03x21 - The Case of the Nimble Nephew

[bunniefuu]

( noirish jazz theme playing )

( eerie theme playing )

The shutter's muffled
and can't be heard.

The light's infrared
and can't be seen.

It's a brand-new model.
a*t*matic and foolproof.

As soon as that safe door opens,
the picture's snapped.

Since you already have
a darkroom here in the house,

you don't even have to call us
to develop it.

We've found it
the most effective discourager

of burglaries yet devised.

I don't wanna
discourage a burglary,

I wanna catch one
while it's happening.

Oh. Well, this'll do it.

After you've made the print,
turn it over to the police.

They'll find him.

I already know
where to find him.

He's a member of my household.

One of my two nephews.

( dramatic theme playing )

Your father's will provides
that the estate remain in trust

until you are , Harry.

Yes. Nine months from now.

Are you in, uh,
financial difficulties again?

No.

It's just that he needs money.

How much?

Ten thousand dollars.

What do you need
that much money for?

I need it.

For what?

I just need it.

Well, I'm trustee of the estate,

and I'm not giving it to you.

What're you working on, uncle?

ADAM:
The, eh,
La Costa Development.

That's the big one,
isn't it?

Figure out where
you're gonna put it?

I think so, Elliott.

You ought to be careful
the information doesn't get out.

Some people would be willing
to give a pretty penny

if they knew where
the next Thompson development

was gonna be located.

The price of land
would skyrocket.

I'm, uh, gratified
at your concern, Elliott.

I've only now made up my mind.
By noon tomorrow,

I'll have had arrangements made
to purchase the land.

Ellen?

Yes?

Lock it away.

Yes, sir.

Good night, Mr. Thompson.

Daddy says he'd see you
at the office tomorrow.

I hope you make
a hundred business deals

and a million dollars so you can
afford to give Harry a raise.

Well, thank you, Lydia.

Does, uh, he want
the money for you?

Harry doesn't tell me
his financial problems.

I'm only his fiancée,
not his wife.

Maybe he wants to give me
a solitaire.

If he does, I vote for you
giving him the money.

Good night, dear.
Good night.

Harry.
Uncle.

Elliott.
Good night, Uncle Adam.

Oh, Ellen. You can go.
You've had a long day.

Oh, thank you, Mr. Thompson.
Good night.

( door closes )

( ominous theme playing )

You looking for something?

My money.

My own money.

Come now, cousin.

We both know you're not after
the money in that safe.

Well, what else
would I be after?

The map.

The marked map.

You're crazy.

Okay. Okay, Harry, my boy.

But now I think
you better not open that safe.

Well, you--

You could just forget
you saw me.

Well, you open it and I'll tell
the old boy I saw you here.

But why?

Uncle Adam has been watching me
like a hawk lately.

If he finds anything missing,

he'll be sure I took it.

Oh, good morning, Ellen.
Good morning, Mr. Thompson.

You've been in the darkroom
so early this morning?

Yep.

Well, it's good to see you more
like yourself, Mr. Thompson.

I have been moping a bit
lately.

But I've just had good news.

On that negative?

As a matter of fact, yes.

There's nothing on it.

No. Nobody went to this safe

after you put the map in it
last night.

Well, of course not.
Why should anyone?

Well, I was afraid
somebody might.

Do you remember that, eh,
parcel of land down by the beach

that I bought last month?

The one where the price
went up

more than $,
over the weekend?

Yeah. I'm ashamed to say
that I thought

one of the boys thought
more of money than he did of me.

That he would take advantage
of your confidence?

Well, I should think
you would be ashamed.

But what has that got to do
with the picture?

I wanted to make positive sure,
Ellen.

Did you hear me say
that I was gonna close

on this piece of property
before noon today?

Yes.

Well, now,
if Harry and Elliott

wanted to make capital
of this information,

they'd have tried
to get at it.

But neither one of them did.

That safe remained closed
all night.

Nobody got at it.

No, nobody knows that
these acres are located--

Between Creek Road past
the county line on the north,

west to the border
of Market Road,

and east through
the county easement.

Three hundred and nine
acres in all.

That's the package.

You're a man of vision,
Mr. Durstine.

Am I?

I've had people look at
this land without realizing that

in , years, it'll be worth
five times the purchase price.

Sometimes events move
even faster.

Ten percent down
on a -day option, you said?

That's right.
It comes to $,.

It's a deal.

Let's go to your office,
draw up the papers,

I'll give you my check.

Sorry to put you to work
on Saturday,

but I've a plane to catch
to Philadelphia.

No trouble at all.

I tell you,
I can't understand it, Mason.

Look here. That land
was sold this morning,

and it is impossible
for that information

to be gotten
out of the safe.

As of late yesterday afternoon,
I hadn't made up my mind

where were gonna locate
our new development.

You can ask my general manager
Jarrett, here.

That's right. Mr. Thompson
has always maintained

complete secrecy.
Even on the rather extensive

preliminary costs:
licenses, rights of way,

and the very expensive
commitments.

I see.

Then you went home
and marked the map,

baiting the trap
for one of your nephews?

Yes.

Nobody had any, uh, hints
or foreknowledge?

Nobody
possibly could.

And this morning?

Well, the infrared camera
was operative

but had not been tripped.

I'm willing to bet
my very last cent

that that safe was not opened

and the map
was not removed from it.

And yet, through
some kind of weird magic,

this very piece of land
that I'd marked off in crayon

was sold this morning.

The exact boundaries,
Mason.

How much more
is this gonna cost you?

Ordinarily, a couple
of hundred thousand dollars,

because I would have
invested that much more

in, eh,
preliminary costs.

But this time,
not a blessed cent.

Do you think that I've lived
years to be made a fool of

by a boy in his 's?

You mean, those were, um,
fake crayon marks on that map?

Well, I never had
the slightest intention

of buying that
particular acreage.

The only consolation I have is
that someone has bought himself

a $, pig in a poke.

Someone?

Didn't the real estate office
get his name?

ADAM:
Yeah. On his check.

Norman Durstine.

Come Monday morning :,
it will be presented

for collection at a local bank.

Well, with all this information,
it shouldn't be too difficult

to find this Durstine fellow.

Ah. You won't have to.

I've got his address too.

It's back in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.

Let me see.
It's, um, A Street.

He's probably flying back
on his way east now.

Just what do you want me to do
for you, Mr. Thompson?

Well, I'm stumped, Mason.
I need help.

Which one of the boys
got into the safe

and told the mysterious
Mr. Durstine?

Are you interested?

Oh, yes.

If we can't get at
the truth at your end,

we'll have to attack it
from the other end.

Through this chap who bought
the land, this Norman Durstine.

He must have some connection
with one of the boys.

We'll just have to
find out what it is.

( dramatic theme playing )

It's the way I set myself up.

I wasn't worried about exposure.

The deal would have been
over and done with

before it could be traced to me.

Now I'm out on a limb
for $,.

I tried to get in touch with the
man to whom I gave the check.

He's out of town,
can't be reached.

This doesn't involve you,
it only involves me.

I'm explaining it to you
because these circumstances

force me to increase
my demands on you.

I want $,.

It was the other day,
and I couldn't get that.

I may have a day or two
before Mason backtracks to me.

You have the same
period of time.

A hundred thousand dollars.

Even if it was possible, today's
Saturday, the bank's closed.

You own this building,
you have a home,

you have two cars, you have
a daughter who has jewelry

that was left to her
by your wife.

You can arrange it
by Monday noon.

You'd take everything?
You'd strip me?

When everything comes out,
I'm finished here.

I'll have no recourse,
no job, nothing.

You'll at least have
your profession.

Oh. Am I interrupting?

JARRETT:
No. We're just finishing.

How are you, Lydia?

Fine, Mr. Jarrett.

What is it, Dad?

Oh, it's nothing.

No, tell me.

Does it have something to do
with $,?

Lydia, years ago, when I got
my architect's license,

there were certain papers:
school credits, affidavits,

that, uh, weren't quite
in order.

Oh.

I don't know how
Jarrett got onto it,

but he has some correspondence
with people back east

that could take away my license,
if it became known.

Jarrett is making demands on me.

( ominous theme playing )

This is it, Perry.

Durstine?

Well, it's the address I got
from Philadelphia.

It's lucky I had a friend there.
I wouldn't have been

on this till Monday or Tuesday.
Was it a residence?

No. Just a mailing address.
Under a business name.

What name?
J&L Construction Company.

And this is
the Los Angeles address.

( doorbell rings )

Nobody home.

Yeah. I checked the phone.
It's not listed under

the J&L Construction Company.
( rumbling )

Paul...

Not listed under
the name Durstine either.

What's the matter?
You hear something?

Yeah, that's a hum
of some kind.

The rear of the house.

Coming from in there.

Carbon monoxide.

( dramatic theme playing )

Is he dead?

Yes.

Well,
that must be Durstine.

It might be, but he was
introduced as Frank Jarrett,

general manager
of the Adam Thompson Company.

Oh, so he must've realized
that the information leak

would be traced
back to him.

Well, the poor guy
decided to commit su1c1de.

Wait a minute.
No, he didn't.

Not with all those bruises
all over his head.

Come on, Paul.
Let's call Homicide.

( dramatic theme swells )

( eerie theme playing )

He, uh, looked as though he'd
been in a fight, lieutenant.

Was he unconscious
when the motor was turned on?

The doc says it'll take a while
to answer that.

Perry.
Hm?

Did you, uh,
know Frank Jarrett?

Yes, I've met him.

Huh? Where?

In my office.
Client?

No, no.
He was introduced to me

as general manager of the
Thompson Development Company.

Oh. The subdividers.

That's right.

What brought you out here?

As a matter of fact,
lieutenant,

I was looking for a man
by the name of Norman Durstine.

Who's Norman Durstine?

I don't know.

Well, why were you
looking for him here?

His trail led here.

Hm...

Looking for Durstine,
you wound up finding Jarrett.

Mm-hm.

Uh, Paul Drake in on this?

In looking for Durstine?
Uh, why, yes.

Where is he?

Performing a chore.

Now, Perry, would you like
to tell me all about it?

Lieutenant, I'll, uh, answer
any questions I possibly can.

All right. Let's start with
who your client is.

Adam Thompson.

What are you
representing him for?

Uh-uh.
You must know Harry Thompson?

No, I've never met him.

He's Adam Thompson's nephew.
I believe he works for Adam.

Then you don't represent
Harry Thompson?

No, I don't.
Good.

Because we found his wallet
on the floor in the house.

The room was a shambles.

( dramatic theme playing )

( thud )

Anybody here?

( phone ringing )

Hello.

Hello.

Hello,

Hello?

What are you doing here, Harry?

You look like
you've been in a fight.

Did you do this?

Yes.

Why?

I was looking for something.

What?

Evidence of your collusion
with Frank Jarrett?

What collusion?

To buy land I'd selected
for subdivision

and hold me up
for a bonus payment.

No.

Oh, no, Uncle Adam,
I swear not.

Why, then?

I can't tell you.

It has nothing to do
with company business.

Did you get into the wall safe
at home last night?

No.

Did you learn where I
marked off the acres?

No.

Elliott said something
about that.

I didn't.

You're my brother's son.

I've tried to be
a father to you.

I know you have,
Uncle Adam.

( footsteps approaching )

You Adam Thompson?

Yes.
Homicide. Lieutenant Tragg.

Jarrett's office?

Yes, lieutenant.

Yeah.
What were you, uh, looking for?

Oh, the office was like this
when I came in.

Oh, then you, uh,
didn't come in together.

Just a moment--
I'll handle this, Mason.

You Harry Thompson?

Yes.
What's this homicide about?

Frank Jarrett
was found m*rder*d.

m*rder*d?

Jarrett, dead?

I guess we better
take a little trip downtown.

Mason.

Oh, lieutenant,
I'm sure you'll tell the boy

that he can ask the advice
of an attorney

before he answers
any of your questions.

Mm-hm.

( door closes )

Did Harry come up here with you,
Mr. Thompson?

No. No, he didn't.

Then, uh, he was here
when you arrived?

Yes.

Will you act as
his attorney, Mason?

There are certain elements
in this case

of which you may not be aware.

Oh, that's all right.

I just want him to have
the best support possible.

Will you?

I'll talk with him.

You know,
if he becomes my client,

I'd be committed to him.

What does that mean?

I'd let the chips fall
where they may.

He'd be my primary concern.

Oh. Yes, of course.
Yes. I understand.

I'll still wanna talk with him
before I make any decision.

That mean
you wanna find out first

whether he's guilty or not?

No. Just whether I wanna
represent him or not.

What was he looking for
in there?

He wouldn't tell me.

Maybe he'll tell me.

No, Mr. Mason.

I'm sorry. I can't tell you.

Is it personal?

Yes.

The police are likely to think
that your going through

Jarrett's office may be
connected with his m*rder.

I didn't k*ll him.

But you did go
to his house this afternoon.

Yes. Late this afternoon.

On the same matter?

Yes.

What time was that?

I got there about ten of .

What started the fight?

I accused him of something,
and he got difficult.

It must have been
something pretty important.

It was.

The police found your wallet
on the floor.

I realized it was missing
after I left.

Was he in the house
when you left?

On the floor. Out cold.

After you left,
what did you do?

I-- I'd searched the house
with no luck.

I thought the thing
I was looking for

might be in his office.

Why didn't you go back
for your wallet

when you discovered it was gone?

Didn't you realize
it could be evidence?

Evidence of what?

I didn't do anything.

I thought I'd get it
later.

I just wanted to get to his
office as quickly as possible.

Do you know about
the infrared camera

your uncle had installed
by the wall safe at home?

Yes. I know about it now.

But I didn't last night.

Do you have any thoughts
on how someone could've

circumvented the camera
and opened the safe?

No.

No?

No, I have no idea
how it could've been done.

What have you told the police?

Nothing.

I just said I wanted to
speak to my attorney first.

You know,
the way you indicated.

Harry, are you trying to
protect someone?

Your uncle?
Your, um, cousin Elliott?

Do you have a girl?

( dramatic theme playing )

Morning, Della.

( over intercom ):
Morning, Mr. Mason.

Oh, from the tone of your voice,
it appears we have a visitor.

Mm-hm. She's quite lovely.

Someone I know?

Lydia Logan. Strike a note?

No.

I had time to find out
she's engaged to Harry Thompson.

Oh. Has Paul been in?

Mm-hm. He said to tell you
that he spoke to

the infrared camera technician,

who stated positively
nothing could have gone wrong.

If anyone opened that safe,
the picture would've been taken.

All right, Della.

Please ask Miss Logan
to come in.

Mm-hm.

Won't you come in?

Won't you, uh,
sit down, Miss Logan?

Mr. Mason.
( door closes )

Mr. Mason, I trust
your discretion

because I know
your reputation

and because
you represent Harry.

We're going to be married when
this is all straightened out.

I'm afraid
it's because of me

that he's got himself
into trouble.

How?
Because years ago,

when my father got
his architect's license,

certain school papers, credits,
weren't quite in order.

And if it became known,
he might lose his license.

I see.

My father doesn't know how
Mr. Jarrett got onto it,

but it seems
he had correspondence

that established
the irregularities.

So he, uh,
blackmailed your father?

Yes. And I told Harry
about it.

Go on.

Well, don't you see?

Harry went
to Mr. Jarrett's house,

they got in an argument.

And then suddenly,
Harry thought that perhaps

the correspondence
might be in the office.

That's what he was
searching for.

Does your father work for the
Thompson Development Company?

Well, he has his own office.

But he has been
doing work for them.

Now, as I understand it,
your father was not present

when the map was
put into the safe.

No. But I was.

Uh, Mr. Thompson
went upstairs to bed

when the safe was closed,
did he not?

Yes. I believe so.

Did, um, Elliott
go upstairs too,

or did he remain in the study?

He was in the study
when Harry and I left.

And the secretary?

Ellen Foster?

She left the same time
we did.

Mr. Mason, I don't know how that
map was taken out of the safe.

But I do know that
Harry has an idea about it.

An idea about how it was done?

No. An idea who did it.

Who did?

He probably would deny it
to you, out of loyalty.

But he said if anyone did it,
it had to be either himself--

And he didn't.
--or Elliott.

I didn't know
there was a camera there.

Not at that time.

I had no interest
in the map, anyway.

But you did know the value
it represented.

Well, yes.
But I have no head for business.

Or should I say intrigue?

Look, I wouldn't know
how to go about capitalizing

on something like that, even
if I'd gotten the information.

Do you know the combination
to the safe?

No.

You seem surprised,
Miss Foster.

Think harder, Elliott.

Hm?

Ellen, hasn't
the combination been changed

in the last two years?

No, Mr. Carter.

Then I guess I do know it.

I thought you certainly would've
changed it, Uncle Adam.

You have a convenient memory
at times, Elliott.

I didn't go into that safe.

What are you looking for,
a scapegoat?

I know you've
got it all figured out

that whoever got to the map
is the m*rder*r.

Well, I'll tell you
what happened.

I've already told
the district attorney,

I might as well tell you.

You told the district...?

I was in bed. I heard Harry
going down the hall.

I put on my robe
and followed him in here.

I found him right there, with
his hand out to open that safe.

Did he open it?

No. Not then. Not that I saw.

But I didn't.

And the way it shapes up,
one of us did.

So now you figure it out.

He didn't follow me in here and
stop me from opening the safe.

I followed him and stopped him.

The death was caused
by asphyxiation

from carbon monoxide gas

sometime between
the hours of : and :

on the afternoon of
Saturday, March the th.

Police describe physical details
of an unusual nature.

There was a severe contusion
on the lower portion

of the back of the head.

And there were other marks:

cuts, lacerations
around the face,

the forehead
and the knuckles.

This gave evidence
of physical conflict.

Was this blow on the back
of the head severe enough

to cause unconsciousness?

Yes. The blow caused
a cranial hemorrhage

which resulted in
unconsciousness.

Did your autopsy disclose
whether the decedent

was conscious or not
during the inhalation

of the carbon monoxide fumes?

The blood clot on the brain

showed evidence
of carbon monoxide.

It is apparent therefore
that the decedent was alive

but unconscious
during the period of time

when the carbon monoxide
could have been inhaled.

Thank you. Mr. Mason.

Mr. Drumm.

Uh, doctor, this, uh, contusion
on the back of the head,

could it have
resulted from a fall?

Without a w*apon of some kind
being used?

No, sir.
It required a heavy instrument.

Oh, iron or steel, perhaps,
weighing several pounds.

Was there evidence of more
than one blow on the head?

DOCTOR:
Yes, there was.

Now, doctor,
from the point of time,

can you tell which blow

caused unconsciousness,
the first or the second?

Well, as to that,
I cannot state.

There was nothing
in my examination to indicate

the time sequence
of the two blows.

Thank you, doctor.
That'll be all.

Well, on the th of February,
a piece of land was purchased

by Mr. Adam Thompson,
at a price which had risen

$, practically overnight.

And that's why Mr. Thompson
took security measures

on the latest transaction?

Yes, sir.

As Mr. Thompson's
confidential secretary,

would you know who purchased
that parcel the first time?

Yes. A man by the name
of Durstine, connected with

the J&L Construction Company
o-of Philadelphia.

In some manner, Mr. Durstine
must have obtained information

about Mr. Thompson's
proposed land transaction.

Yes.

DRUMM:
Now, can you explain your
employer's security measures

in the latest transaction?

Well, eh, Mr. Thompson
didn't tell anybody

which site he had selected.

H-he never did, anyway.

But, uh, on the night
of Friday, March the th,

he told each of us in his study
that he had marked his map

and that he would purchase the
land by noon of the next day.

Well, now, who was in
the study at that time

besides Mr. Adam Thompson?

Well, there was, uh, Elliott.
Uh, Elliott Carter, that is.

Uh, Harry Thompson,
Lydia Logan a-and myself.

DRUMM:
Go on, Miss Foster.

Well, I locked the map
in the safe.

DRUMM:
Well, who knew
the combination of that safe?

FOSTER:
We all did,
e-except Miss Logan.

Now, were you in the house
on the following morning,

when the safe was reopened?

Yes, sir.
And the map was there.

It had not been removed.

Somebody must've learned about
the markings on the map,

because again Mr. Durstine
bought the property

before Mr. Thompson
was able to do so.

Now, is that true?

Yes.

Now I show you a photograph,

and I ask you to identify it.

That's, uh, Frank Jarrett,
Mr. Thompson's general manager.

The deceased.

Yes.

Now, will you relate
to the court what transpired

about :
of the afternoon of the m*rder?

A telephone call came for Mr.
Harry Thompson from Miss Logan.

How'd you know
it was Miss Logan?

Well, I answer the telephone.

A-and I recognized
her voice,

a-and then she said
it was Miss Logan.

And when she asked
to speak to Harry Thompson,

he called her "Lydia."

Well, then, you were present
and heard the defendant's

half of the conversation?

Yes.

Now, as near as
you can remember,

will you please tell the court
about that conversation?

Well, uh, he said,

"Talk slower, Lydia,"

um, and "Why didn't you
tell me this before?"

And, uh...

Then he said, um...

"I can take care
of Jarrett another way.

Look, honey,
don't worry."

And then he hung up.

What did he do then?

He left the house.

And what time was that?

Oh, about, um,
half past .

Cross-examine.

Miss Foster, do you usually
work on Saturdays?

No. Uh, but Mr. Thompson
had asked me

to work this particular
Saturday.

What time did you arrive?

Oh, about, uh, :.

Perhaps a little after.

What time did you leave?

About, uh, :.

Perhaps a little before.

Now, as Mr. Thompson's
confidential secretary,

did he ever tell you
of his plans

when he was picking out
or selecting property to buy?

No, sir.

Did you know that he'd installed
an infrared camera,

designed to take the picture
of anyone opening the safe?

No, sir.
Not until the Saturday morning.

Now, you placed the map
inside the safe

and then you closed and locked
the safe, is that correct?

Yes, sir.

And you were present
the next morning

when Mr. Thompson opened
the safe and took the map out?

Yes, sir.

And what did Mr. Thompson say
at that time?

That nobody had opened the safe.

That the camera had not taken
anyone's picture,

therefore nobody
had opened the safe.

Thank you. That'll be all.

MAN:
Yes, sir.
This is a photograph of the man

that gave me
the check for the $,.

He called himself
Norman Durstine.

His check,
drawn on a local bank,

was signed
"Norman Durstine."

But this man has been identified
as Frank Jarrett, the deceased.

Well, I guess
it's one and the same.

Whatever he called himself,

he knew exactly
which acres to buy.

Thank you.

Did Mr. Harry Thompson
open this safe in your presence?

No sir, he did not
open the safe in my presence.

But he was at the safe,
and he wanted to open it.

Then I went back to bed and
don't know what else happened.

Thank you.

The J&L Construction Company
of Philadelphia,

authorized signature
Norman Durstine,

had three transactions
in my bank:

the deposit of $,,

the issuance
of two checks.

One for $,,
the second one for $,.

You say a check
for $,?

That's right.

Now I show you a check
cashed February the th,

just one day after
the $, deposit.

I ask you
if you can identify it.

Yes, sir.

This is it.

Made to the order
of Harry Thompson.

Jarrett gave you
a check for ,?

What for?

He heard I needed it,
so he offered to lend it to me.

Lydia didn't know
anything about that.

I ask that this be marked
State's exhibit K.

Mr. Mason?

No objection, Your Honor.
Your witness, counselor.

No questions, Mr. Drumm.

Now, Miss Logan, you've been
adjudged a hostile witness,

you will therefore
answer yes or no.

Did you speak to
the defendant, Harry Thompson,

on the afternoon
of Saturday, March the th?

Yes.

And did you tell him that your
father was being blackmailed

by Frank Jarrett?
And that Jarrett had

some damaging correspondence
in his possession?

Yes.

And is the testimony
by Ellen Foster

relative to the defendant's
conversation with you

essentially literal?

Yes.
The defendant said,

"I can take care
of Jarrett another way.

Look, honey, don't worry."
Is that true?

Yes.

Your witness.

Miss Logan, you are aware
that Mr. Jarrett's home

gave evidence of a search?

Yes.

And that the defendant admitted
to searching for something

in Mr. Jarrett's office
at the Thompson Company?

Yes. He was looking for
that correspondence.

But he didn't k*ll him for it.

He was just trying to help
my father.

MASON:
Thank you, Miss Logan.
That'll be all.

We found the decedent slumped
over the wheel of his car.

The garage abuts the house.

Lieutenant, did you cause
the house to be examined?

Yes, sir.

It showed evidence of a hasty
search and, um, a struggle.

Go on, lieutenant.

Well, some, uh, furniture was
overturned in the living room,

a lamp smashed.
Bloodstains on the rug.

Did you have
the bloodstains analyzed?

Type AB.
Same as the defendant's.

And the deceased's
blood type was O.

Lieutenant, I show you
this wallet

and ask you to identify it.

Yes, sir, it was found on the
deceased's living room floor.

Inside the wallet,
papers identifying it

as belonging to the defendant,
Harry Thompson.

And I show you this
police laboratory report.

Can you identify it?

Yes, sir. These mark
the defendant's presence

in the garage.

A handprint and fingerprints
on the doorsill of the car.

Fingerprints and one forefinger
print, in blood type AB,

on the chromium handle
of the glove compartment,

and a print on a strip
of chromium on the trunk.

And they're all belonging to
the defendant, Harry Thompson.

Lieutenant, did you have
an occasion to visit

the Thompson Company offices
on Saturday night, March th?

Yes, I did.
And what did you find?

Well, the office of
Frank Jarrett was in disorder.

In the office were Adam Thompson
and Harry Thompson.

DRUMM:
You subsequently
searched the office?

TRAGG: I did.
And what did you find?

In a strongbox
behind a file drawer,

a cancelled check
with a note, uh, clipped to it.

Now, lieutenant, I show you
a cancelled check with a note

written in longhand.
Can you identify it?

Yes, sir. This is
the original check for $,,

made out to Harry Thompson,
endorsed by Harry Thompson,

and this is
the note clipped to it.

DRUMM:
Would you read the note, please?

It says, "Harry Thompson's
participation in first deal,

gross $,." And is in the
handwriting of Frank Jarrett.

Your Honor, I would like to have
these marked for identification.

( suspenseful theme playing )

What else haven't you told me?

( dramatic theme playing )

He lied to me, he neglected
to tell me all the truth.

But what's worse, I don't know
yet what happened with that map,

and I think it's the key
to the whole case.

Well, whoever took that
information out of the safe

must've passed it on
to Jarrett.

Then, when things went wrong,

he had to k*ll Jarrett
in order to protect himself.

What about the $, check
Harry Thompson cashed, Perry?

Jarrett loaned him the money,
all right.

Harry wanted it
to help Victor Logan.

And the note?

He couldn't explain that.

What about the fingerprints
all over Jarrett's car?

Harry said when he left Jarrett
unconscious in the living room,

he went out to the garage
to search the car

for those
incriminating letters.

Anything else?
Nope.

I haven't had a report on the
Jarrett-Durstine research yet.

Della,
call Adam Thompson.

Tell him we're on our way
to see him.

I'll meet you back in court.
Come on, Paul.

( ominous theme playing )

I worked on the map here.

And no one could see
what you were doing?

No one.

And then what?

Well, Elliott started to
approach me,

so I folded the map,
put it in the envelope,

and gave it to Ellen
to put in the safe.

Was there any way
of Ellen seeing the map?

No.

How long has she worked for you?

Thirteen years.

All right, go on.

Oh, I've gone over this
a hundred times.

I had left the safe open.

Ellen took the envelope,
put it in the safe,

closed and locked the door.

And from that moment on,
if the door were opened,

the camera would've
automatically taken a picture.

And it didn't.
No.

Then the first thing I did
when I came down here

the following morning, was to
take the film out of the camera

and develop it.
It was blank.

And, uh, during that time,
the map was inside the safe.

Yes.

Now, you did all this when you
first came down in the morning.

What time did you get up
that Saturday morning?

Eight-thirty.
Possibly a bit later.

There's a law of logic that says

if you're searching
for the truth,

you sometimes have to
look for the illogical.

Paul, I'd like you
to canvas this neighborhood

for something
that might've happened

on the morning of the m*rder.

Something illogical, like a pink
elephant or a wandering lion?

No, nothing that spectacular.

Just something--
Something even slightly unusual.

All right. Mr. Thompson.

Well, what have you got
on your mind, Mason?

( door closes )
A hope.

We couldn't find
the correspondence

Harry Thompson said
he was looking for.

We couldn't find it in
Jarrett's house, in his office,

in his effects, anywhere.

Well, suppose there was
no incriminating correspondence

at all, lieutenant.

What then would the defendant
have been looking for?

The cancelled check.

Oh, but that would be foolish.

Records, photostats of it would
still be available at the bank.

Well, then it must've been
the correspondence.

But if, as the State contends,

Harry Thompson
k*lled Frank Jarrett,

he would've at the same time
have removed the blackmailer,

so the correspondence
then would be a non sequitur.

Isn't that right?

I protest the counselor's
questioning, Your Honor,

as argumentative
and improper.

Furthermore, the State's
next witness will clear up

the matter of the blackmail
and the correspondence.

Mr. Mason?

I withdraw the questions

objected to
by the prosecutor, Your Honor.

And, uh, I have no further
questions of this witness.

Mr. Drumm, you may call
your next witness.

I call Victor Logan
to the stand.

On the afternoon of
Saturday, March the th,

my daughter came to my office,

just as Frank Jarrett
was leaving.

Go on, sir. What had transpired
before her arrival?

Jarrett made
certain demands on me.

For what?

Money.
And why?

Jarrett had some letters,

correspondence
with officials back east,

that would've ruined me.
DRUMM: I see.

And you told
your daughter about this

after Jarrett had left?

Nothing to report on the
Jarrett-Durstine business yet.

But I got lucky on the
something unusual happening.

And then what, Mr. Logan?

Well, Lydia called Harry
and told him.

Then you heard her end
of the conversation?

LOGAN: Yes.
And what exactly did she say?

LOGAN:
Well, she told him everything.

About the correspondence,

the architect's license
that I could lose,

money that I needed,
all of it.

Thank you, Mr. Logan.

Cross-examine.

Now, Mr. Logan, these
"certain demands" made upon you

by Frank Jarrett,

that was, eh,
really blackmail, wasn't it?

Yes.

About a month
before Jarrett's death,

was it also blackmail when, um,
Harry Thompson borrowed $,

from Jarrett,
and then gave it to you?

Well, no. I--

I hadn't asked Harry
for the $, then.

Well, the night
before the m*rder,

Harry Thompson
asked his uncle for $,.

What about that?

A blackmail then, also?

Yes.

For irregularities
in your application

for an architect's license?

Yes, sir.

Eh, Mr. Logan,
prior to this hearing,

an investigation into
your schooling, your affidavits,

your records showed absolutely
no irregularities connected

in any way with your architect's
application or license.

You went into that?

Yes, and I suggest
that the irregularities

were just a fiction,
made up by you,

to account
for Jarrett's blackmail.

And consequently there were
no letters or correspondence.

Mr. Logan, since I have
no desire to entrap you,

I must advise you that an
investigation is also being made

into the J&L
Construction Company:

its officers, its partners,
its business and its prospects.

Your Honor, it seems to me
that Counsel is going far afield

in his cross-examination
of this witness, and I object.

I don't think so, Mr. Drumm.

And I'm extremely interested

in the course
this examination is taking.

Proceed, Mr. Mason.

Mr. Logan, I want a truthful
answer to a previous question.

About a month before
Frank Jarrett's death,

did you ask the defendant
to lend you $,?

Well, I may--
Yes, I did.

MASON:
And he got the money for you.

LOGAN:
Yes.

Did he tell you
that Frank Jarrett

had offered to lend the money
to him?

Well, I--
I don't recall that.

Now, isn't it true
that this whole $, deal

was for the purpose of
implicating Harry Thompson?

Implicating Harry? How?

By making it appear that
he was working with Jarrett,

that he was the link
to Adam Thompson.

That's what impelled Jarrett
to write that little note

and append it to
the cancelled check, wasn't it?

I don't know anything
about that.

I think you do.

I think when you got
the $, from Harry,

you didn't return it to Jarrett.

You put Jarrett off
for several weeks,

until finally,
he demanded the money.

Why?

Because it had to go
into the coffers

of the J&L
Construction Company.

Norman Durstine
might've needed the money

for an option on a forthcoming
land purchase.

You can't prove that.
There's no evidence of it.

I'm getting evidence of it now.

On the following day,

when the world of Frank Jarrett,
alias Norman Durstine,

crumbled around his ears,

he came to you
and blackmailed you, didn't he?

What for?
For your unethical conduct.

For your participation with him

in the J&L
Construction Company.

J&L,

Jarrett and Logan.

I didn't k*ll him.

He blackmailed you
by threatening to reveal

the whole story, didn't he?

Yes, but I didn't k*ll him.

I didn't get the information
on the map--

Your Honor, I think I can
clarify this question

of who did get
the information

and who was the link between
Frank Jarrett and Adam Thompson.

JUDGE:
What do you propose, Mr. Mason?

MASON:
I would like to recall
Ellen Foster.

Miss Foster, we would like
to clarify

the enigma of how
the information was obtained

from that map.

Yes, sir.
I-I wondered about it myself.

An answer occurs to me, but it
requires clarification from you.

Yes, sir? An answer?

Well, we've been faced with
the impossibility of anyone

opening the safe
and removing the map.

Yes, sir.

We should've agreed
with that possibility

and gone on from there.

Well, I--
I don't understand.

Well, if the information
was obtained,

and the map was never taken
from the safe,

obviously it was never
put into the safe.

Oh. But I put it in.

No, Miss Foster,

you just made it appear
as though you did.

But-- But it was there
in the morning, in the safe,

when Mr. Thompson himself
took it out.

It-- It was in there then.

Yes, it, um, was in there then.

Miss Foster,
a Mrs. Felicity Ambrose

lives directly across the street
from the Thompson house.

She owns a pair
of Siamese cats.

And at minutes before
on Saturday morning, March th,

she took in the pint of milk
the milkman had just left

at her side door.

Well, what about it?

With, uh, gentle prodding,
Mrs. Ambrose remembered

an unusual scene
across the street.

She remembers seeing you
come out of the house,

wearing your coat,
and getting into your car

in front of the house,

and picking up a newspaper
in the car and starting to read.

Well, I was just looking
for something in the paper.

Mrs. Ambrose also noticed
from time to time

that you went to the side window
of the house and looked in.

And that about
a half an hour later,

you went back into the house,

and this time
you remained there.

Well,
I was, uh, early for work.

Well, early or not,
wasn't there a special reason

you didn't remain in the house
the first time?

I just preferred
to sit in the car.

Now, let's go back to the map
being out of the safe all night.

Making its appearance
at approximately

: in the morning,

when Adam Thompson opened
the safe and removed the map.

I-I-- I still don't know
the answer.

Yes, you do.

Because when you entered
the house the first time,

you went into the study, opened
the safe and put the map back.

That you then heard Mr. Thompson
in the darkroom,

and though you didn't understand
why he was there,

you thought it best
not to arrive for work

until he'd returned
to the study.

That's right.

I took the film into
the darkroom and developed it

before I opened the safe.

For that half hour,
the safe was vulnerable.

She must've
put the map back then.

Now, Miss Foster,

you took the map because
of Frank Jarrett, didn't you?

The information on the map,

you turned over
to Frank Jarrett, didn't you?

( sighs )

Yes, I did it.

And I k*lled Frank.

He was going to leave me.

After all those years
together,

and-- And all we meant
to each other.

He was going to get together
all the money he could,

a-a-and leave me.

He...

In the garage, he--
He turned his back on me.

And I hit him with the wrench,

and I put him in the car,

and I turned on...the motor.

( sobbing )

Well...
Thanks, Mason.

I never spent money
with greater pleasure.

Thank you,
Mr. Thompson.

In this instance,
your pleasure is my pleasure.

You know, I had no inkling
of a love affair

between Ellen and--
And, uh, Jarrett.

As I understand it,
she followed Harry to the house,

and then after Harry left,
she had a scene with Jarrett.

That's right.

Mr. Thompson,
did you actually think

that Harry k*lled Jarrett?

I didn't know.

You see,
I was afraid that because

I hadn't loaned him
the money,

that he might try to
get back at me.

What about Elliott?

Oh, I never did figure
it was Elliott.

No. He hasn't the temperament
nor the courage.

I understand Harry asked you
for another loan.

Yes. Honeymoon money.

I gave it to him
this time.

( chuckles )

( noirish jazz theme playing )