Erle Gardner - Case of the Silent Partner

Mason said cautiously, “You’re certain about the identity of the various parties?”

“Absolutely. I’d know her voice anywhere — and his, too.”

“Where are you now?”

“At the Broadway Flower Shop.”

“I’m engaged right at present, but I can get away within a few minutes if you’ll wait there.”

“Please hurry,” she said. “I feel certain that you know where she is.”

“I’ll do the best I can,” Mason said.

He hung up the phone, and Tragg got to his feet. “Well, there’s no need for me to interfere with your work, Mason.”

Mason said, “Get your book, Della.”

“Sounds like an emergency,” Tragg drawled.

“We’re going to make a will,” Mason said, “and we’re racing against time.”

Della walked along the corridor at Mason’s side, her feet beating a quick tattoo on the flagged floor as she strove to keep up with Mason’s long strides.

“Think he suspects?” she asked.

“Damn him, yes,” Mason said. “I tell you the man’s clever.”

“But what will we do?”

Mason held his thumb against the elevator button. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

She said, “I’m certain I didn’t leave any clues that would point to you.”

“It’s my fault,” Mason said. “I’ve been dealing with Sergeant Holcomb so long that I’d begun to take the police pretty much for granted. Tragg is a fast thinker. It occurred to him that she might use her credit, and he had a man staked out. If you hadn’t been so quick-witted...”

A red light came on, and the elevator slid to a stop. Mason and Della entered, and Mason, taking a quick glance at the other occupants, warned her to silence with a glance.

“Suppose he’s got a man waiting here to shadow you?” Della asked as they reached the lobby.

“Probably. However, it won’t make any difference. They’ll be certain to have someone watching Mildreth Faulkner so Tragg will be notified the minute we show up.”

Lois Carling, behind the counter at the flower shop, looked at them curiously as they entered. “Something I can do for you?” she asked. “Did you wish...”

Mildreth Faulkner came running out of the office to greet them. Lois Carling fell back to watch them with ill-concealed curiosity.

Mildreth said, “Take me to her at once, Mr. Mason. You must.”

Mason said, “Your line may be tapped. Della, go into the drugstore on the corner and telephone the Clearmount Hotel. Ask to talk with Mrs. Dunkurk. When you get her on the phone, tell her who you are, ask her if she called her sister recently.”

“Oh, but she did,” Mildreth insisted. “I’d know her voice anywhere.”

“Just check on it,” Mason said to Della Street.

She walked rapidly down the aisle, and out of the door. Mason glanced curiously through the office windows at the array of potted flowers.

“Just atmosphere,” Mildreth explained. “We fill our orders from...”

“How sound-proof is this glass?”

“It’s all right.”

“I notice that that girl behind the counter seems to be taking quite an interest in us.”

“Oh, she’s all right — a little curious, that’s all.”

“She was friendly with the girl that worked here before — the one who had the five shares of stock?”

“Yes.”

“Seen her since she was married?”

“Oh, yes. They’re great cronies.”

“Then she’s probably met Peavis.”

“Oh, she knew Peavis long before that. Peavis used to try to pump her about the business. He’d bring her candy, and try a little flattery, but he never got very far. Peavis always tries to bribe the girls with candy. He’s crude and naïve — and dangerous, and that girl is too high-powered for this job — that’s all.”

Mason said, “I don’t want to go to your sister until I know more about this. I’m afraid it’s a trap. Lieutenant Tragg is clever.”

“But, good heavens, I know my own sister’s voice. I heard...”

She broke off as Harry Peavis, accompanied by a weasel-faced, narrow-shouldered man in a flashy suit, opened the door and started rapidly toward the enclosed office.

“That’s Peavis. He...”

“I know,” Mason interrupted.

Peavis reached the door of the office, opened it, said, “I’m sorry to do this, Mildreth.” He turned to the little, nervous individual at his side. “That’s her.”

The man stepped forward. “Mildreth Faulkner, as president of the Faulkner Flower Shops, Inc., I hand you this complaint, summons, order to show cause, preliminary injunction and restraining order.”

Mildreth shrank back.

“Go ahead and take them,” Mason instructed her, and to Peavis, “What’s the suit?”

“Civil suit,” Peavis said, watching Mildreth’s face. “I don’t want anyone else to show up with that stock certificate before I’ve had a chance to present my claims.”

“What are your claims?” Mason asked as Mildreth Faulkner uncertainly extended her hand to receive the documents which the bright-eyed, nervous man was holding out to her.

The process server said glibly, “An action to declare a certificate of stock lost or destroyed, and have a new one issued in its place; an indemnity bond protecting the corporation and the officers thereof against any liability in the event the old certificate, properly endorsed, should be presented; a summons and order to show cause returnable at two o’clock tomorrow afternoon with the defendant corporation having the right to have a continuance at its option; a restraining order preventing the corporation from transferring the stock in the meantime to anyone except Peavis. That’s all for now, Miss Faulkner.”

Mildreth Faulkner seemed dazed at the barrage of legal phraseology.

“Sounds complicated,” Mason said to her, “but don’t worry about it.”

“It’s really simple,” Peavis explained. “I own those shares of stock. Something happened to the stock certificate. The man who held it for me was murdered. The stock certificate seems to have vanished.”

“He was your agent?” Mason asked.

“Read the papers I’ve just served.”

Mildreth Faulkner said, “Harry Peavis, do you mean to stand there and admit that you hired gamblers to entice my brother-in-law...”

“I didn’t hire anybody to entice anyone,” Peavis said doggedly. “I found out that Lawley was playing the ponies, running into debt, and cutting a wide swath. I found out he’d hocked everything your sister had given him once before in order to get out of a financial jam. He’d come out on top of the heap that time, and had kept right on with his gambling. I knew that it would be only a short time before he’d do it again. Someone was going to be lucky and get this flower shop stock. I decided it might as well be me.”

Mildreth said scornfully, “That was setting a trap.”

“All right,” Peavis said, “have it your own way. I may have baited it, but he set it himself.”

Mason, looking toward the door, saw Della Street returning. “All right, Peavis, you’ve made your service. We’ll be in court and thresh the matter out there.”

Peavis said, “We might be able to work out some sort of a settlement.”

“No,” Mildreth Faulkner exclaimed indignantly.

Della Street, standing outside the door, took a notebook from her purse, scribbled a brief note, and entered the office. Peavis said, “Good afternoon, Miss. Looks as though I’d interrupted a conference.”

“You did,” Mildreth told him.

Della handed the folded sheet of notebook paper to Mason. He opened it and read, “Mrs. Dunkurk checked out. A man called for her about an hour ago.”

Mason passed the message on to Mildreth.