“I’m very sorry, Mrs. Golding,” Mason said, “but I wanted the subpoena to be binding, so I wasn’t taking any chances.”
She regarded him with glittering eyes, the lids slightly narrowed. Her dilated nostrils gave evidence of her emotion. “You’re going to regret that, Mr. Perry Mason,” she said.
“Regret what?”
“Serving a subpoena on us.”
“Oh, I don’t think so.”
“Well, I do.”
Golding said, “Look here, Mason. You know as well as I do that we’re running a joint. You bring us into court, and I’m going to be asked about my name, residence, and occupation. Then they’re going to ask Eva a lot of things. Those things aren’t going to do any of us any good.”
“They may do my client some good,” Mason said.
“That’s what you think.”
Mason ignored the sarcasm and said, “How about a cigarette, Mrs. Golding.”