They Drive by Night Page #10

standing by the side of his car arguing.

- Did you hear what they were saying?

- Well, I didn't exactly hear.

You understand, I didn't try,

but it seemed to me that one of them...

...wanted the other one

to do something...

...but I couldn't tell who wanted who

to do what to which.

When your brother became head

of the Carlsen Trucking service...

...did you get a job as traffic manager

with the company?

- Yeah, but...

- Objection. The question is leading.

- Objection sustained.

- That's all.

Miss Hartley, you say

that you and Mr. Fabrini...

...have been in love,

plan to be married.

- That's right.

- Can you tell me why...

...you didn't get married

some time ago?

- We couldn't afford it.

- Did Fabrini work evenings quite a bit?

- Yes.

- Could you swear that Mr. Fabrini...

...was actually in his office

working on those evenings?

- No, but I...

- Isn't it possible that Mr. Fabrini...

...didn't marry because

he found marriage inconvenient...

...in his relations with Mrs. Carlsen?

- Objection.

Objection sustained.

The witness will not have

to answer that.

Isn't it true that Mr. Fabrini

kept you two ladies apart...

...until one evening, when he got

his dates crossed...

...he found you both face to face?

- Well, Joe never did...

- I object!

- Overruled.

- Isn't it true that Mrs. Carlsen...

...was so unnerved that she fainted?

- She was ill.

- Certainly, she was ill. Ill of shock.

Shocked at finding the man

for whom...

...she murdered her own husband

with another woman.

That's not right.

Joe didn't help in any murder.

He didn't have anything

to do with it. If he thought...

That's all.

Did you say anything to Mr. Fabrini

about Mrs. Carlsen?

I don't remember.

Did you ever notice that after Fabrini

came to work at Carlsen's...

...that Mrs. Carlsen frequented the

garage more than she had previously?

- I don't remember.

- Don't you remember anything?

- Why don't you remember?

- Maybe it's because I got a bad memory.

Now, Your Honor and ladies

and gentlemen of the jury...

...I call to the stand Mrs. Lana Carlsen.

Stand up, please.

Do you swear to tell the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth?

I do.

Take the chair.

State your name.

- Lana Carlsen.

- You will speak up, please.

You were, at the time of his death,

the wife of Edward Carlsen?

Yes.

How long before the death of Carlsen

were you acquainted with Joe Fabrini?

Two years.

Where did you first meet him?

Mrs. Carlsen, I asked you

where you first met Fabrini.

You will answer

the question, please.

He was laughing.

Yes, he... He was laughing.

He kissed me when he was drunk.

Yes, he kissed me

when he was drunk.

So I got a new car.

Yes, I got a new car.

And I bought some new clothes.

Yes, they were pretty.

And he used to tell terrible jokes.

And he'd laugh at them.

He was always laughing.

And then I saw him lying there...

...drunk.

I heard the motor running.

And I saw the doors.

I heard the motor.

I saw the doors.

The doors made me do it.

Yes.

The doors made me do it.

The doors made me do it.

The doors made me do it!

- Matron, remove the witness.

- They made me do it!

They made me do it!

The doors!

They made me do it!

The doors! The doors

made me do it!

Your Honor! Your Honor,

I move that this case be dismissed...

...on the ground that the sole witness

to the alleged crime is obviously insane.

Court is adjourned while the state's

alienist examine Mrs. Carlsen.

Everybody rise.

- City desk and hurry.

- Give me the desk.

Hello, Ed. Here it is.

The doctors all say she's daffy.

Yeah, nuts. They had

to take her away in a straitjacket.

Yeah, that's right. Case thrown

out of court. Fabrini goes free.

Sounds funny, I suppose, but I can't

help feeling sorry for that dame.

Me too, in a way.

- What about the business, Joe?

- What about it? It's like I told you.

I'm giving my share to the boys.

After what's happened,

I need a change of scenery.

What about us?

We're getting married

just like we figured.

I'll dig up a new truck

and hit the road again.

Why, I'll be on top in no time.

I can't miss with...

Say, you're not gonna tell me

I'm not right, are you?

No, Joe. Of course, I hate

to see you go back to the road...

...but if that's the way you want it

I'm with you around every curve.

Well, my mind's made up.

Gee, I promised to phone the store.

Do you mind stopping while I call?

All right.

I'll only be a minute.

- Hello, Irish. This is Cassie.

- Hello, Cassie. What's on your mind?

Joe's on his way to tell you

he's giving up the business.

Have the guys shout him down,

I'll do the rest.

Okay, kid. Leave it to me.

My mind's made up too.

So it's like I tell you, fellas.

I don't feel I got the right

to stay on here...

...so I'm giving you my share,

and I'm bowing out.

No!

- Slow down, will you?

- You're on a dead-end street, Joe.

That's right, Joe. These boys

want no part of an executive business.

Paul here can handle things

as good as anybody.

Oh, no, not me.

I got too many other problems.

- We're gonna have a baby.

- Congratulations. Say, does Pearl know?

- Say, that's good news, Paul.

- You can give us some good news.

Say you're staying on

as the head guy.

Fellas, I'm sure glad

you feel this way, but I...

Well, I...

- What do you think, Cassie?

- Your mind's made up, Joe.

But there's a lot of angles here.

Somebody's got to take care

of those accounts.

- I may get that gas contract.

- I wouldn't try to influence you...

...any more than I would the boys, Joe,

but the way you're talking...

...maybe you'd better stay.

Okay, fellas, I'm sticking with you.

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