“What did you have in mind?” the coroner asked.
“I merely wanted to identify the parrot as being the one which had been given to her by her husband on Friday, September second.”
“He can do that,” Mason said, “without throwing all this bloodstained paraphernalia in her lap.”
“I don’t need any suggestions from you,” Sprague said.
The sheriff stepped forward. “If the coroner wants to make any rulings,” he said drily, “I’m here to enforce them.”
“The coroner is going to make a ruling,” Andy Templet announced. “The coroner is going to rule that there’ll be no more personalities exchanged between counsel. The coroner’s also going to rule that there’ll be no more sudden and dramatic production of bloodstained garments, bird cages, or dead birds.”
“But I only wanted to identify the parrot,” the district attorney insisted.
“I heard you the first time,” the coroner told him, “and I hope you heard the coroner. Now, let’s proceed with the inquest.”
“That’s all,” the district attorney said.
“May I ask a question?” Mason inquired.