"To Ray Willis, District Attorney," "Dear Ray, in exactly 55 minutes I will be dead." "Murdered." "First of all let me explain..." "I find myself completely sober, reasonably sane and not at all surprised." "It started back in World War II." "during the Iwo Jima Campaign." "I was a captain in the Marine Corps." "As you know, every captain needs a top sergeant." "Well I really had the best." "His name was Joe Leeds." "Hitting the Iwo beachhead was like running into a living hell." "I guess I got a little careless." "In saving my life Joe was hit." "He carried a bullet so close to his lungs surgery was impossible." "During the time the medics patched us up we became great friends." "After the war I watched him build a home..." "I watched him become successful." "We were closer than most brothers." "One afternoon six months ago I sent for Joe." "I knew I was gonna break his heart." "And all I could think about was whether it wouldn't have been better for both of us if he had allowed me to die on that beach that day." "You know, Craig, you're the only guy in town who could get me out this time of day." "But I was coming over to see you anyway." "Oh?" "Yeah." "There's a new housing development going up over in Piedmont." "What do you think about buying a corner lot and a sticking up a new market?" "Might be an idea." "What's the matter with you, boy?" "You look like you had a load too heavy to carry." "It almost is, Joe." "Well, after all we've been through it can't be too serious." "Maybe talking it out will help." "It's going to mean throwing 15 years of friendship right out the window." "If it's a real friendship it won't bend easy." "Okay." "Are you happy being married to Myra?" "And, Joe, don't tell me it's none of my business." "Oh, I don't know." "Happy is a word that means a lot of things." "It's a state of being." "I never asked myself." "I got a beautiful wife, a lovely home, good business." "A guy can't expect everything." "I guess being grateful is good as being happy." "Not really, Joe." "Perhaps you haven't realized how little time you've been spending at home." "How many evenings you've given to the business." "Myra is a fine woman, Joe." "When she married you she was in love." "But no one wants to be alone all the time." "Now she'd like to do something about it." "Oh, I see." "She told you to talk to me." "Did she ask you to represent her, too?" "It was more my idea than hers." "I don't follow you." "I don't know how to say it without making it sound cheap." "People meet with no thought of being anything but friends." "Circumstances throw them together." "Then they discover in each other many mutual interests." "They begin to anticipate their next meeting... and then the next one." "Until finally... one day they... they both realize they're very much in love." "Okay, don't dress it up." "Who's the guy?" "I'm in love with her, Joe." "I want to marry her." "That's the way it is." "And it's the most difficult thing I've ever had to say to anyone." "Are you sure, Craig?" "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" "I'm in love with her, Joe." "What do you want me to do?" "I'd like Myra to go away... get a divorce." "You know, Craig, I've always had a lot of respect and admiration for you." "Leveling with me like this takes a lot of guts." "Like I said, a real friendship doesn't bend easy." "This... this kind of knocked the wind out of me, I..." "Give me a couple of days to kick around, will you?" "Yes, Mr. Carlson." "Please cancel the rest of my appointments for the day." "Tired, darling?" "Did you have a rough day in court?" "I had the roughest day in my life, Myra." "What was it, Craig?" "I..." "Perhaps you ought to go home." "I'm not going to be very good company." "Something's wrong." "I've got a right to know." "I saw Joe today." "I told him about us." "Oh..." "What did he say?" "That's what's so wrong, Myra." "He didn't get angry." "Just said give him a couple of days to think it over." "I guess I helped him die a little today." "I know I did." "Darling, do you believe that when we first met we tried to fall in love?" "Why, no." "Certainly not." "Haven't we respected my marriage?" "We tried to walk away." "We did everything we could not to let it happen." "That doesn't make the day any easier." "I never wanted to hurt Joe." "I didn't think I could possibly fall in love with anyone else." "But I have." "Craig, darling, I'm not ashamed of my feelings for you." "I'm not afraid of the world knowing the truth." "I don't believe what we have is wrong." "Don't spoil it, Craig." "I just dropped by to tell you you've missed a swell wedding, Joe." "Kay was a real pretty bride." "Funny thing, you were there the night she was born." "I kind of hoped you'd be there tonight when I gave her away." "I had a million things to do, Lou, I... hope the kids will be happy." "Oh, they're a cinch." "Never saw two people better suited for each other." "Tops even Mom and me." "I know." "But sometimes even the best things have a way of going sour." "Joe... what's wrong?" "What makes you think there's something wrong?" "You can't fool me." "Just the other day when I was in here with the beef about the store." "You hardly even listened to me." "You looked like you were a thousand miles away." "Ever since then you've been moping around like something was bothering you bad." "You know, Lou..." "Doing the right thing isn't the easiest thing in the world." "You gotta look deep inside of you, be real honest with yourself." "Well, for the past few days that's just what I've been doing." "Looking deep down inside of me." "Looking for the right answer, and I finally found it." "Sounds like an important decision." "It is." "And a tough one, too." "It'll probably change my whole life." "Myra's too." "Something wrong between you and Myra?" "Wrong?" "I don't think anything could be worse." "Joe, believe me, every married couple has their ups and downs." "Even Mom and me have had some bad moments." "But honest, if you just have patience everything usually works out fine." "Sometimes, Lou." "Sometimes." "Look... do me a favor, will you?" "Mail this on your way home?" "Yeah, sure thing." "Hello, Myra?" "Just wanted to make sure you were home." "I'm gonna be home early." "I've been thinking about something I want to talk you about." "I'll be there in about 15, 20 minutes." "Just remember, Joe, everything usually works out." "Quit living in a dream world, Lou!" "Sergeant..." "Body in there?" "That's right." "Ready for us to take over?" "Sure." "Chalk him off, dust the place good." "MacMillan's already photographed most of the room." "What does it look like, Lieutenant?" "According to the lady, we gotta breeze." "She said she shot her husband in self-defense." "How come everybody always shoots everybody else in self-defense?" "Now, Mrs. Leeds, I think we've got everything pretty well straightened out." "Would you mind going over that first part for me just once more?" "Well, I..." "I was sitting in bed reading when Joe came in." "He was wet, he looked furious." "I couldn't imagine what was wrong." "He just walked over and pulled me out of bed as if he was drunk or or crazy or something." "He threw me against the dresser." "Said he was going to kill me." "He started for me again... then I opened the drawer, took out the gun and shot him." "He just stood there and looked at me." "Then he fell." "It was terrible." "It's gonna be all right." "You just rest there for a minute." "All right, let's get off the phone." "You know this place is off limits until the lab's through with it." "We dusted it before he used it, Lieutenant." "Fred, I want those papers drawn up first thing in the morning." "No, I'll be there before you." "I'm going directly to the office from Police Headquarters." "Sergeant, I want this section of the room covered from A to Z." "Several shots of that nightstand and of this dresser here." "Get in close." "You know the kind of stuff I want." "I'll start right here." "Planning on a big day in Court?" "The guy's dead." "That makes it a big day in Court." "Any reason to doubt it was self-defense?" "Enough to hold her on suspicion of murder." "Then it's up to you Legal Eagles to pick her apart." "Oh, incidentally, if you want to talk to your client, how about it?" "Because I'm taking her downtown in about two minutes." "I don't understand it." "I don't understand it at all." "What don't you understand?" "The police, all these questions." "Those men in there taking pictures, fingerprints." "I'm afraid, Craig." "Just routine, Myra." "Nothing to be alarmed about." "But Lieutenant Bradley's questions haven't been routine." "They don't believe me, do they?" "Tell me the truth." "Lieutenant Bradley plans to hold you under suspicion of murder." "What am I going to do?" "How can I make them believe me?" "That'll be my job, darling." "Why did he try to kill me?" "Why couldn't he understand?" "Myra..." "I loved Joe as much as anyone could." "And I thought I knew him." "But Joe's action wasn't caused by sudden anger." "He had several days to think about what he was going to do." "Had he been successful it would have been premeditated murder." "I'm afraid, Craig." "Don't be." "I know it's going to be difficult for you." "Just remember..." "I love you." "Of course I meant it." "I still mean it." "Moonlight was invented just for you." "City desk?" "Greg, here's your lead line." "District Attorney asks for Myra Leeds' life." "He says he'll prove she killed Joe Leeds in cold blood." "I think we'd get a new twist to this story if we quoted Carlson." "He claims it was an attack of violence carefully staged and executed." "I tell you, no other woman could interest me any more." "Yeah, it's gonna be a beaut." "This gal's good copy." "If Willis was bucking anybody besides Carlson, I think this Leeds woman wouldn't have a prayer." "Court's back in session." "I'll call rewrite in time for the three-star edition." "Right." "Uh-huh, it was just the guys..." "Yeah, court's back in session again." "No, I don't have to be in there." "You can't take pictures in the Courtroom." "You were the first officer to report at the scene of the murder." "Yes, sir, my partner and I were cruising that area when we got the call." "Will you please tell the jury exactly what you found." "Well, Mrs. Leeds and Mr. Carlson were there when we arrived." "Mr. Carlson said Mrs. Leeds had called him and as soon as he got there he called the police." "Were there signs of a struggle?" "No, sir." "Mrs. Leeds wasn't marked or bruised in any way?" "Not that I could tell." "Did you see anything about her clothing or her person or anything at all that indicated that there had been a struggle?" "No, sir." "Thank you." "That's all." "Mr. Carlson?" "No questions." "Sergeant Hill, you are connected with the crime lab." "That's right." "And did you know it was raining at the night of the murder?" "Yes, sir." "Would you please tell the Court how that affected your findings." "May I have that picture, please?" "This dark spot is one of the first things we checked out." "It's water, probably came from Joe Leeds' clothing." "From the way we can piece it together, he stood right there... and didn't make a move until he fell from the shot." "In other words, your deduction is that there could not have been a struggle." "I object." "This question calls for a conclusion of the witness." "Sustained." "Did you find any water spots any place else in the room?" "No, sir." "Thank you." "Sergeant Hill... what makes you so certain Joe Leeds did not move closer to Mrs. Leeds than the area of the water stains?" "To wet a wool rug through that way would require quite a concentration of water." "That means the victim would have to stand a spell." "But Mrs. Leeds said he came right in and over to her." "Just answer the question, Sergeant." "The Prosecuting Attorney is well able to argue his case." "Sorry." "What about some of the other people in that room?" "They could have dripped water on that rug, could they not?" "We checked that out." "The rain had stopped by the time the first police unit arrived." "But it hadn't stopped when I arrived." "Couldn't I have stood in one spot long enough to dampen that rug?" "I guess you could have..." "Thank you, that's all." "And then she stated that he knocked her against the dresser." "It was then that she opened the drawer, took out the gun, and shot him." "Mrs. Leeds said the gun was in the dresser drawer?" "Yes, sir." "Did she point out where Mr. Leeds was at the time she shot him?" "She said that he was rushing toward her from where they'd struggled beside the bed." "Specifically where by the bed?" "In the left side, where Mrs. Leeds was lying." "Did your investigation bear to this conclusion?" "No, sir." "Please explain why." "The bottles on the dresser, you know, perfume and the like... and had he knocked her against the dresser, surely some of these bottles would have been overturned." "Lieutenant Bradley..." "Is this one of the photographs you ordered taken?" "Yes, sir, It is." "Do you see anything at all disturbed on or about that dresser?" "No, sir, nothing." "Go on, Lieutenant." "Well, according to Mrs. Leeds... the spot where Mr. Leeds was standing at the time she shot him was about 10 ft. from where he fell." "Wasn't that possible?" "No, sir." "According to the coroner's report, the victim was shot through the heart and died instantly." "In other words, Joe Leeds would have had to walk 10 ft. after he was dead." "That's about it, sir." "Your witness." "Lieutenant Bradley, how many years have you been on the Police Force?" "Twenty-two." "And during that time would you say you've witnessed a number of people suffering from hysteria?" "I'd say so, yes." "And what would you say were the first signs of hysteria?" "Oh, uh... incoherency, unable to make a decision... sort of a lapse in common sense." "And would you say it was likely for a woman who had just killed a man to be suffering from hysteria?" "Why, yes." "Would it not be in the realm of possibility for this woman to mistake her left from the right?" "Come to a snap judgment of distance and direction that would be entirely incorrect?" "Well, the possibility..." "And wouldn't it be possible for a woman in such a state of hysteria to think she was thrown against the dresser when in reality she was thrown against the nearby wall?" "Well, she could be, but..." "That is all." "Thank you." "Hello, darling." "Hello, Craig." "You know you've had a pretty social day?" "Three visitors?" "One was from the newspaper." "Lou Kazarian came over to tell me not to worry, and..." "Carl Holt, he's an artist, an old friend." "Wondered if there was anything he could do." "Craig, is it going badly for me?" "There's nothing new to worry about, so don't try to find something." "Will it ever be over?" "Darling, I know it's been a difficult two weeks for you." "But tomorrow should see the end of the testimony." " How does it look?" " Willis operates like a field marshal." "He doesn't mind losing battles so long as he wins the war." "He'll save his big ammunition for later." "What can we do then?" "Oh, I've had several talks with Lou..." "He's very anxious to help you." "I'm sure his evidence will add a lot of weight." "And I think I'm going to let you testify, too." "All right." "Remember, once you're on the stand, Willis will try to cut you to ribbons." "I'm not afraid of Willis, or the judge, or the jurors." "All I'm afraid of is if things go wrong I'd lose you." "Not a chance." "Oh, Craig!" "Beautiful!" "I says, Joe, is there something wrong between you and Myra?" "He said, I don't see how anything could be worse." "Had you ever seen Joe Leeds before, when he was quite angry?" "Yeah, a couple of times." "As a matter of fact he was quite upset the first time I ever saw him." "Somebody had accused him of giving a dishonest con trying to get him into trouble with the police." "Joe hurt him pretty bad." "Then Joe Leeds did have a bad temper when he was upset." "Yeah, but that wasn't often." "Mr. Kazarian..." "The night of Joe Leeds' death... did he seem normal to you or upset to you?" "Well, he was upset... he said he'd been doing a lot of thinking and had reached a big decision." "Did he tell you what that decision was?" "No, except that what he decided would change his whole life and Myra's, too." "That will be all, thank you." "Mr. Kazarian, we come to that phone conversation Joe Leeds had with his wife." "Tell us exactly what you overheard." "Oh... that was a long time ago." "Just tell us those things you can remember." "I remember him saying for her to stay home... that he'd been doing a lot of thinking and wanted to talk it over with her and..." "I guess that's about all that happened." "In other words, it was Joe Leeds who definitely had something to talk out with his wife." "That's the way it sounded." "Now, Mr. Kazarian..." "The defense Counsel has spoken much about Joe Leeds' temper." "You say you were present when Joe Leeds beat up a man who had falsely accused him." "Now, would you say that Joe Leeds was quite angry then?" "Oh, the worst I'd ever seen him." "But this fellow had it coming to him." "He was always sniping at Joe." "Then if Joe Leeds was more angry on that occasion than you ever saw him... why didn't he kill the man?" "Did someone stop the fight?" "Oh, no, we were all glad to see him get it." "Anyway, we knew all Joe had in mind was to rough him up." "He sure did a good job." "And if Joe Leeds was more angered than you had ever seen him you claim he had no intention of killing." "Now... can you say on the oath you've taken that he was angered enough to kill his wife?" "No, I guess not." "Thank you, Mr. Kazarian." "And do you recall any incidents, Mrs. Leeds... where your husband displayed a violent temper?" "Yes, there was the time just before we were married." "Joe had an argument with one of his employees." "The two men fought." "Joe beat him so brutally the other man had to spend the next two months in the hospital." "And were there times after your marriage when your husband showed a tendency toward violence?" "Several." "Whenever anything annoyed him, made him edgy." "If someone said something that displeased him... he flew into a temper." "We argued often because of this." "Then that night when he came home wet... blind with fury... you had good reason to think he would kill you?" "You had good reason to think Joe Leeds was a man of violence?" "That is what you believed, is it not, Mrs. Leeds?" "Yes," "Do you think any other woman would have reacted as you did?" "I know they would." "No one wants to kill, but no one wants to be killed either." "Your witness." "Mrs. Leeds, how long had you and your husband been married?" "Two years." "When you married your husband, what was your financial condition?" "I don't understand." "I'm sorry, I mean... were you rich, moderately wealthy... had a good job, what?" "I... was looking for a job." "when I met Joe Leeds." "Would you say your husband was a man of means?" "I mean, did he have some property, some insurance, perhaps?" "He had ten supermarkets, some insurance." "How much would you say your husband was worth at the time of his death?" "That is, including insurance?" "I don't know." "Then let me tell you." "Your husband, Mrs. Leeds, left an estate of 3/4 of a million dollars." "That's quite an inheritance for you." "From unemployment to a neat $750,000 in two years..." "Wouldn't you say that was a very lucrative two-years work, Mrs. Leeds?" "Objection!" "The prosecution will refrain from any more questions of this nature." "That last statement will be stricken from the record and the jury is asked to disregard it." "Mrs. Leeds, when you married your husband were you in love with him?" "Of course..." "Were you in love with your husband at the time of his death?" "No." "Then, in less than two years you no longer loved him?" "Love is a very strong emotion, Mrs. Leeds." "How could you turn it off so quickly?" "I just didn't love him anymore." "And you waited until that fatal night to tell him about it?" "That's not true." "Then when did you tell your husband you were no longer in love with him?" "I don't remember." "Did you ask your husband for a divorce?" "Yes." "And what was Mr. Leeds' answer?" "He just said he wanted to think about it." "In other words, Mrs. Leeds, when you suddenly told your husband you wanted a divorce, instead of becoming angry he answered he wanted to think about it." "Now, is that correct?" "Yes." "And yet you ask this Court to believe that Mr. Leeds returned home at that fatal evening and without so much as a single word tried to kill you?" "Yes." "Then tell us, Mrs. Leeds, how do you explain the fact that when you first, shall we say... shocked your husband by asking him for a divorce he did nothing?" "I don't know." "I..." "I don't know." "That'll be all, Mrs. Leeds." "Myra Leeds would have us believe that when her husband reached their apartment... he immediately made an attempt to kill her so that she had to kill in self-defense." "But what reasons have you been given that Mrs. Leeds felt she was forced to shoot her husband?" "Only that he became furious when she told him she no longer loved him." "That she wanted a divorce." "And why did Myra Leeds claim to want a divorce in the first place?" "Just that they were no longer in love." "And yet... not one single witness has been brought before this Court to indicate that any discord existed between the Leeds." "Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury," "There was no discord in the marriage of Joe Leeds." "Only in that of his wife Myra." "An ambitious woman." "Marriage had bettered her position." "With Joe Leeds death her position was still improved." "The location of the body... the placement and trajectory of the bullet that killed Leeds... the lack of signs of a struggle." "All these facts... facts... pitted against Myra Leeds' story of self-defense." "Could there be an honest doubt in your minds as to the guilt of this woman?" "If there is, let me dispel them for you." "Myra Leeds has given no reason why she would have wanted to divorce Joe Leeds, except... that she fell out of love." "Now..." "Is love such a fickle thing that one can fall in love one week not the next?" "With no apparent reason, could Myra Leeds have awakened one morning... and decided to ask her husband of two years for a divorce?" "No." "Let me tell you what Myra Leeds did." "She was jobless when she met Joe Leeds." "She saw in him a stepping stone to an easy life." "And when she was ready to move on... she realized that Joe Leeds could only be of monetary value to her dead." "So that when he came home to discuss whatever it was he wished to discuss... she shot him." "Myra Leeds shot and killed her husband for a handful of gold." "That is why the State charges Myra Leeds with murder in the first degree." "Is Counsel for the Defense ready to address the jury?" "I am, your Honor." "This has been a long and grueling trial." "Not only for the defendant, but for the rest of us as well." "You've heard arguments and counter-arguments facts and counter-facts, theory and counter-theory." "For the past hour and fifteen minutes you've heard the prosecution parade before you every piece of circumstantial evidence, innuendo, and plain conjecture that he could muster." "Conjecture that would bolster his claim that Myra Leeds is guilty of murdering her husband." "With all of this conjecture, the end result has been this:" "the state claims Myra Leeds killed Joe Leeds because her story about the moments of violence she was faced with differed from that of the police." "And because she could give no clear reason why she suddenly would want to divorce her husband." "If Myra Leeds had a sound reason for suddenly desiring a divorce a reason that would measurably add to her happiness, even the prosecution knows it would have no case." "Well, Myra Leeds did have a reason for asking Joe Leeds for a divorce." "Myra Leeds was in love with another man." "Now remember." "You of the jury are not here to determine the righteousness of Myra Leeds' emotions as a woman." "Only to determine if she shot her husband in an act of premeditation." "It is not for you to decide whether or not Myra Leeds did the right thing in falling in love with another man." "It is for you to decide if in telling her husband about the man she loved she aroused in him an anger so intense he decided to kill her." "So now you ask... who is this man?" "Bring him forward to confirm this story." "Well, I knew Joe Leeds better than anyone." "And I know the man his wife is in love with." "I am that man." "Any further demonstration of this character and this courtroom will be cleared." "Proceed." "My falling in love with Myra Leeds was accidental." "But my wanting to marry her was with strong intent." "As was Joe Leeds' intent." "When he decided that he could no longer have his wife... no other man would either." "Ladies and gentlemen, there isn't a single one of you who wouldn't have struggled as Myra Leeds did." "Her life was at stake." "She acted in self-defense." "Now that is the story." "And that is the truth." "To bring out the truth your verdict must be... not guilty." "She beat it!" "Not guilty!" "From what that gal chirped you'd have thought you heard wedding bells." "Carlson?" "Cool as weather." "Didn't move a muscle when the jury formed and sang out." "There's no doubt about it." "That guy is the biggest asset a murderer's had since the Chinese invented gunpowder." "I wish you happiness." "Thank you." "I picked this up on the way out of court today." "What is it?" "Capri." "As ancient and enchanting as the Mediterranean which surrounds it." "May not be the world's greatest prose, but it sounded good to me." "It must be lovely." "I thought we could be married next week, take a boat to Rome then ride to Capri." "Oh, darling, it'll be a wonderful honeymoon." "It sounds wonderful." "But do you know next week is almost here?" "Give me a little more time." "The sooner we get away, the better it'll be for you." "From now on you're not gonna have any reason to think of anything else but me." "Hi, Lou, we'd about given you up." "I'm sorry I'm a late, but Mom wasn't feeling well and in the last minute she decided to stay home." "Oh, that's too bad." "Let me hang up your coat." "Thanks." "And Myra, I'm awfully glad everything turned out okay." "Thanks, Lou." "Hey, this is supposed to be a happy occasion." "Could I talk to you alone for a minute, Craig?" "Something wrong?" "It's about Joe." "Sure, let's go into the den." "Hi you all." "How are you, Lou?" "How are you, Henry?" "Good to see you, Lou." "What is it, Lou?" "It's about Joe and the last night he was alive... the night my daughter was married and I dropped by to tell him about the wedding." "Well, just before I left he asked me to mail a letter for him." "I put it in my pocket and I forgot all about it until I put my tux on again tonight." "It's addressed to you." "Dear Craig..." "Well, like I promised, I've been doing a lot of thinking." "I've been trying to figure out the best way for all of us." "You see, when I first met Myra I figured she was out of my league." "She was interested in things that I didn't understand, like art and music." "But then, like a bolt, one night she told me she loved me and I felt 9 feet tall." "Right then I said a million thanks." "In a way, it was like the answer to a prayer." "We got married right away and for a couple of months living was paradise." "I didn't love her." "I worshipped her." "Then it began to change." "One day we had an argument." "Myra told me she'd never loved me." "Goes without saying, Craig, but I walked in circles for days." "Finally I asked her if she wanted a divorce and she said yes... and asked for half my business." "I got mad because I realized that was the only reason she'd ever married me." "I told her that no man was gonna live off what had taken my whole life to accumulate." "And that's the way it's been going along for the past few months." "Myra's in love, Craig, but not with you." "She's in love with some kind of an artist." "I can't figure out what she's doing with you but I know she must have some kind of a plan." "I'm gonna see her tonight and I'm gonna to try to keep her." "She's no good, Craig, but I do love her." "If she decides not to stay with me, I wanted you to know the truth." "She isn't no woman." "Myra's a disease." "In a way she's already destroyed me." "I just hope she doesn't end up destroying you." "Did I cause trouble by forgetting about the letter?" "I don't know, Lou." "I don't know." "Give me a couple of days to kick it around, will you?" "I never wanted to hurt Joe." "I didn't think I could possibly fall in love with anyone else." "But I have." "Why did he try to kill me?" "Why couldn't he understand?" "I'm not afraid of Willis, or the judge, or the jurors." "All I'm afraid of is if things go wrong, I'd lose you." "Myra Leeds shot and killed her husband for a handful of gold." "That is why the State charges Myra Leeds... with murder in the first degree." "Carl Holt, he's an artist, an old friend." "Wondered if there was anything he could do." "Mr. Holt?" "Yes." "My name is..." "I know." "Craig Carlson." "Won't you come in?" "After you've appeared there'll be a price to the place." "My canvases have a way of dominating the whole room." "Not bad canvases either." "Oh, that one." "Even I like that one." "Won't you sit down, Mr. Carlson?" "I'm a great fan of yours." "Because of Myra's acquittal?" "No!" "It was way before that." "You see, this is a pretty strange neighborhood." "You know what they call it." "Cloud nine." "I guess that's just because a lot of men who are just getting started live around here." "They have a lot of dreams, a lot of idols." "Take the fellow who lives just two doors down." "He just got out of Law School." "He thinks you walked right down out of the sun." "Take some of the cases that you've turned down." "According to Charlie... if you didn't care who you got acquitted you'd be living like a Maharajah." "No, he must be just out of Law School." "Oh, he's got a lot of other legal idols, too." "But for me, you're my favorite." "Ever since you took Myra's case." "You've known Myra a long time." "Since we were freshmen in college." "Myra was a Music major and I was knee deep in Art." "Did you ever hear Myra play?" "Yes." "She plays like an angel." "Of course, in my book, Myra is an angel." "Well, I guess she's told you how I feel about her." "No, she hasn't." "I guess nobody knows except us." "I feel very much in love with her." "We're gonna be married." "When was that decided?" "Two years after we left college." "Strange engagement." "With a marriage in-between." "Well, that was Myra's one big mistake." "We both knew that shortly after she married that fellow." "You don't mind if I work while we talk, do you?" "I wanna make the most of the sunlight." "Go right ahead." "You say Myra knew she'd made a mistake when she married Joe Leeds?" "People chase different rainbows, Mr. Carlson." "Myra's was money." "I didn't have any." "My prospects were terrible." "Terrible!" "We had a scrap on that subject and then she meant just to leave the fellow." "You know the rest of the story." "Not the point about her knowing she made a mistake." "That was when we met at that exhibit that afternoon." "Myra was still dry." "At this juncture I'd like to make a point of honor, Mr. Carlson." "I refused to see Myra again after that afternoon." "Until she was free." "She felt the same way about it." "Quite an impact, wasn't it?" "We didn't think so." "Myra was going to ask Leeds for a divorce." "I guess he went sort of crazy." "That awful night was a capper." "You know, Holt, you've got a lot working against you." "In spite of that, I still may get to like you." "And I want you to, but what have I got working against me?" "Myra's trial." "Why didn't you offer to help?" "I did." "The day I visited Myra." "She didn't want me to come to see her again, though." "Or even say I knew her." "Funny, I couldn't quite figure that out." "I guess it was because... she was afraid our being in love would sway the jury against her since she was a married woman." "Funny, it was that very approach that freed her." "That's what makes a lawyer a lawyer." "You're just plain smart." "Not always." "No, I watched that trial every single day and you never drew a miss." "Anyway, I would like a crack at improving your impression of me." "Got any ideas?" "Well, my first hunch was right." "I do like you." "Well, let's be really classical about this friendship." "I'll toast it with sherry... and fling the glass in the fireplace." "I'm sorry but I gotta go." "Oh, too bad." "But as far as the toast is concerned, it's just as well." "I don't have any fireplace." "I will see you again, though, won't I?" "Certainly, yes." "You know, that last day at the trial when you said you were the man in Myra's life..." "I didn't think so kindly of you then." "I'm glad Myra straightened me out on it." "Oh?" "And what did she say?" "That it was a piece of her own strategy." "That sure was a beaut." "That was the best piece of dramatics I've ever seen." "Myra and I really owe you an awful lot for going out on a limb like that." "Well, good-bye, Mr. Holt." "Bye, Mr. Carlson." "Darling?" "I was expecting you." "Be ready in three minutes." "In the meantime, how about making one of your very special Manhattans?" "I'm not quite sure I know how to make a Manhattan." "Craig!" "You startled me." "I was expecting a friend." "Who knows how to make special Manhattans?" "That's right." "If you like I can..." "No, thank you." "I just wanted to talk to you, Myra." "About our engagement." "Let's not make it tonight, Craig." "Why not tonight?" "Why not this very minute?" "Two people in love can't wait, Myra." "That's the way with people in love, isn't it?" "I explained, Craig." "Someone is..." "Well, isn't it?" "Go on, say it, Myra." "Say you love me." "Say you're hopelessly, irretrievably in love with me." "Let go of me." "I want to hear you say it, Myra." "I'm all you have." "Or have you suddenly remembered there was someone else?" "I said let go of me." "Someone like Carl Holt." "All right." "You know." "I met him today." "He seems very much in love." "Two men in love with you." "An awkward arrangement, Myra." "Craig, what happened to us... it was a mistake." "I don't think so." "In fact, I don't think you ever made a mistake before in your life." "I don't want to seem ungrateful, Craig." "Neither do I. Just the truth." "The truth is I am in love with Carl Holt." "And I am going to marry him." "And you were in love with Carl Holt and you were going to marry him the day I met you." "I don't want to talk about it." "Then let's have someone talk about it for you." "I received this letter yesterday from Joe." "What kind of a trick is this?" "Sit down, Myra." "Sit down!" "Dear Craig..." "Like I promised, I've been doing a lot of thinking." "I've been trying to figure out the best way for all of us." "You see, when I first met Myra I figured she was out of my league." "She was interested in things I didn't understand, like art and music." "Myra is in love, Craig, but not with you." "She's in love with some kind of an artist." "I can't figure out what she's doing to you but I know she must have some kind of a plan." "I'm going to see her tonight and I'm going to try and keep her." "She's no good, Craig." "But I do love her." "And if she decides not to stay with me I wanted you to know the truth." "She isn't a woman." "Myra is a disease." "The way she has destroyed me I just hope she doesn't end up destroying you." "Joe." "I don't believe Joe wrote that letter." "You should be able to recognize his writing." "What does it prove?" "Only that Joe was a miserable jealous man?" "No, Myra." "It proves something much different." "Joe offered you a divorce but without any money." "You didn't want it that way and you knew there was only one way to get it." "You'll have to do more than say it." "You'll have to prove it." "I'm free now." "I can do what I want with my life." "You had it planned very carefully, didn't you, Myra?" "To get Joe's money you had to kill him." "To guarantee your freedom you made me fall in love with you." "I wonder if Carl Holt would want a murderess for a wife." "I was tried in a court and your brilliant defense freed me." "No one could hurt me anymore." "Not even you." "This time you're wrong, Myra." "Very wrong." "What do you mean this time?" "You're going to commit another murder." "Don't be ridiculous." "Yes, you are." "You're going to murder me." "You're insane." "No one wants to die." "Not even you." "My whole life has meant just three things." "My love for Joe, my work... and my love for you." "You've destroyed them all." "How much is there left of me to die?" "So there it was, Ray." "An ugly little package." "Myra had killed Joe Leeds." "And I was an accessory." "Joe Leeds was dead." "And Myra had to pay, just as I'm going to pay." "There's not much time left, so I'd better bring you up to date." "I've made plans to give up my practice." "I've been spending every available moment keeping Myra constantly aware that sooner or later I'd prove to Carl Holt that she was a murderess." "Then I learned that Myra and Carl were planning to leave for Europe." "Craig, good to see you again." "Come on in." "Say, we were just about to have a drink." "Wanna join us?" "No, no thanks." "Well, what a pleasant surprise." "Are you sure you're surprised, Craig?" "What do you mean by that?" "Oh, just a private little joke." "Myra is certain attorneys know what people are going to do before they do it." "In some cases, I'd say she was right." "Let's not talk about lawyers." "I've got news for you." "Oh?" "Shall we tell him, honey?" "No, I don't see the interest..." "Of course I'd be interested." "We're gonna get married." "No!" "Surprised again, Craig?" "We're sailing for Paris on Friday, we're gonna be married as soon as we get there and it was all Myra's idea." "Wonderful, isn't it?" "In a way I'm sorry." "Sorry?" "What for?" "Well, this wasn't exactly a social visit, I came up to commission some paintings." "Paintings?" "For whom?" "For myself." "I know it's gonna sound a little vain, but I've always wanted a portrait." "You know, something very flattering." "It's a shame you didn't mention it before." "We sail on Friday." "How long does it take to do a portrait?" "Oh, that varies." "Something like two, three weeks." "Couldn't you put your trip off for that length of time?" "No." "I like your work, Carl." "I'd be willing to pay as much as 25 hundred dollars." "Hey, I'm not Whistler, you know." "What about it?" "Twenty-five hundred for those two weeks." "We don't need the money." "We have plenty." "Now hold on, honey." "You mean you have money." "You're going to be my husband." "What I have belongs to you." "I'm afraid where money is concerned I'm gonna be a little old-fashioned." "I'll do it." "When can you make a sitting?" "What about tomorrow?" "That's fine." "Between three and five?" "That's when my light's best." "Good." "I'll be here two weeks." "Give you a chance to get very well acquainted." " I'm looking forward to it." " So am I." "You know, Myra?" "It seems as if your one weakness is picking men with moral strength." "Well, I'll see you tomorrow." "So long, Craig." "I expected you." "But not quite as soon." "Leave us alone, Craig." "Don't push me too far." "Is that all you came here for?" "I came to offer you $100,000." "Will you take it?" "Let him go to Paris?" "No." "$125.000!" "Not for all the money in the world." "I need those two weeks." "I need the time to finish what I started." "I promise you, Myra." "You're not going to have Carl Holt or Joe Leeds' money." "I never realized how much I could hate a man until now." "Not enough to kill a man." "Not yet." "What kind of a man are you?" "One who believes in the honesty and integrity of our courts." "But that's something you'd never be able to understand." "I understand what you're trying to do to me." "Do you, really?" "Do you understand what you did to me when I learned you'd killed Joe?" "Do you understand in winning you an acquittal I became as guilty as you?" "I want you to understand, Myra." "I want you to fully understand that we'll have to pay for what we've done" "I'm not going to pay for anything." "You'll pay, Myra." "We'll both pay." "That's it." "For better or for worse, it's finished." "Excellent." "You've been a very patient subject." "Don't forget tonight." "I'll be there about seven." "Craig." "The few times you've seen Myra here, have you noticed how nervous and jumpy she seems?" "The trial was very taxing for her and I guess she's anxious to get to Europe." "It's a natural reaction." "I don't think you should have any worries about her." "I guess not." "Maybe your party will be just the prescription to snap her out of it." "By the way, what are we celebrating?" "You'll find out in exactly 3 hours." "Okay, man of mystery, I will not pressure you for an answer." "I'll wait." "I'll see you at seven." "Right." "You wish to order now, sir?" "No, we have another party coming along." "Yes, sir." "Why didn't you tell me Craig was coming?" "What's the matter, Myra?" "There's so much to do." "We sail the day after tomorrow." "You think you're the only one who's busy?" "Move over." "I haven't even packed yet." "I tell you what, Carl." "Let's leave." "Leave?" "We could give a message to the captain." "Have him tell to Craig that something had come up." "We can't do that." "You know Craig has been counting on us." "He's looking forward to it." "What's so important about it?" "We'll talk about that after dinner, Myra." "Hello, Charles." "Good evening, Mr. Carlson." "Hi, Craig." "For dessert, may I suggest cherry jubilee?" "It's excellent." "Oh, no, thank you." "How about you, Myra?" "That'll be all, Charles." "Well, Craig, that was a delicious dinner." "French food couldn't be any better." "Myra, did you enjoy your dinner?" "You told us you'd tell us what this was all about after dinner, Craig." "Myra!" "Oh, it's all right." "She's just anxious." "What do you mean anxious?" "With the trip to Paris and she's about to become a bride." "Craig, I want to know why you brought us here." "All right." "Here you are, Carl." "Craig, our deal was for $2500" "I thought I'd double it." "That's my surprise." "Why?" "Helping me achieve an important ambition." "Well, I..." "I certainly hope through the years the painting continues to please you, Craig." "I'm certain it will." "You see... to me the portrait reflected... not only friendship." "but a great understanding you felt for the subject." "I hope you're never disappointed." "Now I must run." "I have a lot of work to do at the house." "Is it that one important case you mentioned?" "That's the one." "Thank you for coming, Myra." "We will see you again before we leave." "Yes, you will." "By the way, Carl, there's something I've been wanting to ask you." "Suppose the portrait of me had turned out badly." "Suppose you'd realized you'd made a mistake in the manner in which you'd handled it." "What would you have done?" "Destroyed it, of course." "Despite your fee?" "Despite anything." "Strange." "I've always felt that the same parallel existed in Law." "Well, I gotta be going." "Good night." "'Night, Craig." "We can't tell you how good it's been having dinner with you, Craig." "Wish we could do it more often." "Ray, there's something I want to ask you." "Shoot." "About the Myra Leeds trial." "Why talk over yesterday's headlines?" "You asked the jury to find Myra guilty of first degree murder." "At the end of the trial the jury found her not guilty." "How did you find her?" "It's important to me, Ray." "I want to know." "All right, Craig." "You were very convincing." "I could understand you swaying that jury." "But you didn't sway me." "At the time I still thought she was guilty." "I was sure you did." "You know, I thought about it for a long time." "Now I know that the jury brought in the correct verdict." "I've known you too many years, Craig." "You never would have said what you did just for the dramatic effect." "Another attorney might, but not you." "I admit it, on the Myra Leeds case..." "I was way off base." "Thank you, Ray." "Now there's something I'd like you to do for me." "Hello, Mrs. Leeds." "Mr. Carlson is expecting you." "Thank you, Jenny." "Mrs. Leeds." "Mr. Willis." "Hello, Myra, glad you could make it." "Well, it's getting late." "I'd better leave." "Wonderful evening." "Thanks for the talk, Ray." "You've been very helpful." "Mrs. Leeds." "Why did you send for me?" "Why were you talking to the district attorney?" "We were talking about a case." "Your case, Myra." "This grotesque joke of yours has gone far enough." "You still think this is a joke?" "You've got to stop it, Craig." "Every time you talk to Carl I..." "The other evening at dinner I was terrified." "What you're doing is inhuman." "I can't stand much more of it." "You're a murderess, Myra." "Anything that happens to you won't be enough." "Craig, the jury freed me." "They found me innocent." "All I want is to go away with Carl." "Please understand, for the first time in my life I want to live decently." "You don't know the meaning of the word." "At first I thought Carl Holt was like you." "But it wasn't long before I changed my mind." "You fooled him, Myra." "Just like you fooled me." "He's too fine to be hurt by someone like you." "I'm not gonna let it happen." "No matter what you tell him he won't believe you." "There's no way of proving that I killed Joe." "You're just trying to frighten me with more threats." "Understand me, Myra." "I never once meant to threaten you." "I made you a promise." "What I've compiled in this folder is no longer theory, it's proof." "And the only way you can prevent me from turning it over to Carl... is to kill me." "I'm not going to kill you!" "I'm not going to kill you!" "It must be maddening to know that in just a little while you're going to lose everything you planned and killed for." "You see, Myra," "You can't win anymore." "It was not long before my telephone began to ring." "I knew it would be Myra." "She was desperate." "She wanted to see me right away." "But I still had a few things to do so I told her I'd see her later at my office." "I made the appointment for 12:30 sharp." "It was now only a matter of waiting." "Time took care of the weight." "So now the pattern's complete." "And it's the same pattern Joe Leeds lived." "But this time, Myra won't be acquitted." "That's where you're concerned, Ray." "Because this time you're not gonna have to guess whether or not Myra is guilty." "You'll know." "You're going to be a witness." "Thank you for being to prompt." "You promised me an answer." "Here it is." "My complete file." "Now no attorney could get you off." "Not even me." "I told you." "I can't be tried for the same crime twice." "And I told you I'm trying you before Carl Holt." "We'll let him determine whether or not you're guilty." "Or would you prefer this?" "I'm not going to kill anyone." "Very well." "Then afford the three of us a visit." "Carl, you and I." "I'm going to call him and ask him right over." "After seeing this, if he still wants to marry a murderess that's his business." "Craig!" "Craig, don't call him." "Craig!" "Don't make me do it!" "Hello?" "Craig!" "Hello?" "Mrs. Leeds." "It's terrible." "Craig has committed suicide." "What are you doing here?" "He asked if I could meet him here at 12:30." "Strange." "Told me to be here at 12:40." "I..." "I'd never expect Craig to do a thing like this." "This is Ray Willis." "A man shot himself." "Will you send someone over right away, please." "Chainbergs Building, room 2407." "No." "He's dead." "His tape recorder is still running." "Must have been dictating when it happened." "And it could be Craig's way of giving us an explanation." "To Ray Willis, District Attorney." "Dear Ray," "In exactly 55 minutes" "I will be dead." "Murdered." "First of all, let me explain..." "Subtitles:" "Luís Filipe Bernardes"