Perry Mason (1957–1966): Season 3, Episode 22 - The Case of the Madcap Modiste - full transcript

It was Emerson who said,

"If a man can
write a better book,

"preach a better sermon

"or make a better
mousetrap than his neighbor,

"though he build his
house in the woods,

the world will make a
beaten path to his door."

You are looking at a kind
of better mousetrap right now

and the world of dress design

is beating a path to this
salon in Southern California.

These are the work of one
of the really fresh new talents

in the field of
feminine fashion.



Hello, Flavia.

Oh, hello.

Uh, we don't mean to snoop.

Not at all. Come
in and sit down.

Thanks.

What are you working on?

Cocktail dress.

Like it?

Well, first, how much?

You men are all alike.

Why don't you come
to our preview Friday

and we'll model it for you?

Formal wear, dinner
dresses, suits, spectator sports.

We're celebrating our
5th birthday, you know.



Congratulations, Flavia.

You've come a long
way in five years.

Thanks to the
other half of our firm.

Come on, I want you to meet him.

Darling?

This is Charles, without
whose help... et cetera, et cetera.

How are you, Charles?

Oh, I'm a little nervous.

It's not only our
birthday tomorrow,

it's our wedding anniversary.

Well, congratulations again.

Thank you.

Charles is the
administrative half

of Flavia of California.

When it comes to business
I haven't a brain in my head,

have I, dear?

What's this I hear about
expansion plans, Flavia?

Expansion?

Oh, he means our deal
with Ariel Fashions, dear.

Yes, uh, as a matter of
fact, we are expanding

and, well, we're both
very excited about it.

You see, we've... We've
worked out an agreement

with Henry De Garmo of
Ariel Fashions of New York.

Uh, it's a plan to
license Flavia designs

under our strict
supervision. Charles...

As you know, Ariel is
one of the finest houses

in woman's wear
and, well... Excuse me.

We just felt that a...
A... A combination

of our two organizations

would be of mutual
benefit. Charles, please.

She's always interrupting.

What now?

I just don't want to give
him the wrong impression.

Wrong impression?

Well, about Ariel.
I thought I told you.

Told me what?

I've decided against it.

Uh, she's a great
little ad-libber.

The contracts were
signed last week.

But I didn't sign it, dear.

Of course you didn't sign it.

I handle all the contracts.

Isn't this a mad place
for a business discussion?

I'm sorry, Charles, dear, but
I don't want 20 million people

to get the wrong impression.

I have no intention
of selling my name

to Ariel or anyone else.

Now, why don't you
find a nice place to relax

while I show our
friend our awards?

Over on this wall, please.

You know, when I think of
what we've accomplished

in the last five years,

I just can't bring
myself to turn the name

of Flavia of California
over to someone else.

Here is the certificate

we won last spring:

American Conclave
of Fashion Designers.

And here's the gold medal
we got last year in Paris.

I don't care if the lines
to Los Angeles are busy,

try wireless or something.

I've got to...

Oh, all right, put me through.

Get me George Halliday
at the Beverly Regent.

And this one was our
first international award...

three years ago.

Henry you're a minute
and 40 seconds late.

Are you watching the show?

What's with your sister?

Of course I'm watching it.

And how do I know
what got into Flavia?

I tried to call the salon,

they wouldn't take any calls.

It's your responsibility.

You get to her. Talk to her.

Tell your flibbertigibbet sister
the name Flavia of California

is on a contract which says
my outfit, Ariel Fashions,

is licensed to
use it for five years

with an option for five more.

Her husband and I set
the deal over a week ago.

Henry, all I can promise
is I'll do what I can.

And it better be enough, George.

I'm catching a Los
Angeles plane in an hour

and when I get there
I want good news.

Is that clear?

Right, Henry.

I'll do what I can.

Operator.

This is the award

from the American
Fashion Designers,

our last spring preview.

We all feel that Friday's show

is going to be even better.

Hello?

Oh, hello, George.

Yes, I'm watching it right now.

I've gotta talk to you.

No, I can't tell
you on the phone.

I haven't seen
you for six months.

How about staring at each
other across the lunch table?

Huh?

I said I'm not interested.

What do you mean?

Yes. Yes, I know.

All right.

I'll... I'll see you
at Alfredo's at 1.

Goodbye, George.

Well, at first I thought
Flavia was kidding.

She does have a kind of a
madcap sense of humor, you know.

Then she repeated it
and I... I looked at her

and I realized that
she was serious.

Well, it was like a nightmare.

I... I couldn't believe
it was happening.

You had no warning?

Certainly not.

I had suggested the television
emcee ask the question.

I thought it would
give me a chance

to make an important
announcement on the show

and give the program a scoop

and the television
audience a thrill.

Then she did it deliberately.

Why?

No idea.

Not only did she
do it deliberately,

but she picked the
worst possible moment,

almost as if she were trying
to make a fool out of you

in front of 20 million people.

Now, there had to be some
kind of buildup for an act like that.

If there was, I missed it.

Tell me, Mr. Pierce,

how much was riding on
that deal with Ariel Fashions?

Well, on the credit
side of the ledger,

a flat payment of 200,000

plus 10 percent of Ariel's
gross on the Flavia line.

And on the debit side, well,
if the contract isn't honored,

there'll be a lawsuit for
damages on a broken contract

that'll be a dilly.

Hm.

Now, you said that Flavia just
walked into your office one day

about five years ago with
a bundle of dress designs.

Was it that simple?

Well, almost.

She and Leona made me
a proposition and I took it.

Leona?

Leona Durant. She heads
up our design department.

She and Flavia had a little
business in West Los Angeles

before they came to me.

I was doing pretty well.

I was in sportswear,
bathing suits, and so on,

just starting to
distribute nationally.

What happened
after Flavia moved in?

Well, we... We
took off like a rocket.

You saw the show. It's all true.

Oh, except for one thing.

She said she was a very
poor businesswoman.

Actually, she was
a very good one.

Oh?

She had you sign an
antenuptial agreement.

What's wrong with that?

Right now, everything.

All it does is reserve her
own property prior to marriage

for herself alone.

But she had nothing.

Except her name.

What?

This reserves right and title

to the name
Flavia of California.

Here, read it yourself.

Paragraph 8, the last sentence.

But what about the
partnership papers?

Same clause.

She owns Flavia of California.

But my blood's in that company.

Her name was
nothing until I built it.

Unfortunately, that has
nothing to do with the point.

Look, I... I took $10,000 in
option money from De Garmo.

Don't spend it.

You mean there's
nothing I can do?

Well, you can try to get
her to change her mind.

Well, it... It isn't fair.

I own the controlling
interest in that business.

De Garmo isn't
buying the business.

He's buying her name.

Uh, let me look
this over further.

I'll call you tomorrow.

Thanks.

Della...

Mm-hm?

Della, think like a
woman, will you?

I'll try.

Now, what would make a
scheming, successful businesswoman

suddenly throw $200,000
out of the window?

Take guesses?

I'll accept a guess.

Another woman.

Cheers.

Oh, what's this?

I've been shopping.

Champagne?

It's a special occasion.

I think I'd better
run along, George.

No, we haven't decided anything.

What's there to decide?

You're in one of your
difficult moods, Angel.

Don't call me "Angel."

I'm running out of patience.

I ought to take
you over my knee.

You know why she pulled
that rabbit out of the hat.

I haven't the faintest idea.

Don't lie to me.

I know you too well.

And I know my
sister even better.

I grew up with her.

She's got an unholy
love for a buck.

She wouldn't throw
100,000 of them overboard

unless she figured collecting
would cost her even more.

George, what does all
this have to do with me?

A great deal.

Charles is in love with you.

She's afraid if the
deal goes through,

he'll pick up his
marbles and walk out.

That's not true.

I said don't lie to me.

So you better give him up.

Hi.

What are you doing here?

Fittings.

Leona?

Gotta get out there and win
some more award certificates

tomorrow night.

From me to you.

It's a going-away present.

After tomorrow
night, I'm pushing off.

Now, don't be silly.

This time I mean it.

Come on, let's talk.

Talk gets us nowhere.
You know that.

It's one of those things you
just don't talk your way out of.

Let's just face up to it and do
the sensible thing, shall we?

Evening, Leona.

Mr. Pierce. Where's Flavia?

At the hotel with
the decorators.

We got six dresses
to fit by 10:00.

Goodbye, Charles.

Hook it at the neck.

Where does this go?

There.

Charles says I
have to talk to you.

I can't discuss it
now, Mr. De Garmo.

Go on back to New
York. I'll write you a letter.

Oh, where did she...?

You can't just toss it into
the wastebasket, you know.

Will you please...?
No, I won't please.

I have $100,000
invested in this deal.

I don't just pick up
my hat and walk out.

Then go someplace and
brood about it until Saturday.

I can't talk to you now.

I've been looking
all over for that pin.

Oh, now, wait a minute.
Not that one. Number 24.

Go on, take it back.

Harriet, change the
color of that lipstick.

All right.

Go on home now
and get an hour's rest.

The show's at 7 sharp.
Remember? You too, Ruth.

Leona. LEONA: What?

Make those changes
I told you about

and hurry, please.
What about 42?

I'll decide on that now.

That's the wrong brooch.
Here, use this one.

Flavia, this is ridicu...

I told you I can't
discuss it now.

Like it? No.

The neckline doesn't seem to...

Don't comment on
it, dear, just wear it.

See you Saturday.

My head is in such a
spin I can't even think.

Take it off.

It's the last one in the
show. I may leave it out.

The show is at 7
sharp. Understand?

Yes.

Leona, you can send
everybody out to dinner now.

All right. All right, Mr. Mason.

We'll... We'll have a three-way
conference with De Garmo

just as soon as I
can arrange it. Right.

Right, goodbye.

Celebrating?

Yeah. Yeah.

Happy show. Happy
anniversary. Happy everybody.

You never bought
champagne before.

Well, I never had
an occasion like this.

You're not brooding about
that silly deal with Ariel,

now, are you, Charles?

I haven't given it
a second thought.

You're a sweet, likable
boy and I love you for it.

Yeah, I don't know.

It looks better in this sketch
than it does on your friend.

Shall we leave her
out of this just once?

Happy to.

You know, it's something
wrong with the neck.

It's too busy or something.

Here, Charles, look at it.

Now, what do you think?

I don't know.

I don't know what
got into Leona.

It isn't like her at all.

Leona?

Leona.

De Garmo is threatening to sue.

He's bluffing.

He's mighty good at it then.

I told him you'd probably

be more rational
after the preview.

You know me better than that.

I have no intention of...

Of what?

Flavia?

Flavia?

Poison.

It's poison.

I switched Carla
with the Gilbert girl.

We need a brunette
with a frosty green...

Flavia!

Flavia, what happened?
W-w-what did you...?

Charles gave me poison.

She's dead.

Flavia? Flavia!

No rigor as yet.

No postmortem lividity.

Temperature
change insignificant.

And she just came in
to pass the time of day?

She was my wife.

We talked once in a while.

What were you
talking about this time?

The preview. What else?

Hope Sutherland?

Leona, will you please...?

Who's Hope Sutherland?

One of our models.

Why would he be
talking about her?

Because he's in love with her.

And that's why his wife's
out there dead. Isn't it?

Isn't that why you killed her?

I didn't kill her.

What did you find?

Have to wait for the postmortem
examination to be sure.

All we can say is
some fast-acting poison.

You and your wife
have a drink together?

No.

It was about 5:00.
Cocktail hour.

I didn't give her anything.

Where were they?

Wastebasket in the washroom.

Fingerprints all
over the bottle.

How do I know where I bought it?

I... I've had it around
for six or eight months.

Then you don't drink
champagne very often?

Well, New Year's, birthdays...

Anniversaries? Not this one.

You so seldom buy it, you
ought to know where you got it.

I wish I could help you.

You can.

Just remember: The first thing
a good attorney gives his client

is faith, in return for
that he expects the truth.

If that seems an
unfair exchange,

I'll be happy to
recommend someone else.

I didn't kill her.

I've assumed
that from the first.

What I'm asking is where you
got that bottle of champagne.

Hope gave it to me.

For what reason?

Anniversary present.

But she didn't put
poison in the bottle.

How do you know?

Well, she wouldn't
do a thing like that.

You mean to, uh, you.

You realize the person who
did put the poison in that bottle

stood a pretty good
chance of killing both of you.

I know.

What was your
relationship with this girl?

Well, it's pretty
hard to explain.

It isn't the obvious one, if
that's what you're thinking.

Is she in love with you?

I don't want to talk about it.

Sooner or later you're
going to have to talk about it.

Well, let's make it later.

You picked up that
bottle of champagne,

went shopping all afternoon,

then brought it
around to the salon

when you had to report
for fittings that night.

Is that right? Yes.

It wasn't out of your
possession at any time?

Not that I can remember.

Was this the usual thing
with you and Pierce?

To congratulate him
on his anniversaries?

Mr. Mason...

I know you don't
want to talk about it,

but you're going to have
to do a lot of talking about it

before it's settled.

You probably won't
understand this,

but I'll say it once anyway:

I love him, I respect him

and I respected his marriage.

Period.

It seems a little hopeless.

We talked a lot about that.

Get anywhere?

No.

But we understand each other.

And there's another
thing I'll say just once:

We haven't done
anything that either of us

would be ashamed
to testify to in court.

How did you
expect to wind it up?

I was winding it up the night I
brought him the champagne.

I told him so.

Had nothing to do with Flavia's
performance on television?

It has nothing to do with
Ariel Fashions or money

or anything else except Charles.

Is that so hard to understand?

Then why were you giving up?

It was hopeless, that's all.

Hello?

Yes, he's here. Just a minute.

Thank you.

Hello?

Oh, yes, Della.

They just got the results
back from Autopsy.

Prussic acid.

If it was the champagne,
they'll find traces of it

in the bottle and the cups,

even if there was an
attempt to wash them out.

If it was prussic acid,

they won't find anything
in the champagne bottle.

You can pick up that bitter
almond smell too easily.

Nobody could palm it off
in a glass of champagne.

Sounds like suicide.

The district attorney
quashed the complaint?

What are you
talking about, Mason?

Well, in view of the
postmortem report, Mr. Linn,

I thought your office
might reconsider.

It doesn't change a thing.

How can you say that?
It's easy. I'll say it again.

The postmortem report
doesn't change a thing.

Your client is in jail
and he'll stay there.

You know as well as
I do that prussic acid

cannot be concealed
in a glass of champagne.

So what? So it had
to be in a capsule.

And he couldn't have
given her a capsule

without her knowledge.

Oh, well, then it wasn't
murder. It was suicide. I see.

I can understand
what the counselor

is getting at, Mr. Linn.

Flavia Pierce,
distraught over the loss

of her husband's affection,

something she'd been
aware of for months,

picked the eve of
her big spring preview

to kill herself in her
husband's presence.

That was
well-stated, lieutenant.

She's the kind of woman
who would do exactly that.

Irrational, temperamental... Oh?

Are those the
symptoms of unbalance?

She pulled the rug out
from under her husband

in front of 20 million people
for revenge, kicks or whatever.

That's one symptom
and it's all I need.

You see that's how
we differ, Mr. Mason.

You can look at a thing like
that as evidence of instability

and possible suicide.

All I can see

is a maddening dame
who practically goaded

her husband into killing her.

You'd say that in court?

Oh, no.

But that's what I think.

I can't talk you into
quashing the complaint.

Not a chance. I
filed it two hours ago.

Suspicion of
first-degree murder.

Of course it was murder.

What else?

There are several alternatives.

Suicide is one.

It wasn't suicide.
How do you know?

Flavia wasn't a
coward. She was tough.

She not only had
talent, she had courage.

She'd go down fighting,
but she'd never kill herself.

Was she fighting?

She sure was.

In what way? Every way.

Every way she knew. She
was trying to hold onto him.

It's pretty hard to explain
to a man how a woman feels

when the guy she loves
starts toward the door.

You have to be a woman
to understand that, I guess.

She talk to you about it?

Sure.

We talked about
almost everything.

She was the only friend I had.

Picked me out of a shirt
factory in East Los Angeles

ten years ago.

The two of us built all this.

His nibs had
nothing to do with it.

He was just a name
on the door, that's all.

A name on the door.

Who hired Miss Sutherland?

Flavia.

Her brother George
talked her into it.

That would be George
Halliday. Mm-hm.

He was going with
Hope at the time.

Met her up in the Valley.

What valley?

He's got a gold
mine east of Fresno.

Hope was a hostess in a
swank restaurant up there.

Ha! He gave her a
song and dance, I guess.

Told her he'd get
her a job with Flavia.

Figured Charles Pierce
was out of circulation.

That's where he
made his mistake.

She plucked Pierce
like an overripe apple.

Oh, but that isn't
what you asked me.

You asked me if
Flavia killed herself

and I said she didn't.

She couldn't, she wouldn't

and she didn't.

Excuse me.

I have work to do.

Paul Drake, please.

That's right.

Paul, I've got a rush
job for you to do.

Pretty promising mine
from what I can find out.

However, if brother George
hits, it'll be the first time.

He's been in real
estate, oil stock,

chinchilla farming, the works.

Are you sure he has that,
um, ore-reduction mill?

Yeah, a small
one. Is it important?

Could be. The mill operating?

When he has the money.

He comes to town
every couple of weeks,

puts up at a hotel, and
hits Flavia for a loan.

From what I can tell,

this last time she
turned him down cold.

Any reason? Hard to say.

She doesn't need a reason.

She's the most inconsistent
woman in the world.

Where'd you pick that up, radar?

No. Right in here.

There are 41 designs
in this collection,

all part of a plan.

Number 42... Here. Take a look.

Number 42. I saw that today.

What's wrong with it?

Well, it doesn't belong.

Forty-one of them do,
but this one doesn't.

Reason: her
deep-seated inconsistency.

You mean she was a normal woman.

I'll try to overlook that.

Yes, Gertie?

Well, when did...?

No, I'll be right out.

So, Flavia turned brother George
down on a loan. What then?

Well,

then he applied for
credit from a couple

of mine supply outfits.

Uh, one application
listed an interesting name

as reference: Henry De Garmo.

Ariel Fashions. Mm-hm.

He and George stayed at the
same hotel three weeks ago

when De Garmo flew in to
close the deal with Flavia.

George involved in that?

I don't know.

He might have sold De
Garmo a bill of goods.

Some kind of guarantee that
he could talk Flavia into the deal.

For a fee. From
what I can pick up,

brother George
would promise anything

if there was money in it.

Maybe the district attorney's
office will change its mind

about that complaint.

I don't know. I don't
know how they got there.

I never saw them before.

Yes, but, uh, they were there,
weren't they? Four of them.

One, two, three, four.

Somebody put them in my purse.

Why? You tell me why.

I don't know why. I
never saw them before.

Look, I was her friend.

For ten years I was her friend.

I owed her everything I've got.

How can you accuse
me of killing her?

When was the last
time you saw that purse?

Last night.

I left it in the cloakroom
at the salon overnight.

Did you usually
do that? I forgot it.

Well, isn't it pretty
hard for a woman to do?

Her purse is her right hand.

Well, I was upset about
the preview and all.

And the purse stayed
in the cloakroom

until, uh, a couple of hours ago

when one of the men
picked it up and found

four capsules of
prussic acid in it.

You want to defend her too?

No, one's enough.

What about that complaint?

You gonna quash it?

I hate to give in to you.

You certainly can't arraign
him with what you've got.

Not now, anyway.

I'm afraid you're right.

I'll call the district
attorney in the morning.

We'll release Pierce
pending further investigation.

That is, unless something
new develops during the night.

I'll call you.

Thank you, Mr. Linn.

Mr. Linn.

Yes?

What can I do for you?

You can let her go.

Why?

She had nothing to do with it.

I... I thought it
was Flavia's purse.

You mean, you
planted those capsules?

I thought it was Flavia's. I...

I... I thought if you
found them you'd...

Well, you said
she killed herself.

Why did you do that?

To get Pierce off the hook?

Because you've got a
pretty good hunch he's guilty?

Is that why you did it?

Let her go.

I don't want her
to suffer for it.

Please, let her go.

Well, I guess it's back to you.

McBRIDE: I'd say the woman died

less than two hours
prior to our arrival.

I could be wrong by
a half-hour either way.

And the postmortem
showed what cause of death?

McBRIDE: Poison. Prussic acid.

Now, would you
explain to the court

what kind of a poison this is?

Very violent.

With the possible
exception of aconite,

the most violent of all poisons.

What's a lethal dose, doctor?

About one tenth of a gram.

And how soon would
death ordinarily ensue?

Depends on the individual.

From two to five minutes.

Cross-examine.

Uh, doctor, you've been a city
medical examiner for some time?

Twelve years.

And you've had experience
with many deaths by poisoning.

Hundreds, I'd say.

Many by prussic acid?

Mm, a dozen or more.

How many were
found to be by murder?

None. Every one was a suicide.

Thank you, doctor,
that will be all.

Call Lieutenant Tragg.

It's a prescription made
out to Flavia Pierce.

What kind of medicine was it?

Tranquilizer capsules.

Not pills. Capsules.

Right.

Do you recognize
that box, lieutenant?

I do.

I found it in a drawer
of the defendant's desk

on the day of the murder.

Object.

We have yet to establish
a murder was committed,

Your Honor.

Objection sustained.

Strike the word "murder"

and substitute
"Mrs. Pierce's death."

You may proceed, Mr. Linn.

Lieutenant, I assume you
had the material in the capsules

analyzed in the
police laboratory?

There were none left.

The box was empty?

Right.

So assuming that Mrs. Pierce
took the capsules regularly,

the last time she
opened this box,

she found one capsule only.

Just one choice.

Right.

That's all.

Cross-examine.

Just one question, lieutenant.

Were there any traces
of cyanide or prussic acid

found in the box?

No. Uh, none whatever.

Thank you,
lieutenant, that'll be all.

Call Leona Durant.

So up to, say, six months
ago, as far as you knew,

the deceased was not given
to dosing herself with medicines

or vitamins, that sort of thing?

No, sir.

What about the tranquilizers?

She started
taking them last fall

around the time
she found out about...

We object, Your Honor,
to the witness volunteering

any information, particularly
in the nature of conclusions.

Let the witness simply
answer the questions.

Sustained.

You will confine yourself
to answering the question,

Miss Durant. Proceed, Mr. Linn.

So she started taking
tranquilizers last fall.

Yes, sir.

Did you approve
of this? No, I didn't.

And I told her so.

Go on.

She stopped, as far as I knew.

I didn't find the box in her desk
in the design room, anyway.

You didn't know that
she was keeping them

in her husband's desk drawer?

No, I didn't,

until this all happened.

Hm. Now,

while she was taking them,

what was her usual procedure?

She'd take one every afternoon

around 5:00.

That's all.

Your witness.

Uh, Miss Durant, you've
given us your account

of Mrs. Pierce's
death as you saw it.

You explained about the
tense and frenzied atmosphere

in the salon two hours
before the preview.

That's right.

Now, did Mrs. Pierce
seem unusually excited?

She was a little wrought up.

She always was
before a big show.

But not unusually so? No.

Now, you've testified
that she was worried sick

over the threat to her marriage,

haunted by the fear

she might have closed the
door on a golden opportunity

in turning down De Garmo.

Under pressure from the
biggest show of her career

and sneaking tranquilizer
pills out of their hiding place

in her husband's desk drawer.

This, you say, is
par for the course?

She was an excitable woman.

But not prone to suicide.

Never.

Oh, um, one other thing.

She had still another worry:

Getting out the
brochure for the preview,

"Blueprint for Spring,"

running down to the
blueprint company.

That isn't true.

I handled the
whole thing myself.

She didn't even see the
brochure until it was finished.

Thank you, Mrs.
Durant. That will be all.

Call Henry De Garmo.

Mr. De Garmo,

raise your right hand, please.

Do you solemnly swear

the testimony
you're about to give

will be the truth,
the whole truth

and nothing but the truth? I do.

State your name. Henry De Garmo.

Be seated, please.

Of course I threatened him.

With what, specifically?

I said I'd sue him for
recovery of moneys

I'd invested in promotion work,

plus damages of a
million dollars or more,

unless he could get his
wife to change her mind.

And what effect did
this have on him?

I'd say Charles Pierce
was a desperate man.

For the third time, I
tell you we were not.

We were not having an affair.

But you did love
him. Yes, I did.

To the point where you
committed criminal conspiracy

to protect him. Is that true?

Yes.

Where did you buy
the cyanide you planted

in Leona Durant's purse?

At a mining supply house
in South Los Angeles.

How did you know where to go?

I knew cyanide was
used in gold mining.

Through your association
with, uh, George Halliday?

Yes.

Now, did George Halliday
have anything to do

with your decision
to break off your, uh,

friendship with Charles Pierce?

Yes.

Did Halliday threaten to...?

He didn't threaten.

He persuaded you

to break up with Mr. Pierce.

Yes.

So you bought Pierce a bottle
of champagne and said goodbye.

Yes. That's all?

Just goodbye? Yes.

You didn't discuss
assorted methods

of extracting gold from raw ore?

Or the availability of
one of the most violent

of known poisons on the shelves
of mining supply companies?

If the court please, I object

on the ground that the question
is leading and suggestive.

Rephrase the question, Mr. Linn.

Did you at any time
discuss with the defendant

the subject of
cyanide as a poison?

I did not.

I see.

Now, let's examine further
your relationship with the brother

of the deceased,
George Halliday.

So when she decided
she loved Mr. Pierce,

I did the obvious thing.

You, uh, retired from the field.

Exactly.

Heartbroken, but still proud.

Never mind the
levity, Mr. Halliday.

This is a serious
business we're engaged in.

Continue, Mr. Linn.

When did you last
see Miss Sutherland

prior to Mrs. Pierce's death?

The day before it happened.

I had lunch with her.

For what purpose?

To try to dissuade her
from continuing the...

relationship with
Flavia's husband.

Why?

I was worried about Flavia.

What were you worried about?

I knew she was
brooding about it,

devoted as she
was to her husband.

I loved my sister very deeply.

Anything else?

Yes. I was a little
uneasy about Charles.

Why?

About three weeks
before the murder...

Sorry, Your Honor.

Before my sister's death,

we had dinner together.

He was in a strange
frame of mind.

What?

He told me everything
was hanging on the deal

with De Garmo and he
couldn't count on Flavia.

Go on.

Well, there was a
lot of chitchat about it

and then he got
onto another subject.

He asked me how my
ore-reduction mill was getting along.

And from there we got
into the process I was using.

He's lying.

And what process was that?

The cyanide process.

That's not true.

He told me he thought it
must be very dangerous.

I said, "Well, no,
not necessarily,

as long as you were careful."

I told him I had a full month's
supply of sodium cyanide

in my car. Had
no qualms about it.

Then what?

Well, I... I don't like to swear
to something I'm not sure of,

but when I got back to the
mine a couple of days later,

I seemed to be
short a full pound can.

He's lying! That's not true!

I didn't know anything
about any cyanide.

You killed her!

You know you killed her!

Gentlemen, gentlemen.

Mr. Pierce, the law
guarantees you an opportunity

to testify on your own behalf.

That opportunity will
come in due course.

In the meantime,
you will respect

the dignity of this court.

Apologize, Your Honor.

You may continue, Mr. Linn.

That's all.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Uh, Mr. Mason, if you don't
object to postponing your

cross-examination, the court
would like to call a recess.

No objection, Your Honor.

Very well.

The court is
adjourned till 2:00.

He is lying. I never
said any such thing.

You sure you don't want me to
have sandwiches sent up, Perry?

Hm?

Perry.

Hm?

How about the sandwiches?

No, I just can't get
my mind off Mr. Linn.

He's so positive
about this case.

But he's all wrong.

That's reassuring.

He started with the motive

that Charles had a couple
of very sound reasons

for killing his wife,

therefore he must
have killed her.

He's got everything
falling right into place

in one neat little package.

Linn knows perfectly well

that I'm sticking
with the suicide idea

because it's the
only defense I've got.

I tried to bluff him,
but it won't work.

Oh, it's murder all right,

only the motive keeps
getting in the way.

Ready for coffee?

You see, it isn't
motive in this case.

It's method.

Now, if I could just...

Wait a minute.

Know where Paul's having lunch?

He left a number.

Call him.

He's got a job
to do before 2:00.

Everyone rise, please.

You may be seated.

Will George Halliday
take the stand, please?

Mason will level
off on this one.

Uh, a moment, Your Honor.

I have no questions
for Mr. Halliday.

I need not point out to you,

Mr. Mason, that the
testimony of this witness

has been very damaging.

That depends upon the
point of view, Your Honor.

If it please the court,

there are one or two questions

I neglected to ask
the medical examiner.

With Mr. Linn's permission,

I would like to
recall Dr. McBride.

Mr. Linn?

I... I have no
objections, Your Honor.

Will Dr. McBride take
the stand, please?

Now, Dr. McBride, in
this case we have used

prussic acid and
cyanide interchangeably.

Would you please explain
the difference between the two?

Well, cyanide is
transformed into prussic acid

when it's acted upon
by any mild sort of acid.

For instance?

The acid of the stomach.

What are the
properties of cyanide?

Well, cyanide is a white,
crystalline substance.

Uh, looks somewhat
like crystallized sugar.

What about its smell?

Well, when it's perfectly
dry it has no odor.

In moist air or in solution,

it has the strong, bitter
almond smell of prussic acid.

And...?

How much cyanide
would be the lethal dose?

McBRIDE: About 15
hundredths of a gram,

about the size of
a large pinhead.

Um, suppose this amount were
suddenly thrust into the mouth.

Be highly dangerous.

There would be an immediate
burning of the tongue

and the mouth lining,

violent salivary action
which would tend

to ingest the drug, in
which case, of course,

death would ensue in minutes.

Thank you, doctor.
That will be all.

Your Honor, again with
Mr. Linn's permission,

uh, I would like the privaledge

of recalling two
other witnesses.

Mr. Linn?

Do, um, you have new
information, Mr. Mason?

I believe so, Mr. Linn.

I have no objection.

Uh, Your Honor, I
would like a moment

to confer with Mr. Drake.

Why, certainly, Mr. Mason.

It was right in place
on the rack, Perry.

However, I don't
know about the pin.

Good work.

It's the right one.

Uh, Your Honor, I would like
to recall Miss Hope Sutherland.

Miss Sutherland, will you
take the stand, please?

You are still under
oath, Miss Sutherland.

Do you, uh, recognize
this, Miss Sutherland?

Yes, I was supposed
to wear it at the preview.

Didn't you like it?

Not very much.

It... It wasn't like
the other models.

I mentioned that to Mrs. Pierce.

It was about the only
thing we agreed on.

What was wrong with it?

Well, something
about the neck...

It... It was so
difficult to hook.

Thank you.

Will you step down, please?

Uh, would you stand
right there, please?

May I, Mr. Linn?

Well, is...? Is this part
of your new information?

Yes, it is.

Yes, go ahead.

Your Honor, I would like
to recall Mrs. Leona Durant.

Mrs. Leona Durant

to the stand, please.

Miss Durant, what do
you think about that cloak?

I think it's different.

Because you
designed it that way.

Yes.

Now, you testified previously

that you also designed
and executed this.

Yes.

"Blueprint for Spring."

And it's a real
blueprint cover, isn't it?

Mr. Mason, I don't know
what you're getting at.

A blueprint, Miss Durant,

is produced by one other
process which uses cyanide.

Now, you became aware of
this during the time you worked

with the blueprinting company,

did you not? And working there

you had access to an
unlimited supply of cyanide.

I told you once, Flavia
Pierce was my friend.

My best friend.

I wouldn't in the world
have harmed her.

You were devoted to her.

So devoted it galled
you to see her marriage

falling to pieces
because of that girl there.

You didn't think
much of her husband,

but she did, and
that was enough.

It was that kind of devotion,
wasn't it, Miss Durant?

The kind of blind devotion

that can sometimes
move a person to murder?

Now, why is it this cloak was
designed in such a manner?

Why the difficult fastening
at the neck? Why?

Because you designed it
with one purpose in mind:

You designed it as
a weapon for murder.

What?

Would you put this on, please.

Don't do that!

Now, you carefully designed
that cloak with no pockets,

and in such a manner
that it required two hands

to fasten it properly.

And then the pin.

Where else to put
the pin while two hands

were busy fastening the cloak?

Where else but in the mouth?

May I have the pin, please?

I call the court's
attention to this pin.

One of the stones
has been removed

and the gold
plating in the socket

discolored by some chemical.

I fully believe an analysis

will prove that
chemical to be cyanide.

Probably the most terrible
moment in Leona's life

came when she walked
out of the design room

and found Flavia on the floor.

Yes, I suppose she
really did blame me for it.

I think she did.

And even Flavia
thought you poisoned her.

She couldn't
believed it of Leona.

Neither could I.

Flavia's death meant the
end of the line for Leona.

With you in charge, she knew
she'd probably lose her job

and everything she'd worked for.

I tossed her out as
a possible suspect,

concentrated on
the suicide angle.

But the dress haunted you.

It haunted me first.

Right.

When I found out that Hope

was the model scheduled
to wear that dress,

it really haunted me.

Then I got the idea that maybe
Flavia's death might have come

from a murder
plan aimed at Hope.

About that time, Della
walked up with the coffee.

Just like that.

But Della learns
from experience.

Ha!

Hm?

I'll explain it to you later.

Coffee?