The River's Edge Page #2

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- That's why I'm leaving.

- Meg, please don't go.

- Ben.

- Meg, honest- honestly, I'll try.

What do you want?

- Mr. Cameron? Ben Cameron?

- Yeah.

My name is Denning.

I've heard a lot about you and-

- Excuse me.

- My wife.

How do you do, Mrs. Cameron?

Just, uh, what is it you want,

Mr., uh, Denning?

Well, I wanted to go across the border

and do some shooting at Lagos de Zapitan.

Just cross the international

bridge at Arivaca.

Hire yourself a guide.

No problem at all.

Well, frankly, I was expecting to come back

with a little more than the legal limit.

I don't want to go through customs.

I'd like to go straight through.

And I don't want

another guide. I want you.

Uh-huh.

Well, why me?

Well, they tell me you're the best,

and that's what I want.

Across the international border,

it's an easy 20 miles.

The only other route is 50 miles

of pure up and down.

I'm not interested.

They tell me your fee

is a hundred dollars a week.

I'll give you 200.

When my husband says he isn't interested,

Mr. Denning, he isn't interested.

You couldn't buy him for a thousand

a week, so stop wasting your time.

Will you let me handle this?

There's a lot of good guides

in this country.

You won't have any trouble

finding one at that price.

Well, perhaps I arrived at an awkward

moment. Think it over, Mr. Cameron.

- If you should change your mind, just-

- I won't.

Oh, uh, by the way,

my wife is driving to town.

I'm too busy branding to drive her.

How about giving her a lift?

Why, certainly.

I'd be glad to.

Maybe I better wait till this evening,

Ben, and let you drive me.

Why wait? The man's got a nice car,

plenty of room in it.

Let me take that.

Good-bye, Mr. Cameron.

Remember, Ben. This is

the way you wanted it.

Yeah.

I'm awful glad to see you, Meg.

- You knew I was here?

- Sure.

I've been hunting for you

for quite a while.

I missed you, honey.

I've missed you too, Nardo,

ever since the day I was arrested.

You were supposed to come back from

Los Angeles that morning. You never did.

I know. I started,

but I just never got there.

I started the night before.

Then I hit a truck on that straightaway

going into Bakersfield.

I didn't come to for five weeks.

I don't believe you.

I can show you the records of the

Bakersfield General Hospital, if you like-

14 months of'em.

You're too good on things like that,

Nardo. I wouldn't believe them either.

- Would you believe that?

- Nardo.

Took me six months

before I could even write you a letter.

And when I did, it came back

"addressee unknown."

I didn't know what had happened

till I got back to San Francisco.

By then, you'd been in Tehachapi

for almost a year.

So I got ahold of a lawyer. I gave him

some dough to work on your parole.

Then I had to get out of town.

- Where'd you go?

- Chicago.

But when I did make parole,

you weren't there.

I know, honey. I was in New York

when the lawyer's letter came.

I got the news two weeks late.

So I caught the first plane

to San Francisco, but...

you weren't there.

You weren't anywhere.

Where'd you expect me to be?

I know, honey.

I don't blame you.

I just don't want you

to blame me too much.

After all, we-we did

find each other.

You do believe me, don't you?

I don't know what to believe.

I'm almost afraid

to believe anything anymore.

Take me into town, Nardo.

Don't make me cry.

You know how I hate that.

I know, honey.

- Here. Let me take that.

- I'd rather.

Meg.

Will you have dinner

with me tonight?

No, I don't think so, Nardo.

I have a lot of thinking to do.

Hello, Mrs. Cameron.

Having a night on the town?

I'd like a single with a bath.

Ben still working?

It's 212. First room up on your right.

I'll bring your baggage up

as soon as I register this gentleman.

- I'd like a bath too.

- Oh.

When you take up the lady's bag, take up

a nice jar of bubble bath too, will you?

Yes, sir.

- Sandalwood, if you got it.

- Yes, sir.

Thank you.

~ You'll never know just how much ~

~ I miss you ~

~ You'll never know

Just how much ~

~ I care ~

~ And if I tried ~

~ I still couldn't hide ~

~ My love for you ~

~ You ought to know ~

~ For haven't I told you so ~

~ A million or more times ~

~ You went away ~

~ And my heart ~

~ Went with you ~

~ I speak your name ~

~ In my every breath ~~

- You remember this song?

- Yes.

And this dress-Where?

Peacock Room, Palace Hotel,

San Francisco.

We decided to become a team.

Ah, you do remember.

And what a team.

Best in the business.

- Why weren't we ever honest?

- What do you mean, honest?

We only took the people

who could afford it.

We only took those who thought

they could take us.

Nothing dishonest about that.

Remember that wildcatter in Dallas?

Boy, what a killing.

You bought me a mink coat

and a diamond clip.

Yeah.

Oh, those were the days.

I hocked them when

we went broke in Paris.

We weren't a very

lucky team, were we?

Well, I don't say we didn't have a couple

of hard times once in a while, but-

Listen, honey.

Let's sit down and have a drink.

Okay?

Right over there.

- Hiya, Barry.

- Well, hello, Ben. I'm glad you dropped in.

That section of land next to yours

is open now, if you want it.

I came to sell you my place.

Still want to buy it?

You didn't seem to think

my price was right.

Well, I changed my mind.

- One old-fashioned with scotch

and a brandy and soda.

Honey, I've got something big this time-

bigger than you can imagine.

No, Nardo, I'm all through with that

sort of thing. Just count me out.

But, honey,

don't get me wrong.

We've got enough to last us

for the rest of our lives-

one million dollars.

It's what I've always wanted.

And when I got it, I came for you.

How did you get it?

Look, sweetheart.

It was knowing about my deals

that got you that jail term.

I don't want it to happen again.

Nobody can ever harm you

for something you don't know.

But this is all wrapped up.

It's okay, it's safe and it's clean.

- And the police are after you.

- No, no.

That's the beauty of it.

Nobody's after me.

The police are after a bundle of money,

but they don't know who's got it.

No description,

no photograph, no nothing.

Just a big bundle of beautiful bills

with Ben Franklin's picture on 'em.

That's why you wanted Ben

to take you across the border-

so you could get away

with it, huh?

Well, Ben or anybody else.

I wanted Ben

because I wanted his wife.

But for the money I'm willing to pay,

we can hire another guide.

- We?

- Who else?

It was always "we."

Always will be.

Come on. Drink your drink.

We'll make a fresh start, honey.

- Your dinner's ready, sir.

- Oh, thank you.

Well, honeybunch, let's drink up,

and tell me what's bothering you, huh?

It's Ben.

You mean that farmer?

I thought you were

walking out on him anyhow.

Well, I did, but I'm not sure

I should have.

You know, if it weren't for Ben,

you know where I'd be now.

But why worry about it, honey?

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