Affair in Trinidad Page #3

this inquest rules

that the deceased died by his own hand.

This hearing is adjourned.

Look this way, Mr. Fabian.

Flowers?

- Thank you.

- Buy some flowers.

No.

Chris, the worst tortures

are those we invent for ourselves.

You feel guilty about Neal?

- Oh, I suppose so.

- Don't. It was not your fault.

You were very good to him.

He said as much to me, many times.

- Thank you, Max.

- You must forget what's happened.

Your life is ahead of you now.

You deserve some happiness.

I want you to make me a promise.

I want you to promise

that you'll let me help you.

I will, Max, only...

Well, right now, I don't know

what I want to do, where I want to go. I...

I just feel numb and tired.

Would you like to come in?

Everything thrives in the tropics,

including gossip.

It might be better if I didn't.

You're a good friend, Max.

But in a few days, perhaps you could come

to the house for dinner.

- I'd like to.

- Shall we say Sunday?

Sunday.

Goodbye. And thank you.

You're Steve. Dominique told me.

And I know who you are.

I read about you in the paper.

What happened to him?

Can't we talk about it later?

We'll talk about it now.

Well, there were so many things.

- Not enough success...

- I heard all that at the inquest.

I wanna know what really happened.

What's the matter,

you think I'm down here by accident?

Neal wrote

and asked me to come down here.

I got a letter in my pocket not five days old.

- A letter?

- Yeah.

Why would he ask me to come down here

and then kill himself?

But I...

Well, you remember what he was like.

- Temperamental, moody...

- He was moody for 30 years.

Now, will you stop

giving me a lot of double talk?

I want some answers that make sense.

- Look, I know you've had a shock...

- Yeah, but not you.

No, you walked out of that inquest

like you were on your way

to a cocktail party.

Just a minute.

What makes you think you can rush in here

and talk to me like this?

What do you know about me?

I just have to look at you

to know what happened.

I can see how Neal fell for a dame like you,

and I know the kind of time you gave him.

It's too bad I got here a few days too late.

A few days?

You got here three years too late.

If you loved your brother so much,

why didn't you ever try to find out

what was happening to him?

No, you couldn't do that!

But you walk in here

and take your guilty conscience out on me.

Well, I won't listen to it.

I've had all I can stand of you

and your brother and all of you!

Since you have hurt her,

you think you will feel better.

You were distressed because you did not

find her mourning in a black dress.

- Widows have been known to wear them.

- Not in the tropics, Mr. Emery.

Only Spanish women

wear the black mourning here.

Well...

It is not appropriate

that you should leave now.

You have said too many bad things.

I think you will want to apologize later.

Yeah, well, maybe you're right.

Maybe I did talk out of turn.

I don't know.

There are many things you do not know.

I will bring you a drink in the patio.

It is cooler there.

And you'll stay for dinner.

Why have you not eaten?

- We weren't hungry.

- No one can live on grief.

Yesterday is yesterday.

Tomorrow is tomorrow.

- You left out today.

- Today is already yesterday.

- Chris, I hate to keep apologizing, but...

- It isn't necessary.

It was the letter that threw me.

I still don't understand it.

He sounded so happy, so cheerful.

When I walked into that inquest...

I'll take it.

- Yes?

- Mrs. Emery, this is Inspector Smythe.

I have here the arrival list

from the customs office.

There's a Steve Emery.

Could that by chance

be your husband's brother?

Yes, it is.

You haven't discussed anything with him

concerning your husband's death?

No, of course I haven't.

Good. Is he with you now?

- Yes.

- Then I'll be brief.

Tell him nothing. He must be

kept out of this. Do you understand?

Well, I'm not sure that I do.

Well, we can't afford to take any chances.

There's too much at stake.

If you'll just do as I ask.

And remember, we're counting on you.

I understand.

Goodbye.

The club where I work.

They want to know when I'm coming back.

How long do you think

you'll be here, Steve?

Thanks.

Well, Neal said something

about a job down here,

so I figured to stay for some time.

- But now...

- May I see that?

Sure.

Why would he ask me to come down here

if he didn't want me to know

what was going on?

- What do you do, Steve?

- I'm a flyer.

I can't imagine what he had in mind.

- He didn't say anything to you about it?

- No, he didn't.

Didn't even mention

I was coming down here?

Maybe he wanted to surprise me.

He was like a little boy that way.

Yeah. Poor guy.

I did everything I could for him, Steve.

- Sure.

- I want you to believe that.

Well, look, it's getting late.

You've had a rough day.

- Where are you going?

- I don't know.

To find myself a room somewhere.

Oh.

Well, I suppose you could stay here

if you wanted to.

No, thanks.

I wouldn't want to put you to any trouble.

It's no trouble.

You could use Neal's room.

Neal's room?

Yes. It's right over here.

I'm sure Dominique won't mind

turning down another bed for a few days.

Well, Dominique seems

to have anticipated us.

She's got some kind of mental radar.

She knows what you're thinking

before you do.

Does it seem all right?

Yes. This is fine.

Thanks.

- Chris?

- Yes?

- Good night.

- Good night, Steve.

- Say, Chris?

- Yes?

What about you?

What are you gonna do now?

- Go back to my job.

- Why?

Well, a girl has to live.

Well, there's other jobs, other places.

Is there anything else

keeping you down here?

Not especially.

Who was the fellow

that brought you home today?

Just a friend of Neal's.

Oh.

You know, I was thinking,

if there's nothing to keep you down here,

maybe we can take

the same boat home, huh?

That would be nice, Steve,

but I've sort of gotten used to the tropics.

Don't you ever get homesick?

I mean, three years is a long time.

I know.

I remember coming home after the war.

I flew a bomber in from San Francisco.

I remember when we passed over Chicago,

my copilot had all he could do

to keep me from setting that plane right

down in the middle of Michigan Boulevard.

Yeah, boy, I had it real bad.

Hey, don't you ever get a yen

for a place like that?

Oh, say, an old theatre

that you used to play in,

maybe a park where you went ice skating?

Think it over.

The States might be just the thing for you.

Anyhow, if you ever do decide

to come back, look me up, huh?

You know, you picked up

a spare relative today.

Thank you, Steve. I'll remember that.

Say, Chris, when did it happen?

- When did what happen?

- Neal.

What was the date?

The 22nd.

Why?

Nothing, nothing. I...

I was just wondering, that's all.

- Is Mr. Wittol in?

- Yeah. He's in the office.

- You have an appointment?

- In this joint? You kidding?

What's your business?

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