Perry Mason (1957–1966): Season 1, Episode 21 - The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister - full transcript
Private investigator Arthur West tracks down the drunk J. J. Stanley on skid row. He convinces him to make a phone call he records to Ned Bain about the two of them embezzling money from a bank. The statue of limitations on the crime are up but Bain could be sued civilly for the funds. His daughter Harriet Bain handles most of her ailing father's duties so she is summoned by West to hear the tape. She decides to contact Perry for help but he has other plans which Della persuades him to delay. Harriet is the less attractive of two daughters who is engaged to Addison Doyle. She is afraid this news will cause him to break the engagement. Perry is able to degauss a copy of the tape delaying West and allowing Paul to investigate. Ned Bain visits Stanley followed by an invitation by West for Perry and Harriet to meet him at West's apartment. Perry and Della arrive to find a note on the door and hear Harriet scream as she finds the body of Stanley in West's kitchen. West has recorded the whole event leading to murder charges against Harriet whose fingerprints are on the icepick.
My key, if you please.
Here you are, Johnson.
Thank you. Good night.
That's him, Mr. West. Room 234.
Thanks.
What'd he do?
He talked too much.
What the...
Come on, come on,
Stanley. Wake up.
Stanley? My name's Johnson.
Since when?
Who are you?
Police?
My name's Arthur
West, private investigator.
Well, if you're not with
the law, what do you want?
$50,000 you embezzled
from the Texas National Bank.
But that was 10
years ago. I didn't...
Yes, I know it was, and
you had a partner, Ned Bain.
He's a pretty big man
now, highly respected.
I always wondered how
Bain made his money.
Didn't know he was financed
by the Texas National.
I don't get it. Spell it out.
A bank's like an
elephant. It never forgets.
They'd pay me plenty to know
how Bain made his money.
Then why don't you tell them?
Because Bain would
pay a lot more, quite a lot.
What you need,
J.J., is a manager.
Well, if it's blackmail, you
can count me out, mister.
I'd rather do time.
For once in your life, you're
gonna do as you're told.
By the time we're through,
you'll be able to
swim in this stuff.
(BUZZING)
NED ON TAPE: Hello? STANLEY
ON TAPE: Is that the Bain residence?
HARRIET ON TAPE:
Yes. Who's calling?
This is J.J. Stanley
calling Ned Bain.
I'll take the call, Harriet.
Is that you, J.J.?
Ned, is this line private?
Of course. What's
the problem? Money?
They're on to us, Ned.
The bank hired a private
detective to trace us,
and they're closing in fast.
They can prove we
embezzled that money,
and you know what
they'll do if they find us.
How did you find out?
I've got ways.
Ned, I have nothing to
lose, but you've got a family.
You've got to do
something to stop them.
This private detective,
will he do business?
I think so. I'll find out
and call you tomorrow.
Then you can
square things directly.
Do that, J.J. I'll expect
your call tomorrow.
Well, Miss Bain?
Now will you believe
what I told you was true?
It's a lie. My father
would never steal.
I'm sorry, Miss Bain.
I'm only an agent.
That isn't my property or yours.
(SOBBING)
(DOOR SLAMS)
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
Yes, Gertie?
GERTIE: There's a Miss
Bain here to see Mr. Mason.
I'll be right out.
GERTIE: I'm sorry,
Mr. Mason is in court.
May I take a message?
Could I help you? I'm
Mr. Mason's secretary, Della Street.
It's terribly urgent
and private.
I've just got to see him.
Well, I'm afraid that's
impossible right now.
Mr. Mason's in court.
Well, when will he be back?
Well, as soon as the trial's
over, he's flying to Europe.
I'm awfully sorry.
(SOBS)
Would you like to
come into my office?
I'm sorry to make
such a fool of myself.
Would it help
you to talk a little?
Thanks, but I've already
taken up too much of your time.
Oh, you let me worry about that.
Cigarette?
Thank you.
Here, let me.
About six months ago
I met Addison Doyle.
He's a writer and comes
from an old Boston family.
He's a friend of my
stepsister, Sylvia.
At first I thought he
was just being kind,
but now...
You're in love.
Yes. We're engaged
to be married.
In the beginning, I thought
he was attracted to Sylvia.
She's blond and beautiful
with a lovely figure, and...
Well, she's everything I
wanted to be but wasn't.
How does
Mr. Mason fit into this?
Miss Street, my father
is being blackmailed.
About an hour ago a
private detective named West
played me a wiretap recording.
It implicates my father
in an embezzlement
with his old
partner, J.J. Stanley.
How did you become involved?
Well, my dad suffers from
an acute heart ailment.
I look after him and
take care of his calls.
I...
Miss Street, I
can't take a chance.
Besides the
concern for my father,
I'm afraid that Addison will call
off the marriage if there's a scandal.
Don't you think you're underestimating
yourself and your fiance?
Sometimes I'm very realistic.
My mirror has left
me few illusions.
Here.
Why don't you start the
story from the beginning?
I'll try to see Mr. Mason
before he leaves.
This is more than just a
pleasure trip, you know.
I know that, Perry.
Then give me one logical reason
why I should cancel my flight
plans at five minutes' notice
just to take on
Harriet Bain's case?
I can give you many reasons.
Of course, some of them
may be a little feminine.
I thought so.
I have got the solution
to the whole thing.
What is it, Paul?
You take on the Bain case
and I'll pinch-hit for you at the
lawyers' conference in London.
(CHUCKLES) Good.
Perry, this is serious.
Besides that, marriage is the only
chance for happiness this girl has.
And if her father should be
implicated, her fiance walks out.
That's right.
Maybe she'd be better off.
Besides, there's plenty
of other men in this state
she can choose from.
Not for Harriet Bain.
She signed a retainer.
There you are.
It's all in the notes.
All right. Who's doing
this blackmailing?
A private detective named West.
Arthur West.
Boy, she'll need plenty of help
if she's mixed up
with that character.
You see?
Yeah.
Apparently, the head of the Paul Drake
Detective Agency doesn't think much of him.
I don't.
He's as smooth as a
rattlesnake and twice as deadly.
He makes a show of trying to
beat down the blackmailer's price.
Acts for the victim,
delivers the payoff,
then charges the
client a nominal fee.
So he gets paid both ways.
Mmm-hmm.
Of course, this tape
recording could be faked.
Our first problem is
to locate J.J. Stanley.
How will that help?
You can't cross-examine
a tape recording.
Paul, do you know
where this West lives?
Yeah. The Colegrove Apartments.
All right. Stake out the
apartment and have him tailed.
I think he may lead
us to Mr. Stanley.
All right.
Do you want me to
call Miss Bain now?
Yeah, have her
meet me right away.
We're going over to see West. I
want to hear that recording myself.
Mmm-hmm.
And, Della? Yeah?
I want you to pick me up a small
magnet not over three inches long.
It has to fit into a
cigarette package.
A toy magnet?
Yes, but the strongest
one they've got.
And perhaps you'd better
delay my plane reservation.
I already have.
I might've known.
STANLEY: Ned, I have nothing
to lose, but you've got a family.
You've got to do
something to stop them.
NED: This private detective,
will he do business?
I think so. I'll find out
and call you tomorrow.
Then you can
square things directly.
Do that, J.J. I'll expect
your call tomorrow.
Don't touch it, Mr. Mason.
Before we do business, I
want to examine that tape.
Why?
To make sure it
hasn't been spliced.
Spliced?
Tapes can be faked as well
as composite photographs.
I can assure you it hasn't.
In this matter, I prefer to
use my own observation,
or we're not buying.
All right. I'll show it to
you, but don't touch it.
That's about it. Don't
touch it, Mr. Mason.
I didn't see any splice marks.
Let's hear it again.
Okay.
You told Miss Bain that
J.J. Stanley wants $25,000.
How much will he take?
I think 20.
And you?
The usual professional
fees. I'll leave it up to you.
All right, let's hear it.
There's nothing more we can do
until Mr. West discovers
what's wrong with that tape.
There's nothing wrong with
the tape, I can assure you.
I'll check the recorder.
All right, I'll be in my
office when you're ready.
I've had West's apartment
watched for the last four hours.
So far, he hasn't
left the building.
Good. What happened?
Well, I managed to mess
up the blackmail recording.
How'd you do that?
The recording was erased by
holding a magnet close to the tape.
I don't understand.
All the words on a tape
recording can be wiped clean
by passing it near or
through a magnetic field.
It's a process
called degaussing.
Isn't that tampering
with evidence?
Well, that tape
had to be a copy.
By erasing the copy, I
think I can force Mr. West
to reveal where he keeps
his master recording.
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
Yes, Gertie?
GERTIE: Mr. West
is on the phone.
Put it on Mr. Mason's
private line.
Mason speaking.
You have? When may I hear it?
Right. Tomorrow
morning at 9:00 will be fine.
Then he did have another
copy of the tape. Mmm-hmm.
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
Yes?
GERTIE: Miss Bain's here to see
Mr. Mason, and she's pretty upset.
Thanks, Gertie.
I'll bring her in.
All right, Paul, I'll
check with you later.
Mr. Mason, it's out in the open.
Sylvia was mad because I
brought you into the case,
and she told Dad.
What was your father's reaction?
He says the whole
thing's a fraud.
He's going to fight, Mr. Mason,
and would like to see
you as soon as possible.
Good. Is your father here?
I'm sorry to cause
you so much trouble,
but would you mind
coming out to the house?
Dad's a sick man.
He's had heart
trouble for years.
Of course I'll come
out to the house.
Hello, airline reservations?
This way, Mr. Mason.
Oh, how's Father?
He's much better.
Dr. Fisher just left.
Is this Mr. Mason?
Oh, yes. Mr. Mason,
my sister, Sylvia.
How do you do?
This is just a storm in
a teacup, Mr. Mason.
Unfortunately, I
wasn't consulted.
I'm afraid my stepsister is
a little impulsive at times.
Has Addison arrived?
Of course. Addison
Doyle's a fixture around here.
I suppose you know
that he's Harriet's beloved.
Sylvia, please.
(MAN LAUGHS)
Enter the villain.
Mr. Mason, this is my
fiance, Addison Doyle.
I've heard a great
deal about you.
All good, I hope.
Harriet, Mr. Mason
came to see Father.
Of course.
That recording's
a lie, Mr. Mason.
If I can get my
hands on J.J.'s neck...
What's your connection
with him, Mr. Bain?
I'm in oil, Mr. Mason.
Ten years ago, J.J.
backed me in a wildcat strike,
and I was lucky.
But he got back
every dollar and more.
When did you last see him?
About six months ago.
He started to hit the
bottle. Landed in skid row.
I gave him a few handouts,
and I thought it was quits.
You were going to pay him off?
Not one cent. Why should I?
If necessary, would
you go to the police?
I have Harriet's happiness
to think of, Mr. Mason.
Also Sylvia's.
A scandal wouldn't help.
You have a completely free
hand to get back that tape.
Good.
I'll be here tomorrow, after
I've dealt with Arthur West.
Oh, by the way, Mr. Bain, do you
happen to know J.J. Stanley's address?
No, not even a phone number.
(SYLVIA LAUGHING)
You're wonderful, aren't you?
(DOYLE LAUGHING)
Harriet!
Will you excuse me, Mr. Mason?
Of course, Miss Bain.
Well, that was a
swift conference.
Yes, it was.
Now, if you'll excuse
me, I'll get back to town.
(DOOR CLOSES)
Who dragged Mason into it?
Harriet.
What, on her own?
Sylvia, dear, you
must be slipping.
I thought you controlled her.
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
(DOOR CLOSES)
(BUZZING)
Who is it?
Ned Bain.
You were stupid to get mixed
up with someone like West.
He forced me to do
it. It wasn't my idea.
Uh-huh.
What are you going to do?
You know my philosophy, J.J.
Never put off for tomorrow
what you can do today.
Or rather, tonight.
Take me back to the corner
of Los Feliz and Vermont.
(ENGINE STARTS)
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Hi, Perry. MASON: Hello, Paul.
I've located J.J. Stanley.
Where is he?
In the apartment across
the hall from West.
Number 2B.
Are we picking up Harriet Bain?
No. She said she'd meet
us at West's apartment.
All right, Miss Street.
We're on our way.
Uh, if this is going
to be a showdown,
maybe I better tag along.
I might come in handy.
Thanks, Paul. I don't
expect any trouble.
"Perry Mason, if I'm a few
minutes late, the door is unlocked.
"Make yourself at
home. Arthur West."
What's the catch?
He does seem a little anxious
for us to search the apartment.
I think we'd better just go...
(WOMAN SCREAMS)
(PANTING) He's dead.
Who, West?
No. No, I think
it's J.J. Stanley.
His body is in the kitchen.
Come here, dear.
It's okay.
It's a trap and
we fell right into it.
Here.
West will be here any moment
expecting to find
us with the body.
I'm going to check
Stanley's apartment.
When West turns up, you
pretend to be reading that note.
How will I let you know
when he gets here?
When you hear the elevator stop,
give two rings on
Stanley's doorbell.
(DOORBELL BUZZES TWICE)
Hey, you could've waited for me.
Mr. West just arrived.
He left this note for you.
I'm sorry I'm late. I...
I just came from a card game.
Oh, I didn't know
you were a gambler.
I'm not. For me,
poker is no gamble.
Make yourselves at home.
I'll put on some coffee.
And I thought you were smart.
It's an emergency.
Give me the police.
When he's finished, you'd better
call the airline and cancel my trip.
Right.
Well, I've finished with
him, Lieutenant Tragg.
The killer did a neat job.
What killed him, Doctor?
Internal hemorrhage.
I found a couple of puncture
wounds, probably made by an ice pick.
Any idea when he died?
From his body temperature, I'd say
sometime around 3:00 a.m. this morning.
But don't hold me to it
until I've made an autopsy.
Oh, thanks, Doctor.
I'll keep in touch.
Lieutenant, I found this
across the hall in Apartment 2B.
Yeah.
Check it out with the
crime lab for prints.
Well, Mason, what's
your story this time?
Coincidence or just bad luck?
Hi, Paul. PAUL: Hi, Perry.
What'd you get?
Tragg took West down to
headquarters, and he sang like a bird.
(CHUCKLES) That
type usually does.
We've got to locate that tape
recording before Tragg gets it.
You're sticking
your neck out, Perry.
Why?
Tragg knows that you
searched J.J. Stanley's apartment
with Della standing guard.
Harriet Bain talk?
No. West rigged the
tape recorder by the door
with the timer
set to go at 9:00.
Then the police have a record
of every word that was said.
That's right.
That could be a
pretty strong witness.
And that's not all.
Tragg sent a crew
down to Bain's house.
They fingerprinted
the whole family.
(PHONE RINGS)
Yes? Yes, Della.
What?
All right, tell her I'll be
there as soon as I can.
Bain just had
another heart attack.
The doctor thinks
this one might be fatal.
I'll see you.
Well, I thought we'd lose him an
hour ago, but he's tough as nails.
He'll pull through.
How did this attack
take place, Doctor?
Shock or sudden exertion.
If he'd taken a walk,
would that be a factor?
Mr. Bain couldn't even walk to the
bathroom with his heart condition.
Are you certain?
In medicine, nothing is certain.
Oh, by the way, I found
this under his pillow.
It hardly makes
for good resting.
May I?
Do you think...
This had better be
kept in a safe place.
Harriet, did you leave the house
or did you see your
father leaving your house
at any time last night?
No.
Uh, Miss Bain,
did you at any time
leave this house last night?
No.
You're certain of that?
Little Miss Galahad
is protecting my honor.
She has a perfect alibi, Mason.
She was at my apartment.
Addison!
Oh, it was perfectly proper.
Good night.
Uh, do call again.
Mr. Mason. TRAGG: Hello, Perry.
Well...
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
Do you... You've got...
Oh, that tape's
rather bulky, Perry.
It just spoils the
whole cut of your suit.
Oh, by the way,
you do represent the
Bain family, Perry?
Yes, I do.
Well, then your
job is just starting.
I'm arresting your
client, Harriet Bain.
What for? On
suspicion of murder.
Your fingerprints are
all over that ice pick.
(KNOCKING)
May I come in?
Yes, of course.
Park on the couch
if there's room.
Excuse the mess. The service
in this place is simply hopeless.
I've just come from the jail.
A visit from you
might've been helpful.
Oh, skip the violins, Mason.
My engagement with
Harriet is quite unofficial.
In the circumstances,
it's better that way.
Isn't your walking
out on Harriet
a little hard on
your conscience?
(SCOFFS)
Conscience is a luxury
for a man with a limited income,
and as you see, mine is limited.
I gather your writing
hasn't been very profitable.
For a man like
myself with little talent,
a beer income but
champagne tastes,
the label "writer"
has certain value.
A few sheets of paper,
battered typewriter, a beard
work wonders with
the impressionable sex.
You're disarmingly honest.
Well, Mason, you're nobody's
fool, so why should I lie?
You know what I'm
after as well as I do.
Harriet's arrest and
the ensuing scandal
must have been a great
disappointment to you.
Oh, it was, but there
are compensations.
Sylvia?
Do you really think you can
make the switch in midstream?
Do I have to go into details?
Let me give you
a word of advice.
Go easy on the
changeover to Sylvia.
It might backfire.
Oh? How?
She has very red claws, and
she knows how to use them.
You don't have much
time to get to court, Perry.
Yes, I know.
Where is that copy of
Gross' Criminal Investigation?
There wasn't one in town,
so I wired the publishers.
There's a copy on its way.
All right.
BURGER: On the
morning of March 9,
you were called to Apartment
2A at the Colegrove Apartments,
where you first saw the body
of the decedent, J.J. Stanley?
I was.
In the course of
your investigation,
was an ice pick discovered?
Yes.
Is this the ice pick?
Yes, it is.
If it please the court,
we should like this weapon
entered as People's Exhibit A.
Where was the ice pick
discovered, Lieutenant?
In Apartment 2B,
occupied by the
late J.J. Stanley.
Were you subsequently able to
establish the ownership of the ice pick?
Yes. It was identified
by Bain's cook
as one of her kitchen utensils.
And was it found to
bear certain fingerprints?
Yes. Whose were they?
The defendant, Harriet Bain.
Was anything else found in
the apartment, Lieutenant?
Yes. We found
a cigarette lighter.
Were you able to establish
the ownership of that?
Yes, Mr. Burger. You
will notice the initials H.B.
The defendant, Harriet
Bain, admitted it's hers.
People's Exhibit B,
if it please the court.
That's all,
Lieutenant. Thank you.
Your witness.
Lieutenant, you've
identified the ice pick
as property belonging
to the Bain household.
I did.
Now, an ice pick is a normal
piece of household equipment,
wouldn't you say?
Yes, of course.
Then it should hardly
come as a surprise
to find the
defendant's fingerprints
on this piece of
kitchen equipment.
True, but I wouldn't believe that she'd
be using it in the decedent's apartment.
But you did find latent
fingerprints of the defendant's
on the ice pick. Yes.
Now, were these latent
fingerprints developed
at the scene of the crime
or at police headquarters?
At police headquarters.
Now, was it possible
to transport the ice pick
without either destroying or
impairing those latent fingerprints?
Not only possible, Mr. Mason,
but it was done without
any damage or impairment
to the latent
prints of Miss Bain.
Then, Lieutenant, it must
have been equally possible
for someone other
than the defendant
to have transported the ice pick
from the Bain residence
to the scene of the murder
without disturbing
the fingerprints.
Well, Lieutenant?
Yes.
Now, if someone wanted
to incriminate the defendant,
the ice pick would've
been an excellent idea.
Yes, if you could get
somebody to believe it.
But you believed it,
didn't you, Lieutenant?
Just as you believed the cigarette
lighter was left by the defendant.
Objection.
Lieutenant Tragg
simply testified
that he'd found the
defendant's lighter
in the deceased's apartment.
No further questions.
Dr. Hanover, did you examine the
body of the decedent J.J. Stanley
to determine the cause
and the time of death?
I did. What were your findings?
I found two puncture
wounds made from the front,
one penetrating the ascending
aorta just above the heart,
the other piercing
the subclavian artery.
Would these wounds have
caused immediate death?
They would, from massive internal
hemorrhage within a matter of minutes.
And what, in your opinion, would've
been the nature of the weapon?
A long, sharp, pointed
instrument, possibly an ice pick.
Doctor, are you
familiar with this exhibit?
Yes. I examined that at
the request of the police.
And what did you find?
The wounds penetrating
the decedent's body
match this exhibit in
relation to size and depth.
Was that all?
No. I developed
latent bloodstains
made at the apex
of the ice pick.
These match the
decedent's blood group.
It's group AB.
Doctor, would you
explain for us, please,
the phenomenon known
as postmortem lividity?
Yes. To the layman,
it resembles a bruise.
When the blood stops
circulating, it settles,
and the veins congest
in the lowest part,
the lowest from the
standpoint of body position.
Was there such a bruise
marking the body of the victim?
Yes, sir, there was.
This indicates that the body
had been lying on its back
at least two hours after death.
Well, what can you tell
us about rigor mortis?
It starts in the face three
to five hours after death
and gradually spreads downward.
For the entire
body to be involved
usually takes eight
to twelve hours.
When I first examined
Stanley's body,
only the face and
arms were involved.
Well, from your
examination, Doctor,
were you able to reach a
conclusion as to the time of death?
Yes, sir, between
2:00 and 3:00 a.m.
Thank you, Doctor.
Your witness.
Dr. Hanover,
you base your estimate
of the time of death
on postmortem
lividity and rigor mortis?
They're both factors.
Are these the only factors in
determining the time of death?
No.
What others are involved?
Ingestion of the
last known meal,
body temperature.
How is temperature used
in determining time of death?
The body cools at approximately
one and one-half
degrees per hour
for the first 12
hours after death.
Well, could your
calculations be in error
with any changes or
alterations in room temperature?
They could've been,
but they weren't.
I made a careful check of the
room temperature, and it was normal.
But changes in the
room temperature
could have affected
your calculations
concerning the time of death.
Yes.
Thank you, Doctor. That's all.
Your Honor, with regard
to my next witness,
I ask the court's indulgence.
Since this man recently
suffered a heart attack,
I ask permission to bring
him into court on a stretcher.
It's Father.
We object, Your Honor,
to this inhumane and unnecessary
treatment of the defendant's father.
JUDGE: Is there a
physician in attendance?
Yes, Your Honor,
and here is a certificate
from the police medical examiner
stating that Mr. Bain is
able to be questioned.
Is he outside?
Yes, Your Honor.
Well, since the witness
is already present,
I will permit his admission.
Call Ned Bain.
Mr. Ned Bain.
Please take note,
however, Mr. Burger,
that I shall regulate
your examination
with strict regard to
the witness' health.
He's a hostile
witness, Your Honor.
He has reason to be, Mr. Burger.
Raise your right hand, please.
Do you solemnly swear the
testimony you're about to give
in the cause now
pending in this court
to be the truth, the
whole truth? NED: I do.
State your name, please.
Ned Bain. Thank you.
Mr. Bain, did you know
the deceased J.J. Stanley?
Yes.
And he was blackmailing you?
He tried to.
Did he have substance
and truth to his allegation
that you embezzled money
from the Texas National Bank?
Should I repeat
that last question?
I heard you.
The statute of limitations
has expired on the crime.
You can answer without
incriminating yourself.
Or my family?
How does the fact of an alleged
charge of embezzlement and blackmail
affect the defendant in
this case, Mr. Burger?
That will be explained in
my next question, Your Honor.
Did your daughter Harriet know
that J.J. Stanley's
threat to expose your past
was based on truth?
(SOBBING) Oh,
please, leave him alone.
I knew it was true.
When did you last
see J.J. Stanley alive?
At half past 11:00 on
the night that he died.
Thank you, Mr. Bain. That's all.
Your witness, Mr. Mason.
I have only a few
questions, Mr. Bain.
Do you feel well
enough to answer?
Of course, Mr. Mason.
Now, why did you
visit J.J. Stanley?
To pay off the blackmail.
And what prompted this move?
Stanley called and suggested
that we make a
deal without West.
And that night you paid him off
with money that your daughter
Harriet had withdrawn from your bank.
Yes.
Did Harriet know that you were
going to pay the money to J.J. Stanley?
Yes, she did.
In that case, she had no
possible motive for murder.
Thank you, Mr. Bain.
That's all, Your Honor.
BURGER: After you arrived at
the apartment house with Mr. Bain,
what happened?
I waited.
Did you notice anything
while you were waiting?
Well, like I told Lieutenant
Tragg in his office,
there was a foreign
car behind me.
What made you
remember this incident?
Well, I picked up my fare
at Los Feliz and Vermont
and I was tailed all the way.
Was there anything about
the car that you noticed?
I wrote down the license number.
Was that DHR 786?
Yeah. That's right.
Your Honor, I enter
into exhibit for the State
a copy of a registration for a Citroen
sedan, license number DHR 786,
belonging to the
defendant, Harriet Bain.
Your witness.
Mr. Miller, you said the car was
parked a short distance behind you.
Yeah, that's right.
Did you see the driver's face?
No, it was too dark.
Then the driver could've
been a man or woman?
Yeah.
In other words, you couldn't
say the car was driven
by the person whose name
appears on that registration slip?
Of course not.
Thank you,
Mr. Miller. That's all.
JUDGE: You may step down.
BURGER: Mr. West, you were
acquainted with the late J.J. Stanley?
WEST: Yes.
As a matter of fact,
you found his body.
I did.
You're a private
detective, Mr. West? Yes.
Licensed, of course, by
the police commission?
Yes.
And you met the
late J.J. Stanley
in your professional capacity
as a private investigator?
Yes.
Would you tell the court, please,
briefly, how that came about?
Well, I was approached by
Stanley with a tape recording
purporting to be a phone
conversation between him and Ned Bain.
When I found out what was in it,
I contacted the Bain family
and told them of its contents.
And what were the
contents of the tape?
We object,
on the grounds that
this is not best evidence.
The tape itself
should be produced.
Well, Mr. Burger?
Your Honor, I intend to
introduce the tape in evidence
as soon as the proper
foundation has been laid.
Objection overruled. You
may answer the question.
Well, the conversation
implied that Stanley and Bain
were engaged in a bank
embezzlement 10 years ago.
In short, this was blackmail.
It was.
A threat to Bain so serious
that his loyal daughter might do
almost anything to stop it, even murder.
Objection.
It's a leading question.
Calls for a conclusion.
JUDGE: Objection sustained.
Mr. West, is this the tape
you gave me in my office?
It is. I signed it.
Your Honor, I enter this in
evidence as People's Exhibit D.
Your witness.
Mr. Mason?
Mr. Mason?
Uh, my apologies, Your Honor.
Your acquaintance with J.J.
Stanley was purely professional?
Yes.
You had no personal
ties with this man? None.
Then your only
connection with him
was as a private
investigator. Yes.
Was Mr. Stanley's apartment
opposite yours? Yes.
A semi-furnished apartment?
I don't go snooping around
other people's places, Mr. Mason.
Even when you're
paying the rent? I...
And buying the groceries
and supplying the drinks?
I made him a loan.
You mean you financed
Stanley's blackmail.
WEST: That's not true.
Then why did you
buy him a deep freeze,
and why did you
fill it with food?
And why did you keep
Stanley out of sight?
That's not illegal.
But tampering with evidence is.
What evidence?
Stanley's body.
I submit you placed the
decedent's body in that deep freeze.
But I was playing cards
when he was killed.
Were you?
Or did you place the
body in the deep freeze,
knowing it would alter
the apparent time of death,
and didn't you later
remove the body
and place it in
your own apartment
setting a trap so
that Miss Harriet Bain
would be accused of his murder?
That's not true!
Your Honor, I object.
Mr. Mason's statements are
pure, unadulterated speculation.
Have you any grounds for
these assertions, Mr. Mason?
If the court will allow, I think an
examination of this deep freeze
will reveal traces of the
decedent's rare AB blood group.
In view of the gravity of
this charge, Mr. Burger,
I find this matter most
germane to the case
and herewith order that the court will
adjourn to the decedent's apartment
to inspect this deep freeze.
Hey, wait a minute.
Let me have that.
This looks like a bloodstain.
There's more
there on the bottom.
Well, maybe it dripped
from a meat package.
Dr. Hanover, wouldn't placing
the body in that deep freeze
change the apparent
time of death?
Yes, Mr. Mason, it would.
Your Honor, I further submit that
Harriet Bain was physically unable
to have placed the
dead body in that freezer.
I fully concur.
Then your calculations
could be in error, Doctor.
Yes, Your Honor.
Under the circumstances,
I order an immediate
examination of these bloodstains,
and I further order, Mr. Burger,
that you hold Arthur West
on suspicion of murder.
What?
Hi, Sylvia. Mason.
I just read the news. When
will Harriet be released?
I'm expecting a
phone call any minute.
That's pretty smart
figuring, Mason.
But, uh, what was West's motive?
$25,000 in payoff money.
(PHONE RINGS)
Bain residence.
Oh, yes, he's right here.
It's for you, Mr. Mason.
Thank you.
Yes?
Yes, Della.
He has?
Good.
Good. Yes, thanks.
All right, I'll tell them.
Well, that winds
it up, Miss Bain.
Harriet was released
10 minutes ago.
She's on her way home.
Addison, I think that,
under the circumstances,
it would be more tactful if you
weren't here when Harriet arrives.
Oh, of course.
(STAMMERING) Yes, I
think you're right, Sylvia.
Well, I'll... I'll call
you in the morning.
Good work, Mason.
MASON: Light?
Here's your killer, Lieutenant.
And his motive, $25,000.
Well, Doyle, you
almost had us fooled.
Thank you.
Well, I'll take that
light now, Mason.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
Hi.
Hi, Paul.
Don't tell me you're
still going to try to make
that International Conference
of Lawyers in London.
I might, if I can
ever get there.
Will you drive me
out to the airport?
Sure. Perry, the reason I dropped
by is something puzzles me.
I know that you suspected Doyle
when you saw a copy of
Dr. Gross' Criminal Investigation
in his apartment.
But what was in the book
that clinched things for you?
It cites an identical case of retarding
body temperature by freezing.
And by the way, thanks
for getting it to court on time.
You're welcome.
But, Perry, if the
motive was money,
why didn't Doyle wait till
he'd married Harriet or Sylvia?
Well, the $25,000
was a sure thing.
Harriet's inheritance in the
event of a scandal was conjectural.
And, besides, Sylvia
was upsetting his plans.
How?
Paul, Sylvia Bain wouldn't
have had Doyle as a gift.
All she wanted was to
break his hold on Harriet.
Then she was
helping little sister.
Right.
Perry, what is going to
happen to old man Bain?
Well, although the
statute of limitations
has run out on his crime,
if the bank brings a civil suit,
they can recover
the money he took,
plus any profits he made as
a result of his embezzlement.
I'm back, Perry.
Back? I thought you were
going to the beauty parlor.
I did. I just had
to meet someone.
Would you do me a favor, Perry?
Mmm-mmm. What is it?
Well, there's a client outside.
Oh, no, you don't.
It won't take but a minute.
She, uh, just
wants a little advice.
No. My plane
takes off in an hour.
Please.
Bring her in.
Mr. Mason will see you now.
I wanted to say thank you personally,
Mr. Mason, before I left town.
You're going away?
Yes. Harriet's taking
a vacation in Europe.
And my plane leaves in an hour.
Taking the polar route to
London, by any chance?
Why, yes.
Della managed to get
me a seat on the plane.
(CHUCKLES) What a
remarkable coincidence.
Well, Miss Machiavelli?
Well, with this new
hairdo and new outfit,
a girl needs an escort.
I just couldn't think of
a better one for the trip.
After you.
Shall we?
Here you are, Johnson.
Thank you. Good night.
That's him, Mr. West. Room 234.
Thanks.
What'd he do?
He talked too much.
What the...
Come on, come on,
Stanley. Wake up.
Stanley? My name's Johnson.
Since when?
Who are you?
Police?
My name's Arthur
West, private investigator.
Well, if you're not with
the law, what do you want?
$50,000 you embezzled
from the Texas National Bank.
But that was 10
years ago. I didn't...
Yes, I know it was, and
you had a partner, Ned Bain.
He's a pretty big man
now, highly respected.
I always wondered how
Bain made his money.
Didn't know he was financed
by the Texas National.
I don't get it. Spell it out.
A bank's like an
elephant. It never forgets.
They'd pay me plenty to know
how Bain made his money.
Then why don't you tell them?
Because Bain would
pay a lot more, quite a lot.
What you need,
J.J., is a manager.
Well, if it's blackmail, you
can count me out, mister.
I'd rather do time.
For once in your life, you're
gonna do as you're told.
By the time we're through,
you'll be able to
swim in this stuff.
(BUZZING)
NED ON TAPE: Hello? STANLEY
ON TAPE: Is that the Bain residence?
HARRIET ON TAPE:
Yes. Who's calling?
This is J.J. Stanley
calling Ned Bain.
I'll take the call, Harriet.
Is that you, J.J.?
Ned, is this line private?
Of course. What's
the problem? Money?
They're on to us, Ned.
The bank hired a private
detective to trace us,
and they're closing in fast.
They can prove we
embezzled that money,
and you know what
they'll do if they find us.
How did you find out?
I've got ways.
Ned, I have nothing to
lose, but you've got a family.
You've got to do
something to stop them.
This private detective,
will he do business?
I think so. I'll find out
and call you tomorrow.
Then you can
square things directly.
Do that, J.J. I'll expect
your call tomorrow.
Well, Miss Bain?
Now will you believe
what I told you was true?
It's a lie. My father
would never steal.
I'm sorry, Miss Bain.
I'm only an agent.
That isn't my property or yours.
(SOBBING)
(DOOR SLAMS)
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
Yes, Gertie?
GERTIE: There's a Miss
Bain here to see Mr. Mason.
I'll be right out.
GERTIE: I'm sorry,
Mr. Mason is in court.
May I take a message?
Could I help you? I'm
Mr. Mason's secretary, Della Street.
It's terribly urgent
and private.
I've just got to see him.
Well, I'm afraid that's
impossible right now.
Mr. Mason's in court.
Well, when will he be back?
Well, as soon as the trial's
over, he's flying to Europe.
I'm awfully sorry.
(SOBS)
Would you like to
come into my office?
I'm sorry to make
such a fool of myself.
Would it help
you to talk a little?
Thanks, but I've already
taken up too much of your time.
Oh, you let me worry about that.
Cigarette?
Thank you.
Here, let me.
About six months ago
I met Addison Doyle.
He's a writer and comes
from an old Boston family.
He's a friend of my
stepsister, Sylvia.
At first I thought he
was just being kind,
but now...
You're in love.
Yes. We're engaged
to be married.
In the beginning, I thought
he was attracted to Sylvia.
She's blond and beautiful
with a lovely figure, and...
Well, she's everything I
wanted to be but wasn't.
How does
Mr. Mason fit into this?
Miss Street, my father
is being blackmailed.
About an hour ago a
private detective named West
played me a wiretap recording.
It implicates my father
in an embezzlement
with his old
partner, J.J. Stanley.
How did you become involved?
Well, my dad suffers from
an acute heart ailment.
I look after him and
take care of his calls.
I...
Miss Street, I
can't take a chance.
Besides the
concern for my father,
I'm afraid that Addison will call
off the marriage if there's a scandal.
Don't you think you're underestimating
yourself and your fiance?
Sometimes I'm very realistic.
My mirror has left
me few illusions.
Here.
Why don't you start the
story from the beginning?
I'll try to see Mr. Mason
before he leaves.
This is more than just a
pleasure trip, you know.
I know that, Perry.
Then give me one logical reason
why I should cancel my flight
plans at five minutes' notice
just to take on
Harriet Bain's case?
I can give you many reasons.
Of course, some of them
may be a little feminine.
I thought so.
I have got the solution
to the whole thing.
What is it, Paul?
You take on the Bain case
and I'll pinch-hit for you at the
lawyers' conference in London.
(CHUCKLES) Good.
Perry, this is serious.
Besides that, marriage is the only
chance for happiness this girl has.
And if her father should be
implicated, her fiance walks out.
That's right.
Maybe she'd be better off.
Besides, there's plenty
of other men in this state
she can choose from.
Not for Harriet Bain.
She signed a retainer.
There you are.
It's all in the notes.
All right. Who's doing
this blackmailing?
A private detective named West.
Arthur West.
Boy, she'll need plenty of help
if she's mixed up
with that character.
You see?
Yeah.
Apparently, the head of the Paul Drake
Detective Agency doesn't think much of him.
I don't.
He's as smooth as a
rattlesnake and twice as deadly.
He makes a show of trying to
beat down the blackmailer's price.
Acts for the victim,
delivers the payoff,
then charges the
client a nominal fee.
So he gets paid both ways.
Mmm-hmm.
Of course, this tape
recording could be faked.
Our first problem is
to locate J.J. Stanley.
How will that help?
You can't cross-examine
a tape recording.
Paul, do you know
where this West lives?
Yeah. The Colegrove Apartments.
All right. Stake out the
apartment and have him tailed.
I think he may lead
us to Mr. Stanley.
All right.
Do you want me to
call Miss Bain now?
Yeah, have her
meet me right away.
We're going over to see West. I
want to hear that recording myself.
Mmm-hmm.
And, Della? Yeah?
I want you to pick me up a small
magnet not over three inches long.
It has to fit into a
cigarette package.
A toy magnet?
Yes, but the strongest
one they've got.
And perhaps you'd better
delay my plane reservation.
I already have.
I might've known.
STANLEY: Ned, I have nothing
to lose, but you've got a family.
You've got to do
something to stop them.
NED: This private detective,
will he do business?
I think so. I'll find out
and call you tomorrow.
Then you can
square things directly.
Do that, J.J. I'll expect
your call tomorrow.
Don't touch it, Mr. Mason.
Before we do business, I
want to examine that tape.
Why?
To make sure it
hasn't been spliced.
Spliced?
Tapes can be faked as well
as composite photographs.
I can assure you it hasn't.
In this matter, I prefer to
use my own observation,
or we're not buying.
All right. I'll show it to
you, but don't touch it.
That's about it. Don't
touch it, Mr. Mason.
I didn't see any splice marks.
Let's hear it again.
Okay.
You told Miss Bain that
J.J. Stanley wants $25,000.
How much will he take?
I think 20.
And you?
The usual professional
fees. I'll leave it up to you.
All right, let's hear it.
There's nothing more we can do
until Mr. West discovers
what's wrong with that tape.
There's nothing wrong with
the tape, I can assure you.
I'll check the recorder.
All right, I'll be in my
office when you're ready.
I've had West's apartment
watched for the last four hours.
So far, he hasn't
left the building.
Good. What happened?
Well, I managed to mess
up the blackmail recording.
How'd you do that?
The recording was erased by
holding a magnet close to the tape.
I don't understand.
All the words on a tape
recording can be wiped clean
by passing it near or
through a magnetic field.
It's a process
called degaussing.
Isn't that tampering
with evidence?
Well, that tape
had to be a copy.
By erasing the copy, I
think I can force Mr. West
to reveal where he keeps
his master recording.
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
Yes, Gertie?
GERTIE: Mr. West
is on the phone.
Put it on Mr. Mason's
private line.
Mason speaking.
You have? When may I hear it?
Right. Tomorrow
morning at 9:00 will be fine.
Then he did have another
copy of the tape. Mmm-hmm.
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
Yes?
GERTIE: Miss Bain's here to see
Mr. Mason, and she's pretty upset.
Thanks, Gertie.
I'll bring her in.
All right, Paul, I'll
check with you later.
Mr. Mason, it's out in the open.
Sylvia was mad because I
brought you into the case,
and she told Dad.
What was your father's reaction?
He says the whole
thing's a fraud.
He's going to fight, Mr. Mason,
and would like to see
you as soon as possible.
Good. Is your father here?
I'm sorry to cause
you so much trouble,
but would you mind
coming out to the house?
Dad's a sick man.
He's had heart
trouble for years.
Of course I'll come
out to the house.
Hello, airline reservations?
This way, Mr. Mason.
Oh, how's Father?
He's much better.
Dr. Fisher just left.
Is this Mr. Mason?
Oh, yes. Mr. Mason,
my sister, Sylvia.
How do you do?
This is just a storm in
a teacup, Mr. Mason.
Unfortunately, I
wasn't consulted.
I'm afraid my stepsister is
a little impulsive at times.
Has Addison arrived?
Of course. Addison
Doyle's a fixture around here.
I suppose you know
that he's Harriet's beloved.
Sylvia, please.
(MAN LAUGHS)
Enter the villain.
Mr. Mason, this is my
fiance, Addison Doyle.
I've heard a great
deal about you.
All good, I hope.
Harriet, Mr. Mason
came to see Father.
Of course.
That recording's
a lie, Mr. Mason.
If I can get my
hands on J.J.'s neck...
What's your connection
with him, Mr. Bain?
I'm in oil, Mr. Mason.
Ten years ago, J.J.
backed me in a wildcat strike,
and I was lucky.
But he got back
every dollar and more.
When did you last see him?
About six months ago.
He started to hit the
bottle. Landed in skid row.
I gave him a few handouts,
and I thought it was quits.
You were going to pay him off?
Not one cent. Why should I?
If necessary, would
you go to the police?
I have Harriet's happiness
to think of, Mr. Mason.
Also Sylvia's.
A scandal wouldn't help.
You have a completely free
hand to get back that tape.
Good.
I'll be here tomorrow, after
I've dealt with Arthur West.
Oh, by the way, Mr. Bain, do you
happen to know J.J. Stanley's address?
No, not even a phone number.
(SYLVIA LAUGHING)
You're wonderful, aren't you?
(DOYLE LAUGHING)
Harriet!
Will you excuse me, Mr. Mason?
Of course, Miss Bain.
Well, that was a
swift conference.
Yes, it was.
Now, if you'll excuse
me, I'll get back to town.
(DOOR CLOSES)
Who dragged Mason into it?
Harriet.
What, on her own?
Sylvia, dear, you
must be slipping.
I thought you controlled her.
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
(DOOR CLOSES)
(BUZZING)
Who is it?
Ned Bain.
You were stupid to get mixed
up with someone like West.
He forced me to do
it. It wasn't my idea.
Uh-huh.
What are you going to do?
You know my philosophy, J.J.
Never put off for tomorrow
what you can do today.
Or rather, tonight.
Take me back to the corner
of Los Feliz and Vermont.
(ENGINE STARTS)
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Hi, Perry. MASON: Hello, Paul.
I've located J.J. Stanley.
Where is he?
In the apartment across
the hall from West.
Number 2B.
Are we picking up Harriet Bain?
No. She said she'd meet
us at West's apartment.
All right, Miss Street.
We're on our way.
Uh, if this is going
to be a showdown,
maybe I better tag along.
I might come in handy.
Thanks, Paul. I don't
expect any trouble.
"Perry Mason, if I'm a few
minutes late, the door is unlocked.
"Make yourself at
home. Arthur West."
What's the catch?
He does seem a little anxious
for us to search the apartment.
I think we'd better just go...
(WOMAN SCREAMS)
(PANTING) He's dead.
Who, West?
No. No, I think
it's J.J. Stanley.
His body is in the kitchen.
Come here, dear.
It's okay.
It's a trap and
we fell right into it.
Here.
West will be here any moment
expecting to find
us with the body.
I'm going to check
Stanley's apartment.
When West turns up, you
pretend to be reading that note.
How will I let you know
when he gets here?
When you hear the elevator stop,
give two rings on
Stanley's doorbell.
(DOORBELL BUZZES TWICE)
Hey, you could've waited for me.
Mr. West just arrived.
He left this note for you.
I'm sorry I'm late. I...
I just came from a card game.
Oh, I didn't know
you were a gambler.
I'm not. For me,
poker is no gamble.
Make yourselves at home.
I'll put on some coffee.
And I thought you were smart.
It's an emergency.
Give me the police.
When he's finished, you'd better
call the airline and cancel my trip.
Right.
Well, I've finished with
him, Lieutenant Tragg.
The killer did a neat job.
What killed him, Doctor?
Internal hemorrhage.
I found a couple of puncture
wounds, probably made by an ice pick.
Any idea when he died?
From his body temperature, I'd say
sometime around 3:00 a.m. this morning.
But don't hold me to it
until I've made an autopsy.
Oh, thanks, Doctor.
I'll keep in touch.
Lieutenant, I found this
across the hall in Apartment 2B.
Yeah.
Check it out with the
crime lab for prints.
Well, Mason, what's
your story this time?
Coincidence or just bad luck?
Hi, Paul. PAUL: Hi, Perry.
What'd you get?
Tragg took West down to
headquarters, and he sang like a bird.
(CHUCKLES) That
type usually does.
We've got to locate that tape
recording before Tragg gets it.
You're sticking
your neck out, Perry.
Why?
Tragg knows that you
searched J.J. Stanley's apartment
with Della standing guard.
Harriet Bain talk?
No. West rigged the
tape recorder by the door
with the timer
set to go at 9:00.
Then the police have a record
of every word that was said.
That's right.
That could be a
pretty strong witness.
And that's not all.
Tragg sent a crew
down to Bain's house.
They fingerprinted
the whole family.
(PHONE RINGS)
Yes? Yes, Della.
What?
All right, tell her I'll be
there as soon as I can.
Bain just had
another heart attack.
The doctor thinks
this one might be fatal.
I'll see you.
Well, I thought we'd lose him an
hour ago, but he's tough as nails.
He'll pull through.
How did this attack
take place, Doctor?
Shock or sudden exertion.
If he'd taken a walk,
would that be a factor?
Mr. Bain couldn't even walk to the
bathroom with his heart condition.
Are you certain?
In medicine, nothing is certain.
Oh, by the way, I found
this under his pillow.
It hardly makes
for good resting.
May I?
Do you think...
This had better be
kept in a safe place.
Harriet, did you leave the house
or did you see your
father leaving your house
at any time last night?
No.
Uh, Miss Bain,
did you at any time
leave this house last night?
No.
You're certain of that?
Little Miss Galahad
is protecting my honor.
She has a perfect alibi, Mason.
She was at my apartment.
Addison!
Oh, it was perfectly proper.
Good night.
Uh, do call again.
Mr. Mason. TRAGG: Hello, Perry.
Well...
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
Do you... You've got...
Oh, that tape's
rather bulky, Perry.
It just spoils the
whole cut of your suit.
Oh, by the way,
you do represent the
Bain family, Perry?
Yes, I do.
Well, then your
job is just starting.
I'm arresting your
client, Harriet Bain.
What for? On
suspicion of murder.
Your fingerprints are
all over that ice pick.
(KNOCKING)
May I come in?
Yes, of course.
Park on the couch
if there's room.
Excuse the mess. The service
in this place is simply hopeless.
I've just come from the jail.
A visit from you
might've been helpful.
Oh, skip the violins, Mason.
My engagement with
Harriet is quite unofficial.
In the circumstances,
it's better that way.
Isn't your walking
out on Harriet
a little hard on
your conscience?
(SCOFFS)
Conscience is a luxury
for a man with a limited income,
and as you see, mine is limited.
I gather your writing
hasn't been very profitable.
For a man like
myself with little talent,
a beer income but
champagne tastes,
the label "writer"
has certain value.
A few sheets of paper,
battered typewriter, a beard
work wonders with
the impressionable sex.
You're disarmingly honest.
Well, Mason, you're nobody's
fool, so why should I lie?
You know what I'm
after as well as I do.
Harriet's arrest and
the ensuing scandal
must have been a great
disappointment to you.
Oh, it was, but there
are compensations.
Sylvia?
Do you really think you can
make the switch in midstream?
Do I have to go into details?
Let me give you
a word of advice.
Go easy on the
changeover to Sylvia.
It might backfire.
Oh? How?
She has very red claws, and
she knows how to use them.
You don't have much
time to get to court, Perry.
Yes, I know.
Where is that copy of
Gross' Criminal Investigation?
There wasn't one in town,
so I wired the publishers.
There's a copy on its way.
All right.
BURGER: On the
morning of March 9,
you were called to Apartment
2A at the Colegrove Apartments,
where you first saw the body
of the decedent, J.J. Stanley?
I was.
In the course of
your investigation,
was an ice pick discovered?
Yes.
Is this the ice pick?
Yes, it is.
If it please the court,
we should like this weapon
entered as People's Exhibit A.
Where was the ice pick
discovered, Lieutenant?
In Apartment 2B,
occupied by the
late J.J. Stanley.
Were you subsequently able to
establish the ownership of the ice pick?
Yes. It was identified
by Bain's cook
as one of her kitchen utensils.
And was it found to
bear certain fingerprints?
Yes. Whose were they?
The defendant, Harriet Bain.
Was anything else found in
the apartment, Lieutenant?
Yes. We found
a cigarette lighter.
Were you able to establish
the ownership of that?
Yes, Mr. Burger. You
will notice the initials H.B.
The defendant, Harriet
Bain, admitted it's hers.
People's Exhibit B,
if it please the court.
That's all,
Lieutenant. Thank you.
Your witness.
Lieutenant, you've
identified the ice pick
as property belonging
to the Bain household.
I did.
Now, an ice pick is a normal
piece of household equipment,
wouldn't you say?
Yes, of course.
Then it should hardly
come as a surprise
to find the
defendant's fingerprints
on this piece of
kitchen equipment.
True, but I wouldn't believe that she'd
be using it in the decedent's apartment.
But you did find latent
fingerprints of the defendant's
on the ice pick. Yes.
Now, were these latent
fingerprints developed
at the scene of the crime
or at police headquarters?
At police headquarters.
Now, was it possible
to transport the ice pick
without either destroying or
impairing those latent fingerprints?
Not only possible, Mr. Mason,
but it was done without
any damage or impairment
to the latent
prints of Miss Bain.
Then, Lieutenant, it must
have been equally possible
for someone other
than the defendant
to have transported the ice pick
from the Bain residence
to the scene of the murder
without disturbing
the fingerprints.
Well, Lieutenant?
Yes.
Now, if someone wanted
to incriminate the defendant,
the ice pick would've
been an excellent idea.
Yes, if you could get
somebody to believe it.
But you believed it,
didn't you, Lieutenant?
Just as you believed the cigarette
lighter was left by the defendant.
Objection.
Lieutenant Tragg
simply testified
that he'd found the
defendant's lighter
in the deceased's apartment.
No further questions.
Dr. Hanover, did you examine the
body of the decedent J.J. Stanley
to determine the cause
and the time of death?
I did. What were your findings?
I found two puncture
wounds made from the front,
one penetrating the ascending
aorta just above the heart,
the other piercing
the subclavian artery.
Would these wounds have
caused immediate death?
They would, from massive internal
hemorrhage within a matter of minutes.
And what, in your opinion, would've
been the nature of the weapon?
A long, sharp, pointed
instrument, possibly an ice pick.
Doctor, are you
familiar with this exhibit?
Yes. I examined that at
the request of the police.
And what did you find?
The wounds penetrating
the decedent's body
match this exhibit in
relation to size and depth.
Was that all?
No. I developed
latent bloodstains
made at the apex
of the ice pick.
These match the
decedent's blood group.
It's group AB.
Doctor, would you
explain for us, please,
the phenomenon known
as postmortem lividity?
Yes. To the layman,
it resembles a bruise.
When the blood stops
circulating, it settles,
and the veins congest
in the lowest part,
the lowest from the
standpoint of body position.
Was there such a bruise
marking the body of the victim?
Yes, sir, there was.
This indicates that the body
had been lying on its back
at least two hours after death.
Well, what can you tell
us about rigor mortis?
It starts in the face three
to five hours after death
and gradually spreads downward.
For the entire
body to be involved
usually takes eight
to twelve hours.
When I first examined
Stanley's body,
only the face and
arms were involved.
Well, from your
examination, Doctor,
were you able to reach a
conclusion as to the time of death?
Yes, sir, between
2:00 and 3:00 a.m.
Thank you, Doctor.
Your witness.
Dr. Hanover,
you base your estimate
of the time of death
on postmortem
lividity and rigor mortis?
They're both factors.
Are these the only factors in
determining the time of death?
No.
What others are involved?
Ingestion of the
last known meal,
body temperature.
How is temperature used
in determining time of death?
The body cools at approximately
one and one-half
degrees per hour
for the first 12
hours after death.
Well, could your
calculations be in error
with any changes or
alterations in room temperature?
They could've been,
but they weren't.
I made a careful check of the
room temperature, and it was normal.
But changes in the
room temperature
could have affected
your calculations
concerning the time of death.
Yes.
Thank you, Doctor. That's all.
Your Honor, with regard
to my next witness,
I ask the court's indulgence.
Since this man recently
suffered a heart attack,
I ask permission to bring
him into court on a stretcher.
It's Father.
We object, Your Honor,
to this inhumane and unnecessary
treatment of the defendant's father.
JUDGE: Is there a
physician in attendance?
Yes, Your Honor,
and here is a certificate
from the police medical examiner
stating that Mr. Bain is
able to be questioned.
Is he outside?
Yes, Your Honor.
Well, since the witness
is already present,
I will permit his admission.
Call Ned Bain.
Mr. Ned Bain.
Please take note,
however, Mr. Burger,
that I shall regulate
your examination
with strict regard to
the witness' health.
He's a hostile
witness, Your Honor.
He has reason to be, Mr. Burger.
Raise your right hand, please.
Do you solemnly swear the
testimony you're about to give
in the cause now
pending in this court
to be the truth, the
whole truth? NED: I do.
State your name, please.
Ned Bain. Thank you.
Mr. Bain, did you know
the deceased J.J. Stanley?
Yes.
And he was blackmailing you?
He tried to.
Did he have substance
and truth to his allegation
that you embezzled money
from the Texas National Bank?
Should I repeat
that last question?
I heard you.
The statute of limitations
has expired on the crime.
You can answer without
incriminating yourself.
Or my family?
How does the fact of an alleged
charge of embezzlement and blackmail
affect the defendant in
this case, Mr. Burger?
That will be explained in
my next question, Your Honor.
Did your daughter Harriet know
that J.J. Stanley's
threat to expose your past
was based on truth?
(SOBBING) Oh,
please, leave him alone.
I knew it was true.
When did you last
see J.J. Stanley alive?
At half past 11:00 on
the night that he died.
Thank you, Mr. Bain. That's all.
Your witness, Mr. Mason.
I have only a few
questions, Mr. Bain.
Do you feel well
enough to answer?
Of course, Mr. Mason.
Now, why did you
visit J.J. Stanley?
To pay off the blackmail.
And what prompted this move?
Stanley called and suggested
that we make a
deal without West.
And that night you paid him off
with money that your daughter
Harriet had withdrawn from your bank.
Yes.
Did Harriet know that you were
going to pay the money to J.J. Stanley?
Yes, she did.
In that case, she had no
possible motive for murder.
Thank you, Mr. Bain.
That's all, Your Honor.
BURGER: After you arrived at
the apartment house with Mr. Bain,
what happened?
I waited.
Did you notice anything
while you were waiting?
Well, like I told Lieutenant
Tragg in his office,
there was a foreign
car behind me.
What made you
remember this incident?
Well, I picked up my fare
at Los Feliz and Vermont
and I was tailed all the way.
Was there anything about
the car that you noticed?
I wrote down the license number.
Was that DHR 786?
Yeah. That's right.
Your Honor, I enter
into exhibit for the State
a copy of a registration for a Citroen
sedan, license number DHR 786,
belonging to the
defendant, Harriet Bain.
Your witness.
Mr. Miller, you said the car was
parked a short distance behind you.
Yeah, that's right.
Did you see the driver's face?
No, it was too dark.
Then the driver could've
been a man or woman?
Yeah.
In other words, you couldn't
say the car was driven
by the person whose name
appears on that registration slip?
Of course not.
Thank you,
Mr. Miller. That's all.
JUDGE: You may step down.
BURGER: Mr. West, you were
acquainted with the late J.J. Stanley?
WEST: Yes.
As a matter of fact,
you found his body.
I did.
You're a private
detective, Mr. West? Yes.
Licensed, of course, by
the police commission?
Yes.
And you met the
late J.J. Stanley
in your professional capacity
as a private investigator?
Yes.
Would you tell the court, please,
briefly, how that came about?
Well, I was approached by
Stanley with a tape recording
purporting to be a phone
conversation between him and Ned Bain.
When I found out what was in it,
I contacted the Bain family
and told them of its contents.
And what were the
contents of the tape?
We object,
on the grounds that
this is not best evidence.
The tape itself
should be produced.
Well, Mr. Burger?
Your Honor, I intend to
introduce the tape in evidence
as soon as the proper
foundation has been laid.
Objection overruled. You
may answer the question.
Well, the conversation
implied that Stanley and Bain
were engaged in a bank
embezzlement 10 years ago.
In short, this was blackmail.
It was.
A threat to Bain so serious
that his loyal daughter might do
almost anything to stop it, even murder.
Objection.
It's a leading question.
Calls for a conclusion.
JUDGE: Objection sustained.
Mr. West, is this the tape
you gave me in my office?
It is. I signed it.
Your Honor, I enter this in
evidence as People's Exhibit D.
Your witness.
Mr. Mason?
Mr. Mason?
Uh, my apologies, Your Honor.
Your acquaintance with J.J.
Stanley was purely professional?
Yes.
You had no personal
ties with this man? None.
Then your only
connection with him
was as a private
investigator. Yes.
Was Mr. Stanley's apartment
opposite yours? Yes.
A semi-furnished apartment?
I don't go snooping around
other people's places, Mr. Mason.
Even when you're
paying the rent? I...
And buying the groceries
and supplying the drinks?
I made him a loan.
You mean you financed
Stanley's blackmail.
WEST: That's not true.
Then why did you
buy him a deep freeze,
and why did you
fill it with food?
And why did you keep
Stanley out of sight?
That's not illegal.
But tampering with evidence is.
What evidence?
Stanley's body.
I submit you placed the
decedent's body in that deep freeze.
But I was playing cards
when he was killed.
Were you?
Or did you place the
body in the deep freeze,
knowing it would alter
the apparent time of death,
and didn't you later
remove the body
and place it in
your own apartment
setting a trap so
that Miss Harriet Bain
would be accused of his murder?
That's not true!
Your Honor, I object.
Mr. Mason's statements are
pure, unadulterated speculation.
Have you any grounds for
these assertions, Mr. Mason?
If the court will allow, I think an
examination of this deep freeze
will reveal traces of the
decedent's rare AB blood group.
In view of the gravity of
this charge, Mr. Burger,
I find this matter most
germane to the case
and herewith order that the court will
adjourn to the decedent's apartment
to inspect this deep freeze.
Hey, wait a minute.
Let me have that.
This looks like a bloodstain.
There's more
there on the bottom.
Well, maybe it dripped
from a meat package.
Dr. Hanover, wouldn't placing
the body in that deep freeze
change the apparent
time of death?
Yes, Mr. Mason, it would.
Your Honor, I further submit that
Harriet Bain was physically unable
to have placed the
dead body in that freezer.
I fully concur.
Then your calculations
could be in error, Doctor.
Yes, Your Honor.
Under the circumstances,
I order an immediate
examination of these bloodstains,
and I further order, Mr. Burger,
that you hold Arthur West
on suspicion of murder.
What?
Hi, Sylvia. Mason.
I just read the news. When
will Harriet be released?
I'm expecting a
phone call any minute.
That's pretty smart
figuring, Mason.
But, uh, what was West's motive?
$25,000 in payoff money.
(PHONE RINGS)
Bain residence.
Oh, yes, he's right here.
It's for you, Mr. Mason.
Thank you.
Yes?
Yes, Della.
He has?
Good.
Good. Yes, thanks.
All right, I'll tell them.
Well, that winds
it up, Miss Bain.
Harriet was released
10 minutes ago.
She's on her way home.
Addison, I think that,
under the circumstances,
it would be more tactful if you
weren't here when Harriet arrives.
Oh, of course.
(STAMMERING) Yes, I
think you're right, Sylvia.
Well, I'll... I'll call
you in the morning.
Good work, Mason.
MASON: Light?
Here's your killer, Lieutenant.
And his motive, $25,000.
Well, Doyle, you
almost had us fooled.
Thank you.
Well, I'll take that
light now, Mason.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
Hi.
Hi, Paul.
Don't tell me you're
still going to try to make
that International Conference
of Lawyers in London.
I might, if I can
ever get there.
Will you drive me
out to the airport?
Sure. Perry, the reason I dropped
by is something puzzles me.
I know that you suspected Doyle
when you saw a copy of
Dr. Gross' Criminal Investigation
in his apartment.
But what was in the book
that clinched things for you?
It cites an identical case of retarding
body temperature by freezing.
And by the way, thanks
for getting it to court on time.
You're welcome.
But, Perry, if the
motive was money,
why didn't Doyle wait till
he'd married Harriet or Sylvia?
Well, the $25,000
was a sure thing.
Harriet's inheritance in the
event of a scandal was conjectural.
And, besides, Sylvia
was upsetting his plans.
How?
Paul, Sylvia Bain wouldn't
have had Doyle as a gift.
All she wanted was to
break his hold on Harriet.
Then she was
helping little sister.
Right.
Perry, what is going to
happen to old man Bain?
Well, although the
statute of limitations
has run out on his crime,
if the bank brings a civil suit,
they can recover
the money he took,
plus any profits he made as
a result of his embezzlement.
I'm back, Perry.
Back? I thought you were
going to the beauty parlor.
I did. I just had
to meet someone.
Would you do me a favor, Perry?
Mmm-mmm. What is it?
Well, there's a client outside.
Oh, no, you don't.
It won't take but a minute.
She, uh, just
wants a little advice.
No. My plane
takes off in an hour.
Please.
Bring her in.
Mr. Mason will see you now.
I wanted to say thank you personally,
Mr. Mason, before I left town.
You're going away?
Yes. Harriet's taking
a vacation in Europe.
And my plane leaves in an hour.
Taking the polar route to
London, by any chance?
Why, yes.
Della managed to get
me a seat on the plane.
(CHUCKLES) What a
remarkable coincidence.
Well, Miss Machiavelli?
Well, with this new
hairdo and new outfit,
a girl needs an escort.
I just couldn't think of
a better one for the trip.
After you.
Shall we?