“If the Court please,” Mason said, “I am going to ask the Court to take a recess until four o’clock this afternoon. At that time I will either proceed to put on a defense or I will submit the case without a defense.”
“Why do you ask for this delay, Mr. Mason? Surely you must be aware, as a veteran trial attorney, that the evidence is so overwhelmingly against your client that there is absolutely no possible showing that the defense could make which would justify the Court making an order releasing the defendant.
“This is not a hearing where it is necessary to prove the defendant guilty beyond all reasonable doubt. It is only a hearing for the purpose of determining whether a crime has been committed and if so, if there is reasonable ground to believe that the defendant committed the crime. Those conditions certainly have abundantly been met.”
Hamilton Burger, not to be denied an opportunity to make a few remarks, was on his feet. “Furthermore, if the Court please,” he said, “I feel that two murders have been committed rather than one. I feel that this defendant should be shown no consideration. We have here a very revolting situation of a young woman who has betrayed a position of trust and confidence to loot the company which employed her. Then she had the temerity to try to cover her defalcations by ingratiating herself with the principal stockholder of the corporation which employed her. Failing in that, she resorted to murder in order to cover her tracks. We know of one murder she has committed and I think the Court will realize from the evidence that the probabilities are two murders have already been committed.”
“The defendant is in custody,” Mason said. “She isn’t going to commit any murders while she’s in jail. I feel that I am entitled to an hour and a half to work on a theory of the case which I have and which I will state to the Court may well result in clarifying certain issues which need to be clarified. I can give the Court my professional assurance that I have reason to believe that I can uncover evidence of the greatest importance in the next hour and a half.”
“Under those circumstances,” Judge Elmer said, “and being well acquainted with Counsel’s reputation, the Court is inclined to take his assurance.”
“I’m also well acquainted with Counsel’s reputation,” Burger shouted. “It’s a reputation for trickery.”
“For ingenuity,” Judge Elmer corrected. “An ingenuity coupled with integrity. There are times when his ingenuity may be exasperating to the prosecutor’s office, but as far as this Court can observe, the integrity of Counsel has never been questioned. The Court is going to grant the motion. The Court will recess until four o’clock. The defendant is remanded to custody.”
Mason beckoned to Della Street and Paul Drake, barged rapidly over to where Lt. Tragg was sitting. “Lieutenant Tragg,” he said, “may I see you for a moment on a matter of considerable urgency?”
Tragg hesitated a moment, then said, “Well, why not?”
“This way,” Mason said.
The lawyer led the way to the elevator. The four of them hurried into the cage well ahead of the vanguard of spectators.
“Run it all the way down,” Mason told the elevator operator, “right to the ground floor quick. It’s a matter of emergency.”
“Hey, wait a minute,” Tragg said. “What’s happening here?”
Mason said, “We’re going to have to do something before anyone realizes what we’re doing.”
“Now wait a minute,” Tragg protested. “I’m not on your side, Mason. I’m on the—”
“Do you or do you not want to enforce the law and protect the citizens of this community?” Mason asked.
Tragg grinned at him. “No need of making a speech. I’m for motherhood and against sin. I’ll ride along with you, Perry, but I’m warning you I’ll lower the boom on you.”
“Lower away,” Mason said.
The elevator stopped at the ground floor. Mason headed towards the door, stretching his long legs so that Paul Drake was hard put to keep up, while the short legged Lt. Tragg and Della Street were almost trotting.
The lawyer led the way to where the cars were parked.
“You’ve got a police car here, Lieutenant?” Mason asked.
Tragg nodded.
“Let’s use it,” Mason said. “You do the driving. Use the red light and a siren.”
“I can’t do that except on a major emergency,” Tragg said.
“This is a major emergency,” Mason told him. “You’re going to get evidence that will be determinative if you get there before it is destroyed.”
“You mean evidence that will clear your client?” Tragg asked dubiously.
“Evidence that will conclusively point to the murderer, whoever that murderer may be,” Mason said. “I’ll give you my word on that, Tragg. I’ve never lied to you yet.”
Tragg said, “Okay, come on. This is irregular but I’m doing it.”
They climbed into Tragg’s car. Tragg started the motor and after they reached the street, turned on the red light and siren. “Where to?” he asked.
“1536 Rentner Road,” Mason said. “The Tulane Apartments. We want Apartment 348.”
“What’s there?” Tragg asked.
“Evidence,” Mason said.
Tragg said, “Okay, I’ve stuck my neck out this far, I’m going to ride along with you, Perry. But this is going to have to be good.”
Mason said, “It will be good.”
Tragg’s siren cleared the way across intersections. The police lieutenant, having reached a decision, went all the way and barreled through red lights and boulevard stops, avoiding the congested freeway in order to make time on the streets which were not so filled with traffic.
When the police car was within half a dozen blocks of the Tulane Apartments Mason said, “Better stop the siren, Tragg. We don’t want to unduly alarm anyone.”
Tragg kicked off the siren and glided the last block and a half up to the curb.
Mason had the door open almost before the car was stopped and dashed into the apartment house. They piled into the automatic elevator. Mason pushed the button for the third floor. The cage rattled slowly upwards, Mason manifesting his impatience.
They hurried down the hallway to Apartment 348. Mason knocked on the door.
A few moments later the door opened to the limit of a safety chain. A woman’s voice said, “Who is it?”
Mason said, “Police. This is Lieutenant Tragg of Homicide. We want to come in and question you.”
“You can’t come in,” she said.
“This is police business,” Mason said.
“Now wait a minute,” Tragg protested. “I—”
“Do you have a warrant?” she asked.
“No,” Lt. Tragg said, “and furthermore I—”
Mason, backing back across the corridor, suddenly hurled himself at the door.
The hasp holding the safety chain pulled out. The screws jerked out a section of the wood as the door banged open.
Mason shot past the startled woman, ran through a sitting room and slammed open a door in a bedroom.
A woman was sitting groggily on the edge of the bed, holding on to the brass post of the foot of the bed. As Mason, followed by Lt. Tragg, entered the room, she said drowsily, “Don’t let them... Don’t let them... Don’t let them shoot any more drugs into me.”
“Who’s this?” Lt. Tragg asked.
Mason said, “This is Amelia Corning, and if you’ll look sharp you can get the woman who was in this apartment before she makes it to the elevator. If you don’t you—”
Tragg took one look at the woman on the bed, then whirled.
He was too late. The woman who had been in the apartment had sprinted down the corridor. Seeing the elevator was not in place she had taken to the stairs. Tragg started after her.