04x06 - The Case of the Wandering Widow

[bunniefuu]

( noirish jazz theme playing )

( dramatic theme playing )

Come in, Mr. Stokes.

It, uh,
it is Mr. Stokes?

Yes, sir.
Merchant Marine.

Sit down
if you like.

No, thank you.

I understand you want to see
one of the prisoners,

a man by the name
of Riley Morgan.

You're not a relative?

Uh, no, sir.

Close friend,
perhaps?

Well, I-- I ain't even sure
I know the guy.

But if-- If I could
just see him,

uh, well, uh--

Here, sir. Uh.

Maybe you read this.

I-It's an article about this
fellow, Riley Morgan.

It says he got life
for a m*rder

he done in L.A. six years ago.

STOKES:
He claimed he had an alibi,
but it never held up.

Yes, I remember,
it was something about

a witness
who couldn't be found.

Or never existed.

Well, Morgan claimed
he was a sailor.

Mr. Stokes,

Do you want me to believe
that you are that sailor?

Well, sir, it--

It sure reads like something
that happened to me

about six years ago.

I-- I remember
telling my captain

the reason I was late
getting back to the ship was

because I helped a guy
with a broken ankle.

Mr. Stokes, why have you
waited for six years?

Well, because the same day
this happened to me,

my ship pulled out
of San Pedro.

Do you mean to say
that you didn't read anything

about the trial
in the newspapers?

Well, the Kendall m*rder was a
sensational case in Los Angeles.

Well, warden, our next
port of call was Yokohama,

and I ain't never learned
to read Japanese.

After that I worked a Dutch ship

out of Australia
for a couple of years.

Sir, when I finally
saw that, I--

I couldn't get it
out of my head.

Imagine, a guy in for six years

and maybe he's been innocent
all that time.

If-- If only I can remember
what he looked like.

I want Riley Morgan
up here right away.

Oh, uh, send several
other men for a lineup.

Mr. Stokes, you're gonna have
to answer a lot of questions.

Well, Mr. Stokes?

Well, sir--

It's been a long time. I--

I was afraid
he might not be the same.

But that's the guy all right.

That one right there.

All right, Morgan.

Step forward.

( dramatic theme playing )

( mysterious theme playing )

Sure do have
a lot of homework tonight.

Hey, Kendall! Jimmie!

( honks horn )

Oh, here's my mom,
I gotta go now.

I'll call you tonight.
Okay, see you Kendall.

Hi, Mom!
Hi, darling.

Sorry I'm late.
Oh, that's okay.

Oh, not another note
from the commandant.

No, Mom, I don't even
know where it came from.

It's for you.

Well, aren't you
gonna open it?

Well, we can't park here.
I'll read it later.

( dramatic theme playing )

Hello, general.

Hi, Uncle Roger.

Hello, Roger.

I hope you hadn't forgotten,

this is Black Friday.

Mr. Warren Donner
awaits you in the study.

Why don't you
handle it, Roger?

You know much more about
the business than I do.

It's not quite the same,
my dear.

Besides, he has
a bundle of papers

requiring your signature.
Oh.

He also has some
special problems,

entailed from reading
the newspapers.

Well, can't you
entertain him yourself

for a few minutes?
I'd like to freshen up.

Well? Where is she?

Fixing up a bit.
She'll be down presently.

Doesn't she know
this man, Morgan,

has been exonerated
and released?

Poor devil.
Imagine spending all that time--

Poor devil!

Roger, don't you realize
how this is going

to affect the reputation
of our family,

of our company?

DONNER:
When I walked into the
board meeting yesterday,

everyone went, "sh!"
Just like that.

They'd been gossiping about me--

About me, the vice president.

You can imagine what
this has done to my wife.

Yes, I suppose Faye
must be rather upset.

And why shouldn't she be?

Finding out after six years
that her own brother's m*rder*r

must still be
running around loose.

Now there'll be a new
investigation.

All right, Warren.

I know how difficult it must be
for both you and Faye.

But I do wish you would
consider Lorraine.

After all, it was her husband
who was m*rder*d.

All four of us benefited
by his death.

You, Lorraine,
myself, Faye.

Do you know what people
are saying already?

"Which one did it?"

"Which one of us really
committed that m*rder?"

( dramatic theme playing )

LORRAINE ( reading aloud ):

( dialing )

MAN:
Yeah?

Hello? Uh.
Who am I talking to, please?

Who're you calling,
lady?

I don't know.
The letter wasn't signed.

Oh. Mrs. Kendall.

I'm a friend of Riley Morgan.

Yeah, th-that's right,
my name's Stokes.

Maybe you read it in the papers.

I think you and I ought to meet.

As soon as you can make it.

( knock at door )
Just a minute, please.

I have to go now.
Where will you be?

ROGER:
I say, Lorraine.

Your esteemed brother-in-law
is getting the wind up.

All right, Roger!

What was that again?

Yes. Yes, I know where it is.

Yeah, I can be there
in a half hour.

Yes, yes, all right.

(knocking)

Come in.

My dear, it is considered
very bad taste

to discriminate against
a minority stockholder,

especially when he's so anxious

to become a majority
stockholder.

Would you mind telling
Warren Donner

to mind his own business
for a change

and stop snooping
into mine.

BOY : You're it!

BOY : You're it!

BOY : You're it.

You're it.

BOY : You're it.

BOY : You're it.

Mrs. Kendall?

Yes.

I'm Stokes.

There's a quiet
spot over here

where we can talk.

Sit down, Mrs. Kendall--

I'll tell you right off,
Mr. Stokes,

I resent the way you
got in touch with me.

Well, now, I--

I'm real sorry
I had to go through

the boy to reach you,
but...

he was
the only lead I had.

Anyway, it's all
in a good cause.

Well, if you're talking
about Riley Morgan,

I-- I'm sorry he spent
all those years in prison.

But he's free now.

That's just the point.

He ain't free.

He's got no friends,
no relatives, no money.

STOKES:
Can't get a job.

How much do you want?

For myself?

Nothing, not a cent.

But the way I figure,

Morgan took somebody
off the hot seat.

And that ought to be
worth something.

Where is he, Mr. Stokes?

Where can I find Riley Morgan?

Well, now,
that I don't rightly know.

A man just out of prison.

But...

we're in this together,
Riley and me.

A word to me
is the same as to him.

So you're not even going to
tell me where he is

until I agree to pay?

LORRAINE:
Is that it?

Well, I didn't bring any cash,

and I didn't bring
my checkbook.

Lady, if your conscience
don't tell you

that Riley Morgan rates
some decent, honest--

My conscience
is quite clear!

I wish I'd asked
your little boy

what you was like.

If he thought--
You stay away from Jimmie!

You hear me?
Stay away from him!

All right.
Go back home.

I-- I won't
bother you again.

Mr. Stokes,

wait.

I-- I know an injustice
has been done.

Now, if you'd just tell me

how much help
Mr. Morgan needs,

and-- And how I can
reach him with it--

Mrs. Kendall,

sometimes when a man
is put in prison wrong,

the state
pays him something.

Say $ , , maybe.

But Riley,

he's found it
don't work that simple.

He ain't
collected one cent.

So I guess maybe
half that much,

maybe .

That ought to be all
anybody'd ever need.

Five thousand.

Well,
I'll let you know.

I'll phone you,
is that all right?

I knew you
was really okay.

Just a little scared,
maybe.

But don't you worry,

there's nothing
to be scared of.

Did you get it all
down on tape?

Yeah.
Well, what do you think?

Can you pay me
anything?

Stokes,
you're a card.

What?
What's the matter?

Isn't there anything
you could use?

I thought
a magazine article

would go big
right now.

You wrote so much about
the trial six years ago.

You're not interested in
a few dollars I can give you,

even if
the stuff was usable.

Okay, I can use
the publicity too.

The only way I can get
the state to pay Morgan anything

is to get some publicity.

Stokes, you didn't fool the lady
and you don't fool me.

You worked real hard not
to use the word blackmail,

but a rose by any other name
still smells the same.

It looks like you're playing
six ends against the middle,

and it's not
for Bill Worth.

I don't want
any part of your racket.

LORRAINE ( on tape ):
Well, I'll let you know.

I'll phone you,
is that all right?

STOKES ( on tape ):
I knew you was really okay.

Just a little scared, maybe,

but don't you worry,

there's nothing
to be scared of.

Well, sir?
Is it there?

You mean that's
all there is?

Well, I thought maybe, somewhere
among the things she said.

Well, she didn't say
a blasted thing,

neither did he!

Well, I knew what it is
you're looking for.

Just what it is you think
we might find out?

None of your business.

You just keep
after that man.

Write your articles,
keep him interested,

find out
everything he knows.

What was that all about?

( door closes )

Isn't it obvious?

Lorraine's up to something.

At least, she's a lot more
worried than she ought to be.

Hasn't Lorraine always
been up to something?

Some day I'll
figure her out.

Having a woman like that
own our company.

( ominous theme playing )

I thought perhaps
you'd learned something

about who k*lled
my brother.

( mysterious theme playing )

Seems to be news copy
prepared for publication.

It arrived this morning,
special delivery.

There was a note attached

asking me to read
the story for inaccuracies.

Well, are there any?

It seems to be
just a retelling

of your husband's m*rder.

Oh, no,
it's all distorted!

I mean,
the implication

that I benefited so much
from Martin's death.

All that innuendo.

I don't recall

the true details of the case
very well, Mrs. Kendall.

Well, there had been
some trouble

between my husband
and Riley Morgan

over a loan that was
to have been repaid

by a certain date.

What were the circumstances
of the loan?

I, uh-- I wasn't very familiar

with my husband's business
at that time.

But in any case,

Morgan tried to ask my husband
for an extension of time.

LORRAINE:
He phoned, wanting to see
my husband the next Saturday.

But Martin always played golf
on Saturdays.

I seem to recall
that Mr. Kendall

was k*lled at a golf course.

MASON:
In the woods
off one of the fairways.

Yes.

Morgan parked his car
beyond the woods

and then waited among the trees

until Martin came along.

They quarreled over the money,

so the prosecutor claimed,

and Morgan struck my husband
with a golf club.

Wasn't there almost a witness?

My brother, Roger.

LORRAINE:
Roger thought that Martin
had lost his ball in the woods,

so he went in
to help him find it.

The m*rder*r had tripped
as he ran toward his car,

and that delayed him
long enough

so that Roger
could see him.

Morgan was arrested
two days later, Monday,

in a beach cabin near San Diego.

Yes, I remember.

The case hinged on when,

and of course where,
Morgan broke his ankle.

If it happened Friday

it would have been
physically impossible

for him to have gone
to the golf course on Saturday.

Well, Morgan always insisted

th-that a sailor stopped at
the cabin that Saturday morning.

But, uh, he was never found

and nobody ever believed
he existed.

Now he does exist
and Morgan's story is true.

And someone else must have
k*lled your husband.

Yes, I--

I guess that's right.

I'll have
an investigator

try to locate Riley Morgan
as quickly as possible.

No doubt
he's behind all this.

In the meantime,
what was that telephone number?

Stokes' number?

Um.

Adams - .

What are you
going to do?

Make a date to pay him.

It's all right.
I'll be there too.

STOKES:
Hello?

Uh, hello,
Mr. Stokes?

Say, I was wondering
when you were gonna call.

Mr. Stokes,
I'd like to talk to you.

Well, this ain't a very good
time to arrange things.

Oh, I'm anxious
to get it over with too.

Well, suppose we say
: tonight, then.

Same place.

Okay?

Yeah. Yeah, I'll be there.

Sorry,
a little romantic problem.

Really?

You're certain it
had nothing to do

with what we've
been discussing?

Well,
of course not.

If you pay me $ , ,

why should I talk
to anybody else?

Yes, I suppose so.
But see here.

It's clearly understood that
both you and Riley Morgan

are to leave town.
Leave the country.

You're to go to faraway places
and just never come back.

Right?

Mr. McClaine,
you're a real Samaritan.

Poor old Morgan,

he'll be thanking you
for the rest of his days!

Who was that?

Hey, Riley!

When did you come in?

A minute ago.

You told somebody
I'd be thanking him.

Why?

Oh.

The-- The desk clerk.

Yeah, he-- He made a fix
in the bill.

We-- We don't owe
him so much.

Look, I don't want
any charity.

Not from anybody,
understand?

Sure, Riley, sure!

Hey, you--
You get enough to eat?

Maybe we'll pick up
a steak tonight.

I'll bet you didn't get any of
those two-inch steaks in prison,

huh, boy?

Well, I know
just the place--

I don't even want charity
from you, Stokes!

You, uh,

you did me a favor,
I'm grateful.

If I'd collected any money
from the state,

you'd have got half.

But I didn't.

So now it's all over
between us.

You understand?

All over.

( suspenseful theme playing )

Goodbye, Mom.
Bye, dear.

( tires screeching )

Mom almost
hit you!

Where's your mother
going, Jimmie?

I don't know.

I bet you if you
got sideswiped,

you would have had to put
a whole new piece on--

What did she say?
Nothing!

Oh, except I shouldn't
eat so many doughnuts.

I mean about where
she was going.

But I just told you.

Is your
Uncle Roger here?

I don't know.

But I know
he's not in the house.

I had to answer
the phone.

Well, who was it?

Mm. Some man called
and asked to talk to Mom.

And after he talked to her,
she went out.

It's : .
A child your age

should be in bed
at this hour.

( starts engine )

You heard me, young man.
March!

( mysterious theme playing )

Well,
it's : .

Where's the historic
meeting to take place?

Let's walk
over there.

Shouldn't someone
call a doctor?

What for? He's dead.

MAN :
You know,
about ten minutes ago,

I heard something that sounded
like the backfire of a car.

MAN : Could've been a shot.
MAN : It could've been.

MAN :
Why doesn't anybody
call the police?

MAN :
I don't know, think
we'd better go and call them.

( dramatic theme playing )

Perry,

that guy fits our description
of Burt Stokes,

and he sure looks dead.

We'd better leave before
the police get here.

Agreed.
What're you going to do?

Call on my client.
She's going to need a lawyer.

Yeah. Very clever of her
to retain one in advance.

LORRAINE:
Well, hurry up, Jimmie!

Please hurry!

Where are we going,
anyway?

Remember Martha,
darling?

You know, you used to
love her cooking so much,

back in the other house.

You mean the house
in Santa Barbara?

Yes.

Well, she wants you
to stay with her for a few days.

Mother, I've got homework to do.

You don't know
how the commandant acts

if a kid just leaves school.

Jimmie, will you please
get in the car?

Mother, what's the matter?
What's happened?

Nothing. I just want you
to stay with Martha for a while.

( engine starts )

(knocking on door)

Yes?

I'd like to see
Mrs. Kendall, please.

( snaps fingers )

You're Perry Mason,
the lawyer.

I'm Roger McClaine.

My, uh, sister's out someplace,
but, come in, come in.

If it's anything important.

A man named Burt Stokes was shot
to death a little while ago.

Good heavens.

Well, I'm-- I'm certain

my sister doesn't even
know such a person.

But isn't it
an odd coincidence?

How do you mean?

Well,

Lorraine was unaccounted for

when her husband was k*lled too.

McCLAINE:
Not that I'm telling you
anything, of course.

It's just that my sister doesn't
go around murdering people.

Is it possible that
she's visiting relatives?

She mentioned a Warren Donner
and his wife.

Oh, no, no,
she can't abide the creatures.

Warren's a necessary evil,
that's all.

Every family needs one person
that's good at trade,

to manage things.

That's the only reason
Lorraine keeps him on.

Keeps him on?

I thought yours
was a family business.

Much to Warren's despair,
no.

Martin Kendall
owned it.

His will mentioned
only two people.

Two?

Lorraine and little Jimmie,
of course.

Would you care to wait
in the study, Mr. Mason?

( chimes )

( ominous theme playing )

(door opens)

( dramatic theme playing )

MASON:
Mrs. Kendall.

Mr. Mason.
What are you doing here?

More to the point,
where have you been?

I-I was out of the city.

Mrs. Kendall, you're in very
serious trouble.

You don't have
much time.

Did you got to the park last
night to meet Burt Stokes?

Well, I went early.

But I didn't see him,
honestly I didn't.

What happened?

Well,

it was dark there and--
And I was frightened.

And then suddenly a man jumped
at me and h-he grabbed my purse.

Would you recognize this man
if you saw him again?

Oh, no.
It all happened too fast.

We struggled, and--
And then he--

He slipped on some wet ground
and I-I got away.

M-- Mr. Mason, I--

I know now
I should've called you, but--

I-I just didn't.

McCLAINE:
Lorraine!

Where in the name
of Tophet have--

( knocking on door )

Mrs. Kendall,
did you k*ll Burt Stokes?

No.

(knocking )

Lieutenant Tragg.
Oh, come in, sir.

What's this, lieutenant,
you on a stakeout?

No, Perry.
I just heard you were here.

I figured your client
would soon be home.

Mrs. Kendall is your client,
I suppose?

Well, you certainly didn't give
us much time for a conference.

Well, there'll be plenty of time
after she's booked for m*rder.

( gasps )

Which m*rder?

Take your choice.

It's Stokes' death
we're charging you with.

I'm afraid we'll be
ready for you

on both murders,
counselor.

Uh,
Mrs. Kendall,

If you please.

( dramatic theme playing )

Report on
Lorraine McClaine Kendall.

Nothing until
the age of .

Nothing?
Well, not yet.

Anyway, that's when she went
to work for Martin Kendall

of Kendall Industries.
He was, uh, at the time.

Six months later,
she became Mrs. Martin Kendall.

Two years later she became
Kendall's wealthy widow.

And she's been
living in seclusion since.

Lots of seclusion.

Secretary
married to her boss.

No wonder there was a little
friction in the family.

Uh, Paul.

Paul, what about
Roger McClaine?

Is he really
her brother?

Yeah.
With the kind of background

an octopus
couldn't put his finger on!

Writer, sailor, musician,
gigolo, necktie salesman,

and undoubtedly
a few, uh,

confidence games
thrown in there someplace.

Kind of guy that'd cover
completely for his sister.

Particularly if she's got
a million dollars.

But.

One thing I think
you ought to know is this.

If this character
Riley Morgan

hadn't been so handy
to take the rap six years ago,

there might have been
a classic m*rder case

against
Lorraine herself.

You know,

I wonder if Stokes
was m*rder*d

because he, uh,
knew about all this.

Well,
whatever Stokes knows,

it's certainly possible
he discussed it with Morgan.

Paul, I--
Uh--

Never mind,
I'll get back to work.

We'll find that guy
or bust!

( festive music playing )

I didn't even know
he was dead.

You, uh, get out of the habit
of reading newspapers.

Mr. Morgan,

you've been living in the same
hotel with Mr. Stokes.

Yeah.

Until yesterday.

Until I got fed up with him.

Yeah, that's maybe not a very
nice thing to say

about a guy who spoke up
and got me out of a cell, but--

Well, he-- He had ambitions
all the time.

I, um, did hear he tried
to have your case publicized.

Perhaps in the hope of getting
some money from the state.

Mr. Mason, I don't know
what all he did.

But yesterday I heard he was
maybe turning to blackmail.

Well, that's all
I needed to hear.

I, uh, cleared out fast.

You must've been
a little short of money.

DRAKE:
I mean, you cleared out
without even asking for a cut?

Six years teaches a man things.

The last part of the world
I want to be in

is where there's trouble.

Mr. Morgan,

could Stokes have
threatened blackmail,

hinting that you knew something

still unrevealed
about the Kendall m*rder?

Look, I don't know any more
than has already been told.

But if I did,
I wouldn't tell it.

Not now, or tomorrow,
or any time there is.

Mrs. Donner?

Mr. Telford?
Yes.

Sit down, won't you?
Thank you.

You, uh, have some evidence
in this park m*rder?

Well, I-- I don't know
if it's evidence or not.

It's this letter I got,
uh, just yesterday.

From that man Stokes.

My husband thought I should
turn it over to someone

here in the
District Attorney's office.

TELFORD:
Looks like a piece of news copy.

Well, yes it is.

Uh, you'll find
a note attached.

"Mrs. Donner, you might like
to go over this story

"for discrepancies
and comments.

Signed, Burt Stokes."

Why should he
send this to you?

It's the story about
the m*rder of my brother,

Martin Kendall.

Well, I'll read it with
a great deal of interest.

TELFORD:
Well, thank you very much
for bringing this in.

You've done a great
service, Mrs. Donner.

Oh. It was really
my husband's idea.

Here you are,
Mr. Telford.

Thank you, Mr. Mason.

Mr. Leeman.

Will you state
your occupation, please?

I'm an attorney.

I practice
in Berkeley, California.

And were you acquainted with
the deceased, Burt Stokes?

Yes, sir. He came to me
about two months ago

with certain facts
bearing on the Morgan trial.

In brief,

Stokes was able to
verify the alibi

claimed by
Riley Morgan.

TELFORD:
And what action did you take,
Mr. Leeman?

LEEMAN:
Well, I investigated,
of course.

We found
a corroborating witness,

the captain
of Stokes' ship.

So the, uh, prosecuting attorney

who handled the case
withheld objection.

I petitioned for a full
pardon for Riley Morgan.

And the pardon
was granted.

TELFORD:
Thank you, that's all.

Now tell us, Mr. Morgan,

was it your idea or Stokes'

that you come together
to Los Angeles?

We didn't come together,
he followed me.

Did he discuss the subject
of money with you?

Only like I just told you,

when he said the state
might pay me something.

When did you first realize

that Mr. Stokes might be working
behind your back?

TELFORD:
That is, using the circumstances

of your release
to extort money?

Well, on the afternoon
of the same day he was k*lled.

I, uh, I came back to the hotel
and there he was,

taking this bundle of money
from a man

he tried to pretend was
the hotel clerk.

Would you recognize that man
if you saw him again?

Sure.

That's him,
sitting right over there.

Mr. Roger McClaine.

MORGAN:
He testified against me
in my trial six years ago.

TELFORD:
Mr. Morgan,

did Stokes obtain some special
knowledge from you,

perhaps some
unrevealed evidence concerning

who the real m*rder*r of Martin
Kendall might have been?

No, sir.

There's nothing I know that
I didn't already say in court.

MORGAN:
Nothing at all.

How much,
Mr. McClaine?

Well, it was actually
quite a bit of money.

How much?

Ten thousand dollars.

And why did you pay
this sum to Stokes?

Because he asked me
for it.

Sort of a contribution
to help Mr. Morgan.

You see, I'd always felt
sorry for the chap.

Mr. McClaine, isn't it true
that on that same day,

your sister, Lorraine Kendall,
gave you a check for $ , ,

which you took to the bank
and cashed--

Oh, well,
about that check, now--

As an unfriendly witness, you
will please answer yes or no.

Isn't it true that
what you were actually doing

was making a blackmail payment
on behalf of your sister,

Lorraine Kendall?

Well, it's true
Stokes was a blackmailer.

But I was only trying
to protect my sister.

TELFORD:
That's all, Mr. McClaine.
Thank you.

STOKES ( on tape ):
So I guess maybe

half that much.
Maybe .

That ought to be all
anybody'd ever need.

LORRAINE ( on tape ):
Five thousand.

Well, I'll let you know.

I'll phone you,
is that all right?

STOKES:
I knew you was really okay.

Just a little scared, maybe.

But don't you worry,

there's nothing
to be scared of.

( tape clicks )

And that concluded
the interview, Mr. Worth?

Yes, sir.

That's all
for this witness.

Mr. Worth,

you testified that you first met
Stokes a few weeks ago,

when you were obtaining
an interview for a newspaper.

Which newspaper was that?

That was a slip of the tongue,

I guess I'm really a freelance.

My name is pretty well-known.

I know your reputation,

but for whom do you work?

Well, I'm under salary
to a trade publication,

but all the newspapers
still buy my material.

Which trade publication?

The, um,

Kendall Industries Weekly.

Kendall Industries?

MASON:
Now, who would be in charge
of your department, Mr. Worth?

Oh, a number of men in the
public relations department.

I ask who.

What particular person
would be in charge?

JUDGE:
Answer the question, sir.

Mr. Warren Donner.

But I have never once discussed
this case with Mr. Worth.

Why would I?

Of course.

Now to return to the night
of Stokes' m*rder,

at exactly what time
did you see

Lorraine Kendall
leave her house?

DONNER:
Well, it was
a little after : ,

when she came out of that
driveway like a wild torpedo.

I spun my wheels,

pulled to a stop.

Didn't she stop her car
to see if you were all right?

No. She stepped on the gas
and kept right on going.

DONNER:
Then her son Jimmie said
that some man had phoned,

but he didn't know who,
or where his mother went,

or anything else.

JUDGE:
One moment.

That would seem to be both
opinion and hearsay.

Mr. Mason,
if you care to object?

This line is not important
to our case, your honor.

TELFORD:
I'll withdraw my last question,

and stipulate that
the answer may be stricken.

It was perfectly plain

when I got that letter
with the article inside,

that Mr. Stokes
wanted some blackmail.

Well, his note implied that,
don't you think?

But you had no intention
of paying him?

Of course not!

I don't have
a guilty conscience.

I guess he figured
if Lorraine would pay him,

lots of other people might.

Mrs. Donner, do you have
any personal knowledge

which might
corroborate the fact

that Lorraine Kendall
did pay Stokes?

Or at least, uh,
intended to pay him?

Well...

I was at her house
that night too.

Uh, the night of the m*rder.

Well, I left about : ,

a half hour
before my husband arrived.

Lorraine seemed terribly upset.

She kept going in and out
of the kitchen

for coffee and things like that.

Please just tell the things
you saw and heard, Mrs. Donner.

Once when she went
out of the room,

I-- I looked in her purse.

Well, only because
it had fallen on the floor.

It was open!

It was just full of money.

Five thousand dollars.

All new bills.

Thank you, Mrs. Donner.

Your witness.

Mrs. Donner,

when your brother died--

When Martin Kendall
was m*rder*d six years ago--

Did you expect to receive
any part of his estate?

Well, of course.
Wouldn't any sister?

After all, he was
only married to Lorraine

for a couple of years.

Did you receive any part
of his estate?

No.

When they read his will, I--

Well, I was terribly shocked.

The idea of leaving
all that money

to an upstart secretary
and an adopted child

that wasn't even his own!

I have no further questions
of this witness.

Yes, this m*rder w*apon
belonged to Stokes.

He had
a proper permit.

You have heard a doctor
express the opinion

that there was a struggle
over this g*n,

and that sh*ts were fired
during that struggle.

TELFORD:
Did your investigation reveal
anything specific

as to who
might have been struggling?

Yes.

We obtained several
clear footprints.

Are these the plaster
impressions--

The moulages-- You made
of those footprints?

Yes.
Yes they are.

TELFORD:
Were you able to make any
identification from them?

Well, um,
this one here

matches the, uh, shoes
worn by the deceased.

And these?

Well, those were made
by a woman's shoes.

TRAGG:
We compared them with the shoes
worn by Mrs. Lorraine Kendall

on the night of the m*rder.

The imprints matched perfectly,

even to a broken place
on the heel capping.

Your Honor,
I ask that these be labeled

People's Exhibits E and F.

Counselor?

Defense has no objection,
Your Honor.

And now, Lieutenant Tragg,
I will show you some money.

Brand new bills,
in the total amount of $ .

Have you seen
this before?

Yes, these have
my markings on them.

Yes, I have.

Where?

In a pocket of the corpse

when I arrived
at the scene of the crime.

TELFORD:
I ask that this money

be labeled Exhibit G,
Your Honor.

We've, um, no objection.

And that concludes my
interrogation of this witness.

Your Honor.

In view of certain
unexpected developments,

and since it is now : ,

I would like to ask
the court's indulgence.

Very well, counselor.

We'll postpone
your cross-examination.

Court's adjourned until
: Monday morning.

( dramatic theme playing )

Just a second, son.

I'm in a hurry,
mister.

Uh. You're Buddy Staples,
aren't you?

Jimmie Kendall's
best friend?

No, sir. My name
is Ferdinand Glotzhammer IV.

Wait a second, son.

Buddy, I'm sorry. I just
wanted to tell you that--

Jimmie Kendall's book?

What of it?

I got a postcard,

he wants me to send him
his homework, that's all.

Send it? Where?

It's none of your business.

BUDDY:
Look, mister,

Jimmie doesn't even know his
mother's being tried for m*rder.

Buddy,

please believe me.

I'm a friend.

My name's Paul Drake.
I'm a private investigator.

Private investigator?

DRAKE:
I'm working for Perry Mason.

His mother's lawyer?

That's right.

Here, see for yourself.

I'll show you
the postcard, sir.

DRAKE:
Thanks, Buddy.

( dramatic theme playing )

Now, you said
he was here.

Yes, he was here.

But now he's gone,
don't you understand?

The police know
all about it,

there's no trouble.

Where did
Jimmie go?

Well, I have a sister
who lives in Canada.

I sent him on
a plane this morning.

She'll meet him. They're going
on an automobile trip.

I just don't know

how you can reach him.

Now, look, we know that
Jimmie sent a postcard--

I guess the boy just had things
mixed up, that's all.

We are sorry
to have troubled you.

Goodbye.
Goodbye.

( jazzy theme playing )

(car engine starts)

( dramatic theme playing )

But--

B-But I won't let you
talk to him. You can't!

But I have
talked to him.

You had no right
to do that.

I don't want you
for my lawyer!

Jimmie's got
nothing to do with this.

I kept him away from the first
trial, when he was a baby,

and I want him kept away now!

He's my child.
You have no right to interfere!

Mrs. Kendall,
I have to interfere.

Now,
Jimmie is perfectly safe.

He's at my apartment.
Miss Street is with him.

He still doesn't know
what's going on here.

But he has been guessing,

and his guesses can be

a great deal more
upsetting than the truth.

You can't take him into that
courtroom. I won't let you!

At about : on the night
Stokes was m*rder*d,

Jimmie answered
the telephone.

A man asked for you.

Now,
who was that man?

Mrs. Kendall, your background
hasn't been easy to trace.

When you married
Martin Kendall,

apparently you already
had a little boy

by a former marriage.

And we found no record
of that marriage.

( sighs )

It was in Tijuana.

I was only .

I didn't know any better.

Was there a divorce
at that time?

An annulment.

That was in Tijuana too.

What was the man's name?

I've never told anybody.

Not one soul.

Only Martin.

He knew.

Martin loved me so.

He adopted little Jimmie
as his own.

Mrs. Kendall,
who was Jimmie's real father?

LORRAINE:
Riley Morgan.

Oh, Mr. Mason,
now do you understand?

Even Riley
kept that secret,

for little
Jimmie's sake,

all during that
first long trial.

It's the only decent thing
he ever did in his life.

( dramatic theme playing )

Shoes, shoes.

Well, of course we can
produce the shoes.

Well,
why haven't you?

Your Honor, this is supposed
to be a cross-examination,

not a heckling.

Oh, I'm confident

the witness can defend himself,
Mr. Prosecutor.

JUDGE:
But I do think you might

clarify your purpose here,
counselor.

Well, we are concerned
about the accuracy

of the police investigation,
Your Honor.

If I may continue...
You may, counselor.

Lieutenant, you stated,
did you not,

that the prints found
at the scene of the crime

were definitely those
of two people struggling?

Yes, sir.

A man and a woman.

How can you be so sure
they were struggling?

Well,
for instance, here.

A woman wouldn't
put pressure down

on the side of
the instep like that

unless she were shoving
against something violently.

What about the footprints
of the man?

TRAGG:
Well, this one--

Well, you can see,
Your Honor.

Where the man's heel
ground sideways.

And here, he staggers
almost over onto his ankle.

The prints seem
unusually clear, Mr. Mason.

TRAGG:
The area was watered
shortly before that.

And the soil
contains adobe,

ideal for, um, impressions.

What about your
identification of the shoes

that made these prints?

Well, Mr. Stokes' shoes,

provided by the coroner,

fitted these imprints perfectly.

TRAGG:
And you will notice that

he wore
a composition-soled shoe.

Quite distinctive.

Quite.

I see.

MASON:
Well then, lieutenant,

considering the importance
of this testimony,

why haven't you brought all
these shoes into court?

Your Honor,
this is a preliminary hearing.

It is only necessary to show

that a crime has been committed.

And there is reasonable grounds
to believe that

the defendant is connected with
the commission of the crime.

If it is made necessary to bring
the shoes into evidence now,

then the shoes will be
impounded by the court.

And this might preclude
additional investigative work

contemplated by the police.

Your Honor,
may I have a moment?

Yes, you may.

Excuse me, Mr. Telford.

Mr. Mason, do you,
or do you not,

want those shoes
brought into court?

I most certainly do
want the shoes

brought into court,
Your Honor.

And in view
of new evidence,

I would also like to ask
the court's indulgence

in cross-examining
a witness

not cross-examined
by defense last Friday.

Mr. Morgan,

when you were tried for
the m*rder of Martin Kendall,

what motive did the state
attribute to you?

They, uh,
they claimed we quarreled

because I hadn't paid back some
money I'd borrowed from him.

Have you ever been married,
Mr. Morgan?

That's, uh--

That's not what you'd call
a relevant question, is it?

Very well, then, I'll ask you
another question, Mr. Morgan.

What was your reaction to, um,

Stokes trying
to blackmail everyone?

I told you before,
I wanted no part of it.

It made you angry.

Yes,
it made me angry.

I'd had enough of police
investigations.

Yet, on the very night
of Stokes' death,

you tried your own hand
at blackmail, did you not?

Blackmail by telephone?

It has been stated
in this court

that at : on that night, a
little boy answered a telephone.

MASON:
The boy didn't recognize
the voice of the caller,

a man who wanted to talk
to the boy's mother.

But when the defendant
testifies, as she will testify--

All right!
I made that call.

I wanted to ask Lorraine what
she was doing about Stokes.

And among other things,

she told you she was to meet
Stokes in Plummer Park at : .

Maybe, I don't really remember.

Then you went to the park
to confront Stokes.

To intercept him.

You confronted him
in great rage.

When he pulled a g*n
you decided

to put an end to him
once and for all, did you not?

Mr. Mason, I was
framed once before.

I'm not gonna
be framed again.

MASON:
You struggled with him and then
k*lled him, isn't that right?

No, that is not right.

And then
Lorraine arrived.

That seemed to you
a great stroke of providence.

You could implicate her
so easily.

Not a word of truth.

What are you trying
to do to me?

You tried to block her way,
to frighten her in the darkness.

You struggled with her.

You grabbed her purse.

When she fled in panic,

you took took the $
from that purse,

and you put it into Stokes'
pocket, did you not?

Why don't you ask me
about the shoes?

I intend to.

You're not wearing your prison
shoes, are you, Mr. Morgan?

The shoes
that were issued you

when you were released
from prison.

To implicate Lorraine,
to make it seem

that she had struggled with
Stokes instead of with you,

you exchanged shoes with the man
that you'd just k*lled,

isn't that right,
Mr. Morgan?

Aren't these the shoes that
you took from your own feet

and hurriedly placed
on the feet of a corpse?

[SHOES THUDDING]

( ominous theme playing )

You figured it all out,
didn't you?

Well, you must have figured
that I k*lled Stokes

for the same rea--

For the same reason
I k*lled Martin Kendall.

He got in the way of my plans.

Blackmailing
my sweet little wife.

I got away with the first one.

Maybe I should have quit
when I was ahead, huh?

Thank you.

Stokes was butting in,
that's why he was k*lled.

He made up a story,

then bribed the captain
of a ship to back him up.

Well, he got Morgan
out of prison all right,

but then he got greedy.
We all know the rest.

I'd so hoped Jimmie wouldn't
have to know all these things.

Morgan did try
to keep the secret

as best he could,
Mrs. Kendall.

Yes, but for only one reason.

DRAKE:
He was thinking of himself,
not Jimmie.

(door opens )

Hi, Jimmie.

Jimmie,
you shouldn't be here.

Well, golly, I always knew
I was adopted, didn't I?

And anyway,
what I wanna know now

is how you found out about
those shoes, Mr. Mason?

Well, Jimmie,

when we came across Mr. Stokes,
something bothered me.

Both of his shoelaces had been
broken and retied.

Retied so hurriedly that

one of them was even tied
with a granny.

And that seemed a foolish
mistake for a sailor to make.

Hey! Instead
of a square knot?

That's enough,
Jimmie.

You know, Mrs. Kendall,

we might be protecting our
children too much these days.

Mom, it's a whole lot better
for me to know the truth

than to always be
guessing about things.

A square knot.

Hey, why didn't you
get that, Mr. Drake?

Aren't you
a detective?

LORRAINE:
Jimmie.

Well,
aren't you?

( noirish jazz theme playing )