Chapter 19 Chapter Eighteen

At four thirty, Bancroft returned to Mason's office. "The map pointed to the correct location when my wife dived," he said. "This is the refueling pier. She figured the anchor was thirty or forty feet from the pier when it got stuck. The boat tipped a little to one side, and then it drifted, and the tide started to rise by then, and she jumped overboard..." "Which side to jump from?" Mason asked. "The side by the port." "That's the opposite side from the pier, right?" "yes." "Okay," Mason said. "Let me make it clear to you first, I don't want her to answer any questions, no matter who the person is asking, she just needs to say that the lawyer will answer."

"Wait a minute," Bancroft said. "I'm going to talk to you about this. The newspapers are right. It's hard to get support from public opinion like this. Everyone thought she was guilty from the beginning." "I know," Mason said. "Newspaper reporters make money by mining news. They hope that this matter will become news, and of course they will use up all the reasons." "However, the reason they put forward is very reasonable." "It's very reasonable," Mason said. "They're right, we can't argue with them."

"Then why can't she tell the truth now?" "Because we just have to be careless," Mason said. "The present situation might turn against her. You know what? The steward at the club testified that your wife went to the dock with Weymar Kiley that evening, and took him aboard afterwards." "What!" cried Bancroft. "It's true," Mason said. "Is that waiter crazy? The person with her is obviously Alvin Fodis!" "Then where is Alvin Fodis now?" "I don't know, no one knows." "The waiter has identified Ji Li as..." Mason said.

"How is that possible?" Bancroft interrupted him. "This short-sighted idiot . . . is that Joe Kirby you're talking about?" "I don't know his name," Mason said. "Anyway, it's a waiter over there." "Must be Joe Kirby! The idiot . . . has no idea!" "Probably inexplicable," Mason said. "But he has indeed identified, so you and your wife must do what I tell you. Your wife can only tell the truth after my instructions, and you must choose the most special time to say it. When the time comes, we You can send someone to dive down to find the gun and the purse."

"What if . "I don't think so," Mason said. "That place is remote, the waves are smaller than other places, and there is no wind..." "It's too risky," Bancroft said. "It's a risk," Mason said gravely. "But it's like gambling. Whatever card you get in your hand, that's the card. You can only do your best." Bancroft said, "Well, Mason, I'll have to rely on your judgment. I can't do anything else." "Not bad," Mason said. "You have nothing else to do."