The Case of the Shapely Shadow
- Автор: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
- Серия: Perry Mason #66
- Год: 1960
- Язык: английский
- Год: William Morrow
- Жанр: Классические детективы
Электронная книга - «The Case of the Shapely Shadow». Краткое содержание книги:
Mason approached the witness. “You say that you hadn’t seen your former husband for a period of about two years?”
“Objected to as already asked and answered,” Hamilton Burger said. “If he keeps this up we’ll be here all day.”
Judge Seymour frowned at the district attorney and said, “The witness could have answered that question in half the time it has taken for your objection. I take it this question is preliminary only, Mr. Mason?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Objection overruled. Answer the question,” Judge Seymour snapped.
“That is right,” the witness said.
“Now then,” Mason said, “have you, or did you, within a period of twenty-four hours before the time of your arrival in Las Vegas have any dealings of any sort with A. B. Vidal?”
“Objected to as not proper cross-examination,” Hamilton Burger shouted.
“Overruled,” Judge Seymour said.
The witness hesitated for a moment, then said, “Since I am under oath I will have to state that I had a telephone conversation with a man who said his name was A. B. Vidal.”
“When did you have this conversation?”
“At eight-thirty p.m. on the evening of the third. That was Tuesday.”
“What did this man want?”
“The same thing the others wanted. He wanted to negotiate with me for my stock.”
“He said his name was Vidal?”
“That’s right. A. B. Vidal.”
“Did he say where he was?”
“It was a long-distance call from Bakersfield.”
“Did you recognize the voice?”
“Not the voice of A. B. Vidal, but I could hear over the phone someone giving instructions in a low voice and I am satisfied that voice was the voice of my husband. It was an exceptionally good connection and, as it happens, I have keen ears.”
“What was the conversation?” Mason asked.
“I told the person with whom I was talking that if his principal wished to talk with me, I would meet him in Las Vegas, Nevada; that I would take the Union Pacific Domeliner, The City of Los Angeles, on the evening of Wednesday, the fourth. I told this person that I would negotiate, not with any agent, but only with the principal. I said that I knew who the principal was and that if they wanted me to be there and negotiate, they could send me a hundred dollars to cover expenses in the form of cash, and if that money was forthcoming I would meet with the principal in Las Vegas.”
“Then what?” Mason asked.
“With that,” she said, “I hung up the telephone without waiting for any further comment.”
“Did you get the money?”
“I did. The next afternoon the money was brought to my house. It was in an envelope marked ‘Expenses to Las Vegas.’ It contained five twenty-dollar bills.”
“Thank you,” Mason said. “That’s all.”
Hamilton Burger was on his feet, confronting the witness. “You put this money in your purse?”
“Yes.”
“And took it to Las Vegas with you?”
“Some of it. I bought a ticket with some of the money.”
“You never told me this dummy gave the name of Vidal,” Hamilton Burger accused.
“You never asked me,” the witness said. “I told you a lot of people were trying to get my stock and that I had reason to believe some of them were acting as dummies for my husband. I didn’t go into details because you didn’t ask me.”
Mason smiled at the jury.
Hamilton Burger and Ruskin had a quick, whispered conference. Then abruptly Burger said, “That’s all.”
“That’s all,” Mason said. “I have no further questions.”
Judge Seymour looked at the clock. “Well, gentlemen, we only have fifteen minutes before noon. Does the defense wish to start with its case?”
“We’re quite ready,” Mason said.
“Well, now just a minute,” Hamilton Burger said, and again had a whispered conference with Ruskin. Then he said, “Very well, go ahead. We’ll put on the rest of our evidence by way of rebuttal.”
“Very well,” Judge Seymour said. “Proceed, Mr. Mason.”
Mason smiled at the judge and said, “We have no evidence on the part of the defense, Your Honor. The defense rests. Let’s proceed with the argument.”
“What!” Hamilton Burger shouted.
“The defense rests,” Mason said. “Let us proceed with the argument.”
“Very well, Mr. District Attorney, you may open the argument,” Judge Seymour said.
“We don’t want to argue it at this time, Your Honor,” Hamilton Burger said. “This move by the defense has taken us completely by surprise.” He looked at the clock. “It lacks only a few minutes of the noon hour of adjournment and... I would suggest that we adjourn until two o’clock. We may wish to move to reopen the case.”
Mason said, “This is the same district attorney who was so concerned about the delay, about stalling the case along and wanting to save the taxpayers’ money. I’m quite ready to go ahead right now. Why not start the arguments?”
Judge Seymour smiled, said, “Well, I think in view of the manner in which this case has been expedited a difference of ten minutes isn’t going to affect the schedule of court or the tax rate in this county. Court will take a recess until two o’clock. The defendant is remanded to custody, the jurors are warned to remember the admonition of the Court not to discuss the matter among yourselves, permit it to be discussed in your presence, or to form or express any opinion. Court will recess until two o’clock.”
Hamilton Burger glared angrily at Mason, got up and pushed his way through the crowd out of the courtroom.
Ruskin paused for a moment, looked at Mason with a half-smile, and left.
“What happened?” Janice Wainwright asked.
“I’m gambling,” Mason said. “I’m gambling with your life and with your liberty, but it’s the only thing to do. I didn’t have time to confer with you and I didn’t want to confer with you. If I had engaged in a whispered conversation as though we had any doubt about the matter, it would have been fatal. The jurors would have seen that conference and would have felt that I had some doubt. The only thing for me to do was to act as though I had every assurance in the world that this jury was going to acquit you, and leave the matter in their hands.”
“I think you did just right,” she said. “That means that I don’t have to get on the stand, doesn’t it?”
“It means you don’t have to get on the stand,” Mason said.
“Thank heavens for that.”
Mason smiled and said, “Chin up, Janice.”
The officer who came forward to take Janice into custody had a reassuring smile.
Mason, Della Street and Paul Drake moved over to one corner of the courtroom, waiting until the spectators had left.
“That was a daring gamble,” Paul Drake said.
“Every once in a while an attorney has to make them,” Mason said. “You have to rely on your own judgment.”
“Those tire tracks still crucify you,” Drake said.
Mason merely grinned, said, “Hamilton Burger’s bombshell turned out to be something of a dud, Paul.”
“The man’s going to have a stroke if you keep on deviling him,” Della Street said.
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Mason told them. “Wait until court reconvenes. I have a plan. If it works, Burger will be chewing nails.”
Chapter Fifteen
When court reconvened at two o’clock, Hamilton Burger said, “If the Court please, at this time the prosecution would like to reopen its case.”
Judge Seymour shook his head. “I think not, Mr. Prosecutor,” he said. “The prosecution had that opportunity and elected not to take it. You stated that you would reserve the evidence which you had for rebuttal. Now that the defense has rested there can be no rebuttal. The Court sees no reason for permitting a prosecutor to gamble on what is going to take place and then, in the event he loses, to reshuffle the cards so there will be a new deal. The evidence in the case is closed. Are you ready to proceed with the argument?”