Fallen Angel Page #8

married a man with a peculiar taste.

You can still get out of it.

Promise me you'll never

say that again.

Okay. I promise.

It's 10:
00.

The bank just opened.

Let's go.

[Man]

Papers! Get your morning papers!

Get your morning papers here.

Early edition papers.

Early edition paper.

Papers! Morning papers.

Paper, sir?

You wait here.

I'll be right back.

- Shine, sir?

- All right.

Morning papers.

Early edition papers.

Papers! Early edition papers.

Morning papers here!

Papers!

- Mrs. Stanton.

- Yes?

Will you come with us,

please?

[Siren Wailing]

[Man]

Get your morning papers!

Here.

But I ain't finished yet.

Now let's be sensible.

We've been here for hours.

[Clangs]

Tell us where he is.

We're bound to find him soon.

[Clangs]

Mrs. Stanton,

you're not helping him or yourself...

getting mixed up in this murder

as an accessory after the fact.

If he doesn'twant to come back,

he must have a reason.

What reason could an innocent man have?

Assuming he's innocent.

He is.

He could never have done it.

How can you say that?

You know very little

about him.

He came into town a total stranger,

and within a week he married you.

All to his credit

of course.

But why this trust in him?

A man who went out to see another woman

the night of your marriage.

That's between the two of us.

Ask Miss Clara Mills

to come in.

Miss Mills, please.

-June.

- Sit down, Miss Mills.

In your sworn statement

you identified this envelope...

which was found in

your safe-deposit box...

as the one

Mr. Stanton gave you.

Would you please

repeat that for your sister?

Yes.

This is the envelope he gave me

after they were married in San Francisco.

Why did he want you

to put it away?

He said it contained

something valuable.

Mm-hmm.

Would you care to see your husband's

valuable property, Mrs. Stanton?

A blank piece of paper.

Now, why would a man want to put a blank

piece of paper in your safe-deposit box?

I'll tell you.

It gives him the excuse to open the box-

to steal your money-

No, he wouldn't. Whatever he did,

he- he did because he was confused.

He knew what he was doing. He wanted that

money so he could run away with that girl.

- But he didn't run away with her.

- No. He made the mistake

of coming back a married man...

and she didn't want to have

anything to do with married men.

- They had an argument, and he killed her.

- You're only assuming that.

-You have no proof.

- All right.

But why shield a man who lied to you,

who wanted to steal from you...

when you have positive proof

that he married you for your money?

He didn't lie to me, and he isn't guilty.

I know he isn't.

He only ran away

because he had to.

He's always had to run away-

all his life-

even as a child when he was beaten

for things he didn't do.

But he won't come back

because of you.

Because you won't give him a chance.

You only think the worst of him.

Trying to make him guilty

of murder when he didn't do it!

I tell ya! He didn't do it!

He didn't do it!

- [Sobbing]

-Take her home now.

You're responsible

she doesn't leave the house.

[Sobbing Continues]

Not the same, Mr.Judd.

I think I'll sell the place.

[Bell Jingles]

Hello, Pop.

Some coffee, please.

I knew you'd be back.

Yeah.

Well, drink your coffee,

and we'll go down to the chief of police.

Thanks.

Enjoy San Francisco?

Sure. How come

you didn't go after me?

I didn't have to.

And how come there wasn't a word

about Stella's murder in the papers?

- Why are you holding it back?

- Professional reasons.

And was it for professional reasons

you beat up Atkins...

when all the time

you knew he was innocent?

You don't seem to appreciate

my methods, Mr. Stanton.

Frankly, no.

That's what

brought me back.

You know, I gotworrying

about you in San Francisco.

About me?

Yes, Mr.Judd. You know, you ought to stay

home nights with your bad health...

not walk the streets.

Like the night you said you saw me

looking for Stella.

More coffee, Pop.

You know, you weren't strong enough

to keep on working on the New York force.

Why are you working so hard

on this case?

- Maybe you better slow down.

- Don't you worry about me.

I'm okay.

I said I wanted more coffee, Pop.

Get it.

I don't worry about you, Mr.Judd.

Not anymore.

Not since I called a friend of mine

in the D.A.'s office in New York.

He assured me you were in perfect health

when you left there.

They only retired you from the force

because you ruined another man's health.

Almost killed him

in a routine investigation.

They would have sentyou up

if you hadn't had such a good record.

That was before you started

to enjoy your work too much.

Wearing gloves, you know.

And what's more, I checked up on-

That's enough.

Save it for the chief.

There you are, Pop.

Oh, you remember

that watch?

The one with the three diamonds

that belonged to Stella.

- Ever find out who bought it for her?

- Perhaps.

You know, you made

your fatal mistake, Judd...

when you had June arrested

up in San Francisco.

Oh, you scared me

at first all right.

But then I stopped,

and I began to think.

And I kept right on thinking

about that watch.

And I started a little

routine investigation of my own.

The result is the Walton Police

will get a wire from San Francisco.

They'll know who bought

that watch by tomorrow morning.

That is,

unless you admit it tonight.

Shall we go?

Oh, I came in a police car.

They're waiting outside.

I thought it would be more convenient.

Sit down.

You don't mind

if I finish my coffee.

You're insane, Judd.

The police are waiting right outside.

Perhaps I am insane.

Perhaps this might have been the perfect

crime if I hadn't dropped the watch.

Although I doubt it.

- There's always some slip.

- Yeah. There always is.

You understand.

You know what she was like.

You couldn't

get away from her either.

Two years

I came in here and drank coffee...

just to get

a look at her.

Day after day

for two years.

Insane. Perhaps.

Those evenings when

she went out with other men...

while I was waiting for her

in the shadow of the porch.

Remember three nights ago

when you brought her home...

and kissed her?

I was standing there.

Insane. Perhaps.

Night before last,

when she was out with Atkins.

After he left,

I went up.

When she told me she wouldn't wait any

longer for my wife to give me a divorce...

that she was going to marry that

slot machine operator the next morning...

I hit her.

Unfortunately

I didn't remember my ring.

Get out of the way,

Mr. Stanton! I'm gonna kill him!

He murdered Stella!

I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna kill him!

[Bell Jingles]

Let's go.

[Ballad]

[Man Singing]

You gotta forget it, Pop.

[Continues]

No. I'll never

forget Stella.

You will.

I felt the sameway

myself until-

Ah, you'll find yourself, Pop.

- [Door Opens]

- [Bell Jingles]

- [June]Eric.

- [Continues]

- Where to?

- Home.

[Ends]

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