Act Two
Scene: Same scene as at the opening of Act I. KAREN sitting at the defense table, as proudly calm as ever. When the curtain rises, the BAILIFF raps.
BAILIFF: Court attention!
[JUDGE HEATH enters. EVERYONE rises]
Superior Court Number Eleven of the State of New York. The Honorable Judge William Heath presiding.
[JUDGE HEATH sits down, BAILIFF raps, and EVERYONE resumes his seat]
JUDGE HEATH: The people of the State of New York versus Karen Andre.
FLINT: Ready, your Honor.
STEVENS: Ready, your Honor.
JUDGE HEATH: The District Attorney may proceed.
FLINT: If your Honor please, the prosecution has one more witness to introduce. Mr. John Graham Whitfield!
CLERK: John Graham Whitfield!
[MR. WHITFIELD comes in, followed by NANCY LEE.MR. WHITFIELD is tall, gray-haired, perfectly groomed, a thorough gentleman with the imperious manner of a wartime generalissimo. NANCY LEE walks in slowly, head downcast. WHITFIELD pats her hand affectionately as if to encourage her, as they part; he walks to the witness stand, and she takes a chair at right]
CLERK: You solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?
WHITFIELD: I do.
FLINT: What is your name?
WHITFIELD: John Graham Whitfield.
FLINT: What is your occupation?
WHITFIELD: I am president of the Whitfield National Bank.
FLINT: Were you related to the late Bjorn Faulkner?
WHITFIELD: I was his father-in-law.
FLINT: It is obvious, Mr. Whitfield, that you are well qualified to pass judgment on financial matters. Can you tell us about the state of Mr. Faulkner's business at the time preceding his death?
WHITFIELD: I shall say it was desperate, but not hopeless. My bank made a loan of twenty-five million dollars to Mr. Faulkner in an effort to save his enterprises. Needless to say, that money is lost.
FLINT: What prompted you to make that loan, Mr. Whitfield?
WHITFIELD: He was the husband of my only daughter; her happiness has always been paramount to me. But my motives were not entirely personaclass="underline" realizing the countless tragedies of small investors that the crash would bring, I considered it my duty to make every possible effort to prevent it.
FLINT: Is it possible that you would have risked such a considerable sum in Mr. Faulkner's enterprises if you believed them hopelessly destined to crash?
WHITFIELD: Certainly not. It was a difficult undertaking, but I had full confidence that my business acumen would have prevented the crash -- had Faulkner lived.
FLINT: He, therefore, had no reason to commit suicide as far as his business affairs were concerned?
WHITFIELD: He had every reason for remaining alive.
FLINT: Now, Mr. Whitfield, can you tell us whether Mr. Faulkner was happy in his family life, in his relations with your daughter?
WHITFIELD: Mr. Flint, I would like to state that I have always regarded the home and the family as the most important institutions in our lives. You, therefore, will believe me when I tell you how important my daughter's family happiness was to me -- and she had found perfect happiness with Mr. Faulkner.
FLINT: Mr. Whitfield, what was your opinion of Mr. Faulkner?
WHITFIELD: It is only fair to admit that he had many qualities of which I did not approve. We were as different as two human beings could be: I believe in one's duty above all; Bjorn Faulkner believed in nothing but his own pleasure.
FLINT: From your knowledge of him, Mr. Whitfield, would you say you consider it possible that Mr. Faulkner committed suicide?
WHITFIELD: I consider it absolutely impossible.
FLINT: Thank you, Mr. Whitfield. That is all.
STEVENS: Mr. Whitfield, were you very fond of your son-in-law?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
STEVENS: And you never disagreed with him, never lost your temper in a quarrel?
WHITFIELD: [With a tolerant, superior smile] Mr. Stevens, I never lose my temper.
STEVENS: If my memory serves me right, there was some kind of trouble at the time you made that stupendous loan to Mr. Faulkner. Wasn't there something said to the effect that you denied making the loan?
WHITFIELD: Purely a misunderstanding, I assure you. I must admit that Mr. Faulkner made a . . . somewhat unethical attempt to hasten that loan, which was quite unnecessary, since I granted it gladly -- for my daughter's sake.
STEVENS: You said that your fortune has been badly damaged by the Faulkner crash?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
STEVENS: And your financial situation is rather strained at present?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
STEVENS: Then how could you afford to offer a fifty thousand dollar reward for the arrest and conviction of "Guts" Regan?
FLINT: Objection! What has that got to do with the case?
WHITFIELD: Your Honor, I would like to have the privilege of explaining this.
JUDGE HEATH: Very well.
WHITFIELD: I did offer such a reward. I was prompted by a feeling of civic duty. The gentleman commonly known as "Guts" Regan is a notorious criminal. I offered that reward for evidence that would make his arrest and conviction possible. However, I agree with Mr. Flint that this has nothing to do with the present case.
STEVENS: Mr. Whitfield, can you tell us why you left for California in such a hurry before the beginning of this trial?
WHITFIELD: I think the answer is obvious. My daughter was crushed by the sudden tragedy. I hastened to take her away, to save her health, perhaps her life.
STEVENS: You love your daughter profoundly?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
STEVENS: You have always made it a point that her every wish should be granted?
WHITFIELD: I can proudly say yes.
STEVENS: When she -- or you -- desire anything, you don't stop at the price, do you?
WHITFIELD: We don't have to.
STEVENS: Then would you refuse to buy her the man she wanted?
FLINT: Your Honor! We --
WHITFIELD: Mr. Stevens!
STEVENS: You wouldn't stop if it took your entire fortune to break the first unbreakable man you'd ever met?
FLINT: Your Honor! We object!
JUDGE HEATH: Sustained.
STEVENS: Now, Mr. Whitfield, are you going to tell us that your money had nothing to do with Mr. Faulkner dismissing Miss Andre? That no ultimatum was delivered to him?
WHITFIELD: [His tone is slightly less kindly and composed than before] You are quite mistaken in your insinuations. My daughter was no more jealous of Miss Andre than she would be of Mr. Faulkner's soiled underwear. All men have some at one time or another!
STEVENS: I'd be careful of statements such as these, Mr. Whitfield. Remember that your daughter paid for what Karen Andre got free!
FLINT: Your Honor! We --
[WHITFIELD jumps to his feet; his face is distorted; he is shaking with fury. JUDGE HEATH raps his gavel, but to no avail. NANCY LEE jumps up, crying hysterically through WHITFIELD's speech]
NANCY LEE: Father! Father!
WHITFIELD: Why you . . . you God-damn, impudent . . . Do you know who I am? Do you know that I can crush you like a cockroach, as I've crushed many a better --
STEVENS: [With insulting calm] That is just what I wanted to prove. That is all. Thank you, Mr. Whitfield.
FLINT: Your Honor! We move that the defense counsel's outrageous remark which led to this incident be stricken out!
JUDGE HEATH: The remark may go out.
[WHITFIELD leaves the stand and sits down next to NANCY LEE; she takes his hand and holds it affectionately, showing great concern]
FLINT: [Loudly, solemnly] The people rest.
STEVENS: Move that the case be dismissed for lack of evidence.