erlestanleygardner.thecaseofthehorrifiedheirs-第25章

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　〃A　couple　of　minutes。〃
　〃And　then　you　looked　for　the　Trent　car？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Did　you　see　it？〃
　〃No。　It　was　gone。〃
　〃And　you　told　the　officers　what　had　happened？〃
　〃It　took　me　a　little　while　to　collect　my　senses。　I　was　rambling　a　little　at　first。〃
　〃Then　what　happened？〃
　〃Then　there　was　the　sound　of　sirens；　and　a　wrecking　car　came　up；　and　shortly　after　that　another　car　came；　divers　went　down　into　the　water　and　located　the　Trent　car　in　about　twenty…five　feet　of　water。　The　car　was　lying　on　its　right　side　with　the　front　end　down；　the　left…hand　doors　were　open。　There　was　no　one　in　the　car。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　there　was　no　one　in　the　car？〃
　〃I　was　there　when　the　car　was　brought　to　the　surface。　I　ran　to　it　and　looked　inside。　There　was　no　sign　of　Lauretta　Trent。〃
　〃Now；　if　the　Court　please；〃　Caswell　said；　〃I　would　like　to　withdraw　this　witness　temporarily　in　order　to　ask　questions　of　another　witness。　However；　I　am　aware　of　the　fact　that　when　I　start　to　prove　admissions　made　by　the　defendant；　the　objection　will　probably　he　made　that　no　corpus　delicti　has　been　established。　I　wish　to　state　to　the　court　that　we　are　prepared　to　meet　this　objection　here　and　now；　that　the　corpus　delicti　means　the　body　of　the　crime　and　not　the　body　of　the　victim。
　〃There　are　several　instances　on　record　where　murderers　have　been　successfully　prosecuted；　convicted　and　executed　where　the　body　of　the　victim　was　never　found。　It　is　proper　to　prove　the　corpus　delicti　by　circumstantial　evidence　just　as　any　other　factor　in　the　case　and…〃
　〃You　don't　need　to　try　to　educate　the　court　on　the　elementals　of　criminal　law；〃　Judge　Grayson　said。　〃I　think　under　the　circumstances　a　prima　facie　showing　has　been　made。　If　Mr。　Mason　wishes　to　adopt　the　position　that　no　corpus　delicti　has　been　proven；　I　think　he　has　the　laboring　oar。〃
　Mason　got　to　his　feet　and　smiled。　〃On　the　contrary；　Your　Honor；　the　defense　feels　certain　that　the　evidence　now　introduced　is　sufficient　to　prove　the　death　of　Lauretta　Trent。　We　intend　to　make　no　issue　in　this　case　of　corpus　delicti　as　far　as　the　missing　body　is　concerned。　However；　the　Court　will　bear　in　mind　that　the　corpus　delicti　consists　not　only　of　proof　of　death　but　proof　of　death　by　unlawful　means。
　〃So　far；　it　appears　that　Lauretta　Trent's　death　could　well　have　been　an　accident。〃
　〃That　is　why　I　wish　to　withdraw　the　witness　at　this　time　and　put　on　another　witness；〃　Caswell　said。　〃By　this　witness　I　can　prove　that　this　was　a　crime。〃
　〃Very　well；〃　Judge　Grayson　said。　〃However；　the　defendant　is　entitled　to　cross…examine　the　witness　on　the　testimony　he　has　given　at　this　time；　if　he　so　desires。〃
　〃We　will　wait　with　our　cross…examination；〃　Mason　said。
　〃Very　well。　Call　your　next　witness；〃　Judge　Grayson　said。
　〃I'll　call　Lieutenant　Tragg　to　the　stand；〃　Caswell　said。
　Tragg　came　forward　and　was　sworn。
　〃Were　you　at　the　jail　when　the　defendant　was　brought　in　and　held　for　investigation？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Did　you　have　any　talk　with　the　defendant？〃
　〃I　did。　Yes；　sir。〃
　〃And　did　you　advise　the　defendant　of　her　constitutional　rights？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃And　what　did　she　say　by　way　of　explanation？〃
　Tragg　said；　〃She　told　me　that　Lauretta　Trent　had　telephoned　her　and　arranged　a　meeting　at　the　Saint's　Rest。　That　she　went　up　there　and　claimed　she　had　been　there　for　considerably　more　than　an　hour。　That　she　became　nervous　and　telephoned　Perry　Mason。　That　Perry　Mason　went　up　there　to　join　her　at　the　motel。　That　after　he　arrived　he　suggested　that　they　go　out　and　look　at　her　car。〃
　〃And　then　what？〃　Caswell　asked。
　〃Then　they　found　that　her　car　had　been　damaged。　That　a　headlight　had　been　knocked　out　and　a　fender　bent。〃
　〃And　did　Mr。　Mason　make　any　suggestions？〃　Caswell　asked　gloatingly。
　〃She　said　that　Mr。　Mason　told　her　to　get　in　her　car　and　drive　out　of　the　exit；　to　then　turn　around　and　e　right　back　into　the　entrance。　That　when　she　did　this；　Mr。　Mason　jumped　in　his　car　and　ran　into　her　car；　thereby　pounding　the　damage　so　that　it　would　be　impossible…
　〃Just　a　minute；〃　Mason　said；　〃I　object　to　the　witness　giving　conclusions。　Let　him　state　the　facts。〃
　〃I'm　asking　him　what　the　defendant　said；〃　Caswell　said。　〃Did　the　defendant　say　why　this　was　done？〃
　〃Yes；　she　said　it　was　done　so　that　it　would　be　impossible　to　tell　when　her　car　was　first　damaged。〃
　〃What　else　did　she　tell　you？〃
　〃She　said　that　George　Eagan；　Lauretta　Trent's　chauffeur；　had　approached　her　about　forging　a　copy　of　a　will。〃
　〃What　sort　of　a　will？〃
　〃A　will　purported　to　have　been　made　by　Mrs。　Trent。〃
　〃And　did　she　say　what　she　did　in　connection　with　that？〃
　〃She　said　that　she　accepted　five　hundred　dollars；　that　she　forged　two　wills　on　the　stationery　of　Delano　Bannock；　an　attorney　at　law；　now　deceased；　who　had　done　work　for　Mrs。　Trent　and　by　whom　she　had　been　employed。〃
　〃Did　she　offer　any　proof　of　that　statement？〃
　〃She　said　that　she　had　mailed　herself　a　letter　by　registered　mail　containing　the　sheets　of　carbon　which　were　used　in　making　the　forgeries。　She　said　that　following　the　advice　of　Perry　Mason　she　had　used　fresh　carbon　paper　so　that　it　would　be　possible　to　read　the　terms　of　the　forged　will　by　holding　the　carbon　papers　to　the　light。〃
　Judge　Grayson　said；　〃Now；　just　a　minute。　This　is　asking　for　confidential　advice　given　a　client　by　an　attorney？〃
　〃It　is；　Your　Honor；〃　Caswell　said。　〃It　would　be　manifestly　improper　for　me　to　show　this　conversation　except　by　calling　for　what　the　defendant　had　said。　In　other　words；　if　the　defendant　should　be　on　the　stand　and　I　asked　her　what　her　attorney　told　her；　that　would　be　calling　for　a　privileged　munication；　but　with　Lieutenant　Tragg　on　the　stand；　I　may　ask　him　what　the　defendant　said　in　regard　to　her　actions　and　in　regard　to　explanation。　If　at　the　time　of　that　conversation　the　defendant　chose　to　waive　the　privilege　of　the　confidential　munication　and　state　what　her　attorney　has　told　her；　then　the　witness　can　repeat　that　conversation。
　〃That　is　a　chance　an　attorney　has　to　take　when　he　advises　a　client　to　do　things　which　are　for　the　purpose　of　confusing　the　law　enforcement　officers　and；　in　this　instance；　for　the　purpose　of　pounding　a　felony。
　〃We　will　proceed　against　Mr。　Mason　in　the　proper　tribunal　and　at　the　proper　time；　but　in　the　meantime；　we　have　a　right　to　show　what　the　defendant　said　her　attorney　told　her。〃
　Judge　Grayson　looked　down　at　Mason。　〃You　have　an　objection；　Mr。　Mason？〃
　〃Certainly　not；〃　Mason　said。　〃I　have　no　objection　to　bringing　out　the　facts　in　this　case。　At　the　proper　time　I　will　show　that　persons　have　deliberately　framed　a　crime　on　this　defendant　and…〃
　〃Just　a　moment；　just　a　moment；〃　Caswell　interrupted。　〃This　is　not　the　time　for　Perry　Mason　to　put　on　a　defense；　either　for　this　defendant　or　for　himself。　He　will　have　an　opportunity　to　put　on　a　defense　for　the　defendant　when　I　have　finished　my　case　and　he　will　have　an　opportunity　to　defend　himself　before　the　proper　tribunal。〃
　〃I　think　that's　right；〃　Judge　Grayson　ruled。　〃However；　Mr。　Mason　has　an　opportunity　to　argue　this　point　in　regard　to　the　objection。〃
　〃There　hasn't　been　any　objection；〃　Mason　said。　〃I　want　the　witness　to　state　what　the　defendant　told　him；　to　state　everything　the　defendant　told　him。〃
　〃Very　well；　go　ahead；〃　Judge　Grayson　said。　〃I　thought　there　might　be　an　objection　interposed　on　the　ground　that　this　was　calling　for　a　privileged　munication。　However；　I　can　appreciate　that　once　the　client　has　waived　the　privilege　of　the　munication　and　made　a　voluntary　statement…Well；　there　seems　to　be　no　objection；　go　ahead。〃
　〃She　stated　that　the　witness；　George　Eagan；　had　been　the　one　who　called　on　her？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃And　positively　identified　him？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Cross…examine；〃　Caswell　snapped。
　Mason　said；　〃You　were　talking　with　this　young　woman　late　at　night；　Lieutenant？〃
　〃Yes；　she　was　not　arrested　until　rather　late　in　the　evening。〃
　〃You　knew　that　she　was　my　client？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃You　didn't？〃
　〃I　only　knew　what　she　told　me。〃
　〃And　you　didn't　accept　that　as　true？〃
　〃We　never　accept　what　an　accused　defendant　tells　us　to　be　the　truth。　We　investigate　every　phase　of　the　story。〃
　〃I　see；〃　Mason　said。　〃Then　you　aren't　prepared　to　state　that　what　she　told　you　about　what　I　had　advised　her　was　the　truth？〃
　〃Well；〃　Tragg　said；　hesitating；　〃there　were　certain　corrobor