St. Ives Page #4

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Ten thousand?

I think it's time for me to go.

- I insist that you stay.

- Look, Abner, really, I have a cold.

I don't wanna get involved with your

business. I'm not your lawyer.

- I may need you!

- Abner, we have been through this before.

I don't want to be an accessory

or a witness to any of your schemes.

Mr. St. Ives may wish

to involve himself, but I do not.

Abner, dear. Janet, darling. I love you.

What do you want?

I'd like to get a look

at those missing pages.

That's your dangerous compulsion.

I read your journals.

You've never committed murder.

Not even a violent act.

Perish the thought.

Although, now I'm not so certain

of the situation.

For the first time, there might be violence.

I can always duck.

Janet, welcome Mr. St. Ives

as a new player to our game.

Ten thousand.

- Could I have a pineapple?

- Yes, ma'am.

Place your bets, please.

Now, this last little caper of mine...

...is the simplest of all, Mr. St. Ives.

International Electronics is bribing

the Arabs to buy their product.

My plan was to intercept the bribe money.

That plan was written on those

last four pages of my journal...

...but please be assured, there has

never been any gratuitous violence...

... in any of our encounters.

The result of detailed planning

and meticulous execution.

Thank you, my dear.

However, the fact that

those four pages are missing...

... means that the killer

of Peskoe and Boykins...

May drop by on Friday night at our

local drive-in for more than popcorn.

If you were in the drive-in with us...

...the risk would be reduced

to an acceptable level.

Still in the game, Mr. St. Ives?

Yes, I'll hang around a while.

What's special about them?

They are the reason

I brought you here tonight.

The one in the middle is Sheik Amani.

On his right is George McDuff,

president of International Electronics.

On the other side is Marsh Chasman...

...vice president and controller.

They're discussing the service charge

that International is willing to advance...

...to secure a contract

of well over 100 million dollars.

They're the principals

in the four missing pages.

How much will the charge be?

That is what they're negotiating

at this moment.

But you may rest assured

it'll be a very considerable figure.

A minimum of 4 million.

And this money will change hands

at the drive-in Friday night.

Well, you must excuse me.

It's past my bedtime.

I'm sure Mr. St. Ives will take very

good care of you, my dear.

- Which one is the inside man?

- Chasman.

- Cost much?

- Not very much.

You might say he was a bargain.

You are a very lucky hot dog.

Yeah, why is it when I win, I'm lucky,

and when I lose, I'm stupid?

Forty-eight-yard field goal

with three seconds left ain't lucky?

Hey, what about the paper?

I'll bring it back after I read it.

Mr. St. Ives?

Officer Frann.

You look different in civvies.

- Can I sit down?

- Sit, sit.

I'm on my day off.

Oh, I thought maybe you

might've been promoted.

- Oh, I'd like to be.

- Well, that's nice. I wish you a lot of luck.

- I've got a friend down at Homicide.

- What about him?

He let me look at the statement

you gave to Oller and Deal.

- So?

- It got me to thinking...

...that maybe you knew more about Boykins

than you told them.

You trying to bust

this case all by yourself?

That's right. I've never had

a murder one on my beat.

Well, I'm glad things are picking up.

It can give me a chance

to show what I can do.

Sound like you're trying to make detective.

Well, I don't wanna stay on motors.

- Think I can help?

- Yesterday at Union Station...

...you entered the men's room...

...with a Pan Am flight

bag containing $ 100,000.

A few minutes later, you walked out

with a United flight bag...

...containing journals

stolen from Abner Procane.

Jesus.

You've been a busy boy.

I believe Procane would

pay for certain information.

- For example?

- Who killed Peskoe and Boykins.

Why should he care?

He got back the journals.

So far, two men have died...

...and $ 100,000 has exchanged

hands for those journals.

My guess is you don't know

what's in them.

But I do know who had them

for three days.

- How much?

- Twenty thousand dollars, cash.

You could end up

like Boykins and Peskoe.

When can I have an answer?

He's meeting me

at my hotel in an hour's time.

The question is, is the identification

of the opposition worth $20,000 to you?

A peek at the other man's cards?

That's always worth an investment.

By all means, yes.

Janet, get the cash

for Mr. St. Ives, please.

Now, let me give you

a preview of our little play.

First scene, the drive-in theater.

Time, 7 p.m. tomorrow night.

- What's the movie?

- Western double bill.

The switch coincides with

the finest Hollywood stampede.

Oh, great, great. I hope it's good.

In case we have nothing else to do.

Twenty thousand dollars. And now,

gentlemen, if you don't mind, good night.

- You have a big night?

- Cocktail party in Bel Air.

Then dinner in a beautiful restaurant.

- Good night.

- Good night.

Nice bit, that, Mr. St. Ives, yes?

I wouldn't characterize her as a bit.

No, perhaps not.

How would "dangerous" do?

I'm not that familiar with the lady.

I am.

Now, with you at the wheel

of my car, we park here.

That's the exact spot.

Frann, Frann, who stabbed you?

Frann, Frann, who stabbed you?

Frann, Frann, who stabbed you?

- Hey, come on, get the hell out of the way.

- All right.

- Thank you.

- Right.

- Hello, St. Ives.

- Hi.

- Is he still alive?

- I don't know.

Lieutenant...

- Okay, thank you.

- See you guys later.

Tell me, what was Officer Frann

doing outside your hotel?

He was there to meet with me.

Well, what did he want?

Yesterday he saw me

at the Union Station...

...where I was exchanging $ 100,000

for merchandise belonging to my client.

If he saw you at the station, he could've

seen the guy you gave the money to.

- Maybe so.

- Detective Oller.

- Yeah?

- Telephone.

Excuse me.

Well, you know, according

to Patrolman Bancroft's report here...

...it says that Officer Frann was seen

talking to you as they were wheeling him in.

Yeah, but you couldn't understand

a word he was saying. He was fading fast.

Lab report on the car. Negative.

Is there anything else you can tell us?

I found him, drove him here. That's all.

You know, so far, everybody connected

with the stolen journals is dead.

- Who said anything about stolen journals?

- Oh, come on, St. Ives.

Give us credit for some smarts.

- You know, you're the only one left.

- I'm always careful.

Always careful.

- Any of you wanna talk to Dr. Winston?

- How is Officer Frann?

- He just died.

- Did he say anything?

If you have questions, ask Dr. Winston.

He's available, but not for long.

He's got another operation in four minutes.

Need a lift?

- Hey, Charlie, what are you doing here?

- I'm waiting for you.

You working on a new chapter

for your book?

Look, I do need a ride home,

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