“With the finding of what? ”
Mason looked at her in surprise. “Why, don’t you know?” he said.
“Know what?” she inquired, seeming to bite the ends off the words as she uttered them.
Mason said, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought you knew.”
“Go on, out with it.”
“Austin Cullens was shot sometime this evening. The police found his body lying on the living room floor of his house.”
Lone Bedford stood rigidly motionless. Della Street said to Perry Mason, “Why, Chief, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought I had told you.” She shook her head. “Things have been so frightfully mixed up tonight,” Mason apologized, “that I haven’t been certain... I’m very sorry if this comes as a shock to you, Mrs. Bedford. You’d known him a long time, I believe?”
She suddenly turned to Della Street. There was cold suspicion in her eyes. “All right. You two go ahead and celebrate Della Street’s birthday. I’m finished.”
“Is there,” Mason said, “some place I can take you? Remember, I have a car.”