The Unknown Man Page #3

Johnny was stabbed to death."

"Stabbed, said the medic by a

6" dagger, triangular shaped."

"Sure we'd frisked Wallchek's

place without finding it."

"But dagger or no dagger, that

young man's goose was cooked."

"A plain clothes man saw him come out

of the shop at the time of the murder."

"No ifs or buts."

"And old man Hulderman,

Johnny's father."

"Sure as there are cops and

robbers, he'd seen him come in."

"The motive?"

"Robbery."

And 26 dollars were gone from the till?

Is that right?

Is that correct, Mr Hulderman?

And 45 cents.

How was that?

Louder please, Mr Hulderman.

Oh .. and forty-five cents!

Alright.

Now with the court's permission I'd like

you to go back to the beginning, please.

Tell us in your own words what happened

that night after you went to bed.

Johnny was working late in the shop.

And I was in bed, just nodding off.

My room was at the back, like I said.

When I heard a knock on the door.

Which door was that?

The front door, sir.

Johnny had locked and

bolted it an hour before.

Well .. like I told you.

I saw Johnny go to the door and ..

How did you see him?

Through the glass door, from my bed.

Mr Hulderman, what

kind of glass is that?

Just plain window glass.

Alright.

What happened then?

What did you see next?

I saw Johnny let the man in.

I know the man.

I know him well, because ..

Because three weeks ago I fixed

a new lock on the door of his place.

I'm a locksmith you see, and ..

Talk into the microphone, please.

Oh yes, sir.

Well .. it was the same man.

I'd know him anywhere.

I'd know him for sure.

Right, you recognised the man.

Did you get out of bed?

No, I laid there watching

him and Johnny talk for a bit.

I figured he'd come about

another repair job.

Strike that out.

The conclusion of a

witness is not evidence.

The court allows for the fact ..

That the counsel for the defence is a

stranger to our procedures here, but ..

There are limits.

I am deeply obliged Your Honor.

Thank you, I should have objected.

Proceed.

I must have dozed off.

You mean you fell asleep?

Yes, sir. I had taken a

pill when I went to bed.

I had not been sleeping

well and the Doc, he ..

He'd given me something.

It must have been ..

While I was asleep that ..

What time did you wake up?

Do you remember?

It was two hours later.

The light was still on in the shop.

But I can't see Johnny.

So I get up. I ..

Open the bedroom door.

And then I see him.

He is there on the floor.

Like that.

Mr Hulderman .. would you

look around the room please.

Tell the court if you can see the man

Johnny let into the shop that night.

Alright, do you see the man?

I see him.

Will the defendant stand up please.

Is that the man?

Yes, that's him.

Thank you.

Your witness.

The counsel for defence

may now cross-examine.

I don't think I have any questions

at the moment, Your Honor.

Well.

This seems a very good moment

to take our morning break.

Possibly, something will occur

to counsel during the interval.

The court is recessed for 15 minutes.

"Trial by jury is a curious business."

"From where I sat, Masen was dead

on his feet before getting up on them."

"But from where the jury sat,

I wasn't so sure."

"Everything about Brad said,

here is an honest man."

"I had a hunch they were

taking a shine to the guy."

"So was the judge."

"Yeah. So was I."

Well counsel, did

something occur to you?

A small point Your Honor, I wonder ..

You may cross-examine.

Thank you.

Mr Hulderman.

Do you see the ladies and

gentlemen of the jury?

Yes I see them, sir.

Will you describe to the court the third

juror from the right in the front row.

A lady in a blue suit.

A grey-haired lady with a string

of beads around her neck.

A kind of amber color.

Thank you.

Now then, will you

take off your glasses.

My eyeglasses, sir?

Please.

I'll hold them for you, shall I?

Now then.

You see the gentleman in the

front row of the public benches?

The one on the right of the aisle?

Er ..

Yes .. yes, I see him.

Would you describe him, please?

Well, I'd say he is ..

He's kind of broad-shouldered isn't he?

With ..

With .. he seems to have a paper or a ..

A parcel under his arm. Oh yes, it is ..

It's a parcel, yes.

Thank you.

Would you stand up sir, please?

Now what else do you see?

I'm not sure.

Try these and see if they help.

Hulderman, see if that

will help a little.

Well yes. Now I can see.

Yes.

It is not a parcel. It is a sling.

I guess he has hurt his arm.

Ah .. a tall man.

A gray suit .. a red tie.

Thank you. Thank you very much, sir.

Just one more question, Mr Hulderman.

You told the court that

you saw the defendant ..

Enter the shop the

night your son was killed.

Yes, I saw him.

You were in bed, you had turned

out the light and you were ..

I believe you said, just nodding off?

That's right.

Mr Hulderman.

Do you wear your glasses after

you've turned out the light ..

And you're just nodding off?

Uh ..

Well, no .. of course not.

That's all. Thank you.

But ..

"I objected, of course. But Brad

had a good point and it registered."

"What would hold far more

though, was his final plea."

"The way he lived and breathed

belief in Wallchek's innocence was .."

"It was kind-of like a crusade."

"I could feel the jury

starting to pull for him."

"But he'd only managed to shake the

evidence once and when he sat down .."

"I still figured

it 6 to 4 in our favor."

"They were out until

three the following day."

"I had slept the night through but I

knew that Brad had sweated it out."

"He was leaning forward as though it

were his life that hung on the verdict."

"The foreman stood up and

we heard the words .."

"Not guilty."

Congratulations, Mr Masen.

Wonderful job, Mr Masen.

How's it feel to win?

Turn this way please.

You nervous with the jury out?

Nervous as a kitten.

Had some doubts, huh?

Never doubted that right would

be done. As it has been.

Sure, sure. How about a

few more criminal cases?

No, please. Never, never again.

It's too hard on me.

Do you go with that?

If she says "no", it's no.

She's the boss.

How happy they look, don't they.

There's something familiar about that

girl's face. Now where in the world ..?

She's a model.

Oh yes, I remember.

Yes.

Pretty isn't she, Brad.

Yes, she is pretty.

What a dirty, fifthly rotten business.

And they call it "Justice".

Don't take it that way, Mr Hulderman.

I'm sure they'll find the

man that killed your boy.

The law will try him and convict him.

No, sir.

The law cannot touch him now.

Or ever.

Thanks to you.

Thanks to you, the law

has just acquitted him.

He did it.

Didn't you know?

Poor man.

Hey, Wallchek. You got company.

Brad.

Well hello fellah, this is unexpected.

Come in, come right on in.

Take off your coat.

Thank you.

The boy is taking a shower but he'll

be out in a minute. Right.

Can I fix you a Scotch?

No, none for me thanks.

You don't drink, do you.

No.

Say, we ought to do something about

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes