All language subtitles for Perry Mason S04E23 The Case of the Torrid Tapestry.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en.CBS

I should have known better

than listen to the
good museum directors.

"Not only a fine tapestry man,

but an American,"
they assured me.

"None finer in Rio de Janeiro."

What's the matter
now? You call this clean?

Isn't it clean
enough for you, sir?

Demay, I have nothing but
contempt for the likes of you.

If I weren't on such
a tight schedule

on this South American tour,

I'd fire you on the spot
to look for somebody else.

Go over this border
again. Carefully, this time.

Remember, it's a
Pannemaker arras,

not somebody's laundry.

And don't take
all night with it.

I'm leaving now.

Be sure to lock up when you go.

Yes, Mr. Voss.

Let go of me. I didn't
have anything to do with it.

I... Please!

Where are you
going with this man?

Demay! Oh, he's a liar.

I didn't start any fire.

That's a mistake, I
tell you, a mistake.

I don't even know how those
things got into my pocket.

I never saw them before.

I was almost out the back gate

before the fire even started.

Demay, you'll pay for this.

You've destroyed a
fortune in masterpieces.

I had nothing to do with it!

I didn't start the
fire. I swear I didn't!

It's so far beyond the
Bauer-Kandinsky tradition,

it's a philosophy in itself.

Well, frankly,

it looks pretty childish to me.

How long you been in business
here in Los Angeles, Mr. Voss?

Five, six years?

Mr. Voss, may I speak to you?

In a moment, Brenda.

Trust me, Mr. Hazlett.

Surely by now you know

that you're one of
my special customers.

When I tell you that this
is an investment at 1,500,

you can take my
word for it. Heh.

After what you paid
for the Gorky last month,

this is a drop in the bucket.

I'll let you know, Voss.

So long, Miss Larkin. So long.

Oh, by the way,

I got an invitation
in the mail today.

Somebody's selling a
Pannemaker tapestry.

You heard about it?

I didn't think there was a
Pannemaker left on the market.

The last time I actually saw
one was nearly six years ago,

in Rio de Janeiro
as it burned to ashes.

Well, if those
tapestries are that rare

I guess I better go
see this one. Heh.

Who's offering it, Mr. Hazlett?

Uh, well, the
invitation didn't say.

But it's at Hastings
Auction at 9 tonight.

Well, I'll be seeing you.

Uh, think about the picture.

Yeah, well, I have.

A Pannemaker.

That's a strange coincidence.

What is?

I just saw a Pannemaker
tapestry hanging in a pawnshop.

That's what I
wanted to tell you.

In a pawnshop?
Oh, don't be silly.

This one. Theseus
and the Minotaur.

That's impossible.

Yes, that was part of the
Claver collection, wasn't it?

The one that was supposed
to have burned in Rio?

It did burn. I saw it.

It was completely destroyed.

The entire collection.

Voss. VOSS: Ah, Mr. Claver.

This is an honor, sir.

Have you heard about this?

Someone has a
Pannemaker arras up for sale.

Oh, I see you
have heard about it.

Rumors, yes, but, um...

Obviously, more
than just a rumor.

But I can't understand it.

There are only six Pannemakers
left in private collections

and certainly none of
them could be up for auction.

Mine was the seventh.

Are you suggesting that
your tapestry didn't burn?

It occurred to me
when I got this.

You were in charge of that tour.

I always took your word for it.

I see no reason to
doubt it now, Mr. Claver.

Ah, I guess there's
nothing to do

but find the answer at the
Hastings Auction tonight.

They'll certainly have
the tapestry available

for inspection beforehand.

It's probably an imitation.

Copy of some kind.

Well...

We'll see.

Hazlett, now Claver.

This is no coincidence.

Did you go through today's mail?

Not yet. Well...

This looks like it.

Well, we seem to be privileged.

Ours has a picture,
Theseus and the Minotaur.

Where was that pawnshop?

Third and Maple.

Didn't a man go to
prison for starting that fire

six years ago in Rio?

Yes.

But, um,

only part of the
Claver collection

went up in that fire, didn't it?

What did you say?

Leonard, if there's
going to be trouble,

I want to share it with you.

About the Claver collection?

I've been to the
warehouse on Lake Street.

I found a rent receipt once...

That warehouse is
no concern of yours.

It is now, Leonard.

But a wife can't testify
against her husband.

We've worked together
three years now,

don't you think we...?
We'll talk about this later.

Can I help you, sir?

This tapestry.

Oh, yes.

Uh, do you have a ticket?

I don't have a
ticket. I didn't pawn it.

I want to buy it.

I'm sorry, sir, but
it's not for sale.

Uh, it won't be for
about seven months.

Oh, now, just a minute.

You... You can't go
behind my counter.

But where did you
get the tapestry?

Well, it was brought in
here and pawned. That's all.

By whom?

Oh.

Look, I'm an art dealer.

If you loan it to me
for an examination...

It might even be
stolen property.

If I call the police...

That would make two of us.

Now... Now, you get going.

I'm a very busy man.

Say, give me that.
You've got a nerve.

Mrs. Sarah Demay?

Yes?

I want to talk to you,
about the tapestry.

A tapestry in a place like this?

You must have the wrong party.

Uh, please, no
need to play games.

I'm... I'm an art dealer.

I want to buy it.

Oh, I see.

Well, come in,
Mr. Voss. Thank you.

The place is kind
of a mess, but...

Why don't you sit
right down here?

How did you acquire
the tapestry, Mrs. Demay?

Well, my brother-in-law
brought it from South America.

I'll give you $1,000 for
the pawn ticket right now.

Sarah, I...

Oh, Claude, this is Mr. Voss.

I know Mr. Voss.

Sarah, leave me
and Mr. Voss alone.

We've got private business.

I just called your gallery.

I figured you'd want
to see me before 9:00.

What is this tapestry?

It's gonna cost
you to find that out.

Where did you get it? How?

The point is, I have it
and I intend to sell it.

How much do you want?

Well, you can bid for it.

Demay, I saw that tapestry burn.

I'm not holding a
fire sale, Mr. Voss.

I made friends in jail.

They helped me do some checking.

Enough to learn about the
crates you shipped out of Rio

under a different
name on the day before

the fire I didn't start.

How much do you want?

Well, maybe...

Maybe we can work something out.

In the same way that
the tapestry is alive,

the other things
are still alive.

Now, I might consider holding
a piece of that which burned

as an advanced payment.

I don't know what
you're talking about.

Otherwise, I'll auction
the tapestry, I promise you.

And you can bid
against Nathan Claver

and all your own best customers,

who I'm sure would love
to hear an explanation...

I said, how much do you want?

And I just told you.

An advanced payment.

Something to hold as a
token of your good faith.

Something else from the fire.

All right.

There was a bronze Buddha
from the Tao Kwan Dynasty.

Remember it?

Yes, I remember. It'll do.

I'll have it at my
gallery in an hour.

Bring the tapestry.

Sarah.

Sarah!

The tapestry, it's gone.

Have you been in that locker?

Well, have you?

You've been sponging
off me for three months.

You didn't give me a penny.

Not for rent, not for
food, not for nothin'.

Where is it? What
did you do with it?

I...

I hocked it.

You what? Yes, I hocked it.

For a hundred dollars.

And I had every right to.

Me, a widow with
no money, no noth...

Five years I spent in jail.

Five years I sweated
to get Voss in a trap.

Now I've got him.

I'll kill you.

Hey, you!

Hey, you!

Hey, you!

Police!

Help! Help, please!

That should keep Klee away
from Hannover long enough

for the dust to settle, anyway.

I'm sorry, but... Mr. Mason,

I've got to talk to him. Couldn't
you come back tomorrow?

It'll be too late
then, I need help.

I kno...

It's all right, Della.

What is it you want, Mr., um...?

Demay. Claude Demay.

Miss Street and I
were just leaving.

Please listen to me.

A few years ago I was working in
an art museum in Rio de Janeiro.

The Nathan Claver
collection was being shown.

Maybe you remember it.

Over a million dollars
worth of art on a world tour?

And I made Sarah
give me the pawn ticket.

She said she'd seen the
tapestry hanging up in the window

but when I got to the place,
the shop had been broken into

and the tapestry was gone.

Well, I walked around trying
to make up my mind what to do,

and I decided I had to have
some advice, so I came to you.

Mr. Demay,

you wove the fake
tapestry in prison

for the express purpose
of trapping this man Voss?

Oh, no.

I started it to hang
onto my sanity.

It was only when I saw how
good it was going to turn out

that I realized
how I might use it.

And by threatening
to auction the tapestry,

you, uh, forced Voss
to agree to surrender

a Tao Kwan Buddha
from the Claver collection

as security, right?

Yes. You see, the
tapestry is good,

but an expert would
expose it in no time.

Nobody'd believe me.

But the Buddha
would be authentic

and indisputable
proof of your claim.

Yes.

And I had it almost right here.

Right here in my hand.

Now it's gone.

I understand how you
must feel, Mr. Demay.

But I just don't see
how I can help you.

Mr. Mason, I've suffered at
that man's hands long enough.

I want to clear my name.

The minute I can
prove my accusations,

I'll go straight to
the police, I swear it.

You're a little late for your
appointment with Voss.

Let's see if he's still waiting.

Della?

Anybody here?

Mr. Voss.

He's been dead a while.

Some sort of stab wound.

But he certainly put
up a pretty good fight.

I'll be blamed for this.

I'll be framed again.

Now, take it easy.

The police will learn that you
had motive and opportunity.

But obviously someone else

also had motive and opportunity.

Now, I can help only if you
tell us the truth, understand?

That... That paper.

Don't touch that.

Don't leave your
fingerprints anywhere.

It's the kind we used
for packing in Rio.

The only kind we
could get at the time.

You're sure? Positive.

I wrapped dozens of pieces
of the Claver collection myself,

just before the fire.

So you think it's possible
the Tao Kwan Buddha

was still wrapped
in this kind of paper?

Of course. So the Buddha
must be around here somewhere.

It may have been here.

It's not likely it's here now.

All right, let's go.

Della, get hold of Paul.

I want to know
what the police have

on the burglary
of that pawnshop.

Also whether or not they've
found Claude's tapestry.

Where will you be, Perry?

At the Hastings Auction.

In the meantime, Claude,
find yourself a quiet hotel

and stay there.

Use your own name.
Yes, Mr. Mason.

I'm gonna call Lieutenant
Tragg. Now get going, both of you.

May I have a bid?

Two hundred dollars.

Two hundred dollars.

Three hundred.

Four hundred and fifty.

Four hundred and fifty dollars.

Six hundred dollars.

I'll see you at the
bidding then, Mr. Ausberg.

Mr. Claver?

Yes? My name is Perry Mason.

Oh, yes, of course,
the attorney.

Well, I didn't know
our local art auctions

were one of your
interests, Mr. Mason.

I suspect we're here
for the same reason.

A tapestry.

Really?

Perhaps we'll be bidding
in competition then.

I don't really think
it's going to show up.

What do you say that?

It was stolen earlier tonight.

But the theft of the
tapestry was only part of it.

Leonard Voss has been killed.

Voss?

I thought you might
be able to help

since you were
acquainted with Voss.

Hm, I know nothing of
Voss's recent activities.

Oh, I stopped by his
gallery this afternoon

to see if he or his
assistant, Miss Larkin,

had any information
on this auction tonight.

They'd only heard
about it, that's all.

So I left.

Pardon me, Mr. Claver,
you're wanted on the telephone.

Who is it? The police, sir.

Well.

Heh-heh. Excuse me.

Perry, where's that
client of yours? Demay.

I don't know yet. Oh, great.

So far, the police seem
think he might've stolen

his own tapestry
from that pawnshop.

How do they figure that?

Well, the pawnbroker saw
him and when they finally found

his sister-in-law, she
verified the description.

Paul, I want you to get me a
complete list of all the items

from the Claver collection
that were supposedly burned

in that fire in Rio.

They found bits
of melted bronze.

So it did look like
everything was destroyed.

However, find out how
much insurance was paid,

who collected and
so forth. All right.

And here:

Demay sent invitations like
this to some of Voss' clients.

Ah, you mean people whose
interest might pressure Voss.

Mm-hm. It might be interesting

to know who's
gonna show up here.

Also, while you're about
it, find out what you can

about a Miss Larkin.

Voss' assistant? Right.

Will do.

Here's the Minotaur.

And here's the bronze.

Tao Kwan Buddha. It's beautiful.

Hi. DELLA: Hi, Paul.

What do you know about art?

Me? Heh. I don't
even know what I like.

Uh, is this the
Claver collection?

It's part of it.

This is the tapestry.

I, uh, don't suppose

it showed up at the
auction last night.

Nope. And after you left

only one of Demay's
invitations showed up.

A man named, uh, Jim Hazlett.

He owns a batch
of oil wells in Texas

and apparently was a good
customer at the Voss galleries.

What about Miss Larkin?

First name, Brenda.

She's been with
Voss for three years.

A, uh, executive assistant.

Apparently she had a monaural
romance going with him:

All Brenda, no Voss.

Uh, we can dig deeper.

Oh, this is fine so far, Paul.

It's this item, the, uh,
Tao Kwan Buddha,

that our client is hoping
to trade for the tapestry.

Good morning. Good morning.

Well, well. Your interest in
art is quite persistent, Perry.

Attending things like
the Hastings Auction.

It's a nice hobby.

Oh, yes. Yes, it is.

Oh, by the way, I'm
looking for a Claude Demay.

You don't happen
to know him, do you?

He doesn't just happen to
be a client of yours, does he?

Why, lieutenant?

Oh, I have some
questions I want to ask him.

But he didn't come
home last night.

You're not suggesting
he stayed here, are you?

Well, where there's
smoke, there's usually fire.

And, uh, vice versa.

I'm just about to go downtown.

Can I drop you somewhere?

No. No, thanks. I...

I'll go the hard way, as usual.

Paul, when Demay
calls in his location,

have one of your men go out
and stay with him, just in case.

Will do.

Della, I'll be at
Hazlett's apartment.

Right.

Oh, I won't say anything,
Mr. Hazlett. Don't worry.

It's a risky business.

You know, it's too bad
you didn't call me sooner.

Well, at least he's not
about to stick anybody else.

I wanna thank you for
all of your help, Lawrence.

And you be sure and keep this...

Good day.

Mr. Hazlett.

My name is Mason,
I'm an attorney.

Yeah, well, I got
plenty attorneys.

I daresay.

I understand you've done
business with Leonard Voss.

Whose ax are you
grinding, Mr. Mason?

My client, unfortunately,
also did business with Voss.

Misery loves company.

May I come in?

Why not?

Well, what do you make of it?

I'm a lawyer, not a critic.

That's a good one.

Good? Oh, that's great.

That's the first one he sold me.

How about this one?

Oh, that's okay. Heh-heh.

If you like framed garbage.

What's on your mind, Mr. Mason?

That tapestry
auction last night.

Mind telling me how
you were invited?

Oh, a thing came in the mail.

It was a fizzle.

Voss didn't advise you about it?

No, he hadn't even
heard of the auction.

You sure? Well, sure, I'm sure.

I needled him over it.

You know, but
now that I think of it,

that girl Friday of
his must have known.

In fact, while I was
there at the gallery,

she came in and she was just
poppin' to tell him something.

What time was that?

Oh, 4:30. Why?

The tapestry that was
supposed to be auctioned

was stolen at 6:30.

Less than an hour
later, Voss was dead.

Are you looking for something
in particular, Mr. Mason?

Just a familiar face.

Did Voss ever mention the,
uh, Claver collection to you?

No.

When you asked
about the auction,

was that the last
time you saw him?

Now, look, Mr. Mason,

I said that I saw him at 4:30.

Now, you say he
was dead by 7:30.

Now, you're not asking me

to cut it any finer
than that, are you?

All right.

Thank you, Mr. Hazlett.

Yes, I'll give him the message

just as soon as he comes in.

Thank you.

That was Paul's office.

And for what it was worth,

uh, Mr. Voss was in
the pawnshop last night

just before it closed
trying to get the tapestry.

But the pawnbroker
wouldn't give it to him.

That would be
around 6:00. Mm-hm.

Also, there was a
woman who called

and insists you call her
back as soon as possible.

Who is it?

She wouldn't tell me her name.

Hello?

This is Perry Mason.

Oh, yes, hello, Mr. Mason.

I found your name on a piece
of paper in Claude's room,

and I remembered he'd something
about going to see you so...

Who is this?

This is his sister-in-law,
Sarah Demay.

Mr. Mason, do you
know where Claude is?

I've got to see him.

What about?

Well, it's about the tapestry.

Well, suppose I send
someone around to pick you up.

Well, yes, that'll be all right.

I'll wait right here.

The man's name
will be Paul Drake.

Paul Drake.

I worked with Leonard
Voss but that's all.

He had his private
life and I had mine.

Miss Larkin,

there's a sequence in
your story that puzzles me.

You say the first
you and Voss knew

of the proposed tapestry auction

was, uh, when Hazlett
mentioned it to you.

That's right.

When Mr. Claver
came to the gallery,

asked about the auction,

all you could tell him was
what you'd heard from Hazlett?

Yes. You see, until then,

we'd both been too busy
to open the day's mail.

Of course, our own
invitation to the auction

had been there all the tine.

Did the, uh, invitation
say that the, uh, tapestry

could be found in a pawnshop?

Well, hardly.

Yet Voss went to the pawnshop,

tried to get the tapestry
before he went to the owner.

Now, that's what
puzzles me, Miss Larkin.

How did he know the
tapestry was there?

I haven't any idea.

Did he talk with anyone else?

No, not that I know of.

Except...

Oh, excuse me.

Hello? PAUL: Is
Mason there, please?

Yes. Just a moment, please.

It's for you.

Thank you.

Hello. Perry, this is Paul.

Oh, yes, Paul.

This sister-in-law, Sarah Demay,

she's not home.

Oh?

It seems she left
her place in a hurry,

just a few minutes
after she phoned you.

But that's not all.

It must run in the family.

Claude's disappeared too.

He left the hotel?

As far as I can find out,
he got a call from somebody

and then just took off
out the back window.

I'll try and find
out more but...

All right, Paul, I'll meet you
at Fourth and June Street.

I have another idea to work on.

All right, Perry.

Is that all, Mr. Mason?

Yes, Miss Larkin,
I think that's all.

Of course I was excited.

A Pannemaker arras for
sale is an exciting event.

Especially when it's one that
was burned completely in a fire.

I don't follow you, Mr. Mason.

Mr. Claver, the tapestry
that was stolen last night

was Theseus and the Minotaur.

Impossible.

Is it?

I've just finished talking
with Voss' assistant.

Brenda Larkin's a liar.

Probably.

And when you asked her
and Voss if they'd heard

about the auction,
you realized they knew

much more than
they were telling you.

And when Voss left the gallery,

you and your chauffeur
followed him to the pawnshop.

And there you
saw the impossible.

You saw the tapestry.

This is outrageous.

Will you get out of my house?

I don't imagine
a person like you

would actually commit a theft.

But if there were
a great urgency,

or if you had
somebody do it for you...

Your chauffer, let us say.

Well, never mind.

We'll wait and see
what he has to say.

Will you get that man
away from my driver

before I call the police?

Go right ahead and
call them, Mr. Claver.

But I'm afraid I'll have
to suggest they bring

a search warrant
with them if they come.

Oh...

Oh, you're...

You're guessing, that's all.

Mr. Claver, what has
happened so far is excusable.

But if you destroy
that tapestry now,

you destroy evidence
in a murder case.

I urge you to reconsider.

But if you want
that kind of publicity,

I'll see that you get it.

All right.

I have the tapestry.

But it's a fraud.

From top to bottom.

It's a patent, dirty fraud.

Don't you mean it's a copy?

What's the difference?

Thank you, Mason.

I think we can piece this
whole thing together now.

Lieutenant,

taking this was entirely
my responsibility.

But it wasn't stealing.

I-I-I thought it was
my own property.

I'll make it up to
the shop owner

and I apologize for
withholding facts from you.

Well, I guess what kind
of a crime you committed

is up to the District
Attorney's Office.

We'd better go down
and have a talk with him.

Now, uh, counselor,

could I, uh, drop
you off somewhere?

No, thank you, lieutenant.

I have other unfinished
business out this way.

Well, if it includes
looking for Claude Demay,

maybe I should tell you
that, uh, we traced him

to the hotel you hid him in.

And when my man called,
Demay took off out the back way.

It just so happens that we
had another man out there too.

So now we have your client

for murder.

Then at ten minutes to 7,

you phoned
Mr. Voss at his gallery

to find out if he was
going to the auction.

Is that correct? That's right.

When he told me he
wasn't, I asked him why not.

All he'd say was he
had an appointment.

An appointment so urgent that
he was willing to miss an event

that should have been of
great importance to him.

And 15 minutes later,
a few minutes after 7,

he was dead.

I think that'll be all,
Mr. Hazlett. Thank you.

Cross-examine.

Mr. Hazlett,

you said you phoned
Mr. Voss to see

if he was going to
be at the auction?

That's right.

So that if you had
bid on the tapestry,

you'd have had
his expert opinion?

That's right.

But isn't it true

that you recently
hired an expert to see

if you were being
swindled by Mr. Voss?

Well, I... I did hire a man
to make certain appraisals.

Surely then, you can't
expect us to believe

that you, uh, wanted the advice
of a man who was swindling you.

You must have wanted to see
Mr. Voss for a another reason.

To confront him, perhaps.

To accuse him of certain things.

That's not true.
I resent what...

I have no further questions.

Step down, Mr. Hazlett.

Now, you first heard
the name Claude Demay

in what connection?

As the man who started

the museum fire
in Rio de Janeiro.

Well, did you hear his name

in connection with
the tapestry auction?

Yes. When we
opened the invitation.

There was a picture of
the tapestry enclosed.

Mr. Voss said, "This
is Demay's work."

Well, I asked him what he meant

and he said that Claude
Demay had sworn

that he would get him
someday and this was probably

his twisted way of showing him.

I see.

Now, when did you next
hear the defendant's name?

Well, shortly after Mr. Voss
had left to go see the tapestry,

the phone rang.

A man's voice said,
"Tell Mr. Voss that he can

"get in touch with Claude
Demay at 334 Lee Street,

Apartment 203."

And when Mr. Voss
returned to the gallery

did you give him that message?

Yes, I did.

He said, "I've already
seen Mr. Demay

"and I'm going to see him
again tonight for the last time.

We've reached an agreement."

Excuse me a moment.

That'll be all, Miss
Larkin. Thank you.

Your witness.

Miss Larkin,

this agreement the decedent
told you he had reached,

do you know what it was?

Mr. Voss didn't say. No.

Well, when he
returned to the gallery

did he bring anything with him?

In a box or wrapped
in paper perhaps?

Not that I was aware of.

He just seemed
anxious to be alone.

He told me to go
home and so I left.

What kind of wrapping paper
do you use in the gallery?

Just ordinary wrapping paper.

Plain, brown paper.

Thank you, Miss
Larkin. That'll be all.

You may step down, Miss Larkin.

We have heard
expert testimony here

that the bloodstains
on that letter opener

match the decedent's blood type.

That the threads
found near the handle

match the material
of the decedent's coat,

and that the shaft of the
letter opener fit almost exactly

the death wound inflicted
in the decedent's body.

Now, lieutenant, were we able

to determine who
owns this letter opener?

Yes, sir.

It was, uh, part of
the matching set

on the desk of decedent.

And where did your men find it?

In a storm drain
in the 500 block

on, uh, Lee Street.

That's only about a block
from the defendant lives.

That's correct.

Were there fingerprints
on the opener?

Yes, there were
two clear prints.

Just two? The letter opener, uh,

had been wiped clean before
those two prints were placed.

Uh, would it be possible
for you to show us

from the position
of those two prints,

how the letter opener was held

when it was dropped
into the drain?

Like this:

It's obvious that
held in that position,

it could not have been
used as a stabbing weapon.

Lieutenant, have you been
able to identify those prints?

The prints are of the
thumb and first finger

of the right hand of
Mrs. Sarah Demay.

Thank you, lieutenant.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Uh, no questions.

I call Sarah Demay
to the stand, please.

Well, Claude went to get
the tapestry out of his trunk

and when he didn't find
it there, he got real mad.

I know I was wrong to hock it,

but he never paid me
anything for room or board or...

Mrs. Demay, he
grabbed you by the throat.

Now, did he say
anything at that time?

Well, yes, he said,

"I've spent six
years to get Voss.

If you've spoiled that,
I'm gonna kill you."

To get Voss. I see.

What happened then?

Well, then he left.

I was... I was real shook up.

But I thought I
better go find him

and try to calm him down.

Well, I went to the pawnshop,
but he'd already been there

and there was cops
around, so I left.

And then I figured that maybe
he'd gone to see Mr. Voss,

so I headed for
Mr. Voss' art gallery.

And that's where you
found the letter opener?

Yes. It was sticking
up in Mr. Voss' body.

And what did you do then?

Well, I was real scared.

I guess I wasn't
thinking very clearly,

but I grabbed the letter opener

and then I realized
I'd better get rid of it.

So... So I tried
to wipe it clean,

and then I threw it
down the storm drain.

Mrs. Demay, why did
you do all these things?

To help Claude.

Then you must have
felt certain that it was he

who had plunged that letter
opener into Mr. Voss' body.

Why did you believe that?

Because I saw him.

As I drove up,

I saw him come out of
the gallery and run away.

Thank you, Mrs. Demay.

That'll be all.

Your witness.

Your Honor, it's almost
ten minutes to 12.

I would like to postpone
my cross-examination

of this witness until
after the noon recess.

Very well, Mr. Mason.

Court is recessed
until 1:30 this afternoon.

She wasn't lying? You
were at the gallery?

I knew it would look so bad
so I was afraid to tell you.

I didn't kill him, Mr. Mason.

He was already dead.

The rest of it's true.
Everything else is true.

All right, Claude. All right.

Perry, I'm sorry but he
doesn't have it finished yet.

Have him skip all the
detail except right at the top.

We'll only unwrap
it only that far.

Don't forget the matching paper.

Paul, I'll stall
as long as I can,

but I'm gonna have to have
that in court this afternoon.

I'll get it, Perry.

But didn't he say,
"I've spent six years

to get Voss in a trap,"

instead of, "I've spent
six years to get Voss?"

If it please the court.

For the last hour, Mr. Mason
has been dragging us along

with him on a series of
semantical excursions

which are apparently not
only interminable but pointless.

Mr. Mason, it does seem
that your cross-examination

has been
unnecessarily protracted.

I'll try to be more
succinct, Your Honor.

Uh, Mrs. Demay,

you decided to protect Claude

simply because you saw him
leave the gallery and hurry away.

Well, yes. What more
does a person need?

But you left the gallery

with the murder
weapon in your hand.

Shouldn't we then conclude that
it was you who stabbed Mr. Voss?

Your Honor, that
question is argumentative.

I object to... I
withdraw the question.

That'll be all, Mrs. Demay.

You may be excused, Mrs. Demay.

Paul had just left Plaxtex
Novelties when I called.

Good.

I think Claver is
their last witness.

Mr. Claver, it's a
matter of record

that you owned a
Pannemaker tapestry called

Theseus and the Minotaur
which was destroyed by fire.

I ask now that you...

examine this tapestry and
see if you can identify it.

Yes, it's a copy of
Pannemaker's original.

The threads are recent and poor,

the coloring uncertain,

the hatching is inconsistent.

However, in view
of the circumstances

under which Mr. Demay
claims to have woven it,

this is a rather
remarkable work.

In your expert opinion,

could this have been
sold as a Pannemaker

at the auction to
which you were invited?

Absolutely not.

It would have been detected
as a fraud in five minutes.

Then wouldn't you say that

the defendant never intended

to auction off
this tapestry at all.

That he had some
other purpose in mind?

Objection, Your Honor.

The witness may well
be an expert on art.

But he is scarcely an
expert on mind reading.

Sustained.

I have, uh,

no further
questions, Mr. Claver.

Mr. Mason, do you
wish to cross-examine?

Uh, yes, Your Honor.

Mr. Claver, you
said the tapestry

could be recognized as a
fraud within five minutes.

Did you mean that literally?

Yes. It only took me a minute
or two of close examination.

Could you have
recognized it as a fraud

from across the
room, let us say?

Well, not readily, no.

I see.

Now, you've received
full insurance payment

for your loss in that
fire in South America.

Apparently, there was
no question, at that time,

that the tapestry
ha been burned.

That's correct.

Yet,

when you saw this copy in
the Los Angeles pawnshop,

you were driven to
drastic action to get it.

Your chauffeur has admitted
that he broke into the shop

on your orders to get the
tapestry. Is that correct?

Yes.

Then, Mr. Claver,

isn't the implication
inescapable

that your feeling was
that somehow the tapestry

and other objects
had survived that fire?

And that you suspected
Mr. Voss of being responsible

for their survival?

Well, I certainly wanted
to explore every possibility.

That's all, no
further questions.

Your Honor, we ask permission
to recall Mr. James Hazlett.

All right, Mr. Mason.

Mr. Hazlett, you
will take the stand.

That's all, Mr. Claver.

Witness is reminded
that he's still under oath.

Mr. Hazlett, think carefully.

Did Mr. Voss ever suggest
to you that he might have

very famous or very
important artworks for sale?

Yes, he, uh...

He asked me once if
I'd like to take a plunge.

Said he knew where he could
get ahold of something real big.

Was he open about all this?

Well, he went
to a lot of trouble

to make sure we were alone.

And he made me promise
to keep it strictly confidential.

Very likely.

Thank you.

Your Honor, we realize
this is unusual procedure,

but we now wish to present
a defense in this case

and we ask for a
recess to prepare.

If the court please.

I think the request
is reasonable.

Court will reconvene at
9:30 tomorrow morning.

What do you think?

Well, everybody saw it.

All we can do is watch and wait.

Yeah, I got it.

Hazlett's at home

and a guy by the name of
Lawrence just showed up there.

That's his art expert.

Maybe we'd better watch him too.

Put a tail on
Lawrence if you can.

Good.

Yeah? Where?

Hold it a minute.

Brenda just parked
her car in an alley

near Commercial and Lake.

She's walking
east on Lake Street.

Lake Street, what's down there?

What's the neighborhood?

Factories and warehouses.

That's it. Come on.

Wait for us there.

Yes, today.

Somebody was here.

You let someone
in and you know it.

Nobody but Voss
himself has been...

Will you please
just give me the key?

Hey, what's going on here?

Take it easy, Charlie.
Everything will be okay.

If you're looking to see
if a Buddha is missing,

I think you'll find it is.

Better call Tragg, Paul.

I... I can't believe it.

All these things here.
Here all this time.

The Gainsborough,
the da Vinci sketches,

the Utrillo.

You can identify all
these things, Mr. Claver?

Yes.

Yes, all the treasures

Voss told me were
burned, destroyed.

All but a certain Tao
Kwan Buddha, right?

You see, Voss took
that Buddha to the gallery

the night he was to meet
Claude, the night he was killed.

But the trade never took place.

We found Voss dead,
we didn't find any Buddha.

Only some package wrappings.

A few with blood spots.

Well, Miss Larkin,

that must have been
quite a shock to you today

when that Buddha
suddenly reappeared in court.

If it hadn't been such a shock,

she wouldn't have
come running here,

which of course just about
proves she didn't kill Voss.

Perry, it must
certainly... No, no.

The killer would have
been much smarter.

Don't you think so, Mr. Claver?

Six years ago, you paid
Voss to burn a collection

which you had over-insured,
isn't that correct?

A few days ago, a
tapestry showed up.

You discovered
it was just a copy.

But then you found that Voss
still had the Tao Kwan Buddha.

Wasn't it then that
you fully realized

how completely Voss had
betrayed you, Mr. Claver?

Mr. Claver, you should know

that the moment
you left your house,

I arranged to have it searched.

They are looking, of course,
for the Tao Kwan Buddha.

The Buddha that must have been

taken from the
scene of the murder.

And taken by the
murderer, Mr. Claver.

You know, I'm glad that some
of these things didn't burn.

It's like meeting old friends
you'd heard had died.

But it was Brenda Larkin
right down to the wire.

Not quite.

Claver was the only one that
knew the tapestry was a copy.

That's why he confronted
Voss at the gallery.

And that's when he
spotted the Buddha,

knew the collection
hadn't been burned.

That Voss
double-crossed him. Right.

I'm sorry I'm late, Mason.

But you did a
fine job. A fine job.

Howdy, Miss Della.

But you are the
man I came to see.

How'd you like to sell
that tapestry of yours?

I'd just love to take that
back to Houston with me.

I tell you what. I'll
give you $10,000 for it.

But it's only a copy.

Well, if the folks back in
Houston don't recognize it,

they're gonna be
plenty impressed.

And if they do recognize it,

then I'm gonna
tell 'em the story

and they're gonna be
even more impressed.

Well, Claude, I guess you
finally made yourself a deal.

Ten thousand dollars. I...

Well, I guess I have.

It's a deal. A deal.

All right.