“Did you advise her not to keep her appointment with me?”
“I advised her to seek a secluded mountain resort where she could be quiet for a few days.”
“Did you advise her not to keep her appointment with me?”
“I told her that it would be unwise for her to...”
“Never mind that,” Selby said, “did you tell her not to keep her appointment with me?”
“She asked me if it wouldn’t be inadvisable for her to subject herself to a grueling interrogation after taking an automobile ride of some hundred miles, and I told her that it would.”
“Specifically, what did you find wrong with her?”
“I’m afraid I can’t discuss my patient’s symptoms. A matter of professional privilege, you know, Mr. Selby. But I felt that her health would be benefited by a complete change of scenery.”
“For how long?”
“Until she feels relief from some of the symptoms.”
“And what are the symptoms?”
“General lassitude, nervousness, a severe migraine.”
“What’s migraine?” Selby asked.
“Well, er... a headache.”
“In other words, she had a headache and said she didn’t feel well, so you told her she didn’t need to keep her appointment with me, is that right?”
“That’s putting rather a blunt interpretation on it.”
“I’m cutting out all of the verbal foolishness,” Selby said, “and getting clown to brass tacks. That’s the effect of what you told her, isn’t it?”
“Well, of course, it would have that effect and...”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Selby said tersely, “you’ll probably hear more from me about this.”
He dropped the telephone receiver down between the prongs of the desk phone, turned to Trask and said, “The more I see of this, the less I like it.”
Trask pulled down his waistcoat and became coldly dignified.
“Very well,” he said, “if you’re going to adopt that attitude, may I suggest, Mr. Selby, that in the elation of your campaign victory, you have, perhaps, emerged with a swollen concept of your own power and importance.
“As Miss Arden’s manager, I have received advice from the very best legal talent in Los Angeles as to our rights in the matter.
“Frankly, I considered it an arbitrary and high-handed procedure when you telephoned and stated that Miss Arden, a star whose salary per week amounts to more than yours for a year, drop everything and journey to your office. However, since it is her duty as a citizen to co-operate with the authorities, I made no vehement protest.
“The situation was different when it appeared that Miss Arden’s nerves were weakening under the strain and that her earning capacity might be impaired if she complied with your unwarranted demands upon her time. I therefore employed counsel and was advised that, while you have a right to have a subpoena issued for her, compelling her attendance before the grand jury, you have no right to order her to appear for questioning in your office. Incidentally, it may interest you to know that a subpoena, in order to be valid, has to be served in person upon the witness named in the subpoena. I think I need only call to your attention the fact that Miss Arden has virtually unlimited resources at her command, to point out to you how difficult it would be for you to serve such a subpoena upon her. Moreover, she is under no obligation to obey such a subpoena, if to do so would jeopardize her health. You are not a physician. Dr. Cartwright is. His diagnosis of the condition of Miss Arden is entitled to far more weight than your hasty assumption that her headaches and nervous fits are unimportant.
“I’m sorry to have to talk to you this way, but you asked for it. You’re a district attorney in a rather unimportant, outlying county. If you think you can pick up your telephone and summon high-priced picture stars, who are of international importance, to your city, regardless of their own health or personal convenience, you’re mistaken.”
Trask thrust out his jaw belligerently and said, “Have I made myself clear, Mr. Selby?”
Doug Selby stood with his long legs spread apart, hands thrust deep in his trousers pockets. His eyes burned steadily into those of Trask.
“You’re damned right you’ve made yourself clear,” he said. “Now I’ll make myself clear.
“I have reason to believe that Miss Arden was in this city, registered in the Madison Hotel under an assumed name. I have reason to believe that a man who was murdered in that hotel called on Miss Arden in her room. I have reason to believe that Miss Arden paid him a large sum of money. Now you can force me to use a subpoena. You may be able to keep me from serving that subpoena. But, by God, you can’t keep me from giving out the facts to the press.
“You’re probably right in stating that Miss Arden’s salary per week is greater than mine for a year, but when it comes to a show-down, the ability to dish it out and to take it isn’t measured by salary contracts. I’m just as good a fighter as she is, just as good a fighter as you are — and probably a damned sight better.
“You’ve done a lot of talking about Miss Arden’s importance, about the fact that she’s an internationally known figure. You’re right in that. That’s the thing that gives you these resources you boast of, the money to hire bodyguards, to arrange for an isolated place of concealment where it would be hard to locate her with a subpoena.
“You overlook, however, that this very fact is also your greatest weakness. The minute the Associated Press and the United Press get the idea Miss Arden may be mixed up in this case, they’ll have reporters pouring into town like flies coming to a honey jar. I didn’t want to make any public announcement until I’d given Miss Arden a chance to explain. If she doesn’t want to co-operate with me, that’s her lookout.”
Selby consulted his wristwatch. “It’s twelve minutes past eight. I don’t think Miss Arden’s got to any part of the state where she can’t get here within four hours’ fast driving. I’ll give you until midnight to produce her. If you don’t produce her, I’ll tell the press exactly why I want to talk with her.”
Trask’s face was a wooden mask, but his eyes showed a trace of panic.
“Young man,” he said, “if you did that, you’d be sued for criminal libel and defamation of character, you...”
“You’re wasting time talking,” Selby said. “If you’re going to get Miss Arden here by midnight, you’d better get started.”
Trask took a deep breath, forced a smile to his face, came toward Selby.
“Now, listen, Mr. Selby,” he said in a conciliatory tone, “perhaps I was a little hasty. After all, you know, our nerves get worn thin in this picture business. Miss Arden’s trip to Madison City was highly confidential, but since you’re interested in it, I think I can explain to you just why she came and...”
“I don’t want your explanation,” Selby interrupted coldly, “I want hers.”
Trask’s face flushed. “You mean to refuse to listen to what I have to say?”
“At times,” Selby said, “you’re rather good at interpreting the English language.”
Trask fumbled for a cigar in his waistcoat pocket.
“Surely,” he said, “there’s some way in which we can get together. After all...”
“I’ll be available until midnight,” Selby interrupted. “In the meantime, Mr. Trask, I don’t think I need to detain you.”
“That’s final?” Trask asked, clamping his teeth down on the end of the cigar and giving it a vicious, wrenching motion with his wrist to tear off the end.
“That’s final,” Selby said.
Trask spat out the bit of tobacco as he reached for the doorknob.
“You’ll sing a different tune when we get done with you!” he said, and slammed the door behind him.