Chapter 22 Eleventh Scene

Mrs. Veran DeWitt entered the anteroom like a leopard with her tail dragging.The suit on her body was made of leopard skin, the cap on her head was made of leopard skin, and the pair of strange-shaped shoes on her feet were made of leopard skin. Even her dark eyes shone fiercely like a leopard.Her aged and carefully made-up face is like an ancient totem mask, implying a primitive mask, implying a ferocious beast, however, at the bottom of the thick powder, there is also a hint of fear . The reception clerk opened the door and said Mr. Brooke could see her now, while Mrs. DeWitt was sitting motionless in her chair, but that was just her usual sex appeal.She first smiled lightly, slowly picked up her leopard skin bag, followed the reception staff through a long corridor with two rows of legal books, and walked to the door of an office, which was written: Mr. Brooke's Office.

Lyman Brooke, just like his name - like a lion, he is huge, with fluffy blond hair like a lion's mane that is already showing signs of graying, plain clothes, and deep love in his eyes. "Please sit down, Mrs. DeWitt, sorry to keep you waiting." She sat down unnaturally, and declined the cigarettes offered by Brooke.Brooke sat obliquely at the corner of the table, staring at a certain point in the distance, and suddenly spoke. "You must be wondering why you are invited to come here today. I'm afraid you will feel quite troubled about this matter. For me, it is really hard to talk about it. Mrs. DeWitt, you should understand that I am just passing on a message people."

Her heavily lipsticked lips looked motionless, saying: "I totally understand." Brooke continued mercilessly: "I go to the detention center to meet with Mr. DeWitt every day. Of course, he was charged with first-degree murder, and the law does not allow bail, and his attitude towards imprisonment—— Well, very quiet, but that's not what I'm talking to you about, Mrs. DeWitt, yesterday your husband commissioned me to tell you first that if he's found not guilty, he'll divorce you immediately." For a moment, Mrs. DeWitt's eyes were completely still, and she didn't seem to have the slightest fear of this sudden blow.Gradually, however, her large, clear Spanish eyes grew hotter by minute.Brooke hurried on.

"Mrs. DeWitt, he entrusted me to propose to you a gift fee of 20,000 a year until you remarry, and this money will continue indefinitely, on the condition that you agree to divorce, and do it as quietly and as quietly as possible, everyone. Get together and get away to complete the formalities. Mrs. DeWitt, I personally think that under the current circumstances—” Brooke stood up and began to pace around his office. The conditions proposed by Mr. Witt are extremely favorable." Mrs. DeWitt said in a stiff voice, "What if I don't say yes?" "Then he will break up with you without paying a dime."

Mrs. DeWitt's eyes were narrowed, only the corners of her mouth twisted, revealing an unbearable smile: "I think you and DeWitt seem to be too optimistic, Mr. Brooke, you should know as a lawyer, I have Right to ask for money like alimony?" Mr. Brooke sat down and lit a cigarette carefully. "No, Mrs. DeWitt, there will be no alimony." "Mr. Brooke, as a lawyer, how can you say such a thing?" The rouge on Mrs. DeWitt's face was redder as if it was burning. "A deserted wife, of course has the right to claim alimony!" Brooke was a little intimidated by the metallic coldness of her voice. Mrs. DeWitt's voice was not human at all, it was more like a machine.

"Mrs. DeWitt, you are not a jilted wife. If you reject this offer and force us to go to court, you can take my word for it that the court will have sympathy for your husband, not you, DeWitt lady." "Why is this happening?" Brooke shrugged: "Well, if you must know—Ms. DeWitt, the court in this state can only adopt one judgment for the various plaintiffs who apply for divorce in this situation, and Mr. DeWitt is in the hands of To have evidence that he was in the circumstances to ask for a divorce--I am sorry to tell you, Mrs. DeWitt--with absolutely no other reason, is the fact that you committed adultery. fact."

Up to this moment, Mrs. DeWitt had remained calm, but one eyelid drooped feebly: "What kind of evidence?" "A statement document signed by an eyewitness. This witness signed a formal oath ceremony recognized by law. The authenticity of the witness cannot be doubted. In the early morning of February 8 this year, this witness saw you and Longstreet in Longs. Cui's apartment, from the circumstances at the time, it is deduced that you left the city for the weekend and stayed overnight at Lone Street. The statement clearly stated that at 8:00 a.m. on February 8, you were wearing thin pajamas, and Lone Street was also dressed No, the two of you were extremely intimate at the time of the witness, Mrs. DeWitt, do I need to elaborate further? This sworn statement contains some embarrassing details."

"Enough, stop talking." Mrs. DeWitt stopped in a low voice, the flames in her eyes flickered, but her whole body relaxed, which made her return to a normal human appearance, even like an immature child. The little girl trembled with fear.After a long time, she wrung her hands and asked, "Who is your black-hearted witness—is it a woman?" "I have no right to tell you this," Brook said gruffly. "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that this is just a little trick made up to intimidate you." I can assure you that I absolutely have this document in my hands, and I have an absolutely reliable witness to prove the authenticity of this document, and I can also assure you that we have the ability to prove that you were in the Longstreet apartment that day. It is by no means the first time for the two of you, although it may be the last time. Mrs. DeWitt, I repeat, under the circumstances that you and I know well, Mr. DeWitt's conditions are absolutely That's generous enough. From my years of experience dealing with these kinds of things, I advise you. Take this offer - $20,000 a year until you remarry, and as long as you don't make a fuss, you're willing to settle for a divorce. , please think carefully about it."

Brooke stood up as if announcing that it was over, and looked down at Mrs. DeWitt in her chair.With her hands still folded on her knees, and her eyes staring at the ground for a moment, she wrenched herself out of her chair without saying a word, and went to the door. Brooke opened it for her, walked her into the reception room, and helped her They pressed the button of the elevator, neither of them said anything, they waited quietly for the elevator until the elevator door opened, Brooke said slowly: "I hope to get your answer within today, or - get your lawyer's reply." Reply, Mrs. DeWitt, if you're concerned you'll have to use a lawyer."

However, Mrs. DeWitt went straight into the elevator as if there was no Brooke in front of her. The elevator attendant smiled at Brooke, but Brooke swayed unconsciously, lost in thought. The young partner, Roger Sheldon, poked his head out of the reception room curiously, and made a face: "Lyman, is he gone? What's the situation?" "I had to take heavy medicine, and she just swallowed it without humming. This woman can bear it." "Oh, old DeWitt should be very happy with this kind of result, but according to your opinion, is she planning to fight back if she keeps silent like this?"

"It's hard to say, it's really hard to say. I have a hunch that she guessed that our witness was Anna Platt. The woman Prett said that when she peeped into the bedroom that morning, she thought Mrs. DeWitt See her, this woman!" Brooke paused, "Hey, Roger," Brooke said worriedly, "this gives me a bad feeling, you'd better find someone to watch Anna Platt, I still Not sure what her real intentions were in disclosing it, and I wouldn't be surprised if Mrs. DeWitt tried to bribe her, and if she recanted it on the witness stand and..." The two walked side by side through the long profile to Brooke's office, and Shelton said, "I'll call Bing Cullen, he's good at this kind of thing, you know the DeWitt case over there at old Lyman's going well." how?" Brooke shook his head: "It's very tricky, Roger, it's really tricky. I think old Lyman must be full of hair at the moment. If Mrs. DeWitt knows how little her husband's chances of being acquitted are, she won't have to worry about me. She has filed a divorce request, and the possibility of her becoming a widow is much greater than the chance of becoming an abandoned widow."