The Unknown Man Page #8

It would anybody.

I don't like it.

That's bad judge, legally.

Morally, it could be called "Justice".

Not by me.

Nor by me.

Look who's talking.

Who came to me crying because his

precious client had cheated the law?

Who could eat .. or sleep nights because

he'd let loose a murderer on society?

I can't figure you, Lancelot.

One minute, you build his gallows high.

And the next you're in there

swinging for him like crazy.

There's something screwy somewhere.

You don't add up.

Well, I happen to know he's innocent.

You happened to know that

once before, remember?

Yes.

But this time it is true.

He's guilty, sure as the knife is steel.

Oh, that's enough of that, Joe.

That's enough.

How are you feeling, Masen?

Here.

Thank you.

You don't want to pay any

attention to anything Joe says.

I never do.

Well, gentlemen.

Here we go.

Back to the salt mines.

Hey, how come you know about

the prints on that brandy glass?

How come you know there was a

brandy glass on that table that night?

This court is now in session.

Be seated and remain quiet.

I conclude the case for the prosecution,

Your Honor. The people rest.

I call the defendant, Rudi Wallchek.

Raise your right hand.

Do you swear to tell the truth, and

nothing but the truth, so help you God?

I do.

Take the stand.

Is your name Rudi Wallchek?

Yes.

Were you tried in this court ..

Three months ago, for murder?

Yes.

Were you acquitted?

Yes.

Wallchek.

Did you kill Layford?

No, no, no!

Alright.

Now.

You heard the medical evidence.

That Layford died between the hours ..

Of 9 and 10 pm on the 3rd of May.

Yes.

Were you at his apartment ..

On that evening, between those hours?

Yes. I was there at 9:30.

Exactly 9:
30?

Yes.

How do you know the exact time?

He said to be there then.

It was expected.

Who was?

Layford.

He got me on the phone at

Shiners while I was having lunch.

He called me at my

place earlier, but I was out.

He said to be there at 9:30 so I went.

How long did you stay?

Ask the cop. He was tailing me.

Answer the question.

Two minutes, three minutes.

How do I know?

Long enough to kill him,

if that's what you mean.

Only it just so happened I didn't.

This laundry bill. Is it yours?

Yes.

And this dagger?

Yes.

Did you have them on you that evening?

No. I swear it.

Can you explain ..

No, I can't.

It doesn't make sense.

I've tried and tried to figure it.

Look, they must have been stolen.

I wasn't in my place all day, see.

Someone must have sneaked

in and pinched them.

Someone who wanted them .. but who?

Who would do a thing like that?

When you ..

Rang the bell of Layford's apartment,

who answered the door?

He did. Layford.

You went in?

No, not right in. He ..

Said there was someone

with him. He couldn't see me.

He said what?

He said there was someone

there in the apartment.

Some guy who dropped in unexpectedly.

A friend of his.

Ah.

Did he ..?

Did he say who he was .. this visitor?

No.

Did you see him?

No. We were in the hall.

I guess this guy must have

been in the living room.

Strike that out.

The witness will indulge in conclusions.

Just tell us what you saw.

Uh ..

Can you see the living-room

from the hall?

If the door is open.

Was it open?

No, it was shut.

All the time?

All the time.

So you never saw this person?

No.

Er ..

While you were in the hall.

Did you hear a sound

of any kind? A noise?

Yeah. Yeah, there was a noise.

Where did it come from?

From behind the door.

Which door?

The living-room door. It was ..

It was kind of a buzz

like a bzzzz. Like that.

Now, was it continuous?

Or did it start and stop

and then start again?

Yeah, come to think of it, it ..

Was on.

And then it went off, and ..

Then it went on again. But how did ..

About this visitor.

Is there anything else

you could tell the court?

Did you see some article in

the hall that might identify him?

Yeah, there was a hat.

On the hall table,

right next to the door.

A man's hat.

A hat?

What color was it?

Brown. Kinda ..

Light brown with a dark band around it.

Would you recognise this

hat if you saw it again?

Yeah, I guess so. Yes, I would.

Do you know anything

else about this man?

Why he came? What he was doing there?

No, I don't.

I don't know why or what or who.

I don't know anything about

the guy, but I do know this.

He ought to be sitting

where I'm sitting today.

Because he killed him.

I don't believe I have any

further questions, Your Honor.

Wallchek, were you in the

habit of visiting the deceased?

Huh?

Was that your first visit to

Mr Layford's that night that you ..

The night that he died.

I'd been before.

Often? -Sure. Why not?

What was his interest in you?

We were friends.

Friends?

You and the head of the

Crime Commission? Really?

Why not?

I just wondered.

You told the court that you

were out all day the 3rd of May.

Is that correct?

I was out.

How about the door to your apartment?

Did you leave it open?

No.

You locked it, didn't you.

Did you lock the door?

Alright, so I locked it.

What kind of lock is it, Rudi?

What do you mean? A lock is a lock.

Yours was a special kind of lock,

wasn't it? You had it made for you?

So what?

So, it's impossible for anyone to enter

the apartment without a key, isn't it?

Locks can be forced.

But this one wasn't, was it.

It must have been.

Nobody had a key but you, did they?

Did they?

Yeah ..

The guy who made it had one. A duplicate

in case I lost mine. He could easily ..

Yes, go on.

Forget it.

You were telling the court about

the locksmith, weren't you, Rudi?

What was his name?

Well, what was his name?

Answer the question.

His name was Peter Hulderman.

Peter Hulderman.

But we know that Mr Hulderman

couldn't have used his key ..

To visit your apartment

that day .. don't we, Rudi.

Because that was the morning Hulderman

was run down by a truck .. and killed.

Members of the jury.

I'm not defending a noble character.

A decent, clean-cut American boy.

I may be defending

the scum of the earth.

But I shall go on defending

him until my last breath.

As long as I believe in my heart.

That he is innocent.

You have heard the evidence.

The people's case is a an extremely

strong one. I don't deny it.

But there is one link.

You may say, a very vital link.

That is missing.

Not one reason.

Not one reason has been advanced.

As to why the defendant

should have killed this man.

Well, the ..

Prosecution is under no

obligation to establish motive.

But still there remains the

everlasting question: why?

Why was Layford killed?

The district attorney

is a practised speaker.

He has ridicule ..

Irony and sarcasm.

At his command and he has

used them all over again.

In his attempt to laugh out of court.

The unknown man.

Who was there that

night in the apartment.

Ladies and gentlemen, this man

is no figment of the imagination.

He exists just as surely

as I am standing here.

He lives and eats and breathes.

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