You fail to catch my
meaning, it seems. It has come to my knowledge that he has some money, a
good deal of it--"
"But you cannot have imagined that I would want his money?"
"His money? He has none. It is all yours. That is why I am telling you
about it."
"Oh, but that can't be possible. I don't understand."
Sitting upright in his chair, as businesslike as an attorney, Queed
explained how Surface had managed to secrete part of the embezzled
trustee funds, and had been snugly living on it ever since his release
from prison.
"The exact amount is, at present, mere guesswork. But I think it will
hardly fall below fifty thousand dollars, and it may run as high as a
hundred thousand. I learn that Mr. Surface thinks, or pretends to think,
that this money belongs to him. He is, needless to say, wholly mistaken.
I have taken the liberty of consulting a lawyer about it, of course
laying it before him as a hypothetical case. I am advised that when Mr.
Surface was put through bankruptcy, he must have made a false statement
in order to withhold this money. Therefore, that settlement counts for
nothing, except to make him punishable for perjury now.
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