The Case of the Fenced-In Woman
order."
    "That's all right," Mason told her. "I'll be responsible to Judge Goodwin. Now let me ask you where you've been."
    "I've been shopping," she said.
    "How long have you been gone?"
    "None of your business."
    "It may not be my business," Mason said, "but it's going to be the business of the police."
    "What do you mean, the police?"
    "I mean," Mason said, "that your ex – husband, Loring Carson, lies murdered just on the other side of that fence. Someone pushed a knife into his back and it just might be a good plan, Mrs. Carson, to find out whether-"
    Vivian Carson's arms opened. First one bag of groceries, then the other crashed to the floor. A carton of milk spilled open, a bottle of salad dressing broke. Milk and salad dressing mingled together on the waxed tile floor.
    "My husband.. mur.. murdered," she repeated, as though trying to accustom her mind to the words.
    "That's right," Mason said, "murdered, and the police-"
    He broke off as the sound of a siren screaming around the turn in the road died to a low – pitched growl.
    "The police," Mason finished, "are here now. Are there any oilier groceries in your car?"
    "Two full bags," she said.
    "Permit me," Mason said. "I'll bring them in for you."
    The lawyer detoured the mess of spilled groceries on the door, said, "Perhaps you'd care to show me just where they arc."
    Vivian Carson started to follow him, then shook her head, braced herself against a wall for support, moved a few staggering steps to a chair and collapsed into the seat.
    Mason went out to her car, noticing the squad car on the other side of the fence at the Morley Eden entrance.
    The lawyer opened the car door, carefully looked in, found two shopping bags filled with groceries, took them in his arms, carried them to the house, noticing, as he did so, that all of the police activity was centered at the other side of the residence. Apparently the officers had not seen him.
    Mason brought the groceries into the house, paused before Vivian Carson.
    "Where do you want these, Mrs. Carson? In the kitchen?"
    "Yes," she said. "Please."
    "Come on," Mason told her.
    "I… I can't… I…"
    "Nonsense," Mason told her. "Get up out of that chair and tell me where to put these groceries."
    At the peremptory tone of his voice, she arose from the chair, took a few uncertain steps, then led the way slowly into the kitchen.
    Mason dropped the groceries on a table, said, "Now look, Mrs. Carson, I want to be absolutely fair with you. While I'm in here, I'm going to look around."
    "What do you mean?"
    "Your husband was murdered," Mason said. "The police are on the other side of the house right now. The minute you open the door between the kitchen and dining area you'll see them in the living room on the other side of the fence. They're going to question you."
    She nodded silently.
    "Now then," Mason said, "you're a pretty poised young woman. You have been around. You know what it's all about. You hated your husband's guts. I don't know why you should be so shocked over his murder unless you had something to do with it."
    "What do you mean?"
    "Did you kill him?" Mason asked.
    "Who, me?… Heavens, no!"
    Mason nodded in the direction of a long magnetic bar which was just to the right of a big electric range. A dozen or more knives were suspended from this magnetized bar.
    "It looks as if there might be a gap there," he said, pointing to a vacant space. "All of the other knives are arranged symmetrically and evenly spaced, then there's this gap and-"
    "One knife is in the icebox," she explained. "I put it in there with some bread I had been slicing. Why this sudden attempt to pin a murder on me? Do you have some client you're trying to protect?"
    "Let's put it this way. I'm giving you a dress rehearsal before the police start asking you questions. How long has this shopping trip of yours kept you away from the house here?"
    "A couple of hours, I guess."
    "Just getting groceries?"
    "I stopped at the supermarket and got the

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