Original subtitles

( noirish jazz theme playing )

Well, I'll tell you bluntly, Dick,

you haven't the ghost of a chance

of getting the estate money before the three years are up.

I went over the whole thing again

with the trustees this morning.

Yeah, I kind of thought so.

Just how bad is it?

You know how it must be bad if I come to you.

My mother needs care, Everett.

She needs that sanitarium and a series of operations.

It'll cost $15,000.

Well... I wish I'd been able

to get a better settlement on that accident.

But I did the best I could.

I know you did.

There was never any question about that.

Thanks, Ev.

Uh, Dick.

Things have been pretty good with me lately.

Nothing sensational, but...

Well, my practice has been looking up and...

Well, I'm making an important step soon, so...

That's wonderful, Ev, I...

Are you suggesting that you'll lend me the money?

Well, you see, I'd like to think

that if I ever got in a jam

someone would come along and want to help me out.

Thanks, Everett.

Come to the house tonight.

Fine.

Eight thirty will be all right?

You better make it 9.

Nine o'clock. Right.

( intercom buzzes )

( door closes )

Yes, Miss Winslow.

( woman speaking indistinctly )

I told you I do not want to talk to Miss Austin!

( phone bangs )

( dramatic theme playing )

( ringing )

Hello.

( man speaking indistinctly )

Helen Austin?

No, she's out of her mind. No, I...

Kill herself.

All right. All right. I'll be there in a few minutes.

( dramatic theme playing )

( engine starts)

Everett? What happened?

It's Helen Austin. My lights aren't working.

It was an accident!

It's her head.

She's dead.

( dramatic theme playing )

I got this phone call from the bartender at the Oasis Inn

that she was threatening to kill herself,

and I'd better get right over there.

Who is she, Everett?

Her name is Austin. Helen Austin.

I've been going out with her until just recently.

Oh, Dick, I'm in trouble.

Why? It was an accident, you said.

My fiancée, her family...

I promised them I wouldn't see Helen anymore

they'll never believe she wasn't here visiting me.

Oh, what a mess! My career,

my whole future ruined by a crazy thing like this.

Ev. What?

I'll take care of this for you.

What? I'll put her in my car.

I'll take her to a street away from here.

Then I'll call the police and...

I'll tell them I was driving by and saw her on the pavement.

DICK: A hit and run accident.

You'd do that for me?

You were going to give me $15,000 just out of friendship.

It won't work, Dick. Well, the car...

You know how the police can prove a car was in an accident.

All right. You put it in your garage until tomorrow morning.

Then you take it to the outskirts of town

and you run it into a telephone pole.

When the garage fixes it,

there won't be any evidence left.

But-- Look, I know, legally,

it isn't right.

But nothing and nobody will be hurt

by doing it this way.

Well, it-- It was an accident.

All right.

I've got your money here too. In cash.

A-And Dick...

And look, I want you to know if anything goes wrong,

when it comes right down to it, I'll make a clean breast

of the whole thing. I'll tell what really happened.

Nothing's going to go wrong.

( mysterious theme playing )

( men speaking indistinctly over radio )

Coming east.

Time, 9:17.

Saw the body lying in the street?

Yeah.

No other cars observed on scene.

You immediately called the precinct.

That's right.

You didn't touch her? Just to see if she was dead.

Okay, Mr. Hammond.

If we need anything else, we'll get in touch.

All right, officer.

( sirens approaching )

( car doors closing )

( dramatic theme playing )

Richard Hammond? Yes.

It's a good thing you put in the alarm when you did.

( mysterious theme playing )

( garage door opens )

( suspenseful theme playing )

Seems there was little damage done.

FIREMAN: Neither one of the cars was burned.

( woman speaking indistinctly )

Hello, this is Richard Hammond.

I wanna talk to Everett Dorrell.

Oh.

Oh, never mind. Tell him I'll see him in his office.

Is he in? Good morning, Mr. Hammond.

Do you mean is Mr. Dorrell in?

No, he isn't.

Uh, may I take a message?

This is personal. Now where is he?

Well, I believe he's in court.

You may wait here if you'd like.

No, thanks. I'll go to the Hall of Justice.

What courtroom is he in?

I'm sorry,

I can't tell you that, Mr. Hammond.

I do suggest--

Is he avoiding me?

( exhales )

Oh, excuse me. Just a second.

Mr. Hammond, Mr. Richard Hammond, isn't it?

Yes?

I'm Clara Thorpe.

I lived with Helen Austin, I'm her aunt.

I'm glad I caught you.

Oh, excuse me.

Just a second, Mr. Hammond.

How do you know who I am? Oh.

I know you all right.

What is it? What do you want?

I want that $15,000.

What $15,000?

The money Helen took with her

when she left the apartment last night.

THORPE: They say you found her on the street when that car hit her.

Well, the 15,000 was gone.

So I want it back.

How did you know about the $15,000?

I told you, I'm her aunt.

Oh, no.

I mean the 15--

Who put you up to this?

What about the money? Are you going to turn it over?

No.

Okay,

if that's the way you want it.

What am I to think?

I find Dorrell's car, the one that was in the accident,

in my garage.

Somebody sets fire to the place,

they call the fire department using my name,

and the fire's put out

just in time to call attention to both cars.

Then there's this Clara Thorpe woman.

How'd she know about the $15,000?

The exact amount that Everett gave me in cash.

Unless he told her about it and is...

using her to get the money back?

Then you do believe your lawyer friend is double-crossing you.

Why can't I reach him?

Why is he avoiding me?

Mr. Hammond,

if the situation is as you put it,

your position, both morally and legally,

is indefensible. Yes, I know.

You understand the authorities

will have to be apprised of what you've told me?

Yes, I understand that.

Maybe there are no mitigating circumstances in law,

but there are in my life.

When I looked at Everett, with the dead woman lying there...

There was just nothing else to do,

except offer to to do what I did for him.

If you hadn't offered, do you think

he would've suggested it?

I don't know.

But he did have the 15,000 in cash

to give you right then? Yes.

Was your need for the money vital, Mr. Hammond?

About a year and a half ago my mother and sister

were in an automobile accident.

My sister was killed.

My mother's a hopeless invalid,

in need of constant care.

The accident involving your mother,

did Dorrell handle the legal part of it?

Yes.

The other car was driven by some woman.

Apparently there was carelessness on both sides.

I always thought that Everett did the best he could,

but it didn't have much result.

Mr. Mason,

will you represent me?

Yes. I'll look into it.

( phone ringing )

Yes, Gertie?

( Gertie speaking indistinctly )

Thank you. She still can't reach Everett Dorrell.

But she did find out he is not in court today.

Now you see?

Please keep trying to reach him, Della.

Get hold of Paul Drake.

I want him to check on Mr. Everett Dorrell.

He is our new neighbor down the hall, isn't he?

Mm-hm.

I'd like to know about his romance with Helen Austin,

or any other of his romances.

Tell Paul to look into that telephone call

from the bartender at the Oasis Inn.

All right.

What do you want me to do, Mr. Mason?

You have that, uh, $15,000 with you?

No sir. It's at home.

Then we'll go to your home.

What for? Because you left the money there

and because you're vulnerable.

( mysterious theme playing )

( car doors close )

MASON: Lieutenant.

Perry.

You Mr. Hammond?

Yes. I'm Richard Hammond. Lieutenant Tragg. Homicide.

TRAGG: I understand you had a fire here this morning.

Did you say homicide?

Yes, I did.

Uh, personal friend, Mr. Hammond?

As a matter of fact, no, lieutenant,

but we're not here on a matter involving homicide,

at least not that we know of.

But you suspect.

Can we go in, Mr. Hammond?

A moment, lieutenant, what brings you here?

Well, the same thing that brings you here, Perry.

What's that? The strange coincidence

of Mr. Hammond reporting a hit-run accident last night,

his own garage set on fire this morning,

and a missing $15,000 from the accident victim.

Get an anonymous tip on the money, lieutenant?

Anonymous? No.

It came from a Miss Clara Thorpe,

the dead girl's aunt.

Do you have an autopsy report yet?

I expect it by the time I get back downtown.

Then you just suspect murder?

I guess I'm the gloomy type.

Well, let's have a look inside, eh, Mr. Hammond?

I hate to be technical, lieutenant,

but you'll need a search warrant.

Oh, I'm glad you mentioned that.

Mr. Hammond?

Oh, I understand that the fire did practically no damage.

Yes. That's right.

You ever see that, uh, dead woman before, Hammond?

( phone ringing ) No.

( phone continues ringing )

Hello.

( woman speaking indistinctly )

Yes, he is.

It's your secretary, Mr. Mason.

Thanks.

Hello.

Uh, Mr. Everett Dorrell is in his office.

He said it would be a privilege to talk to you.

No, no we didn't reach him,

he called us. I had left word.

All right, Della. Thanks.

Now, Perry, are we going to have to do it the hard way,

or is Mr. Hammond going to produce the $15,000?

Why don't you ask Mr. Hammond, lieutenant?

There's $15,000 in the strong box

in the top desk drawer.

Take a look in the garage, sergeant.

Mr. Hammond, you'll have to come downtown with me.

A tremendous amount of bad publicity

can come out of this, Everett.

I think it's safe to say that

if you are associated with it in any way,

your career, at least in our circle,

would be finished before it really got started.

But Mr. Claridge, they've arrested Richard.

They haven't arrested him. They're questioning him.

But I promised to make a clean breast of the whole thing

if he got into trouble.

What do you mean a clean breast of it, Ev?

Would you tell all about Helen Austin?

Well, yes. Of course.

All?

Everett, I don't want to be oppressive about this.

I believe it's something you have

to make up your own mind about.

But you're inviting Barbara and me along

on your confession with it's attendant horrors.

Frankly, I don't know if we'll go along.

An ultimatum, Mr. Claridge?

I've already called Perry Mason's office.

Mason will crucify you.

Barbara, how can I renege on my word?

Do you think you will solve this Richard Hammond's problems

by confessing your part?

But I can help him.

Well, anyway, Dick will talk. He'll involve me.

You can deny whatever he says.

It's your word against his or...

Can he prove anything?

I don't know.

No, I guess not.

I can understand your sense of honor, Everett,

why you want to tell the truth now.

It was embarrassing in the first place.

Now the whole mess is being compounded.

That's right.

And I can understand Dad's position.

He has certain standards to maintain.

Oh, I know it isn't fashionable to be so concerned

with how things look, what people think...

Yet scandal to him isn't fashionable either.

What about you, Barbara?

What do you think?

Everett, I don't think you and I ought to put

the burden of decision on Barbara.

CLARIDGE: I certainly won't.

Barbara will do as I say,

and I think you know how I feel.

( intercom buzzes )

Yes?

MISS WINSLOW: Mr. Perry Mason to see Mr. Dorrell.

Miss Winslow,

I have nothing to say to Mr. Mason.

Miss Winslow,

would you please tell Mr. Dorrell

that he has a choice. He can talk with me now,

or later from the witness stand.

( click )

He heard you, Mr. Mason.

( door opens )

Mr. Mason?

Forgive Everett's apparent rudeness,

but since he is not involved in Hammond's difficulties,

there is little to discuss.

Who are you, sir?

I'm Marvin Claridge.

Everett's prospective father-in-law.

Are you also his advisor?

When necessary, Mr. Mason.

When necessary.

CLARIDGE: Good day, sir.

( ominous theme playing )

Hm.

( door closes )

So Helen Austin wasn't at the Oasis Inn last night,

and there was no telephone call from the bartender.

Nope. Oh, I checked the romance

between Everett Dorrell and Helen Austin.

According to Richard Hammond,

Dorrell had broken off with her.

He had.

Helen Austin worked as a receptionist

at the Claridge Land Company's main office on Wilshire.

Now, apparently Dorrell met Barbara Claridge

through calling for Helen at work.

Barbara is the daughter of Marvin Claridge,

chairman of the board. Very dignified Brentwood society.

Better check on this Barbara Claridge, Paul.

All right. Oh, one other thing.

My man at headquarters

called not ten minutes ago with the news

that Dorrell categorically denies

giving Hammond $15,000. And the car?

The lab boys are going over it now.

It's Dorrell's car, he said he loaned it

to Hammond earlier yesterday.

Find out what happened to the lights on that car, Paul.

Dig into the dead girl's past, and dig deep.

Get me all the information you can on the accident

involving Hammond's mother and sister

18 months ago.

As though it were a murder case, Perry?

Just as though.

I'll talk to you later. Okay.

Clara Thorpe to see you.

Remember? Helen Austin's aunt.

Bring her in, Della.

Miss Thorpe.

How do you do, Miss Thorpe?

Won't you sit down? Oh, well.

Thank you.

Now, how can I help you?

Well, just so's you understand that I understand,

I know you represent this Richard Hammond.

It's in the afternoon papers.

Actually I was on my way here

when I ran into him in the hall a while ago.

And I know he's probably told you

about Helen's $15,000,

and how I wanted him to hand it back.

Yes, he's told me.

All I want is my rights.

I'm the last and only heir

of my late sister's only child.

I'm referring to Helen.

Her marriage is all dissolved and all

so I want that money.

THORPE: So how much will you charge me

to handle it? And how soon can I get the money?

I'm very ignorant about these things.

Suppose you tell me about that money, Miss Thorpe?

Where did Helen get it?

Why, I don't know.

Well, you said she had it with her

when she left your apartment last night.

I did?

Did you actually see the money?

What's that got to do with what I asked you?

What are after, Miss Thorpe?

I told you.

You didn't come here to engage me as your attorney.

I didn't?

Why did I come here, then?

I suspect to find out how much I know about you, Helen Austin,

and the accident?

Wrong, Mason.

Then it's the money you're after,

and you wanted to tell me something.

That's right, Mason.

I already told you half.

I understood the reference to Helen Austin's divorce.

How long ago was it?

More than a year ago.

After she met Everett Dorrell.

Where is her former husband living?

South Vermont 2243, apartment H.

What's his name? Hill. Alex Hill.

Now suppose you tell me

where that $15,000 came from.

Mason, if I knew that

perhaps I could find another 15,000

in the same place.

I don't know.

That's why I'm here.

I'm trying to get you to lead me to it.

( door closes )

Well, Perry?

Well?

What are you going to do?

I'm going to help her.

( dramatic theme playing )

Hello, Mr. Hill.

Mason, isn't it? Perry Mason?

Uh, I've been reading.

Uh, times are a little tough lately.

I haven't worked for four months.

You got a cigarette?

I'm sorry to hear that.

Thanks.

Thank you. That's an attractive lighter.

I don't know if I've seen one like it. May I?

Solid gold. Custom made.

Beautiful.

Perhaps you know why I'm here, Mr. Hill.

Sure, about Helen.

Tell me about her.

Uh, what do you wanna know?

I know almost everything about her.

I was married to her for almost four years.

But the only thing I didn't know was

who the guys were she was cheating on me with.

Was one of them Everett Dorrell?

Who?

Oh, the lawyer who handled her divorce.

I don't know, probably.

How could Helen have come by

$15,000, Mr. Hill?

I can't imagine how, Mason,

unless one of her men gave it to her.

Why?

She was said to have had that much money in cash

on her last night at the time of the accident.

And she didn't? No.

How long has it been since you've seen her, Mr. Hill?

Not since the divorce, Mason.

I have absolutely no interest in her

alive or dead.

That's a beautiful shirt.

Oh, you like it?

Silk, isn't it? And, uh, that neck tie...

The tie cost 17.50.

I like nice things, Mason.

I'll go without lunches

to buy a good pair of shoes.

And without cigarettes to buy a gold lighter?

( mysterious theme playing )

( door closes )

All right, lieutenant,

do it as a favor for yourself.

If he finds out you're going to go over that driveway

with a vacuum cleaner,

he may wanna do something about it.

Mr. Dorrell, didn't Sergeant Holcomb call you and tell you

that we were going to vacuum this driveway in the morning

for traces of glass and blood?

You're Perry Mason.

It was a trap.

It seems to have worked.

Well, I think--

I think we'd be more comfortable inside.

So it might've happened right here.

You see Dick came by to ask me for a favor.

He needed money.

Also, he wanted to borrow my car.

What time was this?

About 9:00.

What I figured, after your sergeant called,

was that Helen was calling here,

and he might've had the accident here in my car.

Well, that would've involved me, so...

Well, I thought it best to hose down the driveway.

Tampering with evidence.

As an attorney, you know better than that.

As an attorney, he knows better than to continue lying too.

I resent that. You're deliberately

involving a man, a friend, in a hit and run manslaughter case

of which you're guilty. That's not true.

Hammond said that--

What did he say, lieutenant?

Didn't he give you his story?

He said he came here to get the $15,000

that Dorrell promised to lend him.

That he drove up and found you

right after you hit the woman.

No!

Not true, Dorrell?

No.

Not true that you told Hammond you'd got a telephone call,

that the headlights on your car were suddenly not working,

that you struck Helen Austin

because you couldn't see as you drove down the driveway?

No. Not true.

Why would Hammond borrow your car

when he had his own, Dorrell?

Well, he didn't have his own.

He said it wasn't working.

Didn't you help him put Helen Austin's body in his car?

No.

Did you know the police found bloodstains

on the cushions of Hammond's car,

bloodstains that match

the dead woman's? No, I didn't.

Or that they did not find any bloodstains in your car?

MASON: When Hammond drove the body to a deserted street

and called the police, according to their report,

his car was described

by make and license on the officer's report.

Now, why would Hammond borrow your car

and then drive his own car?

All right.

I killed her.

But I couldn't see, the car lights were out.

I did make the deal with Hammond.

And you gave him the 15,000 in cash?

No. I don't know why he said that.

I didn't give him any money. I promised to.

All right, lieutenant.

I expect you'll drop the charges

against Hammond now.

You mean the charges now against him?

Oh, probably will, yes.

Since we're going to prefer others.

What others? Murder.

Against Hammond? That's right. First degree.

You see, the girl wasn't killed on Dorrell's driveway at all.

She had been dead for at least a half an hour

when Dorrell's car hit her.

MASON: How do you connect Hammond with that?

TRAGG: Well, take that telephone call that Dorrell got

from a supposed bartender.

Now that was a phony, wasn't it?

Yes.

Well, I figure Richard Hammond made it.

At five minutes to nine, Mason.

When he had an appointment with Dorrell here for 9:00,

and he knew Dorrell would be here.

You mean you think Hammond killed the girl,

and then deliberately set out to make it look like

Dorrell had killed her by accident?

TRAGG: Why sure.

He tampered with the lights. Hid behind the bushes,

waited for Dorrell's car to come along,

threw the body in front of it,

ran to the street, got into his own car,

drove up the driveway,

and made out to be shocked to discover his friend Dorrell

standing over the dead woman.

MASON: But why, lieutenant?

Where is the motive for murder?

How do you connect him up with the dead woman?

That woman was the driver of the car which,

a year and a half ago, killed his sister

and put his mother in a sanitarium.

I think Hamilton Burger

is going to ask for a quick hearing.

( suspense theme playing )

Counselor.

Death as a result of a severe blow on the head

by some heavy object.

Some 30 minutes before the injuries sustained

by the impact of the car.

I see.

Now, doctor, I ask you if this stone

used as a weapon could have been the cause of death.

Yes sir, it could.

Thank you, doctor.

Your witness.

MASON: No questions.

Seventy-five feet from the corner

of Sutton and Windsor on Windsor.

I took the name and address of the citizen,

and checked the ownership and license

of the car he was driving.

And what was the name of the person

who reported what he called

quote, "apparently a hit-run case," unquote?

Richard Hammond.

Do you see Richard Hammond in this courtroom today?

OFFICER: Yes, sir. That's him, the defendant.

Thank you, officer.

Your witness.

No questions.

Eighteen months ago, I don't know the exact date,

but it was just a few days after the accident.

I was visiting with Helen

when this Mr. Richard Hammond came into the hospital room.

I guess he didn't notice me,

but I noticed him all right.

And did Richard Hammond see Helen Austin, the deceased?

Yes, he did.

And his attorney.

And they talked with her.

They were trying to find out

whose fault the accident was.

What accident are you referring to, Miss Thorpe?

The one which killed Mr. Hammond's sister,

seriously injured his mother,

and sent my niece, Helen Austin,

the driver of the other car, to the hospital.

So Helen Austin saw and talked to

the defendant, Richard Hammond?

Yes, sir.

I see.

Now, Miss Thorpe, would you please tell this court

what took place on the evening of November 18th of this year?

That's the night of the murder.

Well, I got home from work a little late that night.

I had dinner out.

Helen was on the phone. She hung up when I came in,

took her coat to go out.

I said "Where you going?" She said,

"Got a date." I said, "Who?"

And she answered,

"Somebody with $15,000 for me."

Really? What time of the evening was this, Miss Thorpe?

About 7:30.

I see.

I think that'll be all, Miss Thorpe.

Thank you very much. Your witness.

Miss Thorpe, did you see $15,000

in the possession of the decedent?

No, sir. But she said she was going to pick it up.

She left the apartment at 7:30.

She wasn't killed until 9,

so she must have had it.

Did she usually pick up amounts like that from her "dates"?

I don't know.

Do you have an inkling of who the person was

she expected to get the money from?

No sir. And don't you misunderstand me.

I didn't say anybody did give her money.

Was she very secretive about her "dates"?

Sometimes. Most of the time, actually.

The only date I ever knew

was this, uh, Everett Dorrell.

That was real steady for a while.

Then it stopped.

Did she ever, uh, mention anyone else?

Any other men's names? Like who?

Oh, Alexander Hill, perhaps?

Oh yeah. Well, yes.

( giggles )

Did she see him after their divorce?

Not that I know about.

She was married at the time of the accident,

eighteen months ago, was she not?

At the time of the ac--?

Yes, she was.

Under what name was she registered at the hospital?

Mrs. Alexander Hill.

What was the physical appearance

of the decedent at that time?

Oh, she was all covered with bandages.

Her face too? Oh, yes.

So the defendant then came to the hospital

and talked with Mrs. Alexander Hill,

a woman whose face he could not see?

That's all, Miss Thorpe.

BURGER: I call Lieutenant Arthur Tragg, please.

And what were the results of the tests

on the bloodstains, lieutenant?

The traces on the seat cushion and the rug

in Mr. Hammond's car

were the same blood type as the decedent's.

I see.

I show you now this stone,

which has been identified as a possible lethal weapon,

and I ask if you recognize it.

Yes, sir. That has my mark on it.

It is the murder weapon.

Traces of, uh, blood and hair from decedent

were found on it.

And would you tell this court, please,

where the murder weapon was found.

In a vacant lot behind Mr. Hammond's home.

BURGER: Now lieutenant, on the morning after the murder,

what did you find in Mr. Hammond's home?

TRAGG: In a strong box, cash in the amount of $15,000.

That's interesting.

I think that'll be all, lieutenant. Thank you.

Cross-examine.

Lieutenant,

has it been established, uh,

or determined where the murder of Helen Austin took place?

No, no sir.

Was the driveway at Mr. Everett Dorrell's home

examined for evidence of the murder?

I object to that, Your Honor.

That's incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial.

It's also improper cross-examination

in that it deals with matters not touched on in direct.

Mr. Mason?

Your Honor,

in view of the statement that the place of the murder

has not yet been established,

and knowing that the police

made a thorough examination of this driveway,

we want to know whether

has been found and suppressed,

because that would enable us to show bias

in the part of this witness.

Objection overruled. Proceed, Mr. Mason.

MASON: I am not going to pursue this matter

at the present time, Your Honor.

It seems clear to me that the district attorney

has deliberately ignored certain aspects of the case.

Defense is going to wait to see what transpires.

Well, counsel won't have very long to wait, Your Honor.

BURGER: The prosecution believes that for purposes

of this preliminary hearing,

it has proved a murder,

and overwhelmingly illustrated the probable

guilt of the defendant.

Therefore Your Honor, the State rests.

JUDGE: Mr. Mason,

it seems to the court that the prosecution

is entitled to an order binding the defendant

over to trial. If the court please,

counsel realizes the defense

doesn't usually put on its case at this time,

but the unusual aspects of this case

would seem to make it an advantage

rather than a disadvantage.

JUDGE: Then you want to put on a defense, Mr. Mason?

Yes, Your Honor.

But since we did not anticipate the State resting so early,

defense asks for an adjournment until tomorrow morning.

So ordered.

This court will recess until 9:30 tomorrow morning.

I can't understand why Dorrell wasn't in court.

He should've been a principal witness for the prosecution.

Della, see that subpoenas are issued for Dorrell,

Barbara Claridge,

Marvin Claridge,

and Mr. Alexander Hill.

( dramatic theme playing )

You may be seated.

( clears throat )

People v. Hammond.

Are you ready to present the case

for the defense, Mr. Mason?

Yes, Your Honor.

I call Everett Dorrell to the stand.

Mr. Dorrell, do you know the defendant in this case,

Richard Hammond? Yes.

Did you make an arrangement with Mr. Hammond

on the night of Wednesday, November 18th,

the night of the murder?

Yes.

What was Mr. Hammond obligated to do?

He was to remove the body of Helen Austin

to a side street,

call the police and report her death as a hit-run accident.

MASON: Where was the body?

DORRELL: On the driveway.

MASON: Please be more explicit.

Under the bumper,

on the pavement near the wheel.

The car had struck her.

Is that what you want me to say?

I want you to answer the questions.

Now in return for Mr. Hammond doing this service for you,

what were you going to do for him?

Lend him $15,000.

But I-- Thank you.

Cross-examine.

Mr. Dorrell, did you give or lend the defendant $15, 000?

No, sir.

And about five minutes to 9 on the night of the murder,

did you receive a phone call which caused you--

Objection, Your Honor.

Incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial,

and improper questioning

in that it takes up matters not part

of the direct examination. Sustained.

Mr. Dorrell,

did you have an appointment at 9:00

on the night of the murder with the defendant at your house--

Objection Your Honor, on the same grounds.

Your Honor, these questions are certainly

germane to the issues in this case.

Your Honor, the prosecution had the opportunity

of bringing out all these germane issues

when it presented its case.

The prosecution chose not to do so.

JUDGE: Sustained. Mr. Burger,

you will confine yourself to proper cross-examination.

Very well, I have no further questions

of the witness at this time.

I will bring out what I want to bring out on rebuttal.

That would be when the defense is finished with its case.

Naturally, Mr. Mason.

I, uh, call Mr. Alexander Hill.

MAN: Alexander Hill take the stand, please.

JUDGE: You may step down.

Well, it's been more than a few months

I've been out of work.

More than a few months.

How long has it been, Mr. Hill?

A few years.

Do you recall my visit to your apartment?

Yes, sir.

Will you tell this court

how much your cigarette lighter cost?

Oh. It was a gift.

Would you tell this court what you were wearing?

You mean the silk shirt and tie?

Were they also a gift?

No. I bought them.

I have here a record of Miss Austin's

bank deposits and withdrawals.

The items I am referring to

go back almost a year and a half.

On or about the first of each month

there is a bank deposit of $2000.

Can you put any light on this for the court?

No.

On or about the third of each month,

there is a record of a bank withdrawal

of $1000. Can you tell the court anything about this?

No, no.

MASON: I think we better examine your position,

Mr. Hill.

You have not been gainfully employed for several years,

you wear very expensive clothes,

your former wife had a secret source of income,

yet you cannot tell this court anything about any of this?

Your Honor, I object.

Mr. Mason is cross-examining his own witness.

I've refrained from objecting up to now,

but I think this has gone far enough.

Mr. Burger,

the court is interested in this man's method of support.

He seems to have found a magic way of life.

If he can tell me the secret,

and it isn't illegal in some form,

I might like to try it myself.

JUDGE: You can answer that question, Mr. Hill

where do you get your money?

Helen gave it to me.

I think you'd better explain that, sir.

I knew that Helen was seeing other men,

but I never knew who.

She was very tricky about that.

Now, that accident she had

when her car cracked up and she killed that girl

and hurt the mother?

She wasn't alone in that car.

I could tell the way she tried to cover up.

She was covering up for someone who was with her

in the car at that time?

Sure. That's how she got the 2000 every month.

MASON: And your one thousand?

She gave it to me because...

Well, to keep me quiet.

Who was the man?

I don't know,

but the only man I ever found out she was seeing was

Mr. Everett Dorrell.

MASON: Thank you, Mr. Hill.

Cross-examine.

I have no questions of this witness, Your Honor.

But in view of his testimony,

if the defense has no objection,

I would like to interrupt his case at this time

for the purpose of calling Mr. Everett Dorrell

as a rebuttal witness.

JUDGE: No objection.

BURGER: Very well, Your Honor. I call Everett Dorrell.

Mr. Dorrell,

were you involved in an accident

in Helen Austin's car

and were you paying her to cover up that fact?

No, sir. I was not in the car, nor in any accident

with the decedent, and I did not give her any money.

And you did not give the defendant any money either?

No, sir. I've already told you the extent of our agreement.

Thank you, Mr. Dorrell. Your witness.

Mr. Dorrell,

when you made that agreement with Richard Hammond,

you knew Helen Austin

was the driver of the car which killed his sister,

didn't you? Yes.

And you knew that Richard didn't know her

as Helen Austin, but as Mrs. Alex Hill?

Yes.

And he didn't recognize her, either.

Well, I can only apologize for that. I was desperate.

Why were you desperate?

Well, I didn't want Barbara to know.

I didn't want her father to find out.

They'd never have believed I wasn't still seeing Helen.

Yet you told them both the next morning.

Well, Dick had gotten into trouble by that time.

I-- I wanted to tell the truth.

Yes, I remember.

Then Marvin Claridge put pressure on you.

MASON: Marvin Claridge is still

putting pressure on you, isn't he?

No. No.

MASON: How did your car get to Richard's garage?

EVERETT: I don't know.

Isn't it true that you did give Richard Hammond

that $15,000? No.

Then did you give the money to Helen Austin?

To Helen? No.

She was to pick up $15,000.

Wasn't it from you? No!

Weren't you the one in her car at the time

of that accident 18 months ago?

And haven't you been paying her

a monthly tribute for her silence?

No! No?

And who could it be, Mr. Dorrell?

Who could the mysterious passenger have been,

the one she's protected all this time?

Well, I don't know. It wasn't me.

Then who was paying Helen Austin

$2000 a month for her silence, Mr. Dorrell?

Now from whom was Helen going to get that $15,000?

All right.

From the only one it could have been...

Marvin Claridge.

I'm sorry, sir. I lied for you.

I lied about giving Richard Hammond the money.

I did give it to him.

I love Barbara, but...

If this means I can't have her...

I'm sorry.

Helen worked for him.

EVERETT: Even when she was going out with me

she was seeing him.

Thank you, Mr. Dorrell.

Will Mr. Claridge please take the stand.

Yes, I gave her $2000 the first of every month.

Since the accident? Yes.

Then the money was blackmail money,

and you were the mysterious passenger.

Yes.

I don't like to think of it like that.

She never threatened me with exposing our...affair.

CLARIDGE: But perhaps that was one of the things I found

so fascinating about Helen.

That we understood each other so well.

I just increased the regular

amount of money I was giving her.

So that it became a rather large regular amount.

Yes. And then she asked you

for a rather large lump sum, $15,000.

She said she needed it desperately, she--

Well, she demanded it.

And you gave it to her?

No.

Why not?

Peculiarly enough, Everett, uh, Mr. Dorrell,

asked to borrow that exact amount.

In giving it to Everett,

I thought Helen could wait until the next day.

But she didn't care to wait?

Well, she was angry.

So you killed her then?

No, Mr. Mason.

I didn't kill her then or any time.

When she told you that she needed

the $15,000 desperately, did she tell you why?

Yes. I asked her

what she did with $2000 every month,

and she said she was giving half of it away.

And that now, to keep the man who was preying on her quiet,

she had to give him a lump sum.

Did she tell you that the man who was blackmailing her

was her former husband, Mr. Alexander Hill?

CLARIDGE: No. MASON: Then, Mr. Claridge,

it could have been someone else

who was blackmailing her?

It's not likely. Why not?

Because Mr. Alexander Hill approached me himself

the day after Helen was murdered.

Thank you.

MASON: That'll be all, Mr. Claridge.

( dramatic theme playing )

Your Honor, may I continue?

Well, Mr. Hill?

Mr. Hill, you will please take the stand.

She was a cheat all her life.

Even when it didn't make any difference

cheating or not cheating, she'd cheat.

Right at the very end there I even thought

that maybe she'd got that 15 grand and was lying.

You'd followed her to Claridge's?

Yeah.

You finally found out who she was blackmailing,

and you didn't need her anymore.

The cheat. The cheat!

You made a pretty good pair.

( dramatic theme playing )

Why did Helen give Alex Hill half of the money

that Claridge gave her?

He threatened to go to Claridge's wife

and blow the whole affair wide open.

I still can't figure out why he picked on me.

Unfortunately, you arrived on time.

On time?

Hill couldn't leave Dorrell's because your headlights

caught him as you drove up the driveway.

He had to stay. He was trapped.

Then, of course, he was glad he did,

because he heard everything that took place.

And took advantage of it.

Well, I can't tell you how glad I am to be out of trouble.

Oh, you're not out yet.

Both you and Dorrell will have to face charges

of tampering with evidence

and obstructing police procedure.

I'm quite willing to pay for what I've done.

Can I drop you any place, Mr. Hammond?

Oh, thank you.

Good night, Mr. Mason.

Night, Dick. Miss Street.

Good night.

And now are you quite willing to pay for what you've done?

What have I done?

You've tampered with my digestion

and obstructed my feeding procedure for quite some time.

I plead guilty. What's the fine?

One dinner. Mm.

Payable now.

( noirish jazz theme playing )