"( noirish jazz theme playing )" "( mellow theme playing )" "( typewriter keys clacking )" "( sighs )" "You don't suppose that clock's stuck, do you?" "It's ticking away, all right." "Slow but sure." "Slow is right." "Seems to me those hands have been reading ten to 5 for the last hour." "Uh-oh." "Here comes trouble." "Miss, uh-- Miss Ferris, uh" "Yes, Mr. Albert." "I wonder, uh..." "Do you have a dinner engagement this evening?" "That's not an invitation." "I, uh, thought if you hadn't," "Mr. Lamont, Jr. has some work he'd like finished tonight." "Well, what's the matter with that snooty secretary of his?" "Junior taking her out to dinner?" "Miss Elwood." "Pardon me." "Well, Miss Ferris?" "No, I'm not going to be busy and I'll be glad to." "Thank you." "Sucker." "( dials phone )" "George Albert, Mr. Lamont." "It's all settled." "She'll do the work." "The "she," I take it, is Miss Arlene Ferris?" "Good." "I'll remember this, Albert." "Edith." "Edith, those Newcomb reports." "I've arranged for them to be finished up in the secretarial pool." "I said I was perfectly willing to stay and do them." "Yes, I know." "But you've been working pretty hard lately." "You can take a night off." "Thanks." "Albert?" "Lamont Jr. again." "I think I'd better tell that night security officer that Miss Ferris will be leaving late." "Can you give me a description of her car?" "Yeah, thanks." "( ominous theme playing )" "( engine faltering )" "Trouble?" "Oh, Mr. Lamont." "I would think finishing up that report for me would be enough trouble for one night, Miss Ferris." "I can't understand it." "It's never failed to work before." "Well, it's a damp night, maybe something short-circuited." "Open the hood and let me take a look." "Now try her." "( engine falters )" "It's no use." "There's no spark, and you'll run your battery down." "What can I do?" "Well, I can think of two things." "You either wait here until the sun comes out tomorrow, or, uh, let me give you a lift home." "I can't ask you to do that, Mr. Lamont." "I live way out in Westwood." "Now, that's a coincidence." "I just happen to be going that way." "( ominous theme swells )" "Night, Grimes." "Good night, Mr. Lamont." "Relax, Miss Ferris." "I'm not gonna bite you, despite my sinister reputation." "Sinister?" "Hasn't your friend Madge Elwood told you about me?" "Well, she did say that you were a bit of a wolf." "Heh." "That's me." "A wolf in clothing made from a bitter sheep." "And as a wolf, I have a proposition." "How about dinner before I take you home?" "Well, I-- I really should get back." "No, now, look." "It's 8:00, you're hungry and so am I." "And besides," "I owe you something for keeping you overtime." "Well, if it's a debt, all right." "Good." "But there's one complication." "Would you mind if I dropped off those papers you typed at the company's beach house first?" "A business associate of Dad's is there waiting for them." "Well, how far is it?" "South end of Malibu." "Twenty minutes more at the most." "So, uh, okay, Miss Ferris?" "So okay, Mr. Lamont." "( ominous theme playing )" "Come on in." "Maybe we can persuade old Greerson to have a drink with us." "Are you sure he wouldn't mind?" "Oh, I'm sure." "He likes pretty girls, and so do I." "What about the papers?" "Oh, yes, the papers." "We mustn't forget them." "Mr. Greerson?" "Mr. Greerson." "Mr. Greerson?" "Well, I guess he hasn't arrived yet." "What's your martini formula, Miss Ferris?" "I don't know, five to one, I guess." "Perfect." "You'll find ice, glasses and the makings over the sink on the left side." "So practice your mathematics while I check on Greerson." "Yes, but-- Don't worry." "We pay union bartender scale here." "So go to work." "( rings )" "Yell if there's anything you can't find." "I will." "( rings )" "Hello." "( indistinct speech )" "Oh." "I told you I'd give it to you when I got plenty good and ready." "It's just that you promised to return the $2,000 six weeks ago, Mr. Lamont, and now we must have it." "Our bank has been more than patient." "Perhaps his father." "Yes." "Even if we must get in touch with your father in Europe." "You go to my father, O.K.," "I'll see you never get the money." "You gave it to me in cash, remember?" "You have no legal claim." "So get off my back." "When we loaned him the money, he made such great promises." "Swore he would pay it back the very next week." "Now I promise you." "I'll get it from him" "Promise is most given when the least is said." "( rings )" "Hello?" "Edith?" "Loring." "I'm at the Malibu place." "No, no , no." "Not a party." "A business conference." "I want you to call me on the phone in about an hour." "When I answer, you hang up." "Why?" "Never mind why." "Just do it." "Now, there's the most beautiful sight" "I've seen all day." "Was that Mr. Greerson who called?" "No." "Somebody else." "But I checked on Greerson." "He's supposed to be somewhere between downtown LA and here." "For you." "And for me." "Well, here's to Mr. Greerson, and his delayed arrival." "( jazz music playing over stereo )" "FERRIS:" "Oh, no more for me, please." "I've had three, and two's my limit." "And one more makes four, which is exactly right for a joyful o" "Occasion like this." "Here's hoping your car breaks down every night." "Well, aren't you gonna drink to that?" "I think I better have something to eat first." "And leave this for me to finish all by myself?" "Come on, honey, one more." "Then we'll discuss eating." "( phone rings )" "Now, who could that be?" "Mr. Greerson?" "Why, sure." "Good old Greerson." "( ringing )" "Hello?" "Yes, this is Loring Lamont." "Where have you been, Mr. Greerson?" "I've been waiting nearly an hour for you." "Well, it doesn't really matter." "Mix-ups will happen." "Sure." "I can get the papers to you first thing in the morning." "Don't give it a thought." "Good night." "Crossed signals." "He's checked in at the Beverly Sunset for the night." "Well, then, I guess we'd better be going." "Are you kidding?" "Now that we have the place all to ourselves?" "Come on, honey." "One more, and then we'll discuss what the kitchen has to offer." "No drink and no kitchen." "I wouldn't have come here if-- Sit down, baby." "And don't try to pull that Purity League act on me, honey." "You're of age." "So relax, baby." "Relax." "Let me go." "Oh, no, you don't." "Stop it!" "Stop." "Ungh!" "( ominous theme playing )" "( engine starts )" "( engine revving )" "( tense theme playing )" "( grinding )" "( dramatic theme playing )" "MASON:" "You actually struck him with the car, Miss Ferris?" "Either that, Mr. Mason, or he fell when he tried to jump clear." "You see, I lost control of the car when I pushed down the accelerator." "I've never driven a sports car before." "You didn't stop?" "No." "I" " I was scared." "And mad." "I drove about five miles and stopped at a gas station." "I telephoned Madge to ask her to" "Maybe I shouldn't bring you into this, Madge." "Oh, why not?" "Since I was the one made you come to Mr. Mason." "She asked me for Loring's address." "Why?" "I wanted to leave the car there." "I didn't want him to be able to accuse me of having stolen it." "You had the address?" "MADGE:" "No." "I got it from George" "That is, George Albert, the office manager." "And I, uh" "I called Arlene back at the filling station." "Tell him what you did, Arlene." "Well, I parked the car at the apartment building, in front of the fireplug." "After you did that?" "I took a bus home." "In the morning Madge took me to work." "I was expecting to be fired, but Mr. Lamont never appeared." "And that started me worrying." "You mean, started me worrying." "Loring's vindictive." "Couldn't he have her arrested for theft?" "Or for, uh, hit-and-run driving?" "Or assault and battery?" "I suppose he could." "Della, is Paul still in the outer office?" "Yes, he's still waiting." "Ask him in, will you please?" "Mm-hm." "This will be Mr. Paul Drake, head of the Drake Detective Agency." "Paul." "MASON:" "Come in, Paul." "Paul Drake, this is Miss Ferris and Miss Elwood." "How do you do?" "Hello." "Here are those papers I wanted you to have, Paul." "Oh, thanks." "I'm afraid our lunch date is off." "Work?" "Possibly." "I wanted you to help me pin someone's ears back." "A playboy named Loring Lamont gave Miss Ferris a rather bad time last night, and he might try-- Uh, excuse me, Perry, but is this the Loring Lamont whose father owns Lamont Engineering Corporation?" "Yes." "Do you know him?" "No, but I know about him." "And I'm afraid somebody's already pinned his ears back." "How do you mean?" "Well, it just came over the 12:00 news." "Loring Lamont was found stabbed to death in a beach house near Malibu last night." "( dramatic theme playing )" "( mysterious theme playing )" "Lipstick." "Hm." "And on the cigarette butts." "I wonder whose car she took." "Hers or...?" "Or his?" "MAN:" "Grimes?" "That's me, lieutenant." "Here's the record." "Mr. Lamont drove out a little before 8 in his own car." "And you think he had a young lady with him?" "I'm sure he did." "But, like I told you on the phone," "I don't know the name." "Well, uh, could you identify her if you saw her again?" "I can identify her for you now." "That's her car over there." "That two-tone job." "Been there all night." "Have a look at the registration if you want to." "All right." "All right, sergeant." "That's Miss Ferris' regular desk." "And, uh, this is where she would have done the extra work for Mr. Lamont last night?" "I presume so." "At least, this is where she started to do it." "TRAGG:" "Was she, uh, requested, or um, did she volunteer?" "She, um" " She volunteered." "And Mr. Lamont, uh, stayed until she was finished?" "He must have." "If they went out together, as you say." "You have no idea where she is now?" "All I know is, she hasn't come back from lunch." "SERGEANT:" "There's nothing, lieutenant." "MASON:" "Thank you, Miss Elwood." "I appreciate you telephoning." "No." "No, I won't hesitate to call on you." "Bye." "Perry, I sure hope you have Arlene Ferris in a safe place," "Tragg is hot on her trail." "She's in Madge Elwood's apartment." "I know what Tragg found at the plant." "Miss Elwood just told me." "Yeah." "But did you know that he has Lamont Junior's car?" "It was impounded early this morning for blocking a fireplug." "And there's a witness." "The man who lives in the apartment below Lamont's said he saw a woman park the car and then walk away." "Not good." "First that guard at the plant and now" "( knock on door )" "Perry" "Oh, don't, uh, bother to announce me, Della." "I'm, uh, sure Mr. Mason is delighted to see me, as always." "And, uh, Mr. Paul Drake too." "Socially?" "As always, lieutenant" "Well, actually, this is business." "I'm looking for a client of yours named, uh," "Arlene Ferris." "Arlene Ferris?" "The one who called you from the Lamont Engineering plant this morning, and arranged a noon appointment for the purpose of your defending her against a murder she committed." "You sound as though you had a warrant for her arrest." "Why, no." "No, no." "I, uh, merely thought the three of us could get together and have a nice, friendly little talk." "Perhaps later, lieutenant." "Now." "Where is she?" "Perhaps later, lieutenant." "Very well, Perry." "Later." "But, um... by then I'll have that warrant." "( door closes )" "He seems pretty sure of himself." "Paul, where can we contact that parking witness?" "Name's Jerome Henley." "Works at the Hi-Fi Studio, 762 Sunset Lane." "Just off the strip." "Della, call Madge Elwood at the Lamont plant." "I'm gonna need her help." "Perry, whatever you're planning," "Tragg is undoubtedly waiting downstairs for you to lead him directly to Arlene." "Maybe we can surprise him." "( cars zooming, horns honking )" "Mr. Henley?" "Mr. Henley." "Oh?" "Yes?" "You were recommended to us as an expert on hi-fi." "( sound effects stop )" "I like to think" "I like to think I am." "Are you a prospective?" "Yes, we might be." "Oh." "Well, here we have our finest assembly," "AM and FM tuner," "Featherlite automatic changer, six speakers in all, discophonic, of course." "Of course." "Will you and the young lady care for a demonstration?" "Why, yes." "TRAGG:" "Well, if you don't mind, we'll postpone the demonstration." "Mr. Henley." "Well, lieutenant." "I didn't realize you were a hi-fi enthusiast." "I'm not." "Know this man?" "Why, no." "He's Perry Mason, an attorney who specializes in defending persons accused of murder." "Oh?" "I, uh, don't know who the young lady is, but I, uh, want you to look at her very carefully." "Why, she's the" "TRAGG:" "Uh, just a moment," "I" " I must warn you." "Mason may be trying one of his tricks." "If, uh, a witness is going to identify someone, for instance the young woman you saw park Loring Lamont's car in front of the, uh, fireplug last night." "Well, he might bring that young lady into your store." "You would notice her, but, uh, only casually." "Well, I" " I did, but now I" "TRAGG:" "And, uh, then on the witness stand, when you identify her under oath." "He might ask," ""Aren't you mistaken?"" "Well, yes, he could say that, but" "Henley, I don't want you to be trapped." "Is she the one you saw get out of Loring Lamont's car?" "MASON:" "Um, Henley." "Don't let him trap you." "She is." "She's the one I saw get out of the car." "Of course, she's dressed differently, but that's her." "Miss Ferris, I'm Lt. Tragg of Homicide." "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to come down to headquarters with me." "Lieutenant." "You're making a mistake." "This young woman is not Arlene Ferris." "Next, you'll be saying you're not Perry Mason." "Come along, Miss Ferris." "They say that Tragg was fit to be tied when he found he had the wrong woman." "I'm afraid all we've gained is a little time, and we're gonna sacrifice that waiting to hear from Arlene Ferris." "( knock on door )" "Yes, Della?" "She's here, Perry." "With George Albert." "You'd better wait, Paul." "DELLA:" "Come in, won't you?" "Sit down, please." "It's all right, Della." "I've been hoping to hear from you, Miss Ferris." "But you were supposed to phone, not come in person." "The police have been watching this office." "They might still be watching." "Well, I'm sorry, but, you see, I called George, and he insisted on talking to you." "We can trust George, Mr. Mason." "He's sort of engaged to Madge." "Madge Elwood called you for Lamont's address?" "Yes, that's right." "Look, Mason, I'm not too happy about Madge being so mixed up in this." "At the moment she's completely unmixed, Mr. Albert." "It's Arlene you should be worried about." "Oh, I am, of course." "Miss Ferris, do you remember anything more about the telephone call Lamont received when you were in the kitchen?" "Well, he did say something about giving something when he got good and ready." "His voice got very loud and he became angry, and he said," ""You tell my father, O.K., and I'll see that you never get the money."" "And then his voice got lower, and I couldn't hear any more." ""O.K."?" "He called the person "O.K."?" "Yes." "You said you wanted to help, Mr. Albert." "Yes, of course." "I'd like you to take Arlene to Miss Elwood's apartment." "Won't be but a short time till I know exactly what she's up against." "Della." "Mm-hmm." "Will you show them to the service elevator?" "Perry, that name, O.K., it rings a bell somewhere." "Yeah, here it is." "The caretaker at the Lamont Malibu beach house." "His name is Oolong Kim." "Yes." "My name is Oolong Kim." "And who are you, sir?" "My name is Mason, I'm an attorney." "Perry Mason." "I've heard of you, sir." "What can I do for you?" "I'd like to, uh, look around, if I may." "I think it is all right, if you are careful." "The police said nothing was to be disturbed." "This way, please." "Thank you." "I'm Mrs. Kim." "He was lying there." "You the housekeeper here, Mrs. Kim?" "Yes." "How long have you and O.K. worked here?" "O.K.?" "Isn't that what the people call your husband?" "Well, people call my husband Oolong or Mr. Kim." "We have worked for Mr. Lamont, Sr., for two and a half years." "Will you tell me why you asked if Mr. Kim is called O.K.?" "Well, it seems that last night," "Lamont Jr. had a quarrel with someone over the phone." "Someone he called O.K." "Would you have any idea who that might be, Mrs. Kim?" "Perhaps Orvel Kingman." "And who is he?" "I don't know, but Mr. Lamont" "That is Mr. Lamont, Jr." "has been making payments to him ever since I've worked here." "Payments?" "His checkbook, Mr. Mason." "He has me put the household bills in it each month." "Orvel Kingman, $1,000." "Then 1600. $800." "What are these payments for, do you know, Mrs. Kim?" "No, sir, I don't." "Blackmail, perhaps?" "Perhaps Mr. Kingman will be able to tell you." "Perhaps." "( doorbell rings )" "Yes?" "Shut the door, Al." "Okay." "I'll close the door." "KINGMAN:" "All right, counselor, what do you want with me?" "More to the point, who are you and what do you want?" "Kingman." "Orvel Kingman." "Now, why all the nosing around into my affairs by your man Drake?" "Mr. Drake had instructions to check on you, find out who you were." "You don't know who I am?" "Should I?" "I believe the guy's on the level." "I'm a commission man." "Bookie to you." "Biggest west of Las Vegas." "Oh, I see." "See?" "See what?" "Oh, stub entries in Loring Lamont's checkbook." "Sixteen hundred, 1,400, 800." "KINGMAN:" "Sure." "He was a lousy judge of horseflesh, as the saying goes." "Hey, wait a minute." "You figuring me for a patsy?" "Kingman, if I'm figuring you for a patsy, you deserve it." "Lamont was overheard on the phone last night threatening to send somebody to jail." "Somebody he called O.K." "Al, what do people call me?" "Odds." "Odds Kingman." "People have never called you just, uh, O.K.?" "Never." "Ask anybody." "( phone rings )" "Excuse me." "Yes?" "Well, go ahead, Paul." "Perry, Tragg just arrested Arlene Ferris in Madge Elwood's apartment." "Yes, he had a warrant." "The charge?" "First-degree murder." "( dramatic theme playing )" "CHAMBERLIN:" "Now, doctor, as the coroner's physician who examined the body of the deceased," "Loring Lamont, on the night in question, would you tell the court, what time, in your opinion, death occurred?" "DOCTOR:" "Between the hours of 9 and 12 p.m." "Wednesday, January the 4th." "And the cause of death?" "A massive heart hemorrhage, due to the organ's, uh, penetration by a stiletto-type instrument, uh, via the back muscles and the posterior rib cage." "CHAMBERLIN:" "Could you put that into layman's language, doctor?" "Yes." "He was stabbed in the back." "It was almost 11:00 when I found him." "I was late that morning." "And I went to the garden for my husband, and we called the police." "I see." "Now, Mrs. Kim," "I show you this antique Italian dagger, already placed in evidence as having been found near the body." "Do you recognize it?" "It's been in the beach house ever since I worked there." "They used it as a letter opener, both Loring Jr." "and his father." "Then it is your contention that the defendant, in order to corroborate her story of a deliberate attempt made by the deceased to lure her to his beach house, and to make improper advances, planted evidence near the scene and in her apartment" "sometime after the murder?" "Yes, Your Honor." "Indistinguishable footprints and slide marks beside the muddy road near the beach house and, uh, this mud-stained, uh, dress in her apartment." "Well, what makes you believe she planted these things?" "Well, a part of Miss Ferris' story is that the deceased followed her along the road, up the muddy bank." "Yet the deceased's shoes were as immaculate as though they'd just come from a store window." "CHAMBERLIN:" "Lieutenant, did you institute a search for the so-called muddy clothes and shoes?" "Yes, sir." "Negative." "No trace of any clothes of any kind, in or around the beach house." "CHAMBERLIN:" "No change of clothes, even if he'd wanted to change them?" "TRAGG:" "No, no, sir." "CHAMBERLIN:" "Now, in her statement, the defendant asserted she had no idea why her car wouldn't start, the night she encountered Mr. Lamont in the company parking lot." "Now, did you examine this car to find out why it wouldn't start, sergeant?" "Yes, I did." "I found the rotor missing from the distributor." "Did you subsequently discover this missing rotor?" "Yes, sir." "In the glove compartment of the defendant's car." "CHAMBERLIN:" "Thank you." "Cross-examine." "No questions." "JUDGE:" "You may step down, sergeant." "Then as the security guard on the night in question, you checked out the deceased, Loring Lamont?" "Yep." "In that white sports car of his." "Ten to 8, it was." "Was Mr. Lamont alone in the car?" "Nope." "Young lady was with him." "Mr. Grimes, do you see that young lady anyplace in this courtroom?" "Yup." "Sitting right over there." "Arlene Ferris." "CHAMBERLIN:" "When did you first notice" "Mr. Lamont's sports car parked by the fireplug?" "About a minute before I tagged it." "Uh, seven after 10." "CHAMBERLIN:" "Was anyone in the car?" "No, not then." "Or when I came back a few minutes later to tag a double-parked car." "Thank you." "Your witness, Mr. Mason." "No questions." "Now, Mr. Henley, you just positively identified the defendant as the woman who parked Loring Lamont's car by a fire plug in front of his apartment building." "Yes, sir." "Did you not, in your hi-fi store, several days ago, make an equally positive identification of another woman, who supposedly parked his car there?" "I did, but I was wrong." "I feel I was tricked." "Tricked?" "How, Mr. Henley?" "Lieutenant Tragg seemed so eager to have me identify the woman with you." "And there was a marked resemblance." "Well I" " I just feel I was tricked." "MASON:" "Then you made your first identification simply because" "Lieutenant Tragg seemed to be so eager to have you identify the woman who was with me." "Yes." "Look at the defendant, Mr. Henley," "Are you sure you're not being tricked again?" "Yes." "Absolutely sure?" "Yes." "Look at the defendant, Mr. Henley." "Not at me, at the defendant." "Now, are you sure the defendant is the woman who parked Loring Lamont's car by that fireplug?" "Are you as sure as you were when you identified Madge Elwood as having parked his car there?" "I" " I don't know." "Which girl it was it, Mr. Henley?" "Arlene Ferris or Madge Elwood?" "Actually, you don't know which one it was, do you?" "No." "No further questions." "Right, thanks." "Well, it doesn't look good." "Orvel Kingman's gone south, and I mean south, for an indefinite stay to study racetrack conditions in Brazil." "But, as far as I can find out, he was telling you the truth about the name O.K." "Nobody ever calls him that." "Second, Oolong Kim and his wife Frances are having money problems." "Oh?" "There's a second trust deed on their home, due and payable." "Now they're being socked with default payments, penalties and so on." "They could lose the home." "What about the O.K. as far as he's concerned?" "Couldn't find out anything there." "The Kims stick pretty much to themselves." "But at least none of the tradespeople who deal with him ever call him O.K." "Hungry, Paul?" "Dinner's ready." "Perry?" "I've been thinking about those muddy clothes." "They couldn't have just disappeared." "Do you suppose it's possible that the murderer, for some reason, could have--?" "Could have changed Lamont's clothes?" "Try telling that to a jury." "The murderer, knowing Lamont, would get himself all dirty chasing Arlene, brought out clean shoes, socks and trousers from Lamont's own wardrobe and dressed the corpse with them." "What else have you got?" "The saga of Lamont's car." "After your client left it parked blocking a fireplug, it was tagged." "About ten minutes later, the same officer came back again, found another car double-parked there, so he tagged that one too." "Then at 1:00, Lamont's car was tagged again by another officer, and an hour later it was impounded by the police." "That's quite a history." "What about phone calls from the beach house?" "If Arlene's story is true," "Lamont certainly would have called someone to come out and get him." "He didn't." "The phone company keeps records of all long-distance calls to the Malibu area." "And there was only one." "At 8:30 to his secretary, Edith Bristol." "( knock on door )" "Come in." "Miss Bristol, this is Perry Mason, the attorney." "He'd like to talk to you for a moment." "Won't you have a seat, please?" "Thank you." "( door closes )" "As you probably know, Miss Bristol," "I'm defending Arlene Ferris." "My investigators have come across a phone call made from the beach house." "Made to you at 8:30 on the night of the murder." "The police have already asked me that, Mr. Mason." "And what did you tell them?" "That Mr. Lamont, Jr. called me, and instructed me to call him back in about an hour and then hang up." "Hang up?" "Yes." "He said he was in a business conference." "I suppose he was using my call as an excuse to break away." "And did you call back?" "Yes, about 9:20, 9:25." "Did, uh, he say anything beyond hello?" "Well, he pretended he was talking to a Mr. Greerson, a business acquaintance." "Said he was sorry about being late." "I hung up then." "Is that the last you heard from him?" "Well...yes." "I have the feeling you did hear something else." "If not from Mr. Lamont, perhaps a third party?" "Who was it?" "Madge." "MASON:" "Madge Elwood?" "What did she have to say?" "Oh, nothing really." "Except she wanted to know if I had a key to Mr. Lamont's apartment." "I said I didn't have one." "And she said she was sorry that she bothered me and hung up." "Albert, did, uh, Miss Elwood tell you about calling Miss Bristol?" "No." "Do you know why she wanted the key to Lamont's apartment?" "No, I don't know." "MASON:" "Well, there's something odd going on here." "I'm going to find out what it is." "( ominous theme playing )" "Why wouldn't Madge have told us about going out there?" "Lamont had a business appointment with a man named Greerson." "Either for that night or early the next morning." "What's that got to do with it?" "Well, suppose after Arlene telephoned," "Madge saw a chance to ingratiate herself with Lamont by taking him his car and some clean clothes." "So she tries to get his apartment keys from Edith Bristol." "Not necessarily." "The key could've been on his key ring in the car." "Anyway, she got clothes and his car, and drove out to the beach house." "That's just what happened." "Those two parking violations should have told me that." "The first ticket must have been removed from the windshield." "I don't quite follow that, Perry." "At the beach house, after he'd put on the clean clothes, let's say that" "Lamont tried to force his attentions on Madge," "Just as he had on Arlene." "That's when Madge stabbed him." "Oh, I'm beginning to see it now." "Then Madge drove the car back to town and parked it in front of the fireplug again." "Where it got the second ticket." "So it was really Madge that Jerome Henley saw." "And that's where, in trying to outfox Lieutenant Tragg," "I outfoxed myself." "You know, there were no dirty clothes in Lamont's car, so Madge must have transferred them to her car and taken them with her." "Mm-mm." "So, what happened to the clothes becomes a big question now." "WOMAN:" "You won't find Madge Elwood here, I don't expect." "Some fella come by late yesterday." "I heard 'em talking about going to Las Vegas." "She went in this, uh, fella's car?" "Must have." "Hers is still here." "Well, I gotta fix breakfast." "Close the door when you go, will you?" "Thank you." "What fella, Perry?" "Perhaps George Albert." "He'd better be in court this morning." "Wouldn't have left things in here, too risky." "Perry, look." "Well, looks like we hit the jackpot, Della." "MAN'S VOICE:" "Well, Mr. Mason." "You see, lieutenant?" "I knew he was going to plant something to try to clear his client." "( dramatic theme playing )" "CHAMBERLIN:" "Your Honor, the people's case would be completed if it weren't for a certain matter that concerns me gravely, not just as prosecutor, but as a member of the legal profession." "I have reason to feel that an attempt has been made in this case to fabricate evidence." "And I wish to present testimony in order to prepare a record that may be used for the purpose of impeachment." "JUDGE:" "Very well, Mr. Chamberlin." "You may call your first witness." "I call Lieutenant Tragg to the stand." "You mean Mr. Mason and his secretary were inside the garage?" "Yes, Your Honor." "What was Mr. Mason doing at that moment?" "Well, he was holding a shoe over a cardboard packing case." "You mean he was putting that shoe into the case, don't you, lieutenant?" "Well, it looked as though he were about to." "If the court please," "I object to the question on the ground that it's viciously misleading and suggestive." "Furthermore, this witness is not a mind reader." "Your Honor, as an expert criminal investigator," "Lieutenant Tragg is entitled to express his opinion." "If it is an opinion and not an actual fact." "Nevertheless, I am going to sustain the objection," "Mr. Chamberlin." "But in view of the seriousness of this, Mr. Mason, may I express the hope that you will help, rather than hinder, the court at arriving at the truth?" "I intend to help in every way I possibly can, Your Honor." "Very well." "You may proceed, Mr. Chamberlin." "Now, lieutenant, I ask you to examine this shoe and these trousers, both of which have already been identified as the property of the deceased, Loring Lamont." "Yes, they're from the packing case." "And those are my identifying tags on them." "If it please the court," "I would like to have these trousers and this shoe, and also this shoe, which Mr. Mason had already put into that packing case, as people's exhibits J, K and L." "The defense has no objection, Your Honor." "JUDGE:" "Have them so marked." "I'm afraid I've struck out so far, Perry." "Madge Elwood is not in Las Vegas, at least not under her own name, and there's no trace of her here." "JUDGE:" "Your witness, Mr. Mason." "The defense has no questions of Lieutenant Tragg." "Your Honor, at this time I had hoped to question Madge Elwood, but apparently she cannot be found." "However, with the court's permission" "I would like to recall Mr. George Albert, who I believe can supply us with the same information." "JUDGE:" "Very well." "You may step down, lieutenant." "Call George Albert to the stand." "JUDGE:" "I remind you, you are still under oath." "Yes, sir." "I know." "Now, Mr. Albert, on the night of Lamont's death, did you receive a telephone call from Madge Elwood, requesting Lamont's town address?" "Yes." "But didn't she know his address?" "Hadn't she, in fact, been to his apartment in the past?" "In the far past." "She didn't know his new address." "He had moved recently." "But you knew it." "That's right." "Did you know a man by the name of Greerson?" "Yes, he's a client of our firm." "Did you know that Lamont had an appointment with Mr. Greerson on the evening of the murder?" "It was the following morning." "I see." "And you also knew, because Madge Elwood had told you, that Lamont had had a struggle on the muddy ground just outside his Malibu beach house." "And was then stranded inside the house because he had no clean clothing to change to." "Yes." "Now, I ask you, Mr. Albert, whether or not you decided to play the Good Samaritan by going to Lamont's apartment and getting some clean clothing for him, and then, by driving his sports car" "out to the beach house for him?" "No." "You did not?" "No." "Did Madge Elwood?" "No." "Well, I don't know." "How could I know?" "How many times did Miss Elwood call you that night?" "Just that time." "Don't perjure yourself twice, Mr. Albert." "Didn't she call you the second time to tell you that she was driving Lamont's car out to the beach house so he wouldn't be stranded there?" "All right, yes." "Now, after that call, what did you do, Mr. Albert?" "Did you also go to the beach house?" "No." "Why would I go to the beach house?" "Because Madge was driving Lamont's car." "You were to follow, bring her home in your car." "Didn't you get there first, Mr. Albert?" "No, I didn't." "Having arrived there first, didn't you then kill Mr. Lamont?" "No." "Did you arrive there after Miss Elwood had killed Lamont?" "I decline to answer." "You decline?" "On what grounds?" "On the grounds that I cannot be compelled to testify about my wife." "Your wife?" "Madge Elwood and I were married in Las Vegas last night." "( crowd murmuring )" "Your Honor, it must be clearly apparent that an attempt is being made here not to fabricate, but to suppress evidence." "Miss Elwood, or rather Mrs. Albert unavailable, her husband refusing to testify." "Under the circumstances," "I would like to I recall one other witness." "Mr. Chamberlin?" "I have no objection, Your Honor." "The state is most interested in these developments." "Very well, Mr. Mason." "I would like to recall Oolong Kim." "JUDGE:" "Oolong Kim to the stand, please." "MASON:" "Now, Mr. Kim, a telephone call was made to the deceased at about half-past or 20 minutes past 8 on the night of his murder." "Enough of the conversation was overheard to indicate that the person who telephoned made certain demands." "And that that person was called O.K." "Yes, sir." "Your name is Oolong Kim." "Your initials are O.K." "Now, I suggest, Mr. Kim, that despite your wife's denials, you were that person." "Yes, sir, I was." "Mr. Lamont Jr. was the only one that called me that." "What were you demanding of him?" "Money." "Loaned to him to pay his gambling debts and which he owed my wife and me." "MASON:" "He refused?" "KIM:" "Yes, sir." "He had promised it many times." "MASON:" "Then what did you do?" "My wife and I talked." "The situation was acute." "But we did not act in haste." "It was much later when my wife and I drove to the Lamont beach house to make another appeal." "How much later?" "We reached there a little after half-past 10." "And you saw Lamont?" "No, Mr. Mason." "We came up the back way." "A car was behind the house." "We drove away." "We thought then we'd speak to him when he didn't have company." "MASON:" "You recognize the car?" "No." "But I can recall it." "An inexpensive two-door sedan?" "Why, no." "It was a red convertible." "Red convertible?" "Are you sure of that?" "Of course." "My wife saw it too." "Thank you, Mr. Kim." "Your Honor, still present in the courtroom is the officer who testified as to having placed the first ticket on Loring Lamont's car." "I would like to ask him one or two questions." "Questions which may help bring this case to a conclusion." "JUDGE:" "Very well, call Officer Lyons to the stand." "MAN:" "Officer Peter Lyons to the stand." "JUDGE:" "You may step down, Mr. Kim." "Now, Officer Lyons, you testified that you tagged Loring Lamont's car on the night of his murder." "Yes." "For parking in front of a fireplug." "That was, uh, seven minutes after 10." "MASON:" "Now, isn't it true that in about ten minutes you came back to see if his car was still parked in front of the fireplug?" "LYONS:" "Yes, and it still was." "You issued another ticket at that time?" "Yes, but for another car that I found double-parked a few feet away." "MASON:" "Can you describe this other car that was double-parked?" "LYONS:" "A red convertible." "MASON:" "And the registered owner?" "LYONS:" "I don't remember the name." "It's in the record though." "I can get it for you." "I don't think that will be necessary, thank you." "Don't leave, Miss Bristol." "It was my car." "I guess I knew it would all come out." "No matter how I tried to change the evidence." "I left my car there, while I got Loring's clothes." "And then I took them out to the beach house." "But after Loring changed, he told me that he was taking my car to find Arlene Ferris." "He said I could hitchhike home for all he cared." "That he was through with me." "He was drunk and vicious." "He hit me and tried to choke me." "I managed to twist away from him." "And I picked up the stiletto and struck out with it." "I was only trying to defend myself." "Right, Gertie, thank you." "Well, I found out why Lamont picked on Edith to make that telephone call." "It was his charming way of letting her know he was through with her." "Seeing another woman?" "Uh-huh." "Then later she called him again, wanting an explanation." "Of course, that was after his adventure in the mud." "Well, even then she took him the clean clothes." "She must have been very much in love with him, Paul." "Only there's one thing I don't understand." "Madge's Las Vegas marriage." "What was all that?" "Well," "Madge was afraid that Albert might have killed Lamont." "Albert was afraid that she might have." "So they were just trying to protect each other." "Comedy of errors." "Uh, just errors, Della, no comedy." "As Perry would say, murder is never funny." "Okay, boss." "Okay." "( both laugh )" "( noirish jazz theme playing )"