Love in the Afternoon Page #4

Yes. Working on a new case?

A client from Brussels. His wife ran

away to Paris with the chauffeur.

I have to find them.

The husband wants his car back.

Well, it seems only fair.

- Rehearsal this evening?

- Yes, Papa.

- Will Michel bring you home?

- I suppose so.

- He's a nice boy, Michel.

- You keep saying that.

He comes from a very

respectable family.

Father and two uncles

work for the government...

...mother plays the harp,

grandfather was a missionary...

...in French Equatorial Africa,

and there hasn't been a scandal...

...in the family since 1822.

Papa! You investigated Michel?

Yes, I have.

I think I owe it to my only daughter.

You're spoiling me.

If I were an Indian potentate...

...I'd shower you with diamonds.

If I were a cobbler,

I'd sole your shoes, but...

...since I'm only a detective, all I

can offer you is a detailed dossier.

Papa, I love you very much.

I love you more.

Dear Mr. Flannagan:

After careful examination

of your past record...

...I have decided you are not the kind

of man I would care to see again...

...not even in the afternoon.

Dear Mr. Flannagan:

I hope this letter

reaches you in time...

...to cancel the gypsies.

I'm not exactly the kind of girl

you would be interested in.

As a matter of fact, I'm exactly the kind

of girl you would not be interested in.

"Dear Mr...

"...Flannagan:

"I made a very serious...

"...mistake last night.

"I should have...

"...let you...

"...be shot."

Item 7:
Telegram to the Mayor of

Venice. Preliminary estimate...

...on the cost of overhauling

your canals is $87,000,000.

If you want my advice,

drain the water out of the canals...

...and pave them over, or those

plumbing bills will kill you.

Come in!

Item 8:
Attention all Pepsi- Cola

bottling plants in Great Britain.

Suggested slogan,

"Pop in for a Pepsi"...

...okay by me.

Hello there.

- Hello.

- Be right with you.

Item 9:
Arriving New York tomorrow.

Reserve usual suite, St. Regis Hotel.

Send flowers to the following

and alert to stand by:

"Miss Billings, Miss Devoto,

Miss Chandler, Mrs. Flagstad."

Disregard if Mr. Flagstad is in

town. "Miss O'Neil, Miss Chanel."

More later.

Nice to see you again.

- I came early.

- Good.

I came early because I wanted to

tell you that I'm not coming later.

Let me get this straight.

You came to tell me

that you're not coming?

I only came up here to

bring back the hat.

- Well, get yourself a drink.

- No, thank you. I can't stay.

Why not?

I told you it would be difficult.

I have another date.

- I see. Come in here, will you,

please? - No, thank you.

I said please. I need your help.

What sort of help?

Sit on this, will you? If you don't

sit on it, I can't lock it.

- Then you are leaving tonight?

- 11:
00 plane.

You don't stay in one place

for very long, do you?

Not if I can help it. Climb up.

Who sits on your suitcase

in all those other places?

It's a problem, all right.

- You're just the right weight.

- Am I?

In Japan last year,

they ruined a brand- new suitcase.

The whole lid crushed in.

What do you expect?

Six geisha girls on one suitcase.

- How's that? - Goodbye,

Mr. Flannagan. Happy landing.

How about one little drink?

An aperitif?

I told you, I have a date.

The man you live with?

No, this is another man.

A younger man, the man I play with.

Wait a minute...

You mean there's one man you

live with and another man you...

Trs intressant,

as they say on the Left Bank.

Not really.

I'm not criticizing,

as a matter of fact, I'm all for it.

You would be. A man with your record.

- What about my record?

- I've been reading up on it.

- Where?

- I have my own private library.

What kind of a library is that?

All sorts of reference works,

like the World Almanac.

You read about me in

the World Almanac?

Naturally. It's very complete.

It's loaded with facts and figures.

Like the 10 tallest mountains,

and the population of Portugal...

...the average annual rainfall

in New Zealand--

What did it say about me?

You're way above average,

it doesn't just rain, it pours.

You know, you baffle me.

- I baffle you?

- Yeah, I can't figure you at all.

Of course,

if you give me a little more time.

- Shall we sit down? - Really,

I was just returning the hat.

- Yeah, I know. - Maybe I should

have left it at the desk.

No, that would've been too risky

with the way people talk.

Well, I could have put it in a paper bag,

a big brown paper bag.

I'm glad you didn't.

Somebody might have opened it.

I could have written

"Personal" on it.

That they would have opened for sure!

Then maybe I did the smart thing.

I think you did.

In a way, I'm rather glad

you're leaving tonight.

You are?

- It makes everything simpler.

- That's the way it should be.

No involvements,

no complications, no danger.

None at all.

The trouble is, people get too attached

to each other, things drag on...

...scenes, tears.

Everything gets so maudlin.

I think people should always behave

as though they were between planes.

Very sound, Mr. Flannagan.

It's basic.

He who loves and runs away,

lives to love another day.

- I must remember that.

- Works out great.

Works for you.

No, all around. Everybody's

happy, nobody gets hurt.

How about Francesca del Corso?

Francesca del who?

Del Corso...

...the one in Venice

who tried to commit...

I'm glad you brought her up. That's

exactly the type to stay away from.

Silly, sentimental, serious.

It turned out I was the first man

she'd ever been in love with.

I suppose most girls are sentimental

about their first love.

I suppose so.

Like their first pair of

high-heeled shoes.

Tell me...

...do you remember

the first man in your life?

Let me see...

It's all a little blurry...

I'm...

Must have had too much

of this domestic champagne.

Monsieur Flannagan?

Pardon, Monsieur, but it is 10:00...

...your car is here

to take you to the airport.

You can send up for the luggage,

and tell my chauffeur I'll be right down.

What does the "A" stand for?

Anna?

- No.

- Annabella?

- No.

- Agnes?

- No.

- Alexandra?

No.

Antonia?

No!

Amanda?

No.

Adolph?

Adolph?

I'm sorry, I've run out of "A's."

I give you my word of honor,

Mr. Flannagan...

...it's definitely not Adolph!

Come on, what does it stand for?

Anonymous!

Why won't you tell me your name?

What difference does it make?

Just two people who

met between planes.

Come in.

Bagages, Monsieur.

The bags are in there,

and there are more in the corridor.

Let's see, have you forgotten anything?

I don't think so.

The hat. How about the hat?

- You want it?

- No, thanks.

Then we'll leave it. I have no use for it.

You never can tell.

Why not take it on the plane

and give it to the stewardess?

I don't know the stewardess.

You will.

Wait a minute. What's that?

It was in the corridor, Monsieur,

with your trunk.

- Well, it's not mine.

- Pardon, Monsieur.

Merci, Monsieur Flannagan. Bon voyage.

Merci, Monsieur Flannagan. Bon voyage.

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