What shall I tell him if he asks about what happened today?
Tell him the truth. Never lie to anybody. I dont ask my employees to lie and I dont lie myself. If he asks you questions, answer them.
But... suppose he asks me if youre satisfied? If
Tell him, Miss Corning snapped, that I said I thought he was a crook. Thats what I said and thats what I meant. Hes going to have some explaining to do. Good afternoon, Sue.
Good afternoon, Miss Corning.
Sue got out and stood at the curb, watching the cab drive away with Amelia Corning sitting straight as an arrow in the back seat, her face completely without expression, the dark glasses pointed straight ahead.
Then Sue sighed and took out the latchkey which opened the outer door of the apartment house.
Chapter 2
It was twenty minutes after six when Susan Fishers phone rang and Endicott Campbells impatient and irritated voice rasped over the wire.
What the devils all this about you calling the golf club and trying to get hold of me, Sue? You know I like to have my weekends undisturbed and I particularly dislike having women telephoning around trying to find out where I am and what Im doing. Now, whats the trouble?
Angrily, Susan said, Well, I like to have a weekend too. Ive been working all day and
There is a slight difference in our relative positions, Campbell interrupted, and, he added pointedly, in our value to the company. I flatter myself that I am indispensable. You are not. Now start talking.
In the first place, Sue said, your son came to the office with a shoe box containing a lot of hundred-dollar bills and said that it was his daddys treasure, that he and Daddy had traded treasures.
A what? Campbell demanded incredulously.
A shoe box with a lot of hundred-dollar bills in it. It looked pretty well filled.
You didnt count the money?
No.
You have no idea how much there was in there?
There must have been thousands of dollars.
You mean Carleton had that box?
Yes.
Youre crazy!
All right, Sue said, then Im crazy. But your son had the box and he said it was yours. Thats all I know about it.
Wheres that box now?
I put it in the safe.
Susan, I cant understand this. I cant... Why, I didnt have any treasure... I dont know anything about a shoe box filled with hundred-dollar bills. Whats the matter? What are you trying to do? My son never gave you any box filled with money. Its impossible! Preposterous!
All right. Im a liar then.
I wouldnt have put it that bluntly, but youre certainly emotionally disturbed. Theres something wrong. You say you put the box with the money in it in the safe?
Yes.
Well, then itll be there now and well try and find out what its all about. I did let my son play with a box containing a pair of dress shoes. Its preposterous to think there was any money in that box. Now, is that the only reason you had for calling me? This wild tale about my son and a shoe box full of
And Amelia Corning came in on the plane this morning and has been holding me at the office all day, and says she wants you to call on her promptly at eight forty-five and told me to explain that when she said eight forty-five she meant
What! Campbell shouted into the telephone.
Amelia Corning, Susan said. Shes here.
She cant be here!
All right, then Im lying about that too, she said. And if Im such a little liar I guess theres nothing more I can do, except to say goodbye.
She indignantly slammed down the receiver.
She hesitated a moment, then pulled out the telephone directory and looked up the listing of Perry Mason, Attorney at Law.
The directory gave his office address and telephone number with a note in parenthesis, For night number call Drake Detective Agency.
The number of the Drake Detective Agency was given and Susan dialed the number.
When the switchboard operator at the Drake Detective Agency said, This is the Drake Detective Agency, Susan was sufficiently nervous to start pouring words into the telephone without giving the operator time to answer.
I must see Mr. Mason, she said. Ive got to see him tonight at once. This is a very important matter. This is Susan Fisher and I got this number from the telephone directory. It listed it as Mr. Masons night number and
Just a minute, the operator cut in finally, and Ill let you talk with Mr. Drake himself. He happens to be here in the office at the moment.
A moment later a mans voice, calm and collected, said, This is Paul Drake talking. Now, what seems to be the trouble?
Again Susan Fisher poured words into the line.
Drake started asking questions and almost before she knew it the calm competency of his voice soothed her nerves and she found herself giving a fairly consistent resume of the events of the day.
A moment later a mans voice, calm and collected, said, This is Paul Drake talking. Now, what seems to be the trouble?
Again Susan Fisher poured words into the line.
Drake started asking questions and almost before she knew it the calm competency of his voice soothed her nerves and she found herself giving a fairly consistent resume of the events of the day.
Where are you now? Drake asked.