All language subtitles for 12 - The Adventure of the Black

This famous nightclub owner
is opening a rare vintage --

and his coffin.

Who killed him?

Was it the mind reader?

I have come here to help you
identify the murderer.

The pianist?

I don't care who killed him.

The dead man's partner?

I know that makes me
a good suspect.

The ambitious singer?

Oh, Jack, what is it?
What's the matter?

The clumsy wine steward?

The pain was excruciating.

Or was it someone else?

Match wits with Ellery Queen,

and see if you can guess
who done it

♪ That man ♪

♪ Can really jump it boy ♪

♪ That man ♪

♪ The only trouble is
there's no way of knowing ♪

♪ Whether he's coming or going ♪

Good evening, sir.

Your check, sir.

Thank you.
That won't be necessary.

You're not likely to forget me,
are you?

Well, there are a lot of people here
this evening, sir.

But only one Simon Brimmer.

Sir?

Simon!
I was starting to worry.

My apologies, Nick.
I was detained by autograph hounds.

The price of fame, you know.

- Hey, Sherlock, nice to see you.
- Eddie.

Look, Simon. We really
appreciate you stepping in

at the last minute like this
for the broadcast.

Yeah. I'm sorry we couldn't
give you more notice,

but when tonight's guest fell out,

you were the first one
we thought of.

Very flattering.

Excuse me.
I've got some things to check on.

I'll see you at the broadcast.

This way, son.

By the way, who was supposed
to be the guest on tonight's show?

- Williams.
- Tennessee?

Ted.

♪ I want a Sunday kind of love ♪

♪ A love to last ♪
♪ past Saturday night ♪

♪ I'd like to know it's more ♪
♪ than love at first sight ♪

♪ I want a Sunday kind of love ♪

♪ I want love that's on the square ♪

♪ Can't seem to find ♪
♪ somebody to care ♪

♪ I'm on a lonely road
that leads me... ♪

- Aww.
- Your carnation, sir.

Flora, danke Schön,
mein liebchen.

Nicht zu danken.

You should speak with me
in English, sir,

so I learn how to better understand.

No, you understand perfectly, Flora.

Come on, now.
Don't fool me.

You are far too intelligent a person

to be spending your life
as a cleaning woman.

Something is troubling you.
I can sense it.

Nein, nein.

Excuse me, sir.

Flora?

♪ A Sunday kind of love ♪

[ Applause ]

Nancy McGuire,
ladies and gentlemen.

Isn't she wonderful?

[ Applause ]

Now we're going to take
a short break, but we'll be back.

But first we'll be broadcasting
our own radio show,

"Broadway from Nick and Eddie's.”

Our special guest this evening --

radio's famous mystery sleuth,
Simon Brimmer.

[ Applause ]

We'll be on the air
in about 11 minutes.

I got to go to my office
and pick up my notes.

- Excuse me.
- Certainly.

Eddie, may I speak to you?

Can't it wait? I got things to do
before the broadcast.

My agent tells me
my engagement has been cut

from six weeks to two weeks.

Yeah?

But, Eddie, I gave up three months
of solid bookings on the road

to accept this job.

Eddie, I thought you were
on my side.

Well, I fought for you,
but you know Nick --

he doesn't like mind-reading acts.

They remind him of his ex-wife.

[ Sighs]
But if you insisted...

No dice. Nick's my partner.
I got to go along with him.

Sorry.

[ Sighs ]

So... Nick is the one
I've got to get to.

Johnny?

Hey, baby, you were terrific tonight.

I thought you might be hungry,

so I picked up a club sandwich
from the kitchen --

cold toast, colder bacon.

Well, not now --
something I've got to do.

- Well, you still have to eat.
- I'm not hungry.

That guy from Decca records
called again.

I told you I'm not interested.
Now, we're not ready for records.

Aw, Johnny, what is it?
What's the matter?

Will you stop asking
so many questions?

[ Sighs ]

I'm sorry.

Hey, look, we'll -- we'll go out
and get some Chinese tonight, okay?

Only, right now I've got to see Nick,
okay, baby?

Sure.

Flora.

Miss McGuire.

Are you looking for somebody?

I thought Mr. Kingston
might be in his office.

The powder room is running low
on towels again.

Wouldn't he be in the room?
It's nearly time for the radio show.

Of course. I forgot. Excuse me.

Would you check the names
on this list, please?

Dad, are you sure Simon Brimmer's
gonna discuss

the Allenby-Rote murder case
on the air?

As sure as I am that Brimmer
called my office

with an anonymous tip
to listen to his radio program.

I swear to you, Eddie,
if he tries to bust open my case,

I'm gonna book him
on his own lousy broadcast.

May I have your hat, sir?

[ Clears throat ]

May I help you, gentlemen?

Yes, we'd like a table for two,
please.

Do you have a reservation?

No, we don't have a reservation,
but we have this.

Oh, I'm sorry -- police.

Yes, we'd like a table
as close as possible

to where Mr. Brimmer
is doing his radio interview.

Yes, of course.
This way, please.

[ Snaps fingers ]

Now for the supreme test.

Slightly -- maybe just slightly tart,

but...

But still robust and...

And full of life.

Ohh.

[ Footsteps retreating ]

[ Door closes ]

[ Footsteps retreating ]

[ Door locks ]

[ Breathing heavily ]

[ Glass breaks ]

Would you look at these prices?

75 cents for a hamburger.

That's outrageous.

I can buy three pounds of hamburger
for 75 cents.

So, why don't we listen
to his broadcast

on our own radio at home?

I can't arrest him at home.

Oh, you're not gonna arrest him.

Oh, I'm not, eh?

In April, I was about to nab
that Duffy woman

in the Park Avenue
penthouse murders.

He went on the air,
spilled the beans --

exit, Miss Duffy.

- Where's Nick?
- I have no idea.

We'll have to start without him.

- Marty?
- Yes, Mr. Morgan?

Find Nick and tell him
we're starting the show.

- Very good, sir.
- Okay.

[ Dings bell ]

Attention, please,
ladies and gentlemen.

We're just about to go on the air,

and we'd appreciate it
if you'd watch your language.

But don't let that stop you
from buying drinks, okay?

Thank you.

[ Laughter ]

[ Clears throat ]

Good evening, New York.

This is Eddie Morgan
at Nick and Eddie's,

Manhattan's favorite late spot.

Our special guest tonight
is Mr. Mystery himself,

radio's favorite crime solver,
Simon Brimmer!

First, this transcribed message.

How long can it possibly take
to find a bottle of '34 Margaux?

I wasn't able to get it,
Mr. Alexander.

Rack 2--

Rack 22, left rear.

I put them there myself to make room
for an incoming shipment.

It's not that. The door
to the wine cellar is locked.

Locked?
That's ridiculous.

You haven't been nipping
at the Moscatel, have you?

Me? No.

I'll see about this.

Simon, what made you decide
to take a hard look at the evidence

in the Allen Berry-Rote
murder case?

A simple desire for justice.

Personally, I have great respect

for Inspector Richard Queen
of homicide.

It's just that this case
was beyond his capabilities.

Mm.

As an expert in the field of crime,
do you often get the feeling

the police are a little slow
on the uptake?

Uh, yes, indeed.

More often than not,

the authorities are the last
to know when something is amiss.

It's particularly true in the case
of a murder investigation.

I could give you several
fascinating instances

when the police were completely
in the dark,

had no inkling
as to what was going on,

while I, Simon Brimmer,

was on to the game
from the beginning.

Gentlemen, there's been
an emergency.

Will you come with me, please?

To anticipate your next question,
Eddie,

yes, I have often seen
the puzzled look

in the eyes
of professional investigators

as they plaintively inquired,
"What is it? What has happened?”

What is going on here?

And that's exactly
the way you found him?

I touched nothing.

Any idea when this happened?

Well, Nick and I both met Brimmer
at the door.

That was about 10 minutes
before the broadcast.

And I discovered Mr. Kingston here
at exactly 10:05.

A span of about 15 minutes, then.

Look, Inspector --
Nick and I went back a long way.

Whoever did this, I want him.

What makes you think
anybody did anything?

Well, I find it highly unlikely

that Nick Kingston
padlocked himself in this room.

Brimmer.

Good evening, Inspector.

Mm. Poison, I presume, Queen,

judging from the fact
that there are no marks on the body.

Simon, we haven't
presumed anything yet.

I thought you were on the air.

And who told you
about the padlock?

One of the waiters
thought I might be interested.

Once I discovered
what had happened,

I turned the broadcast
back to the station

and came down to lend a hand.

- Interesting.
- Stay away from that bottle.

May I suggest, Inspector,

that you analyze what little wine
remains in that bottle?

May I suggest you stop telling me
how to run my job?

1914, Der Schwarze Falke.

It means "Black Falcon."

Yes, I know.

An obscure label.
I don't believe I've ever heard of it.

That's hardly surprising,
Mr. Brimmer.

Mm.

I don't believe I caught your name.

Alexander. I'm the sommelier.

The wine steward.

How did you break your arm?

I had an accident while I was
re-arranging some wine racks.

The pain was excruciating.

I'm sure it was.

Alexander, I'd appreciate it
if you'd call the 15th precinct.

Ask for Sergeant Velie.

Tell him to get down here
on the double

with an investigative team,

and take Brimmer with you.

Let me assure you, Inspector --

Nick Kingston was
an old and dear friend,

and I shall do whatever I must
to bring his killer to justice.

Expect my call in the morning.

That is all I need.

I'd better get upstairs, too,
Inspector,

just to see
that everybody stays calm.

Fine.

Dad? Did you notice his ring?

I'm not interested in a ring.
I'm trying to solve a murder.

It's a very special ring, Dad.

Well, what's so special
about it, son?

The insignia on the ring
matches the emblem on the bottle.

What?

The Black Falcon.

- Dad?
- What?

Oh, it's you.

Sorry, Dad, I didn't know
you were asleep.

What do you mean, asleep?

I was reading
the preliminary med report.

Uh-huh. Maybe we shouldn't have
stayed up so late last night.

Late? 4:00?

[ Chuckles ]

On the Antonowsky case,

I was up 92 straight hours
without a wink of sleep.

- How long ago was that?
- What's that got to do with it?

Oh, nothing, nothing.
Here, have a doughnut.

May I look at the report.

Thank you.

Well, they didn't identify the poison.

There's no chocolate.

They were all out.
I got cinnamon.

I don't like cinnamon.

Odorless and tasteless.

Yeah, and stale.

Next time, bring me crullers.

No, I meant the poison --
odorless and tasteless.

- Where does it say that?
- Well, it doesn't, but it figures.

You see, Nick was
a wine connoisseur.

He wouldn't have tasted it
if it smelled funny,

and he wouldn't have swallowed it
if it tasted bad.

The question is --
how did he drink it?

- There wasn't any glass.
- Drank it out of the bottle.

How could he?
The bottle wasn't open.

The bottle was cracked.
There was wine all over the floor.

Maestro.

Oh, Inspector, I see you woke up.

I'm always awake
when I'm working on a case.

Why is it because
I want to rest my eyes

people make dumb remarks?

What's the matter, Velie?

The lab just finished testing
that broken wine bottle.

- There's no poison in it.
- What?

Just ordinary table wine,
nothing else.

The lab tried every test
in the books.

The man died of poisoned wine.

He had a bottle in his hand,
and you tell me it wasn't poison?

Inspector, that's what the lab
told me.

And that's what I've been
trying to tell you.

He didn't drink that wine.

He didn't drink any wine
in the wine cellar.

The bottles were all sealed.

- What about the casks?
- Empty, most of them.

Nick didn't drink out of his hand.

The killer might have taken
the bottle and the glass --

don't ask me why.

But maybe, just maybe
they can be traced.

Up all night beating our brains out,
and we haven't got a thing.

Well, Inspector,
maybe we got something.

I dropped by records while
I was waiting for the lab report,

and Nick Kingston was arrested
six times between 1920 and 1932.

- For bootlegging?
- Right, Maestro.

Only Nick Kingston is an alias.

His real name is Harry Norman.

He changed it in '32,

when he went into partnership
with a speakeasy owner

named Emile Morganstern,

who changed his name
to Eddie Morgan.

And that's how Nick and Eddie's
was born.

You don't happen to know
if Nick had a family, do you?

I do. He didn't.

Sounds to me like Eddie Morgan
just came into a nightclub.

I Give me five minutes more ♪

♪ ; Only five minutes more ♪

I Let me stay,
let me stay in your arms ♪

Add a few strings, bass.

Who knows?
Maybe you'll have a hit record.

Record?

I changed my mind.

I was talking with a guy
down at Decca.

You're kidding.

[ Chuckles ]

Hey, baby, you think I want
to spend the rest of my life

playing in joints like this?

Well, what about a little thing
called a contract -- remember?

Well, that contract isn't gonna
stop us now that Nick's dead.

I'm sorry. We're closed.

Oh, excuse me.
I'm looking for Eddie Morgan.

- Oh, I think he said he was--
- Hold it, Nancy.

Why the interest, friend?

My name is Ellery Queen.

My father's in charge
of the murder investigation.

Oh, well, let me be the first

to wish him all the bad luck
in the world.

Johnny.

I'm not gonna miss Nick.

I don't care who killed him.

Johnny, wait a minute.

Excuse us, Mr. Queen.

We have some things
we have to do.

Well, I still have to talk
to Eddie Morgan.

Could you tell me where he is?

He said he was going
to meet somebody at a radio studio.

- Does that help?
- That tells me where he is.

Pete? Hey, Pete.

Take a break.
We'll work later.

And this is the complete list
of all your employees?

Well, plus a few we let go
or had quit on us recently.

Flora Schumann -- German?

Yeah, I guess so.

Hi, Simon.

Ah, Queen, what a pleasant surprise.

I hate to barge in.

You know Mr. Morgan, of course.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Mr. Morgan, I would like to speak
to you, if I may, for just a moment.

Sure, fire away,
but make it quick, will you?

I'm due at my lawyer's at noon.

Oh, I guess that has to do

with your taking sole ownership
of the club?

As a matter of fact, it does.

Nick and I had
a full partnership agreement.

One partner dies,
the other takes all?

Right.

I know that makes me
a good suspect,

especially after the fights
Nick and I had been having

about selling the club.

- Fights?
- Well, yelling matches.

We had a pretty good offer
for the place. I was ready to sell.

Nick didn't want it,
so we went round and round.

I even offered to sell him my half.

I didn't want any part
of the business.

Oh. Now you got it all.

Very ironic.

- Mr. Morgan, I'd like to ask--
- Save your breath, Queen.

I've already asked
the obvious question.

Mr. Morgan followed
his usual routine.

I went up to my office

to go over the questions
for my radio show,

just like I do every night.

And then he was on the air with me.

You were a witness to that.

Huh?

Oh, yeah, that's right.

Well, I'm afraid I've really
got to go. I'll see you later.

- Surely.
- Thank you.

- Excuse me.
- Yes, sir.

Simon, I suppose you heard

there was no poison
found in the broken bottle.

Nonetheless, I believe the bottle
in Nick's hand is a vital clue.

Oh?

Consider, for a moment --

why would Nick hold on
to that particular bottle,

a cheap German table wine?

There were many bottles there,

yet knowing that he was poisoned
and locked in the wine cellar,

knowing he was about to die,
Nick grabbed for that bottle.

- A dying clue?
- Obviously.

The only pencil was broken.
He couldn't write his killer's name.

But he believed that that bottle

would lead us to discover
the killer's identity.

[ Sighs ]
I wish I knew how.

Simon, do you suppose the label
on the wine bottle

had anything to do with Nick's ring?

What?

Well, you know,
the insignia on Nick's ring

was identical to the emblem
on the wine label.

Oh, of course.
I was about to explore that.

The ring was an heirloom,
something like that?

Well, he wore it all the time
like a good-luck charm.

And the design is identical?

Yeah. Uh-huh.

What do you suppose it means?

Nothing, absolutely nothing,
just a remarkable coincidence.

- Uh, Flora Schumann?
- Ja?

Allow me to introduce myself --
Simon Brimmer.

Uh, perhaps you've heard
my popular network radio show.

I do not recall, sir.

No matter.

It's come to my attention

that your previous employment
was in Milwaukee?

Yeah, Milwaukee.

As a bookkeeper in a brewery.

Isn't it quite a comedown
to ladies' room attendant?

The work is not so hard,
the hours not so long.

I'm not so young.

Ah. So, you were not dismissed
under a cloud from your last job?

Certainly not.

Mr. Stockhauser gave me
a very fine letter of reference.

If you wish me to show it to you--

No, that won't be necessary.

There is something you can do
for me, though, if you will, please.

Tell me everything you can
about this bottle.

[ Gasps ]

No.

My dear lady, I only want you
to translate the words from the label.

I'm sorry -- Dutch.

I'm Dutch. I'm not German.

Well, I -- I just assumed.
Your name is Schumann.

But I'm Dutch.
Everybody makes the same mistake.

I'm sorry. I don't speak German, sir.
Excuse me.

I wonder if Nick is trying to tell us
something about his killer.

What, a dying clue?

Well, the way
he was holding that bottle.

We know it wasn't the wine
that killed him.

Maybe he was trying to tell us
it was a wine just like it.

No, what good would that do?
Nobody liked that wine except Nick.

Hmm.

No, that bottle has
another significance.

I want to check out everybody
connected with this case

for a possible link
with that German vineyard.

Ellery, I think you're onto something.
That's good thinking.

Well, actually it wasn't my idea.
It was Simon Brimmer's.

Brimmer? Ohh.

You see where Jackie Robinson
got 2 for 4 yesterday.

[ Doorbell rings ]

- Who could that be?
- I'll get it.

If it's one of your girlfriends,
take her into the kitchen.

I don't feel sociable.

- Yes?
- I wish to see Inspector Queen.

- My name is--
- The Amazing Armitage.

Extraordinary, young man.
You possess a psychic gift.

No, I saw your picture
at Nick and Eddie's.

- Oh.
- Come on in, please.

- Dad?
- I thought I told you that I didn't--

My humblest apologies,
Inspector Queen.

I know I am imposing,

but my conscience
would not permit me

to remain away one moment longer.

- Conscience?
- Quite right.

I have come here

to help you identify the murderer
of Nicholas Kingston.

You say you know
who killed Nick Kingston?

I said no such thing.

But I have experienced
certain images today,

strong and persistent.

- Mr. Armitage is a mentalist.
- A what?

A mentalist.

I have the power
to see into men's minds.

That's very interesting,

because I have the power
to run characters like you in

on charges of fraud and bunco.

Dad, he's a very well-known man.

That is all right, Mr. Queen.

I have been dealing with skeptics
all my life.

As you know, I offer $5,000 reward
to anyone who can prove

I use confederates
in my performance.

And you are quite right,
Inspector Queen.

I do have a specific suspect
in mind.

Well, now, wait a minute.
I never said a word about --

You do not have to say anything.

At the moment,
you are worried about wine.

Hmm.

A bottle of wine.

I see...

...a bird.

Yes, a big black bird.

It is an eagle, perhaps -- no.

No, it is a falcon.

That's right, a big black falcon.

Where did you see it,
in the newspaper?

Nick Kingston's murder was
on the front page all day long.

All right, Inspector Queen,
I will come directly to the point.

If you wish to discover
the murder of Nick Kingston,

I suggest you talk
to Johnny Randall.

- The piano player?
- Mm.

We share the same
dressing room --

the fault of my agent for not
insisting upon a private room.

Well, what about him?

Well, I see the expression
on his face whenever Nick is nearby.

Oh, if looks could kill, as they say.

He wasn't killed with looks.
He was poisoned.

I know.

I also surprised Johnny sniffing
around the wine-cellar door,

and then he is also secretive.

Secretive about what?

What am I, a mind reader?

[ Chuckles ]

I understand the people at the club
weren't particularly fond of Nick.

Well, Johnny did not seem
to like him,

but I had no quarrel with him.

We got along famously.

Now, gentlemen,
if you would please excuse me.

I have my performance to give.

Personally, of course,
I think the club

should have been closed tonight
out of respect,

but Eddie is in charge now.

Well, thank you very much,
Mr. Armitage. We'll check on it.

I'm glad to have been of assistance.

- Farewell.
- So long.

Phony as a three-dollar bill.
Who did you say he was?

I told you, Dad --
The Amazing Armitage.

Well, he wasn't born with the name
"The Amazing Armitage.”

I want a check on him.

Lots of nickels last night --
big tippers.

[ Telephone rings ]

Hello?

Yeah, just a sec.

- Flora?
- Yeah?

Telephone.

Telephone for me?
My goodness.

Hello.

Guten a bend, Frau Schumann.

Ja. Ich bin Flora Schumann.

Wie geht es ihnen, Flora?

Danke, gut.
Who is this, please?

Interesting, Frau Schumann,

how this afternoon you were
unable to speak any German,

yet here we are having ourselves
a fine talk.

Flora?

Hello?

Flora?

Am I right?

[ Applause ]

You, sir.

- Me?
- Yes.

I have the impression
of the letter "H."

Yes, it's -- it's not Hugo.
It's not Herbie.

- Howard -- it's Howard.
- You're right!

Now, the second initial is "D."

Let me see.
Let me concentrate. It's...

Dillman! Howard Dillman!

- You're right!
- Aha!

Good evening, Howard.

What's new, Dad?

Mr. Mystery
just scared off a suspect.

I have established a definite
connection between Flora Schumann

and the bottle of wine
Nick Kingston left as a clue.

What connection?

They are both
unquestionably German.

Tell him about the other connection.

The wine evaporated,
and so did Flora.

This is all Flora left
in her closet -- an apron.

May I?

Well, that's it. Flora Schumann's
gone, and we don't know why.

Wait, Dad, there's something here
in the pocket.

A page from a magazine, a photo.

Nick and Eddie.

And the Black Falcon.

Now, that is a connection.

That is a connection.

Dad, I've got another one.

Oh?

Mr. Randall, may we come in?

What do you want?

I'm Inspector Queen,
and this is my son.

- We've met.
- Hi.

I'd like to ask you a couple
of questions.

Well, can it wait?
I'm on in 10 minutes.

I'm afraid not.

Were you stationed in Germany
after the war?

Sure, me and a few thousand
other guys.

If you're looking for tie-ins
with Germany, what about Armitage?

Well, what about him? He was born
in Pittsburgh, his names is Jones,

and his accent is as phony
as his fact.

John, have you ever been
to Augsburg?

- Where?
- Augsburg, in the Rhine Valley.

Your old commanding officer said
you were familiar with the area.

I had a talk with him a while ago.
He's a nice guy.

He said you used to hang
around the vineyards

talking with the old-timers
and asked a lot of questions.

Is there some law against that?

Sure, I've been to Augsburg.
I've been to a lot of places.

What do you know
about the Black Falcon?

I never heard of it.

Look -- can you catch me
a little later?

I got to get ready, huh?

This is my last show.
I want to make it a good one.

Oh? Going somewhere?

Somewhere away from here, yes.

[ Knocking on door ]

Come in.

Ellery. Inspector.

- Evening.
- Evening.

You here to settle matters
with Mr. Randall?

What do you mean?

Well, strange you're letting him go.

I thought I heard him
mention a contract.

Oh, I never stand
in anybody's way, Ellery.

Since Johnny and Nancy

are on the verge
of signing a recording contract,

they have my blessing.

Besides, I'm selling the club.

That was kind of sudden, wasn't it?

Well, I've wanted out
for a long time, Inspector.

It's no fun anymore, and it won't be
the same without Nick.

The offer, you said,
was pretty good?

Well, so maybe it was
a little better than that.

Let's just say that it looks better
all the time.

Johnny, I just wanted
to wish you the best.

Hey, thanks, Eddie. I appreciate that.
I'm grateful for everything.

[ Telephone rings ]

Hello?

Inspector Queen?
Yeah, right here.

Yeah?

Yeah, Velie?

That's good work.
We'll be down there in 20 minutes.

They just picked up Flora Schumann
at the West Side Terminal

trying to buy a one-way ticket
out of town.

Do you have an explanation
of your whereabouts

at the time Nick was killed?

Nein.

Mrs. Schumann,
there is strong evidence

pointing in your direction
regarding this murder.

Dad, may I?

Yeah, sure, anything.

Guten abend, Fraulein Schumann.

Good evening, sir.
I speak English.

We've been in touch
with the Bureau of Immigration,

and they have no record

of a Flora Schumann
entering this country,

at least not
a Flora Schumann your age.

What is your real name, Flora?

Please.

My name is Gretchen,
Gretchen Schiller.

- Schiller?
- Yeah.

Why did you change it, Gretchen?

Because I did not want
Mr. Kingston to recognize me.

Recognize you how?

Inspector, I've found something.

The Black Falcon came
from the Schiller vineyard

in the Rhine Valley.

Ah, I see you've caught up
with Frau Schumann. Good work.

Simon, this is Gretchen Schiller.

So, even the name was phony.

Sit down and be quiet, Brimmer.

Go ahead, Madam.

Before the war --
the first World War --

I lived with my husband
and babies in Augsburg.

Where the wine came from.

Quiet.

One day comes a man
from America with much money,

and he wishes to buy
all of our wine.

Nick Kingston.

Yeah, he called himself
Harry Norman.

We became good friends.

Please. Please go on.

Then the war breaks out.
My husband must go and fight.

But we were frightened,
frightened for our children.

So we ask our friend from America
for a great favor.

We give him all of our wine,
all of our money.

What on earth for?

To take our children to America,
where they'll be safe from the war,

a son and a daughter.

He would take care of them,

and then he would bring them back,
when the war ended, to us.

But...

We give him the babies.
He takes them.

He takes our money, our wine,
everything.

And we never heard
from him again.

Then my husband died in the war,
we lost our vineyards,

and I was without money.

So, I started to work,

and I cleaned houses to save money
to come to this country.

But then in 1939,
another war is beginning,

and now I have the money,
so I -- I come to this country.

And I search.

I search everywhere, but nothing,

until one day, when I'm looking
through a magazine,

I see a photograph.

This one?

Ja, ja, the bottle
of Der Schwarze Falke

from our vineyard.

But it was so long ago.

So, you took a job
at Nick and Eddie's

until you were sure Nick
was Harry Norman,

and then you killed him for taking
your children away from you.

Nein, nein. Bitte.

Nein, you must understand.

I did not want him dead.

I want him alive so I could find out
what happened to my children.

But it was over 30 years ago.

I was not sure it was the same man,
not until I saw the ring.

Nick's ring?

Ja. It belonged to my husband.
I gave it to him myself.

It was among the things
Harry Norman got

to bring our children to safety.

And where were you
when Kingston was killed?

I was in his office, searching
through his letters and records

to find one thread of the truth.

Then why were you trying
to run away?

Because you frightened me, sir.

1”2

Ja, first when you
showed me the bottle

and then when you called me.

You have no idea what it is being
accused by police in Germany.

Also, with Mr. Kingston dead,

my only chance ever
to see my children again was lost.

And... it all seemed so hopeless.

[ Sighs ]
Yes, yes, dear lady, dry your eyes.

Nein, danke schön.
Ich habe schon.

Queen.

The dying clue -- at last we have
some idea what it means.

Oh, Simon, I can't believe
that poor lady.

No, not her.

Think, Queen -- 1914, two small
children taken from their home.

I should say that today
they'd be in their early to mid 30s.

Yes.

Yes, of course.

I shan't trouble you anymore,
Inspector.

Thanks for your hospitality.

You were so anxious to hear
this woman's story, Brimmer.

Why not stay for the rest of it?

Oh, I've heard quite enough.

Gentlemen, I think the clue
to this case

will be found
on a certain birth certificate.

Dad, I'm puzzled.

Doesn't take a detective
to know that.

Would you pass me
the strawberry jam, please?

Simon Brimmer thinks he can
wrap up this case

with a birth certificate.

Please, not while I'm eating.

Obviously Brimmer
knows something we don't.

You don't want me to enjoy myself,
do you?

Something that hasn't turned up
from the police investigation.

Unless you've got something
you haven't told me.

I got something -- heartburn.

You know, Dad, I really got to give
Brimmer an awful lot of credit.

I don't want to give him
even the time of day.

All I want to do is have
my breakfast, drink my coffee.

I don't even want to hear
the so-and-so's name.

So-and-so?

Would you hand me the sugar,
please?

Mm.

That's cream.
I asked for the sugar.

Sugar?
There isn't any sugar.

You had some on your cereal.

Yeah, I guess I did.

So, where's the sugar bowl?

I must have put it
in the refrigerator.

That's a sink.

That's a refrigerator.

Why does everything in this house
end up in the refrigerator --

mittens, manuscripts?

I've told you time and time again --

a place for everything,
and everything in its place.

- Dad, I just remember.
- Where the sugar is.

- You're absolutely right.
- I am?

There is a place for everything.
Let's go.

Go? I want to have my coffee.
Where are we going?

Come on.

Alexander, I remember you said
you broke your arm

rearranging this wine.

That's right. Why?

- Why?
- Yeah.

I fell off a ladder.

No, I mean why were you
rearranging it?

Well, there just wasn't
enough room anymore.

We added a lot of new wines
to our wine list.

I see.

This is very important --

did Nick Kingston know how
you re-arranged the wine bottles?

I never had a chance to tell him.

I broke my arm
in the midst of doing it.

Is this where he grabbed
the Black Falcon?

- Exactly.
- Uh-huh.

And where was
the Black Falcon wine

before you re-arranged the racks?

Right here, one rack over.

What was here before you put
the Black Falcon in its place?

This wine, another ordinary
white table wine

made in upstate New York.

May I see that?

Morningstar wine.

Oh. Dad?

Yeah?

Simon Brimmer's right -- the answer
has to do with the birth certificate.

Why didn't I think of it before?

- Well?
- Well, what?

Well, who?

Well, I'm going down
to the hall of records

and check out that birth certificate
and see if I'm right.

- Then let's go.
- All right.

I'll -- I'll be with you
in just a minute.

Well, I think I know what happened.
Do you?

This bottle of Morningstar wine

not being where Nick Kingston
thought it was

should give you the solution.

You know who the killer is now?

Was it John Randall, Eddie Morgan,
Nancy McGuire,

The Amazing Armitage,
Alexander the wine steward,

or -- or somebody else?

Let's find out.

Auf wiedersehen.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I've asked you here
to share a startling revelation.

Here, a birth certificate.

Here, records
from a St. Agatha's Orphanage

in Boston, Massachusetts,

records dated 1914,

the same year an unidentified man

brought two small children
to the orphanage,

claiming to have found them
abandoned on a Boston street.

1914 -- the same year
Gretchen Schiller

gave her two children to her
American friend for safekeeping,

never to be heard from again.

Within a week,
the infant girl is dead of fever.

Her brother is adopted
by a Boston family

who gives him the name
John Randall.

Yes.

- Yes, that's true.
- John--

Son, would you like
to tell us about it?

Well, when I turned 18,
my parents, the Randalls --

they told me that I was adopted.

Nobody knew anything
about my real family, so I --

I decided to find out for myself.

Go on.

My sister and I were brought
to the orphanage,

wrapped in some blankets
with an embroidered crest --

my family crest,
as it turned out --

the black falcon.

I'm sorry I lied,
but I was scared, Mr. Queen.

You were right -- I was stationed
in Germany during the war.

While I was there, I managed to --

to connect the emblem
to the Schiller family near Augsburg.

That's where I learned
about my mother.

I came back to try to find her.

But, John,
you found Nick Kingston,

through a picture in a magazine,
no doubt,

and had your agent
book you into this club.

You waited for your opportunity
and lured Nick to the wine cellar.

No.

Mr. Brimmer, please.
Johnny would never kill anyone.

Queen, I notice you, too,
have a manila envelope.

Would there be
a birth certificate inside?

Yes.

There you are, Randall.

Ellery Queen has reached
the same conclusion --

a little late, perhaps.

Not exactly, Simon.
He's right. He didn't kill Nick.

Yes, I do have a birth certificate,
but it's not John Randall's.

What?

I have the birth certificate
of one Emile Morganstern.

Who?

Which brings me
to my second certificate,

from a court-approved hearing

where Emile Morganstern
changed his name to Eddie Morgan.

So, I changed my name.
Lots of people change their names.

Well, did Nick
know your real name?

Well, sure he did. So what?
That doesn't make me a killer.

I was in my office.

Morgan, we have a witness

who was alone in the office
at the time of the murder.

What witness?

You're bluffing.

You haven't got a thing.

Well, that's where
my theory comes in.

Now, Eddie, I want you
to correct me if I'm wrong.

You and Nick fought over
the sale of the restaurant.

I told you that myself.

If the sale went through, you stood
to make an awful lot of money.

You pretended to back down.

You probably suggested
celebrating the end of hostilities

with a special bottle of wine
that Nick had saved for the occasion.

Let me as you something,
Alexander --

was there such a bottle?

Yes, the, uh, '28 Bordeaux.

- It's gone.
- Mm-hmm.

So what?

I didn't know anything about it.

Well, Nick thought of himself
as a wine connoisseur

and probably insisted
upon tasting that wine,

not realizing
that you had poisoned it.

You left him here, dying.

You locked him in,
took the poisoned wine with you,

and went upstairs
to do your radio broadcast.

- Like you said, it's all theory.
- Mm-hmm.

So, Nick is here, and he's dying,
and he wants to write down

the name of the person
who poisoned him.

The pencil is broken.

Or he breaks it.

But he desperately
wants to leave us a clue.

So, he reaches up and grabs
a bottle of wine from the rack.

Right.
He grabs the Black Falcon.

Wrong.
He grabbed the Black Falcon

because Alexander had just
put it there the day before,

but Nick didn't know that.

That's correct.

What he was reaching for
was a bottle of Morningstar wine.

That would have been
where the Black Falcon was.

Nick didn't know
the wines had been moved.

Mm-hmm.

And Morningstar in German is --

Morgenstern.
I mean, even I know that.

Right -- Emile Morganstern.

Nick was trying to tell us
it was you, Eddie,

and by sheer coincidence,
he pointed the finger at John.

Yeah, we could have been rich,
retired, with no responsibilities.

But he wouldn't change his mind.
He had to have his way.

He was too stubborn to live.

That's a matter of opinion.

- Velie?
- Yes, sir?

Book him -- murder one.

Very good, Mr. Queen.

Are you kidding?

He's terrific.

Imagine what he could do
with my talent.

Well, Queen,
now I suppose it's my turn

to congratulate you
on your deductions.

Well --

No, no, no, this is no time
for humility.

You did an outstanding job.

I, too, should have recognized
that the wine was rearranged.

Well, Simon, you did solve the case
of the missing son.

Yes, I did, didn't 1?

Which reminds me --
shouldn't someone tell the boy

that all these months
he's been working in the same club

with his mother and didn't know it?

I think my dad's
taking care of that right now.

My son.

Oh, that's really lovely.

There is nothing so sacred
as true sentiment,

shared intimately by those
who have sacrificed so much.

Hmm?

I'm sure they'd love
to tell the world about it

on my radio show tomorrow night.

Simon, you could always ask.

Oh, I will, Queen. I will.