A Perfect Murder Page #2

just a little too high this time.

She loves me.

She loves David Shaw,

your invention.

Not that it matters, because you've

made a fundamental miscalculation.

Play it out.

Love conquers all.

Emily divorces me. She marries you.

Given your history, her advisors

are going to insist upon a prenup.

You might storm the castle...

...but you ain't getting the keys

to the treasure room, ever.

l don't care about that.

The swindler doesn't care about a

trust fund that can buy Barstow?

Why don't you cut the sh*t!

You care, or we would not be having

this conversation!

The only thing that stops you from

bolting now is bad genes and greed.

Now what?

Choices.

l can tell Emily exactly who you are...

...and life will imitate art. You

become a starving painter, game over.

Or?

Or you can cash out.

Cash out?

Half a million dollars.

Tax-free.

Just for walking away from her?

l said tax-free. l didn't say free.

What's 500 grand for?

lKilling my wife.

Emily?

lmagine my embarrassment

if they're not one and the same.

One hundred thousand now...

...four hundred thousand after,

cash-and-carry.

You're out of your mind.

Not really.

Why?

l appreciate your curiosity, but my

agenda doesn't really concern you.

l guess l'll just go straight

to Emily and tell her all of this.

Well, that would be

my word against yours...

...Winston.

And what if l call the cops?

Have you ever been

to Boca Raton, Florida?

There was a lady there who was

carrying on with a younger man....

He was a hell of a tennis player.

Anyway, when the affair ended...

...he disappeared...

...along with the lady's bearer bonds.

You sure you've never been there?

Not that l recall.

An acquaintance of mine has

a photograph of the suspect.

All they need is a name...

...as in, strike three.

No parole.

You think you got a box big enough

to hold $ 1 00,000 in cash?

Why don't you come by the apartment

around 1 2 o'clock tomorrow...

...unless you have a previous

luncheon engagement.

l assume you know where l live.

This is crazy. l don't understand.

l'm your best friend. Half the year...

...goes by and you don't say one thing?

Do you love him?

Are you going to leave Steven?

Talk to me.

l will, if you shut up for one second.

All right, l'm waiting.

l didn't tell you

because you adore Steven.

You cried at our wedding,

for God's sake.

-l cry at every wedding.

-No, you don't.

You like the idea of us.

Everybody does.

But you have no idea who he is.

-l know Steven.

-No, you don't.

You don't know that every single

thing always has to be on his terms.

Okay? You don't know that he has

no real interest in who l am.

What are you going to do?

l don't know.

l'm going to figure out a way

to tell him. He deserves that.

What makes you think he doesn't know?

Because there's no way.

l mean, he knows that something's

not right but....

Does David have a last name?

Shaw. David Shaw.

And he knows about your family?

What do you mean?

What do you think l mean?

Come on. You know we don't talk

about that kind of stuff.

ln six months,

you never mentioned money?

No!

Believe me, okay?

David has absolutely no interest

in anything other than painting...

...and me.

And you.

ls that why you're not wearing

your wedding ring?

Oh, my God!

What?

l left it at David's.

Working late?

No, l was having a drink with Raquel.

And how is the Castilian femme fatale?

By the way, l saw your friend

David this evening.

Really?

He honored me with a visit

at his industrial hideaway.

You're kidding!

And where's that?

Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

How'd you get his number?

l called some of those obscure

galleries you prowl...

...dropped your name.

You're right.

He's very talented.

Did you buy anything?

l made him an offer.

And?

And he's chewing on it.

Good morning.

-Hi, it's me.

-Hey, how you doing?

-l left my wedding ring.

-I know.

I put it away before he got here.

Thank God!

What did you guys talk about?

He wasn't here that long.

So just the work, you know.

He didn't have a clue.

He said that he made you an offer.

Matter of fact, he did.

What piece?

lt's one you haven't seen.

l thought l'd seen all of them.

Well, almost.

Listen, turns out l got to take

a rain check on lunch today.

-Why? What's wrong?

-Nothing, nothing.

Some people down here

want to see my sketches...

...and it would be a good commission.

You sound funny.

Do l?

Yeah.

l guess it's called

being broke, sweetheart.

Tomorrow, then.

Reservation for two.

Quiet table, in back.

Very quiet.

You know l love you.

l know.

Bye.

-ls that by...?

-Yeah.

People with money

always go for the same things.

And what are those?

Anything, everything, as long

as it's recognizable.

Don't worry. None of this would've

been yours anyway.

Everything you see here it's mine.

Why don't you drop that

there and come here.

That's nice.

There was a robbery

in the building last year.

Probable means of entrance...

...was this driveway gate.

That granite facade creates a blind

spot on the surveillance cameras.

lt was never corrected,

for aesthetic reasons.

How do you know that?

l'm on the board.

You enter as l leave at 8 p.m.

l'm not going to pull

out of the driveway till it's clear.

The gate takes 5 seconds to close.

You hug the right side of the wall...

...as l drive by.

Then you enter the stairs

by the service elevator.

The key to the front door also works

here for the service entrance.

l'm going to take the key from

Emily's purse before l leave...

...and l'm going to put it in this...

...and hide it here...

...right behind the pipe.

-Where're you going to be?

-At my regular card game.

Why don't you leave me your key?

My key implicates me.

Her key implicates no one.

lt could've been lost or stolen.

ln any case, she's not going

to be around to explain.

Why don't you make me

a copy of the key?

lt's two loose ends,

the key and the locksmith.

This door is always bolted. She

won't notice, even if she checks it.

You'll be in the stairwell at 9:30.

By that time, Emily

will be taking her bath.

She will? How do you know?

Because that's what she does

on nights that l play cards.

Why not do it in the tub?

Because that'll look like

cold-blooded murder.

lt has to appear that

she surprised the intruder.

All right?

This is a separate telephone line.

Exactly 1 0 p.m., l will call here.

Emily will answer the phone.

You will enter.

A tragic confrontation will ensue.

lt should appear to be...

...stupid...

...and spur-of-the-moment.

l've always thought that ''bludgeon''

has a spur-of-the-moment sound.

Maybe you could use one of these.

Rifle the jewelry in the bedroom.

Disable the service entrance lock.

Make it look like it was jimmied.

Put the key back under the pipe,

then leave the same way you came in.

And what happens

if the plan goes to hell?

lt won't.

So when is this card game of yours?

-Tomorrow night.

-Tomorrow?

No f***ing way!

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