Mason said, “It was turned on because it was cold in the room. Whoever turned it on wanted to heat the room. That means it was turned on at night.”
“Tuesday night?” Drake asked.
Mason said, “No, Paul. Monday night.”
Drake stared at him. “Monday night! But that’s impossible!”
Mason said, “Let’s look at it this way, Paul. It was either Monday night or Tuesday night. The man wasn’t dead when he was brought into the house. The bloodstains on the floor indicate that. The nature of the bloodstains on the bed show that there was considerable hemorrhage after he was put to bed.”
“That’s right,” Drake admitted.
“According to the testimony of the autopsy surgeon, it had to be Monday night and not Tuesday night. Remember, he says the man had been dead since at least ten o’clock Tuesday morning.”
“But, Good Lord, Perry, you talked with him over the telephone. His secretary says he was…”
“How do I know I talked with him over the telephone?” Mason said. “I talked with someone who said he was Tidings. I talked with the secretary first.”
“But how do you account for the fact that the secretary says he was in the office, and that the secretary said… Gosh, Perry, do you mean that the secretary’s lying?”