Family Plot

Someone is here.

Not closely.

Not willingly.

I feel a holding back.

What's the trouble, Henry?

Too many memories,

too much pain.

Too... much... sorrow.

Whoever is there with you,

tell them

to speak up, Henry.

Tell them to come closer.

I think I know

who it is, Madame Blanche.

I think I know

what's bothering her.

Her, is it?

Never you mind, Miss Rainbird.

I won't have you doing

Henry's work for him.

Now, let's have it,

my love. That's why

we're here tonight.

To help my friend

be rid of her torment.

She has a right

to rest her weary head

on a pillow each night...

and sleep the peaceful

sleep of the angels.

H- How did you know

about my troubled sleep?

Who told you?

Her nights cannot go on

like this much longer.

I- I never told a soul

about my nightmares.

How could you...

Who is this person

who arrives...

in our presence tonight,

but does not dare

to come close to us?

It's her.

It's my sister Harriet.

- It must be.

She stays her distance,

Julia Rainbird,

for she does not feel...

your love or

your kindness yet.

There is selfishness

where you are.

I've had all

I can take from her.

Night after night,

coming into my dreams.

Whining, complaining,

trying to make me feel guilty,

as though I need her

to tell me right from wrong.

Tell her I know

what has to be done.

I've been wanting

to do it for a year.

But it is I, Julia Rainbird,

who has made the decision.

I don't need her

to goad me on!

They're making me ill

with their ugly words

in my ugly dreams.

Tell her to stop it,

to go away and

leave me alone.

Oh, no. No, no.

Don't let her go!

- Don't let her go away.

- Harriet?

Harriet, stay

with us, Harriet.

Your sister wants

to speak to you now,

from the depths of her soul.

What's wrong? What is it?

She says,

"I've waited so long...

"to hear from you, Julia.

I've been so unappy

without you."

It is you, Harriet.

Oh, I'm so sorry!

I- I should never

have made you do it.

Oh, it's all past now.

But I'll do what I can

to make up for it.

If he's still alive,

I'll find your son.

And I'll take him

in my arms and love him...

as if I were you,

my poor Harriet.

And I'll...

I'll make him one of us.

And give him everything.

Everything!

Far away.

So far, far away.

Bu-But I need her.

I need her help.

I can't do it alone.

You see,

I need her memory.

It's over 40 years ago,

and I don't know where

the child was taken...

or who it was given to.

I don't know where

he is now or who he is.

The true measure of

Julia Rainbird's love...

lies in what she does now,

with your help,

of course, and mine,

and that of

the dear, departed one...

who has

drifted so far from us.

We understand him.

Don't we, Miss Rainbird?

Oh, yes. Yes, I do.

I'm willing to do

anything. Anything at all.

In the end, there

will be happiness.

From the tears of the past,

the desert of the heart

will bloom.

Good-bye, Julia Rainbird!

Good-bye, Blanche.

Good-bye.

Madame Blanche!

Are you all right?

Oh. It was...

What in the worid's

been going on here?

I feel as though I've

been properly done over.

Don't you remember

what happened?

Mm-mm.

Not the details,

Miss Rainbird, only the gist,

if you know what I mean.

Suppose you give me

the gist of it.

Oh well, I wonder...

Could I trouble you

for a sip of something?

Ju-Just...

Oh, of course.

What would you like?

Oh, a double shot

of anyth...

A spot of that sherry

might be nice.

Oh, yes. Of course.

Thank you.

- Now, tell me what

you remember of the seance.

- In a nutshell?

Please.

Well...

About 40 years ago,

you arranged to have...

your sister Harriet's

baby given away

without a trace.

And now your bad dreams

and troubled conscience

tell you...

to find the grown-up

person, take him

into the family...

and bestow

your wealth on him.

Excellent.

Thank you.

And why did

I force my sister

to give the child away?

I guess the kid

was a... illegitimate,

Miss Rainbird.

I don't want you

to think me a puritan,

Madame Blanche.

But 40 years ago,

an unmarried mother...

was not the commonplace

it is nowadays.

And in a family like ours,

a scandal had to be

covered up at all costs.

I understand.

And I'm still

sufficiently old-fashioned,

and sufficiently protective

of the Rainbird name,

to want to seek

the missing heir...

in a private

and secret fashion,

rather than go

to detective agencies...

and put notices

in the newspapers.

A most wise decision,

Miss Rainbird.

Well, now, suppose

we get to the reason...

for my sending for you.

I'm 78 years of age.

I would like

to go to my grave

with a quiet conscience.

Particularly as I know

that my only heir

is out there somewhere,

deprived by my acts

of his true Rainbird name.

Will you help me

with your powers?

If in your heart

you believe that I can,

then I owe it

to both of us

to try, Miss Rainbird.

No, I'm too old

for trying.

I've only time enough

left for results!

Find him for me, Madame Blanche.

Use your spirit-control,

your "Henry."

Get through to my sister.

Find her son,

whoever he is,

wherever he is,

and I'll pay you $10,000.

Te...

Only if you genuinely

wish to, Miss Rainbird.

But let's

not think of this

as a payment to me.

There are many causes

dear to my heart,

which need

all the charity

the worid can spare.

You've no idea

how refreshing it is

for a woman of my wealth...

to find someone

who has so little use

for money.

Thank you.

Well, now, I regard

our arrangement as completed.

I... It's my bedtime.

I must take leave

of your delightful company.

This has been

a most memorable evening

for me, Miss Rainbird.

See to it that you

make it a rewarding one.

At the risk

of repeating myself,

I hope

you will not forget...

that nobody,

absolutely no one,

should know

of our search.

The Rainbird name

must be protected.

My jaw is locked.

On that note, I will

say good-bye, and

thank you for coming.

So, how'd it go?

I don't know.

Having to do Henry

is murder on my throat.

Murder.

Yeah, yeah.

I know.

- So how did it go?

- She's hooked,

waiting to be pulled in.

Another one

of your $25 sardines?

No. This is a big one,

George. A great big whale.

Well, come on. Give.

Keep your eyes on the road.

Don't rush me.

Okay, Blanchie.

Start way up

at the top.

Well, it was as simple

as A-B-C. Henry came to me

from the Upper Brightness,

whispered to me,

"This womars been having

sleep problems."

From there on, things

followed naturally, logically.

Aha! So I came

through for you again,

didn't I, darlir?

No. What are you

talking about, George?

What do you mean,

what am I talking about?

You know damn well

what I'm talkir about.

All that information

that I dug up by gabbir

to the local druggist...

about how she was

drivir him crazy...

tryir to get sleeping pills

without a prescription!

That could have been

very, very useful to me.

Why didn't you

tell me about that?

What do you mean, why didn't

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