The Case of the Blonde Bonanza by Erle Stanley Gardner Page A

"Sit right there in your office. Things are coming to a head. You can have some hamburgers sent in."
    "Have a heart, Perry. I was taking soda bicarbonate all afternoon."
    "Well," Mason said, "on second thought, Paul, you may as well go out, but be back inside of an hour and leave word with the office where you can be reached. I've seen Winlock and now I know all the answers."
    "You mean he admitted-"
    "I mean we're okay," Mason said, "but I can't discuss it."
    "How long do you want my men on the job up there, Perry?"
    "Until I tell you to quit. I think we're about at the end of the case now-at least this phase of it-but our friend, Dillard, is anchored there at the motel. Evidently Boring has him spotted and is getting pretty suspicious."
    "What are you going to do with Boring?"
    "After I've seen Dianne," Mason said, "I'm going down and have a heart-to-heart talk with Boring."
    "You mean the party is going to get rough?"
    "I mean the party is going to get very rough."
    "Can you handle him, Perry?"
    "I can handle him. I never saw any blackmailer yet I couldn't handle. I'm going to put him in such a position that he'll consider himself a fugitive from justice, and if his conscience makes him resort to flight and concealment of his identity, I don't see how I can be expected to do anything about that."
    "Certainly not," Drake said. "You'll be a paragon of righteous virtue. I'm on my way, Perry. I'll leave word in the office where I can be reached, but don't call me until I've wrapped myself around the outside of a steak and French fried potatoes."
    "Better make it a baked potato," Mason said, "or you'll be eating bicarbonate again. Be good, Paul."
    The lawyer hung up, looked at his watch, said, "I wish Dianne would show up. I want to have all the reins in my hand before I start driving."
    It was, however, twenty minutes later that there was a timid knock at the door of the suite.
    Mason nodded to Della Street. "Dianne," he said.
    Della went over and opened the door.
    Dianne Alder stood on the threshold.
    "Come in, Dianne," Della Street said. "He's here."
    Dianne followed her into the room, gave Mason a forced smile, said, "Oh, I'm so glad."
    "Sit down," Mason said. "We have a nice steak coming up and you look to me as though you could use a drink."
    "I could use two of them," she said.
    "All in, eh?" Mason asked.
    She nodded.
    Mason said, "Look, Dianne, let's get certain things straightened out. You've paid me a retainer. I'm your attorney. We have a confidential relationship. Anything you tell me is in confidence; anything that I learn which could affect you in any way, I tell you. I'm obligated to. Do you understand?"
    "Yes."
    "Now, you're in for a shock," Mason told her. "You're going to have some information which is going to hit you right where you live. – .. What do you want to drink?"
    "Is brandy all right?"
    "No," Mason said. "That's not the kind of a beforedinner drink you should have-you want a Manhattan or a Martini."
    "I don't think I want anything to eat."
    Mason said, "What's the matter, Dianne? Something seems to be bothering you. Suppose you start by telling me a few things. Why did you come to Riverside in such a rush?"
    "I… I wanted to see somebody."
    "Who?"
    "Mr. Boring."
    "You knew he was up here?"
    "Yes."
    "How did you know?"
    "Someone told me."
    "Who?"
    "A man who knows him very well. Someone he used to work for."
    "Montrose Foster?"
    "Yes."
    "What else did Foster tell you?"
    "That I've been a little fool, that Mr. Boring was just trying to take advantage of me and that the contract about using me for a model was all just eyewash; that what he really had in mind was something altogether different."
    Mason regarded her thoughtfully, said, "Did he tell you what it was, Dianne?"
    "White slavery."
    Mason crossed over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, Dianne," he said, "this has been a rough day as far as you're concerned. You've had some shocks and you're going to have some more shocks. You've been