All language subtitles for Perry Mason S05E30 The Case of the Lonely Eloper.DVDRip.NonHI.en.CBS

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She walks in
beauty like the night.

The question is... why?

Escape from the wicked aunt?

Lure of forbidden pleasures?

Or do you just want a
neighbor to play jacks with you?

No, I apologize
for that last remark.

You have grown up, little
cousin, in a manner of speaking.

Is that it?

Have your tender ears
picked up whispers?

Well, it's all true, darling.

I'm depraved, unregenerate,
a deceiver of women.

So you slink over here by moonlight
in your most fetching negligee,

clutching a teddy bear.

No, no, little cousin.

Not you.

Merle?

Good heavens.

Come along. You'll sleep
better in your own little crib.

Merle?

Merle?

Merle, what are you...

You forgot to lock her in
your garret for the night.

I might have guessed, Julian.

This is simply unforgivable.

Before you carry that evil
thought to its obvious conclusion,

let me point out she slept
through our whole visit.

Merle?

She was walking in her sleep?

A fact I find infinitely
more intriguing, Aunt Olivia,

is she came directly toward
my poor next-door hovel.

Do you suppose that indicates

a subconscious preference
for another guardian?

Don't be ridiculous, Julian.

The court appointed me...

To be technically correct,

the court, in accordance
with her father's wishes,

appointed Uncle Howard.

It's all the same thing.

Wake up.

Wake up, dear.

Somebody was
ringing the doorbell.

I came down to see who...

Was it you, Julian?

Come along, dear.

I'll tuck you in again.

He's wicked, isn't he?

Was there anything else, Julian?

One of these days, Auntie,
somebody will cut that iron umbilicus...

and maybe your
throat in the bargain.

Go to bed immediately, Merle.

And see that you stay there.

Hello, Corbett. Is
Merle ready yet?

Miss Gilbert, won't you come
in? I'll tell her you're here.

Thank you.

Well, good morning,
Miss Gilbert.

How very nice to see you again.

Hello, Mr. Langley.

Where are you two young
ladies off to this time?

Lunch, fashion show.

I'll be taking some pictures if
sleepyhead doesn't make me late.

Merle had a restless night.

You know, Mr. Langley, it's
always been my one great ambition

to be able to sleep in
till 11:00 every morning.

Well, you'll just have
to marry a rich man.

Unfortunately, they've
all been spoken for...

Especially the handsome,
distinguished ones.

Gina...

Well, it's about
time, lazy bones.

Hello, Mrs. Langley.

Good morning, Gina.

You're looking
very attractive today.

Thank you very much.

I wish I could have
clothes like that.

This? It's only 14.95.

But it's so sophisticated.

It's hardly the
style for you, dear.

I asked the chauffeur
to bring the car around.

I do have a cab waiting.

Howard can take care of that. I
would prefer it if Corbett drove you.

As you like.

- Merle, we'll be late if...
- Goodbye, Aunt Olivia,

- Uncle Howard...
- Enjoy yourselves.

But be back by 5:00, remember?

You need your rest, Merle.

We'll remember.
Come on, Merle, let's go.

Bye-bye.

She's quite beautiful,
isn't she, Howard?

Miss Gilbert? Yes,
I suppose she is.

Still, on the whole, I think
you'd prefer Margo Stevens...

If you had your pick, that is.

Must we go through
this every time...

Oh, don't flatter yourself
that I'm jealous, Howard,

of Margo or any of the
other silly young creatures

that you mentally pursue.

It's the effect of your behavior
on Merle that I'm thinking of.

Oh, good heavens.
Merle will be 21 next week.

And as her trusted trustee,

can you honestly say that
Merle is mature enough

to even pick out her own movies,

let alone watch her uncle
make a fool of himself?

Oh, Olivia, for heaven's...

Howard, I think you'd better
pay off that cab driver, hadn't you?

I wish Aunt Olivia would
let me buy dresses like that.

I wish I could afford
dresses like that.

Good afternoon, ladies.

If I'm in time for lunch, I think
I'll have a watercress sandwich

and a little bowl of fruit.

Oh, aren't we funny. Sit down,
lover boy. Don't be conspicuous.

Thank you.

Merle, you remember
Danny Pierce.

I guess so.

Miss Telford, I hope
I'm not intruding again.

I guess not.

Well, did you get
all your pictures?

No, not yet. I'll shoot
them in the dressing rooms.

That's gonna kill
half the afternoon.

At least I have a job.

Oh, sticks and stones
will break my bones,

but unemployment
will never hurt me.

Why don't you try and be amusing
for Merle while I go to work, hmm?

Hello, darling.

I feel sick.

It'll pass.

- You kissed her.
- Just on the cheek.

If I don't stay friends with
her, how will I see you?

I could meet you just the same.

How? Your aunt never
lets you out of the house.

And even if she does, that chauffeur
follows you everywhere he goes.

Oh, pooh on Corbett. I can
fool him any time I want to.

Once, maybe, but
you'd never get out again.

If you'd just let me come to the
house, I could convince Aunt Olivia...

No!

Look, baby, you're 21 years old.

Not till next Saturday.

I'm going to have
a birthday party.

So you are.

Okay. But I'm going
to talk to her then.

Danny, I could run away.

After my party, I mean.

Maybe to San Francisco.

If you want to.

If I want to?

Oh, little one, I'd run off
to Anywhereland with you.

But I don't have any money.

That's easy.

I can't really have any of my money until
they say I'm ready for it or something.

But I can get
tickets on a plane.

I can charge them.

After we're gone, she'll never
know where to look for us.

All right, Danny?

"All right, Danny?"

All right, Merle.

Who needs money?

Anywhereland, here we come.

No, silly.

I meant San Francisco.

I knew what you meant.

Wait here for me, Corbett.
I'll only be a minute.

Whatever you say, Miss.

Your conduct is
absolutely disgraceful.

If there is one thing I
can't stand, it's a sneak.

Who told you?

That's quite beside
the point, Merle.

Just let me assure you that I
am informed of everything you do

It was Corbett, wasn't it?

Now, don't try and
change the subject, Merle.

I would like an explanation.

What exactly did you
think you were doing?

- Eloping.
- Ha ha ha.

Well, we'll forget all that
romantic nonsense for now.

But your Mr. Danny Pierce
can consider himself fortunate

if I don't have him arrested.

How did you know his na...

Why can't I get married?

Because you are still a child.

I'm nearly 21.

I wasn't referring
to birthdays, Merle.

Some girls are ready
for marriage at that age,

but others, like yourself...

Well...

what I'm trying to say is I'm afraid
that you should never get married.

You're...

You're just not well enough.

I'm sorry to have
to tell you this.

But it's better to face it now.

There will always be
unscrupulous men after your money.

No. Not Danny.

I'm afraid so.

I'm having him investigated,

and I'm sure we will find he's
nothing but a cheap fortune hunter.

That's not true. You're lying.

Now that's enough of
that kind of talk out of you.

You'll go to your
room immediately.

For punishment,

you wanted to wear
Grandmother's diamonds to the party.

I'm afraid that's
out of the question.

I don't care.

You're always taking them away
so you can wear them yourself.

Merle!

All I want for my birthday is
Danny, and I'm going with him.

Now you stop this.

I hate you. I hate you!

If you try to stop me,
Aunt Olivia, I'll kill you.

You know, she just might do it.

Hey, not bad.

What name did
you register under?

Lenore Adams. I hope that
meets with your approval.

Hey, now come on, come
on. This is the big night.

This is what we've been waiting
for. 21 candles, remember?

I still think it's
a dirty trick.

That poor little nitwit has fallen
in love with you, hasn't she?

Next I suppose you'll
say you want to marry her.

If I married every girl
that had eyes for me,

I'd have them strung out
from here to... Anywhereland.

Oh, yeah, you're quite a rocket.

All right, how much do you think
you're gonna get for the diamonds?

$50,000, easy.

Merle's worth a
quarter of a million...

Or she will be

as soon as Uncle Howard decides
she's old enough to handle it.

That's the way her trust is
set up. Did you know that?

No, I didn't know that.

And, uh... how do you know that?

I keep my ears open, too.

A quarter of a million dollars.

That's a lot of money.

But not for Danny boy.

Somebody else can
marry that teddy bear.

I'll just take the $50,000
and... blow away.

Just thought I'd mention it to
see what you had in your mind.

Yeah?

You, uh...

You wouldn't be thinking of
running out on me, would you, lover?

Do I have a choice?

No.

Not unless you want the police
in Chicago to know where you are.

All right, you made
me set it up for you.

Look, Aunt Olivia's going to be
wearing the diamonds, not Merle,

so with that little
piece of information,

will you please just get out
of here and leave me alone?

- And leave Merle alone, too.
- Okay. Okay.

- Okay, okay, okay.
- Danny.

How are you going to do it?

The same old way?

You know, you're too much.

Get out of here and leave me
alone! Leave Merle alone, too!

Danny, how are you going
to do it, the same old way?

What do you think
I am, a sucker?

But I might tell a partner.

Oh, forget I asked.

You're blowing a
great opportunity.

With all the contacts you can
make with that camera and my talent,

- we could retire in a year.
- I'm going to retire right after this one.

Then make it a good
one. I'll hit at 11:00.

When the diamonds
get here, you check out.

- And don't let anyone see you.
- What do you think I am, an amateur?

No, lover.

You're just a reluctant old
pro trying to make a comeback.

So keep your fingers crossed.

Come in, Paul.

Well, working kind
of late, aren't you?

Yeah.

Well, hallelujah.

I just thought you peasants might like
a touch of glamour in your drab lives.

I'm impressed.

What kind of a singing
job do you do tonight?

Thanks a lot.

I happen to be going to a
very posh birthday party.

Protecting the family jewels?

No, a wealthy niece.

Her aunt thinks her young
man is a fortune hunter.

- Is he?
- Well, he's poor.

Anyway, the girl's 21 today,

so Auntie had to let the
guy come to the party.

She's just afraid that later
on, when things get jumping,

the two kids might try
and run off together.

If the girl's of age, how
are you supposed to stop it?

Well, I do know he was
married in Texas once,

so if I have to, I can try
and run a bluff on that.

Wasn't he divorced?

So far I haven't been
able to establish it...

Either way.

Will if the bluff fails, you
should try charming her yourself.

I must say you do look dashing.

Oh, you finally got
around to admitting it.

Good night, Perry.
Good night, beautiful.

Good night.

Doctor, it's so nice
of you to come.

My pleasure.

And, Mrs. Comstock,
what a heavenly gown.

How sweet. Thank you.

I believe you know Margo
Stevens, Doctor and Mrs. Comstock.

- How do you do?
- How do you do, Miss Stevens?

Margo is one of my husband's
little golf partners, you know.

It's a shame you've
never played yourself.

Oh, you'd be surprised how
much I know about the game.

Now be a dear and get
Dr. and Mrs. Comstock a drink

- for me, will you?
- Thank you.

You must come out some time,
Mrs. Langley, and give me lessons.

Psst. Danny.

Danny, I was afraid you weren't
going to come to my party.

I wouldn't have missed it
for anything in the world.

My bags are packed.

Everybody'll be squishy by 11.

We can sneak out then.

We'll drive, Danny.

Anywhere in the world.

11:00.

Anywhere in the world.

Meet me out at the old garage...

The one behind the
gardener's shed, the back road.

I love you.

Hello, Howard.

Well, hello.

I didn't think you'd be here.

I thought your husband...

Oh, yes, he's off on
another one of those trips.

But why should that
stop me from traveling?

See you later, maybe?

We had the pleasure of meeting
him last summer in Lausanne.

I'd taken Merle to Switzerland.

The trip was very
beneficial, I thought.

Poor Olivia.

What was he like?

Oh, it was indeed
a rare privilege.

He is such a quaint
old gentleman.

He speaks perfect English,

but I am sure he learned
it from reading the classics.

He always referred to
me as Mistress Langley.

It sounded terribly elegant
but a little bit naughty.

Good evening, sir.

Oh, good evening, Corbett.

Oh, uh, Mr. Drake,

I would like for you to
mix around and have fun.

I understand, Mrs. Langley.

- But keep an eye on Merle.
- All right.

I have a terrible headache.
I've got to lie down.

I say, old man, have
you seen Margo around?

Margo Stevens?

Sorry. I don't know the lady.

Oh, well, it doesn't matter.

I'm trying to locate a Mr. Pierce.
I don't suppose you know him.

Not intimately, but
I do know of him.

And from what I've heard, I
suggest you check at the bar.

Thanks. Sorry I
couldn't help you.

Don't give it a thought.

I'd like a messenger sent to
Mr. Julian Kirk's home, please.

5963 Mandolin Road in Bel Air.

To a Miss Lenore Adams, Village
Motel on Lankershim Boulevard.

Room number 32.

Yes, that's in North Hollywood.

I'd like your fast
service on that, please.

20 minutes? That's fine.

Blue Streak.

It's all ready for you.
You made good time.

Not much traffic this late.

That'll be 4 bucks.

Sounds like a party
at the big house.

You ought to try
reading with that racket.

You ought to crash it.

Bet there's nobody sober
enough to even notice.

Keep the change.

Much obliged. Good night.

Good night.

Danny.

Nope.

Miss Telford, I'm afraid
the elopement's off.

Who are you?

Paul Drake. I'm a
private detective.

You can't stop me.
You've no right to. I'm 21.

No. That isn't the reason.

Your aunt...

Your diamonds have been stolen.

No one can leave
till the police get here.

I don't care about
those old diamonds...

Merle, let's go
back to the house.

Merle,

my dear child...

Olivia, your aunt...

Mr. Drake told me.

Somebody stole
Grandmother's diamonds.

But it doesn't matter,
Uncle Howard.

I'm afraid it's more
serious than that, Merle.

Your Aunt Olivia is dead.

She's been murdered.

You warned her, didn't
you, Cousin Julian?

You said somebody
would cut her throat.

Just a minute.

Messenger service. Package
for Miss Lenore Adams.

All right.

Thank you.

Hello.

Oh, Paul. How's the party?

It died. So did the hostess.

What do you mean?

Well, somebody stole
the family jewels after all

and slipped a knife into Mrs.
Langley at the same time.

Perry, could you
come over right away?

My responsibility here
is to the niece Merle,

and the way things are shaping up,
the poor kid's going to need help fast.

What kind of help?

Well, right now, the case depends
on who's got those diamonds,

which is like looking for
a needle in a haystack

because this place is enormous.

But there's one place
the police haven't looked...

Merle's luggage.

Why not?

They can't find the keys.

Paul, do you have the keys?

You guessed it.

Merle slipped them to
me with a pleading look.

Perry, I'd appreciate
it if you were here

when Lieutenant
Anderson forces the locks.

Okay, Sergeant,
thank you very much.

All right, no one
left the party early.

No one has those
diamonds in their possession.

So we're starting to search the grounds
now and that other house across the way.

Without a search warrant?

We didn't think
you'd mind, Mr. Kirk.

No, no.

Anytime.

But in the meantime,
this luggage.

Miss Telford, have you remembered
yet what you did with the keys?

I lost them, I told you.

Then I'm afraid we'll
have to force the...

Good evening, Lieutenant.

Perry, come in.

You don't mind, do you, Andy?

Not at all. Come in, counselor.

I won't even ask
who your client is.

I was about to spring the
locks on some luggage,

but I'll bet a lawyer could think
of a better way to get them open.

I, uh, do happen to have
some keys that might fit.

Worth a try, anyway.

Well, what do you know?

Well, they're not here, either.

I don't understand it, but as evidence
of murder, they're not all that important.

Surely you don't think Merle
could have murdered her aunt.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Langley,
from the information I've gotten so far,

it seemed entirely possible.

And this rather clinches
it, don't you think?

Of course, we'll have to establish
this as the murder weapon,

but I don't think
there's much doubt of it.

Isn't that slip lovely?

Aunt Olivia would
have a fit if she knew.

She never let me
buy clothes like that.

The nature of the
fatal wound indicated

it had been inflicted by a sharp
instrument of rather peculiar shape.

Of a peculiar shape.

Doctor, I show you
State's Exhibit 5,

which was discovered in
the bag of the defendant.

Do you recognize this?

I do. It's commonly
known as a dirk.

The blade exactly fit the wound.

Did you discover
anything else about it

which would establish it
as the murder weapon?

Yes. The blood stains were
also tested in my presence

and found to be the same
type as that of the dead woman.

Thank you, Doctor.

Mr. Mason.

Doctor, was the deceased
intoxicated at the time of her death?

I wouldn't think so, Mr. Mason.

Our tests did show a small percentage
of alcohol in her system, but not much.

Your tests showed
something else, didn't they?

Yes, chloral hydrate.

That's commonly known
as knock-out drops, isn't it?

That's right.

Thank you,
Doctor. That'll be all.

Mr. Langley, as I understand it,

you are the legal guardian of the
defendant and the trustee of her estate.

That's right, sir.

Merle's parents died rather tragically
when Merle was only 12 years old.

Isn't it true that
in actual practice,

your late wife was the real
acting guardian of the defendant?

Well, yes. She needed a
woman to look after her.

And isn't it a fact
that the decedent

really managed your
niece's trust fund, too?

Someone had to
look after things.

And then, Merle is simply not
equipped to handle large sums of money

and may not be
for some time yet.

Large sums of money,
Mr. Langley? How large?

I believe the principal is in
the neighborhood of 250,000.

That's in addition to real
estate, like the house you live in,

and personal property like the
still-missing diamond necklace.

- Is that so?
- That's correct, sir.

Mr. Langley, why was your wife
wearing the defendant's necklace?

It's extremely valuable.

As I've said before, Merle doesn't
understand of the value of things.

She could have lost them.

Yes, of course.
As a matter of fact,

the necklace seems to
be lost anyway, doesn't it?

Although, of course,
there are a thousand places

where anyone who knew
the estate might have hidden it.

Mr. Langley, tell me this.

Did the defendant resent your
wife's wearing that necklace?

She cried.

Yes, I'm afraid they fought
about it several times.

Did your niece receive
an allowance, Mr. Langley?

Well, not in cash,

but she did have charge
accounts practically everywhere.

Yes, I have a charge slip
here, signed by the defendant,

reserving two seats on a plane.

The destination
is San Francisco.

The departure time is
the night of the murder.

- Were you aware of this?
- My wife told me about it.

She cancelled the reservations.

Sid your wife also tell you who Merle
had intended to occupy the other seat?

Yes.

A Mr. Pierce.

It was just a childish
romantic whim on Merle's part.

I'm sure it was nothing serious.

But your late wife did object
to their proposed elopement.

Well, yes, but...

Enough to hire a private
detective to make sure to prevent it?

It was for Merle's own good.

Isn't it true, Mr. Langley, that your
wife's attitude toward Merle's young man

only led to angrier tears and
angrier fights between them?

Yes.

I have no further questions.

Mr. Langley, I believe the murder weapon
has been identified as belonging to you.

Yes. It was something I picked
up in Italy on one of my trips.

It was of some historic interest.
I kept it hanging in my study

in plain sight for
anyone, you understand.

Where were you at the
approximate time of the murder?

I was in the garden.

Alone?

No.

Then there's someone who
can verify your whereabouts?

Mr. Mason, I see no reason to involve
an innocent person in these proceedings.

Why not? Would it be
embarrassing to that person?

Or would it be
embarrassing to you?

I simply see no reason
to reveal her name.

And neither do I.

If it please the court,

counsel is just employing
his usual shotgun method here.

I'll withdraw the
question, Your Honor.

That'll be all, Mr. Langley.

I noticed a few minutes earlier

that the defendant had left the
party and changed her clothes,

as though for traveling.

Naturally, I was
curious, watchful.

You say that you saw her later in
the upstairs hall. Where was this?

She came running
out of her aunt's room.

The poor child was
white as a sheet.

Terrified, I thought.

Naturally, I didn't
let her see me.

Naturally.

But, Mr. Corbett, did you
notice anything else about her?

She clutched something
under her jacket with one hand,

and her other hand she
held stiffly away from her.

There was some dark moisture on
it. I can't say positively it was blood.

No, I can't, sir.

Just something dark.

And then she disappeared
toward the back stairway.

Mr. Pierce, am I
correct in assuming

that yours and the defendant's
proposed flight to San Francisco...

Or your proposed
flight anywhere...

Would have been in the
nature of an elopement?

Well, yes, Merle
wanted to try it.

You anticipated
opposition, then?

I figured that Aunt Olivia
would try to stop us if she could.

Did she object to you on
personal grounds, Mr. Pierce?

Well, no, not actually.

It would've been the
same with anybody.

See, she just wasn't
letting Merle meet any men.

Objection.

The witness is
stating an opinion.

Your Honor, I believe the
proper groundwork can be laid

to make the witness'
last answer admissible.

Very well, Mr. Burger. Proceed.

Mr. Pierce, how long have
you known the defendant?

- A few weeks.
- And how did you meet her?

I can't recall the exact
circumstances, but it was an accident.

Danny!

- You mustn't interrupt, Merle.
- But he remembers how we met.

- He must.
- Tell me later.

What do you mean by
accident, Mr. Pierce?

The watchdog went to sleep on
the job... Mrs. Langley's chauffeur.

Whenever Merle did get out of that
house, he was always sent along.

Really? How did you manage
to carry on your courtship?

Well, it wasn't easy.

We met in tearooms.

Mr. Pierce, the very fact

that the defendant continued to
see you under these circumstances

was a form of rebellion against
such strict supervision, wasn't it?

Why, then, since the defendant became
legally of age on her recent birthday,

did you find it necessary
to plan an elopement?

That didn't really
mean anything.

You see, Merle was sort of like a
zombie as far as her aunt was concerned,

and she had to get fighting
mad before she'd stand up to her.

- Objection.
- Sustained.

The witness will refrain
from giving opinions.

I have no further
questions, Your Honor.

Tell me now, Merle.

I got to know
Danny through Gina.

That's how we used to meet.

He couldn't have forgotten.

Who is Gina?

Gina Gilbert.

She's sitting in the
back row, next to Corbett.

I asked her to come
and be moral support.

Mr. Mason, We
await your pleasure.

My apologies, Your Honor.

What is your
occupation, Mr. Pierce?

I'm unemployed at the present.

And when you are working?

A salesman.

Mr. Pierce, have you ever
been convicted of a felony?

- No.
- No?

Isn't it true you that two years
ago, in Fort Worth, Texas,

you were arrested for robbery?

But I was cleared.

Your Honor, I object to that.

The police are quite properly
investigating everyone

who conceivably could
have taken that necklace.

But a mere arrest is not
evidence of bad character

which can impeach a witness,
and counselor very well knows that.

If it please the court, I'm not
trying to impeach this witness.

I'm just attempting to
cross-examine him on his claim

that the objections of the deceased to
his marrying my client were unreasonable.

I think you've made
your point, Mr. Mason.

Objection overruled.

Now, Mr. Pierce,
are you married?

No. Certainly not.

Are you acquainted with a woman

by the name of Jayne
Simmons of Fort Worth, Texas?

Yeah. I was married to her
seven or eight years ago,

but she got a divorce.

I see.

Your Honor, I would like to request
an adjournment until tomorrow morning.

Why, Mr. Mason?

Well, it is approaching
the hour of adjournment,

and my examination of this
witness may be rather lengthy.

I see. Mr. Burger?

Well, Your Honor,

If counselor really wants time

to prepare for this
hearing a little more fully,

I think the prosecution
might exercise tolerance.

I think that's uncalled
for, Mr. Burger.

Court stands adjourned
till 10:00 tomorrow morning.

That certainly was a
nasty crack Burger made

when you asked
for an adjournment.

Nasty but accurate.

If Burger had a client as confused
and frightened as Merle Telford,

he'd be stalling
every other minute.

She certainly hasn't
been much help.

After all the hours
you've spent talking to her,

for her to suddenly
think of this Gina Gilbert.

Apparently, Gina became
acquainted with Merle

while taking pictures of
her house for a magazine.

Then she introduced her to Danny

and subtly arranged for them
to meet a number of times.

Sounds like a well
worked out campaign.

Yes, but not a campaign
for Danny to marry Merle.

His wife had never
filed for a divorce.

Well, whatever it was between
Danny and the Gilbert woman,

it wasn't romance.

I don't know who yet, but
she's seeing somebody.

So perhaps Danny was
a business arrangement.

It'll be hard to prove.

And if Gina was anywhere
near the party that night,

I didn't see her, and I
can't find anybody who did.

At a big party, that
doesn't rule it out, Paul.

That's true.

Look, if Mrs. Langley was
unconscious during the theft,

there'd be no reason for Danny to kill
her... that is, if Danny was the thief.

No.

But there would be plenty
of reason for Merle to do it.

And the murder weapon
was still locked in her bag,

so you can't very well
say it was planted there.

She admits putting
it there, all right.

She planned to get rid of later.

She'd gone into Olivia's bedroom

to get some traveling
money from her desk.

She recognized the knife as one
belonging to her Uncle Howard.

You mean she swiped it and
ran out with it, just to protect him?

What else could she have
thought? It was his knife.

She tells me that Olivia was ten times
as rough on Howard as she was on her.

Yeah, but with a
kookie kid like that...

Merle seems about 14 years old

only because Olivia
deliberately held her back.

How would you have acted
in that kind of situation?

All right. Here's
the rest of my report.

One of my men on another case

accidentally stumbled on
a messenger service boy

who made a pickup at the house
next door while the party was going on.

What time?

Late enough so the package
could have been the necklace.

But I couldn't see the guy.

I wouldn't know who it
was, in the dark like that.

He just handed me down this
thick envelope from the porch,

and I gave him a
receipt and that's it.

Then you delivered
the envelope here?

Yes, sir. The addressee
was a dame in room 32 there.

I got it in the book.

Then what happened?

Well, I knocked on the door,
and she answered, and I...

She answered right away?

Yeah. Yeah, I think so.

Anyway, she opens the door,
and she sticks an arm out,

and I give her the package,
and she shuts the door.

Just an arm? That's all you saw?

Well, her head some
when she leaned out,

but she had a towel draped over it
like she was washing her hair, maybe.

With the light behind her, I
couldn't see what she looked like

When you make a delivery,
you get a signature, don't you?

Uh, well, yeah, only...

This one? This one right here?

Well, the trouble is, see,
she shut the door real quick,

and I... I guess I sort of filled
in the signature line myself.

That could get you
in trouble, couldn't it?

I know, mister, but, I mean,
the way she was and everything,

I just didn't want to
push the door down.

What do you mean,
the way she was?

Well, the bare
arm and the towel...

Holy smoke, I just figured
she was maybe... maybe naked.

All right.

Paul, you'd better go down to
police headquarters with him.

- Good night, Miss.
- Good night.

- And thank you.
- Yes, sir.

Della, I want you to
get a subpoena for...

What's the matter, Perry?

Suppose the woman in that
room wasn't maybe naked.

Mr. Pierce, did you steal
that diamond necklace?

No sir, I did not.

Did you induce chloral hydrate
into Mrs. Langley's system?

No.

Isn't it true that you never had any
intentions of marrying Miss Telford?

No, that's not true.

Then you must have intended
to commit bigamy, Mr. Pierce,

because you knew all along
your wife had never divorced you.

I didn't know any such thing. She said
she was going to. I assumed she had.

Who's Gina Gilbert?

I don't...

She's a girl I know.
Just a friend, that's all.

She a friend of Merle's, too.

Objection.

Your Honor, if counselor
gets much farther afield, we'll...

I'll discontinue this line of
questioning, Your Honor.

And I'm finished with this
witness... for the moment.

You're excused, Mr. Pierce.

Call your next
witness, Mr. Burger.

Then I call Mr. Julian Kirk.

That's right. My
house is next door.

It was the guest house on the estate
when my grandmother was alive.

She left it to me in her will.

Was that all she left you?

Some other odds
and ends of property.

All the real money went
to Olivia... I mean Merle.

Then you were familiar with the situation
that existed at the Langley house?

I was certainly aware of how
completely Olivia dominated Merle.

It's not the girl's
fault she's neurotic.

Are you by any chance a
trained psychiatrist, Mr. Kirk?

Well, no, but all you...

Then you're certainly not qualified to
judge the defendant's mental condition.

Now, then, was your knowledge of
the situation of the house next door

based on personal observation?

Mostly.

But the chauffeur
kept me informed, too.

Did you witness a quarrel
between the defendant and her aunt

a couple of days
prior to the murder?

Well, Merle was annoyed because
Olivia objected to the elopement,

if that's what you mean.

Wasn't she more than
annoyed, Mr. Kirk?

Wouldn't it be more accurate to
say that she was fighting mad?

She was angry.

Perhaps the degree of her
irritation could be estimated

if you would tell us what the
defendant shouted at her aunt.

She said...

Yes, Mr. Kirk?

Well, she said, "If you
try to stop me, I'll kill you."

Your witness.

Mr. Kirk,

when the bulk of your
grandmother's estate

was left to your
cousin Miss Telford,

were you annoyed,
irritated, perhaps even angry?

Furious, I think, would
be the best description.

But I recovered nicely in time.

You were on good
terms with your cousin?

As much as Olivia would permit.

One night, Merle walked in her sleep
and came directly toward my house.

Subconsciously, she
preferred me to Olivia...

Objection, Your Honor.

The witness has previously testified
to having had no training in psychiatry.

Sustained.

Let us turn now to
the night of the party.

Where were you at the approximate
time the murder occurred?

Well, in the living room, for one
thing, looking out into the garden.

Is there anyone
who can verify that?

Yes. Mr. Paul Drake.

He asked if I knew where
he could find Danny Pierce,

and I asked him if he'd
seen Margo Stevens.

I'm sure he'd recall
the conversation.

Mr. Kirk, since you were
looking out into the garden,

perhaps you saw
Howard Langley out there.

Well, yes, as a
matter of fact, I did.

That's why I asked Drake
about Margo Stevens.

They were necking in the bushes.

That's a lie!

I wasn't in the garden
with Howard or anyone else.

Young lady, I will not
tolerate such outbursts.

But it's not true.

Any more interruptions, and I'll have
the bailiff remove you from the courtroom.

It was really pretty
dark. Maybe I'm wrong.

But I doubt it.

Then how can you be certain
the man was Howard Langley?

Well, I saw him go outside.

Your Honor, at this time, I would like
to recall Howard Langley to the stand.

Your Honor.

Counselor's strategy
is transparently obvious.

These desperate attempts
to cover his own client's guilt

by directing
suspicion on others...

Mr. Mason?

If it please the court, the
suspicion is already in existence

and should be clearly
established or eliminated.

Surely our prosecutor, with his
great tolerance, can't object to that.

The suspicion exists, Your Honor, in
Mr. Mason's mind and nowhere else.

Neither the police nor
the District Attorney's office

could find any grounds for it.

Then by your own argument,

Mr. Mason can only weaken his
own defense by recalling the witness.

Howard Langley will
return to the witness stand.

Mr. Langley, at this time,
I ask you for the name

of the woman you say
was in the garden with you.

Mr. Mason, you have no right

to expose an innocent
person to this kind of notoriety.

Very well. If this
court will agree

to hear your testimony in
private, will you then answer?

No.

No, I can't see that I must.

You realize that in
refusing to answer,

you might be held
in contempt of court.

I can only do what my
conscience dictates.

Mr. Langley, didn't you go to
your wife's bedroom that night?

No.

And didn't you find her unconscious
from a drug she'd been given?

No.

Didn't you also find that the
necklace had been stolen?

And didn't you then kill
your wife, using this weapon?

That's not true!

Not true that the
necklace had been stolen?

Did you also take the
necklace, Mr. Langley?

No, I didn't.

No, I was in the garden,
I tell you, all that time.

I never left!

But a certain woman left
that garden, didn't she?

The nameless woman
you'd been embracing...

That woman left the
garden, didn't she?

Well...

Well, yes. She did,
as a matter of fact.

Who was that woman, Mr. Langley?

Gina Gilbert.

You filthy old man! You
didn't have to tell him!

Don't you know
what I did for you?

Stupid, filthy, rotten man!

I knew Howard made a hopeful
play for every woman he ever met,

but I never guessed
he'd got around to Gina.

It had gone further
than that, Mr. Kirk.

Gina wanted to marry Howard
and help him manage Merle's estate,

if only Olivia could
have been disposed of.

A divorce wasn't the answer because
Olivia had such a hold over Merle.

Then Danny came on the scene.

Danny was looking for someone
who had entree to the wealthy set.

Gina went along with his
plan to steal the necklace

because first he knew that she
was wanted by the police back east

and second because it afforded
her a perfect chance to murder Olivia.

Gina put on an evening gown,
slipped quietly through the party,

killed the unconscious Olivia,

and got back in time to meet the messenger
who delivered the stolen diamonds.

Oh, that's what you meant

when you said the girl at the
motel was not maybe disrobed.

Exactly.

It was her evening gown Gina
didn't want the messenger to see.

And, in the normal
course of events,

Danny would have been
suspected of the murder.

But things are never
normal when little...

Hey, look at the new dress.

Della picked it out.

Oh, I did not. Isn't she pretty?

Sure is. How about a date?

Merle, I think you owe these
people a very, very large encomium.

What for, Julian?

Well...

Thanks.

For saving your life.

Oh, I was going to give
them all a big kiss for that, silly.

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