Paranoiac Page #2

all the family had retired.

Well, they haven't.

I want

another bottle of brandy.

Don't just stand there, man!

Get it!

I'm sorry, sir,

there is no more brandy.

Why not?

The wine merchant.

Something about

an unpaid account, sir.

And there is also the garage.

Kent tried to get

some petrol today.

I'm afraid that they won't allow

you any further credit, sir.

If I may say so...

You may not, Williams!

You may not say anything.

And if you'll be so good,

tomorrow you'll get me...

another dozen bottles

of brandy.

Without settling

your account, sir, I...

Don't argue with me,

man, get it!

And what is more,

I consider 20 pounds a week...

to be quite adequate

for the family wine allowance.

I have instructed the

wine merchants accordingly.

Now I'll settle your account

with the garage...

but apart from that,

there'll be no more money.

By what right do you

sit and pontificate...

on what money

I can or cannot have?

By my right as executor

of your parents' estate.

Whose money is it, anyway?

It most certainly

isn't yours.

It will be soon.

In three weeks.

Then stretch a point.

Let me have some now.

Look at these

motor cars, alcohol...

trips to America,

holidays on the Continent...

and that yacht.

You paid them all,

didn't you?

Yes, I did, but only

after the suppliers...

threatened

to take you to court.

It seems your family name...

means more to me

than it does to you.

You're beginning to sound

like Aunt Harriet.

You consistently overspent

your allowance...

and you've run up debts...

that you had no possible hope

of meeting.

Whereas your sister,

Eleanor, has...

Don't bring her into it.

She's out of her mind.

No doubt you would wish...

to have her

certified as such.

We're not

completely stupid, Simon...

even if you like to think so.

And just exactly

what's that supposed to mean?

I suppose

it had entered your mind...

that with Eleanor

out of the way...

you'd come into her share of

the money as well as your own?

Yes, Mr. Kossett,

it has entered my mind.

Yes, I thought as much.

So what?

Nothing. But for as long as

I have control of the money...

you're not getting

a penny more.

Even if

you're dragged through...

every court

in the British Isles.

In three weeks' time, you

come into the full estate.

Then you can do

what you like...

but not till then.

All right, Kossett,

three weeks.

And then do you know

what I'm gonna do?

Drink yourself to death,

I shouldn't wonder.

I'm going to find myself...

the best firm of

accountants I can...

and get them to look into

the affairs of the trust.

With what in mind?

To find out how much money you've

embezzled in the last 10 years.

Show Mr. Ashby out, Keith.

I'll talk to him, Father.

Do what you like

but keep him away from me.

Pompous old windbag.

Come into my office.

Care for a drink?

You didn't mean that about

the accountants, did you?

Yes. Worried?

No.

You should be, Keith.

You father's so honest,

he'd rather cut his throat...

than take anything

that didn't belong to him.

But you...

You're like me, Keith.

You like expensive things.

I'm not saying you've dug

too deeply into the trust.

But I've a feeling there'll be

a few thousand unaccounted for.

How about being

a good fellow and let me...

have 100 quid

for a couple of weeks?

We'll forget all about it.

Dear God...

please forgive me.

Miss Eleanor?

I'll take her to her room.

It's still the same one?

At the end of the corridor.

Up here.

Quick, bring her in here.

What happened?

Where did you find her?

Is she all right?

I think so.

Well, where's the young man?

I don't know, he left.

It was him,

Miss Ashby, I'm sure of it.

Stop being a fool, Williams.

Anyway,

let's go and find him.

Williams.

Yes, miss?

Who was he?

It was Mr. Tony, miss.

Why the hell don't you look

where you're going?

Hey, you, come here!

Did you hear what I said?

Come inside, both of you.

Simon.

Simon,

I want to speak to you.

Come in, please.

I want to talk to you.

Williams, take him up

to Mr. Simon's room...

and get him some

dry clothes, will you please?

Yes, Miss Ashby.

Will you come

with me, please, sir?

Tony, is it really you?

How do you feel?

I feel wonderful.

Come closer.

Sit down.

I was beginning to

think Simon was right.

What about?

He thinks I'm mad.

That isn't true, Eleanor.

Simon only worries about you.

You will tell me everything,

won't you, Tony?

Please,

help me to understand.

I think your aunt is waiting

to speak to Mr. Ashby.

Then later. Promise?

I promise.

Tony, I'm so happy.

I'll see you later.

I'm going to get up

for dinner.

I don't think you should.

Of course I should.

Tony's come back.

Come in here, please.

Sit down.

Who are you

and what do you want?

You know who I am,

Aunt Harriet.

I know who you'd like

us to think you are.

And please call me Miss Ashby.

Miss Ashby.

You'd like us to think

you're Tony Ashby...

wouldn't you?

I don't know

what your game is...

but in case

you are unaware of the fact...

Tony Ashby committed suicide

eight years ago.

And he left a note saying,

"I can't stand it any longer.

Please forgive me. "

You read about

that in the papers, of course.

He left a note

on the cliff top...

to make it look

as though it was suicide.

But it wasn't.

They didn't find a body,

did they, Miss Ashby?

They didn't, did they?

The tide is

very strong there.

There wasn't a body.

I just ran away.

You just ran away. Why?

Because I couldn't stand

being with you...

for a moment longer,

Aunt Harriet.

Then why have you come back?

To see the house.

To see Eleanor.

It seems I was just in time.

So you think you can just

march in here out of the blue.

I didn't come

marching in here.

If Eleanor hadn't

tried to kill herself...

I'd have left

without showing myself.

Then why don't

you do just that, now?

I shall...

when I find out what

you've been doing to her.

What?

When I left, she was a normal,

healthy girl.

She was upset when Mother

and Father were killed...

but quite sane.

Now look at her.

How dare you?

How dare he what,

Aunt Harriet?

Return to his own home?

Simon.

I'm sorry

I ran off like that.

You gave me a bit of a shock.

Drink?

I'm afraid

we're a bit short of brandy...

but we can manage

anything else.

Not for me, thank you.

Come on,

this is an occasion.

I still don't drink.

No, of course not.

I'm afraid I do.

You'll have to excuse me.

Cheers.

You'll appreciate the

fact that your arrival...

was a bit

of a surprise for us.

You'll have

to give us a little time...

to adapt ourselves,

won't he, Aunt Harriet?

Of course, I understand.

You're very generous.

Tell me, as a matter of curiosity,

what were you doing on the cliffs...

when our sister

decided to take the plunge?

I was making up my mind

whether to come here or not.

You hadn't decided?

No.

Not even with half

a million pounds at stake?

Half a million?

600,000, to be exact.

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