The Case of the Borrowed Brunette

Chapter 3

It was twenty minutes of twelve when Mason climbed the steps to the lobby of the apartment house and pressed the button opposite the card bearing the name Helen Reedley.

Almost at once the sound of a buzzer indicated that the catch had been thrown on the outer door. Mason pushed it open, entered the lobby, found the automatic elevator, and went up to the third floor. He strode down the corridor, found the apartment he wanted, and tapped peremptorily on the panel.

Almost immediately the door was thrown open. A man bowed affably and extended a hand — the same man who had given Cora Felton the ten dollars. “Mr. Mason, I’m very pleased to meet you. Perry Mason, the famous attorney. This is indeed a pleasure. Won’t you come in?”

“I wanted to see Miss Reedley,” Mason said as he started to walk through the dim foyer.

“Unfortunately, Miss Reedley has a very severe headache, and—” the man said, and stopped abruptly. “Oh... oh!”

As Mason entered the room the light had fallen on his face and the man had recognized him. There was consternation in the blue eyes bulging behind nose-pincher glasses that left two angry red spots where they dug into the high bridge of a prominent nose.

“Mr. Mason!” the man exclaimed. “I didn’t know that you were... we’ve met before.”

“I’ve seen you before,” Mason said.

“When I was paying off one of the unsuccessful applicants for the job.”

“That’s right.”

The man rubbed his finger tips along the angle of his jaw. “That complicates the situation,” he said slowly.

“In what way?”

“Well... I’d like to know what your connection with it is.”

“And I want to know,” Mason rejoined, “what your connection with it is! What’s your name?”

“I... I am Mr. Hines’s representative.”

“Are you Mr. Hines himself?”

“Well... let’s say I’m his representative.”

“I’m asking you for your name.”

“Well, if it’s important, call me — Robert Dover Hines.”

“It is important,” Mason said. “Sit down. Where’s Helen Reedley?”

“I told you she had a severe headache.”

“That doesn’t conform with the facts of the case as I understand them. Now, let’s quit beating around the bush. What’s the game?”

“My dear Mr. Mason, I assure you that... Will you please tell me what your interest in the matter is?”

Mason said, “I want to talk with Helen Reedley.”

“That is impossible at the moment.”

“Nothing is impossible. That phone’s connected, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but I fail to see what that has to do with it.”

“My own information,” Mason said grimly, “is that Miss Reedley is available. I want to talk with her, personally, now. I want her to identify herself to me as the person she claims to be. In the event that she doesn’t do that, I’m going to go over to that phone and notify the police.”

“What are you going to notify them about?” Hines asked suavely.

“You’ll find out when you hear me talk.” Mason’s tone was curt. “If you’re curious, just say the word and you can start listening.”

Hines placed his thumb on one side of his chin, the tips of his fingers on the other and made gentle, V-shaped, stroking motions. “This is indeed most unfortunate, Mr. Mason.” He was still suave.

“For whom?”

“For all concerned.”

“I’m concerned,” Mason said, “and I don’t think it’s at all unfortunate.”

“May I ask how you learned where to find this apartment?”

“Ask anything you damn please,” Mason said. “If I feel like answering, I’ll answer. If I don’t, I won’t. In the meantime, where’s Helen Reedley?”

“Mr. Mason, let’s not get worked up over this — let’s discuss it like practical men. Perhaps, after all, there’s a chance for us to get together. I feel that if you would only be frank and tell me... ”

Mason moved quickly across the apartment to a closed door and jerked it open. It led into a closet.

Hines rushed over toward the lawyer. “Now, Mr. Mason, Mr. Mason,” he said. “You have no right to search this apartment! I must insist that you... ”

Mason brushed him aside, jerked open another door.

This one opened into a bedroom, and in that bedroom sat Adelle Winters, her hands folded in her lap, a triumphant smile on her face. Seated near her was a brunette who was quite similar in build and general appearance to Cora Felton and who seemed definitely apprehensive.

Perry Mason bowed. “Miss Reedley?”

Hines, at his elbow, answered the question. “That is Miss Reedley.”

“How’s your headache?” Mason asked.

“I... I... ”

“Come, come,” Hines protested. “This highhanded procedure is entirely illegal, Mr. Mason.”

“There’s the phone,” Mason said. “Call the police. Have me arrested.”

“Come, come, Mr. Mason,” Hines exclaimed again. “Let’s be reasonable!”

“Suits me,” Mason said. “It’s your lead. Make a play and I’ll follow suit.”

“Well, let’s go in the other room and sit down.”

“The ladies, I take it, will join us?”

The woman who Mason surmised was Eva Martell glanced uneasily at Hines, but Adelle Winters was on her feet at once. “Come, dear,” she said, and then added, “I presume this is the Mr. Mason who called up about an hour ago.”

“The same,” Mason said.

“Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll do the talking,” Hines interposed hastily.

“I do mind,” Mason retorted.

“I mean, as far as the women are concerned.”

“Let’s quit beating around the bush, Hines. You put an ad in a paper that has a large circulation among actresses, an ad asking for women of a certain type who were free to accept a very mysterious employment. You had them all dress alike and you spotted them on street corners. You finally picked out this young woman, probably because she most resembles the woman you want her to impersonate. Now, I’ve been asked to look into this thing, at least to the extent of assuring myself there’s nothing illegal about it.”

“Who asked you to do that?”

“A client.”

Hines was evidently growing uneasy. “Mr. Mason, that answer is not satisfactory.”

“It’s satisfactory to me.”

“You want to find out whether this thing you call an impersonation is legal or not?”

“That’s right.”

“Suppose I can convince you that it is legal?”

“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.