All language subtitles for Perry Mason s06e11 Fickle Filly

Bye.

Beautiful, Brad.

Just like her owner.

One, twelve, three.

Oh, that's even better than you expect.
Oh, Jennifer, your father's going to be

so pleased.

He'll be more than that when she wins.
And Lil's going to be a winner, I know

it. Just wait and see.

How's Dad feeling?

Active men with heart attacks don't take
well to being kept in bed.

Well, I'd better get back to the
letters.

Tell Dad the good news, will you,
Roberta? And be a good secretary. Make

rest. How was it? 1 -12 -3.

She's got three more weeks training at
the track before the meet.

I guess she'll be ready.

Pessimist. She's ready now.

Look up there. Come on, Lil.

Mmm,

Packer Lil, I love you.

Now, don't get lipstick all over her
nose.

Oh, it doesn't matter how she looks now.
She's going home for a nice rest.

Joe, I've got to stop by school on the
way home, so you'll be there before me.

Don't say anything to Dad, please. Let
me tell him all about it. Sure, sure.

won't he be tickled pink?

You've done real well, real well,
Jennifer.

He's all right, Jenny.

Where's Daddy? He saved the horses all
right, but he had another heart attack

and he didn't save himself.

He's dead.

Your uncle, Mr. Pearson, called.

You feel up to it. He'd like you to come
to his office later.

Thank you, Roberta.

Are you leaving now?

It's hard to say goodbye sometimes.

Some people don't even bother to.

Oh, Roberta.

It's all right.

It's all right.

You're not even 19 yet. You've got your
whole life ahead of you to live and

enjoy. You never came to see me.

Never even called once to say he was
sorry.

Not once.

Who?

Brad Shelby.

I... We got along together so well,
especially when we were at the races.

Roberta, he liked me.

Jennifer.

Jennifer.

You know Madeline Hayne?

The day before your father died.

Madeline Haynes was married in Las Vegas
to Brad Shelby.

No.

No, it can't be.

She's older than he is.

And she's not pretty at all. And she's
also a very wealthy woman with a big

ranch and a string of racehorses.

I don't know whatever it was that Brad
said to you, but whatever it was, it was

just his charming way of being
irresistible to anything in a skirt.

Jenny, I'm very sorry.

Oh, Roberta, I feel like... Jenny?

Listen, I have an idea.

Now, this place is so big and empty and
you're all alone now.

I have a lovely apartment. Why don't you
move in with me?

You can stay with me until... Well?

Until you get straightened out. How
about it?

Okay, it's settled. Good.

We'll call your uncle and, uh... We'll
tell him you're moving and you'll come

see him later.

I'm sorry, Dylan.

Having to tell you this is the hardest
part of being executor of your father's

estate.

After all the obligations are met... You
mean there isn't any money left?

None at all?

What am I going to do, Uncle Emmett?

You just go on as you have been.

What about all those bills?

That's my job.

Just wish your father had been as good a
businessman as he was a horseman.

Why, Jenny,

you're not alone.

Jennifer, we've never been very close,
or we'd know each other better.

We're family now.

We're the only family either of us has.

We've got to have faith in each other.

And the only thing I really have left is
Tiger Lil.

Well, I've made up my mind, Mr. Durrell.
I'm going to raise her.

I've heard your father say more than
once that the most expensive way to make

money was to race horses.

Well, after he was sick, he told me that
I could.

Told me someday I'd run the stable.

Is Joe Meade still training Tiger Lil?

Yes, he's at the ranch with her now.

Daddy wanted me to race her at the
fairgrounds for experience before the

track. Those are her only three races
and she won them all.

Jennifer, I have a surprise for you.

Your father planned it for you three
years ago when Tiger Lil was fooled.

He nominated her for the presentation
stakes.

Paid all the fees in advance,
everything.

Well, this is wonderful.

Presentation? Why, that's a $75 ,000
purse.

All you need to do is apply for stable
space and get her over here with a

trainer. Oh, thank you, Mr. Durrell. You
don't know what this means to me.

Well, hi, Jennifer.

Guess what?

Lil's gonna run in the presentation
stakes.

The presentation?

Yes, she's eligible.

Daddy nominated her when she was a foal,
but he never told me about it. I

already applied for stable space, and
you can get her ready and take her over

early next... Joe, those are yours.

I'm leaving.

But you can't leave. You're Tiger Lil's
trainer.

Jennifer, Tiger Lil has been sold.

Sold? To Brad Shelby.

Well, Jennifer, she's gone.

Shelby came over early this morning and
took her.

Why didn't you stop him?

Well, there wasn't anything I could do,
Jenny.

Mr. Pearson ordered me to turn her over.

But she's mine.

Tiger Little belongs here. She can't be
sold.

Nobody will listen to me.

Can you help me, Mr. Mason?

Well, that depends.

Jennifer, in what condition is your
father's estate?

There's a big mortgage against the ranch
and loans against the insurance.

The only thing I really have left is
Tiger Lil.

Uncle Emmett didn't have any right to
sell her.

Did he?

That also depends.

You're a minor, Jennifer.

An executor acting in your behalf could
dispose of properties on his own

judgment, providing he showed the court
that the...

Transaction would benefit the estate.

Tiger Lil wasn't just property.

I raised her and I love her.

Doesn't that count?

Uncle Emmett didn't even tell me.

What Mr. Pearson did may have been
thoughtless and unkind, but not

illegal.

However, let me look into it.

I'll see him right away.

Now wait for me at the apartment.

I'll get back to you there.

Horse breeding is a rich man's game.

My brother -in -law wasn't rich.

A good trainer, yes, but... Jennifer's
father simply had no head for business.

As you can see, there isn't much there
to work with.

Though when Shelby came to me with an
offer of $50 ,000 to buy the horse, I

really had no alternative but to sell.

I realize you had no alternative but to
sell the other weekly horses, Mr.

Pearson.

Why didn't you consult with Jennifer
about the sale of Tiger Lil?

Knowing how Jennifer felt about the
horse...

I believed it was kinder not to tell her
until after it was done.

She's a badly upset young woman.

Yes, she took it much harder than I
expected.

Of course, I knew from the records about
the presentation stakes.

I realize this is a great disappointment
to her.

But, Mr. Mason, I'm not a gambler.

I'm a businessman.

Miss Harper?

My name is Mason. This is my secretary,
Miss Street.

May we see Jennifer, please?

Oh, she isn't here right now.

But we asked her to wait here for us.

Well, she got a telephone call from some
woman.

She was very excited.

And from the way she was dressed and
what she said, I'm pretty sure she may

gone out to the ranch, her ranch.

This woman who called.

Do you know who it was?

No, I don't. Would you like to leave a
message for her, Mr. Mason?

No, no.

We'll, um, let's run out to the ranch.

Mighty quiet.

Try the house.

You must be Joe Meade. This is Miss
Street. My

name is Mason. We're looking for
Jennifer.

Well, she's staying in town with Roberta
Harper.

We've been there. It's about the sale of
her horse.

Oh? What about it?

Well, I'd better talk to her first.

Any idea where she might be?

No, I don't.

Excuse me, but I gotta get moving. I got
a job driving a load of horses to San

Bruno.

Just came back for some personal things
that I... What? The horse trailer's

gone.

The horse trailer?

Harry, you don't think Jennifer would?

Try to steal Tiger Will? I don't know.

Joe, what's the quickest way to get to
Shamrock Stables?

What is it, Vic? Mr. Shelby, he's dead.

I didn't mean to do it.

I didn't mean to do it.

I didn't mean to do it.

Brad Shelby just sort of popped out at
me.

I screamed, I guess. I was scared.

He grabbed for the spreader and he
struggled.

And I gave him a push and he tripped and
fell backwards and I started running.

But he came right after me.

Oh, I was frightened.

I just turned and threw the spreader at
him.

Did you hit him?

I don't know.

I didn't look.

I just ran to the house for help, but
nobody was there.

After you threw the spreader, did Shelby
keep on running after you?

No, I didn't hear... If I

missed him, he would have been running
after me.

So I must have... No, Jennifer, it's
unlikely that you hit him.

Mr. Mason...

Couldn't he maybe have tripped and
fallen on the spreader? Couldn't it have

an accident?

No, Jennifer.

And the state will contend that Shelby
was only trying to prevent his property

from being stolen.

But I wasn't stealing. I was only doing
what Madeline Shelby told me to when she

phoned.

Madeline Shelby called you?

Yes. And it was after that that you left
the apartment?

Yes, Mr. Mason.

Madeline told me on the phone to come
over to the ranch right away that night

and take Lil.

She said that no one, at least for a few
hours, would be at the Shamrock.

That's exactly what she said.

Yes, I did call her. But I had
absolutely no idea that anything like

happen.

You must have expected trouble with your
husband at the ranch.

But he wasn't supposed to be there. We
had a date to meet at the Red Coach Inn

at 8 .30 for dinner, but he didn't show
up.

You know Mr. Mason.

Shamrock Stables didn't need Jennifer's
filly. When Jennifer protested the sale,

I was perfectly willing to cancel it.

But why did you want Jennifer to pick up
her horse secretly at night without

telling anyone? Not even your husband?

At the time, it just seemed like the
simplest way.

There'd be no one at the ranch. She
could pick up the horse without any

interference.

You see...

Brad was going to ship some horses into
Mexico at six o 'clock in the morning. I

wanted to be sure that Tiger Lil didn't
go with them.

Am I to understand that you had decided
to cancel the sale?

But that your husband hadn't agreed to
the cancellation?

He was a headstrong man.

But buying an unproven filly for $50
,000, well, it just doesn't make sense.

Is $50 ,000 an unusual price?

At the best, $10 ,000 would be a
generous price for Tiger Lil.

$50 ,000 is preposterous.

Then why did you agree to it?

I didn't.

Brad did it on his own without
consulting me or George Tabor, our

I didn't even know about the sale until
Jennifer came to the house.

I only wanted to help Jennifer when I
told her to come and get her, Philly.

I'm sorry about what happened.

I want to help her now, if I can.

That's very kind of you, Mrs. Shelby.

Particularly if she has an uncle like
that.

What do you mean?

Well, Emmett Pearson should know
something about horses.

Did it strike you as being very honest
to sell Tiger Lil for five times what

horse was worth?

Because you didn't ask me, I guess.

I had the impression somehow that you
knew how good a deal it was.

Why, I had to approve the sale
regardless of Jennifer's feelings.

Mr. Pearson, did you know that Shelby
was buying the horse without the

of his wife or their trainer?

Yes. Well, considering the ridiculously
high price you received, didn't that

strike you as a little odd?

Well, he knew the horse.

He'd watched her train at the Wakely
Ranch before he married Madeline Haynes.

That... that marriage was sudden.

Frankly, Shelby was out of his depth.

I believe that's why he wanted to do
something big, entirely on his own, to

prove himself at the Shamrock stables.

I think that's why he insisted on
closing the deal, admittedly an

before the Shamrock trainer, George
Tabor, gets back from the East.

When is that?

Next week.

If only I'd been less of a businessman
and more of an uncle.

At least I'm glad she has you, Mr.
Mason.

You don't think she did it, do you?

I'm convinced she didn't.

Well, then.

It's just that the sheriff's office and
the district attorney might not agree

with me.

Yes, Gertie.

Just a minute.

It's Paul.

Excuse me.

Yes, Paul.

This is it so far, Perry.

Madeline Shelby was at the Red Coach
last night. She arrived there about 8

and left a little past 9.

I don't know where she went after that.

Victor and the two stable hands were at
a poker game which broke up early.

George Tabor left the ranch just before
noon, but I haven't been able to find

out where he went.

George Tabor?

Yeah, the Shamrock trainer.

He wasn't due back until next week.

Well, I wouldn't know about that, but he
flew in yesterday morning, was at the

ranch from around town a little before
noon, and then went into town someplace.

What about Joe Meade? Due back any time
now. I was just on my way out to the

ranch to see him.

All right, Paul.

Swing by the office.

I'll go with you.

Look, why don't you get out of here,
Tabor?

Not till we settle this business about
the filly, Joe.

You knew about Tiger Lil.

You kept your mouth shut and let her be
sold.

It was none of my business. And it
wasn't your money, so it's none of your

business either.

Well, I'm making it my business.

I get it.

You want to be a hero.

Everybody knows that you've been sweet
on Madeline for years, and now that her

young husband's out of the way, you
pick...

Hold it.

Joe, this is Paul Gray.

Hi. Howdy.

Who's your friend?

George Tabor. He's a trainer for
Shamrock. What was all the muscle about?

It was personal, a private matter.

Why did Taylor come to see you?

Well, he didn't like the idea of
Shamrock Stables buying Jennifer's

he figured I had something to do with
the sale.

Did you?

No. First I knew of any sale was when
Mr. Pearson called up and ordered me to

turn the filly over to Shelby.

How well did you know Brad Shelby, Joe?

He hung around here at the ranch.

You sure you didn't know him before
that? Know enough about his past,

to convince him that... $50 ,000 was a
fair price for Tiger Lil?

$50 ,000?

Mr. Mason, I told you.

I had nothing to do with that sale.

George Tabor didn't think so, did he?

I've sent for George Tabor. He'll be
here in a minute.

Would you mind telling me why you wanted
to see him?

Well, since our talk this morning, I've
learned that Mr. Tabor returned

yesterday.

That's right. Quite unexpectedly.

Yes, he...

Finished up early and came on home.

We were hoping he could shed some light
on a rather puzzling aspect of the sale

of Jennifer's filly. But George was out
of town when the sale was made.

That's true.

But he was at the Wakely Ranch less than
an hour ago, talking very emphatically

to Joe Mead about it.

George, this is Mr. Perry Mason,
Jennifer Wakely's attorney, and Mr.

You have an enviable reputation, Mr.
Tabor.

I understand the Shamrock stables have
never purchased a horse without your

okay. That is until they bought Tiger
Lil.

Would you get to your point, Mr. Mason?

Is that why you went to see Joe Meade?

That's none of your business.

George.

You talked to Joe Meade. What did he
tell you?

Among other things, that he had nothing
to do with the sale.

He's a liar.

Mr. Tabor, you were awfully mad about
something.

Was it possibly because Mr. Shelby took
advantage of your absence by making a

very shrewd purchase of his own?

Shrewd purchase.

Tiger Little's a very promising filly.

I'm going to show you gentlemen
something.

You got here just in time.

You might as well see it too, Madeline.

I'm going to show you what Mr. Shelby
paid $50 ,000 for.

Runner till I tell you to stop, Vic.

Something's wrong.

She's nothing.

That's enough, Vic.

I fractured the old pettus, Madeline.

Not serious enough to have it destroyed,
but serious enough even if properly

treated. Chances are she'd never run
again.

She's had that bone trouble for weeks,
Mason.

That's what I went to see Joe Meade
about.

Brad Shelby paid $50 ,000 for a horse
that'll never run another race again as

long as it lives.

Now, the autopsy surgeon testified that
in his opinion, based on an examination

of the fatal wounds, the spreader could
not have been thrown from any distance,

particularly by a woman in order to
inflict such wounds.

As a homicide expert, Sergeant Landro,
do you agree with that opinion?

Yes. That spreader wasn't thrown.

It was thrust into the body at close
range.

Thank you, Sergeant. That'll be all.

Your witness.

Sergeant Landro, were there any other
fingerprints on the metal handle of this

spreader other than those of the
defendant?

Yes. We found one set belonging to the
decedent.

Well, if someone held the spreader like
this, the hands on the wood, not the

metal, would you have picked up the
fingerprints of that person?

Well, the... contour and surface of that
wood are such that they don't lend

themselves easily to retaining
fingerprints.

You didn't answer my question.

Someone could have held the spreader by
the wood part of the handle, and we

wouldn't have found any fingerprints.

Well, when I saw the Wakely trailer, I
figured I'd better go over there and see

what was going on.

And there she was, standing over Mr.
Shelby with that spreader sticking in

Tell me this. Why, when you saw the
Wakely trailer, did you feel that...

You should go and see what was going on.

Well, because Mr.

Shelby and Miss Wakely had a fight that
afternoon about the filly.

Really?

Did you happen to hear what was said
during that fight?

I did happen to hear Miss Wakely say
that she'd get that filly back and that

wouldn't stop her.

Oh, boy, she was crying mad when she
left that ranch.

Now, Miss Harper, when Miss Wakely
returned to the apartment after

that her horse had been sold...

Did she tell you anything about going to
see Brad Shelby?

Yes. What did she tell you about it?

Oh, something about he wouldn't let her
take Lil back.

Miss Harper, I'm not interested in
something about.

I want to know exactly what she said.

She said... I thought I hated Brad
Shelby when he married Madeline Haynes.

I didn't know how much I hated him until
now.

In other words, Mrs. Shelby, you made
arrangements to return the horse out of

your sympathy for the defendant's love
for the animal.

And in the belief that no one would be
present at the stable during those few

hours that night to interfere with her
taking the animal. Is that correct?

Yes. I think that'll be all, Mrs.
Shelby. Thank you.

Crossing sentence.

Did Jennifer state it to you that she
would go along with your arrangements?

When Roberta called her to the phone and
I told her, she was quite excited and

said she'd come right out.

Mrs. Shelby, were you also concerned
that Jennifer get her horse that night

because your husband planned to ship
some horses to Mexico the next morning

you wanted to be sure that Tiger Little
didn't go with them?

Yes, that's right.

When did your trainer, George Tabor, get
back from the East?

That morning, about 10 o 'clock.

Mrs. Shelby, is it possible that your
husband knew that he'd bought a crippled

horse and with George Tabor's unexpected
return knew that he had to get that

horse away before it was discovered?

Objection, Your Honor. I withdraw the
question.

Now, you say you went to the Red Coach
Inn at 8 .30 to meet your husband. You

waited until 9 and drove to several
other places looking for him and arrived

home a little after 10.

How long does it take to drive from your
ranch to the Red Coach Inn?

About 20 minutes, normally.

Then why did you leave the ranch at 7 o
'clock for an 8 .30 appointment?

I stopped for a drink.

At a place called the Tambourine.

Did you meet someone there?

I met George Tabor.

Why, Mrs. Shelby?

I object, Your Honor. That's improper
cross -examination. Your Honor, George

Tabor is the Shamrock trainer. Mr.
Berger himself felt that the whereabouts

the Shamrock staff was important enough
to bring it out in direct examination.

Well, only were it Boron matters germane
to this case, Your Honor.

If you can show relevancy, Mr. Mason, I
will overrule the objection.

Now, why did you see George Tabor before
you went on to meet your husband?

He came back from the trip early.

I wanted to find out how it had gone.

Couldn't you have done that at the ranch
when he arrived that morning?

He went back into town before I had a
chance to talk to him.

Mrs. Shelby.

Isn't it true that George Tabor had
checked into a hotel that afternoon with

every intention of not returning to the
ranch?

Yet he called there at four o 'clock.
Now I ask you again, why did you meet

George Tabor?

He called and told me that Brad had
fired him.

I had to see him and straighten it out.

And was he still fired when you left to
meet your husband?

No, he wasn't.

When you told Jennifer Wakely that she
could have her horse back, did you ask

her to return the $50 ,000? Or in your
sympathy for the girl, did you tell her

that she didn't have to return the
money?

Mr. Mason, my husband was no
businessman.

It was worth the money to me to find out
the truth before it was too late.

It had become increasingly apparent to
me that I was going to have to take

control again.

And in running my ranch...

I need George Tabor.

And what you mean then, Mr. Tabor, is
that an injury such as you've described,

while not apparent superficially, would
disable the filly as far as racing is

concerned. Is that correct?

That's right.

How did you happen to discover the
injury?

Well, in the first place, I didn't like
the conditions of the sail.

And when I finally got to take a close
look at the filly, she did favor one

So what did you do then?

We moved her a few times.

She did seem to favor the leg a little,
so we ran her and she came up lame.

Would you say that running her was the
only way to determine the nature of her

injury?

That's right.

Aside from an x -ray.

And Mr. Shelby, not being suspicious and
not having x -rayed or run the filly

would have no way of knowing about it.

Joe Meade knew she was lame.

Mr. Tabor, would you mind confining your
comments to answering my questions?

Could even an expert.

have been able to tell that the filly
was suffering from a fracture of the

ospedis just by looking at her?

Well, probably not.

I'd say no.

Thank you, Mr. Tabor.

And now to put Mr.

Mason's mind at ease, what did you do
that night after you saw Mrs. Shelby?

Well, I had dinner, went back to my
hotel and went to bed.

And did you stay there all night, sir?

Yes.

Thank you.

Mr. Mason?

Mr. Tabor, assuming that Tiger Lil were
a sound and you wanted to buy her, what

would you have considered a fair or even
generous price?

She was very promising, but I doubt if I
would have gone as high as $10 ,000.

Now, in your earlier testimony,
precisely what did you mean in saying

finally got the chance to take a look at
the filly? Well, I started to look her

over the morning I got back, but Shelby
stopped me.

He said that could wait, that he had
some errands for me to run in town.

Later, as you know, he came to town and
fired me.

And after he fired you, you checked into
the hotel?

That's right.

And he made it pretty clear that I was
to pick up my things the next day when

he'd be there.

Then if Tiger Lil had been shipped to
Mexico the next morning at 6 o 'clock,

Mr. Shelby planned, you would never have
had a chance to look her over.

Thank you, Mr. Tabor.

Well, I have some questions on
redirects, Your Honor.

Mr. Tabor?

For some reason, Mr. Mason would have us
believe that the decedent went to

fantastic lengths to keep you from
looking at a horse.

Now, when you went into that stall and
he stopped you by saying that he had

errands for you to do in town, did he
indeed have errands for you to do in

He did.

And when he fired you, did he give you a
reason?

Well, he said that I wasn't needed
anymore.

That he was taking over the duties of
trainer himself.

Did he ever once tell you to stay away
from that filly?

No. Thank you.

Yes, I understand. Miss Wakely was upset
because her filly had been sold.

But you knew the filly had been injured
in the fire, Mr. Meade.

And it was lame. It's hard for me to
understand why you kept this a secret.

She lost her father in that fire, and I
figured that was enough to take in one

dose. But, Mr. Meade, you continued to
keep quiet even when the horse came up

for sale. Certainly that wasn't to spare
Mr.

Shelby's feelings, was it?

I didn't have time to tell him, even if
I wanted to.

I didn't know he figured on buying her.

Until you were actually told to turn her
over to him?

That's right. And when he picked her up,
he was sure in no talking mood.

Then as far as you knew at that time,
neither Mr. Shelby nor Miss Wakely knew

the filly was lame.

That's right.

After you told Miss Wakely that her
filly had been sold, what did she do?

She went in the tech room and called her
uncle.

And did she mention Brad Shelby to you?

After making that phone call.

Well, she was mad and she didn't mean
it.

I want to know what she said, Mr. Meade.

Remember now, you're under oath.

What were her words?

Well, she said, Brad Shelby's not going
to have Tiger Lil.

I'll get him back if I... If I have to
kill him.

Perry, there's something I don't
understand.

If Brad Selby paid $50 ,000 for a horse
he knew was lame, he couldn't have

thought it was going to last forever,
could he?

All right, so he fired George Tabor.

Someone else was bound to spot it.

Your question contains four assumptions,
only three of which happen to be true.

Don't tell me he didn't know the horse
was lame.

Oh, I think he knew all right, Della.

Knowing was partly why Shelby was
rushing off to Mexico.

I guess that he planned to involve Tiger
Little in some sort of an unfortunate

accident down there.

Of course.

If he destroyed the horse, then nobody
would know she was lame.

Well, Paul, did you find out?

Yeah, I found out. I wish I hadn't.

Perry, for that girl's sake, just this
once, I wish you'd been wrong.

Here's the stuff you wanted on Emmett
Pearson's finances.

Emmett Pearson?

Oh, no.

Oh, yes.

Her only living relative? Her legal
guardian?

He's sure involved in some sort of a
payoff.

Paul, we have two days until court
reconvenes.

I'd like you to take a little trip.

Well, it's not asking too much. Would
you mind telling me where?

Why don't you start in Mexico?

Mr. Mason, are you ready to proceed?

Joe, you stayed on at the ranch after
the fire. You lived there.

That's right.

Did Emmett Pearson ever come to the
ranch to examine Tiger Lil?

No, he didn't. Are you certain?

Surely you weren't there all of the
time.

Well, no.

Well, were you ever away when Emmett
Pearson knew that you would be gone?

Yeah, I was.

The day I took the mares to the auction.

Just three days before Tiger Lil was
sold.

You're sure Mr. Pearson knew that you'd
be gone?

He's the one who told me to go.

Thank you, Joe.

Mr. Pearson, before we get down to
matters that actually pertain to this

let's see if we can once again clear the
atmosphere of the confusing innuendos

with which Mr. Mason continually tries
to obscure the simple facts.

Did you ever deliberately order Joe
Meade away from Wakely Ranch for the

of examining Tiger Lil in secret?

As a matter of fact, I did.

Now, just a minute, Mr. Pearson. You
never discussed this with me. You mean

you...

You examined Philly before the sale? You
knew she was lame?

Yes, sir. Well, did you tell Mr. Shelby?

He was the one who told me about it.

He said he wanted to buy the horse
because he felt he owed Jennifer

for... treating her the way he did.

Oh, you mean the sale of the horse was
actually a cover -up for a gift?

Yes, sir.

Now, Mr. Pearson, think carefully.

Did Miss Wakely know the horse was lame?

No, sir.

Well, then nothing has changed, has it?

It still remains a simple fact that when
the defendant met Brad Shelby at the

stable that night, she was taking back
what she thought was a sound and

promising racehorse.

And her way was being blocked by the man
she hated.

I have no further questions of this
witness at this time, Your Honor. Mr.

Mr. Pearson, you were named executor of
Howard Wakely's estate, were you not?

Yes, sir.

What shape was that estate in?

Will there be enough left to provide for
Jennifer?

Well, actually, after taxes and...
Taxes, Mr. Pearson?

Inheritance taxes?

Well, I... Not inheritance taxes, no,
but... Income taxes, Mr. Pearson?

The three years of income taxes Howard
Wakely still owed the government when he

died? Are those the taxes you were going
to refer to?

Yes. And then there was the matter of
the mortgage on the property.

Both cars and just about every tangible
asset your brother -in -law owned.

Is all this necessary?

Hasn't the poor child been hurt enough?

Have those overdue taxes been paid?

Yes. Mortgage on the house been paid up?

Yes. Where did you get the money for all
this, Mr. Pearson?

Basically, from the sale of the horse.

From the sale of the horse, Mr. Pearson,
or was that money yours?

No, no, no, you... As obviously fond as
you seem to be of your niece, Mr.

Pearson, and knowing how deeply attached
she was to her horse, Tiger Lil, tell

me this.

Why did you agree to sell the filly?

He wanted it, he bought it. So he did,
Mr. Pearson, so he did, for $50 ,000.

That was the price, wasn't it?

The court reporter can't record a
movement of your head, Mr. Pearson.

have to answer vocally.

Now, $50 ,000 was the price for Tiger
Lil, wasn't it?

Yes. Why then, on the day Brad Shelby
gave you a check for $50 ,000, did you

liquidate your entire life savings?

Your bank accounts, bonds and stock,
your real estate.

Every penny you had.

To whom did you give your life savings?
To whom did you give $40 ,000 in cash?

Your Honor, I should like to recall
Roberta Harper to the stand.

You were secretary to Jennifer's father,
Howard Wakely, for two years.

During that time, did the late Howard
Wakely ever receive from an insurance

doctor a report about the physical
condition of his brother -in -law,

Pearson? Yes, I think he did. Yes, I'm
sure of it. Mr. Pearson was trying to

take out a big policy on his own life.

Naming his niece, Jennifer, as
beneficiary.

Trying, Roberta?

He was turned down, I think.

An uninsurable man trying to help his
niece, worried about her security.

Had Emmett Pearson ever been involved in
any business dealings where a racehorse

was concerned with the late Howard
Wakely?

No, not that I know of. Had he ever been
involved in a racehorse deal with Brad

Shelby? I was Brad Shelby's wife for a
short period of time.

Not as secretary.

I know of no such deals.

Since you were Howard Wakely's
secretary, I assume that where he was

you were a little more familiar with his
business dealings.

Yes, that's right. As secretary, you
typed letters, took messages, placed and

received many phone calls.

Yes. Would you say you were familiar
with the voices of the people who called

often during that time?

Familiar enough to identify them, I
mean? Yes, by all means.

Who were some of those who called more
or less regularly?

Well, Mr. Pearson and Dr.

Orson, Mr. Wakely's broker, Mr. Atkins,
Brad Shelby called, and Madeline Haynes.

Mrs. Shelby, that is.

And Jennifer, of course.

Then, Roberta, the telephone call
Jennifer received in your

apartment the night of the murder.

Now, you knew it was Madeline.

You knew it was Madeline who called
Jennifer.

Why did you lie to him?

Madeline Shelby knew she was talking to
you when she called to tell Jennifer to

come and get her horse. Now, why did you
lie to Miss Street and me?

Why did you say you didn't know the
identity of the woman who'd called

I must have made a mistake.

Just like the mistake Brad Shelby made
by marrying Madeline Haynes, thinking

had divorced him?

I did divorce him.

Did you?

Where? In Mexico.

My investigator checked in Mexico.

He found out you started divorce
proceedings seven years ago and suddenly

dropped the action. You never got the
divorce.

No, I didn't.

Seven years ago when I met Brad, I
thought he had money, was rich.

He fooled me, tricked me.

He took every cent I'd scrimped and
saved. Ten thousand dollars he took from

And then he walked out. And he left me
alone and broke.

I started a divorce.

And then I changed my mind.

someday he'd want that divorce and he'd
pay for it.

Pay good.

When he married Madeline Haynes and
found out you'd never divorced him, how

did you ask him to pay?

$40 ,000.

The $40 ,000 in cash Emmett Pearson gave
Brad Shelby?

Yes.

Mr. Pearson was going to turn over his
life savings to Jennifer anyway.

It was an easy way for him to...

Get an extra $10 ,000 for her. And it
was a way for Brad to write off $50 ,000

of Madeline's money.

Brad Shelby's hurried trip to Mexico.

It was for more than just getting rid of
Tiger Lil, wasn't it?

It was to obtain the quick divorce you
had refused to go through with.

Yes. And lying to me about that call.

That was to keep me from going to the
Shamrock stables that night because you

had a date to meet Brad Shelby and
collect your $40 ,000.

Roberta, before you killed him,

Did he give you the money?

Yes.

I have the money. I still have it.

He was drunk.

Ugly.

After he gave me the money, he heard
Jennifer take her horse out of the

He ran after her.

He grabbed at her.

She ran away toward the house.

I stopped him after she threw the
spreader and missed him.

I was scared. I was scared for Jennifer.

I threatened to tell Madeline if he
didn't leave her alone.

He was furious.

He said as long as I lived, I was a
threat. I could tell Madeline that their

marriage wasn't legal.

I said, I'll give you back the money.
I'd go away. I'd get a divorce. I'd

even see him again. He just kept shaking
his head and grinning.

He'd make sure.

That's what he said.

He'd make sure that I'd never be in his
money.

I was scared. I picked up the spreader.

Jenny, believe me, I was frightened for
you.

But I couldn't say anything without
giving back the money.

Don't you see?

The money's mine.

It's mine.

Roberta had a sick, desperate need for
money, for security.

So she stole from your brother -in
-law's accounts.

I spotted the false entries on the
books.

$10 ,000 missing.

Jenny'd suffered enough already.

I couldn't let her think her father was
dishonest. I had to cover at any cost.

What made you suspect Roberta, Mr.
Mason?

Well, I believed that Jennifer was
telling the truth, so someone else had

have been there that night.

When I... realized that Roberta had lied
about that call when we found that

she'd begun a divorce action in Mexico
and then stopped it.

It wasn't too difficult to put the whole
story together.

Agreeing to Shelby's proposition was a
hard decision, Mr. Mason.

I knew it was morally, if not legally,
wrong.

But I was desperate.

Tiger Lil was Jennifer's only asset.

Was?

Looks as though she's still an asset.

What?

Isn't it wonderful?

Lil's gonna be a mother.

Respective father.

The shamrock's best.

So we could start our new stables with a
new bloodline.

That is, you'll be my partner, Uncle
Owen.

So long.