The Case of the Daring Divorcee Read Free Page B

jurisdiction over both parties and we can have jurisdiction of personam as well as an action in rem."
    "Why this desire to expedite things?" Mason asked. "Has Hastings some other woman in mind?"
    Banner smiled and shook his head. "I can state now without fear of contradiction that Hastings has been cured. I think that's the reason the marriage fell apart. Hastings is just a rugged individual who likes to live his own life in his own way. He's completely absorbed in his business and I don't think the guy really cares about a home life except on occasion when he gets a little lonely living in a big house all by himself.
    "And you can tell your client this, Mason, that any time she wants to go back to work for the Hastings Enterprises as a secretary she can do it. Hastings is very fond of her-as a secretary. There isn't going to be any mud-slinging, any name-calling or any friction. This whole matter is going to be handled amicably and on a friendly basis. Hastings is really going all out to see that his wife gets a decent settlement."
    "Thanks a lot," Mason said, shaking hands. "I'll doubtless be seeing you."
    As Mason left the office Elvina Mitchell flashed him a warm smile. "Good-by, Mr. Mason," she said.
    "Bye now," Mason said. "I'll be seeing you."
    Mason returned to his office, grinned at Della Street and said, "Guess I'm getting to be a little jumpy. It's all right, Della. Just a divorce property settlement with some interesting background."
    "What about the gun and the two shells that have been fired?" Della asked.
    "That," Mason said, "is something else. But there's certainly no reason for her to fire the two bullets into her husband and apparently she doesn't have any rival, so we'll assume she took a couple of pot shots at a jack rabbit on the way in from Las Vegas.
    "Let's get at that pile of mail and see how much of it we can get done before Adelle Hastings comes in."
    Mason started dictating but after a while his attention began to wander. He glanced from time to time at his wrist watch and there were long periods of silence.
    At four o'clock Della Street said, "If you're going to worry about it, why don't we try telephoning?"
    "Do that," Mason said. "Telephone Las Vegas. See if there's a telephone in the name of Adelle Hastings at the address given on that driving license."
    Della Street put through the call, then after a few moments said, "There's a phone listed. They're ringing and get no answer."
    Mason said, "Ring the residence of Garvin Hastings. Don't give any name. Just ask if you can talk to Mrs. Hastings. It may be she went out there to negotiate a settlement on her own. In fact the more I think of it the more I feel that's the explanation. She came in here to see me, then decided to call her husband to tell him what she was doing, and he suggested she come out and talk with him." Mason snapped his fingers. "Why didn't I think of that before? That's the only really logical explanation."
    Della Street nodded, looked up the number of the Garyin Hastings residence, put through the call, listened a moment, then gently hung up the telephone.
    "What?" Mason asked.
    "A tape-recording answering service," she said. "A well-modulated voice on a tape says that Mr. Hastings is not available at the moment, that following the notice on the tape there will be a period of thirty seconds during which the person calling can leave any message. This message will be recorded on tape and brought to the attention of Mr. Hastings on his return."
    "Okay," Mason said, "forget it. It's probably all right."
    "And what do we do with the purse, the money and the gun?" Della Street asked. "Do we hold them here in the office?"
    Mason said, "Between now and five o'clock we'll have a call from Adelle Hastings. She'll suddenly realize where it was she left her bag."
    "Want to bet?" Della Street asked.
    Mason grinned. "No," he said.

Chapter Two
    At five-fifteen Della Street said, "How about it, Chief, do we close up the office? It's