Mason made a gesture of dismissal. “Pay no attention to it, Belle. You can hear all sorts of stories.” He turned to Della Street. “Della, I want to find out who sent that note to Carl Newberry. The bellboy says he got it from the purser. The purser says he was doing some book work and when he looked up the note was lying on the glass shelf in front of his window. On the envelope had been written, ‘Please deliver immediately to Carl Newberry.’ The purser called a bellboy and told him to deliver the note.”
Belle said, “I think I know what was in that note, Mr. Mason.”
“What?” he asked.
“There was just three words scribbled on a piece of paper with a lead pencil. It said simply, ‘Promenade Port Okay,’ and there was no signature.”
“Could you tell if it was a man’s writing?”
“No. It was scribbled in pencil. I got the impression it was a woman’s writing. That’s why I didn’t say anything at the time. I knew Carl wouldn’t carry on an affair, but I thought perhaps Moms might get jealous.”
Mason said, “It wouldn’t do any harm for you to give that-information to the officers, Belle, but be absolutely certain not to tell them anything about your past, where you went to school, where you’ve been living, or anything about it. And, incidentally, do your hair differently. You look too much like Winnie Joyce with your hair done that way. The officers may trace you through that resemblance.”
Della Street reached for a comb. “I’ll fix that,” she said.
Chapter 7
Paul Drake, head of the Drake Detective Agency, was waiting at the dock. His long legs lifted his face, with its filmy, expressionless eyes, and droll grin, over the heads of the crowd which pushed against the customs barrier.