Why the service station?
Della Streets there.
All right. Go that far, no farther. Stay there.
Tragg said to the officer, Take him back to the car. See he gets in the car and drives down to the service station. Keep him out in the brush, to one side of the road so he doesnt leave any tracks.
One of the men bending over the body said, Lieutenant, this man hasnt been dead any time at all.
But hes dead? Tragg asked.
Hes dead.
Okay, Tragg said. Set up your photographic outfit and start getting some pictures. All right, Mason, this is where you came in.
The officer, holding Masons arm, led the way through the brush, keeping well to one side of the road. When the lawyer had returned to his car the officer said, Now, youre driving down to the service station.
Thats right.
Ill follow you that far, the officer said.
Okay, Mason told him.
The lawyer started his car, swung out on to Mulholland Drive, drove back to the service station. The police car followed behind him. After Mason had swung in at the service station, the police car made a U-turn and went back.
Della Street smiled at Mason, opened her purse and took out some ragged bits of cloth.
Whats that? Mason asked.
One beautiful pair of nylon stockings cut all to pieces by brush. Is that a legitimate expense?
Thats a legitimate expense for you and deductible for me, Mason said.
Itll look nice on the expense account, she said. One pair of nylon hose for secretary.
Mason grinned. It wont appear on the expense account in exactly those words, Della. Lets get Paul Drake.
The service station attendant came crowding forward eagerly. Say, whats this all about? he asked.
A murder down the road, Mason said.
Gosh, how did it all happen?
No one knows exactly, Mason said. Theres a gasoline can down there. You didnt sell anybody a gallon can of gasoline recently, did you?
Say, I sure did, the man said, about an hour and a half ago, and Ive been wondering what the heck happened.
To whom did you sell it?
A young woman who was wearing a mans hat with a long raincoat. She kept the hat pulled down over her eyes.
Blonde? Mason asked, glancing significantly at Della Street.
I dont know.
A blonde, blue eyes, about five feet two and a half, about twenty-seven years old?
I thought she was younger.
How much younger?
Well, I dont know. She may have been twenty-seven.
Blue eyes, Mason said positively.
The attendant frowned. Well, I dont know, he said. Im not entirely certain as to that.
Then you didnt get a very good look at her?
No, I didnt get a very good look at her. She came in and wanted a gallon of gas. I remember wondering why she was wearing a mans hat and... well, I wondered just what was going on down there. A girl being out alone that way, running out of gasoline I wanted to drive her back down to her car, but I was here all alone.
Rather a brassy individual? Mason asked. The kind who would be wandering around at night dressed in mens clothes?
Im not so certain she was dressed in mens clothes. She had this raincoat and the hat.
It was a mans hat.
It was a mans hat, all right.
Rather wide brim?
Wide-brimmed and she kept the brim sort of pulled down.
But you could see her eyes were blue?
Now wait a minute. Im not so certain about her eyes.
You cant swear they were blue?
The attendant hesitated and said, No, I cant swear they were blue.
Then you cant swear what color they were?
I... no, I guess I couldnt.
Okay, Mason said. Della, you talk with him, will you, and make notes on what he says? Try and get a description of this young woman.
Okay, Mason said. Della, you talk with him, will you, and make notes on what he says? Try and get a description of this young woman.
Mason lowered his right eye in a swift wink. Im going to use the phone, he said to the attendant.
The attendant seemed only too willing to talk with Della Street.
Mason went over to the telephone, called Paul Drakes office. When he had the detective on the line, he said, Whats new with Endicott Campbell, Paul?
I think youre locking the stable after the horse has been stolen, Drake said. We havent been able to pick up his trail. He isnt at home and we cant find him.
Keep trying, Mason said. When you do find him, dont let him out of your sight thats important. Now, heres something else, Paul.
What?
Weve simply got to find Carleton Campbell thats the seven-year-old boy whos in the custody of this English governess, Elizabeth Dow.
Have a heart, Drake said. Were doing all we can on that, Perry.
Do even better than that, Mason said. Theres been a murder. Ken Lowry, the manager of the Mojave Monarch, has been killed. I was talking with him this afternoon. He must have got to thinking things over after we left and decided perhaps hed told me too much, or else he put two and two together from things I had told him.
Now, he may have started for Los Angeles to see Endicott Campbell or he may have started for Los Angeles to see Amelia Corning at the Arthenium Hotel. My best guess is that he went to see Miss Corning. He could have found out she was in town in some way; she might have telephoned him for all we know.