Free The Case of the Sulky Girl by Erle Stanley Gardner

quarrel, the quarrel would, of necessity, have been of long standing."
    "That doesn't follow at all," Judge Purley said. "The quarrel could have started right then. In fact, it isn't reasonable to suppose that Norton would have retained Devoe in his service if there had been a previous quarrel between them."
    Perry Mason's eyes glinted.
    "Then," he said, "you must agree that there wasn't opportunity for a great deal of premeditation."
    Judge Purley regarded him quizzically.
    "Just what are you leading up to?" he asked.
    "Nothing," said Perry Mason noncommittally.
    "In the eyes of the law," said Judge Purley, as though he were pronouncing some judgment, "there is no particular time required for premeditation. An instant's premeditation is all that is necessary to make a crime first degree murder."
    "All right," said Perry Mason. "Now, let's look at the case from another angle. As I understand it, one of the windows had been jimmied open, and there were the marks of footprints under the window. These things tended to indicate that a burglar had entered the place."
    "All a frame-up," said Judge Purley. "The police have demonstrated that."
    "Precisely," said Perry Mason. "But it took some time to plant these clews. Now, the point I am getting at is that there is nothing in the evidence to show whether they were done before the murder, or afterwards. The police have been inclined to the theory that they were done afterwards. But it is barely possible they were done before."
    Judge Purley looked at him through the blue haze of his cigar smoke, with a forehead that was washboarded in thought.
    "In that case," he said, "the fact that Norton sent for the chauffeur would have had nothing to do with it. The chauffeur would have been waiting our departure, in order to enter Norton's study."
    "Now," said Perry Mason, nodding his head, "you're commencing to get to the meat of the situation."
    Judge Purley studied the tip of his cigar.
    Perry Mason said, in a low tone of voice: "You were in the room where the crime was committed, Judge?"
    "Yes. The police allowed me to look through the place. Because of my position, they gave me every liberty."
    "Then," said Perry Mason, "if it's a fair question, did you notice anything unusual?"
    Judge Purley acted as though the question had given him a great deal of satisfaction. He settled back in his chair, and spoke in slow, deliberate tones, gesturing once in a while with the tip of his cigar.
    "The man had been struck from behind," he said, "apparently while he was seated at his desk. He had fallen forward across the desk, and had never moved after the blow crushed in his head. The telephone instrument was at his left hand. There were some papers on the desk, an envelope, I think, and a blank sheet of paper, and an insurance policy for the stolen automobile."
    "Ah," said Perry Mason, in a voice that was purring. "The stolen car was insured then?"
    "Of course it was insured," said Judge Purley. "Naturally, it would be."
    "Are you certain the policy was for the stolen car?" asked Mason.
    "Yes," said Judge Purley. "I checked it, and the police checked it. The policy covered a Buick sedan numbered 6754093. It was a policy of full coverage."
    "Did you," asked Perry Mason, "know Edward Norton in his lifetime, Judge?"
    "No, I had never met him. I am quite well acquainted with Mr. Crinston, Mr. Norton's business partner, and Mr. Crinston has spoken to me so often about Mr. Norton and his peculiarities that I feel as though I had known him personally. But I had never met him. Mr. Norton was a bit difficult to approach, and I had never had any business dealings which would have caused me to make his acquaintance."
    Perry Mason suddenly turned to face Judge Purley.
    "Judge Purley," he said, "Edward Norton wasn't killed as the result of a quarrel."
    Judge Purley shifted his eyes.
    "You're referring again to the time element?" he said. "The fact that there wasn't time for a quarrel?"
    "Partially," said Perry