Perry Mason - 1957

conclusion from THE CASE OF THE MOTH-EATEN MINK

J. i'd like to talk to you, Mason.
M. i haven't got much time.  i'm due back in court in a few minutes.
J. how come the office is empty?
M. one of my stenographers is getting married.  they're giving her a luncheon.  now, what can i do for you?
J. a little while ago, back there in court, it sounded to me like maybe you have this Claremont case on ice.
M. well, i'm glad you were listening.
J. do you know who killed him?
M. why?
J. well, it's kind of a personal thing with me.  you see, Bob Claremont was one of my boys.  it would mean a good deal to me if i could bring in his killer.
M. Promotion?
J. no, i don't care about that.
M. then why don't you make it easy on yourself?
J. how?
M. give up.
J. what are you talking about?
M. you killed Claremont and you killed Fayette, or you had him killed.
J. Mason, are you out of your mind?
M. Claremont was an honest cop doing his job.  he got a lead on you through Tom Sedgewick.  he went to the Keymont Hotel to find you, remember?
J. are - -  are you trying to frame me to take the heat off your client?
M. you were in Fayette's room the night Claremont went there.
J. i was nowhere near that hotel.
M. you're lying, Jaffrey.  your protege, Frank Hoxie, testified that Claremont was at the hotel.  eventually, he's gonna tell us that you were there too.
J. Hoxie, a con like Hoxie will say anything under pressure.
M. you had him sent on a phony trip to Mexico for a month.  you had him kept there til the case died out of the papers.
J. you never give up, do you?
M. that was a pretty smart insurance policy you had figured out.  planting a dead policeman's gun on Sedgewick, an innocent man.
J. save it, Mason.  you're nowhere.
M. you were safe as long as Sedgewick was a fugitive.  but he came back.  now why was Fayette killed?  because he got panicky when Dixie Dayton got away?
J. i never saw George Fayette in my life.  i never even knew he existed until the night he was killed.  - -  what's that?
M. a copy of the receipt you signed when you took the record of Fayette's arrest for bookmaking out of the Police Department's files.
J. look, i'm a cop.  i take hundreds of records out of the file every day, and i sign receipts for them.  it's part of my job.  Mason, you're wasting my time.
M. mr. Wilson.  is it part of your job to own the Keymont Hotel?
--Scene--
show's paper.
M. a copy of the incorporation papers with your signature.  you can change your name, Jaffrey, but not your handwriting.
--Scene--
closes door.  shown producing and pointing a revolver.
M. put it away, Jaffrey.  you're through.  you've got no place to hide.
J. let me worry about that.  you put a lot of pieces together, Mason.  but you aren't going anywhere with it.
M. how do you expect to stop me?
J. easy.  i'm going to arrest you for trying to bribe me into perjuring myself.
M. think you can make it stick?
J. i won't have to.  you're gonna resist me.  and i'll have to shoot you in the line of duty.  all they gotta do is half-believe me and i'm home.

--Scene--
Tragg is shown looking through a side door.
//==

//==
T. hold it, Jaffrey!
--Scene--
shots fired and scuffle.
M. okay, lieutenant.
T. wasn't one cop enough, you miserable - -
M. you alright, Tragg?
T. yeah.  just sick to my stomach at the sight of him.  you work hard at your job.  you try to take some pride in what you're doing, and then a fink like this comes along and makes a rotten thing out of his badge.
M. here, i'd better call an ambulance.
T. yeah, call an ambulance.  - -  don't, uh, hurry.