08x23 - The Case of the Murderous Mermaid

[bunniefuu]

(theme song playing)

♪♪

(indistinct chatter)

Don't worry, son,
I'll get you out of here.

Hold on, now.

There.

- You all right?
- Oh.

{(woman exhales)

No!

No, I'm not.
(groans)

(sighs)

MAN:
Reggie? Reggie, you okay?

Okay, you keep away from me!

Reggie, honey, listen, please.

Is it my fault that dumb
shmegegge of a pilot

let you off into the wind?

Dumb pilot, my foot!

It's you-- you and your crazy,
mixed-up stunts.

Nothing, not a red cent
for this whole schmear!

Because you had to hire
some cut-rate flyboy

who doesn't know
his ups from his downs.

You know what
they're gonna pay me

for missing the field
in front of the stands?

A zero.
A big, fat zero!

Reggie, Reggie, listen to me.

And the publicity-- just
look at all the photographers

taking my picture.

Oh, you're some agent,
all right!

- Oh!
- Reggie, Reggie, please!

This is it, the end, period.
This is my last caper.

So why don't you just
go ahead and find yourself

some other little crazy,
mixed-up girl!

Because me, me,
I am turning square.

Re... Reggie, please.

Reggie, listen to me, listen
to me, listen to Bennie boy.

Reggie... Reggie, honey,
it's your whole career.

Reg?

Okay, okay, okay, okay,
so we've hit some clinkers

-the last few times.
- mean it, Ben,

I have had it- no more!

It is about time
that I faced the fact

that all these crazy stunts
are not the way

-to break into pictures.
- How else you gonna break...

My career is a bust,
a great, big zero.

Will you please
shut up and listen?

tell you,
this time I've hooked

-a real live one.
- said stop it, Ben. I mean it!

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

This is the address; they expect
us at : tomorrow morning.

They spotted you riding

that Brahma bull
in the rodeo last week.

And wear something pretty, huh?

Uh, I-I forgot
to mention the money.

It's $ , ...

if you qualify.

But, you know,
if you're not interested...

(quietly):
$ , ?!

Are you sure this is
the right address?

I mean, uh, they teach
swimming here, right?

And I already know how to swim,

so what could they
possibly want me for?

Shh, someone's coming.
Now, remember,

- I'll do all the talking.
-(door opens)

Oh, Mr. Lucas, right on time.

And this must be Miss Lansfield.

How delightful to meet you.

I'm Douglas Hamilton,
Victoria Dawn's husband.

How do you do?
I've been a fan of your wife's

-for many years. -Wonderful.
That'll please her so much.

If you'll step right this way

we'll get down
to business matters.

Well, now, that's, uh,
wonderful, Mr. Hamilton. I...

If you don't mind, Mr. Lucas,

we'd prefer to interview
your client alone.

Eh, but, uh...

Believe me, it's
to Miss Lansfield's advantage.

If she qualifies, it could be
the opportunity of a lifetime.

But she must be on her own,

starting right now.

Miss Lansfield, I want you
to meet Lillian Keeley,

Victoria's sister,

also a partner
in our little enterprise.

- How do you do?
- Turn around, please.

What?

I asked you to make
a simple turn.

Could you do that, please?

Now without your shoes.

(Reggie sighs)

Fine. How tall are you,
Miss Lansfield?

Uh, five seven.

That's without heels.

And your weight?

pounds,
the last time I looked.

Oh, Miss Lansfield,
would you mind walking

to the other side of the room?

(big sigh)

Look, I'm not a robot--

would somebody please tell me
what this is all about?

All in due time, Miss Lansfield.

Oh, you do swim, don't you?

(laughs):
Oh, like a fish.

And dive?

Yeah, sure, a little.

You'd better test her
from the rocks.

Call the airport.

Tell them to have a plane
ready for me in minutes.

And a car waiting for us
on the island.

Where?

Look, would somebody please
tell me what's going on?

You're auditioning,
Miss Lansfield,

at Catalina Island.

And for now, that's all
you need to know. Shall we?

(laughs):
Mr. Hamilton, I am freezing.

If you take any pictures,
I'll be nothing but goose bumps.

I assure you, Miss Lansfield,

didn't fly you here
to take cheesecake.

Well, then why are we here?

So we can judge your form...
when you dive

from the next formation
of rocks above us.

Oh... you are out of your mind!

Dive, yes,
but not from that ledge.

It's perfectly safe.

And I'm willing to pay you extra
for this part of the audition.

Shall we say...

$ ... for each dive you make?

How many dives do you want?

As many as it takes
to convince me

you either qualify for
our little venture or you don't.

We don't have much time,
Miss Lansfield.

Yes or no?

Keep it dry.

I'll be back.

♪♪

Well, anytime you're ready, C.B.

♪♪

Well, am I doing okay?

That's $ you owe me.

You want me to try
a half gainer next time?

No, no, that's enough.

Then, uh, I'm doing all right?

You have one more test to pass.

And the judge doesn't
like to be kept waiting.

(birds chirping)

Relax, darling.

Just glide along.

Let the water be your friend.

Let it love you!

She keeps her
left arm too stiff.

Kicks like a dead fish.

In other words, you approve.

Charlie, get to work
on her kick.

She has absolutely
no strength in her ankles.

You can count on me, Miss Dawn.

Does she know the setup yet?

I wanted your approval
before I gave her the details.

I approve.

Put her on an
intensive training schedule,

and, uh, remember, Doug,

there are only ten days left
until the... new moon.

Lillian, darling,

you are looking well.

Something must be
agreeing with you.

You want to tell
your big sister about it?

I don't know what you mean.

You poor innocent, you.

I'll drive you back,
Vicky, if you like.

Dr. Devlin can drive
straight enough.

Coming, Georgie?

Whatever you say, Miss Dawn.

Been lovely meeting you, Miss...

Lansfield. Reggie Lansfield.

I like your style, honey.

You're going to make
a fine stand-in.

(Reggie exhales)

- Here.
- Thank you.

Excuse me, but, uh, did she say
I was going to be her stand-in?

Yes.

And when is that
supposed to happen?

In ten days, when my sister,
on an impulse, swims the channel

between Catalina Island
and the mainland.

What?!

- George?
- Yes, Victoria?

Do you think my mousy sister

is trying to steal
my husband away from me?

Charlie, I'm depending on you.

Get her in shape.

Nothing to worry about;
I'll take care of it.

(starts engine)

I, uh, came as soon as
I got your message. What's up?

This is.

- What's this?
- It's your commission, Ben.

They don't want you hanging
around waiting for it.

But you haven't
even done the job yet.

Now, Ben, please, just take it.

Take the money
and don't ask any questions.

Now, they made me promise

that I wouldn't tell you
anything more.

Now, it's late and I have to go,
because they're waiting for me.

Reggie, Reggie, wait a minute.

You're my client;
I've got a contract with you.

Nobody is squeezing me
out of any deals.

I can only tell you
that it has something to do

with Victoria Dawn personally.

Well, look, it's a gimmick

to get her back
in the national spotlight again

and to make her chain
of swimming schools

the largest in the country.

Now, I don't even know
any more details than that.

Now, Ben...
inside the envelope

is, uh, double your commission.

So, uh, just no hanging around
and no questions, huh?

I just lost my curiosity.

Miss Lansfield.

I- don't believe
that I know you.

didn't think
you'd remember me.

I'm Paul Drake.
I pulled you out of that tree

when your parachute got caught.

I found this--
it has your name on it,

and I thought it might be
a good-luck charm.

It is, it is.
I've had it for many years.

It looked like a kind
of expensive piece of good luck,

and I didn't want
to take any chances with it.

I looked up your address,
checked with your landlady,

and she said
you'd probably be here.

- Mr. Drake, I can't tell you...
- Reggie, don't forget

your appointment--
you don't want to be late.

Why don't you just run along;
don't keep your friends waiting.

I'll buy Mr. Drake a drink

and say your thank-yous for you.

Thank you, Mr. Drake.

I'll call you, Ben.

Uh, sit down... Mr. Drake.

Sit down.

Um, haven't I seen you around?

Are you, uh, connected
with the studios?

No.

Oh. Oh, the bank!

That's where I saw you.

Mr. Lucas,
I'm a private investigator.

Oh, oh.

Hey, uh, wait a minute,

can I ask you a question
about a job?

About maybe your doing a job
for a friend of mine.

Go ahead and ask.

Well, supposing this,
uh, agent friend of mine

got himself a client, you see,
and he got the client a job,

a good job, only instead
of collecting his commission

after the job, the client
pays my agent friend off

before the job,
pays him twice his commission,

then asks my agent friend
to flee the scene.

You get the picture?

I'd say your agent friend

was being dealt out
of a high-stakes game.

Yeah, that's it.
That's exactly it.

Uh, look, Mr. Drake,
if you got in on this,

there could be important dough,
lots of dough.

Of course, there's nothing now,

so you'd sort of
have to spec it.

What do you say?

Mr. Lucas, I don't speculate.

A hundred dollars a day
and expenses.

If your, uh,
"friend" is interested,

have him get in touch with me.

DOUG:
Now, would you please relax?

It's the only way;
we have no alternative.

LILLIAN:
Doug, I'm frightened.

Are you sure this is the only
way to get rid of Victoria?

Once and for all.
The end.

Oh, Doug, you make everything
so clear, so easy.

(crickets chirping)

(gasps)

(panting):
Oh. I'm, uh...

looking for
Victoria Dawn's cabin.

I'm allowed visitors, too.

Oh, uh, please, please,
I must find her.

Well, turn left
at the next empty gin bottle,

and you'll find her.

Or do you want me
to show you there personally?

Thank you.

Miss Dawn, I...

I don't think you ought
to go through with the plan.

Not make the swim?

Why not?

W-Well, I just
don't think you should.

You don't think I should?

Or you don't think I could?

Well, now, I didn't say that.

As a matter of fact, you didn't.

But then, there's
so much you didn't say.

So very much.

I don't have any idea
what you mean.

(chuckling)
Charming.

Utterly charming.

Do you mean you would
throw away the chance

to earn $ , ...

just to save my life?

- Then you...
- Know? Of course I know!

(chuckles)
Let me guess what happened.

My sister, my husband--

so clumsy, so obvious.

You caught them embracing.

No?

Kissing?

Aw, come on, admit it now.

- Well, I... -And then
you heard them talking.

Lillian...

dear, sweet Lillian.

She probably said
something about...

"Now we'll be rid
of Victoria for good."”

Well, how did you...

And you thought they were going
to do away with me? (laughs)

Well, I really don't see
anything so funny about it.

Of course you don't.

You don't know
what they're talking about.

Divorce.

What?

My husband's
going to divorce me.

And that's how they plan
to get rid of me.

Then they'll get
what they both deserve:

each other.

Well, you don't seem
very upset about it.

Upset? I'm delighted.

Just toss the whole thing
right out of your mind.

Oh, boy!

But you...

you know, I am grateful to you.

You-- know how much
that money means to you,

and to think that
you would risk it

just to warn me.

Reggie...

do you believe in lucky charms?

Oh, yes. Yes, I do.

In fact, the one I usually wear
has a broken clip.

Well, here.

Wear mine.

I've worn it for all my swims.

And since you're
to be my substitute

for at least half the distance,

it's only right
you should have it.

You see?
It has my initials on it.

Now...

(chuckles softly)
I think we're ready...

for a little public fight
between husband and wife...

on the isle of Catalina.

♪♪

{(mellow music playing)

Come along, Victoria.

No need to make
a spectacle of yourself.

You can tell me your feelings on
the flight back to Long Beach.

I wouldn't go anywhere with you.

But, darling, I have
an appointment in the morning.

Go away. I wouldn't fly
in a plane with you.

What are you gonna do,
swim back?

Why not?
I'm Victoria Dawn.

Maybe you think I can't do it.

Or maybe you think

I'm... too old.

Now, Victoria, no one
said anything like that.

Yeah, all of you,
you think I'm a has-been,

that I'm all washed up, huh?

Ha-ha!
Well, I'll show you.

DOUG:
Take it easy, Victoria.

It's been years
since you swam the channel.

You're not the girl you...

You're not in condition.

Would you like to place a little
wager on that, husband, dear?

Charlie, get her back
to the motel, sober her up,

and get her
on the boat tomorrow.

I've got to fly back tonight.
Dr. Devlin. Lillian.

Charlie, can you get me a boat?

- Now?
- Right now.

I suppose I can,
but don't you think you're...

Oh, shut up.
Just find one!

Get a boat and follow me.

♪♪

(panting):
Hey, everybody!

That crazy movie actress,
she's gonna do it!

She's getting ready
to swim the channel now!

For the love of Pete!

The crazy dame's
really gonna do it!

- Who's got a boat?
- Come on, I do.

But I bet she
doesn't go through with it.

bucks says she does.

♪♪

How you doing?

(panting):
Fine, Charlie, fine.

We'd better not stop here;
they'll probably see us.

First things first.

We'll get the show on the road
just as soon as you have

some of this hot broth
inside to fortify you.

- But, Charlie...
- Miss Dawn's orders.

A cup every half hour.

(panting)

(rumbling engine approaching)

- Here they come.
- Get going, kid.

I'll see that
the rooting section

doesn't get too close to you.

Okay, let's go.

Perry, if you can take
your arm out of the sling,

will you do me a favor
and turn on the radio?

The ten o'clock news-- there's
something I'd like you to hear.

Certainly, Paul.

I was wondering what to do
to pass the time.

NEWSMAN:
...the amazing Victoria Dawn--

as of minutes ago,
she was still in the water,

still determined
to swim the Catalina Channel

as she did once before
ten years ago.

Former actress and Olympic star
Victoria Dawn

tonight is somewhere
between Catalina Island

and the California mainland,
trying to duplicate

the feat which first brought her
into national prominence.

(clicks off radio)

Paul, Victoria Dawn-- that
what you wanted me to hear?

Can I drop in a minute
and talk to you

about the girl who started me
digging into this?

A girl named Reggie Lansfield.

I think she may be in trouble.

(engine rumbling nearby)

You look pooped, kid.

(breathlessly):
I'm just... I'm just tired.

And I'm freezing.

Well, it won't be much longer.

All we have to do
is shake one more boat.

Meantime, you better
have some of this.

That ought to warm your insides.

Get going, kid.

Sorry, sorry, I have
no statements to make.

Well, Mr. Hamilton,
didn't you try to stop her?

Stop her? I had no idea
she'd really try it.

How could you let her do it?

What about
the latest weather report?

Please, no more questions!
Please!

(panting):
Charlie?

Charlie, I'm getting cold!

Come on, Charlie!

Let's not play games--
where are you, Charlie?

-(engine idling)
- Reggie?

Reggie, can you hear me?

Yes. I'm over here!

I hear you, Reggie!

Just keep yelling;
I'll find you!

I'm over here!

Charlie?

(gasping for breath):
I'm so tired.

Hey, you get up here.

You're sick.

I can't...

Here. Grab this, Reggie.

I'm so cold.

Oh!

Come on, swim to me.

Oh! Oh...

(loud expl*si*n)

Charlie!

Oh... Charlie...

Oh...

-(rumbling engine approaching)
- Charlie... oh... oh...

Help! Somebody help!

Charlie... Help!

(engine rumbling loudly)

(crying, panting):
The boat...

the boat blew up.

Easy, easy, Reggie.
You're gonna be all right.

I was right behind you all
the time, baby, all the time.

(Reggie panting)

REGGIE:
Charlie?

He'll be all right.

Hey, let's get out of here.

♪♪

Open up, Miss Dawn.

I've got to talk to you.

You've got a lot
of explaining to do.

I know you're in here.

And I'm not gonna leave
until I get my money.

Y-You see...

you see, your...
your little scheme didn't wor...

(gasps)

Oh!

(quietly):
Oh, no!

What a coincidence.
still lost?

- No. No, it's... -Why don't
we talk about it in my room.

I promise you won't have
to leave through a window.

Well, well, Paul Drake.

Here for the cure, I take it.

No, not this time, Andy.

Just a social call.

Victoria Dawn?

Yeah, I was, uh, kind of curious

about her swim from Catalina.

Mm. She, uh... she crossed
the finish line, all right.

Somebody k*lled her;
bludgeoned her to death.

I wonder, Paul,

you wouldn't by any chance
know the identity

of the very attractive
young lady

who climbed out the back window
and, uh, ran away?

Yes, Paul, we have it--
Reggie Lansfield.

Perry... she's
gonna need a lawyer.

All right, Paul.

Where do I begin?

The fog came; we got lost.

We didn't realize it
until it was too late.

I searched the area
for ten minutes.

You were alone?

No one else was with you?

No one.

Who gave you your instructions?

She did, Victoria Dawn herself.

- When? -She phoned me
at the boathouse earlier.

Charlie, someone was
trying to k*ll you tonight.

The police found evidence
that your launch

was rigged with dynamite.

That's a lie.

Who are you covering for,
Charlie?

It's a lie.

You're lying.

You're lying.

Right, Della.

After Paul finishes checking
on the sale of dynamite,

see if he can find out
if any of the names I listed

were in the vicinity
of their boathouse

in the last hours.

Oh, Della, the man
I've been waiting for

is just leaving
Charlie Shaw's room.

I'll call you when I can.

Well, uh, noting your patient's
temperature, Dr. Devlin?

Who are you?

Oh, my name is Mason;
I'm an attorney.

At the moment
I'm assisting a friend

in the investigation
of Victoria Dawn's m*rder.

Well, Mr. Mason, Charlie Shaw's
a friend, not a patient.

And Victoria Dawn,

could she have been called
a patient of yours?

I suppose so, yes.

I've been treating her
off and on

for the last two years.

Doctor, did Victoria Dawn
tell you very much...

Uh-uh-uh, Mr. Mason, now,
confidences exchanged

between a doctor and his patient
are privileged.

That privilege,
if it exists at all,

is one Victoria Dawn
might find difficult to invoke.

You... you don't
have to tell me that.

I found the body.

Oh, I've left strict orders

that Charlie's not to be
disturbed by you again.

My sister was
such a vital person,

so spontaneous and alive.

One felt she never wasted
a minute of her life.

She never stopped competing.

Not even against her sister?

What made you say that?

Victoria and I had
a very close relationship.

What is it you want, Mr. Mason?

Information... regarding
a girl named Reggie Lansfield.

I never heard of her.

DOUG:
Lillian?

This is fantastic!

They're searching
for the girl...

Who are you?

What are you doing here?

My name is Mason, Mr. Hamilton.

My presence here is due
to an interest I share with you:

concern for the whereabouts
of Reggie Lansfield.

I told him we'd never heard
of such a person.

That wasn't too bright.

Of course we heard
of Miss Lansfield.

We hired her to masquerade
as Victoria for half the swim.

My wife was out of condition.

My sister-in-law and I
talked her into using the girl.

We did it for her own good.

Were either of you
with Miss Dawn three days ago

when she bought two sticks
of dynamite

from the Highland
amm*nit*on Store?

Wait a minute,
are you implying Victoria

had something to do with
blowing up her own motor launch?

I imply nothing;
I'm stating a fact.

And if she planned
to have someone else on board

at the time the launch blew up,

someone who looked
very much like her,

and if the body were damaged
beyond recognition,

it might have developed a nice
insurance policy for someone.

If that was Victoria's intention

and Reggie came
to the same conclusion,

don't you see what it means?

Reggie must have gone
to the cabin,

confronted Victoria
with her suspicions

and k*lled her
in a fit of anger.

(phone ringing)

Hello?

Oh, yes. Just a moment.

It's for you, Mr. Mason.

Hello?

Speaking.

I see.

They... picked up
Reggie Lansfield

on a highway heading north
at miles an hour.

She was in a borrowed car.

Now, Doctor,
you say it was approximately

: in the morning
when you entered

the cottage of the decedent,
Victoria Dawn,

at your Palisades Rest Home

and found Miss Dawn
dead on the floor.

Did you call the police
immediately, Doctor?

DEVLIN:
Oh, not myself, no.

One of our male nurses,
Ernie Craig,

followed me into the room.

He called the police.

Now, you say that
you knocked at the door

of decedent's cottage
before you entered, Doctor?

That's right.

Then apparently,
you expected to find decedent

inside the cottage.

But isn't it true
to the contrary

that at that moment you believed

she was swimming
the Catalina Channel?

Oh, I knew she wasn't.
I'd driven her

from the airport
to the rest home earlier.

In any case,

I couldn't believe
she would even try it.

What do you mean by that, sir?

She was no longer capable of
swimming the length of a pool,

much less the Catalina Channel.

Nobody who really knew her

could for
a single moment believe

she would even attempt
such a swim.

No, no, that isn't true.

I really believed
she could swim.

Maybe not the whole channel,
but at least halfway.

That's why I invested money,
to keep the school going,

and why I financed
the channel swim.

Doug... Mr. Hamilton
assured me it would work,

that she could do it.

We couldn't let Lillian in
on the whole story,

all the details.

We were afraid she
might somehow give it away.

BURGER:
In other words, this was nothing

-but a publicity stunt.
- Yes.

think you better tell us
the details of it, Mr. Hamilton.

After the staged argument
on the island,

Reggie, the defendant--
Miss...

Lansfield--
changed places with Victoria.

Victoria flew back with us
to the mainland.

But she didn't get off the plane

with the rest of you
at the airport.

DOUG: No. She stayed
hidden on the plane.

A little later,
Devlin left with her.

And then Dr. Devlin
was supposed to take her...

back up the coast later

and take her out a short
distance in a small boat,

where she could then apparently
complete her swim?

That, uh... that's what Lillian
was led to believe.

Actually, no.

You see, if Victoria
did swim the channel,

well, it would be worth
newspaper space, all right.

But how much?

On the other hand,
if it could appear

she hadn't completed the swim,
that-that she might have...

have drowned in the channel...

And then she would later
miraculously reappear.

Yes. Devlin was to drive her
south on the coast,

listen to the radio
until he heard the search

was well underway.

Devlin would let her out.

She'd wade out into the surf,

then stagger back up
on the coast and...

and collapse on the front porch
of some beach home.

But now... what about
your substitute swimmer,

the defendant?
What was supposed

to be happening to her
while all this was going on?

We'd built a special compartment
on Charlie's boat.

Charlie was to fish her
out of the water

and hide her aboard the boat

while the search
was going on for Victoria.

I gather this entire plan was
never actually put in operation?

No. When we returned
to the mainland,

I went to my apartment,
waiting for word

Victoria was lost,
to join the search.

Instead, there was
a radio broadcast

saying that Charlie's boat
had blown up.

You see, the first report
said nothing

about Charlie and Reggie
being picked up.

Well, it looked
like they'd been...

been k*lled
in the accidental expl*si*n.

BURGER:
And what did you do

after you heard
this radio broadcast?

I was just ready to leave
my apartment when...

the phone rang.

It was my wife, Victoria.

She'd heard the radio broadcast

about the expl*si*n.

And what did she say?

Well, it was...

it was strange.

She said, "Doug...

it's the best thing
that could have happened.

You'll... you'll
never see me again."”

(long sigh)

And she hung up.

Now, it's customary
for a business

built around a single individual
or personality

to carry life insurance
on that individual.

Did the Victoria Dawn
Swim School

carry such insurance
on your wife?

Yes. And that's what I thought
she was talking about.

The insurance.
If Reggie had been k*lled,

it would look like
Victoria had been k*lled.

That money would have...

uh, could have
bailed us out of trouble.

BURGER: All right, now,
after your wife told you this

on the phone and then hung up
on you, what did you do?

I started driving south,
looking for Devlin's car,

hoping to spot them,
to tell Victoria

that I wouldn't let her
go through with it.

I never found them.

Well, when did
you first find out

that, uh, Charlie Shaw
and the defendant

had... not been k*lled
in the expl*si*n?

On the car radio coming home,
about... : in the morning.

I stopped, called the hospital,

talked to Charlie in his room.

That's when I knew I'd
never see Victoria again.

Why do you say that?

DOUG:
It was Victoria herself.

There were... were growing signs
of mental deterioration.

And what's the relationship
of all of that

to your phone conversation
with Charlie Shaw?

I... I could believe it
when Charlie told me...

Victoria Dawn deliberately
tried to k*ll Reggie and me.

BURGER: You're referring,
I suppose, to earlier testimony

indicating that the expl*si*n
on the boat was not accidental

but was, in fact,
caused by dynamite

set off with some sort
of timing apparatus.

I'm talking about the fact

that Victoria Dawn checked out
the boat before we used it.

She must have been the one

who planted the dynamite
to k*ll Reggie.

- BURGER: And you.
- Yeah, I was there.

And if it wasn't
for Reggie, uh...

Miss Lansfield...

who has more guts
than anybody I know, well,

we'd have both had it.

Exactly what do you mean
by that?

Well, they didn't
want the kid to know

about the "getting lost" bit--
Victoria Dawn in the channel--

so Victoria Dawn fixed it
so that she wouldn't find out,

and loused up the whole deal.

Fixed it, Mr. Shaw?

Yeah, she put
some kind of medicine

in the broth
that I gave to the...

uh, t-to Reggie, the kid.

Uh, Victoria Dawn
put it in herself.

Uh, she wanted the kid
to pass out fast and...

and not give herself away when
I pulled her aboard the boat

and put her
in the special compartment.

You mean the medicine
didn't work?

It should have, but she
just kept right on swimming,

tired and exhausted.

I'll bet she'd have tried
to swim the whole channel

if I'd have let her.

That's when I dove in

and tried to get her
back to the boat.

That's when it happened--
the expl*si*n.

Now, was it instantly apparent
to both of you

that you had just barely escaped
a m*rder attempt?

CHARLIE:
No, not to me, at first, no.

But Reggie-- Miss Lansfield--

she didn't have to get hit
on the head to get the picture.

Boy, was she mad,
boiling mad, all the way back

to shore and to the hospital,
where they dropped me off.

BURGER: Can you tell us anything
that she said or did

to indicate that she
was as angry as you claim?

What do you mean? I just
told you, she was boiling mad.

(chuckles): Yes, but that's
an opinion, Mr. Shaw.

The court is only
interested in facts.

Did she say anything.

Oh, I'll say she did.

She kept yapping about how
Victoria Dawn double-crossed her

and tried to k*ll her.

She'd make Victoria Dawn pay
for what she'd done.

I'm telling you the truth.

If you don't believe me,
just ask that agent friend

of hers, Ben Lucas.

Okay, okay, okay,
so the girl was upset,

so she said a lot of things--
nobody can blame her for that.

Yes, but did she specifically
thr*aten Victoria Dawn?

Well, she may have said, uh,

something here and there
about it.

I want a direct answer,
Mr. Lucas!

Did she thr*aten Victoria Dawn?

Yeah.

BURGER: After you left
Charlie Shaw at the hospital,

what did you do?

I, uh, dropped her off home.

Did you go up
to her apartment with her?

No. She said she wanted to take
a hot bath and go to bed,

so I didn't even bother going
up; I just dropped her off.

BURGER: Now, exactly
what time was that, Mr. Lucas?

About, uh... : .

Yeah, quarter of :
in the morning.

I guess it was just
about : in the morning.

Would you describe for us what
happened, please, Mr. Craig?

I was the male nurse
on duty for the night.

Which means I was supposed
to check the grounds.

Well... I saw the defendant

jump out of the window
of Miss Dawn's cottage

and try to run away.

tried to stop her.

We struggled...

I stumbled, tripped.

She got away.

I show you now
this uniform jacket,

which has been marked
for identification,

and ll ask if
you can identify it.

Yes, I can.

It's mine--
I was wearing it that night.

Can you explain
these stains, Mr. Craig?

Yes. Those-those stains were
made while we were struggling.

Before I tripped.

Thank you, Mr. Craig.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Ever hear of Dr. Carson?

Why, yes.

The morning after the night on
which you tripped and stumbled,

did you see Dr. Carson

for treatment
of an injured shoulder,

a shoulder you told him you
injured in a wrestling match?

Well, yes, I-l suppose I did.

Was the defendant running away,
as you testified,

or did you accost her,

attempt to force your
unwelcome attentions on her,

and did she, by the use

of jujitsu, free herself

by throwing you to the ground?

Now, look here, I don't think...

Did you or did you not lie
when you testified

she was running away,
that you'd tried to catch her,

and that she
got away when you...

tripped and stumbled?

No further questions.

The blood on this jacket
and the bloody fingerprints

on the windowsill
of the decedent's cottage

are both of the same type
as that of the decedent.

What about the fingerprints,
Lieutenant Anderson?

ANDERSON: Well, the fingerprints
on the windowsill

and the fingerprints
on this plastic insignia,

are those of the defendant,
Reggie Lansfield.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

I now show you
this metal bookend.

I recall to you the testimony
of the medical examiner,

who said that the decedent d*ed

from repeated blows on the head
with a blunt instrument,

and his further testimony
that in all probability

this bookend was
the m*rder w*apon.

Now, did you have
this bookend examined,

and, if so,
with what results?

We found traces
of both blood and hair

matching that of the decedent's.

And we also found
bloody fingerprints

where the bookend had been held.

Whose fingerprints,
Lieutenant Anderson?

The defendant's...

Reggie Lansfield.

♪♪

Well, I- stumbled
over her body...

and the bookend was just...
just lying there on the floor.

Well, I guess
I must have been in a daze,

because I- don't remember
picking it up.

But I suppose I must have.

Then there came
a knocking at the door.

That was Devlin.

- And the window was open, so...
- DRAKE: So you jumped out,

leaving bloody fingerprints
on the sill

and all over
that male nurse's jacket.

Reggie, when you do something,
you do it good.

Let's review the times again.

Now, at : in the evening,
you started your swim.

According to the radio reports,
the boat blew up at : .

Ben fished you out of the water.

Now, what time
did you get to shore?

Uh... at : in the morning.

You left Charlie
at the hospital.

At, uh, : , and then...

Ben drove me to my apartment,
and that was, oh, about : .

Now, the car you used,
where and when did you get it?

I borrowed it
about minutes later.

How long did it take you
to drive up to the rest home?

One hour's hard driving;
I checked it.

So, you got there at : .

My being scared and my being
caught speeding out of town,

it... it all fits.

Like a noose around my neck,
doesn't it?

No, Reggie...

fortunately, it doesn't all fit.

MASON: Reggie Lansfield,
masquerading as Victoria Dawn,

dove into the channel
and began to swim at about : .

Now, shortly after that,

Doug Hamilton,
his sister-in-law,

and Dr. Devlin,
with Victoria Dawn aboard,

flew from Catalina.

Now, you landed at
Santa Monica Airport, I believe.

That's right.

Shortly after that,
you and Victoria Dawn

slipped out of the plane,
into your car,

-and you drove her away.
- Yes.

The plan was that you
were to drive her south,

where she would later
pretend to swim ashore?

That was the plan.

In relationship
to Santa Monica Airport,

where is your rest home?

About miles away.

- South? East?
- North.

You drove miles north
knowing that you would later

have to drive
the same miles south,

and go on even further south
down the coast?

- DEVLIN: We had plenty of time.
- For what?

Well, Miss Dawn insisted
on returning to the rest home.

See, I merely obliged her.

And were you obliging her
when you procured passports

to South America a week earlier,

passports for you and your wife?

The truth i-is...

The truth is, Dr. Devlin,
you're not married,

and the picture of Mrs. Devlin

on this fraudulently filled out
passport application

is a picture of Victoria Dawn.

DEVLIN:
She planned to disappear.

We were going away together.

(sighs)

We were in love, Mr. Mason.

Did you plan to...
live on love?

My investigation shows you
to be virtually penniless.

She had funds deposited
in South America.

Funds? Funds from where?

The swimming school.

Yes, I knew she had
systematically embezzled

from her own company.

It wasn't hard to discover
after I had access to the books.

How much was missing?

Over a quarter
of a million dollars.

How were you able to keep
the company from collapsing,

from involuntary bankruptcy?

Victoria's sister.

Uh, Lillian invested.

To help her sister?

A sister she loathed?

- No, but that...
- Now, was Lillian Keely

investing in her
sister's company or in you?!

(sighs):

I never loved
anybody but Victoria.

It was a sham,
my paying attention to Lillian.

A sham to keep her investing.

To keep Victoria
out of serious trouble.

Everything was
twisted in her mind.

She didn't mean to hurt anybody.

She meant to hurt you,
her husband.

She meant to k*ll Reggie,
a stranger.

And Charlie--

how do you explain what
she had planned for Charlie?

Planned for me?
Nah, you got it all wrong.

It was planned
for the girl, Reggie.

I was just the hard-luck guy,

in the wrong place
at the wrong time.

Is it possible you
weren't excess baggage

but a target of m*rder?

Nah, it doesn't figure.

(chuckles)
If the girl was lost,

that's all she needed.

To square her debts
to her sister and husband?

CHARLIE:
Yeah, the insurance.

Would've got 'em all
off the hook.

Then why plant expl*sives
to blow up the boat?

- What?
- You testified

Victoria Dawn doctored
the broth you fed Reggie.

Yeah, with sedatives.

To make sure you'd
have Reggie on the boat,

a boat she rigged to blow up.

Now, if Victoria Dawn wanted
Reggie Lansfield to disappear,

why confine herself
to just medication?

You all waited for a night,
a night heavy with fog.

You've admitted you lost Reggie
in the water a few times.

Victoria Dawn knew
that would happen.

If she'd poisoned that broth...

Reggie would go under, drown,
be swept out to the open sea.

There'd still be insurance...

and you'd still be alive.

Well, she liked me.

Even after you
started blackmailing her?

You got no right to say that.

Were you unaware
of Victoria Dawn's embezzlement,

unaware the money
wasn't squandered,

would have been transferred

intact to South America?

How should I know?

What was the price of your
silence, a cash payoff?

Or were you to be
the lucky prince consort

sharing her wealth in exile?

With whom did she
really plan to run away,

you or Devlin?

Never Devlin.

She never really liked him.

- Not Devlin.
- But you said she liked you?

Yeah, me.

- MASON: Loved you?
- Yeah. Why not?

MASON:
As you loved her?

Maybe I did. So what?

A love so intense it
became a consuming hatred

-when you realized the truth.
- No.

Badly injured,
you ignored the pain,

drove your car to the rest home,
confronted Victoria,

and you k*lled her!

I was in the hospital.

Ben and the girl,
they drove me to the hospital.

Drove you there, let you off,

but didn't take you in!

And the hospital was
right around the corner

from your apartment
and your car.

I was in the hospital.

Yes, but not till later.

They let you off at : .

The hospital admission records
show you weren't admitted

-until : !
- No.

Time to drive to the rest home,
k*ll Victoria Dawn,

drive back,
walk into the hospital

and be admitted.

She was so drunk.

So drunk she didn't know
what she was saying.

She was so mixed up.

And then
she told me the truth...

the whole truth,
that it was Devlin,

that it always was Devlin,

and then she laughed in my face.

She laughed and laughed
and kept on laughing.

Till I picked up the bookend
and... hit her.

To stop the laughing.

But, Reggie, I've made a
reservation for the four of us.

At a nice restaurant.

(sighs): But it's my career,
Della, my career.

This is what I've been waiting
for-- close-ups, everything.

It's the chance of a lifetime.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean
you can't go out

and have a little fun, does it?
How about it?

Dinner? Nightclub?

- Well...
- Reggie, Reggie, you're on.

They're waiting for you.

Look, I know how much
she owes you, all of you,

but this is her big break.

Please, please don't
louse it up for the kid, huh?

- MAN: All right, everybody,
places! -(bell ringing)

-(ringing stops)
- Quiet!

Roll 'em!

Action!

Some break.

Why don't you have the guy throw
the knives at her blindfolded?

Hey... hey, that's wonderful!

(theme song playing)