“I’m going to have.”
There was a moment of silence, while the officer contemplated the situation in frowning belligerence. Once more, there was the sound of angry voices raised behind the door. A few moments later, Sergeant Holcomb suddenly pushed the door open and said, “All right, Mason, come in.”
Mason entered the room. A court reporter was seated at a small table, a shorthand notebook spread out in front of him, a fountain pen held poised over the page. Larry Sampson, a deputy district attorney, was standing by the foot of the bed with his hands jammed down in his coat pockets. Over by the window, Dr. Gifford stood professionally aloof. Beside him stood a red-headed nurse with large brown eyes, a peaches-and-cream complexion, and a mouth which was a hard, straight line of determination. Lying on the hospital bed, the back of which had been raised a few inches, so as to prop up her bandaged head, Sarah Breel surveyed them with calm, untroubled eyes. A rope attached to the broken leg ran from underneath the covers, up over a pulley, and terminated in a weight which dangled over the foot of the bed.
Dr. Gifford said, “Gentlemen, I want to repeat, all of this argument is getting us nowhere. My patient has sustained a severe nervous shock. I am not going to permit her health to be jeopardized by any sustained questioning, or any browbeating.”
“Oh, forget it!” Sergeant Holcomb said irritably. “No one’s trying to browbeat her.”
“The minute I see any indication of it,” Dr. Gifford said, “the interview will be terminated.”
Sarah Breel smiled at Perry Mason. It was rather a lop-sided smile, what with the bandages about her head and a swelling on one side of her face. “Good morning, Mr. Mason,” she said, “I want you as my lawyer.”
Mason nodded. “I understand,” she went on, “that I’m accused of murder. I’ve refused to make any statement until my lawyer was present.”
Sergeant Holcomb said, “You understand, Mrs. Breel, that your failure to deny the charges against you...”
“Let me handle it, Sergeant,” Larry Sampson interrupted. “I may explain once more to Mrs. Breel, and for the benefit of Mr. Mason, that the object of this interview is not to try to trap Mrs. Breel into making any admissions. The circumstantial evidence, standing by itself, is sufficiently black against her to more than justify the charge of first-degree murder. Now then, if she’s innocent and can explain the evidence in the case, we’ll withdraw the charge. This is an opportunity we’re giving her to avoid newspaper publicity and the stigma of a public trial.”