The Undying Monster Page #4

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devil and is said to live in a secret room?

- That's nonsense. There is a secret

room- - But there's nothing in it.

- How do you know?

- I've been in it.

- Lately?

- I say, Curtis, this isn't a court of law, you know.

The room's been untouched for centuries.

We finally locked it up several years ago.

Mind if I have a look at it?

Not at all. I have the

key right here. Come along.

- Coming, Curtis?

- Right.

They're going to the secret room.

- That Christopher woman suspects something.

- They won't find anything.

- We shall see to it that they don't.

- Shh!

Would you add another

crime to all the others?

There are some things it's

better not to know about.

Oh, I say, Alex. What

are you doing here?

You rascal. You scared us.

Wait a minute.

There's someone here.

Someone besides us.

Walton! What are you doing here?

I beg your pardon, sir. I

didn't mean to startle you.

I was on my way to the cellar

to get some wine for dinner.

I wish you'd stop sneaking

up on people like that.

Can't you cough or sneeze or do something

to let a person know you're about?

Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir.

It's just an excuse

to keep an eye on me.

- Probably expects me to go out and hang myself at any moment.

- Oliver!

Don't worry, darling. I'm much

too fond of this old earth.

Creepy sort of a chap, that Walton.

He may seem odd to you, but he's

really a very kind, fatherly person.

- Has he been with the family long?

- Ever since I can remember.

He seems to have

something on his mind.

- It's here.

- Uh-oh.

There goes that old

"supercalaphegalus" again.

Be quiet. Don't move.

There's something in the air.

Something out of the ordinary.

- Something very strange.

- Nonsense.

It's no ghost...

or the dog would have noticed.

Your dog didn't notice anything

last night either, did he?

- That's right.

- Hmm. That's odd.

I'd say that it rather neatly

disposes of the supernatural.

- It does, Doctor?

- I'd say so.

Well, that seems to settle it.

"When stars are bright

on a frosty night...

beware thy bane in the rocky lane. "

Ha. Pretty little ditty.

Someone ought to set it to music.

Sounds like a pretty

definite warning to me...

yet you ignored it last night.

To tell you the truth, I

never took it very seriously.

Seems rather like flying

in the face of fate...

- in view of what happened to your ancestors.

- Superstitious rot.

Superstitions are often based on fact.

If you want to know more about it,

there's a family history in the library.

Thanks. I'll have a look at it.

How long did you say it was since

anyone has been in this room?

- Three or four years, at least.

- You're sure?

- I have the only key.

- And you haven't been here recently?

Not since Helga and I came

here about three years ago when-

- When what?

- We decided to lock up the room for good.

- Why?

- For the simple reason we never used it.

I see. And you haven't

been here since?

Frankly, Mr. Curtis, I don't see the

necessity for this cross-examining.

- If Helga and Oliver say- -

Somebody's been in this room...

within the last 24 hours.

Those are pretty hefty

footprints, for a ghost.

- I told you there wasn't a ghost.

- Anybody could have made them.

Why, they could be mine, if

I'd had a key to get in here.

Well, let's see if they fit, huh?

Oh, I say, I am a clumsy ox.

Unfortunate, Doctor,

that you had to pick...

this particular moment in

which to lose your balance.

The last time I lost

mine I had one too many.

Well, I'm terribly sorry, old man.

Why don't you send this

fellow Curtis packing?

One doesn't send a Scotland

Yard man packing, Jeff.

You needn't submit to this sort of

thing, you know, this cross-examination.

We still have laws that

protect a person's privacy.

- You don't like him, do you?

- I'm afraid I don't.

Look, Jeff, you deliberately smeared

those footprints. Why did you do that?

Don't you realize they might have been

anybody's? Mine. Walton's. Oliver's.

Why should we let this detective

involve innocent people...

in an investigation that's

entirely uncalled for?

Mr. Curtis is trying to help

us, and if we can help him-

Oh, Miss Hammond.

I'll run upstairs. I

want to look in on Kate.

He's pretty fond of you, isn't he?

Dr. Colbert is one of my best friends.

That undoubtedly accounts

for his aversion to me.

Do you always analyze

everything, Mr. Curtis?

Miss Hammond, if your brother

were killed last night...

you'd have become sole heir

to the estate, wouldn't you?

- Why, I suppose so. Why?

- Then someone who knew this legend of the monster...

might have used it to

get rid of your brother.

- I don't follow you. - With

Oliver out of the way, your husband-

if you had one

- would control the estate.

You mean Jeff? That's absurd.

Perhaps. But why should

a man of his ability...

bury himself way up here

in this little village...

instead of practicing in

London, where he belongs?

Maybe you better ask him that.

- Oh, Doctor.

- Hmm?

I wanted to get that book Mr. Hammond

mentioned. Do you know where it is?

Why, yes. In this bookcase, I believe.

Hmm. That's curious.

Used to be right here.

I've seen it often.

Looks like somebody else is interested

in the history of the Hammond family, eh?

I may have been mistaken.

I thought it was there.

Perhaps you better look around.

Or perhaps that's just one more

thing I'm not supposed to know about.

I remember now.

You practiced in London

a couple of years ago.

Specialized in nervous diseases.

Yes, that's it. You're

a brain specialist.

I've had some little

success in that line, yes.

Why did you leave London?

Now, look here. I

resent your attitude.

My affairs happen to

be my own business.

And I'll thank you

to bear that in mind.

Sorry, Doctor, but whether

you believe it or not...

I'm trying to help Miss

Hammond and her brother...

and I have a feeling

they'll need help.

The best way you can help

them is to go back to London.

Dr. Colbert, I'll

make a deal with you.

You tell me frankly what

you know about all this...

and I'll drop out.

I'm sorry. I can't do that.

Have you any objection to telling

me where you were last night?

- I was in my laboratory.

- I see.

I talked with Helga on the

telephone not two minutes before.

- That's true, Mr. Curtis.

- Are you positive it was only two minutes?

Things happened pretty thick and

fast about that time, you know.

You could have miscalculated.

Walton was right in the room

with me. He'll verify it.

- I expect he would.

- Dr. Colbert.! Dr. Colbert, come quick.!

It's Miss Kate.

The girl's dying?

I'm afraid so, sir.

Mr. Curtis, there's one thing

I feel you ought to know.

Yes?

The other night, Mr.

Oliver and Miss Kate...

were mauled and scratched,

as if by some wild beast.

- That wasn't everything.

- Go on.

You know that Miss Kate

hasn't come out of it...

but she isn't just unconscious.

It's as if she was-

Well, paralyzed...

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