Original subtitles

Well, you said you wanted some with larger rhinestones, and those are

know, but now these have the wrong kind of clips.

Yes, but I'm certain I showed you a pair with the kind that you liked.

Oh, but they were the ones that were more of a turquoise, weren't they?

I mean, don't you think a clearer blue with my coloring is... My dear, at this

point, I'm not sure at all what I think.

Oh, dear, I am a nuisance, aren't I?

I don't know why I...

Just can't seem to make up my mind about anything today.

Maybe I have some down here that you might like better.

You know, maybe I should be looking at brooches.

That's really what I came to this counter for.

And if we could find something that matches.

I wonder if you could tell me where a lady's room is.

Yes, of course. There's one right down the corridor there.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Here, you drop this.

Thank you.

Are you all right?

I don't think she's very well.

I know. I'd better take a look.

Let me start with her, please.

Men's furnishings are on through that way, sir.

Right through the next section.

Thank you.

Oh, excuse me, sir, but have you seen... Yes?

I'm sorry, I don't ordinarily speak to strangers, but I'm looking for my aunt,

white -haired woman. I lost her down a millinery.

Dark coat, flowered hat?

Aunt Sarah!

Jimmy, where on earth have you been? I've been looking all over this whole

store. Oh, no, you don't stand right there, madam, right where you are.

Well, Miss Fairweather?

Two scarves, a dozen stockings, and this necklace is from my counter, too. She

just dropped them in there.

Tried to get rid of them, you mean. Oh, she knew I'd spotted what she'd done all

right. Sarah, what's he talking about?

Shoplifting, that's what. Well, there's not going to be any more of them in my

section. Now, you just let go of her.

Oh, no, it's no misunderstanding. You're a thief, and you know it. There's not

one single sales slip with those items. Now, wait. Just wait. I'll pay for

anything. And you'll go along too, young lady. I guess I know an accomplice when

I see one. No, you just don't have to be so... I'd call a store detective if I

were you.

Oh, you would, would you? And who are you, sir?

My name is Mason. I'm an attorney.

Well, then, you must be familiar with the fact that the store has a perfect

right to detain anyone suspected of stealing.

But you don't have the right to slander this woman in front of these people, nor

to commit battery by grabbing her that way.

Well, of all the nerve, I... In fact, if she has any reasonable explanation for

what she's done...

You may find you're putting the store in worse trouble than this woman is.

Well, I'm certainly not going to stand there.

That's right, you idiot.

Now, please, everyone, just move along. Thank you.

Terribly sorry, madam.

If you'll both step into the office, I'm sure we can straighten this out in just

a moment.

It's obviously a mistake.

I know it's a mistake.

My aunt's never stolen anything in her whole life.

Ladies.

Thank you.

I don't quite know what all this fuss is about, but... Thank you anyway.

Taxi! I've never been so mortified in all my life. They let us pay for

everything, and you do need the stockings.

78 dollars?

And, Sarah, what is the matter with you? I don't know.

I'm not sure I even remember exactly what's been happening.

Get in. No! We ought to go to George's office and we can walk there.

You are going straight home and straight to bed. But I want to see if he's come

back yet.

Oh, Jenny, I'm so worried about George.

Maybe that's what's been upsetting me.

Ever since George disappeared... You hate Uncle George.

Underneath, you know you really hate him.

Nonsense. I love my brother. Besides, I'm worried about his business. If

stays away very long... Sarah, can't you for once just let other people's

problems go hang? Of course not. It's a very important and valuable business.

Here. I'm sorry we bothered you. All right. All right.

I'll do all the worrying. I'll take care of Uncle George. I'll take care of

everything. Only will you go home? Go home right now.

Well, where is he?

Your Uncle George?

Mm -hmm. Hasn't come in yet?

Well, of course not. The infantile adult never behaves.

Oh, well, we have plenty of work to do without him.

This arrived in the morning mail.

Sure you don't have to worry about your uncle. His car keys.

Well, that doesn't just take... Hello?

Oh, um, hello, Mr. Collins.

Oh, no, he just stepped out for a moment. Is there any message I can...

What?

The bed for diamonds?

One moment, Mr. Collins.

Tell him it's all right. It'll be taken care of right on time.

What are the bed for diamonds?

Your Aunt Sarah was down earlier this morning and opened the safe. I can do

job myself.

It's just a recutting job that Mr. Collins brought down for your uncle

morning. Beautiful stones. I'll show them to you.

Hello, Mr. Collins.

I believe those stones are being worked on right now, so...

Well, why didn't you say so?

Yes, I'll give the instructions.

Goodbye.

Oh, that was a false alarm.

He says don't cut the stones yet. The owner wants to show them to a possible

buyer.

Say something. Isn't that all right?

Mrs. Bedford's diamonds.

They're not here.

Perhaps you'd better start at the beginning.

Mr. Mason, my Aunt Sarah's never taken a thing in her life.

Her only trouble is she just gives all the time.

Only now she's sick and she's disappeared again.

She never took that taxi home, don't you understand?

You see, after the store apologized for saying she'd been shoplifting... She had

been shoplifting.

All right, of course she had.

Only now she's stolen Mrs. Bedford's diamonds.

I know she has them because the foreman saw them in the safe when he and Uncle

George locked up last night before he disappeared.

Just as though all her unconscious resentments had boiled up and snapped.

Snapped at what?

Well, at Uncle George, of course.

All her life she's had to look out for that creature.

I take it you don't like George Trent very well.

Whatever gives you that idea?

I'm just realistic about my emotions, that's all.

Oh, I see.

No, you don't.

You see, the trouble with Uncle George is he's never had any boyhood.

He's always been good and made money, and now he's 50, and... Well, you see,

has this innate repression, this subconscious rebellion against

which... Which... Which does what?

Which makes him get drunk.

Go on.

Well, that's what the keys are all about.

Whenever he feels one of his periods of release coming on, he puts his car keys

in an envelope and mails them to himself.

I think that's a very good thing for a man to do when he's going to start

drinking. You needn't defend him, Mr. Mason.

Because then it gets worse.

When he drinks, he starts gambling.

Why, sometimes he can lose thousands of dollars.

You don't think a lifetime of that is enough to make my Aunt Sarah snap.

Excuse me, Perry. There's a Mr. Austin Collins to see. I'll just go on in if

don't mind.

Ginny, what the devil's going on? You running to lawyers, stores phoning me

character references about your aunt, your uncle's foreman, running all over

place like a chicken with his head chopped off? Yes, I know, I know. Those

diamonds are missing.

Now, please listen, Mr. Collins. We're going to find them, or rather, Mr. Mason

is. And we'll find Uncle George and Aunt Sarah, too. But you must realize that

she's not well.

Well, she'd never do anything like this if she weren't so psychologically upset.

Oh, gobbledygook.

Hello, Mr. Mason. I'm Austin Collins. I've known this kid since she was this

high. Used the same silly words then.

Oh, Mr. Collins. Sarah Brill is no more sick than I am.

She's just putting on an act to cover up for George, that's all.

What do you mean, Mr. Collins?

Oh, the old mother hen.

Doesn't want me getting sore and accusing George of grand theft.

Ginny, you know very well he has those diamonds.

Probably hawking him in some poker game right now.

May, if that is the case, what do you intend to do about it?

Nothing. We've been friends for 20 years, Mr. Mason. I'll get those stones

Those stones actually belong to a Mrs. Bedford, isn't that right?

I'm a dealer in gems. Buy and sell. This time I'm acting as an agent. Now I own

Bedford as a buyer who wants to look at things and... Mr. Cullens, you just

can't tell Mrs. Bedford any of this. Of course I can.

And I can also tell her not to worry.

George Trent has never let me down yet.

Ginny, you've got to learn something.

In a difficult situation, the only thing to do is tell the truth.

Here's the point, Virginia.

Now you come along and stop pestering people. You're the one who needs a

All right.

Goodbye, Mr. Mason.

Bye, Virginia.

Dillon, get hold of Paul Drake.

I want him to start looking in a hurry.

For the diamonds, Perry?

No, for Aunt Sarah.

Look where?

Oh, begin with police headquarters, ambulance calls, emergency hospitals.

Oh, Mr. Mason.

Good evening, Andre.

I have a message for you. From Mr. Drake? He was going to meet me here.

Your exchange.

A number to call.

Here it is.

Thank you.

This is Ione Bedford.

Well, the minute I found out my beautiful diamonds had disappeared, I

Austin Cullens I was going to sue.

You were going to sue?

Well, you don't think I'd run the risk of being messed up by the famous Perry

Mason.

Legally speaking, that is.

What else made you change your mind, Mrs. Bedford?

Well, Austin found the diamonds.

They're at a place called the Golden Platter, I think.

Apparently, that ridiculous George person had borrowed money on them to

with. Did Mr.

Collins get the diamonds back for you?

Well, the people are still hemming and hawing a little, I gather.

But Aussie says that's the usual noise, so we'll pay a little extra.

But he says don't worry, he can handle it all right.

And I did want you to know, Mr. Mason, that there's nothing more that needs to

be done.

Bye -bye.

Perry, this is Sergeant Gifford.

How do you do, Sergeant?

The sergeant is not something I dug up. So far, this hasn't been my day for

finding people.

I came to find you, Mr. Mason.

I understand you guys have been asking all over town for a Mrs.

Sarah Briel, right?

What about Mrs. Briel, Sergeant?

What is it you want?

I want to know how come you seem to know, in advance, that the old lady was

going to be hurt.

Hurt?

She was struck down by a car less than an hour ago.

She's in emergency hospital.

Fractured left ankle. She's pretty badly bruised. A slight concussion.

Is that why she's still unconscious?

No, no. I gave her a sedative for pain.

When she came to after she'd been hit, her mind seemed to wander a good deal.

She couldn't remember anything.

Sergeant, I'm going to take her upstairs now.

Okay. But remember that officer stays on duty up there. Why?

What has she done?

Maybe you can tell me if you're wise, Mr. Mason.

Follow me.

Apparently the old lady was just running along the sidewalk out on Rupert

Street. She jumped out between parked cars.

Some guy coming along slow hit her.

Have you got the driver of the car?

I talked to him.

It wasn't his fault.

He said some kind of blue sedan pulled out from the curb in front of him.

He swerved so he didn't see the dame when she ran out.

And not in a crosswalk either.

Here.

This is stuff that fell out of her purse when she was hit.

The gun, too?

That's right.

But you don't actually know that it was ever in her purse, of course. It was

just found there on the pavement, I suppose.

All right, Mason.

Try to dodge this.

Look rather like diamonds.

Huh.

Like a measly 50 ,000 bucks worth, maybe.

So what don't you know about them?

Sergeant... Since I've never seen those stones before, I obviously can't make

any statements about them. Now look here, Mason. And since I can't talk to

Breal, I can't ask her about them now, can I?

So if you'll excuse me, I have my own work to do.

Good night.

Paul, have you located Virginia Trent?

No, not yet, but the police must have her name or number from Sarah's

identification.

Perry, I just tried her phone.

I know what I'm looking for.

Here it is.

Cullens, Austin Cullens, 9461 Rupert Street.

Sarah's accident must have been down there near the corner.

Paul.

Anybody home?

Mr. Cullen.

Wait a minute, there's a lamp over here.

Somebody put a penny in it.

Pa?

It's Austin Collins.

He's been shot.

He's dead.

So here, Perry.

His shirt was pulled out and this was...

Tied around his waist.

Shammy bag of some sort. Oh, not just some sort. It's the type of pouch that

dealers often carry.

Only that Colleen's pouch was inside out and empty.

Then we don't know what was ever inside it, do we? Oh, no, no. Why, it couldn't

be those diamonds we saw by the old lady's bag. Of course not.

Excuse me, Lieutenant.

Yes, Gabbard.

Please, don't leave quite yet.

Drag, I've reported a crime. I've told you all I can about it. Never mind,

Sergeant.

Harry, about that gun we found in Sarah Briel's purse.

It wasn't actually found in the purse, as I recall.

Two shots were fired from that gun, and one slug was found in Cullen's body.

And I'm sure I'll find the other one around here any minute now.

Lieutenant, you haven't even run a ballistics check yet.

No, but we traced the gun's serial number.

And it's registered to the George Trent Company.

So what?

It was kept in an office desk.

The same desk Sarah Briel used whenever she was there.

It was seen in that desk just a few days ago.

Who says all this?

Old Dame has a niece named Virginia Trent.

One of our men's been talking to her down at the hospital.

And of course the girl insists that her Aunt Sarah just couldn't commit such a

horrible crime.

Drag, someone stuck a penny in her light socket. Probably so Collins would blow

a fuse when he came home.

An assailant who preferred darkness, in other words.

Now, if that sounds like an old lady's trick to you... Sounds like you think

you're in court already.

Relax, Drag. In this case, believe it or not, I don't even have a client yet.

But Jenny says I need you for my lawyer.

And I've known all day how badly you need help, Mrs. Briel.

But I can't very well represent you unless you tell me the truth.

Oh, dear, haven't I?

I'm supposed to be sleeping, they said.

And I'm held under suspicion of something.

Murder, Mrs. Brill.

I know you can't really talk much until morning.

But if you could just tell me why you went out to Austin Cullen's house.

Department store.

I remember seeing you.

And then later on, I had a lamb chop for dinner somewhere.

Oh, no, I'm not sure I even remember that.

All right.

You can let me know in the morning if you've changed your mind.

And my brother, poor little George.

I think I was looking for him.

Oh, everything would be so much clearer if only I could find George.

I've got a man trying to trace him right now, Mrs. Brill, but we're not having

any luck.

Well, there, you're doing it.

So you already are my lawyer.

Now that's settled, I can go to sleep happy, Mr. Mason.

You want to see me?

Yes, Mr. Golding, I do.

I'm Paul Drake. I know.

Come on in the office.

You own and operate the Golden Platter, I understand.

I got a message you're looking for George Trent.

A man named Austin Cullens told someone that Trent had been in here during the

last day or two.

I know Trent.

Big drinker, big plunger. But not often, not for months.

Somebody told somebody wrong, that's all.

Apparently, Trent hocked some diamonds with you to get money to gamble with.

I run a quiet business, Mr. Drake. You run a joint.

You've had trouble with the police.

Now, I think Cullens got those diamonds back from you.

Maybe this evening.

I never met anybody named Cullens.

Now, get out of here.

Then you don't care if he's dead.

If what?

Cullens was murdered.

Probably just after leaving your place. Just in case you didn't know.

Well, what's this guy Cullens look like?

Six feet tall, medium build? Okay.

Never mind.

It's the same bird, all right. He left here around 7 o 'clock, no later.

After what?

After taking back the diamonds?

After he asked the same stupid questions you did and after I gave him the same

answers. I haven't seen Trent and I haven't seen any diamonds.

Now, good night, Mr.

Drake.

Good night.

I'm going out, Joe.

I'll be back in a little while.

They're lovely, aren't they?

The diamonds.

I thought you'd like to know about it as quickly as possible.

That your diamonds have been found.

I never mind company at this hour.

Only, where did you get the picture, Mr. Mason?

From the police department.

They have the diamonds down there right now.

They were found in some woman's purse, you say?

Last I knew, Aussie Cullens phoned and said he could get my diamonds back from

some gambling place.

Like I told you.

That the last time you talked to Cullens?

Well, yes.

Only I do think I should be talking to him again, don't you?

Why you came to see me instead of him, I really... I just wanted to show you

this picture. I thought you'd be glad to know that your diamonds have been

recovered.

Well, I'm not particularly.

You see, those aren't my diamonds.

I've never seen those stones before in my life.

You sure?

Here, take another one. They're not mine, I tell you. I don't know anything

about them.

All right, relax.

A man named Paul Drake knows I'm here.

Yeah, I thought I heard a man's voice in here. Please, this is Pete, Mr.

Chenery, my husband. We haven't been living together... All right, shut up.

Pete, this is... I know who he is. What do you think I've been watching you for?

Collins, I'm going to wring your neck. Stop it, Pete. This is Mr.

Mason. He's a lawyer.

I'm sorry to disappoint you.

But Austin Cullens is already dead.

He's been murdered.

So that's why you came to see me.

You think I had something to do with Austin Cullens?

Well, you went out with the guy, didn't you? You moved out of our place, changed

your name.

Oh, stop it, you fool.

Yes, Mr. Mason, I... I did let Austin Cullens take me out.

I even helped him sell his diamonds and things.

What do you mean, helped him sell his diamonds?

Well, you see, Mr. Mason, the reason I couldn't identify those things in the

picture is because I don't own any diamonds.

I never did.

He used me to pretend to put on a show of being rich and owning jewelry.

It helped him get a much higher price, he said. You call me a fool.

Oh, Pete.

Darling, please understand.

Was Austin Collins a crook?

Is that why you're so frightened now?

I don't really know what he was.

At first I just thought I was helping him in his business, but then he kept

mentioning more and more gems.

Don't tell him anymore.

But Pete, if Ozzie's been murdered... Then you need your own lawyer, not this

one. Get out of here, Mason.

You're right, Mr. Channery.

Maybe you both need lawyers.

Glad to see you.

What is this with you and this Collins guy? What's been going on here?

been going on, darling. You've got to understand. What are you talking about?

Where'd you get this place and those clothes and everything?

Fence.

I... I don't understand.

I'm sure we'll find that Austin Collins was dealing in stolen jewels.

He used Ione Bedford to put up a front as owner of certain items so that they

could be sold on an open market instead of the usual half -price underworld

deal. We've known Austin for years.

Under certain compulsions, a person can change, Aunt Sarah.

Now, don't you think you've always trusted Austin?

He used to be honest.

And you've always trusted your brother George, of course. Or so you've claimed.

What?

Auntie, you just can't go on trying to protect... Ginny, I've told you before,

I'll do all the talking in this family.

Mrs. Briel, I want to know what happened last night.

Oh, if only I could remember.

Mrs. Briel, ballistics has now proved that the bullet that killed Cullens came

from that gun in your purse.

They've also found blood on one of your shoes that matches Cullens' blood.

They'll be ready for a hearing on your case almost immediately.

Well...

Well, I'm not afraid of that.

I'll defend you with nothing if I have to.

But I'd much rather show all the pains you went through.

Losing your memory, shoplifting, just so you'd be taken for a thief instead of

George Trent.

Maybe even so you'd take the blame for a murder instead of... I can't help it,

Mr. Mason.

Until you find George, I'm afraid you'll just have to... have to do without

me.

No more keys in the mail?

No postcards from Las Vegas?

There's nothing from Uncle George.

I suppose the police have been through here already.

Yes, they looked at the safe last night.

What's this other door key on here?

That's just for storage. Uncle George rented that office for shipping and

things, but he doesn't use it anymore.

Hello?

Yes, this is the Trent Company, but there's no one here right now.

I told you.

Oh, yes, he is.

One moment, please.

Who's calling?

Mr. Dre.

Mr. Mason?

Stay there, Virginia.

What happened?

There's a Mr. Paul Dre... I tried to move one of the crates.

It turned over.

I guess he's been dead for a couple of days.

Uncle George.

So George Trent's

been dead ever since this whole thing began.

The police doctor thinks he was probably shot sometime late Monday night.

It was Tuesday morning when Sarah Briel got in trouble for shoplifting.

Now it's Wednesday and they're still going ahead with a hearing right away?

Berger feels he has an airtight case against Mrs. Briel for killing Austin

Collins.

Well, is he going to claim she killed her brother, too?

Well, two shots had been fired from that gun they claim fell from her purse,

remember? But you said the bullets couldn't be matched.

The slug that killed Trent went through his body and flattened when it hit an

iron pipe there in the office.

But it weighs the same as the other, and it's not only the same caliber, but

analysis shows it's the same alloy and same manufacturer.

Well, that still doesn't prove anything.

That is for who killed Trent.

Lonely office building, late at night, no exact time of death. Check.

That's why they'll stick to one murder charge at a time.

Well, here's what I had to report on the Cullens case before I was so rudely

interrupted.

One blue sedan.

A what?

Last night, when I followed the owner of the gambling joint, Bill Golding, he

went straight home.

Then straight back again. But this time, he used a different car.

Then this morning...

Golding drove the first car to a used car lot and sold it for $2 ,700.

A blue sedan?

I didn't click on any of this until I read the police report on your client's

accident.

The man who hit her said a blue sedan had just pulled away from the curb.

Paul, if this man Golding went out to Cullen's place last night... Don't get

excited, Perry.

Since then, Golding's disappeared.

Oh, Paul.

All right.

Get every man you have on the job.

Perry, can't your client help you now?

After all, with her brother dead, there's no point in the old dame still

protecting him, covering for him.

That's my trouble, Paul.

Now Sarah Briel's less help than ever.

Now she insists she can't or won't remember anything.

Yeah, Gertie.

For me, put him on.

Hi, this Paul.

You did?

Good.

Located Golding.

Okay, I got it. Thanks.

Well, no wonder we couldn't find him.

Golding was picked up by the DA's office.

They're keeping him under wraps, planning to use him as a prosecution

Well, Mr. Cullen phoned and said he had located the diamonds.

I didn't know whether it was true or not.

He seemed anxious that I phone Mr. Mason for him and reassure him.

Mostly he was worried that a lawyer or anyone like that would become involved.

Mrs. Chenery, have you ever seen these diamonds before?

Mr. Berger, I've told you a thousand times, I was not Mr. Cullen's partner.

I just pretended I owned things and he paid me for it.

He said what he was doing was good salesmanship.

Salesmanship? I think we can find a better name for it than that.

High -class fencing, I suppose you'd call it.

Those diamonds were originally stolen from a collection in New York City.

So far, we've traced three gem sales that Cullen's made from stolen items.

All within the last few months, however.

Apparently, Cullen's business was quite legitimate for many years.

Sergeant Gifford, there's one thing that bothers me.

Now, as an expert witness on robbery matters, perhaps you can answer one

question for me.

Why would Austin Collins take a stolen item like these diamonds to George

The same reason he used the lady there.

Part of the come on. The build up for the big sale.

Maybe he was nervous. He wanted the stones recut so they wouldn't be

too easy.

There's a lot of reasons.

One moment.

Mr. Mason, you realize this is a speculative answer and highly irregular.

If you wish to make objection...

On the contrary, Your Honor, defense is quite willing to stipulate that almost

anything Austin Collins did lately was criminal, provided it is clear that we

make no stipulations regarding George Trent, either as to his involvement with

Collins or as to his honesty.

Mr. Berger?

Well, in that case, Your Honor, I have no further questions of this witness.

Mr. Mason?

Sergeant Gifford.

You testified earlier that you were present when Homicide examined the scene

Austin Cullen's death. Now, do you know whether they recovered a second bullet

anywhere in that room?

No, sir, they didn't find it.

Anyway, it's my understanding they quit looking when George Trent's body was

discovered in the same caliber bullet. Just answer my questions, please,

Sergeant. Now, you were also present when the empty gem pouch was recovered

Cullen's body, is that correct?

It is.

Also from his trouser pockets, one wallet, comb, handkerchief? Yeah, I help

all that.

And tell us, which pocket were his car keys in?

Which?

Well, right front pocket, I guess.

Sure, same as the comb, I remember.

And the four and a half dollars in loose change?

It was in the left pocket. And his wallet?

Left hip pocket.

Look, what's the point of... And what was in his right hip pocket?

What? Well, that's all there is listed.

You mean the man had nothing in his right hip pocket?

No, sir.

It was empty.

Didn't that strike you as rather unusual, Sergeant, considering Mr.

right -handed?

Well, I guess I just never thought about that.

Of course.

You're only on robbery detail, aren't you, Sergeant?

Thank you.

That'll be all.

So you'd been out of town, you came back, and you were watching your wife,

that right?

Well, people have been writing to me.

I mean, she was moved out on me already, but now she was going with this guy

Cullens and wearing all those fancy clothes.

So, sure, I watched Ione's place for a couple of days, but I didn't get a crack

at him.

So what did you decide to do then, Mr. Chenery?

Well, I decided to go to his place and meet him.

Have a talk, maybe.

Why didn't you ask your wife for an explanation first?

Mr. Chenery, you're going to have to be just as frank here as you were in my

office.

Okay, so I'm out of funds.

I figured maybe if this guy didn't know, I only had a husband around still.

All right.

All right, you decided to shake him down in some way. Now, what did you do on

the night of Mr. Cullen's murder?

Well, I went out to his house about 7 .30, and I was just about to knock when

heard voices.

There must have been a window open in the side room there.

Whose voices did you hear, Mr. Chenery?

I don't know.

Just a man and a woman.

But I wouldn't be able to recognize any of these people.

Well, did you hear any specific words?

Well, the man was doing most of the talking, and I heard him say, uh...

For Pete's sake, will you quit worrying about George Trent?

Then I heard him say, get out of here. Go on, get out.

And that's all you heard? Nothing else at all? Well, just then a car pulled up

and stopped in front of the place. So I figured maybe I'd better come back some

other time to meet Cullens. And I left.

That's all I know.

As you left that house, did you happen to notice what kind of a car it was that

had pulled up and stopped there?

Not really, no.

Except it was a sedan.

A blue sedan.

Your witness.

Mr. Chenery, isn't it possible that the woman's voice you heard inside Mr.

Cullen's house was the voice of your own wife?

No, because first I thought the same thing.

So I went straight to a drugstore and I phoned Ione's place.

Well, she answered.

Me, I hung up and I went to a bar to figure what next.

You do quite a bit of figuring, don't you, Mr. Chenery?

In 1957, you were arraigned in San Francisco on a bunco charge. In 1955,

spent six months in jail for burglary. Your Honor, I'll object to that.

Castle knows full well that an arraignment is no proper grounds for

witness. Neither is a conviction for a misdemeanor. Never mind, Mr. Berger.

sustain you.

Then, Your Honor, I'd like permission to recall Mr. Chenery after hearing the

testimony of the next witness.

I see nothing wrong with that.

I see nothing wrong in that either, Your Honor.

I call Mr. Bill Golding to the stand.

Sure.

I own the blue sedan.

The only reason I tried to get rid of it was first reaction when I heard there

was a murder.

That's all.

I'm a businessman.

I don't like to get mixed up in these things.

You say that you spoke to Austin Cullens earlier that evening?

Yeah, like I said, when he put on a pitch about George Trent hocking some

diamonds at my place.

And what did you do after Mr. Collins left the Golden Platter?

Well, I used to know George Trent.

I thought maybe he was in trouble.

So I tried to phone him a few places, but couldn't reach him.

And what then?

So I got to thinking.

What was this Bird Collins trying to pull?

Maybe he was trying to get me into trouble.

So I looked up his address, and I drove out there.

And did you see Mr.

Chenery leave the house as you arrived there?

No. It was getting dark on that side of the street.

There were a lot of trees around, and the house was dark, too.

I waited around a few minutes, and I got out and walked over to the liquor

store, phoned the house, tried to see if I could raise anybody.

I tried a couple of times, but no luck. Then when I came back outside, I heard a

shot. It sounded like a shot.

Well, I figured there was no place for me to be.

Only just when I started the car, I heard some banging around going on

the house.

A few minutes later, this woman came running out.

Did you get a good look at that woman, Mr. Golding?

That's her.

The defendant.

This is Sarah Briel.

And what happened then, Mr. Golding?

Well, she looked so scared and wild running off down that sidewalk, I just

thought I'd better get out of there.

Only just as I pulled away from the curb, I heard some brakes screech.

I didn't look back.

I didn't see the other car hit her.

I'm sorry about that.

I'm a businessman, but I would have stopped.

I would have helped her.

Mr.

Mason, I want you to plead me guilty.

Mrs. Breal... No, I mean it.

You heard their testimony. There's not a single flaw.

One man heard those voices in the house arguing.

Heard me and Mr. Collins, I mean.

Then that other man heard the shot and saw me running.

Well, I was there because when I went home that evening, I'd found a delayed

message from George.

which he had sent the night before.

Well, he had discovered that Austin Cullen was a crook,

and he was going to investigate.

Well, I marched right over there, and after Mr. Cullen was dead, I took the

diamonds off his body. Of course I took them.

That's when I got his blood on my shoe.

And that gun, they have a gun I used.

Oh, it's just ridiculous you're wasting your time trying to keep me from being

punished for what I did.

All right, that's enough.

Paul.

Mrs. Breal, I got permission to bring you a visitor in here.

Oh, Jenny.

Sarah.

Oh, you crazy stubborn... Now, now, it's all right, it's all right.

The psychological trouble with you, Mrs. Briel, is that you can't resist taking

on everyone else's problems.

I beg your pardon.

But it was a long time before I realized that you weren't just protecting your

brother. It's someone living.

It's Virginia you're really trying to cover for, isn't it?

No, that's not true.

Please answer.

You be quiet. I've told you I'm in charge of this family.

And I think Virginia might like to be in charge of herself for a change.

Yes, Mr. Mason, I would.

Virginia. There could have been two women in that house.

Or one there earlier.

You could have seen that message from George Trent and got over there first.

It could have been your voice that Mr. Chenery heard fighting with Collins.

Yes, yes. No, no, that's not true.

Virginia.

I think it was Austin Collins who murdered your uncle to keep himself from

exposed.

I think everything Collins did after that was simply to drag red herrings all

over the place.

Now, I don't think Collins would have kept the gun he killed George with.

But he did keep your office gun. Perhaps he'd taken it away from George.

Anyway, I think that on the night that you went to see Collins, he was still

carrying that gun in his empty hip pocket.

He threatened me with it. Oh, Jenny.

Told me to go into the living room, but when he switched on the lamp, all the

lights went out.

And he grabbed me so I couldn't run.

He'd been arguing.

He realized I knew about him.

And when the telephone started ringing, I twisted his arm to get away.

The gun went off and I ran.

I hope you realize what you've done.

A poor child with her entire life before her.

Now, the gun went off how many times, Virginia?

Just once.

Well... Get a thousand men if you have to.

Drag will help, but don't tell him why.

Remember the testimony about an open window? And two bullets. I got you.

were a lot of trees outside.

A garage it might have hit.

I'm on my way.

What are you doing?

I'm going to put on a defense for you, Mrs. Brill, with just one witness.

Virginia.

I don't exactly know how the gun went off, but it did. I didn't even wait to

what had happened.

Finally, I went through an alley, but there were fences.

And back on the street, there were cars going by.

I was so frightened.

Finally, I went through the trees and a way down a side street.

Go on, Virginia.

That's when Aunt Sarah must have seen me.

She told me later that she'd come up on the porch and heard the shot

and saw me running away.

Poor Aunt Sarah.

She went in and found his body.

Please, Your Honor, just because she took the gun and things away.

Just because she tried to protect me, she shouldn't be punished.

Don't you understand?

I'm the one who killed Austin Collins.

Thank you, Virginia.

That's all, Your Honor.

Well, Mr. Berger, are you going to cross -examine?

Or would you prefer that I entertain a motion for dismissal of the charges

against Mrs. Brio?

No, Your Honor, I believe I'd prefer a brief recess while the witness has a

chance to recover herself.

Of course.

Court recessed for half an hour.

Perry, what in the name of the... I'm sorry I've watched up your case a

Haven't you heard from Tragg yet? Tragg?

He ought to be back in a few minutes.

Perry, what I don't understand is why did you do it that way and break the old

lady's heart?

Why didn't you come to me about the niece? I'm... Here they are.

Got it, Perry. Fight for you to open an elm tree.

I didn't let Virginia start until I got your phone call.

What is that?

The second bullet.

What second bullet?

Mr. Berger, I'm very sorry the way this had to be handled, but this is the other

slug that we stopped looking for.

The same caliber, marking.

I think we'll find it'll, uh... Match the gun all right.

Well, it's always bothered me where that second shot might have been fired.

Then didn't you notice the discrepancy in testimony, Hamilton?

Virginia said that Cullen's phone started ringing and that's when the shot

fired. But Mr. Golding said that he phoned a couple of times, waited a few

moments, then went out into the street and then heard a shot. Just one shot.

Well, certainly the girl could have pulled the trigger twice.

In a quick struggle...

Two shots, several minutes apart?

No, Hamilton.

I'm sure you don't think so either, do you, Mr. Chenery?

What are you talking about?

Hamilton, if there were two quite separate shots fired from that gun, and

went through a window into a tree, the other killed Austin Cullens, then it's

likely that the wild shot was the first shot, don't you think?

Virginia's shot?

Oh, where's all this?

Look, Mr. Brigger, if it's legal ethics for me to say anything, I told the truth

in there about what I saw at Cullen's house instead of that Golding guy.

Well, there sure wasn't time for anybody else to be galloping back and forth

around there, so whatever this guy says... I'm not suggesting anything so

complicated.

I just think there was someone else in the house all the time.

Go on, Perry.

Someone who had been ransacking the place, maybe.

Looking for some of Cullen's stolen jewelry.

The professional who stuck the penny in the lamp.

Though apparently it didn't work as a perfect warning system for him. Or did

Mr. Chenery?

How should I know?

That was pretty cute testimony you gave me.

That could have helped convict someone else.

You actually saw that blue sedan from inside the house, didn't you?

Look, Mr. Berger, you were in there all along, weren't you?

You picked up the gun after the girl ran away.

And then you fought with Cullens. And then you killed him.

And then you had to hide again because there was an old lady out on the porch.

What? You're both crazy.

You told me that you'd been watching your wife for several days.

She told me that she'd been with Cullens quite often. Now, I simply can't

believe that you wouldn't have seen him in that time.

Yet when you saw me in your wife's apartment, you made it a point to call

Cullens.

That's a pretty feeble trick.

Unless, of course, you were scared because you just murdered Cullens.

Hey, you're not going to paint me out of this. Let go of me.

I have a fingerprint crew working on that house again, stem to stern.

One print of yours, and we will paint you all right.

Go ahead, Sergeant.

He quit, Sheriff, and I didn't do it. It wasn't me. It was the old lady, the

kid, one of them.

Hey, let go of me. I tell you, I didn't do it.

You know, Perry, maybe for once,

I was wrong.

On this case.

It wasn't easy to get a confession out of him, but Tragg managed it.

Pete Chenery said that Austin Cullens caught him snooping around the house

before you came in, Virginia.

And that's why he was so upset.

Before I ever started talking.

Then when I demanded to know about Uncle George and accused him of being crooked

in some way. Sure.

No wonder he wanted to get rid of you in a hurry.

Well, when you ran out, he started scrambling around in the dark for his

But Pete Chenery was watching, and he found it first.

Pete claims that Cullen's fought him for it, but anyway, this time there was an

expert on the trigger.

Oh, dear, the things we think we're seeing.

Only they're not what we thought at all.

And Sarah.

In psychology, it's a commonly known fact that... I know, I know. The overly

protective mother hen.

I don't like people like that.

I'm just sorry I'm one of them.

Oh, I don't think that's what she was going to say, Mrs. Friel.

No, of course not.

I was going to say, when people love anyone as much as we loved Uncle George,

well, there just aren't any rules for how silly any of us will act.

Then, uh, why don't you take a lesson from him?

What? Give me your car keys.

Tell him. Put him in an envelope.

Yep.

Party's on us.

Let's go, Aunt Sarah.