Original subtitles

*

*

Good evening.

Please don't be alarmed.

This is just a routine checkup.

(air whooshing)

It seems to me she could take my blood pressure

with a tire gauge.

If you don't care to watch the details

of my physical examination,

perhaps you would enjoy perusing my doctor's collection

of x-rays of prominent personalities.

*

The following is a true and full account

and hereby sworn to by me, Paul Brett,

attorney-at-law:

Some time ago, my records will show the exact date,

I was just preparing to leave my office

when my secretary came in with an unusual request.

*

Can you take a minute to see a Miss Cannon?

No appointment, no reference.

What does she want, who is she?

Advice, I imagine.

She's young and attractive

and a lot more tense than she lets on.

I thought you just said she didn't have any references.

She doesn't.

Oh, I didn't think mine counted for anything.

Well, when you get through housecleaning, send her in.

Will you come in, Miss Cannon?

Won't you sit down, Miss Cannon?

Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Brett.

I'm afraid I'm urgently in need of legal advice.

Well, let me give you some right away.

Lie to anybody you want to, except your lawyer.

Isn't that a little premature, Mr. Brett?

I haven't told you anything yet.

Well, you said your name was Miss Cannon.

You are wearing a wedding ring.

Oh.

My maiden name was Cannon.

If you don't mind, we'll leave it there.

This interview seems to be getting off to a bad start.

Why did you come to see me?

I was told you're the best criminal lawyer in town.

Thank you--now, suppose you tell me what your problem is,

we'll decide if we want to proceed.

What does a person do if she knows a murder

has been committed?

Well, I would say that if for any reason

she can't report it to the police,

she should confide in her lawyer.

Before my marriage, I was a private nurse.

I had a patient named Mary Hughes.

She was bedridden, and had been that way for several months.

Naturally, she was inclined to be irritable and demanding.

*

(doorbell buzzing)

*

*

I thought you'd forgotten about my medicine.

Oh, Mrs. Hughes, you really didn't think that, did you?

You were just hoping I'd forget it.

Well, you were late with my lunch today.

You haven't been eating very much lately.

I thought I'd try to make your tray a bit more appetizing.

Here we are.

Take this.

It's vile.

I'll never get used to it.

Here's your chaser.

And your sleeping pill.

I'll try to make you more comfortable now.

Anything else you'll be wanting tonight?

Yes, my husband.

Tell him I want to see him.

I'll send him right up, Mrs. Hughes.

Goodnight.

*

Is Mr. Hughes still in the study?

Yes, he is, Miss Cannon.

Thank you, Miss Simpson.

Goodnight.

*

Come in.

Mrs. Hughes is waiting to say goodnight, sir.

Of course.

Nurse, does she seem any better to you?

Doctor says she's making progress.

Good.

Mr. Hughes,

I wonder if she mightn't do better with another nurse.

Why do you say that, Miss Cannon?

Your wife doesn't seem to like me,

and I find that a patient does better if she likes a nurse.

If you'd care to change, I'd certainly understand.

Please, believe me, Miss Cannon,

I know it's been difficult for you.

My wife is not an easy patient.

It's not your fault.

But if she'd be happier with another--

We've already had two other nurses.

No one has done more than you have.

I know that, and I'm sure that, in her heart,

my wife knows it, too.

Please, will you stay?

Of course I will.

Good.

(whimpering)

*

*

*

Hello, Doctor, this is Miss Cannon.

Can you come over immediately, sir?

Yes, she seems to be in a coma.

Mary, Mary.

I understand, sir.

Five cc's--I'll do my best.

-What's happening? -Thank you, Doctor.

-What's happened, nurse? -She's had a relapse.

The doctor will be over in a few minutes.

Mary, we're right here.

*

*

*

The death of his wife seemed to leave Mr. Hughes

in a state of collapse.

He had no other family, so I stayed on

until the day after the funeral.

*

Miss Cannon, I can never repay you for everything you've done.

Especially this last week for me.

This is just a slight token.

Mr. Hughes, I can't accept this.

This is for much more than you owe me.

Miss Cannon, you've earned every penny of it, believe me.

No, I couldn't, really.

Please.

I'd like you to take it.

Thank you.

I hope we don't lose touch with each other completely.

Thanks again for everything.

Goodbye, Mr. Hughes.

Bye.

*

Alice?

Yeah?

Do you want an apple?

Yeah.

*

How do you like this shade?

It's pretty bright.

It looks as though your toes are on fire.

You know, speaking of painting toes,

I think I'm going to paint this apartment.

Red.

Well, anything but this hospital white.

Don't you think we've got enough of that--

Hello.

Oh, hello, yes, she's right here.

Just a minute.

Your service.

Hello?

Yes.

Mr. Gilbert Hughes?

I have the address.

All right, thank you.

*

I can see the apartment's not gonna get painted.

I hope it's nothing serious.

He's was so upset about his wife's death,

he probably hasn't been taking care of himself properly.

I had a patient like that once.

He jumped off a bridge.

(birds chirping)

Mr. Hughes!

Then, you're not sick.

No.

No, not me.

Won't you please come in?

Is it your housekeeper, then?

No.

I hope there hasn't been a mistake.

My service said that you needed a nurse here.

May I?

Please forgive me for using a subterfuge,

but I couldn't think of any other way of asking you.

Asking me what?

Well, I have two tickets to a concert this evening.

I thought you might enjoy having them.

Well...

This is absurd, isn't it?

What I really want to say is,

would you like to go to the concert with me?

Yes.

What?

I said yes.

You mean, all I needed to do was ask you?

That's all.

Well, then...

shall I pick you up at your place about 7:00 tonight?

Will that be all right?

Certainly, that'll be fine.

Well.

Oh, uh, don't you want my address?

(laughing)

I feel like a rat leaving you with all this.

Why don't you wait till tomorrow when I'm off and I can help?

Don't think I wouldn't, but I have a better offer.

Huh, one guess, Gilbert Hughes.

Mmm-hmm.

He offered to come and help me today.

What's with you two?

The way you toss and turn at night,

you're making all the motions of a lovesick cow.

Oh, now really, Alice.

He's just a lonesome man who needs companionship.

Oh, don't give me that.

A concert is companionship,

a dinner is a flirtation,

but painting this room, honey, that's love.

I think he's serious about you.

Get out of here or you're gonna be docked an hour's pay.

*

-Oh! -Oh!

Hello, Mr. Hughes.

Good afternoon.

I was just leaving.

Hail and farewell.

I hope I didn't frighten her away.

Men don't frighten Alice.

I see you've started without me.

Mmm-hmm.

Hmm, I like the color.

Uh, Alice picked it up.

I want you to wear this

because I don't want you to ruin your new suit.

Oh, how did you know my size?

Oh, I'm just clever about things like that.

Well, where do you want me to start?

Well, I figure this is your territory right over here.

There's your paint and your brush.

Mmm-hmm.

*

It was nice of you to come and help me today.

Well, I, uh...

I particularly wanted to see you today.

I'm...

I'm going away.

I'm closing the house.

It's rather unexpected, isn't it?

Well, I...

I only decided today, but it's...

it's been building up for weeks.

I just can't stand it any longer.

Can't stand what?

Well, living alone in that big house.

I spend so much time by myself and it isn't good,

so I'm going away.

Where?

I don't know.

How long will you be gone?

Well, I...

I hadn't thought about it.

But, would you consider coming with me?

I mean...

What do you mean?

Oh!

*

What a terrible mess I've made of it.

Have you ever received a more ridiculous,

clumsy proposal of marriage?

Hmm?

Frankly, I really can't say I have.

(laughing)

*

Well, when--

when we've finished painting,

may I try again?

*

That's a very charming story, Mrs. Hughes,

but it seems to have gotten away from your original point,

which was murder.

But I haven't finished yet.

I believe my husband murdered his first wife.

You see, right from the start, I knew she shouldn't have died.

She was making progress.

Well, possibly you have a feeling of guilt.

But, then isn't that perfectly normal

in any young, dedicated nurse?

I did everything possible for her.

Nevertheless, she died.

Yes, but nothing you've told me so far

proves she was murdered.

What evidence have you to support such a conclusion?

It began after our honeymoon.

The moment we returned to that house,

he seemed different.

He'd be on guard, watching for something.

It's hard to put into words.

He was withdrawn, difficult to reach.

Well, I would like to meet your new boyfriend.

I'll tell you what, I'll check with Gilbert

and let you know about tomorrow night.

All right, Alice, bye.

Who was that?

Alice.

She wants us to come to a party tomorrow night.

Oh, you know how I feel about that girl.

I've asked you repeatedly not to see her or talk to her.

Please refuse for both of us.

Besides, I'd much rather spend our evenings at home.

Just the two of us.

But we haven't been anywhere since we've been back.

Don't you like our home?

Yes, of course.

But it would do us good to get out.

We don't even go to movies or concerts anymore.

Aren't you happy here?

But, Gilbert, you won't let me see any of my old friends.

I really can't go on this way.

Why not?

I don't understand.

-Good morning, sir--mail. -Good morning, Miss Simpson.

Would you like some more hot coffee?

No, thank you, Miss Simpson.

Thank you.

My mail is just ads and bills.

I hope yours is more interesting, my dear.

It's just a letter from a former patient.

We don't write often, but we keep in touch.

A man?

Yes.

An elderly man.

I like his wife as much as I do him.

They just discovered I'm married

and they'd like to know what to give me for a present.

Please tell them you have everything you need, my dear.

*

*

Anything wrong, darling?

Gilbert?

Dear?

Here, baby, drink this, then you'll go back to sleep.

Yes, I know you took some earlier,

but this is doctor's orders.

He said you'd have another dose tonight.

That's fine.

That's fine, Mary.

*

*

*

See, he shouldn't have given her the medicine.

He never did.

That was my job.

It's a very difficult situation, Mrs. Hughes.

You see, there's only your word for it,

that he said anything at all in his sleep.

It's going to be impossible to get confirmation of that.

But I'm certain he killed her.

Well, that may be true,

but we'd have to have more positive or further proof

before we could do anything legally.

I can't go on living this way.

I can't sleep, he's watching me every minute.

Why do you suppose he married me?

Has it ever occurred to you that his marriage to you

might have been a kind of insurance policy?

What do you mean?

Suppose there were further inquiries

into his first wife's death,

you couldn't testify against him.

As you know, a wife can't testify against her husband.

What am I gonna do?

Does he have any idea at all

that you overheard him talking in his sleep?

I don't know.

But if he ever finds out, he'll kill me.

*

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust,

but the spirit has returned to God who gave it.

As we have born the image of the earthly,

so shall we bear the image of the heavenly,

cherishing memories that are forever sacred

sustained by a faith that is stronger than death.

We commit to the earth all that is mortal of this, our friend,

in the hope of the resurrection,

and the life of the world to come.

*

My deepest sympathies

on the death of your husband, Mrs. Hughes.

Thank you.

*

At the coroner's inquest,

the verdict was returned that Hughes had committed suicide

while the balance of his mind was disturbed.

Mrs. Hughes was a rich woman now,

and she asked me to act for her in settling up the estate.

*

Well, I would say, you have no financial worries

for the rest of your life.

Gilbert did love me.

He never intended to harm me.

When I think of all the terrible things I said--

Don't think about that now.

Why did he kill himself?

Remorse, probably, over having done away with his first wife.

He did, didn't he?

Well, of course.

Although I suppose we'll never be able to prove it.

No, I suppose not.

Have you decided what you're gonna do

about selling the house?

What do you think I should do?

Well, why don't you take your time

and think about it for a while?

*

An important case, hmm?

Very important.

I think.

Right now I don't really know.

All right, I could let my client go to jail.

I don't think he'd like that.

Yeah, but I don't like him coming between me and my wife.

All right, then I'll...

I'll go sit way on the other side of the room

and you can go back to work.

Who can work now?

Oh, I'm sorry.

No, you're not.

You love to demonstrate your power over me.

You know what I've discovered this past month

since we've been married?

Mmm-mmm.

If you had been born 200 years ago,

you would've been hanged as a witch.

All right.

I'll be a good girl, go up to bed

and you can get back to your books.

I'll be along in a few minutes.

*

*

Drink this, Mrs. Hughes.

Drink it.

*

Another dose.

Drink it.

*

Drink this, Mrs. Hughes,

then you can go back to sleep.

*

Mrs. Hughes, I know you took some earlier,

but you have to have another dose.

*

Drink it.

*

*

The foregoing as I've related it

is exactly as my wife told it to me.

But I know now that she lied.

She gave Mary Hughes the overdose of medicine

that killed her.

And Hughes did not commit suicide,

but was poisoned by her so that she could get his money.

I have no reason to believe that,

having gotten away with two profitable murders,

she would stop at a third.

Now I must not permit either a glance

or a word to give me away.

For if she ever suspects that I overheard her

talking in her sleep,

she will certainly kill me.

*

*

Mrs. Hughes made one fatal mistake.

Killing her husband and his first wife was one thing,

but when she killed a lawyer,

the police simply wouldn't stand for it.

It's all very reassuring.

This is all of tonight's program.

Next week, we...

He'll be back in a minute.

(chomping)

...shall be back with another story.

Until then, good night.