Original subtitles

Breathe!

All right, walk this way.

Ken has been deaf since he was born,

and he's trying very hard to learn to read lips.

Excuse me.

Look at him! How could he run? Where could he hide?

I understand you're trying to work for your client,

but I don't appreciate being accused of murder.

Thank you.

I didn't see anything, Marshal.

And I didn't hear anything.

And suddenly I'm choking to death.

And the fire is burning right through the hallway.

Well, where were the fire extinguishers, Mr. Gordon?

There's one on every floor,

and I check them out myself regularly.

I'm not one of those managers who just collects the rest

and sits in a department...

Hey, move that thing!

Football.

That's what a piece of dead meat he was when he talked.

Hey, Alice, Miss Keller!

Sorry.

I'm Alex Keller.

I handle security for this building.

I didn't have to.

Who did it?

Who do you think anybody did it?

I was outside in the back

when I saw it started pouring by places at once.

At the same time,

I heard somebody yelling.

I went in to see if I could help.

We went in, and he got killed by a fall of timber.

He did it!

Ken Corby, he's the janitor.

I mean, he was.

I fired him, and he's doing this for revenge.

Mr. Corby?

Look at him, he's grinning at me.

Mr. Corby?

Officer, over here!

Halt!

Hold it!

Freeze!

All right, walk this way.

Keep your hands in sight.

He's carrying me.

Take it easy.

I don't doubt it.

Get the cuffs on him.

He's clean.

All right, come on.

I'm his wife.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Corby.

The charge is murder one, plus arson,

plus a number of other offenses.

No visitors, none,

not until I've taken this statement.

He's his wife.

I heard the lady Orwell.

No wife, no mother, nobody.

Lieutenant.

Lieutenant.

Mrs. Corby can't hear you.

Mrs. Corby is deaf.

You know...

totally deaf.

But I do read lips.

And I read it all.

Murder one, arson.

Ken didn't do any of that.

Well, the court will decide.

The prisoner is permitted to have an attorney.

In exchange for a constitutional joy,

we'll get him one.

In the meantime, did anyone read the prisoner's rights?

Sergeant Roberts read him his rights.

In what language can Corby is a deaf mute?

Ken uses sign language,

but he doesn't read lips well, hardly at all.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

You want a statement from Ken Corby?

Mrs. Corby will translate.

All right.

Sergeant Roberts, have Corby brought in here.

Why am I here?

Why did the police hit me?

I didn't do anything.

They hit him.

He resisted arrest.

He didn't even know he was being arrested.

I didn't have anything to do with the fire.

It was a terrible thing.

Were you...

Was he fired from his job?

He was fired from his job as janitor of the building.

No.

Fired.

Fired.

Who?

Two days ago.

I can tell you these things.

Why was he fired?

Why fired you?

Why?

Gordon, the manager,

treated Ken as if he was stupid.

He would make him go and do errands,

and that wasn't his job.

He didn't take the trouble to write things out clearly.

Yes.

He would pick on Ken

and even laugh at him because he is deaf.

Then there was trouble between them.

There was no trouble, just a little conflict.

Orwell, he was fired.

Now,

why was he at the building tonight?

I can tell you that.

Just translate.

Fine.

When Gordon fired Ken,

he had two weeks' pay coming,

and Gordon just wouldn't come up with the money,

so Ken went to ask him for his money.

Just like that?

At night?

Oh, but that's the best time.

Then he would know that Gordon would be there.

It's the truth.

Ken was just going to get the money that was due him.

Lieutenant, you have to realize

that Ken insisted on going to see Gordon.

He wouldn't let me go to talk to him.

He wouldn't even let me go with him.

Ken has been deaf since he was born,

and he's trying very hard to learn to read lips,

and he's trying very hard...

excuse me...

to handle his own world,

and that's why he went back by himself.

He went back to demand money?

Uh...

Hey, wait a minute. That's a reason.

That is not a motive to commit arson.

All right.

Now, you understand.

He had a motive.

Revenge.

He had the means.

He had the opportunity.

He knew the building.

He will be arraigned day after tomorrow.

If necessary, the court will appoint an attorney.

Now, tell him that.

The wheels of justice grind.

I'm not a judge, Orwell.

I'm a cop.

You tell him we're gonna get a good lawyer,

and we're gonna get at the truth.

I don't do freebies anymore.

You said the idea of handling a deaf mute fascinated you.

Now, that was off-the-cuff fascination.

I got a federal tax appeal in precisely 42 minutes.

Money, Harry, money.

What happened to the heroic defender of the friendless, Ben?

Well, that's when I was a fighting liberal.

Translation? Young and hungry.

I'm fat now, Harry.

My kids enjoy first-class orthodontia.

I got my mother her own condominium in Florida.

And I live on a tax shelter.

I'm gonna plead him, and that's it.

Bail set at $5,000.

Kenneth Carvey.

Mr. Carvey, represented by counsel.

Yes, Your Honor.

Let's put it in the record that Mr. Carvey is deaf,

and we provided a court-appointed translator.

We're urging that Your Honor consider the severity of the crime.

If my colleague will excuse me, Your Honor,

the circumstances are exceptional.

My client can neither hear nor speak.

He's already locked into solitude.

He is already a prisoner.

Eloquent, Mr. Lorenz.

But not to the issue.

Oh, I agree, Your Honor.

The issue here is whether or not Mr. Carvey is dangerous.

And my client's record is absolutely pure.

Your Honor, the man has been arrested for murder and arson.

Alleged.

Look at him.

How could he run? Where could he hide?

Deaf-mute is already in the deepest hole

in the tightest of tight security prisons.

Your Honor, may I have a moment's consultation?

Lieutenant Trench.

Your Honor, I would like some expert testimony from Lieutenant Trench.

One small point, Your Honor.

I won't even ask that the lieutenant be sworn.

Mr. Blaney.

No objection, Your Honor.

Lieutenant.

In your expert opinion,

is Mr. Carvey actively dangerous to himself or to other persons?

As an opinion?

No, Your Honor.

Mr. Carvey will be released on his own recognizance.

Don't thank me.

I've never taken a wild shot like that.

We were lucky.

And I'm running late.

What about the bill?

Yeah, the bill.

What about the bill?

I'll send it to you.

You took quite a chance.

On the possibility that you were an honest cop.

I don't mind being thought of as honest, Orwell.

I resent being predictable.

More coffee, Harry?

No, thank you.

Ken says that being back here, back home,

really sets him free.

For me, for no people.

It doesn't mean you, Harry.

We're very grateful to you.

There's not much to be grateful for yet.

What's he gonna do?

Well, he'll stay here.

I have to work.

But while all this is going on,

he can stay at home.

Where can I reach you besides him?

At the Sarah Clinton School for Death.

It's on Van Owen.

Nine to three every day.

I'll be in touch.

Hopefully with some good news.

Where will you start?

With the assumption that he didn't do it.

And that somebody else did.

Well, thanks a lot.

Hi.

Hi.

My name's Harry Orwell. I'd like to see Mr. Bradshaw.

Well, Mr. Bradshaw's not in just at the moment.

Perhaps I could help you, Mr. Orwell.

I'm the office secretary.

Well, I'm not sure I can help you.

Well, I have been for the last 11 years.

Well, thank you very much, Mrs. Mayo.

Well, just call me Laura. Everybody does.

I want to talk about the fire at 1708 Portland Street.

Your company handled the insurance?

Oh, sure.

We handle all Mr. Gilman's properties.

Represents a big chunk of our business in this area.

He is a large operator.

1708.

That was a taxpayer.

Just a few tenants, enough to pay the taxes.

And I believe he was working on a sale to a parking corporation.

You know all the files that well?

Well, that claim did just come in.

But, yes, I keep a good running check on everything.

I have to.

I trained the last three managers myself.

Anyway, I know the territory pretty well.

So, fire away.

Do you mind if I'm impolite?

Are you going to make a pass?

Well, first, I want to be impolite.

Would Mr. Gilman have burned his own building for the insurance?

Oh, excuse me for laughing, Mr. Orwell.

The insurance on that building came to just a little over 400,000.

And Ted Gilman is worth in the neighborhood of,

oh, 30, 40 million dollars, give or take one.

What I'm trying to say is, I guess it's possible, but not likely.

A man as rich as Mr. Gilman, he might have enemies.

Enemies?

Now, who'd commit arson on one of my properties, huh?

No.

No, it doesn't make sense, Mr. Orwell.

Well, that building was due for demolition anyway.

Maybe you used the money to pay for the demolition.

Are you implying that I'd have that fire set?

Three people died, Mr. Orwell.

I understand you're trying to work for your client,

but I don't appreciate being accused of murder.

Well, it's statistically possible.

Is it really?

You know, I'm a reasonably wealthy man.

I don't have to kill for a little more money.

And I don't have to listen to your thoroughly unpleasant accusations.

Angelo, would you please get Ken Corby's check?

Gordon told me he'd ask for Corby's two weeks' pay.

Well, it was his own.

And he wouldn't give it to him.

Yeah, well, Gordon didn't like Corby.

Because I put him on the job.

You see, I have a policy here, Mr. Orwell.

I hire the handicapped.

And it's always surprising how many people resent anybody with a flaw.

A defect.

It's kind of frightening.

Anyway, Gordon resented Ken Corby.

And frankly, I resent you blaming me for it.

Well, I'd like to apologize for that.

Noted, but not accepted. Goodbye, Mr. Orwell.

I probably had that coming.

Anybody who hires the handicapped can't be all that bad.

You know, what I've got to remember is that I'm not exactly a scratch player myself.

Angela, get me Century Assurance, please.

Century Assurance, Mr. Bradshaw's office.

This is Ted Gilman. Did Bradshaw give my name to a Harry Orwell?

Oh, I'm afraid I did that, Mr. Gilman. Is there a problem?

Yes, there's a problem.

Now, if this Orwell trots around implying I'm some kind of firebug,

you know very well what's going to happen to my insurance rates.

Now, you tell Bradshaw to close the Portland Street store.

Oh, Mr. Gilman, we can't do that. There are criminal charges involved.

Now, don't you be rule-book sanctimonious with me.

You settle the claim, you close the file, or

I'll cancel every last policy I've got with you.

Hello, darling.

We have this little problem.

There's this man, Harry Orwell.

I'm sorry, dear.

Hi. I thought he was gonna stay home. Oh, well, he felt so out of touch there, and

it's good because there's a lot of work to do here at the school.

Can you take a break? Sure.

He wants to know if you have anything to tell us. Not really, but I do have to know

why he was fired, exactly why he was fired. You know, Mr. Gilman, he hired Ken

himself, and Gordon, he was always so impatient with Ken, never would write

things out for him. I'm explaining to Harry why you were fired. Once, when I

went out, someone stole a TV. The manager blamed me. I didn't take anything.

Well, maybe he wanted him fired, out of the way. Who, Gordon? Yes, he had the means and

the opportunity. Unfortunately, he has no visible motive. Say, why can you talk and

he can't? Because Ken was born deaf, and I had a severe infection of spinal

meningitis when I was about 10. So, of course, by that time I could speak

already, and the rest was just learning sign language through a lot of training.

That was a neat trade. Oh, because Ken grew up unwanted in a string of foster homes on

the county, and lip-reading and sign language take a lot of special education

and time, trouble, you know, and caring. No one cared enough about Ken.

Now, he says this. He says, listen, don't pity me because I don't need it. As long

as I'm with you, I'm fine. Fire marshal's office thinks it was definitely arson,

but not an amateur. Rags and guns and candles. Simple, easy to use, hard to

detect. Amateur sets one fire, not two or

three. That's a point for my client, isn't it?

Perhaps. You know, Corby was brought up by foster

parents, four sets of them. Yeah, I knew that.

One pair bounced him back to the county, claimed he set a fire in their kitchen.

Nowhere. It's in the record. Listen, there was a kid playing with matches, and a deaf

mute kid. Maybe he was trying to communicate, to yell. Right, and that kid

grows up, he's still trying to yell. Maybe he comes out a little loud. Well, maybe.

But the file on Corby was open. Anybody could have gotten to it. Maybe they set

him up. Oh, well, I just determine how the fire was set, and by whom. Let's go a

little farther, Trench. Who are the torches operating in Los Angeles right now?

None to mention. There aren't too many professional torches anymore. Arson's too

easy to read. Put a few in jail. Alvin Bender, he found himself a couple of

months ago. No tears for him. A few of them

go to jail, a few of them must get out. Yeah.

You remember Eddie Stark? He must have been operating when you were on the force.

Stark, he's a warehouse specialist, isn't

he? That's the boy. Well, he's out. We think

he's clear. He's even got a steady job.

Well? Uh-uh, Lieutenant, you're not even close.

This is the only thing I like these days.

My new career. Yeah, I'm not a lieutenant anymore.

I'm a private detective. That means I can pay for

information. So what would I know? You

might know about a fire in Portland and 14th

Street a couple of nights ago. Oh yeah, I

read about that. Amateur night. Maybe it was

just rigged to look like amateur night. You know a candidate? Talking about pros?

Look, Lieutenant, Harry, there aren't any good torches around anymore. I was the top

of the line. These kids today, they're not willing to put the work in. You were the

best. You were an artist. Thanks. That's why I came for you. Listen, Eddie, maybe a

guy drops in from time to time. Somebody, uh, you know, somebody I'd like to know. I

told you, I'm out. I'm clean. Yeah, I believe

you. That's why I convinced him not to pull

you in. Bring me in? What charge? Oh, they wouldn't do that, would they? I mean, I'd

be bounced. I got a good thing going here. The boss doesn't even know I was a torch.

Well, I'll see what I can do for you. In the

meantime, if you make any connection. Maybe

there is something. What's that? My scrapbook.

Some of my stuff. Nice, huh? Level. Here's

a good one. Beautiful, huh? Yeah, you're

like an actor reading his reviews. That was a

star, Harry. You want to talk about some amateurs?

Here's one. Look at this. 160,000 square feet.

Chemicals in storage. Lots of good air currents.

Convection. Should have gone off like a bomb.

Would have if I'd taken the job. Well, if you didn't, who did? I'm a cheap mechanic.

Maybe a not-at-work fireman. Look at that. A

few scorched walls. Burnout offices. That's

what I did. They asked me to do it. Some guy

on the phone. I didn't recognize the voice,

but he knew all about me. Made me a good

offer, too. Said there was nobody in the place.

Mostly empty. Said the owners were going to tear it down anyway, so nobody'd get hurt.

Well, if it's such a good job, why didn't you

take it? I cased the place. Too dangerous.

What, dangerous? Nobody in the place? Nobody.

Human. They had guard dogs crawling around

all inside this fence. There's one thing I can't take, Harry. It's dogs. They rip you

apart. They can smell naphtha and kerosene half a mile away. You know the owner?

I think it was some very large operator named Gilman. How about the dog service?

I don't know. You got some glasses? Not when I'm working. No, but I mean breathing

glass. You got some? Oh, yeah. In my locker. Okay. Here you go. Gilman.

Out! Come on, Sorrel, out! Out! Come on, Sorrel, out! Get in there! Get in there!

The lock must have slipped. I'm sorry. It's all

right. I'm fine. You did exactly the right thing.

Well, I read somewhere that if you stand still,

they won't kill you. It's not just a theory.

I'm glad you came to see me. I'm just checking

on a coincidence. You handled the security

at that building on Portland Street and it burned? That building was nearly deserted.

An invitation to any fire bug around. You handled the security in that warehouse on

Commercial Street and it burned? Are you saying

I'm doing a sloppy job? Or that I'm working

with an arsonist? I'm just collecting coincidences.

Do they make any sense? One building burns,

I'm out of business there. Two buildings burn, my reputation's in trouble. Huh? You

want to tell me how it pays to go into bankruptcy?

Well, it doesn't, but somehow somebody's making

a profit out of this and along the way, three

people were burned to death. Well, I'm just

collecting all the pieces. I'd like to put your records in my collection. I've had two

fires out of 46 security jobs. All right, Orwell. I'll get you my operating records.

And after you see them, I want an apology.

Trying to find a motive was like looking for

the old needle in the haystack. Something

kept bringing me back to the insurance office.

Well, hello. Hello. This dress looks a little

silly, doesn't it? No, it's fine. It's too

young. No, it's fine. You're very sweet to say it, but I know it's true. I wear them

anyway, though, to show off my legs before the Virgos fangs pop out. Miss Mayo, you're

a very attractive woman and you have gorgeous

legs, okay? Thank you. You're welcome. And

you deserve a drink. After. Well, after what?

After you show me your files. Is that some

kind of quaint proposition? No, no, no. It's

very straightforward. I have a client that's

on the hook for arson and murder, remember?

My, my, my. Beyond and above the call of duty.

Straightforward, single-minded. Right now, my mind's on the files. But right now, it's

three hours later back east and our office

is closed. Harry, I can't just open up those

files to you without an official okay. My insurance career is not very exciting, but

it's the only one I have. Would you, uh, settle

for that drink now? Who would know if you opened

up the files? I would. I spent the day going

through the fire department arson fire. I got

eyestrained, but I did come up with a coincidence.

In the last two years, there were four fires

all insured by your insurance company. In

Southern California? It's more like four hundred,

isn't it? But these four buildings were all

very run down. They were about to be demolished

or sold empty, near empty. Very low insurance.

Yeah. Well, you don't know Century Assurance

very well. They don't give anything away, Harry. If this company, bless be its sacred

name, paid off on four claims, believe me,

they were legitimate. And the company's motto

is a tight fist. You sure you don't want a

drink? No, no, I have to go. Oh, well, don't

let me keep you, Harry. Be my guest. Go forth

and do nightly deeds. Save your client and

ride off into the sunset. We do still have sunsets, don't we? Smog sets, yes, that's

right. So we can't see what we can't breathe.

I'm sorry. Some people get hay fever in season.

I seem to get self-pity. I can't help you,

Harry, since you don't seem to want anything

else. Three people died in that fire. Burned

to death. Wish you luck on your quest, Harry.

Bon voyage to Harry Orwell and the Titanic.

There was no way to get in touch with the Corbys by telephone. They didn't have one.

Why should they? What I wondered about now

was how to get into the house. There wouldn't

be a doorbell. They couldn't hear a knock. I began to realize just how vulnerable and

alone they really were.

Hello. Hello, Harry. I didn't know how to announce myself. Hello, Kent. You just walk

in, you know that. Well, thank you. I may even

deserve it, but I have a lot of interesting

questions about insurance. I thought you said

there wasn't enough insurance money on the

building. Yeah, there wasn't. But I just had

an interesting conversation with a lady who

wouldn't let me look at the insurance file. Ask him if there were any valuables in the

building. Okay. Yes, he doesn't think so. But some of the tenants might have had some

personal property, but nobody was rich there.

I got all the pieces and no fit. Without a

motive, I've got nothing. What's the matter?

What's the matter? Oh, sometimes he acts like

a six-year-old. Oh, yes, he's frustrated.

Why not? So am I. How about a cup of coffee?

Okay. Okay, sit down.

Good, thank you.

Well, at least he's something.

Hey, hold it. Hey, hold it.

You.

You.

I know Ken didn't mean to do that to you. I'm glad he didn't mean to do it. Where is

he? Well, when he gets upset, he usually goes out into the canyons and walks around

the hills. For how long? An hour, maybe two.

But if he sees you here, I know he's scared

half to death. Well, I'm scared, too. And if I run after him, he's going to run away

or he's going to jump me again. I think he's

jealous. He's jealous. Well, good for him

if he comes back, you just keep him here. Okay, then, Harry, where will you be? I'm

going to do some paperwork. Harry, where? I'm going to do some paperwork.

Hi, darling. Stay. Why didn't you answer the phone? Oh. What's going on? This Harry

Dorwell was here and he wanted to look in the files, you know, the claims about the

fires and everything, but I didn't let him. But he's figured it this far. Where is he?

Where'd he go? I don't know, darling. I'm

afraid I wasn't very cool. Those people dying

in the fire. Burning to death. Orwell. Did he go to the police? I don't know. Corby,

maybe. Good. I can handle that. How? Terrible

accident. Corby's going to pull another piece

of arson. No. At my house. Oh, no. And he's going to get burned to death doing it. Oh,

please, no. Laura. Stupid, ugly, Laura. We.

We fried three people to death. Oh, no. What

is it supposed to happen? Get rid of those files or they'll burn you. I've exhausted

every other possibility. There was only one place where I still might find the answers

that would save Ken Corby. And that was in

Laura's overprotected files. As long as you've

got the files out, I'll take a look. Harry, you have to understand. Yeah, I think I'm

beginning to. I'm sorry, Mrs. Corby. No, I'm sorry, Mr. Keller. I think I'm a little

jumpy today. Well, it's it's a pretty isolated

spot. Is is your husband home? Why? One of my

night handlers quit and I've heard how good

Mr. Corby is with dogs. What I'm trying to say is

I'd like to offer him a job. Oh, that's very

nice. But he's not here right now. He went

out for a walk. Oh, I can wait. I wonder, could I get some coffee? Oh, some coffee.

Yes, sure. Thank you. I'll make some fresh.

That's very neat. We thought so. Gilman ensures

the buildings, you and Alex Keller ensure the

contents, except there are no contents. Claims

were processed back east. Gilman's a rich man.

They never figured it for a fraud. Four buildings

filled with imaginary valuables. That's a lot of

money. Eight hundred seventeen thousand four

hundred and three dollars. And three lives. Shut

up. Where's Keller? You point a gun at someone,

they're supposed to do what you asked them to do.

But what happens if they don't want to do what

you asked them to do? What if they don't care?

I'll kill you! No, I care. Listen, you killed

three people. You're going to make it four. Get

away with that phone, Eric! Put the gun down.

Where's Keller? He's gone after Ken Corby. He's

gone. Operator. Yeah, give me the police. Here, dummy.

How do you feel? Medium rare? How long is the

job for? Week to week. But they hired me the same

way three years ago. So I feel so good. I really don't care. Bye. How do you say?

Bye.