"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 frameup," 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 Mason. "Devoe wouldn't have had time to get to the room, have a quarrel with the man, and work himself up into the frenzy of rage necessary to result in murder. Furthermore, the clews which were planted, and were for the purpose of directing suspicion toward a couple of burglars, indicate the murderer knew the logical motive for the killing was that of robbery."

Judge Purley fidgeted uncomfortably. He seemed struggling with the desire to make a statement, and a reluctance to do so. Perry Mason watched him as a sailing hawk might study a sloping hillside.

"Well," said Judge Purley, at length, "I must say, counselor, that you have done a very nice bit of reasoning. I wasn't supposed to mention it, but inasmuch as you seem to know, there can be no harm in my confirming your suspicions, or perhaps I should say, your deductions."

"The motive, then," asked Perry Mason, "was robbery?"

"The motive was robbery," said Judge Purley.

"Money?" asked Mason.

"A very large sum of money. Mr. Norton had on his person at the time of his death, something over forty thousand dollars in currency. That money was in a wallet in his inside pocket. When the body was found, the pockets had been rifled and the wallet was gone. That is, it had been lifted from the inside pocket and lay near the body, empty."

"Were any of the other pockets disturbed?" asked Perry Mason.

"Yes. They had all been turned wrong side out," Judge Purley said.

"Have the police found any of the money?" asked the lawyer.

"That is something which probably won't come out until later, counselor," said Judge Purley. "But I don't mind telling you in confidence that they have. They found two one thousand dollar bills in Devoe's trouser pocket. Those bills can be identified by their numbers as being part of the currency which Norton had in his possession, and Devoe has made the mistake of stating, in his maudlin way, that he doesn't have any idea how the bills got there."

"Has it been brought out why Norton had such a large sum of cash in his possession?" Mason wanted to know.

Judge Purley started to speak, then checked himself.

"I think, counselor," he said, "that I have given you all of the information which I should give you. After all, your interest in this matter, while it is parallel with that of the police, is not, of course, identical. Much of the information which was given to me was given to me in confidence because of my judicial position, and I do not think that I should disseminate it carelessly."

There was a faint twinkle of amusement in the eyes of the attorney as he surveyed the ponderous form of the magistrate. Judge Purley radiated a sense of exaggerated selfimportance.

"Of course, judge," said Perry Mason, "one must understand and respect your position. I didn't want you to think I was merely curious. I was trying to get a mental picture of what had happened. I am advised by the interested parties that I will be in charge of the estate, and, under those circumstances, I wanted to have complete information."

"That's true, of course," said Judge Purley, nodding his head, "and that's the reason that I gave you as much of the inside information as I did. You will, however, counselor, regard it as strictly confidential."

"Oh yes, of course," said Perry Mason, and there was just a trace of mockery in his voice, which caused the judge to took up quickly. But the face of the lawyer was bland and innocent.