The Man Who Wouldn't Die Page #6

- Very well.

- And maybe Mrs. Wolff would join us.

- Yes. Of course.

- Fine.

- Don't you want me too, Mike?

No, no. You stay here

with the chief.

Maybe he can help straighten you out

with jolly Roger here.

Don't look so glum, chum.

- Excuse me.

- Oh, Dunning. Just a second.

I'd like to have you

sit in on this too.

Stay here. Sit down, darling.

Well, Shayne, I'm going to come

right to the point.

- Just exactly what did you mean by that remark?

- What remark?

You said that partner of mine

was supposed to be dead once before.

Oh, yes. Yes. That's right.

The first time was last night

when you buried him in the woods.

- How did you know that, Mr. Shayne?

- Oh, no.

You see, a good investigator,

like a good reporter...

never reveals the source

of his information.

Now I'll come to the point.

Mr. Wolff, just exactly what do you know?

Tell him, Dudley.

He may be able to help us.

You understand, Shayne, that what

I tell you is in strictest confidence?

- Let's hear it first.

- Well...

that man

was not my partner at all.

As a matter of fact,

I never saw him before last night.

- Who was he?

- Claimed to be a government agent.

- What did he want?

- Came to blackmail me.

Said he had certain papers

in his possession...

that would expose me

to the Senate investigating committee.

I asked him,

"Show them to me. "

He took them out of his pocket,

but that's as far as he went.

I made a grab for them.

He hit me. I hit him.

- My blow knocked him to the floor.

- Go on.

At first, I thought I had

merely knocked him out.

So I called in Dunning and Dr. Haggard.

When Haggard examined him,

he said the man was dead.

- That all?

- I've already told you why I didn't go to the police.

What about those papers

you grabbed?

Absolutely worthless.

If you'd like to see them- Dunning, get-

No, no, no. Sit down, Dunning.

I'll take your word for it.

- Well, is there anything else?

- I've told you everything.

Why did you and Haggard and Dunning here

go back to the grave a second time?

I knew my daughter

was telling the truth about that shot...

when I found a clump of pine needles

on the bathroom floor.

Oh.

- And you went to see if the body was still there. Hmm?

- Yes.

- That right, Dunning?

- Why, uh, yes. Yes. That's right.

Mm-hmm.

And was the body there?

No. It was gone.

Hey, now. What kind of double-talk is this?

First you say you killed a man,

then you buried him...

and then several hours later

he disappeared.

That's just the point.

I don't believe I killed him.

Well, now, don't tell me that you're all

beginning to believe in ghosts too.

Well, I'll admit, Shayne,

it sounds fantastic.

Fantastic, huh? Well, that's a masterpiece

of understatement.

You know, I think you're just about

as wacky as your daughter.

I'm sorry now that I ever

got mixed up in this.

What you need is a Ouija board.

I'm quittin' right now.

Please, Mr. Shayne. You've got to help us.

All our lives are in danger.

No, no.

This is a job for the police.

Now, don't worry. Whatever I know,

I'll keep under my hat.

I don't want people

to start thinkin' that I'm crazy too.

Just a minute, Shayne.

Where are you going?

Oh, Chief. You're just the man I wanted to see.

I thought you might like to know.

I'm bowing out,

and I'm leaving all the honors to you.

Not so fast.

What about the body?

- What body?

- Now, no stallin' now. You know what body I mean.

Sure. Of course. That body.

I didn't quite get you at first.

Well, uh, I tell you.

Why don't you ask Mr. Wolff?

I'm sure he could

give you some information.

As a matter of fact, he might

be delighted to confide in you.

- You think so?

- Why, certainly. Go ahead. Go right in.

- Thanks.

- Oh, oh. Wait.

- I forgot again.

- That's okay, Chief.

Dudley, what are we going to do?

Come in.

- Mr. Wolff, about the body-

- Have you found it?

- Have I? Why, no. I thought you- He said-

- Now see here.

I'm going to ask you to keep

a particularly close watch tonight.

- Ifr that body shows up, it'll be somewhere around this house.

- Yes, sir.

- Around this house?

- That's right.

Well-

Well, leave everything to me,

Mr. Wolff.

Zorah Bey.

Zorah Bey, don't kill me.

I didn't do it. It was Dr. Haggard.

He double-crossed you.

Please don't kill me.

I'll do anything you want.

I'll go away with you. I'll-

Thanks for the use

of the body.

Don't move.

Stay where you are, all of you.

Hey, now.

Go ahead and shoot.

Bullets are all gone.

You wasted them on the mirror.

Anna. Anna, what happened?

What are you doing here with that gun?

- I think your wife can tell you.

- He broke into my room. He tried to frighten me.

- You sure you weren't frightened by Zorah Bey?

- Zorah Bey? Who's Zorah Bey?

Here. Take a look at this.

Go ahead, Mrs. Wolff.

You better tell him.

I'm sorry, Dudley. I should have told you

everything long ago.

I was married to Zorah Bey...

and worked with him

in his magic act.

He was on the steamship Morro Castle

eight years ago...

when it burned

off theJersey coast.

He was reported missing. So, later, when

I met you and you asked me to be your wife...

I thought I was free to marry you.

But six months later, Zorah Bey turned up.

He demanded money.

Threatened to tell you

I was still legally his wife.

- Why didn't you tell me this?

- I loved you, Dudley. I was afraid to lose you.

And you've let this man

blackmail you all these years?

Yes. But the last time, he demanded

such a huge sum, I- I was unable to pay.

I was desperate.

I told him to do whatever he wanted.

So that's the real reason

he came to see me last night.

Didn't have the nerve

to tell me the truth...

so he tried to blackmail me

with phony papers.

It's all right, dear.

It's all right.

It's all over now.

Well, Shayne, I guess that finally

clears up our mystery.

Yeah? Well, maybe it does,

and maybe it doesn't.

What do you mean? Aren't you satisfied

with my wife's explanation?

No. You see,

I happen to know...

that Zorah Bey didn't return to this country

until one month ago.

- Don't believe him, Dudley. He's lying.

- Mr. Wolff...

ask your wife if she knows a magician

called the Great Merlini.

Do you know him, Anna?

Yes. I do.

And who is this Merlini?

He's a friend of mine

that knew Zorah Bey and your wife.

He gave me

some very interesting information.

Go ahead, Shayne.

Well, when Zorah Bey

returned to this country...

he located his wife and found out

that she was married to you.

He also found that

she was very friendly with Dr. Haggard.

Zorah Bey came to Anna

and demanded money.

She and Dr. Haggard agreed to put him

in a position to blackmail you.

- How?

- Well, he was to try to frighten you...

with that set of phony papers about the Senate

investigation- to get into a fight with you.

You were to hit him, and then Dr. Haggard

was to pronounce him dead...

taking advantage ofr Zorah Bey's ability

to go into a trance...

part ofrhis framous "buried alive"trick.

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