Эрл Гарднер - The Case of the Stepdaughter’s Secret

“She said that she thoroughly resented such tactics, that whoever the person was who was being blackmailed it was his or her own business and she thought that the press had sunk to a new low when it tried to ferret out the private affairs of reputable citizens and blazon them all over the front pages of the newspapers; that that was journalism at its lowest and that she just wanted this reporter at the other end of the line to know what she felt about it.”

“And then?” Mason asked.

“Then she slammed the phone down.”

Mason said, “That would be quite a gambit. It would put a blackmailer on the defensive. How did you know that your daughter was being blackmailed? Did she confide in you?”

“She did not, but I knew she had made a short spin in our speedboat. I also learned that she had asked for a red coffee can. Then when I read the newspaper account featuring the money and the blackmail note I realized, of course, what had happened.”

“But you said nothing to her?”

“No.”

“And she has said nothing to you about this?”

“No.”

“But you did listen in on the telephone conversation?” Mason said.

“I thought that the blackmailers might try to get in touch with her and I wanted to see what was happening.”

“Specifically why do you come to me?”

“Because I think my daughter may be in danger; because I feel that my husband has undoubtedly consulted you, and because you are playing with dynamite and I want you to know all of the hidden potentials.”

“And you have had a direct contact with one of the blackmailers.”

“I have had a direct contact with a young man who specifically wanted blackmail in order to keep from broadcasting the information that he had.”

“How was he going to broadcast it?”

“He said one of the scandal magazines would be only too glad to pay him a thousand dollars for the story. That was why he fixed the price at a thousand dollars. He said that he needed the money, that he didn’t want to stoop to making money in that way, but he needed it; that he would much rather receive the same amount for suppressing the information. He sounded very convincing.”

“Do you intend to tell your husband about this?” Mason asked.

“No.”

“Do I have your permission to tell him about it?”

“No. I am simply giving you information which I feel you should have.”

“Has it occurred to you that you may be in some danger yourself?”

“Danger,” she said, “from blackmailers? Pooh! They are cowards, Mr Mason. This man extorted a thousand dollars from me, I assume that he had a confederate who extorted three thousand dollars from my daughter. I think the matter would have stopped there if it hadn’t been for all this spectacular publicity and the fact that the three thousand dollars the blackmailers had counted on getting from my daughter wound up in the hands of the police.

“I assume that you thought you were dealing with one blackmail demand, made upon my daughter. The way you handled it may or may not have been the wisest move to make under the circumstances. But, as you can see, the pattern is much more complex than you realized. I simply wanted you to understand that situation.”

“Why not talk with your husband about this and tell him the whole story?” Mason asked.

“I may,” she said, “later on.”

“Do you know where your husband is now?”

“I think he’s out at the lake but he is to join me here in town later on.”

“And your daughter?”

“I don’t know where she is, but she intends to spend the night at the lake residence. I am going to telephone her with some excuse and ask her to come into town and stay at our apartment here. Since my husband will be with me, I don’t want her staying out there alone.”

Mrs Bancroft looked at her watch, said, “And I have a good many things to do. I’m going to have to hurry. Good afternoon, Mr Mason.”

She rose, very sure of herself, flashed an inclusive smile at both Mason and Della Street, and moved to the exit door.

“Thank you for seeing me,” she said, and went out.

Mason and Della Street exchanged glances.

“So,” Della Street said, “Harlow Bancroft was thinking about the wrong criminal record and the wrong set of fingerprints.”

“Or was he?” Mason said. “Of course, that’s a natural presumption, but we are dealing with a highly complex situation and two blackmailers.”

Mason drummed with his fingertips on the edge of the desk.

The phone rang sharply.

Della Street answered it, said to Mason, “Harlow Bancroft on the line.”

“Returning our call?” Mason asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Gertie says he’s on the line.”

Mason picked up the instrument, said, “Hello, Bancroft. I was trying to get in touch with you.”

“So I understand,” Bancroft said. “I wanted to see you but there isn’t time for me to get in and talk with you.”

“Where are you now?”

“At my summer home on the lake.”

“You’re going to stay there tonight?”

“I don’t know just yet. However, that’s neither here nor there. What I wanted to tell you was that I’ve been a heel. I’ve been selfish and... Well, forget all that I told you. That blackmailing business wasn’t anything like what I thought it was. It’s something else... I will have to explain to you in person, but... We may be all mixed up on this thing. It may be something entirely different from what you think it is.”

“It may be,” Mason said dryly. “What do you want me to do?”

“Do whatever you think is best,” Bancroft said.

“How did you find out about all this?”

“I had a heart-to-heart talk with my stepdaughter.”

“Did you tell her what you told me?” Mason asked.

“I didn’t,” Bancroft said. “She was doing the talking. I... This isn’t the time to tell my family anything, Mason. All I can do is to try and be of help... Now look, you’ve had ideas about playing with blackmailers.

“If the blackmailers were striking at me, the situation would have been different, but as it is it’s... Well, I can’t tell you over the phone, but it’s a collateral matter and I think the best thing to do may be to pay them off and gain time. I think that it is, after all, rather a petty matter — that is, comparatively petty — and... well, I’m afraid your tactics have been... Well, you may have been too rough. You may be rocking the boat.”

“I told you I was going to rock the boat,” Mason said.

“But you’re rocking it pretty violently,” Bancroft said, “and you may have got the wrong boat... I want to see you tomorrow morning.”

“Why not tonight?” Mason said. “If it’s a matter of this importance I’ll wait for you.”

“No, I can’t make it tonight. There are other things... Just sit tight, Mason, and I’ll see you in the morning. Ten o’clock?”

“All right, at ten,” Mason said. “Now, what about that missing gun, Bancroft? Does your stepdaughter have it?”

“She says she doesn’t. She seemed very much surprised when I asked her about it. My stepdaughter is in a very peculiar position. Newspapermen are trying their damnedest to find out all about this blackmail scheme, and some person, probably a newspaper reporter, tried to get Rosena to commit herself over the telephone but she told him off and slammed down the phone. However, it may have been one of the blackmailers... I tell you, Mason, I think the best thing to do is to pay off.

“Now, I appreciate everything you’ve done, and of course I want you to hold what I told you in the strictest confidence, the most complete confidence. But just sit tight for a while and leave matters to us. I think we can handle them all right one way or another.”