Suspicion Page #5

- Thank you.

- This is yours, old bean.

- Thank you.

Now for a toast.

- What have you got there, brandy?

- Just this once.

- You know that's not good for you.

- All right, old man.

- Maybe just this once.

- All right, old bean.

I drink to the last bet

that will ever made by Johnnie Aysgarth.

Last bet, old bean.

- Get some water, quick.

- It won't help. I've seen it happen before.

There's nothing much you can do about it.

That's no use, darling.

It will either kill him

or it will go away by itself.

Sorry, old bean.

One of these days, it will kill him.

- Hello, Mrs. Aysgarth.

- How are you, Mrs. Newsham?

- What a lot of books.

- Do you really read them all, my dear?

- I'm afraid not. They're for Johnnie.

- Since when has he...

- Detective stories.

- Yes, he adores them.

So Johnnie's settled down

to the simple rural life.

- And it seems to agree with him.

- Abandoned all his vices, has he?

Vices? What vices, Mrs. Newsham?

Such as betting at the races, for instance.

He has no time for that.

He's much too busy with his job.

Is he? Then he must have taken

an afternoon off last Tuesday.

He was at the Merchester Races.

Was he? How interesting. Good afternoon.

Goodbye.

- Good afternoon, Mrs. Aysgarth.

- Good afternoon. Is Mr. Aysgarth in?

Why, no.

- When do you expect him?

- I really couldn't say.

Perhaps you'd like to talk

to Captain Melbeck.

Yes, I would very much, please.

Mrs. Aysgarth to see you.

Come in.

- What a pleasure to see you.

- Good afternoon.

- Do sit down.

- Thank you.

I don't want to impose upon you...

but you're Johnnie's cousin

as well as his employer.

I wanted to talk to you about him.

I'm terribly worried.

Yes, I can understand that.

On the other hand, I told him

I wouldn't prosecute. Of course...

- I don't understand.

- I told him I wouldn't prosecute.

What on earth are you talking about?

How does he get away with it?

What reason did he give you

when I discharged him?

- When did you discharge him?

- Six weeks ago.

I haven't a very keen sense of humor.

If this is a joke, I wish you would tell me.

It's not funny to me.

We had an unexpected audit

six weeks ago.

The accounts showed a deficit of 2,000.

And when I looked into

Johnnie's records...

I'm terribly sorry.

He should have told you.

It's perfectly all right.

And you say

you aren't going to prosecute?

Not for the time being.

I'll give him every possible opportunity

of replacing the money, but...

after all...

Yes, of course. Thank you very much.

Goodbye.

- Good afternoon, madam.

- Mr. Aysgarth home yet?

No, madam.

- Then you've heard.

- Yes, I've heard.

I'm so sorry, darling. I'm terribly sorry.

This telegram just came from the doctor.

It tells how it happened.

And to my dear sister, Emily Scudamore...

I bequeath an annuity of 1,000

for the duration of her lifetime.

To my niece, Miss Elsie Chilling,

the sum of 5,000.

To my two dear cousins,

Robert and Jane Atwood, 500 each.

The residue of my estate, my house,

and all the property contained therein...

I leave to my beloved wife, Martha...

with the wish that she continue

the present allowance of 500 a year...

to my daughter, Lina.

Also, to my daughter Lina

and her husband John Aysgarth...

I bequeath the portrait of myself...

painted by the distinguished

Sir Joshua Nettlewood.

- I could do with a drink.

- I'll get you one.

Don't bother, I'll get it myself.

In the study, isn't it?

You win, old boy.

Yes, dear?

Do you ever have any regrets

that you married me?

Why do you ask that?

It seems pretty obvious...

that your father would've left you

more than his portrait...

if you'd been anybody else

but Mrs. John Aysgarth.

So that's what you meant.

You haven't answered my question.

What about you? Have you any regrets?

Monkeyface, marrying you is the one thing

I've never changed my mind about.

- Do you really mean that?

- Yes, I really mean that.

I want nothing

but to spend the rest of my life with you.

And if you were to die first, I...

If I were to die first?

Listen, what about you?

I couldn't stop loving you if I tried.

Have you tried?

Yes. Once.

When?

When I found out you'd lost your job

with Captain Melbeck.

- How long have you known?

- Since last Friday.

- Who told you?

- Captain Melbeck. I met him.

- Did he tell you why?

- No.

Suppose you tell me why.

We just didn't get along.

Quite nice here.

Shall we stop and look at the sea?

Why didn't you get along with him?

I don't know. He's a bit of an old fogy.

I suppose my ideas

were too daring for him.

I've always had the notion that

the secret of success is to start at the top.

You think I'm talking through my hat,

don't you? I'm not.

The way to make money

is to think in a big way.

Look at this all land, for instance.

Look at the view.

Why isn't something done about it?

If I had 10,000, or better still, 20,000...

I could start a development here.

All you need is 20,000?

Or 30,000.

An extra 10,000 wouldn't hurt a bit.

Beaky, this is the ground plan.

Wonderful. We could put

the large hotel there.

That's the idea. And down here,

we could build the beach huts.

- Beechnuts, old bean?

- Huts, Beaky.

- Hello. What goes on here, anyway?

- We're organizing a real estate company.

We're about to buy

a very beautiful piece of land by the sea.

What a view, what sun, what air.

Then we're going to sell part of it

at a profit.

- Yes, but it will need financing, won't it?

- Of course.

You found somebody

to put up the money?

Of course.

- Who?

- Me.

I see.

The idea is mine,

but the money is Beaky's.

And the corporation, Beaky borrows

against those securities he has in Paris.

Then we issue stock, and...

Let me show you, dear.

The company's going to be in my name.

- Yes, but...

- Look, darling...

let me show you how simple it is.

- Does Beaky understand it?

- Perfectly.

I think.

I beg your pardon, sir. Captain Melbeck

would like to talk to you on the telephone.

Thank you. I'll take it in the study.

- Excuse me, Beaky.

- All right, old bean.

Please explain it to me, will you?

You see, my dear girl...

I say, I rather like this feeling

of big business and all that sort of thing.

George, I keep telling you

not to worry about it.

I've got something on now.

I can pay you back in a couple of weeks.

We buy up this land

and then we sell part of it.

That gives us a 100% profit in no time.

On the other part,

we build something or other.

But from whom do you buy the land?

How much do you pay for it?

- To whom do you sell it?

- That shouldn't be difficult.

Isn't it about time you grew up?

- You're scolding me.

- You need a scolding.

- Do I?

- Yes, you do.

Shall I go and stand in the corner?

- You're not being fair to Johnnie.

- That's a bit thick.

Why, he's president

of the whole bally thingamajig.

- Gets a salary, writes his own checks.

- Yes, that's what I mean.

What's wrong with that?

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