The Case of the Grinning Gorilla

Helen Cadmus was dead –But how had it happened?

Suicide, most people said. She jumped off that millionaire’s yacht in a fit of despair, her body was never found, and the case was closed.

The story was too neat to suit Perry Mason. It didn’t add up. Somebody was concealing the truth about Helen’s death, and how was going to uncover it even if it killed him.

That’s how Mason fell into a trap set by three killers-two from humans and one grinning gorilla!

There was nothing modest about Helen Cadmus,” said Mrs. Josephine Kempton in answer to Perry Mason’s question. “She was very, very proud of her figure. She liked to be photographed and she liked to look at herself in the mirror.”

“Nude?”

“Not nude. She loved to take two or three squares of material and knot them so they’d make a bathing suit. Of course it wouldn’t have stood any swimming.”

“Do you feel she didn’t commit suicide?”

“I just absolutely know Helen didn’t commit suicide.”

“Well, let’s suppose,” Mason said, “that her death wasn’t suicide and let’s suppose it wasn’t accidental.”

Josephine Kempton looked at him steadily. “That leaves murder.”