«Yes, sir. The turnoff is approximately three hundred yards to the north of the Sea Crest Cafe.»

«When you approached that turnoff on Wednesday night, what happened?»

«Mrs. Trent asked me to slow down slightly.»

«And then what?»

«Well, I realized, of course, that she was going to-«

«Never mind what you thought,» Caswell interrupted. «Just confine yourself to answering questions as to facts. What happened?»

«Well, there were headlights coming behind and, since I-Well, I don't know how to express it without saying what I was thinking, but I was preparing for a left turn so I turned-«

«Never mind what you were preparing for; state what you did.»

«Well, I swung far over to the right-hand side of the road, just as far as I could get, and waited for this car to pass.»

«And did the car pass you?»

«Not in the normal manner.»

«What did happen?»

«The car suddenly swerved, its front end hit the front end of my car, then the driver jerked the steering wheel so that the hind end swung over and crashed hard against the front end of my car. It knocked my front end way over, and the car went out of control.»

«And what happened?»

«I fought the steering wheel, trying to keep the car from going over the bank, but I felt the car going. I shouted to Lauretta Trent to open the door and jump, and I opened my door and jumped.»

«Then what happened?»

«I don't know what happened immediately after that.»

«You were unconscious?»

«Yes.»

«Do you know when you regained consciousness?»

«No. I had no way of knowing the exact time. I know about the time of the accident but I didn't look at my watch to determine the time until sometime later. I was upset and excited and I was feeling bad. I had a terrific headache and I was… well, I was groggy.»

«How long do you think you were unconscious?»

«Objected to as incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial and no proper foundation laid, calling for a conclusion of the witness,» Mason said.

«The objection is sustained,» Judge Grayson ruled.

«Oh, if the Court please,» Caswell said, «there are certain ways by which a person can tell how long he has been out-certain bits of circumstantial evidence.»

«Let him give the circumstantial evidence then and not the conclusions he has drawn from that evidence.»

«Very well,» Caswell said. «Now, when you regained consciousness, what was your position?»

«I was sprawled out on the ground, face down.»

«How near the road were you?»

«I don't know the exact distance, probably about ten feet, I would estimate.»

«Who was there?»

«An officer of the highway patrol was bending over me.»

«Did he assist you to your feet?»

«Not right away. He turned me over. They gave me some sort of a stimulant, then they asked me if I could move any toes. I could. Then they asked me if I could move my fingers. I could. Then they had me move my legs slowly, then my arms. Then they helped me to a sitting position, then to my feet.»

«Do you know where they had started from?»

«Only from what they told me.»

«How long was it after you regained consciousness before you were helped to your feet?»

«A couple of minutes.»

«And then you looked for the Trent car?»

«Yes.»

«Did you see it?»

«No. It was gone.»

«And you told the officers what had happened?»

«It took me a little while to collect my senses. I was rambling a little at first.»

«Then what happened?»

«Then there was the sound of sirens, and a wrecking car came up, and shortly after that another car came, divers went down into the water and located the Trent car in about twenty-five feet of water. The car was lying on its right side with the front end down; the left-hand doors were open. There was no one in the car.»

«How do you know there was no one in the car?»

«I was there when the car was brought to the surface. I ran to it and looked inside. There was no sign of Lauretta Trent.»

«Now, if the Court please,» Caswell said, «I would like to withdraw this witness temporarily in order to ask questions of another witness. However, I am aware of the fact that when I start to prove admissions made by the defendant, the objection will probably he made that no corpus delicti has been established. I wish to state to the court that we are prepared to meet this objection here and now; that the corpus delicti means the body of the crime and not the body of the victim.

«There are several instances on record where murderers have been successfully prosecuted, convicted and executed where the body of the victim was never found. It is proper to prove the corpus delicti by circumstantial evidence just as any other factor in the case and-«

«You don't need to try to educate the court on the elementals of criminal law,» Judge Grayson said. «I think under the circumstances a prima facie showing has been made. If Mr. Mason wishes to adopt the position that no corpus delicti has been proven, I think he has the laboring oar.»

Mason got to his feet and smiled. «On the contrary, Your Honor, the defense feels certain that the evidence now introduced is sufficient to prove the death of Lauretta Trent. We intend to make no issue in this case of corpus delicti as far as the missing body is concerned. However, the Court will bear in mind that the corpus delicti consists not only of proof of death but proof of death by unlawful means.

«So far, it appears that Lauretta Trent's death could well have been an accident.»

«That is why I wish to withdraw the witness at this time and put on another witness,» Caswell said. «By this witness I can prove that this was a crime.»

«Very well,» Judge Grayson said. «However, the defendant is entitled to cross-examine the witness on the testimony he has given at this time, if he so desires.»

«We will wait with our cross-examination,» Mason said.

«Very well. Call your next witness,» Judge Grayson said.

«I'll call Lieutenant Tragg to the stand,» Caswell said.

Tragg came forward and was sworn.

«Were you at the jail when the defendant was brought in and held for investigation?»

«Yes, sir.»

«Did you have any talk with the defendant?»

«I did. Yes, sir.»

«And did you advise the defendant of her constitutional rights?»

«Yes.»

«And what did she say by way of explanation?»

Tragg said, «She told me that Lauretta Trent had telephoned her and arranged a meeting at the Saint's Rest. That she went up there and claimed she had been there for considerably more than an hour. That she became nervous and telephoned Perry Mason. That Perry Mason went up there to join her at the motel. That after he arrived he suggested that they go out and look at her car.»

«And then what?» Caswell asked.

«Then they found that her car had been damaged. That a headlight had been knocked out and a fender bent.»

«And did Mr. Mason make any suggestions?» Caswell asked gloatingly.

«She said that Mr. Mason told her to get in her car and drive out of the exit, to then turn around and come right back into the entrance. That when she did this, Mr. Mason jumped in his car and ran into her car, thereby compounding the damage so that it would be impossible-

«Just a minute,» Mason said, «I object to the witness giving conclusions. Let him state the facts.»

«I'm asking him what the defendant said,» Caswell said. «Did the defendant say why this was done?»

«Yes, she said it was done so that it would be impossible to tell when her car was first damaged.»

«What else did she tell you?»

«She said that George Eagan, Lauretta Trent's chauffeur, had approached her about forging a copy of a will.»

«What sort of a will?»

«A will purported to have been made by Mrs. Trent.»