“Not yet. The matter has been taken under advisement by Judge Lankershim.”
“Taking a matter of bail under advisement?” Mason asked incredulously.
“Well, the Judge intimated that he would consider a bail of 25,000 in case he was called upon for an immediate decision. He wished to confer with the district attorney’s office and intimated that he would make a sharp reduction in the amount of bail in the event he felt that it would be safe to do so. He says he will take the matter up at four o’clock this afternoon, immediately at the close of a late calendar he’s calling.”
Mason glanced at his watch.
Jackson said, “I went to the Las Alisas jail and discussed the matter with this young woman. She knows you only by reputation and has never even seen you. She wants to get the best attorney available but, as is quite usually the case with persons who demand the best, her financial resources are limited.
“However, in view of the fact that I had been definitely advised we would take the case I did not discuss the matter of emolument with her at any length, but merely made an attempt to ascertain her financial background.
“Apparently she has a small amount of money. She is an expert typist,-stenographer, and secretary, and is employed at a fair salary. She has some eight or nine thousand dollars which is left from an insurance policy her mother took out in her favor. She is quite a yachting enthusiast and owns a small yacht which wouldn’t sell for very much. She has sailed on several yachts, knows the yachting crowd, and apparently is rather popular with them. Her own yacht is a relatively small affair which she picked up at…”
“Never mind that,” Mason said. “What about the case?”
“She insists that she did not steal any jewelry. She fails to account for the presence of the bath towel, bathing cap and a rubber sack at the scene of the crime. Apparently she is not. able to furnish an alibi. She was aboard her yacht at the time of the burglary. She tells a very peculiar story about someone getting aboard her yacht during her absence and stealing something which belonged to her. She intimates, without making a direct accusation, that Mr. Alder knows about this. She says further that when she can get in touch with some mysterious man, whose name she either can’t or won’t divulge, that she expects to be able to prove some rather serious charge against Mr. Alder, but I cannot ascertain the exact nature of that charge. Strangely enough she says this mysterious man is a lawyer. She feels certain he would help her out but she either doesn’t know his name or claims she doesn’t. She has, of course, heard a lot about you and insists she needs the best lawyer available. She is personally acquainted with George S. Alder and seems to be very much afraid of him.
“I wish to state frankly that I am not favorably impressed with this young woman. She acts guilty to me. However, following instructions I told her you would represent her. She wants to talk with you personally. I am afraid I did not create an especially favorable impression, and I must confess that any personal lack of confidence was mutual. Her story is far from being straightforward.”
“Is she to be in court at four o’clock this afternoon?”
“Judge Lankershim said nothing about her being there. He asked that a representative of this office and of the district attorney’s office gather with him to discuss the matter.”
“Who’s handling the case for the D. A.?”
“Vincent Colton.”
Mason glanced at Della Street. “What appearance does she make, Jackson? Good-looking?”
Jackson deliberated a moment, blinked reflectively, and said, “I believe she is, Mr. Mason,” as though the thought had just struck him.
“Think she’d make a good impression on a jury?”
Again Jackson digested that thought with slow, blinking appraisal.
“I believe she could.”
“And Vincent Colton wanted a continuance in the matter?”
“He intimated there might be some clarification of the position of the district attorney by late this afternoon.”
“But you don’t think this young woman had any direct lead to our office? It was simply a matter of…”
“Of wanting the best She’d heard a great deal about you and—well, at least she was willing to make a stab at it. Of course her idea of a fee is probably in nowise commensurate with the work involved. I didn’t discuss that phase of the matter.”
Mason glanced at his watch, said, “Okay, I’ll run along. I'll be seeing you folks later. Della, you might wait for a ring from me before you go home.”
She nodded.
“Thanks, Jackson,” Mason said.
“In such matters,” Jackson said, with stiff formality, “I have at times a feeling of utter inadequacy. It is particularly embarrassing, when one is thoroughly conversant with every phase of the law, to have a layman adopt a position of—well, frankly, Mr. Mason, of doubt”
“It certainly is,” Mason said. “Okay, I’ll take over now, Jackson. Just forget about it”
Jackson’s sigh of relief was plainly audible. “Come to think of it, Mr. Mason,” he said, “now that you’ve mentioned the matter, she really is what you might call attractive. Sort of a blonde, with a very good complexion and…”
“Good figure?” Della asked mischievously.
“Oh, heavens, I wouldn’t know about that,” Jackson said. “In fact, it is with some effort I am recalling the color of her eyes and hair, but the general impression, the overall impression which would be made on a jury would, I should say, be favorable, distinctly so.”
Mason said, “Well, I’ll take over. Here’s something you can start working on, Jackson. As I understand the law, any increase to property due to accretion and caused by the elements belongs to the landowner.”
“Yes, sir. There are dozens of decisions…”
“But when it’s an accretion caused by a governmental activity such as building a breakwater or dredging a channel, the accretion becomes government property. In which event it might be subject to location by a citizen.”
Jackson made furrows in his forehead. “Well now, let’s see. That’s rather a fine distinction. I’m afraid, Mr. Mason… No, by Georgel Wait a minute … You’re right! The leading case is City of Los Angeles versus Anderson, in the 206th California. That case I believe dealt with land formed adjacent to a government breakwater. I can’t be certain it would apply to some other governmental activity such as dredging. Yet the principle would seem to be the same.”
“Look it up,” Mason said. “I want a leg to stand on. Make it as strong as you can.”
“Yes, sir, and am I to understand that you’ll take over on this bail matter? It would be extremely annoying if …”
“I’m taking over,” Mason said. “You just concentrate on the problem of accretion due to governmental activity.”
Mason grabbed his hat, drove to the Las Alisas sheriffs office, secured a pass and telephoned the matron. “I want to see Dorothy Fenner,” he said. “This is Perry Mason.”
“Oh, Mr. Jackson from your office was here this morning. He talked with her.”
“He did, did he?” Mason said. “Well, I’ll talk with her myself.”
“All right. I’ll bring her down to the visitors’ room. She … she’s been crying.”
“That’s fine,” Mason said. “Ill try and cheer hfer up a bit.”
“I think she’s feeling rather depressed.”
“Okay,” Mason said, “I'll meet you in the visitors’ room.”
The lawyer went up in the elevator, presented his pass and waited until the matron brought a swollen-eyed Dorothy Fenner into the room, a room with a long table, through the middle of which ran a heavy screen dividing the room into two separate rooms.
The matron said, “Come on over here, dearie. Here’s Mr. Mason. He wants to talk with you.”