Sergeant Holcomb said, “You figured that you’d arranged with Mason to ring him up and frighten him, that the thought that Perry Mason was going to represent Byrl Gailord would scare Tidings into making some sort of a settlement, and you intended to see him and make a settlement direct and chisel Mason out of a lawyer’s fee, didn’t you?”
Mrs. Tump said indignantly, “I did nothing of the sort,” but her eyes avoided those of Mason and of Sergeant Holcomb.
Sergeant Holcomb smiled frostily at Mason. “Why did you want to see him?” he asked Mrs. Tump.
“I… Well, I wanted to explain to him that — well, I wanted to tell him that Mr. Mason was going to act for Byrl.”
“That was the only information you wanted to give him?”
“Yes.”
Sergeant Holcomb grinned triumphantly. “We’ll let it go at that. What time did you get there?”
Mrs. Tump nodded to Mattern. “His secretary knows. It was shortly before noon.”
“And Tidings wasn’t in his office?”
“The secretary said he wasn’t in his office.”