“You can buy what you need at the department stores and have it sent in,” Mason said.
“Any idea how long I’ll be here?”
“It may be only a day. It may be three or four days. Just sit down and make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll take your suitcase down to Room Seven-eighty-nine, Diana,” he said. “Later on I’ll check out with it and give it to you in San Francisco. In the meantime, you take this key, go on down to seven-eighty-nine, and wait. Take that black bag and your purse with you. I’ll be seeing you in seven-eighty-nine in a few minutes. You use that room until you’re ready to get the cashier’s check and leave for the airport. Don’t come back to this room under any circumstances and don’t try to leave Room Seven-eighty-nine until I give you the all-clear sign.”
“Any idea when that will be?” she asked.
“When I think the coast is clear.”
“Suppose the banks close before you say it’s okay for me to leave?”
“Then you’ll have to keep the money with you until you get to San Francisco. Get the cashier’s check there, but don’t enter the office tomorrow until you have that check. When the office opens tomorrow I’ll be on hand to help. We’ll fix up the details before we leave Room Seven-eighty-nine. In the meantime, I want you out of here.”
She nodded, said, “I want to get a couple of things from the bathroom.”
Stella Grimes said to Mason, “You’d better brief me a little more. What happens if someone calls on me by this number, wants me to meet him with a sum of cash?”
“Stall it along and notify Paul,” Mason told her.
“And if there isn’t time for that?”
“Make time.”
“Am I to have any idea what it’s all about?” she asked.
“Nothing that I can tell you,” Mason said.
“Am I the party that’s being blackmailed?”
“No,” Mason said, “you’re a girl friend, an angel who’s going to put up the money, but before you put up the money you want to be absolutely certain that you’re getting what you’re paying for. You’re a fairly wealthy young woman, but you’re rough, you’re tough, you’re hard-boiled. You know your way around... Got a gun?”
By way of answer she reached down the V of her blouse and suddenly produced a wicked-looking, snubnosed revolver.
“I’m wearing my working bra,” she said as Diana emerged from the bathroom, her hands filled with toilet articles.
“Good enough,” Mason told her. “I hope you don’t have to reach for it, but I’m glad you’ve got it. We don’t know with whom we’re dealing.”
“Have there been — other payments?” she asked.
“That we don’t know,” Mason said. “The present demand is for five grand. The probabilities are there’s been one earlier payment and this is — you know, the old story, the guy hates to be a blackmailer. He wants to begin life all over again. He had intended to collect a thousand or so every few months, but he just can’t live with himself on that kind of a deal. If he can get five grand he’s going to buy a little farm way out in the sticks and forget all about his past and turn over a new leaf.
“In that case he’ll tell the sucker he’ll be done with payments forevermore, and all that sort of talk... You know the line.”
“I know the line,” she said, smiling, “I’ve heard it.”
Mason took Diana’s suitcase and said, “We’re taking this down to seven-eighty-nine, Diana. You take that black bag. Be sure to follow instructions.”
“And I’ll see you in San Francisco?”
“That’s right. I’ll get in touch with you. Put your phone number and address here in my notebook. But stay in seven-eighty-nine until I give you an all-clear.”
The lawyer handed her his open notebook. Diana took it and carefully made the notations Mason asked, picked up the black bag, gave Stella her hand, said, “Thanks, sister. Be careful, and keep wearing that bra.”
She turned to Perry Mason and said, “You’re all right. You’re good... Let me carry my suitcase. I’ll wait. I have the key to seven-eighty-nine.” Impulsively she kissed him on the cheek, picked up the suitcase, the black bag and purse, crossed swiftly to the door, opened it, and was gone.
Mason settled himself in a chair, motioned for Stella to be seated, said, “I’m playing this pretty much in the dark myself, Stella. The blackmailer will be expecting the payoff will be made by a man. You’ll have to act the part of the financial angel, probably related to the sucker. However, you’re skeptical, hard-boiled, and—”
The lawyer broke off as knuckles tapped on the door.
“This may be it,” he said. “Gosh, I hope Diana got down to seven-eighty-nine and out of sight.”
The lawyer went to the door, opened it, and said, “Yes, what is it?”
The man who stood on the threshold was a small man in his early thirties. He had black hair which was very sleek and glossy, parted in the middle and curled back from his forehead at the temples. He was wearing dark glasses and well-pressed brown slacks with a darker brown sport coat. His shirt was tan, and an expensive bolo tie furnished ornamentation.
“How do you do?” he said. “I called in response to an ad in the paper. I...” He broke off as he caught sight of Stella Grimes.
“That’s all right,” Mason said. “Come in.”
The man hesitated, then extended a well-manicured hand, the nails highly polished, the skin soft and elaborately care for.
“Cassel,” he said, smiling, “C-A-S-S-E-L. I had hardly expected you would come down in person, Mr.—”
Mason held up his left hand as he shook Cassel’s right hand.
“No names, please.”
“All right, no names,” Cassel said.
He regarded Stella Grimes appraisingly, as a cattle buyer might size up a prime heifer. There was a puzzled frown on his forehead which speedily gave way to an oily smile.
“We’ll dispense with introductions,” Mason said abruptly.
Cassel said, “As you wish. However, we don’t put on our best performances in front of an audience, you know.” He made a deprecatory gesture. “I confess I get stage fright,” he said. “I may not be able to recall my lines at all.”
Stella said, “Perhaps you two would like to have me go in the bathroom and close the door.”
“No, no, no,” Cassel said. “Nowhere in the room, please. I am very self-conscious.”
Mason laughed. “Mr. Cassel and I have some very private business to discuss, Stella. I’m sorry that you and I didn’t have more of an opportunity to talk, but it follows that we’ll get together sometime later. I dislike these interruptions as much as you do, but that’s the way things go... Mr. Cassel and I are going to have a business talk, and following that I’ll be in and out for a while, but I’ll give you a ring whenever I’m at liberty. However, don’t wait for my call. Just follow your own inclinations.”
Stella Grimes regarded Mason thoughtfully for a few seconds, then said, “I think I’ve got it,” to Mason, and, turning to Cassel said, “Good-by, Mr. Cassel.”
She walked casually over to Perry Mason, put her lips up to be kissed as in a pleasant but often-repeated salutation of affection, then left the room.
“Nice babe,” Cassel said, eying Mason.
Mason shrugged. “I like her.”
“Known her long?”
Mason smiled. “Not long enough.”
“You’re not handing me that line,” Cassel said.
“I’m handing you nothing.”
“You can say that again.”
There was a brief period of silence.
“Okay,” Cassel said, “let’s quit stalling around and get down to business. You brought it with you?”