08x12 - A Choice of Victims

[bunniefuu]

Good evening, Mr. Harris.

Where's the charity show
rehearsing?

On Stage , sir.

Freddy?

Yes, sir.

Five, six, seven and eight.

And one, two, three and four

and five, six,
and seven and eight.

And one, two...
make it nice and smooth.

All together, come on.

One, two.
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah.

Six, seven and eight.

One, two, and three and four,

and five, six and seven
and eight.

And one, two.

Make it nice and sharp,
now, huh?

Seven, eight.
One, two, three and four.

Ah, yeah.

And one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.

Nice head release.
One, two, three, four,

five, six, and seven, and eight.

One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, and eight.

And one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, and eight.

And finish, two, three,
four, five, six, seven.

And one, two, three,
four, five, six, seven.

Altogether, one, two,

three, four, five,
and six, and seven.

Well, okay.

Come on, let's get together.

Hi, darling,
you missed my specialty.

I know. I'm sorry.
How's it going?

Oh, it's a little rough
around the edges,

but it's going to be marvelous.

Roland will put it together.
Where are your car keys?

What? Well, I'm leaving you
the Rolls, and Freddy.

What for?

Well, I don't want you
driving home alone.

Uh, it's parked on
the Western Street.

Where are you going?

Oh, I have
a business appointment.

Business. Of course.

It's important, Laura.

I know, Victor.

It's always important.

I don't know, Mr. Mannix.

I don't know why anyone
would want me dead,

but I do know it was my car,

so it must've been me
they wanted to k*ll.

How did your husband
happen to take your car?

I was rehearsing,
and he came by the studio.

Rehearsing?

I was doing a charity show.

I belong to "The Helpmates.”

We do a benefit every year
for crippled children.

Tom Andros is producing it
this year.

Anyway, Victor came by
about : ,

and he said, "I'll take your
car. Freddy'll drive you home."

Freddy?

The chauffeur. Victor didn't
want me driving home alone.

Could anyone else
have known he was, uh,

gonna switch cars?

Freddy, of course,

but beyond that, I couldn't say.

Do you have any idea
where your husband was going?

It was, uh...

business...

in the Valley, I think.

Wasn't that sort of unusual?

I mean, it was after : p.m.

: was early for Victor.

I'd like to talk to your
chauffeur, if you don't mind.

Hello, Doris.

Would you ask Freddy
to come in, please.

He's probably in the garage.
Thank you.

How long has he worked for you?

Seven or eight years.
For Victor, that is.

We've been married
about three years.

Would you happen to know
if your husband had any enemies?

Mr. Mannix, having enemies

goes with being
wealthy and self-made.

Anyone who'd want to k*ll him?

Not that I know of,
but it's possible.

Victor was very,
very competitive.

You might even say ruthless,
in business matters.

Something I can do for you,
Mrs. Harris?

This is Mr. Mannix, Freddy.

He's a private investigator.
Mr. Mannix.

Do you mind answering
a few questions?

No, sir.

Do you have any idea
where Mr. Harris

might have been going
last night?

He didn't say, sir.

Well, that's not exactly
what I asked.

I wanted to know
if you had any idea

where he might have been going?

I'm just a chauffeur, sir.

Mrs. Harris tells me

he was going to keep
a business appointment.

Yes, I heard him.

And she also told me
that he might have been going

to the Valley.

Did he go there regularly?

Yes. Fairly often.

Did you ever drive him there?

Yes, sir.

Exactly where in the Valley?

Tell him, Freddy.

Mrs. Harris,

I worked for your husband
for eight years.

During that time I've...

I know where you went.

I've known for months.
It doesn't matter now.

Tell Mr. Mannix where you went.

If you say so, Mrs. Harris.

Morning Way.

Who lives there?

A girl.

Janet Malone.

Miss Malone?

Yes.

My name is Mannix.
I'm a private detective.

May I come in?

Well, is it something important?

You were expecting Victor Harris
last night, isn't that right?

Oh, I get it.

Dear Laura hired you
to get something

on Victor and me, didn't she?

Well, you tell Mrs. Harris

that I don't care how many
private cops she hires.

Because I'm going
to marry Victor,

and nothing she does
can stop me.

I take it you haven't seen
the morning paper?

No, I just woke up. Why?

I think we'd better talk inside,
Miss Malone.

Mr. Mannix, whatever it is,

I'd appreciate it
if you'd make it brief.

I'm afraid I have some bad news.

Is there any other kind?
How bad?

Pretty bad.

Is it Victor?

Yes.

He's been hurt?

He's dead.

How?

Well, he was in his wife's car.

There was an expl*si*n...

She k*lled him.

Who?

Laura, who else?

Why would she want
her husband dead?

Because he wanted a divorce.

And she wouldn't give him one?

And lose all that pretty money?

Miss Malone, you told me
you just woke up.

Yes.

And you haven't
talked to anyone?

No.

How do you take your coffee?
Black. Why?

Do you usually take it
in two different cups?

Quite an act.

Okay. Lay off.

She's in the clear.

Who are you?

Tom Andros.

Well, I'll leave you two

to your coffee.

Thank you, Miss Malone.

All right, all right.
Take it easy.

I'll be back in a second.

Mr. Mannix.

Look, about Janet,
it wasn't an act.

I came here to tell her
what happened,

but you rang the bell
before I could.

Andros?

You're the producer
of that charity show

Mrs. Harris is in.

Yeah, that's right.

That must be quite
a cozy little group.

A lot of togetherness,
camaraderie.

We're all friends.

Was Mr. Harris your friend?

Victor?
I admired him enormously.

And how about Janet Malone?

Do you admire her
enormously, too?

I knew she'd be very broken up
when she heard about it.

So broken up you hid
in her bedroom.

People have a way of...

getting the wrong idea
about things.

Look, I'd appreciate it if you
wouldn't mention to anyone

that you saw me here.

Why is that?

Because I have a friend

and I'd prefer it if this friend

didn't know anything
about my being here.

It's, uh,
it's a personal matter.

So is m*rder, Mr. Andros.

Hi, Joe.

Hi, Joe.

Oh, you haven't got a chance.
Peggy, give Chip eight dollars.

For what?

To pay the cabbie.

Oh, Joe, not again.

The insurance agency
is already screaming.

Let them scream.
They're in a risk business.

Now, any messages?

On your desk.

Mm-hmm.

Right...

Right.

Mm-hmm.

Can I get you anything?

Shotgun,

windshield,
and no other damage.

Right, well,
I understand that he did

report it promptly, which

is kind of unusual
for Mannix, isn't it?

Right.

A little car trouble, Dan.

You didn't see
either one of them?

Ah, too busy hitting the deck.

How about this Tom Andros?

You think it could have been
him they were after?

In show business?
Ha, who knows?

I understand Laura Harris

recently became
a client of yours.

That's right.

Well, now,
do you buy the notion that

maybe this b*mb
could have been meant for her?

Kind of looks that way, Dan.

But, uh, it's pretty tough
to come up with a motive.

You kind of like her,
don't you, Joe?

I mean, the lady's really,
really got class.

Hey, what kind
of a question is that?

Well, the boys down at the lab

pulled off a set of prints
from that wrecked car

and I found it very interesting.

So?

I had the prints checked
through Central Computer.

They belong to a girl
named Gloria Martinson.

You're right.
Very interesting.

Oh, now, come on, Joe,
don't tell me that

that name doesn't ring a bell.

Okay, Dan,
just what are you getting at?

Well...

well, it seems that

Gloria Martinson
was arrested and booked

by the Las Vegas police
April .

Top-of-the-line call girl.

Fascinating.
I'll give her a call.

Still no bell, huh?

Okay, Dan,
who is Gloria Martinson?

Your client, Joe--
Laura Harris.

Joe, why would Victor Harris,
with all of his money,

marry a... a woman like that?

Is the Lieutenant positive, Joe?

Well, the prints match, Chip.

Well, what if Harris
didn't know?

Maybe she was straight
when he met her?

I mean, after all, five years,

that's a long time
out of the game.

And anyway, Joe,
whatever she did in Las Vegas,

how would that have anything
to do with her husband's m*rder?

Or would it?

Well, we're not sure
it was Harris they were after.

Hey, try this one on for size.

Maybe she did get
Harris to switch cars.

The rest could be
fancy footwork.

No, no, no, Harris
suggested the switch himself.

The chauffeur confirmed it.

Still, the estate's
now all hers, isn't it?

That's right.

And Harris
must've left a bundle.

You know, Joe,
Chip could be right.

She could have just hired you
to, you know, for a cover,

to make everything look kosher.

Yeah, that thought
crossed my mind.

Chip, I'm gonna have
to borrow your car.

Oh, Joe, the last time...

Word of honor--
miles an hour.

Where are you going?

Well, who in town knows
everyone in show business

and everything about them?

And now for tonight's thought.

What was the real reason
behind the split

of those two ex-writers,

now producers of a hit series,
One From Down Under?

Could it have been
their temperamental star

who now thinks
he's above it all?

This is Rona Barrett
in Hollywood.

Ah, Rona, it's good to see you.

You're looking great.
How's my favorite private eye?

Here, Harry.

Good night, Miss Barrett.
Thank you.

Hey, on the phone
you said you wanted to know

about the Helpmates?
Mm.

Well, that takes in every wife

of every big sh*t
in the industry.

Uh, kind of makes them
feel, uh, useful.

But you're not here as
a show biz fan, are you, Joe?

This about
Victor Harris's death?

That's right.

What sort of a man was he?

Louse.

Qualify that: brilliant louse.

Charming when he wanted to be.

Amoral with a capital "A."

But then, uh,
who isn't in this dog pound?

Come on, I'll buy you a drink.

Rona, what can you tell me

about Harris and a girl
named, uh... Janet Malone?

Town's full of them.

Full of what?

Victor Harris's Janet Malone.

Ah. Was Victor Harris
gonna divorce his wife?

Who says?

One particular Janet Malone.

Hey, she was either
kidding herself or kidding you.

Evidently, Laura Harris
knew about the Malone girl.

Look, there are some wives
who are able to, um,

shut their eyes if they're, uh,
anxious to hold on to a man.

Is there any chance
that the Malone girl was right?

About victor marrying her?
Mm-hmm.

Forget it.

I told you he had Janet Malones
stashed all over the town.

That's how Victor operated.

He didn't like to turn up in,
uh, let's say, Burbank

and be caught short
without company.

Why Laura married him,
I'll never know.

Do you know anything
about her background?

I know everything about, uh,
everyone in the industry, Joe.

Still Irish rocks?

Hey, you don't
forget a thing, do you?

It's the bottle on the left--
and I'll have the same.

Joe...

I like Laura Harris.

Don't hurt her, huh?

Mm.

Was their marriage working?

Like a charm.

Oops. Said that
a little too fast, Rona.

Sorry. Um, okay.

About five or six months ago
they had a rocky period.

Victor left the country--
Paris, I think.

And?

Nothing. Apparently,
they, uh, got together

and straightened things out.

Tell me about, uh...

Tom Andros.

Hm. A shark.

He did the charity show
last year, too, didn't he?

Yes, but not
for sweet charity's sake.

He wound up that little number
with, uh, Ginny Freeman,

and, uh, you know who she is.

Samuel Freeman's widow.

American Steel?

That's right, darling.

And mad about Tom Andros.

Hm. Why?

Because, um, she's that age.

Poor soul,

doesn't know she can't win.

Look, if she backs
one of Tom's films

and it's a flop, she's
gonna lose a small fortune.

If it's a hit,
you know he's gonna be long gone

to, uh, younger
and greener pastures.

Great business.

Right.

Does Andros play around?

Why?

Well, I walked in
on a coffee klatch

he was sharing
with the Malone girl.

I was wondering if, uh,
Victor Harris knew or cared.

Hey, Victor cared.

Nobody touched his property.

Organic or, uh, inorganic.

Well, I guess that about takes
care of what I needed to know.

Thanks, Rona.

I'll call.
Mmm...

with some nice, nasty dirt
if possible, darling.

I can always wash it off.

...two, three, four.

One, two, three, four.

Two, two, three, four.

Three, two, three, four.

Four... now, go to your point.

Uh, one, two, three, four.

Five, six... move back.

One, two, three, four,
five, six.

Now, give me some shoulders.

One, two, three, four, five.

Take your time. Kick.

Uh, one, two, three, four,

five, six, seven, turn.

And bow.

Okay, girls,
take a five break, will you?

It's looking
better and better, Roland.

You think so?

I don't know,
it needs a lot of work.

Keep smiling.

Laura.

You leaving?

Yeah, I've got something to do
for an hour, Tommy.

I'll be back.

Why don't you take the day off.

You really ought
to get some rest.

No, I want to work.

Look, uh...

if there's anything you need,

you know, like a...
a shoulder or something,

I'm right here.

All you have to do is ask.

Thanks, Tommy.

Ginny,
you really ought to get heels

that make a noise when you walk.

Really?

What was all that about?

Nothing. I was telling
Laura to take it easy.

Oh, how nice of you.

Ginny, you've got women
in this charity outfit.

Now, I, uh, talk to all of them
at one time or another.

That's right.

That's right, darling.

Just be sure that
that's all you do is talk--

And not to one at a time.

Am I stupid? Hm?

Give me the first
bars now, will you?

♪♪

♪♪

Mr. Mannix's office.

Oh, hi.

Peggy, find out who lives
at Morrell Drive.

Got it.

Peggy, I'll call you back later.

I'd like to talk to you
for a minute.

Whatever you're selling,
I'm not buying.

Laura Harris-- you buy that?

Who are you?

The name is Mannix.
I'm a private investigator.

So? What's to investigate here?

I need a couple of answers
about you and your lady friend.

Okay.

So you found out
that she pays the rent.

That illegal?

Oh, no, no, that's not illegal.

But k*lling Mr. Harris and
making it look like an accident,

that's illegal.

As a matter of fact, uh,

the DA calls it,
I believe, m*rder.

You can't pin
a rap like that on me.

I don't know what she did
or didn't do to her husband,

but don't you try to pin
any part of it on me.

It got pinned on you the minute
she came out here to see you.

You just try to make that stick.

What'd she want
to talk to you about?

Ask the lady.

But remember one thing--

She came here to see me;
I didn't go to her.

And right now you're
standing on my property.

Ah, so I am.

Unless Mrs. Harris
stops paying the rent.

♪♪

♪♪

You were lucky, Joe.

If I wasn't, how long
could I last in this profession?

Like I say, you're lucky.

Yeah.

How's this?

The eyes and the nose
are all right,

but give him
a little squarer jaw.

All right, one square jaw
coming right up.

Yeah, yeah, that's it.

All right, so maybe
this is one of the punks

that tried to k*ll you.

But why?

I don't know.

Whatever I'm doing is making
somebody very nervous.

Hey, Joe.
Chip.

What happened?
We expected you hours ago.

I had a little car trouble.

What? What'd you get
on that Morrell Drive address?

The name's Hal Carter.

What sort of trouble?

It went off the road.

About Hal Carter...

Las Vegas connections.

Syndicate?
Seems so.

How far off the road?

Huh?
My car.

Oh, uh, well, the last I saw,

it was at the bottom
of a ravine, burning.

Peggy.

Burning?

Any idea
who Hal Carter works for?

No, but he's muscle bait

and he entertains a lot
around the pool and bedroom.

How is he mixed up
with Laura Harris?

He told me to talk to her.

Apparently the lady
has all the answers.

She called, Joe.

When?

About an hour ago.

Said she'd wait for you.

I'd better get over there

and have a man-to-man talk
with Mrs. Harris

before I'm too dead to talk.

Oh, and, Peggy, I'll need
your car for about an hour.

No way.

Peggy.

Oh, and I made a call
on Chip's car phone.

See that he gets a dime, huh?

Get an ambulance over
to North Roxford Drive.

Barbiturates-- OD'd.

She's still alive.

Well, we've done a lavage and we
have her on positive pressure.

Dr. James is with her now.

How are her chances?

Well, everything possible
is being done.

A few minutes later and she
would have been a goner, though.

She had enough pentobarbital
in her to k*ll a dozen people.

She's, uh, she's lucky
you showed up.

May I see Laura Harris, please?

I am a friend.

My name is Ginny Freeman.

I'm sorry,
she's in intensive care.

No visitors.

Excuse me, Mrs. Freeman?

Yes.

My name is Mannix.

Laura Harris
is a client of mine.

A client?

Yes, I'm a private detective.

Are you really?

Well, will she be all right?

I hope so.

It's awful, isn't it?

Pills.

I had no idea she was
so shaken up by Victor's death.

How did you know, Mrs. Freeman?

What?

That Mrs. Harris had taken
an overdose of pills.

Oh, you really are a detective,
aren't you?

Well, as a matter of fact,
Tommy Andros told me.

He's our producer, and Laura
didn't show up for rehearsal,

so he called the house,
and the housekeeper told him

that the ambulance
had just left.

Mr. Mannix, I'm really not
very comfortable in hospitals.

Um, isn't there a coffee shop
or something?

Yes, I believe there's one
on the ground floor.

Well, shall we?

Mrs. Freeman,
do you happen to know

a girl named Janet Malone?

Well, now, that's not
very likely, is it?

I think what you're asking,
Mr. Mannix,

is if, um, I know that Tommy
has been seeing Janet Malone.

Is that it?

That's about it.

Yes, I do know.

I also know
that Tommy has been making--

Or has made--
a pass at Laura Harris.

Oh, isn't that nice?

I surprised you.

Mr. Mannix,
it's been a very long time

since I broke
into girlish laughter.

I do not fool myself.

I have a very attractive bank
account- attractive and sweet--

And I know what kind of flies
that attracts.

An ambitious, attractive man

like Tommy Andros...

well, I keep him
on a very long leash,

but the collar around his neck--
that has my name on it.

Ah, here comes Rover now.

Ginny.
Darling.

I've been all over the hospital
looking for you.

Is Laura all right?

I think she will be.

Pills.

I can't even swallow vitamins.

Oh, Tommy.

Now, listen,
I think we should be going.

I mean, you have
all those people

waiting for you
at the rehearsal.

Don't you think
we ought to talk to the doctor?

Well, Mr. Mannix
will let us know

when Laura is out of danger.

Won't you?

Mm-hmm.

We really should be going, huh?

The show must go on, you know.

Why?

Because it's
a very old tradition.

Uh, Tommy, darling,
would you get my car

and just bring it
around the front?

I'll be right along.

Al right.

Mr. Mannix, I told you
I don't fool myself.

Everything is very expensive,

and at my age
I don't mind paying.

Good-bye.

Mrs. Freeman.

Yes, Mr. Mannix.

You should shop around
a bit more.

You may do better
for your money.

Do you think so?

Bye-bye.

Well, if her pulse
and respiration stay the same,

the situation should stabilize.

Well, that's the way I had it.

Doctor, excuse me,
how is Laura Harris doing?

Well, it was pretty close,
but she's gonna pull through,

there's no doubt about that.

This is Dr. James--
her personal physician.

Mr. Mannix-- the gentleman
who found her.

Oh, I imagine
you've already been told

that you got there
in the nick of time.

Doctor, you prescribed
sleeping pills

for Mrs. Harris two days ago,
just before her husband's death.

Is that right?

Yes, I did, as a matter of fact.

Why?

Mr. Mannix,
I'm sure you must be aware

of the confidential nature of...

The doctor-patient relationship,
yes,

but Mrs. Harris hired me
to protect her,

and I can't do that unless
I know how serious she is.

Hired you?

Yes, I'm a private detective.

Look, Mr. Mannix,
what I tell a patient...

Doctor, I can't protect her

unless I know
just how ill she is.

Mn?

She did try to k*ll herself.

Mr. Mannix,
I'm not a psychiatrist.

I'm an obstetrician and Mrs.
Harris is two months pregnant.

If she survives this,
the baby should, too.

A baby, huh?

Well, that certainly clears up
a lot of things.

Does it?

Well, sure.

This Mrs. Harris and this
Hal Carter m*rder*d her husband

and then she hired you
to cover up.

Just like that?

Look, her record doesn't
indicate she's Mrs. Clean, Joe.

Too pat, Chip.

Well, what do you do if you've
been out of the country

five or six months
and you come back

and you find your wife
two months pregnant, huh?

What do you do?

There are a few more options
besides k*lling him.

Not with a guy
like Victor Harris.

Suppose it isn't
Hal Carter's baby?

You mean
there's another candidate?

Yeah, Tommy Andros the producer.

What makes you think that?

Ginny Freeman says Andros made
a play for Laura Harris.

Well, if itisn't
Hal Carter's baby,

why did she sneak out
to his house to see him?

I think Chip is right, Joe.

There's got to be
a connection with Carter.

Why should Laura Harris go
to Carter's house at all?

I mean, she's got
all her husband's money.

All she and Carter would have
to do is to play it cool.

Instead she takes
a bottle of pills.

Doesn't fit,
there's something wrong.

I can feel it in here
like an ulcer.

Mannix.

Yeah, Dan.

I'm on my way.

Well, Ives thinks he's got
a possible identification

on one of the guys
who ran my car off the road...

Your car.

Joe, give me five minutes
with the guy.

Chip, I want you to keep an eye

on Mrs. Harris's room
at the hospital.

She could still be in danger.

Oh.

There was something familiar
about this face, Joe.

Charlie here came up with it.

He was on riot duty in ,
the last big steel strike.

Here's an old
employment application.

Ed Plummer.

Ten years ago,

he ran the goon squad
at American Steel.

You mean, he worked
for Mr. Freeman,

Ginny Freeman's dear departed?

Well, if you call
bashing in heads

and burning down homes work,
yeah.

Any record on Plummer since?

Nothing. He retired,
whatever that means.

Dan, uh, let me take a look

at what's left of Harris's
personal effects, huh?

Sure. Charlie.

Something tie in, Joe?

Well, it's, uh...
it's just a hunch.

It's hard to get hunches
admitted as evidence.

Yeah, well,
just take another look

at this su1c1de note
Mrs. Harris left.

I've been thinking about it,
uh, just to keep my ulcer quiet.

So what about it?

Well, it's just a few lines,

typewritten,
then signed by hand.

Lieutenant.

Thanks, Charlie. So?

Well, the typewriter was
all the way across the room.

Now, if that's all you were
going to say in a su1c1de note,

why not just write out
the whole thing?

And also, take a look

at how far down on the page
her signature comes.

So, you think
maybe this is a phony,

and that she didn't try
to k*ll herself at all?

Yeah. I think that somehow
somebody got Laura Harris

to sign a blank piece of paper,

and then filled it in
afterwards.

Ives.

Oh, yeah, Peggy. Okay.

Yeah, Peg?

Joe, Ginny Freeman called.

She says it's very important.
She wants to talk to you.

She's at the studio
in the rehearsal stage.

Oh, yeah, thanks.

Yeah, take a look at that, Dan.

A gasoline slip. So what?

Signed by Victor Harris.

So?

Take a look at the date.

Mrs. Freeman.

Oh, Mr. Mannix, hello.

I'm so glad that you could come.

My secretary said
it was important.

Oh, yes, it is.

I do hope it hasn't
inconvenienced you to come here,

but you-you see, we're starting
rehearsal a little later,

and this is rather
a private matter.

I understand.

I, uh...

think I know why Laura Harris
tried to k*ll herself.

Why?

Oh.

Well, you see, she was pregnant.

And then when Victor found out
about it,

he just couldn't stand it.

I mean, the child not being his.

And so, he must have threatened
to, uh, walk out on her.

So Mrs. Harris k*lled him?

Well, that is a motive,
Mr. Mannix.

I mean, especially,
if Victor said

that he was going to leave her.

Mrs. Freeman,

Laura Harris
did not k*ll her husband.

Are you sure?

Pretty sure.

Well, then, who did?

You know, loyalty's
a wonderful thing, Mrs. Freeman.

Let's take Ed Plummer.

All those dirty jobs
he did for your husband

when he used to work for him.

Like blowing up houses to scare
the boys on the picket line.

Uh... you do remember
Ed Plummer,

don't you, Mrs. Freeman?

What does any of that have
to do with Victor Harris?

Well, blowing up a car
is just a piece of cake

for ol' friendly Ed.

And Ed Plummer did it
because you told him to.

And you told him to do it

because you thought Laura Harris
would be driving that car.

And when I started
to get too close to home,

you told Plummer to try
and take care of me, too.

You're good, Mannix.

Yeah, you're really
very, very good.

Well, friendly Ed Plummer.

I was sort of expecting you.

But it's too bad
that where you're going

there won't be anyone to listen.

I'm going some place?

Oh, yeah, a place
where they won't find you

for a long, long time.

Oh.

Good-bye, Mr. Mannix.

Mrs. Freeman.

Let's go.

Drop it!

We get these contracts out,
we'll be in good shape.

Really?
Can I help you?

Lieutenant Dan Ives.
Where's Joe Mannix?

You're just
a few seconds late, Dan.

Surprised, Mrs. Freeman?

Ed Plummer is up in the, uh,

prop warehouse, dead.

You were right then, huh?

Yeah, it wasn't Victor Harris

who was supposed to die
in that car.

It was Laura Harris.

Thanks to Mrs. Freeman here.

No, that's not true.

Why would I possibly want
to hurt Laura?

Because of him.

You thought I was having
an affair with Laura?

Oh, yes.

Yes.

Yeah, she thought
Laura was carrying your child.

It's not true.

Yeah, I know that.

But Mrs. Freeman didn't.

It was Victor Harris's child.

No, that's not possible.

Victor Harris was in Europe
for six months.

He couldn't possibly have been
the father of that child.

Victor Harris was in town
on August ,

just two months ago.

You see he, uh, bought some gas
and signed for it.

No.

Oh.

No!

Oh, no!

Ginny.

It's hard to believe.

She tricked you into signing
that piece of paper, didn't she?

She said it was for the show,

an insurance waiver
or something.

She said she'd fill it in later
when she got all the signatures.

And after she was gone,

Ed Plummer came in and
forced you to take the pills.

He had a g*n.

Mrs. Harris,

why did your husband come back
into town

that weekend in August
so secretly?

We were having trouble.

Victor flew back to try
to keep our marriage together.

For a while, I thought
it might even work

when I found out about the baby.

What about, uh... Hal Carter?

You know about him?

Mm.

And a girl from Las Vegas
called Gloria Martinson.

He was blackmailing you,
wasn't he?

Yes.

Why did you go back to see him
after your husband was dead?

He couldn't have hurt you
any more.

I was afraid...

someday he might hurt my child.

I don't think you have
to worry about that anymore.

I checked. He's gone.

My guess is
you'll never see him again.

He probably likes his freedom
too much

to exchange it for a cell.

I had hoped that part of my life
was forgotten.

What part is that, Mrs. Harris?

Joe, I got here
as soon as I could.

What's the matter?

Oh, uh, well, it's nothing
really important, uh, Peggy.

I just wanted to talk to you
about something.

What?

Uh, why don't |, uh,
tell you about it

on the way back... in the cab?

Cab?! What happened to my car?

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