Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen

When Mason and Della returned to the office, Derek was already there. Mason said: "I want to tell you that Gidon was killed and Warren was charged with murder. Neither of the Warrens has made any statement so far." "I know, I know," Derek said. "That's your news, you should also listen to my news." "What news?" Mason asked. "The artist who did the fake composite portrait of Gidon for us happened to be at Police Headquarters and he showed the portrait we asked him to paint to the Major Crimes Officer and he wanted to know if the police had any information on him. The group of police officers who had just investigated the case of Gidon's murder recognized Gidon's portrait immediately. The authorities wanted to know what happened and who the painter painted the portrait for and why. So the painter asked them to come to me. Police The attitude is very strong.”

"You did nothing illegal," Mason said. "God knows I didn't," Derek said. "There is a crime in the law for interfering with witness testimony." "Did you interfere with that witness' testimony?" Mason asked. "You know all about how I influenced their testimony," Derek said. "I took the portrait with me and tried to induce witnesses to say that it looked like the fleeing suspect they had seen at the scene. The artist said he was instructed to reproduce Gidon's portrait. The piece It's more than I can afford, Paley, and they're questioning what's going on. In the end, I have to admit that I'm following orders too—orders you gave me."

"What are they going to do?" Mason asked. "They want to accuse you of deliberately sabotaging the investigation of a robbery. They think you are protecting customers, they think you are the agent of the robbers in the supermarket robbery. Since the robbers have not been arrested, your intervention is to confuse the witnesses. audiovisual. District Attorney Hamilton Berger is going to come after you and crush your plans, and he's going to take this matter to the media." "Let him announce it," Mason said. "I acted in accordance with the rights that citizens should have. I want to know who robbed the supermarket."

"Why?" Derek asked. "That's none of their business," Mason said. "I don't have to explain to them what I do. I'm a licensed lawyer, I can investigate any crime I'm interested in, to protect my client's rights, I'm acting according to the law... As long as I'm alive, I will Insist on acting to protect the rights and interests of customers." "But you attempted to interfere with the testimony of witnesses." "Police officers do this kind of thing more than a dozen times a day," Mason said. "They screen suspects from a particular case, or force witnesses to testify with particular file photos. They'll say, 'Look at this picture, look carefully, think back to whoever robbed, look at this portrait, Doesn't he look like the suspect? Think carefully, if you don't answer this question correctly, the suspect will get away with more crimes.' So don't you tell me it's a bad idea to ask witnesses to testify against a suspect crime, and if that is true, then every police officer in this country should go to jail."

"Well, I just wanted to let you know," Derek said. "because……" The phone rang several times sharply and quickly. This was the signal from Gertie when there was an emergency in the office outside.The office door opened, and a young man walked in. He said, "I'm Tatton Ryder, an investigator from the District Attorney's Office. Here is my document. You can check it if you want to verify it." "Okay," Mason said. "You are an investigator sent by the prosecutor, what advice do you have?" "The district attorney is calling you for questioning about a case the criminal department is investigating."

"The case about whom?" "your." "When will you send me for questioning?" "Now." "What if I don't intend to go?" "Then I will issue a subpoena, requiring you to appear in court at ten o'clock tomorrow morning." Mason thought for a while and said, "Okay, I'll go now." Mason turned to Della and said, "You take care of everything here Della until I get back." Before the door closed, Mason caught a glimpse of Della and Derek standing there in silence, worried expressions on their faces.