All language subtitles for Perry Mason S05E11 The Case of the Left-Handed Liar.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en.CBS

And three and four

and five and six

and seven and hold.

Now, for a more
difficult exercise.

Hands on hips, feet apart.

You touch your heel
with the opposite hand,

so and so.

Ready? And one and two

and three and...

Mrs. Dwyer, below the knee.

Touch your heel with your hand.

I simply can't reach
any lower, Miss Temple.

It hurts.

It's supposed to hurt.

Come on, everybody.

One, two and three

and four and five

and six and seven

and eight

and hold.

That'll do.

Five-minute breather.

Ward?

Hello, Veronica.

You've been dodging
me, haven't you, darling?

Let's just say, I haven't
exactly been seeking you out.

Which means, I suppose,
you don't have the money yet?

Look, Veronica, I told you.

I can't get the money now.

I managed to raise a
couple thousand dollars

by hocking everything
I own, except my soul.

Then you'd better
hock your soul, darling,

and by Friday or
the roof falls in.

No more great, big
future with Health House

and no more footsie-footsie
with the boss's niece.

Or do you think I'm bluffing?

I wish I did.

Look, Ward, I, I don't like
this any better than you do,

but can't you see I
have to have the money

if I'm to do what
you want me to do?

If I could only believe
you would do what I want.

I promise.

I-I'll put it in writing.

I'll, I'll do anything you say.

Only, darling, say it by Friday.

I'm ready, Miss Daniels.

Miss Daniels, en garde.

Good shot.

All right, that's
game... 21, 15.

All right.

I've had it. Let's
hit the shower, huh?

Boy, either I'm terrific

or your mind isn't
on handball today.

Ward? Casey.

You just missed the
upset of the week:

law student beats
former all-American.

Impossible.

No, just take a look
at his face... glum.

My natural expression.

Give me a minute
with him, David.

I'll see what I can do.

Ah, love.

Isn't it time you told
me what's wrong?

Nothing's wrong.

Then why have you
been acting so strangely

the last two weeks?

And that scene with
Veronica this morning?

We were just
talking, that's all.

More than talking... I
could see your faces.

And I couldn't help overhearing
her asking you for money.

How can she ask
you for money now?

Well, she... she
just did, that's all.

Look, you don't have
to worry about her.

Ward, I told you a month
ago, I wanted my uncle

to fire that girl. No.

Why not?

Darling,

aren't people who
are going to be married

supposed to tell each other
things and help each other?

Look, you listen to me.

You got enough to
worry about as it is,

trying to persuade the
great Bernard Daniels

that I'm worthy of
his precious niece.

He gave you the
office job, didn't he?

I'm sure he'll give permission.

Well, you just keep
after him every minute.

You let the old
quarterback worry about

the minor problems
like Veronica.

Okay?

I guess.

Usual time tonight?

I guess.

Okay.

Come in.

You sent for me, Mr. Daniels?

Yes, Miss Prentice, I did.

You are the bookkeeper
here at Health House, I believe.

Yes, sir. You know that.

And how long have you
served in that capacity?

14 years.

And in that time, has it not
always been customary for me,

as president of Health House,

to pass on all sizeable
checks before they're sent out?

Why, yes, Mr. Daniels, always.

Then how do you account
for my not having seen these?

Oh, come in, Casey.

Try some of the piñon
nuts or some celery.

I'll be with you in a moment.

Four canceled
Health House checks

made out to, endorsed and cashed

by the A.B.C. Sporting
Goods Company.

Two for $2,000
and two for $1,500.

Totaling what?

$7,000.

Would you not say that was a
sizeable amount, Miss Prentice?

Yes, Mr. Daniels, I would.

But I've never seen
these checks before, either.

Perhaps Mr. Houseman
made them out.

It's his signature on them.

Casey?

Ask Eugene Houseman
to step in here, please.

You may go.

What's this, Bernard?

Something about
checks, Casey says?

These.

Signed by you to
the tune of $7,000.

Those are your
signatures, aren't they?

Yes, I signed these, all right,

but I can't remember
any firm called

A.B.C. Sporting Goods Company.

You what?

I just can't understand this.

And I'm just beginning to.

Bypassing me,

made out by someone other
than you or Miss Prentice...

Forgeries!

But how can they be forgeries
with my signature on them?

They could be tracings of
your signature, couldn't they?

"Tracings"?

But each one's
a little different.

See for yourself.
I've read somewhere

that's the way real
signatures are supposed to be.

A professional forger
would know that.

A forger working
here at Health House?

Bernard, you know
you've personally passed

on every employee here.

Not everyone.

Not on Ward Nichols.

Uncle Bernard, it
doesn't have to be Ward.

It can be anybody.

It could be me.

As my heir, Casey,
you'd hardly rob yourself.

Ah, well, then doesn't
that apply to Ward, too,

since we're going to be married?

How many times do
I have to remind you?

As your guardian, I'll
still make the decisions.

Now, I did not say the
young man is a thief.

But suppose he happened
to need ready cash?

Didn't you say

he talked to you about a loan?

Yes, he said something
a few days ago

about needing some extra money,

but that's hardly justification

for condemning him out of hand,

Bernard. Oh, I intend to have

an investigation made.

The police?!

Perhaps later, but first...

The Cosmopolitan
Insurance Company.

No, not our agent,
the claims department.

You'll find the electric camel

especially beneficial
in slimming the thighs.

And the seat, I might add.

To start with, I'd
suggest the slow position.

You can relax almost as if
you were in a rocking chair.

Veronica, I want
to speak to you.

I'm sorry, darling.

I happen to be busy just
now. It'll take only a moment.

And it's very important.

Oh, that's all
right, Miss Daniels.

And don't rush on
our account, huh?

I already know what
you want to say, darling.

"Hands off Ward."

Well, you needn't get
all lathered up about it.

I wouldn't take him as a gift.

But you would take his money.

Oh, I see.

Pointed little ears turned
our way this morning.

What else did you hear?

Never mind.

How much has he
already paid you?

Don't you think you
better ask Ward that?

I'm asking you.

Honey, you're
beginning to bore me.

Why don't you get lost?

"and it would seem that
the rule in California is

"that in the absence of
any evidence tending to fix

"the time of death during
the seven years period,

"the person unheard of
is presumed to be alive

"until the expiration
of that seven years.

Therefore..."

Yeah, what is it, David?

I'm sorry to interrupt,
Mr. Mason, but, uh,

it's after 6:00 and
Casey... Miss Daniels...

The girl I told you about,
is waiting in the law library.

Oh, um, all right.

Ask her in, David.

Della, we can finish
this up tomorrow.

Casey?

Um, Perry Mason, Della Street,

Casey Daniels. How do you do?

Please sit down, Miss Daniels.

I'm sorry to have
kept you waiting.

Now, to save time,

suppose I go over a résumé
of what I already know?

You're engaged to Ward Nichols,

a young man prominent in
athletics several seasons ago.

You're afraid he's in some
sort of trouble at Health House.

Trouble that may have been
started by a fellow employee

named, uh, Veronica Temple.

Well, actually, Veronica's

more than a fellow
employee, Mr. Mason.

She's Ward's ex-wife.

Oh?

David didn't tell me that.

I didn't know.

We've kept it quiet,
because Uncle Bernard

won't employ anybody he
knows has been divorced.

Or anybody he knows
smokes or drinks, for that matter.

And now, because $7,000
has apparently been abstracted

from a Health House
checking account,

you seem to think that
Ward might be blamed.

Why?

Veronica.

I wouldn't be surprised if she
was stealing the money herself.

Does Ward know
you've come to see me?

I can't very well represent
him without his, uh, permission.

Della?

If Paul's still in
the outer office,

ask him to come in,
would you, please?

Paul Drake's a
private detective.

I see no reason why
you shouldn't ask him

to try to find out what this
Veronica Temple's up to.

Uh, Paul, this is Miss Daniels,

niece of Bernard
Daniels of Health House.

How do you do, Miss Daniels?

There's a possibility, Paul,

that Miss Daniels'
fiancé is being threatened

in some way by a
Veronica Temple,

an instructor at Health House...

Might even be blackmail.

Veronica Temple?

You know her? Well, yes, and it

puts me in kind of an
embarrassing position.

I just completed
an investigation

of Miss Temple, among others.

An investigation? Who for?

Bernard Daniels.

Oh, that's a coincidence.

You feel there might be
a conflict of interest, Paul?

No, no, no, it isn't
that. It's just that...

Well... MASON: No, go on.

Well, I found out
that Miss Temple

couldn't very well
be blackmailing

Ward Nichols. "Couldn't be"?

Not unless a wife can
blackmail her husband.

Ward's not her
husband, Mr. Drake.

They're divorced.

Well, not according to
the records, Miss Daniels.

A suit was filed three
years ago in Reno,

but no final decree
was ever obtained.

Harrison, stop.

Stop it!

Somebody'll see us.

It's after hours.

So, who cares. I do.

At least until Friday.

Then this'll all be over.

It better be, Vonnie.

You know, from the start

I haven't liked any part of it.

Not any, darling?

Okay.

One part of it.

But... Eugene?

He isn't in here, Mrs. Houseman.

Well, Veronica.

You know Dr. Berry, don't you?

I may even know
him better than you do.

Since he's been
physician at Health House

for over a year now.
Have you seen Eugene,

Doctor? No, Mrs. Houseman.

No, I haven't.

Maybe Buzz Farrell has.

He's working around
here someplace.

Buzz?

Buzz Farrell?

Coming! Coming!

Well, how do, Mrs. Houseman?

Long time no see.

Hello, Buzz.

Do you know where my
husband could be? Yes, ma'am.

I saw him just five minutes ago.

He's playing handball
with the big boss.

Well, would you do me a favor,

and tell him I'll be
waiting in his office?

Yes, ma'am. Right away.

Sounds like he's
hitting the bottle again.

Really, some

of these old-timers
around here should...

Like me. Is that what you mean?

You know, you should
be more charitable,

since it's a man.

If it weren't for poor
Buzz's weakness,

he could've been a partner
in Health House years ago.

Just think of the pleasure
Buzz would've gotten...

Out of discharging
someone like you.

Hi, Buzz. Punching your clock?

Daniel sent word
he wanted to see me.

Yeah.

He's in there, son.

Sweatin' the old celery juice,

'cause he can't beat a
pro like Gene Houseman.

Oops. Reminds me.

Say, Gene, your-your
wife said to tell you

she's waiting in your office.

Oh, I completely forgot

I was supposed to take
her out for dinner tonight.

Well, run along, Eugene.

I want to have a word
with Nichols there anyway.

Do I smell liquor on you, Buzz?

You might.

I took some awhile ago.

Bad cold.

Bad cold nothing.

You're drunk.

No, I had maybe
one, two little nips.

That's all.

That's all?

Practically an entire pint.

Take him to the locker room.

Give him a cold
shower to sober him up,

and then send him back here.

You're not gonna do anything
drastic, are you, Bernard?

I'm going to fire him.

You're gonna fire...

Come on, Buzz.

A shower and you'll feel better.

Muscle-headed windbag.

Gene, he can't fire me.

Let me go, I'll break his neck.

Come on, Buzz, take it easy.

You wanted to see
me, Mr. Daniels?

Yes, I did, Nichols.

I wanted to know if you
knew of any good reason

why I shouldn't
send you to jail?

Ward?

Ward?

Well, he must be here somewhere.

I telephoned Buzz and
asked him to have him wait

so we'd all have dinner
together. Who's Buzz?

General factotum in charge
of the men's locker room.

Let's go down to see if
he knows where Ward is.

What's that?

It's a broken whiskey bottle.

How do you suppose it got here?

Mr. Mason!

Uncle Bernard!

Good of you to call and, uh,

show us Mr. Daniels'
body, Perry.

Oh, uh, you know, Lieutenant
Anderson, of course.

Hello, Andy. Maybe you
could perform one more

good deed for us,
Perry. What's that?

Tell us who the murderer is.

Sorry, I haven't
the remotest idea.

Are you sure it is murder?

We're never sure until
all the reports are in.

A bloody contusion
at the base of the skull,

a bloody dumbbell
lying nearby...

doesn't exactly suggest,

uh, suicide.

No, it doesn't.

Which means, I'll need
statements from all of you.

Lieutenant Anderson? Yes, Brice?

Something you ought to see. Oh?

Uh, you mind if I take a look?

Well, I should say no,
Perry, not knowing what it is,

but, uh, come on.

By the bench, Lieutenant.

Whiskey bottle, I don't see...

Oh, I do see.

I tried to wake him,
but he's out cold.

Any idea who he is?

He's the locker room
attendant here, Buzz Farrell.

It doesn't look as
though Mr. Farrell

could tell us very
much at the moment.

Take a look in his locker, sir.

Looked to me like the
twin of the one out there.

Well, they generally
come in pairs.

We found this woman
upstairs in one of the offices.

Claims she's a bookkeeper here.

I am the bookkeeper here!

Buzz? Oh, Buzz...

What have you done to him?

Actually, the question is:

What has he done to Mr. Daniels?

Even when signatures seem
identical as these seem to be,

uh, the eye... or
perhaps I should say

the microscope... is able
to discern subtle differences.

Now, here our experts
found significant variations

in the pressure patterns.

Isn't there also
a slight variation

in the slanting
of the letters...

Forward in the genuine and
almost backward in the forgery?

You have a good eye, Mr. Mason.

Our expert
commented on that, too.

And as a result, we
found that Mr. Houseman

didn't need to worry any longer.

He didn't sign any of
the checks in question.

And I was so sure I had.

Incredible.

Hasn't your expert any
idea yet who did sign them?

That's a problem for
the police, I'm afraid.

Is there anything
further, Mr. Mason?

No, I don't think so.

Thank you for coming by.

It's quite all right. Good day.

That the insurance fellow?

Uh, Paul, this is Mr. Houseman.

He was brought over to
explain that check business

in Daniels' office. How
do you do, Mr. Houseman?

How do you do? I hope
you hit pay dirt, Paul.

That insurance man either
couldn't or wouldn't tell us

what his investigators
have turned up.

Except that the checks
were actually forged.

Well, I learned that
much, but little else.

Uh, so...

Well, I better be going, too.

Casey, if there's anything
Mrs. Houseman or I can do...

Oh, I'll be all
right. Thank you.

Well, good-bye. Mr. Houseman.

What do you have,
Paul? Well, it's mostly bad.

Here's a summary so far.

No sign as yet of Ward Nichols,
either here or at his apartment.

I just can't understand
Ward's vanishing like that.

Well, there's a possible
reason, which I'll come to.

I had an interview
with Veronica Temple.

Was told to mind
my own business.

However, I did discover
that she has a boyfriend.

A, uh, Dr. Harrison Berry.

Are you sure?

He's consulting physician
at Health House, you know?

Well, he's been consulting
with Veronica at night.

I checked the, uh, bank

where A.B.C. Sporting
Goods' account is kept.

But their office is in the
Wyandotte Building on Hill Street.

The telephone doesn't answer.

You better go down
there and take a look.

I intend to.

Now, here's the bad part.

Tragg is still
holding Buzz Farrell,

but there's a pickup
out on Ward Nichols.

Apparently, Tragg heard
about the forged checks

and Ward trying to borrow money.

And there's worse.

On the broken whiskey
bottle, was a bloody fingerprint.

Not Ward's?

Oh, no.

Yes, Gertie?

Oh, put him on.

Perry, it's David.

Yes, David?

Ward's at your place?

Yeah, he was waiting for
me when I got back here.

Well, I held off until
Gertie said you were alone.

Sure, Mr. Mason, sure.

Look, uh, what'll I tell him?

The truth... that you did have
a row on the handball court.

Well, it was more a
wrestling match, really.

All right, a wrestling
match, the upshot of which

was you cut your hand
on a broken whiskey bottle.

So, instead of meeting
Mr. Mason, Casey and me,

you went to Dr. Berry's to
have your hand taken care of.

Wait a minute... I didn't know
I was supposed to meet you.

Buzz Farrell didn't tell you?

Well, no.

David, tell him to talk louder.

Oh, Ward, where have you been?

Yes, Ward, I understand.

Go on.

Well, I was on my way
home from Dr. Berry's office

and I got the flash
then that Daniels' body

was found in the handball court.

Well, I didn't know what to do.

Casey, I tried to find you,
but you weren't home and...

So, I went looking for Veronica.

I figured maybe she
knew something about it.

And I couldn't find her, either.

Anyway, everyplace I went,
the police were there and...

you never came home.

Oh, you poor darling.

Never mind that for the moment.

Now, you didn't kill Daniels?

But what about that
check forgery, Ward?

Tell me the truth.

Do you know anything about it?

No, of course not.

Then tell me this.

Why was Veronica
demanding money from you?

That's what we thought.

But surely six weeks in Nevada

doesn't cost as much
as she apparently wanted.

That's very interesting.

Did she offer proof?

I see.

Dr. Harrison Berry.

All right, Ward, now
here's what I want you to do.

Stay there at David's.

Give David

the keys to your apartment.

He can stop by later and
get some clothes for you.

All right, I'll stay
in touch with you.

Della...

I seem to be
coming down with a...

slight cold.

See if you can get
me an appointment

with, um, Dr. Harrison Berry.

If you have a cold, Mr. Mason,

I'd, uh, I'd like
one just like it.

Best sounding pair of lungs
I've listened to in a long time.

It, um, was good of Veronica
Temple to recommend me,

even if I can't do
anything for you.

How long have you known her?

Hmm, not long.

Well, the fact is,
isn't it, that you, uh,

you don't know her at all?

That you're here to
find out what you can

about, uh, about
me and Veronica.

On behalf of Miss Daniels?

I'm... I'm rather surprised

a man of your reputation
would stoop to a trick like this.

Well, I admit I'm
somewhat curious

about you and
Miss Temple, Doctor.

But I'd hardly call
an attempt to discover

whether or not a physician
is reputable... trickery.

Did I pass the test?

I don't know yet.

That could depend on your
relationship with Miss Temple.

She's a patient...

and a friend.

Anything unethical about that?

That, in turn, depends on

whether a certain medical
report was given to her as a friend

or a physician.

I don't quite follow.

I'm referring to the report
you gave her indicating

that she's going
to have a child.

Where did you hear about that?

Ward Nichols happened
to see the report

in Veronica's apartment.

Now is that report
true or false?

I think you better
leave, Mr. Mason,

before I lose my temper.

You don't care to answer?

Get out.

Very well.

In all fairness, Doctor,
I should warn you

that you may shortly find
yourself on the witness stand

being asked that same question.

You fool, treating
him like that.

You didn't have
to antagonize him.

What antagonized
Mr. Mason, Vonnie,

was Bernard Daniels' murder.

Well, why look at me like that?

Seems to me I remember
your saying he'd ordered you

to report to him
after work last night.

I did report.

What did he want?

Who knows? He was dead.

Sorry to have kept
you waiting, sir,

but I promised to
have the new lease

for Fortescue, Incorporated
drawn up by 3:00,

and that was that.

Did you locate the lease

I asked you about on the phone?

Oh. Oh, yes.

134 square feet according
to our usual rates,

and signed for the A.B.C.
Sporting Goods Company

by one J.P. Jones.

Could be a dummy name.

Well, it could be, maybe.

What did this J.P.
Jones look like?

Why, I never saw him.

He rented by phone,
messenger for the leases,

our copy back by mail with
the first and last month's rent.

Oh, uh, would you
like to look inside?

Yes, please.

Not what I call very
elegantly furnished.

Some kind of a
racket, Mr. Drake?

Yeah, one that got slightly
out of hand last night.

Thank you, Mr. Masters.

Well, if it isn't Mr. Gideon.

Fancy meeting you here.

Why, uh, Lieutenant Anderson.

That's right.

Mind telling me

why you're borrowing
a pair of pajamas

or does Perry Mason want these?

Why, no. I'm just going through
some of Ward Nichols' things.

Using a passkey to do so.

No, Ward gave me his
key. We're old friends.

Does he know you're here?

I hardly think so.

Then what right
have you to be going

through his things?

All the right that a search
warrant confers, Mr. Gideon.

And I might add
that what we found

more than justifies the warrant.

Oh?

Mm. Torn-up scratch paper
with the name Eugene Houseman

tried several different ways,

copy of an office lease

to the A.B.C. Sporting
Goods Company

and two bank
statements addressed

to the A.B.C. Sporting
Goods Company.

Hello?

Oh, uh, speaking.

I'll be with you
in half an hour.

Mr. Gideon, I don't suppose
I could prevail upon you

to tell me where Ward
Nichols is, could I?

Lieutenant...

Well, it doesn't really matter

because he was just
picked up in your apartment.

Follow the girl, find the boy.

Ward picked up? On what charge?

First-degree murder.

Veronica was a dancer
in a Reno nightclub.

I was just out of college.

I fell hard.

In a week, we were married.

In a month, I knew
it wouldn't work.

Not with her keeping up old ties

with a couple of
gambling friends.

So you, um, left town?

After getting her a lawyer
and signing what papers

he wanted and
paying for the divorce.

It was only two weeks
ago that I found out

she not only didn't
get the divorce,

but she took all the money
back from the lawyer.

Didn't you wonder why you
never received a report from him?

No, it never occurred to me.

I don't know anything
about how that works.

I came down here and...

I met Casey and got the
job at the Health House.

How did Veronica
get her job there?

I don't know.

All I know is I came back
from my vacation last year

and found she'd landed a job

giving me as a reference.

This, um, child she
claims she's going to have,

any idea who might
be responsible?

No, not-not the slightest.

Now about the wrestling
match with Daniels,

he'd accused you
of forging checks.

Yeah, $7,000-worth.

When I didn't confess,
he lost his temper.

He grabbed me. He
started to shake me,

I struggled to get free,

and we slipped and
the whiskey bottle broke.

Excuse me for a moment, Ward.

Yes, Paul?

Something you
might want to ask him;

the insurance
company's new total

on the Health
House account loss:

an additional
$245 in petty cash.

Well, that doesn't
seem very significant.

What comes next is.

Two more forged
checks put through

the A.B.C. Sporting
Goods account

totaling $75,000.

$75,000? Mm-hmm.

Now you heard the
medical examiner testify

that this heavy dumbbell
which was found near the body

of the deceased was, in his
opinion, the murder weapon?

I heard the doctor say
it's probably what shattered

the victim's skull, yes, sir.

I ask you if in your work
at the police laboratory,

you had occasion to
examine this weapon.

Oh, yes, I checked that
dumbbell for fingerprints.

Those are my initials

right, right below
Lieutenant Tragg's.

And on it you found?

Nothing. Somebody had
wiped off all the prints.

Your Honor, I move
that answer be stricken

as being a conclusion
on the part of the witness.

Your Honor, that dumbbell

didn't just fly into
the handball court.

Somebody carried it in there
and committed a murder with it.

Besides, Your Honor,

as an expert, this witness
is entitled to state an opinion.

Mr. Mason, since
an expert is entitled to

a reasonable
opinion, I'm going to let

the answer stand.

You may proceed, Mr. Burger.

Now this is another item
that was found at the scene

of the death. It's a
broken whiskey bottle.

I ask if you examined it
for fingerprints, too, sir.

Yes.

And what did you find?

A thumbprint and
an index fingerprint.

Were you able to
identify these fingerprints?

Yes, sir, we found they were
the prints of the defendant

Ward Nichols.

Yes, this is the office lease

to the A.B.C. Sporting
Goods Company.

And are these the
bank statements

to the A.B.C. Sporting Company

that you also found in
the defendant's apartment?

Yes, sir, they are.

If it please the court,

I should like these
bank statements entered

in evidence for the People

marked exhibit seven.

So ordered.

Have you finished with
the witness, Mr. Burger?

Yes, Your Honor.

Does the defense
desire to cross-examine?

It does, Your Honor.

Lieutenant Anderson,

I believe you testified
that you found the lease

and other documents hidden

in the defendant's wardrobe?

Yes, I did.

What does the word
"hidden" mean to you?

Well, concealed is when
something is put in the place

where people would
have difficulty finding it.

But you found those
documents easily, did you not?

Yes, I suppose I did.

Then the word "hidden"
is not quite right, is it?

No, I guess not.

"Planted," would
that be the word?

Objection.

I'll withdraw the
question, Your Honor.

That's all, Lieutenant.

And you led Mr. Farrell
into the locker room

at Mr. Daniels' request?

He told me to make
Buzz take a shower.

But I guess when I
left Buzz at his locker,

he took out another bottle.

Anyway, by the time I
got the water running

and came back for him,
he'd passed out cold.

I see. What did
you do then, sir?

Went out to report this
to Bernard... Mr. Daniels,

but he was having such a
violent quarrel with young Nichols

on the handball court,

I decided to skip it.

I went back, took a
shower myself and dressed.

Then I went upstairs to
look for Rhonda, my wife.

Did you pass the
handball court on the way?

Yes, but I didn't
stop to look in.

I assumed Bernard had gone

to change in his
office dressing room.

Perhaps if I had looked
in, I could have helped him.

I think he was beyond help
by that time, Mr. Houseman.

That'll be all, sir.

Cross-examine.

How long were you in the
shower that night, Mr. Houseman?

Five minutes, perhaps.

Took me about ten
minutes altogether

to shower and dress.

And Buzz Farrell was
out cold all that time?

I assume so.

Mr. Houseman, didn't you
sneak out of the locker room

during the time Buzz
Farrell was out cold?

Sneak out and kill
Bernard Daniels?

No, of course not.

Bernard was my friend.

No, sir, I didn't mean it

if it sounded like Ward
Nichols was the only one

who knew I had a pair
of dumbbells in my locker.

Practically everybody in
Health House knew I had 'em.

Now you're sure you heard
or saw nothing unusual

after Mr. Houseman led
you into the locker room?

Well, unless you call

finding that other
whiskey bottle unusual.

One drink from
that and I was gone.

Then you couldn't have
seen Mr. Houseman

if he had taken that dumbbell.

Not him or anyone.

Did you kill Bernard Daniels?

He cut me out of my
share of Health House.

He was gonna fire me.

I hated him. I'm glad he's dead,

but I didn't kill him.

I didn't.

With regard to this report to
Miss Veronica Temple, Doctor,

on the subject of
certain laboratory tests,

did you prepare
this report yourself?

Yes, I did.

And what did you
report to Miss Temple?

That she was
going to have a child.

Of course, I told
Ward Nichols about it.

But why was that?

Why did you tell
him about the child?

He wasn't directly
involved, was he?

Because I needed the money.

I wanted to go to
Nevada and finish getting

my divorce... I wanted
to make a fresh start.

Well, what was
Ward Nichols' reaction

when you told him
about the child?

Was he concerned?

Of course, he was concerned.

The last thing in the world

he wanted was scandal.

Why, if Mr. Daniels
had found out

that Ward and I
were still married

and that I was mixed
up in a thing like this...

Yes, but what did Ward actually
say to you about the money?

He said he'd get
the money for me.

He'd do just what I wanted.

He said...

he'd get the money
any way he could.

♪ ♪

Hi.

Hello, Paul. Any luck?

Well, some.

First, a couple of interesting
items on Veronica Temple,

though I don't know how
they're gonna help you.

Item A...

A high school marriage
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa,

with exactly the same pattern
as her marriage to Ward.

No divorce there either?

That's right.

Item B...

I finally got someone to talk

at the commercial
lab Dr. Berry uses.

There were never any tests
on any Veronica Temple.

Then she wasn't
going to have a baby?

Nice girl.

What about the other people
I asked you to check on?

Well, nothing on Miss
Prentice, except that she seems

to have been in love
with Buzz Farrell for years.

Nothing on Dr. Berry,
except for the lab business.

And, uh, nothing on
Rhonda Houseman.

No exception in her case?

Well, not unless you consider

her being Bernard
Daniels' secretary

up to about a year
ago an exception.

And nothing on Eugene
Houseman, except of course,

for his once having
been handball champ.

Oh, I'm sure
that'll be a big help.

You know, Paul,
maybe you're a genius.

I am?

You've given me a new
slant on a couple of things.

Well, you're welcome, I'm sure.

You want to hear
about Buzz Farrell?

Of course.

Something odd.

Remember the figure
the insurance man said

the Health House
account was out?

$82,245.

Well, Buzz bets the horses.

And last week he got
around to paying his bookie

what he'd been owing him.

Not $82,000?

Nope. $245.

Buzz came to me, desperate.

He said if he didn't pay up,
they might give him a beating.

Well, I didn't have enough
to even start to help him.

So I took what he
needed from petty cash...

$245.00.

I drew out the money
the very next day

from my savings account,

but before I could put it back,

there was an audit because
of the forged checks.

And then it was too late.

I have the money
here in this envelope.

Will I have to go to
jail, Miss Daniels?

Of course not.

You didn't intend

to do anything
wrong, Miss Prentice.

How can I ever thank you?

Perhaps by answering

one or two questions,
Miss Prentice.

Now, were Bernard
Daniels and Veronica Temple

anything more than
employer-employee?

Oh, no, I don't think so.

He would hardly have fired her

in that case, would he?

Fired her?

The afternoon he was killed...

He told me to figure out
what was owed to her,

and to make out a check.

And then he said,

he was either going to
fire her or expose her.

I didn't ask him what he meant.

I'm sorry, but, Perry,
we only have 25 minutes

and we're due back at court.

Yes, I know.

Did Mr. Daniels
have a special place

where he kept valuables,
or important papers?

Well, he-he did
have a special drawer

built in his desk
a few years ago

when he was worried
about robberies,

but I don't think he
ever kept anything there.

It's here.

Do you know how to open it?

Well, I think so.

I saw him do it
two or three times.

You pull it up...

And then you pull...

Anything in there?

Yes.

Yes. $75,000.

Now then, as an
expert graphologist,

you maintain that the forged
signatures on the smaller checks

and the signatures on these
two checks totaling $75,000

are the work of the same person?

I'll stake my professional
reputation on it.

Now, what about the
practice signatures...

The ones that were
done on scrap paper

and found in the
defendant's apartment?

It was the work of
the same person, too.

Thank you, sir. That'll be all.

Mr. Mason?

I should like to
request, Your Honor,

that during my
cross-examination of this witness,

all other witnesses be
excluded from this courtroom.

Very well, Mr. Mason.

Bailiff will clear the
court of all witnesses.

I believe you just
testified that the forgeries

were all the work of one person?

That's right, sir.

Upon your examination of them,

were you able to discover
anything about this person?

Age, sex and so forth?

Well, not on the little
that we have here, no.

Then the forward
slant of the writing

in the real signatures,

and the backward
slant in the forgeries

revealed nothing to you?

Oh, I see what
you're getting at now.

I, uh, started to
enter that in my report,

but I decided it was
probably irrelevant.

But it would appear
from the backward slant,

that the forger was left-handed.

Left-handed?

This, um, summary
of the laboratory report

on Veronica Temple...

Is that your signature?

Yes.

It's not a forgery?

No, certainly not.

I have here an affidavit

from the laboratory
stating that at no time

were tests ever made
on Veronica Temple.

Now how do you explain that?

Isn't it true

that you and Miss Temple were
partners in a blackmail scheme?

That Daniels
found out about it...

Was going to expose
you, so you had to kill him?

No!

No, I... I did fake the
report for Veronica.

But that's all.

I-I didn't blackmail anybody.

And I certainly
didn't kill anybody.

Dr. Berry, on this paper,

I'd like you to copy
Mr. Houseman's signature

as closely as you can.

That'll do.

Thank you.

All right, I... I did
lie to Ward Nichols.

You lied to him about
expecting a child,

and then, using that lie,

you tried to blackmail
him, did you not?

Blackmail? Who are you kidding?

How can a wife
blackmail her husband?

Miss Temple, Ward
Nichols is not now,

nor never was your husband.

Due to your failure to
divorce... Who was it?

Your high school sweetheart
back in Cedar Rapids?

So it was blackmail.

Now you had Dr. Berry
make a copy of his report.

What was the
reason for that copy?

Who else were you
blackmailing? Bernard Daniels?

And when he
threatened to expose you,

what did you do, Miss Temple?

What did you do?

Well, I certainly
didn't kill him.

He-he wasn't
mixed up in it at all.

If I was blackmailing
anyone, it was Ward Nichols.

Just Ward.

Miss, Temple, would you please
try to duplicate that signature

of Mr. Houseman's?

Thank you.

Yes, Ward became
assistant treasurer

at my suggestion.

Mr. Daniels was a
little unsure of him,

but I felt he was
a fine young man.

You got to know him

through playing
handball with him?

We had many good games.

Now, this handball
I have here...

Is it similar to
the ones you use?

Yes.

About the same.

You're, uh, left-handed,
Mr. Houseman.

Left-handed and right-handed.

Many good handball players
are ambidextrous, Mr. Mason.

Exactly.

Now, you, uh, did
use your left hand

to sign the checks described
here as being forgeries,

did you not?

I figured the signature
would be just different enough

to fool the insurance company.

What made you stoop to
forgery, Mr. Houseman?

Was it because Miss Temple
demanded money from you

as the father of
her expected child?

Yes. $7,000... More
than I could raise

without letting my wife

or Bernard know.

So, I hit on the
signature scheme.

But Bernard found out anyway.

What did he then do?

He gave me a choice.

Either jail, or write
out a full confession

and forge two more checks.

You wrote that confession?
You gave it to Daniels?

Yes.

And those two checks
amounted to $75,000?

Yes.

He'd overextended with
a new swimming pool,

enlarged ice-skating rink.

This is a way he could
use the insurance money

to pay off his creditors.

And you passed those two checks

through the A.B.C.
Sporting Goods account

just as you had the others?

Yes.

As J.P. Jones.

Whose idea was it to
plant the bank statements

and other documents in
Ward Nichols' apartment?

Bernard's.

I didn't have anything
to do with that.

But you did pay Miss
Temple her money? Yes.

Now what did you
do with the $75,000?

I gave it to Bernard.

What did he do with it?

I don't know.

Oh, I think you do.

I think you killed him for it.

No. I wouldn't have
dared to kill Bernard.

Not with his having
a full confession

I wrote out for him. I
wouldn't have dared.

I'm afraid that won't
do, Mr. Houseman.

You had motive,
you had opportunity.

Oh, yes, you killed him.

No, you're wrong.

I killed Bernard Daniels.

Rhonda.

I saw the confession
after you wrote it, Eugene.

In the study.

I knew he'd squeeze us with it

for the rest of his life.

So that night in Health House,

while you were taking a
shower and Buzz was sleeping,

I took the dumbbell.

And I waited until Bernard
was alone in the handball court.

And the confession,
Mrs. Houseman?

I took it out of
Bernard's secret drawer,

and I destroyed it.

You took the confession,
but not the $75,000?

Mr. Mason, I'm not a thief.

And just signing these
papers is all I have to do?

Except for an
appearance in court

when your uncle's
will is probated.

Well, I think I'll skip that.

I've had enough of court
for the rest of my life.

Which incidentally, I'm grateful
to you for saving, Mr. Mason.

We both are grateful.

Now, we'd better
get back to work.

Yeah. We'll keep in touch.

Bye.

I have a question
of Miss Street.

In what way was I a genius?

Oh, when you reminded Perry

that Houseman was
a handball champion.

I still don't get it.

Well, you weren't
in court, Paul.

Handball champions are
likely to be ambidextrous.

Well, brighter than I thought.

Hey, how do you suppose
you start this thing?

I'm ambidextrous.

Allow me.

Hey...

Hey, Della, turn it off!

Perry...

Somebody turn this thing off!

Shall we?

Help!

Della, Perry, come back!

Ah, well, Paint, old sport,
I guess it's you and me.

Et tu.