""Stone walls do not a prison make" ""Nor iron bars a cage"" "But they help." "They help." "Actually, this is my doctor's idea." "When he says strict diet... he means strict diet." "The saw came in the traditional way, inside a cake." "Have you ever had a piece of calorieless cake?" "I should have eaten the saw and used the cake to bludgeon my way out." "However, I do not want to concern you with my petty problems... but with those of Paula Hudson." "Paula was one of those persons who had never spent a day in jail... or even being given a parking ticket." "Then one day she found herself at the wrong end of the finger of suspicion." "You will see Paula's story in a moment." "It is called "Mink"... from the fur of the same name." "May I help you, madam?" "Well, I..." "I wanted to find out the value of this stole." "An appraisal?" "Certainly, madam." "May I look at it?" "Yes, of course." "Thank you." "It's for insurance purposes." "It was a present." "So, naturally, I couldn't ask how much it cost." "I quite understand." "This is a very fine piece of fur." "Very fine, indeed." "Would it be worth perhaps $1,000?" "Dear me, yes." "A great deal more." "Yes, Mr. Ronalds?" "Would you take a look at this stole?" "This lady has brought it in for an appraisal." "You see, we do things very thoroughly." "I always like to have a second opinion." "Oh, yes." "Yes, Mr. Ronalds." "Thank you." "Would you excuse me for a moment?" "Yes, of course." "Thank you." "Well?" "I made it up last month for Mrs. Wilson." "I thought I recognized it." "Here it is." "One Crystal mink stole, $1,800." "And it was stolen from Mrs. Wilson two weeks ago." "She doesn't look like the kind of lady that would steal." "How can you tell these days?" "Ladies look like the other kind... and the other kind look like ladies." "Hello?" "Mrs. Wilson." "This is Leslie Ronalds." "Yes." "Something very extraordinary just happened." "Your stole just walked in." "Yes, I'm quite sure." "After all, I designed it." "Yes, I'm very glad to be of help, Mrs. Wilson." "Will you bring the police around as quickly as you can?" "I'll try and stall her till you get here." "I'm terribly sorry to have kept you waiting." "I have a luncheon date." "I'm afraid I'm a little late already." "It won't take a moment." "You did say it was a present, didn't you?" "Yes, from my husband." "Naturally." "Why didn't your husband get an appraisal slip from the furrier he bought it from?" "After all, a sales slip is all that was necessary." "I imagine he just didn't think of it." "Maybe I should come back another time." "No label?" "What furrier did your husband buy it from?" "I don't think it was a local furrier." "I see." "Just a moment." "My assistant is making up the slip." "Slip?" "Yes." "Official appraisal slip." "This is your fur, isn't it?" "Yes." "I shall require your name and address." "And your husband's occupation." "I haven't time now." "I'll come back later." "Follow her." "See where she goes." "I'll wait here for Mrs. Wilson." "Yes, sir." "Mr. Ronalds, the Crystal mink is here at the Claremont... right across the street." "And she met a full-length Royal Pastel." "Now they're going into the powder room." "Darling, this'll do wonders for you, change your whole personality." "I felt so sorry for you when you were wearing that little cloth thing." "No wonder you were mixed up." "A good mink does more for a woman than a psychiatrist." "I think I feel different already." "Of course you do." "All my life I've wanted a mink." "There's just something about it." "Makes you feel so special." "Wait till you see the way they react to you... the doorman, the head waiter... other women." "You make it sound so calculated." "You think it isn't?" "Let me tell you, George has closed more deals... just by having me walk into a place... where he was having luncheon with a client." "But don't stop at a stole, dear." "Now start working on your husband for a full-length coat." "Excuse me, I was just admiring your fur." "You look wonderful in it." "Thank you." "My friend was just telling me how people react to mink." "Then it's new?" "A present I'll bet." "Yes, my husband bought it for me." "Do you mind if I ask where?" "If it isn't too expensive I'd like to have one like it." "I'm sorry, I really don't know." "Are you quite sure?" "I'm Sgt. Bradford, Police Department." "This lady says you're wearing her stolen fur." "You know something?" "I'm going right off my diet at lunch." "Hurry up, dear, we'll never get a table." "You go on." "I'll be right out." "Don't be long." "All right, take off my stole." "I'll do nothing of the sort." "It's mine." "Now wait a minute, ladies." "We're not going to get anywhere if we lose our tempers." "What color is your lining, Mrs. Wilson?" "What?" "Your lining." "Describe it." "You think I don't know my own mink?" "It's gray." "Gray faille with my initials, J.W." "All right." "I don't have to stand for this sort of thing." "Let me see the lining, please." "Certainly." "It's white, white satin." "She must have changed the lining." "You still say this is your stole?" "I certainly do." "In that case, I'll have to ask you to come to Police Headquarters." "Come along, please." "Sergeant, I hope you're careful what charges you make." "I'm sure you know what can happen if you make a false arrest." "I haven't made an arrest, Mrs. Hudson." "I just want to know how you got that fur stole." "I've told you." "You'd make it a lot simpler for everybody if you'd tell me the truth." "Very well." "I bought the stole myself." "You told the furrier that your husband bought it out of town." "Yes, I lied about that." "My husband doesn't know anything about this." "I wanted to surprise him with what a bargain I got." "Do you have a sales slip?" "No." "As a matter of fact, I don't." "You see, I bought it secondhand." "Who did you buy it from?" "I don't know her name." "My hairdresser told me about a girl who wanted to sell a stole." "I see." "Hadn't we better get in touch with your husband?" "No, please don't do that." "He doesn't know anything about it." "He's out of town." "Where?" "Henderson, Nevada." "That's practically Las Vegas." "He go often?" "To Henderson." "Yes." "Not Las Vegas." "He's an accountant." "He's working on an audit." "Where does he stay in Henderson?" "He doesn't stay in Henderson, he stays in Las Vegas, at a hotel." "I thought you said he didn't go to Las Vegas." "Well, l-l-I didn't mean that." "Was he there last weekend?" "Yes, why?" "What's that got to do with it?" "This fur was stolen at Las Vegas." "Last weekend." "Now you're being quite ridiculous, Sergeant." "In the first place, my husband is the most honest man in the world." "In the second place, he couldn't have had anything to do with it... because I bought the stole myself." "So you've already said." "I can prove it." "I'll take you to the girl who sold it to me." "Very well." "Mrs. Hudson." "You forgot your stole." "Thank you, Sergeant." "Are you sure this is the right place?" "Yes, I think so." "The apartment at the end of the hall." "How is it you don't remember the girl's name?" "It didn't seem important." "When I saw the fur, I wanted it so badly, I didn't think to ask her." "Yes?" "You remember me?" "I'm Mrs. Hudson." "Yes, you're the lady that was looking at the apartment across the hall, aren't you?" "No." "I was here last Monday, about 8:00" " Just a minute." "I'm a police officer, miss." "I'd like to talk to you." "I haven't done anything wrong, have I?" "It's not about that ticket I got?" "No." "But may we step inside?" "Yes, of course." "I'm sorry about the mess." "I was doing my laundry." "That's quite all right." "May I ask your name?" "Yes." "Dolores." "Dolores Dawn." "Thank you." "Miss Dawn... this lady says that she bought this fur stole from you." "Last Monday." "Gosh, I don't sell clothes." "I model them." "I work at Dorceys." "You know Dorceys?" "Yes, it's a very good store." "I didn't buy it at a store, I bought it here." "Here?" "You must remember." "I gave you $400 for it." "You said you needed the money." "Gosh!" "If I had a fur like that..." "I'd go hungry before I let it go." "So you didn't sell this lady the stole?" "Of course not." "And you haven't seen her before?" "Not as far as I know." "Don't you remember?" "I was here last Monday." "I don't know why you're saying I wasn't." "The girl from the beauty salon sent me." "Lucille's." "Where you have your hair done." "Lucille's?" "I never heard of it." "I don't go to a beauty parlor." "I do my own hair." "It's easy." "It's naturally curly." "She's lying." "I know she's lying." "She must be making it up." "I don't understand it" " How did you pay for the stole?" "Did you give this young lady a check?" "No, I gave her cash." "I had been to the bank and drawn out my savings. $400." "I was afraid she wouldn't take a check because she didn't know me." "I really don't know what she's talking about." "I never saw her before in my life." "That's not true." "I never had mink on my back, except once, at a fashion show." "They took it right off me the minute I finished the walk-around." "Don't you remember?" "It was last Monday evening, about 8:00." "You offered me a cup of coffee." "Monday, you say?" "Yes." "I always go out with my boyfriend on Mondays." "Everything's less crowded on Mondays, you know." "All right, Mrs. Hudson." "Let's go." "Gosh!" "I wish I could help you." "She's just got me mixed up with somebody else, that's all." "You know how it is." "An awful lot of us models look alike." "Well, sorry to have bothered you." "It's quite all right." "Nice meeting you all." "She's right, you know, about models looking alike." "You think that's what it is, that you got her mixed up with somebody else?" "I'm so confused." "I thought she was the one." "I thought-thought this was the apartment." "Are you sure you wouldn't like to change your story, Mrs. Hudson?" "No, I wouldn't." "All right." "The girl at the beauty shop will tell you it's true." "I couldn't be mixing her up with someone else." "She does my hair all the time." "All right." "Then perhaps we'd better go talk to her." "But..." "You gave me the address." "You told me it was the apartment at the end of the hall." "I don't know what you're talking about." "I didn't write down any address." "No, you didn't write it down." "I did." "That explains it." "Mrs. Hudson just made a mistake about who gave her the address." "Anybody can make a mistake like that." "You know, it's funny you being a policewoman." "When you came in, I guessed you wanted a permanent." "Don't you remember?" "It was on Monday." "Monday?" "Were you in Monday?" "Yes, I did do you Monday." "You could do with a permanent, you know." "You told me a girl came in here and gave you a hard-luck story... and asked you to buy a mink stole." "On the tips I make?" "Please, this is serious." "You've got to help me." "Honey, I know you told me how much you wanted a mink... but I didn't know you'd bought one." "Who'd you say you got it from?" "What are you trying to do to me?" "Make me think I've gone crazy?" "Now, honey, don't cry." "It's bad for the complexion." "I've got to prove I bought it." "I've got to." "Take her out to the car, will you?" "Please!" "Come on, Mrs. Hudson." "Poor Mrs. Hudson." "What sort of a woman is she?" "She was always sort of muddle-headed... thinking she'd made appointments when she didn't and things like that." "But, gee, I never thought she'd really flip her lid." "Well, thank you very much." "Not at all." "Tell your partner I'll be happy to give her a permanent any time she wants to drop in." "That's very kind of you." "I was waiting for you to call back." "I hope you handled them as well as I did." "As I was saying, I acted all girlish and innocent." "The dear sergeant thinks maybe Mrs. Hudson is crazy." "Probably she's beginning to think so herself." "The police are not such fools as you seem to think." "And I have a hunch we're in trouble." "What do you expect me to do about it?" "Yes, Charley's here." "Charley, she wants to talk to you." "Charley." "How do you think I feel?" "Yes, Charley, you're darned right." "You'd better do something about it." ""I had no idea what the girl's name was or anything about her." ""This was the only time I ever saw her..." ""until I took Sgt. Delaney to her apartment today."" "There's nothing else you wish to add?" "That's everything that happened." "Would you sign here, please?" "I've changed my mind." "I'd like to call my husband." "I know he'll believe me." "There's a phone in our bedroom." "I'd rather use that one." "Go ahead." "Really is a beautiful piece of fur." "What's mink got for you women, anyway?" "How would you understand?" "You've never had a chance to wear one." "Neither have I." "Maybe if you got that permanent you would." "Did you get your call?" "The circuits were busy." "Is there anything else, Sergeant?" "Have I completed all the necessary formalities?" "Yes." "Thank you." "Then why don't you get out of here, both of you?" "Very well." "We'll be in touch with you." "Good night, Mrs. Hudson." "Aren't you going to take Exhibit A?" "Mrs. Hudson, you've told us the stole is yours... and at the moment, we have no legal evidence to the contrary." "Mrs. Paula Hudson?" "Yes." "My name is Jonas." "I'm the adjustor for the Indemnity Insurance Company." "I've come about a fur piece that one of our clients has reported as missing." "A Crystal mink stole." "Your client was less polite." "She accused me of stealing it." "I understand how you feel, Mrs. Hudson." "Strictly between ourselves..." "Mrs. Wilson is a very tactless person... but she doesn't mean all she says." "Maybe you're right." "But don't think I'm going to do anything to help Mrs. Wilson." "I'm not asking you to." "I'm asking you to do something that will benefit my company... and, incidentally, yourself." "What is it?" "Well, it's like this." "Mrs. Wilson's stole is insured with us for $2,000." "And that's what we'll have to pay unless it's returned to her." "What's that to do with me?" "Well, just this, Mrs. Hudson... as I understand it, you only paid $400 for that stole." "Now, rather than take a total loss... we're willing to offer you $600 for it." "I'll give you the cash." "You give me the fur and everybody will be satisfied." "It's not a question of money." "This is my stole." "I paid for it and I intend to keep it." "But you'll be getting a 50% profit and no questions asked." "What you mean "no questions asked"?" "Don't be so defensive, Mrs. Hudson." "Lots of people make the mistake of buying bargains... that turn out to be stolen goods." "If this fur were stolen, Mr. Jonas... it would be a matter for the police, not you." "You're wasting your time." "Good night." "Look." "My name isn't Jonas." "It's Harper." "Charley Harper." "And I'm not with any insurance company." "I heisted that fur." "I'm a two-time loser already and I got a wife and kids." "If I go up this time, they'll give me 10 years." "Then all the time, it really was Mrs. Wilson's fur?" "Yes." "My only chance of calling off the heat is to get it back to her." "Look, this isn't the only mink stole in the world." "I can get you another one, a full-length coat, if you like." "And it won't cost either of us a penny." "You mean you'd steal it?" "Sure." "Only this time, I'd be more careful." "See, my kid was sick and I needed money." "I couldn't wait to mail the stole back East, like always." "I had to fence it here." "Please, you got to give it back to me." "I can't." "The police would want to know what happened to it." "Tell them you lost it." "Tell them anything." "You don't realize the position I'm in." "The police already half-suspect me of having stolen the fur." "They're sure to be back to question me tomorrow." "If it suddenly disappeared, they'd be certain something was wrong." "That's probably my husband." "Please go." "All right." "I see what you're up against." "Good luck to both of us." "Hello." "Keep trying, please." "Operator." "Give me the police department." "Sgt. Delaney, please." "Good evening, Mrs. Hudson." "Sergeant, l-I don't know what one does in a case like this..." "Well, I've packed a night bag with my things in it." "You see, with my husband out of town, I don't see how I could arrange bail." "I see." "Sergeant, may I ask a favor?" "My phone call from my husband hasn't come through... but they expect him anytime." "Could we possibly wait a few minutes?" "I think so." "Might I wait inside?" "Yes, of course." "May I sit down?" "Yes, certainly." "Thank you." "Should I offer you a drink?" "I'm not sure there's anything in the house." "That's not necessary, Mrs. Hudson." "I knew you'd never believe me." "It must have sounded a ridiculous story." "What's your husband going to say when he hears about it?" "I don't know." "I don't know how I'm going to explain it to him." "It wasn't just that I wanted a mink stole, but all my friends had one." "And they think if you don't have a mink, your husband isn't doing as well as theirs." "We were so happy." "He was so proud of me... the way I managed." "This house is almost paid for and then..." "Now I've ruined him." "That's what's so terrible." "He trusted me and now I've let him down." "Maybe you'll remember that the next time you're offered a bargain in mink." "I don't understand." "Thank you for the lead, Mrs. Hudson." "When you phoned that the fur had been stolen back from you... we guessed what Charley Harper had planned to do with it." "So we were waiting for him at Mrs. Wilson's when he tried to dump it." "He gave us the whole story about himself, your hairdresser... that young friend of hers, Miss Dawn... and cleared you." "You mean you're not going to arrest me?" "No." "Yes." "Mark?" "Yes, I called you." "No, it really wasn't important." "I just wanted to talk to you." "When are you coming home?" "Yes, darling." "Do drive home tomorrow night even if it is late." "Yes, dear." "Tomorrow night." "I'll be waiting." "Good night." "How about that apology?" "What apology, Mrs. Hudson?" "You believed I stole the fur." "Well, as a matter of fact, I never did." "What did you think then?" "That I bought it knowing it was stolen?" "That's right." "I did." "Well, you don't think that now, do you?" "Well, Mrs. Hudson, only one person knows the answer to that." "You." "So much for the case of the stolen stole." "I think I'll give up my diet." "Exercise, that's it." "I think I'll take up sports again." "I'm quite an athlete, you know." "I particularly excel in chess... falconry, wife-beating, that sort of thing." "Thank you for coming." "Please call again." "Our next visiting hours will be just one week from tonight." "Good night."