The Case of the Phantom Fortune

Chapter 2

It was nearly two o'clock when a radiant Della Street returned from the beauty shop.

"How do I look?" sheasked, standing in front of Perry Mason, and turning slowly.

"Like a million," Masonsaid.

"I don't want you to be ashamedof me at that buffet dinner."

"Ashamed!" Masonexclaimed. "You'll be the queen of the-"

The telephone bell rang three short,sharp rings which was the switchboard operator's signal that in the outeroffice there was something urgent and demanding immediate attention. A momentlater Gertie, the switchboard operator and receptionist, appeared in the doorof the private office.

She carefully closed the door behindher and said, "There's a Mr Judson Olney out there who wants to see Miss Della Street on a personal matter of some urgency. Hewants to see her alone"

"My boyfriend," Dellasaid.

"Your what?" Gertie asked,her eyes growing large and round.

"Only temporarily," Della Street said, smiling. "I'll go out and greethim."

Gertie backed out of the office.

"I want to look him over,"Mason said to Della Street, "provided you can arrange it."

"I'll arrange it," shetold him.

Della vanished through the door tothe outer office.

A few moments later Mason's phonerang and when the lawyer picked up the receiver he heard Della on the other endof the line.

"Where are you, Della?" heasked.

"In the outer office," shesaid. "I'm talking where he can't hear me."

"Go ahead."

"There's something ratherstrange here. He didn't want to see anyone except me, but after we'd talk alittle while he asked who my escort was going to be and I told him it would beyou. That seemed to bother him for a minute and then he said, well, perhaps hewas getting a little out of line. I can see that now he knows I'm going withyou he wants to meet you, but he's all worked up about something, under somesort of terrific tension."

"See if he wants to come in andmeet me," Mason said. "If he does, bring him in."

"I'm satisfied he does. You mayexpect us in about two minutes," Della said.

However, it was less than a minuteafter Mason had terminated the telephone conversation that the door opened andDella said, "Mr Mason, this is Judson Olney. He's manager of the WarrenEnterprises."

Olney, a strapping young man with aready smile and an air of breezy informality about him, came forward toacknowledge the introduction and take Mason's hand.

"Hello, Mr Mason," hesaid. "I'm sorry I bothered you but Della here told me you were going tobe her escort tonight and I wanted to drop in and say hello.

"Della and I are old friendsfrom high school days. I was a senior when she was a freshman but I had my eyeon her even then … We drifted apart and I lost track of her."

"How did you happen to findher?" Mason asked, his face without expression.

"Simplest way on earth,"Olney said. "I was walking down the street yesterday and she drove by. Irecognized her. I saw her turn into a parking place nearby, so as I walked pastI spoke to the attendant, told him that I'd like to know whether a Miss DellaStreet was a regular customer of his, and he told me she kept a parking spaceby the month, that he understood she worked in the office of Perry Mason, the attorney

"So," Olney said, smiling,"that's the story. I could have made quite a mystery out of it and builtmyself up as a super detective, but somehow I always like to tell thetruth."

His steady blue eyes met Mason'swith every semblance of frankness.

"And that's the truth?"Mason asked.

Della Street caught Judson Olney's eye and shook herhead.

Olney grinned sheepishly. "Allright," he said, "that's a story I made up. Actually I was instructedby my employer, Horace Warren, to concoct a story which would account for along friendship with Miss Street, and to invite her as my friend to a buffet dinner tonight. On theother hand, I wasn't to have it appear that there had been anything more thanan old friendship which had been dormant for some time and was now beingresurrected. So I was therefore instructed to ask Miss Street to bring an escort. She tells me that youare going to take her."

Mason nodded.

"All right," Olney said,"I'm going to be telling that story about Della Street, the old school days and the parking lotand I wanted to rehearse it a little bit."

"Couldn't you do a little better?"Mason asked.

"No," Olney said. "Ihad a better story but it would have been vulnerable to checking."

"You think someone will checkit?" Mason asked.

Olney said cautiously, "I don'tknow I want to be safe. I'm being purposely kept in the dark. I don't know whatit's all about. I'm told what to do and I'm simply following instructions. Iwas told to concoct a story that would stand checking."

"That's all you know?"Mason asked.

"That's all I know," Olneysaid. "But I do want to say one thing on my own."

"What's that?"

"Whatever is in the wind,"Olney said, his face suddenly serious, his eyes hard, "had better be onthe up-and-up as far as Loma Warren is concerned."

Mason raised his eyebrows. "Youhave some particular interest in seeing that her rights are protected?"

"Nothing like that," Olneysaid. "Well, wait a minute, I have, too. Lorna Warren is one of thesweetest, nicest individuals I've ever met calm, quiet, patient, considerate,and she treats us folks in the office just fine.

"Now then, it suddenly occursto me that there's a reason for all this rigmarole I'm supposed to go through,and it may be that Horace Warren isn't interested in having Miss Street there but is interested in having youthere. I hope you don't mind if I put the cards right on the table, sir."

"Go right ahead," Masoninvited.

"Horace Warren is my employer.I am loyal to him in a business way. His wife, Lorna, is something very, veryspecial. Don't get me wrong, Mr Mason. My feelings toward her are simply thefeelings of every man and woman in the office. We like Horace Warren. Weabsolutely idolize Lorna. I would certainly resent being called upon to assistin making it possible for an attorney to be present at that buffet dinnertonight ii the ultimate objective of the attorney was to do something whichwould inconvenience Loma Warren in any way."

"You are now waiting for astatement from me?" Mason asked.

"I am waiting for a statementfrom you."

Mason said, "I have no officialconnection with either Horace Warren or Loma Warren which would cause me to doanything against the best interests of Loma Warren."

Olney's face lit up. "Well, nowthat's something," he said. "That makes me feel a lot better… Well,there's no use keeping up the pretense with you folks. You'll be there, Iunderstand, at seven. Do I rate the privilege of giving you a platonic kiss onthe cheek, Miss Street? After all, you were the proud, unattainable beauty when we were bothin high school."

"When you were a senior and shewas a freshman?" Mason asked.

Olney made a little grimace."That part of the story," he said, "doesn't hang together sowell when you pick it up with that lawyer's tone of polite sarcasm."

"Why use it then?"

"It's the only story that willstand investigation."

"And you were told there mightbe an investigation?"

"I was told to get a storywhich couldn't be shown false on its face. I obey orders."

Della Street said mischievously. "In view of ourold school-day association and your fervent, undeclared passion, which youmanaged to conceal so successfully, you rate a kiss on the cheek and we will doa little babbling about the old days and some of the teachers."

"That's fine," Olney said."I just wanted to drop in to talk over the ground rules with you and planit so things would go smoothly tonight."

He bowed, smiled, started for thedoor, paused in the doorway to turn and size up Perry Mason. The smile left hisface.

"I wish I knew what this wasall about," he said.

Mason said. "Just a moment,Olney. That story of yours, I don't like it… Can't you think up a betterone?"

Olney came back into the room,stared thoughtfully at the floor for a moment. Suddenly he snapped his fingers."I've got it!" he exclaimed. "A boat trip! Four years ago I wentthrough the Caribbean, then down to South America … moonlight dances on deck,warm spice-scented air – Wonderful! That's where I met you, Miss Street."

Della flashed Olney a smile.

Mason looked dubious but refrainedfrom commenting until Olney had bowed himself out of the office, then heregarded Della Street thoughtfully "Your old friend," he said, "is either agood actor or a rotten liar."

Della Street, eyes sparkling, said, "I presume thatmeans you'll ask Paul Drake to be sure to get the fingerprints of Judson Olneytonight?"

"Exactly," Mason said.