"That's a lie," Bradbury said. "I employed you as a lawyer. I didn't expect you to do anything illegal. I'm not a party to it."
"Let it pass," said Johnson, "go ahead, Mason."
"I went out to Thelma Bell's apartment," Mason said. "I found Marjorie Clune there. I found her taking a bath. Thelma Bell had just had a bath. Thelma Bell told me that she had an appointment with Frank Patton but hadn't kept it. That she had been out with a boy friend. I telephoned the boy friend for verification. He verified her statement.
"I told Marjorie Clune to go to a hotel; to register under her name, to call my office and let me know where she was, and not to leave the hotel. She promised me that she would. She subsequently telephoned my office that she was at the Bostwick Hotel, in room 408. The telephone number was Exeter 93821. I returned to Bradbury. I told him what had happened, except that I did not tell him about entering Patton's apartment, or locking the door. Bradbury told me I was to represent Dr. Doray as well as Marjorie Clune. I agreed to such representation.
"I met Bradbury at his hotel because he didn't want to remain at the office. He had returned to the office with the newspapers he had been sent to get from the Mapleton Hotel. His return was just about the time that I telephoned. I believe he had just entered the office when I telephoned him from the drug store near Patton's apartment."
"There was also a brief case," Bradbury said.
"Yes," Mason said, "you telephoned Della Street and asked her if you should bring the brief case. She told you it might be a good plan to bring it as well."
"I telephoned from my room in the hotel," Bradbury explained to the officers.
"Subsequently," Mason said, "I telephoned Marjorie Clune. She had left the hotel. Detectives got in touch with Della Street and accused her of telephoning Dr. Doray to get out of the country. As a matter of fact, Della Street did not telephone to him."
"That's what you say," Bradbury commented.
"Shut up, Bradbury," Riker said.
"I learned," Mason went on, "that Marjorie Clune had intended to take the midnight plane. I chartered a plane and followed the schedule of the midnight mail plane. At its first stop in Summerville, I found that Dr. Doray had disembarked. I went to the Riverview Hotel and found Dr. Doray registered in the bridal suite. At first he disclaimed all knowledge of Marjorie Clune, but while we were talking, Marjorie Clune entered the room. She had missed the plane, and had taken the train. Officers showed up at about that time to arrest them. I spirited Marjorie Clune out of the hotel, and brought her back to this city."
"You did," said Riker.
"I did," Mason said.
"And the damn fool admits it," Johnson commented.
Perry Mason stared at them with cold, scornful eyes.
"If you gentlemen are interested in my confession," he said, "and will keep your mouths shut, I will finish it."
"Cut out the wisecracks and go ahead," Johnson told him.
Perry Mason stared at Johnson steadily; then turned so that he faced Della Street.
Bradbury spoke up.
"If you two men will use your heads," he said, "you'll understand that the question of that locked door is going to be of vital importance in the case. If the door was unlocked, it's almost a certainty that Robert Doray killed Frank Patton. If the door was locked, it means that Frank Patton was killed by —"
"You can keep all that stuff to yourself," Johnson said. "You're going to get a chance to talk before we get done with this thing. You've played button, button, who's got the button, with the law yourself. It seems to me you've been trying to blackmail Perry Mason with the information that you have. Don't think you can pull that kind of stuff and get away with it."
"You can't talk that way to me," Bradbury said, jumping from his chair.
"Set him down, Riker," said Johnson.
Riker grabbed Bradbury by the necktie once more, and slammed him back into the chair.
"Sit down," he said, "and shut up."
There was an imperative banging on the outer door.
"That," said Perry Mason, "will be Detective Sergeant O'Malley."
Johnson fidgeted slightly, said to Riker, "Let him in, Riker."
Riker opened the door. A rather short, paunchy individual, with a round, cherubic face, light eyes that seemed utterly devoid of expression, walked with quick, springy steps through the door and across to Perry Mason's private office. He faced the little group of people.
"Hello, O'Malley," said Perry Mason.
"What you got here?" asked O'Malley.
"This woman is Marjorie Clune, who's wanted for murder," Johnson said hastily. "Perry Mason was hiding her in his office. He's spiriting her around the country."
O'Malley's eyes went swiftly to Marjorie Clune; then to Perry Mason; then to Johnson.
"When Mason does anything," he said to Johnson, "he usually knows what he's doing. Do you have to have the handcuffs on the woman?"
"It's a murder rap," said Johnson, "and Perry Mason is making a confession."
"A what?" asked O'Malley.
"A confession."
"Confessing to what?" asked O'Malley.
"Confessing to the fact that he got into Patton's apartment, found Patton dead, ducked out and locked the door before the police came, and then lied about locking the door."
O'Malley looked at Perry Mason with a puzzled frown on his forehead. Then he looked over to Della Street.
"You taking this down, Della?" he asked.
She nodded.
O'Malley looked once more to Mason.
"What's the idea, Perry?" he asked.
"I am trying to make a confession," said Perry Mason, "but I am being constantly interrupted."
"You mean to say you're making a written confession to a felony and having your own secretary take it down in shorthand?" asked O'Malley, his voice showing puzzled incredulity.
"When I have finished," Mason said, "if I am allowed to finish, the confession will speak for itself."
O'Malley turned to Bradbury.
"Who's that guy?" he asked.
"J.R. Bradbury," Mason said; "he employed me to represent Doray and Marjorie Clune. He's putting up the money."
"Go ahead and finish your confession," O'Malley said to Perry Mason.
"I want to explain my connection with —" Bradbury began.
O'Malley turned to him.
"Shut up," he said.
Perry Mason resumed his comments.
"Obviously," he said, "Frank Patton was killed with a knife. The blackjack didn't enter into it at all. Obviously, however, the murderer had thrown the blackjack into the corner after the murder. After I talked with Marjorie Clune, I learned from her that Dr. Doray had driven her to a place near Patton's apartment. Doray had purchased the knife. He had made threats against Patton. He intended to kill Patton. For that reason, Marjorie Clune wouldn't tell him where Patton was. She went to a candy store, stalling for time; went to the woman's restroom and sent word out to Doray that she'd slipped out through the back way. She hadn't. She was hiding in the restroom. Five minutes after Doray left the place, she went out and went to Patton's apartment. She says that she found him dead. I met her leaving the apartment house.
"I went to Thelma Bell's place, and got her to skip out. I bought her a ticket to College City. She went there and registered at a hotel.
"I made a stall to get back to Thelma Bell's apartment. I searched the place. I found a hat box, and in it were white shoes, stockings, and a dress. All of them had been covered with blood. They had been washed hastily. The white shoes belonged to Marjorie Clune. The other things belonged to Thelma Bell. I checked the hat box to College City and held the check. Then I gave the ticket to Thelma Bell so that she traveled on the ticket that was used to check the hat box."