The Case of the Worried Waitress: A Perry Mason Mystery

The Case of the Worried Waitress, by Erle Stanley Gardner The 'Foreword' is dedicated to Marshall Houts, who gave up a lucrative law practice to become an investigator for the Court of Last Resort. Houts investigated several murder cases in which innocent men had been wrongfully convicted, and brought about a satisfactory conclusion. Houts created 'Trauma', a publication that deals with the field of legal medicine. Forensic medicine applies to many cases, from accidents to the more publicized murders. Perry Mason and Della Street have lunch at a restaurant, and are served by a new waitress Katherine Ellis. The next morning Kit Ellis visits Mason for a consultation about her Aunt Sophia. Kit's parents were killed in an automobile accident, she was left penniless, and moved in with Aunt Sophia (who met a divorced man, and turned over her money to him). After he died of heat stroke, his first wife took everything (their divorce wasn't final). Perry Mason said this could be a partnership, and Sophia could claim half of the property. Kit says Aunt Sophia has a hatbox filled with cash, and she is afraid of burglars. Perry advises her to move out for her own safety. Soon Perry gets a phone call from Kit Ellis; she is being accused of theft by a Stuart Baxley. Baxley hired a private detective to get fingerprints from the hatbox. Paul Drake said this is difficult. But Perry Mason knows that Macdonell Associates of Corning NY have invented a method to do this with magnetic dust (Chapter 4). They learn that Aunt Sophia Atwood is in the hospital, someone hit her on the head with a five-cell flashlight. Kit Ellis had gone back to the house by taxi at night to retrieve her shoes and clothing. Lt. Tragg arrests Kit Ellis at Perry's office (Chapter 9). Mason and Paul Drake visit another person who knows Sophia Atwood (Chapter 10). Perry bait a trap with a seemingly missing will (Chapter 11). Does golf get blamed for things that are the result of human carelessness, stupidity , and foolishness (Chapter 12)? Perry assigns an investigation to Paul Drake: put a female operative at the Gillco Company who can pose as a blind woman (Chapter 14). The Preliminary Hearing begins with Stuart Baxley. Perry destroys his credibility in his cross-examination. The judge expresses doubt as well (Chapter 15). Then Stuart Baxley changes his story again! In Chapter 16 Perry thinks of a theory that can explain the strange events at that house. Perry and Paul find a cache of money, and are found out by Lt. Tragg (Chapter 17). In Chapter 18 Perry brings in a surprise witness who reveals shocking secrets! Lt. Tragg admits fingerprints on the flashlight do not match Perry's client, and do match fingerprints on the water cooler, but are from an unknown person. Perry later hands Lt. Tragg some fingerprints to analyze. Kit Ellis is freed to rejoin her Aunt Sophia (Chapter 19). [This has one of the happiest endings in this series.] One point is how medicine has advanced so what could

We all know how brilliant Perry Mason is, and in 'Worried Waitress' he shows it off like never before. This time, he's up against impossible odds [not to mention Hamilton Burger] in a case that is virtually nailed shut. The mystery whirls through multiple case-changing revelations until it reaches the final court-room scene, in which Mason throws out an ace like you've never seen. This one is a fitting end to the 80+ series starring Perry Mason, and it's got to be read to be believed.