erlestanleygardner.the.caseofthesulkygirl-第19节

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his　mouth；　hanging　pendulously　at　an　angle　from　his　lower　lip。
　　　　　　Perry　Mason；　seated　back　of　the　big　desk；　stared　at　the　detective　with　patient　eyes　that　were　calmly　watchful。　His　manner　was　that　of　a　veteran　fighter　relaxed　in　his　corner；　waiting　for　the　sounding　of　the　gong。　He　looked　like　a　man　who　would　presently　lose　his　relaxed　watchfulness；　spring　from　the　chair；　and　engage　in　swift　conflict；　with　the　ferocity　of　a　tiger。
　　　　　　〃Well；〃　said　Drake；　〃what's　eating　you？〃
　　　　　　〃Awhile　back；〃　said　Perry　Mason；　〃you　were　telling　me　something　about　a　rough　shadow。〃
　　　　　　Paul　Drake　inhaled　placidly　on　his　cigarette。　His　glassy；　protruding　eyes　watched　Perry　Mason　with　an　expression　of　quizzical　humor。
　　　　　　〃You　must　have　a　good　memory；〃　he　said。　〃That　was　a　long　time　ago。〃
　　　　　　〃Never　mind　when　it　was；〃　Mason　told　him。　〃I　want　to　get　the　lowdown　on　it。〃
　　　　　　〃Somebody　trying　it　on　you？〃　asked　the　detective。
　　　　　　〃No；〃　said　Mason。　〃But　I　have　an　idea　I　can　use　it！　Give　me　the　sketch。〃
　　　　　　Paul　Drake　removed　the　cigarette　from　his　mouth；　pinched　it　out；　and　dropped　it　into　an　ashtray。
　　　　　　〃It's　a　stunt　in　detective　work；〃　he　said。　〃We　don't　ordinarily　talk　about　it　…　not　to　outsiders；　anyway。　It's　a　psychological　third　degree。　It's　predicated　on　the　idea　that　a　man　who　has　something　on　his　mind　that　he's　trying　to　conceal；　is　likely　to　be　nervous。〃
　　　　　　〃How　does　it　work？〃　Mason　asked　tonelessly。
　　　　　　〃Well；　let's　figure　that　you're　working　on　a　case；　and　you　figure　somebody　has　got　some　knowledge　…　not　just　ordinary　knowledge；　but　a　sort　of　guilty　knowledge　that　he's　trying　to　conceal。　You've　got　two　or　three　ways　of　approaching　him　in　order　to　get　him　to　spill　the　beans。　One　of　them　is　to　use　the　routine　stunt　of　getting　an　attractive　woman　to　get　acquainted　with　him；　and　start　him　boasting。　Another　one　is　to　plant　some　man　who　bees　friendly　with　him；　and　gets　his　confidence。
　　　　　　〃Usually　one　of　those　ways　works　out。　But　sometimes　they　don't　work。　Sometimes　a　man　won't　fall　for　a　woman；　or；　if　he　does；　won't　start　boasting；　and　he'll　get　suspicious　if　one　of　your　operatives　starts　getting　friendly　with　him。　That's　when　we　use　the　rough　shadow。　It　takes　two　men　to　work　a　rough　shadow　job。　First；　you　have　your　contact　man　who　makes　a　contact　with　the　suspect；　but　can't　seem　to　get　under　his　hide；　can't　get　him　to　talk。
　　　　　　〃Well；　you　pick　the　time　and　a　suitable　place；　and　have　your　rough　shadow　trailing　along　behind。　The　contract　man　starts　the　fireworks　by　giving　a　signal。
　　　　　　〃Of　course；　you　understand；　shadowing　is　a　job　in　itself。　The　public　gets　goofy　ideas　about　the　work　of　a　shadow；　and　how　he　operates。　The　public　gets　the　idea　that　a　shadow　puts　on　disguises　and　ducks　into　doorways　or　hides　behind　telephone　poles；　and　all　that　sort　of　stuff。　They　get　that　way　from　looking　at　the　movies　and　reading　a　lot　of　detective　stories　written　by　guys　that　don't　know　anything　about　the　detective　business。
　　　　　　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　your　real　shadow　is　a　smooth　guy　who　almost　never　uses　a　disguise。　He's　just　a　casual；　innocent…looking　bystander。　No　matter　what　happens；　he　never　gets　rattled　and　never　does　any　of　this　business　of　ducking　in　a　doorway。　He　looks　so　matter…of…fact　that　the　suspect　always　takes　him　as　part　of　the　general　scenery；　and　never　thinks　of　him　as　an　individual。〃
　　　　　　〃I　know　all　that；　in　a　general　way；〃　Perry　Mason　told　him。　〃What　I　want　to　get　straight　is　just　how　this　rough　shadow　game　is　worked。〃
　　　　　　〃Well；　that's　simple；〃　said　the　detective。　〃It's　like　all　of　the　good　things　…　they're　simple　when　you　e　right　down　to　analyze　them。　The　rough　shadow　simply　acts　the　way　the　suspect　figures　a　shadow　should　act。　In　other　words；　he　quits　being　a　regular　shadow；　and　bees　crude。　He　does　all　the　things　that　the　suspect　naturally　expects　a　detective　would　do。　He　hides　behind　telephone　poles　and　ducks　in　doorways；　and　all　of　that　stuff。〃
　　　　　　〃So　that　the　suspect　knows　he's　being　shadowed？〃　asked　Perry　Mason。
　　　　　　〃That's　the　idea；〃　said　Drake；　taking　another　cigarette　from　a　case　in　his　pocket；　and　tapping　it　gently　on　his　thumb　nail。
　　　　　　〃You　see；　the　contact　man　has　established　a　certain　amount　of　friendly　relations　with　the　suspect。　The　suspect；　however；　is　a　guy　who　won't　talk　about　the　thing　that　the　contact　man　wants　him　to　talk　about；　so　the　contact　man　gets　a　shadow　to　tail　along　behind。　The　suspect　never　knows　that　he's　being　tailed；　because　the　shadow　is　a　smooth　worker。　But；　when　the　circumstances　are　right；　the　contact　man　gives　a　signal；　and　then　the　shadow　gets　crude　about　his　methods。　He　starts　ducking　around　behind　telephone　poles；　putting　on　disguises；　and　doing　the　hundred　and　one　amateurish　things　which　defeat　the　very　purpose　of　a　skilled　shadow。　Naturally；　the　suspect　takes　a　tumble　that　he's　being　tailed。
　　　　　　〃Now；　it's　a　funny　thing　about　a　man　finding　out　that　he's　being　shadowed；　particularly　a　man　who　ain't　used　to　it。　As　soon　as　he　finds　that　somebody's　tailing　him　around；　he　starts　getting　nervous。　Usually　the　first　thing　he　does　is　to　start　walking　faster；　and　looking　back　over　his　shoulder。　Naturally；　the　contact　man　has　the　rough　shadow　game　sprung　when　he's　walking　with　the　suspect；　and　the　contact　man　always　slows　down　and　saunters　along。
　　　　　　〃So　the　suspect　wants　to　hurry　things　up　a　little　bit；　and　he's　nervous　and　jumpy　all　over。　After　a　while；　ninety…nine　chances　out　of　a　hundred；　he'll　turn　to　the　contact　man　and　say　that　there's　a　detective　following　him　and　he　wants　to　ditch　the　shadow。　The　contact　man　helps　him　to　do　it；　and　that　makes　the　suspect　loosen　up　and　take　the　contact　man　into　his　confidence。〃
　　　　　　〃Suppose　the　suspect　doesn't　say　anything　to　the　contact　man？〃　asked　the　lawyer。
　　　　　　〃Then；〃　said　Drake；　〃the　contact　man　says　something　to　the　suspect。　He　taps　him　on　the　shoulder；　and　says：　'Listen；　old　man；　I　don't　want　to　get　personal；　but　do　you　know　there's　somebody　shadowing　you？'　Or　else；　he　may　say：　'Say；　look　at　that　fellow　behind　us。　I　believe　he's　shadowing　me。'　If　it's　a　crime　he's　working　on；　the　contact　man　usually　pretends　that　the　rough　shadow　is　tailing　him；　and　opens　up　and　confesses　to　the　suspect　that　he's　been　guilty　of　a　crime　somewhere；　and　that　he's　afraid　the　dicks　are　on　his　trail。　He　asks　the　suspect　to　help　him　ditch　the　rough　shadow。　They　rush　into　buildings；　go　up　and　down　elevators；　mingle　with　crowds；　and　all　that　sort　of　stuff；　and　when　the　contact　man　gives　a　signal；　the　rough　shadow　steps　out　of　the　picture；　and　the　suspect　thinks　he's　been　ditched。
　　　　　　〃It's　just　an　angle　of　the　game　that　sometimes　brings　results。　You　can　nearly　always　get　a　man　talking　when　you　pull　a　rough　shadow　on　him。〃
　　　　　　〃All　right；〃　said　Perry　Mason；　〃I　want　to　work　a　rough　shadow　game。〃
　　　　　　〃Maybe　you　won't　need　a　rough　shadow；〃　Drake　pointed　out。　〃It's　something　we　use　only　as　a　last　resort。　Usually　we　can　build　up　a　friendship　and　get　people　to　talk。　A　slick　operative　has　a　knack　of　making　people　spill　facts。〃
　　　　　　〃No；〃　said　Mason；　〃this　is　an　unusual　case；　and　I　want　a　contact　operative　who　is　of　a　certain　type。〃
　　　　　　〃What's　the　type？〃　asked　the　detective。
　　　　　　〃A　middle…aged　woman　who　can　pretend　she　has　had　to　work　hard　all　her　life。　Get　somebody　who　hasn't　any　particular　beauty　or　figure；　who　has　wrinkled　hands　and　a　heavy　figure。〃
　　　　　　〃Okay；〃　said　Drake。　〃I've　got　just　the　woman。　She's　clever；　and　she's　hard…boiled。　Who　do　you　want　to　have　her　contact？〃
　　　　　　〃Mrs。　Edna　Mayfield；　the　housekeeper　for　Edward　Norton。〃
　　　　　　〃The　man　who　was　murdered？〃
　　　　　　〃The　man　who　was　murdered。〃
　　　　　　Drake　whistled。
　　　　　　〃Think　she's　mixed　up　in　the　murder？〃　he　asked。
　　　　　　〃I　don't　know　just　what　she's　mixed　up　in；〃　Perry　Mason　said　slowly；　〃but　she's　got　information。　I　want　that　information。〃
　　　　　　〃They've　got　the　fellow　that　did　the　murder；　haven't　they？〃　asked　the　detective；　his　glassy　eyes　suddenly　losing　their　expression　of　droll　humor；　and　containing　a　glint　of　quick　appraisal。　〃Wasn't　it　the　chauffeur　or　somebody　that　pulled　the　job？〃
　　　　　　〃So　I　understand；〃　said　Mason　nonmittally。
　　　　　　〃You're　representing　Frances　Celane；　the　young　woman　who's　the　beneficiary　under　the　trust　fund　and　the　will？〃
　　　　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　　　　〃Okay；　now　just　what　do　you　want　me　to　get　out　of　her？〃
　　　　　　〃Anything　that　she　knows；〃　said　Perry　Mason　slowly。
　　　　　　〃You　mean　about　the　murder？〃
　　　　　　〃About　anything。〃
　　　　　　Paul　Drake　let　his　glassy　eyes　study　the　tip　of　the　cigarette　and　the　smoke　which　eddied　upward　from　it。
　　　　　　〃Look　here；〃　he　said；　〃let's　be　frank　with　each　other。　I　know　you　well　enough　to　know　that　if　you're　getting　me　to　start　work　on　this　murder　case；　that　there's　an　angle　to　it　that　the　police　haven't　got。〃
　　　　　　〃I　didn't　say　I　wanted　you　to　work　on　the　murder　case；〃　Perry　Mason　said　slowly。
　　　　　　〃No；〃　said　Drake　significantly；　〃you　didn't　say　that。〃
　　　　　　There　was　a　moment　or　two　of　silence；　then　Perry　Mason　said；　slowly　and　impressively：　〃I　want　you　to　find　out　everything　that　that　housekeeper　knows。　I　don't　care　what　it's　about。〃
　　　　　　Paul　Drake　made　a　gesture　with　his　shoulders。
　　　　　　〃Don't　get　me　wrong；〃　he　said。