Original subtitles

At least Mr. Dandrige is getting a fair price for his place.

At his age, it must be hard to lose at home by condemnation.

- It isn't easy at any age. - Will we still be on time for the curtain?

- I hate to go in a theater late. - No problem.

We'll get the papers signed and be back here in ten minutes.

See, there's plenty of time to reach the theater.

When you said we'd only be gone...

Ten minutes.

Why, just ten minutes.

"Five tires, wheels and hubcaps, generator, sun visors,

cigarette lighter, radio, rear speaker, twin horns, battery,

front and rear floor mats, convertible top,

clock, steering wheel, side-view mirror."

That's it, Your Honor.

Mr. Mason, since it's your property that's been stolen,

I assume you're pressing charges.

Your Honor, in talking with Sergeant Roddin,

I told him I would do just that.

But I wasn't aware at the time that a juvenile was involved.

What's that got to do with it, counselor?

Your Honor, there's more at stake here than one boy and one offense.

There were 35,000 car clouts, strippings, in Los Angeles last year.

We haven't been able to crack the problem. This gives us our first chance.

But the only charge you're making against this young man

is that he pawned a stolen article, a camera belonging to Mr. Mason.

I'm aware of that, Your Honor, but the camera was in the car.

Mr. Mason can testify to it.

And that's our break.

It's impossible to identify stolen auto parts most of the time,

there are no serial numbers.

But Mr. Mason had the lens serial number of the camera.

This boy attempted to pawn it.

What does the District Attorney's office have to say.

Well, obviously, Your Honor, we want Mr. Mason's co-operation,

and we were led to believe we'd get it.

I'm afraid I have to pause

before I assist in stamping a felony conviction on an 18-year-old boy,

simply because he tried to pawn a stolen camera.

- Welfare, do you have anything? - Yes, Your Honor.

It's right here in my report.

Well, let's see.

Classified as incorrigible at the orphanage.

Placed in four foster homes, one right after the other.

Finished high school last June with honors.

Picked up twice for violation of curfew. No record.

Your Honor, I agree.

You don't treat a kid like an adult with a record

but they've got to learn you pay for what you do.

Of course they do.

I think every man and every offense has to be judged individually,

on its own merit.

Yes, I have a personal loss at stake and the police have a case at stake,

but this young man also has his whole future at stake.

Lennie, where did you get that camera?

Sir, I was gambling, craps.

And this kid, he lost.

Well, he paid off with the camera.

Your Honor, I'm sorry.

Sorry that you were gambling,

sorry that you tried to pawn stolen goods,

or that you got caught?

All three I suppose, sir.

I have here a statement from a Mr. William Sikes,

offering you employment

and I have the welfare department's investigation and endorsement.

- Do you know Mr. Sikes? - Yes, sir.

I'm William Sikes, Your Honor.

And if you'll let Lennie go, and if he's willing to work hard,

I'll guarantee you that he'll be too busy to get into any more trouble.

Let him go?

In a sense, that's up to you, Mr. Mason.

I'm not going to press charges, Your Honor.

Lennie, I'm going to release you from custody.

But don't mistake Mr. Mason's gesture

or my judgment as license to tempt fate again.

Continue hanging out with the kind of friends

who shoot craps and steal cameras and you're going to be back again.

- There better not be a next time. - I promise you, sir. There won't be.

My commendations to team one.

Remarkable performance, well within our allotted time.

However I need not admonish team two.

You yourselves know what would be occurring at this very moment

if the men in blue, rather than your friend and mentor,

had caught you in the act, as they say.

And so I would suggest to both teams

that considerable additional time drill would not be amiss.

Right?

Now, I believe our refreshments are served.

These are your compañeros?

But they are so young, they're boys only.

Senor Huggins, why?

Senorita Reales, obviously you do not understand our form of justice.

You see, if an adult commits even the smallest infraction,

he is likely to go to prison.

But a boy, a juvenile, especially if he is clean-cut, well-mannered

and underprivileged,

well, that's an entirely different story.

And now, senorita, can we get down to our business?

How many pair of bucket seats can you use?

How many can you deliver?

Almost any reasonable amount.

Delivery is no problem and Bill Sikes is most efficient, as you well know.

The price locally is $500 a pair.

I cannot pay you more for delivery in Mexico.

Have you been asked to?

As you know, I am a collector of Tehuantepec art.

The Mayan and the Aztec are rather crude, common.

But your Tehuantepec pieces,

- marvelous. - And rare.

But obtainable.

As were all the other pieces you sent me from Bill Sikes.

I'm thinking of a figurine I admired at an exhibition in Mexico City.

You cannot mean a catalagado, a museum piece.

If I were to send such a thing out of Mexico

and be detected by the authorities, I would be put in prison.

If you were detected,

but there's no reason for you to be.

Ah. A little stray lamb,

one who was lost is returned to us.

Thanks to that lawyer we hit, Perry Mason.

- He believes in rehabilitation. - Isn't that nice?

But, laddybuck, when Billy and I return

from our business consultation with Senorita Reales,

you and I must have a little man-to-man talk about

this penchant of yours for taking and holding out serial-number items.

- But, sir, it wasn't my fault, I... - Later.

Senorita?

Uh, Jody, you and I have to have a little talk too, later.

- You dirty fink. - I didn't fink.

I didn't tell the cops anything.

Oh, no, but you told Bill how you won that camera from me.

- Maybe I should have, but I didn't. - You're a liar.

- Get him, Jody. Get the fink. - No, not now.

But some day, fink, I'm gonna take care of you.

After 20 years on the force you'd think I'd learn,

when the do-gooders of the world beat you

you've gotta forget it.

- But it eats on me, Clay. - So tomorrow's another day.

You know, I forget who said it, probably a wise Irishman,

but it was good advice.

He said, "It is defeat that turns bone to flint and gristle to muscle,

and makes men invincible.

You are never so near to victory as when defeated in a good cause."

I'm gonna have that framed and put over every detective's desk.

But first I think I'll have you repeat it to Perry Mason.

Sorry.

I smell something burning in the kitchen.

Hello, Sergeant Roddin.

- This is Miss Street. - Miss Street.

- How do you do? - Won't you join us?

Thank you.

You bugged out on me this morning, counselor,

after you promised me I could count on you.

Sergeant, Lennie Beale told you

nothing to link him to a car-stripping ring.

You had no other evidence.

Seems to me that you'd learn more by keeping an eye on him

if he is involved,

than by settling for a possible conviction on pawning a stolen article.

I see.

Your interest was in doing what was best for the police department.

You know what a felony conviction would do to that boy?

For the rest of his life, he wouldn't be able to vote,

to hold a civil-service job, to live outside the country.

Nothing but a pardon could erase that record.

Now, isn't it worthwhile to try to save him from that?

Hi, Della, Perry.

- Hello, sergeant. - Hi.

If you'll excuse us, I have to speak to Perry a minute.

Pardon me.

Everything's set in Atlanta, you're gonna have to find out a way...

I don't know how well you know my boss,

but take my word for it, what he did this morning wasn't easy for him.

Miss Street, you're smart and you're pretty,

and you're loyal to defend your boss.

He doesn't need me to defend him, he can speak for himself.

I know. I heard him this morning.

But talk is cheap.

Well, fixing his car isn't cheap.

It'll cost $1,700, money he won't get back from the insurance company

because they don't pay off if he refuses to press charges.

- He didn't mention that. - He wouldn't.

He doesn't put a price tag on his conscience.

Robin.

Man, you look delectable.

I was all set to bawl you out for being late

and I took one look at you and, well, what's a guy gonna do?

Did you take care of that, uh, favor for me, Tom?

Did you ever ask me for anything you didn't get? Ha, ha.

- It's all set, starting tomorrow. - Aw, thanks, Tom.

- You're sweet. - Oh, Robin,

there's a kid waiting for you in your dressing room.

Oh, if it's that Jody, you're gonna have to throw him out...

No, no. It's the other one.

- The quiet kid. - Oh, okay.

- Hi. - Hi, Susie.

Susie, baby, I got an idea you're not gonna be around here much longer.

Why, what did I do wrong, Mr. Loman?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You did everything just right.

You looked right, you smiled right, you moved right.

So that's why I say you're gonna be leaving for Broadway or pictures.

I've been thinking about it all day, Robin.

Why did this Mason do it?

What was there in it for him? What was his angle?

Lennie, everybody doesn't have to have an angle.

Just figure he was trying to give you a break.

Light me a cigarette, will you?

I think maybe they're in my pocketbook.

The thing is, Robin...

The thing is, Robin,

he acted as if he wasn't worried about what the cops thought,

or the judge.

But he was...

He was worried about me.

Lennie, what we say, it doesn't go any further, right?

Because, well, Bill's a funny guy.

You don't have to worry about Bill. If he touches you...

This guy, Lennie, he gave you a chance today.

And if you have any sense,

you'd take it and break with Bill and Ben Huggins, now.

And go where? Do what?

Well, you could...

Hey, start with this Mr. Mason.

He's smart, a lawyer and all, he could give you some advice,

maybe help you find a job.

It's too late.

No, for me, it's too late.

But not for you.

You're not much older than I am, you know.

It's not like I was a kid or something.

"Not much older," but I love you for saying so.

Lennie, you know the club manager, Tom Loman?

He's an awful nice guy, a gentleman.

He'd do anything for me.

Well, three years ago, he asked me if I'd marry him.

I should have done it.

But now I can't.

I couldn't let Tom in for the trouble he'd get from Bill.

Hold on there.

- I don't like to be manhandled, Loman. - Then stay out of here.

I've told you I don't want you hanging around my place.

What's your problem?

You still making calf eyes at my girl?

Why don't you act your age?

Robin, if I did,

you know, get clean, maybe go to this lawyer,

I'm gonna be 18 pretty soon and...

What's a few years difference when two people are...

Oh, Lennie, you do like I told you.

You get out of this mess and make a life for yourself?

You're beautiful.

Now, promise me.

You're gonna do what I told you, don't wait.

There'll never be a better time than now.

Bill, I tried to reach you this afternoon but you were gone.

It's all fixed.

Tom said the job's open in the parking lot.

- I told him it was for my cousin. - Good.

That's good, baby.

Hold it, Lennie.

From now on, I'm not gonna let you out of my sight.

We're gonna stick together, close together.

I was under the impression I had made it clear that I don't want company here.

- Not you, not them. - All right. All right.

We were in the neighborhood and I had an idea for you, a good idea.

You're thinking too much, Billy.

Lately you've had too many ideas and that's my department.

All you have to do is what you're told. - Okay, Ben. I'm sorry.

And believe me, from now on you can be a hermit.

But just try to listen to what I've got to say.

I've listened, Billy, and it makes me uneasy.

A shoemaker should stick to his last.

Cars are simple and safe.

We have a system.

I don't like taking chances and houses are dangerous.

But this can't miss.

The boy at the parking lot picks out the car.

He makes a duplicate of the house key.

He gets the address from the registration,

we go there and clean the place.

And what if the mark should return home unexpectedly?

Well, he can't.

Our boy at the parking lot has to bring him the car.

If he does, he calls us at the location.

Plenty of time to get clear.

It's a piece of cake, Ben.

You say Robin arranged the job as parking attendant for Tick.

- You told her why? - Well, I had to.

Look, you can trust Robin.

- She's all right. - But she's a woman, Billy.

And in an enterprise such as ours, I dislike having to trust a female.

Well, trust me, Ben. It's all set and it'll be okay.

Very well, Billy.

On your responsibility, we shall proceed.

Good.

Lester,

will you remain for a moment, please?

- Pardon me, uh, are you Mr. Mason? - Miss Spring?

I believe you said you're a friend of Lennie Beale.

I shouldn't even be here, if anybody found out...

But you did call me and you are here.

Now, why?

Because Lennie said you gave him a break.

Only if he takes advantage of it.

He's a good kid, Mr. Mason and he'd like to do what you want,

but he's afraid.

I want you to be honest with me, Miss Spring.

The police believe Lennie's involved with a car-stripping ring.

The police are right, aren't they?

Aren't they?

Knowing that you still wanted him let go?

Well, I thought I saw something worth saving.

I was willing to take a chance on reaching him.

You did reach him, Mr. Mason.

Then there's only one way for him to help himself,

that's to tell the police everything he knows.

And go to jail for 10, maybe 15 years?

Well, I've stuck my neck out this far.

I'm willing to go a little further if you'll go along with me.

- How? MASON: I'll ask the District Attorney

to give Lennie immunity if he testifies.

If the District Attorney agrees, I'll get back to you.

- It's the only way? - That's the only way.

Yes, I heard how well you co-operated, counselor,

with the police when they wanted you to bring charges against that boy

that apparently helped strip your car.

Now, you want me to co-operate with you?

Didn't anyone ever tell you, Perry,

about co-operation being a two-way street?

And why should I believe this girl, why do you believe her,

if you really do?

Do you really think that Lennie Beale is gonna walk in voluntarily

and give evidence against his friends?

I'm hopeful Robin will persuade him to do just that, if you'll go along.

You know, present enforcement isn't working.

Maybe this way, you can at least make a dent in the statistics.

Well, you've got a point there.

All right.

If Lennie Beale turns himself in voluntarily

and gives evidence against this ring,

you can tell him he's got his deal, full immunity.

- Hey, cut the light. - Relax.

We work in comfort.

Now, Tick's in the parking lot and if the people leave, he'll ring us.

One ring, then he'll hang up and he'll ring again.

Well, let's go to it, all of you. Come on.

Hey, Bill. SIKES: Hmm?

You want this?

Yeah, yeah, it's the kind of thing Huggins gets a bang out of.

We'll make him a present.

Lennie!

Where do you think you're going?

- To bring the van up. - Well, you just stick with me.

Cut the pictures out of the frames.

Well, come on, you guys, move. Move.

- Yeah. - Clear out.

You gotta clear out of there.

- The marks leaving the place? - No, no.

Huggins sent word.

Robin finked to the cops.

Well, she wouldn't. She knows I'd kill her.

No, no, no, not Robin.

Cut out.

Take off, Lennie.

We gotta make it to the van.

Over there. Cut them off!

Halt!

Stop or I'll shoot!

Halt! Halt!

Try to cut them off. They're heading for the van.

Look, you're on your own now, so you just lay low until they clear out.

- Bill, I can make it, give me a hand. - Look, you'll slow me down.

I've gotta settle with Robin.

Bill.

Bill!

Think the girl will be able to talk Lennie into it?

Let's hope so.

You know, it's a funny thing, Paul,

since that night at Angels Flight, when my car was stripped,

I've had the feeling...

Do you remember the story of Oliver Twist?

You see Lennie as Oliver?

If you stretched a point or two, there are some parallels.

Well, if Robin comes through, there will be a new ending for the old story.

Oliver Twist was written more than a hundred years ago.

Let's hope human nature has changed for the better.

Sir?

Perry.

- Lennie, what's happened? - Let me go.

Mr. Mason, I can't talk to you now. I gotta get to him.

I gotta get to Bill.

She's dead.

I found her.

You were the one that screamed?

Has the manager called the police?

Tom Loman's not here. He's gone.

You stay put and don't let anybody touch anything.

And you call the police.

Get Della on the phone, Paul. She can find Sikes' address.

- We may have to stop Lennie in time. - In time for what?

In time to prevent another murder.

Sikes' apartment is on the fifth floor.

Sikes.

He's alive.

We'll need an ambulance.

So you say that Benjamin Huggins was the mastermind of this ring

and that he's the one that taught you how to steal from cars, huh?

And that he disposed of the parts in Mexico

through a senorita, what's her name, Donna Reales?

That's right?

Why is it, Lennie, that all the other boys told Sgt. Roddin

in auto theft that they worked for Bill Sikes?

- And he's dead. - That's right.

And we're charging this boy with his murder.

But I didn't kill him.

I'll admit I meant to.

When I saw Robin dead, I took her gun,

the one Bill gave her, it was in her hand.

I meant to use it.

When I got to Bill's place, I was too late.

Somebody had already stabbed him.

That's when I passed out.

Oh, come on, now, Lennie, that's not what happened.

What happened is you pulled a gun on him,

he took it away from you,

and then you stabbed him with his own knife

because you thought he killed Robin. Now, isn't that what really happened?

No, no. Honest, I didn't kill him. Please, I didn't kill him.

No, I didn't, Mr. Mason. I didn't know Bill Sikes,

and I don't know this boy, Lennie Beale.

And that's why I've asked you to come.

My name and reputation are in jeopardy.

Your client has forced me to defend myself

against absurd and scurrilous charges.

For the first time in my life,

I have seen the inside of a police station.

Now, why has he done this, Mr. Mason?

Obviously, he didn't pick your name at random, Mr. Huggins.

He does know you.

Heh. Every waiter I've tipped and every down-and-outer

I've given money to,

and every tradesman I've honored with my business know me,

doesn't necessarily mean I know them.

Do you have any idea why Lennie should wanna harm you?

No.

And the police asked me that.

Enjoy your wine, Mr. Mason.

You'll find it has what Hemingway called "great authority."

I have it imported from Spain.

Very good.

But most Spanish wine has great authority.

Now you were telling me...

You're a man of rare judgment, cultured tastes, Mr. Mason.

What do you think of this?

Why it's Tehuantepec, isn't it?

It appears to be a man, no eyes, no ears, no mouth,

a man without three senses.

Now, since obviously I can't help you and you can't help me,

I'll he on my way, Mr. Huggins.

Wait a minute, Mr. Mason, I have it.

This figurine gave me the clue.

I remember this man, Sikes.

He delivered some packages to me from Mexico,

this figurine was among them.

As I remember, he was a bold,

insensitive, brash young man, and there was a boy with him.

- Lennie Beale? - I don't know.

I've never seen your client, Mr. Mason.

If it was Lennie,

I can only assume that you failed to tip him

and in a fit of revenge he made all those accusations.

What are men like you and me to do, Mr. Mason?

Just what?

How can society protect itself against the criminal element,

the purse-snatchers, and muggers, and petty thieves?

I can think of only one way, Mr. Huggins.

Men like you and me

can learn to recognize them when we see them.

Good night.

I've had practically the whole office looking for a lead on Ben Huggins

and so far we haven't been able to turn up anything that might help us.

- What about the other boys? - With Lennie's help,

Sgt. Roddin picked up all of them except one.

- The one in the parking lot? - Tick Gleason.

And each of the innocent darlings

claim they never heard of anyone named Ben Huggins.

And apparently they've convinced the police that Lennie did kill Bill Sikes.

And Sikes killed Robin?

I don't buy it.

Lennie claims Huggins was dealing with a Mexican woman.

Senorita Donna Reales.

Paul, could you leave for Mexico tonight?

Find Senorita Reales?

She's the only hope we have of proving that Lennie told the truth,

that Huggins is indeed our 20th century Fagin.

Your Honor, the defendant Lennie Beale,

is in this court today on trial for his life by his own choice.

It was a simple choice.

It was offered to him not once, but several times.

A simple choice between right and wrong.

When he was released from custody

on a charge of pawning a stolen article,

he was first offered that simple choice.

He chose instead to return to the criminal ring that spawned him.

He was given a second chance by my office,

when I offered him immunity to testify, he rejected that chance.

Again he made another choice.

This time to engage in a felony burglary,

and he carried a policeman's bullet away from that encounter.

Then came his third chance,

faced with the murder of a girl he loved,

he had to make that simple choice again and he chose,

not due process of law,

but the remorseless, inexorable code of the underworld.

And that's why he's here today, Your Honor,

quite properly being tried as an adult, not as a juvenile.

He has demonstrated that he is not a delinquent child

but a hardened criminal.

A hardened criminal, who was seeking revenge

for the murder of that girl,

deliberately and with premeditation

went to the apartment of William Sikes and killed him with his own knife.

Like I was telling you when you took me to lunch, Mr. Burger...

Let's get right to the point, Miss Sawyer.

Just tell the court, please, what the defendant said to you

when you saw him the night of the murder.

Well, uh, he was like, running out of the place.

He nearly knocked me down.

And I said, uh, "What's your hurry, Lennie boy?"

And he said, "Bill did it.

He killed Robin and I'll kill him."

Yes, Mr. Burger, this was the knife

we found in the body of the decedent, William Sikes.

Were there fingerprints on it, lieutenant?

There were several, most belonged to him.

You see, we found this was his knife.

But there were other prints.

There were at least three identifiable ones,

his right thumb, right index finger and the third finger.

Who made those prints, lieutenant?

The defendant, Mr. Burger.

Leonard Beale.

The kid didn't mean any harm.

He just had a big crush on her and Robin went along with it.

Of course, Bill Sikes didn't see anything funny in it.

The night before,

before he was killed, I saw him drag Lennie out of her dressing room.

Was there ever in your presence

any violence connected with Lennie Beale's attachment for Miss Spring?

Well, one night this Jody character was hanging around,

he had a thing for Robin too.

And, well, she bawled him out and Jody cussed at her,

and Lennie went for him with a stage brace.

- Really? - I had to hold him till

Jody could beat it.

Take the witness, Mr. Mason.

Mr. Loman, you've told the District Attorney

that the defendant was in love with Miss Spring.

- That's right. - And Bill Sikes was in love with her.

Yes, sir.

And that Jody Laird was in love with her.

Well, in a way.

How about you, Mr. Loman?

- Were you in love with her also? - Yes.

Yes, I was, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

And if she had been insulted in your presence,

- would you have, uh, defended her? - Why, sure.

Mr. Loman, previous testimony established

that you weren't present at the Femmes-a-Go-Go

at the time the body was discovered.

Now, can you tell us exactly where you were?

Well, no, I'm sorry.

I travel around a lot at night catching acts.

You weren't by any chance on your way to Bill Sikes' apartment?

No. And I'll tell you something, Mr. Mason,

if I'd found Robin, I'd have known it was Sikes,

and I would've done the same thing that youngster did.

That Sikes was a germ.

But you're not gonna get me all riled up

and make me say something I'll regret.

Of course not, Mr. Loman.

Who was the man you worked for, son, the leader of this ring?

- Bill Sikes. - I see.

Now, Jody, I think you told us

that the boy who was planted in the parking lot at Femmes-a-Go-Go

had instructions to warn you by telephone, if necessary.

Yes, sir. And like I said, he did call.

But it wasn't what we expected.

The people weren't leaving the club, going home.

What was the occasion for the call then?

Well, Mr...

That is Tick said that Robin had tipped off the police.

Did Mr. Sikes take this warning seriously?

Well, what else? Right away we heard the sirens.

And Bill said he'd kill her.

Who besides yourself heard that?

We all did.

Does "all" include the defendant Lennie Beale?

Yes, sir.

He was right there when Bill said it.

Well, you're a bonus, friend. I didn't count on finding you here.

- I haven't done anything! - Fine.

You come back and tell that to the police.

I'm not leaving here. I don't have to. You can't touch me in Mexico.

You are gonna have accommodations in the local brig

till I get you extradited.

It's not as plush as you've been enjoying with Senorita Reales.

She's been good to me. She's not gonna let you.

Let him go, senor.

And you will put both hands on the wall.

Well, you saved me the trouble of finding you, Senorita Reales.

- You know me? PAUL: You're the reason I'm here,

to bring you back with me, both of you, to testify in court.

You are in my country and you have no right.

Tick's a native American. I can have him extradited.

And you?

- Well, I have a bargain for you. - What bargain?

You come back, and testify that you did business with Ben Huggins,

- and that Huggins ran the operation. - I am guilty of nothing, senor.

I bought and paid in good faith.

That's where we come to my bargain.

Those little doodads, the Mexican national cultural treasure,

that you used to pay in good faith,

suppose the Patrimonio Nacional were told about them?

But if you were to come back and testify,

who would there be to tell them?

I have here a series of recent photographs, Senorita Reales.

I wonder if you can identify this one?

It was taken inside, where we display and store our automobile parts.

And you obtain these parts where, how?

From...

Excuse me.

Will you go on please, senorita?

You were about to tell us where you obtained the auto parts.

From Benjamin Huggins.

Could you describe your business arrangement

with Mr. Huggins?

Well, I would order the parts I needed from Senor Huggins.

He would send Bill Sikes to deliver them in Mexico,

and then I would pay him the money.

Then I suppose you were, well, closer to Mr. Sikes

- than you were to Mr. Huggins. - Sí, senor.

But you always understood that you were doing business

not with Mr. Sikes but with Mr. Huggins.

That he was the real boss, as we say.

Sí, that is true.

So the facade is torn away at last.

Mr. Benjamin Huggins, civic leader, connoisseur of art.

And now we see you for what you really are,

a corrupter of youth, inducting young boys into a life of crime,

destroying their lives while you in safety and with impunity,

enjoy the profits.

Your Honor, reluctantly, I must object.

And I sustain the objection.

Didn't you indoctrinate your trained young thieves

to believe that anyone, anyone who betrayed them to the law,

must be punished by death?

I abhor violence, Mr. Mason.

- Just give me an answer. - I did not.

I have sworn to tell the truth and I have.

You also gave the police a sworn statement

that Lennie Beale had lied about you.

The court has made note of that. Get on with it, Mr. Mason.

Mr. Huggins,

you were convinced, were you not that the girl, Robin,

with my help, had betrayed you to the law?

- Objection. - Withdraw the question.

Mr. Huggins, according to Jody Laird's testimony,

Bill Sikes received a telephone call at the burglary site,

warning him that Robin had tipped off the law,

when actually a neighbor

who knew the family was away for the evening

phoned his suspicions to the police.

Now is it not a fact that you were the one

who told Tick Gleason to make that telephone call?

Before you answer, I warn you that we have Tick Gleason here,

waiting to testify.

On the night of the murder,

I neither saw nor spoke to Tick Gleason.

Yes, Mr. Huggins told you the truth, sir.

I didn't see or talk to him.

Then who told you to call Bill Sikes?

Senorita Reales.

She came to the Femmes-a-Go-Go and told you to make that call?

Yes, sir.

After you spoke to Bill Sikes, what did you do?

Well, there were about four cars lined up.

- I had to park them. - What happened then?

Well, I went over to Senorita Reales' car.

I asked her to take me with her back to Mexico.

I knew the whole thing had blown up. I was scared.

And she agreed?

Yes, she told me to get my things and meet her at the hotel.

Sí, I did deliver such a message, senor,

only because Ben Huggins told me to.

One thing bothers me, senorita.

Why were you so easily persuaded

when Tick Gleason asked you to take him to Mexico with you?

Could it have been because he was the one person

who could testify that you'd been at the Femmes-a-Go-Go that evening?

But I've already told you, senor.

I was only there because Ben Huggins sent me to deliver the message.

I did so and I left.

What were you doing during the time Tick Gleason went to a phone booth,

called Bill Sikes, parked the four cars,

- and then returned to you. - I waited.

Senor Mason, I have not told you the whole truth.

No, you haven't, senorita. Now, why?

- Are you afraid to tell the truth? - Sí.

Of whom are you afraid?

No matter. I cannot keep this inside any longer.

I went to the club and I saw this Robin.

Why?

Ben Huggins.

He told me I must.

And for the same reason that I was forced to return to testify,

I was forced to do as he asked.

What did he force you to do?

We were out for the afternoon,

when we returned to his place, this boy Lester is there.

He tells Senor Huggins about the girl and Huggins is like a madman.

He says, first, I must tell Tick to call,

and then, I must tell lies to this Robin so that she would come outside.

So he could talk to her.

I assume then, that you knew Robin Spring quite well.

No, I did not know her.

Then why, senorita, did you give her this gun?

- I swear, I did not. - No?

Then why does it bear your family crest,

the same crest visible in this photograph which was taken

of the sign in front of your shop?

What happened in that dressing room, senorita?

Nothing, senor. She did not know me and did not want to come outside.

She didn't know you, but you knew her.

No, senor, I have already told you, I did not.

Senorita, you're straying again.

I think we'd better get back to the truth.

Now, when Robin Spring's body was found by the defendant,

before anyone else discovered it, this pistol was in her hand.

The telephone was off the hook.

Now, can you explain how those things happened?

No, senor.

She seemed to have known that I had come from Senor Huggins.

She did not know me, and did not want to leave with me.

So I left.

I'm sure you did, senorita, but that was later.

First you saw Bill Sikes' picture on her makeup table.

You realized Robin was not just an informer, she was a rival.

And when she threatened you with this pistol,

there was no longer any room for doubt.

I would not have hurt her.

I did not intend.

I turned my back to run out,

and she picked up the telephone to warn Bill.

Then I saw the long scissors, and I...

And then you went to Bill Sikes' apartment.

He didn't know you'd seen the gun.

He didn't know that Robin was dead. He had no suspicion.

He had put his knife on the table.

He turned his back

and I picked it up.

I was so good to him, senor, I did everything for him,

but she destroyed it.

What could I do?

All right, Perry, what's the secret?

And why this celebration,

and why have you been walking around with that

"I know something you don't know" expression?

Well, it's been three months since Lennie left here on his trip.

Yeah, that's another secret operation.

Perry, I don't think a vacation is what Lennie needed.

I think he needed to go to work.

Now, Paul, what Lennie needs is more education.

I think the boy needed to get away from it all,

to relax out in the fresh air.

That's the very reason that Lennie's trip has been his secret and mine.

All of you were so intent on telling him exactly what to do.

Well, we were only trying to help. - Of course.

And realizing that, Lennie took Della's advice,

and yours, Paul, and yours, Clay.

- Well, where is he? Tell us, already. - Now, just a moment.

I have a feeling Perry has reached the dramatic moment.

We're going to find out what this is all about.

Well, boot camp. That's where you've been for three months.

And those chevrons mean you're an honor man.

Lennie, you're an admiral already. - Ha, ha.

Well, practically.

Between a Navy Admiral and a Marine PFC,

there's a little difference in pay.

As I told you, Lennie made his own decision

and received job training and hard work,

and plenty of outdoor life.

- Right? - Heh, right.