Strictly for the Birds Page #3

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I was planning on renting it

for a longer time...

I would appreciate it.

I've tried

everywhere in town.

They're all full.

Well, all right.

Got your bags in the car?

[Chuckles]

Well, it's utilitarian,

I'll say that.

I just picked up

some things for the night

at the general store.

I hadn't planned

on staying very long.

Yes, I know.

Did something

unexpected come up?

Yes. May I use your phone?

I'd like to call home.

I just put some coffee

on the stove.

[Seagulls Cawing]

Don't they ever

stop migrating?

[Seagulls Cawing]

[Rings]

Hi!

Hi!

Miss Daniels?

Yes.

Oh, they're beautiful!

They're just what I wanted.

Is there a man and a woman?

[Cathy]

I can't tell which is which.

Well, I suppose so.

Hello there.

Annie had no plans, huh?

No.

We're very glad

you could come.

Are you hungry?

Reasonably.

Dinner's just

about ready.

We've been looking

at the chickens. Something

seems to be wrong with them.

There's nothing wrong

with those chickens.

I'm going to call

Fred Brinkmeyer right now.

What good's that gonna do?

The chickens won't eat.

He sold the feed to me,

didn't he?

Caveat emptor, Mother.

Let the buyer beware.

Whose side are you on?

Merely quoting

the law, dear.

Never mind the law.

This won't take long,

Miss Dan... Hello, Fred?

Lydia Brenner.

I didn't interrupt

your dinner, did I?

How about a drink?

I'd love one.

That feed you

sold me is no good.

The chicken feed.

Well, it's just no good.

The chickens won't eat it.

They're always hungry.

I opened a sack for them

when I got home, and they

just wouldn't touch it.

You know chickens

as well as I do,

and when they won't eat,

there's something wrong

with what they're being fed.

No, they're not

fussy chickens.

Who? What's he

got to do with it?

Is that your father?

Mm-hmm.

Please sit down.

I don't care how many sacks

of feed you sold him.

My chicken...

Oh, I see.

Dan Fawcett.

This afternoon?

That proves what I'm saying.

The feed you sold us...

Oh.

Well, maybe I better

go over and see him.

You don't think

there's something

going around, do you?

No, never!

No, they don't

seem sick at all.

They just won't eat.

Uh-huh.

Well, I'll try

to go over and see him.

Maybe he...

Uh-huh.

All right.

Thanks.

He had a call from

Dan Fawcett a while ago.

His chickens

won't eat either.

It's what you said, Mom.

Mr. Brinkmeyer's feed

is no good.

No, Cathy.

He sold Mr. Fawcett

a different brand.

You don't think

they're getting sick,

do you, Mitch?

I still don't understand

how you knew I wanted lovebirds.

Your brother told me.

Then you knew Mitch

in San Francisco?

Is that right?

No, not exactly.

Mitch knows a lot

of people in San Francisco.

Of course, they're mostly hoods.

- Cathy!

- Well, Mom, he's

the first to admit it.

He's spends half his day

in the detention cells

at the Hall of Justice.

In a democracy, Cathy,

everyone is entitled

to a fair trial.

Your brother's

practice...

Aw, Mom, please!

I know all

that democracy jazz.

They're still hoods.

He has a client now

who shot his wife

in the head six times.

Six times!

Can you imagine it?

I mean, even twice

would be overdoing it,

don't you think?

- Why did he shoot her?

- He was watching

a ball game on television.

- What?

- His wife changed the channel.

Are you coming

to my party tomorrow?

I don't think so.

I have to get back

to San Francisco.

Don't you like us?

Oh, darling,

of course I do.

Don't you like

Bodega Bay?

I don't know yet.

Mitch likes it very much.

He comes up every weekend,

you know,

even though he has

his own apartment

in the city.

He says San Francisco's

like an anthill

at the foot of a bridge.

I suppose it does get

hectic at times.

Well, if you do decide to come,

don't say I told you about it.

It's supposed to be

a surprise party.

They've got

this whole complicated

thing figured out...

where I'm going to Michele's

for the afternoon,

and Michele's mother will say

that she has a headache, would

I mind if she took me home.

Then when I get home here,

all the kids'll jump out!

Oh, won't you come?

Won't you please come?

I don't think so.

She's a charming girl,

isn't she, Mitch?

Hmm? Yes.

Certainly pretty.

Mm-hmm.

- How long have you known her?

- Now, I told you, dear,

we met yesterday.

In a bird shop.

In a bird shop.

She was selling birds?

No, no. I just led her

into believing that I believed

she was, and then...

It's all very complicated.

But she did buy the lovebirds

and then drove all the way here.

Mother.

Yes?

Where did you

go to law school?

Forgive me.

I suppose I'm

just naturally curious

about a girl like that.

She's very rich,

isn't she?

Yeah, I suppose so.

Her father's part owner of

one of the big newspapers.

You'd think he could manage

to keep her name out of print.

She's always mentioned

in the columns, Mitch.

Yes, I know.

She is the one who jumped

into a fountain in Rome

last summer, isn't she?

Yes.

I supposed I'm old-fashioned.

I know it was supposed to be

very warm there, but...

Well, actually the newspapers

said she was naked.

Yes, I know, dear.

It's none of my business,

but when you bring

a girl like that...

Darling?

Yes?

I think I can handle

Melanie Daniels by myself.

Well... as long as you know

what you want, Mitch.

I know exactly

what I want.

Be able to find

your way back all right?

Oh, yes.

Will I be seeing you again?

San Francisco's

a long way from here.

I'm in San Francisco

five days a week with a lot

of time on my hands.

I'd like to see you.

Maybe we could go swimming

or something.

Mother tells me

you like to swim.

How does Mother know

what I like to do?

We read the same gossip column.

Oh, that... Rome.

I really like to swim.

We might get along very well.

In case you're interested,

I was pushed into that fountain.

Without any clothes on?

With all my clothes on.

The newspaper that ran

that story...

happens to be a rival

of my father's paper.

You were just a poor, innocent

victim of circumstances?

I'm neither poor nor innocent.

The truth of that particular...

The truth is, you're running

around with a pretty wild crowd.

Yes, that's the truth, but I

was pushed into that fountain,

and that's the truth too.

Uh-huh. Do you really

know Annie Hayworth?

No. At least I didn't

until I came up here.

So you didn't go

to school together?

No.

And you didn't come here

to see her?

No!

You were lying!

Yes, I was lying.

What about the letter

you wrote me? Is that a lie?

No, I wrote the letter.

- Well, what did it say?

- It said, "Dear Mr. Brenner.

I think you need

these lovebirds after all.

They may help your personality."

That's what it said.

But you tore it up?

Yes.

Why?

Because it seemed

stupid and foolish.

- Like jumping into

a fountain in Rome.

- I told you what happened!

You don't expect me

to believe that, do you?

I don't give a damn

what you believe!

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