Perry Mason (1957–1966): Season 3, Episode 21 - The Case of the Nimble Nephew - full transcript
Adam Thompson thinks one of his nephews, Harry Thompson or Elliott Carter, is rifling the house. He sets up an infrared camera near a wall safe to catch the thief. Adam openly marks a survey map to indicate property that he will soon buy, which his assistant, Ellen Foster, puts in the safe. Unknown to Adam, Frank Jarrett as "Norman Durston," puts up earnest money to buy the precise tract drawn on the map. Adam consults with Perry Mason to find out how the land was sold from under him without the safe having been opened. Adam reveals that he never intended to buy the land, but drew the map as a ruse for the thief. Jarrett, needing money, blackmails Victor Logan over a problem with Logan's credentials. Perry and Paul Drake find Jarrett's body in a running auto in his garage. Later, Harry is discovered rifling Jarrett's office and is arrested for murder. Lydia Logan, Victor's daughter and Harry's fiancée, asks Perry to defend them both.
The shutter's muffled
and can't be heard.
The light's infrared
and can't be seen.
It's a brand-new model.
Automatic and foolproof.
As soon as that safe door
opens, the picture's snapped.
Since you already have a
darkroom here in the house,
you don't even have
to call us to develop it.
We've found it the most
effective discourager
of burglaries yet devised.
I don't wanna
discourage a burglary,
I wanna catch one
while it's happening.
Oh. Well, this'll do it.
After you've made the
print, turn it over to the police.
They'll find him.
I already know
where to find him.
He's a member of my household.
One of my two nephews.
Your father's will provides
that the estate remain in trust
until you are 25, Harry.
Yes. Nine months from now.
Are you in, uh, financial
difficulties again?
No.
It's just that he needs money.
How much?
Ten thousand dollars.
What do you need
that much money for?
I need it.
For what?
I just need it.
Well, I'm trustee of the estate,
and I'm not giving it to you.
What're you working on, uncle?
The, eh, La Costa Development.
That's the big one, isn't it?
Figure out where
you're gonna put it?
I think so, Elliott.
You ought to be careful the
information doesn't get out.
Some people would be
willing to give a pretty penny
if they knew where the
next Thompson development
was gonna be located.
The price of land
would skyrocket.
I'm, uh, gratified at
your concern, Elliott.
I've only now made up my
mind. By noon tomorrow,
I'll have had arrangements
made to purchase the land.
Ellen?
Yes?
Lock it away.
Yes, sir.
Good night, Mr. Thompson.
Daddy says he'd see
you at the office tomorrow.
I hope you make a
hundred business deals
and a million dollars so you
can afford to give Harry a raise.
Well, thank you, Lydia.
Does, uh, he want
the money for you?
Harry doesn't tell me
his financial problems.
I'm only his
fiancée, not his wife.
Maybe he wants to
give me a solitaire.
If he does, I vote for
you giving him the money.
Good night, dear. Good night.
Harry. Uncle.
Elliott. Good night, Uncle Adam.
Oh, Ellen. You can go.
You've had a long day.
Oh, thank you,
Mr. Thompson. Good night.
You looking for something?
My money.
My own money.
Come now, cousin.
We both know you're not
after the money in that safe.
Well, what else
would I be after?
The map.
The marked map.
You're crazy.
Okay. Okay, Harry, my boy.
But now I think you
better not open that safe.
Well, you...
You could just
forget you saw me.
Well, you open it and I'll tell
the old boy I saw you here.
But why?
Uncle Adam has been
watching me like a hawk lately.
If he finds anything missing,
he'll be sure I took it.
Oh, good morning, Ellen.
Good morning, Mr. Thompson.
You've been in the darkroom
so early this morning?
Yep.
Well, it's good to see you more
like yourself, Mr. Thompson.
I have been moping a bit lately.
But I've just had good news.
On that negative?
As a matter of fact, yes.
There's nothing on it.
No. Nobody went to this safe
after you put the
map in it last night.
Well, of course not.
Why should anyone?
Well, I was afraid
somebody might.
Do you remember that, eh,
parcel of land down by the beach
that I bought last month?
The one where the price went up
more than $75,000
over the weekend?
Yeah. I'm ashamed
to say that I thought
one of the boys thought more
of money than he did of me.
That he would take
advantage of your confidence?
Well, I should think
you would be ashamed.
But what has that got
to do with the picture?
I wanted to make
positive sure, Ellen.
Did you hear me say
that I was gonna close
on this piece of property
before noon today?
Yes.
Well, now, if Harry and Elliott
wanted to make capital
of this information,
they'd have tried to get at it.
But neither one of them did.
That safe remained
closed all night.
Nobody got at it.
No, nobody knows that
these 309 acres are located...
Between Creek Road past
the county line on the north,
west to the border
of Market Road,
and east through
the county easement.
Three hundred
and nine acres in all.
That's the package.
You're a man of
vision, Mr. Durstine.
Am I?
I've had people look at this
land without realizing that
in 15, 20 years, it'll be worth
five times the purchase price.
Sometimes events
move even faster.
Ten percent down on a
60-day option, you said?
That's right. It
comes to $37,000.
It's a deal.
Let's go to your office,
draw up the papers,
I'll give you my check.
Sorry to put you to
work on Saturday,
but I've a plane to
catch to Philadelphia.
No trouble at all.
I tell you, I can't
understand it, Mason.
Look here. That land
was sold this morning,
and it is impossible
for that information
to be gotten out of the safe.
As of late yesterday afternoon,
I hadn't made up my mind
where were gonna locate
our new development.
You can ask my general
manager Jarrett, here.
That's right. Mr. Thompson
has always maintained
complete secrecy. Even
on the rather extensive
preliminary costs:
licenses, rights of way,
and the very
expensive commitments.
I see.
Then you went home
and marked the map,
baiting the trap for
one of your nephews?
Yes.
Nobody had any, uh,
hints or foreknowledge?
Nobody possibly could.
And this morning?
Well, the infrared
camera was operative
but had not been tripped.
I'm willing to bet
my very last cent
that that safe was not opened
and the map was
not removed from it.
And yet, through some
kind of weird magic,
this very piece of land
that I'd marked off in crayon
was sold this morning.
The exact boundaries, Mason.
How much more is
this gonna cost you?
Ordinarily, a couple of
hundred thousand dollars,
because I would have
invested that much more
in, eh, preliminary costs.
But this time, not
a blessed cent.
Do you think that I've lived
69 years to be made a fool of
by a boy in his 20's?
You mean, those were, um,
fake crayon marks on that map?
Well, I never had
the slightest intention
of buying that
particular acreage.
The only consolation I have is
that someone has bought himself
a $37,000 pig in a poke.
Someone?
Didn't the real estate
office get his name?
Yeah. On his check.
Norman Durstine.
Come Monday morning
10:00, it will be presented
for collection at a local bank.
Well, with all this information,
it shouldn't be too difficult
to find this Durstine fellow.
Ah. You won't have to.
I've got his address too.
It's back in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
Let me see. It's,
um, 1221 A Street.
He's probably flying
back on his way east now.
Just what do you want me
to do for you, Mr. Thompson?
Well, I'm stumped,
Mason. I need help.
Which one of the
boys got into the safe
and told the
mysterious Mr. Durstine?
Are you interested?
Oh, yes.
If we can't get at
the truth at your end,
we'll have to attack
it from the other end.
Through this chap who bought
the land, this Norman Durstine.
He must have some
connection with one of the boys.
We'll just have to
find out what it is.
It's the way I set myself up.
I wasn't worried about exposure.
The deal would have
been over and done with
before it could be traced to me.
Now I'm out on a
limb for $37,000.
I tried to get in touch with the
man to whom I gave the check.
He's out of town,
can't be reached.
This doesn't involve
you, it only involves me.
I'm explaining it to you
because these circumstances
force me to increase
my demands on you.
I want $100,000.
It was 10 the other day,
and I couldn't get that.
I may have a day or two
before Mason backtracks to me.
You have the
same period of time.
A hundred thousand dollars.
Even if it was possible, today's
Saturday, the bank's closed.
You own this building,
you have a home,
you have two cars, you have
a daughter who has jewelry
that was left to
her by your wife.
You can arrange
it by Monday noon.
You'd take everything?
You'd strip me?
When everything comes
out, I'm finished here.
I'll have no recourse,
no job, nothing.
You'll at least have
your profession.
Oh. Am I interrupting?
No. We're just finishing.
How are you, Lydia?
Fine, Mr. Jarrett.
What is it, Dad?
Oh, it's nothing.
No, tell me.
Does it have something
to do with $10,000?
Lydia, years ago, when I
got my architect's license,
there were certain papers:
school credits, affidavits,
that, uh, weren't
quite in order.
Oh.
I don't know how
Jarrett got onto it,
but he has some correspondence
with people back east
that could take away my
license, if it became known.
Jarrett is making demands on me.
This is it, Perry.
Durstine?
Well, it's the address I
got from Philadelphia.
It's lucky I had a friend
there. I wouldn't have been
on this till Monday or
Tuesday. Was it a residence?
No. Just a mailing address.
Under a business name.
What name? J&L
Construction Company.
And this is the Los
Angeles address.
Nobody home.
Yeah. I checked the
phone. It's not listed under
the J&L Construction Company.
Paul...
Not listed under the
name Durstine either.
What's the matter?
You hear something?
Yeah, that's a hum of some kind.
The rear of the house.
Coming from in there.
Carbon monoxide.
Is he dead?
Yes.
Well, that must be Durstine.
It might be, but he was
introduced as Frank Jarrett,
general manager of the
Adam Thompson Company.
Oh, so he must've realized
that the information leak
would be traced back to him.
Well, the poor guy
decided to commit suicide.
Wait a minute. No, he didn't.
Not with all those
bruises all over his head.
Come on, Paul.
Let's call Homicide.
He, uh, looked as though
he'd been in a fight, lieutenant.
Was he unconscious when
the motor was turned on?
The doc says it'll take
a while to answer that.
Perry. Hm?
Did you, uh, know Frank Jarrett?
Yes, I've met him.
Huh? Where?
In my office. Client?
No, no. He was introduced to me
as general manager of the
Thompson Development Company.
Oh. The subdividers.
That's right.
What brought you out here?
As a matter of fact, lieutenant,
I was looking for a man by
the name of Norman Durstine.
Who's Norman Durstine?
I don't know.
Well, why were you
looking for him here?
His trail led here.
Hm...
Looking for Durstine, you
wound up finding Jarrett.
Mm-hm.
Uh, Paul Drake in on this?
In looking for
Durstine? Uh, why, yes.
Where is he?
Performing a chore.
Now, Perry, would you
like to tell me all about it?
Lieutenant, I'll, uh, answer
any questions I possibly can.
All right. Let's start
with who your client is.
Adam Thompson.
What are you
representing him for?
Uh-uh. You must
know Harry Thompson?
No, I've never met him.
He's Adam Thompson's nephew.
I believe he works for Adam.
Then you don't represent
Harry Thompson?
No, I don't. Good.
Because we found his wallet
on the floor in the house.
The room was a shambles.
Anybody here?
Hello.
Hello.
Hello,
Hello?
What are you doing here, Harry?
You look like you've
been in a fight.
Did you do this?
Yes.
Why?
I was looking for something.
What?
Evidence of your
collusion with Frank Jarrett?
What collusion?
To buy land I'd
selected for subdivision
and hold me up for
a bonus payment.
No.
Oh, no, Uncle Adam, I swear not.
Why, then?
I can't tell you.
It has nothing to do
with company business.
Did you get into the wall
safe at home last night?
No.
Did you learn where I
marked off the 309 acres?
No.
Elliott said
something about that.
I didn't.
You're my brother's son.
I've tried to be
a father to you.
I know you have, Uncle Adam.
You Adam Thompson?
Yes. Homicide. Lieutenant Tragg.
Jarrett's office?
Yes, lieutenant.
Yeah. What were
you, uh, looking for?
Oh, the office was
like this when I came in.
Oh, then you, uh,
didn't come in together.
Just a moment... I'll
handle this, Mason.
You Harry Thompson?
Yes. What's this homicide about?
Frank Jarrett was
found murdered.
Murdered?
Jarrett, dead?
I guess we better take
a little trip downtown.
Mason.
Oh, lieutenant, I'm
sure you'll tell the boy
that he can ask the
advice of an attorney
before he answers
any of your questions.
Mm-hm.
Did Harry come up here
with you, Mr. Thompson?
No. No, he didn't.
Then, uh, he was
here when you arrived?
Yes.
Will you act as his
attorney, Mason?
There are certain
elements in this case
of which you may not be aware.
Oh, that's all right.
I just want him to have
the best support possible.
Will you?
I'll talk with him.
You know, if he
becomes my client,
I'd be committed to him.
What does that mean?
I'd let the chips
fall where they may.
He'd be my primary concern.
Oh. Yes, of course.
Yes. I understand.
I'll still wanna talk with him
before I make any decision.
That mean you
wanna find out first
whether he's guilty or not?
No. Just whether I wanna
represent him or not.
What was he
looking for in there?
He wouldn't tell me.
Maybe he'll tell me.
No, Mr. Mason.
I'm sorry. I can't tell you.
Is it personal?
Yes.
The police are likely to
think that your going through
Jarrett's office may be
connected with his murder.
I didn't kill him.
But you did go to his
house this afternoon.
Yes. Late this afternoon.
On the same matter?
Yes.
What time was that?
I got there about ten of 5.
What started the fight?
I accused him of something,
and he got difficult.
It must have been
something pretty important.
It was.
The police found
your wallet on the floor.
I realized it was
missing after I left.
Was he in the
house when you left?
On the floor. Out cold.
After you left, what did you do?
I... I'd searched the
house with no luck.
I thought the thing
I was looking for
might be in his office.
Why didn't you go
back for your wallet
when you discovered it was gone?
Didn't you realize it
could be evidence?
Evidence of what?
I didn't do anything.
I thought I'd get it later.
I just wanted to get to his
office as quickly as possible.
Do you know about
the infrared camera
your uncle had installed
by the wall safe at home?
Yes. I know about it now.
But I didn't last night.
Do you have any thoughts
on how someone could've
circumvented the camera
and opened the safe?
No.
No?
No, I have no idea how
it could've been done.
What have you told the police?
Nothing.
I just said I wanted to
speak to my attorney first.
You know, the way you indicated.
Harry, are you trying
to protect someone?
Your uncle? Your,
um, cousin Elliott?
Do you have a girl?
Morning, Della.
Morning, Mr. Mason.
Oh, from the tone of your
voice, it appears we have a visitor.
Mm-hm. She's quite lovely.
Someone I know?
Lydia Logan. Strike a note?
No.
I had time to find out she's
engaged to Harry Thompson.
Oh. Has Paul been in?
Mm-hm. He said to
tell you that he spoke to
the infrared camera technician,
who stated positively nothing
could have gone wrong.
If anyone opened that safe,
the picture would've been taken.
All right, Della.
Please ask Miss
Logan to come in.
Mm-hm.
Won't you come in?
Won't you, uh, sit
down, Miss Logan?
Mr. Mason.
Mr. Mason, I trust
your discretion
because I know your reputation
and because you represent Harry.
We're going to be married
when this is all straightened out.
I'm afraid it's because of me
that he's got
himself into trouble.
How? Because 20 years ago,
when my father got
his architect's license,
certain school papers,
credits, weren't quite in order.
And if it became known,
he might lose his license.
I see.
My father doesn't know
how Mr. Jarrett got onto it,
but it seems he
had correspondence
that established
the irregularities.
So he, uh, blackmailed
your father?
Yes. And I told Harry about it.
Go on.
Well, don't you see?
Harry went to
Mr. Jarrett's house,
they got in an argument.
And then suddenly,
Harry thought that perhaps
the correspondence
might be in the office.
That's what he
was searching for.
Does your father work for the
Thompson Development Company?
Well, he has his own office.
But he has been
doing work for them.
Now, as I understand it,
your father was not present
when the map was
put into the safe.
No. But I was.
Uh, Mr. Thompson
went upstairs to bed
when the safe was
closed, did he not?
Yes. I believe so.
Did, um, Elliott
go upstairs too,
or did he remain in the study?
He was in the study
when Harry and I left.
And the secretary?
Ellen Foster?
She left the same time we did.
Mr. Mason, I don't know how
that map was taken out of the safe.
But I do know that Harry
has an idea about it.
An idea about how it was done?
No. An idea who did it.
Who did?
He probably would deny
it to you, out of loyalty.
But he said if anyone did it,
it had to be either himself...
And he didn't.
- -or Elliott.
I didn't know there
was a camera there.
Not at that time.
I had no interest
in the map, anyway.
But you did know the
value it represented.
Well, yes. But I have
no head for business.
Or should I say intrigue?
Look, I wouldn't know
how to go about capitalizing
on something like that, even
if I'd gotten the information.
Do you know the
combination to the safe?
No.
You seem surprised, Miss Foster.
Think harder, Elliott.
Hm?
Ellen, hasn't the
combination been changed
in the last two years?
No, Mr. Carter.
Then I guess I do know it.
I thought you certainly
would've changed it, Uncle Adam.
You have a convenient
memory at times, Elliott.
I didn't go into that safe.
What are you looking
for, a scapegoat?
I know you've got
it all figured out
that whoever got to
the map is the murderer.
Well, I'll tell you
what happened.
I've already told
the district attorney,
I might as well tell you.
You told the district...?
I was in bed. I heard
Harry going down the hall.
I put on my robe and
followed him in here.
I found him right there, with
his hand out to open that safe.
Did he open it?
No. Not then. Not that I saw.
But I didn't.
And the way it shapes
up, one of us did.
So now you figure it out.
He didn't follow me in here and
stop me from opening the safe.
I followed him and stopped him.
The death was
caused by asphyxiation
from carbon monoxide gas
sometime between the
hours of 5:30 and 7:00
on the afternoon of
Saturday, March the 5th.
Police describe physical
details of an unusual nature.
There was a severe
contusion on the lower portion
of the back of the head.
And there were other marks:
cuts, lacerations
around the face,
the forehead and the knuckles.
This gave evidence
of physical conflict.
Was this blow on the back
of the head severe enough
to cause unconsciousness?
Yes. The blow caused
a cranial hemorrhage
which resulted in
unconsciousness.
Did your autopsy disclose
whether the decedent
was conscious or not
during the inhalation
of the carbon monoxide fumes?
The blood clot on the brain
showed evidence
of carbon monoxide.
It is apparent therefore
that the decedent was alive
but unconscious
during the period of time
when the carbon monoxide
could have been inhaled.
Thank you. Mr. Mason.
Mr. Drumm.
Uh, doctor, this, uh, contusion
on the back of the head,
could it have
resulted from a fall?
Without a weapon of
some kind being used?
No, sir. It required
a heavy instrument.
Oh, iron or steel, perhaps,
weighing several pounds.
Was there evidence of more
than one blow on the head?
Yes, there was.
Now, doctor, from
the point of time,
can you tell which blow
caused unconsciousness,
the first or the second?
Well, as to that,
I cannot state.
There was nothing in
my examination to indicate
the time sequence
of the two blows.
Thank you,
doctor. That'll be all.
Well, on the 8th of February,
a piece of land was purchased
by Mr. Adam Thompson,
at a price which had risen
$75,000 practically overnight.
And that's why Mr. Thompson
took security measures
on the latest transaction?
Yes, sir.
As Mr. Thompson's
confidential secretary,
would you know who purchased
that parcel the first time?
Yes. A man by the name
of Durstine, connected with
the J&L Construction
Company o-of Philadelphia.
In some manner, Mr. Durstine
must have obtained information
about Mr. Thompson's
proposed land transaction.
Yes.
Now, can you explain your
employer's security measures
in the latest transaction?
Well, eh, Mr. Thompson
didn't tell anybody
which site he had selected.
H-he never did, anyway.
But, uh, on the night
of Friday, March the 4th,
he told each of us in his study
that he had marked his map
and that he would purchase
the land by noon of the next day.
Well, now, who was
in the study at that time
besides Mr. Adam Thompson?
Well, there was, uh, Elliott.
Uh, Elliott Carter, that is.
Uh, Harry Thompson,
Lydia Logan a-and myself.
Go on, Miss Foster.
Well, I locked the
map in the safe.
Well, who knew the
combination of that safe?
We all did, e-except Miss Logan.
Now, were you in the house
on the following morning,
when the safe was reopened?
Yes, sir. And the map was there.
It had not been removed.
Somebody must've learned
about the markings on the map,
because again Mr. Durstine
bought the property
before Mr. Thompson
was able to do so.
Now, is that true?
Yes.
Now I show you a photograph,
and I ask you to identify it.
That's, uh, Frank Jarrett,
Mr. Thompson's general manager.
The deceased.
Yes.
Now, will you relate to
the court what transpired
about 4:15 of the
afternoon of the murder?
A telephone call came for
Mr. Harry Thompson from Miss Logan.
How'd you know
it was Miss Logan?
Well, I answer the telephone.
A-and I recognized her voice,
a-and then she said
it was Miss Logan.
And when she asked to
speak to Harry Thompson,
he called her "Lydia."
Well, then, you were present
and heard the defendant's
half of the conversation?
Yes.
Now, as near as
you can remember,
will you please tell the court
about that conversation?
Well, uh, he said,
"Talk slower, Lydia,"
um, and "Why didn't
you tell me this before?"
And, uh...
Then he said, um...
"I can take care of
Jarrett another way.
Look, honey, don't worry."
And then he hung up.
What did he do then?
He left the house.
And what time was that?
Oh, about, um, half past 4.
Cross-examine.
Miss Foster, do you
usually work on Saturdays?
No. Uh, but Mr. Thompson
had asked me
to work this
particular Saturday.
What time did you arrive?
Oh, about, uh, 9:00.
Perhaps a little after.
What time did you leave?
About, uh, 5:00.
Perhaps a little before.
Now, as Mr. Thompson's
confidential secretary,
did he ever tell
you of his plans
when he was picking out
or selecting property to buy?
No, sir.
Did you know that he'd
installed an infrared camera,
designed to take the picture
of anyone opening the safe?
No, sir. Not until the
Saturday morning.
Now, you placed the
map inside the safe
and then you closed and
locked the safe, is that correct?
Yes, sir.
And you were present
the next morning
when Mr. Thompson opened
the safe and took the map out?
Yes, sir.
And what did Mr. Thompson
say at that time?
That nobody had opened the safe.
That the camera had
not taken anyone's picture,
therefore nobody
had opened the safe.
Thank you. That'll be all.
Yes, sir. This is a
photograph of the man
that gave me the
check for the $37,000.
He called himself
Norman Durstine.
His check, drawn
on a local bank,
was signed "Norman Durstine."
But this man has been identified
as Frank Jarrett, the deceased.
Well, I guess it's
one and the same.
Whatever he called himself,
he knew exactly
which 309 acres to buy.
Thank you.
Did Mr. Harry Thompson
open this safe in your presence?
No sir, he did not open
the safe in my presence.
But he was at the safe,
and he wanted to open it.
Then I went back to bed and
don't know what else happened.
Thank you.
The J&L Construction
Company of Philadelphia,
authorized signature
Norman Durstine,
had three transactions
in my bank:
the deposit of $75,000,
the issuance of two checks.
One for $10,000, the
second one for $37,000.
You say a check for $10,000?
That's right.
Now I show you a check
cashed February the 9th,
just one day after
the $75,000 deposit.
I ask you if you
can identify it.
Yes, sir.
This is it.
Made to the order
of Harry Thompson.
Jarrett gave you a
check for 10,000?
What for?
He heard I needed it, so
he offered to lend it to me.
Lydia didn't know
anything about that.
I ask that this be
marked State's exhibit K.
Mr. Mason?
No objection, Your Honor.
Your witness, counselor.
No questions, Mr. Drumm.
Now, Miss Logan, you've
been adjudged a hostile witness,
you will therefore
answer yes or no.
Did you speak to the
defendant, Harry Thompson,
on the afternoon of
Saturday, March the 5th?
Yes.
And did you tell him that your
father was being blackmailed
by Frank Jarrett?
And that Jarrett had
some damaging
correspondence in his possession?
Yes.
And is the testimony
by Ellen Foster
relative to the defendant's
conversation with you
essentially literal?
Yes. The defendant said,
"I can take care of
Jarrett another way.
Look, honey, don't
worry." Is that true?
Yes.
Your witness.
Miss Logan, you are
aware that Mr. Jarrett's home
gave evidence of a search?
Yes.
And that the defendant admitted
to searching for something
in Mr. Jarrett's office at
the Thompson Company?
Yes. He was looking
for that correspondence.
But he didn't kill him for it.
He was just trying
to help my father.
Thank you, Miss
Logan. That'll be all.
We found the decedent
slumped over the wheel of his car.
The garage abuts the house.
Lieutenant, did you cause
the house to be examined?
Yes, sir.
It showed evidence of a hasty
search and, um, a struggle.
Go on, lieutenant.
Well, some, uh, furniture was
overturned in the living room,
a lamp smashed.
Bloodstains on the rug.
Did you have the
bloodstains analyzed?
Type AB. Same
as the defendant's.
And the deceased's
blood type was O.
Lieutenant, I show
you this wallet
and ask you to identify it.
Yes, sir, it was found on the
deceased's living room floor.
Inside the wallet,
papers identifying it
as belonging to the
defendant, Harry Thompson.
And I show you this
police laboratory report.
Can you identify it?
Yes, sir. These mark
the defendant's presence
in the garage.
A handprint and fingerprints
on the doorsill of the car.
Fingerprints and one
forefinger print, in blood type AB,
on the chromium handle
of the glove compartment,
and a print on a strip of
chromium on the trunk.
And they're all belonging to
the defendant, Harry Thompson.
Lieutenant, did you
have an occasion to visit
the Thompson Company offices
on Saturday night, March 5th?
Yes, I did. And
what did you find?
Well, the office of Frank
Jarrett was in disorder.
In the office were Adam
Thompson and Harry Thompson.
You subsequently
searched the office?
I did. And what did you find?
In a strongbox
behind a file drawer,
a cancelled check with
a note, uh, clipped to it.
Now, lieutenant, I show you
a cancelled check with a note
written in longhand.
Can you identify it?
Yes, sir. This is the
original check for $10,000,
made out to Harry Thompson,
endorsed by Harry Thompson,
and this is the
note clipped to it.
Would you read the note, please?
It says, "Harry Thompson's
participation in first deal,
gross $75,000." And is in the
handwriting of Frank Jarrett.
Your Honor, I would like to have
these marked for identification.
What else haven't you told me?
He lied to me, he neglected
to tell me all the truth.
But what's worse, I don't know
yet what happened with that map,
and I think it's the
key to the whole case.
Well, whoever took that
information out of the safe
must've passed it on to Jarrett.
Then, when things went wrong,
he had to kill Jarrett in
order to protect himself.
What about the $10,000 check
Harry Thompson cashed, Perry?
Jarrett loaned him
the money, all right.
Harry wanted it to
help Victor Logan.
And the note?
He couldn't explain that.
What about the fingerprints
all over Jarrett's car?
Harry said when he left Jarrett
unconscious in the living room,
he went out to the
garage to search the car
for those incriminating letters.
Anything else? Nope.
I haven't had a report on the
Jarrett-Durstine research yet.
Della, call Adam Thompson.
Tell him we're on
our way to see him.
I'll meet you back in
court. Come on, Paul.
I worked on the map here.
And no one could see
what you were doing?
No one.
And then what?
Well, Elliott started
to approach me,
so I folded the map,
put it in the envelope,
and gave it to Ellen
to put in the safe.
Was there any way of
Ellen seeing the map?
No.
How long has she worked for you?
Thirteen years.
All right, go on.
Oh, I've gone over
this a hundred times.
I had left the safe open.
Ellen took the envelope,
put it in the safe,
closed and locked the door.
And from that moment
on, if the door were opened,
the camera would've
automatically taken a picture.
And it didn't. No.
Then the first thing I did
when I came down here
the following morning, was to
take the film out of the camera
and develop it. It was blank.
And, uh, during that time,
the map was inside the safe.
Yes.
Now, you did all this when you
first came down in the morning.
What time did you get
up that Saturday morning?
Eight-thirty.
Possibly a bit later.
There's a law of logic that says
if you're searching
for the truth,
you sometimes have
to look for the illogical.
Paul, I'd like you to
canvas this neighborhood
for something that
might've happened
on the morning of the murder.
Something illogical, like a pink
elephant or a wandering lion?
No, nothing that spectacular.
Just something... Something
even slightly unusual.
All right. Mr. Thompson.
Well, what have you
got on your mind, Mason?
A hope.
We couldn't find
the correspondence
Harry Thompson
said he was looking for.
We couldn't find it in
Jarrett's house, in his office,
in his effects, anywhere.
Well, suppose there was no
incriminating correspondence
at all, lieutenant.
What then would the
defendant have been looking for?
The cancelled check.
Oh, but that would be foolish.
Records, photostats of it would
still be available at the bank.
Well, then it must've
been the correspondence.
But if, as the State contends,
Harry Thompson
killed Frank Jarrett,
he would've at the same time
have removed the blackmailer,
so the correspondence
then would be a non sequitur.
Isn't that right?
I protest the counselor's
questioning, Your Honor,
as argumentative and improper.
Furthermore, the State's
next witness will clear up
the matter of the blackmail
and the correspondence.
Mr. Mason?
I withdraw the questions
objected to by the
prosecutor, Your Honor.
And, uh, I have no further
questions of this witness.
Mr. Drumm, you may
call your next witness.
I call Victor
Logan to the stand.
On the afternoon of
Saturday, March the 5th,
my daughter came to my office,
just as Frank
Jarrett was leaving.
Go on, sir. What had
transpired before her arrival?
Jarrett made certain
demands on me.
For what?
Money. And why?
Jarrett had some letters,
correspondence with
officials back east,
that would've ruined me.
- I see.
And you told your
daughter about this
after Jarrett had left?
Nothing to report on the
Jarrett-Durstine business yet.
But I got lucky on the
something unusual happening.
And then what, Mr. Logan?
Well, Lydia called
Harry and told him.
Then you heard her
end of the conversation?
Yes. And what
exactly did she say?
Well, she told him everything.
About the correspondence,
the architect's license
that I could lose,
money that I needed, all of it.
Thank you, Mr. Logan.
Cross-examine.
Now, Mr. Logan, these "certain
demands" made upon you
by Frank Jarrett,
that was, eh, really
blackmail, wasn't it?
Yes.
About a month
before Jarrett's death,
was it also blackmail when, um,
Harry Thompson borrowed $10,000
from Jarrett, and
then gave it to you?
Well, no. I...
I hadn't asked Harry
for the $10,000 then.
Well, the night
before the murder,
Harry Thompson asked
his uncle for $10,000.
What about that?
A blackmail then, also?
Yes.
For irregularities
in your application
for an architect's license?
Yes, sir.
Eh, Mr. Logan,
prior to this hearing,
an investigation into your
schooling, your affidavits,
your records showed absolutely
no irregularities connected
in any way with your
architect's application or license.
You went into that?
Yes, and I suggest
that the irregularities
were just a fiction,
made up by you,
to account for
Jarrett's blackmail.
And consequently there were
no letters or correspondence.
Mr. Logan, since I have
no desire to entrap you,
I must advise you that an
investigation is also being made
into the J&L
Construction Company:
its officers, its partners, its
business and its prospects.
Your Honor, it seems to me
that Counsel is going far afield
in his cross-examination
of this witness, and I object.
I don't think so, Mr. Drumm.
And I'm extremely interested
in the course this
examination is taking.
Proceed, Mr. Mason.
Mr. Logan, I want a truthful
answer to a previous question.
About a month before
Frank Jarrett's death,
did you ask the defendant
to lend you $10,000?
Well, I may... Yes, I did.
And he got the money for you.
Yes.
Did he tell you
that Frank Jarrett
had offered to lend
the money to him?
Well, I... I don't recall that.
Now, isn't it true that
this whole $10,000 deal
was for the purpose of
implicating Harry Thompson?
Implicating Harry? How?
By making it appear that
he was working with Jarrett,
that he was the link
to Adam Thompson.
That's what impelled
Jarrett to write that little note
and append it to the
cancelled check, wasn't it?
I don't know
anything about that.
I think you do.
I think when you got
the $10,000 from Harry,
you didn't return it to Jarrett.
You put Jarrett off
for several weeks,
until finally, he
demanded the money.
Why?
Because it had to
go into the coffers
of the J&L Construction Company.
Norman Durstine
might've needed the money
for an option on a
forthcoming land purchase.
You can't prove that.
There's no evidence of it.
I'm getting evidence of it now.
On the following day,
when the world of Frank
Jarrett, alias Norman Durstine,
crumbled around his ears,
he came to you and
blackmailed you, didn't he?
What for? For your
unethical conduct.
For your participation with him
in the J&L Construction Company.
J&L,
Jarrett and Logan.
I didn't kill him.
He blackmailed you
by threatening to reveal
the whole story, didn't he?
Yes, but I didn't kill him.
I didn't get the
information on the map...
Your Honor, I think I
can clarify this question
of who did get the information
and who was the link between
Frank Jarrett and Adam Thompson.
What do you propose, Mr. Mason?
I would like to
recall Ellen Foster.
Miss Foster, we
would like to clarify
the enigma of how the
information was obtained
from that map.
Yes, sir. I-I wondered
about it myself.
An answer occurs to me, but it
requires clarification from you.
Yes, sir? An answer?
Well, we've been faced with
the impossibility of anyone
opening the safe
and removing the map.
Yes, sir.
We should've agreed
with that possibility
and gone on from there.
Well, I... I don't understand.
Well, if the information
was obtained,
and the map was never
taken from the safe,
obviously it was
never put into the safe.
Oh. But I put it in.
No, Miss Foster,
you just made it appear
as though you did.
But... But it was there in
the morning, in the safe,
when Mr. Thompson
himself took it out.
It... It was in there then.
Yes, it, um, was in there then.
Miss Foster, a Mrs.
Felicity Ambrose
lives directly across the street
from the Thompson house.
She owns a pair of Siamese cats.
And at 20 minutes before 9
on Saturday morning, March 5th,
she took in the pint of milk
the milkman had just left
at her side door.
Well, what about it?
With, uh, gentle prodding,
Mrs. Ambrose remembered
an unusual scene
across the street.
She remembers seeing
you come out of the house,
wearing your coat,
and getting into your car
in front of the house,
and picking up a newspaper
in the car and starting to read.
Well, I was just looking
for something in the paper.
Mrs. Ambrose also
noticed from time to time
that you went to the side
window of the house and looked in.
And that about a
half an hour later,
you went back into the house,
and this time you
remained there.
Well, I was, uh, early for work.
Well, early or not, wasn't
there a special reason
you didn't remain in
the house the first time?
I just preferred
to sit in the car.
Now, let's go back to the map
being out of the safe all night.
Making its appearance
at approximately
9:15 in the morning,
when Adam Thompson opened
the safe and removed the map.
I-I... I still don't
know the answer.
Yes, you do.
Because when you entered
the house the first time,
you went into the study, opened
the safe and put the map back.
That you then heard
Mr. Thompson in the darkroom,
and though you didn't
understand why he was there,
you thought it best
not to arrive for work
until he'd returned
to the study.
That's right.
I took the film into the
darkroom and developed it
before I opened the safe.
For that half hour, the
safe was vulnerable.
She must've put
the map back then.
Now, Miss Foster,
you took the map because
of Frank Jarrett, didn't you?
The information on the map,
you turned over to
Frank Jarrett, didn't you?
Yes, I did it.
And I killed Frank.
He was going to leave me.
After all those years together,
and... And all we
meant to each other.
He was going to get together
all the money he could,
a-a-and leave me.
He...
In the garage, he... He
turned his back on me.
And I hit him with the wrench,
and I put him in the car,
and I turned on... the motor.
Well... Thanks, Mason.
I never spent money
with greater pleasure.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson.
In this instance, your
pleasure is my pleasure.
You know, I had no
inkling of a love affair
between Ellen
and... And, uh, Jarrett.
As I understand it, she
followed Harry to the house,
and then after Harry left,
she had a scene with Jarrett.
That's right.
Mr. Thompson, did
you actually think
that Harry killed Jarrett?
I didn't know.
You see, I was
afraid that because
I hadn't loaned him the money,
that he might try
to get back at me.
What about Elliott?
Oh, I never did
figure it was Elliott.
No. He hasn't the
temperament nor the courage.
I understand Harry
asked you for another loan.
Yes. Honeymoon money.
I gave it to him this time.
and can't be heard.
The light's infrared
and can't be seen.
It's a brand-new model.
Automatic and foolproof.
As soon as that safe door
opens, the picture's snapped.
Since you already have a
darkroom here in the house,
you don't even have
to call us to develop it.
We've found it the most
effective discourager
of burglaries yet devised.
I don't wanna
discourage a burglary,
I wanna catch one
while it's happening.
Oh. Well, this'll do it.
After you've made the
print, turn it over to the police.
They'll find him.
I already know
where to find him.
He's a member of my household.
One of my two nephews.
Your father's will provides
that the estate remain in trust
until you are 25, Harry.
Yes. Nine months from now.
Are you in, uh, financial
difficulties again?
No.
It's just that he needs money.
How much?
Ten thousand dollars.
What do you need
that much money for?
I need it.
For what?
I just need it.
Well, I'm trustee of the estate,
and I'm not giving it to you.
What're you working on, uncle?
The, eh, La Costa Development.
That's the big one, isn't it?
Figure out where
you're gonna put it?
I think so, Elliott.
You ought to be careful the
information doesn't get out.
Some people would be
willing to give a pretty penny
if they knew where the
next Thompson development
was gonna be located.
The price of land
would skyrocket.
I'm, uh, gratified at
your concern, Elliott.
I've only now made up my
mind. By noon tomorrow,
I'll have had arrangements
made to purchase the land.
Ellen?
Yes?
Lock it away.
Yes, sir.
Good night, Mr. Thompson.
Daddy says he'd see
you at the office tomorrow.
I hope you make a
hundred business deals
and a million dollars so you
can afford to give Harry a raise.
Well, thank you, Lydia.
Does, uh, he want
the money for you?
Harry doesn't tell me
his financial problems.
I'm only his
fiancée, not his wife.
Maybe he wants to
give me a solitaire.
If he does, I vote for
you giving him the money.
Good night, dear. Good night.
Harry. Uncle.
Elliott. Good night, Uncle Adam.
Oh, Ellen. You can go.
You've had a long day.
Oh, thank you,
Mr. Thompson. Good night.
You looking for something?
My money.
My own money.
Come now, cousin.
We both know you're not
after the money in that safe.
Well, what else
would I be after?
The map.
The marked map.
You're crazy.
Okay. Okay, Harry, my boy.
But now I think you
better not open that safe.
Well, you...
You could just
forget you saw me.
Well, you open it and I'll tell
the old boy I saw you here.
But why?
Uncle Adam has been
watching me like a hawk lately.
If he finds anything missing,
he'll be sure I took it.
Oh, good morning, Ellen.
Good morning, Mr. Thompson.
You've been in the darkroom
so early this morning?
Yep.
Well, it's good to see you more
like yourself, Mr. Thompson.
I have been moping a bit lately.
But I've just had good news.
On that negative?
As a matter of fact, yes.
There's nothing on it.
No. Nobody went to this safe
after you put the
map in it last night.
Well, of course not.
Why should anyone?
Well, I was afraid
somebody might.
Do you remember that, eh,
parcel of land down by the beach
that I bought last month?
The one where the price went up
more than $75,000
over the weekend?
Yeah. I'm ashamed
to say that I thought
one of the boys thought more
of money than he did of me.
That he would take
advantage of your confidence?
Well, I should think
you would be ashamed.
But what has that got
to do with the picture?
I wanted to make
positive sure, Ellen.
Did you hear me say
that I was gonna close
on this piece of property
before noon today?
Yes.
Well, now, if Harry and Elliott
wanted to make capital
of this information,
they'd have tried to get at it.
But neither one of them did.
That safe remained
closed all night.
Nobody got at it.
No, nobody knows that
these 309 acres are located...
Between Creek Road past
the county line on the north,
west to the border
of Market Road,
and east through
the county easement.
Three hundred
and nine acres in all.
That's the package.
You're a man of
vision, Mr. Durstine.
Am I?
I've had people look at this
land without realizing that
in 15, 20 years, it'll be worth
five times the purchase price.
Sometimes events
move even faster.
Ten percent down on a
60-day option, you said?
That's right. It
comes to $37,000.
It's a deal.
Let's go to your office,
draw up the papers,
I'll give you my check.
Sorry to put you to
work on Saturday,
but I've a plane to
catch to Philadelphia.
No trouble at all.
I tell you, I can't
understand it, Mason.
Look here. That land
was sold this morning,
and it is impossible
for that information
to be gotten out of the safe.
As of late yesterday afternoon,
I hadn't made up my mind
where were gonna locate
our new development.
You can ask my general
manager Jarrett, here.
That's right. Mr. Thompson
has always maintained
complete secrecy. Even
on the rather extensive
preliminary costs:
licenses, rights of way,
and the very
expensive commitments.
I see.
Then you went home
and marked the map,
baiting the trap for
one of your nephews?
Yes.
Nobody had any, uh,
hints or foreknowledge?
Nobody possibly could.
And this morning?
Well, the infrared
camera was operative
but had not been tripped.
I'm willing to bet
my very last cent
that that safe was not opened
and the map was
not removed from it.
And yet, through some
kind of weird magic,
this very piece of land
that I'd marked off in crayon
was sold this morning.
The exact boundaries, Mason.
How much more is
this gonna cost you?
Ordinarily, a couple of
hundred thousand dollars,
because I would have
invested that much more
in, eh, preliminary costs.
But this time, not
a blessed cent.
Do you think that I've lived
69 years to be made a fool of
by a boy in his 20's?
You mean, those were, um,
fake crayon marks on that map?
Well, I never had
the slightest intention
of buying that
particular acreage.
The only consolation I have is
that someone has bought himself
a $37,000 pig in a poke.
Someone?
Didn't the real estate
office get his name?
Yeah. On his check.
Norman Durstine.
Come Monday morning
10:00, it will be presented
for collection at a local bank.
Well, with all this information,
it shouldn't be too difficult
to find this Durstine fellow.
Ah. You won't have to.
I've got his address too.
It's back in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
Let me see. It's,
um, 1221 A Street.
He's probably flying
back on his way east now.
Just what do you want me
to do for you, Mr. Thompson?
Well, I'm stumped,
Mason. I need help.
Which one of the
boys got into the safe
and told the
mysterious Mr. Durstine?
Are you interested?
Oh, yes.
If we can't get at
the truth at your end,
we'll have to attack
it from the other end.
Through this chap who bought
the land, this Norman Durstine.
He must have some
connection with one of the boys.
We'll just have to
find out what it is.
It's the way I set myself up.
I wasn't worried about exposure.
The deal would have
been over and done with
before it could be traced to me.
Now I'm out on a
limb for $37,000.
I tried to get in touch with the
man to whom I gave the check.
He's out of town,
can't be reached.
This doesn't involve
you, it only involves me.
I'm explaining it to you
because these circumstances
force me to increase
my demands on you.
I want $100,000.
It was 10 the other day,
and I couldn't get that.
I may have a day or two
before Mason backtracks to me.
You have the
same period of time.
A hundred thousand dollars.
Even if it was possible, today's
Saturday, the bank's closed.
You own this building,
you have a home,
you have two cars, you have
a daughter who has jewelry
that was left to
her by your wife.
You can arrange
it by Monday noon.
You'd take everything?
You'd strip me?
When everything comes
out, I'm finished here.
I'll have no recourse,
no job, nothing.
You'll at least have
your profession.
Oh. Am I interrupting?
No. We're just finishing.
How are you, Lydia?
Fine, Mr. Jarrett.
What is it, Dad?
Oh, it's nothing.
No, tell me.
Does it have something
to do with $10,000?
Lydia, years ago, when I
got my architect's license,
there were certain papers:
school credits, affidavits,
that, uh, weren't
quite in order.
Oh.
I don't know how
Jarrett got onto it,
but he has some correspondence
with people back east
that could take away my
license, if it became known.
Jarrett is making demands on me.
This is it, Perry.
Durstine?
Well, it's the address I
got from Philadelphia.
It's lucky I had a friend
there. I wouldn't have been
on this till Monday or
Tuesday. Was it a residence?
No. Just a mailing address.
Under a business name.
What name? J&L
Construction Company.
And this is the Los
Angeles address.
Nobody home.
Yeah. I checked the
phone. It's not listed under
the J&L Construction Company.
Paul...
Not listed under the
name Durstine either.
What's the matter?
You hear something?
Yeah, that's a hum of some kind.
The rear of the house.
Coming from in there.
Carbon monoxide.
Is he dead?
Yes.
Well, that must be Durstine.
It might be, but he was
introduced as Frank Jarrett,
general manager of the
Adam Thompson Company.
Oh, so he must've realized
that the information leak
would be traced back to him.
Well, the poor guy
decided to commit suicide.
Wait a minute. No, he didn't.
Not with all those
bruises all over his head.
Come on, Paul.
Let's call Homicide.
He, uh, looked as though
he'd been in a fight, lieutenant.
Was he unconscious when
the motor was turned on?
The doc says it'll take
a while to answer that.
Perry. Hm?
Did you, uh, know Frank Jarrett?
Yes, I've met him.
Huh? Where?
In my office. Client?
No, no. He was introduced to me
as general manager of the
Thompson Development Company.
Oh. The subdividers.
That's right.
What brought you out here?
As a matter of fact, lieutenant,
I was looking for a man by
the name of Norman Durstine.
Who's Norman Durstine?
I don't know.
Well, why were you
looking for him here?
His trail led here.
Hm...
Looking for Durstine, you
wound up finding Jarrett.
Mm-hm.
Uh, Paul Drake in on this?
In looking for
Durstine? Uh, why, yes.
Where is he?
Performing a chore.
Now, Perry, would you
like to tell me all about it?
Lieutenant, I'll, uh, answer
any questions I possibly can.
All right. Let's start
with who your client is.
Adam Thompson.
What are you
representing him for?
Uh-uh. You must
know Harry Thompson?
No, I've never met him.
He's Adam Thompson's nephew.
I believe he works for Adam.
Then you don't represent
Harry Thompson?
No, I don't. Good.
Because we found his wallet
on the floor in the house.
The room was a shambles.
Anybody here?
Hello.
Hello.
Hello,
Hello?
What are you doing here, Harry?
You look like you've
been in a fight.
Did you do this?
Yes.
Why?
I was looking for something.
What?
Evidence of your
collusion with Frank Jarrett?
What collusion?
To buy land I'd
selected for subdivision
and hold me up for
a bonus payment.
No.
Oh, no, Uncle Adam, I swear not.
Why, then?
I can't tell you.
It has nothing to do
with company business.
Did you get into the wall
safe at home last night?
No.
Did you learn where I
marked off the 309 acres?
No.
Elliott said
something about that.
I didn't.
You're my brother's son.
I've tried to be
a father to you.
I know you have, Uncle Adam.
You Adam Thompson?
Yes. Homicide. Lieutenant Tragg.
Jarrett's office?
Yes, lieutenant.
Yeah. What were
you, uh, looking for?
Oh, the office was
like this when I came in.
Oh, then you, uh,
didn't come in together.
Just a moment... I'll
handle this, Mason.
You Harry Thompson?
Yes. What's this homicide about?
Frank Jarrett was
found murdered.
Murdered?
Jarrett, dead?
I guess we better take
a little trip downtown.
Mason.
Oh, lieutenant, I'm
sure you'll tell the boy
that he can ask the
advice of an attorney
before he answers
any of your questions.
Mm-hm.
Did Harry come up here
with you, Mr. Thompson?
No. No, he didn't.
Then, uh, he was
here when you arrived?
Yes.
Will you act as his
attorney, Mason?
There are certain
elements in this case
of which you may not be aware.
Oh, that's all right.
I just want him to have
the best support possible.
Will you?
I'll talk with him.
You know, if he
becomes my client,
I'd be committed to him.
What does that mean?
I'd let the chips
fall where they may.
He'd be my primary concern.
Oh. Yes, of course.
Yes. I understand.
I'll still wanna talk with him
before I make any decision.
That mean you
wanna find out first
whether he's guilty or not?
No. Just whether I wanna
represent him or not.
What was he
looking for in there?
He wouldn't tell me.
Maybe he'll tell me.
No, Mr. Mason.
I'm sorry. I can't tell you.
Is it personal?
Yes.
The police are likely to
think that your going through
Jarrett's office may be
connected with his murder.
I didn't kill him.
But you did go to his
house this afternoon.
Yes. Late this afternoon.
On the same matter?
Yes.
What time was that?
I got there about ten of 5.
What started the fight?
I accused him of something,
and he got difficult.
It must have been
something pretty important.
It was.
The police found
your wallet on the floor.
I realized it was
missing after I left.
Was he in the
house when you left?
On the floor. Out cold.
After you left, what did you do?
I... I'd searched the
house with no luck.
I thought the thing
I was looking for
might be in his office.
Why didn't you go
back for your wallet
when you discovered it was gone?
Didn't you realize it
could be evidence?
Evidence of what?
I didn't do anything.
I thought I'd get it later.
I just wanted to get to his
office as quickly as possible.
Do you know about
the infrared camera
your uncle had installed
by the wall safe at home?
Yes. I know about it now.
But I didn't last night.
Do you have any thoughts
on how someone could've
circumvented the camera
and opened the safe?
No.
No?
No, I have no idea how
it could've been done.
What have you told the police?
Nothing.
I just said I wanted to
speak to my attorney first.
You know, the way you indicated.
Harry, are you trying
to protect someone?
Your uncle? Your,
um, cousin Elliott?
Do you have a girl?
Morning, Della.
Morning, Mr. Mason.
Oh, from the tone of your
voice, it appears we have a visitor.
Mm-hm. She's quite lovely.
Someone I know?
Lydia Logan. Strike a note?
No.
I had time to find out she's
engaged to Harry Thompson.
Oh. Has Paul been in?
Mm-hm. He said to
tell you that he spoke to
the infrared camera technician,
who stated positively nothing
could have gone wrong.
If anyone opened that safe,
the picture would've been taken.
All right, Della.
Please ask Miss
Logan to come in.
Mm-hm.
Won't you come in?
Won't you, uh, sit
down, Miss Logan?
Mr. Mason.
Mr. Mason, I trust
your discretion
because I know your reputation
and because you represent Harry.
We're going to be married
when this is all straightened out.
I'm afraid it's because of me
that he's got
himself into trouble.
How? Because 20 years ago,
when my father got
his architect's license,
certain school papers,
credits, weren't quite in order.
And if it became known,
he might lose his license.
I see.
My father doesn't know
how Mr. Jarrett got onto it,
but it seems he
had correspondence
that established
the irregularities.
So he, uh, blackmailed
your father?
Yes. And I told Harry about it.
Go on.
Well, don't you see?
Harry went to
Mr. Jarrett's house,
they got in an argument.
And then suddenly,
Harry thought that perhaps
the correspondence
might be in the office.
That's what he
was searching for.
Does your father work for the
Thompson Development Company?
Well, he has his own office.
But he has been
doing work for them.
Now, as I understand it,
your father was not present
when the map was
put into the safe.
No. But I was.
Uh, Mr. Thompson
went upstairs to bed
when the safe was
closed, did he not?
Yes. I believe so.
Did, um, Elliott
go upstairs too,
or did he remain in the study?
He was in the study
when Harry and I left.
And the secretary?
Ellen Foster?
She left the same time we did.
Mr. Mason, I don't know how
that map was taken out of the safe.
But I do know that Harry
has an idea about it.
An idea about how it was done?
No. An idea who did it.
Who did?
He probably would deny
it to you, out of loyalty.
But he said if anyone did it,
it had to be either himself...
And he didn't.
- -or Elliott.
I didn't know there
was a camera there.
Not at that time.
I had no interest
in the map, anyway.
But you did know the
value it represented.
Well, yes. But I have
no head for business.
Or should I say intrigue?
Look, I wouldn't know
how to go about capitalizing
on something like that, even
if I'd gotten the information.
Do you know the
combination to the safe?
No.
You seem surprised, Miss Foster.
Think harder, Elliott.
Hm?
Ellen, hasn't the
combination been changed
in the last two years?
No, Mr. Carter.
Then I guess I do know it.
I thought you certainly
would've changed it, Uncle Adam.
You have a convenient
memory at times, Elliott.
I didn't go into that safe.
What are you looking
for, a scapegoat?
I know you've got
it all figured out
that whoever got to
the map is the murderer.
Well, I'll tell you
what happened.
I've already told
the district attorney,
I might as well tell you.
You told the district...?
I was in bed. I heard
Harry going down the hall.
I put on my robe and
followed him in here.
I found him right there, with
his hand out to open that safe.
Did he open it?
No. Not then. Not that I saw.
But I didn't.
And the way it shapes
up, one of us did.
So now you figure it out.
He didn't follow me in here and
stop me from opening the safe.
I followed him and stopped him.
The death was
caused by asphyxiation
from carbon monoxide gas
sometime between the
hours of 5:30 and 7:00
on the afternoon of
Saturday, March the 5th.
Police describe physical
details of an unusual nature.
There was a severe
contusion on the lower portion
of the back of the head.
And there were other marks:
cuts, lacerations
around the face,
the forehead and the knuckles.
This gave evidence
of physical conflict.
Was this blow on the back
of the head severe enough
to cause unconsciousness?
Yes. The blow caused
a cranial hemorrhage
which resulted in
unconsciousness.
Did your autopsy disclose
whether the decedent
was conscious or not
during the inhalation
of the carbon monoxide fumes?
The blood clot on the brain
showed evidence
of carbon monoxide.
It is apparent therefore
that the decedent was alive
but unconscious
during the period of time
when the carbon monoxide
could have been inhaled.
Thank you. Mr. Mason.
Mr. Drumm.
Uh, doctor, this, uh, contusion
on the back of the head,
could it have
resulted from a fall?
Without a weapon of
some kind being used?
No, sir. It required
a heavy instrument.
Oh, iron or steel, perhaps,
weighing several pounds.
Was there evidence of more
than one blow on the head?
Yes, there was.
Now, doctor, from
the point of time,
can you tell which blow
caused unconsciousness,
the first or the second?
Well, as to that,
I cannot state.
There was nothing in
my examination to indicate
the time sequence
of the two blows.
Thank you,
doctor. That'll be all.
Well, on the 8th of February,
a piece of land was purchased
by Mr. Adam Thompson,
at a price which had risen
$75,000 practically overnight.
And that's why Mr. Thompson
took security measures
on the latest transaction?
Yes, sir.
As Mr. Thompson's
confidential secretary,
would you know who purchased
that parcel the first time?
Yes. A man by the name
of Durstine, connected with
the J&L Construction
Company o-of Philadelphia.
In some manner, Mr. Durstine
must have obtained information
about Mr. Thompson's
proposed land transaction.
Yes.
Now, can you explain your
employer's security measures
in the latest transaction?
Well, eh, Mr. Thompson
didn't tell anybody
which site he had selected.
H-he never did, anyway.
But, uh, on the night
of Friday, March the 4th,
he told each of us in his study
that he had marked his map
and that he would purchase
the land by noon of the next day.
Well, now, who was
in the study at that time
besides Mr. Adam Thompson?
Well, there was, uh, Elliott.
Uh, Elliott Carter, that is.
Uh, Harry Thompson,
Lydia Logan a-and myself.
Go on, Miss Foster.
Well, I locked the
map in the safe.
Well, who knew the
combination of that safe?
We all did, e-except Miss Logan.
Now, were you in the house
on the following morning,
when the safe was reopened?
Yes, sir. And the map was there.
It had not been removed.
Somebody must've learned
about the markings on the map,
because again Mr. Durstine
bought the property
before Mr. Thompson
was able to do so.
Now, is that true?
Yes.
Now I show you a photograph,
and I ask you to identify it.
That's, uh, Frank Jarrett,
Mr. Thompson's general manager.
The deceased.
Yes.
Now, will you relate to
the court what transpired
about 4:15 of the
afternoon of the murder?
A telephone call came for
Mr. Harry Thompson from Miss Logan.
How'd you know
it was Miss Logan?
Well, I answer the telephone.
A-and I recognized her voice,
a-and then she said
it was Miss Logan.
And when she asked to
speak to Harry Thompson,
he called her "Lydia."
Well, then, you were present
and heard the defendant's
half of the conversation?
Yes.
Now, as near as
you can remember,
will you please tell the court
about that conversation?
Well, uh, he said,
"Talk slower, Lydia,"
um, and "Why didn't
you tell me this before?"
And, uh...
Then he said, um...
"I can take care of
Jarrett another way.
Look, honey, don't worry."
And then he hung up.
What did he do then?
He left the house.
And what time was that?
Oh, about, um, half past 4.
Cross-examine.
Miss Foster, do you
usually work on Saturdays?
No. Uh, but Mr. Thompson
had asked me
to work this
particular Saturday.
What time did you arrive?
Oh, about, uh, 9:00.
Perhaps a little after.
What time did you leave?
About, uh, 5:00.
Perhaps a little before.
Now, as Mr. Thompson's
confidential secretary,
did he ever tell
you of his plans
when he was picking out
or selecting property to buy?
No, sir.
Did you know that he'd
installed an infrared camera,
designed to take the picture
of anyone opening the safe?
No, sir. Not until the
Saturday morning.
Now, you placed the
map inside the safe
and then you closed and
locked the safe, is that correct?
Yes, sir.
And you were present
the next morning
when Mr. Thompson opened
the safe and took the map out?
Yes, sir.
And what did Mr. Thompson
say at that time?
That nobody had opened the safe.
That the camera had
not taken anyone's picture,
therefore nobody
had opened the safe.
Thank you. That'll be all.
Yes, sir. This is a
photograph of the man
that gave me the
check for the $37,000.
He called himself
Norman Durstine.
His check, drawn
on a local bank,
was signed "Norman Durstine."
But this man has been identified
as Frank Jarrett, the deceased.
Well, I guess it's
one and the same.
Whatever he called himself,
he knew exactly
which 309 acres to buy.
Thank you.
Did Mr. Harry Thompson
open this safe in your presence?
No sir, he did not open
the safe in my presence.
But he was at the safe,
and he wanted to open it.
Then I went back to bed and
don't know what else happened.
Thank you.
The J&L Construction
Company of Philadelphia,
authorized signature
Norman Durstine,
had three transactions
in my bank:
the deposit of $75,000,
the issuance of two checks.
One for $10,000, the
second one for $37,000.
You say a check for $10,000?
That's right.
Now I show you a check
cashed February the 9th,
just one day after
the $75,000 deposit.
I ask you if you
can identify it.
Yes, sir.
This is it.
Made to the order
of Harry Thompson.
Jarrett gave you a
check for 10,000?
What for?
He heard I needed it, so
he offered to lend it to me.
Lydia didn't know
anything about that.
I ask that this be
marked State's exhibit K.
Mr. Mason?
No objection, Your Honor.
Your witness, counselor.
No questions, Mr. Drumm.
Now, Miss Logan, you've
been adjudged a hostile witness,
you will therefore
answer yes or no.
Did you speak to the
defendant, Harry Thompson,
on the afternoon of
Saturday, March the 5th?
Yes.
And did you tell him that your
father was being blackmailed
by Frank Jarrett?
And that Jarrett had
some damaging
correspondence in his possession?
Yes.
And is the testimony
by Ellen Foster
relative to the defendant's
conversation with you
essentially literal?
Yes. The defendant said,
"I can take care of
Jarrett another way.
Look, honey, don't
worry." Is that true?
Yes.
Your witness.
Miss Logan, you are
aware that Mr. Jarrett's home
gave evidence of a search?
Yes.
And that the defendant admitted
to searching for something
in Mr. Jarrett's office at
the Thompson Company?
Yes. He was looking
for that correspondence.
But he didn't kill him for it.
He was just trying
to help my father.
Thank you, Miss
Logan. That'll be all.
We found the decedent
slumped over the wheel of his car.
The garage abuts the house.
Lieutenant, did you cause
the house to be examined?
Yes, sir.
It showed evidence of a hasty
search and, um, a struggle.
Go on, lieutenant.
Well, some, uh, furniture was
overturned in the living room,
a lamp smashed.
Bloodstains on the rug.
Did you have the
bloodstains analyzed?
Type AB. Same
as the defendant's.
And the deceased's
blood type was O.
Lieutenant, I show
you this wallet
and ask you to identify it.
Yes, sir, it was found on the
deceased's living room floor.
Inside the wallet,
papers identifying it
as belonging to the
defendant, Harry Thompson.
And I show you this
police laboratory report.
Can you identify it?
Yes, sir. These mark
the defendant's presence
in the garage.
A handprint and fingerprints
on the doorsill of the car.
Fingerprints and one
forefinger print, in blood type AB,
on the chromium handle
of the glove compartment,
and a print on a strip of
chromium on the trunk.
And they're all belonging to
the defendant, Harry Thompson.
Lieutenant, did you
have an occasion to visit
the Thompson Company offices
on Saturday night, March 5th?
Yes, I did. And
what did you find?
Well, the office of Frank
Jarrett was in disorder.
In the office were Adam
Thompson and Harry Thompson.
You subsequently
searched the office?
I did. And what did you find?
In a strongbox
behind a file drawer,
a cancelled check with
a note, uh, clipped to it.
Now, lieutenant, I show you
a cancelled check with a note
written in longhand.
Can you identify it?
Yes, sir. This is the
original check for $10,000,
made out to Harry Thompson,
endorsed by Harry Thompson,
and this is the
note clipped to it.
Would you read the note, please?
It says, "Harry Thompson's
participation in first deal,
gross $75,000." And is in the
handwriting of Frank Jarrett.
Your Honor, I would like to have
these marked for identification.
What else haven't you told me?
He lied to me, he neglected
to tell me all the truth.
But what's worse, I don't know
yet what happened with that map,
and I think it's the
key to the whole case.
Well, whoever took that
information out of the safe
must've passed it on to Jarrett.
Then, when things went wrong,
he had to kill Jarrett in
order to protect himself.
What about the $10,000 check
Harry Thompson cashed, Perry?
Jarrett loaned him
the money, all right.
Harry wanted it to
help Victor Logan.
And the note?
He couldn't explain that.
What about the fingerprints
all over Jarrett's car?
Harry said when he left Jarrett
unconscious in the living room,
he went out to the
garage to search the car
for those incriminating letters.
Anything else? Nope.
I haven't had a report on the
Jarrett-Durstine research yet.
Della, call Adam Thompson.
Tell him we're on
our way to see him.
I'll meet you back in
court. Come on, Paul.
I worked on the map here.
And no one could see
what you were doing?
No one.
And then what?
Well, Elliott started
to approach me,
so I folded the map,
put it in the envelope,
and gave it to Ellen
to put in the safe.
Was there any way of
Ellen seeing the map?
No.
How long has she worked for you?
Thirteen years.
All right, go on.
Oh, I've gone over
this a hundred times.
I had left the safe open.
Ellen took the envelope,
put it in the safe,
closed and locked the door.
And from that moment
on, if the door were opened,
the camera would've
automatically taken a picture.
And it didn't. No.
Then the first thing I did
when I came down here
the following morning, was to
take the film out of the camera
and develop it. It was blank.
And, uh, during that time,
the map was inside the safe.
Yes.
Now, you did all this when you
first came down in the morning.
What time did you get
up that Saturday morning?
Eight-thirty.
Possibly a bit later.
There's a law of logic that says
if you're searching
for the truth,
you sometimes have
to look for the illogical.
Paul, I'd like you to
canvas this neighborhood
for something that
might've happened
on the morning of the murder.
Something illogical, like a pink
elephant or a wandering lion?
No, nothing that spectacular.
Just something... Something
even slightly unusual.
All right. Mr. Thompson.
Well, what have you
got on your mind, Mason?
A hope.
We couldn't find
the correspondence
Harry Thompson
said he was looking for.
We couldn't find it in
Jarrett's house, in his office,
in his effects, anywhere.
Well, suppose there was no
incriminating correspondence
at all, lieutenant.
What then would the
defendant have been looking for?
The cancelled check.
Oh, but that would be foolish.
Records, photostats of it would
still be available at the bank.
Well, then it must've
been the correspondence.
But if, as the State contends,
Harry Thompson
killed Frank Jarrett,
he would've at the same time
have removed the blackmailer,
so the correspondence
then would be a non sequitur.
Isn't that right?
I protest the counselor's
questioning, Your Honor,
as argumentative and improper.
Furthermore, the State's
next witness will clear up
the matter of the blackmail
and the correspondence.
Mr. Mason?
I withdraw the questions
objected to by the
prosecutor, Your Honor.
And, uh, I have no further
questions of this witness.
Mr. Drumm, you may
call your next witness.
I call Victor
Logan to the stand.
On the afternoon of
Saturday, March the 5th,
my daughter came to my office,
just as Frank
Jarrett was leaving.
Go on, sir. What had
transpired before her arrival?
Jarrett made certain
demands on me.
For what?
Money. And why?
Jarrett had some letters,
correspondence with
officials back east,
that would've ruined me.
- I see.
And you told your
daughter about this
after Jarrett had left?
Nothing to report on the
Jarrett-Durstine business yet.
But I got lucky on the
something unusual happening.
And then what, Mr. Logan?
Well, Lydia called
Harry and told him.
Then you heard her
end of the conversation?
Yes. And what
exactly did she say?
Well, she told him everything.
About the correspondence,
the architect's license
that I could lose,
money that I needed, all of it.
Thank you, Mr. Logan.
Cross-examine.
Now, Mr. Logan, these "certain
demands" made upon you
by Frank Jarrett,
that was, eh, really
blackmail, wasn't it?
Yes.
About a month
before Jarrett's death,
was it also blackmail when, um,
Harry Thompson borrowed $10,000
from Jarrett, and
then gave it to you?
Well, no. I...
I hadn't asked Harry
for the $10,000 then.
Well, the night
before the murder,
Harry Thompson asked
his uncle for $10,000.
What about that?
A blackmail then, also?
Yes.
For irregularities
in your application
for an architect's license?
Yes, sir.
Eh, Mr. Logan,
prior to this hearing,
an investigation into your
schooling, your affidavits,
your records showed absolutely
no irregularities connected
in any way with your
architect's application or license.
You went into that?
Yes, and I suggest
that the irregularities
were just a fiction,
made up by you,
to account for
Jarrett's blackmail.
And consequently there were
no letters or correspondence.
Mr. Logan, since I have
no desire to entrap you,
I must advise you that an
investigation is also being made
into the J&L
Construction Company:
its officers, its partners, its
business and its prospects.
Your Honor, it seems to me
that Counsel is going far afield
in his cross-examination
of this witness, and I object.
I don't think so, Mr. Drumm.
And I'm extremely interested
in the course this
examination is taking.
Proceed, Mr. Mason.
Mr. Logan, I want a truthful
answer to a previous question.
About a month before
Frank Jarrett's death,
did you ask the defendant
to lend you $10,000?
Well, I may... Yes, I did.
And he got the money for you.
Yes.
Did he tell you
that Frank Jarrett
had offered to lend
the money to him?
Well, I... I don't recall that.
Now, isn't it true that
this whole $10,000 deal
was for the purpose of
implicating Harry Thompson?
Implicating Harry? How?
By making it appear that
he was working with Jarrett,
that he was the link
to Adam Thompson.
That's what impelled
Jarrett to write that little note
and append it to the
cancelled check, wasn't it?
I don't know
anything about that.
I think you do.
I think when you got
the $10,000 from Harry,
you didn't return it to Jarrett.
You put Jarrett off
for several weeks,
until finally, he
demanded the money.
Why?
Because it had to
go into the coffers
of the J&L Construction Company.
Norman Durstine
might've needed the money
for an option on a
forthcoming land purchase.
You can't prove that.
There's no evidence of it.
I'm getting evidence of it now.
On the following day,
when the world of Frank
Jarrett, alias Norman Durstine,
crumbled around his ears,
he came to you and
blackmailed you, didn't he?
What for? For your
unethical conduct.
For your participation with him
in the J&L Construction Company.
J&L,
Jarrett and Logan.
I didn't kill him.
He blackmailed you
by threatening to reveal
the whole story, didn't he?
Yes, but I didn't kill him.
I didn't get the
information on the map...
Your Honor, I think I
can clarify this question
of who did get the information
and who was the link between
Frank Jarrett and Adam Thompson.
What do you propose, Mr. Mason?
I would like to
recall Ellen Foster.
Miss Foster, we
would like to clarify
the enigma of how the
information was obtained
from that map.
Yes, sir. I-I wondered
about it myself.
An answer occurs to me, but it
requires clarification from you.
Yes, sir? An answer?
Well, we've been faced with
the impossibility of anyone
opening the safe
and removing the map.
Yes, sir.
We should've agreed
with that possibility
and gone on from there.
Well, I... I don't understand.
Well, if the information
was obtained,
and the map was never
taken from the safe,
obviously it was
never put into the safe.
Oh. But I put it in.
No, Miss Foster,
you just made it appear
as though you did.
But... But it was there in
the morning, in the safe,
when Mr. Thompson
himself took it out.
It... It was in there then.
Yes, it, um, was in there then.
Miss Foster, a Mrs.
Felicity Ambrose
lives directly across the street
from the Thompson house.
She owns a pair of Siamese cats.
And at 20 minutes before 9
on Saturday morning, March 5th,
she took in the pint of milk
the milkman had just left
at her side door.
Well, what about it?
With, uh, gentle prodding,
Mrs. Ambrose remembered
an unusual scene
across the street.
She remembers seeing
you come out of the house,
wearing your coat,
and getting into your car
in front of the house,
and picking up a newspaper
in the car and starting to read.
Well, I was just looking
for something in the paper.
Mrs. Ambrose also
noticed from time to time
that you went to the side
window of the house and looked in.
And that about a
half an hour later,
you went back into the house,
and this time you
remained there.
Well, I was, uh, early for work.
Well, early or not, wasn't
there a special reason
you didn't remain in
the house the first time?
I just preferred
to sit in the car.
Now, let's go back to the map
being out of the safe all night.
Making its appearance
at approximately
9:15 in the morning,
when Adam Thompson opened
the safe and removed the map.
I-I... I still don't
know the answer.
Yes, you do.
Because when you entered
the house the first time,
you went into the study, opened
the safe and put the map back.
That you then heard
Mr. Thompson in the darkroom,
and though you didn't
understand why he was there,
you thought it best
not to arrive for work
until he'd returned
to the study.
That's right.
I took the film into the
darkroom and developed it
before I opened the safe.
For that half hour, the
safe was vulnerable.
She must've put
the map back then.
Now, Miss Foster,
you took the map because
of Frank Jarrett, didn't you?
The information on the map,
you turned over to
Frank Jarrett, didn't you?
Yes, I did it.
And I killed Frank.
He was going to leave me.
After all those years together,
and... And all we
meant to each other.
He was going to get together
all the money he could,
a-a-and leave me.
He...
In the garage, he... He
turned his back on me.
And I hit him with the wrench,
and I put him in the car,
and I turned on... the motor.
Well... Thanks, Mason.
I never spent money
with greater pleasure.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson.
In this instance, your
pleasure is my pleasure.
You know, I had no
inkling of a love affair
between Ellen
and... And, uh, Jarrett.
As I understand it, she
followed Harry to the house,
and then after Harry left,
she had a scene with Jarrett.
That's right.
Mr. Thompson, did
you actually think
that Harry killed Jarrett?
I didn't know.
You see, I was
afraid that because
I hadn't loaned him the money,
that he might try
to get back at me.
What about Elliott?
Oh, I never did
figure it was Elliott.
No. He hasn't the
temperament nor the courage.
I understand Harry
asked you for another loan.
Yes. Honeymoon money.
I gave it to him this time.