“Pardon me,” she said with dignity. “Somethin’ I ate... Maybe the expense account can stand it, but I can’t.”
“Hold everything,” Mason told her, “I’m coming up.”
“You’ve heard about the music, haven’t you, Chief?”
“What about the music?”
“Goes round ‘n round,” Della Street said, and hung up.
Mason drove to the Maxine, entered the Green Room, and found Della Street, Lone Bedford and three men sitting at a table. Mason tried to make the meeting appear casual. “Well, well, well,” he said, “what have we here?... And, Mrs. Bedford. This is indeed a pleasure.”
Lone Bedford grinned up at him. “Are you,” she asked, “telling me?”
“Sit down, Chief,” Della Street said. “We can always crowd in one more chair.”
“It’s your secretary’s birthday,” Mrs. Bedford explained.
A waiter brought up a chair. Mason sat down at the table. The men nodded to him without enthusiasm. No one performed any introductions. Della Street fidgeted about in her seat, looking around for the waiter. “Well,” she said, “I’ve just about reached my capacity. I’d better pay my check and get out.” She opened her purse, fumbled in the interior, opened a coin purse, and her face showed consternation. “Good gosh!” she said. “I came away without my billfold, just my coin purse.”