Shattered Page #3

on my health.

Now I only do it to pay the rent

and feed the animals.

Are you satisfied?

Case closed?

Let me put it this way,

Mr. Klein...

don't you find it

a little odd...

that on the same day

you gave me those pictures...

my wife and I had

a terrible accident?

She gets thrown out

with hardly a scratch...

I wind up looking

like hamburger.

What, you think

she planned it? Come on!

Unless your wife

was into serious acrobatics...

I'd say that your imagination

is working overtime.

You want my advice? Forget it.

OK, so she had an affair.

You've never had an affair,

Mr. Merrick?

Yeah. As a matter

of fact, I did...

but I can't remember who with.

That could keep a guy

on his toes.

Look, Mr. Klein...

I'd like to hire you again

to find out...

a little bit more

about this Jack Stanton.

And I'd be glad to take

your money, but...

as I don't believe

in exploiting animals...

occasionally

I get a little soft...

and extend that code

to human beings.

Look, the way I see it,

you both had an affair...

and now you love each other.

Great! Save your money.

Forget the guy.

Kind of pretty, ain't he?

He's not my type.

Mr. Klein...

don't move.

There's a snake

right behind you.

Oh, yeah... Betty June!

I've been looking for you!

Where you been, honey?

Ain't she pretty?

- Sadie!

- Yeah?

- I found Betty June!

- Oh, good!

Yeah. She was

in the filing cabinet.

Dan?

Maybe I should continue

the sessions with the shrink.

Maybe Jeb's right...

just put a lid on the past.

But what you said

about the accident...

I can't let it go.

It doesn't add up.

I feel there's...

something wrong here.

Trust your feelings.

What?

Do you love Judith?

I guess I do.

She's sick.

You do know that, don't you?

She's the one who needs

a psychiatrist, not you.

She's a pathological liar.

She lies for the sake of lying.

In seven years...

she's never told me

the simple truth about anything.

God, Dan,

it used to drive you crazy...

especially when

you'd catch her in it...

and she'd just coolly

start spinning another one.

She thinks everybody's stupid.

She can do anything

and get away with it.

She's sick.

What happened in Mexico

with Stanton?

She's like a drug addict...

completely hooked on him.

And he's still around...

believe me.

Problem is, so are you.

Dan, do you know

how much you're worth?

You can't really see

how beautiful it is...

with the lights on.

Isn't that amazing?

If only life could be

that perfect...

that still.

Oh, Dan...

Danny...

Oh, Jenny, no.

Don't. Don't do this.

We were lovers, Dan.

The Hacienda?

You remember.

We were gonna get married.

We were just waiting

for the right time.

Jeb's not back till tomorrow.

Make love to me now...

here...

just like we used to.

I said... I said stop it.

I don't remember.

Can't you understand?

Get out.

Jenny, please...

Get out!

Hi, Jeb.

Oh, Dan.

Copying my homework?

No, no. Just taking a look...

at what you've been doing

while I've been gone...

and it looks pretty good,

considering...

Yes?

Considering you have no idea

of what the f*** you're doing.

Listen...

I'm just not so sure...

That I can handle it?

No, I just think we have

some serious thinking to do...

about what the next step is.

That's precisely

what I've been doing...

the last couple of days,

thinking about that.

So...

if you're ready

to buy out your partner...

then he's ready to sell.

Assuming we could

come up with a deal.

I warn you, pal...

I'll suck your blood.

Well, like you say, Jeb...

in an unreliable world...

it's nice to have somebody

who's consistent.

Jeb?

The men from the security

service are here.

Some Greenpeace freaks

are trying to stop us...

from shifting an old boat

off the marina site.

Time to go knock

a few heads together.

We'll talk.

I'm really sorry, Dan.

It's just that Jeb insisted,

and there was really nothing...

No sweat.

What do you want?

Caffeine and no calls.

Wait a minute,

you can't just come...

Nancy, it's OK.

I guess I owe you an apology.

Oh, forget it.

Maybe I was wrong.

Maybe you was right.

Oh, that's refreshing.

After you left the store

the other night...

I gave the whole business

another thought...

and the more I ran it by,

the more I began figuring...

maybe you wasn't

so far off base.

You're a day late

and a few dollars short...

Mr. Klein.

You were right...

Forget the guy.

Oh, boy... am I in a fix.

What is the problem?

The guy!

Look, I did a bit

of research on him.

Let's start with the accident.

Yeah?

Now, you was driving

your car, right?

- Right.

- Wrong.

I checked with the hospital.

There's no way...

that you could have received

these head injuries...

if you were sitting behind

the wheel of a car.

Next question...

Was your wife even in the car

when it went over the edge...

or could she have been

on terra firma...

and given it a little nudge?

Come on, Klein.

She's not Superman.

Yeah, but how about

her and Stanton?

How would you like your coffee?

Oh. Two sugars...

real sugar.

And cream,

preferably from a cow.

Oh, by the way...

the typeface on your IBM...

it wouldn't happen to be

Prestige Elite...

by any chance, would it?

Everybody's into

Courier 10 these days...

but I still use...

How'd you know that?

You got Prestige Elite

written all over you.

I tracked Stanton down

to the architect firm...

he used to work for in L.A.

They don't know where he is,

but I do.

At least, I know where he was.

Right here in this office...

exactly 51/2 hours

after the accident.

A copy of a fax

he sent to his boss.

"Dear Paul...

"I've finally decided

to take the plunge...

"and go for that job in Tokyo.

"I'm shipping out tonight...

"so don't expect

to hear from me for a while.

"Happy New Year."

Sent from...

"Merrick/Scott No.04."

That's your personal

fax machine... number 4.

Time sent...

8:
04 A. M...

January 1.

Typeface... Prestige Elite.

I take it your wife...

had a set of keys

to this office, huh?

But she was in a hospital,

for Christ's sake!

No, she was not.

Judith Merrick

discharged herself...

from Marin County Hospital

at 6:
18 A. M...

January 1...

31/2 hours after

she was admitted.

No.

It gets worse.

Japanese immigration

has got no record...

of a Jack Stanton

entering Japan.

OK, he could be anywhere...

but I'll bet you

dollars to doughnuts...

the boy never left town.

You're worth an awful lot

of money, Mr. Merrick.

They tried to kill you once.

Why not try it again, huh?

Dan?

Mr. Merrick's taking a nap.

Any calls, Lydia?

Yeah, just one.

Said they'd call back later.

Stan someone.

Let's see...

Jack Stanton.

Did he...

leave a number?

No. Just that he's in town.

Mrs. Merrick?

Are you all right?

Yes, Lydia.

I'm fine.

May I speak

to Gus Klein, please?

Nah, he's delivering puppies.

When will he be back?

He's right here.

Let me talk to him.

I told you,

he's delivering puppies!

God damn it,

this is important.

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