“Get my message?” he asked.
“Yes.”
Mason said, “Listen, Della. Here are the developments. I located Alden Leeds up here. I’ve found out quite a bit of family history. John Milicant was Leeds’ former partner. He went by the name of Bill Hogarty. He and Leeds went into the Klondike in 1906. They struck it rich. Hogarty and Leeds had a falling out over a dance hall girl. The dance hall girl was Emily Milicant. Hogarty married Emily Milicant in Seattle in 1907.”
“Then he wasn’t Emily Milicant’s brother?”
“Not a bit of it,” Mason said
“But why did she say he was?”
“It’s a long story,” Mason said. “I think we can identify the body absolutely as that of Hogarty because of his frostbitten foot. But we want to keep the district attorney from finding out what we’re doing.”
Della Street said, “Is there anything you want me to do at this end, Chief?”
Mason said, “Yes. Explain to Phyllis Leeds that everything is okay, and that I’ll be back in the office Monday morning. Tell her I’ve seen her uncle; that he’s all right and wants to be remembered to her.”
“Where,” Della Street asked, “is her uncle now?”