Original subtitles

Thank you.

Hello, Jordan.

Did I wake you, Perry?

No, it's all right.

I wanted to catch you before you checked out.

I'm flying back to L .A. in the morning.

Did you finish the book?

I got up to the part about the chandelier crashing down.

You see what I mean about the character called James Whitten?

Yes, I do.

Just tell me if I can slap David Hall with a libel suit.

Maybe an old friend who may someday publish your memoirs.

You have to ask yourself three things, Jordan.

First, is anyone else going to see similarities between the Whitney

and you?

Everybody who knows me, Whitney. That's a lot of people.

Was there any malicious intent on David's part?

There sure was.

He thinks he got her off when he published his last book. It's his way of

getting back at you.

Third.

Don't you think you should at least talk to him before you go suing him?

He's one of your most profitable writers, isn't he?

Of course.

Troublemakers always are.

All right.

He's asked me to fly to Colorado this weekend to meet with him.

This will be the first item on the agenda.

Are you going to be someplace where I can reach you?

Jordan, you don't need me for this. Use one of your attorneys.

You've got enough trouble with David as it is.

My phone's about to leave, Perry. I'll talk to you in Colorado.

Jordan?

Mr.

White, I'm Andrew Lloyd. I'm David Hall's assistant. We met two years ago,

remember? I remember.

David will be joining us for dinner just as soon as everyone arrives.

Everyone arrives? I thought I was seeing David alone.

Oh, no, no, no. You must have misunderstood.

Susan.

This is Susan Warrenfield. She's the assistant manager here at the

Hello. How do you do? Good. Susan will show you to your room.

All right. Well, if you'll just follow me.

I get the feeling nobody's here.

Mr. Hall has taken over the hotel for the weekend.

Are you related to the Warren field that built the place?

Yes, my grandfather.

Family still have it? No, they haven't for years.

Actually, I just started working here about three weeks ago. I finished hotel

management last fall.

Here you go. Here's your room.

Here you go.

If you need anything, just let me know, okay?

It looks like we're dining together.

Have a seat, Mr. White.

Do I know you?

I'm Donald Sayre. It's all right if you don't remember. Actually, we've never

met. He wants you and the rest of America to believe he's a psychic.

You look familiar.

You've probably seen my picture in the papers.

I do a syndicated column.

Oh, yes, of course.

You're the astrologer. Quite so.

I have a small gift for doing astrological charts.

Hello.

Well, what a surprise.

David invited all of you for the weekend, too.

I thought I was the only one.

Oh, I'm afraid not, darling.

Mara McGuire, I'd like you to meet Jordan White.

How do you do?

How do you do? This is Donald Sayre.

Hello. Hello.

And Michael Light.

Hello.

Hello.

You I've seen.

You I've heard of.

You I don't know from Adam.

The conglomerate he runs publishes David's books.

Oh, I see.

I starred in the movie they made of David's second novel.

You know, Cry of the Dead.

I thought you were marvelous.

I've never seen anyone look quite so dead and yet so attractive.

Thank you.

I think.

Where's David?

Oh, he's running a little late.

While we're waiting, David asked me to explain the reason for inviting you

This is not strictly a social gathering. It has to do with his new book, The

Resort. He'd love for you all to read it, so he'd left copies in your rooms.

How thoughtful.

Yes, you may find some similarity to the characters in the book and yourselves.

Each of them had a tragic experience.

One with drowning, Mr. White. One with prison.

Mr. Thayer, one with fire.

Mr. Light, one with suicide.

Ms. McGuire.

Yes, you will find David's book is undoubtedly his finest work to date. And

the faint -hearted are advised to take heed.

Let's have some wine, shall we?

White or red?

White, please.

You tell your employer I've lost my appetite and my patience. If he wants to

me, it'll have to be in the morning.

I'm with him.

And I'm with her.

No, wait. Please, David said he'd be right down. This is just one of his

practical jokes. You know David.

Yes, don't we?

be the butt of a sadistic practical joke. I had a feeling something like

would happen.

Enough.

Thank you for coming.

You're here because you must admit you all needed to be taught a lesson.

A lesson?

A lesson in what?

People look at what I write and say that I'm possessed.

Frankly, even I used to think that.

And I realized we are all possessed.

We all live with demons, with our own personal horrors.

Not the ones that spring from fear, but the ones that come from guilt.

Some of you are frauds, or fakes, or cheap imitations.

And it's what you really are that haunts your dreams.

You are your own worst nightmare.

You maniac.

I'm not to overlook those of you who have your own flesh and blood on your

hands. You're sick.

Dwight. Dwight.

Please. Nothing to do with you. Or anything you write. I'll see you in hell

first.

I want to get out of here tonight.

All right, then have the plane here in the morning. First thing.

Hello?

It's David. Listen, it's very important that we talk.

After what you did?

Don't hang up, please.

I'm sorry. It was a tasteless and totally insensitive thing for me to do.

sorry. But we must talk, Jordan, now.

Meet me in the bar in five minutes.

No tricks, I promise.

Oh, God, Mr.

White. You scared me.

You scared me?

What were you doing down there?

I was taking inventory of the last of my daily duties here.

If you want a nightcap, I'm afraid you're too late.

Hello? Yeah, one second.

Hello?

I want you to take the elevator to the top floor. Get off, take the stairs to

the door to the left, and meet me there.

No.

Not until you tell me what this is all about.

Good night, Mr. White.

You were in the bell tower. How long?

No more than a few seconds.

I heard Miss Warrenfield scream, came to the door, looked over the side, and

I saw the body.

I went downstairs immediately to call the police.

And you didn't see Mr. Hall at all?

No, no, I didn't.

Didn't see anybody else in the bell tower?

No. Just a second.

Sorry, Mr. White. What were you saying?

I said no. I didn't see anyone else in the tower.

Frankly, I don't know why you're asking. You're investigating a suicide here,

are you not?

No. I don't think so.

See, we just found this in David Hall's hand.

Very attractive blonde you're with, Mr. White.

You see, I think there was somebody else up there in that tower with Mr. Hall.

I think he and Mr. Hall argued over this picture.

And it was torn when Mr. Hall fell.

Let's make that when Mr. Hall was pushed from the edge.

But until I can find the rest of the picture, that's just speculation on my

part.

And I'm not having much luck on that.

Mr. White, would you mind emptying your pockets for us?

Of course I'd mind.

I didn't kill him, and I resent you implying that I did.

Please.

I'll take that.

Have a seat, Mr. White.

Pretty lady.

Your wife?

I ought to talk to my lawyer.

So, thinking I had nothing to hide, I did as he asked.

Next thing I knew, there I was, pulling the picture out of my pocket.

So it wasn't the result of an unauthorized search.

I incriminated myself quite voluntarily.

Do you have any idea how the torn picture got there?

I was wearing the coat the moment I arrived.

You can only assume someone either slipped it in my pocket either during

or when we all descended upon date, but later on.

Did anyone question why you'd keep that half of the picture?

I think the police assumed either I panicked or didn't have the opportunity

dispose of it. I don't know.

Jordan.

Who's the woman in the picture?

Her name is Janet Lang. She's an interior designer.

And?

We were lovers.

Carol?

Carol didn't know.

I didn't think anyone did.

I don't know where that picture came from. Someone must have hired a private

detective. David Howell?

Why? To blackmail me?

David was on top right up there with Stephen King.

Not as if he needed money.

With Carol, what's gone wrong?

Carol and I have barely spoken since Bobby drowned

last year.

It's like we have nothing to say to each other.

So we separated.

I don't love Janet. I took up with her because I wanted to escape, I guess.

Didn't last long. It's over now.

I'm alone.

Carol's going to know about her and... It's going to get dredged up again.

both going to go through hell.

Oh, God, what a mess.

And it's all my fault.

Do you have any idea how long the file is going to take? Just to the right.

Yeah,

I've got to get it, sir.

I'll see you back there.

How are you? Fine, thank you, Jordan.

Sorry we're meeting here.

So am I.

Hello, Mason.

Seems to me I run into you wherever I go.

How reassuring.

Yes, isn't it?

Bail will be set at $300 ,000.

Now, if the bailiff will hand up my calendar, we'll move on to the matter of

setting a date for the preliminary hearing.

Your Honor, if I may, I'd like to point out that the news of David Hall's death

and my client's subsequent arrest has already made the front page of every

newspaper in the country.

And you would like me to consider a change of venue because of the pretrial

publicity?

Actually, I believe that unless we move quickly, the members of the news media

who will descend upon this community will make it difficult, if not

for any of us to do our jobs.

Mr. Reston?

Your Honor, the prosecution is confident that it will have no problem proceeding

in its case against the defendant, no matter how swiftly Mr. Mason would have

the wheels of justice spin.

Very well. Then the preliminary hearing will be held in this court on March 15th

at 9 a .m.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Next case.

And thank you, Mr. Reston.

Mr. White.

Excuse me. I have a few messages here. I'll be right with you.

have this place all to ourselves.

The owner doesn't want to open to the public again until David Hall's murder

resolved.

Perhaps he wants to be sure he doesn't have two malevolent spirits on his hands

now. Spirits?

Don't tell me this place is haunted.

Only by the rather curious group assembled here.

Speaking of whom, the sooner we talk with them, the better.

I'm really going to need them now, aren't I?

We're both going to need them.

At least for another week.

Legally, of course, you're under no obligation to stay.

We can interview you over the phone or subpoena your testimony if necessary.

But frankly, it will look much better for you if you do stay.

I'd be very grateful.

If all of you stayed, you know how grateful I can be.

Oh, Dave, no problem. Will you let bygones be bygones? All right, you can

on me, Joe.

else has called it a night. Why don't you do the same?

Sounds good to me.

Okay. Good night.

Good night.

Who are you?

Could you tell me where I could find my room?

Ow.

Didn't anyone tell you I was coming?

Oh, yes, they did, but, um... Well, it got to be so late, I just figured that

you weren't going to show.

Paul Drake, right?

Yeah, and you are?

Susan Warrenfield.

God, I am so sorry.

Are you okay?

I'm fine. This is not pre -Columbian art, I hope.

Look, why don't I let you into your room and you can get a key in the morning,

okay? Okay.

Sorry.

You know, I suppose that I should have called from the airport.

But I thought I could get here faster if I just hurried on, you know?

Boy, I must have really frightened you, didn't I?

No. No, I'm fine.

I'm okay, really.

What's wrong?

That's John Warrenfield. He, um... He built this place 80 years ago for my

grandmother.

Oh, yeah, I read about him. He committed suicide, didn't he?

Yeah, he did.

He walked into one of the rooms here and...

He found her in bed with another man, and then he walked up ten stories to the

bell tower and jumped.

You know,

they say he still is around here, that he walks the hallways at night.

Come on, you don't believe those stories, do you?

Tonight, just before you came in here, I was looking at this portrait of my

grandmother, and it looked like she almost started to cry.

Well, she's been hanging there a long time, probably.

You'd cry, too.

Yeah, I suppose so.

Shall we go?

Yes.

I'll show you.

So

we

got Maura McGuire, queen of the slice -and -dice films.

Michael Light, alleged astrologer.

Donald Sayre, alleged psychic.

And Andrew Lloyd, the victim's personal secretary. That makes four suspects.

All of them in the hotel at the time of the murder.

They all said they were alone in their rooms.

What about the hotel staff?

Good question.

Check them out, Paul.

See if any of them had a connection with David Hall or a motive for killing him.

The assistant manager of... Susan... Weinfeld, right.

I see you've met her already.

You know me.

Always working.

Yes, we know.

What else, Perry?

How far into Hall's book did you get last night?

Oh, I, uh... I fell asleep right about where the character James Whitney found

his son drowned in the pond.

It's no wonder Jordan was upset.

Then you're past the house fire, part about the man in prison, and the woman

committed suicide.

Sounds like a fun book.

We know our four suspects or characters in the book.

We need to know all about them.

Everything.

Della, why don't you handle that?

I'll look in my crystal ball.

After that, call Jordan's office.

His staff can get you whatever you need.

Right.

And where will you be, Perry?

Andrew Lloyd said he'd meet me at Hall's place in one hour.

Be careful, Perry.

I hear his digs are very strange.

He lived in a house, Paul.

What's so strange about that?

Mr. Mason, come in. Come in.

I'm sorry you had to wait.

It is a large house.

Again, I, um... I hope you weren't waiting too long, but you are early.

What time is it? It's nine.

It's, uh, 9 .25.

I wasn't even going to start keeping an eye out for you until 9 .30. I... I told

David. a hundred times that he should get an intercom for that gate, but he

refused.

I think he liked making people wait out there.

Now, may I take your coat?

No, thank you. I won't be staying.

This way.

I'm still trying to organize David's things. This is his...

This was David's desk.

And that's mine over there.

Exactly what were your duties as Mr. Hall's assistant?

Absolutely everything.

From transposing his manuscripts from legal pads to floppy disks to ordering

groceries to answering the telephone to... Well, David didn't refer to me as

assistant. He referred to me as his head mechanic, the man who keeps the writing

machine oiled, fueled, and running it. Damn it, where are the paperclips?

David's death has me rattled.

I can barely function.

As I understand it, you do a little writing yourself.

I don't know what you mean.

Jordan White told me you tried to have a book published.

One which detailed David Hall's life during the time you worked for him.

A man like David Hall must have been furious.

He considered it a gross Breach of privacy.

But that's not at all what I intended.

Then there's something his attorney told me yesterday.

What was that?

David Hall left you his entire fortune.

Yes.

I withdrew the book from publication.

I turned all copies over to David.

And I told him that I had made a terrible mistake.

And he forgave me.

Perhaps he did.

Or perhaps you simply killed him before he had a chance to change his will.

Ah, Mr. Mason.

Tea?

No, thank you.

This is a wonderful place to work.

Puts me in the mood.

You're doing someone's astrological chart. Just so.

You sound skeptical, Mr. Mason. I recognize the tone of voice.

David Hall wasn't much of a believer, was he?

David Hall wasn't much.

Period.

What about Harriet Purcell? She was quite a believer, wasn't she? Who?

Harriet Purcell. You remember.

Wealthy widow.

You saw her every day for her horoscope.

One day you told her the stars demanded she lock herself in her room or her

house caught fire and she burned to death. That had nothing to do with me.

Really? It's in David's book.

Not the whole story, perhaps, but enough. Now David's dead. What can I

Bad karma.

Which is not to say that I killed him.

You certainly had very good reason.

Oh, Mr. Mason.

Your chart, I just finished it.

I don't mean to alarm you, but the stars suggest that you proceed... How should

we say?

Cautiously?

I always do.

Are you sure you're standing exactly where you were the night of the murder?

Uh -huh.

Alright, go back in. I'll meet you downstairs.

Okay.

Susan, it's all right. It's me. It's after me. Who?

Susan.

Sign out now, girl. This is a painting.

Paintings do not come to life. This one did.

That's it for me. I'm out of here. I'm getting as far away from here as I can.

That's exactly what someone wants you to do, Susan. Why?

Because you're a witness to a murder. It has something to do with that. What?

What are we supposed to do?

Huh? Someone's doing a number on you.

Let's find out who's here.

And who's not?

Money.

All

right,

I want you to tell me if anyone is missing.

Rich, the maintenance man isn't here.

I don't see Tim.

I'm going to go turn that thing off.

Excuse me.

Ladies and gentlemen, excuse me. I'm Paul Drake. I work for Mr. Mason.

I know this seems like a fire drill, but actually what happened is I bumped the

fire alarm upstairs.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Please go back to bed.

That's marvelous.

Well, now that the party's over,

will you walk me home?

Something I want to do here. I'll be up short.

All right, Paul.

What was this all about?

Someone is frightening Susan.

Trying to make her doubt her sanity.

What exactly happened tonight?

Upstairs, the picture of her grandfather.

Now, Susan swears that it came to life and it chased her down the hall.

What? This girl is not hysterical.

I'm sure that she saw something.

She's just misinterpreting it.

But she actually believes a man from a painting chased her down the hall.

Yes.

Thank you, Paul.

How about a drink, Counselor?

No, thank you.

Well, if you don't want a drink, I can only assume that you followed me in here

because you want me.

I'd like to get to know the real you.

Well, just what would you like to know?

Why did you try to commit suicide?

You do like to get right to the point, don't you? Yes, I do.

Well, so do I. It's none of your business.

It must have been a great problem to find your deepest secret in David Hall's

new book.

I had a couple of bad days.

But they passed.

How did you meet Hall?

He saw me in a TV commercial I did back in Houston.

I was still a model then.

I sat on a zebra, smiled while my then -fiancé hawked used

cars.

But David must have liked what he saw.

He had his lawyer sign me to a seven -year personal services contract.

Immediately put me in the lead role of... And you became celebrity

Who says there's no justice?

I've been doing some homework on you.

You were getting your weekly salary from David Hall, but after that one film, he

didn't use you.

Wouldn't let you work for anyone else, which means your career would have just

faded away.

Well, I'm not under contract anymore, am I? My point exactly.

Don't insinuate that I killed David Hall.

Why did he stop you from working?

I don't know.

David never made a pass at me.

Not once.

But his secretary came on strong.

When I didn't come across, that's when David put me in the freezer.

Did Andrew Lloyd have that much influence over all?

I never thought so.

But I guess he did.

What do you think?

I'm not sure.

Good night, Miss McGuire.

Have one for me.

Good night, Counselor.

I will.

I see you're still reading David Hall's book.

Well, I wanted to get some sense of who killed him.

I have a very strong feeling it was Michael.

Really? Well, I've been responsible for the apprehension of several murderers.

You may have read of my work with the Boston and Detroit police.

Yes, I have. It's impressive.

I gather you were briefly involved with the Miami Homicide Division as well.

Not that I remember.

Come now, Mr. Sayre.

It's obvious the psychic in Hall's new book is a thinly veiled version of you.

David would like you to have believed that.

Didn't you kill a man in a bar fight because he called you a fake and a

Are you suggesting that I killed David Hall?

You killed a man in a bar fight because he called you a fake and a fraud.

Oh.

Do you expect me to believe that you wouldn't kill David Hall for exposing

in that book?

I don't care what you believe.

Then you have nothing to worry about.

Harry. Harry!

Are you alright?

I'm fine. I'll get back to your room.

Yeah, but I... Now look, I think you just saved my life, but get back to your

room.

With the leaky faucet? Yeah, come on in.

That thing's been dripping all night.

You're all the way in the bedroom.

Well, it probably needs a new washer.

Yeah.

So what do they call you?

Richard.

Rich, for short.

Well, Rich, I appreciate you getting up here so early. I mean, you gotta be

tired, you know.

What do you mean?

You know, the fire drills.

Well, actually, me and a friend sort of played AWOL last night.

Drove me to town for a few beers. Is that right?

I had no idea there was any place around here to do that.

Where'd you go?

Oh, lots of places. No place in particular.

Here it is.

What is it? A bad washer?

Not a bad washer. Missy.

Well,

that goes to show you that strange things do happen in this hotel, don't

Thanks for calling last night. I was worried.

You left awfully early this morning.

Anything new?

I'm following too many sets of tracks.

Each one of our suspects had a real reason to hate David Hall, and he was

aware of that.

You know, this is all turning out very odd.

Odd is the word.

Why did he invite them to this place?

It's almost as if he wanted to be murdered.

You're right, we are late.

I show you now People's Exhibits Numbers 4 and 5. Ask you if you recognize them.

Yes, I tagged them myself.

Will you tell me, please, where did you find People's Exhibit 4?

It was clutched in David Hall's hand as he lay...

dead in the portico outside the briarcliff hotel and people's exhibit

found in jordan white's coat pocket about one hour later these uh these two

pieces fit together rather well they match perfectly your honor it has been

specified by defense that this is in fact one photograph that has been torn

half lieutenant do you recognize the two people in this photograph Yes, the

man is Jordan White, and the woman's name is Janet Lang.

Isn't the defendant married?

Yes, he is, but not to her.

I see.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

Oh, one more thing.

Would you please tell the court what Mr. White and Ms. Lang are doing in this

photograph? Yes, they are kissing. I see.

No further questions?

Your witness, Counselor.

I've no questions, Your Honor.

You may step down.

Next witness, Mr. Reston.

Call Ms.

Susan Warrenfield to the stand, please.

So I looked up and saw two people in the tower.

It was dark. I couldn't really see their faces clearly.

But it looked like they were struggling or fighting.

And what happened then?

And then I saw David Hall fall from the tower and...

Land about ten feet above me.

And then?

What happened?

And then I looked back to the tower and saw Mr. White standing there.

Are you positive it was him?

Yes.

He was leaning over and his face was directly in the spotlight.

Thank you, Ms. Warrenfield.

You're a witness, Counselor.

Your grandfather was John Warrenfield, the man who built the Briarcliff Hotel.

Is that correct?

Yes. Would you please relate to the court the circumstances under which your

grandfather died?

Objection. Relevancy.

The relevance of my question will become clear just as soon as Miss Warrenfield

answers it, Your Honor.

Overruled.

Miss Warrenfield.

I know this is difficult for you.

Please take your time.

My grandfather committed suicide by jumping from the bell tower at the

Briarcliff Hotel.

So, knowing what happened to your grandfather, you

must have been particularly upset when you saw the man falling from the tower

that night.

Yes, it was pretty strange.

All I remember is screaming and thinking for a moment that it was my

grandfather. Which, of course, is impossible.

He's been dead for 70 years.

Unless you believe the legend that says the spirit of John Warrenfield still

walks the halls of the Briarcliff Hotel.

Do you believe that legend, Miss Warrenfield?

Yes. Why?

I've seen things.

What kind of things?

Three nights ago, I took a trip back in time.

Did you turn on these lights?

No, I did not.

No, Beth, we never turned on these lights. What's coming in and out of

doors? No cobwebs, look.

Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't.

Hang on, hang on, hang on.

Oh!

These are part of the bars that were around Donald Sayre's bed.

All right.

Here's the mannequin that Jordan White saw.

In this casket.

Does that look familiar to you?

What's his thing?

Makeup.

Think for a sec.

You mean that thing that chased me down the hall was just a man dressed up in a

costume?

Which one of your staff members has been around here the longest?

Um... Rich.

Rich, the maintenance man. He's been here since.

Since 1955, before they sealed up this room.

That's what I thought.

Dr. Froman, you have a Ph .D. in psychiatry, is that correct?

Yes. And you've practiced psychiatry for how many years?

Oh, I've been in private practice for a little more than 30 years.

Dr. Froman, did you know David Hall?

I never met the man, but I feel like I know him. Why is that?

Because, at your request, I've reviewed his life history, studied his novels,

interviewed his acquaintances, and otherwise analyzed his behavior.

In effect, you've performed a psychiatric autopsy.

Objection irrelevant.

Mr. Mason is again putting the victim on trial.

There are precedents for this type of testimony? I am familiar with the

precedents. And so am I.

You may proceed, Mr. Mason.

Thank you, Your Honor.

What, in your expert opinion, was David Hall like, Dr. Broman?

He was a man beset by demons.

by feelings and compulsions over which he had little control.

He was a driven, angry man.

Was that anger directed at others or at himself?

Well, his tendency to enter into self -destructive relationships,

as well as his habit as a writer of killing off his main characters, led me

believe... His rage was inner -directed.

He hated himself.

Why would such a man invite four people

who all had a reason to dislike him to

spend the weekend with him at a hotel?

I don't know.

What if I told you that...

He had only weeks before suddenly changed his will, leaving everything to

closest associate and had also taken out a large life insurance policy.

And I'd say he'd invited those people to the hotel to bid them some sort of

farewell.

Why is that, Doctor?

It's quite conceivable in light of his personality that he was about to take

own life.

Objection! Speculation!

Overruled.

Thank you, Doctor. No further questions.

Paul, you can't do this. I could lose my job. Sorry, Susan.

You're wrong. No one here would do anything like that to me. No, you're

Susan, and I'm going to prove it.

Paul, wait a minute.

you and Tim the other night when the fire alarm went off?

Going down, doing some drinking.

You were not.

You had just gotten through trying to terrify me, admit it.

Ma 'am, honestly, I don't know what you're talking about.

You know where Paul Drake went just now? He went to check out your bank records.

Do you think somebody paid you to do this to me?

Do what to you?

Make me think I'm losing my mind.

Miss Warrenfield, if you think... I don't know what to think anymore.

I was David Hall's assistant for, or personal secretary, if you prefer, for

seven years.

Do you know why he invited Jordan White, Donald Sayre, Mara McGuire, and Michael

Light to the Briarcliff Hotel?

He had things to discuss with each of them concerning his latest

book, The Resort.

then why did he play ugly tricks on them? Tricks that were upsetting and

infuriating. It was David's way of teaching them a lesson.

It was demonstrating a point.

Isn't it true he played those tricks to provoke them?

No.

To make them want to get back at him?

Perhaps even kill him?

No, that's outrageous.

But he wrote a new will, closed out his corporations, took out a new life

insurance policy.

Are those not the acts of someone putting his house in order in

his own death?

Absolutely not.

They're the acts of a man going about what he considers the tedious business

everyday existence, Mr. Mason, period.

Let me ask you this, Mr. Floyd.

Who paid David Hall's bills?

I did. It was part of my job.

Did you pay them on time?

Ahead of time, usually.

Then why was his automobile insurance payment two months overdue, Mr. Lloyd?

Doesn't allowing an insurance policy to lapse...

Further indicate that he did not intend to live much longer?

You are so wrong, Mr. Mason.

David was just about to start living.

I allowed the insurance policy to lapse because David was going to move, to

start. He had just bought a house there. He was going to start over.

See, the doctor was right.

It was very, very difficult for David to show kindness, but he knew that. He

was trying to change. He also realized that using his latest...

book to avenge himself on people that had wronged him. That was a terrible

mistake.

He invited those people to the briarcliff for the weekend so that he

his own way, make things up to them.

He was trying to get the best of those demons.

But just when Paul was finally lifting from his life,

His life was taken from him horribly.

I have no further questions, Your Honor.

I do.

Would it be fair to say that you were David Hall's closest friend, perhaps?

His only friend.

Yes.

Did he ever mention taking his own

life?

No.

Never? Never.

No further questions.

How are we doing?

Jordan, we're doing very well.

I finally finished the book.

How was it?

It wasn't as frightening as the others, but it was all right.

I've always said you are my good luck charm.

I didn't think you were superstitious.

Only about you.

Susanna.

No sound.

you to do this to me.

Come on, let's hear it.

Susan, it has to be what you haven't remembered.

I don't know what it could be.

There must be a reason that Rich tried to kill you. Now, think back to the

of the murder.

Mr. Mason, I've been over this a hundred times.

There was something you saw.

Some small detail.

Susan, there has to be something.

I told you, I don't know.

All right.

With your permission, I'd like to put you back on the stand.

What?

All right, Susan.

Ms. Warrenfield, I'd like you to tell the court once again what you saw the

night of the murder. Only this time, I want you to sit back,

relax, let your thoughts drift and your mind

think only about the facts that occurred that night.

Your Honor, Mr. Mason isn't questioning this witness. He is hypnotizing her.

Your Honor.

I'm not really doing that.

We all know the psychology of witness recollection.

The testimony of a courtroom often obliterates meaningful facts.

I am only trying to get at the truth, Your Honor.

This is a bit unusual, but if Ms. Warrenfield has no objections,

neither do I.

again, Susan.

I'd like you to relax.

Just listen to my voice and relax. Let your thoughts fade away.

Think about nothing except that night.

Now, you feel very calm, very relaxed.

That's it. Just let go.

But keep listening to my voice.

Do you hear me, Susan?

Yes.

I want you to remember that night, Susan.

The night Mr.

Hull's guests arrived.

Now you are through taking inventory in the lounge and you're ready to go home.

You're walking to your car, but then you stop.

Why?

I hear voices.

So, what do you do?

I turn around and look up at the bell tower.

What do you see?

I see a couple of people fighting.

Who are they?

It's too dark. I can't tell.

Then what happens?

They're getting closer to the edge. Now, just relax.

Just tell me what you saw.

One of them is falling.

He's falling out of the tower.

It's David Hall.

He's screaming. I don't understand.

My God, he's going to hit the ground.

You're all right, Susan.

You're all right now.

You're just watching and listening. You're just observing.

I don't understand.

David Hall is falling from the tower.

What is it you don't understand?

David!

What he's yelling as he's falling, I can hear him even though I'm screaming,

too. What is he yelling?

He's yelling, David.

Why is he saying his own name?

Are you all right, Susan?

Yes.

I'm fine.

Thank you, Ms. Warrenfield.

That's all.

Defense would like to recall Mr. Andrew Lloyd to the stand.

Mr. Lloyd, would you mind telling the court how much David Hall paid

you for being his personal secretary?

$100 ,000 a year.

That's a huge amount for a secretary.

Yes. I had become quite indispensable to David, and I dare say that he would

have paid me anything to entice me to stay on.

You may have been indispensable, but you weren't exactly loyal, were you, Mr.

Lloyd? What do you mean?

I mean the unauthorized biography of David Hall written by you.

That was a terrible mistake, something for which I am sorry even to this day.

Oh,

there's no harm done, is there?

The book was never published, and David had you destroy all copies, didn't he?

Yes, that's right.

Except this one.

The one you secretly left with the publisher.

It's all right. David Hall will never find out now.

I'd forgotten about that.

Would you please tell the court how your manuscript begins, Mr.

Lloyd? Adjust the first sentence.

I can't. I don't...

I don't remember it.

Every writer I've ever met says the first sentence of every book they write

impossible to forget because it's the most difficult one to write.

I wrote that well over a year ago. I don't. I don't remember it.

David Hall wrote all of his novels longhand. Is that correct?

Yes, and I typed them, of course, before sending them to the publisher.

From this picture, David Hall appears to be right -handed.

Yes, he was.

Mr.

Lloyd, I call your attention to this handwritten manuscript

of the resort.

Written by David Hall.

From the way the letters are slanted, it would appear to me it was written by

someone left -handed.

Yes. What time is it, Mr. Lloyd?

Well, it's 9 .53.

You wear your watch on your right wrist.

Yes. You're left -handed, aren't you?

Yes, but... I...

I noticed that when I interviewed you at David Hall's house. I also noticed you

didn't seem to know your way around your own desk.

Well, that's because I was upset.

It's because it wasn't your desk. It was your secretary's desk.

What?

Isn't it true that you are, in fact, in fact, David Hall?

Isn't it true seven years ago you changed places with a man named Andrew

That's ridiculous.

Isn't it true that you did so in order to enjoy fame and fortune as an author

without having to surrender your privacy?

Absolutely not. Isn't it true you invited those four people to the hotel

which one you could provoke to violence?

And when that person turned out to be Jordan White, you went about framing him

for your secretary's murder.

You are outrageous.

Isn't it true that it was Andrew Lloyd who fell from the tower? No.

Isn't that why Miss Warrenfield heard the victim scream David as he fell?

Because you, David Hall, pushed Andrew Lloyd off that tower.

No, no, no!

I defy you to prove any of this.

Isn't it a fact we could take a sample of your handwriting,

have it compared to that manuscript?

Isn't it a fact that that comparison would prove, would prove

that you are David Hall?

Yes, that's true

to Andrew Lloyd, the man you pretended to be for seven years.

Then you killed him.

Too bad you didn't support the hypotheses that David Hall committed

You might never have been found out.

I wanted the world to remember David Hall.

Not as some suicidal neurotic, but as a man who is as

heroes often do.

He met a sad, sudden, and

tragic death.

People move that the charges against Jordan White be dismissed.

Very well.

All charges against Mr.

White are hereby dropped.

Case dismissed.

Please take Mr.

Hall into custody.

Well, Perry, Jordan, I may have presumed too much, but I made a call last night.

There's someone here to see you.

Bill.

This case had all the earmarks of a very bad dream.

You'll never know, Counselor.

Someday I may tell you the whole story.

Well, um, goodbye.

And thank you, all of you.

No, thank you.

It was you, Susan. You were a great help. Thank you.

If you ever get tired of this clean mountain air, you come down to L .A. and

me. All right.

I might just take you up on that.

Good.

Bye -bye.

Bye.

You think she'll be all right?

Paul, there are no such things as ghosts.

I guarantee it.

Oh, I don't know, Della.

Oh, Perry.

Why do you say that?

When I passed the Warren Field picture this morning, I heard something.

You're kidding.

No.

I stopped.

I stared.

I swear I heard his voice.

Well, what did he say?

He said, tell Paul Drake.

To keep the hell away from my granddaughter.