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va Belter； as attorney for Mrs。 Eva Belter； and I hear a man making statements which are bound to be damaging to her reputation； if not otherwise。 I am going to see that those statements are substantiated or withdrawn。〃
The look of patience had entirely vanished from Hoffman's eyes。 He stared at Mason moodily。
〃Well；〃 he said； 〃stick up for your rights if you want to。 And I don't know but what you've got some explaining to do at that。 It's a damn funny thing that the police e here and find a murder； with you and a woman sitting here talking things over。 And it's a damn funny thing； that when a woman discovers her husband has been murdered； she goes and rings up her attorney； before she does anything else。〃
Mason remarked hotly； 〃That's not a fair statement； and you know it。 I'm a friend of hers。〃
〃So it would seem；〃 said Sergeant Hoffman； dryly。
Mason planted his feet wide apart and squared his shoulders。 〃Now； let's get this straight；〃 he said。 〃I'm representing Eva Belter。 There's no reason on God's green earth for throwing any mud at her。 George Belter wasn't worth a damned thing to her dead。 He was； to this guy。 This guy es drifting in with an alibi that won't stand up and starts taking cracks at my client。〃
Griffin protested hotly。
Mason kept staring at Sergeant Hoffman。 〃By God； you can't convict a woman with a lot of loose talk。 It takes a jury to do that。 And a jury can't convict her until she's proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt。〃
The big sergeant looked at Perry Mason searchingly。
〃And you're looking for a reasonable doubt； Mason？〃
Mason pointed his finger at Carl Griffin。
〃Just so you won't shoot off your face too much； young fellow；〃 he said； 〃if my client ever goes before a jury； don't think I'm dumb enough to overlook the advantage I can get from dragging you and this will into the case。〃
〃You mean you think he's guilty of this murder？〃 asked Sergeant Hoffman； coaxingly。
〃I'm not a detective；〃 said Mason。 〃I'm a lawyer。 I know that the jury can't convict anybody as long as they've got a reasonable doubt。 And if you start framing anything on my client； there sits my reasonable doubt right in that chair！〃
Hoffman nodded。
〃About what I expected；〃 he said。 〃I shouldn't have let you sit in on this thing in the first place。 Now you can get out！〃
〃I'm going；〃 Mason told him。
10。
It was nearly three o'clock in the morning when Perry Mason got Paul Drake on the telephone。
〃Paul；〃 he said； 〃I've got another job for you； and it's a rush job。 Have you got any more men you can put on the case？〃
Paul's voice was sleepy。
〃Gee； guy；〃 he said； 〃ain't you ever satisfied？〃
〃Listen；〃 said Mason； 〃wake up and snap out of it。 I've got a job that's got to be done in a hurry； and you've got to beat the police to it。〃
〃How the devil can I beat the police to it？〃 asked Paul Drake。
〃You can；〃 Mason told him； 〃because I happen to know that you've got access to certain records。 You represented the Merchants Protective Association that kept duplicate records of all firearms sold in the city。 Now； I want a Colt…32 automatic placed； with number 127337。 The police are going to dig into it as a matter of routine； along with a lot of fingerprint stuff； and it'll probably be some time in the morning before they feed it through the mill。 They know it's important but they don't figure there's any great hurry about it。 What I want you to do is to get the dope in advance of the police。 I've simply got to beat them to it。〃
〃What happened with the gun？〃 asked Paul Drake。
〃A guy got shot with it once； right through the heart；〃 said Perry Mason。
Drake whistled。 〃Is that in connection with the other stuff I've been looking up？〃
〃I don't think so；〃 Mason said； 〃but the police may。 I've got to be in a position to protect my client。 I want you to get the information； and get it before the police do。〃
〃Okay；〃 said Drake。 〃Where can I call you back？〃
〃You can't；〃 Mason said。 〃I'll call you。〃
〃When？〃
〃I'll call you again in an hour。〃
〃I won't have it by then；〃 protested Drake。 〃I couldn't。〃
〃You've got to；〃 Mason insisted； 〃and I'll call you anyway。 Good…by。〃 And he hung up the telephone。 He then called the number of Harrison Burke's residence。 There was no answer。 He called Della Street's number； and her sleepy 〃Hello〃 came over the line； almost at once。
〃This is Perry Mason； Della；〃 he said。 〃Wake up and get the sleepy dirt out of your eyes。 We've got work to do。〃
〃What time is it？〃 she asked。
〃Around three o'clock； or quarter past。〃
〃Okay；〃 she said。 〃What is it？〃
〃You awake all right？〃
〃Of course I'm awake。 What do you think I'm doing； talking in my sleep？〃
〃Never mind the cracks；〃 he told her； 〃this is serious。 Can you get some clothes on and get down to the office right away？ I'll order a taxi to be out at the house by the time you get dressed。〃
〃I'm dressing right now；〃 she answered。 〃Do I take time to make myself pretty； or do I just put on some clothes？〃
〃Better make yourself pretty；〃 he answered； 〃but don't take too long doing it。〃
〃Right now；〃 she said； and hung up on him。
Mason telephoned a taxi pany to send a cab out to her apartment。 Then he left the all night drug store； from which he had been telephoning； got in his car； and drove rapidly to his office。
He switched on the lights； pulled down the shades； and started pacing the floor。
Back and forth； back and forth he paced； his hands behind his back； his head thrust forward； and slightly bowed。 There was something of the appearance of a caged tiger in his manner。 He seemed impatient； and yet it was a controlled impatience。 A fighter who was cornered； savage； who didn't dare make a false move。
A key sounded in the door； and Della Street walked in。
〃Morning； chief；〃 she said。 〃You sure do keep hours！〃
He beckoned to her to e in and sit down。 〃This；〃 he said； 〃is the start of a busy day。〃
〃What is it？〃 she asked； looking at him with troubled eyes。
〃Murder。〃
〃We're just representing a client？〃 she inquired。
〃I don't know。 We may be mixed up in it。〃
〃Mixed up in it？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃It's that woman；〃 she said savagely。
He shook his head impatiently。 〃I wish you'd get over those ideas； Della。〃
〃That's right just the same；〃 she persisted。 〃I knew there was something about her。 I knew there was trouble that was going to follow that woman around。 I never did trust her。〃
〃Okay；〃 Mason said wearily。 〃Now forget that； and get your instructions。 I don't know what's going to happen here； and you may have to carry on if anything happens that I can't keep the ball rolling。〃
〃What do you mean；〃 she asked； 〃that you can't？〃
〃Never mind about that。〃
〃But I do mind；〃 she said； eyes wide with apprehension。 〃You're in danger。〃
He ignored the remark。 〃This woman came to us as Eva Griffin。 I tried to follow her； and couldn't make it stick。 Later on； I started a fight with Spicy Bits； and tried to find out who was really back of the sheet。 It turned out to be a man named Belter who lived out on Elmwood Drive。 You'll read about the place and the chap in the morning papers。 I went out to see Belter and found he was a tough customer。 While I was there； I ran into his wife。 And she was none other than our client。 Her real name is Eva Belter。〃
〃What was she trying to do？〃 asked Della Street。 〃Double…cross you？〃
〃No；〃 said Mason。 〃She was in a jam。 She'd been places with a man； and her husband was on her back trail。 He didn't know who the woman was。 It was the man he was after。 But he was exposing the man through the scandal sheet； and eventually the identity of the woman would have e out。〃
〃Who is this man？〃 asked Della Street。
〃Harrison Burke；〃 he said； slowly。
She arched her eyebrows and was silent。
Mason lit a cigarette。
〃What does Harrison Burke have to say about it？〃 she asked after a little while。
Perry Mason made a gesture with his hands。
〃He was the guy that kicked through with the money in the envelope； the coin that came into the office this afternoon by messenger。〃
〃Oh。〃
There was silence for a minute or two。 Both were thinking。
〃Well；〃 she said at length； 〃go on。 What am I going to read about in the papers tomorrow？〃
He spoke in a monotone。 〃I went to bed； and Eva Belter called me sometime after midnight。 Around twelve thirty； I guess it was。 It was raining to beat the band。 She wanted me to e out and pick her up at a drug store。 She said she was in trouble。 I went out； and she told me that some man had been having an argument with her husband and shot him。〃
〃Did she know the man？〃 Della Street inquired softly。
〃No；〃 said Mason； 〃she didn't。 She didn't see him。 She only heard his voice。〃
〃Did she know the voice？〃
〃She thought she did。〃
〃Who did she think it was？〃
〃Me。〃
The girl looked at him steadily； her eyes not changing their expression in the least。
〃Was it？〃
〃No。 I was at home； in bed。〃
〃Can you prove it？〃 she asked； tonelessly。
〃Good Lord；〃 he said； impatiently。 〃I don't take