Perry Mason (1957) s01e10 Episode Script

Are you sure you gave Mr.
Davenport the right address? Positive.
Well, he's 15 minutes late now, Mr.
Beckmeyer.
- If he is not here by-- - He'll be here.
Do you know the circumstances under which this food was prepared? When you're a private detective, doc, you don't ask questions.
You figure your client wants you to know, he'll tell you.
What did you find in--? [KNOCKS.]
Come in.
Mr.
Davenport, this is Dr.
Mitchell.
- How do you do? - Sorry, I'm late.
Won't you sit down? Must be bad news if you don't think I can take it standing.
- Well, you see-- - What did you find in there? Arsenic.
I thought she'd be a little more original.
But then arsenic worked for her before, so why change, right? I don't think I follow you, Mr.
Davenport.
Who you talking about? My wife.
- Where's my wife? - Well, she-- - Myrna, Myrna! - Oh, what's wrong, Ed? Mind your own business, Louise.
- Myrna! MYRNA: Coming, dear.
- Ed, you know what the doctor said.
- Yeah, we all know.
Packed your bag.
Don't drive too fast.
You can still make Bakerstown before-- You hypocrite.
Telling me not to drink, to listen to the doctor.
I don't know what you mean.
Those sandwiches you packed for my trip last week, they were loaded with arsenic.
Ed, what are you trying to do to her? You're a fool, Louise.
Ask your precious cousin about Uncle Charlie.
Didn't you think something was wrong when he died? Here, read it for yourself.
You poisoned him and now you're trying to get rid of me.
- Please.
- There's a letter in my office.
It's to the police, telling how you've been trying to kill me.
If I die, you'll go right after me.
Straight to the gas chamber.
Remember that.
MYRNA: Ed.
[SOBBING.]
[GRUNTS.]
Hello? - Hello? WOMAN: Yes, sir? This is Mr.
Davenport in Cabin 6.
Who's the nearest doc around here? Dr.
Renault.
He's just around the corner.
Well, get him over here right away.
I'm sick.
[GROANS.]
ED: Come in.
[RINGING.]
Hello.
This is Dr.
Frank Renault.
I'd like to talk to Mrs.
Edward Davenport, please.
Well, she's, um-- She's not in.
Is there any message? Can you get in touch with her? Her husband is very ill.
Are you related to Mrs.
Davenport? Yes.
Yes, I'm her cousin.
Well, frankly, madam, the situation is critical.
He's in an oxygen tent right now.
Hello? I'm here, doctor.
He's in the Vista Motel on San Fernando Road.
- Cabin 6.
- We'll-- Uh, we'll be there right away.
Thank you so much for calling.
Goodbye.
Garden Club.
Arrangements Committee again.
Oh.
I thought it might be Ed.
Ohh.
When are you going to start thinking about yourself? What kind of a husband is it who writes letters accusing his wife of poisoning him? I don't believe Ed did that.
I think he was just talking.
Was he? I bet he has it all written down.
It might even include his notion you killed Uncle Charles.
Oh, that's ridiculous.
I tell you, Myrna, you've got to protect yourself.
For your own good, you ought to see a lawyer.
Do it just to please me.
LOUISE: Of course, Mr.
Mason, coming here was my idea.
I was afraid that if anything happened to Ed, that letter might get into the hands of the police.
Why should something happen to him? Well, the Lord moves in mysterious ways.
We never know when our time is up.
This, um Uncle Charles your husband has accused you of poisoning, did he leave you any money? How much? A great deal.
And to see Ed run through it would just make you sick.
- Mr.
Mason, I tell you-- - Please, Louise - He isn't interested.
- I didn't say that, Mrs.
Davenport.
That letter could be damaging.
That's why we want you to get it for us, Mr.
Mason.
Now, here's the authorisation and the, uh, retainer.
And this is the key to his office with the address on the tag.
As long as Mr.
Davenport is alive, I have no right to touch that letter.
Well Well, there's something that I haven't mentioned.
Louise, that telephone call that came just before we left the house was from a Dr.
Renault.
Ed's very ill.
- Why didn't you tell me? - I was afraid you'd run to him instead of coming here, which was more important.
- Where is he? - He's in a motel.
The Vista Motel on San Fernando Road.
Go with her.
Let me know if something happens.
- I can't tell you how-- - Better hurry.
Traffic gets bad this time of day.
As you can see, he is too weak to be moved to a hospital.
I thought it best to keep him here.
If he didn't feel well, he should've turned around and come home.
It's only an hour's drive.
[ED GASPING.]
My My wife.
Put poison in candy.
Save your strength, Mr.
Davenport.
He says he became ill after eating some chocolates.
He's out of his mind.
He didn't know what he was saying.
I hope this convinces you that going to Mr.
Mason was doing the right thing.
Poison in the candy.
Don't touch it.
I packed this candy with his clothes the way I always do.
There's nothing wrong with it.
I ate a piece myself.
[ED GASPING.]
Doctor.
He can't breathe.
RENAULT: Nothing wrong here.
Lift the plastic.
- What did you give him? - Coramine.
I'm sorry, Mrs.
Davenport.
Under the circumstances, I'll have to call the police.
- The police? - I have no choice.
You wait here, honey.
I'm gonna call Mr.
Mason.
If he was to get that letter from Ed's office, there'll never be a better time.
How do you plan to get in there? I don't think we have to.
Davenport wanted that letter found by the police easily.
- Here, you take that one.
- All right.
This is it.
"To be opened in the event of my death and contents delivered to the authorities.
Ed Davenport.
" Does it belong to the widow or the authorities? I'll answer that after I've read the contents.
- Is that working? - I'll see.
Yeah.
I'll get some water boiling.
- Find anything? - Mm-hm.
There was a $17,300 withdrawal from Davenport's checking account today.
He certainly didn't do it.
The entry was in a feminine hand.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Shall I get it? - Mrs.
Davenport knows we're here.
- Right.
Hello.
MAN: Unit 13.
Desert Motel.
Bakerstown.
[HANGS UP.]
Hello? Hello? - Wrong number? - Oh, I guess so.
All he said was Unit 13, Desert Motel, Bakerstown.
He didn't even say hello.
He didn't even say hello.
- Unit 13, Desert Motel, Bakerstown? - Uh-huh.
I wonder what it could possibly mean? Make a note.
Call the Drake Detective Agency.
Send Paul up there to investigate.
First thing tomorrow? First thing tonight.
I guess this does it.
It's blank.
Invisible ink? No.
Lieutenant Tragg, Homicide.
You Dr.
Renault? Yes, lieutenant.
The victim-- Rather, my patient.
--is in there.
He said his wife poisoned him.
The young one.
- You Mrs.
Davenport? - Yes.
There's a question as to how your husband met his death.
Oh, it was a heart attack.
He was under a doctor's care.
Who has the key? He's gone! [GASPS.]
I wonder why he put blank pages in there? Could be a trap to make the police think we removed incriminating evidence.
[SIREN APPROACHING.]
Sounds like someone has already sprung the trap.
Good evening, officer.
- Won't you come in? - Who are you? My name is Mason and I'm an attorney.
This my secretary, Miss Street.
What are you doing here? Taking charge of Edward Davenport's affairs for his widow.
He's not dead.
- He isn't.
- I'm sorry.
This is my authorization.
This is Mr.
Davenport's secretary, Miss Rita Norge.
I know why you're here.
You want that letter.
He wrote a letter to the police in case he died.
It's in my desk.
Please, get it.
Just a minute, officer.
I wouldn't open that if I were you.
That's part of Davenport's estate.
I had no intention of opening, sir.
I'll just bring it down to headquarters.
I'm sure they'll know the right procedure.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Answer it.
Hello? Oh.
It's for you.
Thank you.
Hello? Mr.
Mason, something terrible has happened.
Ed's gone.
Yes, I know.
I spoke with Miss Ansel earlier.
I'm very sorry.
No, no, you don't understand.
He isn't dead.
He's disappeared.
That's, um That's very interesting.
What happened? Well, the doctor declared him dead, but he must've been only unconscious.
Now the police can't find him.
All right.
I'll call you later at home.
Goodbye.
I think that concludes our business, officer.
That's just what I was thinking.
Shall we go? - Well, we're in trouble.
- For what? Davenport's body has evaporated.
Is he alive? If he is, I've committed a crime or two.
Such as? Taking charge of an estate before there was an estate.
Some people might think I was overzealous.
The district attorney included? The district attorney included.
So this man calls from L.
A.
last night.
He give me the name of Stokes.
John Stokes.
Of course, how many gives their real names? And what am I supposed to be, a human lie detector or something? PAUL: He did send you the money for the cabin? MANAGER: Sure, 5 bucks by telegraph.
He said to hold Number 13 till midnight tonight.
Well, it's after that now, so I rented it.
Business is business, I say.
Ha-ha-ha.
Hey, you know, I used to be a nurse.
Practical, but not registered.
Ha-ha-ha.
I didn't study so I didn't get the cap.
The cap, you know.
[MANAGER LAUGHING.]
Hey, that's funny, he's still there.
He talked to me over an hour ago.
- Who is he? - A policeman.
He was looking for Stokes too.
- Said something about narcotics.
- Thank you very much.
- Good night.
- Yes, thank you.
Does the name John Stokes mean anything to you? John Stokes? No.
Think it has anything to do with Ed's disappearance? It might.
My investigator went to Bakerstown last night.
He thinks your husband used the name of "Stokes" in making a reservation at a motel there.
Doesn't make sense.
[DOORBELL RINGS.]
I'll get it.
Mr.
Mason, I wanna thank you while I have a chance.
- For what? - For destroying that letter.
But I didn't destroy the letter-- Well, hello, counsellor.
Kind of early for you, isn't it? All right, Tragg.
I'll go quietly.
I'm not here for you.
Not that Burger doesn't wanna see you.
And you'll have to come down to headquarters with me.
- What's the charge? - Oh, no charge.
Just a few questions.
She knows nothing further about her husband's disappearance.
Well, maybe she can tell us something about her uncle.
We understand he died eight months ago under what we call "unusual circumstances.
" We've got a court order to exhume the body.
You work pretty fast.
If I'd known that you were the attorney for Mrs.
Davenport, I'd have done even better.
There was nothing wrong.
Uncle Charles died of pleurisy.
Coroner said it was arsenic poisoning.
But that's impossible.
I was with-- Lieutenant? Found this in the garage.
TRAGG: Hmm.
Sixty-two percent arsenic.
Would you know anything about this, Mrs.
Davenport? I use that to spray plants.
TRAGG: You sure you didn't use it for anything else? The candy in your husband's motel room was loaded with the stuff.
LOUISE: No.
TRAGG: Quite a coincidence, isn't it? - You bought him that candy.
- Louise.
And when I wanted to get a nurse for Uncle Charles you said no, it wasn't necessary.
You could take care of him yourself.
MASON: Miss Ansel, I must-- LOUISE: What a fool I was.
When Ed showed me that report from the lab, I thought it was something he'd made up.
- What report? - You don't believe-- Go on, Miss Ansel.
You were saying? Ed brought back a report yesterday from the Pacific Laboratories.
It proved there was arsenic in some sandwiches that Myrna made for him.
That's not true.
All along I thought Ed was crazy.
All along I thought it was something he'd arranged.
But you killed Uncle Charles just the way you killed him.
I didn't, I didn't.
[MYRNA SOBBING.]
Well, Burger's going to love this case.
With a witness like this, how can he lose? MYRNA: You've got to believe me, Mr.
Burger.
I'm telling the truth.
I wanna believe you, Mrs.
Davenport, very much.
But there are lot of things here that are unexplained.
What was your husband doing with that candy? The doctor told him to eat some any time he felt the urge to drink.
I see.
Only this batch happened to be loaded with arsenic.
I know.
BURGER: And your fingerprints happened to be on the box.
MASON: Why shouldn't they be? She's admitted she packed the candy.
What's that got to do with her Uncle Charles? Well, he died of arsenic poisoning.
And I'm sure when her husband's body-- As far as we know, her husband is still alive.
What about the statement of Miss Ansel? The outburst of an hysterical woman.
All right, Mrs.
Davenport.
You're free to go on your recognisance.
We'll be in touch with you.
Mr.
Mason, I'd like to speak to you for a minute, please.
It's all right, Mr.
Mason.
I can get home alone.
Did you open an envelope in Ed Davenport's office last night, an envelope addressed to the authorities in the event of his death? As one attorney to another, I'd say that question was improperly phrased.
As a matter of fact, it's loaded.
All right, I'll rephrase it.
Can you deny that you steamed this open and replaced the original contents? Who gave you the right to open that? [PHONE RINGS.]
Hello.
Hold it.
It says right on the envelope, "to be delivered to the authorities in the event of my death.
" Exactly.
Who says he's dead? Dr.
Renault.
Corpses don't run away unless they never were corpses in the first place.
Oh, for heaven's sakes.
Hello.
Yes.
You have? Where? Great work, Tragg.
You go ahead.
I'll join you.
I think maybe we'll get some answers now.
We've caught up with the runaway corpse, Mr.
Mason.
They found Davenport's body.
TRAGG: Get in touch with the morgue right away.
- Right.
- Any word from the coroner? - Not yet.
- No question it's Davenport.
Dr.
Renault identified the body.
- Who discovered the body? - Those two kids.
The father put in the call.
He runs the gas station down the highway.
Mr.
Medford? Mr.
Medford, this is District Attorney Burger and Mr.
Mason.
BURGER: How did your boys happen to find the body? Well, uh, they found the grave first.
- When was this? MEDFORD: Tuesday afternoon.
Looked like one of them slit trenches, only deeper.
They told me about it only I didn't pay no attention.
You know how kids are.
Yesterday, they played here again.
Then this morning, it was filled up.
They dug some, then came a-calling for me.
I see.
Thanks, Mr.
Medford.
I'll be in touch with you later.
KENNY: Lieutenant.
Excuse me.
Radio call from the coroner.
He finish the preliminary autopsy? It was arsenic.
All right, Tragg.
You know what to do.
Let's go, sergeant.
Mason, I'll make you a deal.
I've got everything I need for a first-degree murder conviction.
- But? - You have your client plead guilty and I won't ask for the death penalty.
I understand the husband mistreated her and-- Then you'll charge her with first degree on her uncle's death, is that right? [CHUCKLES.]
All right, Mason.
In that case, you'll have some explaining to do yourself.
You destroyed vital evidence to protect your client.
We'll see how that sits with a jury.
You are pretty enough without that.
All right, Paul, what is it this time? Why, Grandma, what a suspicious mind you have.
Is the boss in? No, he went over to see Mrs.
Davenport.
PAUL: Mm.
"Jason Beckmeyer, licensed private investigator.
" Remember me telling you about a guy watching Unit 13 - at that motel up in Bakerstown? - Yeah.
I got a hold of his licence number before he took off.
And this is the gentleman in question? Mm-hm.
- Know anything about him? - No.
Not much.
He, uh, runs a small detective agency.
I wonder what he was doing.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Yes, Gertie? I'll be right out.
Speak of the devil.
Guess who's in the reception room right now.
Mr.
Jason Beckmeyer himself.
- Mr.
Beckmeyer? - That's right.
I'm sorry, Mr.
Mason's out right now.
I'm his secretary, Miss Street.
Oh, I wanted to see Mason.
He's representing the Davenport estate, isn't he? Well, he represents Mrs.
Davenport.
Well, I did some work for her husband and I'd like to get paid.
What kind of work? I don't know if I should talk about it.
- Well, you can't expect Mr.
Mason-- - No, uh Davenport wanted me to keep an eye on The Desert Motel in Bakerstown.
- What was his reason? - He didn't say.
He just said I should watch Unit 13.
It was reserved by a man named Stokes.
Did you see Mr.
Stokes? Yeah.
He came in late that night.
- What did he look like? - He was tall, good-looking guy with grey hair.
He was about 6'2".
He was driving a white sports car.
I got a good look at him while he was talking to the manager.
Well, I'll relay your message to Mr.
Mason.
- Can he do anything about my bill? - Oh, he'll call you.
Tell him any time he needs an operative, I'm available.
- I'll tell him.
- Thanks.
PAUL: What did he want? - He found Stokes.
No kidding? Did you get a description? Yes.
He said he was tall, about 6'2", had grey hair and was driving a white sports car.
Though I can't understand why he thought he was good-looking.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Yes, Gertie? - It's for you.
Don Gregory.
- Oh, yeah.
New man I just put on.
Yes, Don.
Uh-huh.
You're sure of that? Right away.
He's been tailing Rita Norge.
She went into Davenport's office ten minutes ago.
She's still there.
She's not supposed to be.
Lieutenant Tragg said everyone should stay away.
That was my impression.
I'm gonna go get Perry.
Nothing to be afraid of.
We didn't knock for obvious reasons.
- You have no right-- - Have you? I came to get my personal things.
Including those papers? They were in my desk.
I think the district attorney might find this rather peculiar.
Mr.
Davenport seems to have sold a few of his investments recently.
He sold all of them a few months ago.
Are you in the habit of drawing money out of Mr.
Davenport's account? No.
You withdrew over $17,000 yesterday.
What business is it of yours? The Davenport estate is in my hands.
I'd like to see his widow receive her full share.
Don't worry, Mr.
Mason.
She'll get everything that's coming to her.
MASON: I realise how busy you are, lieutenant, but do you think you could possibly spare me just a few minutes? Oh, I'm sorry, Mr.
Mason.
You got something on your mind? Yes, I think you ought to check Rita Norge again.
Find out what she was doing at Davenport's office Thursday night.
Well, I did.
Mr.
Davenport ask her to drop by.
- Why? - Well, he had an errand for her.
He was going to phone the office and tell her where to go.
You know what I mean.
You believe that story? Listen, the day Ed Davenport was at the Vista Motel, someone withdrew $17,300 from his checking account.
Now, who do you suppose that someone was? Rita Norge? I think she was planning to leave town with the money.
That's why she killed him? Isn't it possible? Yeah.
But there's just one teeny thing wrong with that theory, Mr.
Mason.
Miss Norge was in yesterday afternoon.
What do you suppose she wanted? Don't tell me she turned the money over to you.
All right, I won't tell you.
But if you'd care to see a duplicate of the receipt I gave her, I'd be happy to oblige.
Miss Ansel.
Yes? I'm Jason Beckmeyer.
You called my office this morning.
Yes, I wanted to see you.
BECKMEYER: Well? I can't talk here.
Could you come to my house this evening? - Okay, what time? - Right after court's adjourned.
- Here.
Here is my address.
- I know the address.
Thank you.
BURGER: And in your capacity as deputy coroner for this county, you performed an autopsy on the body of the deceased, Edward Davenport? HOXIE: I did.
BURGER: What did you find, Dr.
Hoxie? HOXIE: After making certain tests, I detected the presence of a specific poison, arsenic.
Would you please tell the court, doctor, what conclusions you draw from this.
There is no doubt that death was caused by stoppage of the heart, due in turn to ingestion of the poison.
Do you have an opinion as to how the poison was administered? Through food the victim ate an hour before his death.
Did you analyse the candy found in Mr.
Davenport's room? - I did.
- What did you find? - It contained arsenic.
- Thank you, doctor.
[CROWD MURMURING.]
Dr.
Hoxie, when you say "stoppage of the heart," do you mean that a heart attack caused Davenport's death? Yes, although the poison would have caused his death in 12 hours in any event.
Did you test the body for blood alcohol? I did.
It contain 0.
15 percent of alcohol.
That's enough to indicate the beginnings of intoxication.
MASON: Then the arsenic could have been administered in a drink? - That is possible.
- So you were merely hypothesizing when you said that the poison was introduced into the system through the chocolates.
I beg your pardon.
I said nothing of the sort.
I said I felt that the poison had been introduced through the food.
What do you mean by "the food"? Well, the victim ingested a meal of bacon and eggs approximately an hour before his death.
- You found no trace of chocolate? - I did not.
Thank you, doctor.
I will now call Dr.
Frank Renault.
CLERK: Dr.
Renault to the stand, please.
JUDGE: You may step down.
HOXIE: Thank you.
RENAULT: I got to his cabin around noon.
He said he'd eaten several chocolates an hour before.
Did he say where he got the chocolates? RENAULT: He said his wife bought them for him.
BURGER: How do you account for the fact the coroner found no chocolate in the body? When Mr.
Davenport told me he'd been poisoned, I immediately pumped his stomach.
I see.
Your witness.
Well, Dr.
Renault, your testimony seems to be in accord with Dr.
Hoxie's regarding this fatal heart attack.
- Yes, sir.
- Now, uh, when did death occur? At exactly 15 minutes past 5 p.
m.
MASON: At which time you locked the door of Davenport's cabin? I did.
One thing puzzles me, doctor.
You say you pumped the victim's stomach? That's fairly routine procedure in cases of poisoning.
Well, how do you account for the fact that Dr.
Hoxie found traces of bacon and eggs eaten approximately an hour before death? Well, uh I don't know.
You must agree it's a peculiar situation.
Dr.
Hoxie has Mr.
Davenport sitting down to bacon and eggs while you have him in an oxygen tent.
If the court please, I agree that it's a peculiar situation.
In order to investigate that situation further I request an adjournment till tomorrow morning.
Does the defence have any objections? - None at all, Your Honour.
JUDGE: Very well.
You may step down.
The case is adjourned until 10:00 tomorrow morning.
Check Dr.
Renault back to the day he hung out his shingle.
All right.
MASON: Everything's gonna work out.
- Thank you.
Will you drop this by the office for me? Where you going? It's such a nice day, I thought I'd ask Della to take me for a walk in the country.
For a minute, I nearly thought you were serious when you said "a walk in the country.
" Well, aren't we? I can think of more picturesque places.
MASON: According to those kids, this grave was prepared in advance.
Who would have known Davenport was gonna get sick and have to call a doctor? And who would have known he was gonna die? His secretary? No, that wouldn't work.
Why not? Well, if Rita Norge were dishonest, she never would've turned that money over to Lieutenant Tragg.
If she'd hidden a couple of hundred thousand belonging to Davenport, then the money she gave Tragg would've been a cheap price to pay for a reputation of honesty.
True.
What are you looking for? The coroner said that Davenport had eaten bacon and eggs before he died.
- Well? - Well, where did he get them? Hmm.
We passed a diner about seven or eight miles back.
Can you see him walking in there in pyjamas? Well, don't tell me he pitched a tent and cooked over a campfire.
What about a modern version of the same? A house trailer? Suppose you take that way, I'll take this one.
- Sing out if you find anything.
- All right.
LOUISE: You've got to understand, Mr.
Beckmeyer.
My cousin didn't kill her husband.
I, uh I don't know what possessed me to say what I did.
I always talk too much.
Most people do.
That's why I wanted to talk to you.
I know who killed Ed.
Then I suggest you go to the police.
It was that secretary.
That Rita Norge.
Where do you suppose all the money went? What money? Well, my Uncle Charles left Myrna over $280,000.
She has less than $40,000 left.
Now, Ed Davenport didn't spend all that.
He gave it to that woman to hold for him.
Over $200,000.
That's a very interesting theory.
How do you suppose we can prove it? We? Well, you're a private detective.
You ought to know about these things.
How do we get the police to question her? - They already have.
- I mean really question her.
If they could be suspicious, wouldn't that help? How would it suit you, Miss Ansel, if the police found arsenic in Miss Norge's apartment? You mean you would--? Well, you want them to question her.
If they found arsenic they would.
- But wouldn't that be--? - Framing? That all depends on how you look at it.
If Miss Norge is guilty, we have just put the police on the right track.
And then if she's innocent, why, she could easily prove it.
That's right.
Of course, you know this kind of operation runs into money.
Oh, I don't care what it costs.
Just wanna try to make it up to Myrna.
BECKMEYER: Hm.
Tell me, Miss Ansel, where do you get your ideas about private detectives? From the movies? But this was your idea.
That's right.
Now I've got another one.
I think I'll save this for the DA.
Perry.
Perry, over here.
Crankcase oil.
A car must have stood here for some time.
DELLA: Well? Nice work, Della.
This is it.
CLERK: Will the court please rise? Be seated.
If the court please, I'd like to continue my cross-examination of Dr.
Renault.
CLERK: Dr.
Renault to the stand, please.
JUDGE: You were sworn in yesterday, sir.
You're still under oath.
Dr.
Renault, when was the first time you were called in to treat Mr.
Davenport? On Wednesday around noon.
Who called you in? The owner of the Vista Motel.
He said one of his guests was ill.
Are you the only doctor in the neighbourhood? Yes, sir.
I live just around the corner.
Had you ever seen Mr.
Davenport before you were called in? I don't understand.
Had he ever consulted you at your office? Not that I recall.
I should like you to remember, doctor, that you're under oath.
Now, had you ever seen Mr.
Davenport before you treated him at the Vista Motel? I I may have.
For what purpose? You ought to know that the conversation between a doctor and a patient is privileged.
Did he tell you then that he wanted to die or rather that he wanted to have it appear that he had died? I repeat, the communication between a doctor and a patient is privileged.
Very well.
Now, uh, doctor, will you please tell the court what medical degree you hold and from what institution? Doctor of Health Medicine.
Jackson State Medical College.
MASON: Where is this college located? Well, uh, it's no longer in existence.
MASON: Was the school accredited to any medical association? - No.
- Dr.
Renault, did you not conspire with Ed Davenport to stage his death in the presence of his wife? And then wasn't your plan to accuse her of poisoning him? I refuse to answer on the ground it would tend to incriminate me.
MASON: That certainly is your constitutional right.
However, I'm sure the answers can be gained from another source.
That's all, doctor.
If the court please, I'd like to call Jason Beckmeyer to the stand.
- Paul? - Don't worry.
My man will be here.
CLERK: Mr.
Beckmeyer.
Raise your right hand.
You solemnly swear the evidence you're about to give is the truth - and nothing but the truth? - I do.
Be seated and state your name.
Jason Beckmeyer.
Mr.
Beckmeyer, you are a licensed private investigator? That's right.
MASON: You were employed in that capacity by the late Edward Davenport? I was.
Did he ever ask you to locate a doctor for him who was not a member of the American Medical Association? He did.
He wanted me to find a quack who had an office near a motor court.
MASON: And you found a man who met those requirements? Yes, sir.
Dr.
Renault.
MASON: Did you make the appointment with Dr.
Renault? BECKMEYER: No, no.
Davenport took care of that himself.
MASON: Would you happen to remember the date of that meeting? Yeah, it was February 7th.
MASON: Exactly one week before Mr.
Davenport died.
- That's right.
- You have any idea what took place at that meeting? BECKMEYER: No, sir.
No, I stayed in the car.
What other services did you render Mr.
Davenport? Well, when he wanted a reputable laboratory to do food analysis, I put him in touch with Pacific Labs.
Did you ever act as dummy for various bank accounts so that Davenport could juggle funds belonging to his wife? BECKMEYER: I didn't know where he got the money.
MASON: But you did allow yourself to be used for the purpose of opening several bank accounts? BECKMEYER: Yes, I did.
I didn't see anything wrong in that.
Were you at any time engaged by Davenport to drive him out of the country? No, sir.
I have here a statement from the Department of Motor Vehicles which indicates that you own a house trailer.
- Is that true, Mr.
Beckmeyer? - Yes.
Was the late Edward Davenport ever in that trailer? No, no.
Never.
If an expert were to produce fingerprints, Davenport's fingerprints, from the inside of that trailer, would you swear on your oath that they were forgeries? Well, he might have been in there once.
I don't remember for sure.
Mr.
Beckmeyer, isn't it a fact that Davenport was in your trailer on the day he died? Oh, no.
Then where did he get the bacon and eggs? - In that trailer.
- That's a lie.
And where did he get the liquor? None was found in his room.
You gave it to him, did you not? Generously spiked with arsenic.
I tell you, you're wrong.
Then answer this, Mr.
Beckmeyer.
If you did not kill Davenport why did you dig that grave two days in advance? - I didn't.
- What other reason could you have for buying a shovel from the Clarey Hardware Store on that very same day? Yeah.
Well, the chump was asking for it.
Never got tired of telling me how smart he was.
He was gonna disappear and leave his wife holding the bag.
Everybody would wonder what happened to the body.
It was such a great plan I figured with a little help from me, it would be perfect.
Guess I was wrong too, huh? [CROWD MURMURING.]
PAUL: Just a little bit more to the right.
That's fine.
You know, Paul I don't know what we'd do without you.
Don't tell him that, Della.
He'll send us a bill in the morning.
You gotta admit my fees are more reasonable than Beckmeyer's.
I hear there was almost Two hundred and ten to be exact.
You know, the thing that puzzles me is Uncle Charlie.
- Who did him in? - Ed Davenport.
He wanted his wife to be an heiress.
So he could steal her blind and then disappear.
Mm-hm.
That's when Mr.
Beckmeyer came in.
He was the guiding genius of the plot.
I may not be very smart, but I still don't see how you suspected Beckmeyer in the first place.
That telephone call you took in Davenport's office.
"Unit 13, Desert Motel, Bakerstown.
" That's right.
That call was obviously for Rita Norge.
Yeah? She had over $17,000 belonging to Davenport, remember? If Davenport did make the call, why then-- Then Beckmeyer must have.
He wanted to get his hot little hands on the money.
So Beckmeyer was responsible for those blank pages in the letter.
No, no, that was Davenport's idea.
And a very provocative one.
He made sure the police would believe that letter had been tampered with.
Well, you gotta give Davenport credit.
He wasn't anybody's fool.
He just never should've hired Beckmeyer.
What's wrong with this picture, anyway? It's Beckmeyer's influence, Della.
Just a case of a slightly crooked frame.
[MASON CHUCKLING.]