“Why not?”
“Well, for one thing,” Della Street said, “suppose Hamilton Burger should manipulate things so that the preliminary hearing comes up in front of Judge Erwood. You know how Judge Erwood feels; his temper, his ideas about the administration of justice, and the way he feels about the duties of attorneys as officers of the court. He’d really be laying for you this time.”
“It’s a challenge,” Mason said, “and Dawn Manning is a very beautiful woman.”
Della Street said, “Chief, let me make a prediction. If the grapevine from the jail shows that you went up to see her, Hamilton Burger will manipulate things so that the preliminary hearing will come up before Judge Erwood. I’ll bet you ten to one on it.”
Mason thought that over and said, “No takers, Della. I think you’re right. I think that’s exactly what he’ll do. It’s what I would do if I were in Hamilton Burger’s position.”
“Well,” Della Street said, “Judge Erwood will— He’ll... he’ll throw everything at you, including the kitchen sink.”
“I’m good at dodging,” Mason said. “If anybody wants me for the next hour, I’ll be up talking with Dawn Manning, and I rather think we’ll take her case, Della.”
Chapter Fourteen
Mason sat in the visitor’s room and looked across through the thick, glass panel at Dawn Manning.
The heavy sheet of plate glass kept them separated, but a microphone on each side enabled them to hear each other.
She surveyed him with cool, slate-gray eyes and said, “Well, you certainly sold me down the river!”
“I did?” Mason asked.
“You don’t need to apologize,” she said. “When you represent a client, you go all out for that client. You were representing George Ansley then, and you could get him off by tossing me to the wolves. The question is, how good a job you and that wonderful husband of mine have done in framing me.”
“Did you call me up here to berate me for what happened?” Mason asked.
“I did not. I want you to be my lawyer.”
“Well?” Mason asked.
“And I haven’t a lot to pay on a fee. But I do feel that you owe me some consideration.”
Mason said, “The fee won’t be the most important thing. The most important thing is whether you told me the truth when you talked with me.”
“I told you the truth. Well, anyway, most of it.”
“You knew that Frank hadn’t secured a divorce?”
“I had just found it out.”
“You knew that Loretta was his girl friend?”
“I knew that he was playing around with a Loretta Harper, but I didn’t know her from Eve. I didn’t know her when I saw her.”
“But you had modeled for Meridith Borden?”
“Of course. I told you about that. I had, however, never modeled for him in the nude, and I don’t know where those pictures came from. I wasn’t in the house that night. I didn’t like Meridith Borden. He... well, I told you he wanted to use me as bait for some sort of a badger game, or to get the goods on some official. I don’t go for that sort of thing. I walked out.”
“Was there a scene?”
“There was one hell of a scene. I slapped his dirty face.”
“Can the district attorney prove that?”
“Of course he can. Meridith Borden tried to— Well, there was a scene.”
“Others were present?”
“Yes.”
“Did you threaten to kill him?”
“I said I’d shoot him like a dog... Oh, I suppose I’m in one hell of a position!”
“Did you kill him?”
“No. I told you the truth. I walked out of the grounds as soon as I knew where I was.”
“Then how did it happen he took your pictures in the nude?”
“He didn’t.”
“The camera says he did, and cameras don’t lie.”
“I can’t explain those pictures, Mr. Mason, but I wasn’t there.”
“You do pose in the nude?”
“For photographers I know and for what are known as ‘art’ nudes, yes. I’ve posed thousands of times for calendar pictures, both in color and in black and white.”
“Did you have a gun?” Mason asked.
“I never had a gun.”
“Never carried one?”
“No, of course not.”
Mason said, “You get into situations at times where you probably need some protection.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’re out with photographers in the wilds, being photographed in skimpy bathing suits, and—”
“And you don’t try to conceal a .38-caliber revolver in the folds of a Bikini bathing suit, Mr. Mason,” she interrupted. “A model learns to take care of herself. You do it one way or another, but you don’t carry guns.”
Mason said, “Okay, Dawn, I’m your attorney.”
Chapter Fifteen
Judge Erwood looked down at the jammed courtroom, said acidly, “The People of the State of California versus Dawn Ferney, also known as Dawn Manning. This is the time fixed for the preliminary hearing.”
“We’re ready, Your Honor,” Hamilton Burger said.
Judge Erwood said, “Does the Court understand that Mr. Mason is representing this defendant?”
“That is quite right, Your Honor,” Mason said.
Judge Erwood said, “The last time you were in this court, Mr. Mason, you were presenting evidence which pointed the finger of suspicion very strongly at this defendant.”
“That evidence will now be presented by the district attorney,” Mason said, smiling, “and I will be permitted to cross-examine the witnesses.”
Judge Erwood hesitated a moment, as though casting about in his mind for some ground on which he could administer a rebuke, then he said, “Proceed, Mr. District Attorney.”
Hamilton Burger delegated the preliminaries to his associate counsel, Sam Drew, who once more introduced evidence as to the location of the premises, the finding of the body, the location and identification of the fatal bullet, the firing of test bullets through the gun which had been recovered from Ansley’s car, and the identification of the fatal bullet with the test bullet. Now the pictures of Dawn Manning which had been found in Borden’s studio were introduced by the prosecution as a telling point in its case.
“My next witness will be Harvey Dennison,” Hamilton Burger said.
Harvey Dennison came forward, was sworn and once again told the story of the missing gun.
“Any cross-examination?” Judge Erwood asked Mason.
“Yes, Your Honor.”
Mason arose and stood by the edge of the counsel table, looking at Harvey Dennison with steady eyes. “Mr. Dennison, I take it you have consulted the records of the store in order to get the information on which your testimony is based?”
“Yes, sir.”
“The defendant was working for you during the period when the gun was found to be missing?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You can’t tell the date when the gun was taken?”
“No, sir.”
“As I understand your testimony, your records show that the gun was ordered and received from the wholesaler on a certain date, that, at a later date, perhaps some months later, you took an inventory and found that the gun was not in your stock.”
“That’s right.”
“How many employees did you have in your store?”
“You mean as salesclerks?”
“No, I mean your total employees.”