Free The Case of the Dangerous Dowager by Erle Stanley Gardner Page A

here."
    "Just search him for a gun, Perkins," Duncan ordered. "This business of taking off all of his clothes is absurd."
    Perkins frowned. "A little while ago," he said, "you wanted him turned inside out. Now you…"
    Mason, unbuckling his belt and slipping off his trousers, interrupted him. "Can't you see what he's doing, Perkins? He realizes now that it would have been a lot better for him if he'd let me go out without being searched. Then if anything was missing he could blame it on me. He'd like to have you make just a casual search now, and then, later on, he could claim there was something you didn't find."
    "You talk as though you knew all about what I was thinking," Duncan said sarcastically.
    Mason kicked off his shoes, pulled off his undershirt, stepped out of his shorts and stooped to unfasten his garters. "Perhaps I do," he said grimly. "Now, Perkins, go through my clothes and make a list of everything you find. As you finish with my clothes, hand them back to me and I'll put them on."
    Duncan shoved a cigar into his mouth, took from his pocket a card of matches bearing the imprint of the gambling ship, started to say something, then checked himself and stood, matches in hand, chewing the cigar thoughtfully and watching Perkins go through Mason's clothes and toss them back to the lawyer.
    While Mason was dressing, Perkins made a laborious inventory of the articles on the dresser which Mason had taken from his pockets.
    Mason turned to Duncan and said, "Light your cigar, Duncan, you make me nervous. Did you lock up the offices?"
    Duncan nodded, absently pulled a key from his pocket and held it out to Perkins.
    "Any other keys to the door?" Mason asked.
    "Only the one Grieb has," Duncan said, "and Arthur Manning's on guard in front of the door, with instructions not to let anyone in. I've sent word by one of the speed boats to telephone the police and have them come out and take charge."
    "I suppose," Mason said, "you've stopped anyone from leaving the ship?"
    Duncan shook his head. "I haven't any authority to do that. They could sue me for damages. People come and go, and I've got no right to…" As he talked, his voice gradually lost its assurance, first became a mumbling monotone, then faded into dubious silence.
    Perkins looked up from making his inventory and said, "Hell, Duncan, they shouldn't be allowed to leave. The police won't like that. The officers will want to interview everyone aboard the ship at the time. Letting people leave is the worst thing you can do." As he spoke, the ripping exhaust of a speed boat gave unmistakable evidence that the launches were continuing their regular trips.
    Duncan stepped out into the corridor, pushed open the door to the bar and yelled, "Jimmy, come in here." He returned to the bedroom while Perkins was counting the money in Mason's wallet.
    He left the door open, and the bald-headed bartender, wearing his white apron, a genial smile turning up his fat lips, entered the room and let the smile fade into frowning concentration as he surveyed the three men. His eyes grew hard and watchful. "What is it?" he asked.
    Duncan said, "We've had some trouble aboard, Jimmy."
    The bartender, taking a cautious step toward Perkins and Mason, held his left shoulder slightly forward, his weight on the balls of his feet, his right fist doubled. "What trouble?" he asked ominously.
    "Not here," Duncan said hastily, "it's in the other office. Something's happened to Sam Grieb."
    "What?" the bartender asked, his eyes still watching Mason and Perkins.
    "He was murdered."
    "Who did it?"
    "We don't know."
    "Okay," the bartender said, "what do I do with these guys?"
    "Nothing. I want you to stop the launches," Duncan said. "Don't let anyone leave until the police get here."
    "Have you sent word to the police?"
    "Yes."
    The bartender slowly turned away from Mason and Perkins, to stare at Duncan.
    "Just how do you want me to go about it?"
    "Put a couple of boys at the head of the landing stairs and