The Case of the Blonde Bonanza

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Mason, Della Street, Paul Drake and Dianne Alder sat in the bedroom of Mason's suite at the hotel.

Della Street said, "I can't hold off the press much longer, Chief. They're milling around there in the living room and it's taking more than cocktails to hold them in line. They want information."

Mason looked at Dianne. "What do we do, Dianne?"

Dianne took a deep breath. "As far as my father is concerned, he has repudiated me. I loved him at one time. I feel very fond of him now, but I recognize his weaknesses.

"As far as the woman who is living with him is concerned, she is a woman. She has problems of her own. She has built up a social position here and I don't want to sweep that out from under her."

Again she took a deep breath, then smiled at Mason. "I'm returning to Bolero Beach," she said. "I came up here as Dianne Alder, a model, and I'm going back to Bolero Beach as Dianne Alder.

"You can make whatever settlement you want to with my… my father."

"You don't want to see him?"

She blinked back tears. "He doesn't want to see me," she said, "and I can realize that it's dangerous for him to do so. I have no desire to wipe out the happiness of other people."

Mason nodded to Della Street. "That does it," he said. "We'll go out and give the reporters a statement."