The Case of the Runaway Corpse

Della tells Perry there are two women to see him: a young woman in her late 20s (Mrs. Myrna Davenport), and an older woman in her 50s (Mrs. Sara Ansel). Its about a murder case. Myrna's husband wrote a letter accusing his wife of planning to kill him! Also, of poisoning a niece Hortense Paxton who stood to inherit the bulk of an estate. Myrna has a garden and dangerous pest chemicals. Now her husband Ed has become sick. They want Perry Mason to get that letter. Perry explains the legalities in doing this. Perry will act to safeguard Myrna's property rights. Later Perry gets a call from Sara Ansel; Ed is dead so Perry must go to his office. Mabel Norge, Ed Davenport's secretary, shows up and calls the police. Perry explains his duty as Myrna's attorney to Mabel and the Deputy Sheriff. After they leave, Perry gets a call from Myrna Davenport: Ed wasn't dead, and now he went away. This "corpse" has runaway! This seems like a double-cross to Perry. Before meeting Myrna and Sara, Perry tells Della how to find out if they are being shadowed. A man is sitting and reading a newspaper at 3 AM. Ed got sick while driving, and stopped at a town for a doctor. Ed took a turn for the worse and died. The doctor called the sheriff, coroner, and district attorney because of this suspicious death. Paul Drake wakes Perry with a telephone call. Myrna has been arrested for two murders; the body of Hortense Paxton was disinterred and arsenic was found, and they're looking for Ed (who is found in a shallow grave). The District Attorney calls Perry to ask him a question (Chapter 6). Perry learns that the witness who saw a man in pajamas leave by a window gave a false name and disappeared (Chapter 8)! District Attorney Talbert Vandling plays by the rules. Perry warns Myrna against a friendly inmate or talking on the telephone (Chapter 9). Perry learns more about the Paradise Motor Court (Chapter 10). Chapter 11 explains how rigor mortis can provide an estimate of time of death. The questioning of Sara Ansel brings out her testimony about the events. Perry's questioning of Dr. Renault brings out the inconsistency of previous nausea in the morning and stomach contents showing a meal of bacon and eggs! There is a conflict between the doctor who witnessed Ed's death and the doctor who performed the autopsy. This chapter with the preliminary hearing has the most pages. Perry discusses the interesting facts in the case (Chapter 12). How could anyone know Ed would get sick in Crampton? What does the prepared grave say? Perry and Della search the area to find tracks of a car and trailer. Who was the one person who knew Ed Davenport would leave Fresno that morning? After meeting a witness, the preliminary hearing continues (Chapter 14). A witness is recalled, and the testimony puts a surprising end to the case against Perry's client Myrna. Chapter 15 ties up the loose strings. When a dead man is seen walking away then one or more witnesses must be mistaken or lying. Was a murder