After the Thin Man Page #2

She's phoned several times.

She wants you to come to dinner.

Goodbye, Mrs. Charles,

I'll see you next year.

- She expects you, too, Mr. Charles.

- Me?

There must be some mistake.

She wouldn't want you.

No.

What excuse will I make?

Tell her I lost a collar button in New York

and we've got to go look for it.

It's your cousin, Mrs. Landis, madam.

Thank heavens it isn't Aunt Katherine.

- Go on, get out of it now.

- Don't worry.

I wouldn't go through that again

if you had twice as much money.

Hello, Selma.

Nora, I just wanted to make sure

you were coming tonight.

But you've just got to come,

I'm in terrible trouble, please.

No, I can't tell you now,

but you must come. I'm desperate...

Selma!

- Whom are you calling?

- Nora.

- I told you...

- I can't help it. L...

There are pills in my bag, take them.

- No, really, I'm all right.

- Take them or I'll call Dr. Kammer.

How are you, Nora?

This is Aunt Katherine.

You ought to know Selma well enough

not to pay any attention to that.

You see, it's New Year's Eve,

Aunt Katherine.

- The old battle-axe.

- Shut up!

Excuse me, Aunt Katherine,

I was talking to the dog.

- But, Aunt Katherine...

- Give me that phone.

Give it to me.

Yes. All right. We'll come.

Nickie, I'm sorry. But I had to do it.

Selma's in trouble.

You like Selma, don't you?

Well, not that much.

Family dinner, I suppose?

Aunt Katherine, Uncle Willie...

Cousin Emily.

Aunt Hattie, Cousin Lucius, Uncle Thomas.

Pour me one, too.

Thanks.

Well, Asta?

Why are you looking so

down in the mouth?

Have you got family troubles, too?

For heaven's sake,

do you want the servants to hear you?

I don't care. I'm going crazy.

I can't stand it any longer.

- I'll call the police.

- You'll do nothing of the sort.

We've paid enough

to hush up his other scandals.

He never did anything like this before.

- How do we know whether he...

- I told you I'd handle this.

- I can't go on!

- Quiet!

Beg pardon, madam,

but should I remove Mr. Robert's plate?

- Certainly not. Mr. Robert will be here.

- Very well.

- You know he won't be here.

- I know nothing of the sort.

Now go upstairs and

make yourself presentable. Go on, hurry.

Hurry now, because everybody's waiting.

- Good evening, all.

- Good evening, Aunt Katherine.

I had a birthday last week, Katherine.

I'm 83 years old.

- What do you think of that?

- That's fine, Lucy.

- Next year I'll be 84.

- Splendid.

Now we're alone. I have something

important to tell all of you.

What did she say?

Isn't that thing working, Hattie?

This works beautifully.

It's you, you mumble.

What is it, Katherine?

Nora and her husband are coming tonight.

- Katherine, after the last time?

- But, Katherine...

- Her husband?

- That person.

But you said yourself

you wouldn't have him again.

I know I did.

And my opinion of him and what

he represents hasn't changed a particle.

Then why did you ask him?

I have a very good reason for asking him,

which you will know in time.

That must be they now. Understand, now,

I want you all to be pleasant to him.

- Of course, if you say so.

- It's going to be difficult.

Poor Nora, my heart bleeds for that child.

If that's Mr. And Mrs. Charles,

show them right in.

Yes, madam.

What are you muttering to yourself?

I'm trying to get all the bad words

out of my system.

Good evening, Henry.

Is this the wax-works?

- Sir?

- Nothing, Henry, nothing.

I'll leave my things down here.

Don't worry, it isn't catching.

Thank you, sir. Walk this way, sir.

Well, I'll try.

Nickie, pull yourself together.

One squint at Aunt Katherine

would sober anybody up.

Mr. And Mrs. Charles, madam.

Hello. How do you do, my dear.

Hello, Aunt Katherine.

You remember Nick?

How are you, Nicholas?

- Hello, Cousin Helen.

- How are you, you poor child?

This is Nora's husband.

I think you know everybody.

Yes, I seem to remember the old faces.

Dear, I want you to meet Uncle Willie.

Poor Nora is so brave.

- Uncle Willie, my husband.

- Uncle.

And, dear, this is Aunt Hattie.

- How are you?

- Don't mumble, young man.

How are you?

- She's deaf.

- You're telling me.

What did she say?

When you hear the chime

it will be exactly...

- Selma, how are you?

- It's so good to see you.

Hello, Nick. Thank heavens you came.

Selma, what's the trouble? Tell me.

We'll postpone any

discussion until after dinner.

- Where's your husband?

- Yes, where's Robert?

Robert telephoned

that he was unavoidably detained.

So we'll start without him. Are you ready?

We haven't quite men enough around, so,

Lucius, will you take Hattie and Charlotte?

Willie, will you take Helen and Emily?

Burton, will you take Nora?

Nicholas, you will take Aunt Lucy.

Come on, Selma.

What was it you were going to tell me?

Nora, come here!

Just a minute, Aunt Katherine.

What was it?

- Robert has disappeared.

- Disappeared?

Selma, go on playing.

I can't go on playing.

Nonsense, go on!

I can't! What are you trying to do,

torture me?

How can you act like this when you know

what she's going through?

- Get Nicholas.

- You bet I will.

No, really?

Well, you amaze me.

Will you explain that point a bit further?

Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say that.

What's that?

Just a moment.

Really?

Well, now, surely you're not going

to let that pass unchallenged, are you?

You must have something to say to that.

That's the boy. I knew you had it in you.

Nick, come here.

- Oh, yes.

- Hurry!

If you gentlemen will excuse me.

I don't know when I've spent

such a stimulating evening.

What is it?

- Aunt Katherine wants to speak to you.

- What have I done now?

Do you know why

Robert wasn't here tonight?

- Sure, because he's smart.

- I'm not fooling, darling, he's disappeared.

That's swell. Now if we could just

get Aunt Katherine to disappear...

Here he is.

Nicholas, I'm sorry

to take you away from the boys.

That's quite all right.

- How long has Robert been gone?

- Three days.

Three days without a word.

- Have you notified the police?

- Certainly not.

- And we're not going to.

- Oh, no.

Robert may have been kidnapped.

He may be lying dead somewhere.

But we mustn't do anything about it.

Our precious name

might get into the papers.

Don't pay any attention to her.

She's exaggerating the whole affair.

However, to please her, I thought you

might investigate the matter quietly.

- With your experience as a...

- Flatfoot.

I didn't mean to be blunt as that.

What's the difference? It's all in the family.

- Have you any idea where he might be?

- Yes.

- He's with some woman, I know that.

- Selma, you know nothing of the sort!

What about the vanity case they sent me

from that Chinese restaurant?

That was a stupid mistake on their part.

Mistake? He's with some woman,

you know it.

Selma, you know Robert

worships you. He wouldn't...

How can you say such a thing

when you know that he hates me?

He only married me for my money!

He never did love me.

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