Dail gave no faint flicker of expression. “What was it you wished to see me about?” he asked.
Mason glanced at Celinda Dail. “If you were planning to go in for cocktails,” he said, “and it’s not convenient to discuss the matter now, I can see you some time after dinner.”
“That’s all right,” Dail said. “You can trust to my daughter’s discretion. What did you wish to say?”
“I understand,” Mason said, “there’s a substantial cash shortage in your company, Mr. Dail, a matter of some twenty-five thousand dollars, and this shortage was, well, shall we say coincident with the departure of Mr. Moar from your employ?”
“Go on,” Dail said. “I’m listening.”
“I have reason to believe,” Mason went on, “that it might be possible for your company to get back some twenty thousand dollars of the missing money.”
“You’re representing Moar?” Dail asked.
“No.”
“Whom are you representing?”
“Interested parties,” Mason said.
“Would you mind telling me just who they are?”
“Would it,” Mason inquired, “make any difference in your attitude in the matter?”
“It might,” Dail said.
“May I ask in what way?”
Dail hesitated a moment, then said, “I wouldn’t bargain with a crook. Neither would I bargain with anyone who was representing a crook.”
Mason said, “I take it your company would welcome the return of twenty thousand dollars?”
“It might.”
Mason turned to Celinda, asked, “Mind if I smoke?” and took a cigarette from his pocket.
“Not at all,” she said. “I’ll have one with you, Mr. Mason.”
Mason lit her cigarette, lit his own. Charles Whitmore Dail regarded him appraisingly. “You haven’t told me, Mr. Mason, whom you’re representing.”
“I’ve told you I’m not representing Mr. Moar,” Mason said.
“How can you guarantee the return of any money if you’re not representing him or some confederate?”
“I’m not representing him. I’m not representing any confederate. I’m not guaranteeing the return of any money. I’m asking questions.”
“Specifically, what is your question?”
“Would your company be willing to make some concessions in order to get back approximately twenty thousand dollars of the embezzled money?”
“I feel that my company would naturally like to have the spending of its own money,” Dail said. “I feel quite certain that we would be willing to make some substantial concessions.”
“How substantial?” Mason asked.
“What do you want?”
“For one thing,” Mason said, “I want it definitely understood that no attempt whatever will be made to arrest Moar until he has surrendered of his own accord. That he will be permitted to plead guilty under any name he may choose, and be sentenced under that name.”
“Do I understand,” Dail asked, “that you want us to guarantee we won’t take any steps to apprehend Moar merely on your suggestion that the money may be paid?”
Mason shook his head. “You’d have my word in return for yours. I’d have approximately twenty thousand dollars paid into my bank. When that money was in my hands, I’d ask you to agree to hold off any attempt to apprehend Moar for a definite period, say two weeks.”
“I think that could be arranged,” Dail said, slowly.
“I understand there is as yet no warrant issued for Moar?” Mason asked.
“I’m not qualified to give you a definite answer on that.” Dail replied cautiously.
“But you could give me your definite assurance as to what you would be willing to do in order to get this money?”
“Yes,” Dail said, “we’d be willing to grant your request. We’d go farther. We’d do everything in our power to see that Moar received probation, with the understanding, of course, that he would repay the rest of the money. By the way, Mr. Mason, why do you say approximately twenty thousand dollars?”
“Because I don’t know just how much money remains in Moar’s possession.”
Suspicion showed in Dail’s eyes. “Your offer was predicated on twenty thousand dollars.”
“It wasn’t an offer, it was a question, and I said approximately twenty thousand dollars,” Mason corrected.
“Well, I would take approximately to mean within a thousand dollars of that sum.”
“I’m not making any definite proposition,” Mason said. “I’m merely asking a question. The proposition will come later. At that time I’ll know exactly what I have to offer. At the present time my understanding is there is approximately twenty thousand dollars available.”
“Very well,” Dail said, “you know my attitude, Mr. Mason.”
Celinda Dail said, “It seems strange that you’ve been on board ship with us for four days, Mr. Mason, and have just come to Father with this proposition.”
Mason shifted his eyes to her. “I didn’t know your father was president of the Products Refining Company.”
“Are we to understand that the clients whom you represent are aboard the ship?” Celinda asked innocently.
“I think,” Mason said, smiling, “that so far I have carefully avoided answering any questions about my client, other than to state that I am not representing Mr. Moar.”
“Then your client isn’t aboard,” Celinda Dail asked.
Mason said, “You really should have been an attorney.”
Dail said, “That doesn’t answer my daughter’s question, Mr. Mason.”
Mason stared at him with amused eyes. “No,” he said, “it doesn’t, does it?”
There were several seconds of silence. Then Dail got to his feet. “Very well, Mr. Mason, you understand my attitude.”
Mason stood looking down at the other man. “All right,” he said, “now let’s not misunderstand each other. Don’t make any promises to me on behalf of your company which your company won’t carry out to the letter. If we go through with this thing, I’ll shoot square with you and I’ll want your company to shoot square with me.”
“Just what do you mean, Mr. Mason?” Dail asked coldly.
“I mean,” Mason said, “that your auditor, C. Denton Rooney, doesn’t seem to have the interests of the corporation as much at heart as you have. If we reach an agreement I wouldn’t want to have him misunderstand the terms of that agreement. In fact, I would take steps to see that he didn’t.”
“Don’t worry,” Dail said. “Rooney married my wife’s sister. He owes his position to that relationship and to me.”
“I want to make certain there won’t be any misunderstanding with Rooney,” Mason insisted.
“There won’t be,” Dail assured him.
As Mason reached for the knob of the door, Celinda Dail said, “Don’t you think, Father, it would be well to have some time limit with Mr. Mason? Some time within which he’d make you a definite offer?”
“Yes,” Dail said instantly. “Let’s put a time limit on this. Mason.”
“Unfortunately,” Mason assured him, smiling at Celinda Dail, “that is impossible. I will have to both send and receive wireless messages before I’m in a position to make any definite offer.”
“But you think you can do so before the ship docks?” Dail asked.
“I hope to be able to do so before the ship docks,” Mason said, opening the door.
Mason dressed for dinner, strolled into the cocktail lounge and found Mrs. Moar seated at a corner table.
“Well,” he said, raising his voice for the benefit of any passenger who might be listening, “while you’re waiting for your family may I invite you to join me in a cocktail?”