Family Plot Page #3

I never heard anything

except a disembodied voice

of a loudspeaker.

- Describe it.

- But I've already done that.

Again!

It was the voice

of a man, no accent.

- Doctored up electronically.

Unrecognizable.

- How many of them were there?

Two. A man and a woman.

Why do you say that?

Because the faintest light

filtered down from above.

But not enough

to give me a chance

to see who they were.

- Yes, and who did the cooking?

- She did.

Why?

Because a man would not

bother to put the parsley...

on the filet of sole,

that's why.

- How old is she?

- Come on, now. Please.

How old is she?

Twenty-five.

- Why?

- Why?

Because if a man my age

is gonna get kidnapped

by a woman,

he wants her

to be 25, that's why.

- Describe your return.

- The return.

The disembodied voice

tells me to sit with

my back to the door.

The light goes out,

the door opens,

they both come in.

I feel a prick

in my left arm.

The next thing I know,

I wake up

in that hospital bed...

with you sitting there,

thinking up questions!

Thank you, Mr. Constantine.

You're doing great.

- That's what you think.

- All right, let's start

all over again.

Aw, sh*t!

Why, Henry, you have such

a beaming smile on your face.

I smile because

I'm happy, Blanche.

It comes through you, Blanche,

from your friend, Ida Cookson.

I'm her guide, Henry.

Friendship can be claimed only

when it cannot be denied.

Tell Ida Cookson

we're all thankful here...

for the warm tranquility

in her heart.

It will grow even warmer

as she trusts in you,

and confides in you, and holds

back no secrets from you...

be they her own, or those

of her intimate friends.

Did you hear that,

Mrs. Cookson?

Yes, Madame Blanche.

Henry, I want you

to seek Walter for us now.

Search through

to the Double Strand

of Kindness, until...

my friend Ida Cookson

is joined in loving

communication...

with her dear,

departed husband.

I will try, Blanche.

But first, the mist

must part a little,

and the veil must rise...

to let in the light

that will show us the path.

Ah, I'm ready now, Henry.

Ready! Ready to follow you,

wherever you want me to go.

Where? Where are

you taking me, Henry?

Yes, yes, yes!

I see.

I see your hand

beckoning to me.

Oh, what a lovely garden,

Henry.

My, my. Oh!

Is that...

Is that a statue there?

Oh! Could this be

Walter standing

beside the fountain?

How can you do this to me?

I need your car keys.

I'm in a hurry.

Oh!

Do you realize what damage

you can do my psyche,

breaking in this way?

Just give me your keys.

I need 'em.

Yes, Henry!

What for?

I've located the daughter

of the Rainbird chauffeur.

And I'm not going

as a cab driver.

Oh!

What am I supposed to do

without my car?

I don't care what you do.

Take a taxi.

Just give me the keys.

The trees are swaying!

And the branches part!

But there's no one there!

Here.

I see shadows falling!

The air is getting cold!

The brightness... dims.

Good-bye, Henry!

Oh!

Did you find Walter?

- Where?

- In the kitchen.

I did.

I wonder if I could speak

to you for a couple minutes,

Mrs. Hannagan.

Why, sure.

Do we know each other?

No, I'm Frank McBride,

of the law firm of Ferguson,

Ferguson & McBride,

and I just wondered

if you would mind...

answering a couple questions

about your background.

My background?

Mm-hmm.

Dull as dishwater.

I mean, what

in the worid would you

be wanting with that?

Well, let's just say

that the, uh,

information that

I'm interested in could be

won'th a great deal of money.

Oh, yeah?

To who?

Mm-hmm.

Well, we'll get around

to that pleasant little subject

in a minute, if you don't mind.

Okay.

Oh, swell.

Now, why don't we just

start at the beginning?

Your parents.

Oh, they're both dead.

God rest 'em.

Your father was a chauffeur,

though, right?

How did you know that?

He was a chauffeur

for the Rainbird family.

Right again!

You'd be a hell of

a detective, Mr. McBride.

I don't know about that,

my dear.

Now, during this period

of time, though, can you

remember anybody, uh,

being a close friend

of your father's?

Uh, there was a man.

It was away back

when I was in school.

Uh, there was this guy

that my father used to

drink beer with...

and shoot pool with

down in the village.

This Harry Shoebridge

had a poultry shop

with his wife, Sadie.

Shoebridge.

Yeah.

His business

was always lousy,

even when times

were good.

And she used to

have miscarriages...

like other women

have birthdays.

Well, they

stopped trying, and

they moved away...

to Barlow Creek,

and, uh, adopted

a kid, I think.

A boy?

Yeah.

An infant.

But, you know,

I'm not so sure.

I... It's all kind

of hazy, an-and, uh,

I keep connecting

it with...

Well, I remember

this night...

with my Dad driving

over there...

to the Shoebridge's

all alone, and then

getting in...

a big fight with Ma

because he'd come home

at 4:
00 A.M.,

and he wouldn't

tell her what he was

doing or something.

Now, after my dad

passed away...

God rest his soul...

my ma was damn mad

at the Shoebridge's,

because they

never showed up

at the funeral.

Then she

found out why.

Why?

Ayear earlier,

they'd gone to

their own funeral.

Dead?

Mm-hmm.

Their house burned down

with them in it.

Well, what about the son?

Mrs. Hannagan!

Can't you see that

there are customers?

Oh, yes. Yes.

I'll be right there.

She'll be right there, ma'am.

Uh-Uh, look, um,

Mr. McBride,

about all this being

won'th something...

Mrs. Hannagan!

Yeah.

Wait a second.

This Shoebridge son...

where do I look for him?

Well, try the Barlow

Creek Cemetery.

What do you mean, the cemetery?

Well, I'm not sure, but

I think he's dead, too.

Sorry!

Dead end, Blanche.

Dead and buried.

Caretaker.

Do somethir for you?

I'm a friend of the family.

None left.

Bad business, that.

You mean the fire?

Never liked them

multiple funerals.

Too much work involved,

all at one time.

They died together,

yet they're not...

buried together

in the same hole.

How come?

Search me.

Here. Look.

Died in 1950.

Died 1950.

Both died the same date.

Old stone.

This is practically

new stone.

- Smart fellow, ain't ya?

- Why? Have I stumbled

on to something?

Well, nice meetir ya.

Better get back to my work.

I got a job comir

in here tomorrow.

Turn that damn thing

down, Marcella.

Can't even hear

myself think.

How do you expect me

to remember anything

that far back?

I'd have to go through

my old files for that

kind of information.

Well, Mr. Wheeler,

I hate to insist...

You know something,

Mr. McBride?

You lawyers

are all alike.

Trouble,

trouble, trouble.

Well, come on.

I don't have all day.

What year did you say

the family died?

Uh, 1950.

What month?

Ah, I can't

help you there.

Shoebridge. Shoebri...

Yeah, go ahead.

Can I sit down?

Shoebridge.

Shoebridge.

Oh, here it is.

"Shoebridge:
Harry and Sadie.

"Large marble.

Model 28.

"Paid in full.

Check number 93.

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