05x20 - The Case of the Poison Pen-Pal

[bunniefuu]

Sit down, sit down.

Peter, the details of the merger between
Gregson Canneries and Super Brands.

Why, it's a complicated arrangement
involving distribution,

marketing, the Super Brands complex
of retail outlets.

Never mind that.

Only the basic financial arrangement.

As part of an ownership transfer,
Super Brands agrees to buy from us

% of Gregson stock.

At what price?

Market value of the stocks at the time
the merger was agreed upon.

$ . per share.

Regardless of what the shares cost us.

Carl?

Aside from the family stock owned
by the three of you

and my own small holdings,

we are , shares short
of the amount of stock

that we agreed to turn over to Super Brands
at $ . a share.

Yesterday afternoon, I gave orders
to start buying quietly.

And what was this morning's opening price?

$ a share.

What?

Tell him the rest, Carl.

Five minutes ago, the stock had already
risen to $ a share.

[whistles]

As it stands right now, we're bankrupt
if the merger doesn't go through,

and we're bankrupt if it does.

If you, young man,
paid more attention to your job

and less to your outside interests,

this wouldn't come as such
a shock to you, either.

Is this some sort of joke?

Gregson Canneries stock hasn't fluctuated

one point up or down
in the last thirty years.

Why now?

Exactly, why now?

Unless someone deliberately leaked
information on that forthcoming merger.

Which means, Peter, that dear Aunt Wilma
is convinced one of us talked.

I'm sorry, I just won't buy that.

You never did have sense in judging
who could or couldn't be trusted.

Let's not bring up Karen Ross again.

I fired her. That ended that episode.

Yes, you fired your devoted secretary

because it was either that or reflect
on the character of your dead wife.

But all right, Peter , suppose we test
your present judgment.

Which one of the four of us broke a trust

and destroyed the company?

Which one of us feathered his own nest
at serious cost to the other three?

Which one, Peter?

Very well.

Super Brands must agree to a change
in the merger agreement.

Peter, you'd better fly to Chicago at once.

Not today.

And why not today?

Well, I have some appointments,
business appointments.

Something very important I can't break.

My secretary has your tickets.

You're going to Chicago, Peter.

And today.

Gee, Agnes, it's awfully heavy.

Isn't that a lot of food?

Of course.
There's enough there for a week.

And if your father had any sense at all,

the two of you would get on that boat,
sail out of the bay, and not come back,

till that food was gone.

[laughing]
That's silly.

You know Daddy can't stop working
that long.

It isn't work that chains him to that office.
It's her, the old She-Dragon.

[doorbell rings]

I'll bet Daddy forgot his key again.

Oh, Mrs. Holman.

Sandra, is that what you're wearing
to your dancing class this afternoon?

I'm awfully sorry, Mrs. Holman,

I forgot to tell you not to pick me up today.

I'm skipping dancing class.

Skip -- Agnes?

Yes, Mrs. Holman, Sandra and Mr. Gregson are
going out on the sailboat.

Well, what a nice day
to finally start your vacation.

But Daddy couldn't take time
to go to the redwoods last month,

and we never did see the circus.
But today I got off from school and--

I know, I know, I've heard all the excuses.

My husband Carl works just as hard
for Gregson Canneries

as your father does, Sandra.

And you might as well get used to it.
Men like that don't love a single thing

but work, work, work.

That's not true. It's mean to say that.

If anybody's mean,
it's your precious Aunt Wilma.

As long as she gets her way,
she doesn't care what promises are broken,

or what hearts, including yours, young lady,

when your father comes home and tells you
that something's come up.

No he won't.
My daddy promised we're going this time.

He promised nothing would stop us.

He promised.

Just you wait and see.

Daddy-- Please --- ?

I'm sorry, baby, terribly sorry--

about the boat, about fishing,
about everything.

But last month and before that.

I know. Once I finished the work I was doing,

I said I'd be free
to spend some time with you.

And you finished, you told me you did.

Yes, I finished,

but some irresponsible fool went
blabbing off about our business plans,

and now we're faced with an emergency.

That's the only thing that could have
forced me to break our date

and fly to Chicago.

You understand that?

Yes, but it doesn't help much.

Sandra.

Yes, Daddy?

This half-finished letter
to someone named "Jill".

Oh, Jill is my pen-pal.
Don't you remember me telling you about her?

We write to each other almost every day now.

But this letter mentions
something about the canneries.

Sandra, this is important.

When you write to your friend Jill,

do you ever write about things
you hear me talk about?

Sure, I write her all about you
and the company,

your being president and everything.

Sweetheart, do you know what a merger is?

No, but I know it's what you said you had
to finish working on

so we could have a vacation.

Have you ever written to this Jill
about this merger?

Sure.

Is something the matter, Daddy?

Now, Sandra, try to remember.

Did this Jill ever ask questions,
specific questions, about the merger?

Well, let's see.

Last week she wrote
about how her mother has a friend

who knows all about business things
and says you must be real smart, Daddy.

Only please would I write when this merger
thing was going to be.

Is that what you wanted to know, Daddy?

I keep all her letters
if you want me to look some more.

Cab's still waiting.

You'll miss your plane if you don't hurry,
Mr. Gregson.

- Goodbye, honey.
- Bye, Daddy.

[sobs]

Gregson? Peter Gregson.

- Mr. Willoughby.
- What's the matter?

Your Aunt Wilma forbid you to shake hands
with your big bad competitor?

Wouldn't be flying east, by any chance?

Would you?

As far as Chicago.

That's interesting, Mr. Willoughby.

I happen to be going there myself.

I shouldn't wonder.

Wouldn't have anything to do
with the sudden hike in the price

of Gregson stock today, would it?

If you'll excuse me,
I have a phone call to make.

Acme Detective Agency?
Mr. Woodfern, please.

Main thing you're after, then,
is the identity of the person

referred to as "my mother's friend."

Oh, there's a topnotch detective agency
in Los Angeles.

They do work for us down there.
I'll have them get on it right away.

Call me in Chicago the moment
there's anything to report.

And, Mr. Woodfern, whatever information
you have to get from my daughter,

try not to alarm her.

And Jill lives at Sunshine Lane
in Los Angeles.

That's spelled--

Never mind, honey.
I know how to spell that.

What I'm doing for your father
doesn't amount to much.

But I think you'd better give me
the girl's name again.

Well, her name is Jill Thatcher.

T-H-A-T-C-H-E- R.

"Dear Pen-Pal, we just finished dinner,
and Mother is going out.

I like it when she does, because then-- "

[doorbell rings]

Jill, answer the door.

All right, Mother.

Well, how's my best girl tonight?

I'm fine, Mr. Clark.

[Mrs. Thatcher]
I'll only be a second, Matt.

Take your time, Doris.

You know I like to sh**t the breeze
with Jill.

What do we got here? Another letter?

Seems to me every time I come here
you're writing to your pen-pal.

Mr. Clark, are you really going to take me
to San Francisco to see her?

Sure thing, some day.

I like to meet the kid myself
if she's anything like her letters.

I've been thinking about that.

Whether I really ought to go on
letting you read them.

Well, honey, you show them to your
grown-up friend up the street.

Well, that's different. You see--

[Mrs. Thatcher]
Jill.

Yes, Mother.

If you want to spend the night over there,
you'd better get your things together.

I already have. They're right here.

I know what.

I'll write to Sandra and ask her permission

No, honey, we'll forget the whole thing.

Matt, I'll only be a minute.

[doorbell buzzes]

Hi, Jill. Hello, Doris.

Hi, I brought my pajamas.

Oh, good girl.
Have a good time tonight, Doris.

Thanks again.
Be a good girl, honey.

Okay, Mom.

All right, buddy, you can get out now.

Wait a minute, fellas, what all this about?

You broke into my house this afternoon.

I what?

You broke in and stole some letters
just like these.

And you would have stolen these
if I hadn't set a trap for you .

I want this man arrested.

As he told you last night, Miss Ross,

Mr. Drake and I have worked together
for a number of years.

I'd vouch for him under any circumstances.

Then why was he following me?

At the risk of repeating myself,
I'm a private detective. I was hired to.

By whom?

I can't tell you that.
It wouldn't be ethical.

Oh, I suppose it's ethical
to break into my house.

Here we go again.

Would you have any way of knowing
what time that occurred?

Yes, : .
My neighbors heard my dog barking.

Well, at : ,
we had to reach Mr. Drake in a hurry

so I can vouch for him then Miss Ross.

Mr. Drake couldn't possibly have been guilty

of breaking and entering your house
at four o'clock.

Then who was?

It would seem to me the question
is not so much "who" as "why."

Maybe I already know why.

Oh?

Yes, last year I was in
a little bit of trouble.

But those letters from San Francisco
tie in with it?

How did you know
they were from San Francisco?

Then you were hired from there, weren't you?

No comment.

No comment is necessary.

If I needed any proof, you've gave it to me.

Miss Ross.

I happen to be flying to San Francisco
this afternoon on a case.

If I can be of any help to you
while I'm there.

Why do you say that?

From what you've said,
or rather from what you haven't said,

I gather you might need a lawyer.

No, thank you. Goodbye.

Welcome home.

I hope you had a pleasant boat trip
around the bay.

Where's Sandra?

Upstairs.
She's locked in her room.

- Locked in her room?
- Don't look at me.

The old She-Dragon locked her in.

Agnes, I told you.

Don't tell me.
Tell your Aunt Wilma yourself.

Tell her where to get off, once and for all.

Why did she want to punish Sandra?

Something to do with
that private detective, I suppose.

He called. He said it was important
and he said couldn't reach you in Chicago.

So you told him to contact Aunt Wilma?

Well, I figured it was company business.

I didn't expect to see her nibs
come storming in here,

screaming about some letters,
frightening that poor child half to death.

I didn't do anything wrong,
did I, Mr. Gregson?

- Baby.
- Daddy. Daddy

It's all right, it's all right.

Now you want tell me what happened?

She -- she was screaming
and she came in here

and she took away all of Jill's letters.

It's all right. Now, don't cry, Sandra.

But, Daddy, she hit me.

She hit you?

Daddy?

Aunt Wilma?

[woman groans]

Aunt Wilma.

Operator, this is an emergency.
Get me an ambulance. Hurry.

Mr. Mason?

Mr. Mason, I'm so glad I found you.

Hello, Miss Ross.

I phoned one hotel after another.

I was afraid you might have flown
back to Los Angeles.

Did you-- did you read
this morning papers?

Yesterday you said I might need a lawyer.
Today I do.

Are you still willing to help me?

Well, I'm due at the courthouse.

You mind riding along?

No.

I used to work for Gregson Canneries

as private secretary to Peter Gregson
and her nephew.

I was fired.

What reasons were given?

Gregson's had developed a new
processing machine for frozen foods.

It didn't worked out at the time,
but it was known fact

that other companies would give
a small fortune for the specifications.

Especially our chief competitor,
Ben Willoughby.

Well, when Lucy Gregson,
that was Peter Gregson's wife,

was k*lled in an automobile accident.

And the police found the portfolio
with the specifications in the wrecked car.

Nothing wrong with that, was there?

Yes.

The specifications were supposed
to be locked in the office safe.

Mr. Gregson was out of town.

He used to keep an extra car at the office,
one that I sometimes used.

That day Lucy Gregson called me
from some cocktail party

and said she wanted to use the car.

She also told me that she'd
heard from Mr. Gregson

and that he told her to call me and tell me
he needed those specifications

as soon as he returned to town.

So you put them in the car.

Yes, Wilma Gregson said that I had stolen
them and put them there.

That I would have sold them
if Lucy hadn't gone off in the car.

How could she possibly
have made that accusation?

Peter Gregson had never called his wife.

He never told her to call me
to get those specifications.

You mean his wife lied? Why?

I don't know.

But if I defend myself, I would have
to accuse the dead wife of a man

I was supposed to be--
well, overly involved with.

Were you?

Mr. Mason, Lucy Gregson was sick.

She was on her way to being
a hopeless alcoholic.

Most people didn't know about it

because Peter managed to keep her
out of trouble and I helped him.

I guess by helping him to take care of her
and take Sandra

when her mother was drinking.
People got the wrong idea.

So you allowed yourself to be fired,
and then you left town.

Miss Ross, why did you come back here?

After I left your office and went home,
I received a phone call from Wilma Gregson.

You see, Sandra's pen-pal, Jill,

had left some of Sandra's letters
with me to read.

The ones you accused Paul Drake
of having stolen?

Yes, but it wasn't Mr. Drake.

It was Wilma Gregson who had them taken.

She admitted it on the phone.

She was quite nasty and threatened me
with all kinds of things

if I didn't keep away from her family.

So you flew to San Francisco.

Yes, to plead with her, to reason with her,

and to warn her
that if she didn't leave me alone

I'd finally have to fight back.

Did you reason with her?
Did you warn her?

Yes and it was strange.

She didn't say anything to me
for the longest time.

And then suddenly, quite nicely,
she asked me to leave

and come back about .

I did and when I got there

there were police cars out in front
of the house and an ambulance.

I was frightened, so I drove away.

Miss Ross, what if Wilma Gregson
were to regain consciousness

and name her assailant?

I only hope she does.

You mean to say Karen Ross was here
in San Francisco last night?

Oh, no.

Mr. Gregson, you ordered
the Acme Detective Agency

to discontinue its investigation
the moment Karen Ross's name came up.

Is that correct?

That girl's suffered enough
at the hands of my family.

Let's not discuss for the moment.

Now, in regard to this merger,
how did you make out in Chicago?

Super Brands turned me down.

Dropped the entire merger deal
like a hot potato.

What people on this end would have gotten
that information through you?

Well, Aunt Wilma, of course,
and two others that I know of.

Carl Holman, our general manager,
and my cousin, Lee Gregson.

I doubt if Aunt Wilma
told anyone else on the board.

How did the stock do today?

Dropped all the way back to normal.
Closed at points.

Then it's not unlikely that whoever
started the rise also started the fall

by dumping their shares at peak value.

Yes, at quite a profit.

If Aunt Wilma recovers,
I guess we'll all be fired.

Daddy, uh--

Mr. Gregson, I'd like to talk to Sandra.

Sandra, would you let me see
your pen-pal letters from Jill?

Aunt Wilma took them all away.

Jill wrote about someone she called
her mother's friend.

She asked questions about the merger,
didn't she?

Yes.

Did she ever mention a man
named Matt Clark?

Yes, he's a friend of Jill's mother.

He's a pilot for an airfreight line
between here and Los Angeles.

All right, Paul.

You want to help Karen?

Yes, Sandra.

I like Karen an awful lot.

My Daddy doesn't, but I do.

Sandra, that's not true.

Now, I know how much
you missed Karen when she went away,

but I did, too.

It was just something that none of us
could do anything about.

You got to believe that.

Been looking for you, Clark.

Yeah?
Well, look again some other time.

I just don't happen to be in the mood
for conversation.

So I gather.

They told me over at the airfreight office
you'd been grounded.

Wouldn't be making your scheduled flight
back to L.A. today.

Hey, who are you, anyway?

They also told me I might find you here.

Are you sure you got the right guy?
The name is Matt Clark, I live in L.A.

Mm-hmm, but you spent last night
right here in San Francisco.

So what?

By the way, you notice those headlines
about Wilma Gregson?

Never heard of this Wilma dame before.

The name Gregson isn't familiar?

Why, should it be?

For one thing, the pen-pal letters.

Now, wait a minute.
I don't even write my own mother.

We could always ask the little Thatcher girl.

Okay, so Jill does have
a pen-pal up here by that name.

I still don't savvy what you want with me.

This morning you gave two weeks' notice
that you were quitting.

So what's that got to do with it?

Might possibly mean you've
suddenly come into a lot money.

How?

Buying low and selling high.

What?

Gregson stock.

There's somebody in there to see you.

Me?

And when you're finished,
it's to your room and to bed, young lady.

- Mind now.
- All right, Agnes.

Karen.

Sandra. Oh, Sandra, darling,
it's so long since I've seen you.

Let me look at you.

You're pretty than ever.

Oh, Karen, I've missed you so much. I--

Sandra, what's wrong?

Did-- Did you see Aunt Wilma?

I mean the picture in the paper of her?

Yes, yes, darling.
Now, don't think about that.

But she was-- And now Daddy's
in some kind of bad trouble, and you, too.

I know it.

And it's on account of me,
me and my pen-pal, and those letters.

But you mustn't blame yourself.
You did nothing wrong.

Maybe if I saw those letters it might help.

It would help you and Daddy?

I don't know, it might.

If you have those letters, Sandra,
would you give them to me?

I-- I have to look for them.
You'll wait down here?

Yes, darling, of course.

Perry, I stumbled onto something
at a hotel car rental agency.

The night Wilma Gregson was assaulted, Karen
Ross rented a car.

And today that car
was impounded by the police

who also had a search warrant to go
through her room at the hotel.

The way they're acting,
you'd think Wilma was dead.

That's why I asked you to meet me here.

Wilma Gregson's taken a turn for the worse.

Right now, she's in surgery.

The family's in there.
We better join them.

Paul, other than the family,
I wish you'd try to reach everyone

Wilma contacted after she talked
to Karen last night

All right.

Mr. Mason, have you--

We tried a craniotomy
to relieve the pressure on the brain.

There wasn't much hope
even before we began.

She was too far gone
when they brought her in last night.

I'm sorry Wilma Gregson's dead.

I guess I better go make some arrangements.

I'm afraid for now
that's a matter for the police.

- She wouldn't like that.
- Carl.

She's dead, Carl.

You'll never again have to jump up and run
just because she clears her throat .

Never again, Carl.

Oh, the years we waste
and the tears we waste

and the work of her head and hand

belong to the woman who did not know.

Did not understand.

[phone rings]

Isn't anybody gonna cry for dear Aunt Wilma?

Oh, shut up, Lee.

The hand that fed you is dead.
Don't bite it now.

- Peter Gregson?
- Yes.

Telephone.

Hello.

Peter, something's happened to Sandra.
We can't find her anyplace.

She's not in the house.

Peter, Sandra's gone.

And then she said--
Agnes, for Pete's sake, be quiet.

And then she said
she'd bring you the letters?

Yes, but I-- I thought
she went upstairs to get them.

But they weren't upstairs
and Sandra knew that.

That's right, Aunt Wilma took them from her.

Why didn't she tell me?

Wait a minute.
Here she is now with the police.

Sandra.

Good evening.
I'm Inspector Wade. Homicide.

Where did you find the child, Inspector?

Wilma Gregson's house.
We've kept it under surveillance.

This youngster not only knew a shortcut
from here to there,

but was able to get in the house
through the back way.

Luckily for us, too.

Well, San Francisco police are different,
they admit it when they're lucky.

Why not, Mr. Drake?

Oh, yes, we know who all of you are.

Now you, Miss Ross, you should be
interested in how we were lucky.

As Miss Ross' attorney
perhaps I'd be equally interested, Inspector.

I guess you would, Mr. Mason.

You see, Sandra had a pretty good idea
where Wilma might hide things.

Anyway, she found something our own search of
the premises hadn't turned up.

A bundle of letters.

Are you implying those letters
in someway affect Miss Ross?

Along with what we found in her hotel room
and the car she rented, yes.

Maybe even more
when we get her blood typed.

I'm sorry, Miss Ross.
I'll have to ask you to come downtown

for questioning on the m*rder
of Wilma Gregson.

Now then, Mrs. Holman.

On the night in question, did you see
the defendant Karen Ross?

Oh, yes.

Under what circumstances?

Well, I was over at Aunt Wilma's.

It was the servant's night off, you see,

and I'd taken a casserole
over for her dinner.

My husband was still at the office,
so I stayed for a cup of coffee.

And then just as I was about to leave,

the doorbell rang.

What time was this?

A few minutes after .

Well, when I answered the door,
there stood Karen.

About the last person in the world
I expected to see

considering how Aunt Wilma felt about her.

That's an opinion of the witness,
Your Honor.

The last answer will be stricken.

Well, what happened was that as soon
as Aunt Wilma heard me

mention Karen's name she came
storming out and ordered her to leave

And did the Defendant leave?

No. Matter of fact, she walked right in,
and looked her straight in the eye,

and she said, "I'm going to make you listen
to me, whatever it takes."

And what was Wilma Gregson's reply?

Well, they just stood there
looking at each other.

And finally Aunt Wilma said,
"You needn't wait, Florence."

In that tone that meant I'd better go,

so of course I left at once.

But just as I was closing the door,

I heard her say
"This had better be good, Miss Ross."

I show you now this candelabra, Doctor,
and ask if you have examined it.

I have.

With what results?

The residue of scalp tissue and blood

adhering to the base match both the tissue
and blood of the victim.

That was the m*rder w*apon.

There's no doubt of it.

Unfortunately, it was a gift
to Aunt Wilma from me.

And, uh, when did you present it to her?

Late that afternoon on my way home
from the office.

And where was it when you saw it last?

She unwrapped the thing
and set it down on an end table.

So that it was at hand for anyone who,
in a fit of passion--

Objection.

Well, it seems rather apparent there was
a certain amount of passion involved.

However, Mr. Mason,
I'll withdraw the question.

Your witness.

That gift for your aunt, Mr. Gregson.
Where did you get it?

Well, there's an old duffer
that lives up at Lake Tahoe

that does marvelous things with manzanita.

I had him make one up.

You go to Lake Tahoe often?

Yes. I suppose you might call it
my favorite recreation spot.

The lake or the casinos?

I beg your pardon?

Isn't it true that this gift
was in the nature of a peace offering?

That you had run up such excessive
gambling debts at Lake Tahoe

that your aunt had given you an ultimatum?

Your Honor, aside from trying
to fish in an irrelevant waters,

Counsel is badgering this witness.

Not at all.
However, I'll ask a different question.

Now, we know that your Aunt Wilma
had become highly dissatisfied

with the handling of certain
recent business matters.

Did she by any chance discuss

firing you that night?

Well, yes, as a matter of fact,
she did fire me.

Inspector Wade, I direct your attention now
to the car that was rented by Karen Ross.

Did the police have occasion to examine it?

Thoroughly.

There was an identifiable bloodstain
on the foot-accelerator.

Tests proved that it was blood group AB,

coinciding with that of the victim,
Wilma Gregson.

The autopsy surgeon has testified to the fact
there was external bleeding

as a result of the fatal blow
decedent received.

Did your investigation also show sings
of such external bleeding?

Yes, the victim bled from the scalp
onto the rug, which has a thick pile.

We found a depression in the rug indicating
from the partial impression remaining,

that a woman had stood
on that bloodstained spot.

Inspector Wade,
I show you now this woman's shoe

and ask if you if you ever seen it before.

Yes, it has my mark.

What can you tell the court about it?

We found it in the hotel room
of the defendant,

On the instep we found a stain of blood
of the same type as the victim's.

With the court's permission,
I would like to introduce this shoe

into evidence as People's Exhibit .

Any objection, Mr. Mason?

None, Your Honor.

- Cross-examine.
- No questions.

Then may it please the court.

I ask permission for counsel
to approach the bench.

Granted.

Your Honor, much against its wishes,

the state finds it necessary
to call a child as witness.

Sandra Gregson.

Your Honor, in order to spare
this youngster further upset,

I am willing to consider a stipulation
as to the evidence

the prosecutor wishes to get from her.

I appreciate your concern, Mr. Mason,

but it is essential to the State to have
Sandra confront the defendant.

Then I respectfully submit

that this testimony be taken in chambers.

Hello, Sandra.
Would you like to have your father stay?

Please.

I must caution you that often

a parent's slightest change of expression
will influence a child's testimony.

I'll be very careful.

Now, Sandra, do you know the difference
between telling the truth and telling a lie?

Yes, sir.

And do you know what it means
to swear you'll tell the truth?

Yes, sir.

That is what we want you to do now.

Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth,

- and nothing but the truth?
- Yes.

Sit over there, dear.

Now, Sandra,

we want you to tell us about the night
Aunt Wilma was hurt.

You mean after she had locked me
in my room

and Daddy started over to her house?

Yes.

Well, Daddy looked so angry, I was scared.

And so I got up and ran all the way
over there by a shortcut I know.

And who got there first? You or your father?

I did.

And when I was stopping to catch my breath,
I saw-- oh, please,

I didn't ever want to tell.

If it's the truth, Sandra,
you mustn't hold it back.

Now what was it you saw what?

Karen.

She ran out of Aunt Wilma's house
and jumped into the car

and drove off.

When I got back to the house
it was a little before .

The front door was open,
so I just went in,

and I saw her lying there on the floor.

I thought she was dead.

I was frightened,
so I ran out and drove off.

After a little while, I calmed down
and I realized I ought to go back.

When I did the ambulance was there already.

Mr. Mason.

Please forgive me
for not keeping faith with you.

Well, it was late in the afternoon
when I got back to my hotel.

The afternoon of the day decedent
was att*cked, Mr. Clark?

Yes, she was att*cked that night.

Anyway, there's a message waiting
for me at the hotel.

A Mr. Carl Holman wanted me to call.

So I phoned his office,
but he'd already gone for the day.

I kept on trying to get hold of him,
but no luck.

And when you phoned his office
did you reach Mr. Holman's secretary

and did she tell you why Carl Holman
wished to speak to you?

Yes, it had to do with my buying up
some Gregson Canneries stock

down in Los Angeles.

And had you purchased such stock?

Oh, yeah, about $ , worth.

All the dough I could get my hands on.

But holy smoke, just what I bought
wouldn't make any stock go up and down.

But tell me, why did you purchase
this particular stock?

Because of what I read in Jill Thatcher's
pen-pal letters from the Gregson kid

about the merger.

And do you know, of your own knowledge,

whether anyone else ever read
these pen-pal letters?

Sure, Karen Ross, the defendant,
she read them.

You see, she made no bones
about liking the young Gregson kid.

Just as she made no bones about saying
she hated Wilma Gregson.

And did she tell you why
she left Gregson Canneries?

Yes, because she was fired by her boss,
Peter Gregson.

Well, yes, when that incident involving
the specifications arose,

I had to let Miss Ross go.

Mr. Gregson, this is no time for euphemisms.

Did you or did you not fire her?

I did.

At whose insistence?

Well, Aunt Wilma wanted her prosecuted.

She was quite upset
with Miss Ross at the time.

Only at the time, Mr. Gregson?

Did the decedent ever mention her name
to you again?

Yes, the day before the as*ault.

And was this mention made during

the discussion to which you have
already testified to?

The discussion about the leak

involving the proposed merger

between Gregson Canneries
and Super Brands?

Well, what if it was?

Aunt Wilma was wrong about Karen, that's all.

Uh, Mr. Gregson, I show you now
People's Exhibit ,

consisting of letters found
at the home of decedent.

What can you tell us about these letters?

Well, they were written
by my daughter, Sandra,

to her pen-pal in Los Angeles, Jill Thatcher.

Mr. Gregson, would you be good enough
to read into the record

the portion of this letter marked in red ink.

"Dear Sandra, you keep asking
how I started writing to you.

"Well, I got your name and address
from a friend up the street.

"It's...

"Karen Ross.

I wasn't supposed to tell you,
but I know you'll keep the secret."

Thank you.

Would you now, if you'll read
the marked portion of this one.

"Be sure to write more about that business
thing you were telling me about.

"That thing your Daddy called a merger.

"My mother's friend
keeps asking questions.

"And I want to know something, too.

Who is Mr. Willoughby?"

Naturally I was surprised
to get a call from Wilma Gregson.

We were hardly on sociable terms.

And when did you receive
this phone call, Mr. Willoughby?

Just about an hour before she was found
with her skull crushed.

And what was her purpose in calling you?

She demanded to know the lowdown
what happened last year.

And what did you tell her?

That I had never made a secret of the fact
that I wanted those specifications.

And that I knew that several of my people
were trying to get their hands on them,

but that was all I knew. Period.

And in this telephone conversation,
did the name of Karen Ross come up?

Oh, yes, that's exactly what
she was phoning about--

how Karen Ross tied in with the attempt
to steal those specifications.

Wilma said Miss Ross'd been over
and would be back again about eleven.

Thank you. Cross-examine.

Mr. Willoughby,
when you received this phone call,

you just returned from a trip to Chicago?

Yes.

Did this trip have anything to do

with a possible merger between
your company and Super Brands.

That's none of your business.

Is that the answer you gave Wilma Gregson
on the phone that night

when she asked you the same question?

As a matter of fact, yes.

As a matter of fact,
didn't she then thr*aten you with reprisals?

Next I suppose you're going to say

I rushed right over there
to have it out with her.

Well, I didn't and I can prove it by Holman.

That would be Carl Holman,

general manager of Gregson's?

Yes, right in the middle of our conversation,

I heard someone come in,
heard Wilma talk to him.

Yes, when I came in she was on the phone.

When she hung up,
she seemed terribly upset.

Did she then discuss the defendant with you?

Briefly. She seemed impatient.
She said Karen Ross would be back soon.

Anyway, I had a terrible headache.

Tell me what time did you leave
the decedent's house?

About : . I went straight home
because of my headache.

Thank you.

Your witness.

Mr. Holman, how long
have you been with Gregson's?

Oh, from the week
I graduated from college.

I was engaged to Florence at the time.

She was distantly related to Wilma Gregson,

so I had an "in."

I went to work in the cannery
on the night cleanup crew.

Yet four years ago you were considered
for the presidency of the company?

Considered, yes.
But what chance did I really have?

I mean, with Peter Gregson there?

After all, he was her nephew.

You never did give up though, did you?

You felt that you'd eventually
make top rung at Gregson's.

Yes, and I would have
if she hadn't died.

No, Mr. Holman.

Because one of the last thing
Wilma Gregson told you

was that you would never
be president of the company.

That you would no longer
even be general manager.

What?

She told you, did she not,
that so long as she lived

you would never work at Gregson's
in any capacity,

not even as a member of the cleanup crew?

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

We know how Wilma Gregson felt
about the management of the company.

Lee Gregson admitted that she fired him.

Now, didn't she really fire you also?

Of course not.
That's utterly ridiculous.

You happen to know a man by name
of Mr. Josiah Sellers of this city?

Uh, yes, he's a banker.
He's on our board of directors.

- Well, he's out of town just now.
- Exactly.

Now, since I had reason to believe
that Wilma Gregson might have

contacted quite a number of people
that particular night,

I've had my investigators checking.

I should warn you that I have here
a copy of a telegram

shown to one of my investigators
by Mr. Seller's housekeeper.

A telegram sent at :
by the deceased.

It reads, "Peter Gregson no longer
satisfactory as president.

"Both Lee Gregson
and Carl Holman fired this date.

I'm calling Board Meeting
soon to vote in replacements."

And it's signed Wilma Gregson.

I can't believe that.

You couldn't believe it
that night, either, could you?

Isn't that what gave you that headache?

Now, you did not return straight home
as you said, did you?

Yes, I did. I certainly did.

Well, ask Florence.

Ask my wife.

Well, I woke up about a quarter of
when I heard Carl drive into the garage.

He came right to bed.

You're a light sleeper?

Indeed, yes.

Mrs. Holman, are you telling the truth

or are you deliberately lying
to give your husband an alibi

for the time Wilma Gregson was att*cked?

Well, that's ridiculous.

He came in at a quarter of .
I heard him and saw him.

Suppose I were to tell you somebody else
saw him in a bar, in Oakland,

at a quarter to .

Whoever said such a thing
was either mistaken or lying.

Mrs. Holman, why do you think

Wilma Gregson suddenly turned
against your husband?

I can't imagine.

Can't imagine that she had finally traced

the so-called merger leak
to its actual source?

Why, that's preposterous.

Carl lived for the company.

It was his staff of life,
his meat, his drink.

Nothing could have made him
betray Gregson's

because nothing else mattered to him.

Nothing.

Including his home, his marriage, you?

Mrs. Holman, you have been lying.

Your perjured testimony was intended
to prove not only that Carl Holman was home

at a quarter of ,
but that you were home at that time.

I was-- I was.

Yet Matt Clark testified he tried to contact
your husband that night without success.

Would you like to hear him testify
he called your home repeatedly

until past : and never got an answer?

No, that won't be necessary.

I did so much for Carl all those years

I got him into Gregson Canneries.

Yes, I had to go to Wilma and plead with her
to give him a job, but got him in.

And then I schemed, and I planned,
and I maneuvered to make something of him.

To make him general manager.

Miss Holman, a year ago, someone
made a telephone call to Karen Ross,

impersonating Lucy Gregson's voice,

and ordering Karen
to put those specifications in the car?

It was you who made the phone call
was it not.

Yes, I thought Peter would get
involved in the scandal.

A drunken wife, a romance with his secretary,
an attempt to betray the company.

You thought if Peter were discharged,
or in disgrace,

your husband would become
president of the company?

That accident.
How could I know there'd be an accident?

And it was only Karen that Wilma blamed,
not Peter.

That's why you betrayed
the company, wasn't it?

It was you who leaked the news
about the merger.

You who purchased large blocks of stock
and sold at considerable profit.

You, Mrs. Holman.

I thought I could destroy the merger

and then Carl would surely
be made president of the company.

And not only that, by making all that money,

I could prove I was the smart one-- me.

But that night Wilma caught on,

and she fired Carl.

And she threatened to send me to jail.

So I had to--

You had to k*ll her.

In a few minutes now,
we'll be leaving for Los Angeles

and everything that happened here
will be just a bad dream, Miss Ross.

I don't know whether
I've wakened from it yet.

Mr. Mason, I don't--
I don't know how to thank you enough

for all you've done for me.

You could start by smiling.
You should be happy.

Oh, I imagine she will be.

Look behind you, Miss Ross.

We're coming with you, Karen.

- With me?
- To help you pack.

Then we're all going to Las Vegas.

- So you and I can be married.
- Before the boat trip.

Married? Boat?

Not you.
You're staying with Daddy.

I'm taking the boat trip with Mr. Mason.

Aren't I, Mr. Mason?

You certainly are. You, I,

Paul and Della.

Where all going to Catalina and back.

Well, don't just stand there.
Kiss him.

Oh, Peter.