“I’ve seen him on several occasions,” Dr. Sawdey said guardedly.
Mason said impulsively, “Well, I hope this doesn’t affect his other condition too much. How are his legs now, Doctor?”
The doctor said gravely, “In a man of his age, one may expect progressive... however, I think it will be better if you correspond directly with Mr. Luceman. You can address him at the Parker Memorial Hospital, and I see no reason why he can’t open mail within the next forty-eight hours. And now if you’ll excuse me — I’ve had rather a hard day, and I have some operations to perform in the morning.”
Mason bowed gravely. “I’m sorry I disturbed you, Doctor, but I was very much concerned. You see I was quite intimate with Mr. Luceman at one time.”
“If you’d leave your name,” the doctor said, “I might...”
Mason had already started down the stairs. “So sorry I disturbed you, Doctor. I can appreciate the demands that are made on your time.” And to keep the doctor from realizing that he had failed to follow his suggestion, Mason went on, “What time do you operate in the morning?”
“Eight-thirty,” Dr. Sawdey said and closed the door.
“Hungry, Della?” Mason asked as they approached the taxicab.
“I could use a little food,” she admitted.
Mason said, “I don’t feel particularly hungry, and I want to keep an eye on Dr. Sawdey. I want to see if he goes out within the next ten or fifteen minutes. Suppose you take the cab and go to Locarno’s Grill. I’ll be along in twenty minutes or half an hour.”
She regarded him with that whimsical expression which a woman reserves for a man of whom she is very fond and who has been rather clumsy in seeking to outwit her.
“Something wrong with that?” Mason asked.
“Dr. Sawdey is a doctor. If he leaves, it will be on a call.”
Mason nodded.
“And it would be on an urgent call. Therefore, he’ll leave in an automobile. I suppose you’re going to run after him on foot?”
Mason said, “No. I just want to know if he goes, not where he goes.”
Della Street placed a hand on his arm. “Now, Perry, my lad, listen to me. You’ve got something up your sleeve. If there’s going to be any housebreaking, I’m going to be just as deep in the mud as you are in the mire.”
“What makes you think I’m going housebreaking?”
“Don’t be silly!”
Mason said, “It’s a felony. It’s dangerous. In case we get caught, we can’t very well make explanations.”
“All the more reason, then, why you should have an accomplice.”
“No. It’s too dangerous. You go to the restaurant, and...”
“Bosh! I’m going to stay with you. Do we take the cab or...”
Mason said, “We get rid of the cab right here.” He walked over to the driver, handed him a bill, and said, “The change is yours, buddy. We’re supposed to be back in ten minutes. The doc’s going to have a prescription ready by that time. So we’ll just walk around.”
“I could wait,” the cabby said, “if it’s only going to be ten minutes, and...”
“No, thanks. We’re visiting friends in the neighborhood after that, so it won’t pay to wait.”
The cabby touched his hat and drove off.
Della Street said, “Here we go! Embarking on a career of crime! If I’m going to be an accomplice, I may as well learn crook jargon and talk out of one side of my mouth. What am I, a steerer?”
Mason said, “No. You’re a moll. You’re going to case the lay.”
She walked with an exaggerated swing to her hips, said out of one side of her mouth, “Cripes, Chief, I’m the moll who can give you de office in case a harness bull tries to queer de act. I’ll stroll on past an’ give him de eye, an’...”
“And get yourself arrested for soliciting a self-respecting police officer on the street,” Mason interposed.
“Well, what of it? Ain’t you de mouthpiece that can spring me? Why should I take a rap when I got de swellest mouthpiece of ’em all on my string? Maybe you could slip the beak a grand an’ square the pinch. But right now we got a crib to crack. We can’t waste time...”
She stopped as she heard a distinctly startled gasp behind her. Looking up, she saw Mason grinning broadly, saw an elderly gentleman who had noiselessly approached from behind on rubber-soled shoes, regarding her with shocked consternation. Then, with a muttered, “Pardon me,” he had pushed on past, walking so rapidly that his feet seemed to be hardly touching the sidewalk.
Della Street muttered under her breath, “Good heavens, did he get an earful!”
“Did he get an earful!” Mason chuckled. “He acted as though he had two ears full.”
“Where did he come from?”
“I don’t know. I just happened to turn my head and caught a glimpse of him pussyfooting along behind. His face looked as though he’d suddenly received the bill for his new income tax.”
“You don’t think he could have been following us?”
Mason shook his head. “Not that chap. He’s some mousy retired bird who lives somewhere in the neighborhood. You certainly gave him something to think about. The way he whisked himself around that corner, you’d have thought he was a puppet someone was jerking on a string.”
Della Street said, “I thought I was putting on a swell act. My walk alone must have been enough to startle him. I felt like Fatima, the sideshow Turkish dancing girl.”
“Well,” Mason said, “he’s got something to tell his friends now. He’s really seen a moll in action. What’s the number of this house where Luceman lived?”
“Thirteen-o-nine Delington.”
“That’s in the next block. Now listen, when I go in, you stand out by the curb. The minute you see anyone coming along the sidewalk, no matter who it is, walk up to the front door and ring the bell once. Don’t seem to hurry. Don’t act self-conscious, and, above all, don’t look back over your shoulder. Simply walk up and ring the bell, making your action look as natural as possible.”
“Ring it once?” she asked.
“That’s right. Now, if that person should turn toward the house, ring the bell three times, three short, sharp rings. When you have done that, turn to walk back toward the street, and then apparently see this person for the first time. You can smile and say, ‘There doesn’t seem to be anyone home.’ Then go to the next house and ring the bell. When someone comes to the door, ask them if they’re taking the Chronicle. Tell them you’re representing the newspaper and would like very much to take their subscription on a special introductory offer. Talk loudly enough so you can be heard across to the next house.”
“Suppose he doesn’t wait that long but goes right on in?”
“It’s all right,” Mason said, “just so you give me those three short, sharp rings on the doorbell the minute you see he’s heading toward the house. That’ll give me time to get out.”
“Not much time,” she said, “particularly if you’re on the second floor.”
“It’s all right,” he told her. “It’ll take a man a little while to get in, and it doesn’t make any difference if I don’t get out of the back door until he unlatches the front door — just so I get out. After all, there’s not very much chance it will happen. We’re just playing safe. That’s all. Be absolutely certain the minute anyone shows up anywhere on the street, to give me a signal on the bell. I’ll probably have to use the flashlight, and a person who happens to see the beam of light reflected against the window glass might call the police.”
“And that’s all I have to do?” she asked.
“That’s enough.”