07x16 - The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands

[bunniefuu]

(theme song playing)

-(bell rings)
- MALE ANNOUNCER: The flag is up

and they're off!

(crowd cheering)

At the top is Happy Seed
by two lengths.

Nantucket on the rail,
second ahead.

Fair Bloom on the outside,
followed by Singalong,

Owl's Whiskers, Freehaven
and Dutch Uncle.

And from that point out,
it's Happy Seed by two lengths.

Nantucket on the rail,
second ahead.

(crowd roaring)

Happy Seed.

Fair Bloom is second,
two lengths, Singalong...

(indistinct voice of announcer,
crowd roaring)

Dough Boy?

Dough Boy.
It's a horse, Mr. Mason.

A horse. Naturally.

He's running today
in the fourth race,

and those are the tickets
I bought on Dough Boy to win,

and all I want you to do...

Uh, now just a minute,
Miss, uh... Miss...?

Smith. Nancy Smith.

Miss Smith. Naturally.

Well, you had to buy
these tickets at the racetrack.

And since the windows aren't
open until a half hour

before each race...

All I want you to do is
to hold the tickets,

and if Dough Boy
wins that race...

But why didn't you stay
at the track to see if he'd won?

Mr. Mason, there's no need
to know everything.

If Dough Boy does win the race,

then I want you to go out
to the track tomorrow

and collect the money for me.

Oh, I'm-I'm...

I'm quite prepared
to pay you for it. Um...

Is $ enough?

Well, it seems to me,
for someone who's willing

to toss around
the kind of money you do,

and just on the nose
of one horse...

Oh, I'm not that kind of person.

I don't usually bet on horses,
Mr. Mason.

It's just that today,
I simply...

Please don't ask questions,
Mr. Mason.

Today you had a hot tip.
Is that what you mean?

No!

Then why did you bet
on Dough Boy?

Because I need the money.

Because he was wearing
pretty colors.

Because he smiled at me.

MAN (over radio):
...recreation of racing results

brought to you
by Sudsy Bath Salts.

Take a bath with Sudsy.

Perry, here's the station.
Hurry up. Fourth race is next.

MAN (on radio):
This is Jim Haney bringing you

the fourth race at five furlongs

with eight horses going
to the post. Turkish...

Would you mind telling me
what it's all about?

Well, she's about
five foot, two,

blue eyes, uh,
a few other odds and ends, um...

And she works at a trout farm.

Look, what kind of a crazy...?

MAN (over radio):
And they're off!

Breaking on top is Fisherman...

Fisherman? Hey, is that what
this is all about?

He's real ready, you know.

I got a couple of bucks bet
on him myself.

What do you know
about Dough Boy?

It's a horse.

No, Della. It's a dog.

Dead last and fading, his last
two starts, as I remember.

MAN (over radio):
Coming into the stretch,

it's still Fisherman on top...

Perry, you could probably buy
that plug for a couple of bucks,

if that's what you wanted
to know.

But what are you gonna
use him for? Hobby horse?

- Pull a lawnmower?
- Paul!

Stella, betting on long sh*ts

like that is usually
just a waste of...

MAN (over radio):
...on the rail.

It's Fisherman
and Dough Boy...

Fisherman! Come on,
Fisherman! Come on!

...with Dough Boy getting up
and winning it by half a length!

He did it, Perry!
He did it! He won!

MAN (over radio): ...over
Turkish Dream and Cling To Me.

Dough Boy, son of a Gold Digger
out of Fort Knox,

paid $ to win...

That's a hundred buck ticket!

- (radio clicks off)
- Exactly, Paul.

Five of them.

$ , !

Boy, I got to be dreaming.

Perry, how in the name of...?

Never mind the expert, Della.

You and I are going
to the racetrack tomorrow.

ANNOUNCER: ...Watchtower
in the middle of the track,

followed by Turkish Dreams.

(loud roar of crowd)

You don't have to be
so obvious, do you?

I want to be obvious, Della.

Come to pick up
your laundry, Mac?

ANNOUNCER: The horses are
coming out of the track.

Dough Boy! Wow, what a day
you must have had yesterday!

How do you want your money?

Nothing bigger
than twenties, please.

Uh, quite a horse, Dough Boy.

Yeah, he's the longest shot
that come in all week.

Me-- I couldn't pick a winner
if the horse stepped on my head.

Here you are.

Stacks of , .
You better count 'em.

MASON:
Here we are.

$ , .

Perry, those men.

And $ .

That's him.
Arrest him. He's got my money.

Just a minute, Mr. Fremont.

It's all right, officer.

You're from the police
department, I take it.

I'm an attorney.
My name is Mason.

Perry Mason?

I thought I'd seen you
before someplace

when you turned around there.

I'm Sergeant Burdett, sir.

Sergeant, that's my money.

You saw him hand those tickets
on Dough Boy through the window!

He's Banks' accomplice.

Who's your noisy friend,
Sergeant?

I'm the man
Rodney Banks stole from.

I'm Marvin Fremont,
just as if you didn't know it,

just as if you didn't help him.

Now, just a minute, Mr. Fremont.

Mr. Mason, if you're acting as
Rodney Banks's attorney, then...

Don't take things
for granted, Sergeant.

You mean you're not?

I didn't say that, either.

Oh, for the love of...
Are you gonna stand there

listening
to that crooked lawyer?

He's obviously involved.

BURDETT:
Mr. Mason, yesterday,

we picked up a young fellow

named Rodney Banks over
at the $ window.

Today, he's in jail,

accused of embezzling funds
from Mr. Fremont.

Seems the lad had been dipping
into the office till

to get dough
to spend on the horses.

Yesterday, he bet some of that
dough on a winner-- Dough Boy.

When we picked him up,
he only had one ticket.

We think he bought a lot more.

Mm, which he slipped
to an accomplice.

And here you are
with all those tickets

on Dough Boy,
so, naturally, the...

What do you think you're doing?

You just called me
a crooked lawyer.

I'll call you a shyster!

In the presence of witnesses,
Mr. Fremont,

which gives me a cause of action
against you,

so I suggest that...

Now, now... Now, you just listen
to a little law, Mason.

Banks stole from me.

I don't know how many thousands
of dollars.

We'll have to make an audit.

But if a man bets my money
on a horse,

I am entitled to the winnings.

Causa sine quo non! Ha!

Now, Sergeant, I want you
to impound that briefcase

and arrest that man.

Mr. Fremont, you're not leaving
here with this $ , . I am.

And I'm not arresting
an attorney...

Well, of all the things...!

But I'm warning you, Mason.

If those tickets you just cashed
are Rodney Banks',

you sure better see to it that
nothing happens to that dough.

Get the point?

Good day, gentlemen.

Hey, that's no fair!

That's chumming.

You allow chumming here?

Hi. Want a pole?
Only a dollar.

Oh, I'm not here for the fish,
but thanks, Nancy.

Won't Lorraine do?

Very nicely.

But, uh, what is all this?

I thought trout farms
were only for kids.

(laughs)
You'd be surprised

how many men stop by here

on their way back
from the mountains.

Yeah, I can imagine.

To catch the fish they didn't
catch on their fishing trips.

We'll also wrap your fish
for storage or shipment, or...

What a racket.

Takes less driving, and you get
to see prettier scenery, and...

And what else is on your mind?

Look, I'm a stranger in town,
but I have this friend

who used to live in Los Angeles,

and he met this girl
who worked on a trout farm.

And her name was Nancy?

Well, he thinks
it probably was.

The trouble is, I've already
been to three places.

But what I mean is,

he doesn't really know
too much about her,

and he wanted me to find out
if I can...

MAN:
Lorraine?

Lorraine, where's Nancy?

Isn't Nancy here?

Not today.

Didn't you hear
about her brother?

Of course. That's what I wanted
to talk to her about.

Uh, look, uh, come on inside,
Mr. Halstead.

Uh, Lorraine?

Look, mister, why don't you
come back here tomorrow?

I'm sure
Nancy will be here then.

Yeah, but the point is,
Nancy who?

Nancy Banks.

NANCY:
All right, so I did lie to you

about half my name.

Mr. Mason, please listen!

It's true.
Rodney Banks is my brother,

and he is in trouble, and all
I'm trying to do is help him.

So I went to the bank yesterday,

and I took out
every single penny I have,

and I went out
to the racetrack, and...

You bought those tickets
with your own money?

Of course.

I bet every cent
I owned on Dough Boy.

And your brother just happened
to bet $ on the same horse?

Well, that's true.

MASON:
Only when he went to collect,

he was arrested
for the trouble he was in.

So I suppose
you got panicky and ran away.

Because when you came
into my office,

you already knew
your horse had won, didn't you?

Yes, guess that's how it was.

Finished, Della?

Mm, yes.

NANCY:
I had to tell you some lies.

I was afraid if the police
caught me, then they'd...

they'd either take away
the tickets or the money,

so that's why I asked you
to meet me here in this motel

instead of in my apartment.

Here. Sign this.

What is it?

It's a receipt.

It says you gave me certain
pari-mutuel tickets

which I have cashed,

and now you have received
your winnings in full.

Oh.

You're not going
to leave me now?

Wasn't that all
you said you wanted?

No. You have to get Rodney
out of jail.

You just have to right now!

If-if they see me
with all this money...

His bail is set at $ , .

Here.

He's being framed somehow,
don't you understand?

And I'm the only one
who can protect him.

Nancy, tell me the truth.

How did you happen to pick
Dough Boy to win that race?

Because of the way
he looked at me.

I told you that.

Okay, Della,
write out another receipt.

There you are-- wallet,
one watch and a comb,

and I guess that's it.

Wait a minute.

Where's my ticket
from the racetrack?

They arrested me
before I could cash it,

and I saw
that big sergeant stick it

right into his pocket.

Relax, buddy.
Nobody's robbed you.

The ticket was impounded?

OFFICER:
That's right.

Notice of the court order
right here.

Case of Fremont versus Banks.

Embezzlement.

But that ticket's worth
hundred bucks!

I could cash it,
and pay him back. Don't you see?

All right, Officer. Thanks.

You mean you did steal money
from Mr. Fremont?

(Rodney laughs)

Who told you that-- my sister?

She worries too much.

Besides, she's always
reading mystery stories and...

and believing people.

I asked you a question.

Well, all that jerk Fremont
ever screamed about was maybe

the office was
a thousand bucks short or so.

One thousand?

You mean,

that's all the alleged
embezzlement amounts to?

Look, Mr. Mason, you're going
to sue that guy for me!

You're going
to take that Fremont...

Now you listen to me.

No matter how unpleasant
your boss may be...

Unpleasant?!
He ought to be strangled!

And just as soon as I get out of
here, I'm gonna find him, and...

No, you're not. You're going
straight to your sister

and thank her
for getting you out of here.

For your information,

Fremont has
a perfect legal right

to prefer charges
and claim your winnings.

Now, look, I'm not going
to let my own lawyer treat me

like I'm guilty already, see?

I'm not your lawyer.
I'm Nancy's lawyer.

And if you tell anyone else
where she is right now,

or if you get any ideas
about jumping bail...

Okay, okay, okay.
Look who's getting sore now.

So, you did your job.

Thanks. Forget it.
You're all finished.

That's all there is
to worry about.

Is it?

(phone ringing)

Hello?

Oh, yes, Nancy.

Mr. Mason,
I've got to see you right now.

Something terrible has happened.

(bell dings)

Well, this afternoon,
after you left,

I went back to my apartment.

Yes, well,
that's where I am right now.

I mean, I'm just leaving.

Could you meet me
in that motel room?

The same motel room.

It's the money,

the rest of the money
that I won.

I-I know you told me
I should be so careful

and keep it in a safe place,

but, well, there was this man
wearing a mask

waiting for me
in the parking alley.

Yes, he took every cent.

I've been robbed.

Nancy?

Nancy?

Fremont?

NANCY:
Mr. Mason, are you there?

Oh, I'm so glad
you're here already.

I-I had car trouble,

and I never thought
I'd get out of town.

It was thoughtful of you
to leave that door unlocked.

Oh,

this afternoon,
when I left, you mean.

Did I?

All right now, Nancy.

What are we going
to do, Mr. Mason?

That man robbed me.

I couldn't tell who he was.

He had this white thing
over his face.

That's the only reason
you got me here?

Well, of course.

I tried to call you earlier,

but you must have been
out to dinner or something.

It happened about,
well, two or three hours ago.

Right in the alley
behind my apartment house.

Why didn't you call the police?

I couldn't.

They might still think
that it was Mr. Fremont's money

and that, well, maybe I
was trying to buy him off

so that he wouldn't make
any more trouble for Rodney.

I think your brother makes
his own trouble very nicely.

Oh, no, Rodney wouldn't do
anything really awful.

He just wouldn't.

I have to take care of him.

Now, take it easy.

Nancy, your hands are ice-cold.

I..

I can't help it.

Maybe you could get me a drink
of water in the bathroom?

Nancy, you're going to call
the police right now

from that phone right there.

Furthermore, I'm gonna
leave you alone here

so you can tell them
whatever you like.

You can't leave me.

Good night, Nancy.

Mr. Mason!

I didn't k*ll him.

I didn't k*ll him!

(sobbing)
I didn't k*ll him.

Yeah, that's him, all right.

That's my ever-lovin'.

You don't sound very upset

over your husband's death,
Mrs. Fremont.

Why should I be?

Lieutenant, our divorce would
have been final two years ago

if Marvin could have made
an honest settlement.

My men found you so quickly,

I assumed you were
at least living together.

(scoffs) I wouldn't live
with that man's toothbrush.

Look, I only just happened
to visit his house tonight.

I only just happened to need
my last two month's allowance.

That's all.

Besides, he's so stone-cold,

this must have happened
sometime this afternoon.

Don't you think?

Tell me,

what sort of business
was your husband in?

Wholesale antiques.

Art objects.

Really junk,
if you know what I mean.

Just the sort of junk
nobody needs,

but there's always
somebody to buy it

if you charge too much for it.

-(phone rings) -Whew,
and don't think he didn't.

Excuse me.

Hello?

Oh, McClanahan, all set?

Yes, right away.

Sergeant, hand me that thing
over there, will you please?

Uh, Mrs. Fremont,

I don't think we need
to impose any longer

on your time of sorrow.

Well, Andy?

Sorry to keep you so long.

No luck on the w*apon?

We haven't found
the g*n yet, no, Perry.

Uh, what's the, uh...

Miss Banks, this story of yours

about being held up
in an alley tonight,

you didn't get a very good look
at the man, you say?

No, it was so dark,
and I was so scared.

Anyway, he had this white thing

over his head
with two holes in it.

Like this?

Yes, that's exactly what it was.

Now, wait a minute, Nancy.

Where did you get that, Andy?

Side pocket of Fremont's jacket.

Fremont? You mean it was him?

Fremont was the one who was...

I'm surprised you didn't
recognize his voice.

You had met him before,
hadn't you, Miss Banks?

Yes, I-I used to work for him.

He was an awful man.

I mean,

I quit nearly a month ago.

He kept making passes
and telephoning me.

I don't think you need
to say any more

about that just now, Nancy.

Oh.

No.

No, I don't think
it's necessary just yet.

Now, what's that other gadget?

This?

Part of a dry ice container,
Perry.

We found it under the body.

Otherwise, I guess
you would have noticed.

A what?

There were probably a number
of these originally,

and the inside of his jacket
was moist in several places.

I did notice
how cold the body was.

I assumed he'd been dead
for several hours.

That's exactly what somebody
wanted us to think.

Body temperature is a prime way
of setting the time of death.

I guess anybody who reads
mystery stories knows that.

Well, I, um,

I still don't understand.

Well, whoever k*lled him

must have placed several
of these dry ice containers

against the body
and then later disposed of them.

Of course, I know
it's a little far-fetched.

The k*ller must have been
somebody who knew this method

and also knew where to find
dry ice in a hurry.

But anyway,
it gives us enough of a lead

to call signals off for a while.

Call signals off?

At least you're free to go now,
Miss Banks.

Just don't leave town please,
that's all.

Andy, what sort of a lead...

Well, the k*ller
must have handled this, Perry.

We're pretty sure
the lab downtown

can develop fingerprints
from it.

Good night.

They'll probably
have you followed,

so I'll drive
right behind you to watch.

What?

Now, take the freeway.

Drive straight
to Della Street's apartment.

Here's the address.

Use the Wilshire turnoff.

I want someone to be able

to account for every minute
of your time from...

They'll be watching me?

Then the lieutenant
wasn't telling the truth.

Of course he wasn't.

They can't get fingerprints
off of paper, can they?

Yes, they can.

I didn't know.

Nancy, there's a great deal
you don't know yet

about life or how
to get along in it.

Now, maybe this isn't the time
for a fatherly lecture,

but if you would only
trust me enough to...

Mr. Mason, I've told
you everything, honestly.

Except for one little lie.

Yes, I-l was here
before you came,

and I did see the body first,

but I-I just thought
that if I went away

and came back
when you were here

and we saw the body together,
well, the...

they couldn't accuse me of...

Honestly.

Al right.

We'll talk about it later.

Now, get going and hurry.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

- All right, Miss Banks.
- (gasps)

Thank you
for not keeping us waiting.

Take these, will you, Joe?

Wh-What?

Uh, who?

McClanahan's the name, lady,
police.

But here,

you're not gonna
leave these behind, are you?

The m*rder w*apon?

I just cannot believe that
that girl could have k*lled him.

Anyway, when I read
about his death this morning...

Just a minute, Mr. Halstead.

This is Mr. Paul Drake.

Oh, so that's who you are.

I told him that Perry
was downtown with Nancy,

-but maybe you could take...
- Sure.

What's on your mind,
Mr. Halstead?

Fremont. Marvin Fremont.

He was a crook, I'm sure of it.
He was no more than a crook.

But I thought you worked
with him or something.

- Same place Rodney Banks worked?
- Oh, no I don't.

I was called in, that's all,

to set up a proper
bookkeeping system

when Fremont was threatened
with tax trouble.

Drake, I don't like the things
I've been finding there

the past week or two.

You mean
that embezzlement business?

You mean of Banks? No.

Oh, no.

No, that boy
only took three or $ , .

According to Fremont, that is.

I'm not sure that Fremont
didn't egg him into it.

He always asked the boy
to bank cash.

He was leaving money around
on nights and weekends.

Fremont knew what temptation
would do to a horse player.

All right,
what else did you find?

I think that antique shop
was mostly a cover-up.

I think Fremont was a fence.

You tell the police that?

No, but I'm sure going to now.

I just thought Mr. Mason
should hear about it first.

The idea of suspecting
a poor little kid like Nancy.

Wait a minute,

what makes you think
Fremont was a fence?

Well, I wasn't sure, of course.

...But they did exchange

and sell a lot of items
with jewels in them.

And for some strange reason,
all the business

that Fremont handled personally
was done in cash,

a lot more cash
than showed on the books.

How do you mean, Mr. Halstead?

He had a hiding place, a private
strongbox in his office.

Now, I just happened to spot him
in there one night.

He was taking out a wad
of bills that thick.

Now, I have my own reputation
to think of,

so I just watched
until I figured the thing out,

and I got in there myself.

Mr. Drake I am positive,
on the day before Fremont died,

that strongbox contained
over $ , in cash.

- Force this open, will you,
Sergeant? -Yes, sir.

Now, Mr. Halstead,
you said you wrote down

some serial numbers of bills
you spotted in the box here.

I wanted to see if
any of that same money

turned up
out in the outer office.

Well, I-I never thought
I'd live to see the day

that I'd be grateful
to Marvin Fremont,

but, well, since
lam his widow... (laughs)

I've been robbed!

HALSTEAD:
No, that's not possible.

That money was there
Friday night!

It's the very last time
he was in this office!

Gentlemen, you have got to
believe me, there was $ , ...

It's all right, Mr. Halstead,
it's all right. We believe you.

Now the cupboard is bare.

Mystery stories,
nothing but mysteries.

(chuckles):
Yeah.

My sister don't have
such good taste, I guess.

And you say she mentioned
this dry-ice gimmick to you?

To everybody. She was always
breaking everybody up

about new ways to k*ll people.

Covers her unconscious wish
to k*ll you, I suppose.

Look, that's not funny.

I've had cops all over my
own place upstairs this morning,

and I don't have
to stand cracks from you.

You're two years older
than Nancy, aren't you?

Yet ever since your parents died
you've made her worry about you,

work for you, cover for you,

-bail you out of jail.
- I've never been in jail before

-except for this...
- Except for delinquency,

reckless driving, vandalism--

now embezzlement, stealing.

It's a natural progression,
I guess.

You shut up!

You think you're
gonna get me so rattled,

I'll admit to something,
don't you?

-(phone ringing)
- Well, even if I did say

I borrowed a few bucks
to play the horses,

that wouldn't do Nancy any good.

Sure I want to help her,

but even if I did steal
from that jerk Fremont,

-what good would it do for me
to... -Uh, excuse me, Rod,

uh, there's a phone call
for Mr. Mason.

Oh, sure, baby.

Lorraine Lawton;
she lives across the hall.

How do you do, Miss Lawton?

Hello.

Oh, yes, Paul.

Della told me you were...

It was empty?

I understand.

Mr. Banks...

if I were you, I'd find myself
the shrewdest lawyer in town.

Oh, Rod.

No.

They're not gonna say
he k*lled him!

No, Miss Lawton...

Nancy will be taken
before the grand jury,

then go right into trial
for first-degree m*rder.

So if you meant what you said
about wanting to help her,

don't worry...

I'll see that
you get your chance.

It will not be the contention
of the State,

ladies and gentlemen,
that Marvin Fremont

was a good
or even an honest man.

On the contrary, we will prove
that his true business

was the fencing
of stolen jewelry.

We will even concede
that Marvin Fremont

committed an armed robbery
shortly before his death.

Nor should it concern you

that the defendant, Nancy Banks,

sometimes acted in defense
of her brother, Rodney--

a brother who not only embezzled

from his employer,
but who actually broke in

to Marvin Fremont's store
and stole from him.

Do you wonder
that Marvin Fremont

was upset that night?

Do you question
why he followed Nancy Banks

to that motel room

and demanded from her,
the brains of the family,

the return of the rest
of his money?

No.

No, ladies and gentlemen,
the one shocking fact here

is that Nancy Banks, alone,

without an accomplice,
without even her brother's help,

did then k*ll Marvin Fremont.

And we will prove how she tried

to create for herself
a fantastic alibi,

how she was actually
caught in the act

of trying to destroy evidence.

And we will demonstrate
that the w*apon she chose

was the decedent's own g*n--

Marvin Fremont's g*n.

Caliber . , one shot fired.

Yes, sir, this g*n was
test-fired under my supervision,

and I agree
with the ballistics expert:

it's the m*rder w*apon,
all right.

A m*rder w*apon
which your Sergeant McClanahan

clearly testified
he found in the trash barrel.

That's right, sir.

Along with the empty
dry-ice containers.

Well, uh, the dry ice
is kept in a sort of shed there.

It's got a padlock on it,
the same as the gate.

Did Nancy Banks have a key

-that would fit those locks
there at the trout farm? -Yes.

What I mean is,
it used to be my key,

only Nancy borrowed it from me
about a week before the m*rder.

Thank you, Miss Lawton,
that'll be all.

Well, she only
borrowed it from me

because she forgot her gloves
at work one night.

That's all, Miss Lawton.

Miss Lawton...

you stated a moment ago
that the defendant once told you

of discovering
in a mystery story

how a body could be chilled
rapidly with dry ice,

thereby confusing
the time of death.

Well, do you know if Nancy
ever told anyone else

-about it?
- Yes, she did! I remember.

She said the same thing
one night

at a party at her brother's,
because I heard her.

So any number of people,

if they wanted to blame
a m*rder on Nancy,

might have used
her dry-ice gimmick.

Of course. In my opinion,
anybody who wanted

to make it look like she did it
would have simply planted those.

Objection, Your Honor.

Sustained.
The jury will disregard

the witness's last remarks.

Miss Lawton...

did you know Marvin Fremont?

Um... no, not really.

- Did you ever go out with him?
- Just once, that's all.

- When, Miss Lawton?
- The day before he was k*lled.

I just wanted to ask him
to be nice to Rodney,

that's all.

You can ask Mr. Halstead.

Him I even borrowed
some money from the next day.

To help Rodney get
out of trouble, that's all.

But... when I begged
and begged Mr. Fremont,

oh, well...

anyway, he wouldn't listen.

I walked home.

(laughs)
Of course he chased girls,

all sorts of girls!

I watched him.

You watched your husband,
Mrs. Fremont?

Well, sure. The more
I could prove he ran around,

the better my chances
for a good settlement.

Well, you know how
divorce courts are.

A girl can make only one slip,

but a man, he has to make ten

before a silly jud...

Present company excepted,
Your Honor.

Mrs. Fremont, did you
ever observe the defendant,

Nancy Banks, in the company

of your husband?

Yes. Uh, about three weeks ago.

And what did
you see at that time?

Well, it-it was
in this bar after work.

Marvin must've whispered
something to her,

because she slapped him one,

a real beauty, and walked out.

(laughs)
You should've seen that place!

He had friends there;
they nearly died laughing.

Me, too.
(laughs)

Well, I thought Marvin
would bust his blood vessels.

"That little something,”
he said, "I'll fix that

"little something,
if it's the last

something something I do.”

No, I can't state any facts
that would prove Mr. Fremont

set out to get the girl's
brother in trouble, but...

he did leave money
lying around, as I've said.

Well, was there
an actual cash shortage

to support Mr. Fremont's claim
of embezzlement?

Oh, yes.
The police checked that.

In three weeks' time,
the books failed to balance

by almost $ , .

Now, Mr. Halstead,
we intend to call

a couple of other employees
who could've known

that Mr. Fremont had
a private place for hiding

his own much larger
cash reserves.

Do you know if Rodney Banks

was aware
of that private strongbox?

No, I have
no information on that.

But this list of serial numbers

you said you copied from bills
you found in that strongbox.

HALSTEAD: Well, I only copied
a half dozen or so, Mr. Burger.

I wanted to see
if the money fluctuated

from one place to the other.

Whether Mr. Fremont was juggling
his own account, in other words.

BURGER:
But these listed $ bills were

in that strongbox Friday
before Mr. Fremont's death?

- Yes, they were.
- So between that time

and the time the box
was officially opened

after Fremont's death,
couldn't Rodney Banks,

for example, have broken in

-and, uh...
- Now, look here!

I have no information
that would indicate

young Banks stole that money.

Good Heavens,
I could have taken it, the...

the employees
who spotted the thing,

anyone could have taken it.

Even Mr. Fremont?

Yes, even Mr. Fremont himself.

BURGER:
Mr. Halstead, would you mind

reading us just one
of these serial numbers?

Any one will do.

The bottom one, for example.

$ bill.

Serial number K-double-oh-

- -oh- - - -A.

Thank you, sir.

I recall Sergeant McClanahan
to the stand, please.

Sergeant,
I show you this $ bill.

I ask you to read us
the serial number on it, please.

K-oh-oh-

- -oh- - - -A.

BURGER: It's the same number.
Well, well.

- Have you ever seen that bill
before? -Yes, sir, I have.

The day after the m*rder
I searched an apartment

occupied by a Mr. Rodney Banks.

In the top bureau drawer,
there was $ .

This bill was
part of that money.

Did you ask Mr. Banks
where he'd gotten the money?

Yes, I did. He said the night
before, his sister had...

Objection, Your Honor.

Aside from the fact
that this is hearsay...

Never mind, Mr. Mason.
Objection sustained.

BURGER: Well, did you
then discuss this same money

-with the sister, Nancy Banks?
- Oh, yes.

And did she tell you that
she had given the money to...

Your Honor...

Mr. Burger, I will not tolerate

such leading and improper
questions before a jury.

I beg the court's pardon,
Your Honor.

I withdraw the question.

Perhaps I should ask
the sergeant to step down

and call Rodney Banks himself
to the stand.

You're calling Rodney Banks
for the prosecution?

BURGER: I seem to have
no other choice, Your Honor.

JUDGE: Very well.
Sergeant, you can step down.

If the court please...

I am Jarvis Nettle Gilmore.

I wish the record to show
that I am appearing here

as counsel for Rodney Banks.

JUDGE:
Very well. So ordered.

Uh, clerk.

Hold up your hand, son,
hold up your hand.

Do you solemnly swear
to tell the truth,

the whole truth
and nothing but the truth?

-I do.
- State your name.

Rodney Banks.

Take the stand, please.

BURGER:
Mr. Banks, we've already heard

that you were arrested
on charges of embezzlement.

Now, do you remember the evening
that you were released on bail?

-I do.
- And do you remember

on that same evening receiving
some money from your sister?

Objection.

This is plainly
a hostile witness, Mr. Mason.

Now, I'm gonna permit him
to answer that question.

Well, Mr. Banks,

do you remember your sister
giving you money that evening?

Come on, Mr. Banks,
I show you this $ bill.

Serial number K- - - - -

- - - -A,

and I ask you

if it... and the balance

of the $ found in your bureau
the next day by the police

was all or part of the money

given you that night
by your sister?

Well, Mr. Banks, was it?

I refuse to answer on the ground
the answer might incriminate me.

Well, you saw the police

take the $ out
of your bureau, didn't you?

- Yes. -You saw them
go through that money

-and pick out this one bill.
- Yes.

Where did you get that money?

Where did you get this bill?

On the advice of counsel,
I refuse to answer.

Under the circumstances,
this witness cannot be compelled

to answer that question.

I believe he can, Your Honor,

under a relatively
new procedure.

I have here a written statement

in which I request the court
to order Mr. Banks

to answer the question.

I also give you a written
statement in which I,

as District Attorney,
grant this witness immunity

from any crime in which he may
have technically participated,

in connection
with accepting this money.

There you are, Mr. Mason.

And a copy for you, Mr. Gilmore.

GILMORE:
Your Honor, my client

was accused of embezzlement
prior to the date when...

If counsel will just read
a little further...

There, you see?

I have granted immunity
for "any crime

disclosed by witnesses
answering the question.”

Very well, then.

The properly elected
District Attorney

has granted you immunity

for any crime
within Los Angeles County

which you may disclose
in connection with this money.

I, therefore, instruct you

that you must now
answer the question.

I might suggest
that the court reporter

repeat its exact wording,
Your Honor.

Of course.
By all means.

Clerk.

Question: "All right, where did
you get that money?

Where did you get this bill?"

Well, Mr. Banks?

I have to say?

You have to.

The court has so directed.

I got that $ bill
from the body of Marvin Fremont

after I m*rder*d him.

- What?
- (indistinct murmuring)

- BURGER: Your Honor...
- MASON: Your Honor,

I'm not certain I heard
the witness correctly.

I ask that his

last answer be read to us
by the reporter.

I object to it being read,
Your Honor.

It's obvious the witness lying.
He's just taking advantage

-of immunity to...
- MASON: Do I understand

that the District Attorney
doesn't want the jury

to hear a witness's
proper answer

-to a proper question?
- It wasn't a proper answer.

The witness is lying.

MASON:
May it please the court,

Mr. Burger's remarks
are prejudicial misconduct.

In front of a jury,

he's making statements
about a witness which...

I agree, Mr. Mason.

There are grounds
here for a mistrial.

BURGER:
A mistrial?!

Do you wish to make
such a motion?

I'd like a recess
to think about it, Your Honor.

Nancy, Nancy, it's going
to be all right.

Nancy...

Nancy, I'm sorry I couldn't
have given you some warning

that that might happen.

(sobs)

I thought that he did it.

That's why I tried to get rid
of those dry ice things.

When I found the body
and saw him there,

I knew I'd told him about it...

and it would have been an alibi
because he was in jail earlier.

I know, Nancy.

Now you got rid of the cartons?

Only, what about the g*n, Nancy?

Tell me the truth now.

I never saw that g*n before.

I don't know how
it got in that same barrel.

Mr. Mason, if only I'd been
willing to trust you,

then Rodney wouldn't be
in all this horrible...

Now, Nancy, stop.

Your brother was lying,
I know he was.

He did it for you, Nancy.

Did he?

Did he, Mr. Mason?

Perry.

You put him up to that,
didn't you?

Of all the tricky,
conniving stunts...

Now take it easy, Hamilton.

I had no idea
what he was gonna say.

Oh, no.

Oh, I know you wouldn't
do anything unethical,

but I'll bet you nudged him
in the right direction.

I'm gonna nail that boy
for perjury

if it's the last thing I do.

Be kind of difficult, won't it?

- Why? -Because in order
to prove perjury,

you'll first have to prove
that he didn't commit m*rder.

Perry, listen.

I lost my temper,
I made a fool of myself.

Now...

let's get your blasted mistrial
and get out of here.

Well...

If you'd let me cross examine
young Banks first,

without any interference...

and perhaps if you'd
ask the police

to help Paul Drake
do a hurry-up job.

I don't think I understand.

I am simply asking you...

how much money you have
in your pockets?

Oh, maybe $ .

In what denomination?

Oh, uh, uh,

two tens...

no, no, there's
a bunch of ones.

I guess I got two fives...

In other words,
you don't really know?

How about serial numbers?

Can you tell me the serial
number of any bill

in your pocket?

BANKS: What are you kidding?
No, of course not.

Well, when the police asked you

about a particular $ bill
they found in your apartment...

Look, Mr. Mason, I didn't know
one bill from another.

Then or now.

But your sister did give you
some money the night before?

Yeah, I already admitted that.

What were the circumstances?

Well, uh,

when I got out on bail
that night I met Nancy

downtown for just a few minutes.

She said she thought
I might need money,

so she shoved this roll
of bills into my hand.

I stuck it in my pocket,
and that night

when I went to bed,
I put it in my bureau drawer,

like I always do.

You mean...

it wasn't until the next day
when the police got there

that you even knew there was
exactly $ in that roll?

No, I never bothered
to count it.

You seem rather careless
with money, Mr. Banks.

Now what about embezzlement?

Mr. Mason,

I would like
to remind the witness

that the District Attorney
has quite properly

withdrawn any further immunity.

Now if you incriminate yourself
again, young man,

you can be prosecuted
for anything you may say.

I know.
I understand.

MASON:
Well, how about it, Rodney?

Did you take office money
to bet at the race track?

Yes, I did.

I dipped into the till
for a little over $ , .

Well, I was trying to get it all
back when Fremont discovered it,

only he said
I took over $ , .

That's when your sister
became so panicky

she put all of her savings
on the nose of one horse?

BANKS:
Yeah, and he won.

But by then it was...

Mr. Banks...

did you ever take any money
from the hidden strong box

in Mr. Fremont's private office?

BANKS: Oh, no. I never even knew
there was such a thing.

Yet somehow a bill from that
strong box...

Look here, after putting your
money in the bureau that night,

did you leave
your room at any time?

Sure.

Do you lock your room?

Not often, no...

I mean the place
is sort of like a clubhouse...

people coming in
and going out all the time.

So someone could have added
that to the roll

without your even knowing it?

Yeah, sure, I suppose so.

I mean, I know
Lorraine was up...

I went in there to borrow
a handkerchief.

I tell you, I was crying.

Yet you didn't notice
the roll of money,

there in the bureau drawer?

LORRAINE:
I was crying, I said.

Poor Nancy being arrested
and everything.

Now, Miss Lawton,
you testified earlier

that Nancy Banks
told any number of people

about the dry ice gimmick.

That's right, at a party.

Can you recall who attended
that party?

Well, uh...

it was up in Rod's room.

There were
a lot of people there.

Hey, wait a minute.

He was there.

Sure, from Rod's office,
Larsen Halstead.

Mr. Halstead was there.

Now see here, I didn't go
planting $ bills,

if that's what you mean.

If I were planning a m*rder
as complicated as this one,

I'd certainly do
a better job of it...

Mr. Halstead,

hasn't it occurred to you

that this m*rder
wasn't planned?

That most probably,
Fremont suddenly discovered

he'd been robbed
of over $ , ,

and so went after
the two persons

on whom he'd been blaming
his troubles?

But somehow, there in Nancy's
motel room he suddenly realized

she and her brother weren't
responsible at all.

Well, couldn't it have been
the real thief

who fought with him
there and shot him?

And the dry ice thing
was just a...

an act of desperation
by the k*ller?

MASON: To point toward Nancy
and Rodney, of course.

And if the m*rder*r had still
been there when Nancy arrived,

couldn't he have followed her
and planted the g*n

in that barrel?

And then later on planted
the $ bill on her brother?

Exactly, Mr. Halstead.

So now will you tell us
who else knew of...

Excuse me, Your Honor,
may I have a moment?

Mr. Halstead...

the police will inform you

that with a proper warrant,

they are now conducting
a thorough search

of your living quarters.

They're what?

I remembered you wrote down
the serial numbers

of several other bills
from that strong box.

Let's see, exhibit .

What are you getting at?
What are you trying to do?

I wonder if you'd look
at the numbers there for me,

to compare, please?

What is that bill in your hand?

This? Another ,
Mr. Halstead.

My investigator
just handed it to me,

after returning
from the apartment

of Miss Lorraine Lawton.

Oh, no, no.
I didn't do it, I didn't.

No, I didn't k*ll him!

Of course you didn't.

But you did say you
borrowed some money

from Mr. Halstead.

That was before the m*rder,
of course,

but after the strong box
had been robbed, obviously.

Well, I doubt that you'd be
foolish enough

to keep any of those numbered
bills around your own place,

or in your own wallet,
Mr. Halstead,

but this particular ...

Now would you read me
those numbers there?

Well, who else even knew
about them but you?

Who else could have convinced
Fremont that Rodney Banks

was four times the thief
he really was?

Who else could have
stolen $ ,

and planned to blame
that too on Banks?

- Who else?
- Stop it, stop it, stop it!

I was with Fremont
all that evening.

When he held up Nancy,

when he went back
to the motel to...

for the rest of his money.

And he got wilder and wilder.

And then I said something,

I don't even know what it was.

Suddenly he turned on me,
suddenly he realized that I...

Yes...

Yes, I did it.

DELLA:
Then the $ bill

really didn't come from
Lorraine's apartment?

Of course not, Della.
I borrowed that from Andy.

Sure did the trick,
though, didn't it?

Oh, what about Rodney,
Mr. Mason?

What's going to happen
to my brother

after all those things
he admitted in court?

He's still in trouble, Nancy,

but I'll do the best I can.

Besides, you promised
you'd stop

doing his worrying for him,
remember?

I think Rodney's
begun to grow up.

And that winds it up.

Well, I guess it's
about time to...

MASON:
Hold it, Paul.

I've got a question.

There's only one thing

you've never
really explained, Nancy.

How on earth you picked
that horse, Dough Boy, to win.

Oh, well, he did have
the highest odds,

but it's true, Mr. Mason,

when I looked at those horses,

and when he looked at me
right in the eyes...

Come on, Nancy.
Cut it out.

Paul.

Don't cast those pearls
before a swine.

Come on, we got to hurry up.
We'll miss the first race.

(theme song playing)