The Scavengers Page #2

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I am here on business, you know.

And there's some

important things

I have to attend to.

- I'm coming with you.

- No.

It's just something I

have to do by myself.

- You're not going anywhere

without me, Marion.

- Get out of my way.

- Now listen to me.

I just want to help you.

I know you're in

some kind of trouble.

- I don't want

any help from you.

Now let me go.

Please Stu,

I know I've never given

you any reason to trust me,

but it's important that

I leave here alone.

Please don't ask me why.

I'm not in any

trouble, I swear it.

- I don't believe you.

Last night when I found you

you were full of--

- It won't take me long.

I'll just go do

what I have to do.

Then I'll go back to the

place where I'm staying

and pick up some things.

I'll meet you there

tonight if you like.

- Where?

- 143 Alvero on the north side.

I'll be ready at ten.

Please Stu, it's just for today.

Tonight I'll be with you.

I'll go with you

wherever you'd like.

- And you won't tell

me anything now?

- Tonight I will.

I'll never ask you for

anything else again.

Please.

Thank you, Stu.

Ten o'clock.

- And she told you

nothing at all about

her business up here?

Not even indirectly?

- Not a thing.

All I know is she's in trouble.

You know what she's mixed up in,

don't you O'Hara?

- Trouble seems to be

her business, I think.

Some persons are born that way.

- O'Hara I have got to know.

- Keep your voice down please.

I hardly know you Mr. Allison,

but I wish you no ill.

Therefore, this is my advice.

Forget your wife.

Get out of Macao as

soon as possible.

Her illness is incurable.

I say this without malice.

Her addiction is only a symptom.

- I tell you what I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna meet her tonight,

and tomorrow I'm goin'

to Hong Kong with her.

- Then I can only

wish you good luck.

(church bells ringing)

(daunting orchestral music)

(knocking)

- Hello?

Anybody home?

Marion?

(daunting orchestral music)

- I'd stay right where

you are if I were you.

Dee, come into the front hall.

- [Stuart] Say look,

there's been a mistake.

And I'm quite sure.

- Put your hands on your head

and walk in there.

Slowly.

Straight ahead.

- [Stuart] Say look,

my name's Allison.

I can show you my

identification.

- Keep your hands

where they are.

- Now look, I can explain.

I was looking for my wife.

Your door was open.

- What might your

wife's name be?

- [Stuart] Marion A--

Marion Kramer.

- You'll have to do much

better than that ole boy.

I've never heard of either name.

- Look, I don't

care what you think.

I'm telling you it's a mistake.

Now if you don't believe

me, call the police.

- I'm afraid it won't be as

simple as that, Mr. Kramer

or whatever your name may be.

You see, the police in

this part of the world

are inclined to treat

Americans with kid gloves.

I rather fancy they think

the tourist rate will suffer

if they do otherwise.

I think he and I can take

care of this ourselves

very nicely, thank you.

Sit down.

- What is this a frame?

I suppose Marion's got

something to do with it?

(daunting, dramatic

orchestral music)

(smacking)

(dramatic orchestral music)

(boat horn blowing)

(baby grumbling)

- Good morning, Mr. Allison.

(man speaking in

foreign language)

Just something for your

headache, that is all.

You are fortunate.

You might have had a concussion.

Chew it.

- You found me?

- This is the home

of a cousin of mine

who works in the

Custom's Bureau.

- Did you know it was a trap?

- No, but you could call

it an educated guess.

Your wife returned to Hong

Kong on the ferry this morning.

Don't be foolish, my friend.

You are in no condition

to go anywhere.

I am sure Mrs. Allison

will remain in Hong Kong

for a little while yet.

In fact, I'm gambling on it.

I think I'd better tell

you my little story.

Have you ever heard of

a Chinese Nationalist

General named Wu Tra Lin?

- Wasn't he in command

of the Hunan Army

in the last days of

government on the mainland?

- You have a good memory.

(whining baby)

As you can imagine,

the atmosphere

prevailing at the time

was one of utter

confusion and panic.

All hopes of victory

were abandoned.

The only remaining hope was

to get out of the province,

out of the country all together.

Hong Kong.

Macao.

Singapore.

Taipei.

Manila.

The government of course

was moving to Formosa.

General Wu was given the task

of supervising the evacuation

of government and personnel

and property in his area.

And this matter, acquitted

himself brilliantly,

which is more than can be said

of his military activities.

Fortunately, several

months later in Formosa,

when the government auditors

had had sufficient time

to take stock of things,

it was discovered

that somewhere along the line,

General Wu or some

members of his staff

had mislaid some

highly negotiable

foreign government bonds

and treasury certificates

worth about three

million U.S. dollars.

Of course an

investigation was made,

several members of General

Wu's staff were imprisoned,

some were shot.

But the bonds were never found.

The General was permitted to

resign from his commission.

- What's all this got

to do with Marion?

- After he resigned,

he went and lived in Japan.

He met Mrs. Allison there

about two years ago.

They have been very

close friends ever since.

- That hardly proves

she had anything to do

with stealing the bonds

or getting 'em out

of the mainland.

- No one claims that.

As a matter of fact, it has

been satisfactorily established

that the bonds never

left the mainland.

- So?

- I have reason to

believe that the bonds

were smuggled to Macao from

the mainland very recently.

I have reason to believe

that Mrs. Allison

came here to pick the things up.

The General has disappeared

from his residence in Kobe.

And Mrs. Allison, a

woman known to be without

any visible means of support

has to Hong Kong and Macao

with no apparent

purpose than to purchase

some very expensive

articles of oriental art.

An old hobby of

hers, Mr. Allison?

- I never noticed particularly.

You seem to be pretty well

posted on this business.

- Not as well as I

would like it to be.

There are some very

puzzling questions.

Why did General Wu

wait for eight years

to get the bonds

out of the mainland?

It is now a much riskier affair

than it was eight years ago

when the People's

Government Secret Police

was not so well organized.

Another puzzle.

What caused Mrs.

Allison to throw in

her lot with General Wu?

- That's pretty obvious.

- The bonds?

I don't think so.

- What do you care O'Hara?

All you want to do is get

your hands on the bonds.

- You don't know

that for a fact.

I have told you all this

in the hope that I

might persuade you

to join forces with me.

- I'm not interested.

- But you are still determined

to get your wife out of this?

- Yes.

- Then you really

don't have any choice

in the matter, do you?

(upbeat, bouncy

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