Read The Case of the Caretaker's Cat for Free Online Page B

marry me. If I could support her I'd marry her tomorrow, but I can't support her and I won't let her support me. I'm an architect, and you know it takes a while for a young architect to get started. You just don't begin making money right away. But the country needs architects today more than ever. With credit inflated and more and more young families and more and more babies, it's only a question of time before I'll be sitting pretty."
    Mason surveyed the youthful enthusiasm of the young man's face and nodded.
    Paul Drake said, "Yeah… a couple of years." He said it tonelessly.
    "And don't think I'm waiting for business to pick up, either," Keene said. "I'm working in a service station, and darned glad to get the job. Today the big boss was through. He stopped at the service station without anyone knowing who he was. And when he left he gave me his card and a pat on the back for the way I was handling the trade."
    "Good boy," Mason told him.
    "I'm just telling you fellows this," Keene said, "so you'll know where I stand, because I'm going to find out where you stand."
    Mason glanced over at Winifred Laxter. Her eyes were absorbed in Douglas Keene. Her face was flushed with pride.
    Keene took a step backward, so that he was between both men and the door.
    "Now then," he said, "I've put my cards on the table and you chaps are going to put yours on the table. Peter Laxter died. He didn't leave Winifred a cent. So far as I'm concerned, I'm glad he didn't. She doesn't need his money. She's better off now than she was when she was living with him.
    "I'm going to support her. I don't want any of her grandfather's money and she doesn't need any of her grandfather's money, but I don't like the idea of you birds trying to slip something over on her."
    Mason's hand dropped to the young man's shoulder. "We're not trying to slip anything over on her," he said.
    "What are you hanging around here for, then?"
    "I want to get information," Mason said, "so I can represent a client."
    "Who's the client?"
    Mason grinned. "Believe it or not, but the client's a cat."
    "A what?"
    Winifred interrupted. "It's Charlie Ashton, Doug – you know, the boys have to keep him on as caretaker, but Sam has threatened to poison the cat, and Mr. Mason's representing Ashton, trying to fix things up so he can keep the cat."
    Keene's jaw set grimly. "Do you mean to say that Sam Laxter threatens to poison Clinker?"
    She nodded.
    "Well, I'll be damned," Keene said slowly. He turned to Perry Mason. "Listen," he said, "I was going to keep out of that, but if Sam's pulling stuff like that, ask him what became of the Koltsdorf diamonds."
    Winifred said sharply, "Doug!"
    He swung to face her. "Don't stop me," he said. "You don't know what I know. I know stuff about Sam that's going to come out. No, don't worry, Winnie, I'm not going to bring it out; I'm going to keep out of it. It's Edith DeVoe. She…"
    Winifred interrupted him firmly. "Mr. Mason is only interested in the cat, Doug."
    Keene laughed, a quick, nervous laugh. "I'm sorry. Guess I got pretty well worked up. I can't stand the idea of anyone poisoning an animal, and when it comes down to brass tacks, Clinker is worth a dozen Sam Laxters. Oh, well, I'll keep out of it."
    Paul Drake casually seated himself on one of the stools.
    "What's going to come out about Sam Laxter?" he asked.
    Mason dropped his hand to the detective's shoulder. "Wait a minute, Paul. These people have shot square with us; let's shoot square with them."
    He turned to Winifred. "Do you want to give us any information?" he asked.
    She shook her head. "I want to keep out of it and I want Doug to keep out of it."
    Mason took Drake's arm and literally pushed him along the passageway between the booths on one side and the stools on the other. "Come on, Paul," he said.
    As the outer door closed behind them Winifred's eyes flashed them a smile. She waved her arm.
    "What did you do that for?" Drake protested. "That fellow knows something. He's been