Original subtitles

[theme]

[Woman] Somebody still here?

Okay to empty your wastebasket now?

Hey! Where did you go?

Blast it, young lady.

Why don't you watch where you're go--

Oh!

Well, if it isn't Hurricane Hollis.

You're cute, Mr. Hatfield.

What are you doing dashing off in all directions?

Well, I had to run some errands for Uncle John.

I had to come here and get some silly old papers out of his safe,

and I'm supposed to be dressing for a date.

- Which one is it tonight? - Alex.

No, it's Martin.

I mean, uh...

Well, come on now. Make up your mind.

Which one do you want it to be?

Well, now that's the trouble.

You know, they're both so, well, impressive

and sweet and polite,

and they even know what to say to head waiters.

- You don't, I suppose? - [chuckles]

Now which one would you choose here?

What's that, the size of his bank account?

Oh, dear. Nobody's supposed to see that.

Mr. Hatfield, I was wondering if you could check these tax forms again.

Miss Wilburn, how are you?

Hi there, um...

Vern Elliott. I audit books for your uncle once in a while.

Oh, I remember. Vernon.

Well, now this is Alex,

- and the dark one's Martin. - Mm-hmm.

Now what is your absolutely best advice?

I'd say whichever one can afford you.

For heaven sakes, they both come from wealthy families.

I mean, that's how I know that they're not just interested in my money.

Your what?

Oh, well, you know, me being the Wilburn heiress and all that.

Hollis, would you mind stepping into my office just for a minute?

I think perhaps it is time

that we had a little discussion about your future.

Oh, oh, no. My future's calling for me in just a minute,

and, uh, I'm supposed to be in a cocktail dress.

Listen, I'll crash into you again sometime, Mr. Hatfield.

Good-bye. Good-bye... Good-bye.

Boy, she's a real kook, isn't she? Huh.

Vernon, I'm afraid the kook is a square.

Miss Wilburn?

Your young gentleman is here.

Alex!

What are you doing here?

I've come for our date.

Have you forgotten?

- Well, no. No, of course not. - [doorbell chimes]

Don't be silly.

Hollis, I was under the impression

you had a date with me tonight.

Oh, dear.

Oh, uh, boys...

I don't know how this happened.

I'm positive I have a date tomorrow night...

with one of you.

I don't know what to do.

Alex, you were here first,

but I thought I had a date with you tonight, Martin.

So please forgive me.

I will call you.

I'm really awfully sorry.

Um, have a seat and I'll get my jacket.

You take your time. I told the taxi to wait.

I'll only be a minute.

I've been comparing your presentation against a survey I had made last year.

Being European,

you have the advantage of knowing the market.

Yes, sir.

Also I speak French as well as German.

I suppose your family is anxious for you to get this franchise.

A dealership of my company over there is a pretty big thing, you know?

So you just got your dates confused?

Very stupid of me,

but I thought, since I was here anyway--

You thought a little pressure wouldn't hurt.

Does that mean you have no confidence in your presentation?

Mine speaks for itself.

I don't have to sneak in here like a thief.

Would you like to speak for yourself outside?

Anytime.

Gentlemen.

I could award the franchise to the winner,

but muscle really isn't important to a salesman.

Just relax now.

- Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir. - My apologies, Mr. Wilburn.

As I started to tell Alex,

I've compared both your presentations with my own survey.

And you're both so close, there's not much choice.

So we have to consider other factors.

I think that the most important factor is a sound financial background, sir.

Which you, as a member of the Potter banking family, feel that you have.

Well, I have no intentions of getting help from my family.

But you don't seem to object getting help from others.

[Martin] I noticed that it didn't take you long to turn on the continental charm.

[Alex] It's all fair in love and business.

Now that's enough. My niece hasn't entered into this.

In fact, she seems to think about the same of both of you.

- So... - And that's not very much.

Oh, yes, it's nice to know what I really mean to you.

I mean, well, any girl would be flattered

by two men being so utterly attentive.

- Hollis, I'm-- - I know what you are, Martin.

I'm shocked, but,

well, at least now I do know.

Well, what am I...

a sales promotion or-- or a stepping stone, is that it?

or maybe I'm just an extra, added dividend, you know?

Winner take all.

Well, it really doesn't matter,

because, uh, I'm no longer available.

Excuse me, sir.

No, no, Alex, you stay. I'll go.

Both of you stay here. Women are always like that.

Now you boys want me to make an important decision.

But as I see it, you...

[telephone rings]

Hello?

Yes.

You don't know me, Mr. Wilburn. I'm calling for a friend.

He'd like me to give you a message.

I'm busy just now.

My friend knows about that money you have hidden in a Swiss bank.

What are you talking about?

He knows it's money you haven't paid taxes on,

so you better talk to him before you give that franchise to anybody.

Who are you? Who put you up to this?

Hello? Hello!

All right.

Which one of you?

Did one of you have that man call me?

I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Wilburn.

Never mind. You'd better go now.

- Time for your pill. - I don't want it.

You get out of here, too.

Now, Mr. Wilburn, you'll only have another heart attack.

Ohh.

[crying]

Hollis, tell me what--

Oh, Uncle John.

They don't even care about me.

All they're interested in is your old franchise.

What am I going to do?

Oh, now, tears aren't going to help.

Let's just see how much we know about these young fellows.

For instance, Martin says he's from the Potter Petroleum family.

But has he talked much about the new Potter investments in...

Well, he went to Harvard, and he said--

Well, Alex then.

What's he actually told you about Gaussner Industries?

How close is he to...

Well, he went to the Sorbonne, and he said--

Hollis, I'm asking you a--

Well, I was so impressed that they'd even look at a girl who went to Great Lakes High.

Ooh, I wish I was back in Indiana right now.

Well, you can go anytime you like, my dear.

Might not be a bad idea.

Uncle John?

Is something wrong?

Do you have a problem, too?

Why, Mr. Wilburn, what in the world is--

Tell Mr. McKinney I want to see him right now.

You know you shouldn't be here.

You're not supposed to walk up stairs, let alone five blocks to the office.

- If your doctor-- - Oh, stop fussing, Jeanne.

- I took a taxi. This is important. - It must be.

- [Woman] Mr. Wilburn would like to see you. - Anything I can do to help?

- No. - Mr. McKinney will be right out.

In my office.

You're new.

Not really. I've been here since last April.

Well, I haven't.

So that's the big boss.

I was beginning to think he really didn't exist.

Now you know differently.

John, what is this nonsense? You ought to know better.

What's been happening to my safe?

-What kind of a question is that? - One I want answered.

Well, I've had the workmen up this week

to install a more modern safe in my office,

but yours is exactly--

I mean, who has the combination now?

You have. I have.

No drastic changes have been made around here. Why?

I had an anonymous phone call last night, Gage--

a man claiming he got proof out of this safe of some money

I'm supposed to have buried in a Swiss bank.

You mean illegal money?

Blast it, Gage. Don't you play games with me.

I don't even know what's been going on around here for the past year.

But I'm going to find out.

Are you hiding money in a foreign bank?

I'll take into consideration, John, that you're upset

and overlook that.

All right.

All right. Maybe it's just a bluff.

Forget I asked.

[telephone rings]

Just a moment.

Oh, Mr. Wilburn, there's a phone call for you.

Tell Mrs. Abernathy I don't want a pill.

It's a man. He said he called you last night.

Well?

My friend said you'd go to your office this morning.

I guess he's got you figured out.

You can tell your friend he's a liar.

There's nothing missing from my safe.

I'm going to report this to the police,

and you can tell your friend that, too.

I don't think that would be very smart, Mr. Wilburn.

My friend has your passbook from the Swiss bank.

All right.

If you can prove to me that he has that passbook,

I'll do whatever your friend wants.

Suppose you meet me--

Well, my friend's idea is that, uh--

Not your friend. You. Please do this my way.

You could use $1,000 or so for yourself, couldn't you?

I think this is my cab.

Mr. Wilburn?

Are you the one that's been calling me?

Sure am.

Hop in.

He wanted me, then he didn't want me.

Called from the bank to say that we'd have to have lunch some other day.

Oh, dear.

But, uh...

I've got a teller friend at that bank,

and, uh, he tells me that

your uncle--

your uncle drew $2,000 in $50 bills

and then had the bank record the numbers.

Then he went outside

and got into a cab and disappeared.

Something is wrong. I know it is.

Poor Uncle John.

Hollis, could it have anything to do with your two young suitors?

They're not mine.

You know, one of the contradictions of our society

is that the female can marry for money,

but if a man does it, he's, uh...

He's an unscrupulous opportunist.

They're not that.

Anyway, neither of them were interested in me.

All they wanted was that European franchise.

Young lady, if you weren't in orbit all the time,

that possibility might have occurred to you.

Well, what difference does it make?

What I'm really worried about is Uncle John.

After all the nice things he's done for me...

How about that? [chuckles]

You know, I once dreamed of putting myself through law school doing this.

That's a fact. I'd hustled a few city slickers for eating money.

Those days I looked like a simple, earnest country boy

who wrote home every week.

But then I met up with a real hustler

and found out that's exactly what I was--

a simple, earnest country boy.

And, uh, shearing time came 'round.

You think I'm the original farmer's daughter, don't you?

Hollis, no one is immune to a broken heart.

But that's not what I'm talking about.

Well, what, then?

Your uncle once told me that I was to safeguard

the interests of all his stockholders.

Fortunately, that includes you,

because I find that your uncle is a pretty sharp businessman.

What are you talking about?

My uncle is the nicest and the most generous person--

I know, I know, I know.

But suppose he isn't the only one who is in trouble?

A lawyer's supposed to do his job and keep his feelings to himself.

But suppose he sees a nice little lamb getting sheared?

Do you mean me?

That's nonsense. I'm not even going to listen to you.

So you got back.

I didn't go on a world cruise.

I'm just surprised you didn't drop in the street someplace.

Mrs. Abernathy, I phoned the druggist to have my prescription refilled.

You can pick it up anytime.

That's when I'll do it.

All right. You win.

Tell your friend I'll meet him tonight.

I'm too ill to go out anymore. He'll have to come over here.

Say 8:00?

Sure, Mr. Wilburn.

And thanks for the, uh, tip.

[chuckles]

[car door closes]

Mrs. Abernathy said you wanted to see me.

Uncle John, I've been trying to see you all afternoon, but--

All right, Hollis. Now, you better tell me who it was

you gave that combination to.

Comma-what to?

Just try to keep it a simple answer, please.

Uncle John, I know you've been upset about something, but--

My office safe was rifled by somebody who knew that combination.

There's only one place they could have got it.

That's a horrible thing to say.

You had it the day you went to get the envelope.

You wrote it on a card, remember?

- Now whom did you give it to? - Nobody! What a ridiculous--

I warn you. I'm going to find out anyway.

So you may as well tell me the truth right now.

Uncle John, do--

do you think of me as--

as a lamb?

[scoffs]

Suppose I told you I decided to go back to Indiana.

I told you it wasn't a bad idea, didn't I?

I need some money.

All right, all right. But just now, Hollis, I'm too b--

Maybe I'd even have to sell my share of your company.

Your share?

The 15% my father left me.

For the love of Pete. You signed that over to me.

What concerns me now, Hollis, is--

But you said you only wanted control of it for business reasons.

But all those papers I signed.

Uncle John, have you really been trying to cheat me?

[John] How dare you talk to me like that?

[Hollis] Well, I don't know. Maybe it's the truth.

- Shut up, you little fly brain. - Let go of me. Ow!

Swiss mail accounts, blackmail, and now you're talking like this?

- Uncle John, all I asked was-- - Be quiet, I said.

You gave the combination to someone. You may even be helping someone.

Now who was it?

Hello?

[Woman] Doctor's exchange.

I want you to get Dr. Lewin right away.

This is Mrs. Abernathy.

Mr. Wilburn went down to his office today, and I--

Is that John Wilburn?

I know I should have stopped him,

but now he's having a terrible quarrel with his niece.

I know it'll bring on another seizure.

[John] Mrs. Abernathy, what do you think you're doing?

Get off the line. I want to make a call.

No, Mr. Wilburn.

You've been misbehaving, and I want the doctor.

Then get me my pills. Get me my prescription.

Do something useful for a change.

Please, Mr. Wilburn.

I don't need doctors. I need lawyers.

Most of all, I don't need you stupid women around here.

[John] Hollis!

No, don't do that. Hollis, help!

Oh! Please!

Mr. Wilburn!

Mr. Wilburn, unlock the door!

- Mr. Wilburn, please! Answer me! - [knocking on door]

Mrs. Abernathy, what's wrong?

Don't just stand there doing nothing. Run to the neighbors.

Get help. Get the doctor. Hurry!

Hello?

Is anyone there?

[telephone ringing]

Hello?

Oh, Mr. Hatfield?

Vernon? Don't tell me you're still at the office.

Well, I just finished those tax reports, and your private phone rang.

It rang so long I thought maybe I better answer it.

Anyway, I'm almost sure it was Mr. Wilburn's voice.

Well, what did he want? What did he say?

Well, that's just it. He shouted,

"Hollis! No! Don't do that! Hollis, help!"

Well, the line's still open, but nothing.

I've yelled, whistled, everything into it.

I'll get right over there.

Just a minute. I think somebody's on the line now.

Hello, Mr. Wilburn?

[Man] Who's calling him?

Well, Mr. Wilburn called here.

May I speak to him, please?

Not a chance. This is the police.

I killed him, Mr. Hatfield.

What?

You were right about me being sheared like a lamb.

I am such a fool.

You know, first it was the boys,

and then Uncle John.

I-- I called him a thief.

I guess I exploded all over the place.

And-- And he accused me of robbing his safe.

Well, then I shouted at him,

and-- and he had another attack, and I ran.

Now, now, now. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. One thing at a time.

Were you in your study with your uncle

when he had the attack?

Yes.

No, I-- I mean...

Well, he started getting all purple in the face,

and I was so angry, I just ran out and bawled like a baby.

[Man] Where did you go, Miss Wilburn?

- You're, uh-- - Lieutenant Anderson.

We've never met, Mr. Hatfield,

but I understand the deceased was calling your office when he died.

So I've been told.

Yes, well, we'll get back to that.

Where did you go, Miss Wilburn, after you left the study?

I climbed up on the wall.

Up on the wall?

Under the avocado tree.

You know, in the garden.

I see. But why?

Well, I...

I just wanted to be alone and cry it out.

All my life back home in Indiana, when I wanted to be alone and cry,

I'd climb up on the fence,

and tonight I climbed up on the wall.

Under the avocado tree.

You can see the window of your uncle's study from there, can't you?

Yes, but I couldn't see anything. The drapes were closed.

But if anybody had come out of that window,

you would have seen him, wouldn't you?

But I saw nobody come out of the window.

And the only other exit was the door, bolted from the inside.

Lieutenant...

are you suggesting that Wilburn wasn't alone when he had that attack?

He couldn't possibly have been alone, Mr. Hatfield.

You see, he didn't die of a heart attack.

He was murdered.

How?

We've reconstructed it this way--

He telephoned your office.

Somebody there-- a Mr. Vernon Elliott answered

and heard him shout, "Hollis. No. Help."

Then there was a crash.

The murderer ripped the phone out of Mr. Wilburn's hand

and struck him on the temple.

The blow was fatal.

And the murderer escaped through the window.

Without Miss Wilburn seeing him?

Yes. You see, Lieutenant,

she ran into the house when she heard Mrs. Abernathy scream.

That left the way open for the murderer to escape via the window.

That's very quick thinking-- by the killer, I mean.

He commits a murder and waits calmly in the study

with his victim,

all the while the housekeeper's trying to break the door in

until Miss Wilburn leaves the garden?

You're up against a very clever murderer, Lieutenant.

He's brilliant, Counselor.

If he wasn't, he'd never have guessed

that Miss Wilburn was sitting up on that wall.

You knew Perry's still convalescing, didn't you?

I thought he might be.

That's why I came over now.

I don't want him around while I make a proposition to you.

Oh, goodness. What is it this time?

Ditch Perry and come to work for me.

Isn't it bad enough you're picking my brains about one of Perry's old cases?

Did you check the file?

Uh-huh.

And now tell me, just what did you find out?

- Wilburn v. Wilburn. - Mm-hmm.

It happened about a year ago.

A girl named Hollis Wilburn sued her uncle over an estate.

There's only one trouble, though.

Aren't you John Wilburn's lawyer now?

I was briefly.

He, um, managed to get himself murdered last night.

Oh.

Well, Hollis' father had done some work,

which gave him a small interest in Mr. Wilburn's company.

She inherited it from her father.

But Mr. Wilburn denied any such interest.

What was the legal determination?

Perry won the case for her.

She was awarded 15% of the company.

Della, what I don't understand, though,

is why didn't Perry continue to manage her interests?

Well, because she moved to Indiana.

Oh, no, no, she didn't. That's the fascinating part of it.

She went to live with her uncle.

Perry didn't know about this.

Perry doesn't know about everything.

[laughs]

Don't keep him talking too long, will you?

Oh, I wish I had somebody to make a fuss over me like that.

Hello, Perry?

Sherman Hatfield's here, and, uh--

Tell him I won't be ready for a game of pool until next week.

[laughs]

I heard that, Perry. It's a date.

In the meantime, tell me,

why did you throw Hollis Wilburn to the good, gray wolf?

Well, I didn't do it willingly, Sherm.

The girl mailed me a check and terminated my services.

Why, is she in trouble?

Up to her pretty teeth.

Tell me, who does your gumshoe work for you?

Paul Drake. Sherm, I liked Hollis Wilburn.

What are you trying to do to her?

Defend her.

Hollis?

- Alex. - I didn't mean to frighten you.

But I was thinking about if I should go into the house or not.

It's all right.

If you'll excuse me...

There are things I wanted to explain.

There are?

Well, of course, I read about your uncle's murder.

Did you also read that the killer escaped from the window?

You know, the killer couldn't have seen me sitting on the wall

because of the branches of the avocado tree.

But I think there's something that I'd better tell you.

I saw him.

I don't understand.

It says in the newspapers--

I lied to the police.

Why?

Well, I thought that Uncle John had had another heart attack,

and I saw no reason to involve either you or Martin.

What you really mean to say is that you saw the murderer,

but because of the dark you didn't know who it was.

I didn't say that.

Hollis, you should be saying this to the police, not to me.

And the other young fellow, a Martin Potter,

caught up with him about ten minutes later.

And I suppose he was just as anxious

and denied it just as loudly, huh?

He said she was an idiot to have lied to the police

and advised her to come straight to you.

Well.

Come in, will you, Hollis, please?

How much money have you got in that pocketbook of yours?

Oh, about $20.

Let me have it, huh?

This is Mr. Dray.

- This is Miss Wilburn. - Hi.

I'll give you a receipt a little later on.

Now you've just retained me as your counsel, and, young lady,

you're going to tell me the truth.

Did you or did you not

see a man climb out through that study window last night?

Yes, I did.

But I didn't see who it was,

and he got away before I could climb down the wall.

Well, it's the truth.

Oh, I believe you, but I'm not entirely objective.

Now let's pretend that Mr. Drake here is a policeman.

- Are you convinced, Paul? - Nope.

Well, I don't think you're very nice.

What he means is the police are going to think

that you created an unidentified man when you realized

that the murderer could only have left that study through the window.

Because if there wasn't a man,

then you must have killed your Uncle John.

But just because we had a little argument?

Tell me, Hollis, what happened to your 15% interest in his company?

Well, I, um, I don't know exactly.

But, um, I signed a lot of papers,

and after the settlement Uncle John was very nice to me

and asked me to come live there.

You know, I guess what I did was sign a release

giving him control of my share.

But then he made out a will

leaving me the whole company.

Who witnessed that will?

I don't know.

Well, Uncle John showed me the rough draft,

and he said he was gonna give it to his lawyer.

Oh. That was done before I was retained, you see.

Tell me now, uh-- No, never mind.

You run on home now, young lady,

and try and keep out of trouble if you possibly can.

With that for a motive, I'd make an arrest.

But only if John Wilburn left such a will.

or threatened to change it afterwards.

That's what worries me.

He intended to change it.

He mentioned it to me on the phone the day before he died.

You know, Gage McKinney swore nobody had the combination

to that safe except John Wilburn.

I guess he didn't know about you.

Do I look all right?

Yeah, you look... Why?

Well, I've never been in court before. I didn't know what to wear.

You didn't have much choice, did you?

I would say you look very lovely.

Could we please stick to the main issues, Mrs. Abernathy?

Now when you went to get the deceased his medication,

how long were you away?

Down to the corner drugstore. How long does that take?

That's what I'm trying to determine.

Ten minutes, maybe.

All right.

You didn't see the defendant leave the study?

I didn't see anything.

All I know is the door was bolted on the inside.

I pounded and I hollered.

And you got no response at all?

He shouted, "Don't do it, Hollis!

No, Hollis!"

Something like that, but nothing more.

Now those were his exact words, Mrs. Abernathy?

Mr. Burger, you don't stop to take notes

when a man sounds as frightened as Mr. Wilburn did.

Your witness, Mr. Hatfield?

Mrs. Abernathy, were you gone from the house long enough

for the defendant to have left the study?

How long does it take to walk out a door?

Matter of seconds, I should think,

and the same length of time for somebody else to be admitted.

I guess so, but I'm sure that nobody--

No further questions, Mrs. Abernathy.

His exact words were,

"Hollis, no. Don't do that.

No. Hollis. Help."

Mm-hmm.

And then there was a crashing sound as if he'd dropped the receiver, but--

What action did you then take, sir?

Well, I kept the line open,

and I contacted Mr. Hatfield on another phone.

And could you tell us, Mr. Elliott...

what you happened to be doing

in Mr. Hatfield's office that night?

Well, I-- I'm an accountant in the building there.

Very well, sir. Your witness.

Vern, just why were you working

so late in my office that night?

Well, you had all those tax reports pertaining

to the franchise deal in there, you know.

Yes, I know it, but the court doesn't.

Well, a client of his, Wilburn & McKinney,

they were in the process of awarding a European dealership

for their electronic amplifying devices.

Who were the bidders for this franchise?

One was a man from New York, Martin Potter,

and the other was a man representing a Swiss company, Alex Gaussner.

Did John Wilburn at any time

ever indicate to you which one he was going to give the franchise to?

Well, no, sir.

Anyway, I guess Mr. Wilburn was murdered before he could make a decision.

Wasn't he?

No further questions. Thank you, Vern.

Your Honor, the witness who could best present the next step

in the prosecution's case is unavailable at this time.

I'm referring to Mr. Perry Mason.

However, we believe that substantially the same testimony

can be delivered by his confidential secretary,

who has of course--

Your Honor, the defense has no objection

to Miss Street standing in for Mr. Mason.

- Well, thank you, Mr. Hatfield. - Not at all, Mr. Burger.

I call Miss Della Street to the stand.

[Man] Do you swear to tell the truth,

- the whole truth... - I remember her.

- Hmm? - She's nice.

Why is he calling her?

- [Man] State your name. - [Della] Della Street.

To give you a motive for murder.

Well, Miss Street, having you here just as a witness

for the prosecution is a rare experience for both of us.

I'll try not to be hostile, Mr. Burger.

Well, that'll be a rare experience, too.

Now, Miss Street, in March a year ago, your employer, Mr. Mason,

represented the defendant in this case

in a civil suit against her uncle,

the decedent, John Wilburn.

Could you tell this court the nature of that suit?

Hollis Wilburn sued to establish ownership

of 15% of John Wilburn's company.

And what was the outcome of the suit?

The court upheld Miss Wilburn's claim.

Now could you tell us what disposition she then made

of her interest in the business?

I don't know, Mr. Burger.

We've had no further connections with either party.

Well, could you tell us who paid Mr. Mason's final fee?

We received a check from Mr. John Wilburn.

Thank you, Miss Street.

Yes, I recall typing and witnessing an agreement

in which Hollis agreed to transfer full control

of her interest in the company to Mr. Wilburn.

And Miss Crew, I have in my hand

a document which purports to be

the last will and testament of the decedent,

which, with the court's permission, I intend to enter as State's exhibit 11.

This is a holographic will.

I wish you would examine the signature.

Yeah, this is his.

It's all his handwriting, even the date.

Thank you.

We intend to confirm Miss Crew's opinion

with the testimony of a handwriting expert, of course.

But briefly, Your Honor, this document states

that aside from token bequests, the decedent's half

of the partnership of Wilburn & McKinney

goes to the defendant, Hollis Wilburn.

Thank you, Miss Crew. That'll be all.

Your witness, sir.

Miss Crew, recently,

when I was retained as counsel for John Wilburn,

you delivered to me most of his private papers.

Yes, I remember.

But there was no mention of this last will.

He must have kept it in his safe.

However, another will was included among those papers,

and it's dated four years ago.

Therefore, it could be invalidated by State's exhibit 11.

In this earlier will, you were named as the principal beneficiary.

Isn't that right?

Yes, I guess I was mentioned in his will once.

Your name was also mentioned along with John Wilburn

in a number of gossip columns, isn't that right?

Several years ago, John...

John Wilburn asked me to marry him.

Then he had a heart attack, and his doctor advised him against marriage.

Oh, then this will in your favor

was in the form of reparations, then.

Scarcely, Mr. Hatfield.

This will was made out long before all this happened.

Did you know about this last will

in which you were to receive, well, only a token bequest?

No, I didn't, and it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

I wasn't going to marry him for his money,

and I wasn't going to be nice to him for his money

- or anything else. - When did you last see John Wilburn?

The day before he was murdered.

He came down to the office for the first time in almost a year.

- For what reason? - I don't know.

He went into conference with Mr. McKinney.

Thank you. No further questions.

As I said before, John was so upset that day

that he wasn't entirely coherent.

But he implied something had been stolen from his private safe.

And you claim you don't know what it was?

No, I don't.

Could it have had anything to do with a Swiss bank account?

I beg your pardon?

Well, didn't he mention anything to you

about his being accused of having concealed

rather a large sum of money illegally in a Swiss bank?

Mr. Hatfield, John specifically denied having any such fund.

But he did inform you that someone was attempting to blackmail him?

Well, yes. He thought one of the bidders

for the franchise was trying to exert some pressure on him--

to influence his decision.

But then he decided it was a bluff.

I mean, since John didn't have money concealed, the pressure wouldn't work.

Wasn't the pressure exerted on the wrong man?

I don't understand the question.

A bluff, Mr. McKinney, depends entirely on

the one person not knowing what cards the other holds.

If John Wilburn didn't have money hidden in Switzerland,

the blackmailer's evidence wouldn't have bluffed him even for a minute.

Therefore the blackmailer either was a complete idiot

or had evidence that applied not to John Wilburn but to someone else.

Could that someone else have been you?

I wasn't trying to evade taxes.

But if I'd declared it, Wilburn might have found out.

You mean that you kept a record of your deposits

in John Wilburn's own safe?

I merely put the passbook in there for a few days, that's all.

I was afraid people in the office might have caught on to the combination of my own safe,

so I was having it changed.

Well, John Wilburn hadn't been in his office for a year.

But, yes, somebody stole it and--

and somebody tried to blackmail the wrong man.

Wouldn't all this have been simple arithmetic for John Wilburn to have figured out?

He said nothing to me about his conclusions.

Didn't he, Mr. McKinney?

I submit he accused you of theft

and threatened you with exposure and prison.

And in order to prevent that, perhaps you killed him!

No, sir, I did not.

I have no further questions. Thank you.

Mr. McKinney...

now you've brought up the matter of who opened that safe and stole that passbook,

I suggest there's another matter you better tell us about.

Who had the combination to that safe?

John Wilburn and myself. That's all, just the two of us.

Are you sure that's all, Mr. McKinney?

Well, I certainly never gave it to anyone else!

Yes, but what about Mr. Wilburn?

Couldn't he have given the combination to his niece, for example?

[Gage] Oh, I see what you mean.

That's where the girl was arrested, wasn't it?

Opening the safe again?

Hollis, about Alex and Martin--

I don't want to talk about them. I tore up their pictures.

You said your uncle was going to award the franchise

to the one who had the best family connection.

Apparently that's the way he always did business,

with one eye out for his own gain.

My uncle was always pumping me about the boys.

Did he ever say anything that suggested he thought one of them might be a fake?

They both are.

No, that's not what I mean.

Mr. Drake is checking their backgrounds.

Martin is a remote cousin of the Petroleum Potters,

but we're not even sure Alex is a member of the Gaussner Industry families at all.

What difference does that make?

I want to find out which one was putting pressure on your uncle

to get that franchise.

I don't think either of the boys did it.

I think it was Gage McKinney that did it, don't you?

And now, Mr. Gaussner,

you were at this time trying to obtain this European franchise

from John Wilburn, is that correct?

Yes.

You were friendly with the defendant?

Yes, I was.

Did you ever in any fashion obtain from the defendant

the combination to her uncle's safe?

Absolutely not.

Thank you, that will be all. Mr. Hatfield?

You may answer this question with a simple yes or no

or in any way you like.

What were your feelings toward Hollis Wilburn?

I was in love with her.

I still am.

And thank you for giving me the opportunity to say it.

You're welcome, Mr. Gaussner.

Now you have the opportunity of telling us

if you at any time ever attempted to blackmail Mr. Wilburn.

I did not.

You never told him any lies, never--

Of course I told him lies, but only about my background.

How else could I get the job? How else could I get the girl?

You understand, sir.

I felt only by obtaining the franchise

would I be in a position to ask any girl to marry me.

Then you had good reason to use every effort to obtain it.

Every effort, Mr. Hatfield, but not blackmail.

It's ridiculous to think Hollis gave the combination of that safe to anyone.

I'll bet she never even knew it.

Of course she knew that combination, Your Honor.

She had to.

The day after the murder, I found her taking some papers out of the safe.

Now how else could she--

I think that clarifies the matter sufficiently, Lieutenant.

Thank you. Mr. Hatfield?

Lieutenant, did you actually see her open the safe?

No, I'll admit it was already open before I walked in, but--

No further questions. Thank you.

Your Honor, the prosecution would like to recall Vernon Elliot.

Yes, sir. It was a day or two before the murder.

I heard her tell Mr. Hatfield that

she'd been sent by her uncle to get some papers for him from the safe.

It was late, and everyone else had left for the day--

And when you saw the defendant,

did the defendant have any papers in her possession?

Well, she had a large envelope

which she indicated came from the safe, if that's what you mean.

That's exactly what I mean,

and thank you for settling the matter once and for all.

Your witness.

Vern, how well do you know Hollis Wilburn?

Well, a lot better than she knows me, I guess.

We used to run into each other every so often

but she never seemed to remember me.

In other words, her retentive powers were not the best, huh?

Now, assuming that her uncle had given her the combination that day,

do you think she could have remembered it two or three days later?

No, sir, I --

Your Honor, the witness is being asked to sate an opinion!

Anyway, even if the defendant's memory is as poor as that,

she certainly could have written down the combination before she left home.

That's right. That's right!

Thank you very much, Mr. Burger!

You remember, Vern? She had it written on a card.

Don't you remember?

She said something to the effect that nobody was supposed to see it.

Yes, sir, I remember that-- She tore something up all right.

Yes, and you picked up the pieces and pieced them together.

I what?

Oh, no, sir. No, of course not!

And then you opened the safe,

probably looking for anything of value,

but you hit the jackpot, didn't you, Vern?

A Swiss bankbook that suggested blackmail.

Isn't that correct?

You're not serious, are you?

Murder is very serious.

But Your Honor, I was in his office when the murder happened!

I got the phone call from Mr. Wilburn!

Of course. You heard him cry for help,

and the words you heard were confirmed by Mrs. Abernathy.

But suppose you didn't hear those words over the telephone.

Suppose you were right there in the study with John Wilburn

when he tried to phone his attorney, when he tried to call to Hollis for help--

No! That's crazy!

So you killed him and escaped the only way possible,

through the window.

Then you went straight to my office.

The phone there still was still ringing. Why?

Because nobody yet had got into the study to break the connection,

and you simply held on until the police spoke into the receiver.

Now tell the truth, Vern,

isn't that the way it happened?

I-- I never thought anyone would ever--

It was such a perfect alibi.

There's no such thing as a perfect alibi, Vern.

Not when you've committed murder.

You guessed.

You just must have guessed it was Vern.

Why not? Perry Mason does it all the time.

Does he?

He does just what Mr. Hatfield did.

He puts all the facts in his head,

then spins them around until it hits the lucky number.

Ouch.

But you see, Hollis,

there was no point in my jumping to the same conclusion that your uncle did--

that it had to be one of those boys who was putting pressure on him.

Too many people would liked to have had franchise, including Vern,

so he had Vern's telephoning friend accept some money--

extortion money-- marked money which, of course, he started to spend.

Then he had the taxi driver followed, and that led him to who Vern really was.

So when Vern showed up that night, hoping to make all kinds of fancy deals,

he was met by a man who had all the evidence necessary

to throw Vern in jail for attempting blackmail.

It scared Vern, so he killed him.

I understand all that.

But there's still one awful thing.

Awful?

Hollis, you were just cleared of murder charges,

and you were practically proposed to,

right from the witness stand, by two charming young men.

But that's it! That's just the trouble!

If Alex and Martin are both really all right,

what am I going to do, Mr. Hatfield?

Which one do I really like the best?

Hollis, I'm going to leave this larger problem in more capable hands.

The client is yours, Della.

Good night, ladies.

[chuckles] Good night.

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