All language subtitles for Perry Mason S04E11 The Case of the Red Riding Boots.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en.CBS

Ann.

Ann, pull in that horse.

Oh, she'll kill that horse.

She'll ride him to death.

Ann, hold up.

Well, go get her.

It was your idea,
letting her ride him.

Ann.

Ann.

Ann, you all right?

I'm all right.

I guess he shied at something.

What got into you, letting
that horse run like that?

You might have been killed.

Is that bad?

What are you talking about?

Joe, I...

I can't stand her.

Why does Daddy have
to let her come out here?

How is she?

Okay.

Ann, if you'd listen to what
I tell you about horses...

Shut up.

Who do you think
you're talking to?

I said shut up.

Come on, honey. I'll take
you back to your school.

You know something, Joe?

I never thought
I could say this...

but I'll say it now.

I could...

Just... Just don't
say anything, honey.

Come on.

Red riding boots.

Aren't they beautiful?
All that hand-tooling.

It seemed like such
a nice gift for Ann.

Or it did when I
ordered them last month.

Girls and horses.

How long has your ex-husband
had the ranch out there, Jill?

He bought it when we
separated a year ago.

Burt had visions of himself

being the country
bachelor, I guess.

And for a while it was
marvelous for Ann,

when she'd visit him.

Only then along came
this Rita Conover?

She and Burt are
getting married soon.

Ours is supposed to be one
of those, uh, sensible divorces.

You know, th-the kind where
everybody stays good friends.

Only I can't seem to get that
point across to my daughter.

I've looked over this
report from Ann's school.

But I'm not sure what
kind of advice I can offer.

When they told me they
were having a psychologist

give her some special tests,
I thought it was nonsense.

But then I met the psychologist,

and he's a very
bright young man.

"Deep-seated emotional
disturbance. Rebellion.

Flat refusal to adjust to
her father's remarriage".

What does the doctor recommend?

Well, it would be funny
if it weren't so tragic.

He asked about Burt and me

and wanted to know if
there was any chance

of putting Humpty
Dumpty together again.

Jill, from a legal standpoint...

Perry, it isn't
legal advice I want.

I need a friend.

And I thought if you
went to Burt and...

And told him about this, that...

Told him what about it?

Well, if there's
any danger of...

Of Ann's really
being seriously ill...

well, the least they can do
is postpone their marriage

for a little while,
don't you think?

This report the only reason

you believe postponing
their marriage

would be a good idea?

Well, of course it is.

You don't think I still
love that man, do you?

Perry, just talk to him.

Burt respects you.

Where can I reach him?

What is it you're
trying to say, Joe?

Mr. Farwell,

we've only known
each other a short time.

Long enough to speak
up. Here, like a drink?

No, thanks.

Mr. Farwell, it's about
your daughter, Ann.

Yes, Rita said that, uh,

she had a pretty bad
spill the other afternoon.

Well, that's not it, sir.

It's the way Ann
feels about things.

Miss Conover's an awful
good rider, and, well,

to a kid, I guess she must
seem kinda sophisticated.

Kinda pretty in a
fancy way, she's...

What do you mean by that?

Well, sir,

I guess you
remember the first day

that Rita came
here at the ranch.

The day you met her.

I certainly do.

She was driving around
looking for real estate.

Now she's found it, Joe.

But what you getting at?

Sir, I'm only
thinking about Ann.

Well, I figured it's
a kind of a shock

for the father to get married to
somebody who's not your mother.

Heh. Joe, Ann's an
overly imaginative child.

She'll get used to the way
things are. She'll have to.

Excuse me.

Yes?

Oh, Mr. Mason. How are you?

What can I do for you?

Is that so?

No, no, I hadn't heard.

Uh, here, wait a
minute, Mr. Mason.

Joe, um, take that
outside, will you?

We're through talking.
Nothing else to discuss.

Yes, sir.

What kind of tests
you say they gave her?

You'd better walk him
for a while, Rennie.

Oh, and fix that stirrup.
You didn't fix it yesterday.

Here, take him.

Okay, Your Highness.

What?

Okay.

Here. Tie them around your neck.

You know, when
you walk like that,

you remind me
of a taffy machine?

What's...? What's all this I
hear about a wedding next week?

Is that any of your business?

Sure it is.

Let go of me or I'll call Joe.

Maybe I'll call him.

Maybe I'll call Mr. Farwell.

Hey, boss.

Rennie, please.

Maybe it won't come off anyway.

How much do you wanna bet
you don't get married next week?

You just keep your
dirty mouth shut.

You too.

O-o-oh, Rita.

No matter what happens,

we can always work
out something nice,

between you and me.

Rita, can I see
you a minute? No.

Now hold on. Let the
old man speak his piece.

Were you talking to her?

Who, me? The
foreman told me not to.

Never disobey the foreman.

She's the world's
champion louse.

Rennie, if that little girl Ann

gets to moping and
jumps off a bridge,

I tell you, I'll...

Well, I've been waiting for you.

Never mind the drink, darling.

I wanna get away from here.

I wanna go into town. I...

I want to go anyplace

where you and I
can have a long talk.

Now, wait a
minute, Rita, I, uh...

I just had a long
talk with an attorney.

Perry Mason.

Well?

It's about Ann.

Oh, what about Ann?

Well, apparently...

Apparently, she's
been put through

a hatful of psychological tests

at her boarding school.

Now it isn't just Jill
who's worried about her,

it's everybody, even a doctor.

Burt, I've done everything I can

to try to make friends
with your daughter.

I know you have.

She just won't
have it, that's all.

She's made up her
mind not to accept it.

Well, anyway, I thought if I
talk to her again this evening...

Why not talk to me?

Rita, I know how you feel...

Come out with it. Admit it.

You can't go through with it.

Your wife's still got you
shackled, hand and foot.

When Jill goes to work
on you with that girl,

you're licked.

That girl is my daughter.

Oh, Burt, I'm... I'm sorry.

Oh, I just can't take
any more of it, that's all.

I just can't.

Everyone's trying
to stop us and...

Oh, now, don't cry.

There's just one way for
things to be straightened out.

It's for us to go to
Las Vegas right now.

What?

Not next week, not next month,

but first thing
tomorrow morning.

Oh, Burt, please.

If it were done,

if we were married,

Ann would just
have to understand.

Oh, darling, please?

Please, Burt?

Hi.

I'm trying a new approach.

You have to think French.

See?

What'd your father say?

Not much.

We went for a little ride.

He said he's going
to marry her tomorrow.

Just like that?
That's all he said?

Oh, yes. He loves her.

He wants us all to be friends.

Huh. What's so bad about that?

You don't understand.

No? I'm on my
third father right now,

and I never had it so good.

I just don't dig you, Ann.

Why'd you wait till now
to make all the fuss?

They've already got the divorce.

I know. I thought
I got all over it.

Only then my father
met that Rita Conover.

And nobody would believe me

when I told them
what she's like.

But I know.

Kathy, every time
I see him with her,

I get cold inside,

and I start thinking
terrible things.

I don't know what's
the matter with me.

If he marries her,

I think I'll die.

If you do, will me these
new red riding boots, will you?

Kathy...

how'd you like it if I
gave them to you?

What's the catch?

Just do me a favor.

Tonight.

Blew a tire, huh?

No wonder.

Lucky you didn't
turn over ten times.

What?

We had a report on you,

when you sideswiped that farmer.

What farmer?

What are you talking about?
I didn't sideswipe anyone.

Let's just see your license.

I haven't done anything.

This car belongs to
Mr. Farwell. He's my boss.

You going on a
vacation, Mr. Dixon?

No, it's for his honeymoon.

He wanted this car up at
Pine Lake when he gets back.

I mean...

Here, officer.

You'd better look at this.

Yeah.

Guess I'd better.

All right, what's her name?

Rita...

Conover.

You, um, got here
at 10:00 this morning?

Yes. Rita stayed
here last night.

I stayed in town.

I had some last-minute
business things to attend to.

Well, Mr. Farwell, if you
were going to, uh, Las Vegas

to be married today,

why was your car on
its way to Pine Lake?

With, uh, someone
else driving it?

That was the plan.

I have a cabin up there.

We loaded my car with all
the heavy things last evening.

Canned goods, fishing equipment.

I told one of my men to
drive it up there and leave it,

in time to catch a
ride back on the bus.

In the meantime,
I used Rita's car.

We were going
to take it to Vegas

and go straight
from there to the lake.

Now, uh...

Now do you understand?

Oh, yes, I understand you,
uh, packed that car yourself.

Rita and I packed
that car together,

between 6 and 8 last evening.

After that, I went back to town,
to my office, then to my club.

I didn't see Rita after 8:00.

Well, of course all that
can be substantiated.

Mr. Farwell,

you told someone
to take that other car

up to Pine Lake.

Who was that?

A swamper, a
stableman we have here.

His name is Rennie Foster.

Look, I can explain
why I drove the car.

Never mind, Mr. Dixon.

Is that his statement,
sergeant? Let me have it.

Rennie Foster went into Reseda

to the movies
at 7:00 last night.

You haven't seen him since?

Well, Rennie likes to
see the movie twice.

Then he picks up
a couple of drinks.

Lots of times Rennie don't
show up till noon the next day.

You see, with a
kid like that, it...

Never mind, I get the picture.

There was no one here
on the ranch last night,

except you and Miss Conover.

She was murdered
during the night, you know.

Right in this room.

Yes, sir.

Only my room,

it's clear back by
the stable wing.

And you stayed
back there all night?

No, as a matter of fact,

I left the ranch a
couple of times.

I left it once around
10:00 or 11:00

to pick up some fruit
crates. I wasn't gone long.

Fruit crates in the night?

Sure, we're expecting
pickers any day now.

You yourself told me we
needed more fruit crates

just yesterday, remember, sir?

I'm afraid I don't
remember that, Joe.

No, I don't remember that.

Sorry.

But isn't there anything
you can do, Burt?

You've always said what a
nice man this Joe Dixon is.

And... And you know
how much Ann likes him...

Jill, what can I do?

Joe's being questioned
about a murder, that's all.

I-I-I've got nothing
to do with it.

Burt, you can't mean that.

Oh, Jill, why did
you come out here?

There's been nothing but
police reporters all afternoon.

I only thought I might be
able to help that man. I...

Oh, never mind.

Look, I'm not
going to interfere.

It's not right
to interfere, Jill.

Not even when an
innocent man is in trouble?

And how do you
know he's so innocent?

Answer me. How?

Well, I don't really know.
Of course not, not really.

Well, then keep out of it.

Well, at least he
needs a good lawyer.

And I'm sure he
can't afford one.

Why are you so
anxious? Tell me why.

And why are you so afraid?

Oh, Burt, what is it?

What's wrong?

Or have you changed so very much

from the person I used to...

Jill.

Jill, I'm upset, that's all.
Please, you must believe that...

That there's no reason for
us to be... To be involved.

Jill.

Burt, I have to.

What if the man is innocent?

Hello.

May I speak to
Mr. Mason, please.

Oh, yes. They're all innocent.

Every one of them.

All victims of a sinister plot

to send them to the gas chamber.

What time was
Rita Conover killed?

Oh, around 11,
the doctor thinks.

Give or take a couple of hours.

She was stabbed?

Yes, struck a few times too.

There'd been a fight.

And, uh...

well, here.

You'll be, uh, reading
this in the papers, anyway.

Fingerprint report.

You mean Joe's prints were
found on that paper knife?

That's right.

Joe Dixon began
drinking in the afternoon.

Apparently, he kept it up.

You can, uh, take a
look at his room out there

if you like.

Yes, I would like to.

He has a rough temper, Perry,

and he's used it before.

So maybe he hit her a few times,

and then picked up the knife.

Well,

if you want a client
like that, Perry,

I'll have him brought up here.

And you can talk
to him right here.

Only don't say I didn't warn
you of what you're up against.

But I didn't touch that knife
till the day after the murder.

I guess I must have
started to pull it out.

It's a natural thing to do.

You mean, when you
opened the trunk of the car

and found her body?

I'm telling the
truth, Mr. Mason.

I know, those two men
from the sheriff's office,

they wouldn't believe
anything I said, but...

The laboratory reports say

that yours were the only
fingerprints on that knife.

They don't say your prints
covered other prints, Joe.

They said yours
were the only ones.

Well, don't ask
me to explain it!

I guess you do have
a temper, don't you?

Memphis, Tennessee,
ten years ago.

I spent a little time
in jail, once or twice.

Just overnight, that's all.

What for?

I got in a few fights.

That's what the
lieutenant meant, I guess.

They got hold of my record.

Fights?

Yeah, when I get
to drinking, that's all.

But I quit drinking, Mr. Mason.

I quit all that kind
of stuff years ago.

Except for last night?

Now you listen to me!

I took that bottle from Rennie
and took a couple of belts

'cause I was sore at Rita.

I was fed up with the
things she was doing to Ann.

But that's all, you hear?
That's all there was to it.

Joe, how did it happen you
were taking that car up to the lake?

Wasn't that Rennie's job?

Well, I figured
somebody had to do it.

Rennie told me what the
boss's instructions had been

after the car was loaded.

Then when he didn't
show up the next morning...

How could Rennie have told you

what Mr. Farwell's instructions
were after the car was loaded?

That was after 8:00. You said
Rennie went to the movies at 7.

Oh, for the love of...

So he told me before
the car was loaded.

Maybe he told me at
supper, I don't know.

You're sure haven't seen
Rennie since then, Joe?

Of course I'm sure.

Rennie had nothing to
do with this, you hear me?

That's all there is to it.

Sure looks to me like Joe
took more than a couple of belts.

Oh, I don't know.

Somebody else could
have left these here.

Otherwise, this
room is pretty neat.

This Rennie's room? Uh-huh.

Quite a difference.

Paul, I wonder why Joe Dixon

wants to cover up
for this man Rennie?

Well, maybe he's
covering for himself.

Maybe he asked
Rennie to get lost

so Rennie couldn't
testify against him.

Hmm.

I suppose the police have
an all-out search going.

Heh. All points.

Rennie's the kind of a
guy who'd try to leave town

whether he knows
anything or not.

It's much easier to hide
by staying in one place.

Yeah, sure likes the
movies, doesn't he?

Yes.

This man Rennie certainly
has a favorite here, doesn't he?

Uh-huh. Connie Cole.

Oh, uh, incidentally,
that's from a picture

that's playing now in Reseda.

You know, Paul,

I once handled a case
for Connie Cole's agent.

There's a crazy idea
that just might work.

You see, I'm gonna need Rennie.

Heh. Fine, but how
do you find the guy?

I don't. You do.

You're gonna build a
trap for Rennie, Paul.

I'm going after someone I
hope a little easier to find.

Let's go.

But I can't answer any
questions, Mr. Mason.

And I don't feel well.

I understand.

But you know how much
your mother's hoping

we can get Joe out of this.

But it looks like nobody

can get him out of it.

The newspapers
say his fingerprints...

We've got to try, Ann.

Now, in all the time
you spent at the ranch,

was this man Rennie around?

Rennie?

But I don't know
anything about Rennie.

He's nothing.

Joe wouldn't even
let me talk to him.

That's something
in itself, isn't it?

Now, were there any
people in particular,

who came often to
the ranch with Rita,

people your father
wouldn't know about?

I don't know.

Well, think back, Ann.

You were at the ranch nearly
every afternoon this last week.

I told you.

I don't know.

I can't help Joe.

I want to, but I can't.

I can't.

Hi.

Thought I'd bring
her a transfusion.

She's real shook.

Here you go, Ann.

I'm not hungry.

Real shook.

I'll bring us back some
new records from town.

Kathy, if you're going to
town you'd better hurry.

You still have three hours

to make up in the
kitchen, remember?

Yes, Miss Pennock.

KP.

How do you feel, Ann?

Please leave me alone.

I expect we'd better
let her rest, Mr. Mason.

You can't sympathize
with her too much.

She just goes to pieces.

I wish there was
something I could do for her.

You say her roommate's on KP?

Mm. She was posted
for sneaking out

night before last.

Missing at bed check.

Did you catch her
when she came in?

No.

It's especially
serious with Kathy.

She's 16 and one of
the few girls with a car.

She still won't tell
us where she went.

Thank you, Miss Pennock.

I'm just gonna run into town
and get some new records.

I'll be right back.

So long, kids.
I'll be seeing you.

Kathy.

Kathy, may I ask you a question?

Of course.

Where did you get those boots?

Well, I guess you can
buy them several places.

They are yours,
though? Oh, sure.

See, I... I've got this dewy-eyed
grandmother who's a...

Kathy,

Ann's mother showed
me those boots.

Now, why did Ann
give them to you?

Are the boots
payment for a favor?

Are you covering
up for Ann, perhaps?

Mr. Mason, I know
I ain't oughta be

telling you everything
she can think of and...

Kathy, wasn't Ann the one
who sneaked off the other night?

I promised.

Please don't ask me.

Please.

Of course I taught
her how to drive.

Out of the ranch
is the ideal place

to get her used to the wheel.

But that doesn't
necessarily mean

that she'd climb out of a
dormitory window and...

And go joyriding in
her roommate's car.

You're protesting
too loudly, Mr. Farwell.

Look, I'm not
protesting loudly enough.

Ann's a sick girl.

You've got no right
to cross-examine her.

I wasn't aware that I had.

What do you call it, then?

Mr. Farwell, your
daughter's been

chewing herself
to pieces over this,

and not because I've
been questioning her.

Mr. Mason, I want you...

Yes, Della?

Oh.

All right, hold on a minute.

Will you excuse me, please?

Paul find him?

Yes, Paul?

Perry. Well, we got
Rennie Foster, all right.

In fact, we got half of Reseda.

That was some
stunt you dreamed up.

And now the theater manager
wishes you'd come out here

and help him explain
to his customers

why Connie Cole
never really showed up.

As soon as he put out that
sign, the joint was jammed.

And Rennie
Foster fell for it too.

He joined the crowd.

Only, so did a
couple of Tragg's men.

It looks like
Rennie really wasn't

out at the ranch after 7:00.

Oh, well, he didn't sit
through just one show,

he sat through two
complete double bills.

He gave the ushers a bad
time. They remember him.

And then, after all
the drinking he'd done,

he apparently fell sound asleep.

You mean they had to throw
him out of the theater that night?

No. I mean the manager found him

and woke him up at
10:00 the next morning.

Your would-be witness spent
the entire night of the murder

in a theater.

All right, Paul.

Thanks.

Mason, I really must go now.

But you understand, don't you?

If you wanna talk to Ann again,

you get my permission
first, not the school's.

I've a feeling the next time
I talk to Ann, Mr. Farwell,

will be in court. What
do you mean by that?

I intend to subpoena
your daughter as a witness.

Why, you can't do that.

A young girl in court?
Why, I won't let you.

You should also be warned
that if the district attorney

brings her in court, I
intend to cross-examine her.

I'm trying to find
the truth, Mr. Farwell.

Mister... No matter
who gets hurt.

It'll be too bad if a
girl in her state of mind

has to be brought into court.

Della, don't you
think I realize that?

Under the circumstances,
what would you have me do?

And you say rigor
mortis is usually complete

within ten to 12 hours?

Then, doctor, what is your
opinion on the time of death?

Well, taking in all
the other factors too...

Temperature, p.m.
lividity and so on.

I'd say Miss Conover died

sometime between
10:00 and midnight.

Thank you, doctor. Your witness.

Doctor, you ascribe
Miss Conover's death

to a stab wound
with this paper knife.

How deep was that wound?

Four and a half inches.

Would it have required
a powerful stroke?

Only moderately.

It's a very sharp weapon.

Would it have required
the strength of a man?

Not necessarily.

Now, you mentioned
postmortem lividity.

Was this observable on
both sides of the body?

Yes, in some degree.

But doesn't such
general discoloration

usually indicate that, um,
a body had been moved

a few hours after death,

and then allowed to
settle in a new position?

Yes, but not too
many hours later.

Uh, besides, if the rigor
mortis were complete,

the body could not
have been put in the car.

Exactly.

It's your opinion, then,

that the body was not
put in the car the next day,

nor was it put there
immediately after death.

Now, doctor, in your opinion,
when was that body moved?

I'd say sometime between
two and five hours after death.

In other words, between
the hours of 12 midnight

and 5 in the morning.

So it would seem
that someone returned

to the scene of the crime
in order to move the body.

Thank you,
doctor. That'll be all.

Call Mr. Rennie
Foster to the stand.

Uh, well, she was giving me

some instructions
about how to fix a stirrup,

because I guess I hadn't
done it right the day before.

Uh, I suppose that
was about 5:00.

Was Miss Conover
angry or upset at the time?

No. I mean, not
with me, she wasn't.

But then I get along
with everybody.

I never have no trouble.

Mm-hm.

Was it then, at 5:00, that
you saw the defendant,

Joe Dixon, approaching?

Uh, yes, sir. I mean, he
looked kind of red in the face,

and he said, uh, could
he see her for a minute.

What was Miss Conover's answer?

Well, she slapped him in
the face and she walked away.

Mr. Foster, do you have
any concrete knowledge

as to why she slapped his face?

Uh, well, they'd
been fighting all week.

I know Joe was kind
of sore about the way

she'd been treating
the kid, Ann, over there.

When Miss Conover walked
away, what was Joe Dixon's attitude?

Uh, well, he blew his stack.

He said how Rita was
the world's champion louse.

How he could beat her brains in.

Then he grabbed the
bottle out of my back pocket

and drank half of it,
right then and there.

Joe, I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Your witness.

Mr. Foster, do you always
carry a bottle with you?

No. I... For a man
who drinks so much,

you have a remarkable memory.

Now, how many drinks had you
on that afternoon and evening?

None. I don't drink
when I'm working.

Just carry the bottle with
you for company, is that it?

Now, what was Joe Dixon
wearing? Jeans, I guess.

Was he standing in
the sun or in the shade?

I don't remember...
Was he smoking?

I-I don't know. Did
Miss Conover slap him

with her right hand
or her left hand?

I object, Your Honor, to this
kind of cross-examination.

May it please the court,
prosecution has elicited

some surprisingly detailed
testimony from this witness

not only regarding
a face-slapping,

but regarding
Mr. Farwell's instructions

concerning his car
and other matters.

I agree you have every right

to try to impeach this
witness, Mr. Mason. Proceed.

Yes, Your Honor.

Mr. Foster, were you
ever in trouble with the law?

Well, I...

You implied you were
not drinking that evening,

but haven't you ever been
apprehended for drinking

or perhaps vagrancy, for
causing trouble in some theater?

I must remind you
you're under oath.

Sir, I'm wanted for
manslaughter in Tennessee.

Order. Order.

Your Honor, that's all right,

because I told them everything.

I didn't lie about anything.

When I called the
police headquarters

and asked to see every
available record, why...?

Your Honor, may
it please the court,

but the records that
counsel is referring to

are no part of this case and
he had no right to see them.

The witness has never
been convicted of a felony.

And furthermore,
this last testimony

would not have been proper here,

if the witness hadn't
inadvertently stated

that he'd never had
any trouble with anyone.

The matter, therefore,
is quite immaterial.

I suppose it would be immaterial

to ask if the witness
has been offered

some sort of official immunity

in return for his
willing testimony here?

We resent that, Your Honor.

It must be apparent to counsel

that this witness would
tend to be prejudiced

in behalf of the defendant.

After all, the two
men are stepbrothers.

Or wasn't counsel
aware of that fact, either?

If defense counsel
wishes a recess at this time,

the court will consider it.

Well, Mr. Mason?

No. We'll continue, Your Honor.

I have no further
questions of Mr. Foster.

You may step down.

I'm sorry, Mr. Mason.

But it's just that I've always
tried to protect the kid.

I know I should've told
you he was my stepbrother,

but I never told anybody else.

And with all this
Tennessee stuff...

Rennie's stupid,
Mr. Mason, but he ain't bad.

He had nothing
to do with this...

Call your next
witness, Mr. Prosecutor.

And what time was
that, Mr. Farwell?

I left Miss Conover at
the ranch at 8 p.m. sharp.

What did you do then?

I stopped by the Fernwood
School for Girls for a few moments

to a visit with my
daughter in the car.

Then I drove into
town to my office.

Sometime after midnight,
I went to my club to sleep.

Now, once more,
concerning the next morning:

You arrived at your ranch
at 10:00, is that right?

Yes, yes, it is. I
particularly remember,

because I had to open the gate

for a truck from
the rug cleaners.

Miss Conover was planning, uh,

quite a bit of cleaning
and redecorating

while we were away.

I think that's all,
Mr. Farwell. Thank you.

Mr. Farwell...

about the rug men.

Did they enter
the room with you?

Yes, yes, they did.

They expected to
see Miss Conover.

When I found she was missing,

they asked if they could wait.

Then you stated that after a
while you became concerned

that Joe Dixon wasn't
on the ranch either,

so you finally
called the police,

who had just received the
report of your car being stopped.

Is that all correct?

Yes, yes, it is.

If the, um, rug men hadn't
been there, Mr. Farwell,

would you have called anyone?

Well, I don't understand.
What do you mean?

Or would you have just pretended
to go off toward Las Vegas,

knowing that later you
could go up to Pine Lake

and in secrecy
dispose of the body

which was being delivered
there in your own automobile.

Object, Your Honor.

Sustained. Mr. Mason,
you will confine yourself

to proper cross-examination.

The, uh, police also stated

that an anonymous
call from a farmer

who claimed his car
had been sideswiped,

led to the stopping of your car
and the discovery of the body.

Yet an examination of your car

showed no evidence
of any collision.

Therefore, it must be assumed

that the anonymous call was made

only to induce the
police to search your car.

I'm gonna ask you, Mr. Farwell:

Are you the person who
made that anonymous call?

I certainly am not.

No further questions.

You may step down.

Call your next
witness, Mr. Prosecutor.

Call Wilmer Beaslee, please.

Perry.

Raise your right hand.

Do you promise
to tell the truth,

the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth?

- I do.
- State your name.

- Wilmer Beaslee.
- Be seated, please.

Will you state your
occupation, Mr. Beaslee?

I am a theatrical booking
agent for Memphis.

Tennessee, that is.

Now, have you ever
known the defendant?

Briefly. I tried to avoid
him whenever I could.

Would you state
the circumstances?

It was about 12 years ago.

Mr. Dixon was
married at the time

to a 16-year-old girl
named Georgia Hale.

I think she walked out
on him shortly afterwards.

She was stage-struck,

and she kept hounding
me to get her a job.

Was that how you happened
to meet her husband?

Oh, my, yes. He
didn't like the idea at all.

That man has a terrible temper

when he has a few drinks in him.

Just answer the question.

Did you get Joe Dixon's
wife, Georgia Hale, a job?

Oh, not exactly. I'm afraid
she didn't get much of anywhere

until a couple of years later
when she went to New York,

and changed her
name to Rita Conover.

Thank you.

I hadn't heard from
her in years, Mr. Mason.

And there she was
at the ranch one day.

She had a big car and she
was a little short of money.

She spotted Rennie

and she knew he was
wanted back in Tennessee.

You mean she tried
to get money from you?

Blackmail was better
than alimony any day.

Guess that's why I
always felt so sorry for Ann.

She was the only one
who really saw through Rita.

Knew how conniving
and downright mean

she really was.

Stay with your own story, Joe.

Well, that's about it.

My new boss came
home then. Burt Farwell.

And Rita, she says she's
out looking for real estate,

and then the first
thing you know,

they're going out
to dinner together.

You didn't tell Farwell
who she really was?

How could I?

Rita could put Rennie in
prison, don't you understand?

Because of a tramp like Rennie,

you were going to let
all those people be hurt?

Mr. Mason, once
you start covering,

once you start hiding
things, you can't stop.

I wanted to tell Mr. Farwell
the truth. Honest.

I started to that same
day before she was killed.

Then I didn't and...

Then it was too late.

Is that all of the story, Joe?

That's all of it.

All right, Joe.

Come on, Paul.
We've got work to do.

Call Ann Farwell to the stand.

Ann Farwell to the stand.

I can't.

You've got to.

Ann Farwell, please.

Go on, honey.

What'll I say?

Well, just tell the truth.

Raise your right hand.

Do you solemnly
swear the testimony

you're about to
give will be the truth,

the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth?

I... I do.

State your name.

Ann Farwell.

Be seated, please.

Ann, how long have
you known Joe Dixon?

About a year.

See him often?

Twice a week, sometimes more

when he gives me riding lessons.

You like him, Ann?

Very much.

Ann, did Joe know how you felt

about your father and
mother splitting up?

About your father
marrying Rita Conover?

Yes. We talked
about it all the time.

Did Joe ever tell you
how he felt about it?

He...

He understood,
better than anyone.

Then he didn't
approve of it, either?

No.

Joe...

He knew how much
it was hurting me.

Did he ever threaten
to do anything about it?

I...

I don't remember.

Ann.

You've sworn to tell the truth.

You know you do remember.

Joe didn't kill her.

I know he didn't.

Ann. Please, I...

Ann, I didn't ask
you what you thought

about his guilt or innocence.

I asked you if you
ever heard him,

Joe Dixon, the defendant,

threaten to do something
about your problem.

Please.

I...

Yes.

I guess he did.

When?

The last time was...

the day she was killed.

He was taking me home.

He...

He said there were times

when it was all he
could do to keep from...

From what?

He didn't mean it.

He was just angry.

He said it was all he could
do to keep from what, Ann?

From...

wringing her pretty neck.

Thank you, Ann.

Your witness, counselor.

Ann, you just said that

Joe took you home on
the day of the murder.

I meant to say school.

What time did he
take you to school?

About 2:00 in the afternoon.

And then what?

My mother was waiting for me.

She wanted to take me
home for the weekend.

Did you go?

No.

Why not?

I wanted to be alone.

I felt so awful about
what Daddy was doing.

I just wanted to be alone.

So your mother
left you at school.

Did you see your
father that day?

Yes.

In the evening.

He came by in the car
and we went for a little ride.

You talked?

Yes.

What did you talk about?

Rita.

He said there was no
way of changing anything.

That he and Rita were going
to be married the next day.

Was that the end
of the conversation?

No.

I tried to change his mind,

but it wasn't any use.

So he took me back to the dorm.

Then what did you do?

Then I...

I went to bed.

You stayed in bed?

Yes.

Ann,

are you sure you stayed in bed?

Yes.

Now, Ann...

didn't you leave the dormitory?

Didn't you borrow
your roommate's car

and go back to the
ranch to see Rita?

Yes.

I did.

Why did you do that?

I wanted to talk to her.

I wanted to tell her

what she was doing to my mother.

I wanted to tell her

about how Mother
cried every night

and everything else.

That's all.

I wanted to talk to her.

And then?

I...

I got there.

And I left the car
out on the highway.

And...

And...

And what happened then, Ann?

I can't tell you.

I can't.

I can't.

You'd rather let Joe go to
the gas chamber? Is that it?

No. Is that it?

No.

Order. Order.

I'll declare a
five-minute recess

to let the witness
compose herself.

Ann.

Ann.

Ann.

Oh, Ann.

Ann.

Stop.

Let me talk to you, Ann.

I don't want to talk.

I killed Rita.

I killed her.

No, you didn't. I
can prove you didn't.

I did.

Who are you trying to protect,

your father or your mother?

What...? Come down from there.

Oh, dear God.

You must have seen me there.

Oh, but darling,
I-I didn't kill her.

We quarreled, that's all.

I thought we
could talk sensibly.

And... And then she
lost her temper and...

I saw you run out of the house.

You got in the car
and drove away.

Oh.

And then what did you do, Ann?

I didn't know what to do.

After a while, I went
inside and found Rita dead.

Oh, poor baby.

I sat down and tried
to think for a long time.

Then I called you.

Then that's why you
said you killed her.

To protect your mother.

Oh, Burt.

And that's why you were
willing to let Joe take the blame.

You were protecting Ann.

You were all
protecting each other.

And now that at last
we have that truth,

there's only one person
who could have killed.

Rennie confessed
to the whole thing.

Seems almost proud of it.

I guess he likes to see
his pictures in the papers.

Rennie'd gone too far this time.

Rita was gonna turn
him over to the police.

He'd been drinking
and arguing with her.

When you arrived, he
went into another room.

When you ran out,
he took advantage

of the chance to kill Rita
and have you blamed.

But I thought
Rennie had an alibi.

He did. Just as soon as
he got back to that theater

where he'd been in trouble
with the ushers before.

He found a fire door still
unlatched and got back in,

which isn't too much of a
problem for an old popcorn boy.

Incidentally, he made that
anonymous telephone call,

made it from the theater.

A very grateful stepbrother.

Well, I am so ashamed of myself.

I thought if I kept quiet...

Well, you see, Perry, I
wanted to protect Burt.

I wanted to protect him,

well, just like he
tried to protect Ann.

Yes.

You three are still acting
like a family, aren't you?

Oh, I don't know about that.

But, well, it's like Burt says:

Sometimes it takes a
terrible thing happening

to make you realize

how much you really
care for one another.

Thanks, Joe.