Cover Up (1949) - full transcript

Cover up

May I help?
- Thank you.

Here we are.

Can I do something more?
- Oh I think I can manage. Thank you.

Oh! - That's alright, that's alright.
I'll get them. - Thank you

Maybe you better let me carry the
packages. You just handle the bag.

Alright.
- On board!

Hello Anita.
- hello mr. Addison. Jenna why

yeahall for Christmas wouldn't miss it

for anything

why dosurprise about Roger Phillips



committed suicide night
before last. - suicide?

yeah I guess it didn't see it in the papers.

Awful.
- Yeah, you sure he was.

Where to?
A... same destination.

I guess you'll have to...

Thank you I don't know how I
ever could menage. - Oh, you would manage.

you mind if Isit out

I believe we wrote in the same car the

Train

yes yes i sat right across the aisle

from you as a matterof factbroad

backwards all the way I'm sorry I didn't

notice you see I was reading ohall

right



you shouldn't be the one who apologized

I should do thatyou see I uhI know I

snore pretty badly when I ride back why

you didn't snow you never close

I don't know why I pretended I didn't

see you had you

well isn'tit obvious

I wouldn't say obvious I'd say it was

nice

yep thatPhillips fella shothimself

right in his own parlor I don't

understand it

mr. Phillips he had no reason to commit

suicide

some folks look at it like it was the

first good deed he ever did

hello Kathy

mr. Donovan help me with my packagesI

don't know how I would have managed

otherwise oh you'rethe manager that's

exactly what I told it here let me help

you can I drop you anyplace with the

Donovan hotel your dragon so what is if

anything I can do to make your staymore

pleasant why just say the word it'svery

nice of youbut with anyluck I think I

might be out of here by tonight

mr. Donovan isn't insurance

investigators ohhere on business yes

yes yeah Phillips case Oh

his death was a great shock toall of us

now in case you do stay over the town

gets kind of dull at night when to stop

by the house anyone can tell where we

lived y-yeah I may take you up onthat

bye bye Weatherbyfighthim

where did you pick him upI didn't pick

him up I met him on the trainit's quite

all right yeah that's funny I Met Your

Mother the same way do you promiseto

never tell what happened something on

yourmind of coursenot

I'd like to see the show come in Java

at least untilthe next electionSam

Donovan federated insurance

federated insurance oh yes yes yes are you I

figured somebody'd be around Oh

why $20.000 it's a lotof money

especially for a man like Phillips oh

yeah I need little help filling out the

suicide report do you mind no sit down

Thanks

you got the coroner'sreport

you know you smoke too much one

cigarette after the otheryeah yeah I

know it saves a lot of time now about

the reportcoroner's goingto visit his

folks for Christmas oh that's convenient

when we be back Ohsometimenext week

huhbyeyeahI don't suppose you'vehad

a chanceto make out any report of your

own no I'll get around to it for long

yeah sure showyou well no official

report what kind of a gun did he use you

know you were try smoking a pipeinstead

of all those cigarettes well I'll let

you in on a little secret I've gotsome

stock can i cigarette company how about

the gun no gun I understood he shot

himself

we're good then where's thegun

disappeared disappeared wanna look

sheriff it'll turn up it'll turn up

I want it better

what about thebulletsat killing these

cityfellas

always in a rushI told you the coroner

will be back next week now whydon'tyou

relax sit back steal yourselfa little

rest wait for sounds attractivesheriff

but you don't know insurance companies

now what about the bulletyou know I bet

if you ever started smoking a pipe you'd

never be without it

so I'll get a pipe now can I see the

bullet no bullet what is this shirt no

report

no gun nobullet maybe isn't even dead

hmm you know jollyberryfolks around

here lessor did huh huh

where's he buried seems to me we held

our last funeral in the year in the

cemetery anything to be differentsure

if I want to see that bullet maybe it

was buried with Phillips whywasn't it

removed trying to commit suicideit's

generally that mm-hmm not in my book no

no no bullet no pay lookSammaybe the

beneficiary won't like that

maybe there maybe she will you see if

Phillips was murdered there's a double

indemnity clause what amI think of next

well they'll think of a wayto get the

bullet it seems a shame that Phillips is

buried so deep you better start digging

him up pop I gotta takeacourt order

so I'll get a court order

you know mighty quick man with a shovel

thankswhy are you digging around down

there you didn'thappen to come upwith

a guntoo did you

you know there's nothing like a pipe to

slow man down

we're not slowed down we're stoppedoh

my pop always used to say there's no

pockets in a shroudwhat's the sense of

rushing so you go right past thething

you're looking for take iteasynow you

might never catch up with it

nine-millimeter Luger huhbaby you've

been a big help

Thanks what areyou doing my duty who

found the body

Abbyjeweller downthe street nice fella

yeah I'msure he is maybe I better ask

him some questions justa minute

I'll take the bullet we want to lose the

evidence I'll be seeing your chef any

time at all

I'll be here no problem you shouldn't

talk so much

that's beautiful you know I think onthe

blade cap oh there goes my beltcan I do

something for you yesplease I'd like to

see mr. Abbeycertainly I'm afraid mr.

Abbey doesn't need any insurance ohI'm

not trying tosell it you see my company

insured mr. Roger Phillips oh well just

a moment I'm not sure he's in I'm sorry

he must have stepped out the back way

I didn't realize that oh that's quite

all right I'll uh I'll catch up to him

another timeoh I forgot I wanted to buy

acompany

oh are youbackso soonII came in the

back waythis is nice yes mr. DonovanI

understand that you discovered the body

of Phillips yes I did you mind telling

me what happened

but I already toldeverything I know to

Sheriff bestI'll take this any

objections to repeating them to me

nothing happened

I just went upto his house and there he

was dead is thatall yes but why are you

so interested we insured mr. Phillips

when you saw him was the gun still his

hat yeah I didn't see any gun

you're sure I think I'm sure thank you

how much is that 1234 includingtanks

I'm sorry to havetroubled you

sorry I couldn't be of more assistance

it's alright I'm gettingused to it we

had a lotof trouble removing the powder

burns there were no powder burnsno

powder burns and there usually are when

a man shoots himself yes I know

don't worry about it this one didn't Wow

thanks very much I'm busy

see I've got the caution gate about

keeping the place lockedI just came

from a visit to the Undertaker

he says there weren't any powder burns

on the body

you don't say let's show your friend

Abbi - didn't I tell you he's a nice

fella he says he didn't see her gunso

what happened - I toldyou disappeared

know anyone whomight havealittle bit

lots of people in this town got Lugar's

I gotone myself fired recently huh yep

three days ago Chicken Hawkmissed him

Oh too bad

let's see that's that's just about the

time thatfellows was killed isn'tit

fingers slip it's all right Gabe

everything'sunder controlwegotta have

a little more system around here you'd

have made a pretty nice target busting

in here like that

Gabeit lookslike progress is caught up

Liz we're about to get a lesson and hire

ballistics put away that gun you don't

want to go killing anybody

not at Christmastime anyhow you were

you're pretty good detective zaloog er

alrightthere's a mystery to you up

until now of course

nope I uh I don't suppose you kill

Phillips did you well no I never figured

much of myself as a suspectI'd better

watch out for my appearanceI'm liable

to get my picture inthe papersure if I

work for a very funny outfit they insist

on a day's workfourdayspaid now

that's downright inconsiderate of them

one other evidence of you gotbesides

the Lugerbullet me empty shell lunacy

noyes it was a puddleof water on the

floorknow that I've got to see it's all

dried up

what is the beneficiary live with her

husband all new stuff in this townvery

dead people in the cemetery husbands

live with their wives what's her address

oh why don't you askme nice little

place over onElm Street 958 Thanks

ifyou're figuring on going over there

to see youyou're gonna havea long week

shewent out of townwith her husband

right after the funeral we'll be back

tomorrow afternoon

4:19 thanks again

look Sam

take my advice don't be so all-fired

anxious to pay double indemnity in this

case why don't you forget aboutitgo on

home and visit your folks for Christmas

sounds great Sheriff only I haven'tgot

any folks and my homes wherever I happen

to hang my hat

besides I've been looking for an excuse

to stick around I think now maybe I

found it you know what I think what I

think you're gonna be noend of trouble

I'm Blakely I think I've runonto

something pretty important looks to me

like this guy Phillips was murdered in

fact the whole town knows itand nobody

seems to care

floating there Sheriff well of his

murder you stay right there and prove it

now get to worktalk to somebodytalk to

somebody you want to come down here and

try ittalk to everybody in town nobody

said a word well stick with it Sam prove

it's murder

if I do that'll cause the companyan

extra 20.000 bucks is a double indemnity

clause besides maybe the beneficiary

killed him then we won't have to pay

anything yeah you would think ofthat

okay I'll stay with it I'm still

tomorrow anyhow

operator would you please connect me

with the Stewart Weatherbyresidence yes

thank you

a watch clock never moves Anita there's

a fella in townon thatthoughtsuicide

I mean you don't think it's suicide how

do you know I gotways I know I'm held

it is that friend of yours the

long-distance operator been listening in

on calls again listening in indeed great

kid wouldn't do a thing like that

no not much she wouldn't well anyhow I

know about theinsurance manwe all know

aboutit

his name Sam Donovanhe phoned this

afternoon and said he'd be over tonight

and Neeta has a crush on himKathy I

have not then what way you're watching

the clock for mother girls no quarrels

please and you should have seen her when

she got offthe busup to her knees and

cloudsyou were up toyour neck inhim

when I saw your simpering in the dining

room mirror

just settle down you tombI'll do what

I'm paid for around here

good evening mr. Weatherbeeyeah yeah do

that insurance for that's rightand I

interest you in a policy

Naz enough to cleantheir shoes that'll

do he'll damn knowas I don't know he'd

turn out human oh I betyousay that to

all the boylet me take your hatand

coat

thank you mister whether memrs.

WetherbyNita

well hello Cathy oh howare youfine

got a surprise for you Oh what is it you

look at it it looksright back at youif

I only could open it Cathy before

Christmasoh it's okay mrs. Wetherby

letter thank you

step in make yourself comfortable

thank you sir I'd like to I'm really

been comfortable alldayhicompact

compact just another mirror for her to

stare intoyeah I takeit to school

mother

you see mm-hmm looks like I started

something gone Oh

Hilda's never happy unless she's unhappy

how'safraid you might have a date

tonight no that's not a verybigtown

and there can't be very many beautiful

girls likeyou running around those

that's yournumber two sales approach no

number one for you nothing but thebest

well business all settled mr. Donovan no

mr. Weatherbee is a matterof fact I

didn't I'm stymied here until tomorrow

so I'm taking the sheriff's advice and

just relaxing what can we do to start

with early excitement here in this town

impossiblethere's a good movie

wonderful oh it's all right with your

motherand father I'd love to yes of

course

good I'llget my coat can I gotoo no

good night mrs. weathervane ignite yeah

thing good night mr. Sam so youran into

alittle difficulty Iguess you could

call it thatmr. WeatherbeeI'm having a

little differenceof opinionwith

sheriff best I'm ready

good night sayI don't bother thanks for

the present look mother isn't it

beautiful

it certainly is

rising from out of the clear blue sea in

the distance can be seen the majestic

model of the South Seas

good isn't it sunset finders passing the

quaint fishing village of mana law with

its myriad of fishing huts and boats

look at the movie I already seen it

twice see it again

it ain't that good why don't you kiss

her

why should i she's pretty

thank you

there's another movie house inthis town

sure right across thestreetgo see that

picture

oh I just remembered I seen that one

already - by any chanceare you trying

to get ridof mehow did you ever figure

that outI got brains I like tobowl

we'll go bowling thatclassmate

happy bully

Thanks

out of billowing clouds and emerald

mountain Rises I haven't done anything

likethisno movieshowed in the corner

drugstore wakka girl falls just a good

night

goodnight anything good night Sam

you know something what a little boy in

the city tonight

he was right

margitPhillips well yes but I'm mrs.

Baker now I'm from federatedInsurance I

know you're mr. Donavan aren't you

won't you come in thank you nice place

you have here

thank you it belongs to my mother-in-law

huh

how did you know my name oh and NitaI

need it whether be called meOh a friend

of hersyes we wentto school together

ohI see please sit down

I knowthank you mrs. Baker I came here

to kleeberg onrather a routine matter

make out a report for my company about

your uncle's death howeverI'm afraid

now that I'll need a great dealmore

information before I can dothat

but why because mrs. Baker very probably

your uncle was murdered oh nono he

committed suicide

your uncle was murdered the policy pays

double indemnity I couldn't accept it it

wouldn't be right he killed himselfhe

did it's the first time in history that

the gun ever gotup and walked away

please he committed suicide lady I'm

offering you an extra $20.000 I don't

want it do you know any enemiesthatyou

all comeoutof hand he wasn't murdered

who hadreason to killyouruncle mrs.

Baker he wasn't murdered very well

that's the way you wanted

looks like I'm gonna haveto proveitto

you too

Frank FrankDonnie didyou hear what he

said yes I heard he suspect something

well there's nothing to suspect see here

you don't think much as I hated your

uncle that I killed him we were at the

station the whole time together remember

we never left the station

can I take youanyplaceanyplace

nice place you have here

the natives are solar friendly talkative

they are awfully Clanny jumped a person

is considered an outsider until he's

lived here at least 20years itdoesn't

take that long are you

oh no I've been exposed to civilization

good finishedyour business

no I'll believe it in that I'm looking

for a Luger automatic pistol is that one

of those German guns that's right watch

it be easy I'm sure my father will ng is

I said something wrong

I don't know

see Phillips was killed with a Luger

well it's an unusual gunis it

I need a mr. Phillips was murdered

are you gonna do

like to over and take a lookat the

Phillips house whichmine drivingme

over I know of course not

how you gonna get in

we'll get in

salvadore Isaac locked

living too long in this city

Wow looks like I'm gonnahave to

rearrange my opinion of the shirtI

don't understand marked out thewhole

story of the murderall the time

Phillips stood about herewhen he was

shot

snow or rain from the killer's coat

dripped on the carpet there andcaused

that puddle couldn't have shot him from

there though because it won'tany powder

burns on a body probably came in to see

if he did a good job and little mark

over there is where the shell ejected

that means that theother set ofmarks

is where the murderer stood it you could

see better if you turn it on the lights

hello Anitawelcome homeILarry best hi

you know in this part of the country

housebreakingis against the lawwhat

was my fault Larry the front door was

unlocked yes I know I unlocked it that

yeah I sort of expected callers yeah

yeah sinceyou knowall this when did

you try and sellme that phony suicide

story well enoughI don't like to be

hasty about these things Larry what kind

of a gun killed mr. Philips honey I

believe the consensus of opinion says it

was oneof those Lugar's are you sure it

was a Luger oh now look sugar I know

what's in your mind forget it don't give

it another thought well there's alot of

those kind of guns around here as a

matter of fact sure a fast one yes andI

sort of like him myself

well if you'll excuse me I really must

be leaving what's the hurry

I have to pick up my mother Oh bye Larry

by Anitasay 9:00

7:30 sure fine what kind of a scare have

you been throwing into that girl her old

man owns a Luger or hadn't you heard

well that's mighty convenient

maybe we can blame it on old Stu

you know I I once read a book where the

detective was the murderer

that's lucky I'm a sheriff not a

detective although I did have a motive I

owedPhillips moneynonow you're just

too convenient for a good suspect

is it all right with you if I close up

theplace now there's anybody home the

night Phillips was killedit's nice

lived with him butshe was busythat

night getting married mm-hmm why wasn't

he at the wedding maybe he didn't know

they eloped maybe he knewthey'd all

open didn't like it and maybe Frank knew

about that insurancepolicy and liked it

I'm probably unreasonable but itseems

strange to me murder a man for profit

and then turned down an extra$20.000 on

the policy I see your point I mean a

riseon a fire pipe you're all right Sam

you just don't understandsmall town

folks we all live together here and it's

no goodthrowing suspicion and ruining

reputations smoke indicates fire economy

as well pack up and leave once

Tork starts I don't go in much for

autobiography Sheriff but I happen to be

a small-town boy myselfborn and raised

in Glenwood Minnesota I recognize alot

of thesymptoms here oh then you should

know that too many folks are anxious to

assume a man isguilty the minute he's

arrested why it looks to me is that the

whole town hated Phillipswill you amaze

me Sam how did you find that out

now look sheriff Ican take a joke as

well as the next manbut murders serious

even in a smalltown either we cooperate

or I go out ofmy own way you'll be

surprised what I mightfind out so long

hi come in hello Kathy

thewoman ofthat isn't it haha

everybody just stick to yourownjob

this household tobe run moreproperly

you know mr. DonovanI'm just fascinated

by the insurance business really oh yes

justfascinated and just what is it that

fascinates you so about the insurance

business well I alwaysdidlike

mathematics think you sayyeah I like it

myself

ohyes they really intrigued memm-hmm

would you care for a cigarette Kevin um

well I I don't think so just now I don't

feel like itnowell you don't mind if I

do

oh no no I know lots of peoplewho smoke

yeah how about you do with that does it

need a home oh you want to see her yes

yes very much

well she's upstairs I'll go callher you

know I think I ought to warn you

Nita was never any goodat math I'm

taking advanced mathematics

good evening mr. Weatherbee ohhello Sam

are you making out with aPhillips

suicide wasn't suicide was murder

he was murdered yes shot todeath with a

Luger you know anyonein town who hated

Phillips enough to kill him

Phillips I'm afraid he wasn't very

well-likedoh that's a masterpieceof

understatement

however the Luger now is it down do you

you know anyone who owns a Luger well

not specifically ofcourseany number of

ex-servicemen might havebrought oneand

home with them from overseas dad what

are you talking about you have a Luger

pistol that mr. Donovan is my own

daughter trying to send me to the

electric

well when I told him I didn't know mr.

Phillips had been killed like thatwell

that's all right he didI I did bring

one back in 1918no you still have it

whygive thatgunaway long agoyes yeah

do you remember who you gave it tome

seenot quite sure yet did that girl for

a move to Fairfield that's right yes hmm

no one was this that's about five or six

monthsago uh-huhwhere Phillips and

jarreau enemies wellregardless ofthat

dr. Shiro doesn't take lives he saves

them best doctor west of Chicago

how faris Fairfield from here uhfive

miles south would have been in position

if I asked to use yourtelephone

well of course not thanks I want to call

dr. Shiro I'mafraid you can't do that

the first thingdoc zero did whenhe

retired was take the phoneout of his

house can't say I blame him for that you

can see him tonight that's where that's

where he's the one thatalways liked a

Christmas tree we're gonna get there in

time we'd better get a move on didn't

realize it was so late

Bessie time to goKathy you hurry up

you're going with usSam

I wouldn't miss it all right Bessie

let'sget going

you know still I think you are the only

man inthe countywith nerve enough to

wear that old logevening coat I didn't

know that things are not till I have my

turnabout this coldI say anything good

enough for my father is goodenoughfor

me that's exactly what your father used

to say about the same coat Samwhy do

you have to question dr. Jerome well I

just have to follow through thatson

please don't just this once

why not let well enough alone I've got

some bad news

what's the matter lying dr. o won't be

able to light the treehe diedabout an

hour ago

heart attack I'm going out there now

that's quite a shock I can't believe it

I have to tell himsomethingfolkswe

justreceived some news about dr. Jerome

I'm going to let his closest friends do

whether they tell you about it I don't

know what Icansay that can soften the

shock ofwhat I must tell you dr. Jerome

is dead he died peacefully about an hour

ago and so he won'tbe ableto light our

tree tonight or give out the presents to

the children to the youngsters I suppose

it seems as if something happened to

Santa Claus himself butto therest of

you I can only say what you already know

dr. Jerome was a great man in our

community loved by all of us

he brought half of you into the world he

helped us in times of sickness many

times even when we were weather and he

has left upon our town an indelible mark

of his goodness and humility and

generosity although he can't be here

tonight to light our tree I know he'd

like us to keep right over so in the

name of our very good frienddr. Peter

zero

I'll light out

salmon sorry the ceremony wasn'tas gay

they told him at the year shameabout

the doctor too bad you didn't know him

he could have been a wealthy man a

famous man but he preferred tobe just a

simple country doctor

you know I couldn't helpseeing

something besides sorrow in your face

when you heard about the doctor

you didn't want me to question him whyI

don't know yes you doand I've got a

hunch I know what you were thinking but

you're wrong

you're going on being suspicious of the

men in their lives

I'm gonna get in alot of trouble later

on

I did he

Idon't

Sam and I wereCathy

did he kiss you again neitherlike last

night after the show what do you mean

snooping into my diary

get to bed if ever I can't you're

reading my diary get up

I'll tell Hilda oh I won't need an

honest I would why should I worry about

your silly old diary he doesn't mean

anythingtome

just to make sure you better find a

different hiding place

and then when I got over thereSheroes

house he was dead heart attack did you

get the coroner's report onPhillips

you'll forget it's Christmas time and

this is a small town well stick with it

Sam huh yeah yeah I'm goingup the

sheriff's office now I'll be seeing you

personally I thinkyou're both lyingI

wouldn't advise that Frank I'll tell you

what happened Frankthe coldwill tell

us when he caught you a little bit

during the corner you shot himthat's

why he won't take double indemnity

that's why you want the casestop wait

we did quarrel with my uncle and we

eloped because he didn't approveof

Frank but Frank didn't kill him sheriff

vest knows that I'm just how does

sheriff best know that because my uncle

called him to throw Frank out sheriff

best was there when weleft sorry Sam

tell me again what happenedwhen you

left the housewe went to Abby's jewelry

store and bought the wedding ring then

we went to the bus depotand caught the

8:14 bus but no one killed myunclehe

committed suicideif hecommitted

suicide what happened to the gun why

weren't there any powder burnsI don't

know okay so your uncle was alive when

your left him yes you were sitting at

his deskanew Frankit wentdirectly

from the Phillips house to the jewelry

store andthen to the bus depot right

yes either of you leave the bus depot

for any reason before the bus pulled out

no Java Corliss fell himself a Margaret

before no okay that's all thanks folks

I'll call you if I need you againokay

not an alibi anda whole lot Frank and

Margaret say they were the Depotalone

Abby and mrs. Abby say they were home

alone and Stu Stu says he wasout taking

awalkalone well I'll tell you Sam you

play around with it for a whileif you

can't prove any of them did it you

alwayshave me it's a nice town yep nice

people be a good place to live yep

if you're on the right side of the fence

yep did you say anything but jobthat

calls for a pretty obvious answer don't

it yep

hey where were youthe night Phillips

died sex cabbie

going out so early just an errand Hilda

oh hi

it's not as scary no what's wrong

nothing maybe you did startle me just a

little what are you doing you so early

oh I couldn't get here early enough or

or could I

there's no one home and I'm going on an

errand can I Drive you anywhere sure

thanks

you sure nothing's bothering you no

nothing's happened I thoughtmaybe you'd

had a chance to think about the way I

said you're not don't what isn'tthat I

guess I am alittle jumpy haven't had my

coffee yetyou know if I get a break I

may close this case thismorning feeling

all along and Abbey's been holding

something out I've got a hunch you saw

the murderer when he discovered the body

or did it yourself

you want to go see mr. Abbey now yeah

that'd be fineyou got any matches sugar

no Sam I never carrymatches

that's okay

it'll take about a week

thank you helloAnita welcome home mr.

Abby mrs. Abby

mr. Abby there's a couple more questions

I'd like to ask you but I alreadytold

you all Iknow

maybe if you'll come into my office

colony be a minute sugar

well Anita it's nice to see you back

thank youmayI sit down

yes of course

aren't you feeling well can I getyou a

glass of water

nothank you

I'm sugar let's get outofhere

Sam what mr. Abby say after hanging

himself if he lied

andthose who did it

Sam I've got to know okay Frank -

Margaret lied ohno yes way it looks now

is that Frank did leave thebus depot

that night double backand probablykill

the uncle Abby says he saw him running

from the direction ofPhillips house

about the time ofthe murder

but they didn't doit you can'taccuse

them what's the matter with you and

Anita what makes you say that why I've

known Frank and Margot all my life they

couldn't do anything likethat you'd be

surprised who commits murder OhSam

before you came here our town was like a

quiet little haven there was never a

hint of anything terrible like this now

everybody's a murder suspect our lives

will never bethe same well Sam can't

you please drop the case well Anita

don't you understand it wouldn't make

anydifference whetherI'd dropped it or

not or somehow someway someday somebody

else would pick it up and follow it

through can't Imake you seewhat you're

doingI think I do know what I'mdoing

by down I have to get over the Sheriff's

Officeface Frank and Margaret with this

find the murder gun tie it up with them

and wind this thingupyou want to take

me over there

what happened Frank claims an alibi

the father is Frank's alibi

Bonita

I've got to go to the bank and see your

father

if you want to go honey no no I'd rather

I'll see you later

yes I did see Frank I promised him a

personal loanI know he was taking the

814 bus and when I got almost bustime

and he hadn't shown up if I set up with

a Depot to give him the money but I met

him before hecould possibly have

reachedmePhillips house what do you do

then he told me he'd forgotten the money

and the excitement of his elopement and

then he ran back to the depot to catch

his bus what did you do mr. Weatherbee I

went back home

I'd like to take a look at that Luger

that you gave to doctorsyouroh I

suppose it if he still had it it's

someplace in his housewell it's

probably their knees gun collection I

don't know how you'll get in no the

house is locked up tight I'll get in

thanks mr. Weatherby very much glad to

be of help

youIsaid I thinkthat loan will take

care of your personal worries sure will

mr. Weatherbee I can't tell you how much

I appreciate itbut thanks very much

Cheryl price - Sam what can I do for you

want to borrow some money we'd like to

see it privately if we can whetherwe

are scum in mr. damyou recognize this

mr. Donavan seems to think this is your

guns do it it doesn't look like it it

probably is it hewon't believe it but I

did give that gun to dr. Shiro that's

where he found it

you know mr. Donovan's quite a detective

he tested that logo for fingerprints but

found that there weren't anyI mean

something mr. Donavan seems to think so

means that this is the gunthat killed

Roger Phillips and I was wipedclean of

prints and planted back at the doctor's

now Sam don't disillusion me about your

ability we don't know that's the gun

that killedPhillips after all the

doctor might have wiped it off and put

it back on the wall and then there's as

that Luger of my own you remember yeah

so don't forget thatI've got a bullet

out of that Luger of you as you know

this was the gunthat killedPhillips

still stinks of cordite Chicago

ballistics Department can prove itwith

one test shot wait a minute Sam there's

too many peoplein thistown wanted to

see Phillips dead if I arrest the wrong

man he may never live it down and you're

not gonna send a gun to Chicago

that's yet

all right chef okayif that'sthe way

you want itthere's other ways of

smoking him out as you're finally saying

I'm quite a detective impulsive isn't he

PACA win yeah

your Sam DonovanI'd like youto runa

little item in the paper for me what is

it I'm bringing an expert in here

tonight he's a scientist forthe Chicago

Police Department he'll take up a

section of the carpet where the killer

stood put it under a microscope and

analyze it if it was ajeweler saying it

stood there little tinyparticles of

gold and silver things like that will be

in thewaterthat ran off even tellthe

material the color of the coat but won't

the murderer read it and tried to

destroy the evidence I hope so

thanks again girls replateto page one

oh hello girls

oh yeahgetting everything ready huh the

first time I can rememberusually you

don't bring the tree home until late

Christmas Eve well they're much cheaper

then you know thisone's beautiful

yeah but the price was ridiculous not

that I put up with all this nonsense but

it does happen to be Christmas price

indeed well it was all right then for me

to pay $12 for it on $12 youmust have

been out ofyour mind

hell that is Christmas you know Sam will

be over pretty soon well your mother's

downtowndoing some last-minute

Christmas shopping I've got to pick her

up in a minute or two then I'll be back

it's even prettier than last year

I like it

you know neitherfathers or funny

critters

I don't think soI meanthe father goes

on for a long timeloving his children

never really knowing whether they love

him or notthen something happens that

lets him know they do just that

something to youit's a wonderful

feeling

what about mother you're gonna pick her

up teen Iam or someone willhave to

pick me up

where you

she's here

that's too bad lover I really cannot see

youwait a minute my bucklewas Julian

look ya'll I'm just a city boy trying to

get along all I want to do is wind up

this Phillips mess that you people enjoy

your Christmas well I didn't murder him

I'm sorry to saywell the murderer

should get a prize everybody in the

whole town seems to know who did it

but a big secret for a whole town to

keep oh that's a pretty tree HildaI can

almost taste your Christmas dinner by

Sam hi I didn't quite get the reading of

that line was that why Sam or why SamI

didn't expect you so soon

look that's me Sam the unexpectedoh

that's very sweet

not until Christmas twelve o'clock

that's just a rub sugar I don't know

whatI'll beback by thenback yes

looks to me like I'm gonna be busier

than Kris Kringle tonightI found that

Luger added dr. Rosetoday I'm the case

no no it doesn'tlook to me like it was

planted but if this works Ithink I can

wrap it up tonight

by Sam this is a deliberate trap

murdererset his own trap

you mean this is possible well surebut

sure it is but that's not the pointall

I want to do is draw him into the open

you're going to be waitingatthe

Philips house I know you are but if he

comes there you'll expose him what's

right are you going through with this Oh

Peter I have to

you mind Joanbusiness

it's danced for acoat it's burning up

held upthat wasfather's coat what were

you doing trying tocollect the

insurance

what happened it was dirty cleaning it

with some gasoline the spot fromthe

incinerator fell on it cleaning that

coat with gasolinein the snow

we're trying to destroy it

you're right I did iton purposebut

there's going to be a new coat for mr.

Weatherbee under the tree on Christmas

morninghe'sgoingto wear it if I have

to burn every other cop in the house

i needa believeme I never don't forget

to take your present

I can't see you Sam but in case you're

feelingtrigger-happy it's mechef

didn't you expect me maybe yes

yes maybe I did you know you're making

me mitts in not exactly hilarious myself

why do you want togoaroundmaking

people unhappy no I'm like Hilda not

happy unless I'm unhappy nobody's coming

to your partySam

nobody nobody else is that what you mean

that's sort of what I mean we'llbe in a

nature of a confession what if it is it

puts you in a sortof a tough spotme if

I'm your man I can't very well let you

leave Kenny

maybe you can't keep me from it which

means you have a gun too

but you wouldn't be foolish enough to

draw it I'm the sheriff Sam the highly

respected sheriff of Mono County when a

man pulls a gun on me I generally take

it he means businessif you get me first

that's murder but if I get you with a

gun in yourhand what doesthat job just

a lot of votes at the next election can

I open my presents tonight momI never

heard of such a thing

I could sleep later tomorrow then yes

you will if I know my Cathy you'd be the

first oneup in themorning I've looked

all over this house I can't find that

evening paper

you sitting on himno I haven't seenit

don't look at me right here on the table

wasn'tit neither oh yesall right

what's happened to itso upset about Stu

there's nothing in it anyway except the

usual sports results andthat story

about thatpolice expert that's coming

here what police I expect no onethey

sent for on the Phillips case I was

reading about itin beauty shop well

what about it

I don'tknowum somethingabout testing

the floor with a microscope they seem to

think that Thea

rain from the murderers coat carried

some of the coats material with it

think I'll hopin the car and goget a

paper all right yeah

hello what did you do with my little

accidenttoday with your beaver coat I

was cleaning itand it caught fire

burned up completely

telco

I know where you're really going I know

you do I want your diary upstairs

I knowit's a deliberate trap you'll be

there waiting yes but you mustcome out

sometime

where you going back in a minute

and I go with no

you know our jobs are a lot of like Sam

just setbe a caseof two people doing

the same job in adifferent way I'd like

totell youa story aboutthat if you

listen why well it may help you to see

things in a different light go ahead

this story is about a case I worked on

once right in this townfellawas killed

undercircumstances a lot like the ones

in the Phillips case matter of fact the

man was about like Phillips you forget I

didn't know what Phillips was like seems

to me you should havea pretty good idea

by now anyway thisa man was a mighty

unpleasant individual I'm putting it

mildly when I say he was a blight on the

whole community they lived through a

long time

seems that mean people would live a long

time you're predicting a long lifefor

me I'll let youknow after the story Sam

I don'tthink there wasa man woman or

child in the whole community who wasn't

hurt by this man at some time or another

andthere was another manlived here too

just the oppositehe loved the whole

townandeverybody in it and he watched

this man year after year gradually

destroying the lives of everybody he

loved until he couldn't stand it any

longer then one night

funny thing was just about this time of

year too much time got todo withmurder

it was Christmas time Sam just like now

guess I should have made my story a

little shorter

I hope with everything I had that it

wouldn't be you

I kept telling myself it wasn't you but

it couldn't possibly be youI almost had

myself believing it now you show upwhy

didn't you stay home where you belong I

decided I had tocome here and try to

tell you what happened that you don't

have to tell me mr. Weatherbee you might

as well have hada photographer here

no killing ever looked less likea

suicide when we take up that carpet

it'll prove that you stood there that

the coat that Hilda accidentally burned

drippedand left your signatureI know

you can prove that Sam but I will it

wasn't your first stop your first stop

was here

the singe drape the ejected shell proved

that you stood there this is where the

shot thatkilled himwas fired from I

didn't stand there Sam think you'd make

it tough onme mr. Willoughbyyou came

in the door thenyouhid here the prints

prove that you pulled your gun when

Phillips got out of the chair to see who

it was you shot him

it wasn't sure it couldn't have been you

only a left-handed man could have fired

the shot from thisposition a

left-handed man sure all doctorsuro of

course the picture in hiscollection

with the gun in his left hand thepen

set on the desk everythingfor a

left-handed man yes itwas dr. Jerome

Sam you sure stirred up a mess of

trouble but you didn't letme down

you're quite a detective you know it was

doc- yes I've known dr. all my life I

probably noticed he was left-handed

and then maybe it helped knowing that he

was the last man to see Phillips alive

of courseSam here worked it out the

hard way how did you knowhe was the

last one to see him alivewell Samyou

forget I was herewhenMargaret and

Frank left I leftmyself shortly after

and as I was pulling away II saw doc

going in I supposeI shouldhave come to

you right away Larryyes youshould us

to what I guess it would have turned out

the same anyway you mean you were both

covering for sure Ohlookslike it but

why I told you once Sam I wish you had

known dr. Gerohe wasn't just a man in

this town he was a symbol it's heart

you saw how the people acted when they

heard the news ofhisdeathI couldn't

let them know that he he killed a man

so his last actwas for them I know he

tried every other way he could to get

Phillips to stop don't you see Sam no

matter how wrong he was in dr. tortured

mind what he did was for them I guesshe

stopped thinking ofthe problem as a man

and took the medical point of view

seeingthis malignantgrowths strangling

his town he decided to have to operate

to save it when I came to town andupset

the applecart you were making things

rather uncomfortable Sam for everybody

Margaret FrankAbbey even me one dark

died you really were in a tough spot

your only witness dead you're right Sam

I was in a tough spot you see that night

after meeting Frank

as I passed by Iheard a shotI ran inI

found dr. Roe with a gun still inhis

hand I took the gun from himdidn't

realize till later it was mineI went

over there tosee ifI can helpPhillips

but I couldn't doc said well still call

the sheriff wanted to give himself up

right away but well I I talked him out

of it until afterthe holidays you're

both covered for a man so thatthe town

could have a MerryChristmasthat's

about the size of it Sam doc is beyond

any punishment we can give himMargaret

once said that if it turned out not to

be suicide sheliked your company to

give the extra money to some charity doc

had a lot of them ofcourse you and I

know how this case will gointo the

books but does everybody have to know

just thought I'd mention it dadI made

you not to come you had to do it didn't

you you had to

oh didyou have to come here order

leadereverything's allrightdon't

blame Sam yeah neither listen tous

your father's not anytrouble he didn't

do anything i I've beenwrong all along

like the sheriff is so fond ofsaying

I'm not muchof adetective

Christmas rightsame to you