( noirish jazz theme playing )
( dramatic theme playing )
( soft music playing over speakers )
Hello, Mr. Selkirk.
My plane just got in from Los Angeles.
Your office told me to meet you here.
Well...
is Miss Allison still seeing this Richard Benedict?
Apparently, my little plan isn't working.
But this is the tenth letter.
They come at least twice a week.
And it's always the same kind of story
about some woman being killed
because she left a man.
BENEDICT: Quite a character, your Mr. Martin Selkirk.
You can't imagine how cruel he is.
He has a son, David, by a previous marriage.
You wouldn't believe how Martin mistreats him
when the boy spends a weekend with him.
He says David needs discipline.
Claire, this doesn't look like typing.
CLAIRE: The police say it was done on a small hand press.
BENEDICT: Oh?
Every envelope postmarked Los Angeles?
Dick? Hm?
I've made up my mind that we've got to stop seeing each other.
Claire...
you don't know what you're talking about.
Now, Selkirk's stampeding you.
This is exactly what he wants.
I admit it.
I'm afraid for both of us.
Well, I'm not.
Look...
I know a detective in L.A. named Paul Drake.
If Selkirk is printing these,
there's bound to be some evidence somewhere.
Look, Claire--
( grunts )
( menacing theme playing )
Why don't you look where you're going?
( screams )
I'm sorry, Claire...
but your escort was so clumsy.
( dramatic theme playing )
Good morning, Miss Allison.
Miss Walsh. How's Mr. Benedict?
Grumpy. That means he's doing fine.
( laughs )
Dr. Mayberry says he'll be able
to leave tomorrow.
Oh, good.
Oh, incidentally, I brought you and the other nurses
a box of candy.
You've all been so very nice.
Oh, thank you. He's in the solarium.
Oh.
( rings )
Excuse me.
Third floor, Walsh.
Just a moment.
Miss Allison? ( elevator dings )
Miss Allison,
phone call for you,
long distance from Los Angeles.
I'll tell Mr. Benedict you're here.
Hello?
Yes, this is Claire Allison.
Who?
Lorraine Jennings.
Lorraine Selkirk Jennings.
Selkirk?
I'm David's mother,
Martin's first wife.
Uh, your office told me
I might be able to reach you at the hospital.
I do hope Mr. Benedict is feeling better.
How did you hear about that?
Martin told me himself.
Oh, he was very subtle about it,
but I got the message.
Miss Allison, I know how frightened you are.
I think I may be able to help you
if you will come to Los Angeles.
No. No, it's impossible to discuss on the phone.
But if you will follow my advice,
Martin won't bother you again.
Besides, it'll give you
an opportunity to see David.
He talks of you constantly.
Yes, he's right here.
Well, I can't make any promises,
but I'll do my best.
That's all I ask.
She's coming, Ralph.
( ominous theme playing )
MAN: Well, I had managed to take the same plane as Miss Allison.
We landed in Los Angeles about an hour ago.
Miss Allison was met at the Los Angeles airport
by your ex-wife and her husband, Mr. Jennings.
They drove immediately to the Jennings home in Bren--
I know what Mr. and Mrs. Jennings
did down here.
I don't need you for that.
Thanks.
I wanna know what they did up there.
Well, Benedict gets out of the hospital tomorrow.
Miss Allison has seen him every day.
( chuckles )
She doesn't give up easily, does she?
You, uh, sure are stuck on that girl, aren't you?
All my life I've had what I wanted.
A man gets used to that.
As for Miss Allison,
when I saw her, I liked her.
And I want her.
Anybody else comes next.
( lonely theme playing )
He's probably fast asleep.
He's an angel.
( sighs )
( chuckles )
Now you go on back in and look after David.
Go on. Scoot!
Heh.
That's Mr. Gus. He's David's babysitter
when we can't get Hannah Barton.
Does David sleep out here very often?
No, but he's going up to Camp Kilgore
tomorrow morning at 9,
and he just had to break in his equipment.
Mrs. Jennings...
Lorraine.
You said you could help me.
Let's go inside.
What we have in mind is quite simple, Miss Allison.
We want you to testify for us in court.
Testify?
About Martin's treatment of David.
Well, y-yes, I know, but--
You don't know what this means
to my wife, Miss Allison.
There's a new hearing set for next week,
and I'm sure that with your help
we can get sole custody of David.
But I thought that you a-and your husband
had some plan to help me.
This is part of it.
The testimony that we bring out at the hearing
will tie in with those letters and clippings
that he's been sending you.
It'll be obvious that Martin's been threatening you,
and then you can go to the district attorney, and--
Lorraine!
I-I'd love to help you, but...
I-I just don't wanna get any more involved.
Oh, please, Claire, don't say no.
We have the whole thing worked out.
I think Miss Allison needs a good night's rest
before she makes any decision.
Rest?
I haven't slept in months.
( chuckles )
Let me get you a sedative.
All right.
Good night, dear Ralph.
Don't stay up too late.
Just till I fix David's train.
Good night. Good night.
( quiet theme playing )
( gunshot )
( ominous theme playing )
( shivering )
( suspense theme swells )
( sighs )
So I...wandered around until it was light,
and then I called the Paul Drake detective agency
because Dick Benedict mentioned his name.
Mr. Drake referred me to you.
As I recall, you said you took a sleeping tablet.
( shakily ): Yes.
You woke when you heard the sound of a shot.
I think it was a shot.
But it could have been a car backfiring.
It c-could have been.
I was very groggy.
You were very groggy,
and you were...still groggy
when you saw that printing press
in the closet.
Yes. But I did see it.
These clippings, when did they start coming in?
Right after I first began seeing Dick Benedict.
Before that, did Martin Selkirk
ask you to come back to him?
Oh, yes.
He told me in just so many words
that if I didn't marry him, I would never marry anybody.
Where is Benedict now?
Still in San Francisco?
As far as I know.
Della, get in touch with Paul.
I want him to look into this whole situation immediately.
Mm-hm. And let him see your notes.
Let's go, Miss Allison.
Claire, it's your prerogative not to testify,
but why you had to go to an attorney--
Ralph, this is Mr. Perry Mason.
Claire left here very early
this morning to go to him.
He's an attorney.
How do you do, Mr. Mason?
Uh, please forgive my appearance.
I suffer from arthritis.
This change in the weather hasn't done it any good.
Mr. Jennings.
Well, what's wrong?
Did you hear a gunshot during the night?
Did you, Mrs. Jennings?
No. What about your boy?
Well, I'm afraid we can't very well ask David.
He's on his way to Camp Kilgore.
He didn't say anything about it
when I drove him to the bus at 9:00 this morning.
When Miss Allison was awakened
in the middle of the night,
she went to the linen closet for a blanket.
She found a small printing press
of the kind used in printing her address
on certain envelopes.
Envelopes which contained
certain newspaper clippings.
We'd better investigate.
( suspenseful theme playing )
It was here last night!
Are you accusing us of sending you
those horrible letters?
I did see the printing press.
Just a moment.
Who else has a key to your home?
Hannah Barton, our regular babysitter, has one.
And?
My former husband, Martin Selkirk,
might still have one.
We lived here before the divorce,
and the house was part of the settlement.
Were you away last evening?
For about an hour, when we went to the airport
to pick up Miss Allison.
Was your babysitter here?
No, we couldn't get her.
Are you suggesting that Selkirk
could have planted that press here?
Apparently, he's the kind of a man
who would resort to any expedient
to keep Mrs. Jennings and Miss Allison
from pooling their forces.
Mrs. Jennings,
does your ex-husband maintain
a residence in Los Angeles?
Yes. He has a home in Ocean Beach, on Kelton Road
at Coast Boulevard.
Thank you. Claire?
( dramatic theme playing )
( rings )
( ominous theme playing )
That Martin Selkirk?
Oh.
( ominous theme escalates )
Claire, come here.
That's it!
Do you wanna put your mark on this .22, lieutenant?
It's been processed.
All right.
Take good care of that.
Yes, sir.
Oh, uh, would you please step in here, Miss Allison?
And would you sit down?
You mind telling us where you were
between 4 and 5 this morning?
I was just walking around.
It's the truth.
I was waiting for Mr. Mason's office to open.
What was the problem?
She doesn't have to answer that.
Where did you find this, lieutenant?
Over there, where we found the printing press.
These are all the same.
Mr. Selkirk believed in being prepared.
You were afraid of him, weren't you?
Excuse me, lieutenant.
Could I impose upon you
to give me your fingerprints?
Why should I?
Well, I think your attorney
will tell you that we're within our rights.
All right, sergeant.
Will you please step over here, ma'am?
We, uh, found this print on the printing press.
If we can find the one who left it there,
we may be halfway home.
( dramatic theme playing )
Well, operator, do you have any idea
where we could reach Mr. Benedict?
But he's definitely left the hospital?
All right. Thank you.
( phone rings )
Yes, Gertie?
Who? Uh, just one minute.
A Mr. Horace Selkirk to see you?
"According to the victim's father, Horace Selkirk,
"president of Wayne National Bank"...
Send the gentleman in, Gertie.
Thank you.
What do you suppose he wants?
I'd hate to hazard a guess.
Mr. Mason?
MASON: That's right. Come in.
( door closes )
Sit down, won't you?
This is my confidential secretary, Miss Street.
You represent a young woman named Claire Allison?
That's right.
I want you to represent me.
What for?
You didn't know my son? No.
He was cruel, arrogant and vindictive,
but he was my son, my only son.
You know what that means? I haven't anyone else.
What about your grandchild?
That's exactly why I'm here.
I want the custody of David.
The child belongs to me.
And not to his mother?
I think you can do something about that.
I'm a businessman, Mr. Mason.
I can help you clear your client
if you play ball.
And...how do I play ball?
By proving that my son's ex-wife killed him.
You're not interested in finding the real murderer?
That's the past.
I'm only interested in the future.
David is the future for me.
What about it?
Sorry.
Mr. Mason, I intend to get the custody of my grandchild,
with your help if possible,
without it if necessary.
Is that clear?
Perfectly.
( phone rings )
Oh.
Yes?
Hello, Paul.
He is?
Dick Benedict's in Paul's office.
No wonder I couldn't reach him in San Francisco.
( strained ): My jaw's still wired together.
So if there's anything you don't understand, just stop me.
Why did you leave the hospital?
Well, I was worried about Claire.
So you drove down here?
Yes.
What time did you arrive?
Oh, about 5:30.
At quarter of 6,
I was driving past the Jennings' house
on my way to the motel
when I saw a man washing down the driveway.
Before 6 in the morning?
Yes. Ow.
Yes.
Now, just as he finished,
a woman and a little boy came out of the house.
The woman was carrying a valise.
The boy must have been David.
He and the woman got into a car
and drove off.
Can you describe the woman?
Well, she was tall, and thin,
almost skinny.
You didn't talk to the man.
No, I was exhausted.
I drove to the motel and went to bed.
When I woke up, I got a paper.
That's when I read about Claire, and called Mr. Drake.
Tell me something...
Did you know Martin Selkirk had a beach house?
You think I might have killed him?
Did you?
It's an interesting theory.
( door closes )
You believe his story?
About Jennings washing down the driveway
and the woman taking David away at 6:00?
Yeah, I think I do.
Jennings told me he drove David to the bus at 9:00.
He must have changed his plans.
Why?
I don't know.
I wonder if that boy saw something
he shouldn't have seen.
Like what?
Like murder.
What was the name of that camp?
Kilgore. Camp Kilgore.
Yeah, it's, uh-- It's up at Crystal Lake.
How long does it take to get up there?
Which one of us is going up there?
( laughs )
( children shouting playfully )
MAN: That's it. Run it out! Run it out!
BOY: Out!
( suspenseful theme playing )
Hi.
Hi. How do you do?
You, uh, one of the counselors?
That's right.
Thought I'd come and look the place over.
Glad to have you.
( all shouting )
That's a wonderful bunch of kids.
( chuckles ): Yeah.
Yeah, they're all right.
Where's, uh--? Where's David Selkirk?
David isn't here this session.
Oh, but I thought he--
Well, I did too,
but Mr. Jennings called this morning
and said David wasn't feeling well.
I guess they decided to keep him at home.
( laughs )
I guess I'd better get back on the job.
Yeah, me too.
Okay, kids, let's talk it up now.
Here we go!
No, Mr. Mason, I will not tell you where David is.
Moreover, I'd resent it if you talked to him.
No, sir, I will not.
Benedict said a tall, thin blond
picked David up at 6:00 this morning.
Could that have been Hannah Barton, the babysitter?
Could be.
( sighs )
How would you like to pose as my wife?
During working hours?
You want a bonus?
( laughs )
Don't sell yourself short.
What's the plan?
Well, we can use my apartment,
but we'll need a baby, and a babysitter
named Hannah Barton.
I'm sure you can manage both.
( gentle theme playing )
Isn't she a sweetheart?
I wonder if she'll come over to me.
Come on, honey. Come on.
Come on, sweetie.
Come on, over here. Come on. Come on.
Come on.
( gurgling )
Come on. Come on. Come on.
Ah, that's a girl.
How's that? ( fusses )
It's just your fatal charm.
Come on, now, I promised her mommy
I wouldn't spoil her.
( doorbell rings )
Here.
Here, put her in the playpen.
Yeah.
Come on, sweetheart. Come on.
Come on.
HANNAH: How do you do?
I'm Hannah Barton.
Oh, uh, won't you come in?
Thank you.
( door closes )
Darling, uh, this is Miss Barton.
Yeah. How do you do, Mrs. Street?
Uh, how do you do?
Uh...
( toy rattles )
Oh. Ain't he cute?
Yeah. Uh, won't you sit down?
Thank you.
Now, don't you folks worry about me.
You just run along and have a good time.
I'll find everything and do a little reading.
Do you have television?
Ha-ha. Of course.
You, uh, understand, Miss Barton,
this is the first time we've done this kind of thing.
Oh. Ain't that just like a man?
Well, I'm a little concerned myself,
but the Jennings said you were so wonderful with children.
Oh, are you friends of theirs? Mm-hm.
DELLA: Now, where do you think we heard about you?
Mrs. Jennings says she wouldn't have David
with anyone else but Hannah Barton.
You know, they made me promise
not to talk about David to anyone.
Oh, I don't blame them.
I don't blame them at all,
his father just being murdered.
I told the Jennings they needn't worry.
No one will get a word out of me.
I'm a little surprised they didn't call you
to take David away this morning.
They did, but I couldn't take off for Sonora, Mexico,
at 10:15 in the morning just like that.
Of course not.
I hope David enjoyed the flight.
You know how he is.
( scoffs )
A child's bound to be nervous
with a horrible father like that Mr. Selkirk.
Why, the last time David
came back from his weekend visit,
he was so nervous and upset
that the only way I could calm him down
was to give him that--
Give him what, Miss Barton?
Well, you were able to calm him down?
Uh, d... Yes, I just let him play
with his favorite toy.
Didn't you realize that that could have been...
very dangerous?
But it, uh-- It all happened accidental.
I-- I ran across it in the guest room one night,
and as soon as David saw it, he wanted to play with it.
You know how children are.
Cowboys and Indians...
Anyway, I didn't see no harm.
It was empty.
You actually let him play with a gun?
Well, I told his parents about it. Hm.
How often did David take the gun to bed with him?
Now see here, Mr. Street.
I ain't sayin' another word.
I promised Mrs. Jennings I wouldn't.
Now, if you want me to sit for the baby--
( moans )
I'm sorry, dear. Something I can do?
Oh, I'm-- I think I'm getting one of my headaches.
I'm afraid I won't be able to go out tonight.
Oh...
Well.
If that isn't a nice "how do you do."
You get me all the way from Brentwood.
Ha-ha. We'll be calling on you again.
Ohhh! Well, thank you very much.
I'm so sorry about your headache, dearie,
but if you need me again, you know my number.
As I said, we'll be calling on you again.
Goodbye.
She permitted that child to play with a real gun.
That's what she said.
( sighs )
You think...
Well, you thought that Mr. and Mrs. Jennings
were hiding David because he may have witnessed
the murder of his father.
Do you think it's possible that--?
That David killed him?
Yeah.
I don't know, Della.
Either way, that little boy's
gonna be in a lot of trouble.
I've gotta find him before the police find him.
I'm going to International Airport.
( dramatic theme playing )
MASON: There they are, Katherine Collins and David Selkirk.
The lady was tall, thin, blond hair, fair complexion.
I-I think so.
Her companion was a boy, about 5 years old.
Oh, now I remember.
You know, they never did pick up their reservations.
They didn't?
Well, no. They arrived in plenty of time to sign in.
That's when I checked 'em off, the lady and the boy.
Then they weren't on that flight?
Well, no, you see,
these two men stopped 'em.
What two men?
Well, I don't know.
They had badges. They took the lady and the boy away.
You know...
( voice lowered ): if you ask me,
they were policemen.
( dramatic theme playing )
A .22-caliber bullet entered the left side.
It ranged slightly backward
and lodged in the chest.
It did not go all the way through.
Most of all the bleeding was internal.
And was the bullet you're holding in your hand, doctor,
the cause of death?
DOCTOR: It was.
Were you able to determine
the time of death?
DOCTOR: Between 4 and 5:00
on the morning of July 3rd.
Thank you, doctor. That will be all.
Cross-examine.
May I have a moment, Your Honor?
You may, Mr. Mason.
( quietly ): Perry, I'll swear the police
haven't got that boy.
I can't find him, and I can't find anybody
at headquarters who's even seen him.
All right. Keep after it, Paul.
I'll try to stall as long as I can.
All right.
Doctor, was death instantaneous?
No.
I would estimate death followed the shot
by about ten to 12 minutes.
Could it have been longer?
DOCTOR: Yes.
Could the deceased have been ambulatory after the shot?
Yes.
Then the deceased could have been shot, say, in Brentwood,
got in his car and driven to his beach house
not really aware that he was mortally wounded?
It's possible.
Yes.
Thank you, doctor. That's all.
Yes, sir, we found the printing press
in the beach house of the deceased.
I see.
Lieutenant, I show you this photograph,
and ask if you can identify it.
Yes, sir, it's a photograph
of a fingerprint we found on the metal ink plate
of the press.
And were you able to identify the fingerprint?
Yes, sir.
It's the print of the middle finger
of the defendant,
Claire Allison.
If it please the court, I should like this photograph
entered into evidence and marked for the people,
Exhibit M.
Now, lieutenant, I show you this revolver,
previously entered in evidence,
and I ask if you can identify it.
Yes, it has my mark on it.
It's a Smith & Wesson .22-caliber revolver,
registered to Ralph Jennings.
And it is the murder weapon.
And where was the weapon found?
In the, uh, kitchen of the decedent's beach house.
I see. Thank you, lieutenant. That will be all.
BURGER: Cross-examine.
Lieutenant, how many fingerprints
did you find on that printing press?
One.
On the ink plate?
Yes.
No place else in the house?
No, sir.
Not even on the murder weapon?
No. No, sir.
As an expert in homicide,
don't you think that unusual?
Well, I've learned there's something unusual
in every homicide.
Thank you, lieutenant. That's all.
Yes, sir.
Claire showed these to me
at a restaurant one night in San Francisco.
What did she say about them?
That she had received several others like these.
Did she say anything else?
That Martin Selkirk had been sending 'em
to her to frighten her...
because she had broken their engagement.
MASON: I see.
Thank you, sir. That will be all.
Your witness.
May I, Mr. Burger?
Thank you.
Mr. Benedict,
Miss Allison having taken you into her confidence
about the clippings and letters,
the inference is that you and she
had something more in common than friendship.
I love Claire.
MASON: You felt protective toward her?
Yes.
And when you heard what Martin Selkirk was doing,
you were angry?
I was very angry.
I notice you still have a slight impairment in speech.
Did you incur an injury at the restaurant
that night in San Francisco?
Yes.
The decedent struck you?
Yes. With brass knuckles.
And if you're looking for a motive for me, you've got it!
I hated him enough to kill him!
Your Honor!
( gavel bangs ) JUDGE: Order!
The witness will desist from any of these outbursts,
and confine himself to a simple answer
without volunteering any information.
Just answer the questions.
I've no further questions of the witness.
You may stand down.
Now, before the next witness is called,
the court will take its customary lunch period.
The court is adjourned until 2:00.
( ominous theme playing )
Miss Barton?
Well, Mr. Street.
Mr. Selkirk just passed you by without saying a word.
Is he angry with you?
What's he got to be angry with me about?
You weren't very fond of his son.
He may have sensed that.
So what if he did?
He was certainly no shining example
of a loving father.
Oh, the scenes they used to have.
You saw them together?
Several times.
Where?
Over at Junior's place in Ocean Beach.
I used to take David there.
You mean they argued in front of David?
Argued? It was disgusting.
They fought like cats and dogs.
But Mr. Selkirk continued to go to his son's house.
He had to if he wanted to see David.
And he sure wanted to see him.
He loves that child as much as he hated his son.
I see.
Thank you very much, Miss Barton.
( suspenseful theme playing )
Miss Street, Mason.
Come over in the shade.
DELLA: Thank you.
Won't you sit down?
I'm glad you reconsidered my proposition.
I'm not here to represent you
in the custody matter, Mr. Selkirk.
What are you here for?
I'm here to suggest that we keep David
within the jurisdiction of the California courts.
Where do you suspect David is?
Could be anyplace...
including police headquarters.
What can I do?
Well, if the police have David,
you being his grandfather can insist
they're violating the law by detaining him.
And if Lorraine is hiding him?
You could allege that he's being held in illegal custody.
A writ of habeas corpus would force her
to disclose his whereabouts.
There are several avenues open to you.
All designed to uncover David.
Isn't that what you want?
More importantly, it happens to be what you want.
Well? You bring that boy to court,
put on one of your three-ring circuses.
I can see the headlines now:
"Child tells story of father's murder."
You'd like that, wouldn't you?
All I'd like is the opportunity
of talking with David.
I'll discuss it with my attorney.
Time is short.
I'll call him within the hour.
Good day, sir.
( suspenseful theme playing )
( engine starts )
( buzzes )
Hello, Miss Collins.
Well, hi, David.
Hi. How are you?
Fine.
Let me fix your coat for you, all right?
Who are you? W-what are you doing here?
My name is Perry Mason.
COLLINS: The lawyer?
That's right.
This is my secretary, Miss Street.
How do you do?
Hi, David.
Hi. I can wiggle my ears.
You can? Well, let me see you.
Watch.
( Della laughs )
Why don't you come in here
and show me how to do that?
It's all right, David.
All right? ( mumbling )
Let's go. Come on.
( Della laughs )
Miss Collins, do you know
you're technically guilty of kidnapping?
Oh, no.
No, Mr. Selkirk told me--
Mr. Selkirk told you he'd be responsible
for your actions if you brought David here
instead of following his parents' orders.
Mr. Selkirk, after all, is the boy's grandfather.
And I assume he paid you a great deal of money.
Now, what has he done to make the Jennings believe
that you and David are in Mexico?
He was gonna send the Jennings a wire from Mexico
telling them that David was safe.
Making you party to still another crime.
( exhales )
David's grandfather has no more to say about his custody
than the man on the moon.
Now...
why did Mr. and Mrs. Jennings
want you to take David to Mexico?
Because...
Because David shot his own father.
( tragic theme playing )
Shot Martin Selkirk?
Yes.
With the gun he had under his pillow?
( sighs ): Yes.
Sometime in the middle of the night,
his real father slipped into the tent
when David was asleep.
David was awakened suddenly,
and, naturally, he was frightened.
He pulled the gun out
from under the pillow and fired.
Mr. Jennings kept telling him
it was all just a bad dream.
His grandfather kept trying to tell him
it was a dream too.
What does David really believe?
( sighs )
Just a matter of telling him
over and over and over again that it was just a dream.
Maybe someday he'll come to believe it.
Della?
Come on, David.
We'd better go.
Goodbye, David.
Goodbye. Heh-heh.
Goodbye.
Bye, David.
Bye.
Now, Mr. Jennings, I show you this revolver,
and I ask you if you've ever seen it before?
Yes, sir, I have.
I bought it three years ago.
Where was this gun usually kept?
In the top drawer of the vanity table
in our guest room.
BURGER: Well, that's the room the defendant occupied
on the night of the murder. Is that correct?
JENNINGS: Yes, sir.
And where did you spend that night?
On the sofa in the den.
Isn't that rather unusual?
( scoffs ): Not too.
I'm troubled with arthritis,
and whenever my knee acts up
I find it difficult to climb the stairs.
I see.
Were you disturbed during that night at all?
Well, I awoke once around 3:00.
I thought I heard the front door open and close.
Really? And when you woke in the morning,
was the defendant still in your home?
No, sir. She was gone.
BURGER: Did you, by any chance,
check the guest room to see if the gun was still there?
Yes, sir, at-- At the request of the police.
It was gone.
I see. Thank you, Mr. Jennings.
That will be all. Your witness.
Oh, Mr. Mason.
Thank you.
Now, Mr. Jennings, you testified
you kept this weapon in your guest room?
That's right.
Was it there on the night of July 2nd?
It was.
Who knew where the gun was kept?
JENNINGS: Just my wife and myself.
MASON: No one else?
No, sir.
Are you familiar with a woman named Hannah Barton?
JENNINGS: Yes, Mrs. Barton occasionally babysits for us.
And when Mrs. Barton
would spend the entire night at your home,
where would she sleep?
In the guest room.
Did she know about the gun, or ever mention it?
She might have. I-- I don't recall.
MASON: Isn't it true that Mrs. Barton allowed David
to play with the gun?
I wouldn't know about that.
Well, I submit you would.
I submit Mrs. Barton told you she had.
I don't remember that at all.
You did not give David permission
to play with this gun?
I most certainly did not.
A-a gun is not my idea of a toy.
Mr. Jennings, where is David now?
Your Honor, would you please instruct the witness
to answer the question?
You will answer the question, Mr. Jennings.
JENNINGS: He's in Sonora, Mexico.
When you and Mrs. Jennings went to the airport
to pick up the defendant, you left David alone,
asleep in a tent in your backyard.
Is that correct? Yes.
And didn't you permit him to keep the gun under his pillow?
No!
Now, Mr. Jennings...
I feel I must warn you.
David is right here in Los Angeles.
I don't believe you.
He's with a Miss Katherine Collins
of the Kingston Arms.
If necessary, we can bring him into court.
Your Honor, may I request--
No, you can't bring him here!
He's just a child.
But he could tell us what happened
on the night of July 2nd.
I'll tell you.
David did have the gun under his pillow that night.
But around 1:00 in the morning, I removed it.
I put it on a table in the entry.
Did David wake when you removed the gun?
No!
Aren't you lying, Mr. Jennings?
Didn't you send David away because he'd come running
into the house in the middle of the night,
sobbing that he'd just shot someone?
JENNINGS: No, that's not true!
MASON: What was your reason for sending him away?
I wanted to keep David out of this.
Lord knows, I did my best.
You're right, Mr. Mason.
David did come into the den that night.
He was crying.
He said he had shot someone.
I woke his mother
and went out to investigate.
And what did you find?
Martin Selkirk.
He was unconscious.
I decided to drive him back to his home.
It was then that my wife told me about Miss Allison
finding the printing press in the closet.
I knew Selkirk had planted it there.
So I took the press back too.
And when you returned,
you washed the bloodstains off the driveway?
Yes.
And then you allowed
an innocent woman to be accused of murder.
I didn't want David to grow up
thinking he'd killed his own father!
I had no choice!
I submit that you did.
I submit that you could have told the truth,
that David did not kill his father.
I tell you, he fired a shot!
But that shot did not kill Martin Selkirk,
because Martin Selkirk was nowhere on the premises.
Then what happened to the bullet?
How long have you had arthritis?
You think the shot hit me?
There's one way you can prove I'm wrong.
You satisfied now?
Perfectly.
It was the dog, wasn't it?
It was Mr. Gus that David hit.
I don't know what you're talking about!
Where is the dog, Mr. Jennings?
Tell him, Ralph.
Tell him the truth, or I will.
Will you step forward, young lady?
He did make me believe that my child
had committed a murder, Mr. Mason.
JUDGE: Where is the dog, Mrs. Jennings?
At Dr. Ferber's.
He's a vet in Brentwood.
If Your Honor please--
And with Mr. Burger's permission.
--I would like to suggest that Dr. Ferber be brought here
to testify as to whether or not
he removed a .22-caliber bullet from that dog.
Your Honor,
I would like to join Mr. Mason in his request.
JENNINGS: No!
You don't have to do that.
( tense theme playing )
David did hit the dog.
I killed Martin Selkirk.
You've got to believe me, Lorraine.
I did it for you.
( chokes )
Hi, beautiful. Where have you been?
Down at, uh, police headquarters.
Jennings just signed a confession.
The funny thing is, he actually did do it for Mrs. Jennings.
He felt sure that she'd lose custody of David.
Well, what about the printing press?
That belonged to Jennings.
Well, then he was the one
who sent those letters to Claire Allison.
Would you like to hear the whole story?
Yes, Paul, go on.
Jennings felt sure that Selkirk would be blamed
for those letters.
But when Claire discovered the printing press,
that changed everything.
Jennings became rattled, and--
Well, Jennings became rattled--
And when Claire left the house,
he drove down to Ocean Beach
and killed Mr. Selkirk.
That's the whole story.
Perry...
What's wrong?
I just remembered I was supposed to take care of
Jill Carter's babysitting problem tonight.
You know, sort of in payment for borrowing her child.
I'd, uh, be very glad to help.
Oh, would you, Paul?
It would be my pleasure.
Good.
I have just the sitter to keep you company.
Hannah Barton.
( laughs )
( noirish jazz theme playing )