[Points at KAREN]
Karen Andre, Faulkner's efficient secretary and notorious mistress. But six months ago Faulkner came to America to get a loan and save his fortune. Fate sent him a means to save his own heart -- in the person of the lovely girl who is now his widow, Nancy Lee Faulkner, only daughter of John Graham Whitfield, our great philanthropist. Faulkner thought he had found salvation and a new life in the virtuous innocence of his young bride. And the best proof of it is that two weeks after his wedding he dismissed his secretary -- Karen Andre. He was through with her. But, ladies and gentlemen, one is not easily through with a woman like Karen Andre. We can only guess at what hatred and revenge smouldered in her heart; but they leaped into flame on the night of January sixteenth. Bjorn Faulkner did not kill himself. He was murdered. Murdered by the very delicate and capable hands which you see here before you.
[He points at KAREN]
The hands that helped to raise Bjorn Faulkner high over the world; the hands that threw him down, from as great a height, to crash into a pavement cold as this woman's heart. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we are going to prove.
[FLINT pauses; then calls]
Our first witness will be Doctor Kirkland.
[DR. KIRKLAND, elderly, kindly, and indifferent, makes his way toward the witness stand ]
CLERK: You solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?
KIRKLAND: I do.
FLINT: Kindly state your name.
KIRKLAND: Thomas Kirkland.
FLINT: What is your occupation?
KIRKLAND: Medical examiner of this county.
FLINT: In the course of your duty, what were you called upon to do on the night of January sixteenth?
KIRKLAND: I was called to examine the body of Bjorn Faulkner.
FLINT: What did you find?
KIRKLAND: A body mangled to an extreme degree.
FLINT: What did you establish as the cause of death?
KIRKLAND: A fall from a great height.
FLINT: How long had Faulkner been dead when you examined his body?
KIRKLAND: I reached it about half an hour after the fall.
FLINT: Judging by the condition of the body, could you say exactly how long it had been dead?
KIRKLAND: No, I could not. Owing to the cold weather, the blood had coagulated immediately, which makes a difference of several hours impossible to detect.
FLINT: Therefore, it is possible that Faulkner had been dead longer than half an hour?
KIRKLAND: It is possible.
FLINT: Could his death have been caused by anything other than this fall?
KIRKLAND: I found no evidence of it.
FLINT: For instance, had his skull been broken before the fall, would you be able to tell it by examining the body?
KIRKLAND: No. Owing to the condition of the body, it would be impossible to determine.
FLINT: That's all, Doctor.
STEVENS: Did you find any trace of any such earlier wound in your examination of the body, Doctor Kirkland?
KIRKLAND: No, I did not.
STEVENS: Did you find any indication that death might have been caused by anything other than the fall?
KIRKLAND: No, I did not.
STEVENS: That's all.
[DR. KIRKLAND leaves the stand and exits]
FLINT: John Hutchins!
CLERK: John Hutchins!
HUTCHINS:[Entering]Yes, sir.
[HUTCHINS is a timid, elderly man, neat, but almost shabby; he walks to the stand shyly, cringing, nervously fingering his hat in both hands]
CLERK: You solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?
HUTCHINS: Yes, sir, I do.
FLINT: What is your name?
HUTCHINS: [Timidly]John Joseph Hutchins.
FLINT: And your occupation?
HUTCHINS: I'm the night watchman in the Faulkner Building, sir.
FLINT: Did Mr. Faulkner have business offices in that building?
HUTCHINS: Yes, sir.
FLINT: Do you know who owned the penthouse on the roof of the building?
HUTCHINS: Certainly, sir. Mr. Faulkner did.
FLINT: And who lived there?
HUTCHINS: Mr. Faulkner and Miss Andre, sir. That is, before Mr. Faulkner's marriage.
FLINT: And after the marriage?
HUTCHINS: After the marriage, Miss Andre lived there -- alone.
FLINT: Have you ever seen Mr. Faulkner calling on Miss Andre after his marriage?
HUTCHINS: Only once, sir.
FLINT: And that was?
HUTCHINS: On the night of January sixteenth.
FLINT: Tell us about it, Mr. Hutchins.
HUTCHINS: Well, sir, it was about ten thirty and --
FLINT: How did you know the time?
HUTCHINS: I come on duty at ten, sir, and it was no more than a half hour after. The entrance door bell rang. I went down to the lobby and opened the door. It was Miss Andre, and Mr. Faulkner was with her. I was surprised, because Miss Andre has her own key and, usually, she opens the door herself.
FLINT: Was she alone with Mr. Faulkner?
HUTCHINS: No, sir. There were two other gentlemen with them.
FLINT: Who were they?
HUTCHINS: I don't know, sir.
FLINT: Had you ever seen them before?
HUTCHINS: No, sir, never.
FLINT: What did they look like?
HUTCHINS: They were tall and sort of slender, both of them. One had light eyes, as I remember. The other one -- I couldn't see his face at all, sir, on account of his hat being all crooked over his eyes. He must have had a bit too much, sir, meaning no disrespect.
FLINT: Just what do you mean?
HUTCHINS: Well, he was a bit tight, sir, if I'm permitted to say so. He wasn't very steady on his feet, so that Mr. Faulkner and the other gentleman had to help him. They almost dragged him into the elevator.
FLINT: Did Mr. Faulkner look worried?
HUTCHINS: No, sir. On the contrary, he seemed very happy.
FLINT: Did he look like a man contemplating suicide?
STEVENS: We object, your Honor!
JUDGE HEATH: Objection sustained.
FLINT: Did the others in the party seem happy, too?
HUTCHINS: Yes, sir. Miss Andre was smiling. And Mr. Faulkner laughed when they went up in the elevator.
FLINT: Did you see any of them leave, that night?
HUTCHINS: Yes, sir. The first one left about fifteen minutes later.
FLINT: Who was that?
HUTCHINS: The drunken one, sir. He came down in the elevator, all by himself. He didn't seem quite so drunk no more. He could walk, but he staggered a little.
FLINT: Did you see where he went?
HUTCHINS: Well, I wanted to help him to the door, seeing the condition he was in, but he noticed me coming and he hurried out. He got into a car parked right at the entrance and did he step on it! But I'm sure he didn't go far. The cops must've got him.