Original subtitles

Mrs. Morris, is that you?

Hello, Joe.

Is Tony Clark? Yeah, Tony just called me. I guess he's out getting your house

opened up.

Your car's still in storage, too.

Say, we've sure been having some weather around here.

I'll meet you over at the garage, then.

Sure thing.

Say, it sure is nice to see you back.

Oh, I'm sorry.

It was me.

Good evening, Kevin.

How was Europe?

I didn't know you... Welcome home is what I'm trying to say.

You sound like you never expected to see me again.

Well, I certainly hoped I would, but after a whole year away... Look, how

are you going to stay? I'm going to Los Angeles just for the night. Oh, I'll be

in town for quite a while, I imagine.

Wonderful. That's just wonderful.

You know, a whole lot of your friends are going to be awfully glad that you're

back here.

Why don't we have dinner some night? Don't miss the train, Kevin.

Good night.

I guess you own this garage now, don't you, Mrs. Forrest?

Really, I haven't the slightest idea.

Is there gas?

Now, wait a minute now. I got the battery hooked up, but I haven't had a

to check the tires yet.

That's all right, Joe. Just open the doors, please.

They've been working on your road out there.

Washed out from the storm I started to tell you about. You can get through all

right.

Say, did you hear about Bernard Decker being married now?

And Mr. Lawrence, he's going to run for mayor.

Say, he was a friend of Dick's too, wasn't he? I believe all sorts of things

have been happening. I'm not interested in the local gossip, Joe. I didn't come

back here to... Sure. But why did you come back, Mrs. Forrest?

I mean, so unexpected.

Gosh, anybody can afford to live in Europe.

Who told you to ask me that?

Nobody. I'm just glad to see you back, that's all.

I mean, everybody's going to be. It's just like Tony says.

He wished he had time to get ready with a proper welcome.

Lucille! Walter!

Why didn't you bark or rattle your pills or something? Oh, for God's sake, I'm

sorry, but I couldn't believe it was you. I was just making a delivery at the

Dover Ranch. Got in the car, heard a blowout down here.

Stop making excuses and roll up your sleeves.

Oh, boy, same old Lucille.

Same old diplomat.

You're looking great.

Just great. Believe me. The lug wrench is under the chains there.

All right. All right. I'll save you.

I bet you've been having fun, haven't you, Lucille? If anybody deserves to

fun in life, it's you.

Nightclubs. I have sciatica.

Got a new bridge.

And my hair has to be dyed every two weeks now.

Well, what am I being a Boy Scout for?

I'm sorry, Walter.

I know how I look.

And I haven't really.

Oh, I just lost my head there for a minute.

Anyway, what's the richest widow in town doing waiting on a spare time?

As executor of your husband's estate, I say let the hired hands do the labor.

Tony Klaus can pick up your heat in the morning.

Come along, old woman.

I'm taking you home in style.

Thank you, Walter.

I'm glad you came by.

I wish I'd tried harder to see you after the funeral, but I knew how it felt.

Couldn't blame you for wanting to slip away as soon as possible.

I don't think I felt very much, Walter.

Jed was 82 years old.

His death was a blessing to him, really.

Yes, I know.

We're coming so soon after Dick.

You know what I mean. I know how long it took me to get over it after a bear

made me.

Anyway, nice to see you again and to know that you're all right.

As soon as word gets around that you're here, there'll be one party after

another.

I was always all right, Walter.

Hmm? I said, I was always all right.

Oh, I didn't mean anything more than just when a person gets upset.

That's what I finally realized.

It wasn't me.

It was this town.

It was even you.

Now, Lucy.

You know why I've come back?

I'm going to do what the law would never do for me.

I don't quite understand, Mrs. Forrest.

On the phone, you said you wanted to talk to me about a will.

But from the date of this copy, I would assume the will has already gone through

probation. Yes, it has. They appointed a friend of my husband's to be executive

and trustee, if that's necessary. But who says that everything is in my

now?

The bulk of your husband's property went into a life estate for you?

Except for some charity, and Tony Klaus, the handyman, was taken care of

naturally. Then what sort of advice do you want of me?

Mr. Mason, I married Chad Forrest only ten years ago. It was a marriage of

convenience, friendship for both of us, I guess.

You see, I was his housekeeper.

I had two children to support, my daughter, who's...

Married now in Chicago and... Richard.

Your son is the younger?

No.

But I wanted to make clear to you.

I'm not greedy about money.

I've had to work hard all my life.

And I can do it again.

But if your husband had no other family, if no one contested his will, I'd want

to meet him.

I haven't been in Europe.

Like I've told most people.

I've been in Chicago working, trying to save enough money so that I wouldn't

have to put one penny of the estate.

My daughter hasn't been well either, and there have been so many bills.

Tell me more about your son, Mrs. Forrest.

He died two years ago.

When I was 23.

What I want to know from you is on page three. Can they take Jed's estate away

from me?

If I do something that the will says I'm not supposed to.

In a conditioned, subsequent manner?

Yes. Yes, that's the phrase that the lawyer used.

There's one in there.

Jed didn't want to hurt me. He wanted to help me forget.

Didn't understand.

Couldn't believe that anybody in Forest Junction would be a murderer.

Of what?

The trustee has the power to terminate your estate if you should initiate

further investigation into your son's death.

I don't care.

I don't care what they do to him.

Mrs. Forrest, I strongly doubt that a clause so contrary to public policy

hold up in court.

But why do you think that someone would... I don't think it makes sense.

I know.

Dick went out on a hunting trip with some of his local friends.

They found him at his home.

Yes. He called it an accident.

But I know that one of those men killed him.

With Dick's own gun.

I know that's true, and now you're going to prove it for me.

Am I going to win the Guggenheim Award?

You print some pretty good recipes.

Good story on the county fair.

Nice weather report.

I told you there was nothing in there, didn't I?

I told you I was just looking.

Dick Forrest was a nice kid.

He couldn't have killed himself.

There was no one around here who would want to kill him.

I'll give you that idea.

I didn't say anything about killing.

Well, my secretary thinks you were some insurance company looking for an escape

clause. Something about some policy they forgot?

Yes, the real King Jack, that's all.

Biggest tough father's name, didn't he? Dick Forrest.

Yep. And they liked each other, too.

No trouble anywhere.

And Kevin Lawrence was an old buddy from way back.

But Lawrence was out there with a gun, too, that day, wasn't he?

And Miss Toni Klaus.

No, no, he wasn't there. He just drove Dick out to our camp that morning.

all. Our camp.

That's right. You were there, too, weren't you?

No, Mr. Drake, I was not.

I was on my way in town looking for a doctor.

Kevin's cooking, I guess.

When the boys had left to go hunting that morning, the old ulcers were acting

and they scare me when they bleed.

Oh, so that's it.

That evening, when Dick didn't return, Kevin phoned for help and the whole town

went looking.

They found him where he'd been crawling through a fence with the safety off, I

guess.

I see.

But you already know that, don't you?

Huh?

Mr. Drake, yesterday someone made an inquiry at the coroner's office and they

found that the county sheriff's records had been thoroughly checked.

Now, I don't know what your company thinks is trying to find... Don't ask

I just work for a living and do what I'm told.

By whom?

Lucille Forrest? It was she who put you up to this, wasn't it? It was she who

told you to stop... Mr. Day, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I've never even

met Mrs. Forrest.

What if it bothers you, my hanging around and padding the expense account?

No, sit there and read all the recipes you want. I don't care.

I just thought there might be a story in what you were doing.

And I'd like to write something besides the weather.

There was a girl there too, wasn't there?

What? She was waiting in camp for the boys to get back.

A girl named Myrna Decker.

Yes.

Yes.

Myrna was there.

Tony!

Hi, Myrna.

Well, hi, stranger darling.

You looking for Mrs. Forrest?

Well, I thought I'd better come calling sometime.

She's been home a week, I guess, and Kevin says it's just awful I haven't

over.

Only... Tony, how is she?

She's all right, I guess. Why?

Well, you know what I mean.

Not very often. Look, why don't you just go ring the bell? She won't bite you.

Tony!

Why are you mad at me?

Now, who says I'm mad?

Look, I got a sick half a horse. Even Kevin says it's just awful we never see

you anymore.

I thought newlyweds were supposed to be left alone.

Well, not forever.

Besides, Kevin doesn't like to dance very much.

And I've just never known an older man who could dance like you can.

Oh, you know what I learned the other day?

You know, in the regular Walt Disney, when you start to move your hips, you

also... Myrna, when are you going to grow up?

You are mad.

I knew it. Just like she's going to be.

Because she always thought I was going to marry poor Dick.

When anybody in town could have told her it was really Ralph Day you were in

love with. Oh, yeah.

That was just poetry.

Well, you know what Ralph was like. He could never stop reading it to me.

Besides, a nightclub and a restaurant make a lot more money than a broken

country newspaper.

Do you want me to slap you?

Maybe I would.

If it weren't quite so flattering to think that. You can just get that happy

little memory right out of your mind. Now, quit pestering me, will you?

Tony Kloss, if I didn't know you better, I... Anna!

I'm so glad to see you. Don't you look lovely?

Hello, Lucille. Well, marriage agrees with you. You are happy, aren't you,

darling? I wanted to come sooner, but I just didn't know how to. No, no. I

understand.

Every time I get near this place, I remember how I used to call you Mother.

past is the past, Myrna. Is it? Of course.

The only way that we forget unpleasant things is by doing something about them.

Kevin said he saw you the other night at the railroad station. Oh, no. It must

have been a fright. But I'm much better now.

It was so sweet of you to come, dear. But could you wait until early this

evening? Oh, I should have telephoned.

No.

No, it's just that I'm expecting a visitor any minute. A very important

So if...

You and Kevin would be free later for cocktails.

Oh, yes.

We'd love it.

I'm having a few other old friends in.

Nothing fancy.

And if this man doesn't take too long, I just might get around to a birthday

cake. A what?

Yes, it's Richard's birthday, you know.

Oh, what a pretty little car.

Oh, yes.

Yes, I just love it.

I need something like that to have some fun in.

I just may buy one. Who knows?

Oh, Lucille, you are happy again, aren't you?

Of course, darling.

About 5 .30 then.

Okay. Make way for the gentleman caller.

Nothing like that.

Now, don't try to fool me, Mother.

What?

Oh, I know what makes a woman pick roses.

Absolutely nothing.

But I don't understand.

Mr. Mason said that you wouldn't even get in touch with me until there was

something to report.

It's been four days. Well, just let me explain.

Barry himself will be up later this evening to explain the legal aspect.

Explain?

What is there to explain?

That you haven't found out one single new thing about my son's death?

That you've just been reading lies?

Listening to lies?

Mrs. Forrest.

This is too small a town for an investigation like ours to remain a

Already there's been talk, and some of the people involved don't appreciate the

talk.

Well, isn't that just too bad?

Kevin Lawrence, for instance, is running for mayor.

And if this old gossip starts up again... So that's it.

You're afraid of slander.

Well, you just tell Mr. Mason that I'll pay for a hundred lawsuits if necessary.

You just bring me proof of murder, Mr. Drake, and I'll take care of Forest

Junction. I'm afraid it's not that simple.

I found that the police and the coroner's investigations were very

It may take a week to turn up even a shred of an error.

Well, I'll give you a lead then.

Ralph Day was a murderer.

What? He owns a newspaper. You've met him.

Wait a minute.

Mr. Day wasn't even there.

Argue with me, please.

Now, I know how you must feel.

You think I'm crazy, don't you? Of course not.

You've discovered that no one ever thought that Richard was killed except

And you've known mothers before, perhaps, who just couldn't face... Now,

be patient.

Get out of here, Mr. Drake.

All I want you to do is understand.

To think I've wasted four days.

Oh, I could have thought anybody would have ever helped me do what I have to

Mrs. Forrest.

You scared me.

I'm sorry.

I was looking for Mr. Day.

Or actually, someone I thought might be with him.

Not here.

But you can help me look for a bottle if you like.

Bottle? About so big.

For medicine.

Do you know Ralph used to take it out on dates with me?

You're Mrs. Day?

No. No, I'm Myrna Lawrence.

Very nice. Hi.

Oh, Ralph's over with Kevin now at our nightclub.

Well, it's really like a roadhouse, but... Say, do you smoke?

Yes, I do. I noticed it when I opened the door.

You'd think I was a teenage lackey or something.

Can you imagine a man who would send his wife just to... Stale smoke, that's

all. Somebody's been burning newspapers in that sink over there.

Eureka. We are saved.

Sweet little ulcer juice.

Ralph just forgot it. He's always pooping somebody's party.

Though, actually, I think he just came out tonight to borrow money from Kevin.

Well, I better close up now.

Good night.

If you'd like to see our place, Mr. Mason, you can follow me.

Ralph just got a little tummy ache, so I'm sure he'd like to see you. Well, no

thanks. It was really a man named Drake I thought might be.

Forest Junction Journal?

Why, I'm sorry, there's no one here but the sports editor, if you'd like to

speak to him.

Kevin! What are you doing checking up on me again?

Look, I know why you sent me on this silly little errand.

And I was not dancing too close with the salesman. He was only showing me...

Bully!

Hey, you know what?

They just took Ralph Day to the hospital.

If you're looking for the nurse, she should be back in a minute.

Your name's Drake, isn't it? Yeah. I'm Tony Cloud. Oh, sure.

Mrs. Forrest heard about Ralph Day being sick. He asked me to check on him.

Doctor.

I'm Paul Drake.

I had an appointment with Mr. Day later on this evening.

Oh, yes.

Hello, Tony. I'm sorry to say Ralph is dead.

Holy mother.

We just couldn't stop the bleeding.

His ulcers again.

Three of us worked for an hour.

None of the coagulants.

I don't know.

Autopsy?

Yes, I did ask for an autopsy, Mr. Mason.

I asked for it first thing this morning.

I didn't realize you were related to Mr. Day.

Oh, I'm not.

I mean, I couldn't ask for one officially.

But I checked up.

They're doing it all right.

The doctors are curious, too.

So I gather.

But, Mr. Lawrence, why are you concerned?

Ralph Day had dinner here in my restaurant last night. Do you think I

people going around saying I feed my customers ground glass or something?

No, obviously not. But why did you ask to see me this morning?

Well, thanks for coming by, by the way.

It's, uh... It's about Lucille Park.

I heard you were in town. I know you're a lawyer. What about Lucille Park?

how to keep quiet.

You mean keep quiet about the death of her son?

Look, Mr. Mason, I like Lucille. No matter how she acts, I feel sorry for

May I ask why?

That's just because of her tragedies. Everybody has them, but she's a little

off on this one subject, you know. You don't believe her son was murdered?

No, of course not.

Nobody does.

That wouldn't make any difference if she goes around telling anybody else what

she told me yesterday afternoon.

What did she say?

Well, those questions more than telling, but I got the idea right away.

She thinks that Ralph Day murdered Dick.

And now if there's something funny about Ralph Day's death, will you see what I

mean?

Just tell her to keep her mouth shut, for her own sake.

Yes, I think I understand you, Mr. Lawrence. Though, of course, as you say,

Ralph Day did eat his dinner here last night.

That's right.

And you know what he had for dinner, mostly?

Mushrooms. Nice, mild mushrooms.

And do you know where they came from?

Tony Klaus.

Look, Mr. Drake, I've been growing these things for 25 years.

I know my business.

And you picked some of these last night to give to Kevin Lawrence? That's right.

I picked them right out of... What's the matter?

Nothing. I just didn't realize I picked so many is all.

Yeah, you see, Kevin came down and found me at the bar and said that he and his

wife and some others were up at the house having a hello drink with Mrs.

Forrester. He said that Ralph Day was coming over to his place for dinner and

they'd been talking over a new recipe for lunch. Do you mind if I take a

Oh, you go ahead, but all you gotta do is ask Kevin's cook if they're

or something. I guess that's what you're thinking.

Now, take it easy.

All we're trying to do is stop a rumor before it starts.

Lucille made a few cracks at me, too, I'm afraid.

I tried to get her off that kick of hers. About her son, I mean.

I don't know.

Maybe she does know something.

Mr. Klaus, you ever hear of the Fresno Livestock Auction?

Oh, yeah. I buy a lot of stuff for the ranch up there. Machinery and all that.

Well, Perry noticed a piece of newspaper and an item in it about the auction

caught his eye.

But the date was partly burned and I thought maybe you'd know what time of

it takes place.

Well, it's in the fall, about four weeks ago.

The year wasn't burned. The paper was two years old.

I don't know what you're talking about, Dad.

If I can help you, though, all you gotta do is... That mean something to you?

I was just thinking.

The local paper you're talking about, that's a weekly.

You could check.

As I remember, the auction two years ago ended the day before Dick died.

I don't know, Mr. Mason.

I can't remember.

You told Paul Drake, Mrs. Forrest.

You also said something to Kevin Lawrence and Tony Klaus.

Maybe I've said all sorts of things I shouldn't say to all sorts of people.

Now...

Men tramping all around the house. Mrs. Forrest, the autopsy on Ralph Day has

undoubtedly been finished for hours.

But the coroner's office will not issue a statement.

And I know they've been rushing all sorts of samples to laboratories in Los

Angeles.

They left here to go to dinner together.

You know that, don't you?

Ralph and Kevin and his wife, little Myrna.

Who else was here, Mrs. Forrest?

Yes, but the ones I said and... Walter Coffey, of course. He's an old, old

friend.

That's the druggist.

But he was once a deputy, wasn't he, in charge of the local sheriff's office?

Yes, that's right.

And he was the person in charge of investigating your son's death?

Yes.

He wouldn't believe me either.

Did you serve refreshments last night?

Just cocktails and... Ralph had a little sherry, I believe.

And what did you talk about?

Mr. Mason, I didn't go around accusing, if that's what you mean, to Kevin. Yes,

I said something to Kevin privately, but... And why did you have those

particular people together?

Don't you understand?

Nothing is straight anymore.

Ralph is dead now.

Ralph killed my son, and Ralph is dead now.

And I cried all night long.

Maybe I didn't really want anyone else to die.

Mrs. Forrest, excuse me.

All right, then.

We've already met.

Is there a word yet, Sergeant?

Well, no go on those mushrooms we stole from Tony Seller, if that's what you

mean, but would you tell me about this, Mrs. Forrest?

They say I'm crazy, won't you?

It's a kind of remedy.

It does help sometimes.

You see, Mr. Mason, I have sciatic. I made Walter get that for me.

I read about it in a magazine.

What is it?

It's kind of silly even to say it.

It's rattlesnake venom.

What? Yeah, I was kind of surprised, too, when I found it in the icebox.

But not anymore.

You see, the laboratories say this is the stuff that killed Ralph Day.

Made him bleed to death.

Oh, no.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Forrest.

But the same man who brought the coroner's report also brought a warrant

your arrest.

I told the sheriff's office we'd only be here about an hour. I know.

I appreciate you using your influence to get me in. No, no, anything to help

Lucille, but you don't sound like you've found very much. We're going to

telephone Mr. Mason before they go into court.

No problem.

Found too much.

For instance, that burned people newspaper that Perry noticed there.

I figured it was an issue that might have been torn out of the files and

destroyed so I wouldn't see something.

But the issue's in the files where it belongs, and there isn't one single item

in it that even relates to Dick Forrest or anything we're looking for. Well, I

guess Ralph could have printed a special paper easy enough. Maybe the one in the

files there.

I thought of that.

Library loaned me their copy, same date. It's the real issue, all right? Word

for word.

So, what was the burned one? Just a spare.

Listen, Drake, there's a whole stack of old newspapers out there.

Maybe you used it to wrap something in or to burn something else. Yes, but the

coincidence. A paper from the day before Dick's death.

I'll tell you a worse coincidence.

They've got Lucille in Los Angeles by now.

In about an hour, some prosecutor is going to be saying that she murdered

Day.

All right, I'll go.

What are you so witchy about, Mr. Coffey?

I just want to be sure you get to report to Mason before, that's all.

Because I've got a message for him, too.

Like what?

You haven't got any more answers than I have. Tell him to lay off all this

ancient history about Richard.

Forget about what happened two years ago.

If he brings it up in court... You'll be sorry.

The venom of the snake is a hemolytic poison which destroys the red blood

It also contains an antifibrin component which prevents the blood from clotting.

Thus, the hemorrhaging couldn't be stopped.

And how did you say this venom entered the bloodstream, Doctor? Through breaks,

lesions, and digestive tract.

In this particular case, duodenal ulcers. A bleeding stomach.

Now, most people, of course, could swallow the stuff without any ill

But in Ralph Day's case, after drinking that sherry... Doctor, would you tell me

one other thing?

Would you, as a physician, ever prescribe rattlesnake venom to alleviate

pain of sciatica?

No, I really don't think so.

But it is true that nonspecific proteins will give some relief from that sort of

pain. And rattlesnake venom does contain nonspecific proteins.

So it's understandable how that sort of folk remedy could originate. Doctor,

could you tell us by any chance what rattlesnake venom tastes like?

It has no taste.

It's both tasteless and odorless.

What does it look like?

It's a clear golden sort of color.

Could you give us an example, Doctor?

I'd say about the same color as dry sherry wine.

My question, Doctor, is simply if rattlesnake venom is the only poisonous

substance that causes the fatal results you've described, if ingested.

There might be others.

Isn't Fallon also a hemolytic poison which attacks the red blood cells,

them, and causes extensive internal hemorrhaging?

Yes. And isn't Fallon a substance present in certain poisonous mushrooms?

Yes, it is.

Thank you, Doctor.

Just one more question, Doctor, or possibly two.

Would you mind telling us what you did yesterday?

I spent the day with two biologists from UCLA.

Also a police toxicologist.

We checked on types of mushrooms in the area.

And what were the results, briefly, of your day's work?

Well, none of us believe that the particular poisonous mushroom, the one

containing Fallon, that is, can be found anywhere in the area or at Gunther.

Really? That'll be all, then.

That's right. I stopped off the grocery store that morning to pick up an order

for Mr. Forrest.

Thank you, Mr. Klaus.

And now would you tell us, please, what was in that box of groceries?

Well, I don't know. I just picked up the box and took it on home, dumped it off

in the kitchen floor.

I didn't pay any attention.

Why don't you stop evading me, Mr. Klaus?

At least until you find out what questions I'm going to ask you.

In that box of groceries, were there any bottles?

Yes. There was one bottle of scotch, one bottle of bourbon, and another of dry

sherry. Thank you, Mr. Clough.

Well, we arrived about 5 o 'clock, I guess.

Myrna and I, that is.

Walter was there. He was already there talking to Lucille. And Ralph came in

about 15 minutes later, I guess.

Now, did anyone else come in while you were there?

No, that's all there was. Just the five of us.

Now, you said that you were drinking cocktails. Do you remember exactly what

each of you had to drink?

I had a couple of bourbon highballs.

Walter the same, I guess.

And Lucille was sipping some scotch, I believe. Now, what about your wife?

Um, she asked for a slow gin fizz.

Really?

All right, that brings us to the deceased, Ralph Day. Now, what did he

Ralph always kidded himself that a little sherry wouldn't hurt him, so he

um, two small wine glasses of it, I guess.

Very well. Now, Mr. Lawrence, will you tell us this? Who mixed and served all

those drinks?

Lucille Forrest. She made all the drinks and served all of them. That'll be all,

sir. Thank you.

Mr.

Lawrence, you state that no one was in the house except the father.

That's right.

Could you possibly be sure?

Didn't you go out to the barn to see Tony Klaus to...

Get some mushrooms?

No, no, no. Wait a second, Mr. Mason. I didn't go out to get those mushrooms

until we'd all said our goodbyes to Lucille.

And Myrna drove Ralph back to our place, and that's when I went out to get the

mushrooms, after the party was all over.

And why did Ralph Day want to have dinner at your place that night?

Oh, yes, yes. He asked to borrow some money.

Eight hundred dollars. There were some bills on the newspaper. Did you lend it

to him?

No. Ralph was always worried. He was always...

asking to borrow, sweating his taxes.

Mr. Lawrence, my investigators tell me that Mr. Day somehow managed to pay his

bills. He could head just above water, in spite of the fact that a small -town

newspaper is a notoriously risky business and that he had almost no money

bank. Well, that's true, but Rob was worried all the time. He had ulcers.

Perhaps someone helped him pay his bills.

What? Is it possible my investigators might find that... You really have

money to Ralph Day, perhaps given it to him or paid it for him. Now, wait a

second, Mr. Mason.

That's not true.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Neither do I know what you're talking about, Mr. Mason.

Your Honor, this is the most improper, irrelevant... Strike that last question

and answer.

Mr. Mason, unless you rephrase what it is you're driving at. I'll go on to

something else, Your Honor.

Mr. Lawrence.

Made a casual reference earlier to having briefly met the defendant in a

railroad station more than a week ago.

Right after she got back to town. Yes, that's right. I was on my way to Los

Angeles. I had a business meeting there early the next morning.

But after your return the next day, we find that you turned in a stolen car

report to the sheriff's office.

Now, would you explain that?

Well, when I drive to the station, I always leave my car on the street behind

the garage with the keys in it.

Then the garage man, Joe, that's Joe sitting over there, always parks it

when there's a space for it, before closing time.

That night, he found the car two blocks away.

Then the car was returned to you. There was no damage, nothing wrong.

No, but... Then why did you report it as a stolen car?

I don't quite understand.

That has nothing to do with this, Mr. Mason.

Recently, there's been a lot of vandalism by the youngsters in our town.

Joyriding in other people's cars.

Well, I just hope I'd be able to scare some of the kids, that's all.

I'm running for officer in this town, on the platform.

Why on earth create an issue out of it? I'm trying to understand you, Mr.

Lawrence. And why on earth ask all these ridiculous questions, Mr. Mason? I'm

trying to understand you. You could object in a better manner, Mr. Berger,

I'll sustain you regardless, Mr. Mason.

I'll withdraw the question, Your Honor.

That's all.

I have one more question, Your Honor, on redirect, if I may.

Mr. Lawrence, returning for a moment to the subject of those drinks you had that

night at the defendant's.

Was there any incident, an accident perhaps, that happened during that part

the evening which you have not told us about?

Yes, there was.

Ralph was very nervous that night. He dropped his glass, his empty glass.

Lucille thought nothing of it. She...

tidied up quickly, but the glass broke on the floor. Now, referring to these

bits of glass, Sergeant, which we've introduced in evidence as People's

3, what sort of testing did you have them subjected to?

Chemical analysis, fingerprint.

And with what results?

We found the fingerprints of the decedent, Ralph Day, and those of the

defendant, Mrs. Forrest.

Sergeant, did your analysis of the sherry wine reveal anything else?

Yes, it contained definite traces of rattlesnake venom.

Don't give up hope, everybody.

I think I got something.

Hold it, Paul. He's adding.

Eh, it makes no sense.

Nobody in that town in the past few years has become suddenly richer or

poorer.

Well, then I've got a complicated even more for you. I just got a report from

San Francisco. And Ralph Day, the man who was always trying to borrow money

people, had $10 ,000 in the savings and loan company up there.

Why the miser?

Here's some more of that real estate dope.

But, Perry...

This stuff doesn't change the fact that nobody had a reason for killing Ralph

Day except Lucille. And even if her motive was imaginary, Berger seems to be

making it sick.

So what good do you think we can do? All right, Paul. What we need now is a

plow.

Plow? Good idea. What are we digging for?

Nothing. I just want you to buy one for me.

But I've already admitted to the prosecutor that I'm the one that

Lucille with the rattlesnake venom.

I put her in touch with a herpetologist, a fellow that has a snake farm, that's

all. And I picked it up for her.

That's the day after she came back to town here.

Was that the first time she'd used this unusual remedy for sciatic pain?

No, the first time was about a year and a half ago. She thought that it helped

her. So I got her to check with a doctor.

So other people knew about it then?

Mr. Mason, I'm sure that Lucille's friends knew all about that rattlesnake.

two years ago, you were connected with the sheriff's office. Is that right?

Yeah. A man in a small town, he's got to wear several hats.

And two years ago, you were personally in charge of the investigation into the

death of Richard Forrest.

Yes.

But since we're not here to look into ancient... The prosecutor has already

opened the door to this ancient history, Mr. Coffey, by suggesting that the

defendant might have looked upon Ralph Day as the murderer of her son.

Well, maybe so.

But I'll be blamed if I can see... Why are you so afraid of going through that

door?

Is it because you don't believe Richard was murdered?

No, I don't. I never did.

There wasn't one piece of evidence. Not a single person with a motive. Motive?

Of course no one hated Richard Forrest.

And from your personal knowledge, do you know of one person in Forrest Junction

with a motive for murdering Ralph Day?

No, I don't.

That's what makes it so blame disgusting.

Let's suppose I showed you a motive.

Suppose I... Your Honor, this is really... May it please the court,

prepared to introduce evidence that Ralph Day, who tried to borrow money on

night of his death, has at least $10 ,000 in one out -of -town bank account.

I think I'd like to hear what else you have to ask this witness, Mr. Mason.

Go on, please.

Perhaps he has more money that we don't know of yet.

Would that surprise you, Mr. Coffey?

Well, just the $10 ,000 surprises me. I know the newspaper didn't make much, and

I'm sure that Ralph didn't inherit or anything.

And then he's tried to borrow from me several times. As a matter of fact...

Can you think why a man would insistently want his friends to think he

have money?

You bet I can. Keep it secret. Keep something secret. Something wrong,

obviously. Like the fact that he was a blackmailer, Mr. Coffey?

Your Honor, I really must insist.

Sorry, Mr. Mason. You'll simply have to confine yourself to proper questioning.

Very well, Your Honor.

From your...

Official investigation of the death of Richard Forrest, Mr. Coffey.

Can you swear that Richard was not murdered?

No. No, I can't.

Now, you said Ralph Day tried to borrow money from you. When was that?

Well, the last time was right at Lucille's party. That's what I started

I asked Ralph what for, and he said he might have to sell the newspaper.

Can you remember his exact words?

I just stood up because Myrna had come with a refill.

And then I went to the couch by Ralph.

Now, wait a minute.

Who brought you a refill?

Who brought you a drink?

Myrna.

Myrna Lawrence.

Yes, I fixed him a drink. But just Walter?

Really, I don't know why Kevin didn't remember when he was up here.

So, Lucille Forrest wasn't the only person who mixed drinks. Who went to the

kitchen? Well, I only went out that once.

Furthermore, I would like to point out that there is nothing so unusual about a

slow gin fizz. It's what I always used to drink there. And Lucille still had

the stuff you put in it, only she left out a little gin.

Well, I didn't want to say anything.

And then Walter, he waved his glass at me as I was easing into the kitchen,

of. All right, Mrs. Lawrence, all right.

Now, let me go back a few years.

The day of the death of Richard Forrest.

You waited for the men to return to their hunting camp, isn't that right?

Yes. I drove up in the morning.

But Kevin said he had to get a deer. So I waited, that's all.

Did you see or talk to Dick Forrest before he went hunting?

Well, not much.

What do you mean?

Dick wouldn't talk to me, that's all.

He was sort of pale and grim looking.

There was no personal trouble between you? No lover's quarrel?

What? Of course not.

As a matter of fact, the reason I drove up there was to explain to Kevin why I'd

been out with someone else the night before.

Who?

Him. His name is Joseph Sullivan, and he's a wonderful dancer.

Dr. Layton.

Yes, Your Honor.

I'll return to the present case, to the murder of Ralph Day.

Oh, I think that's a very good idea, too, because I want to state very

that I did not pour any rattlesnake poison into anybody's drink.

But hasn't it occurred to you, Mrs. Lawrence, that whoever was responsible

Ralph's death...

Didn't even need to be within a quarter mile of that kitchen or that party.

What?

It's occurred to you, hasn't it, Mr. Klaus?

The police testified there wasn't any venom in the sherry bottle.

Won't we find that you bought another bottle?

Wouldn't it have been quite easy to put venom in one sherry bottle, put it in

the icebox, then later that evening replace it with the first uncontaminated

bottle? No, I didn't do that. I... Mr. Klaus.

You've been on that ranch for nearly 25 years now, haven't you? Yes, old Jet

Force was almost like a father to me. He let you run things.

When he became older, he would do his buying and selling for him. Even after a

housekeeper and her children. I've done a good job.

And he rewarded you generously by remembering you in his will.

Yes. How much did he leave you?

Wasn't it $50 ,000?

That's right. Where's the $50 ,000 now, Mr. Krause?

Uh, what?

Real estate up north. I'm in quite a lot of real estate.

Yes, I find that quite true.

It puzzled me for a while, until we checked on dates of purchase.

So far, we can't find one piece of land which you bought after you inherited

that money. Now, where did you get the money before that?

I'm not going to answer any more questions. I'm not... Was it at places

Fresno auction? What?

We have only...

Telephoned answers from farm equipment salesmen. But I warn you, Mr. Cloud,

of these men are quite willing to admit they used to give you kickbacks.

Full price to Mr.

Forrest on the record.

Cash in your pocket. That's got nothing to do with Ralph Day.

It had a great deal to do with Richard Forrest, didn't it?

What happened? Did he find you out?

Accuse you of cheating his father?

I won't answer.

You dropped him off at the hunting camp that morning. He was upset.

A short time later, Ralph Day left the camp to drive home.

Did Ralph see you along the road, see your car, see what you were doing?

All right. All right. I killed Dick.

He was trying to get his father to run me off the place. I had a lot more right

there than him or his mother.

I asked you about Ralph Day, Mr. Klaus.

Good old Ralph.

He saw me.

For two years, I've been paying him off one way or another.

My inheritance?

Every penny of it.

And then when Lucille came back to the ranch, he said to me, you're still

running things.

You can start stealing from the ranch again.

He wanted another $50 ,000.

Do you know he even printed up a phony edition of that paper of his with a

story in it? He said he was going to let you guys find it if I didn't come

through.

That's why I had to kill him.

Like I had to kill Dick.

Like I had to kill them both.

How on earth did you guess, Mr. Mason?

Mrs. Forrest, if you didn't kill Ralph, and no one else had reasoned difficultly

with him, then his death must have been triggered by your return to Forrest

Johnson. I still don't understand.

Well, what else happened at the same time?

His estate went back to Mrs. Forrest.

And you've admitted you didn't even pay attention to how much you owe him. So

you triggered Ralph's greed?

He triggered Tony's anger.

QED. Now Tony's now admitted that he even tried to kill you.

Tried to smash you up in your car before you even got home from the railroad

station. Poor Tony.

We were the interlopers.

He thought the ranch really belonged to him. Now, don't get the feeling sorry

for the killer.

Feel sorry for me, who's been so stupid all this time.

Not to realize that a woman's intuition is worth more. Walter, stop it.

I almost wish that I hadn't been so right about what happened to Richard.

Scares me when I think...

Now, don't think you're right all the time.

Come on, old woman. We gotta go.

Now, wait a minute, both of you.

We thought you might enjoy having dinner with us before you. I'm sorry, Mr.

Mason. We have a date with a specialist.

You don't think I'm going to enjoy a girl until she's nicer to her sciatica?