"That is it."

"What time did the defendant leave your service station?"

"At exactly ten minutes past two o'clock in the morning."

"Did you check the time in any manner?"

"I did, yes, sir. The time was checked in a book that I keep for entering repair work that is to be done by the day shift."

"And the defendant told you that she had an appointment to keep?"

"Yes."

"Did she say what time the appointment was for?"

" Two o'clock in the morning."

"Did she say where?"

"No."

John Lucas turned to Perry Mason with a sarcastic gesture. "Have you any questions of this witness?" he asked.

Perry Mason looked up at the witness, did not so much as move his body, but filled the courtroom with the booming resonance of his voice as he said, "The defendant drove into your station at one fortyfive?"

"Yes."

"Exactly one fortyfive?"

"Almost on the minute. It might have been a few seconds one way or another. I looked at the clock when she drove in."

"She left at two ten?"

"On the dot."

"During the interval between one fortyfive and two ten she was in your service station?"

"Yes."

"Watching you work?"

"Yes."

"Was she ever out of your sight?"

"No, she was there all the time."

"Is there any chance you're mistaken in your identification?"

"None whatever."

"You're positive?"

"Absolutely."

"That's all," said Perry Mason.

John Lucas called Ben Crandall to the stand. "Your name?"

"Benjamin Crandall."

"Where do you reside, Mr. Crandall?"

"At the Bellaire Apartments, 308 Norwalk Avenue, in this city."

"You resided there on June 16th last?"

"Yes."

"Were you in your apartment from midnight until two thirty on that date?"

"Yes."

"Are you familiar with the apartment known as Apartment B in the Colemont Apartments at 316 Norwalk Avenue?"

"Yes."

"I'll show you a diagram purporting to show the Colemont Apartments and also the Bellaire Apartments, and will ask you to designate your apartment on this diagram and also the position of Apartment B in the Colemont Apartments, with reference to your apartment." Lucas glanced up at Judge Markham. "I will state, your Honor, that I will subsequently connect up this map as far as its accuracy is concerned."

"No objections to the map or the questions," said Perry Mason.

"Proceed," said Judge Markham.

The witness pointed out the location of the two apartments. John Lucas produced a scale from his pocket. "There is, therefore," he said, making an elaborate show of extreme accuracy in applying the scale to the map, "a distance of less than twenty feet between your apartment and Apartment B in the Colemont Apartments, measuring in an air line."

Perry Mason shifted slightly in his chair. His deep voice rumbled across the courtroom. "That, your Honor," he said, "is acting, first, upon the assumption that the map is correct, and, secondly, upon the assumption that there is no difference in elevation between the two apartments. In other words, this map shows only a projected distance. It measures an air line between two apartments, so far as lateral distance alone is concerned; but does not take into account any slope or elevation between the windows of the two apartments."

Judge Markham looked across at John Lucas. "You have some side elevation map or sketch, Counselor?" Judge Markham asked.

Lucas bit his lip. "I'm afraid, your Honor," he said, "that I do not have such a map."

"The objection is sustained," said Judge Markham.

"Can you tell us how far it is, of your own knowledge?" asked John Lucas of the witness.

"Not in just so many feet or so many inches," said the witness.

There was a moment of silence. "It is about twenty feet?" asked John Lucas, plainly nettled.

"Objected to as leading and suggestive," said Perry Mason.

"Sustained," Judge Markham snapped.

John Lucas paused for a thoughtful moment. "Your Honor," he said, "I will withdraw that question. I will ask at this time that the jury be taken to view the premises so that they may see for themselves."

"There will be no objection on the part of the defense," said Perry Mason.

"Very well," said Judge Markham, "you may examine this witness as to any other matters and at three thirty o'clock the jurors will be taken to view the premises."

John Lucas smiled triumphantly. "Mr. Crandall," he said, "could you hear anything which took place in Apartment B in the Colemont Apartments early in the morning of the sixteenth day of June of the present year?"

"Yes."

"What did you hear?"

"I heard a telephone ring."

"Then what did you hear?"

"I heard a conversation, some one talking into a telephone."

"Do you know who was talking?"

"No, I only know that there was the sound of a voice—a man's voice—that it was coming from Apartment B in the Colemont Apartments."

"What was said in the telephone conversation?"

"He mentioned the name of a woman—Rhoda, I'm pretty sure the name was. He pronounced the last name so that I couldn't get it, but it had a foreign sound, ending with 'ayne' or something like that—the way he pronounced it made it sound like a foreign name, but I'm not sure. He said that this woman was to call on him at two o'clock in the morning and give him some money."

"What did you hear after that?"

"I dozed off, and then I heard peculiar sounds."

"What sort of sounds?"

"The sounds of a struggle, a scraping and banging, the sound of a blow and then silence. After that I thought I heard whispers."

"Did you hear anything else at that time?" asked Lucas.

"Yes, sir."

"What was it?"

"The steady, persistent ringing of a doorbell."

"Was it repeated?"

"Yes, it was repeated."

"Can you tell me how many times?"

"No, it was repeated several times."

"When did that ringing take place, with reference to the sound of struggle?"

"During the time of the struggle, during the time the blow was being struck."

John Lucas turned to Perry Mason. "Crossexamine," he snapped.

Perry Mason straightened slightly in his chair. "Now, let's get this straight," he said. "You first heard the ringing of the telephone bell?"

"Yes."

"How did you know it was a telephone bell?"

"Because of the manner in which it rang."

"Just how was that?"

"It rang mechanically. You know how a telephone rings—a ring for a second or two, then two or three seconds of silence, then another ring."

"That woke you up?"

"I guess so. It was a warm night. The windows were open. I was sleeping very lightly. At first I thought the telephone was ringing in my apartment…"

"Never mind what you thought," Perry Mason said. "What did you do and what did you see and what did you hear? That's all we're interested in."

"I heard the ringing of a telephone bell," said the witness belligerently. "I got up and listened. Then I realized the telephone was ringing in the apartment house to the north—the Colemont Apartments. I then heard the sound of a voice talking over the telephone."

"Then later on," said Perry Mason, "you heard the struggle?"

"That is right."

"And during the struggle you heard the doorbell?"

"That is correct."

"Wasn't it the telephone bell that you heard?"

"No, sir, absolutely not."

"Why are you so certain that it was not?"

"Because it was not the sound of a telephone bell—it was an entirely different type of bell. In the first place, there was more of a whirring sound to it. In the second place, it rang at longer intervals than a telephone bell rings."

Perry Mason seemed much disappointed by the answer. "Could you swear," he said, "that you were absolutely certain it was not the telephone?"