The Case of the Lazy Lover by Erle Stanley Gardner Page A

five. Well, sure enough, this Milford woman was in the first part of the evening and took her car out. I gave it a few finishing touches. I told her I hadn't had a chance to really work on it, but that I would when she brought it back. I managed to get it across to her that it was the night man that did the work."
    "So what?"
    The man grinned and said, "A five. Added to your ten, that makes fifteen bucks for the night. That's something!"
    "And when did she bring the car back?"
    "She hasn't brought it back. Looks like an all night party to me."
    Mason said, "What do you do to keep yourself occupied down here?"
    "What do I do? Gosh, buddy, I have all these cars to dust off, and the windshields have to be washed. I…"
    "And then what do you do when it gets along in the small hours of the morning like this?"
    The garage man grinned and said, "After all, ten bucks is ten bucks. I guess there's no reason you and I shouldn't get along. I pick a car that has nice comfortable cushions and a damn good car radio. I park it out where I can see the entrance in case anybody comes in, and turn on the radio and sit there and listen to whatever all night program is on. Some of them are pretty terrible, but it beats standing around on a cold cement floor and biting your fingernails. Then when you see someone coming in, you jump out of the car, switch off the radio, start scrubbing away at the windshield or polishing a fender. Like I was doing when you came in, buddy."
    Mason said, "Move over, we'll listen to the radio together."
    "What's your racket?" the man asked.
    Mason said, "I'm sort of strong for the Milford girl."
    "Oh, oh! Beg your pardon, buddy – what I said about an all night party. I don't know her at all. I was just shooting off my face."
    "It's okay," Mason said. "What station did you have on?"
    "It's some recordings," the man said. "Not bad. They'll come on with a breakfast program in about an hour and a half."
    "Disc jockey?"
    "Oh, so so. He is pretty crude and amateurish, but he's probably practicing up for daytime stuff. This is a good radio."
    Mason climbed in the car and sat with the night man. The radio warmed up and a record of cowboy music filled their ears.
    "I like this stuff," the garage man said. "Always wanted to be a cowboy – so I turn up washing off windshields at night. Helluva life!"
    "Darned if it isn't," Mason agreed. "Will you have a smoke?"
    "I'm sorry, buddy, but I don't smoke in a car. There's always the chance that the man who owns this particular heap might come walking in and…"
    "Sorry," Mason apologized.
    "Get out and walk around when you want to smoke," the man invited. "And then get back… oh, oh! "
    His hand snaked out, turned off the radio.
    "Out," he said out of the side of his mouth, "quick."
    Mason opened the car on the right and slid out to the cement floor.
    The garage man, with a rag in his hand, was assiduously polishing the fender on the car, as headlights came down the ramp from the street.
    The night man put down the rag on the fender, walked across to the automobile, said, "Okay, I've got it."
    "Hello," Patricia Faxon said, as she jumped out of the car with a quick, lithe motion. "Guess I was out pretty late, wasn't I?"
    The night man merely grinned at her.
    "Do the best you can with the car," she said. "It's streaked up a bit. When can I get it washed?"
    "Not until tomorrow."
    "Well, that's okay. Do the best you can with it. I…"
    She suddenly stiffened at sight of Perry Mason.
    "Hello," the lawyer said.
    "What are you doing here?"
    "I wanted to talk with you."
    "How long have you been here?"
    Mason merely smiled, said, "Let's do our talking in your apartment, Patricia."
    "At this hour?" she asked.
    Mason nodded.
    She regarded him for a long moment with hesitant appraisal; then she led the way to the elevator shaft and pressed the button.
    The elevator was on automatic at this hour of the night, and it responded promptly.
    Mason held the door open for her. She entered the cage.