Perry Mason

Welcome back to Logan City, Mrs. Reed.

I'm Donald Briggs.

I've got a cab waiting over here.

I booked you a room here, 6D.

You still haven't told me what I have to do.

I've got some calls to make. We'll discuss it later.

The lady can manage for herself, driver. I'm running late.

Wait for me, driver.

Mrs. Adams, I'll be as brief as possible.

I supplied you with enough facts so that you would come to Logan City.

I've got a proposition.

What makes you think I'd be interested in any proposition you might make?

All right, Mrs. Adams.

You have a son.

He's a chemical engineering student at the state university.

He's engaged to Helen Waters,

the daughter of one of this town's leading citizens. Enough?

Everyone's quite aware of those facts.

But everyone's not so aware of the facts concerning the boy's father.

I know most of them.

What I don't know I intend to learn from Lois Reed.

She just got into town.

If you dare do anything to hurt my boy's happiness, I--

All I wanna do is enhance my own happiness,

say, $5,000 worth,

within 48 hours.

I'm at the Sands Motel.

You contemptible blackmailer.

Around here, a man earns his living digging up potatoes and beets.

I dig up information.

Now, what's the difference?

The difference is in the kind of dirt you use.

Hey, Mom, what are you doing at Logan City?

How did you know I was here?

I was walking by in front of the hotel and saw the pickup truck.

You know, there aren't two trucks like that in the world.

- This is Mr. Briggs. - How do you do, sir?

How are you, Adams?

See you soon, Mrs. Adams.

Hey, Mom, what did that guy do to you?

Hey, you two, break it up. Come on, break it up.

All right, what's this all about?

It's just a little misunderstanding, that's all, officer.

What did you see, Charlie?

Nothing, Joe, except this kid jumped my fare

when he was about to get in my cab.

Aren't you visiting out at the Waters' place?

Yeah, that's right.

I'm Marv Adams.

I'm on vacation from the university.

Well, since you're Mr. Waters' guest, we'll forget it this time,

but no more of this college scrimmaging in Logan City. That clear?

Yes, sir.

And you have proof that Marv Adams was Ben Deveraux's son?

Yeah. Soon as Deveraux was executed,

his wife changed their name to Adams,

moved from Logan City, and until I got to work on it,

seemed to drop off the earth.

The name of Clyde Waters has as much prestige

as any name in the valley.

Getting him mixed up with a murderer's son won't do it any good.

Here's payment for your services.

Waters,

what do you plan to do?

If my daughter insists on marrying Marv Adams,

there's no reason to think the boy's real identity

would be revealed after all these years.

Oh, there's a way to make sure.

Just add another 5,000 to this and send it to the Sands Motel.

Do you really think I would do a thing like that?

Well, I don't know you that well, Mr. Waters,

but I could ask Lois Reed.

She just got into town.

I see.

Well, I suppose the boy's mother is here at your request too.

Why not?

Maybe I'll arrange for all you old-timers to have a coffee klatch,

unless I get my business attended to and leave town before there's time.

Goodbye, Mr. Waters.

It's been a pleasure to work for you.

Let's get to some of the pertinent facts, Mr. Waters.

My daughter met a young man in college and became engaged.

I was concerned about it.

- Any special reason? - Helen came to us quite late in life.

Her mother died when she was born.

Well, as you can imagine, I've sheltered her a great deal.

Marv is a perfect gentleman.

Strangely enough, he didn't seem to know much about his father,

said he had died when he was quite young.

Well, it worried me and I wanted to know more.

So I hired this fellow Briggs.

And Briggs discovered the boy's father was Ben Deveraux,

the man who was executed for murder?

That's right.

Murdered his partner right in Logan City 18 years ago.

Or at least that's how the jury voted.

Come in, Paul.

You wanted to see me, Perry?

Mr. Waters, this is Paul Drake of the Drake Detective Agency.

- Mr. Drake. - How do you do, sir?

Then you will look into the trial, Mr. Mason?

I'll look into the transcript anyway.

Well, that's fair enough.

I'll expect to hear from you.

- Right. - Goodbye, Miss Street, Mr. Drake.

Bye, Mr. Waters.

Paul, what kind of luck do you think you'd have

investigating an 18-year-old murder case?

I got trouble enough with the modern ones.

Another detective might help you. His name is Donald Briggs.

Better find him.

Della will give you all the information we have so far.

- Going out? - Logan City. I'll be in touch.

Well, Mason,

did the trial transcript interest you?

Yes, it did, judge.

I wanna thank you for digging it out for me.

Sit down. Sit down.

How come a little burg like this

could interest you in an 18-year-old murder case?

Murder is murder wherever you find it.

So is justice, which was carried out.

Was it?

What are you getting at?

You didn't mention that you were the prosecutor in that case.

You didn't ask.

Now, look, Mason,

let's you and I stop beating about the bush.

All right, I will.

All through the testimony, there was reference to a Miss X.

Why wasn't her identity revealed during the trial?

Because she wasn't involved in the murder or the motive.

So it was decided there was no use to have an innocent girl's name

dragged through that kind of thing.

And the defence counsel agreed to that?

Of course he did.

Now, look here, Mason,

we don't have any desire to have you come into our community

and start retrying our cases.

The man's dead.

What's to be gained by bringing it up again?

Something with which we are both familiar:

justice.

Is it always this hot in Logan City?

This is a cool one, mister.

You're Perry Mason?

- That's right. - I'm Chief Glass, Logan City Police.

Miss Martha would like to see you before you leave town.

- Who? - Martha Norris.

Owns the Norris Farms.

I'm afraid I'm running late--

I'd suggest that you take the time, Mr. Mason.

Follow me. I'll show you how to get there.

Come on in.

My wife should be in right away.

Some problem concerning one of the warehouse crews.

You're not active on the farm?

Oh, no, I'm retired. Best thing I could do is stay out of the way.

Oh, George, did you fix a cold drink to Mr. Mason?

Thank you, but not right now, Mrs. Norris.

I hope I didn't inconvenience you.

Oh, that's all right.

I assumed it was urgent since you had a policeman wave me down.

Well,

I'm not as imperious as it might seem.

It's just that in a small community,

we're all willing to do a favour for one another.

And who did you the favour of reporting I was in town?

Judge Meeham.

Mr. Mason,

you've read the trial transcript,

you know the facts of Ben Deveraux's conviction.

Yes.

Well, then, I'll tell you a fact you don't know.

The man Ben Deveraux killed was my first husband.

Deveraux paid for his crime, it's over.

There's no use stirring it all up again just to hurt innocent people.

Your motives are admirable, Mrs. Norris,

but having read the transcript, I don't think I can drop it so easily.

Then you're...

- You're going to proceed further? - Yes, I am.

I plan to see Mr. Waters right away.

Well, good. Suppose we drive over to the Waters' dairy farm together.

Yes, we're going over for the annual barbecue

Clyde Waters and I have for our employees' children.

He's holding it this year.

You know, magic is the wisdom of the ages.

It's created by night and revealed by day.

It contains secrets of the vast and shrouded unknown.

Do we dare penetrate these secrets?

Do we dare enter into darkness and unveil the mysteries?

Then watch carefully.

Do not take your eyes from my hands as I pour the magic elixirs.

Just fix your mind on the mysterious words of disenchantment.

Now we begin.

Abracadabra

Alakazam

Swirl magic waters

Bubble and boil

And presto