"## [theme]" "[giggling]" "Six weeks." "Six weeks, and this is my first night out." "A girl is no computer." "Gotta get out." "Gotta talk a little, have a cocktail-- [laughing]" "One cocktail, that's all I was gonna have till you walked through the door and smiled, Mister..." "Lazarus, as in the Bible." "[laughs] I know." "That's the place where the road is with all the good inventions!" "[laughing] Oh dear." "Well, I'm sure your Uncle Edgar wouldn't begrudge you one night off, and..." "Not my... uncle." "My boss." " Mr. Edgar Thorne." " I'll bet he's not business all the time." "The way you describe that big house" "Two of you working alone, mostly..." "It's nothing like that!" "There's his wife." "And Nora, the housekeeper." "And Mrs. Jill Garson, and her brother Clarence" "I didn't tell you about that." "Did I?" "Well, they don't live in the house." "Anyway." "Not for years." "But he's not the one with the money." "Your Uncle Edgar, I mean." "You just, uh, manage his things, for the niece." "Say!" "I didn't tell you that." "The niece?" "The one that's an invalid?" "Barbara Billings?" "I don't remember." "And her two children away at camp for the summer." "And her missing husband." "Might as well be dead." "Trevor Harris." "Mr. Barbara Billings, that's what the newspapers used to call him." "[chuckles, drunkenly]" "Yeah." "But, uh, this Barbara Billings..." "Friend of mine was telling me what a hard time he's been having trying to get in touch with her." "Where have you been, Mr. Lazarus-from-the-Bible?" "Don't you know..." "How should I know anything, except, uh," " what you've been telling me?" " Barbara Billings is not just an invalid." "She's in the hospital." "She's dying." "Now this is the only doctor's bag I have in stock that still looks pretty good." "I'm afraid that it doesn't even have half a complete set of instruments." "Well, I'm not interested what's inside." "Just the bag itself." "I'll take it." "Thank you." "Barbara?" "Yes?" "It isn't true." "I'm afraid it is, darling." "Your long-lost husband." "Everything you've done..." "Everything, Trevor..." "I forgive you." "I heard you were ill, Barbara." "That you were an invalid, but I didn't know that it was..." "While there's still time, perhaps you'd better forgive me too." " Will you?" " We haven't needed love, forgiveness or anything else from each other for so long." "Barbara Billings." "Billings Enterprises, Limited." "A marriage I couldn't make work with either?" "You fault and mine." "Honey, does the finger have to point anyplace?" "How are they?" "The children?" "Very well, and very happy." "And very wonderful." "Both of them." "Your cousin, Jill Garson, I... just heard she's not taking care of them any longer." "Well, you don't have anything to worry about, Trevor." "It's all arranged." "Teddy and Ellen will be in the care of... the one person whose love..." "I never had any reason to doubt." "Your uncle?" "Edgar Thorne?" "Yes." "Why him, and not Jill?" "Ten years." "Nothing." "Barbara, please." "Maybe I have no right to be here to talk to you." "I know, I don't deserve to be called their father, but those kids and their welfare are my concern." "You didn't even write once." "I left strict orders Miss Billings was not to be disturbed." "I don't know who you are, sir," " but I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to" " I'll leave in a moment, Doctor." "Barbara, this concerns the children." "You must listen to me." " If I have to, I" " If you have to, what, Trevor?" "Kill her?" "Please, Uncle Edgar." "It's all right." "I know you're upset, my dear." "The doctor will give you something to relax you." "Make everything fine." "And make sure you don't talk to me." "Doctor?" "It will only agitate the patient if I have to call for help" " in removing you from this room." " Oh, look, Doctor" "Trevor, you better go." "Can't stop me from talking to her, Thorne." "She's my wife." "Teddy and Ellen are my children." "I'm sorry, my boy, but I'm afraid you're not being quite correct." "You fixed a lot of things, Edgar." "But that's something that even you couldn't fix." "I can't imagine why you think I'd concern myself about you, one way or the other." "The truth, Trevor, happens to be that the mother of your children, the wife you deserted, went into court two years ago and had you declared legally dead." "Actually, Mr. Harris, I'd say the first step would be to reestablish legal identity." " I don't want that." " Why not?" "Mr. Mason, the reason I left ten years ago and never returned is aside from the point." "This week, I just found myself in town," "I thought I'd say hello to Barbara, perhaps see the children." "When I couldn't get in touch with her, I tried to find out what was happening." "[chuckles] I found out, all right." "That your wife is dying, and that you are a walking ghost, so to speak." "You'd, uh, like to take legal action in regard to the children?" "Yes, of course." "But right now, all I want is to get into that hospital" " to talk to Barbara." " That could be difficult." "I know it's difficult, but can you arrange for me to see her?" "Della, see if you can reach Judge Ellison on the phone, please?" "Mr. Lazarus?" "Michaela!" "You shouldn't have let me talk like that." "Well, I'm sorry about that, I found out you were Edgar's secretary and I tried to look you up." "I know it wasn't very nice, but..." "when I finally caught up with you in that cocktail lounge, I" "You pumped me for information." "I was worried." "I had to find out what was going on." "I'm sorry, but you didn't need very much encouragement, talking." "The family is waiting." "They'd like to see you." "Is that why Edgar Thorne had me followed and planted you here-- to bring me to the family?" "Are you coming?" "Sure." "Why not?" "And so, I felt it imperative we all meet together as soon as possible." "Because, frankly, what has happened affects all of us." "It's essential that we, as the family, for the sake of the children, and for Barbara, present a solid front." ""United we stand, divided..."" "Little old Trevor." "Clara!" "Why don't you forget about this meeting, go back to bed?" "[Clara] Oh, no, Edgar." "Not when you need my help." "Family solidarity, all the way." "Trevor Harris has been declared legally dead." "And insofar as this family is concerned, he must remain so." " What about Trevor himself?" " Well, what do you mean, Jill?" "Exactly how have you planned to..." "To get rid of him?" "Is that what you're trying to say, Jill?" "Oh, uh, thank you, Michaela." "You don't have to stay." "Yes, Mr. Thorne." "Welcome back, Trevor." "For a corpse, you look disgracefully healthy." "Clara, you look as lovely as ever." "Jill, how are you?" "Nora." "Good to see you're still here." "Thank you, sir." "And Clarence." "You haven't thanked me." "It must have been worth quite a legal fee, going through the procedures to declare me dead." "In this case, it was a pleasure." "[chuckles]" "Ah, too bad Uncle John isn't around." "At least he had the happy faculty of making these little family to-dos less grim." "A questionable talent, at best." "You never did like your brother, did you, Edgar?" "What were you?" "33rd vice president in charge of emptying wastebaskets, while he ran the company?" "And you were a shining example of his business acumen, weren't you?" "Ah, I was a real beautiful mistake, wasn't I?" ""Richest Girl in the World Buys Herself an All-American."" ""Geologist Halfback Is Square Peg in Round Hole of Industry."" "You did about as well as husband and father." "I struck out, Clarence." "There are those of us who face it and get out of the game." "What about you?" "Weren't you Uncle John's favorite protegé?" "When I read that he died, I expected you, not Uncle Edgar, to be Grand Vizier of Barbara's little estate." "Just as I expected the children still to be in Jill's care." "You consider me unfit to be their guardian?" "Yes." "You're no good." "You're a scheming, unprincipled parasite... with a mania for money and power." "Completely lacking in ethics, morality, or even the slightest regard for the human dignity" "I want my children to have and respect." "Well, here lies the body of Edgar Thorne." "Slain by... whatever it is you are, darling." "Do you think that Uncle Edgar forced Barbara to take the children from me, and name him guardian?" "Didn't he?" "So he could control the millions of dollars they'd inherit?" "[Jill] No, Trevor, he didn't." "I asked to be relieved of the responsibility of raising the children." "And I insisted that Barbara name" "Uncle Edgar as guardian." "Jill, I don't understand." "You're the only decent one in the family." "Well, whatever it is, I'll straighten it out." "I'll talk to Barbara, and I'll straighten it out." "The way you straightened out the company books, just before you ran away ten years ago?" "What are you talking about?" "The facts speak for themselves." "Facts, figures, affidavits" "Incontrovertible proof... that before you left, you embezzled over $50,000 from the company." " It's a lie." " Of course, with the statute of limitations," " prosecution is impossible." " It's a lie." "Barbara will never believe it." "There's no reason why she should ever know it." "That's the past." "But you will admit, you're hardly in a position to give advice to Barbara, or the court, on the proper guardianship for her children." "Nora, call the sanitarium for me." "I've made mistakes, I admit, more than my share." " [phone dialing]" " I may not be fit to wipe my kids' shoes." "But you're not going to get away with calling me a crook." " [line ringing]" " It's ringing." "Barbara will never hold still for it either." "Don't kid yourselves." "I'll get to the bottom of this business with Jill." "Hello?" "I would like to speak with Barbara Billings' doctor, please." "I want to arrange to see Barbara just as soon as..." "Trevor?" "What is it?" "They were trying to reach us." "Barbara just... died." "[knocking on door]" "Nora." "What do you want?" "Please, Mr. Harris." "I have to speak to you." "If Edgar sent you, you're wasting your time." "I have to get back to my job overseas." "But I'm having my lawyer, Perry Mason, look into those embezzlement charges." "Please listen to me." "I heard Mr. Thorne talking." "That evidence he has-- that's why I'm here." "The evidence is in an envelope in his safe." "That envelope." "A final bequest to my children." "Their mother dies and makes them millionaires" "I return from the dead and make them children of a crook." "Nora, I swear I never stole a cent in my life." "Then don't let anybody ever see that envelope." "I spoke with Clarence this afternoon." "He all but convinced me." "There's no question." "It's bad, all right." "I may have goofed up the company books." "I could be blamed for that $50,000 shortage." "I told you, destroy that evidence!" "Tonight." "I'll help you." "Nora, you're wonderful." "You did all you could to keep Barbara from marrying me, and now you do this-- why?" "You were selfish." "You were even... unkind." "But you were never evil." "And that envelope Edgar has in the safe," "I heard him talk to Clarence about it." "That envelope must never be opened in a court of law!" "Because of what it contains about me?" "Because of what it could do to those two children." "To the rear gate." "To the library door." "The combination to the safe is on a piece of paper pasted inside the lower right hand desk drawer... in the library." "I'm seeing Joe at 10:00." "Morgan at 11:00." "With a little luck, I should have the merger details wrapped up by noon." "Mm-hmm." "Is that the material on Trevor?" "The case history of an inept fool." "I think I talked some sense into him." "He won't trouble us." "I'm sure of that, Clarence." "Very sure." "Wait a minute, Edgar." "I may need some papers out of the safe." "Oh, nonsense." "You've got all the data there you can use." "And if you need me, call me here at the house." "Edgar, the, uh-- the funeral arrangements." " Would you prefer me to" " I've already made them." "Now on your way." "I'll call in the morning." "Good night, Edgar." "Good night, Clarence." "[buzzing]" " Yes?" " Mr. Thorne?" "Remember, you said something about dictation?" " I'm waiting." " I told you not to use the intercom!" "[softer] Tomorrow." "We'll get to that..." "dictation tomorrow." "And just how do you define "dictation"?" "I wondered how long it would be before you started looking" " for greener pastures." " [clicks intercom]" "Nora?" "Mrs. Thorne's in my room, and uh, she's not well." "I think you'd better look after her." "That's right, Nora." "Lock her up and throw away the key!" " [replaces handset]" " You're sick." "Yes." "Sick." "Sick for years." "Living with you." "Dreading the day that we couldn't stand the sight of one another." "The day that your greedy eyes would find some stupid young thing!" "Get her out of my sight." "[sobbing]" "[sighs]" "...where a binding final contract for performance is remiss in expressing an element, such of time of payment, mutual intent may be construed by the court." "But where the agreement at issue is a preliminary one that leaves essential terms still to be agreed upon in the final contract, the court is not compelled to determine what the parties intended." "[phone rings]" "Hello?" " Yes, Mrs. Garson?" " Mr. Mason." "You represent Trevor Harris?" " Yes, I do." " I'm at Edgar Thorne's house." "I think you'd better get out here right away." "Edgar Thorne has just been murdered." "Shot to death, and not too long ago." "Wonder where the police are?" " I haven't called them yet." " Why not?" "Well, I thought for Trevor's sake, I should talk to you first." "You saw a man running from the library before you came in here and found the body." "Yes." "Was it Trevor Harris you saw?" "Yes." "That's why I called you." "He had mentioned your name." "Mrs. Garson, why did you come here tonight?" "Nora, the housekeeper, called me." "She said she'd been over to talk to Trevor." "About an envelope in the safe here, that contained some evidence against him." "When Nora thought it over, she realized she'd done probably what-- what Edgar wanted her to do:" "Lead Trevor into Edgar's trap." "She tried to reach Trevor, but he was gone." "So she called you?" "Yes." "I couldn't locate him." "So I came here to-- to try to warn him." "Mr. Mason, it was Trevor Harris..." "I saw running away from here." "My brother Clarence ran after him to try to catch him." "Mrs. Garson, call the police." "Then get all the occupants of this house together in another room, and wait there for the police." "Can you do that?" " Yes, I think so." " Good." " Find something, Paul?" " A contact switch behind the safe door." "The moment the door was open, the switch activated something." "Probably an alarm to warn Edgar Thorne." "Well, if not that, then..." "Then what?" "Perry, this is an infrared lamp." "Infrared?" "Wonder if it could be connected to that switch." "It wouldn't have to be." "Paul:" "Suppose the switch on the safe activated a camera." "A camera loaded with infrared film." "Sure." "And aimed directly at the safe." "That must be the trap that Thorne set for this man Trevor." "Camera." "Yep." "Eight millimeter, magazine load." "You can see where the film compartment is open, and... empty." "This gun, recently fired, was found in the mud just outside the library door." "The gardener must have watered there late this afternoon." "Now, does this gun belong to anybody here?" "Edgar Thorne owned a gun." "Exactly like that I think, Lieutenant Anderson." "Miss Martin?" "As far as I can tell, it's all here, Lieutenant." " Was there any cash in the safe?" " Yes, sir." "$10,600." "It's still here." "Fine." "Thank you." "Mrs. Garson, Mr. Henry, if you'll remain here in the library, I'd like to talk to both of you." "Mrs. Thorne, Miss Kasner, Miss Martin" "If you'll go to your rooms, we'll call you when we're ready for you." "Mr. Mason and Mr. Drake," "I don't think it's necessary to detain you any longer, do you?" " Of course not, Lieutenant." " Mrs. Thorne!" "What are you doing?" "Well, I felt that these were rather inappropriate at this time." "Well, I understand, ma'am, but they'll have to stay here until we've gone over the entire room." "Would you put them back, please?" "Certainly, Lieutenant." "Let's go, Paul." "Yeah, she sure was clumsy trying to get rid of that camera, wasn't she?" "I wonder where the not-too-grieving widow hid the film?" "Paul, stick around till Andy's through with her, then bring her straight to the office." " Mrs. Thorne." " No, no." "Jill Garson." "Why, Mrs. Garson?" "Why did you call Perry Mason?" "Well, under the circumstances, I felt an attorney should be present." "Your brother, Mr. Henry, isn't an attorney?" " He was present." " No, not at that particular moment." "I was, so to speak, beating the bushes outside," " driving all over the neighborhood" " And I'm investigating a murder, in which both of you are involved." "Now, does Mason represent Billings Enterprises?" "No." "Was he associated with Edgar Thorne?" "No." "Does he represent you, Mrs. Garson?" "No." "Lieutenant, I'm upset, and it's late." "Would you mind very much if I went home?" "After you tell me why you called Perry Mason." "The man we saw running away, the one I was looking for" "Trevor Harris?" "Mason is his attorney." "I'm quite sure my brother can tell you anything you wish to know." "May I go now, please?" "We can get your complete statement in the morning." "All right, Mrs. Garson." "You can go." "Thank you." "Good night." ""There is some soul of goodness..."" "[chuckles] A remarkably loyal and generous woman, my sister." "I like that line you quoted." ""There is some soul of goodness..."" "I particularly like the way it ends:" ""...in things evil."" "You're very perceptive, Lieutenant." "And you're very evasive." "Why was Trevor Harris here tonight?" " Why?" " Save the poetry." "Just one good reason." "Will you settle for 150 million good reasons?" " How good?" " Legal tender, Lieutenant." "$150 million." "The approximate sum Trevor Harris' children are about to inherit." "And which Trevor Harris will control?" "Possibly now." "Since the rather sudden elimination of the children's legal guardian," "Mr. Edgar Thorne." "Mr. Harris came in about five minutes ago." "Mr. Mason, I know what happened." "Do you?" "I was there." "Someone came, and I ran." " Why did you run?" " Standing in a room, trying to open a safe that somebody had already opened?" "Turning and seeing a dead body lying on the floor, I..." "It seemed like the smartest thing to do." " Why did you come here?" " I thought it over, and decided to talk to you, and give myself up to the police." " And confess that you killed Thorne?" " No, Mr. Mason." "Edgar Thorne was dead, and that safe was open, before I went into that room." "Sit down, Mr. Harris." "You can give yourself up after we've talked." "Now, that envelope you went there to get." "What was in it?" "Evidence, supposedly proving that I embezzled $50,000... from Billings Enterprises before I left ten years ago." " Supposedly?" " Mr. Mason, I never embezzled a cent." "But I might have made some bad mistakes, or messed up the company books" "I-I can't say." "What about this so-called "embezzlement" evidence?" "You know, it might appear in court, and mitigate your rights insofar as the custody of your children is concerned." "I told you before, I... neither expect nor deserve the custody of my children." "The inheritance has nothing to do with it." "All I want is the legal right to petition the court to make Jill Garson the guardian of my children." "And you're not concerned over your own possible opportunity... of controlling millions of dollars?" "No." "Some people might find that hard to believe." "Believe what you please." "I said, "some people," Mr. Harris." "I have only one concern in any of this: my children." "I want them left in the care of Jill Garson." " Why Jill Garson?" " If my children have any hope for a normal upbringing, for love or understanding-- those hopes lie with Jill Garson." " And not with you?" " No, not with me." "Mr. Mason, try to understand." "I'm not sorry for having left my wife." "That marriage was a mistake from the beginning." "I was just a-a possession to her." "Another trinket on a charm bracelet." "An expensive trinket?" "Yes." "They were generous." "Her Uncle John even made me an officer of the company, to bolster my self-respect." "No, I just couldn't take it." "I know, it was immature and childish perhaps, but..." "I went away as far as I could." "I'm not ashamed of what I am, or what I do now." "But you are ashamed of what you were and what you did ten years ago." "I left my kids, Mr. Mason." "Whatever happened between Barbara and me, it doesn't change that." "I deserted them, too." "But they'll need you now, Mr. Harris." "With $150 million left them by their mother, they need a father they haven't seen, don't know-- don't even remember." "A father they've been taught to believe is a no-good bum." "I'm sorry." " Mr. Mason, I-- - [knocking on door]" "Excuse me." "Come in, Paul!" "Trevor." "Trevor, why?" "Why did you do it?" "Didn't the children have enough to bear?" "Jill, I want them with you-- the children." "Please, don't say no." "I know you love them." "You'll see to it, please?" "Won't you, Mr. Mason?" "In due time, Mr. Harris." "Della, call the Thorne house." "Get Andy on the phone." "He's still there, isn't he, Paul?" "Mrs. Garson, did your brother go with you to the Thorne house tonight?" "Why, no." "He was leaving just as I came up to the front gate." " He went back to the house with me." " [phone dialing]" "Why, Mr. Mason?" "You don't think" "Lieutenant Anderson, please." "Excuse me." "Andy?" "Trevor Harris is here in my office." "If you'll come down, he's prepared to surrender himself to you." "Assuming, of course, that you're looking for him." "I'm looking for him, all right." "And for a roll of infrared film." "Now, you wouldn't happen to know where that is, would you, Perry?" "Yes, Andy." "The film will also be in my office when you arrive." "[hangs up]" "Won't it, Mrs. Garson?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "The camera would have been difficult to hide." "But you did manage to get the magazine of film, did you not?" "I thought you were trying to help Trevor." "Mrs. Garson," "I'm his attorney." "You're his good friend." "We can't help him by subjecting ourselves to a felony indictment on a charge of concealing evidence." "May I have the film, please?" "All right, Andy." "There's one thing you should understand about this infrared-sensitive film." "It doesn't give a regular picture." "About all you'll be able to distinguish from this is the action that was photographed." "[whirring]" "[sighs] Well, that's all there was." "Not much to go on, is it?" "All right, Hamilton." "Where are they?" "Where are what?" "Well, unless I'm very wrong, prints developed from the individual frames of that film would show a great deal of detail." "Knowing you, I'm sure you had them made already." "Now, do I need a court order compelling pre-trial discovery?" "[laughs] Of course, not." "Andy, show them to him." "Clarence Henry." "Jill Garson's brother." "[Burger] That's him, all right." "Did you, uh, know that before you had these films developed?" "Yes, we knew it." "And if you think that's gonna help your client, Perry, you're in for quite a shock-- in court." "Lieutenant, you testified that in addition to the fingerprints of the decedent and those of his attorney, that you found and identified a third set of fingerprints." "Yes, sir." "To whom did this third set of fingerprints belong?" " To the defendant, Trevor Harris." " I see." "Lieutenant," "I show you now this moulage." "I ask you to explain to this court exactly what this is." "This is a plaster of Paris casting made from a footprint we found in the freshly-watered flower bed just outside the library door of the Thorne home." "All right, Lieutenant." "Go ahead about the moulage." "The confirmation of the sole and heel, as well as the distinctive pattern on the heel, identify this as an Italian product, not available in the United States." "Additionally, here on the sole, there is a distinctive, half-moon tear in the leather." "All right, Lieutenant, now what can you tell us about this shoe, marked for identification People's exhibit 4." "Well, these comparison photographs, uh, "A", the plaster cast, and "B," the shoe, show at least five positive marks of identification." "And to whom does this Italian shoe, still bearing traces of mud, belong?" "The shoe belong to the defendant, Trevor Harris." "And is one of the pair he was wearing on the night of the murder." "Yes, I did go to Trevor Harris and tell him about the envelope." "But why, Miss Kasner?" "Why did you feel you must betray your employer and go to Trevor Harris?" "Edgar Thorne was not my employer." "I worked for Barbara Billings for twenty years." "I loved her, and I love her children, and it was them I was concerned about." "[Burger] What time was it when you gave this information to Trevor Harris?" "About, uh, 8:30." "Why, that was less than two hours before the murder." " Yes, but I'm sure that" " Thank you, Miss Kasner." "Your witness." "Miss Kasner, you say you went to the defendant to warn him because of the information contained in this mysterious envelope." " Information concerning the defendant?" " Yes." "And you had no concern for what that envelope might contain... about other members of the household, including perhaps yourself?" " No." " Miss Kasner, did you tell anyone other than Mr. Harris about the envelope?" "Yes." "Jill Garson." "My husband was killed in an automobile accident, many years ago, and when Barbara Billings became an invalid," "I went to work for her, taking care of her children." "Then you did know Trevor Harris?" "Yes." "After Trevor Harris left his wife and children ten years ago, when did you next see the defendant?" "When Michaela Martin brought him to the house, to, uh, see the family." "And on this occasion, did the defendant make any statement to explain his convenient return, just as his wealthy wife was about to die?" "Your Honor, I object to the question on the ground that it's incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial." "Your Honor, the testimony to be adduced by that question is admissible." "And it's also competent, since it tends to show the state of mind of the defendant." "Without stipulating as to relevancy or materiality, the question's incompetence is implicit in lack of proper foundation." "It presupposes knowledge on the part of the defendant not yet in evidence at this hearing." "Mr. Mason, Trevor Harris certainly knew that his wife was dying." "He certainly knew that she was one of the wealthiest women in the world." "And you knew the question was so framed as to be unduly prejudicial, making impossible any objective appraisal of fact." " Your Honor" " That is enough, gentlemen." "The objection is sustained." "Did Trevor Harris, in your presence, say anything to Edgar Thorne to explain... the reason for his return?" "Well, yes." "He did say he did not want..." "Uncle Edgar to be the guardian of his children." "And what did Edgar Thorne say to this statement of the defendant's?" "He warned Trevor that he had documented evidence that would discredit any attempt on Trevor's part to make any changes." "What was this documented evidence?" "Your Honor, I object on the ground that the evidence asked for is not best evidence." "Oh, Mr. Mason, for" "When the contents of a written document are at issue, the rule of best evidence requires that the original document be produced." "But we don't have the original document!" "Then account for its unavailability as foundation before you introduce secondary evidence." "Objection sustained." "All right, I'm finished with the witness." " No questions." " Very well, Mr. Mason." "I call Michaela Martin to the stand." "When I told the police there was nothing missing from the safe," "I'd forgotten about the envelope." "You mean, Edgar Thorne's envelope?" "Allegedly containing documentary evidence about Trevor Harris?" "That's right." "All right then, just for the record, and to lay the foundation for Mr. Mason, that envelope and its contents had been removed from the safe, and were not available to the authorities." "Yes." "Mr. Henry, were you aware that Edgar Thorne was trying to trap Trevor Harris?" "Edgar wanted to prove that Trevor Harris today is as basically dishonest as he was ten years ago." "That he would do anything to gain his own ends." "Yes, I knew he was planning some sort of trap." "Can you tell us the nature of the trap?" "Well, I didn't know then, though of course I know now." "It was a special camera device, using an infrared film." "Mr. Henry, can you tell us who was caught in that trap?" " Was it the defendant?" " No, I activated that camera... when I went there that night, to get some papers" "I needed from the safe." "Routine business papers." "Now, Mr. Henry, when you opened that safe, was that envelope, that you've heard discussed here at such length, in it?" "Oh, I'm sure it was." "Perhaps you could tell us, Mr. Henry, why your... visit that evening was so secretive?" "Well, it was late." "I saw no point in disturbing the whole household." "I see." "And as soon as you had gotten the routine business papers from the safe, you left the house." "Yes." "And as I drove out the front, I saw someone else coming in the back gate." " It was Trevor Harris." " Well, what happened?" "At the end of the driveway, I met my sister, Mrs. Jill Garson, driving in." "She insisted we go back together." "As we approached the house, we saw this man running out." "It was Trevor Harris." "I went after him, but lost him." "Mr. Henry, you testified that when you opened the safe, the envelope was in it." "Now at that time, was Edgar Thorne in that library?" "Alive or dead." "No." "And ten, or at the most, 15 minutes after you saw Trevor Harris running from that house," "Edgar Thorne was found shot dead on the library floor, and the envelope was missing!" "Mr. Henry, do you know, of your own personal knowledge, the contents of that envelope?" "Yes." "It was indisputable, documentary evidence proving Trevor Harris an embezzler." "And unquestionably unfit in any way to control his children, or the fortune they would inherit." "It's ridiculous." "My husband was a fine man." "A good man." "A man of high moral character." "He loved Barbara, and he loved those children." "And his exceptional competence to provide for those children, to guide in their bringing up, should be questioned by a criminally irresponsible man like" "Please, Mrs. Thorne." "Don't excite yourself." "You're not well." "The children's mother knew what was best for them." "Barbara Billings designated my husband as their guardian." "And now, you may become guardian of those children." "And their money." "Tell me, aside from Trevor, did anyone inside or outside of the family ever question Edgar Thorne's fitness to serve as guardian to the children?" "No, never." "This paragon of virtue to whom you were married, he had no faults at all?" "Edgar was a good man." "I'm not sure whether you're trying to convince me or yourself." "Mr. Mason, I hardly think that it's" "Did Edgar Thorne ever drink excessively?" " No." " Gamble?" " No." " Play around with other women?" " No." " No?" " I said no." " Why do you drink to excess?" " Why, I" " Don't you drink to excess?" "Well" " I" "That is, I" "I'm talking to you here, now, because I don't want to produce a dozen witnesses in court, who are waiting to prove that you do, and that you have done so for years." "I'm an alcoholic." "Yes." "And Edgar Thorne was no longer in love with you." "I don't know what you're talking about." "I'm talking about your husband's interest in a younger woman." " No." " The woman he planned to marry... after Barbara Billings died, and after he'd gotten rid of you." "[sobbing] No!" "No." "No" "Now, who was that woman?" "Miss Martin." "Michaela Martin." "[whimpering]" "The defense calls, as its first witness, Mrs. Jill Garson." "The witness is reminded that she is still under oath." "Proceed, Mr. Mason." "Mrs. Garson, you took care of the children belonging to the defendant and the late Barbara Billings for about seven years, I believe." "Now, are you fond of those children?" "I love them, Mr. Mason." "No less than if they were my own." "Then would you tell the court, Mrs. Garson, feeling as you do about them, why they are no longer in your care." "Barbara Billings, my cousin, decided, at my request, to put them under Edgar Thorne's care." "You were busy planning many activities, that would make continuity of supervision impossible." "Yes." "Mm-hmm." "So, you told your cousin you'd changed your mind about Edgar Thorne, and bowed out of the picture." "That's right." "I" "Now, tell the court, if you will, Mrs. Garson, why you changed your mind about Edgar Thorne's fitness to serve as guardian to the children?" "Well, it wasn't that I ever thought he wasn't fit." "It's just that..." "Well, after Uncle John died, I felt it was time" "I had a life of my own, that's all." "This change of status came about when the long-time president of Billings Enterprises died, and Edgar Thorne, instead of your brother Clarence, replaced him." "Yes." "Now would you tell the court, please, how the roll of infrared film came into the possession of the police." "I removed it from the library, and I gave it to you, at your insistence, in your office." "And you turned it over to the police." "When the police questioned you, before you brought that film to my office, what did you tell them about Trevor Harris?" "I told him I had seen Trevor running away before I found Edgar's body." "You liked Trevor, but you wouldn't lie to protect him." " Of course not." " Then why didn't you, then and there, tell them about the film you'd found?" " Well, I" " Was it because you suspected even then that the film was not of Trevor, but of your brother, Clarence?" "Please, Mr. Mason" "That the film would show your brother stealing the proof that the embezzler of $50,000 ten years ago was not Trevor Harris, but was in fact" " Me!" " No, Clarence, no." "It's all right, Jill." "You've lied enough to protect me." "I can't let you do it any longer." "Yes, I" " I embezzled that 50,000." "I was responsible, and Edgar Thorne threatened to have me charged with criminal negligence." "Oh, believe me, Mr. Mason, Jill knew I was in trouble." "That I'd committed a crime." "But she didn't know what it was." "She had no idea, until a couple of days ago, it was the same crime Edgar was accusing Trevor of having committed." "She did not know that Edgar cleared me by framing the embezzlement on Trevor." "She knew only that, to save you, she was forced to separate herself from the children." "It wasn't much of a choice." "I could have gone to prison." "You saw the trumped-up embezzlement proof in that envelope." "Now, could Edgar Thorne have prepared it all himself?" "No." "Someone had to have helped him." "Someone closely connected with the family." "Did you remove that envelope from the safe?" "No." "Believe me, no." "Mr. Henry, was Edgar Thorne planning to divorce his wife?" "Yes." "And did you know if he was planning to marry somebody else?" "Yes, he told me he was." "This other woman he said he would marry." "Did he tell you who she was?" "No." "I asked, but he wouldn't tell me." "He ordered me to take her back to her room." "And who was the woman with whom Clara Thorne accused her husband of being in love?" " Michaela Martin." " You couldn't be mistaken about that?" " Oh, no." " Just as Clara Thorne was mistaken?" "Believing the woman in her husband's life was Michaela Martin?" "Oh, no, she wasn't mistaken." "It was true." "I saw them myself." "Earlier that night, when I got back from Trevor Harris," "Michaela and Mr. Thorne..." "kissing and" "You saw, and you were jealous, were you not?" "Isn't it possible it was you he had promised to marry," " after he got rid of his wife?" " No." "[laughs uneasily] No." "No!" "Shall I call Clarence Henry back to the stand, and ask when Edgar Thorne told him he planned a divorce and remarriage?" "Mr. Mason" " No." "And suppose he testifies Edgar Thorne told him seven months ago-- a month before he met and hired Michaela Martin?" "He was mine!" "Mine, Mr. Mason!" "All those years, I did his dirty work for him." "Like baiting Trevor Harris into that trap he set for him, and helping to frame that embezzlement charge against him?" "It was me!" "It was me, working with Edgar together." "Everything!" "Together." "And when you got back from Trevor's?" "There he was, with her." "Kissing her." "So you killed him." "I... killed him." "When Clarence opened the safe, Edgar came down expecting to find you, Trevor, in a criminal act." "The gun was possibly to restrain you or even accidentally shoot you." "That we'll never know." "But he recognized Clarence, and let him go without saying anything." " He was still waiting for you." " Nora followed him." "They argued, fought, and she killed him." "But tell me, Mr. Mason." " Who took the envelope?" " Nora." "She knew those trumped-up documents would incriminate her if they were examined." "Having killed Edgar, she had to destroy anything that might point to her." "Uh, Trevor?" "Excuse me." "Jill." "I understand you're flying back to Saudi Arabia today." "Yes, the plane leaves in about, oh, two hours." "Glad you came over to say good-bye, Jill." "I have, uh, two young friends with me outside." "I thought perhaps, before you went away, you might like to say hello to them." "Oh, I'm sorry you did that, Jill." "Trevor, they've been told lies about you." "Not everything was a lie." "You're going to punish yourself forever?" "No, only until I earn the right to extend my hand to them." "And until they're grown enough to want to take it." "It won't be forever." "Take good care of them, Jill."