PERRY MASON

in

The Case of the . . .

with Raymond Burr

as Perry Mason

All 30 episodes of the second season of "Perry Mason in The Case of the . . ." have been upgraded by comparison with the Columbia House video tapes in their Collector's Edition as well as by an additional comparison to the DVD format, which is indicated by the DVD chapter indices placed in parentheses within the synopsis text. Episodes 40, 42, 43, 46,50, 51, 52, 54, 56 and 61 appear for the first time in other than broadcast format with the release of the CBS-Paramount edition. Further, all episodes of less than 1400 words have been upgraded from the CBS-Paramount release. Where indicated "CBS Tape/DVD," the synopsis shows the DVD chapter indices placed in parentheses within the synopsis text. All episodes have been marked with their CBS-Paramount "Raymond Burr is Perry Mason Season 2" chapter markings in italics and square [parentheses]. The coding and other information for the CBS-Paramount release takes precedence over previous tape and DVD releases.
Last update; 03/13/08

#	TITLE	SHOW DATE
40	Corresponding Corpse	20 Sept 58

CHARACTER	ACTOR	CHARACTER	ACTOR
Perry Mason	Raymond Burr	George Beaumont	Ross Elliott
Della Street	Barbara Hale	Jonah Whitaker	Owen Cunningham
Paul Drake	William Hopper	Judge	Lillian Bronson
Lt Tragg	Ray Collins	Mr (Leon) Corby	Herbert C Lytton
Ruth Whitaker	Joan Camden	Mrs Lyle	Martha Wentworth
Harry Folsom	Vaughn Taylor	Roberta Quinn	Joan Staley
Laura Beaumont	Jeanne Cooper	Reporter	Gil Frye
Glenn McKay	William Ching	[Court Clerk	Jack Gargan]

Produced by Ben Brady Directed by Arthur Marks Written by Dan Brinkley & Gene Wang Story by Dan Brinkle

[2-5/1-9 Title credits][2-9] Crestview City, population 26,595, elevation 79. In an old two-story rooming house with an outside stairway to the second floor, George Beaumont is establishing his identity with Harry Folsom, an insurance investigator, who tries to blackmail him. Beaumont gets angry, then, in the presence of Ruth Whitaker, he refuses to cooperate. Folsom reminds Baumont he could go to prison. Ruth thinks that she can raise $7000. Folsom gives Ruth his card, which George tears up, saying “I’ll see him dead first before I’ll give him a nickel!” // [3-9] Ruth brings Folsom her $7000. She wants to know who told Folsom about George. Folsom says his “company will never know.” But he will, counters Ruth. Folsom leaves, as Ruth’s father (Jonah Whitaker) calls to her for pills. She burns Folsom's report, walks out on her father, who is aware she’s going away with Beaumont. / Mason’s office building. In the attorney’s office, Della Street takes a phone call from George Hartley Beaumont. When Perry Mason enters with a cheery “Good morning, Miss Street,” his secretary tells him Beaumont would call back about 6 p m. Perry says Beaumont died almost three years ago in an airline crash in the Atlantic. Della asks if he had a slight southern accent; “yes, he did.” / Ruth Whitaker arrives at the rooming house, asks the landlady (Mrs Lyle) where "Mr Hollister" is. He's gone, leaving a "Dear Ruth" letter. / Beaumont Office Equipment. (Glenn) McKay (Sales Manager) is greeted by Roberta (Quinn), then Laura Beaumont. He's sold 68 units (check writer). He makes a pass at Laura. Mason, George's lawyer, interrupts, bringing some items from the file of George’s estate. McKay makes a short sales pitch for his check writer to Mason. Laura looks at the file Mason has given her, sees “nothing that interests” her, puts it in the waste basket. / Villa Motel, 2:55. A cab drives up. George Beaumont admits Ruth to his room. He wants to give himself up, she doesn't. He’s contacted Mason, says he should have come back three years ago, and he'll go back to Laura, to whom he has written because his voice would be too much of a shock. Ruth, who is only a friend, is deeply offended; is she only his “faithful cocker spaniel?“ He says it is his fault with Laura. He missed the last call for the plane so, when it went down, he thought that the best present he could give his wife was to get out of her life. Ruth withdrew money from the bank, cashed bonds, to pay the blackmailer. She picks up a letter opener as the motel clerk, Mr Corby, enters, says he has her room ready. // [4-9] Mason’s office (we get a strange view that is not the usual one with a window view to the L A skyline). Della tells Gertie over the phone she can go home. Paul Drake, using his code knock, enters at 10 p m, hungry. Beaumont has not called. Drake leaves (by what seems to be the library, rather than the exit to the hall). Mason gets a call from Lieutenant Tragg, who reports George Beaumont has been murdered. / 10:25. Mason arrives at the Villa Motel and brushes off reporters, then he identifies Beaumont and is shown the murder weapon, a letter opener. Tragg and Mason go outside, share cigarettes. Hamilton Burger, says Tragg, thinks Mason was counseling Beaumont, then Mason asks Tragg about Ruth Whitaker, explains she'd been living with Beaumont. She was overheard in an argument. She knew that George was going back to Laura, and they found her packing in a nearby unit. / Jail. Ruth tells Mason that she met George in an art class under the name of Hollister, later learned the truth. She tells him about Harry Folsom and giving him $7000 and assures Mason she didn’t kill George. She couldn’t fault George for loving his wife. Mason accepts this. / Mrs Beaumont tells Mason she’s surprised that he’s defending Whitaker. Then McKay states that he understands that Mason is not just “satisfied with getting an acquittal for his client” but also “has a compulsion to turn up the guilty party.“ Then he admits he never much liked George who ran the office into the ground and soured his wife on marriage, and has no knowledge of Folsom. Mason mentions the $90,000 Laura got as an insurance settlement. Laura says she didn’t know her husband was still alive, suggests the attorney contact Folsom. Mason notes that Drake is on his way to Crestview City to see Folsom. // [5-9] Airplane. Drake interviews Folsom, who learned of Beaumont from anonymous phone call from a man. He lies about the $7000 payoff. Drake notes he mailed the report after the murder. Folsom now suggests to Drake that Beaumont got in touch with Mason just after the plane crash, offered him $25,000, and they cooked up a deal to defraud the insurance company. Drake manhandles him enough to get him to say Jonah Whitaker tipped him off about Beaumont. / (Stock identification shot; L A freeway.) Drake reports to Street and Mason. Jonah Whitaker took a bus to L A. “Some parents get better children than they deserve” comments Mason. Faulkner, Drake's agent, informs his boss by phone that Whitaker is in the D A's office. / Court. Lt Tragg indicates to Hamilton Burger where the letter opener was found, and that two fingerprints of the defendant were found on the handle. Mason queries about the decedent being stabbed in the back, while in a corner (as we see on floor plan). Deceased was kneeling, “as though he were looking for something?” queries Mason. Burger objects and the judge sustains. Leon Corby, the motel clerk, overheard the argument. Cross-examination {here we note that Mason, Street and defendant are on the right side of the courtroom, contrary to most episodes}. The clerk saw the defendant with a letter opener so, of course, her fingerprints are on it. This was 3 o'clock, and he found the body about 8 that night. Redirect. He also saw the defendant leaving Beaumont's room about 5:30 or 5:45. / Folsom testifies as to how he found Beaumont (a k a George Hollister). When he went to see him, the defendant was there. Later he got $7000 from her. Mason gets him to admit this was blackmail, then asks if this current story differs materially from the one he “volunteered” to Berger: objected to; allowed. Did he try to get money from anyone else, such as Mrs Beaumont. "I never even thought of it." Didn’t Beaumont’s intent to give himself up give Folsom another way to get out of his dilemma? // [6-9] Laura Beaumont last heard from her husband three years ago. She uses the office diary to describe activities on the day of the murder. After lunch she went home, ill. The doctor said it was food poisoning, she tells Mason. But no one else became ill, he notes. Her husband was at the Villa Motel 48 hours before the murder, never contacted her. No. He did not write her? No. Jonah Whitaker is called, but the Court takes its noon recess. / Della and Mason with Ruth. She told her father that George's real name was Beaumont, and that he had a wife in Los Angeles. Laura knew he was alive, because George told her he'd written her. Della comments on Laura’s perjury and Mason rushes out to give orders to Paul Drake. / Court. Glenn McKay found Tragg at the Beaumont Office, and the lieutenant showed him an envelope addressed to Mrs Beaumont, with Beaumont's motel return address. The letter tells Laura that he, George, is alive (in George’s voice). The court clerk marks the letter for identification. Was the letter tampered with? The judge rules that this requires proper testimony (of an expert witness). McKay is asked his relationship with Mrs Beaumont. D A Burger objects. Mason asks the court to let him prove the relevancy. McKay admits he has high hopes of marrying Laura, who never saw the letter, which arrived at 3 in the afternoon when he returned from lunch, while Laura was at home in bed. He says he’d have to have been clairvoyant to know what was in the letter. Mason hands him two steel knitting needles, soldered together at one end, tools of his trade. With the judge’s approval, Mason demonstrates how easy it is to get a check, or letter, out of an envelope by winding it up and withdrawing, without opening the letter. Check machine salesmen use this trick to prove the value of their machine. Mason submits that McKay read the letter, then put it back because he knew his secretary could tell Laura of its arrival, then went to the Villa Motel and killed Beaumont, so Laura would be his. Laura leaves the courtroom as McKay pleads to her that he did it “for us.” // [7-9] Back at Mason’s office. Beaumont was on hands and knees when stabbed in the back, reaching for the gun he'd knocked out of McKay's hand, as Mason indicated during the trial. Drake tends his expense account which includes $125.98 "miscellaneous expenses." Paul confesses that to get the demonstration of the knitting needles, he bought a check writing machine. Perry tells Della to write the payment to Paul on the machine. [8-9 end credits] [51:29]

CHARACTER ACTOR Perry Mason Raymond Burr Della Street Barbara Hale Paul Drake William Hopper Hamilton Burger William Talman Harriet Balfour Patricia Medina Lawrence Balfour Bruce Bennett Florence Ingle Heather Angel Steven Boles Douglas Kennedy Ted Balfour Tyler MacDuff Addison Balfour Richard Hale Fred Haley Woodrow Chamblis Thurston John Eldrege Judge Cadwell Morris Ankrum Roger Faris Guy Rennie Sergeant Paul Genge Schmidt John Bleifer Ballistics Expert Jack Holland Policeman Len Hendry

[3-5/1-10 Title credits](3-1) [2-10](3-2) A steam engine in the Sierra Madre approaches Colgrove Station where Lawrence Balfour and wife Harriet get off. She drives off in a cab. Then he goes to a parked car and drives off. // [3-10](3-3) Florence approaches a cabin (Sleepy Hollow, Cabin 5), enters and greets someone inside. Lawrence pulls up, goes to a parked car, finds it is a rental from Pleas-Ur-Drive assigned to George Egan. He goes to a cabin door, then listens to Harriet ask for the keys to go to her father-in-law's. She drives away, Lawrence enters the cabin, which is dark, calls for Egan, is attacked, fires a gun and a man falls. Lawrence rushes out. / He drives to the Balfour estate, puts the gun down next the phone and calls Steve Boles for help with his killing of George Egan. Steve advises him to go to the Valley Airport. There he'll have a private plane fly him to Tucson where he can get back on the train as if he never got off. / Boles drives to a Balfour property, takes a body out of the trunk, runs over it. (Fred) Haley observes this. / Police take a report from Haley. License of hit-and-run car is KYL 907. / Police go to the Balfour estate, where Thurston, the butler, says they cannot disturb Theodore (Ted) this early in the morning. Mrs (Harriet, wife of Lawrence) Balfour takes them to Ted's bedroom, where he is fully clothed, sleeping. Awakened, he admits to going to a going away party for her uncle Lawrence at Florence Ingle’s. / Los Angeles Chronicle headline reads THEODORE BALFOUR CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER. Florence Ingle tells Perry Mason and Della Street that she knows Ted didn’t do it. She states he left the party about eleven or eleven-thirty. The hit-and-run was about one-thirty. / Boles visits Florence to get her to lie about Ted’s leaving the party, at two. He then admits to her it was murder by Lawrence. He knew about Harriet and Egan; didn’t Florence want a divorce so she could marry Lawrence? It was his hit-and-run. Haley happened to see him. She agrees to help. / At Haley's Lake landing Boles offers Haley a $25,000 loan from the Balfour's to fix up his run-down property if he will not remember so specifically what he saw. A good neighbor is a good neighbor. They drive off in Boles’s Corvette. / Court. Haley equivocates on car license number to prosecutor (Faris). / HUNG JURY IN BALFOUR CASE reads Los Angeles Star-News headline (how often will we get a headline other than from the Los Angeles Chronicle) being read by a happy Boles. // [4-10](3-4) BALFOUR FOUND GUILTY IN SECOND TRIAL is Los Angeles Chronicle headline being read by D A Hamilton Burger, who bawls out (Roger) Faris for deal-making (in the first trial) while he was out of town. Burger orders the Egan body be exhumed. / Perry Mason is told by (Addison) Balfour, who is bed-ridden, to reopen the case and fight for Ted. He wants no conviction on Ted’s head. Harriet butts in, is told by Addison that she’ll be a Balfour when she acts like a wife. Mason asks Ted what he wants, and Ted says "the truth . . . Did [he] kill someone?" Mason takes the case. Alone with Mason, Addison confides that it is Ted he expects to carry on the Balfour banner. Ted's father could have done it. Lawrence got taken by Harriet who is selfish, and with whom Ted once was in love. / Mason phones Florence, asks about conflicting times, 2 versus 11:30. She tells him she wishes he’d not pursue it further. Paul Drake reports that the D A found a bullet in Egan's skull. / [5-10] Court. A writ of habeas corpus is before the court. D A Hamiton Burger is willing to drop lesser charge so Ted Balfour can be tried for first degree murder. Mason argues to judge Cadwell that Ted Balfour cannot be tried, since he's already been convicted of the involuntary manslaughter of George Egan, and offers authorities on the subject. The judge rules that the trial can continue while a higher court acts on the issues. / Paul tells Perry and Della that Egan was around until fourteen months ago, when he disappeared. Boles is clever and powerful, gets paid $100,000 to run staff of 150 and fix things, answerable only to Addison Balfour. / Boles has requested Mason's presence. He tells Mason the full story of Lawrence following Harriet to the cabin, accidentally shooting Egan with Ted's gun, and then his advising Lawrence on getting back on to the train and his own action of making it look like a hit-and-run accident, using Ted's car, which had the keys in the ignition, since his own sports car was too small. The gun is now at the bottom of the Pacific, three miles out. Boles wants Mason to continue once-in-jeopardy plan, even to putting no witnesses on if lower court denies this. Boles threatens Mason with full power of Balfour Allied Associates multiplied by 100. Mason stares him down, gives him a subpoena. // [6-10](3-5) Della brings a letter removing Perry from the case, signed by Addison Balfour. Thurston, the Balfour butler, enters, shows Mason telegrams from Boles to Lawrence Balfour advising him to stay in Mexico. Ted wants Mason to stay on, says Thurston. Will he? Mason notes that Addison wanted him to teach the kid how to fight, and the lesson is not yet over. / Court. Mr Schmidt, a gun smith, identifies for District Attorney Hamilton Burger bullets he test fired from Ted Balfour's gun. The ballistics expert then testifies that the murder weapon bullets are from the same gun as the test-fired bullets. Judge Cadwell admonishes Mason for not cross examining these witnesses. Harriet Balfour testifies that Ted was not drunk at the farewell party, and that he wanted to have a talk with George Egan regarding her relationship with Egan. Ted whispers to Mason that he never said any such thing. She told Ted she'd not seen George in over a year. Mason catches her on "suspicions" that she had not been loyal to her husband. Boles testifies to seeing Lawrence Balfour off on the train. He went home and, about one in the morning, he got a call from Ted asking him for help. Ted rises and objects, gets admonished by the judge. Boles indicates that Ted said he'd gone to the cabin to try to stop Egan from making further improper advances to Harriet Balfour. A fight broke out, his gun went off accidentally. He drove the body away, then ran over it to make it look like a hit-and-run. Then he called Boles, who advised him to call the police. Court recesses. // [7-10](3-6) Perry tells Della he never expected Boles to commit deliberate perjury. Drake reports that Egan disappeared 14 months ago because Boles bought him off. / Mason confronts Boles with what he was told in Boles's office, but Boles calls it a fabrication. Drake enters with a manila folder, filled with drivers licenses and other items Mason wanted. Egan died in Oklahoma eight months ago. There have been no telegrams from Lawrence Balfour in Mexico to Boles. Mason now asks Boles if he knew the "so-called" decedent, to which Burger objects, and Mason introduces his proof that the decedent is not Egan, including Egan's driver's license with thumb print and set of fingerprints of decedent which do not match. Mason again asks Boles about Egan, leading to "How did Egan's identification get on the now-unidentified body?" Who assumed Egan's identity around town? Who is Harriet's lover? Mason says it is he, Boles, who fell to the floor after Lawrence’s wild shot. Mason recalls Harriet Balfour, asks her if she left the train at Colgrove Station, went to cabin 5. No. Has she always been a faithful wife? Yes. Has she been corresponding with her husband. Yes, every day. How could she, when he's dead, the thumb print on his license matching the one on the corpse's record. She now admits to going to the cabin and seeing Steven Boles. Mason confronts her; wasn't she shocked when Lawrence returned home, accused her of double-dealing, told her she was through? Didn't she then pick up Ted's gun where he’d left it next the phone and calmly shoot Lawrence? She breaks down, yes, she killed her husband. // [8-10](3-7) At Addison Balfour's bedside Mason, with Della and Ted, explains that Boles acted in the interest of the Balfours. Harriet put him on the spot. He sent someone to Mexico to look like Lawrence, planning later to make it look like Lawrence had died in an accident. Boles's mistake was to say, in one telegram, "reply to your wire," yet no wires had come from Mexico. [9-10 end credits](3-8) [51:27](51:26)

[4-5/1-10 Title credits] [2-10] At night in a cheap hotel room in downtown Los Angeles, (Art) Crowley pours, then drinks whiskey brought him by (Frank) Anderson. Crowley is a three time loser so, if caught, would get life. Anderson, with agreement from a silent “Pop,” offers $500, settles on $700. Anderson tears seven $100 bills in half, gives Crowley his half, then pours the whiskey down the drain. He gives Crowley a floor plan of Hargrove Finance. // [3-10] Hargrove Finance office. Two (Hays and Gilbert) look at a noisy air conditioner. Three men in stocking masks enter. One orders Hays to open the safe. No response, so he hits him, knocks him down. The safe is opened by Pop, money dumped out just as Lois Gilbert triggers the alarm. As he leaves, Anderson calls out the name “Crowley.” Gilbert screams, picks up the telephne. / A man comes up to an old abandoned house with the brief case of money. A boy cutting "No" from "No trespassing," sees this. The man exits without the brief case. / Della Street tells Perry Mason he has a visitor. The boy, 14-year-old Nicky Renzi, has come to “the best lawyer in town.” He asks "suppose . . . ," finders keepers? He will give Mason no details. Is a reward required when things are returned, Nicky wants to know, offering that “possession is 90% of the law.” There is no charge, since the lawyer has given no advice. / Iris Anderson sweeps the floor, watched by a cop and Sergeant Bender. Anderson, the man with the brief case, enters, is asked about the Hargrove Finance robbery. He was “at the track, two winners.“ Bender gets nowhere, leaves. Iris comments, ”so you’re up to your old tricks,” moves to pack. Frank stops her with a kiss. “You remind me of my old man, always using his muscle,” she retorts angrily. / Mr Kolichek interupts Gramp Renzi as the old man works on his invention, to tell him he likes Nicky. “Everybody likes Nicky” says Renzi. Kolichek informs Renzi that Nicky had $50 that “he found.“ Nicky then enters and Kolichek leaves. Gramp confronts the boy, who brings Gramp the brief case that was hidden behind a chair, empties the money on the table. Gramp tells him that he must ”take it back to the proper authorities,” but he can keep the toys he bought. Nicky gets a box out of the closet, presents a coat to Gramp, who was always cold the previous winter. Sergeant Bender enters, sees the brief case, says he’s found what he’s looking for. / Outside, Lieutenant Tragg, with Sergeant Bender (and Sergeant Brice in the background), questions Anthony and Nicky. Lt Tragg shows Renzi a crowbar with the initials A R. He and Renzi enter the shack. Frank Anderson is dead on the floor. // [4-10] Nicky is with Della as Paul Drake enters after his code knock. Another $12,000 of the holdup money has been found stashed in the kitchen. Nicky says he put it there, because Gramp would make him return all the money. Nicky doesn’t think Della believes him, so “what chance has Gramps got with the cops?“ Della comforts Nicky. / Renzi tells Mason that Nicky thought he was being smart. Mason tells Renzi that a woman, Lois Gilbert, identified him in a lineup as the man at the safe, as well as Anderson at the morgue, despite stockings. Anderson lived in the neighborhood 8 or 9 years earlier, so knew of the abandoned house. There is a lot on the other side, but “truth” is on ours, asserts the attorney. / Mason asks Lois to see Mr Hays. Lois cannot hear what he says over the noise of the air conditioner, so turns it off. Hays says neither he nor Koch identified Renzi. She claims he had peculiarities, but Mason notes that Renzi has none. She says he tilted his head, shuffled. Mason continues challenging Gilbert's identification. She has an excellent ear, says that the third man was called "Reilly." Mason slyly insults her abilities. / Drake enters Iris Anderson's place. She is quick-witted, toys with him (looks and acts like Lauren Bacall). She doesn't recognize "Reilly." He sees the torn hundred dollar bills. She blocks his access to them, tempting him. / Drake tells Mason of the torn $100 bills he saw at Anderson's. Eddie (Merlin), whom Drake calls a “songbird,” tells Mason, Street and Drake what he knows of Frank Anderson; from Chicago, mob connected. He doesn't recognize "Reilly." Mason gives him half a hundred dollar bill, asks who could not be trusted until the job was done. He names Arthur Crowley, a lush. Della checks the spelling of the name. Mason gives Eddie the other half. After Eddie is ushered out the back door, Mason puts Drake on the search for “Crowley” (similar to “Reilly”) // [5-10] Court. D A Hamilton Burger asks Lt Tragg about the crowbar. Judge orders it entered in evidence and it is marked for evidence by the court clerk. Tragg describes Renzi's place, including tools he found etched with “A R,” and $12,000 on a second search. No fingerprints were found on so wiped off, the murder weapon. Why not, asks Mason, for isn’t it strange to wipe off fingerprints yet leave a weapon with initials engraved in it? Hamilton Burger objects and Mason withdraws the question. Burger then requests latitude in questioning his next witness who is a friend of the defendant. The judge takes a wait and see attitude. Josef Kolichek testifies to meeting with defendant, being told two days before the robbery, that the defendant would be getting a large sum of money, soon, and would buy him a present and send Nicky to school, all from his invention. But, Mason elicits from Kolichek, Renzi said this hundreds of times, and it never happened. / Miss Gilbert identifies "Pop," the man who opened the safe. Mason shows Gilbert a newspaper with her photo in which she is not wearing glasses. He asks her to remove her glasses, read the sign at the back of room. She does. He asks her about her hearing and other questions regarding her memory leading to the noise of the air conditioner. / Tragg shows Burger Renzi's invention, which is useless. Tragg receives a phone call from Eddie Merlin, who tells him it was Arthur Crowley who was in on the burglary. // [6-10] Crowley goes to Iris for the other half of his hundred dollar bills. She brushes him off, threatening him with scissors, then gets an intercom call, which scares him away as he thinks it may be the police coming up to the apartment. / Hays testifies he was unable to identify the man in the lineup. Now, however, he names the defendant, and explains that the defendant came to his office earlier to ask for information on opening an account, which fact dawned on him much later. Gramp whispers to Mason this is not so. Is the witness the only one who can open the safe. Yes. Mason’s cross examination is deferred. Arthur Crowley says Pop Renzi was with Anderson when they met the day before the robbery, and asked him to come in on the job, but he refused as a three-time loser. Anderson told him “he had a great safe man,“ Renzi.Mason points out that he consorts with known criminals. Then Mason goes over to Drake, then on to Mrs Anderson, making it look as if she is helping him, though she tells the lawyer that he is “knocking on the wrong door.” Now he shows Crowley torn hundred dollar bills, asks for an explanation. Crowley cannot explain why the bills were torn, or why he would hold them for Anderson as a favor. He was “willing to do him a favor, but refused to do anything wrong.“ Mason threatens him with a violation of parole. The judge suggests the prosecution examine the witness’s testimony and report to the parole board. // [7-10] Mr Cagle, a safe expert, is asked to judge how easy it would be to open an identical safe, then is asked to do so in the courtroom. Mason insists that only the safe at Hargrove Finance is appropriate and, much to the dismay of Burger, the Judge concurs, strongly, stating “Time is never wasted in the pursuit of justice.“ Burger could conclude his case in minutes. / Cagle opens the safe in 47 seconds, without the combination. The issue of “average time” to open the safe is raised. Burger again objects, the the judge has time. As a second test begins, Mason turns on the air conditioner, and the vent begins rattling. Burger objects. Cagle tries, then admits that opening the safe with a rattling vent is impossible. This proves only that someone who knew the combination could open the safe. Hays says he did not give Renzi the combination, but he is only one with the combination. Mason now accuses him of murder and robbery, asking, how does he feel, committing robbery and murder for nothing, as everyone else looks on; Judge, Tragg, Burger. // [8-10] Nicky is fed soup by Della. Mason enters with Gramp. How to pay Mason his fee? The invention will be perfected. “In a few days . . .” chimes in Mason. [9-10 end credits] [51:25]

[5-5/1-9 Title credits [2-9] At Camp Grace Master Sergeant William Smith and Sergeant Burke report to Military Police headquarters and to Mr Blake of the treasury department. A $20 bill is shown them. If it is a counterfeit, neither knows anything about it. Smith names others in the game, and is prompted by Burke to name Sergeant Dexter, the chief clerk in the finance office. The two leave. Captain (Kennedy) and Blake explain to Lieutenant Colonel (Brice) that the bill was supposed to have been burned. Of those who could have gotten $400,000 worth of bills out of $10 million at Corregidor, one, Kusick, is a deserter, so only the finance manager Major Frank Lessing is around now. // [3-9] (Helen) Lessing, answering the phone, says that Major Lessing, who is standing next her, is not at home. He assures Helen that there is nothing wrong. Frank tells her not to worry, but "always remember that I love you," and kisses her on the cheek. / A military parade at Camp Grace. Howard Evans is on the phone with Helen when Frank arrives at work. Frank puts several bills in an envelope and heads out of the safe. There he is met by Dexter, who informs him that Capt Kennedy and Blake were asking questions. He says he did not admit to knowing the safe combination because he wasn't supposed to. Frank demands an explanation of that remark, and Dexter says the bills on the payroll don't match what he found in the safe when he opened it earlier. Frank suggests insubordination, and that Dexter should find another spot. Dexter says his request for transfer is in Frank's top drawer. Dexter opens the drawer, revealing a pistol. Frank takes out the transfer request and signs it, closes his desk, leaves. Dexter takes the document to the out box in the outer office, locks his desk and leaves. (Walter) Haskell, watching all along, answers the phone, says only "I told you never to call me here," hangs up. / Night. Perry Mason receives Major Lessing, who asks Della Street to put down her notebook. Lessing says at 10 a m he intends to expose complete details of a crime to Capt Kennedy, unlawful possession of money stolen from the U S Army. This will destroy his married happiness. He wants Mason to be with him, to come at 9 to his office, and leaves $1500 in cash. Mason tells Della that when a finance officer leaves this amount of cash and doesn’t ask for a receipt, it means it is serious. / Dexter looks for his release, but the out box is empty. 10:10 p m. He leaves. / 3:29 a m. Helen, reclining on a couch, wakes up, calls her husband's office, gets no answer. She goes to dress. / Helen enters husband Lessing's office, finds him dead, is initially overcome, but quickly recovers. She removes the typewritten note that admits theft of $85,000 at Corregidor from his hand, then burns it, dumps the ashes out the window, takes the gun from his hand, wipes it clean, calls Capt Kennedy to report the murder. // [4-9] Mason arrives at Lessing's, is met by Howard Evans, Lessing's brother-in-law. Mason gives Helen Lessing the $1500 retainer. Capt Kennedy arrives, says he did Lessing “a grave injustice,” and Sgt Dexter is the killer. She gives Mason the retainer, to defend Dexter. She "knows" Dexter did not do it. / Mason asks Dexter about the Corregidor money, $10,000 of which was found in his foot locker. $50,000 was found in Major Lessing's safe. Dexter says only he and Evans pick up the payroll. The most recent payroll was out of sight while Haskell counted it and was with Evans when he went back in the bank to cash the $1500 check for Lessing. Mason agrees to represent Dexter. / Mason joins Paul Drake who has a list of finance office personnel. Haskell is involved with, and slipping money to, Rikki Stevens, young enough to be his daughter. / Half drunk M Sgt Smith tells Sgt Burke that Rikki Stevens was a stripper when he was in Manila, then he shouts "take it off" while Sgt Burke tries to constrain him. Rikki throws her drink in Smith's face, then stands him off with a broken glass. “I’d like to rearrange your vocal chords, anyway. They’re off key” she challenges. Smith leaves. Drake joins her, offers her help. At the bar the bartender apologizes for Smith, who has malaria. He was transferred seven months before. “Same time you came here” comments Drake, which prompts Rikki to skip out, paying for her own drink. Drake buys the five dollar bill she left as payment. / Mason asks Haskell about Rikki Stevens, who came from the Philippines about the same time as the money, and he denies knowledge, asking how the attorney could think he and the young Rikki could . . . “I’ve said all I intend to on the subject” he states as he refuses further comment. “The Army may have other ideas” counters Mason. / Della brings Perry the court marshall manual. The attorney receives a call from Evans, who gives the phone to his sister, Helen Lessing, who tells Mason she can prove her husband committed suicide. She explains about burning the suicide note. / Capt Kennedy reads a copy of the suicide note, which he says was typed by Dexter, to Mason, Evans and Lessing. // [5-9] Army court. Major Lewis, the prosecutor, reads the charges. Mason enters a plea of “not guilty.“ Sgt 1st Class Jean Mc Knight says she stayed late at night, and when she returned the following morning Dexter's transfer request was missing. Mason is prevented from asking if Dexter’s loyalty to Major Lessing could have caused him to return and retrieve his transfer papers. Capt Kennedy says Dexter left the finance office at 10:15. Lessing murdered 9:30-10:30. A typewriter ribbon from Dexter’s typewriter revealed what was typed as a note. An expert did the typing, because of evenness of the key force. Lessing was not a touch typist, but Dexter was. The desk containing the typewriter was locked. Only Dexter had a key. Mason gets Kennedy to admit there is no specific connection between Dexter and the Corregidor money. The foot locker, in which the $10,000 was found, was not secured. The typewriter desk was secured with a lock that could be opened with a nail file. Kennedy admits that several desks locked with the same make of lock had been rifled. Also 212 skilled typists are at Camp Grace. Rikki enters the courtroom. Sgt Smith testifies that Dexter introduced $20 bill to the game. // [6-9] Haskell testifies that some of the payroll bills he received were slightly scorched. Mason asks him about Rikki Stevens, then confronts him with a scorched five dollar bill used to pay Rikki's rent. He admits that Rikki is his (love) child. In '49 she came to America because of an illness, looked him up. He gave her money, didn't have the courage to give her love. He didn't hear from her then until about 8 months ago, when she had to return to Manilla to bury her mother. Again, he denied her. He didn't give her the five dollar bill, for that would have involved his own daughter. The court adjourns to a saddened father and weeping daughter. / Mason tells Street that Haskell's story “doesn't add up,” asks her to get Paul onto a check of some fingerprints, then asks Gertie on the phone to contact the post surgeon at Camp Grace. / Evans testifies that Dexter was alone with the money. The original payroll had no scorched bills. Mason makes Evans admits he also was alone with the money. Now Mason asks why he tried to prevent Major Lessing from seeing him. Wasn't Lessing going to have Mason defend Evans, whose disgrace would ruin family happiness as Helen’s brother? Evans claims to have been hitting the bars from 8 until 2 the night of the murder, with Sgt Smith. Smith admits he was told that drinking could bring on acute attack of malaria. His medical record is introduced as evidence. A recent test regarding an incurable form of malaria proved negative. Drake enters, gives Mason a sheaf of papers. Mason now accuses Smith, with Evans, of switching the Corregidor money. Sheaf included FBI fingerprints, which prove Smith is not Smith, but Private Anthony Kusick, the last surviving member of eight who burned the Corregidor money. The real Smith had malaria, Kusick doesn't. The witness now accuses Evans, but only Smith was on the post that night. Kusick was a clerk typist. // [7-9] Mason explains to Paul and Della that maybe only Kusick was paying attention to the burning bonfire of money, as Corregidor was being bombed that night. Kusick deserted, became one of a hundred Willie Smiths. Paul says he must not keep his date waiting. Mason asks if he has “money burning a whole in his pocket?” Paul produces a bill, burnt by a cigarette he placed on his money clip, “just the thing to spend on a hot date.” [8-9 end credits] [51:34]

[3-6/1-10 Title credits] [2-10] A West Valley dairy truck drives away, a postman approaches a house. Behind the house, Carl (Reynolds) backs his Pontiac Bonneville convertible, then honks the horn for his wife, Rhoda. He kisses her goodbye. A man in a pickup truck (Arthur Kane) watches. Inside, Rhoda does her hair. Kane surprises her. He notices how nice everything is, the house, two-car garage, her diamond ring. He demands $2000 more from Rhoda, by 2 a m. She’s a nurse and pills can make certain her husband sleeps. She threatens to call the police, but he asserts that this will end her marriage. // [3-10] Philip Reynolds is skeet shooting with his son, Carl. Dad refuses $2000 to his son. He has had to be both dad and mom since the age of four. He doesn’t like his son marrying someone about whom he knows little. Carl says he learned a lot while Rhoda nursed him back to health. Maybe it was only her sympathy he felt. Dad assures him that his wife and Dr Michael Harris are more than friends, announcing that “she’s a cheap adventurous who sees you as a way to my money.“ As long as Carl remains married to her, neither will get his money. / At the Beverly Hills Doctor’s Hospital, Dr Harris tells Rhoda that he'll provide the needed cash. He thinks Carl is strong enough to hear her story. He suggests to her that she see Perry Mason. / Rhoda, calling herself "Mrs Crocker," asks about a friend, seeks Mason's advice. Friend's husband disappeared with her savings in Seattle, then a telegram of his death came from Kansas, and she sent money for the burial. Friend then (re)married, but the first husband turned up after seven years. Is the new marriage valid? No. Mason suggests the friend divorce the first husband, insists the friend come in person before he'll provide further help. She exits, walking past Della Street and Paul Drake in the outer office. Mason offers that she’s deeply troubled, and he should have helped her. Della has taken a $50 retainer, finds her purse. Mason discovers in it a telegram to Mrs Carl Reynolds from Artie. Drake is ordered to find Reynolds for Mason. // [4-10] Mason goes to Kane's and is met by an old lady (Ellen Crandall) who lives in the adjacent building. Mason arrives at Kane’s as a woman exits, shouting at Artie. Is she Mrs Kane? “I should sink so low.” She’ll be at the Onyx. Mason, identifies himself to Kane, asks “was it seven or eight years ago you married her? Kane then calls Rhoda. He hands Mason the phone, and is told she doesn't want his help, hangs up. Mason mentions blackmail to Kane, who says he doesn’t have to talk. ”I didn’t expect you to. I’ve talked. You’ve listened. Now think.” / Night. Rhoda leaves her sleeping husband, but he is not asleep. She opens the garage door and backs out in her Bonneville hardtop as her husband watches. / 2 o'clock; Rhoda has a flat tire. / 2:10; she arrives at Kane's, without the money. He threatens to take her ring, an heirloom. The doorbell rings. She lifts a poker, threatens him. A fight ensues, overheard by a dog and Ellen Crandall, who phones the police. // [5-10] Paul reads Los Angeles Chronicle headline, POLICE SEEK WOMAN IN BLUDGEON KILLING, tells Della Street that the victim is the same Artie as the man who sent the telegram. Della notes that the photo on page two of a ring is one worn by a “Mrs Crocker.” Mason enters, noting he's no longer the woman's attorney, but gives odds of 5:1 that Lieutenant Tragg probably has her in custody. Phone rings. It is Mrs Reynolds. Mason is rehired by Rhoda who is at Doctor’s Hospital. Mason describes the woman he met coming out of Kane's apartment, 5'5", 33, Jersey City accent, blonde, works at Onyx, to Paul. / Carl Reynolds tells Lt Tragg that his wife left for her sister's in Chicago about 7 a m. Tragg reads traffic summons issued at 2:23 a m to Mrs Carl Reynolds. Philip Reynolds enters, tells Tragg that his son saw Rhoda try to drug him with sleeping powder in hot chcolate so he avoided it, saw her leave about 1:45, return an hour later. She was gone when Carl woke in the morning. This is the first that Carl has heard of Kane. Philip clearly thinks that his son made a mistake in his marriage. Tragg leaves, Carl questions his father; "what if Rhoda is innocent?" “Do you for one single moment believe that?” I don’t know. I don’t know what to believe,” responds Carl. / Hospital. Rhoda tells Mason that the lights went out after Kane grabbed the ring, so she escaped, but did not see who was ringing the bell. When she got home, she could not shut the garage door, because her husband’s convertible was sticking out. Tragg arrives with Sergeant Brice, presents a warrant of first degree murder to Rhoda. / Perry, with Carl and Philip, corroborates Rhoda's claim about the garage door. Carl says he didn't confront her because she might have said she'd been with Dr Harris. Philip offers that she was having an affair for years. Mason suggests Carl should do his own talking. Philip offers $10,000 if Mason will get the marriage annulled. He says he already is Mrs Reynold's lawyer and that she gave him more than Philip, namely her trust. / Dr Harris admits he rang Kane's doorbell, saw Rhoda leave. What should he do? Mason suggests, "consult a doctor." He is slow to catch on to his own advice to his patients; “take a vacation.” // [6-10] Drake brings Mason items on Kane, including a photo, which shows a clock at 3:55. Blonde is Edna Freeman. / Mason goes to Kane's building, using a key to enter Apt 1, tries the door bell, unscrews one that is installed to replace it with a buzzer. / At the Onyx Drake meets Freeman who says Kane took her for $3,386, but she got half back. Kane told her all about Rhoda’s planned visit. The police already know her story. / Apartment 4 (Kane's). Mason checks a door buzzer, places several bells back in the box. Buzzer buzzes, and Mason admits Sidney (Otis), a former client. Mason offers him the apartment rent free. He doesn't like buzzers, so Mason suggests Otis replace the apartment’s with a bell from his own store stock. / Drake says Freeman is on the up-and-up. Mason asks Street to file divorce for Rhoda against Carl, and let Hamilton Burger figure that out. / Mason gets Rhoda to face up to life and sign the divorce papers, so he can be accused by her of lying. // [7-10] Court. D A Hamilton Burger says he’ll ask for the death penalty. Lt Tragg identifies Rhoda’s ring. Mason has Tragg certify that the photo showing clock at 3:55 was taken at 3:55, with the alarm set at 2. (Frank) Lane testifies to defendant arriving at his garage at four minutes of 2, and it took nine minutes to fix the tire. Ellen Crandall testifies to hearing noises in neighboring apartment, #4, at 2:15. Burger asks her leading questions and is severely admonished by the judge for even rephrasing the question. Could she distinguish between door bell and phone is Mason's question. Then what she saw we learn was seen through 8" window shade opening. Burger suggests they go to the scene, and see. / In Mrs Crandall's room, a bell is heard. Mason objects, Burger is embarrassed. / Court. Otis testifies to the bell being from his store, other apartments had buzzers, as did his. Mason tells Mrs Crandall “if there was a buzzer,” she could not have heard a bell, and produces the alarm clock, makes it ring. Crandall identifies this as the bell she heard. The judge says that this proves the defendant was not there when Crandall heard the noises. Mason now points out that he arranged it so that the witness would believe she could not have heard a door bell. He admits he replaced the bell in order to test the witness. Burger says he’ll try Mason on breaking into the house and stealing the bell. Mason now states he wants time to take the deposition of Carl regarding the divorce, and invites Burger to be there to prevent any intimidation of the prosecution's witness. / Mason's office. While Mason questions Carl, Philip interrupts and is put down by the attorney. Perry asks Carl about his father's hatred of Rhoda and knowledge of Kane. Telegram to Rhoda about the time of the meeting was called by father Philip an “assignation.” Mason points out that Carl's car had been out, as Rhoda could not close the door on her return, and suggests Philip used it to follow Rhoda. Carl says not so, he followed her, turned out the lights when he saw the fight, was grabbed in the dark by Kane. He got the poker away. When he list a match, Kane was dead. Burger offers to make Perry’s motion for a directed verdict for him. // [8-10] Della admits Rhoda to Perry's inner office. Perry assures her that Carl does not need her’ “pity is not a basis for marriage.” But Dr Harris does, coaches Della. Rhoda leaves after kissing her attorney. Drake then says Burger is still going to subpoena Perry before the grand jury for illegal entry and larceny on the doorbell, but Mason gives Della the deed of purchase for the Kane four-family flat, which he bought the day after the murder. [9-10 end credits] [51:29]

[4-6/1-9 Title credits] [2-9] Sierra City. It is closing time at the Sierra City Bank. Dr Blane, is on the way to his lodge for the summer. (A J) Randall suggests he not send mail to his home, but Blane says that the in-town house will be open for his daughter Sue (Hardisty). “Marry a daughter, lose a daughter,” says Blane, who has not seen her except on her weekend visits to the lodge. Jack (Hardisty) is asked by Randall to lock up the money box. How’s his son-in-law doing, queries Blane. “Fine.“ “That’s the sickest ‘fine’ I’ve heard in a long time. You don’t have t lie to me, Randall, just because I’m chairman of the board here.“ Hardisty, in the safe, loads several packs of bills into a valise humming to himself, “big ones for me, little ones for you . . .” as Blane and Randall set the date for a board meeting, which is to be after the audit. Jack takes his leave, with bag in hand, promising to arrive at Blane's Bear Valley Lake lodge for dinner. // [3-9] The Blane lodge at evening. Jack arrives in his Edsel, is greeted by Sue who asks him to be fairlycivil. They enter the lodge, greet Jean and her brother Phil (Strague). Then Jack confesses to Dr Blane his theft of about $100,000, excusing himself for playing the horses because Blane plays the market (as if there’s no difference). Why be a piker? He’s “swept the place clean.” Maybe they can make some kind of arrangement, for he’s sure Blane “wouldn’t want to drag Sue into this.” / Perry Mason is dictating to Della Street when Dr Blane phones from Bear Valley Lake (split screen) to say his son-in-law has stolen from the bank and offered to return $75,000 if he'll make up the $25,000 and not prosecute. Mason calls it blackmail. They agree to put Paul Drake on the job, and Mason says he, too, will come up. / Two Drake operatives arrive at the Hardisty home to check it out. Inside, Hardisty gets a disturbing phone call at 3:55. Jack leaves, the operatives follow. / Paul Mason arrives at Bear Valley Lake with Della, where they are met by Paul. Drake's operative lost Hardisty in Los Angeles near Union Station. Was he carrying anything that could have held the money. His operative couldn’t tell. / As Paul heads off to Sierra City, he sees a light in the Hardisty house, approaches carefully, sees Dr Blane fossicking around inside. He enters, finds Jack, dead. Blane hasn’t called the police, because he was looking for the money. // [4-9] The police finish their search without finding the gun. Sheriff Elmore asks Dr Blane if he owns a gun, then decides he should be writing down his findings. / Sue introduces photographer Rodney Beaton to Mason and Street at the Blane lodge. Beaton is delighted that Della knows his work by name, however “paltry the financial returns.“ Beaton’s specialty is night photos of animals who trip his wires. Then Strague arrives, tells Mason he hopes the attorney will be around the next day for his sister will die if she doesn’t meet him. Is he a photographer? No, he’s working on a book. He admits to setting off one of Rod’s cameras. Dr Blane enters, announces Jack's murder. Sue breaks down. / Della is taking down Blane’s story. Blane says Sue wouldn’t tell him where she was, and explains to Mason that he doesn't "own" a gun, but he had one, loaned by Strague for target practice. It was gone tonight from his glove compartment. Mason points out Blane’s mistake in not informing the police, and has Della make the call. Blane thinks the Stragues and Beaton overheard his conversation with Hardisty, so know of the money theft. Sheriff Elmore enters, and Blane, hesitantly, tells him he had a gun. The sheriff hands him the gun. No fingerprints were found. The sheriff asks why it took him two hours to get to Sierra City, when he came up in one and a half. Twice he turned back to Hardisty's, thinking he could scare him with the gun, but the second time discovered the gun was gone. Blane’s admission that Jack had stolen bank money gets the sheriff’s attention. / Sue tells Mason her dad couldn't kill anyone. Sue refuses to tell Mason where she was last night. It was really all over with Jack but he wouldn’t allow her a divorce. She admits that she's been meeting Phil Strague but, last night, he didn't come to dad’s Sierra City house. So she has no alibi. // [5-9] Mason tells Drake the preliminary hearing is set. The district attorney has told him that he thinks Blane might have been in league with his son-in-law because he played the market. Drake reports that the only fingerprints in the Hardisty house were Blane's, Sue's, and Hardisty's, and there were three washed glasses. Paul is told to find whomever else had opportunity. / Court. Blane tells Mason the whole thing is ridiculous, and the D A knows it. District Attorney Darwin Hale for the prosecution. The court clerk asks everyone to rise and face the flag. The judge enters. Dr Ritchie testifies to the time of death, about 7:40, and that a truth serum, Scopolamine which takes twenty minutes to produce its effect, was in the body. Sheriff Elmore says the time from defendant's lodge to decedent's home was 1:31. Dr Blane's housekeeper has said he left at 5:45, so he arrived at 7:16. Sheriff said Blane said he got there at 7:50. Scopolamine was found in the doctor’s cabinet. Mason gets the sheriff to admit that neither the drug nor whiskey traces were found in the three glasses. Strague testifies that the murder weapon, his pistol, was last seen with Dr Blane. The loan included also Sue and Jack Hardisty, he admits to Mason. He, and Beaton, also knew where the gun was kept. Miss (Jean) Strague knew of the drug, testifies to being with her brother except for a few minutes when he went to the Blane's. No one else can confirm her story of a mutual alibi. Hale recalls Philip Strague, who corroborates his sister's story, and adds that between 7:30 and 8, his first visit to Blane's, he triggered a Beaton flash. Mason calls this a “self-serving declaration,“ but withdraws his objection because he was present when that was told to the group. Hale shows Strague a flash photo, the one taken by Beaton. People’s exhibit C. // [6-9] 11:45. Drake plays cat and mouse with his answers to Hale’s questions, but testifies to finding Blane rummaging through Hardisty's house about 8:55. Hale gets him to admit that Blane said he did not call the police, had been there only 5 minutes. Mason gets Drake to explain how long he thought Blane had been there, and how he knows. The temperature of various parts of the car indicated how long the engine had been turned off. Hale gets him to admit he tries to be loyal to his clients when he testifies. / Mason is pacing off the distance from Beaton's camera with Della when Paul arrives, tells Perry that Strague arrived in the area only recently. Strague had been having an affair with a married woman in San Francisco, and he left suddenly and bought a new car shortly after leaving for Sierra City. Mason asks Drake to check if Hardisty rented a post office box near Union Station and he and Della argue what this might have been used for. The truth serum got Hardisty to tell someone where the money was, but it wasn’t there, suggests Della. Mason says she is right, but that doesn’t solve the murder. / Court. Beaton testifies to seeing a flash about 7:30, identifies his photo of Strague. Beaton claims that he knew of the flash before Strague told him, because he had to reset the camera and recognized the tracks left by Strague. A deer came later. Drake tells Mason that Hardisty did rent a box about 5, and there is one letter in it, addressed to the box number. Mason gives him a note. Then Mason has Beaton demonstrate how he resets his camera. He shoots nearly wide open, f 4. The judge now asks Mason if he wants to present any evidence, nut notes it would require conclusive evidence for him to not bind the defendant over for trial. Mason says, with all the witnesses present, he’d like to recall Strague. His questioning leads him to the problem of why was he not startled by the flash. His footprints indicate normal walking, not stopping or surprise at the flash. Drake enters, gives the attorney a stuffed manila envelope. Mason notes that Strague was a navy photographer, and Jean Strague is his wife, not his sister. What else does he remember, about photography? “If you stop a lens down to 22 or 32 without changing the shutter speed, you will virtually eliminate any exposure.” Didn't he replace sheet film with one already exposed of himself, and therefore at 7:30 was murdering Hardisty with his wife? Mason pulls an alarm clock out of the envelope given him by Paul Drake, asks the judge for permission to demonstrate. He winds the clock, sets it to go off at 7:30, ties trip cord of camera to alarm winding key. Mason sets it down, with alarm going off. Slowly it winds up the trip cord. Jean jumps up, admits she went along with the Scopolamine, says she wants no part of murder. Philip denies his part, as the flash goes off, temporarily blinding him. The defense rests. // [7-9] Mason's office. Della brings Paul and Perry coffee. Mason explains that “cross-examination is like prospecting; you see something that looks promising, you work a vein for all it’s worth. If you’re lucky you make it a bonanza.“ Della chimes in that it is no different from what the Stragues were doing, a badger game to shake down Sue Hardisty, then went on to Jack where there was more money. Blane phones to say that the money was found, as expected, in a bag at Union Station, the baggage check mailed to his post office box. Della says Strague made his biggest mistake when he buried the clock; "that's no way to kill time," as the alarm clock goes off. [8-9 end credits] [51:30]

[5-6/1-10 Title credits] [2-10] A Walsh Appliance Co truck is parked in a drive of a bungalowed street. Men are taking a washer out. Danny (Harrison) arrives, tells wife Eileen that things will get better. They go to their baby. She needs a new brace, $85. It was $120 a few weeks before. Danny promises to find the money, somehow. Danny refuses to take even a penny from Eileen's father. He loves teaching and won't give it up. Eileen asks for a divorce. She goes back to the baby Carol, and he takes a pistol out of a drawer. // [3-10] Perry Mason's office. The attorney is lighting a cigarette. Eileen asks him to help with her divorce, but Mason thinks this is not the solution. Danny could go to work for almost any engineering company in the country, but has foolish pride, works two jobs, and Eileen is tired of clichés. Mason offers financial help but she refuses. She leaves emotionally drained. Mason asks Della to find where Danny works at night. / Danny is working in (Hickey's) cafe. A customer pays his 83 cent tab. Luke Hickey, owner and manager, tells Danny that the new café down the street means he may not be able to keep him on much longer. Frank (Curran), drunk, asks for service, insults Danny, calls the chili "slop." Hickey calls Curran a pig and orders him to clean up his mess. Curran swings at Hickey, and collapses. Manager Luke takes money out of Curran’s pocket, finds him loaded with big bills. / Danny takes Frank home and, upon arrival, is observed by Linda (Kennedy) and Phil (McCabe). / In a hallway, neighbor (George Palmer) observes Danny looking for Curran's key. It is above the door, says the neighbor (George Palmer). Danny leaves Frank in his room, drives away. / A maid strides down the hall, picks up a newspaper and milk bottle, then enters Frank's apartment, finds him dead / Lunch at the Harrison's. Lieutenant Tragg and Sergeant Brice arrive. Does Danny own a gun? No, he pawned it for needed money yesterday. Does he know Frank Curran? He was murdered the previous night, and Danny was the last one to see him alive. Eileen is panicked, goes to Carol as the men leave. // [4-10] Mason speaks to Danny at the jail, first giving him a requested cigarette. Danny knew Curran had money, over $2,000 cash. Is that why he drove him home? Danny relates how he took Curran home, saw a couple in a convertible, entered the building, got Curran into his room where he loosened his collar, took off his shoes. Mason notes he was found in pajamas. He also admits that he put a pair of bronze bookends back in place, one of which, notes Mason, was the murder weapon. / Paul Drake reports that Curran was V P of the Atlas Construction Company, whose dad is chairman of the board. Close friends? None. Hobbies? Wine, women and song. Money came from a poker game. / At Hickey's, Lt Tragg and Sgt Brice are questioning Hickey, who defends Danny, saying it was his idea for Danny to drive Frank home. Danny drove Curran home in his car, with Curran's car left overnight at Hickey's. He suggests cherchez la femme. Mason enters, is teased by Tragg, who then leaves. Did he murder Curran, asks Mason No, “he just didn’t think of it.“ Luke then asks if he can be made to testify. Yes. / “Good morning, Miss Street” is Mason’s entering greeting. He tells Della that Hickey may disappear so as to avoid testifying. Paul Drake phones in that Curran's girlfriend was Linda Kennedy, who runs a swank dress shop. / Paul and Perry view a model at Linda Kennedy's salon. Mason asks Kennedy about Curran and she denies any close relationship. Where was she and with whom (Phil McCabe?. McCabe interrupts, refuses to answer questions. Mason mentions the power of the subpoena. // [5-10] Back at Mason's. George Palmer is offered a cigarette, then says that he wants to help, but is upset when Mason asks why he was up so late, fully dressed, and “wound up” as he has admitted. Palmer gets angry, leaves. Della returns, and Paul enters to say Luke Hickey did not open this morning, but drove first to Chandler Restaurant Supply Company, then checked in to the Baldwin Motel in the valley under an assumed name. Drake reports on the poker game. The big loser was, Perry guesses, George Palmer. $1400 was paid to Curran as an IOU. No IOUs, nor record book, were found on Curran's body. Mason wants the book; so he thinks he should make it an essential part of the D A's case so that the D A will find it for him! // [6-10] Court. Lt Tragg testifies that defendant's fingerprints were on the bookend. To Mason, he admits he found the defendant’s fingerprints in several places in the deceased's room. Mason makes the point that this only prove the defendant was in the room. D A Hamilton Burger calls Luke Hickey, the court clerk then calls Hickey’s name, but he is not there, so Judge Carwell orders his arrest. Burger then calls Linda Kennedy. She explains seeing the defendant help the deceased out of a car about 2 a m, saying "just wait ‘til I get you upstairs." After Burger’s objection to Mason’s question is overruled, Kennedy admits they were waiting for Curran because he'd been avoiding her. She had asked him to marry her. Mason produces two-day-old marriage license between Kennedy and McCabe, which the court clerk marks for identification. She now says she loathed Curran. // [7-10] Baldwin Motel. Luke Hickey shaving. Lt Tragg and Sgt Brice knock, are admitted. Tragg orders Brice to get Hickey's coat. / Court. George Palmer testifies to Curran's being big winner, with at least two $500 bills. About 2:30 he heard Frank in the room, first thinking it was the TV. To Mason, Palmer admits losing $1400; he earns $130 per week. He paid with an IOU and, yes, knows of Curran's notebook. Court adjourns for lunch until 2 p m. Burger falls for Mason's bait, tells Tragg to find the notebook, then asks Linda Kennedy McCabe if she knows where Curran kept his valuables. She reveals a special compartment in his car. The notebook shows Palmer’s $1400 IOU. / At the police compound, Lt Tragg and Sgt Brice find a gun and a notebook in the special compartment. / Hickey is on the stand when Tragg arrives with the notebook. Burger wants Tragg to testify immediately, Mason objects, Judge Carwell notes his decision is at the court’s discretion solely but, since Tragg is neaded at headquarters, he rules if favor of Burger. Tragg introduces the notebook, with Palmer's IOU. Mason gets Tragg to testify that the ignition key was in the car lock, but wouldn't turn. Hickey admits defendant knew Curran had a large sum of money and that he volunteered to drive him home . . . (then, to Mason) before he knew Curran had the money. When Hickey left, didn't he see Curran's car, look it over, find the key in the ignition, and drive it to Curran's (the California car registration had the address), then put the trunk key in the ignition on his return, which explains why it would fit but not turn? What did he do at the Chandler Restaurant Supply Company. Della enters the courtroom, nods to Perry. Mason now offers that Luke paid a long overdue account with cash. Hickey confesses. Curran came out of his bedroom (in pajamas) and found him rifling his pockets, yelled at him, and he hit Curran with a bookend. He had great pride in owning a restaurant, but it was a dump, and this crumb, Curran, having so much when he never worked a day in his life, and he, Hickey, needing it so badly . . . he apologizes to Danny. // [8-10] Della and Paul are in Mason's office. She explains that Mason came to Hickey not first, but last, after the finding of the notebook proved neither Danny nor Palmer killed Curran. He only said to Hickey, "suppose I told you your finger prints were found in the car. . ." and when Luke didn't deny it, Perry knew he was home. As the attorney walks in, Drake asks Della, who has just handed him a check, how Perry can afford to pay him, the Harrisons certainly can't. Mason agrees, takes the check from Paul, tears it up, and calmly walks out. [9-10 end credits] [51:39]

[6-6/1-10 Title credits](1-1) [2-10](1-2) At a race track, a horse (Bright Magic) gallops to the finish line. A man (Johnny Starr), looking sad, is timing the horse. / Johnny reports to Gloria (Barton) that the timing was great, 1:36. She’s thinking of leaving her husband, jockey Tic Barton, but Johnny has a deal. To get money, $10,000, he suggests that Tic throw the upcoming Pacific Derby, and Tic’d do it for her though she protests otherwise // [3-10] At a track Tic, on Bright Magic, is spoken to by Dion and Victoria Bannion, the horse’s owners. They’re coming home with the trophy, they exclaim. Tic gives Bright Magic to Bob Allen, his trainer, who passes him to Eddie (Davis) to walk. Tic is a lucky man, he’s been given a chance to win the derby, has a supportive trainer, and a beautiful wife. "Gloria's a beautiful woman" only turns Bob's head down. / Tic returns home. Gloria, who is eight inches taller than her husband, says she’s “tired of being broke.“ She suggests Bright Magic should lose the Pacific Derby for $10,000 in cash. He thinks Johnny Star is behind this. She threatens divorce unless he throws the race. Is there somebody else? he asks. “Of course there isn’t!” / Perry Mason's office. Tic offers $100 for ten minutes advice. Will it be strictly confidential? Della answer, “I’m Mr Mason’s strictly and confidential secretary.“ Someone has approached his wife. He thinks it is Johnny Starr. He admits his wife needs security. He’s never thrown a race. Perry Mason agrees to help with divorce if Tic decides not to throw the race. After Tic leaves, Mason tells Della Street to get Paul Drake onto Starr. // [4-10] At the racetrack, Tic is given a message by Eddie to call his wife if he has changed his mind. He doesn't recognize the number, Webster 1-2499, tells Eddie he'd kill anyone who'd try to take his wife. He calls the number, gets Johnny Starr, hangs up. / Paul Drake reports to Mason and Street, explains that John Woodruff Starr may not be divorced from his second wife, that he's a petty gambler, and how betting could make him rich if Bright Magic lost. Early bets at 5:1 would cost a lot. Mason suggests they should go to the track and he has three tiks. “It just so happens” Della has three better tiks. Paul Drake has “box seats on the finish line!” / Track. “The horses are approaching the starting gate.” The trio of Mason, Street and Drake are watching. Tic talks to Bright Magic. In the stands, Allen, Dion, Victoria. “They’re off.“ Elsewhere Johnny. Bright Magic in fourth, moving up. Bright Magic challenges, then falls to third. // [5-10](1-4) Bannion fires Tic and Bob, though they both argue that horse pulled up when commanded forward. / Tic, who thinks he knows who might have done something to the horse, goes to Starr's place. Tic pulls a gun. A sound behind him causes Tic to turn and Starr catches him off guard, throws him into the hallway. Gunshot. Tic tries to reenter the room, then runs. A second gunshot. Mr Horty comes out of the room and sees Tic heading to the stairs. / Lieutenant Tragg is investigating the murder of Starr with Sergeant Brice. The coroner says he was shot “once in the face . . . and in the back.“ Horty tells Tragg that he knows the man, seen him in the papers, the jockey Tic Barton. / Los Angeles Chronicle headline proclaims JOCKEY SOUGHT IN MURDER. Gloria tells Mason her husband had a gun and a permit. Gloria brazens it out regarding the bribe. Might she have had reason to kill the married Johnny Starr? / Drake tells Mason that police are looking for Tic. Rumor is that Starr reneged on payoff to Tic. Mason asks Paul what he'd do to insure a fix; "take out insurance" by covering not only the jockey but also the horse, by way of doping. Drake has information on Starr and Davis. / Mason and Drake query Eddie, who has injured his head. Davis refuses to explain the injury. He and Allen guarded the horse. But “t takes only a second to put a needle in him.” Who banged him up? Was it Johnny Starr who reneged on paying for Davis’ doping the horse? / [6-10](1-5) A horse trailer is pulled in to Bannion Stock Farms. Bannion watches two trainers try to quiet Bright Magic. Victoria rides up, worried about Perry Mason’s involvement. Bannion takes a call from Davis who says "we finished our business last night." It was Bannion who hit Eddie. What if, suggests Eddie, cops learned that Bannion had come to him to find out who doped Bright Magic? It was Johnny Starr was then murdered. Bannion agrees to meet Eddie at the stable. Eddie states that he’s “a reasonable man.” / Mason and Drake query Allen. As Allen explains how a horse has to win his way to the top, from short races to longer ones. Drake surveys the room, notices small dirty shoes versus larger clean ones on Allen's feet. Yes, Tic is there as Lt Tragg arrives with Sgt Brice. Tic surrenders. // In jail, Tic explains what happened at Starr's. The door was locked when gunshots rang out inside Starr's room. He knew his gun was in there. And a man saw him in the hall. “Where was his wife?“ “Who tipped off the police to where he was staying?“ He’d have called Mason but he was too scared. Mason assures Tic that he didn't believe Tic could throw a race, so couldn't commit murder either. / Court. Hamilton Burger examines Tragg on the gun and fingerprints found in the room. // [7-10](1-6) Mr Horty first identifies Tic, then Gloria as the woman who visited Starr. Mason cross examines closely on how long between shots and Horty's noticing Tic in the hallway. He heard nothing after the first shot. Tic could have gotten out of the room before the first shot. Horty says that, after seeing the defendant in the hall, he went across the hall, rang the bell, called out, returned to his room and telephoned the police. While he was in his apartment, queries Mason, couldn’t the murder have quietly left Starr’s apartment unnoticed. Burger objects and Mason withdraws the question. Allen testifies that Tic denied to Bannion any fixing and said the horse would not put out. He is made to admit that Tic said he knew who might have handled the fix and that he went home, got his gun and went to Starr’s apartment “Yes, but that doesn’t mean . . .” Burger says the court can make its own interpretation. Mason makes Allen admit that it was he who kept Tic in his apartment, then called the police anonymously. He thought that best. / Davis tells of his relaying Tic’s wife’s phone message -Webster 1-2499, Starr's phone - to Tic, and that the defendant said "he'd kill" anyone trying to take his wife. To Mason, Davis denies Starr approaching him about tampering with the horse. Burger objects on several counts, but Mason says his questioning goes to the question of witness bias. Mason warns Davis that he was seen with Starr at least twice in the 48 hours preceding the murder. Davis then admits Starr tried to bribe him with $5000. Davis admits to doping Bright Magic, but insists that he was paid off. Mason asks for right to recall. Burger calls Dion Bannion who admits to hitting Davis, but not thinking he’d done that much damage. Judge adjourns before Mason's cross. / Drake joins Street and Mason. Della triggers Perry into awareness that Eddie was visited by Bannion the next day. / Back in court, Bannion bet $2000; @50:1 = $100,000. That, plus the purse, was a lot to lose. Assault on Eddie was circa 8:30. Why did he see Eddie the next day? To beat the truth about the doping out of him? What did he do to Starr? “Nothing.“ Then, why did Davis come to his home the following day? He asked him to when he threatened to go to the police. He gave Eddie $5000 to keep him quiet. Did he see Starr on the night of the murder? "He was dead." Mason recalls Davis. Wasn’t he busy on the day of the derby with doping the horse and blackmail? No, the $5000 was compensation for the beating Bannion gave him. He though I believed he’d murdered Starr. But, says Mason, this was at 8:30, and Horty heard the shots an hour earlier. Davis counters that he didn’t know that. But Mason says he should have because he fired them. Davis shot Starr because Starr would not pay the $5000 owed. Davis need the money for something which went bad. Since Davis got 2 $5000 payments, where is the second $5000? Davis' bankbook proves he got only one $5000. // [8-10](1-7) Tic asks Perry Mason how he got on to Eddie and Mason explains to him, Della and Paul, that Eddie preferred doping to a murder charge, never saw the two fitting together. Gloria phones for Eddie but he won't take the call, says from now on he'll “pick on girls (his) own size.” [9-10 end credits](1-8) [51:24](51:28)

[2-5/1-9 Title credits](1-2) [2-9](2-2) Outside crickets chirp. Inside (Laslo) Kovac is visiting Rufus Varner and his collection of Van Hootens. He suggests “there must be a dozen Van Hootens that have never been discovered; what about the "Purple Woman." He opens a curtain to reveal it. It is a forgery, Kovac asserts. ”You can decide that with just one look?” He’s been swindled. Angered, Varner smashes a small ceramic. // [3-9](2-3) Varner challenges Milo Girard who sold him the painting. He wants his $86,000 back. Girard calls him ignorant, because he wouldn’t get an expert’s opinion when told to do so. No, he knew it all. Varner doesn't want to appear a fool, so he leaves without his money, asking who painted his Purple Woman “I was under the impression it was Van Hooten” says Girard. / Aaron Hubble, who painted the false Purple Woman, is with Evelyn Girard. He asserts she and her “husband can afford the best because of “ him. She’s curious as to this assertion. Doesn’t she own 1440 Broadhurst. Her grandfather left it to her. That’s where over the past six months he been painting the “Purple Woman.“ Milo returns, sends Evelyn out of the room. Hubble, drinking, wants his "show" as his reward. Milo brushes Hubble off as no more creative than a house painter. Hubble threatens to tell Varner - who won’t admit hes been victimized - then the newspapers - to whom before he’d been seen as a drunken crackpot. He slinks out as Evelyn returns. Milo is a “member of the ‘Hate Girard’ society” and she’s the president. She’s earned it, and despises her husband and “won’t be happy again as long as” he lives. / Mrs Girard goes to Perry Mason and tells him that her husband defrauded a collector with the “Purple Woman.” She’s afraid she’ll be implicated because she owns the building where the Purple Woman was painted. Mason assures her she’s not responsible for her husband’s actions. She asserts Milo will choose the illegitimate way to do things if one is available. Her father is a prominent churchman and she wants her family’s reputation protected. The attorney advised his client that Paul Drake may contact her. After she leaves, Della Street and Mason agree that Evelyn is disillusioned. / Los Angeles Chronicle art critic Wayne Gordon is asking Girard about his big sale and if he defrauded Varne. Just then Evelyn enters and is introduced to him. Girard goes out to the reception office. Evelyn and Wayne Gordon are having an affair and he’s upset she’s not called. She says what they are doing is not good. As he leaves, Milo Girard return. He is aware of the affair. He has Gordon’s letters to Evelyn. He reads one silently; “I can’t imagine how he got a job on a newspaper.“ When he suggests a juicy divorce. which the Rev Dr Bates (her father) would enjoy, she threatens to kill her husband with scissors. Secretary Doris Andrews observes this. After Evelyn leaves, Girard suggest that Doris is too intellectual to understand his wife’s emotionality. She rubs his shoulders affectionately. / Mason tells Della and Paul Drake that Milo is suing for divorce over his wife’s infidelity. / Milo Girard is found dead at his desk the next morning by Doris. // [4-9](2-4) Evelyn Girard, in jail, asks Mason how anyone could think she killed her husband. Three reasons, says Mason. She says she was home between midnight and 2 in the morning, but her servants say she was out from 11:30 to 3 a m. She denies the love letters, but is tripped up and admits she went to her husband’s office to plead with him. He was already dead. She picked up his favorite figurine (thus, her fingerprints are there). She found the letters and burned them. She refuses to name her boy friend. / At his office, Mason questions Doris Andrews, who gets caught lying regarding knowing Hubble when she calls him by his first name. He enters and greets her as an “angel.” She stalks out. He asks for and gets a drink, reveals he forged the Purple Woman. He went to Varner, then D A Burger who said he was a publicity-seeking wino. Of course he wants publicity. / Varner is examined. Mason lets him know the police check all the deceased’s acquaintances. He tells Mason to "get out" when the attorney lets him know that he knows that Varner bought a forgery from Milo Girard; “Don’t try to involve me in this mess.” / Gordon tells Mason what he knows regarding Varner and Van Hooton. The Purple Woman was painted in 1890 or 91, given to his model who didn’t like it, put it in her cellar. In 1895 the house burned down. He recommends Kovac as a judge of the Purple Woman. Drake arrives after Gordon leaves. He reports that Kovac told Rufus of the forgery, and notes that Gordon was Evelyn’s boy friend. // [5-9](2-5) The Hall of Justice. Doris Andrews tells D A Hamilton Burger that she was asked to inform Mrs Girard that Mr Girard would be late, and to tell no one else. During Mrs Girard’s fifth and last meeting at his office she saw Mrs Girard try to stab Mr Girard. Doris admits she doesn’t like the defendant. She accompanied Mr Girard on his business trips. Mason shows that, at the Gateview Hotel in Palo Alto, room 867 was assigned to "Mr Milo Girard and wife." She admits she “was in love with Milo Girard.” Wayne Gordon admits defendant and he to be in love. He asked her to divorce her husband, but she wouldn’t. Weren’t their phone calls between them? She wanted advise and he told her to see Perry Mason. Mason digs into the issue the of fraud involving the Purple Woman. Burger objects but Mason relates his questioning to the satisfaction of the judge. Gordon says Evelyn told him of the fraud and Aaron Hubble the forger. / Drake, Della and Mason are being served lunch by waitress Martha at a diner. Lt Tragg joins them to say that Aaron Hubble "has long ears." “What’s that mean?” asks Mason. Tragg responds, “just because you’ve spoiled my meal is no reason for me to spoil yours.” // [6-9](2-6) Court. Hubble tells what Mrs Girard said as he hid in the hallway on his way out. She was the president of the “Hate Girard” society and “she’d never be happy as long as he lives.” Burger has the judge instruct him to answer only the question asked as Hubble tries to talk about how he is a genius. Mason finally gets to introduce the Purple Woman, despite Burger's continued objection to its admissibility. Hubble explains what the Purple Woman is and how he was certain Mrs Girard knew about it. Burger approaches the bench, claims Mason is trying to destroy the credibility of the witness. Burger offers that the painting is irrelevant and being used to suggest Hubble is irrational. The judge, however, wants to see it. / Berger brings Kovac as his expert. He says he told Varner the painting was a fake. When he examines the painting that is brought in, he thinks it is a genuine Van Hooton. When Aaron protests, the judge sentences him to 24 hours in the county jail. Kovac and Mason agree to a scientific test after Kovac explains that he has a letter that describes the original, and the painting has the necessary elements which, however, seemed different in his first inspection.. / Drake reports to Mason that the painting is authentic. / Mason and Drake enter Girard’s gallery looking for the fake Purple Woman. Drake suggests that he’d hide it behind a painting the same size that no one would ever buy. They find it behind another painting, as expected. Hubble painted the fake from Girard’s color sketch. How could Girard get the correct colors if he didn’t have the original? / Varner brags to Berger that he has 42 Van Houtons. When Mason unveils the second Purple Woman, Varner calls it a fake. He admits he bought the Purple Woman twice. Mason baits Hubble by calling him a fifth rate hack. “That’s a lie” shouts Hubble. Mason then catches Hubble in a lie about never being in Girard’s gallery when he admits to one of his fakes hanging next a Renoir in Girard’s office. Hubble is the murderer, and confesses. He’s a genius and Girard betrayed him. He thanks Mason for his million dollars of publicity that will get him his one-man show. // [7-9](2-7) Dinner for Perry, Paul and Della. Hubble's picture is in every newspaper in town. Burger joins them and compliments Mason on the case. Mason then honors Burger by quoting a statement by him from THE LAW JOURNAL; “A well-tried criminal case is a credit to all involved. There is no winning or no loosing in the true administration of justice.” Signed, Hamilton Burger. [8-9 end credits](1-8) [51:27](51:23)

*elsewhere, except episode 53 where Chuck Webster reappears, played by Lee Miller

Produced by Ben Brady Directed by Arthur Hiller Teleplay by Barry Trivers & Gene Wang

[3-5/1-9 Title credits] [2-9] A man drives up to the Hyett Building in his black Thunderbird convertible, goes to the offices of Hyett, Brewster & Hyett. Richard Hyett tells father Jonathan Hyett that he never suspected a thing about Charles Brewster. Just then Charles enters. Jonathan shows photostats to Charles, accuses him of being guilty of a crime for which Martin Ellis was convicted. Jonathan goes to call the D A, but is cut off by Brewster, who notes that his wife Valerie is Jonathan's daughter. Charles tears up the photostats. // [3-9] Valerie Brewster is drinking whiskey when Charles arrives home in his black Thunderbird convertible. She rejects his "alcoholic" appellation, says she could stop any time, but asks for help. He accuses her of sending the photostats to Hyett. He offers her another drink, which she gulps. / A mailman delivers an eight cent due package to (Carolyn) Ellis. It is a microfilm strip. / Perry Mason's office. Carolyn Ellis is explaining her problem to Perry Mason and Della Street. Mason asks what she knows about the Hyett, Brewster & Hyett. She worked for them; Martin got her the job. They asked her to leave when Martin got arrested. They do business management for some of the top people in Hollywood, people with incomes in the stratosphere. The partners each handle a dozen accounts, and the $300,000 embezzled came from the clients of Charles Brewster. Fraudulent bills were submitted, each with Brewster's authorization, so Martin paid them, but the bills disappeared before the trial. Paul Drake gives his code knock, then enters via the back door with a microfilm printouts of the bills, some of those that were missing. Mason calls D A Hamilton Burger. / Burger apologizes to Carolyn Ellis for the apparent miscarriage of justice. Mason suggests that the D A also look into the "friend" who sent Carolyn the microfilm. / San Quentin prison. Martin Ellis lets Mason know that he is angry at being in prison for one and a half years, threatens to make certain Brewster pays for it. Mason notes that Brewster has been arrested. “He’ll be out by tonite,“ says Martin. Wife and husband are reunited. / Jail. Charles Brewster is accused by Great Southwest Bonding and Surety Company agent (Victor) Squires of recently having converted profits into $308,000 cash from a hidden account, and he wants the money back. Brewster promises $150,000 three hours after bail is posted. / Squires calls his office, has his secretary, Elsie, get the Heller Detective Agency to post bail anonymously and keep Brewster under close surveillance. Martin is looking at Los Angeles Chronicle headline, BREWSTER FREE ON BAIL, as Carolyn sets a dinner under “Welcome home darling” sign. He pours self a drink, goes out to get more liquor, perhaps to see Brewster. / Jonathan Hyett phones the police to report a suicide then, using a handkerchief, places a gun in the hand of the dead man (Brewster). // [4-9] Hyett tells Lieutenant Tragg that the door was open and he found Brewster with the gun in his hand. Doorman (Walter) Vico is brought in, identifies photo (apparently Martin Ellis). Lab phones report that the gun was put in the hand after death. Lt Tragg orders Sergeant (Brice, tho never called that) to pick up the man in the photo. / Ellis in jail. Everybody knew Brewster's hideaway. Brewster was waiting for him, the doorman must have warned him. Brewster met him gun in hand. He knocked it across the room. He confronted Brewster who offered him half of the embezzled money, then hit him hard. He left via the service entrance, walked home. / Street and Drake are joined by Mason. Paul couldn’t find anything about the box or the microfilm. Special delivery brings a letter filled with bills, $5000, for the Martin Ellis defense fund. Mason asks Della to make an appointment with the bonding company representative; he expects Drake to check the note against all typewriters in the office of Hyett et al. / Richard Hyett answers Mason’s call, says Mrs Brewster cannot come to the phone, she’s sick. Yet he won’t tell Mason who her doctor is. He then turns to his sister, tries to get her to stop drinking. She doesn’t know why she misses Charles, “he was such a terrible sadist.” / Squires won't admit arrangement with Brewster until Mason notes he could be an accessory. At 7:30 at Brewster’s apartment he claimed the $150,000 promised. Brewster was seen buying two tickets to Mexico City in the name of George Kendall. Mason has Squires call his office and, surprised, he reports that other $150,000 has been returned, in a plain manila envelope. / Great Southwest Bonding Company addressed envelope is being looked at by Jonathan Hyett. Mason notes that the address, and that the typing on his note with $5000, were typed in Hyett's office. Mason points out that Hyett was alone in the room, searched, he suggests, and found the money and returned it in the manila envelope. He also faked the suicide. Hyett denies everything. Mason leaves, and Hyett has his secretary contact District Attorney Hamilton Burger. // [5-9] Court. For prosecutor Hamilton Burger, Lieutenant Tragg testifies that Brewster's gun, though the murder weapon, was not fired by Brewster. Wallet, two tickets to Mexico City and two rings are identified as taken from the deceased. Signet ring had blood embedded in letters “CB.” Mason asks Lt Tragg about Jonathan Hyett's presence in the dead man's room, fifteen minutes alone, and Tragg did not search Hyett. Hyett admits he did not phone the police immediately, but searched the room, found the money in a suitcase, put it around his waist, later mailed it to the bonding company. He also put the gun in Charles's hand. Mason first points out the money he took was stolen, since the company had been reimbursed, then asks, rhetorically, who does he think he was protecting when he took the money and placed the gun in the dead man's hand, since he saw nothing identifying the killer. He knew Brewster could jump bail and take his daughter with him. Yes. He knew son-in-law was guilty before he was arrested. Yes. He tried to make amends but did not mail the microfilm. Burger calls Mrs Martin Ellis, produces documents to show she is not legally the wife of the defendant, for a divorce from her first husband (Victor H Polaski) was only ten months into interlocutory decree when she married Ellis. Thus she can be compelled to testify against Ellis. Court adjourns at Mason’s request. Mason asks Ellis if he has stocks, bonds, etc in her and his name. Yes. They can be claimed by him since they are not legally married, and Mason says they should do it. / Night. Mason and Drake enter Carolyn Ellis's apartment. Drake finds the stocks and bonds. Paul also finds a check made out to Barton Stationers of San Francisco for $24. Also a check for an airline ticket to San Francisco. Why was Mrs Ellis there for only one day? // [6-9] Carolyn admits that Martin left her about 9:30, returned with cuts and wounds on his face about 1 a m. Mason asks if she stayed home, the "ever faithful wife." She dislikes the inference. Mason then produces Barton Stationers bill; "42 photostats of bills to be reduced and placed on one roll of microfilm," with her signature. Wasn't she in cahoots with Brewster, whom she helped embezzle the money, and loved? Didn’t she want revenge when she found Brewster could not be trusted? That's why she kept the bills all along. Carolyn says she never entered Brewster's place, but stayed across the street in Frankie's bar, left when the police arrived. Can anyone prove she was there? Valerie Brewster, stands up, says she can. The judge, learning Mrs Brewster is the widow of the deceased, overlooks her outburst. She is Burger’s next witness. She saw Mrs Polaski there about 10 o'clock and her brother picked her up about midnight. Mason asserts she did go to Brewster's apartment on the night her husband died, and she was using Mrs Polaski as her alibi. Two tickets to Mexico City also shows she and Charles were going together to Mexico City. Mason queries regarding her wedding ring, which she claims she is always losing, yet she has trouble removing it for the attorney. Jonathan Hyett interrupts to say Mason knew Brewster had no intention of taking Valerie to Mexico City. He confesses, regretting that Mason discovered it instead of him coming forth and admitting it. He apologizes to Ellis. // [7-9] Mason's office. Drake, with Della listening, wonders how Mason figured it out. Well, Hyett considered himself above the law. Mason asks, who admitted being in the apartment after Ellis left, and who put the gun in Brewster's hand and who admitted he hated Brewster? Hyett on all accounts. Drake says he was the most likely suspect so he didn't consider him. Della says he keeps looking for things that aren't there. “Is that what you call a cynic?” asks Paul. Mason counters,” when a man looks for things that aren't there, and finds them, then we call him detective!” [8-9 end credits] [50:24]

The 1:12 section in red was broadcast and is missing from the supposedly complete DVD presentaton. It is present in CBS Videotape 24377. Shows in this second season were running about 51:30, so the missing 1:12 should have been caught by the producers to make a 51:36 show.

CHARACTER ACTOR Perry Mason Raymond Burr Della Street Barbara Hale Paul Drake William Hopper Andy Templet Edgar Buchanan Ellen Monteith Jody Lawrance Richard Waid Dan Barton Stephanie Sabin Fay Baker Fred Bascomb Robert E Griffin Sheriff Barnes Frank Ferguson Mr Langley Joe Kearns District Attorney R Sprague Jason Johnson Charles Sabin Maurice Manson Helen Watkins Pamela Branch Court Clerk Jesslyn Fax Rufus Bolding Howard Culver Arthur Sabin Maurice Manson

[4-5/1-9 Title credits] [2-9] A taxi brings a man home. The man (Charles Sabin) enters his house, searches a desk, finds an envelope addressed to Mrs Charles Sabin. Wife Stephanie comes in, he asks for Waid, speaks to Casanova, the parrot. Stephanie leaves, (Richard) Waid enters, is accused of not taking care of the parrot. Sabin looks for cancelled checks. He tells Waid to pick up mineral options in Denver if he calls. He decides to leave for his cabin immediately, not tomorrow as Stephanie and Helen Watkins expected.. In front of Stephanie and Waid, he accuses Helen of stealing. “Everyone in the whole world is trying to steal from you” challenges Stephanie, who then proclaims that she’s “not going with (him), ever.” / [3-9] The lake. Bascomb Lodge. Fred Bascomb drives up to Sabin’s place in his station wagon marked “Bascomb Lodge and Cottages, Logan City, California.” He looks at Sabin’s car, then sees through a glass window Charles Sabin on the floor, dead, a parrot squawking "Helen, give me that gun, don't shoot." / Perry Mason’s office. A club is requesting a lock of Perry Mason’s hair to auction off at a club benefit. Perry accuses Della Street of a joke, but she says it is a legitimate query. Mrs Sabin brings in her daughter Helen. She tells Mason of the murder, then quotes Casanova. Murder, however, was about a week ago. Mrs Sabin was at the Windsor Hotel, having decided to divorce her husband, an