All language subtitles for perry_mason_s06e24_elusive_element

Bye.

Come on, come on. What are you worrying
about? Nobody will find out and nobody

will know.

The contract's in the bag, I guarantee
you.

If anybody's got trouble, it's me.

This partnership thing is like trying to
ride a dying horse.

I need that money. You, my friend, owe
me $50 ,000.

I never guaranteed who would get the
contract. I only said our report would

it so that Universal wouldn't.

Well, now you're talking sense. Suppose
I meet you at... Yes, Terry.

Universal Aviation, Mr.

Pierce. What?

Right outside and mad.

Wait till I buzz and then send him in.

Did you hear that?

Well, we knew we'd have to fade some of
the music, but he can't know and it

won't make any difference.

Just stay on the line. I'll get back to
you.

Mr. Pierce, sir. Sit down.

Oh, but Mr. Pierce... Sit down, Lloyd,
and listen.

Universal Aviation is a company with net
assets of more than $100 million.

On behalf of the board of directors and
the stockholders, I run that company.

You, Lloyd, may know the right time of
day.

More than that, I wouldn't swear to.

Mr. Pierce, I protest.

Sit down.

You're a fast -talking promoter.

Who lashed onto a bright young scientist
and formed a two -bit independent

reliability testing outfit, whatever
that is. Why, I don't know.

But my engineering department saw fit to
employ your company to test some

designs for the Deimos project.

A project with a total potential value
in excess of one half a billion dollars.

Less than a day before our bid is due,
we discover by some strange fluke that

our bid is going to be so high.

We haven't a chance to win that
contract.

Mr. Pierce, that's the way things
happen. The fortunes of war. I'm

sorry you lost that contract.

But I haven't lost it.

Well, you just said.

I asked for and was given a week's
extension in which to submit our bid.

But that means... An investigation, Mr.
Lloyd.

Mr. Pierce, are you accusing me?

Yes, I am.

If one of my departments is found to be
at fault...

I'll fire the whole kit and caboodle of
them.

But if, as I'm led to believe, it's that
outfit of yours, look out.

Now start that genius partner of yours
double -checking that report he wrote.

He may have to explain it in court.

Universal's held up their bid and gotten
an extension.

How do I know why?

Could be anything.

Some fluke, Pierce said.

Maybe somebody smelled something in the
report.

If they question too closely and double
-check, you and I may go to jail.

Don't give me that, friend. If I go to
jail, you're going with me.

That'll be $5 .38, sir. Personal check
for $25. Cash it. May I see your

license, please?

Everything all right, Mr. Lloyd?

You're looking a little peaked. I feel
it.

I don't think I've ever seen you buy a
bottle before.

What are you going to do, drown the
trouble?

Why not?

Here you are.

Thank you.

Station 3706, Cashback King.

213769, Brown 14.

That's right.

Yeah, sure, I'll hold on.

Sir, would you be kind enough to fill
out this credit application for me,

please? What for?

Oh, just routine for our records, your
name and your address.

Are you stalling me?

Excuse me?

Who are you talking to?

Look, telecredit's just a routine
electronic... Oh, forget it.

That's him, officer. That's the guy with
the pony license and the bad check.

Him.

Terrific, isn't it? You can spot a pony
license or a bad check in five seconds.

Yeah.

Can I help you with your problem, Mr.
Lloyd?

Thanks, Joe.

You already have.

That's how it works.

Well, that's wonderful.

Excuse me, Mr. Lloyd.

Yes, Terry. Mr. Garrett would like to
see you in his office. I think he has

lawyer with him. He said it was
important.

Of course.

Well, thank you, Mr. Fortney.

Thanks for your time and trouble. I'll
be seeing you soon. Thank you, Mr.

Right.

What's... The electronic check approval,
and who's Mr. Fordney?

Oh, he's the fellow I met at the club.
He's selling something.

I guess I'll see Dwight.

Often.

After you see him, will I still be
working here?

Everybody's wondering, huh?

Well, we haven't exactly been setting
the world on fire.

Our boy Dwight is a walking brain.

Real smart, sure.

But he's not the only one around here
who can figure things out.

Don't ever sell Austin Lloyds short.

Hello, Dwight.

Our private little war seems to be
turning into a public exhibition.

I'm sorry, Austin.

You gave him no choice, Mr. Lloyd.

Oh, Mason, I know you called, but you'll
have to understand the pressure of

business. Dodging is the word.

You deliberately avoided my calls.

Assume the offensive.

It's a good legal tactic.

Well, even the reinforcements are here.

Mr. Baker of Baker Avionics, Mr. Ned
Chase, his chief reliability engineer.

I don't know how this concerns you,
gentlemen, but welcome to the battle.

Austin, I've been offered a vice
presidency of Baker Avionics.

Genius recognized, genius rewarded. Good
for you, Dwight. Look, I want out,

Austin.

I want to dissolve our partnership.

You want to dissolve my marriage, too.

Accusations like that are one reason
your partnership needs dissolution.

Solomon, come to render judgments.

Tell me, Mason, do you know all the
answers?

Let's say I know enough of them to
recognize lack of equity.

Dwight's contribution to this joint
venture of yours has become increasingly

disproportionate. Bitter antagonism is
grounds for dissolution of partnership

the courts.

Oh, now we're going to wave subpoenas at
one another.

The company has assets.

Dwight agrees they're yours to keep.

Oh, fine.

Just enough money in the bank to meet
the payroll and the current bills,

Dwight Garrett isn't the only
reliability engineer in the field.

No?

Well, one even half as good wouldn't
dream of associating with me unless I

offer him a substantial bonus.

The kind of money I don't have, Dwight
doesn't have, and the company doesn't

have. Oh, come off it, Austin.

There must be somebody you can associate
with.

Tell me, Mr. Myron Baker, with just a
somebody, not a Dwight Garrett, would

company use us?

Well, I... I don't handle that end of
the business.

Isn't that beautifully evasive?

Mr. Ned Chase is Mr. Baker's chief
reliability engineer, and under those

circumstances, would you use us?

No.

Oh, look, Perry, maybe I... No, do I.

You made him your partner out of
misguided sympathy.

Don't repeat the mistake.

All right, Mr. Lloyd.

In regard to the dissolution of
partnership, and as a matter of record,

your answer.

As a matter of record, you'll have it.

In 24 hours.

Oh, Dwight.

Minds like yours sometimes frighten me.

You punch magic holes into a piece of
cardboard and feed it into a computer,

out comes an answer telling you how to
fly to the stars.

I wish life's problems were as easily
solved as that.

Dwight, I'm Austin's wife.

I'm not a chattel.

You can't trade him half a partnership
for me.

We both made a mistake.

You when you married him and me when I
made him my partner.

He's no good, Bonnie.

Look, I... I know he's been lying and
cheating and stealing from the company.

Well, then you should have asked him to
leave a long time ago.

Just as I know he's been lying and
cheating and...

He's stolen every chance for happiness
you'll ever have.

Have I ever led you to believe that I
thought you and I were anything but just

good friends?

I'm letting him go.

You, Bonnie.

You let him go.

My kind of partnership is different.

I'm in mine for life.

You love Austin?

Look at me.

Bonnie, I love you.

Tonight, tonight you love me.

What kind of a contract?

Well, it's a Mexican company, a top
Latin American outfit in electronics.

They're expanding.

They're looking for a United States
company to do their reliability and test

design work.

You think you can land the contract?

Well, if you'll meet their top man and
look over the specs on the project, yes.

And, uh, if I do?

I'll sign any papers that Mason
prepares.

When and where do I see this man?

Well, I'm expecting a telephone call at
my house at four o 'clock.

You go home and pack a bag, say, for a
two -day trip.

Come over to my house after four o
'clock and I'll make all arrangements.

Where do I go to see him?

Mexico.

Acapulco.

I'll go and pack.

Mexico?

That's right, honey, just think of us.

Just the two of us, one week in
Acapulco.

All things are looking up, Bonnie. Money
is coming in.

It'll be a second honeymoon, a second
chance to prove to you that I can be a

good husband, that I love you.

To leave today? Well, I don't have any
clothes.

Well, get them when you get there.

Anything you want, another trousseau.

Don't say no, honey. Please, I beg of
you.

I don't know. I just... Things will
change, honey. You won't be

sorry.

Do you have the airplane tickets?

Oh, that reminds me.

I'm going to be tied up right until
flight time. But, honey, you can run a

couple of errands for me, huh?

Go to the Beverly Hills Airline office
and pick up the tickets. Pay with this

check for both of them.

One way.

One way?

We're coming back by boat.

Our own boat.

Two weeks of easy sailing up the coast
of L .A.

You're going to buy a boat? A fantastic
buy. $7 ,500 for a thing of beauty worth

three times that.

The owner's in trouble. He needs cash.

$10 ,000. Go and cash this at the bank.
Get $100 bills. He insists on being paid

that way.

We'll need the rest for expenses up the
coast.

That's so much money to carry.

Oh, put it in your purse and forget it.

One more thing.

A radio receiver for the boat. I ordered
one at Hillman's. Will you pick it up

for me?

Where will I meet you?

At the airport. I'll pick up my ticket
if I'm late and you've already boarded.

This is happening so fast.

Not fast enough if you don't get to the
bank before it closes.

See you in a couple of hours.

Thank you.

Yes, we can cash this company check for
you, Mrs. Lloyd.

Just a matter of confirming your
identification, that's all.

Here's my driver's license.

Thank you.

Here, you can be endorsing it.

All right.

Station 77425.

Zebra 359653.

Mr. Rodriguez will be waiting for you
when you land.

All these papers are for him. Some
confidential material on financing he

What about my ticket?

You can pick it up at the airport.

Rodriguez will have your hotel
accommodations all set. You'll be

brief when you get there.

Well, I guess that's it.

I hope I can swing it for you.

Oh, Dwight, before you go, will you get
me that glass of water and bottle of

pills from the table there, please?

Thank you.

Will you be all right?

Oh, don't worry. I've had these ulcer
attacks before.

Why don't you be back from shopping
soon?

I'll give you your regards.

This is an emergency.

Get me the police, fast.

This is Austin Lloyd, 3506 Vista Haven.

Send an ambulance, fast.

He poisoned me.

Dwight Garrett poisoned me.

That's station 467 -3872.

A cashback.

Zebra. 3 -5 -9 -6 -5 -3.

A brown.

I'm in such a hurry. Couldn't I just...
It's a regular routine.

Yes, that was... Brown 3.

Aerospace Reliability Associates.

Station 4 -6 -7 -3 -8 -7 -2.

Stand by for code 2.

Yes. Yes, I'm standing by. I'll wait.

Look, I'll pay you in cash.

I'm already late.

Just one more moment, ma 'am. That's
all.

This is Sergeant Parnell, Special Agent.

Madam?

Thank you.

Passengers for flight 330, please board
immediately at gate 5.

Danny.

What are you doing here?

I'm going to Acapulco, but... One -way
tickets.

Flight Garrett.

Lieutenant Anderson, Los Angeles Police.

Are you Mrs. Austin Lloyd?

Well, yes, I am. What's wrong?

I'll have to ask both of you to come
downtown with me.

Well, if it's about this money, don't
ask me. Ask Austin Lloyd.

Well, that's impossible, Mr. Garrett.

Austin Lloyd has been murdered.

Austin called the police and said I
tried to poison him?

He identified you specifically.

By name.

And then the police called your office.

They were told you were on your way
flying to Mexico.

Andy, Lieutenant Anderson, just happened
to be at the airport.

And when the squad car boys found
Lloyd's body, the police radioed Andy

picked you up.

Oh, this Mr.

Anderson, he was looking for me, too.

Well, that's what's amazing.

The way the bunco squad picked you up is
almost as if they knew in advance

exactly where to find you and the fact
that you'd have all that money on you.

It's more than amazing, Paul.

It's as though it had been carefully
planned.

However, regardless of how or why, the
fact remains that you're both being held

in suspicion of murder.

All right, me.

Maybe they think they have some sort of
a case against me, but why Bonnie?

Ten thousand in cash in her purse, his
wife.

Seven thousand in cash in an envelope in
your pocket, his partner.

Plus reservations for two and a flight
out of the country.

Your computer mind should be able to add
that up.

One answer for both of you.

Remeditated murder.

Well, how do I plead you?

Guilty or not guilty?

Dwight? He was smarter and a lot more
devious than I ever suspected, but he

won't get away with it, Perry.

Won't get away with what?

Austin. He planned all this.

Every step of the way.

The money, the trip to Mexico, tying
Bonnie and me together.

And his death?

He planned that, too.

Don't you see? He deliberately had me
hand him the poison he took to kill

himself, and then he called the police.

All right.

I'll have Paul start checking out your
stories.

But there's one thing I think you ought
to know.

According to the preliminary autopsy
report, Austin Lloyd was strangled to

death.

I'm sorry, Mr. Drake, but I have it
right here on this memo.

The man who called in for the two
reservations side by side on the flight

Acapulco identified himself as Dwight
Garrett.

A lot of nerve she had, I can tell you
that.

In the middle of getting her check
approved, she ups and bamboos us out of

leaving me with the radio all wrapped
up. I know.

But the man who phoned earlier and
ordered the radio, that was the woman's

husband, wasn't it? Austin Lloyd? Oh,
no.

The man who called me was named Garrett.

Dwight Garrett.

Money, whatever it takes, you just name
it, Perry.

We'll do anything we can to help Dwight
Garrett.

You read both reports. What do you
think, Myron? No, it doesn't matter. How

would I think? I'm not an engineer, I'm
just an administrator.

The report could be Greek for all I
know.

Ned?

I just can't believe it.

Can't believe that it was done or that
Dwight Garrett did it?

Both. Universal Aviation was almost
fooled into basing their bid on it?

Almost. But the substitution was not
good enough.

Is that why you can't believe that
Dwight was responsible for it?

I'd be willing to swear he had nothing
to do with it.

Why not?

Dwight Garrett is an engineer, is a...

Mathematician as a scientist. He's tops
in his field. In a class by himself.

Oh, maybe his socks don't always match,
but that brain of his... He's done work

for you? On six different projects.

And each report was a thing of beauty.
Not a single error.

Dwight just doesn't make mistakes.

Not even deliberately?

What could he possibly hope to gain?

According to the district attorney, his
partner's wife, for one thing.

By altering a report?

By profiting from the altering of that
report, as Baker Avionics did profit.

But not Dwight?

Yes, Dwight.

What? Baker Avionics needed Dwight
Garrett's brains desperately.

He agreed to accept the job of vice
president in charge of planning.

As a bonus, the deal included 5 ,000
shares of Baker stock.

Worth about $10 a share now.

Yes. If your company, instead of
Universal, received the Demas

How much would the Baker stock then be
worth?

Five times its present value, at least
$50 a share.

Well, that's ridiculous. I never even
considered what the stock would or

wouldn't be worth to me.

The district attorney will claim
otherwise.

But let's get back to those checks.

I told you.

Austin called me to make sure I'd leave
the house in time to get to the bank

before it closed.

I'm trying to remember from the notes
that I took.

Was it then he told you the name of the
man who would meet you, the man who

wanted to sell you his boat?

Yes. Um, Rudolfo Aragon.

There was no Rudolfo Aragon. There was
no boat for sale.

And? You guessed it.

No Rodriguez to meet you and no Mexican
electronics company to confer with.

The checks that Bonnie cashed, did you
sign them?

I suppose so.

You don't know?

Sometimes Miss Clover handed me a stack
of papers and checks to sign, and

sometimes Austin gave me checks to sign.

They took both of our signatures.

I usually just sign them. The checks
that Bonnie cashed, Austin Lloyd did not

sign.

That's impossible.

Austin Lloyd's signature on those checks
was a forgery.

You mean my signature was valid and his
was forged?

Oh, come on, that doesn't make sense.

Yes, it does, if you consider the
district attorney.

I suppose he'll try to pin that on me,
too.

Don't you understand?

Forging those checks would be added
proof that you had altered the report.

the basis for your alleged motive.

He'll do more than try.

An altered report that could bring you a
personal profit of a quarter of a

million dollars.

Death was the result of asphyxia,
brought on unquestionably by a manual

strangulation. With the victim dazed, as
the decedent was in this case, from the

ingestion of a massive dose of
barbiturates, the murderer must have

against the victim's larynx until he was
dead.

A massive dose of barbiturates, Doctor.

Was the dose large enough to have caused
death if no strangulation had occurred?

I would say so, yes.

Now, let's suppose then that the
murderer discovered his victim

call for help and tried to subdue him
physically.

What effect would such a struggle have
had on the victim?

If the murderer's arm was across the
victim's throat, it would cut off the

oxygen. The retention of carbon dioxide
in the respiratory system would,

strangely enough, act as a powerful
stimulant.

And the murderer would have had to use
still more force.

That's right.

And causing him to strangle the victim
he had intended to kill with the

of drugs. Thank you, doctor. That'll be
all.

Cross -examination.

This ingestion of barbiturates to which
you referred, doctor, was it any one

particular barbiturate?

Yes, barbitol.

Barbitol is a slow -acting barbiturate
causing in what is known as toxic

Dizziness, headache, nausea, ataxia,
inarticulate speech, mental confusion,

finally, coma.

Fatal coma, doctor?

Generally, where there is death, it
occurs in from two to seven days.

Obviously, much can happen in that time.

Obviously.

Thank you, doctor.

No further questions.

I have no redirect, your honor.

And the witness is excused.

I call Roscoe Pierce to the stand,
please.

Yes, I warned Austin Lloyd that I was
having that report carefully double

-checked. I told him that if sabotage
was determined, I'd personally file

charges. Did you see Dwight Garrett in
his office that day? No, not in the

office. But I did see him the next night
in a restaurant.

Alone, sir?

No, he was... he was with Mrs. Lloyd.
The co -defendants were together.

Was Mr. Lloyd there?

No.

Nobody asked or suggested that Dwight
Garrett alter that report on Deimos.

Nobody. I didn't suggest anybody had,
Mr. Baker.

Now, as to that working agreement
between Mr.

Garrett and your company, though later
committed to paper at the time it was

agreed on, it consisted essentially of
an oral agreement between you and Mr.

Garrett bound by a handshake, right?

That's right.

And it was arrived at, of course, while
he was still working on the demon. No,

Mr. Baker, not while he was still
working on the report.

It was a day, maybe two days afterwards.

But surely the terms you ultimately
shook hands on must have at least been

discussed while he was working on the
report.

That's possible. I'm not sure.

Well, then let's move on to something
you can be sure about, Mr. Baker.

Now, assuming that your company received
that demon's contract,

Would you estimate for the court what
the 5 ,000 shares of stock Dwight

was to have received would have been
worth at the end of six months?

About a quarter of a million dollars.

Yes. Mr. Lloyd, the decedent, asked
Dwight, Mr.

Garrett, if it was Mr. Garrett's
intention to dissolve their partnership.

And what did the court offend and
answer?

Yes. What happened then, Mr. Chase?

Well... Then the decedent, Mr. Lloyd,
asked Dwight another question.

And what was that other question?

Whether Dwight was also trying to break
up Lloyd's marriage.

And Miss Clover, who had keys to Dwight
Garrett's office?

Only Mr. Garrett himself.

That was part of the security
arrangements.

And what about the safe in Mr. Garrett's
office?

The same thing.

Only Mr.

Garrett himself could open it.

And now referring to the typewriter in
Mr. Garrett's office, did anyone other

than Mr. Garrett ever use that machine?

No, sir.

In his office once, I started to type
something on it. He shouted at me. He

me he never had and never would allow
anyone else to touch that machine.

About a week before Austin Lloyd was
murdered, did you inadvertently witness

altercation in which Austin Lloyd was
involved?

Oh, yes.

I was in my office, and the door to his
must have accidentally been left open.

Anyway, Mrs. Lloyd was in there with
him.

They got into an argument, a pretty
nasty one from the tone of their voices.

Anyway, Mrs. Lloyd finally said to her
husband, I just don't love you, I don't

even respect you.

And what did the decedent answer to
that?

Well, he got pretty upset.

He shouted at her, sure, but I...

I bet you respect Dwight Garrett and
love him, too.

Well, just at that moment, Mr. Garrett
himself came in the room.

He was on his way to see Mr. Lloyd. That
was just when Mrs. Lloyd was answering

her husband.

Yes.

She said, I do respect Dwight Garrett as
a matter of fact.

And what's more, I've never thought
about it before, but maybe you're right.

Maybe I love him, too.

Well, there we were, the two of us.

Mr. Garrett and me seeing and hearing
everything through that open door, just

when Mr.

Lloyd reached across the desk and
slapped his wife hard across the face.

The electronic computer has already
recorded on it information from every

driver's license in the state. Now,
where a license is used to cash a check,

electronic check approval can establish
whether a check is good or bad before

it's even cashed.

An especially built computer can
generate an electronic answer in just

seconds. So it was your company that
notified the police about Mrs. Lloyd.

Good, yes.

For a $10 ,000 check as cash, and
immediately after, two more that call

back over the purchase price, bells
start ringing, so to speak. And our

department lost no time in notifying the
police.

What a frame -up.

Lloyd deliberately sent his wife out
with a batch of phony checks.

Each one made out to a place using your
system, and each one would cash back.

Especially knowing that one of them was
for an airline ticket, which would tell

the police she was going to be at the
airport at a particular time.

He wanted her stopped and arrested.

Mm -hmm. Also Dwight.

Both of them loaded with money. The
secret lovers.

Waiting for a phony report to earn
themselves a fortune.

Robbing the company, poisoning the
husband, making it look like accidental

or suicide, then taking off together.

Sounds like a pretty grim picture to me.

Unless you can prove that it was Austin
Lloyd and not Dwight Garrett who forged

the checks.

Oh, Mr. Mason can prove that.

Catch, Perry.

Maybe I can, Dylan.

It's a long shot, but maybe I can.

I am a little world made cunningly of
elements.

I gather you found a cunning element.

An elusive element.

Now, Lieutenant, setting aside for a
moment the matter of fingerprints, of

airline seats, of hotel reservations, I
show you this exhibit, which is

an authenticated blow -up of two checks.

The first, the top one, is the check for
$10 ,000 which was cashed on the day of

the murder by Mrs. Bonnie Lloyd, the co
-defendant.

The second check, the bottom one, is a
routine business check of Aerospace

Reliability Associates. Now, Lieutenant,
can you tell this court if the

signatures on these two checks are
genuine?

Objection, Your Honor.

The question calls for the opinion of a
witness who has not been qualified to

testify as an expert on handwriting.

If it please the court, I'm trying to
establish a prima facie case.

I realize that for a trial or before a
jury, it might be necessary to produce a

handwriting expert.

But I think for our purposes, this
witness is perfectly competent to answer

those questions.

Two lives are at stake, Mr. Berger. I'm
in no hurry to shortcut the fullest

measure of justice for their protection.

Neither am I, Mr. Mason.

I resent your implication that I am.

If the district attorney assures this
court that Lieutenant Anderson is a

competent expert in the whole field of
homicide investigation...

We will stipulate for the purposes of
this hearing only and subject to cross

-examination that such are his
qualifications.

I so assure the court.

So stipulated.

Objection withdrawn.

Well, Lieutenant, on the routine
business check, both signatures are

The $10 ,000 check has Dwight Garrett's
authentic signature, but the name of

Austin Lloyd is forged.

I see.

Now, Lieutenant, did you also examine
the other two checks that Bonnie Lloyd

tried to cash that day? Yes, sir. Austin
Lloyd's name...

is also forged on them. Still referring
to the three checks that Bonnie Lloyd

had, was there anything else distinctive
about them?

Well, yes, sir. They're different from
the routine business checks Miss Clover

always typed on her typewriter.

That's this typewriter?

Yes, sir. Miss Clover's typewriter. The
routine business checks, like this lower

check in the blow -up, were typed on
Miss Clover's typewriter.

Yes, sir. Now, what about the other
checks?

The...

Upper check in the blow -up and the two
checks that Bonnie Lloyd had.

They were typed on Dwight Garrett's
machine.

That's this machine?

Yes, sir.

Are you sure, Lieutenant? This is Dwight
Garrett's machine?

Yes, sir. And now, what are the specific
differences between checks typed on

Dwight Garrett's typewriter and checks
typed on Terry Clover's typewriter?

There are many areas of identifiable
difference between the two typewriters.

But notice in particular the chip letter
N on Dwight Garrett's machine.

It's this typewriter, this check, the
letter N.

All right, Lieutenant, now let's move
along to this second exhibit.

This side is a blow -up of a page from
the so -called Demas report.

This page was taken from the personal
file copy in the safe of Dwight Garrett.

This side...

is a blow -up of the same page from the
same report, only this one was taken

from the copy which went to Universal
Aeronautics.

These two pages are supposed to be
identical, but they are not.

Now, Lieutenant, what can you tell us
about these two pages?

Both the original page and the
substituted page were typed on the same

typewriter. Again, notice particularly
the chipped ends.

That's Dwight Garrett's machine.

Dwight Garrett's typewriter.

So, Lieutenant, we can say that the
substitute page of this Demas report and

three forged checks were all typed on a
typewriter to which only one person had

access.

Yes, sir. The defendant, Dwight Garrett.

Thank you very much, Lieutenant.

You may cross -examine, Mr. Mason.

Lieutenant Anderson, in all your
homicide experience, have you ever

a case where the drug barbitol was used
to kill a person?

No, I don't remember any. Were there any
other barbiturates in the house?

Why, yes. Almost a full bottle of
secondol.

You heard the autopsy surgeon testify
barbitol in fatal doses takes from two

seven days.

How fast does a lethal dose of secondol
work, do you know?

About a half an hour.

Assuming Dwight Garrett wanted to kill
Austin Lloyd, with bottles of both

barbitol and secondol available, Which
would he have used?

Now, wait a minute, Your Honor.

I object to that as calling for a
conclusion and an opinion of the

As I understand the laws of evidence, an
expert may be asked to interpret facts

and express opinions for the
enlightenment of the court. May I remind

Mason, this witness is a police officer.

He's not qualified as an expert
toxicologist or psychologist.

And may I remind you, Mr. Berger, that
by your own stipulation, he has been

qualified to this court as an expert in
the field, the entire field of homicide

investigation. Oh, now, wait a minute.

Gentlemen, I agree the question calls
for a conclusion.

Then as much as this man has been called
as an expert, I'd like to hear his

answer. But, Your Honor... Just be
seated, Mr. Berger.

All right, Lieutenant, answer the
question.

Assuming Dwight Garrett knew the
difference,

No, it wouldn't make sense for him to
use a barbitol instead of second -all.

All right.

Now, let's reverse the coin.

Assuming Austin Lloyd wanted to make
-believe he was being poisoned and was

deliberately trying to entrap Dwight
Garrett, knew he could take the drug and

right after that call the police to play
it safe, which drug would Austin Lloyd

have tricked Garrett into giving him?

The barbitol.

If the police were late or for some
reason he couldn't get help, he'd still

plenty of time.

With the second all with such a massive
dose, he couldn't be sure.

If it's possible that Austin Lloyd was
responsible for the poisoning, why would

he have set up so elaborate a scheme?

I don't know, unless for some reason he
wanted to frame Dwight Garrett. Suppose

Lloyd was in trouble and wanted to make
it appear that it was his partner who

was responsible for the trouble.

Couldn't this have been part of such an
attempt?

Oh, sure.

But if you're trying to say it was
Austin Lloyd who altered that report,

out of line.

That had to be Garrett.

Only he could have used that typewriter.
And whoever forged the report forged

those checks.

That's right.

Suppose I prove to you, Lieutenant, that
is not right, but is wrong.

Now, this, according to your testimony,
and not this, was the typewriter used

for regular business checks.

No, no, it's the other way around.

Then this and not this was used for the
Ford's documents?

No, Mr. Mason, you've reversed it again.

Oh?

This then and not this?

This what?

Well, don't you know?

But, Mr. Mason, you... I didn't testify,
you did.

Don't you really know which is which?

Your Honor, I object.

Mr. Mason is making a farce of judicial
procedure.

And he knows better than that.

The question has been asked, and this
witness answered it.

Now, what else in the name of justice
can Mr. Mason possibly want?

Only to be sure, absolutely sure, that
our procedure is in the name of justice,

Mr. Berger. And what, Mr. Mason, you
name it, please, can we do to make you

sure, sir?

Permit Lieutenant Anderson to type a few
samples from each typewriter for

comparison. By all means.

Here, Mr. Mason.

Play your little game.

Lieutenant, would you be good enough,
please, to type a few lines on Mr.

Garrett's typewriter?

I don't understand it. The N.

It isn't chipped.

Try the other machine. Try Miss Clover's
typewriter.

The

N

is chipped on this machine.

These machines were carefully checked
out before they were brought into court.

It's obvious they've been tampered with.
Of course they have. I tampered with

them. While you conveniently diverted
the court's attention, I exchanged the

elements in the typewriter like this.

Watch.

Now they're right.

Mr. Mason, what's the purpose of all
this? It wasn't necessary, Your Honor,

use the defendant's typewriter in or out
of his office.

The element, not the typewriter, has the
chipped end.

With the defendant's attention diverted,
as the court's just was, anyone could

have exchanged elements and have used
the marked element in any similar

typewriter. Tell me, Lieutenant, who
else besides Mr. Garrett had regular

to that office and that typewriter?

Well, the dead man, of course, and...
and Terry Clover.

I did not forge those checks.

What about the substitute pages in the
reliability report?

No, I never did any reports.

Not ever? At any time or place?

Well, I... Where did you work before you
came to Aerospace Reliability

Associates? I worked for Myron Baker.

See, I'm not a technical man, an
engineer. I just run a company.

For profit? Well, naturally.

But your company has lost money the last
two years.

Well, it's the space age. See, things
change fast.

You need new ideas, new people.

That's why I contracted with Dwight
Garrett.

These numbers with the C and the B, they
refer to types of materials?

I believe so. And each material type is
found in specifications sent by the

government? Yes.

Had there been a recent project, one
where your company and not Universal

Received a C -Spec amendment?

Yes, I believe there was.

Whoever forged the substitution pages in
the report was not aware that the C

-Spec, which he chose in a desperate
hurry, was one that Universal didn't

and one that Aerospace Reliability
didn't have.

And that forger could only be one
person.

All right.

All right!

I gave the wrong spec to Austin.

He did the actual forging, not me. Just
as he forged the checks, changing his

own signature after using the element
from Garrett's typewriter.

Now, why did you conspire with Austin to
alter that report?

I knew Mr. Baker was going to replace
me.

I couldn't let that happen.

I thought everything would be all right
if I got the company of the Deimos

project. But Universal wasn't fooled.
Austin was in trouble. He threatened

Yes.

I went along with the idea to frame
Dwight and Austin's wife.

Make it look like Dwight had altered the
report.

Stolen from the company and was running
away with Austin's wife.

You gave him the $50 ,000, then what?

Did you hide in the next room? Did you
hear him send Dwight away?

Did you see him take the pills? Did you
hear him call the police?

I knew I'd never be safe.

Never have one moment free from fear.

It was all arranged.

All ready for him.

including someone to take the blame.

He was getting weak and dizzy, and I

just leaned over him and put my arm
against his throat and

pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed.

Austin Lloyd was desperate. He needed
time, a chance to get out from under

He faced prison all by himself.

Your partnership was on the rocks. He
knew how you felt about his wife. He

knew that without your slide rule and
your drafting board, you were a classic

example of the absent -minded professor.

Oh, come on. Not that bad.

Oh, the check for Mr. Mason. I assume
you've given it to him.

Mr.

Mason, I don't know how we can ever
really thank you. I do.

A nice fat fee for representing us.

You deserve it and I can afford it.

Here you are, Miss Street.

I don't think you'll have to telephone
the electronic check approval company.

I'm afraid that isn't so.

What's the matter?

You've forgotten to sign it.