All language subtitles for Perry Mason S01E10 The Case of the Runaway Corpse.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en.PRMNT

Are you sure you
gave Mr. Davenport

the right address?

Positive.

Well, he's 15 minutes
late now, Mr. Beckmeyer.

If he's not here by...

He'll be here.

Do you know the circumstances

under which this
food was prepared?

When you're a
private detective, doc,

you don't ask questions.

You figure your client
wants you to know something,

he'll tell ya.

What'd you find in...?

Come in.

Good morning, Mr. Davenport.

This is Dr. Mitchell.

How do you do?

Sorry I'm late.

Won't you sit down?

Must be bad news

if you don't think I
can take it standing.

Well, you see...
What'd you find in there?

Arsenic.

I thought she'd be
a little more original.

But then arsenic
worked for her before,

so why change, right?

I don't think I follow
you, Mr. Davenport.

Who are you talking about?

My wife.

Where's my wife?

Well, she... Myrna?

Myrna!

W-what...? What's wrong, Ed?

Mind your own business, Louise.

Myrna!

Coming, dear.

Ed, you know what
the doctor said.

Yeah, we all know.

Packed your bag.

Don't drive too fast,

you can still make
Bakerstown before...

You hypocrite.

Telling me not to drink,
to listen to the doctor.

I don't know what you mean.

Those sandwiches you
packed for my trip last week.

They were loaded with arsenic!

Wh...?

Ed, what are you
trying to do to her?

You're a fool, Louise.

Ask your precious cousin
about Uncle Charlie.

Didn't you think
something was wrong

when he died eight months ago?

Here, read it for yourself.

You poisoned him.

And now you're
trying to get rid of me.

Ed, please...

Well, there's a letter
in my office to the police

telling how you've
been trying to kill me.

If I die, you'll
go right after me,

straight to the gas chamber.

Remember that!

Ed!

Hello?

Hello?

Yes, sir?

This is Mr. Davenport
in cabin 6.

Who's the nearest
doc around here?

Dr. Renault.

He's just around the corner.

Well, get him over
here right away, I'm sick.

Come in.

Hello?

This is Dr. Frank Renault.

I'd like to talk to Mrs.
Edward Davenport, please.

Well, she's, um...

Uh, she's not in.

Is there any message?

Can you get in touch with her?

Her husband is... Is very ill.

Are you related
to Mrs. Davenport?

Uh, yes.

Yes, I'm her cousin.

Well, frankly, madam, the...

The situation is critical.

He's in an oxygen
tent right now.

Hello?

I-I'm here, doctor.

He's in the Vista Motel

on San Fernando Road.

Cabin 6.

We'll...

Uh, we'll be there right away.

Um, uh, thank you
so much for calling.

Goodbye.

Garden club.

Arrangements committee again.

Oh, I thought it might be Ed.

Oh, when are you going to
start thinking about yourself?

What kind of a husband
is it who writes letters

accusing his wife
of poisoning him?

I don't believe Ed did that.

I think he was just talking.

Was he?

I bet he has it
all written down.

It might even include
his notion that you...

You killed Uncle Charles.

Oh, that's ridiculous.

I tell you, Myrna,

you've got to protect yourself.

For your own good,

you ought to see a lawyer.

Oh, do it.

Just to please me.

Of course, Mr. Mason,

coming here was my idea.

I was afraid that,

if anything happened to Ed,

that letter might get into
the hands of the police.

Why should something
happen to him?

Well, the Lord moves
in mysterious ways.

We never know
when our time is up.

This, um, Uncle Charles

your husband has
accused you of poisoning,

did he leave you any money?

How much?

A great deal.

And to see Ed run through
it would just make you sick.

Mr. Mason, I tell you...

Please, Louise.

He isn't interested.

No, I didn't say
that, Mrs. Davenport.

That letter could
be very damaging.

That's why we want you
to get it for us, Mr. Mason.

Uh, now... Now,
here's the authorization

and the, uh, retainer.

And this is the
key to his office

with the address on the tag.

Well, as long as
Mr. Davenport is alive,

I have no right to
touch that letter.

Well...

Uh, well, there's something

that I haven't mentioned.

Uh, Louise,

that telephone call that came

just before we left the house

was from a... A Dr. Renault.

Ed's very ill.

Why didn't you tell me?

Well, I was afraid
that you'd run to him

instead of coming here,
which was more important.

Where is he?

He's in a motel,

the Vista Motel on
San Fernando Road.

Go with her.

Let me know if
something happens.

I can't tell you how...

You'd better hurry.

Traffic gets bad
this time of day.

As you can see,

he's too weak to be
moved to a hospital.

I thought it best
to keep him here.

If he didn't feel well,

he should have turned
around and come home.

It's only an hour's drive.

My... my wife...

put poison in candy.

Save your strength,
Mr. Davenport.

He, uh... He says he became ill

after eating some chocolates.

He's out of his mind.

He didn't know
what he was saying.

I hope this convinces you

that going to Mr. Mason
was doing the right thing.

Poison in the candy.

Don't touch it!

I packed this candy
with his clothes

the way I always do.

There's nothing wrong with it.

I ate a piece myself.

Doctor!

He can't breathe!

Nothing wrong here.

Lift the flap, please.

What did you give him?

Chloramine.

Sorry, Mrs. Davenport.

Under the, uh, circumstances,

I'll have to call the police.

The police?

I have no choice.

You wait here, honey.

I'm going to call Mr. Mason.

If he wants to get that
letter from Ed's office,

there'll never be a better time.

How do you plan to get in there?

I don't think we have to.

Davenport wanted that letter
found by the police easily.

Here, you take that one.

All right.

This is it.

"To be opened in
the event of my death

"and contents delivered
to the authorities.

Ed Davenport."

Does it belong to the widow

or the authorities?

I'll answer that after
I've read the contents.

Is that working?

I'll see.

Yeah.

I'll get some water boiling.

Find anything?

Mm-hm.

There was a $17,300 withdrawal

from Davenport's
checking account today.

He certainly didn't do it.

The entry was in
a feminine hand.

Shall I get it?

Mrs. Davenport knows we're here.

Right.

Hello?

Unit 13.

Desert Motel, Bakerstown.

Hello?

Hello?

Wrong number?

Oh, I guess so.

All he said was, "Unit 13,
Desert Motel, Bakerstown."

He didn't even say hello.

He didn't even say hello.

Unit 13, Desert
Motel, Bakerstown?

Uh-huh.

I wonder what it
could possibly mean.

Make a note.

Call the Drake Detective Agency.

Send Paul up
there to investigate.

First thing tomorrow?

First thing tonight.

I guess this does it.

It's blank.

Invisible ink?

No.

Lieutenant Tragg, Homicide.

You Dr. Renault?

Ah, yes, lieutenant.

The victim... Uh,
rather, my patient.

Is in there.

He... He says his
wife poisoned him.

The young one.

You Mrs. Davenport?

Yes.

There's a question as
to how your husband

met his death.

Oh, it was a heart attack.

Uh... Uh, he was
under a doctor's care.

Uh, who has a key?

He's gone!

I wonder why he put
blank pages in there.

Could be a trap,

to make the police think we
removed incriminating evidence.

Sounds like someone
has already sprung the trap.

Good evening, officer.

Won't you come in?

Who are you?

My name is Mason,
I'm an attorney.

This is my secretary,
Miss Street.

What are you doin' here?

Taking charge of
Edward Davenport's affairs

for his widow.

He's not... dead.

He isn't!

I'm sorry.

This is my authorization.

This is Mr. Davenport's
secretary, Miss Rita Norge.

I know why you're here.

You want that letter.

He wrote a letter to the police

in case he died.

It's in my desk.

Please, get it.

Uh, just a minute, officer.

I wouldn't open
that if I were you.

That's part of
Davenport's estate.

I had no intention
of openin' it, sir.

I'm just bringin' it
down to headquarters.

I'm sure they'll know
the right procedure.

Answer it.

Hello?

Oh.

It's for you.

Thank you.

Hello?

Mr. Mason,

something terrible's happened.

Ed's gone.

Yes, I know. I...

I spoke with Miss Ansel earlier.

I'm very sorry.

No, no, you don't understand.

He isn't dead.

He's disappeared.

That's, um...

That's very interesting.

What happened?

Well, the doctor
declared him dead,

but he must have
been only unconscious.

Now the police can't find him.

All right.

I'll call you later at home.

Goodbye.

I think that concludes
our business, officer.

That's just what I was thinking.

Shall we go?

Well, we're in trouble.

For what?

Davenport's body has evaporated.

Is he alive?

If he is, I've committed
a crime or two.

Such as?

Taking charge of an estate
before there was an estate.

Some people might
think I was overzealous.

A district attorney included?

A district attorney included.

So this man calls
from L.A. last night.

He give me the name
of Stokes, John Stokes.

Of course, how many
gives their real names? Heh.

And what am I supposed to be?

A human lie
detector or somethin'?

But he did send you
the money for the cabin?

Sure, 5 bucks by telegraph.

He said to hold number
13 till midnight tonight.

Well, it's after that
now so I rented it.

Business is business, I say.

Hey, you know, I
used to be a nurse.

Practical, but
not, uh, registered.

I, uh, didn't study,
so I didn't get the cap.

The cap, you know?

Hey.

That's funny, he's still there.

He talked to me
over an hour ago.

Who is he?

A policeman.

He was lookin' for Stokes too.

Said something
about, uh, narcotics?

Uh, thank you very
much. Good night.

Thanks. Yeah, thank you.

Does the name John
Stokes mean anything to you?

John Stokes?

No.

Do you think it
has anything to do

with Ed's disappearance?

It might.

My investigator went
to Bakerstown last night.

He said he thinks your
husband used the name of Stokes

in making a reservation
at a motel there.

It doesn't make sense.

I'll get it.

Mr. Mason,

I want to thank you
while I have the chance.

For what?

For destroying that letter.

But I didn't destroy
the letter. I...

Well, hello, counselor.

Kind of early for you, isn't it?

All right, Tragg.
I'll go quietly.

Oh, I'm not here for you.

Not that Burger
doesn't want to see you.

You'll have to come to
headquarters, Mrs. Davenport.

And what's the charge?

Oh, no charge.
Just a few questions.

She knows nothing further

about her husband's
disappearance.

Well, maybe she can tell us
something about her uncle.

We understand he
died eight months ago,

under what we call
unusual circumstances.

We've got a court order
to exhume the body.

You work pretty fast.

If I had known that you were
the attorney for Mrs. Davenport,

I would have done even better.

There was nothing wrong,

Uncle Charles died of pleurisy.

Coroner said it was
arsenic poisoning.

But that's impossible.

Why, I was with...

Lieutenant?

Found this in the garage.

Hm.

Sixty-two percent arsenic.

Would you know anything
about this, Mrs. Davenport?

I use that to spray plants.

You sure you didn't
use it for anything else?

The candy in your
husband's motel room

was loaded with the stuff.

No.

Quite a coincidence, isn't it?

You bought him that candy.

Louise.

And when I wanted to get
a nurse for Uncle Charles,

you said no, it
wasn't necessary.

You could take
care of him yourself.

Miss Ansel, I must...

What a fool I was.

When Ed showed me
that report from the lab,

I thought it was something
that he'd made up.

What report was that?

Now, Tragg, you don't...

No, go on, Miss
Ansel, you were saying?

Well, Ed brought
back a report yesterday

from the Pacific Laboratories.

It proved that there was arsenic

in some sandwiches that
Myrna had made for him.

That's not true.

All along, I thought
Ed was crazy.

All along, I thought it was
something that he'd arranged.

But you killed Uncle Charles,
just the way you killed him!

I didn't. I didn't!

I didn't.

Well,

Burger's going
to love this case.

With a witness like
this, how can he lose?

You've got to believe
me, Mr. Burger,

I'm telling the truth.

I want to believe you,
Mrs. Davenport, very much.

But there a lot of things
here that are unexplained.

What was your husband
doing with that candy?

The doctor told him to eat some

any time he felt
the urge to drink.

I see.

Only this batch happened
to be loaded with arsenic.

I know.

And your fingerprints
happen to be on the box.

Why shouldn't they be?

She's admitted she
packed the candy.

What's that got to do
with her Uncle Charles?

Well, he died of
arsenic poisoning.

And I'm sure when
her husband's body...

As far as we know,
her husband is still alive.

What about the
statement of Miss Ansel?

The outburst of an
hysterical woman.

All right, Mrs. Davenport.

You're free to go on
your own recognizance.

We'll be in touch with you.

Mr. Mason.

I'd like to speak to you
for a minute, please.

Oh, it's all right, Mr. Mason.

I can get home alone.

Did you open an envelope

in Ed Davenport's
office last night,

an envelope addressed
to the authorities

in the event of his death?

As one attorney to another,

I'd say that question
was improperly phrased.

As a matter of
fact, it's loaded.

All right, I'll rephrase it.

Can you deny that
you steamed this open

and replaced the
original contents?

Who gave you the
right to open that?

Hello?

Hold it.

It says right on the envelope,

"To be delivered
to the authorities

in the event of my death."

Exactly.

Who says he's dead?

Dr. Renault.

Corpses don't run away

unless they never were
corpses in the first place.

Oh, for heaven sakes.

Hello?

Yes.

You have?

Where?

Great work, Tragg.

You go ahead, I'll join you.

I think maybe we'll
get some answers now.

We've caught up with the
runaway corpse, Mr. Mason.

They found Davenport's body.

Better get in touch with
the morgue right away.

Right.

Any word from the coroner?

Not yet.

No question it's Davenport?

Well, Dr. Renault
identified the body.

Now, who discovered the body?

Those two kids.

The father put in the call.

He runs the gas station
down the highway.

Mr. Medford.

Mr. Medford, this is
District Attorney Burger

and Mr. Mason.

How did your boys
happen to find the body?

Well, uh, they
found the grave first.

When was this?

Tuesday afternoon.

Looked like one of them
slit trenches, only deeper.

They told me about it,

only I didn't pay no attention.

You know how kids are.

Yesterday, they
played here again, and...

And then this
morning, it was filled up.

They dug some and
came a-callin' for me.

I see.

Thanks, Mr. Medford.

I'll be in touch with you later.

Lieutenant.

Excuse me.

Radio call from the coroner.

He finished the
preliminary autopsy?

It was arsenic.

All right, Tragg.

You know what to do.

Let's go, sergeant.

Mason, I'll make you a deal.

I've got everything I need

for a first-degree
murder conviction.

But?

You have your
client plead guilty,

and I won't ask for
the death penalty.

I understand the husband
mistreated her, and...

Then you'll charge
her with first-degree

on her uncle's
death, is that right?

All right, Mason.

In that case, you'll have
some explaining to do yourself.

You destroyed vital
evidence to protect your client.

We'll see how
that sits with a jury.

You are pretty
enough without that.

All right, Paul.
What is it this time?

Why, grandma,

what a suspicious mind you have.

Is the boss in?

No, he went over to
see Mrs. Davenport.

Oh.

"Jason Beckmeyer,

licensed private investigator."

Remember me telling you

about a guy watching unit 13

of that motel up in Bakerstown?

Yeah.

Well, I got hold of
his license number,

before he took off.

And this is the gentleman
in question? Mm-hm.

You know anything about him?

No, not much.

He, uh, runs a small
detective agency.

I wonder what he was doing...

Yes, Gertie?

I'll be right out.

Speak of the devil.

Guess who's in the
reception room right now.

Mr. Jason Beckmeyer, himself.

Mr. Beckmeyer?

That's right.

I'm sorry, Mr. Mason's
out right now.

I'm his secretary, Miss Street.

Oh, I wanted to see Mason.

He's representing the
Davenport estate, isn't he?

Well, he represents
Mrs. Davenport.

I did, uh... I did some
work for her husband,

and I'd like to get paid.

What kind of work?

Oh, I don't know if I
should talk about it.

Well, you can't
expect Mr. Mason...

No, well...

Davenport wanted
me to keep an eye

on the Desert
Motel in Bakerstown.

What was his reason?

He didn't say.

He just said I
should watch unit 13,

it was reserved by a
man named Stokes.

Did you see Mr. Stokes?

Yeah, he came
in late that night.

What did he look like?

Well, he was a tall,
good-looking guy

with gray hair.

He was about 6'2".

He was driving a
white sports car.

I got a good look at him

while he was talkin'
to the manager.

Well, I'll relay your
message to Mr. Mason.

Do you think he can do
anything about my bill?

Oh, he'll call you.

Well, listen, tell him any
time he needs an operative,

I'm available. I'll tell him.

Thanks.

What'd he want?

He found Stokes.

No kidding. Did you
get a description?

Yes, he said he
was tall, about 6'2",

had gray hair and was
driving a white sports car.

Though I can't understand

why he thought he
was good-looking.

Yes, Gertie?

It's for you. Don Gregory?

Oh, yeah. New man I just put on.

Yes, Don?

Uh-huh.

You're sure of that?

Right away.

He's been tailing Rita Norge.

She went into Ed Davenport's
office ten minutes ago.

She's still there.

Well, she's not supposed to be.

Lieutenant Tragg said
everyone should stay away.

That was my impression.

I'm gonna go get Perry.

Nothing to be
afraid of, Miss Norge.

We didn't knock
for obvious reasons.

You have no right
to... Have you?

I came to get my
personal things.

Including those papers?

They were in my desk.

I think the district attorney

might find this rather peculiar.

Mr. Davenport seems to have sold

a few of his
investments recently.

He sold all of them
a few months ago.

Are you in the habit
of drawing money

out of Mr. Davenport's account?

No.

You withdrew over
$17,000 yesterday.

What business is it of yours?

The Davenport
estate is in my hands.

I'd like to see his widow
receive her full share.

Don't worry, Mr. Mason.

She'll get everything
that's coming to her.

I realize how busy
you are, lieutenant,

but you think you
could possibly spare me

just a few minutes?

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Mason.

You got something on your mind?

Yes, I think you ought to
check Rita Norge again.

Find out what she was doing

at Davenport's
office Thursday night.

Well, I did.

Mr. Davenport
asked her to drop by.

Why?

Well, he had an errand for her.

He was going to phone the office

and tell her where to go.

You know what I mean?

Do you believe that story?

Listen, the day Ed Davenport
was at the Vista Motel,

someone withdrew $17,300
from his checking account.

Now, who do you
suppose that someone was?

Rita Norge?

I think she was planning

to leave town with the money.

That's why she killed him?

Isn't it possible?

Yeah,

but there's, uh, just
one teeny thing wrong

with that theory, Mr. Mason.

Miss Norge was in,
uh, yesterday afternoon.

What do you suppose she wanted?

Don't tell me she turned
the money over to you.

All right, I won't tell you.

But if you'd care to see

a duplicate of the
receipt I gave her,

I'd, um, be happy to oblige.

Miss Ansel.

Yes.

I'm Jason Beckmeyer,

you called my
office this morning.

Uh, yes, I wanted to see you.

Well?

Well, I...

I can't talk here.

Could you come to
my house this evening?

Okay, what time?

Well, right after
court's adjourned.

Uh, here... Here's my address.

I know the address.

Thank you.

And in your capacity

as deputy coroner
for this county,

you performed an autopsy

on the body of the
deceased, Edward Davenport?

I did.

What did you find, Dr. Hoxie?

Well, after making
certain tests,

I detected the presence
of a specific poison,

arsenic.

Would you please
tell the court, doctor,

what conclusions
you draw from this?

There is no doubt

that death was caused
by stoppage of the heart,

due, in turn, to
ingestion of the poison.

Do you have an opinion

as to how the poison
was administered?

Through food the victim
ate an hour before his death.

Did you analyze the candy

found in Mr. Davenport's room?

I did.

What did you find?

It contained arsenic.

Thank you, doctor.

Dr. Hoxie,

when you say
"stoppage of the heart,"

do you mean that a heart attack

caused, uh, Davenport's death?

Yes, although the poison
would have caused his death

in 12 hours, in any event.

Did you test the body
for blood alcohol?

I did.

It contained .15
percent of alcohol.

That's enough to indicate

the beginnings of intoxication.

Then the arsenic could have been

administered in a drink?

That is possible.

So you were merely hypothesizing

when you said that the poison
was introduced into the system

through the chocolates?

I beg your pardon.

I said nothing of the sort.

I said I felt that the poison

had been introduced
through the food.

What do you mean, by "the food"?

The victim ingested a
meal of bacon and eggs

approximately an
hour before his death.

You found no trace of chocolate?

I did not.

Thank you, doctor.

I will now call
Dr. Frank Renault.

Dr. Renault to
the stand, please.

You may step down.

Thank you.

I got to his cabin around noon.

He said he'd eaten several
chocolates an hour before.

Did he say where he
got the chocolates?

He said his wife
bought them for him.

How do you account for the fact

that the coroner found
no chocolate in the body?

When Mr. Davenport told
me he'd been poisoned,

I immediately
pumped his stomach.

I see.

Your witness.

Well, Dr. Renault,

your testimony seems to
be in accord with Dr. Hoxie's,

regarding this
fatal heart attack.

Yes, sir.

Now, uh, when did death occur?

At exactly 15
minutes past 5 p.m.

At which time you
locked the door

of Davenport's cabin?

I did.

Uh, one thing
puzzles me, doctor.

You say you pumped
the victim's stomach?

Well, that's fairly
routine procedure

in cases of poisoning.

Well, how do you account
for the fact that Dr. Hoxie

found traces of bacon and eggs

eaten approximately
an hour before death?

Well, uh...

I don't know.

You must agree, it's
a peculiar situation.

Dr. Hoxie has Mr. Davenport

sitting down to bacon and eggs,

while you have him
in an oxygen tent.

If the court please,

I agree that it's a
peculiar situation.

And in order to investigate
that situation further,

I request an adjournment
till tomorrow morning.

Does the defense
have any objections?

Oh, none at all, Your Honor.

Very well.

You may step down.

The case is adjourned until
10:00 tomorrow morning.

I want you to check Dr. Renault

back to the day he
hung out his shingle.

All right.

Everything's going to work out.

Thank you.

Will you drop this
by the office for me?

Where you going?

It's such a nice day,
I thought I'd ask Della

to take me for a
walk in the country.

You know, for a minute,

I nearly thought
you were serious

when you said, "a
walk in the country."

Well, aren't we?

I can think of more
picturesque places.

According to those kids,

this grave was
prepared in advance.

Now, who would have known

Davenport was going to get sick

and have to call a doctor?

And who would have
known he was going to die?

His secretary?

No, that wouldn't work.

Hm?

Why not?

Well, if Rita Norge
were dishonest,

she never would have
turned that money over

to Lieutenant Tragg.

If she'd hidden away a
couple of hundred thousand

belonging to Davenport,

then the money she gave Tragg

would have been a
cheap enough price to pay

for a reputation of honesty.

True.

What are you looking for?

The coroner said that Davenport

had eaten bacon and
eggs before he died.

Well?

Well, where'd he get them?

Hm.

We passed a diner about
seven or eight miles back.

Can you see him walking
in there in pajamas?

Well, don't tell me
he pitched a tent

and cooked over a campfire.

What about a modern
version of the same,

a house trailer?

Suppose you take that
way, I'll take this way.

Sing out if you find anything.

All right.

You've got to understand,
Mr. Beckmeyer.

My cousin didn't
kill her husband.

I, um...

I don't know what possessed me

to say what I did, I...

I always talk too much.

Most people do.

Uh, that's why I
wanted to talk to you.

Uh, I know who killed Ed.

Well, then I suggest
you go to the police.

It was that secretary.

That Rita Norge.

Where do you suppose
all the money went?

What money?

Well, my Uncle Charles
left Myrna over $280,000.

She has less than $40,000 left.

Now, Ed Davenport
didn't spend all that.

He gave it to that
woman to hold for him.

Over $200,000.

That's a very
interesting theory.

How do you suppose
we can prove it?

We?

Well, you're a
private detective,

you ought to know
about these things.

How do we get the police to...?

To question her?

They already have.

I mean, really question her.

If they could,
uh, be suspicious,

wouldn't that help?

How would it suit you,
Miss Ansell, if, uh...?

If the police found arsenic
in Miss Norge's apartment?

Oh, you mean you would...?

Well, you want
them to question her.

If they found
arsenic, they would.

But wouldn't that be, uh...?

Framing?

Well, that all depends
on how you look at it.

If Miss Norge is guilty,
we've just put the police

on the right track, right?

And then if she's innocent,
why she could easily prove it.

That's right.

Of course, you know,
this kind of operation

runs in to money.

Oh, I don't care what it costs.

Just want to try to
make it up to Myrna.

Uh-huh.

Tell me, Miss Ansell,

where do you get your ideas
about private detectives?

From the movies?

But this was your idea.

That's right.

Now, I've got another one.

I think I'll save
this for the DA.

Perry!

Perry, over here!

Crankcase oil.

Car must have stood
here for some time.

Well?

Nice work, Della.

This is it.

Will the court please rise.

Be seated.

If the court please, I
would like to continue

my cross-examination
of Dr. Renault.

Dr. Renault to
the stand, please.

You were sworn
in yesterday, sir.

You are still under oath.

Dr. Renault,

when was the first time

you were called in to
treat Mr. Davenport?

On Wednesday, around noon.

Who called you in?

The owner of the Vista Motel.

He said one of
his guests was ill.

Are you the only doctor
in the neighborhood?

Yes, sir, I-I live just
around the corner.

Had you ever seen Mr. Davenport

before you were called in?

I-I... I don't understand.

Had he ever consulted
you at your office?

Not that I recall.

I should like you to
remember, doctor,

that you're under oath.

Now, had you ever
seen Mr. Davenport

before you treated
him at the Vista Motel?

I... I may have.

For what purpose?

Well, you ought to know
that the conversation

between a doctor and
a patient is privileged.

Did he tell you then
that he wanted to die,

or rather, that he
wanted to have it appear

that he had died?

I repeat,

the communication
between a doctor

and a patient is privileged.

Very well.

Now, uh, doctor...

will you please tell the court

what medical degree you
hold and from what institution.

Doctor of health medicine,

Jackson State Medical College.

Where is this college located?

Well, uh, it's...

It's no longer in existence.

Was the school accredited
to any medical association?

No.

Dr. Renault,

did you not conspire
with Ed Davenport

to stage his death in
the presence of his wife?

And then wasn't your plan

to accuse her of poisoning him?

I refuse to answer on
the ground it would...

It would tend to incriminate me.

That certainly is your
constitutional right, sir.

However, I'm sure the answers

can be gained
from another source.

That's all, doctor.

If the court please,

I'd like to call Jason
Beckmeyer to the stand.

Paul?

Don't worry, Perry.
My man will be here.

Mr. Beckmeyer.

Raise your right hand.

Do you solemnly swear the
evidence you're about to give

is the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth?

I do. Be seated
and state your name.

Jason Beckmeyer.

Mr. Beckmeyer.

You are a licensed
private investigator?

That's right.

You were employed
in that capacity

by the late Edward Davenport?

I was.

Did he ever ask you to
locate a doctor for him,

who was not a member

of the American
Medical Association?

He did. He, uh...

He wanted me to find a quack

who had an office
near a motor court.

And you found a man who
met those requirements?

Yes, sir.

Dr. Renault.

Did you make the
appointment with Dr. Renault?

No, no, Davenport
took care of that himself.

Would you happen to remember
the date of that meeting?

Yeah, it was, uh, February 7th.

Exactly one week before
Mr. Davenport died?

That's right.

Do you have any idea what
took place at that meeting?

No, sir. No, I, uh...

I stayed in the car.

What other services did
you render Mr. Davenport?

Well, when... When he
wanted a reputable laboratory

to do a food analysis, I...

I put him in touch
with Pacific Labs.

Did you ever act as dummy
for various bank accounts,

so that Davenport
could juggle funds

belonging to his wife?

I didn't know where
he got the money.

But you did allow yourself
to be used for the purpose

of opening several
bank accounts?

Yes, I... I did.

I didn't see anything
wrong in that.

Were you, at any time,
engaged by Davenport

to drive him out of the country?

No, sir.

I have here a statement

from the Department
of Motor Vehicles,

which indicates that
you own a house trailer.

Is that true, Mr. Beckmeyer?

Yes.

Was the late Edward
Davenport ever in that trailer?

No, no, never.

If an expert were to
produce fingerprints,

Davenport's fingerprints,

from the inside of that trailer,

would you swear on your
oath that they were forgeries?

Why... Well, he might
have been in there once. I...

I don't remember for sure.

Mr. Beckmeyer,

isn't it a fact that
Davenport was in your trailer

on the day he died?

Well, no.

Then where did he get
the bacon and eggs?

In that trailer.

That's a lie.

And where did he get the liquor?

None was found in his room.

You gave it to him, did you not?

Generously spiked with arsenic?

Lie... I tell you, you're wrong.

Then answer this, Mr. Beckmeyer:

if you did not kill Davenport,

why did you dig that
grave two days in advance?

I didn't!

What other reason could you have

for buying a shovel from
the Cleary hardware store

on that very same day?

Yeah.

Well, the chump
was askin' for it.

He never got tired of
tellin' me how smart he was.

He was going to disappear

and leave his wife
holdin' the bag.

Everybody would wonder
what happened to the body.

It... It was such a great plan,

I figured with a little help
from me, it'd be perfect.

Guess I was wrong too, huh?

Just a little bit
more to the right.

That's fine.

You know, Paul,

I don't know what
we'd do without you.

Well, don't tell
him that, Della.

He'll send us a
bill in the morning.

Well, you got to admit.

My fees are more
reasonable than Beckmeyer's.

I hear there was almost
200 grand in his trailer.

Two hundred and
ten, to be exact.

You know, the thing that
puzzles me is Uncle Charlie.

Who did him in?

Ed Davenport.

He wanted his wife
to be an heiress.

So he could steal her
blind and then disappear.

Mm-hm.

That's when
Mr. Beckmeyer came in.

He was the guiding
genius of the plot.

You know, I may
not be very smart,

but I still don't see how
you suspected Beckmeyer

in the first place.

That telephone call you
took in Davenport's office.

"Unit 13, Desert
Motel, Bakerstown."

That's right.

That call was
obviously for Rita Norge.

Yeah.

She had over $17,000 belonging
to Davenport, remember?

Mm-hm.

And if Davenport
didn't make the call,

why, then... Then
Beckmeyer must have.

He wanted to get
his hot, little hands

on the money.

So Beckmeyer was responsible
for those blank pages in the letter?

No, no, that was
Davenport's idea.

And a very provocative one.

He certainly made sure
the police would believe

that letter had
been tampered with.

Well, you gotta give
Davenport credit.

He wasn't anybody's fool.

He just never should
have hired Beckmeyer.

What's wrong with
this picture, anyway?

It's Beckmeyer's
influence, Della.

Just a case of a
slightly crooked frame.