Strangers on a Train Page #10

INT. CORRIDOR OF POLICE HEADQUARTERS

Guy comes into the corridor from the street and approaches

two policemen who are standing nearby.

GUY:

Captain Turley's office?

One of the policemen gestures to a door at the right. Guy

crosses and enters.

INT. RECEPTION ROOM OUTSIDE CAPTAIN TURLEY'S OFFICE

At one side of the room is a young police sergeant seated at

a typewriter. A group of people are seated in chairs lined

against the opposite wall.

Guy enters, crosses to the sergeant at the desk.

GUY:

Captain Turley is expecting me. Guy

Haines.

SERGEANT:

Just a moment, Mr. Haines.

He rises and goes into an adjoining room.

CLOSEUP GUY:

He now has time to take stock of the waiting people. He

catches his breath when he sees:

CLOSEUP MRS. JOYCE

Miriam's mother, dressed all in black, is seated in one of

the chairs. She has been staring at the floor, but brings

her eyes up slowly to glare at Guy with a look of burning

hatred.

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MRS. JOYCE

(a fierce whisper)

You'll pay for this!

CLOSEUP MR. HARGREAVES

Mr. Hargreaves from the music shop looks across at Guy,

attempts in awkward nod but is very embarrassed.

CLOSEUP GUY:

Guy nods in returns.

MED. SHOT

The two boys who were with Miriam at the amusement park.

They look at Guy with interest.

MED. SHOT GUY

He looks about him uncomfortably, then turns suddenly as he

sees:

MED. SHOT

Seated behind Guy, apart from the others who are waiting, is

Professor Collins, Guy's drunken companion on the train of

the night before. The professor is completely sober now,

dignified and erect. He has removed his glasses to polish

them and does not react to Guy's presence.

CLOSEUP GUY:

Guy starts with a smile of recognition to say, "How do you

do?" but at that moment he hears the door open and his name

called:

SERGEANT'S VOICE

Will you come in, please, Mr. Haines?

MED. SHOT

Guy breaks away from his uncompleted greeting to the professor

and goes through the door to Captain Turley's office, followed

by the eyes of the waiting people.

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INT. CAPTAIN TURLEY'S OFFICE

CAPTAIN TURLEY is conscientious, methodical and always polite.

He puts aside photographs and records and rises from behind

his desk as Guy comes in. A detective lieutenant, CAMPBELL,

is attending a coffee maker. Their expressions are grave by

contrast with Guy's confident attitude after seeing the

professor in the waiting room.

CAPTAIN TURLEY:

Good of you to be so prompt, Mr.

Haines. This is Lieutenant Campbell.

(the two nod to each

other)

Won't you sit down?

GUY:

Thank you, sir.

(he sits)

CAPTAIN TURLEY:

I know you're a busy man, so we won't

detain you any longer than

necessary...Now you already been

good enough to tell us where you

were last evening, and we've managed

to locate the gentleman you spoke

with on the train.

Turley signals to Campbell to call the professor in.

GUY:

(brightening)

Yes. I saw him outside.

CAMPBELL:

(at open door)

Will you come in please, professor?

CLOSEUP GUY:

He looks up eagerly.

MED. SHOT

Professor Collins comes in and sits in a chair opposite Guy.

TURLEY:

Professor Collins, this is Mr. Haines.

He was with you on the train last

night.

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The professor studies Guy for a moment, then awkwardly turns

to Turley.

COLLINS:

I'm terribly sorry, but I really

don't remember meeting this gentleman.

CLOSEUP GUY:

Surprised. His confident expression fades.

CLOSEUP PROFESSOR COLLINS

He turns from the captain to Guy.

COLLINS:

(apologetically)

Unfortunately, I remember very little

about the journey from New York...You

see, there had been a little

celebration -

MED. SHOT GROUP

Guy interrupts with a slight note of impatience.

GUY:

But we were sitting opposite each

other in the observation car! You

were singing a song about a goat -

COLLINS:

(incredulously)

A goat?

GUY:

(urgently)

And calculus. You were going over a

speech you'd made.

Turley and Campbell are watching closely.

COLLINS:

I was? I'm sorry, Mr. Halnes.

(shakes his head)

I certainly must have celebrated! I

can't remember you at all.

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CLOSEUP GUY:

Momentarily Guy is frustrated, then he turns quietly to

Turley.

GUY:

(calmly, logically)

Captain, is it so important whether

or not Professor Collins remember

me? Surely, the important thing is

that I've been able to name a man

who was on the train with me. You've

been able to find him. Isn't that

proof of where I was at nine-thirty

last night?

Guy asks this question with a look of near triumph that he

has clearly established his alibi.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. BURTON LIVING ROOM EVENING

The Burtons are having coffee. Barbara has been glancing

through a new murder mystery with a lurid cover. As Guy

enters, Anne rises to greet him.

ANNE:

Hello, darling. Have you had your

dinner?

GUY:

On the train.

ANNE:

You weren't in Metcalf all this time?

We expected you hours ago.

BARBARA:

(flatly)

I didn't. They sometimes throw a

suspect in the can and keep him there

all night.

SENATOR:

(after a disapproving

glance at Barbara)

Sit down, Guy. Sit down. Give him

some coffee, Anne.

(MORE)

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SENATOR (CONT'D)

(back to Guy)

You had no trouble with the police

of course, once they verified your

alibi?

GUY:

(morosely)

When an alibi is full of bourbon,

sir, it can't stand up.

BARBARA:

You mean the professor was boiled?

GUY:

Completely. He didn't remember me.

ANNE:

But, you knew he was on the train!

Wasn't that enough to prove you were

on it, too?

GUY:

Apparently not at the right time.

They suggested I could have caught

the train at Baltimore after Miriam

was murdered. They had it all worked

out -

(taps his head)

in their timetables.

ANNE:

(growing indignant

and increasingly

nervous)

That's ridiculous. They're acting

as if you were guilty.

BARBARA:

(somewhat subdued and

trying to be

comforting)

Everything will be all right, Anne.

The police were just being thorough -

(she's unsure of

herself, and defers

to the senator)

Weren't they, daddy?

SENATOR:

I certainly hope so.

(to Guy)

What is your next step?

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GUY:

(wryly)

Whatever it is, the police will know

it. They gave me a present -- come

take a look.

He crosses to the window, lifts the curtain slightly, then

turns back to the others.

GUY:

(continuing)

My guardian angel.

The group move to look out the window, the senator with

reluctance.

LONG SHOT EXT. STREET FROM THEIR VIEWPOINT

Through the window we see the figure of a man across the

street. He is lighting a cigarette and strolling up and

down.

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