Crinston got into the machine at just about the same time.
"Judge Purley had the engine running, and just as soon as the door slammed, he started the car. I was in the back seat, and Mr. Crinston was sitting up in front with Judge Purley.
"You know the way the road winds around up the side of the hill. Well, I don't know what prompted me to look back through the window at the house. Maybe it was just curiosity, maybe it was some sense of what was happening.
"Anyway, I was looking back through the rear window of the car, and just as it rounded the curve where I could see into the study, I saw people in the study, and a man swinging a club."
"How many people?" asked Perry Mason.
Don Graves did not answer for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and said slowly: "Only one that I was sure of. That is, I saw one person raise his arm and strike another person."
"That you were sure of?" said Mason.
"Yes sir," said Graves, "that I was sure of."
"There might have been another person present?" asked Perry Mason.
Don Graves said in a very low voice: "I don't think, if I were you, sir, that I'd go into that."
"Why not?" asked Perry Mason explosively.
"I'd rather not state," said Graves, squirming uncomfortably. "But you might find, if you pressed that line of inquiry too far, that it wasn't of any particular advantage, either to you or your client."
"I think I see," said Perry Mason softly.
Graves sighed his relief.
"You were, of course, some distance away?" asked Mason.
"Yes," said Graves, "I was some distance away."
Mason looked at the young man searchingly, but Don Graves kept his eyes averted.
"How clearly could you see?" Mason pressed.
Graves took a deep breath. "I could see quite clearly that somebody was standing over somebody else, and striking a blow," he blurted.
"And did you see that other person fall?"
"I don't think so. You know, it was quite a distance away, and I only had a flash as the car was swinging around the curve in the road."
"Could you say that there were only two people in the room?" asked Mason.
"No, of course not, because I couldn't see the entire room."
"Could you say that you only saw two people in the room?" Mason inquired.
"I did say that," said Graves, and added after a moment, "to the police."
Perry Mason's voice was low. "Let's not misunderstand each other, Graves. In the event that you saw anything which indicated that there was another person in the room, did you see anything that would identify that person?"
Graves spoke very softly and, with obvious reluctance. "Confidentially, Mr. Mason, one can't trust one's impressions in a momentary glimpse like that. It isn't as though you had a photograph of it. And yet there's something that's etched on my brain that I haven't mentioned – to the police. I might tell you, in strict confidence, that, if there was another person in that room, and if I saw such a person, that person was a woman."
Perry Mason stared steadily at Graves, then asked:
"Could you identify that woman?"
"I have not mentioned to anyone that I saw that woman," said Graves slowly, "and I would not care to make any identification."
"But," said Mason, "have you been absolutely positive and emphatic in saying that you did not see such a person?"
Graves met his eyes. "I have tried to tell the truth, Mr. Mason. So far, whenever the question has been asked me, I have answered in such a way that the inquiry has taken another turn. You understand that I am going to answer questions truthfully when I get on the witness stand, if I get on the witness stand. But you will also understand that every one of us is exceedingly loyal to your client."
"Meaning?" asked Mason.
"Meaning Miss Celane."
"Do I understand," said Mason very softly and almost ominously, "that such a loyalty would lead you to protect her against a murder charge?"
"No," said Graves frankly, "it would not. But it certainly would be sufficient to lead us to keep her name out of an investigation which
"Judge Purley had the engine running, and just as soon as the door slammed, he started the car. I was in the back seat, and Mr. Crinston was sitting up in front with Judge Purley.
"You know the way the road winds around up the side of the hill. Well, I don't know what prompted me to look back through the window at the house. Maybe it was just curiosity, maybe it was some sense of what was happening.
"Anyway, I was looking back through the rear window of the car, and just as it rounded the curve where I could see into the study, I saw people in the study, and a man swinging a club."
"How many people?" asked Perry Mason.
Don Graves did not answer for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and said slowly: "Only one that I was sure of. That is, I saw one person raise his arm and strike another person."
"That you were sure of?" said Mason.
"Yes sir," said Graves, "that I was sure of."
"There might have been another person present?" asked Perry Mason.
Don Graves said in a very low voice: "I don't think, if I were you, sir, that I'd go into that."
"Why not?" asked Perry Mason explosively.
"I'd rather not state," said Graves, squirming uncomfortably. "But you might find, if you pressed that line of inquiry too far, that it wasn't of any particular advantage, either to you or your client."
"I think I see," said Perry Mason softly.
Graves sighed his relief.
"You were, of course, some distance away?" asked Mason.
"Yes," said Graves, "I was some distance away."
Mason looked at the young man searchingly, but Don Graves kept his eyes averted.
"How clearly could you see?" Mason pressed.
Graves took a deep breath. "I could see quite clearly that somebody was standing over somebody else, and striking a blow," he blurted.
"And did you see that other person fall?"
"I don't think so. You know, it was quite a distance away, and I only had a flash as the car was swinging around the curve in the road."
"Could you say that there were only two people in the room?" asked Mason.
"No, of course not, because I couldn't see the entire room."
"Could you say that you only saw two people in the room?" Mason inquired.
"I did say that," said Graves, and added after a moment, "to the police."
Perry Mason's voice was low. "Let's not misunderstand each other, Graves. In the event that you saw anything which indicated that there was another person in the room, did you see anything that would identify that person?"
Graves spoke very softly and, with obvious reluctance. "Confidentially, Mr. Mason, one can't trust one's impressions in a momentary glimpse like that. It isn't as though you had a photograph of it. And yet there's something that's etched on my brain that I haven't mentioned – to the police. I might tell you, in strict confidence, that, if there was another person in that room, and if I saw such a person, that person was a woman."
Perry Mason stared steadily at Graves, then asked:
"Could you identify that woman?"
"I have not mentioned to anyone that I saw that woman," said Graves slowly, "and I would not care to make any identification."
"But," said Mason, "have you been absolutely positive and emphatic in saying that you did not see such a person?"
Graves met his eyes. "I have tried to tell the truth, Mr. Mason. So far, whenever the question has been asked me, I have answered in such a way that the inquiry has taken another turn. You understand that I am going to answer questions truthfully when I get on the witness stand, if I get on the witness stand. But you will also understand that every one of us is exceedingly loyal to your client."
"Meaning?" asked Mason.
"Meaning Miss Celane."
"Do I understand," said Mason very softly and almost ominously, "that such a loyalty would lead you to protect her against a murder charge?"
"No," said Graves frankly, "it would not. But it certainly would be sufficient to lead us to keep her name out of an investigation which
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