Perry Mason (1957–1966): Season 2, Episode 27 - The Case of the Deadly Toy - full transcript

Hello, Mr. Selkirk.

My plane just got
in from Los Angeles.

Your office told me
to meet you here.

Well...

is Miss Allison still seeing
this Richard Benedict?

Apparently, my little
plan isn't working.

But this is the tenth letter.

They come at least twice a week.

And it's always the
same kind of story

about some woman being killed

because she left a man.



Quite a character,
your Mr. Martin Selkirk.

You can't imagine
how cruel he is.

He has a son, David,
by a previous marriage.

You wouldn't believe
how Martin mistreats him

when the boy spends
a weekend with him.

He says David needs discipline.

Claire, this doesn't
look like typing.

The police say it was
done on a small hand press.

Oh?

Every envelope
postmarked Los Angeles?

Dick? Hm?

I've made up my mind that we've
got to stop seeing each other.

Claire...

you don't know what
you're talking about.



Now, Selkirk's stampeding you.

This is exactly what he wants.

I admit it.

I'm afraid for both of us.

Well, I'm not.

Look...

I know a detective in
L.A. named Paul Drake.

If Selkirk is printing these,

there's bound to be some
evidence somewhere.

Look, Claire...

Why don't you look
where you're going?

I'm sorry, Claire...

but your escort was so clumsy.

Good morning, Miss Allison.

Miss Walsh. How's Mr. Benedict?

Grumpy. That
means he's doing fine.

Dr. Mayberry says he'll be able

to leave tomorrow.

Oh, good.

Oh, incidentally, I brought
you and the other nurses

a box of candy.

You've all been so very nice.

Oh, thank you.
He's in the solarium.

Oh.

Excuse me.

Third floor, Walsh.

Just a moment.

Miss Allison?

Miss Allison,

phone call for you,

long distance from Los Angeles.

I'll tell Mr. Benedict
you're here.

Hello?

Yes, this is Claire Allison.

Who?

Lorraine Jennings.

Lorraine Selkirk Jennings.

Selkirk?

I'm David's mother,

Martin's first wife.

Uh, your office told me

I might be able to
reach you at the hospital.

I do hope Mr. Benedict
is feeling better.

How did you hear about that?

Martin told me himself.

Oh, he was very subtle about it,

but I got the message.

Miss Allison, I know
how frightened you are.

I think I may be
able to help you

if you will come to Los Angeles.

No. No, it's impossible
to discuss on the phone.

But if you will
follow my advice,

Martin won't bother you again.

Besides, it'll give you

an opportunity to see David.

He talks of you constantly.

Yes, he's right here.

Well, I can't make any promises,

but I'll do my best.

That's all I ask.

She's coming, Ralph.

Well, I had managed to take
the same plane as Miss Allison.

We landed in Los
Angeles about an hour ago.

Miss Allison was met at
the Los Angeles airport

by your ex-wife and her
husband, Mr. Jennings.

They drove immediately to
the Jennings home in Bren...

I know what Mr. and
Mrs. Jennings

did down here.

I don't need you for that.

Thanks.

I wanna know what
they did up there.

Well, Benedict gets out
of the hospital tomorrow.

Miss Allison has
seen him every day.

She doesn't give
up easily, does she?

You, uh, sure are stuck
on that girl, aren't you?

All my life I've
had what I wanted.

A man gets used to that.

As for Miss Allison,

when I saw her, I liked her.

And I want her.

Anybody else comes next.

He's probably fast asleep.

He's an angel.

Now you go on back
in and look after David.

Go on. Scoot!

Heh.

That's Mr. Gus. He's
David's babysitter

when we can't get Hannah Barton.

Does David sleep
out here very often?

No, but he's going
up to Camp Kilgore

tomorrow morning at 9,

and he just had to
break in his equipment.

Mrs. Jennings...

Lorraine.

You said you could help me.

Let's go inside.

What we have in mind is
quite simple, Miss Allison.

We want you to
testify for us in court.

Testify?

About Martin's
treatment of David.

Well, y-yes, I know, but...

You don't know what this means

to my wife, Miss Allison.

There's a new hearing
set for next week,

and I'm sure that with your help

we can get sole
custody of David.

But I thought that you
a-and your husband

had some plan to help me.

This is part of it.

The testimony that we
bring out at the hearing

will tie in with those
letters and clippings

that he's been sending you.

It'll be obvious that Martin's
been threatening you,

and then you can go to
the district attorney, and...

Lorraine!

I-I'd love to help you, but...

I-I just don't wanna
get any more involved.

Oh, please,
Claire, don't say no.

We have the whole
thing worked out.

I think Miss Allison
needs a good night's rest

before she makes any decision.

Rest?

I haven't slept in months.

Let me get you a sedative.

All right.

Good night, dear Ralph.

Don't stay up too late.

Just till I fix David's train.

Good night. Good night.

So I... wandered
around until it was light,

and then I called the Paul
Drake detective agency

because Dick Benedict
mentioned his name.

Mr. Drake referred me to you.

As I recall, you said you
took a sleeping tablet.

Yes.

You woke when you
heard the sound of a shot.

I think it was a shot.

But it could have
been a car backfiring.

It c-could have been.

I was very groggy.

You were very groggy,

and you were... still groggy

when you saw that printing press

in the closet.

Yes. But I did see it.

These clippings, when
did they start coming in?

Right after I first began
seeing Dick Benedict.

Before that, did Martin Selkirk

ask you to come back to him?

Oh, yes.

He told me in just so many words

that if I didn't marry him, I
would never marry anybody.

Where is Benedict now?

Still in San Francisco?

As far as I know.

Della, get in touch with Paul.

I want him to look into this
whole situation immediately.

Mm-hm. And let
him see your notes.

Let's go, Miss Allison.

Claire, it's your
prerogative not to testify,

but why you had to
go to an attorney...

Ralph, this is Mr. Perry Mason.

Claire left here very early

this morning to go to him.

He's an attorney.

How do you do, Mr. Mason?

Uh, please forgive
my appearance.

I suffer from arthritis.

This change in the weather
hasn't done it any good.

Mr. Jennings.

Well, what's wrong?

Did you hear a gunshot
during the night?

Did you, Mrs. Jennings?

No. What about your boy?

Well, I'm afraid we
can't very well ask David.

He's on his way to Camp Kilgore.

He didn't say anything about it

when I drove him to the
bus at 9:00 this morning.

When Miss Allison was awakened

in the middle of the night,

she went to the linen
closet for a blanket.

She found a small printing press

of the kind used in
printing her address

on certain envelopes.

Envelopes which contained

certain newspaper clippings.

We'd better investigate.

It was here last night!

Are you accusing
us of sending you

those horrible letters?

I did see the printing press.

Just a moment.

Who else has a key to your home?

Hannah Barton, our
regular babysitter, has one.

And?

My former husband,
Martin Selkirk,

might still have one.

We lived here
before the divorce,

and the house was
part of the settlement.

Were you away last evening?

For about an hour, when
we went to the airport

to pick up Miss Allison.

Was your babysitter here?

No, we couldn't get her.

Are you suggesting that Selkirk

could have planted
that press here?

Apparently, he's
the kind of a man

who would resort
to any expedient

to keep Mrs. Jennings
and Miss Allison

from pooling their forces.

Mrs. Jennings,

does your ex-husband maintain

a residence in Los Angeles?

Yes. He has a home in
Ocean Beach, on Kelton Road

at Coast Boulevard.

Thank you. Claire?

That Martin Selkirk?

Oh.

Claire, come here.

That's it!

Do you wanna put your
mark on this .22, lieutenant?

It's been processed.

All right.

Take good care of that.

Yes, sir.

Oh, uh, would you please
step in here, Miss Allison?

And would you sit down?

You mind telling
us where you were

between 4 and 5 this morning?

I was just walking around.

It's the truth.

I was waiting for
Mr. Mason's office to open.

What was the problem?

She doesn't have to answer that.

Where did you
find this, lieutenant?

Over there, where we
found the printing press.

These are all the same.

Mr. Selkirk believed
in being prepared.

You were afraid
of him, weren't you?

Excuse me, lieutenant.

Could I impose upon you

to give me your fingerprints?

Why should I?

Well, I think your attorney

will tell you that
we're within our rights.

All right, sergeant.

Will you please step
over here, ma'am?

We, uh, found this print
on the printing press.

If we can find the
one who left it there,

we may be halfway home.

Well, operator, do
you have any idea

where we could
reach Mr. Benedict?

But he's definitely
left the hospital?

All right. Thank you.

Yes, Gertie?

Who? Uh, just one minute.

A Mr. Horace Selkirk to see you?

"According to the victim's
father, Horace Selkirk,

"president of Wayne
National Bank"...

Send the gentleman in, Gertie.

Thank you.

What do you suppose he wants?

I'd hate to hazard a guess.

Mr. Mason?

That's right. Come in.

Sit down, won't you?

This is my confidential
secretary, Miss Street.

You represent a young
woman named Claire Allison?

That's right.

I want you to represent me.

What for?

You didn't know my son? No.

He was cruel,
arrogant and vindictive,

but he was my son, my only son.

You know what that
means? I haven't anyone else.

What about your grandchild?

That's exactly why I'm here.

I want the custody of David.

The child belongs to me.

And not to his mother?

I think you can do
something about that.

I'm a businessman, Mr. Mason.

I can help you clear your client

if you play ball.

And... how do I play ball?

By proving that my
son's ex-wife killed him.

You're not interested in
finding the real murderer?

That's the past.

I'm only interested
in the future.

David is the future for me.

What about it?

Sorry.

Mr. Mason, I intend to get
the custody of my grandchild,

with your help if possible,

without it if necessary.

Is that clear?

Perfectly.

Oh.

Yes?

Hello, Paul.

He is?

Dick Benedict's
in Paul's office.

No wonder I couldn't
reach him in San Francisco.

My jaw's still wired together.

So if there's anything you
don't understand, just stop me.

Why did you leave the hospital?

Well, I was worried
about Claire.

So you drove down here?

Yes.

What time did you arrive?

Oh, about 5:30.

At quarter of 6,

I was driving past
the Jennings' house

on my way to the motel

when I saw a man
washing down the driveway.

Before 6 in the morning?

Yes. Ow.

Yes.

Now, just as he finished,

a woman and a little boy
came out of the house.

The woman was carrying a valise.

The boy must have been David.

He and the woman got into a car

and drove off.

Can you describe the woman?

Well, she was tall, and thin,

almost skinny.

You didn't talk to the man.

No, I was exhausted.

I drove to the motel
and went to bed.

When I woke up, I got a paper.

That's when I read about
Claire, and called Mr. Drake.

Tell me something...

Did you know Martin
Selkirk had a beach house?

You think I might
have killed him?

Did you?

It's an interesting theory.

You believe his story?

About Jennings washing
down the driveway

and the woman taking
David away at 6:00?

Yeah, I think I do.

Jennings told me he drove
David to the bus at 9:00.

He must have changed his plans.

Why?

I don't know.

I wonder if that
boy saw something

he shouldn't have seen.

Like what?

Like murder.

What was the name of that camp?

Kilgore. Camp Kilgore.

Yeah, it's, uh... It's
up at Crystal Lake.

How long does it
take to get up there?

Which one of us
is going up there?

That's it. Run it
out! Run it out!

Out!

Hi.

Hi. How do you do?

You, uh, one of the counselors?

That's right.

Thought I'd come and
look the place over.

Glad to have you.

That's a wonderful
bunch of kids.

Yeah.

Yeah, they're all right.

Where's, uh...?
Where's David Selkirk?

David isn't here this session.

Oh, but I thought he...

Well, I did too,

but Mr. Jennings
called this morning

and said David
wasn't feeling well.

I guess they decided
to keep him at home.

I guess I'd better
get back on the job.

Yeah, me too.

Okay, kids, let's
talk it up now.

Here we go!

No, Mr. Mason, I will not
tell you where David is.

Moreover, I'd resent
it if you talked to him.

No, sir, I will not.

Benedict said a tall, thin blond

picked David up at
6:00 this morning.

Could that have been
Hannah Barton, the babysitter?

Could be.

How would you like
to pose as my wife?

During working hours?

You want a bonus?

Don't sell yourself short.

What's the plan?

Well, we can use my apartment,

but we'll need a
baby, and a babysitter

named Hannah Barton.

I'm sure you can manage both.

Isn't she a sweetheart?

I wonder if she'll
come over to me.

Come on, honey. Come on.

Come on, sweetie.

Come on, over here.
Come on. Come on.

Come on.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Ah, that's a girl.

How's that?

It's just your fatal charm.

Come on, now, I
promised her mommy

I wouldn't spoil her.

Here.

Here, put her in the playpen.

Yeah.

Come on, sweetheart. Come on.

Come on.

How do you do?

I'm Hannah Barton.

Oh, uh, won't you come in?

Thank you.

Darling, uh, this
is Miss Barton.

Yeah. How do you
do, Mrs. Street?

Uh, how do you do?

Uh...

Oh. Ain't he cute?

Yeah. Uh, won't you sit down?

Thank you.

Now, don't you
folks worry about me.

You just run along
and have a good time.

I'll find everything
and do a little reading.

Do you have television?

Ha-ha. Of course.

You, uh, understand,
Miss Barton,

this is the first time we've
done this kind of thing.

Oh. Ain't that just like a man?

Well, I'm a little
concerned myself,

but the Jennings said you
were so wonderful with children.

Oh, are you friends
of theirs? Mm-hm.

Now, where do you
think we heard about you?

Mrs. Jennings says
she wouldn't have David

with anyone else
but Hannah Barton.

You know, they made me promise

not to talk about
David to anyone.

Oh, I don't blame them.

I don't blame them at all,

his father just being murdered.

I told the Jennings
they needn't worry.

No one will get
a word out of me.

I'm a little surprised
they didn't call you

to take David away this morning.

They did, but I couldn't
take off for Sonora, Mexico,

at 10:15 in the
morning just like that.

Of course not.

I hope David enjoyed the flight.

You know how he is.

A child's bound to be nervous

with a horrible father
like that Mr. Selkirk.

Why, the last time David

came back from
his weekend visit,

he was so nervous and upset

that the only way I
could calm him down

was to give him that...

Give him what, Miss Barton?

Well, you were able
to calm him down?

Uh, d... Yes, I
just let him play

with his favorite toy.

Didn't you realize that
that could have been...

very dangerous?

But it, uh... It all
happened accidental.

I... I ran across it in the
guest room one night,

and as soon as David saw
it, he wanted to play with it.

You know how children are.

Cowboys and Indians...

Anyway, I didn't see no harm.

It was empty.

You actually let
him play with a gun?

Well, I told his
parents about it. Hm.

How often did David take
the gun to bed with him?

Now see here, Mr. Street.

I ain't sayin' another word.

I promised Mrs.
Jennings I wouldn't.

Now, if you want me
to sit for the baby...

I'm sorry, dear.
Something I can do?

Oh, I'm... I think I'm getting
one of my headaches.

I'm afraid I won't be
able to go out tonight.

Oh...

Well.

If that isn't a nice
"how do you do."

You get me all the
way from Brentwood.

Ha-ha. We'll be
calling on you again.

Ohhh! Well, thank you very much.

I'm so sorry about
your headache, dearie,

but if you need me again,
you know my number.

As I said, we'll be
calling on you again.

Goodbye.

She permitted that child
to play with a real gun.

That's what she said.

You think...

Well, you thought that
Mr. and Mrs. Jennings

were hiding David because
he may have witnessed

the murder of his father.

Do you think it's
possible that...?

That David killed him?

Yeah.

I don't know, Della.

Either way, that little boy's

gonna be in a lot of trouble.

I've gotta find him
before the police find him.

I'm going to
International Airport.

There they are, Katherine
Collins and David Selkirk.

The lady was tall, thin,
blond hair, fair complexion.

I-I think so.

Her companion was a
boy, about 5 years old.

Oh, now I remember.

You know, they never did
pick up their reservations.

They didn't?

Well, no. They arrived
in plenty of time to sign in.

That's when I checked
'em off, the lady and the boy.

Then they weren't
on that flight?

Well, no, you see,

these two men stopped 'em.

What two men?

Well, I don't know.

They had badges. They took
the lady and the boy away.

You know...

if you ask me,

they were policemen.

A .22-caliber bullet
entered the left side.

It ranged slightly backward

and lodged in the chest.

It did not go all
the way through.

Most of all the
bleeding was internal.

And was the bullet you're
holding in your hand, doctor,

the cause of death?

It was.

Were you able to determine

the time of death?

Between 4 and 5:00

on the morning of July 3rd.

Thank you, doctor.
That will be all.

Cross-examine.

May I have a moment, Your Honor?

You may, Mr. Mason.

Perry, I'll swear the police

haven't got that boy.

I can't find him, and
I can't find anybody

at headquarters
who's even seen him.

All right. Keep after it, Paul.

I'll try to stall
as long as I can.

All right.

Doctor, was death instantaneous?

No.

I would estimate
death followed the shot

by about ten to 12 minutes.

Could it have been longer?

Yes.

Could the deceased have
been ambulatory after the shot?

Yes.

Then the deceased could have
been shot, say, in Brentwood,

got in his car and
driven to his beach house

not really aware that he
was mortally wounded?

It's possible.

Yes.

Thank you, doctor. That's all.

Yes, sir, we found
the printing press

in the beach house
of the deceased.

I see.

Lieutenant, I show
you this photograph,

and ask if you can identify it.

Yes, sir, it's a photograph

of a fingerprint we found
on the metal ink plate

of the press.

And were you able to
identify the fingerprint?

Yes, sir.

It's the print of
the middle finger

of the defendant,

Claire Allison.

If it please the court, I
should like this photograph

entered into evidence
and marked for the people,

Exhibit M.

Now, lieutenant, I
show you this revolver,

previously entered in evidence,

and I ask if you
can identify it.

Yes, it has my mark on it.

It's a Smith & Wesson
.22-caliber revolver,

registered to Ralph Jennings.

And it is the murder weapon.

And where was the weapon found?

In the, uh, kitchen of the
decedent's beach house.

I see. Thank you,
lieutenant. That will be all.

Cross-examine.

Lieutenant, how
many fingerprints

did you find on
that printing press?

One.

On the ink plate?

Yes.

No place else in the house?

No, sir.

Not even on the murder weapon?

No. No, sir.

As an expert in homicide,

don't you think that unusual?

Well, I've learned
there's something unusual

in every homicide.

Thank you,
lieutenant. That's all.

Yes, sir.

Claire showed these to me

at a restaurant one
night in San Francisco.

What did she say about them?

That she had received
several others like these.

Did she say anything else?

That Martin Selkirk
had been sending 'em

to her to frighten her...

because she had
broken their engagement.

I see.

Thank you, sir.
That will be all.

Your witness.

May I, Mr. Burger?

Thank you.

Mr. Benedict,

Miss Allison having taken
you into her confidence

about the clippings and letters,

the inference is
that you and she

had something more in
common than friendship.

I love Claire.

You felt protective toward her?

Yes.

And when you heard what
Martin Selkirk was doing,

you were angry?

I was very angry.

I notice you still have a
slight impairment in speech.

Did you incur an
injury at the restaurant

that night in San Francisco?

Yes.

The decedent struck you?

Yes. With brass knuckles.

And if you're looking for a
motive for me, you've got it!

I hated him enough to kill him!

Your Honor!

Order!

The witness will desist
from any of these outbursts,

and confine himself
to a simple answer

without volunteering
any information.

Just answer the questions.

I've no further
questions of the witness.

You may stand down.

Now, before the
next witness is called,

the court will take its
customary lunch period.

The court is
adjourned until 2:00.

Miss Barton?

Well, Mr. Street.

Mr. Selkirk just passed
you by without saying a word.

Is he angry with you?

What's he got to be
angry with me about?

You weren't very
fond of his son.

He may have sensed that.

So what if he did?

He was certainly
no shining example

of a loving father.

Oh, the scenes
they used to have.

You saw them together?

Several times.

Where?

Over at Junior's
place in Ocean Beach.

I used to take David there.

You mean they
argued in front of David?

Argued? It was disgusting.

They fought like cats and dogs.

But Mr. Selkirk continued
to go to his son's house.

He had to if he
wanted to see David.

And he sure wanted to see him.

He loves that child as
much as he hated his son.

I see.

Thank you very
much, Miss Barton.

Miss Street, Mason.

Come over in the shade.

Thank you.

Won't you sit down?

I'm glad you reconsidered
my proposition.

I'm not here to represent you

in the custody
matter, Mr. Selkirk.

What are you here for?

I'm here to suggest
that we keep David

within the jurisdiction
of the California courts.

Where do you suspect David is?

Could be anyplace...

including police headquarters.

What can I do?

Well, if the police have David,

you being his
grandfather can insist

they're violating the
law by detaining him.

And if Lorraine is hiding him?

You could allege that he's
being held in illegal custody.

A writ of habeas
corpus would force her

to disclose his whereabouts.

There are several
avenues open to you.

All designed to uncover David.

Isn't that what you want?

More importantly, it
happens to be what you want.

Well? You bring
that boy to court,

put on one of your
three-ring circuses.

I can see the headlines now:

"Child tells story
of father's murder."

You'd like that, wouldn't you?

All I'd like is the opportunity

of talking with David.

I'll discuss it
with my attorney.

Time is short.

I'll call him within the hour.

Good day, sir.

Hello, Miss Collins.

Well, hi, David.

Hi. How are you?

Fine.

Let me fix your coat
for you, all right?

Who are you? W-what
are you doing here?

My name is Perry Mason.

The lawyer?

That's right.

This is my secretary,
Miss Street.

How do you do?

Hi, David.

Hi. I can wiggle my ears.

You can? Well, let me see you.

Watch.

Why don't you come in here

and show me how to do that?

It's all right, David.

All right?

Let's go. Come on.

Miss Collins, do you know

you're technically
guilty of kidnapping?

Oh, no.

No, Mr. Selkirk told me...

Mr. Selkirk told you
he'd be responsible

for your actions if
you brought David here

instead of following
his parents' orders.

Mr. Selkirk, after all,
is the boy's grandfather.

And I assume he paid
you a great deal of money.

Now, what has he done to
make the Jennings believe

that you and David
are in Mexico?

He was gonna send the
Jennings a wire from Mexico

telling them that
David was safe.

Making you party
to still another crime.

David's grandfather has no
more to say about his custody

than the man on the moon.

Now...

why did Mr. and Mrs. Jennings

want you to take
David to Mexico?

Because...

Because David
shot his own father.

Shot Martin Selkirk?

Yes.

With the gun he
had under his pillow?

Yes.

Sometime in the
middle of the night,

his real father
slipped into the tent

when David was asleep.

David was awakened suddenly,

and, naturally,
he was frightened.

He pulled the gun out

from under the pillow and fired.

Mr. Jennings kept telling him

it was all just a bad dream.

His grandfather
kept trying to tell him

it was a dream too.

What does David really believe?

Just a matter of telling him

over and over and over
again that it was just a dream.

Maybe someday
he'll come to believe it.

Della?

Come on, David.

We'd better go.

Goodbye, David.

Goodbye. Heh-heh.

Goodbye.

Bye, David.

Bye.

Now, Mr. Jennings, I
show you this revolver,

and I ask you if you've
ever seen it before?

Yes, sir, I have.

I bought it three years ago.

Where was this gun usually kept?

In the top drawer
of the vanity table

in our guest room.

Well, that's the room
the defendant occupied

on the night of the
murder. Is that correct?

Yes, sir.

And where did you
spend that night?

On the sofa in the den.

Isn't that rather unusual?

Not too.

I'm troubled with arthritis,

and whenever my knee acts up

I find it difficult
to climb the stairs.

I see.

Were you disturbed
during that night at all?

Well, I awoke once around 3:00.

I thought I heard the
front door open and close.

Really? And when you
woke in the morning,

was the defendant
still in your home?

No, sir. She was gone.

Did you, by any chance,

check the guest room to
see if the gun was still there?

Yes, sir, at... At the
request of the police.

It was gone.

I see. Thank you, Mr. Jennings.

That will be all. Your witness.

Oh, Mr. Mason.

Thank you.

Now, Mr. Jennings, you testified

you kept this weapon
in your guest room?

That's right.

Was it there on the
night of July 2nd?

It was.

Who knew where the gun was kept?

Just my wife and myself.

No one else?

No, sir.

Are you familiar with a
woman named Hannah Barton?

Yes, Mrs. Barton
occasionally babysits for us.

And when Mrs. Barton

would spend the entire
night at your home,

where would she sleep?

In the guest room.

Did she know about the
gun, or ever mention it?

She might have.
I... I don't recall.

Isn't it true that Mrs.
Barton allowed David

to play with the gun?

I wouldn't know about that.

Well, I submit you would.

I submit Mrs. Barton
told you she had.

I don't remember that at all.

You did not give
David permission

to play with this gun?

I most certainly did not.

A-a gun is not my idea of a toy.

Mr. Jennings,
where is David now?

Your Honor, would you
please instruct the witness

to answer the question?

You will answer the
question, Mr. Jennings.

He's in Sonora, Mexico.

When you and Mrs.
Jennings went to the airport

to pick up the defendant,
you left David alone,

asleep in a tent
in your backyard.

Is that correct? Yes.

And didn't you permit him to
keep the gun under his pillow?

No!

Now, Mr. Jennings...

I feel I must warn you.

David is right here
in Los Angeles.

I don't believe you.

He's with a Miss
Katherine Collins

of the Kingston Arms.

If necessary, we can
bring him into court.

Your Honor, may I request...

No, you can't bring him here!

He's just a child.

But he could tell
us what happened

on the night of July 2nd.

I'll tell you.

David did have the gun
under his pillow that night.

But around 1:00 in the
morning, I removed it.

I put it on a
table in the entry.

Did David wake when
you removed the gun?

No!

Aren't you lying, Mr. Jennings?

Didn't you send David away
because he'd come running

into the house in the
middle of the night,

sobbing that he'd
just shot someone?

No, that's not true!

What was your reason
for sending him away?

I wanted to keep
David out of this.

Lord knows, I did my best.

You're right, Mr. Mason.

David did come into
the den that night.

He was crying.

He said he had shot someone.

I woke his mother

and went out to investigate.

And what did you find?

Martin Selkirk.

He was unconscious.

I decided to drive
him back to his home.

It was then that my wife
told me about Miss Allison

finding the printing
press in the closet.

I knew Selkirk
had planted it there.

So I took the press back too.

And when you returned,

you washed the
bloodstains off the driveway?

Yes.

And then you allowed

an innocent woman to
be accused of murder.

I didn't want David to grow up

thinking he'd killed
his own father!

I had no choice!

I submit that you did.

I submit that you could
have told the truth,

that David did
not kill his father.

I tell you, he fired a shot!

But that shot did
not kill Martin Selkirk,

because Martin Selkirk was
nowhere on the premises.

Then what happened
to the bullet?

How long have you had arthritis?

You think the shot hit me?

There's one way you
can prove I'm wrong.

You satisfied now?

Perfectly.

It was the dog, wasn't it?

It was Mr. Gus that David hit.

I don't know what
you're talking about!

Where is the dog, Mr. Jennings?

Tell him, Ralph.

Tell him the truth, or I will.

Will you step
forward, young lady?

He did make me
believe that my child

had committed a
murder, Mr. Mason.

Where is the dog, Mrs. Jennings?

At Dr. Ferber's.

He's a vet in Brentwood.

If Your Honor please...

And with Mr. Burger's
permission.

I would like to suggest that
Dr. Ferber be brought here

to testify as to whether or not

he removed a .22-caliber
bullet from that dog.

Your Honor,

I would like to join
Mr. Mason in his request.

No!

You don't have to do that.

David did hit the dog.

I killed Martin Selkirk.

You've got to
believe me, Lorraine.

I did it for you.

Hi, beautiful. Where
have you been?

Down at, uh,
police headquarters.

Jennings just
signed a confession.

The funny thing is, he actually
did do it for Mrs. Jennings.

He felt sure that she'd
lose custody of David.

Well, what about
the printing press?

That belonged to Jennings.

Well, then he was the one

who sent those
letters to Claire Allison.

Would you like to
hear the whole story?

Yes, Paul, go on.

Jennings felt sure that
Selkirk would be blamed

for those letters.

But when Claire
discovered the printing press,

that changed everything.

Jennings became rattled, and...

Well, Jennings became rattled...

And when Claire left the house,

he drove down to Ocean Beach

and killed Mr. Selkirk.

That's the whole story.

Perry...

What's wrong?

I just remembered I was
supposed to take care of

Jill Carter's babysitting
problem tonight.

You know, sort of in payment
for borrowing her child.

I'd, uh, be very glad to help.

Oh, would you, Paul?

It would be my pleasure.

Good.

I have just the sitter
to keep you company.

Hannah Barton.