«Then go on and state that you have recently become convinced that your relatives are actuated by selfish interests and that, therefore, you leave your sister, Dianne, a hundred thousand dollars; that you leave your sister, Maxine, one hundred thousand dollars; that you leave your brother-in-law, Boring Briggs, ten thousand dollars; that you leave your brother-in-law, Gordon Kelvin, ten thousand dollars; that you leave your faithful and devoted chauffeur, George Eagan, who has been loyal to you throughout the years, all of the rest, residue and remainder of your estate.»

Virginia Baxter said, «But I don't see what good that is going to do.»

«Then,» her visitor went on firmly, «you make another will which purports to have been executed just a few weeks before the date of Mr. Bannock's death. In that will you state that you leave Maxine and Gordon Kelvin one thousand dollars apiece; that you leave Boring Briggs and his wife, Dianne, one thousand dollars apiece, being satisfied that these people are actuated purely by selfish interests and have no real affection for you, and you leave all the rest, residue and remainder of the estate to your faithful and devoted chauffeur, George Eagan.»

She started to say something, but he held up his hand and stopped her.

«We will plant those copies of the spurious wills in with Mr. Bannock's papers.

«I can assure you that they will be discovered by persons who are trying to find out in advance the terms of Lauretta Trent's will.

«These two documents will show that some years ago she began to doubt the sincerity of her sisters and particularly her brothers-in-law; that more recently she uncovered proof that they were simply trying to get what they could get their hands on and were actuated by purely selfish motives.»

«But, don't you understand,» she said, «that neither of these wills would be any good at all if-Well, I always signed and witnessed wills that were executed in the office. Mr. Bannock signed, and I signed.

«If they should call me and ask me if I signed this will as a witness, I would have to tell them that this will was completely spurious; that I prepared it only recently and-«

He interrupted her, smiling. «Why don't you just leave all that to me, Mrs. Baxter?» he asked. «Just pick up the five hundred dollars and start typing.»

«I'm afraid I'd be too nervous to do anything while you were here. I'd have to work out the terms of the wills and then you could come back later.»

He shook his head firmly. «I want to take these documents with me,» he said, «and I haven't very much time.»

Virginia Baxter hesitated, then remembering Mason's instructions, went to the drawer of the desk, picked out some of the old legal paper bearing Delano Bannock's imprint, put in new carbon paper, racheted the paper into the typewriter and started typing.

Thirty minutes later when she had finished, her visitor pocketed the carbon copies of the two documents, said, «Now, destroy those originals, Virginia. In fact, I'll destroy them right now.»

He picked up all the originals and copies, folded them and put them in his pocket.

He walked to the door, paused to nod to Virginia Baxter. «You're a good girl,» he said.

She watched him until he had entered the elevator; then she slammed the door, raced for the telephone, called Mason's office and hurriedly reported what had happened.

«Do you have any copies?» Mason asked.

«Only the carbon paper,» she said. «He was smart enough to take the originals as well as the copies, but I followed your suggestion and put in a fresh sheet of carbon paper with each page and he didn't notice what I was doing. You see, I prepared all the pages with the carbon paper inserts in advance, putting out a half a dozen pages on my desk at one time and taking a fresh sheet of carbon paper from the box for each page. So I have a set of carbons, and by holding them up to the light, it's easy to read what was written.»

«All right,» Mason said, «bring those carbon copies up to my office just as fast as you can get here.»

Virginia sat across the desk from Mason, who carefully examined the pages of carbon.

He turned to Della Street. «Della,» he said, «take some cardboard the size of these pages of carbon paper so the carbon paper won't get folded or wrinkled, put these in an envelope and seal the envelope.»

When Della had done this, Mason said to Virginia, «Now, write your name several times across the seal.»

«What's that for?»

«To show that it hasn't been steamed open or tampered with.»

Mason watched her while she wrote her name.

«Now then,» he said, «don't bother with your car because you won't be able to find a parking place and time is running against you.

«Take a taxicab. Rush this envelope to the post office, address it to yourself and send it by registered mail.»

«Then what?» she asked.

«Now, listen very carefully,» Mason said. «When this envelope is delivered to you by registered mail, don't open it. Leave it sealed just as it is.»

«Oh, I see,» she said, «you want to be able to show the date that I-«

«Exactly,» Mason said.

She picked up the envelope, started for the door.

«How are you fixed for provisions in your apartment?» Mason asked.

«Why, I… I have butter, bread, canned goods and some meat…»

«Enough to last you for twenty-four hours if necessary?»

«Yes, indeed!»

Mason said, «Mail that letter, go back to your apartment, stay there, keep the safety chain on the door. Don't admit anyone. If anyone calls to see you, tell him that you're entertaining a visitor and can't be disturbed. Then get his name and telephone me.»

«Why?» she asked. «Do you think I'm in.. in any danger?»

«I don't know,» Mason said. «All I know is that there's a possibility. Someone tried to frame you and discredit you. I don't want that to happen again.»

«Neither do I,» she said vehemently.

«All right,» Mason told her, «on your way to the post office. Then go back to your apartment and stay there.»

When she had left, Della Street looked at Mason with raised eyebrows. «Why should she be in any danger?»

Mason said, «Figure it out for yourself. A will is made. There are two subscribing witnesses. One of them is dead. An attempt was made to put the other in a position where her testimony would have been discredited. Now, a new plan is in operation.»

«But those spurious wills; they can't mean anything.»

«How do you know?» Mason asked. «Suppose two more people die, then what happens?»

«What two people?» she asked.

«Lauretta Trent and Virginia Baxter. Perhaps a fire destroys the home of Lauretta Trent. Presumably the will has been destroyed in the conflagration.

«People look for the carbon copies of the wills prepared by Bannock to establish the contents of the burnt will. They find two wills. The effect of those wills is to indicate that Lauretta Trent was suspicious of her relatives and the people who surrounded her.

«Now then, Delano Bannock is dead. Suppose Virginia Baxter should also die.»

Della Street blinked her eyes rapidly. «Good heavens… are you going to notify the police?»

«Not yet,» Mason said, «but probably within a matter of hours. However, there are a lot of factors involved, and an attorney can't go around making accusations of this sort unless he has something more definite on which to base them.»

«But it won't take much more?» Della Street asked.

«It will take very little more,» Mason said.