All language subtitles for Perry Mason S06E05 The Case of the Hateful Hero.DVDRip.NonHI.en.CBS

♪♪

Hi, Otto.

Hey, Andy.

- Where's your new partner?
- Oh, he'll be right back.

Say, Mama's been askin' for you.

That's two Thursday nights
in a row now you've missed.

Ah, your mother's patented
wiener schnitzel, but only the best.

Tell her I'm sorry, Otto. I've been
working hard, been very busy.

But not too busy to
wet-nurse a rookie, huh?

Well, after all, the
guy's my cousin.

Okay, Lieutenant, sir.

It's Jimmy Anderson's first night riding
prowl car instead of pounding a beat.

You want me to keep
an eye on him, right?

What are you doing here?

Oh, uh, I had to see
somebody, so I just thought I'd...

Wish me luck on
my first night, huh?

Thanks, Andy.

Come on, Otto. We'll
be late for assembly.

Okay, let's go.

Don't wait up for us,
Daddy. We might be late.

Is something wrong?

Could be.

The gate's open, and I
don't see Pearce anyplace.

Pearce?

Ralph Pearce, night watchman.

When they got the payroll sitting in
the safe overnight, Pearce always...

Let's go!

Come on! I said let's go!

Oh, I thought you'd left
for the night, Lieutenant.

Get your hat, Andy.

Homicide?

Downtown... Wilson Plastics.

The safe was
cracked, payroll stolen.

And, uh, they shot a policeman.

Your friend, Otto Norden.

What?

Sorry, Andy. He's dead.

What about the kid?

Officer James Anderson?

He's all right? He wasn't hurt?

Maybe better if he had been.

One of the plant executives drove
up just as the shooting started inside.

He saw Officer James
Anderson outside...

running away.

Yes, I'd just driven up
and gotten out of my car

when I saw this officer running
away from the plant towards the street.

He stopped running
when he saw me.

But according to
the officer here,

you both heard the shots that
came from inside the building.

Either way, suit yourself.

Well, we both ran in, found the
empty safe, the policeman dead.

The night watchman was
drugged and unconscious

in a cold room they use for
storage on the other side of the plant.

Well, thank you very
much, Mr. Wilson.

I'll be in my aunt's
office with the others.

Otto sent you around the
back while he went in the front?

- Yes.
- Just inside the back doorway,

- somebody hit you on the head?
- Yes.

Or was it like you told me before...
You tripped, fell, and bumped your head?

Yes. No.

I-I'm not sure, Andy.

Come on, now, what was it? You
tripped and fell or you were hit?

I don't know,
Andy! I don't know.

Jimmy, I'm... I'm
only trying to help.

All right, now, you were out.

You came to...
sick, dizzy, mixed-up.

You started back to the
squad car looking for Otto.

That's when I saw that guy Wilson
drive up and when I heard the shots inside.

I was never inside the plant, and I
wasn't running away, believe me!

Andy, about Otto.

You know I...

That other lieutenant... Tragg, I think...
Wants to see you, Lieutenant Anderson.

All right. Thanks.

Well, now, they tell me you went
and got yourself slugged on the head.

Knocked unconscious, huh?

Suppose we take a look at it.

The money chest lock is shot.

They blew it with nitro...
Too much nitro, Lieutenant.

Made confetti out
of everything inside.

The money, too?

Probably not. It was inside
the steel compartment.

It wasn't hurt.

But it was stolen.

Oh. This is Lieutenant
Anderson, homicide.

Mrs. Wilson, president
of the company.

And you've met her
nephew, Dwight Wilson.

And Mr. Leland.

He is the company treasurer.

Well, Mr. Leland?

Records, books, completely
destroyed, of course.

We have microfilm copy duplicates...
Which we didn't keep in the safe...

Of most of the material,

so we shouldn't have too much
trouble reconstructing the ledgers, Carrie.

The money, Mr. Leland...
How much was stolen?

$60,000 in paper currency.

Oh, Doctor, our night
watchman, Pearce, how is he?

Apparently drugged
and unconscious.

I sent him to the hospital to
have his stomach pumped.

- He'll be all right, Mrs. Wilson.
- Thank you.

And the young policeman who
was running away, is he all right?

- Fine.
- What about his head?

Must be hard as a rock.

You know, you'd almost think he
imagined he fell or was slugged.

There's just a scratch and
barely a bump on his head.

Well, if our company can
help you in any other way,

please don't hesitate
to call on us, Lieutenant.

Thank you, Mr. Morrell.

Ohm come in, Steve, come in.

Detective Toland, burglary.

This is Mr. Arthur Morrell,
vice-president of Wilson Plastics.

Mr. Morrell.

I understand you've been to the
hospital to see our night watchman.

- How is he?
- Pearce is fine, sir.

He was released this morning.
He's going back to work tonight.

Check his story?

Yes. Had lunch about
midnight. Started feeling sick.

Passed out in the cold room
before he could get to a phone...

Somewhere around
12:30, he thinks.

And the safe was blown up and
robbed a little after 1 in the morning.

These professional crooks really
have everything figured out, don't they?

Not the fact that Otto
Norden was going to show up.

They shot him.

Well, there's no need to detain
you any longer, Mr. Morrell.

If we need you, we'll get in touch.
And thank you very much for your help.

Not at all. Lieutenant.
Mr. Toland.

Professional crooks? Sure.

The pros haven't
used nitro in years.

And two ounces of the stuff?

Oh, no. This was strictly
amateur night in Dixie.

Hmm. Or an inside job.

Well, I promised I'd take Mrs.
Wilson around to see Mama Norden.

- Thanks, Steve.
- Andy?

The department's internal
security already has this,

so you might as well,
for what it's worth.

Has what?

Well, three days ago,

I investigated a reported burglary
at a chemical analysis plant.

Real funny one.

Someone swiped
some liquid detergent,

a bottle of new perfume they
were testing called Naughty Lady,

some other cockeyed odds and
ends, and, uh, two ounces of nitro.

The same amount
used at Wilson Plastics.

One other thing.

The thief was seen...

Not his face, but
what he was wearing.

Andy, a uniformed policeman
was seen leaving that place.

This chemical lab that was
burgled... Whose beat was it on?

The kid who was transferred to
the squad cars two days later...

Officer James Anderson.

"Dedication above and
beyond the call of duty."

The department's highest
decoration, the Cross of Valor,

to Officer Otto Norden.

When the chief handed
it to me, he said...

It's all right, Mama
Norden, it's all right.

Otto died the way he would have wanted
to... A good policeman doing his job.

Ja, Andy, he was
a good policeman.

He was always so proud of that.

Well, that's certainly something
for you to be proud of, Mrs. Norden.

Otto is dead.

Andy, he's dead.

Why all the tears?

It's not every woman who
has two things to be proud of...

A son who was a hero

and the finest wiener
schnitzel this side of Vienna.

Oh, the wiener schnitzel!

Oh, every Thursday,
he would come.

He's like my son.

Both my sons... it was such fun.

Put that back, Andy.

I'm going to make for
Mrs. Wilson some tea.

- Mama.
- Excuse...

Mama, wait.

Oh, that's a present!

That's the last
present Otto gave me.

That's only a few days ago.

That's a perfume,
a fine perfume.

Look.

Naughty Lady.

Naughty.

Mama, this is important.

Where did Otto get this perfume?

Oh, I don't know.

Oh, yeah, he said his
partner... What's his name?

Jimmy... Jimmy gave it to him.

Did you give that
perfume to Otto?

No, I didn't.

That burglary on your beat

before you got yourself
transferred to the squad car detail...

- What do you know about it?
- Nothing.

Look at me when I talk to you.

Did you take that perfume from
the chemical lab and give it to...

Hey, your badge... where is it?

The Chief has it. He took
it when he suspended me.

I've been ordered to face a
Board of Rights hearing in five days.

Oh.

I'm... I'm sorry,
Jimmy. I didn't know.

I don't know what to do.

Andy, I'll need somebody on the
force to act as my representative,

- to help me with...
- Help you?

Act as my counsel
at the hearing.

I know Otto was a close friend

and Mrs. Norden's been
like a mother to you, but...

Jimmy, I...

Well... you're my cousin.

I see.

It's not like when I was a kid
and you got me out of trouble.

I didn't say that.

Never mind. You don't have to.

You just leave it
hang all over your face

like a big sign, just
like the rest of them.

Andy, why don't you just
come right out and say it?

You think I ran out
on Otto, don't you?

- No, Jimmy.
- On account of me, he's dead.

That's what you think, isn't it?
Well, let me tell you something.

You just forget I asked you
to help me. You just forget it.

I'll take care of myself.

Jimmy!

Mrs. Wilson is expecting me.

Mrs. Wilson?

Yes, Fleta?

Lieutenant Anderson is here.

Have him wait a moment, please.

Call Howard Duncan and ask
him to bring that time clock with him.

And then show both gentlemen in.

After all that's happened...
Robbery, murder...

Is this the time to
bring it up again?

I thought the issue
was settled, Arthur.

We are not buying out Hillman
Plastics or any other company.

You're wrong, Carrie.

We have a $2-million defense contract,
ours for the asking, if we buy out Hillman.

The answer was no before, it'll be
no again tonight at the board meeting.

You, your nephew, and Jerel
Leland against Duncan and me.

Always 3 to 2 against progress.

Well, you'd better have the great
Mr. Perry Mason here tonight.

Our company attorney? Why?

I'm going to make my
proposal once more.

If it is voted down again,
I'm handing in my resignation.

You better do some
thinking about that, Carrie.

Come in, gentlemen.

Lieutenant, Mr. Duncan
is our general manager.

I asked him to bring the recording
time clock that Pearce carried.

Thank you. Mr. Duncan,
would you unlock it for me,

check the recording disk,

and see what was the last time Pearce
punched in on his clock that night?

Certainly. Glad to, Lieutenant.

Just a moment, Mr. Duncan.

I don't know whether the
lab can check this out or not,

but that sure looks like a
fresh bullet crease to me.

But I don't understand.

Officer Otto Norden fired
one shot before he was killed.

Wait a minute.

If that shot hit this case,

then Pearce wasn't unconscious
on the other side of the plant.

Pearce must've been present.

He must've seen
who robbed the safe.

That or Pearce did it himself,

not realizing the policeman's
bullet struck this case...

and tipped off the
fact that he was lying.

This is Ralph Pearce's place.

Just a second, fellas.

I'd like to see that search
warrant you said you had.

Did Mr. Pearce go to
work tonight as usual?

Uh-huh.

Just like I told the cop
that was here earlier.

Yeah, this looks okay. You
can go ahead and search.

This other policeman looking for
Pearce, did he tell you his name?

Yeah.

That's funny.

It's just like
yours... Anderson.

Well, call me if
you need anything.

37 About $30,000,
I'd say, Lieutenant.

Half the money that
was stolen, Mr. Duncan.

What about the
serial numbers, Steve?

They check. This is part
of the robbery money.

There's no question of it.

One partner's share, maybe.

Let's go pick up Pearce.

These are my figures and
analysis of the diversification plan

involving the purchase
of Hillman Plastics.

Hear, hear.

I now advise, as I have in
the past, against the move.

Just as Mrs. Wilson
would expect you to do.

If I'm consistent,
Mr. Morrell, so are you.

This matter has come up
repeatedly, and with the same result...

A 3 to 2 vote against purchase.

However, if you insist on
wasting time and voting again,

despite the obvious meaning of
the figures I quoted, why, I can't...

I don't care what the figures
signify. It's expand or die.

I say again, there's
no alternative.

We must diversify.

But, Arthur, in terms of profits, of a
reasonable return on invested capital,

well, I must reiterate Mrs. Wilson's
basic concern, which I confess I share.

All right, Jerel. That's enough.

I think we've just about
talked this thing into the ground.

Unless there are any objections,
I'm going to call for a vote.

Carrie Wilson... no.

Arthur Morrell?

Yes.

Jerel Leland?

No.

I assume, Arthur, that you
have Howard Duncan's proxy.

I do. Howard Duncan votes yes.

Dwight Wilson?

If it's not too much
trouble, nephew,

would you give us your
usual negative vote?

I vote yes.

What?

Excuse me. I'm sorry to
interrupt you, but this is urgent.

We can't find Ralph
Pearce in the plant.

Now, if any of you hap...

What was that shooting?

Toland, I think. Sounded
like he was chasing...

It's Ralph Pearce,
the night watchman.

It looks like he's been
strangled to death.

Since this Board of Rights
hearing is not a criminal proceeding,

a finding of guilt does
not require conviction

in the minds of
the board members

to a moral certainty or
beyond a reasonable doubt.

A finding of guilty based on a
preponderance of evidence is sufficient.

The accused will
raise his right hand.

What's taking them so long?

You don't make snap decisions

when you've got a man's
career, his future, in your hands.

Come off it, Andy. I was
picked as a sacrificial goat

before we even
walked into that room.

The fraternity of the police
department... Cops gotta stick together.

Oh, sure.

Stick together against what?

The press... and
don't forget the public.

Oh, no. Must give the
public its little bone to chew.

Throw a policeman into the arena
and let the cop-hating public devour him.

You think everybody
hates policemen.

Oh, no, not everybody, Andy.

Their wives and mothers, kids, they're
all just crazy about the underpaid fools.

Jimmy, you didn't have to attend
this hearing personally, you know?

You could have just walked
away from the department.

Be honest with yourself.

Why are you even here?

Because you're a policeman.

What else would you want to be?

The accused will rise.

Guilty as charged.

They dismissed
him from the force.

I'm sorry, Jimmy.

Never mind that
hearing business, Andy.

We hoped it wouldn't,

but five minutes ago, evidence
turned up that clinched the case.

James Anderson, I have
a warrant for your arrest

for the murder of Ralph Pearce.

This hearing transcript
of Jimmy's dismissal,

everything I've heard
about the case, Andy...

It seems conclusive that the robbery
must've been tied in with the murder.

Andy, if there was ever a case

where a police officer's
hand was caught in the till,

this has got to be it.

I agree with you, Paul.

There was a policeman involved in
that theft, all right, but which policeman?

You don't mean Otto Norden,
the policeman who was killed?

Yes, Perry, I'm afraid I do.

But he was killed trying
to stop the robbery.

What robbery?

That phony, obviously planned
performance at Wilson Plastics?

Who was the brave Otto Norden
protecting the payroll from?

The night watchman?

Remember, we found that stolen
money hidden under Pearce's mattress.

Only half of it.

But why do you paint
Otto into that picture?

The perfume, the stolen nitro.

Remember, the witness never
saw a face, only a uniform.

Well, Otto Norden
wore a uniform, all right,

but so did Jimmy
Anderson, and it was his beat.

Jimmy knew nothing about Wilson Plastics
or its night watchman or its payroll.

- But Otto did?
- Yes.

And Otto sent Jimmy
around to the rear

where the waiting night
watchman knocked him out.

That's the way I figure it.

Now, suppose Pearce
had already blown the safe.

He and Otto argue
over the money.

Pearce shot Otto, stashed
the money away somewhere,

drank that drugged coffee,
and waited for the police to come.

Neat package, Andy.

But it leaves one large
question unanswered.

Forgetting why for the moment,
just tell me who killed Pearce.

Well, his death may have had
nothing at all to do with the robbery.

Or with your cousin Jimmy?

Come on, Andy, get off it.

If Otto Norden was
mixed up in that robbery,

there must've been a
motive and evidence of such.

Now, have you
spoken to Mrs. Norden

concerning the possibility
of her son's involvement?

No.

Perry, she's been...

Well, she's been practically
like my mother, too.

All she's got left is the
memory of a dead hero

and a mantelpiece full
of citations and medals.

I'd rather cut off my
arm than hurt her.

And what would you rather do

in place of allowing your
cousin to be convicted of murder?

That's why I'm here, Perry.

I'd like you to defend the kid.

All right, Andy.

But what about you?

Will you defend him?

If I find evidence
involving him, I'll...

I'll put him into the
gas chamber myself.

I know going back to that plant

was the kind of stupid stunt
only a fool rookie would pull, but...

Mr. Mason, I didn't kill him.

Ralph Pearce was dead when I
stumbled over his body in that cold room.

Then I heard Detective
Toland coming, and I ran.

Now that's the truth.

The police report indicates

that Pearce had been searched
from head to toe after he was killed.

Were you responsible?

No, I never searched
him. Why would I do that?

Why were you in the
plant in the first place?

Well, I wanted to clear myself,

and I couldn't be caught
there investigating.

I'd been trying to figure out when and
how his lunch got drugged that night.

I'd already found out he had his
lunch fixed at a small restaurant.

He'd pick it up every
night, take it to the plant,

put it in his locker where he kept it
locked till he went for it at midnight.

His coffee could've been
drugged in the restaurant.

Someone in the plant
could've gotten into his locker.

Or he drugged it himself.

Knowing the police would
drive by looking for him,

he was taking a big chance,

unless one of those
cops was his accomplice.

Jimmy, you were
one of those cops.

I know.

And I know that Mrs. Norden
says I gave Otto that perfume,

but, Mr. Mason, I
never saw that perfume.

And I never stole that
nitro from that chemical lab.

So, if you weren't the one,
then it had to be Otto Norden.

It had to be Otto, Mr. Mason.

You knew my Otto, Mr. Mason?

Please understand, Mrs. Norden,
as attorney for Andy's cousin,

it's necessary for me to find out what I
can about everyone involved in this case.

That Jimmy is a bad boy.
He's no good. He ran away.

If it wasn't for him...

So I'll answer what
questions I can.

Concerning that
bottle of perfume...

Did Otto actually say
that Jimmy gave it to him?

Well, he said something
about his partner.

Can't remember exactly the
words, but that's what he said.

Isn't it possible, Mrs. Norden, that
you might have misunderstood him?

That you were mistaken?

It's also possible
that I am a liar.

I didn't say that.

You didn't have to
say it, Mr. Mason.

I know about the
robbery with the perfume.

I know it was a man in
a policeman's uniform

who took the perfume and the
stuff to blow up Mrs. Wilson's safe.

I know also that the place that was
robbed was on the young Anderson's beat.

Beat or not, Jimmy wasn't the only
uniformed policeman in Los Angeles.

You are calling my Otto a thief.

Am I, Mrs. Norden?

Or are you?

My Otto was no crook!

He was a policeman!

A good policeman!

What are you trying to do?

Destroy his name?

Take away all I
have left in the world?

That Jimmy
Anderson, he is the one!

He killed the watchman.
He killed my Otto!

Go back to your killer! I
don't want to talk about him!

You're bad! You're both
bad, trying to hurt my Otto!

Jimmy Anderson
is fighting for his life.

He's just a scared kid.
I'm trying to help him.

Don't you understand,
Mrs. Norden?

Jimmy is not guilty.

So who is guilty? My Otto?

My Otto got out of the
grave to kill that man?

We're talking about the
perfume, talking about the robbery.

So why should he steal?

I'm sorry, Mrs. Norden.

Ohh.

Mrs. Wilson, gentlemen.

You said you wanted to see
us. Well, here we are, Perry.

Would you tell us why you want to see
us, that is, if it isn't too much trouble?

No trouble at all, Mr. Morrell.

You see, I believe one of
you murdered Ralph Pearce.

You're out of your mind.

That's been said
before, many times.

Mr. Mason, I thought that James Anderson
was under arrest for Pearce's murder.

He is.

The night Pearce was murdered,

those of us here in this room
were the only ones in the plant.

Aside from Pearce
and James Anderson.

That's right. Pearce
went on duty at 8.

We met in this room at 9.

At the time James Anderson
arrived and stumbled onto Pearce,

Pearce was already dead.

So, if young Anderson
is telling the truth... if...

Then one of us killed
Pearce before we met at 9.

That would be correct.

What time did James
Anderson enter the building?

At approximately
a quarter of 10.

Then you're wrong, Mr. Mason.

It would've been physically impossible
for any one of us to have killed Pearce.

Why?

- Well...
- Go ahead and tell him, Mr. Duncan.

He'll find out in court anyway.

The last time Pearce punched in on
his rounds was in the cold room at 10:00.

We were all in here from
9:00 until the body was found,

and not one of
us left this room.

The only other person in the
plant was Officer James Anderson.

There's more, Perry.

We found the rest of the money
that was stolen from the safe.

Where?

Hidden in Jimmy's apartment.

It is the state's
contention, Your Honor,

that the accused,
James Anderson,

and the deceased night
watchman Ralph Pearce

jointly planned and
executed a $60,000 robbery

of the premises and the safe
of the Wilson Plastics Company,

during which robbery police officer
Otto Norden was feloniously slain.

And we will show that
when the police investigation

threatened to reveal the complicity
of the night watchman in this robbery,

and through him the
complicity of the defendant,

James Anderson
murdered Ralph Pearce.

Yes, I personally checked

the serial numbers of the
currency the police showed me.

With what result, Mr. Leland?

The $60,000
recovered by the police

was the identical $60,000
to that stolen from our safe.

I see. Thank you,
sir. I think that'll be all.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Mr. Leland, would you say
that the decedent, Ralph Pearce,

was a good night watchman?

Your Honor, I object
to that question.

That calls for an opinion and
a conclusion of the witness.

As attorney for his company, you should
know that he's not plant superintendent.

He's company treasurer.

Objection sustained.

All right, Mr. Leland,

as company treasurer, can
you tell us whether or not

the night watchman Mr. Pearce
was covered by a bond?

Yes, Mr. Mason,
most emphatically so.

We'd be derelict indeed in
not paying to have him bonded.

Was there any trouble
in having him bonded?

I don't specifically recall,
but I shouldn't imagine so.

You see, Mr. Mason, Ralph Pearce
was a former Los Angeles policeman.

I also know he left the police
department involuntarily,

that he'd been asked to resign.

Perhaps the bonding
company was aware of that fact

and accordingly
increased their rates.

I can't answer without checking
the records of the bonding company.

Didn't your own company
keep such records?

Naturally, Mr. Mason, of course,

but we lost those
specific records, I'm sure,

when the nitroglycerine
explosion that opened the safe

also destroyed the
contents of the safe.

Including the list of serial
numbers of the stolen money?

Yes, that list was
destroyed, as a matter of fact.

Then how could you give the police the
list of serial numbers of the stolen money?

There were microfilm records of
about 90% of the safe's contents...

Microfilm records not
involved in the explosion.

Including, most
fortuitously, microfilm copy

that we had made of
that serial number list.

No further questions.

To your knowledge, Lieutenant,
did the defendant, James Anderson,

know the decedent, Ralph Pearce,
prior to the robbery at Wilson Plastics?

Yes, sir, I know that recently,

when Jimmy Anderson
was at the police academy,

one of his instructors
was Ralph Pearce.

He was still on the
force at that time.

Now, Lieutenant Tragg, I
show you this certified copy

of a police department
assignment order.

I ask you in what manner this
assignment order refers to the defendant.

Yes, sir, this order transferred
officer James Anderson, the defendant,

from the beat to
the prowl car detail

and assigned him to
Officer Otto Norden's car.

A prowl car whose customary patrol
area included the Wilson Plastics plant,

where the former
instructor of the defendant

was now employed as a
night watchman, is that correct?

- Yes, sir.
- And now, Lieutenant,

I understand that another homicide
officer, Lieutenant Anderson,

recovered one half of the
money stolen in that robbery

and that you yourself
recovered the other half.

Would you tell us, please, exactly
where you found that money?

Yes, sir. Under some clothes
in a suitcase inside a closet

in the apartment of the
defendant, James Anderson.

Death was caused by traumatic asphyxia
induced by means of manual strangulation.

Then the murderer
used his hands, Doctor?

No, most likely his forearm...

Clamping the victim's throat while
the assailant stood behind him.

All right, Doctor.

Now one last question. Would you
estimate the time of death for me?

Oh, in my opinion, decedent was
murdered between 10:00 and 10:30.

Thank you, Doctor. That'll be
all. Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Doctor, in a situation where a body is
discovered reasonably soon after death,

what in your examination permits
you to determine the time of death?

Oh, I'd say such factors as
the temperature of the corpse,

the degree of lividity or
postmortem markings on the body,

and, of course, the
degree of rigor mortis.

By temperature you mean that if
a body is warm, death was recent,

and if a body is cold, death
was further removed in time?

Precisely.

What was the condition
of Ralph Pearce's body

when you examined
it a little after 10:30?

Cold.

Wouldn't that indicate that
he'd been killed before 10?

Ordinarily, yes.

But in this case,
Mr. Mason, if you didn't know,

decedent was slain
in a refrigerated room,

a factor which would considerably
accelerate the lowering of temperature.

Now, in this matter of lividity, I gather
the markings were barely discernable,

leading you to a conclusion
that death was recent?

Yes.

I believe, Doctor, that rigor mortis
was the third factor you mentioned.

Now, was rigor mortis marked in
your examination of the decedent?

Very much so.

Wouldn't that indicate that
death had occurred before 10...

At 9:30, at 9, at 8:30?

Perhaps even as early as 8:00?

It could, conceivably, yes.

- But not in this case.
- And why not?

If a person dies quietly,
without muscular activity,

rigor mortis is
slow and gradual.

But a person being strangled
from behind, struggling for his life,

has abnormal muscular activity.

Bringing on more
rapid rigor mortis?

In situations like this, we have had
cases of instantaneous rigor mortis.

Is it not also a
medical fact, Doctor,

that cold can hasten
the onset of rigor mortis?

Yes.

And didn't you point out carefully
to me a few moments ago, Doctor,

that the body of Ralph Pearce had
been found in a refrigerated room?

Why, uh, why, yes.

Doctor, without a postmortem examination,
how would you fix the time of death?

Oh, I'd say you could do it roughly
based on the time the body was discovered

and time decedent was last
known to have been alive.

Obviously, death occurred
between those times.

You examined the body at 10:30.

When was the decedent
last known to be alive?

At 10, when he punched
in on the time clock.

Oh, you know
about the time clock?

Of course.

Did you know about it when you
made your postmortem examination?

Did you know about it when you made your
conclusions concerning the time of death?

Yes, I was tol...

Yes.

Yes, I knew.

Thank you, Doctor.
No further questions.

You then obtained a search warrant
and went through Ralph Pearce's rooms.

What did you find?

$30,000, half of the
$60,000 that had been stolen.

And then you proceeded to Wilson
Plastics plant to arrest Ralph Pearce.

Was he there?

He was there, all
right... murdered.

What else did the
police find at that plant?

Detective Toland saw
a man, unrecognizable,

fleeing from the scene of the death,
attempting to run out of the plant.

Detective Toland yelled at the
man to stop, fired a couple of shots,

but the man got away.

However, we heard testimony here

from a driver of a delivery
truck who heard those shots

and who was later
able to identify that man

who ran from the scene
of the crime, isn't that so?

Yes, sir.

Our investigation proved
that man was the... defendant.

I think that'll be
all, Lieutenant.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

No questions.

The witness is excused.

Your Honor, as the court
knows, in a preliminary hearing,

it is only incumbent on the prosecution
to show reasonable grounds to believe,

first, that a crime
was committed,

and second, that the accused is
the person who committed that crime.

I'm sure that learned counsel in his
defense will provide us with a performance

which includes his usual
calculated confusion of the facts.

But at the moment, Your Honor,

I feel more than certain that we have
presented an unshakable prima-facie case.

Therefore, the state rests and moves
that the defendant be bound over.

Mr. Mason, you may proceed
with your defense at this time.

Your Honor,

we have no defense
to present at this time.

Contracts and check for the
purchase of Hillman Plastics.

Been ready and unsigned
for more than a week.

We have stalled this thing
more than long enough.

Jerel, sign, please.

Mr. Mason said he
was coming right over.

I... I think it's no more
than common courtesy to...

I could take it
to court for relief

and force compliance
with board-approved action.

Is that what you want?

Sign.

When he finishes,
you sign, Carrie.

I don't think you
ought to do that, Carrie.

Oh, our eminent counsel.

More new allegations, Mr. Mason?

Facts, not allegations.

A shortage in the
company books of $25,000.

What?

Do you know about this, Jerel?

Yes, Mrs. Wilson.

I notified Mr. Mason

when the auditors informed
me of the seeming discrepancy.

Unfortunately, there
were not microfilm copies

of all the records
destroyed in the robbery.

Now, until we re-create the books
step-by-step from supporting documents,

well, we can't be sure
there is a shortage.

You said facts... plural.

The Security Exchange Commission

has withheld approval of
the Hillman Plastics deal...

Its purchase and
transfer of stock.

That's impossible.
I don't believe it!

If the Angel Gabriel appeared before
you on Judgment Day, Mr. Morrell,

I think you'd ask to
see his union card.

On the day before the
vote to buy Hillman Plastics,

someone bought large
blocks of Hillman stock cheap.

Two days later, after the prospective
purchase had been announced,

the stock went up 10 points.

That same someone then sold his
stock for a profit of over $100,000.

You... You changed your vote.

You knew this was
going to happen.

No, Aunt Carrie.

I swear, I didn't buy a
single share of Hillman stock.

Tell her, please!

I didn't buy that stock, did I?

I don't know, Mr. Wilson.

The only clues we have as
to the identity of the purchaser

are a post-office box number
and the name J. Smith.

Unfortunately, we don't
know who J. Smith is.

All of which raises
the interesting

question of exactly
why the safe was robbed.

Why?

$60,000 seems to me to
be a lot of "why," Mr. Mason.

The safe was blown up
to destroy certain records,

not for the purposes
of stealing money.

Ralph Pearce was killed
because he knew the truth.

All right, Della.

The day of the robbery, was
a package delivered here?

Yes.

Just after Otto left for work.

That package, Mrs.
Norden... Is it still here?

Why do you ask? What
was in that package?

It may have contained half
the money stolen from the safe.

But it was delivered here
before the safe was robbed.

No.

No, I told you before.

My Otto was good.
He was not bad.

He would have nothing
to do with such things!

Mrs. Norden, I'm not so sure
Otto was really involved, either.

But if my theory is right, there's
one person who is sure of it.

- Who? Who is that?
- The murderer.

I don't understand. I can't...

Is that package still
here in this apartment?

No.

The next day, after Otto was
killed, I looked for the package.

It was gone.

Well, then the murderer
took it while you were out

and later on planted it in
Jimmy Anderson's apartment.

That's why all the
money's been found.

Someone wanted certain
records in the safe destroyed.

They made a deal with Pearce.

The payoff for doing the job
was the money in the safe.

$60,000... half delivered here
and half found in Pearce's room.

Which means that the person
who engineered the whole job

didn't keep a
cent of that money.

However, Pearce had discovered
a strip of microfilm missing.

It was a copy of the records
that had been destroyed,

so he went after it, stole it,

and then tried to shake down the
man who had hired him for more money.

For which effort,
Pearce was killed.

Now the question is, did the
murderer get the microfilm back?

We know Pearce's
body was searched.

We know the film
wasn't found elsewhere.

So unless he does have the film, the
murderer must be getting fairly panicky.

Yes, well, why are
you telling me all this?

If the murderer believed that
your son was Pearce's accomplice,

then he might also believe that
Pearce contacted you after Otto's death.

How would he believe
a thing like that?

He would... if you made
it convincing enough.

You mean you want...

the murderer to think that I...

That you know where
Pearce hid the film.

You can do it over the
phone, Mrs. Norden.

This is the number, and this is
what Mr. Mason wants you to say.

You don't know all this.

You don't know for sure. You
only think this is what happened.

If it didn't, Mrs. Norden,

then either Jimmy is a
thief, or your son was a thief.

Would you get me
the number, please?

Here.

This... This is Erna Norden.

I know who J. Smith is,
and I know where the film is.

Pearce called me.

He hid it where no one else
would think of looking for it.

If I tell the police, they'll
know about... about Otto.

I don't want that.

I don't ever want that.

So take it...

in... in the cold room.

You don't have to look further.

We found it earlier and left it there
before I had Mrs. Norden call you.

Missing microfilm that proves you
embezzled $25,000 from the company.

That microfilm
could send you to jail,

just as Ralph Pearce
was sent to his death.

I swear I didn't kill him.

How could I? I
was at that meeting.

So was I. So was everyone connected
with the company from 9:00 on.

But Pearce was
killed before 9:00.

Pearce was killed before
that meeting even started.

Then one of the
people at the meeting...

But Mrs. Norden called me.

Her second call was made to you.

But her first call
was made to a man

who gave himself an alibi by
tampering with that time clock.

You, Mr. Leland.

Him!

He blackmailed me, Mr. Mason.

That's why I changed my vote.

He threatened to send me to jail
if I didn't vote to buy Hillman Plastics.

A sale which would
have made him $100,000.

The name you used
was J. Smith, was it not?

You knew that in
court, didn't you?

And you knew the actual time Ralph Pearce
was killed when you questioned the doctor.

Yes.

And I knew something
you didn't know...

The truth about Otto Norden.

That he was never Pearce's
accomplice in that robbery.

You couldn't prove any of it.

Not even Perry
Mason could prove it.

No, I couldn't
prove it, Mr. Leland.

But you could.

And you have.

So?

Now you know everything.

Just the two of you.

I'm afraid not, Mr. Leland.

Well, what are you
gonna do with that gun?

Mr. Mason, come in.

What did you find, Mr. Mason?

I just left headquarters.

Between Leland's confession
and our own investigation,

everything is just
about explained.

Even the perfume?

It was stolen by a man in uniform,
but it wasn't Jimmy, and it wasn't Otto.

It was Otto's former
partner on the police force,

a man who had kept his
uniform... Ralph Pearce.

Well, apparently
Pearce hated your son.

He blamed Otto for his having
been tossed off the police force,

planned to frame him
for that phony robbery.

That explains the money, too.

After Pearce killed your son,

he stole the money back from this
apartment and planted it on Jimmy.

Oh, poor Jimmy.

I guess he still hoped to blame
the robbery on a policeman.

Then my Otto...

Until you could tell me for
sure, I couldn't even look at this.

Your son earned his decoration.

Hey, anybody home?

Come in!

Oh, Andy, it's so
good to see you!

Good to see me?

You sound surprised,
Mama Norden.

Weren't you expecting me?

Expecting you?

Well, it's Thursday.
Wiener schnitzel night!

Oh, Andy, I didn't
even shop today.

We shopped for you.

Mrs. Norden, please, it... it
means a great deal to me.

Please don't say no.

Officer Jimmy Anderson,
if you eat my food,

you have to call me Mama Norden.