The Case of the Lucky Legs   ::   Гарднер Эрл Стенли

"The girl who posed for that photograph," he said, "was tricked, robbed and betrayed."

Perry Mason looked not at the photograph but at Bradbury's face, his eyes holding that steady, watchful scrutiny which seeks to uncover truth beneath a veneer of stage setting. It was the scrutiny of an attorney who has handled clients of all types, and who has learned to calmly and unhurriedly brush aside layers of falsehood in order to get at the real facts.

"Who is she?" Mason asked.

"Her name," said Bradbury, "is Marjorie Clune."

"You say she was tricked, robbed and betrayed?"

"Yes."

"And who is the person who is responsible for that?"

"Frank Patton," said Bradbury.

Perry Mason waved his hand toward the big leather chair which faced his desk.

"If," he said, "you'll sit down and tell me about it from the beginning, we can probably make faster progress."

"There's one thing I want understood," Bradbury said, sitting down, "and that is that whatever I tell you is going to be in confidence."

"Certainly," said Mason.

"My name is J.R. Bradbury. I live in Cloverdale. I was a heavy stockholder in the Cloverdale National Bank and was its president for many years. I am fortytwo years of age. Recently I retired, to devote my time exclusively to private investments. I am a substantial citizen of Cloverdale and can furnish you with any number of firstclass references."

Bradbury's voice held the closeclipped articulation of a man who is dictating. The lawyer watched him with eyes that seemed to penetrate the man's mind as X rays penetrate human tissue.

"Marjorie Clune," went on Bradbury, "is a young woman of character and beauty. She is an orphan. She was employed as a stenographer in my bank. She would probably have agreed to marry me within another month. Frank Patton came to town. He was a promoter. He claimed to be representing a motion picture company that was searching for a young woman of personality and beauty, who could stand being advertised as The Girl with the Lucky Legs . they were going to insure her legs for two million dollars; release publicity about the most beautiful legs in the world."

"Did Patton say he had authority to act for such a motion picture company?" Mason asked.

Bradbury smiled wearily, as though he were telling something that he had repeated on many occasions.

"He had a contract with a motion picture producing company with offices here in the city. The contract was signed in blank by the picture company. Patton was empowered to select the other party to the agreement.