Original subtitles

-You're going to get killed doing

that one of these days, Lescardi.

-There were people out front.

I had to get to you quick.

I found the stuff.

It's being loaded aboard "The Orinoco.

-The "Orinoco"?

-An old trans steamer tied up at Pier 28.

-Well, you have your instructions.

-What can we do?

We can't get near the ship.

-You know, don't you, that if those chemicals fall

into the hands of our enemies, we're through?

-Sure, I know.

But the wharf's swarming with guards.

-Then we've got to think of another way, Lescardi.

That ship has got to be stopped.

-Hello?

Yes, this is Olga.

Yes.

Yes, I understand.

I'll do as you say.

-I think we gave him the slip that time.

How much further is it?

-We'll be there in a minute.

-Is Mr. Wong at home?

I'm Mr. Simon Dayton.

What do you want?

-I-- I'm looking for Mr. Wong, Mr. James Lee Wong.

-Good evening, Mr. Dayton.

I am James Lee Wong.

I beg you to forgive my feathered friend.

He delights in the sound of his own voice,

but like so many humans, the words don't seem to matter.

If you will forgive my humble surroundings.

-Well, Phil Davis sent me to you, Mr. Wong.

-Yes?

-My life is being threatened.

He said you'd be able to help me.

-A request from a friend is virtually a command.

If you'll state your case, please.

-Well, I-- I haven't any case.

I'm just convinced that somebody's out to get me,

that's all.

-Whom do you suspect?

-Anyone, everyone, every place I go.

I tell you, it's driving me crazy.

-How long have you been bothered by this, uh, shall we

say, apprehension?

-Uh, for a couple of months.

You see, about that time, my two partners

and myself arranged to ship a load of chemicals abroad.

From that time on, we've had a lot of trouble.

-Just what sort of trouble?

-Factory deliveries held up.

Railroad shipments damaged.

Ships withdrawn that I'd already chartered.

-I see.

Go on.

-My office has been entered and rifled several times lately.

-Ah.

Anything taken?

Desk, files searched, but nothing taken.

-Is there anything else you can tell me?

-Yes.

A couple of days ago, a Miss Petroff dropped into the office

with a letter of a introduction.

Yesterday I saw the man from whom

she said she'd gotten the letter.

He had never heard of her.

-How about these two partners of yours?

-Wilk and Meisle?

They're OK.

We've been associated for 15 years.

I don't know, I-- I seem to have the feeling that I'm

being followed, that I was followed here tonight.

It all seems so indefinite.

I-- well, I just can't give you a single clue, Mr. Wong.

-On the contrary, Mr. Dayton, you have.

You spoke of a forged letter.

Do you have it?

-Oh, yes, of course, at the office.

Will you do this?

Will you come to the office and talk it over?

I'll pay you anything you ask, but I must have help,

or I'll lose my mind.

-How will 10 o'clock in the morning suit you?

-Fine.

I do appreciate this, Mr. Wong.

I appreciate it immensely.

In the meantime, what would you advise me to do?

-I would suggest an almond duck, smothered with succulent water

chestnuts, a little rice wine--

-What?

-I beg your pardon.

Have you a good cook?

-Yes.

-Then go home.

Have a good dinner and sleep.

He rests well who dines well.

Good night, Mr. Wong, and thank you again.

I'll see you tomorrow morning at 10:00.

Good night, Mr. Dayton.

Look out, Wong!

That wasn't my chauffeur.

That wasn't John.

I saw his face!

-Here's John.

This is my chauffeur, John.

-Easy.

-John.

John, what happened?

What happened?

Wong!

-Good morning, Mr. Dayton.

-Good morning.

Mr. Wong will be here at 10 o'clock.

I'm not seeing anyone else, understand?

-Why, Mr. Meisle and Mr. Wilk are

in your office waiting for you.

-Oh.

Thank you.

Good morning.

-Anything wrong, Dayton?

-Nothing wrong with me.

What's on your mind?

-Simon, we overlooked a little matter

in, uh, our partnership agreement.

It's quite important.

-Yes?

What is it?

-There's nothing that covers the situation

which will arise if one of us dies.

-Meisle thinks of everything.

-In order to simplify things, I've

drawn up an additional clause to our agreement.

I'll read it to you.

"In the event of the demise of any of the three principals

to this agreement, it is understood and agreed

that his interest shall revert in its entirety

to the surviving principals and/or principal."

We've both signed.

-The way I figure, it's wise to always

be prepared in a case like this.

-I wish we'd never gone into this now.

-Not trying to back out again, Dayton?

-No.

-Well, don't.

You're in this too deep for that.

That ship is going to sail.

-Mr. Wong should be here by now.

-Why, he's not due for 20 minutes, Mr. Dayton.

-Oh.

-Good morning, Miss Ross.

-Good morning, Carl.

-Can I see Mr. Dayton?

-Oh, I'm sorry, Carl, I'm impossible.

-You've been telling me that for a week.

-Well, Carl, he'll see you tomorrow.

I'll get him to.

-He'll see me today.

-Oh, Carl!

-Here, you!

-He has a gun!

-Let me go!

What do you want?

-I want my formula.

-Throw him out!

Ryan, Russell, throw him out of here.

Throw him out!

-Now you promised to pay me for my formula.

You promised to make me a partner.

You've got a shipload of it going out tomorrow.

You're trying to freeze me out of this deal.

I'm going to kill you!

-Throw him out!

-Carl, Carl--

-I will!

I will!

No, I will!

-Hello, operator, get me the police department.

-Street speaking.

-This is Simon Dayton, Dayton Chemical Works.

Yes, there's a man up in my office

threatening me with a gun.

-With a gun, eh?

Devlin.

Yeah?

-There's a guy with a gun at the Dayton Chemical Works.

-You better stay away from him, Myra.

He's-- he's dangerous.

-Oh, Carl and I are old friends, aren't we?

Yes?

-Hello, Myra?

Is there a guy up there with a gun?

Your boss just phoned.

-Why, yes, there is, Sam, but I don't think you need to--

-I'll be right up.

-Look, Carl, why don't you go home now?

-No, I'm going to wait here.

I gave him my formula.

He said he only wanted to look at it.

Now he won't give it back.

-Oh, I'm sure Mr. Dayton's just misplaced it.

He's been very busy lately.

-But he says I didn't give it to him.

-Oh, he probably just forgot.

He's been awfully worried.

Look, Carl, uh, why don't you go now?

If he should--

-I want my formula.

-There he is.

-Hello, Sam.

-What's up, Myra?

Where's this gunman?

Gun?

-Up on your feet.

-Where's your boss?

-I'll let him know you're here.

He doesn't answer.

What?

He was standing at the window when we drove up.

-Mr. Dayton?

-Mr. Dayton?

-It's locked, Sam.

-What's all this about?

-Hello, this is Street speaking.

I'm down at the Dayton Chemical Company.

Looks like a homicide.

Yeah, everything.

Right away.

Why'd you kill Dayton?

-I didn't.

-Look, Myra, I want you to pull yourself together

and tell me exactly what happened.

Hello, Wong.

-Hello, Street.

I hope I'm not too late.

My appointment was for ten o'clock.

-What appointment?

-I have an appointment with Mr. Dayton.

-This man wasn't shot.

There's not a mark on him.

Looks like heart failure.

-What about this gun?

Even with my rather limited experience,

I would say the doctor was correct in his assumption.

Simon Dayton was not shot.

-How do you know?

Did you examine the body?

-No.

But I examined the gun.

I'm afraid it hasn't been fired.

-What'd you find?

-A piece of glass.

-Now look, Wong, the doc tells me he died of heart failure.

Now you're going to tell me somebody hit him over the head

with a bottle?

-Hardly.

I'm not suggesting this is part of the bottle.

It's as thin as a piece of eggshell.

-Chief, you want to see this?

I found it in his inside pocket.

-Those are Mr. Dayton's paper.

Have-- have you a right to read them?

-I've already read them.

What's it to you, anyway?

Who are you, one of the partners?

-No, sir.

-Well, who are you?

-Uh, Mr. Dayton's office manager.

-Sit down.

-Yes.

-If I might, please?

-When I got your message, Mr. Wong, we prepared everything.

-So nice of you to take so much trouble.

-Oh, we're always interested when you decide to work out

one of your experiments with us.

Mr. Simkins is anxious to meet you.

-Oh, yes.

-I told him that we were at Oxford together.

-Oh, really?

-He's the scientist you said you wanted.

Mr. Simkins?

Mr. Wong.

-Delighted, Mr. Wong.

-How do you do, Mr. Simkins?

-We didn't have any glassblowers on the faculty,

but Mr. Simkins assures me he's one

of the best in San Francisco.

-I'm sure of it.

Now do you think you can determine,

from these small pieces of glass,

the size and shape of the original?

-Well, I don't see why not.

-Then shall we go to work?

Calcium, 0.063.

Silicate of potash, 0.653.

Manganese, 0.217.

-That much manganese?

-Yes, why?

-Awfully brittle glass.

Must have been made by a Bavarian.

-Why do you say that?

-They're the only glassblowers I know

who use that much manganese.

-From the curvature, it must have been almost

a perfect sphere, 65 millimeters in diameter--

about 2 and 1/2 inches.

-Mhm.

Try to reproduce the size and the thickness

as closely as possible.

Which shoelace you tie first, left or right?

-Left.

What is the capital of Minnesota?

-St. Paul.

Scratch your neck.

Say ah.

-Ah.

Count from 12 to 25.

-12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 23, 25.

What do you associate with the word "hiccough"?

-A spasm of the diaphragm.

-Well, they haven't found the car yet.

When you do get it, what do you expect to find?

-I'm afraid I don't quite know yet.

But I'll tell you just as soon as I do.

-Ah, you're wasting your time, Wong.

It's as plain as the nose on your face.

Roemer figured Dayton stole that two-bit invention of his

and goes up there and waves a gun around.

Dayton's got a weak heart and it jumps and he keels over dead.

So they'll find out the little guy's crazy

and that'll be the end of that.

-Here's the, uh, Roemer sanity report.

-I told you they'd find out the little guy was insane.

-Insane?

He's just as sane as you are.

-Yeah, you have to be crazy to dope one of those things out.

-Here's your coroner's report.

The guy died of poison gas.

-Gas?

That's impossible.

How could the guy have been gassed?

What's that?

-That is a replica of the murder instrument.

-Now, look, Wong, you're not going

to tell me you took those little pieces of glass

and put them together and made that?

-You flatter me.

Some friends of mine made it.

-Sort of a gas grenade, huh?

Breaks when thrown?

-Undoubtedly.

-I got it.

That gun was a ruse, a magician's trick.

While Dayton was watching that gun,

Roemer threw that glass globe and it broke and killed Dayton.

-And everybody else in the room.

-Sure.

Yeah, that's right, it would have.

But he could've planted it.

That's it.

He planted it.

And when Dayton came back to his desk, he stepped on it

and it killed him.

-Sure.

-Well, that should be easy to find out.

Mr. Russell and Miss Ross were with Roemer the whole time.

-That's right.

Bring 'em in.

-Say, how much more--

-Take it easy.

-Is it for me?

-No, lady.

Uh, Miss Ross, Russell, inside.

-Hello, Mr. Wong.

-Sit down.

Please.

I want you to dismiss everything else from your mind

and concentrate on what happened this morning.

-Who do you think you're talking to?

-I'm sorry, Myra, this is business.

Please.

When Roemer broke in Dayton's office this morning,

did he have anything else in his hand beside that gun?

-Not that I know of.

But you're not sure.

-You mean in the hand with the gun?

-No, the other hand.

-The left hand.

-Naturally, if the gun was in the right hand,

the other hand would be the left hand.

-Naturally.

No!

-Did you see him drop anything on the floor?

-No.

-I'm quite sure it wasn't dropped.

-How do you know it wasn't dropped?

You picked it up in little pieces, didn't you?

It had to break.

-But not by dropping.

-Did you see Roemer stoop over and--

and roll a little glass globe like this?

-What's that?

Isn't that curious?

-Yeah.

That's a replica of the glass globe

that might have contained the gas that killed Dayton.

-Oh, there's no gas in that.

And you.

Maybe you can answer my questions intelligently.

What hand did you have a hold of?

-Left hand.

-Did he have anything in the left hand?

-No.

-You're sure he didn't have anything in the left hand.

-No-- yes.

Yes, I'm sure.

-I beg your pardon, Miss Ross.

I would like to ask you a question, if I might.

-Yes, Mr. Wong?

-Did Mr. Dayton have any set habits?

I mean, for instance, did he always open the top drawer

of his desk, then take out his bank book

and examine the balance at 9:30 sharp every morning?

-What's that got to do with it.

-Please, Sam, Mr. Wong is trying to ask me a question.

Mr. Dayton didn't keep his bank book in his desk at the office.

-I know, Miss Ross, but did he take bicarbonate of soda,

or change his coat, or anything at all at any set given time?

-What are you driving at?

-If the murderer knew the habits of the victim,

he could have placed the bulb where the victim

himself could explode it.

-That's right.

Was Roemer ever in Dayton's office

before he came in with that gun?

-You mean this morning?

-This morning, yesterday morning, the morning before?

-What morning do you mean?

-Any morning!

-No!

Mr. Wong, I think I know what you're trying to get at.

Mr. Roemer hasn't been in Mr. Dayton's office for a month.

-Oh.

I don't think it could've been planted as far ahead as that.

Obviously the murder was timed to occur

when Dayton was alone in his office.

-Yeah.

That's all.

-Mr. Wong, it's been such a pleasure meeting

a detective with such charming manners.

-Thank you.

Delightful girl.

I'm sure you two will be very happy.

-You don't miss a thing, do you?

Devlin.

-Yeah?

Bring in Meisle and Wilks.

-Is it for me?

-No, lady.

You two.

-Sit down.

-Thank you.

-Mr. Meisle?

-Yes.

-Wilkes?

-Wilk.

-You were Dayton's partners, weren't you?

-Yes.

-Yes, we were.

-What were you doing in his office this morning at 9:30?

-Well, purely a business meeting between the three of us.

-What kind of business?

-Well, we had a rider to an agreement which

needed the signatures of all three.

-Is this it?

-Yes, that's Dayton's copy.

-In other words, if Dayton died, you two fellows

would inherit his interest, that right?

-That's right.

-If I've ever seen a motive for murder, this piece of paper

is it.

Did you take anything else into his office?

-No, absolutely nothing.

-You ever see one of these?

-No, I can't say that I have.

Some type of light bulb, I should say.

-Pardon me.

Isn't Meisle a Bavarian name?

-It was, originally, I believe.

Why?

Are we to consider ourselves under arrest, Captain?

-No, you can go.

-Thank you.

-Well, a lot of information we got out of them.

Devlin!

Yeah, Chief?

-Any more of them out there?

-Yeah, a woman.

-Who is she?

I picked her up at the Dayton Chemical Works.

-Yeah?

Bring her in.

-This way, lady.

-What's your name?

-Margaret Dolan.

-Sit down.

Where were you at 9:30 this morning?

-At 9:30 this morning, I was in the Dayton Chemical

building on the fourth floor.

-What were you doing there?

-What I'm always doing.

-What's that?

-Scrubbing floors.

-That'll be all.

Thank you, lady.

-This way, lady.

-Devlin.

-Yeah?

-Nice going.

-Thanks, Chief.

Get out of here!

Well, that's all of them.

-Oh, no.

You're forgetting Miss Petroff, the one with the letter

of introduction, to say nothing of the party or parties

who rifled Dayton's office.

-And the guy that stole Dayton's car.

-And the man who stole Dayton's car.

-Look, Roemer's got a motive.

At least he thinks he has-- the formula.

Meisle and Wilkes have a motive.

But that Russian gal and the guy that stole Dayton's car,

see if you can tilt that out for me.

You've blundered, both of you.

You must have, Olga, or Dayton wouldn't have gone to Wong.

And you.

I told you to be careful.

-Well, Dayton's out of the way.

-Yes, but that Chinaman saw your face.

-I'll take care of him.

-We're not taking any chances like that.

We've got to stop that boat and get their formula.

-Won't take them long to get that boat loaded.

-Then we've got to work fast.

It's the formula that worries me.

If we could only reach Roemer.

-It's impossible.

He's in jail.

-Then it's got to be Wilk or Meisle.

-It'll be Wilk.

I'm having cocktails with him tomorrow.

-Olga, you can be very clever when you're not careless.

And you, you watch the boat.

And remember, be careful.

Wong is a clever man.

But if you watch your every movement,

as you've been trained and as I do,

even Mr. Wong can be fooled.

-You won't find anything in there, Wong.

We've checked it completely.

The only fingerprints on the car are

Dayton's and his chauffeur's.

What'd you find?

-The man who stole Dayton's car obviously

picked up a companion.

I don't think Dayton smoke this type of cigarette.

-You mean there's something in the tobacco?

-The kachina bark.

It's mixed with tobacco in South America.

-Look, Wong, first you give me a Russian.

Now we got a hitch-hiking South American.

A nice menagerie you're getting.

Where do we go from here?

-To Carl Roemer's house.

-All right, Devlin, back it out.

Tommy, bring that car over.

-Right.

-What about your international duet?

-You're still holding Carl Roemer, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-Well, then we must eliminate him before we can proceed.

-What do you expect to find at Roemer's?

-I don't know, Street, but it won't hurt to look.

-I don't like to disturb you, Mrs. Roemer,

but we'll have to look over your husband's workshop.

-Why don't you let Carl come home?

He didn't kill Mr. Dayton.

He was only angry because Mr. Dayton kept his formula.

All he wanted was to frighten him.

-Yeah, well, if that's true, Mrs. Roemer, you

haven't anything to worry about.

He'll be out in a couple days.

-You know that's all Carl did.

Why, the gun wasn't even loaded!

-All we are trying to do is to help your husband, Mrs. Roemer.

Now if you'd allow us to have a look at the room

where he worked?

-We haven't anything to hide.

You can see everything.

My husband is innocent.

Come this way, please.

This is where Carl works.

-Would you like to see Carl today?

-Oh, can I?

-Yes.

You get your hat and coat and we'll take you down.

What are you looking for?

-Sand.

-Sand?

What are you gonna do, build a beach now?

-White sand.

-What's the difference?

-It's used in the manufacture of glass.

-Oh, Mrs. Roemer, I'd like to ask

you a few questions about your husband.

Was he ever mixed up with the officials?

That is, the law?

-Oh no, sir.

-By the way, Mrs. Roemer, where was your husband born?

-He was born here in San Francisco.

-And he's lived here all his life?

-Yes, sir.

-Let's go.

You going with us?

-No, I'm going home.

But if you need me, I'll be there.

-Thanks.

I'll remember that.

Heh.

-No!

-Wha--?

Mr. Wong, of course I want to help in every way possible,

but you've come to the wrong man.

-Sometimes we witness things without being

aware of their importance.

-Are you implying that my eyesight is failing?

-You misinterpret my words as well as my motive.

-I don't think I've misinterpreted your motives.

Just what is it you think I may have seen without being aware

of it?

-The murderer planting the instrument of death.

We know it was planted in Dayton's

office shortly before his death.

-It couldn't have been placed there in my presence.

-There is always that possibility.

You were there that morning.

-So was Meisle.

-That is true.

-I admit that the death of my partner

was very profitable to me.

But outside of that, I can't help you.

The Countess Dubois.

-I'm sorry we have to cut our visit so short.

-I quite understand.

-I'm glad you called, Mr. Wong.

Countess, I'm honored.

-Mr. Wilk, Baron von Krantz.

-How do you do?

-How do you do?

I'm glad you came with the countess.

-My dear Countess, what an unexpected pleasure!

And may I add, looking even more charming

than when I saw you last.

-I regret not recalling the occasion.

-I regret having made so faint an impression.

Surely you remember?

The Argentine ball at the embassy in London?

-Oh, of course, how stupid of me.

But there were so many other celebrities there.

Mr. Wong, Baron von Krantz.

-How do you do?

-How do you do?

-It's still Mr. Wong?

-As yet, I've had no occasion to change my name.

-Are you in a hurry, or will you join us in a cocktail?

-Well, since you insist.

Allow me, Countess.

And are you going to be in San Francisco long, Countess?

-Just a fortnight.

-Really?

Oh, allow me.

-Oh, do you mind?

Baron, may I have one of your cigarettes, please?

Thank you.

-If I may?

No brand.

-I have them especially made for me.

-Hm.

Very pleasing and individual flavor.

A trace of kachina.

-I brought the papers Mr. Wilk wanted from the office.

-Mr. Wilk is engaged at present.

-I'll just leave them in the library.

-I think that'd be all right, sir.

-Pardon me.

-Yes?

-I have the papers.

-All right.

Your health, Countess.

-Thank you.

-Oh, I seem to be just in time.

Mr. Wong.

-Hello.

Countess Dubois, my partner, Mr. Meisle.

-How do you do?

-Mr. Meisle.

-To our better acquaintance, Countess.

-Special delivery letter for you, sir.

-Excuse me.

-Oh, Baron?

Mr. Meisle, Baron von Krantz.

-Oh, I think I have everything arranged as you suggested.

-It's all right, Russell.

You can go now.

-Street speaking.

-This is Christian Wilk.

I've just received a warning my life is in danger.

Come right away.

-Are you home?

-Yes.

-I'll be right out!

Come on.

-Hey, Tommy, 3800 block on Webster, and make it snappy.

-Right.

-Where's Wilk?

-In the library, sir.

-Show us to him.

-Very good, sir.

-Stay at the door.

-OK.

-Mr. Wilk?

The door's locked, sir.

-And you've got a key?

-Yes, sir.

-Well, use it.

-Yes, sir.

Oh!

-Get the doc.

And nobody leaves here.

-Wong, you been here all the time?

-Yes.

I came here to question Wilk, and his guests arrived.

-Any ideas?

-Nothing definite.

-Wilk!

Is he--

-I believe so, making you the sole owner

of the Dayton Chemical Works.

-Are you trying to imply--

-Yes!

Who was the last one with him?

-Uh, Mr. Russell, sir.

Mr. Russell.

-Hm, the office manager.

-Yes, sir?

Mr. Wilk!

-Were you in here with him?

-Y-yes, I was.

-What were you doing?

-I brought some papers.

-Did you kill him?

-Oh, of course not!

No, sir, I did not.

-After Mr. Russell left, I saw Mr. Wilk close these doors

and apparently lock them.

I can vouch for the fact that everyone

here was in the other room.

Why was he in here alone?

I had given him a special delivery letter, sir,

which he brought directly to this room.

That's right, Captain, we all saw that.

He seemed greatly agitated.

-The doc's coming up.

-OK.

See if you can find a letter.

-Nothing on him.

-How are you, Street?

-Hello, Doc.

All right, everybody wait in the next room.

Watch 'em.

Any marks on him?

-Known that I can see.

-Well, what killed him?

-That's up to the coroner, Captain.

-Yeah.

That letter.

-Here you are, Street.

-Hey, Wong.

This letter's from Roemer.

What are we waiting for?

Look here.

Oh, more glass, huh?

-Yes.

And the same texture.

-Yeah.

So what?

So maybe the guy wore earrings.

Come on.

Hold everybody here.

You can't deny writing that letter.

It's your own handwriting.

-No, I don't deny that.

It is my handwriting.

-Why'd you write it?

-I can't tell you.

-How'd you get the letter out of the jail?

-Can't tell you that.

-If you'll take my advice, Carl, you'll

tell the Captain everything you know.

-I can't.

-You're going to talk, Roemer.

If it's a little persuasion you want, you'll get it.

Hello?

Have the DA's office send over a couple of men.

You'll talk, Roemer, if it takes all night.

-If you'll excuse me, Captain, there

are just a few things I'd like to look into.

-Soon as I can find out why he wrote this,

I'll know everything.

-I know.

I'm very sorry, but I can't wait.

-Carl, I know you're innocent.

I'm only trying to help you.

If there's something bothering you

and it's protection you want, I'll

promise you and your family every protection in the world.

-You protected Wilk.

-Look, Roemer, don't you realize if you continue this attitude,

we'll have to indict you for murder?

-Come on, lady, right this way.

-Oh, Carl!

-Grace.

-Wait a minute.

Well, Captain, I got it out of her.

She mailed that letter.

Roemer gave it to her when she visited him yesterday.

She mailed it this morning.

-Ah.

Maybe you'll talk now, Roemer.

Unless you want your wife to go to the gallows with you.

-Oh!

Carl, tell them what they want to know.

You know you're innocent.

-Let her sit down.

-I refuse to be held here any longer.

As attorney for the deceased, I demand

you let me phone the district attorney.

-I'll have to call headquarters.

-I thought I told you not to put any calls through.

Oh.

All right, put him on.

-Listen, Sam, I can't hold this guy Meisle much longer.

He wants to call the DA.

Insists as attorney for the two murdered men, you

can't hold him.

-Wait a minute.

Meisle's hollering for the DA.

Can't I hold him as a material witness?

-Yes, you can.

But if you do, you won't have your job in the morning.

-Look, Devlin, release all of them.

Yeah, let 'em go.

But make 'em go straight home.

Yeah, where I can get a hold of 'em if I want 'em.

I don't care what he says.

He's a suspect and a material witness.

-You can go.

You can all go.

But you gotta go right straight home

and stay there, in case Street wants you.

-Yes, sir.

-Do you think Captain Street will call out the militia

if I see that the Countess has supper?

-Street wants you at your own home, where you can be reached.

-Tell Captain Street that the Countess and I will

be having dinner for the next hour.

-But after that, you'll, uh, be at your own home, Mr. Meisle?

-Yes, but only because I intended

to go there in the first place.

-Take her around to the matron.

-OK, Captain.

Come on, lady.

-You're the toughest nut I've ever had to crack.

Chief.

-Yeah?

-Lady to see you.

-I don't want to see anyone.

-It's the lady.

-I-- oh.

Keep working on him, boys.

Hello, honey.

Did you want to see me?

-I thought we had a date tonight.

-Oh, I'm sorry.

I got-- I got tied up inside.

You know how it is.

-I thought I heard a woman's voice in there.

Who is it?

-Mrs. Roemer.

-Good heavens, not Mrs. Roemer?

Why?

-Oh, nothing.

She just mailed a warning letter that Roemer

smuggled out of jail.

-I suppose that makes her a criminal.

-Yes, it does.

-Oh, she's no more guilty than he is.

-Oh, look, let's don't go into that, Myra.

She's all right.

She's with the matron.

-Sam, can I see her?

Why don't you let me take her to her sister's?

You could find her just as easily there.

-All right, all right.

I'm tired.

I don't care.

Maybe I killed him.

-Maybe you did.

Heh.

Look, honey, phone the matron and tell her

I'm coming down to get Mrs. Roemer.

-No date, huh?

-I'll be back for you later.

-Hello?

Oh, Captain Street?

No.

Nope, Captain Street isn't here.

This is Hawkins with the DA's office.

-This is Theodore Meisle speaking.

Tell Captain Street that I have just

finished dining with the Countess Dubois

and I'm on my way home now.

If Street wants to make anything of it,

he can reach me there in about an hour.

-Everything going all right?

-Yeah.

I'll have her loaded by morning.

-All right, fine.

-Put it away.

Where have you been?

-Well, the police held me.

-Held you for what?

-Now don't tell me you don't know Wilk was killed.

-Wilk, killed?

-Oh, come on, how did you do it?

-I didn't.

-Oh, Anton, don't be so modest.

-You're crazy.

That leaves two of them.

-Two?

Only Meisle.

-And Mr. Wong.

-Wong?

-Yes.

Why do you think I left the place?

He suspects us.

He was here and searched the apartment.

-Here?

How do you know?

-I saw him.

-And you let him get away?

-Yes.

-Why?

-Because we're calling on him tonight.

-Good evening, Mr. Russell.

You've found what you were looking for?

-Yes, I did.

-Would it by any chance have anything

to do with your employer's death?

-Oh, no, of course not.

It's-- it's my contract.

You see, I-- I had a personal contract with Mr. Dayton.

I was afraid his successor may not live up to his terms.

-But why in the dark?

-I was afraid, afraid my life might be in danger.

And tomorrow might be too late.

Uh, you see, I understand the authorities are taking all

of Mr. Dayton's effects tomorrow.

-That's true.

You were very close to your employer, weren't you?

-Oh, very close.

He's more than an employer to me.

He's my best friend.

-Would you really like to help?

-I would, of course.

-Then go home and stay home, and I'll

have one less person to bother about.

-Carl, can't you see this is getting you nowhere?

That you'll have to tell us what you know eventually?

Your turn, Captain.

-Listen, Roemer, you know who killed Dayton and Wilk.

But what's more important, I know you know it.

Now you may think you're saving that measly neck of yours

by not talking, but you're not.

Many a man has swung for knowing less than you do.

-My wife.

She's safe at her sister's?

You're not lying to me?

-No, we're not lying.

She's at your sister's.

-You want the name of the murderer?

-Yes, Carl, yes!

-You must be very careful.

Take no chances.

He's a very cunning and desperate man.

He'll stop at nothing.

Who is it?

We'll take every precaution, but who's the man?

-It means my life if you fail.

-We'll not fail.

We'll get him before he can strike again.

-The man who murdered Simon Dayton and Christian Wilk

is-- Theodore Meisle.

-How do you know?

-I was working at his house one day

and I heard him talking to someone.

And he said, Wilk fades out of the picture

just 56 hours after Dayton.

I didn't think anything of it at the time,

but after Mr. Dayton was killed, I got thinking,

and a cold chill went down my back.

That's why I sent the warning letter to Mr. Wilk.

-Meisle.

I knew it!

Get the boys.

Two cars, tear gas, the whole Works.

-Right!

-You two men stay here and protect Carl.

Get him anything he wants from the kitchen.

Send in and get the radio from the matron's room.

I knew I'd crack this case.

Would you like to come along and see me pinch a murderer?

-I should be delighted.

-Follow me.

-Well, that was a tough one.

-All right, men.

515 Marsden Square, and no slip-ups.

-All right, Harry, take the back.

Devlin, take that side.

-Cap!

Somebody out cold in there!

-Break in.

-Meisle.

Well, he found out the house was surrounded

and took the easy way out.

-All right, Devlin, call headquarters.

One of you men stay here till the doctor gets here.

The rest of you, search the house.

Seems kind of useless, though.

This man's obviously taken his own life.

-Yes, and with the same weapon.

-Why not?

He knew it was fast and he knew it was sure.

-Yes, it's very fast and it's very sure.

-You know, I hated to work on poor little Roemer the way

I did, but it was the only way I could crack the case.

-And just what happens to Roemer now?

-We'll let him go.

-No good reason to hold him any longer.

I wonder if you'd bring him to my house on the way.

-Why?

-Well, he'll talk more freely now,

and I think we should know a little bit more about Meisle.

-Yeah, that's OK.

Oh, say, Wong-- I've got a date.

You mind if I bring Myra along?

She's down at the station waiting for me.

-Delighted.

It's my servant's day out but I think we can have some tea.

-Yeah, tea, that's great.

If we'd used our beans, we'd have

figured this out a long time ago.

I'll be right with you, Myra.

Let him go and make out the report.

Those DA men are gone?

Phone their office and explain that to them.

And get a hold of the newspapers.

I don't want this story gummed up.

Sorry, Myra, I was held up.

-Did they get your watch and money?

-No, I mean I was delayed.

-You're telling me.

-Look, it may not seem of any importance to you,

but I just solved the murder case.

-Hooray!

-It was Meisle.

-Meisle?

-Yeah.

I knew Roemer was innocent all the time,

only I had to get a few facts out of him.

I can't tell you everything.

-You're wonderful.

Are you going to release Roemer now?

-Yeah.

-Oh, sweet.

-There's, uh-- well, there's a few questions

we've got to ask him.

-Goodbye.

-No, Myra, not me.

Wong's going to question him.

-We're going to Wong's?

-Yeah.

-Aw, darling.

-Well, this must be Mr. Lescari.

I don't think we've met before.

How do you do?

And the Baron.

I'm so sorry my servant wasn't here to let you in.

Good evening, Countess.

Really, your presence in my poor house

gives me more honor than I can reasonably bear.

-Let the phone alone.

-My dear Baron, I was only going to turn on the light.

Is there any reason why we should have no light?

That's better.

Do sit down.

-You sit down.

-With your permission, Countess?

Ahhh.

Well, this looks like quite an evening.

-Talk, Wong, and talk fast.

Why have you been trailing us?

-Trailing you?

-Yes.

You were in my apartment tonight.

-Your apartment?

-I saw you.

What did you take off my desk?

-"Mr. Anton Mohl's Blotter."

You are Mr. Anton Mohl, aren't you?

-What of it?

What's your interest in us?

-I was called in on the Dayton case.

-What has that got to do with us?

-Well, it seems fairly simple.

You tried to stop the shipment of some poison gas

to the enemies or your country.

-Well?

The next move, of course, was to obtain possession

of the formula from the four men who owned it.

You tried to kidnap Mr. Dayton.

I remember your face in spite of the fog, Lescari.

-Let's let him have it!

-No.

-And the next morning, Mr. Dayton was found murdered.

Am I right so far?

I see by your faces that I am.

Very gratifying.

You know, in my country a teller of tales asks no final reward.

-This isn't getting us anywhere.

-You then turned to the most dangerous

of all deadly weapons-- a beautiful woman.

And I must say that Miss Petroff played her part to perfection.

-Cut the compliments.

-But in spite of all your efforts

you still appear to be without the formula.

-Because you've got it.

I'll give you exactly four minutes to hand it over.

-But I assure you that I haven't the formula.

-You've wasted a half a minute already.

-You drive a very hard bargain, Mr. Mohl.

I have no choice but to accept.

This glass ball contains a concentration of the poison gas

you're looking for.

-What do we care?

Where's the formula?

-The formula is of no use to you unless you

understand its operation.

-Cut it out!

-You've destroyed us all.

-Oh!

-Don't move, anyone!

The slightest exertion will kill you instantly.

This room is filled with poison gas.

Invisible, colorless, swift.

It's in your lungs, seeping into your bloodstream.

-No!

-There's no escape.

Soon, you-- you'll feel a sensation of choking,

of tingling in your fingers, paralysis of your limbs.

No pain.

And icy numbness flowing through your veins

and gnawing at your brain, just as the poison

reaches the heart.

And then-- then the sleep of everlasting death.

Let's get out of here!

-Stay where you are!

Now face the other way, please.

Wong!

-Come in.

Just in time, Street.

-But not for tea, I guess.

Oh, the Countess.

-Allow me to present the Countess Dubois.

Miss Olga Petroff, originally Ms. Sophie Dome of Brooklyn.

Captain Anton Mohl, who has been cashiered

from at least three armies.

And our good friend Lescari, who was born-- well,

was born without a conscience.

-Are they mixed up in this?

-Only indirectly.

In this particular case, they haven't killed anyone.

But I assure you, they gave me a most uncomfortable, uh,

four minutes.

If you'll call your men, please?

-All right, over there.

-I congratulate you on your exoneration, Mr. Roemer.

-Thank you.

Devlin, pick up at Wong's, and make it snappy.

-So nice to see you again, Miss Ross.

Now Mr. Roemer, I know how anxious

you must be to get home, but there's a small service

that you can do me, if you will.

-With pleasure.

-Oh!

I have the photographs of our three friends

here, with a long list of the crimes for which they are

wanted by the federal government.

Now Mr. Roemer, there is one small point

that I can't seem to get quite clear.

Of course, it is obvious the suicide of Meisle

clearly establishes the identity of the murderer.

But we have yet to determine the method that he used.

Now you no doubt have experimented from time to time,

as we all have, with vibrations of sound,

and used those vibrations to shatter

tubes or globes of glass.

But Meisle went a step further.

He filled the glass globe with your poison gas,

then made use of some form of sound

that he could control from a safe distance.

So all he had to do was to plant the globe in his victim's

quarters and await an opportunity to explode it.

I think it is more than likely that he was preparing to take

the life of one of us, but accidentally he

destroyed himself.

I'm sorry to spoil your theory of suicide, Street.

Now I am positive that this globe is

identical with the globes that were used in the murders.

I have destroyed two or three myself in my own experiments

with various forms of sound, but not

when it was filled with gas, as this one is.

So tonight, if you will help me, I'm going to try radio.

I have a sending set.

If it succeeds, all we have to do

is to look for one in Meisle's home.

Needless to say, we'll operate it from an adjoining room.

But I assure you, there's enough poison in this--

Oh, excuse me.

Your carriage approaches.

So sorry you can't stay.

When you're at liberty, do call again.

-Sam!

-Watch that!

-Please don't be alarmed.

That one, too, is empty.

-All right, Devlin, cuff him and take him away.

-Don't forget you have another passenger, Street.

-Yeah.

Roemer, too.

-So you always arranged to have your victims call the police

themselves, and the sound of the siren exploded the globe.

Clever.

Very clever, Roemer.

-Well, let's start moving.

That goes for you too, sister.

Move 'em right along, Charley.

-Well, that's off the slate.

I knew it all the time, it was Roemer.

I hope you're convinced.

-Oh, I am, thanks to Mr. Wong.

-Oh, thank you.

-Very clever, but I don't see how you figured out--

-Look, Myra, Mr. Wong is tired and I'm tired,

and we have a date.

-Oh, have we?

-Yes, for supper and a show.

-Oh, so nice of you to remind me at midnight.

We'll probably wind up in a lunch-wagon.

-Well, you knew what you were doing when you started

running around with a detective.

-Oh, you admit it?

-What?

-That you're a detective.

Good night, Mr. Wong.

I do hope we meet again sometime.

-Good night, Miss Ross.

-Good night, Wong.

That's a fine crack to make in front of Mr. Wong.

-Oh, Sam, don't act so silly.

-Lovebirds.

All the time, too much music.

Have a nice day?

-A very nice day.

-You like something to eat?

Chicken noodle?

-No.

-Pork chop?

-No.

-What would you like?

-Just a cup of tea.