Original subtitles

Go ahead, girl, blow them out.

Make a wish first.

Okay.

My wish is that I never see your faces again

as long as I live.

Never fails.

Come on, you're going to need all the luck you can get.

Come on, if they all go out, you'll have good luck.

Don't worry, I won't be back.

Four years is plenty.

I promised myself once I get out...

That's what we all say, every time.

Inside of two months you'll roll a drunk or clout a purse.

You see, maybe you think it's superstition but...

Not me, honey.

I believe it.

Now she'll be lucky enough not to get caught.

That's right.

Because I'm never going to do anything wrong again.

It's ghastly morbid, that's all.

I mean, mourning is one thing, but this.

She ought never to wear black with her coloring,

I mean, you can't make a career of widowhood.

And even if Dion was an absolute original,

she's got to write period sometime.

And pouring all this money into a fund for seasick sailors

or whatever it is, I mean, isn't that a bit much?

By some $30,000 dollars?

It's unhealthy and unnatural,

and you've got to snap her out of it.

Me?

Darling, I'm her lawyer, not her spiritual adviser.

If she wants to keep his memory...

Amy isn't remembering Dion.

She's canonizing him.

Oh, I'll admit it was a nice touch of drama for him to drown,

but personally if I have a choice,

I'll go in a four poster.

Holy smoke, look what time it is.

Listen, I've got an appointment at the office tonight.

You've got your own car here so I'll just...

Now, Jeffrey, wait.

Jeffrey, please talk to Amy.

She has great respect for you.

I'm afraid Amy only respects the people who agree with her.

Now, Jeffrey, you wait.

Jeffery, just a minute.

Let's talk about it.

Ouch!

I see you've managed to shake them off.

Whoever was pursuing you.

The police, I should imagine.

Very funny.

I just wish I had met a policeman.

Mr. Canfield, do you know what happened in the club bar?

My bag was stolen.

In the yacht club?

Oh, now, Lona, really.

Well, I didn't just forget it.

I mean, even if I had,

I went back to the booth for my cigarettes.

If it had still been there, I would have noticed it.

My driver's license.

Now, now, take it easy.

I'll telephone them, and as one of the directors,

if anyone down there did take your bag, I promise...

The yacht club isn't the only thing

you're a director of, is it?

No, I'm on several boards, but...

Including the Dion Reid Memorial Foundation.

Which is just a fancy name for a wake.

It's lasted five years already.

Why don't you stop her?

Here, let me see that hand.

Oh, you have a nasty scratch there.

Mr. Canfield, don't you know what this is doing to Amy?

She is absolutely chained to Dion's headstone.

Lona dear, could you manage

to be a trifle less earsplitting?

Good evening, Roland.

You're just in time to see some home movies.

Some what?

Of Dion. Come along.

Well, wouldn't you know it, another séance!

This was shot at the club.

The skipper was getting the Dirigo ready

for the Santa Barbara races.

That's Catalina, of course.

There you are, Mr. Canfield.

Remember that?

Look at him bring her around into the wind.

I often told Dion he was half Viking.

And there we are.

You know, the skipper put me down as often as I beat him?

That's the last shot ever taken.

He was heading for Catalina.

Where did you get it all, Pete?

Oh, from club members, mostly.

Just about everybody with a camera

had a few feet of film.

It must've taken months to collect it all.

It was grand, wasn't it, Lona?

Next best thing to a wax museum.

I'd really love to have the film, Pete.

Would you sell it to me?

Well, of course he will.

For the right price, of course.

That's uncalled for, Lona.

Amy, you're the easiest mark in town,

and everybody's after a share of it.

Is it so wrong to want a film of Dion?

Oh, Amy, it's not just the film.

It's all the useless junk you've been collecting.

Where does it end?

I'll leave the film with you, Mrs. Reid.

We can talk about it Saturday

when I come back to fix those shelves.

Roland, will you write out a check to Pete

for $500?

It's your money, Amy.

Yes.

But that seem to be a point that's escaped Lona.

And I intend to spend it any way I choose.

Have you thought of buying the Catalina Channel?

Oh, Amy, I'm sorry.

I know that sounds horrible, but... Ma'am?

Yes, Stella?

There's a woman at the door, ma'am.

I've never seen her before.

Well, who is it? What does she want?

I don't know, miss, but she seems very nice.

Oh, for heaven’s sake, show her in, Stella.

At least you can be gracious to a stranger, can't you?

Perhaps what we all need is a drink.

Yes, hemlock on the rocks for me.

Miss Maxine Nichols.

How do you do?

Is one of you Lona Upton?

Yes.

I think you lost a purse.

Oh, where... Yes.

Yes, my purse was stolen this evening.

Stolen?

Well, I wondered why it didn't have any money in it.

It's such a lovely bag.

And anyway, since I was taking a taxi back this way,

I thought I'd stop in and bring it to you.

Well, thank you.

Thank you for bringing it to me.

Tell me, young lady,

exactly where did you find the purse?

In the parking lot of the yacht club,

lying between two cars.

You've gone to a lot of trouble, Miss Nichols.

Lona, I think perhaps some small reward might...

Oh, no, please.

Really, I'm not in the habit of taking money.

It's just that I know how I'd hate

to lose all of my credit cards, let alone such a pretty thing.

You understand.

So now I'll be running along and... Oh.

Isn't that Dion Reid?

My husband.

- Did you know him? - Yes.

Oh, well no, not really.

In a short, desperate period of my youth,

I tried working as a cocktail waitress.

On Catalina.

I thought I'd seen you before.

Strange you'd remember Dion after all these years.

Not really.

A nice person creates his own memory,

and you meet very few of them in a cocktail bar, I'm afraid.

Come on, Maxine.

It is Maxine, isn't it?

I'm going to make you take that reward.

Oh, but really...

A nice happy thing with ice in it,

and maybe a little soda.

Really, Miss Upton,

anyone would've returned your bag.

Call me Lona, and it's not for the bag.

It's for gaffing those spouting whales in there.

I always get mad and just sputter.

Sit down.

Sit down!

Well, I don't want to be a nuisance,

but perhaps I could use just one little drink.

No, Amy's my sister.

My half-sister actually.

Her mother left Dad before I was born,

married a very wealthy man.

Oh, here, you need more ice.

Wasn't I was going to call another taxi?

No, you were going to tell me more about Dion,

your impressions.

But I don't remember any more.

Anyhow, it's your turn.

- Oh? - Mm-hmm.

Yes, where was I?

Oh, well, years later, Dad remarried,

but instead of a dowry, he had to settle for me.

They're all dead now, both sets of parents,

but Amy's rich,

and everyone thinks she must be my aunt.

She keeps me here,

working sometimes for my bed and board.

She's kind of a dingbat, you know?

Hey, you know I don't even know

where I'm going to sleep tonight?

I was on the way to look for a hotel when...

Oh, here.

You only got half.

Besides, don't interrupt with problems

that are so easy to solve.

Why?

Oh, dear, because I need someone to talk to,

don't you understand?

I love Amy, and I want to help her,

but she won't even listen and...

No, no, no, why's she a dingbat?

Because of Dion.

Oh, I know he was wonderful and all...

Well, you know.

You met him.

But hallelujah,

he's been dead for five years.

To everyone but Amy, is that what you mean?

Exactly.

And you haven't heard anything yet.

She's endowing a home

for derelict dolphins or something,

and it's costing $30,000.

Imagine.

$30,000.

♪♪

♪♪

Can we help you, lady?

Certainly not. Why should I need help?

Well, it's a little late to be out walking alone.

Thought maybe there was something wrong, that's all.

Oh, no, it's perfectly all right.

I was just visiting friends, and my car broke down.

Thank you anyway, officer.

Good night.

Hey...

Why don't you just hop in,

and we'll drop you anywhere you like.

Oh, no, really, that won't be necessary.

I'd much rather take the cab.

Oh, you won't find one at this hour.

Come on, we'll take you right to your door.

- What's the address? - W-Well, I...

You do live somewhere around here, don't you?

Well, of course.

It's... uh, 448 Granable Place.

But, really, there's no need...

That's all right, we don't mind. Come on.

I, um, don't suppose I'd be the first to say it, Miss Upton,

but, uh, you are an explosive talker.

Compulsive.

Uh, this young lady,

she made off with a valuable necklace and a bracelet?

I know it was appraised at $50,000 once.

And she was picked up by the police?

You can't walk around our neighborhood at night

unless you're a resident.

I think she almost fooled them

by giving an address.

But they found out she didn't live there?

Nobody does.

Turned out to be a vacant lot.

Well, we'll, uh, let the law take care of her, Miss Upton.

Now, then, what is it, uh, what is it you want me to do?

Get her out of jail.

Get her out?

After she stole from you?

Not from me... From my sister, Amy.

Oh, but the point is, the police department

says Maxine has a prison record,

so if the poor girl is convicted again...

Oh, this Maxine, she's a friend of yours?

No. I told you.

I met her yesterday for the first time.

Yesterday.

Yesterday when, uh, she returned your lost bag.

Miss Upton,

doesn't it seem likely that Maxine

was the one who stole that bag?

I don't know, I just want you to get her out of jail.

Oh, see here, if it's the money,

I have $5,000 of my own in the bank, so...

Pardon me if I'm wrong,

but did I detect a certain note of warmth

when you spoke about your sister's lawyer?

Jeffrey's madly in love with me.

Yes, I see.

So you come walking in to the first door

marked "Attorney-at-Law" and start waving your money.

Miss Upton, I just got back from a government job...

I'm not even in the phone book!

Oh. Oh, you mean why didn't I go to Jeffrey

instead of you?

It does seem rather an obvious question.

Oh. But I couldn't go to him, don't you understand?

He simply wouldn't understand.

He does take quite a bit of understanding.

Miss Upton,

- what I would suggest you do... - Why?

Why can't you simply do as I ask?

Well, if you're just starting in business,

don't you want business?

Well, it's just something that has to be done, that's all.

Maxine Nichols.

Yeah. Patrol car picked her up last night.

Gave a phony address.

Seems she'd burgled a safe.

An antique emerald necklace and bracelet, wasn't it?

That's right. But the jewelry's been returned.

Mrs. Reid's lawyer picked it up this morning.

Mrs. Re...

You mean you aren't holding the jewelry for evidence?

Of what? Seems the whole thing

was just a great big mistake, Counselor.

The Nichols woman didn't steal the jewelry,

it was loaned to her.

- By whom? - Mrs. Amy Reid.

The owner?

You figure it out.

Uh, Sergeant, do you mind if I borrow your telephone?

- Not at all. - Thank you.

Yes, Gertie?

Who?

Mr. Kramer?

Yes, put him on, please.

Hello.

Della, I've just run into something

that's a Perry Mason case if ever I saw one.

And since I'm a little rusty,

I thought I might buy Perry a lunch or...

Oh, but Perry has a case that just took him over to Europe.

No, he'll be back in a few days, but if there's anything

that I can do, or Paul Drake, or...

No, thank you, Della, but it's not all that complicated yet.

Yes, I'll see you soon.

Well, I guess I'll have to figure it out myself.

If you agree, Jeff, that my safe wasn't forced,

how did this Maxine creature get into it?

Well, they say any lock a man can invent,

another man can unlock.

Isn't that a specialized skill requiring years of experience?

Yes, certainly.

Well, of course, I grant you, that woman served time.

Well, it wasn't safecracking, no.

Then how did she open the safe?

Well, she must have had the combination.

I-I-I don't see how that's possible.

I'm certain you didn't leave it lying around.

She'd never been in the house before,

and she had no contact with anyone here prior to yesterday.

You still haven't said for what crime

she was serving time in prison.

Well, you seem to have found that out for yourself.

It was, uh, - purse-snatching. - Exactly.

Well, now, just a minute.

Even if Maxine did steal my purse last night...

I think we can assume that, Lona.

Well, you can just stop assuming that that's where

she got the combination to your safe, from my purse!

I'm only facing facts, Lona.

But why on earth would I be carrying around

the combination to your safe for?

Uh, ladies, how Maxine Nichols

obtained the combination is entirely a matter of conjecture

- at this point, so... - And the reason

I didn't press charges against her

was in the hope that she'd reciprocate

by telling you where she got it.

Well, I'm afraid I haven't had much success there so far.

Now, it's possible Maxine would talk for a price, but...

Excuse me, ma'am, Mr. Castelni is here.

So soon?

Well... show him in. Show him in.

- Who's Castelni? - The jeweler.

I dropped those things off by his store this morning.

I noticed one of the stones in the necklace was loose.

Mrs. Reid, when did this happen?

The stone? Well, I just noticed it...

All the stones.

All the emeralds have been removed

and replaced with nothing but cheap imitations.

Oh, no!

Jeffrey,

- phone the police. - No, wait a minute, Mrs. Reid.

When could Maxine have done that?

She was picked up just after she left here last night.

This switching would have taken time.

So Maxine couldn't have done it, could she?

She was in prison.

I... I don't remember when I last looked at this jewelry.

I never wear it, you know.

It's grandmother's. I... never really liked it.

That's why I never even had it insured.

Not insured?!

But I've always kept it locked up.

Right here in this safe.

Right here in my own hou... house.

Mr. Castelni, I think you'd better leave us now.

Surely. Good day, Mrs. Reid.

It must have been done by someone...

over a period of time.

Someone right here in my own house.

Well, there's only Stella living here,

but she's been with you for so many years, I can't imagine.

Stella isn't the only one who could have done it, Jeffrey.

Amy, don't you look at me like that.

I know what you're thinking,

but don't you dare say one word,

because I've got a lawyer, and he'll sue you!

He'll sue you for a million dollars!

Darling, is that you again?

Well, it's about time.

Why don't you tell that boss of yours

to go chin himself on a bramble bush?

Well, anyway, what I started to say was

the top is draped black jersey,

and it has this darling beige linen walking coat

over it that...

At Boutaric, I told you... that's where I bought everything.

Of course I can afford it.

Hey, listen, that's why I phoned.

If anyone tried to get ahold of me or anything,

be nice to them.

Well, I don't know who. Just anyone.

Only don't ever commit me or say where I am, or...

Of course I'm sober.

And I'm gonna stay sober.

Don't you understand?

This unlucky little chick has finally stumbled into something.

Something green and jingly and growing every minute.

Yes? Who is it?

Oh, my name is Kenneth Kramer.

I'm looking for a Miss Maxine Nichols.

Oh. Oh, yes.

Uh, she's staying with me.

You better come on up.

- Mr. Kramer? - Uh-huh.

- Hi. I-I'm Fay Gilmore. - Miss Gilmore.

I don't know where Maxine is.

I-I just got in myself.

But if you'd like to wait.

Well, yes, thank you, I would.

I phoned several times this afternoon, but...

but there wasn't any answer.

Well, I, uh... I work.

Oh. And, uh, Maxine doesn't?

Well, uh, she's looking for a job, I-I think.

I mean, uh...

w-well, she's just staying with me until she gets settled.

Yes, I knew she'd just gotten into town.

You're old friends?

Well, i-in a way, yes.

Uh, we knew each other about five years ago in Catalina.

But we, uh, sort of lost touch after she got sick.

After she got sick?

- Yes. Lung trouble. - Oh.

She's been living on the desert in Arizona

for the past four years.

Oh, so that's where she's been for the past four years.

Yeah. That's what she told me.

Say... I thought you said you knew Maxine.

Oh, no, no, no, no. We just have a mutual friend.

Perhaps you've met her... Lona Upton?

That's, uh... Amy Reid's sister, isn't it?

Uh-huh.

No, no, we... we never have met.

W-Would you like to have a-a drink?

No, thank you, not right now.

- Do you mind if I have one? - Not at all.

Gee, I-I don't know what could be keeping Maxine.

What is that across the street?

It's a children's playground.

- Lieutenant. - Thank you.

We found this about 15 feet from the body.

Looks like it was used for a compress,

but we'll know better after we get it back from the lab.

That's a man's handkerchief, isn't it, Lieutenant?

Mm-hmm.

It could mean that some guy shot her and then later had regrets,

or maybe she just snatched it out of his pocket.

On the other hand, it might belong to some passing Samaritan

who took off when he saw he couldn't help her.

Me, I'll wait for the lab report.

Now, Miss Gilmore,

what can you tell us about the men in her life?

I-I don't think that there were any.

She'd only been in town a few days.

That's long enough to make an enemy.

Lieutenant, I think we've found the murder weapon.

Excuse me.

Miss Gilmore...

was Maxine contributing anything to her board?

No. She told me that she didn't have a dime.

I-I even had to lend her some of my clothes

so she could go job-hunting yesterday.

That suit she was wearing, was that one of yours?

It had a Boutaric label in the jacket.

Boutaric?

Oh, no. Boutaric has been out of my reach for several years now.

That's what she was talking to me about

on the telephone, I guess, but...

Oh, Mr. Kramer, honestly, she didn't make any sense.

I-I don't know how she suddenly got money.

It's not a question of how... but where.

Didn't Lona tell you that I practically accused her

of stealing my emeralds?

I thought Maxine Nichols was the thief.

Oh, that was just the way it was supposed to seem.

- Seem? - Well, my idea is

that Maxine stealing the jewelry

was intended to cover the real crime.

And of course, if she hadn't been caught,

it would have worked.

Mrs. Reid, perhaps you'd better explain

what you mean by "real crime."

Mr. Kramer, those emeralds of mine

had been replaced by bad imitations

sometime before the jewelry was stolen last night.

And you never noticed it?

Only because that jewelry hadn't been out of the safe

for at least five years.

But then, Mrs. Reid, why should there be any urgent need now

to conceal the original theft?

It might be another five years

before you ever noticed the substitution.

Yes, I rather thought you'd seize on that point.

Perhaps I've taken an unfair advantage,

but you see, Mr. Kramer, several days ago

I decided to sell that jewelry.

I see. Did, uh, Lona know about your decision?

- Yes, she did. - Anyone else?

I...

Your lawyer? Close friends? In other words, Mrs. Reid,

any number of people might have known about your intention.

Any number of people might have given

the combination of that safe to Maxine.

No.

And that's why you wanted Maxine out of jail, wasn't it?

So she might tell you who gave her the combination.

- Well, yes... - But now, of course,

Maxine can't tell anyone, because...

Maxine has been murdered.

- Excuse me. - Mr. Kramer, what did you...

Well, is it true?

She's murdered?

Why?!

I suppose your loving stepsister in there

would say it was to stop Maxine from naming the person

who gave her the combination to the safe.

And you think that was me?

Lona, let me ask you something.

Why did you want me to get Maxine out of jail?

I...

Well, when Jeffrey went to the police station this morning

to-to reclaim the necklace,

he took me along to identify it.

- Uh-huh. - As soon as I saw those stones,

I knew they were fakes.

Well, whoever switched them had to be someone in this house.

And there's only Amy and Stella, isn't there?

Well, I was thinking of other people who come here often.

Like, uh... like Mr. Canfield and, um, Pete Kamboly.

He does odd jobs for Amy all the time.

And Jeffrey, of course.

Which one did you suspect?

Suspicions don't count.

Maxine knew.

Did you pay her for the information?

No, she wanted $10,000.

All I had was about half that much.

When did you talk to her?

Right after lunch.

Where have you been all evening?

Well, n-no place in particular. I...

Just driving around.

Why? Do you... do you think I need an alibi?

Well, I haven't got one, but I...

I have got the next best thing.

Yes? What's that?

You.

Here is $5,000.

Please help me.

A lovely thing to just happen to have in your purse,

on a night like this.

I understand she was in here the other evening,

and then again the next day.

Well, I'm not always in the bar, sir,

and besides, the club is restricted to members only.

I'm not a member.

No, I didn't think I'd seen you before.

But I could be a friend of a member.

That'd make it all right.

Can you drink on duty?

Well, if a member buys me a drink it's permissible,

so I imagine a guest is all right.

Would you care to have one with a gate-crasher?

Oh, you couldn't crash in here, Mr. Kramer.

Somebody had to vouch for you

or you'd have never gotten by that door.

How did Maxine Nichols get through that door?

I don't know.

But maybe Pete Kamboly can help you.

He bought her a drink the first night, I think.

- Hi, Mr. Kramer. - Oh, hi.

'Course you realize that this stuff

- is sort of off the top so far. - Oh, yes, Della Street told me

your agency was the one to go for strictly slow digging.

Okay.

Jeffrey Mills: passed his bar exam three years ago

but had difficulty meeting his office rent

till Mrs. Amy Reid took a liking to him.

And now he can meet his rent, eh?

Yeah, but not much more.

Next, Roland Canfield: society type, stocks and bonds,

and an old family friend of the Reids.

He's a director of the Dion Reid Foundation,

which seems to be spending a lot of money.

What about Pete Kamboly? Anything on him?

Kamboly's an ex-seaman, who worked for Canfield,

among others, till Canfield sold his boat a few years ago.

Since then, Kamboly's been maintenance manager

at the yacht club. And that's about it.

Well, that's very good, thank you.

Now, I want all the information you can dig out

on this Dion Reid Foundation.

Find out if Canfield is disbursing the money,

how much, and if it's going where it's supposed to.

Well, if any of it's going into Canfield's pocket,

he must've suffered financial reverses.

He's supposed to be a rich man.

- You might look into that, too. - Okay.

- Oh. Is Mr. Kramer here? - Right in there.

- Oh, Mr. Kramer, I think I'm in trouble. - Oh, come on, sit down.

Now, has something happened since last night?

Well, the police came to the house again.

I-I think they want to question me.

I told Stella to say I was out, and then I went out.

That wasn't very smart of you, Lona.

Well, there-there's something I want to tell you first.

I did pay Maxine.

Oh, not in money. In clothes.

I took her down to Boutaric's,

and-and I told them she could use my charge accounts.

And what did you receive in return?

Nothing. Yet.

She wanted $10,000.

But I thought if she-she bought some pretty things...

Then I took her my $5,000...

Well, that's why I had the money in my purse last night.

But you didn't give it to her?

No.

Why?

She wasn't home.

I didn't mean to be back quite this fast,

but I guess you know Lieutenant Anderson.

Oh, yes, of course.

Hello, Miss Upton.

I missed you at home this morning.

It doesn't matter, though.

We traced that handkerchief, Mr. Kramer.

That was certainly quick work, Lieutenant.

The lab deserves all the credit.

While they were verifying that the blood was the victim's,

they came up with a lead on a men's store who...

carry that particular make of handkerchief.

And?

One of their customers is a man named Roland Canfield.

You'd better go on, Lieutenant.

Well, uh, one thing puzzled us.

There were two types of blood on the handkerchief.

The first stain was type A.

Mr. Canfield's type AB.

What type are you, Miss Upton?

I don't know.

Your doctor says you're type A.

You mind if I take a look at your hand?

Now, just a minute, Lieutenant.

Mr. Canfield admits the handkerchief is his.

He's also willing to testify that

he loaned the handkerchief to Miss Upton,

the night she scratched her hand.

T-Testify?

I have a warrant here for your arrest, Miss Upton.

First-degree murder.

Good morning, Counselor.

Mr. Burger.

Lona, are you sure that's all?

- That's all I can remember. - Mm.

There was no answer when I rang...

when I rang Maxine's doorbell.

And then... then I heard what sounded like a shot

- Mm-hmm. - Off in the playground.

Then a car drove away very fast.

I went over and I found Maxine lying there.

I put the handkerchief on the wound.

Then I went to get help.

And I... just hoped you'd remember something more.

But I just told you!

I went looking for a telephone.

Lona, I drove over there last night.

There's a telephone booth right there in the park.

I know, but I didn't have any change.

Only a 50-cent piece,

so I went looking for a drugstore or anything.

But they were all closed.

Then I heard a siren and I got scared.

Here I am... plenty of notepaper.

All right, Della. Thanks for coming down to hold my hand.

To hold your hand?

Miss Street, I don't think he believes me!

I don't think he believes a thing I've told him!

Mrs. Reid,

we've heard the defendant here described as being your sister.

Is that description completely accurate?

No, she's my half-sister.

We had the same father but different mothers.

I see. And all the parents involved

are now deceased, is that correct?

That is correct. Only Lona and I are left.

Are you the sole support of your half-sister, Mrs. Reid?

Well, the estate I inherited from my stepfather

was far more than my needs,

so I invited Lona to come live with me.

And is she a paid companion? I mean, does she get...

a cash allowance? Something like that?

Well, she has charge accounts for her needs.

And from time to time I gave her some cash.

Blasted little, I can tell you.

I think he got that point across.

Now, Mrs. Reid, I want to ask you some questions

about a recent theft of jewelry from your home.

Which theft?

The dead girl had stolen an emerald necklace,

but someone had previously replaced all the stones

with worthless imitations.

I would like you to tell us the value,

the original value of the genuine emeralds.

Well, when Grandmother died...

When they were given to me about nine years ago...

That jewelry was appraised at $50,000.

Now, of course, it's worth much more.

And how many people beside yourself

know the combination of the safe

in which the jewelry was habitually kept?

The dead girl, for one.

But where she got it, I have no idea.

Well, that's my point exactly.

Couldn't someone else at your house have known it

- and given it to her? - I suppose so.

And could you explain for us, by the way,

how the decedent happened to be in your house that night at all?

She returned a purse belonging to my sister.

Later on, Lona invited her to spend the night.

Really?

Well, did the defendant give any explanation for that?

After all, it's... a little peculiar

inviting a complete stranger into the house for the night,

someone you hardly know.

A woman who turned out, in fact, to be a thief.

Well, none of us knew any of that at the time.

The two girls spent several hours together

and apparently became very friendly.

And Maxine Nichols returned that friendship

by stealing your emerald necklace?

Never mind, Mrs. Reid,

I'll withdraw that last question.

Your witness, Mr. Kramer.

Your point, Mr. Burger.

Mrs. Reid...

did you keep the combination to that safe in your head

or was it written down somewhere?

It was in a private notebook that I kept locked

- in a desk drawer. - And even to an amateur,

the lock on that desk drawer

wouldn't pose too much of a problem, would it?

No, I suppose not.

Now, aside from the people living in the house,

how many other people in your immediate circle

might have had the opportunity to get into that desk drawer?

- Oh, perhaps four or... five, maybe. - No further questions.

Because of my past association with Dion Reid...

He was, uh... he was my closest friend...

I was honored to accept the position

of Director of the Dion Reid Foundation.

This was an endowment fund of some sort?

Exactly that.

Mrs. Reid supports several charities in Dion's name.

To date, Mr. Canfield,

how much money has Mrs. Reid contributed

to these various memorials to her late husband?

Well, Mr. Burger, I, uh...

I think that's privileged information.

I would need Mrs. Reid's consent to divulge it.

Well, since Mrs. Reid doesn't seem to object,

$43,809, which does not include the-the current project,

the Dion Reid Memorial Seaman's Home.

That's an additional, uh, $30,000.

That's over $70,000 in all, a substantial sum.

Now, suppose Mrs. Reid had added to that the value

- of her jewelry. - Well, then, uh, hypothetically, at least,

we would have had, uh, perhaps $125,000 in our fund.

I see.

What was the... defendant's expressed attitude

toward this project, Mr. Canfield?

How did Lona Upton feel about it?

It was Mrs. Reid's money.

If she wanted to devote it to her husband's memory...

That's not an answer to my question.

Well, uh, I'll admit Lona Upton was not particularly

- in-in favor of this program, but... - I just want to know

the actual words of the defendant, Lona Upton.

Lona hated the program.

On the day of the robbery she begged me

and begged me to use my influence

with her sister to... to discontinue it.

Your witness, Mr. Kramer.

Mr. Canfield... you had known the decedent,

Maxine Nichols, before, hadn't you?

Now, if you expect a yes or no answer to that, Mr. Kramer,

- I refuse to. - Well, in as many words as you like.

Very well, then.

Several years ago, many yacht club members

frequently sailed to Catalina on weekends.

We would usually go to a certain bar there.

When I met Maxine Nichols at the Reid home the other night,

I recognized her as a former waitress in that bar.

To that extent, I used to know her.

Then you were surprised to see her the other night?

Naturally. Although at the time it seemed merely coincidence.

In retrospect, however, I realize that in the past,

she had known Dion Reid as a wealthy man.

Well, now, having found or stolen Lona's purse,

Maxine saw her opportunity, and, uh...

I'm afraid, Mr. Canfield,

the court is not interested in your opinions.

Can you actually explain

how Maxine Nichols obtained the combination to the safe?

No.

No, I can't.

Mr. Burger, I believe

a wrong impression has been created here.

Miss Upton was concerned for her sister's health, not her money.

Oh, Mrs. Reid has been in ill health?

Not physically.

You mean mentally?

No, sir. I mean emotionally.

Ever since the boating accident,

Mrs. Reid has been dedicated to her husband's memory.

It think most people would consider that quite normal.

So my question to you, sir...

Oh, Miss Upton thought it was getting out of proportion.

Now, uh, I never had the privilege

of knowing the late Mr. Reid,

but it's, uh, clear that he was a most unusual person.

Just the same,

five years of mourning could have injurious effects.

Isn't he wonderful?

Injurious effects on Mrs. Reid's health,

or on Mrs. Reid's financial reserve?

Or both, perhaps, but...

Now, who would have the best possible reason

to be concerned about the depletion

of those financial reserves?

Who is Amy Reid's sole heir, for instance?

I'm sorry, Mr. Burger, but as you well know,

the contents of a will are privileged information.

Isn't it the defendant, Lona Upton?

I really can't say.

Well, who is the one person

Mrs. Reid has constantly told you

she intends to take care of

as long as her money holds out?

Do you want me to put Mrs. Reid back on the stand

and ask her who that one person is?

It's the defendant, of course.

Lona Upton.

I met Maxine in Catalina, too.

In those days, I-I belonged to the yacht club set.

In other words, you barely knew the woman, either.

And yet, you took her into your apartment as a non-paying guest?

I didn't know that she'd just been released from prison.

She-she told me that she'd been sick for the past four years.

Isn't it true, Miss Gilmer,

that it was something other than sympathy

that led you to take her in?

Wasn't it something that she knew about your past life?

There's absolutely nothing in my past life,

Mr. Burger, that I am in the least bit ashamed of.

All right, but wasn't there something

that you and Maxine Nichols had in common?

Some memory, perhaps, some person

that you two knew together?

- You mean Dion Reid? - Exactly.

Well, I never felt there was any real relationship

between Dion and Maxine.

And can you say the same thing about yourself, Miss Gilmer?

I-I-I was... in love with him once.

I did everything possible to attract his attention.

So, you see, Mr. Burger,

if you're looking for a reason

for my hospitality...

Maybe I-I took Maxine in so she could...

leaf through my memory book with me.

But I want you to recall the one night recently

when Maxine Nichols did not stay at your apartment.

You-you mean the night that she stayed at the Reids.

Yes. Now, did she tell you she wouldn't be home that night?

Yes.

Yes, she... she phoned me from there.

Would you tell us, please, exactly what she said?

Uh, she said that she had, uh,

stumbled onto something exciting,

and-and that she thought it could mean

money to her maybe.

But she-she really wasn't any more specific

that night than she was the next day when she called me.

Just a minute, please.

Now, Mr. Kramer, certainly you must have some objection

to this of questioning.

I have no further questions

of the witness, Your Honor.

And I have no real objection, Your Honor,

since it does give me the opportunity

to ask about telephone calls.

Where did the decedent

next call you from, Miss Gilmer?

Uh, she said that she was at the yacht club.

That-that was the next afternoon.

And did she say any more to you then about making money?

No. Only that she thought

several people might be in touch with her.

Did she say what people,

or why they might be calling her?

No.

Only that whatever it was that people thought she knew

might be worth a fortune to her.

Hello, Paul.

Hi. I finally got some more dope on Roland Canfield.

- Is it good, Paul? - Perfect.

Arnheim, Haven and Clough just completed

the quarterly audit of their books.

Every nickel's accounted for,

and Canfield put some of his own money into the Reid Foundation.

Well, he must be solvent.

He may have had his ups and downs in the past,

but for now, he's a rich wrong alley.

So, I've been thinking.

Suppose Amy stole her own emeralds,

then hired Maxine to cover up.

I don't believe it, Paul.

If Amy were short of money, she wouldn't pour it

into all of these memorials for her husband.

Not unless she was some kind of a nut, which she is.

Well, what do you think?

Well, I think Amy's a tragic person.

I think she believes the greatest thing

that ever happened to her was her marriage to Dion Reid.

It gave her status.

She was rich, yes, but so were all of her friends.

When Dion Reid drowned,

she kept his legend alive to keep her ego alive.

Okay. So who did hire Maxine to open that safe?

Maybe nobody.

Paul, that film on Dion that Burger introduced earlier...

You mean the one Pete Kamboly put together?

Yeah. I'll arrange with the judge

to have a print made up for us.

I want you to get hold of a film technician.

No problem. What's the point?

Remember there was a girl in the background

in about half of the shots?

I think it was the same girl every time.

Mr. Kamboly, according to your testimony

under direct examination, you admitted knowing

of Fay Gilmer's unrequited affection

for the late Dion Reid?

That's right, but it never got her anyplace.

How can you be so sure?

Dion brushed her off.

Anybody at the club can tell you that.

She even admits it herself.

Well, in this circumstance, would any girl want to admit

being involved with a married man?

Oh, bilge water!

The skipper wouldn't give that kid the time of day.

If the court please, I would like to rerun

certain portions of the film previously introduced by

the prosecution.

Your Honor, may I remind Counsel,

this film was introduced merely as background material?

It was used to establish who was at the Reid house

that day, and the purpose for the gathering.

Nevertheless, Mr. Burger, that film was introduced

as a state's exhibit.

I wish to examine it now.

You're within your rights, Mr. Kramer.

Matron, would you shut the blinds

as soon as this film is ready?

- It's all set up, Your Honor. - Right.

Now, Mr. Kamboly, in just a moment,

we come to a scene of you and Dion Reid aboard his boat.

I want you to pay close attention.

I remember it.

And perhaps you can tell me

if that young lady in the background is Fay Gilmer.

I guess so. Sure.

She was always around.

Well, just so there won't be any doubt in your mind,

I've had the frame stopped and blown up.

Who is it, Mr. Kamboly?

Maxine Nichols.

That's right.

And Maxine is in every scene taken on Catalina.

Now, I ask you, Mr. Kamboly,

wasn't she more than just a cocktail waitress,

more than just a casual acquaintance?

Mr. Kamboly, who besides yourself knew

about his friendship with Maxine Nichols?

I don't know.

The night Dion Reid drowned,

the two of you were together in Catalina,

but he stranded you there and started back alone. Why?

Because he wasn't coming back.

He what?

I just told you. He was cutting out.

And it wasn't because of that Maxine, either.

She was no good, and he knew it.

Did he tell you that?

No. She did.

His wife. When he didn't show up the next morning,

she said, "Petey's gone.

I knew he would leave me someday, and now he's done it."

I'm sorry, Amy.

I just got to tell the truth here.

Pete...

why haven't you told anyone this before?

Why should I?

Then there was this phone call.

It was the Coast Guard.

The only place Dion ever ran away to was the...

the bottom of the Catalina Channel.

Are you happy with what you've done, Mr. Kramer?

Exposing my secret?

Destroying the image of a man who can't defend himself?

Mrs. Reid, I may have destroyed a legend, but that's all.

The destruction of the man himself happened

on the night he was murdered.

Nonsense!

Dion's boat capsized in the channel.

It was an accident.

Then let me ask you this.

When were your emeralds stolen?

You told me you hadn't taken them out of the safe

for five years, so couldn't Dion have been the thief?

And couldn't Maxine have gotten the combination from him,

probably by stealing it?

And wouldn't that put a whole new light on Dion's death?

He was leaving you.

He had your emeralds, or more likely the proceeds from them.

Now, if he simply vanished,

you might discover that the emeralds had been switched.

That's why I'm suggesting that he planned the accident

to give himself plenty of time to disappear.

But his body was recovered.

So was the boat, Mrs. Reid, but not one cent of the money.

So I suggest that Dion Reid's death

was murder... for profit.

By me, Mr. Kramer?

In the middle of the Catalina Channel?

I'm afraid you need a murderer who swims much better than I.

Or someone with a boat.

After he'd scuttled the Dirigo,Mrs. Reid,

he had to get back to shore.

Who helped him?

Did you do that to him, Pete?

That's a stinking lie. The skipper was my friend.

If he'd have asked me to help him

get away, I would have done so.

Objection, Your Honor! I object!

In case Mr. Kramer has forgotten,

the question of Dion Reid's death is not the issue at hand.

This is a hearing into the murder of Maxine Nichols.

But Mr. Burger,

if Maxine Nichols had obtained the combination

of the safe from Dion Reid, she would realized,

when it was discovered that the emeralds were phony,

that he was the one who had switched them.

And can you doubt that she might also have guessed

the identity of his murderer and tried to blackmail him?

Well, it wasn't me.

I was on Catalina all that night, and I can prove it.

Mr. Kamboly, I'm not accusing you!

If you had acquired a large sum of money five years ago,

you wouldn't still be working for a living today.

And as you say, you had an alibi.

Mr. Canfield, where were you on the night of Dion Reid's death?

Or the night that Maxine Nichols was murdered?

I am not going to answer that.

You have no proof, not one shred of evidence.

All you're doing is-is swinging blindly!

Five years ago, Mr. Canfield,

you were in serious financial trouble requiring restitution.

There's ample evidence of that.

And yet, you were able to make restitution.

I sold my boat.

Which barely covered your shortages.

That also is a matter of record.

And yet, a short time later, Mr. Canfield,

you acquired a huge sum of money.

Where did it come from?

I refuse to answer!

I am not on trial here!

Bide your time, Mr. Canfield.

Bide your time.

- Hello. -Hello, Mr. Kramer. - Jeff.

I thought you'd want to hear the most recent developments.

- Yes, yes. - Please.

Uh, where's your sister?

Uh, she's upstairs, but I don't think we should bother her.

All right. Canfield has confessed.

What did he say?

Well, he finally admitted trying to borrow money from Dion,

who agreed, if Canfield would help him

to disappear after his fake accident.

But when Canfield found out that Dion had over $100,000 on him,

it appears he switched more than just the emeralds.

Canfield decided to make the accident real.

Does he admit killing Maxine, too?

Oh, yes, but he insists it wasn't premeditated.

She demanded too much money and pulled a gun

when Canfield tried to scare her.

The gun went off in the scuffle.

He must have nearly fainted

when the police traced that bloody handkerchief to him.

Quite possibly.

If you and Maxine had both had the same type blood,

they might very well have gotten him right then.

- Jeffrey? - Mm.

- What type are you? - I don't know.

Oh, well, you have a blood test when you get married... I think.