Chapter 8 eight

Mason rang the bell on the big iron gate, and the deep barking of the big dog drowned out the sound of the doorbell.In an instant, the dogs were at the door, their teeth bared, their eyes reflecting the yellow light of car headlights.The lights in the corridor flicked on, and a Mexican servant hurried along the stone path and asked: Excuse me, who is it?Then they recognized Mason and Della.street. Uh, it's you, please wait. He turned and hurried back to the house. The dog stepped back, his yellow eyes watching them both warily. Witherspoon hurried out of the house, okay, okay, nice to meet you.Really happy!Go back, king.go back, prince.Chain them up, Manuel.

We don't have time to wait, Mason said, just open the gate.They know us, it's okay. Witherspoon looked at the two dogs suspiciously. They won't bite us, Mason insisted, and open the door. Witherspoon nodded to the Mexican servant.He put a big key in the big iron lock on the door, pulled the deadbolt, and opened the door. The two dogs rushed up. Without looking at them, Mason squeezed calmly through the door to shake Witherspoon's hand. At this time, the two dogs retreated back and stared blankly at Della.Streeter sniffed, and she casually held out her hand. Witherspoon was very worried, come on, he said, come on in.Let's not stay here, these dogs are brutal.

They walked toward the house, the dog being left behind. Witherspoon opened the door for them and it was the most incredible thing I've ever seen!He said. What? Those dogs, they should bite you to pieces, they don't make friends so quickly. They are conscious.Mason said let's talk privately somewhere we can talk. Witherspoon led them into the house. Our boxes are still in the car.Mason said. Manuel will bring them in.You are still living in the same room you were in yesterday. Witherspoon led them to the northeast wing, opened Mason's living room, and stood aside. Mason followed Della.Streeter went in, then Witherspoon followed, and Mason kicked the door shut with his foot.

Witherspoon said: "Of course I'm very happy to have you here.there is something very important Mason said: Forget it, sit in that chair, and tell me the truth about that detective, fast. What detective? Leslie.Milt, the one who's been blackmailing you. Milt blackmailing me? !Witherspoon exclaimed in disbelief, Mason, you are crazy! You know him, right? uh, right.He was the murder detective working for Allgood. Have you met him already? Yes.At one point, he reported to me in person, but that was after he had completed his East investigation. Were you in touch with him long distance while he was doing that investigation?

Yes, he calls me every night. Mason stared at Witherspoon and said: "Either you lied to me or everything is ridiculous. I'm not lying, Witherspoon said with grim authority, and I'm not used to being accused of lying. Mason said: Milt was at El Temporo. Is that so?I haven't seen him since he reported to me that time. Haven't heard from him yet?Mason asked. Not in the last ten days, nor since he completed his investigation. Does it mean anything to you as Mason pulls out of his pocket the envelope of the courier letter he received that afternoon?he asks. Witherspoon gazed at the envelope with detachment, no.

Mason said: Open it up and see what's inside. Witherspoon squeezed the sides of the envelope and looked in. There seemed to be nothing but a newspaper clipping.He said. Take a look at the content.Mason said commandingly. Witherspoon reached two fingers into his right hand and pulled out the clipping, holding it up to the light.But before he started watching, he said: I don't think we need a lot of these things.what happened tonight take a look.Mason interrupted him. Witherspoon's face flushed, and for a moment he looked like he was about to throw the envelope and the clippings on the floor, but under the pressure of Mason's determined gaze, he began to read.

Mason watched his face. Apparently the first few lines alone were enough to pique Witherspoon's interest so that he understood what he was looking at.The words that followed, and the full meaning of them, came as a great shock to him.He suddenly became frowning.His eyes moved rapidly back and forth, reading the printed words.His dark, grim face looked up at Mason. Dirty!Dirty embryos!Think who would be so mean to publish something like this.How did you get it? In the envelope, Mason said, by courier mail.do you know about this what do you mean? Do you know who sent it? Of course not.

Do you know where it was published? have no idea.Where? In a Hollywood scandal tabloid. Witherspoon said: "I tried to be impartial and that was the biggest mistake I made; I should have stopped it as soon as I found out about the murder." You mean, Mason asked, you should have told your daughter about this earlier?You're saying you'd rather spoil her happiness and stir up this scandal from so many years ago than make any inquiries at all to see if Adams' sentence was just? That's exactly what I mean, said Witherspoon, that I should have realized that the verdict of the jury was beyond doubt.

You have more faith in a jury than I do, Mason retorted, and I only have more faith in a jury than a judge.People are always gullible.But let's put that aside for a moment and talk about the blackmail. Witherspoon said solemnly: No one in this world can blackmail me. Not even if he has some of your evidence? Witherspoon shook his head, I would never put myself in this situation.don't you understandThis is one reason why this marriage is absolutely impossible. Mason seemed to be trying to control the growing impatience, but let's get straight to the point, he said, you hired the Allgood Detective Agency to investigate this murder, Leslie.Milt is their representative.Apparently he was in El Templo now, at 1162 Hind Butte Avenue.Logically, he was the one who tipped the scandalous tabloids.He had been kicked out of the Allgood Detective Agency for leaking information, which meant he must have told someone about it.That tabloid columnist sounds like the most logical bet.

It was very frustrating and irritating to find him untrustworthy.Witherspoon said with dignity, he looked as if he was efficient. Frustrated!Mason nearly yelled, annoyed!hell.That man is a blackmailer!He's here to blackmail!Who is he trying to blackmail?If not you, who will be blackmailed by him? I have no idea. Mason said: Witherspoon, if you're going to keep it from me, I'll drop this case right away But I didn't hide it from you.Everything I tell you is absolutely true. Mason to Della.Streeter said: Hurry to Paul.Drake called and told him we were here.He may have new discoveries.This thing is really absurd.

Mason started pacing the floor. Witherspoon said: Since you got here just now, I want to tell you one of the most important developments.We caught young Marvin on the spot.Adams. What did he do?Mason asked, continuing to pace, as if it didn't matter as he turned his head to ask the question. Cruel to animals, at least, is a reasonable inference and it can illustrate something about that clipping. What did he do?Mason asked. He is going to Los Angeles tonight. I know that, I understand he's going back to school. In the evening he took Lois out to dinner, which he didn't want to eat at home. So what? Witherspoon said angrily: "Let me tell. Then you can talk. Witherspoon went on, with an air of wounded dignity: This afternoon Marvin is out in the yard where we keep our livestock, rabbits, chickens and ducks.There was a hen and a flock of ducklings there.The Mexican servant told me that Marvin said he wanted a duckling for his experiments, which he said he would submerge. Mason stopped pacing and asked: Is Lois with him? I think so. What did Lois say? That's the absolutely incredible thing about the whole thing.Instead of expressing disgust, Lowes helped him catch a duckling and told him he could take it away. Have you talked to Lois about this? No, not yet.I made up my mind that it was time she knew, that it was time to tell her the whole thing. So why didn't you tell her? Witherspoon said: "I've been procrastinating. Why? I think you can see why. "It could be because your judgment trumps your emotion," Mason said.Tell your daughter what you know now, and she will either be very sympathetic to Marvin, or she will be extremely partial to him and against you.The girl is in love, and you can't speak ill of Marvin to her unless you have solid proof. His father was convicted of homicide. I don't think she cared at all about it, Mason said, she just thought his father was innocent.But what if Marvin found out? I don't care how he is.Witherspoon said. If he killed himself, you wouldn't see it that way. As Witherspoon mulled the question, his facial expression changed.Suddenly, he said: I think the only thing to do now is to let my daughter see his true face. When was the last time you saw him?Mason asked. When he drove away less than half an hour before you came. Where was the little duck? Apparently in the car, with him. Was that car Adams Jr.'s own?Mason asked, looking at his watch. no.It was a boy of one of his friends who was in college here.They shouldn't have allowed junk like that on the road, that car was a mess. Did Lois go with him? Yes, that's another thing I can't understand.She seemed to think it was funny, the windshield was cracked, the seat springs were broken, hell, he had her hooked! Not obsessed, Mason said, she was in love.It's either worse or better. Della.Streeter said: Paul.A call from Drake. Mason held the microphone to his ear, hi Paul, this is Perry.We're at Witherspoon's.Any news? Drake said: "Things are progressing.You'll probably hear from the detective I sent to El Temporo in a few minutes.He called me an hour ago from a bus station and said the blonde had called Milt and he was waiting for her.We are still investigating the case in the East. I think we have found out who Miss X is, that is, we have her name and identity, but not her address.She was working as a cashier in a candy store when the murder happened.Can I still call you after midnight? Mason said: Call me as soon as you get a letter, I don't care what time it is. Well, don't go far, you'll hear from that detective in El Temporo soon. Are you sure Milt is here at El Templo? Indeed, we have checked. Let's double check his address, he lives at 1162 Hind Butte Avenue, right? Yes, a large wooden house converted into four apartments.Milt's room is upstairs to the right. All right, call me if you need anything. Mason hung up, then turned to Witherspoon and said: Milt lives here, has been here for some time and is still here. He never contacted me and certainly didn't blackmail me. Mason narrowed his eyes, where's Lois?Does the kid have any money in his own name? No, she has to wait.Yes, she has too.She is twenty-one now and her birthday was a week ago.Yes, she has, it was left to her by her mother. how many? fifty thousand dollars. OK, Mason said sternly, here's your answer. You mean he's trying to blackmail Lois? Yes. But Lois knew nothing about the murder. That kid's a pretty good little actor, Mason said, don't kid yourself, like Leslie.A man of Milt's caliber would not pass up such an opportunity.Think about it carefully, in short, unless it is absolutely necessary, he will not come to pester you.You're a tough fellow, and you're not going to give a dime to Marvin, whether there's any scandal about the murder or not.After Adams becomes your son-in-law, and only then will you pay to cover it up.Wait a minute, do Marvin and your daughter plan to do something unexpected, huh? What's the meaning? Elope to get married? She wants to announce her engagement and get married next month.I believe I told you originally that he was enlisting when he graduated in June.Well I know, said Mason, but there are three weeks until next month.If Milt was planning to blackmail next month, he wouldn't be waiting here now, because you might run into him on the street.No, the guy has now got his talons on someone, is draining his blood or is about to do so. Witherspoon exasperatedly said that if Lois took the money her mother left her and gave it to some blackmailer, so that the situation about the little rascal would not be let go Wait, Mason interrupted, you pointed out something.How about making the situation difficult? public.Witherspoon said. Mason shook his head and said: I don't think so.She'll pay him not to let you find out, but wait a minute.That must have been his ruse, and Milt must have told her the truth without telling her you knew about it.He threatens to tell you these things unless she gives him money to shut his mouth. Are you saying she already gave him money to come Not yet, Mason said, he's still here.Once he gets the money, he'll be gone.He may be closing the deal, but he hasn't quite done it yet.I guess it was because there was some legal process that was pending before Lowes got that inheritance.where is she I don't know, she's out. I want to talk to her as soon as she gets back. Witherspoon: If that guy tried to blackmail Lowes, I'd Mason interrupted him and said: Take your lawyer's advice, Witherspoon, give up that habit of saying those things and make it look like Milt is the whole thing, and I'm going to see Mr. Milt.When I'm done talking to him, he'll slip away with his tail between his legs. I'll go with you, said Witherspoon, to meet him the minute I think of Lois in the clutches of a blackmailer. Can't come with me, you can't.No one should be present at this meeting.Dealing with blackmailers cannot be polite.Della, stay here and stare.If Paul.Drake calls and tells anything, record it. What about the girl from the detective agency?Della.asked Streeter, she was coming here in the car Mason looked at his watch and said: She should have arrived unless the car was late.Great, I'll have a chance to talk to both of them. Witherspoon sprinted out the door, the dogs, he said, wait until I get these goddamn dogs tied up. Mason looked at his watch again and said: The bus should be here by now and the blonde won't be happy to see me pop up!