Mystery Street Page #7

Please go away, please.

Operator?

I want Lieutenant Moralas...

...in the Barnstable Police Department, | Cape Cod.

It's important.

Just a minute.

Good evening, Mr. Harkley.

Don't be frightened, Caesar, | it's only a man.

I haven't entertained a gentleman | in ever so long.

- A mirror? | - Yes, when Caesar's wife died...

...I thought of the mirror.

And now he's perfectly happy | talking to himself.

Well, you might offer me a drink.

You mean hard liquor?

Oh, really, Mr. Harkley. | I never touch the stuff.

Forget it.

I always say there's too much drinking | in the world today.

Gracious. This must have been left here | by a previous tenant.

- Go ahead. | - Oh, no, no. Really, I never...

Oh, well, if you insist.

My, invigorating, isn't it?

Well, they always say, | "One swallow never makes the summer. "

Why did you take the gun from my place?

Dear boy, it frightened me.

People who are scared of guns | leave them alone.

Well, this one kind of stuck | to my fingers, you know...

...and you looked so foreboding | and dangerous.

And what with the touchy things | I was going to ask you...

...I thought the gun might go off. | Accidentally, I mean.

- And when you took it, you didn't know? | - That it was what killed Vivian?

Dear me, no.

- Killing Vivian was an accident. | - Yes, I know, dear.

Lots of people have accidents | all the time.

- Why, just today the paper had statistics... | - Where is it?

- I beg your pardon? | - The gun. Where is it?

Gently... Gently, dear boy.

This gin cost $4 a bottle.

I said, where is it?

Really, Mr. Harkley...

...you don't think | I'd leave it around here, do you?

Not such a valuable trinket as that gun.

Not when the police want it | as much as they do.

Not when you want it | as much as you do.

Not when it's worth so much to me.

Suppose somebody else finds it | before we do.

- Impossible, dear boy. | - Why?

Because nobody knows where I put it.

Here, count it and let's go.

- There's 500. | - Oh, dear.

I'm afraid you don't think nearly enough | of your own life.

- How much? | - Oh, I really don't know.

You see, I had been planning | on a trip to Europe.

After the trial, of course.

You know, London, Paris and Rome.

You've been to those places, Mr. Harkley. | How much does it cost?

You're crazy.

And then there's Vienna and Madrid.

When I get back, I'd like to spend the rest | of my days in a little apartment in New York.

Nothing lavish, you understand, | but adequate.

I'm afraid I'm not | very good at arithmetic...

...but, well, I should think | $20,000 would do it.

At least for now.

I think the banks open | at 9:30 in the morning.

You're all right.

Quite a woman, you know.

Let's not lose our heads, Mr. Harkley.

What Paris doesn't know, you'll teach it.

Now, listen. Killing you | means nothing, understand?

I've got every reason to kill you and I will, | unless you tell me where you put that gun.

Well?

- I put it in a bag and checked it. | - Where?

- Trinity Station. | - When did you check it?

This evening.

All right, get me the check.

Water. Wa...

Mrs. Smerrling?

Mrs. Smerrling?

Just wait here | while I go in with Miss Elcott.

- Huh, Tim? | Right.

There was a man. He rushed | right by me. She's lying on the floor.

Get in the car, Tim.

- He turned into that one-way street. | - Yeah.

Well, that does it. We've lost him.

I'd better radio in.

- Get the license? | Of course not. Lights were off.

- Can you describe the car? The man? | - No. No.

- Well, why radio in? Let's get back. | Sorry, forget it.

Uh-oh.

Park it, will you?

It's Mrs. Smerrling. | Somebody tried to kill her.

Did you get the man who ran?

Better not move her. | Take the ambulance back. I'll stay.

Okay, doctor. Excuse me.

- Will I get to talk to her? | - No, not now.

I got here a few minutes | before you, lieutenant.

- I wanted to talk Mrs. Smerrling. | - About?

- About my husband... | - You sure it wasn't about the gun?

- What gun? | - The one your husband used.

- I've told... | - All right, all right.

- You came to see her. Then? | - I knocked at the door.

- Somebody pulled me in and ran out. | - And you didn't see.

- All I know, it was a man. | - Which isn't enough.

- Did you touch any of these things? | - No. We started to take...

- All right. | Okay, okay, it's all over.

Go on back upstairs.

Professor McAdoo, please.

Hello, professor?

I'm sorry to call you so late, | but I'm afraid I need you.

Yes, again. I know it's irregular...

...but could you come to 317 Bunker Street | right away, please?

Thank you.

Pete, this is for the Boston police. | Get back to Barnstable.

Pieces of my case are here too.

The answer must be here.

Can you shut that bird off, please?

Who ran out of here? Why was he here?

This person came here to kill her, | but why?

To get something?

Maybe the gun. | The gun we're looking for.

The gun that goes with this clip | Miss Elcott gave us.

The gun that's going to send somebody | to the electric chair.

Did he get the gun, whoever he was?

The answer to our case is right here, | in this house, in this room.

It started here. Maybe it will end here. | I don't know.

McAdoo will be here in a few minutes.

Fingerprint boys have been here. | Pictures have been taken.

We've searched the whole place. | What have we got?

Nothing here. Room full of junk.

I'll take it.

Hello.

Yeah, this is Moralas.

When?

I see.

No, no.

All right, thanks.

Gonna telephone | the medical examiner. He can have her now.

- She's dead. | - So, what have we got?

Well, we know one thing anyway...

...if whoever killed Miss Heldon did this, | it couldn't have been Shanway.

No?

Being in jail's a pretty good alibi | for this job.

He's not in jail.

That was Barnstable on the phone.

Your favorite martyr escaped...

...while being questioned by a psychiatrist | who was looking for a motive.

The man who ran out of here | wasn't my husband.

I thought you said | you didn't know who it was.

You just happened to arrive here...

...at the right time | to miss everything, remember?

It's not possible that you came here | to meet your husband.

And nobody would even consider | that you both did this. Nobody except me.

That's better, Mrs. Shanway. | When in doubt, start crying.

Get your coat.

And don't tell me to take it easy, doctor.

When we bring in Shanway, | we'll wash up the case. The whole mess.

And good morning to you.

- When did she show you that gun? | - On my way to work, about 6 last night.

This is stamped 7:45.

"Trinity Station. "

Will you stay here, doctor?

- Can we handle it ourselves? | - Too much of a long shot to ask for help.

What if he doesn't show up?

If he does show, whoever he is, | that's our man.

- What time's the baggage room open? | - Six o'clock.

- Good morning. | - Good morning.

I've been waiting for you to open.

My sister tagged her suitcase yesterday | and she lost the check.

You know how women are, | always losing things.

- She said you'd surely remember her. | - Sorry. Against the rules.

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