All language subtitles for Perry Mason s07e24 Simple Simon

curtain call.

Considering the hour, my good man, we
might be a little less, uh, glamorous.

Oh, I'm terribly sorry, your lordship. I
shall try to do better next time.

Thank you.

Mr. Doyle, the manner in which you drove
through those mountain roads exposes

your true calling.

You're a mass murderer.

Don't give me no ideas, fatso.

Where'd you get your experience, Doyle?

In the war, I drove a two -star general
all the way from the landing beach to

Casino. And if you've ever been in
Italy... Yes, I made a couple pictures

Rome last year.

If they serve boiled coffee in this
town, I shall leave it instantly. Thank

love.

And I shall walk to Los Angeles before
I'll ever ride with you again.

What do you think?

That's what the general always said.

By the way, whatever happened to the
general?

Got killed.

An accident.

Are you just looking, or can I help you?

I want... May I talk to you for a few
minutes, Miss Carver?

Oh, really, love?

It's terribly late. I've had a ghastly
bus ride, and I'm pooped. Now, can't it

wait till the morning? No, no, it can't.
I've got to talk to you right now.

Really, young man, if you expect me to
give you an interview at this hour of

night... No, no.

My name is Douglas McKenzie.

So you're an aspiring young actor, and
you want me to tell you how to break

the theater.

Oh.

Well, in words, a pure Anglo -Saxon...
No, wait.

I'm not an actor, but I thought I was an
orphan.

There's no excuse for bad manners.

Now run along, little boy.

Good night.

Good night.

Miss Carver, I wouldn't say this to
anyone else.

But I think you might want to talk to
me. For heaven's sake, why?

Because... Because you're my mother?

of temporal power.

The attribute to all majesty wherein
doth sit the dread and fear of two.

Who's your new assistant working now?

Oh, him.

Well, I still have to do most of the
work, but say, who is he anyway?

How come you got Fawcett to put him on?

To save your beautiful muscles, dear
love.

Why else?

But mercy is above the sceptre's sway.

It is enthroned in the hearts of kings.

It is an attribute to God himself.

Ramona Carter is absolutely wonderful.
You never told me you knew her.

A secret passion.

Does she know it? I think she guessed.
She sent the tickets by special

messenger.

I'm not decent.

I'm sure she doesn't expect you to bring
your secretary backstage with you.

A royal summons for Ramona means only
one thing. She's in trouble again.

I'm still not decent. Come on in.

You're here.

Did you think I wouldn't be?

You're not showing much enthusiasm.

Ramona, you're the finest actress in the
world and just as beautiful as ever.

Oh, you old flatterer.

And you, my dear, you must be Della
Street. Yes.

Perry, dear, find a receipt, will you?

I, um, hope you're not going to be too
shocked because I'm going to

make a terrible concession.

In.

Strict as confidence, you understand.

Are you quite ready?

I think so.

Twenty -three years ago, I gave birth to
a child.

Well, didn't you hear me?

I have a son.

Yes, I know.

How could you possibly know?

I've never told another living soul.

Ramona. For the past five years, I've
investigated for you the parentage of

three different young men. Ah, but I
never told you why.

Let's say I drew a conclusion.

That was an unforgivable thing to do.

Douglas?

Douglas?

Well, you do want some coffee, don't
you?

Oh, Douglas, would it be too much
trouble to get us three coffees?

Right away, Miss Carver. Thank you.

Nice meeting you, young man.

He's our new handyman.

I feel sorry for him, so I... Got him
the job.

He came up to me one night in Flagstaff,
Arizona.

I have reason to believe, he said, that
you're my mother. What reason did he

give? Very convincing ones.

Time, place, type of blood.

Oh, all incredibly accurate.

There's just one difficulty, Perry.

The boy is a fake.

Well, how can you be certain that
because, my dear, I happen to know

and where my real son is at this very
moment? Then why do you keep this

boy around?

Because, my dear, I want to know just
how much it's going to cost me.

But you may be sure he's just waiting to
ask for something really big.

Isn't it possible, Miss Carver, that the
boy is just making an honest mistake?

No, my dear, it is not.

When you go digging up old secrets and
make all the facts fit exactly, you're

either awfully, awfully lucky or a great
deal more dishonest. Have you asked him

where he found his facts?

That's why I sent for you, Perry. That's
what I want you to find out.

Because I think that somebody must have
put that boy up to whatever it is he's

up to. Who could be that cruel?

Don, I forgot to tell Paul Drake where
to meet us. If you could reach him.

I'll call right away.

Perry, I just don't know who.

That's the trouble.

I've kept it such a secret all these
years.

Well, certainly the boy's father.
Douglas could not have gotten it from

You can take my word for that.

Who is he, Ramona?

Blasted Perry, I am not going to tell
you.

Oh!

Don't you get the idea there's anything
apologetic about my memories?

He was from Boston, I'll have you know.

One of the bluest of the blue -blooded
families.

Aristocratic youth, struggling young
Angelou. And my young prince made plans

me to ascend Beacon Hill to meet the
family.

And then an ogre intervened. And they
found out ahead of time, in a nasty,

way, full of lies that...

They rushed my young prince off to
Europe and I never saw him again.

All right.

But there must have been someone else
who... No, there wasn't. That's the

point.

The only person who really knew, who
whisked me off to Jersey, who held my

in the hospital when there were
complications about a blood factor or

who arranged for the baby's adoption and
all, he wouldn't even expose me to St.

Peter himself.

You mentioned an ogre a minute ago.

No, him.

A Broadway critic.

A lecherous old liar. But him I fixed a
few years ago.

And he disappeared in a cloud of his own
smoke. Poof. Do me up, will you?

So? Now the ogre's gone.

And anyway, I doubt if he had enough
facts to... Jack, I will not have you

storming in this dressing room without
warning.

But it's my favorite vice, and I must
say, my love, this is the least

compromising situation I've ever
discovered you in.

Now go to Mr.

Mason John Sylvester Fawcett.

Delighted. Last call, Ramona. On to
Santa Barbara. The wagon rolls in 20

minutes.

Perry Mason.

Extraordinary.

Sorry I took so long, Miss Carver.

That's all right, Douglas.

I think Mr. Mason would like to talk to
you.

Yes, sir.

Douglas, why do you believe you're Miss
Carver's son?

Because Sam told me I was.

My foster father, Sam McKenzie.

There was never any secret about my
being adopted.

But, well, he never let on that he knew
who my real parents were.

Until he got sick.

Then I guess he figured he'd better tell
me.

before he died.

He died recently?

No, sir.

March of last year.

Why did you wait for more than a year to
approach Miss Carver?

I didn't. I almost did it last summer.

When you were in Chicago, I was working
there, and I waited outside your hotel.

She came out looking like a queen.

I got so rattled, I couldn't say
anything except, may I have your

Miss Carver?

I've still got it.

I don't remember.

People are always asking for autographs.

I must say, you didn't seem very
intimidated in that coffee shop in

I was so scared my knees were rattling.

If you hadn't looked quite so tired and
not so overpowering, I think I would

have chickened out again.

It's too bad you didn't, Douglas.

Because the truth is that you're not my
son.

What? I don't understand. What do you
want to say anything like that for?

Pick up your kid, Miss Carver?

Oh, you got it, Mac. No, he has not got
it.

Douglas is leaving the tour tonight.

Well, I knew it was too good to last.

Just one moment, please.

Douglas, I think you've been misguided.

I prefer to believe that it was neither
deliberate nor malicious, so I've made

you out a check.

Mr. Mason may have some papers for you
to sign. I'll let him handle that.

Here.

Goodbye, Douglas.

And good luck.

$5 ,000.

That's a lot more than I expected.

But then I don't know how badly your
conscience is bothering you.

Let us have no hard feelings, please.
Let us have no feelings at all, Mother.

And no papers to sign, eh, Mr. Mason?

Thanks very much.

But I've already got your autograph,
remember?

Perry, did I do it so badly?

I wish you had let me handle it, Ramona.

Come on, Ramona.

Royalist, I need to leave without you.

Sorry, Perry, I... Send me a bill, will
you?

I don't know what to say.

Excuse me.

Well, it seems the drama wasn't all on
stage tonight.

Paul, right?

Yes, just in time to see the young man
storm out of here. I told Paul to follow

him. That was all right, wasn't it? Or
is it all over?

I hope it's over, Della.

But I certainly wouldn't bet $5 ,000 on
it.

$5 ,000.

Gary 2000.

Will you kindly cease making that
meaningless noise?

If I have added incorrectly, simply say
so.

Oh, you don't add at all, Jack.

You just pick a number.

Well, if I were a mathematician, my boy,
the bloodhounds of the tax bureau

wouldn't be baying at the door.

Well, the subject seems to be high
finance.

Purely academic, old man.

Rather like my percentage.

What was your decision on that?

All decisions are made by Mr. Simon
Watley.

You were the nominal producer of the
band of trolling players.

We're responsible to bring it to his
attention.

From now on, I'll handle it myself.

His address, please.

Uh, Helfrich Dorf in... 16.

Geneva, Switzerland, according to a
letter I received today. There's a

out there somewhere for you.

Please remind Mr. Guy Penrose that in
rejecting a percentage in favor of a

straight salary, he implied an
insufficiency of confidence for our

in its primal state.

Therefore, I feel that in all fairness
to yourself, John, and to dear Ramona, I

must advise Sir Guy to abide by his
contractual agreement.

Let's just figure that out.

He does have a rather old -world style,
doesn't he? He's senile.

Why do you say that, Guy?

Well, there's a tidbit for you here,
Scott, my boy.

I was happy to read the good notices on
the new replacement.

Well? The young man's name slips my
memory.

Most gratifying.

You know something? I wish he'd come
over here and see a performance for

himself. He may.

When he reads the notice, we're liable
to get in Santa Barbara.

Mr. Pedros, if you sabotage this company
out of spite...

You are offensive, sir.

I've been a trooper for 40 years, and I
shall continue to give a performance.

Of course, it won't be good enough for
Mr. Ogden G.

Kramer.

Who?

Kramer. I thought he was dead.

Moribund, possibly, but still lethal.

Who is Kramer?

Among other things, he appears to be a
cinema reviewer on a Santa Barbara

newspaper.

I'll kill him in cold blood.

Splendid.

It's the same Ogden Kramer, all right.
Listen, this great little movie, The

Princess, demonstrates once again
Hollywood's unparalleled skill in mixing

talent with bad taste.

That was a good picture.

My dear boy.

You should have been around when he was
reviewing on Broadway.

For example, any schoolboy will remember
that Medea was

a sorceress who killed her own children.

Ramona Carver, as Medea, was inspired
casting.

What are you laughing about?

I think it's vicious.

Are the old ogres still alive?

Maybe we did know.

Kramer's apparently with a local
university.

A part -time instructor in the drama
department.

Oh? Heaven help them.

How absolutely divine.

Reunion in Santa Barbara?

Phone call, Mr. Mason.

Did you tell Paul we'd be here?

Yes, but I didn't expect him to have
anything tonight.

Hello?

Yes, Paul. Perry, I'd like to tell you
your troubles are over, but... Which

troubles? Well, Della told me that that
young kid, Douglas McKenzie, was trying

to shake down Ramona Carver.

Possibly, but I don't really believe it.
I know. I thought he dropped the tube.

I tailed him from the theater.

He went to his hotel, packed a bag, and
grabbed a bus out of town.

And what was his destination?

That's the hitch.

Santa Barbara.

Thanks, Paul.

Operator, I'd like to send a telegram.

Santa Barbara, come out and meet your
public.

Welcome to Santa Barbara, Mr. Misset.

We're here to represent the university,
and if it isn't too late to get an

interview for the student paper.

It is never too late for the members of
the press. May I introduce my fellow

troopers, Mr. Guy Penrose, Mr. Scott
Everett, and Miss Ramona Carver.

How do you do?

What is your favorite Shakespearean
play, Miss Carver?

Coming.

Good night.

Not here, Ramona.

Not in front of witnesses.

Good night, sir. Always nice to see you
again, old chap.

Ramona, Ramona, please.

Augie, darling, it's been years.

How are you? Oh, dear heart.

Come along. You and I must get together
and have a marvelous chat about

absolutely everything.

Yes, but Ramona, of course I can drop
everything, but...

What's the $5 ,000 for?

You paying off somebody?

Now listen, don't do a thing until I get
there. Do you understand?

And then...

Ramona? Ramona?

Another five minutes for that marble
stone footlight.

Did you call the hotel?

Well, naturally I called.

They haven't seen her since you
registered last night.

Well, did you ask for Uncle Kramer? Did
you call his house?

Maybe he's got an office right here on
the campus.

I trust you are aware, madam, that the
curtain should have been up for him

yesterday. Well, the audience is still
here. And the cast will be here to

well after midnight.

Well, it's gotten the second act. You've
done it time and time before.

Comrade, the lawyer's been here twice.

Mr. Mason, he says he's got something
for you. And I've got a performance,

darling. So tell him I'll change my
mind, or tell him I'll have supper with

later, or... Ramona, please.

Well, what are we doing them for?

Here's the curtains.

And all our yesterdays have lighted
fools the way to dusty death.

Out, out, brief candle.

Light but a walking shadow.

A poor player who struts and frets his
hour upon the stage and then is

heard no more.

It is a tale told by an idiot. Full of
sound and fury.

Signifying.

To die, to sleep, no more.

And by sleep, to say we end.

Heartache and the thousand natural
shocks that flesh is heir to.

Oh, hi. You, uh...

You looking for somebody backstage?

I seem to have missed Ramona Carver.

The janitor said he thought everyone was
gone.

He's checking for me.

Ramona Carver.

Skip it. Come on. You know where she is?

Oh, I think I saw her.

I've been waiting to pick up the
professor's review for the student

Doesn't seem to be anyone at home.

Oh, here it is. He just left. Don't
touch a thing.

Huh?

Mr. Kramer.

And he's dead.

I'm sorry, sir. Miss Carver isn't in her
room. You might try the Rathskeller.

The police called a few moments ago and
I...

You, uh, are Mr. Penrose.

What's in the name?

Well, at least a method of
identification.

My name is Perry Mason. Oh, the
barrister.

Ramona's, to be precise.

So I was told she might be in here.

Now listen.

Can you hear my voice?

No. Ramona has many sterling qualities,
but the virtue of silence is not one of

them. Therefore, we may assume that
she's not among those present.

Mr. Penrose, I'm in a hurry.

Oh, please don't take advantage of my
condition. I'm drunk, sir. I am drunk.

You, um... When she promises to kill
someone in cold blood,

you rather... you rather believe her. I
suppose everyone has heard her say

something to that effect.

You don't think any of us would repeat
that to an outsider.

We call ourselves the Company of Four
for good reason.

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no
evil.

That's only three. The fourth is greed,
which makes liars of us all.

And I also lied when I told a policeman
I didn't know where Ramona might have

gone after the performance tonight.

All right.

Where might she have gone?

She was invited for supper with Jack for
seven.

Of course. Of course you'd like to find
her.

Surely you don't think she's cowering in
the next room.

Ramona? Is it possible she went to Ogden
Cramer's office after the performance

tonight? Certainly not.

One of the students believes he saw her
there.

Ramona would sooner keep company with
Jack the Ripper.

Look here. The man's murder is hardly
surprising, old boy. He who lives by the

poison pen shall die by the... Whatever
it was, I certainly hope it wasn't

anything so prosaic as the 32.

He was struck on the head with great
violence.

Ah.

Yes, and Ramona is of a violent
temperament.

But your student is mistaken.

Ramona came straight here and only left
me a very few minutes ago.

Excuse me.

Fawcett?

Yes, Doyle.

Good work.

Good work.

The party has been outwitted. The fair
Ramona has been fitted into the

of our gilded chariot.

Shall we speed to the rescue?

You meet me at the theater in half an
hour.

I'll take care of Ramona.

The money?

Oh, yes, yes, yes, the money.

Oh, Penny, darling, I do hope you've
chucked it in the ocean by this time.

Why? What did you plan to do with it,
Ramona?

Listed bills usually mean a trap of some
kind.

And since I'd telegraphed you that young
Douglas was here in Santa Barbara, you

thought that Ogden Kramer put Douglas up
to this act, didn't you?

Obviously. If I bought the truth out of
the creature with marked money, then I

could have had him arrested for
extortion. But you changed your mind.

You didn't want the money.

Female prerogative.

Ramona, don't you believe that Scott
Everett is your son?

Now, how did you find that out?

You spent most of yesterday with Kramer.

Did you learn something from him about
Scott which caused you... Now, Perry,

now, this is all absolute trivia.

Then why didn't you meet me after the
performance?

Jack Forsett wanted to talk to me,
that's all.

Well, I thought it would only take a few
minutes, but then I found he'd ordered

supper and... Ramona, what did you eat
for supper?

I had lobster and salad.

I had coffee.

With two lumps of revolting sugar.

My hands.

We checked with the hotel, Miss Carver.
They

confirmed your story.

Naturally. Up to a point. The waiter is
convinced you had supper in Mr.

Forsett's suite. But he's not quite as
positive he actually saw you there.

I believe I was out of the room combing
my hair when he wheeled the table in.

Lobster and a salad.

I assume you waited.

Didn't you check the empty plates?

Yes, I did.

But the thought occurs that Mr. Forsett
could have eaten both meals.

That is an impudence, sir.

My girth is due to a glandular
imbalance.

Sorry.

The fact the waiter didn't see Miss
Carver in the room doesn't mean she

there.

On the other hand, we have the statement
by Diker.

Oh, yes.

The charming young man who interviewed
us for the student paper.

He claims he saw you entering the dead
man's office.

Well, I thought it was you, Miss Carver,
but...

Well, she says she was at the hotel.
Maybe I saw somebody else.

You going to change your story?

Well, if I made a mistake.

Never mind. I'll talk to you later.

Now, let's get this straight.

The curtain came down at 11 o 'clock.

In the review he wrote, Kramer
criticized in detail your changed second

program. You changed it as you went
along, as I understand.

So it's obvious that Kramer dashed over
to his office, sat there typing for 15

minutes, maybe a half hour.

Before his killer interrupted him.

He had been dead for at least an hour
after that when you walked in, Mr.

At 1240, that's right.

So now, Miss Carver, during the half
hour after the curtain came down... The

lobster was broiled.

Salad had the most repulsive rope
addressing it.

Mr. Forsett, was she with you
continuously during that period?

I've already given you my word for that,
sir.

Really, how many times must I repeat
the... Mr. Rogers, will you step out

please?

Mr. Rogers is with the tax department.

Would you mind explaining why you're at
the performance tonight?

Well, Mr. Fawcett here owes the
government an extremely large sum in

So that's who you are.

The local bloodhound.

Go on, Mr. Rogers.

Well, it's the policy of the Bureau to
make spot checks on these delinquent

accounts. Tonight, Mr. Fawcett was
handed some cash receipts, so I remained

in the theater until after the
performance and then followed him back

hotel. You mean you followed Mr. Forsett
and Miss Carver, don't you? No.

Miss Carver was still in her dressing
room at the time Forsett left here.

Then she joined him in his hotel room a
few moments later, perhaps.

No, sir.

Not unless she went up the fire escape.

I was watching.

Nobody went into that room except
Forsett, the waiter, and finally him.

Thank you, Mr. Rogers. I think that does
it.

Now, Mr. Forsett, would you care to
confirm Miss Carver's alibi again?

Blast it, Ramona.

I'm sorry.

All right.

Miss Carla will continue this at
headquarters.

I'm sorry too, Mary.

But I shall not go quiet.

Mr. Fossett had given me permission to
watch from backstage, and that's how I

could see Miss Carver when she left the
theater.

Let's be a little more exact, Mr. Diger.

You testified that she came out of the
auditorium hurriedly.

But if you were backstage, how could you
tell which direction she took?

You see, I wasn't backstage then.

You see, Mr. Fossett had this cab
waiting outside the stage door so it

take him to his hotel room the minute
the show was over.

When the curtain came down, he asked me
to go outside and see if it was still

there. That's when I saw Miss Carver
leave the theater and start for

Kramer's office.

Start? Yes, sir. You see, some students
came running up to catch her, and she

was still signing autographs and stuff
when I went back into the theater.

But then you don't know for sure that
she eventually continued on in the

direction of the district's office.

Yes, sir. You see, I came outside the
theater again several minutes later with

Mr. Fassett. I was walking him toward
his cab, and when he left, I saw Miss

Carver break away from the students.

and start hurrying across the quad to
Professor Kramer's office.

All right, then let's summarize this
laboratory report.

Inside Dr. Kramer's office, you found
threads of red wool on a jagged chair

edge. Which matched the skirt worn by
the defendant that night.

And on the glass top of the desk.

Miss Carver's clear fingerprints, both
ends, as though from resting a weight on

them. And on the wooden floor beside the
body.

Miss Carver's fingerprints.

Sir, despite her statements at the time,
there is just no question about it.

Ramona Carver was there.

She telephoned just shortly after I
reached my hotel room. Yes, I can see

What did she say? Please be more
specific, Mr. Fawcett.

Ramona didn't explain anything.

We felt him down.

But he seemed upset.

She said, please, please be a love and
cover for her absence.

And so, sir, you did the gentlemanly
thing and sacrificed yourself by eating

lobsters, two salads, two desserts.

I'm just a liar, that's all.

Well, you see, I was in a panic.

I went into Kramer's office.

And there was that repulsive old ogre
lying all dead on the floor. And all I

could think of was how often I'd wanted
to kill him.

You hired her at the unusually large
percentage of profits that her contract

calls for? But I was honored to have her
as a co -star.

Ramona Carver is a theatrical human area
of the first magnitude.

That doesn't answer my question, sir.

Then I suspect you haven't asked it yet.

Would you say, based upon your long
theatrical experience, that the

is unusually large?

It is generous.

What about the other three members of
the company?

Our salaries are all adequate, sir.
Quite adequate.

A lifelong friend, acting producer, and
your compensation was adequate?

How is this disparity explained to you?

Or is there some special relationship
existing between Ramona Carver and Simon

Weatherly?

They have been friends.

Would you say, based on your knowledge,
that this relationship was younger than

or possibly older than, oh, say, for
comparison's sake, the age of Mr.

Scott Everett, for instance?

Well, let me see. If memory serves.

About the time Scott Everett was born,
Simon Weatherly was producing a Broadway

show in which Ramona played, um... Yes,
mister?

Many newspaper critics in your time, I
imagine?

Oh, yes.

It's unavoidable in the theater.

From your personal knowledge, isn't it
possible an experienced critic could

write his review of a performance in,
oh, as few as ten or fifteen minutes,

perhaps?

Well, I really don't... Your Honor! I'll
withdraw the question.

Thank you, Mr. Penrose. That's all.

I call Mr. Scott Everett to the stand.

Yes, sir. I was acquainted with the
decedent, Professor Kramer.

When? Well, a few years ago, I was in
one of his drama classes.

You see, he took an interest in my
career.

To the point of actively helping you?

No way.

He told me the company of four was going
to need a replacement and advised me to

see Miss Carver about it.

Why Miss Carver? Wasn't the hiring being
done on Mr. Fawcett?

Yes, but he wanted me to have a friend
in court.

It's not an unusual approach in show
business.

How did he suggest you go about
enlisting Miss Carver's support?

Professor Kramer suggested I let her
know I was an orphan.

He suggested you let Miss Carver believe
you might be her son. Is that correct?

Ramona, I'm sorry.

Look, I didn't mean any harm.

I really am an orphan and... What else
did Mr. Kramer suggest?

Nothing.

He really didn't know much about her.

Simon wasn't the father. I told you
that.

No, it really was that boy from Boston.

Boy who got killed in an accident
without ever knowing about the baby.

But Simon Weatherly arranged for the
adoption, am I right? Yes, he paid my

and took care of me.

I suppose that's how any snoop would get
the idea.

I'm trying to find your son.

Why didn't you get in touch with Simon?

Well, I did.

I wrote him several times, but he didn't
answer me.

I don't know why.

Paul Drake's waiting now for an overseas
cable to clear this up.

Oh, Perry, love, what difference does it
all make now?

It's obvious I killed Kramer to stop him
from blackmailing Simon, or I killed

him because... Here.

I am not going to cry.

Is that cable from Switzerland?

Does it say with whom Simon placed the
baby for adoption?

I'm sorry, Romo.

No. It's not an easy contact and not an
easy country to begin.

It doesn't really matter.

I know who my son is.

And why.

It's obvious it has to be that nice boy
from Arizona.

That boy, Douglas.

Isn't it wonderful?

Mr. Everett, about a month ago you made
a quick trip to Europe.

Yes, to lose some dialogue in a picture
I made there.

While you were there, you managed to
find a few hours to visit Davos,

Switzerland, and the sanitarium where
Simon Weatherly has been a patient for

many years.

Yes, I did go there. After what
Professor Kramer had told me, I... Well,

curious. And as long as I was there, I
thought... You thought if Ramona Carver

was good for hundreds of dollars,
perhaps Simon Weatherly, the supposed

would be good for thousands. No. Perhaps
even hundreds of thousands. No, no,

they wouldn't let me see Weatherly. They
wouldn't let me in.

That's what I told Kramer. Mr. Kramer is
hardly in a position to verify your

contention. But nobody can see Mr.

Weatherly. Check it yourself. He's in a
mental institution.

Yes, I know.

Mr. Everett, on the night of the murder,
were you on stage immediately before

the final curtain?

Let's see. The last reading was from
Macbeth.

That was Mr. Fawcett and Miss Garvin. So
you were not on stage?

No. Neither was Mr. Penrose.

For how long, Mr. Everett?

How long was that last scene?

Ten, fifteen minutes.

But look, we were there for a curtain
call. I didn't leave the theater once.

They might have changed the program
again.

We often change our program, Mr. Mason,
to accommodate our time schedule.

You do this as you go along?

Yes. Yes, rather like a football
quarterback changing signals as he comes

the line of scrimmage.

I see.

But before the reading from Macbeth with
Miss Carver, didn't you announce it to

the audience as the last number on the
program?

Yes. Yes, I did. From your experience
with newspaper critics, couldn't Ogden

Kramer have left the theater 10 or 15
minutes before curtain time and still

been able to write a satisfactory
review?

Without staying to the end?

Yes, yes, the man certainly knew his
Shakespeare.

I suppose he could have made up
something.

Your Honor, there's been no groundwork
laid for questioning of this kind. But I

agree to let the witness return to the
stand.

Your Honor, I'm quite willing to go back
to the mental institution where I'm

sure there has been adequate groundwork
laid by the prosecutor in bringing up

the subject of Simon Weatherly, that is.

So perhaps you can clarify Mr.
Weatherly's present position for us, Mr.

Nothing remarkable, Mr. Mason. Simon is
an old, old man. An invalid.

Who no longer sees visitors. Who no
longer has a family to watch out for his

interests. Whose affairs are all handled
by banks.

Administrators. Old partnerships with
anonymous Swiss accounts.

I'm afraid I don't comprehend the
question.

Mr. Fawcett, are you one of those old
partnerships?

I really fail to see... Do you write the
letters that supposedly come from

Simon? Have you used your old friendship
with the man, perhaps even an old

partnership account, to set up an
evasion of income taxes?

I think I have a right to counsel of my
own before I answer that sort of

insinuation. Insinuation?

Yes, Mr. Fawcett, it is difficult for
private investigators to uncover much

than the fringes of this sort of thing
in a foreign country.

But won't internal revenue do better?

Won't they find out that you, not Simon
Weatherly, are the real and only

producer of the company of four?

Oh, thank you, son.

Now, please, promise there wouldn't be
any of that. Not until we're sure.

Oh, nonsense.

Terry, look at this boy. His carriage,
his grace.

Oh, that's my son, all right.

Maybe. We're still investigating, you
know, and... And you, my love, better

up with the right answer or I promise to
kill you in cold blood.

Oh, dear.

Perry, what is going to happen to Jack
Forsett?

I suppose he'll be tried as quickly as
possible.

We live in a pagan society.

But, Perry, is it really so terribly
wrong to kill a critic?