“If, on the other hand, the charge stood up against the ringer, then Minerva was in the clear.”
“And they got that good a ringer?” Drake asked incredulously.
Mason nodded. “One of those coincidences, Paul. Apparently some detective agency was looking for a girl of just the right size, build and complexion who could wear Minerva’s clothes and could walk back and forth in front of at least one of the witnesses until there was an identification. Then presumably the other witnesses would be called in and they’d all identify the wrong person.”
Drake grinned. “Now, wouldn’t it be poetic justice, Perry, if this babe put an ad in the paper in order to get herself out of a jam and in so doing had to split up an inheritance of fifty-odd million dollars — and where does that leave us?”
“Sitting right out on the end of some kind of a golden limb,” Mason said. “We—”
The telephone rang.
Della Street picked up the instrument, said, “Hello,” cupped her hand over the mouthpiece and said to Perry Mason, “Dorrie Ambler.”
Mason made a motion. “Put her on loudspeaker, Della.”
A moment later Della Street nodded, and Mason said, “Hello, Miss Ambler.”
“Oh, Mr. Mason!” she said, her voice excited. “I know I have no business asking this but could you come to my apartment?”
“Why don’t you come here?” Mason asked.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I’m being watched. I’m being pinned down here.”
“Where’s here?”
“At the Parkhurst Apartments. Apartment 907.”
“What’s pinning you down there?”
“There are men — a man out in the corridor, ducking in and out of the broom closet... From the window of my apartment I can see my car where I parked it, and there’s another man keeping watch on that car.”
“All right,” Mason said, “that means the police have got you located and you’re going to be picked up on a hit-and-run charge.”
“A hit-and-run charge?” she asked.
“That’s right. That’s what happened on the sixth of September.”
“And you mean that was the thing they’ve been getting ready to frame me for?” she asked indignantly. “I’m supposed to be offered as a sacrifice for that terribly rich woman who—”
“Take it easy, take it easy,” Mason said. “This is a telephone and we don’t know who may be listening.
“Now look, Miss Ambler, a matter has come up of very, very great importance. I have to see you and I would like to see you right away.”
“But I can’t leave. I’m not going to. I’m just absolutely frightened to death.”
“Those people are police officers,” Mason said. “They aren’t going to hurt you, but they’re going to stick around until they’re absolutely sure that you’re up and dressed and then they’re going to come barging in to your apartment and ask you questions about the driving of the automobile and the accident on the sixth of September.”
“Well, what do I tell them?”
“Tell them nothing at the moment,” Mason said. “We haven’t got all our proof together but we’re getting it. Tell them you were home on the sixth of September and don’t tell them anything else.
“In the meantime we’ve got to get on the job. Now, where’s your car?”
“Downstairs.”
“You said you could see it?”
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
“At the curb.”
“Isn’t there a garage connected with that building?”
“Yes, there are private garages but something happened to the lock on my garage door and my key won’t work. However, I don’t use the garage much anyway. It hasn’t been too well ventilated and there’s a mildew smell in there that I don’t want to get in my car. Lots of the tenants leave their cars out.”
“All right,” Mason said. “I have something to discuss with you, Miss Ambler... Tell me something, is your father living?”
“No.”
“Your mother living?”
“No.”
“But you know all about your family?”
“Why are you asking this, Mr. Mason?”
“It’s something that has just come up and it may be important.”
“Actually, Mr. Mason, I don’t know a thing about my family. I was— Well, I was put out for adoption. I think I’m— All right, I may as well tell you, you’re my attorney. I’m an illegitimate child.”
Mason and Paul Drake exchanged glances.
“How do you know you are?” Mason asked.
“Because I was put out for adoption by my mother and— Well, I’ve never looked into it. I guess it was just one of those things. I’ve wondered sometimes who my people really were.”
“You’ve never taken any steps to find out?” Mason asked.
“No. What steps could I take?”
“You stay right where you are,” Mason said. “I’m coming up. I want to talk to you. I’ll have Mr. Drake with me — the detective, you know.”
“Oh... Could you come right away, Mr. Mason?”
“I’m coming right now,” Mason said.
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Wait right there,” Mason said. “No matter what happens, don’t leave.”
Mason nodded to Della Street, who punched the button which shut off the phone.
“Come on, Paul,” Mason said. He turned to Della Street. “Just as soon as Jerry Nelson comes in, tell him to follow us out there. You have the address. I want Jerry to take another look at this girl and compare her with the other one. It may be we’ve stumbled onto a red-hot lead.”
“A red-hot lead in a fifty-million-dollar jackpot,” Drake said. “Boy, wouldn’t that be a juicy jackpot to hit.”
Chapter Five
Drake parked his car in front of the Parkhurst Apartments. Paul Drake and the lawyer cautiously emerged.
“See anyone watching the building or spotting a car, Paul?” Mason asked.
“Not yet,” Drake said, his trained eyes moving swiftly from side to side. “Do you know what kind of a car she drives, Perry?”
“No, I don’t,” Mason said. “She’s been a working girl. Probably it’ll be a medium-priced model four or five years old.”
“Lot of those here,” Drake said. “Probably second cars that the wife uses in going shopping while the head of the house takes the good car to work.”
“Rather charitable for a bachelor this morning, aren’t you?” Mason asked.
“Romantic as hell,” Drake said, his eyes still restlessly searching. “It must have been something in that bicarbonate of soda I had last night. It couldn’t have been anything in the hamburger... Okay, Perry, the place is clean down here. Not even anyone in a parked car.”
“Okay, let’s go up,” Mason said.
“Better lay our plans,” Drake said. “Suppose this guy in the corridor tries to duck out of sight when we go up there.”
“We go pull him out of hiding and see what makes him tick,” Mason said.
“If he’s a police officer you’ll have trouble.”
“If he isn’t, he’ll have trouble,” Mason said grimly. “In any event he’ll have some explanations to make. Come on, Paul, let’s go.”
They went up in the elevator, got out at the ninth floor and Mason said to Paul, “You take the left, I’ll take the right, Paul. Cover the entire corridor.”
The two men walked down the corridor to the end, then turned, retraced their steps and met again in front of the elevator.
“Anything at your end?” Drake asked.
Mason shook his head.