A Blueprint for Murder Page #6

just thrown the case out for lack of evidence.

There must be something we can do.

Your brother's will specifically

requested the children be left in her care.

I have to abide by that, unless

you can prove she's unfit.

- [Bell Clanging]

- I'm sorry. I've got to hurry.

We'll keep the cab, Judge.

[Door Closes]

And I helped your brother with that will.

- It was a death warrant.

- Mmm.

Look, what would happen if I just

refused to give Doug back to Lynne?

She'd get a court order, and Doug

would be taken forcibly, if necessary.

All you'd end up doing would be to

make Lynne hopping mad for no purpose.

Well, we've got to think of something.

But fast. We've only got till tomorrow.

What if Doug and I changed our names

and went away to some foreign country...

where she'd never find us.

And spend the rest of

your life as a fugitive?

Besides, sooner or later

she'd catch up with you.

Okay, okay, so it was a crazy idea.

Do you have a better suggestion?

Well, there's one way out. As long as

I'm around, Lynne wouldn't dare harm Doug.

So I'm always around.

- Hello, boy!

- Hi! I'm helping Maggie make a cake.

- Come help us.

- I'm quite a cook myself.

This summer I'll show you how to

toss flapjacks over an open fire.

- Hi.

- Hello, Maggie.

[Exhales]

Just where would you get the money to go

bouncing all over the world after Lynne?

She'd move every day just to throw you off.

And each time she took a powder, how

would you find her again? Hire detectives?

- Cam, you're not making sense.

- Making sense?

What does make sense about this whole thing?

The police,

the district attorney's staff...

practically everybody agrees Lynne is guilty,

that she intends poisoning Doug.

Yet all they can do is throw up their hands

and offer us their profoundest sympathies.

Take it easy, Cam. Take it easy.

Why can't we think of some legal

loophole that'll give us an out?

Well, if there is one,

I just can't think of it.

- Think harder. You're the lawyer.

- Hey.

Just a minute. The only thing

that matters is little Doug.

This is no time to be

at each other's throats.

I'm sorry, Fred. I'm nearly

out of my mind over this thing.

We understand, Cam. I guess

we're all pretty jittery.

You two have really been wonderful.

I'm calling recess. How's about some coffee?

Later, perhaps. I'm not

very good company right now.

I don't like it, Fred. Looks to me

like he's on the verge of cracking up.

Yeah, and the worst of it

is, there's no solution.

- Doug! Hello, Cam.

- Good morning.

Oh, Doug, it's good to see you.

- Did you have a good time while I was away?

- Oh, sure!

Uncle Cam and I planned out everything

we're going to do this summer.

- I've got a surprise for you.

It's upstairs in your room.

- Bet I know what it is!

Cam, I'm afraid we're going to have

to postpone Doug's vacation with you.

- Why?

- Well, remember I told you

I was planning a trip to Europe?

- You're taking him to Europe?

- I've got to get away

from all this unpleasantness.

You can understand that, can't you?

- It's all been such a nightmare.

- Yeah.

- I figured now is as good a time

as any for the trip to Europe.

- When are you leaving?

- Tomorrow, on the Victoria.

- That soon?

We'll probably be gone for about a year.

I've got quite an itinerary planned.

I figure maybe we can spend

a week or so in England, and then...

It's got a little honey

in it to attract the ants.

- I warn folks with children to be careful of it.

- I'll take it.

Thanks. That'll be 85 cents.

Funny. We've got lots of insecticides

today that don't hurt humans.

- But people still mostly go

for these old standbys.

- You certainly carry a variety.

We got stuff strong enough to kill a tree.

Worst of it is, it remains in

the ground for 50 years or more.

- Suppose a kid or a dog gets

some of the dirt in its mouth.

- It'd kill 'em dead.

- What are these?

- Innocent lookin', aren't they?

Strongest stuff we carry. Rodenticide.

- Put out by a Midwestern concern.

- Strychnine?

Yeah. There's enough there to kill a horse.

- Hmm.

- Come back again.

## [Orchestra]

- Good evening. This way, please.

- Thank you.

There's Uncle Cam!

- Hello, Doug.

- What are you doing here, Uncle Cam?

I just decided to take a little

cruise myself. Have a seat.

Won't you join us?

Gee, Lynne, Uncle Cam's coming with us!

- Surprised?

- Surprised.

- I decided to come along.

- I gathered as much.

- Just one of those things.

- That explains everything.

I mean, I... sort of acted on impulse.

Spur of the moment sort of idea.

- You're making it very difficult.

- I'm so sorry.

- Well, the firm had me down

for a trip to Europe...

- I thought it was Venezuela.

I felt now was as good

a time as any to take it.

And that this ship was as good

as any to take it on. How cozy.

And now the real reason.

You don't believe me, do you?

- No.

- [Waiter] Cocktail, sir?

Bacardis?

Bacardis.

Maybe if we play our cards right, they'll

let us look at the radar stuff up there too.

- Night, boy.

- Hurry up, darling.

Get into your pajamas. It's late.

- Night, Uncle Cam. See you tomorrow.

- Good night.

- Good night, Cam.

- How about once around the deck?

Fine, but come in and wait

till I get Doug tucked in.

Now the real reason, hmm?

- I guess you're entitled to it.

- I think so.

Standing by while you went

through this horrible ordeal...

was as miserable for me as it was for you.

I wanted you to know that.

You came on this trip just to tell me that?

It wasn't one of those things

you could say in one night...

while someone was packing trunks...

not if you wanted to sound convincing.

Still not convinced?

You're a hard woman.

When did you first get

the notion to come along?

When you first told me

you were going to Europe.

Why then?

Because that was the moment when

I realized how much I'd miss you.

How very much.

[Laughing]

[Sobs]

[Cameron Narrating] Lynne

played right into my hands.

My plan couldn't have

been working more smoothly.

The one who came nearest to guessing

the ship's mileage each day won a prize.

I got a kick out of Doug's

excitement when he found he'd won.

Yes, it could have been a wonderful trip...

if only the circumstances had been different.

But there were moments when I was

horrified by the enormity of my plan.

Cold fear would come over me.

There were those fearful moments of doubt

when I would speculate on the possibilities...

of Lynne not being guilty at all.

But always my mind would come back to the

irreconcilable fact: Polly was murdered.

Somebody did it, and all the evidence

pointed to that somebody being Lynne.

Tonight was my last night at sea.

My time had finally run out.

- At last.

- Sorry I'm late. Am I forgiven?

Forgiven. But let's hurry.

- You look wonderful tonight.

- Thank you.

For heaven sakes, will you go

in and say good night to Doug?

He refuses to go to sleep until you do.

Rate this script:3.0 / 3 votes