"I told him I already had a date with Bobby Slater." "What are you going to do if he finds out you really haven't?" "I'll just have to leave the country, that's all." "All right, girls, back to the salt mines." " Oh, Mrs. Wardman." " We thought you were still inside." "Well, that's where I should be, and so should you." "The bell's due to ring in 20 seconds." "[chattering] [bell ringing]" "Whoo." "Now, that's what I call a photo finish." "Mr. Mangan, won't you join us?" "Why, sure, Janie." "[chuckling] I-I mean, Mrs. Wardman." "I'd be glad to." "[students snickering]" "All right now." "How many of you have finished David Copperfield?" "None of you?" "Well, why not?" "Agnes?" "Bobby?" "Well, uh, don't you know the answer, uh, Mrs., uh" " Mrs. Wardman?" "No, I don't, but I'd like to." "Maybe you'd like to tell me after class." "Oh, well, uh, [clears throat] wouldn't you much rather have someone, uh-- someone older stay?" "Uh, say, uh, Pat Mangan maybe?" "[laughter] [laughter continues]" "Mrs. Wardman, the principal's office." "You're wanted right away." "Thank you, Elsie." "We'll continue this when I get back." "[chuckling, chattering]" "Oh, what a time to be called away." "Just when some of my most lovable students were trying to light firecrackers under me" "Mr. Rixby wants you to go right in." "All right." "What's he want, Doris?" "I really wouldn't know, Mrs. Wardman." "Mrs. Slater." "Mrs. Wardman." "Would you prefer that I handle this, Mr. Rixby?" "Frankly, I'd prefer nobody handled it, but as acting principal here, Jane," "I've been ordered by the Board of Education to, uh, well, to ask for your resignation." "My resignation?" "You didn't know that the board and I, as representative of the high school Parents' League, discussed your case last night?" "You mean that note I sent in about Pat Mangan?" "No, no note was mentioned, Mrs. Wardman, but a letter was." "Show her your copy, Mr. Rixby." ""Judge Edward Daily, President, Placer Hill Board of Education." ""Isn't it about time you caught on to what a certain young widow" ""had been doing nights with the boys in her senior English class?" ""Making passes and more," ""not only with Kenneth Sterling before he died, but now with"..." "This is horrible." "You don't believe this, do you, Everett?" "It apparently doesn't much matter what I believe, Jane." "An anonymous letter not even mentioning my name?" "Oh, we investigated, Mrs. Wardman." "There's no doubt that the young widow is you." "After Kenneth Sterling's accident, we were prepared to shrug off any gossip." "We thought we understood your relationship with him." "But this we can't shrug off." "Of course, there's nothing to be gained by the public washing of dirty linens, so to speak, so we're giving you this chance to resign quietly, thus closing the matter." "Well, what do you say, Mrs. Wardman?" "Well, what can I say?" "Hi." "I'm sorry I didn't get back to English..." "I sure appreciate this, Mr. Mason." "Isn't very often a big-city lawyer pays a courtesy call on a rustic confrere." "[chuckles]" "Oh, hello, Jane." "This is Mr. Mason." "He's taking the Beecham cottage for a couple weeks of trout fishing." " This is Mrs. Wardman." " How do you do, Mrs. Wardman?" "Mr. Mason." "Just go on in, Jane." "Be with you in the shake of a lamb's tail." "Now, Judge Daily, about those secret trout pools" "Hold on." "That "judge" is strictly a hangover from a short term as justice of the peace years ago." "But judge or not, I'm a first-class fishing guide, and I'm coming out to show you." " All right?" " All right." "[chuckles]" "Well, I guess you know why I'm here." "Yeah." "Mrs. Slater called, though why, I don't know." "As president of the Board of Education, I've been delegated to handle this." "Judge Daily, you were Bill's friend, executor of his estate, my lawyer, and you'd allow me to be convicted on the basis of some disgusting charges in an anonymous letter?" "Jane, you remember what I said right after Bill died, and you were debating whether to stay here and teach or to go on?" "You said as a stranger, people would be suspicious of everything I did, but that was over two years ago." "Doesn't matter." "This is an old-fashioned town, Jane-- ingrown, living in its mining past." "You were a woman who somehow got hold of Bill Wardman while he was a geologist out in the Far East, brought him home to die, then tried to take his place." "In the eyes of some people, you're still a stranger, I guess." "Well, stranger or not, did it ever occur to anybody, even for a second, I might be innocent?" "Yes, for a good deal more than a second." "But let me explain something, Jane." "The school board isn't saying you're guilty." "No one's referring any legal charges against you, so there's no question of dismissal." "But here is some, well, awkward evidence." "Enough evidence to justify a board hearing." "Now, a hearing is going to mean publicity, mudslinging, name-smearing." "The board's willing to let it rest, provided you resign." "And if I resign, how will I ever prove my innocence?" " You are innocent, Jane?" " Of course I am." "Well, there was some talk about you and this boy Kenneth Sterling before he died." "Judge Daily, you knew Kenneth Sterling-- a sensitive, mixed-up rebel with no family to turn to." "I-I was merely trying to help him." "And you didn't make any, uh-- any passes at him, as the letter says?" "No, I did not." "Or to Pat Mangan, whom the letter also names?" "That monster?" "Now, he says you did, Jane, and so do some of the other boys." "Who are they?" "Well, the board thinks it's best for their families, and for the community, too, if their names are not brought into this." "In fact, I'm the only one that's talked to them." "And they told you that I" "Yes, Jane, they did." "[motorcycle motors revving]" "Oh, Mrs. Wardman." "I was told the town taxi parked here." "It's 30 minutes now and still no sign of it." "Sometimes it disappears for hours." " I'm afraid I can't wait that long." " [revving continues]" "Is there anyplace I can rent a car?" "Mine's laid up until morning." "Well, I'd be happy to give you a lift." "I couldn't put you to all that trouble." "The Beecham cottage is more than halfway to the summit." "Well, it just so happens I have to go out that way and pick up my son Terry." "Come on." "Hop in." "How are you, Janie?" "That's a pretty dress you're wearing, Janie." "[wolf whistle]" "[Bobby laughs]" "[motorcycle motors revving]" "How about taking us, huh?" "[laughter]" "Thanks very much." "That's quite all right." "Maybe I can repay the favor next time we meet." "I don't imagine we will, Mr. Mason." "Not in Placer Hill anyway." "Bye." "[motorcycles approaching]" "You're late, Mom." "All the other guys have gone home." "I'm sorry, Terry." "I'll tell you what." "Why don't we stay here and have dinner?" "I don't feel much like cooking anyway." "Hey, can I have a steak?" "Well, you sure can." "The sky's the limit." "## [jazz]" "How come you're not eating?" "Is something wrong?" "What makes you think that?" "Well, you look sort of pale, like when you had the flu." "Well, I've got just the thing for pale, young widows." "It's a double old-fashioned, compliments of the management." "That's very nice of you, Gus, but no, thanks." "I don't drink." "Well, that's not exactly what they're saying around town." "Terry, you remember Mr. Wiler, don't you?" "Sure." "He was assistant football coach at your school last year." "Your mom's school?" "That's funny." " I heard she wasn't there anymore." " I think you'd better leave, Gus." "Just kidding, Everett." "Thanks." "Well, the dashing US Marines to the rescue." "Only, I didn't quite cut such a dashing figure in my office today." "That's why I came in when I saw your car outside-- to try and explain." "There's nothing to explain." "I understood." "Yeah." "Understood that the she-dragon of the Parents' League had me completely buffaloed." "What did you decide?" "Nothing yet." "Well, when you do, let me know first, hmm?" "So I can take first stab at the dragon." "[sighs] Oh, look, this is stupid." "You can't get mixed up in this thing." "The board could fire you, ruin your whole career." "There's not much point in being a principal without principles." "I don't want to cause any more trouble." "I've" "Everett, could we talk about this tomorrow?" "Sure." "So long, Terry." "Bye, Mr. Rixby." "What's this all about, Mom?" "Well, Terry, it's about a letter." "An unsigned letter received by the Board of Education a day or so ago accusing me of making... what's called... improper advances towards some of the boys in my senior English class." "How silly can anybody get?" "Trouble is, according to Judge Daily, some of the boys say it's true." "Mom, how could they?" "I'll bet it's that dirty Pat Mangan." " Yes, he's one of them." " What's Judge Daily say?" "That I could resign without any fuss or insist upon a hearing." "But he feels that if I-- well, if we win, that people will still say that there's some truth in the charges." "Well, his advice is to... stop thinking about fighting and just move out of here." "Run away?" "Well, after all, Terry, it's partly my fault." "I was stupid enough to think I could help Kenneth Sterling." "You know what happened to him." "But that was an accident." "He skidded his motorcycle off a cliff." "What would Dad do if he were here?" "He'd stay and fight." "Then let's stay and fight." "[engine starts]" "Terry?" "Yes, Mom?" "Is that a motorcycle behind us?" "Yeah." "It looks sort of like Pat Mangan's." "Hi there, Janie baby." "[laughs]" "I think I'll slow down and let him pass us." "Mom, there's some other motorcycles behind him." "There are four, I think." " See them?" " Yes, I see them." "They're coming closer." "Mom, look out!" "[tires screeching]" "Hello, little baby!" "[tires screeching]" "Aw, come on!" "[tires screeching] [motorcycles departing]" "That's the last one, Mom." "They're gone." "Mom, look!" "[tires screeching]" "Come on, honey!" "[tires screeching]" "[tires screeching]" "Look out!" "Look out!" "[moans]" "Well, Doctor?" "Mild abrasions, one or two small bruises, and a pretty fair bump on the head." "You should be stiff and sore in the morning, Jane, but that should be about all." "Did you see the accident, Mr. Mason?" "No, but I heard the crash." "By the time I got outside, the motorcycles were gone." "However, we've a pretty good idea as to who they were." "Dr. Grant, you're a member of the Board of Education, aren't you?" " [Dr. Grant] You told him, Jane?" " Yes, she told me." "And I must say, it's hard to find the words to express my indignation and amazement at what's been done to Mrs. Wardman, and that her attorney and her family doctor could be so involved." "Mr. Mason, the board didn't just act on the basis of an anonymous letter." "A witness was heard-- the Mangan boy." "Don't call him a boy." "He's old enough to be in the army." "The town bully and a notorious liar." "Now, now, Jane, I admit his reputation is not too good, but there were others, too." "Who else testified?" "They told their story to Judge Daily, who quite properly withheld their names." "Why do you say "quite properly"?" "There's no point of shaming the families if we can possibly dispose of this quietly, as the board hopes to do." "But it's all right to go on shaming Mrs. Wardman and her son." "Is that the board's idea of justice?" "Mr. Mason, we're not a court of law." "We're responsible for our young people." "If we feel they're in jeopardy, right or wrong, we must do as we think best." "As Mrs. Wardman's family doctor, do you honestly believe that your young people could be in jeopardy?" "Mr. Mason, the board asked me that same question." "As a doctor, I was forced to tell them that persons who were suddenly cut off from the love and emotional outlets they were accustomed to sometimes do lose their judgment and self-control." " Did you tell them I'd lost control?" " Of course not, Jane." "Did you tell them that she hadn't lost control?" "I ventured no opinion." "That was very courageous of you, Doctor." "Do you suppose she's still in town?" "Maybe she ran off with Pat Mangan and Bobby Slater somewhere." "That's not nice." "I don't care what you think." " I like Mrs. Wardman." " So do the boys." "[chuckles]" "[knock on door]" " Good morning." " Good morning." "How are you feeling?" "Oh, a few minor aches and pains." "Nothing too serious." "I thought it best if I kept Terry home from school today." "Mrs. Wardman, this is Paul Drake, the private detective I told you about last night." " Mrs. Wardman." " Mr. Drake." "He's here to help you." "That is, if you want help." "I honestly don't know what I want, Mr. Mason." "I'm sure it's a hard decision." "Almost no one on your side except a vacationing lawyer whom you barely know." "But there's something odd here." "The whole town's stirred up, and so rapidly." "Mrs. Wardman, the boy who died" " Kenneth Sterling?" " Mmm." "I guess it's standard procedure for me to wonder about violent fatalities, but I understand that you were the closest thing to a family the boy had." "Could his death possibly have anything to do with this?" "No, I don't think so." "It happened in the next county, near Cactus City, about a month ago." "Kenneth was in one of his states of revolt against life in general and the high school in particular that night." " How do you know that?" " Well, I received one of my midnight phone calls from him, and I talked to him for awhile, and, well, I thought I calmed him down, but later that night," "apparently he was going so fast that his motorcycle skidded off the road and into a ravine." "Paul, there are two avenues of approach here." "One is to force an open hearing before the Board of Education." "The other is to unmask the writer of that letter." " How can you do that?" " Well, possibly through the letter itself." "We have the photostat Mr. Rixby showed you yesterday." "It looks as if it were written on an Imperial super-quiet." "The stationery store will give me a list of all the people in town who bought one." "And there's a certain amount of pressure that can be put on Pat Mangan because of last night's episode and the note you sent to the board about him." "Her note to the board?" "I hadn't heard about that." "I was just reporting on something that happened at a school dance." "I had a little trouble with Pat Mangan, so I" " I reported it to Mr. Rixby, of course." "There were some things that Pat said that made me wonder if someone wasn't selling liquor to those boys." "Someone like Gus Wiler, maybe, at the Summit Inn." "That in itself could be useful." "But before we can do a thing, Jane," "I must be empowered to represent you." "I think it might be easier if I just packed up and left." " Mom?" " Yes?" "You said Dad would have fought, didn't you?" "Yes, Terry." "Well, aren't we Wardmans, too?" "All right, Mr. Mason." "You're empowered to represent me." "This is from a standard motorcycle-tire tread, Perry." "You think you can identify which of the boys' bikes was here?" "Well, maybe." "Couple of breaks in this one." "[Gus] What's going on?" "Who are you guys?" "Mr. Wiler?" "I could be." "Why?" "You know Pat Mangan and his group pretty well, don't you?" "They ride their motorcycles out here sometimes, but I hardly know them." "Funny." "I just heard a rumor that you've been selling them a bottle of liquor every now and then." "[motorcycle approaching]" "[knocks]" "Yeah?" " Are you Pat Mangan?" " What do you want?" "We're running a check on super-quiet typewriters." "I understand you own one." " So?" " Well, I wondered if I could see it, please." " My company's interested" " Get out of here, buddy!" "We don't want any" " Look, you don't understand." " I saw you out there!" "Whatever you're nosing around for, do it someplace else, huh?" " Wait a minute!" " This is my porch!" "Get off!" "[grunts]" "Pat, what's going on out here?" "Oh, you're asking questions about Pat's typewriter." " Is that it, mister?" " That's right." "Well, he traded it in about two months ago as part payment on a new motorcycle." "You stay out of my way, buddy." "Next time I catch you, you ain't gonna be so lucky." "In the house, Pat!" " Nice kid." " "Kid"?" "You ought to feel the arms on that moose." "You can take it." " Paul?" " Yeah?" "I think there's a way we might force a few hands around here." "It's up to the board, not me, Mrs. Slater." "If Mrs. Wardman is choosing to fight this thing" "All right, all right." "Apparently we're just going to have to take matters into our own hands." " Good day." " Good-bye." " Oh, Mr. Rixby." " Mr. Mason." "What may I do for you?" "By any chance, do you have a transcript of the notes taken at the board meeting night before last?" "Doris Wilson has." "She acts as secretary for the board." "Doris." "Yes, I have the notes, Mr. Mason, but, uh, well, I really don't think I should let you see them without authorization from Judge Daily." "Oh, I've tried him but with no success." "And I haven't been able to persuade him to hold an open hearing on the charges against Jane." "Well, I can't help you there." "Possibly you can." "Come over here to the window." "That Pat Mangan out there?" "[Rixby] Yes, that's Pat." "What would you do if he suddenly attacked a stranger walking across the school grounds?" "Well, he's a bully and a sadist, but I don't know about attacking a stranger." "I'm willing to gamble that he's going to." "I'm also willing to gamble that you're going to call the police." "Well, in matters like that, I'm really supposed to report first" "To the board?" "You'd call Judge Daily?" "I, uh, guess that would put him on the spot, wouldn't it?" "I guess he'd have to call in the police." "Exactly." "Well, look who's here." "This is the wise guy I was telling you about." "This time, good buddy, you're going to get the full treatment." "From you alone, or with the help of your friends?" "I don't need no help." "[laughing]" "Look out!" "Aahhh!" "No, Mr. Mason, there's been no call from Judge Daily yet, and it doesn't seem like there's gonna be one." "Now, as far as that accident business last night is concerned," "I'm afraid I haven't gotten much further with those motorcycle tracks than Mr. Drake here." "Sheriff, what about the possibility that Gus Wiler or someone else has been selling the boys liquor?" "That's pretty hard to believe about old Gus, although the boys do kick up their heels now and again." "But this county's always been pretty clean." "It's not like Cactus County, where young Sterling got liquored up the night he died." "Sterling was drunk that night?" "Well, the autopsy report did show some alcohol in the bloodstream." "But I'm afraid there's more than a dozen places in Cactus City that sell to minors." "Paul, you'd better do a little checking in Cactus City." "Hello, Judge." "Business?" "Heard Mr. Mason was here." "Thought I'd have a little talk with him-- alone, maybe." "Well, I do have an errand to run." "You're welcome to use the office." "However, I would like a word with you sometime, Judge, if you can find the time." "Cute idea of yours, starting that little ruckus on the school grounds, if I figured it right." "You'd like to get this Jane Wardman business out in the open, wouldn't you?" "In court, maybe?" "Yes, in lieu of a formal hearing before the Board of Education." "I've already vetoed that." "It's too inflammatory." "As for complaining to the authorities about the ruckus on the school grounds," "I vetoed that, too." "In my opinion, Mr. Drake's a public benefactor." "I'm only a small-puddle lawyer." "You're gonna find it hard to force my hand, Mr. Mason." "I've done, and I'll do, what I think is best for both Jane and the town." "[phone ringing]" "Sheriff just stepped out." "Oh, hello, Sergeant." "For me?" "Who?" "Going over to Jane Wardman's house?" "Wait a minute." "What are you doing here?" "Mrs. Wardman, we've come here to give you an ultimatum." "If the board won't act, we will." "All of us here have children in the high school, and for their protection, we're giving you this one last chance to resign." "And if I don't resign?" "We have voted and decided." "We'll take our children out of school and keep them out-- the mothers here and every other mother in town." "And don't think we won't." "You'd do that just to get rid of me?" "[Woman] Well, we're hoping we won't have to." "Don't be a fool, Jane." "Resign and get out before something worse happens to you." "By worse, do you mean riding her out of town on a rail?" "Or perhaps you were thinking of tar and feathers?" "I beg your pardon." "Well, aren't you taking the law into your own hands?" "Condemning her without a trial?" "Judge Daily, are these the people you've been trying so hard to protect?" "You've just been a witness to their behavior-- breaking and entering, attempted intimidation, slander." "I warn you," "Mrs. Wardman is going to have a field day in court with you people." " Unless" " All right, Mr. Mason." "You've forced my hand." "[chattering]" "All right, folks." "If you'll just take your seats, the meeting's about to begin." "I just heard from our Cactus City correspondent." "He's had no luck at all on where young Sterling got his liquor that night." " Too many places there sell it." " And the accident?" "Well, if you thought it was anything more, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed." "How?" "The reason the boy spun off the road wasn't liquor." "He had a heart failure." "This board is now in session on business we'd hoped would never have to be discussed." "Uh, I'm sure all of you, and Mr. Mason, too, will see why in a moment." "We're dealing with something..." "Well, something that people mostly discuss behind closed doors." "[Man] The doors are closed, Judge." "Get on with it." "Who was that?" "Ed Temple?" "Now, one more interruption, Ed, and I'm going to have to ask you to leave." "And that goes for everyone here." "All right." "Now, first, the letter that started all this." "But it couldn't be ignored, and I think you'll all see." "May I see that letter?" "Well, I suppose." "This is a photostat." "Yes, I know." "It seems the original disappeared from Doris' files." "[Mason] When, Miss Wilson?" "When did it disappear?" "I don't know." "It was just gone when I looked for it tonight." "[Mason] Unless a photostat is properly introduced, it isn't admissible as evidence, so I must object." "Mr. Mason, we'd better get something straight right off." "It won't do you any good to object here." "The board is conducting this hearing the way it thinks best." " That's right, Judge." " [spectators murmuring]" "[clears throat]" ""Judge Edward Daily, President of the Placer Hill Board of Education." ""Isn't it about time you caught on to what a certain young widow" ""has been doing nights" ""with the boys in her senior English class?" ""Making passes and more," ""not only with Kenneth Sterling before he died," ""but now with Pat Mangan and some of the others." ""Ask them, Judge." "Just ask them, and they'll tell you."" "Would you rather it be you testifying, Cornelia, or our young people?" "I know my duty, Judge Daily." "Then repeat what you told the board in private." "This is most distasteful." "At the senior dance, held here in this gymnasium, at which both Mrs. Wardman and I were among the chaperons," "I saw her slip out quietly with Pat Mangan, and, um... uh..." "[Daily] Just go on, Cornelia." "She came back about 15 minutes later, alone, with her lipstick smeared, her dress disarranged, and smelling of liquor." "[murmuring]" "Yes, it was at the same dance that I saw them" "Pat Mangan and Mrs. Wardman-- on a bench back of the science hall." "What were they doing, Doris?" "They were..." "Well, I guess you could call it necking." "[murmuring]" "You told this to the board, Miss Wilson?" "Yes, I did." "Very shocking thing." "So shocking, I'm surprised you didn't mention it to someone before the meeting of the board." "But I did." "I told Everett" " Mr. Rixby, the acting principal, about it." "Yes, Doris did tell me the day after the dance." "Why didn't you inform the board?" "Oh, I'm sure Doris must have mistaken one of the girls for Mrs. Wardman." "And, I might add, I still believe that." "Well, maybe you'll change your mind, Mr. Rixby, when you hear the next witness." "Pat Mangan!" "Now, Pat, we want you to tell us exactly what you told the board and no more." " Do you understand, Pat?" " Yeah, I understand." "The incident at the last senior dance." "Well, about halfway through, Janie gave me the eye." " [Daily] By Janie, you mean Mrs. Wardman?" " Yeah." "So we went outside and had a couple drinks from a bottle I had, and then we necked a little, and then-- then she went back." "Me" " I cut out." "[Daily] Had you ever done a similar thing with her before?" "Sure." "Lots of times, like I told you." "That simply is not true!" "He was drinking, so I told him to go home!" "It's just not true!" "[Daily] That'll be enough, Jane." "Mr. Mason, I hope you've heard enough." "I know the good people out there have." "That'll be all, Pat." "[Mason] Judge Daily, I'd like to question Pat Mangan." "[Daily] Well, if you find that necessary, we'll resume this hearing tomorrow." "[motor starts]" " Look out!" " [tires screeching]" "Pat said that Gus Wiler was behind this whole thing?" " Anonymous letter and all?" " That's right, Mrs. Wardman." "Pat had it in for you, too, so he was only too happy to go along." "Did he say anything about young Sterling?" "I don't know how you figured it, but yep." "Pat said Sterling might have gotten a jug from Wiler the night he died." " [Mason] At what time?" " Fairly late." "Pat, Sterling, and some of the others had been drinking earlier." "Sterling said he was gonna go out and get some more." "Pat figures he went on from there toward Cactus City." "Jane, when can we find Wiler alone at the inn?" "Well, he usually clears everybody out around midnight on weekdays." "It's almost 11:00, Paul." "Suppose we stop by there at about 12:15?" "Okay." "Mr. Wiler?" "Maybe he's in one of the back rooms." "No, Paul." "I think not." "[Paul] Wiler." "That's right, gentlemen." "Gus Wiler, and quite dead." "I was about to call the sheriff when I heard your car outside." "Hadn't you better call him now?" "Slant, angle, and alignment-- they're all different." "You're right, Mr. Drake." "The anonymous letter wasn't written on Gus Wiler's typewriter." "Nor on any of the other typewriters we took samples from" "Pat Mangan's ex-machine, Doris Wilson's, Mrs. Slater's, Judge Daily's." "In fact, all the typewriters on the stationery store list." "Well, isn't it possible, since Gus obviously didn't write that letter, that his death has nothing to do with me?" " [Sheriff] No, I'm afraid not, Mrs. Wardman." " Why do you say that?" "Folded in his wallet was the original of the letter." "We thought his typewriter would surely prove him to be Mr. Anonymous, like Pat Mangan said." "Of course, Gus could have typed it on someone else's machine." "But if he didn't, if he wasn't the one, that still leaves you with a dangerous enemy, Jane." "Now, I know we've been over this before, but are you sure that Ken Sterling gave you no clue as to where he might have been calling from that night?" "Yes, I'm quite sure." "Outside of us, who else have you told about the call?" "Well, Doris Wilson." "We talked about the accident the next day." " Anyone else?" " No, no one else." "I didn't feel it was anyone else's business." "I don't get the connection, Mr. Mason." "Maybe I can show you tomorrow, Sheriff, in fact, with your cooperation." "This meeting will come to order." "I imagine you've heard about Gus Wiler, but maybe you haven't heard that the original of the anonymous letter was found on his person." "Well, this being the case, if there's a possibility that the board has been making mistakes and hurting people wrongly, then, frankly, we'd like to let the proper authorities take over from here." "But Mr. Mason insists that Mrs. Wardman's hearing be resumed and resumed now." "Well, the way I feel" "Like I told you, Judge, I have no objections to going on with this." "All right, Sheriff." "All right, Mr. Mason." "It's your move." "Well, uh, first, I'd like to question Pat Mangan." "I'm sorry, Judge." "His mother and I decided it'd be better if he got out of town for a while." "If the sheriff wants him, we'll have him brought back, but not otherwise." "All right." "Then let's call Bobby Slater." "[Daily] Oh, Bobby!" "You were one of the boys Judge Daily talked with privately, weren't you, Bobby?" "Did you tell him the truth about Pat Mangan and Mrs. Wardman at the senior dance?" "The, uh" " The truth?" "Yes." "The things Pat told you and the other boys after the dance." "What did he tell you?" "That..." "That, uh, Mrs. Wardman hauled him outside 'cause he was making trouble, and, uh... then she splattered his bottle." "Well, he got scared she'd start investigating, you know." "By the next day, he was bragging, though, laughing 'cause he spilled liquor on her and roughed her up a bit, you know." "Claimed that she'd made a pass at him." "[Mason] Did you mention all this to Judge Daily?" "No." "But you did tell him that Mrs. Wardman had made passes at you, too, isn't that right?" "Yes." "Now, that was a lie, wasn't it?" " Yes, it was a lie." " Bobby!" "I'm sorry, Mom, but Pat said he'd beat me up if I didn't lie." "That'll be all, Bobby." "Now, Dr. Grant, in a conversation you had with your fellow members on the board," "I believe you said that people cut off from love sometimes lose their judgment." "Now, could that possibly apply to you?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "Didn't you once tell Mrs. Wardman that you loved her?" "Ask her to marry you?" "And weren't you then refused?" " Yes." " Didn't you get so angry at that refusal that you conspired with Gus Wiler to humiliate her, to drive her out of town?" "How could I have conspired with Gus Wiler?" "Weren't you, uh, his business partner in the Summit Inn?" "Mr. Mason, if you're so interested in Gus Wiler's business affairs," "I suggest you ask Judge Daily that." "He was Wiler's landlord." "There's no secret about me owning property out there." "No, I had nothing to do with Wiler, either." "I just rented him a building, that was all." "As for him selling liquor to minors, that's why I went out to see Gus last night and to find out if the rumors you've been telling the sheriff about that were true." "[Mason] However, had you been his partner, and supposing that those rumors were true, you certainly would have quarreled with him." "You might even have struck the fatal blow that killed him." "You might even have planted the anonymous letter about Mrs. Wardman on him." "Take that letter." "Why would I write anything like that about Jane Wardman?" "To get her out of town, perhaps, for fear that her investigation into the liquor situation might have led her into realizing that the phone call she received from Ken Sterling the night he died did not come from Cactus City but from the Summit Inn." "I never heard of such a call." "Now, I have here the phone company record of that call to her number." "Now, you knew that she was going to investigate, all right." "She wrote a note to this board about the boys probably getting liquor from Gus Wiler." "I never saw such a note, Mr. Mason." "Never." "Who did Jane give the note to?" "Doris Wilson." "I destroyed it." "Why, Doris?" "Why did you do it?" "I cared a great deal for Gus." "I didn't want him to get into any-- any trouble." "Well, Miss Wilson, after destroying the note, did you help Gus Wiler with the anonymous letter," "and persuade Pat and the others to accuse Mrs. Wardman?" "No, no!" "I don't know anything about that part." "I-I thought the boys were telling the truth." "Then why did you change typewriters the day before yesterday?" "Change typewriters?" "This was written by me on your typewriter yesterday." "This was written by you three days ago, according to the date." "Two different typewriters, Miss Wilson-- a fact I can prove, just as I can prove that it was this earlier typewriter of yours that was used to type the anonymous letter accusing Mrs. Wardman." "I thought there was something funny yesterday." "A looser action, and-- and the space bar jumped." "I asked Mr. Rixby if he'd been using my typewriter again." " He said no." " Now, just a minute, Doris." "It's no good trying to implicate me." "[Mason] Is she trying to implicate you, Mr. Rixby?" " Well, who else could she mean?" " Of course." "Who else knew of Jane Wardman's trouble with Pat Mangan?" "Who else knew that she was going to write a note to the school board?" "Who else would have gone to Gus Wiler and gotten him to join in a plot to discredit Mrs. Wardman?" " You're inventing all this." " Am I inventing this-- a record of the withdrawal of $11,600 from your bank account?" "The exact sum, incidentally, that Gus Wiler paid to the people who put in his bar and café fixtures." "How did Ken Sterling really die, Mr. Rixby?" "What?" "Didn't it happen here instead of Cactus City?" "In fact, right at the Summit Inn?" "And weren't you there at the time?" "Knowing that the discovery of the boy's body would result in investigations that would ruin your reputation, cost you your job, lose you your life savings, didn't you then get Wiler to help arrange the so-called road accident outside Cactus City?" "No." "No!" "I warn you, Mr. Rixby, the midnight call the boy made from the inn to Jane Wardman proves that he couldn't have done his drinking at Cactus City." "It's too far away." "Well, you knew about that call." "And ever since, you've been afraid that Jane might discover where it came from, might discover its meaning." "And then last night, you heard that Pat Mangan had confessed all he knew to Mr. Drake." "Pat Mangan?" "No." "How could I have known about any confession of Pat's last night?" "From Jane Wardman." "You didn't tell me about that, did you, Jane?" "I'm sorry, Everett, but I did tell you... when you called last night after Mr. Mason and Mr. Drake left the house." "[Mason] We didn't go out to the inn until an hour or so later." "There was plenty of time for you to get there before us." "Plenty of time to kill Gus Wiler." "Kenneth..." "Kenneth Sterling was a troublemaker at school." "He always was." "One night about a month ago, I went out there to talk to Gus." "Just about business, that's all." "The boy was there, and he was drunk." "When he saw me, the principal, it was like a red flag to a bull." "He attacked me." "I didn't hit him hard." "I only tried to defend myself." "Struggled a little till I could throw him out the door." "But then later," "Gus and I found him out there, lying by his motorcycle... dead." "But last night, Mr. Rixby-- last night, why did you kill Gus Wiler?" "It" " It was my reputation, my whole life I could have lost." "Don't you see?" "Don't you understand?" "I had to do something." "Then last night," "Gus Wiler said he wouldn't stand by me anymore." "He said he didn't strike the boy." "He didn't move the body and the motorcycle from one county to another." "He didn't start something that got bigger and bigger until it wouldn't be stopped, until it couldn't be stopped!" " Mrs. Wardman?" " Yes, Mrs. Slater?" "I've been selected to speak for the mothers and fathers here" "And the Board of Education, Cornelia." "And the Board of Education, too, to, um, well, to tell you how s-sorry and ashamed we are for the way we've acted, and to ask you to stay on here" "if not for your sake, for ours." "Oh, brother." "After all this, would I know how to answer these people." "Mrs. Slater, why do you think I've been fighting this thing?" "Placer Hill is Terry's and my home." "and we hope it always will be our home."