Chapter 20 Chapter Nineteen

Judge Cole Herbert called the court. "This court is dealing with the indictment of Phyllis Bancrowe," he said. "The plaintiffs are represented by District Attorney Robley Hastings and Deputy Attorney Turner Gaffe; the defendant is represented by Mr. Perry Mason. Are you ready, gentlemen, for a preliminary hearing?" "Plaintiffs are ready," Hastings said. "The accused is ready," Mason said. "Very well, let's begin!" said Judge Herbert. "I know that this case has attracted widespread attention from the press. I would like to remind the audience to keep quiet in the courtroom and not to have any demonstrations. As long as the audience strictly observes order, they may leave the seat during the trial. District Attorney, please start .”

Turner Jaffe got everything ready: he summoned a surveyor and produced a map of the port, an aerial view of the harbor and clubhouse, and a map of the whole county showing the distances between points. "Please cross-examine." Garfield said to Mason. Mason asked the surveyor, "You brought quite a few maps, but I noticed you missed one." "What kind?" "Survey map of the harbor coast." "I don't think it's necessary. The maps I brought are very accurate, and the bird's-eye view from the air can already show the coastline and the range of the port. The survey map you mentioned uses a lot of numbers to mark the depth of water in feet or fathoms. I'm afraid it will be easy to do. mix."

"why?" "Because a lot of the numbers above have nothing to do with this case or how curved the coastline is, I think it's just confusing." "So did you bring it?" "No." "Then let me show you one to see if you are familiar with it?" Mason said. "no problem." "Is this an official map made by the government?" "yes." "It's used for navigation, right? It should be very accurate?" "I think so." "I'm going to use it as the defendant's first exhibit," Mason said.

"No objection," Turner Garfield said. "The defendant may use any statistics in this case." The second witness was the Los Angeles County Sheriff. Garfield said: "Sheriff, this photo is the plaintiff's evidence. The body in the photo has been identified as the man who was shot dead on the Yacht Jinnasha. Do you recognize this photo?" "I know." "Have you seen the man in the picture?" "Several times." "In life or after death?" "Both." "Did you see this man when he was alive?" "Several times."

"Did you see it after death?" "Yes, I visited the morgue here." "Have you attempted to further identify this individual?" "yes." "How do you do it?" "I took his fingerprints." "Can you identify this person?" "Can." "Who is this guy?" "He's Weymar Jilly." "The other party cross-examined them," Garfield said. "Sheriff, what standard did you compare your fingerprints with?" Mason asked. "FBI records." "So, Ji Li had an ex-Koro?"

"No! The issue has nothing to do with this case," District Attorney Robley Hastings said. "Rejected!" said Judge Herbert. "What he asked was about fingerprints. I think the defender has the right to know about the authenticity of the fingerprints and how they were obtained. This court gives the defendant maximum room for cross-examination. Sheriff, please answer." "Yes, he has a criminal record." "What criminal record?" "Stolen cars and forged papers." "Any other previous convictions?" "there is none left."

"To the best of your knowledge, has he ever been arrested on other grounds but not convicted?" "I have to re-dispute," the district attorney said. "Rejected," said Judge Herbert at once. "The sheriff stated that he had met the deceased several times before he was alive, and the defender is of course entitled to ask on what occasion the meeting took place." "But in court," Hastings insisted. "The questioning of a witness can only be based on the fact that the witness has been convicted. If the witness has been arrested, charged, but later acquitted or the plea dismissed, it is not sufficient."

"The defense did not question the deceased," the judge said. "It's about testing the memory of the witnesses. However, if the defense simply asks the same question again, then I'll find an objection." "Long story short," Mason said. "I'll just ask again expressly. Sheriff, did you ever see Weymar Gilli arrested while he was alive?" "yes." "Did you see him on official business?" "yes." "Have you ever arrested him?" "Once." "What crime?" "No! The question has nothing to do with this case, and the method of cross-examination is inappropriate." Hastings said.

"The objection stands," said Justice Herbert. "No more questions," Mason said. Robly Hastings made a dramatic gesture and said, "I call Joe Kirby to testify." Kirby was a slow-moving, gray-haired man in his fifties, with watery blue eyes and a habitual squint, and a leathery brown skin on his face—the result of years of wind and sun. Color that never fades. "Where do you work?" Hastings asked. "Blue Sky Yacht Club." "Where?" "Over the harbor." "Which harbor is it?" "Xingang—Baibo Bay."

"How long have you been working there?" "four years ago." "Has it been uninterrupted?" "yes." "What is your job description?" "It's just general chores and guards, keeping an eye on everything around, helping members collect things, and sometimes taking boats to send members and their friends between the yacht and the shore." "On the tenth of this month, are you also engaged in this work?" "yes." "On the night of the tenth too?" "yes." "I would like to invite you to see the photograph of Weymar Jilly, which is the plaintiff's evidence. Please tell me whether you have seen this person."

"I have seen." "During his lifetime or after his death?" "I've seen them all." "When did you first meet him in your memory?" "I think it was about seven o'clock on the tenth." "Where was he then?" "At the yacht club." "Who is he with?" "Mrs Bancroft." "By Mrs. Bancroft, do you mean Phyllis Bancroft, the defendant in this case, who is sitting to the left of Perry Mason?" "yes." "Where was she then?" "She's on the pier." "What is she doing there?" "She's in the lifeboat of the Bancroft family's yacht, the Ginasha." "Did you see her talking to Ji Li?" "I see." "Then what happened?" "She rowed him to the yacht." "Is it her rowing or his rowing?" "She did it, she sent him on the yacht." "and then?" "They stayed on the yacht for about fifteen to twenty minutes. I don't know. After they got on the boat, I didn't see it. Then I saw her rowing back." "Are you alone?" "yes." "and then?" "She tied the lifeboat to the buoy and went off to nowhere. I saw her come back less than an hour later." "What was she doing then?" "She was holding a shopping bag." "What does she do next?" "She got into the lifeboat and rowed back to the yacht." "and then?" "Then I don't know what happened. I was quite busy at that time, and it happened to be foggy again. It was an extremely thick fog, and I couldn't see any shadows. I mean, when I looked at the harbor, Can't see anything." "Can you see the Ginasha?" "can not see." "Then what do you do?" "I'm busy everywhere." "When did the fog clear?" "It didn't disperse at all, it was always so thick." "There will always be time to part later, right?" Hasting looked a little impatient. "Of course, it was the next afternoon." "When did you see the Jinnasha again?" "Didn't see it again, it's gone." "But you saw it later, didn't you?" "Of course, maybe... I don't know, it was probably around 4:30 the next afternoon, when they dragged the Jinnasha in." "Who are you talking about?" "The sheriff and some officers." "How did they drag the boat in?" "Tow with another boat." "What's the other ship?" "Coastal guard boat." "and then?" "They cleared a spot on the float, tied up the boat, and then a whole bunch of photographers and police went on board." "Have you seen the dead body of Weymar Jilly?" "yes." "Where?" "County Mortuary." "Were you taken to see the body?" "yes." "Is the person who was with the accused Mrs. Bancroft on the night of the tenth the same person as the deceased?" "yes." "are you sure?" "Sure." "Have you not the slightest doubt?" "No." "You can cross-examine," Hastings said to Mason. Mason stood up from the lawyer's seat, walked up to the witness, and said to him kindly, "Did you identify this photo of Weima Keeley?" "yes." "When did you first see Ji Li's photo?" "I've seen Ji Li himself." "I know," Mason said. "But what I'm asking is, when did you first see Jilly's picture?" "They came to see... Let me think about it... By the way, it was around nine o'clock in the evening on the eleventh." "How long after the yacht was towed?" "I don't know, maybe four or five hours." "Who showed you the picture?" "Sheriff." "Did he ask if you had seen him?" "It's almost the same." "What the Sheriff actually asked you was if the man in the picture was the man who was with Mrs Bancroft the night before, and whether you saw her rowing him out on the yacht, didn't you?" "The meaning should be similar." "Do you remember what the sheriff said?" "Don't remember. He showed me the picture and said he thought I might have seen the man." "Do you agree with him?" "I said, it's possible." "Did he tell you to look at that photograph carefully?" "Have." "Did you read it carefully?" "Look carefully." "Is this before you went to the morgue to look at the body?" "yes." "When did you go to the morgue?" "On the night of the twelfth." "How many times have you seen Ji Li's photo before you went to the morgue?" "Many times." "several times?" "Several times." "Do you have that picture?" "There is a photocopy." "Where did you get it?" "The sheriff gave it to me." "Are you told to take a closer look?" "yes." "Did he ask you to identify the person in the photo?" "I don't think that's what he said. He said to me, isn't that the man who was on the kickboard with Mrs. Bancroft the night before? I said it looked alike." "He left you the photo and told you to look at it carefully, didn't he?" "It wasn't given on the spot, but the next morning." "On the morning of the twelfth?" "yes." "Did you see that picture on and off on the same day?" "yes." "After you saw the picture, you were taken to the morgue, weren't you?" "yes." Mason looked at him thoughtfully. "Did you wear glasses when you looked at the photo?" "Of course there is." "Where are your glasses now?" The witness naturally reached into his breast pocket to look for it, but put his hand down again and said, "I left it in the room, but I didn't bring it out." "But you did wear glasses when you looked at the pictures on the eleventh and twelfth, didn't you?" "yes." "Can you see better with your glasses on?" "certainly." "Can you identify the person in the photo without your glasses?" "I don't know, probably not." "But you didn't wear glasses just now, didn't you also identify it?" "I know whose picture it is." "how do you know?" "It must be a picture of the dead man!" "Why must it be?" "Is not it?" "Let me ask you again, do you know who is in the photo?" Mason asked. "I know. Didn't I just take the oath?" "You don't wear glasses, can you see clearly?" "clear." Mason walked over, picked up the photo, and took out another photo from his pocket. After comparing it for a while, he walked up to the witness and said, "Look at this photo. Are you sure it's the night of the tenth with the defendant?" A man with you?" "I said I was sure." "It's him right?" "yes." "Are you not at all sure?" "No." "Wait, wait," cried Hastings, jumping up. "The defender has two pictures, one of which he took out of his pocket when we couldn't see it!" "Okay," Mason said. "I showed the witnesses both. Are they the same person?" "yes." "Let me see the pictures," said Hastings. "What's the problem?" Mason said, showing him two photos. "No, no," said Hastings. "It's not fair to the witness, it's clearly two different photos." "He just swore it was the same person in the photo," Mason said. "I think witnesses should be told..." "Tell what?" Mason said. "Tell me that the person in the second photo is not Weymar Kiley." Mason turned to the witness. "Mr. Kirby, do you see any difference between the two photographs?" Kirby narrowed his eyes, picked up the photo, threw his head back, and said, "It looks the same, but I don't have my glasses on so I can't see very well." "Do you usually wear glasses?" "certainly." "Then why didn't you wear it today?" "Well……" "Why?" Mason asked. "I left it in the room at the club and didn't bring it." "Anyone suggest you keep your glasses there?" "Someone told me that if I wear glasses to come here to identify, I will have a little more trouble." "why?" "They just said that I would be in trouble." "Who said that?" "The District Attorney." "Did you leave your glasses at the club?" "He said it might be better." "That's because you weren't wearing glasses on the night of the tenth, were you?" Mason said. "When it's foggy, you can't wear glasses near the water. It's better not to wear anything. You can see better without glasses than with them. Because the fog will cover the entire lens, and then you have to keep wiping it, so Better not to wear them." "So you didn't wear glasses on the night of the tenth?" "I said the fog was thick." "So you weren't wearing glasses when you saw the man you identified as Weymar Jilly?" "I told you I don't wear them on the docks. How many times do you want me to tell you?" "I just wanted to confirm your testimony," Mason explained patiently. "When you first saw Ji Li, you didn't wear glasses, did you?" "No." "Not from beginning to end?" "No." "Didn't you wear it when you saw the accused?" "No—but I do recognize her." "Of course," Mason said. "Because you have known her for many years. But you didn't wear glasses when you looked at these two photos, and you did testify that the photos are of the same person. In court, I want to mark the second photo as identified, and I'll let you know soon." Later, I will explain the relationship between this photo and this case, and I will list it as the defendant's second evidence." "Allowed," said Judge Herbert. "I object to this form of cross-examination," Hastings said. "It's a sleight of hand among lawyers to confuse witnesses." Mason smiled at the judge. "In court, I didn't ask him to leave his glasses at the club. The witnesses identified the photograph presented by the plaintiff as Weymar Kiley, the man who was at the club with the defendant on the night of the tenth. I just took two photographs." Asked him to see if it was the same person, and he said yes." "On the record, it will naturally be clarified later," Justice Herbert said. "The second one can be marked as identified and listed as the defendant's second exhibit." "I can see very clearly without glasses," Kirby said. "I often don't wear them at the beach, especially at night." "I understand," Mason said. "Moisture on your lenses is a nuisance." "yes!" "It was foggy on the night of the tenth, so you didn't wear your glasses, did you?" "In the evening, the fog is not very thick, but the humidity is heavy. After the fog, even if you have a telescope, it is useless, no matter how far or near, you can't see anything." "Thank you," Mason said. "No more questions." Hastings hesitated for a moment before saying, "I don't have any questions to ask either." "Call the next witness," said Judge Herbert. "Calling Orange County Sheriff Jewett to the witness stand," Hastings said. Sheriff Jewitt testified that he arrived at the scene around four o'clock in the afternoon after receiving a report from his men that a yacht had run aground at the northern end of the harbor with a body inside.He went on board to find the body, and a coast guard boat was nearby at the time. They towed the yacht to the Blue Sky Club and moored, and then boarded the boat to search for fingerprints and clues.They took pictures on the spot.Weymar Keely lay dead in the main cabin, prone astern, with a bullet hole in his heart.He then supervised the removal of the body to the county morgue, where the coroner took out a bullet and placed it in his custody, which he identified as an exhibit. "Have you identified the body?" Hastings asked. "Yes, the deceased was Weymar Jilly." "Have you found out where the dead man lived?" "Have." "Where?" "In Ai Jie's apartment, it's actually a rental apartment. Most of the rooms have only a little kitchen equipment." "Have you ever been to the chamber of the dead?" "Seen." "Did you find anything?" "It contained an iron bed with a lumpy, thin mattress, four army blankets, two pillows, two straight chairs, an armchair, toilet, sink, small bathtub, several Dishes, an induction cooker." "Is there a sheet on the bed?" "No." "Is there a pillow case?" "No. There was a dirty fluffy towel on the pillow." "Is there a wardrobe?" "No, but in a small recessed corner, there is a three-foot-long pipe on which are hung six hangers, three of which hold clothes, trousers, overalls, and sports coats." "do you have anything else?" "Yes, I found a complete diving suit in a basket. From the marking on the diving suit, I found that it was rented from Xiangshi Diving Equipment Company, and a week's rent had been prepaid." "What else did you find?" "Also on a rickety dining table I see tomato sauce, a plate of canned beans, knives and forks, spoons, coffee cups. Half a quart of milk in the mini fridge, cans of pork and beans, cans of curry , a small bottle of soy sauce, half a bottle of sugar, two cups, two sets of coffee cups, four plates, two pancake plates, a creamer jug ​​with a broken handle. One drawer contains three knives and forks and three spoons each. There is another Frying pan and a battered aluminum saucepan. The saucepan had obviously boiled the beans and was still on the stove, the beans were all scooped out but there were bits of debris on the bottom of the pan. There was a half-cut strip on the table bread." "Is there a tablecloth?" "No." "Anything else?" "General household decorations, that's all I can remember," said the sheriff. "However, we have taken a complete picture of the scene at the time of discovery." "Did the scene not be moved when the photo was taken?" "No, everything in the room was photographed." "Were all of these photographs taken by you or under your supervision?" "yes." "We request the use of these twelve photos as evidence and to be numbered." Hastings said. "No objection," Mason said. "Now back to that so-called fatal bullet that you identified," Hastings said. "What kind of bullet is that?" ".38 caliber." "Can you tell from the direction of the trajectory which gun was fired?" "Yes, it fires the same type of gun as a Smith & Wesson revolver." "Sheriff, did you ask the defendant what she knew about this gun?" "Asked." "How did she answer?" "She said she was instructed not to answer any questions to anyone and that when the time came she would tell the truth, but until then she had nothing to say." "Did you ask her Mr. Harlow Bancroft about the gun?" "Asked." "How did he say?" "The answer is the same as his wife," "Did you check the gun registry to see if he ever bought a gun?" "I checked." "The results of it?" "On June 15 last year, he bought a Smith & Wesson . 38, number 133347." "Did you ask him to show you the gun?" "yes." "How did he say?" "He said there was no way." "Did you ask him to explain?" "Have." "Did he explain it?" "No." "Let's go back to the furnishings in the room of the deceased Weymar Jilly. Besides what you called the ordinary furnishings, did you find anything under the bed?" "Have." "What is it?" "A King's Typewriter." "Have you tried it?" "Yes, I typed all uppercase and lowercase letters on one sheet of paper." "Sheriff, the note I'm showing you now calls for a payment of three thousand dollars, which must be placed in a red coffee can as instructed by the telephone later. Would you please answer this note? " "I know." "When did you first see this note?" "It was given to me by a lifeguard at a public bathing beach in Lake Medi. He said it was a young..." "It doesn't matter what he says," Hastings interrupted quickly. "That's all rumors. What I want to ask is, have you compared the writing on the typewriter under Ji Li's bed with the writing on this note?" "some." "The results of it?" "From the way the letters were put together, I am sure that this threatening note was typed on the typewriter under Kiley's bed." "Back to that deadly bullet," Hastings said. "Have you ever tried to compare this bullet with other bullets?" "Have." "What bullet?" "Harlow Bancroft has a log cabin in the high country about thirty miles from San Bernardino, and I've been there to see it. The property it's on is a little over two acres. I found a house behind the house. The gun target is made of four layers of heat insulation boards, with a two-inch thick wooden board placed behind it, standing upright against the embankment." "What else did you find?" "I pried off the heat shield and found that there were a lot of bullets embedded in the board, most of which were . Some are also .22, but there are also six .38." "Do you have what's called a contrast microscope in your office?" "some." "Is that for comparing bullets?" "yes." "Have you ever compared that fatal bullet with any bullets on the Bancroft estate?" "It's all compared." "The results of it?" "I found two bullets with complete shape and sufficient comparison." "The results of it?" "The two bullets and the bullets on the deceased were fired from the same gun." "Have you ever stacked that deadly bullet on top of those two bullets for a photo?" "Yes. These photographs show that the line marks are an exact match. The upper one is the fatal bullet and the lower one is the later recovered bullet." "Are the three bullets found in these three photos?" "Yes, the upper part of each photo is the upper part of the fatal bullet, and the lower part is the lower part of the later recovered bullet." "We're asking for these three photos to be included as evidence," Hastings said. "No objection," Mason said. Hastings turned to Mason with a triumphant smile. "Are you going to question witnesses?" "Oh," Mason said nonchalantly. "Just a few questions." Mason walked up to the sheriff. "You said that so-called blackmail note was typed on a typewriter under Kiley's bed, didn't you?" "yes." "Is it the whole note?" "I can't swear to every letter because I'm a law enforcement officer and not an expert on problematic document identification, but I found a few missing letters on the typewriter, and the same thing happened on the note, and based on that, I think the note was typed on that typewriter." "When did you arrive on the Ginasha? I mean yourself." Mason asked. "Three fifty-five in the afternoon," said the sheriff. "Is that coast guard boat nearby?" "yes." "Before that, you've already received a call, haven't you?" "yes." "Then you went immediately to the spot where the yacht found it?" "yes." "Was the yacht aground when it was found?" The sheriff rubbed his chin. "Frankly, I don't know," he said. "I think so. I arrived afloat and I think it was high tide." "Did the yacht break down?" "yes." "How long is the anchor cable outside the boat?" "Not too long, only a few feet." "How many feet is it? Eight feet? Ten feet? Twelve feet?" "I think it's between fifteen and twenty feet." "Did you tow the yacht?" "It was my order. We must do this to get the survey equipment up." "Have you marked where the yacht was found?" "Not exactly, but I kind of know where it is." "But how can a twenty-foot anchor cable be dragged outside?" "We pulled up the anchor and put it on the yacht." "And drag it away?" "yes." "But you don't know the correct spot to spot the yacht, do you?" "I probably know." "But not sure, are you?" "I just can't drag it back to its proper place." "Did the tide go up or down?" "I don't know very well. It should be receding, but the water level is high." "After low tide, did you go back to your original location to search the seabed nearby?" "No." "why?" "Because no one had been on that boat for some time, the boat was afloat until it ran aground." "how do you know?" "From all indications. The lifeboat is still moored beside the ship, and the anchor line is trailing fifteen or twenty feet long under the water." "How on earth do you know?" "Based on circumstantial evidence." "How do you know the ship wasn't towed there to drop anchor?" "There's no reason to do that." "Maybe someone just did it for some reason." "We checked the shoreline carefully and there was no sign of a ship docking at all, so we believe that the ship floated there before it ran aground." "That's just your inference?" "It's my conclusion based on circumstantial evidence." "You don't know the exact spot where the yacht was found, do you?" "Of course I know, about three hundred and fifty feet offshore..." "Have you measured it?" Mason interrupted. "No." "Is three hundred and fifty feet an estimate?" "yes." "Can't you go back and find out exactly where?" "I've already said, there's no way." "Do you know how long the boat was there?" "The boat drifted there when the tide was high. I guess it should have drifted there when the tide was high the night before." "Excuse me, Inspector, what is the basis of your conjecture?" "We're almost certain of when Keely died. Because he was seen at the clubhouse being taken aboard, he had eaten canned beans at home before, and he died about two hours after he last ate. At sea. There was hardly any wind and the boat was clearly drifting out with the high tide." Mason said, "Sheriff, let's take a look at the ebb and flow of the tide. Look at this timetable. The actual high tide recorded on the 10th is actually 1:15 am on the 11th." "That's right." "The next high tide is two thirty-two in the afternoon on the eleventh. Did you find the boat at low tide?" "It hasn't fully retreated yet, but it has retreated quickly." "And you towed the boat up at once, didn't you?" "Yes, after I arrived at the scene, I ordered them to tow the boat to a convenient place for operation." "The cross-examination is over," Mason said. Hastings said: "Your court, I'm now going to call another witness, Steven Casey. He's a bit hostile and I can't vouch for him, but his testimony is important so I'm going to call him anyway. " "Good," said Judge Herbert. "Mr. Casey, please take the witness stand." Kathy's appearance was different from what Mason saw at Eva Amory's house. Her hair was cut, her clothes and shoes were brand new, and she looked very confident. "Please state your name," the prosecutor said. "Stein Casey." "What is your occupation?" "refuse to answer." "What's the reason?" "The reason is that if I answer, I am guilty." "Did Weymar Jilly know you well?" "yes." "Do you have a business agreement with him to be completed by the evening of the tenth?" "yes." "Mr. Casey, what is your occupation on the tenth day of this month? It is only limited to the tenth day of this month." "I don't have a regular job." "Then how do you live?" Kathy took a deep breath and said, "I accept donations from others." "Well, be honest!" said Hastings. "What is the nature of your profession? Why should others donate to you?" Casey shifted her position, crossed her legs, and said, "Blackmail." "Are you colluding with Jilly to blackmail the Bancrofts?" "No, the question has nothing to do with this case!" Mason said. "We wanted to be able to make connections, show motivations behind them," Hastings said. "This person is a very important witness in this case. He will expose this transaction as evidence of knowing the inside story, so his testimony is very important. In order to clarify this murder case, I am willing to drop the prosecution of the blackmail case." "Against the dismissal," Judge Herbert said. "This court is willing to pursue it to the end. Please continue." "Please answer," said Hastings. "Killy told me a secret," Casey said. "What secret?" "Against using hearsay as evidence!" Mason interrupted. "What I'm trying to show is that this is what constitutes a crime," Hastings said. Judge Herbert frowned. "Is this secret related to you and Ji Li?" "Have." "Okay, permission to answer. I may make cuts after listening. I will let you answer now, but you can file a motion for cuts afterwards." "Killy had a roommate at the rented place with whom he was very close," Casey said. "What kind of rented place?" "Ai Jie Apartment." "Okay, go ahead." "Ji Li said that this very good friend is called Alvin Vido Fodis. Fodis never told anyone about his past, but finally told Ji Li. On the one hand, because he is very close to Ji Li On the one hand, I trust Ji Li not to talk nonsense." "You took advantage of his past and took some kind of action, didn't you?" "yes." "Is this action also the direct reason for your cooperation with Ji Li?" "yes." "Can you tell me a little bit about the secret?" "No!" said Mason. "This is a rumor and has nothing to do with this case." "Rejected. I want to hear it," Judge Herbert said. "However, a motion to expunge may be filed after the fact." Casey said: "It seems that Verdes is a pseudonym. In fact, he is related to someone very famous in the society. If his real identity and criminal record are known to the world, Roseanne Andrews of the Bancroft family and the famous family I'm afraid Jason's wedding in the Blair family will fall apart." "How do you do it?" "Ji Li and I decided to make good use of this secret without making Fodis suspicious." "Then what do you do?" "I investigated the two families and found that the Bancroft family is very rich, while the Blair family is just more famous in society, but actually has little money. So I think it is easier to get money from the Bancroft family. " "How much is it?" "1,500 yuan for the first time, and 1,000 yuan for the second time." "Do you want all of these?" "Of course not only. Our purpose is to test the value of the secret. We want to ask for fifteen hundred dollars first, and then a thousand dollars. This should not frighten Roseanne Andrews. If she is willing to pay a 1,500 yuan, and her mother is willing to pay 1,000 yuan, then we will talk to Andrews again every two weeks, and then blackmail her again and again until we can't get any money. This is me and Ji profitable plan." "Well, what then?" "We wrote a blackmail note and put it in the front seat of Andrews' car, and we didn't want to use the mail. Jillie had a typewriter, and he was good at typing. I don't know anything about this kind of thing, so Jillie typed the letter. But he showed it to me, and I agreed." "What's in the note?" "It is to tell Andrews to pay 1,500 yuan according to our phone instructions, otherwise we will announce something and make her house ugly." "Is the purpose probing?" Hastings asked. "Yes. Then Ji Li approached the defendant again and extorted 1,000 yuan from her. But the mother and daughter didn't know that the other party was being blackmailed." "and after?" "After we put the note, we watched from the sidelines. Later, we saw Roseanne get into the car, picked up the note and read it several times before driving away." "and then?" Casey seemed a little sad when he said this. "After I read the note, Ji Li obviously changed the 1,500 yuan to 3,000 yuan behind my back before putting it in Roseanne's car." "Being behind your back?" "good." "What is his purpose?" "He wanted to keep the other fifteen hundred dollars for himself. We sailed out to the lake as planned that day--Bancro's is on the lake; and Jilly is a good diver--my idea was to rent a boat and pretend We're just two normal anglers, but we've got Jilly's diving gear on board. Once the boat leaves, I start fishing, and at a certain time and place, Jillie dives, and then we'll ask Roseanne to put the money in it. Throw the can of coffee into the water. Jillie will dive down to scoop it up and swim to a hidden spot on the shore, and I'll pretend I'm looking for a fishy spot and drive the boat over for Jillie to climb aboard , Change clothes, put the diving suit into the large basket prepared in advance, and then we return the boat and drive away. This way, even if there are wires nearby, we will not be found.” "and after?" "I think what happened next, everyone knows now," Casey said. "We asked her to put the money in a coffee can—a red coffee can, and there were two red coffee cans in the lake. One was empty, probably a bait can that had been thrown from a boat, and the other There was money in it. Unfortunately, one of the water skiers picked up the money one and gave it to the police; Jilly got the empty one." "Have you discussed this?" "After I saw the news in the newspaper, I asked him why he betrayed me." "What do you mean by betrayal?" "It's because he wanted to extort 3,000 yuan and take 1,500 yuan for himself." "What did he say?" "He swore he would never change the note. Someone betrayed him, and he even bit me back, saying that I wanted to keep 1,500 yuan for myself." "Well, what happened next?" "After we found out that we had taken the wrong coffee can, Ji Li called Roseanne and accused her of not following the instructions. Unexpectedly, Roseanne mistook him for a reporter who dug the news and hung up after scolding him. So he called him instead. Mom, she told Jilly to meet her at the pier outside the Blue Sky Club, and she was going to take him to the yacht and pay him, and then send him ashore so no one would see. She thought there was a private detective playing tricks on it, She said that like everyone else, she was afraid of being exposed." "What time did they agree to meet?" "Seven o'clock, at the pier outside the Blue Sky Club." "Do you know if they met?" "I've already told you what I heard on the phone and from Ji Li. All I know is that Ji Li did go to the Blue Sky Club, and that was the last time I saw him." "How did he get to the Blue Sky Club?" Mason asked. “我不知道。我最后一次看到他时，他在家吃晚饭，大约六点三十分吧。他一向就很喜欢吃罐头猪肉和豆子，我们最后一次谈话，他就是坐着大吃罐头猪肉和豆子。他说，他将近七点时要出去，半夜以前会回来，到时我们就会有三千元了。” "and after?" “然后我自己有事出去了。之后又回到艾洁公寓，我在那里也有一间房间。我等他等了很久，直到半夜他还是没回来，我想他一定是独吞了三千元，远走高飞了。” “你知道季利一直假装是佛迪斯的朋友吗？” "certainly." “他并且在友谊的掩饰下，诱使佛迪斯对他吐露心声，对吗？” “我当然都知道。” “然后蓄意利用佛迪斯的秘密去勒索，对吗？” “当然，”凯西说。“我不是什么好人，我也不想故作清高，季利和我是半斤八两。” “后来你打算出卖季利，对不对？你打算强迫伊娃·艾莫芮签一份文件，说咖啡罐里的三千元是她自己的，她只不过是为了出名才想出这种噱头。你恐吓她，叫她向警方要回那三千元，再交给你，对不对？” “不错，没想到会被你逮个正着。是季利先打算出卖我的，我只是给自己一些保障而已。其实季利并不算是我的伙伴，勒索还是个生手，所以才叫我帮忙处理。结果他竟然耍阴谋出卖我，让我去喝西北风，我也不过是要点保障而已。” “然后你去找地方检察官，把所有的事和盘托出，目的就是要免除勒索的刑责，是不是？” “换作你，你会怎么做？”凯西问。 “是我在问你，到底是不是？” "yes." “地方检察官拿钱让你去理发、买新衣新鞋，好在法庭给人一个好印象，是不是？” “不是检察官。” “是警长吗？” "yes." “地方检察官保证不起诉你吗？” “只要我在证人席上说出真相。” “他对真相的定义是什么？” “必须完全没有漏洞。” “换句话说，只要经得起对方的盘问，就可以算是真相，是不是？” "almost." “只要我在盘问时抓到你的辫子，证明你在说谎，你就没有免责权了，是不是？” “我想意思差不多是这样。他当然不是这么说的，不过我必须说出真相就是了。既然是真相，当然就没有人能找出漏洞。只要我说的话站得住脚，他们就不会为难我。” “换句话说，只要你的证词能让被告定罪，你就不会被控勒索了，是不是？” “这是你自己的解释，”凯西说。“这和检察官所说的不太一样，你也别想把这种扭曲的解释列入纪录。我和检察官的协议是，只要我所说的都没有破绽，而且句句属实，足以在法庭上站得住脚，那我就不必担心会因勒索而被起诉。 “梅森先生，我老实告诉你吧，我不是什么好人，以前惹过麻烦，因此我不能告诉你们我的职业是什么。我不会笨得把什么都说出来，他们答应免除刑责的，只限于这件勒索案，所以我愿意回答与本案相关的所有问题，就算说出来会让大家觉得我很卑劣，我也要说出真相。但你别忘记，和我合作的这个人根本不算是我的伙伴。他不过是要求我处理一桩勒索，却又一开头就想出卖我，这口气我可咽不下去。” 梅森说：“十日晚上季利被杀时，你在哪里？” 凯西得意地笑着说：“我有很充分的不在场证明。差不多就在命案发生的同一时间，我正在向伊娃·艾莫芮敲竹杠，之后我开车回家，整晚都待在那里。半夜过没多久，我起来等季利，他一直没回来，我想他一定是出卖了我。不过我不是很在乎，因为我觉得一定能使艾莫芮就范。大家大概都会对她为了出名而耍手段感到不齿，但对我可没什么影响。他们总得把钱还给她，到头来钱还是会落在我手上。” “后来佛迪斯怎样了？” “谁知道呢？他们之间的事，我可一点都不知道，我只知道他刚出狱，正被通缉，他发现季利出卖他，要去勒索他家后，便逃走了。他的心态不难了解，他觉得这件勒索案迟早都会落到警方手里，他又刚好是黑名单上的热门人物，他决定还是小心为上，溜之大吉。” “你说他是黑名单上的热门人物，是什么意思？” “意思很明白啊！他涉及一件加油站的抢案，警方正在找他。他一看报上刊出那张勒索字条，知道事情闹大了，决定去避避风头。” “你和他谈过这件事吗？” “我从来没有和他说过话，”凯西说。“我认得他，是因为我们住在同一栋公寓。他是季利的朋友，不是我的。他和我一点都不认识。” “但季利认识你。” “他当然认识我，我在某方面很有名的……我们不谈这个，季利想向班克罗家敲诈，他认为我可以教他。” “你教他了吗？” "I do not deny." “命案当晚，你就在季利房间吗？” “不错，将近七点的时候，大概在六点三十分到七点之间。” “那时季利在做什么？” “我说过，他在吃晚饭，因为急着要离开，他吃得很急。他说他都搞定了，他要弄回到了手又溜掉的三千元，半夜以前他就会回来。” “他晚餐吃些什么？” “我说过了，他晚上吃的是罐头猪肉和豆子。” “有没有喝咖啡？” “没有，倒是有喝牛奶，他不太喜欢晚上喝咖啡，都是早上喝。梅森先生，我说过这个人不是我的同伙，他只不过是……总之，他只是找我帮忙而已。” “然后你去处理你自己的事，你是几点回去的？” “我不清楚，大概……九点或九点三十分吧。” “之后你是否一直待在你的房间？” “没有，我从我的房间走到季利的房间大概有六、七次，去看他有没有回来。” “你进去他的房间了吗？” “我没有钥匙，我只在外面看看里面有没有灯光。十二点过后不久，我去敲他的门，看他是不是没找我就上床睡觉了。凌晨一点，我又去敲一次。这时我已断定他出卖我，自己拿了三千元一走了之。这我倒是不在乎，季利这种三流角色，我自信还可以应付。” “你怎么应付的？” “我说过，我先叫艾莫芮声明这整件事都是她的宣传伎俩，这样她就有权把钱要回去了。我估计班克罗家不敢出面说钱是他们的，如此一来，警方就会知道勒索案的内情。我想这样就没问题了。季利出卖我，拿走三千元，我也如法炮制，大家就扯平了。然后我再依照原订计划继续勒索。目前这都只是第一步，接着我准备再向班克罗家敲诈一千元。等下次再碰到季利时，我要让他吐出独吞的一千五百元。” “你自己独吞一半又怎么说？” “不一样，那是我和艾莫芮另外的交易，与他无关。” “你说他向被告勒索三千元，你要如何让他吐出其中一半？” 凯西慢条斯理地说：“方法可多着。干我们这一行的，总有办法让出卖你的人事后付出代价。” “你干的是哪一行？”梅森问。 凯西笑了笑说：“这又回到原来的问题了，我告诉过你，我不会说的。除了这件勒索案外，可没人保证给我免责权。” “但勒索案可以，是吗？” "good." “只要你的话站得住脚，是吗？”梅森说。 “先生，你又在找我的漏洞了。我跟你说真话，你却处处在挑我的毛病。我还没笨到和检察官立下协议后又不肯讲真话，那不是自掘坟墓吗？我明白得很，只要我说的话站得住脚，就不用去坐牢，否则我就遭殃了。我凯西坏虽坏，还不至于笨到不知好歹。” “所以你很乐于见到被告被定罪，是吗？” “我只管我是否说出真相，至于效果如何，我并不在乎；如果班克罗太太因此被控谋杀罪，那也是她运气不好。我的原则是只管说实话，结果如何我可不管。” “你知道季利要去游艇俱乐部和班克罗太太见面吗？” “是的，他告诉过我。” “他没回来，你也没想到要去俱乐部找他吗？” “没有，我一直在家里等他回来，我想给他一个坦白的机会。” “如果他把三千元和你对分，你从艾莫芮那里拿的三千元会不会也和他对分？” “庭上，”检察官说。“我认为这是个争辩性的问题，而且完全超乎合法盘问的范围。我知道证人的背景比较特殊，所说的话可能较容易启人疑窦，也因此我尽量给予被告方面最大的盘问空间。如果他所说的话有破绽，我和辩护律师一样急于知道。但他的问题是，假如证人能迫使艾莫芮签一份文件，而得到三千元，他打算怎么做，这与本案几乎毫无关系。” “我同意这是个争辩性的问题，”郝伯特法官说。“但现在的情况和证人的背景都比较特殊，辩护律师应有绝对的盘问自由，所以我还是要驳回。请回答。” 凯西说：“这样说吧：如果季利不跟我玩花样的话，我想我那三千元会分他的。我这人向来喜欢扶持……不过，自从季利背着我把金额加高一倍，还妄想先打开咖啡罐自己独吞一千五百元，然后把字条销毁，我对这个人就不再信任了。我心想就当他是个痞子，和他合作完这一票，以后就不再和他有什么瓜葛了。我们这一行和其他行业一样，也有一套职业道德，和我合作的人都可以相信我——梅森先生，我可不是要谈我的职业，只是谈谈这笔交易而已。” “谢谢你，”梅森微微一笑。“我没有其他问题了。” 检察官海斯汀说：“我的下一位证人是法医莫利·白杰。” 白杰医师走上证人席。 梅森说：“我们先约定好，白杰医生的专业能力应属于盘问的范围。” “好的，谢谢你。”检察官说着，转向证人。 “白杰医生，你是否曾于本月十一日奉召去验尸？” "yes." “验谁的尸？” “威玛·季利；起码尸体的指纹已被当作威玛·季利的指纹列为证据。” “你发现死因是什么？” “一颗点三八的子弹射入胸部后，穿透死者的心脏，停留在脊椎上。” “你对他的死因有什么看法？” “依我们判断，应该是瞬间致死的。” “死者遭射杀后，有什么动作？” “没有。子弹穿过心脏，停留在脊椎里，唯一的动作应该就是重力。也就是说，他被射杀后，便当场倒地死亡。” “你是何时验尸的？” “大约是十一日晚上九点三十分。” “死者死亡多久了？” “大约二十四小时。” “你能说出更精确的时间吗？” “从医学上看，应该是前一晚八点到十一点之间。我可以根据旁证，将死亡的时间订得更准确一些。” "What does it mean?" “死者是在进食罐头猪肉和豆子后约一至一个半小时死亡的。” “你可以发问了。”检察官说。 “我没有问题。”梅森说。 “什么！”海斯汀大感惊讶。“你都没有问题？” "No." “庭上，”海斯汀说。“现在已将近中午休庭时间，我方也差不多审问终结了。在这种调查庭中，我们只需显示此案确为谋杀案，并提出足够的理由显示被告涉及本案就行了。我认为本案已可充分确立。” “看起来似乎是如此，”郝伯特法官说。“不知被告是否要进行辩护？” “被告希望先休庭，”梅森说。“明早再开庭。” “你要提出辩护吗？”郝伯特法官问。“在这种调查庭中，这当然是比较少见，但我要提醒辩护律师，这种表面上证据确凿的案件既经确立后，光是提出证据上有冲突，对本庭的裁决可说毫无影响。只要我们有足够的理由相信被告犯罪，本庭就有责任令被告具结再出庭。证人的证词相冲突时，是否足以采信，完全由陪审团决定。” “庭上，这个我了解，”梅森说。“但被告有权要求合理的延期，我希望能延期到明天早上，以确定我方是否要提出证词。同时我要在此做一公开声明：由于被告听从我的建议，对于调查人员的问题一概拒绝回答，已使被告在新闻界蒙受某种程度的伤害。因此我宣布本案休庭后立刻举行记者会，被告将一五一十地告诉记者命案当晚发生的事。” “庭上！”海斯汀跳起来大叫。“这太荒谬了！根本就是扭曲了司法调查的精神。被告在辩护律师的建议下，一直一言不发，现在本案已停止举证了