All language subtitles for Perry Mason S02E29 The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en.CBS

Just a moment, please.

Thank you.

All right, what happened to it?

Oh, the flashlight?

Well, I dropped it over the
side when you grabbed my arm.

What are you doing?

Calling the police.

Oh, I'm Virginia Colfax.

I work next door

in the Ajax Mining and
Development Company.

You work at what?

I'm Mr. Garvin's secretary.

He asked me to come back
tonight for some dictation.

He said he might be
late, and I should wait.

And you waited?

It was very dull.

I went out on the terrace

to look at the stars.

There, um, aren't any
stars visible tonight.

I was on my way back in
when I saw the door opening.

But it wasn't Mr. Garvin.

Mrs. Garvin?

However did you know?

The important thing
is: how did she know?

She's the jealous type.

So discretion forced you
to leave by the terrace?

It was the only way
I could get to my car.

And naturally, you needed
a gun for protection?

It was a flashlight.

All right, Miss Colfax.

We'll try to find
your flashlight.

Then I'll take you to your car.

You're really very kind.

Let's look over there.

Oh, I...

What's wrong?

Stop it! Stop it!
Leave me alone!

Hey! Hey! Easy now!

- Hurry, driver!
- Stop that cab!

Why, Mr. Mason...

Evening, George.

Good morning, Perry. Morning.

You look tired.

Worked late last night.

What's all this?

"What prominent
lawyer got out of line

"with a beautiful blond in
front of his office last night?

"And why did the B.B.
sprint to the nearest taxi

"for a fast exit?

"Considering the clues,

even we could
solve this mystery."

May I remind that you may
stand on the 5th Amendment.

I may have lost a battle,
but I've just begun to fight.

Now, I want to...

Yes, Gertie?

A Mr. Ed Garvin to see you.

Yes, Gertie?

I'd like to see
Mr. Garvin right away.

Mr. Garvin.

Thank you.

Mr. Mason.

Mr. Garvin.

This is rather, uh,
a delicate matter.

We're accustomed
to delicate matters.

It concerns my ex-wife.

About 5'8", blond,

lovely figure, beautiful legs?

You're describing Lorrie.

Lorrie? My present wife.

What did, uh,

you and the present
Mrs. Garvin do last night?

Why, we went for a
drive by the ocean.

What's this all about?

I was going to ask
you the same question.

Sit down, won't you?

Thank you.

Your secretary, Virginia Colfax,

tried to use my terrace
as an exit last night.

She claimed that
she'd been trapped

in your office by your wife.

If this is a personal matter,

then it's none of my business.

But if it's something else,

I think you should
know about it.

I see.

Well, first, my secretary's
name is Katie Miller.

She's nearly 50,

she's been with
me for ten years,

and I love her like a brother.

Second, if you're suggesting

any after-hours shenanigans,

I've been married
exactly 15 days

to the most beautiful,

the most wonderful
woman in the world.

Then you would have no idea

what this Virginia Colfax
was doing in your office?

No, however, she may be tied in

with what I came
to see you about.

And that is?

Yesterday, one
of our stockholders

came into the office
to see George Denby.

Who's Denby?

Secretary/treasurer
of our corporation.

The stockholder
was rather puzzled

at having received
a second proxy card

to the next, uh,
stockholders' meeting.

He had signed one
about a month ago

and wanted to know why
he had to sign another.

Why did he?

The point is he didn't.

I already had his proxy.

Here's the second
card he received.

You will notice that it
authorizes E.C. Garvin

to vote his stock
at the meeting,

but the return
address on that card

is not our office address.

It's a post-office box
we never even heard of.

What are your
initials, Mr. Garvin?

E.C.

According to this, the holder
of Stock Certificate 12-96

is also E.C. Garvin.

Is that you?

No, those stocks belong
to my ex-wife, Ethel Garvin.

Her middle initial is C?

For Carter, her maiden name.

The stockholders
think they're sending

those proxies to you
at that post-office box.

Obviously, your ex-wife
is acquiring proxies

by tricking the stockholders.

Why?

To get control of the company,

to break me, if she can.

Again, why?

Hatred, greed.

I think she cares more for
money than anything in life.

I gave her $50,000,

plus half my stock
in the company

and our beach house at
Coronado for the divorce.

Evidently, she wants more.

How do I stop her, Mr. Mason?

Or better still, could
you do it for me?

Quite simply.

We would notify
all the stockholders

to stay on their guard.

We would also ask those
who signed her proxies

to replace them with
new ones made out to you.

But there isn't
time for all that.

The next stockholders' meeting
takes place in three days.

Then we'll challenge her.

Claim her proxies were
obtained fraudulently

and have them declared invalid.

Look, Mr. Mason,
I just got married.

Lorrie and I haven't even
had time for a honeymoon.

I don't want any more
trouble with Ethel.

Frankly, I... I'm afraid of her.

Do you know where
she is, Mr. Garvin?

She usually spends
this time of year

at the beach house at Coronado.

She does have an
apartment here in town,

but I don't know the address.

Well, if she's in the
city, we'll find her.

Please try, Mr. Mason.

I'd be willing to
spend almost anything

within reason to get rid of her.

I'll be in touch with you

before the
stockholders' meeting.

Thank you.

Della, get ahold of Paul.

I'd like him to locate
the ex-Mrs. Garvin.

What about Virginia Colfax?

The two of them might
be in this thing together.

How?

I haven't the
slightest idea yet.

Yes, sir?

Oh, Frank, come in
right away, would you?

And bring George
with you. And hurry.

Right now.

Is something wrong, Ed?

Do either of you know
anything about this?

No, not me. I am
scared of those things.

Well, no.

I just found it out there.

Do you suppose Ethel
had something to do with it?

I wouldn't put it past her.

Although I can't imagine
why she'd leave a gun

out on the terrace.

Maybe she's suggesting
you commit suicide.

Your jokes aren't very
funny right now, Livesey.

And neither is your
cockeyed domestic life.

You want it that way? Fine.

But it isn't exactly
fair to make us pay

for your romantic adventures.

I know, and I don't want you to.

I've turned the whole
thing over to Perry Mason.

He's going to
try to figure it out.

And what if he can't?

I'd rather assume that he can.

Remind me to notify
the police about this.

Well, then, why not do it now?

I have a luncheon
appointment with Lorrie...

and I'm late.

I'll be at Henri's.

Isn't love wonderful?

I wouldn't know.

You're a lucky man. You'll
save yourself a lot of headaches.

I hope Garvin knows where
to buy his aspirin wholesale.

Garvin is essentially

a geologist and
a mining engineer.

He picks up mines, oil leases,
and various other properties

and nurses them through the
early development problems.

And he's completely honest.

Does he own the
majority of the stock?

No, but he holds enough
proxies to control it.

How much stock is outstanding?

Uh, 5,000 shares.

How do the stockholders
feel about him?

They love him.

They're all making a good
profit on their investment

and let him run the
show any way he wants.

What's his official job?

Uh, general manager.

And a good salary plus a
bonus based on the profits.

George Denby, the
secretary/treasurer

runs the financial end.

Denby.

What have you got on Denby?

Forty-nine, married, no
children, a real worrier.

He's the type of
guy that will call

his phone answering
service every 15 minutes.

Who else is in the picture?

Uh, Frank Livesey,
in charge of sales.

What about Ethel Garvin?

All I have on her is an address.

Coming.

Yes?

My name is Perry Mason.

And what are you
selling, Mr. Mason,

other than charm and good looks?

Money... if the terms are right.

Whose money?

Mr. Garvin's money.

Come in.

First, how did you find me?

Detective.

How amusing.

Perry Mason...

Wasn't there something about you

in the columns
yesterday morning?

I sometimes act impulsively,
but not during working hours.

My husband also
acts impulsively...

Before, during and
after working hours.

Do sit down.

Thank you.

Do you have an
attorney, Mrs. Garvin?

I don't need one.

Now, what am I expected to pay

for my husband's money?

Mm, a reasonable
amount, fair to both of you.

Oh.

But I have no intention
of being fair to Edward.

I intend to get
everything he owns.

No, thank you.

How, Mrs. Garvin?
With fraudulent proxies?

Oh. You know.

I suppose it's your
idea to stop me...

and to have my
husband in control

at the stockholders' meeting.

Well, it had entered my mind.

Now, shall we go on talking
about Mr. Garvin's money?

I'd rather talk
about his divorce.

What about his divorce?

Didn't he tell you?
Oh, how silly of him.

He is silly, you know.

Absolutely brilliant
at discovering things.

I could see that the first day
I went to work in his office.

That's when I
decided to marry him.

But no business
sense, none at all.

Lets Denby and
Livesey run it all

and however they please.

The divorce, Mrs. Garvin.

When Edward
decided to marry again,

he checked the
Nevada divorce records

and found out I
hadn't divorced him,

so he arranged for
a Mexican divorce,

one of those quickie things.

Poor Edward,

so impulsive.

He's not really legally married

to that girl, you know.

May I have the telephone number

of the L.A. County District
Attorney's office, please?

Bigamy is a felony, isn't it?

Four, five, six,

seven, eight...

nine, ten...

Yes? Who? 11, 12...

Ask him to come in. 13, 14.

Fourteen proxies representing
a total of 1,400 shares.

That's a third less
than what we need.

I'm Livesey, Mr. Mason,
president of the corporation.

Mr. Denby, our
secretary and treasurer.

Mr. Denby. Where
can I find Mr. Garvin?

Well, he's gone out
of town for a few days.

He couldn't have picked a
worse time for a honeymoon.

Well, what's your problem?

We've been calling the people

who signed Ethel
Garvin's proxies,

asking them to revoke.

We've only collected 14 so far,

representing 1,400 shares.

It's really frightening.
Mr. Garvin should be told.

There isn't enough time to
contact all the stockholders.

Where is Mr. Garvin?

Well, he's staying at
the Breakers at La Jolla,

but he won't answer
the telephone.

All right, send him a wire.

Tell him to get over the
Mexican border immediately

and stay at a hotel
called the Vista del Mar.

I'll meet him there tonight.

Why, Mr. Mason?

I've just seen Ethel Garvin.

She telephoned the
district attorney's office

and charged
Mr. Garvin with bigamy.

By the way,

do either of you gentlemen
know a young lady

named Virginia Colfax?

Colfax?

Never heard of her. No.

Señor Mason.

How are you, Filomena?

Muy bien. Gracias.
What about my room?

I gave you the same one
you had last time, Number 16.

That sounds wonderful.

Tell Alberto my
luggage is in the trunk,

just one bag.

Bueno.

Mr. and Mrs. Garvin here?

Sí. I give them Room 7.

That's in the other wing?

Sí.

Gracias, Filomena.

Are you saying my
Mexican divorce is no good?

Well, that depends.

If you followed the
usual procedure

mapped out several years ago

by lawyers specializing in
so-called Mexican divorces,

it isn't worth the
paper it's printed on.

But I didn't.

I had a lawyer work out a
procedure with great care.

I actually went to Mexico,
established residence.

Give me that lawyer's name.

I'll check into it carefully

and give you an answer.
What happens meantime?

You and Mr. Garvin
were married in Mexico.

As long as you stay here,
you're legally man and wife

and nothing can interfere.

How long do we have
to stay here, Mr. Mason?

Until I can get certain
documentary evidence

in my hands.

The attorney may
have done all he could

to make your
Mexican divorce valid,

but I want to be
sure I can prove it

before I let you step

into a felony
warrant for bigamy.

Bigamy?

It sounds so sordid.

Obviously, it
wasn't intentional.

You'll need to do a lot of
telephoning tomorrow morning.

Be sure you make
yourself very clear

about the ex-Mrs.
Garvin's false proxies.

And make those
stockholders promise

they'll be at that
meeting in person.

Good night, Mrs. Garvin.

We'll work this out somehow.

I'm sorry, darling,
terribly sorry.

It's not your fault, Ed.

We'll straighten this
thing out. You'll see.

Then she'll find something else.

And something else after that.

She hates us, Ed, both of us.

As long as she lives,
she'll try to destroy us.

No, she won't, Lorrie. I
promise you she won't.

But she'll try.
She'll dog us and...

Darling, don't you
know me by now?

I know Ethel too. Why
don't we give up, Ed?

Why don't we give
her what she wants?

No. You heard what Mason said.

I heard what Ethel said too.

While she's alive, we
don't have a minute's peace.

Ed, you've got to give
her control of the company.

It's the only way
to be rid of her.

Darling, don't you realize

that everything
I own is in Ajax?

When she gets control,
she'll strip me of every penny.

I don't care about the money!

Do you suppose she's at
the beach house at Coronado?

What?

Hello. Give me long
distance, please.

I want to speak
to Mrs. Ethel Gar...

Are you crazy?

Never mind, operator.

Lorrie.

Come out, please.

Lorrie, I didn't
mean to hurt you.

I promise you, we'll work
this thing out somehow.

Hello?

Yes, operator, I've been
trying to reach Mr. Mason

at the Vista del Mar in Mexico.

Thank you. Put me through.

Good morning, Señor Mason.

Call for you.

Thank you, Filomena.

Hello?

Hello?

Thank goodness
this is you, Perry.

I've been trying to reach
you since 7:00 this morning.

Did you know the hotel
phones were out of order

since 11 last night?

No, I didn't. What's up?

Ethel Garvin's been murdered.

She was shot through the head.

She was murdered
sometime last night

between midnight and 12:30.

They found her body at Coronado.

At the beach house?

Yes.

There was a gun on
the floor near the body.

Could it have been suicide?

No.

How terrible.

You remained in
the room all night?

Yes, I woke about 11,
and I was still awake at 1.

Why are you so sure of the hour?

I hear the clock chime.

And you can swear
that Mr. Garvin was here

with you all that time?

Yes, Mr. Mason.

That's fine. I just
wanted to make sure

you had an absolute alibi.

I'd like you to go ahead
just as we planned.

I think I should go
back, Mr. Mason.

Ethel didn't have any
relatives as far as I know of.

I don't want you to
set foot over that border

until I'm able to
present certain facts

which will result in a dismissal

of the bigamy charge.
But if Ethel's dead...

The warrant is still out.

And you're going
back to Los Angeles?

No, I'm going to see the
San Diego district attorney.

For your protection, I'll need
to know exactly what happened.

But, Mr. Mason, we
had nothing to do with it.

You must realize, the police
are going to investigate you

as routine procedure.

They'll check your every move

because of the
relationship and the motive.

So Mr. Garvin
has a perfect alibi

for the time during which
the murder was committed.

Will he come back to the
United States to so testify.

And be arrested for bigamy?

More likely for
murder, Mr. Mason.

As I said, he has
a perfect alibi.

Then why worry about it?

We can save the time we'll
need for extradition procedures

and get to a trial
as fast as we can.

Are you offering a
deal, Mr. Covington?

Just testing
your client's alibi.

I'm afraid it's indestructible.

Might be we'll explode it.

Yes?

Who?

Oh, I'm sorry.

I can't talk right now.

What?

Are you sure?

I'll see you later.

Is something wrong?

Ed...

The San Diego
police just arrested him

for the murder of Ethel Garvin.

Postpone the
stockholders' meeting.

Can we?

We can, and we must.

Mr. Mason...

I told you to stay in Mexico.

Until it was safe to leave,

so when your secretary called

and said it was
all right, we left.

My secretary?

Yes,

and they were waiting
for us at the border.

You certainly
blundered this time.

You've heard my
secretary's voice.

Did it sound like her?

Lorrie answered the telephone.

She said the woman
called herself Della Street.

She said you'd cleared it

for me to get to the
stockholders' meeting.

Mr. Garvin, my
secretary did not call you.

Well, who did?

That's what I'd like to know.

Sergeant Holt, I
show you this revolver

already placed in evidence
and marked state's Exhibit A.

Have you ever seen
this weapon before?

Yes, sir. It has my mark on it.

Where did you first see it?

It was found on the floor

of Mrs. Ethel Garvin's
beach house in Coronado,

about 9 feet from her body.

And what did you
do with the weapon?

I immediately had it
checked for fingerprints.

Were any found?

No, sir. They'd
been wiped clean.

I then sent it to
Ballistics to find out

whether or not this
was the murder weapon.

And the results?

The bullet taken by the
coroner from the victim's head

came from this weapon.

What was your next step?

Well, since it was apparently
the murder weapon,

we sent out an
all points bulletin

and checked the serial number.

The results?

The L.A.P.D. notified us
that the registered owner

was Miss Helen Bynum.

Thank you, sergeant.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

No questions.

You may step down.

I call Miss Helen
Bynum to the stand.

Helen Bynum.

Miss Bynum?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Raise your right hand.

Do you solemnly
swear to tell the truth,

the whole truth and
nothing but the truth?

I do. State your name.

Helen Bynum.

Be seated.

Have you ever seen
that woman before?

Never.

That is Virginia Colfax.

Miss Bynum,

I show you this revolver.

Have you ever seen it before?

Yes, it's mine.

When did you last see it?

I left it on the terrace outside

of Mr. Garvin's office.

When was that?

It was the night
of, uh, June 14th.

And this revolver was never
in your possession after that?

No.

Thank you, Miss
Bynum. Your witness.

It's a pleasure to see
you again, Miss Colfax.

The name is Helen Bynum.

You introduced yourself
to me as Virginia Colfax

when we met.

That was the first name
that entered my mind.

Now, would you be good
enough to tell this court

why you carry a revolver?

Certainly.

I happen to be a
licensed private detective.

I see.

Then on the night we met,

you were working
as a private detective?

Yes.

Now, would you
mind telling the court

what you were doing
in Mr. Garvin's office?

I was checking the files.

Of course, you were
authorized to do that.

Tell us, Miss Colfax...

I beg your pardon.

Miss Bynum, were you authorized

to go through those files?

No.

So you were on the
premises illegally?

Answer the question.

I had no right to be there.

Then you admit you
broke into the office?

I did not.

Someone had given you a key?

I had my own.
It's a skeleton key.

Now, while you were going
through those files illegally,

you were interrupted,
were you not?

Yes.

I show you this
photograph of the deceased.

Now, is this the woman
who interrupted your search?

It might have been.

How did she get into the office?

She had her own key.

When I heard the
reception door open I...

You pulled out the gun and
retreated onto the terrace.

Yes.

Now, tell us, Miss, uh, Bynum,

just exactly who
were you working for?

I'm sorry, I can't
answer that question.

You refuse to answer?

Yes.

Would the court please
instruct this witness

to answer the question?

Is the witness conversant

with her constitutional rights?

Yes, Your Honor.

If necessary, I'm prepared
to go to jail for contempt

rather than divulge a
confidence given by a client.

I'm going to inquire
into this matter

at the termination of this case.

I order you to appear
in this courtroom

at 3 p.m. one week from today,

then and there, to show cause

why I should not find you guilty

of contempt of this court
and impose sentence.

Have you any further questions
of this witness, Mr. Mason?

No, Your Honor.

All right, Mr. Covington,

call your next witness.

And where did you first see
this revolver, Mr. Livesey?

When Mr. Garvin showed it to me.

He'd found it on the terrace.

Was anyone present
with Mr. Garvin?

Mr. Denby came in with me.

What did Mr. Garvin
do with the gun?

He put it in his desk
drawer and then locked it.

He didn't notify the police?

He said he was
going to do it later.

He was late for an
appointment at the time.

Thank you.

Your witness.

No questions.

Uh, Mr. Denby, how
do you know the gun

that the defendant
locked in his desk

is the same as this gun

that has been offered
here in evidence?

It has the same number.

You wrote down the number?

Oh, no, no, I remembered it.

I have a photographic
memory for numbers.

If you'd care to try me out...

No, no, no. No more
questions. Your witness.

No questions.

Now, which one?

This is the car I saw
the night of the murder.

You're absolutely
certain, Mr. Scanlon?

Oh, yeah. You see that
scraped rear fender?

He did that against the
wash rack of my gas station.

He was in such a
hurry, he didn't even look

where he was going.

Never even stopped
when I called him.

That's how come I
got his license number,

to send him a bill
of damages, $8.

About what time was this?

Oh, about 1:00. I
was fixin' to close.

I had the tanks locked,

turned the station lights
out, and he walks in.

He'd run out of gas about
a quarter mile up the road.

Mm-hm. How'd he act?

Well, I've never seen
a man in such a hurry

and real nervous, like he'd
seen a ghost or something.

And he kept lookin'
back up the road.

By "back up the road,"

do you mean toward Coronado?

That's right.

Mr. Scanlon, I ask you to
look around this courtroom

and tell me if the man you're
talking about is in this room.

That's him.

And I'd sure like to
get that 8 bucks off him.

Thank you very much,
Mr. Scanlon. That's all.

Your witness.

Mr. Scanlon,

are you absolutely
certain of the direction

from which the defendant
approached your service station?

Well, he walked in
once, then he drove in.

Both times he came from
the direction of Coronado.

Would you happen
to know whether or not

he had passed your
station earlier in the evening

while on his way to Los Angeles?

And at the time he
scratched his fender,

he was then on his
way back to Mexico?

Objection, Your Honor.

The question is argumentative,

not proper cross-examination,

and assumes facts
not in evidence.

Objection sustained.

Trouble?

Big trouble. Your
client's been lying.

Covington knows it.

Mr. Mason?

Oh, I beg the court's pardon.

We've just uncovered
some new evidence.

May I have a moment, Your Honor?

Yes, of course.

What the devil is he up to?

We'd better find out.

Your Honor, if, uh,
Mr. Mason wants time,

I have no objection

if we adjourn until
Monday morning.

Mr. Mason?

I didn't ask to
adjourn, Your Honor,

however if Mr. Covington
feels he needs an adjournment...

But Your Honor, I
thought Mr. Mason...

All right, Mr. Covington, let's
not get involved in discussion.

Do you or do you not
want an adjournment?

Yes, Your Honor.

Very well.

Court stands adjourned
until 10:00 Monday morning.

What's wrong?

I'll let you know later.

Let's have it, Paul.

Garvin's alibi, it's no good.

Are you sure?

Mrs. Garvin said something

about hearing
chimes, didn't she?

Yes. She didn't.

Didn't what? Hear chimes.

I just found out that
Filomena's going to be called

as a prosecution witness
to testify that the chimes

are turned off every
night just after 10:00,

so as not to disturb the guests.

I'll show you, Señor Mason.

Always, I close
chimes after 10:00.

Make too much
noise for sleeping.

When do you open them?

At 8 in the morning.

Did you hear a car leave
at any time during the night?

Yes, dos.

Two? Two.

First, Señor Garvin,
then your machine.

Mine? Who took it?

The young lady.

Mrs. Garvin?

Too dark to see face,

but same nice figure.

Tell me, Filomena,

were there any
other nice figures

at the hotel that night?

Sí, señor.

After you go to bed,
arrive another in taxi.

I think maybe a friend of you,

but Filomena
never ask questions.

Never.

Thank you, Filomena.

I tell you, I didn't
leave the Vista del Mar

that whole night.

I've got to hand it to you.

I'm not very often fooled,
but you did it beautifully.

I don't know what you mean.

When I first met you,

I thought you really
loved Ed Garvin.

I do! He doesn't
mean a thing to you.

I should have spotted
your motive immediately.

With Ethel dead and Garvin
on his way to the gas chamber,

you'd get everything he has.

Mr. Mason... You knew all along

that gun was probably
in his office desk.

Mr. Mason, I don't know
what brought this on,

but I do love my husband!

So you prove it by lying and
letting him go to his death?

Where did I lie?

You claimed you never left
the Vista del Mar that night.

I didn't! Filomena will testify

she saw you take my car.

Your car was...

My car was still
parked when you left?

Then whose car did you take?

I went in Ed's.

I couldn't tell you that before.

Ed had to have an alibi!

Where'd you go?

To Ethel Garvin's.

What prompted that?

I... I telephoned her that night

at the beach house at Coronado.

All the telephones at the hotel
were out of order after 11:00.

I called her earlier than that!

Why didn't you tell me that
before you made the call?

I was right there at the hotel.

I didn't want to disturb you!

I thought you'd be asleep.

I couldn't sleep. I
hadn't slept in days.

I couldn't go on
that way anymore!

I told her Ed would
give her everything if...

She must have
expected the surrender.

She told me her attorney
had drawn up a paper.

All Ed had to do was drive
up to Coronado and sign it.

Did you ask her what
was in this document?

She said it was
none of my business.

Either Ed wanted to
be released or he didn't.

That was a fair
estimate of the situation.

Did Ed agree to that?

We left five minutes later.

And when you got there?

He told me she was dead.

I didn't go into the
house with him.

He came out a few minutes later.

He was completely shaken.

After we'd had a cigarette,

we started back
to the Vista del Mar.

Then we ran out of gas

a mile or two down the road.

But the gas station attendant

said Ed was driving alone.

I was on the floor
under a blanket.

Ed was afraid we'd be
questioned for the murder.

He didn't want me involved.

Mr. Mason, you've
got to believe me.

I do. Oh...

I had to shake
the truth out of you.

Now, when you
got back to the hotel,

was my car still there?

Yes.

If you didn't take it, who did?

Filomena said someone who...

Operator, I'd like to
talk person-to-person

to Los Angeles
to Mr. Paul Drake.

People v. Garvin.

Are you ready to
proceed, gentlemen,

and is it stipulated that
the defendant is in court

and the jurors are all present?

So stipulated.

So stipulated, Your Honor.

If the court please,
may I be permitted

to recall Miss Helen Bynum

for additional
cross-examination?

Mr. Covington?

Your Honor, we certainly
don't wish it to be said

that where a man's
life is at stake,

the district attorneys
of this county

would forestall any efforts
to determine the truth.

Thank you, Mr. Covington.

Is Miss Helen Bynum present?

You will take the stand, please.

But I already
refused to testify.

Take the stand, please.

Now, Miss Bynum,
I asked you before

who your client
was in this case.

And I told you I wouldn't
betray a confidence.

That's very commendable of you.

However, my next question
doesn't pose that problem.

Were you at the
Vista del Mar hotel

on the night of the murder?

No. Remember,
you're still under oath.

I told you, I wasn't there.

You didn't go to the
Vista del Mar hotel

to see if the defendant
and his wife were there

and then take my car
and drive to San Diego

to report your
findings to your client?

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

All right, then,

where were you on
the night of the murder?

I don't remember.

Perhaps your memory
will serve you better

in another area.

Does the name Della
Street mean anything to you?

No.

You never used that name?

I most certainly did not.

Now, would you tell us the
telephone number of your office?

Braddock, 4-3-2-2-2.

I have here a copy
of your telephone bill

for the month of June.

Now, would you
kindly explain this item

on June 18th, the
day after the murder?

A $3.10 charge for a
long-distance telephone call

from your office to
the Vista del Mar hotel

in Mexico.

If you weren't
calling the defendant,

who were you calling?

Miss Bynum, I don't
believe you appreciate

the gravity of this situation,

and I have no
desire to entrap you,

but that telephone call was made

in order to frame the defendant.

And in making the call,
you left yourself open

to the charge of
accessory to a murder.

Do you know the
punishment for that?

Now, just a minute.

I'm not gonna take that rap.

I didn't know what
he had in mind.

He told me to use the name

Della Street.

Who is this "he" you
refer to, your client?

Yes.

All right. Now tell us his name.

Frank Livesey.

She's a liar!

Come forward, sir.

Do you mean to tell us

that you did not
employ this woman?

I employed her, Your Honor.

But I never told her
to make any phone call

to Ed Garvin,

and I never told her to use

the name Della Street.

If Your Honor please,

in view of the developments,

may I have the opportunity of
cross-examining Mr. Livesey?

You certainly may.

All right, miss, you may step
down and resume your seat.

Take the stand, Mr. Livesey.

Now, just for the
record, Mr. Livesey,

did you or did you not employ

the previous witness,
Miss Helen Bynum?

Yes, I did.

And under your instructions,

did she go to
Mr. Garvin's office

on the night of June 14th?

Yes, I was supposed
to meet her there.

But the deceased
got there before you

and Miss Bynum was
forced to make her exit

through my office?

That's what she told me.

Now, on the day of June 18th,

did you not instruct Miss Bynum

to use the name of Della Street

and call Edward Garvin
at the Vista del Mar hotel?

I told you before that I didn't.

You're under oath
now, Mr. Livesey.

My answer is still the same.

I never told her to do that.

May I ask how much you earn

as president of the
Ajax Corporation?

Twenty-thousand dollars a year.

And bonuses? And bonuses.

Now, isn't it true that if
Ethel Garvin had lived

and gained control of
the Ajax Corporation,

you would have
lost that position?

I could have found a better one.

Isn't that wishful thinking?
Your Honor, if the court please,

I'm sure that
Mr. Mason will agree

that I've been most cooperative.

But I can't sit back

and see the valuable
time of this court wasted

on a fishing expedition
that can lead nowhere.

If the court will permit me

to recall a witness,

I can prove that
Mr. Mason's efforts

are merely time-consuming.

No objection.

You may step down temporarily.

I call Mr. George Denby.

Mr. Denby, I ask you
to examine these letters

and tell me if you've
ever seen them before.

Yes, sir.

When did you see
the first of them?

About a week after the
death of Mrs. Ethel Garvin.

The next two arrived
several days after that.

I'll ask you to explain the
contents of these letters.

Each is the offer of a
job to Mr. Frank Livesey,

all at an increase in salary.

Are they bona fide offers?

Oh, yes, sir. How
do you know this?

Mr. Livesey asked me
to investigate these offers

and negotiate the
salaries for him.

Mr. Livesey has no
concept of money,

only how to spend it.

Then you would say on
the basis of these letters

that Mr. Livesey would have no
problem in finding employment?

Certainly not.

He is well-known as
a superb salesman

and customer's man.

Then by the same token,
he would have no motive

in wanting to kill
Mrs. Ethel Garvin

to protect his job?

Objection, Your Honor.

The question calls
for a conclusion

on the part of the witness.

Objection sustained.

No more questions.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Mr. Denby, on the
basis of your testimony,

I would say that you and
Mr. Livesey were good friends.

Only in business.

We did not see
each other socially.

Of course, you
discussed the problems

of the Ajax Corporation
with each other?

Of necessity.

You also discussed the murder

of Mrs. Ethel
Garvin, did you not?

Naturally.

Did Mr. Livesey tell you

about employing a detective
to watch Mrs. Garvin?

Yes.

Did he tell you that
before or after the murder?

After the murder.

Will Miss Helen
Bynum please rise?

Have you ever seen
this woman before?

Yes, when she testified.

That was the first
time you saw her?

Yes.

You are absolutely positive

you've had no other contact

with her at any time?

Positive.

Mr. Denby, do you subscribe

to a telephone
answering service?

Yes, I do.

How do you account for the fact

that during the past month,

your answering service
has records to show

that Miss Bynum
left messages for you

on a number of occasions?

Who told you that?

Do you deny it's true?

Well, maybe she called me.

She called you through
your answering service

for one reason only.

She didn't want Mr. Livesey

to know she was
also working for you.

But you were well aware

that she was working
for him, were you not?

She kept you informed
on everything, didn't she?

You were the one who sent her

to the Vista del
Mar hotel in Mexico

to keep tab on the defendant.

When he left that night,
she tried to call you,

but the hotel lines
were out of order.

That's why she took my
car and drove to Tijuana

to phone.

Where did she reach
you, Mr. Denby?

In San Diego.

Only 15 minutes away

from Ethel Garvin's
beach house in Coronado.

You, of course,
knew Ethel Garvin

was a shrewd businesswoman.

What does that prove?

In taking over control
of the Ajax Corporation,

she first would have asked
for an audit of the books.

Isn't that why you
killed her, Mr. Denby,

to prevent that audit?

How much money
have you embezzled?

You're making a
terrible mistake.

Am I, Mr. Denby?

When Mr. Livesey admitted

that he employed Helen
Bynum to spy for him,

I could think of
no logical reason

why he would deny
that he'd asked her

to use Della's name
in calling Mr. Garvin.

It certainly was no
more incriminating.

So you had to find
another explanation.

And I realized there
must have been

another client in the picture.

But I never told you

that Denby's phone
answering service

had records of her calls to him.

They didn't.

Well, you knew
that, and I knew that.

Fortunately, Mr. Denby
did not know that.

Well, I'll say one thing.

You felt all along
that Virginia Colfax...

Alias, Helen Bynum.

Was the answer
to the whole case.

Oh, but I had an
ulterior purpose

in trying to find her. Oh?

I was intrigued
when Mr. Garvin said

there was another Della Street.

I thought you were the
only one in the world.