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Arlene Ferris	Cabbie	Dr Harmon C Draper
Office manager George Quincy Albert	Jerome Henley	Mrs Arthur Sparks
Jarvis P Lamont	Parking lot attendant	Peter Lyons
Loring Lamont	Stereo hi-fi salesman	Other officers
Jarvis's private secretary . . . Edith Bristol	Jim Billings	Ralph Grave
Perry Mason	Tragg's driver	Lamont receptionist
Della Street	Hamilton Burger	George Banning
2nd vice president at Lamont	Sadie Richmond	Kelsington Apartments manager, Bertha Anderson
Paul Drake	Otto Keswick	Woman bank person
Madge Elwood	Pool man	Bank manager
Lamont guard (Tom Grimes)	Orval Kingman	Exclusive shoe store manager
Lt Tragg	Donald Enders Carson	Loring's tailor
Plain-clothes officer	Judge Carleton Bayton	Lamont switchboard operator

This is the 100th book by Erle Stanley Gardner.

For a change, Erle Stanley Gardner dedicates this book to a San Antonio, Texas attorney who is a member of the board of investigators and one of counsel of the Court of Last Resort, Park Street. As of 1959 Mr Street was opening a "Perry Mason Room" in his suite of law offices. This dedication was typed in Park Street's Perry Mason Room.

One.	It had started to rain in the morning, so Arlene Ferris bundled herself in her raincoat when she parked her car in the Lamont Rolling, Casting and Engineering lot. At quitting time she continued working on letters she knew needed to go out that night. When she brought the finished work to George Albert, office manager, he thank her "very much." It was now a cold drizzle and when Arlene tried to start her car, she got only the grind of the battery-driven starter. Suddenly a cheerful voice ask "What's the matter" and the man tries to help her, but finds she's not getting any spark. He offers to take her home. He is the son of Jarvis P Lamont, owner of the company - Loring Lamont. He starts out for her place and they exchange names. Then he remembers that he has some papers to deliver for his old man. He's "got to come back to town" after the delivery, but it is not far in his car with its big motor. They drive fifteen minutes on the freeway, then some distance on country roads, to the company's country place. He leaves Arlene in the car while he goes to make the delivery, but no one is there, so he suggests Arlene come inside. He makes her a martini then, when old Jarvis P on the phone says the guy will be much later and Lamont must hand deliver the papers, he suggests she make biscuits and he'll get out ham and eggs and they can have dinner there. While they are eating, the phone rings and he comes back and takes her in his arms and kisses her hard on the lips. She tries to push him away and his mask of polite affability disappears. He suggests she not "be a prude." He says that Jarvis's private secretary got his job, out of the secretarial pool, because of him. She says she thinks he had this all planned out from the start. He says he's been crazy about her ever since he got back from South America, and he lifted a part of the distributor out of her car so he could happen along at "just the psychological moment." She "may as well yield to the inevitable with good grace." She demands that he take her home. She tries to grab his car keys, has to fight him off, flings a chair at him, grabs her raincoat and runs out, crawls thru the barbed-wire fence. Then she sees Loring following her in his car, coming to a stop where she veered off the road. He gets out, starts following her tracks in the wet dirt. "Loring Lamont had made one fatal error. He had left the headlights on, the motor running, the key in the ignition lock." She dashes to the car, and drives away with Lamont running after her. She has initial difficulty with the power driving the (automatic transmission of the) car, and handling power steering. She drove to her apartment, changed wet for dry clothes, looked up Loring Lamont's address, and drove his car there, parking it next a fireplug. She took a taxi home.
Two.	Arlene debates what to do all morning long, then, about noon, she phones Perry Mason, gets Della Street, and makes an appointment for two-thirty. At one-thirty there is a ripple of excitement that causes Jarvis P Lamont to look as though his world had caved in, and the second vice president chases after Lamont. About two, Arlene goes to the office manager and asks for time off, and gets an hour and a half.
Three.	Once she finishes her story, Mason wants to know what it is she wants from him. Mainly to teach Loring a lesson, she says. She explains that Edith Bristol, private secretary to Jarvis P Lamont, got her job thru Loring. Mason calls in Paul Drake, tells him he wants to get the goods on Loring, and learns that Loring has been murdered. He orders Drake out, tells Arlene to get herself fired and then go to a friend, whom she identifies as Madge Elwood, to whom she's already told her tale.
Four.	Paul Drake reports on the Lamont Rolling, Casting and Engineering company. It has some classified work, and every car going in is carefully inspected by a guard to make sure it has the company sticker. He suggests that it won't be long before Lt Tragg figures that the girl who left with Loring about five-forty-five worked at the company and figures out who she was. Mason speaks to Madge Elwood on the phone, telling her not to let Arlene know to whom she's talking. He gets her to meet him at Arlene's apartment where she puts on a skirt of Arlene's out of which Mason cuts a bit of the hem. They then slip down the stairs just as Lt Tragg arrives with a plain-clothes officer. They smoke most of a pack of cigarettes down to stubs, then Mason sends Madge out of the building with instructions regarding whether or not there is a police car there. She does not return and when Mason leaves, the police car is gone.
Five.	Mason gets Della to put on high heels and drives her out to the Lamont country place. They find the hole in the fence and Mason has Della hold her skirt tight, lifts her, and she slides down the slope in the wet dirt. Mason hangs the bit of Arlene's hem on the fence. He's just experimenting, of course. Subtracting evidence is illegal, but adding it is not! Mason photographs the evidence. Back at his office he calls Paul Drake in after picking up photographic enlargements of Madge Elwood. He asks Drake to take these to the guard at the Lamont company and ask him if he can identify the woman. They agree that the weakest, faultiest evidence is personal identification.
Six.	Paul and Della are already in Mason's office when the attorney arrives at eight-thirty. The detective has been unable to reach the Lamont guard. Lt Tragg, however, has already discovered a distributor part in Loring's pocket, then found that Arlene Ferris had n identical part replaced. Ferris had time off, and didn't take her car, so they found she'd come to Perry Mason from the cabbie. The searched her apartment, found a skirt with a bit torn, then found the torn part on the fence around the Lamont country place. A Jerome Henley saw a woman park Loring's car next a fire plug about ten or ten-thirty. There is a police car parked at a fireplug across the street, obviously waiting for Mason. Perry has Della call Madge and set up a staged event.
Seven.	Mason goes to the parking lot and greets the attendant, moves his car out near the exit. Madge drives in, gives her car to the attendant, hops in Mason's car. They drive to Henley's place of business and ask a stereo hi-fi salesman of Mr Henley knows a Jim Billings. Henley comes out, starts to offer Mason service and price when Lt Tragg interrupts. Henley, having previously been shown photos of Madge, quickly identifies her to Tragg as the woman getting out of the car. Tragg greets her as Miss Arlene Ferris, and Mason corrects him, introducing Madge Elwood. Henley asserts she is the girl. Tragg is forced by Mason to let the lawyer stay with Madge as he and his driver go to a bungalow, where Tragg brings a man who seems to look over the car. Tragg takes the two back to the hi-fi stereo store. Mason then drives Madge back to the bungalow. Tom Grimes, the Lamont guard, is the man, and he says he cannot absolutely identify the girl.
Eight.	Drake informs Mason that the police have picked up Arlene. Mason calls Hamilton Burger to get cooperation in seeing Arlene as soon as the police come in with her. Burger wants to know why she hadn't come to the police to tell them she'd been with Loring, and Mason counters with a question of when she learned there had been a murder. Drake knows Loring was killed almost immediately after he ate, and thinks a young woman and he ate together. There is a caretaker, Sadie Richmond, and a yard man, Otto Keswick, and a pool man, each of which has a key. Della, Paul and Perry drive out to the place, stop at Sadie Richmond's. Mason offers her twenty-dollars, then another, and another, and another. Then he explains he's the lawyer for the accused, and only wants to see the place. She relents, and drives her old-model likity-split down the dirt road, hits the brakes in time to stop and unlock the gate without skidding into the swimming pool. She notes that J P Lamont is a good cook, but like all men leaves lots of dirty dishes. Lamont partied for two. In his search Mason finds a strange check book, with a check written to Orval Kingman the day of the murder, and another marked OK right after. Sadie marks bills to be paid with OK. Sadie doesn't like this, chases them out. Mason uses a 35 mm camera and close-up attachments to photograph the stubs, then gives the checkbook back to Sadie. He notes that either Lamont or someone else living in the Endicott Apartments wrote the checks.
Nine.	Mason has just heard everything from Arlene, who told Lt Tragg all she knew. Mason asks her about cars she passed on the way out, since someone ate ham and eggs with Loring shortly after she left. She remembers that Loring pressed his advances after a call in which he said "Okay" many times. Mason wonder if this was not O K. Back at his office, O K becomes Orval Kingman, then Otto Keswick when Paul Drake joins them. Mason thinks Drake should check bank tellers about the O K check.
Ten	Douglas Enders Carson tells the Court that the People of the State of California are ready for the preliminary hearing against Arlene Ferris. Judge Carleton Bayton tells him to call the first witness and autopsy surgeon Dr Harmon C Draper says he doesn't know at what time Loring died, but it was within twenty minutes of his ingesting ham and eggs. George Quincy Albert identifies the body. He states the defendant has been with the company for about two months, and was placed on the payroll at the specific instruction of Loring Lamont. Jerome Henley identifies Arlene as the woman he saw, saying he was mistaken when he identified Madge Elwood. He explains how he was tricked. He was "Mistakenly positive" in his earlier identification. He doesn't know what time he saw the defendant, but it felt ten o'clockish. Thomas Grimes testifies to seeing Arlene go out with Loring. Mason determines, bit by bit from the speed of the car to the size of the window thru which he was looking that he saw her for less than a fifth of a second. Only after he saw a photo of the defendant did his identification become certain. Otto Keswick says he keeps the Lamont place in shape. He discovered Lamont when he saw the door open and walked in. What did Lamont call him? Otto. Ever "O K?" No. He gets free rent and works by the hour, sometimes a few, other days a lot. He gives his time slips to Sadie Richmond and she marks them "O K" and puts them in the deck and eventually he gets a check. His alibi; he was watching TV with a Mrs Sparks. Officer Peter Lyons is called and it is suggested his testimony can be stipulated into evidence. Mason allows it to be stipulated that Officer Lyons gave one ticket, about nine. It is further stipulated that other officers came on at midnight and gave two more tickets before the car was towed away at three. The judge thinks this concludes the prosecution's case, but Carson says he has one more witness, Lt Tragg, whose testimony will be conclusive. Court adjourns until the afternoon. Mason tells Arlene that things are going better than expected, but he thinks she'll be bound over to Superior Court. He thinks, if she behaves, he can get a quick trial and acquittal. She asks if Jarvis P Lamont has said she's "a liar and adventuress" and Mason says "its a wonderful thing in [her] favor." He will "encourage the press to exploit it." Mason joins Madge, Paul and Della, says he thinks that Henley was so mad he's been tricked that he blurted out some admissions that can be used later. Because of the parking ticket, Mason says Henley must have seen Arlene leave the car before nine, and it wasn't ticketed again until after midnight. "Why didn't Lyons tag it again?" Mason suggests that Drake pursue this, as well as Keswick's alibi with Mrs Sparks. Orval Kingman comes up to Mason, says he doesn't like people looking into his back side, that it might not be good for their health. Mason says his health is excellent, Kingman should watch out for his. His alibi is that he was in a poker game. Mason draws a scenario where Kingman stuck a knife in Loring while trying to collect $500, but Kingman counters with why would he kill a customer. Then Mason suggests he and Loring at the ham and eggs and he left with a $500 check. Mason tells Kingman he'll check on the game, quietly. He thinks Kingman may have spoken on the phone to Loring, but the bookie says Loring never used initials, called him Orval. Mason gives Kingman a subpoena, says he must appear unless he gives him the names of the others in the game. Kingman provides five names, says Loring won, but now can't get his winnings. They shake hands, part friends, and Della confirms her belief that the bookie was honest.
Eleven.	Paul Drake catches Mason as the latter is entering the courtroom for the afternoon session. The police report is accurate regarding Loring's car. Mason immediately asks the right to cross-examine officer Peter Lyons, but he is not in the courtroom and the prosecutor objects strenuously, even tries to withdrawn the stipulated testimony, but the judge rules that Mason has the right of cross. In the meantime, Lt Tragg is called. He testifies to finding a part of the distributor in Loring's pocket, one exactly like that replaced in Miss Ferris's car the next morning. He then testifies to Arlene's confession, witnessed by Ralph Grave. He ends indicating she said she returned the car to the fireplug about eight-fifteen. They found the defendant's fingerprints on the steering wheel. Back at the Loring Company property they found planted evidence, including a piece of a skirt which matched the skirt found in Arlene's apartment, and of size to fit the defendant. There were planted high heel marks inside the fence, but not outside. Mason examines on voir dire. He points out that the attempt to substantiate the story of the defendant was rather clumsy. Further, have they checked identification marks from the cleaners in the skirt? No. The Court orders that it be done. Tragg defines three classifications of the area's ground, which determines whether or not usable shoe prints could be identified. Tragg points out that shoes worn by the decedent were free of mud, as were his clothes. A recess of ten minutes is take so the clothes can be introduced as evidence. Mason tells Arlene that if she has lied, she's in trouble, and she swears she's told the absolute truth. Tragg returns with the clothes, and nothing in Mason's cross examination shakes the police officer. Of course, the only way they know that the clean shoes were those worn by the decedent are that they were on the body when found dead. Tragg testifies about the cooking and eating utensils. Mason asks about the check book and stubs. Tragg thinks the last check was a mistake. That is the prosecution's case. Mason wants to cross-examine Lyons, but Carson admits it is the officer's day off, and he mistakenly let him go once Mason stipulated to his direct testimony. The judge wants to be assured that Mason has a reason for examining Lyons which cannot be stipulated, and Mason says he doesn't want to give away his entire plan of attack. Judge Bayton reluctantly adjourns to the next day.
Twelve.	Mason is lost in thought. First he thinks, what if his client is lying? No, "have confidence in your clients" and figure out how the prosecution has misled you. Officer Lyons must know something the prosecution doesn't want him to know. He gave only one ticket. So the car must have been driven away and back while he was on duty! Mason now figures there is something in Arlene's getting her job through Madge Elwood. At Lamont's, the receptionist tells Mason that Edith Bristol thinks the district attorney wouldn't like her speaking to him, so Mason says he'll subpoena her and show her bias. She invites him up, but then says he doesn't know why or how Madge Elwood could help Arlene Ferris get a job. She calls in George Albert, briefing him about Mason asking questions, so he can arrive prepared with answers. Albert says he knew of Ferris's coming to work when Loring handed him a note just before he left for South America. Arlene went to top pay directly. Only one other person went to work that way, blurts out Albert to Bristol's dismay, Madge Elwood. Bristol terminates the interview, and she and Albert are served subpoenas by Mason. Next, a phone call to Drake, who informs them that Keswick drove into the Lamont lodge property about or shortly after seven-thirty, possibly with Sadie Richmond, through an open gate, according to a neighbor, George Banning, upon whom Drake has already served a subpoena. Perry and Della go Madge hunting.
Thirteen.	The Kelsington Apartments manager tells Mason that Madge left that afternoon with two suitcases. Probably drove her own car. Her bank is around the corner. Mason and Street go to the bank, ask to speak to the manager, are led by the woman bank person to the manager. Mason suggests Madge may have presented a forged check. The banker checks with Bristol by phone, and tells Mason the check is good. Mason figures now that Jarvis P Lamont wants Madge out of town. Mason suggests to Della that when Loring got back to the lodge, he wanted clean, dry clothes and feminine companionship. Madge provided this. So Henley really saw Madge get out of the car, not Arlene. Madge was dolling herself up after Loring called her when Arlene called. She took Loring's own car to the lodge. Meanwhile, Loring had cooked another batch of ham and eggs. After dinner, Madge stabbed him. Now they have to find her. Further, Sadie and Otto saw Loring before Madge. None of those three is going to willingly help Arlene. They go to Elwood's garage, find it empty, drive Mason's car inside and shut the door. Then Albert, with Tragg, come upon the duo. Albert immediately accuses Mason of planting evidence in the garage. As they drive away, Perry tells Della that if Hamilton Burger appears in court, Tragg and Albert have found evidence which now will point against Ferris.
Fourteen.	To the surprise and consternation of Judge Bayton, Hamilton Burger takes over the prosecution. Mason cross-examines Officer Lyons, who admits he ticketed Loring's car at nine, and is reasonably sure it was not there at eleven. He also noted a double-parked car, which he ticketed. Lt Tragg is called and he relates how he and Albert came upon Mason and Street in Elwood's garage. Mason objects to the conversation being entered into evidence as it was not made in the presence of the defendant. Sustained. Tragg searched the garage and found mud-stained clothes and shoes, the latter purchased by Loring from an exclusive shoe store, which fact is stipulated. Further, that Loring's tailor identified the clothes is also stipulated. Mason gets Tragg to admit that these could have been planted by Madge Elwood. Bertha Anderson, Kelsington Apartments manager, starts to testify to the conversation she had with Mason and the attorney objects. Carson pleads, and the judge reminds him of his ruling. Hamilton Burger presses the issue, but Judge Bayton holds his position. Burger suggests that Ferris planted the evidence The judge suggests that the logical person to have done so is Elwood. Burger asserts that Elwood wasn't at the lodge, and Mason interrupts him on the point, "how does counsel know she wasn't?" The judge indicates that, hadn't Mason interrupted, he'd have wanted an answer. The manager then says she saw Elwood wearing the damaged skirt several times the day after the murder, then she came back in the evening in a different skirt. Mason asks about the eve of the murder. Madge went out about nine, and she didn't see her come back. She closes up at eleven. Carson now argues that the skirt had to be planted after the murder, and Mason planted Loring's muddied clothes and shoes. The judge asks if, had Tragg and Albert arrived first, Carson would accuse them of planting the evidence. Certainly not. Then, the judge asserts, no more can he claim Mason planted the evidence. Judge Bayton thinks Henley should be recalled for examination by the Court, since the witness first testified that it was Madge Elwood who got out of Loring's car. While waiting Henley's return, Lt Tragg is called for cross-examination. Mason asks about fingerprints on the dishes at the lodge. Of course, Ferris's and Loring's, and a set not identified, but not Sadie Richmond. What about the phone call made by Loring. It was station-to-station, to the Loring executive office, made at about the time Loring and Arlene arrived at the lodge. There were no other calls! The court takes a short recess. Mason argues with Drake that Madge must have called Loring. How else could the clean clothes and shoes been brought to him? (If you have an answer, you've solved the case!) Drake goes to check telephone calls, then Mason sends Della to have him find out the owner of the double-parked car. As Judge Bayton settles down question Henley, Della whispers to Perry that Paul has found that Elwood did call the lodge, then two other Los Angeles phones. The judge asks Henley to put aside all prejudices, to forget the pictures shown him, and say whom he saw at the Loring car. He was positive about Elwood, but is now confused. The judge decides that the witness has made a positive identification of Madge Elwood. Then Mason asks if Tragg knows of the alcohol content of Loring's blood. Point one-nine, very intoxicated according to Dr Draper. Stipulated. Drake gives Mason a note; Loring called the switchboard operator and told her to call back in seven minutes. Elwood's two other calls were to Albert and Bristol. Mason makes such a statement to the court, and, from another note from Drake, that the double-parked car belonged to Bristol. Mason asks for this to be stipulated, as Burger has objected. The judge, who has shut down Mason's argument to this point, now allows it as an answer to the objection! Mason points out that someone had to get the clothes, someone with a key, and someone had to escort Madge who didn't want to have to handle a drunk Loring. The double-parked car indicates that Bristol was the one getting clean clothes from the apartment. Edith Bristol jumps up, interrupts, and confesses. She thought Loring was going to marry her. But he never had platonic relationships, and that is all Madge, who was interested in Albert, wanted. She found Loring "offensively, obnoxiously drunk." A fresh dinner was cooked and while eating Loring boasted at how Edith was such a pushover. He was going to go to Arlene and force her to do his bidding or he'd accuse her of car theft. He got worse, she tried to escape thru the kitchen, but he was in a murderous rage. She grabbed a butcher knife. He lunged, stubbed his toe, fell and, as he went by she lashed out with the knife. It went in so easy. She was only sure she'd slowed him down. He chased her, but she got in her car and drove away. Mason, with consideration in his voice, asks about the $500 check. Otto and Sadie had been blackmailing Loring whose father had warned him against any immoral activities at the lodge, and had called, demanding the money and they'd be over in half an hour to collect. Mason then asks Albert what he has to say, and he announces that he and Madge have just married, so neither will testify. Judge Bayton shows compassion for Edith, whom he notes "has told her story with great sincerity." He believes a jury will consider the killing one of self-defense. The case against Arlene is dismissed.
Fifteen.	The trio plus Arlene are in Mason's office. Loring, knowing that California law allows previous indiscretions to be used against a complaining rape victim, had considerable leeway for his wolfish ways. Madge and Albert arrived to find Loring dead. She simply returned his car to the fireplug. Jarvis P did what he needed to protect the memory of his son and the police, by brainwashing Henley, have no case of any sort, not even failure to report the murder, against Madge Elwood.

Muriell Gilman	Gilman's (red-headed) switchboard operator	Warren Lawton
Nancy (Adair) Gilman	Drake's switchboard operator	Maurice Fellows
Glamis Barlow	John Yerman Hassell	Court guard
Edward Carter Gilman	Hassell's brother and sister	Spectators
Hartley Grove Elliott	Police investigators	Bailiff
Gilman cook	Deputy coroner	Mrs Lamay C Kirk
Gilman maid	Lieutenant Arthur Tragg	Glenn Beaumont McCoy
Perry Mason	Plain-clothes officer	Cartman Jasper
Gertie	D A Hamilton Burger	Policewoman
Della Street	Jail guard	Her partner
Steven A Barlow	Veteran courtroom attachés	Banker
Vera M Martel	Edward Marcus Deering	Alan Hancock, Redding operative
Paul Drake	State police officer	Maureen Monroe
Matilda "Tillie" Norman	Judge Boris Alvord	George Washington Monroe
V M Martel's L A secretary	Autopsy surgeon	Waiter
Roger C Calhoun	Jonathan Blair	Harvey C Kimberly
Calhoun's (calendar girl) secretary, Miss Colfax	Carlos Barbara

Dr Francis Edward Camps receives Erle Stanley Gardner's plaudits by way of dedication of this novel to this international personality who works with Scotland Yard and consults in the United States.

The noose around Mason's client has to get tighter with each new mystery novel. Here Tragg tells Mason the case is iron-clad, and therefore he shouldn't get mixed up in it.

The titles of the Perry Mason novels always have some meaning to the story, but it is often nebulous. Here it is almost the only clue we have until the moment when things explode in the courtroom. Isn't it unfair that the next clue comes when the novel is 96% over?

One.	Muriell Gilman moves quietly from dining room to kitchen so as not to disturb stepmother Nancy, or Nancy's daughter Glamis Barlow. Her father, Carter, had asked her to prepare another egg and slab of homemade venison sausage. She hesitated, thin king his diet would catch up with him and he'd cancel the order, then the sausage was frozen, so took extra long. By the time she returned with the meal, her dad was gone. She goes searching, wakes Nancy, then meets Glamis at the attic, and is informed that her beau, Hartley Elliott, is in the Rose room. Nancy gets Glamis some toast and black coffee. Back in the dining room she finds Carter's brief case. Inside she finds a note that she is to call Perry Mason in case of emergency. Her father's napkin is missing. She rushes to the garage, which contains a workshop and photographic darkroom. She finds a broken chair, a red puddle, money, the napkin. The sedan was not in the garage. She phones her father's office, but he is not there. She phones Perry Mason, and the switchboard (Gertie, it must be) puts her through to Della Street, then Mason arrives.
Two.	Mason asks Della who she just promised he'd call back. Carter Gilman, and Mason says he was a juror in a recent trial. This checks, and Della notices that an Edward Carter from the same address has an eleven-thirty appointment. He calls Muriel, learns that her father uses his middle name, Carter, not his first, Edward. She explains his disappearance. Mason drives out to the Gilman's. The red pool is paint, but the bills they pick up add to ten thousand dollars. Muriel says Glamis is twenty, the same age as herself. Mason tells Muriel to tell no one he was there, and he'll phone her about one. Back in his office, Mason has Della put the ten thousand dollars in the safe
Three.	Mason fidgets, waiting for Gilman/Carter. He thinks that the man ordered the additional breakfast in order to get rid of Muriell. Carter arrives and states he's "acting on behalf of a friend." He's visiting the Gilmans, and he's quite certain Nancy Gilman is being blackmailed by a private detective, Vera M Martel. He wants Mason to find out what in Nancy's background could be cause for blackmail. Mason probes, notes to Carter that his last name is the same as that of the head of the family he's staying with. Mason keeps trying to flush out Carter into admitting he's Gilman - the photo he has from Nancy proves he is - but the man plays his game, insists Mason protect the whole family. Mason makes Carter sign over the entire contents of the garage. When Gilman leaves, Mason tells Della that this protects him from a charge of suppressing evidence. He calls in Paul Drake, who says that Martel makes her living thru blackmail, and she is clever. Mason has Della call Muriell and tell her that her father is safe.
Four.	Four hours after Gilman's aliased visit Vera Martel phones Mason, warns him off. She says Gilman's fingerprints are over those of the person he's trying to protect, and give the attorney a phone where Carter can be found. Mason calls, and a surprised Gilman is forced to admit his true identity. Mason forces him into a detailed description of his earlier visit as proof. Gilman tells Mason that a larger retainer is money scattered on the floor of his workshop, and Muriell will be at his office in ten minutes with further instructions. Mason points out that the only way he knows who Gilman is is from a photo conveniently produced by Muriell. Further, the voice identified as Vera Martel could be someone else. Della tries to find V M Martel, and the detective's Los Angeles secretary says she, too, would like to find her. Muriell arrives with instructions to take Mason to her house, get a brief case with documents and take it to Roger C Calhoun, who is to go ahead and complete negotiations on the agreements and execute them. Mason says he doesn't want to work blind, doesn't want to be her father's errand boy. Muriell pleads, and Mason gives in.
Five.	While driving to the Gilman place, Mason listens for "false notes" in Muriell's voice. She tells him of her father's business, investment under the name Gilman Associates Investment Pool, with Calhoun as business manager. This morning there were phone calls from Calhoun's secretary and she overheard her Daddy's switchboard operator mention Tillie's name, so she was able to speak to her and learn she didn't know where Daddy was. Then Daddy called Tillie and spoke to her, telling her to go directly to Mason's office, then get the brief case and so on. During this, she brags about her abilities as an actress; she has a scrapbook of rave notices. Mason stops to phone Della, asks her to phone Gilman Associates Investment Pool and speak to Gilman's secretary, listen to her voice. Mason thinks it will be the person that called as Vera Martel. Muriell admits to Mason that if she doesn't "want people to find out anything they don't find out, that's all." Mason drives into the garage and, while Muriell gets the brief case, he inspects the surroundings, finding photos of various family members. She gives him the brief case. A car is heard. It is a taxi with Glamis. Muriell goes out to try to divert her from Mason. The attorney calls Paul Drake, tells him to put a shadow on Muriell when he drops her off at the office in twenty minutes. He checks, then, with Della, who asserts that Vera and Tillie are the same person. Muriell brings Glamis to Mason, and she flashes audacious eyes at him. She needs the car, so a switch is made; Mason will take Glamis to the car. She shows a nice bit of leg as Mason escorts her to a seat in his car. As they drive into town, Glamis tries to pump Mason, eventually realizes who he is. She uses her considerable wit on him, but doesn't learn why he's been out to the Gilman house. At the parking lot, she jumps out, quickly retrieves the car, and speeds off, Drake following.
Six.	Mason enters the offices of Gilman Associates Investment Pool, meets the stunning red-headed receptionist, then is passed into Calhoun by his calendar-girl secretary. Mason delivers the contracts which Calhoun inspects, an original and three copies. Mason asks for a receipt. When Calhoun dictates a receipt to Miss Colfax, Mason objects to "who has approved the entire deal in its present form." Mason hasn't read the contracts. Calhoun argues, gives up. While the secretary is typing the receipt, Calhoun talks to Mason. He notes that Glamis is twenty, yet the marriage between Nancy and Barlow was solemnized only nineteen years ago. Scandal would hurt the business is his point. The receipts are signed and Mason takes his leave, with a wink from Miss Colfax. Mason checks with Drake's switchboard operator, who says Paul is out. He reports to Della about the beautiful women with whom he's "recently been associating." He describe's Miss Colfax's walk as "like a snake walking on its tail while holding is head rigidly motionless." Mason invites Della to dinner, tells Drake's receptionist they are going to the Green Mill for cocktails and corn fritos, then "to the Steak Mart for filet mignon with baked potato, garlic toast, French fried onions, apple pie à là mode . . ." The receptionist is on a diet. From cocktails, Mason calls Muriell, who says Dad will be back from Las Vegas tomorrow morning. Glamis is out until late, rather "early" in the morning. Mason thinks it may be good after all that Drake has followed one of the duplicate daughters. They dine and dance, then return to Drake's where they get a phone call from Paul who is in Las Vegas. He explains how Glamis gave him the slip at a casino. Mason suggests he check the Barlow place, then return home.
Seven.	Drake reports on Glamis. He followed her to Las Vegas, getting the last plane ticket, sitting across the aisle from her. He won $500 at craps by putting his chips down and leaving them until someone collected them or gave him his winnings. He has discovered that a Nancy Adair lived in New York with John Yerman Hassell in a Bohemian lifestyle, got pregnant. He took no responsibility, given the way they lived. Later, after he became rich, he decided he loved her, but she'd disappeared. She had married Barlow; Glamis believes he is her real father. Hassell left three million to his daughter. Nancy claimed it, settled for two million from the brother and sister of Hassell a year before she married Gilman. Drake gets a call informing him that Vera Martel is dead. The police found sawdust, the kind found in hobby workshops. The coroner says she was dead before her car went off Mulholland. Muriell calls Mason, hysterical. The police have vacuumed the workshop and left. Lt Tragg and a plainclothesman burst in. Tragg and Mason spar, with Mason getting the best in avoiding naming his client until a call from Gilman in the DA's office (of course, this has to be Hamilton Burger) that he's charged with murder of Martel. Tragg is coached into offering Mason a ride to the county jail, and he offers also a warning that the case is iron-clad.
Eight.	Mason confronts Gilman in the jail. Facing first-degree murder, Gilman tells his story. He saw some family member running from the workshop. Vera Martel was there. He found money all over the floor, and the spilled can of paint. He tried to catch Martel, found her car but not her. It comes out that he had found her conferring with Calhoun, and Colfax, who hates the man, told Tillie what was going on. When he had the chance, he made impressions of Martel's keys in clay. While in Las Vegas, he went to her office, but someone had beaten him to it. He has, of course, told the whole story to the police. Mason warns him to say nothing to anyone, and he's going to the three women to determine who is lying. If none is, Gilman goes to the gas chamber.
Nine.	Mason beards the lionesses in their lair. Muriell explains that the workshop can be seen from where Daddy was sitting, but not from the kitchen. Then she goes for Nancy and Glamis. Nancy is resentful of Mason's approach, Glamis, when she arrives later, is very angry. Neither knows Vera Martel. None admit to having ten thousand dollars. Lieutenant Arthur Tragg arrives with his partner banging on the front and back door respectively. They don't wait, but barge in and, as Mason tells the three to tell the truth or say nothing, and to volunteer nothing, they do their best to usher the attorney out.
Ten.	Drake has Hartley Elliott, but Mason needs to rush to the man's apartment. When he gets there he finds a reticent man who slept overnight at the Gilman's and who woke up about eight-thirty, saw Glamis, apparently scared, run from the garage, return to shut the door, then run around the house. Later, he felt like a peeping tom when he saw her in a see-thru nightie talking with Muriell at the foot of the attic stairs. Mason says he cannot advise him, but Glamis might be a defendant, having strangled Martel, Gilman having then disposed of the body. If, however, he runs, he could become the prime suspect. Mason makes Drake follow him, and let Elliott run if he wants.
Eleven.	The preliminary hearing goes slower than normal, as veteran courtroom attachés notice that deputy D A Edwardo Marcus Deering is being very careful with Perry Mason as his adversary. The state police officer who found Martel's body is first. He says Martel's car did not skid or slide off the road, but was pointed directly towards the cliff, with the transmission in drive. When Mason has no cross-examination, Judge Boris Alvord asks if Mason will make a showing, then will he resist binding over. Mason is uncertain about the former, says yes to the latter. The autopsy surgeon says she was strangled and death occurred between seven thirty and eleven thirty. The coroner identifies items from Martel's purse, particularly a key case. Jonathan Blair, a technical criminal expert from the sheriff's office, says he found a unique sawdust in Martel's clothing. Carlos Barbara testifies that he processed mahogany with a dye, and only three people have samples, Gilman being one. Mason stipulates to the piece introduced into evidence as being from Barbara. Warren Lawton says he examined sawdust found on Martel's clothing and shoes, and it matched, along with hair, that found in Gilman's car trunk. Mason finally has some cross-examination. He learns that if the defendant had been working in the workshop, he, too, would have sawdust on his clothes, which could have fallen in the trunk if he had opened it. Maurice Fellows testifies to making keys for Gilman from clay impressions. The keys match those on Martel's key ring. The court adjourns for lunch. Mason asks the guard to bring Gilman back ten minutes early.
Twelve.	Spectators are filling the room when Mason joins Gilman. Mason tells Gilman that Hartley Elliott has been taken in by the police and he saw Glamis come out of the darkroom. Gilman now admits this is true. Before he can finish, the bailiff bangs his gavel and Hamilton Burger joins Deering. Hartley Grove Elliott is led in. Burger does the examining of the hostile witness. Burger leads Elliott up to the morning of the murder, at which point the witness refuses to answer. When pushed, he refuses to testify against an innocent person. The judge sends him to jail until he talks. Burger calls Paul Drake, asks if, with Mason, they didn't question Elliott and get him to admit he saw Glamis. Mason objects that he cannot impeach his own witness, especially since his witness didn't answer the question. The judge sustains Mason's objection. Glamis is called. Judge Alvord advises she may become a codefendant, so she need not testify to or answer any question on anything which might tend to incriminate her. He is insistent she know her rights. When Burger asks her if she was on the morning in question in the workshop, and Mason objects, she demands to be heard, she did not go there, and writes her name on the diagram showing the workshop. Mrs Lamay C Kirk, who lives next to the Gilman's, is asked if she saw Glamis at the workshop. Mason object, that this is an intent to impeach his own witness, which he is not permitted to do, but must accept her testimony. Further, unless he can show Martel was in the workshop with Gilman and Glamis, this is all irrelevant, immaterial and incompetent. Burger is forced to admit that Carter Gilman and Glamis Barlow are together responsible for the death of Vera Martel, in his opinion. Now Mason objects. Judge Alvord warns Burger that a prime facie case is all that is necessary to bind the defendant over to Superior Court, but Burger is dogged in wanting to get certain testimony into the record. Glenn Beaumont McCoy, card dealer at the casino where Glamis often played, is there to testify to her being seen coming surreptitiously out of Martel's office which, the next morning, was found to have been ransacked. Mason again objects that an attempt is being made to try Glamis as codefendant. Glamis should have her own counsel to examine the witnesses. The judge says he sees a line of reasoning which might justify the prosecutions approach, but he needs time to look up some authorities, and adjourns to the morrow.
Thirteen.	Mason tells Drake to get the best lie-detector man in town. Drake says Cartman Jasper can set up in no time. Mason thinks that McCoy is lying about the time he saw Glamis coming out of Martel's office, as Drake had her in the casino until 9:11 and in a cab at 9:12, so McCoy couldn't have seen her at 9:15. He thinks Nancy must have known Martel. Burger is in such a rush that Mason thinks the judge may upset the apple cart, for he won't allow Burger to fall down on any element of the case.
Fourteen.	Nancy Gilman is fuming when Mason arrives, thinks the case is a farce, that Hartley Elliott is "a man of the highest moral character" and Glamis is "a young woman of refinement and delicacy thrown into a cell with hardened prostitutes . . ." She thinks Mason should get Glamis out on bail. Mason says he could, but then she'd be charged with murder or as codefendant, and there would be no bail. That changes Nancy's attitude. She does not know what Glamis was doing, as she was asleep. No, she's never heard of Vera Martel. She insists that, though she hasn't conformed to convention, she's never been untrue to herself, and would throw a blackmailer out of the house. Mason asks her to take a lie detector test suggesting, should she pass it, the newspapers would give her sympathetic coverage. She agrees. Drake and Mason watch Nancy taking the test thru the one-way window. She flinches when asked if she is "the mother of a daughter named Glamis?" Jasper's report is that she is not lying, she didn't know Martel nor is she being blackmailed. There is some emotional problem with Glamis.
Fifteen.	Mason cannot understand how anyone could draw out ten thousand dollars and they cannot find it. He's worried, also, that the police may discover this before he reports he has the money. He asks Drake to follow the trail of Martel's air travel card and gasoline credit cards. Muriell phones in to say she's been disloyal, she spilled the beans when the police hammered and kept hammering. A policewoman collared her before she could get away and she with an officer took her to the DA. Then Tragg bursts in with his plain-clothes officer, and gives a subpoena duces tecum to him to appear as a prosecution witness with ten thousand dollars he picked up in the Gilman workshop. Tragg leaves telling Mason he won't tell him he's sorry. Drake gets a phone call and his operative advise him that it was Martel who withdrew ten thousand dollars. The banker who gave her the money recorded the numbers on six of the one-hundred-dollar bills. Another call. Hartley Elliott was not put in a separate cell, but mixed with drunks. He broke down and will testify. Drake reports that Martel flew to Redding, then to Los Angeles. She was met in Redding. Mason asks if Drake has an operative there, and sets him to getting what Martel did. Perry and Della go out to dinner, but aren't hungry. They call Drake, who has a report. Operative Alan Hancock has reported and Drake will have him call the restaurant. A waiter brings Mason a phone with the call. Martel was met by Maureen Monroe, whose father is the rich G W, for George Washington, Monroe. His daughter is twenty, beautiful. She is to marry Harvey C Kimberly next month. He's from Phoenix, and wealthy. Mason directs Hancock to get photos and newspapers, as much as he can, and charter a plane from Redding, then come on to Los Angeles to be at the court by ten. As Mason tells Della to have Paul check on the prospective groom, he thinks he knows where the ten thousand came from.
Sixteen.	The courtroom is jammed. Burger announces that Elliott will not testify. Burger asks him when he saw Glamis in the morning, and he says he saw her leaving the workshop at eight-twenty-five. When Burger announces "cross-examine" to Mason, he continues before Mason can arise with the announcement that he expects his next witness is the defense attorney. Mason counters that he has the right to cross-examine the witness. The judge agrees. Mason begins delaying for time for Hancock to arrive with his documents. He asks Elliott about his business. He represents several different manufacturers of merchandise. So he travels. Where, then, is his residence. Mason strikes gold; Redding. Elliott has his office there. Hancock has arrived and Mason asks a moment of the Court. Della thrusts a photograph of Maureen Monroe in front of him. Mason asks a few more questions on why he chose Redding. He graduated from the town's high school. Did he know G W Monroe? Yes. Did he know his daughter, Maureen? Yes. Mason says he's going to show him a photograph and ask if it shows the person he saw running from the workshop. Burger rushes forward to see the photo, offers no objection. The photo "hit the witness in the face" and Burger steps forward to point out the photo is that of Glamis Bartow. Mason, however, points out that the caption identifies it as Maureen Monroe. The judge asks to see the photograph, the orders Elliott to answer Mason's question. Elliott is confused. How long has he known Vera Martel? About a month. When asked if he had a business relation with her, he refuses to answer. Burger asks for a continuance, Mason does not object. Mason assures the judge that he's just received the evidence. Nancy Gilman is crying. The court recesses.
Seventeen.	Mason explains everything after Drake announces that Elliott has confessed. Nancy gave birth to identical twin girls. She felt she could keep only one. When Mrs G W Monroe gave birth to a Mongoloid, Nancy arranged to have her return to Redding with a beautiful daughter. When Hartley met Glamis, he was struck by the amazing resemblance, and employed Martel to find out the truth. Vera learned that Nancy had received a settlement, not the full inheritance, went quietly to Maureen, suggesting she had money coming. Vera paid Maureen ten thousand for a half interest in what she could recover. Maureen found herself in an impossible situation, about to marry, but would the Kimberlys allow their son to marry an illegitimate child. Maureen followed Vera to the Gilman workshop, called her a crook, threw the ten thousand in her face, ran out and around the house. Hartley realized he'd been sold out. Enraged, he choked Martel to scare her, but killed her. The body was hidden in Gilman's car until it could be moved, then sent over the cliff. Tragg applied pressure and got the confession. Harvey is standing by Maureen and the family is standing by both of them. It was only when Mason realized that Nancy had an emotional disturbance over "a" daughter that he got the idea.

Della Street	. . Day Dawns	Hamilton Burger
Perry Mason	Mrs Carlotta Theilman	Jury
Gertie	Morley's banker	Surveyor
Janice Wainwright	Drake's Las Vegas correspondent	Photographer
John Sears	Waiter	Mr Marcus
Morley L Theilman	Cab driver, later, Dudley Roberts	Moulage expert
Mrs Agnes Theilman, alias	Lt (Arthur) Tragg	Doctor Lombard G Jasper
A B Vidal	Lieutenant Sophia	Court officer
Paul Drake	Casino guard	Newspaper man in D A's office
Postal operative	Various Nevada police officers	Court clerk
Postal inspector	Mason's Las Vegas lawyer	Louise Pickens
Tailing operative	Morley's lawyer	Wilbur Kenney
Cole B Troy	Various brokers	Lucille Rankin
Plain-clothes officer (later, Orland)	Pilot	Bailiff
Smitty	Judge Lloyd L Seymour	Otto L Nelson
Drake's switchboard operator	Manlove P Ruskin	Casino cashier

Marshall Houts is a lawyer, not a doctor of medicine, so not a usual candidate for Erle Stanley Gardner's dedication in his Foreword. Houts worked with Gardner in the Court of Last Resort, and is an author at the time of writing of From Evidence to Proof; From Arrest to Release; Courtroom Medicine, and The Rules of Evidence.

We are all familiar with Mason's switchboard operator, but wouldn't it be nice of Gardner identified Drake's?

Our favorite anachronistic word, "swell," makes a return after a long absence.

Mason rarely compliments Della on her physical beauty, but from Janice to Agnes to Carlotta and Janice transformed, from beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, to devastating, he finally says "Did I ever tell you you're a remarkably beautiful woman?"

Is the television series having an effect on Erle Stanley Gardner's novels? The longest courtroom scenes in the novels only occur regularly after the TV series is well under way. The TV series gives a third to half of the show to the courtroom scene, then followed by the last chapter of the correlative novel (where there is one) after the final commercial break. The preliminary hearing here is fifty-two pages long.

The great Perry Mason mysteries involve a misunderstanding of the time element which Mason figures out at the last minute. This novel is a perfect example of the format.

1.	Della Street enters Perry Mason's private office, leans back, "her shapely hips pressing the palms of her flattened hands against the door leading to the reception room." Mason knows she is up to some mischief. He makes a quip about Gertie and her diets, but Della has a client waiting. Janice Wainwright has a suitcase which she is guarding jealously, and has a problem of ethics. Mason has an appointment with John Sears who never wants to wait a minute, but Mason is curious. Janice tells the attorney that the suitcase belongs to Morley Theilman, her boss, to whom she is loyal, even to the point of disguising her natural beauty so that his wife (Agnes) won't get jealous. She thinks the suitcase has money for blackmail. She produces a letter from A B Vidal which demands money. She wants to open the suitcase, and wants Mason to tell her it is legal to do so. He takes a dollar for consultation, opens the suitcase, finds packets of twenty-dollar bills. He and Della transcribe as many bill numbers as they can in ten minutes. Then Mason sends Janice to Union Station to make the deposit of the suitcase, but he keeps the key, and sends Della with her to make certain the money in the suitcase is locked in the proper locker.
2.	Della returns, the job accomplished. Mason wonders why typewrite the address, but do the note in cutouts from newspapers. Why not type the whole thing. He calls for Paul Drake, asks him to cover General Delivery. Drake suggests he can put one operative on the job and get help from the postal inspector whom he'll ask to join him for lunch. But Mason wants Vidal followed, so two operative are called for.
3.	Janice Wainwright phones to say that Mr Theilman has disappeared. Mrs Agnes Theilman got worried when her husband did not return from Bakersfield. He'd gone there to see Cole B Troy. A plain-clothes officer showed up at the office asking questions. She heard from Theilman the previous afternoon, not since. Mason tells her not to lie to the police, but don't volunteer, and say you cannot discuss his business dealings without his consent. Paul, Perry and Della head to Union station to look in the locker. Smitty, Drake's locksmith friend, explains how the run the lockers and how they replace a lock on one not returned in twenty-four hours. He opens the locker, and it is empty. The mailed key was a ruse, a red herring, for Vidal had duplicate keys to all the lockers in which the suitcase might be placed.
4.	Drake comes to Mason's office to report that the police are looking for Vidal. Officer Orland is in Drake's office. Mason goes with Drake and tells Orland all they know, short of naming the client. When Orland leaves, Mason sends Drake out to get everything he can on Theilman, and tells the detective's switchboard operator to call Della and tell her he'll not be back before noon.
5.	Mason goes to the home of Theilman to question Mrs Agnes Theilman. After advising her that he's not representing her husband, he asks all sorts of questions. He relates what he knows about A B Vidal, and how he tried and failed to locate the person. She tells Mason all she told the police, about her husband coming home during the day to freshen up and head off to Bakersfield. She found the blackmail letter in the suit he'd worn in the morning and moved it into the suit he was going to wear after showering. Mason compliments her on looking so young and on the furnishings of her house. Theilman is a speculator in real estate. Agnes is aware that Janice makes herself look frumpy so she won't try to get her fired. Agnes knows her way around, knows that if a man is unhappy she should get out while she still has attractions for other men. She's sure Morley is in trouble. When Mason comments, "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you more," she responds, "But you did." "Did what?" "Told me more, more, perhaps than you realized." Back at h is office the attorney instructs his secretary to look up the case of Theilman versus Theilman.
6.	Della reports that Agnes is "class to her fingertips" and she was named as corespondent under the name of Day Dawns by the first Mrs Theilman, Carlotta, who got a half million in settlement. Della thinks Janice is downplaying her beauty so as to inherit Theilman when he gets tired of Agnes's sleek sex. Morley is probably thirty-eight, Janice twenty-eight. They try to reach Janice by phone, get no answers. Drake reports. Cole B Troy is an associate of Morley's in Bakersfield. They met about four-thirty, finished about nine. Troy, looking out the window of his office, saw a shapely shadow following Theilman as he went to his car. An amateur. Theilman never looked back. He's disappeared. So has his secretary! For three weeks Morley has been diverting funds from securities into cash. The latest only five thousand, all twenties. Mason runs a test. He and Della put together several bills and Della weighs them. Twenty to the ounce. Mason calculates; three hundred and twenty bills to the pound and twenty pounds would by a hundred and twenty-eight thousand dollars. Drake says Theilman "sees green pastures on the other side of the fence." Drake shows a photo of Day Dawns in a bikini and Della comments "That is a green pasture." Day took a trip to Hong Kong the same time Morley took a business trip there. She got her passport under her own name, rather than the stage name; Agnes Bernice Vidal. Mason sends Drake to find Janice.
7.	Mason asks Della about her description of Janice and Della says she expects that, when she is found, she'll have "emerged from the cocoon of repression as a full-fledged butterfly." They discuss the situation. Mason notes that Theilman made certain everyone, his wife, his secretary, knew he was being blackmailed. Maybe he wanted to disappear, then why use his wife's real name? Maybe Theilman and Janice spent the night together under an assumed name. On the other hand, what if Mrs Agnes Theilman knows about Morley's activities and she was the shapely shadow. Since there is little they can do about any of this, Mason suggest Della accompany him to dinner and some dancing, and it will be social, not business, since they have only one dollar as retainer.
8.	Dinner over, they get a report from Drake. He's found Janice, in Las Vegas, waiting for someone to join her. Della dials the airport while Mason asks the waiter to get a taxi.
9.	Mason gives the Las Vegas taxicab driver a large tip as he and Della are deposited at Union Depot. Inside he misses Janice, but Della recognizes the devastatingly beautiful woman instantly. Janice is surprised, but says she's waiting for the Domeliner, The City of Los Angeles, to arrive. She's expecting Mrs Theilman. The first Mrs Theilman! Who has lost thirty-five pounds! Mason needs to speak to Janice, so Carlotta says she go to the Double Take Casino. Janice says Morley had to disappear, but he'll reappear tomorrow. Mr Theilman has been trying to get Carlotta's proxy or stock. Some unknown interests are trying to gain control of Theilman's company, and they are working thru dummies. Carlotta would deal only in person. He phone her right after she saw Mason, told her to get dolled up (so he could show his wife it was a business deal), get some money and meet Carlotta in Las Vegas. He phoned from service station two miles from Palmdale subdivision, which he purchased for a song. Now she sees that Carlotta is out after her former husband. Morley was surprised that his wife was worried, because he'd arranged to have her told he'd be away for a few days. Janice gives Mason two hundred fifty dollars for expenses. Lt Tragg interrups Mason's questioning, introduces Lieutenant Sophia of the Las Vegas police force. They are there to interrogate Janice Wainwright about the murder of Morley L Theilman.
10.	Janice is dumbstruck. "Why, he couldn't be. He was alive and well when I -" Mason cuts her off, tells her to say nothing. Lt Sophia reminds Mason that he has no legal status in Nevada. He and Della hurry to the Double Take and search for Carlotta. A casino guard recognizes her from Della's description and gesture, says the police have taken her. Mason contacts a local attorney, "beautiful and she's dynamite." He plays the slots, wins a bit, then learns that Janice has signed a waiver of extradition. They hail a cab to the airport, the same cabbie who drove them earlier. Mason changes ideas, heads to the police station, where they pick up Carlotta before the policeman who brought her out can stop them. They go to a motel where says a lawyer approached her for Morley. She said she'd go to Las Vegas to meet his client. She's also been contacted by various brokers. A knock on the door, and a policeman offers to escort Mason and Street to the airport.
11.	Drake reports that the body was found, face down, shot right thru the heart with a thirty-eight. There had been a thundershower and tracks of Janice's Ford leaving after were showing. Theilman phoned his wife after eleven using a credit card. He thinks that Morley dressed up for Janice's sake, they quarreled, she murdered him. The thundershower and her car tracks trap her. Tragg bursts in and serves Mason a subpoena duces tecum to bring the tape recording and disc with numbers from the twenty dollar bills. Mason surmises that Janice has talked. Drake asks if Mason's client paid in twenties. The attorney notes he's to produce records made in the office, not money given by his client. Mason gives Della two hundred fifty dollars to put in the safe. He doesn't know where they came from, as he's been spending money including the cash tip he gave the pilot.
12.	Judge Lloyd L Seymour nods to the deputy D A, Manlove P Ruskin, who addresses the jury, arguing that the defendant lured her employer into an abandoned really subdivision and left with twenty-five or thirty pounds of twenty-dollar bills, worth as much as two hundred thousand dollars. He will prove by circumstantial evidence that the only car tracks leaving the murder scene after a thunderstorm are those of the defendant's car. Mason's opening statement asks the jury to "bear in mind the fact that all of this evidence which has been indicated by the prosecutor is circumstantial evidence" and that he expects "to show that these circumstances are all fully capable of being explained by a reasonable hypothesis other than that of guilt." Ruskin objects to Mason's arguing the case. Mason rejoins; "Very well, Your Honor, We expect to prove that the defendant is innocent." Ruskin calls a surveyor who shows road maps and sketches of the building, then a photographer with photos showing the place of the crime, and Mr Marcus, meteorologist, who states a thunderstorm went over the site between four-thirty and five-thirty in the morning. He saw car tracks in the dirt leading to a paved road. A moulage expert brings casts of the tire tracks, noting one tire was damaged, and plastic molds of the defendant's tires, which fit onto the casts. Mason's cross somewhat reduces the value of the testimony as he shows that the tires of the car had to be deflated when he took their mold a bit to be like tires under the weight of the car in the dirt. Morley's banker testifies to the decedent's having withdrawn one hundred eighty-seven thousand dollars over three weeks, then five thousand in his last withdrawal. Cole B Troy testifies that Theilman left about nine after phoning his wife he'd be home at eleven or eleven-thirty. He then testifies to seeing a shapely shadow follow the decedent from about twenty feet's distance until they were out of sight. Mason confuses Troy, asking him what he was watching, the man or the shadow. "And you took your eyes off that seductive walk, off that graceful glide, off those swaying hips in order to watch Theilman, who was some twenty feet ahead of her?" Then, "you answered a question while you were under oath without thinking? And so gave a wrong answer." He calls Mrs Morley L Theilman, puts on synthetic sympathy in examining the bereaved widow. She explains finding the blackmail note. Mason asks where she first met her husband. He bores in on her activities in Las Vegas as a shill in tight, low-cut gown in a casino, leading wealthy men to gamble more of their money. Ruskin objects to the bereaved widow being browbeaten. Mason objects "to having her held up as a mealy-mouthed, persecuted, bereaved widow simply so the prosecutor can play on the sympathies of the jury." Mason asks about the letter and envelope. How did she know it was blackmail? The return address; A B Vidal? What was her name then. Day Dawns. She tries to avoid giving her real name, but Mason gets her to reveal that it is Agnes Vidal. She thought "that some blackmailer was using the name Vidal in order to impress (her) husband that he knew . . . well, all about me." What "was it in her past that would make it seem to her that the use of her maiden name would have connotations of blackmail in the mind of her husband" Mason wants to know. Agnes is visibly angry. After arguments by Ruskin and Mason, she is forced to answer. "Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Lt Tragg testifies to being called in, rather late as events went. Doctor Lombard G Jasper testifies to the time of death. He fixes it based on postmortem lividity and rigor mortis. Mason queries him on both points. Finally, the body had been dead for five hours or more, based on postmortem lividity, when he examined it. Based on rigor mortis, death could have occurred as late as ten-thirty in the morning. Isn't this a rather uncertain barometer of death? Isn't body temperature a much more reliable determinant? Didn't the doctor write an article in the Journal of Forensic Medicine, Pathology and Crime Detection on the determination of the time of death in which he named rigor mortis as a very unreliable method, and body temperature a good one? Didn't he take body temperature? No. Why not? He thought someone else had, and others thought he had. Someone blundered, and the doctor wanted to make his testimony sound impressive, so he mentioned postmortem lividity. Didn't he leave this factor out of his article, because professionals in his field would hold him up to ridicule? Mason continues, getting the doctor to admit that non-medical factors were important to his determination of time of death, such as the time of the thunderstorm. By now, the doctor's testimony as to time of death is essentially discredited. The first Mrs Theilman testifies to going to Las Vegas and meeting the defendant. Mason asks her about the weight loss. "I knew my husband -- I knew him very well indeed. If he had met me in Las Vegas, I would have given that little strumpet a does of her own medicine." The judge calls an adjournment to the next morning. Mason asks the officer for time with his client. He virtually accuses Janice of committing the crime, accuses her of lying, but she insists she's telling the truth. She followed her employer's orders exactly, taking two hundred fifty dollars of five hundred from the safe for her needs, the remainder to pay Mason. He warns her she faces the death penalty.
13.	Mason broods. There is so much evidence of blackmail, but who? And Janice is saying it is an elaborate cover-up surrounding a business deal. Della notes that Agnes plays the bereaved widow when all she wanted was the money. Paul joins them, says the D A has a bombshell, but he doesn't know what it is. He has a newspaper man in the D A's office who knows something is up, but not what. He's sure Berger will time his case so as to rest when it leaves Mason hanging.
14.	Hamilton Burger joins Ruskin at the prosecutor's desk. Lieutenant Sophia is called and he relates the full story as Janice has told it to Mason, from her visit to the lawyer's office and the reading of twenty-dollar bill numbers, that about nine on the morning of the murder she talked with Theilman, she got money from the safe, went to the beauty parlor, then on to Las Vegas. Ruskin indicates he doesn't want to embarrass counsel and asks to stipulate the taking of the numbers of the bills from which he's produced a list. So stipulated. Dudley Roberts, the taxi driver that drove Mason twice in Las Vegas, says he got a twenty- dollar bill from Mason, and Ruskin reads the number. Mason tries to get Roberts to admit he could have gotten the bill from someone else, but Roberts insists this is the only twenty he had all night, even tho he bought a good steak dinner which could have been paid with a twenty. Could he have gotten the twenty from Mrs Theilman? He doesn't think so, then it's impossible he did. Isn't he swearing to this because Mason has made him angry? Louise Pickens, a policewoman, says she purchased a Los Angeles Times and a Los Angeles Examiner on the day of the blackmail note and was able to reconstruct the note from those two papers. Burger and Ruskin confer, then ask for an adjournment until the afternoon. Judge Seymour shakes his head. Wilbur Kenney, the newsdealer at the corner near Janice's office testifies that Janice bought copies of the two newspapers and later came back and bought additional copies. She said she was cutting things out of the paper. Lucille Rankin says that, at the five-ten-fifteen-twenty-five cent and dollar store where she works Janice bought a pair of scissors. "She had two newspapers folded under her left arm." Triumphally Burger says that this concludes the prosecution's case. The judge orders only a twenty-minute recess. Janice explains to Perry that Morley sent her to get the papers because of some real estate development he needed to know about. He didn't put the papers in the waste basket. It was their practice to pile them in a closet to use to pack things, or check back issues for real estate ads. Mason says he has to put her on the stand, think on it. He and Drake confer. Why would Janice make two blackmail notes? Suppose that Theilman planned on disappearing, and wanted others to know. Then Mason realizes what he's overlooked. "If the message was cut from those papers, then it was either prepared by Theilman or by Janice Wainwright. In either event the message couldn't have come through the mail, an f if that is the case the letter from A B Vidal -- that is, the addressed envelope -- has to be a dummy." The bailiff reconvenes the court. Mason asks to recall Mrs Carlotta Theilman. Hamilton Burger informs the judge of Mason's delaying tactics, in this case so Mason can decide if he wants to put the defendant on the stand. Further, "the Court has work to do and the taxpayers are entitled to some consideration." Judge Seymour says cross-examination should not be piecemeal and the prosecution as rested its case. Mason pleads the importance of the twenty-dollar bill. That is all he will ask about, and he explains why it is important. Burger says Carlotta had no access to the suitcase and hadn't seen the decedent, and the defense could call her as their witness. Mason points out that "The district attorney well realizes that there are certain aspects of this case which give the defendant certain technical advantages of which he would like to deprive the defendant." If Carlotta paid the cabdriver with a twenty, then there is no longer conclusive proof that the defendant had in her possession any of the suitcase twenties and the circumstantial case fails and the jury could acquit. The judge agrees, and Carlotta says she paid with a twenty because she got three fives and change back. Burger asks where she got the twenty, failing to realize this opens more avenues of questioning to Mason, who promptly asks if she's had any dealings of any sort with A B Vidal. Yes. She was phoned by him and arranged to meet in Las Vegas. She was sent expense money, five twenty-dollar bills. Burger is angered because she never told him this, and she says he never asked. Burger confers with Ruskin and abruptly says, "That's all." Burger is stumped when Mason says he is done with questioning. Mason says he's ready for the defense. Burger says he'll put on the rest of his evidence by way of rebuttal. Mason smiles at the judge; "We have no evidence on the part of the defense, Your Honor. The defense rests. Let's proceed with the argument." Burger is flabbergasted. He wants an adjournment until the afternoon. Now Mason hits him with his statement about stalling and saving taxpayer's money. But the judge agrees to adjourn until two. Mason tells Janice she won't have to take the stand. Della suggest that Burger is "going to have a stroke if you keep on deviling him."
15.	Hamilton Burger asks the Court to reopen the prosecution's case. The judge declines the request and, since the defense has rested, there can be no rebuttal. Burger requests a recess. Mason says, "The defense wants to proceed." Burger waives his opening argument. Mason then states that "part of the doctrine of reasonable doubt" says that if circumstantial evidence can be explained in a way favorable to the defendant, then acquittal is required. Mr Theilman sent his secretary to get the newspapers, for the letter was not sent through the mail. He needed his former wife's stock and felt she wouldn't sell to him, so he used a dummy, but wanted the stock put in his wife's name, so he used her real maiden name, A B Vidal. The deal was cash, so his opponent wouldn't know what he was doing. By assuring that the blackmail note would be found and the cash was for that. Afraid his secretary might not get the note, he put a second in his suit where his wife would find it. Carlotta had dieted and was determined to win her husband back, so demanded direct contact. The twenty-dollar bill the cabdriver got was from Carlotta. She got it from the man who gave the name of A B Vidal. The defendant say she got instructions which sent her to Las Vegas at nine, when the police believe Theilman was already dead. After talking with the decedent, the defendant went to the beauty parlor for some five hours. The murderer could take her car during this time, drive to Palmdale, kill Theilman. Look at the photographs of the crime scene. There is a hose coiled up and attached to the faucet in front of the house. All the murderer had to do was to sprinkle the yard until the soil was muddy. Then he drove Janice's car back to town, leaving only her tire marks in the soil. That is a reasonable hypothesis of the circumstantial evidence. To the jury, "We shall expect a verdict of acquittal at your hands." Burger says this is poppycock, says the waters was shut off. Mason charges this as prejudicial misconduct and the judge agrees. When Burger further argues "Well, it was shut off!" the judge calls it a mistrial. Mason offers that, if the water was shut off, he will again submit the case. Burger at first belligerently refuses the stipulation, then has to accept it. He needs time, however to get the records. During the recess, Drake asks Mason why he did this, and the answer is that a mistrial would mean Janice being locked up and tried again. He thinks he can get her acquitted. If the faucet was turned off, then Burger will have to convince the jury that wealthy Morley Theilman would spend a night in a place with no water in the faucets.
16.	Burger has not been able to get records proving the faucet was turned off, so accepts a mistrial. Mason says the motion was withdrawn so witnesses could be produced to show the condition of water in the pipes. He wants to examine those witnesses. Otto L Nelson testifies that water was turned on the day before the murder. Ruskin says that is the prosecution's case. "Proceed with the argument" says the judge, and Ruskin waives. So does Mason, which prevents any argument by the prosecution! Judge Seymour instructs the jury for fifteen minutes.
17.	Perry, Paul, Della and Janice have the paper with the heading "SHORTEST DELIBERATION IN COURTROOM HISTORY. MASON'S CLIENT ACQUITTED IN MINUTES." Mason admits he doesn't know what happened, and no one will until Troy Cole is apprehended. What probably happened is that Troy was, unbeknown to Morley, the one trying to take over the company. When Troy discovered how Morley was going to outfox him, he knew he had only one way to win, kill Morley. He suggested that Morley go ahead to Palmdale, and he'd join him. He promised to telephone Theilman's wife and tell her that her husband would be away for two or three days. He never made the call, and the shapely shadow was made up. He had water service hooked up. He killed Morley, got Janice's car and drive back, watered the ground, returned the car, but was in such haste he forgot to remove the hose. What of the twenty-dollar bill? The taxi driver got it from Janice! She used money from the safe, which could have been some of the numbered bills put there by Morley, gambled at the Double Take buying chips with one of those twenties. The cashier then gave it to Carlotta for the jackpot she won.

Susan (Sue) Fisher	Arthenium registration desk man	We Rent M agent (Frank Golden)
Amelia Corning	Arthenium assistant manager	Myrton Abert
Carleton Campbell	Arthenium cashier	Abert's helper
Elizabeth Dow	Arthenium doorman	Mason's parking attendant
Daddy, Endicott Campbell	Another cabdriver	Gertie
Country club switchboard operator	Colton C Bailey	Tragg's fingerprint experts
Golf shop man	Candelabra parking attendant	Arthenium freight elevator operator
Assistant janitor	Drake's operatives	Coroner
Cab driver	Union Depot porter	Judge Burton Elmer
Service station operator	Arthenium bellboy	Court bailiff
Miner	Corning secretary	Court spectators
Arthenium Hotel clerk	Kenneth Lowry	Hamilton Burger
Another cab driver	Sophia Elliott	Harrison Flanders
A third taxi driver	Alfredo Gomez	Carlotta Ames Jackson
Perry Mason	Lt Tragg	Mexican cleaning woman
Paul Drake's switchboard operator	Police operator	Operator 67
Paul Drake	Service station attendant	French restaurant waiter
Della Street	Radio prowl car officers	Cindy Hastings
Candelabra Café headwaiter	Photographer	Norma Owens
Candelabra Café waiter	Fingerprint technician
Arthenium house detective	Yet another cab driver

Richard O Myers, M D, Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and Autopsy Surgeon in the office of the Coroner of Los Angeles County, is the subject of Erle Stanley Gardner's lengthy (four pages!) Foreword. "The average medical doctor is no more competent to perform an autopsy in a puzzling case than an ice skater is qualified to execute a ski jump" asserts Gardner. The physician and surgeon "has his hands to full caring for the living he has little time to study the dead." "The forensic pathologist has to know crime." "My friend, Dr Myers, can open his files almost at random and pick out cases where he has been able to keep the guilty from escaping on the one hand, or to keep the innocent from being convicted on the other." "The great tragedy, as far as society is concerned, it that this group [of forensic pathologists] is so small."

One of the longest opening chapters, thirty-two pages, is another in which neither Perry Mason nor Della Street appear.

Then, after that, Gardner gives us the shortest chapter in any Perry Mason mystery, Five, two pages

Here is the only instance I've located in an original Morrow edition of a Perry Mason novel of a misprint. On page 191 Endicott Campbell is correctly spelled two thirds the way down the page, but in the preceding line it is "Endicot."

Paul Drake states of Mason's client, "The evidence points so unerringly and so damningly that there isn't a ghost of a chance she's innocent." Of course, he's wrong.

1.	Sue Fisher signs the register as she enters the office building Saturday morning and goes to the Corning, Mining, Smelting & Investment Company office where she intends to get everything ready for a visit Monday from Amelia Corning. Later, immersed in her work, she hears a childish voice. Seven-year-old Carleton Campbell is in the hall, and arrives with governess Elizabeth Dow in tow. Dow wants Sue to watch over Carleton while she runs some business errands. Daddy (Endicott Campbell) is playing golf, and Carleton has his treasure box. Susan slowly works it so she can peer in, by untying the square know and explaining a Granny knot to her young charge. She sees a pile of hundred dollar bills. She suggests they put it in the safe and, while doing so, opens the box more fully, sees several lots of five thousand dollars each. She reties the box with the square knot and locks the box in the safe. She tries to reach Endicott Campbell at the country club and the switchboard operator sends her to the golf shop were a man tells her he cancelled. Almost as soon as she hangs up the phone rings. It is Amelia Corning at the airport, wondering why she hasn't been met. Miss Dow returns in just enough time for Sue to usher her out and beat her to the elevator where the attendant, the assistant janitor, hurries her down to the lobby. On the way to the airport, she wonders about the Mojave Monarch mine which is supposed to be working, but which seemed abandoned when she visited it. Even a service station operator and a miner said it hadn't been operated for more than two years. She has hardly enough to pay the cabbie, and he gives back her change with a smile. Miss Corning is very friendly, but demanding. She asks Susan to call a porter, and Susan says she hasn't a cent. Where is the emergency fund, asks Amelia, who goes on to say Sue works for her. She hands Susan fifty dollars in tens, but Sue notices they are hundreds and says so. Amelia finds tens and exchanges. Apparently Amelia's cable never arrived. Sue is going to be questioned all afternoon. They get a cab. On the way to her apartment, Susan is asked if she has any reason to believe Endicott Campbell to be dishonest. She's flustered, says that the Mojave Monarch bothers her. So it does Amelia, too. The Arthenium Hotel clerk is able to provide the scheduled room two days early. Then they go to the office. The books are in the safe, but detailed information is in Mojave. Miss Corning spies the shoe box in the safe, and Susan claims it to be hers. They attack figures in the books, then Amelia says "I think Endicott Campbell is a crook." (She came before Monday knowing Endicott would be playing golf and she could get the information she needed without him interfering.) She asks Susan to get a suitcase, gives her two one hundred dollar bills, sends her out. She cannot find a store, so gets a cab driver to take her to one, returns with the suitcases, which Amelia stuffs with checks and ledgers. A cab is enlisted to take Sue to her apartment and Amelia to the hotel. Amelia tells Sue that she is appreciated because she is honest. She knew she offered five hundred dollar bills, not tens. When Sue wonders at Amelia's energy after a long flight from South America, Amelia says she stopped over in Miami. She instructs Sue to get Endicott and have him at her room at eight-forty-five on the dot.
2.	Endicott finally phones Susan at six-twenty, and doesn't like his weekend to be interrupted. She first brings up daddy's treasure and is told she's crazy and certainly emotionally disturbed. When she says Amelia Corning ha arrive and he says "She can't be here!" she says he's again called her a liar and hangs up. She calls the Drake Detective Agency and spews out her need to see Perry Mason to the switchboard operator who puts her thru to Paul Drake who takes her message. Then she receives Endicott's call and tells him that Amelia was going over the records all day and wants to see him precisely at 8:45. Drake informs her Mason will see her at the Candelabra Café at eight.
3.	Della Street sees Susan enter the café, comments that "on a secretarial salary" "the clothes she's wearing indicate she's alone in the world. She isn't supporting any mother, father or younger brothers. She knows how to wear her clothes, too." The headwaiter brings her over. She is forced to relate the day's events in ten minutes and Mason then comments that "there isn't enough time to head things off." He means "to get witnesses who can verify the contents of the shoe box." No one knows how much was in the box, or even that it is intact in the safe. Since she has information about company irregularities, a guilty party might try to involve her in theft from the box. Mason calls for the check from the waiter, signs it. The trio walk to the Arthenium to await Endicott Campbell, who shows up at eight thirty-five. He is offended that Susan has a lawyer. Mason confronts him with the matter of the shoe box. Campbell accuses Susan of hiding behind a seven-year-old boy. "Bosh! He didn't have any such thing." Mason warns him of accusations made in the presence of witnesses. Campbell then asks her to produce the box. He's been to the office and opened the safe and there was n box. Now Mason asks him who his witnesses were to his opening the safe. Mason, Street and Fisher head to Corning's room, while Campbell looks for the house detective. There is no answer to their knock. The house detective joins them and they find the room empty. The house detective (Colton C Bailey) is worried about publicity, and Mason says there needn't be any. The registration clerk wasn't on duty when Miss Corning arrived and Susan signed, which is highly irregular. The assistant manager takes them to the cashier. She left in a taxi and the doorman remembers the cab driver. He is in line, so Mason ask where he took the woman in a wheel chair. He took her to Union Depot. Campbell challenges Mason with the fact that the woman has made off with corporation records which should not have been taken from the office. Mason asks how much stock Corning owns. About ninety per cent. And to whom is he responsible? The stockholders. Again, how much stock . . . Bailey and Mason agree to cooperate. Mason, Street and Fisher walk to the Candelabra parking lot, get the lawyer's car from the parking attendant and head to his office. There he calls Paul Drake and instructs him to find Amelia Corning. Susan protests that she's a working girl and "simply can't afford all these detectives and all of this high-priced action." Mason reminds her that Miss Corning is rich and he's doing things that may help her. After a bit of time, Paul reports that things are goofy. Amelia made a fuss when she arrived at Union Depot. She had four suitcases, two were heavy. She had the suitcases placed in lockers, gave the porter a good tip, when towards the ladies' room, and disappeared. "A woman of fifty-five, with dark blue glasses, a woman who is almost blind and confined to a wheel chair couldn't go to a public place like the Union Depot and simply disappear into thin air." So, the woman Sue Fisher thought was Amelia couldn't have been fifty-fife, nearly blind, and so forth. Mason suggests that Amelia's arriving was staged so Sue would find her and not ask questions but assume she was Amelia. She might be an imposter who now has sufficient documents for blackmail, and possibly a shoe box of money. Mason sends Sue home to get some rest, then calls Drake and has him put men out at the airport.
4.	At eleven thirty Sunday Mason gets a call from Paul saying his man has picked up Amelia at the airport. Mason meets her as she arrives at the Arthenium with a Drake operative. The clerk helps guide her hand to the signature line. A bellboy takes the suitcases and they go to her room. Bailey joins them and they all go to her $135 a day suite. She asks to be moved to a cheaper one. Bailey gets her to show her passport. The operative leaves. Della introduces herself. Corning says she depends upon voices and judges people by them, since she cannot see well. Mason explains about the imposter and the box of money. Amelia, with Della, goes into the bedroom to freshen up. Then Susan arrives and Amelia questions her about how she got hired, if Campbell made passes, and if he's a crook. Susan explains she went out to Mojave and found it abandoned. Campbell's rasping voice is heard and he is angry. He and Mason spar. Campbell says that he was victimized by Ken Lowry who runs the mine, but he has made substantial profits in real estate for the company. He accuses Susan of embezzling over a hundred sixty thousand dollars. Mason says he can prove what Susan says; where is Campbell's son? Amelia chases everyone out but Campbell.
5.	Mason sends Susan home, and tells her to stay there.
6.	Perry and Della drive to Mojave, fill up at the service station and ask the attendant if he knows Ken Lowry. Sure, he's the man across the street getting into a somewhat battered pickup. Mason and Street join Lowry and work him over. Mason gets tight lips, but Della works him over until he starts to talk. He explains the way the Monarch worked. He got calls from Miss Corning after the vein faulted, and initially agreed to close the mine. Then he was to take orders from the Los Angeles office. He was instructed to continue twelve men on each of three shifts, submit a payroll. He was sent a check, told to cash it, take out his pay and send the rest, unregistered, in hundred dollar bills, to a post office box. He heard Amelia on the phone, and a company secretary, and might recognize voices. He is glad to get all this off his chest.
7.	Mason calls Drake and tells him to put a tail on Campbell. Then he calls Amelia, and arranges for an appointment at seven-thirty sharp. He wonders if maybe Campbell's accomplice didn't double-cross the man, or if Campbell doesn't think Susan made off with the shoe box of money. And what if Campbell realizes that Mason must have driven out to Mojave. What might he do to Lowry, who can't lie convincingly? Driving back to Los Angeles proves slower than expected. He arrives at seven twenty-seven. The doorman is given are of the car and Mason and Street go straight to Corning's room. The door is wide open. They enter, call for Amelia, then search the suite. No one is there. Then Sophia Elliott, Corning's widowed sister, and Alfredo Gomez, business manager, arrive, confront Mason, take over the suite and chase Mason and Street out.
8.	They go to Fisher's. She's not there. She left a note with Drake that something confidential would take her out. They get a quick dinner and return just as Susan comes up. She says that Corning called her and told her to dress as a man, rent a car, drive to a service station on Mulholland Drive, then past to a parking place, walk back, get a gallon can of gasoline, take it back to the car. She wanted to drive to Mojave unknown before banks open Monday. But she waited and waited, and Amelia never showed up. So she returned the car, had a drink at a bar, and returned home. Amelia's call came to her about five forty-five, which is just after she talked with Mason. She also said they were going to walk in on a meeting of the people who were looting the company. She though he was in Mojave, and wished her detectives had reported earlier. Mason has Sue transcribe her shorthand notes of Amelia's instructions. With these, Perry and Della drive to the place on Mulholland. Using a flashlight, they explore, find Lowry dead, account books soaked in gasoline. They go to the service station and phone homicide for Lt Tragg and the operator shouts for the lieutenant. Mason informs Tragg of the murder, leaves Della to give directions, rushes past a startled station attendant and returns to the scene of the murder. A radio prowl car arrives with two officers, and one goes to the body. Then Tragg arrives with a photographer and a fingerprint technician. Mason and Tragg look at the body, and the prowl car officer says the man hasn't been dead very long. Mason is escorted back to the service station, where the attendant says a woman bought a can of gasoline and he has wondered what happened. Mason gives a description which the attendant cannot confirm as he didn't get a very good look. Mason confuses the issue and has Della take notes. He then instructs her how to get Sue out of circulation.
9.	Tragg is not happy, but lets Mason go. The taxicab driver takes him to the 'We Rent M Car Company' near Fisher's place. There the rental agent explains he was just closing, he's only a branch, a new idea to beat the companies that have agencies only at the airport and downtown. Mason uses an air travel card to establish credit, rents the only car that is there, since that is all the branch has, tho they can order from the main office in ten minutes if they need more. Mason then has Drake get a man to get fingerprints off the car. Myrton Abert comes with a helper. By daybreak he can say there are no bloodstains, and twenty-three fingerprints.
10.	Up at seven forty-five, Mason drives the car to a school, lets air out of a tire, then offers passing schoolboys if they'll fix the tire for twenty bucks while he goes to a snack bar for coffee. Of course. He then returns to his office, tells Gertie he may have to cancel his appointments, only to have Della show up shortly. She and Sue were taken by the police and questioned. The Tragg barges in and asks to inspect and take the rental car. He warns Mason that if they discover fingerprints have been wiped from the car, the attorney will be in trouble. They go to the car, and one of the fingerprint experts is exasperated. He's "never found a car with more fingerprints on it than this." Tragg's response is, "One has no respect for an adversary who is unworthy." On the way back to the office Drake joins them. He's located Campbell, but it is no help. Amelia wheeled her chair out of the freight elevator the previous night and no one has seen her since. The elevator operator has been questioned by the police. Mason puts Drake on to finding more information, particularly checking fingerprints. They can get Lowry's from the coroner as a matter of course. Drake checks his office and they've gotten Lowry's fingerprints. They begin checking what they have, and Lowry's were in the car.
11.	Judge Burton Elmer enters the courtroom, the bailiff calls the court in session, and spectators notice that Hamilton Burger is seated with his deputy, Harrison Flanders. The deputy lays the foundation of the case with evidence of the crime. Then he calls Endicott Campbell, who testifies that two hundred and seven thousand, five hundred and thirty-six dollars and eighty-five cents were sent to Lowry. He further states that the defendant was an assistant, more than a secretary, actually co-operating in operating the company. He relates a conversation with the defendant in which she claimed his son had shown her a shoe box belonging to the witness filled with one-hundred-dollar bills. He ascertained that his son did not give Susan a box of money. He relates seeing Lowry twice on the weekend because Miss Corning was coming to town. She had previously instructed to let Lowry run his end of the business. An accounting would be made at the appropriate time by a subsidiary company. When Campbell is asked what Lowry did with the money, Mason objects that such information is not binding on the defendant. Sustained. Now he is asked about the shoe box, and his seven-year-old son, Carleton, and the claim of the box filled with money. Mason asks several questions. Was anyone with him when he searched the safe? "Then it is only your word against hers." "It is my word against hers, and so far, at least, I am not accused of killing anyone to cover my defalcations" Campbell replies sarcastically. [One must interrupt here. Gardner doesn't play fair. After the case is solve, Mason says he was given the hint he needed regarding the shoe box by his ability to determine if a witness is lying. Campbell was sincere in his testimony. Shame ESG!] Elizabeth Dow states that she knows of her own knowledge that the shoe box had "a pair of black patent-leather shoes belonging to Endicott Campbell." she looked in the box while Carleton went back in the house to get his coat. Could the shoe box have been substituted? Not before they got to the office. Frank Golden, the We Rent M Car Company agent, says he rented car 19 to the defendant at six thirty. She returned it at eight fifteen. Then a few minutes before eleven he rented the car to Perry Mason. It was returned the next day by the police. Myrton Abert then testifies to fingerprinting the car, turning over evidence that Ken Lowry had been in the car. Lt Tragg reports finding the body, checking tire tracks and determining that they matched car 19. Sophia Elliott testifies she is the sister of Miss Corning and she met Mason at the Arthenium Hotel in her sister's room. Chambermaid Carlotta Ames Jackson testifies to seeing a woman in a wheel chair and the driver of a car who was wearing a raincoat, sweater, slacks and a man's hat, exactly as Susan was clothed, and she identifies the defendant. Mason cross-examines her about how she identified the defendant. Did she get a glimpse of the defendant before she was put in a lineup? Did she see a picture of the defendant before this? How many conversations did she have with the police before she was certain of her identification? Ten. Was she more positive the tenth time than the ninth, and the ninth more than the eighth, when she wasn't so sure? Court adjourns until afternoon.
12.	At lunch in a French restaurant, Drake is, as usual, convinced of the client's guilt. Mason knows Lowry had to get a phone call and, even if he left Mojave right after Mason. There isn't enough time for Susan to have committed the murder. Drake checks with his office and discovers that a call did go to Lowry and a Mexican cleaning woman took the operator's number he was to call back; 67. The woman had to wait twenty minutes for Lowry, and she gave her name as Miss Smith, from a booth near Susan's apartment. Mason reminds Drake that Susan says she never met Lowry, couldn't know what he looks like. He wants to know more about the ringer who took the part of Amelia Corning, for the Saturday arrival certainly could move the wheel chair around. Mason gets an idea, and asks Drake to check limousine services. They give their order to the waiter, ate in moody silence. Then the call comes thru; the A to Z Limousine service picked up a woman in a wheel chair at Union Depot and take her to Mojave.
13.	Back in court, Mason asks about Campbell's women friends. He doesn't have any since his wife left him. The only person to call at the house was a friend of the governess, Cindy Hastings, a nurse built like Dow. Susan repeats her denial of ever knowing Lowry. [Okay, if Campbell and Fisher are both telling the truth, what is the solution?] Norma Owens, manager at Corning Mining, Smelting & Investment Company, identifies the stiletto with which Lowry was murdered as being a letter opener of Susan. Lt Tragg is recalled, identifies the rental slip for the car, found in Fisher's apartment. Burger starts to argue the case, but Mason objects. The judge says "that the defense must be given every opportunity to explain the facts." Endicott again asserts his son didn't have a box of money, and he did tell Elizabeth Dow to take him where he wouldn't be found. Burger states this concludes his case. Mason wants to recall Dow. Denied. Mason asks for, an adjournment until four. The judge says that the conditions for binding the defendant over t Superior Court have been met and Burger says he feels that two murders have been committed. Mason, however, says he can clarify events if given the time. Burger reminds everyone of counsel's reputation for trickery. Judge Elmer corrects with "For ingenuity." Mason grabs Tragg and gets him with Drake and Street, head, in Tragg's patrol car, siren screaming, head to the apartment of Cindy Hastings. Mason breaks in, points out Amelia Corning to Tragg and suggests he catch the woman running down the hallway from the apartment. Corning has been drugged. They feed her coffee. Tragg returns; he didn't catch her, but police cars have cordoned the area off and they'll have her. Mason explains it was nurse Cindy Hastings, who also posed as Susan. The real Corning was the first one, the later arrival was the one picked up at the freight elevator in the alley by Elizabeth Dow dressed as Susan in man's clothing. These two women kidnapped the real Corning in Mojave. The arrival of the real Corning's sister threw their plans off, so they made Susan the scapegoat. It was Dow who called Lowry as if she were the real Amelia Corning and she gave the instructions to send the cash back to her post office box which had the name of Corning Affiliated Enterprises.