Original subtitles

Mr. Albright?

Yes. Where's my wife?

She's in the office here, waiting for you.

How much did you lose this time?

Five thousand.

Five?

Oh, I don't know. For heaven's sake, you know I couldn't possibly raise that

much.

Well, I'm afraid you'll have to, darling. I've been writing checks to

losses.

And as you can imagine, they've, uh...

All bounced rather briskly.

I'm sorry. There's no money left.

You'll have to get out of this by yourself.

You can't be serious.

Why, you'd lose your precious little office boy's job if they sent me to

And, of course, I'd have to divorce you.

You know, I think I'd appreciate that.

I suppose she would, too, Miss... Miss Purity.

Oh, excuse me, Miss debutante.

Pride of the Caffrey Enix Advertising Agency.

I suppose we all have our compulsions.

Don't we, Herman?

What are you talking about?

I'm in charge of certain elements of the Miss Debutante advertising campaign, so

naturally I've worked with Grace Halle.

Oh, is that what you were doing on all those trips together?

Work. No, Ida, you know very well that promotional advertising... My dearest

Grace, how can I tell you my true feelings?

The true meaning of these past days, past weeks, past months together.

What do you say?

You really ought to be more careful of what you leave in your pockets, darling.

What sort of an answer did she send?

Or didn't you ever get up the courage to mail that letter?

Well, never mind. I'm sure when Mr. Caffrey hears how you've been behaving

that... Well, sir?

We'd appreciate having that $5 ,000 in cash.

If you don't mind.

I... I don't have that much right now.

But if you wait a day or two... Yes.

Yes, I'll make good my wife's loss.

Then we'd appreciate your signing an IOU, Mr. Albright.

Payable low by Friday, shall we say?

No.

No, I believe you have some of my wife's checks.

When you give me those checks...

And when she agrees to a quiet, decent divorce, then I'll give you your $5

,000. Now look here, friend.

There.

Didn't I tell you what a dear he'd be?

Take five, honey.

Something's not right.

Look, I'm in too close to get the effect of a ski slope. Give me about two more

feet of snow and we'll shoot it lower and from back here.

Grace?

Mr. Allwright, what are you doing here?

Grace, I've got to talk to you about, well...

This evening.

Oh, no, not more work tonight. I'd made plans.

No, no, no, it has nothing to do with work.

It's just that I thought, well, perhaps, well, maybe you and I could go out

somewhere this evening, just the two of us. Mr. Albright, is something wrong?

It's my wife.

I told you about her.

She's in debt again.

Grace, I'm going to leave Ida.

Oh, I'm awfully sorry.

No, no, no, don't say that.

It's what I was going to talk to you about tonight.

Grace, I've wanted to say this a thousand times.

I even started to write it in a letter to you.

What?

I just haven't had the right to say it before.

But now that I'm free, well, almost... Well, you must know how I feel about

you. Just a minute. No, no, don't say anything, darling.

We can talk tonight.

But I never realized.

Okay, let's try it again.

Now, Mr. Albright, please. You've got to understand.

Grace, Grace, I love you.

I can say it now. We can face it now. That's all I want you to understand.

Until tonight, darling, I'll phone you before I pick you up. Mr.

Albright.

I've agreed to talk it over. Let's just leave it at that until we meet. Besides,

this is a very bad connection.

Just a moment, please.

Look. Yes.

I've agreed to all that.

I just can't talk now. Goodbye.

Excuse me, sir.

Yes, Albright, what is it?

I wanted to speak to you about a personal matter, Mr. Caffrey.

It's a little difficult.

But you see, Ida has gotten... Now, if it's about your wife's gambling, I told

you before, Albright, I think the woman's sick and needs a psychiatrist.

It's gone beyond that.

She's got herself deeply in debt.

And I, uh, I've got to raise $5 ,000 immediately.

That's a lot of money.

I know it's not a very pretty situation, Mr. Caffery.

And I know it's a terrible time to approach you with Mr. Ennick's in

in San Francisco.

He's not in trouble. He's in jail.

If he'd been a little more careful with his finances, he wouldn't be in this

mess with the tax bureau.

What's beside the point?

Just how serious is your situation?

Well, I'm afraid the...

gambling people could cause a good deal of trouble.

Well, I'm sorry, of course, Albright, but you must realize that there are

when the wind blows the flag in the wrong direction.

And again, I'm not certain that this agency could afford to have anybody else

connected with it in prison.

5 ,000, eh?

Albright, you're a very important member of our team here.

But no one's irreplaceable. You realize that, of course.

Yes, sir. Even with Larry Enix on the sidelines, nobody has scored on us.

Then on the other hand...

The quarterback can only throw the passes.

You've got to have somebody else to catch the ball.

Now, wait a minute.

There just might be something that you could do for me, all right?

You know, I might be able to let you have the money at the hat.

If so, I'll give you a call at 7 .30 this evening. How's that?

Oh, thank you, Mr. Caffrey.

Miss Hallie, this appears to be a fairly good contract.

A commissioned as Miss Debutante for one year, you receive a very healthy

salary, plus all the clothes you model.

Next to a movie contract, I should think something like this would be every

girl's dream.

But can the contract be broken, Mr. Mason?

On what grounds, Miss Alley?

I don't know. Any grounds.

I mean, if anybody wanted to.

Well, as advertising symbol of a cosmetics line for young ladies, the

breach contractually would be something that would damage or destroy that

symbol.

Don't understand.

In other words, if you were or if you became something other than the

unmarried, and uninvolved image they hired.

Mr. Mason, the man in charge of the campaign, well, he's

interested in me.

Much too interested.

I see.

I feel simply terrible about it, being so stupid not realizing, but...

I just can't let him get the wrong idea.

Go on, Miss Hallie.

Well, there might be all sorts of trouble. In that case, I might want to

the contract myself so people wouldn't be hurt.

Could I break it?

No.

But if you became involved, they could break it.

They could break it if they could prove you were charged with, uh...

moral turpitude, if you've been married, if you've joined a subversive group or

committed a criminal act.

But, of course, none of these things apply to you.

No. No, of course not.

Well, I guess that's all I wanted to know.

Thank you, Mr. Mason.

Goodbye, Mr. E. Goodbye.

Hello, hello?

Oh.

Thank heaven it's you.

Yes, I'm listening, sir.

All right, sir.

I'll be there right away, sir. Thank you, Mr. McCaffrey.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you for what?

$5 ,000.

I'm getting the money for you, Ida.

Every bit of it. Well, that's wonderful.

You know, Herman, you're really quite a clever man when you put your mind to it.

I'll have a check tonight.

That's my part of the bargain.

So you'd better be thinking about yours, Ida.

You mean you still think you want a divorce?

Mm -hmm.

A quiet one.

No unpleasantness, no scandal.

When you agree to that in writing, then the money's yours.

Good night, Ida.

All right, darling, all right.

But since you're being so firm about everything, I think you'd better bring

$8 ,000.

I'd what?

Oh, Herman, don't look so surprised.

You know I have other debts to settle.

You never said one word.

Didn't I tell you about Las Vegas?

No. Well, they wrote me a rather nasty letter this morning, I'm afraid.

Yes, I'll need $3 ,000 more.

And while we're on the subject, there are several bills here you may not know

about.

What are you trying to do to me?

Ida, I can't possibly raise one penny more than 5 ,000. Then I can't possibly

divorce you, Herman.

Hello, Grace.

This is Herman Albright.

I'm sorry, it's so noisy I can't hear what you're saying. Where are you?

I'm at the Trinidad bar.

I just wanted you to know that I won't be around this evening to take you out

the way we planned.

Well, I wasn't expecting... Grace, listen to me.

I will be at your apartment, though, the first thing in the morning.

The very first thing.

You see, I've been able to raise the money, but it wasn't enough.

So I'm just not going to give my wife any of it. Do you understand?

No, I mean, why not if your wife owes the money?

Grace, I'm not even going to wait for a divorce.

In Mexico, it's easy for a man to get rid of his wife, even if I've changed my

name by then.

Mexico? Oh, I know I shouldn't be talking like this on the telephone, but

wanted you to know that, well, maybe by this time tomorrow night, we could be

out of town.

Mr. Albright, I can't go to Mexico or anywhere.

Will you please listen to me?

Don't say anything yet, darling, until you hear me out.

Oh, we'll be happy together.

You know we will.

I promise.

And remember, the first thing in the morning.

All right, wait.

Well, that does it. Buddy, every time I try to tell him, he won't listen to me.

He just won't believe I don't care for him that way. Grace, I've had just about

as much as I can take.

Sneaking in back doors, looking the other way every time a roving Romeo

reading you with his X -ray eyes.

You knew this sort of thing might happen when you submitted my picture to the

agency. All right, I made a mistake.

They didn't know about you, and I took a chance.

But I'll tell you something now.

Now I'm sorry I ever heard of Miss Debutante and Mr. Albright.

Don't worry about Mr. Albright. I'll make him understand.

Oh, no, you won't. I will.

You're my wife, and we're married.

And I'm sick and tired of being a backstairs husband.

Call me an old -fashioned guy.

But I'm going to set that guy straight once and for all right now.

Buddy!

Uh, bartender, uh, correct that, please.

Right.

Do you mind?

What?

Anybody have a lean on this stool?

No, no. Go ahead and lean on it.

I'll bet you've got a million of those.

No, no.

I'm afraid that one came out of a bottle.

Well, point your finger at that bottle.

Oh, it's rude to point.

Why don't you let me buy your drink?

Well, that is if your escort doesn't mind.

He's the strong, silent, absent type.

Why are you staring at me?

Well, I'm trying to decide whether you're a man of distinction.

That's the only kind I let by me drink.

Is that a Tattersall vest?

Well, yes.

Yes, as a matter of fact, it is.

The young lady will have the same.

You heard the man, Joe.

My name isn't Joe.

Don't be a nonconformist. All bartenders are named Joe.

You'll have to prove you're old enough to be served.

Let me see your driver's license.

You know, there's a very nice bar just down the street.

Well, they might ask you the same question there.

I'd like a Gibson, please.

Joy LeBaron, Oakland, California.

Age 23.

One Gibson coming up.

Thanks a lot, Joe.

Oh, I'm doing great tonight.

Where'd everybody go?

Which everybody?

Well, the character with the jazzy vest, for one.

Look.

You take pictures without orders. What do you expect?

People should wait all night.

I only asked you a question.

So who knows?

Maybe the little brunette got too expensive.

Anyway, that guy isn't going to buy any pictures from you. He pulled out five

minutes ago.

I told you you can't park here all night.

Will you move it?

Sorry, Mrs. Albright.

We had to get an identification.

If you're all right, you can go now.

Lieutenant, may I have another look?

Aren't you positive?

Oh, yes, yes, it's Herman, all right.

Where did he get that coat?

And that vest? What on earth?

Well, that's just the way he was found.

Don't be ridiculous.

Herman never wore clothes like that in his life.

You sure about those clothes, Mrs. Albright?

Lieutenant, we were married for 11 years.

Herman never wore anything but Oxford gray suits and black ties.

With that ghastly vest, he wouldn't be caught dead in a... When was the last

time you saw him?

About 7 .30 last night.

He must have changed between 7 .30, maybe 9 .30.

And since he owned a wardrobe that you had never seen before, he must have had

place to keep it.

Yes, I'm... I'm sure he must have.

Perry, could you step out just a moment? Lieutenant Fragg is here.

No, no, he didn't say.

Right, I'll tell him.

He's with a client, but he said he'd be right out.

Oh, that's very nice of him.

Well, I wish you would let me know you were coming, Lieutenant.

I'd rather a full day.

Maybe I can lighten your load, Perry.

You have a client named, uh, Grace Halley.

Lieutenant, this is a law office, not an information center.

If you have business with someone named Grace Halle, I suggest you have your own

facilities for finding her.

You're quite right, Perry.

In fact, I've already found where the young lady lives, where she works, and

I've tracked her over here.

Well, that's a remarkable piece of tracking.

Oh, I had something going for me.

There's not too many beautiful girls on the street in the middle of an August

heat wave wearing a ski suit.

Well, that would be rather conspicuous.

Now, what's that client of yours in there wearing?

Take a look.

Oh, in case she is wearing a ski suit, why would you want her?

For questioning?

In connection with the murder of Herman Albright.

Excuse me, Lieutenant.

I'm afraid we haven't much time.

Police? They want to question you. What time was that call from Albright last

night? About 10 o 'clock. That's when he said all those things about running off

to Mexico.

Where did he call from?

The Trinidad bar, he said.

Now, did you leave your apartment after the phone call?

No, I didn't.

All right, Grace.

Mr. Mason, if they just want to question me, that doesn't mean I'll be arrested,

does it?

Certainly not on the basis of what you just told me.

But all the same, you'd better take your cues from me on what to say.

Would you care to join us, Lieutenant?

Oh, thanks, Perry.

Oh, why don't I just introduce myself?

Go right ahead.

You're not going to leave him in there alone with her?

Get a hold of Paul.

Tell him I have to know exactly what evidence the police have against Grace

Howdy. Then he's to go to the Trinidad bar and try to find out if there was

someone who saw Albright there last night.

If he has anything important to know, say an hour or so, he can reach me at

Caffrey -Enix Advertising Agency.

I suppose Grace is worried that we might invoke the morals clause to cancel her

contract. Is there any danger of that, Mr. Caffrey?

It's hard to tell yet.

We can absolve a certain amount of unfavorable publicity, but the agency

have a responsibility to the client.

It was a member of the agency who wanted to get Grace into trouble.

Well, now, I wouldn't be too sure which shoe was on which foot there.

I've known Herman Albright a great many years.

Any girl who could inspire a mash note like the one he wrote her must have used

a few sparks on the old punk.

I take it you've been talking to Mrs. Albright.

No, Mr. Mason, but apparently Mrs. Albright has been talking to the

Did anybody else know about the $5 ,000 that Albright borrowed from you?

I prefer not to discuss any further details, Mr. Mason.

I understand your San Francisco partner, Larry Enix, is in prison now for

evading income taxes.

Well, that's hardly a secret.

But what does that have to do with my loaning money to Albright?

I wouldn't know.

Unless you could point out some connection, Mr. Caffrey.

Oh, excuse me.

Yes?

Phone call for you.

You can take it out there if you don't mind.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, this is Mason speaking.

Perry, I'm at the Trinidad bar, and I think I've got something for you.

Also, the police dope.

That is all they've given me.

Well, here's the rundown, Perry, and I'm afraid it doesn't look too good.

All the evidence in the car points to the fact that Albright was killed by a

woman. Also, when Mrs. Albright identified his body, Albright was

jazzy clothes she'd never even seen before, and they weren't new clothes.

Apparently, he'd been wearing them for some time.

I suppose Tragg would like to prove he kept them in Grace's apartment.

You ready for a shock?

One of her neighbors saw her rush out of her apartment around midnight carrying

an armload of men's clothing. She just tossed them into her car and drove off.

Someday I'm going to get a client who'll tell me the truth.

I have one more goodie for you.

A bartender who remembers seeing Albright in here last night with a girl.

Grace Halle?

I didn't ask him that. I thought you'd better talk to him.

Uh, Walter? Yeah.

Walter Clemens? Barry Mason. Well, please sit down, Mr. Clemens.

I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me about the girl who was with Mr. Albright last

night. Oh, yeah.

I've been fishing around trying to remember.

I think it was, uh, LeBaron.

Joy LeBaron.

How'd you get her name?

Off her driver's license.

I thought she was hustling this guy Albright for drinks, so I was looking

excuse to toss her out.

She was old enough.

They didn't come in together?

I just told you, she picked him up.

He bought her a drink, then he left.

Well, could she have followed him out?

Could be.

Maybe they had a date.

Maybe he ditched her.

You figure.

Me, I don't know anything but what happened in here.

That's all I can tell you. All right, Lord. Thanks a lot.

Look, Mr. Mason, I'm not running to the cop, but if they come around... You just

tell them what you told us. That's fair enough.

Right. Well, I sure hope your client isn't using a phony name.

I'm sure it's a different girl. Even so, I've never heard of a B -girl shooting

a sucker for buying her a drink.

Maybe Albright had money on him.

At least it was supposedly given to him earlier in the evening.

How much?

$5 ,000.

That's enough.

I'll find her.

Perry, there's a young lady waiting to see you. Her name is Vicki Dolan.

What does she want?

She said to tell you that she works with the Trinidad Bar.

That's a recommendation enough, Della. Show her in.

Miss Dolan?

Come in, won't you?

Mr. Mason?

Yes, won't you sit down?

I understand that you're looking for the girl who was with the guy who got

knocked off last night.

Do you know where she is?

No. But I got something that'll make her a lot easier to find.

What would that be?

A picture.

See, I take lots of extra pictures, both in the bar and in the lounge.

I show them to people.

Maybe they buy, maybe they don't.

But with this one, both the guy and the girl were gone.

So now it's on sale to the highest bidder.

What are you asking?

$200.

That's quite a markup, isn't it?

Supply and demand, Mr. Mason.

Walter said you were plenty eager to find the girl.

You realize, of course, the police will pay you nothing for it.

That's why I'm giving you first crack at it.

Excuse me.

Yes.

Yes, put him on, Della.

Mello.

Yes. Good work, Paul.

All right, I'll see you there.

I'm afraid you're out of luck, Miss Dolan.

You mean you don't want the picture?

If your price had been a little more reasonable, you might have sold it to

But now I don't need it.

You see, the young woman has just been found.

Oh, this is the wildest.

I heard L .A. was a wacky town, but I never thought it could be this crazy.

I just read about this in the newspaper.

This your first trip to Los Angeles, Miss LeBaron?

And the last.

Do you mind telling me just what happened last night?

Why, he bought me a drink.

Is that a crime?

Not at all.

But shortly after that, he was murdered.

Look, it was the first time I was ever in the Trinidad.

I never laid eyes on the guy before.

I've got some bad habits, but shooting strangers isn't one of them.

Suppose the stranger had some money on him. Say, uh... $5 ,000.

What?

Perry.

Hello, Lieutenant.

Well, well, you trying to make my job easier for me, Perry?

I was afraid you were going in the wrong direction.

Did you know that Albright was in the Trinidad bar just before he was

No, no, I didn't.

That is, not until about 20 minutes ago.

I was just on my way out of the office.

I gather a certain photographer by the name of Miss Dolan came to see you.

Yes. As a matter of fact, she gave me a picture of Albright.

Like any good citizen would do.

Naturally. And since I was on my way to find out what you were up to, I... And

we've been watching your activity, I'm afraid.

Well, this is the young lady Albright was with, Miss Joy LeBaron.

I located her through a cab she took later on in the evening.

We just started to ask her about Albright's money. What is all this?

That guy bought me a drink, that's all. Just one drink.

And he sure never flashed any roll at me the size of $5 ,000.

Why, of course not, young lady. We know that.

The $5 ,000 was still in the form of a cashier's check, Barry.

Mr. Caffrey hadn't given it to Albright yet.

There, you see?

Of all the nerve.

Just a moment, young lady.

I still should thank you, having you practically solve my case for me this

Is it solved, Lieutenant?

Well, at least I'm going to ask the D .A. to make a formal charge of murder in

the first degree against Grace Halle.

What? All we needed was proof that your client was near the scene of the murder

last night.

That's the picture the girl tried to sell you, Perry.

Maybe I should have bought it.

Well, as a good citizen, you would have turned it over to me anyway, wouldn't

you, Perry?

Well, that'll be the procedure.

Remember now, this is only a preliminary hearing.

Is there anything you want to ask me or tell me before I leave?

You mentioned a gun.

Have they found it yet?

No. No, it was a small caliber gun, 25 automatic

probably, held quite close to the body.

Among other things, the weapon and the way it was used would indicate that

Albright was shot by a woman.

Mr. Mason. And then there's the matter of two witnesses.

One, a photographer who took a picture of Albright and a woman inside the

Trinidad bar. Two, a night watchman who saw a woman in Albright's car at about

10 .30, then found Albright dead in the same car at midnight.

That's amazing. Now, you told me you'd never left your apartment, so of course

that woman couldn't be you, could it, Miss Halley?

I lied to you. I know.

I did go to the Trinidad bar to see Mr. Albright.

I went to explain to him that I didn't feel anything for him, that I wouldn't,

that I couldn't go away with him.

You met Albright inside the bar?

Yes, but he wouldn't talk to me.

He just, he acted nervous and excited. He rushed me out and said he'd talk to

later. But before he rushed you out, your picture must have been taken.

It was a photographer in the lounge.

What about the night watchman who saw you in Albright's car?

I saw his car out in the back near the alley.

I still wanted to explain to him, to talk to him, to get it over with.

I thought I'd wait in the car until he came out of the bar.

How long were you there?

About half an hour.

Then I left.

I never saw him again.

But I didn't kill him. Please believe me, Mr. Mason.

I believe you, Grace.

Now let's have the whole story.

Now we heard the bartender testify that it was you who...

shall we say, approached Mr. Albright, rather than vice versa.

Well, really, if anybody cares who speaks first.

Well, I mean, some men can waste such an awful lot of time getting around to

saying anything, that's all.

And me, I was thirsty.

Yes, of course. But you testified that he only bought you one drink.

Oh, I never accept more from a stranger.

Anyway, when I came out of the ladies' lounge just a little while later...

Mr. Albright was gone. Just disappeared.

Uh -huh.

And what did you do then?

Well, since the bartender seemed to have some sort of attitude about me, I got a

taxi and took my business elsewhere, naturally.

Honestly, the way some people act in L .A. Yes, naturally, Miss LeBaron. Now, I

want you to think hard for just a moment.

During the 15 or 20 minutes that you sat with Mr. Albright at the bar, did he

mention anything about his personal life?

He did say that he had an unhappy home life and that... I am sorry, dear.

He said that he had a wonderful outside interest and that she was about my age.

But I can't remember anything more specific, and he certainly didn't

names.

Thank you, Mr. Barron. That'll be all.

From the increasing number of late business meetings and the phone calls at

hours, it was quite apparent my husband had developed an outside interest.

And from his statements and actions, did you have any doubt as to who this

interest was?

Well, he admitted he loved Grace Holly.

I mean, if that letter wasn't admitting enough, my dearest Grace, how can I tell

you my true feelings? Mr. Berger, please, Mrs. Albright, not that letter.

has just been ruled inadmissible.

Would you tell us now, please, what happened the night of the murder?

Yes, about 10 o 'clock that night, a Mr. Buddy Fry came to the house looking for

my husband.

And what reason did he give for wanting to see your husband?

He claimed my husband was trying to talk Miss Halle into leaving for Mexico with

him.

Objection. This testimony is hearsay.

The witness had no first -hand knowledge of any such proposed trip.

Sustained.

Very well.

Let's return to Mr. Fry. Did you know who he was?

I believe he's the photographer for the Miss debutante advertising layout.

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

You're with me.

Mrs. Albright, did you believe this trip to Mexico story?

Your honor, defense counsel is cross -examining on a subject which he's

objected to and which has been withdrawn.

He can't have it both ways.

The district attorney is quite right, Mr. Mason.

I'll rephrase my question.

Now, Mrs. Albright, you've indicated by your testimony that your marriage was in

some trouble. Is that correct?

There could hardly be anything else with Miss Hallie in the picture.

Did you ever discuss divorce with your husband?

I may have considered it, yes.

Naming Miss Hallie as correspondent?

That would have been justifiable grounds.

Was your husband's life insured?

He had a very small policy. It was all he could afford.

Yet you imply he was able to afford a relationship with Miss Hallie.

A lack of money never stops a man from that.

Mrs. Albright, isn't it true that your husband was in financial trouble to the

extent that he was forced to borrow money to pay your gambling debts?

And that failure to pay those debts might have resulted in your being

charged with issuing bad checks?

Yes. Now, Mrs. Albright, when that young man, Mr. Fry, discovered your husband

was not at home, did he leave immediately?

He left the house right away.

But he waited out in his car in front of the house until, oh, about midnight, I

guess. Maybe later.

Do I understand from what you've just said that you were at home all evening?

Yes.

You saw Mr. Fry's car parked in front of your house from about 10 o 'clock until

midnight, the approximate time of your husband's death.

That's right.

Can you swear that he was in his car during that entire period?

No, I... I merely assumed he was there.

Does your house have a back door?

Why, yes.

So, Mr. Fry, allegedly watching your house from the front and not the back,

could also only assume that you were at home from 10 o 'clock until midnight.

Your Honor, I'll object to that.

I will draw the question.

Thank you, Mrs. Albright.

That'll be all.

You reside at the Tahitian Gardens Apartments, Mrs.

Diamond, the same address as that of the defendant?

Of course it's the same address.

I lived at the Tahitian firm. Gee, I don't know. Let me see now. Yes, Mrs.

Diamond, please, just answer the question.

What question?

Oh, you mean the defendant.

Yeah, she lives in the apartment above me.

Is that what you mean?

Yes, that's what I mean. Thank you. I call your attention now to August 11th.

That's the morning after the murder. And I ask if you saw Miss Halle at any time

during that day.

Well, I'm sure I wouldn't call the middle of the night day.

No, that was my fault. I mean the early hours of August 11th. Did you see Miss

Hallie then, shortly after midnight, the night of the murder?

Yes.

She was coming out of her apartment with an armload of men's clothing.

You know, I couldn't imagine what she was doing with men's clothing.

After all, she is Miss David Hunt.

Mrs. Diamond, I show you now a picture of the deceased Herman Albright. I ask

you ever saw him in person.

Sure, lots of times.

Would you be more specific for the court, please? When and where did you

Albright?

Well, he was always either coming in or leaving Miss Halley's apartment.

Really? Thank you, Mrs. Diamond.

That'll be all.

Albright was in charge of the Miss Debutant campaign for the agency.

He used his position to pester Grace.

She didn't want to have anything to do with him.

You observed the two of them together, then? Yes, lots of times. And I was

when he'd phone her.

She did everything she could to discourage him.

Tell me this, Mr. Fry. Did you consider yourself a rival of Mr.

Albright's for Miss Alley's affections?

I'm in love with her.

Really?

I call your attention now to the testimony of Mrs. Albright concerning

visit to the Albright home on the night of the murder.

I went out there to have a showdown with him, but he never came home.

I have no further questions of this witness.

Mr. Fry, what is your relationship to Miss Hallie?

Grace Hallie is my wife.

We kept it a secret.

Your marriage would have been grounds for cancellation of her contract?

Yes. We were both young, unknown, trying to get ahead in a tough business.

Maybe lying about being married was wrong, but that contract was important

us. Kind of opened the door to success.

So to protect it, you maintained a separate residence?

I had a little apartment a few blocks away.

Did you ever keep any of your clothes in your wife's apartment?

Yes. Like I said, nobody knew about us being married, and she didn't want to

implicate me in anything.

So she got rid of my clothes, and that's what her nosy neighbor saw her carrying

away.

Very well. Now, Mr. Fry, would you please tell this court how the decedent

bringing pressure to bear on your wife in trying to, uh...

Get her to go to Mexico with him.

Specifically, the telephone call he made to her.

Objection, Your Honor.

The court has specifically ruled out all testimony bearing on that trip to

Mexico. As a matter of fact, it was ruled out at the specific request of Mr.

Mason himself.

On the surface, that may be right, Mr. Berger.

Why are you introducing this subject now, Mr. Mason?

May it please the court.

We are now concerned with a very different piece of evidence.

The ruling on hearsay was quite properly applied to Mrs. Albright's attempt to

testify as to what she'd been told by a third party, this party having heard the

statement from the defendant.

But we are now concerned with the defendant's direct statements to the

on the stand.

Wait just a minute.

Your Honor, the witness on the stand has just testified that he's married to the

defendant. Precisely. So, of course, he can't be forced to testify against his

wife. However, Your Honor, I'm prepared to waive any objection on her behalf.

Therefore, I... Now, just another minute, Your Honor. It seems to me quite

obvious that there's more behind Mr. Mason's maneuver than meets the eye.

Counsel has presented the court with an interesting situation.

What would have been hearsay evidence under other circumstances is now

evidence, as declarations by defendant showing a state of mind.

Under the authorities, such testimony is admissible.

Yes, Your Honor.

If it pleases the court, I should like to request a recess until tomorrow so

that I can study this whole matter.

Perhaps that's not a bad idea.

Court is adjourned and will reconvene tomorrow morning at 10.

Perry, do you or don't you want testimony on the proposed Mexican trip?

I certainly do.

Then why object to Hamilton introducing it?

Berger would have used it only as further evidence that there'd been an

And there he would have left it, and that's all I could have cross -examined

There would have been no mention of the telephone call that Albright made to

Grace. But you got it admitted anyway?

By that time, I'd established that Albright couldn't afford such a trip. So

Berger has to put Caffrey on the stand to testify that Albright borrowed that

,000.

And Caffrey on the stand is what I'm really after.

But how is Caffrey involved?

Well, for what it's worth...

Annex was Caffrey's junior partner. He ran the San Francisco office.

And he was young enough and green enough to be the patsy when the Internal

Revenue Department spotted some discrepancies in the company books.

Was Annex the only one involved in the tax trouble?

Oh, that's the funny part of it. The government charged both Caffrey and

with falsifying the tax return.

Annex went to prison for two years, and the charges against Caffrey were

dropped. The rumor is he probably made a deal to give his partner a larger share

of the agency.

If that's the deal...

By the time Enix gets out of prison, his half of the agency may be withered

away.

Caffrey may be dissolving their partnership right now.

You know, Albright could have known about that deal and blackmailed Caffrey

the 5 ,000. I wonder if Caffrey and Enix have partnership insurance.

Mm -hmm.

If either one dies, it gives the other the option and money to buy out the dead

partner's share.

Paul, I have a very delicate job for you to do. Okay.

I would like you to repair a television set.

Emergencies, emergencies.

Always a crisis.

Yeah, Pop, ain't it the truth. Well, then you know how folks are about their

sets. Look, why don't you go down and watch your own? I'll lock the apartment

when I finish. That is, if the tenant isn't home by then.

Tenant might not be home.

Hasn't been, you know, for several days back.

No, but I showed you the repair order.

Maybe that guy comes in and out to get things now and then.

Maybe he called for repairs.

What guy is that?

Search me.

Bald -headed man.

Oh, but he's got his own key, so I guess it's all right.

Anyway, you'll find the light switch on the wall there.

Thanks a lot.

Tailored by S.

Magaloff.

So far as the Mexican trip is concerned, then, the only real pressure you're

aware of was your wife's possible fear that her contract as Miss Debutante

be canceled.

That's right.

No further questions.

The prosecution has some questions on redirects, Your Honor.

Proceed, Mr. Berger. Mr. Fry, you stated yesterday that the men's clothing the

defendant... was seen taking out of her apartment on the night of the murder

belonged to you, is that correct?

They were in Albright's, I can tell you that.

How can you be so positive, Mr. Fry?

Because he was never in her apartment.

Never? We have Mrs.

Diamond's testimony to the contrary.

Well, maybe she made a mistake.

I was there every night.

Every night, Mr. Fry?

From the 7th to the 15th of the month preceding the murder, every night then?

Well...

Well, I don't remember every date.

According to these records, you were shooting a photographic layout in Palm

Springs during that period.

So you can't be sure, can you?

If the decedent was seeing your wife, or when he was visiting her, or how often

he visited her.

I thought not.

The witness is all yours, Mr. Mason.

I have no question.

You may step down.

Call your next witness, Mr. Berger.

I call Walter Caffrey to the stand, please.

Mr. Caffrey, the deceased Herman Albright had been employed for a number

years by your agency, is that right? Yes.

Was his position a responsible one?

He was a key man.

And his salary was commensurate with his services?

It was a very good salary.

The defense has gone to considerable lengths to suggest that the deceased

not have financed this flight to Mexico we've been hearing so much about.

knowing his income.

Do you believe that?

Objection, Your Honor.

I'll rephrase the question, Your Honor.

Mr. Caffrey, of your own personal knowledge, did the deceased have any

his possession with which he could have financed such a trip?

Well, it was available, yes, sir.

I had already drawn up a cashier's check form in the amount of $5 ,000, a

personal loan.

He was to pick it up in the morning at the office.

Thank you, Mr. Caffrey. No more questions.

Your witness.

Mr. Caffrey, do you have any valid reason to believe that Herman Albright

planned to use that money to leave the country?

Certainly not. I wouldn't have agreed to lend him the money.

Then he gave you a different reason as to why he needed the money.

He said it was to pay off some debts incurred by his wife.

Gambling debts?

Yes. And he was to give you nothing in return, such as a note or collateral to

secure the loan?

His word was the only security I needed.

You weren't influenced by pressure of any kind?

If you mean blackmail, Mr. Mason.

Absolutely not.

Then could the money you promised him have been in return for a service

by Mr. Albright?

I don't know what you mean.

Don't you, Mr. Caffrey?

Isn't it true that Albright was performing a service for you at the time

murdered?

No.

Remember, Mr. Caffrey, you're still under oath.

No, he was not performing a service for me.

Mr. Caffrey, earlier this coat and vest were identified as having been worn by

the decedent at the time of his death. Do you remember that?

Yes, I think so.

Now, Mr. Caffrey, does this coat and vest belong to you?

No. No, of course not.

I ask you to read to the court the name of the tailor on the label.

S. Megalov.

Now the coat, please.

S. Magalov.

Thank you, Mr. Caffrey.

Now I must first warn you that there are stringent laws on the subject of

perjury. I'll ask you once more.

Is this coat and vest yours?

No.

Order, please.

Order. That gentleman, Mr. Capri, is Sasha Magalov.

S. Magalov.

Now, before I put him on the stand, I'll ask you once more. Is this your coat

and vest?

Yes. Would you please explain why the decedent was wearing your clothes at the

time of his murder?

He was going to meet somebody.

Who had never seen me and didn't know what I looked like.

And how was this person who had never seen you to actually know it was you?

The Tattersall vest.

And with the vest as means of identification, this person met not you,

Herman Albright.

Yes. And in this meeting, was there some element of risk, of danger?

No. No, I wouldn't say that.

Mr. Caffrey, isn't it true that what happened that night to Herman Albright

actually intended to happen to you?

I don't have to answer these. Mr. Caffrey, I call your attention to one

person in this courtroom.

His name is Fenton. He was formerly employed by a private detective agency.

But since the day of the murder, Mr. Fenton has been sticking quite close to

you. What is he, your private bodyguard?

Mr. Caffrey, isn't it true that since Albright's death, you've been quite

terrified because the wrong man was murdered?

Yes, yes.

It's true.

And if you were the intended victim, Mr. Caffrey, then who could have killed

Albright?

Who but the person who picked him up in the bar because of the way he acted and

the things he said while he was pretending to be you?

No!

Annex knew he was being double -crossed by his partner, Caffrey, but there was

nothing he could do about it in prison.

So he told all his troubles to Joy LeBaron.

Then the two of them planned the murder when she visited Enix in prison.

No, I don't think so.

Enix's idea was to try and scare Caffrey so he wouldn't pull anything.

He told his girlfriend just enough so she could come down here and threaten

Caffrey to the eyebrows.

I guess little Joy had some ideas of her own, though. With Caffrey dead, Enix

would have ended up with everything.

She claims that the actual murder was Albright's fault.

The funny answers he gave her, the strange way he acted when he was

to be Caffrey.

Anyway, she threatened him with a gun.

And when he tried to grab it away from her, she panicked, and that was it.

The strangest thing of all is that since Joy and Caffrey were complete

strangers, the police might never have connected the two of them if she hadn't

killed the wrong man.

Now, that raises an interesting question, Mr. Mason.

How did you uncover that?

By working backwards.

Albright had been murdered by a woman.

The police took certain evidence and found a suspect.

I had a suspect and dug up certain missing evidence against Joy.

But suppose Ida Albright had done it?

No.

Albright may have seen himself in all sorts of romantic situations, but to

he was just a poor goose about to lay a golden egg. A $5 ,000 golden egg.