Playback Page #32

BETTY:

You're still a police officer,

Jeff.

(pause)

I saw you send those two men away.

I know they were watching me.

Killaine stares at her silently.

BETTY:

What are you going to do--toss

your job into Puget Sound? Because

I make you think of magnolias? I

thought policeman was something

like a soldier. That his duty

came first. However much he might

happen hate it.

KILLAINE:

(steadily)

I've been a soldier too. There is

a difference. A policeman, like a

judge, has a right to disqualify

himself on proper grounds.

BETTY:

What proper grounds?

(pause, Killaine

doesn't answer)

You can't be in love with me. You

hardly know me. I'm not in love

with you.

KILLAINE:

I know that.

BETTY:

But even if you were in love with

me.

KILLAINE:

(almost rudely)

There's an empty taxi across the

street. If you're so anxious,

take it. He'll know the way to

the police headquarters.

BETTY:

You do things the hard way, don't

you?

KILLAINE:

Sometimes.

BETTY:

Not sometimes. Always. Just

because it is the hard way. You're

that kind of man, Jeff.

KILLAINE:

Goodbye, Betty.

Betty doesn't answer. She shakes her head slightly, stands

with a little smile on her face. He turns, goes quickly

out of scene. The guard mount ceremony ends. The crowd

begins to break up. Betty glances across the street, then

starts out.

CLOSE SHOT -- AN EMPTY TAXICAB, THE FLAG UP

The driver is parked by the curb. He has been watching

the guard mount and is ow waiting for a fare. He sees

one, gets quickly out of the cab, opens the door as Betty

COMES INTO SHOT. She gets into the cab.

CAB DRIVER:

Where to, Miss?

BETTY:

Downtown somewhere--anywhere.

CAB DRIVER:

Right you are, Miss.

Shuts a door, starts around his car, as we

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. VANCOUVER POLICE HEADQUARTERS - MCKECHNIE'S OFFICE --

DAY:

McKechnie behind his desk. Killaine standing across from

him. (We enter the middle of scene)

MCKECHNIE:

Are you a policeman or a soft-headed

nincompoop?

KILLAINE:

A little of both, sir, and perhaps

not quiet enough of either.

MCKECHNIE:

It won't look pretty good on your

record, Killaine. Where's the

girl now?

KILLAINE:

I don't know, sir.

MCKECHNIE:

Well, find out. Who's covering

her?

KILLAINE:

Nobody's covering her, I detached

the officer assigned to that duty.

McKechnie comes slowly to his feet. His voice is very

quiet, and very dangerous.

MCKECHNIE:

This girl is a murderess, Killaine.

KILLAINE:

I disagree, sir. As Inspector in

charge of the case I have the right

to form that opinion, the right to

act on it.

MCKECHNIE:

Ye have, have ye?

KILLAINE:

We lifted seven fairly good prints

from Miss Mayfield's toilet

articles. Washington ought to

teletype us within a few hours.

MCKECHNIE:

(in the same deadly

quiet voice)

And in the meantime this girl goes

where she pleases, does what she

pleases?

KILLAINE:

Yes, sir.

McKechnie's eyes go down to his desk. His hand goes over

slowly to a yellow telegraph form, face down. He turns it

over, then lifts it and reads in a quiet, measured voice:

MCKECHNIE:

(reading our loud)

"Superintendent J. Mckechnie,

Vancouver Police Department.

Vancouver B.c. Replaying To Your

E.P. teletype classification No.

2684 incomplete. We advise

identification possible. Elizabeth

Kinsolving, arrested Greenwater,

North Carolina, January 8, 1948,

on a charge of murder. Signed,

FBI., Washington, D.C. H. Cleary,

Inspector in charge."

(McKechnie looks up

and meets Killaine's

eyes)

Have ye any comment, Killaine?

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