“Isn’t that rather unusual?” Drake inquired.
“That,” Mason grinned, “is more than unusual. It’s unique.”
Drake said, “The district attorney wants to rush that Cullens murder before the grand jury. I’ve got a complete signed statement from Diggers... This business about the gems being stolen is going to make quite a splash.”
“I presume,” Mason said, “Sergeant Holcomb will be moving heaven and earth to get Pete Chennery and his wife.”
“He would if he knew what we do,” Drake said.
“Well,” Mason remarked, “Sergeant Holcomb and I are cooperating on the case.”
“You mean to tell Sergeant Holcomb all about Mrs. Chennery’s story?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far,” Mason said. “After all, the Sergeant is a bit touchy and he might resent having the whole case worked out for him, but Mrs. Lone Bedford went to headquarters with me last night to identify the stones in that bag. She couldn’t do it. I told her that Austin Cullens had been murdered, and she left in something of a hurry. She picked up a taxicab and went directly to Pete Chennery’s apartment. You know, if you dropped a hint to Sergeant Holcomb, he’d probably start tracing the taxicabs in order to find where Mrs. Bedford went. That would give him pretty much of a line on the entire situation, and he wouldn’t feel he’d received too much help from us.”
Drake shook his head and said, “Perry, if you’re pulling a fast one, I...”
Mason looked hurt. “Good Lord, Paul, be reasonable. First you jump on me because I’m asking you to do things which may get the officers down on you, and then when I give you a chance to do something which will get you in strong with the homicide squad, you start crabbing about it.”