Crooked Road, The (1940)

[bunniefuu]

What is it?

Looks like that they're trying
to catch us at the next station.

They'll never make it.
We only stop for a minute.

Holy catfish!
Can that girl ride!

All aboard!

Come on!

Good-bye!

Bye Louise, come back soon.

- Well, thanks a lot.
- You always catch trains that way?

It's my own fault.
I would have to bring in the car.

No, let me.

Oh, never mind, here's the porter.

Thanks again.

Yes, sir.

Your glasses.

Eh? Oh, thanks.

- Good evening.
- Good evening. One?

Mm-hmm.

Well, I had no idea the place was
gonna be so crowded this late.

Crowded?

Perhaps the lady wouldn't mind...

Oh, yes.

Perhaps the lady wouldn't mind.

Well, seeing there's not
a single other place left...

Ah, thank you.

Thanks.

Begging your pardon, I've spent
three solid hours thinking about you.

I need help.

Why? What's wrong?

I'm baffled.
I can't quite figure it out.

Is it a rancher's daughter
out to search for a mortgage?

Not quite.

Then, perhaps it's a beautiful debutante
that flees from desert desperados.

Nothing half so feverish.

Ah, I know.

A mysterious spy catches
the express in the nick of time.

Girl simply returns to her home in
Los Angeles after a glorious vacation.

Is that all?

We can't all live
in the headlines, Mr. Trent.

Eh?
Oh, that.

Well, good thing for most of us
we don't have to.

Tell me, was he really innocent
or would that be unethical?

Oh, it would be. Very.

As a matter of fact,
he was innocent.

I wouldn't have taken the case
unless I thought so.

Oh, really?
Wow, it's that criminal lawyer.

Ma'am, in the first place,
I'm not a criminal lawyer.

Oh!

There was something about Cerruti's case
that convinced me he was innocent.

It's got to be tough living by oneself
thinking of that poor devil

sitting in the death house
without a friend in the world.

I can see how you'd feel.

All right. Now I'm feeling hungry
and ready to celebrate.

How about splitting a bottle of wine
with me on Cerruti's honor.

- I'd like that.
- Fine. Steward...

Yes, sir.

- Set them up for the crowd.
- Very good, sir.

Know? That takes your breath away.
It's so beautiful.

Oh, there's a stretch 100 miles down the
line where you'll stop breathing entirely.

I'm afraid I can't wait out for it.
It's getting late.

No, no. Don't go yet.

Wait till the moon goes down.

It just went.

Oh, only for a minute.

Here you are.

It's a ring.

I wouldn't doubt it.

I wouldn't doubt that
you're engaged, either.

Well, I certainly wish you
all the happiness in the world.

Thanks.
He's meeting me in the morning.

Ah, it's careless, aloof.

Careless for meeting me?

No, for leaving his valuables
lying about in the moonlight.

They can look after themselves.

I think.

Well, from now on, I'm gonna keep
a protective eye on them for him.

Now I'm sure they'll be safe.

- Good night.
- Good night.

Well, Bob, how are you?

- John!
- Oh, I'm glad to see you.

Oh, who's this? Your secretary?

Yes, miss Colton may I present you
Mr. John Vincent, my best friend?

- How do you do?
- How do you do?

- But go, won't you kiss her?
- What?

Well, you kiss all the girls, don't you?

Hey, wait a minute, Bob.

That's not true and you know it.

But, at least, you're to kiss the girl
you're gonna marry.

Oh, now you told him!

I bet she did do it in self-defense.

Quite wrong,
I was a perfect gentleman.

How did you know?

That ring. He told me he'd keep it
till he found the right girl.

Sure I did.

I should've warned her to hide it.

You old rascal! It would serve you right
if I'd persuaded her to elope with me.

Ah, get out.
Come on, darling.

You know, Louise? I always send for Bob
when I am in a legal jam.

- Really?
- Mm-hmm.

What's it all about this time?

You get yourself settled in the hotel
while I drive Louise home.

We'll have lunch together
and talk it over.

Suits me.

Well, here we are.

- I'll meet you at the grill, Bob.
- All right.

- Good-bye.
- Good-bye for now.

Take this too.

Glad to be back, darling?

To be with you, yes,
but that ranch... I'll miss it.

It was wonderful.

Maybe we can go together next time.

But I'd never want to come home.

Well, now that you're home, I'm going
to try to make things interesting.

How about the theater tonight?
I have three tickets.

Three?

Yes. We can't leave Bob on the loose
his first night in town.

Do you mind?

Well, as long as we can have
a few minutes together.

I think that can be arranged.

I don't think Wilson saw that one.

That's for the good old Wilson.

Wilson does it right for himself,
doesn't he?

I'll see you at 7:00, dear.

- All right, dear.
- Bye-bye now.

Hop in, buddy.

Thanks for the lift.

What's the matter?
Lungs?

Yeah.

Well, this climate oughta
be good for that.

How long have you been here?

Not very long, about a month.

Oh, you oughta get out to the desert.
That's good for what ails you.

- The desert?
- Mm-hmm.

That takes money.

Not too much.

Not too much for a guy
like you, maybe.

You're a rich man.

Oh!

- You know who I am, huh?
- Sure.

How could I ever forget you, Danny?

Has it been so long that you've
forgotten the name... Danny.

You're.. you're... confusing me
with someone else.

My name is John Vincent.

It was Danny Driscoll when we were doing
time together in that English prison.

Well, that's a funny one.

Ha-ha, do you think I'm
an ex-convict, huh?

They're still hunting for you
ever since you made your jailbreak.

Get out.

It's no use, Danny.
You know me all right.

I've been trying to see you
ever since I hit town,

but they wouldn't let me near you
at the office.

I've thumbed you a half a dozen times.

I've been fighting this ever since
I left Dartmoor.

I wasn't as lucky as you.
I served my time.

All right, what do you want?

That's better, Danny.

You and me always did
get along well in the old days.

Never mind that.
What do you want?

You're a rich man, Danny.

I'll give you $1,000.

You can live a long time on that.

Listen, Danny, you were
doing time for manslaughter.

You framed me, Gobel.

I never committed that crime,
you know that.

Oh, that's not the point, Danny.

The point is they're still looking
for you at Scotland Yard.

And my silence ought to be
worth something.

All right, make it two.

It's no good, Danny.

You're a rich man and you wouldn't
miss a hundred thousand.

Oh, you're crazy!
Had I see you're rot first.

All right, then we're both rot.

Only you'll do yours at Dartmoor.

- Look here, you...
- No, take it easy, Danny.

Rough stuff isn't gonna
get you any place.

You've got all day
to raise the money.

Here's my address.

I'll be expecting you
at my house tonight.

- With the cash.
- Uh-huh.

What makes you so sure
I'll be there?

Well, for one thing:

the little lady wouldn't like it so well
if you went to jail, would she?

What little lady?

Miss Colton, the girl
you're gonna marry.

Wait.

9:00 tonight Danny, and don't forget
what I said about the little lady.

How did you get in here?

Don't get nervous.
The door was unlocked.

You expected me, didn't you?

Yeah, I knew you'd be here.

I was waiting for you.

No need to bring that g*n
into the conference.

Not if you brought that money
with you.

Here.

What's the idea?
There's only 5,000 here.

Well, it's like this.

If you're trying
to crawl out on me, Danny, you...

Take it easy.

I don't keep a hundred thousand dollars
under my pillow.

You've got to give me a day
or two to raise it.

A day or two?

After all the time it took you
to catch up with me,

a couple of days more
won't make any difference.

That's what you think.

I gotta get away from here,
do you understand?

I gotta take a trip.

Oh, so my old friend Gobel
is in a jam.

Now don't get any ideas. There's nobody
in this town cleaner than I am.

It's just a... family matter,
that's all.

Between me and my wife.

Who? The lady I saw
leaving in such a hurry?

Yeah, but everything's
gonna be all right

once I get her away from a
joint like that Pyramid.

The nightclub.

Yeah. You see, she's been dancing there.
to kind of tie this over.

And you gotta admit
that's no place for a girl.

Especially when her husband
isn't getting any younger

and not feeling too well
in the bargain.

Say, I'm just as good as I ever was.

She just got some crazy idea
about a guy, that's all.

But it isn't gonna get her
any place.

Oh, it depends on who the guy is.

He's a nobody, a mug named Nic Romero.

One of these babies that women
go crazy for.

Nic Romero.

But all that's over and done with
once I get Virgie out of this town.

- But it's gotta be quick, see.
- Yeah, I understand.

Say, you're in a pretty
bad way, aren't you?

Don't sell me, Danny.
You're not doing me any favors.

You're bringing me the rest of that money
for your own good, and you know it.

Yeah, I know it, Gobel.

And you can trust me
to take care of it.

How do you like this?

Hmm, it's little but very nice,
thank you.

The rent is 10 dollars a week.

That's fine.
I'll pay for a week right now.

Thanks.

What's the name?

Atwater. Atwater.
George B. Atwater.

I'm here from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to attend
the convention of hardware dealers.

I'll bring up a receipt.

No, no, don't bother about a receipt.
I'll take it up in the morning.

Suit yourself. Here's your key.

Oh, thanks, thanks.

If there's anything you want,
just let me know.

Yes, I will, I will.
Good night.

Good night.

Hello, Nic.

Hi, Virgie. How's the show?

Rotten. I'm the only good thing in it.

How's the drug business?

Rotten. Can't make any money
working for a drugstore.

You oughta own one.

How much would it take?

Oh, I don't know. Three or
four thousand, I guess.

Every cent I earn goes
for the rent and groceries.

I get so sick of paying for everything!

Why don't that husband
of yours get himself a job?

Him? All he ever thinks about
is easy money.

Yeah, what for instance?

He was talking about
that shakedown again tonight.

He was?

Sometimes he almost makes me
believe him. Like tonight, for instance.

- You know what he said?
- No.

Said he was shaking this fellow
down for 100 grand.

It was supposed to be
bringing it to the house.

Can you believe it?

- Say, you don't think maybe...
- No, of course not, it's all talk.

Yeah, but just supposing
it wasn't all talk.

You never know what a guy like
that old man of yours might be up to.

Why, say, baby, if we could get
our hands on that kind of money,

we could go places, you and me.

Oh, Nic, I can't stand seeing
him anymore. Let's go now.

Run out on a lot of money like that?
Not me.

But, Nic, it's all talk, he's always
saying things like that.

Yeah, but maybe this time
it's not all talk.

Look, you hurry up and get dressed.
You're going home and find out.

Okay, Nic.

And, remember, if he's got that money,
you call me, no matter how late it is.

Hello, Virgie.

You've been drinking, huh?

Sure, it gets lonesome
when you're not here.

And the fellow didn't come.

What fella?
What fella are you talking about?

You know very well what fella.

Where's the $100,000
you were bragging about?

- Oh, that.
- Yeah, that.

Wait a minute, Virgie.

How about a little kiss
before we start talking?

- It didn't really come, did it?
- No.

What have you got?

- Honey, did he come?
- Yeah.

It's $500 for that fur coat
I've been promising.

Did you get it all, Carl, the 100,000?

And here's 500 more for that
diamond ring you wanted.

$1,000! I've never had
that much money in my life!

$1,000, well, that's nothing,
nothing at all.

Well, we're rich.

Let me see it, Carl.
Let me see all of it.

Nobody sees no more of it until
I put it in the bank tomorrow.

But you can't put it in the bank.
Tomorrow is Sunday.

Hmm?

The banks don't open on Sunday.

Oh, they don't, huh?
Well, I'll put it in the bank on Monday.

Come on, Carl,
be sweet to Virgie, eh?

Oh, be sweet to Virgie!

It's a different story now
that I got money, ain't it?

Oh, that's not it at all, Carl.
Let's have a drink.

Come on, let's celebrate.

Oh, no, I'm going to bed.

Oh, but Carl!

No, and I'm gonna lock
that door too. See?

No one's gonna get near me
as long as I got all this money.

Hello.

That's you, Virgie?

Yeah, what?

You're kidding!

He's got that, I tell you.
I saw it.

Thousands of dollars.

Great!
I'll be right over.

It's no use. Not tonight.

He's locked up in his room.
With a g*n.

Ah, okay. We'll give him
a day to quiet down.

Look, be nice to him
and don't let him suspect anything.

We'll take care of him
tomorrow night.

Yeah, good night.

You got a nerve coming here, Romero.

Yeah, I know Mr. Gobel, but maybe things
aren't just the way you think they are.

Can I come in?

Yeah, come on in.

In there.

Sit down.

Now, perhaps you'll tell me
why you came.

Sure. It's about this note.

Never mind that.
I know what you're here for.

Say, what is this?

Sit down and stay there.

What's this all about?
I came here to do you a favor.

I'll do the talking, Romero.

- But, please...
- Shut up!

Not as clever as you think
you are, Romero.

You thought an old man would be
easy to handle, didn't you?

Listen, Gobel, I wasn't thinking
about the money.

Oh, so you do know about the money.

Well, I... What money?
I don't know what you're talking about.

Virgie told you about it, didn't she?

I haven't seen Virgie.

She called you on the phone last night
when she thought I was in bed.

You're both rats

and I oughta drill you right now,
and I've got plenty of reasons.

Listen, Gobel, you're all wet about me.

Now look, here's the reason
I came to see you.

Virgie is making a sucker
out of the both of us.

I thought maybe you'd like
to know that.

You wrote that yourself.

Me? You're crazy.
Why should I?

Anything's a good excuse for you
to get into my house.

Now get out.

All right, you win.

And I show you there's no hard feelings.
I'll even buy a drink before I go.

Sure, I never refuse a drink.
Not even from you.

Have something to open it with?

- Here's a corkscrew.
- Thanks.

So where is Virgie,
She isn't home, is she?

No, of course not.
She's at the Pyramid Club.

Oh, she is, huh?

Yeah, but she won't be there
after this week.

We're going on a long trip.

And when we come back up,
I hope we don't see anything of you.

Thanks.

Here's wishing you
the best of health, Gobel.

Hello, Gobel.
I wouldn't do that.

Sit down.

You didn't think I'd let you
get away with it, did you?

Why? I thought we was going
to be friends.

What is this?
What are you gonna do?

Can't you guess?

You can't, Danny, you can't!

You're wrong, Gobel.

I've been waiting for this
for a long time.

They'll catch you, Danny,
and they'll hang you.

Think of it.
This time they'll hang you!

I'll take that chance.

It's better than having you bleed me
for the rest of my life.

Oh, it's that. Just forget about
the money and I'll go away...

I... I'll never bother you again.

That's where you're wrong, Gobel.

The thought of you scheming somewhere
would bother me a great deal.

I'd always expect you to try again.

- Wait a minute, Danny...
- You're a natural crook.

You couldn't keep a promise.

I'd be a fool to trust you.

Danny, I got something important
to tell you.

Go ahead.

All right.

Danny, hear...

Can I have a drink first?

Sure.
Help yourself.

Hello.
Virgie?

Never mind that.
Where have you been?

The Anchor hotel?

Waiting for me? Well, how did I know?
I've been looking for you.

Nic, they found him, Carl I mean.

Why did you have to sh**t him for?
I didn't want you to do that.

What's that?
Did you say he was shot?

Are you sure?

All right, you fool,
don't talk on the phone.

I didn't, I tell you. He was as much
alive as I am when I left him.

He was alive when you left him, huh?

Nic, answer me!

Nic, say something!

Here's that woman now.
Slip out and have this call traced.

We wanna pick her up for questioning.

Okay.

Say, what is this?

Anyway, what do you mean
busting into a man's room?

Tell me, Romero, who was alive
when you left him?

I don't know what you're
talking about.

You don't, eh?

You ever see this before?

I didn't write that.

No? There must be
some other Nic Romero.

I tell you I didn't sh**t him.

How'd you know he was shot?

She told you?

Kind of sweet on her, ain't she?

Oh, I see her some times.

You thought you'd shake her old man down
for a piece of change.

Where'd you hide the g*n?

- I tell you I didn't sh**t him.
- You have a g*n, haven't you?

What'd you do with it?

That call was traced all right.
She's down the Anchor Hotel.

Headquarters will pick her up.

Yeah, take a look at that. Check out
the letter 'e'. Drops out of line.

Oh, what do you know!
It's the same machine.

I didn't write that.

- All machines are alike.
- Yeah, that's what you think.

Boys, look around for his g*n.

Now, what time were you
at Gobel's tonight?

Come on, Romero, we've got
plenty of witnesses

that saw you in that part
of town.

I tell you I didn't sh**t him.
He was alive when I left.

What time was that?

About eight o'clock, I guess.
Yeah, that was it.

I had to meet a guy at nine.

What's that?
You met someone at nine?

Where did you meet
this party at nine?

The corner of 29th and Hyacinth.

And, of course, you know his name.

That's a funny thing.
He never showed up.

No, they never do.

I can prove it.
I've got a letter here.

Oh, I remember,
it's on the floor somewhere.

Yeah, here it is.

Let's see those other notes.

See? Same machine.

Smart guy.
Writing your own alibis.

This is all screwy to me.
I tell you I didn't write it.

You're trying to frame me.

Come on, Romero, where's that g*n?

That's it. That'll prove, won't it?
g*ns are different, aren't they?

Sure, no two g*n barrels sh**t alike.

It's over here.
Look I'll show you.

It's gone!
Somebody stole it.

Must've been that guy at 29th
and Hyacinth.

Is this it?

Yeah, where'd it come from?

Under that cushion over there.

- How'd it get there?
- Maybe you parked it in your sleep.

38... and fired recently.
Two slugs missing.

Well, what's that got to do with it?

Gobel was shot with a 38 at 9:15,

just about the time you were meeting
your unknown pal in Hyacinth Street.

- Come on, Romero.
- This is a frame-up, I tell you.

I didn't sh**t him!

Well, well, come in, come in.

Where you two have been
on this Saturday night?

Oh, where haven't we been?

Honeymoon Express, Lover's Slide...

Birdie's House, Human Roulette Wheel.
Oh, don?t forget Necker's Paradise.

Sshh!

And did you?
Of course not, darling.

We brought all these things home,
just to show you how we spent our time.

There's one thing you can't have.

That is Love's Young Dream,
what do you think of that?

Oh, ain't it awful?

No, it's very pretty.

Tell me, darling, how's the man
from Seattle?

Was he putty in your hands?

All washed up.
I'll never have to see him again.

Good.

Did you make any money out of it?

Money? Not exactly.
But I think I saved about $100,000.

Nicholas Romero,

for the power vested in me
by this Commonwealth,

I hereby direct that you shall be taken
to the State Penitentiary

and that during the week of June the 15,

in the manner prescribed
by the laws of this state,

you shall be put to death.

And may God have mercy on your soul.

Better luck next time, Phil.

Yeah, but I hate to lose a client,
especially this way.

It's tough.

- I wanna see Phil Wesner.
- Sorry, Mrs. Gobel, he's in conference.

What with? A couple of jacks?

Hey, wait a minute,
you can't go in there, he's...

Oh, hello Virgie.

What are you doing
to get Nic out of this?

- Well, I made an appeal, didn't I?
- Did you?

Sure, but it was denied.
But that didn't stop me.

I came right back and applied
for commutation to life imprisonment.

Did you get it?

Mmm, application denied.

What are you gonna do about it?

Well, there isn't much left
in the book.

But you've got to find
some way out, Phil. For me.

Say, there may be a couple of other angles
in this case I haven't thought of before.

I can't offer you much, but...

We needn't go into that now, Virgie.

There's the $4,000 they found on Carl.
I'll give you part of it.

- You insist on talking about money.
- I'll give you half of it!

All, right, I'll do it.
For you.

That's awfully sweet of you, Phil.

Hey, wait a minute, wait a minute.

Once I get Nic out, where will I be?

Up in this office counting $2,000.

Yeah.

Hey, Hank come here a minute, will you?

We gotta think. We just moved into
the higher brackets. We got a fee.

- On what case?
- Oh, we don't have a case.

That's why we gotta think about
some way to get a retrial for Romero.

Say, only a Clarence Darrow
or a Bob Trent could do that.

- Even they...
- Trent!

You know him?

Know? I helped him win a case in one of
the toughest police courts in the country.

Yeah, you helped him.

Sure.

Kept my eye on his hat in court
while he was pleading.

We're pals.

Why don't you ask him to take
a look at the evidence?

Maybe he can help you
find an angle.

Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.

Don't bother me,
I'm trying to think.

- Say, I got a great idea!
- What is it, Phil?

I'll go over and see Bob Trent.
Get it?

Have him take a look at the evidence.
See what I mean?

Maybe he can have a new angle.
Do you understand?

Yeah, I understand.

Funny how that thought
just came to me.

And then these detectives busted
and grabbed me. That's all I know.

Well, why don't you laugh?

You like poetry?

Huh?

Take this down.
Write as fast as you can.

"I sometimes think
that never blows so red."

"The rose as where some buried
Caesar bled."

- "That every hyacinth..."
- Hey, wait a minute!

You're not gonna plead insanity,
are you?

No.
Go ahead.

"That every hyacinth the garden wears"

"dropt in her lap for some
once lovely head."

That's all.

What are you gonna do with that?

Enter it in a spelling contest.

Keep your chin up, Romero.

"Hyacinth". Whoever wrote this,
fulfilled it correctly with a "C".

Nic, you see, spells it with an "S".

Whatever, Bob, dumb guys like Romero
never spell twice the same way.

Quite so, but when they guess the word,
they rarely spell it correct.

Romero was obviously
guessing at hardship.

You see, guess wrong.

I told the jury Romero was framed
and I can still hear them laugh.

Bob, we've got to find someone
who knew both Romero and Gobel.

Say, what about Virgie?
She knew them both.

Oh, not that I intend to incriminate
Virgie. Don't get me wrong.

And why not incriminate Virgie?
if she deserves it.

You know what I think?

I think Mr. Wesner
is getting sweet on Mrs. Gobel.

No doubt about it.
Look at the gleam in his eye.

Now you don't see us going around
with the gleam, do you?

Don't see us getting romantic?

What are you talking about?
Who's getting soft on Virgie?

Besides, she was at the Anchor Hotel
when this happened.

She's got a 14-carat alibi.

Even so, Phil. It's a bad business
falling in love in a m*rder case.

You never know who the guilty party
will turn out to be.

The house has been closed
since the night it happened.

I've been living at the hotel,
but I'm moving back in a few days.

I see.

That's where they found him.

Oh, it's horrible, Bob!

You wanna quit?

No, it's too exciting.

Look, Bob, what's that chalk mark
over there around that broken glass?

Ah, that?
The police must have done it.

What for?

Well, that's where the water was spilled.
Isn't that right, Mrs. Gobel?

That's right. I left everything
just the way it was.

I've been too worried to bother.

- Virgie, I'm worried about you.
- Why?

Mmm, living all alone in the world...

Why don't you bring me the 4,000 bucks
the cops found on Carl?

- It's impounded.
- It's not, it's mine.

Yeah, but don't forget half of it
it's mine. Don't forget my fee, Virgie.

I wanna find that dough
as much as you do.

Then, why don't you do
something about it?

Well, I might try again.
and let you know later.

- Suppose I call you about 8:30.
- Okay, on the telephone.

Phil, come in.

Let me have that flashlight
of yours, will you?

Thanks.

Well, look at that!

What is it, Bob?

I'm not sure, but I think
they're bloodstains.

They must have come from Gobel.

You think so?
He had to get here.

Gobel was shot over there,
at least twelve feet away.

Now the g*n that shot him
was fired from this position.

But how do you know that?

Ah, there's the mark in the book case
where the police dug the b*llet out

that passed through Gobel's body.
You see?

This rod indicates the angle
of the b*ll*ts flight.

Points to where it was fired.

That's low, here about
a foot or two off the floor.

Now, if the m*rder*r was down
amongst all this glass,

he couldn't help but be cut.
That's where the blood came from.

Why didn't the police find these spots?

Because the carpet was wet at the time.

The water dried
and the bloodstains remained.

Romero didn't have any cuts or wounds
on him when he was arrested.

He didn't?

Then, Bob, all we've got to find is
a man who knew both Romero and Gobel.

A man who was wounded.

Now if you could just tell us his name,
we'd be all set, Lady Sherlock Holmes.

Just what Atwater said is he's attending
a hardware merchants convention.

And the Chamber of Commerce says
there was no such Convention.

The landlady found a towel in Atwater's
bathroom with bloodstains on it.

So you see, John,
if we can just find Atwater...

What then?

Well, then we might have
the m*rder*r of Carl Gobel.

Oh, why?

Just because a man named
Atwater cut himself shaving?

Bob's having tests
made of all stains.

The spots on the carpet
and on the towel.

Well, what good will that do him?

Well, if we can prove they came
from the same blood group,

we'll have even better reasons
to suspect that Atwater.

- I beg your pardon, sir.
- Yes?

Mr. Trent is wanted
on the telephone, sir.

Oh, thanks.

John, you have no idea
how fascinating it is.

You've been seeing a lot
of Bob lately, haven't you?

Well, yes I have.

You're kind of fond of him,
aren't you?

John, you're not worried
about Bob and me, are you?

Of course not.

Oh, because you mustn't be.

We're just working this out
together and... it's fun and...

Darling, I'll never worry over you
about anything, until you tell me to.

Oh, Bob! Hey, come here,
don't run away.

You know, I haven't had a chance
to kiss Louise for a long time.

She's been so busy sleuthing with you.

Oh, they won't be long before
you have her all for yourself again.

Bob, what do you mean?

- I wired Oklahoma about Atwater.
- You did?

Phil just phoned me. The hardware
Association never even heard of him.

Then, he lied about that.

I suspected it as soon as his
suitcase and clothes turned up.

They were found in the vacant lot
next to the apartment house.

- Oh, you found them.
- With the fingerprints.

- Are you sure?
- Positive!

He wiped everything clean: the handler
of the suitcase, the fastenings,

even the shoes,
but he made one mistake.

Yes? What was that?

He forgot the buttons on the coat.

Oh!

And you thought of it.

Oh, Bob, it's closing in, isn't it?

It certainly is with that set
of fingerprints.

I've made tests of the blood
from both Romero and Gobel.

Well?

And those bloodstains on the carpet came
from an entirely different blood group.

And they didn't come from Romero?

Absolutely impossible.

Does that mean Romero will go free?

No, but at least he'll get a new trial.
That's something.

Furthermore, Mr. Trent, I'm positive
that the carpet stain

and those on the towel
both came from the same man.

You are? Why?

Because I found traces of
malaria germs in both.

That's a very uncommon thing
to be found in Californians.

Atwater again.
We got to find Atwater.

Thank you.

Come on, we're gonna see the District
Attorney, the trial Judge,

the Governor himself, if we have to.

Philip Wesner says, Philip Wesner
discloses, Philip Wesner predicts...

Not a word about what Bob Trent does.

That was the bagging, you know,
Phil was to get all the publicity.

He's pushed The Wanderers
right off the front page.

- Hello dear.
- Hello, darling.

Come on you two, get into your things.

- Look, John, have you seen it?
- What?

Oh, so you pull it off, Bob.

We pulled it off.

In spite of all your ribbing. You acted
as if you really wanted us to fail.

Oh, no, don't be silly.

It must be a great relief for the man
who framed Romero.

He has a conscience?

The man who deliberately framed
another into the death penalty.

No, it may have had reasons.

Of course, to save his neck.

A man like that doesn't deserve
any sympathy.

He'll get none either when I find him.

When you find him?
We're not going on with this, Bob.

I'm not gonna quit now.
Not till I find Atwater.

Well, that prove rather difficult.

We're trying everything.

I've already sent a set
of fingerprints to England.

Well, why England?

Oh, none on record at Washington.

And since Gobel had a criminal record
at Scotland Yard,

I thought if there was any connection,
Atwater might have one too.

Uh-huh.

Don't you see, John, that Bob can
establish a relationship between the two?

And we'll have our motive, you know,
revenge or something like that.

Yeah, well that's all quite clear, but
I don't see how that leads to Atwater.

No, he'd covered his tracks pretty well.

Well, then he has nothing
to worry about.

Even from Bob Trent.

Colton and Trent, please
don't forget the firm.

Oh, come on. I'll change. You too
if you wanna go somewhere for dinner.

All right, we'll be right with you.

- Hello, Mr. Vincent.
- Oh, hello there, how are you?

Where's Bob?

He's out in front of the house.

I'd better see him.
It's very important.

Not important enough
to miss a drink, is it?

Well, if you put it like that...

Oh, by the way, this is Mr. Thompson,
from the DA's office.

- Oh, how are you, Mr. Thompson?
- How do you do?

He's working with me on the case.

How long before you'll wash
this thing up?

You know, I've been needing Bob
at the office very badly.

Well, the way things are breaking,
it's only a matter of days now.

Fine. Anything happening?

Plenty.

Well, uh... have you heard
from Scotland Yard?

Yes, we have.

Mm-hmm, anything startling?

Well, it's sort of confidential
for the moment.

Oh, I see.

Well, here's how!

Shall we go?

Louise,

I think the firm of Colton and Trent
has been so successful

that it'd better be resolved.

Why?

You know very well why.

It's because I'm in love with you.

That wouldn't matter so much, but...
I think you're in love with me, too.

You know I am, Bob.

So in the best interest of the firm,

I think we'd better not see
each other anymore.

I'm not sure I can be
that noble about it.

I don't believe in being noble either,
that's a fools attitude, but...

how can I say "John, I value and respect
your friendship so much

but I'm taking your girl
away from you".

And I can't say "darling,
I never really loved you,

but I thought this love was
admiration and affection".

I can't say that to him.

I know.

Well, I'd better step out
of the picture.

Yes, you can step out.
I have to stay here and pretend.

That's not even fair to John.

Darling...

Should we tell him now?

Yes.

Bob, it's in the bag.
Thompson's bag.

You were right, Mr. Trent. Scotland Yard
has identified the Atwater's prints.

I have the reports right here.

Atwater's real name is Danny Driscoll.

He's wanted in England for
manslaughter and jail breaking.

- Then, you were right.
- We were right.

Driscoll escaped from Dartmoor Prison
20 years ago.

- He and Gobel...
- Gobel?

Gobel and Driscoll were
in business with another man.

The partner was k*lled during
a dispute over money.

Driscoll went to prison
for manslaughter,

while Gobel turned King's evidence
and got only 5 years.

He served his term,
but Driscoll escaped.

There's your motive, Bob.

Driscoll found Gobel
and k*lled him for revenge.

We'll get Atwater now.
It's only a question of time.

You'd make a great detective, Mr. Trent.

Here are the pictures of
Driscoll's prints and Atwater's.

See those lines?
They check exactly.

Frightening, isn't it?

It's a picture of Driscoll
taken 20 years ago.

Good-looking fellow, ain't he?

Reminds me of somebody I've known.

- Ever been in jail?
- Of course, not, silly.

This is Driscoll's description.

I'll have the landlady check it
for resemblances to Atwater.

Age, 25 years,
this is 20 years ago, you know.

Height, 5 ft. 11".

Weight, 180 pounds.

Eyes, blue.

Medical history, appendectomy,
black water fever and malaria.

Must've lived in the tropics.

What makes you say that?

Well, John had a touch of it
down there.

He says most cases
come from the tropics.

Distinguishing marks, anchor tattooed
on lower right arm.

Anchor.

When did I see an anchor before?

I remember: That fellow
we met at the pool.

On his right forearm too.

What of that?
That was John Vincent.

Let me see that picture.

20 years makes a lot of difference.

You add 20 years to that face and you'd
have a dead ringer for John Vincent.

You're talking nonsense, Thompson.

I guess I am, but the malaria checks
and the tattoo marks check.

Did he use any of these glasses?

Yes, that one.

Have you a powder pot?
May I have it, please?

Let me take a moment to find out
if this is nonsense.

Here you are.
Take a look at that.

Danny Driscoll, George Atwater,
John Vincent, all the same man.

I guess this information rates
another drink with Mr. Vincent.

I'm afraid I'll have
to pass up this one.

You're right.

I'm Danny Driscoll.

I've run away from that name
for 20 years.

I knew it would catch up with me
sooner or later.

You're under arrest
for the m*rder of Carl Gobel.

Yes, I k*lled him.

I k*lled him because
he threatened to destroy

the only happiness
I've ever known.

I didn't commit that crime that I was
sent to prison for in England.

Gobel framed me.

It's too late to prove that now.

He's dead.

And if any man deserved to die,
it was Gobel.

If any man had the right to k*ll...

I can see now.
No man has ever had.

Because you premeditated your crime

and planned to involve an innocent man,

you must expect no leniency.

Therefore, it is the sentence
of this Court,

that some time during the week
of August 1st,

in the manner prescribed
by the laws of this state,

you shall be put to death.

May God have mercy on your soul.

Bob, what are we going to do?

I don't know.

Yes?

Mr. Robert Trent calling long distance
about the John Vincent reprieve.

Tell him I'm sorry,
but I cannot interfere.

No.
Says he can't interfere.

Is there anything else we can do?

We've done just about everything.

All we need now is
a first class miracle.

Do you want a miracle?
You get a phone call.

Hello.
Oh, hello Virgie.

What?

Oh, it's Mrs. Gobel
now that Nic is out.

All right, Mrs. Gobel, the Court
turned over the money

left by your late lamented husband.

I've got two thousand dollars for you
down here at the office.

What?

Oh, well, that's too bad
you're not feeling well.

Maybe the money will cheer you up.

Don't get pinched in the way now
for speeding.

All right, lady, get going.

Call an ambulance, quick!

It's Virgie, Bob, she's dead.

Suicide nothing. You don't take poison
in the middle of traffic.

Just a minute.

It's Phil. He says Virgie's dead.
Poisoned.

Uh... You sure she was coming
from her house when it happened?

Uh-huh.

All right. Well, I'm going out
to Virgie's house now. Meet me there.

Bob, why should anyone
want to poison Virgie?

I don't know, but I've got an idea.
Come on.

How does that smell like?

- Peanuts!
- Exactly.

Virgie said she wasn't feeling well
when I talked to her on the phone.

Hey look, it says on the bottle
good for headaches

and general rundown condition.

If she took one just before she left,

the tablet would take a few minutes
to dissolve.

Probably started to work just about the
time she stopped at the traffic signal.

But, Bob, Gobel was taking those tablets.
Why didn't they k*ll him?

- They did.
- But he was shot.

Gobel was already dead. He died a few
seconds before John shot him.

How can you be so sure?

There's no other way of explaining,
why he didn't fire his g*n.

He had John down on the floor,

helpless, blinded by the water,
had the g*n in his hand...

He never pulled the trigger. Why?
Because he was dead, that's why.

Then, John...

Isn't guilty of m*rder, whatever else
he may have done.

Come on, we gotta get
the Governor on the wire.

Hello, Trent. You need me?

Like a drowning man needs
a straw, Mr. District Attorney.

- Bet that you're just in time.
- For what?

John Vincent didn't k*ll Gobel.
He was poisoned.

- You're crazy.
- I don't think I am.

And if we can prove that
Gobel swallowed poison,

the Governor's got
to stay the execution.

What's the coroner say?

I'm waiting for him to say it now.

Ah, here he is.

Well?

- Well, we did find a trace.
- You did?

But not enough to poison a man.

Then, you can't state it was
the cause of Gobel's death.

No, sir.

That was months ago.

If there are still traces of it now,
sure it is enough to k*ll him then.

Well, there might have been.

I can't make a decision
on what might have been, Trent.

Sorry, I can't do what you want.

Ben, wait.

- I want you for a witness.
- Witness? Witness to what?

We're going to arrest the m*rder*r
of Carl Gobel.

Come on.

- Where's the boss?
- Back there.

Well, what are you on?

I see you've given Romero
his old job back.

Sure, why not?

Just because a man makes a mistake?
He still has to make a living.

If you men wanna talk private...

No, no, no. Nic, I want you
to hear this.

This is the District Attorney,
Mr. Benton.

We warn you that anything you say
may be held against you.

Are you crazy?
I haven't done anything.

Is this one of yours?

I guess it is. Got my label on it.

What's in these tablets?

Harmless drugs for nervous
and rundown people.

You look as if you need
a bottle yourself.

I never mind the wisecracks.

What would you say if I told you
to look for cyanic acid?

Well, I'd know you're crazy.

Those tablets are made and sealed
right here in this store.

Nobody touches them but me.

And Nic, who helps fill the bottles
sometimes.

I see.

Exactly what I thought.

Well, Romero, you don't have to write
any poetry this time.

Well, I don't know
what you're talking about.

You went to Gobel's house that night.

You're nuts!

All you had to do is to reach out
and help yourself.

Did you touch that bottle?

Sure! And I fed it to Gobel.

Put down that tube, Nic.

Look out, folks.
It's gas. Poison!

You tell them, doc. One move
and we'll all take a whiff.

This isn't gonna help you, Nic.

- Hold it, Trent.
- Come on, hand it over.

Help me!
Help me!

Watch this out, folks.
It's poison gas!

Get him to the nearest hospital, quick!

You had the confession. Get the
Governor. There is the telephone.

All right, I'm ready.

Forget it, Mr. Vincent.
The Governor signed a reprieve.

Good-bye, dear.

Take good care of her, Bob.

That won't be too hard.

We'll be seeing you
in a month, John.

Are you coming over
on your honeymoon?

Say, that's fine.

Now I do have something
to look forward to.

- Good-bye.
- Good-bye.

Good-bye.

Well, looks like you and I
are gonna see a lot of each other

before we arrive at Scotland Yard.

- Have a cigar.
- Thanks.

Shall we sit down?