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〃You know；〃 he said； 〃I'm a lawyer。 If you have anything to confide in me； now would make an excellent time。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Mrs。 Veitch； tonelessly。
〃How's that？〃 asked Perry Mason。
〃I merely agreed；〃 she said； 〃that this would be an excellent time。〃
There was a moment of silence。
〃Well？〃 said Mason。
〃But I have nothing to confide；〃 she said； her eyes still fixed on the table top。
At that moment； the percolator menced to bubble。 Mason turned down the fire。
〃I'll get some cups and saucers；〃 said Norma； jumping to her feet。
Mrs。 Veitch said； 〃Sit down； Norma。 I'll do it。〃 She pushed back her chair； walked to one of the cupboards； and took down some cups and saucers。 〃They'll drink out of these。〃
〃Mother；〃 said Norma； 〃those are the cups and saucers that are kept for the chauffeurs and servants。〃
〃These are police officers；〃 said Mrs。 Veitch。 〃They're just the same。〃
〃No； they aren't； Mother；〃 said Norma。
〃I'm doing this；〃 said Mrs。 Veitch。 〃You know what the master would have said had he been alive。 He'd have given them nothing。〃
Norma Veitch said； 〃Well； he isn't alive。 Mrs。 Belter is going to be the one that runs things。〃
Mrs。 Veitch turned and looked steadily at her daughter from those deep…set； lack…luster eyes。
〃Don't be too sure that she is；〃 she said。
Perry Mason poured some of the coffee into the cups； and then poured it back through the coffee container in the percolator。 When he had poured it through the second time； it was black and steaming。
〃Get me a tray；〃 he said； 〃and I'll take in a couple of cups to Sergeant Hoffman and Carl Griffin。 You can serve coffee to the others upstairs。〃
Wordlessly； she secured him a tray。 Perry Mason poured three cups of coffee； picked up the tray； and walked into the dining room； through it into the sitting room。
Sergeant Hoffman was standing； his shoulders thrown back； his head thrust forward； feet wide apart。
Plumped down in one of the chairs； his face flushed and his eyes very red； was Carl Griffin。
Sergeant Hoffman was talking as Perry Mason brought in the coffee。
〃That wasn't the way you talked about her when you first came in；〃 Sergeant Hoffman said。
〃I was drunk then；〃 said Griffin。
Hoffman stared at him。 〃Many times a person tells the truth when he's drunk and conceals his feelings when he's sober；〃 he remarked。
Carl Griffin raised his eyebrows in an expression of well…bred surprise。
〃Indeed？〃 he observed。 〃I'd never noticed it。〃
Sergeant Hoffman heard Mason behind him； whirled； and grinned as he saw the steaming cups of coffee。
〃Okay； Mason；〃 he said； 〃that's going to e in pretty handy。 Drink one of these； Griffin； and you'll feel better。〃
Griffin nodded。 〃It looks good； but I feel all right now。〃
Mason handed him a cup of coffee。
〃Do you know anything about a will？〃 asked Sergeant Hoffman； abruptly。
〃I'd rather not answer that； if you don't mind； Sergeant；〃 Griffin answered。
Hoffman took himself a cup of coffee。 〃It happens that I do mind；〃 he mented。 〃I want you to answer that question。〃
〃Yes； there's a will；〃 Griffin admitted。
〃Where is it？〃 asked Hoffman。
〃I don't know。〃
〃How do you know there is one？〃
〃He showed it to me。〃
〃Does the property all go to his wife？〃
Griffin shook his head。
〃I don't think anything goes to her；〃 he said； 〃except the sum of five thousand dollars。〃
Sergeant Hoffman raised his eyebrows； and whistled。
〃That；〃 he said； 〃puts a different aspect on it。〃
〃Different aspect on what？〃 asked Griffin。
〃On the whole situation；〃 said Hoffman。 〃She was kept here practically dependent on him； and upon his continuing to live。 The minute he died； she was put out with virtually nothing。〃
Griffin volunteered a statement by way of explanation。 〃I don't think they were very congenial。〃
Sergeant Hoffman said； musingly； 〃That's not the point。 Usually in any of these cases； we have to look for a motive。〃
Mason grinned at Sergeant Hoffman。
〃Are you insinuating that Mrs。 Belter fired the shot which killed her husband？〃 he asked； as though the entire idea were humorous。
〃I was making a routine investigation； Mason； in order to find out who might have killed him。 In such cases； we always look for a motive。 We try to find out any one who would have benefited by his death。〃
〃In that case；〃 Griffin remarked； soberly； 〃I presume that I'll e under suspicion。〃
〃How do you mean？〃 asked Hoffman。
〃Under the terms of the will；〃 said Griffin slowly； 〃I take virtually all of the estate。 I don't know as it's any particular secret。 I think that Uncle George had more affection for me than he did for any one else in the world。 That is； he had as much affection for me as he could have； considering his disposition。 I doubt if he was capable of having affection for any one。〃
〃How did you feel toward him？〃 asked Hoffman。
〃I respected his mind；〃 Carl Griffin replied； choosing his words carefully； 〃and I think I appreciated something of his disposition。 He lived a life that was very much apart； because he had a mind which was very impatient of all subterfuges and hypocrisies。〃
〃Why did that condemn him to live apart？〃 asked Sergeant Hoffman。
Griffin made a slight motion with his shoulders。
〃If you had a mind like that；〃 he said； 〃you wouldn't need to ask the question。 The man had wonderful intellectual capacity。 He had the ability to see through people and to penetrate sham and hypocrisy。 He was the type of a man who never made any friends。 He was so thoroughly self…reliant that he didn't have to lean on any one； and； therefore； he hadn't any ground for establishing friendships。 His sole inclination was to fight。 He fought the world and everyone in it。〃
〃Evidently he didn't fight you；〃 said Sergeant Hoffman。
〃No；〃 admitted Griffin； 〃he didn't fight me； because he knew that I didn't give a damn about him or his money。 I didn't lick his boots； and； on the other hand； I didn't double…cross him。 I told him what I thought； and I shot fair with him。〃
Sergeant Hoffman narrowed his eyes。 〃Who did double…cross him？〃 he asked。
〃Why； what do you mean？〃
〃You said you didn't double…cross him； so he liked you。〃
〃That's right。〃
〃And there was an emphasis on the pronoun you used。〃
〃I didn't mean it that way。〃
〃How about his wife？ Didn't he like her？〃
〃I don't know。 He didn't discuss his wife with me。〃
〃Did she double…cross him？〃 demanded Sergeant Hoffman。
〃How should I know that？〃
Sergeant Hoffman stared at the young man。 〃You sure know how to keep things to yourself；〃 he mused； 〃but if you won't talk； you won't； so that's all there is to it。〃
〃But I'll talk； Sergeant；〃 protested Griffin； 〃I'll tell you everything I can。〃
Sergeant Hoffman sighed and said； 〃Can you tell me exactly where you were when the murder was mitted？〃
A flush came over Griffin's face。
〃I'm sorry； Sergeant；〃 he said； 〃but I can't。〃
〃Why？〃 asked Sergeant Hoffman。
〃Because；〃 said Griffin； 〃in the first place； I don't know when the murder was mitted； and in the s