The Case of the Phantom Fortune

Chapter 12

Mason parked his car on Clovina Avenue.

On the other side of the street weretwo police cars and the red car of a deputy fire chief. Further down the blockthere were several cars parked at the kerb.

The store at the corner of Clovinaand Hendersell had evidently been a large space, low rental property Thebuilding was run-down, the neighbourhood was drab and dejected. At one time thebuilding had been used for surplus goods, and a weather-beaten sign of SURPLUSSALE still adorned the front of the building.

As Mason left the car a man came upto him. "Perry Mason?"

"That's right."

"I'm Lou Pitman, one of Drake'soperatives. Drake caught me on the car radio phone and sent me here on a rushcall. As it happened I was working on another job not too far away and I gothere about the same time the fire department did."

Mason eyed the man steadily."Let's see your credentials," he said.

Pitman produced his identificationcard.

"Okay," Mason said."Now tell me what happened."

"It was a false alarm,"Pitman said. "The fire company came charging up, parked their fire trucks,looked the place over, started to leave, then one of them looked in a window,said something to the others. They knocked a window out, went in, thenevidently put in a call over their short-wave radio for the police. The policecame rushing out here and apparently there was a man trapped inside thebuilding."

"Trapped inside thebuilding?" Mason asked.

"That's right."

"He didn't get away?"

"He didn't get away."

"He should have," Masonsaid thoughtfully. "He shouldn't have been there by the time the firewagons got there. Go on, what happened?"

"I don't know what happened,but more police cars have been coming. There's something on the inside therethat bothers them and they're evidently questioning this man – Here they comenow."

The front door of the store opened.Lt Tragg, flanked by a plain-clothes detective and two uniformed officers,escorted Horace Warren out of the building.

"Good Lord!" Mason said.

"You know him?" Pitmanasked.

Abruptly Mason turned from Pitman,barged across the street and moved toward the group. One of the officers saidsomething to Lt Tragg, who looked up and was unable to keep the expression ofsurprise from his face as he saw Mason bearing down on them.

"Well, well," Tragg said."This is quick work! How did you get here? Did your client telephone youand -"

Mason fastened his eyes on Warren. "Not one word, Warren," he said. "Not one word. Don'topen your lips!"

One of the uniformed officers bargedforward, shoved Mason back. "On your way," he said, "this is ahomicide."

"Not one word," Masoncalled over his shoulder. Then said to the officer, "I'm this man'sattorney."

"I don't give a damn who youare," the officer told him. "After he's booked he has the right toask for a lawyer and then you can come and see him, but you're not going tobutt in on things here. On your way!"

Mason side-stepped enough to catch Warren's eye and received a slight nod of thehead.

Mason walked back across the street.

The other group entered two policecars and roared away.

"Wasn't that Tragg, ofHomicide?" Pitman asked.

"That's right," Masonsaid. "He wouldn't be here unless there was a dead body inside and unlessit was murder.

"They're leaving a police carthere with officers in charge of the place. That looks like a big storeroomwith a warehouse in back. There may be an entrance on the other street. As soonas you get reinforcements here, cover the building. Try and find out whathappened and telephone me at my office."

Mason walked dejectedly across tohis car, got in, twisted the ignition key, started the motor and drove backtoward his office.