Evelyn Prentice Page #7

Thank you. Come to my office

tomorrow morning.

- I'll be there.

- Delaney will call for you around 10.

First thing I know,

I'll be getting talked about...

...having strange men call on me

while Jerry's at work.

And a homely-looking mug like him too.

Darling, would you show Mrs. Blake

to the door?

- It's been nice meeting you, Mrs. Blake.

- Same here, Mrs. Prentice.

Now, can I tell you something that's

gonna hand you a great big laugh?

Yes, what is it?

When I walked over to you

in that room before...

...I could have sworn you were

the woman I seen coming out of 78.

Oh, but only for a second or two.

But she was on your style, all right.

But I can see now she wasn't nearly

as beautiful as you are, Mrs. Prentice.

- Thank you.

- Which only goes to show...

...how easy it is to be mistaken,

don't it? Heh.

Well, it's gonna be awful hard

going back...

...to my own little place

after seeing all this. Heh.

- Good night, Mrs. Blake.

- Good night.

If you ever are down around 81,

drop in and see me.

- And have a little nip, if you like, huh?

- Good night.

Eddie, let me have the key, will you?

Have you ever seen that before, Judith?

- No, sir.

- You're quite certain?

Yes, sir.

There were four keys in Kennard's

pockets when his body was examined.

We've accounted for the others,

but there's no lock that that would fit.

It might be for a strongbox.

Did you seen one in the joint?

- No.

- Where did he keep his private papers?

In the top drawer of his desk.

I found a diary there once.

- A diary?

- Yes, sir.

- When was this?

- About eight months ago.

- Did you read any of it?

- No, I didn't have a chance.

I was opening it when Larry came

and he snatched it out of my hand.

We had a dreadful quarrel about it.

- Had you ever seen it before?

- No, sir.

- Ever see it again?

- No, sir.

Larry said he destroyed it.

Tsk. I wish you'd told me this before.

Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Prentice.

- I hadn't thought about it.

- Hmm.

Say, Eddie,

suppose you hop over to Robinson's...

...and make enlargements

of those photographs...

...of Kennard's room, will you?

- Right. Let me out of here, will you?

Tell him I want big ones to bring out

all the details of the furniture.

Right.

Chances are he made entries

in it every day...

...he'd certainly wanna have it someplace

where you had easy access to it.

Well, I think that eliminates that.

We come to this bronze group...

...and I want you boys

to take a special peek at that.

I kept that for the last because

I've got a funny hunch about that base.

- Who got that piece?

- His cousin in Newark.

The same one who got

the bedroom furniture.

I don't care how you do it, Ed,

but you get your hands on it.

Right. We got one, but every time

I go on a binge, my wife tosses it.

- Funny how they go for foreign objects.

- You know what you're looking for.

Look, examine it carefully

for a small lock.

Probably concealed.

And sound that base.

If it sounds hollow or if you find

the lock, you get it to me fast.

- Right.

- All right, hop to it.

Remember, the case goes

to the jury in 48 hours.

Good morning, Evelyn.

Good morning, Amy.

I'm going to court, Amy.

Am I gonna have to rope and tie you?

Read this.

But you know how often the papers

have guessed wrong on John's cases.

I can't take any chances with this.

So help me, Evelyn. In your case, I...

I'd think of Dorothy.

I know.

I'm going crazy thinking about that...

...but I should have thought

of Dorothy sooner.

- But, Evelyn, you...

- Amy, please, don't go on about it.

I've gone over it and around it...

...and there's only one thing

that's clear.

That girl.

Will you go with me?

Okay.

Something I can do for you, please?

Yeah, was looking at this

bronze animal with the wooden base.

I see you got good taste. This comes out

from a very fashionable 5th Avenue home.

- Is that so?

- Genuine bronze and teak wood.

- You sure it's teak wood?

- Absolutely guaranteed.

- It's not very heavy.

- You know, teak wood isn't so heavy.

I wouldn't tell you it was genuine if I...

What's the matter? Something wrong?

No, I just thought it was broken

but it's okay.

Broken? I don't sell broken things

in my store.

But please, why are you

so particular about the base?

Look at that piece.

- How much do you want for it?

- Genuine bronze.

How much do you want for it?

I give you my word

of honor it cost me...

I'll take it.

And so, gentlemen of the jury...

...faced with such overwhelming

evidence against him...

...the esteemed counsel

for the defense...

...baffled and in despair,

discarded the whys and wherefores...

...of legal jurisprudence

and turned inventor.

He invented a character,

which he calls the other woman.

As far as the state is concerned...

...Mr. Prentice has sole copyright

to that invention.

There is no other woman, gentlemen.

There never has been another woman.

Judith Wilson killed Lawrence Kennard.

Judith Wilson and Kennard

have frequently quarreled.

On several occasions,

as witnesses have testified...

...in a jealous rage,

she had threatened his life.

When discovered in Kennard's flat,

evening of October 9th...

...the defendant was standing over

the body of the murdered man...

...the man whose life

she had threatened.

The weapon of death in her hand.

Is this not conclusive evidence?

Yet counsel for the defense...

...calmly asks you to ignore

these circumstances...

...and swallow a fairy story...

...about some other woman.

There were no fingerprints on the door

through which this other woman...

...had to make an exit

from Kennard's flat.

But there were fingerprints on the gun.

They were those of Judith Wilson.

She killed Lawrence Kennard.

Evelyn, you're trembling.

I repeat, Judith Wilson

killed Lawrence Kennard.

Why does he keep saying that...

...over and over?

Shh.

There are certain laws, gentlemen...

...that have been laid down

since the beginning of civilization.

On these laws, society depends

for its very existence.

A child in his teens is taught

the meaning of "Thou shalt not kill."

But the law of the state, our law,

goes further.

It says, "If you take a life,

the state shall in turn take yours."

The state demands the life

of Judith Wilson.

She killed...

- No!

Don't.

You mustn't say that again.

She didn't kill him.

Please don't say that again.

What is the meaning of this interruption?

Who are you?

Mrs. John Prentice.

Your Honor, I object to this interruption.

Mrs. Prentice, will you tell this court...

...upon what facts

you base your statement?

Your Honor, I object.

This procedure is entirely out of order.

Your objection is overruled, Mr. Prentice.

- Answer the question, please.

- I object, Your Honor.

Mrs. Prentice is not on trial.

Please, Mr. Prentice.

I repeat. Will you tell this court upon

what facts you base your statement?

If the court please...

- I killed him.

Silence.

Do you wish to testify in this case?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes