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〃Go ahead；〃 Mason said； 〃tell me what it is。〃
〃You'll probably laugh and think my imagination is working overtime。 There's probably no way on earth it can be connected with anything but…Well； here's what happened。〃
She told him about Bannock； the papers； about the man who had called on her； his description and a general but somewhat vague description of the automobile in which he had driven away。 〃A model about two to four years old； I would guess。 I think it was an Oldsmobile；〃 she said。 〃The first figure of the license number was a zero。 I tried to get it but he drove away very fast。〃
〃Where was he parked？〃 Mason asked。 〃Could you see the parking place from which he drove his car？ That might tell us how long he'd been waiting。 I presume parking places right in front of your apartment house are hard to find。〃
〃I'll say they are！〃 she exclaimed。 〃But this man didn't have any trouble。 He parked right in front of the fireplug。〃
〃Then he hadn't been there very long；〃 Mason said。 〃That means he must have followed you home rather than been there waiting。 I would think the police would check that fireplug space rather often。〃
〃They do！ I had a friend who parked just long enough to leave a parcel； yet she got a parking ticket。 It wasn't over a minute。〃
〃You think the first number on the license plate was a zero？〃 Mason asked。
〃Yes； I'm quite certain of that； and I think the last number was a two； but I'm not at all certain of that。〃
〃You're in Bakersfield now？〃 Mason asked。
〃Yes。 I went out to Mr。 Bannock's brother's place to check with him and found that someone had been out there； gone through all the files。〃
〃What do you mean by 'going through them'？〃 Mason asked。
She described the files。
Mason's voice became crisp with authority。
〃Now； this is important； Virginia。 You say the files were all cut open？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Every single bundle？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃And their contents spread out？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃No single bundle was intact？〃
〃No。〃
〃You're sure of that？〃
〃Why； yes。 Why is it important； Mr。 Mason？〃
〃Because；〃 Mason said； 〃it indicates a strong probability that the person who is searching didn't find what he was looking for。
〃In other words； if you're looking for a particular paper and you're in a hurry； you cut open bundle after bundle of papers until you find the one you want； then you shove it in your pocket and get away from there fast。 That would leave some bundles that hadn't been cut open。
〃But if； on the other hand； all of the bundles are cut open； it's a pretty good indication that the person didn't find what he was looking for。〃
〃I never thought of that；〃 she said。
〃You're going back to Julian Bannock's？〃
〃Yes； I'm taking some cardboard cartons and am going back and I'll try to make some semblance of order out of those files。〃
〃All right；〃 Mason said； 〃by the time you get back there； we'll find out something about your man who is interested in the files。 。 。 。 Now； tell me； Virginia； what about wills？〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃When Bannock would prepare a will it would usually be executed there in the office？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Who would be the subscribing witnesses？〃
〃Oh； I see what you mean。 He would usually sign as one of the subscribing witnesses and I would sign as the other witness。〃
〃And you had a classification of various wills？ In other words； you had a file number designating wills that you had executed in the office？〃
〃Oh； yes； I see what you mean now。 Files numbered five thousand to six thousand were wills。〃
〃All right；〃 Mason said； 〃when you go back take a look at the five to six thousand 'will' file。 See how intact it is。 Tie that file up and bring it here just as fast as you can make it。〃
〃Why that file in particular？〃 she asked。
Mason said； 〃Bannock has been dead for a few years。 Most of the agreements and things that he had drawn would no longer be important； but if some relative wanted to find out what was in a certain will…〃
〃I get you；〃 she interrupted excitedly。 〃Why didn't I think of that。 Of course； that's what it is。〃
〃Don't jump to conclusions；〃 Mason warned。 〃This is just a thought； but I think we'd better take precautions。〃
〃I'm going right back；〃 she promised； 〃and I'll keep that file of wills with me。 I'll leave the other papers for a later trip。〃
Mason said； 〃If anything else happens that is in any way out of the ordinary； give me a ring。 In the meantime； I'm going to find out something about this visitor of yours。〃
Virginia promised to report anything new that happened； hung up the telephone； went to a supermarket； secured two cartons and then returned to Julian Bannock's place。
She found Bannock apprehensive。
〃What's the matter？〃 she asked。 〃Did something else happen about those files？〃
〃You hadn't been gone five minutes；〃 he said； 〃when a fellow showed up here who fitted the description you had given me of the man you thought was here。 He was in his late forties or early fifties； had a mustache and eyes that were so dark you couldn't see any expression in them。 It was like looking at a pair of black； polished stones。〃
〃That was the man all right；〃 she said。 〃What did he want？〃
〃Said his name was Smith； and he asked about my brother's files。〃
〃What did you do？〃
〃I told him that we weren't letting people look at those files。 He said it was important and I told him that he could sit right here and wait； that my brother's secretary was going to be here in an hour or so and that he could wait for her。〃
〃What happened？〃
〃That gave him a jolt…knowing that you were ing here。 He said he couldn't wait。〃
〃Were you able to get his license number？〃 she asked eagerly。
〃No； I wasn't；〃 Julian said； 〃because he'd plastered mud all over it。 There's a place up here where irrigating water sometimes runs over the road and there was quite a puddle up there that he'd gone through； but it wasn't mud that would cover a license number。 I think he'd got out and deliberately plastered mud on the license。〃
〃Well；〃 Virginia said； 〃I'm going to get at those files； tie them up again and I think I'd better take some of them with me； if you have no objection。〃
〃Take them all if you want；〃 he said。 〃I can't be here all the time and if there's anything important in those papers； people could sneak in while I'm out in the fields someplace and get hold of them。〃
She asked； 〃Have you ever heard of Perry Mason； the attorney？〃
〃I'll say I have。 I've read a lot about him。〃
〃Well；〃 Virginia said； 〃he's my lawyer。 He's advising me； and I'm going to get in touch with him and do exactly as he says。
〃I was going to clean up all these files and put them in boxes； but I don't have time now。 I'm just grabbing this file with these numbers…let's look around and see if there are any more of these files here that have numbers between five thousand and six thousand。〃
Virginia scooped up a number of filing jackets that were all together and had numbers between five and six thousand。 Then she and Julian made a hasty search for any other papers numbered within those brackets。
〃They seem to have been all together in that bunch；〃 Julian said。
〃All right；〃 Virginia told him。 〃Now； I'm going t