erlestanleygardner.thecaseofthehorrifiedheirs-第6章

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　〃Not　this　way；〃　Mason　said。　〃He's　going　to　weigh　it　with　a　pair　of　scales。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃That's　right。　With　a　pair　of　scales　in　ten　minutes。　You'd　better　be　up　here。　You　might　get　something　good。〃
　〃What　department？〃　the　reporter　asked。
　Mason　told　him。
　〃We'll　be　up；〃　the　man　said。　〃Hold　it　off　a　little　if　you　can。〃
　〃I　can't；〃　Mason　told　him。　〃As　soon　as　the　judge　gets　the　scales　in；　he's　going　to　reconvene　court。　He　thinks　he　can　do　it　within　ten　minutes　and　I　think　he　can；　too。　The　bailiff　is　getting　the　scales。〃
　Mason　hung　up。
　
　CHAPTER　SIX
　Mason；　standing　beside　Virginia　Baxter；　said；　〃I'm　gambling　everything　on　the　fact　that　you're　telling　the　truth。　If　you're　lying；　you're　going　to　get　hurt。〃
　〃I'm　not　lying；　Mr。　Mason。〃
　Mason　said；　〃Ordinarily；　at　the　time　of　arrest；　there　would　be　a　dramatic　picture　on　the　front　page　showing　an　ex…legal　secretary　smuggling　dope。　Dismissal　of　the　charges　at　a　preliminary　hearing　would　rate　about　five　or　six　lines　buried　somewhere　in　the　inner　pages　of　the　paper。
　〃What　I'm　trying　to　do　is　to　make　this　thing　so　dramatic　that　it　will　be　a　big　story　in　itself。　If　you're　telling　the　truth；　we'll　vindicate　your　name　in　such　a　way　that　everyone　who　read　the　original　article　and　remembered　it　will　read　this　one　and　remember　that　you　were　acquitted　of　the　charge。
　〃But　if　you're　lying；　this　test　is　going　to　crucify　you。〃
　〃Mr。　Mason；　I'm　telling　you　the　absolute　truth。　Why　in　the　world　would　I　want　to　peddle　dope；　or　get　mixed　up　in　it　in　any　way？〃
　Mason　grinned　and　said；　〃I　don't　ask　myself　all　those　questions　usually；　I　just　say；　'This　girl　is　my　client　and；　as　such；　she　has　to　be　right。　At　least；　I'm　going　to　act　on　that　assumption。'〃
　The　bailiff　and　two　deputies　appeared　trundling　a　platform　scale；　taken　from　the　jail　building　and　used　to　weigh　prisoners　at　the　time　they　were　booked。
　The　bailiff　vanished　into　Judge　Albert's　chambers　to　report。
　The　swinging　doors　of　the　courtroom　were　pushed　open　as　half　a　dozen　reporters　acpanied　by　photographers　entered　the　courtroom。
　One　of　the　reporters　approached　Mason。　〃Would　you　and　your　client　pose　by　the　scales？〃　he　asked。
　〃I　won't；〃　Mason　said。　〃My　client　will；　but　I　think　you　will　have　to　wait　until　court　is　adjourned…and　by　that　time；　there's　just　a　chance　Judge　Albert　might　pose　with　you。〃
　〃Why　won't　you　pose？〃　the　reporter　asked。
　〃It's　not　supposed　to　be　ethical；〃　Mason　said。
　The　reporter's　face　flushed　with　anger。　〃That's　the　bar　association　for　you；〃　he　said。　〃Appointing　mittees；　trying　to　get　better　public　relations；　and　then　trying　to　hide　behind　a　false　front　of　legal　ethics。
　〃When　will　you　lawyers　learn　that　public　relations　simply　means　taking　the　public　into　partnership　and　letting　newspaper　readers　look　over　your　shoulders　and　see　what　you're　doing？
　〃Any　time　the　lawyers　are　too　stuffy　or　too　afraid　to　let　the　public　know　what　they're　doing；　they're　going　to　have　poor　public　relations。〃
　Mason　grinned　and　said；　〃Calm　down；　buddy。　I'm　not　stopping　you　from　looking　over　my　shoulder；　I'm　simply　stopping　you　from　looking　at　my　face　with　a　camera　and　flashlight。　That's　supposed　to　be　unethical　advertising…not　that　I　give　a　damn；　but　I'm　leaning　over　backwards。　However；　as　far　as　the　story　is　concerned；　why　the　hell　do　you　suppose　I　went　to　all　the　trouble　of　setting　this　up？〃
　The　angry　reporter　looked　at　him；　then　his　face　softened　in　a　grin。　〃I　guess　you're　right　at　that；〃　he　said。　〃Is　the　judge　actually　going　to　weigh　the　evidence？〃
　〃Going　to　weigh　the　physical　evidence；〃　Mason　said。
　〃Cripes；　what　a　story！〃　the　reporter　mented；　just　as　the　door　from　chambers　opened　and　the　bailiff　said；　〃Everybody　stand　up。〃
　The　audience　arose；　and　Judge　Albert　entered　the　courtroom；　noticing；　with　a　touch　of　amusement　and　some　surprise；　the　manner　in　which　the　courtroom；　which　had　been　almost　empty；　had　now　filled　up　nearly　to　capacity　with　spectators　from　the　various　county　offices；　newspaper　reporters　and　photographers。
　〃People　versus　Virginia　Baxter；〃　he　said。　〃Are　we　ready　to　proceed？〃
　〃Ready；　Your　Honor；〃　Caswell　said。
　〃Ready　for　the　defendant；〃　Mason　announced。
　Detective　Jack　Andrews　was　on　the　stand　and　the　evidence　was　about　to　be　weighed。　〃You　have　scales；　Mr。　Bailiff？〃
　〃Yes；　Your　Honor。〃
　〃Check　them；　please；　and　see　if　they　are　accurate。　Put　them　on　zero　and　watch　the　beam。〃
　The　bailiff　checked　the　scales。
　〃All　right；〃　Judge　Albert　directed；　〃now；　let's　have　the　suitcase　and　the　overnight　bag　put　on　the　scales。〃
　The　clerk　took　the　two　bags　which　had　been　marked　for　identification；　placed　them　on　the　scales　and　carefully　adjusted　the　beam　until　it　balanced；　then　stood　back。
　〃Exactly　forty…six　and　one…quarter　pounds；　Your　Honor；〃　the　bailiff　announced。
　There　was　a　moment　of　tense；　dramatic　silence　and　then　someone　applauded。
　Judge　Albert　frowned　and　said；　〃We'll　have　no　demonstrations；　please。　Now；　does　the　defendant　have　the　airplane　ticket　and　the　receipt　for　the　excess　baggage？〃
　〃We　have；　Your　Honor；〃　Mason　said；　handing　the　ticket　and　the　receipt　to　Judge　Albert。
　Judge　Albert　frowned　at　the　assistant　prosecutor。　〃How　much　does　the　material　weigh　that　was　taken　out　of　the　bags？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　Your　Honor。　As　the　witness　Andrews　testified；　it　was　counted　by　packages　and　not　weighed。〃
　〃All　right；　let's　weigh　it；〃　Judge　Albert　said。　〃You　Shave　it　here　in　court？〃
　〃Yes；　Your　Honor。〃
　The　bailiff　started　to　remove　the　baggage　from　the　scales。
　Mason　said；　〃If　the　Court　please；　I　would　prefer　to　have　these　articles　simply　placed　on　top　of　the　bags　while　they　are　on　the　scales　and　we　will　then　see　how　much　it　increases　the　weight。〃
　〃Very　well；〃　Judge　Albert　ruled。　〃It's　just　as　easy　one　way　as　the　other；　perhaps　a　little　more　dramatic　and；　therefore；　a　little　more　convincing　to　have　it　done　as　counsel　suggests。〃
　Officer　Andrews　produced　a　bag　with　the　cellophanewrapped　packages　and；　taking　the　packages　from　the　bag；　placed　them　on　top　of　the　suitcases。
　The　arm　of　the　scale　quivered；　then　went　upwards。
　The　bailiff　adjusted　the　sliding　weight。
　〃One　pound　and　three…quarters；　Your　Honor；〃　he　announced。
　Judge　Albert　glanced　at　the　prosecutor；　then　at　Andrews。　〃Does　the　prosecution　have　any　explanation　for　this？〃　he　asked。
　〃No；　Your　Honor；〃　Jerry　Caswell　said。　〃We　feel　that　the　material　was　found　in　the　defendant's　suitcase　and　therefore　that　she's　responsible　for　it。　After　all；　there　was　nothing　to　prevent　her　adding　this　material　after　the　baggage　had　been　weighed。　She　could　have　done　it　as　easily　as　anyone　else　could　have　done　it。〃
　〃Not　so　easy；〃　Judge　Albert　said。　〃When　the　suitcases　are　checked　on　an　airline；　they're　weighed　on　the　scale　at　the　time　the　passenger　checks　in；　and　the　ticket　clerk　then　takes　them　from　the　scale　and　sends　them　out　to　the　airline。
　〃As　far　as　this　Court　is　concerned；　the　evidence　is　convincing　and　the　case　is　dismissed。〃
　Judge　Albert　stood　up；　looked　down　at　the　courtroom　where　people　were　still　ing　in　through　the　doors　and　said；　with　a　slight　smile；　〃Court　is　adjourned。〃
　One　of　the　reporters　rushed　forward。　〃Your　Honor；　would　you　consider　posing　in　front　of　the　scale？　We　want　to　get　a　story　and　a　picture；　and　we'd　like　to　have　some　human　interest。〃
　Judge　Albert　hesitated。
　〃No　objection　whatever　on　the　part　of　the　defendant；〃　Mason　announced　in　a　loud　voice。
　Judge　Albert　looked　at　Jerry　Caswell。
　Caswell　avoided　his　glance。
　Judge　Albert　smiled。　〃Well；　if　you　want　to　have　human　interest；　you'd　better　have　the　defendant　standing　beside　me　and　pointing　out　that　it's　her　baggage　that's　being　weighed。〃
　The　reporters　and　photographers　gathered　around　the　scales。
　〃And　let　it　appear　that　these　pictures　were　taken　after　court　had　adjourned；〃　Judge　Albert　said。　〃I've　always　been　broadminded　about　publicity　photographs　in　my　court；　although　I　know　there　are　judges　who　object。　However；　I　am　not　entirely　unaware　of　the　fact　that　when　this　defendant　was　arrested；　the　story　was　given　a　great　deal　of　publicity　and　it　seems　to　me　only　fair　to　see　that　her　exoneration　should　also　be　acpanied　by　a　reasonable　amount　of　publicity。〃
　Judge　Albert　took　his　position