( noirish jazz theme playing )
( suspenseful theme playing )
I should have known better
than listen to
the good museum directors.
"Not only
a fine tapestry man,
but an American,"
they assured me.
"None finer
in Rio de Janeiro."
What's the matter now?
You call this clean?
Isn't it clean enough
for you, sir?
Demay, I have nothing but
contempt for the likes of you.
If I weren't on such
a tight schedule
on this South American tour,
I'd fire you on the spot
to look for somebody else.
Go over this border again.
Carefully, this time.
Remember,
it's a Pannemaker arras,
not somebody's laundry.
And don't take
all night with it.
( suspenseful theme playing )
I'm leaving now.
Be sure to lock up when you go.
Yes, Mr. Voss.
( dramatic theme playing )
( sirens wailing )
Let go of me. I didn't have
anything to do with it.
I-- Please!
Where are you going
with this man?
( speaking in Portuguese )
Demay!
Oh, he's a liar.
I didn't start any fire.
( speaking in Portuguese )
That's a mistake,
I tell you, a mistake.
I don't even know how those
things got into my pocket.
I never saw them before.
I was almost out the back gate
before the fire even started.
Demay,
you'll pay for this.
You've destroyed
a fortune in masterpieces.
DEMAY:
I had nothing to do with it!
I didn't start the fire.
I swear I didn't!
( ominous theme playing )
( dramatic theme playing )
( tense theme playing )
It's so far beyond
the Bauer-Kandinsky tradition,
it's a philosophy
in itself.
Well, frankly,
it looks pretty
childish to me.
How long you been in business
here in Los Angeles, Mr. Voss?
Five, six years?
Mr. Voss,
may I speak to you?
In a moment, Brenda.
Trust me, Mr. Hazlett.
Surely by now you know
that you're one
of my special customers.
When I tell you that this
is an investment at , ,
you can take my word for it.
Heh.
( suspenseful theme playing )
VOSS:
After what you paid
for the Gorky last month,
this is a drop in the bucket.
I'll let you know,
Voss.
So long, Miss Larkin.
So long.
Oh, by the way,
I got an invitation
in the mail today.
Somebody's selling
a Pannemaker tapestry.
You heard about it?
I didn't think there was a
Pannemaker left on the market.
The last time I actually saw one
was nearly six years ago,
in Rio de Janeiro
as it burned to ashes.
HAZLETT:
Well, if those tapestries
are that rare
I guess I better go
see this one. Heh.
Who's offering it,
Mr. Hazlett?
Uh, well,
the invitation didn't say.
But it's at Hastings Auction
at tonight.
Well, I'll be seeing you.
Uh,
think about the picture.
Yeah, well, I have.
A Pannemaker.
That's a
strange coincidence.
What is?
I just saw a Pannemaker tapestry
hanging in a pawnshop.
That's what I wanted
to tell you.
In a pawnshop?
Oh, don't be silly.
This one.
Theseus and the Minotaur.
That's impossible.
Yes, that was part of the Claver
collection, wasn't it?
The one that was
supposed to have burned in Rio?
It did burn. I saw it.
It was completely destroyed.
The entire collection.
Voss.
VOSS: Ah, Mr. Claver.
This is an honor, sir.
Have you heard about this?
Someone has a Pannemaker
arras up for sale.
Oh, I see you have heard
about it.
Rumors, yes,
but, um--
Obviously,
more than just a rumor.
But I can't understand it.
There are only six Pannemakers
left in private collections
and certainly none of them
could be up for auction.
Mine was the seventh.
Are you suggesting that
your tapestry didn't burn?
It occurred to me
when I got this.
You were in charge
of that tour.
I always
took your word for it.
I see no reason
to doubt it now, Mr. Claver.
Ah, I guess
there's nothing to do
but find the answer at
theHastings Auction tonight.
They'll certainly have
the tapestry available
for inspection beforehand.
It's probably
an imitation.
Copy of some kind.
Well...
We'll see.
Hazlett, now Claver.
This is no coincidence.
Did you go through
today's mail?
Not yet.
Well...
This looks like it.
Well, we seem
to be privileged.
Ours has a picture,
Theseus and the Minotaur.
Where was that pawnshop?
Third and Maple.
Didn't a man go to prison
for starting that fire
six years ago in Rio?
Yes.
But, um,
only part
of the Claver collection
went up in that fire,
didn't it?
What did you say?
Leonard, if there's
going to be trouble,
I want
to share it with you.
About the Claver collection?
I've been to the warehouse
on Lake Street.
I found
a rent receipt once--
That warehouse
is no concern of yours.
It is now, Leonard.
But a wife can't testify
against her husband.
We've worked together
three years now,
don't you think we--?
We'll talk about this later.
( tense theme playing )
( door opens,
then closes )
Can I help you, sir?
This tapestry.
Oh, yes.
( chuckles )
Uh, do you have a ticket?
I don't have a ticket.
I didn't pawn it.
I want to buy it.
I'm sorry, sir,
but it's not for sale.
Uh, it won't be
for about seven months.
Oh, now, just a minute.
You-- You can't go
behind my counter.
But where did you get
the tapestry?
Well, it was brought in here
and pawned. That's all.
By whom?
Oh.
Look, I'm an art dealer.
If you loan it to me
for an examination...
It might even be
stolen property.
If I call the police--
That would make two of us.
Now-- Now, you get going.
I'm a very busy man.
Say, give me that.
You've got a nerve.
( dramatic theme playing )
( knocking on door )
Mrs. Sarah Demay?
Yes?
I want to talk to you,
about the tapestry.
A tapestry
in a place like this?
You must have
the wrong party.
Uh, please, no need
to play games.
I'm--
I'm an art dealer.
I want to buy it.
Oh, I see.
Well, come in, Mr. Voss.
Thank you.
The place is kind of
a mess, but...
Why don't you sit
right down here?
How did you acquire
the tapestry, Mrs. Demay?
Well, my brother-in-law
brought it from South America.
I'll give you $ ,
for the pawn ticket right now.
Sarah, I--
SARAH:
Oh, Claude,
this is Mr. Voss.
I know Mr. Voss.
Sarah, leave me
and Mr. Voss alone.
We've got private business.
( closes door )
I just called your gallery.
I figured you'd want
to see me before : .
What is this tapestry?
It's gonna cost you
to find that out.
Where did you get it?
How?
The point is, I have it
and I intend to sell it.
How much do you want?
Well, you can bid for it.
Demay,
I saw that tapestry burn.
I'm not holding
a fire sale, Mr. Voss.
I made friends in jail.
They helped me
do some checking.
Enough to learn about the crates
you shipped out of Rio
under a different name
on the day before
the fire I didn't start.
How much do you want?
Well, maybe...
Maybe we can work something out.
In the same way that
the tapestry is alive,
the other things
are still alive.
Now, I might consider holding
a piece of that which burned
as an advanced payment.
I don't know what
you're talking about.
Otherwise, I'll auction
the tapestry, I promise you.
And you can bid
against Nathan Claver
and all your own
best customers,
who I'm sure would love
to hear an explanation--
I said,
how much do you want?
And I just told you.
An advanced payment.
Something to hold
as a token of your good faith.
Something else
from the fire.
All right.
There was a bronze Buddha
from the Tao Kwan Dynasty.
Remember it?
Yes, I remember.
It'll do.
I'll have it at my gallery
in an hour.
Bring the tapestry.
( dramatic theme playing )
( closes door )
( dramatic theme playing )
Sarah.
Sarah!
The tapestry,
it's gone.
Have you
been in that locker?
Well, have you?
You've been sponging
off me for three months.
You didn't give me a penny.
Not for rent,
not for food, not for nothin'.
Where is it?
What did you do with it?
I--
I hocked it.
You what?
Yes, I hocked it.
For a hundred dollars.
And I had every right to.
Me, a widow
with no money, no noth--
Five years I spent in jail.
Five years I sweated
to get Voss in a trap.
Now I've got him.
I'll k*ll you.
( ominous theme playing )
( siren wailing )
MAN:
Hey, you!
Hey, you!
Hey, you!
Police!
Help! Help, please!
That should keep Klee away
from Hannover long enough
for the dust to settle, anyway.
( knocking on door )
( knocking continues )
I'm sorry, but--
Mr. Mason,
I've got to talk to him.
Couldn't you come back tomorrow?
It'll be too late then,
I need help.
I kno--
It's all right, Della.
What is it you want,
Mr., um...?
Demay. Claude Demay.
Miss Street and I
were just leaving.
Please listen to me.
A few years ago I was working in
an art museum in Rio de Janeiro.
The Nathan Claver collection
was being shown.
Maybe you remember it.
Over a million dollars worth
of art on a world tour?
And I made Sarah give me
the pawn ticket.
She said she'd seen the tapestry
hanging up in the window
but when I got to the place,
the shop had been broken into
and the tapestry was gone.
Well, I walked around trying
to make up my mind what to do,
and I decided I had to have
some advice, so I came to you.
Mr. Demay,
you wove the fake tapestry
in prison
for the express purpose
of trapping this man Voss?
Oh, no.
I started it
to hang onto my sanity.
It was only when I saw how good
it was going to turn out
that I realized
how I might use it.
And by threatening
to auction the tapestry,
you, uh, forced Voss
to agree to surrender
a Tao Kwan Buddha
from the Claver collection
as security, right?
Yes. You see,
the tapestry is good,
but an expert would
expose it in no time.
Nobody'd believe me.
But the Buddha
would be authentic
and indisputable proof
of your claim.
Yes.
And I had it almost right here.
Right here in my hand.
Now it's gone.
I understand how
you must feel, Mr. Demay.
But I just don't see
how I can help you.
Mr. Mason, I've suffered
at that man's hands long enough.
I want to clear my name.
The minute I can prove
my accusations,
I'll go straight
to the police, I swear it.
You're a little late
for your appointment with Voss.
Let's see
if he's still waiting.
Della?
( dramatic theme playing )
Anybody here?
( suspenseful theme playing )
( dramatic theme playing )
Mr. Voss.
He's been dead a while.
Some sort of s*ab wound.
But he certainly put up
a pretty good fight.
I'll be blamed for this.
I'll be framed again.
Now, take it easy.
The police will learn that you
had motive and opportunity.
But obviously someone else
also had motive
and opportunity.
Now, I can help only if you
tell us the truth, understand?
That-- That paper.
Don't touch that.
Don't leave
your fingerprints anywhere.
It's the kind we used
for packing in Rio.
The only kind we could get
at the time.
You're sure?
Positive.
I wrapped dozens of pieces
of the Claver collection myself,
just before the fire.
So you think it's possible
the Tao Kwan Buddha
was still wrapped
in this kind of paper?
Of course. So the Buddha must
be around here somewhere.
It may have been here.
It's not likely it's here now.
All right, let's go.
Della, get hold of Paul.
I want to know
what the police have
on the burglary
of that pawnshop.
Also whether or not
they've found Claude's tapestry.
Where will you be,
Perry?
At the Hastings Auction.
In the meantime, Claude,
find yourself a quiet hotel
and stay there.
Use your own name.
Yes, Mr. Mason.
I'm gonna call Lieutenant Tragg.
Now get going, both of you.
( dramatic theme playing )
( all chattering )
AUCTIONEER:
May I have a bid?
MAN:
Two hundred dollars.
AUCTIONEER:
Two hundred dollars.
WOMAN :
Three hundred.
WOMAN :
Four hundred and fifty.
MAN:
Four hundred
and fifty dollars.
WOMAN :
Six hundred dollars.
CLAVER:
I'll see you at the bidding
then, Mr. Ausberg.
( chuckles )
Mr. Claver?
Yes?
My name is Perry Mason.
Oh, yes, of course,
the attorney.
Well, I didn't know
our local art auctions
were one of your interests,
Mr. Mason.
I suspect we're here
for the same reason.
A tapestry.
Really?
Perhaps we'll be bidding
in competition then.
I don't really think
it's going to show up.
What do you say that?
It was stolen
earlier tonight.
But the theft of the tapestry
was only part of it.
Leonard Voss has been k*lled.
Voss?
I thought you might
be able to help
since you were acquainted
with Voss.
Hm, I know nothing of Voss's
recent activities.
Oh, I stopped by his gallery
this afternoon
to see if he or his assistant,
Miss Larkin,
had any information
on this auction tonight.
They'd only heard about it,
that's all.
So I left.
Pardon me, Mr. Claver,
you're wanted on the telephone.
Who is it?
The police, sir.
Well.
Heh-heh. Excuse me.
Perry, where's that client
of yours? Demay.
I don't know yet.
Oh, great.
So far, the police seem think
he might've stolen
his own tapestry
from that pawnshop.
How do they figure that?
Well, the pawnbroker saw him
and when they finally found
his sister-in-law,
she verified the description.
Paul, I want you to get me
a complete list of all the items
from the Claver collection
that were supposedly burned
in that fire in Rio.
They found bits
of melted bronze.
So it did look
like everything was destroyed.
However, find out how much
insurance was paid,
who collected and so forth.
All right.
And here:
Demay sent invitations like this
to some of Voss' clients.
Ah, you mean people whose
interest might pressure Voss.
Mm-hm. It might be
interesting
to know who's gonna
show up here.
Also, while you're about it,
find out what you can
about a Miss Larkin.
Voss' assistant?
Right.
Will do.
Here's the Minotaur.
And here's the bronze.
Tao Kwan Buddha.
It's beautiful.
( knock on door )
Hi.
DELLA: Hi, Paul.
What do you know about art?
Me? Heh. I don't
even know what I like.
Uh, is this
the Claver collection?
It's part of it.
This is the tapestry.
I, uh, don't suppose
it showed up
at the auction last night.
Nope. And after you left
only one of Demay's
invitations showed up.
A man named, uh,
Jim Hazlett.
He owns a batch
of oil wells in Texas
and apparently was a good
customer at the Voss galleries.
What about Miss Larkin?
First name, Brenda.
She's been with Voss
for three years.
A, uh, executive assistant.
Apparently she had a monaural
romance going with him:
All Brenda, no Voss.
Uh, we can dig deeper.
Oh, this is fine so far,
Paul.
It's this item,
the, uh, Tao Kwan Buddha,
that our client is hoping
to trade for the tapestry.
( knock on door )
Good morning. Good morning.
Well, well. Your interest in art
is quite persistent, Perry.
Attending things like
the Hastings Auction.
( chuckles )
It's a nice hobby.
Oh, yes. Yes, it is.
Oh, by the way, I'm looking
for a Claude Demay.
You don't happen to know him,
do you?
He doesn't just happen to be
a client of yours, does he?
Why, lieutenant?
Oh, I have some questions
I want to ask him.
But he didn't come home
last night.
You're not suggesting
he stayed here, are you?
Well, where there's smoke,
there's usually fire.
And, uh, vice versa.
I'm just about
to go downtown.
Can I drop you somewhere?
No. No, thanks. I--
I'll go the hard way,
as usual.
( door closes )
Paul, when Demay
calls in his location,
have one of your men go out
and stay with him, just in case.
Will do.
Della, I'll be
at Hazlett's apartment.
Right.
( ominous theme playing )
Oh, I won't say anything,
Mr. Hazlett. Don't worry.
It's a risky business.
You know, it's too bad
you didn't call me sooner.
Well, at least he's not
about to stick anybody else.
I wanna thank you
for all of your help, Lawrence.
And you be sure
and keep this--
Good day.
Mr. Hazlett.
My name is Mason,
I'm an attorney.
Yeah, well,
I got plenty attorneys.
I daresay.
I understand you've done
business with Leonard Voss.
Whose ax are
you grinding, Mr. Mason?
My client, unfortunately,
also did business with Voss.
Misery loves company.
May I come in?
Why not?
Well,
what do you make of it?
I'm a lawyer, not a critic.
That's a good one.
HAZLETT:
Good? Oh, that's great.
That's the first one
he sold me.
How about this one?
Oh, that's okay.
Heh-heh.
If you like
framed garbage.
( chuckles )
What's on your mind,
Mr. Mason?
That tapestry auction
last night.
Mind telling me
how you were invited?
Oh,
a thing came in the mail.
It was a fizzle.
Voss didn't
advise you about it?
No, he hadn't even heard
of the auction.
You sure?
Well, sure, I'm sure.
I needled him over it.
You know,
but now that I think of it,
that girl Friday
of his must have known.
In fact, while I was there
at the gallery,
she came in and she was just
poppin' to tell him something.
What time was that?
Oh, : . Why?
The tapestry that was
supposed to be auctioned
was stolen at : .
Less than an hour later,
Voss was dead.
Are you looking for something
in particular, Mr. Mason?
Just a familiar face.
Did Voss ever mention the, uh,
Claver collection to you?
No.
When you asked
about the auction,
was that the last time
you saw him?
Now, look, Mr. Mason,
I said that
I saw him at : .
Now, you say
he was dead by : .
( chuckles )
Now, you're not asking me
to cut it any finer
than that, are you?
All right.
Thank you, Mr. Hazlett.
( dramatic theme playing )
DELLA:
Yes, I'll give him
the message
just as soon
as he comes in.
Thank you.
That was Paul's office.
And for what it was worth,
uh, Mr. Voss was
in the pawnshop last night
just before it closed
trying to get the tapestry.
But the pawnbroker
wouldn't give it to him.
That would be around : .
Mm-hm.
Also, there was
a woman who called
and insists you call her back
as soon as possible.
Who is it?
She wouldn't
tell me her name.
( phone rings )
Hello?
MASON:
This is Perry Mason.
Oh, yes, hello, Mr. Mason.
I found your name on a piece of
paper in Claude's room,
and I remembered he'd something
about going to see you so--
Who is this?
This is his sister-in-law,
Sarah Demay.
Mr. Mason, do you know
where Claude is?
I've got to see him.
What about?
Well, it's about the tapestry.
Well, suppose I send someone
around to pick you up.
Well, yes,
that'll be all right.
I'll wait right here.
The man's name will be
Paul Drake.
Paul Drake.
( suspenseful theme playing )
I worked with Leonard Voss
but that's all.
He had his private life
and I had mine.
Miss Larkin,
there's a sequence
in your story that puzzles me.
You say the first you
and Voss knew
of the proposed
tapestry auction
was, uh, when Hazlett
mentioned it to you.
That's right.
When Mr. Claver came
to the gallery,
asked about the auction,
all you could tell him was
what you'd heard from Hazlett?
Yes. You see,
until then,
we'd both been too busy
to open the day's mail.
Of course, our own invitation
to the auction
had been there all the tine.
Did the, uh, invitation say
that the, uh, tapestry
could be found
in a pawnshop?
Well, hardly.
Yet Voss
went to the pawnshop,
tried to get the tapestry
before he went to the owner.
Now, that's what puzzles me,
Miss Larkin.
How did he know
the tapestry was there?
I haven't any idea.
Did he talk with anyone else?
No, not that I know of.
Except--
( phone ringing )
Oh, excuse me.
Hello?
PAUL: Is Mason there, please?
Yes. Just a moment, please.
It's for you.
Thank you.
Hello.
Perry, this is Paul.
Oh, yes, Paul.
This sister-in-law,
Sarah Demay,
she's not home.
Oh?
It seems she left her place
in a hurry,
just a few minutes
after she phoned you.
But that's not all.
It must run in the family.
Claude's disappeared too.
He left the hotel?
As far as I can find out,
he got a call from somebody
and then just took off
out the back window.
I'll try
and find out more but--
All right, Paul, I'll meet you
at Fourth and June Street.
I have another idea
to work on.
All right, Perry.
Is that all, Mr. Mason?
Yes, Miss Larkin,
I think that's all.
( suspenseful theme playing )
( door closes )
( dramatic theme playing )
Of course I was excited.
A Pannemaker arras for sale
is an exciting event.
Especially when it's one that
was burned completely in a fire.
I don't follow you,
Mr. Mason.
Mr. Claver, the tapestry
that was stolen last night
was Theseus
and the Minotaur.
Impossible.
Is it?
I've just finished talking
with Voss' assistant.
Brenda Larkin's a liar.
Probably.
And when you asked her
and Voss if they'd heard
about the auction,
you realized they knew
much more than
they were telling you.
And when Voss left
the gallery,
you and your chauffeur
followed him to the pawnshop.
And there you saw
the impossible.
You saw the tapestry.
This is outrageous.
Will you get out of my house?
( inaudible dialogue )
I don't imagine
a person like you
would actually commit
a theft.
But if there were
a great urgency,
or if you had somebody
do it for you--
Your chauffer, let us say.
Well, never mind.
We'll wait and see
what he has to say.
Will you get that man away
from my driver
before I call the police?
Go right ahead
and call them, Mr. Claver.
But I'm afraid I'll have
to suggest they bring
a search warrant
with them if they come.
Oh...
Oh, you're--
You're guessing, that's all.
Mr. Claver, what has happened
so far is excusable.
But if you destroy
that tapestry now,
you destroy evidence
in a m*rder case.
I urge you to reconsider.
But if you want
that kind of publicity,
I'll see that you get it.
All right.
I have the tapestry.
But it's a fraud.
From top to bottom.
It's a patent, dirty fraud.
Don't you mean it's a copy?
What's the difference?
TRAGG:
Thank you, Mason.
I think we can piece
this whole thing together now.
Lieutenant,
taking this was
entirely my responsibility.
But it wasn't stealing.
I-I-I thought it was
my own property.
I'll make it up
to the shop owner
and I apologize
for withholding facts from you.
Well, I guess what kind
of a crime you committed
is up to the District
Attorney's Office.
We'd better go down
and have a talk with him.
Now, uh, counselor,
could I, uh,
drop you off somewhere?
No, thank you, lieutenant.
I have other unfinished
business out this way.
Well, if it includes looking
for Claude Demay,
maybe I should tell you
that, uh, we traced him
to the hotel you hid him in.
And when my man called,
Demay took off out the back way.
It just so happens that we had
another man out there too.
So now we have your client
for m*rder.
( dramatic theme playing )
( suspenseful theme playing )
Then at ten minutes to ,
you phoned Mr. Voss
at his gallery
to find out if he was going
to the auction.
Is that correct?
That's right.
When he told me he wasn't,
I asked him why not.
All he'd say was
he had an appointment.
An appointment so urgent that
he was willing to miss an event
that should have been
of great importance to him.
And minutes later,
a few minutes after ,
he was dead.
I think that'll be all,
Mr. Hazlett. Thank you.
Cross-examine.
Mr. Hazlett,
you said you phoned
Mr. Voss to see
if he was going to be
at the auction?
That's right.
MASON:
So that if you had bid
on the tapestry,
you'd have had his
expert opinion?
That's right.
MASON:
But isn't it true
that you recently hired
an expert to see
if you were being
swindled by Mr. Voss?
Well, I-- I did hire a man
to make certain appraisals.
Surely then, you can't
expect us to believe
that you, uh, wanted the advice
of a man who was swindling you.
You must have wanted to see
Mr. Voss for a another reason.
To confront him, perhaps.
To accuse him of certain things.
That's not true.
I resent what--
( gavel bangs )
MASON:
I have no further
questions.
JUDGE:
Step down, Mr. Hazlett.
Now, you first heard
the name Claude Demay
in what connection?
As the man who started
the museum fire
in Rio de Janeiro.
Well,
did you hear his name
in connection
with the tapestry auction?
BRENDA:
Yes. When we opened
the invitation.
There was a picture
of the tapestry enclosed.
Mr. Voss said,
"This is Demay's work."
Well, I asked him
what he meant
and he said that
Claude Demay had sworn
that he would get him someday
and this was probably
his twisted way
of showing him.
BURGER:
I see.
Now, when did you next hear
the defendant's name?
Well, shortly after Mr. Voss
had left to go see the tapestry,
the phone rang.
A man's voice said,
"Tell Mr. Voss that he can
"get in touch with Claude Demay
at Lee Street,
Apartment ."
And when Mr. Voss returned
to the gallery
did you give him that message?
Yes, I did.
He said,
"I've already seen Mr. Demay
"and I'm going to see him again
tonight for the last time.
We've reached an agreement."
( door opens )
( inaudible dialogue )
Excuse me a moment.
That'll be all, Miss Larkin.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Miss Larkin,
this agreement the decedent
told you he had reached,
do you know what it was?
Mr. Voss didn't say. No.
Well, when he returned
to the gallery
did he bring anything
with him?
In a box
or wrapped in paper perhaps?
Not that I was aware of.
He just seemed anxious
to be alone.
He told me to go home
and so I left.
MASON:
What kind of wrapping paper
do you use in the gallery?
Just ordinary wrapping paper.
Plain, brown paper.
Thank you, Miss Larkin.
That'll be all.
JUDGE:
You may step down, Miss Larkin.
We have heard
expert testimony here
that the bloodstains
on that letter opener
match the decedent's
blood type.
That the threads found
near the handle
match the material
of the decedent's coat,
and that the shaft of the letter
opener fit almost exactly
the death wound inflicted
in the decedent's body.
Now, lieutenant,
were we able
to determine who owns
this letter opener?
Yes, sir.
It was, uh,
part of the matching set
on the desk of decedent.
And where did
your men find it?
In a storm drain
in the block
on, uh, Lee Street.
That's only about a block
from the defendant lives.
TRAGG:
That's correct.
BURGER:
Were there fingerprints
on the opener?
TRAGG:
Yes, there were two
clear prints.
Just two?
The letter opener, uh,
had been wiped clean before
those two prints were placed.
Uh, would it be possible
for you to show us
from the position
of those two prints,
how the letter opener
was held
when it was dropped
into the drain?
Like this:
It's obvious that held
in that position,
it could not have been used
as a stabbing w*apon.
Lieutenant, have you been able
to identify those prints?
The prints are of the thumb
and first finger
of the right hand
of Mrs. Sarah Demay.
BURGER:
Thank you, lieutenant.
Your witness, Mr. Mason.
MASON:
Uh, no questions.
BURGER:
I call Sarah Demay
to the stand, please.
Well, Claude went to get
the tapestry out of his trunk
and when he didn't find
it there, he got real mad.
I know I was wrong
to hock it,
but he never paid me anything
for room or board or...
Mrs. Demay,
he grabbed you by the throat.
Now, did he say anything
at that time?
Well, yes, he said,
"I've spent six years
to get Voss.
If you've spoiled that,
I'm gonna k*ll you."
BURGER:
To get Voss. I see.
What happened then?
Well, then he left.
I was--
I was real shook up.
But I thought
I better go find him
and try to calm him down.
Well, I went to the pawnshop,
but he'd already been there
and there was cops around,
so I left.
And then I figured that maybe
he'd gone to see Mr. Voss,
so I headed
for Mr. Voss' art gallery.
BURGER:
And that's where you found
the letter opener?
Yes. It was sticking up
in Mr. Voss' body.
And what did you do then?
Well, I was real scared.
I guess I wasn't
thinking very clearly,
but I grabbed
the letter opener
and then I realized
I'd better get rid of it.
So-- So I tried
to wipe it clean,
and then I threw it down
the storm drain.
Mrs. Demay, why did you do
all these things?
To help Claude.
Then you must have felt
certain that it was he
who had plunged that letter
opener into Mr. Voss' body.
Why did you believe that?
Because I saw him.
As I drove up,
I saw him come out
of the gallery and run away.
BURGER:
Thank you, Mrs. Demay.
That'll be all.
Your witness.
Your Honor, it's almost
ten minutes to .
I would like to postpone
my cross-examination
of this witness until
after the noon recess.
JUDGE:
Very well, Mr. Mason.
Court is recessed until
: this afternoon.
She wasn't lying?
You were at the gallery?
I knew it would look so bad
so I was afraid to tell you.
I didn't k*ll him,
Mr. Mason.
He was already dead.
The rest of it's true.
Everything else is true.
All right, Claude.
All right.
Perry, I'm sorry but he
doesn't have it finished yet.
Have him skip all the detail
except right at the top.
We'll only unwrap it
only that far.
Don't forget
the matching paper.
Paul, I'll stall
as long as I can,
but I'm gonna have to have
that in court this afternoon.
I'll get it, Perry.
( dramatic theme playing )
But didn't he say,
"I've spent six years
to get Voss in a trap,"
instead of, "I've spent
six years to get Voss?"
If it please the court.
For the last hour, Mr. Mason
has been dragging us along
with him on a series
of semantical excursions
which are apparently not only
interminable but pointless.
JUDGE:
Mr. Mason, it does seem that
your cross-examination
has been
unnecessarily protracted.
I'll try to be more succinct,
Your Honor.
Uh, Mrs. Demay,
you decided
to protect Claude
simply because you saw him leave
the gallery and hurry away.
Well, yes. What more
does a person need?
But you left the gallery
with the m*rder w*apon
in your hand.
Shouldn't we then conclude that
it was you who stabbed Mr. Voss?
Your Honor, that question
is argumentative.
I object to--
I withdraw the question.
That'll be all, Mrs. Demay.
JUDGE:
You may be excused, Mrs. Demay.
( whispering ):
Paul had just left Plaxtex
Novelties when I called.
Good.
I think Claver
is their last witness.
BURGER:
Mr. Claver,
it's a matter of record
that you owned
a Pannemaker tapestry called
Theseus and the Minotaur
which was destroyed by fire.
I ask now that you...
examine this tapestry and see
if you can identify it.
Yes, it's a copy
of Pannemaker's original.
The threads are recent
and poor,
the coloring uncertain,
the hatching is inconsistent.
However, in view
of the circumstances
under which Mr. Demay claims
to have woven it,
this is a rather
remarkable work.
BURGER:
In your expert opinion,
could this have been sold
as a Pannemaker
at the auction to which
you were invited?
Absolutely not.
It would have been detected
as a fraud in five minutes.
Then wouldn't you say that
the defendant never intended
to auction off
this tapestry at all.
That he had some
other purpose in mind?
Objection, Your Honor.
The witness may well be
an expert on art.
But he is scarcely
an expert on mind reading.
Sustained.
I have, uh,
no further questions,
Mr. Claver.
( dramatic theme playing )
JUDGE:
Mr. Mason, do you wish
to cross-examine?
MASON:
Uh, yes, Your Honor.
( suspenseful theme playing )
Mr. Claver,
you said the tapestry
could be recognized
as a fraud within five minutes.
Did you
mean that literally?
Yes. It only took me a minute
or two of close examination.
MASON:
Could you have
recognized it as a fraud
from across the room,
let us say?
Well, not readily, no.
I see.
Now, you've received
full insurance payment
for your loss in that fire
in South America.
Apparently, there was
no question, at that time,
that the tapestry
ha been burned.
That's correct.
Yet,
when you saw this copy
in the Los Angeles pawnshop,
you were driven to drastic
action to get it.
Your chauffeur has admitted
that he broke into the shop
on your orders to get
the tapestry. Is that correct?
Yes.
Then, Mr. Claver,
isn't the implication
inescapable
that your feeling was
that somehow the tapestry
and other objects
had survived that fire?
And that you suspected
Mr. Voss of being responsible
for their survival?
Well, I certainly wanted
to explore every possibility.
That's all,
no further questions.
Your Honor, we ask permission
to recall Mr. James Hazlett.
JUDGE:
All right, Mr. Mason.
Mr. Hazlett,
you will take the stand.
That's all, Mr. Claver.
Witness is reminded that
he's still under oath.
Mr. Hazlett, think carefully.
Did Mr. Voss ever suggest
to you that he might have
very famous or very important
artworks for sale?
Yes, he, uh--
He asked me once if I'd like
to take a plunge.
Said he knew where he could get
ahold of something real big.
Was he open about all this?
Well, he went to
a lot of trouble
to make sure
we were alone.
And he made me promise to keep
it strictly confidential.
Very likely.
Thank you.
Your Honor, we realize
this is unusual procedure,
but we now wish to present
a defense in this case
and we ask for
a recess to prepare.
If the court please.
I think the request
is reasonable.
Court will reconvene
at : tomorrow morning.
( suspenseful theme playing )
What do you think?
Well, everybody saw it.
All we can do is watch
and wait.
( suspenseful theme playing )
( engine starts )
Yeah, I got it.
Hazlett's at home
and a guy by the name of
Lawrence just showed up there.
That's his art expert.
Maybe we'd better
watch him too.
Put a tail on Lawrence
if you can.
Good.
( suspenseful theme playing )
( engine starts )
( engine starts )
Yeah? Where?
Hold it a minute.
Brenda just parked her car
in an alley
near Commercial
and Lake.
She's walking east
on Lake Street.
Lake Street,
what's down there?
What's the neighborhood?
Factories
and warehouses.
That's it. Come on.
Wait for us there.
( suspenseful theme playing )
BRENDA:
Yes, today.
Somebody was here.
You let someone in
and you know it.
Nobody but Voss himself
has been--
Will you please just
give me the key?
( suspenseful theme playing )
Hey,
what's going on here?
Take it easy, Charlie.
Everything will be okay.
( clattering )
MASON:
If you're looking to see
if a Buddha is missing,
I think you'll find it is.
Better call Tragg, Paul.
( dramatic theme playing )
I-- I can't believe it.
All these things here.
Here all this time.
The Gainsborough,
the da Vinci sketches,
the Utrillo.
You can identify
all these things, Mr. Claver?
Yes.
Yes, all the treasures
Voss told me were burned,
destroyed.
All but a certain
Tao Kwan Buddha, right?
You see, Voss took
that Buddha to the gallery
the night he was to meet Claude,
the night he was k*lled.
But the trade
never took place.
We found Voss dead,
we didn't find any Buddha.
Only some
package wrappings.
A few with blood spots.
Well, Miss Larkin,
that must have been quite
a shock to you today
when that Buddha suddenly
reappeared in court.
If it hadn't been
such a shock,
she wouldn't have
come running here,
which of course just about
proves she didn't k*ll Voss.
Perry, it must certainly--
No, no.
The k*ller would have
been much smarter.
Don't you think so,
Mr. Claver?
Six years ago, you paid Voss
to burn a collection
which you had over-insured,
isn't that correct?
A few days ago,
a tapestry showed up.
You discovered
it was just a copy.
But then you found that Voss
still had the Tao Kwan Buddha.
Wasn't it then
that you fully realized
how completely Voss
had betrayed you, Mr. Claver?
Mr. Claver, you should know
that the moment
you left your house,
I arranged to have it searched.
They are looking, of course,
for the Tao Kwan Buddha.
The Buddha
that must have been
taken from the scene
of the m*rder.
And taken by the m*rder*r,
Mr. Claver.
( somber theme playing )
You know, I'm glad that some
of these things didn't burn.
It's like meeting old friends
you'd heard had died.
( dramatic theme playing )
But it was Brenda Larkin
right down to the wire.
Not quite.
Claver was the only one that
knew the tapestry was a copy.
That's why he confronted Voss
at the gallery.
And that's when
he spotted the Buddha,
knew the collection
hadn't been burned.
That Voss double-crossed him.
Right.
I'm sorry I'm late, Mason.
But you did a fine job.
A fine job.
Howdy, Miss Della.
But you are the man
I came to see.
How'd you like to sell
that tapestry of yours?
I'd just love to take
that back to Houston with me.
I tell you what.
I'll give you $ , for it.
But it's only a copy.
Well, if the folks back
in Houston don't recognize it,
they're gonna be
plenty impressed.
And if
they do recognize it,
then I'm gonna
tell 'em the story
and they're gonna be
even more impressed.
Well, Claude, I guess you
finally made yourself a deal.
Ten thousand dollars.
I--
Well, I guess I have.
It's a deal.
A deal.
All right.
( noirish jazz theme playing )
04x23 - The Case of the Torrid Tapestry
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Defense attorney Perry Mason defends dozens of falsely accused people during courtroom drama, and he manages to clear all of them, usually by drawing out the real criminal on the witness stand.
Defense attorney Perry Mason defends dozens of falsely accused people during courtroom drama, and he manages to clear all of them, usually by drawing out the real criminal on the witness stand.