“Yes, sir.”
“That was in a conversation?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What else was said in that conversation?”
“Your Honor, I object to that,” Gulling said. “It is a blanket question — it calls for everything.”
“Exactly,” Mason said.
“Overruled.”
“Answer the question, Mrs. Reedley.”
Helen Reedley chose her words carefully, trying desperately to betray as few of the facts as possible. “I don’t remember the entire conversation. We had several conversations on the subject. But at the time when I gave Mr. Hines permission to occupy my apartment—”
“And if the court please,” Gulling interrupted, “it’s only that one conversation that we are interested in. Any earlier conversations or negotiations looking toward the giving of that permission must be brought out elsewhere. On cross-examination, all that may be brought out is what was said at that one conversation.”
“That is correct so far as the present ruling of the Court is concerned,” Judge Lindale said.
“Well, at that one conversation,” Helen Reedley said, “I told Mr. Hines he could occupy my apartment. I gave him a key to it, and we arranged that he would relay any telephone calls to me. In other words, if any telephone calls from my friends were received at that apartment, they would be relayed to Mr. Hines, who would in turn pass them on to me.”
“Anything else you can think of?” Mason asked.
“Not at that conversation,” she said. “No.”
“Any conversation about getting two women to occupy the apartment?”
“It was understood that Mr. Hines was to get someone to occupy the apartment.”
“To take your place?”
“Not exactly.”
“To use your name?”
“Well, yes.”
Mason said, “I’ll show you an advertisement that was published in a theatrical paper, and ask you if you consulted Mr. Hines about inserting it.”
“In that particular conversation,” Gulling amended.
“That’s right — in that particular conversation.”
“No, that was done by Mr. Hines without consulting me,” Helen Reedley said.
“Did you, at that conversation, have some understanding with Mr. Hines as to the type of woman who was to occupy your apartment? Specifically, that she was to be a brunette with certain definite physical characteristics?”
“Well... ”
“Yes or no?” Mason asked.
“Yes.”
“What were the specifications?”
“I gave him my measurements — height, weight, waist measure, and so forth.”
“Why?”
“Objected to as incompetent, irrelevant, immaterial, and not proper cross-examination,” Gulling said.
Judge Lindale was now plainly interested. He was leaning forward in his chair looking at the witness. “Do I understand,” he asked, “that you authorized Mr. Hines to use your apartment, that you gave him a key to your apartment, and that in addition it was arranged that he was to get a woman of your exact description to take your name and occupy your apartment?”
“Not at the conversation, if the Court please,” Gulling said. “It was the result of several conversations.”
“The court wants an answer to that one question,” Judge Lindale said. He sounded irritated.
“That was the general understanding,” Helen Reedley admitted.
“And Mr. Mason has asked this witness why that understanding was reached?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Mason said.
“And that is what is objected to, if the Court please,” Gulling said; “because it was an understanding reached in prior conversations and did not have anything to do with this one conversation at which permission was given to occupy the apartment. If the Court please, the loophole through which the defense attorney has squirmed to bring out this matter on cross-examination is exceedingly small — an opening based on a technicality only. I feel that the opening should not be enlarged.”
“Well,” Judge Lindale said, “I think that Counsel is perhaps right — technically right. But at some stage of the proceedings the Court wants to find out why this impersonation was permitted.”
“Not an impersonation, Your Honor,” Gulling said.
“Well, what was it?” Judge Lindale said.
“It was merely a subletting of the apartment.”
“Humph!” Lindale snapped. “To a woman who had the physical appearance of the witness and who was to assume her name?”
“Well, yes, Your Honor.”
“If that isn’t an impersonation, I don’t know one when I see it,” Judge Lindale said. “However, the Court will limit the cross-examination to matters that were covered on direct examination. Proceed with your questions, Mr. Mason.”
“Now,” Mason said, “you have stated that you did not see Robert Dover Hines on the third, the day of the murder.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you certain of that?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Where were you at twelve-thirty o’clock in the afternoon on that day?”
“I... I was at lunch.”
“Alone?”
“Objected to as incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial and not proper cross-examination,” Gulling said.
Judge Lindale sighed. “Well, technically I suppose the objection may be well taken — unless it should appear that the witness lunched with the decedent Hines; and I take it, Mr. Mason, there is no contention that such was the case?”
“None, Your Honor. I merely want to follow the movements of the witness from lunch until the time of the murder. I believe that this is a sufficiently narrow field to be reasonable cross-examination of a witness who has stated she did not see the decedent on that day.”
“What was the time of the murder?”
“I believe the prosecution fixes it at two o’clock.”
“At between one-fifty-five and two-fifteen, Your Honor.”
“Very well,” said Judge Lindale. “That is a period of twenty minutes during which it is claimed that the murder was committed. I believe that an examination of this witness as to her whereabouts from twelve-thirty on is permissible in view of the fact that she has stated she did not see the decedent during the entire day of the third.”
“You finished lunch at approximately one-thirty?” Mason asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“And where did you go?”
She looked helplessly at Gulling.
“Incompetent, irrelevant, immaterial,” Gulling said mechanically. “Not proper cross-examination.”
“Overruled.”
“I... I went to... to a certain restaurant.”
“You had already had lunch,” Mason said. “You went to this restaurant for the purpose of seeing someone?”
“Well, yes.”
“And that person was Robert Hines?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see him?”
“No.”
“Did you talk with him on the telephone?”
“Earlier in the day I had talked with him on the telephone.”
“After one-thirty did you talk with him on the phone?”
“No.”
“Did you try to?”
“Yes.”
“You called him at a number he had given you?”
“Yes.”
“The number of a telephone in an apartment in the Siglet Manor Apartments — another apartment, that is?”
“I believe it is — yes.”
“An apartment rented by Carlotta Tipton?”
“I–I believe so, yes.”
“Had you ever met Carlotta Tipton?”
“Not to speak to. I had seen her once or twice. I think I had ridden up in the elevator with her.”
“By the elevator, you mean the elevator of the Siglet Manor Apartments?”