I Bury the Living Page #5

Let me know.

Well, Bob, I see you followed

our wishes to the letter.

Come on, now.

I'll drive you home before

you catch pneumonia.

You three men made

a terrible contribution

to this town tonight,

whether you meant to or not.

I'm not going anywhere,

Uncle George.

I'm staying right here.

Well, I'll... I'll admit that, uh...

What with, uh, Charlie

and Bill going so suddenly...

Charlie and Bill and Henry

and lsham and Beth and Stu.

Stop looking at the map.

You're looking at it!

I'm looking at you.

And we're both waiting, aren't we, Uncle George?

Waiting to see if you escape.

Escape dying?

Nobody escapes that, my boy.

The only question is how long?

The only question is does a man die

in his own time or in the map's?

So far, everyone's

been forced to conform

to its schedule.

Everyone but you.

That puts me back on schedule.

My own schedule.

Well, if it makes you feel any better.

Let me tell you something...

From now on, if you want to see me,

you're going to have to

come down to the store.

I won't make another special trip

on your account.

The next time I see you, George,

we'll both be right here.

Desk.

Homicide.

Homicide.

This is Robert Kraft

out at Immortal Hills.

Clayborne speaking.

Lieutenant, my uncle just left here.

I think under the circumstances,

the least you could do

is put a man on

to watch over him,

no matter how ridiculous

the situation seems to you.

Thanks a lot, Mr. Kraft.

We'll take care

of it right away.

He's wearing an overcoat

over his robe and pajamas.

We put a description on the wire

quite some time ago.

Then, you do think

there's danger.

Sergeant, Kraft, George M.,

driving East on Bunker Hill.

Probable destination,

Manor Apartments...

We'll have your uncle

safe and sound

in 10 minutes, Mr. Kraft.

You'll hear from me.

Are you sure your uncle

was out there tonight?

You didn't just think

you saw him?

I told you he just left here.

That was two hours ago

and no sign of him anyplace.

I put out an all-points

after the first hour.

He's not on the road,

and he's not home.

Hold the wire, lieutenant.

You better come out, lieutenant.

He's still here.

O, where have you

been all the day?

Randal, my son

o, where have you

been all the day?

Andy!

Someone

I been out huntin', mother

I been out huntin', mother

make my bed soft, mother

make my bed soon

for I'm sick...

Andy!

McKee, I'm gonna

burn that stuff

in the greenhouse

if this heater doesn't

work by tonight.

Bobby, it took a whole

lifetime of collection

for me to get

the whole caboodle here.

And see here, you haven't

even touched your food.

Man, you've got to eat

if you want to keep above the ground.

Ah, lights for me, Bobby.

Of course, I cannot answer

for what happens after sundown.

Better wait in the car.

Irresistible, huh?

Aren't I crazy?

Completely.

I'll never change, I'm afraid.

Annie, uh, I'll see you later?

Bob, please.

I take it back.

What?

That day in the car...

I did see you,

and I did hear you.

I really did.

I should never have denied it.

It's all right, Annie.

I'll see you later.

Do you have a party

named Jacob Mittel

someplace on the map?

M-i-t-t-e-l.

The importer? Sure.

You know him?

Yeah.

We contact the French

designers through Mittel.

As a matter of fact,

he's in Paris now.

Better strike him out.

Jay?

Go ahead.

How did he die?

He isn't dead.

At least, not yet.

I know what you're

thinking, Mr. Kraft.

You're thinking

that we tricked you

into killing Jacob Mittel.

Well, you're 100 percent right,

so try to relax, huh?

This one's on the police.

You see, Jacob Mittel's

in the prime of life.

No previous major

illnesses, no record,

life expectancy exceptionally good.

He's in Paris with

all that ocean water

to protect him from this mess.

Up until now,

all the deaths

have been confined

to the local area.

If it strikes somebody

on another continent,

then, we've really

found something.

I knew I should have

gotten rid of those

pins four days ago.

Even the map.

The whole thing. Out!

What I want to know

is what are you

going to tell the

District Attorney

is responsible for these deaths?

We gave this case a real

full-dress investigation,

Mr. Kraft.

Questioned you and

all the other suspects

and witnesses until

the point of comedy.

Found nothing.

No motive, no opportunity,

no suspect, no crime, no weapon.

Except seven pins went in...

And the seven people died.

Not one... seven.

Who put in those pins?

You did. All seven.

Other chairmen and so on

have been putting pins

in that map for years

and nothing happened.

But... with me...

It isn't impossible for

a certain kind of man

to be endowed with powers

that nobody had ever

dreamed he could have.

A lot of scientists claim that.

Maps and pins can't kill alone,

the power of a human brain

has to be behind them.

Like in the Indies,

I guess.

Those voodoo dolls

you hear about.

Witch doctor sticks

pins in the thing

until the guy in question

is jinxed into dying.

Of course, I...

I know you didn't mean

to kill anybody.

I have to get back.

You'll hear from me

the minute we get word.

I think I best be

running along, too.

Bob...

I think so.

I destroyed them.

Something in me killed them.

Something in me...

But I... I couldn't refuse the job.

[Scoffs]

Not a man with my reasoning power.

Power...

If I have the power of death

using the black pins...

Then I must have

the power of life

using the white ones.

[Rumbling]

[Rumbling]

This is the cemetery.

That's right.

This is Rosemond Mittel.

Rosemond, I don't... yes.

Can't you hear me?

This is Rosemond Mittel, Jay's wife.

Rosemond. Yes.

I... just received a cable, Bob.

Can't you hear me?

You just received a cable

from Paris, France.

That's right.

I'll read it again.

"Regret to inform you,

Jacob W. Mittel died in

Hotel Royale."

"Body awaits disposition."

"Signed, American embassy,

Paris, France."

That's right. He died there.

Died in Paris, France.

Died.

Jacob W. Mittel.

Impossible.

Impossible.

He cannot be dead.

What? What?

You still think that

thing's the killer?

Or your own puny power, Mr. chairman?

The only power you

or that map ever had

was me, so as far as killing goes...

You... you marked them

for death, Mr. chairman,

but who did the deed?

Andrew McKee.

Oh, Andy, why?

You and your high and

mighty committee,

turning out a man with

40 years of service

on the grounds.

40 years.

I told you, Andy, a full pension.

It isn't a cash that

keeps a man going, lad,

what keeps his feet

on the ground,

and keeps him on the job

till the Lord makes him quit.

The Lord...

But nobody else.

This is my house, my lands,

my activities.

Aye, we come a long dark road

to put this gun to your head, Bob.

Andy, we never tried

to take anything

away from you.

Aye. I made sure of that.

I snuck up on each one

of them in turn

when they was alone

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