Angel Face Page #5

You forgot? You know I have

to be in Santa Barbara by 12:00.

- Well, maybe he'll be back soon.

- Maybe?

They don't just hold up

bridge tournaments, you know!

- Well, I'll drive you.

- Oh, no, thank you. I'll drive myself.

Goodbye, dear. Wish me luck.

Oh, where are the keys?

In the car.

- Catherine.

- I'm in a dreadful hurry, Charles.

I was wondering

if you'll drop me in Beverly.

I'm very late. Any other time.

- Why don't you ask Diane?

- Her car's not here.

Very well, I'll drop you. But hurry, please.

Wonderful. This way

I can keep my appointment.

I won't take you out of your way,

my darling. I promise.

Just drop me off at Wilshire and Rodeo.

- Hello, Frank. How you been?

- Fine, Ed. How are you?

Well. Sit down.

You know, I was asking about you

just the other night.

- That redheaded partner of yours.

- Oh, Bill.

I haven't seen much of him lately.

Driving for people like the Tremaynes

made you kind of exclusive, huh?

I wouldn't say that.

The job just kept me pretty busy,

that's all.

Looks like you'll have to find

a new one now with the Tremaynes dead.

- How long were you up there?

- About a month.

How'd you happen

to land that job, anyway?

Just happened to fall into it.

We got a call from up there one night.

Yeah, I know. I got the report right here.

Asphyxiation case.

Mrs. Tremayne, probably accidental.

- Sure makes you wonder, don't it?

- What do you mean?

She claimed somebody

tried to murder her.

She was hysterical.

Why would anyone try to murder her?

Are you kidding?

A woman with her kind of money?

Oh, by the way, Frank,

what sort of a girl is this stepdaughter,

Diane?

Very nice girl. Very pretty girl.

- Any boyfriends?

- None that I ever saw.

She and her father were very close.

But didn't get along

with the stepmother, huh?

I didn't say that, Ed.

Okay. When was the last time

you drove the Tremayne car?

This morning

when I took it out of the garage.

- You notice anything wrong with it?

- Not a thing.

Well, do you remember

whether you left it in gear?

In reverse maybe?

No. No, I'd say not.

With me, it's automatic to shift

into neutral before I cut a motor.

Yeah?

Oh.

Is that so? All right, bring it in.

Getting back to the stepdaughter.

You say she had no boyfriends, huh?

Well, not that I know of.

You and the girl weren't planning

to run off together now, were you?

No.

Then how do you account

for her suitcase in your room?

- Well, that is the suit...

- Hold it.

If I were in your spot, Frank,

I'd hire myself a lawyer.

You can imagine what a shock it was.

I'd known Catherine for 20 years.

Her father was one of my first clients.

- Did you draw up the will?

- Two years ago.

Tremayne was to get a fixed income

as long as he lived.

He wasn't very practical about money.

The bulk of the estate was to go to Diane.

The district attorney

will use that against us.

- Hello, Kelly.

- Oh, hello, Mr. Barrett.

We're here to see Miss Diane Tremayne.

Come in.

- You're looking good, boy.

- Thanks.

- This is Mr. Barrett, Sergeant.

- Hello, Sergeant.

- And Arthur Vance.

- Good morning. Good morning, Sergeant.

I wish you wouldn't speak

too much about her father.

Today's the first day that

she's gone without sedatives.

She idolized the man, Fred.

It's no wonder her nerves have cracked.

Teresa.

- Hello, Teresa.

- Hello. Right over there.

Legal eagle Barrett.

That Tremayne dame

really must be in trouble.

Quiet, Warner! That's no way to talk!

Tremayne?

Miss Tremayne, your lawyers are here.

Diane, this is Fred Barrett.

He's going to handle your defense.

Fred is just about

the best trial man in the country

and we were very lucky to get him.

But I don't want anyone to defend me.

I know just how you feel.

It's the most natural reaction in the world.

I would want my daughter

to feel the same.

She's just about your age.

But, Diane, a girl of 20

has her whole life ahead of her.

You must not permit your grief,

understandable as it may be...

- But I did it...

- You mustn't say such things.

That's all right. Let her talk.

Go ahead.

I did it all by myself.

Not Frank.

You're a very sick girl.

You know that, don't you?

Otherwise you wouldn't be here.

I know what I'm saying.

Sure. But the doctor doesn't want

you to make any statement.

That's why he hasn't permitted

the district attorney to question you yet.

But Frank is innocent.

The law says you're both innocent

until proved guilty.

Both, do you understand?

Now I want you to listen, Diane,

very carefully.

Everything the district attorney has,

all the evidence,

links you and Frank together.

The motive, the means, the opportunity.

It wouldn't do either one of you any good

to shoulder the blame or to pass it on.

It would only convince a jury

you're both lying, both guilty.

But I'm telling the truth.

The truth is what the jury decides,

not you, not me, not Frank.

If you quit, he's through, too.

But if you want to fight, he has a chance.

I think a pretty good chance.

I don't have to cooperate, Mr. Barrett,

and I already have my own attorney.

You'll keep your own lawyer.

Mr. Lewis is not going to leave the case.

Of course not.

But I don't think

we should disregard Mr. Barrett's offer.

To be very blunt, Mr. Jessup, I'm not

particularly interested in saving your neck.

My only concern

is with my client, Diane Tremayne.

Yeah, that's what I figured.

But the point is,

you have a much better chance together

than separately.

And the evidence actually points

much more to you than it does to her.

The fact that

an automobile was involved...

If she thinks she can get away with that,

she's lost her mind.

No one's trying to get away with anything.

But, in cases like this,

you can't overlook the personal equation.

She'll get a lot of sympathy.

A pretty girl, deeply devoted to her father,

on the best of terms with her stepmother,

who was a kind and generous woman,

as you well know.

Oh, do I?

The family lawyer told me

she was planning to set you up

in a garage business.

That's not what Diane said.

Somebody's lying.

Probably a misunderstanding

but it's not important.

What I want to know is whether

you're willing to follow our strategy.

Frank, you ought to bear in mind

Mr. Barrett's record.

- He's never lost a case yet.

- Let's not say "never. "

Suppose you tell us

what you have in mind, Mr. Barrett?

Your client and mine are getting married.

- We're what?

- Just a moment.

I don't quite follow you

on this marriage idea.

It's very simple.

All the world loves a lover.

- Juries are no exception.

- No, Mr. Barrett, nothing doing.

The DA is going to make a lot

of that suitcase in his room.

He'll accuse them of having an affair.

We'll make a virtue of it.

Certainly they were lovers

and not ashamed to admit it.

But a tragic accident

and the intervention of the police

prevented their elopement.

But even prison bars cannot

change their love or halt the marriage.

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