Free The Case of the Daring Divorcee by Erle Stanley Gardner Page A

Hastings.
    "I didn't come here," she said.
    Tragg turned to Mason. "You were out for lunch?"
    "Yes."
    Tragg turned back to Della Street. "What about you, Della?"
    "I also was out for lunch."
    "Who was at the desk in the reception office-Gertie?"
    "That's right."
    "And what does Gertie say?" Tragg asked Mason.
    "Gertie described the woman who came in, but it was only a very general description. Gertie was reading. She only gets the names of clients who come in and then notifies Della Street. Della is the one who takes their addresses and gets an outline of what they want to see me about. Since Della was out for lunch, Gertie simply asked the caller her name."
    "And what name was given?"
    "That of Mrs. Hastings."
    "Let's get Gertie in here," Tragg said. "I'll talk with her myself."
    "Now, just a minute," Mason said. "Gertie hasn't seen Adelle Hastings. Mrs. Hastings came in through my private office door. Gertie hasn't seen her."
    "So much the better," Tragg said. "We'll see if she can identify Mrs. Hastings."
    "Now look," Mason said, "that's not fair."
    "Not fair to whom?"
    "Not fair to Mrs. Hastings. She can't identify her."
    "Why not?"
    "When this woman came in the office she was wearing dark glasses. She came in at a time when Gertie was more or less preoccupied, and…"
    A sudden idea struck Lt. Tragg. He turned to Adelle Hastings. "You've got dark glasses?" he asked.
    "Yes."
    "With you?"
    "Yes."
    "Put them on. I want to see how you look."
    Mason nodded to Della Street.
    Della Street dialed the number of Paul Drake's office, gave the prearranged signal and hung up.
    So intent was Lt. Tragg on watching Adelle Hastings open her purse, take out dark glasses and put them on that he didn't pay any attention to Della's call.
    "Stand up," Tragg said.
    Adelle Hastings stood up.
    "That's fine," Tragg said. "Now, that's the way we'll do it. We'll have Mrs. Hastings go out in the corridor through this door. Then she'll walk into the reception office without saying a word. Gertie will be there. No one will say a word. Now, if Gertie says, 'You left your purse here yesterday, Mrs. Hastings,' or something of that sort, then we'll have an absolute identification."
    "The hell we will," Mason said. "That's no way to make an identification."
    "Why not?"
    "Gertie knows nothing about there being any question of identification. She would identify anyone who came in the office with dark glasses on. You would yourself. She'll look up, see the dark glasses, and since those will be the most prominent thing that will catch her eye she'll jump to a conclusion and-"
    Tragg said, "Do you want to adopt the position that you're going to refuse to allow your client to make a test of this sort?"
    "No," Mason said reluctantly, "I don't want to refuse but I don't think it's fair."
    "Well," Tragg said, "we're going to do it that way whether you think it's fair or not. Come on, Mrs. Hastings, you're going to go with me."
    Mason sighed. "All right, Mrs. Hastings," he said, "I guess Lieutenant Tragg has the whip hand here. Go with him."
    Tragg opened the door to the corridor from the outer office, bowed to Mrs. Hastings and said, with his shrewd smile, "You first, my dear."
    Adelle Hastings stepped out into the corridor.
    Tragg motioned Mason to come along with them.
    "I want you to come along, Perry. I don't want you to say anything. Just hang back where you won't be in the way, but I want to be sure you aren't giving anyone any signals. And you, too, Della. I'm going to ask you to come along."
    It was only after Mason and Della had followed Tragg's instructions that Tragg noticed the crowd of women in front of the door of Mason's reception room.
    "Hey, what's all this?" Tragg asked. "You having a delegation call on you or something?"
    "We'll go take a look," Mason said.
    "First," Tragg said, "we'll just let Mrs. Hastings-"
    He broke off as the young women turned at the sound of his voice and Tragg saw they were all wearing dark glasses.
    "What the hell!" Tragg