“It is assumed by courtroom experts who have been following the trial that it will be necessary at some stage of the proceedings for Mason to put his client on the stand, and at that time it is almost certain that she will be forced to change her statement that she was not at the beach city on the night of the murder. Too strong an array of facts and of witnesses have been piled up to enable her to consistently maintain her original position that she did not leave the Monadnock Hotel Apartments where she was living on the night in question.
“However, once having made that concession, the attractive defendant is in a position to go on from there as circumstances may indicate. Inasmuch as these later developments are as much of a surprise to the district attorney as they were to the sheriff, it is obvious that the prosecution finds itself faced with the necessity of anticipating a surprise move on the part of the defense, and since Perry Mason is known as a past master at staging dramatic last-minute surprises, there is no doubt but what the courtroom will be crowded Monday morning when Judge Garey resumes the trial of the case of The People of the State of California vs. Dorothy Fenner.
“While outwardly everything remains serene, there is courthouse gossip to the effect that Claud Gloster, who felt positive he could achieve the triumph of adding Perry Mason’s scalp to his belt, is quite obviously unhappy about the failure of the authorities to make a sufficiently careful search of the premises to reveal the bullet hole in the ridgepole, and there are persistent rumors that a strained feeling has come to exist between the district attorney’s office and that of the sheriff.
“Sheriff Keddie not only insists that his office did not overlook the bullet in-the ridgepole, but demands enlightenment as to how it happened that Perry Mason, who had never been on the premises before, walked into the room, and within a matter of minutes was pointing out a bullet hole which had previously been overlooked by all investigators.
“‘How,’ Sheriff Keddie demanded indignantly, ‘did Perry Mason know it was there?”
“That probably will be the sixty-four-dollar question which Claud Gloster will hurl at Perry Mason in front of the jury Monday morning.
“But those who have been following the astonishing legal career of Perry Mason point out that hurling questions at Perry Mason in front of a jury is apt to be a dangerous pastime.
“In any event, developments since the Friday adjournment have been such as to change the complexion of the case. Deputies in the county offices who can get away are quietly staking out their claims to reserved seats in the courtroom of Judge Garey in anticipation of the Donnybrook Fair which they insist will take place when Court convenes Monday morning at ten o’clock.”
Mason folded the newspaper and grinned at Della Street.
“Chief,” she asked, “how did you know that bullet was up there?”
“I didn’t”
“But, as the reporter points out in the newspaper, you entered the room and within a few minutes discovered a bullet hole which had eluded all the investigatorsl”
“I did for a fact.”
“What were you looking for when you found that bullet hole?”
“The hole made by a bullet”
“How did you know it was there?”
“Where else could it have been? The sheriff had examined all other places.”
“It was assumed that it had gone out through the French doors.”
“It’s dangerous to make such assumptions,” Mason said.
“But how did that bullet get up there?”
Mason grinned, “I’m not sticking my neck out, Della, but you’ll want to be in comt Monday morning. I think I now know what happened.”
“Who won’t?” she asked, laughingly.
“Won’t what?”
“Be in court Monday morning.”
Chapter 22
AS COURT CONVENED ON MONDAY MORNING EVEN STANDING space was at a premium.
As Perry Mason entered the courtroom, Dorothy Fenner tried in vain to catch his eye, then, managing to catch Della Street’s attention, she made a little gesture, a plea for understanding.
Della Street moved over to stand by the defendant as a deputy sheriff moved closer to keep a watchful eye on what was going on.
Mason, preparing for the battle which was to follow, opened his brief case and spread out papers on the polished mahogany counsel table.
“Miss Street, can’t you make him understand?” Dorothy Fenner asked tearfully. “I thought that what I was doing was for the best. I thought I could trap George Alder into making some admission that would help us. I thought I could perhaps get some definite information about Corrine. I don’t think Mr. Mason appreciates … “
Della Street patted .her shoulder reassuringly. “Of course he does, honey. He understands now. But you must understand what it meant to Mr. Mason to have his whole plan of defense suddenly blow up in his face. He … “
“But please speak to him. Please intercede for me. He’s so magnificent, so perfectly marvelous, and … “
Abruptly there was the sound of motion as the entire courtroom rose to its feet and Judge Garey made his entrance from chambers. The bailiff intoned the formula which convened court, and Judge Garey motioned for everyone to be seated.
Della Street leaned close to Dorothy Fenner’s ear to whisper, “I’ll tell him, Dorothy. Good luck.”
Judge Garey cast a somewhat disapproving eye over the morbid crowd of thrill-seekers that had jammed the courtroom to capacity. Then he announced dryly, and in a voice which indicated he had no intention of permitting his courtroom to be turned into a circus side show for the benefit of curious spectators, “Case of People versus Dorothy Fenner. The defendant is in court and the jurors are all present. So stipulated, gentlemen?”
“So stipulated.”
“So stipulated, Your Honor,” Claud Gloster announced, getting to his feet. “I now have a statement which I wish to make to Court and counsel.”
“Very well, go ahead.”
“There have been certain developments in this case,” Gloster said, “with which Your Honor is doubtless familiar, inasmuch as they have been featured in a thoroughly deplorable way in the press.
“In view of the manner in which these developments took place I cannot help but believe that this was a carefully stage-managed procedure on the part of the defense, and I … “
“Your Honor, I object,” Mason said, jumping to his feet. “I demand that the district attorney withdraw that statement and … “
“And I am prepared to meet that challenge,” Claud Gloster shouted. “I am going to prove that this so-called new evidence was planted—by someone.
“It is apparent in the very nature of things that all of this so-called new evidence simply can’t be accounted for on any possible theory of what happened there the night of the shooting.
“And if some of this evidence was planted, then it all could have been. The prosecution is going to abide by its original theory of the case.”
“Well, gentlemen,” Judge Garey said, “as far as the Court is concerned, we can’t predicate a lot of discussion on so-called new evidence which has been disclosed only in the press. If there’s any new evidence to be disclosed, let’s have it.”
“Well, if the Court please,” Gloster said, “circumstances have developed which are going to make it necessary’ to make certain corrections in the testimony given by witnesses for the prosecution. It is not a question of inaccuracies, merely a question of certain corrections.”