All language subtitles for Perry.Mason.130.The.Case.Of.The.Screaming.Woman.(Dvdrip)

Who could be here at this hour?

It's bolted.

Open up.

Open up, I say!

Leona, see if you
can find Harvey.

Ask him to bring a crowbar.

Yes, Dr. Barnes.

Mrs. Davis.

Good evening, Dr. Barnes.

Or should I say good morning?

It's gone.

You'll be good enough to
return that book, Mrs. Davis...

Or else you'll call the
police? Now, listen to me...

Yes, Doctor. You were saying?

You'll pardon me for
seeming melodramatic,

but I have a great horror
of being manhandled.

Now, shall we discuss the
situation like civilized human beings?

You call yourself a human being?

Oh, please, Miss Walsh.

Now, the situation
as I see it is this.

I have something
you want. A book.

And you have something I want.

A baby.

I suggest we trade.

Do you think I'd entrust
a baby to your care?

Your action here proves
that you're mentally unstable.

You need psychiatric
help... Shut up!

How dare you
speak to me like that!

Now, my husband thinks I'm
going to have a child. His child.

So do thousands of other
people throughout the country.

I've told them all about it
in my newspaper column.

The fact that you've deceived
your husband as well as your readers

is no fault of mine.

Who are you to point fingers?

If you ruin my life,

I'll ruin the lives of
every person in this book.

Now, think it over.

Just a minute, Mrs. Davis.

You have my address. If
you want to talk business,

I'll be free at 10:00
tomorrow morning.

Remember that, Doctor.
- 00 precisely,

because that's when I
begin dictating my column.

Unless you want this to be the
lead story, you'll be there promptly.

Good night, Miss Walsh. It
was so nice seeing you again.

Would you like to dictate
your column now, Mrs. Davis?

It's only 9:47.
We'll begin at 10:00.

You making coffee?

Yes, it'll be ready
in just a few minutes.

See who that is.

I'd like to see Mary
K. Davis, please.

Come in, Miss Walsh.

Where is the good doctor?

He had to go out
on an emergency.

And he sent you as his
ambassador. How nice.

Won't you sit
down? No, thank you.

This is my secretary,
Miss Connie Cooper.

How do you do? If
you'll excuse me...

Stay right where
you are, Connie.

I think this will interest you.

You can speak
freely, Miss Walsh.

Mrs. Davis, I'm pleading
with you to return that book.

I'm not asking for
myself or Dr. Barnes.

We knew what we were doing.

But the lives and happiness of
many innocent people are at stake.

That's very pretty, Miss Walsh.

But I'm interested
in only one thing.

Will Dr. Barnes turn
over a baby to me?

He can't. Why can't he?

I can give a child
everything. Money, position.

You know who my husband is?

Yes, I know. He's Ralph
Davis of the State Department.

Well, here's something
you probably don't know.

My husband wants a divorce.

Right now, he thinks
I'm carrying his child.

That's the only thing
that's stopping him.

I'm sorry.

I don't want your sympathy.

I want to know if Dr. Barnes
is prepared to trade.

Mrs. Davis, I beg you.

Please return that book.

There's no use appealing to
my better nature, Miss Walsh.

I don't have one.

I gave Dr. Barnes until 10:00
this morning to make up his mind.

I'll give him 24 hours more.

24 hours. That's all!

Goodbye, Miss Cooper.

Connie...

You told them all about
me, didn't you, Connie?

Yes.

Yes, I told them I didn't think
you were fit to care for a child.

How do you think your
boyfriend Bob Shroeder will feel

when I tell the world
what his mother was?

Because I know
what she was, Connie,

and believe me, it's
nothing to be proud of.

Mrs. Davis, if you dare to
print one word about that, I'll...

Yes?

I'll tell your husband
everything. I swear I will.

Go ahead. He's
in Washington, DC.

Call Washington and tell him.

Or better still,
call his girlfriend,

Susan Marshall,
right here in town.

I think she has a
private pipeline to him.

Call her and tell her
that there's no baby.

She'd love to tell Ralph.

Go ahead, tell her!

It's all your fault.

I was so frightened, I
didn't know what to do.

And then I thought, I'd come
in to see you, Miss Marshall.

But why me?

Well, I know how you and
Mr. Davis feel about each other

and I thought if you
would just talk with him...

But don't you understand?
His wife means it.

She'll print that
story in her column.

She doesn't care who she hurts.

I'm terribly sorry, Connie.

There's nothing I can do.

I wish there were.

Well, thank you for seeing me.

I'm... I'm sorry if
I was any trouble.

That was no trouble at all.

Goodbye. Goodbye.

You can come out now.

Leave it to Mary K.

That's the woman you
wanted me to go back to.

You have to, Ralph.

Do you realize
what you're saying?

Do you think I
want to give you up?

You're not making sense!

We can't let her hurt all
those innocent people.

Listen to me, Susan. I love you.

No, please, Ralph.

I went back to Mary K. five months
ago because you asked me to.

But what does it take to convince
you that she's impossible?

She lied to me. She told me
she was going to have a child.

Well, now I've got my out.

Oh, no, darling,
that isn't the point.

She'll publish the
contents of that book.

Could you stand by
and let her do that?

The Ralph Davis
I know, couldn't.

Dr. Barnes is right.

She is insane.

She isn't fit to have a child.

She isn't even fit to live.

I think you were perfectly right
in coming to me, Miss Cooper.

I can't imagine what possessed
Mary K. to do a thing like that.

I'll have to have a talk
with my favorite client.

Oh, excuse me.

Yes?

Well, I can't see him right now.

Well, all right, I'll come out.

If you two would be good enough
to excuse me for a few minutes,

I'll be right back.

I don't trust the man, Connie.

But he's Mary K.'s lawyer.

All the more reason.

Look, the most important thing
was to keep this whole business quiet.

Now everybody knows about it.

Well, I just can't seem
to do anything right.

Oh, look, I didn't
mean it that way.

You... You were
only trying to help.

No, I know, but look what a
mess I've made out of everything.

Oh, I beg your pardon.

Have I interrupted something?

Mr. Jarech, Connie and I have
just been talking things over,

and we've decided...

And apparently
you've convinced her

that coming here was a mistake.

Let me tell you
something, Mr. Shroeder.

This was the wisest
thing you could've done.

Come on, Connie.

Leave everything to me.

Miss Kelly,

will you call Mary K. Davis

and ask her if she can
have cocktails with me

at 6:00 at The Mudlark?

So my favorite client isn't satisfied
with just slander and libel suits.

Now she's stealing books.

Where is it, Mary K.?

Really, Arthur, I'm beginning
to think that you lured me here

under false pretences.

I think you're more interested
in that book than you are in me.

I don't know where
you get your ideas.

I told you Dr. Barnes
agreed to meet us here.

You told me a lot of
things in the last five years.

Any resemblance to the
truth is purely accidental.

Are you questioning my honesty?

If I didn't question
your honesty,

you wouldn't be my lawyer.

You're wasting
your time, Arthur.

You can indulge in any little
blackmail you want to on the side,

but not with that book.

It's buying my
husband back for me.

Well, at least you will
have dinner with me?

Why not? Don't get up.

Just going to the powder room.

Oh, I wonder if you
could do me a favor, dear.

I need to have a pen and ink
and a special-delivery stamp

and an envelope that's
big enough to mail this.

I'm sure I can get them
from the cashier. Thank you.

Oh, that's perfect.

I've ruined it.

Think you could get me another?

Yes, I'm sure I can.

Perry Mason, please.

I'm afraid my name wouldn't
mean anything to him.

It's Leona Walsh.

Well, I'm sorry,
Mr. Mason's busy right now.

Could I help you? I'm
his secretary, Della Street.

Would it be possible for
Mr. Mason to see me tonight?

I could be at your
office in... in 20 minutes.

Would you mind
telling me what it is?

Oh, I couldn't possibly
go into it on the phone.

But believe me, Miss Street,

the lives and happiness of
dozens of children are involved.

All right, Miss Walsh.

Mr. Mason will see you at 7:00.

Well, Miss Walsh...

Tell me about this book.

Dr. Barnes kept it as
a record of his patients.

There must be
more to it than that.

A certain type of patient.

Women who wanted children
and couldn't legally adopt them

and women who
had children and...

And weren't married.

How did it work?

Well, you know adoption agencies

ask all sorts of
impossible requirements.

Those requirements are designed

for the protection
of the children.

Are people less fit to bring up
children because they're, well, old?

I know many families
who'd love to have a baby.

They'd give it all the
affection and care in the world,

and nothing can
be done for them.

I take it your Dr. Barnes

set out to remedy this
situation single-handedly.

Yes, he did. He
has his own hospital.

He'd have the expectant
mother come there

and be confined under the
name of the married woman

who wanted the child.

Then when the baby was born, a
regular birth certificate would be issued.

I just don't believe it.

The whole idea is insane.

Well, it may be insane,
Mr. Mason, but it worked.

And it's been working
for many years.

How much did Dr. Barnes
charge for these services?

Not a penny.

He just wanted to make sure
that these unfortunate children

would have a chance in life.

He's a great man, Mr. Mason.

He never hurt anyone.

Who stole this book?

A woman named Mary K. Davis.

The columnist?

Can you get it back for me?

I can't give you any
guarantee, Miss Walsh.

Surely you don't expect me to
go out and steal it back, do you?

I've tried that already.

I went to her apartment.

It isn't there.

Well, can you think
of anything better?

Well, suppose, uh...

Suppose I have a
talk with Mary K...

Talk, talk, talk. Don't
you understand?

With a woman like that,
words mean nothing.

Just the same, I think...

I made a mistake.

I shouldn't have come.

Miss Walsh, wait.

Miss Walsh!

See if you can get a
listing on Mary K. Davis.

Ever hear of the
Seaside Hospital?

No. Down near Vernon Beach,
run by a Dr. George Barnes.

Check it out for
me, will you? Sure.

Here it is. "Mary K. Davis."

On Claymore. "Norcross 4211."

Yes?

May I speak to Mary
K. Davis, please?

Who's calling? Perry Mason.

Not the Perry Mason?

Who is this?

Lieutenant Tragg.

I'm afraid you can't
talk to Mary K. Davis.

Did you talk to Dr. Barnes?

Yes, he claims he hasn't seen
Leona Walsh since early this afternoon.

But my trip wasn't
a total waste.

Her fingerprints were all
over the Seaside Hospital,

and they match the ones we
found in Mary K. Davis' apartment.

I see.

Yes?

Well, ask her to come right in.

Good news? Couldn't be better.

Come in, Miss Walsh.

I, uh...

I came to give myself up.

I killed Mary K. Davis.

Won't you sit down?

Thank you.

Miss Leonard, would you come in?

Bring your book, please.

I want you to take
down a confession.

We really have
ourselves a client here.

You think she's covering
for somebody? Dr. Barnes?

It's possible.

Hi, Paul. Hi, Perry.

You got anything
on the dead woman?

Mary K. was married to Ralph
Davis of the State Department.

Were you able to find out what
Mary K. Davis did yesterday?

I talked to her secretary,
a Connie Cooper.

I told Miss Cooper I
was working for a lawyer.

She, um, jumped to the
conclusion it was Arthur Jarech.

I didn't bother to correct her.

How does Jarech fit into this?

Well, he was Mary K.'s attorney.

They had cocktails yesterday
afternoon at The Mudlark.

She asked the powder-room
attendant for an envelope.

Wanted to mail a small
book, special delivery.

Mail it? To whom?

"Mrs. Mary Gunther,
Woolworth Apartments,

"1427 Crane Avenue,
Los Angeles, California,

"apartment 3C."

Gunther was her maiden name.

And she mailed this to herself
at the Crane Avenue address?

Uh-huh. She, uh,
ruined the first envelope

and asked the
attendant for another.

You don't know what I had to
dig through to come up with that.

But you did come up with it.

I wonder what Mary K. was
doing at the Woolworth Apartments.

Obviously using it
for a mailing address.

What kind of a place is it?

Just what you'd expect.
Furnished, rent by the day or week.

She, uh, took it nine days ago.

Nine days?

Well, if she missed
paying this week's rent

and that envelope hasn't been delivered
yet, well, there's just a chance...

That is a lot of ifs.

And the last time I heard,

Uncle Sam takes a very dim
view of tampering with the mail.

I still think it's
worth the gamble.

Hey, how about this?

Oh, this is fine. This
is just what I wanted.

All right, Mr. Harris,
my sister will take it.

But what do I do if Mrs.
Gunther comes back?

I wouldn't worry.

Well, she left some stuff here.

There's some in
the bedroom, too.

Well, that's very simple. You
could put it in the storeroom.

You do have a
storeroom, don't you?

Well, yeah, but...

Well, that's fine. Then
there's no problem.

How much is it, Mr. Harris?

$30 a week, in advance.

My brother will bring my
things over later. Here you are.

I'll make out a receipt.

Never mind, Mr. Harris. You
can bring it up later. Thank you.

Well, we're on our way.

Honey, don't forget, now.

When the letter gets
here, don't open it.

Just put it in with
Mary K.'s things.

And don't tell the mailman
that you're Mrs. Gunther.

Now, I'll be outside in the car.

Two honks on the horn
means that Tragg's on his way,

so just leave
without the letter.

Mr. Drake, haven't you
forgotten something?

Huh? What?

How do I signal you?

Well, if anything goes
wrong, you can, uh,

just throw your
shoes out the window.

Believe me, if anything goes
wrong, I'll be wearing them.

I'm looking for
Constance Cooper.

Could you come back later?
She's not feeling very well.

Who is it, Bob?

Excuse me.

Miss Cooper, my name is Mason.

I'm an attorney. I
represent Leona Walsh.

Look, can't this wait?

Connie's been through a
great deal in the past 24 hours.

No, Bob, it's all right, really.

This is Robert
Shroeder, my fiance.

How do you do?

Won't you sit down? No, thank
you. I won't be staying long.

Well, how can I help?

Do you know Leona Walsh?

Yes, we've met.

What about you, Mr. Shroeder?

What about me?

Do you know Miss Walsh?

Yes.

Did Dr. Barnes introduce you?

I don't remember
who introduced us.

But you do know Dr. Barnes?

He's an old friend of mine.

I see. No, you
don't see a thing.

I might surprise you.

I know about
Dr. Barnes' record book.

Mr. Mason, do you have it?

No, but I think I know
where it is. Where?

Are you one of the people
mentioned in that book?

No, no, he isn't.

I think we better tell
him the truth, Connie.

It's all my fault, Mr. Mason.
You have to believe that.

If it weren't for me, Mary K.
Wouldn't have known anything

about the book or the doctor.

Like a fool, I told
her everything.

Did you know about this?

Where were you
around 6:30 last night?

I was at the...

Well, I don't need
an alibi, Mr. Mason.

He was with me. We
had dinner together.

Where?

Someplace off the beach.
I can't remember the name.

Bob.

Hello, Robert. How
are you? Fine, sir.

Mr. Davis, I'm so
glad to see you.

Hello, Connie.

Mr. Davis, Mr. Mason.

He's an attorney.

Yes, I thought I recognized you.

I can't tell you how sorry I am.

You're defending that
nurse, uh, Leona Walsh?

Yes, I am.

Why did she do it, Mason?

I don't think she did.

According to the
newspapers, she's confessed.

Claimed it was self-defense.

And that's good enough for you?

Yes. Mary K. was very excitable.

I can understand how she
might have gone berserk.

Miss Walsh would have
had to defend herself.

You're a very tolerant
man, Mr. Davis.

Most people in your position
would insist on an eye for an eye.

That wouldn't bring
Mary K. back to life.

You're not thinking of
Mary K. or Leona Walsh.

You're thinking of yourself.

Am I?

I believe so.

If I'm able to prove
Miss Walsh is innocent,

the police will have to find
themselves a new suspect.

It might even be you

or Susan Marshall.

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

That's the standard reply.

Good day, Miss
Cooper. Mr. Mason.

Oh, Mr. Shroeder, I'll want to talk
with you again. Where can I reach you?

At Brownell Junior
College. I'm a teacher.

I'll let myself out.

Yes?

Special delivery for Mary
K. Gunther. Oh, thank you.

Mrs. Gunther, do you know anybody in
the building by the name of Sal Antonio?

We, uh, got a wrong
address on him here.

No, I'm sorry, I don't.

I see. Well, thank you.

And you didn't see
this mysterious intruder?

No, and I certainly didn't
want whoever it was to see me.

Why didn't I leave
that envelope there?

Well, you couldn't
drop it on the floor.

I don't have to tell you
that that is dynamite.

I know, but when I have
a client who's in danger,

I think I'm entitled
to use dynamite.

Well, I'd sure hate to
try and convince Burger.

Della.

Mmm-hmm?

Della, you personally
know that Mary K. Davis

no longer is at the
Woolworth Apartments, right?

Right.

Obviously, there's
only one thing to do.

Just write on the envelope, "This
party no longer here. Return to sender."

I can't. There's no
return address there.

I know that.

But we do know that that
book belongs to Dr. Barnes.

Do you, uh, think
it would be all right

if I wrote Dr. Barnes'
name there?

I am getting out of here.

I never thought Alcatraz was
any place to spend a vacation.

Paul, wait.

Yes, Gertie?

Arthur Jarech to see you.

This guy is slick, Perry.

I'll, uh, be in my
office if you need me.

Have him come in.

Send him in, Gertie.

Good afternoon, counselor.

Mr. Jarech.

I thought I'd drop
by for a little chat.

A private chat.

Miss Street always sits
in on my conferences.

I'd prefer no witnesses.

Which only increases
my desire to have one.

All right, I'm not going
to pull any punches.

I want that book.

I talked to the powder-room
attendant at The Mudlark.

She told me about the torn envelope
your Mr. Drake made away with.

Need I say more?

Considerably.

All right.

I went to the
Woolworth Apartments.

I spoke to the manager there.

He told me he'd rented
Mary K. Gunther's apartment

to a very attractive young lady.

May I say, my dear, he
didn't exaggerate one bit.

Go on.

I think the district
attorney would say

I've made out a
prima facie case.

Look, Mason,

that book contains some
very influential names.

Names you propose to blackmail?

No, not blackmail.

Why, some of the
names in that book

spend thousands a
year for legal work.

All they have to do
is to give us that work,

then we can get out of this
slimy rat race of criminal law.

The practice of
criminal law isn't slimy

unless you make it that way.

And it isn't the rat race
unless you run with rats.

Save it for a jury.

If you don't give me that book,

I'll go to the district
attorney, tell him that it exists

and that you have it.

Mr. Jarech.

Give the district
attorney my regards.

Della,

see if you can arrange an
appointment with Dr. Barnes.

So Jarech has attempted
to blackmail you,

you are attempting
to blackmail me.

No, I'm not
blackmailing you, Doctor.

I'm only saying that
when the district attorney

finds out about
your book of names,

Leona stands every chance of
being convicted of this murder.

Mr. Mason, there's
more at stake here

than my life or
Leona's. She knows that.

It's just that we made the
mistake of keeping records.

But those families mustn't
be made to suffer for it.

I'm not asking that.

Jarech can only talk about
the book. He can't produce it.

I promise you, those
names will be protected.

I wish I could believe that.

Now, you listen to me
carefully, Dr. Barnes.

I have every reason to believe

that the contents of this
envelope belong to you.

We even took the chance of writing
in your name and address as sender.

However, subsequent
research has convinced me that

that action was illegal.

Consequently, I must turn
this envelope over to the police.

You can't do that.

I'm sorry, Doctor.

I have no other choice.

Is there a water
cooler down the hall?

I'm afraid you're a little late.

I'm afraid I am.

I don't know how to tell
you how grateful I am.

Listen to me, Dr. Barnes.
I have just one question.

Did you kill Mary K. Davis?

No.

I can tell you this.

Leona Walsh was
wrong. Very wrong to do it.

She should have
left that for me.

You mean, if you had done
it, it would have been right?

You... You just
don't understand.

I do understand,
Doctor. I just don't agree.

More trouble? Mmm-hmm.

Subpoena duces tecum.

They want me to appear in
court Thursday, February 11th,

with a little book
belonging to Dr. Barnes.

So Jarech did go to the DA.

Obviously.

How can I produce something
I've never seen and don't have?

Poses quite a
problem, doesn't it?

You may proceed, Mr. Burger.
Call your next witness.

Your Honor, at this time,
the prosecution desires to call

Miss Della Street to the stand.

Miss Street will
be a hostile witness

since he is the
secretary of Perry Mason,

who is representing
the defendant.

Well, you can't
do that, Mr. Burger.

Any communication made by a
client to an attorney is confidential.

The same holds true of the
confidential secretary of an attorney.

Your Honor, I'm not
seeking testimony

about any communication at all.

I'm trying to recover
stolen property.

Stolen property?

Yes, Your Honor.

I intend to prove that
certain personal property

belonging to Dr. Philip Barnes
was stolen from his office,

and that this stolen property

was received by
Miss Della Street.

I have already served both
Mr. Mason and Miss Street

with a subpoena duces tecum.

This is highly unusual.

I agree, Your Honor.
It is most unusual.

I have some authorities here

to the effect that
privileged communication

relates only to
those disclosures

made by a client to an attorney

when he is seeking
advice as to his legal rights.

It does not stretch so
far as to cover an attorney

who practices
concealment of evidence.

And it certainly does
not stretch far enough

to cover the secretary
of an attorney.

Concealing evidence,
you say, Mr. Prosecutor?

Yes, Your Honor.
Concealing evidence

that is of primary
importance to this case.

Very well.

Is Miss Street in court?
Will she take the stand?

Raise your right hand, please.

Do you solemnly swear the
testimony you are about to give

in the cause now
pending in this court

to be the truth. The
whole truth? I do.

State your name. Della Street.

Be seated.

Miss Street, you are employed by
Perry Mason as a confidential secretary?

Yes, sir.

Were you ever in a furnished
apartment at 1427 Crane Avenue,

an apartment occupied
by Mary K. Davis,

alias Mary K. Gunther?

Yes, sir.

Mr. Mason took
you there? No, sir.

Well, Mr. Mason sent you there?

Yes, sir.

And while you were
in that apartment,

did you take into
your possession

a special-delivery
letter or envelope?

Objection, Your Honor!

Miss Street might
well have taken

two, three, even
10 such deliveries.

Would the district
attorney be more specific?

Be more specific, Mr. Burger.

Uh, Mr. Hill, would
you stand up, please?

Do you recognize
that man? Yes, sir.

Would you identify him for us?

He's a mailman.

Thank you, sir.

He's the mailman who handed
you a special-delivery letter

at the apartment at 1427
Crane Avenue? Yes, sir.

And you gave that
envelope to Perry Mason?

Objection, Your Honor.

That question is incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial,

unless the district
attorney first discloses

what was in such an envelope

and that it has a
bearing on this case.

Objection sustained.

Your Honor, Mr. Mason
is grabbing at straws.

The court has ruled, Mr. Burger.

The objection is based
on technical grounds,

nevertheless, the
objection is well-taken.

Miss Street, did you
know that Mary K. Davis

had stolen a notebook
from the office of Dr. Barnes?

Objected to on the grounds that the
question calls for hearsay testimony,

that it calls for a
conclusion of the witness,

that it is not the
best evidence,

and furthermore it is incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial.

Sustained.

Miss Street,

did you give to Mr. Perry Mason

any envelope that you
received at 1427 Crane Avenue?

Objected to as assuming
facts not in evidence.

The court has already
ruled that any evidence

as to anything Miss Street might
have received on the day in question,

is incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial,

unless the prosecutor first
has connected it with this case.

Mr. Prosecutor, the court is
going to sustain the objection.

If it is your contention
that this witness

received property
stolen from Dr. Barnes,

that is, evidence
connected with this case,

you will first have
to show, in fact,

that such a notebook was stolen,

that it is pertinent,

then you can ask the witness
questions concerning it.

If the court would just understand the
significance of what I'm trying to get at,

and the clever way in which the defense
counsel has been trying to block me,

the court would then realize

that I have to fight it out
on this line if it takes all day.

Well, that is your privilege,
Mr. District Attorney.

The court has the
afternoon available.

Miss Street, on
the day in question,

you received certain property

which you had reason to
believe was evidence in this case,

and you concealed
that evidence, didn't you?

Just answer me, yes or no.

Objected to on the ground that it
calls for a conclusion from the witness.

The defendant in
this case is not bound

by what Miss Street may
have thought she was receiving

or what Miss Street thought
might have been evidence.

The objection is sustained.

Your Honor, because of
the way the defense counsel

has hedged and dodged
in this ridiculous manner,

it will be necessary
for the prosecution

to prove that this
evidence exists

and to introduce
it to this court

by a series of lengthy
examinations of witnesses.

The prosecution therefore
requests a recess until tomorrow,

when we will start this
long and costly procedure.

Mr. Burger, the court realizes that these
objections have been highly technical,

and that the rulings of the
court have been technical,

but technicalities exist
for the express purpose

of protecting the legal rights
of persons charged with crimes.

The only difference between a
technical and a constitutional safeguard

is one of degree.

And that degree may exist
solely in the mind of the prosecutor.

Court stands adjourned until
tomorrow morning at 10:00.

Well, where do we go from here?

That depends on Mr. Burger.

If I know my esteemed colleague,

tomorrow in court,
he'll do it right.

Well, Mr. Burger will prove
that a book was in existence,

that Mary K. took that
book into her possession.

He'll establish by
proper evidence

that Dr. Barnes' book could've
been the motive for her murder.

And we'll all go to jail.

Why didn't I leave that envelope
in the apartment like we planned it?

No, Della, you did
the only thing possible.

Now it's up to me to
justify your actions.

Della, could you tell whether it was a
man or a woman who entered the apartment?

No, I couldn't.

Well, have you any idea
how long this person stayed?

No, I...

I just heard a noise that
sounded like somebody

jumping up and
down on, uh, crockery.

So I figured I better get out
while the getting out was good.

Wait a minute.

Now all along
we've been assuming

that whoever came to the
apartment was after that book.

Suppose it was something else?

What? Come on,
Paul, let's find out.

Bye, beautiful.

It's over here.

I put her junk in this box.

Some old dictating cylinders.

They're all busted up.

Maybe that's the
noise Della heard.

What happened to the
machine? The what?

The dictating machine. Mrs.
Gunther had one in her apartment.

Oh, the machine.
I put it in here.

Well, after all, Mrs. Gunther
owed me a couple of days rent.

I figured I was entitled to it.

I'm not going to
question your claim.

I'd like to, uh, borrow
that for a couple of days.

Sure.

Gee, thanks.

That's the desk. I
gotta get upstairs.

You'll turn off the light when
you leave and slam the door?

Sure.

Dig out the biggest
hunk, will you?

How's this? All right.

The Terrible Hunt.
By Mary K. Davis.

This is probably the most
fantastic story I've written.

Certainly my biggest.

The story of a human being's
search through the years

for an answer too
horrible to know.

A story...

Play it again? No.

Well, she must've
been dictating a story.

About whom, I wonder?

Take your pick.

Her husband, Susan
Marshall, Dr. Barnes,

Bob Shroeder...
Could've been anyone.

You know, I've
got a hunch that...

Paul, I want to find an actress

who can do voice impersonations.

Well, I know an actors'
agent. If I can wake him up.

Well, wake him up.

I want to see that actress in my
office first thing in the morning.

And, Paul... I know. Bring,
uh, some more cylinders.

Here, I'll carry that.

I'll take it. All
right, you take it.

Slam the door.

Perhaps some people may say

that I am needlessly hurting
an innocent person by this story.

That as a result, a
life may be ruined.

This is a calculated risk,
but the truth must prevail.

Well, that was a fine
performance, Miss Clay.

Paul, will you see that
Miss Clay gets home?

With pleasure.

Bye, Mr. Mason.

Goodbye.

If ever there's anything
else I can do for you...

Well, I think that...

We'll call you.

See you later.

Do you think it will work?

It has to.

Well, hello, everybody.

Well, lieutenant, what
are you doing here?

Oh, it's a long, dull story,

but it's just come to the
attention of the district attorney

that, uh, you people
are withholding evidence.

I believe it's in the form of
broken, uh, dictating cylinders.

Uh, something like these.

Put that down, Tragg.

Well, here, this
looks like a good one.

Listen, Tragg, you
can't walk off with those.

Well, I wouldn't bet
on that if I were you

and here's the
dictating machine.

Where's your warrant?
Oh, I don't need one.

This is all evidence
in a murder trial.

You still need a warrant.

Say, you may be right. I am.

Wish I could take
your word for that.

Oh, but Mr. Burger
might feel differently.

I'll let him decide. He'll
see you in court anyway.

Bye.

Your Honor, may we
approach the bench?

Certainly, Mr. Mason.

Your Honor, less than an
hour ago, Lieutenant Tragg

illegally removed some
property from my office.

I hereby make a
motion that that property

be returned to me immediately.

Your Honor, the property just
happens to be evidence in this case,

which I intend to present
later in the hearing.

I believe my motion
should take precedence.

The court will now hear
arguments on the motion.

You may proceed, Mr. Burger.

Well, if it please the
court, early this morning,

I received an
anonymous phone call

to the effect that Mr. Mason had removed
certain property belonging to the deceased

from an apartment building

where the deceased rented an
apartment under her maiden name.

I therefore phoned
Lieutenant Tragg

and ordered him to go
and reclaim that property.

Without a warrant?

May I remind the court this
was not only stolen property,

it was stolen evidence,

which the police have a right to take into
their possession wherever they find it.

Of what exactly did
this property consist?

Put that one on, Lieutenant.

Mostly of broken wax cylinders.

Of what possible use are
they to you and your case?

There's one cylinder which
is not broken, Your Honor.

With the court's permission,

I'd like to play it for us
here through an amplifier.

I object to this, Your Honor.

Mr. Burger,
obviously has no idea

what is recorded
on that cylinder.

Mr. Burger, I assure you, it's
irrelevant, incompetent and immaterial.

Then why are you
afraid for us to hear it?

If it please the court...

I think Mr. Burger's
point is well-taken.

The court will
hear the cylinder.

Thank you, Your Honor.

May I borrow your microphone?

Surely.

Are you ready,
Lieutenant? Yes, sir.

May I have absolute
silence in the court, please?

Go ahead, Lieutenant.

The Terrible Hunt
By Mary K. Davis.

This is probably the most
fantastic story I've ever written.

Certainly my biggest.

It is the story of a human
being's search through the years,

for an answer too
horrible to know.

A search that never
should have started.

Some people... Some people...
Some people... Some people...

Some people...
The cylinder is stuck.

Some people... Some people... Your Honor,
with your indulgence, we'll try again.

Some people may say

that I am needlessly hurting
an innocent person by this story.

That as a result, a
life may be ruined.

Connie!

No! No! Please don't play it!

Connie! I killed her! I
killed her! But don't play it!

Connie! Connie!

She was going to print
that story about you.

She was the cruelest
person that ever lived.

She didn't care
what she did to you.

Whatever it was, we
could've lived with it.

Don't you understand that?

If it please the court,

I now believe that
Leona Walsh's confession

was designed to
shield someone else,

and I move that the charges
against her be dismissed.

The motion is granted.

The charges against
Leona Walsh are dismissed.

The court orders that Miss
Cooper be taken into custody

and that the proper complaint
be lodged against her.

The court is dismissed.

Mary K. had a way of
trying to destroy all of us.

I'm sorry, truly sorry.

So am I.

So am I.

Well, I guess that
about finishes it.

Perry, who was Bob
Shroeder's mother?

Do you remember
the drunk murderess,

the one who was
hung? Lita Fisher?

That was about 1930, wasn't it?

During all those months they were
searching for her, she had a child.

I feel so sorry for Bob.

Oh, he'll make out all right.

How about Connie? What do
you suppose will happen to her?

Uh, Mr. Burger is
thinking of second degree.

Well, after all, there... there
was definitely a struggle that night.

Uh, incidentally,
Dr. Barnes has decided

that this is the
right time to retire,

and I needn't add

that Mr. Burger
agrees with him 100%.

How is our illustrious
district attorney?

Sore.

He's seriously deliberating
bringing charges against you

for unethical conduct.

Me?

Do you know of anyone who could've
phoned his home early this morning

with a tip that you
had a wax cylinder

that would solve the
Mary K. Davis murder?

Do we, Paul?

I don't know. Do we?

Well, at least Mr. Burger's
no little annoyed at you

for maneuvering him into
introducing that record into evidence

when you knew it was a phony.

Well, I wanted to
help him, Tragg.

I tried to point out that it was
irrelevant, incompetent and immaterial.

You might tell him that.

Yes, I already have.
That's how this got broken.

You know, uh, he, uh,
never should get mad.

Why, he missed me
by at least two feet.