( noirish jazz theme playing )
( romantic theme playing )
( indistinct conversation,
laughter )
We've had
a wonderful time.
Oh, not nearly
as much fun as I've had.
Oh, my gifts
are so beautiful.
How can I ever
thank you all?
We'll get it back
when we get married.
That is, if we ever do.
( all laugh )
I promise to throw you all
half the bridal bouquet.
Good night, Millie.
Good night,
and thank you.
Good night.
Such a wonderful time.
Oh, thank you.
Good night.
We had fun.
Good night.
Ah. Ha-ha.
Woo. Heh-heh.
I feel like I've been drinking
champagne instead of coffee.
I don't blame you.
My gosh, your picture
in the paper
and church wedding
six days off,
honeymoon in Hawaii.
Golly.
Oh, and don't forget Bob.
Oh, yes,
Robert Wallace,
tall, dark
and mysterious,
with half the girls
in Marshall City after him.
But I happened to be the one
sitting at the next desk
at Marshall City
Power and Light
in the accounting
department.
Oh, don't be silly,
it wasn't anything like that.
Listen, Millie,
you're the best of the lot,
and you deserve the best.
Look, are you sure
you don't want me to stay
and help you
with this mess?
Oh, heavens, no.
I wouldn't dream of it.
Besides, Bob's
coming over,
and I wanna start
training him right.
Oh, fine. Bye-bye, sweetie.
Ha, ha, ha.
Good night,
and thank you.
Bye-bye.
( sighs )
( phone rings )
Hello?
Oh, Bob, I thought
you were on your way over.
( Bob talking indistinctly )
What?
I said, not tonight or ever.
Our little romance
is finished, Millie,
and it's devil
take the hindmost.
Bob--
Honey, you know, sometimes
I can't tell when you're joking.
Now, what makes you think
I'm joking?
I have here in my pocket,
taken from the firm
for which we both toil,
the sum of $ , .
Nine thousand dollars?
Yeah, you see, I did a little
juggling with the books.
They'll discover the loss
on Monday, but I'll be gone.
So will you, if you're smart.
Why? I have nothing to hide.
I know that, Millie.
It might be tough to prove.
You see, I did most
of the juggling in your books.
I gotta go now.
( ominous theme playing )
( dramatic theme playing )
( sobbing )
Five gallons, please.
How'd you like
to trade cars?
Oh, no thanks.
I didn't think
you would.
What happened?
He says
I b*rned out a bearing.
Oh, I'm sorry.
How about a lift?
Where to?
Any place
I can catch a bus.
I gotta be in L.A.
in the morning,
to meet some friends.
What about your car?
I'll pick it up here
when it's fixed.
I could take you over
to Highway .
You could catch a bus there--
You're a doll.
( sniffles )
Been crying,
haven't you, Millie?
Yeah, a little.
Boyfriend trouble?
Forget it, honey.
Running after a guy'll
get you nowhere.
I speak from practical
experience.
But this last time,
instead of driving around,
I'm driving straight.
A thousand miles straight,
into a brand-new world
where nobody's ever heard
of Fern Driscoll.
Oh, I thought you were meeting
friends in Los Angeles.
I just said that.
I don't know anybody in L.A.
And nobody knows me.
It'll be like
being born again.
How's about joinin' me?
I'm afraid it wouldn't
work for me, Fern.
Well...
it was just an idea.
Pull over to the side.
I mean right now, sister!
What?
Shut up!
Just step
on the brakes--
( tires screech )
What are you doing--?
( both scream )
( suspenseful theme playing )
WOMAN:
Excuse me.
Would you please
pass the sugar?
Thanks.
You just get here
in Los Angeles?
Mm-hm.
Oh, would you take
these too?
Every day, I always think I can
eat everything in the joint.
I always wind up
with toast and coffee.
( chuckles )
That wouldn't be the
rooms-to-let section, would it?
Yes.
That's funny.
I have a to-let problem myself:
An apartment I can't quite swing
on $ a week take-home pay.
Eighty-five a week?
Gee, that sounds like a lot.
Not here in Los Angeles.
It's barely enough
to make ends meet.
Oh, would you be interested?
Well, what's
the apartment like?
Well, one bath, two bedrooms,
and, of course, me.
I sing in the shower
and smoke in bed
and hate to do dishes,
but on the other hand,
I'm pretty good
at minding my own business.
Look, I have the day off,
and the apartment's
only a few blocks from here.
Would you like to come
and have a look-see?
Oh, well...
maybe until I get settled.
Good.
Oh, by the way,
my name's Laura Richards.
And I'm Fern Driscoll.
Oh, well, that'll be easy
to remember.
Shall we shove off, Fern?
Oh, uh, okay.
Oh, what a dump.
It's your own fault.
You should have stayed home
in San Francisco
where you belong.
And let you come down here
alone and play around?
How many times
do I have to tell you
that this is business?
Ha! I suppose
it was business
when I caught you with
that redhead in San Diego.
No, sirree.
From now on,
wherever you go--
( phone rings )
I told you I was answering
the phone around here.
All right, answer it.
Hello?
Oh, it's you.
Fred Ernshaw.
Who'd you think it would be,
Miss Universe?
Yeah, Ernshaw?
She has? Where?
North Champion,
Apartment .
She moved in with a dame
named Laura Richards.
You sure it's the right girl?
Well, of course I'm sure
it's the same girl.
I traced her all the way
from Bishop Falls.
She's got an overnight case
labeled "F.D.",
and I just heard her introduce
herself as-- As Fern Driscoll.
Okay, okay.
Don't blow a fuse.
You can go back to
San Francisco if you want to.
It's all right with me.
I'll take it from here.
I'll bet you will.
You know, it's funny
how it always works out.
I do all the work,
and you take the credit.
If you don't like it, Ernshaw,
you know what you can do.
( sighs )
May I call a number,
or would you like
to do it for me?
Now, Carl, I--
Don't "Now, Carl" me.
I'm fed to the teeth.
Operator, get me
the Claymore, Room .
Answering my calls,
opening my mail, following me.
Isn't one detective
in the family enough?
Yes, and so is one woman.
Carl Davis, sir.
I've got some more dope
on the girl.
She's living at, uh...
North Champion, eh?
Well, go see her, Davis,
and report back.
And keep my name out of this,
you understand?
I understand, sir.
I'll call you
in an hour or so.
Where do you think
you're going?
It's none
of your business.
Now, you listen to me.
That's all I've been doing
for the past eight years:
Your bell must be
out of order.
Oh, yes, I know.
Are you Fern Driscoll?
Yes.
My name is Carl Davis.
I'm an insurance investigator.
May I come in?
Oh, well, if you're selling
something, Mr. Davis--
I'm not selling a thing.
I just wanna ask you
a few questions
about an automobile accident.
An automobile accident?
Yes.
It happened about a week ago
around Bishop Falls.
It seems that this, uh,
car went outta control,
which is very sad,
Miss Driscoll.
The car caught fire.
The driver
was b*rned to death.
Isn't it awful?
Her name was Mildred Crest.
I don't know
what you're talking about.
That's funny.
It was in all the papers.
This, um, Mildred Crest
was wanted in Marshall City
for embezzling money from
the Light and Power Company
where she and her boyfriend,
Bob Wallace, worked.
Tell you, this gal
really had problems.
According to the autopsy,
she was going to have a baby.
Interesting?
No, not to me.
It gets better
as it goes along.
You see, an alert
investigator, me,
found a locket
near the scene of the wreck.
On it are the initials F.D.
Now, look, Mr. Davis--
From then on, it was a cinch.
I found a garage where this
Millie Crest gave a gal a ride.
What do you want?
I got a hunch that you were
driving Miss Crest's car
at the time of the accident.
I want a statement
to that effect
for my insurance
company.
Why should I give you
any kind of a statement?
Well, to put it bluntly,
to avoid being charged
with having left the scene
of a fatal accident.
( sighs )
I see.
Now, this other thing,
Miss, uh, Driscoll.
I checked on you
back in your hometown.
It seems that you
left hurriedly
with something very interesting
in your possession.
Something
that a certain man
would pay money
to get his hands on.
I don't know
what you're talking about.
Well, does the name
Johnny Baylor
mean anything to you?
No.
Look, I happen to know it does,
so let's stop
fencing around.
You sign the statement,
turn over
you-know-what to me,
and I'll forget
that I ever saw you.
Whatever it is you think I have,
Mr. Davis, I haven't.
Okay, play it your way,
but I'll be back tonight.
Say, around : .
If you don't
come through then,
I'll call the cops.
( door closes )
( sighs )
( tapping at door )
Well, Laura...
I didn't know
you were home.
I came in the back way.
I told you I was pretty good
at minding my own business,
but, uh,
I was in the kitchen
just now
when you and your, uh,
boyfriend were talking.
Uh, well, uh, he's not
exactly my boyfriend.
I gathered that.
What's with that, uh,
you-know-what
he was talking about?
I don't know.
It must have something
to do with the real--
Oh, Laura,
can you keep a secret?
No, I'm a complete
blabbermouth.
Besides, your caller
gave me goose pimples.
Well, I've gotta
talk to somebody.
( sighs ):
Oh, am I in a jam.
Well, if I were
in your shoes,
I'd see a man
named Perry Mason.
The lawyer?
Mm-hm.
( suspenseful theme playing )
Let's see if I have this
straight, Miss Driscoll.
The car swerved and went off
the road, then caught fire,
but you were thrown clear
when the car door flew open?
It was a miracle that I was only
knocked unconscious.
And then when I came to,
I could see that
the flames were dying out,
and that...
Miss Crest was dead.
Yes.
The only thing
left unharmed
was my bag
and an overnight case.
Go on.
Well, I climbed back up
onto the road
and I started walking,
and about a mile away
I found a motel.
They didn't ask
any questions,
so I stayed
for a couple of days.
And then I came out here
to Los Angeles.
Who was driving when the car
went off the road?
I was.
Well, Millie asked me to.
She-- She said she was tired.
What did Mildred Crest
look like?
Oh, she was, uh,
a brunette with, um...
Well, Mr. Mason,
to tell you the truth,
it all happened so fast
I really didn't
have time to notice.
The reason you fled
was because you were afraid
they'd blame you for her death?
Partly...
but mostly because I didn't
want my name in the papers.
Mr. Mason, I'm not a fugitive
from justice,
but, well, I left home...
I left home because
of personal reasons.
I found one reference
to the accident.
The story dateline
is Marshall City.
"Mildred Crest,
fiancé Robert Wallace,
"both wanted
for embezzlement.
"Wedding only four days off.
According to autopsy,
she was expecting a baby."
Mr. Mason,
what should I do?
Mr. Davis is coming back
up to my apartment
at : tonight.
Just refer him to me.
Tell him you've retained me
as your attorney.
( sighs )
Well, I'm afraid that poses
somewhat of a problem.
You see, I haven't
very much money.
I have got a job
lined up, but--
How much change do you have
in your purse?
Thirty-eight cents.
I'll take it.
Now it's official.
I'm your lawyer.
Is there anything else
you wanna tell me?
No.
All right, then.
You run along.
Stop worrying about Davis.
Just phone me
the moment he leaves.
I'll wait here
for your call.
Oh, thank you so much,
Mr. Mason.
Goodbye, Miss Street.
Goodbye.
Thank you.
You'd better deposit this.
( door closes )
Will you tell me
something, counselor?
Why did you take this?
Well, it puts things
on a legal basis.
And made anything she told you
privileged communication?
Mm-hm.
But why didn't you have her
report the accident?
Della, would you let
a hitchhiker drive your car
minutes
after you picked her up?
I have a hunch Miss Driscoll
isn't telling us the truth.
( ominous theme playing )
( door closes )
Laura?
( suspenseful theme playing )
Laura, is that you?
( gasps )
( screams )
( sobs )
( gasps )
( gasps )
( sobs )
I said, your client
stabbed me with an ice pick.
About an hour ago
in her apartment.
( coughs )
No, it's painful,
but I don't need a doctor.
No, either she turns over
those letters to me,
or I'm going to the police.
Where are you?
All right, stay there.
I'll be over.
That was Carl Davis.
Are you going
to go see him?
No, I'm going to see
Fern Driscoll.
And then I ran to the door,
but he was already gone.
Oh, I know I should have called
you right away, Mr. Mason,
but, well, I was afraid.
Afraid of what?
Did you know it was Davis
when you struck out
with that ice pick?
Oh, no, the lights
were out.
And you didn't hear
the doorbell ring?
Oh, it hasn't worked
for weeks.
No signs of tampering,
but a thin blade
could have opened this
without leaving any marks,
or a skeleton key.
Did he get the letters,
Miss Driscoll?
Letters?
What letters?
Davis thinks you have
some letters he wants.
Letters from Johnny Baylor.
I've already told you,
I don't know
any Johnny Baylor.
Davis sounded as though
he were sure you had them,
that I'd deliver them to him.
Mildred...
Yes?
( gasps )
...isn't it about time
you told me the truth?
Yes.
( knock on door )
That'll be Mason.
Let him in.
Mrs. Davis?
DAVIS:
Never mind her.
I'm the one
you wanna see.
Did you bring those letters?
Not with me.
First I want to find out more
about this, uh, accident.
Accident?
You call being stabbed
with an ice pick an accident?
How do you know
it was an ice pick?
Take a look there.
What about that drink, Marge?
Stuck into my chest
right up to the hilt.
Just leave it there.
( coughs )
Carl, let me
call a doctor.
I said no.
Why don't you go
take a shower or something?
You look a mess.
Suppose you tell me
how all this happened?
Well, about : ,
I went to her apartment.
Fern Driscoll's
apartment?
Yeah.
She knew I was coming.
And how.
I knocked.
She opened the door
and said, "Come in."
And when I did: bingo.
She let me have it
with the ice pick.
I was so startled,
I ran like a rabbit.
If what you say is true,
you should go to the police
whether you get
those letters back or not.
Uh-uh. Going to the police
would cost me a cool $ , .
Oh? How?
What'd she tell you
about those letters?
Practically nothing.
Well, as long as I hold
the aces, I'll level with you.
( coughs )
You've heard
of Harriman Baylor?
The senator?
That's right.
Well, it seems
that this Fern Driscoll
and the senator's son
were engaged in a romance.
About ten days ago,
they broke up,
due to the old man's
opposition, I hear.
Gossip has it that she was gonna
start a paternity suit,
naming Johnny
as the defendant.
Anyhow, she came out here,
bringing along a batch
of torrid letters
that the boy had written her.
And which he now wants back?
Well, I don't know
about the boy,
but the senator sure does.
There's no telling what
the boy put in those letters.
The senator's got
a tough election ahead of him.
( coughs )
You know, your wife was right.
Huh?
You should see a doctor.
That type of wound
can be dangerous.
The doctor would have to file
a report with the police.
Not if I call my doctor.
He'd report
only to me.
How's that?
He'd just be appraising
the injury
in order to assess damages,
as for a civil suit.
I wouldn't have to tell him
what happened?
You wouldn't have to tell him
a thing.
Let me think about it.
It's now five minutes of .
You'll have half an hour
in order to make up your mind.
I'll be in the coffee shop
when you decide.
( light jazz theme playing )
I think I have time
for some apple pie.
TRAGG:
Allow me.
Are you, uh--? You can go ahead,
I'll be right up.
Thank you.
I, uh, spotted you
from the lobby.
Well, nice of you to stop
and pay your respects.
Oh, I had an ulterior motive.
Do you mind if I, uh,
ask what you're doing here?
Well, I might ask you
the same question.
Yeah, might.
And we both might have
the same answer.
Man named Carl Davis?
Room ?
Right?
Well, he's part
of the answer.
We had a report he's, uh,
been stabbed.
Oh, lieutenant,
I think you'll find
this is a purely civil matter,
one involving
a possible damage suit.
A civil matter?
Let's go check.
That is,
if you don't mind.
Right down the hall,
lieutenant.
Imagine my surprise
when I found you alone
at that counter.
Why?
Well, usually when I find you
in a strange restaurant,
it's because I'm attracted
by Della's pretty face.
( both chuckle )
I was just coming
for you, lieutenant.
What's up?
( sobbing )
( dramatic theme playing )
Well, I sent Faulkner
to Marshall City
to check on Mildred Crest.
Who did you assign
to dig into Carl Davis' past?
Burroughs.
He says that Davis worked
with a guy
named Fred Ernshaw.
That Ernshaw did most
of the legwork for the team,
and Davis
took the bows.
Well, follow up on that.
I'd also like to know more
about Fern Driscoll,
particularly her relationship
with Johnny Baylor.
Did you know that his old man
was in town?
Senator Baylor?
Yeah, flew in yesterday.
Staying at
the Claymore Apartment Hotel.
Here's...
a picture of him
as he arrived at the airport.
According
to the story,
he broke off
his campaign
due to an att*ck
of bursitis.
MASON:
Did you talk with him?
He isn't taking
any calls.
That's unusual
for a politician.
All right, Paul. All I can
say is: keep digging.
Della.
Mm-hm?
Call Mildred Crest.
Tell her
if the police come,
she's to refuse
to make any statement
except in the presence
of her attorney.
What are you
going to do?
Pay my respects
to the senator.
( door opens )
( suspenseful theme playing )
( suspenseful theme swells )
( inaudible dialogue )
( knocking on door )
Who the devil
are you?
My name is Perry Mason.
The lawyer?
Yes.
Well, I can't see you now.
I can't see anybody.
Including
Carl Davis?
What do you know
about Davis?
One very important thing:
He's dead.
Dead?
Are you sure?
Positive.
He was stabbed to death.
Well,
that's incredible.
Why, senator?
Well, he--
He didn't seem
to have a care in the world
when I talked to him.
It was just last night.
You talked to him
about Fern Driscoll
and your son's
letters?
How do you happen to know
so much about my affairs?
That's something
I can't tell you.
In that case, we'd better
terminate this interview
right now.
All right, senator,
but you'll be
the loser.
I'm not running
for reelection.
Mr. Mason.
What is it
you want?
I wanna know
just how you were concerned
with Carl Davis.
Well, uh...
he was investigating
an automobile accident
in which Miss Driscoll
was involved.
On checking back,
he discovered
that, uh, she was friendly
with my son.
He got in touch
with me.
Well, I told him
if he discovered
the whereabouts
of Miss Driscoll,
that, uh,
I'd be interested.
When did you next
see Davis?
Well,
two days later.
He called me long-distance to
say he'd located Miss Driscoll.
That's why
I flew out here.
And what, exactly,
was Davis to do for you?
Well,
he was to obtain
my son's letters
to Miss Driscoll.
Why were you so anxious
to get them?
Well, I'll give you
a sample.
Don't ask me
where I got it.
"My darling Fern,
I can't apologize enough
"for the way my father
is behaving.
"Now he wants me to go
to Alaska.
"He claims it's business,
but I know better.
"He says you're not
good enough for me.
"And this from a man who poses
as a friend of the people.
"If the voters knew him
the way I do,
"they'd ride him out
on a rail.
He'll break anyone
who stands in his way."
Huh! This isn't exactly
the kind of material
you want the opposition
to get ahold of.
Particularly if it's true.
What makes you think--?
Well, there were
eight more letters.
Davis said
he could get 'em for me.
How much were you
to pay him?
His customary fee,
and $ a day.
He mentioned
a $ , fee to me.
Are you suggesting
that I was being blackmailed?
I had that in mind.
How could I reach
your son?
Suppose you leave my son
outta this.
If I did,
I wouldn't be serving
the best interests
of my client.
So that's it.
You're representing
that scheming blond,
Fern Driscoll.
Oh, you're wrong, senator.
I represent a young lady
by the name of Mildred Crest.
Well, that's the girl Davis told
me was k*lled in the accident.
He was wrong also.
So the dead girl
is...
Fern Driscoll.
( telephone rings )
Oh, excuse me.
Yeah?
From where?
Well, all right.
Send him up.
Hmph.
That's the police.
It might be better
if I left.
Well,
just tell me this:
Does this other girl
have my son's letters?
I don't know.
This whole thing
could be
so very embarrassing.
Mason, I'll give you $ ,
to represent me.
I've already accepted a fee
from Miss Crest.
How much
did she give you?
Thirty-eight cents.
( knock on door )
Morning, beautiful.
Good morning, Paul.
Where's, uh--?
Where's Perry?
Oh, he should be back
in a moment.
Say, any clue as to what
Laura Richards was doing
in the senator's hotel?
I don't know, but I
know who she was talking to:
Davis' partner,
Fred Ernshaw.
Did you talk
to Ernshaw?
Yeah. He wouldn't even give me
the right time.
Maybe Mrs. Davis
could help you.
Uh, maybe.
But the police know--
Afraid the police
know a lot of things, Paul.
They know my client's
real name is Mildred Crest.
They just booked her
for first-degree m*rder.
( ominous theme playing )
( dramatic theme playing )
BURGER:
And the prosecution expects
to prove
that Mildred Crest
k*lled the decedent, Carl Davis,
to escape the consequences of
other crimes she had committed.
These included embezzling funds
from her employer,
the deliberate wrecking
of her car in order to--
Just a moment,
counselor.
Has the defendant been charged
with these other crimes?
All but one,
Your Honor.
She has so far
not been charged
with the m*rder
of Fern Driscoll,
whose identity she assumed
after the fatal car wreck.
You'll bear in mind,
Mr. Prosecutor,
that the law
is particularly zealous
to guard the rights
of a defendant.
That evidence
of other crimes
is not admissible
except for the purpose
of showing a pattern
in the case
of similar crimes.
Or for proving motivation
when that becomes necessary.
Or where it is part
of the res gestae.
I know the rule,
Your Honor,
and I intend to stay
within the letter.
Does the defense
wish to make any statement?
No statement at this time,
Your Honor.
TRAGG:
Whereupon I contacted the
sheriff at Bishop Falls,
and he turned it over
to me.
He found it about yards
from the crash.
Were you able to establish
the ownership of the g*n?
Yes, sir. It was registered
to Theodore Duncan
of Des Moines,
Iowa.
It was stolen
from Mr. Duncan last year.
Consequently,
the registration of this g*n
has no bearing
on the case?
That is correct.
Now, lieutenant,
I show you this ice pick,
tagged as having been taken
from the decedent's room
on the night of his death.
I ask if this is the ice pick
you removed from his dresser?
Yes, sir.
It has my mark on it.
If it please the court,
I should like this ice pick
entered in evidence,
provided the defense
has no objection.
No objection.
The ice pick
will be received.
Then Carl-- Uh, Mr. Davis,
told me to wait downstairs
while he went upstairs
to have a talk with her.
By "her" you refer
to the defendant, Mildred Crest?
That's right.
Only at the time,
we thought her name
was Fern Driscoll.
Go ahead,
Mr. Ernshaw.
I waited outside
the apartment building
for about
ten minutes,
and then Carl
came down.
He was holding himself
l-like this:
He had an ice pick
in his hand.
Cross-examine.
Mr. Ernshaw, when you discovered
Mr. Davis was wounded,
what did you do?
Well, I wanted to drive him
to see a doctor,
but he didn't like
that idea.
So I drove to a drugstore
and picked up some bandages,
and fixed him myself.
I learned a little
about first aid in the Army.
And you drove
to his hotel?
That's right.
I see.
Now, Mr. Ernshaw,
I believe you
testified earlier
that, uh, you and the deceased
were partners.
Yes.
Equal partners?
Practically.
Mr. Davis' income was almost
three times yours.
Well, heh,
he had the connections.
MASON:
Isn't it true that you
did most of the work?
Yes.
You recognize this?
Yes.
Would you please
tell the court
what it is?
It's a form letter I sent
to all our accounts,
stating that I was thinking
of leaving Davis
and setting up
my own outfit.
Thank you,
Mr. Ernshaw.
That'll be all.
Miss Richards, have you
ever seen this before?
Yes, I bought it
about six months ago.
Did the defendant know there was
an ice pick in the apartment?
Yes, she asked me
if we had one
the day
she moved in.
Thank you,
Miss Richards.
Your witness.
Miss Richards,
you testified earlier
that you were not present
at your apartment
when Mildred Crest
was arrested.
That's right.
Where were you?
I was out
with a fella.
Has this fellow
a name?
Fred Ernshaw.
Where did Mr. Ernshaw
take you?
To the Claymore Hotel
Apartments.
Your Honor, I don't see what
the social life of the witness
has to do with the death
of Carl Davis.
Mr. Mason?
I intend to provide a link,
Your Honor.
You may proceed.
Thank you.
Why did Ernshaw
take you to the Claymore,
Miss Richards?
He took me
to see a--
A man who was
very much interested
in Fern Driscoll.
You mean Mildred Crest,
don't you?
Yes, but he didn't know
that then.
And you were
going to sell him
certain information?
Yes.
Did he buy?
We couldn't get through
to him.
What's the name
of this man
you couldn't get through to,
Miss Richards?
Senator Harriman Baylor.
( all murmuring )
No further questions.
You may step down,
Miss Richards.
Your Honor,
I had sincerely hoped
that it
would not be necessary
to involve
a prominent statesman
in an affair
such as this.
I now find that I am forced
to call to the stand
Senator Harriman Baylor.
CLERK:
Senator Harriman Baylor
to the stand, please.
Raise your right hand.
If it please
the court,
Senator Baylor is suffering
from a bursitis.
I'll be necessary for him
to raise his left hand.
Very well, hold up
your left hand and be sworn.
Do you solemnly swear
to tell the truth
and nothing
but the truth?
I do.
State your name.
Harriman Baylor.
Be seated, please.
And you had no contact
at any time
with either Fred Ernshaw
or Laura Richards?
No, sir.
What was your relationship
with Carl Davis?
I had employed him
to find Fern Driscoll.
Could you tell this court,
senator,
why you wanted to find her?
Well, the reason for that,
counselor,
is extremely
personal.
Could this
extremely personal reason
have anything whatever
to do with the death
of Carl Davis?
You have my word
it does not.
Thank you, sir.
Your Honor,
the prosecution
is completely satisfied
that Senator Baylor
has no knowledge whatever
of any facts
concerning this case,
other than certain
private matters
connected with the background
of Fern Driscoll.
I hope that the defense
will not find it necessary
to inv*de this area
of privacy.
Are you turning the witness
over for cross-examination?
I am, Your Honor.
I will respect
the prosecution's
somewhat unusual plea
for privacy at this time,
but I do ask
that I be permitted
to recall this witness
if need be.
I have no objections,
Your Honor.
You may stand down,
senator.
Call your next witness,
Mr. Burger.
I call Mrs. Carl Davis
to the stand, please.
( voice breaking ):
After Mr. Mason left,
Carl said he was having
a chill,
and he told me to get him
another whiskey.
I thought
it was part of the act
he'd been putting on.
Not your thoughts,
please, Mrs. Davis.
Just what happened.
When I wouldn't get him
the whiskey,
he started to get out
of his chair.
And then he groaned
and fell back.
I ran over to him,
and he said...
Did your husband know
he was dying at this time?
Yes...
he did.
If the court please,
I believe
this is a dying declaration
within the meaning
of the law,
and that the witness
is entitled to relate
what her husband said.
Any objection
from the defense?
No objection.
All right,
Mr. Burger.
Now, Mrs. Davis,
tell us what
your husband said, please.
Well, when he started
gasping,
I said,
"Carl,
what's wrong?"
Did he answer you
immediately?
He couldn't.
He was
in too much pain.
And then it seemed
to ease up a little,
and he told me
he felt he was going to die.
I know this is very difficult
for you, Mrs. Davis,
but, please, try to tell us
what your husband said.
He said, in a way, it--
It was his own fault.
He was trying
to get some letters
from a girl
named Fern Driscoll.
And when he went
into her apartment,
she stabbed him
with an ice pick.
It was dark,
but he saw her face
in the light
from the hallway.
Did he say
anything else?
No...
just closed
his eyes.
That's when I called
the police.
Thank you,
Mrs. Davis.
Cross-examine, counselor.
Your Honor,
a long-distance call
is being held for me.
It may have an important
bearing on this case.
I would like to request
a -minute recess
so I might
take the call.
I'll do better than that,
counselor.
Since it's already
late afternoon,
court'll be adjourned
until : tomorrow.
Uh, I stand corrected.
Ten o'clock Monday morning.
CLERK:
Court is adjourned.
Operator, I don't care
if it costs $ .
Keep the connection open.
( sighs )
( sighs )
Where'd you find him?
Just where you figured:
Alaska.
His old man owns
the Baylor Lumber Company
miles outside
of Fairbanks.
Did you tell him what happened
to Fern Driscoll?
I just did.
This is Perry Mason,
Mr. Baylor.
All I wanna know is:
Who k*lled Fern?
I assure you,
it was an accident.
That tells me nothing,
Mr. Mason.
Are you aware
that your father
virtually chased her
out of town?
I don't believe it.
Unfortunately, it's true.
And I suspect
it's the real reason
he sent you to Alaska.
But why?
He was afraid she'd name you
in a paternity suit.
That's a rotten lie.
Look, would it help any
if I flew down to Los Angeles?
It certainly would.
All right, then.
I think Coastal has a flight
leaving within an hour.
I'll have Mr. Drake
meet you at the airport.
Paul,
when young Baylor arrives,
I'd like the two of you
to cover all the hospitals
within, oh, let us say,
a -mile radius
of Marshall City.
Would you mind telling me
what we're looking for?
A young girl
about ,
who, on the night
of November th,
suffered a loss
of memory.
( suspenseful theme playing )
JOHNNY:
Well, doctor?
It's possible.
'Course, you've got to remember,
this snapshot was taken,
oh, almost
two years ago.
Miss Merrill, I'd like to see
the patient in .
When did you say
this lady disappeared?
Sometime on the evening
of November th.
Well, this patient
was discovered
on November th.
She had been
savagely beaten on the head
with a blunt instrument.
Were there any identifying
marks on the clothes?
Absolutely
none at all.
I know the police queried--
( knock on door )
Yes?
Fern.
Fern, darling.
Well, Fern,
don't you...?
Don't you remember me?
John?
Could I use your phone,
doctor?
Certainly.
Johnny.
( sighs )
Oh.
If it please the court,
I should like to explain--
The court has seen
the morning papers, Mr. Burger.
Yes, Your Honor, but the fact
that Fern Driscoll is alive
in no essential way
alters the state's case.
Perhaps not, Mr. Burger, but
the court is naturally curious
as to the identity
of the unknown woman
whose b*rned body was found
in the defendant's car.
Well--
If the court please,
I believe I can shed some
additional light on this woman.
Very well,
Mr. Mason.
The records at the women's
reformatory at Tehachapi
indicate
one Brenda Scobie,
convicted of armed robbery
and expecting a baby,
escaped on the day
of Mildred Crest's accident,
using a . caliber
a*t*matic
to intimidate a guard.
Have you been able
to discover
how this Brenda Scobie
gained possession
of Miss Driscoll's car
and her belongings?
Well, it would
seem reasonable, Your Honor,
that Miss Driscoll
stopped her car
in order to give
the escaped prisoner a lift.
That was her undoing.
You mean this Brenda Scobie
assaulted her
and took possession of the car?
Exactly. Shortly thereafter,
the car b*rned out a bearing.
That's when Miss Scobie
met my client
at Perkins' Gas Station,
and asked her for a ride.
Well, that may very well be,
Your Honor,
but the defendant here
is on trial
for the m*rder of Carl Davis.
Mr. Mason's theory,
while enlightening,
doesn't alter
that basic fact at all.
You're quite right.
I suggest we proceed,
gentlemen.
Mr. Mason, you were
about to cross-examine
Mrs. Carl Davis.
I would like to defer that
for the moment, Your Honor,
and recall
Senator Baylor.
( all murmuring )
CLERK:
Senator Harriman Baylor
to the stand, please.
Your Honor, I request
that this witness be sworn.
Your Honor.
If Mr. Mason
will reflect a minute,
I'm sure he'll remember
the witness was sworn
on Friday.
I remember that the witness
raised his left hand
when the oath
was administered.
I explained that, counselor.
The senator has bursitis.
Just a moment.
Your Honor, I object
to the district attorney
giving testimony in this case.
Under the law, Your Honor,
the witness is required
to raise his right hand.
Unless incapacitated.
You're unable to raise
your right hand, senator,
because of an att*ck
of bursitis
in your right shoulder?
Or are you unable
to raise it
because of a wound
from an ice pick?
A wound from an ice pick?
That's right.
Mr. Mason,
this is a very grave accusation.
I realize that,
Your Honor.
And with all due respect,
I would suggest
that the court
appoint a physician
to examine
the senator's right shoulder.
That won't be necessary.
Mr. Mason is correct.
I have a...
severe infection...
due to a wound...
from an ice pick.
( chattering )
JUDGE: Order.
Order!
I don't want to be forced
to clear the courtroom.
I don't understand this,
senator.
Well, I was the one who went
to Miss Driscoll's apartment,
or what I thought
was Fern Driscoll's apartment.
I went there
to get my son's letters.
I rang the doorbell.
There was no answer.
When I found
that the door was unlocked,
well, I went in.
And Mildred Crest
surprised you?
I thought no one was home.
I didn't know then that
the doorbell didn't operate.
When she called out
from the bedroom,
you snapped off
the lights?
Yes.
We struggled
in the darkness for a moment,
and I felt something sharp
pierce my shoulder.
And I ran out.
On the street, I encountered
Fred Ernshaw and Carl Davis,
who were on their way
up to see the defendant.
Davis helped me remove
the ice pick,
and he agreed to say
that he was the one
who had been wounded.
Why?
He hoped, in that way,
to force the return
of the letters.
And what was your part,
senator?
Well, I...
I was to say
I never left the hotel.
I'm sorry, Your Honor. I...
I deserve whatever punishment
the law metes out.
If this is all true...
who inflicted the fatal wound
on Carl Davis?
Only one person could have
done that, Your Honor.
We know now
that Carl Davis had no wound
and that he faked one
only to carry out the plot.
Yet,
when the police arrived,
Carl Davis was dead
from a wound
caused by an ice pick.
( all murmuring )
( dramatic theme playing )
( indistinct speech )
I don't care.
( sobbing ):
He had it coming to him.
He was gonna leave me.
Leave me.
He was gonna leave me...
( upbeat theme playing )
Ah, somebody wiring me
birthday greetings?
No, but it's very good news
from Senator Baylor.
All right.
Read it.
"Fern doing
beautifully.
"Hope she remembers
everything
"except my bad
behavior.
With profound respect,
Senator Baylor."
Huh.
There's one thing
that puzzles me:
How you figured out
that business
about Senator Baylor
and the ice pick.
Well, actually...
I have
the answer right here.
Remember the picture
you showed me
of Baylor arriving
at the airport?
PAUL: Yeah.
You told me
he discontinued
his campaign because of...?
Bursitis.
Which hand
is he waving?
The right hand.
Which means the bursitis
was in the left shoulder.
Which hand
did he raise in court?
The left--
Bye, folks.
( playful theme playing )
( noirish jazz theme playing )
02x15 - The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll
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Defense attorney Perry Mason defends dozens of falsely accused people during courtroom drama, and he manages to clear all of them, usually by drawing out the real criminal on the witness stand.
Defense attorney Perry Mason defends dozens of falsely accused people during courtroom drama, and he manages to clear all of them, usually by drawing out the real criminal on the witness stand.