Black Widow Page #6

I was giving Peter

the benefit of the doubt.

But after what you've

heard this morning...

I see no further need

of trying to protect him.

- I've known all along about that girl.

- Have you really?

I saw her in and out of this building

a dozen times, day and night.

Not that I placed

any evil construction on it then...

but now I find myself

quite unable...

to continue thinking of them

as two young music lovers...

listening steadily to the phonograph

for something like six weeks.

Well, I still can't believe it.

Now, there's no one in the world

fonder of Peter than I am...

but if I were in your place-

and believe me,

I say this for your own good-

We, uh, just dropped in

to see if there was anything new.

- Good of you.

- Thank you, darling.

Honey.

Now what was it you were going to

tell Iris for her own good, may I ask?

Can you really hear through the keyhole

of a Yale lock?

The organ tones of an old-fashioned

actress, yes.

I have no objection your knowing

what I was going to tell my friend.

I was going to suggest to her

that she move out of this place.

- Why?

- You're not that obtuse.

All right, then

I'm going to take the liberty...

of making a suggestion to you.

From now on, would you be good enough

to keep your advice to yourself?

- Now, Peter, please.

- I don't see how you could take a wiser position...

after all that's gone on

in this apartment...

- while your wife was away.

- Oh, cut that out, Lottie.

In fact, it might be just as well

if you never came in here again.

Look, both of you,

I know we're all upset and all that...

but don't let's say anything

we'll be sorry for later.

Ever since she moved

into this building...

she's been poking her nose into

my business, and I'm sick of it.

- Now get out and stay out.

- With the greatest of pleasure, Mr. Denver.

Out of here and out

of your theater too.

Oh, don't be a fool, Lottie.

We'll see who the fool is

when our young hero...

tries to raise the curtain

tomorrow night.

Ring for the elevator, will you?

- Don't take that too seriously, Peter.

- Oh, forget it.

I don't care whether

she ever plays again or not.

She doesn't mean it, really.

She just flew off the handle for a moment.

In her heart, she's

for both of you, believe me.

Like this afternoon when that detective

was prying around upstairs-

- not one word out of her.

- Come on, will you?

I'm coming.

You, uh, heard the girl

was pregnant, didn't you?

No, I didn't.

That cop told us this afternoon.

Anything else?

Nothing to top that.

Think you'd like

to go out for dinner?

Listen to this.

"My dear Iris.

"We've talked of you

so often and with such sympathy...

I'm sure you won't mind

my calling you Iris. "

Who's it from?

From Nanny.

Nanny Ordway.

"Nevertheless, this is not an easy letter

to write, as you can well imagine.

"But since Peter's already told you

what has happened to us...

I feel I must add something by way

of explaining Peter's side of the case. "

- Let me see that.

- Let me see it first, if you don't mind.

"You must understand

that he was no more to blame...

"he had no more control

over his emotions...

than you had when you realized you'd lost

your heart to Martin. "

How could you have told her that?

But I didn't.

Not like that, I mean.

I- I never told her one thing-

Oh, Peter, please.

Don't talk to me as if I were an idiot.

- Where else would she have got the name?

- Will you let me explain?

What did you do, just sit here

and tell her everything about you and me?

No, no, of course not.

What she's done-

She's taken one stupid,

foolish remark...

and built it into this impossible lie.

Everybody's lying but you.

Lucia, that other woman,

Nanny Ordway-

they're all lying but you.

But it's the truth, darling.

I swear it.

- Please.

- What are you gonna do?

I don't know.

Except I-

I can't stay here any longer.

Well, she's gone.

- Oh, no.

- Mmm. Cook just told me.

- Where'd she go?

- Who knows?

Poor Peter.

Yes, indeedy.

My heart just bleeds for him.

Don't you think you're being

a bit unfair to him?

Do you think so, really?

Well, you have no proof

of anything, have you?

Do you think it was all right for him

to go running around with another woman?

Well, I have no reason

to think it was all wrong.

Would you do it?

Ah, well, that's a somewhat

different situation.

In what way?

Because, after all,

you and I have an understanding.

What sort of understanding,

may I ask?

You know. The understanding that if ever

you catch me with another woman...

you'll break my neck.

- You object to that?

- Of course not.

You better not.

You want me to pick you up

after the show?

What show?

- You weren't serious about that, were you?

- Indeed I was.

I'm through with Mr. Peter

Denver forever, and that's final.

But you've got a contract, darling.

You can't just walk out like that.

I can if Dr. Harstone

advises it...

for the sake of my health, can't I?

- Oh, hello, Lieutenant.

- Mr. Mullen.

Do you have any idea where we might

be able to find Mrs. Denver?

There's no answer

at her apartment.

No, I haven't seen

either of them today.

Isn't this apartment

identical with theirs?

Yes, except that we have

a terrace and they don't.

- May I see the arrangement?

- Of course. Come in.

- Sergeant Welch, Mr. Brian Mullen.

- How do you do?

- How do you do?

- It's just a matter of measurements...

and if these rooms are identical,

I guess this is just as good as the other.

- Is it all right if he goes into the bedroom?

- Of course.

The maid hasn't been in yet,

but, um, right straight through.

But don't you dare tell her I let anybody

in there before it was straightened up.

Cops don't matter.

May I see the kitchen arrangement?

Certainly.

It's just this dining room.

This is the breakfast room.

And this is the kitchen.

And it's exactly the same

in the apartment downstairs?

Except for the furniture.

Is this anything?

Oh, no, that's just some doodles my wife

makes when she's phoning.

Would you answer one or two questions

strictly off the record?

I'll try.

What do you think

of Denver's story?

I don't know.

I can't figure it.

This is entirely confidential,

you understand.

I understand.

What was his reputation

about women?

Very good, so far as I know.

- No chasing?

- I've never known of any.

You think he'd be capable

of murder?

Murder?

Why murder?

Look, as it turns out,

the girl didn't kill herself.

She was murdered-

choked to death and then strung up.

We just got the report.

Oh, no.

Do you think

he could have done it?

I don't think so.

Well, what about

the evidence against him?

I just can't see Peter

doing a thing like that.

There's nothing official

about this, you understand.

We're just talking

off the record.

But sometimes you have a feeling

about a person that you know very well...

that either he is capable

of killing somebody or he isn't.

It's just a feeling, but occasionally I've

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