Perry Mason (1957–1966): Season 3, Episode 1 - The Case of the Spurious Sister - full transcript
Bruce Chapman is fed up with his wife Marie's lavish spending, especially her addiction to gambling. Just as he is leaving on a 6 week business trip, he tells Marie that she will be on an allowance of $50 a week. She threatens to divorce him and he suggests she think about what is more important to her. Marie is desperate for $2000 and puts pressure on her ex-husband Walter Sprague and his new wife Helen to come up with the cash. Helen agrees to meet her at their summer cabin at 9:00 pm where Helen is discovered by a neighbor who is riding his horse. They find a note from Marie who does not show. When Bruce returns early from his trip, he finds that his wife is in Las Vegas and has filed for divorce. He contacts Perry about the implications of the divorce on his will and for general advice as he plans to pay her the $25,000 she asked for as a settlement. When he goes to his weekend cabin, however, he finds Marie strangled. It's up to Perry to sort through the case that involves false identities and perjured testimony.
And since I'm flying out tonight
on a buying trip to the Orient,
I've left full instructions
with my staff
to process your
orders as you specify.
Uh, warmest personal
regards. Sign it "Bruce."
Well, that's seven
down, Mr. Chapman,
and about 70 to go. Ha-ha.
Well, packed already, darling?
Your plane doesn't
leave until 9:00 tonight.
Well, I have to go
down to the office first.
We'll leave for the
airport from there.
Well, you have a
good trip, Bruce.
You're not coming to see me off?
Oh, darling I...
I've got one of my
bad headaches.
Oh.
I wanted to talk to you.
About what?
I'll wait in the car.
No. No, Miss Norwood.
You'd better use
the phone in the hall
and, uh, get those cables off.
Marie.
Marie...
I've closed out
our joint account.
Bruce, you couldn't.
You'll be gone
at least six weeks.
The office will pay your bills.
And you'll draw $50
a week for incidentals.
You're treating me like a child.
You are a child where
money's concerned.
This time you're not going to
take money from our account
and gamble it away
in Las Vegas.
I won't gamble, Bruce.
I promise.
Fine.
Then you won't need anything
more than I've set up for you.
You can't do this.
I won't stand for it.
I'll get a divorce.
Does your gambling
mean that much to you?
That you'd divorce me for it?
I can get community
property or a settlement.
At least $25,000.
All right, Marie.
While I'm away,
you can decide just how much
your gambling does mean.
All right, Miss Norwood.
Bruce.
Please. Let me have just $2,000.
Think about it, Marie.
I hope you'll see I'm
doing the right thing.
Gambling's a disease.
You've got to fight it.
Darling?
I haven't got the
money. He's cut me off.
No, no, I'll get it for
you, darling. I promise.
Whatever I have to do...
I'll get it.
Hi, Marie.
Look, Ginny, how much
money have you got?
Money?
You know, I never thought of it,
but with your sense of humor,
we should've had
a comedy routine
instead of a
sisters dancing act.
We'd still be in business.
Listen, Ginny, this is
no joke. I need $2,000.
Honey, I just got
my first solid
booking in months.
Isn't there someplace you
can get ahold of some cash?
Not without a lethal weapon.
Are you in trouble, kid?
I'm desperate.
What about that
jackpot you married?
Hm. Not a penny.
Bruce will wish I was dead
before I'm through with him.
What about Walter?
Walter? Yeah.
Hey, that's right. Walter.
He owes me a lot
more than 2,000.
Hello?
No, he isn't in.
This is Mrs. Sprague.
May ask who...?
Oh.
Yes, I thought you'd
remember me, Mrs. Sprague.
Where is Walter?
Well, I'm expecting him
any minute, Mrs. Chapman.
We're doing the best we can.
Walter doesn't make
a very big salary.
Even $50 every month.
Yes, yes, that's what I'm
calling about, Mrs. Sprague.
Let's make it $2,000 tonight.
Two thousand?
But... But that's impossible.
Listen, if you get me
the 2,000 by tonight,
I'll, uh, cancel the rest of it.
Well, if I do, it'll
be my own money.
Walter would be very angry.
Well, I won't tell
him if you don't.
Now, you know
where that cabin is
that Walter signed over to me?
Witmer Canyon?
That's right. You be
there at 9:00 tonight.
I've got a plane to catch...
to Vegas.
Hello?
Hello, Marie?
Marie who?
Oh, I didn't hear
you come in, Walter.
You did say "Marie."
Oh, yes.
Y-yes, it was one of
those giveaway programs.
You know, the kind where
they call you at home?
Heh-heh. I could have won
a whole basket of groceries
for telling who said,
uh, "Let 'em eat cake."
Oh. Marie Antoinette.
Oh, ho-ho.
Only I didn't remember
until after I hung up.
Well, I guess I'll
have to keep on
providing the
groceries around here.
Heh. Oh.
What's for chow?
Well, you'll find out
when you eat it. Mm.
Now, hurry up and wash up.
Oh, honey. I've got to go back
to the office a few hours.
Chance to make some
overtime. Hope you don't mind.
Oh, no, Walter.
I'll find something to do.
Now, what's going on here?
Who are you? A...?
Are you Mr. Chapman?
I'm Greg Evans. I
live down by the bend.
Do you know where
Mrs. Chapman is?
No. I rode up here
because the past hour
I've been seeing these
lights go on and off.
I'm a very curious guy.
I'm supposed to meet
Mrs. Chapman here at 9:00.
In the dark?
I was scared. I...
I turned the lights off
when I heard you coming.
Oh, the room was like
this when I came in.
The door was unlocked,
and the chair was like that...
What's that?
"Helen Sprague. Had to leave.
"If you know what's good
for you and for Walter,
"you'll get that check to
me in Vegas tomorrow.
Will be at Caravan
Hotel. Marie Chapman."
You Helen Sprague?
Do you have a check for her?
Sorry I'm so suspicious.
You said curious, didn't you?
Thank you, sir.
Chapman Import Company.
Well, I'm sorry,
Miss Norwood isn't in.
Could someone else help you?
Well, this is Bruce Chapman.
Where is Miss Norwood,
and when do you expect her?
Oh, Mr. Chapman.
We... We didn't expect
you back for another month.
Uh, Miss Norwood has been
out of town for a few days.
Uh, could I try to
reach her for you?
W-what?
No, no. Never mind.
Uh, yes, operator.
This is very important.
I'm calling Las Vegas,
Nevada, person-to-person.
Mrs. Marie Chapman.
I don't know where
she's staying,
but I've got to find her.
This changes
everything for me, Perry.
You'll have to draw up
a new will, for one thing.
Are you going to
contest the divorce?
No, I...
No.
Don't misunderstand me.
It isn't that don't love
Marie very much, but...
Did you, um, try to reach her
after you received this?
Finally located her
at the Caravan Hotel.
She wouldn't even take my call.
Did you have an
argument with her
before you left on your trip?
Yes. About her gambling.
It's become compulsive.
I told her she'd have to make
a choice: her gambling or me.
It appears she made it.
Yes.
Now she's asking
for $25,000 cash
in lieu of her share
of community property.
I as much as said
she could have it.
Della...
see if you can get that
attorney on the phone.
Mm-hm.
Gertie. See if you can
reach a Mr. Ralph Hibberly,
973 Placer Avenue,
Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mm-hm. Thank you.
Well, Mr. Mason.
What can I do for you?
You're handling a divorce
action for a Mrs. Marie Chapman.
Her husband's very
anxious to talk to her.
No dice, as we say here.
Oh, she stormed into my
office first thing this morning,
raging about a
long-distance call
he tried to put through
to her last night.
Seems she wants no
further contact with him.
Well, what does she want?
Well, she's establishing
legal residence here,
and at the end of
the required 44 days,
we'll file suit for divorce.
She wants money right
away, and because of this,
is willing to accept a cash
settlement for $25,000.
Now, if she has to wait
until the divorce is granted,
she will demand her full share
of the community property,
which should be
at least $150,000.
Well, I'll discuss
that with my client.
Well... the mood she's in,
I'd say that he'd better
get a certified check
up here by plane today.
I see.
Thank you, Mr. Hibberly.
What did he say?
That she wants the
money right now,
or she'll withdraw
her offer of settlement.
What should I do?
I'm afraid that's up to you.
Yes, I...
I guess I really don't
have any choice.
Della... tell Paul we'll
need one of his men
to fly up to Las
Vegas with a check.
Looking for something?
Who are you?
Well, let's just say that
I'm another early bird,
Mr. Chapman.
You know who I am. Oh, yeah.
Uh, that's my...
My cabin up above.
Yes, I know that too.
I just happened to notice
this car down here, and I...
But there's nobody in it.
Just happened to notice
it at 6:00 in the morning?
Mr. Chapman, my name is
Tragg. Lieutenant Tragg, Homicide.
You mind, uh, coming with me?
Where?
The morgue.
What for?
I'd like for you to
identify someone.
Who?
I'm sorry.
Perhaps your wife.
But that's impossible.
Why? Her car, isn't it?
Well, yes, but
it can't be Marie.
She's in Las Vegas
suing me for divorce.
Humor me, Mr. Chapman.
Let's go take a look.
Yes, that's Marie.
She's dead.
I can't understand.
Well, what don't you
understand, Mr. Chapman?
I just got back from
a trip to the Orient.
I was gone for ten
days... Yes, we know that.
We've had you under surveillance
ever since you got back.
You went to see Perry
Mason yesterday, didn't you?
Yes. The divorce... We can
drop that divorce thing now
Mr. Chapman. Lieutenant...
And I think you'd
better call Mr. Mason.
We're booking you
for first-degree murder.
I didn't kill my wife.
But you did know she was dead.
I almost convinced
myself that she wasn't.
You'd better tell me
exactly what happened,
right from the beginning.
Well...
the day I left for the Orient,
Marie said she had a headache,
couldn't go to the
airport with me.
That when you had the
argument over her gambling?
Yes.
When I got to the
airport, I... I phoned,
hoping to smooth things over.
She wasn't home.
Well, I...
I began to put
certain things together:
her willingness
to get a divorce,
the lying about some
of her activities...
her frequent trips to the
cabin in Witmer Canyon.
And you decided
there was another man?
Yes.
So you went up to the
cabin and you saw her there?
I found her there.
She'd been strangled.
Do you remember
what time this was?
I got there about
ten minutes to 9.
Go on.
Well, I... I was
in shock, I guess.
And then suddenly I... I
realized how vulnerable I was.
I... I couldn't get
back to the airport
in time to catch my plane,
and I'd already
checked in on the flight.
I'd be asked where I'd gone.
They'd be able to...
To trail me to the cabin.
And I'd... I'd had an
argument with Marie.
Been talk of divorce. Miss
Norwood had overheard.
So I...
You tried to cover up.
I put Marie's
body into her car...
and pushed it into the ravine.
I... hoped she wouldn't
be found for awhile.
That when she was found,
they wouldn't be
able to be accurate
about the time of death.
Then you went
back to the airport
and caught a later plane.
Yes.
I was supposed to be
away for at least six weeks,
but I... I couldn't stand it.
I... I came home in...
Well, after only ten days.
Perry, you can't
imagine how I felt
when found those divorce
papers waiting for me.
I told myself I'd... I'd been
wrong about Marie being dead.
That she'd only
been unconscious.
I told myself that a
miracle had happened,
that Marie was alive and well.
And that's why you sent
that certified check up there?
Yes, of course. I...
I'd sort of promised she
could have what she wanted.
But what about the divorce?
Who was it? Who got the money?
Well, it could only be
someone who saw you
push the car into the ravine.
Someone who knew about
the $25,000 settlement
and took advantage of it.
But how could she
hope to get away with it?
But she did, didn't she?
But what a chance she was
taking. I could expose her.
Could you?
Could you cry fraud
without also exposing the fact
that you knew Marie was dead?
Well, then this
solves the whole thing.
All we have to do is find out
who impersonated
Marie in Las Vegas.
She's the murderer.
Just find her. Is that all?
Didn't you tell
me that your wife
was once in show business?
Yes, before we were married.
What did she do?
Oh, she was
part of a sister act.
They played the nightclubs,
but they weren't
really sisters. She...
Do you think...?
Do you remember the
other woman's name?
Ginny.
Ginny...
I can't remember her last name.
They called themselves
Ginny and Marie, Dance Stylists.
She's still an
entertainer, Perry.
Full name's Ginny
Hobart. She's billed as a
"scintillating songstress
and sensational stepper."
She's opening tonight at
Barney's Bistro in Santa Monica.
Good, Paul.
You know if we're
looking for an...?
The attorney in Las Vegas,
Mr. Hibberly, is in court
and can't be reached
until late afternoon.
Shall I leave the call in?
No, Paul will be there by then.
He can see Hibberly in person.
Mm. Oh, and Miss Norwood
didn't show up for work today.
Did you try her home?
Mm-hm. She wasn't there either.
All right. Well, as
I was saying, Paul,
you know what we're
looking for in Las Vegas.
Some lead, some
clue as to the identity
of the woman who
posed as Marie Chapman.
Starting with the Caravan Hotel,
and ending with Mr. Hibberly.
Right. Okay.
I'll pick up a photograph
of Chapman's wife
and catch the noon
plane to Vegas. Good.
And Paul.
Add a name to the list.
Norwood. Miss Norwood.
Chapman's secretary.
Miss Hobart.
Oh, it's just a
rehearsal. I was la...
Who are you?
My name is Mason.
I'm Bruce Chapman's attorney.
What do you want with me?
A little help.
Did he do it?
Did he kill Marie?
I believe he did not.
He's paying you to believe that.
When did she leave the act?
First time she got married.
Oh, I see you didn't know
she was married before.
Well, don't blame
your client for that.
She didn't tell
the poor sap about Walter.
Suppose you tell
me about Walter.
He was her first
husband, that's all.
When was the last
time you saw Marie?
The last time I saw Marie...
She came to my bungalow
and wanted $2,000. Heh.
Of course she didn't get it,
so she called Walter Sprague.
Why would he give it to her?
He owed her that much, and more.
But she didn't talk
to him, just to his wife.
Look, Mr. Mason, as they
say, the show must go on.
I've got to get
back to rehearsal.
All right, Miss Hobart.
Oh, just one more thing.
When was the last time
you went out to the cabin
in Witmer Canyon?
Ha. Are you crazy?
I've never been out there.
All that fresh
air would kill me.
No, sir. I don't know the lady.
You had a guest by the
name of Marie Chapman,
here for the cure. Chapman.
Well, they come
and they go, sir.
She looked something like this.
Yeah, there was a woman
here a little like this. She...
She always wore
big black sunglasses.
An odd one. Odd? How?
Gone for days on end.
Has she checked out?
Yeah, I think so.
Yes, she's paid till noon today.
Did she, uh, cash
a large check here?
I'm afraid you'll have to
ask the cashier that, sir.
Yes, I cashed it.
Uh, the check was certified.
What did she use
for identification?
Had me call her attorney.
He said it was a
divorce settlement.
You gave her the
$25,000 in cash?
That's what she asked for.
Shocking.
And yet I daresay it was
bound to happen sooner or later.
The murder? No, no.
No, an imposter getting
a divorce settlement like this.
You had no reason
to suspect her?
Well, put yourself in my place.
A law practice which consists
almost entirely of divorces.
They come in
droves, these women,
from all parts of the country,
day after day, year after year.
Well, you don't ask
them for proof of identity.
Birth certificates,
things like that.
It'd be ridiculous
on the face of it.
The bona fide Marie Chapman.
Mm-hm.
Well, the woman
who came to see me
was of the same
general type and coloring.
Of course, she always
wore big, fancy sunglasses.
So I've been told. I was hoping
she might have taken 'em
off once in your presence.
Well, altogether, I
saw her only four times.
Uh, five, including today.
You saw her today?
Quite by accident. Where?
At the airport,
during noon recess.
Had to meet an incoming client.
An immoderately wealthy one.
And I saw Mrs. Chapman...
Well, that is,
the woman who represented
herself as Mrs. Chapman.
Getting on the
Los Angeles plane.
Uh, I was rather startled.
Thought she might be
abandoning her legal residence.
You're sure it was
the L.A. plane?
Oh, positive.
You're Perry Mason, aren't you?
That's right.
Read you were
representing Chapman.
Nice guy.
You know him?
I have a place up here.
My name's Evans.
Greg Evans.
I'm glad you came along.
Saves me a trip to you.
Something important?
Well, the police didn't
seem to think so...
but maybe you will.
Our viewpoints sometimes differ.
Well, the night
Marie was murdered,
I just happened to ride by...
and before I pulled up,
suddenly the lights
in the cabin went out.
When I knocked, nobody answered.
Someone was in there?
Mm-hm.
I caught her when she
tried to make a run for it.
Had you ever seen her before?
No. But I found out who
she was when I read the note.
Her name is Helen Sprague.
What note?
Marie Chapman
had left it for her.
Something about sending
$2,000 to her in Las Vegas...
if she knew what was good
for her and her husband.
What time was this?
About 20 after 9.
Do you have the note?
Helen Sprague took it.
Well, thanks for
the information.
I'm sure you'll know
what to do with it.
This is the first I've
heard about it, Mr. Mason.
She didn't tell me because
she knew I'd be very angry
about her spending her
own money to pay off my debt.
What was the debt, Mr. Sprague?
Alimony?
A property settlement
she stuck me with.
I was so anxious
to get rid of her,
I'd have promised most anything.
Or done most anything?
What?
No, I didn't kill her,
and neither did Helen.
That's ridiculous.
Oh, I could've killed her.
I hated her enough.
By the way, Mr. Sprague...
how did your wife manage to
drive out to Witmer Canyon
that night without
your knowing it?
I went back to the office
to work after dinner.
I see.
Thanks to both of you.
That's right, Perry.
Hibberly saw this phantom
woman catch the noon plane.
Bold and simple.
To be swallowed up in
metropolitan Los Angeles.
What time did the plane arrive?
One-twenty,
International Airport.
At 12:30, I had a
talk with Ginny Hobart
backstage at Barney's Bistro.
Well, that clears her.
What about Helen Sprague, Paul?
Helen Sprague had an
11:30 dental appointment
and kept it.
That leaves only one person
who could have
impersonated Marie Chapman:
Miss Grace Norwood.
That's from the employment files
of the Chapman Import Company.
Uh, by the way,
she's back in town.
Where had she been?
The desert, she says.
That's all? That's all.
Della, how would you
like to get a divorce?
I thought you were
supposed to be married first.
What's on your mind?
Las Vegas. Ralph Hibberly.
Fly out to L.A. this evening?
Well, I'd have to
get at least $150
for making the trip.
Why don't you come up here?
Oh, I... I can't, Mr. Hibberly.
But I'll be glad to pay
you anything you ask.
A... A friend recommended you.
No, sir. It's...
It's too delicate
to go into over the phone,
but I just must see you tonight.
Yes. Grace Norwood.
Um, 10712 Rossmore Avenue,
Apartment 23.
Yes, I'll be home at 9:30.
Thank you so much, Mr. Hibberly.
All right. I did
overhear that argument
between Mr. Chapman
and his wife.
I did hear them
talk about a divorce
and a $25,000 settlement.
What does that prove?
I get the impression,
Miss Norwood,
that you resented her.
Resented her?
I despised her.
That's a rather strong emotion
for a secretary to feel
about her employer's wife.
Maybe. But I'd feel the
same about someone
who kicked a
defenseless puppy too.
Will you tell us where
you spent your
time in the desert?
No.
Las Vegas, perhaps?
I'm not going to
answer that question.
Grace Norwood?
Yes?
Well, I'm here.
Heh. Obviously. But who are you?
Why, Ralph Hibberly, of course.
Is that supposed to
mean something to me?
Excuse me, Mr. Hibberly.
I'm afraid this is my doing.
My name is Perry Mason.
Won't you please come in?
Mr. Mason, It's a pleasure.
This is my secretary,
Miss Street.
How do you do? How do you do?
Miss Norwood.
Would you please put these on?
Why should I?
Why shouldn't you?
Did you bring me
all the way down here
to check out a theory
of yours, Mr. Mason?
I believe you said $150?
Well, Mr. Hibberly?
No, sir.
This is not the woman who
posed as Mrs. Chapman.
Are you positive?
Yes. I never saw this
woman before in my life.
There's no one left.
The autopsy revealed
Marie Chapman was already dead
when her car went
over into the ravine.
Dr. Hoxie...
what did you determine
to be the cause of death?
Asphyxia due to strangulation.
There was a fracture
of the hyoid bone,
uh, with a hemorrhage
at the place of fracture.
I see. Now, the body was
discovered on what date?
August 13th.
And were you able to determine
from the condition of the body
the date of death?
Yes.
Approximately nine days prior to
the discovery of the body.
That would make it
August 4th? Is that correct?
Yes, sir. Thank you, doctor.
Your witness.
Doctor...
you mentioned a
fracture of the hyoid bone.
I did.
Now, how much applied force
would have been necessary
to have caused that fracture?
Very little.
It's a delicate bone
in a vulnerable
part of the throat.
In other words, doctor,
the strangulation
could have been done
by a woman with
average strength?
No question of that.
Thank you, doctor, that's all.
Miss Grace Norwood
to the stand, please.
The witness may stand down.
Now, Miss Norwood...
during this argument between
the defendant and his wife,
was anything said
about a divorce
or a $25,000 settlement?
Yes.
Would you tell
this court, please,
what the argument was about?
I didn't hear
everything they said.
Well, just tell us
what you did hear.
I'm not sure.
Miss Norwood, you're
evading the questions.
What was the argument about?
Heh. Your Honor,
Miss Norwood is
a hostile witness
to say the least.
Mm.
All right, Mr. Burger, you may
treat her as a hostile witness.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Now, Miss Norwood,
just answer yes or no.
Did the defendant
accuse his wife
of being a compulsive gambler?
Yes.
And didn't he threaten,
or didn't he say,
that he was gonna close
their joint bank account?
He had to because she...
Just yes or no, Miss Norwood.
Yes. I see.
Now, you and
Mr. Chapman left his home
and went back to the
office to do some more work.
Is that correct?
Yes. And then he left you there
and went to the airport?
Yes.
And the plan was that you were
gonna go to the
airport parking lot,
and pick up the key and
the ticket at the exit booth
later that evening,
and then drive the
car back to his home,
is that correct? Yes.
But when you got there,
Miss Norwood,
were the key, the car
and the ticket there?
No.
And that was after
the time of departure
of Mr. Chapman's plane,
wasn't it?
Yes.
Thank you, Miss Norwood.
Cross-examine.
Isn't it true, Miss Norwood,
that you made several
trips out of the state
during the time Mr. Chapman
was out of the country?
I object to that, Your Honor.
That's incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial.
It deals with matters not
covered in direct examination.
The answer's no anyway.
I wouldn't have
killed Marie Chapman
for ten times $25,000.
The witness will refrain
from any such outbursts
in the future.
The objection is sustained.
Clerk will strike the
answer and the question.
Proceed, Mr. Mason.
Would you have killed
her so that Bruce Chapman
would have been free for
you to marry, Miss Norwood?
Your Honor...
Thank you. That's all.
I call Walter Sprague
to the stand, please.
How long were you married
to the deceased, Mr. Sprague?
Not quite a year. But
that was five years ago.
And did you know Bruce
Chapman, the defendant?
Marie's second husband?
I didn't meet him until the
day before he left on his trip.
He visited me at
my place of business.
He told me he just found
out from a private investigator
Marie had been married before.
Something she never told.
Well, what else
transpired at that time?
Well, he asked me a lot
of questions about Marie.
Whether she gambled.
And I told him she did,
but not immoderately.
Whether she chased
around with other men.
I told him she did, but
not indiscriminately.
Whether she lied,
dissembled, and was selfish,
and was capable of
really loving somebody.
I said yes, yes, yes and no.
She wasn't capable of
loving anyone but herself.
And this was the day
before Marie was killed?
Monday, August 3rd, yes.
Thank you, Mr. Sprague.
Your witness.
Mr. Sprague, on the night
of Tuesday, August 4th,
where were you?
My office, working late.
And there was no
one at your office
who could establish
your being there at 11?
No.
I see.
Now, Mr. Sprague,
would you please tell us
the terms of your divorce
settlement with Marie?
I was to pay her $50 a month
until the sum of
$7,500 was reached.
Or until she died?
Yes, I guess so.
That does stop it, doesn't it?
No further questions.
I call Virginia Hobart
to the stand, please.
Do you swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth?
She said her husband
had cut her off,
and that she needed
money desperately.
And that he'd wish she was dead
before she got through with him.
I see.
Thank you, Miss
Hobart. Your witness.
Now, Miss Hobart...
do I understand
from your testimony
that you knew that Bruce
Chapman was prepared to give Marie
a $25,000 property settlement
if she wanted a divorce?
Yes, sir, I knew it.
You and Marie were partners
in a nightclub act at one time,
were you not?
That's right. Years ago.
A so-called sister act?
We weren't really sisters.
But you could almost pass
for sisters, could you not?
Sure we could. We did.
That's all, thank you.
I call Lieutenant
Arthur Tragg, please.
The defendant had a ticket
for the flight leaving at 9:08 p.m.
He missed the plane
and was rerouted
through San Francisco
on the 10:00 plane.
I see. Now, lieutenant,
would you tell us, please,
where you found the body?
In her car at the
bottom of a ravine.
Uh, examination showed that
it had been pushed off the road
beside the Chapman cabin.
And would you
tell us anything else
of an evidential nature
that you discovered on the car?
We found, uh, fingerprints,
later identified as
belonging to Bruce Chapman,
the defendant,
on the, uh, doorsill
on the driver's side of the car,
on the steering wheel,
and full handprints
on the back of the car.
Well, there were other
fingerprints on the car,
weren't there? Yes, sir.
But only full
handprints on the back.
They were Bruce Chapman's.
Thank you,
lieutenant. That'll be all.
Your witness.
Lieutenant, aside from
those of the defendant,
you said there were other
fingerprints found on the car.
Yes, sir.
The decedent's, of course,
and the person who reported
finding the car in the ravine.
And who was that?
Mr. Gregory Evans.
And this kid came
running up to my cabin,
said he'd been shying
rocks over the ravine,
when he heard a loud ping.
So he looked down,
and there was the car.
What did you do then, Mr. Evans?
Well, I phoned
the sheriff's station.
While was waiting, I guess I got
my fingerprints on the car.
I see. Referring you now
to the night of August 4th
at approximately 9:00,
were you in your cabin
in Witmer Canyon?
Oh, I was.
Would you tell
this court, please,
anything that happened
of an unusual nature?
Well, I was sitting on my porch
with my feet up on the rail,
when all of a sudden,
I saw him drive by
with his lights and motor
off, coasting downgrade.
"Him," Mr. Evans?
Bruce Chapman.
What did you do then?
Well, I hollered out to him,
but I guess he didn't hear me.
Anyway, he was gone before I
could drop my boots to the floor
and get out on the road.
I see. Thank you,
Mr. Evans. That'll be all.
Your witness.
Mr. Mason, if you don't object
to postponing your
cross-examination,
the court will call
the noon recess.
I've no objection, Your Honor.
Very well. The court
stands adjourned until 2 p.m.
What's the news
on Helen Sprague?
Well, I found out why she
hasn't been here in court.
Their home was
broken into last night.
Robbery? Mm-hm.
Do you know what
was stolen? No, I don't.
Do you have an idea?
Maybe.
So have I, but about
something else.
I'll see you back here in court.
What was stolen, Mrs. Sprague?
Um.
Well, that's the
funny part of it.
Nothing of value.
I have some silver. We've
been paying out on it.
The thief didn't even touch it.
Of course, it might
be a coincidence,
but I have a feeling
that there's some link
between this robbery and
the murder of Marie Chapman.
Well, what could it be?
Well, it could be
that the thief was after
something he didn't find.
Now, Mr. Evans. You testified
that you saw Bruce Chapman
drive by your place
that night. That's right.
Did you see any
other cars drive by?
No.
Is there only one road
to the Chapman cabin?
Well, yes, there's one road.
It comes up my side, and
goes past the Chapmans',
and down the other
side of the mountain.
Then someone could
drive to the Chapman cabin
and depart without
going past your place?
That's right.
Now, in your testimony,
you said that the
car that you saw
drive by had its lights off.
Yes.
And yet you were able
to identify the driver
as Bruce Chapman?
Oh, it was him, all right.
I know him real well.
How well did you
know Mrs. Chapman?
We were friends.
Go horseback riding with her?
Occasionally.
Alone?
Bruce doesn't ride.
Very attractive
woman, wasn't she?
Yes. She was quite a woman.
Mr. Hibberly, you mean that
without any credentials at all,
a woman, just any woman...
Even a woman employed
for this very purpose,
and having no possible
connection with the subject
can simply put on a
pair of dark sunglasses,
fraudulently impersonate
another person,
and file a suit for divorce.
In this case, a divorce of
a woman already dead?
I regret to say that she could.
And looking at it in that way,
the whole pattern
becomes logical.
Now, I wish you'd look
around this courtroom, sir,
and tell us if you can
identify the woman
who said she was Marie Chapman.
No, I can't.
But then you might bring
the actual woman in here,
and I might fail
to identify her too.
Yes, I understand that.
Now, let's suppose for a minute
that the body wasn't
discovered quite so soon
and that the divorce
actually went through.
And let's suppose further that
the police came to you for help
in establishing
the time of death
of a certain Marie Chapman.
What would you say to them
under these circumstances?
I'd say that she would
have had to be alive
on the date of the plaintiff's
appearance in court
for the granting of her divorce.
Why? What one conclusive fact
would lead you to that opinion?
Well, the fact that the
husband hadn't objected,
and that he had
paid the $25,000.
Thank you, sir.
Your witness.
Now, Mr. Hibberly...
you said the entire
pattern became logical.
Now, let me ask you:
As an attorney, would you say
it's logical for a man to act
as the prosecution contends
the defendant acted?
You mean, murder his
wife, throw her over a cliff,
and then hire someone
to impersonate her
to get a divorce for him
simply to confuse
the time of death?
That's exactly what I mean.
Honestly?
No. I think the scheme
would be fraught with peril
and endless blackmail.
Thank you. That'll be all.
The witness may stand down.
Your Honor...
some new information
has just come to hand.
With the court's permission,
I would like to recall
Miss Virginia
Hobart to the stand.
Any objections, Mr. Burger?
I have no objection, Your Honor.
Miss Hobart, take
the stand, please.
You're still under
oath, Miss Hobart.
Yes, sir.
Miss Hobart...
when Marie Chapman came to you
on the afternoon of August 4th
and asked you for money,
you said you were
unable to help her.
Is that true?
I was stony broke.
Yet, on August 15th,
you informed your agents,
the Theatrical
Artists' Association,
that you were retiring,
quitting the
entertainment business,
and that they should
cancel your engagement
at a place called
Barney's Bistro.
So what?
Well, how do you account
for the sudden shift in fortune?
Well, the answer's
spelled M-A-N.
What man?
The one who asked
me to marry him.
But on August 16th,
just 24 hours later,
you did open at Barney's Bistro.
A rather, um, short
retirement, wasn't it?
Tsk.
So the man unasked
me. It happens, you know.
To me, anyway.
I see.
Now, Miss Hobart, I
believe you told me
that you'd never been
to the Chapman cabin.
That's right.
Would you please
look at this picture?
Isn't that an enlarged
snapshot of you and Greg Evans
taken in front of
the Chapman cabin?
The cabin you told
me you'd never seen?
Heh. All right, so I was
there a couple of times.
Why did you perjure yourself?
I didn't want to get involved.
What do you mean, "involved?"
In the murder and everything.
But you are involved...
in the murder and everything.
What do you mean?
Isn't it true, Miss Hobart,
that you were the one who
posed as Marie Chapman?
That you went to Las Vegas
and sued the
defendant for a divorce?
That you cashed his
certified check for $25,000?
No!
Didn't I have to go back to
work in that crummy joint?
I'm broke.
Didn't you sign Marie
Chapman's name
to a divorce complaint,
a certified check,
and even to Helen
Sprague's check for $2,000?
No.
Isn't it true that you received
that $25,000 check
on August 15th
and then notified your
agents that you were retiring?
And didn't you then
cash that same check
at the Caravan casino?
And didn't you then
unretire yourself
less than eight hours later
because that money was gone,
lost at the gambling tables?
All right.
All right, so I... I
did go to Vegas,
and try and get the
money. Why not?
I went to the cabin that
night. I got there just in time
to see Bruce push
the car with Marie in it
into the ravine.
Why didn't you go to the police?
That wouldn't have done
Marie any good. Or me.
I decided not to
let anyone in on it.
I'd go to Las Vegas, get
the divorce and the money,
and Bruce wouldn't
dare let out a peep.
He killed her, didn't he?
No, Miss Hobart, he did not.
With the court's
permission, at this time,
if I may recall another witness,
I think we might get
at the truth in this case.
Mm-hm. Which witness?
I would like to recall
Mr. Ralph Hibberly.
Mr. Burger?
No objection, Your Honor.
Now, Mr. Hibberly...
do you recognize Miss Hobart
as the spurious Mrs. Chapman?
It's like finding
a face in a cloud.
Sometimes you can't see it
until someone
points it out to you.
Then you wonder why
you couldn't see it before.
What about the identification
at the Las Vegas Airport?
It must have been
just a fleeting...
Um, Your Honor,
may I have a moment?
Yes, Mr. Mason.
You were right, Mr. Mason.
I think we found what
the thief was after.
Mr. Hibberly...
when Mr. Drake
showed you a photograph
of the late Marie Chapman,
you didn't recognize her.
Well, that's right.
How would I know her?
Mm, you'd never seen her?
Never. I told you.
When did you arrive
in town, Mr. Hibberly?
This morning.
Not last night?
No. I said, this morning.
Sprague home was
broken into last night,
or in the early
hours of the morning.
What about it?
Now, what would
the Spragues have
that would tie
in with this case?
You're talking in riddles.
What link so important that
it would warrant a major risk
on the part of a murderer:
breaking, entering, stealing,
or trying to steal?
This is what the murderer
was after, Mr. Hibberly.
Proof that he had
known Marie Chapman,
formerly Marie Sprague.
I had to try and get it.
If you found out
that I had handled Marie's
divorce from Walter Sprague...
then you'd have known
that I couldn't possibly
have been fooled
by the impersonation.
Funny, isn't it?
Bruce Chapman thought all along
that she was a
compulsive gambler.
And all the while
I was the gambler.
She came to Vegas to see me...
not the gaming table.
I killed her.
Marie met Hibberly
at the cabin that night.
When he found out about
your $25,000 settlement offer,
he urged her to go
through with the divorce.
Marie refused. Hibberly told her
he wouldn't see her anymore.
Marie became angry,
vicious, made threats.
It must have shocked her
that someone would treat her
as she had always
treated everybody else.
There was a struggle,
he grabbed her by the throat,
she was dead.
And that's when I came along?
That's right.
Hibberly heard your car coming.
Hiding outside, he
watched you panic,
and then roll the car
and Marie over the cliff.
Then he got the idea
to cash in on the settlement
you'd offered Marie.
So he went to Ginny for help,
and together they
conceived the final plan.
What about Miss Norwood?
She's been visiting
someone in Phoenix.
Friend?
No, a relative.
An invalid husband.
Oh.
An incurable invalid.
He died.
Incidentally, Mr. Chapman,
I have a message
for you from her.
She says that work's piling up,
things are in a turmoil,
and the office needs you.
That sounds exactly
like a secretary.
on a buying trip to the Orient,
I've left full instructions
with my staff
to process your
orders as you specify.
Uh, warmest personal
regards. Sign it "Bruce."
Well, that's seven
down, Mr. Chapman,
and about 70 to go. Ha-ha.
Well, packed already, darling?
Your plane doesn't
leave until 9:00 tonight.
Well, I have to go
down to the office first.
We'll leave for the
airport from there.
Well, you have a
good trip, Bruce.
You're not coming to see me off?
Oh, darling I...
I've got one of my
bad headaches.
Oh.
I wanted to talk to you.
About what?
I'll wait in the car.
No. No, Miss Norwood.
You'd better use
the phone in the hall
and, uh, get those cables off.
Marie.
Marie...
I've closed out
our joint account.
Bruce, you couldn't.
You'll be gone
at least six weeks.
The office will pay your bills.
And you'll draw $50
a week for incidentals.
You're treating me like a child.
You are a child where
money's concerned.
This time you're not going to
take money from our account
and gamble it away
in Las Vegas.
I won't gamble, Bruce.
I promise.
Fine.
Then you won't need anything
more than I've set up for you.
You can't do this.
I won't stand for it.
I'll get a divorce.
Does your gambling
mean that much to you?
That you'd divorce me for it?
I can get community
property or a settlement.
At least $25,000.
All right, Marie.
While I'm away,
you can decide just how much
your gambling does mean.
All right, Miss Norwood.
Bruce.
Please. Let me have just $2,000.
Think about it, Marie.
I hope you'll see I'm
doing the right thing.
Gambling's a disease.
You've got to fight it.
Darling?
I haven't got the
money. He's cut me off.
No, no, I'll get it for
you, darling. I promise.
Whatever I have to do...
I'll get it.
Hi, Marie.
Look, Ginny, how much
money have you got?
Money?
You know, I never thought of it,
but with your sense of humor,
we should've had
a comedy routine
instead of a
sisters dancing act.
We'd still be in business.
Listen, Ginny, this is
no joke. I need $2,000.
Honey, I just got
my first solid
booking in months.
Isn't there someplace you
can get ahold of some cash?
Not without a lethal weapon.
Are you in trouble, kid?
I'm desperate.
What about that
jackpot you married?
Hm. Not a penny.
Bruce will wish I was dead
before I'm through with him.
What about Walter?
Walter? Yeah.
Hey, that's right. Walter.
He owes me a lot
more than 2,000.
Hello?
No, he isn't in.
This is Mrs. Sprague.
May ask who...?
Oh.
Yes, I thought you'd
remember me, Mrs. Sprague.
Where is Walter?
Well, I'm expecting him
any minute, Mrs. Chapman.
We're doing the best we can.
Walter doesn't make
a very big salary.
Even $50 every month.
Yes, yes, that's what I'm
calling about, Mrs. Sprague.
Let's make it $2,000 tonight.
Two thousand?
But... But that's impossible.
Listen, if you get me
the 2,000 by tonight,
I'll, uh, cancel the rest of it.
Well, if I do, it'll
be my own money.
Walter would be very angry.
Well, I won't tell
him if you don't.
Now, you know
where that cabin is
that Walter signed over to me?
Witmer Canyon?
That's right. You be
there at 9:00 tonight.
I've got a plane to catch...
to Vegas.
Hello?
Hello, Marie?
Marie who?
Oh, I didn't hear
you come in, Walter.
You did say "Marie."
Oh, yes.
Y-yes, it was one of
those giveaway programs.
You know, the kind where
they call you at home?
Heh-heh. I could have won
a whole basket of groceries
for telling who said,
uh, "Let 'em eat cake."
Oh. Marie Antoinette.
Oh, ho-ho.
Only I didn't remember
until after I hung up.
Well, I guess I'll
have to keep on
providing the
groceries around here.
Heh. Oh.
What's for chow?
Well, you'll find out
when you eat it. Mm.
Now, hurry up and wash up.
Oh, honey. I've got to go back
to the office a few hours.
Chance to make some
overtime. Hope you don't mind.
Oh, no, Walter.
I'll find something to do.
Now, what's going on here?
Who are you? A...?
Are you Mr. Chapman?
I'm Greg Evans. I
live down by the bend.
Do you know where
Mrs. Chapman is?
No. I rode up here
because the past hour
I've been seeing these
lights go on and off.
I'm a very curious guy.
I'm supposed to meet
Mrs. Chapman here at 9:00.
In the dark?
I was scared. I...
I turned the lights off
when I heard you coming.
Oh, the room was like
this when I came in.
The door was unlocked,
and the chair was like that...
What's that?
"Helen Sprague. Had to leave.
"If you know what's good
for you and for Walter,
"you'll get that check to
me in Vegas tomorrow.
Will be at Caravan
Hotel. Marie Chapman."
You Helen Sprague?
Do you have a check for her?
Sorry I'm so suspicious.
You said curious, didn't you?
Thank you, sir.
Chapman Import Company.
Well, I'm sorry,
Miss Norwood isn't in.
Could someone else help you?
Well, this is Bruce Chapman.
Where is Miss Norwood,
and when do you expect her?
Oh, Mr. Chapman.
We... We didn't expect
you back for another month.
Uh, Miss Norwood has been
out of town for a few days.
Uh, could I try to
reach her for you?
W-what?
No, no. Never mind.
Uh, yes, operator.
This is very important.
I'm calling Las Vegas,
Nevada, person-to-person.
Mrs. Marie Chapman.
I don't know where
she's staying,
but I've got to find her.
This changes
everything for me, Perry.
You'll have to draw up
a new will, for one thing.
Are you going to
contest the divorce?
No, I...
No.
Don't misunderstand me.
It isn't that don't love
Marie very much, but...
Did you, um, try to reach her
after you received this?
Finally located her
at the Caravan Hotel.
She wouldn't even take my call.
Did you have an
argument with her
before you left on your trip?
Yes. About her gambling.
It's become compulsive.
I told her she'd have to make
a choice: her gambling or me.
It appears she made it.
Yes.
Now she's asking
for $25,000 cash
in lieu of her share
of community property.
I as much as said
she could have it.
Della...
see if you can get that
attorney on the phone.
Mm-hm.
Gertie. See if you can
reach a Mr. Ralph Hibberly,
973 Placer Avenue,
Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mm-hm. Thank you.
Well, Mr. Mason.
What can I do for you?
You're handling a divorce
action for a Mrs. Marie Chapman.
Her husband's very
anxious to talk to her.
No dice, as we say here.
Oh, she stormed into my
office first thing this morning,
raging about a
long-distance call
he tried to put through
to her last night.
Seems she wants no
further contact with him.
Well, what does she want?
Well, she's establishing
legal residence here,
and at the end of
the required 44 days,
we'll file suit for divorce.
She wants money right
away, and because of this,
is willing to accept a cash
settlement for $25,000.
Now, if she has to wait
until the divorce is granted,
she will demand her full share
of the community property,
which should be
at least $150,000.
Well, I'll discuss
that with my client.
Well... the mood she's in,
I'd say that he'd better
get a certified check
up here by plane today.
I see.
Thank you, Mr. Hibberly.
What did he say?
That she wants the
money right now,
or she'll withdraw
her offer of settlement.
What should I do?
I'm afraid that's up to you.
Yes, I...
I guess I really don't
have any choice.
Della... tell Paul we'll
need one of his men
to fly up to Las
Vegas with a check.
Looking for something?
Who are you?
Well, let's just say that
I'm another early bird,
Mr. Chapman.
You know who I am. Oh, yeah.
Uh, that's my...
My cabin up above.
Yes, I know that too.
I just happened to notice
this car down here, and I...
But there's nobody in it.
Just happened to notice
it at 6:00 in the morning?
Mr. Chapman, my name is
Tragg. Lieutenant Tragg, Homicide.
You mind, uh, coming with me?
Where?
The morgue.
What for?
I'd like for you to
identify someone.
Who?
I'm sorry.
Perhaps your wife.
But that's impossible.
Why? Her car, isn't it?
Well, yes, but
it can't be Marie.
She's in Las Vegas
suing me for divorce.
Humor me, Mr. Chapman.
Let's go take a look.
Yes, that's Marie.
She's dead.
I can't understand.
Well, what don't you
understand, Mr. Chapman?
I just got back from
a trip to the Orient.
I was gone for ten
days... Yes, we know that.
We've had you under surveillance
ever since you got back.
You went to see Perry
Mason yesterday, didn't you?
Yes. The divorce... We can
drop that divorce thing now
Mr. Chapman. Lieutenant...
And I think you'd
better call Mr. Mason.
We're booking you
for first-degree murder.
I didn't kill my wife.
But you did know she was dead.
I almost convinced
myself that she wasn't.
You'd better tell me
exactly what happened,
right from the beginning.
Well...
the day I left for the Orient,
Marie said she had a headache,
couldn't go to the
airport with me.
That when you had the
argument over her gambling?
Yes.
When I got to the
airport, I... I phoned,
hoping to smooth things over.
She wasn't home.
Well, I...
I began to put
certain things together:
her willingness
to get a divorce,
the lying about some
of her activities...
her frequent trips to the
cabin in Witmer Canyon.
And you decided
there was another man?
Yes.
So you went up to the
cabin and you saw her there?
I found her there.
She'd been strangled.
Do you remember
what time this was?
I got there about
ten minutes to 9.
Go on.
Well, I... I was
in shock, I guess.
And then suddenly I... I
realized how vulnerable I was.
I... I couldn't get
back to the airport
in time to catch my plane,
and I'd already
checked in on the flight.
I'd be asked where I'd gone.
They'd be able to...
To trail me to the cabin.
And I'd... I'd had an
argument with Marie.
Been talk of divorce. Miss
Norwood had overheard.
So I...
You tried to cover up.
I put Marie's
body into her car...
and pushed it into the ravine.
I... hoped she wouldn't
be found for awhile.
That when she was found,
they wouldn't be
able to be accurate
about the time of death.
Then you went
back to the airport
and caught a later plane.
Yes.
I was supposed to be
away for at least six weeks,
but I... I couldn't stand it.
I... I came home in...
Well, after only ten days.
Perry, you can't
imagine how I felt
when found those divorce
papers waiting for me.
I told myself I'd... I'd been
wrong about Marie being dead.
That she'd only
been unconscious.
I told myself that a
miracle had happened,
that Marie was alive and well.
And that's why you sent
that certified check up there?
Yes, of course. I...
I'd sort of promised she
could have what she wanted.
But what about the divorce?
Who was it? Who got the money?
Well, it could only be
someone who saw you
push the car into the ravine.
Someone who knew about
the $25,000 settlement
and took advantage of it.
But how could she
hope to get away with it?
But she did, didn't she?
But what a chance she was
taking. I could expose her.
Could you?
Could you cry fraud
without also exposing the fact
that you knew Marie was dead?
Well, then this
solves the whole thing.
All we have to do is find out
who impersonated
Marie in Las Vegas.
She's the murderer.
Just find her. Is that all?
Didn't you tell
me that your wife
was once in show business?
Yes, before we were married.
What did she do?
Oh, she was
part of a sister act.
They played the nightclubs,
but they weren't
really sisters. She...
Do you think...?
Do you remember the
other woman's name?
Ginny.
Ginny...
I can't remember her last name.
They called themselves
Ginny and Marie, Dance Stylists.
She's still an
entertainer, Perry.
Full name's Ginny
Hobart. She's billed as a
"scintillating songstress
and sensational stepper."
She's opening tonight at
Barney's Bistro in Santa Monica.
Good, Paul.
You know if we're
looking for an...?
The attorney in Las Vegas,
Mr. Hibberly, is in court
and can't be reached
until late afternoon.
Shall I leave the call in?
No, Paul will be there by then.
He can see Hibberly in person.
Mm. Oh, and Miss Norwood
didn't show up for work today.
Did you try her home?
Mm-hm. She wasn't there either.
All right. Well, as
I was saying, Paul,
you know what we're
looking for in Las Vegas.
Some lead, some
clue as to the identity
of the woman who
posed as Marie Chapman.
Starting with the Caravan Hotel,
and ending with Mr. Hibberly.
Right. Okay.
I'll pick up a photograph
of Chapman's wife
and catch the noon
plane to Vegas. Good.
And Paul.
Add a name to the list.
Norwood. Miss Norwood.
Chapman's secretary.
Miss Hobart.
Oh, it's just a
rehearsal. I was la...
Who are you?
My name is Mason.
I'm Bruce Chapman's attorney.
What do you want with me?
A little help.
Did he do it?
Did he kill Marie?
I believe he did not.
He's paying you to believe that.
When did she leave the act?
First time she got married.
Oh, I see you didn't know
she was married before.
Well, don't blame
your client for that.
She didn't tell
the poor sap about Walter.
Suppose you tell
me about Walter.
He was her first
husband, that's all.
When was the last
time you saw Marie?
The last time I saw Marie...
She came to my bungalow
and wanted $2,000. Heh.
Of course she didn't get it,
so she called Walter Sprague.
Why would he give it to her?
He owed her that much, and more.
But she didn't talk
to him, just to his wife.
Look, Mr. Mason, as they
say, the show must go on.
I've got to get
back to rehearsal.
All right, Miss Hobart.
Oh, just one more thing.
When was the last time
you went out to the cabin
in Witmer Canyon?
Ha. Are you crazy?
I've never been out there.
All that fresh
air would kill me.
No, sir. I don't know the lady.
You had a guest by the
name of Marie Chapman,
here for the cure. Chapman.
Well, they come
and they go, sir.
She looked something like this.
Yeah, there was a woman
here a little like this. She...
She always wore
big black sunglasses.
An odd one. Odd? How?
Gone for days on end.
Has she checked out?
Yeah, I think so.
Yes, she's paid till noon today.
Did she, uh, cash
a large check here?
I'm afraid you'll have to
ask the cashier that, sir.
Yes, I cashed it.
Uh, the check was certified.
What did she use
for identification?
Had me call her attorney.
He said it was a
divorce settlement.
You gave her the
$25,000 in cash?
That's what she asked for.
Shocking.
And yet I daresay it was
bound to happen sooner or later.
The murder? No, no.
No, an imposter getting
a divorce settlement like this.
You had no reason
to suspect her?
Well, put yourself in my place.
A law practice which consists
almost entirely of divorces.
They come in
droves, these women,
from all parts of the country,
day after day, year after year.
Well, you don't ask
them for proof of identity.
Birth certificates,
things like that.
It'd be ridiculous
on the face of it.
The bona fide Marie Chapman.
Mm-hm.
Well, the woman
who came to see me
was of the same
general type and coloring.
Of course, she always
wore big, fancy sunglasses.
So I've been told. I was hoping
she might have taken 'em
off once in your presence.
Well, altogether, I
saw her only four times.
Uh, five, including today.
You saw her today?
Quite by accident. Where?
At the airport,
during noon recess.
Had to meet an incoming client.
An immoderately wealthy one.
And I saw Mrs. Chapman...
Well, that is,
the woman who represented
herself as Mrs. Chapman.
Getting on the
Los Angeles plane.
Uh, I was rather startled.
Thought she might be
abandoning her legal residence.
You're sure it was
the L.A. plane?
Oh, positive.
You're Perry Mason, aren't you?
That's right.
Read you were
representing Chapman.
Nice guy.
You know him?
I have a place up here.
My name's Evans.
Greg Evans.
I'm glad you came along.
Saves me a trip to you.
Something important?
Well, the police didn't
seem to think so...
but maybe you will.
Our viewpoints sometimes differ.
Well, the night
Marie was murdered,
I just happened to ride by...
and before I pulled up,
suddenly the lights
in the cabin went out.
When I knocked, nobody answered.
Someone was in there?
Mm-hm.
I caught her when she
tried to make a run for it.
Had you ever seen her before?
No. But I found out who
she was when I read the note.
Her name is Helen Sprague.
What note?
Marie Chapman
had left it for her.
Something about sending
$2,000 to her in Las Vegas...
if she knew what was good
for her and her husband.
What time was this?
About 20 after 9.
Do you have the note?
Helen Sprague took it.
Well, thanks for
the information.
I'm sure you'll know
what to do with it.
This is the first I've
heard about it, Mr. Mason.
She didn't tell me because
she knew I'd be very angry
about her spending her
own money to pay off my debt.
What was the debt, Mr. Sprague?
Alimony?
A property settlement
she stuck me with.
I was so anxious
to get rid of her,
I'd have promised most anything.
Or done most anything?
What?
No, I didn't kill her,
and neither did Helen.
That's ridiculous.
Oh, I could've killed her.
I hated her enough.
By the way, Mr. Sprague...
how did your wife manage to
drive out to Witmer Canyon
that night without
your knowing it?
I went back to the office
to work after dinner.
I see.
Thanks to both of you.
That's right, Perry.
Hibberly saw this phantom
woman catch the noon plane.
Bold and simple.
To be swallowed up in
metropolitan Los Angeles.
What time did the plane arrive?
One-twenty,
International Airport.
At 12:30, I had a
talk with Ginny Hobart
backstage at Barney's Bistro.
Well, that clears her.
What about Helen Sprague, Paul?
Helen Sprague had an
11:30 dental appointment
and kept it.
That leaves only one person
who could have
impersonated Marie Chapman:
Miss Grace Norwood.
That's from the employment files
of the Chapman Import Company.
Uh, by the way,
she's back in town.
Where had she been?
The desert, she says.
That's all? That's all.
Della, how would you
like to get a divorce?
I thought you were
supposed to be married first.
What's on your mind?
Las Vegas. Ralph Hibberly.
Fly out to L.A. this evening?
Well, I'd have to
get at least $150
for making the trip.
Why don't you come up here?
Oh, I... I can't, Mr. Hibberly.
But I'll be glad to pay
you anything you ask.
A... A friend recommended you.
No, sir. It's...
It's too delicate
to go into over the phone,
but I just must see you tonight.
Yes. Grace Norwood.
Um, 10712 Rossmore Avenue,
Apartment 23.
Yes, I'll be home at 9:30.
Thank you so much, Mr. Hibberly.
All right. I did
overhear that argument
between Mr. Chapman
and his wife.
I did hear them
talk about a divorce
and a $25,000 settlement.
What does that prove?
I get the impression,
Miss Norwood,
that you resented her.
Resented her?
I despised her.
That's a rather strong emotion
for a secretary to feel
about her employer's wife.
Maybe. But I'd feel the
same about someone
who kicked a
defenseless puppy too.
Will you tell us where
you spent your
time in the desert?
No.
Las Vegas, perhaps?
I'm not going to
answer that question.
Grace Norwood?
Yes?
Well, I'm here.
Heh. Obviously. But who are you?
Why, Ralph Hibberly, of course.
Is that supposed to
mean something to me?
Excuse me, Mr. Hibberly.
I'm afraid this is my doing.
My name is Perry Mason.
Won't you please come in?
Mr. Mason, It's a pleasure.
This is my secretary,
Miss Street.
How do you do? How do you do?
Miss Norwood.
Would you please put these on?
Why should I?
Why shouldn't you?
Did you bring me
all the way down here
to check out a theory
of yours, Mr. Mason?
I believe you said $150?
Well, Mr. Hibberly?
No, sir.
This is not the woman who
posed as Mrs. Chapman.
Are you positive?
Yes. I never saw this
woman before in my life.
There's no one left.
The autopsy revealed
Marie Chapman was already dead
when her car went
over into the ravine.
Dr. Hoxie...
what did you determine
to be the cause of death?
Asphyxia due to strangulation.
There was a fracture
of the hyoid bone,
uh, with a hemorrhage
at the place of fracture.
I see. Now, the body was
discovered on what date?
August 13th.
And were you able to determine
from the condition of the body
the date of death?
Yes.
Approximately nine days prior to
the discovery of the body.
That would make it
August 4th? Is that correct?
Yes, sir. Thank you, doctor.
Your witness.
Doctor...
you mentioned a
fracture of the hyoid bone.
I did.
Now, how much applied force
would have been necessary
to have caused that fracture?
Very little.
It's a delicate bone
in a vulnerable
part of the throat.
In other words, doctor,
the strangulation
could have been done
by a woman with
average strength?
No question of that.
Thank you, doctor, that's all.
Miss Grace Norwood
to the stand, please.
The witness may stand down.
Now, Miss Norwood...
during this argument between
the defendant and his wife,
was anything said
about a divorce
or a $25,000 settlement?
Yes.
Would you tell
this court, please,
what the argument was about?
I didn't hear
everything they said.
Well, just tell us
what you did hear.
I'm not sure.
Miss Norwood, you're
evading the questions.
What was the argument about?
Heh. Your Honor,
Miss Norwood is
a hostile witness
to say the least.
Mm.
All right, Mr. Burger, you may
treat her as a hostile witness.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Now, Miss Norwood,
just answer yes or no.
Did the defendant
accuse his wife
of being a compulsive gambler?
Yes.
And didn't he threaten,
or didn't he say,
that he was gonna close
their joint bank account?
He had to because she...
Just yes or no, Miss Norwood.
Yes. I see.
Now, you and
Mr. Chapman left his home
and went back to the
office to do some more work.
Is that correct?
Yes. And then he left you there
and went to the airport?
Yes.
And the plan was that you were
gonna go to the
airport parking lot,
and pick up the key and
the ticket at the exit booth
later that evening,
and then drive the
car back to his home,
is that correct? Yes.
But when you got there,
Miss Norwood,
were the key, the car
and the ticket there?
No.
And that was after
the time of departure
of Mr. Chapman's plane,
wasn't it?
Yes.
Thank you, Miss Norwood.
Cross-examine.
Isn't it true, Miss Norwood,
that you made several
trips out of the state
during the time Mr. Chapman
was out of the country?
I object to that, Your Honor.
That's incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial.
It deals with matters not
covered in direct examination.
The answer's no anyway.
I wouldn't have
killed Marie Chapman
for ten times $25,000.
The witness will refrain
from any such outbursts
in the future.
The objection is sustained.
Clerk will strike the
answer and the question.
Proceed, Mr. Mason.
Would you have killed
her so that Bruce Chapman
would have been free for
you to marry, Miss Norwood?
Your Honor...
Thank you. That's all.
I call Walter Sprague
to the stand, please.
How long were you married
to the deceased, Mr. Sprague?
Not quite a year. But
that was five years ago.
And did you know Bruce
Chapman, the defendant?
Marie's second husband?
I didn't meet him until the
day before he left on his trip.
He visited me at
my place of business.
He told me he just found
out from a private investigator
Marie had been married before.
Something she never told.
Well, what else
transpired at that time?
Well, he asked me a lot
of questions about Marie.
Whether she gambled.
And I told him she did,
but not immoderately.
Whether she chased
around with other men.
I told him she did, but
not indiscriminately.
Whether she lied,
dissembled, and was selfish,
and was capable of
really loving somebody.
I said yes, yes, yes and no.
She wasn't capable of
loving anyone but herself.
And this was the day
before Marie was killed?
Monday, August 3rd, yes.
Thank you, Mr. Sprague.
Your witness.
Mr. Sprague, on the night
of Tuesday, August 4th,
where were you?
My office, working late.
And there was no
one at your office
who could establish
your being there at 11?
No.
I see.
Now, Mr. Sprague,
would you please tell us
the terms of your divorce
settlement with Marie?
I was to pay her $50 a month
until the sum of
$7,500 was reached.
Or until she died?
Yes, I guess so.
That does stop it, doesn't it?
No further questions.
I call Virginia Hobart
to the stand, please.
Do you swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth?
She said her husband
had cut her off,
and that she needed
money desperately.
And that he'd wish she was dead
before she got through with him.
I see.
Thank you, Miss
Hobart. Your witness.
Now, Miss Hobart...
do I understand
from your testimony
that you knew that Bruce
Chapman was prepared to give Marie
a $25,000 property settlement
if she wanted a divorce?
Yes, sir, I knew it.
You and Marie were partners
in a nightclub act at one time,
were you not?
That's right. Years ago.
A so-called sister act?
We weren't really sisters.
But you could almost pass
for sisters, could you not?
Sure we could. We did.
That's all, thank you.
I call Lieutenant
Arthur Tragg, please.
The defendant had a ticket
for the flight leaving at 9:08 p.m.
He missed the plane
and was rerouted
through San Francisco
on the 10:00 plane.
I see. Now, lieutenant,
would you tell us, please,
where you found the body?
In her car at the
bottom of a ravine.
Uh, examination showed that
it had been pushed off the road
beside the Chapman cabin.
And would you
tell us anything else
of an evidential nature
that you discovered on the car?
We found, uh, fingerprints,
later identified as
belonging to Bruce Chapman,
the defendant,
on the, uh, doorsill
on the driver's side of the car,
on the steering wheel,
and full handprints
on the back of the car.
Well, there were other
fingerprints on the car,
weren't there? Yes, sir.
But only full
handprints on the back.
They were Bruce Chapman's.
Thank you,
lieutenant. That'll be all.
Your witness.
Lieutenant, aside from
those of the defendant,
you said there were other
fingerprints found on the car.
Yes, sir.
The decedent's, of course,
and the person who reported
finding the car in the ravine.
And who was that?
Mr. Gregory Evans.
And this kid came
running up to my cabin,
said he'd been shying
rocks over the ravine,
when he heard a loud ping.
So he looked down,
and there was the car.
What did you do then, Mr. Evans?
Well, I phoned
the sheriff's station.
While was waiting, I guess I got
my fingerprints on the car.
I see. Referring you now
to the night of August 4th
at approximately 9:00,
were you in your cabin
in Witmer Canyon?
Oh, I was.
Would you tell
this court, please,
anything that happened
of an unusual nature?
Well, I was sitting on my porch
with my feet up on the rail,
when all of a sudden,
I saw him drive by
with his lights and motor
off, coasting downgrade.
"Him," Mr. Evans?
Bruce Chapman.
What did you do then?
Well, I hollered out to him,
but I guess he didn't hear me.
Anyway, he was gone before I
could drop my boots to the floor
and get out on the road.
I see. Thank you,
Mr. Evans. That'll be all.
Your witness.
Mr. Mason, if you don't object
to postponing your
cross-examination,
the court will call
the noon recess.
I've no objection, Your Honor.
Very well. The court
stands adjourned until 2 p.m.
What's the news
on Helen Sprague?
Well, I found out why she
hasn't been here in court.
Their home was
broken into last night.
Robbery? Mm-hm.
Do you know what
was stolen? No, I don't.
Do you have an idea?
Maybe.
So have I, but about
something else.
I'll see you back here in court.
What was stolen, Mrs. Sprague?
Um.
Well, that's the
funny part of it.
Nothing of value.
I have some silver. We've
been paying out on it.
The thief didn't even touch it.
Of course, it might
be a coincidence,
but I have a feeling
that there's some link
between this robbery and
the murder of Marie Chapman.
Well, what could it be?
Well, it could be
that the thief was after
something he didn't find.
Now, Mr. Evans. You testified
that you saw Bruce Chapman
drive by your place
that night. That's right.
Did you see any
other cars drive by?
No.
Is there only one road
to the Chapman cabin?
Well, yes, there's one road.
It comes up my side, and
goes past the Chapmans',
and down the other
side of the mountain.
Then someone could
drive to the Chapman cabin
and depart without
going past your place?
That's right.
Now, in your testimony,
you said that the
car that you saw
drive by had its lights off.
Yes.
And yet you were able
to identify the driver
as Bruce Chapman?
Oh, it was him, all right.
I know him real well.
How well did you
know Mrs. Chapman?
We were friends.
Go horseback riding with her?
Occasionally.
Alone?
Bruce doesn't ride.
Very attractive
woman, wasn't she?
Yes. She was quite a woman.
Mr. Hibberly, you mean that
without any credentials at all,
a woman, just any woman...
Even a woman employed
for this very purpose,
and having no possible
connection with the subject
can simply put on a
pair of dark sunglasses,
fraudulently impersonate
another person,
and file a suit for divorce.
In this case, a divorce of
a woman already dead?
I regret to say that she could.
And looking at it in that way,
the whole pattern
becomes logical.
Now, I wish you'd look
around this courtroom, sir,
and tell us if you can
identify the woman
who said she was Marie Chapman.
No, I can't.
But then you might bring
the actual woman in here,
and I might fail
to identify her too.
Yes, I understand that.
Now, let's suppose for a minute
that the body wasn't
discovered quite so soon
and that the divorce
actually went through.
And let's suppose further that
the police came to you for help
in establishing
the time of death
of a certain Marie Chapman.
What would you say to them
under these circumstances?
I'd say that she would
have had to be alive
on the date of the plaintiff's
appearance in court
for the granting of her divorce.
Why? What one conclusive fact
would lead you to that opinion?
Well, the fact that the
husband hadn't objected,
and that he had
paid the $25,000.
Thank you, sir.
Your witness.
Now, Mr. Hibberly...
you said the entire
pattern became logical.
Now, let me ask you:
As an attorney, would you say
it's logical for a man to act
as the prosecution contends
the defendant acted?
You mean, murder his
wife, throw her over a cliff,
and then hire someone
to impersonate her
to get a divorce for him
simply to confuse
the time of death?
That's exactly what I mean.
Honestly?
No. I think the scheme
would be fraught with peril
and endless blackmail.
Thank you. That'll be all.
The witness may stand down.
Your Honor...
some new information
has just come to hand.
With the court's permission,
I would like to recall
Miss Virginia
Hobart to the stand.
Any objections, Mr. Burger?
I have no objection, Your Honor.
Miss Hobart, take
the stand, please.
You're still under
oath, Miss Hobart.
Yes, sir.
Miss Hobart...
when Marie Chapman came to you
on the afternoon of August 4th
and asked you for money,
you said you were
unable to help her.
Is that true?
I was stony broke.
Yet, on August 15th,
you informed your agents,
the Theatrical
Artists' Association,
that you were retiring,
quitting the
entertainment business,
and that they should
cancel your engagement
at a place called
Barney's Bistro.
So what?
Well, how do you account
for the sudden shift in fortune?
Well, the answer's
spelled M-A-N.
What man?
The one who asked
me to marry him.
But on August 16th,
just 24 hours later,
you did open at Barney's Bistro.
A rather, um, short
retirement, wasn't it?
Tsk.
So the man unasked
me. It happens, you know.
To me, anyway.
I see.
Now, Miss Hobart, I
believe you told me
that you'd never been
to the Chapman cabin.
That's right.
Would you please
look at this picture?
Isn't that an enlarged
snapshot of you and Greg Evans
taken in front of
the Chapman cabin?
The cabin you told
me you'd never seen?
Heh. All right, so I was
there a couple of times.
Why did you perjure yourself?
I didn't want to get involved.
What do you mean, "involved?"
In the murder and everything.
But you are involved...
in the murder and everything.
What do you mean?
Isn't it true, Miss Hobart,
that you were the one who
posed as Marie Chapman?
That you went to Las Vegas
and sued the
defendant for a divorce?
That you cashed his
certified check for $25,000?
No!
Didn't I have to go back to
work in that crummy joint?
I'm broke.
Didn't you sign Marie
Chapman's name
to a divorce complaint,
a certified check,
and even to Helen
Sprague's check for $2,000?
No.
Isn't it true that you received
that $25,000 check
on August 15th
and then notified your
agents that you were retiring?
And didn't you then
cash that same check
at the Caravan casino?
And didn't you then
unretire yourself
less than eight hours later
because that money was gone,
lost at the gambling tables?
All right.
All right, so I... I
did go to Vegas,
and try and get the
money. Why not?
I went to the cabin that
night. I got there just in time
to see Bruce push
the car with Marie in it
into the ravine.
Why didn't you go to the police?
That wouldn't have done
Marie any good. Or me.
I decided not to
let anyone in on it.
I'd go to Las Vegas, get
the divorce and the money,
and Bruce wouldn't
dare let out a peep.
He killed her, didn't he?
No, Miss Hobart, he did not.
With the court's
permission, at this time,
if I may recall another witness,
I think we might get
at the truth in this case.
Mm-hm. Which witness?
I would like to recall
Mr. Ralph Hibberly.
Mr. Burger?
No objection, Your Honor.
Now, Mr. Hibberly...
do you recognize Miss Hobart
as the spurious Mrs. Chapman?
It's like finding
a face in a cloud.
Sometimes you can't see it
until someone
points it out to you.
Then you wonder why
you couldn't see it before.
What about the identification
at the Las Vegas Airport?
It must have been
just a fleeting...
Um, Your Honor,
may I have a moment?
Yes, Mr. Mason.
You were right, Mr. Mason.
I think we found what
the thief was after.
Mr. Hibberly...
when Mr. Drake
showed you a photograph
of the late Marie Chapman,
you didn't recognize her.
Well, that's right.
How would I know her?
Mm, you'd never seen her?
Never. I told you.
When did you arrive
in town, Mr. Hibberly?
This morning.
Not last night?
No. I said, this morning.
Sprague home was
broken into last night,
or in the early
hours of the morning.
What about it?
Now, what would
the Spragues have
that would tie
in with this case?
You're talking in riddles.
What link so important that
it would warrant a major risk
on the part of a murderer:
breaking, entering, stealing,
or trying to steal?
This is what the murderer
was after, Mr. Hibberly.
Proof that he had
known Marie Chapman,
formerly Marie Sprague.
I had to try and get it.
If you found out
that I had handled Marie's
divorce from Walter Sprague...
then you'd have known
that I couldn't possibly
have been fooled
by the impersonation.
Funny, isn't it?
Bruce Chapman thought all along
that she was a
compulsive gambler.
And all the while
I was the gambler.
She came to Vegas to see me...
not the gaming table.
I killed her.
Marie met Hibberly
at the cabin that night.
When he found out about
your $25,000 settlement offer,
he urged her to go
through with the divorce.
Marie refused. Hibberly told her
he wouldn't see her anymore.
Marie became angry,
vicious, made threats.
It must have shocked her
that someone would treat her
as she had always
treated everybody else.
There was a struggle,
he grabbed her by the throat,
she was dead.
And that's when I came along?
That's right.
Hibberly heard your car coming.
Hiding outside, he
watched you panic,
and then roll the car
and Marie over the cliff.
Then he got the idea
to cash in on the settlement
you'd offered Marie.
So he went to Ginny for help,
and together they
conceived the final plan.
What about Miss Norwood?
She's been visiting
someone in Phoenix.
Friend?
No, a relative.
An invalid husband.
Oh.
An incurable invalid.
He died.
Incidentally, Mr. Chapman,
I have a message
for you from her.
She says that work's piling up,
things are in a turmoil,
and the office needs you.
That sounds exactly
like a secretary.