High Wall Page #5

He's going to be out of there and

in the county jail in a few days.

He wants me

to testify for him.

What a generous fella

he is.

Suppose I sent you

to Florida

for the entire

winter.

That wouldn't prevent your arthritis

from coming back

next year

and the year after that, would it?

It's hard to say, Mr. Whitcombe.

It would be a shame

to see you suffer

year after year.

Aah!

You've made a sale for yourself, Doctor.

I'm buying

narcosynthesis.

I'm glad, Mr. Kenet.

Dr. Langley?

This is Dr. lorrison.

Would you please look in on

my 2 patients in hydrotherapy?

I'm tied up this afternoon.

Thank you.

What made you

change your mind?

The other day I told you the

blanks in my memory were an asset.

Yes.

Today they're a liability.

Why?

Maybe I didn't kill her.

Since yesterday,

I'm not so sure.

Well, we'll try this and see.

Narcosynthesis is really quite simple.

Yes, I know.

You do?

I've seen it used.

How far under

am I going, Doctor?

Just below

the surface.

You'll remember everything you say.

Well, about

my loss of memory,

that's only part true.

I suspected that.

Don't start

at the beginning.

I remember

getting off the plane,

going home,

seeing my mother.

I remember other things, too,

only they're not important.

You can gain a lot of time by

starting at 106 maple street.

I want to know everything that

happened there. That's where I'm hazy.

What's 106 maple street?

I've never heard you

mention that before.

That's right. Just go ahead

and question me about it.

Start there.

All right.

Now, just relax.

Flex your hand, please.

Now hold it that way.

Count backwards from a hundred, Steve.

100...

99...

98...

Don't forget to start

at 106 maple street.

97...

96...

94...

91...

Steve,

can you hear me?

Yes.

We're going back,

back to the municipal airport.

You're home, home from Burma. Remember?

Yes. I remember.

Tell me about it, Steve.

Tell me everything.

We're circling the airport.

It's coming in

on the east/west runway.

It's a good landing.

The airport

hasn't changed a bit.

Are you glad

to be home, Steve?

Yeah. It's great.

Wonderful.

What's funny, Steve?

I just can't believe it. He was

riding a kiddie car when I left.

Steve! Steve! Steve!

Hello, mom.

You're really home.

For the next hundred years, I hope.

You look wonderful.

Oh, I feel grand now, son. I've

prayed for this day a long time.

Where's Dickie?

He's in school.

In school? I keep thinking

he's still 4 years old.

Wait until you

see him, son.

He's been the man of the house

since you've

been away.

Throw it down anywhere.

Ok, mom.

Anyplace, anyplace.

Oh, I'm so glad

to have you home, son.

I'm glad

to be home, mom.

Sit down, dear.

You must be tired.

No. I'm not

too tired, mom.

Hey, you've had this chair

restuffed, haven't you?

Where's Helen,

out shopping?

Oh, she's at the office.

What office?

Well, Helen has been

working more than a year now.

What for?

The company sent you checks

every month, didn't they?

Of course. Helen was bored

around the house.

How about a cup of coffee?

It's ready on the stove.

Wait a minute, mom.

Wait a minute.

What do you mean, bored?

What about?

Now, Steve, there really wasn't enough

to keep Helen

busy at home.

We wrote you

all about it.

It still bothers you, doesn't it, son?

No. It's all right, mom.

Really.

I'll fix the coffee.

You didn't get that

operation in Burma, did you?

No.

You promised me you

would in your last letter.

Well,

I wanted to get home.

I'll have it done here.

It's nothing much.

How about you?

What do the Doctors say?

Oh, I'm through

with Doctors

now that you're finished with flying.

You are,

aren't you, Steve?

That's right, mom. I'm

grounded from here on in.

Oh, Professor Adams

told me

they're holding that research fellowship

open for you

at the university.

Yes, he wrote me.

Of course, the salary is still a

joke, but I've budgeted everything.

And with the bonus money

I've saved,

we should be able to make

it last at least 5 years.

I won't stand for any

more of Helen's objections.

Now, Steve, money

seems important

to a young

and pretty girl.

Sure, but she's got to learn there

are other things in this world.

Has she got the car?

Mm-hmm.

I think I'll run into town

and ride back with her.

It's too early, Steve.

She doesn't get

through until 5:
00.

She'll be through when I

get there. I'll see to that.

I beg your pardon. Mrs. Kenet.

Helen Kenet, please?

She isn't in.

Has she gone for the day?

What was it you wished?

Well, I just came home.

I'm her husband.

Oh, of course.

The flier.

Helen is on an errand.

She left just a few minutes ago.

I think-wait.

Here's the address.

You'll catch her if you hurry.

Thank you.

Hurry!

Electrician, plumber, carpenter...

Mr. Whitcombe's apartment, please.

Oh, my back is killing me.

Second floor, end of the hall.

You'll have to walk. I'm busy.

Forget your key, darling?

I left

the door open.

Oh, Steve.

Why, darling, if I'd have

known you were coming,

I'd have flown to San

Francisco to meet you.

Oh, no, Steve.

You're wrong.

Well, what you're

thinking is wrong.

Well, you've got

to let me explain.

Well, Steve, I tell you,

I can explain.

Listen to me. You're sick.

Let me take you home.

Steve, don't you hear me?

Think of Richard.

You remember Richard,

don't you?

You remember your own son?

Think, Steve!

I'm his mother!

Oh, no! No!

No!

Something's missing.

Something's missing.

Something in

the apartment is missing.

What was that

about a carousel?

Probably a dream.

I don't know yet.

No, no. Aside from that.

There's something missing.

Well, let's not

worry about it now.

Often the first

treatment is inconclusive.

We'll clear all the details up later

when we have

another try.

No. I've got

to find out now.

The apartment's

the only answer.

If I could

just see it again,

if I could

remember everything,

maybe I didn't kill her.

We can get the court

to give you an order

and have the police take

you to the apartment.

Everything I said

in here is confidential

between Doctor

and patient, isn't it?

Certainly.

Steve, do you remember what happened

after you picked up

her coat?

Yeah. I carried her down the fire

escape and put her in the car,

on account

of mother and Richard.

I couldn't have her found

in his apartment.

Then I drove the car off the

bridge, tried to kill myself.

No. It's before that,

in the apartment.

If I could only remember

what's missing.

Steve, be realistic.

Don't delude yourself.

There is only

one thing missing.

You refuse to admit

to yourself consciously

the true motivation

for killing her.

You had no proof that she'd

been unfaithful to you.

It goes deeper

than that,

back into your own

relationship with your wife.

It was a wartime

romance, wasn't it?

Yes. I was home on leave.

We met and got married.

A week later,

I was back in Europe.

You'd been an important

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