Original subtitles

Sadie. Where's Sadie?

Your maid took ten dollars, plus my assurance that I was a friend, and let

bring you your coffee.

I've never laid eyes on you before.

I suppose you do have a name?

Minion Germaine.

Larry is my son.

The son you seem to have made up your mind to destroy.

Oh, a hangover and you.

Look, lady.

Do me a favor. Just go away.

I've worked hard to give Larry a chance to make something of himself.

I'm not going to see him ruined by some immature infatuation for an alcoholic

floozy.

You know something?

I don't blame you.

And I don't blame myself either.

Larry's fun.

Could be I love him.

You've never loved anything but yourself.

And money.

The kind of money Larry doesn't have. Won't have for years.

Dear me.

And I thought assistant district attorneys had such profitable fringe

He's already borrowed beyond his means to satisfy your appetites.

I like him.

I enjoy his company.

He's a big boy now.

He's such a nice big boy.

And if he wants to stay around, that's his business, not his mother's.

And there's nothing, absolutely nothing you can do about it. That's not quite

true, Miss Willing.

You can call me Karina, Mother.

Larry's well -being is the most important thing in my life.

If necessary, to protect him, I'd do anything.

Anything?

Are you going to kill me?

There's an experience I haven't had.

Death.

I'd almost be welcome.

Be my guest.

filed an affidavit under 1034 asking for a change of venue.

Ah, he must be kidding.

But that two -time loser, he represents?

He claims that fair and impartial trial is impossible.

The hearing's tomorrow morning at 10, Department 70.

Well, we better file a counter -affidavit.

I've already had one drawn up. Good.

All right, good.

Anything else? No, I think that's it.

Larry. Yeah.

How about that Duncan fraud case?

I sent you a memo on that. Yes, I know you did, recommending that we take no

action. That's right.

Well, Jack Randall, the man who claims Brady Duncan defrauded him, was in here

this morning. He asked for you, but he saw me when it became obvious that you

were going to be late.

He's pretty insistent.

He says that he's only holding up his civil actions until after we finish our

criminal prosecution.

That's his side of the coin. I don't think there's a basis for civil or

action. No intent to defraud.

Well, maybe it's constructive.

Maybe it's implied instead of expressed fraudulent intent.

Representations were never made to Randall that Duncan ever assumed would

relied upon.

Larry, I bucked that memo back to you. I want you to think about it some more. I

suggest you set up an appointment for Mr. Duncan and his attorney here with

and me.

Neil Howard represents him, doesn't he?

Yes, good man.

Yes, he is. I agree.

Did you meet Neil Howard through Karina Willing?

Or did you meet Karina Willing through Neil Howard?

Wait a minute.

Is that an insinuation of misfeasance?

Of undue influence affecting my decision in the Duncan case?

Larry, please try to understand what I'm saying to you. Is there anything else,

Mr. Berger?

No, Mr. Germain, nothing.

Yeah.

Neil Howard, the attorney, called.

It's important.

He'd like you to call back.

Are you sure you didn't ask for Larry, Germain?

He asked specifically for you.

All right, call him back.

Oh, and then maybe a reservation for tonight, the dinner show at the club to

read.

Oh, yeah.

Randy, when you told me you weren't feeling well today, you promised to stay

home and rest, not work.

Only a few more minutes, Ruth.

And then I promised to take a nap.

I'm sorry, Ruth. I wouldn't have come over if we could have waited until

tomorrow. All right. A few more minutes.

And, Kurt, we're expecting you for dinner tonight?

I'll be here.

Oh, dear.

First the general manager, now the company attorney.

Five minutes, Brady, no more.

Then I'll come in and throw them both out bodily.

How are you, Neil?

Fine, Ruth.

Fine.

I thought we'd better discuss this personally.

I spoke to the district attorney.

They're going to drop those ridiculous charges of Randall's, huh?

Well, I was sure that's what they would decide, but I was wrong.

Evidently, they're still considering prosecution for criminal fraud.

What are the chances for conviction?

In my opinion, practically nil, Mr. Oakley. And Jack Randall's chances in a

civil suit?

Well, juries, even when they're trying to be fair, are sometimes influenced

subconsciously to favor the little man fighting the big industrial giant.

What you're saying is we could lose, could be tied up in the courts for

fighting injunctions, appeals. I don't like it.

There must be something you can do, Neil.

Well, it's possible.

Just possible.

Something has been done.

And now the club parade was proud to present Return of the Spirits from

the War.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mambo Mignon.

You don't really believe you can cast a voodoo hex on someone by sticking pins

in a doll like this, do you?

Maginot is no joke.

What did you call it? Maginot, black magic.

The voodoo sorcerer uses it to summon evil spirits.

The same evil spirit that are now holding your tongue to prevent you from

what you came here to tell me.

It concerns Larry, doesn't it? Yes, it does.

I'll admit I've been worrying about him.

Because of Karina Willing.

Do you know about her?

I know.

We've been good friends, Mignon, for a long time.

When I gave your boy a job, I was doing more of a favor to my own department

than I was to you.

His law school record was just excellent.

And he's done very good work for us.

But in spite of that, and friend or not, I now find myself facing the

possibility of having to fire him.

Because of what he's doing?

No. No, the problem is something he's not doing.

Larry, you did help... I'm sorry, but when they told me, I thought you were...

This is Agnes Fanshawn.

Hamilton Berger.

Mr. Berger is the district attorney.

He not only stopped by to see the show, but to apologize for Larry.

You did say that Larry was tied up with some very important work, didn't you,

Hamilton? Why, yes, that's right. Larry is busy tonight, working.

I'm going to put my head down all of a sudden.

I've had business.

But I'm all right now.

I'm all right now.

Have you had enough of that stuff?

You're as bad as your mother.

My mother?

She was here this morning ordering me to stay away from you.

Corrina, I'm sorry.

Don't be. She's right.

You really can't afford me, you know.

Yeah.

Larry, maybe you should find yourself some sweet, simple thing who yearns for

a tract cottage with a tract picket fence and tract neighbors. Karina, stop

You knew what I was.

You knew what I earned, what I could earn.

Why did you... Why did I lead you on?

Because I like the way you dance. I like the drinks you mix.

Karina. Baby.

Baby. You wouldn't have to worry about money, would you, if you were a partner

in a fat old law firm?

And you could have a partnership in his law firm.

That's what Neil Howard said.

Neil Howard?

You know I'm working on a case against Brady Duncan.

And you know that Howard represents Brady Duncan.

And you spoke to him about a partnership for me?

But, baby, I was only trying to help. Karina, do you realize the position

put me in?

How stupid can you get?

Maria! I'm sorry, I didn't...

Mrs. Duncan.

How do you do? Hello. Kurt Ordway.

Mr. Ordway is general manager of my company, Allied Pharmaceuticals. Well,

you seem fit to barge in on us at this rather unusual hour, I take it your

business is urgent.

I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were entertaining, or I would have. What is

you wish, Mr. Germain?

Mr. Duncan, why did you deliberately maneuver me into a compromising conflict

interests?

Conflict of interests?

Trying to buy me off through your lawyer, Neil Howard, with an offer of a

partnership in his firm.

Why, you in partner, Kurt.

Were you afraid the DA's office was going to throw the book at you for

fraud, Jack Randall's groundless accusations?

Hardly, Mr. Germain.

As for any offer made to you, I neither authorized, suggested, or was even aware

of any such offer.

And I suspect the same will be true of Mr. Howard.

Neil needs another parking like a hole in the head.

I assume you're a lawyer and only to be reminded about defamation. This is not

the privileged arena of a courtroom.

Exactly, Mr. Germain.

This is my home.

I suggest you leave it.

Now, Neil Howard, suppose we see what his attitude is.

Mr. Howard admitted you did speak to Karina Walleen about me and about a

partnership.

You surprised me.

I would have imagined that would be the last thing in the world you'd want me to

discuss openly. Don't you have the situation a little reversed, Mr. Howard?

Offering a bribe to a public officer is a felony.

I have the situation reversed.

Come on now, let's not play games.

I've been decent enough to keep quiet about it until now.

But it also happens to be a felony for a public officer to solicit a bribe.

What? I met Karina Willing once, a few days ago at a cocktail party.

She sought me out to deliver a message.

that Larry Germain was interested enough in a law firm partnership to make it

worth my and Mr. Duncan's time to consider. That's a lie. Larry, have you

way of proving that statement, Mr. Howard?

I suggest you find out if I'm lying by asking the lady.

That is, if you can sober her up long enough.

Why not?

lying, I swear.

There's not a word of truth to it. He's only lying and covering up to protect

himself. Don't you understand, Larry? You've left me no choice.

You've compromised yourself and you've compromised this office.

As of now, you're off the Duncan case and all the rest of your cases.

Mr. Berger, please! All you've got to do is ask her!

You're on suspension, pending a full hearing by the board.

I know you've been out of the office because of your accident, Mr. Mason.

We appreciate your coming here.

That's all right.

Your mother said you'd been trying to locate Karina Willing all day.

She's just disappeared into thin air.

Mr. Mason, I swear to you, outside of discovery procedures, I've had

no contact with any principal in the fraud case.

Either Howard's lying or Karina is.

I did not solicit a bribe.

It is serious, isn't it, Mr. Mason?

Serious enough to cost your son his job, his license to practice law.

And a prison sentence.

No, don't tell me. I know.

You play with matches, little boy, and you get burned.

I'll be happy to represent you at your hearing, Mr. Germain.

But I'll need a lot more information.

You'd better come down to the office with me. I'll have Paul Drake start to

locate Karina Walleen.

This girl, she could hurt Larry, Mr. Mason.

If she does substantiate Neil Howard's story, whatever her motive, yes, she

could hurt him.

Don't worry.

It'll be all right.

And I'll come back to see you later.

We'll do our best, Mr. Jimenez.

Good night.

It's almost time for the show.

That... That woman. She's sitting at one of the ringside tables, alone and very

drunk.

Get ready to go on.

I'll be right with you.

Okay.

picking pins and dolls, snake worship.

Are you trying to tell me that's what put Carina Valene here in the hospital?

No, Paul, I'm asking you to do a little research on the subject.

Okay, what do I do? Grab an on -stop broomstick to Haiti?

I suggest more conventional transportation to Hancock Park and the

County Museum.

See Mr. Kennet, the deputy director.

If there are any answers he doesn't have, he'll find them.

How is she?

Good morning, Perry. I'm glad you're here.

Good morning, Hamilton.

She's very near death, I'm afraid, Larry.

She's still unconscious in a coma.

She'll be kept here under close surveillance.

Surveillance? Well, what is it? What's wrong?

Well, the doctors aren't sure yet. They're still making more tests.

Well, why surveillance if she's sick from natural causes?

That's just it, Larry. She's not sick from natural causes.

She's here as a result of an accident, maybe.

Possibly even a suicide try.

But most probably she's here as a result of an attempted murder.

Voodoo is an unusual and little understood mixture, Mr. Drake. A mixture

religion, primitive spiritualism, and animistic beliefs.

And more.

Much more.

Mental therapy.

Hope. The will to live.

Release from the grim realities of life. Reality?

Someone sticks a knife in a rag doll when a curvy blonde doll takes a step

nowhere. Some reality.

Werewolves, magic incantations. And snakes.

Let's not forget snake worship.

The Lao of the Dambula Wado.

Personal possession by the voodoo snake god.

You know the origin of that god, Mr. Drake?

Nope.

The serpent in the Garden of Eden.

You're kidding.

In showbiz patois, Mr. Drake, I kid you not.

What's more, there's nothing particularly mystical or unreal about

-called fatal fetish.

Now, let me get this straight.

I stick a pin in a doll, you get a stomachache, and there's nothing at all

mysterious about it?

Not when you realize what's actually happening.

Then it's not the pin or the knife in the doll.

Hardly. You see, that's all purely diversionary.

Voodoo black magic, Mr. Drake, is accomplished by means of poison.

Slow -acting poison.

There's no possibility of a misunderstanding, Mr. Randall? None.

Brady Duncan defrauded me, cheated me out of a valuable formula, and he's not

going to luck out this time.

Luck out?

Yeah. He's got a reputation for all kinds of good luck.

Like seven years ago in New Orleans, when I was vice president of the valet

charged the research lab, Brady Duncan's a chemist, one of the best in

pharmaceuticals. He was running tests one night on a new process in the New

Orleans lab when the company president walked in.

Walked in.

Scared out dead.

Mr. Randall, are you trying to say that... Nothing like that. Don't get me

wrong. It was an accident.

Equipment blew up. Those things happen. Nobody's fault.

But here's the lucky bit.

The president had left some papers in his car outside.

And like a good little vice president, Brady Duncan went out to get them.

And got off without a scratch while the president was killed in the explosion.

Lucky, see?

But that's only half of it. The company general manager, who should have taken

over... was tied up in Europe.

Lucky Brady Duncan. He was there. They made him the president.

The word around town is that Duncan's an outstanding president.

Allied's in good shape. If Brady Duncan has stolen every process they own like

he's stolen mine, that's not hard to figure, is it?

Excuse me.

Randall, lad.

Look, Jack Randall.

I guess so.

All right, tomorrow.

Now, that was Neil Howard, Allied's lawyer.

I'm meeting him tomorrow.

President of the company has offered me full settlement, plus damages and a

continuing royalty.

Maybe you were wrong about Duncan.

Brady Duncan is no longer president of Allied.

The offer came from a man by the name of Kurt Ordley.

Brady did a lot of his work here at home.

Mrs. Duncan has given us permission to go through his papers.

And did you find something that changed the facts in the Jack Randall fraud

matter? Are you representing Randall? Well, I represent Larry Germain, who

certainly cannot be considered unaffected by that fraud action.

Well, our offer to Randall is without prejudice, Counselor.

And the settlement will stipulate that there is no admission of fraud.

Obviously a misunderstanding.

Jack Randall's process is excellent. We have no desire to deprive him of

equitable compensation for it.

This, uh, misunderstanding.

Was it Brady Duncan's?

Let's just call it a symptom of his developing illness, Mr. Mason.

The illness that prompted the Allied Board of Directors to accept Mr.

uh, resignation.

And we're facing with Kurt Hartway. If you don't mind, I'd like to discuss

Duncan's misunderstanding with Brady Duncan.

Of course, Counsel.

Brady's been hospitalized, suffering from a severe physical and mental

and a heavy sedation.

Is there anything else, Mr. Mason?

A man can't think straight with a crooked tie.

Your arm feel any better inside that cast?

Well, it is frustrating to have an itch you can't get out to scratch.

That's better.

How'd you do at the hospital?

I'll bet the doctors wouldn't let you in to see Duncan.

Well, it wasn't so much the doctors as Mrs. Duncan.

Get a rundown on Karina yet, Paul?

Partly. She blew into town about seven years ago and moved right into that lush

and very expensive penthouse.

And the young lady has, if you'll pardon the expression, no visible means of

support. Not if you keep your eyes open.

Meow.

Officially unemployed, but she's still able to afford that penthouse.

Plus an expensive wardrobe and an expensive way of living.

In Carina, some unnamed benefactor has himself a rather expensive hobby.

Maybe she inherited the money or earned it before she came here.

A so -called model from New Orleans.

We checked. No on both counts, beautiful.

Any idea who the benefactor is?

Not a whisper. We're still digging.

What about her physical condition?

Well, there's good and bad news on that.

If Larry isn't afraid of what Karina might say, the good news is that the

doctor's figures will be out of that coma by morning.

And the bad news?

Karina evidently suffers from some allergies and takes antihistamines every

night.

The police checked the bottle of antihistamine pills and found something

substituted in their place.

A barbiturate.

Sleeping pills?

That would hardly kill her, unless in large doses.

I don't know. Repeated small doses of slow -acting barbiturate can...

Accumulate in the body and be highly toxic.

Depress the central nervous system.

As does alcohol, and together they're dynamite. And you don't have to be a

detective to know that Karina was an alcoholic.

Denberger was right.

Somebody was trying to poison her.

As Mr. Kenneth at the museum put it, voodoo black magic is accomplished by

of poison.

Low -acting poison.

Mother, I... Agus?

Agnes, I'm sorry for what's happened to us.

I really didn't mean to... I guess I learned the hard way.

Agnes, please.

This mother's costume.

I'm taking her place tonight.

We've done it before.

What is it, Larry? What's wrong?

I got a call from a guy down at the office.

He said that Karina Walleen was being poisoned with barbitur. But that's...

That's what my mother uses, yes.

Sometimes you make me furious, Larry Germain.

So what if Mignon does take Barbital?

So do other people.

Thousands and thousands of people. Where is my mother?

Well, I think she... Where is she?

Well, she left suddenly about half an hour ago in a hurry.

Larry. Oh, Larry, I'm frightened.

How is he?

Sound asleep.

Why don't you run along home? Mrs. Duncan will call you if you need it.

No, thank you. I'll stay.

Can't one of these magazines?

No. No, I'll be all right.

There's a phoning 204. Call down to the desk, quick.

Mr.

Mason, I was given to understand you were counsel for the accused.

May it please the court, the accused is seen fit to discharge me.

Very well, Mr. Mason.

Mr. Jermaine, is it your desire to have some other attorney represent you? We

can postpone the preliminary examination until such time as counsel of your

choice is present and you've conferred with him. You're entitled to a six -day

delay. Your Honor, I am aware of my right to counsel.

I waive such right and choose to appear in appropriate persona.

Larry, this isn't a traffic citation.

This is a capital offense.

This is murder.

You're a fool to try to represent yourself.

That's my right and my decision.

Counsel is waived.

Mr. Germain, I take it you've received a true copy of the complaint filed

against you, or do you wish it read here in court?

I have received and read a true copy of the complaint, Your Honor.

Well, since you've waived counsel, I assume you're pleading innocent.

Under the provisions of the code, Your Honor, I reserve the right to enter my

plea at my arraignment prior to trial.

Accordingly, I waive further preliminary examination and do not enter a plea on

the record.

Mr. Mason.

I went over Mignon's costume before I started putting it on the night Karina

Walleen was killed.

I checked the belt and the dagger sheath.

That sheath was empty.

I swear to you, that dagger was gone before Larry came into the dressing

He did not take that dagger when he left the dressing room to go to the

hospital. He's obviously stalling, waiving counsel in a hearing,

plea, or just attempts to buy time.

But why, if he's innocent?

Don't you see?

He's trying to protect her.

I'm sure of it, Mr. Mason.

Larry must be afraid that maybe his mother killed that woman.

Larry won't do or say anything to clear himself until he sees her and finds out

how deeply she's involved.

Yes, Gertie.

Listen, Paul.

Go ahead, Paul.

I was finally able to track down Mignon Germain.

The night of the murder, she left town, took a plane to New Orleans.

I've got some men there looking for her.

What?

Now?

But I don't... All right.

I'll grab the next plane to New Orleans.

I'll try and find her, and I'll try and bring her back.

Well, I tell you, I've been over backwards, but I like to please me.

Even set up a lab for me.

Beautiful lab.

I'm glad things have worked out so well for you. Well, it's hard to word for

you. Just a few days ago, you were involved in what looked like difficult

protracted litigation with both a criminal and civil suit against Dallin.

Or had you filed a civil suit? No.

Swore out a complaint for criminal fraud. Figured I'd have a stronger civil

after a conviction on the criminal charges.

Was that your attorney's advice?

No, I didn't talk to an attorney.

Look, Mr. Mason, are you trying to suggest there's something wrong in what

did? Oh, just surprised, that's all, Mr. Randall.

And what could a lawyer have told me?

That it also happens to be a crime to maliciously swear out a criminal

complaint, an abusive process when you know the charge is false. You never

intended to file a civil suit.

All you ever planned to do was bring pressure against Brady Duncan.

That's a lie.

Mr. Randall, did you ever work for Allied Pharmaceuticals?

Suppose I did.

For what?

Could it have been seven years ago when Duncan's predecessor, the company

president, was killed by that laboratory explosion in New Orleans?

If you'd come for me, Mr. Drake, I'm ready to go back now.

Mr. Mason, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk with my mother first.

Hello. Larry, your mother took off in a plane for New Orleans half an hour

before Karina Walleen was killed.

I suppose we proceed with the business of getting you out of trouble.

We haven't much time.

Let's listen to everything she has to say.

We can discuss it afterwards.

When we left the hospital, after Hamilton Berger had told us that the

close to death, I went back to the club, to my dressing room.

The bonga, the doll fetish, was gone. So was the dagger.

One of the waiters might have taken it. I'd have to wait to find that out.

And then I remembered hearing that the girl had come from New Orleans.

I remembered stories of black magic in Haiti, of poison. I telephoned friends

New Orleans.

But she wasn't killed by voodoo. She was killed here, not in New Orleans, and

killed with a dagger in the heart.

My friends had no knowledge of any voodoo, but they had learned something

the girl herself, about the girl and the man.

A man who had worked for a big chemical company.

Allied. Mr. Mason and New Orleans Laboratory.

Mother, his name.

Did they tell you his name? They didn't know his name.

So you went to New Orleans?

No, not then. I talked to the waiters first.

None of the waiters knew anything about the dagger, but one waiter could

remember having served a customer and his guest that night, an old customer he

knew very well, a man by the name of Brady Duncan.

Mother, in New Orleans, Corrina and the man from the pharmaceutical company, did

you find out who that was?

I didn't learn all I hoped to, but I knew those people would tell me things

wouldn't tell others, particularly the police.

During my long career, I've made many good friends.

And I learned that the man who knew Carina Walleen in New Orleans was Brady

Duncan.

Mr. Randall, would you sit down, please?

Thank you.

You've withdrawn your action against the live pharmaceuticals of Mr. Brady

Duncan, is that right? That's right.

It was all sort of a misunderstanding.

Just a misunderstanding.

Brady Duncan was ill, you know.

It's kind of rough to prosecute a man who really didn't realize what he was

doing. Mr. Randall, are you sure it was Brady Duncan who didn't realize what he

was doing, or was it possibly you?

I beg your pardon?

Under Section 518 of the Penal Code, Mr. Randall, attaining property from

another person with their consent, but where that consent is induced by the

illegal use of fear, that's extortion, Mr. Randall.

Extortion? Using due process and the authority of this office.

instituting a false action, threatening a prosecution in order to obtain a

payoff for yourself?

That's extortion, Mr. Randall. I'm not a lawyer.

I'm not going to talk unless I have a lawyer.

Yes.

Send him right in, please.

That's extortion, Mr. Randall.

I'm sorry to disturb you, Hamilton.

That's all right, Perry. You might as well be in on this now.

You told my girl you had something urgent to see me about?

Larry Germain is withdrawing his waiver of preliminary examination and is

prepared to plead not guilty.

One of the purposes of a preliminary

hearing, Your Honor, this statement is simply for the record.

is to weed out groundless and unsupported charges involving grave

to protect, in such cases, the improperly accused from the degradation

expense of a criminal trial.

In a hearing like this, there are no fixed rules regarding the sequence or

in which witnesses must be called to the stand.

And in this case, with the prior approval of the court, prosecution has

stipulated with defense...

to an unorthodox procedure.

Namely, the defense counsel will examine four witnesses before the prosecution

develops its own case. Call the first witness.

Mrs. Duncan, you were present with your husband in the hospital the night Karina

Walleen was murdered?

Yes. In attendance on him, but not with him?

That's right.

You were also present with your husband at the Club Karib the night a dagger was

put through a doll at Karina Walleen's table and Miss Walleen collapsed?

Yes. At the moment she collapsed, or shortly after that moment, did you or

of the people present leave your table to go toward Karina Woolley?

I... I didn't leave the table.

Neil Howard, Kurt Ordway, and my husband rushed over toward the table where

she'd fallen. It was there at the club that my husband became ill.

Did you approximately seven years ago leave your husband, who was then working

in New Orleans, take up residence in Reno, Nevada?

Yes, I did.

For the purpose of obtaining a divorce?

We had a misunderstanding, but we've reconciled our difficulties.

Misunderstanding as to what?

Another woman?

Yes. Who was that woman?

Karina Walleen.

No.

I never for one moment believed that there was any basis for either a

or a civil suit for fraud in the transaction between Brady Duncan and

Randall. In deference to the privileged nature of the communication between

attorney and client, may I ask, Mr. Howard, since your attitude was that

had no case, did you then recommend the settlement with him?

Quite the contrary.

I would have fought the matter through the courts and cross -complained for

malicious prosecution.

I understand from Mr. Randall that Kurt Ordway, as the new president of Allied,

ordered the settlement.

Well, that's not quite accurate.

It is true that Mr. Ordway worked out the details of the settlement and then

approved it.

But he didn't originally order the settlement.

Who did?

Just before he became ill.

That settlement was ordered by Brady Duncan.

Brady had been complaining about loss of memory, about increasing physical

disabilities. He did have a history of cardiac difficulties.

No, I wasn't at all surprised, Mr. Mason, when the excitement in that

brought on another heart attack and he ended up being taken to the hospital.

He'd evidently realized that his illness might someday soon incapacitate him and

had prepared his resignation and his recommendations for a replacement.

He recommended you? It was his recommendation that I succeed him.

When he became ill, we telephoned New York. There was an immediate emergency

meeting with the board of directors.

Brady Duncan's resignation and recommendation were both accepted.

That night at the Club Caribe, you, Neil Howard, and Brady Duncan went to Carina

Willing when she collapsed?

Just toward her, that's all.

We got as far as the table.

By then, there was such a crowd milling around trying to help or see her, we

couldn't get any closer. There was a doll and a dagger on that table.

Do you remember seeing that doll and that dagger?

Well, I'm not at all sure about the dagger.

But I do remember seeing that doll.

On the table?

No.

Somebody was tearing it to pieces, to shreds, throwing the scraps away. Who

was that somebody?

Brady Duncan.

Your Honor, we checked carefully with Mr. Duncan's attending physicians.

He is ill.

His condition is described as bordering on a nervous breakdown.

But at the request of my office, I had him examined by a medical specialist.

this specialist agrees with Mr. Duncan's own doctors that Mr. Duncan is

competent to testify at this hearing without risk to his health.

Mr. Duncan has agreed to testify here.

I now call Brady Dump.

I

was foolish.

I found myself infatuated with a young, breathtakingly attractive girl.

These things happen.

I broke it off, cleanly.

I saved our marriage.

And I did not see that girl for seven years, not until the other night at the

club when she collapsed.

That was when you picked up the doll and tore it to pieces.

Well, that was a ridiculous juvenile thing to do. I can't explain it except

I was sick. Can you explain what happened to the dagger pinning that doll

table? I saw no dagger.

At the hospital...

Did you leave your room by the balcony, cross to the balcony of the waiting

room, deliberately start a fire there to divert the policeman, then go by way of

the balcony into Karina Walleen's room?

And with the dagger from that table, stab Karina Walleen in the heart?

No.

No, no. You hadn't seen Karina Walleen for seven years.

But did you nonetheless have a continuing contact with her?

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

Haven't you, through a third party and a fictitious trust account in your

company, been diverting to Karina Willian a specific amount of money each

every month?

Let me now warn you. There are documents and depositions to substantiate this.

I arranged for monthly payments for her, yes.

Monthly payments?

$1 ,500 per month amounting to $18 ,000 per year.

For the past seven years...

A total of $126 ,000.

For what, Mr. Duncan?

A romantic fling your wife already knew all about?

Or was the money a form of blackmail?

Oh, now you must believe me. It was not blackmail. What was it then, insurance?

Seven years ago in New Orleans, you weren't in the laboratory when the

president dropped in.

You didn't go out to his car for papers as you claimed afterwards.

You had started a dangerous experiment. You left the equipment unattended.

You were with Karina Walleen while you should have been in that laboratory.

And when you remembered, when you rushed back, realizing what might have

happened, it had happened.

Just as you arrived, there was an explosion.

An explosion that killed the company president.

Well, Mr. Duncan?

If she had ever told that I was with her, I'd have been fired.

Tired and charged with criminal negligence.

She never even read a newspaper.

She didn't know what had happened at the lab that same night.

And don't you see, I... She didn't know.

I had no earthly reason to kill her. She had never pressured you because she

never realized the value of what she knew.

But someone else drew that information from Karina Willeen, added other facts

it, and then that someone else did pressure you.

Pressure from two directions. The false complaint by Jack Randall and the truth

of what happened in New Orleans.

And didn't that someone else pressure you right out of your job?

I had to say I was ill.

I had to resign.

Karina never cared why.

She just accepted money from you for seven years.

That why was a sword over your head, but became more than a sword over your

blackmailer's head.

She knew?

Or suspected.

Enough at least to start adding the pieces together.

And the pieces added up to money.

More money than she was already getting. The tables turned.

Now the individual pressuring you was being blackmailed. So he substituted

pills, hoping her death would be accepted as accidental.

But she didn't die.

She was coming out of that coma.

That's when he used the dagger.

The dagger he had already taken in that nightclub.

Used the dagger to murder Karina Willie.

When you picked up that dagger, after you had begun to poison her with the

substitute barbiturates, did you pick it up, Mr. Ordway, planning to use it to

kill her?

drinking heavily.

That's how I was able to find out what had happened to New Orleans.

Then she began to get to ask me for more money.

They had no right, Brady, to make you president. That job was mine.

Seven years.

Seven years I waited.

in the nightclub when that dancer, when she put the dagger in that door.

I knew then what I'd have to do, and I did it!

Everything that happened because of Kurt Ordway's constant pressure on Brady

Duncan.

Why did Karina lie to Neil Howard about my asking for a partnership?

Well, apparently Ordway had found out that you were going to recommend, quite

rightly, isn't it, Lee, that the criminal action for fraud against Duncan

dropped. So in order to keep the pressure on Duncan, he had Karina

compromise you with that phony story to Howard. Why did she play along?

Well, Karina had finally realized the importance of what she knew, and she...

realized that Ordway had found out that Brady Duncan had been with her instead

of in that New Orleans laboratory.

You see, Karina couldn't prevent Ordway from getting Duncan out of the company

and taking his place.

And after all, Brady had been her meal ticket.

So she decided to take out a new annuity from the new president -to -be of the

company, Kurt Ordway. And at the same time she started blackmailing him, she

also helping him take over.

In other words, Karina was just sort of insuring.

The financial status of our new benefactor.

This is where Agnes comes on.