The Case of the Golddigger’s Purse

“I spent part of it at my apartment. The rest of it at the Kellinger Hotel.”

“How did you happen to go to the Kellinger Hotel?”

“Sally Madison called me on the telephone and told me Mr. Mason wished me to take her to some hotel.”

“Did she say why?”

Della Street said quite innocently, “I can’t remember quite definitely whether she told me why or whether I subsequently learned why from Mr. Mason. He wanted me to get her out of...”

“Out of circulation,” Tragg prompted as Della Street’s voice suddenly trailed away into silence.

“Out of the way of newspaper reporters,” Della Street finished, smiling sweetly at Lieutenant Tragg.

“What time was this?” Tragg asked.

“That Sally Madison called me?”

“Yes.”

Della Street said, “I really couldn’t say. I don’t think I looked at my watch, but doubtless the Kellinger Hotel can tell you approximately what time we arrived.”

“What I am asking you now,” Tragg said, “is what time you received this call from Sally Madison.”

“I’m sure I can’t say.”

“Now then,” Tragg said, “we’re getting to the important part. Watch your answers carefully, because a great deal is going to depend on what you say. Did you notice anything unusual about Sally Madison?”

“Oh, yes,” Della Street told him quickly.

Tragg’s voice was grim and harsh. “What?” he asked, and the single word was as harshly explosive as the cracking of a whip.

Mason’s eyes warned Della Street.

“Why,” she said, “the girl slept in the nude.” She smiled at Lieutenant Tragg and then went on rapidly, “That’s rather unusual, you know, Lieutenant... I mean she simply stripped her clothes off and jumped into bed. Ordinarily a young woman as beautiful as Sally Madison takes much more care of her personal appearance before retiring. She’ll put creams and lotions on her face and usually...”

“That isn’t what I meant,” Tragg said.

“Of course,” Mason interposed, “you’ve interrupted Della, Lieutenant. If you had let her keep on talking, she might have told you exactly what you had in mind.”

“If I’d let her keep on talking,” Tragg said, “she’d have been here until noon describing Sally Madison’s bedtime habits. The question is, Miss Street, did you or did you not notice anything unusual about Sally Madison or did she make any confession or admission to you?”

“Remember, Lieutenant,” Mason said, “that as a potential client, anything Sally Madison may have said was a privileged communication and as Della Street is my secretary, she can’t be questioned concerning that.”

“I think I understand that rule,” Tragg conceded. “And it applies to anything that was necessarily said in connection with the matter on which Sally Madison was consulting you. Now I take it that matter related exclusively to a claim she had against the estate of Harrington Faulkner. I now want to know definitely, once and for all, whether Della Street noticed anything unusual or significant in connection with Sally Madison. Did you or did you not, Miss Street?”

Della Street said, “Of course, Lieutenant, I had only met the girl a day or two ago, and so I don’t know what is usual about her. Therefore, when you ask me if I noticed anything unusual, it’s hard to tell...”

“All this stalling around,” Tragg said, “causes me to reach a very definite conclusion in my own mind. Miss Street, how did it happen Perry Mason came up to call on you at the hour of five o’clock in the morning?”

“Was it five o’clock?” Della Street asked, with some show of surprise. “I’m certain that I didn’t look at my watch, Lieutenant, I merely...”

Mason said, “There again, of course, the records of the Hotel Kellinger will be of some assistance to you, Lieutenant.”

Tragg said, “Despite your repeated warnings to Della Street that she isn’t to conceal any information which I can subsequently ascertain by interviewing the clerk at the Kellinger Hotel, I want to know whether you noticed anything unusual in connection with Sally Madison, anything in connection with her wearing apparel, what she had on, what she had with her, what she did, or what she said.”

Mason said, “I’m quite certain, Lieutenant, that if Miss Street had noticed anything such as you have mentioned that was sufficiently unusual to be of any importance, she would have told me, so you can ask your question of me.”

“I don’t have to. I’m asking Miss Street. Miss Street, why did you call Perry Mason and ask him to come to the hotel?”

Della Street’s eyes were suddenly hard and defiant. “That is none of your business.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Yes.”

“You know my business is rather inclusive,” Tragg said, “particularly insofar as murders are concerned.”

Della Street clamped her lips together in a tight line.