Notorious Page #8

EMIL:

Thank you. And I'm very sorry to make a

scene before strangers. Very sorry.

Emil exits. Eric turns in the doorway, as polished as ever.

ERIC:

Thank you, Alex, for an excellent dinner.

And please tell your mother for me that the

dessert was superb.

Eric closes the study door.

FADE OUT:

EXT. THE RACETRACK - DAY

FADE IN on the huge early morning crowd that packs the big RACETRACK in Rioat the foot of a picturesque mountain, a day or so later.

DISSOLVE TO:

A CLOSER VIEW of the same.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. SEBASTIAN'S BOX - DAY

Sebastian, peering through binoculars, and his mother, reading a newspaper,

sit with Alicia's empty seat between them.

MME. SEBASTIAN

Miss Huberman has been gone a long time.

SEBASTIAN:

Mother, is it necessary for you to always

address Alicia as Miss Huberman? I do wish

you'd be a little more cordial to her.

MME. SEBASTIAN

Really, I thought I was behaving rather well.

Has she been complaining about me?

SEBASTIAN:

No.

MME. SEBASTIAN

I'm grateful.

SEBASTIAN:

You might smile at her.

MME. SEBASTIAN

Wouldn't it be a little too much if we both

grinned at her like idiots?

SEBASTIAN:

Please, mother. I want to enjoy myself.

MME. SEBASTIAN

Is it so boring to sit with me alone?

SEBASTIAN:

Not at all, not at all.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. IN THE CROWD - DAY

Devlin spots Alicia in the racetrack CROWD as she leans against a guardrail, moments later. He joins her, and they put on a show of pretendingthat this is a chance encounter.

DEVLIN:

Hello.

ALICIA:

Oh, hello.

Devlin shakes Alicia's hand.

DEVLIN:

I thought I saw you.

ALICIA:

How are you?

DEVLIN:

Fine, thanks. Great turnout, isn't it?

ALICIA:

Yes.

They lower their voices.

DEVLIN:

Where are they?

ALICIA:

In a box in the stands. I don't think they

can see us, Alex and his mother.

DEVLIN:

Don't telephone me anymore. Just rely upon

my popping up.

ALICIA:

Can you hear me?

Devlin pretends to fill out a racing form while taking notes.

DEVLIN:

Sure, go ahead.

ALICIA:

Heard of, uh, Doctor Anderson?

DEVLIN:

No.

ALICIA:

He's some kind of a scientist. Kind face,

sixty years old, gray hair, deep crease inforehead.

DEVLIN:

Tall or short?

ALICIA:

Short.

DEVLIN:

Hmmph.

ALICIA:

Emil Hupka? Heard of him?

DEVLIN:

No.

ALICIA:

He made quite a scene about a wine bottlethe other night.

DEVLIN:

Didn't like the vintage?

ALICIA:

He seemed to think there was something elsein the bottle.

DEVLIN:

Was there?

ALICIA:

No. It was wine. We drank it.

DEVLIN:

Has he pulled anything since?

ALICIA:

Haven't seen him since.

DEVLIN:

Anything else?

ALICIA:

Nothing important. Just a minor item that

you may want for the record.

DEVLIN:

What is it?

ALICIA:

You can add Sebastian's name to my list ofplaymates.

A pause, as Devlin's jealousy surfaces, changing his whole demeanor.

DEVLIN:

(bitterly)

Pretty fast work.

ALICIA:

(loses her composure)

That's what you wanted, wasn't it?

DEVLIN:

(harsh)

Skip it.

ALICIA:

(back to putting on a show)

Are you betting on this race?

DEVLIN:

No.

ALICIA:

Alex says number ten is sure to win. He knows

the owner.

DEVLIN:

Thanks for the tip.

ALICIA:

Alex says they've been holding him back allseason --

They lower their voices again.

DEVLIN:

I can't help recalling some of your remarks.

About being a new woman. Daisies andbuttercups, wasn't it?

ALICIA:

You idiot. What are you sore about? You knewvery well what I was doing.

DEVLIN:

Did I?

ALICIA:

You could have stopped me with one word. But,

no, you wouldn't. You threw me at him.

DEVLIN:

I threw you at nobody.

ALICIA:

Didn't you tell me to go ahead?

DEVLIN:

A man doesn't tell a woman what to do. She

tells herself. You almost had me believing

in that little hokey-pokey miracle of yours,

that a woman like you could ever change her

spots.

Alicia raises her binoculars to her face to watch the race, or perhaps tohide her anguish from Devlin.

ALICIA:

Oh, you're rotten.

DEVLIN:

That's why I didn't try to stop you. The answer

had to come from you.

ALICIA:

I see. Some kind of love test.

DEVLIN:

That's right.

ALICIA:

Well, you never believed in me anyway, so

what's the difference?

DEVLIN:

Lucky for both of us I didn't. It wouldn't

have been pretty if I believed in you. If

I'd figured: "She'll never be able to go

through with this. She's been made over by

love..."

ALICIA:

(starts to cry)

If you only once had said that you loved

me. Oh, Dev.

DEVLIN:

Listen. You chalked up another boyfriend.

That's all. No harm done.

ALICIA:

I hate you.

DEVLIN:

(grins)

There's no occasion to. You're doing good

work.

(off the race)

Number ten's out in front. Looks as if

Sebastian knows how to pick 'em.

ALICIA:

Is that all you have to say to me?

DEVLIN:

Dry your eyes, baby. It's out of character.

Except, keep on your toes -- it's a tough

job we're on.

Devlin sees Sebastian coming.

DEVLIN:

(to Alicia)

Snap out of it, here comes dreamboat.

Sebastian threads through the crowd and joins them as Alicia tries to regainher composure.

ALICIA:

Oh, hello, Alex. It was so exciting, a

beautiful horse. Do you remember Mister

Devlin?

SEBASTIAN:

(to Devlin)

How do you do?

DEVLIN:

(to Sebastian)

Hello. Alicia tells me you had a bet on

number ten. Sorry I didn't get the tip

earlier. So long.

Devlin walks off.

ALICIA:

See you sometime, Dev.

(to Alex)

It was a wonderful race. Did you have

much money on the winner?

SEBASTIAN:

I didn't see the race.

ALICIA:

Didn't you? I thought I saw you looking

through your field glasses.

SEBASTIAN:

I was watching you and your friend, Mister

Devlin. I presume that's why you left my

mother and me. You had an appointment to

meet him.

ALICIA:

Don't be absurd. I met him purely by accident.

SEBASTIAN:

You didn't seem very anxious to get away

from him.

ALICIA:

Oh, he's just...

SEBASTIAN:

I watched you. I thought maybe you're in

love with him.

ALICIA:

Don't talk like that. I detest him.

SEBASTIAN:

Really? He's very good looking.

ALICIA:

Alex, I've told you before. Mister Devlin

doesn't mean a thing to me.

SEBASTIAN:

I'd like to be convinced. Would you maybe

care to convince me, Alicia, that Mister

Devlin means nothing to you?

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. U.S. EMBASSY - DAY

The U.S. EMBASSY, not long after.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. PRESCOTT'S OFFICE - DAY

Prescott sits with Beardsley and Beardsley while a moody Devlin stands,

staring out a window.

PRESCOTT:

... pleased to hear, Senor Barbosa, thatour little theatrical plan is working. We've

got hold of something concrete for a change.

BARBOSA:

I'm delighted, gentlemen. What is it?

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