Perry Mason nodded. "That is right, your Honor, but on the other hand, Counsel for Mr. Laxter has no right to make any such statement—a statement which is intended only to appeal to the newspapers."

Shuster waved his arms excitedly. "Your Honor, I resent that accusation."

Truslow's voice boomed out over the hysterical comments of the excited lawyer, "I agree with Counselor Mason, your Honor. However, it is all immaterial. I now offer this witness immunity from prosecution for any crime other than that of murder and again repeat my question."

"Again I refuse," Laxter said doggedly, "on the ground that the answer would incriminate me."

"You were not at the Laxter residence at the time Ashton was murdered?" Truslow asked.

"I was not."

"Where were you?"

"I was in Nathaniel Shuster's office. I was there from before ten o'clock until after eleven."

"Was anyone there with you?"

"Nathaniel Shuster."

"Anyone else?"

"James Brandon."

"Who is James Brandon?"

"He's employed as chauffeur and butler."

"Was he present in the discussion which took place between you and Nathaniel Shuster?"

"No, sir, he sat in the outer office."

"When did he leave?"

"About ten minutes before eleven o'clock I told him that he might go home. There was no need for him to wait any longer."

"Then what did you do?"

"I stayed on in Nathaniel Shuster's office for a few minutes."

"Then where did you go?"

"I refuse to answer, upon the same ground—the answer would tend to incriminate me."

"Incriminate you in what way and for what crime?"

"I refuse to answer."

Truslow said disgustedly, "I think that's all. I'm going to ask the Grand Jury to investigate this matter."

Laxter started to leave the witness stand. Nat Shuster's teeth were quite evident as he smiled triumphantly.

"Just one moment," Perry Mason said. "I believe I have the right to crossexamine this witness."

"But he hasn't testified to anything," Shuster objected.

"Sit down, Counselor Shuster," Judge Pennymaker ordered. "Counselor Mason has the right to crossexamine upon any of the testimony given by this witness."

Mason faced Sam Laxter.

"You drove to Shuster's office with Jim Brandon?"

"That's right, yes, sir."

"And you drove in the green Pontiac?"

"That's right."

"You know where Douglas Keene's apartment is?"

"Yes."

"Did you on the night of the twentythird?"

"I can't remember I think perhaps I did."

"Hadn't you called on him there some time prior to the twentythird?"

"I think perhaps I had been there, yes."

"After you left Shuster's office, didn't you go to Edith DeVoe's apartment?"

"I refuse to answer."

"And at that time wasn't the Chevrolet automobile customarily driven by Charles Ashton, the caretaker, parked in front of Edith DeVoe's apartment house?"

Shuster fidgeted uneasily, leaned forward as though about to burst into speech.

Laxter said in an even monotone, "I refuse to answer."

"Now, then," Mason said, "didn't you enter Edith DeVoe's apartment? Did you find her lying on the floor, unconscious? Didn't you realize that she had previously made accusations which virtually amounted to charging you with the murder of your grandfather? Didn't you thereupon rush from the apartment where she was lying, enter the Chevrolet automobile, drive it to Keene's apartment, cut your arm with a knife, razor blade, or other deep instrument, leave blood stains on Keene's garments, telephone Nathaniel Shuster, explain to him what had happened; that you were afraid that you might face a murder charge, and, in order to make the injury to your arm appear to have been accidentally sustained, didn't you deliberately drive the Chevrolet automobile into a lamppost on the road home?"

Shuster jumped to his feet. His hands pawed the air.

"A lie, your Honor!" he shouted. "A series of lies! An attack on the character of my client."

Mason continued to stare steadily at the white face of the witness.

"If the answer to that question will incriminate you, you may say so."

The courtroom was tense with silence. Even Shuster forgot his excited expostulation in order to stare as though fascinated at the face of Samuel Laxter. Perspiration beaded Laxter's forehead. He cleared his throat twice and then mumbled, "I refuse to answer."

Mason motioned with his hand urbanely. "That," he said, "is all."

Truslow leaned forward and whispered, "For Heaven sakes, Mason, is there any chance this chap did what you intimated, or are you merely trying to prejudice the Court in favor of your client?"

Mason smiled and said, "Go on with the case, Truslow. I think we'll reach a solution directly."

"Call Frank Oafley," Truslow said.

Oafley took the witness stand, testified briefly as to his name, place of residence and relationship to the deceased Peter Laxter.

"On the night of the twentythird instant," Truslow said, "you were engaged in digging in the yard of the Laxter residence?"

"I was."

"For what purpose?"

"Objected to," Shuster shouted.

Perry Mason smiled affably and said, "Your Honor, I represent the defendant in this case. Counselor Shuster is without any standing in court. If I don't object to a question and the Prosecution, by asking the question, requests an answer, the witness is forced to answer the question."

"That is right," Judge Pennymaker ruled. "Answer the question."

"I was searching for a large amount of money which had been missing ever since my grandfather died, and I was searching for certain other property."

"Why were you searching?"

"Because I had received a telegram."

"We're going to attempt to offer that telegram in evidence," Truslow said, looking at Perry Mason, his tone indicating plainly that he expected Mason to object and expected the Court to sustain the objection.

"No objections," Perry Mason said. "Introduce it in evidence."

Truslow took a telegram, introduced it in evidence and read it into the record:

"We expect to prove," Truslow said, "for what it may be worth, that this telegram was telephoned in to the telegraph company; that it was telephoned from the telephone of Winifred Laxter, the fiancee of the defendant in this case."

Mason remained silent.

"You dug in that locality?" Truslow asked.

"I did."

"You were acquainted with Edith DeVoe?"

"I was."

"Was she any relation to you at the time of her death?"

The witness gulped. "She was my wife," he said.

Mason said to Truslow, "Go ahead and ask him about what Edith DeVoe told him concerning his grandfather's death."

Truslow showed some surprise, but immediately turned to the witness and inquired, "Did Edith DeVoe tell you anything concerning the death of your grandfather or certain suspicious circumstances she had observed on the evening of the fire?"

Nat Shuster jumped to his feet. "Your Honor! Your Honor! Your Honor!" he shouted. "This is objected to. This is absolutely hearsay evidence. This has no bearing…"

Judge Pennymaker banged his gavel. "Sit down, Counselor," he ordered. "You are out of order; you have no standing in this case whatever, save as you appear as the counsel of Samuel Laxter."

"But on behalf of Samuel Laxter I object to it."

"Samuel Laxter is not a party to the case. Counselor Mason is the only one who has the right to object. I have advised you of that before."