Sapphire Page #5

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Then I went back to the shop,

left her here with Dad.

- Then only Dad was at home.

- That's right.

- Davy wasn!t.

- No, he didn!t get in till 1 1 :00.

- Did you see him?

- No, I was in bed, but Dad was up.

Then we!ve only got Dad!s word

that he came in when he said he did.

Mum.

What are you thinking?

Nothing.

I!ll ring Katie.

You see to the children!s tea.

Oh, dear. We!ll never live it down.

- Who says?

- Molly Turnbull!s mother.

What won!t we live down?

I don!t know, but it!s something to do

with Auntie Sapphire.

- She!s dead.

-[ Door Opens ]

Time to settle down now, children.

Mummy, why are we going to stay

with Auntie Katie?

Ask no questions,

and you!ll be told no lies.

It!s because of Auntie Sapphire, isn!t it?

No. And don!t call her !!Auntie.!!

She!s nothing to us, and she never was.

- Good night, my darling.

- Good night, Mummy.

Good night, my love.

Good night, Mummy.

Straight off to sleep. No talking.

- Yes. Mummy.

- ood night.

[ Ted ] I've told you a dozen times

if I've told you once...

so why go on arguing about it?

David came in at 1 1.:00.

That's what I told the police.

and it's the truth.

[ Mrs. Harris ] It's what you told the police. Ted.

but is it the truth?

Stop accusing David.

Please, Mum.

Milly, if we!re to help him,

we!ve got to know the truth.

Lies are never any good.

- Who says Davy!s telling lies?

- [ Doorknob Turns ]

I don!t want any supper, Mum.

I!m going out.

- Where are you going, Son?

- I!m going for a walk, Mum.

Don!t be too late, will you?

[ Door Closes ]

[ Front Door Opens. Closes ]

[Jazz.:
Ballad. Muffled ]

- [ Continues ]

- [ Loud Chattering ]

I don!t think you!ll find who you!re

looking for here, Superintendent.

We haven!t seen Sapphire

for six, seven months.

We!re merely trying

to fill in her background, Mr. Young.

- As you wish. This way.

- Thank you.

- [ Continues ]

- [ Loud Chattering ]

I!ll get some quiet.

Quiet, everybody, please.

Quiet, please, everybody.

And just gather around me, will you?

Won!t keep you a moment,

but these gentlemen are police officers.

[ Club Members Murmuring ]

They want to ask you a few questions

about Sapphire Robbins.

[ Man ]

Sapphire Robbins?

Was anyone here

a particular friend of Sapphire!s?

- We all were, weren!t we?

- Once.

What do you mean !!once!!?

I mean she stopped coming here.

Oh, why?

They drift away, Superintendent,

grow out of us.

Sapphire didn't drift away.

She used to come here regularly.

- Then suddenly, she never came again.

- Why was that?

Sapphire found she could pass for white.

I was there the day it happened.

Tell me.

We had just finished coffee.

I went to pay the bill.

A white lady came in,

took one look at my black mug and said...

!!Oh, I see they!ve let the jungle in.!!

She said this to Sapphire, you see,

like they were the same.

Sapphire left before I got my change.

When I went outside, she had gone.

Silly little peasant.

Did you ever dance with Sapphire?

No, not me.

Slade, Ray Landa -

They were her partners.

And Wishy Washy there.

- Where did you dance with her?

- Here, sir.

Did she mention anyone else?

Outside the club, I mean.

[ Club Members ]

No. No.

If you do remember anything,

speak to Mr. Young.

He'll know how to get in touch with us.

I think you!re right.

I don!t think I shall find anything here.

Thank you so much, everybody.

It!s been most kind of you.

- [ All Chattering ]

- I!ll see you out.

Please don!t bother.

You!ll miss the performance.

- [ Piano ]

- Right.

He!s a good pianist.

Yes, and he!s lucky.

- He!ll be accepted for what he is.

- And what!s that?

A good pianist.

- [ Ballad ]

- [ Chattering ]

- There!s a young lady in the car, sir.

- Ah, I thought as much.

Drive around the block.

Phil, get in the front.

Very good, sir.

Yes, I know a lot about Sapphire

they don!t know.

Go on.

The rhythm at the club -

it wasn!t hot enough for her.

So Paul Slade used to take her to Tulip!s -

a dive in Shepherd!s Bush.

- Oh, dear. His father, the bishop, huh?

- Yes. I know His Reverence.

He!d as soon see his precious son

in hellfire as at Tulip!s.

Paul got into a fight there over Sapphire.

Well, who did he fight with?

Oh, a johnnie someone.

!!Big, ugly fellow,!! he said.

Sapphire danced crazy with him.

Real crazy.

- Paul dropped her after that.

- Poor Sapphire.

Oh, she couldn!t care less.

She!d gotjohnnie then.

Of course, he didn!t last very long

when his color went out of fashion.

How did you know that?

He rang up, left a message for her.

!!Ring johnnie at Tulip!s.!!

Sapphire had gone white then,

so we never saw her.

I told him. He was mad.

They!d entered for some dancing competition.

Cash prize he said.

You didn!t like Sapphire.

No. I was Paul Slade!s girlfriend

till she cut me out.

I hated that high-yellow doll.

You can drop me anywhere here.

I!ll walk back.

- What are you studying?

- Montessori - child welfare.

- I shan!t bother with it though.

- Oh, why not?

I want to get married, stay here.

I like the English.

- Well, thank you.

- Bye-bye.

By the way, did you give this johnnie

Sapphire!s new address?

No, I wouldn!t do that.

Perhaps he got it from someone else though, huh?

- Mm-hmm.

- Try Tulip!s Club, Shepherd!s Bush.

- I will. Good night.

- Good night.

[Jazz.:
Muffled ]

[ Continues ]

- Two beers.

- No beer, sir.

- Two beers.

- Scotch, Irish and bourbon, sir.

- Buy me a drink, copper.

- Three beers.

- Ever heard of Sapphire?

- Doubles, sir?

Three beers.

- The chick that was done on Hampstead Heath?

- That!s the chick.

Ten shillings, sir.

Sorry I!ve got nothing smaller.

- Ten shillings, sir.

- Keep the change.

Now then, ever heard of Sapphire?

- Down the hatch, copper.

- Is johnnie in tonight?

johnnie - is he in tonight?

- Talking to me, sir?

- Yes.

Lots ofjohnnie here tonight, sir.

There!s johnnie Fingers.

johnnie Hot Feet.

johnnie Rags.

And johnnie Tiger over there.

Sure, all thejohnnies in the world

are here tonight, sir.

We want thejohnnie

who danced with this chick.

This chick was never here at all, sir.

Can I help you, Superintendent?

- Mr. Tulip?

- That!s what they call me.

We!re looking for thejohnnie

who used to dance with Sapphire -

this Sapphire.

You mean the chick that was cut up

on Hampstead Heath Saturday night?

- Mm-hmm.

- She!s new to me. I never saw her here.

That!s a lily-skin.

Your chick was a lily-skin, wasn!t she?

- Hmm?

- It!s in the evening papers.

I think I would!ve remembered

if she!d ever been in here.

Oh, you can always tell.

!Cause once they hear

the beat of the bongo -

[ Bongo Drums ]

Yes.

No matter how fair is the skin,

they can!t hide that swing.

Your chick was never here,

Superintendent.

Somewhere else

she danced with herjohnnie.

Let!s get out of here.

Blow,johnnie.

And don!t come back.

You!re wearing too much trouble.

Johnnie.

Where was you on Saturday night,johnnie?

You wasn!t in the club.

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