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hem； and her face was haggard。
〃I don't care；〃 she said。 〃It was all right。 I managed to ditch them。 I've been playing tag with them for an hour。〃
〃You can't ever tell about those fellows； Della。 They're clever。 Sometimes they let you think you've got away in order to find out where you wanted to go。〃
〃They didn't slip anything over on me；〃 she said in a voice that told of raw nerves。 〃I tell you they don't know where I am。〃
He caught the note of hysteria in her voice。 〃Well； I'm glad you're here。 I was just wondering who I could get to take down some stuff。〃
〃What stuff？〃
〃Some stuff that's going to e up。〃
She made a gesture toward the newspapers on the bed。
〃Chief；〃 she said； 〃I told you that she was going to get you into trouble。 She came into the office and signed those papers。 There were a bunch of reporters hanging around； of course； and they started going after her。 Then the detectives took her down to Headquarters for further questioning。 You can see what she did。〃
Mason nodded。 〃That's all right。 Don't get excited； Della。〃
〃Get excited？ Do you know what she did？ She made the statement down there that she recognized your voice。 That you were the man that was in the room with Belter when the shot was fired。 And then she pulled a fainting fit； and a lot of hysterics； and stuff of that sort。〃
〃That's all right； Della；〃 he said soothingly。 〃I knew she was going to do that。〃
Della stared at him with wide eyes。
〃You did？〃 she asked。 〃I thought I was the one who knew that！〃
He nodded。 〃Sure you did； Della。 So did I。〃
〃She's a rat and a liar！〃 Della Street said。
Mason shrugged his shoulders and walked to the telephone。 He gave the number of Drake's Detective Bureau； and got Paul Drake on the line。
〃Listen； Paul；〃 he said； 〃make sure you're not tailed； and sneak over to Room 518 in the Hotel Ripley。 Better bring a couple of stenographer's notebooks； and a bunch of pencils along with you。 Will you？〃
〃Right away？〃 asked the detective。
〃Right away；〃 he said。 〃It's eight forty…five now； and I'm expecting a show to start at nine。〃
He hung up the telephone。
Della Street was curious。 〃What is it； chief？〃 she asked。
〃I'm expecting Eva Belter to be here at nine o'clock；〃 he said briefly。
〃I don't want to be here when that woman's here；〃 Della Street said。 〃I can't trust myself around her。 She's double…crossed you all the way from the start。 I want to kill her。 She's such a sleek little gutter rat。〃
He put his hand on her shoulder。 〃Sit down and take it easy； Della。 There's going to be a show…down。〃
There was a sound at the door。 The knob turned； the door opened； and Eva Belter walked in。
She looked at Della Street； and said； 〃Oh； you're both here。〃
〃Apparently；〃 Mason said； 〃you've been doing some talking。〃 He gestured； as he spoke； toward the newspapers which were piled on the bed。
She walked over to him； ignoring the other woman； placed her hands on his shoulders； looked up in his eyes。 〃Perry；〃 she said； 〃I never felt so rotten about anything in my life。 I don't know how I happened to say it。 They got me down at Headquarters and barked questions at me。 Everybody shrieked questions。 I never saw anything like it。 I didn't dream that it would be anything at all like that。 I tried to protect you； but I couldn't。 It slipped out； and just as soon as I made the first slip； they all started piling on me。 They made threats； and told me they'd name me as an accessory。〃
〃What did you tell them？〃 asked Mason。
She looked in his eyes； then went over to the bed； sat down； took out her handkerchief from her purse； and started to cry。
Della Street moved two swift steps toward her； but Mason caught her arm and pushed her back。
〃I'm handling this；〃 he said。
Eva Belter continued to sob into her handkerchief。
〃Go ahead；〃 said Mason。 〃What did you tell them？〃
She shook her head。
〃Never mind that sob stuff；〃 he said； 〃it doesn't go over so big right now。 We're in a jam and you'd better tell me what you said。〃
She sobbed。 〃I just t…t…t…told them that I heard your v…v…v…voice。〃
〃Did you say it was my voice？ Or some one that sounded like me？〃
〃I t…t…told them everything。 That it was your voice。〃
His tone was hard。 〃You knew damned well it wasn't my voice。〃
〃I didn't intend to tell them；〃 she wailed； 〃but it was the truth。 It was your voice。〃
〃All right。 We'll take it that way；〃 Mason said。
Della Street started to say something； but stopped when he turned on her and fastened her with level…lidded eyes。
There was a silence in the room； broken only by the faint rumble of noises from the street； and the sobs of the woman。
After a minute or two the door opened； and Paul Drake walked in。
〃Hello； everybody；〃 he said； cheerfully。 〃Made time； didn't I？ I got a break。 There was nobody who seemed to have the slightest interest in where I was； or what I was doing。〃
〃Did you see anybody hanging around the front of the place？〃 asked Mason。 〃I'm not entirely certain that they didn't shadow Della。〃
〃Nobody that I noticed。〃
Mason waved his hand toward the woman who sat on the bed with her legs crossed。
〃This is Eva Belter；〃 he said。
Drake grinned and looked at the legs。
〃Yes；〃 he said； 〃I recognized her from a picture in the paper。〃
Eva Belter took the handkerchief down from her eyes； and stared up at Drake。 She smiled ingratiatingly。
Della Street snapped； 〃Even your tears weren't genuine！〃
Eva Belter turned and looked at her； her blue eyes suddenly grown hard。
Perry Mason whirled on Della。 〃Listen； Della；〃 he said； 〃I'm running this show。〃 He looked over at Paul Drake。 〃Did you bring the notebooks and pencils； Paul？〃
The detective nodded。
Mason took the notebooks and pencils； and passed them over to Della Street。
〃Can you move the table and take down what's said； Della？〃 he asked。
〃I can try；〃 she said in a choked voice。
〃All right。 Be sure and get what she says；〃 and he jerked his thumb in the direction of Eva Belter。
Eva Belter looked from one to the other。 〃What is it？〃 she asked。 〃What are you doing？〃
〃I'm going to get the straight of this；〃 Mason told her。
〃You want me here？〃 asked Paul Drake。
〃Sure；〃 Mason told him。 〃You're a witness。〃
〃You make me nervous；〃 said Eva Belter。 〃That's the way they did last night。 They had me in the District Attorney's office； and they had people sitting there with notebooks and pencils。 It makes me nervous to have people take down what I say。〃
Mason smiled。 〃Yes； I should think it would。 Did they ask you anything about the gun？〃
Eva Belter widened her blue eyes in that stare of innocence which made her seem so young and helpless。
〃What do you mean？〃 she asked。
〃You know what I mean；〃 Mason persisted。 〃Did they ask anything about how you happened to have the gun？〃
〃How I happened to have the gun？〃 she asked。
〃Yes；〃 said Mason。 〃Harrison Burke gave it to you； you know； and that's the reason you had to telephone him…to tell him that it was his gun that had been used in the shooting。〃
Della Street's pencil was skipping rapidly over the page of the notebook。
〃I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about；〃 Eva Belter said with dignity。
〃Oh； yes； you do；〃 Mason told her。 〃You telephoned Burke that there had been an accident or something； and that his gun had figured in it。 He'd had the gun given him by a friend named Mitchell； and he drove right around and picked up Mitchell。 The two of them ducked under cover。〃
〃Why；〃 she exclaimed； 〃I never heard of anything like that！〃
〃That line isn't going to get you anywhere； live；〃 Mason told her； 〃because I saw Harrison Burke； and I have a statement signed by him。〃
She stiffened in sudden consternation。
〃You have a statement signed by him？〃 she asked。
〃Yes。〃
〃I thought you were representing me。〃
〃What's wrong with representing you and having a statement from Burke？〃 he asked。
〃Nothing； only he's Iying if he said that he ever gave me that gun。 I never saw it in my life。〃
〃That makes it more simple