Stanley Books

The 'Foreword' is dedicated to Russell S. Fisher, M.D. the Chief Medical Examiner of the State of Maryland. The author talks of 'reading character' from a man's manner, bearing, tone of voice, and carefully observing these. Some examples are given. Dr. Fisher was an instructor at the seminars given by the Harvard Medical School. Captain Frances G. Lee was asked to recommend an outstanding candidate to the State, and Dr. Fisher was her choice. Gardner gives one example of Dr. Fisher's skill at detection (p.ix). [Didn't Gardner use this in one of his stories?] It also shows the unreliability of eye-witnesses who see what they expect to see.

At the end of a hard, grueling day Perry Mason and Della Street go to a restaurant. The owner tells them of a waitress who just ran out without her paycheck, and left her old mink coat that was moth-eaten. They speculate about the causes. Then the police come in because the waitress was hit by a car. The police question the last table that Dixie Dayton served. Perry notices something about one customer, and asks Della to follow him out. Perry follows a clue found in the mink coat (Chapter 2). Chapter 3 tells how Perry tries to identify a mystery visitor. Then he learns that Dixie has left the hospital secretly. In Chapter 5 Paul Drake tells of further developments in this case. The police, in looking into this case, found out about the mink coat. Mae Nolan, a waitress at Alburg's restaurant, visits to tell Perry and Paul what she knows. Perry gets more information from Mae Nolan. Lt. Tragg visits to question Perry about the coat. Tragg tells a story about a murdered police officer; his missing pistol was found and it was linked to Dixie Drayton! This have become a very serious case.

In Chapter 6 Perry gets the call from Morris Alburg, and is called to Alburg's apartment. Morris is not there, but Dixie Dayton arrives and tells him more. Then Lt. Tragg shows up, someone heard a shot, and the police found a body (Chapter 7). Perry and Paul answer questions from the police (Chapter 8). The police ask Drake's operative to identify the picture of a woman (Chapter 9). Paul tells Perry about the latest gadgets used to record conversations surreptitiously. Lt. Tragg tells Perry what will be in the newspapers (Chapter 10). Perry explains why he doubts the identification of that woman. Della finds the name of the detective who was hired by Alburg (Chapter 11). Art Fulda explains what he did (Chapter 12). We learn about Paul Drake's operation, and Perry gets a call from Alburg - he's in jail (Chapter 13). Alburg was arrested for killing George Fayette, and he tells perry about Dixie Dayton (Chapter 14). Next Perry talks to Dixie Dayton in the women's ward (Chapter 15). Her story isn't believable.

Perry's clients have told his stories that account for everything yet sound improbable to a jury. Can Perry find the girl who impersonated Dixie Dayton (Chapter 16)? The trial starts in Chapter 17. Morris Alburg and Dixie Dayton are charged with murdering George Fayette. Perry was subpoenaed as a prosecution witness, and there is a personality clash with Hamilton Burger. Burger calls Perry to the stand and questions him about the conversation in the hotel room! Perry draws important information from one of the prosecution's witness with a shot-in-the-dark question. Perry then asks for a recess, and gets previously withheld information from Dixie and Morris (Chapter 18). In the last chapter Lt. Tragg visits Perry to wrap up this story with a shocking conclusion. [This novel warns against the fallibility of eyewitness identification.]

The Case of the Perjured Parrot

Perry Mason tells Della Street that he never takes a case unless he is convinced his client is innocent. Then he explains the discrepancies in the evidence to free his client. A new client shows up for a consultation, his father's murder was in the day's newspapers. This millionaire father set up trust funds to help the crippled, the aged, and the infirm; those who had their health deserved nothing more. Fremont Sabin was shot with an obsolete derringer, only his pet parrot was alive in Sabin's isolated hunting cabin. Charles Sabin wants to prevent his father's widow from destroying the will that left the bulk of the estate to him. Charles Sabin also wants the murderer brought to justice. Fremont married his housekeeper after his wife died, but became very unhappy. Charles Sabin explains why the parrot found in the cabin was NOT his father's pet parrot, and this may be important to solving the murder.

Perry and Della drive to the mountain cabin to view the scene; the police are there. The time of death was estimated as the morning when the fishing season began. Fremont's secretary, Richard Waid, received a telephone call from Fremont the night before and was told to fly to New York (he has an alibi). The alarm clock, set for 5:30, had run down at 2:47. Sheriff Barnes estimated the itme of death from the caught fish and the canned beans eaten for lunch. When leaving, Perry notices an almost hidden wire; someone was tapping Fremont's telephone! Fremont Sabin had been donating to the group that was investigating official corruption; scores of people would murder him if they found out about this (Chapter III).

Perry gets Paul Drake to track down parrot sales; they are a rare bird. They find the shop that recently sold a parrot, and the woman who bought parrot food. Now complications arise. This woman was a librarian who was recently married. Her parrot can be seen and heard on the back porch, and provides a clue. The murder weapon was part of the collection at the Public Library's museum, and was taken by the librarian, Helen Monteith (Chapter IV)! Perry tells Helen that she will be arrested for suspicion of murder as soon as the police find out about her. Perry meets the widow, Helen Watkins Sabin, who is very combative. Did she secretly go to Reno for a divorce? Was the divorce granted before the murder, or after (making her a rich widow)? Does the parrot offer a key to the solution (Chapter VI)? Wire-tapping is a felony in California, private detectives don't do it. "You'd be surprised to know how often the police do it" says Paul Drake (p.140).

And so the rest of the book tells how Perry Mason solves the murder and frees his client. By now you must have picked up the hints and the question about time of death and divorce. But what if the divorce decree was forged? Can a parrot testify in court without committing perjury? Circumstantial evidence is the interpretation drawn from the known facts (Chapter IX). Questioning Sergeant Holcomb about his theory of Helen's guilt reveals an alternate explanation derived from the same facts, one that doesn't ignore little discrepancies but accounts for them. One summoned witness has left, and Helen Monteith Sabin goes free. Just when you thought it was all wrapped up, there is a very shocking surprise ending (don't peek). In fact or fiction, an eyewitness can be mistaken or lying when there is no corroborative evidence for the testimony. This book describes a time when a grocery store was owner-operated.

The Case of the Restless Redhead, by Erle Stanley Gardner

The `Foreword' dedicated this 1954 book to Louis J. Reagan, M.D., LL.B. who had written "Medical Malpractice", "Doctor and Patient and the Law", and more than 150 articles. Legal medicine requires highly specialized knowledge in law and in medicine. Gardner explained why a doctor will avoid getting involved in an automobile accident. Most injured person will not pay, and some will sue after being helped! Legal remedies are needed for protection.

In Chapter 1 Perry Mason goes to see a judge to get some papers signed. A young lawyer is assigned to an indigent who is accused of theft. An eyewitness, Harry Boles, claimed to have seen her opening an automobile trunk, but only one bracelet from the stolen jewelry was found in her room. The lawyer can't seem to shake this eyewitness. He talks to Perry, who gives him advice on cross-examining the sole prosecution witness to bring out the discrepancies (Chapter 2). It works, Evelyn Bagby was acquitted and she went to thank Perry Mason personally (Chapter 3). Evelyn told of her past life, and how she wants to work in Hollywood. Perry tried to get a settlement for Evelyn, but fails (Chapter 4).

Perry asks Paul Drake to investigate, and he found that a strange woman had been by Evelyn's room before the theft (Chapter 6). Complications arise, a gun was planted in Evelyn's room at her new place (Chapter 7). The heavy traffic of L.A. is noted here. On the drive there Evelyn was threatened by a driver wearing a hood; she fired two shots from the found gun. The police investigated, and found a wrecked car with a body inside. A lucky shot? But there is a complication with the hood worn by that driver. Who could have framed Evelyn (Chapter 8)? In Chapter 11 we learn the dead man was the one who defrauded Evelyn years earlier, and the police are looking for Perry and his client. The serial number on the gun was traced; two were bought by the same person.

The Preliminary Hearing begins in Chapter 14. Judge Kippen says law is the science of applying justice to facts. If the facts weren't properly collected then you can have a miscarriage of justice, but public opinion blames the law, not the sloppy investigative techniques (Chapter 15). A re-investigation of the crime scene brings out new ballistics evidence. Helene Chaney is summoned to the witness stand, the Judge Kippen questions her. Chaney had the second gun in her handbag for her protection. She had been threatened by the Steven Merrill, the man found murdered! He had asked for $7,500, the amount mentioned earlier. Perry explained his technique for trying a lawsuit when there was a frame-up.

Mervyn Aldrich and Helene Chaney have gone to Las Vegas, their new lawyer said. They were not subpoenaed. Irene Keith was called as a witness, but pleads the Fifth Amendment to avoid incriminating herself (Chapter 18). Perry surmises the murderer knew Merrill well enough to know about the $7,500 and Evelyn Bagby's claims (Chapter 19). In Chapter 20 Perry questioned the man whose stolen car contained Merrill's body, and then his girlfriend Ruby Inwood. New facts were discovered, and Harry Boles is called as a witness - but he has disappeared! In Chapter 21 Perry gets a telephone call from Irene Keith, and learns what really happened in Corona to frame Evelyn Bagby. Perry Mason put two and two together, and Evelyn Bagby would get a $20,000 settlement. This showed how small, seemingly insignificant facts can lead to solving a puzzle.
[The devaluation of the dollar makes these figures far out of date; multiply by 20 for today's values. Gardner again warns against the idea of finding fame and fortune in Hollywood.]

Della tells Perry there are two women to see him: a young woman in her late 20s (Mrs. Myrna Davenport), and an older woman in her 50s (Mrs. Sara Ansel). Its about a murder case. Myrna's husband wrote a letter accusing his wife of planning to kill him! Also, of poisoning a niece Hortense Paxton who stood to inherit the bulk of an estate. Myrna has a garden and dangerous pest chemicals. Now her husband Ed has become sick. They want Perry Mason to get that letter. Perry explains the legalities in doing this. Perry will act to safeguard Myrna's property rights. Later Perry gets a call from Sara Ansel; Ed is dead so Perry must go to his office. Mabel Norge, Ed Davenport's secretary, shows up and calls the police. Perry explains his duty as Myrna's attorney to Mabel and the Deputy Sheriff. After they leave, Perry gets a call from Myrna Davenport: Ed wasn't dead, and now he went away. This "corpse" has runaway! This seems like a double-cross to Perry. Before meeting Myrna and Sara, Perry tells Della how to find out if they are being shadowed. A man is sitting and reading a newspaper at 3 AM. Ed got sick while driving, and stopped at a town for a doctor. Ed took a turn for the worse and died. The doctor called the sheriff, coroner, and district attorney because of this suspicious death.

Paul Drake wakes Perry with a telephone call. Myrna has been arrested for two murders; the body of Hortense Paxton was disinterred and arsenic was found, and they're looking for Ed (who is found in a shallow grave). The District Attorney calls Perry to ask him a question (Chapter 6). Perry learns that the witness who saw a man in pajamas leave by a window gave a false name and disappeared (Chapter 8)! District Attorney Talbert Vandling plays by the rules. Perry warns Myrna against a friendly inmate or talking on the telephone (Chapter 9). Perry learns more about the Paradise Motor Court (Chapter 10). Chapter 11 explains how rigor mortis can provide an estimate of time of death. The questioning of Sara Ansel brings out her testimony about the events. Perry's questioning of Dr. Renault brings out the inconsistency of previous nausea in the morning and stomach contents showing a meal of bacon and eggs! There is a conflict between the doctor who witnessed Ed's death and the doctor who performed the autopsy. This chapter with the preliminary hearing has the most pages.

Perry discusses the interesting facts in the case (Chapter 12). How could anyone know Ed would get sick in Crampton? What does the prepared grave say? Perry and Della search the area to find tracks of a car and trailer. Who was the one person who knew Ed Davenport would leave Fresno that morning? After meeting a witness, the preliminary hearing continues (Chapter 14). A witness is recalled, and the testimony puts a surprising end to the case against Perry's client Myrna. Chapter 15 ties up the loose strings. When a dead man is seen walking away then one or more witnesses must be mistaken or lying. Was a murderer caught because they were too greedy? You can expect a surprising finish to this story.

Erle Stanley Gardner (1889-1970) wrote more than one hundred novels over the course of his long career. A trial lawyer himself, Gardner's best known creation was Perry Mason, a flamboyant criminal defense attorney who earns his large fees by virtue of a remarkable talent for using the law to uncover the truth on the witness stand.

Although the Perry Mason novels are genre fiction pure and simple, Gardner was at the height of his powers during the 1950s, and this double-header offers two of his best: the 1955 THE CASE OF THE GLAMOROUS GHOST and the 1957 THE CASE OF THE SCREAMING WOMAN. Written in a dialogue heavy, staccato style that recalls the likes of Hammett, both titles make for fun reading.

GHOST is really among the best of Gardner's novels. Eleanor Corbin is a flighty young woman with a history of getting into "scrapes." And her current one is a dilly: she has been arrested for wandering around a park in a nearly naked state. Mason steps in at the request of her mortified family in an effort to control both Eleanor and the press... but when the headlines break it isn't long before Eleanor finds herself on trial for murder.

SCREAMING WOMAN is not quite on the same level with GHOST, but it offers plenty of entertainment nonetheless. When Mr. Kirby comes home with a wild tale about a beautiful but mysterious stranded motorists, his wife worries that he may have gotten himself into a jam, and retains Mason to show him the error of his ways. Unfortunately, Mrs. Kirby's instincts are all too correct, and before too long her husband is in the hands of D.A. Hamilton Burger.

Laws, police procedure, and forensic science have changed a great deal since these novels were written, but that's actually part of the fun when you read them; they offer a glimpse into a lost era. And they are fun, often very clever, and now and then unexpectedly memorable. Recommended as light reading.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

The Case of the Screaming Woman
Perry Mason gets a very unusual call: a woman wants him to cross-examine her husband to determine if his story will stand up. John Kirby shows up to say he was at a sales meeting that lasted to 11 pm at night. On the way home he saw a young woman carrying a one gallon gasoline can. He gave her a lift, but her car had disappeared. So he took her to a motel, registered as man and wife, then drove home. Kirby told his wife this story, and she insisted they drive to the motel to help the young woman; but she had disappeared. And the one gallon can was no longer in Kirby's car. After Kirby leaves, Della Street now connects this to an attack on a Doctor Babb who lives in the suburbs. A young woman was seen running from the Doctor's house, and she fits the description of Kirby's rider. The name "Kirby" was found on the Doctor's appointment book. Paul Drake is called to investigate.

This is another story with numerous suspects. Perry Mason soon finds Kirby's story had left out quite a few details. Before the Doctor died he mentioned his attacker: "John Kirby", but witnesses say John Kirby did not leave his car. The name of the young woman was also in the Doctor's appointment book! John Kirby is arrested, and Perry defends him at the preliminary hearing. Doctor Babb had been running a baby mill. Young women would give up their babies so a married woman could present an heir. [The implications about society are not discussed.] The records of these adoptions could provide a blackmailer with lucrative opportunities. One unasked question: could a person taking a shower in his house hear a woman scream from the next house?

The Case of the Stuttering Bishop

Bishop William Mallory of Sydney, Australia visits Perry Mason about a manslaughter case. Could a sudden emotional shock cause stuttering? Perry calls Paul Drake to see if the bishop is genuine (Chapter I). They find where Mallory is staying, but there is a mysterious attack on Mallory in his hotel room. An ambulance came for him, then another ambulance came for him! They track down the woman who visited him (Chapter II). Her story about a personal ad checks out (Chapter III). But the bishop got on a ship bound for Australia (Chapter IV). Julia Branner, formerly Mrs. Oscar Brownley, visits Perry and tells of her past life and what she wants (Chapter V). Perry visits Renwold C. Brownley and they discuss the case (Chapter VI). An early morning phone call wakes Perry with the message that a woman has shot and killed Renwold C. Brownley (Chapter VII)!

Perry finds that Julia Branner had gone to the waterfront, and saw another woman shoot Brownley. Perry tells her to not answer questions and he'll try to help her (Chapter VIII). Julia Branner was arrested for murder, Mallory disappeared from his ship (Chapter IX). Della's impersonation of Janice Seaton draws out two private investigators (Chapter X). Perry meets the granddaughter of Brownley, and finds Victor Stockton, one of the two private investigators, with a scheme that will trap Perry in a crime! Perry meets Philip Brownley, the grandson, who tells what he knows (this substantiates what a witness saw). When Perry interviews Julia Branner in jail he gets an unpleasant surprise. Paul Drake found a yachtsman who visited Mallory (Chapter XII).

Perry visits Hamilton Burger to explain his actions. Burger gives Perry little time to justify his story. It doesn't look good for Perry and his client (Chapter XIII). The preliminary examination of Julia Branner begins in Chapter XIV, this reviews the known facts about the shooting. Perry notes the strange facts: if the shooter ran away, and Brownley was dead, who drove the car off the wharf? Perry is in an impossible situation. If Brownley drove off the wharf, he was not shot dead by Julia Branner (Chapter XV). A chance remark by Della Street puts a new light on one person's activities the night of the murder. Perry plays this hand and it pays off (Chapter XVI). They find out what happened to Bishop Mallory (Chapter XVII). Perry explained what happened, and why Julia Branner refused to talk (Chapter XVIII). The next chapter concludes this case.
In this story Perry was very close to jail and disbarment. He was involved in more action than in other stories. This 1936 novel reflects the outlook of tts day.

I don't imagine that Perry Mason--or, for that matter, too many real-life attorneys--have had potential clients call them up stating that everything, including their clothes, have been stolen, and would it be possible for the attorney to take a set of clothes? That's what happens at the beginning of this Perry Mason caper.

Arlene Duvall is the woman, and her father is in prison for a crime Arlene believes he did not commit, a bank robbery that netted nearly $400,000. Since her father's imprisonment, she has lived out of a trailer. She has a mysterious source of income that allows her to spend money both extravagantly and conspicuously, leading to obvious suspicion that her father has told her where the stolen money is. Indeed, this inference is so strong that Mason only agrees to represent her as long as she is innocent. If he discovers she is guilty, he promises to turn her in and take his fee out of the reward money. After the theft and then a murder of someone with some relationship to the bank heist, matters grow far more serious. As usual, District Attorney Hamilton Burger is after Mason, this time for perjury in front of a grand jury--and later possibly as an accessory to murder.

The Perry Mason novels are fairly predictable. They are of consistently high quality and tend to feature the same elements, from the wrongly accused client to the vengeful D.A. I have read several without being able to find one that was notably better or worse than the others. Still, there are some elements that set this one apart from others published within a few years. (I'm thinking of The Case of the Demure Defendant (published one year later) and The Case of the Long-Legged Models (published three years later), both recent reads.) From the opening naked client to a few other elements, there are some ever-so-slightly risqué elements here that suggest the time this was published (the mid-1950s). However, those elements are slight, so what we have is another solid entry in the long-running series.

This 1955 novel is dedicated to the Hawaiian medical examiner who described "Bangugut", an unexplained syndrome of sudden death that is called "Nightmare Death". No cause of death can be discovered after examining the vital organs. Popular belief blamed it on witchcraft. Or was it a "perfect crime"?

Perry Mason gets a call from a new client, but she can't come in because she has nothing to wear. All her possessions have been stolen while she was sunbathing. Della Street brings her an outfit, and Arlene Duvall tells her story. Her father was sent to prison after being convicted of stealing a money shipment. He was convicted on circumstantial evidence; the money was never found. Arlene hires Mason to find her missing trailer and car. Paul Drake quickly finds the missing trailer, and explains how this is done in Chapter 3. They mention the terrible traffic in Los Angeles (after the destruction of the trolley system). Perry Mason explains to the trailer dealer what constitutes a legal agreement. Arlene hires Mason to investigate the crime and free her Dad. Mason says he will serve justice first; if he Dad is guilty he will get his fee from the reward money.

Mason meets with Jordan Ballard, who worked with Colton Duvall at the time of the theft. Ballard asks for a lift home, and tells Mason the background facts. Mason leaves, and checks in with Paul Drake to learn the police were called after Ballard was found murdered! Arlene Duvall was followed, and seen entering Ballard's house just after Mason left. Mason then goes to see Dr. Holman Candler, the good friend of Arlene. The urgency of this situation forces Mason to work through the night. Next morning Mason appears before a grand jury to answer questions about his activity at Ballard's house. The District Attorney wants to charge Mason with perjury, or murder! (There is a lesson her against making assumptions about an action that can have many meanings.) Arlene Duvall is arrested for murdering Ballard, and Perry Mason will have to defend her.

As part of this story you will learn about some detective techniques and parts of the laws. A number of funny things happen on the way to the trial. Since Mason's clients are always found 'not guilty' there's no surprise there, but in the journey to this conclusion. The suspense lasts until the final pages when Perry Mason draws the facts together to solve the murder, and the earlier theft of the money shipment. Mason warns against the frequently made mistake of first deciding who was guilty and then fitting the facts to prove that guilt (Chapter 14). I won't give away the ending, but it implicitly warns against assuming that something could not have happened.

The `Foreword' in this 1965 book is dedicated to Leopold Breitenecker M.D., Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Vienna. Too few people appreciate the importance of legal medicine or its ramifications. It can decide questions that affect insurance or about the circumstances of death (which was the wound of entrance and which was the wound of exit. An expert in forensic medicine can give answers and also demonstrate why his answers are correct.

Kerry Dutton visits Perry Mason for legal consultations. Templeton Ellis, the father of Desere Ellis, set up a spend-thrift trust. Kerry Dutton would dole out money on a monthly basis to Desere because her father disapproved of her friends: long-haired, bearded, left-wing idealists who tapped into Desere's funds. Dutton had held back and mingled some stocks in his name as trustee, and must make an accounting in a few months (Dutton is in love with the younger Desire). Mason tells him what he must do to safeguard Desire's securities (Chapter 1). The author parodies Fred Hedley as an original thinker who spouts cliches. When Desere realizes her inheritance is about used up she wishes she had been less extravagant. Desere plans to take business courses to make a living (Chapter 2). In Chapter 3 a stockbroker explains why good news is printed about an oil company that had been on the decline: to raise its price before a proxy fight! Since this stock had been owned in Desere's trust, Fred Hedley sees a tangible fortune for spending. [There is an obvious lesson here warning young people to be careful in picking their friends.]

Perry calls Paul Drake to investigate Kerry Dutton (Paul drives an older car that blends in with traffic). Jarvis Reader shows up to complain about Kerry Dutton and his earlier sale of that oil stock; he wants an apology (Chapter 4). Drake follows Dutton to Desere Ellis' apartment, Hedley shows up and there's a fight; the police arrive, but Dutton has left. Drake and his men track Dutton so Perry and Della can talk to him (Chapter 8). Their talk is interrupted when the police show up and arrest Dutton for murder! Drake calls Perry to tell him that a body was found at the golf club that Dutton visited last night. Perry visits Dutton in jail, and listens to his story. Perry tells him how a jury would view his actions (Chapter 12). Dutton admits he found his gun by the body, picked it up, then discarded it by the road. Perry tells Dutton he isn't telling all of the facts. Perry then interviews Desere to hear her story. Drake gives a report on the
victim Rodger Palmer, and his connection to Jarvis Reader and his oil company (Chapter 14). Perry faces a difficult battle in court, given the prosecution's theory and what his client has said (Chapter 15). Then a surprise witness shows up who may save Perry's client (Chapter 17). Chapter 18 has the testimony of Kerry Dutton, and his cross-examination by Hamilton Burger. Dutton makes damaging admissions about selling and buying the oil stock.

Hamilton Burger questioned the reliability of that surprise witness (Chapter 19). Perry realizes that more investigation is needed. Hamilton Burger questions Paul Drake on his economic involvement with Perry Mason (Chapter 22). The newspapers report that the murdered man, Rodger Palmer, had once been a suspect in two murder cases; a coincidence. Perry notices something, and puts an anonymous ad in the night edition, with a telephone number that will be answered by an operative of Paul Drake. This trap snares someone who shoots when discovered, flees, but is trapped by a police roadblock. The solution frees Dutton. [This is a very interesting story, but the ending came as a complete surprise to me.]

Perry Mason gets a telephone call from John Racer Addison, the department store man. He wants Perry to rush down to the City Jail to represent Veronica Dale, a nice girl who was arrested as a vagrant. Addison wants his name kept out of this. Veronica tells Perry the arrest was due to a mistake, and she is bailed out; the arresting officer will check her story. Veronica's story checks out, but it does sound odd. Later Mrs. Laura Mae Dale visits Perry to thank him for helping her daughter Veronica. Mrs. Dale was from out of state but was able to track her daughter quickly. Then Perry receives a frantic call from John R. Addison who is threatened with blackmail; we learn about his meeting with Veronica. A gossip columnist may publish these facts to put him in a tight situation with his business partner. [This appears to be a clever blackmail plot.] Perry Mason has a clever ploy to use on the blackmailer in Chapter 4. Chapter 6 explains the effects of a divorce on business ownership.

Perry Mason accompanies John Addison to the property he had visited. Its near the spot where Addison found Veronica Dale. While inspecting the house, they find a dead body! Perry questions Addison about his whereabouts, then advises his innocent client what to do. The attempted blackmail leads to Eric Hansell's arrest for forgery. The police are notified about Edgar Ferrell's death, and question Addison about it. Perry is taken to the police station to answer questions about a check; he could be in hot water. But a lucky call cools things down. Perry and Della meet Veronica Dale and question her about her meeting with Addison. When they return to Della's apartment and find hidden objects Perry improvises a slingshot. One of Paul Drake's detectives gets information about that department store from a young salesgirl (Chapter 14).

Chapter 15 has the Preliminary Hearing and the testimony about the physical evidence. Unknown fingerprints were found at the murder site. Eric Hansell testifies, and we learn he had a female accomplice. Perry's cross-examination of the next witness reveals new facts about the night of the murder (Chapter 17). Afterwards Perry reconsiders the known facts against the Prosecution's theory (Chapter 18). From these facts, he goes to see the person who has stayed in the background and uncovers the solution that will free his client.

For a real example of using the testimony of an innocent girl read Adela St. John's "Final Verdict" chapter 63. Young Alice, sweet sixteen, knew a little too much. Earl Roger's experts testified the police could not see through doors and around corners. Then Earl Rogers produced Alice's husband and the fact that she was well over twenty-one!