Lady in the Lake Page #10

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Yes. Chrystal and I traded clothes|one night. She had on mine, I had on hers.

We went across the lake to see|if we could fool my husband, Bill Ches.

And Chrystal fell in the lake|and sank to the bottom?

- Yes, and I didn't know what to do.|- So you ran away to El Paso.

- I didn't at all.|- You met Lavery in El Paso.

His death was an accident, too?

- He took a gun into the bath with him.|- I don't know.

He was the only one who knew|the real identity of the lady in the lake.

Wasn't he, Mildred?

I'm looking for that money, mister, and|you'd better have it right here. Stand still.

What for? A little.25 caliber|with the safety catch on?

Drop it. Come on, sister. Drop it.

Never kill a man|when he's looking at you, Mildred.

I'm frightened. I'm so frightened.

Get me out of here.

Please get me out of here.|Take me with you anywhere.

I'll bet that went big with Lavery.

- It went big with DeGarmot, too, didn't it?|- Who?

The boy who covered up for you|on the Almore case.

Every time you look at a man,|he falls over.

You misunderstand me.|You just don't understand me at all.

I got into trouble,|but I really am a nice girl.

You're a lovely girl.

You know something?|You really would like my hair blonde.

It's really nice blonde. I really am all right.

You've got to understand|that I really am all right.

Being a detective,|you can understand how a girl...

even if she is nice,|can get into a lot of trouble.

I am nice, aren't I?

Sure, I'd like to play dolls with you.

That's the cops, Mildred.

I invited them up|to meet Chrystal Kingsby.

They're going to be quite surprised|to see you, even happily surprised.

Come in, Adrienne,|and bring the gallant Captain with you.

Get them up, Marlowe.

Kill him.

Hello, honey.

Won't you speak to me, honey?

Don't look so surprised.|That wasn't me that fell in the lake...

He doesn't like you anymore, Mildred.

Oh, yes, he does. Don't you, honey?|You weren't expecting him, were you?

He was expecting the other cops, not you.

He's gonna kill you, Mildred.

No, he isn't.

Are you, honey?

It's been a long time since he saw you.

Ever since you double-crossed him|and ran away...

and changed your name to Muriel and|married some poor little guy named Ches.

- He's been looking for you.|- Have you, honey?

Why don't you laugh like he's laughing?

- Kill him and let's get out of here!|- No. You're not going any place, Millie.

You forget I'm a cop.

People aren't safe with a woman like you|in the world. They have to be protected.

I never expected to find you here tonight.|I thought you were dead.

I wish you were,|because you're a murderess.

This time, dead's the way|I'm gonna leave you.

You're out of your mind.

Yes, I was, on the night Florence Almore|died and you made a sucker out of me.

Even after you ran away, I still loved you.|You made a clown out of me, a bad cop.

But tonight's the end of it, and of you.

Don't do it. She's the killer.|Don't get yourself involved.

- Take her in if you're a good cop.|- I don't want you talking.

The Almore case won't come up.

They'll convict her for Chrystal's|murder or Lavery's. You'll be clear.

I'll be clear.

This is her gun.|If both of you die by it, I'll be clear.

She shot you. You got the gun|and shot her. But after that, you died.

I'll be clear|because I'll be the officer investigating it.

- DeGarmot, you're a fool.|- No, I'm no fool!

You said something|about being a good cop.

I'll be one after tonight.|I'll be the best cop in the world.

Regular, they'll be able to set their clocks|by me. Don't do that to me, peeper!

You'll crawl off some other direction.

Now tonight, you're both going,|both of you.

And after tonight, I'm gonna do everything|that everybody else does and be clean.

- She isn't going to hurt anybody anymore.|- No.

- She's all through killing.|- No.

Please. Please wait.

Don't, honey.

We were going to be a guy and his girl,|that's the way you said.

- I remember those very words.|- Yeah. I remember everything.

All our dreams can come true|if you'll only just...

Please, I love you.|Remember, I'm your girl!

First you cover up a murder for her,|and then you kill her.

It doesn't make sense, does it?

It doesn't make sense, does it?

- Some things don't.|- Petticoat fever?

- Yeah, we all get it, peeper. We all get it.|- I had petticoat fever myself.

I took a chance and lost.

When you walked in that door instead|of Kane, a lot of things suddenly ended.

I'm scared, but it isn't wonderful anymore.

I'll say you lost.

My drunk drive frame didn't stick,|but this one will.

How does it feel dying in the dirty middle|of somebody else's love affair?

I don't want to seem selfish,|but I'm thinking of my own.

Sure, I followed the rice here.|Thanks very much.

I followed it and kicked it into the street|so nobody else could.

So don't expect any friends or relations.

- How did you know about it?|- How do you suppose? Your girl, Adrienne.

- That's a lie!|- How else do you think I'd know?

How does it feel on you?

That was a cheap gag, that rice.

But that's the way all private d*cks end up.|A last cheap trick. A double-cross.

You're in the some boat that I am,|but you're going to be in it dead.

I never thought you'd get here, Kane.

There's nobody back of me, Marlowe.

You think I'd turn my head|and let you jump me?

Be careful, Kane.|That gun of his is pointed right at me.

Cut it out, will you?|That "look at the birdy" gag.

You better get him with the first slug,|or he'll get me.

Shut up!

Are you all right?

Yeah. I'm all right.

Been here a lot sooner,|but DeGarmot messed up your trail of rice.

- You got the story on all this, Marlowe?|- Yeah, I got the story.

- All right, let's have it.|- I'll write it.

I'll see that you get the first copy,|fresh out of the typewriter.

- What about her?|- That's Mildred Havelend.

She murdered the Almore woman,|Chrystal Kingsby, and Chris Lavery.

- And he killed her?|- Yeah.

He had a wonderful motive.|He was in love with her.

As for Adrienne, there was only one hitch.

DeGarmot heard her telling Kane|where I was, so he got to me first.

Those things happen sometimes.|But Adrienne...

- May I come in?|- Yes, come in.

- Have you got the tickets?|- Yes, to New York. One-way.

- Are you scared?|- Yes, but it's wonderful.

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