“Bunk!” Mason said. “That’s the old line of hooey, Mrs. Breel. Having once filed a first-degree murder charge against you, it’ll take a miracle to make them quit. All this business about giving you a chance to explain is simply an excuse to get you talking, so they can catch discrepancies in your story and trap you into an admission.”
Sampson flushed. Sergeant Holcomb said, “You start cracking wise, and you’ll go out of here on your ear.”
Mason said, “I have a right to see my client. It’s my duty to advise her. I’m advising her.”
“Advising her not to answer questions?” Sampson asked.
“Not at all,” Mason said. “I was merely correcting the inaccuracies in your statement. My client can do anything she wants to. I consider it my duty, however, to advise her that she doesn’t have to answer any questions, and if she is at all nervous or emotionally upset, she can postpone this interview until after she has talked with me.”
“You mean until after you’ve told her what to say,” Sergeant Holcomb sneered.
“I meant exactly what I said,” Mason told him.
“Well,” Mrs. Breel interrupted. “There’s no use arguing about it. I’m going to make a full and complete statement. I just wanted my attorney here when I did it.”
“That’s better,” Sampson told her. “You’re a woman of understanding. You can appreciate the damaging effect of letting this circumstantial evidence stand uncontradicted.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about when you refer to circumstantial evidence,” Mrs. Breel said.