The Case of the Horrified Heirs pm-75
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«How soon can you have that?»
Mason said, «I think I can have it right after dinner, Doctor.»
«I wish you'd telephone me,» Dr. Alton said.
«All right,» Mason told him, «but what have you done about furnishing your patient with round-the-clock protection?»
Dr. Alton's eyes shifted. «All right, Mason,» he said, «I'll put it right on the line. You almost convinced me when you talked over the telephone, and then I became more convinced when I thought over the symptoms. But when I took time to think things over, I felt I couldn't justify taking really drastic steps pending a laboratory report; but I have taken precautionary steps which will be ample for the time being.»
«What steps?» Mason asked, his voice coldly disapproving.
«I've decided that during the next few hours there won't be any element of real danger, particularly in view of the fact that this nurse, Anna Fritch, is on the job. However, I told her to see that Mrs. Trent was on a very bland diet tonight; that I intended to perform some tests and I wanted her to have nothing except soft boiled eggs and toast tonight; that I wanted the nurse to prepare both the eggs and the toast, and see that the eggs were served in the shell so that there would be no chance of too many spices being added.»
«All right,» Mason said, «if that's what you've done, that's what you've done. Give me your night number. I'll drop these things at the laboratory and ask for an immediate check… Now, what do you propose to do if the tests are positive and show the presence of arsenic?»
This time Dr. Alton met Mason's eyes firmly. «I intend to go to the patient and tell her that she has been suffering from arsenic poisoning rather than from allergies or a digestive upset. I intend to tell her that we're going to have to take extraordinary safeguards and that, from the manner in which the symptoms developed, I have very strong suspicions that there was an attempt at homicide.»
Mason said, «And I suppose you have taken into consideration that this will start a three-ring circus among relatives, authorities and people in the household. They'll call you a quack, an alarmist and accuse you of trying to alienate Lauretta Trent's affections.»
«I can't help it. I have my duty as a doctor.»
«All right,» Mason said. «We should have that report no later than nine-thirty. The only thing that I don't agree with you on is safeguarding your patient in the meantime.»
«I know, I know,» Dr. Alton said. «I've debated the pros and cons with myself and I have cqme to the conclusion that this is the best way to handle it. I'll accept responsibility for the decision. After all, you know, it is my responsibility.»
Mason nodded to Della Street. «All right, Della, we'll go to the laboratory, start them working on these things, and get a preliminary report at the earliest possible moment. You get Dr. Alton's night number and we'll call him just as soon as we have a report.»
«And, of course,» Dr. Alton said, «you'll keep things entirely confidential? You know, the police and, of course, the press. These things have a way of leaking out once they get into the hands of the police, and I know that Lauretta Trent would consider publicity-well, she'd simply hit the ceiling. It would mean the end of our professional relationship.»
Mason said, «I'm in somewhat the position of being a public servant in this case, Doctor. Actually, I haven't a client. The logical client would probably be Lauretta Trent, but I certainly don't want to approach her in any way.»
«You don't have to,» Dr. Alton said. «The minute you find anything positive in the hair and the nails, I'm going to go to her myself and I'm going to explain to her just what you have done in the case and how valuable your assistance has been.
«In the meantime, I can assure you, on my own responsibility, that any amounts within reason you may be called upon to pay will be promptly remitted by Mrs. Trent.
«But…» Dr. Alton cleared his throat, «in the event your suspicions should turn out to be groundless, Mr. Mason, you are-Well, I… I mean to say-«
Mason grinned and interrupted him. «You mean that in the event I'm barking up the wrong tree, my costs are going to be borne exclusively by me; that I will have lost a lot of face with you.»
Dr. Alton said, «You've expressed it more forcefully than I would, but very well.»
Mason said, «You'll hear from me about nine or ninethirty and then you can take it from there.»
«Thank you,» Dr. Alton said.
He gripped the lawyer's hand and went out.
Della Street looked at Mason speculatively, «Do you have some mental reservations about Dr. Alton?» she asked.
Mason said, «Do you know, Della, I can't help feeling what a mess it would be if Dr. Alton should be one of the beneficiaries in Lauretta Trent's will.»
Della Street's eyes widened with consternation. «Good heavens,» she said, «do you suppose…?»
«Exactly,» Mason said as her voice trailed away into silence. «And now, let's go to dinner, after stopping by the laboratory and asking for a quick preliminary report.»
«And you're going to tell Dr. Alton what you find? If he's one of the beneficiaries under the will-Well, of course, under the circumstances-«
«I know,» Mason said, «I'm going to tell him and then I'nj going to make absolutely certain that Lauretta Trent is protected against any further so-called gastroenteric disturbances.»
«That,» Della Street said, «should make quite a situation.»
«It will,» Mason told her.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Mason and Della Street had a leisurely, relaxing dinner.
Della Street had left word with the laboratory to call them at the cafe, and the headwaiter, knowing that an important call was expected, was bustling about keeping an eye on Mason's table.
Della Street had contented herself with a small steak and baked potato, but Mason had ordered an extra-thick cut of rare prime ribs of beef, a large bottle of Guinness Stout, tossed salad and stuffed baked potato.
At length, the lawyer pushed back his plate, finished the last of his Stout, smiled across the glass atDella Street and said, «It's a real pleasure to be able to dine, to feel that we're not wasting time and yet be able to take all the time we want.
«We have the laboratory doing our analysis for us; we have Paul Drake all ready to-Oh-oh,» the lawyer interrupted himself, «here comes Pierre with a telephone.»
The headwaiter bustled importantly to the table, conscious of the fact that many eyes were on him as he plugged in the telephone for his distinguished guest.
«Your call, Mr. Mason,» he said.
Mason picked up the telephone, said, «Mason talking.»
The operator said, «Just a moment, Mr. Mason.» And then Mason heard a quick, «On the line.»
«Mason talking,» the lawyer said.
The voice of the laboratory technician was almost mechanical as he rasped out a report.
«You wanted an analysis of nails and hair for arsenic. Both reactions were positive.»
«Quantity?» Mason asked.
«It was not a quantitative analysis. I simply ran tests. However, I can state this: There are two bands of arsenic in the hair indicating a recurrent poisoning with a lapse of about four weeks in between the attacks. The nails do not give that long a sequence but do indicate the presence of arsenic.»
«Can you make an analysis which would give me an idea of the quantity?» Mason asked.
«Not with the material which I have at present. I gathered that haste was imperative and I used up the material in making tests simply for the purpose of getting a reaction to the poison.»
«That's fine,» Mason said, «thanks a lot, just keep it under your hat.»
«Anything to report to the authorities?»
«Nothing,» Mason said positively. «Absolutely nothing.»
The lawyer hung up the phone, scribbled the amount of a tip on a check which the headwaiter had brought him; signed his name and handed the headwaiter ten dollars.
«This is for you, Pierre. Thanks
.»
«Oh, thank you so much,» Pierre said. «The call it was all right? It came through nicely?»
«It came through fine,» Mason said.
The lawyer nodded to Della Street. They walked out of the restaurant, and Mason stopped at the telephone booth to deposit a coin and dial Dr. Alton's night number.
Mason heard the phone start ringing, and almost instantly Dr. Alton's voice said, «Yes, yes. Hello. Hello,» indicating that the physician had been anxiously waiting by the telephone.
«Perry Mason talking, Doctor,» the lawyer said. «The tests were both positive. The hair test indicated there had been two periods of poison ingestion about four weeks apart.»
There was a long moment of stunned silence at the other end of the telephone; then Dr. Alton said, «Good God!»
Mason said, «She's your patient, Doctor.»
Dr. Alton said, «Look, Mason, I have reason to believe that I am named as one of the beneficiaries in Lauretta Trent's will.
«This whole business is going to put me in a very embarrassing position. As soon as I make a report to Lauretta Trent, I will be castigated by the family who will insist on calling in another physician to check my diagnosis and then when that physician confirms our suspicions, the family will at least intimate that I have been trying to hurry up my inheritance.»
Mason said, «You might also give a little thought to what will happen if you don't report what you have found out and if there should be a fourth attack during which Mrs. Trent should die.»
«I've been pacing the floor thinking of that for the last hour,» Dr. Alton said. «I knew that you disapproved of the extent of the precautionary measures I had taken. You thought that I should at least have confided my suspicions to the nurse in charge and seen that-Oh, well, that's all water under the bridge now.
«Mason, I'm going out there. I'd like very, very much to have you along with me when I talk with my patient. I think I'm going to need professional reinforcements and before I get done, I may need an attorney. I want to have you there to substantiate the facts. I'll see that you're amply paid by Mrs. Trent. I'll make that my responsibility.»
«What's the address?» Mason asked.
«An imposing mansion on Alicia Drive, the number is twenty-one twelve. I'm going right out there. If I should get there first, I'll wait for you. If you get there, just park your car at the curb on the street and wait for me.
«Actually, there's a curved driveway going up to the front entrance, but the only place you could wait without attracting attention would be at the curb.»
«All right,» Mason told him. «Della Street, my secretary, and I are on the way out right now.»
«I'll probably beat you there,» Dr. Alton said. «I'll be parked at the curb.»
«Any idea of just how you are going about it?» Mason asked.
Dr. Alton said, «I've been overly optimistic long enough. Perhaps I should say, I've been a coward.»
«You're going to tell her the whole thing?»
«Tell her the whole thing. Tell her that her life is in danger. Tell her that I have made a mistake in diagnosis. In short, I'm going to set off the whole chain reaction.»
«You know her,» Mason asked, «how will she take it?»
«I don't know her that well,» Dr. Alton said.
«Haven't you been treating her for quite a while?»
«I've been her physician for years,» Dr Alton said, «but I don't know her well enough to know how she'll take anything like this. No one does. She is very much of a law unto herself.»
«Sounds interesting,» Mason said.
«Probably interesting to you,» Dr. Alton told him, «but it's disastrous as far as I'm concerned.»
«Now, don't be too hard on yourself,» Mason said. «Physicians don't ordinarily expect homicidal poisoning, and the records show that virtually every case of arsenical poisoning was originally diagnosed by the physician in charge as a gastroenteric disturbance of considerable magnitude.»
«I know. I know,» Dr. Alton said. «You can make it easy on me, but I'm not going to. I'm going to face the music.»
«All right,» Mason told him, «I'll meet you there.»
The lawyer hung up; nodded to Della Street.
«Report to Paul Drake, Della. We're going out there. We can't let Dr. Alton face the music alone.»
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Mason found Alicia Drive without difficulty; drove slowly along until the street lights showed an imposing white mansion on high ground to the right with a curved driveway leading up to the front.
A car was parked at the curb just before the entrance to the driveway and the parking lights were on. A figure could be seen silhouetted in the driver's seat.
Mason said, «Unless I'm mistaken, that will be Dr. Alton.»
The lawyer eased his car into the curb behind the other machine, and Dr. Alton almost instantly opened the door of his car and came walking back to Mason's side of the car.
«Well,» Dr. Alton said, «you made good time. Let's go.»
«Take both cars in the driveway?» Mason asked.
«I think so. I'll lead the way; you follow me. There's a parking place in front. That is, it's wide enough for three cars and you just leave your car behind mine.»
«Let's go,» Mason told him.
Dr. Alton hesitated a moment, squared his shoulders, marched grimly over to his automobile, started the motor, switched on the headlights and led the way up the curving drive.
Mason followed behind him, parked his car, walked around to help Della out; then led her up the steps to the spacious stone landing.
Dr. Alton pressed the bell button.
Apparently Alton had expected a servant to open the door. He recoiled noticeably when a chunky, blue-eyed man in his middle fifties stood in the doorway.
«Why, hello, Doc,» the man said. And then added almost instantly, «What's the matter? Anything wrong?»
Dr. Alton said with dignity, «I happened to be driving by… I decided to drop in to see Mrs. Trent.»
The man turned speculative blue eyes on Perry Mason and Della Street.
«And these people?» he asked.
Dr. Alton, evidently upset by the meeting, apparently did not intend to perform introductions.
«They are with me,» he said shortly, and started through the door.
Mason took Della Street's arm, guided her into the reception hallway, smiled affably but impersonally and started to follow Dr. Alton up a sweeping staircase.
«Hey, wait a minute!» the man said. «Hey, what is this?»
Dr. Alton turned, frowned, reached a decision. «I have asked these people-«
«Why, this is Perry Mason, the lawyer!» the man interrupted. «I've seen his picture dozens of times.»
Dr. Alton, with close-clipped professional efficiency, said, «Quite right. That is Mr. Perry Mason and, in case you're interested, the young woman with him is Miss Della Street, his secretary. I want Mr. Mason to talk with Mrs. Trent.»
Then, after a barely perceptible hesitation, he said, «This is Mr. Boring Briggs, a brother-in-law of my patient.»
Briggs didn't even acknowledge the introduction.
«Say, what is this?» he asked. «You folks making out a will or something? What's happened? Lauretta hasn't had another one of her spells, has she?»
Dr. Alton said, «I would prefer to let Mrs. Trent give you the information, but if it will relieve your mind any, Mr. Mason is with me. Mrs. Trent didn't send for him.»
«Well, don't be so crusty about it,» Briggs said. «I naturally felt a little alarm. I've been out. Just got back a few minutes ago, and when I find a doctor and a lawyer coming out to the house at this hour of the night-well, I felt I was entitled to a little information, that's all.»
«We'll go on up,» Dr. Alton said with formal dignity. «Right this way, please.»
The physician indicated the stairway with a sweep of his arm and climbed the stairs.
Mason and Della Street followed a tread behind.
>
Briggs stood at the foot of the stairs and watched them go up, his expression one of frowning contemplation.
Dr. Alton reached the head of the stairs, started down the corridor with long strides. Then slowed perceptibly for a moment just before coming to a door where he knocked.
A woman opened the door.
This time Dr. Alton performed the introductions. «Miss Anna Fritch,» he said. «Trained nurse.
«Miss Fritch, this is Miss Della Street, Perry Mason's secretary and Mr. Perry Mason, the attorney.»
Her eyes widened. «Why, how do you do? How do you do?» she said.
Dr. Alton pushed his way into the room; held the door open for Della Street and Perry Mason. «How's the patient?» he asked.
The nurse's eyes met his. She lowered her voice and said, «She's gone.»
Dr. Alton's face was apprehensive. «You mean she's-«
«No, no,» the nurse hastened to explain, «she is out somewhere.»
Dr. Alton frowned. «I told you to take precautions about her diet and-«
«Why, certainly,» the nurse said, «I put it on the chart. She had dry toast which I fixed myself on an electric toaster and two soft-boiled eggs which I cracked myself. There was no seasoning at all. I'm afraid I may have gone to extremes. I insisted she eat the eggs without salt and I told her that you didn't want her to have any seasoning tonight.»
«But you didn't tell her to stay in?»
«You didn't tell me to tell her that.»
«Is she driving?»
«I think George Eagan, the chauffeur, is driving her.»
«How long has she been gone?»
«I don't know. I didn't even know she was going. She didn't come out through here. There's an exit door from her bedroom to the corridor. You can see for yourself.»
The nurse crossed the bedroom to an adjoining bedroom and opened the door.
It was a huge bedroom with rose tapestry, indirect lighting, a king-sized bed with a telephone beside it, half a dozen comfortable chairs, an open door to a bathroom and another door leading to the corridor.