A Kiss Before Dying Page #3

- My nephew works here part time.

- Did you? Have you any?

- Have any idea who the man was?

No. But you realize he's not legally

responsible for your daughter's death?

- Not legally.

- We can do some checking, if you like.

If you think it would

accomplish anything, Mr. Kingship.

Except to stimulate the kind of talk

that you want to avoid.

- You're right.

- Well, that seems to be all.

Oh. There were some valuables

in her purse.

Dispose of them as you see fit.

But...

I'd consider it a favor.

Miss Kingship?

If there's anything that I can do to be of

assistance in any official way, call on me.

- My name's Gordon Grant.

- You've already been helpful.

There's just no explaining

why these things have to happen.

- I'm very sorry.

- Ellen!

Miss Ellen! Mr. Corliss is calling.

Thank you.

Hello, Bud.

I told you, you're coming here

for Thanksgiving.

Yes. I thought we could

have dinner tonight here, too.

For once, let's get to the ballet on time.

All right, then.

Dinner out, if you're so proud.

Seven o'clock? I'll be ready.

Goodbye.

"Dear Ellen, this is the belt

of the suit Dorothy wore last. "

"We were sorority sisters.

On her last day, before she went out,

she borrowed one of my belts. "

"It was a cheap belt, and we both knew

it didn't go with her suit at all. "

"Still, she wanted it,

and left this one in its place. "

"I hope I was right in waiting

these many months before sending it. "

"Sincerely, Annabelle Koch."

What is that?

Dorothy's belt.

A girl from her sorority sent it.

Very thoughtful of her. Or thoughtless.

However you feel about those things.

I'd have put it away and not mentioned it.

I know.

- What was accomplished by it?

- What has to be accomplished by it?

Some people do things out of sentiment.

Softness, you'd probably call it.

As opposed to my callousness?

My hardness?

I think, Ellen, you mistake

parading an emotion for feeling one.

I don't think I've paraded mine,

any more than you've felt yours.

If you've had one moment of remorse,

one second when you wondered if you

were responsible, you concealed it well.

You have my deepest admiration,

if not sympathy.

That's true. I haven't dwelt on the matter

to the point of distorting the facts.

I haven't distorted them.

Not in my own mind, at least.

I said once, long ago,

I couldn't believe she killed herself.

I haven't changed a bit.

- Ellen.

- Yes, Dad?

I thought tonight

it might do us both good to...

Well, Vincent said something

about the ballet.

I'm going with Bud.

He's picking me up at seven.

When does he study?

You might have asked

the same thing of me.

As a matter of fact, he's a very good

student. And I like him very much.

That's fine, Ellen. I'm glad.

- Kingship residence.

- Your Lupton call.

- Your call to Lupton, Miss Ellen.

- Thank you, Mary.

- Hello?

- Miss Kingship. Nice to hear you again.

You once offered a helping hand,

Mr. Grant. I'm taking you at your word.

You name it and I'll try and do it.

And I'd rather discuss it with you

in person, not over a phone.

To tell you the truth,

I'd prefer that myself.

Tomorrow afternoon? I could leave here

in the morning and be there...

Wait a minute. I think we've hit a snag.

I have to be in Deming tomorrow.

I have to give a lecture.

- How about the day after?

- Meet me in the San Carlos Hotel lobby.

- Say eight o'clock?

- Tonight?!

Yes. I'll try for the first plane out of here.

I promise not to hold you up.

I... I just don't want to lose two days.

- Please? I'd appreciate it very much.

- All right, I'll be there.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Mary?

Will you get my pink cotton dress for me

and an overnight bag?

- But I'm getting things ready for tonight.

- I have to cancel that.

And I want you to deliver a message

to Mr. Corliss when he calls for me.

There's no way I can reach him now.

Tell him something important has come

up about Dorothy. Some new information.

And I'm having to leave for Lupton now

to talk to the police.

Ask him to forgive me.

Tell him I'll call him when I get back.

I'll tell him, Miss Ellen.

Airport.

Reservations desk, please.

Then I remembered something that

happened two days before she died.

I mailed her gloves to her. She'd had them

a long time and was fond of them.

- But the gloves she wore when she died...

- They were ruined.

They were brand-new!

Don't you even begin to see?

I guess we'll just have to face it.

You're talking to a pretty stupid man.

Brand-new gloves. A borrowed belt.

A blue handkerchief. An old blouse.

Something old, something new,

something borrowed, something blue.

- Where's the marriage license bureau?

- In the municipal building.

I think Dorothy went there to get married

and not to kill herself.

To go a step further, Mr. Grant,

I don't think she did kill herself.

- And the suicide note?

- Where did it say "suicide"?

"I hope you will forgive me

for the unhappiness I will cause."

"There is nothing else I can do."

Her marriage would have

made my father unhappy.

But as we know now,

what else could she do?

If we can identify her boyfriend,

I think you'll find I'm right.

I've done some thinking about him, too.

Dorothy wrote me when the semester

began, said she met someone -

in English literature, I believe -

who was the real thing.

- She didn't mention his name, but...

- Ellen.

You've really been thinking

about this, haven't you?

I mean, you've done a lot of thinking.

Brooding, my father calls it.

You can call it that, too. I'm not sensitive.

I know that when tragedy hits,

hits hard, that...

the mind is apt to come up with

a lot of far-fetched ideas.

Like this. In other words,

you don't believe me.

- Well, I didn't say that.

- What about your uncle? Would he?

If you think I lack imagination,

you should see him!

Thanks very much anyway, Mr. Grant.

Gordon.

Hey, look. Let me tell you

a little more about my uncle.

If your sister was murdered, he wants

to know about it as much as you do.

And so do I.

I'll admit there wasn't much

of an investigation,

but frankly, at that time,

there wasn't a need for one.

And all right, let's say there is now.

- Let's say we at least check into it, OK?

- Then you will help?

You got yourself a date

for the day after tomorrow morning.

That's when I'll be back.

And this student lent my sister

a fairly large sum of money.

The trouble is, we can't find any record

that she ever repaid him.

And he's evidently felt awkward

about reclaiming it.

I understand.

What makes us feel awkward,

we don't know who he is.

Just that he's tall and slender

and was in her English class.

I thought if you'd let me

look at the records...

Yes, but that was two semesters ago.

He may not even be here now.

If I can name him, I can find him.

I'll have you talk with our registrar.

Harvey Levich, five-three, 164.

Roy Dublin, five-eight, 151.

Mr. Dublin wears glasses. A bohemian

type. Sloppy clothes and such.

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