All language subtitles for Perry Mason S04E12 The Case of the Larcenous Lady.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en.CBS

I'll put it to you
bluntly, mayor.

Ever since the death
of Roger Pearson,

the governor has been
looking for a replacement.

To head up the crime commission?

That's right.

Well, that's a very
responsible job.

Sure it is. Oh, thank you.

That's why the governor

hasn't made the appointment yet.

Now it's come down to two men.

You mean I'm one of them?

That's right.

Arnold Webberly's the other.

He's a fine man.
A great attorney.

Yes, he is.

I understand you're friends.

Yes. Good friends.

Although most of his legal
practice is in Los Angeles,

he still lives here in town.

Of course, he has the advantage

of being free to take the job.

I'm still mayor here in Upton.

Well, your term is
up this year, Jim.

This is a once in a
lifetime opportunity.

The job would wait.

Of course, I'm only
the governor's birddog

to sound you out.

The governor still has
to make the decision.

But he wants to know if
you're interested, Henderson.

What do you say?

It's up to you, Jim.

You know I wouldn't interfere.

But it is a big step
up, isn't it, Mr. Carter?

A big step.

Yes, yes, I'm interested.

Good. Good.

Now, why don't you
come along with me?

We'll talk this
thing out. Very well.

The governor wants to
attack the narcotics problem,

juvenile delinquency.

I'll be very happy to
talk with the governor.

It's been a great
pleasure meeting you,

Mrs. Henderson.

We think a great deal of
your husband in Sacramento.

Thank you.

We think a great deal
of him here in Upton too.

Tom?

Our deal's off.
Something's come up.

I'm sorry.

I can't afford to take
any chances now.

My husband's career is at stake.

Yes, Tom?

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

but you can't pull out on me,

I won't stand still for it.

I've got more
than 70,000 dollars

tied up in options.

I'll have to make it up
to you in some other way.

We're going ahead.

Just as soon as the
information I need

reaches the mayor's
office, you're going to

pass it on to me as
per our agreement.

Or I go right to the newspapers

and dump the whole
thing on their front pages.

Make up your mind, Mona.

All right.

But you haven't even paid
me for what I've done so far.

I've got it, 10,000
in cash right here,

waiting for you.

No. I can't come to you.

I'll have to arrange something.

Let me see...

The Highway Hotel on 101.

After you register in your room,

wait for me there.

Or I may send Jim's
secretary, Susan Connolly.

I've have to be
very careful, Tom.

All right. What time?

Well, um...

Make it about half past 1.

- I - know it's an imposition,

Susan, but when I told
Jim I'd do the errand for him,

I completely forgot I
promised I'd be at the club

and on the first tee by 1.

Well, it's no imposition
at all, Mrs. Henderson.

I'm glad to help.

I'll explain to Mr. Henderson.

You said the
Highway Hotel on 101.

Yes, that's right.

Mr. Stratton will be
waiting for you in the lobby.

He'll give you an
envelope for me

and that's all there is to it.

I think it's wonderful
news about Mr. Henderson.

Yes, it is.

Even if he doesn't
get the appointment.

But he will.

I only wish there was something

I could do to help.

Oh, you've been
a tremendous help,

Susan, just being his secretary.

And you are helping
out, right now.

Highway Hotel.

One moment, please.

Yes, ma'am, may I help you?

Yes, I was supposed to
meet a Mr. Stratton here.

Would you have him
paged for me please?

Are you Miss Connolly? Yes.

A message was left to have you

meet Mr. Stratton in his room.

Room 204. Thank you.

Are you Susan Connolly?

Yes, sir.

You'd better sign this
receipt, Miss Connolly.

All right. Right there.

Ten thousand dollars.

Didn't you know what
you were picking up?

Oh, no. I didn't.

You better count
it, Miss Connolly.

I wouldn't want any
misunderstandings.

Well, here it is.

You never saw two
more surprised people.

Who are they, anyway?

Never mind. Whoops.

You did say 100 dollars.

That's right.

One hundred dollars.

Thank you. Thank you.

What are you going to do
with the photograph anyway?

Oh, that 100 dollars
answers all questions, Frank.

I have one question

I've been meaning to
ask you for a long time.

And I've had one answer

I've been meaning to
tell you for a long time.

I don't know how you mean that.

Now you know.

What did you do after
the photograph was taken?

Nothing. I was bewildered.

I still don't understand
what it's all about.

Did you take the money? No.

What about the
receipt you signed?

Oh, no.

Mr. Stratton has it.

Not very smart, Miss Connolly.

But I was confused.

I didn't know what I was doing.

What did you do after
you left the hotel room?

I went back to the office.

I tried to reach
Mr. Henderson and couldn't,

he was with
Mr. Carter somewhere.

Then I tried to get in
touch with Mrs. Henderson.

You said she told you
she had a golf date.

I called the club,

the starter said she didn't
keep her appointment.

Then I just couldn't stand
it any more, Mr. Mason.

I came here to you, for help.

Do you know of any connection

between Mrs. Henderson
and this Thomas Stratton?

No, I...

I didn't even know who he
was until I looked him up.

What'd you found out?

Just that he's a
real estate dealer.

You mentioned
Henderson was seeing

a man by the name of Carter.

Yes, well, that's another thing.

Mr. Henderson's up
for an appointment

to head the governor's
new crime commission.

And if a word of scandal
or anything unethical

were to be connected
with him it would...

It would hurt. Yes.

And you wouldn't want that.

No. Of course not.

Other than what you told me,

did Stratton give you
any clue to all of this?

Well, he did say a
very curious thing.

He said, "I wonder what else

Mona Henderson has to cover up?"

Julia, oh,

you must know about, uh,

the governor's
appointment by now.

Mm-hm. Makes us
sort of competitors

after all these years.

Oh, this is the
putter that won you

the Reno Woman's Open, isn't it?

Mm-hm.

Oh, you played splendidly.

I remember when you went
to Reno for the tournament.

Or was it for the tournament?

What do you mean?

Oh, I remember how
positively brilliant Arnold was

as the attorney in the
Brigham-Putnam civil case,

that was right around the
time you went for tournament,

wasn't it, Julia?
Well, yes, but...

That was his biggest case,

put him right in the big league.

"Noted lawyer unearths
surprise witness."

What are you getting at?

The surprise witness'
name was Buonanova.

A striking-looking man,

hunchback, if I recall.

Mona...

Isn't it odd he
didn't come forward

with his sensational testimony,

until after you had a
little talk with him in Reno.

Are you suggesting I did
something wrong in Reno?

You met Mr. Buonanova in Reno,

on June 14th, last year.

On June 15th, he
appeared in Los Angeles

with sensational
testimony for your husband.

How do you know all this?

I've got evidence.

You're accusing me
of suborning perjury.

That's right. It's not true.

Well, the question is,

since this is such
a delicate period

in your husband's public life,

what will the
newspapers believe?

I've done nothing wrong.

You're twisting the
circumstances around.

Arnold had been looking
for Buonanova for a long time.

I just happened
to see him there.

He had just returned from Europe

and he didn't even know
Arnold was looking for him.

Think it over, Julia.

I'm sure you don't want
the slightest hint of scandal

to touch your husband.

True or not, it will hurt him.

Mona.

Mona, I can't believe this.

We've been such good friends.

What do you want?

I want your husband
to tell William Carter

that he's not interested in
the governor's appointment.

Well, I've got something,

I don't know how
much good it'll do.

First of all, His Honor
Mayor Henderson

hasn't been back in
his office all afternoon.

You know where he's been? No.

Did you speak to
Mr. Stratton? No.

Mona Henderson? No.

But you did say
you have something.

I hope.

If two and two add up right.

The City of Upton
is 27,000 strong,

give or take a few.

During the last 10 years,

the population explosion
has been fourfold.

Fourfold? What does that mean?

It means that at
a special election

the citizens voted in
school and sewer bonds.

And Mr. Stratton?

Has been buying up options
on certain parcels of land.

Has the planning commission
selected sites and so on?

I don't know. What do you think?

It's quite possible
that Mr. Stratton

might have a direct line

right into the planning
commission's office.

Or through Mona Henderson

directly into the
mayor's office.

Getting a picture
of Susan Connolly

in that badger setup
could have been

Mona Henderson's way
of clearing her own skirts,

making it appear
that the defection

came from the mayor's secretary

and not mayor or
the mayor's wife.

Della?

Yes, Perry. Right here.

Della, keep trying
the Henderson home,

would you, please?

I'd like to make an appointment
with Mrs. Henderson,

make it about 8:00.

Oh, hello.

My name is Mason.
I'm an attorney.

I have an appointment
with your wife,

that is, if you're
James Henderson.

Yes, I am. Come along,

I haven't spoken to my
wife in the last few hours.

What was that?

It sounded like a shot.

Mona?

Mona?

Mason.

Mason, my wife...

Mason...?

Yes. She's dead.

If someone was
here in the house,

they must have run
out the back way.

We'd better call the police.

It must...

It must have been...

It must have been who?

Henderson. You were
just going to tell me

who was here, who
have fired that shot.

No.

No, Mr. Mason.

I was going to do no such thing.

Didn't you say we'd
better call the police?

You've got just about
90 seconds to talk to me

before the police
get here, Mr. Mayor.

I have nothing to
talk to you about.

I don't even know
why you're here.

Susan Connolly is why.

I don't understand.

You mean you
haven't spoken to her

since lunchtime? About what?

Ten thousand dollars in cash.

About your wife and
a man named Stratton.

About the governor
appointing someone

as head of the new
crime commission.

I talked to Susan on the phone.

I didn't see her.

And we'll probably
have no further chance

to talk alone.

Once again, Mr. Henderson,

have you any idea of
who killed your wife?

No.

I was home all
evening, Mr. Mason.

I heard about Mrs.
Henderson on the radio.

I called you at 8:30 last night.

Oh, I... I must have
gone out for a paper.

I called you again at
9:00 and again at 9:30.

If you were at home,

why didn't you answer
your telephone?

What kind of car do
you drive, Miss Connolly?

A two-tone hardtop.

Red and grey?

Yes.

I saw your car
at 8:00 last night

in front of the house next
door to the Hendersons.

I heard the shot,

heard someone running
behind the hedge,

out into the street.

I saw your car pull
out and drive away.

What did you do with the
shoes you'd been wearing?

What do you mean?

You left your footprints
on the walkway as you ran.

Why did you kill Mona Henderson?

But I didn't. I didn't.

But you did fired that shot

before you ran out of the house.

Yes. Why?

Because of Mr. Henderson's
appointment to the crime...

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Mason.

I only wanted to help.

The police want to talk to me.

What should I tell them?

I think you'd better
tell them the truth.

All of it?

Everything?

Including the firing,
the shot and the shoes.

Everything.

Susan,

are you in love with him?

He doesn't even know I'm alive.

Oh, hello, Mr. Mason.

Sergeant, I'd like to
see James Henderson.

He's in the study.
You can go on in.

We've finished
our investigation.

Thank you.

I know this tragedy
can be the cause

of some embarrassment
at the capital.

I also know that Arnold Webberly
would make a fine appointee.

Oh. Come in.

Sorry to intrude.

Perry Mason, Julia Webberly.

Mrs. Webberly. How do you do?

William Carter. Mr. Mason.

Mr. Carter, a privilege.

State committeeman, aren't you?

That's right, counselor.

Oh, I've been told what
good personal friends

the Webberly's and the
Hendersons have been,

despite the present rivalry.

Jim, I know how dreadful
this has been for you.

Please, let me know if there's
anything I can do to help.

Thank you, Julia.

I'll run along.

Goodbye, gentlemen.
Mrs. Webberly.

As far as withdrawing,
Henderson,

well, I'd sleep on it a bit.

Of course I haven't
spoken to the governor,

but unless I'm mistaken,

I don't think he's
going to be influenced

unless there's really something
to be influenced about.

All right, I'll think it over.

Good.

Always wanted to
meet you, counselor.

Sorry it had to be like this.

Mr. Carter.

Jim.

Still nothing to tell
me, Mr. Henderson?

Nothing.

What have you told the police?

Just the truth, Mr. Mason.

Now, I have so many
things to take care of.

Yes, of course.

How many years had you
been married, Mr. Henderson?

Oh, about six years.

No children? No.

That's your car, Mr. Henderson?

Oh, no. No. It's Julia Webber...

Webberly's.

I'm looking for something, Jim.

I... I didn't want to
bother you about it,

but I left it here last week.

A glove.

It must be a pretty
important glove.

Do you think Mrs.
Henderson deliberately hid it?

Oh, I'm sorry.

What are you looking
for, Mrs. Webberly?

My glove.

Were you here
looking for it last night?

Or perhaps your husband
came here for the glove.

My husband is in San
Francisco on a case.

He's been there
for several days.

Mrs. Webberly, if you
have nothing to hide,

it's better to be cooperative.

In a courtroom, sometimes,
the wrong impression...

I've nothing to hide.

But you were searching
for something in here.

My glove, Mr. Mason.

That's all.

Just my glove.

I'm sorry, Jim.

Wow, Mrs. Webberly.

Frank, I'll like to talk to you.

Sure.

Isn't it terrible about
Mona Henderson?

Yes.

It's about Mona I'm here.

Just think.

She had an appointment
with me just the other day

for some golf lessons,

wanted to correct her backswing.

Frank, do you remember last year

in Reno when I
won the tournament?

Well, of course I remember.

Well, at the dinner when
they presented the cup...

Oh, wasn't that something?

There's the picture right there.

That girl photographer
did a fine job.

Oh, I'll treasure that
picture as a classic.

All the fanfare of a
trophy presentation,

the only thing missing
was the winner.

Of course, you can be seen

in the background there
talking with someone.

I'd like that picture, Frank.

Of course.

Take it.

I've got some copies.

Copies? Why?

Oh, I'm a sentimental guy.

Not all of my pupils
win golf tournaments.

Well. Thanks for the picture.

Seems to me I remember
that hunchback, Mrs. Webberly.

Didn't he figure
in that civil case

your husband was trying?

Got a sensational verdict

the day after that
picture was taken.

Worth millions in
publicity and money.

Some people could
say it was more than luck

you running into that witness.

Even though you and I both know

it was really innocent.

How's your backswing,
Mrs. Webberly?

Need some lessons?

Do I?

Oh,

about a half dozen
should fix you up all right.

My extra-special ones,
at 1000 dollars a lesson.

I appreciate your reluctance,

Mr. Stratton, but you must...

I did nothing
illegal or unethical.

Mason, what do you want?

How well do you
know Susan Connolly?

Henderson's secretary?

I don't know her well at all.

Had you had any
business dealings with her?

No.

Nothing involving a
large sum of money?

No.

What about Mona Henderson?

What about her?

Business dealings with her?

No.

Mr. Stratton, a
photograph was taken

in room 2O4 at
the Highway Hotel...

There is no photograph
of me in any hotel room.

Excuse me. I'm on my way.

Hello.

Who?

Just a second.

Who are you?

You don't know me, Mr. Stratton,

but I saw you yesterday
with a young woman

named Susan Connolly

in room 204 of
the Highway Hotel.

What do you want?

Well, I happen to
know you were engaged

in a business deal
with Mona Henderson.

Now, I'm not greedy...

I wasn't in any hotel room
with any young woman.

I'm not engaged in
any deal with anyone,

and nobody's gonna blackmail me.

Do you understand,
fellow? Nobody.

That's too bad.

Along with you,
it's the Connolly girl

who's gonna be hurt, Stratton.

The district attorney's
office, please.

State will prove that Susan
Connolly, the defendant,

did use the good
offices of her employer,

Mayor James Henderson,

to obtain classified
information,

to dispose of same
for illegal profit.

And did coerce, blackmail
is a more appropriate word,

lie, cheat and steal,

and when discovered
at her nefarious practices

by the deceased, Mona Henderson,

did murder her without
pity of compunction.

Arnold Webberly.

You can adjudge me a
hostile witness all you like,

I categorically deny I
had any business dealings

with the mayor, James
Henderson, or his wife.

What about the mayor's
secretary, Susan Connolly?

Or with her.

Now, isn't it true that you
met with the defendant

in a hotel room at
the Highway Hotel

for the purpose of
giving her 10,000 dollars

in exchange for
confidential information

relating to the land sites

selected for civic development?

No.

Did you purchase
options to buy certain lots

and rights of ways

as enumerated here
on these locations?

Yes. I do have options on them.

Fourteen of them.

All 14 of them were recommended

by the Planning Commission.

And from this group
four will be purchased.

Don't you think it's
strange, Mr. Stratton,

that you have options
on all 14 locations?

No.

Real estate's my
business. I'm good at it.

Besides, that's what I went

to see Henderson
about that night.

To make a deal to save
the city some money

since I owned all the options.

What night was this?

The Wednesday Mrs.
Henderson was killed.

And what time was that?

About 7:00.

And did you see Mr. Henderson?

No. He wasn't home.
Was anybody at home?

Mrs. Henderson.

But I only stayed
there a few minutes.

Mrs. Henderson
didn't know what time

the mayor would arrive,

and she was expecting
someone any minute.

Was she?

At approximately
7:00 on the evening

of March 22nd, the
evening of her murder,

she expected a visitor?

Did she say who, Mr. Stratton?

Miss Connolly, Susan Connolly.

Thank you. Cross examine.

This deal you spoke
of, Mr. Stratton...

now, uh, why would you
have made a deal with the city

when you held all the lots?

Wouldn't the city
have to come to you?

I just wanted to
expedite the whole thing.

Directly with the mayor?

Weren't there other agencies
of the civic government

that would've
taken care of that?

I thought the mayor could
set the wheels in motion.

Why would you go to his home?

Not to his office?

I wanted to make
sure I'd see him.

Then you called the mayor
before going to his home.

No.

Why not?

I just assumed he'd be there.

I suggest, Mr. Stratton
that you went

to the mayor's
home not to see him,

but to see his wife,
Mona Henderson.

No, what would I
want to see her for?

A photograph. Isn't it true
that you were photographed

in a hotel room in the midst
of what would be interpreted

as an illegal payoff?

I said it before,

there is no photograph
of me in any hotel room.

What happened to the
photograph, Mr. Stratton?

Did you buy it
from the deceased?

Did you destroyed it?

No.

Did you killed for
it, Mr. Stratton?

No.

That's all.

Yes, sir, I knew Mrs. Henderson.

Please tell the
court what happened

on the morning of March 22nd?

Well, she came to my cottage.

She was all upset.

She said she'd just found out
that her husband's secretary

had been selling
some information

to a real estate dealer.

And why did Mrs.
Henderson tell this to you?

Well, she was worried
about the mayor's reputation,

he was up for some
kind of an appointment,

and she said she'd
just overhead something

in the office about a date
that Miss Connolly had made

with this Stratton at
the Highway Hotel.

Go on, Mr. Sykes.

Well, she knew I took pictures
of some of the golfing events

and wanted me to get a
photograph of the meeting,

to get the proof
on Susan Connolly.

I show you this photograph,

and ask if you can identify it.

Yes, sir. That's the
picture I took all right.

That's Susan Connolly
and that's Thomas Stratton.

I ask this photograph be
marked State's Exhibit G.

Mr. Mason?

No objection, Your Honor.

Now, Mr. Sykes,

what else did the
decedent say to you?

She said she'd found
out that Susan Connolly

was in love with her husband

and was blackmailing
Mrs. Webberly.

Now, how could the defendant

blackmail Mrs. Webberly?

Well, I'll have to
explain the background.

Go right ahead.

Ah, Mrs. Webberly won

a woman's golf tournament
in Reno last year.

At the presentation dinner,

she happened to
catch sight of a man

that her husband
needed as a witness

in a civil case in Los Angeles.

It was just a lucky accident.

She excused herself
and went to plead

with this fellow to
help her husband.

At that moment,
one of those girls

in short skirts took
a picture at the table.

In back of us Mrs. Webberly
was talking with this fellow.

And as a memento
of this tournament,

did you keep one
of the pictures?

Yes. Along with a lot of others,

that I keep on my
wall, in the living room.

I see. Go on, Mr. Sykes.

Well, that witness
turned up in Los Angeles

the very next day

and helped Mrs. Webberly's
husband win a handsome verdict.

And that's why she
came to me on that day.

Would you please
explain that, Mr. Sykes?

She said she'd been
approached by Susan Connolly,

who told her the picture
could be interpreted

as suborning perjury...

You know, buying
false testimony.

And unless her
husband declared himself

unavailable as head of
the new crime commission,

she would send a copy
of the picture to the papers.

Object, Your Honor.

Most of this testimony
is been pure hearsay.

I have refrained from objecting

because I wanted to hear
the extent of the testimony,

but I now ask that it be
stricken from the record,

I further ask that the
court to admonished

the district attorney

and assign the
question to misconduct.

I agree.

Objection sustained.

The answer will be stricken.

I'd like to ask Mr. Thorne

why he is not
presenting best evidence.

We are trying to reach
Mrs. Webberly, Your Honor.

This evidence only
came to our attention

an hour before court
convened this morning.

If the court please,

I am asking this witness to
recount what Mrs. Webberly

told him only for the purpose
of showing background.

I will stipulate that
this present testimony

will go only to the state
of mind of Mr. Sykes

at that time and will
not be held as evidence

of actions on the part of
Susan Connolly, the defendant.

I will, promise
the court however

that we intend to put
Mrs. Webberly on the stand

to prove the
conversation at firsthand.

We are now finished
with this witness.

Since this is a hearing
addressed entirely

to the discretion of the court,

I will refrain from ruling
on the motion to strike

until Mrs. Webberly has
been placed on the stand.

Cross examine, Mr. Mason.

Under the circumstances,
I would like to defer

my cross examination
of this witness

until Mrs. Webberly
has testified, Your Honor.

Unless I there is
vigorous opposition

from the district attorney,

I will permit this
unusual procedure.

No opposition at
all, Your Honor.

You may step down.

Call your next witness.

Sergeant Ralph
Reynolds to the stand.

Defendant's
fingerprints were found

on the sill of the
service room window

and on the windowpane itself.

Now, I show you this revolver

and ask if you can identify it.

Yes. It's the murder weapon,

registered to James
M. Henderson.

It was found in the murder room.

Now this box of cartridges.

.32's for the revolver.

We found it in a drawer
in the murder room.

Defense will stipulate
the fatal bullet

came from that
box of cartridges.

Now I show you these moulages

and ask if you
can identify them.

Defense will further
stipulate the defendant

was at the scene of the murder.

Then I have no more questions.

Your witness.

Sergeant,

the revolver holds
how many cartridges?

Six.

How many unexploded
cartridges were in the gun?

There were five
unexploded cartridges

and one empty cartridge case.

There seems to be
seven cartridges missing

from this new box.

Perhaps, uh,

two bullets were
fired from the gun.

Well, only one was found.

Perhaps after the
first bullet was fired,

the revolver was reloaded.

We found only one
bullet in deceased's body.

There is a window
in the murder room

that looks onto the
rear of the house,

is there not, Sergeant? Yes.

A shot could have
been fired from the gun

out through that
window, could it not?

Well, yes, I suppose.

Thank you sergeant,
That will be all.

James Henderson to the stand.

You swear to tell the truth,

the whole truth and
nothing but the truth?

I Do. - State your name.

James Henderson. Be seated.

I call your attention,
Mr. Henderson,

to the evening of
Wednesday, March 22nd.

Yes, sir?

Please tell the
court what transpired

when you arrived at about 8:00,

approximately the same
time as Perry Mason,

the defense attorney.

I was about to
open my front door

when I heard something
that sounded like a shot

from inside of the house.

What did you do?

I went inside.

Mason stayed at the front door.

I found my wife in the study,

dead.

I went back for Mason.

Are you familiar with

your secretary's
automobile, Mr. Henderson?

Yes.

I ask if you noticed anything

in the front of your home
on the street at that moment?

Mr. Henderson, you
will answer the question.

Yes.

What did you see?

A car driving away.

Did you recognize the car?

Yes.

It was Susan's.

Did you know Miss Connolly
would be at your home?

No.

Had you reason to believe
she would be at your home?

Now, I have refrained from
indulging in legal theatrics,

I could put the defense
attorney himself on the stand

to corroborate all the
evidence surrounding

this particular time of
evening at your home,

but this evidence
has been educed

for the court without it.

Now I ask you, Mr. Henderson,

did you have reason to
believe your secretary,

Susan Connolly,
would be at your home?

Yes, yes, she...

She phoned me.

She told me she
was going to be there.

Hi, Perry.

He went into his house
about 45 minutes ago.

What about the police?

Well, Sergeant
Reynolds's been in there

for about five minutes now.

Ah, wait a minute,
he's just coming out,

which probably means that
Julia Webberly is not there.

But Arnold Webberly is.

Oh, no. You stay right
where you are, Paul.

We need Julia Webberly.

All right, Perry.

No sign of her yet.

Perry, if we do
get her to testify,

she'll prove Frank
Sykes is lying, won't she?

And that would mean
that it wasn't Susan

who did the
blackmailing, it was Mona.

That's where Sykes
has been so clever, Della.

He's given Webberly
a clean bill of health.

He's said to Julia in effect,
"Here I've cleared you,

"I've established the innocence
of that meeting in Reno,

now you've got to back
me up on the story I told."

So all Julia has to do

is go along with Sykes's story

and her husband will
probably get the appointment.

It's my guess that right
now she's making a decision.

One way or the other,

we'll find out
what it is in court.

I'd like a complete picture

of what happened, Mr. Henderson.

You said the defendant told
you she was going to your home.

Yes, she did.

When and how did she tell you?

At about a 7:15.

On the phone.

Where were you at the time?

In my office.

After the call, what did you do?

I finished up some work

and went home, met you there.

That revolver shot
we both heard.

Did you suspect that it
was Susan who fired it?

Let me hypothesize,
Mr. Henderson.

How long does it
take you to drive

from your office to your home?

Um, about ten minutes.

Takes Miss Connolly about, uh,

a half an hour from her place.

What does that mean?

Well, hadn't she told
you what really happened

concerning Mrs.
Stratton, your wife,

and the hotel room?

Yes. She had.

You then realized your own wife

had deceived you.

Now, isn't it possible that

when Mrs. Connolly
arrived at your home

and found your wife dead,
she jumped to the conclusion

that you'd killed her?

And isn't that why,

when she saw
us at the front door

she fired a shot to
confuse the issue,

to protect you,

to cover you with an alibi?

No further questions.

She must've been
there all the time, Perry.

She and her husband
came out together.

Call your next witness.

Your Honor, the
prosecution rests its case.

We have proved the
murder was committed

and we have established
the grave probability

that it was perpetrated
by the defendant.

We therefore ask
Miss Susan Connolly

be bound over for trial by jury.

Mr. Mason?

Well, Your Honor, it
was my understanding

that the prosecution
was going to put

Julia Webberly on the stand.

The prosecution feels
its case is concluded.

But, Your Honor... JUDGE:
Just a moment, Mr. Mason.

Now, Mr. Thorne,

you will call Mrs. Julia
Webberly to the stand.

I recall your promise
to produce her.

Your Honor, we are
not prepared at this time

to examine Mrs. Webberly.

I'm not inclined to argue
with you, Mr. Thorne.

I want Mrs. Julia
Webberly on the stand

and I want the defense
to have the opportunity

to cross-examine her.

If you make no
direct examination,

I will permit the cross
the greatest latitude.

Now what do you say, Mr. Thorne?

The prosecution does not wish

to examine Mrs.
Webberly at this time.

Julia Webberly,
come to the stand.

Swear the witness in.

Do you swear to tell the truth,

the whole truth and
nothing but the truth?

I was frightened.

If the newspapers printed
the story, true or not,

I felt I could never
convince anyone

that it was all innocent
and aboveboard and...

Well, at the time, anyway,

just a happy coincidence.

And then my husband told me

what Frank Sykes said
in court this morning

and I realized that Frank
was giving me a chance

to make sure of the governor's
appointment for Arnold.

All I'd have to do was
corroborate the story.

It was very tempting.

But it was a lie, Mr. Mason.

There wasn't a word of truth
in Frank Sykes' testimony.

Then it wasn't Susan Connolly

who blackmailed you with
the photograph, Mrs. Webberly?

No.

It was Mona Henderson first.

And second?

Frank Sykes.

You understand,
the blackmail this time

was purely for money.

Six thousand dollars.

Thank you, Mrs. Webberly.

That'll be all.

Now, Your Honor,

I would like to
cross-examine Frank Sykes

as stipulated this morning.

Frank Sykes to the stand.

I will remind you, Mr. Sykes,

you're still under oath.

Well, you can't hang a guy

for trying to make
a living, can you?

The truth is then, is that
it was Mona Henderson,

and not the defendant,
who had this illegal

deal with Thomas Stratton?

Well, you'll have to ask
Stratton about that yourself.

Well, I intend to.

How did Mona Henderson
get the photograph

of Julia Webberly and Buonanova?

She saw it in my room.

Took it right off
from under my nose.

How did you find out
about it, Mr. Sykes?

Well, I got a call
from Mrs. Webberly.

About the photograph?

That's right. She
was pretty upset.

What time was that call?

It was that evening,
about, oh, 6:00, I guess.

And at that time
it occurred to you

that this photograph could be

an instrument for blackmail?

Right, yes it did.

Kind of late.

I could never put
two and two together,

like Mona Henderson.

After Mrs. Webberly spoke
to you, what did you do?

Ah, what was there to do?

I would think you might
have tried to find out

what Mona Henderson
had seen in this photograph,

what it was about it that
upset Mrs. Webberly so much.

Well, I did phone Mona.

And she told you

what you wanted to
know on the telephone?

That's right.

Then you went to see her.

No.

Then how did you get
this photograph back?

You did get it
back, did you not?

You showed it to
Mrs. Webberly later on.

Yes, that's right. Uh, uh...

I got the photograph
back the next morning.

At the Henderson's
home? That's right.

But I was at the Henderson home

the next morning, Mr. Sykes.

So were the police.
Now, how could you...?

I guess it was the
same afternoon then,

and I just don't recall exactly.

But it couldn't have
been that same afternoon.

You testified you
first heard about it

when Mrs. Webberly called you,

about 6:00 that evening.

So it must've been
after 6:00 that evening

when you called Mona Henderson.

Yes. I guess it was.

And it must have
been close to 7:00

when you arrived at
the Henderson home.

I don't know the exact time.

Well, was probably

between 7:00 and 7:45,

because at a 7:45
you had already left

and Mrs. Henderson
had already been shot.

Now, it was between
7:00 and 7:45,

was it not, Mr. Sykes?

What happened during that time?

Nothing happened.

I asked for the photograph
back and she gave it to me.

And she just handed the
photograph over to you?

Just like that. What
else could she do?

Oh, any number of things.

She could have laughed
at you, for instance.

Laugh? No, she didn't
laugh. She could have told you

to go peddle your golf lessons.

She could have said no
to your blackmail demands,

sending your dreams
of getting your hands

on a lot of money
right out the window.

And what did she
say to you, Mr. Sykes?

She got angry.

She threatened you?

She tried to shoot me.

She went for the gun
and I grabbed it from her.

And it went off.

She just stood there looking
at me with the queerest look

not believing it, if
you know what I mean,

not believing that
I'd really shoot her.

Rotten luck.

Everything was going fine.

It's rotten luck.

I've told Carter

I'm not available
for the appointment

and I think the governor
couldn't do better

than Arnold Webberly.

Was a brave thing
you did, Susan.

Even if it was illegal.

She will have to face
charges, won't she, Mr. Mason?

Carter indicated he would
use whatever influence he has

to get the court to
grant Susan probation.

That, uh...

That gun...

How did it get in to your
home, Mr. Henderson?

Oh, I brought it home.

From the office.

And the box of cartridges too.

Certainly had me
guessing for a while.

You thought that I killed Mona?

The details fit so well.

Any plans, Susan?

Not for a while.

Mr. Henderson?

Oh, my job is waiting for me.

And speaking of jobs,

thank you so much.

Mayor Henderson.

Thank you, Mr. Mason.

Susan. Good bye.

Good bye. Good bye.

Good luck.

What about us?

Plans? I've got some.

I'm not talking about our jobs.

I am.

Here. Take a note.

New French restaurant,
just opened up,

specializes in rack
of lamb, mint sauce,

lyonnaise potatoes...

crêpes suzette.

Mm?