The judge arose from his chair, flashed Perry Mason a curiously speculative gaze, then walked into chambers.
Perry Mason looked at his watch and frowned.
"Go over to the window, Frank," he said to Frank Everly, "and see if you can notice any unusual activity on the part of the newsboys at the corner."
The clerk walked to the window of the courtroom, looked down on the street.
Perry Mason, ignoring the concentrated gaze of the curious spectators, slumped down in his chair and bowed his head in thought. His strong, capable fingers made little drumming motions on the arm of the chair.
Frank Everly turned from the window, came running back toward the counsel table.
"There's a lot of excitement down there," he said. "There's been a truck distributing papers. It looks like an extra. The boys are calling them."
Perry Mason looked at the clock and smiled.
"Go on down and pick up a couple of the newspapers," he said.
He turned his head and nodded to Bessie Forbes.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Forbes," he said, "that you've had such an ordeal, but I don't think it will be long now."
She looked at him with puzzled eyes.
"Frankly," she said, "the talk that I overheard this noon was that the case was going very badly against me."
The deputy sheriff who had her in charge moved slightly forward in order to be at her side. Claude Drumm, who had been smoking a cigarette in the corridor, came stalking back into the courtroom, his importance entirely reestablished in his own mind. He strode with welltailored efficiency, a dignified superiority toward the criminal attorney who must needs make his living from the trial of cases, rather than bask in the dignity of a monthly salary check, issued with the clocklike regularity with which government officials expend the money of taxpayers.
Frank Everly came bursting into the courtroom with two newspapers, his eyes wide, his lips sagging open.
"They've found the bodies!" he shouted, and rushed toward Perry Mason.
Perry Mason picked up one of the newspapers and held it so that the startled eyes of Claude Drumm could see the headlines.
"Millionaire's Mansion is Murder Farm," screamed in glaring headlines across the entire front of the page. Lower, and in slightly smaller type, appeared the words: "Bodies of Cartright and wife discovered under floor of Forbes' garage."
Claude Drumm sat bolt erect, stared with bulging eyes. A bailiff rushed into the courtroom carrying a newspaper, and went on a half run into the judge's chambers. A spectator entered the courtroom with an open newspaper, babbling excitedly. Within a matter of seconds, he was the center of a circle that listened with bated breath.
Claude Drumm abruptly reached forward.
"May I see that newspaper?" he snapped.
"Delighted," said Perry Mason, and handed him the second newspaper.
Thelma Benton walked swiftly over to Claude Drumm.
"I've got to see you a moment," she said.
Perry Mason glanced through the account in the newspaper, passed it over to Frank Everly.
"Go ahead and read it, Frank," he said. "Looks like The Chronicle had a scoop."
"But why didn't the officers know about it?"
"They probably used friendly deputies and kept it sewed up until they could get a paper on the street. If it had hit the general office at headquarters, every newspaper in the city would have been onto it."
Perry Mason looked at the clock, then arose, stretched, yawned, and sauntered into the chambers of Judge Markham.
The judge sat at his table reading the newspaper account, with eyes that held an expression of puzzled bewilderment.
"I don't like to bother you, Judge," said Perry Mason, "but I notice that the time allotted for the recess is up. I am very anxious to conclude my examination of this witness prior to the evening adjournment. In fact, I think that it may well be possible that we can get the case disposed of today."
Judge Markham looked up at Perry Mason, his eyes glinting shrewdly.
"I am wondering," he said, "as to the purpose…" His voice trailed into silence.
"Yes?" said Perry Mason.
"Yes," said Judge Markham dryly.
"Just what were you wondering, Judge?" said Perry Mason.
Judge Markham frowned.
"I don't know as I should discuss it," he said, "but I am wondering at the peculiar nature of the request you made that you be allowed to complete your crossexamination of the witness today."
Perry Mason shrugged his shoulders and said nothing.
"Either," Judge Markham said, "you are the most remarkably lucky man practicing at the bar, or else the most shrewdly adroit; I can't tell which."
Perry Mason did not answer the question directly, but said instead, "I have always figured that a lawsuit was like an iceberg — only a fraction of it was visible to the naked eye, the balance of it is beneath the surface."
Judge Markham got to his feet.
"Well, Counselor," he said, "be that as it may, you are entitled to go on with the case."
Perry Mason walked back to the courtroom. Almost immediately Judge Markham entered from his chambers. The bailiff pounded frantically for order, and pounded for several seconds before his admonitions were heeded. The courtroom was in a seething uproar of buzzing conversation, excited comments, scurrying motion.
Order, at length, was restored. The jurors took their seats. Perry Mason slumped in his chair, apparently utterly unmoved by the startling events of the last few minutes.
"Thelma Benton was on the stand for further crossexamination," said Judge Markham.
Claude Drumm got to his feet.
"Your Honor," he said, "a most startling and unexpected development has taken place. In view of the circumstances, I know that Your Honor will not require me to mention the nature of that development, at least in the presence of the jury. But I feel that as an officer of the state, as a deputy prosecutor who is familiar with the facts of this case, my presence is urgently required elsewhere, and I request an adjournment of this case until tomorrow morning."
Judge Markham looked over his glasses at Perry Mason.
"Any objections, Counselor?" he asked.
"Yes," said Perry Mason, getting to his feet. "The rights of the defendant demand that the crossexamination of this witness be concluded at this session of the court. I mentioned this matter before I started the crossexamination, and that was the specific understanding which I had with counsel."
"That is correct," said Judge Markham. "The request for a continuance will be denied."
"But," shouted Claude Drumm, "Your Honor must understand…"
"That will do, Counselor," said Judge Markham. "The motion for a continuance has been denied. Proceed, Mr. Mason."
Perry Mason looked at Thelma Benton for a moment with a long, steady stare of accusation.
She lowered her eyes and fidgeted on the witness stand. Her face was as white as the wall in back of her.
"Now," said Perry Mason slowly, "as I understand your testimony, Paula Cartright left the residence on Milpas Drive in a taxicab on the morning of October 17th."
"That is correct," she said.
"You saw her leave?"
"Yes," she said in a low voice.
"Do I understand," said Perry Mason, raising his voice, "that you saw Paula Cartright alive on the morning of October 17th of this year?"
The witness bit her lip, hesitated.
"Let the records show," said Perry Mason urbanely, "that the witness hesitates."
Claude Drumm jumped to his feet.
"That," he said, "is manifestly unfair, and I object to the question, as argumentative; as already asked and answered; as not being proper crossexamination."
"The objection is overruled," said Judge Markham. "The record will show that the witness hesitates appreciably in answering."
Thelma Benton looked up. Her eyes were dark with panic.