Erle Gardner: The Case of the Borrowed Brunette

“Then that’s all there is to it. If this young lady wants to earn money in a legal occupation, it’s quite all right with me.”

“Mr. Mason, I... Where can we talk privately?”

“Right here.”

“I said privately.”

“That’s as private as you can talk.”

“Well, let’s sit down,” Hines said reluctantly. “Let’s... This has taken me completely by surprise. I need a few moments to adjust myself.”

Eva Martell and Adelle Winters had seated themselves on the davenport, Mason now took the overstuffed chair opposite, and Hines, after some hesitation, moved up a straight-backed chair and sat down at the table. “Mr. Mason,” he said, “I have decided to be frank with you.”

“That’s fine. But before you do that, let’s see that we’re all square with the board. Have you paid these women what you promised them?”

“Not yet.”

“Pay them now, then.”

“I will gladly pay them, but I don’t like to have the suggestion come from you or in that tone of voice.”

“Pay them and there’ll be no need for any suggestion.”

“You have already made the suggestion.”

“All right, then — damn it, pay them!”

Hines flushed. “Are they your clients?”

“In a way. A friend of theirs has asked me to keep an eye on the situation.”

After a moment of hesitation Hines took out a wallet that was well padded with money. From it he took five fifty-dollar bills and handed them to Eva Martell; then a hundred-dollar bill and gave it to Adelle Winters.

“That’s better,” Mason said, as Hines returned the wallet to his pocket. “Now you can start talking.”

“This young woman is Miss Eva Martell,” Hines began. “The lady with her is Mrs. Adelle Winters, who acts as her chaperone. If you saw the ad, you will recall its stipulation that I would pay a chaperone and pay her well. For my own protection, as well as for that of the young woman, I want to make absolutely sure that there is nothing untoward in the situation, nothing that could possibly lead to a... er... morals charge.”

“Okay,” Mason said, “we’ll assume that’s taken care of. So this is Miss Martell. Now I believe you are living here, posing as Helen Reedley?”

“Yes,” the brunette said.

“Why?”

“Because I was told to do so.”

“By whom?”

She hesitated, and Adelle Winters replied. “Those were the instructions given by Mr. Hines, this gentleman sitting here. That’s what he told us to do when we moved in. We’ve followed them to the letter. Everything we’ve done has been just what he told us to do.”

“That right?” Mason asked.

Hines cleared his throat. “It’s substantially correct,” he admitted reluctantly.

Mason said, “I take it, then, that you’re willing to assume the responsibility?”

“Entirely, sir. Every bit of it.”

“And I take it you’re aware it’s a crime to impersonate others?”

“Only when there is an intent to defraud, Mr. Mason. I have looked up the law very, very carefully. I can assure you that every step I have taken is strictly within the law. There is no intent to defraud anyone,” Hines explained.

“But you do intend to deceive people.”

“There’s a legal distinction.”

“I know there is,” Mason said. “I’m trying to find out whether you are aware of that distinction.”

“I am!”

“Who rents this apartment?”

“I... er... ”

“Come on,” Mason said. “Who rents it?”

“Helen Reedley.”

“The real Helen Reedley?”

“Yes.”

“Who gave you permission to install these two women here?”

“Well... I have her authorization.”

“In writing?”

“No.”

“There you are,” Mason said.

“Look here, Mr. Mason. Let me make you a fair business proposition. Suppose I have Helen Reedley herself come to you and tell you that I represent her, that everything I am doing is all right, that there is no intention to defraud anyone, and that we will jointly assume responsibility for everything this young woman is asked to do. Suppose I do all that?”

“The real Helen Reedley?” Mason countered.

“That’s right.”

Mason grinned. “Number Two on your list of brunettes, I suppose?”

“Mr. Mason, Helen Reedley will have her driver’s license. It will have her thumbprint on it. You will take the thumbprint directly from her hand and compare the two. Nothing could be fairer than that.”

“When will this take place?”

Hines looked at his watch. “It is now approximately twelve o’clock noon. I can have her at your office at one o’clock.”

“Have her there.” Mason got to his feet and started for the door. At the doorway he turned and said to Eva Martell, “My number’s listed in the telephone book. If there’s anything you want to know about, ring me. I’ll call you some time this afternoon. Until you hear from me, don’t do anything.”

“But, Mr. Mason,” Hines protested, “I assure you it’s all right — all perfectly legitimate! It’s... Hang it, you’ve embarrassed me by injecting your personality into this case. But, since it’s been done, I can assure you that you will be satisfied — satisfied absolutely.”

“I’m a hard man to satisfy,” Mason told him.

“A thumbprint will satisfy you, won’t it?”

“Of the identity of the thumb,” Mason said, and added, “and that’s all.” He closed the door and left Hines sitting there with the two women.

Mason, in his office, looked at his watch for the second time within ten minutes. “Well, I guess it’s a stand-up,” he said.

Della Street nodded.

“We’ll give her another five minutes.”

“You really thought she’d come?” Della Street asked.

“I didn’t know. I was trying to keep an open mind.”

“How did Hines impress you?”

“Not too well.”

“But he’s in such a vulnerable position,” Della Street said. “I can’t understand why he’d promise you he’d do something like that and then not do it. Unless, of course, he’s just sparring for time.”

“He was sparring for time all right,” Mason said. “But it seems to me he could have resorted to something that would have been a little less spectacular when it failed. And he certainly could have shaded the time limit quite a bit. He could have said that he’d have her here at four o’clock and gained a cool three hours.”

“And if Helen Reedley does show up, and her thumbprint corresponds with the one on the driving license, will you be convinced that it’s all right?”

Mason laughed. “When and if she convinces me that she’s the one who has the lease to that apartment and that she owns the things that are in it. After all, there may be two or three Helen Reedleys in the country. I’m never going to be really satisfied until I knew exactly why Hines wanted to borrow a brunette to live in Helen Reedley’s apartment. — Okay, Della, here’s Hines’s number. Get him on the phone for me.”

Della Street relayed the call through Gertie and a few moments later nodded to Mason. “He’s on the line, Chief.”

“Hello. Hines?” Mason said.

“Yes. Mr. Mason?”

“Right. Your party hasn’t shown up yet.”

“Hasn’t shown up yet!” Hines exclaimed in a tone of utter incredulity.

“You heard me.”

“I can’t understand it. Why, I understood she’d be there in... Why, she should have been there at least twenty minutes ago.”

“That was my understanding.”

“I’m sure that if you’ll just be patient she’ll be there any minute now. She must have been detained by something unexpected.”