All language subtitles for Perry Mason s06e02 Capricious Corpse

Now let's plug it. Plug it.

Come on.

Let's try again.

No. I'll never learn.

Never.

Timmy, you remember my telling you I
played on the foundation's 10 and under

-stars when I was a kid?

Yes.

Look. The same series of operations you
had.

You mean you played all -stars with
braces?

No, but even before they took them off,
I was just about the best hitter around

here. Gee, give me that bat.

That's the boy. Come on. Timmy, come on.

Let's go. Okay, kids.

Come on, let's get going now. Miss
Proctor.

Oh, hello, Mr. Gage. My uncle would like
to see you.

See me? Well, as soon as possible, so I
was informed.

Thank you.

Would you like to join us?

Me? George Gage?

Playing games with children?

Don't be ridiculous.

He's waiting for me. What does he want?
Why does he want to see me? I don't

know, Joan. You'd better go right in.

Claudia, is he worse?

Mr.

Gage?

Joan, how do you feel about Ernest
Deming?

Well, since he's Claudia's husband and
my brother -in -law, I suppose I

shouldn't say, but I don't like him.
Then I can trust you to do what I want.

Joan, my lawyer, Perry Mason.

Call him.

Tell him to have a new will for my
signature tonight.

Cutting off Ernest.

Devin, completely.

You mean it's all to go to your nephew,
George Gage?

No. To Claudia.

My life work.

The foundation.

Claudia's. And mine.

He must never be able to destroy it.

As he and my nephew, George, are
plotting to do.

Plotting? I have the proof here.

Copy of an agreement between my nephew
and Deming to

split everything, no matter who

inherits. Call my lawyer, Gary Mason.

Ernest Deming, please.

I'll get it.

Hello?

A change in what?

That's very interesting.

Yes, you're right.

I had better come out.

It's time for your medicine, Mr. Gage.

Mr. Gage?

Mr. Gage?

Heart's slightly weaker, but otherwise
no change.

As for his regaining consciousness, Mr.
Mason, I'd say the prognosis was

unfavorable. But there is a chance, Dr.
Holmeson?

Yes. There isn't much time.

A few hours at the most.

Well, thank you.

Coming, Claudia?

No, I think I'll stay for a while.

Mr. Mason, how is he?

Not good, Joan.

Dr. Olmsted doesn't think he'll ever
regain consciousness.

Oh, no.

Mr. Mason, I'm Ernest Deming's
assistant, Nicholas Blake.

What can be done about this new will
Joan's been telling me about?

Nothing without Mr. Gage.

You mean Ernest Deming can inherit
everything even though Mr. Gage doesn't

him to? I'm afraid so.

And wreck the foundation?

Yes, by simply refusing to support it
once he gains control of the estate.

What is this with Ernest?

I thought he'd been a faithful worker
for the foundation for years.

I don't know.

He's changed a lot since his first heart
attack.

He just doesn't have any interest in the
foundation or the children or Claudia

or... Well, he's found other interests.

When?

Look, Mr. Mason, why can't you tear up
the old will? Wouldn't that fix him?

Even if I could do that, which I can't,
it would only divert everything to

George Gage as next of kin.

Well, it would go for more high living
on the Riviera and another five wives.

I guess the only solution is for some
philanthropic soul to up and plug

Even that wouldn't help.

Because if Ernest predeceases Mr. Gage,
it again would all go to George.

Do you mean that Claudia's Ernest's wife
wouldn't inherit?

The time Mr. Gage's present will was
drawn up, he had complete faith in

Claudia's name wasn't even mentioned.

The only way she could inherit would be
if Ernest would inherit and then die.

You have the new will, Joan?

Oh, yes.

You understand that Mr. Gage's signature
must be witnessed by at least two

people not mentioned in the will.

All right, then. I'll be going.

Thank you, Mr. Gage. Good night.

Good night.

There must be something we can do,
Johnny. There must be. Well, my

would be to go to bed, since anything
else would be quite futile.

Oh, by the way, Mr. Blake, the high
living wasn't confined just to the

Oh, no. No, there was Paris, Rome,
London, and quite a number of other

That and Deming versus 3 ,000 kids.

I know how you feel, Nick. No, you
don't, Joanie. Not by a long shot.

Not how it feels to be taken in off the
street.

Off an ash heap you were using as a
playground.

Given milk, clean clothes, braces,
operations.

Hope.

Above all, Joanie, hope.

That's why I came back to the foundation
after I grew up. To try to help give

other kids hope, too.

Know what I'm going to do, Joanie?

I'm going to have it out with Ernest
Deming. He isn't here, Nick.

Now, Claudia told me that he's still at
that hotel in Beverly Hills where he

stays and he's in town. Well, he must
have changed his plans then. His car is

outside and I saw a light in the
library.

Now, Nick, wait.

Mr. Deming, you may think that... Mr.
Deming?

He's dead.

Dr. Armstead.

Nick, it was Hartman.

Well, apparently it didn't work.

Do you realize what this means?

Yes.

George Gage is first in line to inherit
now.

Poor Claudia.

Poor Mr. Gage. All the work they've
done.

Their dreams for the foundation.

Mr. Blake?

Is that you in there, Mr. Blake? What is
it, Timmy? The bus back to the city.

They're holding it for you.

Timmy, I can't leave just now. Tell the
driver to go ahead.

But you said you'd ride with us. Tell us
a story.

I know. Next time. And that's a promise
to me. Go ahead. Come on. Be there. Good

night, Mr. Blake. Good night.

Joanie.

Will you do something for Timmy and me
and the foundation?

Of course.

Go to bed and don't say a word about
this to anybody.

But, Dick.

I don't understand.

You're not supposed to. Just go.

Please, Joanie. Please.

Excuse me.

Yes, miss?

I'd like to see Mr. Ernest Denton,
please. Joan Proctor.

Bungalow 5, please.

Mr. Deming?

Miss Proctor to see you.

Fine.

I'll have a boy show you the way.

That was Mr. Deming?

Yes.

It's quite all right. I know where the
bungalows are.

Thank you.

I didn't mean to startle you.

Oh, hello, Mrs. Armstrong.

Oh, that's quite all right. I've been
dropping things all morning.

What in the world are you doing in
Beverly Hills?

I brought some papers in for my brother
-in -law.

Ernest is here in the hotel.

I'd have thought he'd be at Mr. Gage's
bedside.

How is Mr. Gage, by the way?

Well, your husband says there hasn't
been much change.

As a doctor's wife, I should know if
that's good or bad, but I don't.

Are you free for lunch, Joan?

Well, I don't know.

If you have a chance, join me in the
camellia room.

All right.

Goodbye, Tom.

Mr.

Deming!

Door's unlocked.

Come in.

Who is it?

It's me, Joan.

Oh, am I glad to see you.

That's Ernest's robe.

Nick, why did you have me ask for Ernest
at the desk?

What's this all about? Why didn't they
find the body this morning?

Nick, wasn't he really dead?

He's dead, all right.

Well, his body's in the lake by the
estate gates.

In the lake?

You put it there?

But why? Why did you do that?

I didn't know what else to do, Joanie. I
thought Mr. Gage would die during the

night, and when he didn't, I... Wait a
minute, Joanie.

Let's take it from the top, and then
maybe it'll make sense, okay?

All right, look, when I got you out of
the library, all I had in mind was to

hide Ernest until after Mr. Gage died,
which I thought would happen any minute.

Well, don't you see?

If I could have convinced people that
Ernest died later than Mr. Gage, the

estate would go to him and then to
Claudia.

Only Mr. Gates didn't die.

I know. That was the rub, Joanie.

I took Ernest's body outside so nobody
would see it. I wrapped it in some

and then put it in the back of his car.

And then I waited and waited until about
four o 'clock in the morning when I

realized the plan wasn't going to work.

Well, then... Then I got another not -so
-pretty idea.

I tied some sash weights on the canvas.

And I dropped the body in the lake.

Then I drove back here in his car.

Who is it?

Room service for your breakfast thing,
Mr. Demons.

Just a minute.

Let him in.

Nick, you signed her his name.

Over there.

Oh, check.

Thank you, ma 'am.

Nick, why Ernest's name?

Well, that's my four o 'clock idea.

If Mr. Gates dies today and I can keep
Ernest alive until after that, Claudio

will still inherit.

Alive? How could you keep him alive?

Oh, you know, Joanie, fake telephone
calls, room service orders, signatures

food and drink checks.

You asking for him at the desk a dozen
ways.

But the people that he told Claudia that
he was staying in town to meet, what

about them?

Here are the people.

I thought so.

All right, Nick. Now, if Mr. Gates
should... Well, if he should die today,

are you going to make it seem that
Ernest died afterwards? That's the crux

idea. It's foolproof.

Well, Junie, that depends on whether
you're with me or not. So far, you're in

the clear. The blame's all mine.

One word and I'm done for. But remember,
so are Claudia and Timmy and the

Foundation.

Hello?

I just got here, Claudia.

Ernest.

Why, uh... He went out with some people.

He didn't say when he'd be back.

Do you want me to take a message?

When did you first discover he was
missing, Mr. Gage?

Early this morning. I suppose I should
have called you then, but I thought

someone in the house might have an
explanation.

How much would you say the missing...
What did you say it was?

A samurai warrior.

Samurai being the Japanese term for a
certain class of nobles.

And if you were going to ask me what the
departed warrior is worth, Mrs. Deming

can tell you better than I.

Claudia, this is Detective Boykins.

How do you do?

As for the samurai's worth, all I can
tell you is that Mr. Carlton Gage has

offered $8 ,000 for the pair.

Have you any idea as to the how or why
of this, Mrs. Deming?

No. It seems both mysterious and
senseless to me.

But senseless or not, I'd better try to
earn my pay.

Mr. Gage, you say the servants are
quartered in the back?

Thank you. I'll find my way out.

And what's the latest bulletin on my
esteemed uncle?

There's still no change.

And still no new will in your favor.

Odds are that there won't be, but if it
does happen, I'm sure that you and I can

work things out all right.

Through an agreement like the one Ernest
made with you?

To divide the estate no matter who
inherits? No, thank you.

Where did you hear about Ernest and me?

I just put some things together.

Yes, Claudia.

When did this happen?

You see... Yes, we'll be out there as
soon as we can.

Mr.

Gage just died.

Without ever regaining consciousness.

Very sorry, miss, but Prince is grossed.
I need some help. It's my brother -in

-law. He just slumped over a minute ago.
I think it's his heart.

You wish a doctor?

Could you get me some water first? I'm
going to try and get his medicine down.

Hurry, please.

Do you have a phone here?

No, no telephone.

Look, miss, look.

Yes, Gertie.

Joan Proctor.

Is she here?

Have her come in, please.

Miss Proctor?

Mr. Mason, I need your help.

Help? Why, Joan?

It's the police.

The way they've been questioning me is
as if they thought that I was

for Ernest's death.

Now, sit down. Sit down.

Relax. I'm sorry.

It's just that I'm so tired.

All right, suppose you tell us what you
told the police.

Oh, this is Mr. Paul Drake. He's
associated with us. Miss Proctor?

Well, to start at the beginning, Nick
and I were in Ernest's bungalow when

Claudia called and told us about Mr.
Gage.

Was Ernest there?

No. But he arrived later, about 6 .30.

We told him about Mr. Gage, and then we
all started out for Palos Verdes.

The paper said you and Ernest were alone
in the car.

Well, we were.

Ernest didn't feel well.

He was dizzy and short of breath, so I
said I'd drive for him.

Where was Nicholas Blake?

He had a very important stop to make at
the...

Gage Foundation home in Santa Monica, so
I let him have my convertible.

I see.

And then?

It happened just after we turned off 101
onto the ocean road to

the Gage estate.

Suddenly, Ernest moaned and said, Joni,
my heart toppled over.

I swung off the road to a vegetable
stand.

There was a man there.

He was closing up for the night, and I
asked him for some water so I could give

Ernest one of his heart pills.

Then I followed the man to the stand,
thinking if he had a telephone, one of

could call a doctor.

He saw at first the car.

It was rolling down the hill.

Toward the ocean.

And it went over the cliff.

Had you set the brake?

Yes, I did put it on before I followed
the man to the stand.

Did this man see you do that?

I'm not sure.

That's what the police kept going over
and over.

Well, even if in your excitement you
didn't set the brake properly, his death

was still an accident.

I don't have anything to worry about, do
I?

Well, not as long as you're telling the
truth.

I am.

Joan, if the police become too
bothersome, just call me.

I will.

And thank you.

Thank you.

Goodbye. Goodbye.

Paul, would you like to go surf fishing?

Surf fishing?

In back of a vegetable stand.

Run by Ito Komagi.

You don't think she was telling the
truth?

Well, let's just say I'd like to know
what the police are doing and Mr.

Komagi's answer to one question.

About the handbrake? Oh, about some
armor.

Samurai armor.

Nick. I was beginning to wonder if we
could have signals called to you. Honey,

sit down.

You want a drink?

No, thank you.

Nick, your hand.

Oh, it's just a couple of blue snuggles,
that's all.

Getting out of the car? Yeah, what a
scramble that was. You know, I had to

until there wasn't those bushes, and by
then it was really rolling, and only

about 50 feet from the cliff.

Oh, Nick.

I thought you'd gone over with it, too.

I died a thousand deaths until you
called.

Everybody thought it was because of
Ernest. So much the better.

How'd it go with Perry Mason?

All right, I guess.

He bought your story?

And didn't find any holes in it?

Oh, that's a relief.

Johnny, I know it hasn't been easy for
you bearing the brunt of all this, but

it's over.

The happy ending Mr. Gage wanted.

The foundation safe.

Claudia inheriting.

I hope you're right. I am, darling.
You'll see.

Nick, what do we do now?

Do?

Well, nothing. That's the beauty of
this.

There's nothing more to be done.

It's done.

Samurai warrior?

You must be joking.

They no longer exist, even in Japan.

I was referring to a dummy samurai, Mr.
Kamagi.

Dummy? You know, the kind they have in
museums.

Now, could the bent -over passenger in
the car have possibly been such a

Samurai, little person like me.

This man, very large person, like you.

Well, so much for the great samurai
theory.

Oh, one more thing.

Did you notice whether or not the girl
set the emergency brake in the car?

Police asked that too.

Yes.

I saw her reach in too long before she
come away from the car.

Maybe not too quite hard enough.

Yeah, maybe.

Well, thanks very much.

Top brass of the police department on an
outing. Lieutenant Craig, Lieutenant

Anderson. Well, Cole, hello.

Business or a seaside stroll?

Business, I guess.

Perry Mason business?

Who can?

Just because I do an occasional job for
Perry doesn't mean he's my only client.

About 50 to 100 years out there when
there's a possibility of murder

Murder? Here?

Any luck, Jenkins?

No. I increased the search pattern to at
least 100 feet out. Nothing.

You haven't found Deming yet?

No, not likely to. How come?

One of the car doors was open and we
figured the body had been washed out to

sea. Hey, Lieutenant.

Last time down, I found this. What?

In the seat on the passenger side.

Thanks.

Gerber's Pharmacy, Alice Verde.

Dr. Guy Armstead. One or two when
indicated.

For E. Deming.

Most likely the heart pills that Proctor
told us about.

Better put it with the other things.

That's all it is.

What the divers have brought up so far.

A hat with Deming's name in it.

A briefcase with his initials on it.

And what's probably one of his shoes.

Andy, I don't see anything here that
smells much of murder.

Well, it's not what's here.

It's something the diver discovered when
he first swam into the car.

Well, what was that?

The emergency brake wasn't on, as Miss
Proctor said it was.

And the car was in gear, as Miss Proctor
said it wasn't.

Makes us wonder a little, Paul, about
her story.

Well, quite frankly, I can't tell you
anything about this bottle.

It was supplied by the druggist, as were
the tablets. But this is your

prescription, Dr. Olmsted.

It would appear so from the label.

One or two when indicated.

What does indicated mean, Doctor?

Well, you'd know, Lieutenant, if you had
angina pectoris.

Excuse me. I'm sorry, Guy. I didn't know
you were with a patient.

Well, hardly a patient, Oliver.

This is Lieutenant Anderson from
Homicide.

My wife.

The Lieutenant's been asking some
questions about Ernest.

Ernest?

Then his death wasn't accidental.

Well, let's just say there are some
things we're curious about.

One, Doctor, is would Ernest Deming's
collapse in the car be more or less the

natural result of a heart attack?

Of a very severe one, yes.

I see.

Now, Doctor, these tablets,
nitroglycerin?

No, in Mr. Deming's case, nitroglycerin
proved ineffective, so I prescribed

Demerol. By the way, have you checked
those with the druggist?

Why do you ask that?

They don't look quite like the ones
Ernest was taking.

They aren't.

In what way are they different,
Lieutenant?

Our crime lab is trying to answer that
right now, Ms. Olmsted.

One final thing, Doctor.

Who did you give this prescription to?

To Ernest Deming, of course. Why?

It was presented at the drugstore by a
woman.

What?

Grubby little creatures.

Didn't you ever go on a picnic when you
were a little boy, Mr. Gage? Yes,

usually in the power room at the Waldorf
Astoria. Could I have a word with you?

Certainly.

I could have gone to Claudia about all
this, but except that she in turn might

have gone to the police.

The police?

Yes, because I'm embarking, you might
say, on a kind of secondhand blackmail.

You see, I saw you and young Mr. Blake.

Leaving a hotel yesterday evening.

And without Ernest. Not with him, as you
told the police.

But he... Well, he was with us.

Your car was in front.

Deming's car was parked in the rear of
Ernest's bungalow.

Simple matter to whisk his body out,
place it on the floorboards without

seeing.

Gator, are you intimating me? I haven't
quite finished yet.

And you drove off in Ernest's car, and
young Blake in your car.

And at some secluded place named Mr.
Komagi's Vegetable Stand, you met, you

moved the body into the front seat, and
you staged your accident.

Now, whether you did or did not kill
Ernest is of little interest to me.

But what is of interest is that either
he died or was killed before Carlton

died, and so could not inherit.

Now my terms, to be relayed to Claudia.

A life annuity, $100 ,000 a year to be
paid in Switzerland, or...

Her sister goes to prison.

No.

Nice to see you, Mr. Mason.

Gage. Joan.

Were you looking for me?

Miss Proctor.

Oh, well, then I'll go up to the house
if I can get through all the bedlam out

here.

Will I see you later?

Joan,

some things have come up that make it
essential I get completely truthful

answers from you.

First of all, did you or did you not put
on that emergency brake?

I did put it on, Mr. Mason.

At the same time leaving the car in
gear?

No, I didn't leave it in gear.

Then how did it get in gear?

I don't know.

Joan, did you kill Ernest Deming?

Exactly the question I was going to ask
the young lady, Mr. Mason.

Well, Miss Proctor, did you?

Don't answer that, Joan, until we talk
further.

But I must.

I've got to answer it right now. I
didn't kill Ernest.

I didn't.

Well, that's odd, Miss Proctor, because
I have a first -degree murder warrant

charging that you did kill him.

Joan, this is far enough.

I'm going to confess everything and have
them take the body out of the lake. No,

Nick.

We can confess later if we have to.

Maybe we won't.

Mr. Mason says that he doubts if they
have enough to find me over for the

without the body.

Wait, Nick.

Joan, the state has peonied some of the
hotel employees as witnesses.

Now, did something happen there that
might have a bearing on all this?

At the hotel?

What could have happened there? I'm
asking you.

Well, nothing happened, nothing.

Superficially, Your Honor, this might
seem like a spur -of -the -moment crime.

Like a woman's sudden impulse to get rid
of her stricken and unconscious brother

-in -law in order to save her sister
from the pain of being deserted for

woman. And to ensure her sister's
monetary well -being. But the state

go deeper than that.

The state intends to prove that the
crime of murder had already been

before that car was allowed deliberately
to plunge into the Pacific.

And that this crime was the culmination
of a cold -blooded, shrewdly calculated

murder plot on the part of the
defendant, Joan Proctor.

You say your late husband never
threatened to leave you, Mrs. Deming?

No, he didn't.

Didn't he say to you, and I quote, if it
weren't for what old man Gage might do

to that will of his, I'd leave you like
a shot?

He said that, but he didn't mean it. If
he didn't mean it, why did you tell your

sister about it?

I didn't.

I didn't tell her.

They were talking at the foot of the
stairs by those spooky Japanese figures.

And you heard?

Mrs. Deming tell her sister that Ernest,
I mean Mr.

Deming, was in love with another woman.

Did she say who this other woman was?

She said she didn't know.

But all that kept Mr. Deming from
leaving her was Mr. Gage being alive.

Well, did she say anything about what
might happen after Mr. Gage died?

Well, she said she felt certain Mr.

Deming, having inherited, would leave
her then.

And did the defendant make any comment
in regard to this?

She said that if Mr. Deming left her
sister after all their years together,

deserved to be electrocuted.

You may cross -examine, Mr. Mason.

Do you hear this, Miss King?

No, I don't. Why?

Why, you have the most remarkable pair
of ears I've encountered in a long time.

With the ability to hear a private
conversation between Mrs. Deming and her

husband and then one between Mrs. Deming
and her sister.

No doubt you also heard of the woman
with whom Ernest Deming was infatuated.

I didn't.

Wasn't that because you were that woman,
Miss King?

Before you answer, I should warn you
that a number of canceled checks made

to you were found among his effects.

That was for keeping him up on what went
on at the house.

Then you informed him of Mr. Gage's
decision to change his will.

Yes, but I never got the money for that.

Before he could pay me, she killed him.

Mr. Komagi, I'd like to return to a part
of your testimony only sketchily

touched upon by the state.

Now, what were Miss Proctor's exact
movements in connection with the

brake? Well, after she get out, she
reaching cars through open door

and pull it on like so. You actually saw
her do this?

Yes, sir.

Thank you, Mr. Komagi.

What is your official title, sir, at the
San Fernando plant where this car in

question was assembled?

Chief Engineer.

And as Chief Engineer, can you tell us
if there were any changes made in the

emergency braking system the year the
car was made?

Yes. There was one change which we've
incorporated in this year's model, too.

I'll show you, if I may. Would you
please?

We'll have to imagine that the engine is
running because it only happens then.

What only happens then? When the car is
in gear, any gear, the emergency brake

automatically comes off.

I see.

Then it would be possible for the
defendant, having bent over and pulled

emergency brake, to straighten up and
still release it.

Yes, by simply brushing against the gear
lever hard enough to put the car in

gear.

Thank you, sir.

You say those tablets are not the ones
that you put in this bottle when filling

Dr. Olmsted's prescription for the
deceased?

No, they're smaller and gray -white
rather than cream -white.

Would you please look around this
courtroom, sir, and tell us if you see

person who actually picked up this
prescription?

Yes, that's her, the young lady over
there, the defendant.

I'd completely forgotten.

He needed his prescription refilled one
day, and I took it to the truckist for

him.

What did your chemical analysis of these
tablets in the police laboratory

reveal? Each of the five tablets we
examined contained... Demerol?

No, Benzedrine.

No, Mr. Berger, I certainly did not
prescribe Benzedrine.

It's a very dangerous stimulant.

Taken in conjunction with a severe or
even a mild heart attack, it would have

most deleterious effect.

Would it react like cyanide on a normal
heart?

Not as drastic as that, but in a way,
yes.

Now, let me show you these Demerol
tablets, which have just been entered in

evidence and identified as being
identical to those made up for Mr.

Deming. Do you recognize those?

Yes, sir. They look like the ones I
found stuck down in the couch in Mr.

Deming's bungalow when I cleaned it the
morning after his death.

Well, did you see anyone in that
bungalow the day before?

Anyone beside Mr. Deming, that is.

Yes, sir.

Her.

I saw her go in that day shortly before
noon.

If Carlton Gage did, Deming would
obviously have left his $40 -a -day

and returned to Palos Verdes now. Why
didn't Deming check out?

I don't understand.

Oh, I think you do, Nicholas.

I think you know that the reason he
didn't check out was because he wasn't

really there.

Mr. Mason, what are you talking about?

Well, no one at the hotel actually saw
Ernest Deming that day.

There was someone on the phone saying he
was Ernest Deming, someone telling

people calling in that Deming had gone
out and was expected back soon, and

someone forging Ernest Deming's name to
food and drink checks.

Nicholas, what were you and Joan trying
to cover up?

Deming's prior death?

In order to protect Claudia and the
Foundation?

You know, we can get a handwriting
expert to prove that you were the one

forged those room service checks.

There was no forgery, Mr. Mason.

I...

I just wrote his name, never thinking
anybody bothered to check.

Joan and I found him here in the library
the night before.

It was a heart attack, or so we thought.

And, uh, well... That's when I had my,
uh...

My brainstorm.

Wouldn't it be better, Mrs. Deming, if
you went up to the house?

No, I want to stay.

All right.

Lieutenant, cut it up.

It's the Samurai Warrior.

I assure you, Your Honor.

The state is in no way responsible for
the lurid stories in the newspapers.

Oh, were you, Mr. Mason?

No, Your Honor. I've talked to no
reporters.

In any event, Your Honor, the state is
now fully prepared to prove that Ernest

Deming did not die when the defendant
and her young friend claimed he did.

Ernest Deming, as a matter of fact, was
alive and at his hotel all the next day.

And it was that night that he was
murdered, just as the state has

along.

Yes, I heard it quite clearly. She...

Joan asked for Ernest Deming.

The hotel desk clerk called him, then
told him Mr. Deming wanted to see her in

his bungalow.

What's more, when I spoke to her, she
said that she'd come to town at Ernest's

request, but to bring some papers to
him.

I'm absolutely sure.

I saw Ernest Deming coming into the
hotel. I talked to him for a while, and

he went on to his bungalow.

And this was on the evening prior to the
one in which his car went over the

cliff? Yes.

And then a little later that evening, I
saw him drive off in a car with Miss

Proctor. That's not true!

It's all right, Joan.

It's all right. You may cross -examine,
Counselor.

Mr. Gage, I don't understand this.

Do you realize that by testifying that
you saw Ernest Deming alive after the

death of Carlton Gage, you are
destroying any chance of inheriting the

estate?

You wouldn't have me lie, would you, Mr.
Mason?

No, but I'm quite certain you are doing
so.

Excuse me, counselor, for interrupting,
but something has come up that I think

you'll want to know.

Your Honor, the police have just
reported that the body of Ernest Deming

been recovered.

Not from any lake, but from the Pacific
Ocean.

At a spot not far from where his car
made its supposedly fatal plunge.

I'm sure at this time that the defense
will be more than willing to agree to a

temporary adjournment while an autopsy
is performed on the body.

Yes, of course, Mr. Mason.

Your Honor, I'm in the midst of a cross
-examination.

And now that the body has been found,
these questions are more important than

ever.

Very well. You may proceed.

Mr. Gage, you had an agreement with
Ernest Deming to divide the estate with

if and when he inherited.

I beg your pardon?

Failing to make a similar agreement with
his wife, Claudia, did you not then

attempt to force an agreement through
her sister?

Did you not then threaten to tell the
police that Ernest Deming was not in the

car with Joan when she left the hotel,
but that he was, in fact, already dead?

She told you about that?

Yes, she did.

And regretting the agreement and wanting
to inherit the entire estate yourself,

you then killed Ernest Deming. But I
didn't want to inherit.

You didn't want to inherit.

But would you, Mr. Mason, if you had
promised four ex -wives slightly over

of the estate in the event that you got
it?

What you were working for then was an
under -the -table deal with either

or Claudia Deming.

Yes. Then why did you kill Ernest Deming
when you had such a deal?

But I didn't kill him.

I submit you did.

I further submit that when you saw
Nicholas Blake moving the body, you took

samurai armor from it. Hold it, Mr.
Mason.

I don't know anything about that
samurai.

But I do know somebody who does. At
least she jumps a foot every time it's

mentioned. Little Miss Snoop over there.
Ask her. Ask Miss King.

But I didn't know there was any
connection. I mean...

Well, he took it. Dr. Olmsted.

I'm sorry, doctor. I just have to tell.

Yes, yes, I saw him take it.

You watched Nicholas Blake carry the
body from the library, wrap it in

and place it in the back of the car?

Yes. Why didn't you inform the police
instead of substituting the samurai

and later disposing of Deming's body in
the ocean?

Well, I... I didn't know what Blake
intended to do with the body.

I wanted to make sure, if I could, that
it vanished for good.

Why did you want that, doctor?

So there'd be no autopsy.

Because an autopsy would have shown that
you had switched Deming's heart tablets

and had thus caused his death.

Yes.

Why did you want him dead?

Would this woman's glove found in Ernest
Deming's hotel bungalow have something

to do with the doctor?

Recognize it?

No, no, I don't.

It's no use, Guy.

You can't protect me any longer. I'm not
worth it.

They know the glove belongs to me.

He didn't switch the tablets. I did.

Ernest said he was going back to Claudia
to make sure he got the money.

All he ever thought of was the money.

He said he never wanted to see me again.

He told me we were through.

Don't you see, Guy? He just never cared
about what happened to me.

He didn't care.

Jimmy, hit it! Come on!

Come on, hit it! He just bothers me. How
did Dr.

Olmsted know it was his wife who
switched the tablet?

She broke down and told him what she'd
done when he came home that night from

seeing Mr. Gage.

Well, why didn't he warn Deming? Well,
he tried to. He hurried back to the

house, but by then Deming was dead and
already being moved by Nicholas.

And his first thought then was to try
and protect his wife.

By the way, what do you suppose will
happen to Nicholas and Joan?

Probation, most likely.

Since their motives were good, even
though their actions were more than

illegal.