forward and took the conversational lead。 〃Do you read the papers？〃 he said。
〃Once in a while；〃 said Loring； 〃not very often。 Sometimes I look at the headlines。 I'm not very much interested in newspapers。〃
Mason reached to his inside pocket； and took out some of the clippings from the morning newspaper。 He unfolded one which showed a picture of Norma Veitch。
〃Is that the woman that was here with you？〃 he asked。
Loring barely glanced at the photograph； but he shook his head emphatically。
〃No；〃 he said； 〃that wasn't the woman。〃
〃You haven't even looked at the picture yet。 You'd better look at it before you get too positive in your denials。〃
He thrust the picture in front of Loring's eyes。 Loring took the clipping and studied the picture for some ten or fifteen seconds。
〃No；〃 he said； 〃that isn't the woman。〃
〃Took you quite a while this time to make up your mind； didn't it？〃 Mason pointed out。
Loring said nothing。
Mason suddenly turned and nodded to Drake。
〃All right；〃 he said to Loring； 〃if that's the attitude you want to take； you'll have to take your medicine。 You can't expect us to protect you if you're going to lie to us。〃
〃I'm not lying。〃
〃e on； Drake。 Let's go；〃 Mason said； grimly。
The two men walked from the apartment； and closed the door behind them。 In the corridor； Drake said： 〃What do you make of him？〃
〃He's a rat or he'd have tried the stunt of being indignant； and asking us what the hell we meant by inquiring into his business。 He looked to me as though he'd been on the dodge sometime in his life； and he's afraid of the law。 He's used to being bullied by detectives。〃
〃About the way I've got him sized up；〃 said Drake。 〃What are we going to do？〃
〃Well；〃 said Mason； 〃we can take this picture and see if we can find some of the neighbors in the apartment who can identify her。〃
〃The newspaper picture isn't so very good。 I wonder if we can't get a photograph；〃 Drake said。
〃We're working against time；〃 Mason reminded him。 〃Something may break in this thing almost any minute； and I want to keep ahead of the game。〃
〃We didn't get very rough with him；〃 Drake pointed out。 〃He's the kind of a man who would cave in if we went after him； hammer and tongs。〃
〃Sure；〃 said Mason。 〃We'll do that when we get back。 I want to get a little more dope on him if I can。 I think he'll turn yellow as soon as we put a little pressure on him。〃
Steps sounded on the stairs。
〃Wait a minute；〃 said Drake； 〃this looks like somebody ing。〃
A thick…set man； with heavy shoulders； plodded patiently up the stairs and into the corridor。 His clothes were shiny； and his cuffs were frayed。 Yet there was an air of determination about him。
〃Process server；〃 whispered Mason to Drake。
The man came toward them。 His manner was that of one who had； at one time； been a peace officer； and still retained something of the bearing of an officer。
He looked at the two men and said； 〃Are either of you Harry Loring？〃
Mason promptly stepped forward。
〃Yes；〃 he said； 〃I'm Loring。〃
The man reached in his pocket。
〃I guess；〃 he said； 〃you know what this is about。 I have here a summons and a copy of a plaint； and copy of summons in the case of Norma Loring versus Harry Loring。 I hereby show you the original summons； and deliver to you a copy of the summons and the plaint。〃
He smiled wanly。
〃I guess you know what it's all about。 I understood it was a case that wasn't going to be contested and you were expecting me。〃
Mason took the papers。
〃Sure；〃 he said； 〃that's all right。〃
〃No hard feelings；〃 said the process server。
〃No hard feelings；〃 said Mason。
The process server turned； made a notation on the back of the original summons in pencil； and walked slowly and methodically to the stairs。 As he went down； Mason turned to Drake and grinned。
〃A break；〃 he said。
The two men unfolded the copy of the plaint。
〃It's an action for an annulment instead of a divorce；〃 said Mason。
They read down the allegations of the plaint。
〃That's the date of the marriage； all right；〃 said Mason。 〃Let's go back。〃
They pounded on the panels of the door to the apartment。
Loring's voice sounded from the inside。
〃Who is it？〃 he asked。
〃Papers to be served on you；〃 said Mason。
Loring opened the door and recoiled as he saw the two men standing there。
〃You！〃 he exclaimed。 〃I thought you'd gone。〃
Mason pushed his shoulder against the door； and walked into the apartment。 Drake followed him。
Mason held out the papers which he had taken from the process server。
〃Listen；〃 he said。 〃There's something funny。 We had these papers to serve on you； and understood that you knew all about it。 But before we could serve them； we had to make certain that we were serving the right party； so we asked you the questions about your marriage； and。。。〃
Loring said； eagerly； 〃Oh； that's it； is it？ Why didn't you say so？ Sure； that's what I was waiting for。 They told me to wait here until the papers came； and then to get out just as soon as they were served on me。〃
Mason gave an exclamation of disgust。 〃Well； why the hell didn't you say so instead of putting us to all this trouble？ Your name is Harry Loring； and you married Norma Veitch on the date mentioned in this plaint。 Is that right？〃
Loring leaned forward to look at the date mentioned in the plaint。
Mason indicated it with his right forefinger。
Loring nodded his head。 〃That's right。〃
〃And you separated on this date。 Is that right？〃 said Mason moving his forefinger down to the next date。
〃That's right。〃
〃All right；〃 said Mason； 〃this plaint says that at the time you were married； you had another wife living； from whom you had not been divorced； and that therefore the marriage was illegal； and that the plaintiff wants to have the marriage annulled。〃
Again Loring nodded。
〃Now listen；〃 said Mason； 〃that's not right； is it？〃
Loring nodded。
〃Yes； sir；〃 he said； 〃that's the ground she's getting the marriage set aside on。 That's right。〃
Mason asked； 〃Is it true？〃
〃Of course it's true。〃
〃Then it bees my duty to arrest you for bigamy。〃
Loring's face blanched。
〃He said there wouldn't be any trouble；〃 said Loring。
〃Who said that？〃 asked Mason。
〃The lawyer that called on me。 Norma's lawyer。〃
〃Just stringing you along；〃 Mason declared； 〃so that they can get the marriage set aside and Norma could marry this fellow who's heir to a couple of million dollars。〃
〃That's what they said； but they said there wouldn't be any trouble； that it was just a formality。〃
〃Formality be damned！〃 Mason told him。 〃Don't you know there's a law against bigamy？〃
〃But I wasn't guilty of bigamy！〃 protested Loring。
〃Oh； yes； you were；〃 said Mason。 〃Here it is set forth in black and white； over the signature of the lawyer； and the oath of Norma。 It says right here that you had another wife living at the time of the marriage； and that you were never divorced from her。 Therefore； we've got to ask you to go to Police Headquarters with us。 I'm afraid you've got in serious trouble over this thing。〃
Loring became nervous。
〃It isn't true；〃 he said； finally。
〃How do you mean it isn't true？〃
〃I mean that it isn't true。 I mean I was never married before。 Norma knows that！ The lawyer knows that！ I talked with them and they said that they couldn't wait to get a divorce； because that would take a long time； but that Norma had a chance to marry this man and that I would get a piece of change out of it if I let Norma go ahead and file this action。 Then I was to file some kind of an answer in which I admitted that I had had another wife living； but claimed that I thought that I was divorced at the time of the marriage。 They said that th
