The Letter

In a Malayan rubber plantation settlement, Leslie Crosbie fatally shoots Geoffrey Hammond, a prominent expatriate. She later claims she acted to defend her honor, insisting she did not intend to kill him. The moment marks the beginning of a complex web of cover stories and social pressure within the White community.

Leslie is placed under arrest for murder and jailed in Singapore pending trial. The expatriate community largely supports her, viewing her act as heroic rather than murderous. The legal process starts as her friends and allies begin to circle around her case.

Howard Joyce, the attorney, harbors doubts about Leslie's innocence. His suspicions are fueled by the possibility of a letter she wrote to Hammond that could reveal her guilt. He resolves to uncover any hidden evidence that could challenge the seemingly airtight defense.

Ong Chi Seng informs Joyce that a letter exists in which Leslie pleaded for Hammond to come that night. He shows Joyce a copy and explains the original is with Hammond's widow in the Chinese quarter and is for sale at a high price. This revelation introduces a tangible link to Leslie's possible guilt.

Joyce confronts Leslie with the knowledge of the letter. She initially denies it, but eventually breaks down and confesses that she did write it. The admission deepens the conflict between social reputation and personal truth.

Joyce manipulates the situation, agreeing to buy back the original letter despite the risk to his own career. The plan aims to neutralize the threat Leslie poses to his clients and to expose potential weaknesses in the prosecution's case.

Joyce informs Robert about the letter's existence, though he withholds its content and the price. This disclosure plants doubt in Robert's mind about Leslie's true nature and the costs of the legal battle ahead. The revelation tightens the trio's fragile alliance.

Ong relays that Hammond's widow requires Leslie to come personally to finalize the payoff. This demand adds a dangerous, morally compromising element to the scheme, forcing Leslie into a dangerous face-to-face confrontation with the widow. The pressure intensifies the race against time and truth.

The court arranges Leslie's release into Joyce's custody under the pretext of regaining her health. This maneuver allows Joyce to control the narrative and orchestrate the next steps in the strategy surrounding the letter. The legal system's flexibility becomes part of the plot's tension.

Leslie travels to the Chinese quarter to obtain the letter from Hammond's widow. The exchange is laden with secrecy and risk, as the truth behind the murder edges closer to daylight. This act completes the chain of evidence that could condemn her at trial.

With the White community’s belief in her honor and the lack of decisive proof, Leslie is acquitted at trial. Howard Joyce remains suspicious, but the jury and public sentiment swing in her favor. The acquittal shatters any remaining confidence in an easy moral resolution.

In the aftermath, Robert announces his plan to buy a rubber plantation in Sumatra to give him and Leslie a new start. He envisions a hopeful future, unaware of the full cost that lies ahead. The dream of renewal clashes with the looming consequences of past revelations.

Joyce informs Robert of the price required to obtain the letter, and Robert eventually reads its contents. The discovery devastates him, realizing that Leslie lied about the killing and betrayed him for years. This revelation reframes the entire relationship and its consequences.

At a social gathering, Leslie swears her love to Robert, attempting to affirm loyalty. She then abruptly admits that she still loves Hammond, revealing the depth of her entanglement and the impossibility of reconciliation. The confession seals a tragic rift with Robert.

Leslie senses the dagger on her porch and feels the impending fate it represents. She goes to the garden, where Hammond's widow appears and stabs her with the dagger while a manservant restrains Leslie. The would-be escape is thwarted by a police flashlight, and the two murderers are led away in silence.