All language subtitles for Perry Mason s08e10 Reckless Rockhound

Bye.

I'm sorry I didn't make breakfast for
you. I have an appointment at the office

with a client.

That was last night.

I'm late. When you find these property
things, I'd like to miss them. Here.

And here.

Nothing was resolved last night about
the divorce.

Not last night? For the months you've
been bothering me? Not ever.

It's a close subject, Sybil.

Your lover is just out of luck. This is
one of those old -fashioned husbands

where somebody refuses to cooperate.

There's nothing left between us. I can't
go on this way.

I love you.

No, no, Eric. A lot of things, but not
love.

Not ever love.

That is a lie.

Please. Now sit and don't.

Are you sure?

Perhaps you and your lover might hope it
was more.

But it wasn't.

Oh, good morning, Mr. Pollard.

I mean, my April report material?

Yes, but Mr. Talbot asked you to please
drop into his office first. He has a Mr.

Mason with him. It'll only take a
moment.

Eric.

Come in, Eric. Come in.

Mr. Mason, this is my junior partner,
Eric Pollard.

Mr. Pollard, how do you do, sir?

Mr. Mason is here about the Smith
estate.

I'm sure I speak for you, Eric.

Why, tell him how shocked we all were in
learning about young Mr. Smith's

accidental death in Europe.

You represent his uncle's estate, don't
you, Mr. Mason?

I believe he inherited from his uncle a
conditional inheritance with provision

for reversion.

Yes, that is.

Bonds, real property, everything reverts
to the original estate.

I've already filed him probate. I
anticipated you would.

We've already completed an audit with
outside accountants, Mr. Mason.

The records are complete. The asset's
ready for transfer the moment the court

gives the go -ahead.

Well, in that kind of efficiency, I'll
consider letting you handle some of my

investments.

Any time, Mr. Mason.

Any time.

And I'm sure that you'll find that Eric
more than justifies his reputation as

being one of the top men in the field.

You're very kind, Harlow.

Some coffee, Eric?

No, thank you. I have a man waiting in
my office.

Unless there's something else.

Just my thanks.

Pleasure.

What is it?

You all right?

I go on checking balance sheets at two
in the morning. I'm going to have to

pocket my vanity.

I'm getting older to get myself some
eyeglasses.

I'm all right, thank you.

It's a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Mason.

I don't want to see anybody just...
Something wrong, Mr. Pollard.

No, I just need to...

Officer, the gospel truth.

I didn't smash my cab into this light
pole.

Of course not.

Of course not. I did.

Just like I told you. You've got to
believe me. This guy, this crazy guy,

into my cab. Two blocks down there. He
jumps into my cab and he's yelling. He's

yelling to the top of his lungs, I'm
going to rob a bank.

Sure, sure. I'll bet. That's what he
said. I'm going to rob a bank.

You offered to drive him to the bank.

Officer, you just ain't listening. Like
I told you, he gets in and he sticks a

gun in the back of my head. Makes me get
out of the cab. Then he gets in and

drives. All by himself. Drives right in.
Right in and smashes my cab into that

light bulb.

That's right, officer.

That's what happened.

He's telling the truth.

Huh? What's your name?

That's him.

That's him.

That's the man.

Well, don't just stand there. Arrest
him. He's the guy that stuck me up and

smashed up my calf.

Now, look, fella. That's the man, all
right, officer. I recognize him, too.

it is. Sure. That's him.

Now, just a moment. Now, what's going on
here? What is this, officer?

I'm sorry.

Now, just turn around.

This is ridiculous.

If it is, I'll be the first to
apologize. Now, turn around, lean

put your hands against that wall.

You're under arrest.

Call is adjourned.

Oh, that's Bert, the most tenacious
young man I've ever encountered in the

courtroom. He wears me out.

Not a bad lawyer, either.

Bad.

One of these days, Bert will be wearing
a judge's black robes in the cars.

Oh, I'll put a file there on your desk.

State versus Eric Pollard.

Why this one?

The supervising deputy probation
officer, Roy Galen, is outside. He

see you about the case.

Hold on, show him in.

Judge Aldo will see you now, Mr. Galen.

Oh, hello, Roy, Your Honor. Glad to see
you.

Sit down. Thank you.

I didn't know the supervising probation
officer personally handled cases.

Has Eric followed your baby?

No, he's nobody's yet.

I don't even know him. I'm sure he
doesn't know me.

His wife's a friend of mine from years
back.

She asked me for help. Oh.

Well, without prejudging the matter, I
would say that this report is pretty cut

and dry.

When Pounder is tried, if he's
convicted, to understand if he's

and then only will the probation
department become involved,

Don't jump me yet. I'm not stepping out
of line legally or ethically. But you do

want to help this man's wife all you
can, don't you?

I don't get any ideas.

I proposed a civil a long time ago, but
got turned down.

Now, all I'm suggesting is that you
request a probation report now.

Under CCP 131 .3. Report files?

The gun they found on Pollard.

The gun he allegedly used to stick up
the cabbie with. It's an old Japanese

souvenir. The firing mechanism removed
20 or more years ago.

Completely inoperable.

Unless you want to use the butt to crack
walnuts.

He was going to use that to hold up a
bank.

It was the neatest trick of the week.
You see, he was arrested at 9 .25 in the

morning. Well, the banks don't open for
that.

Oh, I think I see what you mean. With a
probation report before trial, there's a

possibility there might not be a trial.

All right, Roy, 131 .3 it is.

But I must have a psychiatric evaluation
along with the probation report.

Fine.

Here's another incident.

with the terms of the contract and asked
you to be prepared for your signature.

Then you signed another contract with a
different company for the same services

less than an hour after you agreed to
the first contract.

Take a look at the records, Mr. Pollard.

Dr. Jenkins, if you insist, that's what
the documents show.

Well, I certainly don't question your
integrity or your good intentions.

But you question the validity of the
proofs I've shown you.

Proofs that I'm mentally incompetent?
Yes, of course I question that.

Do you think they've been fabricated or
manufactured to embarrass you?

No, I'm not suffering from a persecution
complex, Ivan.

I can't imagine anybody who'd want to
deliberately create evidence of my

misfeasance.

But during the past two weeks, there
have been half a dozen separate but

circumstances, Ivan.

Or shall we say highly unlikely business
procedures on your part, that why your

office has only just learned of them
since yesterday.

Now, if they're not true and not
fabricated, how do you characterize

Misinterpreted facts.

I never did, I never could have done
such things.

In the episode with the taxi?

Oh, come on, Dr. Jack, as you know as
well as I do, that cab driver was lying.

And the witnesses?

Mistaken, I should guess.

What about the fact that your wife
identified the gun as one of your

Quite a few Japanese pistols were
brought home in the 1940s, Dr. J .S.

Your wife couldn't be mistaken in her
identification.

It was a wonderful world.

Really wonderful.

Then you have a happy personal
relationship, a good marriage.

More happiness than a man has a right to
ask for.

I've really been blessed to have her as
my wife.

Then there's no rift between the two of
you.

Rift?

Is that what she says?

Well, Harkin said there is a rip.

I love her, I... I told her that I love
her.

Has she never begged you for a divorce?

Who is he?

What's his name?

You're a doctor. Maybe she's told you.
Maybe you'll know.

Who's the man she's in love with?

Therefore, this persistent delusion
coupled with the sporadic irrationality

leads to no conclusion other than that
Eric Pollard is unable, unassisted, to

manage or to take care of his property,
and by reason thereof is likely to be

deceived or imposed upon by artful or
designing persons.

The language complies with the codes, a
legal definition of incompetency.

You mean that psychiatrists found Eric
insane?

No, merely incompetent at present.

To handle his own or anyone else's
business affairs.

Well, that's exactly what we do. Handle
other people's business affairs.

Manage their investments.

Dean, you're the company lawyer.

Where does that leave us?

Does it force a dissolution of the
partnership? I wouldn't want to do

to hurt Eric, but on the other hand...
Well, the partnership agreement states

that in the case of a temporary
incapacity, his wife has power of

More or less a guardian ad litem. Me,
Eric's guardian?

Strictly pro forma, Mrs. Pollard.

A matter of record until we see how long
this situation with Eric will last.

I suppose, Mr. Galen, if the charges
against Eric can be dropped now, he can

checked into a good rest home for
treatment.

No, Mr. Talbot, that's not what happens.

But if the psychiatrist's report merely
states that he's incompetent... In

business affairs, yes.

But it also states that at the time of
the commission of the act involved, Eric

Pollard could not only distinguish
between right and wrong, but was fully

of the consequences of his act.

I don't understand, Roy.

What does that mean?

It means your husband is going to have
to stand trial.

Now, before we go on the record, let me
make the position of the court perfectly

clear.

I'm holding these proceedings in my
chamber in the hope that the matter may

resolved through probation.

Now, to me, probation is a very simple
and effective method of applying

corrective assistance to those in
conflict with the law without harm to

Officer Berger, do you have any
objection to our handing the matter in

Judge Alder, the District Attorney's
Office has no desire to see a first

offender, especially a man like Mr.
Pollard here, destroyed by the adverse

publicity of a criminal trial.

We're perfectly willing to accept
proceedings in chambers.

But as to probation, Your Honor, may I
remind you that this charge is on

robbery?

Section 1203 grants judicial discretion
an unusual piece of Mr. Berger, such as

the determination of the distinction
between a deadly weapon and a souvenir.

Very well, Your Honor. The District
Attorney's office will be happy to drop

particular hot potato right in your lap,
with every confidence in the court's

ability to judge the facts.

I'm not sure I should thank you for
that, Mr. Berger.

I'll reserve decision.

Counsel for the defendant.

Dean Franklin for the defense.

Present, Your Honor.

Mr. Franklin, in the charges and the
information, how does your client plead?

On all counts guilty, Your Honor.

And you waive a remit of judgment,
Counsel?

So waive, Your Honor. There's no legal
reason why a sentence should not now be

imposed. Will the defendant please rise?

The court finds you guilty as charged
and censuses you for five years of hard

labor in the state penitentiary.

It's all right, Eric.

Just procedure.

The county probation officer.

For the record, copies of the probation
report authorized pursuant to Section

131 .3 of the Code of Civil Procedure
have been furnished the court and all

parties to the action.

It is respectfully recommended, Your
Honor, that the defendant, Mr. Eric

Pollard, be granted probation.

Mr. Pollard, the sentence is herewith
suspended.

You are placed on probation for a period
of three years upon the following

conditions. That you make full
restitution for all damages.

That you will cooperate.

with probation officer on a plan for a
weekly psychiatric treatment and that

report to as directed and obey all laws,
orders, rules, and regulations of the

probation department and the court.

Do you understand the terms of the
probation, Mr. Pollard?

I do, sir. Do you accept them?

I do.

It is so ordered. Court is adjourned.

Just one moment, Your Honor. Yes?

Believe me, sir, I cast no aspersions on
this court.

But I want my wife.

You, Sybil.

I want you to know you don't fool me for
a moment.

This is no more than a clever effort to
segment my wishes.

To divorce me and marry your lover.

Eric! I know who it is now.

That man!

The probation officer!

No, no, no, darling. I don't want to
wait.

What else can we do?

I can't leave him now.

Yes, I feel just as badly as you do.

But it only means postponing the trip,
not giving it up.

And just for a little while, sweetheart.

Just for a little, little while.

I know it won't be long.

I love you, too.

Of course I love you, but...

Your

maid let me in.

I have some papers Mr. Franklin wanted
you to sign.

I've picked up my way to the office now.

In just a few minutes.

These are the forms to be signed for the
bonding company.

You can go on over to the office. I'll
run these right over to the bonding

company. They're waiting for them.

Bonding?

In temporarily acting for your husband,
under the power of attorney, I believe

Mr. Talbot told you that you had to be
bonded?

Would you sign right here, Mrs. Pollack?

It's Wynne.

Amy, that telephone call... I've been
your husband's private secretary for ten

years.

Please don't ask me to understand.

But you don't understand.

There's nothing I can do about what
destroyed Eric Pollack, but I don't have

like it. You self -righteous thot.

I couldn't care less what you think or
what you like.

Will you sign, please?

I seem to have misplaced my car keys.

Sit him at rest.

Unless that's a delusion, too.

Picky things.

Here they are. They have the day.

save my sanity, and save cancer.

Ladies, I'm on my way like a good little
boy to report to my alter ego, the

probation officer.

Well, the president, a man named Matt
Ruddick.

But if I run into his boss, Mr. Roy
Galen, I'll be sure to give him your

Sybil.

Signed, sealed, and through the good
offices of Mr. Franklin, delivered.

Mr. Mason, I think that should take care
of the estate of the young man who died

in Europe. Thank you.

I feel so funny every time I sign for
Eric.

At least we know that Eric did a
wonderful job on that last one.

And I understand, Mr. Mason, that your
accountants were very pleased, too.

Everything correct to the last decimal
point.

Well, in that case, let's just go down
to the club and celebrate over some

lunch, huh?

Pollard!

That's the one I want.

Sybil Pollard. Mr. Mann.

Leo, what is it?

You, lady.

You're the only female around.

Is this your John Henry signed at the
bottom here?

Why, yes, I'm Sybil Pollard. Then what
in blazes did you do with my money?

Now, wait a minute, Leo.

You may be a valued client, but... A
quarter of a million in blue chips

liquidated on her authority, yours,
lady, my $250 ,000.

Where is it?

Amy, will you come in here, please?

Mr. Mann, I don't know where you learned
your manners, but... Hold it, Dean.

Please, hold it.

Leo, you've been out of town.

Now, you know very well the company's
probably just been rearranging the

holdings in your portfolio.

Mrs. Pollard here would merely have
signed the order, that's all. There's no

reason to get excited.

Amy, will you check Mr. Mann's
portfolio, please?

That's just what I've been doing, Mr.
Talbot. And there is something I don't

understand. You see, Mr.

Pollard always handled Mr. Mann's
account personally until... Well,

Until she, her there, signed the
authorization to liquidate some of my

Now, what in the name of... All right,
all right, Leo.

But your quarter of a million is
perfectly safe.

In a company that handles ten times that
amount each month, there's probably a

very simple explanation for all this.

Well, I'm sorry if I've offended the
lady, but this business is crazy.

Mr. Mann, this company is trustee for
your investments, not any one

Now, you agreed to that setup when you
became their client here.

You must also be aware of the fact that,
like anyone else who signs orders, Mrs.

Pollard is personally bonded.

So if you'll be good enough to give us a
minute until we finished our business

with Mr. Mason. Oh, that's quite all
right.

I'm leaving now.

Good day.

Well, won't somebody start to explain?

All right, so you're an intelligent,
well -educated man.

A man capable of separating in his own
mind the real from the unreal.

facts, doctor, from those terribly
naughty mistakes of the imagination.

What do you call them, Dr. Jenkins?

Illusions? Well, if you're referring to
your stubborn belief in your wife's so

-called romantic entanglement. So
-called?

You keep saying it's obsessional. More a
delusion than an illusion.

A symptom, perhaps, of paranoia.

Well, an unreasoning belief in the
impossible. It's called a delusion,

All right, yes, it's called a delusion,
but in your case... This is a letter

from South America.

A letter confirming a one -year lease on
a furnished apartment.

Leased in the names of Mr. and Mrs.
Stephen Porter.

An S, Doctor, and a P.

My wife has very expensive initial
luggage.

Well, an S and a P can stand for Stephen
Porter.

They're nothing but initials. Nothing to
indicate that those initials have to be

your wife's. Oh, of course not.

Especially when the confirmation is
addressed not to Mrs. Stephen Porter,

Mrs. Sybil Pollard, my wife. Here, take
a look.

Are there probably some explanation?

Oh, yeah, of course.

For this as well.

Two tickets.

One -way tickets to South America.

Reserved for Mr. and Mrs. Stephen
Porter.

All of them hidden in my wife's bedroom,
along with a confirmation of the

reservation.

And I said, Doctor, what were you saying
about that illusion?

But it could have been the maid.

But Eric must have taken them. It had to
be Eric. It couldn't be anybody else.

Why, please.

I'd thank you to come here because
you've got to get them back from us.

Sybil, Sybil, please, please.

Roy, you must do it.

What was that like?

Somebody took a picture of us.

And so, in answer to your request...
Perry Mason's office.

Just a minute, Perry.

I've got an idea.

Please.

Probation?

Roy, how are you? In trouble, I'm
afraid, Perry.

Can I help?

Oh, that's why I called.

Any chance I can see you in the morning?
Early?

Eight o 'clock early enough?

Fine. Thank you, Perry.

A couple of reports I'd like to go over
with you, Mr. Galen. Good night.

County probation officer, Roy Galen.

Oh, please don't. You're hurting me.
You're hurting me.

Sybil, is that you?

What is it?

No, no, no.

No, no, no.

Sybil, are you all right?

Mr. Rudick, step aside, please. I'm
going to that man's office.

I'm your probation officer, not Mr.
Gaylord. He's the supervisor.

Anything you have to say, you say to me.

This is personal and private.

I'm afraid nothing a probationer does is
private.

You see, Mr. Pollard, he isn't here.

Then I'll wait for him.

Here. All night, Captain.

That's more than irrational.

It's stupid and impossible.

Don't forget the bit about delusions. I
suffer from that, too.

Here.

If you look at that, tell me how stupid
and irrational I am.

That's right, my wife in Roy Galen's
comforting arms.

I'll wait, Mr. Riddick.

Because when Roy Galen comes in, I'm
going to kill him.

County probation, Nat Ruddick.

What?

That was Roy Galen.

You're coming back here?

No, he's not.

He's just arrested.

Arrested? Arrested for what?

The murder of your wife.

$250 ,000 was stolen from the account of
Mr. Leo Mann.

A quarter of a million dollars worth of
stock liquidated.

Liquidated by whom, Mr. Talbot?

Well, Sybil Pollard's signature was on
the order, of course, but that's only a

temporary... Mr. Talbot, you've heard
evidence in this courtroom, have you

about the reservations that Mrs. Pollard
made for herself and a man in South

America? A furnished apartment leased
for one year?

Yes, I have.

And, of course, the reservation she made
personally. One -way tickets to South

America for herself and a man.

Yes. Mr. Talbot, assuming Sybil Pollard
wanted a large sum of money with which

to live abroad, couldn't she simply have
obtained as much as she wanted from her

own estate?

I object to the question, Your Honor. It
assumes fact, not in evidence.

Moreover, it calls for opinion and
conclusion from the witness.

May I remind counsel, Your Honor?

that Mr. Talbot is an acknowledged
expert in the field of trusts and

And furthermore, Mr. Talbot personally
set up the estate from which Mrs.

derives her income.

I will gladly stipulate that the witness
is indeed an expert, but not as

regarding the personal and private
desires or motivations of Sybil Pollard.

Objection sustained.

Rephrase your question, Mr. Berger.

Mr. Talbot, was Sybil Pollard a wealthy
woman?

Well, actually, no.

She had a life estate.

The use of income from some real estate
set up by her late father before she was

married. It provided her with a separate
income of approximately $500 a month.

I see.

Could she have sold this property and
used the cash for her personal wants?

No. Under the terms of the will, it was
possible for her to pledge her security

for the bond she needed in order to
continue to receive Eric's income as his

guardian. But she could not sell it.

nor otherwise dispose of it. Well, what
happened to this property when Sybil

Pollard died? Was murdered?

Did her husband inherit this life
estate?

No. At her death, the property was
automatically assigned under the terms

will to a group of specified charities.

That is, what's left of the estate after
the bonding company satisfies its

security pledge to pay off that quarter
of a million dollars.

So what Sybil Pollard could not do
directly, that is, take money from her

estate,

She could do indirectly by embezzling
the funds and letting a bonding company

recover from her estate.

Objection, Your Honor.

I withdraw the question.

You're with us. No question.

I call Dean Franklin to the stand,
please.

Mr. Franklin, to your personal
knowledge, was the decedent Sybil

married? No.

On what do you base that answer?

Well, she came to me as an attorney to
request that I initiate divorce

proceedings against her husband, Eric
Pollard. I see. And did you? No. I

explained to her that she had no legal
grounds for divorce.

Eric Pollard, if he was nothing else,
was a good husband in every sense of the

word. Really?

Well, since she was married to this
paragon of matrimonial virtue, why did

Pollard want a divorce?

She...

She was in love with another man.

She said on the telephone, I can't leave
him just now.

Then she said, it only means postponing
our trip, not giving it up.

Sweetheart. And then what did she say,
Miss Wynn?

She said, I love you too.

Then she turned and saw me standing in
the doorway and hung up.

Now, Miss Wynn, as I understand it, you
were there to get Mrs.

Pollard's signature on some papers, is
that correct?

For the bonding company, yes.

Well, then you were probably the person
who had the decedent sign the

authorization liquidating that quarter
of a million dollars from the account of

Mr. Leo Mann.

Oh, no, sir, I never saw that paper.

Well, didn't you handle Mr. Mann's
account?

Well, I didn't handle it. I did do all
the secretarial work on it for Mr.

Pollard, but he never gave me that
authorization to prepare, and neither

anyone else in the office.

Well, that authorization was certainly
prepared by someone.

And the money was transferred.

Yes. Now, handwriting analysis has
proven that the signature on that

authorization was unquestionably Mrs.
Pollard's.

Since you claim you didn't prepare the
authorization, perhaps you processed it.

No, I didn't process it.

But our office records show that it was
processed after Mrs. Pollard had the

right to sign her husband's name.

Let me ask you this, Miss Wynn.

When Leo Mann practically accused Mrs.
Pollard of stealing that money in your

presence, did Mrs.

Pollard deny it?

Not in my presence, she didn't.

All I know was she was pretty shaken up
and very upset.

Thank you, Miss Williams.

I couldn't hear anything on the other
end of the phone conversation.

But whatever it was, it upset Mr. Galen.

What did Mr.

Galen say to the other party on the
phone?

Well, he just kept calling out, Sybil,
Sybil, what is it? Are you all right?

And what did he do then?

He ran out of the office.

When Mr. Galen ran out of the office,
did somebody else by any chance run into

it looking for him? Yes, Mr. Eric
Pollard. He wanted to see Mr. Galen.

To show him a photograph.

Was it this photograph, Mr. Rudy,
People's Exhibit 7?

A photograph of the decedent Sybil
Pollard in the arms of the defendant,

Galen? Yes.

What time was it, Mr. Rudick, when the
defendant, Roy Galen, ran out of his

office in response to a phone call from
someone he called Sybil?

It was about 8 .30.

9 .15?

No, that's a little too precise.

I'd say that Sybil Pollard was murdered
somewhere between the hours of 9 and 9

.30 p .m. I see. And what was the cause
of death, Doctor?

Manual strangulation.

From the absence of finger marks on the
throat, the murderer used his forearm,

or the palm of his hand, to exert
pressure against the front of the larynx

close the lumen by shortening its
central posterior diameter.

The autopsy disclosed only the signs of
asphyxiation with no discernible marks

on the skin and only barely perceptible
injuries to the deeper structures of the

neck.

A motorcycle officer spotted the
defendant, Roy Galen, driving his car in

of 60 miles an hour in a 30 -mile zone
and gave chase.

Did he apprehend him, Lieutenant?

No, sir. He lost him on a blind turn in
a fork in the road.

When the officer realized the defendant
must have taken the other turn, he

called in.

Headquarters ordered a squad car to
patrol the immediate area in circles,

they eventually located the car of the
defendant on the street.

Exactly where was the car located when
they found it? Outside the home of the

decedent. Sybil Pollard. And was Roy
Galen, the defendant, in the car at that

time? No, sir, he was not.

Just as the squad car officer started up
the walk to the house, the door opened

and the defendant came running out
practically into the officer's arms.

Exactly what time was that, Lieutenant?

9 .30.

And did the officer then go into the
house with the defendant?

Yes, sir, he did.

He wanted to find out what he was
running away from.

That's when he found the body of Sybil
Pollard in the library.

Dead.

You say your name is Lawrence West and
that you're a licensed private

That's right. Larry West. West
Confidential Investigations. I show you

picture, Mr. West.

People's Exhibit 7. I ask if you were
hired to take that picture.

Yes, I was. By whom?

Mr. Eric Pollard.

He said his wife was carrying on with
some man. He wanted me to shadow her and

get proof of who the man was.

That's it?

That's the proof.

Well, this seems to be proof, only that
at this particular moment, the defendant

was holding the decedent in his arms.

Oh, right.

She was carrying on with him to the
point where she was in his arms.

Yeah. However, this photograph was
apparently taken at close range. If the

people in it had been talking at the
time you took it, you might have heard

they said.

Well, she was practically hysterical.

asking him to get back some stuff for
her that her husband had found hidden in

her room.

Go on.

Well, that's when I took the picture.

It was a flash picture.

He chased me.

I see. So you didn't hear any more.

Oh, sure. I heard more. You did? How?

I doubled back, that's all.

Just made a circle and came right back
behind him. Out of sight.

So then you actually heard more
conversation between the defendant and

woman who was to be found murdered in a
matter of hours.

That's right.

He, the defendant, was real mad now.

She was crying and carrying on. He
couldn't stand it.

When she said, I'm afraid, afraid he'll
kill me, the defendant grabbed her by

the shoulders and he sort of shook her.

And did he say anything to her at that
moment?

He sure did.

He held her hard and he said, right now,
if anybody's going to kill you, Sybil,

it'll be me.

Rick Pollard?

Yes. My name's Paul Drake. I'm a private
detective.

Well, it's interesting, but I don't
really have one type of man. I know.

But he only found a man.

That's all I've paid him to find.

What about a quarter of a million
dollars?

You say you know what my wife did with
that money?

Well, I don't exactly want to broadcast
what I know, so we're alone in the

house.

Well, Mr. Drake, I understand there's a
reward for the recovery of stolen

property.

Mr. Drake, I'm a rather unfortunate
financial orphan at the moment.

I'm, uh, incompetent, remember?

But you're still a partner in the firm
from which the money was stolen.

So is Harlan Talbot. Why don't you sell
your information to him?

Because just maybe he might not be in
the market.

Obviously, you know me.

I'd like to make sure who my business
associates are you have identification.

License. Certainly.

Well, Mr. Peller, ready to talk?

Yes, Mr. Drake, I'm ready to talk. Good.

To the police.

Hold on.

An implied threat to expose Harlan
Talbot as an embezzler if I don't

payoff, that's extortion.

Don't you believe me? Believe?

Every word was a lie, a stupid, clumsy
lie even a child could see through.

That's a laugh from a guy the court says
is off his rocker who smashes a cabin

and beats you wasn't even there.

I'll admit I was there, but I did it.

I'll swear to it under oath.

Just as I'll swear under oath to what's
happened here and now.

Just a minute.

If you're so anxious to swear under
oath, you're in court tomorrow morning.

present, Mr. Pollard, from Perry Mason.

That's a peanut.

Good night.

Doctor, you examined the decedent at the
scene of the crime?

Yes, I answered a police call.

Did you also examine a defendant?

The defendant?

Well, he stated to the police that he'd
been struck on the head, momentarily

knocked down.

Yes, he did.

Yes, I did examine his head.

May I ask what you found?

Oh, a slight bruise where he claimed he
had been struck.

Claimed? Well, what I meant was he could
just as easily have struck his head on

a piece of furniture during the
struggle.

What struggle?

Well, when he was strangling the...

You're not wasting the court's time,
Doctor, reviewing the facts of a case in

which you have not only determined
exactly what happened, but have

the guilt of the defendant as well.

I'm sorry, Mr. Mason. You're right.

That was merely an assumption on my
part.

Was your estimate of the time of Sybil
Pollard's death also an assumption?

No, of course not. My estimate was based
on an examination to determine the

lapse of time between death and the time
I examined the body. You found

pronounced stiffness in the body
musculature?

Almost spasm.

Unquestionably recent muscular exertion
and fighting off the strangler. Or could

it have been normal rigor mortis? That
is possible, isn't it, Doctor? Well,

I suppose it is.

Just as it's possible that the fire in
the fireplace affected the change in

temperature? Well, actually, when I
arrived, there was practically no fire

all. But there had been a fire affecting
the body temperature.

Could death have occurred as much as
half an hour earlier, say at 8 .30?

Well, put that way, yes,

it could have.

At 8 .15?

Well... Or 8 or 7 .30?

Early as 7, perhaps.

Oh, come now, Mr. Mason, I'm sure you
know that's highly unlikely.

And I'm sure you know that your estimate
was based less on what you observed as

a doctor than it was on the fact that
you knew the time of the defendant's

presence, took it for granted he killed
Sybil Pollard, and assumed, therefore,

that she was killed at that time.

No further questions.

No questions, Doctor.

Witnesses excused.

The defense calls Dean Franklin.

Mr. Franklin, do you know Section 118 of
the Penal Code?

My practice doesn't include criminal
law, Mr. Mason. Section 118 defines when

person is guilty of perjury.

I suggest you may find yourself guilty
of defamation, Counselor, despite the

privileged nature of this proceeding.

Seven months ago, you spent a weekend at
Santa Barbara.

Two weeks later, Las Vegas.

A month after that, an entire week in
San Francisco.

Is what I've stated true so far?

Yes. Yes, I believe it is.

And in each instance, you registered as
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Franklin. Is that

correct?

He'd like to regret your memory.

Do you examine these photostats?

Are these your signatures on the
registration cards?

Yes.

Mr. Franklin, are you married?

No. Speak up, please.

No. Have you ever been married?

No. I remind you of section 118 of the
penal code, and I warn you that I have

proof of the answer to my question.

Who was the woman you registered each
and every time as your wife?

Sybil Pollard.

Sybil and Dean.

I'm shocked.

I'm absolutely shocked.

You were in no way involved with Sybil
Pollard? Me?

Oh, good heavens, no.

You weren't with her in her house the
night she was killed?

What? When Roy Galen ran into the
library, Sybil Pollard was already dead.

And then someone struck Roy in the head.

Were you that someone, Mr. Talbot?

You're out of your mind.

Where were you that evening?

I was at my club.

That's right, I was at my club. I was to
have had an appointment with Dean

Franklin. And was to have had an
appointment.

What happened?

Dean never showed up.

He left a message for me that he'd had a
call.

An emergency call.

A call.

Yes, I think I do remember Sybil making
a call early that evening.

But I had no more way of knowing she was
calling Dean Franklin than I had of

knowing that Dean was the man she was
really in love with.

Your wife made another telephone call
later that evening to Roy Galen.

Did you also overhear that call?

No, I was downtown.

Yes, of course, in the probationer's
office.

At 8 .30, you were walking in one
corridor while Roy Galen was running out

another just seconds after your wife
phoned him.

Exactly.

So why do you have me on the stand
instead of Dean Franklin?

If Dean was in the house when Roy Galen
got there, then you obviously had

nothing to do with your last murder.

Not unless delusions are contagious.

Mr. Pollard, the district attorney and
the judge have agreed to let me explore

one of those delusions.

Someone was attacking your wife when she
made her desperate call to Gail.

Now, you could not have been that
person, could you, Mr. Pollard?

Well, since I was downtown, practically
at the other end of that telephone call.

No one could be at both ends of a
telephone. Is that what you mean?

Right now, for example.

You couldn't be sitting here by me and
be with Paul Drake at the other end of

this phone.

I don't know what you're driving at, but
I certainly had nothing to do with my

wife's death.

Mr.

Pollard, did you kill your wife?

Earlier.

One hour earlier with a strong fire in
the fireplace while you strangled your

wife to death.

You recorded her voice on a portable
tape recorder.

That's a lie. A lie.

You rushed down to the Hall of Records.

In the lobby, a public telephone.

You dialed Roy's number. Then played a
section of that tape recording to him

over the telephone.

No! No! No!

Quickly, you hid the portable tape
recorder and ran into the office to set

your alibi.

That was one hour after you'd murdered
your wife.

confronted her in the library with a
picture of the two of you taken in the

park.

Tape recorder was hidden and turned on.

Perhaps he was only looking for evidence
to keep her quiet.

But she sort of lost her head and told
him she'd call the lawyer and was going

to expose him.

Eric didn't know that she had called
Dean Franklin.

That Dean was the man she was in love
with.

And he didn't know that Dean was coming
over.

See, it was Dean who hit you on the
head.

He arrived just before you and walked in
to find Civil Pollard dead.

After Sybil knew of Eric's plan, it
meant he was either killing her or going

prison. What plan?

A young man named Smith unexpectedly
died in Europe.

Eric Pollard was caught having illegally
mortgaged a quarter of a million

dollars of Smith's assets to obtain
money for speculative investments.

Investments that went sour.

The Smith estate had to be closed.

So he turned to his wife.

Wait a minute.

That business of being incompetent, it
was a fake.

Business mistakes, the taxi routine, all
planned fake.

And he prepared the necessary documents
in advance.

And he had his wife sign them.

Swiped the money from that over -aid
picture of teenager and made up the

shortage.

And I walked right into the middle of
that.

Judge Older was right. Where trouble is
concerned, the only good involvement is

no involvement.

I have a question, Paul.

How did you get Eric to let you record
his voice?

Microphone and transmitter, self
-contained with batteries.

The recording set's out in my car. Nice,
huh?

Nice.

You electronic eavesdropper.

Not safe to even think around you
anymore.