Gertrude Lade looked up from the telephone desk as Mason approached. “Where’s Della?” he asked.
“Went out with some papers to a handwriting expert.”
Mason said, “Beat it down to Paul Drake’s office. Tell him Ned Barkler is in my office, that he’s leaving right away; to put a tail on him. Hurry.”
Gertrude Lade paused only to ask one question. “Does Mr. Drake know him, or do I describe him?”
“Drake knows him,” Mason said.
She jerked off the headset and started for the door on the run.
Mason paused only long enough to take the Leeds file from the filing case, then walked back to his private office. As he opened the door, he said, “I want you to tell me if...” and broke off into surprised silence as he realized the office was empty.
He jerked open the exit door and sprinted down the corridor to the elevator.
The corridor was deserted.