The Great Lie Page #5

But they're all experienced men.

Brady, who's with them, knows the

country as well as it's possible to know it.

I'm very sorry, Mrs. Van Allen.

Oh, thank you.

It's not hopeless.

Mr. And Mrs. Latan...

...and Madam and Miss Rosinni

are in the drawing room.

Very well. I suppose this is still secret.

- Yes, I was going to point that out.

- Oh, I understand.

Come, darling.

- Doesn't look very good, does it?

- No, it doesn't.

Jefferson.

You go up

and see what Miss Maggie wants.

I just can't stand to look at her face.

Who is that gentleman upstairs

with Miss Maggie?

That gentleman is from New York.

That's Mr. Pete's lawyer, that is.

It's so hard to believe...

...so hard to understand.

I know, Maggie, but you've got to think

of yourself, some sleep, some food.

What for? There's nothing.

I really don't care.

There's nothing.

All these weeks he's been missing,

I've kept hearing him come over here...

...with that silly little plane...

...and his signal going:

- I really heard him this morning.

- What?

Of course it was only Jefferson

and his lawn mower.

There was no one else like him alive.

Do you remember

those ridiculous sketches...

...and that silly old whistle and...?

- But you know him very well, didn't you?

- Oh, yes. School, college, his lawyer.

I knew Pete.

- You've got to forgive me.

- Oh, of course, my dear.

Oh, yes.

Jefferson, Mr. Thompson will stay

for lunch.

- Yes, Miss Maggie.

- Will you have a drink?

If you'll have one, it might be good.

- Bring Mr. Thompson a mint julep.

- Yes.

And, Jefferson, don't you and Violet

go around looking like that.

Mr. Pete's just gone, that's all.

Yes'm, just gone.

Yes, Miss Maggie.

Nice people.

Oh, yes.

They both loved Pete very much.

Everyone did.

Oh, by the way, Sandra called me

at 4:
00 this morning.

Somebody saw it in the early editions

and called her.

She's out of her mind.

Is she?

There is a satisfaction in knowing

when he went out...

...he was doing something worthwhile.

- Oh, I know, I've thought of that.

I've thought of everything

that would make it easier.

- But, you see, I made him do it.

- He was a very happy man, Maggie.

He was very happy to go on that trip.

He called me from Washington

the day he left.

He called himself "the big family man."

He wanted children.

Yes, I know he did.

That would have been something,

wouldn't it?

What?

Something of his.

To live on.

- Yes.

- Oh, if I could only scream or something.

Maggie. Maggie.

Oh, I'm sorry.

This...

This letter registered special

came from Sandra.

- For you?

- No, it's for Pete.

Oh, well, I'll send it back to her.

It seems like a very long letter.

I think I'll go to New York with you.

I was going to suggest you didn't stay

down here alone.

Yes.

- Jock, let's leave right away.

- All right.

I'll hurry.

Miss Kovak?

She's not at home.

May I wait?

It won't do any good.

Could I leave her a note?

Well, you may.

Have you a piece of paper and pencil?

Yes, miss.

Thank you.

Who was it, Bertha?

I must speak to you.

Were you lying when you told me you may

be going to have a child? Pete's child?

Does that matter now?

If it's true, it does.

It happens not to be true.

Then you were lying.

Yes.

Sandra, do you remember telling me

sarcastically in Philadelphia...

...if I wished to leave Pete a letter marked

"personal," he'd receive it unopened?

Here's a letter from you to Pete

marked "personal."

In that you tell him

you're going to have a child.

Yes, yes, yes.

Sandra, be honest with yourself.

You only wanted that child...

...when you thought you could get

Pete back, didn't you?

Now he's dead.

I came here to ask you for that child.

- What?

- I was married to Pete.

I could give him Pete's name.

I could give him everything that Pete

could have given him, had he lived.

Sandra, why shouldn't you hate me?

It's the same old story, isn't it?

We both loved the same man.

So you admit that, do you?

Of course I must admit it.

I do believe there's one true thing

about you, Sandra.

And that's your feeling for Pete.

You know, I can't think of him as gone.

How he loved life.

He left us two things in this world.

I have his money,

you might have his child.

You're extravagant, you're a woman

of the world, a public figure.

Your piano, your success,

they won't go on forever.

None of us gets younger.

Let me ensure your future

and you ensure mine.

- Your future?

- His child.

That could be my future.

And I'd make you secure

financially always.

- Money.

- Yes.

That's so completely mad.

Oh, think, Sandra.

Oh, no, I couldn't do it now.

It's different.

I'd be alone. I'd be afraid.

But you needn't be.

I won't leave you for an instant.

You?

Sandra...

...let's call a truce.

- A what?

A truce until it's over.

- You haven't told anyone else?

- Of course not.

We'll go away secretly.

You say no one knows,

no one else will know.

Don't worry about anything.

Leave the arrangements,

everything to me.

Hello.

Oh, I'll do that.

Here's the latest issue of Fashion.

The smell of cooking is making me sick.

Boiled vegetables.

And chicken.

You can't have steak every day.

There.

That's better.

You won't strain your eyes.

Oh, I brought you something.

- What is it?

- Open it and see.

Sadie?

Here's some more apples.

She's raising a rumpus

about the stew.

I know, but she can't have steak

every day.

I ordered them from New York.

Piano and orchestra.

Here, let me play them for you.

Whatever gave you the idea

that he's a pianist?

He's a fake.

Sorry. I guess I don't know much

about music.

Well, here are your things.

Cologne, talc, bath salts, lilac.

Couldn't get gardenia.

Vitamin B tablets.

What's in the big box?

Oh, things that we'll need later.

What things?

Stuff the doctor ordered.

Oh, I got you something else too.

You like color, Sandra, look.

Isn't that pretty?

Lovely. Suppose you wear it.

Did you bring my sleeping tablets?

- No.

- Forget them?

- No.

- Well, why?

Well, I asked the doctor.

- What did he say?

- He said no.

You couldn't have told him

how badly I was sleeping.

I told him how badly I was.

It amounted to the same thing.

I don't ask you sit up nights with me.

Oh, I know you don't.

I have to keep my eyes on you.

Hey, how many?

My third since lunch.

Three, four, five, six, seven.

This pack holds 20.

All right, all right, all right.

I smoked 12 cigarettes since lunch.

If you really wanna know,

I had six this morning.

- I knew that.

- Spying on me.

- I have to.

- Why?

Because you're such a liar.

- You smoke your head off.

- Oh, sure, but that's me.

I'm not special.

What do you want me to do,

sit here and go crazy?

Why don't you take a walk?

Oh, it's too cold.

Wear your fur coat.

That's a good idea.

I'll wear my new mink cape.

There might be a photographer

from Fashion...

...waiting to snap me

as I step over a cactus.

Sandra. Ham, onions, butter...

...everything the doctor said

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