This is a good one for fans as it features the biggest battle to date between Perry and D.A.Hamilton Burger. It takes place in and out of the courtroom. It’s their nastiest confrontation yet.
Steffanie Malden is about to inherit a huge estate from her late husband Dr.Summerfield Malden. He was killed while flying his plane which crashed. She’s afraid the IRS will find money the Doc was skimming from cash paid by some patients during office visits.
She asks Perry to check out an apartment where nurse Gladys Floss lives. She suspected an affair between the two and there might be a hundred thousand dollars stashed in a safe there. Perry goes to the apartment and the safe is open. Steffanie is convinced Perry has the money and will split it with her.
Perry tracks the nurse down and she says she won a lot of money playing the ponies. Under suspicion is the Doc’s mechanic who may even be involved with a drug ring. After all the Doc’s office had a lot of narcotics.
Also in the mix is Darwin Kirby the Doc’s best friend. Was it really his body found in the wreckage? A whiskey flask was discovered. The Doc said the drone of the engines made him sleepy so he liked to take a few nips to keep awake. The booze was drugged. Steffanie is charged with murdering the Doc. Perry plays fast and loose and, as usual, his career is in jeopardy.
I don’t want to give anything away. I will say this one contains one of the bigger “Perry Mason” moments.
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