The Case of the Lazy Lover by Erle Stanley Gardner Read Free Book Online Page B

interests of my client."
    "I know you can't. I know your reputation, Mason. You're just as clean as a hound's tooth and as smart as a steel trap. That's why I came to you. Forget it,unless it turns out that you can do it without interfering whit the interests of your client. You're representing Mrs. Allred You go ahead and represent her, but if you find that you can give me a break on this thing, you've had my proposition.
    "If you're Mrs. Allred's attorney, she's going to get in touch with you sooner or later. If Bob Fleetwood is running away with her, you'll have a chance to get word to him through her, or directly to him, that I've got to see him. That's all there is to it. And if Lola Allred isn't alive, then you're going to find that out, and when you do, you may find Fleetwood. The proposition stands win, lose or draw."
    "What makes you think that Mrs. Allred may not be alive?"
    Jerome looked steadily at Mason, then he closed one eye in a slow, calculating wink.
    He got up from the chair, said, "I think I've made my proposition plain, Mr. Mason."
    He turned to Della Street. "You've got all this straight, young lady?"
    She nodded.
    "Good. How do I get out of here?"
    Mason indicated the exit door.
    Jerome said, "Here's my card, Mason. There's a number on there you can call. I'll have someone at that phone day and night, twenty-four hours a day. The minute you call that number, you're in touch with me. And you can tell Fleetwood that well, dammit, tell him what I want. Fleetwood knows me and he knows Allred. Thank you, Mr. Mason. Good day."
    And Jerome strode out of the office without bothering to shake hands or to even look back over his shoulder.
    Mason turned to Della Street, but before he spoke the unlisted phone rang sharply.
    Della Street picked up the receiver, said, "Hello… yes, hold the line, Paul."
    Mason grabbed the phone.
    "Just had a report from my men who trailed this auto-rental girl, Perry."
    "Good! What happened?"
    "She went directly to Las Olitas, stopped in at a garage there, the Central Garage & Machine Works on Eighth Street, was in there about five minutes, then she came out and drove to the Westwick. That's an exclusive apartment hotel."
    "Calling on someone there?" Mason asked.
    "She lives there, Perry." 'The devil she does!"
    "That's right."
    "What name? Jane Smith?"
    "No, Maurine Milford. She rented apartment 802 there recently, and she's expecting her aunt to come from the East and join her. Tells a perfectly straightforward story. She put the rented car in the garage at the Westwick and tipped the attendant at the apartment garage five bucks, and told him her aunt was coming to visit her, that she was going to be doing quite a bit of running around, that she had rented this car, that she'd like to have it kept dusted off and the windshield cleaned."
    "How long does she intend to be there?"
    "She told the management about thirty days."
    "Why did she stop at the Central Garage & Machine Works, Paul?"
    "I don't know. Probably some minor trouble with the car, a spark plug or something. My man didn't try to go in there and find out He just stuck around the entrance and waited for her to come out; then he followed her to the Westwick."
    "Okay," Maser said. "That's fine. What else is new? Anything?"
    "Nope. Still working on the runaway couple," Drake said "Here's a funny one, Perry. There's another detective agency on the job."
    "You sure?"
    "Yes."
    "Who's hired them?"
    "I don't know, but there are private detectives combing the country. Somehow I have an idea they're after the man instead of the woman."
    "You mean Fleetwood?"
    "That's right."
    "Any idea why?"
    "Only that they've been paid by someone to get information on him. When they ask questions, they ask about Fleetwood first and describe the man before they describe the woman."
    "What's Fleetwood's description?" Mason asked.
    "Around five foot seven or seven and a half. Weight about a hundred and thirty-five pounds. Dark eyes, wavy hair, rather