The Lady from Shanghai Page #4

Mr. Grisby wants to be cured of that pain.

He wants me to cure him.

Mr. Grisby wants me to kill Mr. Grisby.

- I'm sure he's out of his mind.

- He's not sane. Neither is Arthur.

Your husband can take care of himself.

- What do you want?

- Beautiful moon. Nice night for it...

...ain't it, Mr. O'Hara?

You didn't answer me, Mr. O'Hara.

You ought to speak when you're spoken to.

I'd hate to have to report you

to the lady's husband.

I said it's a nice night for it.

Would you care to dance with me?

Stop crying.

- I can't stand for you to cry.

- Do you know what Broome's been doing?

Spying. Spying on you.

Sure, I'm going to take you

where there aren't any spies.

Michael, where?

A long way off, some one of the far places.

Far place? We're in one of them now.

Running away doesn't work. I tried it.

Everything's bad, MichaeI. Everything.

You can't escape it or fight it.

You've got to get along with it,

deal with it, make terms.

You're such a foolish knight errant,

Michael.

You're big and strong,

but you just don't know...

...how to take care of yourself.

So how could you take care of me?

If you'll so pardon me this intrusion...

...there's a couple of police officers

out here.

Cops?

I don't speak their language, see?

And they wants me to identify this guy.

What's the Spanish for "drunken bum"?

It was early October

when we made San Francisco...

...and dropped anchor across the bay

from the city, in Sausalito.

It had been a most interesting cruise.

All very rich and rare and strange.

But I had had no stomach for it.

To begin with,

living on a hook takes away your appetite.

You've no taste for any pleasure at all,

but the one that's burning in you.

But even without an appetite...

...I'd learned it's quite amazing how much...

...a fool like me can swallow.

Please, Michael, be careful.

The car's down there.

Mr. Bannister's waiting

to take you into the city...

...to San Francisco.

But you're not going with him.

You're going with me.

You think I can't take care of you...

...and I'd be after running off with you

to an island to eat berries and goat's milk.

And I'd have to take in washing

to support you.

Hello, kiddies.

There's George.

What would you say to $5,000,

to get us started?

We've got a date

with a couple of beers, fella.

Arthur was asking for you.

He wondered where you'd gone.

I won't tell him.

You didn't answer my question.

- $5,000.

- Goodbye, Michael.

Couldn't we start on that?

Would you have to take in washing

on $5,000?

Sit down.

I suppose you're wondering

what's behind my little proposition.

It's none of your business, but since

we're what you call "partners in crime"...

...I'll tell you that the firm

of Bannister & Grisby is insured...

...against the death of either partner.

That means, if one of us dies

the other stands to get a lot of money.

- Thanks. Now, leave us alone.

- Yes, sir.

Like some other people we both know,

I'm not very happily married.

And another thing, frankly...

...I don't want to be

within 1,000 miles of that city...

...or any other city

when they start dropping those bombs.

Michael, there's been a suggestion

we drive you into town.

Want a beer before you go?

I'll be waiting with Mrs. Bannister

in the car.

Better meet me in my office.

Make it late tonight.

- What for?

- $5,000.

That ought to take a girl and a sailor

on quite a nice little trip.

- I'll meet you at your office.

- There's a little paper I'd like you to sign.

It's nothing very binding

or important, really...

...just a confession of murder.

Here's to crime!

She say, meet you at aquarium, 9:00,

before many people there.

The aquarium?

If you ever need a good lawyer,

Michael, let me know.

"I, Michael O'Hara...

"... in order to live in peace with my God,

do freely make the following confession.

"On the evening of August 9... "

That's tomorrow night, fella.

"... I shot and killed Mr. George Grisby...

"... placing his dead corpse

in the Sausalito bay. "

Just a minute, sir.

What you are reading there,

am I suppose to have written it?

It's your confession.

This is the easiest $5,000

you'll ever earn, fella.

Why don't you do it yourself?

Commit suicide? Me? Don't be silly.

Suicide is against the law.

We're not going to break the law.

This is going to be murder,

and it's going to be legal.

I want to live, but I want to vanish.

I want to go away and change my name,

and never be heard of again.

But that costs money,

and it isn't easy nowadays.

If they're looking for you, they'll find you,

unless they think you're dead.

They'll find you even on the smallest island

in the South Seas.

That's where I'm going to be, fella,

on that smallest island.

I'll mail the rest to you after the murder.

I want to live on that island in peace.

That won't be possible

unless the world is satisfied I don't exist.

You know, the law is a funny thing, fella.

The State of California will say I'm dead,

officially dead...

...if somebody's say they murdered me.

That's what I'm paying you for.

- To murder you?

- To say you did.

Well, what happens to you really?

- Well, I disappear.

- What happens to me?

Nothing.

That's the joker.

You swear you killed me,

but you can't be arrested.

That's the law. Look it up for yourself.

There's no such thing as homicide,

unless they find a corpse.

It just isn't murder

if they don't find a body.

According to the law, I'm dead...

...if you say you murdered me.

But you're not a murderer unless I'm dead.

Silly, isn't it?

I've never seen an aquarium.

Would you show me about?

I couldn't think where else we could meet.

- Only tourists and schoolchildren come.

- And lovers.

- Michael!

- Fair Rosalie!

- Do you love me?

- I do.

Do you still want

to take me away with you?

- Why do you ask that?

- Tell me where we'll go.

Will you carry me off into the sunrise?

Don't torment me. I'll take care of you.

You won't starve.

I don't care where it is, Michael,

just take me there.

Take me, quick.

Take me.

What?

For heaven's sakes, come along. Come on.

- Come on. Come on.

- Can't I look? I want to see.

I don't want you to worry about us.

I'm making arrangements.

The things you said yesterday

about money.

You didn't sound like you.

You're not going to try anything foolish,

are you?

I'm afraid so.

Something very foolish indeed.

"I, Michael O'Hara,

in order to live in peace with my God...

"... do freely make

the following confession. "

Read the last part,

that explains the whole of it.

"We arrived at the boat landing

at approximately 10:20.

"Mr. Grisby said he heard a sound.

"He said he was frightened of a hold-up

and asked me to get the gun, just in case.

"I reached in and got the gun,

but I'd hardly taken hold of it...

"... when the gun went off by accident

in my hand...

"... and i saw that Mr. Grisby

was all covered with blood.

"It took me a minute to realize

that Mr. Grisby was dead.

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