All language subtitles for the chalk garden - 1964

In a few minutes,
this woman will be dead.

Who killed her?

Was it the fortune-hunting husband?

I don't know what you're talking
about.

The stepdaughter?

To tell you the truth,
I really didn't know her very well.

The live-in nurse?

She asked me
if I heard a dog howling.

The psychiatrist?

The constant repetition of words
has a hypnotic effect.

The larcenous lawyer?

Just what is your next question --
Where was I when it happened?

Match wits with Ellery Queen
and see

if you can guess who done it.

"She was alone,
alone and apprehensive.

The stillness of the night was broken
by the mournful howling of a dog."

[Dog howling]

"There was the sound of a car
coming down the driveway

and stopping at the entrance."

[Car approaching]

"She hurried to the balcony
and looked down.

There wasn't any car
in the driveway."

RADIO:
Is she afraid to travel by herself?

She? No. This mummy...

[Buzzer]

What's wrong with that?

Some mummies are men.
Some mummies are women.

-It's a strange country.
-What's strange about it, Lou?

Your mummy -- Your mummy --
wasn't she a woman?

I never had a mummy.

What did your father do,
win you in a pageant?

Yes, Mrs. Kendrick?

Did you hear the sound of a car?

A car?

Driving up to the house
just a minute ago.

Well, no, but I was listening
to the radio.

And there was something else
before that -- a dog howling.

A dog howling?

That's what I said, didn't I?

No, I didn't.

Mrs. Kendrick?

RADIO: A man would go out
and leave his door open

with a valuable mummy in the house.
Dr. Zor!

[Dog howling]

[Phone ringing]

Oh, I'll get it.

-Bill?
-ls your father there?

Oh, Stephanie.
No, he isn't.

I can tell by your voice you're lying.
Put him on.

Stephanie, I haven't seen or heard
from him in over a week.

Then you'll have to come over.

I can't be here alone tonight.

I'm afraid.

Of what?

I'll explain later. Hurry.

Stephanie, you're not alone.

The servants aren't here tonight,
and that nurse --

There's something
about that woman I -- I can't s--

[ Footsteps]

Now, Cathy.

Leave now.

I can't.
I've got a date at 8:30.

He'll be here in -- in 20 minutes.

Please, Cathy, I-I need you.

All right, Stephanie,
I'll leave right away.

I don't know what happened!

She wasn't in her room,
and then I looked over the balcony.

Handsome Hubert can't possibly win.

Ellery, he always wins.

Dad, he can hardly stand up.

Ellery, I keep telling you
it's an act.

-One, two...
-Oh, I don't believe it.

Did you see the way
his eyes bulged out

when the Masked Menace
was choking him?

Yes, and I also heard him scream
when the Menace bit his leg

and saw him fall on his head
when he got tossed out of the ring!

Let go!

That's a foul!

Choking!

I keep telling you it's an act.

Inspector --

Not now, Velie.

It's kind of important.

Hi, Maestro.

What's important, Velie?

The richest lady in the inspector's
bailiwick was found dead --

Stephanie Talbot.

Stephanie Kendrick.

After all those engagements, she
got married about six months ago.

What do you mean, dead?

She took a dive over a balcony.

Go ahead, Dad.
I'll see you at home.

Want to tag along, Maestro?

No, I can't.
I want to type up my notes.

She was reading one of your books.

What?

Which one?

"The Adventure of the Lover's Leap"?

Really? And she--

-- leaped?

One, two, three!

And the winner is...
Handsome Hubert.

The best! The best!

I thought these matches
were all fixed.

Ah, it's just a build-up
for a rematch.

[Crowd boos]

My name is Simon Brimmer,

and I have reason to believe

that you witnessed the murder
of Jethro Calkins.

Me? Well, now, hey,
you got the wrong guy!

I happen to know
that you're on parole,

and if I told your parole officer
you've been drinking --

Okay, okay, I'll talk.

The man who killed
Jethro Calkins is --

[Sound Effect Gunshot]
Ugh!

The shot was fired
by a sniper on a roof.

He was an excellent marksman.

My only eye witness... was dead.

This episode
of "The Casebook of Simon Brimmer"

will be continued next week,
same time, same station,

brought to you by Vita-Creme!

The hair tonic that gives
you that shinier shine.

And now a final word
from that master of mystery,

the king of criminologists,
the debonair dean of detectives.

This is Simon Brimmer
saying "good evening".

That rifle shot sounded
like a cap pistol.

And as for the body...

Mr. Brimmer,

I just picked something up
from the newsroom.

Stephanie Kendrick
was found dead.

Kendrick?

The fountain-pen heiress?

Foul play is suspected, I assume?

No details yet.

Well, with all that money,

there's sure to be some fire
to go with the smoke.

According to the local police,
she landed in her driveway,

and then she crawled
a few feet before dying.

That's where the body was found.

By Whom?

Her nurse looked down
from the balcony and saw it.

Her nurse?

-Yeah, she's inside.
-Who else is here?

Her stepdaughter.

We haven't located the husband yet.

"Lover's Leap."

"She hurried to the balcony
and looked down.

There wasn't any car
in the driveway."

She hurried to the balcony
and looked down...

but there wasn't any car
in the driveway.

Anything out here?

Prints on the railing,
but they're all smudged.

Smudged.
Thank you.

"She heard the dog howling again."

What makes you think
it wasn't suicide?

I didn't say it wasn't.

Ellery, I know you pretty well.

We're talking
with the medical examiner,

and suddenly
you leave without a word

and with that look in your eye.

What look?

That look that says
you've got a hunch.

Now, what is it?

People who jump

usually jump from places
a lot higher than that.

-There are always exceptions.
-And another thing --

why did she crawl
away from the house.

Wouldn't you think she'd crawl
towards the house,

to get to her nurse
or to a phone?

If her mind was working
at that point.

But crawling away a few feet
could be a reflex action.

You're probably right.

I'm gonna have a talk with
the stepdaughter. Want to sit in?

No, I'll be down in a minute.

-Have you talked to the nurse?
-Not yet.

-Inspector?
-Yeah?

I've been over that balcony
with a fine-toothed comb, Inspector.

Uh-huh. And nothing?

Nothing but this
little sliver of glass.

Drop it off at the crime lab, Harry.

Dad, wait a minute.

What do you think this is?

I can tell you exactly what it is --
piece of glass.

Just trying to be helpful.

Miss Kendrick,

did your stepmother ever say
or doing anything

that might lead you to suspect
she might have suicidal tendencies?

No, she didn't.

To tell you the truth, I really didn't
know her very well.

Oh?

Well, after my mother died --

I was just a child --

my father and I became very close.

But about six months ago,
he suddenly announced to me

that he was going to marry
this woman I'd never even met.

It knocked me for a loop.

Well, I can understand that.

After the marriage,
I came and lived here for a while,

but we never really talked.

[Door knocking]

Oh, Miss Chandler.

I was told you wanted
a statement from me.

Would you care to sit down?

Thank you.

Miss Chandler, we're interested
in your version

of what might have happened
here tonight.

Well, Mrs. Kendrick
called me on the intercom.

She wanted me to come to her room.
It was about 5 minutes after 8:00.

That must have been just before
she called me.

I remember because I looked
at my watch, and it was 10 after.

Did you check the time,
Miss Chandler?

No, I didn't, but I was listening to
"The Abbott and Costello Show,"

and that went on at 8:00.

Was there anyone else
in the house at the time?

No, no, the couple who works here
had the night off,

and Mr. Kendrick left
early in the evening.

He never did come back.

Now, at 5 after 8:00,
you went to her room.

She wasn't there.

No, I didn't go to her room until
later because she changed her mind.

She said she didn't want me to come.
She was very distraught.

She was very frightened.
She --

asked me if I had heard
a car driving up.

Did you hear a car?

No, I didn't.

That's straight out of my book!

Excuse me, Dad.

Well, I was listening
to the radio, and I--

did have it turned up pretty high.

Did Mrs. Kendrick
say anything else?

She asked me if I heard
a dog howling.

A dog howling?

Yes.

I said I didn't, and she just
switched off the intercom.

Now, when you went to her room --

By the way,
why did you go to her room?

Just to see if she wanted anything.

But she wasn't there.

And then I saw that the door
to the balcony was open.

And I went out.

I looked down...

Here you are, Miss Chandler.

-Thank you.
-You're welcome.

I looked down, and I saw her body.

And when I ran out of the house,
Miss Kendrick was just driving up.

Yes, she told us.
Thank you, Miss Chandler.

Miss Chandler, why did
Mrs. Kendrick need a nurse?

Well, in my opinion, she didn't.

She seemed overly concerned
about her health.

Her only symptoms were
migraine headache and insomnia.

ORGY-

Miss Kendrick,

from the books in the bedroom,

I guess your father's an avid reader
of mystery stories?

How did you know
that they weren't my stepmothers?

Well, her bookplate
is in some of the books.

Aha, and my father's are
in the mysteries -- elementary.

Can you remember,
did she ever read mysteries?

Why are you so interested
in what she read?

Well, your father left
early this evening,

and tonight
a mystery novel was found

in the middle of the bedroom floor.

Are you suggesting

that my father came back here
and had something to do with this?

Oh, no, just exploring
the possibilities.

Did you notice anything cockeyed
out on the balcony,

like a chair that was overturned,

or glass that was broken,
anything like that?

No. No, I didn't.

Right. Well...

I can't think of anything more.

I guess I'll go home
and work on my book.

Oh, does anybody have the time?

11:30.

Good evening.

I thought I told you
to put a guard on the door.

-I did.
-Splendid chap...

...recognized me immediately.

Had no reason to doubt
that you were expecting me.

Velie, show the gentleman out.

I have some very interesting
information for you, Inspector.

Hold it, Velie.

That'll be all, ladies.
Thank you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

What was this I heard

about an overturned chair
and a broken glass?

That ticket of admission you have is
for that very interesting information.

Oh, fair enough.

Let's begin, then.

Jonathan Kendrick,
the missing bridegroom,

has been an extremely unhappy man
since his marriage.

Loved her money, hated her.

She was a shrew,
impossible to live with.

Where do you hear that?

Oh, I made a few phone calls.

To whom?

Actors, people who knew him when.

You see, he was a would-be actor
who never made it.

I auditioned him once years ago,
offered him a small part...

which he turned down.

Well, he's finally gotten
a leading role.

Prime suspect in a police drama.

Anything else?

Not yet, but I'll dig in tomorrow.

That's what I was afraid of.

Taking a shortcut?

I beg your pardon?

I think you've had
a few too many, pal.

Officer, you --

you seem to be laboring
under the false assumption

that I have been drinking.

Maybe you'd better
come along with me.

Why? I was just walking.
I'm not driving.

Oh, yeah, but you're a cinch
to get rolled or hit by a car.

So, come on.

Say, I've seen you before.

I sincerely doubt it.

Sure -- the front page.
You're Jonathan Kendrick.

Oh?

Jonathan Kendrick.

I was playing poker
with some friends, drinking a lot.

I-I don't know what time I left.

But I do know I was, shall we say,
under the influence.

That's why I was wandering around.

I want to know the names
of those poker players.

Excuse me.
I'm a wee bit hung over.

I -- I just don't remember.

Don't? Can't? Won't?

I'm sorry, Inspector. Oh.

Here, this might help.

Hey, thanks.

All right, Mr. Kendrick,
let's try another approach.

Where was the poker party?

It was on Park Avenue somewhere.

It was a new place for the game.

Wait a second.

Ed Harper -- Call Ed Harper.
He was there.

Harper?

Yeah, he's a car dealer,

runs a Hudson dealership
on 6th Avenue.

Now, he'd know what time I left.

He'd better.

May I go now?

I guess so.
Keep yourself available.

By the way, you have our sympathy
on your wife's death.

Oh.

Thank you.

Well, we'll check out his story.

But there's one man who isn't
very upset about his wife's suicide.

If it was a suicide.

[Door knocking]

Come in!

Good day, Inspector.

I passed Jonathan Kendrick
in the corridor.

He seemed very chipper
for a man who just lost his bride.

-See here, Brimmer --
-I've been digging in,

as I said I would, and at this point,
it's my supposition that --

I'm not interested in supposition.
I want facts.

Oh.

Well, I thought you might like
to compare notes.

Well, I wouldn't.

Well, you might change your mind
when you get the coroner's report.

I just read it.

What are you fishing for, Brimmer?

No one reads those reports
before I do.

Well, he happens to be a fan of
my show, and he was quite intrigued

when I told him that this might
provide the springboard

for an episode.

Oh, he was, was he?
Call the coroner.

Sure.

It's not a new idea for a mystery,
as you know, but it always works.

A person is found dead.
It looks like suicide.

It turns out to be murder.

Well, what did the coroner say?

Death was instantaneous.

Then she didn't
crawl off the driveway.

If she died immediately,
somebody had to move the body.

Exactly.

It's obvious.

What we're dealing with is murder.

Yeah.

And I assure you
this is not mere supposition.

The name of the murderer is...

Agnes Weatherby.

Yes, Miss Weatherby,
you killed Jethro Calkins.

She faints,
sound of falling body.

George!

Shall we take it from the top?

Whatever you say.
You're the director.

Right, from the top.

Hit the E.T.

[Record singing plays]
♪ What's the tale, nightingale? ♪

♪ What's the deal, McNeal? ♪

♪ I got a dream guy
Vita-Creme guy with a shine ♪

♪ That makes me squeal ♪

♪ It's the Vita-Creme shine ♪

Let's break.

All right, everybody -- lunch.

-Hello.
-Back in half an hour.

The reason I asked you here,

when I left
your father's office before,

I dropped in for a chat
with the head of the crime lab.

Who happens to be
another fan of yours?

As a matter of fact, he is.

Unfortunately, he's a stickler
for regulations.

Coffee?

No. No, thank you.

And all he would tell me
is that a shard of glass

was found on the balcony.

I assume you've seen
the lab analysis.

Well --

Oh, come, now.

Your father has frozen me out,
but you and I--

we're sportsmen, aren't we?

We're above petty rivalry.

And since I have an intriguing
new lead to offer in exchange...

All right, what is it?

It's your serve, Queen.

The shard is a colorless mixture
of silicon, potash, various oxides,

barium, and manganese.

It's the kind of glass that's used in
fancy crystal ware and art objects.

Isn't barium used to increase
the refractive index of, uh,

eyeglass lenses, for instance?

That's -- That's one possibility.

It's listed in the report.
What's your lead?

J.T. Latimer,
the late lamented's attorney --

he's had severe financial reverses.

The lawyer who probates
an estate the size of this one

will receive an enormous fee.

Think about that, Queen.

I fail to see what my financial
position has to do with this.

Mr. Latimer, you told me
that the Talbot Foundation

gets 2/3 of the estate,
and Mr. Kendrick gets the other third,

so there are no other beneficiaries.

Now, that is correct.

Could you give me a rough idea

of how much you'll get
for seeing this through probate?

That is determined
by the probate judge.

Just what is your next question,
where was I when it happened?

No. When I was out
in the reception room,

your secretary told me that you
were here that night, working late.

She said she left about 8:00.

And I stayed on until 9:30.

I see.

You free for lunch, darling?

Mr. Queen, I didn't know
you were here.

Well, I'm glad you came by
because I was gonna call you up.

I wanted to get the name
of Mrs. Kendrick's doctor.

Norman Marsh.
He's a psychiatrist.

Mr. Queen, perhaps I should explain.

Miss Chandler and I--
we're old friends.

I gathered that, yes.

And when Mrs. Kendrick told me
that she needed a nurse,

I recommended Miss Chandler.

That was a very nice thing
of you to do.

Do you mind if I use your phone?

Not at all.

I want to call Dr. Marsh.

Oh, he isn't there today.

-Are you sure?
-Positive. It's Wednesday.

You know what doctors do
on Wednesday.

Dr. Marsh?

My name is Ellery Queen.

I'm sorry to bother you on
your day off, but if you don't mind,

-I have a couple of questions --
-I do mind.

This is my one day for recreation.

Why don't you call the office
for an appointment?

It's about Stephanie Kendrick, Doctor.

It --
Dr. Marsh, it's abo--

He has great powers
of concentration, Queen.

Tunes out the world
when he's making a shot.

Brimmer, where is that caddy?
It's getting late.

Well, they promised us
the first boy that arrived.

There are none at the moment.

No, there aren't, huh?

Well, I'm not gonna
wait around here all afternoon,

and I certainly am not gonna
carry my own bag!

There's one of the balls up there.

Oh, there's the other one.

Amazing, I'm a very long driver,
and you're right there with me.

Dr. Marsh, you were saying

Mrs. Kendrick found marriage
difficult to adjust to.

Yes, and I probably shouldn't have.

What a patient tells
a psychiatrist is privileged.

Ah, I understand that, sir,
but when a patient's been murdered --

Yeah, that does make a difference,

but I still can't divulge confidences
of a strictly personal nature.

As, for instance, the fact

that you suspected
her husband of being unfaithful?

I will not answer questions
of that sort.

You're away, Brimmer.

Mashie.

Huh? Oh.

Awfully nice of you to caddy
for us, Queen.

I must have strained a ligament
when I teed off.

Dr. Marsh, how well do you know
Mrs. Kendrick's nurse?

I've never met her. Getting a nurse
was Mrs. Kendrick's idea.

Oh, then you didn't think
she needed one?

No. Her physical ailments
were all psychosomatic.

Did she ever imagine
that she was hearing things?

You mean voices?

Oh, anything -- a dog howling
or a car coming up a driveway?

No, no, there wasn't anything
like that.

You're sure?
She would have told you if she had?

Oh, yes.

A patient under hypnosis
conceals nothing.

[Yelling from far away]
Four!

Oh, Brimmer, will you hit your shot?

It's a bit of a twinge in
the shoulder, Doctor, it's fine now.

Uh, Dr. Marsh,
you mentioned hypnosis?

Yes, she didn't respond
to conventional techniques,

so I used deep hypnosis.

I see.

When was the last time
you saw her?

Yesterday afternoon.

Well, is it possible she didn't fully
come out of that hypnotic trance?

No. No, that's inconceivable.

But she might have been in a light
trance, induced by my recording.

React--

Ah, there it is.

And underneath, soothing music,
as prescribed.

It's an experimental technique
I've had considerable success with.

Fascinating.

Extraordinary behavior pattern.

This is Dr. Marsh, Stephanie,
your friend Dr. Marsh.

I'm going to help you to go to sleep,
Stephanie.

The constant repetition of words
has a hypnotic effect.

Your eyes are getting heavy,
and soon they'll close.

That gives you an idea.
It's all pretty much the same.

Is this a recording
of an actual session in your office?

No, I don't have the facilities.

I make these records
at a recording studio.

Oh.

Well, I didn't realize it was so late.
I have an appointment.

A major breakthrough --
the butler didn't do it.

Pop?

The butler and his wife, the couple
that worked for Mrs. Kendrick --

they're in the clear.

Visiting friends in East Orange.

How'd you know?

Mrs. Kendrick told Dr. Marsh,
and he told me.

You know she told him everything,
every detail in her life?

You think
he's withholding something?

Dad, you have the most wonderful
habit of asking leading questions.

And you have the most wonderful
habit of not answering them.

You got a pencil?
Pencil.

For Christmas,
I'm gonna buy you your own phone.

Yeah. Go ahead.

Uh-huh.

Can I help you?

Hey, wait a minute.
You can't go in there!

Inspector.

Miss Kendrick.

Is my father under surveillance,
or isn't he?

Not to my knowledge. Why?

Because he says he's being followed.

It's remotely possible.

In some instances,
my detectives have the authority

to act on their own initiative.

Well, they don't have the authority
to harass innocent people.

We haven't determined
anyone's guilt or innocence

at this point, Miss Kendrick,

and frankly, it's not unusual
for people under great stress

to imagine
that they're being followed.

My father is not the type of person
to imagine things.

Well, I am,
and I'm beginning to imagine

that you're being
overly protective of your father.

How do you put up with him?

Excuse me.
Practice.

You're absolutely sure?

Okay, thanks a lot.

Aww, is it all mine now?

Live it up, Gracie, and buzz him
for me, will you? I got to see him.

Yeah?

Sergeant Velie to see you, Inspector.

Send him in.

Sorry to break in, Inspector.
It's important -- just take a minute.

Cathy, do you know J.T. Latimer,
your stepmother's lawyer?

No, I've never met him.

What about, uh --?

Dr. Norman Marsh,
her psychiatrist?

No, no.

One thing I do know --

my father could never
have done something like this.

You're quite right, Miss Kendrick.
He was playing cards at the time.

The sergeant tracked down
the other players.

They say he didn't leave
until 3:00 a.m.

That's wonderful.

I'm sorry about all this,

but as long as he couldn't remember
what time he left...

I understand.

And I hope you understand why
I had such a chip on my shoulder.

Thank you.
Good-bye.

-Good-bye, Mr. Queen.
-Good-bye.

[Phone ringing]

Inspector Queen.

J.T. Latimer.

Yes, Mr. Latimer?

Oh, I completely understand.
Thank you very much.

He was so upset
by your veiled accusations...

Ohm

That's a quote.

...that he forgot to mention a codicil
to Stephanie Kendrick's will,

another bequest -- $1 million.

Who gets it?

Dr. Norman Marsh, her psychiatrist.

Look at that.

"Police say it's murder."

We didn't even tell the reporters
that we suspected murder.

Five suspects --
one has an alibi that checks out.

Then there were four.

Kendrick wasn't even there
at the time.

Mm.

"Stephanie Kendrick...
fountain-pen heiress...

Long Island" -- we know all that.

He still could have planned it.

What, hired a professional killer?
No, this wasn't a pro job.

I'll tell you who's at the top
of my list.

Yeah, I know -- Dr. Marsh.

Right.

Dad, that $1 million goes
to a research project, not to him.

It's his project.

Who's gonna be watching while
he skims the cream off the top?

Well, I looked into probate fees.

J.T. Latimer gets a minimum
of $200,000,

and let's not overlook the possibility
that his good friend Evelyn Chandler

might have been interested
in helping him get it.

Supposition, supposition.
Now, I want facts.

Cathy Kendrick was there
when Chandler found the body.

It had already been moved
off the driveway.

And that's a good question.

Why was it moved?

I wish I knew.
Have you checked out Cathy's story?

The maid was there
when the call came in,

and she wrote a note

that said she was going to spend
the night with her stepmother.

[Door bell ringing]

Stephanie Kendrick was afraid --
afraid of what?

A car in the driveway
or a dog howling.

You know, it's an odd coincidence

that the characters in the book she
was reading heard the same thing.

She was a neurotic woman.

Neurotics often
have over active imaginations.

Well, that was fast.
What did you do, lose him?

No, sir, he went
to a recording studio on 48th Street.

Dr. Marsh?

Brimmer.

Br-- Simon Br--
You're having Simon Brimmer tailed?

Why not?
He's doing better than we are.

What else, Velie?

Well, I waited in the doorway
across the street.

Perfect concealment, Inspector,
perfect.

-But then when he came out...
-He spotted you.

He said to tell you that he knows
for sure who did it,

and he'll have conclusive
evidence to give you.

Sure, after it comes out
in "The Gazette."

He said he'd let you break the story
on one condition.

That I give him credit, eh?

You have to be at the Kendrick house
tonight at 10:00,

you and the five suspects.

I could be home listening
to "Gangbusters."

The maid cleaned the balcony,
and nothing was broken,

nothing to explain
the shard of glass.

The shard looks
more like a splinter to me.

If only I could figure out
where it came from.

Well, what's the difference?
Brimmer's already solved the case.

Come on, Ellery.
We'll be late.

Late?
Dad, it's only quarter to 10:00.

That dashboard clock is on the fritz.

Huh?

It's two minutes after 10:00.
Come on.

Of course!

I've got it.
How do you have it figured?

Was it the husband,
the stepdaughter,

the lawyer, or the doctor,
or the nurse, or somebody else?

Now, I know you don't think
it was Simon Brimmer.

Or do you?
Anyway, there's a hint.

The body was moved
to make room for something,

and time is of the essence.

Dr. Marsh -- Mr. Queen --

Dr. Marsh, this is my father,
Inspector Queen.

Doctor.

Oh, so, you're the one
who said I had to be here.

I had to cancel several evening
appointments with patients

who were in critical condition.

All my patients
are in critical condition.

I'm sorry, Doctor.

-Where's Mr. Brimmer?
-On the balcony.

-Brimmer.
-Please...

I must have complete solitude
before a broadcast.

And I must have an explanation,

or there isn't going to be
any broadcast.

All in due time, Inspector,

unless you'd rather read
about it in "The Gazette."

We're ready when you are,
Mr. Brimmer.

Well, Inspector?

Let's get on with it.

Thanks so much
for your cooperation.

Places, please.

Dr. Marsh?

Mr. Brimmer?

Good evening.
This is Simon Brimmer.

Before presenting the sequel
to last week's episode,

I have the privilege of bringing
to you the dramatic climax

of a real-life mystery.

It is being prerecorded
in the bedroom

of the late Stephanie Kendrick.

As you know from newspaper
accounts of the murder,

the police have questioned
five suspects.

They're all here now
at the scene of the crime,

and everything you hear will be
spontaneous and unrehearsed.

-I will not stand for this!
-It's illegal!

Let him get on with it.
We can always destroy the record.

Those were the voices
of three of the suspects

and Inspector Queen
of the New York police.

To continue, something that has not
yet been divulged to the public

is that Stephanie Kendrick
had a phonograph recording

which induced sleep, a new
technique in hypnotic therapy.

And what we are dealing with here
is a new technique in murder --

murder by remote control,
committed by someone

who was not even present
when she met her death.

Then who moved the body
off the driveway?

Would you talk
into the mike, please?

Who moved the body
off the driveway?

The gentleman who asked that
is Ellery Queen, the famous author.

Take that out later.

The gentleman who asked that
is Ellery Queen,

a fairly well-known writer
of mystery stories.

Nobody moved it, Mr. Queen.
She crawled a few feet before dying.

The medical examiner
said death was instantaneous.

But being a fallible human being,
he made a mistake, Inspector.

To continue...

It so happens that Mrs. Kendrick
was reading an Ellery Queen mystery

just before she met her death.

Mr. Brimmer, you said
you had conclusive evidence.

This is all supposition.

The book is part of the evidence,
Inspector.

What you're about to hear now

is a portion of the recording
I told you about.

This is Dr. Marsh, Stephanie,
your friend Dr. Marsh.

I'm going to help you
to go to sleep, Stephanie.

Go to sleep.

Go to sleep.

Stephanie Kendrick
listened to that record

sometime before 8:00
on the night of her death.

The hypnotic suggestion worked.
She went to sleep.

And then another record
on the automatic changer

dropped down,

another record with another
posthypnotic suggestion.

That is a lie!
She only had one recording.

No, Dr. Marsh, she had another one,
even though she didn't know it.

Didn't she, Mr. Kendrick?

I don't know
what you're talking about.

But there is a gentleman here
who does.

Would you tell our listening audience
who you are, sir?

Yes, I'm Roy Miller.
I own a recording studio in New York.

Do you see anyone in that group
whoever made a recording there?

Dr. Marsh,
he's made quite a few.

Each one was for a different patient.

And...
that gentleman looks familiar.

Of course he does.
We all look familiar.

You've seen our picture
in the papers.

She's right, Mr. Brimmer.
I could be wrong about him.

So much for conclusive evidence.
I've had enough of this.

Let him go, Dad.

Mr. Miller, you told me yesterday
that most of your customers

are amateur musicians
who come to your studio

to make demonstration records.

Yes, sir.
It's hard to get personal auditions.

Everybody says, "Send us a demo."

Now, tell me -- when they're being
recorded, do you hear them?

No. No, the customer
is alone in a booth,

but I can hear them later.

The sound is hooked up
to a wire recorder in the back room.

-Tell us why, Mr. Miller.
-Well, I--

I got a deal with a guy
in the music business.

He's always looking for new talent.

So, he drops in every week or so,

and I let him listen to everything
that's been recorded.

-Everything?
-Yeah.

I play him a beat or two
of each recording,

and if it grabs him,
he -- he listens through.

If he doesn't, I jump to the next one.

-Thank you, Mr. Miller.
-Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, I, too,
have listened to that wire recorder.

I will now play for you something
that was recorded last week.

This is Dr. Marsh, Stephanie,
your friend Dr. Marsh.

But it isn't Dr. Marsh.

It's someone simulating
the voice of Dr. Marsh,

a man who used to be
a professional actor,

Jonathan Kendrick.

Well, that's -- that's not true.

I -- I didn't make that.

Oh, come now, Mr. Kendrick, even
though you're disguising your voice,

we can all recognize that it's you.

You are sleeping, Stephanie,
sleeping peacefully.

When the clock strikes 8:00, you will
wake up and start reading the book

which is on the table beside you.

Everything happening
to the character in that book

will seem to be happening to you,

and you will do exactly
what the woman in the book does.

Now, I quote from the book,

"She heard footsteps
approaching her door."

When Stephanie Kendrick read that,
she heard footsteps.

"She stared at the door
and saw the knob turning.

Her fear exploded
into unreasoning panic.

She ran out to the balcony
and jumped."

Murder by remote control.

Stephanie Kendrick did exactly
what she was told to do.

She jumped.

Did you make the recording,
Mr. Kendrick?

No, no, just a moment.

You don't have to say anything,
Jonathan.

Yes, I made it.

You're about to hear a confession
from the murderer,

a new first in radio history.

I -- I knew the doctor's record
put her to sleep, it always did.

I put the other record
on the changer, on top of his.

And I left.

In order to establish an alibi
that you were playing poker.

Precisely.

He set up his drunken wanderings,
knowing that sometime the next day

he could go back and destroy
the incriminating record.

After all, why would the police listen
to the recordings on her changer?

How about it, Mr. Kendrick?
ls all this true?

I'm sorry, Cathy. I just --

I couldn't take living with her
any longer.

And I knew she'd never let me go.

Velie?

Excuse me.

Congratulations, Simon.
That's a terrific piece of deduction.

Why, thank you, Queen --
very magnanimous of you.

Unfortunately,
there's only one problem.

You see, Mr. Kendrick
didn't kill his wife.

Nonsense. The man confessed.
You heard him.

Oh, he thinks he killed her and --

his wife did listen to that record,
and she went out on that balcony.

But you're forgetting
that piece of glass.

Extraneous detail.

Not really.

Cathy, what time is it?

Oh, I -- I haven't the vaguest idea.
Is it important?

What's important is the fact
that you're not wearing a watch.

How long have you known?

Oh, I just figured it out
a little while ago.

Inspector, uh...

I killed her.

I -- I can't let you take
the punishment for something I did.

Nonsense. She's --
She's just saying this to protect me.

Absolutely --
she's just trying to protect him.

Mr. Queen,
would you please tell them?

When you arrived that night,

Miss Chandler was running
from the house,

but that was the second time you
came up that driveway, wasn't it?

Yes.

The first time I let myself in.
She -- She was on the balcony.

She was still alive
and very bewildered.

She --

She said she had this strong urge
to jump, but that--

she couldn't bring herself to do it.

The will to live -- she was resisting
the hypnotic suggestion.

She started screaming at me.

And she said that she hated you,

was going to get a divorce,
that she hated me.

And then she started hitting me.

We struggled, and --

and I--
I pushed her over.

It just...

I just stood there, staring down.

Then you noticed that your watch
had been smashed.

I picked up the pieces,
and then I ran downstairs.

I had to drag her off the driveway.

That explains the body being moved,
as she was blocking your car.

You didn't want to back up over it,

nor did you want to leave
tire tracks on the lawn.

And I started to drive home.

But you turned around,
and you came back.

My maid knew I was coming
over here. I had to show up.

So, I pretended that I was arriving
for the first time.

Yeah.

Velie?

The broken glass
was from her watch crystal.

When I asked for the time that night,
she looked at a clock.

Remember she turned around
a desk clock to see what time it was?

That's what gave you a lead?

Why do that if she was wearing
a watch?

But we know that she had been
wearing one earlier that evening.

She told us she looked at it
when Mrs. Kendrick called.

If I had heard her tell you that,
I would have known, too.

Obvious.

The watch was broken,
so she took it off.

There's no way
she could get another one

before she drove back here.

You knew that an hour ago.
Why didn't you tell me?

Dad, you keep saying you want facts,
not suppositions.

Next time I say that, ignore it.

Ah.

All the mikes functioned perfectly,
sir. We got everything.

Break the record.