She shifted her eyes and said, “Well, I didn’t.”
Mason said, “The Fell woman was up there on the boat deck, screaming. She was frightened and hysterical. Her screams could never have been heard on the bridge, but the telephone operator says some woman called from the social hall and said to report to the bridge there was a man overboard, and then hung up the telephone without giving any particulars. She seemed to be in a hurry to go some place or do something. Now, were you that woman?”
“No.”
Mason, staring thoughtfully at her said, “I think you were.”
“What makes you think that?” she asked, avoiding his eyes.
“You’re the only woman on the ship who could have put through that call and who wouldn’t have come forward and admitted it.
“Well, I didn’t do it.”
Mason said, “You have two defenses. One of them is that you had an argument with your husband on the boat deck. He tried to strike you. You went below to your cabin. After you left, some other person stepped out of the hospital and shot him. You could have used that as a defense if it hadn’t been for lying to the captain and trying to conceal that money belt. Your other defense is that your husband shot himself and plunged overboard after giving you the money belt. You can’t make that defense stick unless you can break down the testimony of Aileen Fell.”
“So what?” she asked.
“So,” Mason said slowly, “I’m not going to let you commit yourself until I know two things.”