05x08 - The Case of the Traveling Treasure

[bunniefuu]

(theme music playing)

(buzzer sounding)

(buzzer stops)

(wheels creaking)

Well, they're gone.

They're phony, all of them.

Over half a million dollars
in gold.

How was it done?

How?

Well, it certainly
wasn't done by one man.

To get this many ingots out of
here required an organization,

and a brilliant one.

Brilliant?

They can't get ten cents for
that gold in the United States.

It's against the law to sell it.

They can get
a half million for it

anywhere else, if they can
get it out of the country.

You better call
the Border Patrol,

the Coast Guard.

I've already done that,

along with the
Treasury Department and the FBI.

Good.

Jonesy, do you think
these ingots were stolen

a few at a time or all at once?

I don't know.

I'm afraid they could've been
taken out of here

for the last six or eight weeks.

Well, some of it or all of it

was taken out
earlier this morning.

But that's all
we can be sure of.

How it happened, I don't know.

* *

* *

* *

"Oh, a capital ship
for an ocean trip

is a Walloping Window-blind."

You, uh, are you prone
to mal de mer, Perry?

Only on a windjammer,
rounding a horn.

Well, that's
cute-- no boat.

Maybe we're
a little early.

Hello there.

Any idea where
the Viajero is?

Captain Cahill took
her out to ice her up

and get some bait.

If you're Mr. Mason,

he said to tell you
he'll be right back.

MASON: Thank you.
DRAKE:
Uh, is it all right

to leave this gear over there
while we get a bite to eat?

Sure. I'll keep
my eye on it.

Much obliged.

Hey, what's up, Skipper?

Why the bait?

Well, it's about time
you showed up for work.

We're going to go fishing
this weekend.

You're kidding.

You mean, Magovern
wants to go fishing?

No, not Magovern,
another charter.

Perry Mason,
the lawyer.
Yeah?

Old friend of mine.

Some guy he's bringing
along with him.

DECKHAND:
Yeah, but I thought Magovern
had the boat every weekend.

CAHILL:
Well, he canceled out.

Well, I'm sure
going to miss

just swinging around the anchor
with old Magovern

and his absentminded
professor friend.

Not to mention those nights
in old Mexico.

Yeah.

Not to mention Magovern's
pretty young wife, huh?

All right, all right, Skipper.

But how come?
What happened?

Well, that ankle
that Magovern banged up

in Ensenada a week ago,

well, apparently it's broken,
that's all.

Ah, come on, Charlie,
you've had enough.

The sharks are going to
smell you a mile away.

But I don't have to dive;
I'm not working.

* This weekend,
I don't have to dive *

* Because Magovern
broke his leg *

* Magovern
broke his leg... *

(laughter)

* Hi-ho, the cherry-o *

* Magovern
broke his leg *

* I don't have to
dive this weekend *

* Because Magovern
broke... *

(sighs softly)

(doorbell rings)

Rita?

Rita!
Haven't you got any ears?

I'm coming, Karl.

Well, see who it is,
then get me some more ice.

Suppose it's another
process server.

What difference
does one more make?

Tell him to stand in line.

Really? Don't you care?

Sometimes I let people in
and you get angry,

then other times...

Oh, for the love of Pete!

Karl, if you'd just tell me
what's happening;

what it is you're so nervous
about these days;

what you're expecting.

Will you do what you're told.

All right,

all right, all right.

I'm sorry I took so long.

But if you're looking
for my husband,

he's taking
some medicine just now.

Perhaps I could help.

I'm quite familiar
with his activities,

so if it's business
of some sort...

Who is that?!

Let him in, Rita!

Coming, darling.

Here we are.

All through?
I'll get your ice now.

And perhaps your friend
would like a drink.

We can all sit and...

Shut that door.

(phone rings)

Sneider Laboratories.

Who? Oh.

Professor, it's for you.

Oh.

Professor Sneider speaking.

Hello, Professor.

Get your hat on;
we're going to Mexico again.

What?

Tonight, Mr. Magovern?

What about your leg?

Hang my leg!

I can't sponsor scientific
research lying here in bed,

now can I?

Now, it's not that urgent.

Those kelp beds have been
growing off the coast of Mexico

for two million years.

Besides, I have some laboratory
work to catch up with.

Professor, I'll meet you
at the boat at : .

Well, if you really...

I'm not going to wait for you.

Now, get a move on.

Strange man.

Always in a hurry.

How come he's not
in a hurry to pay you

some of that money
he owes you?

Where's my hat?

Why, you have put some
of your own dough into this,

haven't you?

That guy Magovern's got you

twisted around
his little finger just like...

Where are
my car keys?

Thanks.

Sorry I can't
take you this week, Perry,

but Magovern's got a permanent
charter for weekends.

Canceled for this week,

but now, suddenly,
he's changed his mind.

Well, I'm sorry, too, Scott.

Got another boat
for you, though.

The Do-Bu-Jé.

Captain Andrews,
good fisherman.

Hey, Skipper, what's happened?

We're going to
Mexico now.

Go get the
boat cleared.

Same charter-- Mr.
and Mrs. Magovern,

Professor Sneider and
Charlie the diver.

Your charter Karl Magovern?

That's the one.

Uh, some sort of a promoter,
isn't he?

Wasn't there something
about a housing project?

Quite a bit.

Magovern Construction Company
folded,

leaving a hundred houses
half-built.

Banks are suing,
but they haven't nailed him yet.

What's he going to Mexico for?

Oh, I been taking him down there
for the past eight weeks.

He's got this scientist;
they're looking for

some way to get alginic acid.

For what?

Alginate.

Goes in hand lotions,
ice cream, toothpaste.

Comes from seaweed, right?

That's right.

What's so special about
Mexican seaweed?

I don't know.

As a matter of fact, Perry...

Well, never mind.

I'll get in touch
when I get back.

Something on your mind?

Oh, nothing that won't wait
for a day or two.

Good fishing, boys.

Karl Magovern, you're
out of your mind.

Why must you
go to Mexico?!

Fix me a drink,
will you, honey?

Don't "honey" me.

Who was that man and
what did he say to you?

Boy, if you have
to break a leg

to get all this tender
loving care, I'll skip it.

You don't have to go;
stay here.

I don't care.

Oh, no; no, you don't
get rid of me that easily.

Okay, then do something useful.

Call the ambulance.
It's after : .

Oh, you're certainly
in fine shape.

That ambulance has been waiting
out there for minutes.

Oh, yeah, I forgot
I called them.

Well, tell the guy
to get in here.

I got to get dressed.
Karl, listen to me.

I don't know what
you're up to,

but we ought to give ourselves
another chance, you and I.

I'm going to put you
in that ambulance

and send you
to a hospital,

anyplace where you
can get a real rest!

You try that, honey.

We'll see who winds up
in the hospital.

Bring that wheelchair
in here, buddy.

Where's the bottle?

Where's Sneider?

Would you like me
to buy you one, buster?

Where's Charlie,
the diver?

He hasn't shown up yet.

Would you like to go aboard,
Mr. Magovern?

Now, why do you think I came?

Where's that bottle?!

(sighs softly)

Ah.

(chuckles)

You need that
like I need you.

(laughing)

Benny, put my stuff
aboard.

Come on, let's go!

(grunts)

What's he live on,
booze and lead?

Just booze.
Don't drop it.

Karl?

Have you seen Charlie?
I can't find Charlie.

We'll go without him.

Come on, get me aboard.

No, no!
We can't do that.

I have to have a diver.

Oh, come back here.
Professor!

Well, don't just stand there,
go help him find him!

But if either one of you
isn't back in five minutes,

I'm sailing without you.

Look, Mr. Magovern,

I got to fuel
this boat up first.

How long will that take?

Oh, half hour,
minutes,

plus the time it takes to stow
the diver's gear on board.

(sighs)

(smacks lips)

(sighs)

Charlie!

Come on!

Oh, no, no, not me.

You said we weren't
gonna work this weekend,

so I took a drink,
and then it turned into two.

We'll get you
some coffee.

Bartender.
No, wait a minute,
wait a minute.

Max could go.
This is Max.

Hello, Max.
Hi.

Max likes sharks.

(laughing):
But not me! No, sir!

You a diver?

bucks a day, I dive for
abalone, but I don't...

Can you leave
right away?

Ten bucks more, maybe.

All right,
you're hired.

Come on, Charlie,
show us where your gear is.

Okay, Charlie.

Okay, okay...

There you go, baby!

Hey, you.

You ever seen this man around
the docks or anywhere else?

MAX:
No, not me.

All right, you, Max,
come on, lend a hand!

Okay, Ben, cast off!

* *

* *

(exhales)

* *

Going down, Professor.

Captain Cahill?

That's right.

What brings you
boys down here?

Well, it's Mexican waters,
but we have authority.

We're coming aboard.

Buenos dias, teniente.

Morning, Lieutenant.
What's on your mind?

I want to search your boat.

What are you
looking for?
Contraband.

Will you open all compartments,
cabin doors, hatches,

lazarettes and lockers?

Bilges, too.

Well, there's nothing
locked on this boat.

Come on in, look
for yourself.

Wait a minute, Captain.

What's in there?

Charter party.

He's got a broken ankle
and a king-sized hangover.

Well, I'll try
not to disturb him.

Lieutenant...
why don't you search

the rest of
the boat first?

Captain, can you lock this door?

Well, then do so,
and keep it locked.

Why? Is there
something wrong?

The man in there is dead.

You know, there
ought to be a law

requiring all denizens
of the deep that get away

to be of unknown length.

Also a law requiring
said denizens to bite,

when it costs this much
to charter a boat.

Call for you, Mr. Mason.

Mason.

Perry, Scott.
Scott Cahill.

Karl Magovern is dead,
aboard my boat.

When did it happen?

It happened last night sometime.

We're still in American waters.

I don't know how he d*ed.

He just d*ed, I guess.

Where are you now?

There's a Coast Guard
officer aboard.

We're headed back for port.

He said it was all right
if I called you.

See, Perry, there's been some
kind of a big gold robbery,

and... well, they seem to think
I had something to do with it.

Where's Captain Cahill?

Oh, Perry.

Good morning,
Lieutenant.

Isn't it enough with
the Treasury Department,

the FBI,
the homicide squad,

the Coast Guard, and three vice
presidents of a gold mine...

Uh, who's your client?

I came over to talk
to Scott Cahill.

You're gonna have to do
a lot of talking.

As captain of this boat,
Cahill is responsible

for everything
that happens aboard it.

What has happened?

The, uh, medical examiner
thinks that Magovern

might have taken
some tincture of digitalis.

There were traces
of it in a glass

by his bunk.

Digitalis?

Yes. The same stuff
heart patients often take.

Unfortunately, Magovern
didn't have any heart trouble.

Neither, uh, did your friend
Cahill, for that matter,

despite the fact it apparently
came from his medicine chest.

It's poison, you know,
in an overdose.

Excuse me, Lieutenant--
Treasury boys found

some of what
they're looking for.

Oh, well, come along,
Perry, it's all right.

They found them hidden in
the bottom of this bait t*nk.

Well, it's about $ ,
worth of pure gold, I'd say.

It's pretty, isn't it?

I heard on the radio that

half a million dollars
in gold is missing.

Maybe somebody's been
stealing this gold

for a matter of weeks.

Perhaps $ , worth
or more at a time.

Anyway, this boat's
been going to Mexico

every weekend
for two months,

always with the same
six people aboard.

"A" plus "B" equals "C."

You think the rest of the
gold is already in Mexico?

This man Magovern went ashore
at Ensenada every trip.

He seems to have been in charge
of just about everything.

So you think someone
k*lled him for the gold,
is that your idea?

Someone?

I think if I were you,
Perry, I'd go fishing.

But the fish aren't
biting, Lieutenant.

(gentle music playing)

Hello.

You're, uh, Professor
Sneider, aren't you?

That's right. Do they want me
back at the boat again?

Not that I know of.

This is Mr.
Paul Drake.

Professor.
My name's
Perry Mason.

Oh, yes, the attorney.

How do you do?

Do you mind telling me
how you became involved

with Magovern, Professor?

Not at all.

I'm a consulting chemist;
I'd done work for him before.

When he showed me how much money
we could make with the kelp,

uh, ah, I went in with him.

Was it his idea that
you do your experiments

in Mexican waters?

Mm-hmm. I could see
no point in it then.

But he insisted.

Looking back on it,
I realize, of course,

it was just a cover.

Just an excuse

for those
weekly trips.

You had no idea he might be
connected in some way

with this
gold smuggling business?

Oh, no.

No, not-not the slightest.

Professor...

who's this Charles Bender?

Oh, him.

Drunk half the time
and hungover the rest.

He collected
the kelp specimens

for me.

Well, if he was so unreliable,
why didn't you fire him?

I tried to,
several times.

But Magovern liked him.

Magovern really ran
everything, you know.

You know, Paul, it
might be a good idea

to have a talk
with this Bender.

Well, if he's not on one,
I'll find him.

I wish I'd never
met Magovern.

No...

I don't wish I'd
never met him.

But I'm one of those women who
always loves the wrong men.

Did you go on all
your husband's trips?

Of course.

Then you like boats?

I hate boats.

Look, Mr. Mason, my husband
was in trouble up to here.

Banks were suing him,
people were suing him,

the roof was falling in!

I went on those
trips because he was
getting desperate.

I was afraid he might get drunk
and do something foolish.

Did you think all those kelp
expeditions were legitimate?

Of course I did!

He said the stuff from
kelp was his only hope.

And like a fool,
I believed him.

But he just never
said a word about any
underworld connections.

But now the police seem to think
that your husband was

the ringleader of an entire
theft and smuggling operation.

Think?

Didn't you hear what they found
in his luggage this morning?

No.

A map of the
gold mine.

The buildings,
the vault, everything.

Even with
little arrows pointing.

Imagine, all that time,
he was planning

a half-a-million-dollar
robbery...

and he wouldn't even give me
enough to pay the gas bill.

Now, don't expect me to
know anything, Mr. Drake.

Look, I'm just a
hired hand here.

I tie the boat up,
I untie the boat,
that's all.

I only want to know where
I can find this guy Bender.

Well, I don't know,
I tell you.

I got nothing to do with
anybody on that boat.

Not with gold or
dead people, either.

I live my own life, see?

Ben...

Nothing to do with dames,
either, I suppose?

Oh. I see somebody's
been talking, huh?

Saying maybe I k*lled Magovern
so I could have his wife.

(laughs softly)
Look, Mr. Drake,

I'm just a growing boy.

I'm no k*ller.

Don't ask me where
Charlie is, friend.

I only wish I never knew
him in the first place.

What do you mean?

Well, he got me
into this mess, didn't he?

Now I haven't even
gotten paid.

Say, who do I see
about that, huh?

Well, I'll ask Cahill.

Hey, how much
air do you put

in one of those
tanks, anyway?

, pounds
per square inch.

That's a lot
of pressure.

Asking Cahill
won't do any good.

Oh? Why not?

Well, they owe me bucks.

I don't think
Captain Cahill's got cents.

Not a trace
of Charlie Bender yet,

but I thought you'd want
these other items fast.

sh**t.
Item: before
Cahill's boat left

the dock that evening,

the police were circulating
a picture of a man

they think took part
in the gold robbery--

a guard who used to work
in the mine-- Leon Ulrich.

I'd like to see
that picture.

Service with a smile.

Also, they're starting
a big search in Mexico

to see if any of the gold
passed through Ensenada.

Rounding up that gold
may take some time.

A m*rder investigation
is likely to move faster.

That's right.

Item: that glass
with traces of digitalis

that was found beside
Magovern's bed?

Well, there were
fingerprints on it.

Whose?

Magovern's and Cahill's.

Anything else?

Yep. Cahill was broke.

The bank confirmed the fact
that Magovern hadn't paid him

for any of those charter trips.

Eight trips to Mexico
without pay?

And at a thousand dollars
a trip,

that's a lot of money to owe
a charter boat skipper.

Unless of course, he was
an accomplice of Magovern's.

I tell you, Perry,

he made a sucker out of me,
that's all.

Just kept promising to pay me,
kept promising.

But you kept making those trips.

What else could I do?

We had a contract
for weekly charter.

That's what I wanted
to talk to you about, Perry.

But if you're
trying to say

that I had a reason
to k*ll him,

I guess you're right.

Finance company's
gonna take my boat.

Couldn't pay my bills--
ice, food, gas, nothing.

Now, you say you were alone
with him in the cabin,

just before you put to sea.

What happened?

Well, I told him we wouldn't
leave unless he paid up.

That's when
he gave me this story

about how he's being sued.

To keep his assets
from being tied up by the banks,

he'd taken his money
and put it in a bank in Mexico.

He was going to pay me
when we got down there.

All right, what about
those fingerprints on the glass?

Well, it's my boat, isn't it?

I must have used that glass
at least a million times.

And the digitalis?

The coroner reports
at least five grams of it

in Magovern's system.

That's enough for two murders.

Well, a former customer of mine
had heart trouble.

He left the digitalis aboard.

I thought it'd be
a good idea to hang onto it

in case of an emergency.

Everyone on the boat knew
where that medicine chest was.

They'd had occasion,
now and then,

to take a pill
or bandage from it.

They also seem to think
that Magovern was fed

the lethal dose shortly
after he came aboard.

Now, if you were
alone with him...

Now look, here, Perry,

the federal people
just can't prove

I was involved
in that gold business.

And obviously, that's why
Magovern was k*lled.

They say, themselves,
they're gonna release
me in a few minutes.

Yes, that's right--
so we can take custody.

Perry, you might like
to see this lab report.

That medicine cabinet,

again, no one's fingerprints
but yours, Cahill,

and of course,
it was locked

with the key
in your pocket.

Perry, you know that I told you
you ought to go fishing.

Tragg...

I'll just wait until I can go
with Captain Cahill.

And on each of these
eight weekends,

did Mr. Magovern actually
go ashore in Mexico?

He insisted on it.

In other words, on eight
different occasions,

Magovern had an opportunity

to take anything he wanted
ashore in Mexico,

including stolen gold.

Objection, Your Honor.

Prosecution is calling
for conclusion.

Objection sustained.

Professor, did Captain Cahill
ever object

to sailing into Ensenada so that
Magovern could go ashore?

No, he wanted him to go.
I complained.

Well, did Cahill
ever speak to you

about Magovern not paying him?

Many times.

Cahill was getting
so angry about it,

I was afraid there
might be real trouble.

Cahill's a very violent...

Objection, Your Honor.

JUDGE:
Sustained.

You say that you were
worried about real trouble?

Well, there was
real trouble, of course.

When was that?

At Ensenada, the weekend
previous to the last one.

Would you, in your own words,

please describe
what occurred on that occasion?

Well, I found Mr. Magovern

lying in an upstairs
hotel corridor.

It was after midnight.

His face was bloody,
his hands were bruised

and one ankle was badly swollen.

Later, we found out
the bone was broken.

Did Mr. Magovern tell you
what had happened to him?

He said he had a fight
with Captain Cahill.

Cahill tried to
k*ll him, and...

but then he fell
downstairs,

and Cahill ran away.

JUDGE:
Strike the witness's
last remark.

It's hearsay.

I have no more questions
of this witness, Your Honor.

Professor Sneider,
concerning this fight,

didn't Captain Cahill return
to the scene shortly thereafter?

He came back
to the hotel.

Who was with him?

Some Mexican doctor.

Then why
did you say he ran away?

Obviously,
the defendant left Magovern

only to search for a doctor.

I didn't say he ran;
Magovern did.

Professor, isn't it possible

that the only fight involved

was when the captain
tried to help Magovern

upstairs to his room, because
he'd been drinking so heavily?

Well, he had had
a few drinks that night.

About this company
you and Magovern formed

to process alginate from kelp--
did Magovern put up

his share
of the money?

He had not
at the time of his death.

But you had
put up your share?

Now, in order
to get that much money,

didn't you have to mortgage
your home, sell your car,

take your son
out of college?

You don't get something
for nothing, Mr. Mason.

And aren't you now
being sued by a doctor,

a chemical supply firm,
a pharmacy,

a market, a department store,

as regards your failure
to pay your debts?

N-Not sued exactly.

But you are now in this
desperate situation

because Magovern failed

to pay you the money
he owed you,

are you not?

Well, I... I must admit.

And you are well aware that
the estate of a deceased person

is legally bound
to pay off its creditors?

Now see here,
I'm a chemist, not a lawyer.

Thank you, Professor.
That's all.

If it please the court,

the prosecution,
as well as the defense,

is aware that the estate
of a deceased person

is responsible for its debts.

I've one or two questions
on redirect, Your Honor.

Professor, on the night he d*ed,

did you go into Magovern's cabin

at any time
while he was on board?

No, I did not.

Well, can you describe your
actions and your whereabouts

during the evening in question?

Yes.

After I helped
load the diving gear,

I went down into
the main cabin for some coffee.

Rita was there;

Mrs. Magovern.

So I suggested a
game of gin rummy.

And we sat there playing,
just the two of us,

until well
after midnight.

And the autopsy surgeon
has testified that Magovern

was most certainly dead
by that time.

Thank you, Professor.
That'll be all.

Well, Magovern was
aboard by : p.m.,

so it must have been

about : when we
tied up at the gas dock.

And you were
at the gas dock

for approximately
minutes, you say?

Yeah, that's right.

You see, one t*nk
was near empty.

Now who was on board
the Viajero at this time?

Me and the skipper and Magovern.

We left the others back,
looking for that Charlie Bender.

Later, we picked them up
with the diving gear.

Then we pulled out.

Where was
Captain Cahill on board

during the minutes
you were at the gas dock?

Well, most of the time,
he was in Magovern's cabin.

How do you know that?

Well, I saw him
go in there

as soon as the
hoses were set.

I heard him talking to Magovern,

then I saw him come out
of the cabin

just before we untied.

Could you hear what Cahill
and Magovern said to each other?

Well, no, not until
we turned the gas pumps off.

But then
you could hear it clearly?

Yeah, they were
yelling at each other.

I heard Magovern yell,
"Get off my back!"

And once, I heard Cahill say,

"You better
watch your step, Magovern.

With that cast on your leg,
you'd sink like a rock."

He said that?

Exactly where were you
at this moment?

I was on deck,
by the hoses.

That's where I was
the whole time.

The gas attendant,
he'll tell ya.

And he'll tell ya that he heard
the same thing I did, too!

Yeah...
Yes, I know he will.

Mr. Wylie, did you go
into Magovern's cabin

at any time that night

to pick up dirty dishes,
or glassware, perhaps?

Of course not.

I couldn't leave
the wheel, could I?

Leave the wheel?

Yeah, to steer the tub.

I had the wheel
from the gas dock on.

The skipper didn't relieve me
till eight bells-- midnight.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Now, you testified that
Captain Cahill hadn't paid you

for eight weeks.

If that is so,

why did you remain
aboard his boat?

I figured he was
good for it in the long run.

I don't need much to get along.

There were
no other compensations

to keep you aboard?

I don't follow.

On the trip
before the last one,

that is, the trip on which
Mr. Magovern broke his ankle,

didn't Magovern tangle
with you, too?

Now, wait a minute...

Didn't he say
that if he ever caught you

around his wife again,

he'd wring your neck?

He was a bigmouth.

And didn't he literally
kick you out of a hotel bar?

What do you want me to do,
fistfight with an old drunk?

So, because of this immense
respect for his age,

you allowed him
to kick you in the posterior,

hard enough to propel you
right out the door of that bar?

That's absolutely ridiculous.

I never paid the slightest
attention to that young man.

Very well.

Let's go back
to something else.

You heard
Professor Sneider's testimony

about a gin rummy game?

I did.

It started almost immediately
when you came on board,

and it lasted
till after midnight?

That's correct.

The sea was
rather rough.

I didn't want to go
to bed right away.

And, besides,
I wanted to be handy

in case Karl wanted anything.

Now, Mrs. Magovern,
I want you to think carefully.

Did Professor Sneider
leave you at any time?

Well, he got up
to speak to Max briefly.

That was a new
diver he'd hired.

Well, how long was he away
from you on that errand?

Oh, he stayed
right there.

Max came into the salon.

They talked for a few minutes,

then Max went back to the
forecastle to sleep, I guess.

Mrs. Magovern, was there
any other way of getting

to your husband's cabin
beside going through

that main cabin, where you were
playing gin rummy?

No.

And all this time,
all evening,

Captain Cahill
was on the bridge or on deck?

I don't really know
where the captain was.

I'm trying to establish
the whereabouts

of everybody on board
that night, Mrs. Magovern,

because we've heard
the autopsy surgeon's opinion

that the fatal dose of digitalis
must have been swallowed

by your husband,
shortly after he came on board.

Now, we have your
corroborated testimony

that neither you
nor Professor Sneider

could have gone into that cabin
to administer the poison

without the other one
knowing about it.

Also we've heard how Ben,
the deckhand, was at the wheel

and how Max, the diver,
was forward.

Neither one
of them went in there.

We would have seen it.

Exactly.

But there's no one left,
is there, Mrs. Magovern?

No one could have been
in that cabin

with your husband,
prior to his death,

except Captain Cahill

over at the gas dock.

Thank you, Mrs. Magovern.

That'll be all.
Your witness.

Since you seem to dislike
boats, Mrs. Magovern,

why did you go on all
those trips to Mexico?

I've testified to that.

I was worried about Karl.

It also happens
that I cared for him.

Weren't you afraid
that your husband was trying

to convert all his assets,

and perhaps yours,
into cash?

Afraid that on
one of those trips

he might have stayed in Mexico

where neither you nor
his creditors could reach him?

Isn't that
the real reason

you never let him
out of your sight?

That's the most ridiculous
thing I've ever heard.

On April , you reported
the theft of some furs,

for which the insurance company

paid your husband
$ , .

They were stolen
from the Palm Springs house

while we were on
one of the trips.

On May , your house
in Palm Springs b*rned down.

Your husband collected
$ , in insurance.

It was a beautiful house.

All of this, and yet
you never became suspicious

of what your husband
might have been doing?

No more questions.

The witness may stand down.

Mr. Burger,
call your next witness.

I call Mr. Max Bleeker
to the stand, please.

Thank you, George.

What is it?

BAILIFF:
Do you swear to tell the
truth, the whole truth...

Della got a call
from Paul Drake.

MAX: I do.
State your name.

Is he still
in Ensenada?
Max Bleeker.

Ensenada's apparently
crawling with police

looking for
traces of gold.

Still no sign
of anyone, though--

no Charlie,
no Leon, no one.

Uh, did Drake
get my map?

Also my instructions.

So he's going on
from Ensenada.

On his way now, in fact.

(gentle melody playing)

(gentle melody playing)

Buenas tardes, señor.

How about a beer?

Sí.

Warm beer okay?

Fine.

(gentle music playing)

Do you smoke these? Filters?

Smoke?
(chuckles)

No, señor.

The beer is not so warm.

Well, somebody else, maybe.
Americano?

Tourist, maybe.

Have you seen this guy?

You like the cha-cha-cha?

"Roll and rock"?

Mexicali Rose...
she's shining?

Cha-cha's fine.

Perry, I'm in a little
Mexican fishing village,

due east of the kelp beds

where Professor Sneider
had the divers working.

And there's
somebody else here, too.

I think it's Leon Ulrich.

Anyway, a kid tells me that this
guy's been hanging around here,

ostensibly waiting
for a friend, for some time now.

Do you think
it could be Charlie Bender?

Well,
there's one way to find out.

You want me to tackle him?

No. Stay away from him

until you see
a light in the belfry.

Till I see what?

I'll let you know
when I'm coming.

You know,
"one if by land, two if by sea."

Mr. Prosecutor, you may
call your next witness.

Your Honor, may we
approach the bench?

You may.

May it please the court,

at this time, defense would like
to request a -hour recess.

A -hour...?

The State has no objection
to the request, Your Honor.

But what is the reason for this?

Your Honor,
the State has contended

that my client
committed m*rder

in an angry attempt to get
his hands on certain gold,

gold supposedly being smuggled

out of the country
by Karl Magovern.

Now, it hasn't
yet been proven

that Magovern was the
person responsible

for that smuggling.

It is my belief that,
within hours,

evidence can be produced

that will throw
considerable light

on the matter.

What evidence, Mr. Mason?

Perhaps the gold itself.

Maybe you ought to give up
the practice of the law

and go back
in the Navy, Perry.

We're two hours
past Ensenada.

Don't you think
it's about time

you told me a
little more?

I've been pretty
cooperative.

Hamilton, how would you
smuggle gold into Mexico?

What?

Not a little
bit at a time?

Not by making six

or eight trips, on any one of
which an innocent bystander

might have stumbled
onto your secret?

Perry, I'm interested
in trying a m*rder case,

not in interfering

with what the government boys
are doing down here.

All right.

Let's suppose the gold was
all gathered together.

Obviously not
the sort of thing

you just carry
ashore in a suitcase.

Now, if you put all that gold
at the bottom of the sea,

and wanted to go
back and find it,

how would you know
where to look?

Well...

I suppose I could
mark the location

of the gold
with a buoy.

But if you didn't want
anyone else to find it?

That buoy would be
a dead giveaway.

Well, I suppose if I knew the
exact latitude and longitude

and had adequate bearings
on the shore,

I wouldn't have
to mark the gold at all.

Well, say a storm came along

and shifted your gold
a mile or so,

buried it under the sand.

Why don't you go back
in the Navy?

Wait a second.

That thing they used in the w*r.

That would work.

I could mark
the location of the gold

with a magnetic
mine release thing.

You're pretty close.

But any ship with iron
in its hull

would trip your mine mechanism,

and good-bye gold.

All right, I give up.
How would you do it?

Kelp beds ahead,
Mr. Mason.

This pretty close
to the spot, Max?

You couldn't prove it by me.

Well, this is
almost the water

where Cahill's chart
showed he anchored.

They'll mark it
any minute now.

I'm sure it's right.

This was the thickest
kelp bed we could find.

All engines,
one third.

Now, wait a minute, Captain.

Will you please run your ship at
full speed over that kelp bed?

Well, I sure wouldn't
run my boat

through that kelp bed
at high speed.

Well, it could foul up
our propellers, Mr. Mason.

Well, you can stop afterwards,

reverse engines and clear
your propellers, can't you?

Don't look at me.
I'm just a passenger.

All engines ahead, full.
Steady as she goes.

feet. .

Under a kelp bed would be a
pretty safe place, wouldn't it?

You see, Hamilton, there's a
type of pressure mine or a buoy

which can only be triggered

by a ship traveling at
high speed in shallow water.

feet. .

Yes, but the whole thing

sounds pretty far-fetched,
doesn't it, Perry?

Not to a man

who once served
aboard a minesweeper.

SAILOR:
Stand by to mark. Mark.

Getting the gold down
there would be easy enough,

if a man happened
to be a diver.

Bridge eye:
Marker buoy in the wake!

All I want to know,
Mr. Mason, is how?

I kept worrying

about how the gold
had been brought on board, Max.

Then it occurred to me--

those Aqua-Lung tanks
you divers use.

Not divers.

Just me.

Charlie Bender didn't have
anything to do with any of it.

He never did.

I carried near pounds
of gold down

in each t*nk.

You took it all down
this last trip?

That's right.

But who helped you?

Who else was in on it?
Magovern?

I didn't even know Magovern.

No, mister, it was just me.

Old Leon and the boys
at the mine, but nobody else.

You see, we knew
Cahill's boat

was making these
crazy trips to Mexico,

so I-I made a deal with Charlie

to take over from him
when the time came, that's all.

That's all,
except for the m*rder.

Oh, no. Now, you can't
hang that one on me.

That's right, Hamilton.

Anyone who could carry out
such a masterful plan

certainly wouldn't spoil it
with a m*rder.

That man must have done it.

He was stealing the
gold, wasn't he?

He was a criminal.

When the Coast
Guard arrived,

the day after
your husband d*ed,

Max was still hiding tanks
containing the gold underwater.

He would scarcely
have been doing that

if he'd known
what had happened.

But there was gold in one
of Captain Cahill's bait tanks.

Nearly $ , .

Max put it there.
He admitted that.

On the way back, when he
realized he was aboard a boat

with everyone under
suspicion of m*rder,

he thought he'd better make,
um, someone else chief smuggler.

You mean Karl?

That's right.

Max also slipped
that little sketch of the mine

into your husband's luggage.

He'd already had Leon putting
pressure on your husband

the night before,
with his pretense

of being a process server.

So Karl would run,

would rush off to Mexico again.

But this time, Karl was
figuring on not coming back.

Isn't that what
you found out, Mrs. Magovern?

No, Karl would have come back.

Did you discover that Karl
had amassed over $ ,

in a bank in Ensenada,

and that your stolen furs
are really down there

in storage, under his name?

Did you finally realize

that your husband was
running out on you for good?

Yes, Mr. Mason
has convinced me

that your husband could
have drunk that poison

just before he
went on shipboard...

perhaps while he was
riding in the ambulance.

The taste wouldn't
have been detected

if it was mixed
with something else--

whiskey, for example.

Mrs. Magovern, the police
have found broken pieces

of a whiskey bottle,

a whiskey bottle that contained
whiskey and digitalis.

The whiskey bottle you broke
on the rocks next to the pier.

All right.

Yes, I k*lled him,
but I had to.

In Mexico,
he could have divorced me.

He could have
just thrown me away

after all the care
I'd given him.

I could never
have gotten anything back.

Not even...

Not even my own mink coat.

Just heard on the radio
they arrested Leon Ulrich.

Well, can't say I envy him.

Remember that song
about the Tijuana jail?

You know, there's one thing
I can't figure out, Perry.

How did that digitalis
get in that drinking glass

in Magovern's cabin?

Well, his wife put it there,
but hours after he was dead.

Actually, she didn't expect
there'd be an autopsy.

Well, there probably wouldn't
have been any investigation,

if it hadn't been for
that gold business.

Sure.

Drunk dies in his sleep,
and that's it.

It's the only
precaution she took.

But since she'd had a look
in your medicine chest, Scott,

she thought it would be a good
idea to use the digitalis.

In a pinch, the m*rder
could have been laid

to anyone on board.

You know, Perry,

I just don't know how
you spot these things.

It must be your
brains, huh?

It sure couldn't be
your eyesight.

What kind
of a cr*ck is that?

Well, uh, you, sir,

have just won a case
for me, thank goodness.

But you're just about
to lose yourself a fish.

(laughs)

(theme music plays)