The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom
- Автор: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
- Серия: Perry Mason #35
- Год: 1949
- Язык: английский
- Год: William Morrow
- Жанр: Классические детективы
Электронная книга - «The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom». Краткое содержание книги:
“Go ahead, do that, Gertie,” Mason said, “and then put her on the line.”
As Gertie turned and ran back to the outer office, Mason nodded to Della Street and said, “Take a notebook, Della. Make notes on what she says.”
Della Street nodded, opened her notebook, waited until the jingle on the bell showed that Gertie had put the call on both lines, then she nodded to Perry Mason. They picked up the receivers on the two telephones simultaneously.
“Hello,” Mason said.
Lorraine Garvin said hysterically, “Oh, Mr. Mason, I’m so glad I got you. I...”
“Take it easy,” Mason said. “Tell me what’s happened.”
“They tricked us.”
“Who did?”
“The police.”
“What happened?”
“Well, the Mexican immigration authorities came to us and wanted to know how long we were remaining in Mexico and Edward told them he didn’t know, that we might go down to Ensenada and that we might be there for two or three weeks, we might even be there longer.
“Well, they were very nice about it, but told us we’d have to get tourist cards. They said those tourist cards were good for six months, that they were issued at the immigration station at the border and that we wouldn’t have to go across the border to the U. S. side to get them but could just have them issued on the Mexican side.”
“All right, then what happened?”
“So we got in Edward’s car and started for the border, but when we got there, the officers kept pushing us over into a line of traffic that was off to the right. Ed tried to explain to them that he wanted to get tourist cards but they didn’t talk English.”
“All right, what happened?”
“Well, the first tiling we knew we were in a line of traffic that was headed for the United States side and we couldn’t get out of it. So Ed thought it would be best to just drive the car across and then swing right around and come back on the Mexican side. The cars were going right on through one right after the other, the officers at the border just looking to make sure there was no contraband and then motioning them on.”
“You should have known better,” Mason told her, frowning.
“We know better now,” she told him. “Well, it was just a trap. We tried to pull out and a couple of U. S. traffic officers blew whistles and yelled at us to get back into line and Ed told them we just wanted to get tourist cards and they said we’d have to go across and come around now, that we couldn’t get out of line. So we crossed over the border and the minute we did a car shot out from the United States side and drew alongside and that man Tragg grinned at us and said to Edward, ‘I told you we’d do it the hard way if you didn’t come the easy way,’ and they took Edward to San Diego and put him in jail.”
“Where are you now?”
“I’m at the U. S. Grant Hotel in San Diego.”
“They didn’t arrest you?”
“No, they were very nice to me. They told me how very sorry they were to inconvenience me and that I could go back to Mexico in the car and get our bags. And then they called again and asked me if I had any objection to letting them look the car over.”
“Where’s the car?”
“In the garage here at the hotel.”
“Hadn’t they looked it over before?”
“Well, they looked it over when they took us in, but now it seems they want to take it and have it searched for fingerprints or something. They said they’d have to have it for about three hours.”
Mason said, “Where are the keys to the car?”
“In the car, I guess.”
“When did the police telephone you?”
“Just now.”
“What did you tell them?”
“I told them that I’d have to go across the border to get my bags and check out of that little hotel there in Tijuana. They told me that they’d give me a police car and...”
Mason interrupted to say hurriedly, “Now, do exactly what I tell you to. Get tough with them. Tell them that you certainly aren’t going to be seen riding around in any police car; that you’re going back to get those bags; that they can send an officer with you if they want, but you’re going back in your own car and get those bags and check out of the Hotel Vista de la Mesa. Do you understand that?”
“Yes.”
“And see that you do that,” Mason said. “Don’t let them get their hands on that automobile for at least an hour and a half or two hours. Delay the thing just as much as you can. Don’t act as though you’re trying to conceal anything, but simply be mad and hurt and annoyed and independent. Be sure that you don’t tell the officers that they can’t have the car. Tell them they can have it as soon as you get back from across the border. Do you understand?”
“Yes, but I don’t see why...”
“You don’t have to,” Mason said. “Do exactly as I tell you and don’t tell anyone you’ve been talking with me. Now you understand what you’re to do?”
“Yes, but I...”
“Do it, then,” Mason said. “Delay things so it’s two hours if possible before the police get hold of your automobile. I’ve got to get busy. Have confidence in me. Do exactly what I tell you. Good-by.” Mason hung up the telephone.
“What is it?” Drake asked.
Mason, on his feet, his eyes sharp with excitement, said, “Just as you said, Paul. You know what’s going to happen? The police are trying to get hold of Garvin’s car. They tricked him into going across the border, and then nabbed him. Now they want to get his automobile. You know what they’re going to do with it? They’re going to take that automobile up to Oceanside, show it to Irving, have Irving say that that’s the car he saw, then let Irving look it all over carefully, and point out any little individual things he can find on the car — fender dents or dented hub caps or anything of that sort.”
“Well,” Drake said, wearily, “there’s nothing you can do about it. After all, if Irving is the kind who falls for a deal like that...”
“They all fall for it,” Mason said. “Don’t be silly. You know what happens with witnesses.”
“What happens?” Drake asked, lighting his cigarette.
Mason said, with feeling, “It’s been demonstrated dozens of times that if you have a crime committed in front of a whole roomful of witnesses and then call on those witnesses to make a written statement of what took place, the statements will contain all sorts of variations and contradictions. People simply can’t see things and then tell what they’ve seen with any degree of accuracy.”
“I suppose so,” Drake said.
“Hell, it’s been demonstrated time and again,” Mason said. “It’s a favorite stunt in classes in psychology in college. But what happens when you have witnesses in the trial of a case? They get on the stand one after another and tell a story that might have been written on a mimeograph. A witness sees something. He tells it to the police. The police point out little discrepancies between his story and that of the other witnesses. They point out what must have happened. Then they let the fellow think it over. Then they talk with him again. Then they let him talk it over with other witnesses. Then they take him to the scene of the crime. Then they get the witnesses to re-enact what happened. By the time a witness gets on the stand he’s testifying to a composite of what he saw, what he thinks he saw, what the other fellow tells him he saw, and what he concludes he must have seen, judging from the physical evidence. Look at what’s happening in this case right under our noses. They’ve found this witness. They’re going to take Garvin’s automobile and...”
“I know,” Drake said, “but there’s nothing we can do.”
“The hell there isn’t,” Mason said. “You take Della in your car. Follow me just as fast as you can.”