The Glass Key Page #5

- Will you?

- No.

I don't want you around because I'm liable

to start making passes at you.

Besides, that crummy brother of yours

needed killing.

What did you do to her?

She was as near crying as anybody could be

without crying.

I must be losing my grip.

I used to put young ladies into hysterics.

Hey, find out if a guy named Matthews,

who owns The Observer,

has a place in the country, will you?

All right.

Thank you very much.

- Where are you?

- Here.

- Matthews has a place near Pine Lake.

- Thanks.

You've got your clothes on.

Well, I can't very well go out without them.

People might talk.

But it's raining out.

You've got a temperature.

Dr Redmond will never allow...

Send that to Dr Redmond.

Isn't it kinda wet for you to be out, Ed?

Hey, Rusty, little Rubber Ball is back.

I told you he liked the way

we bounced him around.

I was wondering where you boys were.

What do you suppose gives me

such a boot out of slugging you?

Jeff, you talk too much. Sit down.

Won't you take your coat off

and dry yourself, Mr Beaumont?

Thanks.

- You're Mrs Matthews, I take it.

- Yes, I am.

Sit here, Beaumont,

where it's nice and warm.

NICK:
You feeling all right again, Ed?

- ED:
I'm fine, Nick.

- That's good.

You boys can go back to town tomorrow.

You see, we were playing safe

as long as we didn't know for sure

you weren't gonna die.

I'm glad you've come, Mr Beaumont.

It's been so dull around here.

- Nobody talking to you and Opal weeping.

- Now, Eloise...

Well, you know she's done nothing but weep

since she talked with you.

It's been awful.

Want me to tell you

what they're eating their hearts out about?

Sure.

Opal thinks her brother

murdered Taylor Henry.

(GASPING)

That's what she's been talking

to your husband about.

- She's been telling him...

- Ed, don't!

Baby, you're sure one

for getting beat up, ain't you?

Let him talk. It's kind of entertaining.

Well, Opal, am I right?

Isn't that what you were doing?

- Please.

- Oh.

Nobody is supposed to talk about it

except you and your brother's other enemies.

He did murder Taylor!

You see?

And of course, your husband

is going to print her accusation.

Not that he believes Paul did the killing,

but he's in kind of a tough spot.

Nick owns the mortgage on The Observer

and he has to do what Nick says.

- Stop it, Beaumont!

- Shut up.

And so, although your husband

doesn't believe Paul is guilty,

he's going to print the story tomorrow,

and it'll carry a lovely wallop.

You can just picture it in black ink

all over The Observer.

Opal Madvig accuses brother of murder.

Clyde, is that true?

(STAMMERING) Well, I...

Here's the funniest angle of it all.

Soon as Nick frames Paul Madvig,

he'll let The Observer go bankrupt.

You see, he doesn't want to be a publisher.

Does that mean you're broke?

I'm afraid it does, darling. I...

Five years. From riches to rags.

It's been quite a ride, hasn't it?

Will you have a drink with me, Mr Beaumont?

Sure.

All through, Ed?

You'd hardly believe how through I am.

Well, what does it amount to?

It's our turn to hang one on you and Paul

and we're doing it.

The girl came here on her own.

So did Matthews.

So did you.

Now, as far as I'm concerned,

she and you and he can go

wherever you wanna go.

I'm going to bed.

Come on, boys.

Wait a minute.

You mean, I don't get to smack baby?

What for?

He's through as soon as

The Observer comes out in the morning.

Good night, Snip.

Aren't you coming to bed, dear?

Here's how.

Little Rubber Ball does all right, don't he?

- Should we have another?

- Why not?

Eloise, please come upstairs.

Oh, throw something at him, Mr Beaumont.

Why should I go to bed?

It's much nicer here.

(GUN FIRING)

- Which room?

- What?

- His room. Which is it?

- In front.

- Ed...

- Get your clothes on and get out of here.

Was it... Was it Clyde?

Yeah. Dead as a mackerel.

- Where you going, Ed?

- Thought I'd get a little fresh air.

It's not a bad idea. Wait a minute.

I was thinking it's kinda funny that

with an open ink well and a pen on the table,

we didn't find any writing up there.

What, no writing?

We'll have to discuss that sometime.

Rusty.

This is my pigeon.

Hiya, Big Brain. See what I mean?

Hey, the party ain't over.

We're going out of here, Paul.

If you want to stop us, try.

- Thanks.

- Let him go.

Beat it.

Hey, take your Sleeping Beauty with you.

Well, Ed, you ain't the only one

who gets action on our team, huh?

Matthews just committed suicide.

- Matthews? Here?

- Yeah.

Listen, The Observer

is loaded with dynamite for the morning.

Get Judge Thomas on the phone,

have him appoint somebody close to us

to administer the estate.

He can do it because there's no will.

And have the administrator kill the story.

Get it?

- Yeah.

- Come on, fellow. Don't wait.

But, Paul, I can't make my boys

vote the Reform ticket?

Why not?

Most of them come from a reform school.

- Paul.

- Hey, I'm good. How are you?

MAN:
Hey, we'll give a stop

to Murphy and Kelly.

Hey, look, you're not supposed to be

running around like this.

I thought you were supposed to stay in bed.

I just got a tip from Farr's office.

He's gonna bring you in for questioning.

Take it easy, will you?

What can that over stuffed pelican

question me about

now we got The Observer shut up?

What about Sloss?

- Tutt.

- Yes, Paul?

Donovan and Burns are out

picking him up now.

They ought to be in any minute.

- You got Sloss' ticket?

- Yes, Paul.

Good.

I'm sending him up to Maine

for a nice, long rest.

I wouldn't be too sure about Farr.

We need to buy

some more of those anonymous letters.

He doesn't think much

of the ticket's chances.

Well, he don't, huh?

Maybe I better go down

and give that beetle-nose a little pep talk.

Hey, wait a minute.

Look, you feel strong enough

to come along?

- Sure.

- Let's go.

- Oh, Tutt.

- Yes, boss.

When Sloss gets here, put him in my office

and see that nobody gets to him.

Yes, Paul.

Hiya, Sloss.

Take him up to Tuttle.

(GUN FIRING)

- MAN:
Why, it's Sloss.

- That came from your window, Paul.

MAN 2:
Let me get to him.

MAN:
What the hell? Paul!

MAN 2:
What's the matter?

No use, Paul.

He could have gotten out six different ways.

(SIRENS WAILING)

Uh-huh.

Yes, you're right.

I suppose they'll pin this one on me, too.

Why not? Sloss was a big witness.

No one had a better reason

to get rid of him than you.

Paul, you got to go to Farr and tell him

all you know about the Taylor Henry murder.

Think up something else.

- Are you covering up for someone?

- No.

Well, then you better talk.

- I can't talk.

- Why not?

I killed Taylor Henry.

Would you tell me how it happened?

It was an accident.

He was at the house when I was talking

with old man Henry about Opal and him.

He followed me down the street

and started the argument all over again.

He took a poke at me.

I smacked him and he fell

and crushed his skull on the kerb.

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