All language subtitles for 20 - The Adventure of Caesar

Locked in his room
guarded by three detectives,

this notorious gangster
was mysteriously murdered.

Who killed him?

Was it the gang-busting prosecutor...

You found something, didn't you?

...his devoted young assistant...

Murphy's acting out
of the finest motivation.

...the nightclub dancer...

He was sensitive
about being married.

...the distraught wife...

Ralph!

...the obsessed young detective...

If I wanted to poison Caesar, would
I slip it to him in front of you?

...the ruthless gang leader...

Are you calling me a liar?

...or was it someone else?

Match wits with Ellery Queen,
and see if you can guess whodunnit.

[On radio]:
I'm Erwin Murphy,

Special Prosecutor
of the County of New York.

I have no doubt

that the announcement
that I'm about to make

will send shock waves
through the state,

and possibly
across our great nation.

I'm declaring war on the mobsters

who plague the lives
of decent people

and the crooked cops
and the corrupt officials

who make their existence possible.

This is not the idle threat
of a vote-seeking politician.

I'm not going after a few bookies
and numbers runners.

I'm gunning for their leaders.

I made a pledge when I took
this office to fight against crime.

Now I'm carrying
that fight to the top.

I want the rats, not the mice...

Oh, I'm sorry.
More coffee, Ruth?

No. I'd better get home.

I ducked out
as soon as Ralph mentioned

a baseball game on the radio.

Oh, I know what you mean.
I can't stand it, either.

So monotonous.

Ball one, strike two -- who cares?

Tomorrow morning, I will introduce
a star witness to the grand jury

who will name names,
recite dates and facts,

and give such damaging testimony

that the grand jury
will have to issue

a string of indictments

that will rock New York
to its foundations.

The crime chiefs will be exposed

and the veil of secrecy ripped
from their corrupt organizations.

With the mobsters' control broken,

the police departments link
with big-time crime

will finally be dissolved.

In order to protect the witness,
his identity will not be divulged.

[ Explosion ]

What in the world?

...by Special Prosecutor
Erwin Murphy.

Now we return you to our
regularly scheduled program

of early-evening music.

Ralph!

Whoops.

Ellery?
I'm home.

Hi, Dad.

Any mail?

There's a second notice
from the telephone company.

Where is it?

I put it in the drawer with the first
notice from the telephone company.

Ever think of paying it?

Oh, I'm gonna get around to that, Dad,
as soon as I finish this chapter.

Oh, uh, you missed
a talk by Erwin Murphy.

No, I didn't miss a thing.

It was mimeographed in advance,
and a copy was left on my desk.

Now, there's a man who wants
to be governor in the worst way.

[ Tuning radio ]

What are you looking for?

Dodger night game.

Oh, forget about it.
It was rained out in Boston.

- You sure about that?
- Yep.

ANNOUNCER: The rain
that has drenched New England

and caused the postponement
of the Braves-Dodgers game

will continue throughout the night

I have just been handed
a special news bulletin.

Ralph Caesar,

allegedly the number-two man
in organized crime in New YorK,

was pronounced dead on arrival
at Long Island Memorial Hospital

after the living room
of his suburban home

was devastated
by a bomb of undetermined origin.

Holy Hannah!
How about that?

No further information
is known at this time.

[ Telephone rings ]

Hello?

Oh, good evening, Commissioner.
Yes, he's here.

Yes, sir. Just a moment, please.

Deputy Commissioner Hayes.

Trouble?

Yes, Commissioner?

Yeah, yeah,
just turned on the radio.

Well, I'm not gonna send flowers.

You want to see me
in Murphy's office?

Well, I just got home.

All right. I'll be right there.

Trouble.

Inspector Queen,

the Commissioner assures me
that you're beyond reproach.

I'll accept his recommendation.

I'll say thanks when I find out
what I've been recommended for.

It's a new assignment, Richard --
Special Duty.

Are you taking me out of Homicide?

For the time being.

You'll report to Mr. Murphy
and his associate, Mr. Marx.

Would this have anything
to do with that bomb

that was tossed at Ralph Caesar?

Now, how'd you know that?

My phone started ringing
as soon as I found out he was killed.

- Someone tried to kill him.
- Tried?

Caesar left his living room seconds
before the bomb was thrown.

He wanted to hear the ballgame,
but he heard it was rained out.

So, he decided to go
to the refrigerator

to get some ice
to mix himself a drink.

That decision saved his life.

Would the star witness
you spoke about in your speech

be Ralph Caesar?

Sharp.
I like that.

Inspector Queen's
a good police officer,

and you can rely on him
100 percent.

All right, Inspector,

Caesar's waiting for you
in a private room over at Bellevue.

Bellevue? I thought he was
at Long Island Memorial.

That's where he died.

Bellevue's where we're
trying to keep him alive.

Until he testifies
before the grand jury tomorrow.

That will be your responsibility.

I'm not a bodyguard.
I'm an investigator.

You don't need me.

I haven't got the time
to screen the entire force.

There's already been a leak.

Somebody knew
where to toss that bomb.

We suspect Benny Franks
had a hand in it.

- Franks?
- Caesar's number two in the rackets.

Franks is number one.

But he conveniently
left town yesterday morning.

- I'll need help.
- Pick out the men you want.

I'll have them re-assigned
to temporary duty.

I want Sergeant Velie
and Detective Jim Millay.

- Do you trust these men?
- With my life.

If you have a plan, Mr. Murphy,
I wish you'd let me in on it.

That's simple enough.

You take Caesar
over to the Hotel Shubert.

Have him register
in the name of Henry Cooper.

Take him up to his room fast.

Don't let him leave,
not for any reason.

And don't let anyone
get into that room.

And in the morning,
I deliver him like a quart of milk.

You have full authority, Richard.

It's your show.

And my neck.

You're not coming home at all?

Dad, if I'm not being too personal,

would you mind telling me
where you're gonna spend the night?

It's not personal.
It's confidential.

I'm on special assignment.
That's all I can tell you.

I'll see you
first thing in the morning.

Good night, son.

I'm ready to leave when you are.

Ralph, I'm so scared.

How do you think I feel?
I'm the one they tried to blow up.

Mrs. Caesar, are you
staying with friends tonight?

Neighbors -- the Allens next door.

The jerks.

- Velie.
- Yes, sir?

I want round-the-clock protection
for Mrs. Caesar.

We've got a police car
to take her home.

I'm the one they're after.

Is this everything you're taking?

MRS. CAESAR:
I brought what you told me to.

- Ralph, I'll need some money.
- What for?

Okay, okay.

Have fun.

Suppose there's an emergency.
How can I get in touch with you?

I don't even know where I'm going.

You can call my office and leave
a message with my secretary.

Tell Jim we're ready to move out.

We'll be waiting by the back door.

Put these on.

Mrs. Caesar,
you'd better say goodbye.

Be careful.

Yeah.

He'll be fine.
Come on.

Get in fast.

So, this is the guy

that's gonna help Murphy
clean up the police department, huh?

Keep your thoughts to yourself.
Get this thing moving.

- Side entrance, Shubert Hotel.
- Yes, Inspector.

- This Murphy's idea?
- Yeah. How do I look?

Like a man in a false mustache.

[ Engine revs ]

Hold it.

Velie, the blinds.

Jim, check the bedroom.

See that the windows are locked,
the blinds are drawn.

Yes, Inspector.

If the missus knew I was spending
the night in a fancy hotel suite,

she'd be nagging me to take her
to Atlantic City for the weekend.

With the craft
you guys are pulling down,

you could take her
to Miami Beach for a month.

- What was that crack?
- Velie, forget it.

Better be careful, boys.

You know Murphy
knows you're on a take.

He's gonna slap your hands.

Listen, Caesar, I gotta guard you,

but I don't have to listen
to any of your guff.

You want to tell this palooka

that I'm here to do
my duty as a citizen

and cooperate with the law?

Maybe he's thinking of all the times
you didn't cooperate.

And all the cops
that aren't around anymore

because of your stinking mob.

Are you calling me a cop killer?

Velie, Velie, check the bathroom.

Bedroom's secure,
blinds drawn, windows closed.

Yeah? Well, what if I
want some fresh air?

If you open a window, remember,
that first breath may be your last.

The bathroom's safe and sound.

I'm starving.
I'm gonna call room service.

No, no, you don't. Nobody's
coming to this room for any reason.

- All I want's a lousy sandwich.
- Who's gonna taste it first?

You can wait till tomorrow morning.

The special prosecutor
will buy you a nice big breakfast.

Yeah, but I'm starving now.

Here, have a stick of gum.

Cops.
I hope Murphy burns your tails.

Pleasant dreams.

[ Bedroom door slams ]

All right,
I want you two to stay here.

Don't let anybody in
unless you check with me.

And no phone calls.

Inspector, I would like
to make one call.

No, I'm sorry. No exceptions.
You know why?

Yes, sir.

Tight security maintenance,
no unnecessary communication.

I bet he can quote
the regulations word for word.

Hey, this couch is stuffed with rocks.

Good, good, that'll keep you awake.

Well, don't just stand there.
Open the door.

I'm waiting for him
to identify himself.

It's Inspector Queen.
Who else would it be?

Open up!
It's Inspector Queen!

- Took you long enough.
- Yeah. Morning, Inspector.

Everything all right?

Hunky-dory.
There hasn't been a sound all night.

Rise and shine!

Mr. Caesar?

Must be a heavy sleeper.

[ Knocking ]

Caesar, grab your socks!

He's dead.

You were in charge
of security, Queen.

Security wasn't breached.

I had two men in this room
all night long.

I was next door.

What about the windows?

Locked.

Then someone must
have unlocked one of them,

because Ralph Caesar is dead.

Dad, the killer didn't come in
through the window.

The soot on the outside ledges
hasn't been disturbed.

- "Dad"?
- My son, Ellery.

Erwin Murphy.

How do you do?

- What's he doing here?
- I called him!

No one was supposed
to know anything about this.

That was when Caesar
was still alive.

Mr. Murphy, whose idea was it
to put Ralph Caesar up in this hotel?

Mine.

It seemed more reasonable

to hide him out
in the crowded Times Square area

than in some remote hotel

where his presence
might be conspicuous.

The reasoning was sound.

The execution was faulty.

Someone got to him.

Mm-hmm.
We're back to "How?"

Well, first the medical examiner
has to determine the cause of death.

All we really know is that
he wasn't shot or stabbed

or thrown out that window.

I have a feeling that we
can rule out natural causes.

Yeah.

This had better be the most thorough
murder investigation

ever conducted
by the Homicide Bureau.

They're all thorough!

I want full details

on those two men
you assigned to guard Caesar --

their department records,
their personal background--

Well, you won't get them from me.

Now, I had this assignment
stuffed down my throat,

but I'm taking full responsibility
for everything that happened.

And you're not going
to make my two men scapegoats.

I'm sure that wasn't
Mr. Murphy's intention.

I will not accept a cover-up.

Your degree of responsibility
will be considered, Inspector.

Have no fear about that.

Well, if you only knew
what he hopes to accomplish

in the field of crime prevention...

Well, Murphy
has one loyal supporter.

Crime prevention. Ha.

What's he gonna do?
Stick false mustaches on everybody?

Inspector, Murphy just steamed by us
like his radiator was boiling over.

Yeah, yeah, I know.
Now, let's go over this thing again.

Did Caesar ever
come out of that bedroom?

No, Inspector,
and we didn't go in, either.

We didn't leave this room all night.

Yeah, well, you were in the bathroom
quite awhile, Sergeant.

I was sitting
in the bathtub soaking my feet.

But you wouldn't
know about sore feet.

You came straight out
of the academy into a patrol car.

You never had to walk a beat, Millay.

Velie, Velie,
what's gotten into you?

Well, he's sounding like
he was accusing me of something!

How do I know what he was doing
while I was in the bathroom?

All right, come on, Sergeant.

You know as well as I do,

security must be maintained
with constant vigilance.

There he goes again
with his rules and regulations.

All right, all right!

I know you had a rough night,

but you're gonna
have a rougher day.

I want this room sealed off,
nobody in or out until further notice.

That includes Murphy
and his shadow.

Ellery!

Yeah?

Come on.
We got work to do.

Okay, Dad.

This is highly irregular.

So is having one of your guests
murdered in his bed,

but it has to be investigated.

Did you have any single rooms
available last night?

- Several.
- Why do you ask that, Ellery?

Because a man by himself
checked into 711

15 minutes after you
checked into room 611.

Joe Baxter.

That's about as real
as "Henry Cooper."

Do you have a record
of outgoing telephone calls

made after 11:00 last night?

From 711?

From anywhere in the hotel.

I'd have to check all
the telephone slips from last night.

Well, why don't you do that?

Surely.

As soon as you've given me
the key to 711.

Thank you.

I don't care what you say, Ellery.

Somehow that killer
got into suite 711.

The maid said
the bed wasn't slept in.

Well, he didn't check in to snooze.

He knew Caesar
was right below him in 611.

Somehow he got in there.

How?

The soot on 711's windowsill
wasn't disturbed, either.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.
Good morning, Grace.

Good morning, Inspector, Ellery.

The phone hasn't stopped ringing
since I came in.

- Murphy?
- Three times.

Commissioner Hayes twice.

Don't tell me
that Mayor O'Dwyer didn't call.

Once, and he'll get back to you.

Inspector Queen's office.
Just a moment, please.

He was on his way
to a Communion breakfast.

Now, the desk clerk at the Shubert

said there was one outside call
last night at 11:30 from suite 611.

611? That wasn't on the hotel bill.

No, it was a collect call, no charge.

That call could have been made
from either extension --

the one in Caesar's bedroom

or the one in the room
with Jim Millay and Sergeant Velie.

The desk clerk gave me the number
that was called last night,

if that'll help.

That will help.

How did you know
about Ralph and me?

Well, we know someone
called your home last night.

Phone company gave us your name,
and your maid said you'd be here.

Huh! Huh!

Yeah, Ralph called.

He wanted to tell me he was alive.

I heard on the radio that
he was dead, and then he called.

Now I heard he's dead again.
I don't know what to think.

I'm sorry, Miss Todd.
This time, he really is dead.

Oh. You're sure?

Positive.

Did you tell anyone
you had talked to him last night?

No. Ralph never
let me talk about him.

You know, the wife thing.

He was sensitive
about being married.

What did he tell you about his house
being bombed yesterday afternoon?

He said it ruined his rug.

I see. Did he mention the name

of anybody
that might be responsible?

He said something
about Benny Franks.

Then he said
that it was all a mistake

and that I shouldn't worry about it.

MAN: Okay, girls, let's go.
Break's over.

You, too, Melody.

Okay, now, line up.

Ralph and me
were gonna go away together.

We had big plans.

I'm gonna miss Ralph.

He wasn't always nice,

but he had a certain flair
that made life exciting.

MAN:
Miss Todd, we're waiting.

But if the phone rings tonight,
I don't think I'm gonna answer it.

He won't be calling again.

That's what I thought last time.

This is Jay Bonner.

I want the rest of my dough.

You know where to find me.

He was poisoned with an odorless,
colorless, crystalline toxicant,

dichloro-something-or-other,
eight more syllables.

He'd been dead about four hours

when they found him
at 7:00 this morning.

And he died about 3:00 this morning.

Yeah, in bed, alone,

no food, no drink, no way
for a killer to get into the room.

- What about cigarettes?
- Didn't smoke.

- Toothpaste?
- We checked that -- negative.

Oh, boy.
It's got me stumped, Dad.

Let me ask you something.
How'd he look when you found him?

- Dead.
- Well, I know he was dead.

But did he look as though
he tried to get out of bed,

or did he die in his sleep?

Well, he was holding this book.

He'd probably been reading it.

No, it's not one of yours.

"The American Athlete.”

Yeah, he was a sports fan.

You know, that bomb
would have splattered him

if that game in Boston
hadn't been rained out.

[ Book falls open ]

What are you doing?

Well, this is a new book, Dad,

and it was open for a long time
to one page.

Now, that would
weaken the binding,

so it should automatically
open to that page.

132.

Well, now we know
what he was reading.

No, now we know
what he was holding.

You know, he might have been
trying to tell us something.

A dying clue from Ralph Caesar.

What was on the page?

It's a story
about Pudge Heffelfinger.

Pudge who?

Heffelfinger, a great football player
from Yale back in the 1890s.

What's he got to do with this case?

He was a guard.

A Detective James Millay,

Sergeant Thomas Velie.

That's all the available data on both.

Oh, I haven't got time
to go through all this.

You carry the ball, Lee.

Now, just remember that I got
a press conference at 4:00

and I need ammunition.

Well, I don't know
what you're gonna find in there.

I'm counting on you.

We can still turn Caesar's death
to our advantage.

I suppose.

[ Telephone rings ]

I'll get it.
I've been waiting for it.

Hello?

Yes, Governor.

Yes, it is a shame.

Now we've got
a real mess down here,

but we're gonna start cleaning it up,

and we've got a pretty good idea
where to start.

- Inspector, I think we got a break.
- We could use one.

The night clerk spotted
the guy who checked in to 711.

He picked this out of the mug file.

Joe Baxter?

INSPECTOR:
Jay Bonner.

Oh, "Suspicion
of first-degree murder,

assault with intent to kill,

illegal possession
of firearms and explosives.”

That sounds like bingo.

You know him, Velie?

Yeah, Bonner's kind
of a freelance torpedo.

We heard he did some jobs
for Benny Franks.

That nails it to the wall.

Franks didn't want
to take a chance

on Caesar spilling any family secrets
to the grand jury,

so he had Bonner rub him out.

Wait a minute, Dad.

Granted, Bonner's
a professional killer,

knows all the tricks,

but how did he sneak past
two detectives in a locked hotel room

and poison somebody
who didn't eat or drink anything?

I'll ask him when we find him.

Velie, put an all-points out
for Jay Bonner.

VELIE:
Yes, sir.

Now, you found something,
didn't you?

I knew you wouldn't let me down.

I just don't know what purpose
it's gonna serve.

Well, if it's the right kind of stuff,
it's gonna help promote me

into an elected office
with a broad power base.

And from that, we can implement
some of our own ideas.

Well, there's no proof.

Lee, don't be so naive.

We want newspaper headlines,
don't we?

They can deny it later on page 40.
Now, give me what you got.

Ah.

Now we're cooking.

RUTH: No, I'm sure.
I've never seen him before.

Is this the man who killed Ralph?

He's a prime suspect,
Jay Bonner, a professional killer.

- May I see that?
- Sure, sure.

Does he look familiar?

Hmm. I'm not sure.

I saw a man sort of
hanging around the street

yesterday afternoon.

He was wearing a raincoat.

Hmm. The eyes are the same.

Oh, it's the same man.

Thank you, Mrs. Allen.

Well, that's it.

That places him at the scene
of the murder and the bombing.

I just can't see
how a man like this Bonner

could have any connection
with Ralph.

Mrs. Caesar, what sort of a man
was your husband?

He was kind of quiet, ordinary...

...maybe a little set in his ways.

Oh, come on, Ruth.

There's no sense
making him out to be better

just because he's dead.

He had all these habits
that just about drove her crazy --

had to have dinner
on the table at 7:00 sharp,

had to have steak and green beans
on Monday,

lamb chops and stewed tomatoes
on Tuesday,

and so forth,
all through the week.

Had to listen to every ballgame
on the radio.

Oh, he did everything the same way,

every day -- mnh --
and every night.

Mrs. Caesar, did he ever
talk about his work?

No, never.

Did he ever mention
a Benny Franks?

[ Telephone rings ]

No, he never talked about anybody
who wasn't some sort of athlete.

Mostly he didn't talk at all,
at least not to me.

I wonder why he decided
to talk to the grand jury.

Inspector Queen,
it's Mr. Murphy's office.

Sorry I'm late.

There was a four-car pileup
in the Midtown Tunnel.

Velie, what are you doing here?

I was hoping
you'd be able to tell me.

I've unearthed some information
that relates to the sergeant here.

Naturally, I would like to give him
the right to refute the allegation

before making it
a matter of public record.

If that paper says
that Velie is anything

but a first-class officer
who does his job,

it's a lot of hooey.

Thanks, Inspector,

but I think we ought to hear
what he's got to say.

- Very sensible, Sergeant.
- INSPECTOR: I'm waiting.

There's a restaurant
on Third Avenue.

It's called Archie's Clam Palace.

Yeah, yeah, I know the joint.
What about it?

It's the only restaurant
on the east side of town

that doesn't have to pay protection

or buy its supplies off of any
of Ben Franks' companies,

and Ben Franks himself
is a steady patron.

He's used the banquet room
for private meetings

on six different occasions this year.

Now, here is a certified copy
of the owner's license.

Who's Archie Remo?

Well, maybe the sergeant here
can answer that question.

He's my brother-in-law.

Can you tell me
how your brother-in-law

got enough money
to open up that restaurant?

I guess he borrowed it,
like everybody else.

- From gangsters?
- Is that a fact, or are you fishing?

I know that one of the men
you assigned to guard my witness

has a very close relationship
with Benny Franks.

His brother-in-law
has the relationship.

He sells him clam chowder.

Commissioner, I insist
that this man be put on suspension

pending a full hearing.

Unless you want my badge, too,
Commissioner,

you'll recommend that Murphy

keep these charges
out of the newspapers

until there's
a departmental hearing.

I certainly protest
any such recommendation.

Sure, I've seen all those reporters
around your office

waiting for a handout.

Mr. Murphy,

I'm inclined to go along
with Inspector Queen's request.

Commissioner, you're making
a serious mistake.

Will you stop tapping on that thing?

Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Dad.
I didn't know I was doing it.

Boy, there's got to be some clue

connected with this book
that Caesar was reading.

I don't like that one
about the guard Humperdinck.

Heffelfinger.
I don't like it, either.

If Murphy knew about it,
Velie wouldn't stand a chance.

Murphy would chew him up
and spit him out.

If only we had...

What did I just say?

Huh? I don't know, Dad.
You didn't finish saying it.

Ellery, that's it.
I know how Caesar was poisoned.

It wasn't anything he ate or drank.

It was chewing gum.

- Chewing gum?
- I hope I'm wrong.

The medical examiner's report didn't
say anything about chewing gum,

either in his mouth or his stomach.

Then it's still in the hotel room.
Come on!

- Dad, I found the wrapper.
- Any gum in it?

Nope.

Now, where is that
confounded gum?

I hope somebody didn't find it
and carry it off.

- Who?
- Well, whoever gave it to him.

You know, maybe that book clue
isn't wrong, after all.

Oh, you don't mean Sergeant Velie.

Jim Millay?

Dad, he got the highest marks

of anybody who ever graduated
from the police academy.

I know what he got.

I also know how much
he loves the force.

Caesar was about to throw mud
all over the department.

If Jim thought
he was protecting it --

- Do you believe that?
- I don't want to believe it.

But he's the one
who gave him the gum.

That's the only way Caesar
could have been poisoned.

Now, if we could find it
and have it analyzed--

Now, wait a minute.
Wait a minute.

Let's see how it happened.

He unwrapped the gum here,
threw the wrapper away.

He put the gum in his mouth,
and he went to bed.

But he didn't want to fall asleep
with the gum in his mouth.

But there's no ashtray
on either table.

It's too long to walk back
to that waste basket, so...

...So...

Is it there?

Oh, boy. Oh, yeah,
along with six other wads of gum.

How are we gonna tell
which one is Ralph Caesar's?

Well, that's easy, Dad.

It's the one with his fingerprint
in the middle.

[ Telephone rings ]

Yeah?

Yeah, Velie, what's up?

We just got a tip
that Bonner's holed up

in the Belgian Hotel
on Tenth Avenue.

Take a squad and get over there fast.
I'm on my way.

It's Bonner, okay.

I showed his mug shot
to the room clerk.

Is he alone?

There's a stairs inside,
but no elevator.

There's a fire escape
in the back and a rear exit.

All right, send two teams
in the front.

Put a man on the roof
in case he goes up.

The rest go around the back.

And, Velie, he's a pro.
Watch out.

Yes, sir.

You two men take the front.

INSPECTOR:
We want him alive!

I wonder where that tip came from.

We'll worry about that later.
Watch yourself, Ellery.

Dad, there's something about this
I don't like.

Well, I know what you mean,
but we got to get him out of there.

There's no other way.

That's what I don't like.

It's as though Bonner
posed a problem for someone,

and that someone solved it
by calling the police.

- Dad, call it off now!
- I know, Ellery —

Now, now, before it's too late!

[ Gunfire ]

Hold your fire!

[ Gun falls to ground ]

[ Loud thud ]

Let him alone. Let him alone.
Call an ambulance!

I'm sorry, Inspector.
I just couldn't help it.

- INSPECTOR: Can you hear me?
- [ Sighs ]

Bonner, did Benny Franks
hire you to kill Ralph Caesar?

I... I didn't kill...

What's that? What's that?
I didn't quite get it.

I didn't kill Caesar.

Couldn't even get near him.

Bonner, if you didn't kill Caesar,
who did?

That's it, son.
It's all over.

Here, Inspector,
you might as well take it now.

What's this?

What does it look like?
It's my shield.

Morning, Dad.

What did the Deputy Commissioner
have to say?

Among other things,

that Murphy's preparing
a statement for the press

outlining my general incompetency.

That's not fair.
You're the best man on the force.

And you're slightly prejudiced.

According to Murphy,
I'm pretty much over the hill.

Nonsense, Dad.

The Commissioner's your age.
Nobody's saying he's over the hill.

He's not on the firing line.

I'm sorry, Ellery,
but you can't buck me up today.

Another thing that Murphy said

is that I tend
to lean on you too much.

Now, he could be right about that.

Pardon me, Inspector.
You wanted the results from the lab.

Yeah, come on in, Gabe.
You know Ellery.

- Yeah. How are you?
- Hi, Gabe.

You ran a test on the chewing gum?

Yeah, we ran it through the mill,
and the results are pretty conclusive.

No poisons, right?

- Wrong.
- What?

There's a definite trace of poison
in the gum.

You're kidding!

The same poison
that killed Ralph Caesar.

No, it -- it can't be.

There's -- there's been
some kind of mistake.

Hey, I checked,
and I double-checked.

I'm sorry, Jim.
There's poison in that gum.

Yeah, well, I didn't do it.

I swear I didn't do it.

Inspector Queen,
if I wanted to poison Caesar,

would I -- would I slip it to him
in front of you?

No, of course not.

- But the fact remains--
- Excuse me, Dad.

Jim, where'd you get that gum?

I got it out of the machine
right here in this building.

I chewed the rest of the pack.
I mean, I chewed it all up.

I'm not poisoned.

I mean, what's the logic?

How would anybody know

that I'm gonna get
that particular pack of gum

out of that machine

and I'm gonna slip
the one poison stick to Caesar?

Now, take it easy, Jim.
You're only making it look worse.

Gabe, you said there was
a trace of poison in the gum.

How much, exactly?
Was it a fatal amount?

I'm sorry. I can't give you
a more definite answer

until I analyze the test results
and write my report.

Do us a favor, Gabe.

- Write slowly.
- Oh, yes, sir.

It should take at least until...
tomorrow morning?

Thanks.

What happens in the meantime?

In the meantime,
I'm gonna try and clear this thing up.

I'll talk to you later, Jim.

Yes, sir.

First Velie, then Jim...

...accused of murder.

What's happening
around here, Ellery?

Am I losing my grip?

Oh, no, Dad, no.

There's got to be an explanation.

We just have to find it.

I think I'll go out for a walk.

I used to like this old office.
Today it depresses me.

- Do you want some company?
- Not now, Ellery.

Not just now.

[ Door opens ]

Mr. Queen?

I saw your father leave.
I wanted to talk to you alone.

If you came here to deliver
a message from Murphy,

I've got one you can take back!

- May 1?
- Yeah.

- I'm sick about Sergeant Velie--
- So's my Dad!

I feel responsible for it!
But my hands are tied.

You've got to understand

that Murphy's acting
out of the finest motivations.

Oh, come on!
I'm sorry. I can't accept that.

Well, I'm sorry, too.

I guess that's
what I came to tell you.

- Mmm.
- Thanks for your time.

Marks, if you really want to help
Sergeant Velie and my Dad,

if you didn't come here
for reasons of your own--

Give me credit for some honesty.

Please?

If you didn't come here
for reasons of your own,

there's something
you can do for me.

I was looking over
a list of the materials

that Murphy compiled on Caesar.

There are some films,
and I'd like to see them.

Well, I don't know
if I can arrange that.

Try.

The only other thing
I got to do is see Benny Franks.

You wanted to see me?

If you're Benny Franks, yeah.

Well, I ain't the Lone Ranger.

Sit down.

You want me to have Archie
bring you a plate of clams?

No. No, thanks.
I already had lunch.

So, you're Ellery Queen, huh?

Yeah.

Who wrote all them books?

Yeah. Have you read any of them?

All of them.

Reading about murder --
it helps me relax.

I like the way you handle
your characters and situations.

There's only one thing
I don't like about your books, Queen.

- What's that?
- The way they turn out.

The killer's always just caught.
It just ain't true to life.

So, what do you want?

Um...

How well do you know
Archie Remo?

The guy that owns this joint?

He serves a good horseradish.

Well, Archie's brother-in-law,
police sergeant Velie,

is on suspension as a suspect
in the killing of Ralph Caesar.

Why would he want
to knock off Caesar?

To pay off an obligation to keep
Caesar from testifying against you.

An obligation for what?

Eating the horseradish?

That's got to be
one of Murphy's ideas.

That guy's got a screw loose.

Jay Bonner did the job.

Well, he might have thrown
the bomb,

but he made a dying declaration
that he didn't kill Caesar.

Yeah?

Caesar was with me for a long time.

He was like a brother.

He wanted to get loose
and then run away with some broad.

We made a deal.

Every four years at election time,
I get a lot of heat.

So, this time I figured
I'd be ahead of it for a change.

You know how to bust a balloon?

- Balloon?
- Yeah, you know, a balloon.

You fill it with air
until it won't hold no more.

Then you keep on pumping
and pumping till it goes "blam."

And this one was supposed
to go "blam" in Murphy's face.

You see, Caesar
let himself get picked up

for making some
penny-ante collections

that any second-string bagman
could have handled.

He stalled around,
acted nervous,

like he was on the spot.

And he got Murphy
to promise him immunity.

Then, he wasn't gonna talk.

He was gonna go
before the grand jury

and tell them about
some small-time horse books

that I can live without, that's all.

And there Murphy would be,

like a prize chump
with a busted balloon.

The heat would have been off me
for four years.

He would have used his immunity
to fly away with his broad.

That's the way
it was supposed to work.

Mm-hmm.
And then someone killed Caesar.

And that's why you
called the police

to tell them where they
could find Bonner.

Didn't I just tell you
that Caesar was like my brother?

I'll tell you something else.

I was gonna take care
of Jay Bonner myself, personally.

Then, then, who fingered him?

Who hired him?

See, if Caesar had gone
before the grand jury,

Murphy would have looked real bad.

Now, with Caesar dead,

Murphy, he can't look
anything but good.

[ Film projector whirrs ]

After what you said,
I don't know why we're watching this.

Well, I never saw Caesar alive.

I'm curious to see
what he looked like.

INSPECTOR: Looks better here
than he did in person.

I think he's wearing makeup
for his screen test.

Look at that.
He just took a peek at the camera.

That's the payoff.

Murphy really thought
he had something.

[ Adjusts projector ]

INSPECTOR:
It's no better that way.

[ Turns projector off ]

Seen enough?

Dad, you know,
the photography wasn't very good,

but the camera didn't miss a thing.

Didn't show much, either.

How would you like
a salami-and-pickle sandwich?

Oh, you know I never eat late.

I'd be up all night
taking tummy fizz.

Caesar ate late.
He wanted to call room service.

Well, it was probably his habit
to have a late snack.

You know what his neighbor said.

He was a creature of habit,

always did the same thing
the same way.

Ellery, I've got it!

I know who killed Ralph Caesar.

He does, too.

That movie had a clue.

Oh, you probably caught it
about the same time Dad did.

Now, the other important thing
to remember

is the real reason Ralph Caesar

was gonna testify
before the grand jury.

Have you got it?

Who killed Caesar?

Velie didn't do it.

Was it Jim Millay?

Erwin Murphy?
Lee Marks? Ben Franks?

Or was Bonner's
dying statement a lie?

Or was it somebody else?

I'll give you a hint.

Shakespeare was wrong.

Nobody is above suspicion.

Dad, wait up!

Come on, Mr. Murphy.

We've been waiting for you.

Is this a deliberate attempt
to compromise my position,

inviting me in the same room
with this gangster?

This ain't gonna help
my reputation much, either.

Why is this man here?

He was a friend of Ralph Caesar's.

He was like a brother.

Come in. Come in.

You, too, Mr. Marks.

Well, you better have
a good reason for me to stay.

Oh, I have. I have.

You see, if you were to leave,
you'd be missing something.

Now, isn't that a dandy reason?

Inspector, you said you
knew something about Ralph's death.

That's right, dear lady.

It happened in that bedroom,

with two of my men
stationed out here,

the doors locked, and no access
through the windows.

One more thing, Dad.
Nobody knew he was here.

That isn't quite true.

Jay Bonner knew.

He checked in
to the suite just above this.

He probably thought he
could find his way down here,

but he didn't, as he told Ellery
and me with his dying breath.

ELLERY:
Murphy and his associates

knew where you
were bringing Caesar.

That's right.

If Mr. Murphy had known

that Ralph Caesar's testimony
before the grand jury

was being orchestrated
by Benny Franks,

you might have not
wanted him to testify.

That's way over my head.

Mr. Franks, would you tell them?

Caesar wasn't
gonna give them a thing

that I didn't want him to give.

- That's a lie.
- Are you calling me a liar?

Caesar was a star witness!

He was my star, and he twinkled
when I told him to twinkle!

And if you had anything
to do with rubbing him out,

you're looking at death in the face.

Don't you threaten me,
you hoodlum!

Hold on just a minute!
Wait a minute.

Everything will be explained.
Won't it, Dad?

That's right, Ellery.
Where was 1?

Nobody knew that you
brought Caesar to this hotel room.

With the exception
of the above-named,

myself, Sergeant Velie,

and Detective Millay.

As a matter of fact,
most everybody thought

that Caesar was dead.

Which brings up
an interesting question.

Why didn't Jay Bonner
think Caesar was dead?

Now, Bonner threw the bomb.

He knew it went off.

Newspapers, the radio all
said that Caesar was dead.

Why didn't Bonner think so?

Bonner knew Caesar was alive

because the person
who hired him

told him the job wasn't finished yet.

Oh, that lets you off the hook,
Mr. Franks,

unless that story you told me

about making a deal
with Caesar wasn't true.

Are you calling me a liar, too?

No, sir, I'm not.
That's just a supposition.

I don't believe that you hired Bonner
to kill Ralph Caesar.

I'm confused.

It seemed so simple before.

Ralph was going to testify,
and somebody had him killed.

Yes, Mrs. Caesar,
that's exactly the way it was.

This obfuscation
is just a clumsy attempt

to divert attention
away from the truth --

your husband was murdered

to keep me from continuing
my crusade against crime.

How was Ralph Caesar murdered?

He was poisoned.

Odorless, colorless, even tasteless.

It was ingested through his mouth
into his digestive system.

But how, Inspector?

He didn't have anything
to eat or drink.

He wanted something,
but he finally settled for--

- A stick of gum.
- That's right!

It couldn't have been the gum.

I didn't poison it,
and nobody else could have.

That's right, Jim. It wasn't gum,
and it wasn't toothpaste.

But what else did Caesar
put into his mouth?

What?

His finger.

After he called a friend
to say that he was all right,

he did what he did every night
when he went to bed --

he got his book.

His wife had thoughtfully packed it
in his overnight case.

And most nights, he had a snack
before he started to read.

This time, he had to settle
for a stick of gum,

which he stuck under the nightstand
when he was finished with it.

This accounts
for the trace of poison in the gum.

It didn't start out in the gum.

It got there when he licked
his finger to turn the pages,

the way he always did.

It was probably one of his habits
that his wife found so annoying.

And so useful.

And that is why, Mrs. Caesar,

when the bomb
didn't kill your husband,

you decided
to brush water-soluble poison

into the page corners of this book.

- No.
- Oh, yes. We had it analyzed.

Now, you hired Bonner.

You probably heard your husband
mention his name.

You looked him up
in your husband's private phone book.

Now, you arranged to be next door
when the bomb was tossed.

It was a good alibi,
and you couldn't be hurt.

Trouble is,

your husband wasn't hurt, either,

and so you poisoned him.

He was going to leave me
for that floozy.

He never gave me anything,

and he treated her
like a royal princess.

You tipped us off
where we'd find Bonner.

You knew he'd shoot it out.

And you guessed
what would happen.

Well, I didn't cry about it,
if that's what you mean.

- He was a killer.
- And so, dear lady, are you.

Velie...

I'm on suspension, Inspector.
Remember?

Not anymore.

- Take her down and book her.
- Yes, sir.

Dad, that was great.

That was great.

Don't you agree, Mr. Murphy?

I never approved

of the showboat style
of criminal investigation.

Lee, prepare a statement
for the press.

Hey, Murphy, what's happening?
What's going on up there?

- Give us a break, will you?
- All right, all right!

I'll make the announcement.

The Ralph Caesar murder case
is solved.

That's right, gentlemen,

and I think that you should know
that the credit belongs

to Inspector Richard Queen
of the Homicide Bureau

and not to Mr. Erwin Murphy,
that well-known political hack.

Oh, boy.
How's that for a resignation?

And if you have
any other questions,

I'm sure Benny Franks can fill you in.

REPORTER: Benny Franks?
Hey, were you up there with Murphy?

Sure! Why not?

Murphy's an old pal.

I love this man like a brother.