The Case of the Baited Hook by Erle Stanley Gardner

can put my finger on the person who saw him last."
    Mason sat up in his chair to drum nervously with the tips of his fingers on the edge of his desk. "Darned if I know whether I want to try to capitalize on that or not, Paul," he said. "How soon would you know?"
    "After two o'clock this afternoon." Drake said, "I don't think it'll keep that long, Perry. There's too much pressure being brought to bear. Some newspaper chap or some detective will stumble onto it."
    "What have you got?" Mason asked.
    Drake said, "Tidings told an intimate friend three days ago that he was going to spring a trap on his wife. He said he was going to move in on her and let her forcibly eject him. Seemed to think there was some legal point in that which would give him an advantage. He said his wife had been waiting to get a cause of action on desertion. He was going to move in on her just before the year was up.
    "I looked her up through the records of the Bureau of Light and Power. It's a place up on one of those steep hillside subdivisions where there's a swell view and privacy. I have a hunch Tidings went there Tuesday after he left his office. Want to go find out?"
    Mason said, "I guess so… Della, get Byrl Gailord on the phone for me. If I'm going to mix into this now, I'd better know exactly where I stand."
    "Where does she fit into the picture?" Drake asked, as Della Street noiselessly glided from the office.
    "It's a long story," Mason said. "Apparently, she's the daughter of Tidings' first wife. In reality she isn't. There's a question of adoption mixed into it… What else is new, Paul?"
    "Oh, a lot of routine stuff," Drake said. "I can't find out anything about Peltham's girl friend."
    "Is he married?"
    "No. He's a bachelor, pretty much of a businessman, rather austere, something of an ascetic, and referred to by his friends as a cold, calm, reasoning machine… Are you sure he has a heart – throb, Perry?"
    Mason laughed. "You," he said, "are giving me the information. I'm a lawyer protecting the confidence of a client… You give, and I take."
    Della Street opened the door of her secretarial office, holding a telephone in her hand. "She's on your line, Chief," she said.
    Mason picked up the telephone on his desk. "Hello, Miss Gailord?"
    A rich, well – modulated voice said, "Good morning, Mr. Mason. Thank you for calling. I believe I have an appointment with you for two o'clock this afternoon."
    "You have," Mason said. "In the meantime, events are moving rather rapidly. I suppose you've seen the newspapers?"
    "Yes. What does it mean?"
    "I don't know," Mason said. "But I have a hot tip I'm going out to investigate now. The only information I have at present is that contained in the newspaper account… I take it you're familiar with what Mrs. Tump has been doing in your behalf?"
    "Yes."
    "And that meets with your approval?"
    "Yes, of course."
    "You want me to represent you?"
    "Certainly. Mrs. Tump is acting for me."
    "Do you know Mr. Peltham?"
    She hesitated for a moment, then said, "He's Mrs. Tump's friend. I believe he's the one who sent her to you."
    "So I understand. Now you must be pretty well acquainted with Mr. Tidings?"
    "Yes, of course."
    "How do you get along?"
    "We were always friendly. It never entered my head to doubt him until I started checking up recently. I tried to find out where I stood and Uncle Albert-I've always called him that-became furious. He said Mrs. Tump was poisoning my mind, that she was trying to get control of my property-but she isn't. I trust her absolutely. I know some things I can't tell even you, Mr. Mason, but she is empowered to act for me in every way."
    "Thank you," Mason said. "That was what I wanted to find out. I'll see you at two o'clock, then."
    He hung up and said to Della, "Get me that Journal on the phone, Della. Let's see if there's been an answer sent in to that ad of mine."
    Della Street nodded, put through the call, and a few moments later signified to Mason that his party was on the