The Case of the Curious Bride Read Online Free PDF Page A

have known about the retainer. Anyhow, I'm going to see this thing through."
    "But she knows where to come to get you."
    "She won't come back."
    "Not even when she knows she left her purse?"
    "No," Mason said. "She must have recollected where she left it by this time; she's afraid to come back because of the gun."
    "It's after four," Della Street pointed out. "The offices will be closing. Drake's got about all the official information he can get for to-night."
    "Has he heard about the gun yet?"
    "Not yet. He expects to hear before five."
    "Okay," Mason said, "you stick around, Della, until I give you another buzz. If this girl calls in, be sure to hold her. Tell her we know her real name and address. That will bring her in."
    "By the way," Della Street remarked, "there's something I thought you should know."
    "What is it?"
    "The number of Nell Brinley, that you told me to call, is Drenton nine-four-two-six-eight. The number that Rhoda Montaine left for us to call when she was in the office is Drenton six-eight-nine-four-two. She just took the last two numbers off of Nell Brinley's telephone number and put them on the front part of the number. That must mean that she's pretty familiar with that telephone number, because she rattled it off when I asked her. She must have lived at that address and used that telephone before she was married."
    Perry Mason chuckled. "Good girl," he said. "Stick around until you hear from me again."
    He hung up the receiver, mopped perspiration from his forehead, and walked briskly around the corner to the main office of the telegraph company. Approaching the counter, Perry Mason pulled a telegraph blank toward him, took a pencil from his pocket, spread the purloined telegram flat on the counter and frowned. He looked up and caught the eye of an attendant. She came to him, and Mason pulled one of the freshly printed cards from his pocket. "I would like," he said, "a little special service."
    The young woman picked up the card, nodded and smiled. "Very well, Mr. Montaine, what can we do for you?"
    "I received this telegram on an important business deal and I've lost the address. I understand your company requires the senders to leave their addresses on file in connection with any wire sent. There's some key number on this telegram. I am wondering if you can find the address of the sender by taking this key number and running down your records?"
    "I think so," the young woman said, taking both his card and the message and walking toward the back of the room.
    Perry Mason scrawled a telegram, addressing it only to Gregory, leaving the address blank, "IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS NECESSITATE INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT CALLING IN PERSON TO EXPLAIN." He signed the telegram "R. Montaine," and waited for the clerk to return.
    She returned within less than five minutes with the name and address of the sender written on the message in a pencil notation. Mason studied the notation for a moment, nodded, and wrote the name "Moxley" after the word "Gregory," added below it "Colemont Apartments, 316 Norwalk Avenue."
    "Thank you very much," he said. "Please send this telegram."
    "And now," smiled the attendant, "I'll have to ask you to fill in your address."
    "Oh, certainly," he said, and wrote, "R. Montaine, 128 East Pelton Avenue."
    He paid for the telegram, left the telegraph office and summoned a cab. "Three sixteen Norwalk Avenue," he said. He leaned back in the cushions, lit a cigarette and watched the passing scenery with thought-slitted eyes. By the time the cigarette was consumed, the cab pulled in at the curb.
    The Colemont Apartments was a huge two-story building that had at one time been a residence. As the small numbered blocks of Norwalk Avenue had become choice apartment sites, the owners had remodeled the huge residence into four apartments. Perry Mason noticed that three of the apartments, apparently, were vacant. The influx of more modern apartment houses on either side had spelled disaster for the