erlestanleygardner.thecaseofthehorrifiedheirs-第25部分

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　〃Thank　you；〃　Mason　said。　〃That's　all。〃
　Kelvin　left　the　stand。
　〃All　right；〃　Mason　whispered；　turning　to　Virginia　Baxter。　〃Tell　me　about　it。〃
　〃That's　the　will；〃　she　answered。　〃I　remember　now　typing　that　wonderful　tribute　to　her　doctor。〃
　Mason　said；　〃I'm　going　up　to　get　that　will　and　take　a　good　look　at　it。　I　don't　want　you　to　seem　to　be　paying　any　great　attention　to　what　I'm　doing；　but　look　over　my　shoulder；　particularly　at　the　attestation　clause　and　the　witness　clause　and　see　if　that　really　is　your　signature。〃
　Mason　walked　up　to　the　clerk's　desk。　〃May　I　see　the　will；　please？〃　he　said。　〃I'd　like　to　examine　it　in　some　detail。〃
　The　clerk　handed　Mason　the　will　while　Caswell　said；　〃My　next　witness　will　be　a　member　of　the　California　highway　patrol；　Harry　Auburn。〃
　Auburn；　in　uniform；　advanced　to　the　witness　stand。　He　proved　to　be　the　officer　who　had　inspected　the　scene　of　the　collision　at　the　Saint's　Rest　Motel。
　Mason；　turning　the　pages　of　the　will；　casually　paused　to　examine　the　signatures。
　Virginia　Baxter　said　in　some　dismay；　〃That's　my　signature　and　that's　Mr。　Bannock's　signature。　Oh；　Mr。　Mason；　I　remember　it　all　now。　This　is　the　will　all　right。　I　remember　several　things　about　it。　There's　a　little　ink　smudge　at　the　bottom　of　the　page。　I　remember　it　happened　when　we　were　signing　it。　I　wanted　to　type　the　last　page　over　but　Mr。　Bannock　said　to　let　it　go。〃
　〃There　seems　to　be　a　fingerprint　there；〃　Mason　said；　〃a　fingerprint　in　the　ink。〃
　〃I　don't　see　it。〃
　〃Over　here；〃　Mason　said。　〃Just　a　few　ridges；　but　enough；　I　would　say；　to　make　an　identifiable　fingerprint。〃
　〃Heavens；〃　she　said；　〃that　will　be　mine…unless　it　should　be　Lauretta　Trent's。〃
　〃Leave　it　to　Caswell；〃　Mason　said；　〃he'll　have　found　it　out。〃
　The　lawyer　flipped　over　the　remaining　pages　of　the　will；　folded　it；　replaced　it　in　the　envelope；　went　up　and　tossed　it　casually　on　the　clerk's　desk；　as　though　not　greatly　interested　in　it；　and　turned　his　attention　to　the　witness　on　the　stand。
　As　Mason　walked　back　and　sat　down　beside　Virginia　Baxter；　she　whispered　to　him；　〃But　why　in　the　world　would　anyone　want　all　this　fuss　about　forging　two　wills　when　there　already　was　this　will？　It　must　have　been　that　they　didn't　know　of　its　existence。〃
　〃Perhaps　someone　wanted　to　find　out；〃　Mason　said。　〃We'll　talk　it　over　later；　Virginia。〃
　Harry　Auburn　gave　his　testimony　in　a　voice　without　expression；　simply　relating　what　had　happened；　and　apparently　with　every　attempt　to　be　impartial　but；　at　the　same　time；　to　be　one　hundred　percent　accurate。
　He　testified　that　he　had　been　directed　by　radio　to　go　to　the　Saint's　Rest　Motel　to　investigate　an　automobile　accident；　that　this　had　been　a　routine　call；　that　he　had　gone　up　the　road　to　the　Saint's　Rest　and　found　that　an　automobile　belonging　to　the　defendant　and　one　belonging　to　Perry　Mason　had　been　in　a　collision；　that　while　he　was　investigating　the　facts　of　the　collision　he　asked　for　a　check　on　the　cars；　and　he　was　called　back　on　the　radio　of　his　car。
　〃Now；　you　can't　tell　us　what　anyone　told　you　on　the　radio；〃　Caswell　said。　〃That　would　be　hearsay；　but　you　can　tell　us　what　you　did　with　reference　to　that　call。〃
　〃Well；　after　receiving　that　call；　I　interrogated　the　defendant　as　to　whether　she　had　been　using　the　car；　whether　she　had　been　in　another　collision；　and　where　she　had　been　in　the　last　hour。〃
　〃What　did　she　say？〃
　〃She　denied　using　the　car　except　to　make　that　one　loop　in　the　motel　grounds。　She　said　that　she　had　been　in　her　room　in　the　motel　for　some　two　hours。　She　emphatically　denied　having　been　in　any　other　collision。〃
　〃Then　what　happened？〃
　〃I　checked　the　license　number　of　her　car；　I　found　two　significant　figures；　I　checked　the　make　of　the　car；　I　found　enough　evidence　to　take　her　into　custody。
　〃Later　on；　I　returned　to　the　scene　of　the　accident。　I　picked　up　pieces　of　broken　headlight　which　had　e　from　her　car；　that　is；　they　matched　the　broken　lens　on　the　righthand　headlight。
　〃I　then　went　to　the　scene　of　the　accident　on　the　coast　road　and　picked　up　a　bit　of　glass　there　which　had　e　from　a　broken　headlight；　then　I　removed　the　headlight　from　her　car　and　patched　all　of　the　pieces　of　the　glass　together。〃
　〃Do　you　have　that　headlight　with　you？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Will　you　produce　it；　please？〃
　Auburn　left　the　stand；　picked　up　a　cardboard　carton；　opened　it　and　took　out　an　automobile　headlight。　The　lens　had　been　patched　together。
　〃Will　you　explain　these　different　patchings；　please？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　This　small　piece　around　the　rim　was　the　part　that　was　in　the　headlight　of　the　defendant's　automobile　at　the　time　I　found　it。　I　have　marked　those　two　pieces　number　one　and　number　two　with　pieces　of　adhesive　tape　which　have　been　placed　on　them。
　〃The　pieces　of　glass　I　found　at　the　scene　of　the　accident　at　the　Saint's　Rest　Motel；　I　numbered　number　three　and　number　four；　and　these　three　pieces；　numbers　five；　six　and　seven；　were　picked　up　at　the　scene　of　the　hit…and…run　on　the　coast　road。〃
　〃You　may　inquire；〃　Caswell　said。
　〃No　questions；〃　Mason　said　cheerfully。
　Judge　Grayson　looked　at　him。　〃No　questions；　Mr。　Mason？〃
　〃No　questions；　Your　Honor。〃
　〃Now　then；〃　Caswell　said；　〃I　would　like　to　recall　George　Eagan　to　question　him　on　another　phase　of　the　case。〃
　〃Very　well；〃　Judge　Grayson　said。
　Eagan　approached　the　stand。　〃You're　already　under　oath；〃　Caswell　said。
　Eagan　nodcjed　and　seated　himself。
　〃Did　you　ever　at　any　time　approach　the　defendant　and　ask　her　to　tell　you　about　a　will？〃
　〃I　never　saw　the　defendant　in　my　life　until　I　was　taken　to　see　her　in　the　jail。〃
　〃You　never　gave　her　five　hundred　dollars　or　any　other　sum　to　make　spurious　copies　of　any　wills？〃
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃In　short；　you　had　no　dealings　with　her　whatever？〃
　〃That　is　right。〃
　〃Never　saw　her　in　your　life？〃
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃You　may　cross…examine；〃　Caswell　said。
　Mason　regarded　the　witness　thoughtfully。　〃Did　you；〃　he　asked；　〃know　that　you　were　a　beneficiary　under　Lauretta　Trent's　will？〃
　The　witness　hesitated。
　〃Answer　the　question；〃　Mason　said。　〃Did　you　or　did　you　not　know？〃
　〃I　knew　that　she　had　remembered　me　in　her　will。　I　didn't　know　for　how　much。〃
　〃You　knew；　then；　that　when　she　died　you　would　be　paratively　wealthy。〃
　〃No；　sir。　I　tell　you　I　didn't　know　how　much。〃
　〃How　did　you　know　that　she　had　remembered　you　in　her　will？〃
　〃She　told　me。〃
　〃When？〃
　〃About　three　months　ago；　four　months　ago…well；　maybe　five　months　ago。〃
　〃You　did　a　great　deal　of　cooking；　preparing　foods　that　Lauretta　Trent　ate？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Outdoor　cooking？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃You　used　quite　a　bit　of　garlic？〃
　〃She　liked　garlic。　Yes。〃
　〃Did　you　know　that　garlic　was　a　good　method　of　disguising　the　taste　of　powdered　arsenic？〃
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃Did　you；　at　any　time；　put　arsenic　in　the　food　you　prepared？〃
　〃Oh；　Your　Honor；　if　the　Court　please；〃　Caswell　interposed。　〃This　is　pletely　inpetent；　irrelevant　and　immaterial。　It's　insulting　the　witness　and　it's　calling　for　matters　which　have　not　been　mentioned　on　direct　examination。　It　is　improper　cross…examination。〃
　〃I　think　it　is；〃　Judge　Grayson　ruled；　〃unless　counsel　can　connect　it　up。　It　is　quite　all　right　for　him　to　show　that　the　witness　knew　he　was　a　beneficiary　under　the　will；　but　this　is　an　entirely　different　matter。〃
　Mason　said；　〃I　expect　to　show　that　a　deliberate　attempt　was　made　to　poison　Lauretta　Trent　by　the　use　of　arsenic　on　three　distinct　occasions。　And　on　at　least　one　of　these　occasions；　the　symptoms　followed　the　ingestion　of　food　prepared　by　this　witness。〃
　Judge　Grayson's　eyes　widened。　He　sat　forward　on　the　bench。　〃You　can　prove　that？〃　he　asked。
　〃I　can　prove　it；〃　Mason　said；　〃by　pertinent　evidence。〃
　Judge　Grayson　settled　back。　〃The　objection　is　overruled；〃　he　snapped。　〃Answer　the　question。〃
　Eagan　said　indignantly；　〃I　never　put　any　poison　in　Mrs。　Trent's　food。　I　don't　know　anything　about　any　poison；　I　didn't　know　she　had　been　poisoned。　I　knew　she　had　had　a　couple　of　spells　of　severe　stomach　trouble　and　I　had　been　told　that　they　would　be　aggravated　by　eating　highly　seasoned　foods。　I　had；　therefore；　talked　her　out　of　having　another　outdoor　feed　which　she　wanted。　And　for　your　information；　Mr。　Mason；　I　don't　know　one　single；　solitary　thing　about　arsenic。〃
　〃You　knew　that　you　were　going　to　profit　from　Lauretta　Trent's　death？〃　Mason　asked。
　〃Oh；　now；　just　a　minute；〃　Caswell　said。　〃This　is　not　a　proper　interpretation　of　what　the　witness　said。〃
　〃I'm　asking　him；〃　Mason　said；　〃if　he　didn't　know　in　his　own　mind　he　was　going　to　profit　from　Lauretta　Trent's　death。〃
　〃No。〃
　〃You　didn't　know　that　you　would　be　better　off　than　your　monthly　salary？〃
　〃Well　。　。　。　well；　yes。　She　as　good　as　told　me　that。〃
　〃Then　you　knew　you　would　profit　from　her　death。〃
　〃Not　necessarily。　I　would　lose　the　job。〃
　〃But　she　had　assured　you　that　she　was　going　to　make　it　up　to　you　so　that　there　wouldn't　be　any　loss？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Then　you　knew　you　were　going　to　profit　from　her　death。〃
　〃Well；　if　you　want　to　put　it　that　way；　I　knew　I　wouldn't　lose　anything。　Yes。〃
　〃Now　then；〃　Mason　said；　〃how　was　Lauretta　Trent　dressed　on　this　last　ride？〃
　〃How　was　she　dressed？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Why；　she　had　a　hat；　coat　and　shoes。〃
　〃What　else　was　she　wearing？〃
　〃Well；　let's　see。　She　had　a　topcoat　with　some　kind　of　a　fur；　neckpiece　rather；　that　fastened　on　to　the　coat　in　some