Compulsion Page #6

Yes, sir. I should think you would

have checked that first.

There are ten members in my class,

all very reputable people, I assure you.

Oh, come on, Judd.

You're taking this all much too seriously.

We all know you're

a prominent ornithologist.

It's entirely logical

that your glasses could have dr

Oh, I'm all right.

It's funny. They didn't

drop out of my pocket.

Oh, I'm sorry, sir. But it looked like

you were acting that out for a jury.

Forgot you were a law student, Judd.

Yes, it was

rather far-fetched.

Uh, do you suppose you could show us how these

glasses might have fallen out of your pocket?

Go right ahead.

Of course, the terrain

is considerably different out there.

Mm, of course.

I suppose I could have tripped over

a root or something.

Like this.

They didn't fall out

of my pocket, either.

No.

May I see

your coat a moment?

Yes, sir.

Could you have taken it

off because of the heat...

or something you wanted to do,

and then, uh picked it up later?

Yes, but I wouldn't

pick my coat up that way.

- Why not?

- I'm very careful about my clothes.

Unless you were

in a hurry.

Unless it was dark.

Well, this is all purely academic,

if they're not really my glasses, isn't it, sir?

I don't know, of course,

but I would imagine there must be...

a thousand pair of glasses like

those right here in Chicago.

The figure is

about 4,000,Judd.

But these happen

to be your glasses.

In spite of the fact they look like

thousands of others, they aren't.

You see, a firm in Rochester

developed this new hinge.

Almer Coe is their only outlet here.

They sold three pairs.

One to an executive who's been

in Europe for a month...

one to a woman in River Forest,

and the third to you.

Interesting?

Now, how would you like to tell us

about Wednesday afternoon?

I must say, you've given us a very detailed

account of your activities, Judd.

- Ten times.

- Oh, we're very thorough.

We'll have to find some way

to corroborate this, you see.

None of it, uh driving around

in your Stutz Bearcat

Lake Shore Drive, Jackson Park,

hot dog stand, Mae and Edna

None of it is particularly

easy to check.

Well, it would be

if you found Mae and Edna.

Yes, but Mae and Edna who?

You didn't tell them your right names,

and they didn't tell you anything.

See how it is?

Look, Judd. I know how you feel

about involving a friend...

and I appreciate your family's feelings

about picking up stray girls...

but you might consider

my position too.

I simply have to

check this story.

Look, Judd.

I give you my word, I'll never say anything

to either of your families...

if you tell me

your friend's name.

Then we can wash this all up,

and have you home for dinner.

All right.

I doubt that he'll

ever speak to me again...

- but his name is Artie Strauss.

- Artie Strauss?

- Attends the university also.

- You know him?

He's the kid that's

been helping me all along.

Very interesting. If you pick him up

and bring him in...

he may be able

to help us some more.

Yes, sir.

Right through there.

Straight ahead, Artie. Come on.

- Open up!

- There he is! Get him!

- What's going on? - We've been waiting

downstairs for two hours.

Don't you think it's about

time you gave us a statement?

I'll give you a statement...

when I'm good and ready to

in the meantime, there'll be

no reporters in this suite!

That's better.

Is there anything

I can get you, Strauss?

Artie. Just make

it Artie, sir.

I could, uh, use a cigarette,

if you have one.

- Came away so quickly that I didn't

- Sir, have one of mine.

Thank you.

Oh, this is Mr. Horn,

Artie, the State's Attorney.

- Ah, Mr. Strauss.

- Artie Strauss. Nice to know you, sir.

- I guess you're the man I want to see!

- Oh?

You see

I don't know exactly why I'm here.

But, uh, if we could make

it as quick as possible?

- Oh, I think we can do that, Mr. Strauss.

- Artie. Please, sir.

You see, I uh, answered the door

when your men arrived...

and, uh, since I didn't

want to worry Mumsy

My mother, that is I just came along.

Oh, all right. Well, this won't

take but a few minutes.

Oh, fine. You see, uh, dinner's at 8:30,

and Dad likes me to be on time.

Particularly when we're having guests.

Judge, uh, Conway...

or uh, Conroy,

I think it is tonight.

Oh, that'd beJudge Conway

of the Superior Court.

- Yeah.

- In that case, we'll make it extra-brief.

Uh, won't you

sit down, Artie?

Well, I'd prefer to stand,

if you don't mind, sir.

I'm the nervous type.

But, uh, please.

Thank you.

Well, I'll come right

to the point, Artie.

We're interested, uh

in a description of your movements

in the afternoon...

and evening of

Wednesday the 17 th.

Last Wednesday? That's,

uh, over a week ago, isn't it?

- Yes.

- Yeah, this is Thursday.

Well, you see, it's-it's, uh

It's pretty hard to

remember that far back.

- That's what your friend Judd said.

- He did?

But he managed

to recall a few things.

Oh? Well, uh, did

he say I was with him?

That's hardly

the point, is it, Artie?

We're interested in

finding out what you recall.

Of course. Stupid of me.

You see, i-i-it's just that I know

we were together part of the day

- When was that?

- Well, Wednesday's a school day.

And, uh, we have

two of the same classes.

Uh, we're interested in hearing

what happened after school.

Yeah. Wednesday,

Wednesday

Is that

the day the old ma uh...

Father had

the dinner party for

Oh, Wednesday was the night

the little Kessler boy was kidnapped.

Is that why you wanna know?

Then I better get it right.

- Wednesday.

- It may help if you recall being with Judd...

any afternoon and

evening last week.

Well, I-I-I know I know we went to

the Edgewater Beach Monday.

That was a party.

And the Four Deuces

Friday.

No, Thursday.

No, Wednesday.

I don't believe so.

Oh! Yeah

I remember.

I went to the movies alone.

And that's all you remember

about Wednesday night?

Just dropping into a movie alone

no friends, no girls?

That's is, sir. I wish I could tell you

something more helpful.

Yeah?

The commissioner

just phoned.

He wanted me to tell you

thatJudge Conway called him

for the family, sir?

- So?

- Well, nothing.

- He just wanted me to tell ya.

- All right. You've told me.

- Yes, sir.

- Oh, Johnson.

Yeah?

What about

that other matter?

Oh, Mae and Edna?

Yeah, the two dames.

- Well, we're still working on that, sir.

- Mm.

Did he say something about two girls

named Mae and Edna?

Oh, I don't know if that's

their names.

Two girls we interviewed

as secretaries.

That's not true,

Mr. Horn.

Judd's broken his word of honor to me.

He promised he'd never tell it to anybody.

- Why, Artie?

- Well

Well, because that's where we were

Wednesday night

Out with a couple of chippies

we picked up on Lake Shore Drive.

He knows what'll happen

if my family finds out.

Well, what else

did he tell ya

Artie, have you been lying?

Don't you know this is

a murder case?

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote