Perry Mason (2020) s01e05 Episode Script

1
[doorbell rings]
[doorbell rings]
E.B.?
- [gas stove hissing]
- [gasping]
[gagging]
[breathing heavily]
[hissing stops]
E.B.?
E.B.?
E.B.?
E.B.?
E.B.?
[sobbing]
No.
Boyle 23405
[sobbing]
[Della] It's funny,
you spend all these years
with somebody, and
one day, they're just gone.
And you realize
you'll never see them again.
But I guess that's life, isn't it?
So, first you found him dead,
and then you called the police?
Yes.
That's exactly what I did.
I can assure you that all of us
at Century Mutual
are sorry for your loss.
May I ask if you need any assistance
with funeral arrangements?
- We have relationships with
- Thank you. No.
The body is being taken
to be with his family.
Up north.
[porter] Next stops be Atascadero,
Salinas, Watsonville Junction,
South San Francisco,
San Francisco.
Not much longer now.
Mother?
Can I have $25,000?
$25,000?
For Emily Dodson.
That is the amount
of her bail, isn't it?
Are you
Are you suggesting we free her?
I want Emily sitting on stage with me.
She can take Elder Brown's seat.
That's not the wisest path
to tread at this moment, Sister.
[Sister Alice] Look at these!
This outpouring of love and charity.
Chesterfield, Missouri, $2.
Bangor, Maine.
$5 and
43, 46 cents.
Tucson, Arizona.
"May God pour honey
over your body
and stake you to an ant hill,
you blaspheming whore.
You couldn't die soon enough."
Elder Seidel, how much
did we bring in this week?
[Elder Seidel] Uh,
enough to cover our overhead
and to keep the kitchen stocked.
And it will be double that
when I return to the microphone.
Never in my life have I felt stronger
or more clear in my mind
or more filled with inspiration.
I think it's been some time
since we've had a divine healing.
Well, it's hard to capture
the true spirit
of that particular service
on the radio, Sister.
The gospel will reach out
through that radio
and around the world to every
man, woman, boy, and girl.
As the hymns say, "To answer
when He calls, that is my task!"
[sighs]
You can come down off your chariot.
We're paying attention.
Bring me the weak and the sick
like we did under tent poles
before we broke ground.
And if you cannot
accommodate that, Mother,
then you can be relieved
of your duties.
Anything else, daughter?
Just $25,000.
[Strickland] Look, Detective,
I already been tailing Ennis
for three days.
I'm asking who might have a beef
with this prick.
And guess whose name
keeps popping up? Yours.
- [Royce] Hey, Flint.
- Yeah?
Get your nose out of her pills
and go burn some coffee.
Fucking reeks in here.
You believe this shit?
What got at her face?
Goddamn cat.
Ugh, ate her whole fucking ear off.
[Strickland groans]
Look, I'm on the Dodson case.
Things ain't adding up.
This guy, Joe Ennis,
he seems to be sitting
in the shadow of most of them.
I was first up
the day little Charlie came in.
It was my case.
That prick Ennis paid the division chief
to jump in front of me. My fucking case.
Biggest case in town.
[Flint] Hey, Sarge?
I found the kitty cat.
- It's dead, too.
- [Royce sighs]
I hope it choked on her earring.
[children squealing]
[car door opens]
[Byron] Miss Street?
Yes. Hello, Mr. Jonathan.
Let me express our deepest sympathies
to you and your family in this time of
Thank you. You must be Mr. Mason.
It's Byron, isn't it?
[Byron] I'd like to thank you both
for coming all this way.
- It really wasn't necessary.
- Of course it was.
[Byron] Whatever it cost you,
please send me a bill.
You shouldn't be out of pocket.
Well, the trunk has some
of his things from the house.
There's still a lot to go through,
I'm afraid.
Please don't trouble
yourself any further.
I'll see that it all gets
taken to a consignment shop.
Byron, I'm sorry, I have to ask.
I mean, what Where is everybody?
Your wife? The grandkids?
[Byron] At home. At school.
[scoffs] You're telling me
he actually mentioned my kids?
He He had pictures of them.
But did he ever talk
about them or about me,
about my sister?
Did he ever mention my mother,
who's inside there with him?
Well, it doesn't mean
you weren't in his thoughts
or or that he didn't care.
He was a very private man.
[Byron] Yes.
Well, we didn't talk about him either.
And, to be honest, I don't care.
[Della] The check
from his life insurance
will be mailed directly to you.
I'll see that his will is probated
as soon as we get back.
Will you be needing a ride back
to the train or to a hotel?
[Mason] No. Thank you.
[Della] That was warm.
[Mason] It wasn't right, Della.
It wasn't right.
He knew you'd be there in the morning.
He knew you'd find him and
Arrange things?
I suppose I should thank you.
For what? Helping turn his suicide
into a more insurance-friendly demise?
Forget it.
It's very easy for you
to break the rules, isn't it?
Well, the way I see it,
there's what's legal
and there's what's right.
You know, you can be
profoundly irritating.
- All right.
- You drink too much.
Personal habits leave
a lot to be desired.
Quite frankly, I find it offensive
that you choose to mask
your intelligence and decency
with cynicism and slothfulness.
Is that all?
And you never accept any help.
I'm letting you help me
finish this bottle.
[Della chuckles]
You come from money, don't you?
Why do you say that?
- The way you sit.
- [chuckles]
- Just little things.
- Mmm-hmm.
Your subtle
and not-so-subtle judgments.
I ran away from home
when I was 25.
Goodbye, arranged fiancé.
Goodbye
father who wouldn't let me go
to college.
Goodbye, inheritance.
Hello, E.B. Jonathan and Associates.
Answered a classified in the Examiner,
"Busy downtown firm seeks secretary."
I showed up.
It was just the two of them
sitting behind their desks,
Lyle and
E.B.
I mean, Lyle's a shark,
- but E.B. was
- Vain?
Short-tempered?
Self-absorbed?
He was living a lie.
Do you think that's why he did it?
[exhales deeply]
Does it not even matter anymore?
Well, I think it mattered to E.B.
I think that's why
he chose his own terms.
Wrote his own epitaph.
"Here lies E.B. Jonathan,
defender of all the innocent,
righter of wrongs, all-around good guy."
Unless you're talking to his son.
Here's to all the shitty fathers
in the world.
Can you ring Room 18?
Perry Mason.
Mr. Mason checked out
an hour ago, ma'am.
Thank you.
[Mason] Thank you.
[knocks]
Hi, Cheryl.
It's good to see you.
- Linda here?
- Linda?
- [Linda] Yeah?
- Door.
What are you doing here?
Well, I was working a case in the area,
so I thought
You look terrible. Are you drunk?
- Probably.
- Jesus, Perry.
You can't show up here drunk.
E.B. is dead, Lin.
He died. He's He's dead.
I'm sorry.
I know when your dad passed, E.B. was
I'm not I'm not looking
for a hug or anything.
I just
I just wanted to spend
some time with my son.
He's out back playing.
Thank you.
Wait.
You think you wanna come inside
and clean up a bit?
I'm fine.
Daddy. Daddy!
[car door closes]
Why in God's name is she in chains?
[Ennis] Standard procedure, ma'am.
Standard should include
a certain level of decency.
I'm sure you're right about that, ma'am.
[Sister Alice] Do you want
something to eat, Emily?
- Mmm-hmm.
- Maybe hot bath?
[Holcomb] That's Alice McKeegan,
- you are Birdy McKeegan.
- Yes and yes.
And you agree to serve
as Emily Dodson's custodians
- after posting bail?
- Yes.
[Holcomb] Number one,
Mrs. Dodson is to remain
confined on these premises
from dusk to dawn,
- unless otherwise directed by the court.
- Yes.
[Holcomb] Number two,
these premises are subject
- to search at any time.
- [Mother McKeegan] Yes.
Number three,
Mrs. Dodson's not allowed
- to leave the state of California.
- Yes.
[sighs]
- It's soft.
- It's mine.
I had it moved in when I knew
you were coming to stay with us.
You shouldn't have. I don't need much.
Really, I sleep standing up
half the time.
Go on.
You're here for a reason.
You and me both.
Sister, what you said
What you said about Charlie
We've been called, Emily,
to be free of self
and filled with the Holy Spirit,
to be led by the Holy Spirit,
to see each other saved.
Can I be saved, Sister?
Can I?
Those curtains are new.
Yeah.
They're nice.
Thank you.
It's very kind of you to notice.
Do you want more coffee?
Thanks.
So what time does Ed roll in?
He must be putting in some serious hours
down at Spreckel.
Does dinner wait on him or do you put
a plate in the oven for later?
Cher, do you mind seeing
if, uh, Teddy needs help
with his homework?
He doing well in school?
You're not staying for dinner.
Now, I don't know what this is,
this thing you're working on.
You just drop by out of the blue sky.
You're supposed to send the checks.
You don't. Birthdays,
Christmas, you screw that up.
And now you just show up here
and you [sniffles]
Do you know what that does to Teddy?
Well, I was thinking
maybe he could come
spend some time with me
on the farm.
It's hardly a farm.
Well, then why'd you tell him
I'm a fucking farmer?
Because I don't know
what to tell him you are.
Poking around people's dirty linens,
hanging out at the morgue,
getting your nose
knocked in twice a week.
You're supposed to be his father.
I am his father.
No, Perry, you are not.
That ship has sailed.
- [door opens]
- [Ed] I'm home.
[Cheryl] Hi, hon. Dinner's almost there.
Do you remember
when I proposed to you?
Yeah.
- I said no.
- Yeah.
The first time you said no.
Why did you ever
say yes to me, Lin?
Because for the life of me
I can't remember.
[Ed] Come on, buddy.
[Ed chuckles]
I heard a rumor
and it turns out to be true.
Perry Mason's in town!
How are you, Ed?
Well, I don't want to jinx anything,
but I got to tell ya,
I think, uh, we're really getting
to see the other side of this.
The Honey Dew label is
really taking off.
Mark my words, '32 is gonna be
a big year for Spreckel.
- Right?
- Right. Yeah.
All right.
Why don't you go wash up, buddy?
[Teddy] Okay.
Well, that's great news, Ed.
So come in, sit down, have some dinner.
Tell me all the big city buzz, fella.
I'm afraid I
I got to go back to work.
Don't be afraid. It's just work.
[Ed chuckles]
Still, it's your loss.
Smells good in here, Linda.
What's for eats?
Oh, I've got a big spread
here tonight, Ed.
- I hope you're hungry.
- Thanks, as always.
I'll be waiting on it.
[debater] My esteemed opponent
has a view of our race
that I do not, cannot, share.
We must accept, he says, the segregation
that daily confines us
to inferior schools,
inferior housing, inferior care
- if we're injured or sick.
- [crowd member] That's right.
We must accept, he says, the humiliation
that daily denies us
the simple dignity of being human,
no more, no less.
All the while, we are urged
to help ourselves, right?
- [crowd affirms]
- Educate ourselves.
Restrain ourselves, in hopes
that one day, one glorious day,
the white man will smile
upon us and say,
"Now, now I respect you."
[crowd affirms]
[debater] When comes that day, friends?
Tomorrow? Next year? Next century?
No, the only way to earn
our place is to agitate,
organize, demand that the promise
of the Declaration of Independence
that all men are created equal
is a spur to justice
and not the most galling
of hypocrisies.
[applause]
That second debater though,
he was inspiring.
Yeah, but I don't think
the reverend should be
supporting radical views.
Rev's just giving a chance
to both sides of the argument.
The Bible says, "Render unto Caesar."
- [Louise] Mmm.
- What's that got to do with it?
There's no point in fighting to change
what's not gonna change.
[Edwina] That's what he's saying.
It can't change if we don't fight.
Easy to get folks all riled up.
Then you left high and dry,
and what good have you done?
Well, what do you think
of it all, Officer Drake?
I think it is best
to always agree with my wife.
[Louise chuckles]
You got him well trained.
[Edwina] Mmm-hmm. [chuckles]
Miss Street?
Mother McKeegan.
I'm sorry for just
dropping by like this.
Is everything all right?
We're very sorry
to hear about Mr. Jonathan.
Yes, well, thank you.
He's with his family now.
As he should be.
The reason I'm here,
first, to thank you
for organizing Emily's bail.
Oh, well,
Sister deserves credit for that.
That's very generous.
And now that Emily's out of jail,
we need to work on getting her
a new lawyer.
Oh, well, the court just
appointed someone.
They're with him
in the dining room right now.
Mmm.
The prosecution is also
gonna be calling your husband
who
Uh-oh.
Herman Baggerly is your
- is your father-in-law?
- [Emily] Yes.
Sort of.
Mr. Baggerly's thinking
no longer aligns with ours.
[Dillon sighs]
Miss Street, perhaps you could tell me
about the approach
Mr. Jonathan was taking.
Did he have some
big secret strategy?
[Emily] In our last meeting,
he mentioned
- maybe a deal.
- [Dillon] Hmm.
[Della] But we'd moved away from that.
We have promising evidence coming in.
[Dillon] Evidence?
Well, these matters warrant
more consideration.
I'm going to need to see
the case files.
Yes. Of course.
They're at the office.
[Dillon] His office is still open?
It's paid through
the end of the month.
Perfect. Tomorrow morning then.
Would you excuse me a moment?
I need to make a call.
Okay.
Where were we?
- My husband testifying?
- Yes.
Well, that's gonna be rough.
I had my issues with the man.
There's no way around that,
but damn it,
- last of a dying breed.
- [Della] Mmm.
Had my share lately.
There's talk of a, uh,
gathering down at the club.
Let the mucky-mucks
say nice things about him
- for a Law Review write-up.
- E.B. would have liked that.
Darn right he would have. [laughs]
Good lawyer in his day.
Big ham his whole life.
Lyle, the court appointed
Frank C. Dillon in his place.
Yeah.
If I'm playing with my money,
I'm betting the DA
had a hand in his selection.
So you think Frank
will push Emily to plead guilty?
I think Frank will do
whatever helps Maynard Barnes
ride this case to higher office.
I'm hearing governor-talk lately.
Meanwhile, an innocent woman
is being thrown to the wolves.
Unfortunately, wolves don't care
about truth.
They only care about meat.
Which is why I need to find Emily
another lawyer immediately.
I made a list.
I was hoping you could
look it over for me.
Let me look it over.
[chuckles]
A very thorough list.
A Della Street list.
Well, Reilly, Giesler, Rogers,
they're very good.
They might do it for a big fat check
and the exposure.
Ferris and Kavanaugh,
they'd do it for the exposure alone
but they're, well,
to use the legal parlance,
they're scumbags.
Fifty-three names including yours.
It's a preordained loser, Della.
A real career killer.
Too risky for most, including me.
No. But, she she needs help.
- Lyle, she
- Yeah. It's not gonna happen.
Della, I'm sorry.
No. I'm sorry.
I'm here to get E.B.'s will
probated, not to
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Don't think twice about it.
[both laughing]
[whoops]
It's a big opportunity.
More like a big pain
in the hindquarters.
No, no, no.
Truckers make good money.
Buy a couple of used rigs
for 300 down.
Then spend 20 hours a week
driving them around.
[James] We hire someone to do that.
They work for us.
Oh, okay. We already got
people under us, do we?
All right. How long you wanna
be walking the beat for, huh?
I mean, how are you
gonna feel ten years on,
clearing alkies off the stoops
and writing tickets?
I got a plan.
Smart man bite.
[Edwina] Get up off your ass
and give me a towel!
[James] Oh, all right.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[Drake] Get in here. Get in here.
Get in here.
[James] Here I come. Here I come.
[Drake] Come on in here now.
- You okay? Yeah?
- [shivering]
[Drake] I know my wife
can move faster than that.
- [Edwina] It's freezing.
- [shivering]
You fool enough
going in that January water.
Baby's gonna come out
an ice cube. Come here.
It's supposed to make
the baby strong.
Oh, is that an old wives' tale,
old lady?
You watch where you're going
with that now.
- Oh. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
- Huh? [chuckles]
- Here.
- Yeah.
Seems stronger.
[Drake] I think it is.
Look at you.
[inaudible]
[police officer 1] Let's go, everybody.
Pack your belongings and go.
[police officer 2] Get off this beach.
- [police officer 1] Let's go, everybody.
- [police officer 2] Let's go.
What's this now?
[police officer 1] Let's go, everybody.
Let's go.
Beach is closed.
Everybody off.
Well, they can't
do that, can they?
[Drake] What's going on, Officer?
Closing the beach.
How come?
[police officer 1] Overcrowding.
City ordinance.
Get your belongings and go
or I'll toss it in the ocean.
- He's a policeman.
- [police officer 1] What's that?
My husband's a policeman.
And where would you
be a policeman?
Central Avenue. Newton Division.
- And where is that?
- Los Angeles.
Well, this isn't Central.
This is Santa Monica.
This beach is closed.
[indistinct chatter]
Fuck.
Let's you and me have a talk.
- [Ennis] Your partner, Mason.
- [Strickland] Associate.
[Ennis] He hands back the letters
that make our case.
Now he's out and about again,
making things hard for us.
Ain't we all want
the same thing here?
Make things right
for the baby boy?
The kid's dead.
Little late to make things right.
Hey, I'm busting my ass
here on this case.
When you're not
shaking down whorehouses.
Hey, you think I have
a choice in this?
Maybe you don't understand
how it goes when I say,
"I don't wanna do that
to the senior detective."
No. I do.
- No. You really don't.
- No, I do.
I used to be in vice,
out in San Berdoo.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Oh, well then,
between you and me,
I'm trying to get out
from under him, yeah?
And this case could do it.
I bring it in right,
I can call my shot.
So if there's a corner cut
or the wrong guy gets arrested,
it's not 'cause there's some
fourth man out there.
It's Holcomb.
He's leading it, not me.
So you think Holcomb's
putting his thumb on this?
Talk to your associate, okay?
I know he's doing a job, too
[sighs]
but he's way wide on all of this.
She's on me.
[sighs] Lucy's really squirming tonight.
I don't think she liked
that cold bath much.
Edwina told me about
what James was saying,
about the trucks.
What you think?
We just gonna pretend
nothing happened, is that it?
I don't wanna make you
angrier than you already are.
No point in fighting.
"Render unto Caesar."
Okay. Okay,
I deserve that.
I ain't a fucking truck driver, Clara.
- I know, baby.
- I'm a fucking cop.
On a colored beach.
I ain't shit, baby.
I was wrong what I've been saying.
You do what you need to do,
however you need to do it,
and I'll be right there
next to you,
wherever, whatever.
[Strickland] I'm jawing with the guy.
Not more than five minutes,
he's throwing shade on Holcomb.
Nothing specific.
Just hinting at it, you know?
But get this, Ennis cut the line
to be first at Angel's Flight.
That's one.
Then he's mighty quick to show
when the Polacks get whacked.
That's two.
Three, he's at Gannon's
almost before the call went out.
Gannon's is LA County.
Exactly. Ain't his division.
Ain't nowhere near his division.
You think he's sitting nearby
to control the crime scenes?
Unless there's a bunch of Elks lodges
we don't know about.
But three times?
That's quite the co-winky-dink.
Worth staying on him?
Try stopping me.
Yeah. [sighs] Pete, look,
I got no way to pay you.
Fucker rolls on his partner,
tries to buy me off with pussy?
I'll pay you.
Pete Strickland burned on a tail job?
I never thought I'd see the day.
Fuck you.
[choir singing] No more
Never turn back
No, no
Never turn back
No, no, no
Never turn back
No more
Never turn back
I'm going to keep on
Till I reach the other shore
The other shore
No more
Never turn back
No, no, no, no, no
Never turn back
No more
There. Right there.
Yes, you. Yes, you, brother.
Bring him to me. Brothers, bring him up.
- [woman] Raise him up.
- [Sister Alice] Yes.
Come forward, brother.
[Elder Brown] Sixty-seven days
till Easter Sunday,
gentlemen of the press.
- [booing]
- Sixty-seven days
till Alice McKeegan's
grievous revelation.
And may this placard remind
the deceived going in
and coming out,
what their satin-robed leader
promised twice now!
Twice! Twice!
What's with all
the baby dolls, Deacon?
It is a campaign
to denounce and dethrone,
and you can let
your readerships know that we,
of the Reformed Radiant
Assembly of God,
will not set foot
in our glorious temple again
until the heretic McKeegan
and her enablers
surrender the pulpit
and restore the Church
to its noble white Christian origins!
[cheering]
And there came a sound from heaven,
a sound that The Good Book says
- came like a mighty wind.
- [choir vocalizing]
And it was this wind
that filled the house
where they were sitting.
There you are, brother. Yes. Yes, come.
You don't need that chair.
And there appeared before them
cloven tongues made of fire.
And what happened next?
Who can tell me?
[woman] The Holy Spirit.
Yes. Yes, brothers and sisters.
Their lungs were flooded
with the Holy Ghost.
And they began to speak
in different tongues,
as the Spirit gave them utterance.
That chair's an excuse.
And it was quite a party
because there were all sorts
of people there.
Jews, Romans,
Arabians, Elamites, Mesopotamians.
- But
- [shushing]
But everyone could understand
everyone else because now,
now they were speaking
in divine tongues,
the works of God!
Get up. He's got your legs.
Where's your faith?
- What's your name, Brother?
- It's Robert.
[Sister Alice] Get up, Robert.
You don't need that chair
if you have faith, Robert.
You don't need that chair
if you feel the fire of Christ
inside you, Robert.
Can you feel it?
I feel it.
You do feel it? Yes. He feels it.
The age of miracles is here again.
What was truth in the Bible
is truth again.
[speaking in tongues]
[voice fades]
[screams]
[crowd cheering]
[choir singing]
Never turn back
I'm going to keep on till I reach
The other shore
The other shore
I get down
On my knees
I'll never turn back no more
Do you believe in miracles?
[man] We believe!
[Sister Alice] I can't hear you!
- [imperceptible]
- Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes, I believe!
[Sister Alice] Do you believe?
Do you believe?
Yes! Yes, Robert.
Look how strong you are, Robert.
Look at you. Beautiful, Robert.
Yes. Yes.
You can do it, because you are filled
with the Lord's love. Yes. Feel it.
'Cause I'll never
Never turn back no more
Well, it's certainly not
without compensation.
You're gonna have every
newspaper in the country
printing your firm's name.
You can't pay
for the kind of advertising
the Dodson case will
- [Dillon] Miss Street!
- I'm on the phone!
Well, no one would expect you to.
- I need you in here!
- Just a second!
Can you
Can you think of anyone else
who might consider Hello?
Miss Street!
Did you need something, Mr. Dillon?
Miss Street, these case files,
is this everything you had?
As far as I know, Mr. Dillon.
Because there isn't a whole lot here,
aside from some photographs
and a stack
of illegible notes from Mr. Mason.
Well, I think you'll find
some motions in there as well.
Yeah. Uh, you mentioned yesterday,
you said something
about new evidence?
Oh, yes.
Right. So where is it?
Gee, Mr. Dillon, if it's not there
It's not.
Well, I suppose I could
dash by Mr. Jonathan's tonight
and see if he took anything home.
That'd be wonderful. Thank you.
Miss Street, is there a trick
to using these phones?
It's a phone, Mr. Dillon.
You pick it up and tell the operator
what number you'd like to call.
Right. Bit more complicated
than what we have
at the public defenders
Hello, operator?
Yes. DA's office, please.
[Barnes on phone] Nothing in the files?
[Dillon on phone]
Well, I'm still looking
through the notes from the detective.
A real unsavory character
with some shoddy penmanship.
[Barnes] Bring me
whatever notes he left tomorrow.
[Dillon] Say your office, noon?
[Barnes] Not my fucking office.
The place we met the other time.
[Dillon] Of course. Sorry.
Stashing evidence, hidden secrets.
This is like when I covered Myrna
in The Black Watch.
"It is sweeter to be
a woman to one man
than goddess to thousands."
I could help, you know.
You're a klutz.
And Myrna would never forgive me.
Three more trips.
[Hazel] Should I be worried about you?
I mean, just how illegal is this?
Well, the way I see it,
there's what's legal
and there's what's right.
[Emily] The officers said that
I'm supposed to be indoors
by nighttime.
I don't see any officers around, do you?
[sobbing]
Sister Alice?
Will you have to dig up Charlie
when you do it?
[Dianne] Message exchange.
- [Mason] It's Mason.
- He lives.
- What do you got for me?
- A lot.
Just give me today's.
Mr. Strickland.
Miss Street. Miss Street again.
Miss Street a third time.
She leave a message?
She says the court has appointed
[laughs]
What's funny?
Oh, you are.
Endlessly, Frank.
May I ask what you're doing?
Well, you are really making
yourself comfortable here,
aren't you?
It's paid through the end
of the month, so
A good man sat behind this desk.
A good man.
You are not him.
Glass houses, Mr. Mason.
And I'm the lawyer in charge here.
These reports on the Dodson case
are all incomplete,
and I need you to decipher your notes.
[Mason] I know.
My penmanship's a fright.
Ooh! Tolstoy.
"If you want to be happy, be."
What do you want
with my notes, Frank?
- Is that alcohol?
- Mmm-hmm.
That's illegal.
Only the production,
transport, and sale.
The part where I pour it down
my throat is not only comforting
given your presence here,
but a-okay with Johnny Law.
As an officer of the court,
I must insist.
Mmm-hmm.
Damn it.
You ever read a book, Frank?
I tell my son it's important to learn.
God damn it, Mason.
To go to school.
To get on in life with understanding,
compassion.
What chance does he have, Frank?
[shouts] What chance does
any of us have?
Someone call the police!
What if I just popped your head, Frank,
like a shiny pussball full of rot?
Just squeeze and squeeze,
until [pops]
I have friends downtown, Mason!
Downtown!
[Mason] Fair to assume
that Barnes knows everything
- we do at this point?
- Not everything.
I gave Frank your notes,
which are illegible
and a bunch of stuff we already filed.
Stashed the rest of it here.
Brilliant, but what does it matter?
The court will make sure
that Frank gets everything
at some point, then the DA
gets it the day later.
What is the DA's case so far?
Love letters and bias. [sighs]
Exactly.
I mean, do they got
bloodied baby clothes? No.
Do they got an operator listening in
as George and Emily plot their escape?
No.
Do they got her vacationing in Milwaukee
- where the kidnappers come from?
- I'm gonna venture no.
I'm gonna guarantee a no.
So Barnes is gonna load the jury
with 12 teetotalling,
high-Christian assholes
and hammer away at Emily
for being a cheat
and take every opportunity to show
photographs of Charlie
on the morgue table.
You know why?
'Cause they don't have a shred,
a fucking sliver
of physical evidence.
This standard of behavior
of what? Of
- Of
- Personal ethics?
Yes! Because if you walk
out of that door
and think for one second
that you're entering
into a nation of laws,
you are a complete
fucking idiot.
I'm not even talking about
the monster that stitched
those eye sockets open.
He just wanted the cash.
I'm talking about the cops
who are, at best,
covering their asses.
And that
And that fucking Matthew
who said, "Fuck you, Emily."
I'm just gonna go with a dad
that denied me.
And Barnes here,
you know this is all he's got.
Unless the mayor's
talked to him and said,
"No. No. This is how
we make the sausage.
This is how we keep the order."
- You want coffee?
- Oh, I've got coffee.
- That's whiskey.
- Oh yes, it is.
You know what? Maybe there is a God.
Maybe there is a God
with a big white stupid beard
that says, "This is how it's gonna be."
But, ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
we have a system
that says you 12 fuckers
can make things right.
Emily Dodson doesn't have to eat
the sins of Los Angeles.
She doesn't have to die for us sinners.
But they're not gonna do that,
'cause they were raised
in the same city as the rest
of these gutless,
fucking attorneys
who won't take this on.
Is that my Underwood?
Sorry, June. Emergency.
There are people upstairs
trying to sleep.
Perry, would you be kind enough
to offer Miss Pitlick a drink?
Oh, well, I
I'd be honored.
Occasionally, I, uh
- Purely for medicinal purposes.
- Oh, me too.
- What, uh What's the emergency?
- Finding our lawyer.
[typewriter clacking]
Now we just got to get him
in front of Emily
before Dillon gets to her.
No fucking way.
George didn't kill himself?
[Mason] No.
Does that mean that George is innocent?
No.
But what it does mean, Emily,
is that you need
new representation, and you need it now.
And you want her to engage Mr. Mason?
He's done all the significant work
on this case.
He knows more about it
than anyone in this city.
And he's committed
to making sure the truth
comes out in court and that your name
and reputation are restored.
- But he's not a lawyer.
- Actually
Mr. Mason has been
under an apprenticeship
with Mr. Jonathan for the past
two-and-a-half years.
There's a bar examination in two weeks,
which will certify him
with plenty of time
before our trial is set to begin.
You're being railroaded, Emily,
and it's wrong.
But I can help you.
We can see that you mean
what you say, Mr. Mason,
but it's hard to believe
that you're the right person
for the job.
Well, I'm the only person for this job
because we've called everyone.
And you can, too.
But no one wants this case.
I'm all you got.
But I will prove your innocence, Emily.
And I will find Charlie's killer.
The choice here is Mrs. Dodson's.
Emily?
I want you to represent me, Mr. Mason.
You won't regret this.
[Mason] What have we done, Della?
We gave our client a fighting chance.
Client? I have a client?
How the fuck do I have a client?
- What do I know about the law?
- More than you think.
- Or nothing.
- Somewhere in the middle.
[knock at door]
Where Where are you going?
This is our hour of great regret.
You have an appointment.
I hear you need some legal advice.
I don't know you.
That's good, 'cause I'm not here.
Oh, hot tea, um, slice of lemon.
The suits in City Hall
are scared of something
about the Dodson case.
You probably know more
about why that is than I do.
Right. So what do you have
that I don't?
A law degree from Yale,
twenty-two years of trial experience,
and an office
one floor below Maynard Barnes.
- That it?
- [laughs]
Della said you were a hard-ass.
Just a little guarded about tea drinkers
peddling free legal advice.
The bar exam has not changed
since 1923.
Do you have something to write on
or do you expect
to remember the whole thing?
Why don't we start with who you are?
- Hamilton Burger.
- I've heard of that name.
Deputy District Attorney
Hamilton Burger.
Oh.
You're gunning for Barnes' job.
Miss?
You forgot my slice of lemon.
[inhales deeply]
John operated a successful
fishing shop.
He needed a new bait cooler,
which had to be in place
by May 1 for the opening day of,
you guessed it,
the fishing season. Write this down.
On February 1, John entered
into a valid written contract
[lawyers reciting in unison]
"I do solemnly swear
I will support the Constitution
of the United States
and the Constitution
of the State of California.
I will employ such means only
as are consistent
with truth and honor.
I will maintain the confidence
and preserve inviolate
the secrets of my client.
I will abstain from all
offensive personality
unless required
by the justice of the cause
with which I am charged.
I will never reject the cause of
the defenseless or oppressed."
So help me God.
"So help me God."