The Blue Gardenia Page #5

She didn't know whether

she could trust you.

Look...

I don't want to sell myself

to you or to your friend.

I told you...

I mean her... the truth in my letter.

My paper and I want an exclusive story.

We'll pay for it with the

best criminal lawyer in town.

If she plays ball with us.

Otherwise, the police may

not be so generous.

Will you tell that to your friend?

I'll tell her.

Where'd she meet Prebble?

At the phone company?

The phone company.

Why there?

Prebble was trying to make time

with a lot of the operators.

I thought she might be one of them.

She never told me where they met.

She knew him intimately?

- No!

But, well enough to go alone with him to

his apartment and get drunk, didn't she?

He said there'd be other people!

You want me to believe that?

- I believed it!

And I...

I only know what she told me.

What did she tell you?

Everything. Everything up to...

Mr Mayo...

Do you think it's possible for a girl

to kill a man and not remember?

She doesn't remember killing him?

No.

A lot of murderers forget what

they don't want to remember.

They call it:
"Killer Amnesia".

A smart D.A. sees to it that

it's only temporary.

But, couldn't something

else have happened?

It's doubtful that a man would hit

himself over the ehad with a poker.

You must believe me.

She wants to remember

but... she just can't!

Her mind's a blank for

most of that evening.

Oh, I'm sorry!

Here, use my handkerchief.

If I can find one.

I have one.

There's a trick to eating one of these

things but I've never learned it.

Do that again.

What?

Laugh!

It's the first time since you

walked into my office.

The first time since I found

out about that night.

Doesn't seem to me you

found out very much.

It's clear up until the time

she went to his apartment.

The rum drinks, the flower he bought...

Even after that, when he put

on that... King Cole record.

To celebrate their first date.

"The Blue Gardenia"?

Yes.

That's what she said it was.

It's a pretty song.

Too bad it was a background for murder.

Go on.

He gave her some coffee.

It only made her groggier.

Then he kissed her.

She thinks she kissed him back.

After that...

She can't recall struggling with him?

Only vaguely.

It's all mixed up in her mind.

She just can't remember.

Well, tell her to remember this:

She hasn't much time.

The police are putting

a lot of clues together.

They know where she bought her shoes.

They've got two of her handkerchiefs.

And they're looking for fingerprints

on that phone she used tonight.

What if um...

What if I got her to call you?

- No! No. No more phone calls.

I want to see her.

Tell her to meet me here at

Why 3:
40?

I'm still a newspaper man.

I've gotta have time to

make the sunset edition.

You know, I'm kind of disappointed

that you're not the Blue Gardenia?

Disappointed?

- In a relieved way, of course.

When I heard your voice on the phone

I made a mental picture of you.

Was I wrong!

What did you expect?

Oh no...

Not till I know you better!

But you were a big surprise.

You know, with those dried tears

at the edge of your eyes and that

mustard on your nose...

- I have not!

I have!

I see I can trust you, Mr Mayo.

That's what I want you

to tell your friend.

Certainly what she needs...

Someone she can believe in.

Bill! What do we owe you?

Two hamburgers and five coffees,

three for you and two for the lady...

That's uh... $1.40, Mr Mayo.

Which way is home?

I'd...

I'd rather not say.

I'm meeting my friend and...

I understand.

Hiya, Casey!

- Hi! Did you catch The Gardenia yet?

Hiya, boys!

- Say, how about a beer?

Look... -Oh, you're too proud to have a

drink with a couple sober reporters, huh?

Now look fellas, I got a date...

I had a date!

Aren't you working that

community key overtime?

I'm fighting a cold.

The flower girl call back?

No.

But, she sent a friend.

A female?

Very.

Did she go in the little black book?

Wrong type.

I didn't know there was one.

I bought her a hamburger.

And then like an old good mystery

story, she vanished into the fog.

It's too bad.

We were making beautiful

jukebox music together.

On the level.

I had a feeling I could go for her.

Why don't you go on to bed and sleep it

off? That's what I do with all my girls.

A noble thought.

But, you don't meet a girl

like that very often.

At least I don't.

Hi.

I asked you not to wait up for me.

I'm sorry about the fight.

- I know.

I didn't wait up for you,

I just got home.

Homer took me to

'The Blue Gardenia' tonight.

What a mob!

Everybody wanted to sit where the murderer

sat, and everybody thinks he did.

Want some milk?

No, I had a hamburger and coffee.

Good night.

Norah.

After Homer phoned I wanted to borrow

your new black taffeta dress...

I couldn't find it.

And then I noticed your

pumps were gone...

The black suede ones.

I know I'm a little slow, Norah.

I was a late baby...

But, that big blind date you've

kept such a mystery...

And your jitters all the

time about everything...

Norah...

Bill, has a girl...

Hello, Mr Mayo.

Granite 1466...

I might have known.

In fact, I suspected.

But, you look like you could have

gotten rid of him in some other way.

Oh, I could've...

It just so happens I'm

not the girl who did it.

I hate Gardenias.

I'm allergic to them, any color.

Then, why are you here?

Because, the real girl is ready

to give herself up to you.

Because, she believes what

you told her last night.

Last night?

I hope you meant what you said

in your letter, Mr Mayo.

Yes?

Where is she?

Now you know.

Yes... now I know.

Bill, some coffee.

Coming up!

So you see, Mr Mayo...

I'm just a girl in love

with a guy who...

fell in love with someone else.

I know I'm not the only person

this has ever happened to.

I know I'm not the only girl to

get a letter like that, but...

Well...

Anyway, that's how it started.

When Harry Prebble called,

I made the date.

Crystal's date.

So, Norah Larkin from Bakersfield

winds up killing a man she's

never even been out with before.

Not much of a story.

Just the truth.

But, last night you said your friend...

I mean you weren't sure you killed him?

There isn't any other explanation.

Mr Mayo...

I guess I should of told you

last night but I just couldn't.

I had to have more time to think.

I had to be sure I could trust you.

Are you sure now?

I'm sure.

What do we do?

I don't know.

You don't know?

After everything you've

promised in your letter...

and... to me, last night?

I hadn't expected you'd be the girl.

What's that got to do with it?

Didn't you mean what you said?

Frankly, no.

And you weren't telling the truth?

You promised I wasn't just to be

a story for the sunset edition!

I know, but...

Can't you understand that things...

Can be so different this afternoon from

what they were last night? No. No, I can't!

Norah...

It's not "things".

It's you.

Last night I didn't know that you and

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