The Case of the Horrified Heirs

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Della Street said, «I take it that call must have been important since it caused you to leave the scene of conflict.»

«That call,» Mason said, «was from Virginia Baxter. Evidently, Lauretta Trent has been in touch with her and has arranged a meeting at a motel called the Saint's Rest, up in the Malibu country somewhere.

«The motel has a telephone and our client is in Unit Fourteen.

«So we call her back at the first available opportunity,» Mason went on. «I'm looking for a booth now, but I want to get far enough away from Lauretta Trent's house so that some of the crusading brothers-in-law won't notice me in case they should start out on a search for Lauretta.»

«What do you think is going on?» Della asked.

«I don't know,» Mason said, «but quite obviously there's a tie-in between the wills that were prepared in Bannock's office and the attitude of the various potential heirs.»

Della said, «It's pretty convenient for the chauffeur. He inherits under the will. He does all the outdoor cooking. Lauretta Trent likes highly spiced foods and every once in a while she has a violent digestive disturbance. Perhaps nothing which would be fatal in itself, but… well, a violent nausea may bring on a fatal heart attack.»

«Exactly,» Mason commented.

«There's a service station and a phone booth down that side Street,» Della Street exclaimed. «I just had a glimpse of it as we drove by.»

«That's for us,» Mason said.

They made a U-turn, drove down the side street and into the service station.

Della entered the booth, called Information and got the number of the Saint's Rest Motel while Mason was giving instructions to the attendant to fill the car with gasoline.

Mason was just entering the phone booth when Della made the connection and asked for Unit 14.

She eased out of the booth while Mason stepped in past her and took the telephone from Della's hand.

«Hello. Virginia?» he asked when he heard his client's voice.

«Yes. Is this Mr. Mason?»

«Yes. Tell me what happened.»

Virginia Baxter said, «I know that you told me to stay home, but the phone rang and it was Lauretta Trent. She asked me if I would mind meeting with her tonight to discuss a very important and very confidential matter. I told her that it would be inconvenient and that I was supposed to stay home.

«So she told me that she'd make it well worth my while. That she would pay all my expenses and give me five hundred dollars. But the understanding was I must refrain from communicating with anyone. Just go up there and wait for her.»

«And you did?» Mason asked.

«I did. That five hundred dollars and all expenses looked as big to me as a mountain of pure gold.

«I realized I should have telephoned you but she specifically stated that I wasn't to get in touch with anyone. Not to let a single soul on earth know where I was.»

«So?» Mason asked.

«So I came up here and I've been here for something over an hour and she hasn't shown up or sent me any message. I began to think about the fact that I'd let you down and so I decided to call you and tell you where I was.

«I called Paul Drake's office. They told me that you were out at Lauretta Trent's so I called there and the nurse put you on the phone.»

«You hold everything,» Mason said. «We're on our way out to the Saint's Rest Motel. If Lauretta Trent shows up before we get there, hold her there.»

«But how can I hold her?»

«Make some excuse,» Mason said. «Tell her that you have some very important information for her. If you have to, tell her that I'm on my way out.

«Tell her that you want to talk with her privately. Tell her the whole story, starting with your arrest and all about the carbon copies of the files from Delano Bannock's office.»

«You think my arrest was connected with that?»

«Very much so,» Mason said. «I think the idea was that you were to be put in such a position that your testimony could be discredited if it became necessary to discredit it.»

«All right,» she said, «I'll wait.»

«Where are you?»

«I'm in my room here at the motel.»

«You've been there for how long?»

«More than an hour.»

«And your car?»

«It's outside in the parking lot.»

«All right,» Mason said, «we're coming right out.»

The lawyer hung up the phone, gave his credit card to the attendant at the service station, said to Della Street, «Come on, Della, we're going to start getting things _un_scrambled.»

They drove down to Santa Monica, then up along the beach where a high, angry surf was pounding on their left. Mason slowed to look for his turnoff, then took a dirt road which branched off and curled upward in a series of twisting curves.

Mason fed gas to the car and handled the wheel with deft skill, keeping well within the limits of safety, yet saving every precious second possible.

As Mason's car wound its way up the tortuous road, Della Street said, «What are you going to tell Lauretta Trent if she's there ahead of us, Perry?»

«I don't know,» Mason said. «I'll have to remember that she's not my client.»

«The chauffeur will probably be with her.»

Mason nodded.

«And if he should find out that Dr. Alton has now changed his diagnosis and knows that she has been subjected to arsenic poisoning, the man could be dangerous. Lauretta Trent may never get back home.»

Mason said, «If I can't talk with her privately I simply might put her in even more danger telling her about the poison. I am not under any obligation to tell Lauretta Trent anything, nor under obligation to withhold anything. I can, of course, ask her to call Dr. Alton and let him break the news to her.»

«And then what?»

«Then,» Mason said, «George Eagan, the chauffeur, wouldn't necessarily know anything about what has been said. But if she cares enough for him to make him a beneficiary under the will, it will probably take a lot more than a mere telephone conversation to turn her against him; and if I tell her anything, it will turn her against me.»

«But Dr. Alton is also a beneficiary under the will.»

«We don't know that.»

«He seems to think so,» she said.

Mason smiled and said, «Also he thought the first attacks were acute food poisoning. Let's see what we can do to take care of our client first. She's our main responsibility. If Lauretta Trent wants to see her, it's for a reason. Let's find out the reason and take it from there.»

The road straightened out on a mesa and, within a short distance, Mason saw the lights of the motel.

«Strange place for a motel,» Della Street said.

«It's for people going up to the lake for boating and for fishermen,» Mason said. «There just isn't room for a motel on the main highway. It's ocean on one side and sheer bluff on the other.»

Mason stopped his car in the parking place, and they walked down the long line of cabins and came to Unit 14.

He tapped on the door.

Virginia Baxter flung the door open. «My gosh, am I glad to see you!» she exclaimed. «Won't you come in?»

«Where's Lauretta Trent?» Mason asked.

«I haven't heard another word from her, not a word.»

«But she asked you to come out here?»

«Yes.»

«Why?»

«She said she had something to tell me. Something of the greatest importance to me.»

«And when did this conversation take place?»

«Well, let's see… I left your office and went to a branch post office that wasn't too far from my apartment. I sent the letter to myself, registered mail. I had a malted milk, went to my apartment and hadn't been there more than… oh, an hour or an hour and a half, when the phone rang and Lauretta Trent told me who she was and asked me if I would meet her.»

«Up here at this motel?»

«That's right.»

«She gave you directions how to get here or did you know the place?»

«No, she told me exactly how to drive to get here and wanted me to assure her that I'd be leaving right away and wouldn't tell a soul.»

«What time did she say she'd meet you?»

«She didn't give me a fixed time, but said she'd be here within an hour after I arrived.»

Mason said, «You met Lauretta Trent when she was in the law office where you worked?»

«Yes.»

«You were a witness to one of her wills?»

«I think there were two wills, Mr. Mason, and I can't specifically remember being a witness, but I remember drawing up the wills-that is, doing the typing-and I remember there was some peculiar provision in the wills, something about her relatives-there was something unusual about it. She didn't trust her relatives, I know that-that is, she felt they were just waiting for her to die and that their interest in her was purely selfish. I've been trying my best to think what it was that was in at least one of the wills, but somehow I just can't seem to get it clear in my mind. I have that vague recollection-You must remember that we drew lots of wills in the office.»

Mason said, «Right at the moment I am not primarily concerned with whether you remember the wills but trying to find out if you remember Lauretta Trent's voice.»

«Her voice? No, I wouldn't remember that. I have only a vague recollection of what she looks like, rather a tall, slender woman with hair that was turning gray… not a bad figure… you know what I mean, not heavy but… well-groomed.»

«All right,» Mason said, «you don't remember anything about her voice?»

«No.»

«Then how do you know that you were talking with Lauretta Trent on the telephone?»

«Why, because she told me that-Oh… oh, I see.»

«In other words,» Mason said, «a feminine voice on the telephone told you you were listening to Lauretta Trent; that you were to come up here; that Lauretta Trent would meet you here within an hour of the time of your arrival-Now, how long have you been here?»

«Two hours-two hours and a half.»

«You registered under your own name?»

«Yes, of course.»

«And got this room?»

«Yes.»

«And you parked your car?»

«Yes, out in the parking lot.»

«Let's go take a look,» Mason said.

«But why?»

«Because,» Mason told her, «we're checking on everything. I don't like this. You should have followed my instructions and reported to me before you left your apartment.»

«But she insisted I was not to tell anyone and that I was to get five hundred dollars and all my expenses if I followed her instructions-and, as I told you, that five hundred dollars looks particularly big to me right now.»

Mason said, «She could have promised you a million just as well. If you don't get it, it doesn't make any difference how big it sounded.»

Virginia led'the way out into the parking lot. «It's right over-Why, that's strange. I thought I left it in that other painted oblong. I'm almost certain I did.»

Mason walked over to the car. «You have a flashlight in this car?» he asked.

«No, I don't.»

Mason said, «I have one in my car. I'll get it. You don't think this was the place you left the car?»

«Mr. Mason, I'm certain it was not. I remember putting the bumper right up against that stone post over there-That means I was in the parking space to the right.»

«Don't touch anything,» Mason said. «Stay there. I'll take a look-You've been framed once and got out of it. Perhaps we won't be so fortunate this time.»

The lawyer crossed over to his car, took a flashlight from the glove compartment, returned to Virginia Baxter's car and carefully looked over the inside.

«Got your key?» he asked.

Virginia Baxter produced the key. Mason opened the trunk, looked inside, said, «Everything seems to be in order.»

He started to walk around the car, then suddenly stopped. «Hello, what's this?» he said.

«Good heavens!» she gasped, «that fender's all dented, and-Look at the front of the bumper, and there's a piece broken-«

Mason said, «Get in the car, Virginia. Start the motor.»

Obediently, she jumped into the car, turned on the ignition, started the motor.

Mason said. «Go out of the exit, turn around and come in the entrance to the parking place.»

Virginia Baxter switched on the headlights and said, «Only one of the headlights works.»

«That's all right,» Mason said, «go ahead, go out the exit, turn around and come back in through the entrance.»

Mason took Della Street's arm, hurried her over to his automobile.

«You'd better get in, Della, we want this to look as plausible as possible-Get down low in the seat and brace yourself.»

Virginia drove her car out of the exit, swung around in a wide loop and turned into the entrance.

Mason's car, running without headlights, made for the entrance, then swung in a swift turn just as Virginia Baxter entered.

Her headlights picked up his car. She slammed on the brakes. Tires screamed a protest. Then there was a crash and the sound of breaking glass as Mason's car hit hers.

Doors opened in the various motel units. The office door opened, and the manager came running out to stand looking at the scene of the accident. Then she came striding toward them.

«Good heavens, what happened?»

Virginia Baxter said, «You-Why, you didn't have your lights on-You didn't tell me-«

Mason said, «I goofed. I should have gone out the exit.»

The manager whirled to face Perry Mason. «This is your fault,» she said. «Can't you see that sign there? That says Entrance just as plain as day. This is the fourth accident we've had here and that's why I had those big signs put up and knocked a section of the wall down so that the Exit would be at the other end of the parking lot.»

«I'm sorry,» Mason said. «It was my fault.»

The manager turned to Virginia Baxter. «Are you hurt?»

«No,» she said. «Fortunately, I was going slow and I put on my brakes.»

The manager turned back to Mason. «Have you been drinking?» she asked.

Mason turned half away from her. «No,» he said.

«Well, I think you have-that sign there is just as plain as day-Now, let me see, dearie, you're registered here in the motel, aren't you? Unit Fourteen?»

«That's right.»

«Well,» she said, «if you want me as a witness you just call me any time. I'm going to call the highway patrol.»

«That won't be necessary,» Mason said. «It was my fault. I accept the responsibility.»

«I'll say it was your fault. You've been drinking. You aren't staying here, are you?»

«I would like to see about getting a room.»

«Well, we don't have any rooms left. And we don't cater to drinking parties. You wait right here and don't try to move those cars. I'm calling the police.»

The manager turned and marched back to the office.

«What in the world,» Virginia Baxter asked, getting Mason to one side, «were you trying to do?»

«Insurance,» Mason told her.

«Insurance?» she exclaimed.

«Exactly,» Mason said. «Now if anyone asks you how your car got smashed up, you can tell them. Moreover, you have witnesses to prove it. You'd better go to your friend, the manager, and see if you can borrow a broom and we'll sweep this broken glass out of here; borrow a dustpan and dump it all in a trash barrel somewhere. You have one headlight and I have one headlight. It looks very much as though we're going to spend the night here unless I get busy and have a rental car delivered to me here. In which event, I'll give you a ride home.»

«And our cars?» she asked.

Mason smiled and said, «After the police come, we'll try and get yours back to the parking lot. As far as mine is concerned, I think I'll have the garage tow it away.»