All language subtitles for Perry Mason S01E11 The Case of the Crooked Candle.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en.PRMNT

Clayton Beauty Salon.

Oh, yes, Mrs. Gale.

Hair set and manicure?

Well, uh, Laura
will be free at 1:30.

Good.

I'll put you down.

Thank you.

Mrs. Bradford?

Yes, I'm Mrs. Bradford.
Yes, I'm Mrs. Bradford.

Well, there seem
to be two of us.

Which Mrs. Bradford is next?

Mrs. Joseph Bradford.

Then I'm next. Oh, that's me.

Mrs. Joseph Bradford?

Why, yes.

Did you ever hear
of anything like this?

It's a small world, but...

Yes,

I do have the name
down here twice.

I took one off, though,

thinking it must
be a duplication.

Excuse me. You ladies
work this out between you.

Toss a coin or something.

Well, I... I can't get
over the coincidence.

Not that Bradford is such
an unusual name, but...

It is curious, isn't it?

Do you live in Beverly Hills?

Why, yes. On North
Marquette Drive.

Really? This is...

What address on North Marquette?

741.

You couldn't possibly...

I've lived there with my
husband for over a year now.

Look.

I-I even have my key

with my name and
address engraved on it.

Here are the keys
to my boat, Harper.

I want her ready to go by 4.

Here's a list of
supplies I'll need.

You know, Joe, I still
think you ought to go by car.

That's an important deal.

If you're not in San Diego
by Monday morning...

I certainly won't make
it if you keep on yakking.

You're the boss.

How right you are.

Get it, will you?

If it's for me,
I've already gone.

You don't know where.

Yes?

No, this is Jack Harper.

Hold on just a minute.
I'll see if he's still here.

It's your wife.

I'm not here.

Sounds like she's crying.

Look, honey, I'm up
to my ears in work.

Can't you call back later?

Are you sure?

Now, wait a minute.
Don't go all to pieces.

We can discuss
this matter when...

I'm not going into
it on the phone,

and that's final.

All right, all right.

I'll meet you at Crane's
coffee shop at 5:00.

Well, what are you waiting for?

You just told your wife
you'd meet her at 5:00.

Never mind what I told her.

She's your wife, Joe.

That's right, Harper.
She's my wife.

And don't you ever forget it.

Joe.

Joe. Joe?

Where is he, Larry?

Where is he?

You mean, Joe?

Yes.

I don't know.

I've been out in
the field all day.

There was nobody here in
the office when I got back.

I-I waited at the coffee
shop for hours for him,

but he didn't come.

He didn't come, Larry, and
he promised me he would.

I'm afraid to go back home,
she has a key to the house.

Who? Who's "she"?

She told me she's married
to Joe, but she's lying.

I know she's lying.
Martha, stop it.

Stop it.

Come on, come on.
You better sit down.

I'm sorry, I...

I must've sounded hysterical.

But you see,

I ran into this woman
at the beauty parlor.

She claimed she
was married to Joe.

She even has a key to the house.

That's crazy.

I thought so too.

I-I called Joe, and he told me
he'd meet me at Crane's at 5:00.

But he didn't show up.

I've called here any number
of times, but there's no answer.

Wasn't Jack Harper around?

No.

Oh, Larry, what should I do?

I think you should go home
and get a good night's sleep.

You make me feel like I'm
making a big fuss over nothing.

I don't think that at all.

In fact, if Joe doesn't
show up by morning,

I figure you ought
to see a lawyer.

A lawyer?

If there's any truth in this
woman's claims, you'll need one.

That's ridiculous.

Joe has his faults, but I'm
sure bigamy isn't one of them.

I can dream, can't I?

You always say the
right thing, don't you.

I'm much better now,
would you take me home?

Who's there?

Joe? Is that you?

Then I found mud
tracks of a woman's shoe

across the entry hall.

Mr. Mason, I've got
to find my husband.

I must speak to him.

I can't endure this
uncertainty any longer.

What's his office number?

Elwood 34271.

But he isn't there, I've
already called this morning.

Who's his second in command?

Jack Harper.

Mr. Bradford, please.

Then let me speak to Mr. Harper.

My name is Mason,

Perry Mason.

Oh, yes. What can I do for you?

Mrs. Bradford's
attorney? Since when?

This morning.

It's very important I
get in touch with him.

Can you tell me
where to reach him?

Why, uh, yes.

He drove up to
Skinner Hills yesterday.

That's about 10
miles north of Fillmore.

Skinner Hills? Thank you.

We'll drive up there.

What's the idea?

Oh.

Excuse me. I
make little mistake.

That thing loaded?

Sure. But you
don't got to worry.

I think you're somebody else.

Excuse me. I am
Nikolides. Who are you?

My name is Mason.

Can you tell me where I
can find Mr. Joseph Bradford?

Joe Bradford? You
crazy or something?

No, I just want to
see Mr. Bradford.

Mm. That Bradford.

He come here,
Nikolides shoot him dead.

Mind if we look around a little?

What's the matter?
You think I lie?

Now, take it easy.

All right. Come on. I think
you better go home now.

Hey.

Hey, where do you think
you're pointing that gun, you fool?

Martha, what are you doing here?

Jack Harper told us Joe
drove up here yesterday.

Harper knows better than that.

Joe wouldn't come
near this place.

You bet he don't come near here.

Nikolides see to that. Personal.

Hey, Nick, I thought
I saw a stray lamb

over in the arroyo.

Oh? Which way?

Oh, back there about a mile.

Excuse me. I'll go take care.

He won't bother you anymore.

Larry, this is Mr. Mason.

Mr. Sands is the
friend I told you about.

He works for my
husband as a surveyor.

I know your
reputation, Mr. Mason.

I'm glad Martha took my advice.

Tell me, Mr. Sands,

what does this Nikolides
have against Bradford?

Uh, this was all his property.

Bradford bought it for a song.

Then we struck
oil back in the hills.

When we start
pumping next month,

he's gonna have to move
his sheep out of here.

Of course, Jack
Harper knew all this.

Naturally.

Thanks.

Why did you send us
on that wild-goose chase

to Skinner Hill?

Funny, Mr. Harper?

Only in a gruesome sort of way.

Did you, uh, run into Nikolides?

That wasn't funny either.

Now, why did you tell me
Bradford went out there?

Because those
were my instructions.

He's got a big deal
cooking in San Diego

and didn't want anyone to
know where he was headed.

You realize his
wife is worried sick?

Why?

It seems there's another
Mrs. Bradford on the horizon.

You mean, Joe and Martha
might not be legally married?

That's right.

Why didn't you say
that in the first place?

I didn't know you cared.

What kind of a crack is that?

Where can I find Bradford?

You can't.

He left yesterday for San
Diego on the Mary Belle.

Is that the name of a boat?

It is.

Where does he keep her?

At a place called La
Cuesta in the harbor basin.

You folks aimin'
to do a little fishin'?

If you are, well,

Captain Noble here is your man.

Ever hear of a boat named
the Mary Belle, captain?

Oh, sure. That
belongs to Mr. Bradford.

She's hangin' out
there in the basin.

You can't see it from here.

Could you take us out there?

Oh, that I can,
mate. That I can.

Come right this way.

Get in.

Now, don't be shy, miss.

I know every shoal
in this channel.

Now, sit down.

Cut that line.

Ahoy, Mary Belle.

Anybody aboard?

Duck your head.

Think it's Bradford?

Judging from his
wife's description.

Notice anything
special about that?

The candle?

It's crooked.

It didn't burn crooked.

Knocked over in a scuffle?

I don't know, Della.

Only one thing I'm sure of.

We better phone the police.

Dead?

Murdered, to be exact.

No.

I don't believe
it. It's not true.

You know better.

You were on that
boat last night.

What'd you say?

I was only giving you a
sample of the kind of talk

you'll get from the police.

They'll arrive any moment.

That woman,

the one who claimed
to be his legal wife,

you said she was
here last night?

I thought she was.

What time was this?

Oh, somewhere...

I'll get it.

Well, hello, lieutenant.

What's the big idea, Mason?

You know better than to
leave the scene of a crime

before the police arrive.

I had to come
ashore to phone you.

Offer your services
to the widow?

Mrs. Bradford?

Yes.

I'm Lieutenant Tragg, homicide.

We're investigating a murder.

Murder, lieutenant? Has
there been an inquest?

In such a short
time? Don't be funny.

Surely you have something
to back your theory.

What about the autopsy?

I don't need an
autopsy to tag this one.

It screams murder.

When it stops screaming
and starts following

the rules of evidence,
I'll start listening.

My, we're very
legal this morning.

I'm sure you're as
anxious as we are

to clear up the mystery

of your husband's death.

Of course.

Then you won't mind
coming down to headquarters

and making a
voluntary statement.

I'll meet you there
in exactly one hour.

If you hold her any longer...

Yes, I know, I know.

Yes, I'll be asking for trouble.

Good afternoon.

Did you locate the
other Mrs. Bradford?

Uh, no, not yet,

but she's definitely
not a mirage.

"Bradford, Mrs. Joseph.

"maiden name, Rita Wassell.

"married, Lake
Charles, Louisiana, 1945,

divorced, Calexico, 1948."

That's good news for our client.

It is, if that divorce holds up.

Here's a picture of her.

Ran in the local society
section just before the divorce.

Not bad.

That's the
understatement of the year.

Oh, I turned on the charm

and talked to
Bradford's secretary.

It appears the boss and his
wife don't get along too well.

Gossip.

Could be.

This Rita Bradford
fascinates me.

Imagine. Going
to the current wife

and making all
these wild claims.

Why?

If we knew that, we'd
be halfway home.

Yes, Gertie?

Mrs. Bradford?

Tell her I'll see
her in a moment.

Have her wait in
Della's office, will you?

Thanks.

Okay?

Well, don't I get to
meet the femme fatale?

On your way, boy.

Mrs. Bradford?

Yes.

Come in, please.

I'm sorry to have
kept you waiting.

This is my secretary,
Miss Street.

How do you do?

Won't you sit down?

Mrs. Bradford, I've been trying
every way possible to find you,

and here you walk
right into my office.

I couldn't be more surprised.

Surprised, Mr. Mason?

Then how do you
account for this?

Who told them you
were representing me?

I'm representing the
present Mrs. Bradford.

I am the present Mrs. Bradford.

When was the last time
you saw your husband?

Last night.

Where?

Aboard his boat, the Mary Belle.

Get Burger. Mr. Mason,

don't you think you better
hear the rest of my story?

Yes, I do, but for
your own protection,

I suggest you tell the
district attorney first.

The boat gave a lurch

as I started down
the companionway,

and I had to stop a
minute to get my balance.

I called to him again,

and I thought I heard him groan.

That's when I saw his face.

You saw his face?

Yes.

He was slumped against the door

at the front of the cabin.

According to your statement,

and in our subsequent
photographs,

the body was lying facedown

with its head toward
the companionway.

That's not true.

So you just told us.

Well, if you don't believe me,

there's no point in my going on.

I don't think there is, Mrs.
Bradford, for the moment.

I'll see you to the elevator.

I'll be right back.

I don't understand, Mr. Mason.

Why wouldn't he believe me?

Well, he's naturally skeptical.

With murder, you have to be.

Where can I reach you?

I'm staying at the
Monica Wilshire

under my maiden
name, Rita Wassell.

I don't want to move back
to the house now that...

Mr. Mason, I feel so lost.

I don't know where
to go, what to do.

I'll be in touch with you.

Please, don't forget.

Well, I did my best, Hamilton.

Now, when are you gonna
release Martha Bradford?

I'm sorry, Perry, we're
not gonna release her.

You haven't one shred
of evidence against her.

My client wasn't even
aboard the Mary Belle.

Is that what she told you?

What's that?

Exhibit A.

Shoe with blood traces,
property of your client.

It's Bradford's blood type too.

In short, we're holding
Martha Bradford for murder.

So, what do you want
to eat, Mr. Mason?

No thanks.

Is good.

I'll take your word for it.

Now, what about the Mary Belle?

Funny you should ask that.

Hey, what are you
guys sitting around for?

You got no work to do?

What do I pay you for, eh?

Eh.

Got to watch them
every second, Mr. Mason.

Besides, it's better
we got no witnesses.

Know what I like
about you, Nikolides?

Sure. I'm peasant.

Eat big. I eat big. Eh?

You're no more a peasant
than I am, it's just an act.

That gun you pretended
you were going to use,

all those threats, no,
you're a pretty good actor.

You understand my character.

We can do business.

Can we?

Sure.

What if I tell you I was on
Joe Bradford's boat last night.

That makes three so far.

Mm-hm.

What if I tell you Jack
Harper is there too.

Getting quite crowded.

Is a fact. Harper
and Bradford, a fight.

About what?

Mrs. Bradford.

So Harper kill
husband, marry widow.

Make sense?

Where do you fit into all this?

I don't fit. You fit.

Oh?

Bradford steal
oil rights from me.

You prove contract
we make no good.

How do I prove that?

"What one lawyer gives,
other lawyer can take away."

Old Greek proverb.

And, uh, in return?

I fix up alibi for your client.

I say I see Harper
kill Bradford.

Won't work.

We need a tougher suspect.

One who hates everybody.

Mm, is good idea.

Who you got in mind?

You.

Hey, what's the matter,
you crazy or something?

Hey, Mr. Mason,
I make a big joke.

I-I don't mean
nothing. Mister...

How do you like that?

All them brains, and no talent.

Ah!

Junior, come on. Ah, let go.

Good boy.

Who's there?

What are you doing here, Larry?

What's the idea?

I asked you a question.

I just came to look around,

see if there was something
to find that would help Martha.

Great time to play detective.

The police have
been through here

with a fine-tooth comb.

What about you?

I just came to get
some of my gear.

Oh, yes, I forgot,

you were always the
perennial weekend visitor.

Sore because you
were never invited?

Look, Harper, don't
us waste time fighting.

There must be something
we can do for Martha.

Don't you realize she
may go to the gas chamber

for something she didn't do?

Of course I realize it.

Think it's easy for me?

Oh, I know you're
very fond of her,

and she thinks the world of you,

but it's a great deal
more than that with us.

Has been for some time.

You and Martha?

Couldn't you tell?

No, you covered it up very well.

Suddenly something
makes a lot of sense to me.

Where were you when
Joe was murdered?

I could say it's none
of your business,

but if you wanna get technical,

I put supplies in the boat
and headed back for town.

Used my credit card to
buy gas at Benson Beach

and was miles away when
Joe Bradford was murdered.

When you rig an alibi,
you really rig it, don't you?

As long as we're
pointing fingers,

where's your alibi?

That's right, I don't have one.

Just one other
thing, though, Harper.

Does Martha still want you?

We still want each other.
More than anything else.

I'm ready.

I'm not. I can't
think of a thing.

Think a night's
sleep might help?

Hm? Won't hurt.

What about you?

Oh, I just have a
few pages to type up,

it shouldn't take me
over ten or 15 minutes.

All right. See you
in the morning.

Oh, Mr. Mason.

I was afraid I might miss you.

You didn't.

I've got to talk to you.

It's getting pretty
late, Mr. Sands.

Couldn't it wait till
tomorrow morning?

I don't think so.

You see, I killed Joe Bradford.

Now, you still wanna
wait till tomorrow morning?

That's very interesting.

You killed Joseph
Bradford at 11:00 at night?

It could have been a
little closer to midnight.

The man outweighed
you 50 pounds,

but he never lifted a
finger to try to stop you?

He didn't have a chance.

Before he could move,
I hit him with a rock

I picked up on the beach.

Go on.

Well, he fell against
the table and went down.

That's when the
lamp chimney broke.

What lamp chimney?

Well, the one that
held the candle.

It must have been
about... Oh, about so long.

The base was made of
brass, I think. Must've...

Never mind about that.
Tell me about the candle.

Well, it went out when
the lamp chimney broke,

and then I relit it.

Did you notice anything peculiar

about the way the candle
was set into the base?

No.

It wasn't crooked?

Uh, well, now
that I think of it...

It was.

Yes.

Very interesting.

You were never
anywhere near that boat.

Wait a minute.

In the first place, Joseph
Bradford was murdered

about 5:00 in the
afternoon, not 11 at night.

And in the second place,

the murder weapon
was not a rock.

I-I just made a mistake.

You made several mistakes.

You can go, Mr. Sands.
Thank you, very much.

Get me Perry Mason.

You were the police
officer in charge

of the scene of this
homicide, Lieutenant Tragg?

Yes, I was.

Would you tell us,
please, in your own words

what you saw when
you examined the cabin

of the yacht Mary Belle?

Well, the body of
Joseph Bradford

was lying facedown

on the starboard
side of the cabin,

with the head toward
the companionway.

And he'd been hit
once on top of the head.

I show you now
this small fire ax,

and I ask if you can
identify it for us, please.

Yes.

That was affixed to the bulkhead
of the cabin of the Mary Belle.

It was checked out by
the police laboratory? Yes.

There were traces of
the victim's hair and blood

adhering to the flat side.

I ask that this be
marked exhibit one

and entered in evidence
as the murder weapon.

Were there any
fingerprints, lieutenant?

No identifiable
prints, Your Honor.

I now show you this object,

and I ask if you
can identify it.

Yes, that's the
candle that was used

to light the cabin on
the night of the murder.

It was found to bear
certain fingerprints?

The only fingerprints on it
were those of the defendant,

Martha Bradford.

Is there any possible
explanation for those prints

except that the defendant
was actually on that boat?

Your Honor.

My client has been
aboard her husband's boat

on numerous occasions.

Her fingerprints are
undoubtedly all over it.

But that doesn't
prove she was there

the night of the murder.

Does the prosecution intend
to develop this any further?

Not at this time, Your Honor.

Then we'll set this exhibit
aside for the time being.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Uh, may I?

Your Honor?

Lieutenant Tragg...

would you say that
that candle is crooked,

or rather, that it is
leaning at an acute angle?

Obviously.

Was it in the same condition

when you found it
aboard the Mary Belle?

As far as I can tell.

Now, look at it closely.

You will see that the candle

has been deliberately
set in wax at that angle.

That's right.

Now examine the wick.

Would you say it
has burned evenly?

Yes.

Lieutenant Tragg,
you've stated that

the fingerprints on
that candle prove

that the defendant
and no one else

could have handled it?

Oh, someone else may
have handled it previously

wearing gloves.

However, it still follows
that the defendant

must have placed the candle

in the holder in this manner?

Undoubtedly.

Thank you, lieutenant.

That is all.

Your name is Rita Bradford?

Yes.

Would you speak a
little louder, please?

I realize this is a
great strain for you.

I'll try to be as
brief as possible.

Thank you.

When did you first meet
the defendant, Mrs. Bradford?

At the Clayton Beauty Shop.

There... There
seemed to be a mix-up

because of our
having the same name.

There was actually more to it

than just the similarity
of names, wasn't there?

Well, it seemed that we
were married to the same man.

In short, one of
you was either lying

or seriously deluded.

Yes.

You now realize, don't you,

that Mr. Bradford divorced
you over a year ago.

I realize that now. Yes.

Why didn't you realize it then?

Because I had no
memory of what happened

during that period.

Well, what was your last memory

before the encounter
with the other Mrs. Bradford

in the beauty shop?

I, uh... I'd had an
argument with my husband.

I told him I was
leaving him for good.

And then I...

I remember getting
on a train for New York,

but that's all I do remember.

I don't know where
or when I got off.

But that's over two
years ago, Mrs. Bradford.

Don't you have any
recollection to cover all that time?

Absolutely none.

The first thing I
can recall after that

was finding myself
on Wilshire Boulevard,

Beverly Hills.

You mean on the
14th day of this month?

Yes.

I-I can't even say it
was like a bad dream.

It wasn't.

I just kept thinking, "What
do I want to do today?"

And then the ridiculous thought,
"I... I must have my hair set."

So you went to the
beauty shop? Yes.

And what did you do after
you met the new Mrs. Bradford

at the beauty shop?

Well, naturally, I
was terribly upset.

I didn't know what to do.

And then I realized
the logical thing to do

would be to call my
husband at his office.

And?

I did, but he had left.

You see, I was
afraid to go home.

She had a key.

You subsequently
changed your mind

on that subject, didn't you?

Yes, I did.

Would you please
tell us what happened?

Well, the house was
dark when I arrived.

I, uh... I unlocked the
front door and went in.

Go on.

And then I heard the
defendant's voice call out,

"Joe, is that you?"

And then she came down
the stairs to the landing...

and I could see she
was holding a revolver.

In other words, if it
had been Mr. Bradford,

she would have met
him with a revolver?

Your Honor, I object to
this unwarranted conclusion.

I'll withdraw the last
question, Your Honor.

I believe the
conclusion is obvious.

What happened next?

She dressed and left the house.

What time was this? Oh...

about 10, a little after.

And then...

Then I remembered
about Joe's boat,

the Mary Belle.

You went out there?

He was dead when I arrived.

Thank you.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Mrs. Bradford, do you
recall a statement you made

in the district attorney's
office in the presence

of Mr. Burger and myself?

What was that, Mr. Mason?

You said, I believe,

that you were aboard
the Mary Belle at 11:00

on the night of the murder? Yes.

Did you see Mr. Bradford?

He was dead.

Slumped against the door
at the front of the cabin.

Then the body was
not lying facedown?

No, it was not.

Thank you, Mrs.
Bradford. That's all.

You may step down, please.

Your Honor, at this time

I had intended to
call George Nikolides,

whose testimony I
feel is vital to my case.

However, Mr. Nikolides has
mysteriously disappeared.

Do you think you
could have him here

by 10:00 tomorrow morning?

I can certainly try, Your Honor.

Very well.

This court stands adjourned
till 10:00 tomorrow morning.

And how's our friend?

He looks relaxed enough.

Why don't we follow
his example? Here.

Duck. Ooh.

Thank you.

Well. Not yet.

You all right? Yeah.

My watch must have
stopped. What time is it?

3:30.

Look.

Excuse me.

Now, Mr. Harper, you're
on record as saying

that you prepared the
Mary Belle for sailing

and met Mr. Bradford
there at 3:30

on the afternoon of the murder?

Is that correct? That's correct.

I show you two invoices
on the marine supply store.

Do these cover what you
purchased and put onboard?

Yes.

I notice an item on this one:

"one hurricane lamp."

Would you explain
that item, please?

Well, Joe was going to
sail down to San Diego.

We discovered there was a
short in the electrical system.

I tried to argue
Joe out of going,

but he seemed to feel he
could make it under sail.

You mean, the
engine didn't work?

No, sir. Neither did the lights.

That's why I had to rush back

and buy the candles
and the, uh, lamp.

Had candles ever been
used on the boat before?

Not that I know of.

Then Martha
Bradford's fingerprints

could not have been
on the candle in evidence

unless she was on
board the Mary Belle

the night of the murder.

Objection!

Counsel is leading the witness.

Your Honor, I submit
this as a hostile witness.

I have a right to ask
leading questions.

Would you describe yourself

as a hostile
witness, Mr. Harper?

I'm not sure I know
what that means.

Did you come here
against your will,

merely to satisfy your
legal obligation to appear?

Yes, that's correct.

Then you may continue
on that basis, Mr. Burger,

but with due caution.

Thank you, Your Honor.

One more question, Mr. Harper.

Were you on terms of affection

with the defendant,
Martha Bradford?

Do I have to answer that?

Unless you feel it would
tend to incriminate you.

I have the greatest
affection and respect for her.

Mm-hm. Does she
reciprocate those feelings?

I can't answer for her.

Well, isn't it true
that her husband

exhibited jealousy of you
on a number of occasions?

Well, he, uh...

He was jealous by nature.

His fears were groundless.

Apparently all his fears
weren't groundless.

He was murdered.

Isn't it a fact that
Martha Bradford

wanted to get rid of
him in order to marry you,

and that his death
was the only way

this could be accomplished?

You're twisting the facts to
make them mean something else.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Thank you.

Mr. Harper,

did you ever urge
Martha Bradford

to seek a divorce?

I did.

Joe was constantly
mistreating her.

What was, uh, her
reaction to your advice?

Well, she said that
she'd made a bargain,

and she was
going to stick to it.

Now, Mr. Harper,
did Martha Bradford

ever intimate to you in any way

that she would marry you

in the event of her
husband's death?

Of course not.

I believe you testified
that you bought

a dozen candles like
this for Mr. Bradford

and brought them to his boat.

Yes, that's right. I, uh,
took a couple out of the box,

put one in the lamp,
and the rest in the drawer.

The one you put in this lamp,

was it straight?

Yes, naturally.

Then wouldn't you say
that your fingerprints,

as well as those
of the defendant,

should have been on this candle?

Yeah, I suppose so.

Thank you, Mr. Harper.
I believe that's all.

You are an expert

on tides and navigation,
Captain Noble?

Well, since I swore
to tell the truth,

I gotta admit I know
more about these waters

than anybody.

And where were you on
the morning of the 15th

around 2:00, the
morning after the murder?

Well, where I always am.
Lookin' out at that ocean.

Course this might
sound silly to you,

but to me, ah,

that's the most beautiful
sight in the whole world.

As I see it, you know, a man,
he can always lose some sleep

to look out there on that water

and see those beautiful
sailing ships, just...

Of course. Now, um,
speaking of sailing,

did you see the Mary
Belle that morning?

Well, heavens, of
course. She was grounded.

That always happens at low tide.

That old channel ain't
been dredged in weeks.

If I told them fellas
once... Uh, captain,

when you say she was grounded,

do you mean she had
settled evenly in the mud?

Oh, no, course not. Course not.

Mary Belle's got a keel.

She couldn't settle evenly.

No, she was listing
heavily to starboard.

Well, how much of a list
would you say there was

on that particular morning?

Mm. About 18, 20 degrees.

I see.

Uh, with Your
Honor's permission,

I should like to ask the witness

to step down to the
prosecutor's table

so that he might examine
this model more clearly.

Very well, Mr. Mason.

Thank you.

May I?

Of course.

Captain?

Now, captain,
you were testifying

about the Mary
Belle being grounded.

In other words, as
the water receded,

she tilted in this
manner 18 or 20 degrees.

Is that correct?

Aye.

Now, if the body were
leaning against here,

what would happen as she listed?

Well, you'd wind up
on the starboard side.

Like this?

Sure. With an 18-degree list,

you couldn't keep from rollin'.

Now, my client's fingerprints
were found on this candle,

so we must assume that
the district attorney is right

when he maintained
that Martha Bradford

had handled it on the
night of the murder,

and that she was
aboard the Mary Belle.

Aye.

The question is,
when was she aboard?

The prosecution
contends she was there

around 5:00 in the evening,

the time established
for Bradford's murder.

Well, you couldn't
prove that by me.

No, perhaps I can, captain.

Now, how much would
you say this candle is tilted?

Oh, about 18 degrees.

About the same amount
the Mary Belle was tilted

at low tide?

Aye.

From your experience
with sailing craft,

could you give us any
reason for someone lighting

and extinguishing a
candle in this position?

Well, I would say that
whoever lit that candle

set it up crooked,
and then put it out.

And he did it while the
vessel was listing at low tide.

That's the only way they
could get her to burn straight.

When was low tide
on that particular day?

Uh, the first low tide was
at 1:17 in the morning.

More than eight
hours after the murder.

Now, can you imagine
anyone being cooped up

in a small cabin with a corpse
for more than eight hours?

Does that make sense to you?

Oh, come now, Mason.

You're not going to ask
this court to believe that

the captain is also an expert
on abnormal psychology.

Mr. Burger, this hardly calls
for an expert psychologist.

Common sense can
give us the answer.

However, I'll
withdraw the question.

Uh, thank you,
captain. That's all.

You're excused, captain.

Mr. Sands...

were you ever aboard
Bradford's yacht?

Just once.

That was the night you
talked with Jack Harper,

the night you came to my office?

Yes, sir. That's right.

What was the subject
of your conversation

with Mr. Harper?

Well, uh...

Martha.

How to clear her of the murder.

Did Mr. Harper offer
any suggestions?

No.

So you decided to confess

to protect the woman you love?

Yes, but...

it didn't work out that way.

Why?

Because I made several mistakes.

You see, all that had been
released to the newspapers

was that Bradford had been
killed by a blow on the head.

So when Mr. Burger started
pressing me for details,

I ran into a little trouble.

Isn't that exactly
what you'd planned?

I'm afraid I don't understand.

When you talked to
Jack Harper that night,

you learned two things:
One, he had an alibi.

Two, Martha Bradford
was in love with him.

As a matter of fact, she
admitted as much to you

when you saw her at the jail.

She admitted a lot more.

Yes, she did.

That was why you thought
up that phony confession.

It made Mrs. Bradford
look even more guilty.

That wasn't my fault.

Didn't you volunteer that
you lit that candle yourself

and placed it in
the hurricane lamp?

That proves I was
trying to help her.

I had no way of knowing
the candle was crooked.

Mr. Sands, you had no way
of knowing there was a candle,

crooked or otherwise.

What?

That information was
never released to the press

or anyone else.

Mr. Harper testified he
brought those candles aboard

the afternoon of the murder.

But you knew all
about them. Now, how?

I-it was just a guess.

And your description
of the hurricane lamp?

Was that just a guess too?

Would you have us
believe that you gave

a perfect description
of that lamp

without ever having seen it?

Well, it was like this...

Like what, Mr. Sands?

Well, I...

Go on, tell us, Mr. Sands.

Tell us how you went
out to the Mary Belle.

Tell us about your
quarrel with Joe Bradford

over the defendant.

Tell us how you grabbed
the fire ax and hit him.

Hit him in such a manner

that he slumped down against
the forward compartment.

Go on, Mr. Sands, tell us!

All right.

All right, Mr. Mason.

I killed him.

But I did it because
I love Martha.

I...

Oh, it's a laugh.

It's... It's funny.

I loved Martha, and
she loved Harper.

You know... You
know, that's... That's...

That's one of the
funniest things ever. I...

I know, Mrs. Bradford,

but couldn't you
come in tonight?

Well, if you're not leaving
town until Thursday...

All right, I'll tell him.

She's putting your
check in the mail.

But she won't come in to see me.

Mm-mm.

Too bad.

I had a 30-minute
lecture all prepared

on the evils of
lying to your lawyer.

I think that's what
she was afraid of.

You know, you expect
opposition from the district attorney.

But a good part of the time,

you own clients are
throwing up the roadblocks.

Oh, in a way, you
can't blame her, Perry.

She was panicky.

She felt she didn't dare admit
she was on the Mary Belle.

I know, but...

Must be Paul.

What's he doing
around here at this hour?

Well, will you look?

I can't. Get my sunglasses.

Perry.

Perry, I gotta make this fast.

I forgot to cash a check.
Could you let me have 50?

Sure. Uh...

You better make it 75.

Who's the lucky girl?

Uh, Rita Bradford.

I mean, Rita Wassell.
The divorce held up.

Well, she came to my office

to consult me
professionally this afternoon.

After all, it's a
year and a half

in her life she wants
to find out about.

And if you can't help
her recapture her past?

Well, the, uh...

least I can do is
brighten up her future.

Thank you.