Out of the Past Page #2

Heh. I guess not.

- Anything happen to her?

- She ran out on me.

- With 40,000 bucks.

- I want her back.

Or the money?

(WHIT CHUCKLING)

You know, I once bet $40,000 on a horse

that ran dead last, so I bought the horse.

Yeah, that's what I mean.

Oh, you're wrong. I put that

horse in a nice green pasture...

so he'd never get his foot

caught in a mutuel machine.

You should go out and

visit it sometime.

No, I just want her back. When you

see her, you'll understand better.

Maybe she's just an impulsive girl.

- Shall we let it go at that?

- I can let it all go.

An even 5000 now and 5

when you bring her back.

And expenses.

Now, that should have been

the first thing you said.

- Find her, Jeff. Bring her back.

- JEFF:
Why me?

Well, I know a lot of smart guys and

a few honest ones, and you're both.

What happens to her?

I won't touch her.

Okay.

Get me the stuff on her family,

pictures, anything interesting.

- You'll get it.

- I'll see you.

You bring it over, Joe.

Come on, let's go.

Oh, by the way, you mind

telling me her name?

- Kathie Moffat.

- Thanks.

She must be quite a dame.

A wild goose with 40 G's.

You know, for a smart guy, that

Sterling sure trusts you, don't he?

JEFF:
Why not?

- Am I going along?

- No.

Oh, he doesn't like my personality, huh?

Well, I'm still in, Jeff, fifty-fifty.

- Did I say anything different?

- All right. It's a good soft touch.

Don't get hot at me. And

don't get any cute ideas.

(TRUMPETING)

(BAND PLAYING JAZZ MUSIC)

These are on me.

This is an old friend of mine, Jeff Markham.

He wants to ask you something.

- Which one of you is Eunice Leonard?

- Me.

May I ask you a few questions?

Come on, honey, let's dance.

JEFF:

You work for Katherine Moffat?

Not anymore, she's gone.

She got pushed around.

I wouldn't have stayed myself,

only she got sick being vaccinated.

- How come you're asking?

- I want to find her.

- You want to find her for that man?

- No, for myself. Where'd she go?

- Maybe I oughtn't to tell nothing.

- More harm might come to her if you didn't.

- Is she in harm now?

- I don't know, she disappeared.

- Maybe you better say, honey.

- Well, I can't say much.

It wasn't no cold place though.

That girl hated snow.

Them clothes she took, she was

looking for sun. Florida.

- You sure about that?

- Now I seem to remember, and I'm sure.

- No trunk?

- She only took suitcases.

- You're sure again?

- I know, I weighed them for her.

- How much did they weigh?

- 131 pounds.

- Exactly?

- Exactly.

- On account of that's what I weigh myself.

- Thanks.

Bring them another round.

JEFF:
You don't get vaccinated for

Florida, but you do for Mexico.

So I just followed that 90 pounds

of excess baggage to Mexico City.

She had been at the

Reforma and then gone.

I took the bus south like she did.

It was hot in Taxco. You say to

yourself, "How hot can it get?"

And then in Acapulco, you find out.

She had to wind up here...

because if you wanna go south,

here's where you get the boat.

All I had to do was wait.

Near the plaza was a little caf called

La Mar Azul next to a movie house.

I sat there in the

afternoons and drank beer.

I used to sit there half-asleep

with a beer and the darkness...

only that music from the movie

next door kept jarring me awake.

And then I saw her

coming out of the sun...

and I knew why Whit didn't

care about that 40 grand.

Cuba Libre, please.

(WAITER SPEAKS IN SPANISH)

(COIN CLINKING)

Seorita, seor, may

I speak some words?

- You will be seated, seor, huh? Yes?

- With pleasure, seor.

I am Jos Rodriguez, a guide,

a most excellent guide.

- Indeed?

- You ask them.

They can tell you that Jos Rodriguez

knows Acapulco as no one else.

- Each little street...

- I don't want a guide.

- JEFF:
A very difficult girl.

- MAN:
Heh. Is there one not so, seor?

- Perhaps a lottery ticket?

- No.

I have here, wrought by

skilled hands, a ring...

and earrings of jade

and pure silver.

These.

(MAN SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

- I never wear them.

- JEFF:
Nor I. Please.

No, thank you.

My name is Jeff Markham, and I

haven't talked to anybody...

who hasn't tried to sell

me something for 10 days.

If I don't talk, I think. It's too late

in life for me to start thinking.

I could go down to the cliff and

look at the sea like a good tourist.

But it's no good if there isn't somebody

you can turn to and say, "Nice view, huh?"

It's the same with the churches, the

relics, the moonlight or a Cuba Libre.

Nothing in the world is any

good unless you can share it.

Maybe you ought to go home.

- Maybe that's why I'm here.

- Is it?

Well, there's always

Jos Rodriguez.

If it gets too lonely, there's a cantina

down the street called Pablo's.

It's nice and quiet. The man there

plays American music for a dollar.

Sip bourbon and shut your eyes.

It's like a little place on 56th Street.

I'll wear my earrings.

I sometimes go there.

JEFF:
I went to send a wire

to Whit that I'd found her...

but the telegraph office

was closed for the siesta.

I was glad it was, and

I suddenly knew why.

I went to Pablo's that night.

I knew I'd go every night

until she showed up...

and I knew she knew it.

(MAN PLAYING ROMANTIC

MUSIC ON VIOLIN)

I sat there and drank bourbon,

and I shut my eyes...

but I didn't think of a

joint on 56th Street.

I knew where I was and what I was doing.

I just thought what a sucker I was.

I even knew she wouldn't

come the first night...

but I sat there, grinding it out.

But the next night

I knew she'd show.

She waited until it was late...

and then she walked in out

of the moonlight, smiling.

(ROMANTIC MUSIC PLAYING

ON VIOLIN AND PIANO)

- Well, this is a coincidence.

- Yes, it is.

- American music.

- You know, I've been here for two nights.

- Thinking?

- No, just waiting.

I haven't been lonely.

- Bourbon?

- As you suggested.

Thank you, sir.

I've been sitting

here for three hours.

I thought the guy was gonna break

out with "Melancholy Baby."

You know, you're a curious man.

You're gonna make every guy you

meet a little bit curious.

That's not what I mean.

You don't ask questions.

You don't even ask

me what my name is.

All right, what's your name?

Kathie.

- I like it.

- Or where I come from.

I'm thinking about

where we're going.

- Don't you like it in here?

- I'm just not ready to settle down.

Shall I take you somewhere else?

You're gonna find it very

easy to take me anywhere.

You know, I'm a much better guide

than Jos Rodriguez. Wanna try me?

(BALL RATTLING AND MAN

SPEAKING IN FRENCH)

- That isn't the way to play.

- Why not?

- Because it isn't the way to win.

- Is there a way?

There's a way to lose more slowly.

(BALL RATTLES THEN MAN

SPEAKING IN FRENCH)

- I prefer it like that.

- Chunk it in.

- Don't you like to gamble?

- Not against a wheel.

- Tell me why you're so hard to please.

- Take me where I can tell you.

All right, come on.

(MAN SPEAKING IN FRENCH)

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