Scent of a Woman Page #10

Never mind.

The what ?

Silly.

Just the thought

that maybe one day, I'd --

I could have a woman's arms

wrapped around me...

and her legs

wrapped around me.

And what ?

That I could wake up in the morning

and she'd still be there.

Smell of her.

All funky and warm.

I finally gave up on it.

I don't know why

you can't have that.

[ Muttering ]

You know, when we get back

to New Hampshire,

I don't know why

you can't find someone.

I mean, you're

a good-lookin' guy,

and you're fun

to be with, and...

you're a great travel companion,

sensitive, compassionate.

Charlie,

are you

f***in' with me ?

- Yes.

- [ Phone Ringing ]

Yeah ?

Hey, Manny.

My God. We -- We --

We missed our plane.

Your plane, Charlie.

My ticket was one-way.

- New England Thruway

all the way, Colonel ?

- All the way, Rinaldo.

I'm gettin' that

heavy feelin' again, Charlie.

Uh...

"Uh" ?

I think you were right

about George and his father.

- Uh, I'm sorry to hear that.

- When we get back,

Mr. Trask is bringin' us up in front

of the whole school.

Puttin' your feet

to the fire, huh ?

Special meeting of

the Disciplinary Committee.

And what are you

gonna tell 'em ?

I don't know.

I'll think of somethin'.

Oh, Charlie, why are you

all alone in this thing ?

Hmm ? Where's your father ?

He left.

I thought it was a mom-and-pop store.

Who's the "pop" ?

- It's my stepfather.

- Oh, yeah.

But why isn't he in on this ?

Somethin'

wrong with him ?

No, he's okay.

We just, uh --

- We don't get along very well.

- Why not ?

- 'Cause he's an a**hole.

- Ah. Ha-ha !

Well, that's all right, Charlie.

Every family's got one

nowadays.

- That's it ?

- That's it.

- Take care of yourself, kid.

- All right, Manny. Thanks.

No, I'm not open.

I hate good-byes.

So, uh, you'll be

all right, huh ?

I'll be fine.

All right.

- [ Bell Ringing ]

- What's that ?

Uh, that's first bell.

Just got time

to get cleaned up.

Oh. I almost forgot.

I owe you some money.

Three hundred dollars,

hmm ? Job well done.

You ever need any

references, Charlie,

- I'm your man.

- Thanks, Colonel.

- Uh, it's 16 Water Street.

Just over the bridge.

- We'll find it.

Good-bye, Charlie.

Good-bye, Colonel.

Come here, son.

Okay, Manny.

George. George !

I called an open meeting

of this institution this morning...

because the incident that

occurred this Tuesday last...

describes an issue

that concerns all of us.

Not an isolated case

of vandalism, what happened...

is a symptom

of the sickness of a society,

a sickness which runs

counter to the principles...

this school was founded on,

a school, among whose graduates two have

sat behind the desk in the Oval Office,

in the White House.

Baird men have run state departments

and investment houses,

founded department stores

and coached football teams.

Our alumni receive their bulletins

in ashrams in India...

and in palaces

in Jordan.

We are, in fact,

known around the world...

as the cradle

of this country's leadership.

- A beacon in the nation's --

- What are you doing here ?

- Got room for me up there, Charlie ?

- But today,

- We are bleeding from disrespect,

- Yeah, I guess so.

- Give us a hand.

- disrespect for our values...

and a disrespect

for our standards,

a disrespect for

the Baird tradition.

And, as the custodians

of that tradition,

we are here today

to protect each other...

from those

who threaten it.

Who is this, Mr. Simms ?

- Uh --

- This is Mr. Frank Slade,

Lieutenant Colonel,

United States Army, retired.

I'm here in place

of Charlie's parents.

- Excuse me ?

- In loco parentis.

They could not make

the trip from Oregon today.

And what is your relationship

to Mr. Simms ?

Is this a courtroom ?

- Closest thing we could manage to it.

- Then if we're taking oaths,

there's a few people

I'd like to swear in.

There are no oaths at Baird.

We are all on our honor.

Larry and Franny Simms...

are very dear,

close friends of mine.

They've asked me to appear here

on Charlie's behalf.

Okay ?

Happy to have you

with us, Colonel.

Mr. Willis.

- Which Mr. Willis ?

- George, Junior, sir.

You were in a position

last Tuesday night...

to see who committed

this act of vandalism. Who was it ?

Well, uh, I have

an idea who it was.

No, no, not an idea, Mr. Willis.

Did you see or did you not see ?

Well...

I-l didn't have

my contacts in.

Come on.

I was in the library.

I'd taken my glasses off,

and I was gonna put

my contacts back in.

Um,

I --

Then I helped

Simms close up,

and the next thing I know,

we're outside,

and I hear this sound,

and l, um,

didn't have any time

to put my contacts in.

Whom, with your limited vision,

did you see ?

[ Whispering ]

Like I say,

it was blurry.

Uh,

I can't see

without my contacts.

What did you see,

Mr. Willis ?

What ?

- What, you mean definitively ?

- Stop fencing with me, Mr. Willis !

Tell me what you saw !

Now, don't hold me

to this, but...

no contacts, it's dark...

and everything, I mean --

- Mr. Willis !

- [ Willis Sighing ]

Maybe...

Harry Havemeyer,

Trent Potter

and Jimmy Jameson.

- Maybe ?

- Ballpark, best guess.

[ Trask ] Could you provide us

with some detail ?

I mean, why don't

you ask Charlie ?

I really think

he was closer.

Mr. Simms.

[ Clearing Throat ]

Yes.

You don't wear

contact lenses, do you ?

No, sir.

With your untrammeled sight,

whom did you see ?

Well, I saw --

I saw something,

but l-l-l

I couldn't say who.

[ Trask ] All right.

What was the something you saw ?

- I-l couldn't say.

- You couldn't say or you wouldn't say ?

Well, I just --

I --

- I just couldn't say. I'm --

- Couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't.

You're exhausting

my patience...

and making a mockery

of these proceedings.

I will give you

one last chance.

The consequences of your response

will be dire.

By dire I mean your future

will be jeopardized permanently.

Now for the last time,

what did you see

last Tuesday night...

outside my office ?

I saw somebody.

"l saw somebody." Good.

Did you see

their size and shape ?

Yeah.

And they were

the size and shape of whom ?

They were

the size and shape --

of most any

Baird student, sir.

I am left

with no real witness.

Mr. Willis's testimony is

not only vague, it is unsubstantiated.

The substance I was

looking for, Mr. Simms,

was to come from you.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry too, Mr. Simms,

because you know

what I'm going to do,

inasmuch as I can't punish

Mr. Havemeyer,

Mr. Potter or Mr. Jameson ?

And I won't punish

Mr. Willis.

He's the only party

to this incident...

who is still worthy of

calling himself a Baird man.

I'm going to recommend to

the Disciplinary Committee...

that you be expelled.

Mr. Simms, you are

a cover-up artist...

and you are a liar.

But not a snitch !

Excuse me ?

No, I don't

think I will.

- Mr. Slade.

- This is such a crock of sh*t !

[ Trask ] Please watch your

language, Mr. Slade.

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