A Slight Case of Murder Page #7

for some of our back wages...

and he gave me $50 on account.

Gee, I didn't think he was down that low.

According to the chart, that horse

we bet on yesterday won by a dirty snoot.

Wonder who's running tomorrow.

What is it?

They're offering $10,000 reward each

for them bandits...

alive or dead.

We both know, Remy,

Mary's gotta get married someday.

And I know you'll like this boy

when you get used to him.

Oh, I ain't got nothing against the kid.

It's just that I don't like his avocation.

- Hey, Lefty!

- Harold!

Push that button a little harder, Nora,

will you?

If I do, I'll push my foot

right through the floor.

- There's nobody here.

- No kidding.

Mike.

Lefty.

Lefty.

What?

Here, what's this?

"Dear boss, we've tooken

a half hour off, Mike."

You know, I'm getting

a little discouraged about Mike.

You ought to,

after all you've done for him and given.

Oh, no, it ain't that.

It's just that I can't learn him how to spell.

Look at the way he spells "tooken,"

with two O's.

It's that grab bag of yours again, Remy.

Say, have him walk around

on his bare feet.

I think we should go up

and slip him a Mickey Finn.

He's liable to create a taste for them.

Marco will talk to him.

You go up the front stairs.

I'll go up the back.

That's a break. Now we can throw

a party tonight in peace.

Mama...

you know, I get a funny feeling

looking at him like that.

Seems to me that around his little head...

is a halo.

Can't you see it?

- Quite the celebration.

- Oh, it'll be like this every night.

I didn't know

there was going to be a party.

Are you feeling well enough

to face it, Dad?

Oh, I'm all right.

Of course, we won't be here very long.

Is your health troubling you,

Mr. Whitewood?

Well, I have to be quieter

than most people.

Excitement seems to be bad for me.

Well, shall we go in?

Attaboy, you know them all!

Hey, wait here. Wait a minute.

Attababy, isn't that a dandy?

- Father.

- Yeah?

Father, this is Mr. Whitewood. My father.

- Well, how are you, Mr. Whitewood?

- How do you do?

- Come to look us over, huh?

- Well, I...

Well, we look you over, too.

You know, Mary springing

this engagement stuff on me...

hit me right between the eyes.

She means an awful lot to me,

my little girl.

I'm sure of that.

Yes, sir. You know,

I spent $50,000 educating that girl.

Of course, I understand you spent

some dough on that kid of yours, too.

Now, look here, you and me ought

to get together on this, Mr. Whitewood.

- The sooner, the better.

- Yeah, but first...

I want you to meet

some of the folks and have a little fun.

You know, they're all friends of mine.

Great people.

I have met some of them already.

- Yeah?

- Some rather whimsical ones.

Oh. Well, the only one that sings here

is The Singer.

He ain't never studied a note in his life.

Yes, I can hear that.

Hey, Nora. Come over here, will you?

Come over and shake hands

with Mr. Whitewood.

That's my better half.

- This is Mrs. Marco.

- I'm very glad to know you, Mrs. Marco.

This is a great pleasure, Mr. Whitewood.

We're so glad to have you in our house.

I wonder if I could have a glass of water.

You bet your life.

Anything at all.

Michael! Where is he? Harold!

I can't imagine what's happened

to our butler and our steward.

- Where are those mugs?

- I'll see if I can find them.

Say, it's a lucky thing

we got them all back.

I thought for a minute

we was gonna lose No-Nose Cohen...

when Colonel Statts come along just then.

Listen, we can't leave them stiffs here,

somebody's liable to come nosing around.

Best thing is to stick them

in an empty room upstairs in the closet.

Well, now, that ain't so easy.

There's people going through

that hall all the time.

You can't use the guest room.

Marco's prize is up there.

Then we'll have to watch our chance,

take them one by one up the back stairs...

and stick them

in that side bedroom closet.

Nobody's using that room.

All right, you guys handle it.

I'll tell the boss.

Boy, will he be tickled.

Him so broke and with $40,000 worth

of merchandise in an upstairs closet.

- You stick here, and I'll give you the office.

- Right.

What's the matter?

Run along out on the porch,

why don't you?

Nora, quit crabbing the party.

When you and me

worked at Coney Island...

you had the loudest voice

on the boardwalk.

Hey. Hey, Mike, come here.

Where have you been?

This is a fine time to take a fade

with all these people around here.

I couldn't help it.

Look, boss, I gotta talk to you.

Well, not now. Come on.

- Get busy waiting on these people.

- But this is important...

Mike, I know

just what you're gonna ask me...

and there's nothing doing, see.

That 50 smackers that I gave Gip...

was to be cut up

among you fellows, understand?

So come on.

Rustle up some drinks for these people.

- Yeah, I know you gave Gip...

- You heard me.

Get going before Nora catches you.

- You heard me, out on the porch.

- Oh, now, wait a minute, Mama.

Let The Singer alone.

May I please have a glass of water?

He's got a beautiful voice, hasn't he?

Say, do you know Jim Crawford?

You know,

The Singer sung for him one time...

eight hours straight without a stop.

Just think of that.

I don't dare.

Say, by the way, Singer,

where is our old friend, Jim?

- He's sick, boss.

- No kidding.

In a hospital in San Diego.

Oh, gee, that's tough.

Say, I got an idea.

Let's call him up and cheer him up, huh?

Richard, a chair. I'm going to faint.

Harold! Lefty!

Hello, long distance?

Listen, I want any hospital in San Diego

that's got Jim Crawford.

Hello, Jim. Hold on.

Say, come here, folks, will you?

The Singer is gonna sing

for Jim Crawford in San Diego.

Oh, you'll love this.

Say, is he really singing

to someone in San Diego, California?

And how. Why, once, Mr. Marco

had him singing to a man in Australia.

Ain't it wonderful?

The telephone, I mean.

I wonder if there's some place

where I can get a towel...

and some cold water for my head.

Upstairs, third door to your left.

Well.

We was just playing piggyback.

His mother always used to play it

with him.

Excuse me.

Say, what's the matter around here?

This house seems to be full of idiots

and lunatics!

Pop, you gotta learn to mix.

Excuse me.

Yeah, excuse me.

Oh, boy,

you can sing for my dough anytime.

- Isn't he marvelous?

- Yeah.

Oh, Sam, he's singing for Jim

in San Diego.

Hello, Jim, are you...

What?

Oh, is that so?

Some dame just cut in

and said Jim don't care to hear no more.

Say, I wish we could get

that big fellow at Alcatraz.

He'd love this.

I don't think they'd leave him

come to the phone.

- Hey, boss.

- Yeah?

If you can get away from that phone

for a minute...

there's an important call for you

on the private phone in the library.

Oh. Excuse me, folks.

Come on.

- Hello?

- Hello, Remy? This is Post and Ritter.

We've just arrived.

We're stopping at the Shawford.

I guess you know

what kind of news we're bringing.

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