The Case of the Lucky Legs Read Online Free PDF Page A

to give him."
    "You've given it to me," the lawyer told him, "and I'm taking the responsibility."
    The telephone rang.
    Perry Mason frowned at it, picked up the receiver and said, "What is it this time?"
    "I want to come in. May I?" asked Della Street.
    "Sure," he told her, and dropped the receiver back into place. He sat motionless, his eyes on the door to the outer office.
    The door opened and Della Street slipped into the room.
    "Dr. Doray is out there," she said quietly. "He insists that he must see you. I wanted you to know before Bradbury called back."
    Perry Mason slitted his eyes in thought, then turned quickly to Paul Drake.
    "Anything else, Paul?" he asked.
    "That just about covers it," the detective said. "I'll know around eight o'clock tonight. Will you be here in your office?"
    Mason nodded.
    "You can go out," he said, "by that door which opens into the corridor."
    Paul Drake slid his legs from the arm of the leather chair, got to his feet and moved toward the door.
    "Bradbury," he said, "is almost certain to call me."
    "Tell him what I told you," Mason said, and, turning to Della Street, he jerked his head toward the outer office.
    "Tell Dr. Doray to come in," he said.
    Paul Drake slipped out through the door into the corridor. Della Street held open the door to the outer office.
    "You may come in, Doctor," she said.
    Dr. Doray was tall, with dark hair, black eyes, high cheekbones, a mouth which was shapeless and a jaw which was thrust aggressively forward. He seemed oddly uncertain of himself as he stood in the doorway.
    "Come in," said Perry Mason.
    Dr. Doray entered the room, and Perry Mason indicated the big leather chair.
    As Della Street closed the door of the outer office behind her, Perry Mason let his eyes sweep over Dr. Doray in frank appraisal.
    "What was it?" he asked.
    "You're the attorney who's been engaged to locate Marjorie Clune," said Dr. Doray without preliminaries.
    "Who told you?" asked Perry Mason.
    "That is something that I can't tell you," Dr. Doray said, fidgeting uneasily.
    Perry Mason stared at him.
    "Well?" he asked.
    "I wanted," said Dr. Doray, "to have you give me some information. I thought that perhaps I could arrange to have you represent Margy – Miss Clune – in the matter. I don't know just what Bradbury has hired you to do."
    "Unfortunately," said Perry Mason, "I can't accept any employment from you. I am, however, interested to learn how you knew that I had been employed, and what made you think it was Mr. Bradbury who had employed me."
    Dr. Doray smiled with his mouth. His eyes remained black, glittering and unsmiling.
    "You're not going to answer the question?" asked Perry Mason.
    Dr. Doray shook his head.
    "Under those circumstances," said Perry Mason slowly, "I would say that you had purchased a box of candy for Miss Maude Elton, the secretary in the district attorney's office."
    Dr. Doray flushed and hastily averted his eyes.
    Perry Mason nodded. "I think, Doctor," he said, "we understand each other perfectly."
    "I'm not certain that we do," said Dr. Doray. "What I am particularly anxious to find out is -"
    "Nothing that I can tell you," Perry Mason said.
    The telephone rang twice. Perry Mason picked up the receiver.
    "Excuse me a moment," he said to Dr. Doray, and then said into the transmitter, "Hello."
    Bradbury's voice came over the wire.
    "Have you learned anything?" he asked.
    "Yes," said Perry Mason in a guarded voice, "I think that I am going to have some important information for you around eight o'clock tonight. I want you to be at my office by eight fifteen at the latest. I want you to bring with you the file of newspapers that you have."
    "Have you located Patton?" asked Bradbury eagerly.
    "I have not," Mason said.
    "You've talked with Mr. Drake?"
    "Yes."
    "Has Drake located him?"
    "No," said the lawyer. "He reports, however, that he is making progress."
    "Can't you tell me anything more than that?"
    "That's all. I want you to be at my office by eight