Mr. Arkadin Page #7

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I haven't wanted to see you.

You mean you need to be trusted?

Funny. So does Father.

Why funny?

Simply because nobody in their right mind

could trust either one of you.

- What are you doing in this man's room?

- That's my question, isn't it, Father?

Yes. And I think I'd better ask it too.

What are you doing here?

You can't have known I was coming.

I didn't know it myself.

- I have business with Van Stratten.

- Business? And you gave me your word.

His word. He gave me his word

he wouldn't see you again.

Oh, really? And he swore to me

he wouldn't take money from you.

- How cheap did you come?

- Well, Van Stratten -

No. I'm asking the questions now.

Well, you wanted the truth, didn't you?

You can save us that old-fashioned melodrama

about your innocent daughter...

all alone with a wicked bachelor

in his hotel room.

- Only came back to get my bags.

Then I'm on my way out of the country.

- $15,000.

- There's a price tag on every man.

- Yeah? What's yours, Mr. Arkadin?

the basis of the great Arkadin fortune?

Well, maybe $15,000

will be the basis of mine.

- You imagine I'm going to give you that now?

- A man needs money to make money, Mr. Arkadin.

I wouldn't dream of asking your daughter

to marry me as long as I'm broke.

- Marry you?

- That dough he started with figures to be

earned in some dirty way too.

I'm gonna find out how.

And when I do, who knows?

- Maybe I'll wind up an Arkadin myself someday.

- You hear?

- That's the sort of man you think

you're in love with - a blackmailer.

- Who says I'm in love with him?

I was hired by your father to do a little

checkin' up for him. Investigations, like.

- Well, it was his idea. Not mine.

- That doesn't sound much like blackmail to me.

- But you aren't in love with him.

- But it does rather look as though

he's been taking money to stay away-

I never promised to do that! Now I'm gonna

see you whenever I can -job or no job!

- But you're going away again.

- Just a short trip. If I'm lucky, it may be the last.

You're staying in Paris, aren't you?

I'll see you here on my way back from Mexico.

I wish we could all settle down somewhere

for just a couple of minutes.

Frankly, I'm fed up with living the life

of an expensive gypsy.

Raina, there is no need to discuss this

with Van Stratten.

You know, your life can be whatever you want.

We only came to Paris because -

Because I said I wanted to.

And that was because I hoped to see Guy.

You see, Mr. Arkadin?

I'm afraid things are getting

just a little bit out of your control.

Out of his control.

Hmm.

Well, that brings us to Mexico.

To Sophie and Oskar and his accordion.

- Concertina.

- First thing that I -

So there is somebody in this story

you finally recognized.

- Oskar and Sophie was married.

- Yeah. Well, now she's got a new husband.

A retired general of the Mexican revolution.

- Oh.

- Oskar's playing his accordion...

- in Sophie's restaurant for tips.

- Concertina.

And blackmailing her a little on the side.

Blackmailing Sophie?

That would take a nerve.

- I -

- Shut up!

What is it?

- I thought I heard that car.

- Sophie's car? Sophie's in Germany?

Will you please get dressed,

nice Mr. Zouk...

and I will tell you the rest

when we are somewhere that is safe.

I don't want to hear.

I don't want to tell.

I keep what I know to myself,

which is healthier.

Oh. You don't want to talk.

- That's what Oskar said.

- Ah, Oskar. He's a drug addict.

He'll never be well.

I almost made him well.

I got him out in the water.

Took away his needle.

You hired me to play my music

for a pleasure cruise.

Pleasure.

I don't know for how long

we've been out on this boat.

- For how many days I've been without my-

- Without your heroin?

Ain't that the stuff you use?

- You didn't throw it away?

- You'll get your junk when you start to talk.

- I won't talk. I won't tell you a thing.

- We gotta go through this just once again.

- You were married to Sophie.

- I still am.

- Well, she's got a new husband.

Some big shot here in Mexico.

Hey. You mean she was never divorced.

Is that it?

- So it's bigamy. Is it bigamy?

- I won't talk!

Okay. Okay, buster.

We'll just keep you here till you do.

What is it you want me to tell you?

I want you to tell me about Sophie's gang.

All about it. Everything that happened.

You could kill me first.

I may have to.

I don't know how long

it was I had to keep him out there...

drifting around

in a chartered fishing boat...

but finally he spilled everything.

So, even though I hadn't managed

to get to Sophie...

now I knew all about her...

and her connections with Arkadin.

But back at my hotel there were

a couple more surprises waiting for me.

Your passport, please.

These will be returned at the airport.

Tossing me out of the country?

You better give me a chance to pack.

- There is someone in Mexico City

who'd like to see you.

- Who's that?

La Seora Jess Martnez,

the wife of General Martnez.

- Sophie?

- You know the lady?

- Well, I don't exactly know her.

- Never mind, seor. You will soon.

Sit down, mister.

We're putting you on the plane in an hour.

But I'd like to hear first

what you've got to say for yourself.

Sorry, but I really don't have much of

anything to say for myself, Madame Radzweickz.

Seora Jess Martnez.

This here is my husband. I guess Oskar told you

that the general, my husband, isn't -

Yeah, but don't think I'm trying to embarrass you.

You don't do anything to me, Mr. Smarty.

I'll let you in on a secret.

It's Oskar I was never married to.

He's old now,

and he's - he's talked himself into it.

A man's got to keep a little pride...

and he doesn't earn much playing

the concertina, poor little fellow, so...

I allow him to blackmail me.

Not much. Just enough to keep up

his self-respect.

- And you.

- I'm the one that's got questions to ask.

You're the one that's getting tossed

out of the country, Mr. Smarty.

People torturing other people.

That I don't go for.

- Poor little Oskar. Why do you have to pick on him?

- I wish you'd try to understand.

- I'm involved in a serious investigation.

- Investigation!

Why not leave in peace the people that's minding

their own business and not hurting other people?

We are married.

I got a legitimate business.

There is nothing against me that is not

all done and over with a long time ago.

So, what are you after?

I just want to check a few names with you.

That's all. Men who worked for you back in Warsaw.

You got all that from Oskar.

Yeah. Athabadze...

Herschelize, Jakob Zouk,

Andr Bloch.

Bloch was the one with the peg leg, huh?

I saw him fished out of the harbor in Naples.

Is this true?

Seems he'd come on a freighter

from the Balkans. He jumped ship.

For some reason

he knifed a guy called Bracco...

then tried to shoot it out

with the cops.

- If he knifed this, uh -

- Bracco.

Why did he then use a gun?

Why-

I never thought of that.

So you got the names.

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