“Now what I figure is that you can throw all this into your opening statement, or you may want to hold it in reserve.”
The prosecutor said, “It’s hard to get the evidence from Switzerland in a form we can use.”
“Does that mean our hands are tied?”
“Not at all. There are lots of ways of skinning a cat. I might wait until Trenton gets on the stand and then start throwing questions at him on cross-examination, asking if it isn’t a fact that he stayed at this inn, and if it isn’t a fact that this Madame Charteux died very suddenly, and if he didn’t know that Harvey Richmond was investigating the facts concerning her death at the time Richmond met his death.”
The sheriff nodded. “That should do it.”
Berkeley said, “Incidentally, there’s no reason why you have to keep quiet about this, you know.”
“You mean the newspapers?”
“I don’t mean anything,” Norton Berkeley said sharply, “but I see nothing about it that’s confidential. You say you found the evidence there in Harvey Richmond’s things?”
“That’s right. There were copies of the wireless messages he sent, and there was a cable that was received from the authorities in Switzerland the day he died. The Swiss authorities are launching an investigation.”
“Well,” Berkeley said, fixing his eyes significantly on the sheriff, “I don’t see anything about it that necessarily needs to remain confidential so far as we are concerned.”
“Well, that’s fine,” the sheriff said, “The metropolitan papers have asked me for a statement, and...”
“Better let me handle that end,” Berkeley interposed quickly. “There are some fine legal points to be considered.”
“Okay. Just as you say. Now here’s something else that ties right in on that poisoning plot. When the Customs men searched Trenton they found two capsules filled with white powder in his bathrobe pocket.”
“The deuce they did! Where are they?”
“Harvey Richmond asked for them. The Customs men gave them to him and they’ve disappeared. We can’t find ’em.”
Berkeley’s manner showed excitement. “That’s why Trenton killed him. He had this evidence that would tie Trenton in on this Swiss killing, so Trenton killed him and got the capsules. Get one of the Customs men to say he’s seen powdered arsenic and these capsules contained a powder that was the colour of arsenic.”
“The color of arsenic?” the sheriff asked. “Those Customs men never even opened the capsules. They didn’t taste, smell, or...”
“The color of arsenic,” Berkeley repeated.
“There are too many things that colour. Flour, soda, baking powder...”
“Never you mind that,” Berkeley said. “You get those Customs men on the line. Get ’em to say the capsules contained a powder that was just like arsenic in appearance.”
“Okay,” Sheriff Landes said. “Now I’ve made arrangements to get Gentry all cleaned up on that dope possession charge. He’s going to co-operate with us.”
“Does he understand that?”
“Sure he does. I thought it might be a good idea for us to talk with him together.”
Berkeley toyed with his pencil. “It’s better to have all the preliminary matters cleared up before such a witness actually talks with the district attorney.”
“I know, I know,” Landes said. “I know how you feel about that, but this is one time where we just can’t afford to have any misunderstanding. I thought it would be a good idea if they checked with me on this thing. In that way we could both... well, we’d sort of be together on it.”
“Where is he now?”
“Waiting outside in the other room, in the custody of one of the deputies.”
“All right,” Berkeley said. “Let’s get him in.”
Chapter 25
Dr. Herbert Dixon, closeted with Rob Trenton in the visitors’ room of the little country jail, said, “Trenton, I’d like you to have confidence in me.”
Trenton nodded.
“I want you to tell me what happened. I want you to begin at the beginning and tell me your whole story, from the time you first met Linda Carroll on the ship until you found yourself under arrest.”
Rob Trenton thought things over for a moment, then said, “I’m sorry, Doctor, but my attorney tells me I shouldn’t talk to anyone.”
“And who’s your attorney, Trenton?”
“Staunton B Irvine.”
“Do you have confidence in him?”
“Naturally.”
“You’ve known him for a long time?”
“No.”
“How did you get him?”
“A friend got him for me. That is, he put Irvine in touch with me.”
“Who’s this friend?”
“Merton Ostrander.”
“You have confidence in Ostrander?”
“Not too much.”
“Then why do you have confidence in the attorney Ostrander selected for you?”
“Because when you’re in a mess of this sort you have to hire a lawyer. Just the same as when you’re sick and need an operation, you have to consult a doctor.”
“And why doesn’t your attorney want you to say anything?”
“Well, I suppose...”
“Are you afraid that you might get tripped up, might get caught in some lie?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why shouldn’t you tell your story?”
“I think he wants it to come as a surprise when I tell it in court.”
“It may be a surprise all right, and you may be the one who gets the surprise.”
Rob said nothing.
“I’m going to tell you this,” Dr. Dixon went on. “There’s something strange about the facts in this case. They don’t tie in the way they should. I want you to tell me your story. I want you to recite every single fact, even the facts which seem to you to be utterly insignificant.”
“Why?”
“Because I think in some insignificant fact, some little thing which doesn’t seem to you to have any particular bearing or importance on the case, the key to the whole situation may be concealed.”
“When you have a lawyer you must do what he tells you.”
“Not always. Are you afraid to talk to me — afraid you’ll betray yourself?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why not talk?”
“I’ve told you that.”
“I’ll promise to keep the information as confidential as possible. I’m actually a physician, you know.”
“And you’re tied up with the State Police.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that police always hang together and in the long run you’ll try to stick me.”
“I’ll try to find the real criminal. If you’re the murderer, don’t talk with me.”
“Just what do you want to know?”
“You took that .32 automatic to the home of Linda Mae Carroll in Falthaven, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I’ll admit that. I’ll have to. They all saw the gun.”
“Where did you get that gun?”
Rob said, “I took that gun from the man I overpowered there on the houseboat. If the gun had been used to kill somebody, it had been used before I got it. And if that’s the case, the person was already dead.”
“You fired that gun?”
Rob hesitated a moment, debating whether to answer.
“Please,” Dr. Dixon said. “This may mean a lot to you.”
“Yes, I fired it,” Rob Trenton said, “but I didn’t hit anything, and I didn’t kill anyone.”