"My key, if you please." " Here you are, Johnson." " Thank you." "Good night." "That's him, Mr. West." "Room 234." "Thanks." "What'd he do?" "He talked too much." "What's going on?" "Come on." "Come on, Stanley." "Wake up." "Stanley?" "My name's Johnson." " Since when?" " Who are you?" " Police?" " My name's Arthur West." "Private investigator." "Well, if you're not with the law, what do you want?" "Fifty thousand dollars you embezzled from the Texas National Bank." "That was ten years ago, I" "Yes, I know it was." "And you had a partner, Ned Bain." "He's a pretty big man now, highly respected." "I always wondered how Bain made his money." "Didn't know he was financed by the Texas National." "I don't get it." "Spell it out." "Bank's like an elephant:" "It never forgets." "They'd pay me plenty to know how Bain made his money." "Then why don't you tell them?" "Because Bain would pay a lot more." "Quite a lot." "What you need, J.J., is a manager." "Well, if it's blackmail, you can count me out, mister." "I'd rather do time." "For once in your life, you're gonna do as you're told." "By the time we're through, you'll be able to swim in this stuff." "[CLATTERING]" "[DOORBELL BUZZES]" "STANLEY:" "Hello." "Bain residence?" "WOMAN:" "Yes, who's calling?" "This is J.J. Stanley calling Ned Bain." "BAIN:" "I'll take the call, Harriet." "Is that you, J.J. ?" "STANLEY:" "Ned, is this line private?" "BAIN:" "Of course." "What's the problem?" "Money?" "STANLEY:" "They're on to us, Ned." "The bank hired a private detective to trace us, and they're closing in fast." "They can prove we embezzled that money, and you know what they'll do if they find us." "BAIN:" "How did you find out?" "STANLEY:" "I've got ways." "Ned, I have nothing to lose, but you've got a family." "You've gotta do something to stop them." "BAIN:" "This private detective." "Will he do business?" "STANLEY:" "I think so." "I'll find out and call you tomorrow." "Then you can square things directly." "BAIN:" "Do that, J.J. I'll expect your call tomorrow." "Well, Miss Bain?" "Now will you believe what I told you is true?" "It's a lie." "My father would never steal." "I'm sorry, Miss Bain, I'm only an agent." "That isn't my property or yours." "[SOBBING]" "[DOOR CLOSES]" "[SIGHS]" "[PHONE BUZZES]" "Yes, Gertie?" "There's a Miss Bain here to see Mr. Mason." "I'll be right out." "GERTIE:" "I'm sorry, Mr. Mason is in court." "May I take a message?" "Could I help you?" "I'm Mr. Mason's secretary, Della Street." "It's terribly urgent and private." "I've just got to see him." "Well, I'm afraid that's impossible right now." "Mr. Mason's in court." "Well, when will he be back?" "Well, as soon as the trial's over, he's flying to Europe." "I'm awfully sorry." "[HARRIET SOBS]" "Would you like to come into my office?" "I'm sorry to make such a fool of myself." "Would it help you to talk a little?" "Thanks, but I've already taken up too much of your time." "Oh, you let me worry about that." "Cigarette?" "Thank you." "Here, let me." "About six months ago I met Addison Doyle." "He's a writer and comes from an old Boston family." "He's a friend of my stepsister, Sylvia." "At first I thought he was just being kind." "But now..." "You're in love." "Yes." "We're engaged to be married." "In the beginning, I thought he was attracted to Sylvia." "She's blond and beautiful, with a lovely figure, and..." "Well, she's everything I wanted to be but wasn't." "How does Mr. Mason fit into this?" "Miss Street, my father is being blackmailed." "About an hour ago, a private detective named West played me a wiretap recording." "It implicates my father in an embezzlement with his old partner, J.J. Stanley." "How did you become involved?" "Well, my dad suffers from an acute heart ailment." "I look after him and take care of his calls." "I..." "Oh, Miss Street, I can't take a chance." "Besides the concern for my father," "I'm afraid that Addison will call off the marriage if there's a scandal." "Don't you think you're underestimating yourself and your fiancé?" "Sometimes I'm very realistic." "My mirror has left me few illusions." "Here." "Why don't you start the story from the beginning?" "I'll try to see Mr. Mason before he leaves." " This is more than just a pleasure trip." " I know that, Perry." "Give me one logical reason why I should cancel my flight at five minutes' notice just to take on Harriet Bain's case." "I can give you many reasons." "Some of them may be a little feminine..." "I thought so." "I have got the solution to the whole thing." "What is it, Paul?" "You take on the Bain case, and I'll pinch-hit for you at the lawyers' conference in London." "MASON:" "That's good." "Perry, this is serious." "Besides that, marriage is the only chance for happiness this girl has." "And if her father should be implicated, her fiancé walks out." " That's right." " Maybe she'd be better off." "There's plenty of other men in this state she can choose from." "Not for Harriet Bain." "She signed a retainer." "There you are." "It's all in the notes." "All right." "Who's doing this blackmailing?" "A private detective named West." "Arthur West." "She'll need plenty of help if she's mixed up with that character." " You see?" " Yeah." "Apparently the head of the Paul Drake Detective Agency doesn't think much of him." "I don't." "He's as smooth as a rattlesnake and twice as deadly." "He makes a show of trying to beat down the blackmailer's price, acts for the victim, delivers the payoff, then charges the client a nominal fee." " So he gets paid both ways." "PAUL:" "Mm-hm." "Of course, this tape recording could be faked." "Our first problem is to locate J.J. Stanley." " How will that help?" " You can't cross-examine a tape." "Paul, do you know where this West lives?" "Yeah, the, uh, Colegrove Apartments." "Stake out the apartment, have him tailed." " I think he may lead us to Mr. Stanley." " All right." " Do you want me to call Miss Bain?" " Have her meet me right away." "We're going over to see West." "I wanna hear that recording myself." " And Della?" " Yeah?" "I want you to pick me up a small magnet, not over three inches long." "It has to fit into a cigarette package." "A toy magnet?" "Yes, but the strongest one they've got." "And perhaps you'd better delay my plane reservation." "I already have." "I might've known." "STANLEY:" "Ned, I have nothing to lose, but you've got a family." "You've gotta do something to stop them." "BAIN:" "This private detective." "Will he do business?" "STANLEY:" "I think so." "I'll find out and call you tomorrow." "Then you can square things directly." "BAIN:" "Do that, J.J." "I'll expect your call tomorrow." "Don't touch it, Mr. Mason." "Before we do business, I wanna examine that tape." " Why?" " To make sure it hasn't been spliced." "Spliced?" "Tapes can be faked as well as composite photographs." "I can assure you it hasn't." "In this matter, I prefer to use my own observation." "Or we're not buying." "All right, I'll show it to you." "But don't touch it." "That's about it." "Don't touch it, Mr. Mason." "I didn't see any splice marks." "Now, let's hear it again." "Okay." "You told Miss Bain that J.J. Stanley wants 25,000." " How much will he take?" " I think 20." "And you?" "Well, the usual professional fees." "I'll leave it up to you." "All right, let's hear it." "[SILENCE]" "There's nothing more we can do until Mr. West discovers what's wrong with that tape." "There's nothing wrong with the tape, I assure you." "I'll check the recorder." "All right." "I'll be in my office when you're ready." "I've had West's apartment watched for the last four hours." " So far, he hasn't left the building." " Good." "DELLA:" "What happened?" "Well, I managed to mess up the blackmail recording." "Well, how'd you do that?" "The recording was erased by holding a magnet close to the tape." "I don't understand." "All the words on a tape recording can be wiped clean by passing it near or through a magnetic field." "It's a process called degaussing." "Isn't that tampering with evidence?" "Oh, that tape had to be a copy." "By erasing the copy, I think I can force Mr. West to reveal where he keeps his master recording." "[PHONE BUZZES]" "Yes, Gertie?" "Mr. West is on the phone." "Put it on Mr. Mason's private line." "Mason speaking." "You have?" "When may I hear it?" "Right." "Tomorrow morning at 9 will be fine." "Then he did have another copy of the tape." "[PHONE BUZZES]" " Yes?" "GERTIE:" "Miss Bain to see Mr. Mason." " And she's pretty upset." " Thanks, Gertie." "I'll bring her in." "All right, Paul, I'll check with you later." "Oh, Mr. Mason, it's out in the open." "Sylvia was mad because I brought you into the case and she told Dad." "What was your father's reaction?" "He says the whole thing's a fraud." "He's going to fight, Mr. Mason, and would like to see you as soon as possible." "Good." "Your father here?" "I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble, but would you mind coming out to the house?" "Dad's a sick man, he's had heart trouble for years." "Of course I'll come out to the house." "Hello, airline reservations?" "This way, Mr. Mason." "Oh, how's Father?" "He's much better." "Dr. Fisher just left." "Is this Mr. Mason?" "Oh, yes." "Mr. Mason, my sister, Sylvia." "How do you do?" "This is just a storm in a teacup, Mr. Mason." "Unfortunately, I wasn't consulted." "I'm afraid my stepsister is a little impulsive at times." " Has Addison arrived?" " Of course." "Addison Doyle's a fixture around here." "I suppose you know that he's Harriet's beloved?" "Sylvia, please." "[MAN CHUCKLES]" "Enter the villain." "Mr. Mason, this is my fiancé, Addison Doyle." "I've heard a great deal about you." "All good, I hope." "Harriet, Mr. Mason came to see Father." "Of course." "That recording's a lie, Mr. Mason." "If I could get my hands on J.J.'s neck" "What's your connection with him, Mr. Bain?" "I'm in oil, Mr. Mason." "Ten years ago, J.J. backed me on a wildcat strike, and I was lucky." "He got back every dollar, and more." "When did you last see him?" "About six months ago." "He started to hit the bottle and landed in skid row." "I gave him a few handouts and I thought it was quits." " You going to pay him off?" " Not one cent." "Why should I?" "If necessary, would you go to the police?" "I have Harriet's happiness to think of, Mr. Mason." "Also Sylvia's." "A scandal wouldn't help." "You've a completely free hand to get back that tape." "Good." "I'll be here tomorrow after I've dealt with Arthur West." "Oh, uh, by the way, Mr. Bain, do you happen to know J.J. Stanley's address?" "No." "Not even a phone number." "[S YLVIA LAUGHING]" "DO YLE:" "She's none the wiser." "BAIN:" "Harriet." " Will you excuse me, Mr. Mason?" " Of course, Miss Bain." "Well, that was a swift conference." "Yes, it was." "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll get back to town." "[DOOR CLOSES]" "Who dragged Mason into it?" "Harriet." "What, on her own?" "Sylvia, dear, you must be slipping." "I thought you controlled her." "[DOORBELL BUZZES]" " Who is it?" " Ned Bain." "You were stupid to get mixed up with someone like West." "He forced me to do it." "It wasn't my idea." "Uh-huh." "What are you gonna do?" "You know my philosophy, J.J." "Never put off for tomorrow what you can do today." "Or rather, tonight." "Take me back to the corner of Los Feliz and Vermont." "[ENGINE STARTS]" "[TAPPING ON DOOR]" " Hi, Perry." " Hello, Paul." " I've located J.J. Stanley." " Well, where is he?" "In the apartment across the hall from West." "Number 2B." "Are we picking up Harriet?" "No, she said she'd meet us at West's apartment." "All right, Miss Street, we're on our way." "Uh, if this is gonna be a showdown, maybe I'd better tag along." "I might come in handy." "Thanks, Paul." "I don't expect any trouble." ""Perry Mason." "If I'm a few minutes late, the door is unlocked." "Make yourself at home." "Arthur West."" "What's the catch?" "Does seem a little anxious for us to search the apartment." "I think we'd better just go" "[HARRIET SCREAMS]" " He's dead." " Who, West?" "No." "No, I think it's J.J. Stanley." "His body is in the kitchen." "It's a trap, and we fell right into it." "Here." "West will be here any moment expecting to find us with the body." "I'm gonna check Stanley's apartment." "When West turns up, pretend to be reading that note." "How will I let you know when he gets here?" "When you hear the elevator stop, give two rings on Stanley's doorbell." "[DOORBELL BUZZING]" "MASON:" "Hey." "You could've waited for me." "Mr. West just arrived." "He left this note for you." "I'm sorry I'm late, I just came from a card game." "Oh, I didn't know you were a gambler." "I'm not." "For me, poker's no gamble." "Make yourselves at home." "I'll put on some coffee." "And I thought you were smart." "It's an emergency." "Give me the police." "When he's finished, you better call the airline and cancel my trip." "Right." "Well, I've finished with him, Lieutenant Tragg." "Killer did a neat job." " What killed him, doctor?" " Internal haemorrhage." "Found a couple of puncture wounds, probably made by an ice pick." "Any idea when he died?" "From his body temperature, I'd say sometime around 3 a.m. this morning." "Don't hold me to it until I've made an autopsy." "Oh, thanks, doctor." "I'll keep in touch." "Lieutenant, I found this across the hall in Apartment 2B." "Check it out with the crime lab for prints." "Well, Mason, what's your story this time?" "Coincidence, or just bad luck?" " Hi, Paul." "PAUL:" "Hi, Perry." "Well, what did you get?" "Tragg took West down to headquarters and he sang like a bird." "That type usually does." "We've got to locate that tape recording before Tragg gets it." " You're sticking your neck out, Perry." " Why?" "Tragg knows that you searched J.J. Stanley's apartment with Della standing guard." "Harriet Bain talk?" "No." "West rigged the tape recorder by the door with the timer set to go at 9:00." "Then police have a record of every word that was said." "That's right." "That could be a pretty strong witness." "And that's not all." "Tragg sent a crew down to Bain's house." "They fingerprinted the whole family." "[PHONE RINGS]" "Yes?" "Yes, Della." "What?" "All right, tell her I'll be there as soon as I can." "Bain just had another heart attack." "Doctor thinks this one might be fatal." "I'll see you." "Well, I thought we'd lose him an hour ago, but he's tough as nails." "He'll pull through." "How did this attack take place, doctor?" "Shock or sudden exertion." "If he'd taken a walk, would that be a factor?" "Mr. Bain couldn't even walk to the bathroom with his heart condition." "You certain?" "In medicine, nothing is certain." "Oh, by the way, I found this under his pillow." "It hardly makes for good resting." "May I?" "Do you think--?" "This had better be kept in a safe place." "Harriet, did you leave the house or did you see your father leaving your house at any time last night?" "No." "[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]" "Uh, Miss Bain, did you, at any time, leave this house last night?" " No." " You're certain of that?" "Uh, little Miss Galahad is protecting my honour." "She has a perfect alibi, Mason." "She was at my apartment." " Addison." " Oh, it was perfectly proper." "Good night." "Uh, do call again." " Mr. Mason-- TRAGG:" "Hello, Perry." "Well." "I see you've got-- Oh, that tape's rather bulky, Perry." "It just spoils the whole cut of your suit." "Oh, by the way, you do represent the Bain family, Perry." " Yes, I do." " Well, then your job is just starting." "I'm arresting your client, Harriet Bain." " What for?" " On suspicion of murder." "Your fingerprints are all over that ice pick." "[KNOCKING ON DOOR]" " May I come in?" " Yes, of course." "Park on the couch if there's room there." "Excuse the mess, the service in this place is simply hopeless." "I've just come from the jail." "A visit from you might've been helpful." "Oh, skip the violins, Mason." "My engagement with Harriet is quite unofficial." "In the circumstances, it's better that way." "Isn't your walking out on Harriet a little hard on your conscience?" "[DO YLE SCOFFS]" "Conscience is a luxury for a man with a limited income." "And, uh, as you see, mine is limited." "I gather your writing hasn't been very profitable." "For a man like myself, with little talent, a beer income but, uh, champagne tastes, the label "writer" has certain value." "A few sheets of paper, battered typewriter, beard work wonders with the impressionable sex." "You're disarmingly honest." "Well, Mason, you're nobody's fool, so why should I lie?" "You know what I'm after as well as I do." "Harriet's arrest and the ensuing scandal must've been a great disappointment to you." "Oh, it was." "But, uh, there are compensations." "Sylvia?" "Do you really think you can make the switch in midstream?" "Do I have to go into detail?" "Let me give you a word of advice." "Go easy on the changeover to Sylvia." "It might backfire." " Oh?" "How?" " She has very red claws." "She knows how to use them." "We don't have much time to get to court, Perry." "Yes, I know." "Where's that copy of Gross' Criminal Investigation?" "There wasn't one in town." "I wired the publishers." "There's a copy on its way." "All right." "BURGER:" "Morning of March 9th, you were called to Apartment 2A at the Colegrove Apartments where you first saw the body of the decedent, J.J. Stanley." "I was." "In the course of your investigation was an ice pick discovered?" "Yes." "Is this the ice pick?" "Yes, it is." "If it please the court, we should like this weapon entered as People's Exhibit A." "Where was the ice pick discovered, lieutenant?" "TRAGG:" "In Apartment 2B, occupied by the late J.J. Stanley." "Were you subsequently able to establish the ownership of the ice pick?" "Yes, it was identified by Bain's cook as one of her kitchen utensils." "And was it found to bear certain fingerprints?" " Yes." " Whose were they?" "The defendant." "Harriet Bain." "Was anything else found in the apartment, lieutenant?" "Yes, we found a cigarette lighter." "Were you able to establish the ownership?" "Yes, Mr. Burger." "You will notice the initials "H.B."" "The defendant, Harriet Bain, admitted it's hers." "People's Exhibit B, if it please the court." "That's all, lieutenant." "Thank you." "Your witness." "Lieutenant, you've identified the ice pick as property belonging to the Bain household." "I did." "Now, an ice pick is a normal piece of household equipment, wouldn't you say?" "Yes, of course." "It should hardly come as a surprise to find the defendant's fingerprints on this piece of kitchen equipment." "True, but I wouldn't believe that she'd be using it in the, uh, deceased's apartment." "But you did find latent fingerprints of the defendant's on the ice pick?" "Yes." "Were these fingerprints developed at the scene of the crime or at police headquarters?" "At police headquarters." "Now, was it possible to transport the ice pick, uh, without either destroying or impairing those latent fingerprints?" "Not only possible, Mr. Mason, but it was done without any damage or impairment to the latent prints of Miss Bain." "Then, lieutenant, it must've been equally possible for someone other than the defendant to have transported the ice pick from the Bain residence to the scene of the murder without disturbing the fingerprints." "Well, lieutenant?" "Yes." "Now, if someone wanted to incriminate the defendant, the ice pick would've been an excellent idea." "Yes, if you could get somebody to believe it." "But you believed it, didn't you?" "Just as you believed the cigarette lighter was left by the defendant." "BURGER:" "Objection." "Lieutenant Tragg simply testified that he found the defendant's lighter in the deceased's apartment." "No further questions." "Dr. Hanover, did you examine the body of the decedent, J.J. Stanley, to determine the cause and the time of death?" " I did." " What were your findings?" "I found two puncture wounds made from the front." "One penetrating the ascending aorta, just above the heart." "The other piercing the subclavian artery." "Would these wounds have caused immediate death?" "They would." "From massive internal haemorrhage within minutes." "And what, in your opinion, would've been the nature of the weapon?" "Long, sharp, pointed instrument." "Possibly an ice pick." "Doctor, are you familiar with this exhibit?" "Yes, I examined that at the request of the police." "And what did you find?" "The wounds penetrating the decedent's body match this exhibit in relation to size and depth." "Was that all?" "No, I developed latent blood stains made at the apex of the ice pick." "These match the decedent's blood group." "It's group AB." "Doctor, would you explain for us, please, the phenomenon known as post-mortem lividity?" "Yes." "To the layman it resembles a bruise." "When the blood stops circulating, it settles, and the veins congest in the lowest part." "The lowest from the standpoint of body position." "Was there such a bruise marking the body of the victim?" "Yes, sir, there was." "This indicates that the body had been lying on its back at least two hours after death." "Well, what can you tell us about rigour mortis?" "It starts in the face, three to five hours after death, and gradually spreads downward." "For the entire body to be involved, usually takes eight to 12 hours." "When I first examined Stanley's body, only the face and arms were involved." "Well, from your examination, doctor, were you able to reach a conclusion as to the time of death?" "Yes, sir." "Between 2 and 3 a.m." "Thank you, doctor." "Your witness." "Dr. Hanover, you base your estimate of the time of death on post-mortem lividity and rigour mortis?" "They're both factors." "Are these the only factors in determining the time of death?" " No." " What others are involved?" "Ingestion of the last known meal, body temperature." "How is temperature used in determining time of death?" "The body cools at approximately one and one-half degrees per hour for the first 12 hours after death." "Well, could your calculations be in error with any changes or alterations in room temperature?" "They could've been, but they weren't." "I made a careful check of the room temperature and it was normal." "But changes in the room temperature could have affected your calculations concerning the time of death?" " Yes." " Thank you, doctor, that's all." "[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]" "Your Honour, with regard to my next witness," "I ask the court's indulgence." "Since this man suffered a heart attack," "I ask permission to bring him into court on a stretcher." "It's Father." "We object, Your Honour, to this inhumane and unnecessary treatment of the defendant's father." "JUDGE:" "Is a physician in attendance?" " Yes, Your Honour." "And here's his certificate from the police medical examiner stating that Mr. Bain is able to be questioned." " Is he outside?" " Yes, Your Honour." "Well, since the witness is already present" "I will permit his admission." "Call Ned Bain." "Mr. Ned Bain." "Now, please take note however, Mr. Burger, that I shall regulate your examination with strict regard to the witness's health." " He's a hostile witness, Your Honour." " He has a reason to be, Mr. Burger." "CLERK:" "Raise your right hand, please." "Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give to be the whole truth?" "BAIN:" "I do." "CLERK:" "State your name, please." "Ned Bain." "Mr. Bain, did you know the deceased, J.J. Stanley?" " Yes." " And he was blackmailing you." "He tried to." "Did he have substance and truth to his allegation that you embezzled money from the Texas National Bank?" "Should I repeat that last question?" "I heard you." "Statue of limitations has expired on the crime." "You can answer without incriminating yourself." "Or my family?" "How does the fact of an alleged charge of embezzlement and blackmail affect the defendant in this case, Mr. Burger?" "That will be explained in my next question, Your Honour." "Did your daughter, Harriet, know that J.J. Stanley's threat to expose your past was based on truth?" "Oh, please, leave him alone." "I knew it was true." "When did you last see J.J. Stanley alive?" "Half past 11, on the night that he died." "Thank you, Mr. Bain, that's all." "Your witness, Mr. Mason." "I have only a few questions, Mr. Bain." "Do you feel well enough to answer?" "Of course, Mr. Mason." "Now, uh, why did you visit J.J. Stanley?" " To pay off the blackmail." " And what prompted this move?" "Stanley called and suggested that we could deal without West." "And that night you paid him off with money that your daughter, Harriet, had withdrawn from your bank." "Yes." "Did Harriet know that you were going to pay the money to J.J. Stanley?" "Yes, she did." "In that case, she had no possible motive for murder." "Thank you, Mr. Bain." "That's all, Your Honour." "BURGER:" "After you arrived at the apartment house with Mr. Bain, what happened?" "I waited." "Did you notice anything while you were waiting?" "Well, like I told Lieutenant Tragg in his office, there was a foreign car behind me." "Now, what made you remember this incident?" "Well, I picked up my fare at Los Feliz and Vermont and I was tailed all the way." "Was there anything about the car that you noticed?" "Well, I wrote down the licence number." " Was that DHR-786?" " Yeah, that's right." "Your Honour, I enter into exhibit for the state a copy of a registration for a Citroën sedan, licence number DHR-786, belonging to the defendant, Harriet Bain." "Your witness." "Mr. Miller, you said the car was parked a short distance behind you." " Yeah, that's right." " Did you see the driver's face?" "No, it was too dark." "Then the driver could've been a man or a woman?" "Yeah." "In other words, you couldn't say the car was driven by the person whose name appears on that registration slip." "Course not." "Thank you, Mr. Miller, that's all." "JUDGE:" "You may step down." "BURGER:" "Mr. West, you were acquainted with the late J.J. Stanley?" "WEST:" "Yes." " You found his body." "I did." " You're a private detective, Mr. West?" " Yes." " Licensed by the Police Commission?" "WEST:" "Yes." "BURGER:" "And you met the late J.J. Stanley in your professional capacity as a private investigator." "WEST:" "Yes." " Would you tell the court, please, how that came about?" "Well, I was approached by Stanley with a tape recording purporting to be a phone conversation between him and Ned Bain." "When I found out what was in it I contacted the Bain family and told them of its contents." "And what were the contents of the tape?" "We object on the grounds that this is not best evidence." "The tape itself should be produced." "Well, Mr. Burger?" "Your Honour, I intend to introduce the tape in evidence as soon as a proper foundation has been laid." "Objection overruled, you may answer the question." "Well, the conversation implied that Stanley and Bain were engaged in a bank embezzlement ten years ago." " In short, this was blackmail." " It was." "A threat to Bain so serious that his loyal daughter might do almost anything to stop it." "Even murder." "Objection." "It's a leading question." "Calls for a conclusion." "JUDGE:" "Objection sustained." "Mr. West, is this the tape you gave me in my office?" "It is." "I signed it." "Your Honour, I enter this in evidence as People's Exhibit D." "Your witness." "Mr. Mason." "Mr. Mason?" "Uh, my apologies, Your Honour." "You're acquaintance with J.J. Stanley was purely professional?" "Yes." " You had no personal ties?" " None." "Then your only connection with him was as a private investigator." "Yes." "Was Mr. Stanley's apartment opposite yours?" " Yes." " A semi-furnished apartment?" "Well, I don't go snooping around other people's places, Mr. Mason." " Even when you're paying the rent?" " I" "And buying the groceries and supplying the drinks?" "I made him a loan." "You mean, you financed Stanley's blackmail." " That's not true." " Why did you buy him a deep freeze?" "And why did you fill it with food?" "And why did you keep Stanley out of sight?" " That's not illegal." " But tampering with evidence is." " What evidence?" " Stanley's body." "I submit you placed the decedent's body in that deep freeze." "But I was playing cards when he was killed." "Were you?" "Or did you place the body in the deep freeze knowing it would alter the apparent time of death?" "And didn't you later remove the body and place it in your own apartment, setting a trap so that Miss Harriet Bain would be accused of his murder?" "That's not true." "Your Honour, I object." "Mr. Mason's statements are pure, unadulterated speculation." "Have you any grounds for these assertions, Mr. Mason?" "If the court will allow, I think an examination of this deep freeze will reveal traces of the decedent's rare AB-blood group." "In view of the gravity of this charge, Mr. Burger," "I find this matter most germane to the case, and herewith order that the court will adjourn to the decedent's apartment to inspect this deep freeze." "Hey, wait a minute." "Let me have that." "This looks like a blood stain." "There's more there on the bottom." "Well, maybe it dripped from a meat package." "Dr. Hanover, wouldn't placing the body in that deep freeze change the apparent time of death?" "Yes, Mr. Mason, it would." "Your Honour, I further submit that Harriet Bain was physically unable to have placed the dead body in that freezer." "I fully concur." "Then your calculations could be an error, doctor." "Yes, Your Honour." "Under the circumstances, I order an immediate examination of these blood stains." "And I further order, Mr. Burger, that you hold Arthur West on suspicion of murder." "What?" "Hi, Sylvia." "Mason." "I just read the news." "When will Harriet be released?" "I'm expecting a phone call any minute." "That's pretty smart figuring, Mason." "But, uh, what was West's motive?" "Twenty-five-thousand dollars in payoff money." "[PHONE RINGS]" "Bain residence." "Oh, yes, he's right here." "For you, Mr. Mason." "Thank you." "Yes?" "Yes, Della." "He has?" "Good." "Good, yes, thanks." "All right, I'll tell them." "Well, that winds it up, Miss Bain." "Harriet was released ten minutes ago." "She's on her way home." "Addison, I think that under the circumstances it would be more tactful if you weren't here when Harriet arrives." "Oh, of course." "Yes, I" " I think you're right, Sylvia." "Well, I'll" " I'll call you in the morning." "Good work, Mason." "MASON:" "Light?" "Here's your killer, lieutenant." "And his motive: $25,000." "Well, Doyle, you almost had us fooled." "Thank you." "Well, I'll take that light now, Mason." "[KNOCKING ON DOOR]" " Hi." "MASON:" "Hi, Paul." "Tell me you're still gonna try to make that conference of lawyers in London." "I might, if I can ever get there." " Will you drive me out to the airport?" " Sure." "Perry, the reason I dropped by is something puzzles me." "I know that you suspected Doyle when you saw a copy of Dr. Gross' Criminal Investigation in his apartment." "But what was in the book that clinched things for you?" "It cites an identical case of retarding body temperature by freezing." "And by the way, thanks for getting it to court on time." "You're welcome." "But, Perry, if the motive was money, why didn't Doyle wait till he'd married Harriet or Sylvia?" "Well, the $25,000 was a sure thing." "Harriet's inheritance, in the event of a scandal, was conjectural." "And besides, Sylvia was upsetting his plans." "How?" "Paul, Sylvia Bain wouldn't have had Doyle as a gift." "All she wanted was to break his hold on Harriet." " Then she was helping little sister." " Right." "Perry, what is going to happen to old man Bain?" "Well, although the statute of limitations has run out on his crime, if the bank brings a civil suit they can recover the money he took plus any profits he made as a result of his embezzlement." "I'm back, Perry." "Back?" "I thought you were going to the beauty parlour." "I did." "I just had to meet someone." "Would you do me a favour, Perry?" "MASON:" "Mm-mm." " What is it?" " Well, there's a client outside." "Oh, no, you don't." "It won't take but a minute." "She, uh, just wants a little advice." "No." "My plane takes off in an hour." "Please." "Bring her in." "Mr. Mason will see you now." "I wanted to say thank you personally, Mr. Mason, before I left town." "You're going away?" "Yes, Harriet's taking a vacation in Europe." "And my plane leaves in an hour." "Taking the polar route to London, by any chance?" "Why, yes." "Della managed to get me a seat on the plane." "Hm." "What a remarkable coincidence." "Well, Miss Machiavelli?" "Well, with this new hairdo and new outfit, a girl needs an escort." "I just couldn't think of a better one for the trip." "After you." "Shall we?"