Perry Mason (1957–1966): Season 2, Episode 23 - The Case of the Howling Dog - full transcript

Mrs. Forbes...

Good night, nurse.

Good night.

Your sister has
never been restless

or unhappy, Mr. Cartright.

I can't understand why
she'd want to run away.

Did she have any
money, Dr. Bayliss?

The money you gave
her on your visits.

I didn't want to do anything
before consulting you,

but now we can call the police.

Call the police?



My sister isn't
homicidal, is she, doctor?

Well, I... I didn't
mean to imply that,

but Mrs. Forbes did suffer
a severe nervous breakdown

after her divorce.

You told me she had
practically recovered.

Well, I did think so, but...

Then we don't need the police.

I'll handle it myself.

If you'll assume all
responsibility, Mr. Cartright.

I always have,
haven't I, doctor?

Very well. Goodbye, sir.

Goodbye.

Miss Finnigan?

Yes, Mr. Cartright?



We used a detective agency
in Los Angeles last year.

The Drake Detective Agency?

Yeah, that's right.

Will you get Mr. Drake
for me, please?

There it is, Andrews.

That's the place
you're going to watch.

And here is a picture
of my client's sister,

Mrs. Evelyn Forbes.

She's the woman
you're looking for.

What's she going
there for, Paul?

That is where her
former husband lives.

Will you wait for me, please?

Oh. Oh.

Oh, Sammy. Oh!

Oh, you.

What are you doing here, Evelyn?

Hello, Clinton.

The last I heard, you
were in New York.

In an institution.

What do you want?

You stole $125,000 from
me and I want it back.

I don't want to depend
on my brother's generosity.

Clinton...

You are insane,
aren't you, Evelyn?

I just want my money back.

Drop it!

Ha-ha.

How stupid of you, Evelyn.

Who were you
going to use this on:

me or on yourself?

Why don't you consider
overdose of sleeping tablets?

They tell me they're painless.

That's right, Paul.

I'm in the lobby of
the Thursby Hotel.

She's registered here.

Just went upstairs. Room 7-D.

Just a second, Andrews.

That's where your
sister is, Mr. Cartright.

Do you want my
man to stay with her?

Uh, no. It'll be all right now.

Okay, Andrews. Come on in.

We paid a month's rent
on that furnished house

Andrews used for observation.

Good. Uh, may I have the keys?

Sure.

By the way, the Thursby
Hotel is on Pacific and 18th.

Thanks.

Will you listen to me,
Evelyn? Come home.

Where is home, Arthur,

the Bayliss Sanitarium?

My home.

It's yours too, you know.

No, Arthur.

I got my share of Dad's estate.

If I married someone who
got most of it away from me,

that's my bad luck.

Boy, I didn't do
either one of us a favor

when I married
Clinton Forbes, did I?

He stole my money, divorced me,

and then took your wife,
Polly, away from you.

That's over and done with.

You're still in love
with Polly, aren't you?

You don't really mind
coming out here after me.

It gives you a chance
to see her again.

You're right.

Oh, hello.

Have a good game?

You can leave the
glasses off, Miss Brent.

I know all about them.

Polly, what's gotten into you?

The whole thing's pretty
transparent, isn't it, Clint?

She needs those glasses
just about as much as I do.

She's trying to look
like your secretary

instead of your... sweetheart.

Polly, I think the
heat's affected you.

Maybe she can use those glasses,

to see you for
what you really are.

I wish I had eight months ago,

before I married you
and bought this house,

loaned you most of my money.

She doesn't know
anything. She's just guessing.

We've got to be careful.

It's your football player.

Make some excuse for tonight.

Oh.

That's not smart, Clinton.

Bill Johnson's part of
the background now.

He's useful.

Hi, honey.

Did you hear from the 49ers yet?

Nah, but that
doesn't mean a thing.

Those pro football managers
like to keep a guy dangling.

Oh, Bill, please.

What's the matter?

This is not the place.

All right, I'll find the
right place tonight.

All right.

You must excuse my
rambling on like this, Mr. Mason,

but, uh, I've, uh, had
a lot of trouble sleeping

the last two nights.

I've been kept awake

by a dog howling
in the neighborhood.

That can be quite irritating.

Now, Mr. Cartright,
you said you, uh,

wanted some help with a will.

Yes.

Suppose a man dies
in the electric chair,

or the gas chamber.

You mean, if he's executed
for a capital crime? Yes.

Is his will still valid?

Mm.

His will isn't affected.

Do you have something
in mind, Mr. Cartright?

I was just curious.

How'd you happen to come to me?

Uh, you were recommended
by a private detective, uh,

Paul Drake.

Uh, actually, it's a very
simple will, Mr. Mason.

I want my property... All of it.

Real and personal.
- -to go to Mrs. Polly Forbes.

Who's she?

She happens to
be my former wife.

She divorced me.

And you still want to leave
her your entire estate?

I'm still in love with
Polly, Mr. Mason.

If she's happy
with Clinton Forbes,

her present husband,
that's one thing,

but if she isn't,
I want her back.

Do you think she's unhappy?

It's just a matter of time.

Forbes is a phony.

He only marries
women for their money.

He took $125,000 from my sister

before he divorced her.

It was a real mess.

My sister Evelyn and Forbes

came to spend the
Christmas holidays with us.

When Forbes left, he
took my wife with him

and left my sister with
a nervous breakdown.

There are no other
provisions for your will?

None, Mr. Mason.

All right, Mr. Cartright.

Thank you.

And don't worry, Mr. Mason.

I'm not planning
a capital crime.

Not yet, anyway.

Good morning, Della.

Good morning, Perry.

Anything interesting?

Fascinating.

Special delivery
from Arthur Cartright.

Includes a will
among other things.

Ten of them. It's $10,000.

Note's inside.

"Dear Mr. Mason, I'm
enclosing this money

"in the hope you will
accept it as a retainer.

"I want you to
represent the beneficiary

"named in this will and
fight for her interests

"all the way through.

"I think I know now
why the dog howled.

Sincerely yours,
Arthur Cartright."

Leaves all his
property to his sister,

E. Evelyn Cartright.

Appointed me
executor to represent her

in every form of legal matter,

which may arise
incident to the will,

growing out of the will,
growing out of his death,

or in any manner connected
with her domestic relationship.

Covers quite a bit
of territory, doesn't it?

That's quite a...
Change of heart?

Yeah.

Yesterday he wanted
to leave all his money

to his former
wife, Polly Forbes.

Della, see if you can get
Mr. Cartright on the phone.

Yeah, I have it.

Hi, Paul.

Good morning, Perry.

Paul, didn't you
tell me yesterday

that you were no longer working

for Arthur Cartright?

Mm-hm. That's right.

Then there's no
conflict of interest

if you work for me?

Nope, none at all.

No answer at 4793 Mill Pass.

4793 Mill Pass?

That's across
from Forbes' house.

My operative, Andrews,
spent some time there.

Do you have Mr. Forbes' number?

Sure.

Della, see if you can get
Mr. Forbes on the phone.

Yes, Mr. Mason?

I'm calling you about a
howling dog, Mr. Forbes.

A howling dog? What
are you talking about?

Don't you have a dog
that's been howling all night?

Of course not.
Now, look, Mason...

My client in this matter
is Arthur Cartright.

Oh?

Mr. Mason, in life a man makes
a certain number of enemies.

Well, perhaps this
evening, after dinner?

Your home, 9:00?

Fine. I'll see you then.

Mr. Forbes?

Mr. Forbes?

Seven-five-two, KMA-752,

KMA-628 calling.

Yes, Paul?

I thought you
might want to know:

I've had Andrews on observation.

Since when?

Seven o'clock this evening.
He's waiting at the house

I rented for
Cartright right now.

Fine, Paul.

Can I help you, ma'am?

I'm Thelma Brent,
Mr. Forbes' secretary.

What's going on?

Have you been away all evening?

I've been to the theater.

Alone?

Yes, alone. What
is it? What's wrong?

You'd better ask
for Lieutenant Tragg.

He's inside.

4700 Ward Row Road.

A 5-80-60.

Well, there was, uh,
no action till about 7:45.

Then a woman
came out of the house.

Same woman who just drove in.

Thelma Brent, Forbes' secretary.

She, uh, got in that Sunbeam
convertible and drove off.

Go on.

Well, at seven minutes
after 8, a taxicab pulls up

and another woman gets out.

Did you recognize her?

I, uh, couldn't swear
to it, Mr. Mason...

but I'm almost sure
that it was Mrs. Forbes,

Cartright's sister.

Did you get the
cab's license number?

No, I couldn't, but, uh,
I got the cab number

painted on the side of the cab:

86-D, a blue-checker cab.

Did the woman go
into the house? Yes.

How long was she in there?

Oh, five minutes,
uh, six at the most.

Did the cab wait for her?

No, the, uh... The
cab pulled away,

and when she came
out, she was nervous.

She walked up and
down, up and down,

and she was about
ready to start off

when the cab came
back and she left in it.

All right, go on.

Uh... Oh.

A couple of minutes later,

a man came out of the front
door and went down the road.

A man? A young
ma... Young fellow.

He's tall, husky, uh,
had a varsity sweater on.

I've seen him
around here before.

You were on here every minute?

That's right.

Didn't you report to Drake?

Well, I... I called in.

The phone's downstairs.

How long were you gone?

Ten minutes, at the most.

But long enough for someone

to enter and leave that
house without your knowing.

Well, it could be.

Andrews, did you hear that
police dog howling tonight?

No, sir.

I want to find out where
that blue-checker cab

dropped the woman you
think is Evelyn Forbes.

Well, that shouldn't
be too tough, Perry.

Come on, Andrews.
We'd better get going.

I'll be at the
office, Paul. Right.

This is the fastest
service you ever got.

The cabbie's name
is Joseph D'Amato.

He lives at 14 East 20th.

He dropped Evelyn
Forbes at the Thursby Hotel.

How'd the cab driver
identify Miss Forbes?

Well, he didn't
remember her too well.

Five-feet-four or five,
brunette, he thinks,

wearing a gray
outfit, nice figure.

And she left a
handkerchief in his cab.

He figures on turning it
in to the lost and found

in the morning.

Paul, I want to
hire an operative

for a special job.

Brunette, about 5'4".

I want her to
wear a gray outfit.

She's got to be able
to keep confidence.

Think you can find such a woman?

I've been looking for
one like that for years.

This job has to be done tonight.

And we have to
find Arthur Cartright.

You're, uh, starting to walk
that legal tightrope again.

When a client's
interests are in jeopardy,

I'll do whatever necessary.

Miss Storm, thank you very
much for wearing the gray outfit.

I'm only following
Mr. Drake's instructions.

Well, where do we go from here?

I'd like you to go
to this address.

Ask for a cab driver by the
name of Joseph D'Amato.

Tell him you left a
handkerchief in his cab

when he drove you
from 4889 Mill Pass Drive

to the Thursby Hotel.

It must be a very
valuable handkerchief.

It is.

Don't let him get a
clear look at your face,

keep your voice low,

and if he asks your
name, just make one up.

Mr. Mason, I'm sure
you wouldn't ask me

to do anything that would,
uh, make me lose my license?

You won't be doing
anything illegal.

What else will there be?

You may have to appear in court.

To testify?

Perhaps, but if you do,

you'll only have
to tell the truth.

Well, Miss Storm?

I never heard it said that
you'd lie to a girl, Mr. Mason.

I'll do your job.

Good. Thank you.

Good evening, Mrs. Forbes.

My name is Mason.
I'm an attorney.

May I come in?

Yes.

What do you want, Mr. Mason?

Your former husband,
Clinton Forbes,

was murdered tonight.

Oh, no.

Didn't you know?

Of course not.

How would I know?

You were there.

Was Mr. Forbes alive
when you got there?

No. He was dead.

Mr. Mason, why
have you come to me?

I accepted a retainer from
your brother in your behalf.

If you don't want
me to represent you,

why, just tell me
now and I'll leave.

But I don't know.

What are you to
represent me for?

Murder.

No.

But... How could they
think I killed Clinton?

You can be placed on the scene

at approximately the
time of the murder.

The decedent was a
man who abandoned you,

who stole $125,000 from you.

Didn't he?

Yes.

You were in the house
five or six minutes.

Now, what did you do there?

Open the wall safe,
looking for your money?

No.

Did you touch things,
leave fingerprints?

I don't know.

Maybe I did.

Do you own a gun?

Yes, I had a gun,

a .38,

but Clinton took
it away from me!

Did you see the gun lying
on the floor near the body?

Was it yours?

I don't know.

I didn't kill him, Mr. Mason.

Do you know you
left your handkerchief

in a taxicab earlier
this evening?

Oh, no.

Oh, where's my brother?

That's a question I
was going to ask you.

He called last night. He
said he was going away.

But...

All right, Mrs. Forbes.

We have time to do some
things before the police arrive.

Come in, lieutenant.

Oh. Good morning, Perry.

Well, good morning, lieutenant.

You sounded so
urgent over the phone,

I decided to come myself.

What was it you
mentioned, a handkerchief?

Mm, yes.

Very pretty. Hm.
Initials and everything.

It was left in a cab. A
blue-checker cab, number 86-D.

Took a woman to
Clinton Forbes' house

at exactly 8:07 last night.

Where'd you get this?

It, uh, came into my
possession this morning.

I called you immediately.

Well, that was very
civic-minded of you, Perry.

Thanks. Now, there's, uh,
something you can do for me.

Of course. What?

That, uh... That paper
that was in Forbes' hand...

Yes, I thought you
might have that in mind.

It was a telegram.

It was addressed
to Clinton Forbes,

sent from San Diego at
5:03 yesterday afternoon.

"Clinton, call off police,

"or we'll build
publicity bonfire

"that will scorch you and
your romantic intrigues

"to a cinder. Stop.

"Don't try to find us.
We've seen the last of you.

Polly and Arthur."

He, uh, got Missing
Persons after them.

Police theory is that
they slipped into Mexico.

That shouldn't stop you
from looking for them.

They're still likely
suspects in the murder,

despite the telegram
or the farewell note.

Well, we're thinking along
different lines now, Perry.

Oh, uh, incidentally,

did you, uh, speak to
your client this morning?

I don't recall
mentioning a client.

Oh, really, you ought
to go and speak to her.

Go where?

Police headquarters.

We booked Evelyn
Forbes for murder.

On what evidence?

Oh, lots of evidence.

We've got her dead to rights,

even without the handkerchief,

although we thank
you for small favors.

It was a good try, though,

no matter what you're up to.

Well, see ya.

I propose to show that
the defendant arrived

at her ex-husband's
house, entered it,

and shot him in cold blood.

That she left her gun
and her fingerprints

in the murder room.

That she departed in a taxicab.

If it please the court,

the state will ask that the
defendant, Evelyn Forbes,

be bound for trial for
the willful, premeditated

and cold-blooded murder
of her former husband,

Clinton Forbes.

Proceed with the
prosecution's case, Mr. Burger.

I show you this Smith &
Wesson .38-caliber revolver

and ask if you can identify it.

Yes, sir.

It has my identifying
marks scratched on it,

it's the murder gun
from the murder room.

And was it checked for
registration and ownership?

It was sold to
Mrs. Evelyn Forbes

in White Plains, New York.

No, uh, police
permit was issued.

I see.

If it please the court,

I should like this weapon
marked for identification

and recevied as
people's exhibit A.

Mm-hm.

Now, lieutenant,

did you check the murder
room for fingerprints?

Yes, among others,
we found the prints

of Mrs. Forbes on the
desk, on a picture frame,

and on the wall safe.

And when say "Mrs. Forbes,"
to whom are you referring?

The defendant.

Mrs. Evelyn Cartright Forbes.

Thank you, lieutenant.
Cross-examine.

Now, lieutenant, these
other fingerprints you found,

whose were they?

Well, the deceased, his
wife, Mrs. Polly Forbes,

his former brother-in-law,
Mr. Arthur Cartright,

his secretary, Miss,
uh, Thelma Brent,

and Mr. William Johnson.

Will you please identify
Mr. William Johnosn

for the court?

He's the boyfriend
of Thelma Brent.

He did occasional
odd jobs for Mr. Forbes.

And where were
Mr. Johnson's fingerprints found?

Oh, on the desk, I believe,

there were several
in different places,

he was a frequent visitor.

Then you've questioned
him. Yes, we have.

Something I've
been unable to do.

He's been a very peripatetic
young man these last six days,

going from jail to jail,

on what charges
were you holding him?

Material witness.

Isn't it true that
you deliberately

shuttled him from one
jail to another to keep me

from questioning him?

Thank you, lieutenant.
That will be all.

Step down, lieutenant.

And about what time
did you leave the house?

About ten past 7. The
show let out at 9:40.

I got home about 10.

I see.

Now, Miss Brent,

would you tell us
please what Mr. Forbes

kept in his wall safe?

Contracts, insurance
papers and cash.

Do you know how much cash?

Quite a lot.

He liked to use cash
for option money

on land-purchase deals.

Between 60 and $75,000.

Really?

Do you know the
combination to the safe?

No. Nobody did except
Mr. Forbes himself.

He kept a memo of
it. I don't know where.

Thank you, Miss Brent.

Your witness.

Mr. Forbes was
an attractive man,

wasn't he?

Yes.

You lived in the Forbes' house,

didn't you, Miss Brent?

Yes, I did.

Now, Miss Brent, on the two
evenings before the murder,

was your sleep disturbed

by the howling of
Mr. Forbes' police dog?

No.

But then Sammy never
howled, Mr. Mason.

Your Honor, counsel
is pursuing a course

not covered in
direct examination.

If he wants to establish
that a dog was howling,

or not howling,

he can do so when he
presents his own case.

Objection sustained.

Proceed, Mr. Mason.

Your Honor, I'm
finished with the witness.

All right. You may
step down, Miss Brent.

I call William
Johnson to the stand.

Mr. William
Johnson to the stand.

I was stringing a tennis
racket for Mr. Forbes.

I was in the workshop.
That's down in the cellar.

About what time was this?

Eight o'clock, maybe a
few minutes afterwards.

Go on.

Well, I wanted to ask Mr. Forbes

where he kept the press
for his tennis racket,

so I walked up the cellar stairs

and was about to
go into the library

when I heard the voices.

Were they distinguishable?

Uh, no, sir. Couldn't
tell what was being said,

but I... I did recognize
Mr. Forbes' voice.

And what about the other voice?

Uh, no, sir, I'd
never heard it before.

Woman's voice, though.

She was kind of emotional.

That's why I didn't interrupt
and I went back downstairs.

And what happened then?

Well, I just started
to work again

when I heard the shots.

Well, I ran up the stairs.

The study door was
locked from the inside.

Tried to break it in,
but it wouldn't give.

Then I remembered
there was another door,

so I ran through the kitchen,

down the hall
and into the study.

Just then I heard a
car in the driveway.

Walked over to the
window and looked out,

and I saw this blue-checkered
cab pulling away.

Could you identify
the passenger?

Uh, no, sir, except
it was a woman

wearing a gray outfit.

All right, uh, what
did you do then?

Well, I looked around,
and I found Mr. Forbes.

He was dead.

Now, Mr. Johnson,
it's a matter of record

that you did not report
this crime to the police.

Could you explain
that to us, please?

Well, uh... About
eight months ago

I got into a little trouble
with a postdated check.

It was only $15,

but, uh, the police really
put me through the ringer.

Well, ever since then, I...

Well, I just didn't want to
get involved with them again.

I understand. Thank
you, Mr. Johnson.

Cross-examine.

I notice you've
been very careful

in your choice of
words, Mr. Johnson,

almost as though
you'd been coached.

Have you been?

No, sir.

Haven't you discussed
your testimony

with the district attorney?

Yes, sir, but he didn't coach
me or tell me what to say.

Now, let's understand
this thoroughly.

You can't identify
the woman's voice

you said you heard?

No, sir.

Or the person who left
in the departing cab?

No, sir.

Then it could have been

any one of 80 million
women in this country?

Yeah.

Look, uh,

I don't want to get
anybody in trouble...

All right, you haven't.

Thank you. That will be all.

I call Joseph D'Amato
to the stand, please.

So when I take her there

she tell me to wait.

Well, I tell her, "Well, I
need gasoline," you know?

So she say, "Well, take
care of it and come back."

What happened then? Ah, well,

I see her go into the
house, and me, I drive away.

But I come back and pick her up.

And about what time was this?

Oh, it's, uh... Yes, here it is.

It's, uh... It's after 8 p.m.,

uh, maybe about ten
minutes later, you know?

Did you see the
woman again that night?

Yes, heh, uh, you see,
she was my last fare

on my way driving home.

Near midnight, this same woman,

she ring the
doorbell at my house.

She said she got my address

from the company lost and found

and that she left a
handkerchief in my cab.

Well, she had, so I
gave it to her. That's all.

I see.

I show you now this
initialed handkerchief

and ask if you can identify it.

Yeah, sure. Yeah.

It's the same one I give...
I give back to the lady.

Thank you, Mr. D'Amato.

If it please the court,

I should like this
handkerchief entered

as people's exhibit F.

All right.

Now, Mr. D'Amato, would
you look around this courtroom

and tell me if you can identify

the woman you have
been talking about?

Yes, sir. Ex...

Mm, excuse me.

That's her, it's the one
sitting right over there.

Let the record show

the witness is pointing to
the defendant, Evelyn Forbes.

Thank you, Mr. D'Amato.

Your witness.

Now, Mr. D'Amato,
isn't it a fact

that after the night in question

and during the past week,

you saw the defendant
on several occasions?

That she was pointed out to you

by officers at police
headquarters while in jail?

Well, y-y-yes. T-that's true.

It's an old and subtle
headquarters trick,

Mr. D'Amato, designed to
change a witness's doubt

about an identification
into certainty.

But... But I'm sure
about that one!

She was my passenger!

Now, when this woman called
at your house near midnight,

did she go inside your house?

No, she stayed
outside on the porch.

Was the porch light on?

No, sir,

but she is the one, all right.

I can't be mistaken!

But suppose you
are, Mr. D'Amato.

Suppose you are
mistaken about the identity

of the woman who
called for the handkerchief.

Mightn't you then also be
mistaken about the identity

of the woman you
drove to Mill Pass Drive?

I ain't mistaken
about either of them,

but if I'm mistaken of one,

well, then I could be
mistaken about the other one.

Thank you,
Mr. D'Amato. That's all.

Step down, please.

You'll have to come
along with me, miss.

If the court please,
Lieutenant Tragg

is about to remove a
witness from this courtroom.

Before that happens, may
we approach the bench?

Yes. Come forward.

Your Honor, this young
woman has been subpoenaed

as a witness for the defense.

May I ask you to
instruct the witness

that she need talk to no
one until called as a witness

and to instruct the district
attorney and Lieutenant Tragg

that they are not to annoy her?

Your Honor, all we
intended to do was to find out

from this young woman

whether an arrangement
had been made

for her to approach
the cab driver

and claim that
she was the person

who had left her
handkerchief in his cab.

Suppose she said yes?

Then I intended to discover
the identity of the person

who had paid her to make
this false representation

and get out a
warrant for his arrest.

All right, then. I'm
the person. I did it.

Gentlemen, the discussion
seems to be getting out of hand.

Your Honor, there's
no law against

a woman impersonating another,

and there's no crime in claiming
to be an owner of lost property,

unless the claim is made

for the purpose of
stealing lost property.

Oh, you can't
cover up like that.

Why don't you tell this court

the real purpose
of this rigmarole?

The purpose was to
test the recollection

of the cab driver,

and I believe I was
within my rights.

It appears that Mr. Mason

might very well
be within his rights,

but the court is only
called upon at this time

to pass on Mr. Mason's
request concerning this witness,

and I do believe
it's entirely in order,

and you will refrain
from seeking to annoy

or intimidate this
witness, Mr. Burger.

Very well, Your Honor.

I don't care about the
evidence of the cab driver.

It can't hurt my case a bit.

But I would like to find out

how far this trickery of
Mr. Mason's has gone.

May I request the court to
grant a ten-minute recess?

I'll do better than
that, Mr. Burger.

It's, uh, approaching
the noon hour,

so we'll adjourn
the court until 2 p.m.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Della, you'd better
get some lunch.

I've got to check on something.

Are you still a
professional football player?

Yeah, I'm still in pro football,
but it's the small-time now.

I wonder if you'd clear up
something for me, Johnson.

Sure, if I can.

You said you got into the study

just as the cab was pulling out.

That was four minutes

after the time you
heard the shots.

I guess so.

I'd say you got into the study

less than a minute after.

How can you say that?

Because you knew there
was another entrance,

just as you knew the
combination to Forbes' safe.

No, Mr. Mason.

And the reason you
didn't call the police

wasn't because you
had been arrested before,

it was because you had
stolen the money from the safe.

You wanted to take it
outside someplace and hide it.

I didn't kill him.

Oh, did it ever occur to you

that when the police
kept you out of circulation,

they might have been using
you for their own purposes?

And that those purposes
might have something to do

with their suspicions about you?

You, uh, wouldn't
have hidden the money

in one of the trophies,
would you, Johnson?

And in that five
minutes, from the time

I looked out of the
window until I left the house,

I took $62,000 out of the safe.

So you lied on the
stand this morning?

Yes, sir.

And I also lied about
identifying the woman

whose voice I heard.

I heard it,

and I saw her get into the cab.

She's the defendant,
Evelyn Forbes.

Cross-examine.

Now, Mr. Johnson,

did you make this
positive identification

in order to save your own skin?

No.

Isn't it true that you
made a telephone call

immediately after
I left your room?

No.

Didn't you, in fact, call
Miss Thelma Brent?

Didn't you tell her that
you'd stolen the money,

that I knew about it... - No!

And ask her advice
as to what to do?

No! I did not.

Your Honor, since Mr. Burger
has recalled this witness

in order to introduce
new evidence,

I would like to interrupt
my cross-examination here

to recall a previous witness.

Well, you're entirely within
your rights, counselor.

I call Miss Thelma Brent.

Miss Thelma Brent,
take the stand, please.

You're still under
oath, Miss Brent.

Now, I ask you, Miss Brent,

did Mr. Johnson call
you during the recess?

Yes.

Did he tell you that
he'd stolen the money?

Yes.

And ask your advice?

Mr. Mason...

Yes or no.

Yes.

I told him to go

to the district
attorney and confess.

Confess to what, the
whole truth or half-truth?

What do you mean?

Did he identify the defendant

to keep suspicion away from you?

Does that require an
answer, Mr. Mason?

Miss Brent, you said
you went to the theater

on the night of the murder.

What time did you get there?

The feature had just started.

About 7:25.

It takes 15 minutes to
get there from the house.

Then you left the
house about 7:10?

That's right.

That's the way I
testified this morning.

But Mr. Andrews said
he went on duty at 7:00

and didn't see anyone
go in or out of the house

until 7:45, when
he saw you go out.

He was mistaken.

He said he couldn't
recognize the defendant,

how could he recognize me?

It doesn't get dark until
8:00 this time of the year.

The defendant left
the house at 8:13.

You claim you left at 7:10.

Now, Mr. Andrews
certainly would have seen

someone leave at that time,
even if he couldn't identify

who it was.

All right, I wasn't
at the house.

I... I didn't want
to bring this up,

but, well, I was out
of town with someone.

Are you implying this is
very personal, Miss Brent?

Yes.

May I guess where you went?

Was it San Diego?

You sent a telegram
from there to Mr. Forbes.

You signed it "Polly and Arthur"

to establish them as
being in San Diego.

Why would I do that?

To make it seem they were alive.

Seem they were alive?

They're dead, Miss Brent.
They were dead then.

It's the only conclusion
I could come to.

The only one that's
based on the facts.

You killed Polly
first to get rid of her.

You wanted Clinton Forbes
and she was in your way.

That's ridiculous.

Isn't that why the dog
was howling, Miss Brent?

Because Polly was
buried in the garden?

How do I know why he howled?

But you testified
he didn't howl.

But then it's very
easy to prove,

all we have to do
is dig in the garden.

Well, what if you
find something?

I don't know anything about it.

And then Arthur Cartright,

who suspected why
the dog was howling,

came to see Polly.

He faced you.

You realized he would
expose Polly's murder,

so you killed him.

You're making me out a
monstrous killer, Mr. Mason,

without a shred of proof.

I think you are a
monstrous killer, Miss Brent,

because after you twice
killed for Clinton Forbes,

you found out he
had no intention

of ever marrying you,
so you killed him too.

If I was in San Diego,

how did I kill Clinton Forbes?

Clinton was killed at 8:00.

Your man said he saw me
leaving the house at 7:45.

Forbes was killed sometime
between 7:30 and 8:30.

You could have killed him before
you walked out of that house.

How did I get in without
your man seeing me?

How did I get in?

The telegram was sent
from San Diego at 5:00.

The return trip by plane
and then by car to the house

is less than an hour
and three quarters.

That would make it
about a quarter of 7.

You entered the house
before Andrews went on duty.

You've built a whole
theory on nothing!

Nothing!

Do you want us to check
the airlines, Miss Brent?

Do you want us to
check your handwriting

on the telegram
you gave the clerk?

Do want us to get him up here
from San Diego to identify you?

He said we couldn't
live together,

knowing what he knew about me,

even though he
helped me bury them.

He said the day would
come I'd hate him,

be afraid of him,

afraid he'd tell
somebody what I'd done.

I said to myself:

"Then why did I kill for him?"

What was it for?

I did it for him.

Now he was holding it
against me to get rid of me.

He was a very attractive man.

I did tell you that
this morning, didn't I?

What is that?

That is a dog named Sammy.

I thought he was
shot and killed.

Where did he come
from? A kennel.

You see, Della, when I phoned
Clinton Forbes about the dog,

he got worried about
an investigation.

Oh, so he went to the
kennel, boarded Sammy,

and then... And then took
another police dog home,

one that wouldn't know about
Polly's body in the garden

and, therefore, wouldn't howl.

Right.

Well...

what do we do with him?

Just stay away from him.

He's a killer.