Guilty Conscience | Anthony Hopkins | Drama | Classic Movie | Mystery

so in closing let me give you two final pieces of advice just remember to have the right father or the right wife [Music] both can come in very handy in the years ahead anyway thank you all very much and uh good luck to you all thank you [Applause] it's always a great pleasure to hear arthur jameson's views however unorthodox they may be i trust we all know that he has his tongue firmly in his cheek and that no one serves the legal profession better and more responsibly than he and now i have great pleasure in introducing a noted attorney constitutional authority and not incidentally one of your professors in intentional torts and negligence simon dietrich [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] is someone there arthur is that you who's there who's there i warn you i'll call the police arthur i thought what on earth i was just gonna get myself a drink come and join me you almost gave me a heart attack i thought we were being robbed wrong term darling not robbed burgled robbery involves the threat of force or violence there's a hair trigger on that by the way so unless you want to shoot me i keep you pointed at the floor while you thank you you're home early i thought you'd be there till after midnight maybe you're looking at a mirage what it was an interesting trial last year in florida where the entire defense rested on the worst alibi i've ever heard thank you a man went to a country club dance ducked out murdered his business partner across town and then went back to the dance again amazing thing was that no one noticed he was gone not even his wife anyway he was acquitted and uh he later told his attorney it's ted meredith you remember ted i always said you had beautiful hair anyway he told ted that uh he was away for two hours isn't that incredible arthur what are you talking about you're not making any sense and i thought i was sorry oh lord problem i just called the police i better get them before they what is this clear evidence of a crime it's not quite enough yet don't touch that why not because it's a jimmy there's no reason for your fingerprints to be on it what i can what are see doing [Music] are you out of your mind [Music] [Music] oh this is absurd will you please tell me what you're doing [Music] our cassette recorder oh let's stop it how does it look commencing what in heaven's name i know i know i owe you an explanation what is presumed to have happened here tonight someone broke in the door's been jimmied and started taking our takeables you heard a noise and called the police i believe your phrase was someone's downstairs a prowler how did you know that we took the gun from our nightstand draw and came down here to investigate the thief saw you panicked and there was a struggle then unfortunately he shot you oh god [Music] all right the gun has a rubberized grip it won't take legible prints so that's covered by cigar i could have smoked it before i went out my umbrella i'll take that with me obviously i'll have to accelerate things the police take an average of 12 minutes to respond to a crime in progress colin i've been here much too long have to cut it in half anything else my drink [Music] it was there your honor police found the glass and the ice wasn't even melted yet he did [Music] now all that's left is to make sure that no one sees me leave and that should be that [Music] i swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me god your witness mr prosecutor state your name and occupation please my name is arthur jameson i practice law oh come now sir you hardly do yourself justice isn't it the fact that you're one of the most prominent criminal attorneys in the state if not the country guilty big pardon you make it difficult to be mothers counselor since i'm under oath i'm simply agreeing with you mr jameson would you be good enough to tell the jury of the events of the night of june 15. certainly i had been invited to speak to a group of graduating law students each june they throw a dinner it's something of a tradition and did you go to this dinner i did where was it held the students took a banquet room at a local hotel how was your wife when you left her not sure i understand are you asking me about her mood her character i was referring to her physical state and i suggest you say so your function is to clarify not obscure mr jameson with all due respect i would appreciate a less patronizing attitude and i would appreciate with all due respect questions of a more pertinent nature i will certainly try to do better sir as for your wife as for my wife and answer what i think you're asking me her physical state was one of being alive go on i drove to the hotel we all sat down to dinner at eight at ten i made some brief remarks and i was followed by the other guest when did the evening end i hated keep harping on the time perfectly understandable i'd say 11 15 then some of us went into the hotel bar for a night cap we've heard testimony that your wife called the police at 10 40. she reported the prowler in the house when they arrived on the scene they found that she had been forgive me mr jameson i know this is difficult for you they found she had been shot and killed yes according to their report you came home at uh 1206 1206 that's right most people would have said around midnight you don't have most people on the stand counselor yes i am very aware of that in any event when you were told what had happened you reacted with shock and outrage you must have loved her very much yes i did of course and that's why i'm puzzled that in the weeks before her death she told a number of her friends that she wanted a divorce she also said she had assured herself of an enormous settlement what does that suggest to you it suggests that we had one of our rare fights and she overreacted yes but there's enormous settlement our examination over your financial records indicates that your wife had signed a prenuptial agreement why would you assume she'd get anything at all unless unless one unless just as an example she had reason to believe she had certain leverage objection your honor clearly immaterial isn't it a fact that the bar associations of three states have questioned the conduct of some of your recent cases and that there have been rumors of sharp practices objections strike that from the record i cite the prosecutor for sharp practices of his own but if these rumors about your profession professional integrity were too and if your wife was somehow in possession of damaging information the objection has been sustained counsellor so it has withdraw the question would i be correct in assuming that you were happily married you would i'm sure we all envy you and by the way i had no doubt of the subject shortly before she died your wife was seen to have a bruise actually more like a cut high on her cheek near her left eye the eye itself was blackened have you any idea how this happened she stumbled in the bathroom and cut herself on the corner of a cabinet an accident then that's correct an accident are you right-handed or left-handed i fail to see answer the question please i'm right-handed if i were right-handed and were to strike someone with the court's indulgence this is by way of a visual demonstration for the jury i would bring up my hand thusly and hit the person i was facing on the left cheek i see you wear no rings in your right hand no but you did at least until recently the skin at the base of your ring finger is whiter than the rest of your hand and from this you conclude one that i hate my wife i leave it to the jury to form conclusions counselor before you embarrass yourself may i remind you that at the time of my wife's death i was at the dinner surrounded by dozens of witnesses and while you were there she was killed by a thief exactly there have been a number of crimes in the neighborhood that's why we kept a gun you spent the entire evening at this dinner yes never left the room never left the room i don't mean to contradict you but we've heard testimony that you didn't return to your table after you spoke the call of nature counselor so you went to the hotel restroom yes did you return to your table i did not i didn't want to interrupt professor dietrich so i stood at the side of the room where no one saw you i have no idea whether anyone saw me or not the guests were paying attention to the speaker so i doubt it however i was there but you can't prove that no nor can you prove otherwise mr jameson according to your testimony you began your and i quote brief remarks at ten your wife called the police it's 10 40. what was to stop you from going home instead of the restroom why would i do that counselor to avoid tipping the attendant the hotel is no more than a few miles from your house a drive of perhaps 15 minutes at most you're an encyclopedia of extraneous information i wouldn't dare to be extraneous sir not after your lecture on pertinence so let us assume that you did leave the hotel it is a dangerous assumption dangerous for who mr jameson your wife objection 15 minutes to drive to your house 10 minutes to do whatever had to be done objection another 15 minutes back to the hotel you'd have been gone no more than 45 minutes your honor this is grandstanding the prosecutor is accusing me of nothing more serious than the crime of convenient geography am i to be held responsible for the proximity of a hotel to my own yes sir you are a young man named bill keith was the banquet chairman and he is prepared to testify that you suggested the location for the dinner he will also tell us that your acceptance was conditional upon the availability of nearby accommodations not very clever of me ladies and gentlemen of the jury the elements of a crime are means motive and opportunity and if you consider arthur jameson in this life you will see that he had the means a burglary that never took place he had the motive his wife wanted a divorce and was demanding a large financial settlement and he had the opportunity a dinner near his home that was intended to serve as an alibi but it is a phantom alibi and the so-called burglary outrages logic in every way here is a terrified woman who calls the police and reports an intruder does she then lock herself in her room and wait for them to arrive no instead she makes a totally irrational trip downstairs to confront the thief irrational that is unless there was no thief and she knew the intruder all right it won't work i have to do it another way absolutely i have to plug up some of the holes killer in the bedroom the alibi very weak it's an unacceptable risk we'll have to come up with something better reasonably soon i beg your pardon what were you speaking to me no i was just clearing my throat oh sorry ladies and gentlemen the captain has just turned on the no smoking sign would you please extinguish all cigarettes and make sure your seats are in an upright position in preparation for our landing in san francisco [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] so [Music] what if i hired someone to get her advantage i could be a thousand miles away when she dies disadvantage you'd be trading one albatross for another exit wife enter hitman now it has to be done without an accomplice what if what if she died in a fire yeah when she goes to sleep i could rig something with a burning candle how long would it take to burn down i want to have now perhaps i could surround the candle with crumpled newspapers your honor i begged my wife not a smoking bed but she wouldn't listen the night of the fire was driving home quietly and i heard sirens advantage i'd have an alibi disadvantage she doesn't smoke your honor do you think the jury would believe that my wife took up cigarettes on the day of her death no hardly scratch the fire what if in here someone with you know why i thought i heard you talking just thinking out loud occupational disease you're home early yeah spain was out of schedule first for american aviation i missed you no kiss bad sign you were gonna think things over while i was away don't press me arthur of course not it's a very important decision take your time it hasn't here yet has it no very sorry about that really and i did miss you should we go upstairs no sure arthur you eliminated that part of our relationship a long time ago why are you suddenly trying to bring it back oh do i have to have an ulterior motive always i'd like a drink will you get me something maybe some sherry how was houston pretty much as expected two weeks of bourbon bottom and bobby are you going to take the case i don't know it's a complicated defense and i am not impressed by the home team still considering the fee involved i don't suppose i can turn it down or can i why are you asking me because you my dearest one have a consuming interest in my finances which are not what they should be at the moment i find it difficult to believe that you can't come up with a settlement oh i can but not now you get your money you'll just have to wait for it why do i get the impression you're stoling me darling when you blackmail someone first make sure he's liquid this isn't blackmail did i say blackmail sorry slip of the town all i want is reasonable maintenance yeah and this place and the weekend house i'm accustomed to a certain way of life it's the one thing you've given me i want it to continue and in a few years from now what then will you come back and gouge me for more no do i have your word in there a woman who spent the past six months listening on my phone calls checking my mail and dropping by the office so she could read what was on my desk it was necessary i knew i'd give you divorce oh no question but what kind of a divorce arthur you had me sign a prenuptial agreement when we were married i wouldn't get anything not even the so you rooted around and dredged up some old rumors rumors tell me something arthur what is the penalty for the misappropriation of a client's trust fund that's grand theft isn't it or the passing of information to a juror whatever you have on me my dearest or think you have is nothing but conjecture if you went to the district attorney or the state bar it would welcome me with open arms you're not exactly popular in legal circles are there but let's change the subject shall we last time we had this conversation you hit me can you handle some praise i'm not used to it but i can try you may have jumped to the wrong conclusion but i'm very impressed by this new initiative you weren't like this when i married you no i was much more pliable it had its appeal oh i'm sure it did who else would agree not to have children because they get in the way and then there was the fact i was a judge's daughter traffic court judge at the time you didn't make those distinctions a judge was a judge you assumed he'd have connections incorrectly as it turned out well anyway i'm not as pliable anymore after all this time some of you is rubbed off good reason to stay together what's the matter arthur will a divorce inconvenience you all those women and no more louise to use as an excuse for ending relationships oh is that why you're doing all this real or imagined other women i'm doing it because i finally can on my own terms i see we've dropped the fiction that you're thinking things over would you give me some more eyes this is a bit warm changing the subject i think we've exhausted it at the moment don't you whatever you say we're out i'll get some [Music] no let me i should start learning to do things for myself oh by the way that um that young law student bill keith he called again this morning he wants to know if you're going to their dinner on the 15th when he calls back tell him i can't make it i thought you wanted to go change my mind you wouldn't be productive what if it wasn't murder what if it was death by natural causes is that a viable approach it depends a lot on the circumstances and your alibi why would i even need an alibi suppose i arranged some kind of accident why wouldn't they take it at face value you know why a domestic situation and there is also the fact that you struck her which can be construed as a clear indication of your intent to her bodily harm all very prejudicial damn it it always comes back to labify alibi from the latin meaning elsewhere lovely word elsewhere wait a minute got something maybe [Music] are you going to be sonoma house next weekend i might why i just wondered we don't seem to get much use out of it these days we were in a more romantic frame of mind when we bought it hey what if just for sake of argument louise drove up to the sonoma house next friday i stay here and that night while i'm at a party or working with my staff is coming out of my ears she dies oh hmm accidental fall concussion broken neck whatever murder by remote control yeah why not your honor my wife and i had a house in the wine country it was nothing elaborate just a place we used to go to weekends just to get away from the city it's quite remote our nearest neighbors were about a mile to away on the weekend in question louise drove up to spend a few days she said she needed to rest it was a terrible tragedy your honor sometime during the night louise must have thought she heard a noise [Music] she had an unfortunate habit of taking sleeping pills so when she awoke she was probably groggy she came downstairs and then decided to look in the basement there's an old heater and perhaps the pipes were knocking she was half asleep and half drugged she obviously stumbled and fell [Music] it wouldn't even come to trial to be a local inquest matter of form and then a verdict of accidental death agreed assuming there aren't any discrepancies oh no there wouldn't be i got to the house the day before of course and loosened the top step actually the damn thing is loose anyway or i could uh remove it entirely and then um unscrew the light bulb no trick but effective she usually goes to bed about 10 30 wherever i am i'd call her um hello hello it's me did i wake you sorry and that's all right listen i'm out with a client and i need some papers in that old file in the basement sorry about this would you mind getting them for me i need them tonight what which ones top draw first fires thank you not very convincing doesn't have to be remember she's just come out of a sound sleep though she goes downstairs leaving the phone off the hook hang up dying i'll call you back in a few minutes they've just brought the check she goes downstairs and opens the basement door she tries to switch but the light doesn't work she knows there's a hanging bulb in the cellar so she starts down in the darkness and falls and falls next day i find the body and call the police after i've fixed the step naturally and screwed the ball back in leaving fingerprints nothing wrong with that it's my house there's only one problem and it's insurmountable i know a fall might not kill her and if she found the loose step and realized why you called there has to be a way around that what if you're doing it again talking to yourself i'm sorry i was working on a case the one in texas no a different one entirely much more important i was trying it out on the prosecutor you still do that all the time i won't carry over from law school hold the trial in advance create opposing counsel and see if you can beat him did you do that did you beat him no not yet no he's uh tough but uh i think i'm making progress you expecting someone no i'll get it no japanese gardens this is arthur jameson yes i'm fine thank you really it's perfectly all right it's not troubling at all this is really very nice i'd like a corner table for two or three o'clock this evening thank you i just bought these yesterday and now the strap breaks i mean you think when you pay that kind of money oh this is my husband arthur this is miss willis how do you do oh and it's jackie i'm sorry to barge in on you like this miss willis has a problem so it seems oh no not my sandal it's your neighbors um do you mind if i sit down i feel kind of foolish standing here on one foot oh oh well maybe i shouldn't get settled i mean i'm only gonna stay a minute you mentioned something about our neighbors the starks the stocks are in europe i know maybe i'll just um take the other one off is that all right of course um ah you wouldn't happen to have a key to their front door would you i beg your pardon oh i'm not gonna rob them or anything um vivian uh mrs stark is a friend of mine and i'm just doing her a favor i'm i'm afraid i don't understand well i'm supposed to water the plants i mean i don't do it professionally but you know i told them i'd come buy one so we can help them out they have all these ferns and things and those little japanese um shrubs the trouble is i can't get in well didn't they give you a key ah that's the problem i lost it i i know i had it this morning i know i i uh i took it down from my bulletin board see i keep everything packed to the bullet board in my kitchen but when i got to the front door it was missing i just anyway that's why i came over i thought maybe the starks had given you an extra key no i'm afraid not you know we really don't know them very well have you tried their other neighbors i rang the bell but nobody answered oh i'm sorry i wish we could help you thanks anyway it's not my day don't the starks have a daughter i don't know do they i seem to remember them giving me a number in case of an emergency maybe she has a key ah oh does she live here in the city somewhere in north beach uh do we cfc numbers in my address book it should be upstairs in the bedroom i'll get miss willis isn't it a drink oh i don't want to put you people in any more trouble no not at all let's see if we have i really appreciate this i'd hate the starks to come home to a house full of dead plants [Music] i know you're angry i must be over your mind coming over here like this i should throw you out of the window i was worried i kept calling that hotel in houston but they wouldn't put me through i told you i'd be busy i thought something had happened i didn't hear from you for a week then you wouldn't let me meet your plane don't you have a lesson hmm i said i'd call you when i got back i'm sorry how the hell did you know about the stocks from you don't you remember we were having drinks at that place near your office and they walked in you kind of hunched down in your seat anyway you told me they lived next door and that they were leaving for europe well i had to say something i mean i was hoping your wife wouldn't be home but when she opened the door you weren't hoping she wouldn't be home you just wanted to see what she looked like that's why he came here that's not true honestly i mean i'm curious about her sure but the real reason is i was worried i had this weird feeling ah well i did jackie i was in texas in spite of what you may have heard it is not a foreign country yeah i can't find your address book ah try the front bedroom near the telephone all right well i guess you don't want me to stay for a drink right i don't want you to stay for a drink can you come over tonight come on use your hand i just got back and i want you out of here before she comes downstairs it's funny i always wondered what this place would look like it's nice i'm glad you approve [Music] hey wait what [Music] come on hurry up it's not even close it's hard you're supposed to practice you had two weeks well i'll get better i've done some good one that is how important is this well i guess i better go will you call me yes oops you're not still angry no [Music] well it's just as well the number wasn't in your phone book no it's probably still at the office a strange sort of a person to be a friend of mine starks where was it by the way what was wrong he oh she didn't say probably still on the bulletin board and a recipe for meatloaf louise um what time is it i uh don't remember if i reset my watch on the plane and houston is two hours later well it's almost 7 30 i think i was about to make some dinner have you eaten uh no i'm not hungry and i suppose i should unpack why don't i make you some coffee fine what if she died in an accident in that car let me think about that your honor i'll get back to you [Music] [Music] hi it's me i just got in from the airport are you in uh sushi moon all right i'll meet you at the restaurant and a half now i love you too bye [Music] weekend house is around the steep driveway suppose she went shopping and she put the groceries in the trunk of her car when she came home she parked in front of the garage go on somehow i don't know how it happened your honor the gear must have slipped she hadn't set the emergency brake so the car rolled backwards it knocked her down and one of the wheels crushed her skull not very good why isn't it because any forensic pathologist would discover a blow on her head that wouldn't correspond to the dread marks on the tire and there would be a blow she'd have to be unconscious before you back the car over her it's circumstantial under the law i don't have to be innocent only not guilty yes but you're not comfortable with it no i suppose not is your coffee if you like anything else sorry i just remembered i have to go out business meeting at this hour they're leaving town in the morning it's inconvenient but i don't have much of a choice but you haven't even unpacked i'll do it later well at least have some coffee no time ah don't wait up for me i'm not sure when i'll be back ah that sounds familiar better start encouraging me i'm in business for the two of us now arthur what the back upstairs are you out of your mind do as i say into the bedroom give me that thing when a gun is cocked it can fire by accident why didn't you lower the muzzle or at least aim to the side are you giving me instructions trying to avoid any miscalculations you've never touched a gun in your life i've been practicing oh into the bedroom i think it would be much simpler for both of us if you sit down you're nervous obviously now the question is if i take a few steps towards you would you pull the trigger yes and i suppose i should sit down better much better at some point i'd like to know what the hell is going on here have you found a way yet way to kill me or is it still on the drawing board so that's what this is all about misplaced notion of self-defense why don't you drink your coffee and we'll discuss it why on earth would i want to kill you where shall we start you're having a false but paranoia was never one of them maybe you should let me recommend a good psychiatrist it's getting cold sweet extra sugar hiding the taste of what no who's being paranoid can't be poisoned you don't poison the man if you're gonna shoot him what is it louise half a bottle of your sleeping pills i put too much sugar in it drink it sorry arthur i'm mourning damn it be careful with that thing jackie what happened he was going to go out i had to keep him here what the hell is this you two know each other well we've accomplished something he's surprised why shouldn't we know each other we have a great deal in common jackie what's this all about don't badger her arthur this isn't a cross-examination how much have you told her pretty much everything i guess and all very interesting do you still think i need a psychiatrist only if you believe her miss willis has a few problems with the truth i'm sure she told you an elaborate invention oh just stop it it won't work no i suppose not had to try though well aren't you going to enlighten me about what why the where and the when you might start by telling me how you two met what difference does that make ms willis approached me that's all approached you interesting phrase from the front from the side or did you leave a message in a bottle you're just trying to stall us of course i am but since you're always complaining that i never listened to you i thought you might enjoy my undivided detention actually i was following her oh trouble is i wasn't very good at it she spotted me very clever of you uh i wasn't clever at all she stood out like a sore thumb go on it was about two weeks ago you were in texas and i felt trapped in the house so i decided on my usual therapy [Music] shopping [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] hey oh why are you following me oh you shouldn't creep up on a person like that you almost gave me a heart if you don't stop following me i will talk to a policeman do you understand look it's all right really i just wanted to talk to you there are more conventional ways to arrange a conversation i know i should have called but i wasn't sure you'd see me uh so i figured if i followed you around maybe i'd work up the nerve it's about arthur miss uh willis jackie willis i'm i'm rather tired perhaps if you call me tomorrow tomorrow's gonna be too late i mean if i don't get this off my chest right now i never will oh that's a provocative statement the word off your chest look can we sit down somewhere i need a diet soda i really do lucky they invented this stuff if i drank the regular i'd blow up like a balloon you seem to have it under control i've been jogging a lot it keeps me nice and firm you know do you jog no that's right you go to one of those exercise classes right aerobics isn't it yeah i used to work in a gym i mean i was only secretary but you pick up a lot just being there how do you know i went to an exercise class arthur told me i'll be right back i asked for another one i don't know why i'm really thirsty today miss willis jackie miss willis you said you knew my husband i assume that you're not a client i couldn't afford him then suppose you tell me what this is all about well it's kind of embarrassing at least part of it is i think once i get over that i think you'll be very interested i i've um i've been dating arthur for eight months i see actually i guess you could say i'm his mistress you probably want some proof that won't be necessary no it's important that you believe me um he left his cigar case at my apartment last week it's in here somewhere oh isn't that the dumbest thing i i changed purses it's in my other bag i'm all screwed up today miss willis he did leave it though it's got his initials on it atj the t is for thomas this phil is i accept your credentials but if it's if it's money that you want really mrs jameson it's nothing like that at all i'm just trying to save your life i wasn't aware that my life was in danger bear with me okay did you by any chance hire a private detective to check up on me and arthur oh miss fellas this this may come as a rude awakening but arthur has left a trail of cigar cases in bedrooms all over town if i needed proof of infidelity at this late date i'd uh stick a pin in the telephone book well he said you'd had a detective following us for months he said you got the final report last week and you put it in a safe deposit box he was lying to you there's no detective there never was but you do have a safe deposit box yes and there's an envelope inside right i'm afraid that's none of your business mrs jameson you gotta tell me what's in that envelope see the thing is he wants me to steal it how did you get a sample of my handwriting arthur gave me some of your cancelled checks before he left for texas and by the time he gets back i'm supposed to be an expert it seems you already are oh i had it down pat the first day but i'm not gonna tell him that why not because the mood he knows i can sign your name he's gonna make me get him that envelope let me see if i understand this he wants you to go to the bank as if you were me and open my safe deposer box uh-huh i only have to fool the person who signs me in as long as i can write your name and i have the key to your box but you don't have the key he'll give it to me he says you keep it in your jewelry case damn him anyway he said that envelope is where you keep all the stuff from your private detective my oh yes yes the little man who wasn't there he told me that as long as you have those records you can take him to the cleaners but the minute i get him that envelope he's going to leave you and and what well he promised me we'd get married oh congratulations i wanted to believe him but what good would it do if i got in that envelope i mean private detective agencies keep records in triplicate now how do you know that i used to work for one only a couple of weeks but i mean they had me making copies of everything i don't see what this has to do with my life being in danger you're talking about stealing oh no i'm talking about murder unless i'm wrong as soon as he gets that envelope he's gonna kill you i don't know what was in the envelope it was a letter to the district attorney isn't that weird i thought it was something like that last week i told arthur i wanted a divorce and the terms of a settlement he was amused until he found out how much i knew about the way he runs his business what did he say he didn't say anything he just did this he hit you after that i thought it was only wise to take precautions so i wrote a letter to the district attorney everything i knew and i said that in the event of my death they should assume that arthur killed me to keep me quiet wow i addressed the envelope to my lawyer rented a safe deposit box then i told arthur so that was your ace in the hole huh yes in the event of my death the box will be sealed and the letter sent to my lawyer only it's not much good if it isn't there well if he gets it back i can always write another one yeah but then why steal it in the first place mrs jameson face it there's no reason to get rid of that letter unless he gets rid of you too i see your point see the more i thought about it the more it worried me that's why i followed you i mean maybe i shouldn't have no it's it's good that you did i'm i'm very grateful well at least you have some time he still has to figure out a way to kill you and that's not gonna be easy i mean he's the first person they'd suspect i have every confidence in him to come up with something there is a way to stop him oh you could tell him we talked and then i might go to the police that'll throw him a curve as well as you're a very intelligent woman ah you just caught me on a good day oh won't he be furious with you for telling me doesn't really matter we're pretty much finished anyway uh he's got someone else someone else in addition to you he thinks i don't know he's been seeing her for a couple of months who is she her name's gayle she runs an art gallery over on sutton street she's from canada you're very well informed i did some checking and i followed him a few times it's pretty serious did i say something funny better not really it says that arthur is the only man i know who would cheat on his mistress but i suppose you don't find that amusing no i kind of liked him they all do this is a matter of curiosity where did you two meet at his office i used to work there well i thought you worked at a gym or was it a detective agency oh i worked just about everywhere oh didn't i explain see i'm with this agency and they send me out on temporary jobs one of arthur's secretaries had an operation so i replaced her how convenient for arthur usually he has to go out looking he's had a lot of ladies huh yes you know something this is really ridiculous but uh well it'd be better for everybody if he was dead that goes without saying unfortunately he's in perfect health no i mean it i believe you do you'd sure be better off you'd get everything plus the insurance what is it a 500 000 policy how do you know that i must have run across it in this file oh oops uh miss willis i'm not sure what you're suggesting am i suggesting something let me do that but arthur is very much alive and if he does die he better do it at home with a doctor at his bedside why well because as you so carefully pointed out i have the most to gain by his dying i guess you'd need an alibi at the very least suppose i could give you one i suppose i could tell you how to do it do what what we're talking about kill arthur this was i mean not that we actually go through with it or anything i mean this is all just kind of a game isn't it yes of course how would you get out of it pardon well you said you wanted to help i assume you'd want something in return you mean besides satisfaction besides satisfaction same as you i guess money how much money you could work something out you'd have so much you wouldn't even know was missing just for the sake of argument you understand all this is hypothetical sure how could i possibly pay you i couldn't very well write a check and if i withdrew a large sum of cats don't even worry about it look i can tell you at least five ways to launder money most people don't know how easy it is but you do uh-huh i used to work in a bank hey listen i've taken up enough of your time it was really nice meeting you oh wait a minute hello arthur oh no no i'm just uh sitting here reading yes where are you the hotel uh i'm fine well it's it's still it's still swollen but it's going down yes i got the flowers am i in a forgiving frame of mind well i really don't think that's something we should talk about long distance is someone there with you i thought i heard another voice ah i see well it's a bit late in the day for main service no i'm not being sarcastic arthur i hate to cut you off but i am exhausted could you call me back tomorrow you love me no no it's just a peculiar thing to say under the circumstances of course i believe you why shouldn't i [Music] please we talked until midnight it's a very useful conversation no doubt all right let's see what we have here wife mistress and the loaded gun not to mention the loaded cup of coffee [Laughter] it's absolutely incredible i come home from a business trip and the women in my life are planning to kill me it boggles the mind do you really think it's wise to laugh at someone with a gun why shouldn't i we both know you're not going to use it your honor there was the husband shot through the heart his wife and incidentally his sole beneficiary insisted she was elsewhere at the time unfortunately when the police gave her a standard neutron activation test they found clear traces of barium and antimony on her right hand proving conclusively that she had fired a weapon there's a pair of rubber gloves in the kitchen under the sink near the liquid detergent well until you're wearing that glove wouldn't you say you were vulnerable arthur i'm perfectly willing to shoot you and i'll take my chances with the police is that clear very clear may the condemned man have a drink or do i have to die in the bedroom no we can go downstairs be very careful take your coffee i hope you and jackie have come up with something foolproof i wouldn't want you to make any mistakes we won't i don't want to be negative but murdering a spouse has its difficulties take my word for it huh we were just talking about perfect crimes i haven't told him anything no she's been very discreet although there's really no point in keeping the victim in the dark is there unless you're afraid i might poke a few holes in your game player don't flatter yourself no loose ends the classic mistake of the amateur is over confidence we know what we're doing well then share it with me people pay good money for my advice why not take advantage of it let's tell him i mean why shouldn't we we got nothing to lose listen to her louise she's making sense now first things first how am i supposed to die you're gonna take your own life a suicide interesting an overdose of barbiturates no well that's a relief and it wouldn't help your case men prefer carbon monoxide or oh i see i'm gonna shoot myself and why would i want to do that because you can't face the end of your career i thought it was in full flower it was until your mistress came over here oh yes jackie's visit the last key and the suffering plans i assume there's a reason for your comings and goings oh sure i had to be seen by the cab drivers ah my story's gonna be when i found out about your new lady i decided to get even go on this is fascinating i took a cab over here and i kind of struck up a conversation with the driver i said i was gonna tell you off in front of your wife he thought it was pretty funny you were only here a few minutes the police will want to know what happened there was a confrontation miss willis informed me that you two had had an affair naturally i was shocked actually i had no idea you'd been unfaithful to me we started shouting and miss willis ran out i got another cab and went home i was crying so the driver should remember me and it was after our argument is that when i shoot myself not quite if i'm here i don't have an alibi so you walked out of me as i wandered around for a while i realized i was in miss willis's neighborhood so on a sudden impulse i went to her apartment where she welcomed you with open arms and the two of you talked about how worthless i am but that still doesn't explain why i put the gun to my head i called you just about now i said we were finished more of course for celebration than suicide i also told you i was going to the district attorney i put myself completely at his disposal and that i suppose pushed me over the edge i think the police will accept a man killing himself to avoid disbarment in criminal prosecution where were you when the fatal shot was fired i was with miss willis we were together till late tonight but you could have killed me before you went to her apartment but i didn't she'll swear she heard me talking to you on the phone you were very much alive you were pleading and your voice was quite loud i hope you're being well paid jackie accessory to murder what's the going rate these days it's enough how do you know you'll get your money once i'm dead louise might not want to spread it around i trust her a sisterhood that's very touching which one of you came up with this airtight plan by the way or was it a joint effort jacketed really i never knew you had such a lethal imagination we're wasting time on the contrary it's time while spent because i recommend that you cut your losses and settle out of court if this case ever came to trial i don't think even i could get you off they won't come to trial oh but it will and any halfway decent prosecutor would tear you apart in five minutes that's ridiculous what are you doing sit down what sit down if you want to see the epic nature of your miscalculations you'll do as i say and keep that pointed away from my midsection because the more you hear the less likely you'll be to shoot thank you now listen very carefully you're in the courtroom this is day one of the trial we've heard miss willis's testimony and now you're on the witness stand this is the most absurd thing oh let him let him go on maybe we'll learn something jackie if i'd seen the side of your character i might not have traded you in now mrs jameson cast your mind back to the day of your husband's suicide and remember that you're under oath you've testified that you were distressed to hear of his affair with miss willis your honor the witness is not responsive oh all right yes i was is that what you want darling you're not playing the game never mind what i want just tell the truth were you or were you not upset the news of your husband's infidelity i was but we've heard testimony from several of your close friends that you've known of his philanderings for years why did miss willis come as such a surprise to you it wasn't that i was surprised it's just that uh after all the others she was the last straw good would you say that your late husband was nakedist definitely full of himself eager to share his misguided sense of his own importance with the world absolutely then why didn't he leave a note what a note a suicide note egotists are notorious for self-justification even posthumously you would get an objection there my lawyer would object of course you would my remarks would be struck from the record but not from the minds of the jury now mrs jameson when you called your husband and made your threats did he know where you were yes i told him i was at miss melissa's apartment why didn't he call you back well he may have i took the phone off the hook so the poor man unable to reach you and exercise his famous powers of persuasion blew his brains out that's quite a rush to oblivion i wonder if the jury will accept his incredible hurry to put a gun to his head but let's take a closer look at the day of the suicide you've testified that after miss willis dropped her bombshell she left and you and your husband had a terrible argument what happened next i've already told you i was hysterical i had to get out of there so you walked the streets and if i'm quoting you correctly on an impulse you went to miss willis's apartment is that an accurate statement yes how did you know her address what it's a simple question mrs jameson how did you know where she lived presumably you'd never met her before well she she'd had forgotten her purse you see and i was uh obviously curious about it so i looked in the wallet and it was her address on the driver's license i think so no jackie's about to tell you that she doesn't drive well then it wasn't on her license it was it was her credit card major credit cards don't carry home addresses you saw a health insurance card they do no coaching from the sidelines miss willis has testified that she took a taxi back to her apartment and i'm sure that's the truth tell me something how did she pay for the cab with money but you said she left a purse behind now unless you carry his money in her broken sandal how did she pay for the taxi and since her dorky was obviously in her purse how did she get into her apartment well maybe i didn't see the address snipers um the phone book looking up numbers in the midst of your hysteria i suggest you didn't see your address at all i suggest you know it to begin with no i further suggest that the two of you murdered your husband he wasn't murdered he committed suicide because of your phone call yes because of my phone call but that's impossible how could he take a call if he wasn't home he was home we shall introduce testimony from a miss gail stafford a lovely young woman from vancouver that your husband telephoned her and said he was meeting her for dinner why didn't he why did he conveniently wait for you to visit miss willis you're lying call the japanese gardens you'll see that i have a reservation for two would eight o'clock at this very moment miss stafford is wondering where i am they're a hungry breed the canadians she's probably starving to death whether they do shall we call a restaurant is the witness dismissing herself i haven't even started you told me this would work how did i know he was going out don't squabble ladies and be grateful for that save your skins what do you mean it kept me from drinking your cup of counterfeit coffee exhibit a your honor didn't you know that be an autopsy not unless the wife requests it wrong autopsies can be performed at the discretion of the medical examiner given my notoriety he cut me open as soon as he got his hands on me he'd find a bullet in my skull and barbiturates in my stomach and he'd be very confused why would a suicide take sleeping pills before he shoots himself i guess we blew it i guess you did damn sleeping pills don't be too hard on yourself you needed them i had to be unconscious so you could put the gun in my hand and press it against my head but i'm sure you can see that it's useless now might as well put that down don't come any closer oh what you'll shoot me strange kind of suicide a man fires a gun at himself from three feet away if you take one more step put it down louise you've lost no damn it give it to me give me that thing friend of yours or maybe it's miss stafford when you stand them up they get aggressive don't answer it then put down the gun quid pro quo arthur fire away and explain how i shoot myself in the bag this is jameson do what he says we'll never know will we so what happens now i keep my dinner date and since you two won't be needing each other any longer i suggest you part company ah it's not so bad maybe this didn't work out but at least you didn't lose anything correction she's lost everything tomorrow i want you to get that letter from your safe deposit box you bring it home and i'll watch you burn it now why would i do a foolish thing like that for the same reason that you'd be flexible about a divorce you'll have your freedom with my blessings but don't expect any fringe benefits get out of here arthur leave me alone jackie would you take a look at the tape recorder what look at it closely tell my wife what you see running he's been recording us what i turned it on when i went to get a drink unfortunately i've lost prokofiev sixth but i think it's a worthwhile trade turn it off you're a little late aren't you the microphone is built in so i'm sure it's picked up everything thank you exhibit b your honor clear evidence of attempted murder with an unforgiving judge that's nine years imprisonment i'd say that cancels out your leverage if you get the urge to go to the district attorney just remember i can blame your theme in variations on killing a husband no no none of this is admissible in court sorry a recording is admissible as long as one party to the conversation knows it's being made in this case me i won't stand for this i'm afraid you'll have to well i'm late if you both excuse me i want that tip stop posturing you can't afford to shoot a new noise give it to me and i just about enough of you put the damn thing away don't come near me and don't threaten unless you have the watch me damn you put it down you killed her it was an accident is she dead oh brother quiet let me think all right i'm going to call the police but first i want to go over our story with story you want to drink you should have something to set me down i want a drink what story trick is to keep it as close to the truth as possible sit down you were angry with me because i jilted you then you came over here to embarrass me in front of my wife she and i had a violent argument she got the gun threatened me i tried to take away from her and it went off saw the whole thing i said i don't want to talk to the police i just want to go home you're ridiculous i need you can't make a case for self-defense without a witness you don't need a witness just playing the tape tape is useless what there's nothing on this but surface noise hardly admissible evidence but the machine was running microphone was broken but not recording never got around to having it fixed you were bluffing of course i was blocking that's how i earned my living i'm gonna have to do a hell of a lot more than the next half hour arthur you can call the police if you want to but i'm not going to be here when they come haven't you been listening i said i needed you i can't how much for the whole package including your sworn testimony it's not as simple as that jackie as of this moment you're out in the cold all this planning and nothing to show for it i'll give whatever louise was paying i can't i'm sorry i don't want you to hear that you're sorry i want to hear that you'll help me how can i help you if i'm at my apartment huh the cab driver knows i left here over an hour ago i made a big point of the time with him that's a problem so we can find a way around that um how are you gonna find a way around your wife's letter i mean when somebody dies they open the safe deposit box right that's the law yes but well as soon as they read her letter you're in a lot of trouble uh what'd she say if anything happens to her they should put the blame on you that's exactly why i need your testimony you swear it was an accident it was an accident arthur you're always telling me to use my head well i'm using it they never believed me in a million years i'm your mistress you've got to try i just can't take the chance i mean a guy shoots his wife and his girlfriend says it was an accident i'd be lucky if they didn't go after me for perjury will you listen like i said i'm really sorry but you're smart you'll come up with something i'll implicate you i'll tell them that you wanted to kill me and i'll say you're lying goodbye arthur jackie it's funny if i could help you i wonder if i would [Music] ladies and gentlemen of the jury there can be no reasonable doubt that arthur jameson did willfully and with premeditation murder his wife in cold blood we've heard that louise jameson was in possession of information detrimental to her husband's career and we have shown that on the afternoon of her death she was confronted by his mistress who was a catalyst for a violent argument after miss willis left the scene the deceased hurt and lashing out in anger threatened to expose her husband to the authorities knowing his very survival was at stake and with full malice he shot and killed her it was an accident the defendant has alleged that the shooting was accidental the result of an elaborate murder plot with himself as the intended victim but as reasonable men and women i'm sure you recognize his story of what it is the desperate fabrication of a guilty man the police found sleeping pills in my coffee put that by himself to substantiate his story why would i kill my wife why if i knew she had incriminating evidence in her safety deposit box we only have his word that he did know she would have told me it was her protection she rented the box the day before he went to texas and he killed her the day he got home she never had the chance it was half defense i have a witness what witness her she's denied it under oath ladies and gentlemen a wife in writing says her husband wants her dead and suddenly she is dead at the hand of the very manchu accused if you had no other evidence and you do this fact alone is devastating no doubt after your deliberations you will bring back a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree so say you all so say we are the prisoner is remanded to the custody of the department of correction sentencing to be scheduled for a later date court is adjourned it would probably serve me right not that either one of them would seriously consider murdering me although lord knows what would happen if they met each other off they knew about gail gail hi now i just got in why didn't i pick you up tonight at about 8. see you then oh hello darling i didn't expect you for another hour the plane was early you look marvelous you've changed your hair from what from the way i've been imagining it i see that's healing nicely i can't tell you how sorry i am about that really it's all i could think about while i was away would you like a drink not now i have to get something when you come back we've got things to talk about what if she committed suicide what a bad idea your honor my wife had been depressed over our marital difficulties and the day i got back from a business stripped the poor woman had taken a gun from my bedroom drawer not bad at all certainly worth considering has its possibilities louise just gonna upset someone back problem the same damn problem is that i have to be away from you when it happens if i could hello miss willis it's done already but his plane was early and everything's fine you sure to be honest i thought it would be much more difficult and he's really uh yes i will finish up here and i'll be right over just remember the time i have been with you for the past two hours wow [Music] you

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Id: xtiO9NOrXdU

Length: 91min 59sec (5519 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 24 2021