Case of the Reluctant Model by Gardner Erle Stanley

Author:Gardner, Erle Stanley [Gardner, Erle Stanley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vasan Publications
Published: 1962-01-07T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

It was nearly ten o’clock that night when Perry Mason sat down opposite Lattimer Rankin in the latter’s house. Rankin, tall, ungainly, seemed somehow ill at ease.

“I wanted to thank you for giving your consent so readily over the telephone this afternoon,” Mason said, “permitting me to represent Maxine Lindsay.”

“I certainly see no reason why I should stand in the way,” Rankin said, “if you want to represent her. It came as rather a surprise to me, and of course I was completely bowled over with the news of Durant’s death.”

“You seemed to be able to bear up under it,” Mason said dryly.

“Well,” Rankin said, “I’ve been thinking that over and I’m a little ashamed of myself, Mason. I suppose a man shouldn’t speak ill of the dead who can’t defend themselves. However, the man was a terrific bounder.”

“I want to find out what you know about him,” Mason said.

“It isn’t very much. He started buying and selling paintings on some kind of a commission basis and gradually pushed himself forward as an expert on art. I’ll say one thing for the man, he certainly was a worker. He’d study and he’d listen, and he never seemed to forget anything he ever heard. He had the most remarkable memory I have ever encountered.”

“How did he get his clients?” Mason asked.

“I don’t think he had so many clients but he was a sharpshooter. He’d pick up paintings and he seemed to know just who would be interested in any particular painting. He understood his potential customers.”

“He was good at that phase of the business?” Mason asked.

Rankin hesitated for a long moment, then conceded somewhat grudgingly, “Yes, he was good at that particular phase of the business. Very good.”

“And you’re perfectly willing for me to represent Maxine Lindsay in this case?”

“Are they going to charge her with murder?”

“I think so, yes.”

“What evidence do they have?”

“They’re not confiding in me,” Mason said. “I do know they have some evidence that they are not disclosing to the public at the present time and I believe they’ve recovered the murder weapon and traced that to Maxine, that is, proved that she owned it.”

Rankin crossed his long legs and frowned.

“Of course,” Mason went on, “if I’m representing her I have to represent her and her alone. If your general interests, for instance, should come in conflict with hers in this murder case, I’d be loyal to her interests. I’d do absolutely anything that was necessary in order to bring about her acquittal.”

“Certainly,” Rankin said. “I would expect that.”

“For instance,” Mason went on, “if it should turn out that you had murdered Collin Durant, I wouldn’t hesitate a minute. I’d uncover that evidence and brand you as the murderer. I’d have to do that in order to be fair with my client.”

“Go right ahead, Mason,” Rankin invited. “If you can prove I murdered the guy, you’re very welcome to do so.”

He chuckled for a moment, crossed his legs again and interlaced his long, bony fingers.

“I understand,”

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