Original subtitles

Good cat?

Hmm?

It's all right now.

It's all right now.

Helen should have told you that you're persona non grata in my home, Courtney.

My dear sister -in -law, there's never been any doubt in my mind that I'm

unwelcome here.

You always did have the hide of a rhinoceros.

Why don't you help yourself to a drink?

I note that you took care not to be announced until your daughter had left

shopping. Oh, Jennifer is a nice enough young woman, I suppose.

But too much of this place has rubbed off on her.

Anyway, my business doesn't concern her.

Whatever it concerns, please get on with it.

It, Athena dear, is the rising cost of living.

Of course, I realize that you are sheltered from such mundane

But unfortunately, I'm not so lucky.

You would be shocked at the cost of food and Napoleon Brandy.

And those handsome shirts McAuliffe makes especially for me.

I hate to tell you this, Theney, old girl, but you're just going to have to

an adjustment in our arrangement.

Why don't you call it by its name?

It doesn't matter what we call it.

It has to be doubled.

Doubled?

Starting next month.

That is outrageous.

I'll do no such thing.

Well, maybe you'd rather cancel our arrangement.

Of course, that's entirely up to you.

And the courts.

And the newspapers.

And the television cameras.

Come on, T &A, cheer up.

I'm not foreclosing on their old homestead.

It won't even make a dent in what the old robber baron left to you.

It can only happen in Chicago.

Robert!

I'm so delighted you could make it. Athena, you look younger every time I

you.

You're as polished a prevaricator as you ever were, and I hope you never change.

How are you, Uncle Bob?

Fine, Jennifer, just fine.

You haven't met Dr. Mrs. Crichton, have you, Robert? I don't believe so. How do

you do?

How do you do? I do.

And of course you know Tony Hudson.

Tony. Bob.

And Jay Endicott, Chief Ironside. It's been a long time, Mr. Endicott. You're

looking fit, Chief.

Can I get you anything, Uncle Bob?

Oh, thank you, Jennifer.

Chief, I'm particularly glad you're here.

I need your help.

I've been trying to persuade Athena to get rid of this old mausoleum.

Tell Dieter to the city anything to free her. Oh, honestly, Tony, you know I

only keep enough of the house open to fit our needs.

You see?

Same old argument.

I'm not sure I should get into it.

Tell you what.

You keep this old face if you insist.

But come and live in my condominium with me.

Of course.

I should suddenly get married at my age.

Who said anything about marriage?

If my instincts were right, I should stay out of it.

Madam, do you know I served?

I don't know.

Ellen! Who put those there?

Those orchids.

I did, Miss Athena.

Well, get them out of here at once.

But you ordered them.

I did no such thing.

Now get them out of here.

Yes, ma 'am.

I'm sorry.

It's just that orchids... Well, I'd sooner have poison ivy in my home.

Now you all find your cards for Jennifer's place.

Athena?

Stephan Post?

Yes, poor dear Stephan.

He was to have been here this evening.

A memorial?

A reminder that his attacker is still at large.

It's been a week since his murder.

Oh, John has persuaded me to try a new wine tonight, Robert.

I'll be interested in your opinion.

Hello, Ed.

It's Mike Roark.

Oh, hi, Lieutenant.

Is the chief there?

No, he's out for the evening. You want me to have him? I just got a call from a

woman who said she saw someone near the site of the Stephan Post murder last

week.

Could have been the killer.

Oh, yeah? Good.

I know the chief was acquainted with the victim, and I was hoping that he might

also know the witness.

Miss Evelyn Wescott?

Well, I wouldn't know about that, but I'll sure have him... She lives there in

that same Nob Hill area where the chief has so many friends.

Listen, when he comes in, I'll certainly have him... See, this thing waited a

whole week before she came forth.

Said she was scared to get involved.

I don't know whether to believe it or not.

Now, if the chief could vouch for her, it would simplify my life a great deal.

Yeah, I'll just bet.

You could simplify my life a good deal, too, Lieutenant.

I could how?

Do this.

Excellent dinner, Athena.

I'm glad you liked it. Yes, superb as usual, my dear Athena.

You all right?

Yes, yes, I'm all right.

A little pensive, perhaps.

It was such a shock.

Who would kill a nice guy like Steve Post?

It had to be a mugger, don't you agree, Chief?

That, of course, is a possibility.

Oh, something's happened to the world.

violence and horror, such an everyday part of life.

It was so different when we were young.

Remember, Jay?

Tony? As if it were yesterday, my dear.

That's your problem, Athena.

Can't look back.

You can't live in the past.

Well, death and death brought it all back.

And the other day, I found a memento I hadn't seen in years.

Jennifer? Yes, I'm Athena.

My cotillion dance card.

Papa insisted on calling it a cotillion instead of just a dance.

And rightly so.

Oh, it was so beautifully formal and stylized and old.

You should have seen it.

Stephen Post.

Yes.

He had the first waltz.

And Jay, you had the second.

I remember.

Courtney Elliott.

Yes, uh, Jennifer's father.

You're on the list, too, Tony.

Number six?

Best I could do.

I had to get in the line.

All the rest are dead.

Well, shall we finish our drinks in the other room?

There we are.

You wanted to talk, didn't you?

Uh, Jennifer, be a good girl and look after our guests for a minute, please.

I'll be right along.

Robert, if you asked, I know they'd put you on Stefan's case.

Please, for my sake.

For your sake, Athena?

Well, of course. He was my oldest friend.

Stefan's murder is being investigated by thoroughly competent officers.

I know, I know, but you could step into it if you wanted to.

Yes, I suppose I could.

Athena, is this what's been bothering you?

Well, it would be a great comfort to me to know that you were in charge of the

investigation.

Because you want to see Stefan's murder brought to justice?

Yes. That's all, no other reason.

What other reason could there possibly be?

I don't know.

Will you do it?

Yes, of course I'll do it.

Thank you, Robert.

Well, shall we join the others?

Yes.

Don't you ever knock?

I did, Miss Athena, and you know perfectly well I did.

You've probably been yelling at Miss Jennifer, too.

Not very much, Ellen.

I'll thank you not to disgust me as if I were somewhere else.

Hard to know where you are these days.

What is this woman talking about?

Miss Jennifer, if you don't say something, I swear I'm going to.

Say something about what?

About your not being where you're supposed to be at night. Like in bed.

What? Walking in your sleep.

Ellen. It was Miss Jennifer who found you. And she called me.

Well, it was nothing, Anacina. You were out in the upstairs hall.

Got you back to bed without any fuss.

And the orchids you ordered.

That is absolutely not true.

You called me. Right from here. Night before last.

I was in the pantry finishing up. You said to send for them.

And I tried to say something.

My goodness.

Now, don't you think I know how you feel about them? You just hung up the phone

on me.

I'd have to be out of my mind to request such a... I don't remember.

Anna Sina, we're concerned about your health. Now, if you've been overdoing

things, why don't you see Dr. Crichton?

Because there's nothing wrong with me, that's why.

Forgetfulness is sometimes an adjunct of getting older.

Perhaps I have grown careless occasionally.

But there is no need to confide my innermost thoughts to an analyst.

Now, I do not wish to hear another word on the subject.

Is that clear?

Both of you go to bed.

Yes.

Yes, of course I knew it.

He was at the dinner party last night.

I thought he was found at 3 o 'clock this morning by another tenant.

The coroner says he was dead at 11 .30 last night.

He's been home about an hour and a half. He left when you did.

We've just been talking about the murder of Stephan Post.

I presume you're tying the two together.

Looks like the same weapon.

Long, slender instrument.

Sharp point, dull size?

Like scissors.

Could be.

Sort of fits the description the Westcott woman gave us in the post case.

I mean, at the risk of sounding chauvinistic, scissors are more of a

weapon than a man's.

Sorry I couldn't help you with the witness, Mike.

Did you check her out?

Seems to be reliable.

Could she identify the woman who bumped into her?

She's not sure.

There wasn't much light.

There's one thing I'm sure of, though.

The M .O. was the same.

One of these was found on each of the bodies.

Apparently dropped there by the killer, like a signature.

White orchids.

White orchids.

You didn't give this to the papers.

That's the secret between us and the killer.

Two men, about the same age, friends.

Now, what do they have in common with a white orchid?

We're checking into their personal background.

Stick with Mike. See what he turns up. I'll see you later.

Hey, hold it, hold it.

Have you got something on your mind you'd like to share with the San

Police Department?

Only if something develops, Mike.

Yes, madam.

I understand, madam, but the chief says it's very important.

Yes, madam.

She'll see you upstairs, sir.

Thank you, John.

This isn't like Miss Athena, sir.

She's usually out before anyone else in the house.

Has she seen the morning paper?

You mean about poor Mr. Allen?

Yes.

I have a feeling that there's more to it than that.

There's something going on here that I can't quite figure out.

Oh, nothing you can put your finger on.

Just some funny looks between Miss Jennifer and Ellen.

Not a whisper.

And poor Miss Athena getting grouchier every day.

Good morning, Robert.

Morning, Athena.

Thank you for seeing me.

You've come to tell me about Jay Endicott.

I already know about it.

I've come to hear the rest of what you started to tell me last night.

There's nothing more.

I only wish I'd asked you to take charge sooner.

Perhaps poor Jay might still be alive.

What makes you think so?

Well, maybe you would have caught the killer.

I should thank you for your vote of confidence, but instead I'm wondering

you used the singular.

Killer.

Well, surely it's occurred to you that Stefan and Jay were killed by the same

person. They were old friends.

And they were numbers one and two on your cotillion card.

And they were murdered in that order.

Now, what do you think that means?

Oh, what I know.

Oh, I think you know a great deal more than you're telling me. I think last

night you were afraid there'd be another murder.

That's ridiculous.

And this morning you were wondering if you couldn't have prevented it.

How could I... I could

do anything about that.

Because you may suspect what's behind the murders or even who's doing it.

Every detail, but most of it.

Most of it was in the papers, Athena.

The papers said a sharp -pointed instrument.

I can tell you they were shears.

The police have suggested that.

For 30 years, I've kept my shears in this sewing basket.

The same pair.

Now they're gone.

You don't know where they are?

That's just it. I...

I don't know anything for sure.

I just get flashes of Stefan lying at the foot of the stairs.

And of Jay crumpled in the doorway of his apartment.

And of my standing over them with the cheers in my hand.

You still haven't told me anything that isn't common knowledge.

There's been nothing in the papers about flowers.

What flowers?

I'm not sure, but there were flowers in both cases.

Where?

Near the bodies.

On them.

I don't know. I just see them lying there.

And there was a flower.

But if I could remember it all, I'd just go confess.

Don't you understand?

If I'm going to help you, I have to ask questions.

Ask them, ask them. Get to the bottom of this quickly, please.

All right, Athena.

Every murder has a motive.

Now, what's yours?

Isn't insanity enough?

Not necessarily.

There are many kinds of mental illness.

Only the barest percentage are homicidal.

Then I must be part of the barest percentage.

Why don't you come in, ladies?

You are not insane, Athena, and you're not a murderer. Jennifer. Ellen.

John told us the chief was here and we were listening.

All right, good.

Tell him about finding me wandering in the halls at night and not remembering

leaving my bed.

About ordering the orchids and not remembering that.

That is sleepwalking. That's not unusual.

Sometimes you may be a little forgetful or short -tempered, but that doesn't

mean anything.

The orchids, Athena.

Why are they so distasteful to you?

Because they... Some people don't like night -blooming jasmine. I don't like

orchids. Never did, that's all.

I don't think that's all.

I had the feeling she was still holding back.

She asked for help but won't cop out. Does that make sense?

To her it does.

The royal family can never let the world know where the skeletons are.

So we're going to have to dig them out.

I want you to check on every member of Athena's family. She had a twin sister.

Jennifer's mother died long before I met any of the champions.

And Jennifer's father is around someplace, I think.

Well, that was a lot of hours for nothing. There's only one person I can

of who has a cleaner record than Stephen Post, and that is... Andrew Endicott.

Right. Both staunch pillars of the community, paid by their fortunes

Not so much as a parking ticket on either one.

In short, there's no reason why anybody would want to murder them. That you

could find. That I could find. They were murdered.

One point of interest, though.

They were both engaged to marry Athena Champion at different times, of course.

Post first, then Endicott.

Both engagements were short, both before she made her debut.

Before the cotillion.

Fran, you'll be checking the newspaper more. Get everything you can on the

cotillion. Bye.

Oh, and by the way, what was the name of Jennifer's father?

Elliot.

Courtney Elliot.

I'll take care of the packages, Miss Jennifer.

Very well, John.

Oh, Mr. Jennifer, thank goodness you're here. I have to show you something.

What is it?

Well, first your father was here today.

What did he want? I don't know. He spoke with your aunt a few minutes and then

he left, but that's not important.

Open it.

Pick it up.

I wouldn't touch it again for a million dollars.

Athena, champion's only sister, died in 1950.

Check the death certificate.

Heart attack. Certifying physician, Dr. Philip R. Barnes.

Ironside. Yes, sir.

Chief, I finally traced down Courtney Elliott.

He has an apartment on Aqua Vista.

I'm across the street from it now.

Stay there. I want to talk to her.

As for my daughter living with her aunt, she finds time. That hardly needs

explanation.

You see, I can't provide for her. And her aunt can and does.

Handsomely.

I'd be a fool if I objected, wouldn't I?

In all the years I've known your daughter, Mr. Elliot, I've never heard

mention you.

Does that too hardly need explanation?

I never pretended to ooze with love for the girl.

She is far more a champion than Elliot.

But we do exchange birthday and Christmas cards.

And your wife?

Were you as close to her as to your daughter?

We could have been much closer if it hadn't been for Athena.

She never approved of me.

Poor Claudia.

If she'd lived, we might have made a go of it.

Is there anything else you wanted, Chief?

I borrowed that from your sister -in -law, Mr. Elliott.

Do you recognize it?

I know what it is, of course.

Your name is third on the dance program.

The first two names are those who... Oh, I know whose names they are, young

lady.

That's too bad.

Terrible tragedy.

You don't sound very concerned.

Oh, but I am.

I'm as concerned as any almighty citizen. What the chief means is you

worried about being next on the list.

Oh, you mean victim number three.

Why would anyone want to kill me?

Why, indeed.

Mr. Elliot, how well do you remember the cotillion?

Oh, I will never forget it.

Who escorted Athena?

Oh, I remember that, Chief.

Very well.

She has just gone through two engagements.

But her timing was very bad.

We came the night of the party, and she was without a bow.

And so Athena the Beautiful, Athena the Proud, Athena the Invincible was forced

to make a debut on this quarter.

She had to stand at the side of her father.

Now, if you see a face that looks familiar, Miss West, you just speak up.

your time.

I hope I can be of help to you, but I don't know.

You see something, ma 'am?

Well, I don't think so.

This one looked familiar at first, but I guess I was mistaken.

Don't be afraid, Miss Wescott.

You think that's the lady who bumped into you that night? Just speak right

We'll treat it as confidential.

I'd tell you if I could be sure, but I can't.

My eyes need a lot more light than there was that night.

All right, ma 'am. Thank you very much.

I'm afraid I...

Wasn't much help.

Of course you were, Miss West. We very much appreciate your taking the time and

trouble to come down here.

And that's about all we need for a warrant.

That was no identification.

Anyway, a slice of chief.

That nice little old lady picked this picture out of the stack.

Because it looked familiar.

You heard her.

But not necessarily because she saw her in the park that night. Where else?

What about the newspapers?

Tina Pendridge Champion's face has appeared in the society section a few

times. But not for years.

Now, when did you ever read a society page?

What about Miss Champion's confession?

There's no confession.

She merely suspects she's guilty.

Chief, the lady needs help. She's begging for it. We're giving it to her.

All I want's a little help from you.

Hold off on that warrant, Mike.

I can't. Yes, you can.

You've got to dig deeper now, Ed.

Get subpoenas to check the champion bank records as far back as possible.

What am I looking for?

You'll know it when you see it.

Hey, now, wait a minute.

Lieutenant, we've got to find a motive, don't we? Yes, and motive is logic. And

logic you won't get from a batty old dame. What if she isn't batty? What if

somebody just wants us to think she is?

Who? Yeah, who? And the next question is why? And we're right back to motive.

You bet your sweet badge we are.

All right.

Check the old lady's will. See who benefits.

We already have.

Okay, who?

The maid? The butler? The niece? Who? Which one?

None of them. Not to any great extent. They're all mentioned, only modestly.

Volk remains in the Champion Foundation.

I have the right of Charlie to dispatch more to get this.

But I think you'll be willing to reimburse me.

from a champion cotillion of 1927 featuring Miss Athena Champion wearing a

corsage of orchids.

Orchids. Orchids.

Is there to be no end of discussions about orchids?

It would appear that we have to settle the issue first, Athena.

A silly flower. How can that be an issue?

A silly flower can be symbolic of a motive for murder. Now, you've asked me

help, Athena, and I'm sure you want help.

But not at the risk of uncovering any family embarrassment.

That is an absurd theory.

Because if it should turn out that you are innocent, you would not have failed

as lifetime guardian of the champion good name.

Your secrets would be intact and you could go on living or whatever it is you

call what you do.

How dare you?

I dare because I think you are innocent.

I think somebody is trying to convince you that you're insane.

Even homicidal.

That's preposterous.

Not if you actually have a motive.

But I don't. Are you sure, Athena?

Are you sure that your friendship for Stephan Post and Jay Endicott wasn't

a pretense?

Haven't you harbored a deep, smoldering resentment for the two men who had

jilted you?

Jilted? Why wouldn't they marry you?

Oh, I didn't want them.

They were weak, both of them.

Too weak.

Or were you too strong for them?

Too much like your father?

First Stephan and then suddenly Jay.

You were left to suffer the unthinkable embarrassment of rejection at your own

cotillion.

A last -minute replacement would have been too obvious.

Stop it. The crown princess of San Francisco society could not produce even

prince consort, so her...

Her father, the king, had to take her hand.

She was forced to stand there, wearing a corsage of orchids, suffering the

laughter of her peers.

They wouldn't have dared to laugh.

Oh, they laughed, Athena. One of them's still laughing. Courtney Elliott.

That pig.

You've always detested him, haven't you?

Always. And why have you been giving him money all these years?

We subpoenaed your bank records.

You had no right.

$3 ,000 a month, just like clockwork.

Well, he was family, whatever else.

He was a blackmailer.

No. The champion's secret has been very costly, hasn't it, Athena?

Starting with the million -dollar addition to Dr. Philip Barnes' hospital.

Please, no.

Endowment was dated...

Only two days after the doctor signed your sister's death certificate.

Please, Robert, no more. Please. Clear to the bone, Athena.

Everything before the cost becomes more than you can bear.

I had wondered why a three -story house would have an elevator that only went to

the second floor.

Long after Claudia and...

Courtney were married.

Jennifer was still a little girl.

My sister attacked me.

She imagined I was having an affair with Courtney.

She tried to stab me.

With a pair of sewing shears.

And you've been afraid that you were cursed by the same affliction as your

sister.

My sister. How could I have her committed?

She's had the best of care.

Ellen looks after her.

Jennifer's kind to her. I couldn't let them put her away in some institution.

Not Claudia Champion.

So important.

That name.

So important.

So important.

Hey, friend.

You want something cold to drink?

Oh, no, thanks.

Ed, you still with the chief?

Yeah, but I'll be talking to him later.

That's good. Tell him we're all set.

Blank clothes, unmarked car.

But you think there's somebody right there in the house, huh?

Yeah, could be.

Someone who could have planted the battalion dance card right where Athena

have run across it.

Someone who could have drugged her milk to make her think she was sleepwalking.

Someone who could have impersonated her voice to get Ellen to put the orchids in

the centerpiece.

Unless Ellen lied and there wasn't any call at all.

The chief's already thought of that.

Or the old gal is actually doing the murders.

Annapina.

Is Uncle Bob really helping you? Oh, he's trying to, Jennifer.

He's trying to be encouraging, but I don't know.

Have a good night, Miss Athena.

Thank you, Ellen. Good night. Good night.

Look, it's really been a very trying day, Jennifer. Do you mind? No, of

not. Good night. Good night, Jim.

You are going to get up now.

You are going to get up and go out.

You will wear the same black dress and the same black cloak

that you always wear.

The one your mama used to wear.

The one you wore when you killed Stefan and Jane.

You will hide the sewing shears under the fold of the cloak and you will slip

out of the house.

You will go quickly to Courtney's apartment.

Courtney's apartment.

You will ring the bell and you will tell him who you are.

He will press the buzzer and let you in.

When he opens the apartment door, you will stab him with the shears.

Just as you did. the others and just as before

you will leave the single white orchid on the body

and when it's all done you will return home to your house

And when it's all over, you will remember everything you did.

You will remember.

You will remember.

Yes?

Yes, who is it?

Athena.

I don't believe it.

I don't believe it.

I must see you.

I bet you could have telephoned me.

Now. I must see you now.

All right.

Now come on out.

Halt! Police!

Police, stand where you are.

Halt!

What is it, Miss Jennifer?

What is it?

Look.

Something awake me. I don't know what it was. So I looked in on her.

I hope I didn't upset her.

Where do you think she could be?

Somewhere in the house.

Ellen, look downstairs. I'm going to check the rooms up here.

Back so soon.

You must have run very fast.

Mama, we've got her now.

They'll have to put her away. They'll have to punish her for what she did to

you. You won't have to stay up here anymore.

And you can be mistress of this house just as you always should have been.

You can have her bedroom, Mama.

Mama?

You did do what you were supposed to do.

Didn't you?

Mama, answer me.

Mama.

You didn't do it.

You didn't do it.

I took you there. I showed you what to do. I showed you exactly what to do.

Why didn't you do it?

Why? They shined a light, a blinding light.

Please.

Please.

Please, we're there. Please.

Please.

It's her fault.

It's our fault.

It's her fault.

No! No! No!

No! No!

It wasn't you cursed by the affliction, Athena.

Jennifer inherited everything from her mother, including her hatred of you.

I'm sorry I had to let it go so far.

It's going to be all right, dear.

Everything's going to be all right.

If you're still thinking about Athena Champion, forget it.

She's leaving on a world cruise with Tony Hudson.

Turn the paper.

Turned her mansion over to the city for a museum.

Gee, I don't remember it saying anything about their having separate staterooms.

Maybe they're married.

I wouldn't count on it.

One of them would lose his social security.