Suddenly Mason turned to Mrs. Tidings. He said, “You look like a nice girl.”
“Thank you.”
“You wouldn’t by any chance be trying to kid anyone, would you?” Mason asked.
“Why, what do you mean, Mr. Mason?”
Sergeant Holcomb opened the door of the house, motioned to Mrs. Tidings. “Come in here,” he said.
Mason took his cigarette case from his pocket and carefully selected another cigarette. “Watch your step,” he said in a low voice, his eyes turned toward the distant horizon with its gleam of snow-capped mountains. “And if you have anything to say to me, you’d better say it now.”
Mrs. Tidings shook her head in a swiftly decisive gesture of negation and walked firmly toward the house.
Chapter 5
Della Street was waiting in the doorway of Mason’s private office as he came down the corridor. She beckoned to him to come in without going through the reception room of his office.
“Someone laying for me, Della?” he asked.