"Don't tell me you touched thatgun," Mason said.
"I did worse than that," Warren said. "When I arrived at the warehouseI found a door open. I walked in. At first I didn't see anyone. I saw this gunon the table and I picked it up. I hadn't armed myself before going there, butI felt that it would be a good plan to disarm my adversary So I put the gun inmy pocket." "Then what?"
"Then I walked around behind abox of canned goods and saw Gideon lying there on the floor and at that momentsirens seemed to explode all over the place. Naturally I thought it was thepolice. Actually it was the fire department. I lost my head, turned and ran,and tried to conceal myself in the warehouse. They found me."
Mason said, "Damn it, Warren, quit lying to me! You're not thatsimple."
"I'm telling you thefacts."
"No, you're not," Masonsaid. "You're telling me the story. You thought Loma had killed him,didn't you?"
"I… I've told you whathappened."
"No, you haven't. There wassomething there that made you think Loma had killed him. What was it?"
Warren hesitated, then said, "I saw Lorna'scar as I turned down Clovina Avenue."
"Did she see you?"
"No."
"How far was that from thescene of the crime?"
"Five or six blocks."
"Anything else?" Masonasked.
"One of Lorna's gloves was onthe floor, right by the table."
"Which one, left orright?"
"I don't know."
"How do you know it wasLorna's?"
"It was a very unusual shadefor suede."
"And what did you do with it?"Mason asked.
"I picked it up, picked up thegun, shoved the gun in my pocket and flushed the glove down the toilet. It wasthen I heard the sirens. I was cut off. There was no escape. My car was parkedin the alley. He had told me to come to the side door of the alley and go inthe back part of the storeroom."
"You going to tell your storyand disclose Gideon's connection with your wife?" Mason asked.
"I am not. I am going to keeptight-lipped."
"What did you do with thegun?"
"I'm a big clumsy boob, MrMason. I had it in my pocket."
"You mean you kept it toprotect your wife. You wanted to take the rap for her. Is it your gun?"
"Yes. I bought it. It'sregistered in my name."
Mason said, "All right. Don'ttell anybody anything. Tell them that you are innocent of the murder, that youwill tell the whole story when you are on the witness stand and not before.Don't give anyone so much as the time of day."
"What about Lorna? What willshe say?"
"You leave Lorna to me,"Mason said. "This is one hell of a murder case. They've got you boxed in.If they can find out anything about Lorna, they'll use that for motivation.What about Judson Olney, can you count on him to keep quiet?"
"I don't know, I hope so."
"I sure as hell hope so,"Mason said. "But if the police start sweating him he'll crack and the fatwill be in the fire."
Chapter 15
Mason didn't spare the time to gethis car out of the parking lot. He hailed a taxicab, jumped in and said,"Get me to 2420 Bridamoore just as fast as you can make it."
"Hang on," the driversaid. "I'll get you there fast."
"All right," Mason toldhim. "It's an emergency. There's a twenty-dollar tip for scaring me halfto death."
The driver grinned, concentrated ontraffic, whipping his car through every opening, racing for the signals.
As they turned into Bridamoore,Mason heaved a sigh of relief as he saw Della Street's car parked in front of the building butno police cars.
The lawyer tossed the taxi driver atwenty and a ten, said, "Keep the change. It was worth it. Thanks,"and dashed for the house.
"Want me to wait?" thedriver asked.
Mason waved his hand in a gesture ofdismissal, tried the front door. It was open. The lawyer walked in."Hello, Della!" he called. "This way Chief," he heardDella's voice saying. Mason ran through the reception hall, across theliving-room into a den.
Della Street was seated, with a tearful Lorna Warrenregarding her hopelessly.
"Look," Mason said."Look and listen. We haven't much time. Now, get this straight. Yourhusband has been arrested for the murder of Collister Gideon. They may not beable to make a case if he doesn't say anything and you don't say anything.They're going to have to prove motivation. Now, you're going to have to tell afib. You're going to have to tell the officers that your husband asked you notto talk about anything, that it was absurd to think that he would be chargedwith murder, and that your best course was that of dignified silence.
"If the officers can ever provethat you knew Gideon, or ever worked with him, they'll have a motivation and -"
"Don't I have to answerquestions?"
"You can't testify against yourhusband," Mason said. "Tell them, that after they turn your husbandloose you'll talk, but that while your husband is in custody you're not goingto tell them one word."
"To think," she saidtearfully "that I thought this Gideon was such a gentleman … Mr Mason,the man turned out to be a monster … At one time he had me completelyhypnotized. I thought he was one of the most wonderful men in the world, one ofthe most wonderful thinkers, a shrewd businessman, a gentleman, an idealist, a- "
"Save it," Mason said, asthe doorbell rang. "That'll be Lieutenant Tragg. Remember now, if theyever get any suspicion of the truth, they'll prove motivation. I don't wantthat to happen. If they ask to take your fingerprints, tell them you'll do itwith my consent. Now, tell me, was he dead when you were there, or alive?"
"He was alive and terriblyobnoxious."
"Did you take him forty-seventhousand dollars?"
"I took him five thousanddollars, which was all I could raise at the time."
"Did you take custody of theforty-seven thousand or – Hold it, hold it!" Mason said. "Here'sTragg now."
Tragg said, "The front door wasunlocked so I came on in. Well hello, everybody How are you, Mason? I ratherexpected to find you here. Rather fast work. I take it this is MrsWarren?"
"That's right," Masonsaid. "This is Mrs Horace Warren. And for your information, Lieutenant, aslong as her husband is in custody she doesn't have a word to say toofficers."
"Why not?"
"Because," Mason said,"you wouldn't be interested in anything that was in favour of thedefendant and under the law she can't testify to anything against him."
"Tut-tut-tut," Tragg said."That's quite a technicality. You know as well as I do, Mason, that we'rejust investigating the crime at this stage of the proceedings. If she can tellus anything in her husband's favour, we'll not only believe it but we'll act onit."
"She doesn't know athing," Mason said
"Well," Tragg said,"we could question her here and excuse you and Della Street, or we can take her to the districtattorney's office."
"You can't take her anywherewithout a warrant," Mason said, "and you can't force me toleave."
Tragg's eyes narrowed. "Onewould almost think that she knows something," he said.
"She knows how foolish you areto be trying to work up a case against her husband," Mason said. "Ihave just told her that her husband was arrested and charged with murder."
"Oh, leave it to you,"Tragg said. "You'd tell her all right. You must have broken all speed lawsgetting here. We moved right along. I just had to have a few words with HoraceWarren alter you left him, to see if he was going to make any statements, and Ihad some chores to do at the scene of the crime.
"It would be a lot better forboth Mr and Mrs Warren if they'd make a frank statement. I'm free to tell you,Mason, that as a veteran homicide investigator, they don't impress me as beingthe type that would be mixed up with murder… Tell me, Mrs Warren, have youbeen in the vicinity of Clovina and Hendersell Streets today?"
"She's making no comment,"Mason said. "Mrs Warren, I instruct you to say 'no comment' to anyquestion that Lieutenant Tragg may ask you."