"Gardner, Erle Stanley - Perry Mason 072 - The Case of the Daring Divorcee" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gardner Earle Stanley)

"So I'll play it the way a smart lawyer should and say, '_This is what I am prepared to advise my client to do_.' That's not binding on my client, it's not binding on me, it's not binding on anyone.
"If you accept the offer and we make a settlement, that's fine. If you don't like the offer, you can't use it against my client and you can't use it against me."
"Fair enough," Mason said. "What's the offer?"
"I will advise my client to pay Adelle Hastings ten thousand dollars a year for a period of five years, or until she remarries, whichever comes first. I will advise him to leave her a flat sum of fifty thousand dollars in his will and provide in the agreement that this bequest is irrevocable unless she predeceases him."
"That's rather an awkward way of handling it," Mason said. "I don't like this idea of a will. How about having him take out a paid-up fifty-thousand-dollar life insurance policy?"
"That _might_ be arranged," Banner said. "I have discussed a settlement along these other lines with my client and-- Well, you know, Mason, I'm not sticking my neck out, but I'll put it this way: There would be no serious objection on the part of my client to the settlement I have outlined."
"All right," Mason said, "that's your offer. How much--"
"Not an offer, not an offer," Banner said hastily. "It's what I am willing to advise my client to do."
"All right," Mason said, "that's what you are willing to advise your client to do. Now, how much higher will your client go?"
"No higher," Banner said. "That's absolutely tops. We don't do horse-trading around this office, Mason."
"I take it then I either accept that or reject it--in the event I become counsel for Mrs. Hastings."
"Well," Banner said thoughtfully, "we wouldn't want to slam any doors in each other's faces, of course, but that's as high as I'm prepared to advise my client to go. . . . You haven't talked with Mrs. Hastings yet?"
"Not yet," Mason said.
"She's a very charming young woman," Banner said. "She makes a wonderful impression."
"And wears well?" Mason asked.
"And wears well. She's just all right, that girl. I'm terribly sorry her marriage didn't click."
"How long has it been in existence?"
"Around eighteen months."
"Why did it break up?" Mason asked.
Banner shrugged his shoulders. "Why does a man get bald? Why does his hair turn gray?"
"Is it mutual or one-sided?" Mason asked.
"Now look," Banner said, "I don't want to be quoted on this, but Hastings had been married twice before. His first marriage was ideal. His wife died. He became lonely. He looked back on that first marriage and forgot all the bickering, all the little, everyday nagging things that happen in a marriage and remembered only the rosy glow.
"So Hastings married again. He didn't realize his first happiness hinged upon the personality of his wife. He began to think that because he had been so happy before it must have been the state of matrimony rather than the personality of the woman. So he tried this second marriage. That marriage just didn't work. It ended in a divorce. Then after a while Hastings got lonely again and married Adelle. That was his third marriage. Adelle was his secretary. She was sympathetic, kind and considerate.
"The only reason Hastings wasn't happy was because he wasn't happy. I don't think he knows the reason and I'm sure I don't."
"So Adelle Hastings said she was consulting me?" Mason asked.
"That's right. She telephoned the office. I was out. She talked with my secretary, said she had driven in from Las Vegas and was going to put her affairs in your hands."
"I'm rather an unusual choice for a lawyer in a divorce settlement," Mason said. "Mostly my practice concerns crimes of violence and things of that sort."
"I know, I know, but nevertheless you're a glamorous figure and any lawyer who can make a spectacular success out of murder cases can handle divorce settlements with one hand tied behind him.
"I'm going to be perfectly fair with you, Mason. When Elvina told me that you were going to be representing Adelle I gave a little inward shudder."
"Elvina?" Mason asked.
"Elvina Mitchell, my secretary."
"I see," Mason said. "Well, I guess I'll be in touch with you a little later on then. . - . Care to comment on the amount of property involved?"
"There isn't any," Banner said.
"What!" Mason exclaimed. "I thought you were talking about ten thousand dollars a year and--"
"I was. I am," Banner said. "You asked about the amount of property _involved_ and I tell you there isn't any. There's lots of property but it isn't involved in the case and it isn't going to be involved in the case. It's all my client's separate property. Hastings can do what he likes with it. If he wants to make a settlement with Adelle so that she can get along for a while without having to go back to work, he can do so. If he doesn't want to give her anything, I don't know of anything anyone can do about it."
"Then what was the reason you became concerned when you thought Adelle was going to consult with me?"
Banner laughed. "It's just the idea of going up against a champ."
"Well," Mason said, grinning, "I'll be on my way. I just wanted to get acquainted with you and get a fill-in on the background. I take it Adelle is applying for divorce or is going to apply for divorce."
"She's established a residence in Las Vegas. She's filing for divorce the first of next week. Now of course, Mason, you and I both realize that we can't have any collusion or that would destroy the validity of the divorce, but within reasonable limits we want to co-operate in every way we can so as to expedite matters.
"For instance, you can have a summons issued and arrange for service but I'll appear on behalf of Garvin Hastings and file an answer, a sort of general denial. Then the case will be set down for trial and I won't show up--provided, of course, we've reached a property settlement in the meantime.
"That will enable you to short-cut all the delay incident to publication of summons and it will give a valid action because the court will have jurisdiction over both parties and we can have jurisdiction of personam as well as an action in rem."
"Why this desire to expedite things?" Mason asked. "Has Hastings some other woman in mind?"
Banner smiled and shook his head. "I can state now without fear of contradiction that Hastings has been cured. I think that's the reason the marriage fell apart. Hastings is just a rugged individual who likes to live his own life in his own way. He's completely absorbed in his business and I don't think the guy really cares about a home life except on occasion when he gets a little lonely living in a big house all by himself.
"And you can tell your client this, Mason, that any time she wants to go back to work for the Hastings Enterprises as a secretary she can do it. Hastings is very fond of her-- as a secretary. There isn't going to be any mud-slinging, any name-calling or any friction. This whole matter is going to be handled amicably and on a friendly basis. Hastings is really going all out to see that his wife gets a decent settlement."
"Thanks a lot," Mason said, shaking hands. "I'll doubtless be seeing you."
As Mason left the office Elvina Mitchell flashed him a warm smile. "Good-by, Mr. Mason," she said.
"Bye now," Mason said. "I'll be seeing you."
Mason returned to his office, grinned at Della Street and said, "Guess I'm getting to be a little jumpy. It's all right, Della. Just a divorce property settlement with some interesting background."
"What about the gun and the two shells that have been fired?" Della asked.
"That," Mason said, "is something else. But there's certainly no reason for her to fire the two bullets into her husband and apparently she doesn't have any rival, so we'll assume she took a couple of pot shots at a jack rabbit on the way in from Las Vegas.