The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece Read Online Free PDF Page A

with excitement, said, "I've run into a mare's-nest up here."
    "What is it?"
    "I find that the interlocutory decree of divorce was entered exactly one year ago, on the thirteenth of the month. Hudson, Reynolds & Hunt were attorneys for Mrs. Kent. Hudson was in charge of the case. Mrs. Kent fired him this morning. She's got some attorney there in Los Angeles to represent her."
    "That interlocutory was entered on the thirteenth?" Mason asked.
    "Yes."
    "You're certain of that?"
    "Absolutely. I've checked the records."
    Mason said, "Did you find out where Mrs. Kent's living?"
    "Yes. It's 1325a Cabrillo Street."
    Mason said, "Okay, Jackson. Here's what I want you to do. Park your car where you can watch Mrs. Kent's house. Keep the place under observation until I send someone to relieve you. She's driving a green Packard roadster. Follow her if she goes out, and get the license numbers of any cars that call there. I'll have someone relieve you shortly after midnight."
    Mason hung up the receiver and strode back to the library. Duncan, suspicious eyes peering out from under bushy eyebrows, was nervously twisting his cigar in his mouth. "I think," he said, "that the matter can be arranged. My client feels that Mr. Kent, probably through ignorance, disposed of some very valuable partnership assets without consulting my client; that the patents are worth…"
    "Forget it," Mason interrupted, "you've said that at least five different times since this conference started."
    Duncan raised his head to peer irritably through the lower part of his glasses at Mason. "I don't like the tone of your voice, and I don't like your comment," he said. Mason grinned at him and said nothing. "My client desires an additional ten thousand if he's to make a blanket release," Duncan said grimly.
    Kent started to say something but Mason silenced him with a gesture. "I'll have to discuss this with my client," he said to Duncan.
    "Very well, do you wish me to withdraw?"
    "We can't reach an immediate decision. I'll want to talk things over. We'll meet tomorrow night at the same hour."
    "But I thought we were all ready to conclude the matter amicably," Duncan protested. Mason said nothing. After a moment Duncan remarked, "Well, if that's final, I presume I have no other alternative but to wait."
    "That," Mason told him, "is final."
    Duncan turned with slow dignity, paused in the doorway only long enough to say good night in a voice which failed to conceal his disappointment, then, ushering his client into the hallway, slammed the door behind him.
    Kent said, "Dammit, Mason, I wanted to settle. Money doesn't mean much to me, but as you know, I want to get my affairs in order…"
    "All right," Mason interrupted. "Now I'll tell you something: Maddox is a crook. Tomorrow we're going to file suit against Maddox alleging that he defrauded you by claiming he was the owner and inventor of the Maddox Valve-grinding Machine, whereas he wasn't the owner, wasn't the inventor and had obtained the working model by defrauding a man by the name of Fogg who was the real inventor. You're going to demand an accounting, have a receiver appointed for the business in Chicago and you're going to throw Maddox and Duncan out on their ears."
    "You mean Frank didn't invent that machine?"
    "Exactly. He stole the whole business."
    "Why, dammit, I'll have him arrested! I'll fix him! I'll go to him right now and…"
    "Forget it," Mason broke in. "You've got more important stuff to think of. Mrs. Fogg's suing Maddox in Chicago and trying to reach him with a subpoena. He's out here trying to shake you down for what he can get, grab the cash and skip out. If you tip your hand now, Mrs. Fogg will never be able to take his deposition. You're going to stall him along and keep him here in the house until the subpoena can be served on him in the Fogg case. But you've got other things to think of. Your former wife canned her Santa Barbara lawyers and hired someone here in Los Angeles. It's going to take