Living at the Mason household was like living at a doctors. You never knew when the phone would ring and there was an emergency. Perry and Della had just laid down in bed when the phone rang. It was the answering service. Eric Reed the man that they had used for a photographer at Sally's party had been arrested for murder.

Perry got right up and headed to the too familiar police station to see what had happened to make the police think that Eric had killed a man. He did not know Eric very well, but he had been highly recommended by a friend of his and his work had been excellent.

As Perry came into the interrogation room he saw Eric sitting at the desk. He looked tired, and confused. Perry Mason took a seat and asked him to tell him everything.

Eric had never been inside a police station and was very nervous. He told Mr. Mason about the loan that he had given his brother in law and how he had needed a little more money and that he had gone to his brother in laws new restaurant to give it to him. He had not seen or heard anyone as he came, and he had found Brian lying behind the counter. Foolishly he had picked up the gun, and that was when the police came.

Perry thought for a few moments and told him not to say anything at all to the police unless he was in the room with him. "There will be a bail hearing in the morning and I will be there. Don't worry" he told him.

'Don'g worry' Eric thought to himself as he was led to a cell where he would be spending the night.

Nancy had returned home to work to find her husband gone. When the phone had rung, her heart died. Her brother, the troubled brother who was finally going to try and make an adult of himself, was murdered and her husband was charged with the murder. He had told her not to worry that he had called Perry Mason, and that Mr. Mason would meet them at the courthouse in the morning.

It was after midnight when Della heard the sound of Perry's car pulling into the driveway. She had not been able to sleep and knew that they had a lot of work ahead of them. She had already done everything that she could do to prepare for court. It was now time for Perry to do his job.

As Perry came into the kitchen Della was there with a passionate kiss and a strong cup of coffee. He was tired and wanted to go to bed, but he had to get ready for court in the morning. He held his wife for several long moments and then took the coffee with a smile.

The two of them started to go into the study when a knock came on the door. It was their friend Paul Drake. Della had called him and he had been over at the crime scene looking to see what he could find out.

Della and Perry went with him to the study where they could discuss everything that had happened that night. The study was on the other side of the house, and Sally would be less apt to be woken up if they talked in there.

As Perry took a seat behind his large oak desk, he saw that Della had been very busy. She had called Paul and filled out all of the necessary papers for court in the morning. He looked up at Paul and asked him if he heard anything while he was out at the beach.

Paul had taken a seat in front of his two friends and took out his trusty notebook. "They did find one person who had been out walking their dog around the time of the murder. Her name is Geraldine Mockler. She said that she heard two people arguing. She did not see anything, but it was two men. Also the gun belonged to Brian. He had just bought it a few weeks ago. Right now I have some men looking into Brian and what he was up to before he went to his sister and brother in law to borrow the money."

"Good Paul, thanks for the information." Perry told him.

"I think that this could be a tough case." Paul told him.

The next morning Sally came down to the breakfast table in high spirits. She was the breath of fresh air that the Mason household needed that morning. Jen the nanny was making bacon and eggs and smiled at her as she came in. Perry and Della had been up most of the night working on the new murder case and were glad to have breakfast ready for them.

This morning Jen was going to be taking Sally to school, because of court and as they said their good-byes Della felt a moment of loneliness. 'How Sally has affected me. Now for Perry Jr. she thought as she put her hand on her now large and protruding belly.

As the three friends met at the courthouse they saw Eric's wife Nancy. She looked as if she had not slept much the night before either. Della put her arm around the lady and told her not to worry. "We will find out who the real murderer is and get justice for your brother and your husband."

It was all that Nancy could do not to start crying again. She had spent the entire night crying, but she smiled at Della and walked up the stairs to the courtroom. Nancy looked around at the cold feeling courtroom. It was a large room with large windows on either side of the benches were the witnesses and defendant would sit. She saw the man who was going to be prosecuting her husband talking to Mr. Mason. They seemed cordial enough.

Nancy had heard of Hamilton Burger. He was tough and had a good track record on finding people guilty. But, when he was in court with Mr. Mason he usually lost and she hoped that this would be the case with Eric. As she stood up to see the judge enter the room, it was all she could do to stand still and not throw up.

The court lasted a short time, just over a half an hour and Eric Reed was granted bail, but Nancy would need to come up with one hundred thousand dollars, and she did not know where to go to find it.

Perry Mason smiled at her, and told her "Go to the bank I am sure that they will give you the bail money if you use your home as collateral."

Nancy went to the bank and with some promises and her mother putting up twenty thousand dollars Eric was a free man on bail.