What shall I tell him if he asks about what happened today?
Tell him the truth. Never lie to anybody. I dont ask my employees to lie and I dont lie myself. If he asks you questions, answer them.
But... suppose he asks me if youre satisfied? If
Tell him, Miss Corning snapped, that I said I thought he was a crook. Thats what I said and thats what I meant. Hes going to have some explaining to do. Good afternoon, Sue.
Good afternoon, Miss Corning.
Sue got out and stood at the curb, watching the cab drive away with Amelia Corning sitting straight as an arrow in the back seat, her face completely without expression, the dark glasses pointed straight ahead.
Then Sue sighed and took out the latchkey which opened the outer door of the apartment house.
Chapter 2
It was twenty minutes after six when Susan Fishers phone rang and Endicott Campbells impatient and irritated voice rasped over the wire.
What the devils all this about you calling the golf club and trying to get hold of me, Sue? You know I like to have my weekends undisturbed and I particularly dislike having women telephoning around trying to find out where I am and what Im doing. Now, whats the trouble?
Angrily, Susan said, Well, I like to have a weekend too. Ive been working all day and
There is a slight difference in our relative positions, Campbell interrupted, and, he added pointedly, in our value to the company. I flatter myself that I am indispensable. You are not. Now start talking.
In the first place, Sue said, your son came to the office with a shoe box containing a lot of hundred-dollar bills and said that it was his daddys treasure, that he and Daddy had traded treasures.
A what? Campbell demanded incredulously.
A shoe box with a lot of hundred-dollar bills in it. It looked pretty well filled.
You didnt count the money?
No.
You have no idea how much there was in there?
There must have been thousands of dollars.
You mean Carleton had that box?
Yes.
Youre crazy!
All right, Sue said, then Im crazy. But your son had the box and he said it was yours. Thats all I know about it.
Wheres that box now?
I put it in the safe.
Susan, I cant understand this. I cant... Why, I didnt have any treasure... I dont know anything about a shoe box filled with hundred-dollar bills. Whats the matter? What are you trying to do? My son never gave you any box filled with money. Its impossible! Preposterous!
All right. Im a liar then.
I wouldnt have put it that bluntly, but youre certainly emotionally disturbed. Theres something wrong. You say you put the box with the money in it in the safe?
Yes.
Well, then itll be there now and well try and find out what its all about. I did let my son play with a box containing a pair of dress shoes. Its preposterous to think there was any money in that box. Now, is that the only reason you had for calling me? This wild tale about my son and a shoe box full of
And Amelia Corning came in on the plane this morning and has been holding me at the office all day, and says she wants you to call on her promptly at eight forty-five and told me to explain that when she said eight forty-five she meant
What! Campbell shouted into the telephone.
Amelia Corning, Susan said. Shes here.
She cant be here!
All right, then Im lying about that too, she said. And if Im such a little liar I guess theres nothing more I can do, except to say goodbye.
She indignantly slammed down the receiver.
She hesitated a moment, then pulled out the telephone directory and looked up the listing of Perry Mason, Attorney at Law.
The directory gave his office address and telephone number with a note in parenthesis, For night number call Drake Detective Agency.
The number of the Drake Detective Agency was given and Susan dialed the number.
When the switchboard operator at the Drake Detective Agency said, This is the Drake Detective Agency, Susan was sufficiently nervous to start pouring words into the telephone without giving the operator time to answer.
I must see Mr. Mason, she said. Ive got to see him tonight at once. This is a very important matter. This is Susan Fisher and I got this number from the telephone directory. It listed it as Mr. Masons night number and
Just a minute, the operator cut in finally, and Ill let you talk with Mr. Drake himself. He happens to be here in the office at the moment.
A moment later a mans voice, calm and collected, said, This is Paul Drake talking. Now, what seems to be the trouble?
Again Susan Fisher poured words into the line.
Drake started asking questions and almost before she knew it the calm competency of his voice soothed her nerves and she found herself giving a fairly consistent resume of the events of the day.
A moment later a mans voice, calm and collected, said, This is Paul Drake talking. Now, what seems to be the trouble?
Again Susan Fisher poured words into the line.
Drake started asking questions and almost before she knew it the calm competency of his voice soothed her nerves and she found herself giving a fairly consistent resume of the events of the day.
Where are you now? Drake asked.
She told him.
All right, Drake said, Ill try and get in touch with Mr. Mason and call you back. Wait there until you hear from me.
Susan Fisher hung up the telephone, dashed to the bathroom and put fresh powder and rouge on her face, was just touching her mouth with lipstick when again the phone rang.
Susan hurried to the phone, picked it up and said, Yes? expectantly.
The voice that came over the wire was that of Endicott Campbell.
Susan, he said, what the devil! Ive been trying to ring you and your line has been busy. I want to get this straight, Susan. Where is Miss Corning?
At her suite in the Arthenium Hotel.
That suite was reserved for Monday.
I know, but it was unoccupied and so she moved in this morning.
You say she went over company records?
She had me up there all day.
I dont like that.
I didnt like it either, Sue Fisher said. She wants to see you at the hotel at exactly eight forty-five.
Very well, Endicott Campbell said, and I want to meet you at the office at exactly eight oclock.
I dont think I can be there.
Why not?
Because Ive been working all day and Im all in and... and I have an appointment.
Cancel it.
I cant be there at eight oclock.
Very well, Campbell said. I will meet you in the lobby of the Anthenium Hotel at eight-thirty on the dot. I will give you that much time to break your engagement and straighten out your affairs so that you can cope with the situation in the event of an emergency. If you are not there it will be equivalent to your resignation.
He hung up the phone without saying goodbye.
A few moments later the phone rang. It was the soothing, masculine voice again. Paul Drake talking, the detective said in his calm matter-of-fact manner. Mr. Mason and his confidential secretary, Miss Street, are dining at the Candelabra Café. They expect to be finished by eight oclock. Mr. Mason said that if it is a matter of very great importance he will arrange to see you there at eight.
But thats right near the Arthenium Hotel! Susan Fisher exclaimed.
Thats right.
Oh, Ill be there. Im so grateful. I... Oh, please tell Mr. Mason I cant thank him enough.
Chapter 3
Della Street, looking over the rim of her demitasse cup, said in a low voice, Unless my judgment of facial expression is in error, the young woman who just entered the place unescorted and is now standing by the reservations desk is the one who telephoned Paul Drake and is so concerned about the dishonest management of the company where she works.
Mason, who had his back to the entrance, said, Give me a run-down, Della. While shes waiting, give me the benefit of your feminine appraisal.
Not bad-looking, from a masculine standpoint, Della Street said. A nice figure, curves in the right places; rather modest, demure
Not from a masculine standpoint, Mason interrupted. Masculine observations of women are notoriously inaccurate. Let me have it from the feminine viewpoint, Della.
I dont know how much she makes, Della Street said, but on a secretarial salary I would say that the clothes shes wearing indicate shes alone in the world. She isnt supporting any mother, father, or younger brothers. She knows how to wear her clothes, too. Shes neat what youd call well groomed.
What color hair?
Darkish. Not coal black. Sort of a dark chestnut.
Natural? Mason asked.
Heaven knows, Della Street said, particularly at this distance. You probably couldnt tell anyway.
Eyes? Mason asked.
Rather dark. You cant get the color from here. Either black or dark brown. Shes a little lady. Shes nervous but making a determined effort to be self-contained... Oh, oh, shes got the head waiter now. Here she comes.
The headwaiter said apologetically, The young woman says she has an appointment, Mr. Mason.
Mason arose.
Della Street said, Are you Susan Fisher? and when the other nodded, extended her hand. Im Della Street, Mr. Masons confidential secretary, and this is Mr. Mason.
Wont you sit down? Mason invited.
I... Im terribly sorry, Mr. Mason. I shouldnt have disturbed you at dinner but this is a matter of the greatest importance.
All right, Mason said, lets hear what its all about. Would you like a dessert, a liqueur, some coffee? I take it youve dined...
Yes. I had a snack I have to be in the lobby of the Arthenium Hotel in exactly thirty minutes.
Well, then, Mason said, perhaps youd better not waste time with coffee. Just sit down here and tell me everything that happened.
It took Susan Fisher ten full minutes of rapid conversation to describe the events of the day.
When she had finished, Masons eyes narrowed. He glanced at his wristwatch. Well, he said, there isnt time to head things off.
What do you mean? Theres almost twenty minutes. There
No, Mason said, I meant to get witnesses who can verify the contents of the shoe box.
You think we should have?
Mason nodded. I think you should have had a witness as soon as you discovered what was in the box.
Why?
You dont know how much was in there, Mason said. Neither does anyone else.
I know, but the shoe box is intact in the safe.
Who knows its intact?
Why, I do. I...
Her dismayed voice trailed away into silence.