Designing Woman Page #7

Quick hunches.

Feeling that something nice

is about to happen.

Well, look at that!

Zach, here.

That's Lori Shannon, she's in the show.

- Miss Shannon.

- Hello.

- Did we miss anything?

- No, you're on time.

- How are you, Mike?

- Hello, Zach.

Miss Shannon, this is my husband,

MichaeI Hagen.

- How...

- How do you do, Mr. Hagen?

It's so nice to meet you.

- Won't you sit down here?

- Thank you.

The chairs aren't very practicaI.

Miss Shannon, I wanted you to see this.

How beautifuI.

Lori was going to play it

like we'd never met.

Good.

I sneaked a look at Marilla

to see if she'd noticed anything.

Everything was okay.

"So, " I thought, "he knows her. "

I'm not naturally suspicious,

but this you couldn't miss.

I see something like that for you

in the garden number.

Slit up the sides

for more freedom in dance.

- Don't you think so, Zach?

- Yes.

By the way, Miss Shannon,

how are your legs?

- No complaints.

- I was sure there wouldn't be.

I do think we ought

to see your legs in this.

But not quite so revealing in the neckline.

Although you've certainly got

nothing to worry about there.

Are you all right, darling?

I began to put two and two together.

It didn't take long.

Two, the girl Mike feared

was about to spill tea in his lap...

...and two, the girl who had spilled ravioli

in his lap, were one and the same spiller.

Total, four.

I still couldn't place

where I'd seen Lori Shannon.

- How would you like to see her dressed?

- In splints!

Hello, Mr. Hagen.

Do you remember me?

- Yeah, you're Johnny O, aren't you?

- That's right, yeah.

I used to fight heavyweight.

Come in.

Nice place you got here, Mr. Hagen. Yeah.

Anybody home?

Just the maid.

It's Thursday, Mr. Hagen, she's off.

Yeah.

Mr. Daylor told us to drop in.

He's angry at you, Mr. Hagen...

...for going on writing those stories

about him after he asked you not to.

What we're here for is not to hurt you

or anything like that.

It's more like a warning.

Yeah, friendly like, you know.

Leave him go.

Now, what I would suggest, Mr. Hagen,

is maybe from now on...

...you get after the basketball boys

and the wrestling and the horses.

They could stand a lot of cleaning up.

But you leave the fights alone or...

...they got to clean you up.

Do I make myself clear?

- I'll have that laundered for you.

- No, nothing at all.

Well, it was nice seeing you again,

Mr. Hagen.

I just hope we don't have to meet no more.

I didn't know you had friends.

This is Mr. Johnny O. My wife.

- How do you do?

- Nick and Eddie.

- How do you do?

- Hello.

What happened to your lip?

Just an accident.

Johnny O here was showing me

how he knocked out Bob Fitzsimmons.

- Boys, I hate to push you out.

- Sure. We was just going, Mr. Hagen.

This way, boys.

- Mrs. Hagen.

- 'Bye, Mr. O.

So long, Mr. Hagen.

Nice of you boys to come by.

Mr. Hagen, remember:

No more articles about Mr. Daylor.

Is your lip all right?

It's fine.

People should be more carefuI.

He might have hurt you.

Not Johnny O.

How did the rehearsaI go?

- I came home.

- Oh?

Listen, Mike,

there's something on my mind about us.

About me really,

because it happened before I met you.

But I don't believe in keeping things secret.

Before I met you there was a man.

- Zachary Wilde.

- Another man.

The boy from Yale.

He was nothing.

Neither was that artist I told you about.

I mean, another man.

Not that there was anything really wrong.

I'm sure of that.

I wanted to tell you anyway.

It's been on my mind.

And I believe in being frank

and aboveboard.

If there's one thing

I've learned in this world...

...it's the exact moment

when not to be frank and aboveboard.

Okay, dear.

- What's for dinner?

- Lori Shannon!

For dinner?

You know what I'm talking about.

All that elaborate pretending.

"How do you do, Miss Shannon?"

"How do you do, Mr. Hagen?

"So nice to meet you. "

I introduced you. You let me

introduce you and all the time...

Wait. I didn't know...

Why didn't you tell me about her?

- What's the big secret?

- I don't know-

No! You didn't say a word.

What are you talking about?

You let me find out for myself

while everyone...

...is laughing behind my back.

- You're not making sense.

- I'm making excellent sense.

Lori Shannon. She's the girI in your show.

That we already know.

What else is she or was she, or is she?

- Lori Shannon. Are you out of your mind?

- The picture.

What picture?

The picture in your apartment.

I recognized her from that picture.

- Lori Shannon?

- Who else?

- In my apartment?

- In your apartment!

Where's the picture? Show me the picture.

I tore it up.

You tore...

- In a law court-

- We're not in a law court yet.

Just because you happen to find

a picture of a girI...

You found a picture of a girI

in my apartment?

Not a girI. Lori Shannon.

You knew her. Why didn't you say so?

Lori Shannon.

That day at that style show,

she walked in, right?

I never saw her in my life.

If she knew me, why didn't she say so?

Now who's not making sense?

If you'd listen a second, just because

you happened to find a picture-

I'm sorry.

How is it that you cannot stand

the sight of blood on anyone except me?

Mike, I want to talk to you.

- Excuse me, I'm due at the office.

- We've got to settle this.

Listen, I want to talk to you. You just...

That settles it.

Forget all about Mart Daylor.

- Forget him?

- Forget him.

You're a lousy newspaperman, but you're

not worth a nickeI Iying in an alley.

I've been after Daylor for two years.

I need a couple of weeks to finish the job.

Three, at the outside.

I've got affidavits coming in.

All right.

You want to dig your own grave?

I'll lend you a shoveI. Only on my terms.

I'll give you three weeks, not a day more.

We'll find you someplace to hide.

The Gage HoteI around the corner.

We'll dateline your stories

from out of town.

You're following the Yankees.

Only you won't be there,

so the bullies can't catch up to you.

Meanwhile,

lay it on Daylor with everything you got.

Also, meanwhile, you're not to set one foot

out of that hoteI room for three weeks.

Agreed?

- What will I tell my wife?

- The truth.

That I'm on the lam from the mob?

She will faint.

Don't tell me your problems.

I'm no marriage counselor.

Go on. Get out of here and get packed.

I'll send a copyboy every day

to pick up your stuff.

And don't answer the phone

no matter what.

One more thing, you'll need

somebody around for protection.

Is Maxie Stulz still around?

He is. Fine. Send him in.

Three weeks with Maxie Stulz,

I'll be punchier than he is.

- No!

- Shut up!

Maxie, come in here.

Hi, Mike.

Maxie, listen carefully.

There are some mugs in town...

...that don't like Mike Hagen.

They want to hurt him. See?

There. That's the ticket, Maxie.

That's the ticket. You protect him, see.

You protect...

Maxie, listen!

You stay right next to Mike Hagen...

...day and night.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes