(1969) The Seven Minutes (49 page)

Hearing this, Elmo Duncan crossed quickly to Yerkes’ side. Yerkes bent closer to the microphone. ‘Miss Russell and Michael Barrett?’ he said. ‘Are you sure they were together?’

‘Positive,’ chortled Irwin Blair. “They’d been eating together, I guess, then she came out of the dining room first, and he joined her. I called out to Miss Russell to say hello, and she recognized me and said hello back. She didn’t look too happy seeing me. And that was Michael Barrett with her. I don’t know him, but I’ve seen him around before. To be sure I’d make no mistake, I went up to the captain after they left and asked if that had been Michael Barrett, the lawyer, and he said yes it was. Anyway, Miss Russell and Barrett, they left La Scala together, just like they were old friends.’

Listening, Duncan became aware of Frank Griffith, who was flushed and who had clamped his large hands on his knees. ‘I can’t believe it!’ Griffith exclaimed.

‘That was Mr Griffith you just heard,’ said Yerkes into the amplifier. ‘He finds it hard to believe.’

‘It’s true, that’s all I can say,’ Blair responded.

Yerkes nodded. ‘Very well, Irwin. Thanks for staying on your toes. We’ll be in touch. Good night.’ He turned off his Speakerphone.

‘God damn her, what’s this all about, now?’ growled Griffith, coming out of the chair.

Yerkes eyed the advertising man carefully. ‘You don’t know anything about this, Frank? You’re sure this hasn’t been going on before?’

‘It’s absolutely news to me. I couldn’t be more shocked.’ He made a fist. ‘Maggie. Blast her, how in God’s name did she ever get hooked up with Barrett ? Of all people - Barrett 1 Has she gone out of her mind?’

‘Just let me get this straight,’ said Yerkes calmly. ‘How well do you know this girl ? How long has she been living with you ?’

‘Maybe a year and a half. About that long. When I fired the Vogler woman, my wife felt it would be easier if she could bring her niece in from the East as a companion and secretary. I can’t say I was too keen about having a relative underfoot. They’re more difficult to give orders to than hired help. But Ethel felt that since Maggie was a member of the family, at least she could be trusted. So I gave in.’

‘And can Maggie be trusted?’ Yerkes wanted to know.

‘I always thought so, until right now. She’s been good for Ethel. Maybe she’s spoiled Jerry a little too much. But she’s never gotten in the way. She’s efficient, unobtrusive, decorative.’

‘Quite decorative, I’d say,’ said Yerkes. He turned to Duncan. ‘Don’t you think so, Elmo?’

‘I’ve noticed her,’ said Duncan. ‘Yes, she is attractive.’

‘And an attractive girl is likely to have plenty of dates, right?’ said Yerkes. He turned back to Griffith. ‘What about that, Frank? What do you know of her personal life?’

‘I can’t say I’ve paid much attention,’ admitted Griffith. ‘She has her own key to the house, and she comes and goes as she pleases in her free time. She’s made a few girl friends, and I’ve heard her speak of lectures, concerts, the movies. I think she dates men now and then. She’s had a few in when they’ve brought her home. But not many, and not very often.’

‘And now Michael Barrett,’ said Yerkes reflectively. ‘Elmo, what do you make of it ?’

Duncan had been giving it some thought. “The explanation is obvious, I’m afraid. The defense has been getting more and more desperate. They’ve probably been seeking a pipeline into our camp. They hit upon Maggie Russell as one possibility. I suppose Barrett made a point of becoming acquainted with her. He’s a good-looking bachelor, and there was this single girl, maybe hoping to have a little fun. So that was the chemistry. Apparently it worked. I’m not sure how much Maggie can give away to him. She’s seen us all at the house. Probably overheard us talking, and I suppose she may have repeated some things. Not that I’m suggesting she’d be deliberately disloyal. But she may have given away, or may yet give away, some of our plans and tactics. She might do so unwittingly. Barrett’s clever. I’m not underestimating him for one minute. What does it add up to? A potential danger I’d say.’

Griffith, reddening, had thrust himself between Yerkes and the District Attorney. ‘I’ll tell you what it adds up to for me. It adds up to having a Trojan horse in my own house. That’s one thing 1 won’t stand for. I’m going home tonight, and I’m going to put that girl on the carpet and demand a full confession. If I’m satisfied Blair’s story is true, I’m going to tell her that either she stops seeing that shyster or she’s fired. In fact, I have a good mind to fire her anyway.’

‘Hold it, hold it a minute, Frank, not so fast.’ Yerkes reached down and picked up his brandy. ‘Not so fast.’ He sipped the armagnac thoughtfully. ‘Let’s be levelheaded, project the consequences of such an action. Let’s suppose you fire her for playing footsie with the opposition. I don’t suppose such a parting would be exactly amicable.’

‘You’re darn right it wouldn’t be.’

‘So you tell Maggie off, throw her out, and what have you done ? You’ve thrown a new antagonist into the lap of the opposition, an antagonist toward you and our cause, that is. She’d be furious with you, and here she is friends with Barrett. What do you suppose would happen next ? Any inhibitions she might have about keeping her mouth shut would be gone. More than that, she’d want to revenge herself on you. What would be more natural than for her to sign on with those defense pirates ? To become a witness for them against us? To make public the - well, any intimate details about your life and about life in your household.’

‘I’ve got no secrets, nothing to hide,’ said Griffith righteously.

‘Of course not, Frank, of course not, but you have a personal life, a private one, 1ike the rest of us have, like any man has. This girl has observed it from the inside. Numerous innocent acts you’ve performed, innocent remarks you’ve made, taken out of context, could be twisted, exaggerated, misconstrued, and could be damaging to you and to us when heard from the witness stand.’ He paused, and his small eyes were beady behind the bluish glasses. ‘After all, Frank, we’ve just been through that with the Vogler woman. Look at the lies about you that she was prepared to spout from the witness stand. Merely for revenge. Hell hath no fury like a woman fired. That Mrs Vogler was ready to help Barrett, ruin you, until you were - uh - able to reason with her. Luckily, we got Mrs Vogler out of the way. We don’t want to create a second Mrs Vogler in the person of Miss Russell. See what I’m driving at ?’ He turned. ‘Elmo, you see that, don’t you?’

Duncan’s respect for Yerkes’ shrewdness was again reinforced. ‘You’re absolutely right, Luther. We’re sitting pretty now, on the eve of the trial. We don’t want to help arm the opposition.’

Griffith snorted. ‘Okay, maybe you’re both right about this. But that doesn’t solve it. We still can’t stand by and let my wife’s niece, a girl who’s part of my household, go on seeing an attorney who is trying to libel and ruin us.’

‘Why not?’ said Yerkes, suddenly. ‘Why not let Maggie go on seeing Michael Barrett ? It’s the lesser of two evils. It might even be turned to our advantage. Hear me out. Suppose they go on seeing one another ? Suppose he is using her, which we are not certain he is doing. How much can he honestly learn from her? There’s little of importance that she’s seen or overheard up to this moment. If you watch your step in her presence, if you are cautious, guarded, she’ll have less than nothing to spill to Barrett. At the same time, Frank, if you pay no attention, just allow her to go on dating Barrett, or even admit knowing of it and show your trust in her and your generosity by not interfering - in fact, subtly encourage it - it might definitely be to our advantage.’

‘Our advantage?’ echoed Griffith with disbelief.

Even Duncan found himself skeptical, but he knew Yerkes’ mind, and he waited for more.

‘To our advantage, yes,’ said Yerkes. ‘Consider this. For the cost of a puny pipeline into our camp, we’ve got our hands on a better pipeline into the defense camp. We need one, you know. We don’t have any at all. I think it would be valuable for Elmo to know what Barrett and Zelkin are up to, behind the scenes, while the trial is progressing. Like Elmo, I never underestimate the opposition. This young Barrett doesn’t have great experience, but he’s out to make a reputation, and he’s shown himself to be fairly resourceful, original, persistent. He’s liable to come up with some new surprise in the trial, and I don’t think any of us wants to be surprised. With a pipeline into the defense, there’d be no surprises. Now, this attractive niece of yours, she’s a perfect pipeline, but only if she’s handled with care. You’re in the business of handling products,

Frank. From now on treat Maggie as a product.’

Frank Griffith’s conversion had begun. He was quieter now, interested, yet still confused. ‘What are you proposing I do with her?’

Yerkes finished his drink and put the snifter down. He was enjoying himself, Duncan could see. ‘Here is what I suggest,’ said Yerkes. ‘Tomorrow - maybe the next day - quite casually - tell Maggie you’ve learned that she’s been seen out in public with Barrett. She’ll expect an explosion. Instead, she’ll get a purr of understanding. You’re going to be sweet reasonableness. That’ll disarm her completely, have her eating out of your hand. Let her explain herself. Accept her explanation. Let her know that you don’t mean to interfere in her private life, that you really don’t mind whom she sees, as long as she is discreet while the family is in the spotlight - point out that she must be especially discreet during the trial in order to protect Jerry’s future.’

Griffith nodded. ‘Jerry. Yes, she’ll buy that.’

‘Then, from time to time next week, at the end of the day, discuss the trial with her, what happened and so forth. That would be natural. If you get lucky, she might let slip some of the things Barrett has confided to her or certain activities of the opposition she’s discerned. On the other hand, if it turns out that she hasn’t learned much from Barrett or won’t reveal what she does know, then we’re left with another option, which we can pick up if we need to. We can always arrange to have you plant some false or misleading information with Maggie - like letting her overhear you on the phone - or having you leave a memorandum around concerning some mythical strategy Elmo is planning, or a nonexistent new witness who’s going to appear - and she can pass this information on to Barrett, to make him believe we’re going to do something we’re really not doing. That could serve to throw them off balance. Furthermore, after receiving such information, Barrett might trust Maggie enough to confide some of the opposition’s real plans. I do believe this is worth trying, Frank. Do you think you can manage it?’

Nervously Frank Griffith fingered the cigar in his breast pocket. ‘I don’t know. I suppose I can try. I still don’t like the idea of someone in our house spending nights with an attorney who’s trying to defame me - and not just me, you understand, but my son, my son, also. Still, if you and Elmo…’

‘Try it,’ said Yerkes firmly. ‘Don’t intervene in Maggie’s love life. Let her help dig Barrett’s grave. Do it our way.’

Duncan offered his patron a nod of admiration and turned to Griffith. ‘I approve, Frank. It’s the best approach for you, your son, our common cause.’

Frank Griffith had recovered his old fraternal-club assurance. ‘Okay, gentlemen, I’m sold. I’m buying air time for Romeo and Miss Judas.’

It was monday morning, finally, June 22 in this year of Our Lord, finally, and Mike Barrett sat in his end seat at the defense counsel’s table, every nerve in his system chafing as he waited anxiously for the trial to begin.

Looking over his shoulder at the round wall clock high above the entrance to Courtroom 803 of the Superior Court of the County of Los Angeles, Mike Barrett could make out that the hour hand was past the nine and the minute hand just past the four. It wasf twenty-two minutes after nine o’clock in the morning.

In eight minutes, the bailiff would make his ceremonial announcement, and then, at last, the battle would be joined.

Barrett’s eyes moved from the clock to the jam-packed spectators’ seating area below it. Not only was every one of the brown flip-down seats filled, but rows of wooden folding chairs had been brought in from the outside hallway and placed against the walls and in front of the cocoa-colored curtains covering the windows on either side of the air conditioners, and these chairs were filled with part of the overflow. Except for a familiar face that he spotted here and there - Philip Sanford, Irwin Blair, Maggie Russell (whose eye he failed to catch) - these were strangers, these members of the audience, the curious, the concerned, the involved, the species Homo sapiens, whom their District Attorney must protect from depravity, whom he himself must save from a sentence that promised muteness, deafness, blindness.

For a moment, he wondered about all the others who had wanted to get into the courtroom.

When he, with Zelkin, Kimura, Sanford, Fremont, and Donna, had reached the eighth floor of the Hall of Justice forty-five minutes ago - Kimura and Donna had come along to help carry the oversized briefcases and the carton containing the defense’s law brief, exhibits, reference books, research notes - Barrett had been astounded by the unruly mob pushing and shoving and crowding the entire length of the corridor that led around the corner to the Superior Court. He had estimated that at least three hundred persons were struggling to get inside. Only one third of them had succeeded.

He remembered striding into the bank of bright lights that accompanied the television cameras in the hall outside the courtroom entrance. One commentator had recognized Ben Fremont and tried to drag him before a camera for an interview, but Fremont

had not forgotten yesterday’s instructions and had refused. Several newspaper reporters had tried to corner Zelkin and himself, peppering them with impossible questions, but Zelkin had bluntly replied that everything the defense would have to say would’be said for the record in the courtroom.

Halted briefly while police officers tried to make a path for them into the courtroom, Barrett had observed and listened to the renowned commentator Merle Reid, whom he had met several times at the Osborns’. Reid was standing before a camera holding a sheaf of notes and describing the scene.