"( noirish jazz theme playing )" "(funeral organ playing )" "( sobbing )" "( door shuts )" "( door shuts )" "( car starts )" "( dramatic theme playing )" "( car horn honks )" "( door opens )" "Oh, Miss Trudy?" "The car's ready." "TRUDY:" "Here I am, David." "Let's go." "( door shuts )" "Who are you?" "This is the third time I've seen you out here." "What do you want?" "I saw you at my Mother's funeral too." "What were you doing there?" "Who are you?" "Trudy..." "I'm your father." "( dramatic theme swells )" "Her father?" "MAN:" "Yes, sir." "The man is Mr. Jay Holbrook." "I remember his name." "Of course, Mr. Evanson." "Every vulture in the family breathing down poor little Trudy's neck, and now her own father." "Oh, you blockhead." "Take it easy, Uncle." "David works for Trudy, not you." "Thank you, Mr. Harper." "Besides, as one neck breather to another," "I'd like to hear the rest of this." "They had supper together last night, and now lunch again today." "Oh, no." "You can't blame her." "Trudy never saw the guy." "Didn't he run off before she was even a year old?" "What has he said to her, David?" "Why is he here?" "Well, I really haven't eavesdropped." "There just hasn't been the opportunity." "All right." "Let me know any more that you can." "Of course, sir." "If, uh" " If that's all then, Mr. Evanson?" "Thank you, sir." "Miss Smith, I want you to call our lawyers." "I want to arrange a conference with them immediately." "Here." "Poor child." "Yes, only $10 million dollars, poor child." "Young man, if you have entirely forgotten her mother's tragic illness and death" "Oh, my armband's just as wide as yours is, Uncle." "It's just that I'm from the more envious side of the family, remember?" "We all are, sir." "Even as president of the company," "I've had only my salary to live on, all these years." "That's all right, Uncle Shylock, the family doesn't think you're trying to lay your hands on the whole pot, like we think Cousin Lawrence is." "With her father here, even Lawrence King's influence over Trudy may be suddenly very unimportant." "I've heard a lot of nasty stories about this Jay Holbrook." "What'll he try?" "What's he really like?" "How would I know?" "Eighteen years ago I was living in Europe." "I've never even met the man." "Think of all the gardeners it must take." "( giggles )" "Only three." "It's not in nearly as bad taste as that National Park of Grandmother's up in Santa Barbara." "I guess the grounds were twice as big when you lived here, weren't they?" "Mother sold four acres to make room for a new apartment house." "Didn't you even notice?" "Oh?" "Oh, yes, of course." "You're funny." "Some things you remember and some you don't." "Trudy, you say your grandmother died two years ago?" "Yes." "( phone ringing )" "( chuckles softly )" "I guess it must seem as though everybody's gone, doesn't it?" "I mean, of those you used to know." "Granny used to say awful things about you, about why you left and" "WOMAN:" "Excuse me, Miss Trudy, it's the telephone again." "Mr. Evanson has some lawyers in his office and your cousin Wallace says that" "No, I don't want to talk to anybody." "Please, leave us alone." "Mother never did want me to listen to gossip about you." "She hated angry thoughts." "She said there are always two sides to everything." "Trudy, I ran away because" "Well, there were just too many acres, I guess." "Too many gardeners." "I know." "Mother never would go outside that wall, would she?" "I mean, leave this house, leave Grandmother, leave her family." "You see, in Freudian terms, Mother was what they call" "There are always two sides to everything." "Well, Mother stood up to them in one thing anyway." "She never would have you declared dead." "Did you know that?" "Legally, I mean." "Like, after a person's been missing seven years." "I'm glad to know that I'm still legally alive, at least." "But I'm different from Mother in one thing:" "when I want something, I fight for it." "( doorbell rings )" "Why don't you move out of that hotel downtown and come up here so that we can really get acquainted?" "Excuse me." ""No" I just told you." "It's Mr. Lawrence King." "He's come to see you." "Cousin Lawrence?" "Of course." "You know, it's funny my not remembering about that apartment house." "The place where it is, I mean." "We had a lawn out there for tennis." "Croquet." "Oh, yes, of course." "Croquet." "( chuckles )" "Well, well, so the prodigal returns." "Hello, Cousin Lawrence." ""Sir."" "Always call me "sir", always, Trudy." "Even when I rolled him home from jail one night, roaring like a locomotive." ""Why you interfering old goat, sir," he said" "Cousin Lawrence, I'm not going to listen to you if you're gonna get all excited like everyone else is doing, just as though my own father could come back here only to rob Mother's grave or steal my money." "Trudy, please." "He certainly has a right to his memories." "After all, Cousin Lawrence is about the only one left to actually knew me in those days." "The only one." "That's right." "But I'm aware, Trudy, that time changes people." "It softens things." "I wouldn't say that time had affected you much, sir, though I guess I may look a little different?" "You couldn't prove it by me." "Didn't she tell you?" "I've been blind for the past five years." "Well, where were we?" "Uh, keep talking." "What did I interrupt?" "I was about to tell Trudy that" " Yes." "Yes, I think I will move into the house here for a while." "( dramatic theme playing )" "It was just like a wave went over me, Mr. Mason." "Of sunlight." "Oh, not that he really means anything to me yet, but he's so kind and so gentle." "I would have thought you might have had different reaction to the return of the man who apparently deserted your mother." "Oh, she'd explained it to me so many times." "They just weren't compatible, that's all." "You see, in psychological terms Mother was" "Trudy, why did you come to me?" "There must have been a great many family lawyers available to you." "I want somebody I can trust, that's why." "Tell me, what kind of a will did your mother leave?" "Everything goes to me, I guess, that hasn't already been put in trust." "I get control of most all of it by the time I'm 21." "Now, you say that your parents' marriage had never been legally erased." "Well, the fortune was all your mother's, so your father can't claim any money directly." "Still, he might be able to claim guardianship or control of you." "Mr. Mason, is it true that a child can ask for anyone she wants as her guardian?" "In California, yes, if the child is over 14, b ut it could be contested, Trudy, and under the circumstances," "I'd certainly think you ought to wait a while" "My Father doesn't want anything, he only came back to see me." "He's always blamed himself for not making things work in the past." "You see, in Freudian terms, my Father" "I understand, Trudy." "You're just a girl who never had a father." "Mr. Mason, please, couldn't you help me?" "Of course I'll help you, Trudy." "My guess is it won't be long before everyone in town wants to help you." "Ten million dollars is a powerful lot of money." "For any slick article to get control of, that is." "Get his hands on." "Mr. Sample, I'm employing your agency to investigate this man Holbrook, not to make judgments." "Maybe I was just fishing." "There isn't an awful lot to go on, to follow a man through 18 years." "A few photos, a couple of old addresses." "I know." "I'm afraid we all made the mistake years back of trying to erase Holbrook out of the family album." "Well, we'll do the best we can, sir." "Only, suppose we find out that he's been mixed up in various shady stunts." "You'll report to me and you keep your mouth shut." "No bonus for finding something you can use against him?" "Sir, I had plenty on this man once before and didn't use it." "All I want is the truth, you understand?" "Just get the facts." "Oh." "Excuse me, sir, sorry." "Seven o'clock:" "dinner was served." "Ten minutes after 8, Miss Trudy called for the car." "At 8:30 I delivered them both to the theatre." "Eleven fifteen, drove home." "Next morning after breakfast," "Mr. Holbrook took a walk about the grounds..." "WALLY:" "Fifty thousand dollars." "How much do you want?" "How much?" "I don't understand you." "Fifty thousand dollars, plus a one-way ticket to Europe." "Wherever you wanna go." "TRUDY:" "Who is it, Father?" "Who's there?" "It's all right, Trudy." "Just me." "Listen, Mr. Holbrook, this isn't just a bribe." "Trudy saw a lawyer." "The family is seeing 50." "This will be the biggest legal tangle in history." "Think she can stand that?" "Are you quite certain you can?" "Wally, you get out of here." "Go on, leave him alone." "Leave him alone, will you?" "He's my father." "( crying ):" "He's my father." "( phone ringing )" "Yes?" "Yes, Mr. Sample?" "Where?" "San Francisco?" "Yes, I'm in Holbrook's apartment now." "The last place he moved to." "Well, what'd you find out about him?" "Everything checks so far, at least in the few spots we're sure he was various times." "He kept pretty much to himself." "Perfectly nice guy, I'm afraid." "Oh, there is something you should know in a hurry." "( Sample speaking indistinctly )" "What?" "No, you must be mistaken." "I'm afraid not, Mr. King." "I thought I better warn you before" "( doorknob rattling )" "( quietly ):" "Look, I'll call you back." "( hangs up )" "Who are you?" "Now, it's all right, friend, the manager let me in." "Sample's the name." "All above board." "I'm representing Mr. Lawrence King of Los Angeles." "Cousin Lawrence." "Mean anything to you?" "No." "Well, now, let's not be hasty." "There's no doubt about this being you, is there?" "Or this?" "Or this?" "What have you been doing here?" "Oh, I'm sorry if I messed up your book a little, but those clippings, they're all Trudy, aren't they?" "Pigtails, horse shows, society stuff." "Hey, that's quite a collection you made through the years." "I don't know what you want here, sir, but I know nothing absolutely of anyone named Trudy or Cousin Lawrence" "You have any idea who this guy might be?" "He, uh" " Looks a little like me, doesn't he?" "The guy's in Los Angeles, polishing a $10 million dollar apple, pretending to be you." "I" "I never wanted there to be any trouble." "Yeah, but now how about it?" "You ready to come out of hiding?" "( sighs )" "It's true, I'm Jay Holbrook." "I'm her father." "DELLA:" "But don't you know where she went?" "I" " I see." "Well, will you please be sure that she gets the message." "Not home?" "No." "But, Perry, you said yourself there would probably be hundreds of people like this making wild claims." "MASON:" "I understand that, but Trudy doesn't." "Considering the emotional wringer she's been through lately" "( knock on door )" "Well, Paul?" "Hi, Perry." "This story's only been in the street edition so far." "Apparently this guy, whoever he is, flew into town just a few hours ago." "Of course, it'll be in all the papers before long." "Della, do you have a number on Lawrence King?" "I think so." "I, uh, thought you didn't want to talk to her family yet." "In case you wanted to file a suit to change" "Trudy's guardianship." "All we can do now is take the bull by the horns." "Confirming Holbrooks' identity will be up to Cousin Lawrence, mostly." "Blind or not, he's the only one who can really be sure." "( ringing )" "Hello?" "Mr. King's res" "( tense theme playing )" "( maid screams )" "( mysterious theme playing )" "What are you doing here?" "Waiting for you, Miss Trudy." "It's nearly 11:15." "What of it?" "I've been out driving." "Yes, I" " I've been out getting some fresh air." "It's none of your business, is it?" "Of course not, Miss Trudy." "Only the maid asked me to tell you that a Mr. Mason's office has been calling." "It's quite important." "They'll be in touch again shortly." "Thank you." "You can go now." "I won't need anything more." "Please." "I thought you might like me to put your car away." "I did it myself." "Goodnight." "Pardon me." "( dramatic theme playing )" "( dramatic theme swells )" "( dramatic theme playing )" "PAUL:" ""Donald J. Evanson."" "I'm Donald J. Evanson." "The police sent for me." "You better not go in there, Mr. Evanson." "This is horrible, it's horrible." "Uh, on the phone they said there was a fight?" "There apparently was a struggle, your cousin was hit over the head." "What with?" "Well, we just got here ourselves, but I'm sure we'll find the weapon, all right." "Good evening, Perry." "I was at the office when you people called." "That's where I was all day, all evening in fact." "I haven't seen Lawrence in some time." "Oh, look here, there's a man you ought to go after right away." "He's been calling himself Jay Holbrook" "We'll get to this in just a moment, Mr. Evanson." "Well" "Please wait over here with this officer if you don't mind." "Mason, uh" "What's your connection with all this?" "I think I'd better explain that a little later, lieutenant." "Oh, all right." "Well, thanks for reporting the case." "Goodnight." "Uh" " When did it happen?" "Do you know yet?" "Doctor says maybe, uh, 9:30, 10:00." "I couldn't seem to calm the housekeeper much on the telephone." "She says you tried to pump her." "There's no help there, I'm afraid, except for perhaps a few names." "She'd been out to the movies, came back at 10:30, was on her way to bed, and you called" "PAUL:" "Perry?" "Can I see you a minute?" "We'll attend to the detective work here around here, if you don't mind." "What are you doing out there?" "That's my car, ieutenant." "What's wrong?" "What are you doing?" "Well, go on." "Ask him." "Mr. Drake just happened to notice that sticker on your car." "You had your car greased today, isn't that right, sir?" "Well, what of it?" "Well, they list the, uh, mileage along with the date." "We couldn't help overhearing your statement that you hadn't been out of your office, but your speedometer shows a difference of 42 miles since the grease job grease job." "Well, I went out for a while, yes." "You see" "All right." "Yes, I-I was out here, actually." "I came to talk to Lawrence" "What time?" "Nine thirty, quarter to 10." "Oh, but I didn't go in the house." "Just as I stopped, someone came running out of the house, got into a car." "I was curious, so I followed for a short distance." "You know who that person was?" "I-I can't very well shield her, can I?" "It was Trudy." "Trudy Holbrook." "I telephoned Cousin Lawrence the minute I saw that paper." "Then I went over there, that's all." "Because when I saw those pictures of my father and that other person..." "Mr. Mason, where is he?" "My father went out earlier tonight and he just never came back." "We'll worry about that when I know what you did, Trudy." "Well, I already knew Cousin Lawrence had hired a detective." "Uh, David told me that, he's the chauffeur." "I pay David and he tells me things he sees." "That's very handy." "I know it's not very nice, but in this family" "Cousin Lawrence admitted that he was connected with this." "He admitted that he hired the detective who located and brought this man here." "What time was this, that you talked to him?" "I went over about 9:30, I suppose." "You stayed 15 minutes, a half an hour?" "Not quite that long." "Did you have a fight with your Cousin Lawrence?" "Mr. Mason, he's an old man, and he's blind." "Then why did you come running out of of the house?" "I" " I don't know." "I" " I don't remember." "Trudy, did he tell you why he brought this man here?" "Did your cousin Lawrence tell you that this man is your real father?" "No." "Then did he tell you the man you'd invited into your house was nothing but a fraud, a pretender?" "That's not true!" "( sobbing ):" "It's not true." "( sobbing )" "All right, now." "What really happened?" "He tried to tell me that my father stole money years ago." "I screamed at him, I said awful things." "Cousin Lawrence lost his temper, he grabbed me." "Go on." "He shook me, just as though I were a baby." "I hit him, I finally broke loose," "I ran away as fast as I could." "Oh..." "I feel so ashamed." "That poor old man." "I can still hear him shouting after me." "But he was all right when you left?" "Of course." "He just stood there roaring that I ought to be spanked." "( sobs )" "He groped around trying to find me." "Mr. Mason, the police will believe me, won't they?" "I don't know, Trudy." "All we can do is wait and see." "( suspenseful theme playing )" "Morning, Della, will you please tell Paul" "Perry, this is Mr. Jay Holbrook, he was waiting outside when I came in." "Will you come in?" "Won't you sit down?" "Where have you been all night?" "Several places." "Waiting to see you mostly, since" "Since I heard what happened." "You didn't return home?" "To Trudy's house, that is?" "The police watching there all night, I" "I thought it would be better if I remained a free agent, so to speak." "Why?" "Until you could tell me what to do." "All right." "You'd better start at the beginning." "I saw the newspaper yesterday evening." "The photos of myself and someone else." "I haven't the slightest idea who he is, I" "My first reaction was outrage." "Anger." "Did you think Cousin Lawrence might have had something to do with it?" "No, why would I?" "It's logical that vultures would gather." "The detective agency who located this other man is headed by a Mr. Sample." "He's considered very reliable." "Well I'm sure there'll be many reliable claims made." "My own investigator says there are no fingerprints of Jay Holbrook on record." "Perhaps he hasn't been looking in the right place." "Lawrence King told Trudy that once you had stolen some money." "Look here, Mr. Mason." "My wife and I were terribly unhappy." "I" " I was just too proud to admit it was all over." "Drank too much and got into a number of escapades." "But when I woke up one day in a Mexican hotel and found I got there with money from one of the company tills, five thousand dollars, well, that's when I decided to face matters." "I wrote to say goodbye, and I've been gone ever since." "( door opens )" "But I sent that money back, of course." "There's no official record of it." "I didn't even know I'd taken it." "No, I'm not a fugitive." "Mr. Holbrook, you say you wanted me to tell you what to do." "What to do to help Trudy, that's all I mean." "I think you can help her most by staying away from her." "By going straight to the police." "By telling them all you know." "All right." "You could use the back exit if you like." "Thank you." "Good day." "Good day." "MASON:" "What is it, Della?" "You have another visitor." "Who?" "Mr. Jay Holbrook." "Uh, Mr. Mason, Mr. Holbrook." "Sit down, won't you?" "I guess you want to know what I'm doing here, and I guess the name bothers you." "I'm sorry about that." "It feels a little awkward on me too after all these years." "Of course, whoever the real Jay Holbrook is, the police will probably consider him a strong suspect for murder." "On the other hand, anyone flying under false colors might have had even greater reason to kill Lawrence King." "You don't have to intimidate me with logic, Mr. Mason." "I know the spot I'm in." "But I'm only here for one purpose." "To ask about Trudy?" "To offer her your help, perhaps?" "I don't really have a right to do that, do you think?" "Besides, what help could I give?" "Mr. Holbrook, may I ask you a question about fingerprints?" "You know, this whole business of identity would be all so simple if only there were a record of your prints." "There is now." "Oh?" "Well, I was afraid when I heard about Cousin Lawrence's death last night and my first thought was to get out of here, get back to San Francisco." "I" " I was stopped by the police." "I'm afraid I couldn't tell them much, and now they won't let me leave." "I had in mind 20 years ago." "In those days, California driver's licenses carried a thumb print, didn't they?" "I didn't have a license." "There was a little matter of reckless driving, and I" "I'd come here from another state, of course." "Massachusetts." "Trudy's grandmother was an old battle ax who scared my wife into insisting on a chauffeur." "Reckless driving and, uh, theft too?" "Who told you about that?" "All right." "I suppose Mr. Evanson knows, and certainly Cousin Lawrence did, cause he's the one who could have preferred charges if I'd tried to come back from Mexico, but it was only a question of $5,000." "Mason..." "I see no reason going into this." "I want your word to get Trudy out of here, that's all." "What do you mean?" "I haven't seen her and I'm not going to." "I want the girl looking forward, not back." "I want Trudy to get away from every bit of that family, just as soon as she possibly can." "( knock on door )" "Excuse me, Perry." "Could I see you a minute?" "Uh, Mr. Holbrook, would you excuse me?" "Uh, just sit down." "So that's him, huh?" "Well, well, well." "Perry, which one is it?" "I don't know." "Trudy got so carried away with the first man she saw" "Uh, Perry." "I'm afraid she's gonna need them both." "As a matter of fact, she's gonna need all the help she can get." "Tragg's on his way to Trudy's house right now." "All they were waiting for was to find a murder weapon." "They found it." "A poker." "With all the marks on it." "Victim's hair, Trudy's prints." "I'm afraid they got her." "She's had her 18th birthday, hasn't she." "That's right, Della." "They can ask the death penalty." "( ominous theme swells )" "There was intracerebral hemorrhaging from the blows on the head." "Apparently death occurred a moment or two later." "I see." "Doctor, could these blows have been struck by a person physically slighter, shorter, than the deceased?" "DOCTOR:" "With a weapon the size of a poker, yes." "BURGER:" "Could the blows have been struck by a woman?" "DOCTOR:" "Absolutely." "BURGER:" "And you say that death occurred not later than 10:00 p.m., is that correct?" "DOCTOR:" "It is." "BURGER:" "Thank you, doctor." "BURGER:" "You and the detective Mr. Sample arrived from San Francisco late in the afternoon." "Then after dinner, you went by taxi to the deceased" "Lawrence's King's house, about 8:00, is that correct?" "Well, that's what I stated, yes." "Would you tell us please what happened at Mr. King's house." "Did, uh, Mr. Sample remain with you?" "No." "Mr. King took a lot of money from a wall safe, and since he couldn't see, he asked Mr. Sample to select $1000 for himself." "Then Mr. Sample left." "BURGER:" "How long did you stay there, sir?" "Half an hour." "Then I went downtown to my hotel." "You were with Lawrence King then until 8:30." "Did he seem upset or disturbed?" "No, sir." "I think that'll be all for the time being." "Thank you, sir." "Your witness." "When you were sworn in to testify, you gave your name as Robert Smith." "Now, how long have you been Mr. Smith?" "It's a legally recognized name," "I've used it for three years." "How many other names have you used in the past?" "Several others." "MASON:" "One of which was the name Jay Holbrook?" "HOLBROOK 2:" "Yes, sir." "Can you prove that you really are Jay Holbrook?" "Objection, Your Honor, that question is argumentative." "While the matter of the identity of Jay Holbrook will certainly have to be settled in a court of law, defense counsel is well aware that bringing up that particular controversy at this time can prolong this hearing for days." "I only produced this hostile witness to establish the location and the attitude of Lawrence King one hour before his death." "What was the purpose of your question, Mr. Mason?" "I can rephrase the question, Your Honor." "Who was the only member of the family who could have proved whether you or someone else seated in this courtroom is actually Jay Holbrook?" "Well, the deceased." "He knew." "Thank you, that'll be all." "Mr. Harper, can you tell us anything else that relates to the emotional nature of your cousin?" "Anything about her temper, perhaps." "Well, uh..." "I got this from her." "You're referring to a scar approximately one inch long over your right eye." "How did you acquire that scar, Mr. Harper?" "Last year I was playing tennis with Trudy." "We had an argument about the set point," "He was cheating." "Always." "she suddenly blew up." "I don't think she even knew she was going to hit me, she just flew out of control." "Thank you, Mr. Harper, that'll be all." "Your witness." "Uh, Mr. Harper, could you please tell this court the approximate evaluation of the defendant's inheritance?" "I thought everybody knew that." "Trudy will be worth almost $10 million dollars, I guess." "MASON:" "And following the death of her mother, who is Trudy's closest blood relative?" "Exclusive of her father, that is." "I guess Cousin Lawrence." "Mr. King was generally considered" "I see." "Now, suppose both Mr. King and Trudy were somehow out of the way, could you tell us who might next inherit that $10 million?" "This is a large family." "Mr. D.J. Evanson over there is just as close a cousin as I am!" "MASON:" "Thank you, Mr. Harper." "That'll be all." "Miss Trudy left her house at about 9:30, I should say." "Was she upset?" "Well, I did notice that she'd shifted all the way into third gear by the time she reached the end of the driveway." "Made her tires squeal a bit." "BURGER:" "I see." "And what did you do then?" "I went back into the study where she'd been talking on the telephone." "I believe you said that phone converation was with the deceased, is that correct?" "Yes, I happened to notice because I overheard the word "newspaper,"" "and then she spoke his name." "She said, "Cousin Lawrence,"" "I'm positive." "Thank you, sir, I believe that'll be all." "Cross-examine, counsellor." "Why did the word "newspaper" attract your attention?" "Well, it only reminded me that I hadn't read the newspapers or the magazines to Mr. King for several days." "In my off hours sometimes Mr. King enjoyed my reading and telling him about the little things that he could no longer see for himself." "He paid me, of course." "MASON:" "I see." "Then there was nothing specific about that telephone conversation that called your attention to it, is that correct?" "On the contrary, sir." "It was a very specific newspaper that she waved in her hand while she talked." "It was the one with the two pictures of her two fathers." "Yes, and when she left, she threw it down so angrily that it became quite rumpled." "MASON:" "That'll be all, thank you." "Yes, there were multiple fingerprints, both her hands." "She'd, uh, seized the poker here, and then again here." "Many of these prints were smeared, of course, but they were definitely those of the defendant." "I see." "Now, lieutenant, we heard the doctor testify that the hair and blood of the deceased matched those found on this murder weapon." "Would you tell this court, please, where the murder weapon was found?" "Yes, it was hidden under the seat of the defendant's sports car, the one she drove that night." "BURGER:" "Thank you, lieutenant," "I think that'll be all." "Cross-examine." "Lieutenant, if you were attacked, would you grab a weapon to defend yourself?" "Yes, I suppose so." "Well, if you were a young girl and someone much older and stronger came after you trying to grab you, to strike you, would you try to stop him?" "I don't mean by striking back, but perhaps by, uh, seizing something with which to warn or threaten him?" "No, I don't think I'd do that." "I just wouldn't count on the sight of a poker bothering a blind man." "Of course." "Mr. King was blind." "But there are certain things in a room which have their own distinctive sounds of danger." "Uh, with the court's permission..." "This set of fire tools is similar to the set found in Mr. King's studio." "Now, lieutenant, if you were blind, and I told you I had a poker in my hand, would you believe me and stay away or wouldn't you?" "Well, if you made all that noise." "Of course, my fingerprints would be on the poker, whether I'd struck you or not." "Isn't that correct?" "I guess so." "But then my blood and hair would have to be on the poker some way." "MASON:" "Now, uh, concerning your finding the murder weapon in Miss Holbrook's car." "The chauffeur stated that, uh, Miss Holbrook returned to the house at about 11:15." "A moment ago you stated the house had been placed under surveillance, is that correct?" "Well, we waited a while before going in with a search warrant, that's all." "We wanted to make sure that we got the man who'd been calling himself, um, Holbrook." "You're referring to the man who was living in the house?" "The, uh, man Miss Holbrook considers her father?" "That's right." "Well, what time did the police start to watch the house?" "Oh, about quarter of 12, maybe." "Um, they noticed you there, for instance." "Then, lieutenant, wasn't there plenty of time before a quarter of 12 for any number of people to have paid a quick visit to Miss Holbrook's house or garage?" "Oh, yes, if they had any reason, I suppose, but we, uh, saw nothing to indicate any other visitors." "Wouldn't the desire to place an incriminating murder weapon in Miss Holbrook's car have been reason enough?" "Objection, Your Honor." "Sustained." "I'll withdraw the question." "Thank you, lieutenant, that'll be all." "Your Honor," "I have some new testimony which I'd been hoping to reserve for the jury trial, but since counsel has from time to time sought to confuse us about the identity of Jay Holbrook, probably trying to cast doubts" "on his client's motives for murder," "I feel that we should clarify the matter at this time by introducing this new testimony." "I therefore have a question on redirect." "Ask your question, Mr. Burger." "Lieutenant, when you searched the murder room, did you find anything w hich in your opinion might have fallen from Lawrence King's desk, or from his wall safe, which we heard he had opened earlier?" "I found a little scrap of paper on the floor under the wall safe, yes." "Was there writing on this piece of paper?" "Yes, sir, a telephone number." "A rural number, little town out in the desert." "Underneath was a name:" ""Constable Gus Nickels."" "Your Honor, I call Gus Nickels to the stand, please." "Excuse me." "Now, I wasn't really constable in those days." "I only pinch-hit when my friend Harry went fishing." "BURGER:" "I see." "Now, Mr. Nickels, will you tell us please what occurred on the night of March 22, 1943?" "Well, this bird coming through our town hit a light pole." "Trouble was, he'd been drinking." "Yes, all I want you to do is tell us what official action you took." "Well, I fingerprinted the bird and threw him in a cell." "He didn't even have a driver's license, but his name was Jay Holbrook." "BURGER:" "And what happened the next day, Mr. Nickels?" "NICKELS:" "Well, bright and early the next morning, this other guy comes to town looking for the bird." "Nice fellow." "Mr. Lawrence King it was." "By then I'd figured out" "Holbrook was somebody." "Anyhow, he simmered down and they paid the bills, so I let him loose." "Now, Mr. Nickles, what did you do with the fingerprints that you took in 1943?" "Well, I kept them." "I kept the card." "BURGER:" "And where is that fingerprint card right now?" "NICKELS:" "I guess it's over there on your table." "You see, I brought it in to show to Lieutenant Tragg, we compared it with the prints you have in this case." "And did you find any prints that matched the prints on this card, Mr. Nickels?" "Sure we did: his." "That's the bird I locked up right there." "He's Jay Holbrook, all right." "( screaming ):" "No, no, no!" "( sobbing ):" "He isn't, he isn't." "( suspenseful theme playing )" "Now, how long did you then follow the defendant's car," "Mr. Evanson?" "About 10 minutes, I'd say." "You see, I wanted to stop her, but she speeded up again, and I didn't want to drive that fast." "In other words, she got away from you, is that it?" "You might put it that way, yes." "Anyway, I turned around and drove back to my office." "Thank you, Mr. Evanson, I think that'll be all." "Your witness." "Uh, Mr. Evanson, why did you follow Trudy?" "Well, at first, I wasn't entirely certain it was she." "Why not?" "Didn't you recognize her?" "Didn't you recognize her car?" "Well, she has several, a whole garage full." "It's just that I didn't expect her to be there, that's all." "Oh, but I recognized her the minute she got to a lighted street." "It was Trudy, all right." "Uh, why didn't you expect her to be there?" "I'd talked to David a little earlier on the phone, and he told me that Trudy was at home." "Mr. Evanson, 20 years ago, what was the attitude of Lawrence King toward the man whom Trudy's mother married?" "Jay Holbrook?" "Cousin Lawrence hated him." "I was in Europe, but I knew that much." "What was the reason for that hatred?" "Lawrence fancied himself the elder brother of everybody in the family." "He was chairman of the board in those days, you know." "He wanted to control the family fortunes, is that it?" "To be blunt about it, yes." "Your Honor, I object." "These questions are irrelevant and immaterial, and no proper foundation has been laid for them with this witness." "I'm inclined to allow a little latitude, Mr. Burger, since you introduced the matter of Holbrook's behaviour back in the 1940's yourself." "Proceed, counsellor." "Yes, Your Honor." "Now, Mr. Evanson, did your Cousin Lawrence ever mention to you that he had rescued Jay Holbrook from a small-town jail?" "Did he ever tell you that Holbrook had once stolen $5,000?" "EVANSON:" "Well, some time later, yes, he told me that he'd had to hush those things up." "MASON:" "Why?" "If Lawrence hated him, if he wanted to get rid of him, why didn't he prosecute?" "Because Holbrook was gone by then, I suppose." "He ran away." "Exactly." "He took matters into his own hands and disappeared." "So it was never necessary for your Cousin Lawrence to use the threat of prosecution against him." "But do you think your cousin Lawrence would have just thrown that material away?" "I-I" " I don't quite understand the question, sir." "Isn't it reasonable to assume he kept a record of Holbrook's other escapades?" "The ones that could be used as evidence against him?" "Yes, I suppose so." "Well, where is that record?" "I don't know." "Your Honor, I would like to ask that the court reporter read back that portion of the testimony pertaining to the police evidence as to the contents of Lawrence King's wall safe." "Very well." "COURT REPORTER:" "Uh, "Question:" ""was there money?" ""Answer: about three thousand dollars" ""in a roll of large bills." ""Question:" "How did the door to that safe work, by the way?" ""Answer:" "it opened with a key" ""which we found in Mr. King's desk." ""Question:" "What else did you find inside the safe?" ""Answer: a couple of insurance policies." ""Question:" "and that's all?" "Answer: that's all."" "Thank you." "Mr. Evanson, do you have any idea where else we might look?" "No." "Why would I?" "Everyone in the family tried to destroy memories of Holbrook, not keep them." "We wanted his wife and Trudy to forget him." "Yet the other day, when a man came to see Trudy and said he was her father," "Lawrence King somehow had enough facts to send a detective straight to San Francisco to locate a second Jay Holbrook." "Now, didn't that seem rather strange to you?" "I don't know." "I had nothing to do with it." "Your Honor, may I beg the court's indulgence." "There is only one person who can clarify this." "The one person who has had the most to do with it:" "Jay Holbrook himself." "Now, if he could be called" "Your Honor, it seems to me" "HOLBROOK 2:" "Sit down." "( angrily ):" "Sit down, do you hear me?" "JUDGE:" "Bailiff." "Bring that man forward here." "Mr. Prosecutor, under the circumstances...?" "Under the circumstances, Your Honor," "I would have no objection to Mr. Mason continuing." "You may step down, sir." "You will take the stand." "Just a moment, please." "Raise your right hand." "Do you solemnly promise to swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" "HOLBROOK:" "I do." "State your name." "Jay Holbrook." "Be seated." "Mr. Holbrook, do you recall telling me that you once woke up in a Mexican hotel and discovered you had" "$5,000 which you recognized as belonging to your family company?" "I do." "How could you tell it was company money?" "There were bands around it." "Wrappers." "MASON:" "Then you do not recall stealing that money?" "HOLBROOK:" "I do not." "Mr. Holbrook, were you ever arrested in a small desert town by Constable Nickels?" "I was not." "Where were you then in fact on that March 22, 1943?" "I was with my wife." "Trudy had been sick." "I only remember it because... it's the last time that my wife seemed to need me." "Did it ever occur to you that your cousin Lawrence might be preparing to get rid of you?" "To get rid of you by creating escapades which you could not disprove?" "No." "MASON:" "You had no idea that he might have found an impostor?" "A man who could imitate you, who'd get caught in country jails, caught taking money from tills?" "No." "Mr. Holbrook, hasn't it struck you even now, 17 years later, how much that man over there knows about you?" "Knows about your past?" "Doesn't it occur to you that he must be that same imposter?" "That your Cousin Lawrence must have sent for him again so that you could be gotten rid of once and for all?" "Only, what do you suppose went wrong?" "Did that imposter strike back?" "Did he kill your cousin Lawrence to get evidence of what they had done together?" "No." "No, I didn't kill him." "Maybe I'm what you say I am, but those notes were there when I left." "King's bundle of notes was still there." "I didn't kill him, I tell you." "I didn't, I didn't!" "Take that man in custody." "Bring him over here." "Do I understand, sir, that you would testify to material that might have been taken from the murder room?" "From the safe." "I saw it open, he had a whole bunch of notes in there." "Yes, sir, I'll tell anything I know, but I didn't kill him." "Why would I?" "There was no reason to." "That's enough." "Mr. Burger, it seems to me a recess is called for while you investigate these new facts." "A moment, Your Honor." "I assume an immediate search will be made for the material apparently missing from Lawrence King's safe." "It certainly will." "Then Your Honor, may I suggest that one other person in this courtroom be detained while that search is being made?" "We certainly don't want anyone given the opportunity to destroy such evidence." "Who is the person you refer to, Mr. Mason?" "The person who knew where everyone was on the night of the murder." "Who knew when and why Trudy went to Lawrence King's house, and what car she was driving." "And who, perhaps, saw a chance for millions in blackmail." "The person to whom those notes in the safe would have been a motive for murder." "Where are those notes now, David?" "( dramatic theme playing )" "( nervously ):" "Well, I'll" "I'll help in any way I can." "I've always tried to cooperate with everyone." "If I can assist in any way to locate..." "Where are they, David?" "( dramatic theme playing)" "But he didn't have to kill him" "Why did he kill Cousin Lawrence?" "David followed you over there, Trudy." "He knew most of what was happening by then, and what was at stake." "He'd followed the other two men earlier." "He kept watching, watching everything." "At any rate, he was there outside the room when you had your fight with Lawrence King." "When you left, David tried to get into the safe, but Mr. King caught him at it." "They fought, David killed him," "Using the poker so you'd be blamed." "David then took the papers from the safe and raced back home before you got there." "Oh, how terrible." "He must have been insane." "Not far from it." "Men do strange things sometimes." "The best of us aren't always proud of our lives." "Oh, now, stop that." "You stop it." "Listen to her." "She'll make something out of me yet." "Of course." "A father." "( giggling )" "Anyway, everybody can't be perfect like Mr. Mason is." "( giggles )" "Goodbye, sir, and thank you." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Perfect, hm?" "That's what I keep telling you." "( dramatic theme swells )" "( noirish jazz theme playing )"