Another Thin Man Page #2

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Is the Colonel all right?

Bless you, yes. He's waiting dinner.

You needn't hurry. If you'll just follow me.

I won't have it. I'm not a child.

I won't put up with it.

What's the use of saying we won't,

when we are?

It's a lot of April-foolery.

You call it what you like.

I've seen what I've seen.

- It was the Cuban.

- I don't think you need to worry anymore.

The two men had a falling-out.

One of them killed the other.

The other? I'm the one

that doesn't want to be killed.

Father dear, Freddie means that he...

- Jesse, down.

- At last.

- How are you, Colonel?

- How are you, my dear?

Glad to see you.

Wasn't there a body in the road?

He don't believe me.

- Oh, yes.

- You see?

- A body?

- Yes. It was gone when I went back.

Just a trick. It's all part of their game,

their plan to terrify me.

Go on.

Everybody brings these wild stories to me,

but nobody tries to help.

What is it, Colonel?

- Nothing wrong with Nora's estate?

- Estate? Is that all you're worried about?

- Doesn't anybody care about me?

- Father, why don't you have dinner first?

Then you can tell them

all about it afterwards.

None of us has even met

Mr. and Mrs. Charles yet.

My adopted daughter, Lois.

- It seems awful we've never met before.

- Yes, doesn't it?

And I'd like you to meet my...

- Mr. Dudley Horn.

- How do you do?

This is Mr. Coleman, Father's secretary.

- How do you do?

- How do you do, sir?

Jesse, down! Down, Jesse!

- Charmed, I'm sure.

- Take this dog out where it belongs.

- Where are your manners? Come on.

- Thorough nuisance.

It wasn't his fault. Nick smells like a dog.

I mean, he smells like Asta.

- Now, are you ready for dinner?

- Yes, I would like a...

That's all right.

Never mind about washing.

Freddie, lock up that liquor cabinet.

But maybe they would like a...

Mrs. Charles doesn't drink and I want

Mr. Charles to have a clear mind.

Where are the others?

I never knew such a lot.

As if I've not got enough to worry me over.

- Here you are, sir.

- Tell them to serve dinner.

I want to have a talk with you.

I want to get you working on this.

I came down here to discuss business:

Nora's estate.

This is business, Nora's business,

your business.

What'll happen to the estate

if something happened to me?

Nothing's going to happen to you.

Everything's going to be all right.

You go on in. I'll send the baby upstairs.

- I'll take care of Nick.

- Don't be long.

Put the lights out. No use wasting money.

Getting me on another case?

That penny-pincher can afford

the best detective there is.

He's trying to get one for nothing.

You're abetting him.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Then what was all that business

at the door?

I was just picking his pocket.

I haven't been married to you for nothing.

Mommy.

Suppose you had someone

working for you...

and he did something

they put him in jail for?

He did it. You didn't do it.

You even try to get his sentence cut down.

But you couldn't.

When he gets out,

he comes and says it's your fault.

- Your fault?

- He wants a lot of money.

When you won't give it to him, he hopes

you won't be pigheaded.

Because he dreamed twice

about your dying.

The third time he dreams things,

they come true.

What do you think?

I wouldn't hurry up my dying

on his account.

Was this the man playing dead

beside the road?

No, it's his servant. The two of them

have terrorized this place.

Have you reported them to the police?

I'm not altogether a fool. Of course, I have.

They can't arrest a man

just because he told you his dreams.

He tells me he's dreaming about me dying.

I know Church well enough

to know that's a threat.

- Church?

- Phil Church, an engineer.

Worked for me 10 years ago.

- And he's been in jail ever since?

- Yes.

Yes. He got out a month ago.

Been living down the road for 10 days.

- You think he really means to kill you?

- No.

I don't think he means to kill me. I know it.

Please, Father. He's only trying

to get it straight in his mind.

There's nothing to get straight.

The man means to kill me,

I'm asking Mr. Charles not to let him do it.

That's simple enough, isn't it?

- Even for Mr. Charles.

- No.

Col. MacFay? The swimming pool's on fire.

- What?

- Nickie.

Stay where you are!

One move out of you

and I'll blow your head right off your neck.

Kill him if he even bats an eye.

Tom, take that gun out of Mr. Charles' face

and stop bellowing.

Awfully glad to see you, Mr. Horn.

Ain't the right guy.

- What is it?

- It's the dog.

- Jesse?

- Yep.

- Dead?

- Yes. His throat's cut.

He was a swell dog.

This is gonna be tough on Lois.

- Find anything?

- Only them.

They don't look like nothing,

don't lead nowhere.

They're footprints, all right.

Our man had rags

wrapped around his feet.

You know a lot about them things, mister?

Yes. Back home I'm a Boy Scout.

- What's happened, Dudley? What is it?

- It's Jesse.

- He's been killed.

- No.

You'd better go back to the house.

- Why did they do an awful thing like that?

- Freddie, take her back.

Is this the kind of thing

that's been going on?

More or less.

Some of it's silly, but it's nasty, too.

What do you think is behind these tricks?

What's he up to?

Trying to scare the Colonel

into coming across with some money.

Could any of the people on the inside

be working with him?

I don't think so.

Servants aren't much good

but I imagine they're honest.

- Does MacFay really owe him anything?

- Not the way we look at it. You see...

his job was to get results...

without bothering the Colonel

with too many details.

We were trying to put over... Well,

call it a public utilities enterprise...

and some details were pretty illegal,

were traced as far Church.

- But not as far as the Colonel.

- Right.

In other words, if everything goes okay,

he gets the profits.

- lf not, Church goes to jail.

- That's about it.

And that's your job with the Colonel now?

Something like that.

How could they do

a horrible thing like that?

I've had him ever since he was puppy.

How do they get in here?

That's what I want to know.

How do they get in? Well?

I'm afraid the bathhouse

is badly damaged.

I don't care about bathhouses or dogs.

What are you going to do to protect me?

If they can get in here to do this,

they can do anything.

You've got to help me, Charles.

- Have you tried talking to Church?

- Yes, didn't do any good.

I used to work under him.

He thinks I had a hand in sending him up.

How about making a bargain with him?

- After all, he did do 10 years in jail.

- I won't pay him a penny.

He can burn the house down

before I pay him a cent.

Maybe he's right, Father.

Maybe it would be better if you...

I thank you to keep out of it.

When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it.

Don't you dare talk to her that way.

You should be thankful

she cares whether you live or die.

- You little...

- You can't bulldoze me any longer.

I don't care how much money you have.

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