The Letter Page #4

Well...

...if you've nothing more

to say to me...

...I'll get back to the office.

Howard, wait.

Wait a minute.

I did write that letter,

but I was afraid to mention it.

I thought none of you would

believe me...

...if I admitted that he'd come

at my invitation.

I daresay it was terribly silly of me...

...but once I'd said I had no communication

with Hammond, I was forced to stick to it.

Then you'll have to explain why

you asked him to come see you...

...when Robert was away.

Well, I'll tell you why, Howard.

I was planning a surprise

for Robert's birthday.

I'd heard he wanted a new gun, and--

Well, I'm so dreadfully stupid

about sporting things.

I thought I'd talk to Geoff

and ask him to order one.

Perhaps you've forgotten

what's in the letter.

Will you read it again?

No, I don't want to.

"Robert will be away for the night.

I absolutely must see you.

I'm desperate, and if you don't come,

I won't answer for the consequences.

Don't drive up. Leslie."

Leslie, I shall have to talk

very plainly to you.

I told Robert just now that

I was certain of your acquittal.

I didn't say that just to cheer him up.

I don't believe the jury

would have left the box.

This letter places an entirely different

complexion on the whole case.

It'll put the prosecution on the track of...

...suspicions which have

entered nobody's mind.

I won't tell you what I personally thought

when I read the letter.

It's the duty of counsel

to defend his client...

...not to convict her,

even in his own mind.

I don't want you to tell me anything

but what is needed to save your neck.

They can prove that Hammond came

to your house at your urgent invitation.

I don't know what else, but if the jury

comes to the conclusion...

...that you didn't kill Hammond

in self-defense....

Mrs. Cooper!

Good heavens! What's happened?

I'm quite all right. Really, I am.

Just lie quiet and rest, Mrs. Crosbie.

She's just been too brave, poor little thing,

and not eating enough.

I feel fine now, Mrs. Cooper.

You go on about your duties.

As Mr. Joyce is here, I will.

I'll come back and see how you are.

Thank you.

Make her lie quiet, Mr. Joyce.

I'm afraid I've made rather

a mess of things.

I'm sorry.

For Robert, not for me.

You've distrusted me from the beginning.

That's neither here nor there, Leslie.

Who's got the letter?

Hammond's wife.

Are you going to let them hang me?

What do you mean by that, Leslie?

You could get the letter.

Do you think it's so easy to do away

with unwelcome evidence?

Surely nothing would have been

said to you...

...if the owner weren't quite prepared

to sell it.

That's true.

-But I'm not prepared to buy it.

-It wouIdn't be your money.

-Robert has saved--

-I wasn't thinking of the money.

I don't know if you'll understand this,

but I look on myself as an honest man.

You're asking me to do something

no better than suborning a witness.

You mean you could save me and won't?

What harm have I done you?

-How could you be so cruel?

-Cruel? You must be insane, Leslie.

A lawyer has a duty to his profession...

...to himself.

No.

I can't do what you ask.

Poor Robert. He doesn't deserve it.

He's never hurt anyone in his life.

He's so good and simple and kind,

and he trusts me so.

I mean everything...

...everything in the world to him.

This will ruin his life.

I know what you're thinking.

You despise me. You think Bob

well rid of me if they do hang me.

I don't despise you.

It isn't important what I feel about you,

do you understand?

I'm going to do what I can.

Bob will want to know

what the money's for.

Will it be a very large sum?

I imagine the woman has a shrewd

idea of the letter's value.

You won't have to show Bob the letter,

will you?

I'll do everything possible

to prevent him from seeing it.

He'll be an important witness.

He should be as firmly convinced

of your innocence as he is now.

And after the trial?

I'm going to try and save your life.

But if he loses his trust in me,

he loses everything.

It's strange that a man can live

with a woman for 1 0 years...

...and not know the first thing about her.

What are you doing here, Ong?

I thought perhaps there was something

further you wished me to do.

What about?

The letter, sir.

Oh, yes.

Mrs. Crosbie denies having written

anything of the sort.

It's obviously a forgery.

In that case,

there would be no objection...

...if my friend delivered the letter

to the public prosecutor?

No, none at all.

But, Mr. Joyce...

...from my study of the case, I believe

that if my friend could be induced...

...to deliver the letter into our hands,

it would save--

It would save a great deal of trouble.

Under what circumstance would your friend

be "induced" to part with the letter?

But my friend does not have the letter.

The woman has it.

She did not know its value

until my friend told her.

What value did he put on it?

Ten thousand dollars.

Only 10,000?

Why not 50, or 1 00?

For the reason, sir...

...that Mr. Crosbie has in the bank of the

British Malaya Company in Singapore...

...a savings account

in the amount of $ 1 0,452.

Tell your friend to go to the devil.

But, Mr. Joyce....

The woman does not want

to sell the letter.

My friend took a long time

to persuade her.

Ten thousand dollars

is a lot of money, Ong...

...just to save some trouble.

Yes, sir.

It is a great deal of money.

I'll speak to Mr. Crosbie.

-He's waiting for you at the club, sir.

-What?

We have not much time, and the matter,

in my opinion, permits no delay.

Therefore, I took the liberty of asking

Mr. Crosbie to have lunch with you.

All right. Have the woman

come to my office.

I was about to mention, sir...

...she made two conditions.

She insists that the money

shall be brought to her.

I can take you to the house

whenever you are ready, sir.

And the other condition?

That Mrs. Crosbie bring it

to her, personally.

You must be mad.

You suppose Mrs. Crosbie can just

walk out whenever she feels like it?

My friend thinks that you could arrange

for her to stay at your house until the trial.

I'm sure the judge will permit it

if you are responsible for her, sir.

Ong Chi Seng.

Yes, sir?

What are you getting out of this?

Two thousand dollars...

...and the great satisfaction of being

of service to you and our client.

Howard.

You're looking more cheerful, Bob.

Better since this morning. You've convinced

me there's nothing to worry about.

-Gentlemen.

-Two gin slings, Jerry.

Yes, sir.

Well, as a matter of fact,

something's come up, Bob.

Nothing important...

...but I thought I'd better

have a talk with you about it.

Well, what is it?

It seems that Leslie

wrote a letter to Hammond...

...asking him to come to the bungalow

on the night he was killed.

Impossible. You heard her say

she'd had no communication...

-...with him for weeks before it happened.

-Nevertheless, she did write it.

She wanted his advice on something

she was buying for your birthday.

Rate this script:4.3 / 3 votes