lesson."
"Let's get her in," Mason said. "I'm interested in the gun."
Della Street returned to the outer office and ushered Ellen Robb into Mason's presence.
Ellen Robb tried a lopsided grin. "Isn't it a beaut?" she said, fingering her swollen eye.
"All right," Mason said, "let's cut out the window dressing and get down to brass tacks. What happened?"
"I don't know. George was in a terrible mood last night. Every time I said anything he'd snap me up, and finally I couldn't take it any more and I told him I didn't have to. Then he really gave me a bawling out."
"What sort of a bawling out?" Mason asked.
"I think a lawyer would refer to it as loud, vulgar and obscene language."
"And then what?"
"Then he said something I just wouldn't take, and I slapped his face and.-. well, I have a shiner to show for it."
"No one interfered with your packing up?"
"No one interfered with my packing up. I got out and took a taxi to another motel. This morning when I was going through my things, I looked in my bag and… well, there was a gun in it."
"What sort of a gun?"
Ellen Robb opened her purse. "This," she said. "And I'm quite certain it's one of the guns he keeps there for protection. He has three or four of them by the various cash registers. This looks exactly like one of those guns. So, what do I do?"
Mason took the gun, motioned to Della Street to take her notebook. "A.38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver with the number stamped in the metal, C 48809," he dictated.
He pushed the catch which released the cylinder, swung out the cylinder, said, "One empty cartridge case in the cylinder."
Mason put the gun down on his desk, then after a few seconds picked it up and dropped it in his right coat pocket.
"Let's assume someone put this revolver in your bag," Mason said. "When was it done-before your altercation with George Anclitas or afterwards?"
"Before. The minute he hit me I went right to my locker and started getting my things out, then I went to my room in the motel and packed my bag."
"Could he have gone to your room while you were getting your personal things out of your locker?"
"I suppose he could have, but somehow I don't think he did. I don't know. I have an idea… it's hard to tell, Mr. Mason, but I have a definite feeling that George had decided he was going to pick a fight with me over something and get rid of me. I think the whole thing had been carefully planned and was all cut and dried."
"Did you go and see Mrs. Ellis?"
"I tried to, but I never got to see her."
"What do you mean, you tried?"
"They have a yacht. I rang up the house and tried to talk with her. I found she and her husband were going on a cruise and she was supposed to be aboard the yacht, getting it ready for the cruise. I went down to the yacht, but she wasn't on board."
"Did you go out to the yacht?"
"Yes. I got a skiff, rowed out and went around the yacht calling her name. Then I went aboard. There wasn't anyone there. I thought it over and felt that since they were going cruising together they had probably patched things up and it would be best for me to say nothing."
"This was before your altercation with George?"
"Oh, yes, quite a bit before. The fight didn't start until nearly eleven o'clock, but I felt he was just looking for an excuse to pop me one from the minute I started to work."
"What time did you go on duty?"
"Eight o'clock."
Mason said, "Look here, Miss Robb, you have had stenographic training, haven't you?"
She seemed surprised. "Yes. How did you know?"
"You were taking down my conversation yesterday when I was talking on the phone."
She flushed, seemed embarrassed, then said, "Well, yes. I- You were talking about me and… well, you were talking with Mrs. Ellis' lawyer, and I just wanted notes on what you said."
Mason said, "You told me that you'd been married?"
She nodded.
"Want to talk about it?" Mason asked.
"No."
"And you've been around?"
"I've been around. I'm twenty-four years old and thought I was
"Let's get her in," Mason said. "I'm interested in the gun."
Della Street returned to the outer office and ushered Ellen Robb into Mason's presence.
Ellen Robb tried a lopsided grin. "Isn't it a beaut?" she said, fingering her swollen eye.
"All right," Mason said, "let's cut out the window dressing and get down to brass tacks. What happened?"
"I don't know. George was in a terrible mood last night. Every time I said anything he'd snap me up, and finally I couldn't take it any more and I told him I didn't have to. Then he really gave me a bawling out."
"What sort of a bawling out?" Mason asked.
"I think a lawyer would refer to it as loud, vulgar and obscene language."
"And then what?"
"Then he said something I just wouldn't take, and I slapped his face and.-. well, I have a shiner to show for it."
"No one interfered with your packing up?"
"No one interfered with my packing up. I got out and took a taxi to another motel. This morning when I was going through my things, I looked in my bag and… well, there was a gun in it."
"What sort of a gun?"
Ellen Robb opened her purse. "This," she said. "And I'm quite certain it's one of the guns he keeps there for protection. He has three or four of them by the various cash registers. This looks exactly like one of those guns. So, what do I do?"
Mason took the gun, motioned to Della Street to take her notebook. "A.38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver with the number stamped in the metal, C 48809," he dictated.
He pushed the catch which released the cylinder, swung out the cylinder, said, "One empty cartridge case in the cylinder."
Mason put the gun down on his desk, then after a few seconds picked it up and dropped it in his right coat pocket.
"Let's assume someone put this revolver in your bag," Mason said. "When was it done-before your altercation with George Anclitas or afterwards?"
"Before. The minute he hit me I went right to my locker and started getting my things out, then I went to my room in the motel and packed my bag."
"Could he have gone to your room while you were getting your personal things out of your locker?"
"I suppose he could have, but somehow I don't think he did. I don't know. I have an idea… it's hard to tell, Mr. Mason, but I have a definite feeling that George had decided he was going to pick a fight with me over something and get rid of me. I think the whole thing had been carefully planned and was all cut and dried."
"Did you go and see Mrs. Ellis?"
"I tried to, but I never got to see her."
"What do you mean, you tried?"
"They have a yacht. I rang up the house and tried to talk with her. I found she and her husband were going on a cruise and she was supposed to be aboard the yacht, getting it ready for the cruise. I went down to the yacht, but she wasn't on board."
"Did you go out to the yacht?"
"Yes. I got a skiff, rowed out and went around the yacht calling her name. Then I went aboard. There wasn't anyone there. I thought it over and felt that since they were going cruising together they had probably patched things up and it would be best for me to say nothing."
"This was before your altercation with George?"
"Oh, yes, quite a bit before. The fight didn't start until nearly eleven o'clock, but I felt he was just looking for an excuse to pop me one from the minute I started to work."
"What time did you go on duty?"
"Eight o'clock."
Mason said, "Look here, Miss Robb, you have had stenographic training, haven't you?"
She seemed surprised. "Yes. How did you know?"
"You were taking down my conversation yesterday when I was talking on the phone."
She flushed, seemed embarrassed, then said, "Well, yes. I- You were talking about me and… well, you were talking with Mrs. Ellis' lawyer, and I just wanted notes on what you said."
Mason said, "You told me that you'd been married?"
She nodded.
"Want to talk about it?" Mason asked.
"No."
"And you've been around?"
"I've been around. I'm twenty-four years old and thought I was
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