I studied it. The address I wanted was 1624 Veronica Way.
Down underneath that in Bertha’s strong masculine hand writing, appeared the words, “Wants her aunt shadowed.”
Then Bertha had crossed out the ‘aunt’ and inserted ‘stock salesman’ in place of ‘aunt’.
Below that, Bertha had started doodling, evidently while she’d been talking with Claire Bushnell.
Bertha had started out writing ‘one hundred dollars’ in words. Then she had made ‘$100.00’ in figures. Then she had written ‘one hundred dollars’ two or three times. Then she had crossed out all of the ‘one hundred dollars’ and written ‘one hundred and fifty dollars’. Then she had written, ‘thinks stock salesman might be boy friend — thinks some cause for alarm here — something she is not telling us — wants Donald.’
Then Bertha had gone doodling again and this time the figure was ‘$175.00’, after which appeared the words, ‘Donald personally’.
Then there was more doodling, then the words, ‘Aunt’s address, 226 Korreander Street.’
Then there were more doodlings of aimless lines, then in Bertha’s handwriting, ‘Aunt’s name, Amelia Jasper; man who is trying to swindle her: Age 35, well-dressed, thick-chested, double-breasted suits, mostly grey: dark-complexioned, long, straight features; nervous laugh, smokes cigarette with long, carved ivory holder, a chain smoker, smoking one right after the other; good profile until he laughs, then mouth seems cruel; laughter harsh, profile beautiful.’
There were more doodlings, then Bertha, as an afterthought, had got the things I’d been trying to impress on her for the last three years: an accurate description of the man she wanted shadowed: ‘Height 5 feet 11; weight 195; dark hair, grey eyes.’
Once more Bertha had written ‘one hundred and seventy-five dollars’, then crossed it out, put in ‘two hundred dollars’, then more doodling, then, ‘Subject has appointment for four o’clock in afternoon. Have Donald shadow, picking up subject at 226 Korreander.’