All language subtitles for Perry Mason S04E18 The Case of the Angry Dead Man.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en.CBS

This is all we
were able to find.

That's not going to help, Eve.

We're bringing in floodlights.

And we're going to
continue searching.

The only problem is that this
lake is so full of sunken logs.

Oh, go. Go away,
please. Go away.

Hey, what was all that
stuff about the floodlights?

What do you do, tell a woman

we've never fished
anybody out of that lake?

Tell her hot dog, she just saved
the expense of a fancy funeral.

First thing in the morning,
you can explain to her

how dead he is.

I'm dead.

Yes.

Now I'm dead.

All right, Helen.

If you'll sign these
checks, Mr. Castle,

I'll get them out today.

You know I can't cover these.

I-I've postdated
them, Mr. Castle.

What's my balance?

Precarious.

Sign them tomorrow.

Was the contract in
there, Mr. Castle? Huh?

Your agreement with Mr. Nesbitt.

I thought maybe he
remembered to mail it to you

before he went
fishing yesterday.

No, no. It's not here.

Maybe he didn't even
remember to sign it.

In that case your
partnership with him

is technically not dissolved,
so you don't owe his widow

$10,000 in payment, so...

All right, all right, Ben,
I'm aware of all that.

Now, will you get out of here?

Oh, uh, which reminds me:

Should I order some
flowers sent to Eve Nesbitt?

The firm could
afford a small wreath.

I don't know why I tolerate you.

Sure you do, Mr. Castle.

You tolerate me because
I'm a good company man.

And a good company man
knows everything that goes on.

Everything.

What's Ben giggling about?

Oh, there's the mail.
Lloyd, is it in there?

No, it's not. What do
you suppose happened?

Do you think he might not
have signed the agreement?

Who knows. I sent him
all the copies weeks ago.

Probably it's just lying around
his desk at home someplace.

If anything important comes up,

where can I say
you can be reached?

I can't be.

What are you going to do, Eve?
Start a Willard Nesbitt museum?

I don't understand you.

Didn't you have any
feeling for your daddy?

Oh, he was some
daddy, sure enough.

He loved you, Bruce.

Sure.

That's why he
divorced my mother.

Stop squeezing that ball.

It's good for the arm.

Anyway, who needed him?

I'm big enough to take
care of myself, now.

Wouldn't you say?

I really have no
opinion about that.

Aw, I'm not criticizing
the guy, Eve-y.

I'm envying him.

When I'm past 50, I'd sure like

a nice Georgia peach to
come rolling into my lap.

I loved your father dearly.

Sure you did.

And there's nothing like
a big fat insurance policy

to keep his precious
memory alive.

You are a vicious boy.

I remember what the
insurance man said:

"Double indemnity

"in case of accidental
death, Mr. Nesbitt.

Now won't that be a
comfort for your widow?"

A $100,000 worth of comfort.

Oh.

You're vile!

Eve.

Is that the way to talk to a
boy who's just been orphaned?

And in looking through some of
my husband's correspondence,

I came across your
name, Mr. Mason.

Willard Nesbitt.

The oil lease contract,
Perry. Year before last.

Oh, yes. Of course.

Didn't I read something in the
newspapers about an accident?

Yes. My husband was
drowned almost two months ago.

I'm very sorry, Mrs. Nesbitt.

Now, how can I help you?

Well, I'm really not
sure, Mr. Mason.

You see, back in Georgia,
where I was raised,

it was considered
vulgar for a woman

to know too much
about business matters.

So I-I'm kind of stupid
when it comes to money.

But I can read a bank statement.

And, to be perfectly frank,
Mr. Mason, I am without funds.

No insurance?

Oh, yes, Willard took out a...

I believe you called it a
double indemnity policy.

And I'm to get $100,000.

What's holding it up?

Well, I don't know.

The insurance company
told me I'd get my money

as soon as they concluded
their investigation.

Aren't there any assets in
your husband's company

that you could draw on?

Well, that's what I'm
getting at, Mr. Mason.

I'm not so sure it is my
husband's company any more.

You see, my husband
had a business partner.

Mr. Lloyd Castle.

A... And for several
months before he died,

they were discussing
a separation.

Was this a new business
your husband was in?

No, no, the same as when
you knew him, I suppose.

Investment properties.
Oil and mining properties.

Were the assets to
be divided equally?

No, I don't think so.

Uh, Mr. Castle was supposed
to buy my husband out

for $10,000.

Now, if he did that,

wouldn't that money be mine?

If that was the agreement, yes.

Oh.

Well, I've been trying to
get Mr. Castle on the phone

and his secretary keeps
telling me he's out of town.

I don't know whether he's
trying to avoid me or not.

But, uh, I think I need
a lawyer, Mr. Mason,

wouldn't you say so?

Yes, I'd say so.

Della, let's see if we can make
an appointment with Mr. Castle.

Heh. Well, let's put it
this way, Mr. Mason,

we might not be the luckiest
mining speculators in America,

but we're among the poorest.

I gathered you'd
had a little bad luck,

from what Mrs. Nesbitt told me.

However, there seems
to be some question

about a dissolution
of partnership.

Jenny, let me have this
contracts in my briefcase,

will you? Well, there's
really no question, Mr. Mason.

Of course I've been
out of town a good deal.

So Eve Nesbitt might have
misunderstood a great deal.

Mr. Castle, my sole
interest is in whether or not

you and your partner
reached an agreement.

Oh, thank you. Yes. Here we are.

We agreed to dissolve
the partnership, Mr. Mason.

We drew up this contract,

it's just a simple
statement of terms.

I see.

Willard signed them
just a couple of days

before he was drowned.

Wasn't there to have been
a payment of some sort?

I have the check
right here, Mr. Castle.

Thank you, Jenny.
Yes, there we are.

Drawn to Eve Nesbitt according
to the terms of the agreement.

In the amount of $10,000.

Now, Mr. Mason, you said you
were concerned about something.

What was it?

Nothing, I guess.

I'm sure, she'll
appreciate the money.

Thank you, Mr. Castle.
Miss Bartlett.

Goodbye, Mr. Mason. Mr. Mason.

Jenny. Jenny, we've done it.

Oh, we have? Have we?

What's the matter?
Our ship has come in.

Wait till you see the assays
on that Mesa property.

And wait till the
royalties start rolling in.

Jenny, will you marry me?

Do you mean it this time?

My only trouble has
been an empty wallet.

But that's all over. Forever.

That 10,000 of yours
is going to blossom

into a cool half
million dollars.

And not one penny of
it will go to Eve Nesbitt.

Half a million dollars?

That's what that Mesa
property is going to be worth

in a couple of weeks.

Oh, faithful partner.

You didn't die a
minute too soon.

"Mesa Mine A Mint."

When you finish in the
lobby, Joe, take a look at 203.

We've got a reservation
coming in at noon.

Joe, you hear me?

Oh, sure, Mr. Anderson.

I'm going into town
to pick up the linens.

Grab the phone if it rings.

Sure.

"Mr. Castle, a speculator
in oil and mining properties

"took an option on ten acres
of hill country in Mesa, Nevada.

"It proved to be
more than scrub land.

"A rich vein of gold was
tapped, and experts estimate

"that Mr. Castle will
clear half a million dollars

in the next year."

Operator. Information.

I'd like to have the telephone
number of Mr. Perry Mason.

He's an attorney in Los Angeles.

Perry Mason's office.

No, I'm sorry, he
isn't in right now.

Uh, who is calling, please?

Uh, Harry Brown.

Well, perhaps I could
help you, Mr. Brown.

Well, yes, perhaps you can.

I... I'm an investigator for the
Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Uh, we understand that
Mr. Mason represents

a Mrs. Willard Nesbitt?

That's right.

Well, she apparently owns,
or we assume she still owns,

a part of the Nesbitt
& Castle Company.

I-Is that correct?

Uh, well just what is
this in reference to?

Well, in checking over Mrs.
Nesbitt's projected income

for next year, we see that
she has neglected to include

her royalties for the
Mesa mine properties.

Mr. Mason is her attorney,

not her accountant, Mr. Brown.

But he handled the
negotiations for Mrs. Nesbitt.

He would know if...

I'm sorry, we can't
give that information out

over the phone.

Now, if you could come
in to the office perhaps...

Well!

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Operator. I want to
call Dunkirk 20799.

Hello.

Then I called the Bureau
of Internal Revenue,

just before they
closed last night.

They don't a Harry
Brown working for them,

not as an investigator.

And you didn't
recognize his voice?

No. But it sounded
sort of muffled.

You know, like maybe he put
something over the mouth piece

to disguise it.

I wonder if it would have
something to do with that.

Yes, I think it could be, Della.

You'd better get Eve
Nesbitt on the phone.

Uh, no. She's not
here, Mr. Mason.

Well, I'm not her watchdog.
But you might try the lake cottage.

Yeah, she went out there
in a big lather last night.

Yeah, about 9:00
she got a phone call.

I didn't pay any attention,
I was watching television.

Only I heard her give
out with one of those

silly squeals of hers and., uh,

then she grabbed her old coat.

Well, no, she didn't
say anything to me,

but I mean, I figured since
she took that coat, she...

I mean look, Mr. Mason,
she still isn't back,

so where else would she be?

What can I do for you, mister?

My name is Mason, I'm
Mrs. Nesbitt's attorney.

What's happened?

How long has he been dead?

Well, I'm as confused
as you are, mister.

I thought Mr. Nesbitt had
been dead for over eight weeks,

but right now I'd say it
was closer to eight hours.

A bunch of college boys
came up late last night,

about midnight. They
camped right down there,

built up a big fire.
They found the body?

First thing this morning they
went out for some early fishing.

Spotted Nesbitt in the
shallow water there.

The ambulance men
say he'd been shot.

The way I figure,

this Nesbitt faked an
accident up here once before.

Maybe to collect his own
insurance. Who knows?

Anyway, the next time he
shows in this neighborhood,

somebody spotted him and
decided to make the accident real,

that's all.

Only, why would the
murderer tie the weight

to just one of
Mr. Nesbitt's legs

and then drop the body
off in shallow water?

Were those other
weights and wire

still there in the
boat this morning?

Mr. Mason, I'm
telling you all I can,

because I think the little
lady in that house up there

will be needing your help.

She's a sorrowful little thing.

I appreciate it, officer.

Now, it's your idea that the
college boys building their fire

interrupted the murderer, right?

If so, the killing must have
occurred around midnight

or just before.

Can you also tell me who
the sheriff's office feels

might have been near
the house at that time?

Her. Just her.

On my word of honor,
Mr. Mason, I don't know.

I just don't know.

See, ever since my
husband disappeared,

I believed he was dead.

I believed it until he called
me on the phone last night.

Can't you recall
anything he said to you,

beside the fact that he
wanted to see you here?

Mr. Mason,

my... My blood
just froze up in me.

It was all I could do
to keep from fainting.

Yes.

Yes, I remember he kept
saying, we'd been cheated.

And then he hung up.

Did he say he'd spoken
with anyone else?

No.

We can have Paul check
the telephone company.

What time did you get
out here, Mrs. Nesbitt?

I got the call about, uh...

About 9, and, uh,

I guess I came
here around 10:15.

And I found the lights on,

only there wasn't anybody here.

So I didn't know what to do.
I just sat down and I waited.

And I waited.

Would you like some
more coffee, Eve?

No.

I just got to stop this bawling.

Well, anyway,

I-I didn't know what
to do, so I waited

and I must have fallen
asleep about midnight.

And the next thing I knew

there was a knock on the door,

and it was daylight

and that nice policeman

came in and told me they'd
found my darling in the lake.

And that he'd been shot.

We'll be back
later, Mrs. Nesbitt.

Now, please don't...
Please don't worry.

Goodbye, Eve.

Della, may I see those
notes you just made?

Shorthand?

I can have them typed
up in just a few minutes.

And I'll like a copy of the
Castle-Nesbitt contract.

The one dissolving
their partnership.

I think it was signed on
the 15th as I remember.

Mm-hm.

That was just two days
before Mr. Nesbitt disappeared.

Perry, what on earth...?
That's the point, Della.

Just occurred to me that
Mr. Nesbitt must have signed

that contract out
at the cottage.

And he likely used
the pen on his desk.

The same one you
used to write these notes.

Mm-hm.

What do you think?

It's not quite the same, is it?

Uh, the ink, I mean.

Of course there could have
been over a dozen pens out there.

Hi, Perry, Della.

Well, Paul?

The phone company
was most cooperative.

Nesbitt made two calls
from the cottage last night.

The first one at five minutes
after 9, was to Dunkirk 20799.

That's Mr. Nesbitt's
apartment phone.

Mm-hm. And the second one,

a few minutes later
was to Dickens 51345.

Which is an answering service.

And the call was
to Mr. Ben Otis.

Look here, Mr. Mason, I
was very fond of Will Nesbitt.

He was an old and good friend.

When I lost my job, he
brought me into this office.

But I certainly had no part
of what happened last night.

Mr. Nesbitt trusted you a
good deal, though, I take it.

How does one measure trust?

By a telephone call.

Oh. So that's it.

Yes. Last night, Willard
Nesbitt called you,

not Lloyd Castle.

He called the answering service.

The service that this
firm subscribes to.

Did anyone else
know of the call?

Well anyone checking the
service could have got the message.

Mr. Castle. Miss Bartlett.

All right, Mr. Otis. Thank you.

Mr. Castle is quite busy, the
police were here all morning.

I'll take only a few minutes.

Now, look here, I checked with
the answering service last night

and learned of Nesbitt's call.

Is that what you want to know?

Because as I told the police,
I did not go out to the cottage.

We were too worried to know

whether it was a
crank call or not.

Well, didn't you try to
check by calling back?

Yes, we did. There was
no answer, so we ignored it.

What time did you
call the cottage?

Oh, ten after 10 or
so. Anything else?

Yes, I'm really here

to pick up some of
Mr. Nesbitt's files.

Oh, what for?

Well, I'm Mrs.
Nesbitt's attorney,

I'd just like to
examine his records.

Well, they go back
for quite a few years.

I'll settle for his
contract files.

Mr. Mason, what is it
you're really looking for?

I want to run down every
possible lead, that's all.

But I don't see why you
need... Nonsense, Jenny.

Mr. Mason has every right.

Yes, here we are.

Nesbitt's files.

Take your choice. I
hope they help you.

Thank you, Mr. Castle.

I'm sure they will.

Mmm.

What's the verdict,
Professor Laiken?

It's a real beauty.

But a forgery?

Well, I'm assuming that it is.

I don't want assumptions.

Heh. Now look here,

when the great Perry
Mason assumes it's a forgery,

who am I to say no?

But is it or is it not?

I don't know whether I
can be absolutely certain

about this or not.

The signatures are identical.

The pressure of
the strokes similar.

If it's tracing, it's
an excellent job.

It has to be a forgery.

Nesbitt originally must
have faked his death

in order to give his wife
the benefit of his insurance.

But why would he then jeopardize
everything he just set up?

He must have read
about the Mesa mine,

discovered that his
wife was being cheated...

But how can you be
sure that Nesbitt's wife

was telling the truth?

Maybe she was in the
whole thing with him.

Perry, if you put
me on the stand,

I'll say that this very
likely is a forgery.

It definitely lacks
the smoothness

of the other signatures.

But another expert
might argue the case

and then your house
of cards would tumble.

On the other hand if you could
get me one more copy of this,

if I just had something
more for comparison...

Hello?

Oh, yeah. For you, Perry.

Thank you. Hello?

Perry, Paul located that motel.

The one where Mr. Nesbitt had
been living the past few weeks.

He's on his way over there now

and thought you
might like to join him.

Perry. This is Mr. Anderson.

He, uh, manages the place.

Well, I own it, that's all.

I don't do much real
managing. How do, Mr. Mason?

Hello, Mr. Anderson.

I got a woman keeps a
little closer eye on things.

But Fanny appears
to be out somewheres.

I just wish I knew more
answers to help you.

Are you sure it was Willard
Nesbitt who lived here?

Mm-hm.

I gave him a room

in return for a few odd
jobs around the place.

He called himself Joe Smith.

Uh. Here's my notes so
far. Take a look at this.

"He expected to die"?

"Livin' on eggshells,
on borrowed time,"

that's how he put it.

See, I only really
talked to him this once.

I'd brought in a
few cans of beer

and he kind of
relaxed that night,

seemed to want
somebody to gab with.

Nesbitt said that he'd
seen several doctors,

just a few weeks before.
And they all agreed

that he'd either have
to live like an invalid

or take his chances
on falling over dead fast.

His wife mentioned that
he hadn't been feeling well

but she certainly didn't
know anything about this.

He didn't talk to
me about any wife.

Just some young girl named Eve.

Sure seemed crazy
about her, though.

Some young girl?

Might explain quite a bit.

Why a man would
decide to run away,

try and let her cash
in on his insurance.

Well, thank you, gents!
You stop in anytime.

Fanny.

You get in trouble?

I'll have you know, I
am a material witness.

A what?

Down at police headquarters,
they showed me a bunch of women

and I picked one out.

Who? What are you talking about?

A woman I saw
sneaking in to visit

that Willard Nesbitt
handyman of yours

one night last week, that's who.

I just told these men he
didn't have any friends,

no one ever came
to see him here.

Well, that's where you're wrong.

Because I heard somebody
say that he had an accomplice

and they were stealing
insurance together.

And do you know who it
was? It was his own wife.

You saw Eve Nesbitt here?

I certainly did,

and I saw her again
20 minutes ago.

Do you know what they
said after I pointed at her?

"Sergeant," they said,
"Book that lady for murder."

The state will
prove that the victim

and the defendant
conspired together

to defraud an insurance company.

And we will then prove
that the defendant,

having learned that her
husband had changed his mind

about carrying out
this criminal scheme,

did for that reason
willfully murder him.

Yes, sir, that's the murder gun.

That's my mark on it.

Now, just one more
question, Deputy Gilles.

To whom does this gun belong?

Well, according to the
serial number registration,

it belongs to the
defendant, Mrs. Eve Nesbitt.

Thank you, deputy.

Your witness, counselor.

Deputy Gilles, exactly
where was that gun found?

Near the hedges
next to the house.

Near the hedges, not in them?

No, sir. Right next to
them, in the driveway.

Now why do you suppose
someone would have dropped the gun

in a place where it was
so sure to be found?

Your Honor, uh, objection.

It's possible that if this deputy
sheriff was the murderer,

that he might be qualified
to answer that question, but...

Sustained.

Thank you, Deputy Gilles.

That will be all.

You say that the defendant
received a phone call

and then ran out
somewhere after 9 p.m.

And that you yourself at
a later time also went out

and drove to the area of
the lake and the cottage,

is that correct?

That's right, sir. But
not till about 11:00.

And I had two friends with me.

Well, you talked to
those guys yourself.

Yes. Yes, the police are
familiar with all of that.

What I'm concerned
with is whether or not

you stopped at the cottage.

Oh, no. I just
drove past, is all.

Well, I'm concerned with
what you saw there, if anything.

I saw there was a light
burning in the house.

And, uh, her car
was parked in back.

We drove past slow, but I
didn't see anybody inside but her.

And, well, that's all there was.

But why where you looking
in? Where you planning to stop?

No, no.

Just habit, I guess.

And what do you
mean by that exactly?

My father used to do
quite a bit of traveling, uh,

examining mining claims,
checking property investment.

And whenever he
was going to be gone,

he'd asked me to
keep an eye on her.

You mean Willard Nesbitt asked
you to spy on his wife? Why?

Well, he wanted to find out if
she was seeing any other man.

I mean sure, he
asked me to spy on her.

What do you think?

That's all,
Mr. Nesbitt, thank you.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

How many men would you say

Eve Nesbitt was
carrying on with?

How do I know?

What did you
report to your father?

Well, nothing, exactly.

Then, to put it exactly,

there was no other
man in Eve Nesbitt's life.

I didn't say that, Mr. Mason.

I said there was
none that I could find.

Perhaps you also didn't say

that Willard
Nesbitt's real concern

was only for his wife's safety.

Now, uh, what time did
you pick up these people

who you took driving?

Well, I met them in a
drive-in, uh, maybe 10:30.

What time did you leave them?

Well, I guess 11:40 or so.

Did you hear the doctor testify

that Willard Nesbitt
could have been murdered

as early as 9:30?

And did you understand
the police admission

that his body could have
been put in the lake much later,

around midnight, perhaps?

In other words, before and after

you were with these friends
who serve as your alibi?

I object at that, Your Honor.

I'll withdraw the question.

Bruce Nesbitt,

if the defendant
is brought to trial

and found guilty of murder,

do you have any idea of
how the court will dispose

of your father's estate,
his insurance money?

I guess I'll inherit it.

That's an excellent guess.

Hmm.

No more questions.

I called the cottage
at ten after 10.

There was no answer.

I now read to you a portion
of the defendant's statement

to the police. Quote:

"I arrived at the cottage
at five minutes to 10.

"I waited there for some time.

"I then went down to the lake
to look around for my husband.

Then I came back and
just waited some more."

Unquote. Wouldn't that
mean that he defendant

was actually at the cottage
when you called her?

I suppose so. But nobody
picked up the phone.

Now, Mr. Castle,

without going into the
details of your personal

or business relationship
with the deceased,

did you noticed any
difference in the behavior

of Willard Nesbitt after
he married the defendant?

Well, yes. At first, he
was happy as a kid.

Then the last few weeks he quit
paying much attention to work.

He started borrowing
money from the business.

Really?

Did you question him about this?

Yes, he just got embarrassed.

I figured he needed the money

because his wife
had extravagant tastes

or maybe he was worried
about hanging on to her.

Thank you,
Mr. Castle. That'll be all.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

You say you called the
cottage at ten minutes after 10,

and there was no answer.

What time had you called your
answering service, Mr. Castle?

I can't recall the exact time.

You don't have to.
According to their records,

you called at ten
minutes after 9.

Why did you wait almost an hour

to return Mr. Nesbitt's call?

I don't know, maybe
I was stunned.

Perhaps you didn't
wish to talk to him

until you'd talked
to someone else?

As a matter of fact,
I did call Ben Otis,

and my fiancée, Miss Bartlett,

to tell them that Willard
Nesbitt was alive.

Now, you just
inferred that Mr. Nesbitt

may have borrowed
money from the business

in order to cater to his
wife's extravagant tastes.

Well, he never actually
showed me any of the bills.

Then permit me to show you some.

Bill from Dr. E.F. Hopkins.

Seventy-five dollars,
medical consultation.

One hundred twenty dollars,
medical laboratory tests.

Two hundred five dollars...

Didn't Mr. Nesbitt
ever confide in you

as to how ill he really was?

To my knowledge, Will Nesbitt
hadn't seen a doctor in years.

Perhaps that was his misfortune.

Now, Mr. Castle,

when did you and
Mr. Nesbitt discuss

the dissolution of
your partnership?

About two months before
he signed the agreement.

Can you remember why
you waited until the day

after your partnership
was dissolved

to renew an option on
the Mesa mining property?

I resent your
implications, Mr. Mason.

Mr. Nesbitt knew of that mine.

It was only one of
many such properties.

He simply was not interested
in continuing as my partner.

I bought him out quite legally.

Thank you, that'll be all.

Well, there are a hundred ways

of trying to embezzle
an insurance company.

As investigator for
Amalgamated Insurance,

I've worked on most of them.

When I checked with
Mr. Nesbitt's physician

and found out what
a sick man he was,

well, it certainly suggested
that his accidental death

might be fraud aimed at
collecting double indemnity

for his wife to live on.

Double indemnity? I see.

Thank you, Mr. Givney.
Your witness, Mr. Mason.

I take it the doctor
told you that Mr. Nesbitt

was aware of his own condition.

Nesbitt learned the whole thing

just a week before he
made himself disappear.

In your investigations,

where you able to gather
one particle of evidence

that Mrs. Nesbitt was partner
to her husband's scheme?

Not specifically.

Mr. Givney, my client
is being tried for murder.

Now, isn't it true that in all
the time you were on the case

you were not able, in
spite of your suspicions,

to prove complicity
in fraud of any kind?

It's true. I was not.

That will be all, Mr. Givney.

The witness may step down.

I call Mrs. Fanny Werbler
to the stand, please.

That evil woman.

I wish a thunderbolt
would strike her.

Perry, it's all set.

You got the Photostats?

They're being blown up now.

Eve, where do you keep
your canceled checks?

In my desk in the
living room. Why?

I want you to get
those checks right away

and meet me at
Professor Laiken's.

I'll be there as soon
as they call recess.

Okay, Perry.

And Mrs. Werbler,
I've just read to you

from a portion of the statement

made by the
defendant to the police,

pretending to her belief
that her husband was alive.

Now I ask you of your
own certain knowledge

if that statement
was true or false?

If the lady said she believed
her husband was dead

then it's false. I
seen them together.

I seen the defendant
at the Havenhurst Motel

visiting the man I knew as Joe.

And the man you knew as
Joe, I show you now a picture

of the deceased, was absolutely
this man, Willard Nesbitt?

Yes, sir, that is the man.

Thank you, Mrs.
Werbler. Your witness.

Mrs. Werbler, are you familiar
with the penalty for perjury

for lying under oath?

I ain't lying. You
got some nerve!

Now, you said on
direct examination

that you were on
the porch of the motel

in front of the manager's room
when the defendant passed

in front of you and went inside?

I did.

Can you recall what the
defendant was wearing?

Sure. She was wearing a tweed
coat with a button-down collar,

a little off the face red hat,
and gloves. White gloves.

What is the color of the tie
I'm wearing, Mrs. Werbler?

I object to that, Your Honor.

There is certainly no
possible reason for...

Your Honor, I am
merely trying to verify

the skill of this witness
in identifying clothing.

She seems to have an
unusually retentive memory.

Objection overruled.

The witness will
answer the question.

A green knitted tie.

You'd better look
again, Mrs. Werbler.

So it's blue.
That's pretty close.

Blue and with stripes.

Well, you were
standing sideways.

I couldn't see you so good.

But I seen that
woman, I tell you,

and she was wearing a red hat.

I'm through with this
witness, Your Honor.

It is now ten minutes after 12.

Court will recess until 1:30.

Mr. Mason, I
remember that red hat.

I only wore it once,

so that must have been the day
that the woman said she saw me.

Where did you go that evening?

Well, I... I went shopping,
because Bruce was out of town

and I stopped at the corner
drugstore to have a bite to eat.

And Jenny was there.

Jenny Bartlett? Yes.

And we gossiped a bit and
then I went straight home.

About 8:00.

Did you tell Miss Bartlett
that Bruce was away?

I do believe I did.

Then I do believe
we're going to have

a most interesting
afternoon in court.

Where were you when
Mr. Castle phoned?

I was all ready for bed. I
had a headache that night.

Did he tell you that Willard
Nesbitt was apparently alive?

Yes.

Did you then phone
anyone else to tell them?

No.

Didn't you try to
contact Eve Nesbitt?

No. Uh... Well, I...

I was too shocked,
I wanted to wait

and see what
happened, that's all.

Thank you, Miss Bartlett.

Yours, Mr. Mason.

Have you ever been to the
Havenhurst Motel, Miss Bartlett?

The place where
Mr. Nesbitt was staying,

where Mrs. Werbler works? No.

Have you ever seen
Mrs. Werbler before?

No, I haven't.

Then perhaps you
hired Mrs. Werbler's

perjured testimony
over the telephone?

Objection, Your Honor!

The objection's sustained.

Mr. Mason, you will not
intimidate this witness.

You are engaged to
marry Lloyd Castle,

are you not? Yes, I am.

Then you must have a
great stake in his future?

Well, of course I have.
He's going to be my husband.

Did you make him
a loan of $10,000

allowing him to dissolve his
partnership with Mr. Nesbitt?

Yes, I did.

How did that happen?

Well, I had it, it
was easily available.

It left your savings
account with a balance

of only $150.

Mr. Castle must have wanted
that money desperately.

That's all. Thank you.

Yes, Ms. Nesbitt kept this gun
in the desk in her apartment.

I remember seeing it there

just a week before
her husband was killed.

Well, how did you
happen to notice the gun?

Well, I do personal bookkeeping
for Nesbitt and his wife.

There were still some
tax things to clear up.

Mrs. Nesbitt kept her
papers in a drawer in the desk.

The gun was there too. - I see.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Isn't it true, Mr. Otis,

that you once
suggested to Mrs. Nesbitt

that a gun might be more
useful out at the cottage?

Well, I-I might have.

For a woman alone, that
cottage is pretty isolated.

Now we know for a
fact that Mrs. Nesbitt

drove to the cottage on the
night her husband's murder.

Were you suggesting that she
took a gun with her that night?

Of course not.

I just answered the questions
that the prosecutor put to me.

She could have
brought the gun out there

anytime during
the previous week.

And with the gun at the cottage,

any number of people might
have found it and made use of it?

Yes, I suppose so.

Mr. Otis, what is your position

with the, um, Castle
Investment Company?

I'm the bookkeeper.

You're very modest,

but you do own a percentage
of the firm, do you not?

Well, yes, I... I
have a certain share.

Where is your home, Mr. Otis?

At 1432 Melbourne
Avenue, Canoga Park.

Now, with good
traffic conditions,

it would take Mrs.
Nesbitt almost an hour

to drive from her
apartment to the cottage.

It would take you
only 20 minutes or so,

isn't that correct?

I don't know.

You have driven out
there before, haven't you?

It takes about a half an hour.

So if you had called
the answering service

at ten minutes after 9,

and learned that Mr. Nesbitt
wanted to see you,

you could have
reached the cottage

almost half an hour
before Mrs. Nesbitt arrived?

Yes. But I didn't go.

Thank you,
Mr. Otis, that'd be all.

Perry.

Your Honor, because
of certain new evidence

which has jut come
to my attention,

I would like to recall
Mr. Lloyd Castle.

Yes, this is a
copy of the contract

dissolving the partnership,

and this is Willard
Nesbitt's signature.

You're positive of that?

Yes.

Your Honor, I would
like to introduce

this blown-up Photostat
of Mr. Nesbitt's signature

taken from this contract.

And this, Your Honor,
is another Photostat

of Mr. Nesbitt's signature
taken from an old contract.

Now, just a moment...

Uh, would you both
approach the bench, please?

I'm sure you may have some
objections here, Mr. Prosecutor.

I ask only that you
examine these Photostats.

Mmm.

They look identical,
but then, I'm no expert.

They are identical.

Now I ask you to
compare this signature

with those you've
been examining.

Do they look
identical, Your Honor?

No. No, not exactly.

May I show them to the witness?

Mr. Burger?

Mr. Mason, I have no objection.

Are these signatures
identical, Mr. Castle?

Well, I'm no expert
either, Mr. Mason.

Please look again, Mr. Castle.

You don't have to be an
expert to see the difference.

Well, yes, I see a difference.

But, uh, I can't explain it.

This is a Photostat of
Mr. Nesbitt's signature

taken from the old contract.

Now, someone's forgery of
that signature was excellent.

Forgery?

No, that's Willard's
handwriting,

I'd know it anywhere.

I'm sure you would,

but this signature
was Photostatted

from a check Mr. Nesbitt wrote

during the week just before
his supposed drowning.

Will you please note that
more of letters slope downward,

some of the letters are smaller.

There's a slight trembling,
less pressure of the pen.

But I don't understand.
Willard didn't write that way.

All of the checks
Mr. Nesbitt wrote

during that week show
the same signs, Mr. Castle.

They are telltale marks
of severe depression,

of a decline in mental attitude.

I never heard of such a thing.

You recall what had just
happened to Mr. Nesbitt?

He just learned that
his days were numbered,

that unless he was
cared for as an invalid

he might drop
dead at any moment.

That has nothing to do
with a man's handwriting.

Besides, you're no
expert, you can't tell me...

Your Honor,

there is a handwriting
expert in this court,

one whose credentials are
well known to both yourself

and to the prosecution.

May it please the court,
as a witness for the defense,

this expert has
prepared an exhibit

which will not only
sustain what I've just said,

but will prove beyond
any question or doubt

that there was forgery here.

When the proper time comes...

Well, just a moment, Mr. Mason.

If there is going to
be evidence of forgery,

the court would prefer
to see it right now,

so that all the evidence
concerning to this document

might be considered together.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Now, to keep the
record straight,

let it show that the
witness is to be examined

under a voir dire procedure
to the document in question.

You mat proceed, counselor.

This, then, is the
signature in question.

Willard Nesbitt's name

as appended to one
copy of the contract

dissolving his
partnership with Mr. Castle.

But, uh, there were other
copies of this contract, naturally.

And when we
examine the signatures,

we find a very unusual thing.

The writing is
absolutely identical.

And what would that indicate?

Well, no man on this
earth signs his name

exactly the same way every time.

But look here, you notice
how all of these lines fit?

It's my opinion, Your Honor,
that further laboratory tests

will reveal that these are
actually traced signatures,

forgeries traced
from some earlier...

Of course it's traced. I did it.

Lloyd, no.

It's no use, Jenny.

Sure I signed his name.

You think I was going to
share a half a million dollars

with Nesbitt's widow?

Lloyd, stop. You
don't have to tell them.

Why should he
stop, Miss Bartlett?

Because he might incriminate you

as the one who
murdered Willard Nesbitt?

No, that's not true.

Or did you just arranged for
that woman's perjured testimony?

Yes, I did.

But I didn't kill him.

Ask him. Ask him
who did the murder.

Ask Ben Otis.

I guess you didn't
know what you'd start,

did you, Mr. Castle?

She can't hold it back now.

But then why should she?

You see, she knew that I
went to see Nesbitt that night

after your call.

I told him that we'd make good,

that we'd cut his wife in
for a piece of the business.

But he wouldn't
listen to reason.

Nothing would satisfy
him but to see us all

behind prison bars.

Well, I'm afraid I've never
particularly liked the idea

of a life behind prison bars.

Mr. Mason, what's
going to happen

to that woman, Mrs. Werbler?

She'll be charged with perjury.

She sure was a dame out
for a buck right from the start.

What do you mean?

Well, she was already
curious about Nesbitt.

Then when she saw
his picture in the paper

the morning after the murder,

she phoned the company
and started fishing around,

to see who might possibly
be interested in what she knew.

And Jenny Bartlett was
the one who got her call.

But why did she hire that
woman to lie about me?

Desperation.

Jenny had already
guessed what Ben had done

and she made him admit it.

But she was
afraid to tell Castle.

She also knew that the case
against you was a slim one.

So she figured if she
could pad that case

and keep the truth down,
she'd be protecting Castle,

her money and her future.

Well, it's all as clear
as crystal to me.

What is?

In this girl's handwriting, I
can see loyalty, perseverance,

and hunger. Especially hunger.

And your client doesn't
look too well fed either.

And if you could
read my writing,

you'd see that I'm starved also.

And from your handwriting,

I can tell that you're
a very rich man,

who can afford the
finest restaurant in town.