Original subtitles

Thank you.

Hi, Otto.

Hey, Andy.

Where's your new partner?

Oh, he'll be right back.

Say, Mama's been asking for you.

It's two Thursday nights in a row now you missed. Ah, your mother's patented

Wiener schnitzel, but only the best.

Tell her I'm sorry, Otto. I've been working hard. Been very busy.

But not too busy to wet nurse a rookie, huh?

Well, after all, the guy's my cousin.

Okay, Lieutenant, sir.

It's Jimmy Anderson's first night riding a prowl car instead of pounding a beat.

You want me to keep an eye on him, right?

What are you doing here?

Oh, uh, I had to see somebody, so I just thought I'd, uh, wish me luck on my

first night.

Thanks, Andy.

Come on, Otto. We'll be late for summer.

Okay, let's go.

Don't wait up for us, Danny. We might be late.

Something wrong?

Could be.

The gate's open and I don't see Pierce anyplace.

Pierce?

Ralph Pierce, night watchman.

When I got the payroll sitting in the safe overnight, Pierce always... Let's

Come on, I said let's go.

I thought you'd left for the night, Lieutenant.

Get your hat, Andy.

Homicide? Downtown.

Wilson Plastics.

The safest crack.

Payroll stolen.

And, uh, they shot a policeman.

Your friend.

Otto Norden.

What?

Sorry, Andy. He's dead.

What about the kid?

Officer James Anderson?

He's all right. He wasn't hurt.

Maybe better if he had been.

One of the plant executives drove up just as the shooting started inside.

He saw Officer James Anderson outside, running away.

Yes, I had just driven up and gotten out of my car when I saw this officer

running away from the plant towards the street.

He stopped running when he saw me.

But according to the officer here, you both heard the shots that came from

inside the building.

Either way, suit yourself.

Well, we both ran in, found the empty safe.

The policeman dead.

Night watchman was drugged and unconscious in a cold room they used for

on the other side of the plant.

Well, thank you very much, Mr. Wilson.

I'll be in my aunt's office for the others.

I ought to send you around the back while he went in the front.

Yes. Now, just beside the back doorway, somebody hit you on the head.

Yes. Or was it like you told me before? You tripped, fell, and bumped your head.

Yes. No.

I'm not sure, Andy. Come on, now. What was it? You tripped and fell or you were

hit? I don't know, Andy. I don't know.

Jimmy, I'm only trying to help.

All right, now.

You were out.

You came to, sick, dizzy, mixed up. You started back to the squad car looking

for Otto.

That's when I saw that guy Wilson drive up and when I heard the shots inside.

I was never inside the plant and I wasn't running away. Believe me.

Andy. About Otto.

You know, I... That other lieutenant, uh, Trag, I think, wants to see you,

Lieutenant Anderson.

All right, thanks.

Well, now, they, uh, tell me you went and got yourself slugged on the head.

Knocked unconscious, huh?

Suppose we take a look at it.

Money chest lock is shot. They blew it with nitro.

Too much nitro, Lieutenant.

Made confetti out of everything inside.

The money, too?

Probably not. It was inside the steel compartment.

It wasn't hers.

But it was stolen?

Oh.

Mrs. Lieutenant Anderson, homicide.

Mrs. Wilson, president of the company.

And you've met her nephew, Dwight Wilson.

And Mr. Leland.

He is the company treasurer. Well, Mr. Leland.

Records, books, completely destroyed, of course.

We have microfilm copy duplicates, which we didn't keep in the safe of most of

the material.

So we shouldn't have too much trouble reconstructing the ledgers, Carrie.

The money, Mr. Leland.

How much was stolen?

$60 ,000 in paper currency.

Oh, doctor.

Our night watchman, Pierce. How is he?

Apparently drugged and unconscious.

I sent him to the hospital to have his stomach pumped.

He'll be all right, Mrs. Wilson.

Thank you.

And the young policeman who was running away, is he all right?

Fine. What about his head?

Must be hard as a rock.

You know, you'd almost think he imagined he fell or was slugged.

It was just a scratch and barely a bump on his head.

Perfectional crooks, sure.

Pros haven't used nitro in years.

And two ounces of the stuff?

Oh, no, this was strictly amateur night in Dixie. Or an inside job.

Well, I promised I'd take Mrs. Wilson around to see Mama Norton. Thanks,

Andy, the, uh...

The department's internal security already has this, so you might as well,

what it's worth.

Has what?

Well, three days ago, I investigated a reported burglary at a chemical analysis

plant.

A real funny one.

Someone swiped some liquid detergent, a bottle of new perfume they were testing

called Naughty Lady, some other cockeyed odds and ends, and two ounces of

nitro.

The same amount used at Wilson Plastics.

One other thing.

The thief was seen.

Not his face, but what he was wearing.

Andy, a uniformed policeman was seen leaving that place.

This chemical lab that was burgled.

Whose beat was it on?

The kid who was transferred to the squad cars two days later.

Officer James Sanders.

Dedication.

above and beyond the call of duty.

The department's highest decoration, the cross of valor to Officer

Otto Norton.

When the chief handed that to me, he said... It's all

right, Mama Norton. It's all right.

Otto died the way he would have wanted to. A good policeman doing his job.

Yeah, and he...

He was a good policeman.

He was always so proud of that.

That's certainly something for you to be proud of, Mrs. Norton.

Otto is dead.

And he... He's dead.

Why all the tears?

It's not every woman who has two things to be proud of. A son who was a hero

and... And the finest wienerschnitzel this side of the unit. Oh, the

wienerschnitzel.

Every Thursday he would come. He was like my son. Both my sons. It was

such fun.

Put that back, Andy. I'm going to make for Mrs. Wilson some tea.

Mama. Mama, wait.

Oh, that's a present.

That's the last present Otto gave me.

That's only a few days ago.

That's a perfume.

A fine perfume. Look.

Naughty lady.

Now, Mama, this is important.

Where did Otto get this perfume?

Oh, I don't know.

Oh, yeah, he said his partner.

What's his name? Jimmy. Jimmy gave it to him.

Mrs. Wilson is expecting me.

Mrs. Wilson?

Yes, Rita?

Lieutenant Anderson is here.

Oh, have him wait a moment, please.

Call Howard Duncan and ask him to bring that time clock with him. And then show

both gentlemen in.

After all that's happened.

Robbery, murder.

Is this the time to bring it up again?

I thought the issue was settled, Arthur.

We are not buying out Hillman Plastics or any other company.

You're wrong, Karen.

We have a $2 million defense contract, ours for the asking, if we buy out

Hillman. The answer was no before. It'll be no again tonight at the board

meeting. You, your nephew, and Gerald Leland.

Against Duncan and me.

Always three to two against progress.

Well, you'd better have the great Mr. Perry Mason here tonight.

Our company attorney? Why?

I'm going to make my proposal once more.

If it is voted down again, I am handing in my resignation.

You better do some thinking about that, Carrington.

Come in, gentlemen.

Lieutenant, Mr. Duncan is our general manager.

I asked him to bring the recording time clock that Pierce carried.

Thank you.

Mr. Duncan, will you unlock it for me, check the recording disc, and see what

was the last time Pierce punched in on his clock that night?

Certainly glad to, Lieutenant.

Just a moment, Mr. Duncan.

Now, I don't know whether the lab can check this out or not, but that sure

like a fresh bullet crease to me.

But I don't understand.

Officer Otto Norden fired one shot before he was killed.

Wait a minute.

If that shot hit this case, then Pierce wasn't unconscious on the other side of

the plant.

Pierce must have been present.

He must have seen who robbed the safe.

That or Pierce did it himself, not realizing the policeman's bullet struck

case and tipped off the fact that he was lying.

This is Ralph Pierce's place.

Just a second, fellas. I'd like to see that search warrant you said you had.

Did Mr.

Pierce go to work tonight as usual?

Uh -huh.

Just like I told the cop that was here earlier.

Yeah, this looks okay. You can go ahead and search.

There's another policeman looking for Pierce.

Did he tell you his name?

Yeah.

That's funny.

It's just like yours, Anderson.

Well, call me if you need anything.

About $30 ,000, I'd say, Lieutenant.

Half the money that was stolen, Mr. Duncan.

What about the serial number, Steve?

I'd check.

This is part of the robbery money. There's no question of it.

One partner's share, maybe.

Let's go pick up Pierce.

These are my figures and analysis of the diversification plan involving the

purchase of film and plastics.

Here, here.

I now advise, as I have in the past, against the move.

just as Mrs. Wilson would expect you to do.

If I'm consistent, Mr. Morrell, so are you.

This matter has come up repeatedly, and with the same result, a three to two

vote against purchase.

However, if you insist on wasting time and voting again, despite the obvious

meaning of the figures I quoted, why, I can't... I don't care what the figures

signify. It's expand or die.

I say again, there's no alternative.

We must diversify.

But, Arthur, in terms of profits of a...

Reasonable return on invested capital.

I must reiterate Mrs. Wilson's basic concern, which I confess I share.

All right, Gerald, that's enough.

I think we've just about talked this thing into the ground.

Unless there are any objections, I'm going to call for a vote.

Carrie Wilson, no.

Arthur Morrell?

Yes.

Gerald Leland?

No.

I assume, Arthur, that you have Howard Duncan's proxy.

I do.

Howard Duncan votes yes.

Dwight Wilson?

If it's not too much trouble, nephew, would you give us your usual negative

vote? I vote yes.

What?

Excuse me. I'm sorry to interrupt you, but this is urgent. We can't find Ralph

Pearson the plant. Now, if any of you have...

What was that shooting? Told him, I think. Sounded like he was chasing...

It's

Ralph Pierce, the night watchman.

Looks like he's been strangled to death.

Since this board of rights hearing is not a criminal proceeding...

A finding of guilt does not require conviction in the minds of the board

to a moral certainty or beyond a reasonable doubt.

A finding of guilty based on a preponderance of evidence is sufficient.

The accused will raise his right hand.

The accused will rise.

Guilty as charged.

They dismissed him from the force.

I'm sorry, Jimmy.

Never mind that hearing business, Andy.

We hoped it wouldn't, but five minutes ago, evidence turned up that finished

case.

James Anderson, I have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of Ralph

This searing transcript of Jimmy's dismissal, everything I've heard about

case, Andy, seems conclusive that the robbery must have been tied in with

murder.

Andy, if there was ever a case where a police officer's hand was caught in the

till, this has got to be it.

I agree with you, Paul. There was a policeman involved in that theft, all

but which policeman? You don't mean Otto Norden, the policeman who was killed?

Yes, Perry, I'm afraid I do.

But he was killed trying to stop the robbery.

What robbery?

That phony, obviously planned performance at Wilson Plastics?

Who was the brave Otto Norden protecting the payroll from? The night watchman?

Remember, we found that stolen money hidden under Pierce's mattress.

Only half of it.

Why do you paint Otto into that picture?

The perfume, the stolen nitro. Remember, the witness never saw a face, only a

uniform. Well, Otto Norton wore a uniform, all right. But so did Jimmy

and it was his beat.

Jimmy knew nothing about Wilson Plastics, or its night watchman, or its

But Otto did? Yes.

Otto sent Jimmy around to the rear where the waiting night watchman knocked him

out. That's the way I figure it.

Now, suppose Pierce had already blown the safe.

He and Otto argue over the money.

Pierce shot Otto, stashed the money away somewhere, drank that drug coffee, and

waited for the police to come.

Neat package, Andy.

But it leaves one large question unanswered.

Forgetting why for the moment, just tell me, who killed Pierce?

His death may have had nothing at all to do with the robbery.

Or with your cousin, Jimmy.

Come on, Andy, get off it.

If Otto Norton was mixed up in that robbery, there must have been a motive

evidence of such.

Have you spoken to Mrs. Norton concerning the possibility of her son's

involvement?

No.

Perry... She's been... Well, she's been...

Practically like my mother, too.

All she's got left is the memory of a dead hero and a mantelpiece full of

citations and medals.

I'd rather cut off my arm than hurt her.

And what would you rather do in place of allowing a cousin to be convicted of

murder? Well, that's why I'm here, Perry.

I'd like you to defend the kid.

All right, Andy.

But what about you?

Will you defend him?

If I find evidence involving him, I'll... I'll put him into the gas

myself.

I know going back to that plant was the kind of stupid stunt only a fool rookie

would pull, but... Mr. Mason, I didn't kill him.

Ralph Pierce was dead when I stumbled over his body in that cold room.

Then I heard Detective Tolan coming and I ran.

Now that's the truth.

The police report indicates the Pierce had been searched from head to toe after

he was killed.

Were you responsible?

No, I never searched him. Why would I do that? Why were you in the plant in the

first place?

Well, I wanted to clear myself and I couldn't be caught there investigating.

I'd been trying to figure out when and how his lunch got drugged that night.

I'd already found out he had his lunch fixed at a small restaurant.

Pick it up every night or take it to the plant, put him in his locker where he

kept it locked until he went for it at midnight.

His coffee could have been drugged in the restaurant.

Someone in the plant could have gotten into his locker.

Or he drugged it himself.

Knowing the police would drive by looking for him, he was taking a big

Unless one of those cops was his accomplice.

Jimmy, you were one of those cops.

I know.

And I know that Mrs. Norton says I gave Otto that perfume, but Mr. Mason, I

never saw that perfume.

And I never stole that nitro from that chemical lab.

So, if you weren't the one, then it had to be Otto Norton.

It had to be Otto, Mr. Mason.

You knew me, Otto, Mr. Mason?

Please understand, Mrs. Norton, as attorney for Andy's cousin, It's

for me to find out what I can about everyone involved in this case.

That Jimmy is a bad boy. He's no good. He ran away.

If it wasn't for him... So I'll answer what questions I can.

Concerning that bottle of perfume... Did Otto actually say that Jimmy gave it to

him?

Well, he said something about his partner.

Can't remember exactly the words, but that's what he said.

Isn't it possible, Mrs. Norton, that you might have misunderstood him, that you

were mistaken?

It's also possible that I'm a liar.

I didn't say that.

You didn't have to say it, Mr. Mason.

I know about the robbery with the perfume.

I know it was a man in a policeman's uniform who took the perfume and the

to blow up Mrs. Wilson's safe. I know also that the place that was robbed was

the young Anderson's beat. Beat or not, Jimmy wasn't the only uniformed

policeman in Los Angeles.

You are calling my heart to a thief.

Am I, Mrs. Norton?

Or are you?

My heart was no crook.

He was a policeman.

A good policeman.

What are you trying to do?

Destroy his name?

Take away all I have left in the world?

That Jimmy Anderson.

He's the one.

He killed the watchman. He killed my Otto.

Go back to your killer. I don't want to talk about him.

You're bad.

You're both bad. Trying to hurt my Otto.

Jimmy Anderson is fighting for his life.

He's just a scared kid. I'm trying to help him.

Don't you understand, Mrs. Norton?

Jimmy is not guilty.

So who is guilty?

My Otto?

My Otto cut out the grave to kill that man?

We're talking about the perfume.

Talking about the robbery.

So why should he steal?

Wilson, gentlemen.

You said you wanted to see us.

Well, here we are, Perry.

Well, would you tell us why you want to see us? That is, if it isn't too much

trouble. No trouble at all, Mr. Morrell.

You see, I believe one of you murdered Ralph Pierce.

You're out of your mind.

That's been said before many times.

Mr. Mason, I thought that James Anderson was under arrest for Pierce's murder.

He is.

The night Pierce was murdered.

Those of us here in this room were the only ones in the plant.

Aside from Pierce and James Anderson.

That's right. Pierce went on duty at 8. We met in this room at 9.

At the time James Anderson arrived and stumbled onto Pierce, Pierce was already

dead. So if young Anderson is telling the truth, if, then one of us killed

Pierce before we met at 9.

That would be correct.

What time did James Anderson enter the building?

At approximately quarter to 10.

Then you're wrong, Mr. Mason.

It would have been physically impossible for any one of us to have killed

Pierce.

Why?

Well... Go ahead and tell him, Mr. Duncan.

You'll find out in court anyway.

The last time Pierce punched in on his rounds was in a cold room at 10 o

We were all in here from 9 o 'clock until the body was found, and not one of

left this room.

The only other person in the plant was Officer James Anderson.

There's more, Perry.

We found the rest of the money that was stolen from the safe.

Where?

Hidden in Jimmy's apartment.

I personally checked the serial numbers of the currency the police showed me.

With what result, Mr. Leland?

The $60 ,000 recovered by the police was the identical $60 ,000 to that stolen

from our safe.

I see.

Thank you, sir. I think that'll be all.

Your witness, Mr. Mason?

Now, Mr. Leland, would you say that the decedent, Ralph Pierce, was a good night

watchman? Your Honor, I object to that question.

That calls for an opinion and a conclusion of the witness.

As attorney for his company, you should know that he's not plant superintendent.

He's company treasurer.

Objection sustained.

All right, Mr. Leland.

As company treasurer, can you tell us whether or not the night watchman, Mr.

Pierce, was covered by a bond?

Oh, yes, Mr. Mason. Most emphatically so.

We'd be derelict indeed in not paying to have him bonded.

Was there any trouble in having him bonded? I don't specifically recall, but

shouldn't imagine so.

You see, Mr. Mason, Ralph Pierce was a former Los Angeles policeman.

I also know he left the police department involuntarily, that he'd been

resign. Well, perhaps the bonding company was aware of that fact and

increased their rates.

I can't answer that question without checking the records of the bonding

company. Well, didn't your own company keep such records?

Naturally, Mr. Mason, of course. But we lost those specific records, I'm sure,

when the nitroglycerin explosion that opened the safe also destroyed the

contents of the safe.

Including the list of serial numbers of the stolen money?

Yes, that list was destroyed, as a matter of fact.

Then how could you give the police the list of serial numbers of the stolen

money? There were microfilm records of about 90 % of the safe's contents.

Microfilm records not involved in the explosion, including, most fortuitously,

microfilm copy that we had made of that serial number list.

No further questions.

To your knowledge, Lieutenant, did the defendant, James Anderson, know the

decedent, Ralph Pierce, prior to the robbery at Wilson Plastics?

Yes, sir, I know that recently.

When Jimmy Anderson was at the police academy, one of his instructors was

Pierce. He was still on the force at that time.

Now, Lieutenant Tragg, I show you this certified copy of a police department

assignment order.

I ask you in what manner this assignment order refers to the defendant.

Yes, sir. This order transferred Officer James Anderson, the defendant, from a

beat to the prowl car detail, and assigned him to Officer Otto Norden's

A prowl car whose customary patrol area included the Wilson Plastics plant,

where the former instructor of the defendant was now employed as a night

watchman. Is that correct?

Yes, sir. And now, Lieutenant, I understand that another homicide

Lieutenant Anderson, recovered one half of the money stolen in that robbery and

that you yourself recovered the other half. Would you tell us, please, exactly

where you found that money?

Yes, sir.

Under some clothes and a suitcase inside a closet.

In the apartment of the defendant, James Anderson.

Death was caused by traumatic asphyxia, induced by means of manual

strangulation. Then the murderer used his hands, Doctor.

No, most likely his forearm, clamping the victim's throat while the assailant

stood behind him.

All right, Doctor.

Now, one last question. Would you estimate the time of death for me?

Oh, in my opinion, the decedent was murdered between 10 and 10 .30.

Thank you, Doctor. That'll be all.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Doctor, in a situation where a body is discovered reasonably soon after death,

what in your examination permits you to determine the time of death?

Oh, I'd say such factors as the temperature of the corpse, the degree of

lividity or post -mortem markings on the body, and, of course, the degree of

rigor mortis.

By temperature, you mean that if a body is warm, death was recent, and if a body

is cold, death was further removed in time.

Precisely. What was the condition of Ralph Pierce's body when you examined it

little after 10 .30?

Cold. Wouldn't that indicate that he'd been killed before 10?

Ordinarily, yes.

But in this case, Mr. Mason, if you didn't know, the decedent was slain in a

refrigerated room, a factor which would considerably accelerate the lowering of

temperature. Now, in this matter of lividity, I gather the markings were

discernible, leading you to a conclusion that death was recent.

Yes.

I believe, Doctor, that rigor mortis was the third factor you mentioned.

Now, was rigor mortis marked in your examination of the decedent?

Very much so.

Now, wouldn't that indicate that death had occurred before 10, at 9 .30, at 9,

at 8 .30, perhaps even as early as 8 o 'clock?

It could, conceivably, yes, but not in this case.

And why not?

If a person dies quietly, without muscular activity, rigor mortis is slow

gradual.

But a person being strangled from behind, struggling for his life, has

muscular activity.

Bringing on more rapid rigor mortis.

In situations like this, we have had cases of instantaneous rigor mortis.

And is it not also a medical fact, Doctor, that cold can hasten the onset

rigor mortis?

Yes. And didn't you point out carefully to me a few moments ago, Doctor, that

the body of Ralph Pierce had been found in a refrigerated room?

Why, yes.

Doctor, without a post -mortem examination, how would you fix the time

Oh, I'd say you could do it roughly based on the time the body was

and time the decedent was last known to have been alive.

Obviously, death occurred between those times. You examined the body at 10 .30.

When was the decedent last known to be alive?

At 10, when he punched in on the time clock.

Oh, you know about the time clock.

Of course.

Did you know about it when you made your post -mortem examination?

Did you know about it when you made your conclusions concerning the time of

death? Yes, I was told.

Yes.

Yes, I knew.

Thank you, doctor.

No further questions.

You then obtained a search warrant and went through Ralph Pierce's rooms. What

did you find?

$30 ,000, half of the $60 ,000 that had been stolen.

And then you proceeded to Wilson Plastics' plant to arrest Ralph Pierce.

there?

He was there, all right.

Murdered.

What else did the police find at that plant?

Detective Tolan saw a man, unrecognizable, fleeing from the scene

attempting to run out of the plant.

Detective Tolan yelled at the man to stop, fired a couple of shots, but the

got away.

However, we heard testimony here from a driver of a delivery truck who heard

those shots.

And who was later able to identify that man who ran from the scene of the crime.

Isn't that so?

Yes, sir.

Our investigation proved that man was the defendant.

I think that'll be all, Lieutenant.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

No questions.

Your witness is excused.

As the court knows, in a preliminary hearing, it is only incumbent on the

prosecution to show reasonable grounds to believe, first, that a crime was

committed, and second, that the accused is the person who committed that crime.

I'm sure that learned counsel in his defense will provide us with a

which includes his usual calculated confusion of the facts.

But at the moment, Your Honor, I feel more than certain that we have presented

an unshakable prima facie case.

Therefore, the state rests and moves that the defendant be bound over.

Mason, you may proceed with your defense at this time.

Your Honor, we have no defense.

Contracts and check for the purchase of human plastics.

And ready and unsigned for more than a week.

We have stalled this thing more than long enough.

Gerald, sign, please.

Mr. Mason said he was coming right over. I think it's no more than common

courtesy to... I can take it to court for relief.

And force compliance with board -approved action. Is that what you want?

Sign.

When he finishes, you sign, Carrie. I don't think you ought to do that,

Our eminent counsel.

More new allegations, Mr. Mason?

Facts, not allegations.

A shortage in the company books of $25 ,000.

What?

Do you know about this, Gerald?

Yes, Mr. Wilson.

I notified Mr. Mason when the auditors informed me of the seeming discrepancy.

Unfortunately, there were not microfilm copies of all the records destroyed in

the robbery.

Until we recreate the book step by step from supporting documents, we can't be

sure there is a shortage.

You said facts, plural.

The Security Exchange Commission has withheld approval of the Hillman

deal, its purchase and transfer of stock.

That's impossible.

I don't believe it.

If the angel Gabriel appeared before you on Judgment Day, Mr. Morrell, I think

you'd ask to see his union card.

On the day before the vote to buy Hillman Plastics, someone bought large

of Hillman stock cheap.

Two days later, after the prospective purchase had been announced, the stock

went up ten points.

That same someone then sold his stock for a profit of over $100 ,000.

You.

You changed your vote.

You knew this was going to happen.

No, Aunt Carrie.

I swear I didn't buy a single share of Hillman's stock.

Tell her, please.

I didn't buy that stock, did I?

I don't know, Mr. Wilson.

The only clues we have as to the identity of the purchaser are a post

number and the name Jay Smith.

Unfortunately, we don't know who Jay Smith is.

All of which raises the interesting question of exactly why the safe was

Why?

$60 ,000 seems to me to be a lot of why, Mr. Mason.

The safe was blown up to destroy certain records, not for the purposes of

stealing money.

Ralph Pierce was killed because he knew the truth.

All right, Donald.

The day of the robbery, was a package delivered here?

Yes.

Just after Otto left for work.

That package, Mrs. Norton.

Is it still here?

Why do you ask? What was in that package?

Now, it may have contained half the money stolen from the safe.

But it was delivered here before the safe was robbed.

No. No, I told you before. My Otto was good. He was not bad. He would have

nothing to do with such things.

Mrs. Norton, I'm not so sure Otto was really involved either.

But if my theory is right, there's one person who is sure of it.

Who? Who is that?

The murderer.

I don't understand.

I can't... Is that package still here in his apartment?

No.

The next day, after Otto was killed, I looked for the package.

It was gone.

Well, the murderer took it while you were out and later on planted it in Jim

Anderson's apartment. That's why all the money's been found.

Someone wanted certain records in the safe destroyed. They made a deal with

Pierce.

The payoff for doing the job was the money in the safe.

$60 ,000.

Half delivered here and half found in Pierce's room.

Which means that the person who engineered the whole job didn't keep a

that money. However, Pierce had discovered a strip of microfilm missing.

a copy of the records that had been destroyed.

So he went after it, stole it, and then tried to shake down the man who'd hired

him for more money.

for which effort Pierce was killed.

Now the question is, did the murderer get the microfilm back? We know Pierce's

body was searched.

We know the film wasn't found elsewhere.

So unless he does have the film, the murderer must be getting fairly panicky.

Yes, but why are you telling me all this?

If the murderer believed that your son was Pierce's accomplice, they might

also believe that...

Pierce contacted you after Otto's death.

How would he believe a thing like that?

He would.

If you made it convincing enough.

You mean you want... the murderer to think that I... That you know where

hid the film.

You can do it over the phone, Miss Norton.

This is the number and this is what Mr. Mason wants you to say.

You don't know all this.

You don't know for sure. You only think this is what happened.

If it didn't, Mrs. Norton, then either Jimmy is a thief or your son was a

Would you get me the number, please?

This is Erna Norton.

I know who Jay Smith is.

And I know where the film is.

Pierce called me.

He hid it where no one else would think of looking for it.

If I tell the police, they'll know about it.

About Otto.

I don't want that.

I don't ever want that.

So take it.

In... In the cold room.

You don't have to look further.

We found it earlier and left it there before I had Mrs. Norton call you.

Missing microfilm that proves you embezzled $25 ,000 from the company.

That microfilm could send you to jail.

Just as Ralph Pierce was sent to his death.

I swear I didn't kill him.

How could I? I was at that meeting.

So was I. So was everyone connected with the company. From nine o 'clock on.

But Pierce was killed before 9 o 'clock. Pierce was killed before that meeting

even started.

Then one of the people at the meeting put Mrs. Norton called me.

Her second call was made to you.

But her first call was made to a man who gave himself an alibi by tampering with

that time clock.

You, Mr. Leland.

Yeah.

He blackmailed me, Mr. Mace.

That's why I changed my vote.

He threatened to send me to jail if I didn't vote to buy Hellman Plastics.

A sale which would have made him $100 ,000.

The name you used was Jay Smith, was it not?

You knew that in court, didn't you?

And you knew the actual time Ralph Pierce was killed when you questioned

doctor. Yes.

And I knew something you didn't know.

The truth about Otto Norton.

But he was never Pierce's accomplice in that robbery.

You couldn't prove any of it.

Not even Perry Mason could prove it.

No, I couldn't prove it, Mr. Leland.

But you could.

And you have.

So, now you know everything.

Just the two of you.

I'm afraid not, Mr. Leland.

Well, what are you gonna do with that gun?

Mr. Mason, come in.

What did you find, Mr. Mason?

I just left headquarters.

Between Leland's confession and our own investigation, everything is just about

explained.

Even the perfume?

It was stolen by a man in uniform.

But it wasn't Jimmy and it wasn't Otto.

It was Otto's former partner on the police force.

A man who had kept his uniform.

Ralph Pierce.

Well, apparently Pierce hated your son.

He blamed Otto for his having been tossed off the police force.

Planned to frame him for that phony robbery.

That explains the money, too.

After Pierce killed your son, he stole the money back from his apartment and

planted it on Jimmy.

Poor Jimmy.

I guess he still hoped to blame the robbery on a policeman.

Then my Otto...

Until you could tell me for sure.

I couldn't even look at this.

Your son earned his decoration.

Hey, anybody home?

Come in.

Oh, Andy, it's so good to see you.

Good to see me? You sound surprised, Mama Norton. Weren't you expecting me?

Expecting you?

Oh, it's Thursday.

Wienerschnitzel night.

And I didn't even shop today.

We shopped for you.

Mrs. Norton, please. It means a great deal to me. Please don't say no.

Officer Jimmy Anderson, if you eat my food, you have to call me Mama Norton.