Perry Mason (1957) s01e19 Episode Script
The Case of the Haunted Husband
[WIND HOWLING.]
GREELEY: Hop in.
CLAIRE: Oh, thank you.
[SLURRING.]
It's a pretty lonely spot for a girl.
It was as far as my last lift would take me.
That was over an hour ago.
- This'll warm you up.
- No, no, thanks.
Ahh.
How far you going? Los Angeles.
You're doing it the hard way, aren't you? I don't have much choice.
My purse was stolen at the bus station in Fresno.
My tickets, my money, everything.
You don't believe me, do you? [GREELEY CHUCKLES.]
- Oh, relax, baby.
Move over.
- No, please.
- Ah, come on.
- Let me go.
No.
Let me go.
Look what you've done on my shirt.
[HORN HONKING.]
[TYRES SCREECHING.]
[SCREAMS.]
[CRASH.]
Come in, Hanley.
We identified the truck driver.
His name was Albert Lowell.
Did he have a family? Wife and two kids, another on the way.
- The wife been notified? - Mm-hm.
I don't envy the man who had that job.
There was no excuse for the accident.
It was out-and-out manslaughter.
We've got a couple of witnesses who saw the sedan weaving all over just a couple of minutes before the crash.
Truck driver went off the road to avoid hitting it.
I suppose the driver of the sedan was under the influence.
The car smelled like a saloon.
- What happened to the driver? - Not nearly enough.
It was a miracle.
Knocked unconscious and winds up with a broken arm and cuts and bruises.
The sedan went off the road.
What was the driver's name? Claire Olger.
Have you talked to this Claire Olger yet? I was on my way over to the hospital now.
Just want to see if you have any special instructions.
- Go the limit.
- Right.
You're going to be all right.
Feel like talking? I'd like to ask you a few questions.
Oh, I'm Harold Hanley, district attorney's office.
Your name is Claire Olger, isn't it? Why did you steal Mr.
Heywood's car? I didn't steal any car.
A man gave me a lift.
Could you describe him? Seemed sort of husky, blond.
Had a little moustache.
He was wearing a tuxedo and some kind of a fancy hat.
What if I told you Mr.
Heywood is not husky and has dark hair? That's impossible.
For your information, that's Mr.
Heywood.
No.
Why did you steal his car? I didn't steal any car.
I swear I didn't.
Then how come the police found you behind the wheel? You were the only one there except for the truck driver.
- You forced him off the highway.
- No.
Claire, I wanna help you, but you've got to tell me the truth.
You stole that car-- No, please.
I didn't do anything.
Leave me alone.
All right.
I'll be back.
Till then, I suggest you spend some time with your conscience.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Friend of Claire Olger's outside to see you.
- Claire Olger? - Didn't you read the morning papers? Her name is Doris Stephanak.
This doesn't look like our kind of case, Della.
I think you ought to talk to her.
You think so? All right.
DELLA: Won't you come in, Miss Stephanak? - This is Mr.
Mason.
- I know what a busy man you are.
- I appreciate your seeing me.
- How do you do? Won't you sit down? My secretary, Miss Street, thought I should talk to you.
Thank you.
Now - Did you read the story? - Yes.
Claire didn't steal that car, Mr.
Mason.
I don't know how I'm gonna convince you, but she's a wonderful girl.
They just don't come any nicer.
- How long have you known her? DORIS: Oh, five or six years.
We used to work together in San Francisco.
In fact, she was on her way down here to stay with me after she lost her job.
She never did learn how to handle office wolves.
It says here the car was owned by a movie producer named Jerry Heywood.
He claimed it was stolen yesterday, about noon.
Yet the description your girlfriend gave of the man who was supposed to be driving the car doesn't fit Heywood at all.
I admit it sounds screwy, but I'll bet anything that Claire is telling the truth.
If you only knew her the way I do, Mr.
Mason.
I know one thing, Miss Stephanak.
If I were in trouble, I'd like to have you on my side.
You let Miss Olger know I'll be up to see her as soon as I can.
Oh, thank you.
Della, get hold of Paul Drake.
Tell him I want him to dig up everything he can on Jerry Heywood.
Particularly if Heywood knows anyone who answers the description Miss Olger gave the DA's office.
Right.
Mr.
Mason, you're wonderful.
If you ever need anything, anything at all, just ask.
Why, I might do that some time.
I tell you, for a Hollywood big shot, it's amazing how little we could find out about this guy Heywood.
- Paul Drake Agency slipping? - Well, we do know this much: He's 42, single, current boy wonder of Magnum Pictures.
Been there six years and he drags down 3,000 a week.
Not bad, even if you divide it by two.
- Who are his close friends? - That's just it, he has none.
He doesn't socialise at all? - What about enemies? - Nope.
We're missing a bet somewhere, Paul.
Whoever was driving that car must be close to Heywood.
Why? Mind you, I'm not saying the girl's lying.
But suppose there was somebody else in the car.
Let's call him Mr.
X.
Why does he have to be a friend of Heywood? Because I don't believe that car was stolen.
According to Claire, whoever was driving was wearing a tuxedo.
Can you picture any thief in his right mind strolling around Beverly Hills wearing a dinner jacket in the middle of the day? Yeah, you got a point there.
But if this Mr.
X did have Heywood's consent to drive the car, why is Heywood denying it now? I can give you the answer to that one.
Heywood had a beef with Federal Fidelity over a recent claim.
They cancelled his insurance.
He could be hurt financially if the driver of the car - did have his permission.
- That's right.
I think I'll have a look at this Hollywood genius.
- Hamburger with all the trimmings.
- Hold it.
Buy him a steak, Della.
He hasn't done badly at all.
Steak sandwich.
[LAUGHS.]
And another thing, Sam.
When the girl comes in the room and sees her father, I want more surprise.
And one final thing, Sam.
In scene 81 on page 56, Frank registers the wrong emotional reaction.
Change it.
Sorry, Mason, but I can't afford to let anything interfere with my working on the script.
I understand, Mr.
Heywood.
- Cigarette? - Thank you.
Now, let's see, you told me on the phone that you represent this girl.
What was her name again? - Claire Olger.
- Mm-hm.
Well, judging from her picture, she seems like an awfully nice girl.
Whatever possessed her to steal my car? I don't think she did.
Oh, come now, Mason, you're not really buying that yarn of the blond man in the tuxedo, are you? If you saw that in one of my pictures, you wouldn't believe it, not for a minute, would you? Well, motion pictures aren't necessarily always true-to-life.
You've got me there.
Mr.
Heywood, isn't there anyone you can think of who might answer the description of that blond man? Not a soul.
It could have been someone who didn't have your permission.
Of course, if he did have your permission, it might prove very expensive for you.
I understand you're not insured.
It seems you understand an awful lot about me, Mr.
Mason.
Just enough to be convinced that you know who was driving your car.
I'm gonna find him.
Then find him on your own time, Mason, and not mine.
Tanner.
Show the gentleman out.
Never mind, Tanner.
I'll find the way.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Hello? Hello, Mrs.
Greeley? This is Mr.
Heywood.
Oh? Oh, yes, Mr.
Heywood? You saw the story in the papers about my car? Yes.
I'm sorry to bother you, Mrs.
Greeley, but I really must speak with your husband.
He isn't home.
Do you know where he is? I could make a good guess.
He came home early this morning.
Just changed his clothes and went out again.
I'm afraid he's on another Well, I think you understand, Mr.
Heywood.
I see.
If the driver really was Michael, Mrs.
Greeley, it could be very embarrassing to me.
I know.
And you've been so good, so wonderful to both of us.
If he ever did anything to hurt you I-- Unfortunately, he will.
Unless we find Michael before the police do.
Believe me, I'll do everything I can.
I'll find him.
I'll be right here if you need me, Mrs.
Greeley.
Good night.
Mr.
Mason seems to have gotten under your skin.
Don't you have work to do someplace else? You expect an awful a lot of me, Mr.
Heywood: secretary, chauffeur, butler.
Seems to me, if I'm doing three people's work, I ought to get three times the pay.
That's enough, Tanner.
I mean, take for example the way I take such close care of your appointments.
Perhaps you rather I didn't.
Do I? Like when you told Mr.
Mason you were home yesterday.
- Let me go.
- Get out.
- Let me go.
- Get out.
There must be more to it, Claire.
You haven't told me a thing I couldn't have read in the newspapers.
I swear I've told you everything.
Take it easy, honey.
Mr.
Mason believes you.
Now think.
Are you sure you can't tell me something else about him? I was only in the car a few minutes.
He offered me a drink.
And after you refused, he helped himself, right? He was real drunk.
Told me to move closer and I said no.
Pulled me over and tried to kiss me and I pushed him away.
And then he got real mad because I got lipstick on his shirt.
Lipstick? You didn't mention that before.
I just didn't think of it.
Right after that, I saw the headlights and then the truck.
Listen, Claire, do you feel well enough to leave the hospital? Yes.
But how can I? I'm under arrest.
Well, this is better than jail, Mr.
Mason.
Oh, don't worry about that.
I'll arrange for bail.
That's wonderful.
Isn't it, honey? She can stay at my place.
No.
No, I'd rather the district attorney's office didn't bother her before the hearing.
- Do you know the Gateview Hotel? - Yes.
Take her there.
Register under the name of Joan Lewis.
And keep your eye on her.
Really, Mr.
Mason, you're doing enough.
Here.
We'll talk about it later.
Thanks very much.
It's money down the drain, Perry.
We'll never find that dress shirt.
Suppose he had it laundered at home.
Well, that's unlikely.
If he's a married man, he certainly wouldn't want his wife asking about that lipstick.
And if he's a bachelor, he'd send it to the laundry.
Do you have any idea how many laundries there are in this town? I know, Paul, but we just can't sit around on our hands and expect Mr.
X to come to us.
- Or can we? I never thought of that.
- Thought of what? This Mr.
X.
He knows Claire can identify him and he knows Claire's in the hospital.
Was in the hospital.
Exactly.
Now, if you were in his place, Paul, what would you be thinking? Remember, you've killed a man in an accident and you've run away.
That's manslaughter.
Well, under those circumstances, I guess I'd be pretty darn desperate.
You mean if Mr.
X thought someone could identify him, he might-- Get Claire on the phone, Della.
- You know, Gateview Hotel? - Right.
She's using the name Joan Lewis.
Hello, could I please speak to Miss Joan Lewis? She doesn't answer.
She might have stepped out.
She might have.
- Your car here, Paul? - Yeah.
Would you please ring again? Keep ringing every three minutes.
We'll be at the hotel in 15.
You can stop after that.
Come on.
Thank you.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Must be Della's call.
Hand me that chair, Paul.
Do you see anything? Too dark to see a-- What's the matter? - Get ahold of Lieutenant Tragg.
- Tragg? I think Mr.
X has already been here.
TRAGG: I'm warning you, Mason, if the girl isn't in here A girl, you said? Now, let's get down to cases.
Who was the girl who had this room? No, don't look at him.
Just answer the question.
Who was she? She used the name Joan Lewis.
She absolutely had nothing to do with this.
I'm not asking you.
- Now, lieutenant, let's be reasonable.
- Hm.
You use me for a patsy and you expect me to be reasonable.
That's rich.
You knew there was a body in here before we walked in.
Look, Tragg, why do you think we called you? Have you identified him yet? His name is Michael Greeley.
When can you arrange for your client to see him? Why should she? Oh, let's not fence.
You know that he meets the description of the man who was supposed to be driving that car.
You spent a small fortune looking for him.
What does that prove? Now he can't testify that he wasn't driving the car.
All of which proves that Miss Olger had a wonderful motive to kill him.
And if this is her room, she had opportunity as well.
- Now, where is she? - She'll be available.
- If she's needed.
TRAGG: All right, Mason.
I tried to meet you halfway.
- I'm sorry, Tragg.
TRAGG: Get out of here.
She better have a good alibi handy because I intend to find her.
- I'm worried, Perry.
- You've got company.
Yeah, but I can lose my licence.
- You think Claire killed him? - Tragg thinks so.
What do you think? Well, she must have let Greeley into the room.
Not necessarily.
He could've bribed a bellboy while she was out.
Yeah, that could be.
I have an idea.
There's something else I wanna check on first.
You gonna check it in the phone book? Did you notice Greeley was wearing a wedding ring? - So? - If there's a Mrs.
Greeley, I'd like to meet her before Tragg does.
I'm afraid you're mistaken.
My husband was at a premiere in San Francisco on Tuesday night.
Besides, I think I'd be the first to know if he'd been involved in an accident.
Was he wearing a dinner jacket when he came home? Is that what your client told you? Yes.
There were lipstick marks on the shirt.
It would help my client if we could find it.
If my husband had been in that car, how did he get home? Quite simply.
There's a bus stop about a quarter of a mile down the road.
- There's also hitchhiking.
- By the time the police arrived, he could have been halfway back to Los Angeles.
Except that Michael would never run away.
I know my husband well.
He has his faults but he's not a coward.
I can understand his picking up a girl.
But if there was an accident, he would never leave her alone to take the blame.
- Where is Mr.
Greeley now? - I don't know.
He handles public relations for Magnum Pictures.
He has to do a lot of travelling.
Magnum? Does he do any work for Jerry Heywood? Yes.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Excuse me.
Hello? This is Mrs.
Greeley.
Lieutenant Tragg? Yes.
Well, what is it? Yes, I expect to be in all evening.
Well, why can't you tell me on the phone? No.
That's not true.
I don't believe you.
He says that Michael is dead.
I'm sorry, Mrs.
Greeley.
- You knew it, didn't you? - Yes.
Anything we can do? No.
No, just go away, please.
Leave me alone.
[KNOCKING.]
- Miss Stephanak? - Stephanak.
- Yeah, Doris.
- Who are you? Lieutenant Tragg, Homicide.
May I come in.
- I got a warrant.
- I don't care what you've got.
Oh, you big ape.
You go in there and I'll clobber you.
Better get dressed, Miss Olger.
Your friend can help you if you like.
We'll be waiting right here in the living room.
Here you are.
Say, do you think you'd better have a little lunch, Mr.
Tanner? I can get the cook to fix you up a sandwich.
This is all the lunch I want, Charlie, thank you.
That's quite a deal, ain't it? Boy, that dame sure gets around.
First, stealing a car, then plugging a guy.
She says it's the chap who did it.
Yeah, yeah, they always do.
You know something, Charlie, this time I'm inclined to agree with her.
Say, why don't you give me some change, huh? - Small change? - Sure, sure.
[REGISTER RINGS.]
- There you are.
- Thanks.
Boy, she's gonna need a magician to pull her out of this one.
Oh, it's all my fault, Mr.
Mason.
I feel like a complete idiot.
I never should have left Claire alone at the hotel.
Then when she showed up at my apartment-- - Why didn't you phone me? DORIS: I called your office.
Your answering service couldn't locate you.
Two hours later, the police arrived at my place and took her away.
None of this answers the question of why she left the hotel in the first place.
It was because her arm was bothering her.
She went down to the drugstore to get some aspirin.
And when she got back to the room, she found Greeley's body.
What did she do then? Well, then she panicked and came to my place.
Well, this puts us right back where we started.
Only now that we find the guy, he's been murdered, which doesn't make it look too good.
- I tell you, Claire didn't touch him.
- Don't get mad at me, honey.
I'm just thinking how it's gonna look to Burger.
Right now, he's conceding that Claire didn't steal Heywood's car.
Instead, he's charging her with first-degree murder.
[INTERCOM BUZZES.]
Yes, Della? DELLA: There's someone on the phone who insists on talking to you.
- Who is it? - He prefers to remain anonymous.
Claims he's got some information about Jerry Heywood.
Put him on.
Hello? - Hello, Mr.
Mason? - Yes? I've got a little tip for you.
Why don't you put Heywood on the stand and ask him about that little hideaway of his, that lodge.
- Lodge? - Yes.
Very cosy little place, right near Fresno.
See what he has to say about that.
[PHONE CLICKS.]
Hello? Hello.
Did you turn up anything about Heywood having [IMITATES TANNER.]
a cosy little place three miles out of Fresno? Tanner.
[IN NORMAL VOICE.]
You checked on him, didn't you? Yeah.
We didn't come up with much.
He's-- Well, he's sort of an all-around man for Heywood.
He's young, he likes to live it up, he's got a real sharp eye for the girls.
Oh? What's Mary Connerly doing? That's no go, Perry.
She's on a case up in Portland.
Who else is available? What about me? - Oh, no.
- Well, why not? You need a girl and last time I looked, I met all the qualifications.
I know, but this could be trouble, Doris.
I can take care of myself.
Where does he live? At the Adirondack Hotel.
You can always find him at the bar after 5.
- How's she gonna spot him? - I know the bartender.
For 5 bucks, he'll point him out.
Give him 10, make sure he does a good job.
Well, I guess I better go home and get beautiful.
I wouldn't want that $10 to be wasted.
I'll be waiting right here.
If you have any problems, phone me.
Don't worry.
- Quite a gal, huh? - She certainly is.
[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING.]
- Everything all right, miss? - Fine, thank you.
Hello, Charlie.
- Hi, Mr.
Tanner.
Pretty wet out, huh? - Yes, better give me a double.
- I don't wanna catch cold.
- Right.
Can I trouble you? - Oh, no trouble at all.
- Thank you.
You mind if I join you? It's a free country.
Over here, Charlie.
You ever been here before? - Mm-mm.
- I thought not.
I'd have noticed you.
You really stand out.
- Well, thanks.
- Oh, I meant that as a compliment.
My friends call me Ernie.
What do they call you? Well, I don't think your friends call me anything.
Hey, that's pretty funny.
Well, my name is Doris.
Well, I'm very glad to meet you, Doris.
Here's to a beautiful friendship, eh? [PHONE RINGS.]
- Hello? DORIS: Mr.
Mason, this is Doris.
- How's it going? - Fine.
Listen, I don't know if this will mean anything to you, but Heywood's car had its 5,000-mile check on Monday night.
And after the accident on Tuesday, Tanner noticed that the speedometer reading was over 5,700 miles.
Now, I hope you can make something out of it, because it's Greek to me.
I'll look into it.
You still with Tanner? Oh, yes.
He wants to make a big night of it.
All right, Doris, but be careful.
Have Paul check into the agency where Heywood has his car serviced.
I want a record of everything that has to do with that car.
Right.
[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING.]
Come on, honey, drink up.
No, I'm gonna call it a night.
Well, it's early yet.
Maybe for you, but I'm a working girl.
And my boss believes in keeping my nose to the grindstone.
- Got one of those too? - Mm-hm.
And you? Not anymore I don't.
But this big movie producer you were telling me about I quit.
I quit just like that.
He was a wise guy so I belted him right on the button.
Well, aren't you scared? Big shot like that could cause you a lot of trouble.
No, he can't do me any harm.
If I was to open my mouth, it'd be the end of Mr.
Heywood.
Here, you know this Michael Greeley you read about in the Gateview Hotel murder? Well, I could-- What's the matter? Well, it turned out, it's a bit noisy to talk in here.
Let's go to my place, eh? Okay.
Boy, you're a doll, you know it? Why don't you go home, Della? You must be tired.
We'll have a full day at the preliminary hearing tomorrow.
No, I'll wait a little while.
Worried about Doris? Of course not.
I just think it's strange we haven't heard any more from her.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Hello? Mrs.
Greeley.
Yes, Mrs.
Greeley.
I don't know exactly how to say this, but I'm afraid I've done Miss Olger an injustice.
You see, since my husband passed away, I haven't quite known what to do with myself.
Well, tonight I started packing some of his things and I found something among his effects I think you should have.
What is it? Oh, I thought I might bring it down to the office.
- How soon can you be here? - I'm dressed and ready to leave.
It shouldn't take more than half an hour.
All right, Mrs.
Greeley, I'll wait for you.
What'd she want? She wants to show me something that belonged to her husband.
- What? - She wouldn't say.
The shirt.
The shirt with the lipstick on it.
- The one you were looking for.
- The one I was looking for.
We needed that shirt to defend Claire when the charge was manslaughter.
Now she's charged with Greeley's murder.
And his shirt with the lipstick on it will definitely establish that Claire was in the car with him.
That's Burger's evidence.
Now the problem is how to get the shirt from her and, at the same time, tell her I don't want it.
Ernie? Ernie, where are you? Ernie, I'm back.
Are you feeling any better? I brought you some coffee.
Ernie? Ernie, are you all right? [CLATTERING.]
Operator, would you get me Madison 5-1190, and hurry, please.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Probably her.
Hello? DORIS: Mr.
Mason, this is Doris.
Good, Doris, we've been worried about you.
Listen, you're gonna have to get over here right away.
- My hat and coat.
Trouble? - Yes.
Where are you? Tanner's room, 412, the Adirondack.
I'll be there in five minutes.
When Mrs.
Greeley comes, stall her.
I'll be back as soon as I can.
How long were you out of the room? Oh, 15, 20 minutes at the most.
Tanner wasn't feeling very well, so I went down downstairs to get him a cup of coffee.
- That's when I tried to call you.
- Is this it? Yeah.
Now, did you touch anything? All right, now listen to me.
We're gonna walk up two flights, take the elevator down.
When we get to the lobby, I'll call the police.
Then I'm taking you home.
Now, there's nothing to worry about.
Come on, smile.
That's better.
- Cigarette? - Oh.
No, thank you.
- Do you expect Mr.
Mason soon? - He should be here any time.
Could I leave this with you? I'd really rather you didn't.
You see, there might be some formalities.
[DOOR OPENS.]
That's probably Mr.
Mason now.
Will you excuse me? - Mrs.
Greeley here? - Mm-hm.
- What have you been up to? - I'll brief you later.
Terribly sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs.
Greeley.
That's quite all right.
I wanted to help, and I remembered you needed this.
Would you hold onto it for a moment, please? Won't you come in? Della? - Won't you sit down? MARCIA: Thank you.
You said you wanted this if I ever came across it.
Is this what you were talking about? You said it would prove your client was telling the truth.
That's already been admitted by the district attorney.
You mean it's no use to you? No, I'm sorry you put yourself to so much trouble.
Too bad.
Well, I'll take it back.
Now, of course, if you'd like to leave it here - Didn't you say it's--? - I mean, if it's a burden to you.
Well, I'll take that burden, if you don't mind.
- You know Lieutenant Tragg? - Yes, we've talked.
Now, Tragg, I wouldn't jump to conclusions if I were you.
Oh, well, you know me, I like to live dangerously.
Would you mind if I use that? Where did you find this? In my husband's laundry.
I'm sure Mr.
Burger will be very pleased.
- Now, listen, Tragg-- - I'd be glad to.
If you'd care to talk about Ernie Tanner.
- You know him? MASON: Why? Well, he got himself knocked off at the Adirondack Hotel tonight.
Would you know anything about that? - Not a thing.
TRAGG: Hmm.
Say, where have you been tonight? Why? Well, how come your shoes are all wet? I might have spilled some water while I was washing up.
Yeah, that's pretty good, but there's one thing you overlooked.
Tanner's killer used a pillow to muffle the shot.
And there were feathers all over the place.
- So? TRAGG: So whoever was in that room with wet shoes was bound to pick up a feather or two.
Um, any comment, Mr.
Mason? Um, do you happen to have a cigarette? I seem to be all out.
- Thank you.
- There was a girl in Tanner's room.
She called your office from there.
Who was she? Oh, look, Mason, I've got a job to do.
There have been two murders already and I feel they're both tied in with your client.
You're not even making sense, Tragg.
You've had Claire Olger under lock and key, remember? I also remember that she has a very good friend named Doris Stephanak.
Doris Stephanak.
Doris Stephanak.
Was she the one in Tanner's room? Why don't you ask her? You realise that I can toss you in jail as a material witness.
Yes, but I don't think you will.
No, I want Burger to have a crack at you at the hearing tomorrow.
Well, good night, Mrs.
Greeley, and thank you very much for your help.
And have a good day in court, Mason.
Tragg, are you sure this isn't Greeley's shirt? Positive.
Crane double-checked.
It's the wrong size and the laundry marks don't tally.
Well, what do you know about that? It looks like this time Mr.
Mason has overreached it.
- Well, you don't think he planted that? - Don't you? No.
I think Mason will be as surprised as we are.
All you got to do is call him.
We're gonna do nothing of the kind.
Don't you see, lieutenant? This is a trap.
Mason expects me to introduce this as Greeley's shirt.
Then all he's gotta to do is prove it isn't and I fall flat on my face.
Then what do we do? Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Let Mr.
Mason take care of his own dirty linen.
BURGER: That's when you first learned your husband had been murdered? Yes, sir.
Your witness, Mr.
Mason.
No questions.
You may step down.
How long will it take you to complete your case, Mr.
Burger? BURGER: I have just one more witness, Your Honour.
You may proceed.
BURGER: Call Gerald Heywood to the stand.
CLERK: Gerald Heywood.
Della, I don't get it.
Tragg on the stand, Mrs.
Greeley, all the others.
He still hasn't introduced that dress shirt.
Raise your right hand, please.
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you are about to give is the whole truth? - I do.
- Be seated.
I know what a busy man you are.
I'll try not to keep you any longer than is necessary.
Thank you, sir.
Would you state your name and address, please? Gerald Heywood.
You are the owner of a Lincoln sedan, licence number JPE 903? - I am.
- When did you last see your car? On last Tuesday noon.
It was parked in front of my home.
You since learned that it was stolen by the deceased Michael Greeley.
Objection.
The witness has learned nothing of the sort.
This is pure hearsay.
If it please the court, I thought both Mr.
Mason and I had stipulated the car was not stolen by his client.
Accordingly, we dismissed the charge of manslaughter against Claire Olger.
I appreciate the district attorney's kindness, but Mr.
Heywood has no personal knowledge of this.
Sustained.
I have no further questions.
You may cross-examine.
I want you to know, Mr.
Heywood, that I too realise how busy you are and will try to be as considerate as the district attorney.
Thank you, Mr.
Mason.
Now, have you ever seen this defendant before? No.
She's charged with the murder of Michael Greeley, the man who, presumably, stole your car.
I'm sorry, but what do you expect me to do about it? Just tell the truth.
Now, from whom was the car purchased? Clayton Sales, Incorporated.
When was the last time they serviced it? I don't remember.
Well, perhaps these will refresh your memory.
They're Clayton's servicing records.
It had a 5,000-mile check on the evening of the 14th.
MASON: That was Monday, the night before the accident? HEYWOOD: Yes.
MASON: You did not use the car after that.
HEYWOOD: No.
When it was towed to the garage the following night, the night after the accident, what was the mileage reading? I believe you'll find it right there.
Five thousand six hundred and twenty-one miles.
Which means the car was driven approximately 600 miles between times.
Don't you find that figure rather amazing? I don't think so.
A car like mine can make 600 miles a day easily.
But the car wasn't gone for a full day.
You reported it was stolen at noon.
That means it was only gone for nine hours.
Now, do you know anyone who can average better than 65 miles an hour during traffic for nine solid hours? Would you answer that, Mr.
Heywood? I admit it couldn't be possible.
Then, obviously, the car must have been taken long before noon.
It would seem so.
Would you happen to know the distance between Los Angeles and Fresno? Around 300 miles.
Do you have a lodge up near Fresno? Yes.
MASON: Then if someone had driven your car up to the lodge and back, that might account for those 600 miles.
HEYWOOD: It might.
- By any chance, did you drive up there Monday night? I did not.
I was in Beverly Hills at a testimonial dinner.
You spent the whole evening there? No, I left early.
I went home.
I had a lot of work to do.
Did you know Michael Greeley? Yes, he worked for me-- For the studio.
Public relations.
MASON: But that's as far as the relationship went? HEYWOOD: Absolutely.
If Your Honour please, last night in my office, Lieutenant Tragg took a dress shirt from Mrs.
Greeley.
I should like to know if he has that shirt with him in court today? - Do you have it, lieutenant? - Yes, sir.
Does the state intend to introduce the shirt in evidence? No, we don't, Your Honour.
Let me be sure I understand you, Mr.
Burger-- There's not much to understand.
It's perfectly simple, Mr.
Mason.
The state does not wish to introduce the shirt in evidence.
In that case, I may wish to introduce it myself.
May I have the shirt, lieutenant? Thank you.
You may proceed, Mr.
Mason.
Yes, Your Honour.
Would you examine this, Mr.
Heywood? - What for? - Just do as I ask, please.
Now, have you ever seen this shirt before? No.
Would you open your collar, please? Your Honour, defence counsel is turning this into a burlesque.
This is highly irregular, Mr.
Mason.
Your Honour, this whole case is highly irregular.
It began with a routine matter of car theft and manslaughter that has culminated in the murder of two men, Michael Greeley and Ernest Tanner.
I ask the court's indulgence and request that I be allowed to continue.
The witness will do as counsel requests.
Clerk, would you mind stepping over here, please? Now would you read the laundry mark on Mr.
Heywood's collar? It's W447.
Now would you read the laundry mark on the collar of that shirt? CLERK: W447.
MASON: They are the same? CLERK: Yes, sir.
Do you deny this is your shirt, Mr.
Heywood? - Look, I'm not on trial.
- Just answer the question.
Is that your shirt? Yes.
MASON: It was found in the effects of Greeley.
How do you account for that? - I can't.
- Would you have any idea why Michael Greeley was murdered? - No.
- Would you like me to tell you? Would you like me to tell you why Tanner was killed? I don't see what that has to do with this witness.
Surely, you're interested in justice, Mr.
Burger.
I am, Mr.
Mason.
You may continue.
Thank you, Your Honour.
Now suppose I were to tell you that your houseman, Ernest Tanner, was also employed by Michael Greeley? - For what reason? - To spy on you.
I don't know what you're talking about.
- Do you know Mrs.
Greeley? HEYWOOD: Only through her husband.
MASON: Did you see her Monday night, the night before your car disappeared? I told you I was in Beverly Hills.
Suppose I told you that you did not go home to work that night.
But instead, you and Mrs.
Greeley drove up to your lodge together.
That after you left, Tanner telephoned Mr.
Greeley in San Francisco.
You don't understand.
I understand perfectly.
Mr.
Greeley wasn't a jealous husband, he just wanted to shake you down.
That's why he flew to Fresno and took your car.
He wanted you marooned together at your lodge.
That would have given him all the evidence he needed for blackmail.
How did you both feel when you discovered the car was gone? - You must have been terrified.
- That's not true.
You were not terrified? No.
Then how do you explain Mrs.
Greeley packing your shirt in her bag? I don't know.
Leave me alone, will you? Let me think.
Gladly, Mr.
Heywood.
You may have all the time in the world if you can show us any other way for that shirt to have appeared among Mr.
Greeley's effects.
Let's go on, Mr.
Heywood.
Let's talk about a haunted man.
Mr.
Greeley seems to have been a haunted man.
He thought no one knew he was on his way to Claire Olger's hotel room, but he was followed there and he was killed.
Were you responsible for that, Mr.
Heywood? - No! - I say you were.
I say it was your idea for Mrs.
Greeley to produce that shirt, hoping to incriminate my client, just as it was your idea to murder Tanner.
He didn't do it.
Leave him alone.
JUDGE: Bailiff.
- How dare you talk that way to him.
He's kind and good.
He's the most wonderful man I've ever known.
Marcia.
Marcia, don't.
Listen to me, Your Honour.
Jerry Heywood never killed anyone.
He couldn't.
Mrs.
Greeley, if Heywood didn't killed Tanner or your husband, who did? I did.
It's all right.
I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble.
TRAGG: I can't get over it.
Do you realise that when Mrs.
Greeley phoned you, saying that she found that shirt, she'd already killed Tanner.
Of course.
She probably called me from the ladies' room at the Adirondack Hotel.
And you thought Heywood killed Tanner to cover up that affair.
Lucky for your client that Mrs.
Greeley confessed.
You're wrong, lieutenant.
Perry kept waiting for Burger to introduce the shirt and when he didn't, we knew it wasn't Greeley's.
Oh, so you guessed it was Heywood's shirt? - Well, sort of.
- That's what I said, you were lucky.
Lucky that Mrs.
Greeley confessed.
There was no possible way that you could peg her as the killer.
How long have we known each other? Long enough.
And during that time you've called me everything under the sun.
That still goes.
For my dough, you're unscrupulous, - conniving, unprincipled-- - And what about stupid? No, stupid you're not.
Well, if I were in a room with a murdered man and I did not check my wet shoes to see if I were tracking feathers back to my office, - what would you call me? - Stupid.
Well, who else could have done it? There was only you, me, Mrs.
Greeley, and-- Oy gevalt.
[MASON CHUCKLES.]
After you, lieutenant.
GREELEY: Hop in.
CLAIRE: Oh, thank you.
[SLURRING.]
It's a pretty lonely spot for a girl.
It was as far as my last lift would take me.
That was over an hour ago.
- This'll warm you up.
- No, no, thanks.
Ahh.
How far you going? Los Angeles.
You're doing it the hard way, aren't you? I don't have much choice.
My purse was stolen at the bus station in Fresno.
My tickets, my money, everything.
You don't believe me, do you? [GREELEY CHUCKLES.]
- Oh, relax, baby.
Move over.
- No, please.
- Ah, come on.
- Let me go.
No.
Let me go.
Look what you've done on my shirt.
[HORN HONKING.]
[TYRES SCREECHING.]
[SCREAMS.]
[CRASH.]
Come in, Hanley.
We identified the truck driver.
His name was Albert Lowell.
Did he have a family? Wife and two kids, another on the way.
- The wife been notified? - Mm-hm.
I don't envy the man who had that job.
There was no excuse for the accident.
It was out-and-out manslaughter.
We've got a couple of witnesses who saw the sedan weaving all over just a couple of minutes before the crash.
Truck driver went off the road to avoid hitting it.
I suppose the driver of the sedan was under the influence.
The car smelled like a saloon.
- What happened to the driver? - Not nearly enough.
It was a miracle.
Knocked unconscious and winds up with a broken arm and cuts and bruises.
The sedan went off the road.
What was the driver's name? Claire Olger.
Have you talked to this Claire Olger yet? I was on my way over to the hospital now.
Just want to see if you have any special instructions.
- Go the limit.
- Right.
You're going to be all right.
Feel like talking? I'd like to ask you a few questions.
Oh, I'm Harold Hanley, district attorney's office.
Your name is Claire Olger, isn't it? Why did you steal Mr.
Heywood's car? I didn't steal any car.
A man gave me a lift.
Could you describe him? Seemed sort of husky, blond.
Had a little moustache.
He was wearing a tuxedo and some kind of a fancy hat.
What if I told you Mr.
Heywood is not husky and has dark hair? That's impossible.
For your information, that's Mr.
Heywood.
No.
Why did you steal his car? I didn't steal any car.
I swear I didn't.
Then how come the police found you behind the wheel? You were the only one there except for the truck driver.
- You forced him off the highway.
- No.
Claire, I wanna help you, but you've got to tell me the truth.
You stole that car-- No, please.
I didn't do anything.
Leave me alone.
All right.
I'll be back.
Till then, I suggest you spend some time with your conscience.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Friend of Claire Olger's outside to see you.
- Claire Olger? - Didn't you read the morning papers? Her name is Doris Stephanak.
This doesn't look like our kind of case, Della.
I think you ought to talk to her.
You think so? All right.
DELLA: Won't you come in, Miss Stephanak? - This is Mr.
Mason.
- I know what a busy man you are.
- I appreciate your seeing me.
- How do you do? Won't you sit down? My secretary, Miss Street, thought I should talk to you.
Thank you.
Now - Did you read the story? - Yes.
Claire didn't steal that car, Mr.
Mason.
I don't know how I'm gonna convince you, but she's a wonderful girl.
They just don't come any nicer.
- How long have you known her? DORIS: Oh, five or six years.
We used to work together in San Francisco.
In fact, she was on her way down here to stay with me after she lost her job.
She never did learn how to handle office wolves.
It says here the car was owned by a movie producer named Jerry Heywood.
He claimed it was stolen yesterday, about noon.
Yet the description your girlfriend gave of the man who was supposed to be driving the car doesn't fit Heywood at all.
I admit it sounds screwy, but I'll bet anything that Claire is telling the truth.
If you only knew her the way I do, Mr.
Mason.
I know one thing, Miss Stephanak.
If I were in trouble, I'd like to have you on my side.
You let Miss Olger know I'll be up to see her as soon as I can.
Oh, thank you.
Della, get hold of Paul Drake.
Tell him I want him to dig up everything he can on Jerry Heywood.
Particularly if Heywood knows anyone who answers the description Miss Olger gave the DA's office.
Right.
Mr.
Mason, you're wonderful.
If you ever need anything, anything at all, just ask.
Why, I might do that some time.
I tell you, for a Hollywood big shot, it's amazing how little we could find out about this guy Heywood.
- Paul Drake Agency slipping? - Well, we do know this much: He's 42, single, current boy wonder of Magnum Pictures.
Been there six years and he drags down 3,000 a week.
Not bad, even if you divide it by two.
- Who are his close friends? - That's just it, he has none.
He doesn't socialise at all? - What about enemies? - Nope.
We're missing a bet somewhere, Paul.
Whoever was driving that car must be close to Heywood.
Why? Mind you, I'm not saying the girl's lying.
But suppose there was somebody else in the car.
Let's call him Mr.
X.
Why does he have to be a friend of Heywood? Because I don't believe that car was stolen.
According to Claire, whoever was driving was wearing a tuxedo.
Can you picture any thief in his right mind strolling around Beverly Hills wearing a dinner jacket in the middle of the day? Yeah, you got a point there.
But if this Mr.
X did have Heywood's consent to drive the car, why is Heywood denying it now? I can give you the answer to that one.
Heywood had a beef with Federal Fidelity over a recent claim.
They cancelled his insurance.
He could be hurt financially if the driver of the car - did have his permission.
- That's right.
I think I'll have a look at this Hollywood genius.
- Hamburger with all the trimmings.
- Hold it.
Buy him a steak, Della.
He hasn't done badly at all.
Steak sandwich.
[LAUGHS.]
And another thing, Sam.
When the girl comes in the room and sees her father, I want more surprise.
And one final thing, Sam.
In scene 81 on page 56, Frank registers the wrong emotional reaction.
Change it.
Sorry, Mason, but I can't afford to let anything interfere with my working on the script.
I understand, Mr.
Heywood.
- Cigarette? - Thank you.
Now, let's see, you told me on the phone that you represent this girl.
What was her name again? - Claire Olger.
- Mm-hm.
Well, judging from her picture, she seems like an awfully nice girl.
Whatever possessed her to steal my car? I don't think she did.
Oh, come now, Mason, you're not really buying that yarn of the blond man in the tuxedo, are you? If you saw that in one of my pictures, you wouldn't believe it, not for a minute, would you? Well, motion pictures aren't necessarily always true-to-life.
You've got me there.
Mr.
Heywood, isn't there anyone you can think of who might answer the description of that blond man? Not a soul.
It could have been someone who didn't have your permission.
Of course, if he did have your permission, it might prove very expensive for you.
I understand you're not insured.
It seems you understand an awful lot about me, Mr.
Mason.
Just enough to be convinced that you know who was driving your car.
I'm gonna find him.
Then find him on your own time, Mason, and not mine.
Tanner.
Show the gentleman out.
Never mind, Tanner.
I'll find the way.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Hello? Hello, Mrs.
Greeley? This is Mr.
Heywood.
Oh? Oh, yes, Mr.
Heywood? You saw the story in the papers about my car? Yes.
I'm sorry to bother you, Mrs.
Greeley, but I really must speak with your husband.
He isn't home.
Do you know where he is? I could make a good guess.
He came home early this morning.
Just changed his clothes and went out again.
I'm afraid he's on another Well, I think you understand, Mr.
Heywood.
I see.
If the driver really was Michael, Mrs.
Greeley, it could be very embarrassing to me.
I know.
And you've been so good, so wonderful to both of us.
If he ever did anything to hurt you I-- Unfortunately, he will.
Unless we find Michael before the police do.
Believe me, I'll do everything I can.
I'll find him.
I'll be right here if you need me, Mrs.
Greeley.
Good night.
Mr.
Mason seems to have gotten under your skin.
Don't you have work to do someplace else? You expect an awful a lot of me, Mr.
Heywood: secretary, chauffeur, butler.
Seems to me, if I'm doing three people's work, I ought to get three times the pay.
That's enough, Tanner.
I mean, take for example the way I take such close care of your appointments.
Perhaps you rather I didn't.
Do I? Like when you told Mr.
Mason you were home yesterday.
- Let me go.
- Get out.
- Let me go.
- Get out.
There must be more to it, Claire.
You haven't told me a thing I couldn't have read in the newspapers.
I swear I've told you everything.
Take it easy, honey.
Mr.
Mason believes you.
Now think.
Are you sure you can't tell me something else about him? I was only in the car a few minutes.
He offered me a drink.
And after you refused, he helped himself, right? He was real drunk.
Told me to move closer and I said no.
Pulled me over and tried to kiss me and I pushed him away.
And then he got real mad because I got lipstick on his shirt.
Lipstick? You didn't mention that before.
I just didn't think of it.
Right after that, I saw the headlights and then the truck.
Listen, Claire, do you feel well enough to leave the hospital? Yes.
But how can I? I'm under arrest.
Well, this is better than jail, Mr.
Mason.
Oh, don't worry about that.
I'll arrange for bail.
That's wonderful.
Isn't it, honey? She can stay at my place.
No.
No, I'd rather the district attorney's office didn't bother her before the hearing.
- Do you know the Gateview Hotel? - Yes.
Take her there.
Register under the name of Joan Lewis.
And keep your eye on her.
Really, Mr.
Mason, you're doing enough.
Here.
We'll talk about it later.
Thanks very much.
It's money down the drain, Perry.
We'll never find that dress shirt.
Suppose he had it laundered at home.
Well, that's unlikely.
If he's a married man, he certainly wouldn't want his wife asking about that lipstick.
And if he's a bachelor, he'd send it to the laundry.
Do you have any idea how many laundries there are in this town? I know, Paul, but we just can't sit around on our hands and expect Mr.
X to come to us.
- Or can we? I never thought of that.
- Thought of what? This Mr.
X.
He knows Claire can identify him and he knows Claire's in the hospital.
Was in the hospital.
Exactly.
Now, if you were in his place, Paul, what would you be thinking? Remember, you've killed a man in an accident and you've run away.
That's manslaughter.
Well, under those circumstances, I guess I'd be pretty darn desperate.
You mean if Mr.
X thought someone could identify him, he might-- Get Claire on the phone, Della.
- You know, Gateview Hotel? - Right.
She's using the name Joan Lewis.
Hello, could I please speak to Miss Joan Lewis? She doesn't answer.
She might have stepped out.
She might have.
- Your car here, Paul? - Yeah.
Would you please ring again? Keep ringing every three minutes.
We'll be at the hotel in 15.
You can stop after that.
Come on.
Thank you.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Must be Della's call.
Hand me that chair, Paul.
Do you see anything? Too dark to see a-- What's the matter? - Get ahold of Lieutenant Tragg.
- Tragg? I think Mr.
X has already been here.
TRAGG: I'm warning you, Mason, if the girl isn't in here A girl, you said? Now, let's get down to cases.
Who was the girl who had this room? No, don't look at him.
Just answer the question.
Who was she? She used the name Joan Lewis.
She absolutely had nothing to do with this.
I'm not asking you.
- Now, lieutenant, let's be reasonable.
- Hm.
You use me for a patsy and you expect me to be reasonable.
That's rich.
You knew there was a body in here before we walked in.
Look, Tragg, why do you think we called you? Have you identified him yet? His name is Michael Greeley.
When can you arrange for your client to see him? Why should she? Oh, let's not fence.
You know that he meets the description of the man who was supposed to be driving that car.
You spent a small fortune looking for him.
What does that prove? Now he can't testify that he wasn't driving the car.
All of which proves that Miss Olger had a wonderful motive to kill him.
And if this is her room, she had opportunity as well.
- Now, where is she? - She'll be available.
- If she's needed.
TRAGG: All right, Mason.
I tried to meet you halfway.
- I'm sorry, Tragg.
TRAGG: Get out of here.
She better have a good alibi handy because I intend to find her.
- I'm worried, Perry.
- You've got company.
Yeah, but I can lose my licence.
- You think Claire killed him? - Tragg thinks so.
What do you think? Well, she must have let Greeley into the room.
Not necessarily.
He could've bribed a bellboy while she was out.
Yeah, that could be.
I have an idea.
There's something else I wanna check on first.
You gonna check it in the phone book? Did you notice Greeley was wearing a wedding ring? - So? - If there's a Mrs.
Greeley, I'd like to meet her before Tragg does.
I'm afraid you're mistaken.
My husband was at a premiere in San Francisco on Tuesday night.
Besides, I think I'd be the first to know if he'd been involved in an accident.
Was he wearing a dinner jacket when he came home? Is that what your client told you? Yes.
There were lipstick marks on the shirt.
It would help my client if we could find it.
If my husband had been in that car, how did he get home? Quite simply.
There's a bus stop about a quarter of a mile down the road.
- There's also hitchhiking.
- By the time the police arrived, he could have been halfway back to Los Angeles.
Except that Michael would never run away.
I know my husband well.
He has his faults but he's not a coward.
I can understand his picking up a girl.
But if there was an accident, he would never leave her alone to take the blame.
- Where is Mr.
Greeley now? - I don't know.
He handles public relations for Magnum Pictures.
He has to do a lot of travelling.
Magnum? Does he do any work for Jerry Heywood? Yes.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Excuse me.
Hello? This is Mrs.
Greeley.
Lieutenant Tragg? Yes.
Well, what is it? Yes, I expect to be in all evening.
Well, why can't you tell me on the phone? No.
That's not true.
I don't believe you.
He says that Michael is dead.
I'm sorry, Mrs.
Greeley.
- You knew it, didn't you? - Yes.
Anything we can do? No.
No, just go away, please.
Leave me alone.
[KNOCKING.]
- Miss Stephanak? - Stephanak.
- Yeah, Doris.
- Who are you? Lieutenant Tragg, Homicide.
May I come in.
- I got a warrant.
- I don't care what you've got.
Oh, you big ape.
You go in there and I'll clobber you.
Better get dressed, Miss Olger.
Your friend can help you if you like.
We'll be waiting right here in the living room.
Here you are.
Say, do you think you'd better have a little lunch, Mr.
Tanner? I can get the cook to fix you up a sandwich.
This is all the lunch I want, Charlie, thank you.
That's quite a deal, ain't it? Boy, that dame sure gets around.
First, stealing a car, then plugging a guy.
She says it's the chap who did it.
Yeah, yeah, they always do.
You know something, Charlie, this time I'm inclined to agree with her.
Say, why don't you give me some change, huh? - Small change? - Sure, sure.
[REGISTER RINGS.]
- There you are.
- Thanks.
Boy, she's gonna need a magician to pull her out of this one.
Oh, it's all my fault, Mr.
Mason.
I feel like a complete idiot.
I never should have left Claire alone at the hotel.
Then when she showed up at my apartment-- - Why didn't you phone me? DORIS: I called your office.
Your answering service couldn't locate you.
Two hours later, the police arrived at my place and took her away.
None of this answers the question of why she left the hotel in the first place.
It was because her arm was bothering her.
She went down to the drugstore to get some aspirin.
And when she got back to the room, she found Greeley's body.
What did she do then? Well, then she panicked and came to my place.
Well, this puts us right back where we started.
Only now that we find the guy, he's been murdered, which doesn't make it look too good.
- I tell you, Claire didn't touch him.
- Don't get mad at me, honey.
I'm just thinking how it's gonna look to Burger.
Right now, he's conceding that Claire didn't steal Heywood's car.
Instead, he's charging her with first-degree murder.
[INTERCOM BUZZES.]
Yes, Della? DELLA: There's someone on the phone who insists on talking to you.
- Who is it? - He prefers to remain anonymous.
Claims he's got some information about Jerry Heywood.
Put him on.
Hello? - Hello, Mr.
Mason? - Yes? I've got a little tip for you.
Why don't you put Heywood on the stand and ask him about that little hideaway of his, that lodge.
- Lodge? - Yes.
Very cosy little place, right near Fresno.
See what he has to say about that.
[PHONE CLICKS.]
Hello? Hello.
Did you turn up anything about Heywood having [IMITATES TANNER.]
a cosy little place three miles out of Fresno? Tanner.
[IN NORMAL VOICE.]
You checked on him, didn't you? Yeah.
We didn't come up with much.
He's-- Well, he's sort of an all-around man for Heywood.
He's young, he likes to live it up, he's got a real sharp eye for the girls.
Oh? What's Mary Connerly doing? That's no go, Perry.
She's on a case up in Portland.
Who else is available? What about me? - Oh, no.
- Well, why not? You need a girl and last time I looked, I met all the qualifications.
I know, but this could be trouble, Doris.
I can take care of myself.
Where does he live? At the Adirondack Hotel.
You can always find him at the bar after 5.
- How's she gonna spot him? - I know the bartender.
For 5 bucks, he'll point him out.
Give him 10, make sure he does a good job.
Well, I guess I better go home and get beautiful.
I wouldn't want that $10 to be wasted.
I'll be waiting right here.
If you have any problems, phone me.
Don't worry.
- Quite a gal, huh? - She certainly is.
[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING.]
- Everything all right, miss? - Fine, thank you.
Hello, Charlie.
- Hi, Mr.
Tanner.
Pretty wet out, huh? - Yes, better give me a double.
- I don't wanna catch cold.
- Right.
Can I trouble you? - Oh, no trouble at all.
- Thank you.
You mind if I join you? It's a free country.
Over here, Charlie.
You ever been here before? - Mm-mm.
- I thought not.
I'd have noticed you.
You really stand out.
- Well, thanks.
- Oh, I meant that as a compliment.
My friends call me Ernie.
What do they call you? Well, I don't think your friends call me anything.
Hey, that's pretty funny.
Well, my name is Doris.
Well, I'm very glad to meet you, Doris.
Here's to a beautiful friendship, eh? [PHONE RINGS.]
- Hello? DORIS: Mr.
Mason, this is Doris.
- How's it going? - Fine.
Listen, I don't know if this will mean anything to you, but Heywood's car had its 5,000-mile check on Monday night.
And after the accident on Tuesday, Tanner noticed that the speedometer reading was over 5,700 miles.
Now, I hope you can make something out of it, because it's Greek to me.
I'll look into it.
You still with Tanner? Oh, yes.
He wants to make a big night of it.
All right, Doris, but be careful.
Have Paul check into the agency where Heywood has his car serviced.
I want a record of everything that has to do with that car.
Right.
[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING.]
Come on, honey, drink up.
No, I'm gonna call it a night.
Well, it's early yet.
Maybe for you, but I'm a working girl.
And my boss believes in keeping my nose to the grindstone.
- Got one of those too? - Mm-hm.
And you? Not anymore I don't.
But this big movie producer you were telling me about I quit.
I quit just like that.
He was a wise guy so I belted him right on the button.
Well, aren't you scared? Big shot like that could cause you a lot of trouble.
No, he can't do me any harm.
If I was to open my mouth, it'd be the end of Mr.
Heywood.
Here, you know this Michael Greeley you read about in the Gateview Hotel murder? Well, I could-- What's the matter? Well, it turned out, it's a bit noisy to talk in here.
Let's go to my place, eh? Okay.
Boy, you're a doll, you know it? Why don't you go home, Della? You must be tired.
We'll have a full day at the preliminary hearing tomorrow.
No, I'll wait a little while.
Worried about Doris? Of course not.
I just think it's strange we haven't heard any more from her.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Hello? Mrs.
Greeley.
Yes, Mrs.
Greeley.
I don't know exactly how to say this, but I'm afraid I've done Miss Olger an injustice.
You see, since my husband passed away, I haven't quite known what to do with myself.
Well, tonight I started packing some of his things and I found something among his effects I think you should have.
What is it? Oh, I thought I might bring it down to the office.
- How soon can you be here? - I'm dressed and ready to leave.
It shouldn't take more than half an hour.
All right, Mrs.
Greeley, I'll wait for you.
What'd she want? She wants to show me something that belonged to her husband.
- What? - She wouldn't say.
The shirt.
The shirt with the lipstick on it.
- The one you were looking for.
- The one I was looking for.
We needed that shirt to defend Claire when the charge was manslaughter.
Now she's charged with Greeley's murder.
And his shirt with the lipstick on it will definitely establish that Claire was in the car with him.
That's Burger's evidence.
Now the problem is how to get the shirt from her and, at the same time, tell her I don't want it.
Ernie? Ernie, where are you? Ernie, I'm back.
Are you feeling any better? I brought you some coffee.
Ernie? Ernie, are you all right? [CLATTERING.]
Operator, would you get me Madison 5-1190, and hurry, please.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Probably her.
Hello? DORIS: Mr.
Mason, this is Doris.
Good, Doris, we've been worried about you.
Listen, you're gonna have to get over here right away.
- My hat and coat.
Trouble? - Yes.
Where are you? Tanner's room, 412, the Adirondack.
I'll be there in five minutes.
When Mrs.
Greeley comes, stall her.
I'll be back as soon as I can.
How long were you out of the room? Oh, 15, 20 minutes at the most.
Tanner wasn't feeling very well, so I went down downstairs to get him a cup of coffee.
- That's when I tried to call you.
- Is this it? Yeah.
Now, did you touch anything? All right, now listen to me.
We're gonna walk up two flights, take the elevator down.
When we get to the lobby, I'll call the police.
Then I'm taking you home.
Now, there's nothing to worry about.
Come on, smile.
That's better.
- Cigarette? - Oh.
No, thank you.
- Do you expect Mr.
Mason soon? - He should be here any time.
Could I leave this with you? I'd really rather you didn't.
You see, there might be some formalities.
[DOOR OPENS.]
That's probably Mr.
Mason now.
Will you excuse me? - Mrs.
Greeley here? - Mm-hm.
- What have you been up to? - I'll brief you later.
Terribly sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs.
Greeley.
That's quite all right.
I wanted to help, and I remembered you needed this.
Would you hold onto it for a moment, please? Won't you come in? Della? - Won't you sit down? MARCIA: Thank you.
You said you wanted this if I ever came across it.
Is this what you were talking about? You said it would prove your client was telling the truth.
That's already been admitted by the district attorney.
You mean it's no use to you? No, I'm sorry you put yourself to so much trouble.
Too bad.
Well, I'll take it back.
Now, of course, if you'd like to leave it here - Didn't you say it's--? - I mean, if it's a burden to you.
Well, I'll take that burden, if you don't mind.
- You know Lieutenant Tragg? - Yes, we've talked.
Now, Tragg, I wouldn't jump to conclusions if I were you.
Oh, well, you know me, I like to live dangerously.
Would you mind if I use that? Where did you find this? In my husband's laundry.
I'm sure Mr.
Burger will be very pleased.
- Now, listen, Tragg-- - I'd be glad to.
If you'd care to talk about Ernie Tanner.
- You know him? MASON: Why? Well, he got himself knocked off at the Adirondack Hotel tonight.
Would you know anything about that? - Not a thing.
TRAGG: Hmm.
Say, where have you been tonight? Why? Well, how come your shoes are all wet? I might have spilled some water while I was washing up.
Yeah, that's pretty good, but there's one thing you overlooked.
Tanner's killer used a pillow to muffle the shot.
And there were feathers all over the place.
- So? TRAGG: So whoever was in that room with wet shoes was bound to pick up a feather or two.
Um, any comment, Mr.
Mason? Um, do you happen to have a cigarette? I seem to be all out.
- Thank you.
- There was a girl in Tanner's room.
She called your office from there.
Who was she? Oh, look, Mason, I've got a job to do.
There have been two murders already and I feel they're both tied in with your client.
You're not even making sense, Tragg.
You've had Claire Olger under lock and key, remember? I also remember that she has a very good friend named Doris Stephanak.
Doris Stephanak.
Doris Stephanak.
Was she the one in Tanner's room? Why don't you ask her? You realise that I can toss you in jail as a material witness.
Yes, but I don't think you will.
No, I want Burger to have a crack at you at the hearing tomorrow.
Well, good night, Mrs.
Greeley, and thank you very much for your help.
And have a good day in court, Mason.
Tragg, are you sure this isn't Greeley's shirt? Positive.
Crane double-checked.
It's the wrong size and the laundry marks don't tally.
Well, what do you know about that? It looks like this time Mr.
Mason has overreached it.
- Well, you don't think he planted that? - Don't you? No.
I think Mason will be as surprised as we are.
All you got to do is call him.
We're gonna do nothing of the kind.
Don't you see, lieutenant? This is a trap.
Mason expects me to introduce this as Greeley's shirt.
Then all he's gotta to do is prove it isn't and I fall flat on my face.
Then what do we do? Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Let Mr.
Mason take care of his own dirty linen.
BURGER: That's when you first learned your husband had been murdered? Yes, sir.
Your witness, Mr.
Mason.
No questions.
You may step down.
How long will it take you to complete your case, Mr.
Burger? BURGER: I have just one more witness, Your Honour.
You may proceed.
BURGER: Call Gerald Heywood to the stand.
CLERK: Gerald Heywood.
Della, I don't get it.
Tragg on the stand, Mrs.
Greeley, all the others.
He still hasn't introduced that dress shirt.
Raise your right hand, please.
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you are about to give is the whole truth? - I do.
- Be seated.
I know what a busy man you are.
I'll try not to keep you any longer than is necessary.
Thank you, sir.
Would you state your name and address, please? Gerald Heywood.
You are the owner of a Lincoln sedan, licence number JPE 903? - I am.
- When did you last see your car? On last Tuesday noon.
It was parked in front of my home.
You since learned that it was stolen by the deceased Michael Greeley.
Objection.
The witness has learned nothing of the sort.
This is pure hearsay.
If it please the court, I thought both Mr.
Mason and I had stipulated the car was not stolen by his client.
Accordingly, we dismissed the charge of manslaughter against Claire Olger.
I appreciate the district attorney's kindness, but Mr.
Heywood has no personal knowledge of this.
Sustained.
I have no further questions.
You may cross-examine.
I want you to know, Mr.
Heywood, that I too realise how busy you are and will try to be as considerate as the district attorney.
Thank you, Mr.
Mason.
Now, have you ever seen this defendant before? No.
She's charged with the murder of Michael Greeley, the man who, presumably, stole your car.
I'm sorry, but what do you expect me to do about it? Just tell the truth.
Now, from whom was the car purchased? Clayton Sales, Incorporated.
When was the last time they serviced it? I don't remember.
Well, perhaps these will refresh your memory.
They're Clayton's servicing records.
It had a 5,000-mile check on the evening of the 14th.
MASON: That was Monday, the night before the accident? HEYWOOD: Yes.
MASON: You did not use the car after that.
HEYWOOD: No.
When it was towed to the garage the following night, the night after the accident, what was the mileage reading? I believe you'll find it right there.
Five thousand six hundred and twenty-one miles.
Which means the car was driven approximately 600 miles between times.
Don't you find that figure rather amazing? I don't think so.
A car like mine can make 600 miles a day easily.
But the car wasn't gone for a full day.
You reported it was stolen at noon.
That means it was only gone for nine hours.
Now, do you know anyone who can average better than 65 miles an hour during traffic for nine solid hours? Would you answer that, Mr.
Heywood? I admit it couldn't be possible.
Then, obviously, the car must have been taken long before noon.
It would seem so.
Would you happen to know the distance between Los Angeles and Fresno? Around 300 miles.
Do you have a lodge up near Fresno? Yes.
MASON: Then if someone had driven your car up to the lodge and back, that might account for those 600 miles.
HEYWOOD: It might.
- By any chance, did you drive up there Monday night? I did not.
I was in Beverly Hills at a testimonial dinner.
You spent the whole evening there? No, I left early.
I went home.
I had a lot of work to do.
Did you know Michael Greeley? Yes, he worked for me-- For the studio.
Public relations.
MASON: But that's as far as the relationship went? HEYWOOD: Absolutely.
If Your Honour please, last night in my office, Lieutenant Tragg took a dress shirt from Mrs.
Greeley.
I should like to know if he has that shirt with him in court today? - Do you have it, lieutenant? - Yes, sir.
Does the state intend to introduce the shirt in evidence? No, we don't, Your Honour.
Let me be sure I understand you, Mr.
Burger-- There's not much to understand.
It's perfectly simple, Mr.
Mason.
The state does not wish to introduce the shirt in evidence.
In that case, I may wish to introduce it myself.
May I have the shirt, lieutenant? Thank you.
You may proceed, Mr.
Mason.
Yes, Your Honour.
Would you examine this, Mr.
Heywood? - What for? - Just do as I ask, please.
Now, have you ever seen this shirt before? No.
Would you open your collar, please? Your Honour, defence counsel is turning this into a burlesque.
This is highly irregular, Mr.
Mason.
Your Honour, this whole case is highly irregular.
It began with a routine matter of car theft and manslaughter that has culminated in the murder of two men, Michael Greeley and Ernest Tanner.
I ask the court's indulgence and request that I be allowed to continue.
The witness will do as counsel requests.
Clerk, would you mind stepping over here, please? Now would you read the laundry mark on Mr.
Heywood's collar? It's W447.
Now would you read the laundry mark on the collar of that shirt? CLERK: W447.
MASON: They are the same? CLERK: Yes, sir.
Do you deny this is your shirt, Mr.
Heywood? - Look, I'm not on trial.
- Just answer the question.
Is that your shirt? Yes.
MASON: It was found in the effects of Greeley.
How do you account for that? - I can't.
- Would you have any idea why Michael Greeley was murdered? - No.
- Would you like me to tell you? Would you like me to tell you why Tanner was killed? I don't see what that has to do with this witness.
Surely, you're interested in justice, Mr.
Burger.
I am, Mr.
Mason.
You may continue.
Thank you, Your Honour.
Now suppose I were to tell you that your houseman, Ernest Tanner, was also employed by Michael Greeley? - For what reason? - To spy on you.
I don't know what you're talking about.
- Do you know Mrs.
Greeley? HEYWOOD: Only through her husband.
MASON: Did you see her Monday night, the night before your car disappeared? I told you I was in Beverly Hills.
Suppose I told you that you did not go home to work that night.
But instead, you and Mrs.
Greeley drove up to your lodge together.
That after you left, Tanner telephoned Mr.
Greeley in San Francisco.
You don't understand.
I understand perfectly.
Mr.
Greeley wasn't a jealous husband, he just wanted to shake you down.
That's why he flew to Fresno and took your car.
He wanted you marooned together at your lodge.
That would have given him all the evidence he needed for blackmail.
How did you both feel when you discovered the car was gone? - You must have been terrified.
- That's not true.
You were not terrified? No.
Then how do you explain Mrs.
Greeley packing your shirt in her bag? I don't know.
Leave me alone, will you? Let me think.
Gladly, Mr.
Heywood.
You may have all the time in the world if you can show us any other way for that shirt to have appeared among Mr.
Greeley's effects.
Let's go on, Mr.
Heywood.
Let's talk about a haunted man.
Mr.
Greeley seems to have been a haunted man.
He thought no one knew he was on his way to Claire Olger's hotel room, but he was followed there and he was killed.
Were you responsible for that, Mr.
Heywood? - No! - I say you were.
I say it was your idea for Mrs.
Greeley to produce that shirt, hoping to incriminate my client, just as it was your idea to murder Tanner.
He didn't do it.
Leave him alone.
JUDGE: Bailiff.
- How dare you talk that way to him.
He's kind and good.
He's the most wonderful man I've ever known.
Marcia.
Marcia, don't.
Listen to me, Your Honour.
Jerry Heywood never killed anyone.
He couldn't.
Mrs.
Greeley, if Heywood didn't killed Tanner or your husband, who did? I did.
It's all right.
I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble.
TRAGG: I can't get over it.
Do you realise that when Mrs.
Greeley phoned you, saying that she found that shirt, she'd already killed Tanner.
Of course.
She probably called me from the ladies' room at the Adirondack Hotel.
And you thought Heywood killed Tanner to cover up that affair.
Lucky for your client that Mrs.
Greeley confessed.
You're wrong, lieutenant.
Perry kept waiting for Burger to introduce the shirt and when he didn't, we knew it wasn't Greeley's.
Oh, so you guessed it was Heywood's shirt? - Well, sort of.
- That's what I said, you were lucky.
Lucky that Mrs.
Greeley confessed.
There was no possible way that you could peg her as the killer.
How long have we known each other? Long enough.
And during that time you've called me everything under the sun.
That still goes.
For my dough, you're unscrupulous, - conniving, unprincipled-- - And what about stupid? No, stupid you're not.
Well, if I were in a room with a murdered man and I did not check my wet shoes to see if I were tracking feathers back to my office, - what would you call me? - Stupid.
Well, who else could have done it? There was only you, me, Mrs.
Greeley, and-- Oy gevalt.
[MASON CHUCKLES.]
After you, lieutenant.