The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom

“Yes, sir.”

“Therefore, having remembered what this car looked like, if you had seen it again you would have noticed it, wouldn’t you?”

“Well, perhaps I would.”

“And if that car had been driven from your service station into Los Angeles, and hadn’t returned until three o’clock in the morning, so that the defendant couldn’t possibly have been anywhere near the scene of this murder at the time the crime was perpetrated, you wouldn’t have known it, would you?”

“Well...”

“Yes or no!” Mason thundered at the witness.

“Well, no.”

“That,” Mason announced triumphantly, “is all.”

Covington regarded Mason with a puzzled frown, then he slowly got to his feet. He was trying in vain to conceal the fact that Mason’s hint of a Los Angeles alibi for Garvin had him worried. “Your Honor,” he said, “I had intended to wind up my case very shortly with the records of the telephone company on that long distance call to Ethel Garvin from Tijuana, but I would like to have an opportunity to perhaps call one more witness who is not at the moment immediately available. If it would be possible for me to have an adjournment until tomorrow morning...”

Judge Minden shook his head. “I feel that would be an unreasonable request, unless, of course, the defendant should consent to it.”

Mason said, “No, Your Honor, we want this case to proceed as rapidly as possible.”

“But Your Honor,” Covington persisted, “there is at stake a matter of some considerable importance which I am not now at liberty to explain.”

Mason, on his feet, said with sudden graciousness, “All right, we’ll consent to a continuance. Go ahead. If you think you can find any evidence proving that this defendant was in the immediate vicinity of the crime at the time it was committed, we’re willing to help you. We’ll consent to an adjournment.”

And Mason sat down.

“I’ve proved it already!” Covington shouted. “What more do you want? I’ve proved he was...”

“Gentlemen, that will do!” Judge Minden said, pounding his gavel. “In view of the fact that counsel for the defense has consented to a continuance, Court will at this time take a recess until tomorrow morning at ten o’clock, during which time the jury will remember the admonition of the Court. They will not converse about the case; they will not read the newspapers; they will not form or express any opinion, nor will they permit any person to discuss the case in their presence. Court is adjourned.”

Mason arose, stretched, walked over to where Paul Drake and Della Street were standing, and whispered, “Gosh, was that a break! I certainly wanted that adjournment, but I was afraid to admit it. The district attorney threw it right in my lap.”

“Better watch that boy,” Drake said. “He’s dangerous. He’s looking for something.”

“He’s worried,” Mason said, and then added, “but he isn’t half as worried as I am. However,” he added, “there’s one thing we’re going to do, right now.”

“What?” Drake asked.

“That witness, Irving,” Mason said. “I tricked him into making an identification of my car.”

“That sure was a smart trick,” Drake said.

“It may have been just a little too smart.”

“What do you mean, Perry?”

Mason said, “Let’s go look over my car. That man Irving is an honest witness.”

Mason led the way down to where his car was parked, opened the door and started looking it over carefully.

“Take a look at the rubber footmat in front here, Paul,” he said.

“What the devil are you getting at?” Drake asked. “Do you mean that...”

Mason suddenly gave an exclamation, bent over the car, then started tugging at the rubber mat.

“What is it?” Drake asked.

Mason pointed to a brownish stain.

“Paul,” he said excitedly, “we’re rushing this to the best crime laboratory available. We’re going to find out if that’s human blood.”

“Human blood!” Della Street exclaimed.

“Exactly,” Mason said.

“What the devil are you getting at?” Drake asked.

Mason said, excitedly, “I’m getting at the facts of the case. Mortimer Irving was telling the truth. My car was the one he saw parked there.”