Chapter 8 chapter eight

Mason rang for Della.When she came in, Mason said to her, "Della, prepare a writ of habeas corpus for May Fell in the usual way. I want them to decide between charging and releasing her." She examined the stiff lines on Mason's face with concern. "How's it going?" she asked. He shrugged. "What did they do?" "Not much," Mason said. "The situation could have been worse than it is. Clearly Mr Hawkham was instructed to let the prosecution take the lead." "How do they dominate?" "They didn't time it well," Mason said. "But Ramsford is a gentleman. I don't think he has enough experience as a court attorney, and he gave a very detailed account of the incidents they wanted to ask me."

"What did Sergeant Hawkham do?" "Want to be rough," Mason said. "But when he found out that he couldn't succeed, he was sullen." "Derek called and said he had important news and would come as soon as the blockage cleared," she said. "Tell him the block is gone. Then you go out and prepare writs of habeas corpus and manage the 'flock' in the outside office. I don't want to see regular clients and think about routine." Della nodded and said, "The same procedure as in the Smith case?" "Yes, refer to the format in that file. You check it first before handing it over to the typist for typing. I'll have it right away." Della opened the door with great efficiency and slid into the large office outside.A few minutes later, Derek knocked on the back door and Mason let him in.

"How? Paley." Derek asked. "Not too bad," Mason said. "What do they want?" "Prosecutors want the facts," Mason said. "Inspector Huo Kang wants to have me." "Didn't catch you?" "Not yet. Any news?" Derek said, "There's plenty. Here's a current paper." "What does it say?" "The usual nonsense that the police cast a net to catch Anders who fled to Northern California. He made a partial confession, and based on his confession, the police are investigating one of the city's most prominent criminal lawyers. Police Also looking for a gun that may have been linked to the murder, which Anders admitted he had discarded. Police rushed to the location of the gun, only to find someone who had pre-empted it and had scoured the area after rain last night."

"Any pictures?" "Inspector Huo Kang held a pair of shoes, and pointed out that the shoes exactly matched the plaster shoe prints on site." "Did it say where the shoes came from?" "No, the papers said it was one of the targets of the police effort, but it's not time to reveal it, because the evidence put together could lead to surprising conclusions... Are those your shoes? Paley." "yes." Derek said, "It's not a good situation, is it?" Mason made a quick gesture and brushed aside the question. "Never mind the afterthoughts," he said. "Just give me the facts. What about the other pictures?"

"There's also a picture of the location where the police think you found the gun." "Let me see," Mason said. He took the newspaper, folded it in half, and looked at the photocopied in the newspaper.The photo shows fields next to the highway. "There's a row of high-voltage utility poles on the right side of the road," Mason said thoughtfully. "There are barbed wire fences, cement pipes used for irrigation—it's unlikely to hide a gun. Paul, there is only a piece of weeds over there. Since there are irrigation facilities, why haven't they been cultivated?"

"Because the lawsuit is still going on." "Anything else, Paul." "A lot, a lot of information about Wenworth's hobbies and habits." "Is yachting his hobby?" Mason asked. "Yachts, women, and collecting coins," Derek said. "Why coins?" "Who knows. Coins, boats, horses, wine and women represent the life of Wenworth." "What does he do for a living?" Mason asked. Derek grinned and said, "I think that's a headache for the police. Apparently he's a racetrack guy and he's got a partner named Marley—Frank Marley."

Mason said: "I've heard his name. Wasn't he arrested a while ago?" "Arrested two or three times," Derek said. "What about the indictment?" "Delay, Transfer, Appeal, Reject." "Bribe?" Derek said: "I didn't say anything, maybe you can read my mind." "I'm watching," Mason said with a smile. "How about Marley? Can we drag him into the water?" "I have a hunch we can," Derek said. "By the way, Marley also has a boat. He loves speed and has a high-powered, twin-screw, mahogany speedy yacht. It's not a boat for rough seas, but a quick round trip to Kata Lena Island is easy."

"Where was he last night?" "Obviously in a hospital. He's scheduled for an operation this morning—no big deal. He's had appenditis a couple of times and the doctor told him to set aside a few days to have the appendix removed. He told the doctor yesterday, He was admitted to the hospital in the afternoon." "Did he have surgery?" Mason asked. "No, the operation was not urgent. When he heard of Wenworth's death, he called off the operation, declaring that he had too much to attend to and no time to lie in bed." Mason said: "Wenworth's death is not insignificant, but if he thought that would get rid of suspicion, it would not be that easy."

"I know," Derek said. "So I investigated anyway. He has a dedicated ward and there will be a special nurse after today's surgery, but last night he was treated the same as a normal patient. The doctor gave him an Amitron capsule." "Did he get the medicine?" "Yes, the nurse gave it to him." "Was he instructed to lie still?" Mason asked. "I think so," Derek said. "The nurse on that floor saw him three or four times during the night." "Does he have any time on his record for nurses to see him?" "No, but the nurse said there was at least one before midnight and midnight, and then one in the morning. The special nurse came on at eight in the morning and he was scheduled for ten."

"Did they tell him about Wenworth?" "No, but he insisted on phoning Wenworth—before he was drugged, he said he had something to explain, and something to confirm. They tried to hide it from him, but it didn't work." "How is Mrs. Wenworth?" asked Mason. "She's in San Diego. Looks like Wenworth has an appointment with her this morning." "Where?" "In San Diego." "Where's his wife's boyfriend?" "Don't know yet, but he also has a yacht." "Where is it parked?" "The yacht harbor outside, next to the breakwater."

Mason and Derek looked at each other. "Better investigate him," Mason said. "I'm doing it. He's an athlete, polo, yachting and flying." "airplane?" "Yeah, he has an amphibious plane and he flies it around." "Where did he park the plane?" "In his own hangar." "Where is it?" "About ten miles from his yacht, on a rugged headland overlooking the Pacific Ocean." "Can you find out if this plane has flown recently?" "I'm trying to figure out how to see his flight log," Derek said. "What about travel? That won't be in the journal." Derek shook his head and said, "Unless there is an accident, travel will not find it out." Mason tapped the table with his fingertips. "Can you get into his house, Paul." "It's not easy," Derek said. "But I think I have a detective who can." "It rained last night and was quite heavy for a while," Mason said. "If the plane takes off in the mud, it will definitely leave a mark, especially if it takes off slowly." Derek said, "I get it, Paley." "Where are the servants? Can you find out if they heard the motor?" "I can tell you upfront that the answer is no," Derek said. "why?" "There were no servants there last night. Aweser asked them all to take a night off, and gave them the use of cars and drivers." Mason raised an eyebrow. "I find it weird, too," Derek said. "But it's actually not particularly strange. It's not easy for Aweser to keep servants. His house is very remote, and there are no cinemas, beauty salons, or any entertainment facilities nearby. Naturally, you can't expect servants to stay in that kind of place all year round. He works seven days a week. When they are on vacation, Aweser has to provide them with transportation. So he often lets them go out to have fun, especially when he’s not home.” "I see," Mason said.His voice seemed indifferent, but his eyes were narrowed in thought. Derek continued: "The bullet was fired downwards, apparently through the sunroof, or while Wenworth was leaning forward. Probably through the sunroof, since it was open. The control switch for the sunroof is inside the boat. "In warm weather, when the boat is at anchor, or sailing in calmer waters, Wenworth opens the sunroof to let the air circulate." "It was warm last night," Mason said. "No doubt the sunroof was open when Anders got on board," Derek said. "Anders acknowledged this in a statement to police. He said this was why he could hear Miss Fell and Wenworth arguing and scuffling." "Did anyone else hear the cry?" Mason asked. "No, apparently not too loud. People on board don't bother with the noises, because there are often wild parties. Usually the noises from yachts are described as screams of false chastity. I have some journalists The photographs were taken when the yacht was first brought into port. By the way, Paley, Wenworth probably died before it rained." "How to say?" "Because he didn't close the sunroof. He should be in..." Della quietly opened the door from the outer office, walked to Mason's desk, and handed him a folded note.Mason opened the note, which read: Frank Marley, Wenworth's accomplice, is in the office and needs to see you immediately. Mason thought about it and handed the note to Derek. Derek read it and said, "Aha!" "Let him in, Della," Mason said. They waited quietly.Della ushered Marley in, then quietly backed out, closing the door behind her. Marley was a small, dark man in his late forties.He stood expressionless, looking from Mason to Derek. "Come and sit down, please," Mason invited. "I'm Mason, and he's Paul Derek, in charge of my investigation." Marley's large dark olive eyes moved from one to the other, and he smiled as he stepped forward, held out his hand to Mason, and said, "Nice to meet you." Mason's big hand held his small, tapered hand, but the strength of the other's hand took him by surprise.The large diamond on his tie shone brightly as Marley turned to shake hands with the detective. Marley reached into his pocket and took out the cigarette case, stuffed the cigarettes in his mouth, and the diamond ring on his hand was shining brightly. "I only have a few minutes, Mr. Mason," he said meaningfully. "Say it now!" Marley smiled, his eyes blank, and he said in a low, artificial voice, "My message is confidential." Derek glanced at Mason and raised his eyebrows.Mason nodded.Derek said, "See you later, Paley." He looked at Marley for a while, then said, "Nice to meet you, Marley, maybe we'll see each other again." Marley said nothing. After Derek left, Mason said, "What's the matter?" "It's unfortunate Pam," Marley said. Mason nodded. Marley continued: "However, I'm a man of the world, and I think you're a business man, too." Mason nodded again and said, "You'd better sit down." Marley leaned one hip against the arm of Derek's vacated leather chair. "Are you representing May Fell?" he asked.Mason nodded. "Mei Yi is a good girl." "do you know her?" "Yes. Pan has an unrequited love for her. I know Pan very well. Sometimes we go out in Pan's yacht and sometimes in mine. My boat is suitable for calm seas, and Pan's boat can handle any weather." Mason nodded. "Maiyi is an independent girl." Marley said thoughtfully. "Do you know who killed him?" Mason asked abruptly. Through the light blue cigarette smoke surrounding him, Marley looked over firmly. "I know," he said. "who is it?" "Let me tell you a story first." "This is your show," Mason said. "Please go ahead, you will lead." "I have a request," Marley said. "You don't look like a philanthropist either," Mason said. "My request is important to me, but nothing to you." "Go ahead," Mason urged him. "I always thought you were the best criminal lawyer. I decided early on that I would come to you if I was in trouble." Mason just nodded. "In this matter, I may be in trouble." "why?" "Pan did not get divorced. He and his wife could not reach an agreement on the arrangement of the property. His wife wanted to delay the time to tire him out. Neither of them allowed the other party to get a divorce as he wished, but because they did not get the other party's consent, any Neither party can even think about getting a divorce, so in the end, they will definitely reveal each other's secrets and let the judge expel them both from the court." "Are they getting along?" Mason asked. "It started off fine. Then they were like cats hanging on a clothesline with their tails tied together." "I think it was after you started hanging out with her," Mason said. The expression on Marley's face didn't change, it just froze, as if the muscles on his face were frozen by Mason's words.After a while, he took a puff of smoke calmly, and said in the same calm manner, "How could you have such an idea, Mason." "Just a guess." "Don't do this," Marley warned. "I do not like." Mason took a piece of paper and quickly wrote some words. "What are you doing?" Marley asked suspiciously. "Just a note to have my detective look into the matter." "You're a difficult person," Marley said. "I'm not difficult with people who tell me the truth," Mason said. "But when the person across the table wants to do business with me, I do business." "You'd better wait till I tell you what I'm selling before you get tough," said Marley. "I've been waiting since you came in," Mason reminded him. "I always say that," Marley said. "You're a first-class lawyer, and I want you to be on my side, not on my opponent's side. Janetta is still Pen Wenworth's wife, and I don't think Penn has a will to allow his wife to dispose of property. I am Pan's partner and must report the partnership's business status to his wife." "So what?" Mason asked. "That would put me at a disadvantage." "why?" "There are some things Pam knows," Marley said. "But there was no writing in black and white. I did certain things, and I asked his consent beforehand, but it was all verbal and there was no record. Naturally, I didn't expect him to be killed." "So?" Mason asked. "So I want you to be on my side." "What are you going to do?" Mason asked. "Is it a small thing or a big thing?" "Just a little thing," Marley hastily assured him. "I won't get involved in any major matters, I just want you to represent me in the partnership business." "Only this?" "that's it." "How much are you prepared to pay?" Mason asked. Marley said hastily, "Before we get to that, I want to tell you a little more about what I'm selling." "what is it then?" Marley said: "I've been in this business for so long that the police won't trust me. I'm sorry that Pam was sent to heaven, but it doesn't help. He's dead, I'm alive, I have to plan for myself. .My proposition is: May Fell killed him. I have a witness who can confirm it. You play ball with me, and I play ball with you." "I don't like to play that kind of ball," Mason said. "You tell me to throw all the pitches, and you call strikeouts." "No, it's not like that, Mason, really. Listen, I'm showing my cards on the table. Mae Fell killed him, but I think she's entitled to it. I think the jury will think so too , but if she didn't have to confess to a jury, everything would be better. "Pan has been playing with her ideas. I don't think she is still a virgin. She just doesn't like Pan, or wants to impress him. Some women are like this." "Go on," Mason said. "Hell, do I have to tell you?" "yes." Marley sighed and said, "Well, there is a certain person who does not want to be named who was at the Yacht Club from last night until early this morning, sitting in a car and waiting." "for what?" "what you think?" "I have no idea." "We don't mention this. She was waiting. She knew Pan, me and our boat, but not Meiyi. She was waiting in the car, and she was in a bad mood because her boyfriend kept her waiting. At this time, she saw The light of a boat was approaching the floating dock. She thought it was the boat she was waiting for, but she saw my boat, the Edina." Mason looked away, watching the smoke rising from the end of Marley's cigarette. "The person driving the Adina was unskilled in mooring. After a while of friction and collision, he turned off the engine, pulled the mooring rope and jumped down. She saw that the driver was a woman she didn't know, and she saw the woman's body. Face. Later, when she heard about the murder, she associated the two, told me, and described the woman she saw, whose appearance matched Meiyi’s.” Mason said, "She..." "Wait a minute," Marley held up his hand. "I hope you fully understand. I have some photos I took on the boat, and there are also Meiyi in them. I showed the photos to this woman, and she was sure that the woman she saw coming out of the yacht was Meiyi." "So what?" Mason asked. "You can imagine what that testimony does to you," Marley said. "It doesn't affect me," Mason told him. "Have an impact on your customers." "Testimony is one thing," Mason said. "Conversation is another matter. Don't forget that I have the right to cross-examine witnesses. There are many questions I can ask your witnesses right now, and there may be more questions as I learn more about the case." "Of course it will," Marley said, his voice getting more edgy. "That's what I know. You're dangerous, Mason, I know, I don't kid myself. Maybe you can get away with Mae, she's a beautiful baby, and juries like that. She can It is not difficult to tell a high-sounding story about how to fight for honor. A beautiful woman lived with a man for a few months, and then killed in defense of honor. The moved jury acquitted her. Her phone number. Actually, what I want you to do is a piece of cake, you can do it." "If only I could," Mason asked. "What have you got to sell?" Marley said: "If you cooperate with me, no one will testify. They will focus on Anders and try to put the responsibility on him for killing, but they can't do it. They will stop at a certain point. Yes, because Anders didn't kill anyone, it was Meiyi who did it." "Why are you so sure?" "When I heard about it, I went to the ship to check it myself." "When?" "About two or three hours ago." "Did you find anything?" "You know, Mason, I wasn't born yesterday." "Find something?" Mason repeated. "Finding a broken lock means someone has taken the boat out," Marley said. "I always keep the boat's fuel tanks full and by the gauge, maybe ten miles. I also learn from experience. With some knowledge of fingerprints, I dusted the steering wheel where it is easiest to control, and the throttle handle and light switch etc." "What did you find?" Mason asked. "fingerprint." "Whose fingerprints?" Marley shrugged. "I don't know. Fingerprinting is a police job." "Who do you think it is?" Mason asked. Marley said: "I'll pay you five thousand dollars in cash right now, and then I'll take an oilcloth and wipe off all the fingerprints on the boat. I'll buy a plane ticket for the witness to fly to Australia and let her stay there until the case is over. You just have to tell me how to handle partnerships." "Why don't you get another lawyer?" "I tell you, the situation is messy. I was not cautious enough and relied too much on word of mouth to have written records. Almost all of those things were done recently, and Pam left more and more things to me to deal with." "What makes you think I'm better at dealing with that widow than any other lawyer?" Mason asked. "Because you have the reputation, and more importantly, you have the knowledge, and if Janetta is too tough, you can put a little pressure on her. That is, make Janetta feel that when she testifies in court, you will let her It's embarrassing. Pam taught her things and she's not stupid at all, she understands that." Mason said, "Is that what you're proposing?" Marley nodded. "Just a minute, please," Mason said, ringing for Della. When Della opened the door, Mason nodded to Marley and said, "Mr. Marley is leaving soon, tell Derek to come down and get him ready to report on everything going on from now on. Emphasis 'Everything'. Do you understand?" Della nodded. "I'll tell him, Mr. Mason. Anything else?" Mason shook his head, and Della closed the door. "Sorry to interrupt," Mason said, turning to Marley. "I don't like your proposal." "I can increase the amount, but not too much, because I don't have much money at the moment, and Pan's death..." "No," Mason said. "It's not about the money." "what is that?" "That's the idea." "What idea?" "For example, the idea of ​​hiding evidence." Marley looked at him in surprise. "You mean, don't you dare to do this little trick that people play every day?" "You can say that." Marley said, "Listen, you don't have to do anything, just..." Mason shook his head. "Listen," Marley said. "It's an honest and fair deal, just the two of us here, no traps, pure business." Mason shook his head again. "Jesus," Marley said. "Don't tell me you're going to refuse the offer. If you refuse, it's your responsibility to cause a witness to tell the police." "Maybe so." Marley said, "Look, Mason, don't be a fool. You're a businessman and you should know which side of the bread has butter." "From my side, it doesn't look like the one with the cream is on your side," Mason said. Marley said angrily, "You mean I might betray you? Do you think I'm not trustworthy?" "I'm not interested," Mason said. "Think about it for an hour or two," Marley said. "I think you will find that this is the only way. Anders has already confessed, it's hard for you, it's hard for me, and it's hard for Mae. If we handle it well, we can all get out of trouble." Mason said coldly, "I'd like to use my own trump card, Marley." "I know, you think I'm lying, there are no witnesses," Marley said. "You think I'm just going to clean the boat and tell you I've sent the witnesses to Australia and just sit back and relax." "You probably do," Mason pointed out. "Don't be a fool," said Marley. "I try to avoid it," Mason assured him. Marley sighed and said, "If your intelligence is no more than this, then I don't need to look for you. I think you are seriously overestimated." "Sometimes I think that myself," Mason said. Marley walked to the door, held the handle, stopped, and looked back at Mason. "No," he said thoughtfully. "You're not stupid, you're smart. You think you can trick me, think again, Mason." Marley yanked the door open, then slammed it shut. Mason picked up the phone on his desk and said to the switchboard in the outer office, "Find me Della Streeter right now." Almost immediately he heard Della appear on the other end of the line.She said, "Boss, what's the matter?" "Did you give Derek my message clearly?" "I think so. You mean you're going to have someone after Marley?" "Yes, I doubt you understand." "Two detectives will be in the lobby, and the other will be in the elevator to tell the people downstairs who Marley is. Derek has to hurry, but he's done." "Well done," Mason said.