The Bad Seed Page #11

You may go, Leroy.

Yes, ma'am.

There you are.

May I come down a minute?

I have that present I promised

a certain precious somebody.

- Yes, of course, Monica.

- I'll be right down.

Rhoda...

...I thought I told you

not to discuss this with anybody.

Yes, Mother, but he said he had my...

We'll talk about it later. Get upstairs.

Rhoda.

Rhoda! Ah. Look what I have for you.

- What is it? The locket.

- My smart little darling, exactly.

- Oh.

- And here's the garnet too, in there.

Oh, how pretty.

- Will you help me fasten it, Aunt Monica?

- Yes, I will, darling. Come over here.

Now.

Now you're going to look

just like a little princess.

Oh.

It's the ice-cream man.

Mommy, can I have a Popsicle?

- What?

- Can I have a Popsicle?

Oh, uh...

Yes, take the money from my purse.

Rhoda.

What have you got those for?

I just wanted some

to play jackstraws with.

Well, put them down this minute.

Now, you know we have a rule about that.

Yes, Mother.

Ooh, it's so hot today.

Christine.

Christine, you won't mind

if I'm nosy and ridiculous...

...but you haven't been yourself lately.

It's as if something is dragging you down.

Oh. Does it show to other people?

- Then there is something wrong.

- Uh, no, Monica. Not really. I'm...

I'm just tired, I guess.

Do you take vitamins regularly?

No. No, I don't.

Well, you should, darling.

That's one of the things we do know.

I have an awfully good combination.

I'll bring some down if I may.

And now you must really forgive me...

...but have you and Kenneth

come to a parting of the ways?

His being transferred to Washington

didn't mean that?

- Oh, no.

- Well, it can happen in marriage, you know.

That restlessness in cycles

of seven or eight years, they say.

Something to do with hormones.

I can't speak from experience...

...because I always doubted

if Mr. Breedlove had any.

Aw. Ha, ha. No.

No, Monica.

It isn't anything like that. I...

I wish I were as sure of other things

as I am of Kenneth.

Do you sleep enough?

No, not always.

You must have some sleeping pills.

That much we can do.

Monica, I, um...

I really don't like sleeping pills.

I'm afraid of them.

Well, I'm not going to bully you anymore,

dear Christine.

I'm only going to say that I love you.

Truly... Oh, please.

Please. Please, tell me what it is, dear.

- I can't, Monica. I can't.

- Please, you can trust me.

Oh, dear, dear Christine.

You'll feel better now.

Perhaps you can get some rest. Perhaps...

There, now, dear.

I'll get rid of whoever it is.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Well, Mrs. Breedlove.

Hi.

I know you don't want me here,

and I don't wanna be here...

...but I can't stay away,

so I got a little drunk and came over.

- Excuse me, please.

- You're very welcome.

Like a skunk, I know.

Mrs. Breedlove knows everyone,

knows even me.

How are you, Mrs. Daigle?

Well, I'm half-seas over.

I just wanna have a talk with your little girl.

She was one of the last to see my Claude.

I know.

Where do you keep the perfect little lady

who was the last to see Claude?

I thought I'd hold her in my arms...

...and we'd have a little talk,

maybe she'd remember some little thing.

- Any little thing.

- She's out playing, I think.

I'm unfortunate, that's all.

Drunk and unfortunate,

ladies and gentlemen.

Well, she isn't there now. I don't see her.

She's a perfect little lady.

That's what I heard.

Never gives any trouble.

Christine, have you got anything

in the house to drink?

Any little thing at all.

I'm not the fussy type.

I prefer bourbon and water,

but any little thing will do.

Oh, ain't we swank?

Really Plaza and Astor.

I wanna have a little talk with Rhoda

because she knows something.

I called that Miss Fern on the telephone

a dozen times.

She just keeps giving me the brush-off.

She knows something, all right.

Oh. Are you all right there?

I'm not intoxicated

in the slightest degree.

Kindly don't talk down to me,

Mrs. Penmark.

I've been through enough without that.

- I brought back change, Mother.

- Very well.

Mrs. Daigle would like to see you.

So this is your little girl.

Oh, Claude spoke of you so often...

...and in such high terms.

You were one of his dearest friends,

I'm sure.

He said you were so bright in school.

- So you're Rhoda.

- Yes.

Well, Rhoda, you just come

right over here and see me.

You come give your Aunt Hortense

a big kiss.

Aw.

You're the little girl who was with Claude

when he had his accident, aren't you?

You're the little girl who thought she

was gonna win that penmanship medal...

...but you didn't win it, did you?

Claude won it, didn't he?

Now, you tell me this.

Would you say he won it fair and square

or he cheated?

These things are so important to me

now that he's dead.

Would you say he won it fair, darling?

Because if he did win it fair,

then why did you go after him for it?

I want my Popsicle.

Rhoda, if you're going shopping with me,

you'll have to come now, darling.

- Right now?

- Yes. We're late as it is.

Take your Popsicle, dear.

You can wash upstairs.

- Well, I must say...

- They really did have an appointment.

I'm sure they did.

Practically sure.

I didn't know Rhoda had

all these social obligations.

Thought she was like any little girl that

stayed home and minded her mother...

...and didn't go traipsing all over town

with important appointments.

I'm sorry that I interfered

with Rhoda's social life.

I offer you

my deepest apologies, Christine.

I'll apologize to Rhoda too

when I can have an interview with her.

You haven't interfered at all.

I was not going to contaminate Rhoda

in the slightest degree, I assure you.

Hello?

Oh, uh...

Yes, Mr. Daigle, I know. She's here.

No, not at all.

Did you tell him I was drunk

and making a spectacle of myself?

Did you tell him to call out

the patrol wagon?

No, no, you heard what I said.

I said only that you were here.

Your husband is at the drugstore

at the corner.

I was only gonna hold her in my arms

and ask her a few simple questions.

- Perhaps another time would be better.

- You think because I'm lit?

I'm not. Rhoda knows more than she's told,

if you don't mind me being presumptuous.

I had a talk with that guard

since I saw you last.

It was an interesting conversation.

He said he saw Rhoda on the pier...

...just before Claude was found

among the pilings.

She knows something, all right.

Oh, I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking,

"How can I get rid of this pest?"

You may fool some

with that mealy mouth.

You look like Ned in the primer to me.

Well, then...

...perhaps you'd better not

come here anymore.

I wouldn't come here again

for a million dollars laid on the line.

I wouldn't have come here this time if I'd

known about Rhoda's social obligations.

I am going home.

I'm not gonna wait for Mr. Daigle.

I know where I'm not wanted

and I'm not wanted anyplace...

...where people have all these

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