All language subtitles for Perry Mason S07E02 The Case of the Shifty Shoebox.DVDRip.NonHI.en.CBS

Hey.

Who's out here?

Go, catch it. Catch it.

Now catch this one, stupid.

Please, Chuck. It's
getting so dark, I can't.

It's over by the fence.

Of all the lousy outfielders!

Didn't you ever
play baseball before?

Hey, hurry up before my
mom starts yelling, will you?

Look for it!

Miles? Where are you? Miles!

Well, where'd you go?

It's right around
here some place.

Kid?

Miles?

If you stole that
ball, hear me, kid,

you'll get chased out of this

town so fast, you
won't even... Here.

Why didn't you yell?

Can't you do anything right?

Hey, what you
been doing out here?

I got better things to do
than chase your ol' ball.

Well, what do you want
me to do, give it to you?

I already gave you
my mitt, didn't I?

Listen, Miles, there's
no point in you hitting any

until you learn
how to catch, see?

You got to know something
about something before you can...

I know something what you
guys don't know. Listen, Chuck...

Kid, why do you always act
so people want to hit you?

Charles!

- You're lucky.
- Charles!

You don't even have
a ma to yell at you.

Chuck, I do know something...

You come home this instant!

If you promise not
to tell anybody else.

Charles!

Yeah, your mom sure is
a big foghorn, isn't she?

Please, Chuck. It'll
only take a second.

I know a secret that...

Who cares what you know, stupid?

Miles, that's the doorbell.

Would you answer it, please?

All you have to do
is let him in, you...

I thought you were watching TV.

I'm sorry, Aunt Syl.

Honey, if you're
gonna stay here with us,

you're gonna have to stop
saying you're sorry all the time.

Excuse me.

Well, I mean, you don't
have to watch it, you know,

but... but till my brother gets
back from the bowling alley...

I'm sorry, Aunt Syl.

Honey, just go on,
answer the door, will you?

I'll be right there,
Bill. Just a second.

Hello, son.

I think you better
tell your mother...

She's not my mother.

She's not even my real aunt.

I don't even have to
live here if I don't want to.

You can come in, I guess.

Where do you live?

Where is your mother?

I don't know, but I've got four
of 'em some place. I really do.

Oh, excuse me.

I didn't realize...
Miles, run along.

Mrs. Thompson, my name is Mason.

I was having dinner
with Mr. Downing.

Oh, of course, Mr. Mason.

You're, uh, spending the night

at his country
place, aren't you?

Won't you come in and sit down?

Joe said you would be
expecting Bill Sheridan

and might be worried.

Joe needs you at
the trucking office.

He thought we'd save time
if I stopped to, uh, explain.

Well, what's the
matter? What happened?

Miles, will you
please go watch TV?

Now, don't be alarmed,
but the police called.

There's been a shooting.

Your office was just robbed.

Mr. Dillon.

Chester.

Good night, Miles.

Your Uncle Flick will
be home. Don't worry.

Hey, uh, think I'll get bit
if I sit down here, Doc?

Well, you're taking quite
a chance, I'll tell you that.

How long has this been going on?

Oh, this is just
the second time...

Look, I wasn't
shot. I'm all right.

The doctor should
have stayed here.

For what? For a
bump on the head?

That's all it was. I was
out for a couple of minutes.

I'm just sorry I loused
up our date, that's all.

Bill, don't be ridiculous.

Mrs. Thompson, will you
help the sergeant there?

Take a look in that safe.

I want to know exactly
what's missing here.

Of course, Mr. Downing.

Don't pick on her,
Joe. She likes me.

Bill, tell Mr. Mason here
now just what you told me.

I stopped by here
to do a little work.

What with all the, uh, big brass
descending on us in the morning,

I thought it might
be a good idea

to make sure the, uh,
ashtrays were clean.

You've, uh, managed
this branch office

for quite some time, I take it?

Los Angeles, huh?

It's got suburbs on the moon.

You see, I thought my
dear cousin Joey here

was being a great benefactor
when he handed me this job.

Actually, Perry, it's
been less than a year

because my partner, Frank
Honer, was setting up this yard

to service our Arizona traffic,

while I was up in Oregon
building that branch.

And now they have their own
building on Wilshire Boulevard,

where the lucky people work.

No sagebrush, no, uh...

Bill, you're wasting our time.

He doesn't care about that.

Sure, Joe. Okay.

I was, uh, sitting at that desk.

Now, I had opened the
safe to check on some things.

The lights were
on, Mr. Sheridan?

Well, of course
the lights were on.

Go on, Mr. Sheridan.

That's about all there is.

I was sitting at the desk,

I didn't even hear
the door open.

The next thing I
know, I'm on the floor.

You positive you
never heard a shot?

Yes, I am positive.

This slug only missed
you a foot or two, maybe.

Where did you find that slug?

I dug it out of the floor there.

What do you figure, Mrs.
Thompson? How much?

Uh, well, there was $3,400
in the driver's expense fund,

$600 plus in petty cash.

It totals $4,061 that's missing.

Not a bad haul.

Oh, well, it could
have been much worse.

You know, we
sometimes have payroll

and... and, uh, shipping
deposits in cash.

So, the thief didn't
know your routine here.

As for this,

maybe he slugged you
with his gun, and it went off.

You wouldn't have heard.

Several explanations,
and they all add up

- to simple robbery.
- Was anything else taken?

I don't think so.

Those, uh, pile of papers
are probably all messed up

because the money's at
the bottom, don't you think?

I could sit down and check.

No, never mind. We'll
let Harry lock up now.

I'll have Miss
Frances out from town

to check the records with me
the first thing in the morning.

Good night, everybody.

Joe? Joe?

What's the matter?

Don't you think this
was a simple robbery?

No, Perry, I don't.

Here's a late item from
the sheriff substation.

The local office of the
Honer and Downing

Trucking Company
was robbed tonight.

Several thousand dollars

were taken from the
office safe by an assailant

who apparently
broke into the building

about 8:00 this evening.

Branch manager of
the trucking company...

Uncle, is that you?

Mr. Bill Sheridan has reportedly

slipped into unconsciousness...

You still awake?
What's the big idea?

- It's almost 11:00.
- Wait.

Over $4,000.

The robber was reported as armed

with a .38-caliber pistol,

which he fired once,
fortunately without effect.

The man fled hurriedly,

and police suggest he may
be frightened and dangerous...

Uncle Flick, don't!

Didn't you hear?

Aunt Syl's office was robbed.

Sure, and somebody
got knocked out.

And they stole thousands
and thousands of dollars.

You get to bed!

But it's true. There's
a man came here

a long time ago,
and he took Aunt Syl.

You want my sister coming
home and finding you downstairs?

You know how upset she's
been ever since you've been here.

But, Uncle Flick, I want
to tell you something.

Me and Chuck was
playing baseball...

I said, go to bed,
you little... Go on!

That's a good boy.

And don't worry.

Tomorrow, I'll let you
watch me play pool

like I promised, okay?

Cal-i-ber... th-thirty-eight.

Uncle Flick.

Flick? Where are you, Flick?

He's probably in the
kitchen, sopping up the beer.

No, the light would be on.

I got to go upstairs
and check on Miles.

Honey, when are you
gonna get rid of that kid?

I mean, children are all right,
but he's such a nuisance to you.

I mean, ever since
he's been here... Mmm.

My brother's still bowling.

I'll be down in a minute, Bill.

♪♪

Good afternoon.

Hello.

I'm Honer, Frank Honer.

Oh, uh, Mr. Downing's
partner, the trucking company?

That's right.

I just got in from San Francisco

and there was a
message telling me

that our little get-together
has been called off.

Now, Joe's up in the desert,

Miss Frances, our
chief accountant,

is apparently up there with him,

so, me, I'd just like to
know what's going on.

- Hello, Mr. Honer.
- Mr. Mason.

You were up at Joe's
last night, weren't you?

I guess you want to
hear about the robbery.

I was just getting a
report from Mr. Drake.

Oh, I'm not interested in that.

We're insured. Who
cares about that?

Mr. Mason, Joe told me
he wanted to get together

and have an inspection tour
of all our branch offices, right?

He said he had a
real hot offer to sell

and that after we
looked things over,

we'd sit down and talk, right?

That's why Joe called me in.

National Trucking's
very interested

in buying your company,

and Joe wanted private
legal advice in case of a sale.

Well, maybe I'm not
too eager to sell yet.

Tell me something, is Joe being
a fussbudget about this robbery?

Is that why we can't sit
down and talk right now?

I really don't know his
reasons for delaying, Mr. Honer.

He just suggested I come
back to town for a day.

Did he, uh, happen to mention

a worthless cousin by
the name of Bill Sheridan?

By any chance would this
have anything to do with him?

The way Bill's been running
things out there, maybe.

Joe's your partner.

Why don't you wait and ask him?

I won't have to now.

Thank you, Mr. Mason.

Oh, and, uh, don't
worry, I won't ask Joe.

If he's uncovered a
private hornet's nest,

I guess he can take care of it.

Let's here the rest
of your report, Paul.

Full name, Miles Jefferson.

Dependent child of the court
since he was six months old.

Compton Orphanage, three years,

then a series of foster homes.

So that's how the boy
acquired four mothers.

Yeah, and bad luck
on all of them, I guess.

Anyway, several weeks
ago, a distant relative

named John Flickinger applied

and took the kid to live
with him and his sister

for a while on trial.

His Uncle Flick arranged it?

Sure. Guy's out of a job,

and the state pays about 75
bucks a month child support.

And if you happen to have
a softhearted widow sister

who's willing to do a
little extra cooking...

A little too softhearted, maybe.

That's what Joe's worried about.

He's finding things
in her books out there.

So what?

Perry, I still don't see
what's important about...

Paul, wouldn't it
be important to you

if you were eight years old
and still hadn't found a home?

Uh, I have to run back
to the office, Milesy.

You just had your
lunch, you know,

so don't play on a full stomach.

All right, Aunt Syl.

Miles!

Hey, boy!

Where you been
hiding all morning?

Thought you'd want to
watch a little pool today.

I thought I'd rather
play baseball, maybe.

Ah, you can do that anytime.

Come on, make a man out of you.

I thought I'd rather...

Ah, let's go, let's
go, huh, boy?

Let's go.

Ah, you see.

Now I want to
make the four ball,

but the corner's
blocked by the seven,

so... Miles, you listening?

Sure, it's interesting.

Only thing better is bowling.

You know how long
I bowled last night?

Four solid hours,
from supper straight on.

Yes, sir, four solid hours.

I never left that
bowling alley once.

What'd you do last night, kid?

Oh, I, oh, I sat in my room,

I watched TV, and I read.

You were, uh, gonna tell
me something, remember?

You, uh, said something about

playing baseball with Chuck?

What about the
seven ball, Uncle Flick?

Well, I must've sounded
a little rough last night,

finding you up so
late, I mean, or...

or maybe it was listening
to that robbery thing on TV.

I don't know,

it being your Aunt
Syl's office and all.

Now you kids, I suppose,

get all excited
about things like that.

Go scaring each
other, looking for clues,

snooping around...
Come on, Miles.

Please, Uncle Flick,
I want to go home

and just, just
read or something.

Wouldn't you rather
see that movie?

Well, sure, but
it's a double bill,

and if I miss
supper, Aunt Syl...

Ah, look, here, here,

here, go buy yourself
a couple of candy bars.

I'll fix it with your Aunt Syl.

Don't worry so much, boy.

You run along now,
I got things to do.

Go on, go on.

♪♪

Now what are you
messing up that file for?

I'll tell you what
I want to look at.

Miss Frances, put these
with the other figures.

Yes, Mr. Downing.

Look, you must be aware
that the final accounting

is done at the main office.

All I do is send
in the subtotals

and the money
spent by Mr. Sheridan.

You may turn on the lights.

I'm about ready to
start adding this up.

Uh, Mr. Downing,

you've been kind
enough to take an interest

in the little boy that my
brother brought to stay with us.

Well, he won't get
a bite to eat unless...

All right, go on.

We can always get
you back if we need you.

Good night, Sylvia,
dear, and thank you.

Bill, what's the
matter with him?

Do you think he found that
petty cash thing from April?

What are you talking about?

Joe's got ulcers, that's all.

When you lost that
money in Las Vegas.

You balanced it on the
other book, didn't you?

So... So, we made it up.

Seven hundred dollars.

Sylvia, why don't you go
home and comb your hair.

There are other
things, other items.

I never have had full
bookkeeping out here.

There are certain
things I can't explain.

You know, my case of whiskey
is always missing a bottle or two?

Things happen here, so what?

I'll see you later, okay, baby?

Hey, come on, come on,
let me help you with that.

You sure you won't
strain yourself?

Hey, uh,

it's about time for
a couple of martinis

and a nice steak, isn't it, hmm?

What about your, uh, girlfriend?

Hey, now, listen,

don't you go making
remarks about my mother.

Miles?

Where are you, honey?
I'll bet you're starved.

Hi, Syl.

Guess the kid isn't home
yet. I just got here myself.

Well, where is he?

You could've cooked
something for him.

Say, uh, Syl, uh,

I thought maybe I'd
duck out for a few days.

My, uh, my back is bothering me.

Maybe a week at
the Veterans Hospital.

I, uh,

I guess I better go
round up the kid, huh?

For heaven's sake, yes.

You brought the poor child
here, do something about him.

John, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry about your
back. I'll fix you a hot bath.

Oh, no, no, no, that's okay.

I-I mean, sis, uh,

I didn't know the kid was
gonna bother you so much,

and if I'd figured maybe
you and Bill Sheridan

were gonna get married,
I never would've...

Hello?

Yes, Miss Frances.

Well, I just barely got home.

Well, you do
whatever you like, dear,

but I'm leaving.

And, uh, I thought
you ought to know

that the minute
Mr. Sheridan left,

Mr. Downing sent
for his lawyer again,

so if I were you, I...

Look, um, uh,

I'll find the kid.
I'll fix supper.

Don't you worry.

Miles?

Miles, your supper's ready.

Hey, Miles.

Hi. Remember me?

Sure, sure, hi.

Hi, Mr. Mason.

You're a little
late, aren't you?

Want a lift home?
It's right on my way.

All right, I guess.

Just get out of the movie?

I guess so.

What's the matter,
worried you missed supper?

Maybe I can help you explain.

See, I found out quite
a bit about you, Miles.

You what?

You don't mind, do you?

Come on, shut the door.

We'll talk while we drive.

Talk about what?

Oh, whatever you
want to talk about,

whatever you want to tell me.

No, no, maybe I'd better walk.

Now, wait a minute, son.

Good-bye, Mr. Mason.

Son.

Come back.

Hey, wait.

Sylvia, come back.

What's the matter?

- Joe.
- No, don't touch him.

Wait till I call the doctor.

He's been shot, I think.

Never mind the doctor.

Sure, barefoot's all right.

Only two blocks to
my house anyway.

Do I have to play
with your little girl?

Well, now, it's
not that painful.

At least for a while.

See you in the morning, boy.

We'll shoot some more
pool tomorrow, huh?

Wo-Won't I get
locked up like Aunt Syl?

Oh, for gosh sakes, what for?

I fixed it up with
the sheriff's office

so we could make
things comfortable for you,

keep you here while the
court decided something...

About your aunt maybe or

about where you're gonna
live next maybe and...

Oh, Mr. Mason, the
lieutenant already left.

I, uh, wonder if I might talk
with the boy for a moment.

Well, sure, I don't see why not.

I'll go and see if I
can find him slippers.

It's all right, Miles,
don't be scared.

Oh, I'm not scared of you.

It's just that, well, Aunt
Syl was funny sometimes.

She never said much, but
then one night she kissed me.

And now she's in pretty
bad trouble, isn't she?

Miles, you never had anyone
really to talk to, did you?

Huh?

I guess, I guess that's one
of the toughest things there is

when you're growing up...

Not having someone
to talk to, to tell things to.

Mr. Mason, I don't know...

'Cause the more you hide
things, the bigger they grow,

but they don't need to.

The happiest people in the
world are the ones who can just,

well, open up, share everything.

Mr. Mason, I'm not,

I'm not hiding anything.

Oh, sure, at first you
think, "Who do I trust?

"Another foster mother?

An aunt who doesn't
really want me maybe?"

Well, I'm a lawyer, Miles,

and part of a lawyer's job
is to keep secrets for people,

to never use those
secrets to hurt anyone,

to try to help people when...

Hey, uh, uh, what about
your toothbrush, huh, boy?

You remember your toothbrush?

Sure, Uncle
Flick, I got it, see?

- Yeah.
- Here are slippers, Miles.

All set?

Good night, son.

Mr. Mason, thanks
for, for asking me

if I wanted a ride home
from the movies yesterday.

I don't even see
why I need a lawyer.

I didn't kill Mr. Downing.

But I saw you running away
from there myself, Mrs. Thompson.

I went back to the office

to explain something
to Mr. Downing.

There were some things
he kept finding in the books.

They haven't been able
to locate all the records,

but apparently those figures
Joe was adding up show

that your branch has an
unexplained loss this year

of nearly $50,000.

Well, now, that I can't explain.

Anyway, I didn't get a
chance to say anything to him.

When I got back to the
office, he, he was dead.

I guess I screamed.

I guess I heard somebody
coming and I ran.

All I could think of
was to run home.

And, of course, you were
also thinking that Bill Sheridan,

or someone else close to you,
must have killed Joe Downing.

No, no, that's not true.

At least I don't think it is.

Mr. Mason, you must
think I'm innocent,

or you wouldn't be
willing to help me.

Mrs. Thompson, I'm
not taking your case

because I believe
you are innocent.

What?

But if you are innocent, then I
think one small boy deserves

every possible break
he can get, don't you?

Oh, I've been so...

Well... what are we waiting for?

I'm sure you have a
great many questions.

My question, sir, is this:

At what time did you so clearly

see the defendant,
Sylvia Thompson,

standing over the dead
body of Joe Downing?

It was exactly 8:00, sir.

I was just passing
the side of the building,

and... and I looked
in the window.

Did you hear anybody cry out?

Did you hear the sound
of a shot, perhaps?

No, sir.

But the trucks were
coming in and out,

making so much
racket of their own.

Of course. I understand.

But you did say that
you saw the defendant

put something in her purse.

Well, she was... she
was just raising up,

j-j-just closing her purse.

Maybe I... maybe I
dropped my purse.

I don't know. I don't know.

But it was 12 minutes past 8:00

when our patrol car reached
the defendant's house

to apprehend her
for questioning.

The officers found no
gun in her possession.

But you said it takes
less than two minutes

to drive from her
office to her house.

8:00 to 8:12... that leaves
more than ten minutes

of her time unaccounted
for, doesn't it?

Yes.

On this business of disposing
of a weapon, Your Honor,

I don't think it's out of
line for me to say that...

there's lots of sand and wind
in these parts, and anything...

Uh, Della, now is the time
to make that phone call.

Do you have the subpoena?

I can recall several
cases where...

I think the court will be able

to draw its own
conclusions, Sergeant.

Thank you.

Cross-examine.

Uh, Sergeant, you
stated that a single bullet

caused Mr. Downing's death,

and that it was fired
from a .38-caliber pistol?

Correct.

Now, the night
before the murder,

you recovered a
bullet from the floor

which had also
been fired from a .38.

- Is that correct?
- It is.

I suppose you ran a
comparison test on those bullets.

So, uh, tell us,

were the two bullets
fired from the same gun?

Well, the first bullet
smashed a nail,

so the ballistics
man couldn't give

an absolute yes or no answer.

Of course, maybe if he
had the gun to check with...

Your Honor, the State is
not charging the defendant

with robbery, only with murder.

I think I agree, Mr. Mason.

I would like this
hearing to proceed

as expeditiously as possible.

Then I have no more
questions, Your Honor.

I call Mr. John Flickinger
to the stand, please.

Mr. Mason said what?

He wanted you to know

that your uncle, Uncle
Flick, is here now,

and he'll keep him here with
something called a subpoena

for just as long as you want.

Why?

I'm not scared of...

Miles, all I know is,
there's some sort of a secret

between you and
Mr. Mason, isn't there?

Secret?

Yes, Miles.

About something
that you might know

that could help
your Aunt Sylvia.

Miles, you'd be a lot happier
if you'd just tell Mr. Mason.

Please, I don't know anything.

Well, look, honey,

Mr. Mason just wanted
you to have this number,

and they can call him
to the phone any time.

Uh, I-I didn't know if my sister
came home at 8:00 or 8:15.

I tell you, I was out
looking for the kid.

But you knew the boy was
at the movies, didn't you?

Well, I didn't want
to tell her I knew.

I mean... I mean, uh, that
I passed him the money.

I-I mean that, uh, I just
walked around, that's all.

I knew he'd be
home pretty quick.

- It was your sister's money, I suppose.
- What?

Well, hasn't your sister
been supporting you

since you were fired from
your last job, your trucking job?

Well, I got this bad back,
see... A service disability.

Driving a truck,
you... Be careful, now.

I have information from
the Veterans Hospital

that there's nothing really
wrong with your back.

They also have a
notation that reads

"record of malingering."

Well, you can't always
tell about these bad disks.

No, you can't.

But just tell us this:

Who was it that fired you
from your trucking job?

Fired you for reporting
to work drunk?

It was, uh...

Mr. Downing fired me.

Yes.

I've examined the
company records...

Uh, those books that Mr. Downing

was working on the
night he was killed...

As thoroughly as
possible, Mr. Burger.

And what was the
exact shortage or loss

in last year's operation
of that branch office?

The total came to just a
little less than $50,000,

but that doesn't
mean it's been stolen

or embezzled or
anything like that.

There's no record
to positively indicate

that the books have
been doctored by,

say, uh, Mrs. Thompson there.

Really?

You just admitted one $700
item that you found, didn't you?

Well, that could be

very easily the
transferring of monies

from one account to the other.

That's all.

How much proof do you need
of embezzlement, Mr. Honer?

Your Honor...

I'll withdraw the
question, Your Honor.

Did you speak to Joe Downing
the day he died, Mr. Honer?

Yes, he called me in Los
Angeles at about 7:30 that night.

That may well have been his
last conversation with anyone.

Would you tell us
what he said to you, sir?

His exact words, if you
can remember them.

Well, he said that
he would tell me more

about it in the morning,

but that it looked like he
might have to fire Sylvia

for, as he put it, uh,
"dipping into the till."

Your witness.

Now, let's get this
clear, Mr. Honer.

Have either you

or the accountants
that have been called in

found any clear
record of actual theft?

No, we have not.

So, you'd be prepared

to write off this
$50,000 loss as what,

carelessness, bad
business, mismanagement?

I guess that's
probably what it was.

Which, Mr. Honer?

Mismanagement.

But wouldn't mismanagement
have been the fault

of someone other
than the defendant?

Well, it certainly would have.

Bill Sheridan's the
man in charge out there.

Why isn't there a
more complete record?

Is there a possibility that
more than money was stolen

the night before the murder?

Is it possible that
the theft from the safe

was only a cover for the
destruction of records?

Records which would have
proved someone's criminal action?

I'd say that was a
definite possibility.

Sylvia Thompson and
I were friends, that's all.

Well, sure, I took
her out a few times

in the last few months,
but nothing serious.

I mean, uh, life
can get pretty dull

in a place like that and...

But she did help you out

with a gambling debt once
or twice, didn't you say that?

Yes, yes, and I'll be
the first to admit that,

and blame myself, too.

And she did this

by manipulating
your office accounts?

Oh, come on, there's
nothing wrong with that.

You heard what Mr. Honer said.

Then why didn't you do
it yourself, Mr. Sheridan?

If you were the man in charge?

If the funds were
available to you?

Well, uh, frankly, I
wouldn't have known how.

You don't know anything about
bookkeeping, Mr. Sheridan?

No.

No, I'm afraid I don't even know
how to work an adding machine.

No, I couldn't juggle
an expense account

any more than I could
juggle a... an elephant.

♪♪

Mr. Sheridan, you testified

that you left the
office around 7:00.

Look, how many times
do I have to tell you...?

Yet, my investigator reports
that you weren't, uh, located

by the police until after 9:00.

Ah. I can prove that I
didn't kill Joe Downing,

if that's what
you're driving at.

I was having dinner
and a couple of drinks.

You're quite sure you can
prove that, Mr. Sheridan?

Yes, I'm quite sure I can
prove that, Mr. Mason.

If you don't believe
me, you can ask her.

Yeah, ask, uh, Miss Frances.

Actually, I didn't
have any drinks, but...

But just to satisfy Mr. Mason,
you were with Mr. Sheridan?

I was with Mr. Sheridan.

I told you, they don't
allow kids in the courtroom.

If there's something you
want to give someone,

I'll, uh... Hey!

Miss Frances, you say you
telephoned Miss Thompson

shortly after 7:00.

Yes. I thought it only fair
that Sylvia had the chance

to explain matters
to Mr. Downing

before you arrived, that's all.

Didn't you just want to
get her back to the office?

I beg your pardon?

You heard the doctor testify

that the time of death is
always difficult to determine.

I don't understand.

Couldn't you have
killed Joe Downing?

Couldn't you have then tried
to involve the defendant in...

Mr. Mason, let's get
something clear right now.

I have never fired
a gun in my life.

Mr. Mason!

Mr. Mason!

Let go of me! Mr. Mason, help!

Let go of me, I say!

And then I put the
box under the house.

I was afraid to go near it again

'cause I was sure
Uncle Flick might see me,

but then today,
I went and got it,

and that's all
there is, I guess.

Only I didn't think I'd
have to tell it to everybody.

Well, you've done the
right thing, young man.

I want to thank you.

Here it is. Thank you.

Now, uh, suppose
you go in the other room

and wait for Mr. Mason, hmm?

Well, Hamilton, quite a
confused case you have here.

I don't think so, Your Honor.

It's the murder gun, all right.

Has the lab test fired it?

Yes, they have, and
now they're positive.

Both bullets were
fired from the same gun.

There were no
fingerprints, of course.

There never are.

But they also checked
the box he hid it in, Perry.

All right, now, never mind.

I don't want to hear any
more of this until it's evidence.

I'll go back in court
and declare a recess

until tomorrow morning.

Is that what you want?

Yes. We'll clear this
up fast, Your Honor.

Huh. Very well, gentlemen.

I wouldn't be too
sure, Hamilton.

That boy's uncle has
a lot of explaining to do.

All right, Perry.

We'll go hear what
he has to say now.

But even if he did
help her that night,

even if he was her accomplice,

it was Sylvia
Thompson's fingerprints

they found on that shoe box.

I certainly hope you
never have to explain

to those two what you
made the boy do to her.

But it's the truth, Mr. Burger,
same as I told your assistant.

Pitch dark it was in here.

So dark I couldn't
even see my own nose.

I just come through
this gate here...

Sergeant, are you sure there
was absolutely no evidence

of how the thief broke
into the building that night?

All right, all right,

so I borrow my sister's
keys once in a while,

but I wasn't gonna
steal anything.

I didn't even see
the safe was open.

How could I? Black
as the inside of a...

Now there's a likely story.

That safe was open
for over an hour.

- I was sitting right...
- Oh, no, you weren't.

Listen to me.

This thing jabs into my
back, see, and I grab for it.

And this voice says, "Hands up."

And I grab for his gun,

only then we fall down
and the gun goes off.

I didn't know whether
I shot him or not.

Well, I run.

That's what I do. Wouldn't you?

And I didn't take a single
dollar from this place.

I swear it.

He must have
taken it after I left.

Him, right there.

- Bill Sheridan.
- You're a liar.

- All right, break it up here.
- You're a liar!

You are lying, of course.

You must have come in
here to steal something.

I ain't gonna say one more word

till I get a lawyer
of my own, see.

But in my mind...
Abstractedly, that is...

Borrowing a bottle
from a man's desk

for a little after-dinner
drink just ain't grand theft.

It ain't, see.

Perry.

It looks like I made a mistake
having them out here together.

Not at all.

I think they're both telling
you the truth, Hamilton.

What?

Just as I think Sylvia
Thompson told the truth

when she said that shoe box
was empty when she handled it

half an hour before the killing.

Oh, now, look, Perry.

Maybe Flick got
the gun like he said

and threw it away like he said.

And maybe the kid found it

and hid it under the
house like he said.

But later on, that same
gun killed Downing,

and then flew right
back into the shoe box.

So, who else but
Sylvia or her brother,

or the two of them in
cahoots, could possibly have...

Hold it.

Well, Mr. Burger, here we are.

Hamilton, I asked you

to have Mr. Honer
bring Miss Frances here

because I think everybody
is telling us the truth

and probably will
continue telling us the truth.

Good heavens.

What a thing to live up to.

Wait a minute.

Hamilton, if you believe

the building was dark the
night that Flick entered it,

then Bill Sheridan
must have already

been unconscious on the floor.

Someone else must have hit him

over the head
and rifled the safe.

The same person who
jabbed the gun into Flick's back,

and then lost it to him in the
wrestling match in the dark.

Go on.

Well, don't you
think that person

would have been pretty
anxious to recover the gun?

Been afraid of fingerprints
or, uh, other identification?

You mean whoever
it was followed Flick,

maybe spotted him searching,

finally spotted the
kid and the box?

And later that night,
stole the gun back

from where the
boy had hidden it.

Perry, what is this?

Miss Frances, think carefully.

Were the records out
here thoroughly audited

before Bill Sheridan took
over as manager last year?

No.

No, they weren't, Mr. Mason.

Now, hold on, Perry.

Will you stick to
one subject, please?

That's what I'm doing,

because it's murder
we're concerned with.

And hiding a $50,000 theft
from your own company

is a pretty good motive.

Don't you think
so, Miss Frances?

Well, yes, I suppose it is.

Allowing a bad manager to
slowly mess up the business

is one way of hiding it.

Staging a phony robbery

is a quicker way
to get rid of records.

Oh, now, look
here, Perry, she...

But events had started
moving too fast, hadn't they?

Sudden possibility
of selling the company

made, uh... made Joe
Downing keep on digging.

Straight to the truth.

But Mr. Downing thought that it

was Sylvia Thompson
who was responsible for...

Did he?

Or did he just want to get

her part of things
absolutely clear

before he accused
the only person

who could have been responsible,

the man who built up this
branch and ran it originally?

His own partner.

That's why I asked about
the audit, Miss Frances.

Now, isn't it possible that
this branch was $50,000 short

before Bill Sheridan took over?

Mr. Honer...

the day after the robbery,
you let my secretary think

that you'd been
in San Francisco,

but my investigator, Paul
Drake, can't find any record of it.

Now...

weren't you actually out
here both of those nights,

right here in this office?

Answer him, Frank.

Say something.

Answer him?

He knows I can't do that.

But I still don't understand.

How did the gun get
back in the shoe box?

Well, after the murder, it
occurred to Frank Honer

that if he put the gun back

where he'd found
it the night before,

possibly Sylvia,
and maybe Flick,

would be blamed
for what he'd done.

I make such a
nice patsy, don't I?

Oh, now, Sylvia... No, please.

I want you to
understand, Mr. Mason.

I told my brother to
go jump in the ocean.

You don't think I'm going
to object to that, do you?

No, but...

well, I want you
to realize that...

when a person starts feeling
too sorry for herself when...

well, for what's
happened to her life,

when she makes one
mistake after another...

Now, Sylvia, don't tell
me about Bill Sheridan.

Don't tell me about a thing.

Hi, Mr. Mason. You know what?

Never mind. Wait a
minute. Let me tell him.

Perry, I'll have you know

there are exactly 322
steps up to this floor.

Oh, Miles, no.

Sure, Mr. Mason. It's true.

All right, Miles.

Now it's time to go home
with your Aunt Sylvia.

Sure, I know that.

We're having apple turnover.

But she can wait
in the car, can't she?

Mr. Drake said it was all right.

Oh?

What's all this about?

Oh, just a little bet,
Perry. That's all.

See how many steps you
count going down the fire stairs.