Mason shook his head.
She should be, the attendant said dreamily. The most beautiful girl Ive ever seen in my life. Gosh, what eyes! And what a figure!
Masons smile was comprehensive. And what competence, he said.
What does she do? the attendant asked.
Shes a very, very competent secretary, Mason told him.
The attendant stood looking down the road for a moment, then with a sigh went back to the interior of the station.
Chapter 9
The taxi meter had nine dollars and eighty cents on it when Tragg somewhat reluctantly gave Perry Mason permission to go on about his business.
Im not very happy about this thing, Mason, Tragg said.
One shouldnt ever be happy about a murder, Mason said.
That isnt what I meant, Tragg said. Im not happy about any of them.
All right, thats fine, Mason said. Youre not happy about any of them and youre not happy about this. That figures.
Lets say Im not happy about your part in this one.
I have no part in the murder, Mason said.
Tragg jerked his thumb. On your way, he said. Personally, I think youve worked this professional privilege to death. Im going to tell you something, Perry Mason. Sooner or later the facts in this case are going to come out. Were going to know how it happened that you went up there looking around for a body.
I tell you, I wasnt looking around for a body, Mason said.
All right, we dont need to go over it again. On your way.
Mason climbed in the cab, nodded to the driver. Back down to Hollywood, he said.
After they reached Hollywood, Mason gave the driver the address of Susan Fishers apartment and said, Theres a car-rental agency within three or four blocks of that apartment. Do you know where it is?
The cab driver thought for a minute, then nodded. Theres a branch of the We Rent M Car Company over on the boulevard thats only about three and a half blocks from there.
Lets try that place, Mason said.
The driver drew up in front of the place. Mason went in and said, How about renting a car?
It depends on how long you want it, the man said. Were just closing up and business has been rushing today. This is a branch of the main office and weve been floored. I have one car which has just come in. It hasnt been serviced. Ill have time to fill the tank and thats all. If you want to turn it in before nine oclock tomorrow morning, youll have to turn it in at one of the other offices. Ill give you their address on a card.
Okay by me, Mason said. I need a car.
You got your drivers license?
Mason brought it out and exhibited it, used an air travel card to establish credit, and went out to pay off the cab.
I was just closing up, the man explained. Weve had quite a day and I was fifteen or twenty minutes overtime getting books posted.
Did a lot of rental business?
Quite a lot.
You dont have too many cars?
Not here, this is a branch. Actually, we try to keep one here all the time and then we telephone to one of the other offices to send out replacements. They can have a car here within ten minutes any time I phone, sometimes sooner.
Just keep the one car here in the place?
Thats right. Of course, it isnt always the same car.
I see, Mason said. I was just wondering how you ran the business.
Actually, the man told him, this is kind of a business-getting gadget that the company is using. Some of our competitors are located at a garage somewhere in the city and then have a place at the airport. If you want to get a car, you have to go one place or the other, or arrange to have it delivered. And that makes it a little difficult when you want to return the car. Were trying out something new. We have places spotted all over town. You can either pick up a car here or I can have one for you within ten minutes and then I give you a list of places where you can leave it. You can turn it in at any one of these places; theyre scattered all over town.
Good idea, Mason said.
Its working out all right for me, the man told him. Of course, I have a service station here. Let me fill up that gas tank and youll be ready to roll.
While the gas tank was being filled, Mason crossed over to the telephone booth and called Paul Drake.
Paul, he said, Ive got a car I want examined very, very carefully by an expert. I want someone who knows his way around to look it over with a magnifying glass.
For what?
Bloodstains, fingerprints, everything.
Well, Drake said somewhat wearily, theres a technician who works in the police laboratory who occasionally does some work for me. Hell probably be in bed at this time of the night. Ill have to get him up if you want him.
Hell keep his mouth shut?
Hell keep his mouth shut.
Hell get up for you?
Not for me for about fifty bucks.
And work a large part of the night?
And work a large part of the night.
Okay, Mason said. Call him and then be waiting down on the sidewalk for me. Ill pick you up and well drive out there.
How soon?
Fifteen minutes.
Okay, Ill try and get things lined up, Drake said. Ill be on the sidewalk. Anybody going to get any sleep tonight?
Not that I know of, Mason said. Found anything on Amelia Corning yet?
Yes, weve got a lead. A fellow from the porters office was paid twenty-five dollars to take Miss Corning down in the freight elevator in her wheelchair. She said she wanted to get out without anyone knowing it, said she had a little checking up to do.
What time, Paul?
Six-thirty.
That figures, Mason said.
What does?
She had an appointment with me at seven-thirty and shes very punctual. She could have figured on getting back by seven-thirty.
Thats right. She did. She made arrangements with this chap who operates the freight elevator so that he would be standing by in the alley, near the freight entrance, at exactly seven-twenty so he could pick her up and take her back up to her floor and she could get into her room.
Thats right. The fellow was there for all of ten minutes. She didnt show up.
And she left at six-thirty?
Right about that time. It could have been a few minutes earlier. The man says it could have been six twenty-five.
Has he told his story to the police?
The police havent asked him yet. They dont seem at all concerned as yet. Our men saw no sign of police interest. Miss Cornings sister seems to be holding down the fort and clamping a lid on any undue interest in Amelias comings and goings.
Thats good, Mason said. Were evidently one jump ahead of the police. See what you can do about checking with taxicabs who usually stand there at the Arthenium Hotel and
Thats already been done, Drake said. All of the taxicabs that stand there come in and take their position in line. They pull in to the rear of the line and then the fellow in front answers the doormans signal. If the doorman isnt there, theyll pick up a passenger at the hotel and of course if the passenger walks up to the head of the line and gets in a cab, the cabby has no alternative but to take him. Ordinarily, however, they work with the doorman. In that way the doorman gets a tip for calling the cab and hes nice to the cab drivers and everything works out okay.
And how about a cab being called around to the alleyway?
It would have had to have been on a telephone call, Drake said. Ive checked all the cab companies and there wasnt any call to have a cab there at that time. Therefore, it must have been a private car.
It could hardly have been a private car, Mason said.
It must have been.
All right, the lawyer told him. Ill come down there. I want this car checked for fingerprints and I want it checked for any and all kinds of evidence: a regular police check.
Thats going to take time.
Weve got time.
I was afraid of that, Drake said, and yawned into the telephone.
Get your man up out of bed, Mason said. Ill be there, and be sure youre wearing gloves when I pick you up.
The lawyer drove the rented car around to his office building, picked up Paul Drake, who was standing on the curb. Drake gave directions and they drove out to the residential section, turned into a driveway and into an open garage.
Meet Myrton Abert, Drake said. Hes an expert connected with the police laboratory.
I want a check on this car, Mason said, and I dont want anybody to know about it.
You dont want anybody not to know about it any more than I do, Abert said. It isnt hot, is it?
Not in the sense you mean. Its a rented car. I just want to know whos been driving it before all of the fingerprints are erased.
Now suppose the police want the same thing? Abert asked.
Then you give them the information, Mason said.
If I do that, Ill have to use Scotch tape and lift the fingerprints.
Go ahead and lift them, but be sure you dont leave any indication prints have been lifted from the car.
I dont see what youre gaining by this, Abert said.
Mason said, Sometimes the police dont share information with me. If I share information with them, Ill at least be abreast of the police.
Abert thought it over, grinned, said, Okay, Ive got a fellow corning to assist me. He ought to be here any minute now. I had to get him up out of bed.
Abert closed the garage door, turned on bright lights, and went to work.
It was breaking daylight when Abert said, All right, Mr. Mason, there arent any bloodstains in the car. There are quite a few smudged fingerprints. There are twenty-three legible fingerprints on the doors, the back of the rearview mirror and the side mirror. Ive lifted those with Scotch tape. Now what do we do?
How are you on comparing fingerprints? Mason asked.
Pretty good.
Mason said, I want duplicates of those prints.
Then Ill have to photograph the lifted prints.
How long will that take?
Not too long to make the photographs, but to get them developed and printed is going to be something else.
All right, Mason said. You want to protect yourself. You take the photographs and give me the original lifts. You can develop the photographs at your leisure. Theyll give you protection.
Abert thought it over for a while, then said, That would be worth a little more money, Mr. Mason. Its a little more work than Id figured on.
Mason handed him a twenty-dollar bill.
Will that cover the added costs?
That will cover it.
Lets go, Mason said.
Abert walked over to a locker, took out a fingerprint camera, put the lifts on a dark surface, fitted the fingerprint camera over the lifts and within a few minutes had all of the prints photographed.
Thats all there is to it? Mason asked.
Thats all.
Okay, the lawyer told him. Im on my way.