Lady in the Lake Page #4

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Not bad in this light.

- What did you find at the lake?|- Snow.

Who's being cute now?

You are.

There'll be an item on your bill|for bribes I spent...

finding out Muriel Ches had another name.

- What?|- Yeah, Mildred Havelend. Ever hear of her?

Muriel Ches married|your boss's caretaker...

after meeting him|in a bar in San Bernadino.

But her real name was Mildred Havelend.

And she married Ches|because she wanted a place to hide.

It seems that a tough cop was after her.

- What's this got to do with Chrystal?|- I'm coming to that.

She and Muriel, or shall I call her Mildred,|fought over a man.

What man?

The guy I was giving the $20 bills to|claimed he didn't know his name.

- But I suppose you do.|- Yeah.

I stopped beating|his brains out with money...

and started snooping for myself,|and look what I found.

"To Mildred, from Chris."

It was hidden in a sugar can|in Mrs. Kingsby's cabin.

- There could be any number of Chrises.|- Don't say a thing like that.

That's our boy Lavery.

That ties him up with two missing women,|Chrystal and Muriel.

Do you think he drowned Muriel Ches?

He would have drowned me|if there'd been any water handy.

No, I'm sure it must have been|Chrystal Kingsby.

She fought with Muriel over a month ago.|You just said so.

Muriel's been found dead,|and Chrystal's missing.

And from now on, Marlowe's missing.

- What's the matter now?|- Maybe she did it, maybe she didn't.

Give me the dough I put out for expenses|and I'll go on home.

Without finding Chrystal Kingsby?

You want me to find her|so she can be locked up?

There wouldn't be enough evidence.

Maybe you could find something else.|A gun, maybe.

Why don't you just look beautiful?

Quit worrying about guns...

and dead females, and missing ones...

and that million bucks you want to marry.

- She drank a lot, she had a violent temper.|- Start being a woman.

Quiet down long enough|to hear your heartbeat.

You might wake up|and find it's a different world.

I'm paying you|to wake up and find Chrystal Kingsby.

- I don't want to talk about that.|- I do.

Okay. If that's what you want,|I'll go on with this and see Lavery today.

- Why Lavery?|- He's in the middle, isn't he?

- You want her found, don't you?|- He doesn't know where she is.

- You went there...|- This time I'll watch his right hand.

Stay away from Lavery.|Go back to the lake. You did fine there.

Okay. But only because|you're so full of persuasion, so full of...

What would you say you were full of,|Miss Fromsett?

- My, you're backward for a detective.|- No, it's just that I'm tired playing around.

As far as the next woman in my life|is concerned, it's everything or nothing.

Then it had better be nothing.|Phone me from the lake.

- Sure.|- And remember, stay away from Lavery.

You'd be crazy to fall in love with me,|Marlowe.

Don't I know it?|Let me see if I've got this straight.

I'm not to fall in love with you|and I'm not to see Lavery.

That's right.

Good night.

It's a disgrace.|I've never seen anything like it in my life.

Just look at this place. Cigarette burns,|carpet stains, sour milk...

He left the icebox door open.|Sheer waste of electricity.

Dirty dishes in the sink.|The kitchen is filthy.

And look at those curtains.|Ever see anything so ragged?

- Would you mind...|- All I wanted was my rent and I find this.

He promised me a check,|and I didn't get it.

Is it? How far behind is he?

Three months. I told him I needed it.|I have a lot of Christmas shopping to do.

- You know how it is.|- I know how it is.

He promised me a check.

- I own this house. I'm Mrs. Fallbrook.|- I'm truly enchanted.

- Would you mind pointing that thing...|- lf you're one of his wild friends...

I'm not even one of his tame friends.|In fact, I wouldn't say we were friends.

- Then who are you, if I may ask?|- Finance company. About the car.

Do you mean he's behind|in his car payments, too?

- I don't like that at all.|- We don't like it either.

Yes, but it's much easier for you.|You can take it away if you want to.

But taking a house with furniture in it|isn't so easy.

There's apt to be bitterness.|Things get damaged.

- Sometimes on purpose.|- Did you look for him?

I have a right to, I hope. It's my house.

All I found was this gun.|I found it on the stairs.

Here, you better take it.|Men always understand guns.

It isn't loaded, is it? I certainly hope not.

I wonder|why Mr. Lavery left it on the stairs.

- He probably had a hole in his pocket.|- Is it loaded?

No, not now, it isn't.

For pity's sakes, I have oil|all over my glove.

So you looked all over the house, did you?

You're a naughty girl.|Did you look under the beds...

- and in the clothes closet?|- Why, you...

You're very insulting.|I only wanted my money.

Everybody needs money at Christmastime,|and I decided...

I think we better call the police.|Yes, under the circumstances...

- I think that's exactly what we should do.|- Mrs. Fallbrook.

Yes?

Let us stop and consider a moment.|Possibly you're being hasty.

- I don't think so. After all...|- Finding a gun doesn't mean a thing.

Everybody keeps guns.

Do they, really?

They don't always keep them|on the stairs. Lavery is a little eccentric.

Yes, he is a little eccentric...

I'm sure the Bay City police would frown|upon us disturbing him over such a trifle.

- You think so?|- Definitely.

They don't like people|molesting the citizens in this town.

- They don't?|- No.

As a matter of fact,|they are extremely sensitive about it.

- Yes, but I'm...|- Even when it comes to landladies.

And finance companies.

- They'd frown upon both of us.|- Really?

If you let me take care of this,|I'll see that you get your money.

When Ajax Finance lowers the boom|on a creditor, they lower it good.

- Good.|- They fix it so everybody gets paid.

- Do they, really?|- Yeah.

Ajax Finance is a friend of every landlord.

Now, why don't you go on|about your shopping...

and not worry about this?

Well, if... What about the gun?

Well, I'll give it to Lavery|when he comes home.

- Well, if you think that that's...|- I'm sure it is, Mrs. Fallbrook.

Now you be a good girl|and do everything you have to do.

Silly man.

- You know, you're sweet.|- Thank you, Mrs. Fallbrook.

Goodbye now.

Lovely party.

Quiet, everybody. Now,|we're going to distribute the presents.

Quiet. Now what have we, Adrienne?|There's something here for everyone.

Mrs. Bromley,|the one who's been here the longest.

For you, Mrs. Bromley,|and a merry Christmas.

- Thank you.|- And now...

Charlie. A present from Santa Claus.

And a very merry...

- Who invited him?|- I did.

Full of the Christmas spirit,|aren't you, Mr. Kingsby?

This is a private party for my staff|and my writers and my artists.

- You don't look very frostbitten.|- Disappointed?

- What are you talking about?|- Who's the present for, snowman?

You, sweetheart. And you're gonna love it.|Can we be alone?

By all means. Go somewhere|and be alone, you two. Use my office.

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