Stage Fright Page #9

I wanted to tell you all about it.

Please believe me.

Would you like to mix a cocktail

yourself, Mr. Smith?

I'm afraid there's no ice,

but I'm sure you can manage.

- Good evening, Smith.

- Good evening.

- Do I hear the muted clanking of chains?

- It's only the plumbing.

It's in a dreadful state.

How did you enjoy the garden party,

Mr. Smith?

It must have been awful in that rain.

I think I'll take some sherry

up to Mr. Robinson.

I've quite changed my mind about him.

He seems such a nice young man after all.

Eve, dear, you will look after

Mr. Smith, won't you?

Father, I've been explaining to Mr. Smith

what we're trying to do.

He thinks we ought to stop.

Oh, what a pity.

Just when you and I were about to save

Mr. Smith so much trouble.

Save me trouble?

Sir, you don't look like an irresponsible

imbecile. Why behave like one?

You let your daughter get mixed up in this?

What sort of father do you think you are?

Unique. Quite unique.

But rather broken-hearted at this moment.

You see, I have another idea.

A pity to waste ideas, isn't it?

Have you...? Have you ever

been blackmailed, Mr. Smith?

Well, I have. Only this afternoon.

At least my daughter and I were,

by Nellie Goode.

Yes, most inappropriate name.

I told her so.

She touched us for 24 pounds, and do you

know why I think it was well-spent?

- Though we could ill afford it.

- Come to the point, please.

Well, it struck me that what Nellie could do,

Doris could do.

I mean suppose she went

to Miss Inwood and said:

"Look, Miss Inwood,

I've got a certain dress of yours.

It's ruined, but it's still worth money."

And suppose Miss Inwood said, "All right,

I'll give you 100 pounds for it."

What then, eh?

And suppose you happened

to be listening.

Well, that's what police do

in blackmail cases, isn't it?

What about it, eh? What about it?

Oh, you needn't be afraid that Doris

couldn't do it. She could do it, Doris could.

I mean, Eve could. She's a very good

actress, a very good actress indeed.

I'm sure she is.

By the way,

is there a bloodstained dress?

Well, no. No, not exactly.

Look, there was

a bloodstained dress, only...

- Couldn't we tell you...?

- I'm getting back to the office.

I'll let you know about this later.

In the meantime, what's Miss Inwood

doing without a dresser?

You better run along to the theater before

she starts getting impatient.

It's all right.

- What do you mean, "It's all right"?

- He's trying to save face.

Not a bad face, either.

He'll let us do it. What's the matter

with you? Aren't you pleased?

Come on. We better hurry.

Come to Burton Street and bring two men.

Post them at either end of the street.

I'll be waiting at the telephone booth

at the corner. All right?

Hello. Is that Mrs. Gill?

Is the commodore available?

Oh, he's gone out. Is Miss Eve there?

Oh, she's out too. No, one moment.

May I speak to Mr. Robinson, please?

- What's your idea, governor?

- Just a little experiment.

- Plug it in.

- Okay.

The mike's in position.

I'm speaking about three foot from it.

Can you hear me?

- Tell him the sound's all right.

- Okay.

Do you think it'll work?

What a day, darling.

I've never in my whole life been so glad

to see the end of it.

- Yes, madam.

- You must be tired too.

It can't be easy to be a dresser

with no experience.

But you're quite good.

Very good, indeed.

Oh, that rain.

That rain at the garden party.

Thank goodness it didn't rain at the funeral.

That would have been too much.

I hate rainy funerals.

And then somebody sent up

that disgusting doll.

What vermin some vermin are.

Yes, madam.

By the way, did the police find you?

I haven't seen them yet, madam.

And anyway,

I've got nothing to tell them.

Well, I suppose that's all.

And that horrible Nellie

will be back tomorrow.

We may never see each other again.

Ships that pass in the something or other.

I like you. You're so very sweet and patient.

I don't suppose I'm easy to get on with.

Oh, but you are, madam.

It's been wonderful working with you.

And I do love the theater so.

I don't see why. It's an awful life, really.

Here, darling.

A little something extra for you.

I couldn't, madam. Honestly.

Don't be an idiot. Put it in the bank

or go out and get drunk or something.

- Thank you, madam.

- Can I give you a lift?

- Lf you would drop me, I'd appreciate it.

- All right. Come along, then.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- Miss Inwood, could I talk to you in private?

- We can talk in the car. That's private.

No, that won't do.

I've got to talk to you now.

What's all this about?

Let's go someplace

where nobody can hear us.

Good night.

- Have you gone mad or something?

- No, madam.

I want to tell you about

the bloodstained doll.

Well, what about that doll?

Oh, I hate all this, madam.

I'm that nervous.

I'm so afraid of doing the wrong thing.

You see, I have a dress that belongs to you

with a big bloodstain down the front.

By rights, I know I should

go to the police...

...but, to tell you the truth,

madam, I'm afraid.

My dad would murder me

if I got my name in the papers.

So, you see, I've come to you.

Maybe you could tell me what to do.

How much do you want?

Money never entered my head, madam.

I hope you won't think that of me.

Only if the dress were clean like new,

it might be worth, say, 75 or 100 pounds.

I know nothing about

a bloodstained dress.

This sounds to me remarkably

like blackmail.

- I think I'd better call the police.

- Yes. Do call the police, Miss Inwood.

We'll talk to them together.

- You're not the maid.

- No, I'm not.

Why have you been pretending

all this time?

Shall we say we needed evidence?

We? Are you from the police?

How was the bloodstain

smeared on the dress?

Who are you?

Why were you so frightened when Jonathan

said he hadn't destroyed the dress?

- I don't know what you're talking about.

- You do know!

Yes.

Some blood did splash on my dress.

I was there when Jonathan

killed my husband.

- That's not true.

- It is, but I had nothing to do with it.

Jonathan wanted my name kept out of it.

He sent me back to his rooms.

He stayed behind to make it look

like robbery.

- Then he brought me a clean dress.

- You're lying.

It's a sacred truth. I swear to you it is.

Listen, whoever you are...

... l'll give you anything

if you keep me out of this.

My jewelry is worth over 10,000 pounds.

You can have it all.

And my furs or money.

How much do you want?

I'll give you anything. Anything.

I'm going now to break it up.

Bring them in. I want them together.

You deliberately tried to pin

it all on Jonathan...

...assisted by Mr. Freddie Williams.

- It's not true, I tell you. It's not!

Well, you won't get away with it.

I warn you, that's all.

I've had a terrible scene

with a lunatic girl.

First she pretended to be my dresser,

then a detective and tried to blackmail me.

That's all right, Miss Inwood. You stay here.

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