Psycho Page #12

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SAM:

Here?

LILA:

With you.

SAM:

Where?

LILA:

I don't know where. In your store,

somewhere in your town... anywhere.

SAM:

What's the matter?

LILA:

Don't you know?

As Sam is about to speak, the Woman Customer comes sailing

past, speaking as she goes and wearing a satisfied smile.

WOMAN CUSTOMER:

All I can do is hope if it isn't

painless, it's quick!

She speaks "quick" with a kind of delicious bite, nods

happily, goes on out of the store. Sam is now staring

apprehensively at Lila.

SAM:

What should I know?

LILA:

To begin with, where Mary is. Do

you?

SAM:

No. I take it you don't either?

(As Lila shakes her

head)

How long?

LILA:

Last Friday. She left work, and

home... I was in Tucson over the

weekend... I haven't heard from her,

not even a phone call.

SAM:

And you thought she'd come up here,

to me? If she had, what reason would

she have for not calling you?

LILA:

A good reason, I suppose.

SAM:

(Slightly exasperated)

Well what do you think, we eloped or

something? Or we're living in sin

and...

LILA:

Mr. Loomis, you're so busy being

defensive that you haven't even

reacted to the most serious fact of

all. Mary is missing.

SAM:

I was getting to that!

LILA:

What do you know about it?

SAM:

Nothing! You're putting me on the

defensive.

LILA:

Look, if you two are in this thing

together, I don't care, it's none of

my business... But I want to see

Mary. I want her to tell me she's

all right and it's none of my

business. Then I'll go back to Phoenix

and...

She stops, the anxiety and fear building up in her, her eyes

beginning to fill with worried tears. Sam studies her for a

moment, then turns and calls:

SAM:

Bob? Run out and get yourself some

lunch.

SUMMERFIELD:

It's okay, Sam, I brought it with

me.

SAM:

Run out and eat it.

Bob gets the message, goes out through the back way.

Sam goes closer to Lila, speaks with soft seriousness.

SAM:

What thing?

LILA:

Huh?

SAM:

What thing could we be in together?

LILA:

(A pause)

I hate tears.

(Takes out hankie)

SAM:

Is Mary... in trouble?

LILA:

Yes.

SAM:

Well why didn't she come to me...

call me...?

LILA:

Not that kind...

(Almost a smile)

You men and your egos.

SAM:

(Seriously)

Never mind my ego. Let's talk about

Mary.

Their attention is distracted by a man who has strolled

quietly into the room. He ignores them, walks past them,

goes behind the counter, takes down a sign reading "CLOSED

FOR LUNCH," walks back to the door, closes door, hangs the

sign across the door window, locks the door, turns to Sam

and Lila, folds his arms, smiles a particularly unfriendly

smile.

ARBOGAST:

Let's all talk about Mary.

SAM:

Who are you, friend?

ARBOGAST:

Milt Arbogast, Private Investigator.

(To Lila)

Where is she, Miss Crane?

LILA:

I don't know.

ARBOGAST:

Wouldn't have been able to tail you

if you did.

SAM:

What's your interest?

ARBOGAST:

Money.

There is a moment's silence and then, unable to tolerate the

sudden frightening happenings, Sam explodes.

SAM:

Somebody better tell me what's going

on and tell me fast! I can take so

much and then...

ARBOGAST:

(Interrupting calmly)

Your girl friend stole forty thousand

dollars.

Sam looks at Arbogast in utter shock and in that state asks

one of those seemingly ridiculous questions.

SAM:

Why?

ARBOGAST:

(An almost amused

smile)

Must've needed it.

SAM:

What are you talking about?

(To Lila)

What is this?

LILA:

She was supposed to bank it, on

Friday, for her boss. She didn't.

And no one has seen her since.

ARBOGAST:

(Looking at Sam)

Someone has seen her. Someone always

sees a girl with forty thousand

dollars.

(To Sam)

She is your girl friend, isn't she?

LILA:

Sam, they don't want to prosecute,

they just want the money back. It

was all in cash...

ARBOGAST:

(Correcting with

Cassidy's word)

Casharoonie!

LILA:

Sam, if she's here...

SAM:

She isn't!

A real look of anguish comes into Lila's face. And Arbogast

studies it, then speaks.

ARBOGAST:

You came up here on a hunch, Miss

Crane? Nothing more? No phone call...

from him, or from your sister herself?

LILA:

(wearily)

Not even a hunch. Just hope.

ARBOGAST:

With a little checking, I could get

to believe you.

LILA:

(anxiously)

I don't care if you do or... I want

to see Mary... before she gets in

any deeper...

SAM:

Did you check in Phoenix...

hospitals... maybe she had an

accident... a hold-up...

ARBOGAST:

She was seen leaving town in her

car. Seen by her very victims, I

might add.

SAM:

(after a moment)

I don't believe it.

(to Lila, slowly)

Do you?

LILA:

(a thoughtful pause)

Yes... I just... did. The moment

they told me...

SAM:

You might have doubted for say five

minutes or so, Sister.

Lila turns from Sam, a flush of guilt and regret in her face.

Arbogast looks at her, quiet sympathetically.

ARBOGAST:

We're always quickest to doubt people

who have a record for being honest.

I think she's here, Miss Crane. Where

there's a boyfriend...

(Trails off, smiles

encouragingly)

She won't be back there among the

nuts and bolts... but she'll be in

this town... somewhere. I'll find

her.

He nods, takes down the closed-for-lunch sign, sails it to

the counter, opens door, goes out into the street.

After a quiet moment:

LILA:

I just listened... and believed

everything they told me. 'She stole

the money.' 'We don't want to get

her in trouble.' 'No don't bring the

police in'...

SAM:

It was her boss' idea not to report

it to the police?

LILA:

No. The man whose money she... he

talked so loud and fast, and I... I

should've called the police.

SAM:

He must have had a darn good reason

for wanting them kept out of it...

All that cash...

LILA:

I ought to call the police right

now!

SAM:

No.

LILA:

Why not? Sam, is she hiding here?

Are you two planning to go away with

the money?

SAM:

How could I go away? I'm in debt up

to my...

(Smiles at the

incongruity of his

reply, then goes

serious)

If she did steal that money... It's

hard to believe she did because it's

hard to see why she would. Unless

she had some wild idea that it would

help me... us...

LILA:

She haven't even called you?

SAM:

I didn't see her... and I didn't

hear from her! Believe that!

LILA:

I need to... I need to believe

something. This is the first time

I've ever come up against anything I

couldn't... understand.

SAM:

You've led a charmed life.

LILA:

No. I just think... anything can be

explained. But Mary, doing a thing

like this... I don't know how to

handle...

SAM:

Maybe we can handle it together.

(He smiles

encouragingly)

LILA:

(A rueful shrug)

I came flying up here expecting to

get some explanation... for all I

know, she may be trying to get in

touch with me, at home. I'd better

go home.

SAM:

(A thoughtful pause)

I think she'll contact me if she

contacts anybody. Why don't you stay

here. When she shows up... or calls...

be here.

LILA:

(A long study, her

suspicion of him

evaporating)

You want me to stay here?

SAM:

She'll need both of us.

LILA:

(considers, then:)

Where... can I stay?

SAM:

(brightly)

First rate hotel, fifty yards up the

street. Come on.

(as he reaches for

the closed-for-lunch

sign)

After we check you in we'll go to

the drugstore and get you a sandwich.

Then we'll come back here... and

wait.

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