“What time?” Mason asked.
“Shortly before nine o’clock,” Mattern said.
Hamilton Berger said, “Kindly don’t interrupt the statement of the witness, Mr. Mason. Your opportunity for a defense will come later. I simply want you to be advised of the information which has been placed in my hands. This is not the time to cross-examine witnesses.”
“If you want to accuse me of anything,” Mason said, “and expect me to answer that accusation, I’m going to know the details. Go ahead, Mattern.”
Berger frowned with annoyance.
Mattern, still with his eyes fixed steadily on Mason, said in the same level voice, “Mr. Mason told me that Mr. Tidings had met with an accident. He didn’t say what sort of an accident. He said that Mr. Tidings, according to his information, was dead, that he was representing Byrl Gailord, that Byrl Gailord was the beneficiary under a trust which Mr. Tidings was administering, that he understood Tidings had intended to make a purchase of a large block of stock in the Western Prospecting Company, that it was very much to the advantage of his client to have the deal go through, that he thought the stock was a good investment for her, and that he was interested in having the amount involved — fifty thousand dollars — earmarked by having it appear that at least that much of Tidings’ funds were held in the Gailord trust.”
“Did he say anything about it being to the interests of other clients to have it appear that Tidings’ death should be assumed by the police to have occurred at a time subsequent to that at which the death had actually occurred?” Hamilton Berger asked.
“Not in so many words,” Mattern said, frowning as though searching his recollection. “I think I’ve already told you exactly what he said, as nearly as I can remember, Mr. Berger.”
“Well, tell it to me again,” Berger said.
“He said that there were reasons which he wouldn’t go into which would make it very much to the advantage of his clients to have it appear that the time of death did not occur until after noon on Tuesday.”