Well, Della Street said, I dont know about you folks but Im going to eat.
Drake sighed. I think I better take aboard some groceries while the moment is opportune. Sad experience teaches me that when these cases take unexpected twists, subsequent developments always result in greasy, soggy hamburger sandwiches in place of well-cooked meals. This time Im going to fool everyone.
They gave their orders to the waiter, settled down around the table and after the food was served ate in moody silence.
At twenty minutes past one the telephone rang for Paul Drake.
Drake listened, made notes, said, Okay, I guess thats it.
He hung up the telephone, turned to Mason and said, Okay, Perry, youre clairvoyant.
Go on, Mason said, his manner showing suppressed excitement. Lets have it.
Saturday afternoon, five fifteen, the A to Z Limousine Service received a call to have a limousine at the garage entrance at the Union Depot. They were instructed to have the limousine full of gasoline and be ready to make a trip. The driver went there as per instructions and picked up a woman in a wheelchair a woman who had dark blue glasses. She gave him keys to some lockers at the depot. He went there and picked up her bags and suitcases, put them in the car, and then drove her to Mojave.
Go on, Mason said, his manner showing suppressed excitement. Lets have it.
Saturday afternoon, five fifteen, the A to Z Limousine Service received a call to have a limousine at the garage entrance at the Union Depot. They were instructed to have the limousine full of gasoline and be ready to make a trip. The driver went there as per instructions and picked up a woman in a wheelchair a woman who had dark blue glasses. She gave him keys to some lockers at the depot. He went there and picked up her bags and suitcases, put them in the car, and then drove her to Mojave.
Mason looked at his watch, his eyes narrowed. All right, he said, lets get back to the courtroom. Im going to have to do a little cross-examination and then we may know more than we do now.
Oh, for the love of Mike, Drake said wearily, quit butting your head against a brick wall, Perry. This is a case where theres only one thing for you to do. Get up the minute court opens and suggest to the judge that while you think your client has a good defense, in view of the evidence that has been received there certainly is enough evidence to warrant binding the defendant over, and ask the court to make the order. In that way youll steal some of Hamilton Burgers thunder and keep him from standing up and making an argument that will be directed primarily to the newspapers.
Thats all Burger wants. Just an opportunity to stand up and speak his piece. Hell argue about this young woman with her mask of innocence. Hell talk about the satanic character that lurks underneath. Hell thunder denunciations. Hell intimate that there is still another body waiting to be discovered, and hell have his picture in the paper.
After all, Perry, this thing... this limousine business doesnt really mean anything. We all know that there was a ringer brought in to take the part of Amelia Corning on Saturday and what more natural than that she should have been brought in from Mojave. I will admit my face is a little red because I didnt think of that limousine business but the police didnt think of it either. This driver of the limousine had never been interrogated before.
Mason didnt waste time answering Drake. He called the waiter, signed the check, and said, Come on, lets get up to the courthouse. Weve got work to do.
Chapter 13
Back in the courtroom Mason, waiting for Judge Elmer to return to the bench, said suddenly, Paul, I want to find out who Endicott Campbells female friends are.
He doesnt have any, Drake said.
Dont tell me that, Mason told him. Of course the guy has women friends. His wife left him two years ago and
He had one for a while, Drake said. That was before Susan Fisher came to the office. This woman was his secretary. She was a married woman. He had quite a crush on her and apparently it was reciprocated. At least, her husband thought so. He made quite a stink about it, threatened to shoot Campbell, and got the woman out of the office.
Theyre not seeing each other now?
No.
He doesnt call on any women?
Not since weve been shadowing him, Perry.
Then hes wise to the fact that hes being shadowed. No telephone calls? No women corning to the house?
Only one woman has called at the house, Drake said, and thats a friend of Elizabeth Dow, the governess.
The fact that shes a friend of the governess doesnt keep her from also being a friend of Endicott Campbell, Mason said.
Not this one, Drake said. Here, Ill give you the dope on it. He took a notebook from his pocket, opened it, said, Cindy Hastings, 1536 Rentner Road. Thats the address of the Tulane Apartments. Shes in 348. A nurse. Built something like Elizabeth Dow, the governess, only a considerably older woman. Angular. English. Flat-footed. Long-legged. Flat-chested. Horse-faced...
Thats enough, Mason said. Cross her out, but its a nice lead. What other friends does the governess have? People about her own age?