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〃No； I haven't been able to get a report from our southern agency yet。 I've traced him back to a southern state； Georgia it was； and the trail seems to go haywire there。 It looks as though that's where he changed his name。〃
〃That's fine；〃 Mason said。 〃That's where he had his trouble。 How about the rest of it？ Do you get anything on him？〃
〃I've got a line on the jane at the Wheelright Hotel；〃 Drake said。 〃It's a girl named Esther Linten。 She lives there at the Wheelright； has room nine…forty…six； by the month。〃
〃What does she do？〃 asked Mason。 〃Did you find that out？〃
〃Anybody she can； I guess；〃 Drake told him。 〃We can't get very much of a line on her as yet； but give us a little time； and let me get some sleep。 A guy can't be every place at once； and work without sleep。〃
〃You'll get used to it after a while；〃 Mason told him； grinning； 〃particularly if you keep working on this case。 You stay there in the office for five minutes。 I'll call you back。〃
〃Okay；〃 sighed Drake； and hung up。
Perry Mason went out to the outer office。
〃Della；〃 he said； 〃do you remember when all of the political stuff was going around a couple of years ago？ We made a file for some of the letters？〃
〃Yes；〃 she said； 〃there's a file 'Political Letters。' I didn't know what you saved them for。〃
〃Connections；〃 he said。 〃You'll find a 'Burke…for…Congress…Club' letter some place in there。 Get it for me； and make it snappy。〃
She made a dive for the battery of files which lined one side of the office。
Perry Mason sat on the corner of her desk and watched her。 Only his eyes showed the white…hot concentration of thought which was covering a dozen different angles of a plicated problem。
She came to him with a letter。
〃That's fine；〃 he said。
Printed in a column on the right hand margin was a list of vice presidents of the 〃Burke…for…Congress…Club。〃 There were more than a hundred names in fine print。
Mason squinted his eyes and read down the column。 Every time he passed over a name； he checked it by moving his thumb nail down in the sheet。 The fifteenth name was that of P。 J。 Mitchell； and the address given at the side of the name was thirteen twenty…two West Sixty…ninth Street。
Mason folded the letter abruptly； and thrust it in his pocket。
〃Get me Paul Drake on the phone again；〃 he said； and walked into his inner office and slammed the door shut behind him。
When Paul Drake came on the line； he said； 〃Listen Paul； I want you to do something for me。〃
〃Again？〃 asked Drake。
〃Yes；〃 said Mason。 〃You haven't got started yet。〃
〃All right； shoot；〃 said the detective。
〃Listen；〃 Mason said； slowly； 〃I want you to get in a car and go out to thirteen twenty…two West Sixty…ninth Street； and get Pete Mitchell out of bed。 Now； you've got to handle this carefully so that you don't get yourself in a jam； and me too。 You've got to do it along the line of a boob detective who talks too much。 Don't ask Mitchell any questions until you give him all the information； see？ Tell him that you're a detective and that George Belter was murdered in his house tonight； and that you understand the number of the gun that did the job was the same number that was on a gun which was sold to this chap； Mitchell。 Tell him that you suppose he still has the gun and that there's some mistake in the numbers； but that you'd like to know whether or not he can account for his whereabouts at about midnight or a little later。 Ask him if he has the gun； or if he remembers what he did with it。 But be sure that you tell him everything before you ask him the questions。〃
〃Just be a big； dumb boob； eh？〃 asked Drake。
〃Be a big； dumb boob；〃 Mason told him； 〃and cultivate a very short memory afterwards。〃
〃I gotcha；〃 said Drake。 〃I've got to handle this thing in such a way that I'm in the clear； eh？〃
Mason said； wearily； 〃You handle it just the way I told you； just exactly that way。〃
Mason slipped the phone back on the receiver。 He heard the click of the doorknob； and looked up。
Della Street slipped into the office。 Her face was white； and her eyes wide。 She pushed the door shut behind her； and walked over to the desk。
〃There's a man out in the office that says he knows you；〃 she said。 〃His name is Drumm； and he's a detective from Police Headquarters。〃
The door pushed open behind her； and Sidney Drumm thrust a grinning face in the door。 His washed…out eyes seemed utterly devoid of life； and he looked more than ever like a clerk who had just climbed down from a high stool； and was puttering about； searching for vouchers。
〃Pardon the intrusion；〃 he said； 〃but I wanted to talk with you before you had time to think up a good one。〃
Mason smiled。 〃We get used to poor manners from policemen；〃 he said。
〃I'm not a cop；〃 protested Drumm。 〃I'm just a dick。 The cops hate me。 I'm a poor； underpaid dick。〃
〃e in and sit down；〃 Mason invited。
〃Wonderful office hours you guys keep；〃 Drumm remarked。 〃I was looking all over for you； and saw a light up here in the office。〃
〃No； you didn't；〃 Mason corrected him； 〃I've got the shades drawn。〃
〃Oh； well；〃 Drumm said； still grinning； 〃I had a hunch you were here anyway； because I know you're such a hard worker。〃
Mason said； 〃All right。 Never mind the kidding。 I presume this is a professional call。〃
〃Sure it is；〃 said Drumm； 〃I've got curiosity。 I'm a bird that makes a living by having curiosity and getting it gratified。 Right now I'm curious about that telephone number。 You e to me and slip me a bit of change in order to strong…arm a private number out of the telephone pany。 I bust out and get the number for you； and an address； and you thank me for it very politely。 Then you show up at that address； sitting around with a murdered guy and a woman。 The question is； is it a coincidence？〃
〃What's the answer？〃 asked Mason。
〃No；〃 said Drumm； 〃I can't speculate。 I asked the question。 You have to give me the answer。〃
〃The answer；〃 Mason told him； 〃is that I was out there at the request of the wife。〃
〃Funny you'd know the man's wife； and wouldn't know the man；〃 insisted Drumm。
〃Isn't it？〃 said Mason sarcastically。 〃Of course that's the worst part of running a law office。 So many times a woman will e in and ask you about something； particularly if it happens to be a domestic problem； and won't bring her husband along so that you can see what he looks like。 In fact； I've even heard of two or three instances where women went to law offices and didn't want their husbands to know anything about it。 But of course that's just a rumor and hearsay； and I wouldn't want you to take my word for it。〃
Drumm kept grinning。 〃Well；〃 he said； 〃would you say that this was that kind of a case？〃
〃I would say nothing；〃 Mason replied。
Drumm quit grinning； and tilted his head back； his eyes became dreamy as they looked at the ceiling。
〃That gives it an interesting angle；〃 he said。 〃Wife es to attorney who is noted for his ability to get people out of trouble。 Attorney doesn't know husband's private telephone number。 Attorney starts working on case for wife。 Attorney uncovers telephone number。 Attorney traces telephone number to husband； and goes out there。 Wife there； husband murdered。〃
Mason's voice was impatient。 〃Do you think you're getting anywhere； Sidney？〃
Drumm grinned once more。 〃I'll be damned if I know； Perry；〃 he said。 〃But I'm moving around。〃
〃Let me know as soon as you get anywhere； will you？〃 asked Mason。
Drumm got to his feet。 〃Oh；〃 he said； 〃you'll know it fast enough。〃 He grinned from Mason to Della Street。
〃I presume；〃 he said； 〃that last remark of yours was my cue to get out。〃
〃Oh； don't be in any hurry；〃 Mason told him。 〃You know we e down to the office at three and four o'clock in the morning just to be here to receive friends who want to ask us foolish questions。 We don't really have any work to do。 It's just a habit we've gotten into； of getting down here early。〃
Drumm paused to stare at the lawyer。 〃You know； Perry； if you'd e clean with me； I might be able to help you a little bit。 But if you're going to stand off and be snooty； I've go