Эрл Гарднер - The Case of the Daring Divorcee

“Elvina put the fatal gun in Adelle’s handbag, put on dark glasses and went to Mason’s office during the noon hour. She gave the name of Adelle Hastings, planted the bag and then left.

“The next thing that bothered the conspirators was that Adelle might claim, with reason, the gun had been planted in her bag and her gun, being found in her apartment, would bear out the story. So Elvina chartered a plane to be in readiness just as soon as she could possibly get to the airport after leaving the office on Monday evening. She made a dash for Las Vegas, got there, as it happened, less than half an hour before Adelle arrived. She got into Adelle’s house, stole Adelle’s gun, and concealed it.

“The plot was all ready then to close the net on Adelle Hastings and frame her for murder.”

“Just where does Banner fit into all this?” Mason asked.

“Banner’s skirts are clean. At least we think they are,” Tragg said.

“Yes, I can understand that if they hadn’t been, if he had been a conspirator, Elvina could have taken the afternoon off to fly to Las Vegas and wouldn’t have had to cut things so fine. As it was, she didn’t want her employer to know anything about her activities, so she had to carry out her plot during the periods of freedom — the lunch hour and after the office closed.”

“It seems,” Lt. Tragg said, “that Hastings did execute a will in Adelle’s favor after his marriage. He came to the office when Banner was out, told Elvina Mitchell what he wanted.

“Elvina told him that he could make a holographic will entirely in his own handwriting, date it and sign it, and it would be valid. Hastings did so and left the will with her.

“However, Banner is vulnerable to this extent. He knew, or had reason to believe, that such a will had been made. He thought that it had been lost from his files and apparently decided that he would say nothing about it. He didn’t know that Elvina had deliberately destroyed that will.

“Now, as I understand it, once you prove the execution of the will, the fact that it was destroyed by third persons doesn’t affect the validity of the will if you can prove it was once in existence.”

Judge Fallon said, “That’s right.

“Now then, I am going to go into court and call the case of the People of the State of California versus Adelle Hastings, and I take it you, Mr. Burger, will move to dismiss the case on the ground that the real culprit has been apprehended and has confessed.”

Burger took a deep breath. “That is right,” he said.

Adelle Hastings impulsively threw her arms around Mason’s neck and kissed him.

Judge Fallon smiled. “I take it, then, we’re ready to proceed as soon as Mr. Mason has removed the lipstick from his cheek.”