Perry Mason (1957–1966): Season 2, Episode 1 - The Case of the Corresponding Corpse - full transcript
A man that faked his death has been exposed and is blackmailed. With help from Perry, he plans on returning to his wife. But, before that can happen, he is found dead and a woman he had a relationship with is charged and needs Perry's help.
Well, now, this is
all very interesting.
It shows a lot of work
and a lot of imagination.
I never realized you
folks were so efficient.
All right, Folsom,
who put you onto me?
I'm so happy you're
taking this attitude.
I was afraid there'd
be nothing but denials.
Now, where would that get me?
Exactly.
We could establish
your true identity
in no time at all.
Yeah, well, Mr. Folsom,
you just don't have to
go to any more trouble.
I'm George Beaumont.
I needn't tell you,
Mr. Beaumont,
you have my complete sympathy.
Yeah, I'll bet.
I mean it.
There's no reason my
company has to know about this.
I realize that if
I file this report,
it can destroy your life,
not to mention your happiness.
All right, Folsom,
how much? Pardon?
What's the going price
on happiness these days?
Well, I'm sure we
can come to terms.
When a man's in
trouble, I'm perfectly willing
to give him every
opportunity... Get out.
Out.
Now, hold on, Beaumont.
You're in no position to...
George, dear, I brought
you some coffee and...
I'm sorry. Oh, no, Ruth.
Uh, Miss Whittaker,
this is Mr. Folsom.
He calls himself an
insurance investigator.
Well, I'll come back later.
Oh, no, you stay.
Mr. Folsom was just leavin'.
He just stopped in to
pick up some... blackmail.
Blackmail?
Look, Beaumont,
you're facing a prison
term, scandal, humiliation.
For a few thousand
dollars, you can save
this new career of yours.
Well, now, it's not worth it.
Oh, wait. I'm sure that I
could raise some money.
Six or 7,000, maybe.
Ruth, are you crazy?
My card, Miss Whittaker.
I'll expect to hear from you.
Good day.
That dirty...
I'll see him dead first
before I give him a nickel.
You must have had money once.
We did once,
Mr. Folsom, not now.
Here's $7,000.
That's all I could raise.
Well, I'm a reasonable
man, Miss Whittaker.
May I have the
report now, please?
Oh, y-yes. Yes, of course.
All three copies, complete.
Tell me, Mr. Folsom, where
did you get your information?
It's part of my job.
A good insurance investigator...
Someone told you about
George. Who was it?
Don't worry.
My company will never know.
But you'll know.
I've already forgotten.
You have my word.
The word of a blackmailer.
My dear Miss Whittaker...
Ruth?
You better go.
Ruth! Where the devil are you?
Seven thousand dollars.
You must love
that man very much.
Get out, Mr. Folsom.
Ruth!
Confound it. Where you been?
It's past time for my pills.
Your pills are on the dresser.
Get them yourself.
Why, that... That's no way
to talk to your father, Ruthie.
Wait a minute!
Where are you goin'?
As far away from
you as possible.
Now, look, Ruth. I
got a right to know.
You goin' away with George?
Ruth, come back here!
Uh-huh.
How do you spell that?
All right.
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Beaumont.
I'll tell Mr. Mason you called.
Morning, Miss Street.
Morning, Mr. Mason.
You finish your homework?
You can take it all
right to the typist.
Oh, Paul Drake wants
you to give him a buzz
as soon as you can.
And you just missed a call
from a George Hartley Beaumont.
George Hartley Beaumont? Mm-hm.
What's his number?
He called from a booth.
He said he'd call
back later on tonight.
What time tonight?
About 6:00.
What's wrong?
Either someone has an
overdeveloped sense of humor,
or we're witnessing
a modern miracle.
George Hartley Beaumont is dead.
Dead?
He died almost three years ago.
That's strange. I
don't remember that.
That was the year you
took the six-week vacation.
It all happened
while you were gone.
Beaumont was on a
business trip to Europe.
His plane went
down in the Atlantic.
They recovered less
than half the bodies.
Did, uh...? Did Beaumont
have a slight Southern accent?
Yes, he did.
Yeah?
Where's Mr. Hollister?
He's gone.
What do you mean, "He's gone"?
Well, he's gone.
He paid up and moved
out around suppertime.
Where?
Did he say where?
Well, he did, and he didn't.
What's your name?
Ruth Whittaker. Mm.
Well, I guess that's for you.
My dear Ruth, forgive me.
I can't spend my life
hiding from the truth.
Thanks for everything.
Love, George.
Bad news, dearie?
Good morning, Roberta.
Good morning, Mr. McKay.
The boss lady in? Uh-huh.
Mr. Walker wants to know
if you can make
it for lunch today.
Mm, can't. Got a
heavy day today.
See how he's fixed for Friday.
Right.
Good morning.
Don't you know a growing girl
should have a decent breakfast?
I can't afford it.
Well, you can now.
I've got orders for
68 of these babies.
Oh, you haven't. I
most certainly have.
Are you serious?
Well, have a look.
Oh, Glenn, this is...
This is wonderful.
Oh, I don't know
what I'd do without you.
Well, let's put it this way:
Together we make a great team.
Maybe we can make it
work outside the office.
Well, you know how
I feel about marriage.
Just because you didn't
make a big smash of it before...
Yes, Roberta?
I'm sorry to disturb
you, Mrs. Beaumont,
but there's a Mr. Mason
here to see you.
Mason?
Perry Mason.
Oh.
Come in.
He was George's lawyer.
I wonder what he wants.
How are you, Mrs. Beaumont?
Just fine, thank you.
Oh, this is Mr. McKay,
our sales manager.
Glenn, this is Perry Mason.
I've heard a lot about you.
I've seen evidence of your work.
This is quite a change
from the old place.
Well, I think Glenn deserves
the lion's share of the credit.
Sit down. No, I
really can't stay long.
Oh, now, you'll never
make me believe
Perry Mason just happened
to be in the neighborhood
and decided to drop in.
Maybe he wants one
of our check writers.
Now, this is our Model 78.
No self-respecting office
would be without one.
That's enough, Glenn.
Obviously, he loves his work.
Actually, we were doing a
little housecleaning at the office,
and I ran across the
file on George's estate.
There are some things in here I
thought you might wanna keep.
For business or
sentimental reasons?
Oh, a combination of both.
No, I...
I don't see anything in
here that interests me.
Well, that's one way
to dispose of the past.
Oh, I, uh...
may call you about one
of those check writers.
You look startled.
I am.
Ruthie, what on Earth
are you doin' here?
I came to see you.
May I come in, please?
Of course.
Your landlady gave me
your forwarding address.
I guess she felt sorry for me.
Look, Ruthie, I'm...
I'm afraid you just
don't understand.
I want to, George,
more than anything
else in the world.
Why did you leave
Crestview City?
I'm gonna give myself up.
Oh, no, you mustn't.
I won't let you.
You'll go to prison.
That's a chance I'm
gonna have to take.
I'm gonna call Perry Mason
again tonight. He's my lawyer.
Well, he won't be
able to help you.
Maybe not.
It's my own fault.
I shoulda come back to
Los Angeles three years ago
to face the music.
Besides, I have no choice.
Insurance company
knows the truth.
No, they don't.
That weasel Folsom
musta told 'em by now.
I don't think so, George.
Ruthie, you just don't
understand human nature.
But, you know, it
doesn't matter 'cause...
Well, maybe things
will break right
and Mason'll get me
off with a light sentence.
And then Laura
and I will be free
to give it another try.
Laura?
You see, Ruth, most of
the trouble between us
was my fault, and I...
Well, I wrote to her last night.
I... I was gonna call her,
but I was afraid it'd be
too much of a shock to her.
That's very
considerate of you, but...
what about me?
Ruthie, I'll never forget
you as long as I live.
You're the sweetest,
kindest friend a man...
Friend?!
You look at me as though I
were your faithful cocker spaniel.
Your friend?! Look, Ruthie,
you've had a long
trip, and you're tired...
Oh, what a fool.
What a stupid,
pitiful, blind fool.
No, not you. Me.
When you told me you cared,
I was stupid enough
to think you meant it!
Ruthie, please,
people'll hear you.
I don't care. I'm not ashamed.
I only made the same mistake
thousands of women make.
I believed a man when
he told me he loved me.
I did love you.
But when Mr. Folsom came
along with his briefcase,
that changed everything, did it?
Aw, it happened long
before he showed up.
Ruthie, I tried to get
her out of my mind,
but I just couldn't.
I told you how I came
to miss that plane.
We'd had another argument,
and I went to the gift shop
at the terminal to
buy her a present,
and I just didn't hear
'em announce last call.
When I heard that
that plane crashed, I...
Well, I figured the best
present I could give her
was to just get out of her life.
Next you'll be telling
me she saved your life.
No.
Ruthie, for three years I
let her think I was dead,
but more and more,
she was on my mind. I...
I guess I shoulda
told you before.
Yes, George, long before.
You should have told me
before I cashed in my bonds
and borrowed
money on my furniture
and withdrew every
penny I had out of the bank.
Ruthie, you didn't
pay that blackmailer!
Didn't I?
I gave him $7,000,
nearly everything I had.
Seven thousand dollars?
Yes, and for what?!
So you could throw me a bone?
Go ahead, George, throw it
and see how I fetch it for you.
Your cabin's ready,
Miss Whittaker.
Unit Number 9, two doors down.
If you don't mind, Mr. Beaumont,
I run a quiet place here.
No, there's no need of your
waiting any longer, Gertie.
Just set up the board
and you can go on home.
Night.
Like me to make some coffee?
Might be a good idea.
There's our favorite
detective, Paul Drake.
Shall I let him in?
Do we have a choice? Mm-mm.
Hi, beautiful.
I, uh, figured you
two would still be here.
How did you figure that?
Well, I'm a detective, remember?
Good boy.
Obviously, Mr. Beaumont
hasn't called yet.
Obviously. Well, uh,
how much longer
are you going to wait?
It's almost 10:00.
Oh, I'll give him
another half-hour.
Listen, Della,
why don't you and Paul
grab a bite together?
I'll meet you both
just as soon... Uh-uh.
I can be stubborn
too. Well, in that case,
I will bid both you
charming people good night.
Night.
Hello?
You don't care what
kind of hours you keep.
Who is this?
Your friend and admirer.
Lieutenant Tragg?
Yes, it is.
Do you know the
Villa Motel on Milkirk?
No.
Well, do you know a fellow
named George Beaumont?
All right, Tragg,
what's it all about?
He's been murdered.
Hello, Perry, you there?
I'm here.
We found your name
and phone number
on a piece of
paper in his pocket.
Can we ask you to come
out here and identify him?
I'll get there as soon as I can.
No, Della. I, uh...
I think you'd better stay here.
You mixed up in this, Mr. Mason?
You know the dead man?
Sorry, fellas, I can't
talk to you right now.
Well?
Well, it's George
Beaumont, all right.
A... client of yours, wasn't he?
At one time.
Pretty unusual man.
Well, he died twice. That
doesn't happen very often.
Then you know he was supposed
to have been on that airliner
that went down in the
Atlantic three years ago?
Yeah, we know that...
and a lot more.
Uh, get that down to the lab.
That's the murder weapon,
if you haven't guessed.
I guessed.
Who killed him, lieutenant?
What makes you think
we've picked on anyone?
Oh, you've got that look.
Besides, someone had to tell you
about Beaumont
dying once before.
You couldn't have
checked it out this fast.
You're right.
Let's get some air.
What about a statement?
Now, now, boys, you're
gonna get everything you want,
but how about giving me
a little privacy first, huh?
Okay, lieutenant.
Thanks.
Hmm.
Uh, Beaumont ever
mention a girl named, uh,
Ruth Whittaker to you?
I haven't spoken to Beaumont
in almost three years.
Well, he, uh, told
Miss Whittaker
that he phoned
you earlier today.
He phoned my office.
I didn't speak to him.
My, we're a little touchy
tonight, aren't we?
I just wanna keep
the record straight.
Oh, I can understand that.
Burger had an idea that
you might have been,
uh, counseling Beaumont.
Well, if Beaumont had lived,
he'd have been in quite a jam.
I understand our courts
take a very dim view
of defrauding an
insurance company.
Mr. Burger thinks I
advised Beaumont
to stay out of sight?
Oh, well, he didn't exactly
come, uh, right
out and say that.
No, but that was the
implication. Mm-hm.
How does Ruth
Whittaker fit into this?
She fits in real good.
We think she killed him.
For the last two
and a half years,
Beaumont has been
living in Crestview City
under the name of Hollister.
Miss Whittaker was, uh...
Well, what is termed
in polite circles,
his girlfriend.
Apparently, he had some
ideas of going back to his wife,
and Miss Whittaker
didn't approve.
How do you know?
They had words,
and fortunately for us,
they were overheard.
We found her packing
a suitcase in Unit 9.
Well, I've got to
get back to work.
Thanks for dropping by.
And I'll tell Mr. Burger
you've been most cooperative.
I wanna thank you for
coming down here, Mr. Mason.
I know how busy you are.
But George said
you were his friend
as well as his lawyer.
I was.
Did you know that...
all his life, George
wanted to be a painter?
That's where we
met, in art class.
I wasn't very good.
I just kept on so that
I could see George.
Of course, at that time,
I thought his
name was Hollister.
He didn't tell me the true story
until some time later.
Why did George pick
this particular time
to come back to Los Angeles?
He had to.
Some insurance investigator
found out about him,
and George wouldn't
pay him to keep quiet.
What was this
investigator's name?
Harry Folsom.
I gave him $7,000.
Well, I had to.
I couldn't let anything
happen to George.
How did, uh...?
How did Folsom find
out about George?
I don't know.
I don't know.
Do you have any
relatives in Crestview City?
Just my father.
Have you been in touch with him?
No.
Would you like me
to call him for you?
No, please don't bother.
I don't want you to go
to any more trouble. I...
It was nice enough of you
to come down here at all.
Tell me, Miss Whittaker...
did you kill George Beaumont?
Would you believe
me if I said I didn't?
Yes.
Well, I didn't do it, Mr. Mason.
I know how it looks,
and I was angry.
But I realized it
wasn't George's fault,
and I couldn't help the
way he felt about his wife.
All right.
I'll, um...
I'll be in to see you tomorrow.
You mean, you're willing
to act as my lawyer?
Unless you have
someone else in mind.
I must admit, Mr. Mason,
I'm really surprised.
I don't see why, Mrs. Beaumont.
Well, for one thing,
I know my husband
considered you his friend.
Now you're defending
his murderer.
I find that peculiar.
Well, what makes you think
Miss Whittaker killed him?
All you have to do is
read the newspapers.
Fortunately, juries demand
a little more proof
than reporters.
Naturally, you'd say that.
Oh. I'm sorry, Laura. I
didn't know you were busy.
No, Glenn, it's all
right. Come on in.
Hello, Mason. McKay.
Mr. Mason's defending that girl.
Yes, I know. I
read it in the paper.
I take it you don't
approve either.
Does it matter
whether I approve?
Frankly, no.
How well did you know
George Beaumont?
I heard that you
worked that way.
You're not just satisfied
with getting an
acquittal for a client.
But I understand that
you have a compulsion
to turn up the guilty party.
That doesn't answer my question.
It doesn't, does it?
Now, I believe the question was,
did I know George Beaumont?
Well, yes, I did.
I came here to work for him
about six months
before he disappeared.
Now, would you like to
know what I thought of him?
No, don't. It's all right.
I want Mr. Mason to know.
You see, Beaumont
was one of those men
who meant well,
but he couldn't help
ruining everything he touched.
He ran this office
into the ground
and gave Laura a
phobia against marriage.
In short, I thought very
little of the gentleman.
Well, I can't say you've
avoided the question.
Are there any others? Yes.
Do you know a man
named Harry Folsom?
Folsom? No.
He's an insurance
investigator for Mercury Mutual.
He's the one who discovered
George didn't die
in that plane crash.
By any chance, did Folsom
get in touch with you?
Why should he?
He tried to blackmail
your husband.
He offered to keep his report
from the insurance company.
I wondered if he'd come to
you with a similar proposal.
Well, you stood to
lose a great deal.
The insurance company
paid you $90,000
when that plane went down.
Now I ask you, Mr. Mason:
Would you believe
me if I told you
I had no idea my
husband was alive?
I might. I doubt it.
I suggest you, um...
You see this Mr. Folsom.
I'm rather surprised you
never thought of it yourself.
As a matter of fact, I did.
There's an investigator
named Paul Drake
flying down to
Crestview City to see him.
With any luck, he should
be there in about 20 minutes.
It's nice to see you
again, Mr. McKay,
and I haven't forgotten
about that check writer.
I'll try and have my office
get in touch with you shortly.
Mrs. Beaumont.
Tell Mr. Mason I'll do
anything at all to cooperate.
Unfortunately, there's very
little I can add to the story.
How did you find out George
Beaumont was still alive?
That's a strange
thing, Mr. Drake.
An anonymous phone call.
Oh? Man or woman?
Man, I believe.
Naturally, at
first, I didn't think
there was anything to it,
but, of course, I checked.
After all, that's what my
company pays me for.
What about your other
sources of income?
I beg your pardon?
Didn't Miss Whittaker
pay you $7,000
to destroy your report?
That's what she
told Perry Mason.
She's a dirty little liar!
Then, you made a
report to your company?
Naturally.
Funny, they haven't
received it yet.
I checked just before
I flew down here.
Are you suggesting,
by any chance...?
I'm suggesting
that you mailed your
report to your company
after you found out George
Beaumont was murdered.
All right, Drake,
if you want to play rough,
I'm just the boy to
accommodate you.
Your friend Perry Mason
had better watch his step.
You know what Beaumont
told me before he died?
I have no idea.
He said he got in
touch with Mason
just after the plane crashed,
and Mason advised
him to stay out of sight
and let my company
pay off on the policy.
Mason got $25,000 for
masterminding the deal.
George Beaumont told you this?
Let's see you prove he didn't.
Now, if Mason
wants to throw mud,
tell him I can throw
with the best of them.
I'll just bet you're in
a league by yourself.
Who tipped you off that
George Beaumont was alive?
Let go of me.
Well?
Whittaker.
Who?
Jonah Whittaker.
Ruth Whittaker's father.
Thanks, uh, Mr. Folsom.
I tell you, Perry.
This Folsom character
is as slimy as they come.
Do you think he could
have killed Beaumont?
Mm-mm.
He certainly had a motive.
After all, if Beaumont were
going to give himself up,
naturally, he'd tell the police
that Folsom had been
trying to blackmail him.
What's the penalty for
blackmail, counselor?
Oh, all depends.
Could be several years.
How much extra can be added
for conspiring to defraud
your own insurance company?
Well, you got me
convinced, Della.
What about Miss
Whittaker's father, Paul?
Well, I tried to get in touch
with him, but he was gone.
According to the neighbors,
he left yesterday
morning with a suitcase.
I traced him down
to the bus terminal,
and they told me he
bought a ticket for L.A.
He'll probably try
to contact Ruth.
Check it out, will you?
I already have.
As of 11:00 this morning,
he had not put in an appearance.
Ruth must have known all along
that it was her father
who called Folsom,
yet she said nothing.
She was protecting him.
Proving some parents
get better children
than they deserve.
You'll have to find
him, Paul, and fast.
Preliminary hearing
starts Wednesday.
I know. I've got Faulkner
and Davis on it now.
I'll put on some more men
if you think it's necessary.
Maybe you'd better.
Yes, Gertie?
All right, put him on.
It's for you, Paul.
Hello?
Yeah?
Yeah, I see.
No.
No, that's okay. Call me later.
That was Faulkner.
He found old man Whittaker.
Where?
In the DA's office.
We, uh, found this in the
corner of the motel room
occupied by the deceased.
The, uh, exact
point is indicated
by the letter B on
that, uh, diagram.
I see.
Now, lieutenant,
what did you find when you
examined this letter opener?
Well, there were
several bloodstains.
On analysis, they proved
to be the same type
as the blood of the...
Of the victim, George Beaumont.
Did you find any
fingerprints on here?
Yes, sir.
They were smudged,
but there was an
identifiable thumb
and forefinger on the handle.
Did you identify those prints?
We have.
They belong to the defendant,
Ruth Whittaker.
Thank you, lieutenant.
You may cross-examine.
Um, may I?
Of course.
Thank you.
Uh, lieutenant,
we've heard
testimony that the...
The victim was
stabbed in the back.
That's correct.
Thank you.
And this is where
Mr. Beaumont was standing
when the fatal
blow was delivered?
No. No, that's where
we found the body.
But if death was
instantaneous, as we've heard,
then the victim must
have been standing
in this general area.
Isn't that true?
Well, as a matter of
fact, he wasn't standing.
He was kneeling.
As though he were, um,
looking for something?
I object, Your Honor.
That calls for a
conclusion of the witness.
Objection sustained.
Uh, thank you,
lieutenant. That'll be all.
You may step down.
I call Leon Corby
to the stand, please.
Mr. Leon Corby.
A-and then Miss Whittaker
said she would run over
and say hello to Mr. Beaumont
while I was, uh, fixing
up Unit Number 9.
But while I was in
there cleaning up,
I heard this arguing.
Could you hear what
they were saying?
Well, I heard the lady say,
uh, "I cashed all my bonds,
took a loan on my
furniture, and all for you."
Something like that.
Could you hear
Mr. Beaumont's answer?
N-no.
Thank you, Mr. Corby. Mm.
Cross-examine.
Now, Mr. Corby,
when you interrupted
this alleged quarrel
between the victim
and the defendant,
what exactly did you see?
Well, the lady was holding
that there letter opener
like it was a dagger.
Was she wearing
gloves at the time?
N-no. No, she wasn't.
Then, naturally you'd expect
to find her fingerprints
on the letter opener.
Well, sure, yeah.
Now, what time
was this, Mr. Corby?
Oh, it was pretty close to 3:00.
And you discovered
the body when?
About 8 that night.
So isn't it then possible
that another person,
wearing gloves,
could have entered that
room during that interval?
I object, Your Honor.
Counsel is being argumentative.
Objection sustained.
Thank you,
Mr. Corby. That's all.
Uh, just a moment, Mr. Corby.
One or two
questions on redirect.
You testified that the quarrel
between the victim
and the defendant
took place at 3:00.
Yes, sir. That's right.
When did you next
see the defendant?
About half past 5, quarter to 6.
And where was she at this time?
She was coming out
of Mr. Beaumont's room.
But did you see Mr. Beaumont?
No, uh, the next time I saw him
was when I found
him stretched out
on the floor of that room, dead.
Thank you, Mr. Corby.
Well, naturally,
the first thing I did
was go up to see Mr. Beaumont.
My informant told me
he was using the name
of George Hollister.
The minute I talked to him,
I was sure I had
the right party.
Mr. Folsom,
was the defendant,
Miss Whittaker,
present at that meeting?
Yes, sir, she was.
Did you see the defendant again?
Yes, sir, that same night.
I went to her home, and...
She gave me $7,000 in cash.
Why did she give you
this money, Mr. Folsom?
So I wouldn't send
my report on Beaumont
to the home office.
In other words, Miss Whittaker
hoped that this payment
would keep her relationship
with Mr. Beaumont intact?
That was the whole idea.
You may cross-examine.
Mr. Folsom, I'm very interested
in this so-called payment.
Isn't that rather a polite
term for blackmail?
Well, if you want
to call it that.
I do want to call it that.
Now, uh...
Didn't you first telephone
and then go to see
the district attorney...
at your own expense
in order to tell him about this?
Yes, sir, I did.
And didn't you do this
in an attempt to secure
immunity for yourself
from a blackmail charge?
I just thought the
whole thing over
and realized it was
the best thing to do.
Now, isn't it a fact that the...
The story you first
told the district attorney
differs materially from
the one you're telling now?
I object, Your Honor.
This is improper
cross-examination.
It's incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial,
in that it assumes a
fact not in evidence.
I think we will commit
the question, Mr. Burger.
You may continue, Mr. Mason.
Why, thank you, Your Honor.
Now, Mr. Folsom...
you admit
blackmailing my client.
Yes, sir.
Did you at any time
try to get money from any
other person in this case?
I don't know what you mean.
Did you get in touch
with Mrs. Beaumont
and tell her that her
husband was still alive?
No.
How is it you missed
that golden opportunity?
Uh, I never even thought of it.
We have heard evidence
that Mr. Beaumont
intended to give himself up.
Now, he told you
that, didn't he?
Yes.
Well, weren't you afraid
of the consequences
when your company
discovered the true facts?
And didn't it occur to you
that there might be a
way you could stop him?
I-I didn't kill him,
if that's what
you're suggesting.
Now, Mrs. Beaumont,
when was the last time
that you saw or heard
from your late husband?
On November 19th,
three years ago.
That... That was the day
he was supposed to fly
to Europe on business?
Yes, he was booked
on the American Eagle.
Would you explain
to this court, please,
what happened to that aircraft?
It crashed about
an hour after takeoff.
And you had no way of knowing
that your husband was
not onboard that plane?
No, sir.
He made no attempt
to get in touch
with you thereafter?
Absolutely none at all.
So you didn't know
and had no way of knowing
that your husband was
in Los Angeles and alive
on November 14th,
the day of the murder?
No, sir.
Would you be good
enough to relate to us
your own actions
on November 14th?
You may refer to the
office diary if you'd like to.
I would like to, please.
Well, I, uh...
I came in the office at 9:15
and started over
some correspondence
with my secretary,
Roberta Walker.
And at 10:00, I
went over the books.
And at 10:30,
Mr. Mason dropped in.
Excuse me.
When was the last time you
saw Mr. Mason before that?
Well, when he, uh,
brought over the check
from the insurance company.
So on the day of the murder,
you had not seen Mr. Mason
for almost three years?
That's right.
Go ahead, please.
Well, at 11:00, I had
a business meeting
with, uh, my associate, Glenn
McKay, and two salesmen.
Then at 1:00, we
went out to lunch.
A-and after lunch?
Well, I became ill
suddenly, and I...
I didn't want to go
back to the office,
so I went home.
And did you consult your doctor?
Uh, yes, sir. I called
our family physician,
Dr. William Burns,
and he ordered me to
stay in bed for the day.
And when was the first time
that you learned of
your husband's death?
Well, at 11:30 that night
w-when Lieutenant...
Tragg?
Tragg. Tragg...
called me at my apartment.
I see. Thank you, Mrs. Beaumont.
You may
cross-examine, counselor.
I'm, uh... I'm sorry
to hear you became ill
on the day of my
visit, Mrs. Beaumont.
I hope there was no connection.
The doctor said it
was food poisoning.
But you were the only
one who became ill.
Yes, sir.
I see.
Your husband stayed at
the Villa Motel in Los Angeles
48 hours prior to his murder.
And during that time,
he made no effort
whatsoever to phone you?
No, sir, he didn't.
Uh, by any chance, did
he, uh... Did he write to you?
No.
And if I may anticipate
your next question,
he didn't telegraph either.
Thank you, Mrs. Beaumont.
That will be all.
You may stand down.
I call Jonah Whittaker
to the stand, please.
Jonah Whittaker.
If it please the court,
I should like to request
a 20-minute recess
while I confer with my client.
Well, since it's almost 12:00,
perhaps this would be
as good a time as any
for the noon recess.
The court stands adjourned
till 2:00 this afternoon.
All I told my father
was that George's real
name was Beaumont
and he had a wife
in Los Angeles.
You sure you didn't tell him
her first name was Laura?
No, I'm not sure,
but what difference
does it make?
It makes this difference:
if Mrs. Beaumont knew
her husband was alive
on November 14th,
she's a definite suspect.
She did know.
She knew.
Well, your father
did write to her, then?
No, George did himself.
Are you positive?
Yes, uh...
I'm trying to remember
when it first came out.
It was when I went to
his room in that motel,
and he said something
about writing to her...
because if she heard
his voice on the phone,
it would be too great a shock.
And why didn't you
tell me that before?
I don't know.
In all the excitement, it
slipped my mind, I guess.
Then Mrs. Beaumont was
perjuring herself on the stand.
A little thing like
perjury wouldn't stop her
if she was guilty of murder.
Listen, Ruth, I...
What's wrong?
There's a lot that's wrong.
I'd better get in
touch with Paul.
Try not to worry.
And do you remember the
morning of November 15th?
That is the day
following the murder.
Excuse me, Mr. McKay, I
asked if you remembered
the morning of November 15th.
Why, yes, sir.
I, uh, discovered,
uh, Lieutenant Tragg
and two of his officers
examining Mrs., uh,
Beaumont's office.
And what happened then?
Well, lieutenant, uh,
showed me, uh, an envelope
addressed to Mrs. Beaumont.
Is this the envelope?
Yes, sir.
If it please the court, I
would like this marked
for identification.
My darlin' Laura,
I know what a
shock this must be.
It must seem like a
voice from the grave.
All I can tell you now is
that I'm very much alive.
I realize the problems
this will make for you,
and I wish there was some
way I could alleviate them.
I'll call you in a day or two
after I see Perry Mason.
With all my love, George.
Now, Mr. McKay,
this is the letter
Lieutenant Tragg showed you
on the morning of November 15th?
Yes, sir.
Did you examine it
carefully at that time?
I did.
And would you say that the
seal had been tampered with?
I object, Your Honor.
This witness is not an expert.
If it please the court,
Sergeant Walker,
from the crime
lab, is here in court
and could testify
on this subject.
I only tried to
expedite matters.
I appreciate your concern
for the court, Mr. Burger,
but the rules of
evidence must maintain.
The objection is sustained.
Very well, Your Honor.
I have no further questions
to ask this witness.
You may cross-examine.
Oh, Mr. Mason.
Mr. Burger.
Mr. McKay,
what is your
personal relationship
with Mrs. Beaumont?
Your Honor, I object!
This is certainly incompetent,
immaterial and irrelevant.
If Your Honor please,
I should like to
prove the relevancy.
The witness will
answer the question.
McKAY: I am very
fond of Mrs. Beaumont.
In fact, you have, uh,
hopes of marrying her?
Well, high hopes.
And you'd do
anything in your power
to protect her from a
possible charge of murder?
Oh, I don't need to
protect her, Mr. Mason.
I think it's been proven that
she had no way of knowing
that her husband was alive.
She never saw the letter.
How can you testify
to that, Mr. McKay?
Well, the...
The letter arrived in the
afternoon mail at 3:00,
and Laura was in bed at
home with food poisoning.
And you returned to the
office after lunch that day?
I did.
Then you, uh... Then
you saw the envelope?
Well, assuming
that I did, Mr. Mason,
I'd have to be clairvoyant
to know what was on
the inside of the letter.
The seal wasn't broken.
Now, Mr. McKay,
would you, uh...?
Would you please examine these
and describe them for the court?
They seem to be two
steel knitting needles,
soldered together at one end.
You have no idea
of their function?
I'm afraid I don't follow you.
Well, I understood they
were tools of your trade.
As a matter of fact,
Mr. Drake just got these
from one of your own salesmen.
Would you care for me
to demonstrate their use?
I don't know about
the witness, Mr. Mason,
but the court would,
if it has any
bearing on the case.
It has, Your Honor.
Allow me.
Your Honor, this is a device
used by salesmen of
check-writing machines,
to show how easy it is,
to remove a check from
an envelope and alter it.
The same principle, of
course, applies to a letter.
You, uh, insert this in the
bottom of the envelope,
and when the letter is caught
between the two needles,
you simply wind
it up, like this,
and then withdraw it,
like this.
By reversing the process,
you can reintroduce
the letter...
and the seal will show no sign
that it has been tampered with.
Isn't that correct?
Haven't you used
such a device yourself?
Well, yes.
A lot of salesmen
in our business do.
Then why did you give
the court the impression
you had no idea
what these were for?
Because I had no desire
to involve Mrs. Beaumont.
That's very noble
of you, Mr. McKay.
But why should Mrs.
Beaumont become involved?
You just testified
that she never saw that
letter, that she was home ill.
Well, I... I submit that
when you saw the
initials on that envelope,
you became suspicious.
You removed the letter,
discovered that George
Beaumont was alive.
No, no. I didn't have
to leave the letter there!
I could have destroyed it!
You didn't dare destroy it.
Your receptionist might have
remembered that envelope
and told Mrs. Beaumont.
So you returned the
letter to the envelope,
and then you went
to the Villa Motel,
where you killed
George Beaumont!
Isn't that the way it
happened, Mr. McKay?
Answer me!
Laura, you've got to believe me.
I did this for us.
He would have ruined
everything that we built.
We were a great team.
You know that you didn't
want him to come back.
Laura, don't leave me!
You know what I
still don't understand?
Hmm.
Why McKay would take a
chance of going to that motel,
bent on murder
and not bring a gun.
Yeah.
Well, my guess is that he did.
You're right. I just
spoke to Tragg.
McKay admits he had a gun.
Beaumont jumped him and
knocked it out of his hand.
How does he do it?
Black magic.
Remember that Tragg testified
that Beaumont was
on his hands and knees
when he was stabbed
with that letter opener?
Yeah.
Of course, he was
trying to get the gun
when it fell on the floor.
See how simple it is?
Oh, uh, here's my
expense account.
I thought you'd
like to check it.
That covers just about
everything I spent on this case.
Miscellaneous: $125.98.
Paul Drake.
Well, Perry wanted me
to talk to that salesman
and find out about
the knitting needles.
It's my fault, Della.
I should have known he didn't
have any sales resistance.
Well, here.
Write him a check.
Sure.
all very interesting.
It shows a lot of work
and a lot of imagination.
I never realized you
folks were so efficient.
All right, Folsom,
who put you onto me?
I'm so happy you're
taking this attitude.
I was afraid there'd
be nothing but denials.
Now, where would that get me?
Exactly.
We could establish
your true identity
in no time at all.
Yeah, well, Mr. Folsom,
you just don't have to
go to any more trouble.
I'm George Beaumont.
I needn't tell you,
Mr. Beaumont,
you have my complete sympathy.
Yeah, I'll bet.
I mean it.
There's no reason my
company has to know about this.
I realize that if
I file this report,
it can destroy your life,
not to mention your happiness.
All right, Folsom,
how much? Pardon?
What's the going price
on happiness these days?
Well, I'm sure we
can come to terms.
When a man's in
trouble, I'm perfectly willing
to give him every
opportunity... Get out.
Out.
Now, hold on, Beaumont.
You're in no position to...
George, dear, I brought
you some coffee and...
I'm sorry. Oh, no, Ruth.
Uh, Miss Whittaker,
this is Mr. Folsom.
He calls himself an
insurance investigator.
Well, I'll come back later.
Oh, no, you stay.
Mr. Folsom was just leavin'.
He just stopped in to
pick up some... blackmail.
Blackmail?
Look, Beaumont,
you're facing a prison
term, scandal, humiliation.
For a few thousand
dollars, you can save
this new career of yours.
Well, now, it's not worth it.
Oh, wait. I'm sure that I
could raise some money.
Six or 7,000, maybe.
Ruth, are you crazy?
My card, Miss Whittaker.
I'll expect to hear from you.
Good day.
That dirty...
I'll see him dead first
before I give him a nickel.
You must have had money once.
We did once,
Mr. Folsom, not now.
Here's $7,000.
That's all I could raise.
Well, I'm a reasonable
man, Miss Whittaker.
May I have the
report now, please?
Oh, y-yes. Yes, of course.
All three copies, complete.
Tell me, Mr. Folsom, where
did you get your information?
It's part of my job.
A good insurance investigator...
Someone told you about
George. Who was it?
Don't worry.
My company will never know.
But you'll know.
I've already forgotten.
You have my word.
The word of a blackmailer.
My dear Miss Whittaker...
Ruth?
You better go.
Ruth! Where the devil are you?
Seven thousand dollars.
You must love
that man very much.
Get out, Mr. Folsom.
Ruth!
Confound it. Where you been?
It's past time for my pills.
Your pills are on the dresser.
Get them yourself.
Why, that... That's no way
to talk to your father, Ruthie.
Wait a minute!
Where are you goin'?
As far away from
you as possible.
Now, look, Ruth. I
got a right to know.
You goin' away with George?
Ruth, come back here!
Uh-huh.
How do you spell that?
All right.
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Beaumont.
I'll tell Mr. Mason you called.
Morning, Miss Street.
Morning, Mr. Mason.
You finish your homework?
You can take it all
right to the typist.
Oh, Paul Drake wants
you to give him a buzz
as soon as you can.
And you just missed a call
from a George Hartley Beaumont.
George Hartley Beaumont? Mm-hm.
What's his number?
He called from a booth.
He said he'd call
back later on tonight.
What time tonight?
About 6:00.
What's wrong?
Either someone has an
overdeveloped sense of humor,
or we're witnessing
a modern miracle.
George Hartley Beaumont is dead.
Dead?
He died almost three years ago.
That's strange. I
don't remember that.
That was the year you
took the six-week vacation.
It all happened
while you were gone.
Beaumont was on a
business trip to Europe.
His plane went
down in the Atlantic.
They recovered less
than half the bodies.
Did, uh...? Did Beaumont
have a slight Southern accent?
Yes, he did.
Yeah?
Where's Mr. Hollister?
He's gone.
What do you mean, "He's gone"?
Well, he's gone.
He paid up and moved
out around suppertime.
Where?
Did he say where?
Well, he did, and he didn't.
What's your name?
Ruth Whittaker. Mm.
Well, I guess that's for you.
My dear Ruth, forgive me.
I can't spend my life
hiding from the truth.
Thanks for everything.
Love, George.
Bad news, dearie?
Good morning, Roberta.
Good morning, Mr. McKay.
The boss lady in? Uh-huh.
Mr. Walker wants to know
if you can make
it for lunch today.
Mm, can't. Got a
heavy day today.
See how he's fixed for Friday.
Right.
Good morning.
Don't you know a growing girl
should have a decent breakfast?
I can't afford it.
Well, you can now.
I've got orders for
68 of these babies.
Oh, you haven't. I
most certainly have.
Are you serious?
Well, have a look.
Oh, Glenn, this is...
This is wonderful.
Oh, I don't know
what I'd do without you.
Well, let's put it this way:
Together we make a great team.
Maybe we can make it
work outside the office.
Well, you know how
I feel about marriage.
Just because you didn't
make a big smash of it before...
Yes, Roberta?
I'm sorry to disturb
you, Mrs. Beaumont,
but there's a Mr. Mason
here to see you.
Mason?
Perry Mason.
Oh.
Come in.
He was George's lawyer.
I wonder what he wants.
How are you, Mrs. Beaumont?
Just fine, thank you.
Oh, this is Mr. McKay,
our sales manager.
Glenn, this is Perry Mason.
I've heard a lot about you.
I've seen evidence of your work.
This is quite a change
from the old place.
Well, I think Glenn deserves
the lion's share of the credit.
Sit down. No, I
really can't stay long.
Oh, now, you'll never
make me believe
Perry Mason just happened
to be in the neighborhood
and decided to drop in.
Maybe he wants one
of our check writers.
Now, this is our Model 78.
No self-respecting office
would be without one.
That's enough, Glenn.
Obviously, he loves his work.
Actually, we were doing a
little housecleaning at the office,
and I ran across the
file on George's estate.
There are some things in here I
thought you might wanna keep.
For business or
sentimental reasons?
Oh, a combination of both.
No, I...
I don't see anything in
here that interests me.
Well, that's one way
to dispose of the past.
Oh, I, uh...
may call you about one
of those check writers.
You look startled.
I am.
Ruthie, what on Earth
are you doin' here?
I came to see you.
May I come in, please?
Of course.
Your landlady gave me
your forwarding address.
I guess she felt sorry for me.
Look, Ruthie, I'm...
I'm afraid you just
don't understand.
I want to, George,
more than anything
else in the world.
Why did you leave
Crestview City?
I'm gonna give myself up.
Oh, no, you mustn't.
I won't let you.
You'll go to prison.
That's a chance I'm
gonna have to take.
I'm gonna call Perry Mason
again tonight. He's my lawyer.
Well, he won't be
able to help you.
Maybe not.
It's my own fault.
I shoulda come back to
Los Angeles three years ago
to face the music.
Besides, I have no choice.
Insurance company
knows the truth.
No, they don't.
That weasel Folsom
musta told 'em by now.
I don't think so, George.
Ruthie, you just don't
understand human nature.
But, you know, it
doesn't matter 'cause...
Well, maybe things
will break right
and Mason'll get me
off with a light sentence.
And then Laura
and I will be free
to give it another try.
Laura?
You see, Ruth, most of
the trouble between us
was my fault, and I...
Well, I wrote to her last night.
I... I was gonna call her,
but I was afraid it'd be
too much of a shock to her.
That's very
considerate of you, but...
what about me?
Ruthie, I'll never forget
you as long as I live.
You're the sweetest,
kindest friend a man...
Friend?!
You look at me as though I
were your faithful cocker spaniel.
Your friend?! Look, Ruthie,
you've had a long
trip, and you're tired...
Oh, what a fool.
What a stupid,
pitiful, blind fool.
No, not you. Me.
When you told me you cared,
I was stupid enough
to think you meant it!
Ruthie, please,
people'll hear you.
I don't care. I'm not ashamed.
I only made the same mistake
thousands of women make.
I believed a man when
he told me he loved me.
I did love you.
But when Mr. Folsom came
along with his briefcase,
that changed everything, did it?
Aw, it happened long
before he showed up.
Ruthie, I tried to get
her out of my mind,
but I just couldn't.
I told you how I came
to miss that plane.
We'd had another argument,
and I went to the gift shop
at the terminal to
buy her a present,
and I just didn't hear
'em announce last call.
When I heard that
that plane crashed, I...
Well, I figured the best
present I could give her
was to just get out of her life.
Next you'll be telling
me she saved your life.
No.
Ruthie, for three years I
let her think I was dead,
but more and more,
she was on my mind. I...
I guess I shoulda
told you before.
Yes, George, long before.
You should have told me
before I cashed in my bonds
and borrowed
money on my furniture
and withdrew every
penny I had out of the bank.
Ruthie, you didn't
pay that blackmailer!
Didn't I?
I gave him $7,000,
nearly everything I had.
Seven thousand dollars?
Yes, and for what?!
So you could throw me a bone?
Go ahead, George, throw it
and see how I fetch it for you.
Your cabin's ready,
Miss Whittaker.
Unit Number 9, two doors down.
If you don't mind, Mr. Beaumont,
I run a quiet place here.
No, there's no need of your
waiting any longer, Gertie.
Just set up the board
and you can go on home.
Night.
Like me to make some coffee?
Might be a good idea.
There's our favorite
detective, Paul Drake.
Shall I let him in?
Do we have a choice? Mm-mm.
Hi, beautiful.
I, uh, figured you
two would still be here.
How did you figure that?
Well, I'm a detective, remember?
Good boy.
Obviously, Mr. Beaumont
hasn't called yet.
Obviously. Well, uh,
how much longer
are you going to wait?
It's almost 10:00.
Oh, I'll give him
another half-hour.
Listen, Della,
why don't you and Paul
grab a bite together?
I'll meet you both
just as soon... Uh-uh.
I can be stubborn
too. Well, in that case,
I will bid both you
charming people good night.
Night.
Hello?
You don't care what
kind of hours you keep.
Who is this?
Your friend and admirer.
Lieutenant Tragg?
Yes, it is.
Do you know the
Villa Motel on Milkirk?
No.
Well, do you know a fellow
named George Beaumont?
All right, Tragg,
what's it all about?
He's been murdered.
Hello, Perry, you there?
I'm here.
We found your name
and phone number
on a piece of
paper in his pocket.
Can we ask you to come
out here and identify him?
I'll get there as soon as I can.
No, Della. I, uh...
I think you'd better stay here.
You mixed up in this, Mr. Mason?
You know the dead man?
Sorry, fellas, I can't
talk to you right now.
Well?
Well, it's George
Beaumont, all right.
A... client of yours, wasn't he?
At one time.
Pretty unusual man.
Well, he died twice. That
doesn't happen very often.
Then you know he was supposed
to have been on that airliner
that went down in the
Atlantic three years ago?
Yeah, we know that...
and a lot more.
Uh, get that down to the lab.
That's the murder weapon,
if you haven't guessed.
I guessed.
Who killed him, lieutenant?
What makes you think
we've picked on anyone?
Oh, you've got that look.
Besides, someone had to tell you
about Beaumont
dying once before.
You couldn't have
checked it out this fast.
You're right.
Let's get some air.
What about a statement?
Now, now, boys, you're
gonna get everything you want,
but how about giving me
a little privacy first, huh?
Okay, lieutenant.
Thanks.
Hmm.
Uh, Beaumont ever
mention a girl named, uh,
Ruth Whittaker to you?
I haven't spoken to Beaumont
in almost three years.
Well, he, uh, told
Miss Whittaker
that he phoned
you earlier today.
He phoned my office.
I didn't speak to him.
My, we're a little touchy
tonight, aren't we?
I just wanna keep
the record straight.
Oh, I can understand that.
Burger had an idea that
you might have been,
uh, counseling Beaumont.
Well, if Beaumont had lived,
he'd have been in quite a jam.
I understand our courts
take a very dim view
of defrauding an
insurance company.
Mr. Burger thinks I
advised Beaumont
to stay out of sight?
Oh, well, he didn't exactly
come, uh, right
out and say that.
No, but that was the
implication. Mm-hm.
How does Ruth
Whittaker fit into this?
She fits in real good.
We think she killed him.
For the last two
and a half years,
Beaumont has been
living in Crestview City
under the name of Hollister.
Miss Whittaker was, uh...
Well, what is termed
in polite circles,
his girlfriend.
Apparently, he had some
ideas of going back to his wife,
and Miss Whittaker
didn't approve.
How do you know?
They had words,
and fortunately for us,
they were overheard.
We found her packing
a suitcase in Unit 9.
Well, I've got to
get back to work.
Thanks for dropping by.
And I'll tell Mr. Burger
you've been most cooperative.
I wanna thank you for
coming down here, Mr. Mason.
I know how busy you are.
But George said
you were his friend
as well as his lawyer.
I was.
Did you know that...
all his life, George
wanted to be a painter?
That's where we
met, in art class.
I wasn't very good.
I just kept on so that
I could see George.
Of course, at that time,
I thought his
name was Hollister.
He didn't tell me the true story
until some time later.
Why did George pick
this particular time
to come back to Los Angeles?
He had to.
Some insurance investigator
found out about him,
and George wouldn't
pay him to keep quiet.
What was this
investigator's name?
Harry Folsom.
I gave him $7,000.
Well, I had to.
I couldn't let anything
happen to George.
How did, uh...?
How did Folsom find
out about George?
I don't know.
I don't know.
Do you have any
relatives in Crestview City?
Just my father.
Have you been in touch with him?
No.
Would you like me
to call him for you?
No, please don't bother.
I don't want you to go
to any more trouble. I...
It was nice enough of you
to come down here at all.
Tell me, Miss Whittaker...
did you kill George Beaumont?
Would you believe
me if I said I didn't?
Yes.
Well, I didn't do it, Mr. Mason.
I know how it looks,
and I was angry.
But I realized it
wasn't George's fault,
and I couldn't help the
way he felt about his wife.
All right.
I'll, um...
I'll be in to see you tomorrow.
You mean, you're willing
to act as my lawyer?
Unless you have
someone else in mind.
I must admit, Mr. Mason,
I'm really surprised.
I don't see why, Mrs. Beaumont.
Well, for one thing,
I know my husband
considered you his friend.
Now you're defending
his murderer.
I find that peculiar.
Well, what makes you think
Miss Whittaker killed him?
All you have to do is
read the newspapers.
Fortunately, juries demand
a little more proof
than reporters.
Naturally, you'd say that.
Oh. I'm sorry, Laura. I
didn't know you were busy.
No, Glenn, it's all
right. Come on in.
Hello, Mason. McKay.
Mr. Mason's defending that girl.
Yes, I know. I
read it in the paper.
I take it you don't
approve either.
Does it matter
whether I approve?
Frankly, no.
How well did you know
George Beaumont?
I heard that you
worked that way.
You're not just satisfied
with getting an
acquittal for a client.
But I understand that
you have a compulsion
to turn up the guilty party.
That doesn't answer my question.
It doesn't, does it?
Now, I believe the question was,
did I know George Beaumont?
Well, yes, I did.
I came here to work for him
about six months
before he disappeared.
Now, would you like to
know what I thought of him?
No, don't. It's all right.
I want Mr. Mason to know.
You see, Beaumont
was one of those men
who meant well,
but he couldn't help
ruining everything he touched.
He ran this office
into the ground
and gave Laura a
phobia against marriage.
In short, I thought very
little of the gentleman.
Well, I can't say you've
avoided the question.
Are there any others? Yes.
Do you know a man
named Harry Folsom?
Folsom? No.
He's an insurance
investigator for Mercury Mutual.
He's the one who discovered
George didn't die
in that plane crash.
By any chance, did Folsom
get in touch with you?
Why should he?
He tried to blackmail
your husband.
He offered to keep his report
from the insurance company.
I wondered if he'd come to
you with a similar proposal.
Well, you stood to
lose a great deal.
The insurance company
paid you $90,000
when that plane went down.
Now I ask you, Mr. Mason:
Would you believe
me if I told you
I had no idea my
husband was alive?
I might. I doubt it.
I suggest you, um...
You see this Mr. Folsom.
I'm rather surprised you
never thought of it yourself.
As a matter of fact, I did.
There's an investigator
named Paul Drake
flying down to
Crestview City to see him.
With any luck, he should
be there in about 20 minutes.
It's nice to see you
again, Mr. McKay,
and I haven't forgotten
about that check writer.
I'll try and have my office
get in touch with you shortly.
Mrs. Beaumont.
Tell Mr. Mason I'll do
anything at all to cooperate.
Unfortunately, there's very
little I can add to the story.
How did you find out George
Beaumont was still alive?
That's a strange
thing, Mr. Drake.
An anonymous phone call.
Oh? Man or woman?
Man, I believe.
Naturally, at
first, I didn't think
there was anything to it,
but, of course, I checked.
After all, that's what my
company pays me for.
What about your other
sources of income?
I beg your pardon?
Didn't Miss Whittaker
pay you $7,000
to destroy your report?
That's what she
told Perry Mason.
She's a dirty little liar!
Then, you made a
report to your company?
Naturally.
Funny, they haven't
received it yet.
I checked just before
I flew down here.
Are you suggesting,
by any chance...?
I'm suggesting
that you mailed your
report to your company
after you found out George
Beaumont was murdered.
All right, Drake,
if you want to play rough,
I'm just the boy to
accommodate you.
Your friend Perry Mason
had better watch his step.
You know what Beaumont
told me before he died?
I have no idea.
He said he got in
touch with Mason
just after the plane crashed,
and Mason advised
him to stay out of sight
and let my company
pay off on the policy.
Mason got $25,000 for
masterminding the deal.
George Beaumont told you this?
Let's see you prove he didn't.
Now, if Mason
wants to throw mud,
tell him I can throw
with the best of them.
I'll just bet you're in
a league by yourself.
Who tipped you off that
George Beaumont was alive?
Let go of me.
Well?
Whittaker.
Who?
Jonah Whittaker.
Ruth Whittaker's father.
Thanks, uh, Mr. Folsom.
I tell you, Perry.
This Folsom character
is as slimy as they come.
Do you think he could
have killed Beaumont?
Mm-mm.
He certainly had a motive.
After all, if Beaumont were
going to give himself up,
naturally, he'd tell the police
that Folsom had been
trying to blackmail him.
What's the penalty for
blackmail, counselor?
Oh, all depends.
Could be several years.
How much extra can be added
for conspiring to defraud
your own insurance company?
Well, you got me
convinced, Della.
What about Miss
Whittaker's father, Paul?
Well, I tried to get in touch
with him, but he was gone.
According to the neighbors,
he left yesterday
morning with a suitcase.
I traced him down
to the bus terminal,
and they told me he
bought a ticket for L.A.
He'll probably try
to contact Ruth.
Check it out, will you?
I already have.
As of 11:00 this morning,
he had not put in an appearance.
Ruth must have known all along
that it was her father
who called Folsom,
yet she said nothing.
She was protecting him.
Proving some parents
get better children
than they deserve.
You'll have to find
him, Paul, and fast.
Preliminary hearing
starts Wednesday.
I know. I've got Faulkner
and Davis on it now.
I'll put on some more men
if you think it's necessary.
Maybe you'd better.
Yes, Gertie?
All right, put him on.
It's for you, Paul.
Hello?
Yeah?
Yeah, I see.
No.
No, that's okay. Call me later.
That was Faulkner.
He found old man Whittaker.
Where?
In the DA's office.
We, uh, found this in the
corner of the motel room
occupied by the deceased.
The, uh, exact
point is indicated
by the letter B on
that, uh, diagram.
I see.
Now, lieutenant,
what did you find when you
examined this letter opener?
Well, there were
several bloodstains.
On analysis, they proved
to be the same type
as the blood of the...
Of the victim, George Beaumont.
Did you find any
fingerprints on here?
Yes, sir.
They were smudged,
but there was an
identifiable thumb
and forefinger on the handle.
Did you identify those prints?
We have.
They belong to the defendant,
Ruth Whittaker.
Thank you, lieutenant.
You may cross-examine.
Um, may I?
Of course.
Thank you.
Uh, lieutenant,
we've heard
testimony that the...
The victim was
stabbed in the back.
That's correct.
Thank you.
And this is where
Mr. Beaumont was standing
when the fatal
blow was delivered?
No. No, that's where
we found the body.
But if death was
instantaneous, as we've heard,
then the victim must
have been standing
in this general area.
Isn't that true?
Well, as a matter of
fact, he wasn't standing.
He was kneeling.
As though he were, um,
looking for something?
I object, Your Honor.
That calls for a
conclusion of the witness.
Objection sustained.
Uh, thank you,
lieutenant. That'll be all.
You may step down.
I call Leon Corby
to the stand, please.
Mr. Leon Corby.
A-and then Miss Whittaker
said she would run over
and say hello to Mr. Beaumont
while I was, uh, fixing
up Unit Number 9.
But while I was in
there cleaning up,
I heard this arguing.
Could you hear what
they were saying?
Well, I heard the lady say,
uh, "I cashed all my bonds,
took a loan on my
furniture, and all for you."
Something like that.
Could you hear
Mr. Beaumont's answer?
N-no.
Thank you, Mr. Corby. Mm.
Cross-examine.
Now, Mr. Corby,
when you interrupted
this alleged quarrel
between the victim
and the defendant,
what exactly did you see?
Well, the lady was holding
that there letter opener
like it was a dagger.
Was she wearing
gloves at the time?
N-no. No, she wasn't.
Then, naturally you'd expect
to find her fingerprints
on the letter opener.
Well, sure, yeah.
Now, what time
was this, Mr. Corby?
Oh, it was pretty close to 3:00.
And you discovered
the body when?
About 8 that night.
So isn't it then possible
that another person,
wearing gloves,
could have entered that
room during that interval?
I object, Your Honor.
Counsel is being argumentative.
Objection sustained.
Thank you,
Mr. Corby. That's all.
Uh, just a moment, Mr. Corby.
One or two
questions on redirect.
You testified that the quarrel
between the victim
and the defendant
took place at 3:00.
Yes, sir. That's right.
When did you next
see the defendant?
About half past 5, quarter to 6.
And where was she at this time?
She was coming out
of Mr. Beaumont's room.
But did you see Mr. Beaumont?
No, uh, the next time I saw him
was when I found
him stretched out
on the floor of that room, dead.
Thank you, Mr. Corby.
Well, naturally,
the first thing I did
was go up to see Mr. Beaumont.
My informant told me
he was using the name
of George Hollister.
The minute I talked to him,
I was sure I had
the right party.
Mr. Folsom,
was the defendant,
Miss Whittaker,
present at that meeting?
Yes, sir, she was.
Did you see the defendant again?
Yes, sir, that same night.
I went to her home, and...
She gave me $7,000 in cash.
Why did she give you
this money, Mr. Folsom?
So I wouldn't send
my report on Beaumont
to the home office.
In other words, Miss Whittaker
hoped that this payment
would keep her relationship
with Mr. Beaumont intact?
That was the whole idea.
You may cross-examine.
Mr. Folsom, I'm very interested
in this so-called payment.
Isn't that rather a polite
term for blackmail?
Well, if you want
to call it that.
I do want to call it that.
Now, uh...
Didn't you first telephone
and then go to see
the district attorney...
at your own expense
in order to tell him about this?
Yes, sir, I did.
And didn't you do this
in an attempt to secure
immunity for yourself
from a blackmail charge?
I just thought the
whole thing over
and realized it was
the best thing to do.
Now, isn't it a fact that the...
The story you first
told the district attorney
differs materially from
the one you're telling now?
I object, Your Honor.
This is improper
cross-examination.
It's incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial,
in that it assumes a
fact not in evidence.
I think we will commit
the question, Mr. Burger.
You may continue, Mr. Mason.
Why, thank you, Your Honor.
Now, Mr. Folsom...
you admit
blackmailing my client.
Yes, sir.
Did you at any time
try to get money from any
other person in this case?
I don't know what you mean.
Did you get in touch
with Mrs. Beaumont
and tell her that her
husband was still alive?
No.
How is it you missed
that golden opportunity?
Uh, I never even thought of it.
We have heard evidence
that Mr. Beaumont
intended to give himself up.
Now, he told you
that, didn't he?
Yes.
Well, weren't you afraid
of the consequences
when your company
discovered the true facts?
And didn't it occur to you
that there might be a
way you could stop him?
I-I didn't kill him,
if that's what
you're suggesting.
Now, Mrs. Beaumont,
when was the last time
that you saw or heard
from your late husband?
On November 19th,
three years ago.
That... That was the day
he was supposed to fly
to Europe on business?
Yes, he was booked
on the American Eagle.
Would you explain
to this court, please,
what happened to that aircraft?
It crashed about
an hour after takeoff.
And you had no way of knowing
that your husband was
not onboard that plane?
No, sir.
He made no attempt
to get in touch
with you thereafter?
Absolutely none at all.
So you didn't know
and had no way of knowing
that your husband was
in Los Angeles and alive
on November 14th,
the day of the murder?
No, sir.
Would you be good
enough to relate to us
your own actions
on November 14th?
You may refer to the
office diary if you'd like to.
I would like to, please.
Well, I, uh...
I came in the office at 9:15
and started over
some correspondence
with my secretary,
Roberta Walker.
And at 10:00, I
went over the books.
And at 10:30,
Mr. Mason dropped in.
Excuse me.
When was the last time you
saw Mr. Mason before that?
Well, when he, uh,
brought over the check
from the insurance company.
So on the day of the murder,
you had not seen Mr. Mason
for almost three years?
That's right.
Go ahead, please.
Well, at 11:00, I had
a business meeting
with, uh, my associate, Glenn
McKay, and two salesmen.
Then at 1:00, we
went out to lunch.
A-and after lunch?
Well, I became ill
suddenly, and I...
I didn't want to go
back to the office,
so I went home.
And did you consult your doctor?
Uh, yes, sir. I called
our family physician,
Dr. William Burns,
and he ordered me to
stay in bed for the day.
And when was the first time
that you learned of
your husband's death?
Well, at 11:30 that night
w-when Lieutenant...
Tragg?
Tragg. Tragg...
called me at my apartment.
I see. Thank you, Mrs. Beaumont.
You may
cross-examine, counselor.
I'm, uh... I'm sorry
to hear you became ill
on the day of my
visit, Mrs. Beaumont.
I hope there was no connection.
The doctor said it
was food poisoning.
But you were the only
one who became ill.
Yes, sir.
I see.
Your husband stayed at
the Villa Motel in Los Angeles
48 hours prior to his murder.
And during that time,
he made no effort
whatsoever to phone you?
No, sir, he didn't.
Uh, by any chance, did
he, uh... Did he write to you?
No.
And if I may anticipate
your next question,
he didn't telegraph either.
Thank you, Mrs. Beaumont.
That will be all.
You may stand down.
I call Jonah Whittaker
to the stand, please.
Jonah Whittaker.
If it please the court,
I should like to request
a 20-minute recess
while I confer with my client.
Well, since it's almost 12:00,
perhaps this would be
as good a time as any
for the noon recess.
The court stands adjourned
till 2:00 this afternoon.
All I told my father
was that George's real
name was Beaumont
and he had a wife
in Los Angeles.
You sure you didn't tell him
her first name was Laura?
No, I'm not sure,
but what difference
does it make?
It makes this difference:
if Mrs. Beaumont knew
her husband was alive
on November 14th,
she's a definite suspect.
She did know.
She knew.
Well, your father
did write to her, then?
No, George did himself.
Are you positive?
Yes, uh...
I'm trying to remember
when it first came out.
It was when I went to
his room in that motel,
and he said something
about writing to her...
because if she heard
his voice on the phone,
it would be too great a shock.
And why didn't you
tell me that before?
I don't know.
In all the excitement, it
slipped my mind, I guess.
Then Mrs. Beaumont was
perjuring herself on the stand.
A little thing like
perjury wouldn't stop her
if she was guilty of murder.
Listen, Ruth, I...
What's wrong?
There's a lot that's wrong.
I'd better get in
touch with Paul.
Try not to worry.
And do you remember the
morning of November 15th?
That is the day
following the murder.
Excuse me, Mr. McKay, I
asked if you remembered
the morning of November 15th.
Why, yes, sir.
I, uh, discovered,
uh, Lieutenant Tragg
and two of his officers
examining Mrs., uh,
Beaumont's office.
And what happened then?
Well, lieutenant, uh,
showed me, uh, an envelope
addressed to Mrs. Beaumont.
Is this the envelope?
Yes, sir.
If it please the court, I
would like this marked
for identification.
My darlin' Laura,
I know what a
shock this must be.
It must seem like a
voice from the grave.
All I can tell you now is
that I'm very much alive.
I realize the problems
this will make for you,
and I wish there was some
way I could alleviate them.
I'll call you in a day or two
after I see Perry Mason.
With all my love, George.
Now, Mr. McKay,
this is the letter
Lieutenant Tragg showed you
on the morning of November 15th?
Yes, sir.
Did you examine it
carefully at that time?
I did.
And would you say that the
seal had been tampered with?
I object, Your Honor.
This witness is not an expert.
If it please the court,
Sergeant Walker,
from the crime
lab, is here in court
and could testify
on this subject.
I only tried to
expedite matters.
I appreciate your concern
for the court, Mr. Burger,
but the rules of
evidence must maintain.
The objection is sustained.
Very well, Your Honor.
I have no further questions
to ask this witness.
You may cross-examine.
Oh, Mr. Mason.
Mr. Burger.
Mr. McKay,
what is your
personal relationship
with Mrs. Beaumont?
Your Honor, I object!
This is certainly incompetent,
immaterial and irrelevant.
If Your Honor please,
I should like to
prove the relevancy.
The witness will
answer the question.
McKAY: I am very
fond of Mrs. Beaumont.
In fact, you have, uh,
hopes of marrying her?
Well, high hopes.
And you'd do
anything in your power
to protect her from a
possible charge of murder?
Oh, I don't need to
protect her, Mr. Mason.
I think it's been proven that
she had no way of knowing
that her husband was alive.
She never saw the letter.
How can you testify
to that, Mr. McKay?
Well, the...
The letter arrived in the
afternoon mail at 3:00,
and Laura was in bed at
home with food poisoning.
And you returned to the
office after lunch that day?
I did.
Then you, uh... Then
you saw the envelope?
Well, assuming
that I did, Mr. Mason,
I'd have to be clairvoyant
to know what was on
the inside of the letter.
The seal wasn't broken.
Now, Mr. McKay,
would you, uh...?
Would you please examine these
and describe them for the court?
They seem to be two
steel knitting needles,
soldered together at one end.
You have no idea
of their function?
I'm afraid I don't follow you.
Well, I understood they
were tools of your trade.
As a matter of fact,
Mr. Drake just got these
from one of your own salesmen.
Would you care for me
to demonstrate their use?
I don't know about
the witness, Mr. Mason,
but the court would,
if it has any
bearing on the case.
It has, Your Honor.
Allow me.
Your Honor, this is a device
used by salesmen of
check-writing machines,
to show how easy it is,
to remove a check from
an envelope and alter it.
The same principle, of
course, applies to a letter.
You, uh, insert this in the
bottom of the envelope,
and when the letter is caught
between the two needles,
you simply wind
it up, like this,
and then withdraw it,
like this.
By reversing the process,
you can reintroduce
the letter...
and the seal will show no sign
that it has been tampered with.
Isn't that correct?
Haven't you used
such a device yourself?
Well, yes.
A lot of salesmen
in our business do.
Then why did you give
the court the impression
you had no idea
what these were for?
Because I had no desire
to involve Mrs. Beaumont.
That's very noble
of you, Mr. McKay.
But why should Mrs.
Beaumont become involved?
You just testified
that she never saw that
letter, that she was home ill.
Well, I... I submit that
when you saw the
initials on that envelope,
you became suspicious.
You removed the letter,
discovered that George
Beaumont was alive.
No, no. I didn't have
to leave the letter there!
I could have destroyed it!
You didn't dare destroy it.
Your receptionist might have
remembered that envelope
and told Mrs. Beaumont.
So you returned the
letter to the envelope,
and then you went
to the Villa Motel,
where you killed
George Beaumont!
Isn't that the way it
happened, Mr. McKay?
Answer me!
Laura, you've got to believe me.
I did this for us.
He would have ruined
everything that we built.
We were a great team.
You know that you didn't
want him to come back.
Laura, don't leave me!
You know what I
still don't understand?
Hmm.
Why McKay would take a
chance of going to that motel,
bent on murder
and not bring a gun.
Yeah.
Well, my guess is that he did.
You're right. I just
spoke to Tragg.
McKay admits he had a gun.
Beaumont jumped him and
knocked it out of his hand.
How does he do it?
Black magic.
Remember that Tragg testified
that Beaumont was
on his hands and knees
when he was stabbed
with that letter opener?
Yeah.
Of course, he was
trying to get the gun
when it fell on the floor.
See how simple it is?
Oh, uh, here's my
expense account.
I thought you'd
like to check it.
That covers just about
everything I spent on this case.
Miscellaneous: $125.98.
Paul Drake.
Well, Perry wanted me
to talk to that salesman
and find out about
the knitting needles.
It's my fault, Della.
I should have known he didn't
have any sales resistance.
Well, here.
Write him a check.
Sure.