High Wall Page #3

Who's there?

It's me-Ann.

I'll

be right in.

All right.

Really, Ann,

there are times I

can't keep up with you.

When I came home

from the concert

and found you had deposited

that child here with harriett,

bag and baggage...

You'll be jailed

for kidnapping.

It's all quite legal,

aunt Martha.

The court's given me

temporary custody.

I'm terribly sorry

if you're upset,

but I couldn't see a child

in that state of shock

put in a public

institution.

When you were 6, it was a

soggy cat out of the rain.

It needed aspirin to

prevent the sniffles.

By the time

you were 12,

our cellar

was a menagerie.

Every stray animal off the

streets needed Doctoring.

He just won't touch

anything, miss Ann.

Oh, dear.

He'll probably

get sick, too.

He I sick, aunt Martha. I'll

take it up to him, harriett.

Hello, Richard. I brought

you something to eat.

I thought you might get

hungry a little later on.

It's a little dark

in here, isn't it?

Do you mind if

I turn on this lamp?

No, ma'am.

There.

Oh, Richard, if you want anything

later, I'll be downstairs.

You call me.

Do you know my name?

Yes, ma'am.

It's Ann.

That's right.

If Kitty gets hungry,

you feed her, too.

All right?

Richard, I think you're

going to like living here.

Granny said

daddy was home.

I waited, but

he never came.

Oh, you'll see your daddy

a little later on.

He wants you to stay

with me for a while.

Oh, I'll bet you

the Kitty is hungry.

Suppose you feed her.

We'll put the saucer

right here.

I'll be back

a little later on

when it's time

for you to go to bed.

Hello?

Yes?

Congratulations,

Ann.

But whatever method

you used,

it certainly

did the trick.

Kenet actually

asked for surgery.

Oh, that's fine.

Oh, I'm so pleased.

Thank you for

telling me, Doctor.

Good night.

Now, look here,

young lady,

I know it's

not your fault,

but unless the proper authorities

permit me to see my client at once,

I'll take

legal action!

I'm trying to locate

Mr. Kenet, sir.

I'm sure you are, but beyond that door,

there's complete

indifference

to the rights

of my client.

Reception.

You may see him now.

Take this man to Dr. lorrison's

office, please.

Right.

Half the morning

gone already.

Threat

of legal action-

that's the only way to

cut through red tape.

Institutions,

administrators, executives...

Sometimes it's necessary

to pull them up short,

remind them they're salaried

employees of the county...

Civil servants!

Dr. lorrison, for

the past 3 weeks-

I'm Dr. Griffin.

Now, look here,

Dr. lorrison,

for 3 weeks, you have prevented

me from seeing my client.

Dr. lorrison, I demand

an explanation!

Dr. lorrison.

I don't retract one

word of it, Dr. lorrison.

I demand that you produce

my client, Steven Kenet.

Mr. Kenet.

Sidney x. Hackle,

your attorney.

My attorney?

Appointed

by the court.

If you could hold up court proceedings

for just a moment, counselor...

I'm all through

with him.

I think you'll find the operation's

been completely successful.

It's up to you

psychiatrists now.

Thank you, Doctor.

It's good to see you again, Mr. Kenet.

You're looking very well.

No more headaches, eh?

Don't answer that. Sit down,

Mr. Kenet. You, too, Doctor.

Thank you.

Now, there's a lot

of ground to be covered.

Suppose we proceed

in orderly fashion.

Uh, Mr. Hackle,

there's one important-

now, let me handle this, Mr.

Kenet. I haven't been asleep.

For 3 weeks, I've been thinking

of nothing but our case.

We have nothing

to worry about.

There are 3 approaches

to our defense:

Incurable insanity, temporary

insanity, or the unwritten law.

The unwritten law.

Look here-

believe me, you'll walk out

of that courtroom a free man.

Mr. Kenet, I'm thorough.

I overlook nothing.

Public sympathy

is a great asset

in preparation

for a trial.

Sign here. The rights

to your life story,

serialized

in daily installments

right up to the day

of the trial.

You're a holder of the

distinguished service cross

and the silver star.

Mr. and Mrs. America do not

forget those who served them well.

Mr. Hackle, you're moving

a little too fast for me.

My son is in

a state institution.

I want you to arrange for his release

and enter him in a good

school. That's the first thing.

You can't

mean that.Why not?

Man alive, you're knocking the

props out from under our defense.

I'm counting

on your son.

On the day the case

goes to the jury,

I'm bringing that child

into the courtroom

in the gray institution

clothes of the orphan asylum,

his face pale,

his eyes sunken.

Mr. Kenet, that frail,

pathetic, hungry little creature

is the backbone

of our case.

Mr. Hackle, they've

given me back my clothes,

my belt,

and my tie.

I don't want to go

back to isolation.

That's

the only reason

I'm not going to

break your neck.

Obviously, you're

not prepared to discuss

the merits of

your defense at present.

Phone me when he's

a little more rational.

8,000 decent lawyers

in the state,

and they had

to pick him.

Doctor, how much longer before

I'm sent back to the county jail?

That's up

to the hospital board.

They'll have

a hearing soon. Why?

Once I'm out of here, I can

hire the kind of a lawyer I need

to get my son out of that

orphanage and into a good school.

Mr. Kenet, I haven't seen

you for quite some time.

Your son has not been

in an institution.

He's living

with a private family.

Well, how

did that happen?

Oh, I decided he needed

personal care.

He's staying with

a Mrs. Martha Ferguson.

The court's given her

temporary custody.

She was delighted to have

a youngster in the house.

I've seen Richard a few

times. He's doing nicely.

Doctor, I don't know

how to thank you.

Oh, that's all right.

Now, before the hospital

board can come to a decision

about your case, Mr. Kenet,

I must prepare

a full report.

We're going to start

with some tests.

Just study this design

and tell me what you see.

The boy's all right.

That's good.

I hope they don't

ask me too many questions.

I get so nervous.

This is

my third interview.

Mine is really

a special case.

You're not getting out,

and these hearings

are just to encourage us.

Not one in a hundred

gets out.

3 left last week.

Well, you're

proving my point.

3 left

out of how many?

2,437.

That was the population

as of yesterday,

an increase of 314

in the last 6 months.

You can't argue against

statistics, my friend.

Reconcile yourself.

You're not getting out.

I'm going home.

The Doctors told me

I'm well.

My husband's coming

for me today.

I'm so glad, Mrs. Miller.

I'm next,

I believe.

Just wait, Mr. Kenet.

The Doctors

will call you.

Yes,

Doctor.

Oh, good.

That district attorney's

been on my neck for days.

Let's have him

in and out fast.

Before we release him,

have you read my report?

Frankly, I was unable to give

an opinion on this patient.

Why?

Well, there's no question

he's concealing something...

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