"( noirish jazz theme playing )" "( upbeat theme playing )" "Here, here, here, here, just a minute out there." "Just a minute." "Just a" " Oh." "Oh, it's you, sir." "Evening, Mr. Gideon." "I was just driving by." "Good many lights upstairs, wouldn't you say?" "Oh." "We're very careful about the electricity, Mr. Gideon." "Uh, some of the folks are working late, I guess." "Well, I'm not." "You mean there's a light up in your office?" "You wait, I'll take a look, sir." "Oh, no, you don't." "That cleaning woman is nipping my whisky," "I'm gonna catch her myself, thank you." "( typewriter clacking )" "Who's here?" "Who's in here?" "Who's here?" "Who's in here?" "Hey." "David." "Oh, hi, Granddad." "What on earth are you doing here?" "Well, it's too early for nightclubs and a little late for the racetrack." "GIDEON:" "What's that?" "Blackstone?" "Yeah." "Say, the moth's really fly out of that one, don't they?" "You mean to say you came here to read?" "To study?" "Well, don't look so surprised." "You always said come in, help myself any time I wanted to." "Sure, what can a guy do but read?" "There aren't any good pictures in Blackstone." "I'm sorry, David." "You know, I never realized that you were back in law school." "Well, I've been thinking about it." "I mean, I spoke to the dean and it's just a matter of making up an examination or two." "You can do it too." "Not gonna be easy." "See, I never finished." "The reason I've kept all those law books all these years just to remind me." "Oh, I admit I did think your Uncle Lucius would go back to law school but, uh, no." "Guess he never quite had it in him." "David, I can't tell you what this would mean to me." "Sure, Granddad, but maybe I shouldn't use your office now." "No, no." "I'll leave." "I won't interrupt." "You just make yourself comfortable, son." "Pitch in." "Now, uh, you want a nightcap, when you get through you just help yourself, because, I mean, after all, the watchman will get it if you don't." "I'm gonna be awfully proud of you, David." "( ominous theme playing )" "( inhales )" "( sighs ):" "Oh, dear." "Shh." "Your grandfather would absolutely kill me." "He'd have me skinned, fried and basted in acid." "It's your fault, David." "Following me into the building like this." "You know I'm supposed to be working for Mr. Comminger tonight." "Well, he's not so easy to fool, that grandfather of mine." "He raised me since I was a kid." ""You just make yourself comfortable, son." "Pitch in."" "( dramatic theme playing )" "I tell you, two glasses were used, not one." "Look, why do you suppose they polish this edge so carefully?" "Take off some lipstick, wouldn't you say?" "Oh, yes, sir, I suppose it could have been lipstick." "But I'm an accountant, not a detective." "That woman was here." "Now, you'll admit that she was supposed to be helping you, and she didn't show up." "I've been using her to help check back" "Mr. Lucius Gideon's records, that's all." "Comminger, I asked you to investigate and document my son's recent mismanagement of this company, and nothing else." "But I obviously have to consult Lucius's private records." "And since Dorine was his private secretary..." "Why do you suppose my son committed suicide?" "Because he drank too much?" "Because he was foolish?" "It is commonly known, Mr. Gideon, that Lucius was in poor health." "And there was certainly nothing improper between him and Miss Hopkins that I know of." "And for you to suggest anything..." "Oh, you're all the same." "Every one of you." "Silk, perfume and a pretty leg." "Off roll your heads like so many useless pumpkins." "Yes, sir." "Is that all, sir?" "( sighs ):" "Oh, I don't know." "I came in here this morning and find this." "You were right about his Uncle Lucius." "He was ill, weak and foolish." "But David is different." "David can be like his own father used to be." "Now, look, Comminger, I know that you have to use this woman to straighten out our books." "And I still want you to find out every bit of truth for me." "But I don't want Dorine Hopkins within 10,000 miles of my grandson." "Never again, do you hear that?" "( dramatic theme playing )" "( gasps )" "Oh, David, it's you." "Well, who'd you think it was?" "( chuckles )" "Dorine, where have you been?" "Look, David, I haven't got much time right now." "We're going to the Red Ox for lunch, and you're going to explain to me why you've moved three times in the last three days." "Look, David, I can't, okay?" "It's because of my grandfather, isn't it?" "Well, he's not gonna run your life or mine either." "David, your grandfather doesn't have a thing in the world to do with it." "Darling, I've got to go." "You're a very sweet boy and maybe we'll see each other again sometime, hm?" "Dorine, don't you know how I feel about you?" "( sighs )" "Yes, David." "Every time you look at me, you shake." "Well, you are the most beautiful" "Now, look, darling, there are plenty of pretty college girls with pom-poms instead of me with all my problems." "Darling, I've got to go." "You're laughing at me, aren't you?" "No, David." "I'm telling you goodbye." "( dramatic theme playing )" "( ominous theme playing )" "Hey, you." "Let go of her." "Beat it, kid." "Please" "Listen, I said let go." "Listen, punk" "No, Dav--!" "Did he hurt you?" "No." "You all right?" "What was that guy trying to do?" "David, you idiot, he's my husband." "David, please, you've got to get out of here." "I'm not going until I know you're all right and until you explain." "David, look, I-- I'll meet you for lunch." "I'll do anything you say, but please, please go." "Thank you." "Well, now, just what kind of an explanation do you feel you deserve?" "Do you think I should apologize to you just for having a husband and not telling you about it?" "David, can't you do something other than just sit there and stare?" "Yeah." "Ow." "He really slugged you, didn't he?" "It doesn't make any difference, David." "I should have killed him." "Don't say that." "W hat do you expect me to say?" "Darling, listen to me." "My husband is very unimportant because I don't like him." "I haven't liked him for years and years and years." "That's why I went to work for your Uncle Lucius, as a matter of fact:" "to get away from Tony." "Why didn't you divorce him?" "Because I couldn't-- Hello." "Uh, two martinis, please." "Yes, sir." "You'll just have to trust me, David." "I can't get a divorce from Tony until I get something back from him." "And I can't get those things back until I" "I give him something." "Well, what?" "Get what?" "If you'd just tell me the kind of trouble you're in..." "It wouldn't do any good, David." "Tony has some very rough friends, and" "Oh, look, if you think I'm afraid of Tony and his rough" "Uh, two martinis, please, and we're in a little bit of a hurry." "Excuse me, sir, may I see your driver's license?" "Look, if you don't think I'm even 21 years old..." "WAITRESS:" "Well, it's just that the boss" "Well, you understand." "I'm terribly sorry." "I'll get your drinks right away." "Sure." "All right, so maybe you are a couple of years older than I am." "But I'm gonna help you whether you like it or not." "Can you help me find $10,000, David?" "( dramatic theme playing )" "( door opens )" "( door closes )" "Well, David, still home?" "I thought you were going out." "Yeah, well, I was just waiting for a phone call." "Well, I'll see you, Granddad." "Wait a minute." "I got a call from Peterson at the bank today." "He said you were in inquiring about the money your mother left you and if there was any way of getting it out of trust." "Oh, that." "I was just curious, that's all." "Yes, yes, of course." "I understand that you dropped in at a couple of, uh, used-car lots, and wanted to know what you could get for your automobile." "What do you do, have somebody follow me around every place I go?" ""Six hundred dollars plus 75, government bond: 1000."" "What is she up to?" "Why is she after you?" "What is this woman trying to--?" "It's none of your business." "I'm sorry, Granddad." "And I'm sorry about lying to you the other night, about her being in your office, and all." "I understand." "No, you don't." "She's been chasing you ever since she set eyes on you." "Granddad, I've been chasing her." "A boy of your age never comprehends what a woman like that does, how she can work." "David-- Listen to me." "You want to know how this really started?" "Because I was curious as to why Uncle Lucius killed himself and because I couldn't stand to see anybody as unhappy as Dorine was." "You don't know what you're talking about." "Don't I?" "You kicked Dorine out of a good job the minute Uncle Lucius was dead." "Why?" "You won't ever talk about it." "Why?" "You won't even say why you got that guy Comminger sniffing around the office." "Why?" "And none of that is any of your business." "Well, I know this." "Whatever's happened to Dorine is our fault, our family's fault." "And you just won't admit it." "Oh, you poor, stupid young whelp." "This cheap, conniving dame leads you around by the nose." "Why, she's nothing but a" "( phone rings )" "Yeah?" "Oh." "Uh, look, I'm afraid I haven't quite done what you wanted me to yet." "But I don't want you to do anything, now, silly." "Don't you understand?" "I got all the money all by myself." "( laughing ):" "Yes, the whole 10,000." "You see, I sold my fur coat and I had a couple of bonds and I got some money for my car." "Well, anyway, that doesn't make any difference." "The point is this:" "I'm on my way now to pay Tony." "And I thought, well, if you'd like to meet me at my place," "I'll be there in about 20 minutes." "I thought maybe you'd like to help me celebrate." "I mean, you were so sweet to try to help me when there wasn't anybody else to turn to." "I'll be right there." "Bye." "Boy, how wrong can anybody be about people?" "David." "Son." "( dramatic theme playing )" "( car engine revving )" "DORINE:" "Tony!" "Tony!" "( Dorine screams )" "Dorine, what happened?" "( sobbing )" "Dorine, Dorine, Dorine," "Dorine, Dorine." "What happened?" "( sobbing )" "He laughed at me." "He wouldn't stop laughing." "Tony?" "That was Tony?" "( hyperventilating ):" "He" "I went to his place." "I gave him the money." "He" " He had all the papers I wanted right in his hands in a brown envelope, and" "And then he just put it back in a bureau drawer and he started laughing." "All right, he wouldn't give you the envelope." "I begged with him, I argued with him, and" "And then he" " He hit me, and then he made me get back in the car." "And now he's got the car and the money." "What's the number of that place?" "( sobbing )" "2247." "It's on Pine." "Oh, David, if only I'd waited for you to come with me." "I'll get your envelope." "David, what if he should come back?" "I'll get there first." "David..." "David, wait!" "Be careful!" "( ominous theme playing )" "( cats mewling )" "( dog barking )" "( creaking )" "( dramatic theme playing )" "( groans )" "( sighs )" "( menacing theme playing )" "Tony." "( dramatic theme playing )" "JUDGE:" "The witness may step down." "MAN:" "I call..." "( buzzing )" "DELLA ( over intercom ):" "Perry, Mr. Gideon on the line." "A Mr. J.J. Gideon." "I told him how busy you were, but he insisted." "Gideon?" "Same as the boy in the papers this week?" "Dave Gideon?" "That's right." "This is the boy's grandfather." "Uh, switch him on, Della." "MASON ( over phone ):" "This is Perry Mason." "Hello." "Hello, Mr. Mason?" "I've got to see you right away." "This may not take over an hour of your time, and I'll pay you anything you want if you'll only get here quickly." "Where are you, Mr. Gideon?" "But hasn't the hearing already--?" "Oh, I see." "Yes." "Yes, I will." "Right away." "Della, I'm going to the county courthouse." "Apparently Hamilton Burger is winning a case." "Now, Mr. Farrell, to review, we heard the doctor testify that death was caused by a blow alongside the head with some sort of a blunt object," "45 minutes to an hour and a half prior to the arrival of the police at 10:45." "We also heard testimony indicating that Tony Montgomery put up a fight against his murderer." "Now you stated that you came to call on Mr. Montgomery that night on a matter of business, and that your cab arrived at exactly 10:30, is that correct?" "FARRELL:" "That's right." "There weren't any lights on inside when I got there so I told the driver to wait." "Well, like I told you, I went up, found the door open, saw the body there in the kitchen and hurried back to yell to the taxi man." "So it was then, a moment or two after 10:30, when you say you saw a man running across the yard?" "There's just no question about who I saw." "It was him." "The defendant." "BURGER:" "The police reported that when they picked David Gideon up some 15 minutes later, that he was reasonably neat and clean." "FARRELL:" "And I can tell you he wasn't that way when I saw him." "There was a big dark smear, could have been dirt or blood, on one cheek." "His shirttail was half out and his whole appearance was a mess." "As though he, just like the deceased, had recently been in a fight." "No further questions, Your Honor." "Cross-examine." "No questions." "The witness may step down." "May it please the court, having amply demonstrated both motive and opportunity, having proven beyond any doubt David Gideon's angry presence at the scene of the murder, the State sees no reason for presenting further testimony at this time." "Very well, Mr. Burger." "Does the defense wish to introduce evidence or make any statement?" "No, Your Honor." "Not at this time." "There seems to be sufficient evidence." "The defendant will be held for trial on a date to be set later." "Court will adjourn for 15 minutes." "Hello, Perry." "I told Mr. Gideon a couple of days ago to ask you to take over here." "I gather the boy hasn't been much help to you, Avery." "He will be with you, Mr. Mason." "I'm sure he will." "Now, the only thing that's holding him back now is because his mind is not clear." "You see, he was knocked unconscious." "Well, well, well." "Excuse me." "The Marines are landing a little late, aren't they, Perry?" "Hello, Hamilton." "Or did you just drop by to watch me deliver my windup?" "I really wasn't at my best today." "You know how it is sometimes when almost too much evidence is on your side." "You trying to tell me something?" "Only that that boy has no chance at all." "Even your kind of tricks wouldn't help him." "Why, Hamilton." "Tricks?" "( ominous theme playing )" "Any possibilities so far, Paul?" "No, not yet." "But I've got three men scattered in the crowd out there." "Let me know the minute you spot anything." "All right." "Okay, Mr. Mason." "Here he is." "Judge's order says keep it down to 20 minutes or so." "No more than that." "This kind of thing attracts a lot of people, you know." "I know." "Thank you, sergeant." "We'll talk right here in the kitchen." "I hope you're not going to be too disappointed." "I guess the only reason you could arrange this was because I didn't seem to remember certain things." "Only... well, there just isn't much more I can tell you about what happened here." "Let's jog your memory a little." "You say you got here a few minutes after 10, tangled with a man you couldn't see." "When you came to, on the floor, it was almost 10:30." "The envelope you took from the bureau was gone." "That's right, only I don't know if it was Tony who hit me or not." "Anyway, he must have been killed during the time I was unconscious." "I found him here against the chair where he'd fallen." "Well, that's all I know, Mr. Mason." "Honest." "That man Farrell testified at the hearing that when he saw you run away from here, you were dirty." "A mess." "This place doesn't look very dirty to me." "Well, I'd been on the floor there." "I mean, he just must have meant bloody, disheveled, don't you think?" "Look, David, one way or another," "Dorine Hopkins got you into all this." "Now, she still won't tell what was in that envelope." "But it's not relevant." "How do you know?" "I don't really." "But I'm sure she'd tell if it was." "I know she wants to help." "Her husband had taken her car." "It isn't very likely that she could have got over here in time to kill Tony herself." "So why are you still shielding the girl?" "That's what you're doing, isn't it?" "Still hiding information because of" "Mr. Mason," "I bet I've followed every case you ever defended since I was in high school." "You have no idea how glad I felt when they told me you were actually going to defend me." "I feel very confident." "David, you're scared to death and you know it." "But you can get me off." "I know you can get me off, Mr. Mason." "( door opens ) PAUL:" "Hi, sarge." "I just brought these cigarettes that Mr. Mason wanted from his car, okay?" "Okay." "What's up, Paul?" "There's a dame in a long beige coat with a skimpy mink collar." "My men said she walked by here twice last night." "Also the night before." "( ominous theme playing )" "Know who it is?" "Yeah, it's a woman that does typing, I think, in my grandfather's office." "Ah, here we are." "Oh, hello, Sue." "You sent for me, Mr. Comminger?" "Yes." "This is Mr. Mason." "Miss Franks." "Hello." "Mr. Mason is young David's lawyer, you know." "Yes, I know." "I've read the papers." "I asked to have some typing done." "That shouldn't take you too long, Sue." "Just a few company records Mr. Mason needs copies of." "Anything I can do to help." "I just now discovered that Tony Montgomery once worked here." "Along with his wife." "Well, not exactly with, I'd say." "The records say one month in the shipping department five years ago." "And then he was fired for being drunk on the job." "That's just about the time they separated, I guess." "Wasn't it, Sue?" "You were here then, Miss Franks?" "Well, I really don't remember him too well." "I'll type this for you." "You did know Tony Montgomery, though?" "Just casually, that's all." "Mr. Comminger here said he'd seen you a couple of times at the racetrack, just last year, with Tony Montgomery." "If Mr. Comminger had looked more closely," "I'm sure he would have seen my mother too." "We go every Saturday, my mother and I." "I don't see any harm in that, nor in the fact that we might just bump into all sorts of people there." "Of course there's no harm." "I only thought you might be able to tell us something more about Tony." "He's such a shadowy sort of figure." "But if we know he followed the races, for instance." "Not half as much as he followed the dice." "You mean, like in Nevada?" "Las Vegas?" "How should I know?" "I never went there with him." "He wasn't my husband, you know." "Now, if you'll excuse me," "I'll get started on this right away." "( typewriter keys clicking )" "( tense theme playing )" "It's all in the court record, Mr. Mason." "My acquaintance with Tony Montgomery was strictly business." "What sort of business?" "Gambling?" "Don't be silly." "When you live in a town like this, you either leave it alone or you go broke." "Me, I prefer fishing." "But I find your business is called a "collection service."" "That's part of gambling, isn't it?" "It's part of the automobile rental business, also the used car trade." "You should see how many buyers don't keep up with their payments." "Was that what you were going to call on Tony Montgomery about?" "A used car?" "I like to stay out of trouble, Mr. Mason." "Besides, I'm a witness for the prosecution." "You went there to collect a gambling debt, isn't that right?" "Now, you know, gambling debts can't be collected legally in California." "All I want to know is whom you were collecting the debt for." "Just one of the big houses in town." "Not any one individual." "And there was nothing personal between him and me." "Nothing like that." "How much did Montgomery owe the gambling house?" "Ten thousand dollars." "I'd been after him for it for quite a while." "You talked to him before?" "Yeah." "Here in Vegas, before he went to L.A." "And then on the telephone, a couple of times a day." "Sounds like you were pushing him pretty hard." "Nah." "No, I don't use rough stuff, Mr. Mason." "It's just how they said to handle him, that's all." ""They"?" "Other boys in my trade." "It seems that Montgomery used to walk out on a debt every few months or so." "And the, uh, houses still allowed him to gamble here." "Come on, Mr. Farrell." "What else did the boys in your trade tell you?" "They said push the guy hard enough and he'd push his wife." "They said, his wife, she always makes good." "( suspenseful theme playing )" "I didn't expect you in so early." "I flew in last night." "I think it's time for me to go after Dorine Hopkins, Della." "I've got the ammunition now." "So if you'll just phone her..." "Mm-hm." "Wait a minute." "Paul just called in about that Sue Franks." "The woman you've had him watching." "Well?" "Perry, she's out at that house again." "The place where the murder was." "Only this time she's gone digging in the garden." "( suspenseful theme playing )" "Welcome to open house." "What's going on?" "The world's getting too crowded." "Remember the story about one elephant following another elephant?" "Well, meet the last elephant in line." "Well, Mr. Mason." "Hello, Sergeant Brice." "Sorry we had to intrude, but when my men saw this woman digging behind a bush and then saw her come up with this brown envelope..." "PAUL:" "Perry, it's the right one." "I should say Miss Franks has quite a bit of explaining to do." "PAUL:" "Well, actually, her explanation's quite simple." "She knew where the envelope was because she saw a man hide it there the night of the murder." "Your client, David Gideon." "I see." "What else, sergeant?" "Well, it's not surprising the boy was trying to get rid of it before he was caught." "Obviously, he was shielding someone all along." "Yes, I knew that." "Yes, but Perry, maybe not the same person." "Wait till you get a load of those notes." "Apparently, David was trying to protect his whole family." "His dead Uncle Lucius, and his grandfather." "( mysterious theme playing )" "So at about 10:20 you went into the kitchen and saw the body." "What then?" "Well, then I remembered the envelope." "It was still on the floor, by the place where I'd been slugged." "I lit some matches to see what sort of stuff was in it." "Mr. Mason, do you know that since my Uncle Lucius died three months ago, my grandfather has paid Dorine Hopkins $5000?" "There were three separate payments." "Her husband kept Photostats of the checks, besides those pictures." "Let's skip all that for a minute." "Now, you say you went out the back way and ditched that envelope." "Why?" "Well, that was about 10:30, and I didn't want that guy Farrell to stop me." "I mean, I didn't want to risk anybody else seeing the envelope." "I know how much it could hurt my grandfather." "Did you see any other cars there besides Farrell's taxi?" "Well, there was a car parked in the driveway, probably Tony's, but the back wheels were off and the rear end was partially removed, so it couldn't have been driven for some time." "There was a new convertible parked across the street when I got there, but it was gone when I left." "And I remember wondering where Tony had parked Dorine's car." "It was in the drugstore parking lot at the corner." "Oh." "Mr. Mason, if my grandfather gave Dorine $5000" "Apparently, she turned it right over to her husband to take care of his various gambling debts, David." "Tony was the blackmailer, not Dorine." "But why did Grandad pay anything?" "I mean, a few pictures of Uncle Lucius and Dorine." "So maybe they were really mixed up, it doesn't hurt anybody now." "Just a nice, foolish ex-playboy and the kind of dame you can meet any day of the week." "I mean, who cares?" "David, your grandfather has a man checking into records." "It begins to look as though your Uncle Lucius may have mismanaged his company out of nearly $100,000." "Oh." "Naturally, your grandfather wanted to keep it as quiet as possible until he has all the answers." "Besides, he was thinking about you." "About leaving you a good name." "Mm." "Look what I'm doing for his good name." "Not to mention yours, of course." "Mine?" "Well, sir, I'd sure hate to be the guy to spoil your record." "But didn't David ask about me, Mr. Mason?" "Didn't he even want me to come and visit him?" "I guess I forgot to mention the possibility of your being able to do that." "You mean, you think I've done enough damage already?" "I didn't say that." "But surely David can't mean much to you." "Mr. Mason, it's one thing to tell an attractive boy you're older than he is." "It's quite another to tell it to yourself." "BURGER:" "Now, Mr. Comminger, as a qualified witness in these fiscal investigations, do you think it possible that Lucius Gideon was really an embezzler?" "In other words, could he have withheld certain investments rather than simply mismanaging them?" "Well, I've found nothing to indicate that." "It's scarcely possible." "No, no, there was nothing criminal about Lucius Gideon." "He was, just, well, stupid, I'm afraid." "Did you find anything of a personal nature connecting him and the wife of the deceased?" "May it please the Court, since Defense has already stipulated to the description of material found in People's Exhibit 4, the brown envelope-- I withdraw the question," "Your Honor." "And I'm finished with this witness." "Mr. Comminger, in the course of your investigations, have you found anyone else besides Lucius Gideon whom Dorine Hopkins might be involved with?" "That is to say, who her friends are?" "Whom she, uh, goes out with in the evenings?" "No, except for the defendant, David, there, that's all I know about." "What, um-- What about yourself?" "I beg pardon?" "Well, hasn't she been helping you in the evenings?" "Haven't you taken her to dinner many times?" "But that's business." "Our relationship has only been business." "MASON:" "That's all, thank you." "Tony shoved the money into his pocket." "I know that policeman said that they never found it later, but that's what he did with it, all of it." "Ten thousand dollars." "Then he struck me." "Three, four, five times," "I-I-I don't remember how often." "And then he made me get back into the car." "What time was this, do you remember that?" "Well, about 9:40, I think." "I was only there a few minutes." "Well, anyway," "I started to get behind the wheel of my car, and, well, all of a sudden, Tony shoved me over and said that he was going to drive me home." "He had been drinking and" "Well, it seemed like he was driving about 90 miles an hour." "But he took you to your rooming house?" "Mm-hm." "And what then?" "Well, he hadn't told me that he was going to keep my car." "He just did it." "He drove up alongside the curb and he reached across me to open my door, and then he started to laugh." "As I got out of the car, all of a sudden, he roared off down the street, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground." "And David was standing there." "And he reached down and" "And started to help me up." "Poor David." "( sobbing )" "Poor David." "Yes, sir, I saw the defendant get into his car." "He sure did sound like he was in a hurry, way he skidded them tires out of there." "They made a frightful noise." "Uh, did you happen to notice the time, sir?" "Indeed I did." "I was walking Alexander, that's my wife's little dog." "I wanted to be sure I was home in time for the news, so I was checking my watch." "And exactly what time was it that David Gideon left the young woman and drove off in such haste?" "Uh, seven minutes before 10 p.m." "I see." "What did you do then?" "Well, when Miss Hopkins got out the car, she kind of hurt her ankle a little." "So I helped her inside of my house, and my wife gave the ankle a good soaking." "And she was there until, oh, uh, 11:00, I guess." "Do you mean to say that Dorine Hopkins was actually inside your house from the moment that the defendant drove off after Tony Montgomery until an hour later?" "Yes, sir, that's what I'm saying." "( with French accent ):" "Mon cher, monsieur," "I am positive that's the man who got hit." "He over there, he grabbed him over here, and then he yelled, "Let go of that girl!"" "And the girl is that red-head over there." "And you say that this fight took place the day before the murder?" "Oui, monsieur, right next door to my house." "And then one of the men told the other, uh, "Beat it, kid,"" "and then him, David Gideon, he hit that Tony Montgomery so hard, why, I thought he killed him right then and then." "And of course he didn't die until the next day, yes?" "No?" "Uh-huh?" "David came running out of Mr. Montgomery's house and down the steps." "He stopped, and then he ran behind those bushes." "He kicked up some dirt and I saw the envelope drop." "And then he scratched the dirt back again and I saw him running." "I see." "Go on, Miss Franks." "Well, that's all there was." "About David, I mean." "Because then I heard a car drive off, and a shout, and two men went into the house, and before I knew it, the sirens were screaming and I thought I'd better leave." "You hadn't done anything wrong." "Why did you think you better leave?" "Well, I'd watched from there sometimes before, you know." "It always made me nervous." "Why had you watched Tony Montgomery's house before," "Miss Franks?" "Because Mr. Gideon, Sr. had asked me to." "To keep an eye on that man and his wife." "He didn't trust either of those people one inch." "Now, Miss Franks, you say that you were there for 15 or 20 minutes." "During that time, did you see anyone besides David Gideon enter or leave that house?" "Not until the taxi came." "Thank you, Miss Franks." "That will be all." "Your witness." "Miss Franks, when was the last time Mr. Gideon asked you to spy on anyone?" "I don't remember, exactly." "Can you tell us the exact date when he ever asked you to do such a thing?" "I'm not very good on dates, Mr. Mason." "I know he definitely asked me about Dorine Hopkins." "But isn't it true that watching" "Tony Montgomery's place of residence was strictly your own idea?" "Didn't you often watch for him, hoping to talk to him, hoping he'd talk to you, perhaps because he'd once given you reason to think he cared for you?" "For instance, isn't it true that you went to the racetrack week after week just to meet him there, or at least catch a glimpse of him, or perhaps to loan him money?" "I hated Tony." "It isn't true." "None of it's true." "You can't ask me these things." "Very well, I'll ask you something different:" "Do you drive a convertible?" "No." "No, my mother always insists on a sedan." "But by any chance were you driving a convertible the night of the murder?" "No, of course I wasn't." "I-I took a bus there that night." "What on earth--?" "Miss Franks, your memory wasn't entirely accurate a moment ago." "So let me ask you something else over again." "Now, during all the time that you were there watching for Tony, watching his house, are you absolutely certain that you saw no one come or go but the defendant?" "SUE:" "Of course I'm certain." "There wasn't anybody on the street." "There weren't even any cars parked on the street." "There was" "No, now-- Now, wait a minute." "That's funny." "I think there was a car there." "It drove away just as I got there." "It was a convertible." "Miss Franks, why didn't you recall that in your testimony at the preliminary hearing?" "Well, because I didn't really see the car." "I mean," "I don't know whose car it was, or who was driving, or anything." "But you saw it." "Thank you, Miss Franks." "I have no further questions." "( suspenseful theme playing )" "I've exactly eight minutes." "What about you?" "Same, Perry." "David might have made it a couple of minutes faster, but I doubt it." "Paul, the important thing is, this place was under almost steady observation that night." "Perry, I've had a man working on that hunch of yours for three days with no results." "Yes, but now that Miss Franks has spoken out, it isn't just a hunch." "So put ten men on the job." "Look at it this way, Paul:" "If David told me the truth, and he did, there's only one way this murder could have happened." "( dramatic theme playing )" "Your statement, Mr. Farrell, was that the boy looked scared to death?" "That's right." "He jumped into his car and drove away." "That was at 10:30." "BURGER:" "And what happened then?" "Well, I shouted to my taxi driver and he spotted the boy's license number." "Then he came up to the house." "The driver, that is." "Well, he looked at the body too." "We didn't touch anything." "Then we ran across and woke up the neighbor and called the police." "And I guess that's it." "That's a very clear narration, Mr. Farrell." "Thank you." "Your witness, counselor." "Mr. Farrell, you flew in from Las Vegas earlier that same day, is that correct?" "That's right." "And you checked in at the West Los Angeles Hotel?" "That's right." "I believe you stated earlier that you had made a 10:30 appointment with Tony Montgomery." "That you made the appointment by telephone from Las Vegas." "That's right." "He said he might be able to tell me something about the money he owed a client of mine." "He said his wife was scraping it up from a sucker." "MASON:" "Your return plane reservation was made for the following afternoon, wasn't it?" "Yeah." "What did you intend to do between your appointment with the deceased and the following afternoon?" "Say, what is all this?" "So I know a few girls in L.A." "Sure, I had a couple of dates." "Besides, I wanted to do some shopping, pick up a new sport coat." "Your Honor, I object to that." "There's certainly been no foundation laid for that sort of a quiz program." "I'm a little curious as to what your purpose is, Mr. Mason." "May it please the court," "I hope to make my purpose quite clear very shortly." "I'll withhold the ruling on the objection for the moment." "You may proceed, Mr. Mason." "Now, Mr. Farrell, Los Angeles is a large and scattered city." "There's considerable distance between theatres, stores, a hotel, and possible girlfriend's apartment." "Now, tell us:" "Did you intend to take a taxi to all those places, Mr. Farrell?" "Sure." "Sure, why not?" "Now, do you recall once telling me that in addition to gambling houses, you sometimes do work for used car men and automobile rental companies?" "That's right." "Don't they ever extend courtesy to you?" "Aren't you at least familiar with their rates and so on?" "Well, this trip I just figured" "Now, be careful how you answer." "Didn't you, Mr. Farrell, pick up a rental car at the airport to use in Los Angeles?" "And then later hurriedly return that car?" "No." "Look in the company records." "You won't find that I had a car." "Yes, that's been the difficulty." "The rental services have no such record." "Why is that, Mr. Farrell?" "Because they don't bother to record a courtesy assignment?" "Your Honor, I see no reason for this badgering." "May it please the court," "Defense has just located a witness, a young attendant from a hotel parking lot who recalls seeing Mr. Farrell on the afternoon in question." "All right, yes." "I did have a rental car for a while during the day, but what of it?" "It was a taxi I took out to Tony Montgomery's place at 10:30." "Just answer the questions that are addressed to you, sir, but I sternly remind you that you are under oath." "You may continue, Mr. Mason." "MASON:" "Mr. Farrell, you state that you took a taxi when you went there at 10:30." "Was that because you wanted to be with someone?" "Mr. Farrell, was that your second trip to Tony Montgomery's home that evening?" "Yes." "Yes, it was." "MASON:" "And what time was it that you went there the first time?" "That you drove the rental car out there?" "I don't remember exactly." "A little before 10." "What sort of a car was it, Mr. Farrell?" "It was a new convertible." "And so were you inside the house when the defendant arrived there shortly after 10?" "Were you surprised by him?" "Did you struggle with the defendant in the dark and hit him on the head?" "No." "I don't have to answer that." "MASON:" "Was there $10,000 in that house?" "And if there was, did you take it?" "I didn't touch any of the money." "No." "It wasn't there." "But you were there, weren't you?" "Now, did you strike David Gideon and knock him out?" "I won't answer." "Give me a chance to think." "Your Honor, I don't want to lie." "I don't want any trouble." "Give me a chance to think." "Your Honor, if the Prosecution would have no objection to the recall of one of their witnesses," "I think we may get the answer to this and other questions a lot more quickly." "Which witness?" "Mr. Lawrence Comminger." "( crowd murmuring )" "I never met Tony Montgomery." "I didn't ask if you'd met him, I asked if you killed him." "No." "No." "But if Mr. Farrell really arrived at Tony's place before 10:00 and if, as Miss Franks testified, no one else entered there after she saw the convertible depart" "David killed him!" "He was there." "The police said he killed him!" "From this testimony, Mr. Comminger, isn't it a lot more likely that Tony Montgomery was already dead before David or Mr. Farrell got there?" "I don't know." "Then tell us this:" "Did you ever drive Dorine Hopkin's car?" "What?" "Wasn't it really you who drove Dorine Hopkins back to her rooming house that night?" "Yes." "Yes, it was." "But I didn't know anything about the murder." "I had a call from her about, uh, 9:40, she picked me up and asked me to drop her off, and leave the car for her husband." "There's a parking lot in back of a drugstore." "But didn't it occur to you later, Mr. Comminger, that when Dorine picked you up, her husband was already dead?" "Just as he was already dead when she telephoned the defendant, David, at his home?" "No, no, I never thought of that." "And why not?" "Does Dorine Hopkins have some sort of hold over you that stops you from thinking?" "No!" "No, of course not." "We hardly know each other." "Has your investigation of the Gideon Company revealed facts that are different from those you reported, for instance?" "Have you perhaps found some of that $100,000 which Lucius Gideon supposedly lost?" "I won't answer that." "Are you the latest partner, the latest boyfriend," "Mr. Comminger, in a long line of boyfriends?" "I didn't commit murder!" "I don't know anything about murder!" "Was it Dorine then who killed her husband?" "I don't know." "Why would she?" "It wouldn't make sense." "Oh, but it would make sense, wouldn't it, Mr. Comminger?" "Everything would fit just perfectly." "If you could answer a second question:" "Did Dorine Hopkins also murder Lucius Gideon?" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "( dramatic theme playing )" "MASON:" "Apparently Dorine was in the process of juggling the company books when your Uncle Lucius caught her at it." "That's when she killed him." "And successfully made it look like suicide." "I suppose she would have cleared out then, only, uh, Lawrence Comminger discovered the embezzlement almost immediately." "And I would pick him to investigate." "Dorine apparently persuaded him to help cover the embezzlement in return for half of that hundred thousand." "Only then along came her blackmailing husband Tony with his hand out." "When did you get on to her, Mason, I mean, for sure?" "When I realized what Farrell had done that night, and why he was keeping quiet about it." "See, Farrell had found the body too, but then Dave showed up and Farrell had to slug him to get away without being seen." "Then he returned at 10:30 with a taxi driver to publicly find the body, but Farrell was afraid to tell what he knew because he was afraid he'd be accused of stealing $10,000." "You see, he hadn't found it." "Well, where was it?" "No place." "It never was there." "Dorine was waiting for you to raise it when she got into a fight with her husband, killed him, and then staged herself the perfect alibi." "Well, at least when I get mixed up with a woman, it's sure a woman." "Grandad was the only man alive who had her really pegged." "That's the first time in my life" "I was ever right about a woman." "Well, here's your book back, Mr. Mason." "What's that?" "Blackstone?" "Well, a guy has to read something when he's in jail, but now I'm out." "Now, look here, son" "Oh, I expect he'll be around to borrow a few more, Mr. Gideon." "Sure, Grandad, you may be proud of me yet." "( dramatic theme playing )" "( noirish jazz theme playing )"