“And,” Drake went on, “who was this chap with the broken neck?”
“Wait a minute,” Mason said, “that chap with the broken neck was probably her husband.”
“What name was he going under?”
“Roger P. Cartman. Give me a description of this chap, as nearly as you can remember him, Paul.”
“Well,” Drake said, “his real name is James Whitly, and he’s gone under the name of James Clerke. He’s a small fellow, weighing not over a hundred and thirty-five pounds, with thin features and small bones, and he’s deadly as a rattlesnake. He’s been mixed up in two or three rackets, has served time in San Quentin, and Folsom. Then he wormed his way out of that open-and-shut murder charge. The judge bawled hell out of the jury when they brought in the not-guilty verdict, but that didn’t keep the verdict from standing. He has dark eyes, set rather close together, a thin mouth, high cheekbones and—”
Mason said, “I believe that’s the chap, Paul, the one she was nursing. Of course, I couldn’t see his face plainly. He had to hold his head in one position because of that neck brace, so his eyes were shaded against the sunlight by heavy goggles, and the harness came up around his chin. But I remember he was a small-boned chap with high cheekbones and a thin mouth. His forehead was covered with a strip of gauze — it’s the man all right.”
“He must have been hurt over there.”
“And she brought him back to the Mainland for medical treatment.”
“He may have pulled something over in Honolulu and is hiding out,” Drake said. “Do you want to go any farther with it?”
“You bet we do,” Mason told him. “Get this, Paul, Unless we can get some sort of a break, Mrs. Moar is going to be convicted of first-degree murder. She lied about going on deck with her husband. She had her husband’s money. There was a large policy of insurance. Two shots were fired. A gun which undoubtedly belonged to Moar was found on the boat deck with her fingerprints on the barrel, and an eyewitness will swear to enough to make the jury feel it isn’t a case of circumstantial evidence. It’s very possible that she’s innocent. I think she is or I wouldn’t be representing her, but try and sell that idea to a jury. Now then, if you add to that the fact that when she telephoned the operator to notify the bridge she told them a man had been pushed overboard, her chances are absolutely nil. They may even return a verdict without recommendation, which will automatically carry the death penalty.”