“Mason.”
“You’re Perry Mason, the lawyer?”
“Yes.”
“Why, you’re representing Byrl Gailord.”
“Mrs. Tump told you that?”
“Yes.”
“What else did she tell you?”
“She said you were going to get Byrl’s money for her.”
“What do you know about Byrl?”
Freel settled back on the bed. He said unctuously, “Understand, Mr. Mason, I wasn’t a party to any of that original fraud. The Hidden Home Welfare Society was guilty of numerous irregularities. You know how it is in that baby business. A couple wants to adopt a baby. It takes quite a while to get one that’s been properly vouched for and whose parents are known. There’s quite a demand for such children and always has been. Sometimes couples have to wait a year or even longer after their application is put in… A baby’s something people don’t like to wait for. That is, lots of them don’t.