Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte Page #8

to be the senior member

of this partnership?

Evidently not.

I didn't know

you had such a dulcet baritone.

You attended the wrong Sunday school

when I was a choirboy.

So you see, you joined this game

somewhat later than you thought.

Yeah, I did, indeed.

If you'd known earlier,

would you have trusted me

not to put real bullets in that gun?

No, ma'am, Miss Miriam.

I don't believe I would.

Now, we must be careful

not to overcelebrate too soon.

We've still got one more show to put on

first thing in the morning.

- So early?

- Yes.

I've some folks from

the State Institution come over here.

You mean I shall have to wring my hands

in abject misery and humiliation

at the disgrace of having

a member of our fine old family

committed to the local madhouse?

Fine old family indeed. Sam Hollis

was nothing but a thieving, fat fraud.

And furthermore, he and John Mayhew

were the biggest two damned womanisers

in the whole state of Louisiana.

Oh, dear, all that lovely money

that Big Sam sweated to get his hands on.

While we're spending it like water,

Charlotte will be weaving

lots and lots of little baskets.

Don't distress yourself, darling,

there's nothing wrong

with basket weaving.

Of course, it never cured anybody,

but it is most therapeutic.

I can just see Charlotte's face

when those doctors at the institution

call you in to confirm their opinion.

When she sees me walk in there,

she'll let out such a scream

they'll never let her out.

The way I heard it,

that Deering woman didn't have nothing

but a flimsy peekaboo dress on.

Yeah, me too, I heard that.

She and that Dr. Drew.

You didn't have to guess

what was goin' on there.

If you ask me, if you go to live

with a bloodthirsty maniac,

you're just asking for it.

She went on a real rampage.

I'll bet they'll never pin it on her,

just like back before.

Martha! Dora!

Ls this a day!

People droppin' like flies

every which way.

What's happened?

- Well, what, Nellie?

- You won't ever believe it, but it's so.

Jewel Mayhew - and I know

because I got it straight from Bessie.

Jewel Mayhew just went

and dropped dead this morning.

Oh, no.

She had a third stroke

and she was gone

before they even got

the doctor on the phone.

No.

- And just guess what brought it on.

- What?

It was when she heard

what happened over here last night.

Isn't that the most

extraordinary thing?

What is?

Oh, it was just a thought.

But suppose it was Jewel Mayhew who

really murdered her husband back in '27?

And supposing there was

a witness to the murder?

So?

That would explain why she didn't try

to collect on her husband's insurance.

She was afraid a routine investigation

might reveal her guilt.

Thus enabling the witness

to take advantage

of her silence and blackmail her,

bleeding her white.

What does that give you?

It would at least give us the timing

of Jewel Mayhew's death, and all this,

a sort of bizarre irony.

- Wouldn't it?

- Hey, you're not kiddin', are ya?

It would mean that Charlotte Hollis

had suffered all her life

for a murder she hadn't committed.

- You mean that's true?

- How should I know, old chap?

I'm just guessing.

Merely speculating, that's all.

Here she comes now.

- It's Charlotte Hollis.

- Look, there she goes.

- Here she comes!

- Hey, Miss Hollis, baby!

Over here.

Now give me another one.

Thank you, Miss Hollis.

Can I have one too, Miss Hollis?

She looks rather thin, don't she?

Sometimes they got their sane moments,

just like you and me.

Maybe so, but you ain't seen Dr. Drew

or that Deering woman lying in there.

Oh, she has to be crazy as a loon.

Poor woman.

I wouldn't wanna be in her shoes.

Miss Hollis, this letter's for you.

I think you've been waiting

a long time for it.

Sorry, everybody has to move back.

OK, let's go.

Marisa Castle de Joncaire

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