Halford-Mander Investment Company.
Mr. Halford? Who's calling, please?
Just a minute.
But why didn't you tell me
that Mr. Mander drew that much cash?
He said he would tell you about it.
Come in.
Well, Mr. Halford, Miss...
The phone, please.
Yes, alright.
Tell Mr. Mander I want to see him right away.
Yes, sir.
Hello. Yes.
Now, listen, I told you not to waste your time
trying to see me. We're through.
Now, just a moment, sister.
You knew it was only a game
and that's the way we played it.
No squawks when it's over.
Oh, oh, cut the hysterics.
I can't help what you've sacrificed.
Besides, you can always go back...
What? Your money?
Well, you had me invest it for you and we lost.
Can I help that?
Oh, go ahead, I don't care what you do
just so long as you leave me alone.
Well, J.S.
- You want to see me? - Yes.
What about this withdrawal of $20,000?
Oh, that? We have a deal on with Burnes.
"We have a deal on with Burnes." What do you mean?
Some bonds. Got 'em for ten percent.
You mean, they're hot?
Well, they'll cool off in a few weeks.
Now, listen to me, Henry.
You know that six months ago we were investigated
and almost exposed.
We made the front page of every big daily in the country.
- Didn't we? - Yes, that made us famous.
- What of it? - Just this.
I don't mind trimming a sucker
but it's too risky to take a chance with the government.
I don't like penitentiaries.
- I'll risk it. - Well, I won't.
You seem to forget we're partners.
You mean, we had been until now
but this time you've gone too far.
What's the matter?
- Getting honest or yellow? - Neither one.
But I'm not gonna let you put me on the spot.
Now, get this.
You take those bonds back to Burnes and get that dough.
And if I don't?
I'll put you where you belong.
You mean, you'd haul a copper?
You know what I mean.
Get me Mr. Burnes, please. Quickly.
Woman overboard!
- Save her, somebody. - Grab her.
Good evening, Mr. Halford.
Good evening. Anything new?
Oh, just another dame jumped off a ferry boat.
Getting to be a fad, isn't it?
Seems so.
- Good evening, Mr. Halford. - Good evening.
- Who's the duke? - Oh, that's Spencer Halford.
A slick businessman.
When I say slick, I mean slick.
Ah, gee, I could shoot.
Yeah, but this shootin' gallery's for men.
Yeah? Well, what are you doing here for?
Hey, go on. Go on or I'll call the cops.
Aw, call them.
Ah, right into the bull's-eye.
That means a cigar.
- Here you are. Another shot? - Thank you.
No, thanks. One cigar's enough.
Hey, come here.
You have a message for me, haven't you?
- A message for you? - Yeah.
I'm Mr. Jones. I'm Mr. Jones.
- No, I ain't got no message. - Strange.
You're Rafferty, aren't you?
Yeah, Peter J. Rafferty.
But I ain't got no message.
I can't understand that.
If I should get it, where will I find you at?
I'm right across...
Uh, never mind. I'll be back later. Goodbye.
Hey, here. What's happened?
- Why, he must have fainted. - Fainted?
With a bullet hole in his head?
- He's dead! - Dead?
- Oh, Mr. Mander. - Yes?
I thought you'd gone for the day.
No, I, uh...
Have any messages come in for me since I went out?
No, sir.
Halford-Mander Investment Company.
Just a minute. It's for you.
- Shall I wait? - No, that's all.
- Goodnight, Ms. Hopper. - Goodnight.
Hello.
Yes, this is Mander. What?
I was in the shooting gallery, but I didn't get any message.
I gave it to Halford. You'll get yours later.
Hello? Hello? Hello?
Sure.
The Press room, police headquarters.
Oh, hello, Josephine.
Calling car 321. Car 3-2-1.
Go to 9-7, please.
A dressmaker says a big dog is tramping over her pansies.
- Dogs will be dogs. - Hi, boys.
- Hi, Joe. - Hi, Joe.
Well, Marino goes to the electric chair Friday.
Yeah, I got passes
but our sports editor wants them.
Says he'll trade me a pair to the Cometta-Spitzky fight.
It's a killing however you look at it.
Are you going up, Shorty?
Yes, if Steve Grey doesn't want the assignment.
Say, stooge, when are you gonna get some identity of your own?
Homicide.
Well, it looks like a murder, huh?
- There's been a murder, boys. - Well, keep it to yourself.
- We're busy. - What?
- James Spencer Halford? - What's he got to do with it?
Everything. It was him who was bumped off.
No. I knew somebody would drop that guy.
- That's a start. - Where was it?
Region Apartments, they found him in his car
with a bullet hole in his head.
- Oh, boy. - That's a hell of a...
J.S. Halford murder, the chauffer opened
the door of the car in front of the Region Apartments.
- And the body dropped out. - Yeah.
And put in proof that Halford was an eminent crook.
The murderer was an excellent marksman. He used one bullet.
He was riddled in the upper part of his body by machine gun slugs
he's said to have been involved with several women.
- Call you back. - Waiting for you, captain.
Well, do you have any idea who killed Halford?
Who was it?
The man who fired the shot.
Boy, that's what I call fast thinking.
Hello, hello. Can't you get the desk?
Still busy? Well, gimme, gimme Robins.
Hello, Robins speaking. Yeah.
Just a minute, Shorty. Go ahead.
J. Spencer Halford was murdered shortly after 6:00.
- What? Spencer Halford, eh? - Yup.
The chauffeur drove up to the Region Apartments
and the doorman discovered that Halford
was very fatally, uh, dead.
Alright, but hold on to Cole now until I get Steve on the job.
I'll give you a rewrite. Give a rewrite.
Spencer Halford has just been murdered.
Send Steve down to Central Street Station immediately.
He hasn't been here all day.
What? Is he boiled again?
Why is it genius always has to be either pickled or drunk?
Well, do the best you can. Make it a three-column spread.
Say there's a woman, um... There's bound to be one anyway.
Put something in about anxious investors
rumors of impending bankruptcy.
Yeah, they've been shaky for some time.
- Okay. - And find Steve Grey for me.
Meltzer.
After all, I'm just a city editor
and a mediocre one at that
but I'd rather try to solve this murder single-handed
than to find Steve Grey when he's on a binge.
Why, he's liable to be sleeping it off
on the bed of the East River.
Where did you find him the last time he disappeared?
In an elevator that he stole in the Chrysler Building.
- Where was he takin' it? - Up and down, up and down.
And he was doin' a rumba with the starlet's castanets.
Well, send the boys out to find him
and tell them not to come back until they do!
Okay.
Maybe Mary Shannon knows where Steve is.
What does she see in that dipsomaniac?
Here's one for your question and answer department, Mary.
Where's Steve Grey?
Oh, I haven't the faintest idea.
Isn't he supposed to be your boyfriend?
Not quite, if he were my boyfriend
I'd make it my business to know where he was.
Yeah, probably, out with a dame somewhere.
Oh, I don't think so.
Steve doesn't pay much attention to women.
Well, he's got to be found.
Hello, police headquarters? Yeah, get me the chief.
Tell him Mr. Robins wants to speak to him.
This Halford murder is made to order for Steve.
- Halford murder? - Yeah, business racketeer.
Maybe Steve's father knows where he is.
Go on down to the press room and ask him. Will you, Mary?
Alright, Mr. Robins.
And tell him, if he doesn't show up today
he's through.
Oh, hello, Joe. Say, this is Hal...
Ask your boys to do something for me, will ya?
Try and locate Steve Grey.
Hello, Joe.
- Hi, Sweeney. - Have you seen Steve Grey?
Not for a couple of days, but he had enough to last him that long
when he left here.
If he comes around, tell him to get in touch with the paper.
- They want him down there. - Okay, I'll do that.
Has Steve Grey been in this morning?
No, he hasn't. But, he was here last night
and he had four cups of coffee.
- Was he, was he sober? - I think so.
Why, is anything the matter?
If he was sober, there must be something the matter.
- Morning. - Morning.
Hey, has Steve Grey been in here?
No, too early for Steve.
Yeah, but it's not too late.
I've been huntin' for that guy all night.
- Hasn't been in here. Okay. - Okay, thanks.
That guy's got me on a merry-go-round.
- What's he doin' here? - Sleeping.
He staggered in here about 12 o'clock last night.
Bought a whole roll of tickets and told me not to disturb him.
- I don't know who he is. - I do.
Hey, Grey. Wake up. Wake up!
The whole force is lookin' for you.
- Where's the rest of them? - Your boss wants ya.
Some big racketeer named Halford was murdered last night.
So, that's it, huh?
Alright.
Thanks. Here.
Take a ride for yourself.
- Who is he? - Steve Grey.
He writes all the murders for "The Daily Star."
The one they call The Murder Man?
Yeah, that's him.
Oh, Mr. Grey? Mr. Robins wants to see you.
- Thanks. - Hello, Steve.
- The old man wants to see you. - So I heard.
Hello, Steve. Call this number, very important.
- Thanks. - Hi, Grey, had a nice vacation?
Why?
- Hi, Mary. - Oh, Steve.
We were beginning to think you'd gone
to the South Pole with the birds.
No, I couldn't get reservations.
You still love me as much as ever?
Oh, I'm crazy about you.
Well, you better be because I'm dappy about you.
- You know that, don't you? - Yeah. I know you're dappy.
Alright, but not about me. Where were you last night?
I went for a long ride.
May I have a little of your coffee?
If you don't mind drinking out of my cup.
I prefer it.
As a matter of fact, I didn't know what time it was myself
till I woke up on a merry-go-round.
It all sounds pretty dumb to me.
Ah. Yeah, it sounds dumb to me, too.
Don't you think you ought to go in and see Mr. Robins?
What for? He'll be out here to see me in a minute.
He's afraid somebody will beat you on the Halford story.
- Who's on it now? - Shorty.
Shorty, huh? He won't miss anything.
How long have you had this coffee, Mary?
- Well, of all the double... - Hi, Hal.
Did the wanderlust get you?
Schooner in the offing and all that sort of bunk.
- Why, anything new? - New?
Spencer Halford, one of our most important financiers
was murdered last night at 6 o'clock.
Yeah, I read something about it in "The Globe."
Alright, alright. Cut the kidding.
Now, you've got half of the front page waiting for you.
Now, get on this story and stick to it until you get something.
- I got an angle now. - You mean...
- You've been workin' on it? - No, no.
But I just got a sort of an idea
when I was passing Halford's office.
I'll knock it out for you before I leave.
Yeah, fine. But, remember, while you're sitting here
writing your ideas, so-called
the rest of the boys are downtown getting the facts.
Don't you worry, they won't beat me on this story.
Well, they haven't yet. I'll say that much for ya.
Say, you're a crazy, cynical, drunken bum
but as a news-getter, you're there.
Thanks, Hal. You want some marmalade?
Are you working for "The Star?"
You bet your life I'm working for "The Star."
Believe me, it's a good thing I am
with the kind of editors we got.
Why do you bother with that nut, Mary?
What gives you the idea I am bothering?
Oh, I have a nose for that sort of thing.
Is it true that you write all wind chill stuff for him?
All the evidence seems to point to the murder
being a carefully concealed crime
by some defrauded investor.
Did they find Steve?
He just wandered in a few minutes ago by himself.
- How is he? - Sober and sassy.
- Don't worry, Pop. - Is he in his office?
- Yeah. - Thanks, Mary.
Captain Cole of the Homicide Squad
promises to have the mystery all solved
within a few hours.
Now, there's your story, Meltzer, you son of a gun.
If you butcher this one on me, I wanna kick a hole
right in your torso.
Hello, Pop.
- Yes? - Send a boy in, will ya?
- Well, son, are you alright? - Yeah, sure, I'm alright.
Haven't been stealing anymore elevators?
No, no, no, no, no.
Well, I was just wondering, you know?
You seem to be going around in circles lately.
Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right, Pop.
I spent last night on a merry-go-round.
I don't know what's the matter with me.
I just can't sleep. That's all.
- Just wanted to walk and think. - And drink.
Yeah. Yeah, a little.
- A little too much, I'd say. - You didn't wait up for me.
- Did ya? - Oh, no, no.
I turned in at four o'clock.
Pop, what's the matter with ya?
Haven't I always taught you to go to bed early?
- Yeah? - 'Where is the Halford copy?'
Steve? Shorty said he thinks Cole's hit a clue.
Well, if he has, it'll be his first one.
Okay, Robo-boy, get goin'. Then go trail Cole.
What do you mean, "Get goin'?" The story's finished.
I'm givin' it to the boy now.
Take this.
Steve, this Halford murder case you're on
who do you think did it?
Oh, I don't know.
One of the guys he robbed, I suppose.
Yeah. Yeah, that's what I thought.
Yeah, well, you wanna quit thinkin' about murder cases.
Better figure those or you'll go nutty.
Meet me over at Pizza Bar at noon, will you?
- We'll have lunch together. - Sure.
And quit worryin'. What's the matter?
You'll be an old man before I am.
I'm not worried...
Hey, listen!
I put nine years of my savings in this company
and if anybody tries to holdout on me, I'll wreck the...
- Oh, yeah? - Yeah!
...your money's at stake, you got a right as a citizen...
To see the crooks at the head of the firm and get our money!
Be quiet! Pipe down, pipe down!
- Hey! Wait a minute. - Hello, Harry.
- Hello, Steve. - King Cole in there?
- Yes, but I think he's busy. - So am I.
- Hello, Steve. - Well, the old maestro.
Come in, we got a story for ya.
- There was a murder last night. - Yeah.
Here it is. Just look in "The Mirror."
Never saw anything yet in "The Mirror."
Always the last on assignment, eh, Steve?
But always the first with the story.
- Attaboy, Shorty. - Hey, thanks.
It's okay, Steve, I got it all covered.
- Where's the brass hat? - He's in there.
Lookin' over Halford's papers.
Sorry. Full house for this performance.
Gotta see him about somethin' personal.
Then you better go to his house.
- You can't come in here. - Alright.
Hey, don't you go away. I might wanna see you later.
- How about this guy, Mander? - Well, he's in his office.
But you won't get much, Steve. We've all had a crack at him.
Yeah, hold on just a minute, will you?
Say, Burnes...
You've got to give me a little more time.
You can't close me out like this.
But I'll have the money for you tomorrow.
But the insurance company's promised to pay off
on that partnership policy.
Yes, 200,000.
Yes, that's all the time I'll need.
- What do you got? - Asthma.
- What do you want? - I want news.
- News about what? - About murder.
I'll murder you if you don't get out of here.
I'm here as a reporter from "The Star."
"The Star?"
If I knew anything about this mess
I'd do my best to keep it from you.
It's your articles and your paper that's responsible
for bringing those frantic fools up here.
Yeah, they were fools once. Now they're kind of frantic.
Aren't they? Well, after all, you can't blame them very much.
You and your partner robbed all those people.
They invested their money and lost it legitimately.
You and Halford carried a lot of partnership insurance
didn't you?
- What of it? - Not a thing. Nothing.
Except that "The Star" is gonna suggest
that you use it to repay all these people
that you've robbed. Have you got any objections?
The details of my business are no concern of "The Star."
Anything that happens in this office is news, Mander.
Is it true that you came back here
shortly after Halford was killed?
I don't know when Halford was killed.
He was killed in his automobile
between here and the Regions Apartments
about 6 o'clock last night.
- Where were you at that time? - Well, I was acr...
Say, are you trying to suggest...
I'm not trying to suggest anything.
I'm just trying to get a story for my paper.
- I'll give you a story. - Now, wait a minute.
Take it easy. You know...
Another murder isn't gonna help you get out of the first one.
Get outta here.
- Thanks for the interview. - Get out!
Okay, high finance, I'll see you at the bar.
I suppose you got a full autobiography outta Mander.
Never mentioned the murder. We talked about paperweights.
How do you spell Halford?
Why?
- "H-A-L-F-O-R-D. Halford." - Hello. Yeah.
Halford-Mander office. Who? I don't know anybody.
But, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Anybody around here named Miller?
You know my name is Miller.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's for you, Jake. You got it.
I think it's your old lady.
Hello?
Hello? Hello?
As a cashier of this firm
you handled all physical transactions
and negotiable securities.
That's right.
When an investor gave you
stocks or bonds or other valuables
what did you do with them?
Uh, Mr. Halford usually instructed me
to change all securities into cash
and deposit them to his personal account.
Thanks, that's all.
Hello, Steve. Well, it was about time for you to bother me.
Hi, captain. Just been assigned to the case.
So have I, Steve. But, I have nothing to say right now.
Oh, come on now. Be a pal, will ya?
If I don't get some dope on this case pretty soon
Robins will tear the rest of his hair out.
- What's your opinion? - I have no opinion, Steve.
We know that Halford was shot through the head.
I think I know why, but so far, I don't know where it happened.
Anybody hear a shot?
If they did, we've had no report of it.
Well, that's funny.
Maxie, what do you think?
In my opinion, it's an open-and-shut case.
Alright, alright, skip it.
Alright, wise guy. Figure it out yourself.
Well, maybe nobody heard that shot
because there was a lot of other shooting.
What do you mean, "A lot of other shooting?"
See that shooting gallery across the street?
Why couldn't he have been shot from there.
How could anybody be shot from a shooting gallery?
- Somebody woulda seen him. - Oh, I don't know.
What caliber bullet killed Halford?
- .32. Yeah. - Sure?
That's what the autopsy chart said. Wasn't it, Sweeney?
- I think so. - You think?
I'm positive. I...
Get me Spring 6-6-100. Record clerk.
Oh, I don't know, Steve. It's a pretty wild guess.
Adams? This is Sweeney.
I wanna make sure I'm right about something.
It was a .32 bullet that killed Halford, wasn't it?
It was a .22, chief.
- Why, you... - But, chief, I wasn't far off.
I... A .22.
Steve? I think we've got something.
- Yeah, I think we have. - 'Come on.'
I told you this was an open-and-shut case.
I've just had an idea.
I think Halford may have been
shot from a shooting gallery.
- "Shooting gallery?" - Where?
Tell you more about it later.
See me here in half an hour.
- Let me help you, chief. - 'Thank you.'
Say, miss, did Mr. Mander go out
before Halford left for home last night?
Yes, a few minutes before.
And he returned just as I was ready to go.
What?
- When was that? - Shortly after 6:00.
He'd been over at the shooting gallery.
What?
Mander didn't tell me anything about that.
Me neither.
Did he tell you he'd been over there?
No, but somebody phoned him.
I heard him say he was at the shooting gallery.
Boys, don't let Mander leave his office till I come back.
Come on.
- Thanks, miss. - You're welcome.
Hello. Put him on!
Look at that.
Hello, Joe. Sensational development.
Cole says he thinks that Halford may have been shot
from a shooting gallery. Yeah, and...
Yeah, I've just been reading
Steve Grey's story about it in "The Star."
What? It's in "The Star" already?
Well, I'll be a slab-side of jellyfish.
- Have a shot, gentlemen. - We're from headquarters.
What's wrong?
Did you have any customers here about dusk last night?
Yeah, a, a few.
You notice a well-dressed, dark-complected man
about six-feet tall, with a moustache?
No... Come to think of it, I did.
He was here the same time as that sailor fella.
- Did they do anything unusual? - No.
Except, the sailor fellow hit a bull's-eye
and cost me a good cigar. Heh! Then he left.
What about the man with the moustache?
Well, after the sailor fella left
why, he leaned over and he said, kinda confidential
"My name's Jones. Got a message for me?"
- Then what? - I never had no message.
And I told him so. Say, what are you drivin' at, chief?
Just this.
A man was shot in the street last night
with one of your rifles.
What? Why, you're crazy.
No, I-I mean, it's impossible.
Nothin' happens around here with my guns that I don't see.
You watched these two all the time?
Yeah, sure. Why, I...
Wait a minute, come to think of it
I did turn away to take a rifle away
from the kid that wanted to shoot.
I never let no kids handle guns.
And while you were doing that, your back was turned?
Yeah, for a minute. Gee, I almost forgot about that.
But it just couldn't happen, chief.
Nobody could shoot off one of my guns without me knowin' it.
- Did you notice that? - No, w-well, that is, I...
Where were you standing when you took the gun away from the kid?
Well, I was standin' right there.
Where was the kid standing?
Standin' right there, inside.
Where were the other two?
Sailor was there and Mr. Jones was there.
Alright. Sweeney? You're the sailor.
- Okay. - Steve.
- Would you mind being Jones? - No, no.
Good. Right there.
Now, the, uh, boy was, uh, here?
Yeah, right inside.
Alright, Welch, you're the boy.
Now, Rafferty, you start forward
as you take the gun from the boy.
And, Steve, you turn around and make believe
that you fire into the street.
Ready?
- Go. - Hey, come here with that gun.
I don't let no kids handle guns.
Did you see what happened?
No, I never see nothin'.
Good.
Now, which rifle did Jones use?
I can't remember that, chief.
I keep changin' them around all the time.
Oh, Welch, take all these rifles down to headquarters.
Yes, sir.
What about my business?
We're takin' it over for the time being.
And you, too. Come along.
Alright, Sweeney.
- Come on, Rafferty. - Coming along, Steve?
No, no, I got enough for a story.
You know, I feel we have a pretty tight case
against Mander now.
If I could only find the right motive.
What about a partnership insurance policy?
Steve, I think you'd make a good detective.
Thanks, captain. I think you would, too.
- Hiya, Pop. - Hello, son.
I thought you weren't coming.
Well, I got tied up with old King Cole on the Halford case.
- Did you get anything? - Yeah, yeah, I think we did.
Looks like the guy was shot from the shooting gallery
across from their offices.
Shootin' gallery?
That's a crazy idea.
A clever one, too.
The combination you need for murder.
- What'll it be, gents? - You want beer?
- Well, yeah. - A large beer.
- And a slightly smaller whisky. - Yes.
I'd lay off the hard liquor if I were you, son.
Ah, it's good for you, Pop, especially, when you're working
on a story like this.
Is the story so important?
Of course, it's important.
The most important thing to a news writer.
And you got to get it, too. One way or another.
Son, what's the matter with you?
Nothing. Why?
Did you get another letter from Dorothy?
- Yeah. - 'When?'
- Oh, a couple of days ago. - 'What did she say?'
Oh, I don't know, Pop. She didn't say anything.
Steve, you're not thinking of taking her back again?
Because she'd treat you just like she did before.
No.
No, she'd never do that again, Pop.
- Yes, she will, she's... - Oh, Pop, Pop.
- Please, forget it. - I wish you'd forget it.
I wish I could.
- She's dead. - Dead?
- What happened? - I don't know.
I guess, she just couldn't stand the gaffe any longer.
She jumped off a ferry boat.
Hey, there's Steve.
Say, big shot, how'd you happen to get Cole
to fall for that apple strudel
about Halford being shot from a shooting gallery?
Yeah, and what's more, I suppose you think it's smart reporting
writing about a story before it happened.
- It isn't cricket, old dear. - No.
You've picked out the guy you're going to send
to the chair for this crime?
Yeah. Do you wanna know who it is?
- Sure. - Yeah, sure.
Read "The Star."
- See you later, Pop. - Alright.
Is it a habit of yours to go across to the shooting gallery?
Why, no. As a matter of fact, I'd never been there before.
Then why did you go there last night?
Someone telephoned, said if I'd go over
to the shooting gallery, the proprietor
would give me a message.
Who telephoned?
- I don't know. - What was the message?
Well, I don't know that, either.
I-I never received it.
Then what happened?
I asked the proprietor for the message
but he didn't know anything about it.
Why didn't you tell me this morning
that you went across to the shooting gallery?
Why, I, uh, I didn't think it was important.
Anything you did last night at 6 o'clock was important.
Why? You don't think that I...
Why didn't you have the man leave the message at the office?
It was very private.
You didn't know what the message was
but you did know it was very private.
It must've been.
Something you didn't want your Pop to know
anything about, I suppose. Is that it?
No.
It-it was about a woman.
About a woman, huh?
- What was her name? - That doesn't matter.
She couldn't possibly have anything to do with this case.
Send Mabel in here, will ya?
Detective Captain Cole in the Homicide Squad
today arrested Henry Mander
for the murder of his business partner, Spencer Halford.
Cole claims the motive for the crime was an insurance policy
providing for the payment of $200,000 to one partner
in the event of the death of the other.
Halford was ambushed from a sidewalk shooting gallery
on the night of March the 23rd.
Type this right away, Mabel, and give it to Robins.
Mr. Robins is at that press conference.
Alright, give it to Meltzer then.
See if he can make the next run on it
before every other newspaper in town's got it.
Yes, Mr. Grey.
It's a very shaky story, Mander.
Rafferty.
Is this Mr. Jones?
- Yeah, that's him. - What are you driving at?
- It'll all come out in court. - What do you mean?
I mean, you went across the shooting gallery last night
to kill Halford.
Yeah, reads good, Meltzer.
- Here's your mail, madam. - Oh, thanks, Steve.
Gee, you get a lot of fan mail, don't you?
Don't tell me somebody's in love with you.
Just because my name's Mary, don't think I've never had
anything but a lamb running after me.
Now, I imagine anything running after you.
Oh, shut your silly face, Steve Grey.
Since you're such a smart, little boy
perhaps you can help me answer this one.
"My wife has fallen in love with a musician.
I still love her, but I fear the worst."
Tell him to buy a saxophone and enter the contest.
Idiotic as it sounds
it's vital to this poor, silly, little man.
There is such a thing as love, you know?
Yeah, yeah, I know, I discovered that once myself.
Well, good, I'm glad to hear there's some real emotion
under that hard-boiled exterior of yours.
Yeah, I know what love is and I know what hate is.
And I know exactly what that poor sap is going through.
He's in a hopeless muddle, that's why he writes to you.
If I thought it'd help him any, I'd answer it for him myself.
But, advice is no good.
In a case like this, you're caught in the rapids.
And you go exactly where it takes you.
Oh.
Steve, what are you doin' here?
The opposition slipped one over on you this time.
Cole just arrested Mander for the murder of Halford.
Get down to headquarters right away.
And on behalf and in the interest
of the people of the state of New York
we shall prove that the defendant, Henry Mander
did premeditatedly and in cold blood
destroy the life of his partner in business
James Spencer Halford.
That the defendant engineered this crime
to cause it to appear an accident.
And that his motive for such a deed
was an insurance policy for $200,000
and the control of the business venture.
Lieutenant White.
Steve, I shouldn't be here.
Why not? You work for a newspaper, don't you?
Yes, but this isn't my department.
But you're in my department, aren't you?
Yeah, that's the trouble.
What is your official capacity, Lieutenant White?
I'm a ballistics expert for the police department.
Will council stipulate that the witness is qualified?
So stipulated.
I now show you people's exhibit S2
for identification.
- Do you recognize this? - I do.
I've been studying test bullets fired from this gun.
Have you formed an opinion as a result of your research?
Yes, the grooves in the death bullet and the grooves in the test bullets
were made by the same rifle barrel.
And no other rifle barrel could form the same grooves
as are found in the death bullet?
Absolutely not.
In my opinion the fatal bullet was fired from this gun.
That's all, lieutenant.
"Society's represented by Mrs. Van Holstein"
who hasn't missed a big murder trial in years.
She's up to her eyes and chinchillas
wearing something on top of her hat
that looks like a bulldog. Phew!
Peter Rafferty.
Raise your right hand.
You solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth
and nothin' but the truth, so help you God?
- Sure, yes. - What's your name?
- Peter Rafferty. - Peter Rafferty.
What's your business, Mr. Rafferty?
I got a shootin' gallery.
You recognize this rifle?
Sure I do. That's one of my own guns.
There's my initials on the barrel.
Would you recall the customers who visited your place
on the night of, uh, March the 23rd say, about 6 o'clock?
I think so.
You remember a man who called himself Jones?
Yeah. Mr. Jones.
Would you recognize this man if you saw him again?
Yes, sir. That's him.
Thank you, Mr. Rafferty.
Hello, Willard, shooting-gallery man identifies Mander
as giving the name of Jones. Also, identifies death gun.
Howard Jennings. Raise your right hand.
You solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth'
and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
- What's your name? - Howard Jennings.
I understand, Mr. Jennings, you're the general manager
of the Globe Insurance Company.
Is it a fact that the firm of Halford and Mander
carried a partnership insurance in your company?
Yes, it is.
What is the amount of that policy?
Two hundred thousand dollars.
And since Halford is dead the money is now payable to Henry Mander?
- Yes, it is. - Thank you.
Your witness, Mr. Colville.
I don't think one man would kill another just for money.
They ruined several thousand lives getting a crooked fortune.
I don't know why one of 'em wouldn't kill the other.
Mr. Jennings
can you state whether the partnership insurance
payable to a surviving member is in general use?
Why, yes. It is a fairly general practice.
And did Mr. Mander and Mr. Halford
apply for such a policy?
Yes, they did.
How long had this policy been in effect?
- At Mr. Halford's death. - More than five years.
This is Maguire. Gimme the desk.
"Insurance was obvious motive," says the district attorney.
And get this. I think it was, too.
Mr. Jennings, do you know any cases of fraud
or attempted fraud, in which the beneficiary
committed a crime to collect the insurance?
Yes, there have been many such cases within my experience.
And what was the average length of time that elapsed
between the issuance of the policy
and the commission of the crime?
Crime was generally committed
within six months or less
from the time the policy was issued.
Thank you, Mr. Jennings.
No more questions.
Steven Grey, take the stand.
Steven Grey.
What does he know about this trial?
I don't know, but it looks like this murder
was just to raise, boost the circulation of "The Star."
Steven. Are you gonna testify in this case?
Looks like it.
Raise your right hand, do you solemnly swear to tell the truth
the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
- I do. - What's your name?
- Steven Grey. - Steven Grey.
Now, Mr. Grey, you're a feature writer
on "The New York Daily Star," are you not?
I am.
On the morning after the crime while covering the Halford murder
you called at the offices of Halford and Mander? -Yes, sir.
And while there, you overheard a telephone conversation between
the defendant and someone?
Yes, sir. A Mr. Burnes.
Tell the court and the jury exactly what you overheard.
Well, Mander seemed to be pleading
with this fellow, Burnes. He, uh...
He kept saying, "Now, listen to me. You've got to listen to me.
You can't close me out like this."
Was it a heated conversation?
It was warm.
What else did the defendant say?
He said he'd have the money to pay.
Said the insurance company owed him $200,000
on a partnership policy.
And then?
Then he hung up.
I see. Did you interview Mander personally?
- I tried to. - What was said?
Oh, nothing of importance.
What was said, Mr. Grey? Please.
- He refused the interview. - Why?
Well, some time ago, I wrote a series of articles
on investment broker rackets.
And Halford and Mander was one of the firms you exposed, eh?
That's right.
Then you knew the defendant.
Slightly.
While getting material for my articles
I discovered that my father had lost some money in his firm.
I object! This testimony has no possible bearing in the case.
I move it be stricken from the record.
Motion granted.
Did you know that this man's father
lost money in your business?
Well, what happened?
No, I didn't, I...
I only knew Grey as a reporter.
Oh, nothing of importance.
Mr. Grey, the defendant is on trial for murder.
I must insist you tell the court and jury exactly what happened.
Mander got mad and grabbed some kind
of a glass gadget off his desk
and tried to crown me with it.
Yes. And what did he say?
Oh, nothing. I don't think he meant it.
It's not for you to say what he meant.
What did Mander say?
He told me to get out or he'd murder me.
Thank you very much, Mr. Grey.
Your witness, Mr. Coleville.
Now, Mr. Grey...
- Hello... - Hello.
Steve Grey, big-shot reporter of "The Star"
was on the witness stand and...
Steve Grey, star reporter
gives sensational testimony against Mander.
Extra! Extra!
Well, never mind that, Joe. Here, take this.
Mrs. Horowitz, one of the members of the jury
was wearing a horn-colored monkey jacket.
Extra! Read all about it.
"Steve Grey gives sensational testimony against Mander!"
Extra! "Prosecutor wants Mander death penalty."
Extra! "Mander case goes to jury."
Extra!
Best job you've ever done, Steve.
Your testimony went a long way
towards sending that rat to the chair.
Yeah, I don't like rats.
I'm not sure I like the idea of killing them, either.
Aw, forget it. You've been working too hard.
Take a rest, it'll do you good.
Go away for a couple of days.
Thanks.
Next time I'll strap the guy to the chair.
Then, uh, then maybe you'll give me a whole week off, huh?
Hey, Steve, what are you tryin' to do? Kill me?
Sorry, Mary. I didn't see you.
- Where you goin'? - Around the world.
- "Around the world?" - Yeah.
Big-hearted Jake just gave me two days of vacation.
Oh, then I know where you're going.
- I bet you do. - Sure, to Joe's...
Or Pete's or any other bar you can find.
You know all the answers, don't you, Mary?
Most of them.
Alright, can you tell me what would be better for me then
than a good old-fashioned drunk?
Yes, I can. But, I haven't time now.
Can you meet me in half an hour at The Savoy Grill?
- Buyin' my lunch? - No, you're buying mine.
- Alright. It's a date. - It's a date.
Give me two slugs and a soft one.
Hello, Steve.
Give me a shot.
Just been readin' your story.
Clever way that guy did it.
But, I always says killing's bad business, Mr. Grey.
- Well, hey! - Hello, Steve!
Come on, have a drink. Hey, Jimmy. A little service.
Well, Steve, you certainly gave us
one swell trimming on that story.
Yeah, but you musta had some inside dope.
"Inside dope?" Nothing, he's a newspaper man.
Come on, give us the low-down. Where'd you get your...
Hey, can't you guys talk about anything else?
- Yeah, but... - Aw, shut up!
- How do you do, Mr. Grey? - Send me a drink over here.
- Will ya? - Very good, sir.
- Hello, Steve. - Oh, hiya, captain.
Well, the case is all over. He's signed and sealed.
And when we deliver him up the river, the job's finished.
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, it was an open-and-shut case.
I knew all along we had him
but it will be the same old story.
He'll go to the chair, protesting his innocence.
They always do.
Well, so long, Steve.
See you at the next murder.
There you are, Mr. Grey. Now, what would you like?
Another drink. Bring it right away, will ya?
Yes, sir.
You might've at least waited until
after we'd had our lunch.
Just a little appetizer.
I know your appetite, but you've had enough.
Okay, boss.
Steve, I know what's bothering you.
Your testimony against Mander.
- But it was only your duty. - Certainly, it was.
- The guy had it coming to him. - Well, of course he did.
But you've gotta forget about it.
Go away someplace
where you can do something worthwhile.
- What is worthwhile? - Lots of things.
I want to see you accomplish something, Steve.
I wanna see you do all the things I know you can do.
You wrote a book once. It was quite a success.
You can do it again.
Listen, I know a place away from all this.
We won't let a soul come near you.
And as far as the rest of the world's concerned
there won't be a Steve Grey
until you've found yourself again.
You think I could do that?
Of course you can, if you try.
Alright, I will try.
For you.
"Your Excellency
the death commitment of Henry L. Mander
"has just been returned to me by your messenger
"and your signature is duly noted.
"In accordance with the said commitment
"I shall carry out the decree of the court
"at 11 o'clock tomorrow night. And we'll notify...
Warden's office.
Just a minute. It's your call, sir.
- Wh-who is it? - The long-distance call.
- Mr. Robins at "New York Star." - Oh, yes, yes.
Hello, Mr. Robin.
This is Warden Powell of Sing Sing.
Mander has agreed to grant an interview
and the board has okayed it.
Have your man here at 11 o'clock sharp tomorrow morning.
No, I haven't told Mander which paper.
Thank you very much, warden.
Got it.
Shorty...
...I want you to...
- Clara. - Yes, sir.
Ask Mary to come in here.
- Will you, please? - Right.
They've just granted a death-house interview
with Mander, tomorrow morning at 11.
That means I take the 9 o'clock for Ossining
in the morning, eh, chief?
What? What? Oh, yes, yes, yes.
Oh, come in, Mary.
Mary, you need a rest.
How 'bout taking a couple of weeks off?
- With pay? - Why, of course.
I'm making the suggestion, am I not?
Well, then, I'll be glad to. Starting next week?
Alright, thanks.
Oh, wait, just a minute, Mary. Sit down.
How'd you like to do me a favor?
What is it?
- I want Steve. - Mr. Robins.
I've told you before, I can't tell you where Steve is
except that he's away writing a book
and taking a long rest.
Well, he's been gone for three months.
That's rest enough, isn't it?
It'd be a crime to drag him back now.
- He's salvaging his life. - Mary, listen. I need him.
We've just been granted permission to interview Mander
in the death house tomorrow morning.
Well, can't you send Shorty?
I can send a hundred other reporters
and get a statement from Mander on the day of his electrocution
but nobody can write that story the way Steve can.
I'm sorry, Mr. Robins.
Well, you're not being very loyal to the paper.
I think it's up to me to decide where my loyalty is due.
- Don't you? - Alright, never mind.
Forget I mentioned it at all.
And, uh, my vacation is over?
No, no, no, no. You can take it.
There are no strings attached to it.
Thanks.
Mary, you can go now.
- This minute? - Yes.
Oh, thank you very much.
- Come here, Shorty. - Yes, sir.
You're not going to Ossining, I have a much more
important assignment for you.
I want you to get a couple of sandwiches and...
Is that you?
- What are you doin' up here? - Robin gave me a vacation.
He did?
What did he give ya, two days?
No, two whole weeks.
Two weeks? Gosh. It sounds like a bribe.
Maybe you're right.
How is the old warhorse?
Oh, he's still pining away for you.
- Ah, let him pine. - How's your book going?
- It isn't. - What do you mean, Steve?
I haven't even started it yet.
What's more, I don't think I will.
Oh, but, Steve, you told me you were gonna...
Yeah, I know, I told you a lot of things.
I don't know, I...
I don't seem to be able to get down to it.
Besides, there are enough punk books in the world without min'
I think. Hey, let's not talk about books.
let's talk about you.
Uh, uh, what are your plans for your vacation?
Oh, I'll probably stay down in the village
and bother you occasionally.
Well, you'd better bother me more than occasionally
or I will be bothered.
- What do you like to do? - Well, I...
I like to fish.
Alright, we'll go fishing. What else?
And I like to swim.
Alright, we'll go swimming. And?
I like to walk and dream.
I'll tell you what we'll do.
We'll forget about everything else in the world
and we'll just think about all the things
you like to do, for two weeks, huh?
That'll be grand.
But you know, you're gonna be awfully busy.
Well, I-I don't think I'll mind that.
- Hi, Steve. - How did you get here?
Uh, well, I just happened to be passing...
Yeah, I know. Robins sent you up here to get me, huh?
Yes, he did, Steve. He wants you for a very special reason.
Steve, he wants you to interview Mander in the death house.
Yeah, and he had a pretty hard time gettin' permission, too.
'Mander goes to the chair tomorrow, you know?'
Yeah, I know.
As if that could make any difference to you.
Well, surely, you don't want to interview the poor fella.
Oh, Steve, you wouldn't, would you?
You're away from all that now and if you go back...
What'll I tell Mr. Robins, Steve?
Tell him I'll be at Sing Sing in the morning.
And you can tell him I'll be back in his office
in the mornin'.
Grey of "The New York Star."
Okay, over here.
Sit down. I'll have him brought out.
You've only got a few minutes. So, make the interview snappy.
Dave, have Mander brought out for this newspaper guy.
Yes, sir.
Bring Mander out.
- Alright, Mander. - What is it?
A visitor.
A newspaper man is here. Come on.
Just a few minutes.
You?
Why'd they send you up here?
You offered a granted interview, didn't you?
Yes. I want the world to know I'm innocent.
I didn't think they'd send you.
I haven't got a chance with you.
You're not as cocky as you used to be, are you, Mander?
You don't know what it means to be here.
Waking up, wondering what day it is
and how many hours you've got to live.
And those terrible mornings
when the guards pull the curtains
and you hear whispering, shuffling feet
and a priest praying for some poor, mourning fool
they have to drag to the chair.
Oh, Grey, do something.
- What could I do? - I didn't kill Halford.
Put it in the paper, tell everybody I'm innocent.
- Tell them I'm not a murderer. - No, no, no.
You're talkin' to the wrong guy, Mander.
You and Halford were the worst kind of killers.
Ya killed people with your schemes and with your lies
just as surely as if you'd shot them down in cold blood!
But I'll make it up, everything I stole.
I'll go to prison. I'll pay for all the wrong I did to them.
You know, I knew some of the people you robbed.
Men like my father who turned over every cent to you
and women like...
We don't have to mention any names.
You had Halford with his love schemes for them.
They came to you in trust and turned over everything they had.
Nothing was too low for you to do
nothing too contemptible.
Listen to me, Mander.
I've got sympathy for every man in that death house.
There isn't anything in the world I wouldn't do for them
but not for you, Mander
because you've got it coming to ya.
But I'm not a murderer! I didn't kill Halford!
I know you didn't.
What? What did you say?
You know I didn't?
Oh, Grey. Grey, you gotta do something.
You must do something. You will help me, won't ya?
You can't let them kill me when you know I didn't do it!
Oh, Grey, for heaven's sake, save me! Save me!
- Time's up, Mander. - I've only got a short time.
- Until 11 o'clock tonight. - Come on, Mander.
Oh, Grey, don't sit there staring at me, tell me
you'll help me. You're the only one who can!
You're the only one who knows!
Oh, Grey, don't let them kill me like this!
Grey! Please! Grey!
Grey, please!
Grey! Please, Grey!
Grey, please!
- Yeah? - Steve.
Where's that Mander story? I've been waiting hours for it.
We've missed two editions already.
I've been trying to get an angle on this.
Angle?
Do you realize I had to move heaven and Earth
to get that interview?
We're the only paper that could work it.
Alright, alright. You'll get your story.
They're typin' a copy of it now.
'Is it good?'
How do I know if it's any good or not?
Here you are, Mr. Grey.
It's a wonderful story, Mr. Grey.
I guess it appeals to me
because I had an uncle that was electrocuted once.
- Once is generally enough. - Oh, but he didn't do anything.
It was all a mistake.
And he was awful pretty, too.
- Mr. Grey, what are you doin'? - Run along, Mabel.
But, Mr. Grey, you know their...
Go on, get out of here!
Oh, Ms. Shannon, he's torn it up.
- What? - Mr. Grey. He's torn it up.
The-the story, I mean. And he's awful extra mad.
Oh, never mind, Mabel. I'll take care of it.
What's the matter, Steve?
Mabel says you've torn up your story.
Yes, I tore it up.
Why should I pander to the morbid curiosity
of a lotta people who wanna know how a guy looks
before he goes to the chair?
If you could've seen how he looked
if you could've heard him plead with me...
Oh, it must've been horrible. You shouldn't have gone, Steve.
Ah, what do I care how he looks or how he feels.
What do you call this, a cocktail party?
- Where's that story? - It's in the wastepaper basket.
If you like jigsaw puzzles, there it is.
- You tore it up? - Yes, I tore it up.
And I'm not gonna write it again...
Oh, yes, you are, you drunken fool.
- Drunken or not, I'm through. - What do you mean, "Through?"
Take it any way you like. I'm quitting.
You can quit if you want to
but you don't go until you write that story!
Leave him to me, Mr. Robins.
Yeah, and I'm not gonna write it for you either.
What's the matter, too strong for your delicate stomach
you drooling saphead?
Can't stand to see a man in the death house, eh?
You've got the biggest story in months
and you're holding it from your readers.
That's the lowest thing a newspaper man can do.
And they call you The Murder Man.
Why, you oughta be writing bedtime stories.
Okay.
Okay, I'll write your story.
I'll write ya the greatest story
your cheesy newspaper has ever printed.
I'll give your million readers something to gloat over.
Now, get out of here and leave me alone!
That's the way to talk, Steve.
Steve, I hate to see you so upset.
Get outta here, you, too!
At the 11th hour
Henry Mander was saved from the electric chair.
Steven Grey, the man who shot Halford
from Rafferty's shooting gallery on the night of March the 23rd...
...walked into Captain Cole's office
at police headquarters at...
...at 5:45 today and confessed the crime.
A sardonic touch was added to the situation
by the fact that Grey, who was a reporter on "The Star"
interviewed Mander this morning in the death house at Sing Sing.
- Well, he's doing it, Mary. - Good.
Steve is a tough guy to get along with
but he's a peach.
Isn't he?
Yes. Yes, he is.
And that's the story, Mary.
Now, you know what's been the matter with me
and why I've acted so strangely.
I guess there isn't anything more to say
except...
...except that I think you're a swell girl, Mary.
And I only wish I had met you a long, long time ago.
Mary?
- Yes, Steve? - Come here a minute, will ya?
Mary, I want you to type this for me.
Alright, Steve.
Hey, I know it sounds a little funny
but, uh, well, I want you to be the first one to hear it.
Of course, I'll do it if you want me to.
I'm sorry I yelled at you a little while ago.
Forgive me, will ya? It's my nerves.
I guess they're a little shot.
Why don't you go home and take a rest?
No, I can't do that, I got an appointment
with Captain Cole at 5:45.
- Will that keep you long? - Yeah.
Yeah, it's liable to keep me quite a while.
I...
I won't see you again for a long time, maybe.
What do you mean, Steve?
Well, you heard me tell his nibs
I wasn't gonna work here anymore, didn't you?
Hm, yes, but Robins won't let you resign.
He'll find you and bring you back again.
Oh, no, he won't. No, no.
Hey, look, Mary.
Why don't you give up this racket, too?
It's no good, not for a swell girl like you.
Why don't you get yourself a nice husband
and get married, eh?
Then you'll have problems of your own, see?
You won't have to worry about other people's.
Thanks for the advice.
I'd like to think of you as being happy, Mary.
There isn't anything you'd care to do about it personally.
- Is there? - Yeah.
Yes, there's a lot I'd like to do about it personally...
...but I can't.
Why can't you, Steve?
Hey, you. Your big story's finished.
- And so am I. - Yes, you are.
You'll be around here tomorrow and I'll tell you
about a bonus check I have for ya.
Yeah, you can...
Give the bonus to my old man.
Goodbye, Hal. Good luck...
...at 5:45 p.m. today and confessed the crime.
Police headquarters.
Except that I think you're a swell girl, Mary.
And I only wish I had met you a long, long time ago.
We're awfully late tonight, Mr. Robins.
Yes, it was that Mander story.
But you've got the copy now, haven't ya?
No, sir, we're still holding for it.
What?
Mary has it in Steve's office.
- Mary, where's that story? - I don't know.
Gimme that!
Oh, Pop? Come along with me, and hurry.
- What's wrong, Mary? - We've got to find Steve.
Right away. Come on.
Hey, Steve? You can't go in there.
The captain's asleep. Been on a case for 48 hours.
What are ya bustin' in here for?
- News. - No news. Get out!
- I got some news for you. - It'll keep.
Big news never keeps, this is gonna be screamin'
all over the 6:30 "Star."
I thought I'd be a good guy and come down
and tip you off to it.
Next time, don't trouble to be so nice.
And this time, get out.
Mander's not going to the chair tonight, Cole.
What do you mean?
I thought that'd make you sit up.
Gimme a match.
- Is this a gag? - No, it's not a gag.
- Mander didn't kill Halford. - Well, if he didn't, who did?
That's the news, see, that's the news.
You still want me to keep it?
- No, spill it. - Alright, I'll spill it.
But I'm gonna spill it in my own way.
Alright.
The story begins five years ago.
Yeah.
Yeah, it begins five years ago
with a young wife telling her husband
that she had met a couple of upright businessmen
that were gonna invest her life savings safely.
- Halford and Mander? - Yeah.
I see, and the nice young wife
was playing around with one of 'em, hm?
That's right, that's right, with Halford.
Halford was a ladies' man.
He was the type that fascinates women.
And this Mander was the kind of a guy
that used Halford's charm to snare in any woman
who was sap enough to fall for it.
Who was the woman, Steve?
She deserted her husband.
She turned over everything they had to these two guys.
And then when she didn't have anymore
she found out she was alone
and she found that out, that was too much for her.
The police dragged her body out of the river a few days later.
And that was too much for the husband.
Well, go on.
Then he became a brooding maniac.
He neglected his work.
He stayed drunk for days and days at a time.
And, finally, this brooding drove him
to the murder of Halford.
So, he phoned Mander to come to the shooting gallery
to get a message.
Well, then he was shot from the shooting gallery?
No, he was shot from a hallway.
- Next to the shooting gallery. - But the gun, Steve.
That gun was Rafferty's.
The fellow borrowed it long enough
to do the job.
- Who was it, Steve? - He squared everything.
By killing one of them and framing the other.
Well, then all that evidence was framed against Mander.
Yeah, the fellow who shot Halford sat in the courtroom
and watched Mander being tried and convicted for murder.
And he thought he was going to be able
to see him go to the chair...
...but he couldn't.
And that's why you're hearing the story.
Steve. Steve, what have you told him?
- Mary, what're you doing here? - Oh, please, don't believe him.
He's been drinking, he doesn't know what he's saying.
- Go on with your story, Steve. - No, no, Steve.
- I've broken that cylinder. - Who killed Halford?
Steve, don't you say another word.
I did.
Call Sweeney.
Can I use your phone?
Help yourself.
Get me Robins at "The Star" office, will ya?
- Yeah. - 'Steve Grey on the phone.'
- 'Mr. Robins.' - Hey, where are you?
Did you accept my resignation?
No, but the next time you resign, you're fired!
Well, here's that story you've been waiting for.
Steve Grey just confessed to the murder of Halford.
What! Are you crazy?
I'm sorry, old timer, it's on the square.
Well, son, ya-you did the wrong thing
but you straightened it out the right way.
I knew you'd take it that way.
I knew you'd do it that way.
I guess we must be related, huh, Pop?
Yes, I guess so.
Go on back to your work now, Pop.
I'll be here tomorrow to see you.
Alright, I'll be here.
Come on, Mary.
I had to go through with it, Mary.
I understand.
I'm sure you must've had your reasons.
I did.
It couldn't have worked out any other way.
You remember my telling you a long time ago
about being caught in the rapids and going wherever it took you?
Yes.
Well, that's what happened to me.
And I, I'd like you always to remember that.
I'll remember a whole lot more than that.
Yeah. So will I.
Just, just think of me as one of those fellows
who wrote you a letter, Mary
because your answer to the problem
would have been the same as mine, wouldn't it?
You better go now.
Oh, darling.
What is it, chief?
- Book Grey for murder. - Mu...
- Murder? - Halford.
Come on, Steve.
Don't feel too badly.
I've been around for 30 years
and I want to tell you something.
It's a long step from here to the finish.
You know...
...juries take a lot of things into consideration.