[PHONE RINGS]
Hello?
What's the matter with you, Charlotte? I asked you never to call me here.
George, I thought you were coming over tonight.
I couldn't.
Why not?
I'll tell you when I see you.
Why can't you tell me now?
Because my wife is suspicious, that's why.
I think she has those letters you wrote me. I can't find them anywhere.
You mean, you kept them all?
Oh, George, how sweet.
This is suicide, Charlotte.
For all we know, my wife might be on the other extension.
Now, be a good girl and hang up. I'll talk to you later.
CHARLOTTE: When later?
GEORGE: Tomorrow. CHARLOTTE: You promise?
GEORGE: I promise.
I said, I promise.
I'll call you tomorrow around 10.
George.
I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Louise.
You mean, you're sorry I had to find out at all.
- No. I-- - It would have been more fun
to go sneaking around corners,
lying, cheating your wife.
- Please, I-- - It was part of the excitement, isn't it?
- Isn't it? - If you'd only just--
I hate you for what you've done to me. I hate you!
- Don't you ever do that again. - Let me go.
Let me go!
[SCREAMS]
[THUDDING]
Vicky, you must ask Louise to see me.
Talk to her, will you?
I have, George. You know that.
She's been home from the hospital a month.
A full month and she won't let me anywhere near her.
Be patient. She's had a rough time.
I know it's my fault. But I've got to see her. Please, Vicky.
You're the only one she'll listen to.
I'm sorry.
At least now I know where I stand.
Excuse me, Miss Braxton. I was wondering about vacuuming.
VICKY: Well, you can do it now.
Yes, ma'am.
Don't give up hope.
I'll talk to Louise again.
What do you think you're doing, Charlotte?
If the mountain won't come to Muhammad--
- And my name is Martha. - How long do you think
you're gonna get away with this?
I don't care. Just being around you is enough.
Are you crazy?
Yes, I'm crazy.
Nora Mae.
Oh, good evening, Miss Braxton.
- Is Mrs. Gordon awake? - Oh, yes, indeed.
I just gave her the 6:00 medicine.
- Fine. NORA MAE: I call it
the 6:00 medicine. That way it's easy to remember.
Of course.
Louise?
Nora Mae said you were awake.
I couldn't sleep.
If only you'd let me call Dr. Williams, he might prescribe something.
George has been talking to you, hasn't he?
Yes.
He wants to see you.
No!
Not as long as he lives.
It's bad enough I can't divorce him.
But under no circumstances will I ever see him again.
I don't want anyone coming in here but you and Nora Mae.
Do you understand?
Louise, please.
I know it's easy for me to talk.
I haven't been hurt the way you have.
You act as though George deliberately pushed you down those stairs.
He tried to kill me.
And I'll tell you something else about my precious husband.
In addition to all his other virtues, he's a thief.
He knows I keep my jewellery in here.
When I got home from the hospital I was too sick to care about it.
I just opened it again.
Two of my rings and my diamond and emerald bracelet are missing.
- You think he--? - Oh, yes. Yes.
Gifts for his girlfriend, Charlotte.
I don't believe it.
Well, it could've been, well, anybody.
Who? If it were just a burglar why isn't all the jewellery gone?
Vicky, I've made up my mind.
George is only interested in one thing, the money he gets from me.
Well, there's to be no more money.
Not now or ever.
I'm having my attorney draw up a new will.
Louise--
Don't interrupt.
I'm leaving everything to the Wayne Medical Centre.
Oh, you'll still be provided for just as you were in the old will.
You'll still get your $350 a month.
Really, dear--
Oh, don't thank me.
It's no more than you deserve.
But George won't get a penny.
Don't try to make a decision like that now.
Wait until you feel better.
- Maybe sometime in the future, you-- - Oh, Vicky, don't lie to me.
Lie to you?
We both know I have no future.
Well, my dear.
Checkmate.
I'm so sorry you lost.
Better luck next time, as they say.
Now, would you like to play another?
Oh.
Do you like these?
Well, they were given to me by a very close personal friend.
A very good-looking man.
He was an artist.
GEORGE: Nora Mae.
Just a minute, please.
Oh. Is anything wrong with Mrs. Gordon?
No, she's all right. May I come in?
Why, of course.
There's something I wanna talk to you about.
And I think we better do it privately.
You're going to fire me.
No, no. We're very happy with your work.
Nora Mae, I need your help.
I think there's a way that we can help Mrs. Gordon
in spite of the way she feels.
Well, good.
I've been talking to a doctor friend of mine and he suggests a new medicine.
Problem is how to get her to take it.
Oh...
You mustn't give it to her unless her doctor says it's all right.
They taught me that
when I was a nurse's aide at the hospital.
But I see you, uh, giving her medicine every night.
Oh, that's just a harmless old tonic.
I just add hot milk and honey.
- You like Mrs. Gordon, don't you? - Why, of course.
And you certainly don't wanna see her suffer.
I want you to give these pills to my wife.
What's this?
- Oh, that's just part of a chess game. - Hmm, interesting.
Good night, Nora Mae.
GERTIE: Perry Mason's office.
No, he isn't.
Yes, I'll see that he gets the message.
1-4-5-9-2.
Thank you.
- Good morning, Gertie. - Good morning, Mr. Mason.
Della in yet?
Yes, she's down the hall in Mr. Drake's office about the Tompkins deposition.
She'll be right back.
Tell her I'd like to see her as soon as she comes in.
- You're Perry Mason. - Yes.
I recognised you the minute you came in that door.
I saw your picture in the paper a few weeks ago.
My, you're a fine-looking man.
Well, thank you.
I think I need advice, Mr. Mason.
- Well, I'm afraid that-- - Oh, I'm willing to pay.
I've always said that when it's something important, get the best.
Money is no object.
Perhaps I should refer you to the Legal Aid Society. They--
All right.
Maybe you'd better come into my office.
Thank you very much, Mr. Mason.
I wouldn't have bothered you except this man is going to murder his wife.
And it seems to me that it...
What makes you so sure these tablets are poison, Miss Quincey?
Well, Mr. Gordon, he acted so funny.
Well, he could be telling the truth.
Well, he and Mrs. Gordon haven't been getting along.
She won't talk to him, won't even see him.
Isn't that a pity?
Miss Quincey, if you're honestly convinced
that this man is trying to kill his wife, you ought to tell the police.
But I have.
What did they say?
Well, they were awfully busy.
It was one of their rush days, I guess.
Oh, but I had a very nice chat with Sergeant Wallace.
And you showed him the tablets?
No, sir. I never got a chance.
MASON: Hmm.
All right, Miss Quincey.
There are four tablets in this bottle.
I want you to leave one with me.
You keep the other three.
But under no circumstances are you to give Mrs. Gordon any of these tablets.
You understand?
Good.
I know I've taken up a lot of your time, Mr. Mason.
- And time is money. So-- - Oh, uh, my fee?
Well, uh, what would you say this consultation is worth?
Well, I don't think a man like you ought to work for too little money.
I couldn't agree with you more.
Would, uh, $5 be all right?
Just exactly the figure I had in mind.
NORA MAE: Well, good. I've got it right here.
One,
two, three, four, five.
- There you are. - Well, thank you, Miss Quincey.
Thank you.
Gracious, I feel better already
just knowing that you'll be worrying about this right along with me.
Goodbye, Mr. Mason.
- Goodbye, dear. DELLA: Goodbye.
You've been very nice and quiet.
Oh, and thank you for the tea.
Oh, not at all.
What is this fatal attraction you have for nice little old ladies?
Must be my great capacity for tea.
I suppose she's harmless.
Mm, I don't know.
There's more to Miss Quincey than meets the eye.
Those diamonds she was wearing, for instance.
I thought her fingers were on fire.
You know, she didn't get those at the five-and-dime.
MASON: Mm-mm.
Maybe I should have been a practical nurse.
Sometimes you are.
Well, let's see what we have here.
Paul Drake Detective Agency?
Mm-hm. Give it to Paul. Tell him I want it analysed as soon as possible.
Do you suppose it could be poison?
Could be.
As I said, there's more to Miss Quincey than meets the eye.
Hello, Nora Mae.
Did you enjoy yourself this afternoon?
I was going to put it back.
And the rings too.
Your wife wasn't using them.
They were so beautiful, I couldn't help it.
I just wanted to own them for a little while.
That's all right, Nora Mae. I understand perfectly.
Of course, the police might look at this thing differently.
Oh, please, don't tell the police.
Where are those tablets I gave you for Mrs. Gordon?
Where are they, Nora Mae?
In my purse.
I suggest that now would be an excellent time
for you to give them to her.
Don't you agree?
But--
But what?
[LOUISE BREATHING HEAVILY OVER INTERCOM]
LOUISE [OVER INTERCOM]: Vicky.
Vicky, help.
What is it, Louise?
[LOUISE MOANING OVER INTERCOM]
Miss Quincey, I have a syringe in my bag in a metal case.
It's sterile, so be careful.
Never mind.
MAN: Excuse me, lieutenant.
I think this is what you wanted.
Where did you find it?
Just where Mr. Gordon said it was.
Well, I don't think we have to keep you people any longer.
Right now.
Except you, Miss Quincey.
Really, lieutenant, I know you have the wrong idea about this.
I'm sure Nora Mae can explain everything.
Yes, I'm sure she can too.
Now, if you'll be good enough to excuse us.
Miss Quincey, would you like to tell me anything about this jewellery?
Well, I--
I borrowed it.
You borrowed it?
It's funny that Mrs. Gordon didn't tell her husband about it
or Miss Braxton.
It's just costume jewellery.
It's really not worth much.
Well, I never claimed to be much of an appraiser,
but I'd say it's worth in the neighbourhood of
$25,000.
Well, you must be mistaken.
Did, um, you bring Mrs. Gordon her milk last night?
Did you put anything in it?
Yes, I did. Some honey.
Mm-hm.
What else did you put in the milk?
Well, just that--
You think I poisoned Mrs. Gordon for those things?
I'm afraid you'll have to come with me.
I'll get my things.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
It must be Paul.
Hi, beautiful.
Here it is, Perry. The analysis on that pill.
The chemist just sent it over.
- Have you read this? - Uh-huh.
It's a stiff sedative, but that is all.
Oh, then, it isn't poison?
Definitely not. It would just put her to sleep.
Yet we can't get around the fact that Mrs. Gordon died of arsenic poisoning.
Paul, see what you can find out about George Gordon.
Della will give you the details.
All right.
If anyone calls me, I'll be down at headquarters.
Oh, Mr. Mason.
I'm so glad you're here.
Hello, Nora Mae.
Well.
How are they treating you?
Oh, just fine.
Mrs. Carmine, that's the policewoman, is just wonderful to me.
Would you believe it? She's got two full-grown children.
Of course, there's not much to do here in the evenings.
They'll never let me go home, will they?
Now, look, Nora Mae,
I wanna help you, but you've got to tell me the truth.
Why, of course, Mr. Mason.
You lied to the police, that's why you're here now.
Oh, I didn't lie.
I just--
Well, I was frightened.
That Lieutenant Tragg isn't nice.
But you did ignore my instructions about those pills, didn't you?
Why?
Well, Mr. Gordon made me do it.
I was afraid he'd call the police.
So you put the pills into the milk.
What time was that?
It was her 6:00 medicine time.
Did you put something else into the milk?
Yes. Some honey and her tonic.
Now, listen to me, Nora Mae, and listen carefully.
The pills Mr. Gordon gave you,
the pills you put into the milk, were just a sedative.
Just a sedative?
That's all.
But there was also arsenic in that milk.
There couldn't have been.
Why I didn't even give her that milk.
I just waited until I was sure Mr. Gordon had gone
and then I took that milk down to the kitchen
and poured it in the sink and brought her a fresh batch.
You say you did not give her that milk?
Oh, I know I've been naughty, but I wouldn't do a thing like that.
All right, Nora Mae.
All right.
The only question is:
How are we going to prove that?
You'll find a way.
Well...
Now, try not to worry.
I take it...
...you and Louise Gordon were very close.
Yes. We were practically raised together.
I'm the only family she had. Except for George, of course.
And you took care of her during her illness?
Mr. Mason, I realise the case against Nora Mae is very strong,
but I can't believe she's guilty.
And who do you think is guilty?
I understand it was you who called Dr. Williams that morning.
Yes. See, there's an intercom set up between Louise's bedroom and mine.
Around 5:30 in the morning, I heard her retching and moaning.
I ran to her room. She was violently ill.
It was then you called the doctor.
Who else might have gone into Mrs. Gordon's room
after Nora Mae left her that milk?
Louise would never allow anyone in there
except Nora Mae and myself.
Let's assume for the moment that
Mrs. Gordon had already had some of that warm milk and had fallen asleep.
Then someone else could have come into the room,
put arsenic into the carafe.
Being asleep, she wouldn't have realised that.
This someone else could either have left her another glass of milk
or Mrs. Gordon could have awakened later and poured the milk for herself.
Yes.
Yes, it could have happened that way.
MASON: Do you think--?
Do you think this someone else might be her husband?
[PHONE RINGS]
How long have you known George Gordon?
Excuse me, Miss Braxton.
VICKY: What is it, Martha? - There's a phone call for Mr. Mason.
A Mr. Paul Drake.
Oh, thank you. Will you tell him I'll see him at my office in 20 minutes?
I'll tell him.
Where were we?
I was, uh--
I was curious as to how long you've known George Gordon.
A couple of years, ever since he married my cousin.
How did they get along?
Fine, until a few months before the accident.
Then something happened.
She thought he was unfaithful.
Did she consider a divorce?
No, it was against her belief.
- She did plan to change her will. - Oh?
How?
She was gonna cut George off without a penny.
She wanted to leave everything to the Wayne Medical Centre.
Wasn't there a bequest for you?
Three hundred and fifty dollars a month.
Same as it was before.
If she'd gone ahead with her plan, George would have been penniless.
That was her intention.
Was George Gordon faithful to his wife?
Well,
Louise told me he had a girlfriend named Charlotte.
I never did learn her last name.
That's what they fought about originally at the time of the accident.
But in all fairness to George,
I'm sure he hasn't seen this woman in months.
How can you be so sure?
Well, he practically never left the house.
All right, Miss Braxton. Thank you.
You've been very helpful.
Perry Mason's office.
I'm sorry, he's not in yet.
Thank you.
Uh-uh, uh-uh, Gertie.
That is 200 calories.
Mr. Mason in?
No-- No, not yet.
- Hi, Perry. - Hi, Paul.
PAUL: Just asking for you. - What's up?
I got a line on this George Gordon. It might be something, might not.
Seems Mr. Gordon has been married twice.
His first wife died three years ago in Sierra City, where they were living.
Her name was, uh, Grace.
What was the cause of death?
The newspaper stories told of a sudden illness.
We haven't gotten to the records yet.
- An inquest? - No.
But she left him a nice chunk of cash.
Fifty-three thousand dollars, to be exact.
- Does he still have it? - Not a quarter.
Came down from Sierra City, invested in a produce business.
Only now, he's got no business.
Been living on his wife's handouts for the last year or so, keeping up a front.
There might be something in it.
Did you get the name of the doctor who attended the first Mrs. Gordon?
Yeah. It was, uh, Dr. Walter Fremont.
All right, Paul. I want you to see this Dr. Fremont.
Check out that whole situation in Sierra City.
- You know the information we need. - Mm-hm.
And Paul, we might be in big trouble in this one.
I'll do my best, Perry.
Yes, I remember Mrs. Grace Gordon very well.
What, uh, exactly did you wanna know about her?
Specifically, what caused her death.
Heart failure.
You were certain of your diagnosis at the time?
Well, I signed the death certificate. I've been practising for 35 years.
I wasn't suggesting incompetence, doctor.
But is it possible that Grace Gordon was poisoned?
Of course she was poisoned.
She and her husband had been down in Mexico.
She had eaten some seafood and apparently it was tainted.
George didn't wanna take her to a doctor down there. So he raced home.
By the time I got to her, she was in a pretty bad way.
Was an autopsy performed?
No. Why should there be?
I knew the patient and her husband.
I'd been their doctor for several years.
One more thing.
During the past three years,
has anyone made a move to have the body exhumed and an autopsy done?
I've already told you once. I signed that death certificate.
She got violently ill from the food she had eaten.
It put a severe strain on her heart and that's what killed her.
That doesn't answer my question.
Well, I'm not answering any more questions.
Young man, you've had all the information you're going to get.
Thank you very much, doctor.
It's all there in the file, Perry.
The first Mrs. Gordon died of a heart attack
induced by food poisoning.
Was it food poisoning or some other kind of poison?
I don't know, but I got my suspicions.
You think we're dealing with a bluebeard?
Della, one thing about bluebeards,
they generally have their next wives picked out
before they put away their present wives.
Paul, I have another job for you.
Gordon and his wife had a battle over a girl named Charlotte.
- Charlotte who? - I don't know. I want you to find her.
It's not gonna be easy, you know.
I know that, but I want you to find her.
"Grace Gordon, deceased."
The facts and circumstances surrounding the poison murder
of Louise Gordon, deceased.
We will prove, beyond any possibility of doubt,
that the defendant, Nora Mae Quincey,
who occupied a position of trust in the Gordon home,
wilfully and with premeditation administered arsenic poison
to Mrs. Louise Bainter Gordon.
Further, ladies and gentlemen, we will prove
that the defendant was motivated by a desire to kill Mrs. Gordon
in order to cover up her own theft
of $40,000 worth of Mrs. Gordon's jewellery.
Would you please tell us, Dr. Williams,
what happened when you arrived at the Gordon home that morning.
Well, it was obvious to me that Mrs. Gordon had been poisoned.
I did what I could, but she was too far gone.
She died about 20 minutes after I arrived.
Did you know of your own knowledge, doctor, what the poison was?
Yes, it was arsenic.
I ran a test on the milk I found in the carafe.
- This carafe? - Yes.
Doctor, just one more question.
You have testified that Mrs. Gordon was seriously crippled
as the result of a fall.
Did that mean she didn't have long to live?
No. On the contrary, Mr. Burger, despite Mrs. Gordon's accident,
she had a normal life expectancy.
BURGER: We might say that if the murder had not happened--
WILLIAMS: Oh, yes, she could have lived 30 or 40 years.
- All things being equal. - I see.
Thank you, doctor.
Your witness.
Now, let me understand you, doctor.
You say that you, yourself, tested the milk that remained in that carafe.
Yes, I did.
- You ran a Marsh test for it? - Yes.
Did you test the milk for anything else?
Well, I found traces of a tonic, one I prescribed for Mrs. Gordon.
Now, was the arsenic in that milk a particular kind of arsenic?
Yes, it was arsenic trioxide.
Arsenic trioxide is similar in taste and appearance
to powdered sugar, is it not?
Somewhat, yes.
Now, in your opinion, Dr. Williams,
if a fatal dose of that particular kind of arsenic,
say, anywhere from five to 50 milligrams,
had been added to a glass of hot milk, tonic and honey,
would its presence or taste in that glass of milk be easily discernible?
Well, I would say that the honey itself was enough to cover up
or disguise the taste.
Thank you, doctor. That's all.
Is this the bottle that you removed from the Gordon home, Lieutenant Tragg?
Yes, sir, it is. It was in a cabinet in the kitchen.
What called your attention to this particular bottle?
Well, it was pretty hard to miss, Mr. Burger.
The label says, "Poison," and one of the main ingredients listed is arsenic.
I see what you mean.
After you'd removed it from the home, what did you have done to it?
Well, it was tested for possible fingerprints.
- Did you find any prints? - Yes.
We found a clear thumb and forefinger print.
I ask you now if those prints
- have been identified? - Yes, they have.
And to whom did they belong?
Miss Nora Mae Quincey, the defendant.
Thank you, lieutenant. Your witness.
MASON: Lieutenant Tragg,
what time did you arrive at the scene of the crime?
Oh, about, uh, 25 minutes after the doctor called us.
I assume you made a search of Mrs. Gordon's bedroom.
- We certainly did. - A thorough search?
A thorough search.
And found nothing to indicate
that Mrs. Gordon might have taken that arsenic herself?
No, nothing.
All right.
Let's go on to the storage cabinet in the kitchen
where you found that bottle of arsenic.
Was the storage cabinet prominently placed in the kitchen?
Well, I don't know what you mean by prominently placed.
Well, I mean, was it easy to reach
or did you have to use a stepladder or stand on a chair to reach it?
Well, it was easy to reach.
Then it was prominently placed
and easily accessible to anyone else in the house.
In those terms, yes.
Thank you, lieutenant.
Now, uh...
...did the analysis on the contents of this bottle
show any particular kind of arsenic?
Yes.
That's arsenic trioxide.
MASON: Was, uh...?
Was this the only bottle in that cabinet?
No. No, sir.
There were two bottles of bleach,
a bottle of starch, and a bottle of cleaning fluid.
In other words, what we might call household chemicals.
Yes. Yes, sir.
Now, lieutenant,
do you know what Miss Quincey's job was in the Gordon household?
Why, of course. She was a practical nurse there.
Are you aware of the duties of a practical nurse?
Well, some of them.
Now, some of these duties,
such as keeping the sickroom and its environs clean,
might involve the use of household chemicals.
Wouldn't you say?
Well, I suppose so.
And wouldn't you also agree
that in order to do her job as a practical nurse,
Miss Nora Mae Quincey had to handle the contents of that cabinet
almost every day?
Objection, Your Honour.
He's calling for a conclusion of the witness.
Sustained.
The jury will disregard the question.
Thank you, lieutenant. That's all.
I gave Nora Mae four tablets and asked her to give them to my wife
without telling Dr. Williams or anyone else.
What was in these tablets?
It was a sedative.
Mr. Gordon, would you explain for us
some of the occurrences leading up to this action of yours?
Well...
...my wife and I hadn't been getting along for quite some time.
And before I knew what was happening,
I found myself involved with another woman.
And your wife found out about this affair of yours?
Yes, she intercepted some letters
and she overheard a telephone conversation.
I see.
GEORGE: And, uh, naturally she turned against me.
BURGER: Would you speak up, please?
I said she turned against me
to the point where I wasn't permitted to come anywhere near her room.
I meant for those tablets to put her to sleep,
so that I could get into her room and find those letters.
Were you successful in this enterprise?
No, sir.
I, uh, looked into her room several times during the evening
to see if the sedative had taken effect.
But it hadn't.
And the last time I looked, which was rather early in the morning,
she was terribly sick.
And Vicky had already called the doctor.
Oh, this was the morning of her death?
Yes.
Mr. Gordon,
when you asked the defendant to give the sleeping tablets
to your wife, did she agree?
Yes, she did.
Did you actually see her put them into the milk?
Yes, sir.
Well, did you have to threaten her or anything like that
to get her to do this?
Oh, no. Not at all.
That's not true.
As a matter of fact, Mr. Burger, she seemed quite anxious to help.
Naturally, she did,
because that enabled her later to try to blame it on you.
I object, Your Honour.
- Sustained. - Your witness.
Mr. Gordon...
...did you ever know a woman named Charlotte?
No.
- Are you sure, Mr. Gordon? - Positive.
Wasn't she the woman you and your wife quarrelled about?
No.
MASON: I'll ask you once again, Mr. Gordon.
Didn't you and your wife quarrel over a woman named Charlotte?
We did not.
What was the name of the woman involved?
Mary Smith.
Hardly an unusual name.
She was hardly an unusual girl.
Yet you apparently saw a great deal of her?
No, I only saw her a few times. It was a casual thing.
Have you any idea where we might find this, uh, Mary Smith?
No. She moved to Texas a couple of months ago.
We'll let that pass for the moment.
Now, Mr. Gordon, after your wife died, did Dr. Williams tell you
that her symptoms indicated arsenic poisoning?
Yes, I believe he did.
Of course, you were familiar with those symptoms.
No.
You mean, you'd never seen them before?
Certainly not.
Mr. Gordon, at the time your first wife, Grace Gordon, died in Sierra City,
didn't she have the same symptoms as those indicated
in the death of your second wife, Louise?
Say, what is this?
My first wife died as a result of food poisoning.
Was there an autopsy at that time?
No. Why should there have been?
But there was an autopsy performed on your second wife, wasn't there?
For the purpose of proving that she had died of arsenic poisoning?
Yes.
How long were you married to your first wife before her death?
About two years.
And your second wife?
About the same length of time.
Mr. Gordon, did your first wife leave a will?
Yes.
Who was chief beneficiary?
- I don't see why this has anything-- - Answer the question, please.
She left her money to me.
All of it, $53,000.
Thank you, Mr. Gordon.
Oh, how much will you profit by the death of your second wife?
I hear that she left around a million dollars.
[MURMURING]
[BANGS GAVEL]
There will be order in the court.
Your Honour, on the basis of testimony given by this witness,
I ask that this trial stand in recess
until such time as the body of Mr. Gordon's first wife, Grace Gordon,
can be exhumed and an autopsy performed.
If Your Honour please.
Yes, Mr. Burger?
Apparently defence counsel takes a very dim view
of the efficiency of the district attorney's office.
If we may be allowed to call our next witness,
I'm sure we can settle this matter to the court's entire satisfaction.
All right, Mr. Burger.
The, uh, witness will stand down.
Very well, Mr. Burger.
I call James Meecham to the stand, please.
CLERK: James Meecham to the stand.
Raise your right hand, please.
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you are about to give
to be the whole truth?
- I do. - State your name.
- James Meecham. - Be seated.
James Meecham, where do you reside?
It's Dr. James Meecham. I reside in Sierra City, California.
And what, if any, is your official position there?
I am the coroner for the county.
Did you recently exhume the body of Mrs. Grace Gordon
and perform an autopsy on her?
I did. At the request of the Los Angeles police.
And what were your findings?
Chemical and other tests revealed that the subject died of natural causes.
Were there traces of arsenic or of any other poison found in those remains?
None whatsoever.
Thank you very much, doctor. That's all.
Your witness.
Doctor,
you said that in your autopsy of Mrs. Grace Gordon,
- you found no traces of arsenic-- - That is correct.
Just a moment, doctor.
I was about to say that in your autopsy of Grace Gordon,
you said you found no trace of arsenic or other poison.
- That is also correct. - Did you test the body for cyanide?
We couldn't.
Couldn't, doctor?
The body was embalmed, you see,
and the process destroys all trace of cyanide.
So when you said you found no trace of arsenic or other poisons,
that was incorrect?
No, that was correct.
I simply wasn't asked if we could have found other poison.
You have been asked now, haven't you, doctor?
Yes, I've been asked and I've answered.
Thank you, doctor. That's all.
The witness may stand down.
Call your next witness, Mr. Burger.
I call Vicky Braxton to the stand, please.
CLERK: Miss Vicky Braxton, please.
Your Honour,
it is almost 5:00.
While I don't know how long Mr. Burger will take on direct,
I know my cross-examination will be quite lengthy.
May I suggest we adjourn?
Mr. Mason knows that I'm always willing to give him
all the time he requires. I have no objection, Your Honour.
Court stands adjourned until 10:00 tomorrow morning.
Mr. Mason, may I talk to Nora Mae?
Why, yes, I think so.
How do you feel, Nora Mae?
Just fine.
Did you see my picture in the paper today?
Yes, it was very nice.
Mrs. Carmen, the police matron, rounded up a dozen copies for me.
You'll have to come along with me, Miss Quincey.
I'll see you all tomorrow.
Mr. Mason, if there's anything I can do--
As a matter of fact, there is.
You heard Mr. Gordon's testimony about those love letters?
He claims he never got them from his wife's room,
and the police didn't find them either.
- You think they might still be there? - They must be.
Can you think of any place your cousin might have hidden them?
A secret hiding place of some sort?
Perhaps if you were in the room itself.
All I can tell you is I'll try.
That's all I ask.
All I can say, it wasn't very smart of Mr. Gordon to save letters like these.
People in love aren't usually noted for using their brains.
Where did you find them?
Taped to the back of the mirror in Louise's bedroom.
Did you run across anything else?
Yes, this photograph was with the letters.
Isn't that the maid, Martha Baker?
But shouldn't Mrs. Gordon have recognised her?
Louise never saw her.
No one was allowed in the room but Nora Mae and myself.
- Della, - Mm-hm.
I want this Charlotte, alias Martha Baker,
in court tomorrow morning. Tell Paul to get a subpoena.
Right.
Miss Braxton, you were the one who called Dr. Williams
on the night your cousin, Louise Gordon, was poisoned,
- is that correct? - Yes, I did.
And you were the one to whom--
And you were the one to whom she confided the loss of her jewellery.
Yes, sir.
What was her general reaction to losing the jewellery?
Well, naturally, she was upset, very upset.
About that and other things.
What do you mean, other things?
- She was going to change her will. - I see.
But she was disturbed about the loss of the jewellery?
Yes.
And she intended to report it to the police?
Your Honour, I object.
Mr. Burger wants the witness to tell us what was in Mrs. Gordon's mind.
Sustained.
I have no further questions at this time.
Miss Braxton, did you visit my office last night?
- I did. - For what purpose?
I wanted to turn over some letters to you, and a photograph.
- Are these the letters? - Yes, sir.
- And is this the photograph? - Yes.
Thank you.
Your Honour, I should like these marked for identification.
Thank you.
Miss Braxton...
...would you read the inscription on this photograph?
It says, "George, with all my love, Charlotte."
- Do you recognise this woman? - I do.
Under what name do you know her?
Martha Baker.
And how was Miss Baker employed?
As a maid in my cousin's home.
Who did the actual hiring of Miss Baker?
I don't know what you mean.
Did Mrs. Gordon do the hiring?
No, she left that to me.
Obviously, you didn't check Miss Baker's references.
I'm afraid I was careless there.
You see, we were so desperate for help--
Of course.
Now, Miss Braxton,
would you please tell the court
where you found these letters and this photograph?
Taped to the back of a mirror in Louise's bedroom.
If you did, you must have put them there yourself after the murder.
What are you talking about?
Well, I suggest you had them all along.
I suggest you deliberately hired Martha Baker,
knowing full well she was George Gordon's girlfriend, Charlotte Lynch.
Why should I do that?
More than anything else, you wanted to involve George Gordon.
You want to see him convicted of his wife's murder.
That's a lie.
I had absolutely nothing to gain.
All she left me was my regular allowance.
The same I've been getting all along.
Even that worked out for you, didn't it?
If you had been chief beneficiary,
the police would have investigated you immediately.
This way, they felt you had no motive.
- I didn't. - But you did.
You knew if George Gordon was convicted of his wife's murder,
everything would go to you as Mrs. Gordon's only living relative.
- You're wrong. I could have waited. - Waited for what?
You must've known that despite the fact your cousin was crippled,
she could have lived another 30 or 40 years. You must have known that.
But you felt you were just a poor relative.
You couldn't wait that long.
Isn't that the way you felt?
Until the day she died, I was nothing but a poor relative.
She wore her money like some kind of a badge.
A badge I could never have.
It was my one chance to be free, don't you understand?
To be paid back for the years I'd given her.
I should have known it wouldn't work out.
Not for a poor relative.
[VICKY CRYING]
[MUSIC PLAYS]
NORMA MAE: Oh, dear, this is so difficult.
I'll have that.
Oh, and one of those too.
You wouldn't think so, but I have a sweet tooth.
I never would have guessed.
You know, Mr. Mason...
...one thing still puzzles me.
Mm? Only one?
Uh, how did you know that poor Miss Braxton
was lying about those letters?
Well, you heard Lieutenant Tragg's testimony.
He said that he'd given Mrs. Gordon's bedroom a thorough search
and found nothing.
And when Tragg says he's given something a thorough search,
why, I'll take his word anytime.
You'll find that out when you know Lieutenant Tragg better.
Well, I have no desire to.
You know what that man did?
- He had the nerve-- - Nora Mae.
I'm sorry.
Actually, I wasn't worried for a minute, except for one thing.
Uh, my fee?
Well, what do you think is fair?
Well, I paid you $5 the first day.
It was high, but it was worth it.
What do you think now?
Well, I wanna do the right thing.
After all, I could have gone to prison or even worse.
Would $25 be all right?
Just exactly the figure I had in mind.
Well, good. I've got it right here.
One, two,
three, four, five...