I Wake Up Screaming Page #8

I'm really a little unhappy about it.

Oh, forget it.

If I weren't sure

I'd be a success, I'd-

well, I'd never do

a thing like this.

I'm sure you'll be a success. You've got

a heart made out of rock candy.

- You won't forget me, will you?

- I won't for at least two weeks.

- Two weeks isn't very long, is it?

- It is for a columnist.

I'll tell you what I'll do. For the first

two weeks, I'll send you flowers every day.

It'll make a great impression

where you're going.

Oh, Larry,

will you really?

- Promise?

- I promise.

A promise is a promise.

I hope it still makes an impression...

wherever she is.

- I think it smells. What did you do after that?

- I left.

Was the boy at the switchboard

when you came down?

No. No, I remember the board

was buzzing as I passed by.

Did you notice anything unusual

about the room when you went in?

Yeah, now that you mention it. There seemed

to be the smell of cigarette smoke in the air.

I thought maybe

Jill had just left or-

Jill was at the office.

Good grief. You don't think

he did it, do you?

Now, do you understand

what you have to do?

- Give me a half hour, then telephone him.

- Frankie, I'm scared.

- Don't do it, please!

- This is the only chance I have.

I've gotta take it.

Good luck, dear.

Hold still.

I'd hate to put a hole in you.

Put that gun away, Frankie.

We've got enough against you as it is.

Not until you've heard me out. I got a lead

on the real killer, but I need your help.

Sorry, Frankie.

I'm on the other side of the fence.

Okay, then. I'll make you

a sporting proposition.

You trust me for just a half an hour,

and I'll trust you.

Well, I guess a half hour

won't do any harm.

- But I'll take that just in case.

- Come on.

[Switchboard Buzzing]

[Buzzing Stops]

[Jill] Hello, Harry.

This is Vicky.

[Buzzing Resumes]

[Buzzing Continues]

[Buzzing Stops, Resumes]

[Buzzing Stops]

Harry, this is Vicky!

Why did you do it, Harry?

Didn't you love me?

No! No!

[Whimpering]

[Sobbing]

Why did you do it?

- Come on now. Own up.

- I won't tell you.

- I won't tell you!

- You loved her, didn't you?

Go away!

Leave me alone!

You let yourself in with your passkey

and waited for her in the apartment.

When Evans came through the window

to let her in, you hid in the closet.

After he left, you came out.

You tried to grab her, and she screamed.

- You became frightened and killed her.

- I didn't know what I was doin'.

I swear. She screamed,

and I lost my head!

Sure. Sure, I understand.

- Do ya? Do ya?

- Sure.

I told a cop how it was

when he traced me to Brooklyn.

He said he understood too.

So he told me just to come back here and

keep quiet, and he'd forget all about it.

- What cop?

- Why, the big one.

- Ed Cornell?

- That's the one.

Did you hear that, Mac?

Cornell knew I was innocent

all the time.

[Switchboard Buzzing]

[Buzzing Stops]

Yes? Yes, Jill. Everything's all right.

He came through.

Oh, Frankie, I'm so glad.

I'll be right down.

Mac, I want

one more favor-

Five minutes alone

with Cornell.

Okay, Frankie.

I guess you got it comin' to you.

[Footsteps]

[Lock Clicking]

Hello, Cornell.

I hope you don't mind

my breaking in on you like this.

Have you come

to give yourself up?

I don't have to. I just had

a long talk with Harry Williams.

That must have been

very enlightening.

Yes. Very enlightening.

I'm a sick man, Frankie.

- At your soul, Cornell.

- Maybe.

You knew Williams was the one

that killed Vicky all the time.

- Sure. I'm not dumb.

- You knew it, and yet you wanted to fry me.

- That's right.

- Why?

Why didn't you go after Williams?

He was the one that killed her.

I lost Vicky long before

Williams killed her.

You were the one who took her

away from me, not him.

Don't make me laugh!

Yeah. I guess it must

seem funny to you-

a worm like me looking up

to a woman like that.

I followed her around for months before

I got up enough courage to speak to her.

I used to hang around

the restaurant at night...

to see that she

got home all right.

Then finally,

I got a chance to help her.

It was New Year's Eve.

Two guys tried

to get fresh with her, so I stepped in.

She seemed...

really grateful and...

friendly like.

We had a cup of coffee

together.

I saw her several times after that,

and it was always the same.

She took me on my own ground.

Then I started to hope that we

might get to know each other better-

that I might even get up enough courage

to ask her to... marry me someday.

I... took this apartment...

started to furnish it.

Bought the perfume she liked.

I intended to

surprise her with it.

Then you came along with your grand plans

of makin' somethin' of her!

Puttin' ideas into her head that she was

a glamour girl and all that kind of stuff!

Why didn't you

leave her alone?

She started gettin'

too good for me.

I felt like a fool

with this apartment.

I could've killed you then,

Christopher.

Why didn't you?

Because I had the hook in your mouth,

and I wanted to see you suffer.

Well, it's all over now, Cornell.

You're going to be put away.

Yeah, but not where

you think.

The guy who sold me

this medicine...

told me it would

cure everything.

[Jill]

Frankie!

Frankie,

are you all right?

Yeah, I'm all right.

Come on.

Let's get outta here.

##[Band]

Robin, I-

Why, who on earth

is that beautiful girl?

Mrs. Botticelli.

- I never saw her before in my life.

- I don't know either.

They're both strangers

to me.

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