"( noirish jazz theme playing )" "( band playing jazzy music )" "I think you'd better take me home, Peter." "You've had enough." "Just one more, Debbie, huh?" "Kiss or drink?" "Both." "( both laugh )" "Mm." "( glass breaks )" "Take me home, Peter, please." "( sighs )" "I gotta have me another drink." "Peter." "Huh?" "What's wrong with my Scotch?" "I'll fix us both a drink when you take me home." "( engine starts )" "PETER:" "* One more drink *" "* Oh, one more drink *" "* One more drink * Peter, take Elm Street." "It's shorter." "Sure." "( tires screech )" "( Peter singing indistinctly )" "* Drink to-- * Look out, Peter!" "Huh?" "Look out!" "( dramatic theme playing )" "Get in." "Move over." "Move over, you drunken fool." "( tires screech )" "( dramatic theme playing )" "( jazzy theme playing )" "( shoe thuds )" "Debbie, this is Peter." "Last night, what happened?" "Was there an accident?" "He's not dead." "He's pretty badly hurt, but you didn't kill him." "After I got you home," "I went right to a pay booth to call for an ambulance." "He's at County Hospital." "The police have no idea who hit him, and neither does he." "Well, that's hit-and-run." "I'll call the police and tell them what happened." "How noble." "Forthright, honest." "Most seemly behavior for the prodigal son of San Marcos' distinguished and incorruptible chief county engineer." "Aren't they naming something or other after your father?" "Oh, yes, yes." "The, uh, William Harper Caine Aqueduct." "Like father, like son." "They can call it the Peter Caine Wing of the county jail." "This'll kill my father." "I'm the biggest disappointment of his life anyway." "What am I gonna do?" "Since I covered up for you last night, it's hit-and-run for me too, dear boy, if you tell all." "Are you saying I shouldn't tell the police?" "I have a conscience too," "I checked with my lawyer this morning." "There is a way to help him without getting involved ourselves." "And I'll take care of it." "Youwill?" "Oh, it's all right, Peter." "You know I have nothing but money since my parents died." "The least I can do, since I'm the one that hit him, is to take care of it myself." "Well, if you want to." "The man's name is Joe Witt." "He and his wife, Grace, have a small place they call a ranch in Manzanita Canyon." "Now, the ranch isn't worth much, and they'd love to be able to retire, but they can't afford it." "Now, if you really wanna help them, without admitting to a hit-and-run and getting involved with the law, you could buy their place for a little more than it's worth." "That would take care of the hospital and the injury." "I don't have much money." "Oh, the ranch isn't worth more than three or four thousand at the most." "Now, according to my lawyer, 5,000 over the market price would retire the Witts, without regrets." "Nine thousand dollars." "That's just about all I have left from my mother's estate." "Well, it's up to you." "You really don't have to do a thing for them." "You're clean right now." "Nobody knows." "No, I want to." "Nine thousand?" "Nine thousand dollars." "For what?" "I told you, it was an investment." "An investment." "And investment in what?" "A woman named Grace Witt?" "It's an investment, Father." "The only things you've ever invested in are booze, fast cars, and faster women." "Now, just who is this Grace Witt?" "And why did you write her a check for 9,000?" "Well, I-- Oh." "Excuse me, sir." "Yes, Kent." "It's time for the Board of Supervisors' meeting," "Mr. Caine." "All right." "I'll see you here in my office after lunch, Peter." "Yes, sir." "Still don't like my overruling your recommendation?" "Well, it's not up to me to like or dislike it, sir." "But as you know, Mr. Caine, the three additional engineering reports that we made don't confirm the taxpayer committee's report." "No, and they don't deny it, either." "You know, of course, that Perry Mason's representing the taxpayer group?" "Well, yes." "Kent, how long have you been my assistant?" "Twenty-one years." "Heh-heh." "Twenty-one years." "You know why you've never advanced, Kent?" "Because you've got no imagination." "Don't you even suspect something wrong when Mason represents a group of citizens on a matter like this?" "Hello, Caine." "Mr. Sistrom." "I'd like to ask you something." "What are you going to propose in there?" "You can find out in there, Mr. Sistrom." "Just a word of caution." "If you plan to go along with Mason and the Citizens' Committee." "That sounds like a threat." "Information has reached Mr. Quigley and me that you have your own ax to grind in this matter." "Over the last 30 years," "I have heard that charge before." "We have proof this time, Caine." "If you go in there for a stop-work order, we'll expose" "( suspenseful theme playing )" "( gavel bangs )" "Board of Supervisors, San Marcos County, now in session." "File number 268-304." "Aqueduct Bond Issue, project number 733." "First District, San Marcos." "Petition by Citizens' Committee." "Approve by a four-fifths vote, stop-work order, and change of route of William Harper Caine Aqueduct." "Is the chief county engineer present?" "Present, Mr. Chairman." "CHAIRMAN:" "The Quigley Construction Company?" "Roger Quigley, Mr. Chairman." "CHAIRMAN:" "The Citizens' Committee?" "Perry Mason, counsel for the Citizens' Committee, Mr. Chairman." "Your clients, Mr. Mason, request a stop-work order and a possible change in the routing of the aqueduct?" "That is correct, sir." "Under provisions of Section 15," "San Marcos Water Control Act." "I'm sure the county engineer will agree that underground springs beneath a section of the aqueduct would result in constant earth slippage, and possible contamination by seepage." "These certainly not in conformity with bond specification." "Where such underground springs do actually exist, yes." "The county engineer's office is aware of a preliminary survey, indicating the strong likelihood of the existence of such springs in the Manzanita Canyon section of the aqueduct." "I say that their survey is irresponsible." "And their petition is without fact or foundation." "The county engineer has got a report from his own staff that says so too." "Yes." "I do have such a report made out by my staff." "There is no positive proof that these springs do actually exist." "But the possibility, however remote, is not ruled out" "MASON:" "Mr. Chairman," "I respectfully request that a 90-day stop-work order be issued on the William Harper Caine Aqueduct for the purpose of a complete survey of the Manzanita Canyon section." "QUIGLEY:" "Now, just a second." "if you vote a stop-work order, it's going to cause a tremendous hardship on me and my company." "Over and beyond what the county repays me as supplemental compensation." "As I understand it, the safety and feasibility of the aqueduct itself is at stake, Mr. Quigley." "There is something else at stake." "Before Caine makes his recommendation, let's get his hand out of the till." "( crowd murmuring )" "QUIGLEY:" "This whole proceeding is a stall to let him change the aqueduct routing, because he owns property on the only possible alternate site inside thecanyon." "Section 1472 Manzanita Canyon." "Purchased for $9,000 from a Joseph and Grace Witt." "By check." "Nine thousand..." "Photostatic copies are available from the bank." "And the signature on that check?" "Peter Caine." "Know anybody by that name?" "A son, perhaps?" "A full-scale investigation goes along with a stop-work order, Mr. Caine." "My recommendation is that Mr. Mason's request for a 90-day stop-work period be granted." "( crowd murmuring )" "Is there a motion?" "So move." "I second it." "In favor?" "ALL:" "Aye." "CHAIRMAN:" "So ordered." "During this 90-day period, the County Engineer's Office will conduct a full-scale investigation of this problem." "This meeting of the Board of Supervisors is adjourned." "He's not gonna get away with this." "I'll go to court and get an injunction if I have to." "The court has no legal right to order the Board of Supervisors to stop taking a voted-on action, Quigley." "It might, however, award damages." "I can't afford to stop work now, not even for 24 hours." "We'll do the same with Caine as my crews does with any of the obstacles." "Sweep it out of the way." "( dramatic theme playing )" "If there are underground springs, this is the only possible alternate route through the Canyon." "It goes through Section 1472." "Here's a copy of the county title registry." "Section 1472 Manzanita Canyon, registered in the name of Joseph Witt and Grace Witt." "Here's your check to Grace Witt." "Now will you tell me why you paid that woman $9,000?" "I can't." "Shall I wait for another board hearing and have Quigley tell me?" "I don't even know how Quigley found out." "You couldn't have done a better job of destroying me and everything I stand for if you'd put a noose around my neck with your own hands." "What is it?" "Oh, I just wanted to go over some routine things with you." "Uh, by the way, a Miss Bradford has been trying to reach you." "CAINE:" "Miss Bradford?" "Debra Bradford?" "Yes, that's right." "She said she had some information on the Manzanita property deal." "Who is she, Peter?" "Uh..." "If she called to talk to you..." "I'd better talk first." "You'd better." "( suspenseful theme playing )" "Peter has told me everything, Miss Bradford." "All I want from you is corroboration." "I'd say whatever Peter told you about the accident is true." "If the Witts' property conflicts with something you're interested in, you can blame it on Peter if you want to, but it's just an unlucky coincidence." "Whatever he's done, he'll have to face the consequences." "Have you been his conscience all of his life, Mr. Caine?" "I like to think so." "That's what Peter said." "I beg your pardon?" "He said you were a man of inflexible virtue." "That you'd never done a single thing wrong in all of your life." "And that you expect the same perfection in Peter." "Is there anything wrong in expecting the best from a son?" "With some men, the best is never good enough." "I'll tell you, Mr. Caine," "I was going to explain about the Witts." "Joe in the hospital with some unexpected complications, but never mind." "What sort of complications?" "He needs more operations." "He needs cash." "I'll take care of it myself." "Since Peter's at fault, and his obligations are mine," "I'll attend to it." "How much?" "Oh, a thousand dollars will do it." "Just to protect yourself, Mr. Caine, maybe you'd like to make the check out to me." "( camera shutter clicks )" "DEBBIE:" "What is this?" "Who are you?" "What are you doing in my house?" "The honest, the incorruptible William Harper Caine." "Are you trying to buy this lady's testimony to, uh, clear your son and to get yourself out of the Manzanita Canyon deal?" "You want her to make up a little story." "Is that what this check is for?" "Now, the only thing that'll stop me from reporting this to the district attorney is for you to get that stop-work order rescinded, and that you resign as county engineer." "( dramatic theme playing )" "Not a very pretty story, Mr. Caine." "Why would Quigley accuse you of buying Debra Bradford's testimony with that thousand-dollar check?" "Well, I suppose that she'd back up" "Peter's story about the accident with Joseph Witt." "That the check for $9,000 for his property was a conscience purchase, and the fact that he lived in Manzanita Canyon was just a coincidence." "Buy why would you have to buy it?" "It is true, isn't it?" "It's what Peter told me." "Don't you believe him?" "I don't know." "Do you have some particular reason not to believe him?" "Mr. Mason, he's always been a problem." "Among his other faults, he runs away from responsibilities." "What about Miss Bradford?" "Doesn't she tell the same story?" "Yes." "But that's what Quigley says I'm buying with the check for $1,000." "How can Quigley hope to prove collusion between Peter and the injured man?" "No, there must be something more to it." "Something neither one of us knows about." "Della." "DELLA ( on intercom ):" "Yes, sir?" "Della, get Peter Caine on the phone." "Whatever happens, Mr. Mason," "I'm going to resign my position as county engineer." "And I shall insist that Peter report to the police." "Your resignation will imply some connection with this Joseph Witt, other than the hit-and-run accident." "Well, what else can I do?" "Perhaps have a little faith in your son." "Just now, you asked your secretary to try and get in touch with Peter." "Do you want to bet she can't?" "Do you want to bet he's not trying to run away and hide somewhere?" "Excuse me, Perry," "I can't reach Peter Caine." "Mr. Mason, I'm worried about that aqueduct." "Quigley must not be allowed to destroy it." "Now, once I'm out of office, there'll be a lot of pressure to rescind the stop-work order." "I only hope you can keep on fighting." "Good day." "Paul just called from San Marcos." "He's still investigating the Quigley Construction Company." "And I quote:" ""Tell Perry Quigley and his company" ""are both in hot water, and deep." ""He's got over a million and a half dollars" ""outstanding in short-term loans to start this job," ""with no hope for extensions." ""With or without supplemental damages," ""even a four-week delay" ""could bankrupt him and his outfit." "Will call again at 7:00."" "Unquote." "That's in ten minutes." "One hour for work, half hour to get to San Marcos." "Tell Paul I'll meet him at the Quigley home at 8:30." "Right." "( suspenseful theme playing )" "Paul." "Hi, Perry." "Been here long?" "No, just a few minutes." "I haven't touched a thing," "It was open like that when I got here." "( dramatic theme playing )" "You better call the police." "I shot Roger Quigley." "You did?" "When?" "Just now." "Put the gun down, Mr. Caine." "You shot him just now." "Just right now?" "Well, just a minute ago." "That's funny." "Paul Drake's been on the premises for at least three or four minutes." "He didn't hear a shot." "We'd better call the police." "That your gun?" "Yes." "Did you have an argument?" "An argument?" "Yes, of course." "And then I shot him." "Was he facing you when you shot him?" "Facing me?" "You didn't shoot him in the back, did you?" "Uh, no, no." "Of course not." "How many shots did you fire, Mr. Caine?" "Well, uh, I don't know." "One." "Perhaps two." "I" " I really don't remember." "You don't remember?" "Oh, Mr. Caine, it won't do." "The police will trip you up in a matter of minutes." "They'll know that you're covering up for someone." "Now what happened here?" "I just told you what happened." "Was Peter here?" "Was it Peter who killed Quigley?" "Is that what you've been doing along, assuming your son's responsibilities?" "If I'm not saying the right things," "I'd better keep my mouth shut." "Does that mean you won't tell the police you killed Quigley?" "You didn't kill him, did you?" "No." "Did you see your son kill him?" "No." "Look here, Mr. Mason." "Perhaps I have no right to ask you to represent me, but if you would" "As your attorney," "I'd have no compulsion to protect your son." "I understand." "He didn't kill Quigley." "He didn't." "( suspenseful theme playing )" "Della." "DELLA ( on intercom ):" "Good morning." "I'll be right in." "I've seen the papers." "Paul said you must've been at Quigley home practically on top of the shooting." "Della, William Caine didn't kill Quigley." "He's covering for his son." "And the boy didn't go home all night." "Paul put on half a dozen men" "And I've just pulled them off." "Perry, Peter's here." "He's been waiting to see you all night." "I must say, he's certainly frightened." "Well, show him in." "Mr. Caine?" "Mr. Mason, Mr. Caine." "MASON:" "Sit down, won't you?" "Thank you." "Mr. Mason, they've arrested my father." "I know." "He didn't kill Quigley." "He didn't?" "The only reason he went there was because I left a note saying I was going." "Did you go?" "Yes." "MASON:" "What time?" "Oh, I got there about 8:00." "What was your reason for going there?" "To talk to Quigley." "To try to persuade him not to involve my father." "That everything that had happened was my fault." "You mean the hit-and-run?" "Yes." "What about the Manzanita Canyon deal?" "I told my father the truth about that." "There was no connection." "I didn't know anything about it." "What happened with Quigley?" "I talked to him." "He said flatly he couldn't afford the stop-work order." "If I wanted to keep everything out of the public eye," "I'd have to convince my father to rescind it." "Then you left?" "Yes." "And when I got home, the note I'd left for him was gone." "He'd seen it." "He went to Quigley's home to intercept me." "And when he found Quigley dead, he thought" "I'd killed him." "So he got into trouble because of me." "Again." "All right, Peter." "Thank you for coming to us." "Now, if I go to the police, they'll let Dad go, huh?" "I don't know." "They could think you're trying to protect him, just as we think he's trying to protect you." "Paul-- I know, check out the accident." "Peter, where can I reach this Joseph Witt?" "I understand he's at the County Hospital." "Fine." "How about Grace Witt?" "At the Manzanita Canyon place, I suppose." "She has till the end of the month to get out." "( suspenseful theme playing )" "Oh, ha-ha-ha." "Well, hello." "Good day, ma'am." "You've, uh, heard of the County Tax Assessor, checking for personal property taxes?" "Uh, Grace Witt." "Manzanita Canyon Road." "May I come in?" "Come in, please." "Getting ready to move, ma'am?" "( Grace chuckles )" "Another week or so." "Not this afternoon." "Um..." "Living room suite, three pieces." "Dining room?" "Oh." "This go on the inventory?" "Only if you have it in case lots, ma'am." "( laughs )" "No." "( laughing )" "No, I'm strictly a one-at-a-time woman." "One bottle." "( bottle bangs table )" "One drink." "( slurps loudly )" "One of everything." "I'll, uh, have to see the rest of the rooms, ma'am." "Anything you like." "( sighs )" "Closet?" "Mm-hm." "That is it." "( chuckles )" "But not for long." "Oh, no, sir." "When I leave here," "I'm really gonna take care of myself." "New clothes, everything." "In, uh, my kind of work, you can't be too careful." "I wouldn't want somebody wandering in and getting the wrong idea." "A neighbor could drop in." "A husband." "( giggles )" "You're cute." "( sighs )" "Don't worry about husbands." "There is none." "Had one, but he died." "( laughs )" "Three years ago." "Nobody's gonna bother us, if we don't wanna be bothered, which I am." "Hey!" "( frantic theme playing )" "( engine roars )" "( chuckles )" "What scared him off like that?" "I ask you how Roger Quigley found out about the hit-and-run accident." "Frankly, Mr. Mason, I don't know." "Well, only you and Peter Caine knew about it." "And Grace Witt, the man's wife." "Oh, yes." "But it does seem an odd coincidence that she would know him." "And I wonder how Quigley and Sistrom just happened to be on hand the other day when those photographs were taken in here?" "I've wondered about it myself." "And just happened to have a camera." "Very puzzling." "And just happened to know that" "William Caine would be writing a check." "Mr. Mason, you can put whatever interpretation you want on what happened." "But as far as I'm concerned, I" "( phone ringing )" "Excuse me." "Hello." "Oh, yes." "It's for you." "A Mr. Paul Drake." "Thank you." "Yes, Paul." "Oh, I see." "All right, thank you, Paul." "Now that's peculiar." "There's no record of any Joseph Witt at the County Hospital." "Oh?" "Well, perhaps I misunderstood Mrs. Witt." "Maybe he's at one of the other hospitals." "There's no Joseph Witt at any hospital in San Marcos." "Oh." "And none of the ambulance services in the county picked up an accident victim by the name of Joseph Witt." "Well, I can't understand it." "I thought that" "Before you get yourself involved in another lie," "Miss Bradford, there is a Grace Witt, but there's no Joseph Witt." "There hasn't been a Joseph Witt in the last three years." "Then who did Peter hit with his car?" "I'd say nobody." "I'd say a dummy, most likely." "I'd say the whole thing was a frame-up." "You, a dummy, and accomplice." "And a drunk at the wheel." "Well." "Eavesdropping seems to be a habit with you, Sistrom." "Mr. Sistrom and I are old friends." "Along with Roger Quigley, the deceased." "All right, Mason." "Deb and I may have been involved in some business dealings with Quigley." "I worked for him, remember?" "Caine was stubborn and completely wrong." "Now, maybe we did get a little rough with him." "A little rough, and very dirty." "Okay, Mason." "Rough and dirty." "But what it means is that since there was no accident, there's no alibi for buying the Manzanita Canyon place." "And that $1,000 check Caine made out to Debbie here," "That was just a bribe to support a story that's fake from beginning to end." "Now, any way you look at it, whether he knew Quigley was framing him, or Quigley was threatening to expose him," "it kind of gave him a motive to kill, didn't it?" "( dramatic theme playing )" "AUERBACK:" "Death was caused by a .38 caliber bullet, passing through the left ventricle of the heart." "And the, uh, time of the death, Dr. Auerback?" "Somewhere between the hours of 7 and half-past 8:00, the night of Tuesday, August 2nd." "KAUFMAN:" "This is the .38 caliber revolver" "I found at the scene of the murder." "Ballistics has shown it to be the murder weapon." "What else did you determine about this gun, lieutenant?" "KAUFMAN:" "It was purchased by and registered under the name of William Harper Caine, the defendant." "PARNESS:" "As I understand it, then, Mr. Kent, after this Citizens' Committee petitioned the Board of Supervisors, uh, you had a report prepared?" "Yes." "My own engineering studies showed that there were no underground springs in the Manzanita Canyon section." "I recommended to Mr. Caine that the work not be stopped and the route be left as it was." "PARNESS:" "And, uh, what action did Mr. Caine take in regard to your recommendations?" "He considered them very carefully." "But he decided to overrule them in favor of supporting the petitioners' position." "PARNESS:" "Thank you." "You may cross-examine." "MASON:" "There are a few more facts" "I'd like you to corroborate for me, if you will, Mr. Kent?" "Well, certainly." "Now, do you know, of your own knowledge, if the defendant, William Caine, kept a gun in his study at his home?" "I believe he did." "Yes." "Once before going with him on a field inspection trip, he took the gun from his desk." "Now, on the report you submitted to Mr. Caine on the possible existence of underground springs in Manzanita Canyon." "Did you order the survey and select the investigating personnel yourself?" "Yes." "Your report stated there were no underground springs." "Yes." "That's strange, Mr. Kent." "After the board hearing," "I had several very fine engineering firms do some studies in that section." "And all of the firms reported that beyond any possible question of doubt, there are underground springs in that area." "Well, then, I guess some mistakes were made." "MASON:" "Yes." "No further questions." "When the hearing ended, Quigley was furious." "He threatened Caine." "Said he'd sweep him out of the way if he had to." "PARNESS:" "Did he?" "Thank you, Mr. Sistrom." "Cross-examine." "Suppose, Mr. Sistrom, we go a little bit deeper into this question of my client's alleged motives." "Now, you stated that Quigley threatened to sweep Mr. Caine out of his way." "What did you mean by that?" "Well, Quigley was threatening to expose" "Caine's financial involvement in the possible change of route." "But that had already been done." "In public, and before the Board of Supervisors." "So the threat was meaningless, wasn't it?" "No further questions." "PARNESS:" "Then this, uh, check for $9,000 does not represent a legitimate valuation of your Manzanita Canyon Ranch?" "( laughs )" "Three thousand would've been too much." "Then, uh, why the extra $6,000?" "All I know is I got a phone call from this lady named Miss Bradford, telling me she knew I was trying to sell my place." "She had somebody was willing to pay $9,000 for it." "You think I should've said no?" "And, uh, how was the deal concluded?" "Well, Miss Bradford brought this Peter Caine out." "He gave me the check, I signed over the deed over to him." "Weren't you curious about, uh, why you were getting such a lucrative deal?" "Well, it wasn't all one-sided." "I mean, I knew who the kid's old man was." "So the county wants to build something on my property and the kid wants to cash in on it, courtesy of his old man." "That's copacetic with me." "Thank you." "You may cross-examine." "Mrs. Witt, you were saying that Peter Caine's purchase of your farm had nothing to do with an automobile accident, but was purely a matter of land speculation." "Well, sure I was saying it." "Listen, I even asked the kid." ""Sonny," I said, "Does your old man know anything about this?"" ""Sure," he says." ""I'm buying the place for him to retire to when he quits working."" "( Grace laughs )" "Retire?" "To that dump?" "( laughs )" "You don't believe me?" "Ask the kid." "MASON:" "Three years ago, your husband, Joseph Witt, died." "Yet you failed to notify the Title Registry Office." "This is a photostatic copy of the deed to your property, transferred to Peter Caine, not three years ago, but less than three months ago." "Now, would you please read the two signatures at the bottom of it?" ""Grace Witt."" "MASON:" "Go on." ""Joseph Witt."" "I guess I just signed it." "Heh." "No, Mrs. Witt, you didn't sign it." "You forged it." "Isn't it true that you've been in on this frame-up from the very beginning?" "Whom did you deal with then?" "Roger Quigley?" "What did Quigley promise you in addition to the inflated value of your land?" "Well, Mrs. Witt, you've admitted to greed and to dishonesty." "What else would you care to admit?" "That's all." "PARNESS:" "I call Peter Caine." "Did Mrs. Grace Witt quote you correctly?" "Did you tell her you were buying the place for your father?" "Yes or no?" "Yes, I told her that, but it wasn't true." "Wasn't it?" "Well, did you tell her, "I ran your husband down and I want to buy your home to ease my conscience"?" "No." "No." "Because Mrs. Witt doesn't have a husband." "Because there was no accident." "There was no hit-and-run, was there?" "There was!" "It was a frame-up." "I was" "Well, I'd had too much to drink, and Debbie and I" "Miss Bradford" "Miss Bradford will testify shortly." "I call your attention to the night of the murder," "Tuesday, August 2nd." "Did you visit the deceased, Roger Quigley?" "I ask if you visited the deceased that night." "I don't remember." "JUDGE:" "Now, Mr. Caine, it is obvious you are dissembling." "Answer the question." "Yes." "At approximately 8:00." "Yes." "And you talked with him?" "Yes." "And left approximately 15 minutes later?" "Yes." "Roger Quigley was alive then?" "Yes." "I show you this revolver and ask if you have seen it previously." "Your Honor?" "The witness will answer, or I will find him in contempt." "Answer him, Peter." "Yes, I've seen it." "PARNESS:" "At your home?" "PETER:" "Yes." "PARNESS:" "Just before you left a note telling the defendant you were going to call on Roger Quigley?" "No, not just before." "I don't remember when I saw the gun last." "Perhaps it was several days before." "But you did leave a note for your father?" "Yes." "And when you returned home, the note was gone." "So was your father." "Yes." "PARNESS:" "That's all." "Cross-examine." "No questions." "I call Mr. Paul Drake to the stand." "I was supposed to meet Mr. Mason at the Quigley home at 8:30." "What time did you arrive?" "Just a minute or two before that." "Peter Caine said he left at 8:15." "He said Roger Quigley was alive then." "At half-past 8 you and, uh, the defense attorney," "Perry Mason, went into the house." "Uh, the door was open." "What did you find, Mr. Drake?" "We found Roger Quigley, dead." "And what else did you find?" "I, uh, should say, who else did you find in the murder room?" "William Caine." "PARNESS:" "The defendant?" "DRAKE:" "Yes." "PARNESS:" "Will you point him out?" "( sighs )" "Let the record show the witness is pointing to the defendant," "William Harper Caine." "Thank you." "That's all." "Your witness, Mr. Mason." "( dramatic theme playing )" "No questions." "( dramatic theme playing )" "Dessert, anyone?" "Uh, no, thanks." "Oh, I'm sorry." "You haven't finished." "Oh, that's okay." "DELLA:" "Not eating isn't going to help your father, Peter." "If it was just my not helping," "I wouldn't feel so bad." "When Grace Witt recognized my name, and asked me about my father," "I told her the first thing that popped into my mind." "That story about my father asking me buy him the place to retire to." "How well do you know Debra Bradford?" "Just a date." "I've taken her out several times." "She drives a sports car." "Yeah." "She's a buff." "What is a buff?" "An enthusiast." "She goes to the races and takes part in the rallies." "Aren't there usually two people to a car during a rally, Peter?" "Sometimes when the rally course is being laid out, there's just the driver." "Uh, I know about this, but I hope this other stuff from the corporation commission is what you wanted." "I hope it's what I wanted, Paul." "( dramatic theme playing )" "Now, uh, then what happened, Miss Bradford?" "The thousand dollars was a bribe." "Mr. Caine wanted me to say that there'd been an accident, and that's why Peter had made out the check for $9,000." "PARNESS:" "And there wasn't a word of truth to the whole accident story?" "DEBBIE:" "No." "PARNESS:" "Go on, Miss Bradford." "Well, at the moment" "Mr. Caine handed me the thousand-dollar check," "Mr. Quigley and his associate, Mr. Sistrom, entered from the back of the house and took a picture." "And then?" "Then Roger Quigley told Mr. Caine that he would report to the district attorney" "Caine's attempt to suborn perjury unless Caine withdrew the stop-work order on the aqueduct, and also resigned as county engineer." "Threatened him, would you say?" "Yes, sir." "Miss Bradford, thank you very much." "Cross-examine." "Miss Bradford," "I'd like you to help me clarify a few points." "It seems to me that if what you described in your testimony was bribery, you must have wanted to go along with it." "What?" "Well, you were accepting that check, were you not?" "The picture taken by Mr. Sistrom showed the check in your hand." "How well do you know Charles Sistrom?" "DEBBIE:" "Casually." "MASON:" "Really?" "Let's see." "From the State Corporation Commission Office." ""Notice of sale of $100,000" ""of Quigley Construction Company stock." ""Purchased by Debra E. Bradford," ""but registered jointly," ""in the names of Deborah E. Bradford" ""and Charles Sistrom." "Notice of stock assignment."" "You, Debra E. Bradford, personally loaned the Quigley Company an additional $150,000 on a note secured by Quigley's own company stock, assigned to you, and Charles Sistrom." "Would you, uh, call a quarter of a million dollars "casual"?" "Charles Sistrom and I are engaged to be married." "I just didn't want the publicity about it now." "MASON:" "I see." "How much of the Quigley Construction Company were the two of you to own?" "Charles was to become an equal partner." "Was to become?" "On completion of the aqueduct." "Were you also aware that to start the aqueduct job, and on the strength of the county contract," "Quigley had borrowed an additional million and a quarter in short-term, non-renewable loans?" "We didn't learn about that until after the Citizens' Committee petitioned to stop construction." "A lengthy delay would have put the company out of business, is that right?" "Yes." "So your only hope, then, to save everything was to prevent that delay, is that right?" "Yes, yes." "The only way you could prevent the stop-work order was to maneuver William Caine into a compromising position." "Isn't it true, Miss Bradford, that you were as responsible as Quigley and your friend Sistrom for framing Peter Caine in that accident?" "Yes!" "All right, I was." "And when that didn't stop William Caine, the three of you became desperate." "And with that thousand-dollar check, you framed him just as you framed his son." "Yes." "MASON:" "Now, once you were assured that the work would go on, that the company was safe, did it ever occur to you that Quigley was no longer needed?" "No longer needed?" "Yes." "Sistrom could handle the aqueduct construction." "And between the stock you owned and the Quigley stock as security for your loan, you and Sistrom could actually take over the company." "If Quigley were dead." "Where were you on the night of the murder, Miss Bradford?" "I wasn't even in town." "I was driving in an all-night sports car rally." "What about Sistrom?" "Where was he?" "No." "He didn't kill him." "How would you know whether he killed him or not?" "You just testified you were driving in a sports car rally." "Yes, I was." "MASON:" "An all-night sports car rally." "Is, um, that some kind of a small car race?" "No, it's not a race." "It's a test of driving skill." "Each driver, one car at a time, covers a pre-determined course." "He hits a series of checkpoints at exactly the times called for, not sooner, not later." "Now, on that particular night, except for the officials at the checkpoints, were you alone?" "In a car, driving a carefully laid-out course, under precise timing conditions." "Yes." "Would you remember just when and where you started that night?" "And, uh, oh, let's say the, uh, first three checkpoints?" "We" " We started at" "At Southside Park at 7:00." "I arrived at the second checkpoint, uh, the sports arena, at, um, 7:33." "The country club checkpoint at" " At 8:10." "The third checkpoint" "Mm, the third" "Oh, yes, the-- The airport at 8:45." "Excellent, Miss Bradford." "Almost 100 percent accuracy." "Almost?" "Mm-hm." "You arrived at the country club not at 8:10, but at 8:11." "You arrived at the airport not at 8:45, but at 8:47." "You must have checked my official timing record." "Yes, I must." "Now, the official route from the country club to the airport was through the freeway interchange downtown." "Not a great distance mileage-wise, but time-consuming." "Now, you could have gone, oh, let us say by Butler Avenue in half the time, couldn't you?" "No, that wasn't the official course." "No, it wasn't." "But 2852 Butler Avenue is where Roger Quigley lived." "And the time of death was between 8:15 and 8:25." "Now, if you left the country club at 8:11, you could have been at Quigley's by 8:16." "Ten minutes to get in, kill Quigley, leave by 8:25, before the defendant arrived, down Butler Avenue, across Clarkson Drive, to the airport by 8:47." "No!" "Mr. Drake timed it out, in a car exactly like yours, with no trouble at all." "No, no!" "Now, the murder gun." "Mr. Caine kept the gun in his study." "You were a guest in the Caine home, were you not?" "I never saw the gun." "Butler Avenue, Clarkson Drive, to the airport." "7:33, 8:11, 8:16, 8:47, timetable for murder." "The Lawrence Kent home is on Clarkson Drive." "1600 Clarkson Drive." "Do you remember passing his home that night, Miss Bradford?" "I didn't kill Roger Quigley!" "I swear I didn't!" "Your Honor," "I'm sure the court is aware to what extent this witness has perjured herself." "With the court's permission," "I should like to interrupt her testimony to recall Lawrence Kent." "Mr. Parness?" "No objections, Your Honor." "The witness will step down." "Lawrence Kent will take the stand." "Mr. Kent, on the evening of the murder, were you at home?" "I was." "Now, your home has a patio which fronts on Clarkson Drive?" "Yes, it does." "As a matter of fact, I was having dinner alone, out on the patio that evening." "Are you familiar with the sports car Miss Bradford drives?" "( chuckles )" "It's a rather distinctive vehicle." "I've seen and admired it many times." "Now, on the evening of the murder, during the interval of 8 to 8:45, did you see that car go by your home on Clarkson Drive?" "KENT:" "Y-Yes." "All right, Mr. Kent." "Now, did you see Miss Bradford driving that car?" "Clarkson Drive is brightly lit." "I" "I saw Miss Bradford driving." "It's not true." "He's lying!" "( gavel tapping )" "Bailiff, keep that woman under surveillance." "But you did testify that you saw" "Miss Bradford drive past your home on the evening of the murder?" "KENT:" "Yes, I did." "MASON:" "Mr. Kent, there are four witnesses who will swear that Miss Bradford drove the official route on that evening and did not go near your house at all." "I" "I saw the sports car go by." "It may not have been hers." "But you testified you recognized Miss Bradford." "Now, what happened between you and Mr. Quigley, Mr. Kent?" "What happened?" "What do you mean?" "Well, he paid you to help him get the aqueduct contract." "And when it looked as though the job would be prolonged, he'd be bankrupt, he paid you once again, this time to submit a false report on the underground springs." "Then what happened?" "Nothing." "Nothing happened." "When the defendant, William Caine, ordered an investigation, you realized that Roger Quigley was the one person who could betray you." "What happened then, Mr. Kent?" "He had nothing more to lose." "If the company went, he didn't care what happened to me." "You were in Quigley's house when Peter Caine arrived." "You hid in another room." "When Peter left at 8:15, you came out of hiding and you shot and you killed Roger Quigley, did you not?" "Yes!" "Yes, I killed him with Mr. Caine's gun." "I wanted him to get blamed." "( crowd murmuring )" "( gavel tapping )" "KENT:" "Twenty-one years I worked for him." "Twenty-one years." "And he told me when he retired, that he was recommending someone else for his job." "My judgment wasn't sound, he said." "After 21 years." "MASON:" "Mr. Caine was right, wasn't he?" "If your judgment had been sound, you wouldn't have accepted bribes." "You wouldn't have gotten mixed up with Quigley." "Or committed a murder." "That's all, Your Honor." "( dramatic theme playing )" "( upbeat theme playing )" "Coffee, Mr. Caine?" "This check for $6,000, Peter, is for you." "From Grace Witt?" "Represents what you overpaid her." "A matter of delayed conscience." "Oh, Della." "Mm-hm?" "That brief on McGeevy v. McDonald?" "Oh, um, yes." "And Perry, there are three points that you haven't covered." "And you'll, uh, need my report on Mrs. McGeevy." "Excuse us." "( door closes )" "I don't want it." "That's the only money you've got in this world." "My mother's money, not mine." "I think it's time" "I did something about earning my own." "What, for instance?" "I don't know." "What you really should do" "( scoffs )" "What you really should do is to figure it out for yourself." "( door opens )" "Sorry to be rude..." "You aren't, Mr. Mason." "Thank you." "Oh, no." "Thank your father." "He was the one who was sure his hopes for the" "The aqueduct would go the right way." "( upbeat theme playing )" "( noirish jazz theme playing )"