“Well, you had the general report he made over the telephone yesterday that it was a suit for defamation of character. We now have a copy of the complaint.”
She handed Mason a copy of a complaint which had been filed in the clerk’s office, and Mason skimmed through it, nodding his head and smiling as he read. “The plot thickens,” he observed. “Apparently Mrs. Josephine Kempton was discharged under circumstances which she found highly unsatisfactory. She was unable to secure any explanation from her employer, and, later on, when she tried to get other jobs, she found out that in every instance where the new employer had written Mr. Addicks for reference, letters had been received from Addicks accusing her of theft.”
“What’s the law on that?” Della Street asked. “Is it a privileged communication?”
“You mean Addicks’ letters?”
“Yes.”
Mason grinned. “My dear Della. You are presuming upon the prerogatives of attorneys for the defendant in the case of Kempton versus Addicks. As far as the law of the case is concerned, let them fight it out; but as far as the facts of the case are concerned, I find myself very much interested. I am also interested in knowing why Mr. Fallon should be so concerned about the diaries of Helen Cadmus.”
“Well, of course,” Della Street said, “he doesn’t admit that he’s interested primarily in the diaries. He simply wants any of the personal effects that were left by the, and again I quote, ‘poor unfortunate girl.’ ”
“Tut-tut-tut!” Mason said.
“Are you going to see Mr. Fallon,” she asked, “before he wears out all of the carpet in the reception room pacing the floor?”
“We’re going to see him,” Mason said, “but Mr. Fallon, who apparently is a stuffed shirt as well as a poor actor, should see us as we really are, Della. He probably has been accustomed to the dignified corporation attorneys who handle Mr. Addicks’ affairs and advise him how he can turn income into capital for a smaller tax.
“I think it is time Mr. Fallon realizes he is dealing with an entirely different breed of cat.”
With which Mason crossed over to the coat closet, took out his hat, carried it over to the bust of Blackstone, and deliberately adjusted it at a rakish angle.
“And now, Della,” he said, “you may show in Mr. Nathan Fallon.”
Della Street smiled at Mason’s whimsical gesture and promptly went to the outer office to return with the man she had described as a three dollar bill.
Nathan Fallon had a high, bulging forehead, a short pug nose, thick-lensed rimless spectacles, a big smiling mouth, and an over-all attitude of ingratiating good fellowship.
There was a bald spot at the back of his head, and the hair had grown thin above the high forehead, but he had let the hair of the intermediate fringe grow as long as possible. By winding this hair around and around and plastering it in position with hairdressing, he had managed to take away much of the shine from the bald spot.
“Mr. Mason!” he said. “Mr. Perry Mason! I can’t begin to tell you, sir, the pleasure that I have in meeting you face to face. I have been an admirer of yours for a long time. I have followed the accounts of your courtroom triumphs in the press. I made up my mind early in the game that if I should ever find myself in trouble I would come to your office at once.”
“That’s fine,” Mason said, shaking hands and flashing Della Street a quick wink. “I take it you’re in trouble, then?”
“No, no, no, not at all! No, no, my dear Mr. Mason! Oh, please do not misunderstand me. No trouble.”
“Oh,” Mason said. “I did misunderstand you then. Sit down.”
Mason seated himself behind the big desk. Della Street moved up to her secretarial desk with notebook poised.
“Oh, my dear Mr. Mason, I wouldn’t have conveyed that impression for anything — and your so charming secretary, Miss Street! It is indeed a pleasure to see her in the flesh.”
“Your making her sound naked,” Mason said.
“Oh, no, no! My dear Mr. Mason, please! Please, I beg of you.”
Della Street glanced mischievously up from her notebook.
Fallon hurried on with his explanation. “I meant only that I had read about her, that she had been an intangible. Now she has become very, very definite, very tangible.”
“And,” Mason reminded Fallon, “is waiting to take notes as to the nature of your business so she can make out a proper file and keep the office records straight.”
“Yes, yes! You’ll pardon me, Mr. Mason. I realize, of course, the value of your time. I’m a man who believes in coming right to the point, Mr. Mason.”
“Go ahead.”
“I am an associate of Benjamin Addicks, and, strangely enough, I am also related to Helen Cadmus.”
“Just what’s the nature of the relationship?” Mason asked.
“Oh, rather a distant relative. She always called me Uncle. I was instrumental in getting her position with Benny.”
“Benny?” Mason asked.
“I beg your pardon, Benjamin Addicks. We call him Benny.”
“I see.”
“Poor dear Helen. I can’t imagine what possessed her to do the terrible thing she did, and, above all, in the manner in which she did it. If she had been determined to end it all, an overdose of sleeping pills would have been so much more simple, so... well, if I may express myself frankly, Mr. Mason, so much more considerate.”
“I presume,” Mason said, “that when a girl finds the problems of life too much for her and decides to take her life, she is primarily concerned with her own adventure into eternity.”
“Yes, yes, of course. I understand that. The poor thing. I can understand it personally, and yet, Mr. Mason, it couldn’t have been planned so that it was more... well, shall I say more inopportune.”
“In what way?”
“All of the newspaper notoriety, all of the inconvenience that it caused Benny — Benjamin Addicks, that is. Mr. Addicks was very much attached to her. Just as an employee, you understand, Mr. Mason, just as an employee. He would have done anything possible to alleviate her suffering if he had only known. I think I am in a position to assure you definitely, Mr. Mason, that if the poor girl’s troubles were in any way financial, Mr. Addicks would have done almost anything, made almost any concession...”
“What were her troubles?” Mason asked.
Fallon threw out pudgy palms in a gesture. “Now there, Mr. Mason, I’m up a tree. I can’t tell you. I simply don’t know.”
“She didn’t confide in anyone?”
“Yes, Mr. Mason. Unfortunately she confided in me, and I didn’t believe her. I felt it was only the sort of talk that women sometimes indulge in during periods of despondency. She told me that she felt many times that she couldn’t continue to bear the great measure of responsibilities that she found life was heaping on her and that she was...”
“What sort of responsibilities?”
“She didn’t say, Mr. Mason. I’m sorry to admit that I didn’t encourage the girl. I... but then that’s neither here nor there. The matter is all over and disposed of, and I know how busy you are, Mr. Mason. I was surprised to read in the press this morning that you had purchased Helen’s intimate personal belongings. I had no idea that she had left behind any personal possessions of that nature. As her nearest relative...”
“I thought you said you were a distant relative?”
“Relatively distant, Mr. Mason. Ha-ha-ha! I don’t mean a pun. I mean that I am a distant relative, but because there are no nearer relatives I sometimes refer to myself as a near relative. That sounds a big ambiguous, but I’m quite certain you’ll understand.”
“I don’t share your optimism,” Mason said. “Now just what do you want?”