Perry Mason (1957) s01e20 Episode Script

[TYPEWRITER CLICKING.]
He's here, lover.
- Who? - Who did you think? Box 96.
Well, are you gonna do something or just sit here? Get back to your desk, Miss Sims.
Yes, sir, Mr.
Lacey.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
[BOX CLOSES, LOCKS.]
[ELEVATOR DOOR OPENS.]
[ELEVATOR DOOR CLOSES.]
LACEY: Oh.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
PAUL: "I am 23, with a face and figure men whistle at.
I yearn to meet some nice young man who could be interested in me and not the fortune I recently inherited.
I prefer the simple, outdoor type.
Address all replies: Box 96, care of this magazine.
" Now, Mr.
Lacey, you say this ad appears in your magazine, uh, Lonely Hearts Calling? You're thinking the ad is a fraud, aren't you, Mr.
Drake? PAUL: I'm thinking.
- So are the postal authorities.
Unless I can satisfy them that the ad is genuine, they say-- They say that I'll be charged with using the mails to defraud.
That's what I-- Why I need your help as a private investigator, Mr.
Drake.
I want you to find the heiress in Box 96.
You see, Mr.
Drake, that ad has received, to date, 485 replies, netting my publication a profit of over $400, and this is just the beginning.
How do you profit from this ad, uh, besides your fee for printing it? Well, if you look on the back cover, you'll see the answer.
All replies must be addressed to a box number at my office.
And they must be written on the official blank.
And there's one blank in each magazine.
Magazine costs $1 a copy, not bad.
You say the heiress never showed up? - No.
- What became of the replies? Well, they were placed in Box 96 and were called for every afternoon by a young man with horn-rimmed glasses and a violent temper.
I tried on several occasions to follow the young man and yesterday he assaulted me.
A simple letter to the heiress might have gotten a less violent reaction.
Oh, I tried, but to no avail.
If-- If you'd care to see copies of my letters to her I-- I wrote dozens using different names, but I received not a single, solitary reply.
Well, apparently, you use the wrong technique.
LACEY: Oh.
Well, just how would you go about getting a reply? That will cost you $200.
Two-hundred I-- I'm not a rich man, Mr.
Drake.
- Couldn't you--? - No.
But you see, Mr.
Drake, my circumstances are such-- No.
All right.
Margo, come on in and bring in your book.
It seems like a lot of money.
It is.
[DOOR OPENS.]
- Uh, Margo, take a letter, please.
- Yes, Mr.
Drake.
PAUL: Dear Miss Box 96.
I am a poor young man.
So when I read in your advertisement that you were rich, I decided to write you immediately.
To tell the truth, I would've written if you were as ugly as they come.
But if you are half as pretty as you say, I can hardly wait to meet you.
That's certainly an approach I never thought of.
Well, we can always go on from there.
If that doesn't work, I'll try more.
Well I'm content to leave the matter in your capable hands.
Uh - Aren't you forgetting something? - Oh? My fee.
Oh, yes.
Forgive me.
- Thank you.
- You'll, uh-- - You'll let me know? - As soon as I hear anything.
Yes, well Uh - Good day.
- Good day.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
You'd better get that cheque cashed before the ink dries.
Margo, I'm surprised at you.
You're a cynic.
Don't you trust anybody? Would you, uh, like to dictate the rest of those letters? No, I got to get to the bank before the ink dries.
- Hey, Paul, where are you going? - I gotta to get to the bank.
- Putting in or taking out? - Neither.
Did you ever hear of a Edmund Arthur Lacey? - No.
- Well, I hope his cheque's good.
Claims he's a publisher.
Wants me to locate a lonely heiress.
Here.
Figured my best bet was to write a couple of dozen letters.
Well, if she's at all like her ad, you ought to marry the girl.
"So if I said your money didn't mean a thing to me, I'd be lying.
Hoping to meet you soon, Charles B.
Barnaby.
" Charles B.
Barnaby.
What do you think, George? Oh, I don't know, Marylin.
Uh, let's hear the rest.
- No, I'm going to answer this one.
- I wish you wouldn't.
I wish you wouldn't go through with this crazy scheme.
I don't like it.
If you've lost your nerve, you can quit, George.
But I'm going through with it, exactly as planned.
Dear Mr.
Barnaby, your sincere letter was like a breath of fresh country air.
Could you possibly drop by my apartment tomorrow evening at 7? [DOORBELL BUZZES.]
- Uh, Miss Clark? - Yes.
Miss Marylin Clark? - You must be Mr.
Barnaby.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Won't you come in? - Oh, well, thank you.
I wasn't sure there for a minute, I thought I might have the wrong place.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
- You must have played football.
- Heh.
Oh.
You're-- You're joking.
Uh They wouldn't even let me carry the water bucket.
Uh I'm not exactly what you'd call clumsy, but, uh, I do about as well as a newborn calf - without his mama to hold him up.
- Heh-heh.
Well, at least you're honest.
Well, I gotta be because, well, you find out the truth in no time at all and So if you'd figured on me being, uh, uh, kind of, well, you know-- - Suave? - Yeah.
Well, if you'd figured on me being that way, well, I'm afraid you're gonna be awful disappointed.
On the contrary, Mr.
Barnaby, I think you're just the man I've been looking for.
Uh, this is Mr.
Lacey, Mr.
Drake.
You needn't bother about that information, I managed to get it myself.
I've just received a letter from the heiress, cancelling the ad and disclosing her identity.
I'm sure this will satisfy the postal authorities.
Good.
Oh.
You'd better give me her name for my report, for your own protection.
It's Marylin Clark.
Her address is the Fabian apartments.
Yes, thank you for your interest.
Goodbye.
- Well, that should do it.
- Yep.
Get another bottle of champagne, Delores.
Do you think you should, Charlie? That champagne packs quite a punch.
Well, snap it up, I haven't got all day.
You shut up or do it yourself, Charlie Bailey.
Barnaby.
The name is Barnaby this trip.
Now, get it right, will you? Barnaby, Burns, Bailey, what do I care? - What's the matter with her? - I'll tell you what's the matter.
I don't like this girl, this heiress.
I don't like you.
And I hate you.
That's enough.
Save it for the blow-off.
Now get the champagne.
Go on.
Why don't you get rid of that little vixen? She's too unstable.
That's exactly why I keep her around because she's full of vinegar.
And because she can tear a hotel room apart in 30 seconds flat.
The doggonedest blow-off you ever saw.
Delores really lives the part.
How long do you think this job will take? - Another couple weeks, maybe less.
- Well, aren't you a little too optimistic? No.
No, I don't think so.
We're already at the, uh, "darling" and the "honey" stage right now.
I've been with her seven nights a week and, uh, you can't do much better than that.
But I still wouldn't rush her, Charlie, there's too much at stake.
How much do you think she's good for? - Seventy-five thousand? - Oh, I don't know.
But, uh, you ought to come off with, say, uh, a thousand.
But I set up the whole deal.
I brought you in.
I'm supposed to get half of everything we take her for.
Those were the terms.
- Your terms.
- Yes, but I-- I would've read her ad eventually.
I always said your magazine was one of my favourites.
Please, Charlie, don't do this to me.
- Don't force me to go to the police.
- You just do that.
While you are about it, don't forget to explain how you intercepted Drake's letter before it got to the heiress.
Yes, and tell them how you copied it and sent her the same kind of letter using Charlie's name.
Horsing around with mails is a federal offence, but then, uh, you haven't forgotten that, have you, Lacey? [DOOR CLOSES.]
[CHARLIE SCOFFS.]
You know, it's a shame the kind of creeps you gotta do business with just to make a dishonest buck.
- Charlie.
- Now what? Charlie, I don't like this setup.
It's no different from a dozen others we've pulled.
Well, this girl, this Marylin Clark, she's too pretty.
Yeah.
You know, it's nice for a change not having to romance a mud hen.
Oh, you.
I hate you.
Do you? [DRAWER RATTLING.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
What are you doing? I couldn't find your keys, lover.
If I wanted you to look in there, Miss Sims, - I would have left the drawer open.
- That's why I was curious.
What do you keep in there, postage stamps? I don't know why I tolerate your insolence.
Heh-heh.
Don't you, really? Where have you been all day? Spying on Country Boy and that gal? It's none of your business.
Why don't you give up playing peeping Tom? Do you think I'm gonna let Barnaby swindle me out of all that money? I found the heiress.
She should be good for 75,000 at least and half of it is rightfully mine.
What do you intend do about it? Sue him? You may laugh, Miss Sims, but no one ever got the better of Edmund Arthur Lacey.
I don't intend for it to start now.
- Demitasse? - Oh.
Just sure as eggs I'll bust this pretty little cup.
You know, I'm about as heavy-handed as a hog in a turnip patch.
Oh, now stop running yourself down, darling.
I wish you wouldn't call me that.
"Darling"? Well, why not? I thought-- Well, you're right thinking what you do, Marylin.
I've been meaning you should fall in love with me, only, now I gotta tell you.
I haven't been honest.
- What in the world? - Hear me out.
[PHONE RINGING.]
You'd better answer it, while I try to figure out how to tell you the rest.
Go on.
- Hello.
- This is George, Marylin.
Say, what's the idea? I thought you said he was taking you out tonight? - Hello, Marylin.
Are you there? - Yes, I'm here.
Well, what kind of a fool do you take me for? I've been hanging around this place since 8:00.
I decided to have dinner in.
Say, you're not falling for that rube, are you? Heh.
I'm sorry, darling, it was the desk clerk.
- It's okay.
- Now, what's troubling you? Hm? Remember I told you I had a little ranch up in Montana? Yes.
Well, what I didn't tell you was it's a 20,000-acre spread.
Oh, I didn't lie to you in my letter when I told you I was a poor boy.
I'm land poor.
That's how I got mixed up with that wildcat-oil outfit.
Wildcat-oil outfit? There's oil under my land, Marylin.
I've got the geologists' reports to prove it.
That's why I borrowed to the hilt, to pay for the drilling.
And the note is due? Past due.
The outfit is just gonna pull out unless I can put up more cash.
Oh, you foolish darling.
Why didn't you tell me before? How much do you need? - Oh, no, I couldn't take your money.
- But it won't be my money.
It'll be our money.
I'm asking you to marry me, Charlie Barnaby.
Therefore, your petitioner respectfully asks the court that the relief be granted, otherwise-- [KNOCKING ON DOOR, DOOR OPENS.]
PAUL: Am I interrupting something? No, just a suit involving $8 million.
Oh, well, take a break will you, Perry? I'm in a jam.
Remember that lonely heiress I told you about? - Yes.
- Well, ever since this Lacey character pulled me off the case, I've been nervous.
I keep asking, "Why didn't he want his money back?" Did you get any answer? No, and that's what bothered me.
It's completely out of character.
So I decided I ought to do some investigating.
After all, I got a licence to protect and the postal authorities are involved.
And I have no desire to tangle with those boys.
So your lonely heiress turned out to be a phoney? Anything but.
Her real name's Marylin Cartwright.
Her old man used to own Cartwright Brothers in Chicago.
The department store? - That's the one.
- Then what's the problem? This morning, I followed Marylin into a Beverly Hills bank.
She had a cheque certified for $50,000.
That qualifies her as an heiress in my book.
- Mine too.
- Mine too.
I always had a hunch I was the patsy in this deal.
And who do you think she met afterwards? Charlie Barnaby.
Alias, "Country Boy Baker," alias, "Charles Bailey," alias-- Well, you get the idea.
What's his racket? He is one of the slickest con men in the business.
And you can see where that leaves me.
No.
Look, suppose he and Lacey are in this together and they used my letter to make the contact.
Unless I miss my guess, tonight's the blow-off.
What makes you think so? Well, I tailed Country Boy to a jewellers, Van Dorf & Cole, where he bought a wedding ring.
Then he took a cab to the Wayne Travel Agency.
He bought two tickets to Rio de Janeiro.
Two tickets? Well, then-- Then you mean he is going to take the heiress? Uh-uh.
His confederate.
A little spitfire named Delores Cotorro-- Or Coterro.
And, oh, brother, is she something.
Paul, I'd advise you to call the bunco squad.
Talk to Lieutenant Kramer, tell him how you got involved.
Ah.
Then Kramer could let Country Boy have his blow-off and step in and make the pinch.
Yes, I'm afraid our lonely heiress will just have to face her ordeal.
[VEHICLE APPROACHING.]
MARYLIN: You can keep the change.
[VEHICLE DEPARTS.]
[DOORBELL BUZZES.]
Hey, why, you're prettier than a morning in May.
Come on in.
You going on our honeymoon without even a suitcase? Oh, we can pick them up on the way to the airport.
We'd better hurry, we can't keep the minister waiting.
Oh, Charlie.
I'm so happy, I'm frightened.
You won't be sorry about this, then, honey.
I'll make you a good husband.
Of course, there are a couple of things I've done in my life - that I'm, uh, not exactly proud of.
- Oh, no, no, no.
I don't wanna hear about those.
What say we celebrate with a little champagne? Champagne? I know it's not in my league, but I figured we ought to have something a little fancier than soda pop.
I hope I can do this right.
[CORK POPS.]
- Very professional, Mr.
Barnaby.
- Thank you.
Oh, what about glasses? Mama always said I'd lose my head if it wasn't screwed on tight.
Now, uh, I know Emily Post wouldn't approve, but, uh, it's all I've got.
What are you looking for? I've got it.
I had the cheque certified so there'd be no trouble.
Why, I-- I don't know what to say.
You make me feel real ashamed of myself.
Don't be ridiculous, darling.
Here.
To what we both want.
[DOOR OPENS.]
CHARLIE: Delores! - You husband stealer.
For you he leaves his wife, for you he ran out on his children.
- I told you we were through.
- Shut up, I take care of you later.
- Charlie! Aah! - Now you.
I'll scratch you.
I'll scratch your eyes out.
[MARYLIN YELPING.]
CHARLIE: Stop it, Delores.
- Stop it, Delores.
- Let me go.
Charlie? Charlie? Hello, Delores.
Sergeant Kramer.
It's Lieutenant Kramer now.
I've been promoted since the last time we met.
All right, Country Boy, get up.
Your cell is waiting.
Come on, come on.
What's the matter with my Charlie? Everything.
He's dead.
Oh, no.
Char-- No.
Charlie! [SOBBING.]
No! [FLASHBULB POPS.]
DELORES: I only do like Charlie always tell me to do for blow-off.
I throw everything.
I bust up the place and-- And scare this Marylin Clark away.
I do it a hundred times before.
Only this time, I kill my Charlie.
[SOBBING.]
Me, I kill my Charlie.
No, no, you didn't kill him, Delores, he was poisoned.
- Poisoned? - Yes.
Take her downtown.
Mr.
Burger will want to talk to her.
Uh, Kramer.
Did you see this, uh, Marylin Clark leave the room? Yeah, but I didn't think of stopping her.
I never expected to walk into a mess like this.
Why, do you think she killed him? Well, don't you? Hell, that's your department, Tragg.
It sure looks like it.
I'd better get out an all-points bulletin on her.
You know, I never met a real-live heiress before.
Perry, there's a George Moore in my office, he wants to see you.
Not now, Della.
He's Marylin Cartwright's stepbrother.
Marylin Cartwright? Yes, Marylin Cartwright-- Clark.
You know, Paul's mystery heiress that the police are looking for.
Oh, yes.
- Head him in, by all means.
- Right.
Mr.
Moore? Mr.
Mason.
- How do you do? - Sit down, won't you? Thank you.
I, uh, don't know how much your secretary told you.
Just that you're Marylin Cartwright's stepbrother.
Yes.
I want you to represent her.
What made you come to me? Because I'm convinced that no one but you could get her off.
That's very flattering.
Only I must have one assurance, Mr.
Mason.
Namely? That if you don't take the case, you won't turn her over to the police.
I'm sorry, I can't give you that assurance.
But you've got to understand Marylin's position.
And you must understand mine.
I won't have my hands tied.
If you want my services, those are the terms.
Well, I guess I have no choice? No.
It all started about a year ago, when my sister Helen suddenly came home from school.
She was desperately ill.
She refused to see a doctor or any of her friends.
MASON: Go on, Miss Cartwright.
About a week later, Helen died of an overdose of sleeping tablets.
She was going to have a baby.
I couldn't believe it at first, not of Helen.
She-- She wasn't the type, she was the type men ignored.
I went through her diary, found out it was Charles Barnaby.
Only he used the name of Bailey when he answered Helen's ad.
You mean your sister advertised in the Lonely Hearts magazine? Helen was brilliant, intellectually, but a child emotionally.
She fell desperately in love with-- With a country boy.
Every word, every gesture that passed between them is recorded in her diary.
That's how I knew I had the right man the minute he walked inside my apartment.
How much money did this man get from your sister? Sixteen thousand dollars.
- Now, it was our idea to-- - No.
It was my idea, Mr.
Mason.
George tried to dissuade me.
But I wanted to trap Barnaby and the woman.
I wanted to turn them over to the police the minute that they left town with my money.
So it all went exactly as you planned.
All except the murder.
I didn't poison him.
Will you defend her, Mr.
Mason? Yes, I will, if Miss Cartwright will surrender to the police.
Tonight.
No.
You agreed I wouldn't have to.
But you don't understand, Mr.
Mason-- You deliberately brought him here knowing that he'd turn me over to the police.
That's enough, Miss Cartwright.
You know, you're in a very precarious position.
I can't help you unless you give yourself up.
All right.
Let's get your things.
TRAGG: Delores, if there's anything you want, you just call Mr.
Burger.
There's no need for you to leave the apartment.
- I understand.
- And, uh, remember your promise.
Don't talk to anyone.
- I remember.
Good night, Lieutenant.
- Good night.
[ENGINE STARTS.]
[HORN HONKS.]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
- Hello.
Miss Coterro? - Who are you? My name is Mason, I'd like to talk to you.
- I don't talk to nobody.
- I'm an attorney, Miss Coterro.
I already have attorney, the district attorney.
Oh, I'm not offering my services, I already represent Marylin Cartwright.
So.
Good.
You tell her that I fix her like she fix my Charlie.
How do you know that she poisoned that champagne? It could have been anyone.
You, for instance.
What do you say? Perhaps Charlie was double-crossing you.
You are crazy.
Then how about Lacey? Did you know he was seen outside the motel before Charlie was killed? You lie.
You try to mix me up.
Miss Coterro, did Charlie Barnaby have some sort of an arrangement with Lacey? A deal maybe? I don't know this Lacey.
Now go away.
You do want the murderer caught, don't you? I know who killed my Charlie.
I thought, perhaps, if there had been a deal and Charlie was double-crossing Lacey But I guess that's just foolish.
Everyone knows the Country Boy was as good as his word.
It was that girl.
She killed my Charlie.
She found out he don't love her no more.
Now get out.
Think it over, Miss Coterro.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
Who's there? Is--? Is someone there? Murderer.
[GUNSHOT.]
[DELORES SPEAKING IN SPANISH.]
[GUNSHOTS.]
[GUNSHOTS.]
Turn around, coward.
I kill you to your face.
Turn.
[GUN CLICKING.]
Let me go! He kill my Charlie! TRAGG: Come on, Lacey, come on.
Let's go.
How-- How did you know about me? I told him, lover.
I couldn't bear the thought of your leaving.
Not in the middle of the night, with my half of the money.
- You informer.
- Lover, I saved your life.
Well, thank the lady.
Thank the lady, Mr.
Lacey.
San Quentin's better than the cemetery.
Poor darling.
He's so fragile.
Don't you realise that Perry Mason was just trying to confuse you? Lacey didn't kill your Charlie, it was Marylin Cartwright killed him.
It was Lacey, I think.
- You think.
- I know.
Lacey make deal with my Charlie, then my Charlie change deal.
You mean Charlie doubled-crossed Lacey? - Yes.
- Well, even so.
On the basis of our evidence, there's almost no doubt that it was Marylin Cartwright killed your boyfriend.
[BURGER SIGHS.]
Look, uh, Delores.
Now, uh, haven't we been nice to you? Don't you trust us? - But Mr.
Mason said that-- - Mr.
Mason was making a fool of you.
He doesn't want you to be a witness for Mr.
Burger.
He knows that we need your testimony.
You've got to play ball with us.
I tell you, Lacey had nothing to do with it.
Mason was bluffing.
Well, if you want Miss Cartwright to get away with murder No.
I play ball.
We will also prove that the defendant, Marylin Cartwright, deliberately sought out Charles Barnaby for one purpose: to kill him.
And that her motive was revenge.
Mr.
Lacey, I direct your attention to this ad which appeared in your magazine.
Is it true that this ad was paid for by the defendant, Marylin Cartwright? It is.
Although I-- I didn't know her identity at the time.
What did you think about the content of this? I felt that the ad was not sincere.
I tried to contact Miss Cartwright, but was unsuccessful.
In fact, I was assaulted for my-- For my trouble.
When the postal authorities insisted you prove the ad was genuine, what did you do then? I sought the help of Mr.
Paul Drake.
BURGER: I see.
- How did Mr.
Drake help you? - Well, he didn't.
I located Miss Cartwright myself.
And the moment I located her, she withdrew the ad.
BURGER: Didn't you think that was strange? No, I-- I assumed that she had found the one person she was looking for.
You mean Charles "Country Boy" Baker, alias, "Barnaby," the man she meant to kill? I object, Your Honour.
That calls for a conclusion.
- Sustained.
BURGER: Your witness, Mr.
Mason.
May I, Mr.
Burger? Thank you.
Mr.
Lacey, were you acquainted in any way with the murder victim? In a most unpleasant way, yes.
How do you mean? Well, I learned that Mr.
Barnaby was seeing Miss Cartwright.
I knew him to be a confidence man, so I went to him and warned him to keep away from her or I would notify the police.
Oh.
By this time, you had taken a fatherly interest in the woman who had given you so much trouble? You wanted to protect her? I wanted to protect the good reputation of my magazine.
Despite the fact that this magazine was a favourite hunting ground for many a confidence man? That's not fair.
Is it not true, Mr.
Lacey, that Charles Barnaby used your magazine over and over again for his own purposes? I had no control over Mr.
Barnaby's actions.
Why did you go to the Blue Bell Motel on the night of the murder? As-- As I said, to thwart any swindle which might reflect on the good name of my publication.
Well, if you had no control over Mr.
Barnaby's actions, how did you expect to accomplish that? Well, I-- I hoped to reason with him.
Did you talk with Mr.
Barnaby? No.
No, I never entered his room.
Then how did you hope to reason with him? By mental telepathy? Well, I-- I-- I [CROWD MURMURING.]
That's all, Mr.
Lacey.
JUDGE: You may step down.
If I understand your testimony correctly, Mr.
Moore, the plan was to locate Charlie Barnaby by placing this phoney ad in a magazine.
To let him fleece your stepsister out of $50,000 and then to turn him and his confederate, Miss Coterro, over to the police before they had time to abscond with the money.
- Is that substantially correct? - Yes, sir.
And everything went according to plan? Yes, sir.
Everything except the murder.
We didn't plan that.
Why didn't you let the police in on this little scheme? Well, Marylin was afraid they'd interfere.
Of course Marylin was afraid.
But you wanted to include the police, didn't you, Mr.
Moore? GEORGE: Well, I-- - You disagreed with your stepsister, - didn't you? Didn't you? MASON: If Your Honour please, the district attorney is cross-examining his own witness.
BURGER: Your Honour, this is an adverse witness.
He has information vital to the prosecution's case.
We had no choice except to call him.
You may proceed, Mr.
Burger, but with due caution.
Thank you, Your Honour.
Mr.
Moore, when you first heard of this plan of your sister's for entrapping the deceased, what was your reaction to it? - I didn't like it.
- Why? I didn't like it, that's all.
But Miss Cartwright decided to go ahead with the plan anyway, didn't she? Yes.
Because she believed Charles Barnaby was responsible for her sister's death? Yes.
Thank you.
Well, what's wrong with trying to trap the crook who caused Helen's suicide? Nothing, Mr.
Moore, provided the scheme doesn't include a murder.
Your witness, Mr.
Mason.
Uh, Mr.
Moore, it is your wish to help your stepsister, is it not? Naturally.
And it was because of you that she surrendered to the police? I felt her only chance was to make a clean breast of the whole thing, - if that's what you mean.
- Thank you.
Oh, uh Mr.
Moore, are you employed? No.
Is it not a fact that you are supported by your stepsister? Yes.
So naturally, you are grateful to her.
Naturally.
Now, according to the terms of your late stepfather's will, should anything happen to Marylin, who would inherit her money? Why, I would.
MASON: You mean you would be the sole and only heir? GEORGE: Yes.
[CROWD MURMURING.]
That's all, Mr.
Moore.
BURGER: Now, Miss Coterro, will you describe for us, please, your actions on the day of October 25th? I do like always.
I pack suitcases, Charlie's and mine.
I pay lady who runs motel.
Then I go downtown to ticket office and pick up airplane tickets.
After that I keep out of sight till time for blow-off.
BURGER: When you say, "Like always," do you mean that this routine you're describing never varies? We do the same all the time because it work perfect.
I see.
Go on, please.
Well, then I wait till it is time for her to keep date with my Charlie.
BURGER: At the Blue Bell Motel? DELORES: Yes.
I listen at door, then I break in when they drink champagne.
I know then that he have the money.
I bust up the place a little and chase her out.
Now, is this routine that you've described the same one that was used to fleece the defendant's sister, Helen Cartwright? I told you, Charlie do the same all the time.
- The exact same routine? - Yes.
Thank you.
That's all.
Why did he emphasise the same-routine business? Well, it was all in your sister's diary, so you must've known Charlie would have had the champagne on hand.
Miss Coterro, how long had you known Charlie Barnaby? - Answer the question, please.
- No.
I hate you.
JUDGE: Miss Coterro, I direct you to answer Mr.
Mason's question.
No, I don't help him.
He is with her.
She kill my Charlie.
I never answer them.
The witness will answer the question or be held in contempt of court.
BURGER: If it please the court, this witness is not familiar with our system of jurisprudence.
Given a little time, I can explain matters to her and I'm sure that she will then answer Mr.
Mason's questions.
No, I never answer them.
Your Honour, I am perfectly willing to expedite matters by foregoing my cross-examination of this witness at the moment.
I appreciate that, Mr.
Mason.
You may step down, please.
Call your next witness.
Dr.
Lewis J.
Palmer.
Doctor, you performed an autopsy on the victim, Charles Barnaby? - I did, sir.
- What was the cause of death? Death resulted from poisoning with prussic acid.
How would you say the poison was introduced into the body? It was probably ingested with the contents of a glass of champagne.
How much prussic acid would constitute a lethal dose, doctor? As little as one grain, 65 milligrams.
Would one swallow of champagne have been fatal? Definitely.
Then would you say that the simple fact that Marylin Cartwright is alive is ample proof that she did not taste the champagne? Yes.
Thank you, doctor.
Your witness.
Doctor, did you, uh, analyse the champagne in Miss Cartwright's glass? I did, sir.
- Did it contain prussic acid also? - Yes.
Wouldn't that indicate that whoever committed the crime intended to take the defendant's life as well? Pfft.
Heh.
Hardly.
I've known of dozens of cases where the poisoner doctored his own drink so that he wouldn't be suspected.
Then you would have us believe that Miss Cartwright emptied part of a vial of prussic acid into Barnaby's drink and the rest into her own? Not necessarily.
In this case, the poison was placed in the bottle.
You mean the prussic acid was in the bottle itself? Yes.
Would you tell me how the defendant could've managed that without it being observed by the deceased? BURGER: Objection.
- Sustained.
Thank you, doctor, that's all.
Thank you, doctor.
You may step down.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Here we are.
What about the ice? Realism has its limits, you know.
Are you ready? - Yeah.
- This goes back here.
Now, according to Marylin's story, they were standing about here.
They talked about their marriage plans for a while.
That's when he suggested having the champagne to celebrate, right? Right.
No.
No, Marylin said that he popped the cork back there.
MASON: My mistake.
[CORK POPS.]
Now, this is when Marylin said, "What about the glasses?" They were back there too.
Glasses My mama always said I'd forget my head if it wasn't screwed on tight.
[MASON SIGHS.]
The police were right.
Marylin did have time to doctor the champagne while Country Boy was getting the glasses.
Maybe your timing was off.
MASON: No.
It just doesn't make sense.
I-- I know she was telling the truth.
There must be another way.
I suppose so.
After all, I've seen models of a clipper ship with full rigging in a bottle like this.
I never understood how they did it.
Unless they cut off the bottom and then resealed it.
No, no, they couldn't do that, they go through the-- Della, I love you.
You're a positive genius.
What did I say? Come on, let's go.
Let's get out of here.
- What about the champagne? - We'll leave it for the manager.
Your Honour, after the adjournment yesterday, I explained to Miss Coterro the necessity for answering the defence counsel's questions.
I'm sure if Mr.
Mason would care to continue his cross-examination at this time, he will find her most responsive.
Very well, Mr.
Burger.
Mr.
Mason.
MASON: Thank you, Your Honour.
I'm sorry to have to question you, Miss Coterro.
Now, how long had you known Charlie Barnaby? - Eight years.
- Where did you meet him? In Mexico City.
I run away with him.
And from then on you were his accomplice? You mean I help him? Yes.
I do anything Charlie ask.
Miss Coterro, this is Exhibit B.
Two plane tickets for Rio.
They were found on the body of Charles Barnaby.
He picked these tickets up the afternoon of his death.
We always go away after we make score.
But you testified yesterday that you picked the tickets up.
No.
You did not pick two tickets up from the Wayne Travel Agency? I made a mistake.
I-- I don't know that Charlie already get them.
But the tickets you picked up were for Hawaii.
That's when you discovered Charlie had already booked a trip for Rio.
- A trip that did not include you.
- You lie.
Charlie would never go away with that woman.
He love me.
Only me.
That isn't so, Delores.
Charlie Barnaby actually intended to marry Miss Cartwright.
That's why you poisoned the champagne.
You planned and you wanted to kill them both.
You must not believe him.
I-- I wasn't even in room when Charlie was poisoned.
How could I have put poison in bottle? Miss Coterro, are you addicted to narcotics? What? I asked if you use narcotics.
You think I am bad girl? Would you open that, please? Now, do you know what that is? It's, how you call, syringe.
That's right.
A hypodermic syringe.
Now, Miss Coterro, are you familiar with the Clinton Drugstore on Waverly? Yes.
Well, if you are not addicted to narcotics, why did you buy a hypodermic syringe exactly like this one on the night before the murder? Because I have diabetes.
Now, are there any more questions, Mr.
Mason? Perhaps you would like to speak to my doctor? - You may step down, Miss Coterro.
- Excuse me, Your Honour.
A moment, Miss Coterro.
Would you sit down, please? Miss Coterro, do you take insulin for your diabetes? Every day, 50 units.
And how is that insulin administered? In syringe like this.
This is why I buy it.
But isn't it usually administered just under the skin? Yes.
And isn't the size of the needle, say, a half-inch or perhaps three-quarters of an inch? Yes.
Then why did you buy a 25-gauge needle? A needle two inches long? You could've bought it for only one reason, Miss Coterro.
A needle long enough to go clear through a cork so you could inject the prussic acid into the champagne.
[CROWD MURMURING.]
Isn't that right, Miss Coterro? He was no good, my Charlie.
He say, "Delores, you get lost now.
I marry this Marylin.
" I beg, I cry, but he only laugh at me.
I say, "Okay, Charlie, I love you.
If this girl is what you want, I don't make trouble.
" He think I mean it.
He cannot understand that I never give him up.
He is my vida, my life.
[SOBBING.]
If I don't have him, nobody can.
Nobody can.
I still don't see how you pegged Delores as the killer.
Well, actually, it was in front of us all along.
For example? For example, her attempt to kill Lacey.
- She fired five shots at him.
- And missed him every time.
She wasn't trying to hit him, she did that just to avert suspicion.
- Then there was Paul's report.
- Huh? Remember you said you followed the Country Boy the day he met Marylin? Yeah, he went into Van Dorf & Cole and bought a wedding ring.
- Was that part of his usual routine? - No.
Then obviously he had different plans for Marylin.
He was really gonna marry her.
- Does that answer your question? - Yes.
Good, because I have a question I'd like to ask.
It's exactly 20 minutes of 10 and I haven't eaten since noon.
Now, which of you two handsome gentlemen is going to take me to dinner? Uh, just a minute.
Call it, Perry.
Uh, heads.
[COIN CLINKS.]
Well, we both win.
[DELLA LAUGHS.]