“No — there were just the two of them. But that’s one thing about Helen Reedley, she wouldn’t lie for anybody; she wouldn’t even shade the truth. If her husband ever got on the witness stand and repeated that conversation, Helen wouldn’t deny it — she isn’t built that way. You can bank on that: Helen won’t lie!”
Mason was silent for a moment. Then he said, “You were on duty at the bank when Hines showed up and talked with you?”
Clovis nodded.
“That was the day of the murder?”
“That’s right.”
“You saw Helen Reedley that same day?”
“Yes, she was in the cafeteria where I usually eat lunch.”
“What time?”
“Twelve-thirty.”
“You knew she’d be there?”
“Well, I... ”
“You’ve seen her there before?”
“Yes.”
“Sat at the same table with her?”
“Well, naturally.”
“You told her about Hines?”
“Yes.”
“And then what happened?”
“Why, we ate lunch — that’s all.”
“Did she say anything to lead you to believe she was at all concerned over the conversation you’d had with Hines?”
“Not exactly. She said she knew him slightly.”
“And what time did you leave her?”
“Well, it was about — oh, I’d say a little after one-thirty.”
“A little after one-thirty?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you said you had lunch at twelve-thirty?”
“I did.”
“Do you have more than an hour for lunch?”
“Well, I... I wasn’t feeling well that afternoon and took the rest of the day off. I had one of my headaches — eyestrain.”
“Now then,” Mason said, “tell me the truth, because I can verify it by checking up on your record at the bank. How many days have you missed work in the last six months because of those headaches?”
Clovis hesitated.
“Come on,” Mason said, “let’s be frank. How many days?”
“The afternoon of the third — and today.”
“You’ve had a hundred-percent record at the bank up until the day Hines was murdered?”
“Why keep referring to it as the day the man was murdered? It was the third of this month!”
“All right, we’ll call it the third. Where did Helen Reedley go when she left the cafeteria on the third?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you try to follow her?”
“Mr. Mason, I’ve been patient with you and answered a lot of questions about matters that are really none of your business, if I may say so. Now I am going to ask you and your companion to leave. Really — I’m too nervous to answer any further questions.”
“Then I am to assume that you did try to follow her?”
“Mr. Mason, will you please leave this apartment?”
Mason nodded to Paul Drake. “I guess that’s as good as we want,” he said. The two men walked across to the door. Just before Mason stepped out into the corridor, he turned and shot a rapid-fire question at Arthur Clovis. “Did you follow her all the way to the Siglet Manor Apartments?”
In dignified silence, Clovis walked over and closed the door behind them.
“Well,” Mason said out in the corridor, “that’s that!”
“What do you make of it, Perry?”
“Darned if I know,” Mason said. “He’s trying to cover for her, for something. He knows something that has him worried sick — Lord knows what it is. He’s no weak sister, but he’s certainly a nonbelligerent! A high-voltage girl like Helen Reedley would fall for the big, dynamic type, and then on the rebound — as her mother instinct came to the fore — she’d fall for some clean-cut young chap who is sensitive, shy, and retiring, but has a nice clean mind and a healthy imagination.”
“Meaning Arthur Clovis?”
“Arthur Clovis comes pretty close to answering that description.”
“So what do we do?” Drake asked.
“We go back and wait for something to break. We’ve stretched several wires almost to the breaking point. What I want right now is to have something crack that will give Gulling a jolt. He’s going to get me before the Grand Jury. I want to have this preliminary hearing slap him in the face with a surprise before he gets me there.”
Chapter 17
In those tense few moments before the arrival of the judge on the bench, the whispered comments of the spectators sounded like a continual hissing. What came as considerable surprise to the initiate was the fact that Harry Gulling was present personally at this preliminary hearing, representing the district attorney’s office and thus advertising to those who knew their way around the courthouse that this was indeed the “grudge fight” it had been called in the papers.
Perry Mason looked up as a deputy sheriff brought in Adelle Winters and Eva Martell. The lawyer rose, shook hands with the two defendants, and saw that they were seated beside him.
“I’m so sorry about that taxicab,” Eva Martell whispered. “I thought I would drive by the apartment that Cora and I shared, and if the police weren’t watching it... It was foolish — I don’t know why I did it.”
“That’s all right,” Mason said. “That’s all water under the bridge now.”
“They’ve been trying to get a statement out of me. Not so much about the crime itself as about where I stayed that night. Whether you had anything to do with getting me... ”
“I know,” Mason whispered. “Let’s not bother about it. Excuse me for a moment — there’s Paul Drake. I have to see him.” He got up and beckoned to Drake, who had just entered the courtroom.
As the detective joined him, Mason said, “Paul, stand close to me. I’m going to slip you something. I don’t want anyone to see it.”
“What?”
Mason didn’t answer him directly, but said, “This is something I’ve been hoping for but hardly dared believe might happen: Harry Gulling is going to handle the case for the prosecution himself!”
“Isn’t that rather unusual?”
“Damn near unique!” Mason replied. “As you know, he’s the shrewd legal mind that guides the policy of the district attorney’s office, but I never thought he’d be much good before a jury — his mind is too mathematical and detached, and he hasn’t enough understanding of human nature. Now, listen, Pauclass="underline" I want to have witnesses to the contents of this wallet. It’s my own, and I want an inventory of it made. In it are some money, some letters, my driving license, and a few other papers. I want Gulling to find it in the men’s room.”
“Going to be rather difficult,” Drake said.
“No, it isn’t. You can have a man in there ready to plant it. Then have another man out in the corridor who can give a signal when Gulling heads that way. I want it left where it will be readily seen, but where it isn’t too conspicuous.”
“Okay,” Drake said. “I’ll give it a whirl.”
Mason moved closer and slipped the wallet into Drake’s hand. “Make sure Gulling gets it, and—”
They were interrupted by the banging of a gavel and a clerk ordering everyone to stand.
Judge Homer C. Lindale entered the courtroom, took his place at the bench, and nodded the spectators to their chairs. A moment later he called the case of The People vs Adelle Winters and Eva Martell.
“Ready for the prosecution,” Gulling said.
“Ready for the defense,” Mason announced.
“Proceed,” Judge Lindale said to Gulling.
“Your Honor is familiar with the crime charged?”
“I have read the complaint. It is a case of first-degree murder, I believe.”
“Yes, Your Honor. The defendants are charged jointly and are both represented by Mr. Mason.”