The other nodded.
The two officers helped themselves to chairs, and one said, “We want to ask a few questions.”
“Very well,” Mason said, “go ahead.”
“Is your name Diana Douglas?” one of the officers asked Stella Grimes.
“Now, just a minute,” Mason said. “Let’s do this thing in an orderly manner. Why do you come here?”
“We don’t have to tell you that.”
“No, but you have to tell the young woman that. Do you suspect her of a crime?”
“We’re acting on telegraphed instructions from the San Francisco police. We’re trying to get some information. We want to ask some questions, that’s all.”
“Do you suspect this young woman of any crime?”
“We don’t know. We haven’t the faintest idea.”
“You’re acting for the San Francisco police?”
“Yes.”
“Do the San Francisco police suspect her of any crime?”
“We’re not mind readers. We don’t know.”
“Then,” Mason said, “since you’re acting for and on behalf of the San Francisco police, and since you don’t know whether the San Francisco police suspect her of any crime, before she answers any questions you had better advise her as to her constitutional rights.”
“As if she didn’t know them,” the officer said.
Mason smiled. “Tell that to the Supreme Court.”
“All right, all right,” the officer said. “We want you to answer a few questions, Miss. We’re not making any specific charges. We’re not here to take you into custody, but we do want to ask you some questions.
“You are entitled to remain silent if you wish. You don’t have to make any statement. You are entitled to have an attorney represent you at all times. If you don’t have money enough to secure an attorney, we will secure one to act on your behalf. However, we want it understood that anything you do say may be used against you. Now then, do you wish an attorney?”
Stella started to say something when Mason motioned her to silence. “She’s got one,” he said.
“You’re representing her?”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing here — Miss Douglas, is it?”
“She’s here on business,” Mason said.
“What sort of business?”
“Personal business.”
“Miss Douglas, were you aware that a relatively large sum of cash was being kept in the vault at the Escobar Import and Export Company where you work in San Francisco?”
“No comment,” Mason said.
“Now, wait a minute,” the officer said. “You’re injecting yourself into this thing and you’re just making it worse for this young lady. All we’re trying to do is to elicit information.”
“Why?”
“Because San Francisco wants that information.”
“I take it there’s a crime involved?”
“We’re not sure. San Francisco isn’t sure.”
“I think, under the circumstances, my client doesn’t care to answer any questions until the situation is clarified,” Mason said.
“You’re forcing us to report to San Francisco that there’s every likelihood that your client is guilty of a substantial embezzlement.”
“Indeed!” Mason said. “How much of an embezzlement?”
“The audit hasn’t been completed,” the officer said, “but it’s a substantial amount — over twenty thousand dollars.”
“How much?” Mason exclaimed, surprise showing in his voice.
“You heard me, over twenty grand.”
“That’s a lot of money to embezzle from one company,” Mason said.
“There have been embezzlements involving larger sums,” the officer said.
“Then there has been a crime committed in San Francisco?”
“If you’re referring to the embezzlement, it looks that way.”
“And San Francisco suspects my client of embezzling the money?”
“I haven’t said that — yet.”
“But you want to ask questions about it?”
“Listen, Mason, you’re making things rather difficult and you’re getting mighty hard to get along with. All we want to do is to ask your client some questions about how the cash is kept in that company, about who has the authority to draw out cash, and, generally, things about the bookkeeping end of it. For your information, that company seems to keep perfectly huge sums of liquid cash available, and we’d like to know why.
“We’d also like to know how many people have the combination to the vault and how it is possible for a company to run up a shortage of that sort without somebody checking it earlier.”
“It’s been going on for a long time?” Mason asked.
“We don’t know,” the officer said. “That’s what we’re trying to find out. We’re simply trying to get information.”
“But you think my client may have embezzled that money?” Mason asked.
“Not exactly,” the officer said. “I’ll put it this way. We won’t say that we’ve uncovered any evidence which makes it appear that it’s a physical impossibility for her to have been guilty of embezzlement, but, on the other hand, we haven’t uncovered any evidence which points to her — as yet.”
“Except in a circumstantial way,” the other officer said.
“Well, yes,” the spokesman conceded.
Mason smiled and said, “That makes it very plain, gentlemen. My client is entitled to the advice of counsel.”
“That’s right. We told her that. There’s no question about that.”
“And, as her counsel,” Mason said, “I advise her to say absolutely nothing.”
“You won’t even let her talk about the methods of bookkeeping, about the business background of the company?”
“Not a word,” Mason said. “Not even to admit her identity.”
The two officers looked at each other in frustration and disgust.
“That may not be a very smart thing to do,” the spokesman said to Mason.
“Perhaps so,” Mason conceded. “I’m not infallible. I make mistakes every so often... How did San Francisco know enough about the situation to send you two hot-footing to the hotel here?”
The officer grinned. “On the advice of counsel, I decline to answer, Mr. Mason.”
The lawyer was grave. “You’re absolutely entitled to adopt that position. It’s a constitutional privilege. You don’t need to say a word.”
The officers got up, looked belligerently at Stella Grimes.
The spokesman said, “Okay, sister, it’s up to you, but let me tell you, you’re not being very smart. When we walked in we just wanted information.”
“What do you want now?” Mason asked.
“At least twenty grand,” the officer said, and then made a parting shot at the lawyer. “Remember it won’t do you any good to collect a fee out of embezzled money. It can be traced and impounded... I guess that’s all.”
“See you later,” Mason said.
“In court,” the officer promised, and walked out.
Mason motioned for silence, said to Stella Grimes in a low voice, “Be careful what you say. They sometimes wait just outside the door.”
They were silent for more than a minute; then Mason tiptoed to the door, abruptly jerked it open, and looked up and down the hall.
When he saw there was no one there, the lawyer closed the door and said, “Well, that’s a kettle of fish.”
“Twenty thousand dollars,” Stella Grimes said.
Mason shook his head. “I don’t get it,” he said, “but I’m on my way to the airport. I’ll take the baggage out of my room which has Diana’s stuff in it and be on my way. I’m catching that six-twenty-seven flight to San Francisco.”
“You’re going to see Diana at the airport?”