“Don’t do it,” Leeds commented. “It won’t work.”
Mason, watching the man’s calm face, let his own features soften into a smile. “I was afraid of that,”he admitted.
After a moment, Leeds said, “All right. Let’s begin from there.”
Mason said, “The way I figure it, Emily Milicant killed Hogarty. You were away from the cabin at the time. She must have dusted out in a panic. You tried to overtake her, and couldn’t. Then, you did the best you could to cover up evidences of what had happened and...”
He broke off as Alden Leeds’ face twisted into writhing expression.
“You weren’t looking for that one, were you?” Mason asked conversationally.
For a moment, Alden Leeds seemed to be fighting for his self-control. But when he spoke, his voice was calm and well-modulated.
“No,” he admitted. “I wasn’t. You’re smarter than I’d figured.”
Mason said, “The worst of being an attorney is that you’re obligated to protect your clients. Sometimes your clients don’t want to be protected. They get chivalrous and try to take a rap. Then it’s up to the lawyer to go ahead and protect them anyway.”
Leeds said, “Look here, Mason. This is sheer nonsense, but it’s dangerous nonsense.”