The Dark Corner Page #5

Take... Tony, for instance.

I'd never imagine him

to be interested in... Lucy Wilding.

- But he is.

- It's not true! He's always loathed her.

He loathed her rather intimately, I'm afraid.

But he couldn't. I mean, she's too old for him.

Love is not the exclusive province

of adolescents, my dear.

It's a heart ailment that strikes all age groups.

Like my love for you.

My love for you

is the only malady I've contracted

since the usual childhood diseases.

And... it's incurable.

(knock at door)

- Who is it?

- The milkman, Miss Stuart. 85 cents, please.

- Morning.

- Morning.

Oh, thank you.

Nothing.

Maybe I ought to hire a press agent.

- What time is it?

- Seven.

If I only knew who was after me,

it wouldn't be so bad.

How do you fight

if you don't know who you're fighting?

- You're licked before you start.

- I know you.

- You won't let anybody get away with this.

- Oh, don't be too sure.

Worked before.

I can be framed easier than Whistler's Mother.

All right. All right.

We'll just sit down and feel sorry for you.

- We'll build a Wailing Wall.

- OK, OK.

But don't give me that Pollyanna routine

either, about how everything's gonna be fine.

I'm no miracle man.

That maid comes to my apartment and hits

bingo under the bed, I'm as good as cooked.

Here, drink this.

Look at me.

Tower of strength, nerves of steel.

Don't bother, Brad. The stain'll come out.

Stain.

- The ink. I smeared ink on his white suit.

- What of it?

He'd need the suit cleaned.

The cleaners would have his address.

This is a dirty town. Cleaning places

grow on every street like mushrooms.

They don't do their own cleaning.

Where's the classified?

There.

They farm the stuff out

to the big cleaning and dye plants.

- There can't be too many of them.

- What if he didn't have it cleaned?

He wouldn't run around town

in an ink-stained suit. It ain't neat.

That's a pretty long list.

We'll each take half of it.

It's early in the season for white suits

so we ought to find it if we have it.

There's a five-spot in it for you

if you do. Get moving.

We had a couple of white suits,

but none with ink on 'em.

OK.

No white suits. Sorry.

(slide whistle)

These are the contracts

and this is your dental appointment.

(phone rings)

Cathcart Galleries.

Yes.

- A Mr Smith from San Francisco.

- Oh, yes.

That will be all.

(door shuts)

Yes? Look here,

there's nothing in the papers, not a word.

I told you the deal went through and it did.

Can I help it if they ain't found the shipment?

Well, that sounds very odd to me.

You're positive nothing went wrong?

What do you want me to do, take out an ad?

Listen, Cathcart. We get this deal settled

today or I'm coming down to the galleries.

And right through that front door.

I have a three o'clock dental appointment

in the Grant Building. Meet me there.

Wait a minute.

Grant Building. 31st floor. Three o'clock.

OK.

(buzzer on radio)

(police dispatcher) Car 15. Car 15.

- What time is it?

- 1:
45.

(phone rings)

Hello? Yeah?

No. No, not a seersucker. A white linen suit.

Yeah. Thanks.

(dispatcher) 1164 Broadway.

Attempted robbery.

(knock at door)

Car 21. Car 21.

Fire in warehouse.

Hi, Galt.

Forgot your boy scout oath, didn't you?

I thought you were gonna lay off Jardine.

- I'm clean, Reeves. That's on the level.

- Sure, sure. I believe you.

Anyway, he didn't press charges.

I don't blame you for mussing him up,

but breaking in and wrecking his furniture?

I'm going to have to take your merit badge

away from you if you don't lay off.

Just thought I'd let you know.

(whispers) Thanks.

Thanks.

(phone rings)

Hello? That's right.

Yes, that's the suit!

What name? What name did he give?

Just a minute.

Yes, I have it. What address?

Oh, thanks, mister.

I'm sending you ten bucks. No, 20!

- Brad, we've found him.

- Great!

Martha!

- Where's Martha?

- What?

- Where's Martha?

- She ain't here no more. She quit yesterday.

- Well, good riddance.

- Yes'm.

(screams)

(slide whistle)

- Hello.

- Hello.

Man named Stauffer live here?

Sort of a heavy-set guy?

He left half an hour ago, bags and all.

Where'd he go?

- Cop?

- No.

- Please, lady, where'd he go? It's important.

- I know.

- You do, honey? Tell me, where'd he go?

- Don't mind her. She don't know nothing.

Yes, I do. Yes, I do!

I heard him on the telephone.

Well, tell him then.

Honey, would you like a nickel?

Here. Where'd he go?

- He went to a building.

- What building?

Same as the president.

The one with the beard.

- Lincoln Building?

- Uh-uh.

- Grant Building?

- Uh-huh. He was sick.

Was he?

He said he was going to get

his cascara at the gallery.

Can you get cascara at a gallery?

I don't know, honey. Here.

OK. We're in the clear.

I can't understand

why there hasn't been a word in the papers.

You're positive nothing went wrong?

When I do ajob, I do ajob.

They just ain't found him yet.

I came straight here from the bank.

I didn't have a chance to count this. Oh.

(screams)

Don't stop traffic.

Come on, move it out of here. Go ahead.

Everybody, please.

(officer) Stand back.

- What happened?

- Keep back, buddy. Keep back.

- Get those cars moving.

- He says to drive to the Grant Building.

He seemed OK,

even asked me to wait for him.

How did I know

he was going to take a brodie?

Brother, he came out of there like a hot rivet.

I've still got his bags in my hack.

You know, it's a funny thing.

I never yet seen one of those guys bounce.

Hey, you! Come back here!

Hey, he's stealing my cab!

(horn blares)

(police whistle)

(tyres screech)

(horn)

(whistle)

There goes the ball game.

Not a card, not a letter, nothing.

I played tag with a.38 to get this stuff,

and this trail stops cold

on the 5th Avenue sidewalk.

- He'll never even be identified.

- You'll get a break.

The cleaner found the suit.

He gave me Stauffer's name and address.

The girl told me the Grant Building.

What more break can I ask for?

I may be stupid, but I know when I'm licked.

- Well, I'm not licked.

- Nobody asked you to be.

OK. So I'll fry. I can't help that.

Yes, you can. Use your head. Think hard.

For instance, what else did that kid tell you?

- Nothing. Nothing that made sense.

- Well, what was it?

Something about Stauffer had to get

his cascara at the gallery. OK, figure that one.

Cascara at the galleries. Cascara.

You don't even get cascara at the galleries.

Maybe he was sick and he went

to see a doctor at the Grant Building.

Brad.

There's an art gallery. I've seen

their ad in the paper. It's on 5th Avenue.

There it is. Cathcart Galleries.

Cathcart Galleries. Cathcart Galleries. What

would Stauffer have to do with an art gallery?

That's the point. He wouldn't

unless there was some connection.

You got something there.

Up in Jardine's apartment...

I remember now...

there was a painting, just unwrapped.

(tyres screech)

Reeves. Get this stuff out of the way, quick.

I'll go down the back way. You stay put.

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