The Case of the Lucky Legs   ::   Гарднер Эрл Стенли

"You told my secretary that you had sent me a telegram," he said, "but our files fail to disclose any telegram by a man named Bradbury."

Bradbury laughed and crossed one welltailored leg over the other. He seemed very much at ease.

"That," he said, "is easily explained. I filed the telegram from an office where my name was known. I didn't want to use my name, so I signed the telegram Eva Lamont."

Perry Mason's face showed quick interest.

"Then," he said, "you are the one who sent the photograph by air mail. The photograph of the young woman."

Bradbury nodded and fished a cigar from his waistcoat pocket.

"All right if I smoke?" he asked.

Perry Mason nodded an answer. He picked up the telephone on his desk, and when he heard Della Street 's voice, said, "Bring me that photograph that came yesterday, also the telegram that was signed 'Eva Lamont. "

He hung up the telephone, and, as Bradbury clipped the end from his cigar, Perry Mason took a cigarette from a humidor on his desk. Bradbury scraped a match along the sole of his shoe and jumped from his chair to hold a light to Mason's cigarette, then, still standing, he applied the flame to the end of his cigar and was just dropping the match into the ashtray on the desk when Della Street opened the door from the outer office and laid a legal jacket on Perry Mason's desk.

"Anything else?" she asked.

The lawyer shook his head.

Della Street 's eyes turned appraisingly to the welltailored figure of the man who stood puffing on his cigar. Then she turned and left the room.

As the door clicked shut, Perry Mason turned back the jacket and picked up a photograph which had been printed on glossy paper. It was the photograph of a young woman, showing her shoulders, hips, arms and legs. The photograph did not show the young woman's face, but there could be no doubt of her youth from the willowy shape of her body, the graceful contours of her hands, and the sweep of leg which was displayed in the picture.

The woman's hands held her skirts very high, showing a pair of slim legs. Underneath the picture was a typewritten caption which had been pasted to the photograph and which read " The Girl with the Lucky Legs ."

Clipped to the photograph was a telegram which read:



SENDING YOU SPECIAL DELIVERY AIR MAIL PHOTOGRAPH OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE IN CASE I AM ABOUT TO PRESENT KEEP PHOTOGRAPH AND AWAIT ME IN YOUR OFFICE WITHOUT FAIL

EVA LAMONT



Bradbury crossed to the desk, stared down at the photograph.