A Kiss Before Dying Page #4

Dwight Powell, six-one, 174.

Very good-looking, dark-haired, polished.

A speech major.

Speech?

Dorothy said he had a tape recorder.

They were going to send me

a birthday message and never got to it.

Do you have an address?

This one is scratched out.

He must have moved. Yes, Watkins dorm.

He moved in last semester.

It might be easier to reach him at KVRI.

He runs a disc-jockey show at night.

- Where's that?

- Municipal building. Top floor.

Thank you. You've been very helpful.

Dwight Powell, please.

Is this Dwight Powell?

I know what you did to Dory.

I know all about it.

Dory Kingship.

You know very well who I mean.

Meet me at the Esquire club, 11 o'clock.

I'll tell you what I want.

What are you doing down there? It's late!

Don't touch me. Let me go!

The police know I'm here.

- What are you talking about?

- Let me go!

Tell me what this is about.

Did you make that phone call?

Take your hands off me!

Look... I'm Dwight Powell.

Who are you?

Let's go someplace

where there are people around.

Anyplace. Now, look, tell me

what this is all about, huh?

You go first.

Sure, I went with her.

Look, I met her in English lit.

I liked her a lot, but...

when she started knitting socks for me,

I figured it was time to check out.

If I was a murderer, would I have

let you get out of that alley?

Please don't talk so loud.

You went for the bait.

You must have had some reason.

- Well, you...

- Not just to check on a crank phone call.

All right.

All right, listen. The fact is,

I thought your sister might have...

I thought she might have killed herself

because I stopped going with her.

I know it sounds ridiculous, conceited,

anything you wanna call it.

But anyhow, it's bothered me.

Maybe I've been a disc jockey for too

long, huh? Too many fan letters from kids.

And just spinning too many records.

All right, I apologize.

- So what was that bit about the police?

- They don't know about it.

- You mean, you did this on your own?

- I had to.

The man I would have called

just wasn't available.

- That was a really crazy chance, lady.

- You weren't supposed to see me.

All you had to do was show up.

That would tell me you felt some guilt.

I'd have let the police take it from there.

I'll tell you what.

Next time you let the police start it, huh?

You called her Dory over the phone.

Is that a family name?

- You never called her that?

- I never heard anybody call her Dory.

Somebody did.

She mentioned it in her letter.

I knew she took up with another guy.

Who? What's his name?

I don't know, just some guy she met

on the campus. I never saw him.

- I can find out. I've got his address.

- You've got his address?

After we broke off she invited me

to a party at her boyfriend's house.

I didn't go, but I wrote his address

down in my notebook.

- All right, let's get it.

- Hold on. Hold it.

- What are you gonna do with it?

- Don't worry.

I'll take it to the police

first thing in the morning.

Come on.

Most of the fellas are at the auditorium,

looking at last year's football pictures.

I'll only be a minute.

Put it down, Dwight.

Put it down.

- What are you gonna do?

- Turn up the roller.

- Oh, no...

- Sit down, Dwight.

Sit down.

Please...

Please.

- You can have the address book.

- Face the typewriter.

I'll tell her I couldn't find it.

I'll forget I ever saw you.

Turn around.

Please!

- Please...

- Hold steady.

Please...

Simple. Powell pushed

the Kingship girl off the roof.

Pressure got too great for him, and...

Suicide note's still in the typewriter.

Case opened again, closed again.

But for good this time.

He actually had me believing him.

Dorothy believed him, too.

Must run in the family.

Would you like me to phone your father,

tell him about this?

Thanks. I'll phone him myself tonight.

Anything you'd care to say

about the police, you'd be right.

You did it all.

And the terrible thing is that, if I'd known

you were doing it, I'd have stopped you.

Take Miss Kingship to her hotel.

Thank you.

Thank you, Frank.

Bill.

- Ellen.

- Hello, Dad.

You're all right?

Better.

Much better.

And you?

If you're better, I'm fine.

Oh, by the way.

There's somebody waiting for you.

- Bud?

- In there.

Bud?

Hi, Ellen.

- How are you?

- Fine.

Good.

- The winner!

- Well, it's a fixed race.

Kingship horses

do what you tell them to do.

After Dad tells them it's OK.

You know, I...

I think he'd do it too - for you.

He has changed lately.

But, then, maybe I have too.

- I have something to do with it?

- Something?

No.

Everything.

I had to say it, because you wanted me to.

You're a diabolic spell.

Not at all.

Our relationship is

a simple matter of chemistry.

Like attracts like. Happens with

minerals, happens with people.

Basic formula. People who like

the same things like each other.

I was saying that to somebody

just the other day.

It really is uncanny.

Same taste in books, in music...

And jokes. Don't forget jokes. No good

if you don't laugh at the same things.

No good if you don't know

what the other's thinking.

I thought the chemistry took care of that?

What I'm thinking about goes back before

that. Something about me you don't know.

A dark past? How exciting.

Oh, it is.

I'm a man with a shameful, sinister secret.

You know what it is?

- I've never really been in love before.

- Bud...

If this is going to

embarrass you or upset you...

- It doesn't.

- If it does, we can pick a new formula.

- I just want to tell you that I...

- Can't you wait?

I'm sorry.

Because I can wait.

I think that's what

I really wanted to tell you.

I'll wait. I'll wait until

you fall in love with me.

I'll even wait until you tell me

to stop waiting,

that it's useless,

that it hasn't any point.

I can tell you that now, Bud.

There isn't any point

in either of us waiting any longer.

I don't want to.

The formula's still working, you know.

I'm in love, too,

for the very first time in my life.

With you.

Oh.

- You think...

- He'll get it. Wait till you see the pool.

- Where you'll announce the engagement?

- Not in the pool, but around it probably.

- Bud...

- Mother, don't worry. They'll love you.

Mother!

- What is it?

- That... that blouse.

Why did you wear a thing like that? I told

you the kind of people that would be here!

- I thought you'd like it.

- It's too late now.

Oh, Ellen.

Mrs. Corliss.

How perfectly lovely you look.

Why, thank you, Ellen.

Thank you very much.

I hope you'll find your room comfortable.

We've put you near Bud.

- Miss Ellen. The florist is still waiting.

- OK.

Go on, honey. You tend to your party.

I'll take Mother upstairs.

Just be sure there's enough champagne!

- All the florist wanted was your OK.

- Is Miss Kingship at home?

- Yes, she is.

- Gordon!

Hello, Ellen. How are you? I...

You think you have troubles!

Where are the parking boys I ordered?

I certainly picked a swell time to call.

A hectic last minute, Gordon.

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