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.
FLINT: What makes you think that?
HUTCHINS: Well, I noticed a car that started right after him.
[KAREN comes to life, suddenly, out of her frozen calm. She jumps up and throws her question at Hutchins]
KAREN: What car?
JUDGE HEATH: The defendant will please keep quiet.
[STEVENS whispers to KAREN, making her sit down]
FLINT: If Miss Andre will let me do the questioning, I may satisfy her curiosity. I was just going to ask what car, Mr. Hutchins?
HUTCHINS: It was a big black sedan, sir. It was parked two cars away from him.
FLINT: Who was in it?
HUTCHINS: I saw only one man.
FLINT: What makes you think he was after the first car?
HUTCHINS: Well, I couldn’t be sure he was, sir. It just looked funny they started together like that.
FLINT: Did you see that other guest of Miss Andre’s leaving, too?
HUTCHINS: Yes, sir. It wasn’t more than ten minutes later when he came out of the elevator.
FLINT: What did he do?
HUTCHINS: Nothing unusual, sir. He seemed to be in a hurry. He went right out.
FLINT: And then what happened?
HUTCHINS: I started on my round of the building; and then, it must have been an hour later, I heard screams outside, in the street. I rushed down and as I came into the lobby, I saw Miss Andre running out of the elevator, her gown all torn, sobbing wild-like. I ran after her. We pushed through the crowd outside and there was Mr. Faulkner all over the pavement.
FLINT: What did Miss Andre do?
HUTCHINS: She screamed and fell on her knees. It was horrible, sir. I’ve never seen a body smashed like that.
FLINT: That is all, Mr. Hutchins.
STEVENS: You said that you had never seen Mr. Faulkner calling on Miss Andre after his marriage, with the exception of that night. Now, tell me, do you always see every visitor who comes into the building at night?
HUTCHINS: No, sir. I’m not in the lobby all of the time, I have my rounds to make. If the guest has a key, he can come in and I wouldn’t see him at all.
STEVENS: In other words, Miss Andre might have had any number of visitors, Mr. Faulkner included, whom you never saw come in?
HUTCHINS: Yes, sir, quite right.
STEVENS: That is all.
[HUTCHINS leaves the stand and exits]
FLINT: Homer Van Fleet!
CLERK: Homer Van Fleet!
[HOMER VAN FLEET makes his appearance. He is tall, not very young, and can be best described by the word “correct.” His clothes are correct — smart, but not flashy; his manner is correct — cool, exact, strictly businesslike. He is diffident and dignified at the same time]
CLERK: You solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?
VAN FLEET: I do.
FLINT: Your name?
VAN FLEET: Homer Herbert Van Fleet.
FLINT: Occupation?
VAN FLEET: Private investigator.
FLINT: What was your last assignment?
VAN FLEET: Shadowing Mr. Bjorn Faulkner.
FLINT: By whom were you hired to do it?
VAN FLEET: By Mrs. Bjorn Faulkner.
[A slight reaction in the courtroom]
FLINT: Were you shadowing Mr. Faulkner on the night of January sixteenth?
VAN FLEET: I was.
FLINT: Kindly tell us about it.
VAN FLEET: I’ll start with six thirteen P.M.
FLINT: How do you know the time, Mr. Van Fleet?
VAN FLEET: Part of my duties. Had to record it and report to Mrs. Faulkner.
FLINT: I see.
VAN FLEET: [He speaks briskly, precisely, as if reporting to an employer] Six thirteen P.M. Mr. Faulkner leaves home on Long Island. Wears formal dress suit. Drives car himself, alone. Special notation: Unusual speed all the way to New York.
FLINT: Where does Mr. Faulkner go?
VAN FLEET: He drives up to the Faulkner Building and goes in. It is now seven fifty-seven P.M., all offices closed. I wait outside, in my car. Nine thirty-five P.M. Mr. Faulkner comes out with Miss Andre. Miss Andre is dressed formally. Special notation: Miss Andre is wearing a corsage of orchids of unusual proportions. They drive away.
FLINT: Where do they go?
VAN FLEET: No one is perfect in this world.
FLINT: What do you mean?
VAN FLEET: I mean I lost track of them. Due to Mr. Faulkner’s speed and to an accident.
FLINT: What accident?
VAN FLEET: My left fender crashing into a truck; damages for which fender charged to Mrs. Faulkner.
FLINT: What did you do when you lost track of them?
VAN FLEET: Returned to the Faulkner Building and waited.
FLINT: When did they return?
VAN FLEET: Ten thirty P.M. exactly. A gray coupé follows them. Mr. Faulkner gets out and helps Miss Andre. While she rings the bell, he opens the door of the gray coupé; a tall gentleman in formal clothes steps out, and together they help out a third gentleman, the latter wearing a dark gray sport coat. Special notation: The aforementioned gentleman shows signs of inebriation. They all go into the Faulkner Building.