Perry Mason (1957–1966): Season 2, Episode 26 - The Case of the Dangerous Dowager - full transcript
Sylvia Oxman is desperate to retrieve the $7,500 in IOUs she signed over at the Clover Club poker room. She is convinced that her ex-husband Frank Oxman will try to get his hands on them and use them to have her labeled an unfit mother thereby getting custody of their son Peter. Poker room owner Danny Barker isn't going to make it easy for her, however, suggesting that he will sell the IOUs to the highest bidder asking $25,000. Sylvias'a grandmother Matilda Benson and her son Robert call on Perry Mason to seek his assistance on Sylvia's behalf and Perry and Paul drake are soon investigating. Perry runs a bluff on Danny Barker to force him to turn over the IOUs at face value. Danny's partner Charles Duncan intervenes to make sure they get their money but nothing untoward takes place. Before long Danny Baker is found dead in his office, killed with Sylvia's gun. Despite the odds, Perry takes on her case and roots out the real killer.
Sorry. Gotta be announced.
I-I have an appointment
with Mr. Barker.
My name is... I know. Excuse me.
Boss.
Mrs. Sylvia Oxman
to see you, okay?
All right.
Mr. Barker will see you.
Oh.
Seven thousand
five hundred dollars.
Do you want to count it?
I take your word.
Please, may I have the IOU's?
For $7,500?
Heh-heh-heh.
Mrs. Oxman...
when a man has a
piece of merchandise...
only one buyer,
takes what's offered.
Two buyers, he sells it
to the highest bidder.
Has my husband
been in touch with you?
All negotiations
in this business
are confidential.
How much did he offer you?
How much do you offer?
I had trouble in... In
raising this amount.
Your grandmother, Mrs. Oxman...
how many million has she got?
Oh, I don't want her
to know about this.
Mr. Barker...
if you sell those
IOU's to my husband,
he'll take my child away.
Money, Mrs. Oxman.
Money.
Makes me a very generous man.
Not much money.
Maybe 25,000.
Mr. Barker.
Mr. Barker, look at me!
Don't sell my
husband those IOU's.
Are you threatening me?
I don't know what I'm doing.
I only know that something
terrible will happen
to me, to him, even to you.
Because nothing must happen
to my child.
I'll be back.
Your granddaughter
just left, Mrs. Benson.
Her IOU's are for $7,500.
Mr. Barker wants 25,000.
No, ma'am.
Nothing's settled.
Has her husband, Frank Oxman,
been there yet?
I haven't seen him.
But I know Mr. Barker
expects him.
Oh, very well.
I'll send you another
check tonight.
And thank you.
Does Frank have $25,000?
He has those paintings. Oh.
Grotesque things that mean...
absolutely nothing.
Why don't you buy
the IOU's, mother?
Twenty-five thousand
dollars isn't so much.
No.
But this is a form of blackmail.
And once begun, there's
no telling where it will end.
Mm. Of course.
We can't submit to blackmail.
But refusing to submit
involves certain dangers.
We will make a list
of those dangers,
evaluate each one
calmly and objectively.
Well, shouldn't
we wait for Sylvia?
Oh. Do you think that
would do any good?
No. No, of course not.
Sylvia would only
confuse matters.
No, we'll let her
muddle about for a while.
The anxiety will perhaps
do her good eventually.
Uh, we'll settle this
matter ourselves.
We must first decide on
a proper course of action.
The intelligent thing would
be to engage a lawyer.
I believe in first things first.
I've looked you up,
Mr. Mason. I know all about you.
You will do the same to me.
You will find out
that I am very rich.
You will try to charge
me an exorbitant fee.
I will not pay it.
But there will be no haggling
over a proper and
reasonable fee,
plus expenses.
Now, with that settled,
you will do
precisely as I tell you.
You will do...
First things first, Mrs. Benson.
We've settled that.
Mm, not yet.
I'll have to know
what this is all about
before I agree
to accept any fee.
I know what I want done.
Then I suggest that...
you do it.
It's been a great
pleasure meeting you,
Mrs. Benson, Mr. Benson.
Oh, but of course.
Sit down, Mr. Mason.
I'll tell you the story.
The place? Gardena.
The web? The Clover
Club Poker Parlor.
The spider? Daniel Barker.
Clear?
Clear.
The fly?
Sylvia Oxman...
my granddaughter.
Barker holds IOU's
amounting to $7,500
signed by her.
I want them back.
Gardena is a very unusual place.
Although gambling
is illegal in California...
public poker parlors
are permitted in Gardena.
If you want those IOU's back,
you'll have to pay them off.
I would... willingly...
but he's holding them up
for sale to the highest bidder.
Who else is bidding?
Frank Oxman.
My granddaughter's husband.
They're separated.
They have a child. Peter.
Why does Mr. Oxman
want the IOU's?
To prove that Sylvia is
a compulsive gambler,
and, therefore, an unfit mother.
And is that true?
Well, family's run out
of strength, Mr. Mason.
My oldest son, Robert's
brother, was a weak man.
He was also a snob.
He killed himself
when his wife ran away
with a Neapolitan fisherman.
Mr. Mason is not interested
in the family gossip, Robert.
Sylvia was my
oldest son's daughter,
born with thin blood.
She had no passion for anything,
until she discovered gambling.
Ten years ago she
met Frank Oxman,
fresh out of college,
and married him.
And he is Peter's father?
Yes.
And Peter has broad shoulders...
a square jaw...
and the look of his
great-grandfather in his eyes.
He is the family strength
reborn, Mr. Mason.
It's a miracle.
And now Frank Oxman
wants custody of their child?
Yes. Not because he loves him.
Unless he loves him
for being merchandised
to sell back to me for
some fantastic price.
In other words, the
problem is blackmail.
Exactly.
And I believe you can
prevent that, Mr. Mason.
I can only promise
to do my best.
Well, shall we, uh,
keep in touch with
you, Mr. Mason?
Mr. Mason will keep
in touch with me.
And now I believe our
business here is finished.
Yes, Mother. Good day.
Thus spake... Zarathustra.
Della... Mm-hm?
Get Paul in.
Give him a check for $200.
Mm, what for?
Want him to go
to the nearest bank
and open up a new account.
Raise 10.
Power, huh?
I'll see you.
It's all yours.
Well, now, wait a minute.
I want to see those cards.
You won, didn't you?
Well, I've got a right
to see what I beat.
All right, whose
deal is... Oh, stop it.
I paid money to see
what he raised on.
I never saw him before.
I gotta find out what
kind of a game he plays.
I agree with you.
I called him, but he
won't show his cards.
Show them, mister.
The lady insists.
Bluffing. Ha!
Where'd you ever
learn how to play poker?
Hm?
I'm, uh, out of money.
Can I cash a check?
How much?
Two hundred dollars.
Cash it, Mr. Manning.
We don't want to lose him.
Step over to the
cashier's booth.
Uh-huh.
Hurry back, young man.
You've got a lot
more learning to do.
Better deal me out of this one.
Chicken, huh?
Well, well, well.
Ha-ha.
What do you know?
Mr. Frank Oxman.
He wants to cash this?
That's what he said.
Is Duncan in his office?
Uh-uh. Haven't
seen him all night.
Mm-hm.
Okay, Manning...
bring Mr. Oxman in.
And, uh...
treat him nice.
Right.
Come right in, gentlemen.
Which one of you is Frank Oxman?
My name is Mason.
I'm with this gentleman.
How do you figure in this?
I'm his lawyer.
Mason? Perry Mason?
Hm.
Okay, Manning, you can go now.
Sit down, gents.
I want no misunderstanding,
Mr. Barker.
You don't know this man.
He offered you a check
signed "Frank Oxman."
That only means he has
a bank account under that name.
He didn't come here to gamble.
Please remember that in case
you're called to testify
on the witness stand.
So he is Frank Oxman.
I haven't said that.
Then he isn't Frank Oxman.
I haven't said that either.
I like you, Mr. Mason.
You're a good lawyer.
You protect your client.
Maybe you could give
me a piece of advice.
Perhaps.
Mm.
If a lady's husband
wanted a divorce
and custody of his child...
what better evidence
could he have
than IOU's made out
to a gambling joint?
Now, I'm asking you,
Mr. Mason, as a lawyer.
Could he have any
better evidence?
Not much better.
I could supply that evidence.
On what terms?
Mm.
Something a little
better than 25 grand.
If this gentleman
were Mr. Oxman,
and I represented him
in a divorce action...
we might be interested
in securing such evidence.
But it wouldn't be necessary
to pay any money for it.
All I'd need to do is
serve you with a subpoena
ordering you to bring...
any notes signed by
Sylvia Oxman into court.
Mm.
I've got a very bad
memory, Mr. Mason.
I don't think I could
remember those IOU's.
Mm?
Then it would cost you $7,500.
How come?
Uh, once you got on the stand
and testified that you
did not know of any IOU's
signed by Sylvia Oxman...
they would automatically
become uncollectable.
All you would get
out of the 7,500
would be a fee for
appearing as a witness.
Look, Mason...
let's cut out all
the legal tricks. I...
Excuse me, Mr. Mason.
You're losing your head, Danny.
You stay out of this.
We're partners, remember?
I'm Charles Duncan, half
owner of this business.
It's a good business:
profitable, peaceful and legal.
I like it.
I don't want anything to
happen that might spoil it.
You're very wise, Mr. Duncan.
Here's $7,500, Mr. Duncan.
I'll take those IOU's.
You Oxman?
He never claimed to be Oxman.
Put your money away, mister.
We're not turning those
IOU's over to anybody
except the person
who signed them:
Mrs. Sylvia Oxman.
It's the only way I know
to keep this deal clean.
All right.
Mrs. Oxman will be here.
What time do you
want to see her?
I leave early tonight.
Danny closes up.
I'll be here at 10:00
in the morning.
Mrs. Oxman will be here
at 10 in the morning.
Good night, Mr. Duncan.
Good night, Mr. Barker.
I warned you, Danny. I
warned you a dozen times.
This is the last time.
You try one more
stunt like that,
and I'll put you down the
nearest sewer headfirst.
Excellent, Mr. Mason.
My compliments.
You can be certain
that Sylvia will be there
at exactly 10 tomorrow morning.
I shall sleep very
much better tonight.
Yes. Good night, and
thank you very much.
You heard?
Hm? Yes, I did.
It always pays to get the best.
Hm.
Naturally.
Tell Sylvia I want to see her.
She hasn't come
home yet, mother.
Oh. Well, then, write a note.
And tell her no matter what time
she comes in to waken me,
because I must see her.
I wish we had told
her about Mr. Mason.
Will you please write that note?
Yes, Mother.
May I come in?
Oh.
These are nice, Frank.
It's like you.
Pictures you love.
Grandmother hated.
I can't help it, can I,
if she didn't like them?
You've been drinking.
Yes.
I've been drinking
and gambling, and...
gambling and losing, and...
signing IOU's for $7,500.
You know all about
that, don't you, Frank?
Yes.
Sylvia, I don't
want to be cruel...
but this is something I must do.
If it takes everything I own...
I'm going to have my son.
No matter how or who it hurts.
Have us both, Frank.
Mm.
Have us both.
And your grandmother too?
No.
To tell us when
to breathe, and...
how to think,
and why to live
as she thinks best?
We'll go away.
Just the three of us. Hm.
We'll go away from her.
We talked about
that from practically
the day we were married.
We left three times, remember?
And each time she
made you return,
and I followed...
because I loved you...
and our son.
But I'm not following anymore.
Do not take my son away from me.
The courts will do that for me.
Why are you so sure?
I'll have those notes by
9:00 tomorrow morning.
I'm drunk, Frank.
And when I'm drunk,
I'm not responsible
for my actions.
It's why I drink.
Grandmother says I'm not
responsible, drunk or sober.
Grandmoth...
I've lost you, Frank.
And you were half my life.
If I lose my son too,
that's the other half gone.
Then I have no life left at all.
Sylvia.
I'm doing what's best.
You hate me.
And you'll teach my
son to hate me too.
No, Sylvia. I don't hate...
Who do you wanna see?
I have a 10:00 appointment
with Mr. Duncan and Mr. Barker.
Just a minute.
Take over.
Follow me.
Perry Mason, I didn't know
you were a poker player.
You and I have had a
few good hands together.
Did you have anything
to do with this one?
I don't know. Who's playing?
Well, a fellow named, uh,
Daniel Barker was one of them.
But I'm afraid he's out
of the game for good.
Hm. Do you suspect someone?
They were telling me
about some missing IOU's.
You say Mrs. Oxman's lawyer
promised that she'd
be here at 10:00 a.m.
to pick 'em up?
That's right.
Oh, what about it?
It's five after 10.
She isn't here yet.
It's a long ride from Pasadena.
She your client? Indirectly.
Like to ask her a few
questions... Oh, routine.
Lieutenant Tragg.
Get out an all-points.
Yes. Have a warrant issued
and, uh, notify the
district attorney.
No, no. Never mind.
I'll take care of that myself.
Well, Mr. Mason...
I think your client's
been here and gone.
What makes you think so?
Well, the bullet
that killed Barker...
came from a gun
licensed to Mrs. Sylvia Oxman.
Now, isn't that a coincidence?
And before you ask
any more questions,
will you excuse me?
Yes, hello?
Oh, good morning, Mr. Mason.
I'm so glad you called.
I wasn't able to give
your message to Sylvia.
Why not?
Well, she didn't
come home all night.
I've been
telephoning her friends
since 8:00 this morning,
and none of them have seen her.
We must find her.
Why?
Dan Barker was killed
early this morning.
The police have reason
to believe that Sylvia did it.
Oh, sheer insanity.
My granddaughter isn't
capable of killing anyone.
Does she own a gun?
Yes. She keeps it
in the glove
compartment of her car.
Frank gave it to her
several years ago
for protection, when she
was driving back and forth
from those gambling
parlors at night.
The bullet that killed Barker
came from Sylvia's gun.
But she couldn't.
Frank knew about that gun.
And I can tell you
something else, Mr. Mason.
He saw Barker last night.
How do you know?
Well, I have sources of
information, Mr. Mason.
Private sources.
Name them.
Well, I'd rather not.
Look, Mrs. Benson...
Sylvia's in serious trouble.
If we're to help her,
we can't have any
secrets from each other.
Well, his name is Manning.
All right, Mrs. Benson.
The police are likely to be
at your house at any moment.
Don't lie to them,
but, for the present,
tell them as little as possible.
Should Sylvia telephone...
tell her to go
directly to my office
and wait there for me.
That's right. Goodbye.
Getting ready to start up again?
Why not?
The business didn't die.
You are very realistic.
That's how I see it.
You strike me as a
man who sees plenty.
Plenty to see
from where I stand.
My name's Mason.
I know.
Mine's Manning.
Mr. Manning.
Frank Oxman here last night?
There were two.
What time did the
second one arrive?
When the first
one was going out.
Thanks. Where's Mr. Duncan?
In his office. Go
right in if you want.
Everything is still wide open.
Thanks again.
Come in.
Back again, Mr. Mason?
I take it you don't expect
business to be interrupted.
Place under new
management already?
Why do you ask?
You can't continue the gambling
until you've settled with
your dead partner's estate.
Sit down, Mr. Mason.
Thank you.
The partnership was dissolved
on the death of one partner.
We had an agreement.
Provides that the
business goes on...
and that life-insurance
policies on each partner's life
pays off the estates.
Most of your income
is in cash, is it not?
That's right.
How is the cash collected?
We charge a rental on the
chairs and use of the tables:
50 cents a half hour
for a $2-limit game,
up to $2 a half hour
for a $20-limit game.
How many tables do you operate?
Thirty-five. The legal limit.
What are your hours?
Ten in the morning till 5
in the morning. About 19.
Then, conservatively speaking...
your average daily income
is approximately $10,000.
And that, Dan Barker
was endangering.
You trying to pin
a motive on me?
If you are, you may as well know
I've already told all
of this to the police.
Taking no chances, now, are you?
I run a gambling
parlor, Mr. Mason.
But I'm not a gambler.
I only make sure bets.
There's no such
thing as a sure bet,
unless the deal is fixed.
Nice seeing you.
I trust we'll see each
other again, Mr. Duncan.
It'll be a pleasure, Mr. Mason.
You look very handsome
in that chair, Manning.
It fits.
Now, you're a little too big.
Might have to cut
you down to size.
Like maybe you did Barker?
You're kind of running
over the mouth, aren't you?
I could.
I could tell that lawyer...
or even the DA...
maybe enough
about you and Barker
to give 'em a whole
new slant on his killing.
Maybe even how
you were doing a...
A little extra reaching
in all that cash take
Mr. Mason was talking about.
You've got big ears.
You don't appreciate me, Duncan.
To you I'm just a...
floorman.
But I'm a brain, Duncan.
A big brain.
You're also a big talker.
Don't let me catch
you in that chair again.
Hi, Perry.
Any action around here?
No, not since we
arrived. Nobody in or out.
But I checked with
some of the neighbors.
It seems Sylvia came
to see Frank Oxman
around 2:00 this morning.
When did she leave?
No information on that.
Paul, I want you to
find out what you can
about Arthur Manning
and Charles Duncan.
Bank accounts, everything.
All right. I'm going
in to see Oxman.
Apartment 209. Want
me to go in with you?
No, you better get started.
I don't think we'll
have much time.
Call the office when
you have something.
Will do.
Mr. Oxman?
Yes?
My name is Perry
Mason. May I talk to you?
What about?
Your wife, Sylvia...
and some IOU's she signed.
Come in, Mr. Mason.
Won't you sit down?
I'm afraid we don't have
that much time, Mr. Oxman.
You saw Dan Barker last night.
You talked with him
about your wife's IOU's.
Did he tell you they were
still available for purchase?
Indirectly, yes.
Indirectly?
Well, he wouldn't
admit they even existed.
He said he'd heard rumors
and offered to track
down those rumors
for a minimum fee of $25,000.
Did you offer to buy them?
Well, I didn't have that
much money available.
He said to come back at 9.
He didn't give you much time
to get the money
together, did he?
There must be a reason
for all these
questions, Mr. Mason.
There is.
Dan Barker was
murdered this morning.
Murdered?
Between 6 and 9:00.
Can you explain...
where you were during
that period of time?
I haven't been
out of this house.
Not since your wife
called on you about 2:00?
Who told you about my wife?
That isn't important.
Sylvia.
I'm Sylvia Oxman.
I heard what you said.
I can assure you that
Frank and I have been right here
since 5:00 this morning.
Can you prove that, Mrs. Oxman?
I can.
I brought her here, Mr. Mason.
Is there somebody...
Well, hello, Perry.
Well, I hate to tag
you around like this,
but you're always
such a great help
when we have to find somebody.
You Sylvia Oxman?
Yes.
I have a warrant
for your arrest...
charging you with the
murder of Daniel Barker.
But I didn't have
anything to do with it.
I just explained to Mr. Mason...
I'm afraid you'll also
have to tell it to Mr. Burger.
He's the district attorney.
He's very curious
about a gun you own.
You might inform Mr. Burger
that Mrs. Oxman
has been right here
since 5:00 this morning.
These two gentlemen are
prepared to swear to that.
We have half a
dozen who'll swear that
she was at the Clover Club.
And not one is
related to Mr. Burger.
Would you please get your coat?
Now, would you
explain this diagram
to the court,
please, lieutenant?
Sure.
Well, this is the,
uh, Clover Club.
And here's the entrance
to the parking lot.
Here's the storm
drain where we, uh,
found the gun.
Would you indicate the
streets and avenues, please?
Yes, sir.
Uh, this is Copley Avenue.
And the storm
drain's on the corner
of Copley and 231st street.
A car leaving the parking lot
and traveling toward Pasadena
would come along 231st,
turn here at this corner,
and then continue
on down past 230th,
229th, and so on.
I see. Thank you, lieutenant.
That'll be all.
Your witness.
No questions.
I was changing to the day shift.
Going on duty at 9:00.
Parked my car in the lot
and walked around
to the front entrance.
Now, I ask you, Mr. Manning,
did you see any cars
in the parking lot?
Yes, sir. There
were three or four.
Did you recognize
any of those cars?
Yes, sir.
I noticed a '59 Ford convertible
belonging to Mrs. Oxman.
You'd seen it before?
Sure. Lots of times.
All right, Mr. Manning,
you went into the club.
What did you do next?
Well, the...
club wasn't open
to the public yet.
So I went to my locker,
passing the corridor.
I saw Mrs. Oxman running
from Mr. Barker's office.
I called to her, but
she didn't answer.
She went out the side door
to the parking lot.
And you're sure it was
Mrs. Sylvia Oxman?
Sure.
I've seen her often enough.
I see.
Now, Mr. Manning, I want
you to recall a meeting
that took place in
Mr. Barker's office
the evening
preceding the murder.
Yes, sir.
Who was in the room?
Mrs. Oxman.
She wanted to
buy back her IOU's.
And what happened?
Well, uh...
Mr. Barker said it
would cost her $25,000.
What did Mrs. Oxman say to that?
She said she didn't
have that much money.
I see. Thank you, Mr. Manning.
Cross-examine.
Mr. Manning...
you said you saw
Mrs. Oxman's car
at the parking lot.
Yes.
Were her keys in the lock?
Well, uh,
anyone parking on the
lot has to leave their...
Has to leave his
keys in the car.
Did you ever open the...
glove compartment
in Mrs. Oxman's car?
No.
Then you wouldn't have known
the defendant
kept a gun in there.
Of course not.
What are you trying to say?
That I took her gun
and killed Mr. Barker?
Look... What would
that do for me? I make...
You knew about those IOU's,
didn't you, Mr. Manning?
Sure, I did. I told you.
And you knew that Mr. Barker
thought they were worth $25,000?
Yes, but... And you knew
where they were kept?
Sure. In the desk.
But there was only
one key to that desk...
and Mr. Barker had it.
Nobody else could
get into that desk.
Well, with Mr. Barker dead...
getting the key was
no problem, was it?
Thank you. That's all.
When I drove
onto the parking lot,
I saw Mrs. Oxman
come running out
of the side
entrance of the club.
She was in an awful hurry.
I called her, but
she didn't look back.
She got into her car...
a 1959 Ford convertible.
She just tore out of that lot.
All right.
What did you do then?
I went in the side entrance
and saw Bill Manning.
Went to Barker's office,
found him dead,
called the police.
Thank you.
Cross-examine.
Why are they lying?
They're all lying about me.
Mr. Duncan...
your story corresponds
so beautifully
with that of your employee's,
it suggests rehearsal.
It could also suggest truth.
Did you, uh, know
about those IOU's?
Yes, I did.
Did you know that your partner
was trying to make some
money on the side, illegally.
And that his greed threatened
your very lucrative business?
Oh, Your Honor, I object.
That's incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial.
It's also improper
cross-examination...
since it deals with matters
not touched on in direct.
Mr. Mason?
I'm inquiring into possible bias
of the witness, Your Honor.
Objection overruled.
But this is not to be construed
as a license for a fishing
expedition, Mr. Mason.
Your Honor.
Now, will you answer
the question, please?
Wasn't your partner's
blackmailing activity
a dangerous threat
to your business,
and didn't you object to it?
Yes.
But I didn't kill him.
Thank you. That's all.
Ah. You may stand down.
I call Walter Cobb, please.
Well, the reason I remember
this particular '59
Ford convertible
was because it had
just run out of gas
when it got up to the pump.
And where's your gas
station located, Mr. Cobb?
On 229th Street
and Copley Avenue.
How far is that from
the Clover Club?
About two blocks.
Now, would you look
around this courtroom, please,
and see if you can identify
the driver of the
1959 Ford convertible
who was in your gas station
at approximately quarter to 9
on the morning of the murder?
That's her.
Let the record show
that the witness is pointing
to the defendant, Sylvia Oxman.
Cross-examine. Thank you.
M-Mr. Cobb...
are you the manager
of the gas station?
I-I'm the owner of the
gas station, Mr. Mason.
Is the defendant
a regular customer of yours?
Oh, no, sir.
How many times had you
seen her previous to that day?
That was the first time.
How many times have
you seen her since,
that is, at your gas station?
Oh, I never saw
her again, uh, there.
Mr. Duncan a regular customer?
Oh, yes.
Good customer? - Yes, sir.
Mr. Manning?
Yes, sir.
Would you say there's a
very friendly relationship
between you, Mr. Duncan
and Mr. Manning?
Well, you might say that.
How many cars do
you service a day?
Quite a few.
Many as 50? Oh, yes.
A hundred?
Well, it all depends on the day.
Yes, sir, I'd say it averages
about 100 a day.
A hundred cars a day.
That's 700 cars a week,
3,000 cars a month.
And now you remember
one single '59 convertible
and one driver you
saw once and only once.
W-Well, I do. I...
I remember her
because she just ran out of gas
as she coasted in.
I have no further
questions of the witness.
Uh, you may stand down.
I call Dr. Ralph
Caldwell to the stand.
Now, Dr. Caldwell...
I ask where you were on June 2nd
at approximately
8:45 in the morning.
I was in a gas station
on Copley Avenue
and, uh, 229th Street.
I was having gas
put into the car.
Did you notice
anything coincidental
in that gas station?
Yes.
Yes, I did.
A car just like mine
was parked at the next gas pump.
Well, go on, doctor. Did
you take note of the driver?
It was a young woman.
She seemed terribly upset.
I, uh, had the thought of
getting out of my car and...
going over to hers.
But you didn't?
No.
No, she drove off
before I had the
opportunity to do so.
But you noticed
her for two reasons:
First, because she was
driving a car exactly like yours.
And second, because
of her apparent anxiety.
That's right.
Now, doctor, I ask you to
look around this courtroom
and tell us if you recognize
that young woman.
Yes, I recognize her.
That woman there.
The witness is pointing to
the defendant, Sylvia Oxman.
Will the defendant rise, please?
Now, Dr. Caldwell,
please be very careful
with your identification.
Are you absolutely certain
that that is the young woman?
I'm certain.
Thank you, doctor.
That will be all.
Cross-examine.
No questions.
Sit down, Sylvia.
All right, Sylvia...
we're going to...
think together,
calmly and quietly.
I don't like to
think, Mr. Mason.
My brain is too critical
of the rest of me.
I get too ashamed.
There always comes the time
when a person must
look inside himself.
I tried it.
All I saw was emptiness.
You were very lonely.
Was I?
It was a good life.
Orderly, peaceful.
Busy life. From getting
up in the morning
to going to bed at night.
And all well-planned.
By your mother?
I hardly knew my
mother, Mr. Mason.
We don't talk about her
in grandmother's house.
No.
She ran away...
with a Neapolitan fisherman.
That was a cheap
and vulgar thing to do.
That what your grandmother says?
No, no.
Grandmother's too much of a lady
to soil herself with dirt
from the family skeleton.
As long as I can remember...
I was taught to hate the things
my mother must have loved.
When did you learn
not to hate them?
I don't think I ever did.
It just grew with
me as I grew older.
I was trained to be part
of Grandmother's brain.
We're tied together
like Siamese twins.
And whenever I
tried to cut away...
I wandered without direction.
All the things that
I ever learned...
were the things I must not do.
I must not love beauty.
Because I may run off
with a Neapolitan fisherman.
And if not beauty, then what?
The ugliness of drink.
Nightmare of gambling.
There's another world
in drink, Mr. Mason.
A desperate hope in gambling.
No Neapolitan fishermen.
I wish we'd talked
like this before.
I don't think I could have.
I know it sounds
a kind of paradox...
but being in here has given me
a kind of freedom.
I don't think very
clearly, Mr. Mason.
Sitting in a cell alone...
I've had the time
to try to learn.
You're not alone now, Sylvia.
Your life depends
on just how clearly
we can think together.
Now, how many times
did you see Dan Barker?
Three times.
The first time was when you
went to pay off those notes,
and you were told
they were gonna be sold
to the highest bidder? Yes.
What did you do after that?
I was desperate.
I went to see Frank,
and I begged him
for a reconciliation.
But he refused.
Said he'd have the
IOU's by 9 in the morning.
And then?
I almost went crazy.
I guess I did go crazy.
It was 2:30 in the morning
when I remembered I had the gun
in my glove compartment.
I put it in my coat pocket...
and I returned to
the Clover Room.
To kill Barker?
No. I only wanted
to frighten him
into giving me back
those IOU's for the 7,500.
When he asked for more money...
I waved the gun at him.
He didn't frighten.
He simply...
took the gun away from me.
What did he do with it?
Put it in his desk drawer.
The third visit?
Oh.
I was desperate.
I went home, and I got
all the jewels I owned,
and I put them in my purse.
You spoke to no one at home?
Not then.
I wanted to get back
to Barker's before 9:00.
When I got there, all
the doors were open,
and I went into the office.
And he was lying
on the floor, dead.
Your gun...
where was it?
It was on the floor beside him.
You lost your head...
ran out of the office...
tossed the gun into
the nearest storm drain.
Yes. Then you went home?
Yes. I didn't want...
Grandmother... to hear me.
I was too terrified
of what she might say or do,
but... I guess Uncle
Robert heard me crying,
'cause he came into the room.
He was terribly upset when
I told him about the gun.
At that time, he
thought out your alibi?
Oh, no.
He rushed into
Grandmother's room.
When he came back,
he said Grandmother said
we were to go
immediately to Frank
and... offer him anything...
to try and make him
say we'd reconciled.
What did you do with the IOU's?
I didn't take them.
All I wanted to do
was to get out of the
office as quickly as possible
when I saw Barker's body.
That's the truth, Mr. Mason.
Yes.
Yes, it is the truth.
All right, Sylvia.
I'll see you in the morning.
"When a true thought
enters the mind,
"it gives the light which
makes us see a crowd of objects
never perceived before."
Yes?!
Mr. Mason would
like to see you, ma'am.
Mr...
Well, ask him to come in here.
Yes, ma'am.
Would you like me to leave?
Do you expect me to
receive a gentleman
alone in my bedroom?
I'm sorry.
Come in, Mr. Mason.
I apologize for
intruding at this hour.
Well, I'm sure you
had ample reason.
Uh, Robert, get
Mr. Mason a chair.
Now, please don't bother,
Mr. Benson. I prefer standing.
What did you come to tell me?
I'm afraid I won't be
able to convince the court
that Sylvia is innocent.
But she wasn't there.
She has a perfect alibi.
Mrs. Benson, that
alibi is worth nothing.
But it's the truth.
Robert will swear to it.
Will you?
I will.
You'd give false
testimony, Mrs. Benson?
Do you think I would let
my own flesh and blood die
for a crime she didn't commit,
without fighting to save her
with every weapon I could find.
Even perjury?
Although it means giving
up your great-grandson?
Why do you say that?
Well, surely you knew
that would happen
when you told Robert to...
work out a reconciliation
between Sylvia and Frank.
I told Robert what?
It did seem strange that...
you would construct
such an alibi.
Then it was your idea.
Yes.
You told Sylvia it
came from Mrs. Benson.
She wouldn't have
done it otherwise.
You also neglected
to tell Sylvia
that I would make the 10:00
appointment with Barker.
Well, it was too late.
Uh, if I'd been
able to find her...
No, you still wouldn't
have told her.
You didn't want her to know.
You wanted Frank
to have those IOU's
because you wanted
Frank to have his son.
Well, you're mad.
Robert knows that
child belongs with me.
No, Mother.
The boy belongs with his father.
Robert!
You know, don't you?
Yes, I know.
How?
When I found the
so-called reconciliation
came after Barker's death.
I knew Frank Oxman
would help with that alibi...
only in exchange
for Peter's custody.
You...
deceived Sylvia
because that was
what you wanted.
It also gave you an alibi.
You...?
You, Robert?
You killed this man?
Why should killing
shock you so much?
You killed us all...
over and over again.
Each time we...
showed a spark of life.
You tried to
resurrect your youth
through us...
to live again.
Only we failed you,
be... cause we
never could be you.
We failed ourselves,
because we didn't
understand until it was too late.
That's why I knew
Frank must have his son.
Before it was too late.
Only I bungled it. I...
didn't know the
gun in Barker's desk
belonged to Sylvia.
You would have let her die...
for what you did?
My strength came
only once, Mother.
Then I was your son again.
Robert.
Robert.
Please be kind enough to
call the police, Mr. Mason.
Lieutenant Tragg, please.
Come in.
Hi, beautiful.
Hi, Paul.
Eh, what are you doing,
opening a gambling joint?
No, it's a good
business. Pick a number.
All right. For how much?
Oh, very big.
A dime.
Seven.
Mm-hm. I'll take three.
Come on, seven.
Come on.
Thirty-six numbers
on that wheel,
and she picks the right one.
Where did that come from?
Oh, it just arrived.
Mr. Charles Duncan.
Here's the letter
that came with it.
Duncan? Mm-hm.
"Dear Mr. Mason,
"first time in my life
I ever told the truth,
"and you did not believe me.
"But you're a good man, so
I'm sending you this wheel.
"Take my advice: you
always be the bank.
Let the pigeons play the odds."
That wheel is fixed.
Another game, pigeon?
I-I have an appointment
with Mr. Barker.
My name is... I know. Excuse me.
Boss.
Mrs. Sylvia Oxman
to see you, okay?
All right.
Mr. Barker will see you.
Oh.
Seven thousand
five hundred dollars.
Do you want to count it?
I take your word.
Please, may I have the IOU's?
For $7,500?
Heh-heh-heh.
Mrs. Oxman...
when a man has a
piece of merchandise...
only one buyer,
takes what's offered.
Two buyers, he sells it
to the highest bidder.
Has my husband
been in touch with you?
All negotiations
in this business
are confidential.
How much did he offer you?
How much do you offer?
I had trouble in... In
raising this amount.
Your grandmother, Mrs. Oxman...
how many million has she got?
Oh, I don't want her
to know about this.
Mr. Barker...
if you sell those
IOU's to my husband,
he'll take my child away.
Money, Mrs. Oxman.
Money.
Makes me a very generous man.
Not much money.
Maybe 25,000.
Mr. Barker.
Mr. Barker, look at me!
Don't sell my
husband those IOU's.
Are you threatening me?
I don't know what I'm doing.
I only know that something
terrible will happen
to me, to him, even to you.
Because nothing must happen
to my child.
I'll be back.
Your granddaughter
just left, Mrs. Benson.
Her IOU's are for $7,500.
Mr. Barker wants 25,000.
No, ma'am.
Nothing's settled.
Has her husband, Frank Oxman,
been there yet?
I haven't seen him.
But I know Mr. Barker
expects him.
Oh, very well.
I'll send you another
check tonight.
And thank you.
Does Frank have $25,000?
He has those paintings. Oh.
Grotesque things that mean...
absolutely nothing.
Why don't you buy
the IOU's, mother?
Twenty-five thousand
dollars isn't so much.
No.
But this is a form of blackmail.
And once begun, there's
no telling where it will end.
Mm. Of course.
We can't submit to blackmail.
But refusing to submit
involves certain dangers.
We will make a list
of those dangers,
evaluate each one
calmly and objectively.
Well, shouldn't
we wait for Sylvia?
Oh. Do you think that
would do any good?
No. No, of course not.
Sylvia would only
confuse matters.
No, we'll let her
muddle about for a while.
The anxiety will perhaps
do her good eventually.
Uh, we'll settle this
matter ourselves.
We must first decide on
a proper course of action.
The intelligent thing would
be to engage a lawyer.
I believe in first things first.
I've looked you up,
Mr. Mason. I know all about you.
You will do the same to me.
You will find out
that I am very rich.
You will try to charge
me an exorbitant fee.
I will not pay it.
But there will be no haggling
over a proper and
reasonable fee,
plus expenses.
Now, with that settled,
you will do
precisely as I tell you.
You will do...
First things first, Mrs. Benson.
We've settled that.
Mm, not yet.
I'll have to know
what this is all about
before I agree
to accept any fee.
I know what I want done.
Then I suggest that...
you do it.
It's been a great
pleasure meeting you,
Mrs. Benson, Mr. Benson.
Oh, but of course.
Sit down, Mr. Mason.
I'll tell you the story.
The place? Gardena.
The web? The Clover
Club Poker Parlor.
The spider? Daniel Barker.
Clear?
Clear.
The fly?
Sylvia Oxman...
my granddaughter.
Barker holds IOU's
amounting to $7,500
signed by her.
I want them back.
Gardena is a very unusual place.
Although gambling
is illegal in California...
public poker parlors
are permitted in Gardena.
If you want those IOU's back,
you'll have to pay them off.
I would... willingly...
but he's holding them up
for sale to the highest bidder.
Who else is bidding?
Frank Oxman.
My granddaughter's husband.
They're separated.
They have a child. Peter.
Why does Mr. Oxman
want the IOU's?
To prove that Sylvia is
a compulsive gambler,
and, therefore, an unfit mother.
And is that true?
Well, family's run out
of strength, Mr. Mason.
My oldest son, Robert's
brother, was a weak man.
He was also a snob.
He killed himself
when his wife ran away
with a Neapolitan fisherman.
Mr. Mason is not interested
in the family gossip, Robert.
Sylvia was my
oldest son's daughter,
born with thin blood.
She had no passion for anything,
until she discovered gambling.
Ten years ago she
met Frank Oxman,
fresh out of college,
and married him.
And he is Peter's father?
Yes.
And Peter has broad shoulders...
a square jaw...
and the look of his
great-grandfather in his eyes.
He is the family strength
reborn, Mr. Mason.
It's a miracle.
And now Frank Oxman
wants custody of their child?
Yes. Not because he loves him.
Unless he loves him
for being merchandised
to sell back to me for
some fantastic price.
In other words, the
problem is blackmail.
Exactly.
And I believe you can
prevent that, Mr. Mason.
I can only promise
to do my best.
Well, shall we, uh,
keep in touch with
you, Mr. Mason?
Mr. Mason will keep
in touch with me.
And now I believe our
business here is finished.
Yes, Mother. Good day.
Thus spake... Zarathustra.
Della... Mm-hm?
Get Paul in.
Give him a check for $200.
Mm, what for?
Want him to go
to the nearest bank
and open up a new account.
Raise 10.
Power, huh?
I'll see you.
It's all yours.
Well, now, wait a minute.
I want to see those cards.
You won, didn't you?
Well, I've got a right
to see what I beat.
All right, whose
deal is... Oh, stop it.
I paid money to see
what he raised on.
I never saw him before.
I gotta find out what
kind of a game he plays.
I agree with you.
I called him, but he
won't show his cards.
Show them, mister.
The lady insists.
Bluffing. Ha!
Where'd you ever
learn how to play poker?
Hm?
I'm, uh, out of money.
Can I cash a check?
How much?
Two hundred dollars.
Cash it, Mr. Manning.
We don't want to lose him.
Step over to the
cashier's booth.
Uh-huh.
Hurry back, young man.
You've got a lot
more learning to do.
Better deal me out of this one.
Chicken, huh?
Well, well, well.
Ha-ha.
What do you know?
Mr. Frank Oxman.
He wants to cash this?
That's what he said.
Is Duncan in his office?
Uh-uh. Haven't
seen him all night.
Mm-hm.
Okay, Manning...
bring Mr. Oxman in.
And, uh...
treat him nice.
Right.
Come right in, gentlemen.
Which one of you is Frank Oxman?
My name is Mason.
I'm with this gentleman.
How do you figure in this?
I'm his lawyer.
Mason? Perry Mason?
Hm.
Okay, Manning, you can go now.
Sit down, gents.
I want no misunderstanding,
Mr. Barker.
You don't know this man.
He offered you a check
signed "Frank Oxman."
That only means he has
a bank account under that name.
He didn't come here to gamble.
Please remember that in case
you're called to testify
on the witness stand.
So he is Frank Oxman.
I haven't said that.
Then he isn't Frank Oxman.
I haven't said that either.
I like you, Mr. Mason.
You're a good lawyer.
You protect your client.
Maybe you could give
me a piece of advice.
Perhaps.
Mm.
If a lady's husband
wanted a divorce
and custody of his child...
what better evidence
could he have
than IOU's made out
to a gambling joint?
Now, I'm asking you,
Mr. Mason, as a lawyer.
Could he have any
better evidence?
Not much better.
I could supply that evidence.
On what terms?
Mm.
Something a little
better than 25 grand.
If this gentleman
were Mr. Oxman,
and I represented him
in a divorce action...
we might be interested
in securing such evidence.
But it wouldn't be necessary
to pay any money for it.
All I'd need to do is
serve you with a subpoena
ordering you to bring...
any notes signed by
Sylvia Oxman into court.
Mm.
I've got a very bad
memory, Mr. Mason.
I don't think I could
remember those IOU's.
Mm?
Then it would cost you $7,500.
How come?
Uh, once you got on the stand
and testified that you
did not know of any IOU's
signed by Sylvia Oxman...
they would automatically
become uncollectable.
All you would get
out of the 7,500
would be a fee for
appearing as a witness.
Look, Mason...
let's cut out all
the legal tricks. I...
Excuse me, Mr. Mason.
You're losing your head, Danny.
You stay out of this.
We're partners, remember?
I'm Charles Duncan, half
owner of this business.
It's a good business:
profitable, peaceful and legal.
I like it.
I don't want anything to
happen that might spoil it.
You're very wise, Mr. Duncan.
Here's $7,500, Mr. Duncan.
I'll take those IOU's.
You Oxman?
He never claimed to be Oxman.
Put your money away, mister.
We're not turning those
IOU's over to anybody
except the person
who signed them:
Mrs. Sylvia Oxman.
It's the only way I know
to keep this deal clean.
All right.
Mrs. Oxman will be here.
What time do you
want to see her?
I leave early tonight.
Danny closes up.
I'll be here at 10:00
in the morning.
Mrs. Oxman will be here
at 10 in the morning.
Good night, Mr. Duncan.
Good night, Mr. Barker.
I warned you, Danny. I
warned you a dozen times.
This is the last time.
You try one more
stunt like that,
and I'll put you down the
nearest sewer headfirst.
Excellent, Mr. Mason.
My compliments.
You can be certain
that Sylvia will be there
at exactly 10 tomorrow morning.
I shall sleep very
much better tonight.
Yes. Good night, and
thank you very much.
You heard?
Hm? Yes, I did.
It always pays to get the best.
Hm.
Naturally.
Tell Sylvia I want to see her.
She hasn't come
home yet, mother.
Oh. Well, then, write a note.
And tell her no matter what time
she comes in to waken me,
because I must see her.
I wish we had told
her about Mr. Mason.
Will you please write that note?
Yes, Mother.
May I come in?
Oh.
These are nice, Frank.
It's like you.
Pictures you love.
Grandmother hated.
I can't help it, can I,
if she didn't like them?
You've been drinking.
Yes.
I've been drinking
and gambling, and...
gambling and losing, and...
signing IOU's for $7,500.
You know all about
that, don't you, Frank?
Yes.
Sylvia, I don't
want to be cruel...
but this is something I must do.
If it takes everything I own...
I'm going to have my son.
No matter how or who it hurts.
Have us both, Frank.
Mm.
Have us both.
And your grandmother too?
No.
To tell us when
to breathe, and...
how to think,
and why to live
as she thinks best?
We'll go away.
Just the three of us. Hm.
We'll go away from her.
We talked about
that from practically
the day we were married.
We left three times, remember?
And each time she
made you return,
and I followed...
because I loved you...
and our son.
But I'm not following anymore.
Do not take my son away from me.
The courts will do that for me.
Why are you so sure?
I'll have those notes by
9:00 tomorrow morning.
I'm drunk, Frank.
And when I'm drunk,
I'm not responsible
for my actions.
It's why I drink.
Grandmother says I'm not
responsible, drunk or sober.
Grandmoth...
I've lost you, Frank.
And you were half my life.
If I lose my son too,
that's the other half gone.
Then I have no life left at all.
Sylvia.
I'm doing what's best.
You hate me.
And you'll teach my
son to hate me too.
No, Sylvia. I don't hate...
Who do you wanna see?
I have a 10:00 appointment
with Mr. Duncan and Mr. Barker.
Just a minute.
Take over.
Follow me.
Perry Mason, I didn't know
you were a poker player.
You and I have had a
few good hands together.
Did you have anything
to do with this one?
I don't know. Who's playing?
Well, a fellow named, uh,
Daniel Barker was one of them.
But I'm afraid he's out
of the game for good.
Hm. Do you suspect someone?
They were telling me
about some missing IOU's.
You say Mrs. Oxman's lawyer
promised that she'd
be here at 10:00 a.m.
to pick 'em up?
That's right.
Oh, what about it?
It's five after 10.
She isn't here yet.
It's a long ride from Pasadena.
She your client? Indirectly.
Like to ask her a few
questions... Oh, routine.
Lieutenant Tragg.
Get out an all-points.
Yes. Have a warrant issued
and, uh, notify the
district attorney.
No, no. Never mind.
I'll take care of that myself.
Well, Mr. Mason...
I think your client's
been here and gone.
What makes you think so?
Well, the bullet
that killed Barker...
came from a gun
licensed to Mrs. Sylvia Oxman.
Now, isn't that a coincidence?
And before you ask
any more questions,
will you excuse me?
Yes, hello?
Oh, good morning, Mr. Mason.
I'm so glad you called.
I wasn't able to give
your message to Sylvia.
Why not?
Well, she didn't
come home all night.
I've been
telephoning her friends
since 8:00 this morning,
and none of them have seen her.
We must find her.
Why?
Dan Barker was killed
early this morning.
The police have reason
to believe that Sylvia did it.
Oh, sheer insanity.
My granddaughter isn't
capable of killing anyone.
Does she own a gun?
Yes. She keeps it
in the glove
compartment of her car.
Frank gave it to her
several years ago
for protection, when she
was driving back and forth
from those gambling
parlors at night.
The bullet that killed Barker
came from Sylvia's gun.
But she couldn't.
Frank knew about that gun.
And I can tell you
something else, Mr. Mason.
He saw Barker last night.
How do you know?
Well, I have sources of
information, Mr. Mason.
Private sources.
Name them.
Well, I'd rather not.
Look, Mrs. Benson...
Sylvia's in serious trouble.
If we're to help her,
we can't have any
secrets from each other.
Well, his name is Manning.
All right, Mrs. Benson.
The police are likely to be
at your house at any moment.
Don't lie to them,
but, for the present,
tell them as little as possible.
Should Sylvia telephone...
tell her to go
directly to my office
and wait there for me.
That's right. Goodbye.
Getting ready to start up again?
Why not?
The business didn't die.
You are very realistic.
That's how I see it.
You strike me as a
man who sees plenty.
Plenty to see
from where I stand.
My name's Mason.
I know.
Mine's Manning.
Mr. Manning.
Frank Oxman here last night?
There were two.
What time did the
second one arrive?
When the first
one was going out.
Thanks. Where's Mr. Duncan?
In his office. Go
right in if you want.
Everything is still wide open.
Thanks again.
Come in.
Back again, Mr. Mason?
I take it you don't expect
business to be interrupted.
Place under new
management already?
Why do you ask?
You can't continue the gambling
until you've settled with
your dead partner's estate.
Sit down, Mr. Mason.
Thank you.
The partnership was dissolved
on the death of one partner.
We had an agreement.
Provides that the
business goes on...
and that life-insurance
policies on each partner's life
pays off the estates.
Most of your income
is in cash, is it not?
That's right.
How is the cash collected?
We charge a rental on the
chairs and use of the tables:
50 cents a half hour
for a $2-limit game,
up to $2 a half hour
for a $20-limit game.
How many tables do you operate?
Thirty-five. The legal limit.
What are your hours?
Ten in the morning till 5
in the morning. About 19.
Then, conservatively speaking...
your average daily income
is approximately $10,000.
And that, Dan Barker
was endangering.
You trying to pin
a motive on me?
If you are, you may as well know
I've already told all
of this to the police.
Taking no chances, now, are you?
I run a gambling
parlor, Mr. Mason.
But I'm not a gambler.
I only make sure bets.
There's no such
thing as a sure bet,
unless the deal is fixed.
Nice seeing you.
I trust we'll see each
other again, Mr. Duncan.
It'll be a pleasure, Mr. Mason.
You look very handsome
in that chair, Manning.
It fits.
Now, you're a little too big.
Might have to cut
you down to size.
Like maybe you did Barker?
You're kind of running
over the mouth, aren't you?
I could.
I could tell that lawyer...
or even the DA...
maybe enough
about you and Barker
to give 'em a whole
new slant on his killing.
Maybe even how
you were doing a...
A little extra reaching
in all that cash take
Mr. Mason was talking about.
You've got big ears.
You don't appreciate me, Duncan.
To you I'm just a...
floorman.
But I'm a brain, Duncan.
A big brain.
You're also a big talker.
Don't let me catch
you in that chair again.
Hi, Perry.
Any action around here?
No, not since we
arrived. Nobody in or out.
But I checked with
some of the neighbors.
It seems Sylvia came
to see Frank Oxman
around 2:00 this morning.
When did she leave?
No information on that.
Paul, I want you to
find out what you can
about Arthur Manning
and Charles Duncan.
Bank accounts, everything.
All right. I'm going
in to see Oxman.
Apartment 209. Want
me to go in with you?
No, you better get started.
I don't think we'll
have much time.
Call the office when
you have something.
Will do.
Mr. Oxman?
Yes?
My name is Perry
Mason. May I talk to you?
What about?
Your wife, Sylvia...
and some IOU's she signed.
Come in, Mr. Mason.
Won't you sit down?
I'm afraid we don't have
that much time, Mr. Oxman.
You saw Dan Barker last night.
You talked with him
about your wife's IOU's.
Did he tell you they were
still available for purchase?
Indirectly, yes.
Indirectly?
Well, he wouldn't
admit they even existed.
He said he'd heard rumors
and offered to track
down those rumors
for a minimum fee of $25,000.
Did you offer to buy them?
Well, I didn't have that
much money available.
He said to come back at 9.
He didn't give you much time
to get the money
together, did he?
There must be a reason
for all these
questions, Mr. Mason.
There is.
Dan Barker was
murdered this morning.
Murdered?
Between 6 and 9:00.
Can you explain...
where you were during
that period of time?
I haven't been
out of this house.
Not since your wife
called on you about 2:00?
Who told you about my wife?
That isn't important.
Sylvia.
I'm Sylvia Oxman.
I heard what you said.
I can assure you that
Frank and I have been right here
since 5:00 this morning.
Can you prove that, Mrs. Oxman?
I can.
I brought her here, Mr. Mason.
Is there somebody...
Well, hello, Perry.
Well, I hate to tag
you around like this,
but you're always
such a great help
when we have to find somebody.
You Sylvia Oxman?
Yes.
I have a warrant
for your arrest...
charging you with the
murder of Daniel Barker.
But I didn't have
anything to do with it.
I just explained to Mr. Mason...
I'm afraid you'll also
have to tell it to Mr. Burger.
He's the district attorney.
He's very curious
about a gun you own.
You might inform Mr. Burger
that Mrs. Oxman
has been right here
since 5:00 this morning.
These two gentlemen are
prepared to swear to that.
We have half a
dozen who'll swear that
she was at the Clover Club.
And not one is
related to Mr. Burger.
Would you please get your coat?
Now, would you
explain this diagram
to the court,
please, lieutenant?
Sure.
Well, this is the,
uh, Clover Club.
And here's the entrance
to the parking lot.
Here's the storm
drain where we, uh,
found the gun.
Would you indicate the
streets and avenues, please?
Yes, sir.
Uh, this is Copley Avenue.
And the storm
drain's on the corner
of Copley and 231st street.
A car leaving the parking lot
and traveling toward Pasadena
would come along 231st,
turn here at this corner,
and then continue
on down past 230th,
229th, and so on.
I see. Thank you, lieutenant.
That'll be all.
Your witness.
No questions.
I was changing to the day shift.
Going on duty at 9:00.
Parked my car in the lot
and walked around
to the front entrance.
Now, I ask you, Mr. Manning,
did you see any cars
in the parking lot?
Yes, sir. There
were three or four.
Did you recognize
any of those cars?
Yes, sir.
I noticed a '59 Ford convertible
belonging to Mrs. Oxman.
You'd seen it before?
Sure. Lots of times.
All right, Mr. Manning,
you went into the club.
What did you do next?
Well, the...
club wasn't open
to the public yet.
So I went to my locker,
passing the corridor.
I saw Mrs. Oxman running
from Mr. Barker's office.
I called to her, but
she didn't answer.
She went out the side door
to the parking lot.
And you're sure it was
Mrs. Sylvia Oxman?
Sure.
I've seen her often enough.
I see.
Now, Mr. Manning, I want
you to recall a meeting
that took place in
Mr. Barker's office
the evening
preceding the murder.
Yes, sir.
Who was in the room?
Mrs. Oxman.
She wanted to
buy back her IOU's.
And what happened?
Well, uh...
Mr. Barker said it
would cost her $25,000.
What did Mrs. Oxman say to that?
She said she didn't
have that much money.
I see. Thank you, Mr. Manning.
Cross-examine.
Mr. Manning...
you said you saw
Mrs. Oxman's car
at the parking lot.
Yes.
Were her keys in the lock?
Well, uh,
anyone parking on the
lot has to leave their...
Has to leave his
keys in the car.
Did you ever open the...
glove compartment
in Mrs. Oxman's car?
No.
Then you wouldn't have known
the defendant
kept a gun in there.
Of course not.
What are you trying to say?
That I took her gun
and killed Mr. Barker?
Look... What would
that do for me? I make...
You knew about those IOU's,
didn't you, Mr. Manning?
Sure, I did. I told you.
And you knew that Mr. Barker
thought they were worth $25,000?
Yes, but... And you knew
where they were kept?
Sure. In the desk.
But there was only
one key to that desk...
and Mr. Barker had it.
Nobody else could
get into that desk.
Well, with Mr. Barker dead...
getting the key was
no problem, was it?
Thank you. That's all.
When I drove
onto the parking lot,
I saw Mrs. Oxman
come running out
of the side
entrance of the club.
She was in an awful hurry.
I called her, but
she didn't look back.
She got into her car...
a 1959 Ford convertible.
She just tore out of that lot.
All right.
What did you do then?
I went in the side entrance
and saw Bill Manning.
Went to Barker's office,
found him dead,
called the police.
Thank you.
Cross-examine.
Why are they lying?
They're all lying about me.
Mr. Duncan...
your story corresponds
so beautifully
with that of your employee's,
it suggests rehearsal.
It could also suggest truth.
Did you, uh, know
about those IOU's?
Yes, I did.
Did you know that your partner
was trying to make some
money on the side, illegally.
And that his greed threatened
your very lucrative business?
Oh, Your Honor, I object.
That's incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial.
It's also improper
cross-examination...
since it deals with matters
not touched on in direct.
Mr. Mason?
I'm inquiring into possible bias
of the witness, Your Honor.
Objection overruled.
But this is not to be construed
as a license for a fishing
expedition, Mr. Mason.
Your Honor.
Now, will you answer
the question, please?
Wasn't your partner's
blackmailing activity
a dangerous threat
to your business,
and didn't you object to it?
Yes.
But I didn't kill him.
Thank you. That's all.
Ah. You may stand down.
I call Walter Cobb, please.
Well, the reason I remember
this particular '59
Ford convertible
was because it had
just run out of gas
when it got up to the pump.
And where's your gas
station located, Mr. Cobb?
On 229th Street
and Copley Avenue.
How far is that from
the Clover Club?
About two blocks.
Now, would you look
around this courtroom, please,
and see if you can identify
the driver of the
1959 Ford convertible
who was in your gas station
at approximately quarter to 9
on the morning of the murder?
That's her.
Let the record show
that the witness is pointing
to the defendant, Sylvia Oxman.
Cross-examine. Thank you.
M-Mr. Cobb...
are you the manager
of the gas station?
I-I'm the owner of the
gas station, Mr. Mason.
Is the defendant
a regular customer of yours?
Oh, no, sir.
How many times had you
seen her previous to that day?
That was the first time.
How many times have
you seen her since,
that is, at your gas station?
Oh, I never saw
her again, uh, there.
Mr. Duncan a regular customer?
Oh, yes.
Good customer? - Yes, sir.
Mr. Manning?
Yes, sir.
Would you say there's a
very friendly relationship
between you, Mr. Duncan
and Mr. Manning?
Well, you might say that.
How many cars do
you service a day?
Quite a few.
Many as 50? Oh, yes.
A hundred?
Well, it all depends on the day.
Yes, sir, I'd say it averages
about 100 a day.
A hundred cars a day.
That's 700 cars a week,
3,000 cars a month.
And now you remember
one single '59 convertible
and one driver you
saw once and only once.
W-Well, I do. I...
I remember her
because she just ran out of gas
as she coasted in.
I have no further
questions of the witness.
Uh, you may stand down.
I call Dr. Ralph
Caldwell to the stand.
Now, Dr. Caldwell...
I ask where you were on June 2nd
at approximately
8:45 in the morning.
I was in a gas station
on Copley Avenue
and, uh, 229th Street.
I was having gas
put into the car.
Did you notice
anything coincidental
in that gas station?
Yes.
Yes, I did.
A car just like mine
was parked at the next gas pump.
Well, go on, doctor. Did
you take note of the driver?
It was a young woman.
She seemed terribly upset.
I, uh, had the thought of
getting out of my car and...
going over to hers.
But you didn't?
No.
No, she drove off
before I had the
opportunity to do so.
But you noticed
her for two reasons:
First, because she was
driving a car exactly like yours.
And second, because
of her apparent anxiety.
That's right.
Now, doctor, I ask you to
look around this courtroom
and tell us if you recognize
that young woman.
Yes, I recognize her.
That woman there.
The witness is pointing to
the defendant, Sylvia Oxman.
Will the defendant rise, please?
Now, Dr. Caldwell,
please be very careful
with your identification.
Are you absolutely certain
that that is the young woman?
I'm certain.
Thank you, doctor.
That will be all.
Cross-examine.
No questions.
Sit down, Sylvia.
All right, Sylvia...
we're going to...
think together,
calmly and quietly.
I don't like to
think, Mr. Mason.
My brain is too critical
of the rest of me.
I get too ashamed.
There always comes the time
when a person must
look inside himself.
I tried it.
All I saw was emptiness.
You were very lonely.
Was I?
It was a good life.
Orderly, peaceful.
Busy life. From getting
up in the morning
to going to bed at night.
And all well-planned.
By your mother?
I hardly knew my
mother, Mr. Mason.
We don't talk about her
in grandmother's house.
No.
She ran away...
with a Neapolitan fisherman.
That was a cheap
and vulgar thing to do.
That what your grandmother says?
No, no.
Grandmother's too much of a lady
to soil herself with dirt
from the family skeleton.
As long as I can remember...
I was taught to hate the things
my mother must have loved.
When did you learn
not to hate them?
I don't think I ever did.
It just grew with
me as I grew older.
I was trained to be part
of Grandmother's brain.
We're tied together
like Siamese twins.
And whenever I
tried to cut away...
I wandered without direction.
All the things that
I ever learned...
were the things I must not do.
I must not love beauty.
Because I may run off
with a Neapolitan fisherman.
And if not beauty, then what?
The ugliness of drink.
Nightmare of gambling.
There's another world
in drink, Mr. Mason.
A desperate hope in gambling.
No Neapolitan fishermen.
I wish we'd talked
like this before.
I don't think I could have.
I know it sounds
a kind of paradox...
but being in here has given me
a kind of freedom.
I don't think very
clearly, Mr. Mason.
Sitting in a cell alone...
I've had the time
to try to learn.
You're not alone now, Sylvia.
Your life depends
on just how clearly
we can think together.
Now, how many times
did you see Dan Barker?
Three times.
The first time was when you
went to pay off those notes,
and you were told
they were gonna be sold
to the highest bidder? Yes.
What did you do after that?
I was desperate.
I went to see Frank,
and I begged him
for a reconciliation.
But he refused.
Said he'd have the
IOU's by 9 in the morning.
And then?
I almost went crazy.
I guess I did go crazy.
It was 2:30 in the morning
when I remembered I had the gun
in my glove compartment.
I put it in my coat pocket...
and I returned to
the Clover Room.
To kill Barker?
No. I only wanted
to frighten him
into giving me back
those IOU's for the 7,500.
When he asked for more money...
I waved the gun at him.
He didn't frighten.
He simply...
took the gun away from me.
What did he do with it?
Put it in his desk drawer.
The third visit?
Oh.
I was desperate.
I went home, and I got
all the jewels I owned,
and I put them in my purse.
You spoke to no one at home?
Not then.
I wanted to get back
to Barker's before 9:00.
When I got there, all
the doors were open,
and I went into the office.
And he was lying
on the floor, dead.
Your gun...
where was it?
It was on the floor beside him.
You lost your head...
ran out of the office...
tossed the gun into
the nearest storm drain.
Yes. Then you went home?
Yes. I didn't want...
Grandmother... to hear me.
I was too terrified
of what she might say or do,
but... I guess Uncle
Robert heard me crying,
'cause he came into the room.
He was terribly upset when
I told him about the gun.
At that time, he
thought out your alibi?
Oh, no.
He rushed into
Grandmother's room.
When he came back,
he said Grandmother said
we were to go
immediately to Frank
and... offer him anything...
to try and make him
say we'd reconciled.
What did you do with the IOU's?
I didn't take them.
All I wanted to do
was to get out of the
office as quickly as possible
when I saw Barker's body.
That's the truth, Mr. Mason.
Yes.
Yes, it is the truth.
All right, Sylvia.
I'll see you in the morning.
"When a true thought
enters the mind,
"it gives the light which
makes us see a crowd of objects
never perceived before."
Yes?!
Mr. Mason would
like to see you, ma'am.
Mr...
Well, ask him to come in here.
Yes, ma'am.
Would you like me to leave?
Do you expect me to
receive a gentleman
alone in my bedroom?
I'm sorry.
Come in, Mr. Mason.
I apologize for
intruding at this hour.
Well, I'm sure you
had ample reason.
Uh, Robert, get
Mr. Mason a chair.
Now, please don't bother,
Mr. Benson. I prefer standing.
What did you come to tell me?
I'm afraid I won't be
able to convince the court
that Sylvia is innocent.
But she wasn't there.
She has a perfect alibi.
Mrs. Benson, that
alibi is worth nothing.
But it's the truth.
Robert will swear to it.
Will you?
I will.
You'd give false
testimony, Mrs. Benson?
Do you think I would let
my own flesh and blood die
for a crime she didn't commit,
without fighting to save her
with every weapon I could find.
Even perjury?
Although it means giving
up your great-grandson?
Why do you say that?
Well, surely you knew
that would happen
when you told Robert to...
work out a reconciliation
between Sylvia and Frank.
I told Robert what?
It did seem strange that...
you would construct
such an alibi.
Then it was your idea.
Yes.
You told Sylvia it
came from Mrs. Benson.
She wouldn't have
done it otherwise.
You also neglected
to tell Sylvia
that I would make the 10:00
appointment with Barker.
Well, it was too late.
Uh, if I'd been
able to find her...
No, you still wouldn't
have told her.
You didn't want her to know.
You wanted Frank
to have those IOU's
because you wanted
Frank to have his son.
Well, you're mad.
Robert knows that
child belongs with me.
No, Mother.
The boy belongs with his father.
Robert!
You know, don't you?
Yes, I know.
How?
When I found the
so-called reconciliation
came after Barker's death.
I knew Frank Oxman
would help with that alibi...
only in exchange
for Peter's custody.
You...
deceived Sylvia
because that was
what you wanted.
It also gave you an alibi.
You...?
You, Robert?
You killed this man?
Why should killing
shock you so much?
You killed us all...
over and over again.
Each time we...
showed a spark of life.
You tried to
resurrect your youth
through us...
to live again.
Only we failed you,
be... cause we
never could be you.
We failed ourselves,
because we didn't
understand until it was too late.
That's why I knew
Frank must have his son.
Before it was too late.
Only I bungled it. I...
didn't know the
gun in Barker's desk
belonged to Sylvia.
You would have let her die...
for what you did?
My strength came
only once, Mother.
Then I was your son again.
Robert.
Robert.
Please be kind enough to
call the police, Mr. Mason.
Lieutenant Tragg, please.
Come in.
Hi, beautiful.
Hi, Paul.
Eh, what are you doing,
opening a gambling joint?
No, it's a good
business. Pick a number.
All right. For how much?
Oh, very big.
A dime.
Seven.
Mm-hm. I'll take three.
Come on, seven.
Come on.
Thirty-six numbers
on that wheel,
and she picks the right one.
Where did that come from?
Oh, it just arrived.
Mr. Charles Duncan.
Here's the letter
that came with it.
Duncan? Mm-hm.
"Dear Mr. Mason,
"first time in my life
I ever told the truth,
"and you did not believe me.
"But you're a good man, so
I'm sending you this wheel.
"Take my advice: you
always be the bank.
Let the pigeons play the odds."
That wheel is fixed.
Another game, pigeon?