Read Online The Case of the Counterfeit Eye by Erle Stanley Gardner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Erle Stanley Gardner
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me it was murder, you'll have to admit I gave you her location."
Someone snickered.
Holcomb whirled to one of the men.
"Telephone headquarters," he said, "and tell them to pick up that girl at Perry Mason's office. Smash the doors down if you have to. She's a material witness. Tell them Mason's getting a shorthand report of her story. Give that secretary ten minutes more with her and there won't be any case."
Perry Mason said with dignity, "Have you chaps any more questions to ask of me?"
"What time did you get here?" Holcomb inquired.
"Shortly after midnight – perhaps twenty minutes after twelve."
"Basset was dead when you got here?"
"Apparently. I was in the outer office all the time and I heard no sound from this room. Mrs. Basset went in here to get something, and she discovered the body."
"Did you notify the police?"
"We discovered it just as the police were coming in the door. They'd been summoned in connection with the attack which had been made upon Miss Fenwick."
"Who's Miss Fenwick?"
"The young woman who was attacked."
Sergeant Holcomb stared moodily at Perry Mason.
"Is she your client?"
"No, not at present, anyway."
"Had you ever seen her before?"
"No."
"How did it happen you wasted so much time talking with these people in the outer room?"
"I came out here," Mason said, "to see Basset."
"How did it happen you wasted so much time chewing the fat, if you came out here to see Basset?" Sergeant Holcomb demanded.
"Because there was a lot of excitement in connection with the attack on the young woman, and I suggested the police be summoned."
Holcomb said, "That's the second time you've mentioned about the police and both times you've said the police were to be sent for, or words to that effect." Mason exhaled cigarette smoke and said nothing.
"You keep putting it that way," Holcomb went on, "which is a funny way of expressing it. Now then, I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Never mind telling me the police were sent for, but tell me who sent for the police."
"I did."
"Did you tell them who you were?"
"No; I told them I was young Basset."
"Why did you tell them that?"
"Because I wanted to get some action. I was afraid they'd think it was a stall if I told them who was talking, and I didn't have time to make a lot of explanations."
Sergeant Holcomb sighed wearily. "You win," he said; "you always have an answer." He waved his hand toward the door. "Okay, you can go now. And if you think you can get to your office before the boys from headquarters do, you're just an optimist, that's all."
"I'm in no particular hurry," Mason said.
"Oh, yes, you are," Sergeant Holcomb told him. "You're on your way right now. You're a busy man, Mr. Mason, and you came here just to see Mr. Basset on a matter of business. Mr. Basset is dead, so you can't see him about any business. Therefore, you've got nothing to talk to anyone about. You haven't been retained by anyone here. You didn't know Mr. Basset was murdered. You thought it was a suicide. And the young woman who was attacked isn't here any more, so there's nothing to hold you here and we're not going to interfere with your sleep. You can go on your way right now."
"I can at least wait while I telephone for a taxicab." Mason said.
Sergeant Holcomb grinned.
"Your car isn't here?"
"No."
"What happened to it?"
"I told the young woman to take it up to my office."
"What were you intending to do – about getting up to your office?"
"I was going in a taxicab."
"Well, well, well," Sergeant Holcomb said. "That's too bad. We can't have the leading trial lawyer of our city waiting around while we get taxicabs. Good Lord, no. His time's too valuable. One of you boys put him in a police car and take him up to his office. See that he gets delivered right away and without any delay and bring Mrs. Basset in here, before he goes, and we'll find out what she knows about this."
Perry Mason ground out his cigarette in an ash tray.
"For a man who gets as few
Someone snickered.
Holcomb whirled to one of the men.
"Telephone headquarters," he said, "and tell them to pick up that girl at Perry Mason's office. Smash the doors down if you have to. She's a material witness. Tell them Mason's getting a shorthand report of her story. Give that secretary ten minutes more with her and there won't be any case."
Perry Mason said with dignity, "Have you chaps any more questions to ask of me?"
"What time did you get here?" Holcomb inquired.
"Shortly after midnight – perhaps twenty minutes after twelve."
"Basset was dead when you got here?"
"Apparently. I was in the outer office all the time and I heard no sound from this room. Mrs. Basset went in here to get something, and she discovered the body."
"Did you notify the police?"
"We discovered it just as the police were coming in the door. They'd been summoned in connection with the attack which had been made upon Miss Fenwick."
"Who's Miss Fenwick?"
"The young woman who was attacked."
Sergeant Holcomb stared moodily at Perry Mason.
"Is she your client?"
"No, not at present, anyway."
"Had you ever seen her before?"
"No."
"How did it happen you wasted so much time talking with these people in the outer room?"
"I came out here," Mason said, "to see Basset."
"How did it happen you wasted so much time chewing the fat, if you came out here to see Basset?" Sergeant Holcomb demanded.
"Because there was a lot of excitement in connection with the attack on the young woman, and I suggested the police be summoned."
Holcomb said, "That's the second time you've mentioned about the police and both times you've said the police were to be sent for, or words to that effect." Mason exhaled cigarette smoke and said nothing.
"You keep putting it that way," Holcomb went on, "which is a funny way of expressing it. Now then, I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Never mind telling me the police were sent for, but tell me who sent for the police."
"I did."
"Did you tell them who you were?"
"No; I told them I was young Basset."
"Why did you tell them that?"
"Because I wanted to get some action. I was afraid they'd think it was a stall if I told them who was talking, and I didn't have time to make a lot of explanations."
Sergeant Holcomb sighed wearily. "You win," he said; "you always have an answer." He waved his hand toward the door. "Okay, you can go now. And if you think you can get to your office before the boys from headquarters do, you're just an optimist, that's all."
"I'm in no particular hurry," Mason said.
"Oh, yes, you are," Sergeant Holcomb told him. "You're on your way right now. You're a busy man, Mr. Mason, and you came here just to see Mr. Basset on a matter of business. Mr. Basset is dead, so you can't see him about any business. Therefore, you've got nothing to talk to anyone about. You haven't been retained by anyone here. You didn't know Mr. Basset was murdered. You thought it was a suicide. And the young woman who was attacked isn't here any more, so there's nothing to hold you here and we're not going to interfere with your sleep. You can go on your way right now."
"I can at least wait while I telephone for a taxicab." Mason said.
Sergeant Holcomb grinned.
"Your car isn't here?"
"No."
"What happened to it?"
"I told the young woman to take it up to my office."
"What were you intending to do – about getting up to your office?"
"I was going in a taxicab."
"Well, well, well," Sergeant Holcomb said. "That's too bad. We can't have the leading trial lawyer of our city waiting around while we get taxicabs. Good Lord, no. His time's too valuable. One of you boys put him in a police car and take him up to his office. See that he gets delivered right away and without any delay and bring Mrs. Basset in here, before he goes, and we'll find out what she knows about this."
Perry Mason ground out his cigarette in an ash tray.
"For a man who gets as few
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