The Case of the Lucky Legs   ::   Гарднер Эрл Стенли

Paul Drake slipped out through the door intothe corridor. Della Street held open the door to the outer office.

"You may come in, Doctor," she said.

Dr. Doray was tall, with dark hair, black eyes, high cheekbones, a mouth which was shapeless and a jaw which was thrust aggressively forward. He seemed oddly uncertain of himself as he stood in the doorway.

"Come in," said Perry Mason.

Dr. Doray entered the room, and Perry Mason indicated the big leather chair.

As Della Street closed the door of the outer office behind her, Perry Mason let his eyes sweep over Dr. Doray in frank appraisal.

"What was it?" he asked.

"You're the attorney who's been engaged to locate Marjorie Clune," said Dr. Doray without preliminaries.

"Who told you?" asked Perry Mason.

"That is something that I can't tell you," Dr. Doray said, fidgeting uneasily.

Perry Mason stared at him.

"Well?" he asked.

"I wanted," said Dr. Doray, "to have you give me some information. I thought that perhaps I could arrange to have you represent Margy—Miss Clune—in the matter. I don't know just what Bradbury has hired you to do."

"Unfortunately," said Perry Mason, "I can't accept any employment from you. I am, however, interested to learn how you knew that I had been employed, and what made you think it was Mr. Bradbury who had employed me."

Dr. Doray smiled with his mouth. His eyes remained black, glittering and unsmiling.

"You're not going to answer the question?" asked Perry Mason.

Dr. Doray shook his head.

"Under those circumstances," said Perry Mason slowly, "I would say that you had purchased a box of candy for Miss Maude Elton, the secretary in the district attorney's office."

Dr. Doray flushed and hastily averted his eyes.

Perry Mason nodded. "I think, Doctor," he said, "we understand each other perfectly."

"I'm not certain that we do," said Dr. Doray. "What I am particularly anxious to find out is —"

"Nothing that I can tell you," Perry Mason said.

The telephone rang twice. Perry Mason picked up the receiver.

"Excuse me a moment," he said to Dr. Doray, and then said into the transmitter, "Hello."

Bradbury's voice came over the wire.

"Have you learned anything?" he asked.

"Yes," said Perry Mason in a guarded voice, "I think that I am going to have some important information for you around eight o'clock tonight. I want you to be at my office by eight fifteen at the latest. I want you to bring with you the file of newspapers that you have.