All language subtitles for 15 - The Adventure of the Wary

This racketeer is dead,

and this man is on trial
for his murder.

Is he guilty?

Or was it the victim"s
shopworn wife?

You still trying to prove
I killed my husband?

The defendant's wife?

Did you find the missing witness?

The seedy defense attorney?

My whole case depends
on that witness.

The hot-tempered young mobster?

So, I was married to her.
So what?

His powerful father?

He was brutally murdered
for no reason.

Or was it someone else?

Match wits with Ellery Queen

and see if you can guess
who done it

CELEBREEZE:
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

Wednesday night, March 17,
St. Patrick's Day --

Nick Danello
alone in his apartment.

A man comes to see him --
Linville Hagen.

Hagen is angry.

He believes that Nick Danello
is behind an extortion ring

and is trying to take away
his business.

Never mind
whether the charge is true.

It's enough that Lin Hagen
believed it to be true,

and he has admitted that.

The words become more heated.

Hagen takes out the pistol
he's brought with him.

He takes aim
and fires in cold blood,

putting an end
to Nick Danello's life.

How many shots were fired?
How far apart?

A minute? Five minutes?

No one can agree,
but you can agree on this --

Linville Hagen owned that gun.

His prints were found
on the weapon.

The paraffin test proved
that he had fired the gun.

JUDGE: Order in the court.
Order in the court!

CAMPBELL:
The prosecution is wrong.

There was a woman in that room,

a woman in a green dress
whose identity we do not know,

a woman we've tried
unsuccessfully to locate

for the past four months.

Lin Hagen was pleading with Nick,
his back to the open window.

Both Danello and the woman
were facing the window.

As they argued, a shot rang out.

Lin Hagen turned around

just as a pistol was tossed
into the room through the window.

Unaware that it was his gun,

Lin Hagen fired two shots,
but missed.

He turned back into the room.

The woman had disappeared,
gone without a trace.

So, Nick Danello was dead,

and Lin Hagen had been framed --
beautifully framed.

Yes, the gun was Hagen's,
stolen from his desk.

Yes, his fingerprints were on it.

And, yes, the gun had been fired --

two shots to try to bring down
the killer of Nick Danello.

The prosecution
would like you to forget

that three shots were fired
that night.

The prosecution would also
like you to forget

that the woman in that room

could corroborate every word
of Lin Hagen's statement.

From her vantage point
in that room,

she probably saw the face
of the murderer.

That's why she ran,
that's why she's hiding,

and that's why
the police department

hasn't been able to find her
to this very day.

With that information,

we couldn't find Harry Truman
in the White House.

Yeah.

Lin Hagen isn't a murderer.

He's a respected member
of this community,

a happily married man,
a much-decorated war veteran,

a partner in a prospering
air-freight business.

Can you honestly believe
that he'd jeopardize all of that,

just throw it out the window

by committing
a cold-blooded murder

that he couldn't possibly
get away with?

Even an animal like Nick Danello

isn't worth taking
that kind of a risk.

But there are people

with good reason
for wanting to kill Nick Danello,

perhaps to kill him safely
by framing another man,

so as not to incur the wrath
of a vengeful father,

a grieving widow,

or of a young man who has
publicly vowed vengeance

on the killer of his older brother.

I got the story. Listen--

Hey, quick, quick!

[ All asking questions
simultaneously ]

You know, the D.A. said that
your boy was shaking down Hagen.

What do you say to that?

- Shut your mouth, will you?!
- Hey, is that a threat, sonny?

James, don't do that!

My son didn't know this man Hagen.

He was brutally murdered
for no reason.

And I'm confident
the jurors will agree.

Perhaps you call that justice,
Mr. Flannigan.

I do not.

Nothing can replace a lost son
or a beloved husband.

Now, you must excuse us, please.

Yeah, what about the lady in green,
Danello?

What do you know about her?

Leo, quote me some odds --
what are his chances?

Oh, realistically, 50-50.

The jury doesn't know
who to believe.

They could be out three hours
or three days.

- I'm not covering any bets.
- Yeah.

Oh, Inspector, sorry about that
little shout I gave you in my speech.

I had to try to reach the jury.

Actually, I think you've done
a terrific job

of looking for that girl.

Well, thank you.

Well, I guess I'll go get
some briefs ready, just in case.

See you back here
when there's a verdict.

Bye.

I have to go back to the office.
Can I drop you somewhere?

Huh?

No. No, thanks, Dad.

I want to see if Priscilla's
all right.

- Okay, see you later.
- Okay.

Ellery.

Why don't you two grab some lunch,
you know, take some time?

I got a feeling that jury's
gonna be out quite awhile.

That's what I told her.

I'm not hungry.

Hey, come on, lady --
you want to fight, huh?

We say eat, you eat.

Get you a good steak
over at Charlie's.

We'll get Ellery to pick up the tab.

I'd like to, but I have to pass,
really --

a couple things I have to check out.

- Ellery?
- Yeah?

- Thank you.
- What for? I wasn't much help.

Well, for believing, I guess.

Oh, hey, hey, you're the ones
he's counting on, you know?

There it is, sonny --
March 17th, three-star final.

Thanks, Hobby.
Thank you.

- Looking for anything in particular?
- No, I'm just looking.

[ Door opens ]

Did you ever think your old
college chum just might be guilty?

Oh, hi, Flannigan.

I heard you were down here, Junior.

Hey, Hobby, how about getting us
a couple cups of coffee?

Yeah. Want anything in it?

Uh, black is fine.

Make mine Irish, in honor
of the St. Patrick's Day murder.

This ain't no bar.

You keep it in a broom closet,
top shelf, behind the Dutch cleanser.

12:55 -- the jury's been out an hour.

I give them till 3:00 --
plenty of time to make the two-star.

I've already got my lead --

"That little lady known as justice
got her skirts dirty yesterday.

She turned her back on a gritty
young guy named Lin Hagen

whose only crime
was ridding this city

of a parasite named Nick Danello.

Next thing you know, they'll be
arresting sanitation workers

for getting rid of the garbage.

Gentlemen.

Thank you.

I don't know.
There's something wrong.

Something doesn't fit.
I can feel it.

Hm? Mm.

I'll tell you what's wrong, Junior --

it's that cock-and-bull story
about the witness.

What witness?

A girl with no name -- a description
that fits a thousand dames.

And why weren't the cops
able to come up

with one single set of her
fingerprints in that apartment?

I don't know. I don't know.

Well, for whatever it's worth, Junior,
I think Lin Hagen's a nice guy.

His lawyer did a heck of a job.
Maybe they'll buy it.

I don't know. I hope so.

But, you know, war changes
a lot of guys, Junior.

They give them a gun,
teach them how to shoot people.

After a while, it gets easy.

Oh, he was framed, Flannigan.

And whoever did it knew
that Lin was going to Danello's.

[ Telephone rings ]

They took his gun.

Hobby here.

It's for you, Mr. Queen.

- Me?
- Yeah.

- Anybody know you were here?
- Only my dad.

- It's a verdict. Wow.
- Hello? He--

Yes, this is Ellery Queen.

I-I'm sorry, Miss.
You'll have to speak up.

- I can't hear you.
- Yeah.

WOMAN:
I have to see you. Please.

Who are you?

I'm the one they're looking for,

the witness
in the St. Patrick's Day murder.

What?

The newspapers
said you were trying to help.

You've got to help me.
I must speak to the judge.

Where are you?

The Stafford Hotel on West 45th,
room 301.

I know where it is.
We'll be there in 20 minutes.

No. Come alone.

But my dad -- I have to tell him.

No, I can't trust anyone.

Come alone, please.

All right, all right.
What is your name?

What -- Hello?

[ Dial tone ]

Holy Hannah,
the lady in green re-appears,

and she's all mine --
scoop-errific.

Hold it, Flannigan.
I'm going alone.

Not on your press pass, Junior.

You heard what she said.

Look -- either I come with you,

or I go to my desk
and put her on the wire services.

Some of the radio stations
will have it on the air

before you get there.

You come with me.

Now, you wait in the hall
while I talk to her.

For a story like this,
I'll wait in a broom closet.

[ Gunshot ]

Junior, the window!

Same M.O. --

a shot through the window
and then down the fire escape,

only this time the killer
didn't leave the gun behind.

That's not the only difference.

She's still alive.

All right, out of the doorway.
Move it. Let him through. Move it!

Are you ready?

"The lady in green,
the mysterious missing eyewitness

to the St. Patrick's Day murder,
was gunned down in broad daylight

moments before she was
about to give this reporter

an exclusive interview."

Never mind how I found her.
Are you getting this down?

No, no identification yet.

- Now, read that back to me.
- You got anything yet, Maestro?

I don't even know
her name yet, Velie.

Whoever she is, she wasn't anxious
for anybody to identify her.

I wonder if there's anything
in the drawer or in the closet.

- I'll take a look.
- All right.

- Oh, this is interesting.
- You got something?

Classified ad -- looks like
it might be from the personals.

It reads, "D.L., I must talk to you
about Nick."

Signed -- "AD."
No date.

- I wonder what paper it came from.
- What paper what's from?

That's the typeface
they use at the Gazette.

D.L.

D.L. -- the girl?

Oh, probably, sure,
and AD. would stand for --

Armand Danello.

Sure, Danello knew she was
in the room that night,

she went into hiding,
and he put an ad in the paper.

Ah, but did she answer it?

Maestro, I found this in the woman's
pocket in the closet --

a pack of matches.

Ah.

Club Carioca --
I know where that is.

It's a little dive
over on East 52nd Street.

Yowza, yowza.

A few months ago,
a couple of Danello's muscle boys

moved in and took the club over.

Flannigan, wait a minute.

I don't remember reading that.

Those transactions aren't usually
reported in a funny paper, Junior.

Anyway, the word was, the old man
was gonna give the club to Nick,

but after he was killed,

he transferred it
to Nick's ever-loving.

- His wife -- Yvonne?
- You got it.

You know, this frame's
starting to fall apart, Junior.

Like a cheap shirt,
it's beginning to fray at the cuffs.

The Danello's family is
in this up to their armpits.

- Velie?
- What is it, Maestro?

Photo of the woman.

Now it's your turn, Flannigan.

Well, she's with some John.

You know, from the dress
and the hairstyle,

I'd say that picture was taken
before the war.

PA:
Orderly to second-floor recovery.

Orderly to second-floor recovery.

Hi, Doc. How is she?

Still unconscious,
having a lot of trouble breathing.

Now, it looks to me like she broke
her nose a few months back

and it just didn't set right.

Doctor, for the moment,

I don't want anyone to know
who that woman is

or what she's doing here.

I understand.

I'll let you know if there's
any change in her condition.

Okay, thank you.

It's okay. Don't apologize.

Here's the dope on that ad --
it was placed March 20th.

Three days after the murder.
What else you got?

What else? That's it.

You think they keep records
of 75-cent classified ads?

Hey, what about Armand Danello?
Been able to locate him yet?

Flannigan, don't you have
someplace to go?

Now, one thing
I don't understand, Dad,

is how she knew where to find me.

She called me at headquarters.

I thought it was
one of your girlfriends,

and I told her you were
at the Gazette.

I don't know why she didn't tell me
who she was.

That's what I'd like to know --
why me?

Why not call Leo Campbell,
the defense attorney?

One more thing --
is she really the lady in green?

She fits the description.

So do half the girls
on the Roxy chorus line.

- Inspector?
- Yeah, Velie, what do you got?

A name to go with these prints.

Dottie Lomax.

D.L.

Last known city address --
457 Bleecker Street.

Boy, she's got quite a record, Dad --

arrested when she was 13
for soliciting.

Not exactly a blue-ribbon witness.

No, but the kind of gal
who'd make a run for it

instead of sticking around
for the police

the night Nick Danello was killed.

Well, look at this --

she was committed twice
for psychiatric examination.

Maybe she's some kind
of a screwball

that just wants to get her name
in the paper.

There's on way to find out.

- Velie?
- Yes, sir?

I want two plainclothesmen
on this floor round the clock.

Yes, sir.

As for you, Flannigan--

Inspector, I'm a man of my word.

None of this hits the press
until you give me the high sign --

or until somebody else
finds out about it.

Then all bets are off.

I'm going to find out
whether Dottie Lomax

is really who she says she is.

Come on, son.

Oh, no.

PA: Duty resident
to admitting, please.

Duty resident to admitting.

Take your time.

That's the woman who was
with Nick Danello that night.

You sure, Lin?

Sure, I'm sure, Ellery.
That's her.

Dottie Lomax.

Why don't you sit down, Ellery?

Dad, Lin identified the photo.
It's cut-and-dried.

Dead fish are cut-and-dried.

The judge can't declare a mistrial

because your friend
identified her photo.

We don't know what she saw.
Maybe she saw Hagen kill the guy.

Oh? Oh?

That why Lin's been hounding you
for months to find her?

Come on, Dad.
That doesn't make any sense.

Well, what does?

Four hours, and there's no verdict.
They're certainly taking their time.

Ellery... is it true?
Did you find the missing witness?

Where do you hear that,
Mrs. Hagen?

I was at home. A reporter called me.
He wanted an interview.

Flannigan!

What did she say?

Nothing, Priscilla.
The point is--

The point is she's in custody

and being interrogated
at the moment.

[ Door opens ]

Leo?

Priscilla.

[ Sighs ]

I'm afraid it's business as usual.

The judge refuses to act

until he hears
what the Lomax woman has to say.

For Hagen's sake,
I hope her story checks out.

Call me when she's
well enough to talk.

We'll notify you.

What does he mean,
"well enough to talk"?

Well, they found the woman,
but she's been shot.

Now, she's still alive,

but she hasn't been able
to say anything yet.

Mrs. Danello.

Hello, Mr. Queen.

You still trying to prove
I killed my husband,

or is this a social call?

I never thought you killed Nick.

Well, you sure ask
a lot of questions.

Why not?

If my friend was on trial,
maybe I'd do the same thing.

Sit down.

Eddie?

No. No, thanks.

You a teetotaler, Mr. Queen,
or don't you like the company?

Old-fashioned.

Old-fashioned.

I've been sitting here by this phone,
waiting since 2:00,

trying to decide
whether I was going to laugh or cry

when the verdict came in.

So far, crying's ahead by a nose.

If you're looking for the old man,

I already told the cops
I haven't seen him

since we left the courtroom.

He went his way, and I went mine.

Which way was your way,
Mrs. Danello?

You mean,
where I was I all afternoon.

Oh, I mean, you said you've
been here since 2:00.

I'd like to know where you were
before then.

- What's the difference?
- Oh, curiosity.

Oh, the curious Mr. Queen.

Let's just say that I took
a long walk in the park

and I fed a couple of pigeons and --

and I got thirsty... very thirsty.

Did you finish your drink?

- I've had enough.
- Good.

I've been a good little hostess,
Mr. Queen,

so why don't you do me a favor
and go away?

And don't come back, ever.

Okay.

Oh, just one more thing,
Mrs. Danello --

when was the last time
you saw Dottie Lomax?

Who?

Dottie Lomax.

Never heard of her.

- Yeah.
- Dad, I just came from--

Yeah, yeah, all right, I'll tell him.

- Bad news?
- No news.

The jury's deadlocked,
been taken to their hotel,

sequestered for the night.

Oh. Frankly, Inspector,
that's good news for me.

The longer the jury stays out,
the better Lin's chances.

FLANNIGAN:
Get your hands off me, you big ape!

Haven't you ever heard
of freedom of the press?!

Here he is, Inspector.

I found him hanging around
Armand Danello's apartment.

Just trying to get a story.

Blow my case, you mean.
Flannigan, you gave me your word.

And I kept it.

Look, Inspector -- two editions
have already hit the street.

Now, city desk is holding back
because that's the deal,

but I can't wait much longer.

The jury finds out she's still alive,
there could be a mistrial.

But they've just sequestered
the whole bunch.

That means no radio,
no newspapers.

Could be a leak.

Well, Staten Island could sink
into the harbor at midnight.

I got a job to do, Inspector,
a sacred trust.

[ Telephone rings ]

Yeah?

Yes, Doctor?

What?

Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I understand.

Thanks for letting me know.

Dottie Lomax died 15 minutes ago,
never gained consciousness.

Well, sorry to hear that, Inspector,

but I can't sit on this story
much longer.

You'll sit on it,
or you'll sit in jail.

- You can't do that.
- I can't, huh?

Velie, take this gentleman down
and book him for... hanging around.

Look, you can't get away with this.

Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.
Wait a minute, Dad. Wait a minute.

Why don't we let Flannigan
print his story?

Ellery, are you out of your mind?

Just hear me out.
Somebody tried to kill Dottie Lomax.

"Tried to"? They succeeded.

Suppose he thought
that she was still alive.

Then he or she might try again.

You mean you want me to print
the story the way it is.

Junior, that's dishonest.
I got a reputation.

Yeah, we know all about
your reputation, Flannigan.

If you caught the killer, Flannigan,
you'd be a hero.

If my city editor
didn't kill me first.

Well, Winchell caught Lepke.

There's your chance, Flannigan --
the story, as is, or no story.

5 bucks ante or what?

- 5 bucks.
- 10 bucks?

- Make it 10 bucks.
- All right, 10 bucks.

Inspector, has the Lomax woman
backed up Hagen's story?

Haven't been able to talk to her yet.

Is it true
about Hagen's identification?

- Was he able to pick out her picture?
- Yes.

Does that mean that Hagen's
off the hook?

Nobody's off the hook until we get
a deposition from Mrs. Lomax.

And when do you expect that?

Sometime tomorrow.
Now, that's all. That's it.

But the press has a right to know.

- Oh, Mr. Queen.
- Huh?

Oh, hiya, Doc.

On that Lomax woman --

after we learned her name,

we found a record of prior admittance
down in the emergency ward.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, it was March 13th, | believe.
Yeah, a Friday.

Anyway, it looked to me
like somebody had worked her over.

- Did she say who?
- No.

- Did she come in alone?
- Yeah, came by cab.

We patched her up real fast,
and then she refused any X-rays.

Hey, you remember
that broken nose of hers?

- Yeah.
- I think that's when she got it.

It's crazy, you know? People come
into the hospital for treatment,

and you try to help them
and then they--

Maestro!

Where's your dad?

Answering questions, for a change.
What's up?

Something pretty interesting --
I got it from the Hall of Records --

an anonymous tip.

What is it?

Dottie Lomax -- nine years ago,
she was married.

But it didn't last long because
the groom's father found out about it

and had it annulled.

Take a look.

- Jimmy Danello?
- That's right, Maestro --

Dottie Lomax was married
to Nick Danello's brother.

I thought this was your night
to do the dishes.

Maybe I ought to go down there.

Can't just hang around here
all night.

Ellery?

Huh? Huh?

Maybe I ought to go to the hospital.

What's the matter, Dad?
Aren't you feeling well?

No, no, I mean maybe
I ought to be there

just in case somebody makes
an attempt on our so-called witness.

No, you know you can't do that.

If you're seen down there,
you might scare them off.

Yeah, I know. I know.

And how long are you going
to dry that glass?

Oh.

Dad, Velie knows what he's doing.

What are you looking at?

Huh? Oh, Dorothy Lomax's
arrest record.

It's from January 23, 1930.

13 years old and self-employed.

- Strange, strange.
- Huh? What is?

August 12, 1940, she was arrested
for possession of opium.

Attorney of record -- L.R. Campbell.

Leo Campbell.

[ Doorbell rings ]

You expecting someone?

No, but I'll get it.

Come in.

Mr. Queen, I understand your father's
looking for my son and me.

I saw the news story
in the Gazette

about the shooting of that woman
this afternoon,

but I had no idea
you were looking for us

until an hour ago
when I returned home.

And where were you
so conveniently out of town?

I left my son and my daughter-in-law
outside the court.

My driver took me to a little
roadhouse out on the Island,

where I had a light
but tasty luncheon.

- Where's the roadhouse?
- Silvano's in Amityville.

Amityville?

Mr. Danello, you drove
nearly 50 miles for lunch?

To be perfectly honest with you,

I conducted some private business
afterwards,

but none of that
is any of your affair.

Murder is our affair,
and we'll check that out, believe me.

Now, what's this about a racetrack?

Well, like I told you, I --

I went to Belmont
to play a hot item in the fifth.

The hot item came out cold,
so that -- that finished the track.

Can you prove it?

Uh, yeah, I saw
a couple of guys there.

Yeah, as a matter of fact,
I can prove it.

Jimmy, who won the Daily Double?

[ Sighs ]

I don't bet the Daily Double.

Now, look, Mr. Big Shot--

[ Speaks in foreign language ]

Inspector, you obviously think
that either my son or |

had something to do
with the shooting of that girl

in the hotel room this afternoon.

It had occurred to me.

- Ellery, show him the picture.
- All right.

Now, you recognize her?

Oh, excuse me.

It's an old photo.

Jimmy?

- No.
- Neither one of you know her.

I've met a lot of people, Mr. Queen.

Well, I can understand that,

but perhaps this will
refresh your memory.

Jimmy, when we found out

that you were married
to Dottie Lomax in 1939 for 11 days,

it wasn't hard to find the chapel.

They had a duplicate of this picture.

So, I was married to her. So what?
Does that mean I killed her?

No.

But it's strange that the missing
witness to your brother's death

turns out to be your ex-wife.

No, I'll tell you what's strange.

You know what's really strange?

Your mind -- that's what's strange,
the way your mind works.

You know what I think is strange,
Mr. Danello?

I think you knew she was the girl.

I think you tried to pay her off,
scare her off.

That's ridiculous.

I think she knew something
about your son's murder,

something you didn't want
to have come up at the trial.

I think she was hiding out
so we couldn't find her.

And for some unexplained reason,
she came back,

and when she did, she was shot.

Not by me.

I had no idea she was the girl
in Nick's apartment that night.

No?

Then maybe you can explain
this clipping

that appeared in the personal's
column of the New York Gazette.

It was placed three days
after your son was killed.

"D.L., I must talk to you
about Nick."

Signed -- "AD."

I know nothing about that.

Another D.L.? Another A.D.?
Another Nick?

And only three days
after the murder?

Oh, amazing!

It's a frame, Pop.

Somebody's trying
to put the screws to us.

For once, I think my son is right.

Any further questions are gonna be
asked through my attorney.

Come on.

As for Miss Lomax,
as soon as she's well enough to talk,

you'll very quickly learn

I had nothing to do
with that attack upon her.

- Cocky old bird, isn't he?
- Yeah.

You know,
maybe he knows something

he's not supposed to know,

like the fact
that Dottie's already dead.

[ Telephone rings ]

Yeah?

Yeah, Velie, what do you got?

The Maestro's plan paid off,
Inspector.

You caught somebody?

Not exactly, but somebody sure tried
to finish what they started.

A big basket of flowers just arrived
for the Lomax woman --

a bunch of roses
and three sticks of dynamite.

This is the way it was delivered,
Inspector.

Hey, watch it, Velie.

Don't worry, Inspector --
the guys at the bomb squad

said this thing wouldn't go off
in an A-bomb attack.

The writing's all cockeyed.
It's strictly amateur.

Well, that lets Armand Danello
off the hook.

If there's anything
that old boy isn't, it's an amateur.

But somebody thinks
that girl's still alive

and is trying to keep her quiet.

Speaking of keeping people quiet,
Inspector,

how long do I have to sit
on this story? I can't even sleep.

A little longer, Flannigan.

At least now we got
something to work on.

Those flowers had to come
from somewhere.

So did the dynamite.

We're on it already.

Well, I'm glad to hear it, Inspector.

But something better happen
pretty soon.

I don't want to get shut out
of the biggest story of the year.

You need me for anything else,
Inspector?

- No, you can go, Velie.
- See you later.

Well, I guess I better
get some sleep, too.

- Leo?
- Hmm?

What's your middle initial?

My what?

Your middle initial.

"R," as in "Robert."”

Why, are you gonna give me
an engraved cigarette lighter?

No, no, I just wondered
why you didn't tell us

you knew Dottie Lomax.

What?

According to her arrest record,
she was defended some years back...

August 1940.

...by an L.R. Campbell,
on a drug possession charge.

19407

Inspector, in 1940, I was an ex-cop

that got lucky
and passed his bar exam.

The only cases I had were
when some judge felt sorry for me --

not that I'm doing
that much better today,

but back then it was night court
the whole way.

You know what that is --

pickpockets, vagrants, prostitutes --
the dregs.

Sure, I guess I -- I might have
defended Dottie Lomax,

but don't ask me
to remember it now.

Good night.

What do you think?

I think that I don't know
why Dottie Lomax was killed.

- You know what I think?
- No.

I think I'll go home and go to bed.

- Morning.
- Hiya, Terry.

Any verdict?

No, they're still locked up
in the hotel.

Well, that's a real break
on that Lomax woman, huh?

She been able to say anything yet?

- Not yet, no.
- Oh.

Terry, suppose you had
a small plane here at Idlewild

and you wanted to fly, say,
to Amityville.

How much time would that save
over driving?

They do have an airport?

Yeah, they've got a small one.

About half-hour, I guess. Why?

Just curious.

Hey, how was lunch yesterday?

Lunch was fine yesterday.

Charlie has great steaks.

Yeah.

We didn't go to Charlie's.

We went to Nedick's,
and we got a couple hot dogs.

And then we took a walk in the park.

And then she went home
and waited for word.

And I came here
to get my mind off things.

- How's that?
- It's fine.

- I'm not looking for an alibi.
- Oh, you're not?

No.

Terry, I called New Orleans, and--

- Oh, Ellery.
- Hi, Priscilla.

What's happened?
Has there been a verdict?

No, not yet.

Priscilla's been a big help to me here
since Lin's been gone.

You know, the work's piled up.

Yeah, I can't sit around the house
all day and nothing to do.

You know, Ellery's very curious

as to our whereabouts yesterday,
Priscilla,

when that girl was shot.

In fact, I think
we're under suspicion.

Look -- I checked with Charlie's
to find out what time you got there,

what time you left.

The fact is, you never showed up.

Yeah, well, that makes us suspects.

Look -- somebody framed Lin
for that murder,

and somebody killed the one woman
who could corroborate his story.

Now, I'm not Dorothy Dix.

I see the way you two
look at each other.

What are you trying to say?

Uh, Terry and I... do care
a lot about each other,

but nothing has happened
between us--

[ Telephone rings ]

I wish I could explain.

You already have.

Ellery, it's your father.

Thank you.

Dad, what is it?

Ellery, drop whatever you're doing

and get down to the courthouse
as soon as you can.

Is the jury coming in?

They are, and from what I've heard,
all hell's breaking loose.

Last evening, this newspaper
was smuggled

into the hotel room
of one of the jurors.

Within minutes,
each and every one of them

was aware of the existence
of this so-called "lady in green,"

a witness whose story
has not been heard in court,

who may not even be the woman
the defense is searching for,

who, in fact, will not and cannot
corroborate anyone's testimony

because she is dead.

Your Honor --

Your Honor, that witness
was the key to my whole case.

Please be quiet, Mr. Campbell.

But, Your Honor, my whole case
depends on that witness.

Sit down, Mr. Campbell, or I shall be
forced to find you in contempt.

Now, I don't know who is responsible
for leaking that report,

but I intend to find out.

Someone has made a mockery
of this trial,

wasted weeks of the court's time
and thousands of tax dollars.

I have no choice
but to declare a mistrial.

The jury will be excused
with the thanks of the court.

Your Honor, I assure you
I had no knowledge of this.

I certainly hope so, Mr. Campbell,
for your sake.

But, Your Honor, my client has been
held in custody for 11 weeks now

and is in jeopardy of a retrial
through no fault of his own.

I respectfully submit, Your Honor,

that the court set bail
in the amount of $1

and permit my client
to return to his home.

I will hear arguments
tomorrow morning at 10:00

in closed session.

Meanwhile, the defendant
is remanded

to the custody of the bailiff.

Court is adjourned.

- Oh, Lin.
- It's okay, honey.

It's okay.

Lin, you will be on the streets
by 11:00 tomorrow morning.

I promise you that.

We'll see.

Well, Dad, looks like we start
all over again.

I wouldn't count on it.

You can't cross-examine
a dead witness.

Tom Calabrese knows that.

10-1, the D.A. will drop
the whole thing.

No, no, Commissioner.

Yes, it's true.

I did permit Flannigan to print
the story knowing the girl was dead.

Yes, sir, it was my idea.

Yes, sir, but -- Sir --

Come on, Dad.
It wasn't your idea.

It was my idea.
Why are you taking the rap for me?

Because I'm wearing the badge.

Anyway, I still think
it was a good idea.

Why are you so glum?

Your college buddy's off the hook.
You should be celebrating.

Well, it's not exactly an acquittal,

and it sure doesn't solve
the murder of Dottie Lomax.

Well, well, well... my old friends,
Queen pére and Queen fils.

Turn around, Junior,
so I can see your other face.

Flannigan, what are you doing here?

Just returning
to the scene of the crime,

where I got schnookered
out of the story of the year

and hung out to dry.

Oh, wait a minute, Flannigan.
We had no idea that the D.A"s office

told the judge
that Dottie Lomax was dead

or that he'd reveal it in open court.

But they did, and he did.

Hey, what the heck?

I'm not blaming you guys.
I'm just feeling sorry for myself.

And bleeding all over my floor.
What happened?

Well... I was sitting in a bar...

commiserating
with John Barleycorn...

when I got into a disagreement

with this big palooka
about his parentage.

Flannigan, let me take a look
at that. Put your head back.

No, I'm okay.
He just got in one cheap shot.

Yeah, so I see.
Your eyes are turning black.

My eyes?
He got me in the nose.

Well, you see,
when your nose is broken,

you wind up
with two beautiful shiners.

Broken?

My son the doctor.

Ellery, we'd better get Flannigan
to the vet's.

Okay, I'll be with you in a bit.

- See you in the car.
- All right.

Well, there it is.

Now I know who killed Nick Danello

and who probably killed
Dottie Lomax.

Now, if you've been
paying attention,

you probably have it
figured out, too.

Oh, yeah, there are
a lot of suspects,

some of them obvious,
some of them not so obvious.

But it took Flannigan's broken nose
to complete the picture.

Let's see if we come up
with the same solution.

Linville Hagen stands accused
of murder in the first degree,

and until he's acquitted by a jury,

he cannot be permitted to roam
the streets of the city at will.

Therefore, the state must insist
that he remain in custody

and no bail be permitted.

Mr. Campbell?

No further argument, Your Honor,

but in the interest of justice,

we do ask that a ruling be made
at this time.

The court is prepared to rule.

Having heard both arguments--

Excuse me, Your Honor.

Yes, Mr. Queen?

May I approach the bench?

I have some information
that may bear on your ruling.

Step forward.

Thank you.

Gentlemen, will you approach
the bench, please?

Now, Mr. Queen,
this is highly irregular.

Your Honor, I'd like to be heard
as a friend of the court,

an amicus curiae.

Normally, I would not entertain
such help from a layman,

but your unofficial status
with the police department

is well-known.

I will permit it
if there's no objection from counsel.

The state has no objection,
Your Honor.

No objection here, Your Honor.

Very well, but off the record.

Mr. Flannigan -- off the record.

Yes, Your Honor. Got you.

Very well. Proceed, Mr. Queen.

Thank you.

The very heart
of the St. Patrick's Day murder case

against Lin Hagen is the identity
of the woman who was with Danello

when he was killed.

She was the only witness
who could verify Hagen's story

that Danello was killed
by persons unknown,

shot through a half-open window,
using Hagen's gun,

thereby framing him as a killer.

Now, in the light
of what's happened recently,

we have assumed
that Dottie Lomax was that witness,

but I'm afraid that's not true.

What are you talking about?
Lin identified her photograph.

Gentlemen, gentlemen, please.
Won't you be seated?

Yes, Lin did identify
the photograph,

but let's go back
a little bit earlier.

Lin, could you repeat for me
the description you gave the police?

Yes, I said she was average height,

red hair, blue eyes, nice figure --
nothing special.

- Nothing special?
- That's right.

In other words,
you provided a description

that could have fit 1,000 girls
in New York City -- 10,000.

Now, look, Ellery --

This is a statement that you signed
at police headquarters.

You described the girl,
and then you were asked

if there was anything distinctive
about her.

Answer -- "No, nothing."

Question -- "Any visible moles
or scars, anything of that sort?"

Answer -- "No, nothing like that.”

- That's right.
- Can't be, Lin.

I'm sorry, but on March 13th,

four days before Dottie Lomax is
supposedly in Danello's apartment,

she was being treated
at an emergency hospital ward.

Her nose was broken.

Now, even if the facial bruises
had healed

by March 17th, St. Patrick's Day,

she still would have had
two very distinctive black eyes.

Now, you couldn't have missed that.

Your Honor, I don't understand this.

This woman isn't just a figment
of my client's imagination.

She exists, or at least she did.

Oh, she was real, all right.

She was also real seven years ago
when you represented her.

I explained that to you.

You knew
about her short-lived marriage

to Jimmy Danello, didn't you?

So what?

You knew right from the start

that she was gonna be
your phantom witness.

Lin, who gave you that description
you gave to the police?

Why--

Leo Campbell gave it to you,
didn't he?

No, no, no, it was her.

Then why didn't you notice
the black eyes?

CAMPBELL: Lin, you don't
have to answer that.

Leo, it's -- it's no use.
It's -- it's not gonna work.

Lin, be quiet.

Lin, wouldn't it be better
if you told us?

Mr. Hagen, I suggest
you say nothing more

until you've conferred with counsel.

No, no, I want to tell you.

I wanted to tell the truth
the whole time, but --

but I guess I --
I didn't have the guts.

Lin.

No, I-l killed Nick Danello.

I -- I went to his place
carrying my gun just to scare him,

if it came to that.

I begged him to leave me alone.

He said he couldn't, if he --

if he let me off the hook,
others would get the same idea.

He -- he got ugly.

He -- he said he was gonna
make an example of me,

destroy me, me and --
me and Terry.

He threatened my wife.

I-I don't know.
I just -- just lost my head.

I had the gun, and the next thing
I knew, he was --

he was lying there, dead.

Then you called Leo Campbell.

Well, I'd been seen by the doorman,

and I knew it wouldn't be long
before the cops arrived.

I could -- I could already hear
people's voices.

Leo told me what to do --

open the window,
fire two more shots,

invent the killer on the fire escape,

the -- the woman who wasn't there.

Leo?

Lin is a decent man.
I thought he should have a chance.

I knew that Dottie Lomax
would go along.

She hated the Danellos
because of the annulment.

It took me a couple of weeks,

but I finally found her working
in some grind joint in Jersey.

I -- I offered her money,
and she agreed.

Agreed? Agreed to perjure herself?

Yeah.

It would have worked, too,
if it wasn't for them,

if they hadn't found her
and shut her up

because that's the way
they do things!

That's a lie! You're a liar!

JUDGE: Order in the court!

- Order in the court!
- James, sit down. Sit down.

Your Honor, I've heard enough.

I quite agree, Mr. Calabrese.

The defendant is remanded
to the custody of the bailiff.

And as for Mr. Campbell,

I presume
the district attorney's office

will take the action required
concerning his conduct.

We intend to, Your Honor.

Uh, Your Honor.

Excuse me, but there is
just one more thing,

one more question that I'd like
to address to Mr. Campbell.

Go ahead.

Leo, why didn't you put Dottie Lomax
on the stand

when you had the chance?

I guess I just lost my nerve.

I kept holding her back, you see.

I thought maybe
we could win without her.

Besides, if the jury brought
in a verdict of guilty,

I could always bring her forward
and ask for a new trial.

Oh, I'm sorry, Leo,
but you weren't holding her back.

You didn't change your mind
at the last minute, either.

You knew that she couldn't face
a cross-examination.

You knew right from the start...
that you were planning to kill her.

Your Honor, how long
do we have to listen to this?

Dottie Lomax as a live witness,
subject to cross-examination,

was of no value to you whatsoever.

But dead -- well, how do you
cross-examine a corpse?

Leo, you waited
till the jury was charged,

and then you sneaked a copy
of Flannigan's story into that hotel

so a mistrial would be declared.

Lin knew who had been bribed
to testify for him.

So, it was easy for him
to identify the picture.

It all fit, and it all worked

because no one could prove
it wasn't the witness.

You know, Mr. Queen,
this is still a court of law.

You do have to prove
charges like that.

Three days after Danello was killed,
this item appeared in the paper.

Do you recall it?

"D.L., I must talk to you about Nick."
Signed -- "AD."

Now, there's no way Danello
could know about Dottie

because Dottie
hadn't even been reached yet.

You remember
what you said just before?

It took you two weeks to locate her.

Only one person could have placed
this ad in the paper

three days after Nick Danello
was killed --

You.

Three days after Danello was killed,

you were already planning
to murder her.

Yeah.

That first night, when Lin called me
and told me what happened,

who it was he'd killed...

all I could think of
was great big headlines.

Publicity --

that's what makes the difference
between an ambulance chaser

and a Clarence Darrow.

I don't know if you can tell me

who was voted most likely to succeed
in your class, Ellery,

but I sure can tell you
who it was in mine.