Mason said, “One other thing you don’t want to overlook is that at present her mother is accused of murder. Circumstantial evidence against her looks rather black.”
“Her mother didn’t do it,” Hungerford said. “Belle’s mother simply couldn’t have done anything like that.”
“Well, opinions differ in those matters. The San Francisco district attorney seems to think otherwise.”
Hungerford said, “That reminds me, Mr. Mason, I’ve uncovered something I want to tell you about. In fact, a couple of things.”
“Go ahead.”
Della Street opened the door, smiled at Hungerford and said, “Mr. Scudder, the deputy district attorney in San Francisco, is on the line.”
Mason picked up the phone on the law library table and said, “Put him on here, Della.”
Della closed the door and Hungerford said, “The message which Mr. Newberry — I mean Mr. Moar — received just before he left the table was sent by a Miss Evelyn Whiting, a nurse who was accompanying a man with a broken neck.”
Mason heard a click on the line and a man’s voice saying, “Yes... Hello. This is Mr. Scudder.”
“Mason talking, Mr. Scudder,” Mason said. “I want a preliminary hearing in that Newberry case.”