Chapter 16 Chapter fifteen

On the front page of the morning newspaper the next day, a bold headline appeared: Body found on yacht of socialite — possibly linked to blackmail — The article reported extensively on the Bancroft family, saying that they kept silent to cover up the reason for being blackmailed, and that the target of the investigation had pointed to the well-known criminal lawyer Perry Mason. Della put the morning paper on Mason's desk as soon as he entered the office. She said: "The reporting is okay. So far, the police have not suggested that anyone in the Bancroft family is directly suspected, only that their silence may be to cover up the reason for being blackmailed."

"Fine," Mason said. "Also," she said. "Bancro has been waiting for you outside for five minutes." "Bring him in," Mason said. "Look what's new on his side." Bancroft didn't seem to sleep very well last night, his face was gray and tired, and he had thick bags under his eyes. "Is it bad?" Mason asked. "It's bad," Bancroft said. "Fortunately, my wife is good at acting. She told the police that she would only answer questions when her husband and lawyers were present." "And what do you tell them?" Mason asked.

"Same as my wife." "Did you say why you kept silent?" "I'm just saying that there are some things that are inconvenient to discuss at the moment. We will make a statement at an appropriate time and place in the future, but we can't make it public to the media yet." "Well, now we have to get started," Mason said. "do what?" Mason said, "Does your wife know where the boat ran aground?" "Yes, it's near the pier where we often refuel. The pier is closed at night. Ji Li must have tried to tie the boat there, but the anchor jammed before we got to the pier."

"How deep was the water when your wife jumped out of the boat?" "The water was above her head when she fell in—at least she thought it was, but after a little swim, it's time to go." Mason said, "There was no gun on the boat, and neither did your wife's purse. She thinks she lost both the purse and the gun when she jumped ship, didn't she?" "Yes, she thought she heard the gun drop on the deck and bounce into the water, and there was a splash." "Well," Mason said. "What we have to do now is find that gun." "Looking for a gun?"

"That's right." "Are you crazy?" Bancroft said. "We are afraid that the police will find this evidence. The gun was registered in my name, and if it is found by the police, it will be a murderous gun..." "Take it easy," Mason said. "I only said I would find the gun, I didn't say I would get it back." "You mean after you find it..." "Not bad," Mason said. "You might as well freeze it." "How to do this?" Mason said, "I want you to draw a map of the harbor and point out exactly where the yacht is, and Derek will send someone down to the bottom of the ocean."

"What if he finds the gun and my wife's purse?" "Derek won't say anything without my instructions," Mason said. "Can he hide the evidence and not report it to the police?" "I wouldn't let him know the importance of that gun and that purse," Mason said. "He's just going to send a diver down there to have a look." "But we already know where it is!" said Bancroft. "Is it necessary to confirm it again?" Mason looked at him without blinking. "You heard what your wife said there, and I want to confirm whether what she said is true."

"Do you doubt her words?" Mason said: "When I'm dealing with a murder case, I'm skeptical of everything ... even you." Bancroft retorted, "But why would you want to know if something is there?" Mason said: "Because if your wife has to testify in court in the future, we must ask the police to send divers down to find sufficient evidence." "Then there is no need to send someone to check first!" "Of course," Mason said. "If the police go down to look for it at my request and they can't find it, then your wife will definitely die."

"I'm sure you were right when I told you it was there. The purse was hooked to her wrist when she jumped off the boat, and she knew exactly where she jumped off the boat..." "Unless she is forced to testify, she will probably never tell the truth," Mason said. "At that point, I hope I can actually testify against her." "But, if they find that gun... Mason, don't you understand? The gun is registered in my name, and their ballistics department must be able to prove that the bullet was fired from that gun, so the murder case becomes It has a direct relationship with Phyllis."

"Or something to do with you," Mason said. Bancroft thought for a while, then said, "When will Derek start investigating?" "He's going to do it under cover of night," Mason said. "I want a map showing exactly where the boat was when your wife jumped." Bancroft seemed suddenly relieved. "Is it enough to give it to you before tonight?" "No, earlier, Derek will search tonight." "Good," Bancroft said. "I'll give you the picture."