“I was thinking,” he said, “about the historical background leading up to the identification of bullets by comparison and micro-photography. You know, Della, it’s only within the last few years that it’s been demonstrated that little marks and blemishes in the barrel of a revolver automatically fingerprint a bullet which is discharged from it.”
“Sure,” she said, “it’s only during the last few years that the radio has been perfected. And think of the strides we’ve made in sales and income taxes, Chief.”
He grinned. “Getting serious for the moment, Baggage, where a man is utilizing some scientific invention, you’d think he’d want to know something of the history back of that invention.”
“Well,” she said, “I hate to distract you from your philosophical contemplation of crime, but it occurs to me that while you’re being serious I’d better dissipate your mood of joyous hilarity by telling you the worst.”
“What,” he asked, “is the worst?”
“One of Drake’s detectives is looking for you with blood in his eye.”
Mason, still grinning, said, “Did you say blood in his eye or on his eye, or, perhaps, around his eye?”
“How did you know, Chief?”
“More deductive reasoning,” he said.
“If the man ever heard you make that crack he’d...”