Chapter 2 Chapter One

At ten forty-five in the morning, Della Streeter looked nervously at her watch. Perry Mason stopped dictating and smiled at her. "Della, what are you so nervous about?" "No way, I've been thinking that Mr. Bancroft wants to make an appointment at the fastest time, and the tone on the phone is so urgent!" "Didn't you tell him to come at eleven o'clock in the morning?" She nodded. "He said he would come running as fast as he could." "In other words, Harold Bancroft will arrive on time at eleven o'clock. His time is precious, and every second counts is the principle of his business."

"But what would he do with a criminal lawyer?" Della asked. "Did you know? His legal secretary said that his company has more fleas than wild dogs. He has a team of professional lawyers working for him. As far as I know, there are seven lawyers in the tax department alone." Mason checked his watch. "Wait another ten minutes, the answer will be revealed, I..." The phone rang suddenly. Della picked up the phone and said to the switchboard, "Okay...you wait a minute." Covering the phone with her hand, Della said to Mason, "Mr. He could have waited until eleven o'clock, but time is precious."

"Obviously it's more urgent than we thought, let's bring him in," Mason said. Della immediately closed the shorthand book, stood up and walked out quickly.After a while, she brought in a man in his fifties.Mr. Bancroft has a short gray beard, which accentuates the determination of his mouth.His eyes were blue-gray, and there was something majestic in his expression. "Mr. Bancroft, hello." Mason stood up and held out his hand. "Mr. Mason, thank you for seeing me right away." He turned to Della. "This is Della Streeter, my private secretary," Mason explained. "Every conversation I have with a client, she is there to help me record it."

"But the matter is very confidential," Mr Bancroft said. "Della was very capable and never gave a shit," Mason said. "She knows every single one of my cases like the back of my hand." Bancroft just sat down, and suddenly, his original confidence and determination seemed to disappear, and his whole body seemed to melt away, leaving only his limp clothes. "Mr. Mason," he said. "I'm at the end of my rope, everything I've worked so hard to build in my life is ruined!" "Don't say that, it's not that serious," Mason said.

"It's serious." "Why don't you talk about your troubles," Mason said. "Let's see how to solve it." Bancroft opened his hands and said pitifully, "Did you see these hands?" Mason nodded. "Everything in my life has been built with these hands," Bancrowe said. "I'm self-made - I've worked, I've been trying to get ahead, I've been in so much debt that I thought I couldn't keep it up; I've held my ground when my whole kingdom was about to collapse. I've been able to Defeating my opponent in the world is a matter of perseverance. When everyone is eager to sell, I have the courage to put everything in one basket. But now these hands have ruined me."

"Why?" Mason asked. "It's all about the fingerprints," Bancrowe said. "Go on." Mason narrowed his eyes. "Because my family was too poor, I left home at a very young age and got involved with some bad guys. I quickly learned many bad things. For example, cutting the engine line of the car, stealing parts, spare tires and cars in dark alleys I struggled for a living, and was finally arrested and sent to the reformatory school. For me, this is rather the most fortunate ending. "When I first entered the reformatory school, I was a bit cynical. I thought that I would get caught because I was not vigilant enough, so I made up my mind to be more cunning so that I would not be arrested again after I got out.

"There was a priest in prison who took special care of me. I can't say he led me into religion, because in fact he didn't preach to me. He just made me more confident in myself, others and the power in the universe. "He said that the complexity of life could never have happened by accident. We know there must be a grand plan to explain it. The bird hatches from the egg, grows, and trembles to learn to fly, all out of instinct , and instinct is a part of this grand plan, and it is also the channel of communication between the Creator and all things. "He taught me to appeal to my intuition, which is not selfishness, but the natural feeling when I deliberately remove the influence of the environment and come into harmony with the universe. He asked me if I dared to give myself to The great heart of the universe."

"Did you do it?" Mason said. "Yeah! Because he said I dare not try, I just want to prove him wrong, I really dare." "It turns out he was right?" "I suddenly had a strange feeling, and I didn't know what it was. It was like a self-consciousness, a desire to achieve something. So I started to read, study, and think." Mason looked at him curiously. "Mr Bancroft, you travel a lot abroad, what do you do with your passport?" "Fortunately, I was still ashamed when I first started, and I was afraid of insulting the family style. I didn't use my real name during those ridiculous years and the period in the reformatory."

"What about your fingerprints?" Mason said. "That's where the trouble is," Bancroft said. "If my fingerprints are sent to the FBI, it will be known in a few minutes that the great philanthropist and financier Bancrowe is a criminal who spent fourteen months in a reformatory." "I see," Mason said. "Apparently someone has discovered the secret now." Bancroft nodded. "The other party threatened to leak it?" Mason asked. "Are you blackmailed?" Bancroft didn't answer, just took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Mason.

The words above were typed on a typewriter: Mason scrutinized the note. "Is this mailed to you?" "Not to me," Bancroft said. "It's for my stepdaughter Roseanne Andrews." Mason raised his eyebrows puzzled. "I got married seven years ago," Bancroft said. "My wife is a widow. She has a daughter named Roseanne, who is twenty-three years old this year. She is very beautiful and enthusiastic. Her fiancé Jason Blair's family is well-known in society." Mason looked thoughtful. "Why are the gangsters not targeting you but her?"

"They wanted to emphasize that she was vulnerable, especially in the post-engagement period." "Has a wedding date been chosen?" Mason asked. "No official announcement, but they are scheduled to get married in about three weeks." "How did this note get into your hands?" Mason asked. "I know my stepdaughter was in a bad mood that day. She walked in the door with an envelope, her face was as white as paper. That afternoon, she was going to go swimming, but she called Jason to cancel the appointment, saying that she was not healthy. Comfortable. I knew something was wrong. "Rosanna made an excuse and said she was going downtown. My wife was going to live in our downtown house that night. I thought Roseanne was going to see her. Roseanne left early this morning. Mr. Mason, after she left, I went to Go to her room and see this paper under the blotting paper on the desk." "Wait a minute, I didn't catch you," Mason said. "You said she was going downtown, and you thought she was going to see her mother, didn't you?" "Her mom was in town for a charity ball and was at our house downtown all day yesterday. Roseanne and I were by the lake, and her mom is coming to join us tonight, and that's what I'm going to do with you." The reason for the early appointment is that I need to put this note back in place before Roseanne comes back." "Have you told your wife about your criminal record?" Mason asked. "God help me," Bancroft said. "I never mentioned it, I know what I should have said, I have blamed myself for being so cowardly countless times, but I really love Phyllis. I know no matter how much she loves me, she will never marry a A person who has a criminal record and hurts her daughter's social future. Mr. Mason, now you know my secret, and in fact you are the only one who knows." "And whoever sent this letter," Mason said. Bancroft nodded. "Does Roseanne have the money the letter asks for?" Mason said. "Of course there is," Bancroft said. "She has thousands of dollars in her own account, and besides, she can ask me anytime." "Actually, you don't know if she'll do what the letter says, do you?" "I think she's going to follow suit." "The letter was of course just a bait, and blackmailers are usually endless." "I know, I know," Bancroft said. "But after three weeks -- which means after the wedding -- the pressure won't be as great." "She's stress-free," Mason said. "Because the pressure will be transferred to you. Do you think your stepdaughter understands that?" "I think she must know," said Bancroft. "Whoever sent the letter will definitely call her and let her know what the threat is." "Did you stay by the lake yesterday?" "Metti Lake," Bancroft said. "We have a summer house there." "As far as I know, that area is very secluded and the land facing the lake is very expensive." "It's a fact," Bancroft said. "Only the southern end of the lake is cheaper, about 300 yuan per square foot. There is a public bathing beach, and sometimes people cause trouble. There is a small pier over there with yachts for rent. Most of the tourists are decent people, but there are still a few bad elements. Occasionally, we will go out by boat to harass the local residents. Of course, the scope of private property is the lake shoreline at low tide, and we also have the right to refuse outsiders to enter, but because this lake is very suitable for water skiing, sometimes it is inevitable that there will be unpleasant encounters with outsiders thing." "Isn't that the state-run lakeside park?" Mason asked. "No, that's personal." "Why don't the local landowners band together and buy that land?" Mason asked. "Because there's a special rule in the title," Bancroft said. "That piece of land will be passed on to the heirs in the future, but it is currently accepted as a trust, and at the same time it is stipulated that it will be open to the outside world within ten years. In the hands of the rich, the result is that everyone cannot enjoy it." "Then how is this land managed?" Mason asked. "So far, the tourists are quite high-level, and the landlords try to keep those troublemakers out as much as possible, but they are basically open to the public." Mason nodded to the phone. "You know which bank your stepdaughter keeps her money in. Didn't she come to the city? It's past eleven o'clock. You call the bank to find the person in charge of her account and tell him who you are, but Please keep him quiet. Ask him if your stepdaughter took fifteen hundred dollars in ten and twenty dollar bills this morning." Bancroft hesitated for a moment, then called the bank to find the manager.After identifying himself, he said: "I need some very confidential information, as long as I know it, but please don't tell anyone that I called. I want to know if my daughter has withdrawn money this morning... OK, I Wait." Bancroft held the receiver and waited two minutes before saying, "Hello...yes...I understand...thank you very much...no, don't say anything...don't tell anyone I called, just pretend Do it or not." Bancro put down the phone, turned and nodded to Mason. "She took fifteen hundred dollars, all in ten and twenty dollar bills, and ten silver coins in exchange." Mason thought for a while before speaking. "Bancro, I have a suggestion for you, but you may not take it." "What advice?" "The pastor who helped you on the right path, is he still alive?" "It's still alive, and now there is a big church." "Donate a large sum to that church!" said Mason. "When you donate, tell people that the pastor has favored you, that you are self-made, and that you made some mistakes when you were young. In other words, you are pre-emptive, and at the same time show that you are back on your feet and are proud of your past look." Bancroft turned pale and shook his head. "Mr. Mason, that's impossible. My wife won't be able to bear it. Tell her at this time, she will definitely not be able to bear it, and Roseanne will definitely not be able to bear it either." "Then you're ready to pay again and again," Mason said. Bancroft nodded. "I've already been mentally prepared for this." "Unless you're willing to let me do it." "Of course I would," Bancroft said. "That's why I'm here today." "The gangster also has weaknesses. He may have committed other crimes—of course, if you ask the police for help, they will cooperate with you well..." "No, no, no," Bancroft said. "Never call the police! Don't let the police know... At this moment, it's too embarrassing to have such a scandal." "Okay!" Mason said. "But my method will cost some money, and I hope my risky trick can fool the blackmailer." "What scheme? Have you thought of something?" asked Bancroft. Mason said, "Look carefully at this note. It says that the money is to be put in a large coffee can, and then tightly closed, and there are ten silver coins in it. What does that mean?" "I can't figure it out." "I take it as a sign that the gangsters don't want to show up, they probably asked to drop the coffee can in the water and they picked it up again. The weight of the ten silver coins would allow the coffee can to float face-up." "Well, this inference is very reasonable." Bancroft said after thinking for a while. "Don't you guys live by the lake? I guess your stepdaughter does water skiing and swimming a lot?" Bancroft nodded. "Okay," Mason said. "We're going to take a little risk. I'm going to have a professional detective follow your stepdaughter and another guy to go boating or fishing nearby. As soon as your stepdaughter drops a coffee can, this guy picks it up, opens it, and Turn it all over to the police." "What!" Bancroft jumped up. "This is something I can't do, this..." "Wait!" Mason said. "If you think about it again, the letter doesn't say who the money should be given to. The person who finds it can pretend that he doesn't know anything, and just pick it up by accident and hand it to the police. Then the police will make the whole thing public, and the criminals will surely They were very nervous, and at the same time they used their brains to see how to blackmail them. At this time, they became the defensive side, and they couldn’t say that the victim tricked them. At most, they just felt that their luck was bad. As a result, the money was safely in the hands of the police; the gangsters were eager to avoid the wind head." "They're going to fight back," Bancroft said. "They'll spill my secrets..." "Will they let the boiled duck fly away for nothing?" Mason interrupted him. "Impossible." Bancroft considered for a moment. "It's a little risky." "Life is full of adventure," Mason said. "If you want a lawyer who doesn't take any risks, you'll have to hire someone else. In fact, the odds are great for this kind of planned risk." Bancroft sighed. "Okay! Just let go and do it." "That's right," Mason said again. "I have one more thing to ask your permission." "What's up?" "From that note, there should be more than one blackmailer. If possible, I want them to split up." "How to say?" "It's a plan I'm still figuring out," Mason said. "The most troublesome thing about being blackmailed is that the victim is always the one being beaten, and the gangster has the initiative. No matter how much the ransom is, the time, place, and method of payment, etc., you have to obey the other party's orders. You may feel resentful, but You will eventually give in." Bancroft nodded. "There are only four ways to deal with this kind of gangster." Mason said, stretching out his fingers to count them one by one. "The first type, you pay according to the contract, thinking that you can get away with it once and for all. This is like chasing a mirage in the desert, the criminals will never stop. The second type is to call the police, tell the truth to the police, and plan to catch the criminals and transfer them to justice. The police will keep your secret." Bancroft shook his head firmly. "Third," Mason said. "You turn defense into offense, so that the other party can no longer ask for anything from you. It is best to make the other party afraid. If I have to deal with this case and I can't call the police, I will try this method." "Is there no danger?" asked Bancroft. "Certainly dangerous," Mason admitted. "In this case, there is no risk but to sit and wait." "What about the fourth?" Bancroft asked. "The fourth," Mason smiled wryly. "It's just to get rid of the other party. People often do that-sometimes it works very well. Of course, I don't recommend you to use this method." Bancroft thought for a while and said, "Using the third method, it's up to you how to do it. But first we have to pay some money, so we can buy more time." "The only price you pay for is to gain time." "How much do you want?" Bancroft asked. "It started out like a thousand dollars," Mason said. "I want to ask the Paul Derek Detective Agency to help, and send more people to investigate the identity of the criminals. After I find out, I will let them have too much time to take care of themselves, so that they have no time to trouble you and your stepdaughter." "That would be great," Bancroft said. "I knew things weren't going to go that smoothly," Mason said. "Unless you want me to call the police, that's how I deal with it." Bancroft shook his head violently. "I'm too famous to leak out." "What does it matter if it leaks out?" Mason said. "You might as well take the initiative to announce publicly to let everyone know that the prodigal son may turn back." "Not now, not now," Bancroft said. "It will be a bad influence on my stepdaughter, and my wife will never forgive me for the rest of my life." Bancroft took out his checkbook and wrote a check for one thousand dollars. "Think of it as attorney's fees." "To cover initial expenses," Mason said. Mason opened the drawer, took out a small camera, installed a long lens, set it on a tripod, spread the ransom letter on the table, and took three pictures. "That should be enough." He folded the letter and returned it to Bancroft. Bancroft said, "Mason, you have lightened me a great burden." "It hasn't really eased yet," Mason said. "Halfway through, maybe you'll start scolding me." "Absolutely not," Bancroft said. "I know your reputation too well. Although your methods are more daring and extraordinary, they are likely to work." "All I can say is I did my best," Mason said. "Now you have to put the note back where it came from, so your daughter won't find it when she gets the money back." "Yes," said Bancroft. "and then?" "Then I'll leave the matter entirely to you." "Okay," Mason said. "Let's try this method first and see if we can regain some advantage."