Erle Gardner - The Case of the Phantom Fortune

Della Street, eyes sparkling, said, "I presume thatmeans you'll ask Paul Drake to be sure to get the fingerprints of Judson Olneytonight?"

"Exactly," Mason said.

Warren's house at 2420 Bridamoore Street was ablaze with lights. The house was setwell back from the road, and the semicircular driveway leading to the frontdoor was wide enough to furnish ample room for parking cars.

On the west side of the house andopening from the driveway was a wide lane leading to a three-car garage.

Perry Mason, slowing his car,glanced at Della Street and said, "Notice the driveway is fairly well filled with parkedcars, Della, yet we're right on time. Usually guests come straggling in atabout any time which suits their convenience."

"What significance is attachedto that?" she asked.

"It was planned that way,"Mason said. "He wanted all the other guests to be here when wearrived."

Della Street said, "Oh-oh! Look in the driveway tothe garage by the side door."

"I noticed it," Masonsaid, "The big catering van."

"But notice the sign," shesaid. "Drake's Catering Service"

Mason nodded. "The name ispainted on heavy paper which fits into a frame. The rest of the sign ispermanently painted. In that way they can change the name to suit the occasion.We'll have to kid Paul Drake about the service."

"Something new for Paul,"she said, "being a caterer."

"Well," Mason said,turning the car into the driveway, "it seems that we enter from the eastand find ourselves a parking place on the left-hand side of the driveway. Thishouse was evidently built with the idea of entertainment in mind."

"A house of headaches," Della Street said. "It takes lots of servants torun a place of this sort and getting domestic help these days is a realheadache."

Mason parked the car, got out andheld the door open for Della Street. "Well," he said, "in we go and try to play the part ofinnocent bystanders in a script which has been written by a rank amateur."

"You think anyone will suspectanything?" Della asked.

Mason said, "It depends onwho's present, Della, but if this is an intimate group that has been togetherfrom time to time, and I rather fancy it is, the presence of an attorney andhis attractive secretary will cause considerable comment, a great deal ofspeculation, and if a guilty person is present he won't be deceived for morethan ten seconds."

"Yes," Della Street said, as they walked up to the front door."I can imagine a blackmailer putting the bite on Mrs Warren and thenattending a party at which a noted attorney is introduced as one of the guests.It might be a good thing at that, Chief. It might frighten him out of any planshe might have for a shakedown."

"It might," Mason saiddubiously pressing the button which caused chimes to sound in the interior.

The door was flung open by JudsonOlney.

"There you are!" heexclaimed, taking both of Della Street's hands. "I've been waiting foryou."

He turned to Perry Mason. "Andthis is …?"

"Mr Mason," Della saidthen turning her face to Perry Mason, "My old friend, Judson Olney, Chief.I told you about him this afternoon."

"Oh, yes," Mason said,shaking hands. "How are you, Mr Olney?"

Olney expressed his pleasure, thenhalf turned toward the couple who were standing in the reception hall."Loma," he said, "this is the girl I was telling you about. MrsWarren, Della. And may I present Mr Mason – Mrs Warren, Mr Mason. And this isHorace Warren, our host. Della Street and Mr Mason."

Mrs Warren said, "Welcome. It'scertainly a pleasure! Judson told me all about meeting his cruising companionand said you were more beautiful than ever, and now I can well believe it.Judson, you aren't very smart to lose track of a young woman like this."

Olney knocked his head with hisknuckles. "Pure ivory," he said.

Warren regarded Mason thoughtfully. "Haven'tI seen you some place before?" he asked.

Mason looked him in the eyes, said,"Have you?"

Warren's brow puckered thoughtfully "I'veseen you or-Wait a minute, I've seen a picture of you … Mason, Mason, whyyou're Perry Mason, the lawyer."

"That's right," Masonacknowledged gravely.

"Well, what do you know," Warren exclaimed, awe and respect in his voice.

"Perry Mason!" his wifeejaculated. "Oh-oh! Perry Mason in person! Wait until my guests hear aboutthis! Well, this is something."

"Let me take your things,"Lorna Warren said to Della, "and come in and meet these people. It's arather small intimate group."

Horace Warren moved over to takeMason's arm. "Well, well," he said, "the great Perry Mason. Thisis indeed an honour, Mr Mason."

"Thank you," the lawyersaid dryly.

In the big living-room area half adozen people were chatting together, casually holding cocktail glasses. Throughhuge picture windows there could be seen a swimming pool illuminated bycoloured globes beneath the surface and by an indirect illumination above thesurface which gave the effect of soft moonlight to the wide cement apron andthe grass which bordered it.

Another eight or ten persons werestanding in groups or spread out in reclining chairs around the pool.

The sound of a dozen voices talkingat once, interspersed with occasional feminine laughter, greeted the ears ofMason and Della Street as they entered the room.

Horace Warren stepped to themicrophone of a hi-fi player and tape recorder and threw a switch which turnedit into a public address system.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I havean announcement to make," Warcen said.

From the manner in which the peoplelooked up with smiles of amusement, Mason gathered that Warren liked to hear his voice over the publicaddress system and quite frequently made announcements.

"This," Warren said, "is a romantic story, a storyinvolving my right-hand assistant, Judson Olney, who met a beautiful girl whilehe was on that South American cruise a few years ago, and then lost track ofher. Then, quite by accident, he found her again and with Mrs Warren's permission has invited her here tonight.

"He was gratified to find thatthis very pretty girl whom he had always visualized as one of the Hollywood stars and who had been a woman of mysteryon the cruise, was working in a law office as a confidential secretary. BecauseJudson is going to be occupied with business matters during a part of theevening, he asked this young woman to bring an escort of her own choosing. She choseher employer, and her employer, ladies and gentlemen – hold everything now -her employer is none other than the famous attorney, the one and only – thegreat Perry Mason! The young woman is the beautiful Miss Della Street. And here they are! Step forward,please."

Warren held out his hand, and Della Street and Mason stepped forward just as someonepressed a switch on a spotlight.

Warren still held the microphone. "Let's givethe newcomers a big hand," he said.

People dutifully looked around for aplace to put their cocktail glasses, then broke into spattering applause. Thespotlight went off.

Warren turned to Mason and said, "I hateformal introductions where you go around from person to person and group togroup. I make many introductions over a loudspeaker. Now, if you will justmingle around, people will give you their names and you can get themcatalogued. But first you must have a cocktail."

Mason said, "You have a veryremarkable voice, Mr Warren. That was a smooth, almost professional job you didin the announcement."

Warren's face flushed with genuine pleasure."Do you think so?" he said. "Thank you, very much."

"I'm quite certain," Masonsaid, "you must have had professional coaching."

Warren failed to take the bait. "Come thisway and have a cocktail. We have a catering service that is doing a realjob."

Warren led the way over to a portable bar where animpassive waiter took their orders, then lifted the lid from an insulatedcontainer.