All language subtitles for Perry Mason S01E31 The Case of the Fiery Fingers

Hello.

What's the matter
with you, Charlotte?

I asked you never
to call me here.

George, I thought you
were coming over tonight.

I couldn't.

Why not?

I'll tell you when I see you.

Why can't you tell me now?

Because my wife is
suspicious, that's why.

I think she has those
letters you wrote me.

I can't find them anywhere.

Oh, you mean you kept them all?

Oh, George, how sweet.

This is suicide, Charlotte.

For all we know, my wife
might be on the other extension.

Now be a good girl and
hang up. I'll talk to you later.

When later?

Tomorrow.

You promise?

I promise. I said, I promise.

I'll call you tomorrow
around 10:00.

George.

I'm sorry you had to
find out this way, Louise.

You mean you're sorry I
had to find out at all. No, I...

Oh, it would have been much more
fun to go sneaking around corners,

lying, cheating your wife.

Please, I...

And it's part of the
excitement, isn't it, George?

Isn't it? If you'd only just...

I hate you for what
you've done to me.

I hate you. I...

Don't you ever do
that again. Let me go.

Let me go!

Vicky, you must ask
Louise to see me.

Talk to her, will you? I
have, George. You know that.

But she's been home from the
hospital a month, a full month,

and she won't let me
anywhere near her.

Be patient. She's
had a rough time.

I know it's my fault
but I've got to see her.

Please, Vicky.

You're the only
one she'll listen to.

I'm sorry.

Well, at least now I
know where I stand.

Excuse me, Miss Braxton, I was
wondering about the vacuuming.

Oh, you can do it
now. Yes, ma'am.

Don't give up hope.
I'll talk to Louise again.

What do you think
you're doing, Charlotte?

"If the mountain won't
come to Mohammed then..."

And my name's Martha.

How long do you think you're
gonna get away with this?

I don't care.

Just being around you is enough.

Are you crazy? Yes, I'm crazy.

Nora Mae.

Oh, good evening, Miss Braxton.

Is Mrs. Gordon awake?

Oh, yes indeed.

I just gave her
the 6:00 medicine.

Fine.

I call it the 6:00 medicine.

That way it's easy to remember.

Of course.

Louise?

Nora Mae said you were awake.

I couldn't sleep.

If only you'd let
me call Dr. Williams.

He might prescribe something.

George has been
talking to you, hasn't he?

Yes.

He wants to see you.

No.

Not as long as he lives.

It's bad enough I
can't divorce him,

but under no circumstances
will I ever see him again.

I don't want anyone coming in here but
you and Nora Mae, do you understand?

Louise, please.

I know it's easy for me to talk.

I haven't been hurt
the way you have.

But you act as though
George deliberately

pushed you down those stairs.

He tried to kill me.

And I'll tell you something
else about my precious husband.

In addition to all
his other virtues,

he's a thief.

He knows I keep
my jewelry in here.

When I got home
from the hospital,

I was too sick to care about it.

But I just opened it again.

Two of my rings

and my diamond and
emerald bracelet are missing.

You think he... Oh, yes. Yes.

Gifts for his
girlfriend. Charlotte.

I don't believe it.

Why, it could have
been, well, anybody.

Who? I-If it were
just a burglar,

why isn't all the jewelry gone?

Vicky, I've made up my mind.

George is only
interested in one thing.

The money he gets from me.

Well, there's to
be no more money.

Not now or ever.

I'm having my attorney
draw up a new will.

Louise...

Don't interrupt.

I'm leaving everything to
the Wayne Medical Center.

Oh, you'll still be provided for

just as you were
in the old will.

You'll still get
your $350 a month.

Really, dear...
Oh, don't thank me.

It's no more than you deserve.

But George won't get a penny.

Don't try to make a
decision like that now.

Wait till you feel better.

Maybe sometime in the future...

Oh, Vicky, don't lie to me.

Lie to you?

We both know I have no future.

Well, my dear, checkmate.

I'm so sorry you lost.

Better luck next
time, as they say.

Now, would you
like to play another?

Oh, do you like these?

Well, they were given to me

by a very close,
personal friend.

A very good-looking man.

He was an artist.

Nora Mae?

Just a minute, please.

Oh, is anything wrong
with Mrs. Gordon?

No, she's all right.
May I come in?

Why, of course.

There's something I
want to talk to you about

and I think we
better do it privately.

You're going to fire me.

No, no. We're very
happy with your work.

Nora Mae, I need your help.

I think there's a way that
we can help Mrs. Gordon

in spite of the way she feels.

Well, good.

I've been talking to a
doctor friend of mine

and he suggests a new medicine.

Problem is, how
to get her to take it.

Oh, you mustn't give it to her

unless her doctor
says it's all right.

They taught me that

when I was a nurse's
aide at the hospital.

But I see you giving
her medicine every night.

Well, that's just a
harmless, old tonic.

I just add hot milk and honey.

Nora Mae, you like
Mrs. Gordon, don't you?

Why, of course.

And you certainly don't
want to see her suffer.

I want you to give
these pills to my wife.

What's this?

Oh, that's just part
of the chess game.

Hmm, interesting.

Good night, Nora Mae.

Perry Mason's office.

No, he isn't.

Yes, I'll see that he
gets the message.

14592.

Thank you.

Morning, Gertie. Oh,
good morning, Mr. Mason.

Is Della in yet?

Yes, she's down the hall in Mr. Drake's
office about the Tompkins' deposition.

She'll be right back.

Tell her I'd like to see her
as soon as she comes in.

You're Perry Mason.

Yes.

I recognized you the
minute you came in that door.

I saw your picture in the
paper a few weeks ago.

My, you're a fine-looking man.

Well, thank you.

I think I need
advice, Mr. Mason.

Well, I'm afraid that...
Oh, I'm willing to pay.

I've always said that when
it's something important,

get the best.

Money's no object.

Perhaps I should refer
you to the Legal Aid Society.

They...

All right.

Maybe you'd better
come in to my office.

Thank you very much, Mr. Mason.

I wouldn't have bothered you except
this man is going to murder his wife,

and it seems to me that it...

What makes you so sure these
tablets are poison, Miss Quincey?

Well, Mr. Gordon,
he acted so funny.

Well, of course, he
could be telling the truth.

Well, he and Mrs. Gordon
haven't been getting along.

She won't talk to him,
won't even see him.

Isn't that a pity?

Now, Miss Quincey, if
you're honestly convinced

that this man is trying to kill his
wife, you ought to tell the police.

But I have.

What did they say?

Well, they were awfully busy.

It was one of their
rush days, I guess.

Oh, but I had a very nice
chat with Sergeant Wallace.

And you showed him the tablets?

No, sir. I never got a chance.

I see.

All right, Miss Quincey.

There are four
tablets in this bottle.

I want you to leave one with me.

You keep the other three.

But under no circumstances

are you to give Mrs.
Gordon any of these tablets.

Do you understand? Good.

I know I've taken up a lot
of your time, Mr. Mason,

and time is money, so...

Oh, my fee?

Well, what would you say
this consultation is worth?

Well, I don't think
a man like you

ought to work for
too little money.

I couldn't agree with you more.

Would $5 be all right?

Just exactly the
figure I had in mind.

Well, good. I've
got it right here.

One, two, three,

four, five, there you are.

Well, thank you, Miss Quincey.

Thank you.

Gracious, I feel better already

just knowing that you could be

worrying about this
right along with me.

Goodbye, Mr. Mason.

Goodbye, dear. DELLA: Bye.

You've been very nice and quiet.

Oh, and thank you for the tea.

Oh, not at all.

What is this fatal attraction you
have for nice, little, old ladies?

Must be my great
capacity for tea.

I suppose she's harmless.

Mmm, I don't know.

There's more to Miss
Quincey than meets the eye.

Those diamonds she
was wearing, for instance.

I thought her
fingers were on fire.

You know, she didn't get
those at the five-and-dime.

Mmm-mmm.

Well, maybe I should
have been a practical nurse.

Sometimes you are.

Well, let's see
what we have here.

Paul Drake Detective Agency?

Mmm-hmm. Give it to Paul.

Tell him I want it analyzed
as soon as possible.

Do you suppose
it could be poison?

Could be.

As I said, there's more to Miss
Quincey than meets the eye.

Hello, Nora Mae.

Did you enjoy
yourself this afternoon?

Well, I was going
to put it back.

A-And the rings, too.

Your wife wasn't using them

and they were so
beautiful, I couldn't help it.

I just wanted to own
them for a little while.

That's all right, Nora
Mae. I understand perfectly.

Of course, the police might
look at this thing differently.

Oh, please, don't
tell the police.

Where are those tablets I
gave you for Mrs. Gordon?

Where are they, Nora Mae?

In my purse.

I suggest that now would be an
excellent time for you to give them to her.

Don't you agree?

But...

But what?

Vicky.

Vicky, help.

What is it, Louise?

Miss Quincey, I have a syringe
in my bag in a metal case.

It's sterile, so be careful.

Never mind.

Excuse me, Lieutenant.

I think this is what you wanted.

Oh, where did you find it?

Just where
Mr. Gordon said it was.

Well, I don't think we
have to keep you people

any longer right now.

Except you, Miss Quincey.

Really, Lieutenant,

I know you have the
wrong idea about this.

I'm sure Nora Mae
can explain everything.

Yes, I'm sure she can, too.

Now, if you'd be good
enough to excuse us.

Now, Miss Quincey,

would you like to tell me
anything about this, uh, jewelry?

Well, I... I borrowed it.

You borrowed it?

Well, it's funny that Mrs. Gordon
didn't tell her husband about it

or Miss Braxton.

It's just costume jewelry.

It's really not worth much.

Well, I never claimed to
be much of an appraiser,

but I'd say it's worth in the
neighborhood of $25,000.

Oh, you must be mistaken.

Did you bring Mrs.
Gordon her milk last night?

Did you put anything in it?

Yes, I did. Some honey.

Mmm-hmm.

What else did
you put in the milk?

Well, just the...

You think I poisoned Mrs.
Gordon for those things?

I'm afraid you'll have
to come with me.

I'll get my things.

Must be Paul.

Hi, beautiful.

Here it is, Perry. The
analysis on that pill.

The chemist just sent it over.

Have you read this? Uh-huh.

It's a stiff sedative,
but that is all.

Well, then it isn't poison.

Definitely not. It would
just put her to sleep.

Yet we can't get around the fact

that Mrs. Gordon died
of arsenic poisoning.

Paul, see what you can find
out about George Gordon.

Della will give you the details.

All right.

Anyone calls me, I'll be
down at headquarters.

Oh, Mr. Mason,

I'm so glad you're here.

Hello, Nora Mae.

Well,

how are they treating you?

Oh, just fine.

Mrs. Carmine, that's
the policewoman,

is just wonderful to me.

Would you believe it?

She's got two
full-grown children.

Of course, there's not much
to do here in the evenings.

They'll never let me
go home, will they?

Now, look, Nora Mae,

I want to help you.

But you've got to
tell me the truth.

Why, of course, Mr. Mason.

You lied to the police,
that's why you are here now.

Oh, I didn't lie.

I just...

Well, I was frightened.

That Lieutenant
Tragg isn't nice.

But you did ignore my instructions
about those pills, didn't you?

Why?

Well, Mr. Gordon made me do it.

I was afraid he'd
call the police.

So you put the
pills into the milk.

What time was that?

It was her 6:00 medicine time.

Did you put something
else into the milk?

Yes.

Some honey and her tonic.

Now listen to me, Nora
Mae, and listen carefully.

The pills Mr. Gordon gave you,

the pills you put into the milk,

were just a sedative.

Just a sedative?

That's all.

But there was also
arsenic in that milk.

There couldn't have been.

Why, I didn't even
give her that milk.

I just waited until I was
sure Mr. Gordon had gone

and then I took that
milk down to the kitchen

and poured it in the sink
and brought her a fresh batch.

You say you did not
give her that milk?

Well, I know I've been naughty,

but I wouldn't do
a thing like that.

All right, Nora Mae.

All right.

The only question is,

how are we going to prove that?

You'll find a way.

Well...

Now, try not to worry.

I take it

you and Louise
Gordon were very close.

Yes, we were practically
raised together.

I'm the only family she had,
except for George, of course.

And you took care of
her during her illness?

Mr. Mason,

I... I realize the case against
Nora Mae is very strong,

but I can't believe
she's guilty.

Then who do you think is guilty?

I understand it was you who
called Dr. Williams that morning.

Yes.

You see, there's
an intercom setup

between Louise's
bedroom and mine.

Around 5:30 in the morning,

I heard her retching
and moaning.

I ran to her room.
She was violently ill.

It was then you
called the doctor?

Who else might have gone
into Mrs. Gordon's room

after Nora Mae
left her that milk?

Louise would never allow anyone
in there except Nora Mae and myself.

Well, let's assume
for the moment

that Mrs. Gordon had already
had some of that warm milk

and had fallen asleep.

Then someone else could
have come into the room,

put arsenic into the carafe.

Being asleep, she
wouldn't have realized that.

This someone else could either
have left her another glass of milk

or Mrs. Gordon could
have awakened later

and poured a glass
of milk for herself.

Yes.

Yes, it could have
happened that way.

Do you think...

Do you think this someone
else might be her husband?

How long have you
known George Gordon?

Excuse me, Miss Braxton.

What is it, Martha?

There's a telephone
call for Mr. Mason.

A Mr. Paul Drake.

Uh, thank you.

Will you tell him I'll see him
at my office in 20 minutes?

I'll tell him.

Where were we?

I was, uh...

I was curious as to how long
you'd known George Gordon.

Couple of years.

Ever since he married my cousin.

How did they get along?

Fine. Until a few months
before the accident.

Then something happened.

She thought he was unfaithful.

Did she consider a divorce?

No, it was against her belief.

But she did plan
to change her will.

Oh? How?

She was going to cut
George off without a penny.

She wanted to leave everything
to the Wayne Medical Center.

Well, wasn't there
a bequest for you?

$350 a month, the
same as it was before.

And if she'd gone
ahead with her plan,

George would've been penniless.

That was her intention.

Was George Gordon
faithful to his wife?

Well, Louise told me

he had a girlfriend
named Charlotte.

I never did learn her last name.

That's what they
fought about originally,

at the time of the accident.

But, in all fairness to George,

I'm sure he hasn't seen
this woman in months.

How can you be so sure?

Well, he practically
never left the house.

All right, Miss
Braxton. Thank you.

You've been very helpful.

Perry Mason's office.

I'm sorry, he's not in yet.

Thank you.

Gertie.

That is 200 calories.

Mr. Mason in?

No, not yet.

Hi, Perry. Hi, Paul.

Just asking for you.

What's up?

I got a line on this
George Gordon.

It might be
something, it might not.

Seems Mr. Gordon's
been married twice.

His first wife died
three years ago

in Sierra City where
they were living.

Her name was, uh, Grace.

What was the cause of death?

Well, the newspaper stories
called it a sudden illness.

We haven't gotten
around to the records yet.

Was there an inquest? No, but
she left him a nice chunk of cash.

$53,000 to be exact.

Does he still have it?

Not a quarter. Came
down here from Sierra City

and invested in a
produce business.

Only now he's got no business.

He's been living on his wife's
handouts for the last year or so,

keeping up a front.

There might be something in it.

Did you get the
name of the doctor

who attended the
first Mrs. Gordon?

Yeah, it was, uh,
Dr. Walter Fremont.

All right, Paul, I want you
to see this Dr. Fremont.

Check out that whole
situation in Sierra City.

You know the kind of
information we need. Mmm-hmm.

And, Paul, we might be
in big trouble on this one.

I'll do my best, Perry.

Yes, I remember Mrs.
Grace Gordon very well.

What, uh... What exactly did
you want to know about her?

Specifically, what
caused her death?

Heart failure.

You were, uh, certain of
your diagnosis at the time?

Well, I signed the
death certificate.

I'd been practicing
for 35 years.

I wasn't suggesting
incompetence, Doctor,

but is it possible that Grace
Gordon was poisoned?

Of course she was poisoned.

She and her husband
had been down in Mexico.

She'd eaten some seafood
and apparently it was tainted.

George didn't want to take
her to a doctor down there,

so he raced home.

By the time I got to her,
she was in a pretty bad way.

Was an autopsy performed?

Oh, why should there be?

I knew the patient
and her husband.

I'd been their doctor
for several years.

One more thing.

During the past three years,

has anyone made a move to have the
body exhumed and an autopsy done?

I've already told you once,

I signed that death certificate.

She got violently ill
from the food she'd eaten.

It put a severe strain on her
heart, and that's what killed her.

That doesn't answer my question.

Well, I'm not answering
any more questions.

Young man, you've had all the
information you're going to get.

Thank you very much, Doctor.

It's all there in
the file, Perry.

The first Mrs. Gordon
died of a heart attack

induced by food poisoning.

Was it food poisoning or
some other kind of poisoning?

I don't know but I
got my suspicions.

Do you think we're
dealing with a bluebeard?

Della, one thing
about bluebeards,

they generally have
their next wives picked out

before they put away
their present wives.

Paul, I have
another job for you.

Gordon and his wife had a
battle over a girl named Charlotte.

Charlotte who?

I don't know, but I
want you to find her.

Well, it's not gonna
be easy, you know.

I know that, but I
want you to find her.

"Grace Gordon, deceased."

The facts and circumstances surrounding the
poison murder of Louise Gordon, deceased.

We will prove beyond
any possibility of doubt

that the defendant,
Nora Mae Quincey,

who occupied a position
of trust in the Gordon home,

willfully and with premeditation

administered arsenic poison
to Mrs. Louise Bainter Gordon.

Further, ladies and
gentlemen, we will prove

that the defendant was motivated

by a desire to kill Mrs. Gordon

in order to cover
up her own theft

of $40,000 worth of
Mrs. Gordon's jewelry.

Would you please
tell us, Dr. Williams,

what happened when you arrived

at the Gordon home that morning?

Well, it was obvious to me

that Mrs. Gordon
had been poisoned.

So I did what I could,
but she was too far gone.

She died about 20
minutes after I arrived.

Did you know of your own knowledge,
Doctor, what the poison was?

Yes, it was arsenic.

I ran a test on the milk
I found in the carafe.

This carafe? Yes.

Doctor, just one more question.

You have testified
that Mrs. Gordon

was seriously crippled
as the result of a fall.

Did that mean she
didn't have long to live?

No. On the contrary, Mr. Burger,

despite Mrs. Gordon's accident,

she had a normal
life expectancy.

Then we might say that if
the murder had not happened...

Oh, yes, she could have lived 30
or 40 years, all things being equal.

I see. Thank you, Doctor.

Your witness.

Now, let me
understand you, Doctor.

You say that you
yourself tested the milk

that remained in that carafe?

Yes, I did.

You ran a Marsh
test for arsenic?

Yes.

Did you test the milk
for anything else?

Well, I found traces of a tonic,

one I'd prescribed
for Mrs. Gordon.

Now was the arsenic in that
milk a particular kind of arsenic?

Yes, it was arsenic trioxide.

Arsenic trioxide is similar
in taste and appearance

to powdered sugar, is it not?

Somewhat, yes.

Now, in your
opinion, Dr. Williams,

if a fatal dose of that
particular kind of arsenic,

say, anywhere from
5 to 50 milligrams

had been added to a glass
of hot milk, tonic and honey,

would its presence or taste in that
glass of milk be easily discernible?

Well, I would say
that the honey itself

was enough to cover
up or disguise the taste.

Thank you, Doctor. That's all.

Is this the bottle
that you removed

from the Gordon
home, Lieutenant Tragg?

Yes, sir, it is.

It was in a cabinet
in the kitchen.

What called your attention
to this particular bottle?

Well, it was pretty
hard to miss, Mr. Burger.

The label says poison

and one of the main
ingredients listed is arsenic.

I see what you mean.

After you'd removed
it from the home,

what did you have done to it?

Well, it was tested for
possible fingerprints.

Did you find any prints? Yes.

We found a clear thumb
and forefinger print.

I ask you now if those
prints have been identified.

Yes, they have.

And to whom did they belong?

Miss Nora Mae
Quincey, the defendant.

Thank you, Lieutenant.
Your witness.

Lieutenant Tragg,

what time did you arrive
at the scene of the crime?

Oh, about 25 minutes
after the doctor called us.

I assume you made a search
of Mrs. Gordon's bedroom?

We certainly did.
A thorough search?

A thorough search.

And found nothing to indicate

that Mrs. Gordon might have
taken that arsenic herself?

No, nothing.

All right.

Let's go on to the storage
cabinet in the kitchen

where you found
that bottle of arsenic.

Was the storage cabinet

prominently placed
in the kitchen?

Well, I don't know what you
mean by prominently placed.

Well, I mean, was
it easy to reach,

or did you have
to use a stepladder

or stand on a chair to reach it?

No, it was easy to reach.

Then it was prominently placed

and easily accessible to
anyone else in the house?

In those terms, yes.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

Now, uh...

Did the analysis on the
contents of this bottle

show any particular
kind of arsenic?

Yes.

Yes, arsenic trioxide.

Was, uh,

was this the only
bottle in that cabinet?

No. No, sir.

There were two
bottles of bleach,

a bottle of starch,

and a bottle of cleaning fluid.

In other words, what we
might call household chemicals.

Yes. Yes, sir.

Now, Lieutenant,

do you know what Miss Quincey's
job was in the Gordon household?

Why, of course.

She was a practical nurse there.

Are you aware of the
duties of a practical nurse?

Well, some of them.

Now, some of these duties,

such as keeping the
sickroom and its environs clean,

might involve the use of household
chemicals, wouldn't you say?

I suppose so.

And wouldn't you also agree

that in order to do her
job as a practical nurse,

Miss Nora Mae
Quincey had to handle

the contents of that
cabinet almost every day?

Objection, Your Honor.

Calling for a conclusion
of the witness.

Sustained.

The jury will
disregard the question.

Thank you,
Lieutenant. That's all.

I gave Nora Mae four tablets

and asked her to
give them to my wife

without telling
Dr. Williams or anyone else.

What was in these tablets?

There was a sedative.

Mr. Gordon, would
you explain for us

some of the occurrences
leading up to this action of yours?

Well...

My wife and I hadn't been
getting along for quite some time.

And before I knew
what was happening,

I found myself involved
with another woman.

And your wife found out
about this affair of yours?

Yes, she intercepted
some letters

and she overheard a
telephone conversation.

I see.

And, naturally, she
turned against me.

Would you speak up, please?

I said, she turned against me,

to the point where
I wasn't permitted

to come anywhere near her room.

I meant for those
tablets to put her to sleep

so that I could get into her
room and find those letters.

Were you successful
in this enterprise?

No, sir.

I, uh, looked into her room
several times during the evening

to see if the sedative
had taken effect,

but it hadn't.

And the last time I looked,

which was rather
early in the morning,

she was terribly sick

and Vicky had already
called the doctor.

Oh, this was the
morning of her death?

Yes.

Mr. Gordon,

when you asked the defendant

to give the sleeping tablets
to your wife, did she agree?

Yes, she did.

Did you actually see her
put them into the milk?

Yes, sir.

Well, did you have
to threaten her

or anything like that
to get her to do this?

Oh, no. Not at all.

That's not true.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Burger,

she seemed quite
anxious to help.

Naturally, she did,

because that enabled her
later to try to blame it on you.

I object, Your Honor.

Sustained.

Your witness.

Mr. Gordon,

did you ever know a
woman named Charlotte?

No.

Are you sure, Mr. Gordon?

Positive.

Wasn't she the woman you
and your wife quarreled about?

No.

I'll ask you once
again, Mr. Gordon.

Didn't you and your wife quarrel
over a woman named Charlotte?

We did not.

What was the name
of the woman involved?

Mary Smith.

It's hardly an unusual name.

She was hardly an unusual girl.

Yet you apparently
saw a great deal of her?

No, I only saw her a few times.

It was a casual thing.

Have you any idea where we
might find this, uh, Mary Smith?

No, she moved to Texas
a couple of months ago.

We'll let that pass
for the moment.

Now, Mr. Gordon,
after your wife died,

did Dr. Williams tell you that her
symptoms indicated arsenic poisoning?

Yes, I believe he did.

Of course, you were
familiar with those symptoms?

No.

You mean, you'd
never seen them before?

Certainly not.

Mr. Gordon,

at the time your first
wife, Grace Gordon,

died in Sierra City,

didn't she have
the same symptoms

as those indicated in the death
of your second wife, Louise?

Say, w-what is this?

My first wife died as the
result of food poisoning.

Was there an
autopsy at that time?

No. Why should there have been?

But there was an
autopsy performed

on your second
wife, wasn't there?

For the purpose of proving that
she had died of arsenic poisoning?

Yes.

How long were you
married to your first wife

before her death?

About two years.

And your second wife?

About the same length of time.

Mr. Gordon, did your
first wife leave a will?

Yes.

And who was chief beneficiary?

I don't see... Answer
the question, please.

She left her money to me.

All of it. $53,000.

Thank you, Mr. Gordon.

Oh, how much will you profit

by the death of
your second wife?

I hear that she left
around a million dollars.

There'll be order in the court.

Your Honor,

on the basis of testimony
given by this witness,

I ask that this trial
stand in recess

until such time as the body of
Mr. Gordon's first wife, Grace Gordon,

can be exhumed and
an autopsy performed.

If Your Honor please.

Yes, Mr. Burger?

Apparently, defense
counsel takes a very dim view

of the efficiency of the
district attorney's office.

If we may be allowed
to call our next witness,

I'm sure we can
settle this matter

to the court's
entire satisfaction.

All right, Mr. Burger.

The witness will stand down.

Very well, Mr. Burger.

I call James Meecham
to the stand, please.

James Meecham, to the stand.

Raise your right hand, please.

Do you solemnly swear the
testimony you're about to give

in the cause now
pending in this court

to be the truth, the
whole truth? I do.

State your name. James Meecham.

Be seated.

James Meecham,
where do you reside?

It's Dr. James Meecham.

I reside in Sierra
City, California.

And what, if any, is your
official position there?

I'm the coroner for the county.

Did you recently exhume
the body of Mrs. Grace Gordon

and perform an autopsy on it?

I did. At the request of
the Los Angeles police.

And what were your findings?

Chemical and
other tests revealed

that the subject died
of natural causes.

Were there traces of
arsenic or of any other poison

found in those remains?

None whatsoever.

Thank you very much,
Doctor. That's all.

Your witness.

Doctor,

you said that in your
autopsy of Mrs. Grace Gordon,

you found no
traces of arsenic...

That is correct.

Just a moment, Doctor.

I was about to say that in
your autopsy of Grace Gordon,

you said you found no trace
of arsenic or other poisons?

That is also correct.

Did you test the
body for cyanide?

We couldn't.

Couldn't, Doctor?

The, uh, the body was
embalmed, you see,

and the process destroys
all trace of cyanide.

So when you said you found no
trace of arsenic or other poisons,

that was incorrect?

No, that was correct.

I simply wasn't asked if we
could have found other poison.

But you have been asked
now, haven't you, Doctor?

Yes, I have been asked
and I have answered.

Thank you, Doctor. That's all.

The witness may stand down.

Call your next
witness, Mr. Burger.

I call Vicky Braxton
to the stand, please.

Miss Vicky Braxton, please.

Your Honor, it's almost 5:00.

While I don't know how long
Mr. Burger will take on direct,

I know my cross-examination
will be quite lengthy.

May I suggest we adjourn?

Mr. Mason knows
that I'm always willing

to give him all the
time he requires.

I have no objection, Your Honor.

Court stands adjourned
till 10:00 tomorrow morning.

Mr. Mason, may I
talk to Nora Mae?

Why, yes, I think so.

How do you feel, Nora Mae?

Just fine.

Did you see my picture
in the paper today?

Yes. It was very nice.

Mrs. Carmine, the police matron,

rounded up a
dozen copies for me.

You'll have to come along
with me, Miss Quincey.

See you all tomorrow.

Mr. Mason, if there's
anything I can do...

As a matter of fact, there is.

You heard Mr. Gordon's
testimony about those love letters?

Well, he claims he never
got them from his wife's room.

The police didn't
find them, either.

You think they might still
be there? Well, they must be.

Can you think of any place your
cousin might have hidden them?

A secret hiding
place of some sort?

Perhaps if you were
in the room itself?

All I can tell you is I'll try.

That's all I ask.

All I can say, it wasn't very smart of
Mr. Gordon to save letters like these.

Well, people in love aren't
usually noted for using their brains.

Where'd you find
them, Miss Braxton?

Taped to the back of the
mirror in Louise's bedroom.

Did you run across
anything else?

Yes. This photograph
was with the letters.

Isn't that the maid,
Martha Baker?

But shouldn't Mrs. Gordon
have recognized her?

Louise never saw her.

No one was allowed in the
room but Nora Mae and myself.

Della, Mmm-hmm.

I want this Charlotte, alias Martha
Baker, in court tomorrow morning.

Tell Paul to get a
subpoena. Right.

Miss Braxton, you were the
one who called Dr. Williams

on the night your cousin,
Louise Gordon, was poisoned.

Is that correct? Yes, I did.

And you were the one to whom...

And you were the one to whom
she confided the loss of her jewelry?

Yes, sir.

What was her general
reaction to losing the jewelry?

Well, naturally, she
was upset, very upset

about that and other things.

What do you mean, other things?

She was going to
change her will. I see.

But she was disturbed
about the loss of the jewelry?

Yes.

And she intended to
report it to the police?

Your Honor, I object.

Mr. Burger wants the witness

to tell us what was
in Mrs. Gordon's mind.

Sustained.

I have no further
questions at this time.

Miss Braxton,

did you visit my
office last night?

I did. For what purpose?

I wanted to turn over some
letters to you and a photograph.

Are these the letters?

Yes, sir.

And is this the photograph? Yes.

Thank you.

Your Honor, I should like
these marked for identification.

Thank you.

Miss Braxton,

would you read the
inscription on this photograph?

It says, "George, with
all my love. Charlotte."

Do you recognize this woman?

I do.

Under what name do you know her?

Martha Baker.

And how was Miss Baker employed?

As a maid in my cousin's home.

Who did the actual
hiring of Miss Baker?

I don't know what you mean.

Well, did Mrs.
Gordon do the hiring?

No, she left that to me.

Obviously, you didn't check
Miss Baker's references.

I'm afraid I was careless there,

but, you see, we were so
desperate for help... Of course.

Now, Miss Braxton,

would you please tell the court

where you found these
letters and this photograph?

Taped to the back of a
mirror in Louise's bedroom.

Well, if you did, you must
have put them there yourself

after the murder.

What are you talking about?

Well, I suggest you
had them all along.

I suggest you deliberately
hired Martha Baker,

knowing full well she was George
Gordon's girlfriend, Charlotte Lynch.

Why should I do that?

Because more than anything else,

you wanted to involve
George Gordon.

You wanted to see him
convicted of his wife's murder.

That's a lie.

I had absolutely
nothing to gain.

All she left me was
my regular allowance,

the same I'd been
getting all along.

Even that worked
out for you, didn't it?

If you had been
chief beneficiary,

the police would have
investigated you immediately.

This way they felt
you had no motive.

I didn't. But you did.

You knew if George Gordon
was convicted of his wife's murder,

everything would go to you

as Mrs. Gordon's
only living relative.

I tell you, you're wrong.
I could have waited.

Waited for what?

You must've known that despite
the fact your cousin was crippled,

she could've lived another 30 or
40 years. You must have known that.

But you felt you were
just a poor relative.

You couldn't wait that long.

Isn't that the way you felt?

Until the day she died,

I was nothing but
a poor relative.

She wore her money
like some kind of a badge.

A badge I could never have.

It was my one chance to be
free, don't you understand?

To be paid back for
the years I'd given her.

I should've known
it wouldn't work out.

Not for a poor relative.

Oh, dear. This is so difficult.

I'll have that.

Oh, and one of those, too.

You wouldn't think so,
but I have a sweet tooth.

I never would've guessed it.

You know, Mr. Mason,

one thing still puzzles me.

Oh? Only one?

How did you know

that poor Miss Braxton
was lying about those letters?

Well, you heard Lieutenant
Tragg's testimony.

He said that he'd given
Mrs. Gordon's bedroom

a thorough search
and found nothing.

And when Tragg says

he's given something
a thorough search,

why, I'll take his word anytime.

You'll find that out when you
know Lieutenant Tragg better.

Well, I have no desire to.

Do you know what that man did?

He had the nerve... Nora Mae.

I'm sorry.

Actually, I wasn't
worried for a minute.

Except for one thing.

Uh, my fee?

Well, uh, what do
you think is fair?

Well, I paid you
$5 the first day.

It was high, but
it was worth it.

What do you think now?

Well, I want to
do the right thing.

After all, I could've
gone to prison,

or even worse.

Would $25 be all right?

Just exactly the
figure I had in mind.

Well, good. I've
got it right here.

One, two...