The Case of the Blonde Bonanza

leaves.'

'Suppose he won't give me his telephone number and tell me the nature of his business?'

'Throw him out,' Mason said, 'only be sure there's enough time for Paul to get a tail on him. He's either going to come in the way I want him to or he isn't going to come in at all. My best guess is the guy's scared.'

Della Street left and was gone nearly five minutes. When she returned she said, 'I think he's scared. He gave me his name, telephone number, address, and told me that you had said you wanted to have him call you upon a matter of importance, that rather than discuss it over the telephone he had decided to call in person since he had another appointment in the vicinity.'

'All right,' Mason said. 'Now we'll let him come in.'

Della Street ushered Harrison Boring into the office.

Boring was rather distinguished-looking, with broad shoulders, sideburns, keen gray eyes, and a certain air of dignity. He was somewhere in his late thirties, slim waisted and spare-fleshed, despite his broad shoulders. He had a close-clipped mustache which firmed his mouth.

'Good afternoon, Mr. Mason,' he said. 'I came to see you. You asked me to get in touch with you, and since I was here in the neighborhood on another matter I decided to come in.'

'Sit down,' Mason invited.

Boring accepted the seat, smiled, settled back, crossed his legs.

'Dianne Alder,' Mason said.

There wasn't the faintest flicker of surprise on Boring's face.

'Oh, yes,' he said. 'A very nice young woman. I'm sorry the plans we had for her didn't materialize.'

'You had plans?'

'Oh, yes, very definitely.'

'And made a contract.'

'That's right-I take it you're representing her, Mr. Mason?'

'I'm representing her.'

'I'm sorry she felt that it was necessary to go to an attorney. That is the last thing I would have wanted.'

'I can imagine,' Mason said.

'I didn't mean it that way,' Boring interposed hastily.

'I did,' Mason said.

'There is nothing to be gained by consulting an attorney,' Boring said, 'and there is, of course, the extra time, trouble and expense involved.'

'My time, your trouble, your expense,' Mason said.

Boring's smile seemed to reflect genuine amusement. 'I'm afraid, Mr. Mason, there are some things about the facts of life in Hollywood you need to understand.'

'Go ahead,' Mason said.

'In Hollywood,' Boring said, 'things are done on front, on flash, on a basis of public relations.

'When a writer or an actor gets to the end of his contract and his option isn't taken up, he immediately starts spending money. He buys a new automobile, purchases a yacht, is seen in all the expensive night spots, and lets it be known that he is at liberty but is thinking of taking a cruise to the South Seas on his yacht before he considers any new contract.

'The guy probably has just enough to make a down payment on the yacht and uses his old automobile as a down payment on the new car. He has a credit card which is good for the checks at the night spots and he's sweating in desperation, but he shows up regularly with good-looking cuties and buys expensive meals. He radiates an atmosphere of prosperity.

'During that time his public relations man is busily engaged in trying to plant stories about him and his agent is letting it be known that while his client has his heart set on a nine to twelve months vacation on his yacht in the South Seas, he might be persuaded to postpone the vacation long enough to take on one more job if the pay should be right.

'That's Hollywood, Mr. Mason.'

'That's Hollywood,' Mason said. 'So what?'

'Simply, Mr. Mason, that I live in Hollywood. I work with Hollywood. I had some elaborate plans. I backed those plans up with what cash I had available and I was able to interest a backer.

'Late Friday night my backer got cold feet on the entire proposition. I hope I can get him reinterested, but I can't do it by seeming to be desperate. I have to put up a good front, I have to let it appear that the loss of his backing was merely a minor matter because I have so many other irons in the fire that I can't be bothered over just one more scheme which could have earned a few millions.'

'And so?' Mason asked.

'And so,' Boring said, 'Dianne would have shared in my prosperity. Now she has to share in my hard luck. If the girl is willing to keep right on going, if she's willing to develop her curves and try to glamorize herself in every way possible, I am hoping that the deal can be reinstated.'

'How soon?'

'Within a matter of weeks-perhaps of days.'

'You mean you hope the backer will change his mind?'

'Yes.'

'Do you have any assurance that he will?'

'I think I can- Well, I'll be perfectly frank, Mr. Mason. I think I can guarantee that he'll come around.'

'If you're so certain of it, then keep up your payments to Dianne Alder.'

'I can't do it.'

'Why?'

'I haven't the money.'

Mason said, 'We're not interested in your hard luck. You made a definite contract. For your information, upon a breach of that contract my client could elect to take any one of certain remedies.

'She has elected to consider your repudiation of the contract as a breach of the contractual relationship and a termination of all future liability on her part under the contract. She will hold you for whatever damages she has sustained.'

'Well, I sympathize with her,' Boring said. 'If I were in a position to do so, I'd write her a check for her damages right now, Mr. Mason. I don't try to disclaim my responsibility in the least. I am simply pointing out to you that I am a promoter, I am an idea man. I had this idea and I had it sold. Something happened to unsell my backer. I think I can get him sold again. If I can't, I can get another backer. But every dollar that I have goes into keeping up the type of background that goes with the line of work I'm in. My entire stock-in-trade is kept in my showcases. I don't have any shelves. I don't have any reserve supplies.'

'And you're trying to tell me you don't have any money?' Mason asked.

'Exactly.'

Mason regarded the man thoughtfully. 'You're a salesman.'

'That's right.'

'A promoter.'

'That's right.'

'You sell ideas on the strength of your personality.'

'Right.'

'So,' Mason said, 'instead of talking with me over the telephone, instead of referring me to your attorney, you came here personally to put on your most convincing manner and persuade me that you had no cash and therefore it would be useless for my client to start suit.'

'Correct again, Mr. Mason.'

'Do you have an attorney?'

'No.'

'You'd better get one.'

'Why?'

'Because I'm going to make you pay for what you've done to Dianne Alder.'

'You can't get blood out of a turnip, Mr. Mason.'