04x18 - The Case of the Angry Dead Man

[bunniefuu]

( noirish jazz theme playing )

( thunder crashes )

( dramatic theme playing )

( wind gusting )

This is all
we were able to find.

( sighs )

( sobs )

That's not going
to help, Eve.

( Eve cries )

We're bringing in
floodlights.

And we're going
to continue searching.

The only problem is that this
lake is so full of sunken logs.

( sobbing ):
Oh, go. Go away, please.
Go away.

( door closes )

Hey, what was all that stuff
about the floodlights?

What do you do,
tell a woman

we've never fished anybody out
of that lake?

Tell her hot dog, she just saved
the expense of a fancy funeral.

First thing in the morning,
you can explain to her

how dead he is.

( dramatic theme playing )

( engine starting )

I'm dead.

Yes.

Now I'm dead.

( dramatic theme playing )

( dramatic theme playing )

( woman sobbing )

All right, Helen.

If you'll sign these checks,
Mr. Castle,

I'll get them out today.

You know I can't
cover these.

I-I've postdated them,
Mr. Castle.

What's my balance?

Precarious.

Sign them tomorrow.

Was the contract in there,
Mr. Castle?
Huh?

Your agreement
with Mr. Nesbitt.

I thought maybe
he remembered to mail it to you

before he went
fishing yesterday.

No, no.
It's not here.

Maybe he didn't even
remember to sign it.

In that case your partnership
with him

is technically not dissolved,
so you don't owe his widow

$ , in payment, so--

All right, all right, Ben,
I'm aware of all that.

Now, will you get out of here?

Oh, uh, which reminds me:

Should I order some flowers
sent to Eve Nesbitt?

The firm could afford
a small wreath.

I don't know why
I tolerate you.

Sure you do, Mr. Castle.

You tolerate me because
I'm a good company man.

And a good company man knows
everything that goes on.

Everything.

( door closes )

What's Ben giggling about?

Oh, there's the mail.
Lloyd, is it in there?

No, it's not.
What do you suppose happened?

Do you think he might not have
signed the agreement?

Who knows. I sent him
all the copies weeks ago.

Probably it's just lying around
his desk at home someplace.

If anything important
comes up,

where can I say
you can be reached?

I can't be.

( tense theme playing )

What are you going to do, Eve?
Start a Willard Nesbitt museum?

I don't understand you.

Didn't you have any feeling
for your daddy?

Oh, he was some daddy,
sure enough.

He loved you, Bruce.

Sure.

That's why
he divorced my mother.

Stop squeezing that ball.

It's good
for the arm.

Anyway, who needed him?

I'm big enough
to take care of myself, now.

Wouldn't you say?

( sighs )

I really have
no opinion about that.

Aw, I'm not criticizing
the guy, Eve-y.

I'm envying him.

When I'm past ,
I'd sure like

a nice Georgia peach
to come rolling into my lap.

I loved your father dearly.

Sure you did.

And there's nothing like
a big fat insurance policy

to keep his
precious memory alive.

You are a vicious boy.

I remember what
the insurance man said:

"Double indemnity

"in case of accidental death,
Mr. Nesbitt.

Now won't that be
a comfort for your widow?"

A $ ,
worth of comfort.

Oh.

You're vile!

Eve.

Is that the way to talk to a boy
who's just been orphaned?

( door closes )

( suspenseful theme playing )

And in looking through some
of my husband's correspondence,

I came across your name,
Mr. Mason.

Willard Nesbitt.

The oil lease contract,
Perry. Year before last.

Oh, yes. Of course.

Didn't I read something in the
newspapers about an accident?

Yes. My husband was drowned
almost two months ago.

I'm very sorry,
Mrs. Nesbitt.

Now, how can I help you?

Well, I'm really
not sure, Mr. Mason.

You see, back in Georgia,
where I was raised,

it was considered vulgar
for a woman

to know too much
about business matters.

So I-I'm kind of stupid
when it comes to money.

But I can read
a bank statement.

And, to be perfectly frank,
Mr. Mason, I am without funds.

No insurance?

Oh, yes, Willard took out a--

I believe you called it
a double indemnity policy.

And I'm to get
$ , .

What's holding it up?

Well, I don't know.

The insurance company told me
I'd get my money

as soon as they concluded
their investigation.

Aren't there any assets
in your husband's company

that you could draw on?

Well, that's what
I'm getting at, Mr. Mason.

I'm not so sure it is my
husband's company any more.

You see, my husband had
a business partner.

Mr. Lloyd Castle.

A-- And for several months
before he died,

they were discussing
a separation.

Was this a new business
your husband was in?

No, no, the same as when
you knew him, I suppose.

Investment properties.
Oil and mining properties.

Were the assets
to be divided equally?

No, I don't think so.

Uh, Mr. Castle was supposed
to buy my husband out

for $ , .

Now, if he did that,

wouldn't that money be mine?

If that was the agreement, yes.

Oh.

Well, I've been trying to get
Mr. Castle on the phone

and his secretary keeps telling
me he's out of town.

I don't know whether he's
trying to avoid me or not.

But, uh, I think I need
a lawyer, Mr. Mason,

wouldn't you say so?

Yes, I'd say so.

Della, let's see if we can make
an appointment with Mr. Castle.

Heh. Well, let's put it
this way, Mr. Mason,

we might not be the luckiest
mining speculators in America,

but we're among the poorest.

I gathered you'd had
a little bad luck,

from what Mrs. Nesbitt
told me.

However, there seems
to be some question

about a dissolution
of partnership.

Jenny, let me have this
contracts in my briefcase,

will you? Well, there's really
no question, Mr. Mason.

Of course I've been out
of town a good deal.

So Eve Nesbitt might have
misunderstood a great deal.

Mr. Castle, my sole interest
is in whether or not

you and your partner
reached an agreement.

Oh, thank you.
Yes. Here we are.

We agreed to dissolve
the partnership, Mr. Mason.

We drew up this contract,

it's just a simple
statement of terms.

I see.

Willard signed them
just a couple of days

before he was drowned.

Wasn't there to have been
a payment of some sort?

I have the check right here,
Mr. Castle.

Thank you, Jenny.
Yes, there we are.

Drawn to Eve Nesbitt according
to the terms of the agreement.

In the amount of $ , .

Now, Mr. Mason, you said you
were concerned about something.

What was it?

MASON:
Nothing, I guess.

I'm sure,
she'll appreciate the money.

Thank you, Mr. Castle.
Miss Bartlett.

Goodbye, Mr. Mason.
Mr. Mason.

Jenny.
Jenny, we've done it.

Oh, we have?
Have we?

What's the matter?
Our ship has come in.

Wait till you see the assays
on that Mesa property.

And wait till the royalties
start rolling in.

Jenny, will you marry me?

Do you mean it
this time?

My only trouble
has been an empty wallet.

But that's all over.
Forever.

That , of yours
is going to blossom

into a cool
half million dollars.

And not one penny of it
will go to Eve Nesbitt.

Half a million dollars?

That's what that Mesa property
is going to be worth

in a couple of weeks.

Oh, faithful partner.

You didn't die
a minute too soon.

MAN:
"Mesa Mine A Mint."

When you finish in the lobby,
Joe, take a look at .

We've got a reservation
coming in at noon.

Joe, you hear me?

Oh, sure,
Mr. Anderson.

I'm going into town
to pick up the linens.

Grab the phone if it rings.

Sure.

"Mr. Castle, a speculator in oil
and mining properties

"took an option on ten acres of
hill country in Mesa, Nevada.

"It proved to be
more than scrub land.

"A rich vein of gold was tapped,
and experts estimate

"that Mr. Castle will clear
half a million dollars

in the next year."

( phone ringing )

WOMAN: Operator.
Information.

I'd like to have the telephone
number of Mr. Perry Mason.

He's an attorney
in Los Angeles.

( woman speaks indistinctly
over phone )

( ringing )

Perry Mason's office.

(Willard speaks indistinctly
on phone)

No, I'm sorry,
he isn't in right now.

Uh, who is calling,
please?

Uh, Harry Brown.

Well, perhaps I could help you,
Mr. Brown.

Well, yes,
perhaps you can.

I-- I'm an investigator for
the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Uh, we understand
that Mr. Mason represents

a Mrs. Willard Nesbitt?

That's right.

Well, she apparently owns,
or we assume she still owns,

a part of the Nesbitt & Castle
Company.

I-Is that correct?

Uh, well just what is this
in reference to?

Well, in checking over
Mrs. Nesbitt's projected income

for next year, we see that
she has neglected to include

her royalties
for the Mesa mine properties.

Mr. Mason is her attorney,

not her accountant,
Mr. Brown.

But he handled the negotiations
for Mrs. Nesbitt.

He would know if--

I'm sorry, we can't
give that information out

over the phone.

Now, if you could come
in to the office perhaps--

( phone clicks )

( tense theme playing )

Well!

Thank you.
Thank you very much.

( dialing )

( woman speaking indistinctly
on phone )

Operator.
I want to call Dunkirk .

( rings )

Hello.

( Willard speaking indistinctly
on phone )

Then I called the Bureau
of Internal Revenue,

just before they closed
last night.

They don't a Harry Brown
working for them,

not as an investigator.

And you didn't
recognize his voice?

No. But it sounded
sort of muffled.

You know, like maybe he put
something over the mouth piece

to disguise it.

I wonder if it would have
something to do with that.

MASON:
Yes, I think it could be, Della.

You'd better get
Eve Nesbitt on the phone.

(man speaks indistinctly
on phone)

Uh, no.
she's not here, Mr. Mason.

( Mason speaks indistinctly
on phone )

Well, I'm not her watchdog. But
you might try the lake cottage.

( Mason speaks indistinctly
on phone )

Yeah, she went out there
in a big lather last night.

( Mason speaks indistinctly
on phone )

Yeah, about :
she got a phone call.

I didn't pay any attention,
I was watching television.

Only I heard her give out
with one of those

silly squeals of hers
and., uh,

then she grabbed
her old coat.

( Mason speaks indistinctly
on phone )

Well, no, she didn't say
anything to me,

but I mean, I figured since
she took that coat, she--

( Mason speaks indistinctly
on phone )

I mean look, Mr. Mason,
she still isn't back,

so where else would she be?

( tense theme playing )

What can I do for you,
mister?

My name is Mason,
I'm Mrs. Nesbitt's attorney.

What's happened?

How long has he been dead?

Well, I'm as confused
as you are, mister.

I thought Mr. Nesbitt had
been dead for over eight weeks,

but right now I'd say it was
closer to eight hours.

( dramatic theme playing )

A bunch of college boys
came up late last night,

about midnight.
They camped right down there,

built up a big fire.
They found the body?

First thing this morning they
went out for some early fishing.

Spotted Nesbitt
in the shallow water there.

The ambulance men
say he'd been shot.

The way I figure,

this Nesbitt faked an accident
up here once before.

Maybe to collect his own
insurance. Who knows?

Anyway, the next time
he shows in this neighborhood,

somebody spotted him and decided
to make the accident real,

that's all.

Only, why would the m*rder*r
tie the weight

to just one of Mr. Nesbitt's
legs

and then drop the body
off in shallow water?

Were those other weights
and wire

still there
in the boat this morning?

Mr. Mason, I'm telling you all
I can,

because I think the little lady
in that house up there

will be needing your help.

She's a sorrowful
little thing.

I appreciate it, officer.

Now, it's your idea that the
college boys building their fire

interrupted the m*rder*r,
right?

If so, the k*lling must have
occurred around midnight

or just before.

Can you also tell me who
the sheriff's office feels

might have been
near the house at that time?

Her. Just her.

( suspenseful theme playing )

On my word of honor,
Mr. Mason, I don't know.

I just don't know.

See, ever since
my husband disappeared,

I believed he was dead.

I believed it until he called
me on the phone last night.

Can't you recall
anything he said to you,

beside the fact that
he wanted to see you here?

Mr. Mason,

my-- My blood
just froze up in me.

It was all I could do
to keep from fainting.

Yes.

Yes, I remember he kept saying,
we'd been cheated.

And then he hung up.

Did he say he'd spoken
with anyone else?

No.

We can have Paul check
the telephone company.

What time did you get out here,
Mrs. Nesbitt?

I got the call about, uh--

About , and, uh,

I guess I came here
around : .

And I found the lights on,

only there wasn't anybody here.

So I didn't know what to do.
I just sat down and I waited.

( sobbing ):
And I waited.

Would you like
some more coffee, Eve?

No.

I just got to stop
this bawling.

( exhales )

Well, anyway,

I-I didn't know what to do,
so I waited

and I must have fallen asleep
about midnight.

And the next thing I knew

there was a knock on the door,

and it was daylight

and that nice policeman

came in and told me they'd found
my darling in the lake.

And that he'd been shot.

( cries loudly )

( somber theme playing )

We'll be back later,
Mrs. Nesbitt.

Now, please don't--
Please don't worry.

Goodbye, Eve.

( sobs )

Della, may I see those notes
you just made?

Shorthand?

I can have them typed up
in just a few minutes.

And I'll like a copy of
the Castle-Nesbitt contract.

The one dissolving
their partnership.

I think it was signed
on the th as I remember.

Mm-hm.

That was just two days
before Mr. Nesbitt disappeared.

Perry, what on earth--?
That's the point, Della.

Just occurred to me that
Mr. Nesbitt must have signed

that contract out
at the cottage.

And he likely used
the pen on his desk.

The same one you used
to write these notes.

Mm-hm.

What do you think?

It's not quite the same,
is it?

Uh, the ink, I mean.

Of course there could have been
over a dozen pens out there.

( knocking on door )

Hi, Perry, Della.

Well, Paul?

The phone company
was most cooperative.

Nesbitt made two calls
from the cottage last night.

The first one at five minutes
after , was to Dunkirk .

That's Mr. Nesbitt's
apartment phone.

Mm-hm.
And the second one,

a few minutes later
was to Dickens .

Which is an answering service.

And the call was
to Mr. Ben Otis.

Look here, Mr. Mason, I was
very fond of Will Nesbitt.

He was an old
and good friend.

When I lost my job,
he brought me into this office.

But I certainly had no part
of what happened last night.

Mr. Nesbitt trusted you a good
deal, though, I take it.

How does one
measure trust?

By a telephone call.

Oh. So that's it.

Yes. Last night,
Willard Nesbitt called you,

not Lloyd Castle.

He called
the answering service.

The service
that this firm subscribes to.

Did anyone else
know of the call?

Well anyone checking the service
could have got the message.

Mr. Castle.
Miss Bartlett.

All right, Mr. Otis.
Thank you.

Mr. Castle is quite busy, the
police were here all morning.

I'll take only
a few minutes.

Now, look here, I checked with
the answering service last night

and learned
of Nesbitt's call.

Is that
what you want to know?

Because as I told the police,
I did not go out to the cottage.

We were too worried
to know

whether it was a crank call
or not.

Well, didn't you try
to check by calling back?

Yes, we did. There was
no answer, so we ignored it.

What time did you
call the cottage?

Oh, ten after or so.
Anything else?

Yes, I'm really here

to pick up some of
Mr. Nesbitt's files.

Oh, what for?

Well, I'm Mrs. Nesbitt's
attorney,

I'd just like
to examine his records.

Well, they go back
for quite a few years.

I'll settle
for his contract files.

Mr. Mason, what is it
you're really looking for?

I want to run down every
possible lead, that's all.

But I don't see why you need--
Nonsense, Jenny.

Mr. Mason has every right.

Yes, here we are.

Nesbitt's files.

Take your choice.
I hope they help you.

Thank you, Mr. Castle.

I'm sure they will.

( tense theme playing )

Mmm.

What's the verdict,
Professor Laiken?

It's a real beauty.

But a forgery?

Well, I'm assuming
that it is.

( chuckles )

I don't want assumptions.

Heh. Now look here,

when the great Perry Mason
assumes it's a forgery,

who am I to say no?

But is it or is it not?

I don't know whether
I can be absolutely certain

about this or not.

The signatures are identical.

The pressure of the strokes
similar.

If it's tracing,
it's an excellent job.

It has to be a forgery.

Nesbitt originally
must have faked his death

in order to give his wife
the benefit of his insurance.

But why would he then jeopardize
everything he just set up?

He must have read
about the Mesa mine,

discovered that his wife
was being cheated--

But how can you be sure
that Nesbitt's wife

was telling the truth?

Maybe she was
in the whole thing with him.

Perry, if you put me
on the stand,

I'll say that this very likely
is a forgery.

It definitely
lacks the smoothness

of the other signatures.

But another expert
might argue the case

and then your house
of cards would tumble.

On the other hand if you could
get me one more copy of this,

if I just had
something more for comparison...

( rings )

Hello?
( woman speaks indistinctly)

Oh, yeah.
For you, Perry.

Thank you. Hello?

Perry, Paul located
that motel.

The one where Mr. Nesbitt had
been living the past few weeks.

He's on his way over there now

and thought
you might like to join him.

( tense theme playing )

Perry.
This is Mr. Anderson.

He, uh, manages the place.

Well, I own it,
that's all.

I don't do much real managing.
How do, Mr. Mason?

Hello,
Mr. Anderson.

I got a woman keeps a little
closer eye on things.

But Fanny appears
to be out somewheres.

I just wish I knew
more answers to help you.

Are you sure it was Willard
Nesbitt who lived here?

Mm-hm.

I gave him a room

in return for a few odd jobs
around the place.

He called himself Joe Smith.

Uh. Here's my notes so far.
Take a look at this.

"He expected to die"?

"Livin' on eggshells,
on borrowed time,"

that's how he put it.

See, I only really
talked to him this once.

I'd brought in
a few cans of beer

and he kind of relaxed
that night,

seemed to want
somebody to gab with.

Nesbitt said that he'd
seen several doctors,

just a few weeks before.
And they all agreed

that he'd either have
to live like an invalid

or take his chances
on falling over dead fast.

His wife mentioned that
he hadn't been feeling well

but she certainly didn't know
anything about this.

He didn't talk to me
about any wife.

Just some young girl
named Eve.

Sure seemed crazy about her,
though.

Some young girl?

Might explain quite a bit.

Why a man would decide
to run away,

try and let her cash in
on his insurance.

Well, thank you, gents!
You stop in anytime.

( chuckles )

Fanny.

You get in trouble?

I'll have you know,
I am a material witness.

A what?

Down at police headquarters,
they showed me a bunch of women

and I picked one out.

Who? What are you
talking about?

A woman I saw sneaking
in to visit

that Willard Nesbitt handyman
of yours

one night last week,
that's who.

I just told these men
he didn't have any friends,

no one ever came
to see him here.

Well, that's
where you're wrong.

Because I heard somebody say
that he had an accomplice

and they were stealing
insurance together.

And do you know who it was?
It was his own wife.

You saw Eve Nesbitt here?

I certainly did,

and I saw her again
minutes ago.

Do you know what they said after
I pointed at her?

"Sergeant," they said,
"Book that lady for m*rder."

( dramatic theme playing )

The state will prove
that the victim

and the defendant
conspired together

to defraud
an insurance company.

And we will then prove
that the defendant,

having learned that her husband
had changed his mind

about carrying out
this criminal scheme,

did for that reason
willfully m*rder him.

Yes, sir,
that's the m*rder g*n.

That's my mark on it.

Now, just one more question,
Deputy Gilles.

To whom does
this g*n belong?

Well, according to the serial
number registration,

it belongs to the defendant,
Mrs. Eve Nesbitt.

Thank you, deputy.

Your witness, counselor.

Deputy Gilles, exactly where
was that g*n found?

Near the hedges
next to the house.

Near the hedges,
not in them?

No, sir. Right next to them,
in the driveway.

Now why do you suppose someone
would have dropped the g*n

in a place where it was
so sure to be found?

Your Honor, uh, objection.

It's possible that if this
deputy sheriff was the m*rder*r,

that he might be qualified
to answer that question, but--

Sustained.

Thank you,
Deputy Gilles.

That will be all.

You say that the defendant
received a phone call

and then ran out somewhere
after p.m.

And that you yourself
at a later time also went out

and drove to the area
of the lake and the cottage,

is that correct?

That's right, sir.
But not till about : .

And I had
two friends with me.

Well, you talked
to those guys yourself.

Yes. Yes, the police are
familiar with all of that.

What I'm concerned with
is whether or not

you stopped at the cottage.

Oh, no. I just
drove past, is all.

Well, I'm concerned with what
you saw there, if anything.

I saw there was
a light burning in the house.

And, uh, her car
was parked in back.

We drove past slow, but I didn't
see anybody inside but her.

And, well, that's all there was.

But why where you looking in?
Where you planning to stop?

No, no.

Just habit, I guess.

And what do you mean
by that exactly?

My father used to do
quite a bit of traveling, uh,

examining mining claims,
checking property investment.

And whenever
he was going to be gone,

he'd asked me to keep
an eye on her.

BURGER:
You mean Willard Nesbitt asked
you to spy on his wife? Why?

Well, he wanted to find out
if she was seeing any other man.

I mean sure,
he asked me to spy on her.

What do you think?

That's all, Mr. Nesbitt,
thank you.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

How many men would you say

Eve Nesbitt was carrying on
with?

How do I know?

What did you report
to your father?

Well, nothing, exactly.

Then, to put it exactly,

there was no other man
in Eve Nesbitt's life.

I didn't say that,
Mr. Mason.

I said there was none
that I could find.

Perhaps you also didn't say

that Willard Nesbitt's
real concern

was only
for his wife's safety.

Now, uh, what time did you
pick up these people

who you took driving?

Well, I met them in
a drive-in, uh, maybe : .

What time
did you leave them?

Well, I guess : or so.

Did you hear
the doctor testify

that Willard Nesbitt
could have been m*rder*d

as early as : ?

And did you understand
the police admission

that his body could have been
put in the lake much later,

around midnight, perhaps?

In other words,
before and after

you were with these friends
who serve as your alibi?

I object at that,
Your Honor.

I'll withdraw the question.

Bruce Nesbitt,

if the defendant
is brought to trial

and found guilty of m*rder,

do you have any idea of
how the court will dispose

of your father's estate,
his insurance money?

I guess I'll inherit it.

That's an excellent guess.

Hmm.

No more questions.

I called the cottage
at ten after .

There was no answer.

I now read to you a portion
of the defendant's statement

to the police.
Quote:

"I arrived at the cottage
at five minutes to .

"I waited
there for some time.

"I then went down to the lake
to look around for my husband.

Then I came back
and just waited some more."

Unquote. Wouldn't that mean
that he defendant

was actually at the cottage
when you called her?

I suppose so. But nobody
picked up the phone.

Now, Mr. Castle,

without going into the details
of your personal

or business relationship
with the deceased,

did you noticed any
difference in the behavior

of Willard Nesbitt after
he married the defendant?

Well, yes. At first,
he was happy as a kid.

Then the last few weeks he quit
paying much attention to work.

He started borrowing money
from the business.

BURGER:
Really?

Did you question him about this?

Yes, he just got embarrassed.

I figured he needed the money

because his wife
had extravagant tastes

or maybe he was worried
about hanging on to her.

BURGER:
Thank you, Mr. Castle.
That'll be all.

Your witness, Mr. Mason.

You say you called the cottage
at ten minutes after ,

and there was no answer.

What time had you called your
answering service, Mr. Castle?

I can't recall
the exact time.

You don't have to.
According to their records,

you called at
ten minutes after .

Why did you wait
almost an hour

to return Mr. Nesbitt's call?

I don't know,
maybe I was stunned.

Perhaps you didn't wish
to talk to him

until you'd talked
to someone else?

As a matter of fact,
I did call Ben Otis,

and my fiancée,
Miss Bartlett,

to tell them
that Willard Nesbitt was alive.

Now, you just inferred
that Mr. Nesbitt

may have borrowed money
from the business

in order to cater to his wife's
extravagant tastes.

Well, he never actually
showed me any of the bills.

Then permit me
to show you some.

Bill from Dr. E.F. Hopkins.

Seventy-five dollars,
medical consultation.

One hundred twenty dollars,
medical laboratory tests.

Two hundred five dollars--

Didn't Mr. Nesbitt ever confide
in you

as to how ill he really was?

To my knowledge, Will Nesbitt
hadn't seen a doctor in years.

Perhaps that was
his misfortune.

Now, Mr. Castle,

when did you
and Mr. Nesbitt discuss

the dissolution
of your partnership?

About two months before
he signed the agreement.

Can you remember why
you waited until the day

after your partnership
was dissolved

to renew an option
on the Mesa mining property?

I resent your implications,
Mr. Mason.

Mr. Nesbitt
knew of that mine.

It was only one
of many such properties.

He simply was not interested
in continuing as my partner.

I bought him out
quite legally.

Thank you, that'll be all.

Well, there are a hundred ways

of trying to embezzle
an insurance company.

As investigator for Amalgamated
Insurance,

I've worked on most of them.

When I checked with
Mr. Nesbitt's physician

and found out
what a sick man he was,

well, it certainly suggested
that his accidental death

might be fraud aimed at
collecting double indemnity

for his wife to live on.

Double indemnity?
I see.

Thank you, Mr. Givney.
Your witness, Mr. Mason.

I take it the doctor
told you that Mr. Nesbitt

was aware
of his own condition.

Nesbitt learned
the whole thing

just a week before
he made himself disappear.

In your investigations,

where you able to gather one
particle of evidence

that Mrs. Nesbitt was partner
to her husband's scheme?

Not specifically.

Mr. Givney, my client
is being tried for m*rder.

Now, isn't it true that in all
the time you were on the case

you were not able,
in spite of your suspicions,

to prove complicity
in fraud of any kind?

It's true. I was not.

That will be all,
Mr. Givney.

The witness
may step down.

I call Mrs. Fanny Werbler
to the stand, please.

That evil woman.

I wish a thunderbolt
would strike her.

Perry, it's all set.

You got the Photostats?

They're being
blown up now.

Eve, where do you keep
your canceled checks?

In my desk in the living room.
Why?

I want you to get
those checks right away

and meet me
at Professor Laiken's.

I'll be there as soon
as they call recess.

Okay, Perry.

And Mrs. Werbler,
I've just read to you

from a portion of the statement

made by the defendant
to the police,

pretending to her belief
that her husband was alive.

Now I ask you of your own
certain knowledge

if that statement
was true or false?

If the lady said she believed
her husband was dead

then it's false.
I seen them together.

I seen the defendant
at the Havenhurst Motel

visiting the man
I knew as Joe.

And the man you knew as Joe,
I show you now a picture

of the deceased, was absolutely
this man, Willard Nesbitt?

Yes, sir, that is the man.

Thank you, Mrs. Werbler.
Your witness.

Mrs. Werbler, are you familiar
with the penalty for perjury

for lying under oath?

I ain't lying.
You got some nerve!

Now, you said
on direct examination

that you were on the porch
of the motel

in front of the manager's room
when the defendant passed

in front of you
and went inside?

I did.

Can you recall what
the defendant was wearing?

Sure. She was wearing a tweed
coat with a button-down collar,

a little off the face red hat,
and gloves. White gloves.

What is the color of the tie
I'm wearing, Mrs. Werbler?

I object to that, Your Honor.

There is certainly
no possible reason for--

Your Honor, I am
merely trying to verify

the skill of this witness
in identifying clothing.

She seems to have
an unusually retentive memory.

Objection overruled.

The witness
will answer the question.

A green knitted tie.

You'd better look again,
Mrs. Werbler.

So it's blue.
That's pretty close.

Blue and with stripes.

Well, you were
standing sideways.

I couldn't see
you so good.

But I seen that woman,
I tell you,

and she was wearing a red hat.

I'm through with
this witness, Your Honor.

It is now ten minutes
after .

Court will recess
until : .

Mr. Mason, I remember
that red hat.

I only wore it once,

so that must have been the day
that the woman said she saw me.

Where did you go
that evening?

Well, I-- I went shopping,
because Bruce was out of town

and I stopped at the corner
drugstore to have a bite to eat.

And Jenny was there.

Jenny Bartlett?
Yes.

And we gossiped a bit and
then I went straight home.

About : .

Did you tell Miss Bartlett
that Bruce was away?

I do believe I did.

Then I do believe
we're going to have

a most interesting afternoon
in court.

( dramatic theme playing )

Where were you
when Mr. Castle phoned?

I was all ready for bed.
I had a headache that night.

BURGER:
Did he tell you that Willard
Nesbitt was apparently alive?

JENNY:
Yes.

BURGER:
Did you then phone
anyone else to tell them?

JENNY:
No.

Didn't you try
to contact Eve Nesbitt?

No. Uh... Well, I...

I was too shocked,
I wanted to wait

and see what happened,
that's all.

Thank you,
Miss Bartlett.

Yours, Mr. Mason.

Have you ever been to the
Havenhurst Motel, Miss Bartlett?

The place where
Mr. Nesbitt was staying,

where Mrs. Werbler works?
No.

Have you ever seen
Mrs. Werbler before?

No, I haven't.

Then perhaps you hired
Mrs. Werbler's

perjured testimony
over the telephone?

Objection, Your Honor!

The objection's sustained.

Mr. Mason, you will not
intimidate this witness.

You are engaged
to marry Lloyd Castle,

are you not?
Yes, I am.

Then you must have
a great stake in his future?

Well, of course I have.
He's going to be my husband.

Did you make him a loan
of $ ,

allowing him to dissolve his
partnership with Mr. Nesbitt?

Yes, I did.

How did that happen?

Well, I had it,
it was easily available.

It left your savings account
with a balance

of only $ .

Mr. Castle must have wanted
that money desperately.

That's all. Thank you.

Yes, Ms. Nesbitt kept this g*n
in the desk in her apartment.

I remember seeing it there

just a week before
her husband was k*lled.

Well, how did you happen
to notice the g*n?

Well, I do personal bookkeeping
for Nesbitt and his wife.

There were still some
tax things to clear up.

Mrs. Nesbitt kept her papers
in a drawer in the desk.

The g*n was there too.
BURGER: I see.

Your witness,
Mr. Mason.

Isn't it true, Mr. Otis,

that you once suggested
to Mrs. Nesbitt

that a g*n might be more
useful out at the cottage?

Well, I-I might have.

For a woman alone,
that cottage is pretty isolated.

Now we know for a fact
that Mrs. Nesbitt

drove to the cottage on the
night her husband's m*rder.

Were you suggesting that she
took a g*n with her that night?

Of course not.

I just answered the questions
that the prosecutor put to me.

She could have brought
the g*n out there

anytime during
the previous week.

And with the g*n at the cottage,

any number of people might have
found it and made use of it?

Yes, I suppose so.

MASON:
Mr. Otis, what is
your position

with the, um, Castle Investment
Company?

I'm the bookkeeper.

You're very modest,

but you do own a percentage
of the firm, do you not?

( chuckles )

Well, yes, I--
I have a certain share.

Where is your home,
Mr. Otis?

At Melbourne Avenue,
Canoga Park.

Now, with good
traffic conditions,

it would take Mrs. Nesbitt
almost an hour

to drive from her apartment
to the cottage.

It would take you
only minutes or so,

isn't that correct?

I don't know.

You have driven out
there before, haven't you?

It takes about a half an hour.

MASON:
So if you had called
the answering service

at ten minutes after ,

and learned that Mr. Nesbitt
wanted to see you,

you could have
reached the cottage

almost half an hour
before Mrs. Nesbitt arrived?

Yes. But I didn't go.

Thank you, Mr. Otis,
that'd be all.

Perry.

Your Honor, because
of certain new evidence

which has jut come
to my attention,

I would like to recall
Mr. Lloyd Castle.

Yes, this is a copy
of the contract

dissolving the partnership,

and this is Willard Nesbitt's
signature.

You're positive of that?

Yes.

Your Honor, I would
like to introduce

this blown-up Photostat
of Mr. Nesbitt's signature

taken from this contract.

And this, Your Honor,
is another Photostat

of Mr. Nesbitt's signature
taken from an old contract.

Now, just a moment--

Uh, would you both
approach the bench, please?

I'm sure you may have some
objections here, Mr. Prosecutor.

I ask only that you examine
these Photostats.

JUDGE:
Mmm.

They look identical,
but then, I'm no expert.

MASON:
They are identical.

Now I ask you to compare
this signature

with those you've
been examining.

Do they look identical,
Your Honor?

No.
No, not exactly.

May I show them
to the witness?

Mr. Burger?

Mr. Mason,
I have no objection.

Are these signatures
identical, Mr. Castle?

( exhales )

Well, I'm no expert either,
Mr. Mason.

Please look again,
Mr. Castle.

You don't have to be an expert
to see the difference.

Well, yes,
I see a difference.

But, uh,
I can't explain it.

This is a Photostat of
Mr. Nesbitt's signature

taken from the old contract.

Now, someone's forgery of that
signature was excellent.

Forgery?

No, that's Willard's
handwriting,

I'd know it anywhere.

I'm sure you would,

but this signature
was Photostatted

from a check
Mr. Nesbitt wrote

during the week just before
his supposed drowning.

Will you please note that more
of letters slope downward,

some of the letters
are smaller.

There's a slight trembling,
less pressure of the pen.

But I don't understand.
Willard didn't write that way.

All of the checks Mr. Nesbitt
wrote

during that week show
the same signs, Mr. Castle.

They are telltale marks
of severe depression,

of a decline
in mental attitude.

I never heard of such a thing.

You recall what had just
happened to Mr. Nesbitt?

He just learned
that his days were numbered,

that unless he was cared
for as an invalid

he might drop dead
at any moment.

That has nothing to do
with a man's handwriting.

Besides, you're no expert,
you can't tell me--

Your Honor,

there is a handwriting
expert in this court,

one whose credentials are
well known to both yourself

and to the prosecution.

May it please the court,
as a witness for the defense,

this expert has prepared
an exhibit

which will not only sustain
what I've just said,

but will prove beyond
any question or doubt

that there was forgery here.

When the proper time comes--

Well, just a moment,
Mr. Mason.

If there is going to be
evidence of forgery,

the court would prefer
to see it right now,

so that all the evidence
concerning to this document

might be
considered together.

Is that agreed?
Agreed.

Now, to keep
the record straight,

let it show that
the witness is to be examined

under a voir dire procedure
to the document in question.

You mat proceed, counselor.

This, then, is the signature in
question.

Willard Nesbitt's name

as appended to one copy
of the contract

dissolving his partnership
with Mr. Castle.

But, uh, there were other copies
of this contract, naturally.

And when we examine
the signatures,

we find a very unusual thing.

The writing is
absolutely identical.

And what would that indicate?

Well, no man on this earth
signs his name

exactly the same way
every time.

But look here, you notice
how all of these lines fit?

It's my opinion, Your Honor,
that further laboratory tests

will reveal that these are
actually traced signatures,

forgeries traced
from some earlier--

Of course it's traced.
I did it.

Lloyd, no.

It's no use, Jenny.

Sure I signed his name.

You think I was going to share
a half a million dollars

with Nesbitt's widow?

Lloyd, stop.
You don't have to tell them.

Why should he stop,
Miss Bartlett?

Because he might incriminate you

as the one who m*rder*d
Willard Nesbitt?

No, that's not true.

Or did you just arranged for
that woman's perjured testimony?

Yes, I did.

But I didn't k*ll him.

Ask him. Ask him
who did the m*rder.

Ask Ben Otis.

( dramatic theme playing )

I guess you didn't know
what you'd start,

did you, Mr. Castle?

She can't hold it
back now.

But then why should she?

You see, she knew that I went
to see Nesbitt that night

after your call.

I told him
that we'd make good,

that we'd cut his wife in
for a piece of the business.

But he wouldn't listen
to reason.

Nothing would satisfy him
but to see us all

behind prison bars.

Well, I'm afraid I've never
particularly liked the idea

of a life behind prison bars.

( dramatic theme playing )

Mr. Mason,
what's going to happen

to that woman,
Mrs. Werbler?

She'll be charged
with perjury.

She sure was a dame out for
a buck right from the start.

What do you mean?

Well, she was already
curious about Nesbitt.

Then when she saw
his picture in the paper

the morning after the m*rder,

she phoned the company
and started fishing around,

to see who might possibly be
interested in what she knew.

MASON:
And Jenny Bartlett was
the one who got her call.

But why did she hire that woman
to lie about me?

MASON:
Desperation.

Jenny had already guessed
what Ben had done

and she made him admit it.

But she was afraid
to tell Castle.

She also knew that the case
against you was a slim one.

So she figured
if she could pad that case

and keep the truth down,
she'd be protecting Castle,

her money and her future.

Well, it's all as clear
as crystal to me.

What is?

In this girl's handwriting,
I can see loyalty, perseverance,

and hunger.
Especially hunger.

And your client doesn't look
too well fed either.

And if you could read
my writing,

you'd see
that I'm starved also.

And from your handwriting,

I can tell that
you're a very rich man,

whocan afford the finest
restaurant in town.

(all laughing)

( noirish jazz theme playing )