The Arrangement Page #9

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what his nearest neighbor told us.

That at about 9:
00 that night

he heard an explosion.

And when he went to the window,

he saw the old place in flames.

He called the fire department,

rushed over...

...and found Mr. Arness

inside the burning house...

...throwing the furniture, curtains,

anything he could find...

...into the blaze, feeding it.

How Mr. Arness got out,

or where he went, no one could imagine.

I might add, however,

that stored in the cellar of the old place...

...were the commercial records,

files, ledgers, correspondence...

...in fact, the entire history

of his father's business life.

When that old gentleman heard about it,

he broke down and wept.

His whole life.

What?

That was his whole life.

And this? This was where he...?

Dr. Weeks, perhaps you would take over.

We were expecting him to come

to the hospital to visit his father...

...so when I was told that he was

downstairs in a cab, I wasn't surprised.

But I didn't expect to find him

unconscious in a pool of blood, his own.

- Take me to Room 612.

- Take him to Emergency.

- And who did he say shot him?

- Wouldn't say then or later.

Whoever shot him

escaped without a clue.

Mr. Arness lodged no complaint.

Mr. Arness.

It'd help me no end to make this decision

I've got to make about your future...

...if you would tell me

exactly what you're thinking this instant.

I sat there, I watched those flames...

...and I felt better

than I've felt in a long time.

You know. You lit them.

And that's why I came here.

I wanted to thank you for that.

No one else to thank.

Fortunately, both shots,

though aimed at vital spots...

...lodged in extremely fleshy areas.

And though painful, the wounds-

Charles.

I only came here to say thanks.

Don't, Charles. I like you, Charles.

I like you too.

I wanna stay here.

He was railroaded.

You've got him in prison here.

There are days I wish I could get

as mad as you, but it's not allowed here.

I suggest you go see-

- Judge Morris?

- Yes?

Well, Dr. Lloyd tells me you gave him

a great going over this morning.

It's a case of revenge, pure and simple.

His wife and her lawyer-

May I ask just who you are?

- Are you his-?

- I'm- How do they say it?

Just a good friend.

I'm sure that's just what he needs.

I'm sure she didn't mean that

the way it sounded.

Our problem isn't how to keep them in,

it's how to get them to leave.

That place is chock full

of middle-aged dropouts.

They even have a turned-off rabbi

out there.

Yeah, it's a place where-

Well, somebody called it

"a human dumping ground. "

But I kind of resent that.

It's more of an escape hatch,

you might say, from what's outside.

It's a hiding place for the unwanted.

The last stop.

That's why so many of them

do their level damnedest to stay in.

Take our Mr. Arness, for instance.

Apparently, or so they tell me,

he's so happy...

...he hasn't felt the need to address

himself to anyone for two weeks.

You know he can walk out

of that place...

...the minute he has a job

and a roof over his head.

He's not so inclined.

Not in the least.

Nice baby.

Nice baby.

Come on, get up. We' re going.

Don't give me that silent treatment,

Eddie. Come on, get up.

They said that if you had a job

over your head, that you-

Well, that you could leave this place.

I have a job for you, Eddie.

What kind of employment, may I ask?

Gwen, these are my friends.

Well, that's up to him.

Madam, that's hardly

worth leaving here for.

Well, when these old people break a hip

so they can't walk, they can't stand...

...the chance of pneumonia is-

Well, like your father.

Before you know it-

Hi, Pop.

- Don't. Don't.

- Oh, but I'm going to.

- Time to go to bed.

- I mean, don't stop. Don't ever stop.

Okay, girls, come on, come on.

So give your family Hollingshead Gravies:

Better than the kind

Mother used to make and quicker.

The sense of touch-

Evangelos. Evangelos...

I'm here, Pop.

T axi here?

I'm ready.

You know, he looked-

Not my father, just a frightened man...

...who wants the same things I want,

another chance.

Another chance.

I love you, Gwen.

Thank you.

mohamed aly

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