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She nodded quickly and eagerly。 Now that the ice was broken； she seemed eager to go on with her story。
〃You read in the paper about the hold…up at the Beechwood Inn last night？ There were some guests； you know； in the main dining room； and some in the private dining rooms。 A man tried to hold up the guests； and somebody shot him。〃
Perry Mason nodded。 〃I read about it；〃 he said。
〃I was there。〃
He shrugged his shoulders。 〃Know anything about who did the shooting？〃
She lowered her eyes for a moment； and then raised them to his。 〃No；〃 she said。
He looked at her； narrowed his eyes and scowled。
She met the stare for a second or two； then lowered her eyes。
Perry Mason continued to wait as though she had not answered his question。
After a moment she raised her eyes once more； and fidgeted uneasily in the chair。 〃Well；〃 she said； 〃if you're going to be my attorney； I should tell you the truth。 Yes。〃
Mason's nod seemed more of satisfaction than affirmation。
〃Go on；〃 he told her。
〃We tried to get out； and couldn't。 The entrances were all watched。 It seems somebody had put through a call to the police department before the shooting； just when the hold…up started。 Before we could get out； the police had the place sewed up。〃
〃Who is 'we'？〃 he asked。
She studied the tip of her shoe； then said in a mumbled voice： 〃Harrison Burke。〃
Perry Mason said； slowly： 〃You mean Harrison Burke； the one who's candidate for。。。〃
〃Yes；〃 she snapped； as though she would interrupt him before he could say anything concerning Harrison Burke。
〃What were you doing there with him？〃
〃Dining and dancing。〃
〃Well？〃 he inquired。
〃Well；〃 she said； 〃we went back into the private dining room； and kept out of sight until the officers started taking the names of the witnesses。 The sergeant in charge was a friend of Harrison's； and he knew that it would be fatal for the newspapers to get hold of the fact that we were there。 So he let us stay on in the dining room until after everything was finished； and then he smuggled us out of the back door。〃
〃Anybody see you？〃 asked Mason。
She shook her head。 〃Nobody that I know。〃
〃All right；〃 he said； 〃go on from there。〃
She looked up at him and said； abruptly： 〃Do you know Frank Locke？〃
He nodded his head。 〃You mean the one that edits Spicy Bits？〃
She clamped her lips together in a firm line； and nodded her head in silent assent。
〃What about him？〃 asked Perry Mason。
〃He knows about it；〃 she said。
〃Going to publish it？〃 he asked。
She nodded。
Perry Mason fingered a paper weight on his desk。 His hand was well formed； long and tapering； yet the fingers seemed filled with petent strength。 It seemed the hand could have a grip of crushing force should the occasion require。
〃You can buy him off；〃 he said。
〃No；〃 she said； 〃I can't。 You've got to。〃
〃Why can't Harrison Burke？〃 he asked。
〃Don't you understand？〃 she said。 〃Harrison Burke might explain his having been at the Beechwood Inn with a married woman。 But he could never explain paying hush money to silence a scandal sheet from publishing the fact。 He's got to keep out of this。 They may trap him。〃
Perry Mason drummed with his fingers on the top of the desk。
〃And you want me to square the thing？〃 he asked。
〃I want you to square it。〃
〃How high would you pay？〃
She rushed on in swift conversation now； leaning toward him and talking rapidly。
〃Listen；〃 she said； 〃I'm going to tell you something。 Remember what it is； but don't ask me how I happened to know。 I don't think you can buy Frank Locke off。 You've got to go higher。 Frank Locke pretends to own Spicy Bits。 You know the kind of a publication it is。 It's just a blackmailing sheet； and that's all it's for。 They are in the market for all they can get。 But Frank Locke is only a figurehead。 There's somebody behind him。 Somebody who is higher。 Somebody who really owns the paper。 They've got a good attorney who tries to keep them clear of blackmailing charges and libel suits。 But in case anything ever went wrong； Frank Locke is there to take all the blame。〃
She quit talking。
There was a moment or two of silence。
〃I'm listening；〃 said Perry Mason。
She bit her lip for a moment； then raised her eyes once more； and continued speaking in the same rapid tone。 〃They've found out about Harrison being there。 They don't know who the woman was that was with him。 But they're going to publish the fact that he was there； and demand that the police bring him in as a witness。 There's some mystery about the shooting。 It looks as though some one had trapped this man into a hold…up so that he could be shot； without too many questions being asked。 The police and the District Attorney are going to grill every one who was there。〃
〃And they're not going to grill you？〃 asked Perry Mason。
She shook her head。 〃No； they're going to leave us out of it。 Nobody knows I was there。 The officer knows Harrison was there。 That's all。 I gave him an assumed name。〃
〃Well？〃 asked Mason。
〃Don't you see？〃 she said。 〃If they put pressure to bear on the officers； they'll have to question Harrison。 And then he'll have to tell them who the woman was that was with him。 Or else it will appear worse than it really was。 As a matter of fact； there wasn't anything wrong with it。 We had a right to be there。〃
He drummed with his fingers on his desk for a few moments； and then looked at her steadily。
〃All right；〃 he said； 〃let's not have any misunderstanding about this。 You're trying to save Harrison Burke's political career？〃
She looked at him meaningly。
〃No；〃 she said。 〃I don't want any misunderstanding about it。 I'm trying to save myself。〃
He continued to drum with his fingertips for a few minutes； and then said： 〃It's going to take money。〃
She opened her handbag。 〃I came prepared for that。〃
Perry Mason watched her while she counted out the currency； and arranged it in piles along the edge of the desk。
〃What's that？〃 he asked。
〃That's on account of your fee；〃 she said。 〃When you find out how much it's going to take to keep the thing secret； you can get in touch with me。〃
〃How do I get in touch with you？〃
〃You put a personal in the Examiner： 'E。 G。 Negotiations ready to conclude；' and you sign that with your initials。 Then I'll e to your office。〃
〃I don't like it；〃 he said。 〃I never like to pay blackmail。 I'd rather work some other way around it。〃
〃What other way would there be？〃 she asked。
He shrugged his shoulders。 〃I don't know。 Sometimes there are other ways。〃
She said； hopefully： 〃I can tell you one thing about Frank Locke。 There's something in his past life that he's afraid of。 I don't know exactly what it is。 I think perhaps he was sent to prison once； or something of that sort。〃
He looked at her。
〃You seem to know him pretty well。〃
She shook her head。 〃I never saw him in my life。〃
〃How do you know so much about him？〃
〃I told you you weren't to ask me that。〃
He drummed again with his powerful fingers on the edge of the desk。
〃Can I say that I am representing Harrison Burke？〃 he asked。
She shook her head emphatically。
〃You can't say that you're representing anybody。 That is； you can't use any names。 You know how to handle that。 I don't。〃
〃When do you want me to start in？〃
〃Right away。〃
Perry Mason pressed a button on the side of his desk。 After a moment or two； the door to the outer office opened and Della Street came in carrying a notebook。
The woman in the chair sat back with a detached； impersonal air； the manner of one whose business is not to be discussed in any way before servants。
〃You wanted something？〃 asked Della Street。
Perry Mason reached in the upper right…hand drawer of his desk； and took out a letter。
〃This letter；〃 he said； 〃is all right； with the exception of one thing that I want in it。 I'll write that in in pen and ink。 And then you can re…type the letter。 I'm going to be out on important business for the rest of the day。 And I don't know just when I'll be back to the office。〃
Della S