The Seventh Victim Page #4

You're too young.

I'm afraid you don't understand.

Miss Gibson's sister is missing.

Missing? Well, no wonder.

When she took up with Louis Judd,

she went out of circulation just like that.

My dear, have I said something?

Too many people here.

Perhaps Jacqueline is lonely for me.

You see, Mary, I'm not quite a fool.

At least you knew about Dr. Judd.

- Yes.

- And you knew he'd be here.

Yes.

And now that I've shown you that

I know that much, and can guess more...

...will you trust me

to look for Jacqueline?

I want you to look for Jacqueline.

I'm a terrible failure, Mary.

A book clerk by day and a poet by night.

Not a very good one.

But if you'll trust me,

at this one thing I won't fail.

I'll find your sister.

You have such lovely hands,

Miss Gottschalk. So slim and capable.

Mr. Hoag, I really shouldn't be doing this.

It's against the rules.

Why did you say you wanted them?

I'd like to see what books my friends read

so I'll know what to buy them.

Nothing nicer than a book for a gift.

Who was the first one? Mrs. Redi?

P, Q, R...

Yes, here it is.

- And the other was Judd?

- Yes, Dr. Louis Judd.

He's here too.

Would it be asking too much

for you to get me these books?

No, not at all, Mr. Hoag.

Why, Mr. Hoag, most of these books

are on the closed shelf.

You'll have to get permission.

I wouldn't want to take them out.

I'd like to look at them.

Well, since you're over 21.

Mimi.

Come in.

Well, what is it?

A parallelogram with a split triangle

in its very center.

I found out that Mrs. Redi

reads the same books as Dr. Judd.

- I don't think that's so revealing.

- But who is Judd?

A psychiatrist. It's quite natural

that he should read books...

...on the history

of old religious societies.

But why should Mrs. Redi,

a woman with a beauty parlor?

- I don't know.

- That's just it.

And this figure, she traced it.

The book I saw at the library

had been marked "perfect"...

...by the library inspector in March.

Mrs. Redi had it out in April,

and no one else had read it since.

This figure is the symbol

of the Palladists.

It's all clear to me now. So clear.

I thought so, but just to be sure

I'll tell you that the Palladists...

...are a society of devil worshippers.

- Devil worshippers?

But, look, I'm serious.

It's a very real and earnest society.

A dangerous society.

I can imagine.

Sometime before

those nice white gloves are dry...

...you're going to go and find out

a few things about this Mrs. Redi.

Is Mrs. Redi nice to work for?

Oh, Redi's all right.

But there's only one Miss Jacqueline.

Mrs. Redi seems rather

an odd woman to me.

She's really a pretty good sort.

What does she do with herself

after business hours?

It's always seemed to me that

she was sort of lonely and unhappy.

Well, Mary, I guess most people are.

There, that's it.

In the old days,

this would've been on the house.

The tip is anyhow.

Besides, I like to do your hair.

Thank you.

Do you know what this is, Frances?

Why, I ought to.

Mrs. Redi's new trademark.

Of course, I should've known.

This figure's been puzzling me.

Hello, Mary. It's nice to see you.

- No news of Jacqueline?

- I'm afraid not.

Well, that's too bad.

What did she want?

Nothing. I just did her hair.

What were you talking about?

Nothing.

Nothing? Why, that's absurd.

I heard you laughing and talking.

She was asking questions.

Oh, well, she was asking about you.

Whether it was nice

to work for you or not.

And that was all?

Well, she asked about the trademark.

- What did she want to know?

- She showed me a drawing.

Oh, you fool.

Why, that symbol is us.

Us. She was asking about us.

- Mary?

- Yes.

This is Mrs. Redi, Mary.

Oh, I'll be out in a minute.

That won't be necessary.

I haven't much to say.

If I were you, Mary,

I'd go back to school.

I'd make no further attempt

to find Jacqueline.

I can't give up looking for her,

Mrs. Redi.

No matter what you're hinting at.

I have no intention whatsoever

of hinting.

Your sister, Mary, is a murderess.

She killed Irving August.

Stabbed him out of fright when he

discovered where she was hiding.

I don't believe you.

I had to help get rid of the body.

You saw it on the subway.

And I warn you, Mary, go back.

You don't know what you're doing...

...or what dreadful things you might

bring about by looking for your sister.

You go back to school.

I'm sorry to be late, Natalie.

We haven't begun tea yet.

- Hello, Frances.

- Hello, Mrs. Redi.

- How do you do?

- Mrs. Redi.

Won't you pour?

I'm sorry, I'm nervous.

- This is very trying for me.

- I know.

You introduced Jacqueline to us.

- But how could you tell?

- I should've known.

She had no sincerity, no real belief.

Miss Rowan, do you take cream?

Please, Natalie,

would you mind pouring?

You shouldn't be nervous.

There's nothing personal or vengeful

in what we are about to do.

We have only to make a decision.

But it can be such a horrible decision...

...because we're all pledged

to nonviolence.

- Now, this...

- Our founder must have known...

...when he wrote these

seemingly contradictory rules.

The rule of nonviolence...

...and the law that

whoever betrays us must die.

- He must have known.

- But I don't understand it.

Some of us, Frances,

must believe without understanding.

Yes, I suppose so.

I went back through the history

last night.

I read about Johann Rozenquartz.

- I read what he wrote about...

- I can quote it fully, Mrs. Redi.

"We will avoid violence.

For once undertaken,

violence can become its own master...

...and lead to either good or evil."

- But he also wrote...

I can quote that too.

"Those who go out into the marketplaces

and speak of us...

...and give knowledge

of our being and our deeds...

...whomsoever doeth this shall die."

I'm puzzled.

Since our order was founded...

...six betrayals have been listed.

And six deaths as punishment.

- And now there's Jacqueline.

- Oh, but...

But you can't do anything to her.

You mustn't hurt her.

- But she betrayed us, Frances.

- She didn't betray us.

She was only going to a doctor.

A psychiatrist.

She told him, Frances.

She told him about us.

I know this is difficult for you.

- I know that you love her.

- But she didn't betray us.

Even if I believed that, I would still

consider her a very dangerous woman.

There is the matter

of Irving August's death.

Without consulting me,

Mrs. Redi was ill-advised enough...

...to have the body removed

by Leo and Durk.

This makes us all a party to the crime.

What if there's a trial?

What if Jacqueline is asked

about the removal of the body?

Do you think, Frances,

that she will keep silent?

It is a real danger

and one which forces our decision.

- And Jacqueline's sister?

- I've taken care of Mary.

I've spoken to her,

and she's going back to school.

Good. Then it is decided.

Leo and Durk and I

will complete our plans.

Mary.

This is wonderful, your coming here

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes