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Paul returns home to attend the funeral of his aunt
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The Plot:
Paul arrives in his home town of Almeria, California for the funeral of his aunt, and at the cemetery, meets Alice McKenna, a friend since childhood, and a woman who served seven years in prison for murdering her husband. Ralph and Debbie Wilson host the get-together afterwards, and they speak to Paul about his globe-trotting lifestyle, Ralph admiring it, and Debbie hoping that he will stay a while or even come back to live in Almeria. Ralph says that he will sell the house of Paul's aunt, and send him a check.
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Ralph and Debbie ask about Paul's plans
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Paul then asks if he could help a friend of theirs, Alice McKenna.
Ralph says he'd be happy to sell her house, but wonders why she'd want to stay in Almeria, adding that she didn't just run through a red light, she murdered her husband
Paul is about to leave for San Francisco when Alice comes to his room. She talks about the things said to her sons by other children, but declares that she doesn't want to hide.
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Alice tells Paul that she is innocent
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However, the cold shoulder she's getting in Almeria is very disturbing to her as well as the fact that her sons won't be accepted into the school that she and Paul attended.
When Paul brings out his suitcase to pack, Alice breaks into tears, and begs him to stay and help her, telling him that she is innocent, and the real murderer is one of five people on a list she shows him.
She says everyone heard her argue with her husband at the country club the night of the murder, but no one realized that she walked home alone.
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Alice begs Paul to stay and help her
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Alice tells Paul that she believes that her husband was having an affair with one of the women on the list, and thinks that's the one who killed him - or perhaps a husband did.Paul asks why she didn't take the stand or use this information at her trial, but she says her lawyer was sure that she'd be acquitted.
Because she and the victim had quarrelled often, and were even thinking of getting a divorce, he believed it was better not to subject her to cross examination. Alice continues to ask for Paul's help, but he says that it's a job for a private detective.
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Paul says goodbye to former sheriff Rudy Fowler
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But Alive counters that no one like that would have his local knowledge or respect of the community. But nothing she says can change his mind, and Paul takes his suitcase and leaves.
But he is clearly troubled by Alice's predicament. As he goes out, the former sheriff greets him with a “leaving right away, Bryan?” Paul's lightly said but meaningful “I'll be back in a year or two” is, of course, lost on the lawman, but when he wonders if Paul is taking on a new client, he replies with a smile and a goodbye.
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Paul returns to learn more about the case from the sheriff
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On his way driving out of Almeria Paul passes a baseball ground where a little league game is taking place, and he's moved to return to town.
He sits down with the former sheriff, and hears that Alice's was his last big case, and it was strong enough to get an honest conviction. Some young people had heard a woman screaming at a man in the woods just around the time the murder took place. Alice's voice was not identified, but the character of the shouting was similar to the argument she and her husband had at the club.
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Billie says that she's heard about Paul's list
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Paul then goes to Alice, and tells her that he'll give her ten days checking out the people on the list and any other possible leads. His first visit is to Janet Novins who tells him she'd dated George McKenna briefly in high school, and categorically adds that she had no contact with him since then.
The second name on his list is Billie Showalter. Paul speaks to her at the diner where she works. Billie says she's surprised to hear that George McKenna fooled around, and says that he certainly made no overtures to her, but she's pleased to be on Paul's list, adding that everyone is talking about it.
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Debbie polishes a mirror while Paul talks about his day
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Paul goes to see his friend Debbie Wilson, and sprawled on her sofa, groans, “if you only knew the places I've been and the people I've seen.” But Debbie replies that, as much as Almeria might have grown since Paul's departure, it is still a small town, and she's heard exactly where he's been with his list.
He casually asks her how things have been, but she immediately takes this to be a question about her marriage, and replies that she and Ralph are happy and in love, then asks if her name is on Paul's list.
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Ralph chides Paul for stirring up scandal
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Paul says that it is, but before they can say more, Ralph comes in with their son whom he sends upstairs.
Ralph then says that he thought Paul was leaving Almeria, and follows this up by remarks about Alice.
Paul says that she's a friend, and Ralph replies that he can remember when Paul was choosier about whom he associated with, then goes on to express his displeasure that Paul is stirring up a scandal in the town.
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Ralph asks Debbie if she told Paul anything
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Paul responds that one can't stir up dirt when there isn't any, and doesn't think that a little discomfort is more important than the lives of Alice's two boys, and asks if they were part of the ball game Ralph and his son just came from.
Ralph apologizes for getting upset, and more quietly asks Paul not to stir up skeletons where they're aren't any.
They part amicably, and after Paul leaves, Ralph asks Debbie, “did you tell him …. Anything?”
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The District Attorney says that Alice is using Paul
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When he drives back into town, the local policeman tells Paul that the District Attorney wants to see him. Tony Olivera is concerned about Paul going around asking about the McKenna case, and says that Alice is using Paul, the pride of Almeria, hometown boy that made good.
They argue hotly, Paul suggesting that Olivera is worried about being exposed for prosecuting the wrong woman, Olivera suggesting that there's a PR campaign going on to improve the guilty woman's image.
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Paul asks why the boys won't be admitted to the school
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Paul puts the proposition to Alice, but tells her that he doesn't believe it, and rather than giving up on her, he's taking her sons to the Meadows School to try and get them in.
But the head of the school is adamant that this will not be a possibility. Paul says that he remembers the weight that used to be put on how the school was run. Miss Morley asks the boys to leave the room, and then explains that the school is dependent on private funds for its operation, and several of the parents had made it clear what they would do if she admitted Alice McKenna's children.
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Tony Olivera says he'll now look into the McKenna case
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He accepts this as the final word, and driving the boys home, his car is stopped, and two thugs beat Paul up in full view of the two children.
Tony Olivera records Paul's charge against the two unknown men. Though in the hospital, he has no serious injuries. Paul and the District Attorney agree that the assault was committed by professionals, paid by someone who wants Paul to stop his investigations in Almeria. He is outraged over what happened, and tells Paul that he will be re-opening the file on the McKenna murder.
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Alice receives guests during Olivera's visit
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Alice tries to make the appearance of the District Attorney in her home into a social occasion, but he says that he'll have tea with her when she is exonerated, and now only wants to ask her some questions.
But before they get started, two neighbors arrive, and Alice virtually dismisses Olivera, and says that they can talk later.
Going into his lodgings, Paul is waylaid by the former sheriff who says Paul has half the town wondering about the other half, and he wonders how Paul will manage to bring an end to proceedings.
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Billie says that Debbie had an affair with George McKenna
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Then he adds that there is a woman waiting in Paul's room.
It is Billie from the diner. She tells him that she might have some information of use to him in the McKenna case.
She says that seven years earlier, when things were particularly difficult for her, Ralph Wilson had offered her a suite in an apartment building he owned - with all strings attached. She was willing but he then lost interest in Billie when his wife ended an affair with George McKenna.
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Paul says he'll go to the District Attorney with Billie's story
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Paul confronts Ralph who admits the story, but says that Paul is trying to clear Alice at any cost. When Ralph makes a veiled threat, Paul questions whether he has something worse in mind than having Paul beaten up, then asks if Ralph used the same thugs to attack Paul as the ones he had kill George McKenna.
“Am I next?” Paul then asks. Debbie comes in, and tells Paul that he's completely wrong. Ralph tries to keep her quiet, but she speaks up and says that her husband is only trying to protect her.
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Debbie says they couldn't have killed George
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Then she says that the terrible thing is that she didn't know what kind of man she'd married until she disclosed to him her affair with George McKenna after his death.
Paul accuses them of hiding this truth to let Alice pay for her husband's murder, and Debbie suddenly realizes that Paul is suggesting that she committed the crime.
She points to all the witnesses who could vouch for them at the club, but Paul says that Ralph could have hired someone - like the thugs who assaulted him on the road.
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Paul is touched by his friends rebuilding their marriage
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Ralph considers this preposterous, and says that he wouldn't have any connections like that. And in answer to Paul's question, he says that he kept Debbie from testifying because they were both sure that Alice was guilty. Paul brings up Ralph's involvement with Billie, but Debbie says that when she and her husband came together after these involvements, that's when their devoted marriage really began, and she tried to make up for her wrong doing. Ralph touches his head to hers, and says all that was forgotten long ago. Paul puts his hand on Ralph's shoulder and says, “I just forgot it too.”
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Chris tells Paul he'll be going to Meadows School
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Paul goes to see Alice, and her son Chris lets him in with the news that he and John will be starting at Meadows School next Monday. Alice has a number of guests over, and leaves them to tell Paul that she's been readmitted to the world, and she owes it to him, but he replies that he didn't accomplish anything. He tells her that he found out who George was seeing, but neither the woman nor her husband killed him. Alice commiserates, and says she understands now why Paul is down, but he says that he still has a lead in the form of the men who assaulted him being professionals.
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Paul tells Alice that he knows she did it
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He asks rhetorically who in Almeria could possibly have contacts like that, and then answers the question - someone who had been in prison, then says, “you did it, Alice. You did it all.”
She balks at the idea that she'd have something like that done in full view of her sons, but Paul retorts that the assault looked like near proof positive of her innocence.
It even convinced the District Attorney that he was obligated to reopen the case of her husband's murder.
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Alice shuts the doors so her guests can't hear Paul
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“Keep your voice down!” she snarls back, and goes to shut the doors leading to the room where the newfound friends have gathered.
“Poor betrayed Paul,” Alice says sarcastically, “you wanted to help out an old friend, and you did.”
She says that the people of Almeria have forgiven her, and that no one could know what it was like to be locked up for seven years in a women's penitentiary - about what goes on in a place like that.
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Alice says she has no regrets about the assault on Paul
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“You could send a saint into that zoo,” she adds, “and they'd come out an animal. That's what I am.”
A completely different person emerges from the school friend Paul remembers. Alice says that she doesn't really care what the neighbors think, or where she lives, nor does it bother her that she had Paul beaten up to make her story work.
Alice declares that there is only one human thing in her that couldn't be destroyed by her experience - the love of her children, and it was all that kept her alive.
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Alice says she'd have done anything for her sons
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She says that when she got out of prison and saw what was happening to her children, then she reacted "like the cunning little animal they created in those zoos that you good people call prisons."
“Don't ask me for an apology,” she tells Paul, “because you won't get one! It worked, and I would do it again.”
But Paul asks her about the District Attorney whom everyone now thinks convicted an innocent woman. But her only thought is what she has accomplished for her sons, how they are now getting a chance at life.
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Alice admits to the crime, and asks Paul what he will do
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“They didn't kill their father,” she adds, “I did.” She then says that the killing was an accident committed in a moment of blind passion, and after what she has lived through, it seems like a time of pure innocence.
She turns to Paul, and in an almost threatening tone says that he wouldn't do anything to alter the present situation. He merely answers with a goodbye, watching the two boys playing ball outside with friends. Then Alice asks a little urgently what Paul plans to do, but he walks past her, replying softly, “I don't know.”
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Paul worries about his effect on the DA's future
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Paul goes in to see Tony Olivera who is working late, and asks him how the people feel about a possibly unsolved crime, and the District Attorney answers philosophically that, some days he is a hero for achieving justice, but this just isn't one of those days.
He asks Paul not to rub in the success he has had, but Paul says he wouldn't and is leaving town. The DA responds that he plans to put the McKenna case back on a dusty shelf after what Paul has just told him. “I didn't tell you anything,” replies Paul, but Tony Olivera says he has taken much from Paul's words.
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Tony Olivera is philosophical
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The District Attorney says that the state has no right to exact any more punishment from Alice McKenna.
Paul suggests the situation might be the end of the District Attorney's career, but Tony Olivera says a lot can happen between now and the election, the McKenna case could cost him no more than a few votes, but he might be a hero again by that time. With admiration, Paul says that if there is justice, that will be the case.
As Paul goes to his car to leave, the former sheriff stops him.
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Paul promises to campaign for Tony Olivera
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He remarks that Paul has left things up in the air in Almeria, but Paul says the McKenna case is in good hands with Tony Olivera. The old sheriff looks surprised, and says that some people were figuring that Paul might return to Almeria, and run against him for District Attorney. “But now you're leaving again - unexpected.” Paul sits down with Sheriff Fowler, and then advises that he'll definitely be coming back next October to do some campaigning ….. but for Tony Olivera. Fowler is taken aback. “You really mean that?” he asks, and Paul replies that if he's not back in October to campaign for the DA, it will only be because he got unlucky and died, then adds, “don't forget I said that, Sheriff.”
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