The Bad Seed Page #5

they used to sing of me.

"Hasn't got much sense.

Let's write her name on the privy fence."

Children can be nasty, don't you think?

Please, Hortense.

You're so attractive, Christine.

You got exquisite taste in clothes,

is what.

Of course, you got amples of money

to buy them with.

What I came to see you about...

I asked Miss Fern

what happened to Claude's medal...

- ...and she wouldn't tell me a thing.

- I don't know...

You know more than you're telling.

You're a sly one because of the school.

You don't want the school

to get a bad name.

But you know more than you're telling,

Miss "Butter Wouldn't Melt" Fern.

There's something funny

about the whole thing.

I said so over and over to Mr. Daigle.

He married quite late, you know,

in his 40s.

Of course, I wasn't exactly what the

fella calls a spring chicken, either.

We won't have any more children.

No more.

Please, Hortense,

let me take you home where you can rest.

Rest? Sleep?

When you can't sleep at night,

you can't sleep in the daylight.

I just lie, and I look at the water

where he went down.

Christine, there is something funny

about this whole thing.

I heard your little girl was the last one

to see him alive.

Would you ask her

about those last few minutes...

...and tell me what she says?

Maybe she remembers some little thing.

Oh, I don't care how small it is.

No matter how small.

You know something?

Miss Fern dyes her hair.

She knows something

and she won't tell me.

Oh, my poor little Claude...

- ...what did I do to you?

- Oh, Hortense, I'll speak...

Somebody took that medal off his shirt.

It couldn't have come off by accident.

I pinned it on myself and it had

a little lock with a clasp in the back.

It was no accident.

You can wear such simple things,

can't you?

I never could wear simple things.

I couldn't even buy them.

When I got them home,

they didn't look simple.

He was such a lovely, dear little boy.

He used to say I was his sweetheart...

...and he was gonna marry me

when he grew up, and I used to laugh so.

"You'll forget about me long before then.

You'll find a prettier girl and marry her."

And you know what he said then?

"No, I won't...

...because there's not a prettier girl

in the whole world than you are."

If you don't believe me,

you ask the lady who comes in and cleans.

She was present at the time.

Why do you put your arms around me?

You don't give a hoot about me.

You're a superior person and all that.

I'm just...

God forgive me.

There were bruises on his hands...

...and that peculiar crescent-shaped mark

on his forehead...

...that the undertaker covered up.

He must've bled before he died.

That's what the doctor said.

And where's the medal?

Who took the medal?

I have a right to know

what happened to the penmanship medal!

If I knew, I'd have a pretty good idea

what happened to him.

I know why

you put your arms around me.

I'm as good as you are.

Claude was better than your girl.

He won the medal. She didn't.

I'm drunk.

It's a pleasure to stay drunk

when your little boy's been killed.

Maybe I better lay down.

We'll go home. You can lie down there.

Why not?

Why not go home and lay down?

Goodbye, all.

- Sorry.

- Oh, who cares what they think?

I drank a half a bottle of bonded corn

in little sips, so I'm drunk as I can be.

Poor woman.

I'll be getting back.

Thank you for bearing with her

and with me.

I'll, um...

I'll talk to Rhoda. I...

I know there isn't anything

that will help that poor creature...

...but I'll do what I can.

We both have to do what we can.

- Goodbye, Mrs. Penmark.

- Goodbye, Miss Fern.

She'll have to live with

this until she dies.

Yes, until she dies.

Thank you.

Rhoda. - Yes, Mother?

Will you come in a moment, please?

May I just finish this last page?

- Very well, but then I wanna talk to you.

- Yes, Mother.

Hello?

Yes, speaking.

Kenneth?

Oh, darling, I am so glad you called.

Honey, what was the accident

at Rhoda's school?

The one where the little boy

was drowned?

The little boy who was drowned?

Well, has it affected Rhoda any?

Oh, no. No, Rhoda's her usual self.

She's right outside where I can see her.

I just talked to her.

I miss you both

and love you both so much.

Aw, do you really, darling?

Well, I hope it won't be too much longer.

Well, it'll be at least four weeks.

Oh. Heh.

Four weeks is a long, long time.

Well, um, write to me as...

- Kenneth.

- Yes, darling?

I love you.

Colonel

Penmark, the general is waiting, sir.

I'll be right there.

Honey, the general just buzzed for me.

All right, dear,

then don't keep him waiting.

Goodbye, darling.

Give my love to Rhoda.

Bye.

Oh, Monica.

Don't be alarmed. I'm just in and out.

This is not another psychiatric session.

Come on in, please.

It's Rhoda's locket I'm using

for an excuse.

I've actually found a place

where they'll change the stone...

...and clean it in one day.

I'll get the locket.

I know where she keeps it.

- I think it's in her treasure box.

- Good.

They didn't agree to this

without a little pressure.

- In fact, I had to threaten them.

- Oh, not really.

You don't know the old busybody.

She uses pressure, influence,

bribery, blackmail.

And I had to pull them all

on old Mr. Finchley.

He said this little job would take

at least two weeks.

But I told him straight...

...I'm handling

the community chest again this year and...

Oh, you found it. The darling.

She keeps her treasures so carefully.

It's a kind of miserly delight.

- Shall I wrap it?

- No, no, darling. I'll just drop it in my purse.

My horoscope says that today is the day

for paying attention to small objects...

...and getting things done.

Now I take to the air, dear Christine.

Only do forgive me for bursting in

and rushing out.

- No ceremony, please.

- No, no, darling. Be seeing you.

What did you want

to see me about, Mother?

So you had the medal after all.

Claude Daigle's medal.

- Where did you find it?

- How did the medal...

...happen to be hidden under the lining in

the drawer of your treasure chest, Rhoda?

Now, I want the truth.

Mother, when we move

into our new house...

...can we have a scuppernong arbor?

Can we?

Oh, it's so shady and pretty.

- And I love sitting under it...

- Answer my question.

I'm not as innocent about what went

on at the picnic as you may think.

Miss Fern has told me a great deal.

Don't make up any stories for my benefit.

What was Claude Daigle's medal

doing in your drawer?

It certainly didn't get there by itself.

I'm waiting for your answer.

I don't know how the medal

got there, Mother. How could I?

You know how the medal got there,

you know very well how it got there.

Did you go on the wharf

during the picnic?

- Yes, Mother. I went there once.

- Before or after you were bothering Claude?

I wasn't bothering Claude, Mother.

- What makes you think that?

- Why did you go on the wharf?

- It was real early, when we first got there.

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