lots of thought. I'd like to use my beauty. That's what it's for. Lots of people think I deliberately dress to show my figure. I do. I'm proud of it. Perhaps I'm a pagan little animal. Bob Peasley says I am. But I revel in having a good-looking figure. I guess I don't know what modesty…"
"I think," Mason interrupted, "your butler seems to have something on his mind. He's approaching rather purposefully."
She broke off, stared at the butler and said in swift, low tones, "Remember, he mustn't know I was here last night."
She faced the butler, said, "What is it, Arthur?"
"Beg pardon," he said, "but the sideboard drawer – I can't get the top drawer open. It seems to be locked."
"Oh!" she exclaimed, then, after a moment, "are you sure you looked all around for the key, Arthur?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Did you look in the little brass bowl over to the right of the pitcher?"
"No, ma'am, I didn't look there."
"Well, let's go look. It must be around there somewhere." She gave Mason a meaning glance, started walking rapidly. Mason fell into step at her side and the butler followed, a deferential pace or two in the rear. At the sideboard, she tried the drawer, said, "It's locked all right," and then started looking around on the top of the sideboard, her hands fluttering swiftly about various places. "It must be here somewhere, Arthur," she said, in the tone of a magician handing out a line of "patter" by which the attention of an audience is kept from his hands. "The key was in the drawer yesterday, I know. Someone must have inadvertently locked the drawer and placed the key somewhere nearby. It's inconceivable that anyone would have carried it away. There can't be anything in that drawer which… Why, here it is! It was right under the fold of this throw."
The butler watched her as she fitted the key to the drawer and turned the lock. "I'm sorry that I bothered you," he said. "I couldn't find it. I thought perhaps you knew where it was.
She turned the lock, pulled the drawer open, suddenly gasped, and stood staring downward at a plush-lined receptacle for a carving set. A smooth-finished black horn-handled fork glittered in its hollowed receptacle, but the place which should have held the carving knife was empty. She glanced significantly at Perry Mason, her eyes dark with panic. Then she said, "Just what was it you wanted, Arthur?"
"I'll get it, Miss Edna, it's quite all right. I just wanted the drawer opened." He took out some salt dishes, and closed the drawer.
Edna Hammer raised her eyes to Perry Mason, then slipping her hand under his elbow, gripped his forearm and said, "Do come back out in the patio. I love it out there in the early morning."
"What time are you going to have breakfast?" Mason asked. "I think we should go up and arouse Dr. Kelton."
"Oh, we sort of single-shot on breakfast. We have it whenever we get up."
"Nevertheless," Mason said significantly, "I think Dr. Kelton would appreciate it if we called him."
"Oh, I see," she exclaimed quickly. "Yes, yes, you're quite right. Let's call Dr. Kelton."
They walked toward the stairs. She said in a low voice, "I didn't get you for a minute. You want to look in Uncle's room?"
"We might as well."
"I can't understand it. You don't suppose there's any possibility… that…"
As her voice trailed away into silence, Mason said, "You didn't look in the drawer last night before we locked it."
"N-n-n-no," she said, "I didn't, but the knife must have been there."
"Well," Mason said, "we'll see what we'll see."
She ran up the stairs ahead of him, her feet fairly flying up the treads, but when she had approached the door to her uncle's bedroom she hung back and said, "Somehow, I'm afraid of what we're going to find here."
"Has the room been made up yet?" Mason asked.
"No, the housekeeper won't start making beds until around nine o'clock."
Mason opened the door. She entered the bedroom a step or two behind him. Mason, looking around him, said, "Everything seems to
"I think," Mason interrupted, "your butler seems to have something on his mind. He's approaching rather purposefully."
She broke off, stared at the butler and said in swift, low tones, "Remember, he mustn't know I was here last night."
She faced the butler, said, "What is it, Arthur?"
"Beg pardon," he said, "but the sideboard drawer – I can't get the top drawer open. It seems to be locked."
"Oh!" she exclaimed, then, after a moment, "are you sure you looked all around for the key, Arthur?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Did you look in the little brass bowl over to the right of the pitcher?"
"No, ma'am, I didn't look there."
"Well, let's go look. It must be around there somewhere." She gave Mason a meaning glance, started walking rapidly. Mason fell into step at her side and the butler followed, a deferential pace or two in the rear. At the sideboard, she tried the drawer, said, "It's locked all right," and then started looking around on the top of the sideboard, her hands fluttering swiftly about various places. "It must be here somewhere, Arthur," she said, in the tone of a magician handing out a line of "patter" by which the attention of an audience is kept from his hands. "The key was in the drawer yesterday, I know. Someone must have inadvertently locked the drawer and placed the key somewhere nearby. It's inconceivable that anyone would have carried it away. There can't be anything in that drawer which… Why, here it is! It was right under the fold of this throw."
The butler watched her as she fitted the key to the drawer and turned the lock. "I'm sorry that I bothered you," he said. "I couldn't find it. I thought perhaps you knew where it was.
She turned the lock, pulled the drawer open, suddenly gasped, and stood staring downward at a plush-lined receptacle for a carving set. A smooth-finished black horn-handled fork glittered in its hollowed receptacle, but the place which should have held the carving knife was empty. She glanced significantly at Perry Mason, her eyes dark with panic. Then she said, "Just what was it you wanted, Arthur?"
"I'll get it, Miss Edna, it's quite all right. I just wanted the drawer opened." He took out some salt dishes, and closed the drawer.
Edna Hammer raised her eyes to Perry Mason, then slipping her hand under his elbow, gripped his forearm and said, "Do come back out in the patio. I love it out there in the early morning."
"What time are you going to have breakfast?" Mason asked. "I think we should go up and arouse Dr. Kelton."
"Oh, we sort of single-shot on breakfast. We have it whenever we get up."
"Nevertheless," Mason said significantly, "I think Dr. Kelton would appreciate it if we called him."
"Oh, I see," she exclaimed quickly. "Yes, yes, you're quite right. Let's call Dr. Kelton."
They walked toward the stairs. She said in a low voice, "I didn't get you for a minute. You want to look in Uncle's room?"
"We might as well."
"I can't understand it. You don't suppose there's any possibility… that…"
As her voice trailed away into silence, Mason said, "You didn't look in the drawer last night before we locked it."
"N-n-n-no," she said, "I didn't, but the knife must have been there."
"Well," Mason said, "we'll see what we'll see."
She ran up the stairs ahead of him, her feet fairly flying up the treads, but when she had approached the door to her uncle's bedroom she hung back and said, "Somehow, I'm afraid of what we're going to find here."
"Has the room been made up yet?" Mason asked.
"No, the housekeeper won't start making beds until around nine o'clock."
Mason opened the door. She entered the bedroom a step or two behind him. Mason, looking around him, said, "Everything seems to
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