Crime by Night (1944) Movie Script
1
Lus Filipe Bernardes
Hello, hello!
Operator! Operator, get me long distance.
I want to talk to Mr. Sam Campbell
in New York.
That won't be necessary.
I'm Sam Campbell.
Uh, never mind, operator.
I got here a day early.
I do that a lot.
You have no idea how much more
you can learn about your clients that way.
Now take you, for example, dashing up
and down fire escapes. Of all the...
I guess if somebody was trying
to kill you,
you'd be allowed to do some
pretty screwy things yourself.
Brother, they have and I did.
- You know who it was?
- No, that's what you've got to figure out.
All I know is that somebody
took a shot at me.
Just one shot?
I went over the side of the boat.
I was in luck, I'd been hit.
That's fast thinking, Mr. B.
Now let me get this straight.
You telephoned my office yesterday,
you told me you wanted me here to...
Yes, that's right. I wanted you
to help me prevent my...
...ex-wife from getting the custody
of our son.
Are we going to have to be delicate
about this, Mr. Borden,
or shall we come right out and say
that I'm to accomplish this...
- ...by getting something out of her?
- That's right. But that was yesterday.
- A lot's happened since then.
- Like what, for instance?
- Harvey Carr has been murdered.
- Oh? Who's Harvey Carr?
My ex-wife's father, my father-in-law.
They're gonna say I killed him,
they'll hang me for that!
- I tell you, they'll hang me.
- Hold on a minute, brother.
If you're out in the clear on this thing,
nobody's going to, er...
You didn't kill him, did you?
No, no, of course not. But I had
every reason to, that's why...
Who's there?
- Robbie, Sam!
- Oh!
- Hello.
- Hello.
They told me down at the desk that...
This is my secretary, Miss Vance.
She works with me.
Robbie, the is Mr. Larry Borden.
- How do you do?
- Hello.
It looks like you got in
just in time, candy lamb.
Mr. Borden says somebody just took a
shot at him and there's been a murder.
A murder? Anybody we know?
Mr. Borden was just telling
me about it.
Here's a cigarette. It may help you
to think straight.
- I'm sorry.
- This can be done, you know?
Thank you.
As I told you over the phone yesterday,
there's a chance that I may lose
the custody of my son, my...
divorced wife's been making trouble.
Why didn't she get the boy
in the first place?
Well, we... we made an arrangement.
Why is she fighting for him now?
After the divorce I left Ralph
with my aunt.
She just died and left him
close to $300,000.
- So that's why she wants him back.
- Who wouldn't?
I came up here to talk it over
with Irene and her father.
He has a cottage about
two miles up the river.
So as I was starting for
the place last night, I...
ran into an old friend of mine
who's staying here at the lodge.
A girl by the name of Ann Marlowe.
She used to be my manager.
Manager? You weren't a pug, were you?
Oh, don't be silly, Sam.
No, I...
I was a concert pianist until...
Until what?
Oh.
Artificial.
- Yes.
- How did that happen?
Well, just before the divorce,
Irene and I had a terrible row.
- Where?
- At her father's place.
After a while I went outside to smoke a
cigarette and try to get a hold of myself,
Mr. Carr came out and began it
all over again. He's...
That is, he was a pretty violent man.
There was an axe lying in the wood shed...
You mean he cut your hand off with an axe?
It had to be amputated.
Pretty violent is putting it mildly.
Nobody knows about this except
you two and my ex-wife.
I told the doctor I'd had an accident
chopping wood.
Wasn't that a rather dumb thing to do? If
anybody'd pulled a trick like that on me...
No, no. You see, I wanted to be sure
of the custody of my son.
Irene said she'd let me have him without
a fight if I agreed to keep it quiet.
They were afraid of the publicity.
Well, now to get back to the murder.
When did you first find out about it?
I started for the cottage
early this morning.
Mr. Carr was an early riser?
Yes, he was a businessman,
owned a chemical plant and a newspaper.
And when I got to the place, it was...
Well, it was quiet, too quiet.
Then I noticed a rowboat floating
upside down in the river.
When I rodded it, his body was in it
wedged under the seats.
You see? That's what you get going
around hitting people with axes
That's just the way it happened.
And the moment I saw the body,
I knew that I'd be blamed for it.
- Why?
- Everybody knew that we didn't get along.
That we quarreled violently and now
that he's dead, Irene will talk about this.
The publicity can't hurt him anymore.
It certainly gives you a motive.
That's why I was so panic-stricken,
I didn't know what I was doing.
What did you do?
Well, I towed the boat out in the
river so it would float downstream.
Why didn't it travel when the killer
shoved it out there in the first place?
Well, it wasn't so far enough.
There's a current there that sets
straight back to shore...
...and they or he didn't wait
to see what would happen.
It drifted right back
where it started from.
Yes, that's right. Then as soon
as I saw it safely under way,
I started to paddle back here
to the lodge.
And that's when somebody mistook
you for a clay pigeon.
Yes, that's right.
Well, I guess we'd better get out
there and look things over, candy lamb.
What about me,
what's gonna happen to me?
We'll put you in a motor car.
You'll be safe there.
- Oh, fine.
- You'd better get out of these wet things.
Yes, that's right.
Will you Excuse me for a moment.
Sure.
Robbie, throw some things in
the bag for him, will you, please?
- Oh, Borden!
- Yeah?
I, um...
hate to induce a crassly
commercial not at this time, but I...
- Oh, you mean your retainer.
- Yes.
Here, will that do?
Well, we'll weary along
at it for a while.
I don't know how to thank you.
You're doing all right so far.
- Well, there he is now, Sheriff.
- Oh, thank you.
Are you Sam Campbell?
Yes, but I'm innocent, I swear it.
I did it for the wife and kids.
I'm glad to know you.
I'm Sheriff Ambers.
Of course you never heard of me,
but I read about you in the papers.
- This is my assistant, Miss Vance.
- How do you do?
I guarantee, no relation to Philo.
- That's all right.
- I get a million of them, a million.
- And this is Mr. Larry Borden.
- How do you do? - How do you do?
I heard you were in town.
Anything important up?
Uh-uh, just a little vacation.
Oh.
Well, I'd like to have you drop in
at the office when you get time.
You know, meet the boys,
maybe have a little snifter, huh?
Say, I'll be happy to take you
up on that later.
Right now Miss Vance, Mr. Borden
and I have a little chore to attend to.
Okay, I'll see you later then.
Nice place for a nervous breakdown.
It's so quiet, I wish somebody
would drop a tray or something.
- Come on.
- I'm coming.
If you think I'm scared,
you're absolutely right.
Piece of a horsehoe.
Nice detecting.
Two stalls, one horse.
With four feet.
- Yeah, I see what you mean.
Now, I beg your pardon, would you mind
if I tried this on for size?
Thank you very much.
No.
- All perfect.
- That means the horse didn't do it, huh?
Come on, bright girl,
let's take a look inside.
Want a cup of coffee?
Who, me? Here?
Just as soon have lunch with Dracula.
Nice and fresh, it hasn't boiled yet.
No, thanks.
Looks as though the late Mr. Carr
was just getting breakfast.
Yeah.
Just when he realized he needed
some wood for the fire. Empty.
He'd have been better off if he hadn't
gone for that wood if you ask me.
That's right, honey.
'Cause out there they gave
him the business.
There or thereabouts.
Not very fresh.
Generator motor for the lights.
Mr. Carr probably made his own electricity.
So this is what Borden calls a cottage.
Probably the kind of guy
that would call Grant's Tomb a shack.
Well, I don't like his attitude.
Half-smoked cigar, that proves
there was one man in the house.
Lots of cigarette butts
covered with lip rouge.
You notice they're all the same color?
They called it tangerine.
Yeah?
Well, let's see what else.
Well, there's three empty glasses.
Hm.
Bottle of bourbon.
Half full.
Correction, quarter full.
Dad! Oh, Dad!
Dad!
Oh Dad!
Come here, I want these.
- Oh, Sam!
- Original silent butler. Come on!
Dad, where are you?
Stay here and see what our little friend
is up to. I'll check on the horse's shoes.
Psst! Hey!
What did she want?
What ever it was,
someone must have beat her to it.
Who do you suppose she wants?
Well, unless Mr. Carr has
two daughters, that's Irene.
Any luck?
No. Means somebody else
must have been here on horseback.
Coming up here and calling her father
like that certainly clears Irene.
Not necessarily. Maybe she knew
we were here and wanted to put on a show.
Oh, speaking of shows.
- Let's take a look at that main tent.
- I suppose we have to.
Would you rather stay here?
Mr. Campbell, as long as we're
on this little jaunt together,
you and I are gonna stick so close together
we could wear the same pair of suspenders.
Certainly no evidence
of a struggle in here.
What a lovely river to hide an axe.
Hello. Here's another one.
People are certainly careless
of their butts around here.
That motor is giving you
a lot of trouble, isn't it, candy lamb?
Sam, he's still alive!
He must be Carr's handyman or something.
Come on, we gotta get him to a hospital.
Body of Chronicle's publisher
found in rowboat.
Police promise arrest within 24 hours.
You're asking who they're going
to arrest, don't you? Me!
- Take it easy, Larry.
- By now Irene's told them the whole story.
- What if she has?
- Don't you understand, Sam?
They're gonna hang it on me, they're
send me up for something I didn't do.
Larry, what difference does it make
if you do get jugged?
I'm gonna get away from here.
I'm gonna get a train.
That's no good, Larry.
If you run out now, it'll only make
you look as though you really are guilty.
Robbie is right. The thing for you to
do is come over to Ambers' office...
...with me right now and give yourself up.
- No, I won't do it.
- Don't be a chump.
I'll get you out of there just as soon
as the colored boy...
...recovers sufficiently to tell us
what really happened.
You don't know and neither do I what
he may say. He worked for Carr, didn't he?
And Carr hated my insides.
No. I won't do it, I tell you.
Now wait a minute, there's no use
of blowing your top.
All we need is a few minutes to think.
I'll tell you what. You stay here
and talk to Robbie.
She may not look it, but this little girl
has a real head on her shoulders.
Dear Mr. Campbell.
While you're doing that, I'll just ankle over and see how much Ambers knows.
Well, that shouldn't take too long.
Just stay right here and take it easy,
I'll be right back.
Get to work on him, candy lamb,
and let me in on what he's telling.
So he's missing, eh?
Well, Sam Campbell, come in!
Miss Carr, this is Mr. Campbell.
- Inspector Campbell.
- Thank you.
- How do you do?
- Hello.
And Mr. Goff, Miss Carr's fianc.
How do you do, Mr. Campbell?
- How are you?
- And Mr. Grayson.
- How do you do?
- Mr. Grayson.
I'm sorry about your father, Miss Carr.
Thank you.
I've just been questioning Miss Carr.
It's a clear-cut case of robbery, Campbell,
I'm certain of that.
The caretaker's missing.
And if it wasn't him, it's someone else who
knew that Mr. Carr was a very wealthy man.
We found the wall safe open.
Anything of value missing
from the safe, Miss Carr?
I don't know, I haven't been there
since last night.
Before Father was...
Miss Carr has been staying
in town with friends.
I set the time of the murder
between 5:30 and 6 o'clock in the morning,
because the evidence shows that
Mr. Carr was preparing breakfast.
What's the idea of that?
Why should a guy with all the dough
in the world want to cook his own chow?
Father was rather eccentric, he
never would have servants around.
He just didn't get along
with them very well.
Funny, a rich man does a screwy thing
like that and they call him eccentric.
A poor man does it
and he's just plain nuts.
Besides this newspaper, your father owned
a chemical plant, didn't he, Miss Carr?
That's right. I was Mr. Carr's secretary.
Been with him for nine years.
This chemical plant was working
on war contracts?
Almost exclusively.
And Mr. Carr was actively engaged
in the business, of course.
Yes. He very rarely went
down to the plant, though.
But he always knew what was going on.
As a matter of fact, I, um...
...had some papers for him
and brought them up to him last night.
Yes, Mr. Grayson was the last person
to see Mr. Carr alive.
Oh, really?
How did he act, Mr. Grayson? Did he seem
upset, or worried about anything?
Hm, I don't know. Didn't seem so.
- What happened while you were there?
- Nothing.
We finished our conversation
and I went on home.
- That's all.
- Yes.
But, oh... I went to the kitchen
to get a glass of water...
...and I noticed that the wood box
was empty.
- And you filled it?
- Yes.
So as Mr. Carr wouldn't have
to go out in the morning.
That's not particularly important, is it?
Hm, not at all.
Is it necessary for Miss Carr to listen
to all this stupid questioning?
She's very upset, you know.
No, of course it isn't necessary.
If you wish to leave, Miss Carr,
it's perfectly all right.
Thank you.
- It was very nice of you
to come up here at all.
Thank you.
What about him?
- You can leave too, Grayson.
- Thanks.
Oh, just one thing more, Mr. Grayson.
Yes.
You mentioned some papers that
you took up to Mr. Carr's last night.
Were they valuable?
I mean, would anyone have wanted
them badly enough to... murder for them?
Well, I... I don't know what
to say to that.
In any case, they were not stolen.
No indeed.
I have them all here in this briefcase.
That's easily explained, Campbell.
You see, Mr. Grayson took the wrong
papers with him last night.
That's right, Mr. Carr sent me
back to town.
He brought the ones he really
wanted up to the cottage this morning...
...while I was there with my men.
Well, you're going to confiscate
them, sheriff.
What for?
Why should I do a thing like that?
Well, because they figure in the case.
Because they belonged to the victim.
And because you're liable
to be severely criticized...
...if you let them get away from you.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
Well, you'd better put them there
on my desk.
All right.
Briefcase and all.
Uh... anything else?
No, that's all.
Good day, inspector, see you again.
I'll be right back, Campbell.
Yeah, this is all as simple as abc,
any way you want to look at it.
I guess I'm not just as bright
as you are, sheriff.
Doesn't seem as simple as that to me.
You don't think they had
anything to do with it, do you?
Are you saying they didn't?
Why, Irene Carr loved her father.
And Grayson worked for him for nine years.
- You're dumb enough to think...
- I'm dumb enough to think?
You think the caretaker
may have done it, don't you?
Well, he was with Carr a long time too.
And if Irene loved her father so much,
why did she spend the night in town
instead of at the cottage?
You've got something
on your mind, Campbell...
Well, how do we know they didn't go
round and round all evening?
Irene isn't telling everything she knows.
Now why do you say that?
Say, you haven't been snooping around
the Carr place, have you?
Why, sheriff, why would I do
a thing like that?
Well, for anyone who was supposed
to be on his vacation,
you're showing an awful lot
of interest in this case.
More than I appreciate.
Okay.
Maybe you're right, sheriff.
After all, there's no skin off my nose.
Skin off your nose.
Hey, that's a very funny crack.
I, um... I'm sorry I lost my temper.
Oh, forget it.
Uh, look... I'll have to go get
another glass.
Hiya, fellows.
Hey, what's the idea?
Hey, what's going on here?
Cut it out!
What's the matter with you guys, gone nuts?
Well, ain't that the guy
you wanted us to work on?
No, you dumb crackpot! I told you
the Lugan in the back office!
This is Sam Campbell,
a special friend of mine.
Gosh, sorry, mister.
Our mistake.
It looks like the joke's on us.
No hard feelings.
What do you know.
I clean forgot the glass I went after.
Tell you what, Campbell.
Suppose yo come back tomorrow
for that drink.
If you're still in town.
So that's the gag, huh?
Well, if you think I'm gonna let
a bunch of cheap thugs scare me away...
If you think I'm gonna let any
big town four-flusher...
come in here and interfere
with my affairs...
- When you start obstructing justice...
- What do you mean by that crack?
You're preparing to write an axe
murderer off the books...
...without an investigation right now.
Just to be sure of keeping Irene
Carr's newspaper behind your election.
Bravo! Bravo!
I don't know who you are, my friend,
but you impress me as being
a singularly intelligent man.
What do you want here, Hyatt?
For one thing, I'd like to meet
this gentleman.
Uh, District Attorney Hyatt,
this is Sam Campbell.
- Not the Sam Campbell?
- Why, do you know him?
No, but it's a swell way to start
a conversation.
- It's nice going.
- Yes, Campbell was just going.
Oh, Sam, please, please don't go.
I'd like to hear anything else you might
have to say about the Carr murder.
Now listen, this is a Brookmeyer case
and I'm handling it!
Don't forget, Max, I've got to keep
my voters happy too.
Oh, I thought you'd be alone,
Mr. Ambers, I...
- Excuse me.
- Excuse me, gents, I'll be right back.
- This is awfully good for snake bite.
- Yes, so they tell me.
Thank you.
You, um...
...have any ideas about this murder?
One or two.
- Is that what brought you up here?
- I'm here on a vacation.
Of course. There more important
things in the world than money.
Name two.
Campbell, um...
You wouldn't by any chance be interested in
picking up a few extra dollars, would you?
Who says I wouldn't?
Shall we say five hundred?
Yeah. Shall we say it again?
- My price is a thousand bucks.
- For what?
For a thousand bucks you can write
your own ticket.
And what do I get for my money?
Well, as a starter, I'll give you
Larry Borden.
- Is he the murderer?
- You figure it out.
Last spring Carr chopped
his hand off with an axe.
Possibly the same axe that Mr. Carr
was murdered with.
That ought to give you a chance
for a statement for your paper.
Where's Borden now?
Are you kidding?
You aren't forgetting, are you, that
harboring a man wanted for murder...
...is a criminal offense?
Not a criminal offense to
hand him over to Ambers.
Besides, Borden won't be
with me very long.
How come?
Oh, I got a guy tucked away nice and
cozy who really knows who did the killing
- And when he starts to talk...
- You know what you're doing, don't you?
Sure I know what I'm doing.
I'm withholding evidence.
But don't forget.
- Oh, let's leave Ambers out of this!
- It's okay with me.
I want all the information
that you can get.
- And I want it first.
- That's okay with me too.
Provided everything else
has been taken care of.
Everything el...
Oh, I get it.
- Want to sit down?
- Yes, thank you.
Why doesn't he come? Why doesn't
he let me know what's happening?
Take it easy, Larry, Sam knows what he's doing.
I can't stand anymore this suspense,
why wait around here while...
Hm, wings have landed.
Now relax!
Relax.
Open up, candy lamb.
Well, what happened?
What are they going to do?
- They're not going to do anything, we are.
- Yes, but what?
Just what I told you before.
Give yourself up.
No. No, Sam, I won't do it.
Oh, you've got to do it, Larry.
You've got to do what ever Sam says.
Larry, they know about your hand.
Now you're in a jam, a bad jam.
You've gotta trust somebody
and it might as well be me.
Sam, you... you won't let me down?
No, no, I won't let you down.
I know it sounds silly my telling you
to go to jail, but believe me,
I'll have you out of there as soon as
that colored boy tells us the real story.
If I could only be sure of that.
Well, there's one thing you can bank
on, Larry. When it comes to ethics,
Sam probably wouldn't recognize one if it came right up grinning at him.
But if you shoot straight with him,
he'll do the same for you.
That's a real send-in.
Thanks, candy lamb.
What do you say, Larry?
All right.
I'll go.
Oh, I beg your pardon, but may I go...
- Dead, huh?
- He'll never be any deader.
When did it happen?
- About 20 minutes ago.
Did he say anything at all
before he passed?
He never opened his kisser.
Are you a relative?
Uh-uh. I'm a chief mourner.
Borden is in jail and the one man that
could clear him has gone and died on us.
You know what that means,
don't you?
Of course I know what that means.
They'll throw Larry Borden to the lions.
And you promised you wouldn't let him down.
Now wait a minute, candy lamb, I
had to tell about his hand to protect him.
- Besides, they haven't hanged him yet.
- No, not yet.
I got a job for you, sweetheart, I want you
to take these papers back to the office...
...as fast as you can get there.
- Now?
- Right now.
I put in a call to a pal of mine,
a chemist, and he'll meet you there.
- Well, what good will that...
- Right at the moment we've lost our murderer.
You agree to that?
We've got to at least find a motive.
I think there are a few people who
knew Mr. Carr kept those papers in a safe.
That's why Irene was up there that morning.
Could be.
You'd better get going, candy lamb.
I'm practically on the motorcycle.
Find what you're looking for, son?
Was it off the horse I told you about?
Yeah. Right front foot.
Fits perfectly.
Hm. That means that the critter strayed all
the way to Mr. Carr's cottage by itself.
- Strayed or was stolen.
- Stolen? Shucks.
No one around here would do
a thing like that.
Let me get this straight.
You were sitting out here
that night just like you are now.
Yep. Waiting for a bunch to
come back from moonlight ride.
And the horse that wore this shoe
was tied over there.
The hitching rack.
The fellow who ordered him
didn't show up, so I left him tied there.
And you think he simply strayed away
and came back in the morning.
Well, they do that every now and then.
'Tain't nothing mysterious about it.
You don't know much about
horses, do you, son?
I don't, huh?
Listen, when I'm in the saddle,
I look like part of the horse.
And no cracks!
Horses.
Sam!
Listen, sweetie pie, maybe Sam
under the apple tree.
In the lobby, it's Mr. Campbell, please.
Oh, hello, Campbell.
I'm probably the easiest-going guy
you ever met, Ambers,
but if you think you can bust
in here without a warrant...
Now wait a minute, Campbell. You're
in no position to get up on your hind legs.
- Oh, I'm not, huh?
- I heard about that caretaker.
- What you did was a very serious offense.
- You mean by trying to save a man's life?
And while we're at it,
what did you do with those papers
you took out of Grayson's briefcase, huh?
- You sure you feel alright, Ambers?
- You're not fooling anybody, Campbell.
I missed them right after you went out.
You were alone in the office
for a few minutes.
You're perfectly welcome to go
right on looking, sheriff,
you can't prove anything on me.
I won't have any difficulty proving
you were up at the Carr place...
...last Tuesday morning.
Is there a law against that?
No, but if you went up there, somebody sent
you, somebody that knew Mr. Carr was dead.
And I figure that's Larry Borden.
He killed Mr. Carr then and sent you
up there to establish an alibi.
Now, if I thought Borden did it
and was trying to protect him,
would I have tried to save the caretaker?
The one person who actually saw
the murder happen?
It doesn't make sense, sheriff.
Well, I do know you're working for Borden.
And why did you deliver him
to Hyatt instead of to me, huh?
Maybe I don't like the drinks you serve.
Look, Sam, maybe we did get off on the
wrong foot, maybe I was a little bit hasty.
What's the matter, sheriff,
worried about the election?
I'm worried about Hyatt if you must know.
I don't like the way he goes
snooping around.
He's only trying to help.
He's trying to freeze me out,
that's what he's trying to do.
And what's gonna happen if he proves
that Borden did the killing, huh?
- I'm gonna see that he doesn't do that?
- Yeah, but how are you gonna do it?
- Shh, I'm working on it.
- Well, let's both work on it.
Let's work on it together.
Look, I'll make you a deal.
A deal? You mean you want to pay
for my vacation expenses?
Well, call it anything you like,
but I'm willing to pay for your services.
- How willing?
- Well, let's say, um...
- Two hundred dollars.
- How about five hundred?
You can write it off as election expenses.
Now look, I'll go three hundred,
but that's all.
- Five.
- Four.
You're being petty, Ambers.
I can't produce murderers for peanuts.
Alright, Campbell.
Now here's the straight of it.
I just came from the Chronicle office...
...and they're offering a $5,000 reward
for the murderer.
Now, if you work with me,
I'll split the dough with you.
Now we're getting some place.
What do you say? Will you do it?
Yeah.
Only I have to have
a little bit in advance.
You know, a sort of evidence of good faith.
- Well, how much?
- Five hundred bucks.
You're a tough man to do business
with, Campbell.
You gotta be tough in my racket.
All right, I'll send the money
around tonight.
Oh no, you won't, you'll lay it
on the line right now.
You've got it with you, haven't you?
What's the matter, Campbell,
don't you trust me?
Just about as far as I could throw
a grand piano by its stool.
Uh-oh, I should have asked for more.
There you are.
There's, um... just one thing
I want you to remember
I usually get my money's worth
out of anybody that works for me.
Don't worry, you'll get the worth
of your money all right.
Well, do you think you can tell me anything
now just to sorta start it with?
Do you think the time of the murder
is important?
Why, of course it's important.
Look, will you settle down
before I have to change my shoes?
Uh, you really know when it happened?
Carr was not murdered
while he was getting breakfast.
- Well, how did you make that out?
- Grayson's story about the wood box.
He's positive the box was filled
before he left.
- Well, does that make much difference?
- All the difference in the world.
Carr wouldn't have gone to the woodshed
if he if he hadn't had to build a fire.
Hey, that's right.
However, he might go out there
at night if he were reading and...
...something happened to the lights.
You know, I figure whoever wanted
to lure him out there cut the generator.
By golly, Sam, I think we've hit
on something.
Whoever did it wanted to make it look
like it happened in the morning.
So that he could get out of there
and establish an alibi, huh?
That's it, sheriff.
Then Grayson's story about
the wood box was all a lie, huh?
Well, I'm not so sure about that.
But I do know that the breakfast
preparations were set out the night before.
I sampled the bread, it wasn't very fresh.
Say, you are good.
I never thought of that.
Say, uh, Sam, are you gonna give me
those papers back?
- What papers?
- Those ones you took out of the briefcase.
Now listen, sheriff, you made a deal
with me and I'll make a deal with you.
I'm not saying I didn't take
the papers or that I did.
But you forget the whole thing
and I'll forget you came in this room...
...and searched it without a warrant,
now what do you say?
- All right, Sam, you win.
- Okay.
Now look, I gotta get back
to the office and spring this.
Wait till you see Hyatt's face
when he sees this in the paper.
Oh, say...
If I were you, I wouldn't tell the DA
where you got the information.
Don't worry, I'll take full credit.
You know, I kinda figured you would.
- Well, goodbye, sheriff.
- Well, so long, Sam.
I'll, um...
I'll see you in the pool room, huh?
Yes?
I'm Sam Campbell,
do you want to talk to me?
- Why should I?
- It's about Larry Borden.
- Oh.
- He's in trouble, Miss Marlowe.
Yes, I know.
I need some dope on him.
I don't do my best talking in hallways.
Oh, I'm sorry. Come in, won't you?
Please sit down.
Larry said you were down here
on a vacation.
That looks pretty businesslike.
Well, you never get completely away
from a job like mine.
Borden tells me you used to manage him.
Yes, before his accident.
You got a lot of clients, Miss Marlowe?
All of the United States.
That must be interesting work.
This being an artist representative
is about the toughest job there is.
Something the general public
doesn't know a thing about.
You're dealing with a bunch
of spoiled children
...that you have to cater to and handle
with kid gloves 94 hours out of every week.
Pays pretty good, huh?
Well, I make a lot of money,
if that's what you mean.
Sometimes I wonder if it's worth
all it takes out of me.
I was having some tea, Mr. Campbell,
would you like some?
- Tea?
- Yes.
No, thanks, you go right ahead.
Miss Marlowe, you were here
when Larry Borden arrived, weren't you?
Yes, we met downstairs
and had dinner together.
He was going out to meet Mr. Carr?
Well, so he told me.
And he passed it up to be with you.
I can't exactly say that I blame him.
You have a lot of charm, Miss Marlowe.
And I have a hunch you're gonna need
a lot of it before this business is over.
Say that again.
And say it slowly.
Well, offhand I would say that
you were in this mess...
...right up to that that pretty
white neck of yours.
I am? How?
Because you were here when it happened...
...and because of your past
relationship with Borden.
It's only a business relationship,
Mr. Campbell.
As I told you before, I have clients
all over the United States.
How did you happen to be here
at this particular time?
- Well, one of my clients, Paul Goff...
- Oh, that's the guy that sings here.
Yes, Paul's on his way up. I think he's
going be a big moneymaker for me.
Did you know that Paul Goff's been
seeing a lot of Irene Carr?
- Larry's ex-wife?
- Practically engaged.
Musicians are like sailors, Mr. Campbell,
where a good looking woman is concerned.
Please don't leave private
detectives out of that, will you?
Mr. Campbell,
You don't really think I'll be dragged
into this thing, do you?
Maybe.
But don't let it worry you.
As long as you spend all of your
time here in this room.
Oh, almost all the time.
Were you here on Monday night?
Yes, I came right up here after dinner.
Can you prove it?
I mean, can you prove that you stayed here?
Well, I can prove that my car
didn't leave the garage.
How?
By the garage attendant,
and by my chauffeur, Frank.
That's not a very strong alibi.
Well, I worked late. And about ten o'clock
I had a pot of tea sent up.
- Are you sure of that?
- Quite sure.
Oh, yes, and just before I went
to bed about midnight,
I called the desk and had them
send up an extra blanket.
I was cold, Mr. Campbell.
Hmm...
I can hardly believe that.
Well, I was then.
Well, I guess that cinches it.
If you spent your time in the room,
you have nothing to worry about.
But I thought the papers said the
murder was committed in the morning.
That was today's paper. Tomorrow
you're going to read about a new theory.
And all about how Sheriff Ambers
worked it all out.
- I'll be seeing you around, Miss Marlowe.
- Goodbye, Mr. Campbell.
Oh, pardon me.
- Good evening, Mr. Campbell.
- Good evening, do you mind?
No, sir.
Hey, when did he get in?
- Only a short while ago.
- Is he up in his room?
No, he's in the cocktail lounge
with Miss Carr.
Oh, thanks.
Oh, "Mr." Campbell.
- Don't overdo it, Toots.
Someone's been trying to reach you
by phone person to person.
- From New York?
- Uh-huh.
The operator told me to call you
as soon as you came in.
Okay, sugar, I'll take it in the booth.
- Here you are.
- Gee, thanks.
New York operator, number 14, please.
Two tables apart
No one with me
Someone with you
You'll never know what I went through
Two tables apart
I have your call, Mr. Campbell.
Hello.
Hello, candy lamb.
He did, huh?
Yeah, I figured he would.
Hold it, darling.
You hop a plane to get back here
as fast as you can.
I said don't talk now.
Here... share this among you.
Am I mistaken or did her voice
sound as though she had a slight cold?
Well, I...
- Well, fancy meeting you here.
- How do you do?
Can Campbell, the old spendthrift,
buy you a drink?
Thank you, but we'll only be here for
a moment. We're waiting for Mr. Goff.
Well, you won't be leaving,
will you, Mr. Grayson?
Yes, I'm... I'm in a hurry.
You're always in a hurry,
aren't you, Grayson?
Why...
Look, Miss Carr, you're not very
fond of me, are you?
Since you ask me, Mr. Campbell,
I'd like to tell you that I...
- Hello, darling.
- Hello, Paul.
- Hello, Grayson.
- Good evening.
Now if you'll forgive us, Mr. Campbell.
It couldn't be that you're sore at me
because I took the papers...
...out of Mr. Grayson's briefcase,
could it?
What's that?
I said I took the papers out of
Grayson's briefcase.
- You had the effrontery...
- Sure I did.
I figured they'd be in safer hands.
What safer hands could they be in
than their rightful owner's?
Say, maybe you've got something there.
May I have them, please?
I'm sorry, I haven't got them.
That is, not with me,
they're upstairs in my room.
Besides, I'm having much too good a time
Perhaps you'd prefer to have us
call Sheriff Ambers.
Oh, no, don't do that.
Because if you do,
I may have to tell him...
...that you were at your father's
cottage when you say you weren't.
And does Sheriff Ambers know
that you were there, Mr. Campbell?
Let's ask him and find out.
Shall I telephone him?
No, don't bother.
Well, maybe I can buy that
round of drinks after all.
Jimmy!
Make mine a straight bourbon.
Right away, Mr. Campbell.
After all, you are going to give me
back the papers, aren't you, Mr. Campbell?
I'm afraid not, Miss Carr. They're
going back to the plant in the morning.
Well, that makes it very simple. When
you bring them back tomorrow, I'll just...
- No, no, you won't.
- She won't what?
- What ever she's planning.
- Why won't I?
Because in a plant which
is working on war contracts,
the government men in charge naturally will
refuse Miss Carr's access to the files...
...until the change of ownership
takes place.
That may take 60 days,
even 90 days.
Isn't that so, Mr. Grayson?
Yes, that's right.
You think you're a pretty smart lad,
don't you, Campbell.
Me? I'm just a grown-up quiz kid.
That's where you're wrong.
Quiz kids know all the answers
and you still have quite a few to learn.
- Good night, Mr. Campbell.
- Good night.
- And good night to you, Mr. Grayson.
- Good night.
- Roy, you're marvelous.
- Thank you, sir.
Oh, thank you, sir.
Let me talk to Sheriff Ambers.
Ambers.
A as in amorous, M as in Emory,
B as in benzadrine, E as in anything,
R as in arthritis and S as in sneeze.
Doggone you, Campbell, I'm liable to catch
my death of cold out here.
What you'll probably catch
is Harvey Carr's murderer.
But if whoever you're expecting
doesn't show up pretty soon...
He'll show up alright.
I've got this trap set with
the kind of bait he can't resist.
You might be right about that,
in any case he may...
Hold it, I hear something!
Let's take him!
Help me, Sam, help me!
Well, for the love of Pete!
What were you waiting for?
An engraved invitation?
You certainly took your time
about helping me.
I was thinking about that drink
you offered me, sheriff.
And about all the things that happened
right after that.
All right. But now we're square.
Maybe.
But look, Sam. Suppose you tell me
what brought that mug up here.
Why, it's very simple, sheriff.
I told Irene Carr and him that I'd taken
the papers out of Grayson's briefcase.
Of course you know that
that isn't so, don't you?
I don't know anything of the sort.
As a matter of fact, you...
Hold it, sheriff, Sleeping Beauty
is coming to.
Well ain't that nice.
Go on, you.
We're going for a walk.
- Coming, Campbell?
- Oh, you couldn't keep me away.
- Believe me, Larry, it won't be long now.
- Why, have you found out something?
Well, yes and no.
Well, he talked, didn't he, the colored
boy, I mean. He said who killed Carr.
If he did, he said it to St. Peter.
What?
- He's dead, Larry.
- Dead? Why, that means that I...
It doesn't mean a thing because
there's a new angle to the whole setup.
You're gonna have company tonight, Larry,
your ex-wife's boyfriend.
Goff? You mean he's the one
who killed Carr?
I don't know, he's mixed up in it some way.
He's over at Ambers' office right now.
Ambers will probably bring him
over here.
See if you can get him to open up.
Tell him you're both in the same boat.
Tell him that you don't want
to burn any more than he does,
and if you stick together,
you can both help each other.
Pour it down on him, kid.
- Well, I'll do the best I can, Sam.
- Good boy.
If my hunch is right, I'll have you
out of here by morning.
Hey, Goff, maybe I can get you out
of here if you'll answer a few questions.
Well, if you won't, Irene Carr will.
- Oh, no she won't.
- That's right, Mr. Campbell.
She says she's not telling us anything
about the man she's going to marry.
And if you expect to get anywhere
by threatening to say...
...you saw her up at the cottage
that morning, you're wrong.
She's already admitted she went there.
To pick up some papers
her father promised to give me.
And that, Mr. Campbell, is something
you can't disprove.
Larry, give me a couple of minutes
alone with this mug, will you?
Well, I don't know, Mr. Campbell,
it's against orders, you know...
Ambers told you how
he was captured, didn't he?
Yeah, he told me you tipped him off.
Then I wouldn't be
liable to turn him loose.
I wouldn't think so.
Here, go outside and stick this
in your face for a few minutes, will you?
You win.
Goff, how long do you think it would
take Irene to throw you out on your ear...
...when she found out you had
no intention of marrying her?
That you already had a wife.
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- Oh, yes you do.
I checked up on it, I had a hunch.
You were married in New York
in 1933 to a girl named Doris Rogers.
And there was no record of a divorce.
Cigarette?
You're not gonna tell her, are you?
It's entirely up to you.
If Irene wanted to get nasty she could
figure out a neat little case against you.
I didn't have anything to do
with Carr's death.
I was at the hotel that night, there was
a big crowd there, they all saw me.
Maybe so. But there are intermissions.
You came up to my room during
an intermission tonight, remember?
But it's two miles from the hotel to the
Carr cottage and I haven't got a car!
See this?
That came from a horse that was stolen
from Dad Martin's livery stable...
...right across the street from the hotel.
What's that gotta do with...
I found this up at the Carr place
last Tuesday morning.
Now, Goff, if you want to talk,
here's a swell chance.
My friend Sheriff Ambers
wants to wind this case up
and after that smack on the teeth
you gave him, he might...
...be liable to make you a patsy.
Give me time to think this over,
will you, Campbell?
Sure, sleep on it if you want,
I can wait.
Give me until tomorrow morning.
I'll be out of here by dinner.
I'll tell you something hot
enough to burn the court records.
I'll be here bright and early.
So will you.
- Thanks, Larry.
- Sure was a fine cigar, Mr. Campbell.
Glad you liked it.
Hello, Miss Marlowe.
- They took Paul in there.
- I know, I just talked to him.
I came down as soon as I found out
but they won't let me see him
He's in a bad jam.
- Want me to drive you home?
- No, thanks, I have my own car here, but...
Would you mind talking to me
for a few minutes, Mr. Campbell,
this thing has been so upsetting.
Sure.
Never mind, Frank, Mr. Campbell
has his own car,
we're just going to talk
for a few minutes.
Yes, ma'am.
I don't see why these
things have to happen,
Well, I'm sorry about the part I had in it.
Why? You can't have people
breaking into your room.
What do you suppose he was
after anyway, Mr. Campbell?
Hey, how's about calling me Sam?
All right, Sam.
I have a hunch he figured I had
some papers that belonged to Mr. Carr.
What kind of papers?
Supposed to be some sort of a chemical
formula. Irene wanted them back.
But for him to take a chance
like that just for a girl.
It doesn't make sense.
I know it doesn't.
Still, you never can tell
what a guy will do for a dame.
For the right dame, that is.
Some day you'll have to tell me
what your idea of a right dame is.
Why not now?
Well?
Well.
Just got to have a funny
little nose like this.
Just got to have eyes that sort of say,
"I dare you".
She's got to be able to kiss.
Like that?
Yeah.
Exactly like that.
Let me see, what were we talking about?
And what of it?
You were telling me about Paul Goff.
Oh, yes, I'll be able to tell you
more about him in the morning.
How's that?
Well, whoever's going to spring him,
if he doesn't do it by sun-up,
he's gonna spill the works to me.
Will you come over and tell me
everything that happens?
You bet I will, just as soon
as I've seen him.
I'll be waiting, Sam.
No. You'd better wait until tomorrow.
All right, sweetheart.
From hereon, you're calling the plays.
Until tomorrow, Sam.
Until tomorrow, candy...
I mean, sweetheart.
- Good evening, Mr. Campbell.
- Hello, may I have my key, please?
Yes, sir.
- There's a message for you, sir.
- Oh, thanks.
We're awfully sorry for what
happened to you last night.
Think nothing of it.
- Miss Vance hasn't arrived yet, has she?
- No, sir.
Tell her to call me as soon
as she does, will you?
- Yes, sir.
- Call me at 7 o'clock?
- Yes, sir.
- Thanks, good night.
Good night.
Your board's buzzing.
Hello.
Hello, candy lamb!
Sure I did.
Gee, I'm tickled to death
you made it so fast.
Candy lamb, you know me
better than that.
Sure, right away.
Yeah, be right over.
Two tables apart
Two tables apart
Two tables apart
- Hello, Sam.
- Hello, candy lamb.
Say, that's a mighty overpowering
number you're wearing.
You like it, huh?
Say, um... do you think we'd be
talked about if you asked me in?
- Oh, don't be silly.
- Thanks.
Oh, gee, am I glad to see you.
Have you been a good boy
while I was away?
- Well, I, uh...
- Hm, I know what that means.
That's not important now.
What I'm all keyed up about...
...is what did you find out
in New York.
- Plenty.
- What about the papers?
I hid them under the carpet,
and there's enough dynamite in them...
- ...to blow the roof right off the joint.
- Good girl!
By the way, Smathers told me
to be sure and tell you...
- There's some of your dynamite right now.
- Wait up for Robbie!
What goes on here, what is this...
Stand back, stand back, stand back!
That's rather neat shooting,
don't you think?
Mr. Campbell, what's the meaning of this?
If I tell you a little secret,
will you promise not to tell?
- Of course.
- It means that someone doesn't like me.
My goodness, nothing like this
has ever happened in this place before.
That's because we haven't favored
you with our patronage before.
Look, the fire's all out. Please go
back and go to sleep. Good night, folks.
And remember, no one has a thing
to worry about, except him.
Mr. Campbell, I suppose that means
you want to change rooms.
- Not rooms, hotels.
- But Mr. Campbell...
Good night, good night.
Look Darling, wait for me downstairs,
will you, I'll change my clothes,
It'll only take a minute.
Come on, candy lamb. wake up, this is as far as we go.
This riding around all night
does awful things to a girl.
I bet you my face looks
like an unmade bed.
It looks mighty good to me.
Mr. Campbell, not so early
in the morning if you please.
Harry!
Oh.
- Hello, Mr. Campbell.
- This is my assistant, Robbie Vance.
- Pleased to meet you.
- How do you do?
Say, I want to talk to Paul Goff for
a couple of minutes, is it okay with you?
- Okay with me.
- I won't be a minute, candy lamb.
Thanks, Harry.
Harry!
What's the matter, Mr. Campbell,
something wrong?
Yeah, plenty, get Ambers and Hyatt
over here right away.
- Paul Goff is dead.
- Dead?
Yeah. Now wait a minute.
You come with me.
You call them, will you, Robbie,
it'll save time that way.
Right, Sam.
Operator.
What's going on here?
What's the meaning of this?
You lost a prisoner last night,
sheriff, the hard way.
- Did you kill him?
- Act your age, Ambers.
Who's this?
A drunk driver one of the boys
picked up last night.
My, my, isn't this too bad?
What do you mean too bad?
Well, there's apt to be a lot of unpleasant
talk about the way you run your jail, Max.
- Now with election time coming on.
- Don't you worry about my election.
That's right.
After all, it is your worry, isn't it?
- Didn't you hear the sound of a scuffle?
- No, Max.
- How about you?
- Well, I...
I was asleep.
A man strangles to death ten feet away from
you and you slept through the whole thing?
I was completely worn out, it's the
first time I've slept since I've been here.
You're gonna have a swell time
making a judge believe that story.
I didn't have anything to do with it,
I tell you.
Did you question him?
He doesn't even know he's in here yet.
Been in a stupor ever since he was arrested.
- Wake him up.
- I've tried, but he's out.
You tried to, huh?
Did you try this?
Huh?
Or this?
Or this?
Or this?
I bet you never done none
of them things, did you?
Hm, come on, pull yourself together.
I wanna talk to you.
You know him, Sam?
Yeah. He drives for Ann Marlowe.
He does, huh?
- Well, get her over here!
- Alright, Max.
Did you hear anything last night?
- Huh?
- You heard me!
There was a man committed suicide
in this cell last night.
- Suicide?
- Ohh!
I think he's bluffing,
he knows what happened.
That's funny. I was thinking
the same thing about Borden here.
Here's Miss Marlowe, sheriff.
- How do you do?
- This is District Attorney Hyatt.
How do you do?
Does this man drive for you?
Drove for me, you mean.
You ought to see what he did to my car.
I only had a couple of drinks,
Miss Marlowe, I'm sorry.
Being sorry isn't going to do you
a bit of good. After what you...
Miss Marlowe. Did you know
Paul Goff was dead?
Dead?
- It can't be possible.
- True just the same.
Well, how did it happen?
Oh, they found him hanging
in here this morning.
Miss Carr's in your office, sheriff,
and she's as twitchy as a witch.
Come on, Sam.
Oh, sheriff, do you mind
if I go back to the lodge?
No, that's okay, but stick around town a while, Miss Marlowe.
- Of course.
- Miss Marlowe! You ain't gonna...
Don't you Miss Marlowe me. You're in
here from now on as far as I'm concerned.
There are exactly 93 bolts in this
door and I'm sick of counting them.
Now what's cooking?
The chaps in here are trying
to pin it on Borden.
Sheriff, if anyone says Paul Goff committed
suicide, they're lying and you all know it.
I wouldn't jump to conclusions
if I were you, Miss Carr.
You jumped to conclusions, didn't you?
You're the one who had Paul arrested
in the first place.
Yes, for breaking into my room.
Breaking into your room.
The papers belonged to Paul.
- They did, huh?
- Of course they did.
Father wanted him to have them.
Why do you think I was up
there the morning you saw me?
I don't know. Maybe to try
to talk your father out of it.
Maybe he was too shrewd to let
the formula for a high explosive...
...fall into just anybody's hands.
Paul wasn't just anybody.
He was the man I was going to marry.
Sit down, will you please, Miss Carr?
What I have to say is...
Well, it may be sort of a shock to you.
Paul Goff had no intention of marrying you.
He couldn't. He was already married.
That's a sort of lie a man
like you would think up.
You don't have to take my word for it.
It's a matter of record.
He was married in New York in 1933
to a girl named Doris Rogers.
And they were never divorced.
I can't believe it.
It's true just the same.
- But... he seemed so sincere.
- His kind usually do.
Didn't you figure something was wrong...
...when he began asking questions about
formulas and things of the chemical plant?
He gave a perfectly logical reason.
He said he wanted to work there, so he'd
have a better chance of landing a job...
...if he could show Father he knew
something about it.
Oh, come, come, Miss Carr.
Does that really sound logical to you?
I loved him, Mr. Hyatt.
And love and logic don't always
go hand in hand.
Well, go on with the story.
I kept taking papers from the wall safe
up at Father's cottage.
They didn't seem to be what he wanted.
Finally he came right out
and asked for a certain formula.
- And you still weren't suspicious?
- Why should she be?
She just said she thought the boy
was on the level, didn't she?
But this time I was afraid, I...
...told him I couldn't get them for him
and he'd have to talk to Father himself.
And did he?
Yes, but I talked to him first.
I told him Paul wanted a job and...
...we were going to be married.
- I'll bet that made him sore.
- Oh, it did.
But when I threatened to run away
with Paul, then he agreed to meet him.
Strangely enough, when they did meet,
he liked him immensely.
Said he could have his job at
the plant as a wedding present.
But Paul Goss still wanted
the formula, didn't he?
He made it sound so plausible. He said
he didn't want to come to work...
...unless he could see where he
would definitely be helpful.
Then we all had a few drinks
together and...
Did your father agree
to give him the papers?
He told him to come to the cottage
Monday night.
That's why he had Mr. Grayson
bring the papers there.
I see.
What happened then?
The usual thing.
Father changed his mind about Paul,
the wedding, everything.
Meaning he became suspicious?
Suspicious or stubborn,
what does it matter?
All I know is he wouldn't go
through with it.
So rather than stay there and quarrel
with him, I came back to town.
And you went right to Paul Goff
and told him what had happened.
I told him Father had changed
his mind and...
...it wouldn't be any use
in us going to the cottage.
Well, gentlemen, is it beginning
to make sense?
I'll say it is. Paul Goff was
so sore at Mr. Carr...
...that he went down there
and worked him over with an axe.
Oh, sheriff, you're forgetting
the time element.
Time element my foot!
He did it during intermission!
He had time during intermission last
night to bust into your room, didn't he?
That's right, but it takes 10 minutes
to drive to the Carr cottage...
...and 10 minutes to drive back,
that's twenty minutes,
Add to that the time it takes
to commit two murders.
He couldn't have done it.
There was a bigger crowd than usual
at the hotel that night,
and they kept calling Paul back
for encores.
But Miss Carr, it couldn't have been
anybody else.
That's right.
Couldn't have been anybody else.
But it was.
And as far as the murder of Mr. Carr
and the caretaker are concerned,
we're right back where we started.
- Smoke?
- No, no, thanks.
I don't know why I've been
saving all this junk.
Where has it gotten us?
This proves that Grayson
was up at the house that night.
We don't have to prove it, he admits being
there on a perfectly legitimate errand.
Then why did he lie about filling
the wood box?
I don't think he did. Anyone smart
enough to dope out that breakfast gag...
...is certainly gonna haul out the wood.
- Oh, thanks, Jimmy.
- Yes, sir.
This is Irene's, huh?
- Yeah, but she says she left.
But we saw her come back.
That was after the crime,
remember, candy lamb?
This one here we found in the boathouse.
Might just as well have left it there.
Well, there's one thing, Sam,
that bit of horseshoe proved lucky.
How? Because I knew the killer
went there on horseback?
Maybe I should tell the sheriff
to arrest Paul Revere.
I go away for a single day
and this happens!
I don't know why you waste
your time with me, candy lamb.
I guess I'm just a loose character.
But it might take a wrench, but I'm gonna
tighten you up before I'm through with you.
- Wait a minute!
- What's the matter?
Look.
A perfect match.
You said it.
You think you can start a fire with it?
I don't know.
Maybe.
Yeah, maybe I can.
If you'll help.
If you hold still, the bench breaks.
Signed, Robbie Vance.
Miss Vance.
- Yes.
- I'm Miss Marlowe.
How do you do?
Won't you sit down?
Well, if you'll forgive my saying so,
I'm very busy.
I only came down because...
Because I said I had something
important to say to you, and I have.
Miss Marlowe, I want you
to stay away from Sam Campbell.
I don't know what you're talking about.
And furthermore, I haven't
any time to waste.
You had time enough to waste
with Sam while I was away.
And furthermore, Miss Marlowe,
I don't like other women
poaching on my reserves.
Oh, now, Miss Vance,
you sound like a schoolgirl.
Ooh, thanks!
It should be. Cost me five bucks.
Now let me see you earn it.
Well, isn't this nice? I didn't know
you two knew each other.
Oh, indeed we do.
In fact we just discovered
we have something in common.
Haven't we, Miss Vance?
Common is right.
Um, can't we all have a drink together?
I'm afraid not, Sam.
Not now at any rate.
Beg your pardon, Mr. Campbell,
there's a call for you.
Oh. Oh, thanks.
I'll take it right over here.
No, don't go away, sit down.
I'll only be a minute, darling.
Nice, isn't he?
Hello?
What's that?
You're gonna send for him now?
Oh, he will, huh?
Alright, I'll be right over.
Say, I'm sorry, I won't be able
to have that drink.
- I've gotta go over to Ambers' office.
- Anything new?
Well, I can tell more about that
after I hear Dad Martin's story.
Dad Martin?
Yeah, the old pappy guy who has
the livery stable across the street.
Ambers is bringing him in for questioning.
Some kind of cockeyed yarn
he wants me to hear.
I'll see you later, huh?
Well, Miss Vance, I don't think we
have anything more to say to each other.
Unless I find you fooling around Sam.
And sister, if that happens,
I'll have plenty to say to you.
- Scare you, Pop?
- What, one shot? Shucks!
I sided with Teddy in San Juan Hill.
Why, how are you, Annie?
Nice to see you.
You'd better sit down.
You're kind of warbly now, aren't you,
after it's all over?
- After what's all over?
- Your phony theatrical agency, toots.
Want a cigarette?
No, thanks, I prefer my own.
Sheriff.
I found this up at the Carr place.
In the woodshed.
Maybe you'd like to finish this one.
Of course you know I don't know
what he's talking about.
- You can't prove this, Campbell.
- Don't worry.
Wouldn't you say that that shade
of lipstick stain was a pretty good match?
Yeah.
As a rule I don't kiss and tell, Annie,
but when it comes to murder.
Ah, ah, ah, temper, temper.
Get the idea, boys?
Incidentally, her motive
was the same one Goff had.
- What, the chemical formula?
- That's right.
She wanted it even more than he did.
Right, Annie?
You seem to be supplying the answers
around her.
All right, I'll supply you
with a few more.
When Irene told Goff that Carr
wasn't going to give up the papers,
you decided to take over.
Goff was only a stooge anyway.
Yoohoo! Sam!
- I got it!
- Good girl!
- Oh, I see you got her too.
- All right, cut out the wisecracks.
She hides things under the carpet
just like I do.
What the blue blazes is that?
Well, each one of these crosses
represents one of Annie's clients.
And I think you'll find that wherever
they're spotted,
there's a plant mighty close by
working on war contracts.
Say, Borden was a client of hers.
- Borden's a right guy, isn't he, Sam?
- Sure he is.
But Annie had to have a few clients
on her list who were on the level.
When you round up the rest of them, you'll
find the neatest little bunch of spies,
saboteurs and fifth-columnists
you ever cast your eyes on.
I gotta hand it to you, Annie.
You really had yourself a perfect setup.
Even for the murder.
I suppose Goff found out about Larry
Borden's hand from Irene, didn't he?
She might answer if you kiss her, Sam.
Quiet, Robbie.
And when Goff told you, you
thought it would be like shooting fish...
...in a ring barrel.
You knew that Larry would be blamed
for what ever happened.
Even at that you had that stir-simple
gag of yours take a shot at him...
...when you spotted him coming out
of the Carr cottage.
But what about her alibi?
She cooked that up.
She sent down for tea at 10,
her blanket at 12.
I bet you were really good
and cold by that time.
And it wasn't due to the ride, the
chasing up and down the fire escapes.
By then you had two murders
in your conscience.
- Two murders?
- Sure. The caretaker came in...
...just after she'd killed Carr
and she had to give him the works too.
Yes, but what about Goff,
did he really hang himself?
You and I know better than that,
don't we, Annie.
That hood who worked for you
stopped his clock, didn't he?
You see, Goff got his because
she figured he was gonna talk.
And I nearly got mine because
I was the one who was going to listen.
She certainly thought of everything.
That's right.
Awful smart kid, Annie.
But you really slipped up pretty
badly tonight at that.
Old Dad Martin didn't see you
lead that horse away.
Every man, woman and child
in Brookmeyer, except you,
knows that Dad Martin is totally blind.
Well, sheriff. There's your murderer.
- Did I give you your money's worth?
- Shh!
Oh, don't worry about Hyatt,
he paid me too, didn't you, Hyatt?
Now see which one of you two boys can get
down to the paper first with your story.
Come on, candy lamb.
No, wait a minute, Hyatt.
Sheriff, don't forget your prisoner.
Come on, you, and hurry up!
Well, one thing and another,
it was a very profitable vacation.
I'm so glad we're going
back to New York.
Small towns are too complicated for me.
Oh, I kinda hated to turn Annie in at that.
There's a gal who really knew how to kiss.
She did, huh?
Sam, stop the car.
- Why?
- Do as I say.
Did she kiss any better than that?
Or that, you big lug?
Lus Filipe Bernardes
Lus Filipe Bernardes
Hello, hello!
Operator! Operator, get me long distance.
I want to talk to Mr. Sam Campbell
in New York.
That won't be necessary.
I'm Sam Campbell.
Uh, never mind, operator.
I got here a day early.
I do that a lot.
You have no idea how much more
you can learn about your clients that way.
Now take you, for example, dashing up
and down fire escapes. Of all the...
I guess if somebody was trying
to kill you,
you'd be allowed to do some
pretty screwy things yourself.
Brother, they have and I did.
- You know who it was?
- No, that's what you've got to figure out.
All I know is that somebody
took a shot at me.
Just one shot?
I went over the side of the boat.
I was in luck, I'd been hit.
That's fast thinking, Mr. B.
Now let me get this straight.
You telephoned my office yesterday,
you told me you wanted me here to...
Yes, that's right. I wanted you
to help me prevent my...
...ex-wife from getting the custody
of our son.
Are we going to have to be delicate
about this, Mr. Borden,
or shall we come right out and say
that I'm to accomplish this...
- ...by getting something out of her?
- That's right. But that was yesterday.
- A lot's happened since then.
- Like what, for instance?
- Harvey Carr has been murdered.
- Oh? Who's Harvey Carr?
My ex-wife's father, my father-in-law.
They're gonna say I killed him,
they'll hang me for that!
- I tell you, they'll hang me.
- Hold on a minute, brother.
If you're out in the clear on this thing,
nobody's going to, er...
You didn't kill him, did you?
No, no, of course not. But I had
every reason to, that's why...
Who's there?
- Robbie, Sam!
- Oh!
- Hello.
- Hello.
They told me down at the desk that...
This is my secretary, Miss Vance.
She works with me.
Robbie, the is Mr. Larry Borden.
- How do you do?
- Hello.
It looks like you got in
just in time, candy lamb.
Mr. Borden says somebody just took a
shot at him and there's been a murder.
A murder? Anybody we know?
Mr. Borden was just telling
me about it.
Here's a cigarette. It may help you
to think straight.
- I'm sorry.
- This can be done, you know?
Thank you.
As I told you over the phone yesterday,
there's a chance that I may lose
the custody of my son, my...
divorced wife's been making trouble.
Why didn't she get the boy
in the first place?
Well, we... we made an arrangement.
Why is she fighting for him now?
After the divorce I left Ralph
with my aunt.
She just died and left him
close to $300,000.
- So that's why she wants him back.
- Who wouldn't?
I came up here to talk it over
with Irene and her father.
He has a cottage about
two miles up the river.
So as I was starting for
the place last night, I...
ran into an old friend of mine
who's staying here at the lodge.
A girl by the name of Ann Marlowe.
She used to be my manager.
Manager? You weren't a pug, were you?
Oh, don't be silly, Sam.
No, I...
I was a concert pianist until...
Until what?
Oh.
Artificial.
- Yes.
- How did that happen?
Well, just before the divorce,
Irene and I had a terrible row.
- Where?
- At her father's place.
After a while I went outside to smoke a
cigarette and try to get a hold of myself,
Mr. Carr came out and began it
all over again. He's...
That is, he was a pretty violent man.
There was an axe lying in the wood shed...
You mean he cut your hand off with an axe?
It had to be amputated.
Pretty violent is putting it mildly.
Nobody knows about this except
you two and my ex-wife.
I told the doctor I'd had an accident
chopping wood.
Wasn't that a rather dumb thing to do? If
anybody'd pulled a trick like that on me...
No, no. You see, I wanted to be sure
of the custody of my son.
Irene said she'd let me have him without
a fight if I agreed to keep it quiet.
They were afraid of the publicity.
Well, now to get back to the murder.
When did you first find out about it?
I started for the cottage
early this morning.
Mr. Carr was an early riser?
Yes, he was a businessman,
owned a chemical plant and a newspaper.
And when I got to the place, it was...
Well, it was quiet, too quiet.
Then I noticed a rowboat floating
upside down in the river.
When I rodded it, his body was in it
wedged under the seats.
You see? That's what you get going
around hitting people with axes
That's just the way it happened.
And the moment I saw the body,
I knew that I'd be blamed for it.
- Why?
- Everybody knew that we didn't get along.
That we quarreled violently and now
that he's dead, Irene will talk about this.
The publicity can't hurt him anymore.
It certainly gives you a motive.
That's why I was so panic-stricken,
I didn't know what I was doing.
What did you do?
Well, I towed the boat out in the
river so it would float downstream.
Why didn't it travel when the killer
shoved it out there in the first place?
Well, it wasn't so far enough.
There's a current there that sets
straight back to shore...
...and they or he didn't wait
to see what would happen.
It drifted right back
where it started from.
Yes, that's right. Then as soon
as I saw it safely under way,
I started to paddle back here
to the lodge.
And that's when somebody mistook
you for a clay pigeon.
Yes, that's right.
Well, I guess we'd better get out
there and look things over, candy lamb.
What about me,
what's gonna happen to me?
We'll put you in a motor car.
You'll be safe there.
- Oh, fine.
- You'd better get out of these wet things.
Yes, that's right.
Will you Excuse me for a moment.
Sure.
Robbie, throw some things in
the bag for him, will you, please?
- Oh, Borden!
- Yeah?
I, um...
hate to induce a crassly
commercial not at this time, but I...
- Oh, you mean your retainer.
- Yes.
Here, will that do?
Well, we'll weary along
at it for a while.
I don't know how to thank you.
You're doing all right so far.
- Well, there he is now, Sheriff.
- Oh, thank you.
Are you Sam Campbell?
Yes, but I'm innocent, I swear it.
I did it for the wife and kids.
I'm glad to know you.
I'm Sheriff Ambers.
Of course you never heard of me,
but I read about you in the papers.
- This is my assistant, Miss Vance.
- How do you do?
I guarantee, no relation to Philo.
- That's all right.
- I get a million of them, a million.
- And this is Mr. Larry Borden.
- How do you do? - How do you do?
I heard you were in town.
Anything important up?
Uh-uh, just a little vacation.
Oh.
Well, I'd like to have you drop in
at the office when you get time.
You know, meet the boys,
maybe have a little snifter, huh?
Say, I'll be happy to take you
up on that later.
Right now Miss Vance, Mr. Borden
and I have a little chore to attend to.
Okay, I'll see you later then.
Nice place for a nervous breakdown.
It's so quiet, I wish somebody
would drop a tray or something.
- Come on.
- I'm coming.
If you think I'm scared,
you're absolutely right.
Piece of a horsehoe.
Nice detecting.
Two stalls, one horse.
With four feet.
- Yeah, I see what you mean.
Now, I beg your pardon, would you mind
if I tried this on for size?
Thank you very much.
No.
- All perfect.
- That means the horse didn't do it, huh?
Come on, bright girl,
let's take a look inside.
Want a cup of coffee?
Who, me? Here?
Just as soon have lunch with Dracula.
Nice and fresh, it hasn't boiled yet.
No, thanks.
Looks as though the late Mr. Carr
was just getting breakfast.
Yeah.
Just when he realized he needed
some wood for the fire. Empty.
He'd have been better off if he hadn't
gone for that wood if you ask me.
That's right, honey.
'Cause out there they gave
him the business.
There or thereabouts.
Not very fresh.
Generator motor for the lights.
Mr. Carr probably made his own electricity.
So this is what Borden calls a cottage.
Probably the kind of guy
that would call Grant's Tomb a shack.
Well, I don't like his attitude.
Half-smoked cigar, that proves
there was one man in the house.
Lots of cigarette butts
covered with lip rouge.
You notice they're all the same color?
They called it tangerine.
Yeah?
Well, let's see what else.
Well, there's three empty glasses.
Hm.
Bottle of bourbon.
Half full.
Correction, quarter full.
Dad! Oh, Dad!
Dad!
Oh Dad!
Come here, I want these.
- Oh, Sam!
- Original silent butler. Come on!
Dad, where are you?
Stay here and see what our little friend
is up to. I'll check on the horse's shoes.
Psst! Hey!
What did she want?
What ever it was,
someone must have beat her to it.
Who do you suppose she wants?
Well, unless Mr. Carr has
two daughters, that's Irene.
Any luck?
No. Means somebody else
must have been here on horseback.
Coming up here and calling her father
like that certainly clears Irene.
Not necessarily. Maybe she knew
we were here and wanted to put on a show.
Oh, speaking of shows.
- Let's take a look at that main tent.
- I suppose we have to.
Would you rather stay here?
Mr. Campbell, as long as we're
on this little jaunt together,
you and I are gonna stick so close together
we could wear the same pair of suspenders.
Certainly no evidence
of a struggle in here.
What a lovely river to hide an axe.
Hello. Here's another one.
People are certainly careless
of their butts around here.
That motor is giving you
a lot of trouble, isn't it, candy lamb?
Sam, he's still alive!
He must be Carr's handyman or something.
Come on, we gotta get him to a hospital.
Body of Chronicle's publisher
found in rowboat.
Police promise arrest within 24 hours.
You're asking who they're going
to arrest, don't you? Me!
- Take it easy, Larry.
- By now Irene's told them the whole story.
- What if she has?
- Don't you understand, Sam?
They're gonna hang it on me, they're
send me up for something I didn't do.
Larry, what difference does it make
if you do get jugged?
I'm gonna get away from here.
I'm gonna get a train.
That's no good, Larry.
If you run out now, it'll only make
you look as though you really are guilty.
Robbie is right. The thing for you to
do is come over to Ambers' office...
...with me right now and give yourself up.
- No, I won't do it.
- Don't be a chump.
I'll get you out of there just as soon
as the colored boy...
...recovers sufficiently to tell us
what really happened.
You don't know and neither do I what
he may say. He worked for Carr, didn't he?
And Carr hated my insides.
No. I won't do it, I tell you.
Now wait a minute, there's no use
of blowing your top.
All we need is a few minutes to think.
I'll tell you what. You stay here
and talk to Robbie.
She may not look it, but this little girl
has a real head on her shoulders.
Dear Mr. Campbell.
While you're doing that, I'll just ankle over and see how much Ambers knows.
Well, that shouldn't take too long.
Just stay right here and take it easy,
I'll be right back.
Get to work on him, candy lamb,
and let me in on what he's telling.
So he's missing, eh?
Well, Sam Campbell, come in!
Miss Carr, this is Mr. Campbell.
- Inspector Campbell.
- Thank you.
- How do you do?
- Hello.
And Mr. Goff, Miss Carr's fianc.
How do you do, Mr. Campbell?
- How are you?
- And Mr. Grayson.
- How do you do?
- Mr. Grayson.
I'm sorry about your father, Miss Carr.
Thank you.
I've just been questioning Miss Carr.
It's a clear-cut case of robbery, Campbell,
I'm certain of that.
The caretaker's missing.
And if it wasn't him, it's someone else who
knew that Mr. Carr was a very wealthy man.
We found the wall safe open.
Anything of value missing
from the safe, Miss Carr?
I don't know, I haven't been there
since last night.
Before Father was...
Miss Carr has been staying
in town with friends.
I set the time of the murder
between 5:30 and 6 o'clock in the morning,
because the evidence shows that
Mr. Carr was preparing breakfast.
What's the idea of that?
Why should a guy with all the dough
in the world want to cook his own chow?
Father was rather eccentric, he
never would have servants around.
He just didn't get along
with them very well.
Funny, a rich man does a screwy thing
like that and they call him eccentric.
A poor man does it
and he's just plain nuts.
Besides this newspaper, your father owned
a chemical plant, didn't he, Miss Carr?
That's right. I was Mr. Carr's secretary.
Been with him for nine years.
This chemical plant was working
on war contracts?
Almost exclusively.
And Mr. Carr was actively engaged
in the business, of course.
Yes. He very rarely went
down to the plant, though.
But he always knew what was going on.
As a matter of fact, I, um...
...had some papers for him
and brought them up to him last night.
Yes, Mr. Grayson was the last person
to see Mr. Carr alive.
Oh, really?
How did he act, Mr. Grayson? Did he seem
upset, or worried about anything?
Hm, I don't know. Didn't seem so.
- What happened while you were there?
- Nothing.
We finished our conversation
and I went on home.
- That's all.
- Yes.
But, oh... I went to the kitchen
to get a glass of water...
...and I noticed that the wood box
was empty.
- And you filled it?
- Yes.
So as Mr. Carr wouldn't have
to go out in the morning.
That's not particularly important, is it?
Hm, not at all.
Is it necessary for Miss Carr to listen
to all this stupid questioning?
She's very upset, you know.
No, of course it isn't necessary.
If you wish to leave, Miss Carr,
it's perfectly all right.
Thank you.
- It was very nice of you
to come up here at all.
Thank you.
What about him?
- You can leave too, Grayson.
- Thanks.
Oh, just one thing more, Mr. Grayson.
Yes.
You mentioned some papers that
you took up to Mr. Carr's last night.
Were they valuable?
I mean, would anyone have wanted
them badly enough to... murder for them?
Well, I... I don't know what
to say to that.
In any case, they were not stolen.
No indeed.
I have them all here in this briefcase.
That's easily explained, Campbell.
You see, Mr. Grayson took the wrong
papers with him last night.
That's right, Mr. Carr sent me
back to town.
He brought the ones he really
wanted up to the cottage this morning...
...while I was there with my men.
Well, you're going to confiscate
them, sheriff.
What for?
Why should I do a thing like that?
Well, because they figure in the case.
Because they belonged to the victim.
And because you're liable
to be severely criticized...
...if you let them get away from you.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
Well, you'd better put them there
on my desk.
All right.
Briefcase and all.
Uh... anything else?
No, that's all.
Good day, inspector, see you again.
I'll be right back, Campbell.
Yeah, this is all as simple as abc,
any way you want to look at it.
I guess I'm not just as bright
as you are, sheriff.
Doesn't seem as simple as that to me.
You don't think they had
anything to do with it, do you?
Are you saying they didn't?
Why, Irene Carr loved her father.
And Grayson worked for him for nine years.
- You're dumb enough to think...
- I'm dumb enough to think?
You think the caretaker
may have done it, don't you?
Well, he was with Carr a long time too.
And if Irene loved her father so much,
why did she spend the night in town
instead of at the cottage?
You've got something
on your mind, Campbell...
Well, how do we know they didn't go
round and round all evening?
Irene isn't telling everything she knows.
Now why do you say that?
Say, you haven't been snooping around
the Carr place, have you?
Why, sheriff, why would I do
a thing like that?
Well, for anyone who was supposed
to be on his vacation,
you're showing an awful lot
of interest in this case.
More than I appreciate.
Okay.
Maybe you're right, sheriff.
After all, there's no skin off my nose.
Skin off your nose.
Hey, that's a very funny crack.
I, um... I'm sorry I lost my temper.
Oh, forget it.
Uh, look... I'll have to go get
another glass.
Hiya, fellows.
Hey, what's the idea?
Hey, what's going on here?
Cut it out!
What's the matter with you guys, gone nuts?
Well, ain't that the guy
you wanted us to work on?
No, you dumb crackpot! I told you
the Lugan in the back office!
This is Sam Campbell,
a special friend of mine.
Gosh, sorry, mister.
Our mistake.
It looks like the joke's on us.
No hard feelings.
What do you know.
I clean forgot the glass I went after.
Tell you what, Campbell.
Suppose yo come back tomorrow
for that drink.
If you're still in town.
So that's the gag, huh?
Well, if you think I'm gonna let
a bunch of cheap thugs scare me away...
If you think I'm gonna let any
big town four-flusher...
come in here and interfere
with my affairs...
- When you start obstructing justice...
- What do you mean by that crack?
You're preparing to write an axe
murderer off the books...
...without an investigation right now.
Just to be sure of keeping Irene
Carr's newspaper behind your election.
Bravo! Bravo!
I don't know who you are, my friend,
but you impress me as being
a singularly intelligent man.
What do you want here, Hyatt?
For one thing, I'd like to meet
this gentleman.
Uh, District Attorney Hyatt,
this is Sam Campbell.
- Not the Sam Campbell?
- Why, do you know him?
No, but it's a swell way to start
a conversation.
- It's nice going.
- Yes, Campbell was just going.
Oh, Sam, please, please don't go.
I'd like to hear anything else you might
have to say about the Carr murder.
Now listen, this is a Brookmeyer case
and I'm handling it!
Don't forget, Max, I've got to keep
my voters happy too.
Oh, I thought you'd be alone,
Mr. Ambers, I...
- Excuse me.
- Excuse me, gents, I'll be right back.
- This is awfully good for snake bite.
- Yes, so they tell me.
Thank you.
You, um...
...have any ideas about this murder?
One or two.
- Is that what brought you up here?
- I'm here on a vacation.
Of course. There more important
things in the world than money.
Name two.
Campbell, um...
You wouldn't by any chance be interested in
picking up a few extra dollars, would you?
Who says I wouldn't?
Shall we say five hundred?
Yeah. Shall we say it again?
- My price is a thousand bucks.
- For what?
For a thousand bucks you can write
your own ticket.
And what do I get for my money?
Well, as a starter, I'll give you
Larry Borden.
- Is he the murderer?
- You figure it out.
Last spring Carr chopped
his hand off with an axe.
Possibly the same axe that Mr. Carr
was murdered with.
That ought to give you a chance
for a statement for your paper.
Where's Borden now?
Are you kidding?
You aren't forgetting, are you, that
harboring a man wanted for murder...
...is a criminal offense?
Not a criminal offense to
hand him over to Ambers.
Besides, Borden won't be
with me very long.
How come?
Oh, I got a guy tucked away nice and
cozy who really knows who did the killing
- And when he starts to talk...
- You know what you're doing, don't you?
Sure I know what I'm doing.
I'm withholding evidence.
But don't forget.
- Oh, let's leave Ambers out of this!
- It's okay with me.
I want all the information
that you can get.
- And I want it first.
- That's okay with me too.
Provided everything else
has been taken care of.
Everything el...
Oh, I get it.
- Want to sit down?
- Yes, thank you.
Why doesn't he come? Why doesn't
he let me know what's happening?
Take it easy, Larry, Sam knows what he's doing.
I can't stand anymore this suspense,
why wait around here while...
Hm, wings have landed.
Now relax!
Relax.
Open up, candy lamb.
Well, what happened?
What are they going to do?
- They're not going to do anything, we are.
- Yes, but what?
Just what I told you before.
Give yourself up.
No. No, Sam, I won't do it.
Oh, you've got to do it, Larry.
You've got to do what ever Sam says.
Larry, they know about your hand.
Now you're in a jam, a bad jam.
You've gotta trust somebody
and it might as well be me.
Sam, you... you won't let me down?
No, no, I won't let you down.
I know it sounds silly my telling you
to go to jail, but believe me,
I'll have you out of there as soon as
that colored boy tells us the real story.
If I could only be sure of that.
Well, there's one thing you can bank
on, Larry. When it comes to ethics,
Sam probably wouldn't recognize one if it came right up grinning at him.
But if you shoot straight with him,
he'll do the same for you.
That's a real send-in.
Thanks, candy lamb.
What do you say, Larry?
All right.
I'll go.
Oh, I beg your pardon, but may I go...
- Dead, huh?
- He'll never be any deader.
When did it happen?
- About 20 minutes ago.
Did he say anything at all
before he passed?
He never opened his kisser.
Are you a relative?
Uh-uh. I'm a chief mourner.
Borden is in jail and the one man that
could clear him has gone and died on us.
You know what that means,
don't you?
Of course I know what that means.
They'll throw Larry Borden to the lions.
And you promised you wouldn't let him down.
Now wait a minute, candy lamb, I
had to tell about his hand to protect him.
- Besides, they haven't hanged him yet.
- No, not yet.
I got a job for you, sweetheart, I want you
to take these papers back to the office...
...as fast as you can get there.
- Now?
- Right now.
I put in a call to a pal of mine,
a chemist, and he'll meet you there.
- Well, what good will that...
- Right at the moment we've lost our murderer.
You agree to that?
We've got to at least find a motive.
I think there are a few people who
knew Mr. Carr kept those papers in a safe.
That's why Irene was up there that morning.
Could be.
You'd better get going, candy lamb.
I'm practically on the motorcycle.
Find what you're looking for, son?
Was it off the horse I told you about?
Yeah. Right front foot.
Fits perfectly.
Hm. That means that the critter strayed all
the way to Mr. Carr's cottage by itself.
- Strayed or was stolen.
- Stolen? Shucks.
No one around here would do
a thing like that.
Let me get this straight.
You were sitting out here
that night just like you are now.
Yep. Waiting for a bunch to
come back from moonlight ride.
And the horse that wore this shoe
was tied over there.
The hitching rack.
The fellow who ordered him
didn't show up, so I left him tied there.
And you think he simply strayed away
and came back in the morning.
Well, they do that every now and then.
'Tain't nothing mysterious about it.
You don't know much about
horses, do you, son?
I don't, huh?
Listen, when I'm in the saddle,
I look like part of the horse.
And no cracks!
Horses.
Sam!
Listen, sweetie pie, maybe Sam
under the apple tree.
In the lobby, it's Mr. Campbell, please.
Oh, hello, Campbell.
I'm probably the easiest-going guy
you ever met, Ambers,
but if you think you can bust
in here without a warrant...
Now wait a minute, Campbell. You're
in no position to get up on your hind legs.
- Oh, I'm not, huh?
- I heard about that caretaker.
- What you did was a very serious offense.
- You mean by trying to save a man's life?
And while we're at it,
what did you do with those papers
you took out of Grayson's briefcase, huh?
- You sure you feel alright, Ambers?
- You're not fooling anybody, Campbell.
I missed them right after you went out.
You were alone in the office
for a few minutes.
You're perfectly welcome to go
right on looking, sheriff,
you can't prove anything on me.
I won't have any difficulty proving
you were up at the Carr place...
...last Tuesday morning.
Is there a law against that?
No, but if you went up there, somebody sent
you, somebody that knew Mr. Carr was dead.
And I figure that's Larry Borden.
He killed Mr. Carr then and sent you
up there to establish an alibi.
Now, if I thought Borden did it
and was trying to protect him,
would I have tried to save the caretaker?
The one person who actually saw
the murder happen?
It doesn't make sense, sheriff.
Well, I do know you're working for Borden.
And why did you deliver him
to Hyatt instead of to me, huh?
Maybe I don't like the drinks you serve.
Look, Sam, maybe we did get off on the
wrong foot, maybe I was a little bit hasty.
What's the matter, sheriff,
worried about the election?
I'm worried about Hyatt if you must know.
I don't like the way he goes
snooping around.
He's only trying to help.
He's trying to freeze me out,
that's what he's trying to do.
And what's gonna happen if he proves
that Borden did the killing, huh?
- I'm gonna see that he doesn't do that?
- Yeah, but how are you gonna do it?
- Shh, I'm working on it.
- Well, let's both work on it.
Let's work on it together.
Look, I'll make you a deal.
A deal? You mean you want to pay
for my vacation expenses?
Well, call it anything you like,
but I'm willing to pay for your services.
- How willing?
- Well, let's say, um...
- Two hundred dollars.
- How about five hundred?
You can write it off as election expenses.
Now look, I'll go three hundred,
but that's all.
- Five.
- Four.
You're being petty, Ambers.
I can't produce murderers for peanuts.
Alright, Campbell.
Now here's the straight of it.
I just came from the Chronicle office...
...and they're offering a $5,000 reward
for the murderer.
Now, if you work with me,
I'll split the dough with you.
Now we're getting some place.
What do you say? Will you do it?
Yeah.
Only I have to have
a little bit in advance.
You know, a sort of evidence of good faith.
- Well, how much?
- Five hundred bucks.
You're a tough man to do business
with, Campbell.
You gotta be tough in my racket.
All right, I'll send the money
around tonight.
Oh no, you won't, you'll lay it
on the line right now.
You've got it with you, haven't you?
What's the matter, Campbell,
don't you trust me?
Just about as far as I could throw
a grand piano by its stool.
Uh-oh, I should have asked for more.
There you are.
There's, um... just one thing
I want you to remember
I usually get my money's worth
out of anybody that works for me.
Don't worry, you'll get the worth
of your money all right.
Well, do you think you can tell me anything
now just to sorta start it with?
Do you think the time of the murder
is important?
Why, of course it's important.
Look, will you settle down
before I have to change my shoes?
Uh, you really know when it happened?
Carr was not murdered
while he was getting breakfast.
- Well, how did you make that out?
- Grayson's story about the wood box.
He's positive the box was filled
before he left.
- Well, does that make much difference?
- All the difference in the world.
Carr wouldn't have gone to the woodshed
if he if he hadn't had to build a fire.
Hey, that's right.
However, he might go out there
at night if he were reading and...
...something happened to the lights.
You know, I figure whoever wanted
to lure him out there cut the generator.
By golly, Sam, I think we've hit
on something.
Whoever did it wanted to make it look
like it happened in the morning.
So that he could get out of there
and establish an alibi, huh?
That's it, sheriff.
Then Grayson's story about
the wood box was all a lie, huh?
Well, I'm not so sure about that.
But I do know that the breakfast
preparations were set out the night before.
I sampled the bread, it wasn't very fresh.
Say, you are good.
I never thought of that.
Say, uh, Sam, are you gonna give me
those papers back?
- What papers?
- Those ones you took out of the briefcase.
Now listen, sheriff, you made a deal
with me and I'll make a deal with you.
I'm not saying I didn't take
the papers or that I did.
But you forget the whole thing
and I'll forget you came in this room...
...and searched it without a warrant,
now what do you say?
- All right, Sam, you win.
- Okay.
Now look, I gotta get back
to the office and spring this.
Wait till you see Hyatt's face
when he sees this in the paper.
Oh, say...
If I were you, I wouldn't tell the DA
where you got the information.
Don't worry, I'll take full credit.
You know, I kinda figured you would.
- Well, goodbye, sheriff.
- Well, so long, Sam.
I'll, um...
I'll see you in the pool room, huh?
Yes?
I'm Sam Campbell,
do you want to talk to me?
- Why should I?
- It's about Larry Borden.
- Oh.
- He's in trouble, Miss Marlowe.
Yes, I know.
I need some dope on him.
I don't do my best talking in hallways.
Oh, I'm sorry. Come in, won't you?
Please sit down.
Larry said you were down here
on a vacation.
That looks pretty businesslike.
Well, you never get completely away
from a job like mine.
Borden tells me you used to manage him.
Yes, before his accident.
You got a lot of clients, Miss Marlowe?
All of the United States.
That must be interesting work.
This being an artist representative
is about the toughest job there is.
Something the general public
doesn't know a thing about.
You're dealing with a bunch
of spoiled children
...that you have to cater to and handle
with kid gloves 94 hours out of every week.
Pays pretty good, huh?
Well, I make a lot of money,
if that's what you mean.
Sometimes I wonder if it's worth
all it takes out of me.
I was having some tea, Mr. Campbell,
would you like some?
- Tea?
- Yes.
No, thanks, you go right ahead.
Miss Marlowe, you were here
when Larry Borden arrived, weren't you?
Yes, we met downstairs
and had dinner together.
He was going out to meet Mr. Carr?
Well, so he told me.
And he passed it up to be with you.
I can't exactly say that I blame him.
You have a lot of charm, Miss Marlowe.
And I have a hunch you're gonna need
a lot of it before this business is over.
Say that again.
And say it slowly.
Well, offhand I would say that
you were in this mess...
...right up to that that pretty
white neck of yours.
I am? How?
Because you were here when it happened...
...and because of your past
relationship with Borden.
It's only a business relationship,
Mr. Campbell.
As I told you before, I have clients
all over the United States.
How did you happen to be here
at this particular time?
- Well, one of my clients, Paul Goff...
- Oh, that's the guy that sings here.
Yes, Paul's on his way up. I think he's
going be a big moneymaker for me.
Did you know that Paul Goff's been
seeing a lot of Irene Carr?
- Larry's ex-wife?
- Practically engaged.
Musicians are like sailors, Mr. Campbell,
where a good looking woman is concerned.
Please don't leave private
detectives out of that, will you?
Mr. Campbell,
You don't really think I'll be dragged
into this thing, do you?
Maybe.
But don't let it worry you.
As long as you spend all of your
time here in this room.
Oh, almost all the time.
Were you here on Monday night?
Yes, I came right up here after dinner.
Can you prove it?
I mean, can you prove that you stayed here?
Well, I can prove that my car
didn't leave the garage.
How?
By the garage attendant,
and by my chauffeur, Frank.
That's not a very strong alibi.
Well, I worked late. And about ten o'clock
I had a pot of tea sent up.
- Are you sure of that?
- Quite sure.
Oh, yes, and just before I went
to bed about midnight,
I called the desk and had them
send up an extra blanket.
I was cold, Mr. Campbell.
Hmm...
I can hardly believe that.
Well, I was then.
Well, I guess that cinches it.
If you spent your time in the room,
you have nothing to worry about.
But I thought the papers said the
murder was committed in the morning.
That was today's paper. Tomorrow
you're going to read about a new theory.
And all about how Sheriff Ambers
worked it all out.
- I'll be seeing you around, Miss Marlowe.
- Goodbye, Mr. Campbell.
Oh, pardon me.
- Good evening, Mr. Campbell.
- Good evening, do you mind?
No, sir.
Hey, when did he get in?
- Only a short while ago.
- Is he up in his room?
No, he's in the cocktail lounge
with Miss Carr.
Oh, thanks.
Oh, "Mr." Campbell.
- Don't overdo it, Toots.
Someone's been trying to reach you
by phone person to person.
- From New York?
- Uh-huh.
The operator told me to call you
as soon as you came in.
Okay, sugar, I'll take it in the booth.
- Here you are.
- Gee, thanks.
New York operator, number 14, please.
Two tables apart
No one with me
Someone with you
You'll never know what I went through
Two tables apart
I have your call, Mr. Campbell.
Hello.
Hello, candy lamb.
He did, huh?
Yeah, I figured he would.
Hold it, darling.
You hop a plane to get back here
as fast as you can.
I said don't talk now.
Here... share this among you.
Am I mistaken or did her voice
sound as though she had a slight cold?
Well, I...
- Well, fancy meeting you here.
- How do you do?
Can Campbell, the old spendthrift,
buy you a drink?
Thank you, but we'll only be here for
a moment. We're waiting for Mr. Goff.
Well, you won't be leaving,
will you, Mr. Grayson?
Yes, I'm... I'm in a hurry.
You're always in a hurry,
aren't you, Grayson?
Why...
Look, Miss Carr, you're not very
fond of me, are you?
Since you ask me, Mr. Campbell,
I'd like to tell you that I...
- Hello, darling.
- Hello, Paul.
- Hello, Grayson.
- Good evening.
Now if you'll forgive us, Mr. Campbell.
It couldn't be that you're sore at me
because I took the papers...
...out of Mr. Grayson's briefcase,
could it?
What's that?
I said I took the papers out of
Grayson's briefcase.
- You had the effrontery...
- Sure I did.
I figured they'd be in safer hands.
What safer hands could they be in
than their rightful owner's?
Say, maybe you've got something there.
May I have them, please?
I'm sorry, I haven't got them.
That is, not with me,
they're upstairs in my room.
Besides, I'm having much too good a time
Perhaps you'd prefer to have us
call Sheriff Ambers.
Oh, no, don't do that.
Because if you do,
I may have to tell him...
...that you were at your father's
cottage when you say you weren't.
And does Sheriff Ambers know
that you were there, Mr. Campbell?
Let's ask him and find out.
Shall I telephone him?
No, don't bother.
Well, maybe I can buy that
round of drinks after all.
Jimmy!
Make mine a straight bourbon.
Right away, Mr. Campbell.
After all, you are going to give me
back the papers, aren't you, Mr. Campbell?
I'm afraid not, Miss Carr. They're
going back to the plant in the morning.
Well, that makes it very simple. When
you bring them back tomorrow, I'll just...
- No, no, you won't.
- She won't what?
- What ever she's planning.
- Why won't I?
Because in a plant which
is working on war contracts,
the government men in charge naturally will
refuse Miss Carr's access to the files...
...until the change of ownership
takes place.
That may take 60 days,
even 90 days.
Isn't that so, Mr. Grayson?
Yes, that's right.
You think you're a pretty smart lad,
don't you, Campbell.
Me? I'm just a grown-up quiz kid.
That's where you're wrong.
Quiz kids know all the answers
and you still have quite a few to learn.
- Good night, Mr. Campbell.
- Good night.
- And good night to you, Mr. Grayson.
- Good night.
- Roy, you're marvelous.
- Thank you, sir.
Oh, thank you, sir.
Let me talk to Sheriff Ambers.
Ambers.
A as in amorous, M as in Emory,
B as in benzadrine, E as in anything,
R as in arthritis and S as in sneeze.
Doggone you, Campbell, I'm liable to catch
my death of cold out here.
What you'll probably catch
is Harvey Carr's murderer.
But if whoever you're expecting
doesn't show up pretty soon...
He'll show up alright.
I've got this trap set with
the kind of bait he can't resist.
You might be right about that,
in any case he may...
Hold it, I hear something!
Let's take him!
Help me, Sam, help me!
Well, for the love of Pete!
What were you waiting for?
An engraved invitation?
You certainly took your time
about helping me.
I was thinking about that drink
you offered me, sheriff.
And about all the things that happened
right after that.
All right. But now we're square.
Maybe.
But look, Sam. Suppose you tell me
what brought that mug up here.
Why, it's very simple, sheriff.
I told Irene Carr and him that I'd taken
the papers out of Grayson's briefcase.
Of course you know that
that isn't so, don't you?
I don't know anything of the sort.
As a matter of fact, you...
Hold it, sheriff, Sleeping Beauty
is coming to.
Well ain't that nice.
Go on, you.
We're going for a walk.
- Coming, Campbell?
- Oh, you couldn't keep me away.
- Believe me, Larry, it won't be long now.
- Why, have you found out something?
Well, yes and no.
Well, he talked, didn't he, the colored
boy, I mean. He said who killed Carr.
If he did, he said it to St. Peter.
What?
- He's dead, Larry.
- Dead? Why, that means that I...
It doesn't mean a thing because
there's a new angle to the whole setup.
You're gonna have company tonight, Larry,
your ex-wife's boyfriend.
Goff? You mean he's the one
who killed Carr?
I don't know, he's mixed up in it some way.
He's over at Ambers' office right now.
Ambers will probably bring him
over here.
See if you can get him to open up.
Tell him you're both in the same boat.
Tell him that you don't want
to burn any more than he does,
and if you stick together,
you can both help each other.
Pour it down on him, kid.
- Well, I'll do the best I can, Sam.
- Good boy.
If my hunch is right, I'll have you
out of here by morning.
Hey, Goff, maybe I can get you out
of here if you'll answer a few questions.
Well, if you won't, Irene Carr will.
- Oh, no she won't.
- That's right, Mr. Campbell.
She says she's not telling us anything
about the man she's going to marry.
And if you expect to get anywhere
by threatening to say...
...you saw her up at the cottage
that morning, you're wrong.
She's already admitted she went there.
To pick up some papers
her father promised to give me.
And that, Mr. Campbell, is something
you can't disprove.
Larry, give me a couple of minutes
alone with this mug, will you?
Well, I don't know, Mr. Campbell,
it's against orders, you know...
Ambers told you how
he was captured, didn't he?
Yeah, he told me you tipped him off.
Then I wouldn't be
liable to turn him loose.
I wouldn't think so.
Here, go outside and stick this
in your face for a few minutes, will you?
You win.
Goff, how long do you think it would
take Irene to throw you out on your ear...
...when she found out you had
no intention of marrying her?
That you already had a wife.
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- Oh, yes you do.
I checked up on it, I had a hunch.
You were married in New York
in 1933 to a girl named Doris Rogers.
And there was no record of a divorce.
Cigarette?
You're not gonna tell her, are you?
It's entirely up to you.
If Irene wanted to get nasty she could
figure out a neat little case against you.
I didn't have anything to do
with Carr's death.
I was at the hotel that night, there was
a big crowd there, they all saw me.
Maybe so. But there are intermissions.
You came up to my room during
an intermission tonight, remember?
But it's two miles from the hotel to the
Carr cottage and I haven't got a car!
See this?
That came from a horse that was stolen
from Dad Martin's livery stable...
...right across the street from the hotel.
What's that gotta do with...
I found this up at the Carr place
last Tuesday morning.
Now, Goff, if you want to talk,
here's a swell chance.
My friend Sheriff Ambers
wants to wind this case up
and after that smack on the teeth
you gave him, he might...
...be liable to make you a patsy.
Give me time to think this over,
will you, Campbell?
Sure, sleep on it if you want,
I can wait.
Give me until tomorrow morning.
I'll be out of here by dinner.
I'll tell you something hot
enough to burn the court records.
I'll be here bright and early.
So will you.
- Thanks, Larry.
- Sure was a fine cigar, Mr. Campbell.
Glad you liked it.
Hello, Miss Marlowe.
- They took Paul in there.
- I know, I just talked to him.
I came down as soon as I found out
but they won't let me see him
He's in a bad jam.
- Want me to drive you home?
- No, thanks, I have my own car here, but...
Would you mind talking to me
for a few minutes, Mr. Campbell,
this thing has been so upsetting.
Sure.
Never mind, Frank, Mr. Campbell
has his own car,
we're just going to talk
for a few minutes.
Yes, ma'am.
I don't see why these
things have to happen,
Well, I'm sorry about the part I had in it.
Why? You can't have people
breaking into your room.
What do you suppose he was
after anyway, Mr. Campbell?
Hey, how's about calling me Sam?
All right, Sam.
I have a hunch he figured I had
some papers that belonged to Mr. Carr.
What kind of papers?
Supposed to be some sort of a chemical
formula. Irene wanted them back.
But for him to take a chance
like that just for a girl.
It doesn't make sense.
I know it doesn't.
Still, you never can tell
what a guy will do for a dame.
For the right dame, that is.
Some day you'll have to tell me
what your idea of a right dame is.
Why not now?
Well?
Well.
Just got to have a funny
little nose like this.
Just got to have eyes that sort of say,
"I dare you".
She's got to be able to kiss.
Like that?
Yeah.
Exactly like that.
Let me see, what were we talking about?
And what of it?
You were telling me about Paul Goff.
Oh, yes, I'll be able to tell you
more about him in the morning.
How's that?
Well, whoever's going to spring him,
if he doesn't do it by sun-up,
he's gonna spill the works to me.
Will you come over and tell me
everything that happens?
You bet I will, just as soon
as I've seen him.
I'll be waiting, Sam.
No. You'd better wait until tomorrow.
All right, sweetheart.
From hereon, you're calling the plays.
Until tomorrow, Sam.
Until tomorrow, candy...
I mean, sweetheart.
- Good evening, Mr. Campbell.
- Hello, may I have my key, please?
Yes, sir.
- There's a message for you, sir.
- Oh, thanks.
We're awfully sorry for what
happened to you last night.
Think nothing of it.
- Miss Vance hasn't arrived yet, has she?
- No, sir.
Tell her to call me as soon
as she does, will you?
- Yes, sir.
- Call me at 7 o'clock?
- Yes, sir.
- Thanks, good night.
Good night.
Your board's buzzing.
Hello.
Hello, candy lamb!
Sure I did.
Gee, I'm tickled to death
you made it so fast.
Candy lamb, you know me
better than that.
Sure, right away.
Yeah, be right over.
Two tables apart
Two tables apart
Two tables apart
- Hello, Sam.
- Hello, candy lamb.
Say, that's a mighty overpowering
number you're wearing.
You like it, huh?
Say, um... do you think we'd be
talked about if you asked me in?
- Oh, don't be silly.
- Thanks.
Oh, gee, am I glad to see you.
Have you been a good boy
while I was away?
- Well, I, uh...
- Hm, I know what that means.
That's not important now.
What I'm all keyed up about...
...is what did you find out
in New York.
- Plenty.
- What about the papers?
I hid them under the carpet,
and there's enough dynamite in them...
- ...to blow the roof right off the joint.
- Good girl!
By the way, Smathers told me
to be sure and tell you...
- There's some of your dynamite right now.
- Wait up for Robbie!
What goes on here, what is this...
Stand back, stand back, stand back!
That's rather neat shooting,
don't you think?
Mr. Campbell, what's the meaning of this?
If I tell you a little secret,
will you promise not to tell?
- Of course.
- It means that someone doesn't like me.
My goodness, nothing like this
has ever happened in this place before.
That's because we haven't favored
you with our patronage before.
Look, the fire's all out. Please go
back and go to sleep. Good night, folks.
And remember, no one has a thing
to worry about, except him.
Mr. Campbell, I suppose that means
you want to change rooms.
- Not rooms, hotels.
- But Mr. Campbell...
Good night, good night.
Look Darling, wait for me downstairs,
will you, I'll change my clothes,
It'll only take a minute.
Come on, candy lamb. wake up, this is as far as we go.
This riding around all night
does awful things to a girl.
I bet you my face looks
like an unmade bed.
It looks mighty good to me.
Mr. Campbell, not so early
in the morning if you please.
Harry!
Oh.
- Hello, Mr. Campbell.
- This is my assistant, Robbie Vance.
- Pleased to meet you.
- How do you do?
Say, I want to talk to Paul Goff for
a couple of minutes, is it okay with you?
- Okay with me.
- I won't be a minute, candy lamb.
Thanks, Harry.
Harry!
What's the matter, Mr. Campbell,
something wrong?
Yeah, plenty, get Ambers and Hyatt
over here right away.
- Paul Goff is dead.
- Dead?
Yeah. Now wait a minute.
You come with me.
You call them, will you, Robbie,
it'll save time that way.
Right, Sam.
Operator.
What's going on here?
What's the meaning of this?
You lost a prisoner last night,
sheriff, the hard way.
- Did you kill him?
- Act your age, Ambers.
Who's this?
A drunk driver one of the boys
picked up last night.
My, my, isn't this too bad?
What do you mean too bad?
Well, there's apt to be a lot of unpleasant
talk about the way you run your jail, Max.
- Now with election time coming on.
- Don't you worry about my election.
That's right.
After all, it is your worry, isn't it?
- Didn't you hear the sound of a scuffle?
- No, Max.
- How about you?
- Well, I...
I was asleep.
A man strangles to death ten feet away from
you and you slept through the whole thing?
I was completely worn out, it's the
first time I've slept since I've been here.
You're gonna have a swell time
making a judge believe that story.
I didn't have anything to do with it,
I tell you.
Did you question him?
He doesn't even know he's in here yet.
Been in a stupor ever since he was arrested.
- Wake him up.
- I've tried, but he's out.
You tried to, huh?
Did you try this?
Huh?
Or this?
Or this?
Or this?
I bet you never done none
of them things, did you?
Hm, come on, pull yourself together.
I wanna talk to you.
You know him, Sam?
Yeah. He drives for Ann Marlowe.
He does, huh?
- Well, get her over here!
- Alright, Max.
Did you hear anything last night?
- Huh?
- You heard me!
There was a man committed suicide
in this cell last night.
- Suicide?
- Ohh!
I think he's bluffing,
he knows what happened.
That's funny. I was thinking
the same thing about Borden here.
Here's Miss Marlowe, sheriff.
- How do you do?
- This is District Attorney Hyatt.
How do you do?
Does this man drive for you?
Drove for me, you mean.
You ought to see what he did to my car.
I only had a couple of drinks,
Miss Marlowe, I'm sorry.
Being sorry isn't going to do you
a bit of good. After what you...
Miss Marlowe. Did you know
Paul Goff was dead?
Dead?
- It can't be possible.
- True just the same.
Well, how did it happen?
Oh, they found him hanging
in here this morning.
Miss Carr's in your office, sheriff,
and she's as twitchy as a witch.
Come on, Sam.
Oh, sheriff, do you mind
if I go back to the lodge?
No, that's okay, but stick around town a while, Miss Marlowe.
- Of course.
- Miss Marlowe! You ain't gonna...
Don't you Miss Marlowe me. You're in
here from now on as far as I'm concerned.
There are exactly 93 bolts in this
door and I'm sick of counting them.
Now what's cooking?
The chaps in here are trying
to pin it on Borden.
Sheriff, if anyone says Paul Goff committed
suicide, they're lying and you all know it.
I wouldn't jump to conclusions
if I were you, Miss Carr.
You jumped to conclusions, didn't you?
You're the one who had Paul arrested
in the first place.
Yes, for breaking into my room.
Breaking into your room.
The papers belonged to Paul.
- They did, huh?
- Of course they did.
Father wanted him to have them.
Why do you think I was up
there the morning you saw me?
I don't know. Maybe to try
to talk your father out of it.
Maybe he was too shrewd to let
the formula for a high explosive...
...fall into just anybody's hands.
Paul wasn't just anybody.
He was the man I was going to marry.
Sit down, will you please, Miss Carr?
What I have to say is...
Well, it may be sort of a shock to you.
Paul Goff had no intention of marrying you.
He couldn't. He was already married.
That's a sort of lie a man
like you would think up.
You don't have to take my word for it.
It's a matter of record.
He was married in New York in 1933
to a girl named Doris Rogers.
And they were never divorced.
I can't believe it.
It's true just the same.
- But... he seemed so sincere.
- His kind usually do.
Didn't you figure something was wrong...
...when he began asking questions about
formulas and things of the chemical plant?
He gave a perfectly logical reason.
He said he wanted to work there, so he'd
have a better chance of landing a job...
...if he could show Father he knew
something about it.
Oh, come, come, Miss Carr.
Does that really sound logical to you?
I loved him, Mr. Hyatt.
And love and logic don't always
go hand in hand.
Well, go on with the story.
I kept taking papers from the wall safe
up at Father's cottage.
They didn't seem to be what he wanted.
Finally he came right out
and asked for a certain formula.
- And you still weren't suspicious?
- Why should she be?
She just said she thought the boy
was on the level, didn't she?
But this time I was afraid, I...
...told him I couldn't get them for him
and he'd have to talk to Father himself.
And did he?
Yes, but I talked to him first.
I told him Paul wanted a job and...
...we were going to be married.
- I'll bet that made him sore.
- Oh, it did.
But when I threatened to run away
with Paul, then he agreed to meet him.
Strangely enough, when they did meet,
he liked him immensely.
Said he could have his job at
the plant as a wedding present.
But Paul Goss still wanted
the formula, didn't he?
He made it sound so plausible. He said
he didn't want to come to work...
...unless he could see where he
would definitely be helpful.
Then we all had a few drinks
together and...
Did your father agree
to give him the papers?
He told him to come to the cottage
Monday night.
That's why he had Mr. Grayson
bring the papers there.
I see.
What happened then?
The usual thing.
Father changed his mind about Paul,
the wedding, everything.
Meaning he became suspicious?
Suspicious or stubborn,
what does it matter?
All I know is he wouldn't go
through with it.
So rather than stay there and quarrel
with him, I came back to town.
And you went right to Paul Goff
and told him what had happened.
I told him Father had changed
his mind and...
...it wouldn't be any use
in us going to the cottage.
Well, gentlemen, is it beginning
to make sense?
I'll say it is. Paul Goff was
so sore at Mr. Carr...
...that he went down there
and worked him over with an axe.
Oh, sheriff, you're forgetting
the time element.
Time element my foot!
He did it during intermission!
He had time during intermission last
night to bust into your room, didn't he?
That's right, but it takes 10 minutes
to drive to the Carr cottage...
...and 10 minutes to drive back,
that's twenty minutes,
Add to that the time it takes
to commit two murders.
He couldn't have done it.
There was a bigger crowd than usual
at the hotel that night,
and they kept calling Paul back
for encores.
But Miss Carr, it couldn't have been
anybody else.
That's right.
Couldn't have been anybody else.
But it was.
And as far as the murder of Mr. Carr
and the caretaker are concerned,
we're right back where we started.
- Smoke?
- No, no, thanks.
I don't know why I've been
saving all this junk.
Where has it gotten us?
This proves that Grayson
was up at the house that night.
We don't have to prove it, he admits being
there on a perfectly legitimate errand.
Then why did he lie about filling
the wood box?
I don't think he did. Anyone smart
enough to dope out that breakfast gag...
...is certainly gonna haul out the wood.
- Oh, thanks, Jimmy.
- Yes, sir.
This is Irene's, huh?
- Yeah, but she says she left.
But we saw her come back.
That was after the crime,
remember, candy lamb?
This one here we found in the boathouse.
Might just as well have left it there.
Well, there's one thing, Sam,
that bit of horseshoe proved lucky.
How? Because I knew the killer
went there on horseback?
Maybe I should tell the sheriff
to arrest Paul Revere.
I go away for a single day
and this happens!
I don't know why you waste
your time with me, candy lamb.
I guess I'm just a loose character.
But it might take a wrench, but I'm gonna
tighten you up before I'm through with you.
- Wait a minute!
- What's the matter?
Look.
A perfect match.
You said it.
You think you can start a fire with it?
I don't know.
Maybe.
Yeah, maybe I can.
If you'll help.
If you hold still, the bench breaks.
Signed, Robbie Vance.
Miss Vance.
- Yes.
- I'm Miss Marlowe.
How do you do?
Won't you sit down?
Well, if you'll forgive my saying so,
I'm very busy.
I only came down because...
Because I said I had something
important to say to you, and I have.
Miss Marlowe, I want you
to stay away from Sam Campbell.
I don't know what you're talking about.
And furthermore, I haven't
any time to waste.
You had time enough to waste
with Sam while I was away.
And furthermore, Miss Marlowe,
I don't like other women
poaching on my reserves.
Oh, now, Miss Vance,
you sound like a schoolgirl.
Ooh, thanks!
It should be. Cost me five bucks.
Now let me see you earn it.
Well, isn't this nice? I didn't know
you two knew each other.
Oh, indeed we do.
In fact we just discovered
we have something in common.
Haven't we, Miss Vance?
Common is right.
Um, can't we all have a drink together?
I'm afraid not, Sam.
Not now at any rate.
Beg your pardon, Mr. Campbell,
there's a call for you.
Oh. Oh, thanks.
I'll take it right over here.
No, don't go away, sit down.
I'll only be a minute, darling.
Nice, isn't he?
Hello?
What's that?
You're gonna send for him now?
Oh, he will, huh?
Alright, I'll be right over.
Say, I'm sorry, I won't be able
to have that drink.
- I've gotta go over to Ambers' office.
- Anything new?
Well, I can tell more about that
after I hear Dad Martin's story.
Dad Martin?
Yeah, the old pappy guy who has
the livery stable across the street.
Ambers is bringing him in for questioning.
Some kind of cockeyed yarn
he wants me to hear.
I'll see you later, huh?
Well, Miss Vance, I don't think we
have anything more to say to each other.
Unless I find you fooling around Sam.
And sister, if that happens,
I'll have plenty to say to you.
- Scare you, Pop?
- What, one shot? Shucks!
I sided with Teddy in San Juan Hill.
Why, how are you, Annie?
Nice to see you.
You'd better sit down.
You're kind of warbly now, aren't you,
after it's all over?
- After what's all over?
- Your phony theatrical agency, toots.
Want a cigarette?
No, thanks, I prefer my own.
Sheriff.
I found this up at the Carr place.
In the woodshed.
Maybe you'd like to finish this one.
Of course you know I don't know
what he's talking about.
- You can't prove this, Campbell.
- Don't worry.
Wouldn't you say that that shade
of lipstick stain was a pretty good match?
Yeah.
As a rule I don't kiss and tell, Annie,
but when it comes to murder.
Ah, ah, ah, temper, temper.
Get the idea, boys?
Incidentally, her motive
was the same one Goff had.
- What, the chemical formula?
- That's right.
She wanted it even more than he did.
Right, Annie?
You seem to be supplying the answers
around her.
All right, I'll supply you
with a few more.
When Irene told Goff that Carr
wasn't going to give up the papers,
you decided to take over.
Goff was only a stooge anyway.
Yoohoo! Sam!
- I got it!
- Good girl!
- Oh, I see you got her too.
- All right, cut out the wisecracks.
She hides things under the carpet
just like I do.
What the blue blazes is that?
Well, each one of these crosses
represents one of Annie's clients.
And I think you'll find that wherever
they're spotted,
there's a plant mighty close by
working on war contracts.
Say, Borden was a client of hers.
- Borden's a right guy, isn't he, Sam?
- Sure he is.
But Annie had to have a few clients
on her list who were on the level.
When you round up the rest of them, you'll
find the neatest little bunch of spies,
saboteurs and fifth-columnists
you ever cast your eyes on.
I gotta hand it to you, Annie.
You really had yourself a perfect setup.
Even for the murder.
I suppose Goff found out about Larry
Borden's hand from Irene, didn't he?
She might answer if you kiss her, Sam.
Quiet, Robbie.
And when Goff told you, you
thought it would be like shooting fish...
...in a ring barrel.
You knew that Larry would be blamed
for what ever happened.
Even at that you had that stir-simple
gag of yours take a shot at him...
...when you spotted him coming out
of the Carr cottage.
But what about her alibi?
She cooked that up.
She sent down for tea at 10,
her blanket at 12.
I bet you were really good
and cold by that time.
And it wasn't due to the ride, the
chasing up and down the fire escapes.
By then you had two murders
in your conscience.
- Two murders?
- Sure. The caretaker came in...
...just after she'd killed Carr
and she had to give him the works too.
Yes, but what about Goff,
did he really hang himself?
You and I know better than that,
don't we, Annie.
That hood who worked for you
stopped his clock, didn't he?
You see, Goff got his because
she figured he was gonna talk.
And I nearly got mine because
I was the one who was going to listen.
She certainly thought of everything.
That's right.
Awful smart kid, Annie.
But you really slipped up pretty
badly tonight at that.
Old Dad Martin didn't see you
lead that horse away.
Every man, woman and child
in Brookmeyer, except you,
knows that Dad Martin is totally blind.
Well, sheriff. There's your murderer.
- Did I give you your money's worth?
- Shh!
Oh, don't worry about Hyatt,
he paid me too, didn't you, Hyatt?
Now see which one of you two boys can get
down to the paper first with your story.
Come on, candy lamb.
No, wait a minute, Hyatt.
Sheriff, don't forget your prisoner.
Come on, you, and hurry up!
Well, one thing and another,
it was a very profitable vacation.
I'm so glad we're going
back to New York.
Small towns are too complicated for me.
Oh, I kinda hated to turn Annie in at that.
There's a gal who really knew how to kiss.
She did, huh?
Sam, stop the car.
- Why?
- Do as I say.
Did she kiss any better than that?
Or that, you big lug?
Lus Filipe Bernardes