Doctor X Page #2

- You run along. I'll be through shortly.

- But, Father...

Now, Joanne, please.

This is very important.

Good night.

But, really, gentlemen,

this investigation is useless.

The academy is closed.

The students are away on their vacations.

It surely isn't wise

to spend your time on this.

What's that?

Probably Professor Wells.

He's in his laboratory.

What's he doing here

if the school's supposed to be closed?

It's not an unusual thing for the faculty

to spend their evenings here at this time.

Vacation period

is the only opportunity they have

to do their personal research work.

What's the history of this man?

- Well...

- I'm waiting, Doctor.

Professor Wells

is a student of cannibalism.

He's written a book about it.

Why didn't you tell us this before?

It's as good as a conviction.

I hardly think so.

I'm very fond of Dr. Wells.

He couldn't possibly do a thing

of this sort.

- May I talk to him?

- Why, certainly. Certainly.

Come this way, gentlemen.

What a very strange, uncanny place

you have here, Doctor.

What are all these doors?

They are the laboratories of my faculty.

Dr. Wells, Dr. Duke, Dr. Rowitz, Dr. Haines.

And all those men are here

at this hour of the night?

They seldom leave.

They live for their work.

After all, this is a research institute.

I should like to have a little talk

with these gentlemen.

Of course.

I'm sorry to disturb you, Professor Wells,

but I would like to introduce

some friends of mine.

- May we come in?

- Of course, of course, gentlemen.

Come in. Come closer.

- This is Mr. Stevens. Mr. O'Halloran.

- Professor, how do you do?

How do you do?

That's interesting, isn't it?

If this experiment is successful,

we will be a little nearer the secret of life.

What is that?

That's a heart.

I've kept it alive for three years

by electrolysis.

Electrolysis?

Professor Wells is accomplishing

remarkable findings in nerve reflexes.

- You flatter me, Doctor.

- Oh, no, no.

I understand, Professor,

that you live just for your work,

- that you seldom leave the institute.

- Not necessarily.

I played truant a short while ago. I was

down by the waterfront for a breath of air.

- What time was that?

- You're not feeling well?

- Your arm is troubling you?

- Yes, it's very annoying.

Well, you're foolish to sit there

in discomfort.

- lf you gentlemen don't mind, I...

- Why, of course not, of course not.

I put it on just as I heard you coming.

An empty sleeve

is revolting to most people.

Well, I think we've taken up

enough of Professor Wells' time.

- Oh, not at all, Mr. Stevens.

- Thank you, Professor.

Well, gentlemen, shall we be going?

There are many other interesting

things to see.

Yes, let's be going.

- Good evening.

- Good night. Thank you for calling.

You know, this is a tough case.

There isn't much chance

of his strangling anybody with one hand.

- Oh, I agree with you.

- Well, that lets him out of the picture.

- Whose room is that?

- Professor Haines'.

Is there anything about him that might

justify my putting him under observation?

Well, of course, if you're just looking

for someone to hang suspicion on,

there's not a man on my faculty

that wouldn't come under that heading.

Then, you do know something

about this man Haines.

- No, not exactly, except...

- Except what?

- Well...

- Come on, come on.

Well, what is it?

Dr. Haines and two other scientists were

shipwrecked off Tahiti about a year ago

while making a study of the coral reefs

for the Killary Foundation.

Now what's that got to do with it?

- You say they were shipwrecked?

- Yes, they were adrift for 24 days.

Their supplies were exhausted.

When they were picked up,

Haines and one other were delirious.

The third had vanished.

There was no explanation at the time.

Haines later claimed the man had died,

and he had thrown the body overboard.

- I should like to meet him.

- Surely.

But I am sure

that he's not the guilty party.

The killer is a maniac,

and Dr. Haines is one of the most brilliant

men in the medical world.

- However, if you insist...

- I do.

Very well.

Professor Haines?

Yes. Yes, yes, come in. Come in, Doctor.

I want you to meet

Mr. Stevens and Mr. O'Halloran.

They're making a tour

of scientific investigation

and intend to honor our academy

for a short time.

- How do you do, gentlemen?

- Hope we're not disturbing you, Professor.

Not at all. I was just relaxing.

Professor Haines

is a most intensive worker.

I've just been telling Mr. Stevens

of your phenomenal experiments

in brain grafting.

Oh, Doctor, Doctor, come.

Come. I want to show you.

I want to show you a new type

of brain cell.

- That should be interesting, Professor.

- I'm sure you'll find it so.

- On the slide?

- Yes.

Look.

Relaxing.

Why did you bring the police in here?

Get them out quickly, or I'll...

Professor, do you experiment

with all these animals?

Mankind's benefactors.

Those little animals whose blood

most nearly resembles the human.

Yes. Yes, yes, of course. Of course.

But it's getting rather late, Professor,

and Mr. Stevens wants to see

the rest of the laboratories.

Now that he's met you,

he can call some other time.

- Delighted.

- Thank you, Professor.

- Glad to have met you. Good night.

- Good night.

Good night, gentlemen.

There's always a certain amount of danger

in a laboratory so...

He's certainly a strange type.

Well, such men are naturally strange,

Mr. Stevens.

Sometimes in the overdevelopment

of one part of the brain,

another part is weakened.

There's a type

who looks capable of anything.

Oh, I assure you, he's as timid as a lamb.

He's inclined to be attentive

to my daughter, so I see a lot of him.

- Who's the next?

- Dr. Rowitz.

He's the scientist who was with Haines

during the shipwreck.

If you'll step this way.

- Are you busy, Dr. Rowitz?

- Always, but it's a pleasure, gentlemen.

Oh, excuse me.

Mr. Stevens. Mr. O'Halloran.

- How do you do?

- How are you?

- Can I be of any service?

- Well, we are just looking around, Doctor.

- Oh, yes, of course.

- Good evening, Professor Duke.

- How are you feeling tonight?

- Horrible.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that.

Well, if it makes you feel sorry

to hear things like that,

then don't ask questions.

Oh, Professor Duke,

Mr. Stevens, Mr. O'Halloran.

How do you do? How do you do?

He's Dr. Rowitz's collaborator.

You're an astronomer, Doctor?

Not that, sir.

I have an interest

in the light qualities of the moon.

If you might suffer sunstroke,

might you not suffer some similar evil

- from the rays of the moon?

- Moonstruck, you mean?

Exactly, what we call lunacy,

from the word luna, meaning the moon.

Latin, you know.

However, the luna rays will never affect

you or me, sir.

- Because we are normal people.

- Sure.

It affects strangely certain neurotic types.

Yes, moon is powerful.

Why, twice a day it lifts

billions of tons of water at high tide

that wash the shores of the world,

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