Another Man's Poison

Hello.

Are you alone?

If you're not alone,don't mention my name.

It's very important.

Who do they want to speak to?

I don't know.

Whom do you want to speak to please?

You're obviously not alone.

Is it my secretary with you?

Is she old enough to be sitting up to supper?

Oh, don't ring off, larry, please don't ring off.

You can pretend i'm some man, you know.

Call me. Call me mr. Johnson.

I know you'll find it quite an effort but,

we won't go into that now.

Oh, mr. Johnson. Well it's uh, it's not very convenient just now, mr. Johnson.

Who's he?

Oh he's uh, he's trying to sell me insurance.

Oh.

That's very quick of you, larry.

Make it life insurance, do you mind?

Ha. Ha.

I'll tell you why that's so funny when i see you.

Or maybe it isn't.

Maybe it's just a joke innincredibly bad taste.

Now look, i thought we had this clear.

I'm not interested in any of your propositions,

and you promised there'd be no more phone calls.

Larry, i must see you.

Will you come over to the house right away,

without telling anybody where you're going?

I'm sorry, but it's quite impossible.

Oh, i know you're thinking it's one of those calls

when i'm making excuses,

but i swear to you this is not one of those times.

Will you come?

Well, i'll think about it.

Hello, doctor nhow are you?

Intrigued, mrs. Frobisher. Intrigued.

Oh, really. Why?

Well, i come to the station to pick up my serums,

and what do i find?

My neighbor, who has a telephone in every room,

and has walked miles to a phone box in a deserted station.

You've been reading too many thrillers, doctor.

Actually, my line is out of order.

You can better me to thrillers, mrs. Frobisher.

In any other author's detective stories

i spot the murderer not later than chapter two.

Yours invariably baffle me, until the middle of chapter four.

You have an unfair advantage.

You know the way my brain works.

The dark recesses of the female mind? Huh.

I can hardly claim to have penetrated that far.

But, i'm a keen student of human nature.

I like people.

Oh, i'd should be honored to drive you home.

I should be honored to accept.

Was it a satisfactory call, mrs. Frobisher?

Oh, completely dr. Henderson.

Good. Good.

So few things turn out the way we expect them to, these days.

I get so many wrong numbers on that phone myself.

To save your asking, it was a business call.

My dear, you don't supposeni was going to pry into your affairs?

You'd have come 'round to it, sooner or later.

The dark recesses of the female mind.

I wish you'd let me drive you right up to the house.

I don't trust you turning with that steering column.

Besides, a short walk will do me good.

I'll sleep much sounder.

I think one sleeps sounder on ones own, don't you?

If not sounder, at least more often.

Good night, dr. Henderson.

Good night, mrs. Frobisher.

all right, fury, all right.

Did you think i'd forgotten you?

Don't i always say goodnight?

And this is a special goodnight.

Because it's a special night.

I always have a snack for you, don't i?

How are you, beautiful? Better.

What would i do if i couldn't talk to you every night?

Do think larry will come, fury?

If you were only human, you could answer.

Maybe i'm not human, either.

Goodnight, fury. On this special night.

You must be mrs. Preston.

Who are you?

You are mrs. Preston aren't you?

How'd you get in here?

Through the window.

What do you want?

Your husband.

Would you tell him george is here, mrs. Preston.

My name is janet frobisher.

Oh, i know.

I've seen it on all those thrillers.

I've even read some.

You're good.

But you're also mrs. Preston.

That's not so good.

I don't know who you are or why you're here.

But if you don't get out at once, i'll call the police.

I wouldn't do that.

I said not to do that.

The line is out of order, anyway.

Get your husband.

I've already told you...

get him! Tell him george wants him.

George who?

Just george.

Well he's not here obviously. Nobody's here.

Find him.

Well, i think if my husband were here, i'd have called for him before now.

All right. We'll wait for him together.

You may have a long wait.

I... haven't seen him for months.

They're mine.

Nice comfortable fit.

Size eleven.

My, what big feet we have, grandmother.

What do you want of my husband?

Look at the front page.

My name is bates.

Bates

george bates.

The metropolitan bank of america.

Correct.

You did this?

We did it.

Credit, where credit is due, mrs. Preston.

We did it, your husband and i together.

Why, it says here there was a policeman shot.

He shot.

The wounded man was able to identify

one of the men as george bates,

an employee of the bank.

But it was your husband's gun that shot him, mrs. Preston.

It was your husband who pulled the trigger.

But they're looking for you.

And i am looking for your husband.

When do you expect him back?

I hope he never comes back.

He arrived here early today from london.

Mr. Bates, i don't know what my husband has told you,

but actually these are the facts,

we've been separated for nearly three years.

The people around here think he's in malaya.

I told them he's a planter,

that i haven't seen him for nearly a year.

Is that hat yours, too?

How long have you known my husband?

Since i was transferred from the american branch.

We met and talked.

He can talk.

I trusted him.

I had a little money. He knew a lot about shares.

And you found out otherwise.

Yeah.

Then we used bank money. That went too.

So, we decided we'd be smart.

Is robbing a bank smart?

I... ah... we bungled it badly.

When the policeman showed up

your husband lost his nerve.

He shot him and ran.

We'd arrangedto meet here.

And, here i am.

Mr. Bates if i told you

you didn't stand a chanceof seeing my husband,

tonight or ever, wouldyou go away.. Leave england?

No.

His papers are here,his passport, everything

his clothes would fit you.you're about the same height.

You may have them.i'd help you go abroad.

Give you money. Will you go?

Your husband and iare going together.

He's already fixedpassages on a cargo boat.

For one.

For two.

For one.i have the ticket.

I'll give you athousand pounds.

No

why not?

The policeman.

If i clear out he dies,preston will say i shot him.

But he maysay that anyway.

You've absolutelyno proof.

Oh, but i have.

I've got the gun.

With his printson them.

He got me into this,and he gets me out.

Now let's notwaste anymore time.

He came here this morningand you took him in.

Where is he?

He's in there.

The door is locked.

I know.i tried it.

Preston.

Preston

he won't answer, mr. Bates.

I'll make him.

You can't.nobody can.

You see, he's dead.

I killed him.

You what?

I killed him this morning.

Why did you do it?

Because i hated him.

You must have beenout of your mind.

I scarcely think you'rein a position to pass judgement.

All right. Let's have it.

Who is he, really?

My husband.

At least he was.

Well, you could have left him.

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