Perry Mason pushed open the door of his private office and smiled at Della Streeter.Della was clearing the corner of her desk with a secretary's concerned expression. "Good morning, boss," Della greeted. Mason carefully put his hat in the hat cabinet, walked to the desk, and looked at the mail on the desk.Three piles of mail were neatly arranged, with a post-it note on the first pile saying: "Should be read—no reply required." The second pile was marked "Must read, but reply without your dictation." The third pile included About half a dozen letters, marked "Must be read and answered by you personally."

Della went into the secretary's office adjoining Mason's office, put the rag in a drawer of the desk, and returned to Mason's office with her shorthand book spread out on her lap, pencil in hand, waiting to write What Mason had to say. Mason began to flip through the pile of letters that required his special attention.He glanced at the first one, paused to look out the window, at the clear Southern California sky, and said suddenly, "It's Friday, Della!" Della nodded and got her pencils at the ready. Mason asked, "Why do they always execute murderers on Fridays?"

"Probably because it's generally considered inauspicious to start a journey on a Friday," Della said. "It is indeed. This is a barbaric custom. We should give the murderer a chance to start with a clean slate and start walking to another world." Mason said. "Other people may die on Fridays! Just as they die on other days. Why is the murderer special?" Della expressed his opinion. Mason looked from the window to Della's face. "Della, it's easy for you to be a realist. Did it ever occur to you that we might be stuck in a rut." "It's the last thing I'd think of getting into a routine in this office," Della said emotionally.

Mason pointed to the row of offices on the other side leading to the legal library and reception rooms. "Behind those doors, Della, was the sound of routine activity. Gertie answered the telephone at the switchboard, noting the names, addresses, and occupations of all clients who came in; in an office in the reception room, Jack Sen is sitting there working tirelessly. Think about Jackson's situation: he is a person who is very passionate about legal knowledge. His life has been regulated and restricted by traditional legal provisions, so that he has no way to bring himself to accept Anything new. He..."

At this moment, from the other end of the law library came the sound of knuckle knocking on the door. Mason said to Della, "This will be the first piece of evidence that confirms my story—Jackson himself. Come in!" Jackson pushed the door open.Under the heavy weight of a scholarly austere air, his thin form seemed crooked; his face was long and protruding, expressing severe concentration; drooping; deep lines etched from the nostrils; but his brow was unlined, just utterly peaceful.Jackson believed that everything must be done according to the law, and he did know what the law was, which gave him an almighty poise and poise.

Jackson, who has always been preoccupied with his own legal issues, doesn't seem to have time to say "good morning," coming in by saying, "I've got a rather confusing case that I'm not sure I should go ahead with. Go on. A big truck belonging to the Skinnerhill Karaku Company was carrying a load of karaku sheep, and on the way it braked suddenly, and the driver did not give any signal; The client we represented - the car he was driving hit the back of a truck and suffered very serious damage." "Is anyone in the car with him?" "Yes! His wife, Sarah Bickler."

Mason smiled and said: "I heard that the truck driver said that he did signal that he was about to stop the car, and he saw the car approaching fast in the rearview mirror; The man in question was talking to someone next to him and wasn't looking straight ahead; he honked three times, waved his hands nervously, and then flashed the lights on the back of the truck, trying to get the driver's attention while slowing down." Jackson didn't smile at all, his piercing eyes looked through the notes he had made through the glasses. "No! The truck driver insisted that he gave the signal and saw the car approaching him quickly in the rearview mirror, but the car showed no signs of stopping and crashed into the back of the truck instead. He did not say that he had ever Noticed the driver of the sedan was not looking at the road ahead."

Mason glanced at Della and said, "Probably an inexperienced truck driver?" Jackson continued: "Then a very strange situation happened. Arthur Bickler climbed out of the car, the truck driver also got out of the driver's seat, and the two criticized and accused each other, and then Arthur Bickler Le took a pencil out of his pocket and noted a sign posted on the body of the truck saying 'Skinnahill Karaku Co.' No one disputes that." "Why should they object?" Mason asked. Jackson blinked thoughtfully, then said, "This is where it gets weird." Then Mr. Bickler went to the back of the truck and copied down the license plate number. As soon as he was done, the truck driver grabbed it. Take Bickler's pencil and notebook, put it in his pocket, say 'really!' and climb into his truck and drive off."

"Any physical injuries?" Mason asked. "Mrs Bickler insisted she was mentally frightened." "Is there anything in the phone book about Skinnerhill Karaku?" "No. They didn't even apply for any official company name, nor a generic one." "Okay," Mason said. "Notify Paul Derek. There are only a few places selling Karakou livestock goods and Derek can check with those places to see if they have sold some sheep recently for delivery around the Skinner Hill area ; or if they know anything about the Karaku Corporation. It shouldn't be too difficult a job."

"In this case, we faced all the uncertainties of ordinary accident cases," Jackson said. "Our clients may not be remedied, and there is a so-called 'negligence causing accident' problem, I am a little skeptical..." "Don't let yourself get caught up in a fog of doubt," Mason interrupted. "A skeptical lawyer is worth nothing to him or to his client, and if you think we have any chance, take it." "Very well, since there is a question of advance payment for the investigation, I think I should get your permission before using this fund."

"I agree, you can use it." Jackson closed the door, and Mason looked at Della with twinkling eyes. "You've got to admit—Jackson was a bit conservative." Della said with mock seriousness, "Aren't all lawyers like that?" Mason raised his eyebrows, and Della added hastily, "An impulsive lawyer can be a dangerous man." Says Mason: "The trouble is--careful lawyers tend to stick to the rules and never change. Take Jackson. His heart has been occupied by serious pleas; he doesn't like extemporaneous performances. He has abandoned all Intuition and inspiration, and never believed in his own ideas. Unless he could find an exact case of 'all right', he didn't dare to really think about it at all. When he married, he married a widow, no doubt Yes, he will not take any romantic action towards a woman unless he demonstrates that prior romantic conduct has been established, clearly based on precedent, and . . . " The phone rang, and Mason gave Della a nod, she answered the phone immediately, turned to Mason and said, "Gertie asked if you would like to call Mr. A phone call came, and the person insisted on speaking to you in person." Mason took the receiver and said to Della at the same time, "Get Gerty over it—Hello?" "Hi, Mason. I'm C. V. Steikonen of Steikonen, Corot & Ross." "Hello, Mr. Steikonen." "Are you representing a client named Bickler—Arthur Bickler—? A case of a car accident?" "yes." "If there is a settlement, what is your client asking for?" Steikonen asked. "How much are you willing to pay?" Steknan's voice was rather cautious. "My client may have to pay as much as three hundred yuan, and I hope to get rid of the disturbance of all relevant units." "Are you representing the Skinnerhill Karaku Corporation now?" "yes." "I'll call you back." "Call me as soon as possible," Steikonen said. "My client is desperate to get this resolved." Mason hung up the phone, smiled at Della, and said, "Della, it seems that things are showing signs of improvement. Let Jackson come in." Della returned with Jackson a few minutes later. "Are the Bicklers still in your office?" Mason asked. "yes." "How much are they going to claim to settle this?" "I haven't discussed this with them, but Mr Bickler believes the damage to his car is at least $250." "What was the actual damage?" "Well..." Jackson said doubtfully, "if the parts could be put together, the damage might not be so great. But, of course—well, anyway, all he wanted was two hundred and fifty dollars. " "And Mrs. Bickler? How much compensation does she expect for her mental shock?" "The figure she mentioned was about five hundred dollars." "Did they pay a total of seven hundred and fifty dollars to settle?" "Oh, yes. Actually, I think five hundred dollars will settle things down." "Go talk to them," Mason said. "See if five hundred yuan is okay." Jackson returned within two minutes of leaving. "The settlement condition of 500 yuan in cash is acceptable," he said.Mason's eyes sparkled again. He picked up the phone and said to Gertie, "Put me up with C. V. Steckonen from Steckonen, Corot & Ross." After a while, Mason said to Steknan on the phone: "I found that the actual situation was more serious than I had previously imagined. Not only the Bi's car was damaged, but Mrs. Bickler was also severely mentally injured. hurt, and..." "How much compensation do you need?" Steikonen interrupted Mason. "And," Mason continued. "My client's rights seem to have been disregarded by your arbitrariness..." "How much does it cost?" "Twenty-five hundred yuan." "What!" Steikonen yelled. "You heard what I said," Mason said. "Please don't interrupt me next time I'm addressing a client's grievance." "It's ridiculous, it's a scam! It's unreasonable." "Okay," Mason said. "Whatever you want." Then quickly hung up the phone. Jackson's eyes widened as he said, "What's going on in your mind?" Mason put the watch on the desk and said, "Give him five minutes, give him a chance to connect with his client, and then give me a relative number." "But how do these lawyers know we're working on this case?" "Presumably they've managed to get in touch with the Bicklers and found them in a lawyer's office, or they've found out from neighbors... How would I know? Jackson, the important thing at the moment is that they're in a hurry to Settle this matter." Mason stared at the minute hand on the watch, and the phone rang immediately. "Two minutes and ten seconds." Mason said happily, and picked up the phone. "Mr. Mason," Steikonen's rough and hoarse voice was full of anxiety. "I have already contacted my clients, and they feel that your client's request is too unreasonable." "Okay," Mason said lightly. "Then we'll go to court and see what the jury thinks of the matter. We..." Stiknan hurriedly interrupted. "However, my client is going to spend 1,250 yuan to settle this matter!" "No." Mason said resolutely. "Listen to me," Steikonen said imploringly. "In order to solve this problem, I am willing to ask them to add another two hundred and fifty yuan, so the total is fifteen hundred yuan." "Mrs Bickler maintains that she has suffered severe mental injuries," Mason said. "Oh! I don't believe it can be cured with a small amount of money." Stikenan said sarcastically. "You're being unfair to my client by saying that," Mason scolded. "Stikonen, here's what I'm going to do—tell your clients: If they're willing to pay two thousand dollars within the next hour, we'll agree to sign a settlement agreement. How soon will you hear from me?" "Just a moment," Steikonen said. "Please don't hang up yet." Mason heard faint conversations, and then Steikonen was back on the phone. "Okay! Mr. Mason, in half an hour we'll send someone to your office with a certified check, please have your client wait there, please? We'll have them sign a certificate in front of a notary. A complete agreement." Mason hung up the phone and smiled at Jackson. "My conscience should bother me, but it doesn't." Jackson's brow furrowed as he said, "I don't know how you do it, but I settled with them for five hundred bucks. In two minutes and ten seconds, I felt as if I had survived for a hundred years." Mason said, "Jackson, go slowly. I think I've heard something about Skinner Hill lately. Don't we have a case in our firm related to industrial problems in the area?" Jackson shook his head first, and then said suddenly: "Wait a minute, there is a Jin Meng case." "What kind of case is the Jin Meng case?" Mason asked. "Do you remember receiving a letter from Adlay Kimmon? Then you gave it to me, and I contacted her to persuade her to continue the lawsuit, but she thought she had no money to go to the lawsuit, so I thought The case has effectively been deleted." "Tell me a little more about the case!" said Mason. Jackson cleared his throat somewhat dramatically, his usual initial gesture when he rants about legal matters. "Adlai Kimmon originally held official title to a piece of land in the Skinner Hill area. The land was eighty acres in size. Later she and a man named Frank Palermore The shepherd signed a resale contract, and the agreed price in the contract was about five hundred dollars; in fact, the land was worthless except for a few acres suitable for sheep to graze. But Palermore did not pay her. He insisted that he already owned the land because Mrs. Jin Meng had some kind of financial difficulties; he had owned the land for several years, and the relevant units also assessed that the land belonged to him, and he also paid for it. Tax money. So, he claims that he has rightfully owned the land through the transfer of title; obviously he is the kind of smart, cunning and greedy person, always looking for an opportunity to take advantage." "Does Adlai Kimmon not want to take any action?" Mason asked. "Yes, she had an accident—a broken leg. I know she's in a San Francisco hospital ward at the moment, and she's sixty-five years old, and has no funds; in this case, she I feel that I really can't afford to fight a lawsuit, and it is very difficult to even prepay the initial funds." Mason said, "Sit down, Jackson. Let's think about it." Jackson sat down at his desk. Mason asked: "Why do you think the Skinnerhill Karaku Wool Company is settling at this time, in the way they want?" "There is no doubt that they were afraid to go to court after hearing the truck driver brutally snatch Arthur Bickler's notebook and pencil." Mason shook his head, and then said: "There was a car accident at the time, and the police must have made a report, but the news didn't come out until after ten o'clock this morning. Jackson, please pay special attention to this: It's after ten o'clock." "What does that have to do with the accident?" Jackson asked. "That's where we have to think," Mason said. "What's the point of 'ten o'clock'?" "That's when the banks open?" Della suggested. "It's also when senior executives come to work," Mason added. "So let's say the report of the accident was first given to a subordinate who put it on the desk of a senior executive at ten o'clock this morning. The supervisor managed to get in touch with Bickler and sent a A mediator went to his home, only to find out that Bickler had gone to see a lawyer, or a neighbor had told him the name of that lawyer. So the supervisor—whoever he was—called the His lawyers, please settle this case no matter what the cost. Why?" Jackson shook his head and said, "I don't understand." Mason said, "I think I understand. Della, go to Paul Derek at the Derek Detective Agency and tell him to investigate Skinnerhill Karaku and get in touch with the breeders of the Karaku sheep , and find out who the shipment was sold to. Ask him to investigate everything he can about Karaku Corporation. Especially when they send that agreement to Bickler to sign, see if we can get Go back to Bickler's notebook. Then, try to get the license plate number of the truck that transported the sheep, and I think you'll find out: that truck's license plate number is the main key to the whole situation." Jackson seemed puzzled, and said, "I must confess that I cannot follow your reasoning, Mr. Mason." "You don't have to try to understand," Mason said with a smile on his lips. "I'm not even sure what I just said is what you call reasoning, I'm just giving my gut feeling. Call Adlay Kimmon and tell her not to make any settlements or sign any papers at this time, if If you have any questions, please ask her to come to us directly, and tell her: We will move her from the ward where she is now to a private room with special nurses. By the way, I will invite another San Francisco doctor tomorrow morning. Good orthopedic specialist." Jackson's eyes were full of confusion and surprise, and he asked, "Then who's going to pay the bill?" "We," Mason said.