The Postman Always Rings Twice Page #8

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- I walked out.

- Yeah?

Well, if there's anything we can do,

just say the word.

I was wondering...

...if you could let me

have a little money.

Well, I don't keep very much

money here, but if $20 will help...

I was hoping you could make it more.

- All right, Kennedy, what is it?

- That paper...

...the one I wrote up for you,

Mrs. Chambers.

You mean that daydream

she called a confession?

Yeah. It was still in the files

when I left Keats...

...so I took it. I was thinking

maybe you'd like to get it back.

- How much do you want for it?

- How much would you pay?

We don't need that confession now.

We might give you $100 for it, though.

Sure. I'd pay that for it.

I was thinking it was worth more.

I was figuring on about...

...$15,000.

- Are you crazy?

- Well, you got 10 grand from insurance...

...and the publicity's

making you a fortune.

Maybe 5 grand more.

That makes 15.

- You'd clean us out just for that paper?

- It's worth it.

- Why you--

- Now, don't start anything, Chambers!

In the first place,

I haven't got the paper with me.

I'm not starting anything. I...

I guess you got us.

Yeah, but, you're figuring too high.

- Keep talking.

- Well...

...we made $4000, not $5000,

but we spent a couple of thousand.

And I had to go East and of course,

it cost quite a lot.

Her mother died.

And then we've been

fixing up the place.

All right.

Ten and two makes 12.

- Twelve grand.

- The whole 12?

Twelve thousand,

or the confession goes to Sackett.

Well, it looks like

we'll have to give it to him, Frank.

- It's tough, but he's got us.

- Yeah.

I'll phone you at 5:00.

That'll give you time...

...to go to the bank and get it.

At 5, if you got it, I'll come right out.

If you haven't got it, Sackett.

You know, Mr. Kennedy, it's really

too bad that Frank was here...

...because if we had been alone,

I feel...

...that I could've talked you out of it.

All right, snap out of it

and get your friends on the phone.

I got no friends.

I'm the only one that knows--

- You're gonna call your friends?

- I ain't got no friends.

I'm the only one that knows about it.

- You're gonna call your friends?

- I got no friends. I tell you--

Don't hit me no more!

- I tell you, I only got one friend.

- All right.

Get him on the phone.

Come on, in the kitchen.

All right! All right!

Here.

Thanks.

Cora, bring the extension phone,

will you?

There it is, Kennedy.

Make it a good story.

Here.

If he tries to pull a fast one,

I'll give you the sign.

Okay.

Come on.

Say--

Is that you, Willie?

This is me.

Listen, it's all fixed.

How soon can you get out here

with it? Yeah.

Yeah, Chambers is on his way

to the bank now to get the dough.

Willie, get this.

He knows we got him, see.

But he's afraid if she finds out he's gonna

pay all that dough, she won't let him.

You get it?

Well, maybe it sounds to you

like a funny way to do it, Willie...

...but I got my reasons.

Okay.

Willie's gonna bring the papers

out here.

He's awful suspicious.

Willie's a bad hombre

when he gets suspicious.

Yeah? Thanks.

That's so you'll act right

when he gets here.

And that's for playing along, Cora.

I think we better open the place up...

...just the beer garden,

better not let anyone inside.

All right, Frank.

I think that's your friend Willie,

but if it's not Willie...

... I'm gonna give you

another going over just for luck.

Gesundheit.

- What gives?

- This. Keep moving.

All right, Cora, his pockets.

- Here it is!

The other pockets!

- This is it.

- Here.

Photostats!

And the negative.

So they meant to keep on

blackmailing us.

Yeah, but not anymore.

Thanks, boys.

Come on, I'll show you out.

Come on!

Come on, come on, come on. Out!

Well, we did it, didn't we?

- That's the last of the Photostats.

- Oh, no, it isn't.

That isn't the last of the Photostats.

I got a million of them here.

- So you got a million of them.

- Just one is enough for Mr. Sackett.

You're not foolish enough

to stick your nose in that gas chamber...

...just to get even with me.

No, you didn't understand

Mr. Keats at all.

Once they made it manslaughter,

they can't do anything more to me!

What's the matter with you, Cora?

This! While you were

wet-nursing Kennedy...

...your friend dropped in outside.

So you're an outlaw,

and you just love Mexican food.

I hope your broken-down sweetie

brings you plenty to the death house...

...where I'm going to send you!

Just hanging up my clean uniforms,

dearie.

That's nice of you.

- What did you think I was doing?

- I didn't think anything.

Don't worry, when it's time

to call Mr. Sackett, I'll let you know.

In the meantime, just take it easy.

You're gonna need all your strength.

Just taking something

to keep up my strength, dearie.

- That's nice of you.

- What'd you think I was doing?

I didn't think anything.

Don't worry, when I'm ready to skip out,

I'll let you know.

Just take it easy,

you may need all your strength.

That's the way it kept up all day.

Me following her around

for fear she'd call Sackett.

Her watching me like a hawk,

for fear I'd...

Both of us hating each other

like poison.

Finally, she went up to bed.

I went to my room,

but I knew I didn't dare sleep.

Then all of a sudden...

- Get away from there or I'll--

- Or you'll what?

Hello? Yellow Cab?

We changed our mind.

We don't need a cab now, thanks.

- Or you'll what?

- Sock you in the jaw maybe.

Something else, wasn't it?

You've been thinking of a way to kill me.

- I've been asleep.

- Don't lie to me!

- Because I'm not gonna lie to you.

- All right, I was.

You were gonna duck out and hand me

over to Sackett, so we're even.

Right back where we started.

Not quite, Cora.

That other girl...

...she didn't mean anything to me.

She told me you were going away

with her.

Why didn't I? I planned to,

and never come back.

Why didn't I go away

and never come back?

Because we're chained

to each other, Cora.

- Don't tell me you love me.

- But I do.

- Oh, but love when fear comes into it...

- Then you hate me?

I don't know.

But we've got to tell the truth

for once in our lives.

All right, why were you gonna

run away then?

I told you I had something to tell you.

Frank...

... I wasn't going to Mr. Sackett tonight.

I was running away...

...for good.

So that you

wouldn't ever see me again.

Me or...

- Me or...

- Cora.

Oh, no, don't, Frank.

I've got to tell you all about it.

We...

We took a life, didn't we, Frank?

Well, now we can give one back.

Then maybe God will forgive us...

...and maybe it'll help square us.

Maybe it will.

Maybe it'll help.

We've been all mixed up.

Oh, Frank, I couldn't

turn you in to Sackett.

I couldn't have this baby and then

have it find out I'd sent its father...

...into that poison gas chamber

for murder.

Was...?

Was the baby the only reason?

No.

Oh, Frank. Please, there's one thing

I have to be sure of.

No, don't ask me any questions.

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