Doors Open Page #8

just call the police! No, no.

Just give me a couple of hours.

I'm gonna go and sort it out.

It'll be OK.

Party for McKenzie!

All right, Glen?

Where's your pal, Gissing?

Don't know. I think he's done

a runner and taken the paintings.

You're free to take a look around

if you want.

You thought you were all so clever,

didn't you? Playing a little joke.

No, it's not like that. Calloway

is raging. The Geordies are raging.

Move! In the car.

Move!

Hiya, Mike! How you doing, Mike?

Nice to see your face.

All right, Charlie?

What is this?

What do you think this is?

What is this?

Well, I'm assuming it's not your

painting. Oh, you're assuming?

You're assuming correctly, McKenzie.

And I'm assuming you and

your pals have the original.

I don't have your painting.

Gissing stitched us up,

he's taken all the paintings,

mine, Allan's and... I

don't know how he's

done it yet, but he

swapped yours for a fake.

No. You came to me, you asked

for my help, I gave my help.

You gave me this picture, this

worthless piece of sh*t picture.

I passed it on to my friend,

in good faith,

as a down-payment

on an outstanding debt!

I'm getting bored.

He doesn't have your painting.

What... I'm an idiot.

What was I thinking? Mixing with

the likes of you, McKenzie.

Charlie, really not helping.

Your sh*t is my sh*t, remember?

Here we are, this is our sh*t,

and we're in it together.

I think we're getting off

the point here, lads.

I agree with you. Do you mind?

I can get you your money.

I can pay off Charlie's debts.

You're gonna have to give me

a day or two, my money's tied up.

In my business, my house, I've got

nothing under the mattress. No! Shite!

He's got loads of dosh.

Please, no. Jesus!

Don't involve him in this.

Give me till tomorrow. At least.

It's always manana with you jocks,

isn't it? Eh?

You better write a cheque, Mike,

you better do something.

I don't think you understand

the situation here.

I can take a hit for 200,000

if I have to.

Some sort of payment

has to be made today.

Now, I don't mind

if it's a painting,

I don't mind of it's cash.

Don't mind of it's good

old-fashioned flesh and bone.

(WHIMPERS) See.

But some sort of payment

must be made.

Aye. I've got no option.

So as it's your first offence...

..left foot or right foot?

I mean, do you have a preference?

Me?

(DOOR OPENS)

Hello. For the love of Christ...

Hello, yourself. Please, come in,

take a pew. Who's this, eh?

I dunno.

You got a plan, honey? Mm-hm. OK.

Erm, I don't know if this would

help, it's a John Patrick Monboddo,

Gissing left it for you in the

cottage, Mike. It is the original.

I wanted a big landscape. Eh?

A John Smart,

not a pissy little portrait.

OK. OK. Yes, but this one,

this one has a story.

Her name is Magdalena Dudek

and she was Polish and a singer.

Monboddo fell in love with her and

begged her to marry him. So she did.

Then after a couple of years,

she left him heartbroken

and they found him

in Paris with nothing.

Nothing apart from this portrait.

What's the asking price?

She's very marketable.

Probably a couple of hundred grand,

if not more

if you find the right buyer.

I'm gonna have to rush you.

Oh, aye?

Yes, I've called the police.

You what? Eh? Er...

(SIRENS APPROACH)

Christ! Oh, you stupid cow!

Better not be another forgery,

Charlie!

Come on, let's get out of here. You

know, I think I'll take it. Great.

(ALL SHOUT)

This way. This way.

Come on! Alan, are you OK?

Oh, yeah, fine.

I can't believe

you called the police.

Oh, God, we're gonna go to prison.

It's all right.

I just told them it was a fire.

(LAUGHS)

(SIRENS WAIL)

(MUSIC DROWNS OUT VOICES)

'My dear Michael,

and indeed, my dear Laura,

for I cannot write the one name

without thinking of the other.

I've been blessed with many things

in my life,

but I've never found the love

that so clearly exists between you.

My passion has always been

for my work.

Just as I know with absolute certainty

that the two of you should not be parted,

I hope you'll understand that I could not

be parted from my beloved paintings.

But I leave you the Monboddo

as a memento mori.

A symbol to remind you

that life is short,

that you must grab life

by the throat, smudges and all.

I will think of you.

And if you should ever

pass a thought in my direction,

I hope it will be a kind one.

Best wishes, Robert Gissing.'

At last

My love has come along

Bonjour.

# My lonely days are over

And life is like a song

Oh, oh, oh

At last

The skies above are blue

My heart was wrapped up in clover

The night I looked at you

And I found a dream

That I could speak to

A dream that I

Could call my own

I found a thrill

To press my cheek to

A thrill that I have never known

No! Mike, no.

Oh, yeah, you smile...

We were wondering about

this painting here.

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