They Won't Believe Me Page #6

No danger from Greta.

Accidental death, the police had said.

And Trenton was at a dead end on Verna.

I was safe enough.

Hello.

I have something to take up with you.

You have?

It's pretty serious.

You're five minutes late.

That is serious.

What's the fine, Your Honor?

One martini to be consumed at once.

Glad I wasn't in a half-hour late.

Out late again, Mr. Ballantine?

Yeah.

I ran a dead heat with the milkman.

Only what he was carrying was certified?

You got a point there, Gus.

A definite point.

Hello?

Yes, he is.

A lady to see Mr. Ballantine.

- A lady? Doesn't she have a name?

- Verna Carlson.

Shall I tell her you're busy?

Yeah.. No...

Have her...

Come around to the swimming pool, Nick.

Mr. Ballantine?

What's the idea

of saying you're Verna Carlson?

I didn't. I'm Susan Haines.

Verna's roommate, remember?

He said it was Verna.

Oh no. I said it was about Verna.

About her? What about her?

Well, the little rat owes me

a month and a half's rent.

84 dollars.

Well that's too bad.

But why come to me?

Well, I thought maybe you

could tell me where she is.

- What gave you that idea?

- Verna.

She sort of hinted just

before she left that

she was going to get

some money from you.

Well, that's the first

I've heard about it.

I thought it might be a gag.

Actually, I haven't seen her

since I left the office.

Well, it was worth a try.

Now, I go to the police.

Wait a minute.

- How much did you say it was?

- 84 dollars.

Well, I'll write you a check.

Oh no, look. I want to collect from her.

I'll be bumping into her. And it will

give me something to kid her about.

- You don't mind?

- Of course I don't mind.

I-I'll be right back.

After all, it was only 84 dollars.

Your explanation, it seems

to me, hardly fits the facts.

Why doesn't it?

I simply wrote the check

to keep Verna out of trouble.

Are you sure it wasn't to keep

Miss Haines from going to the police?

That would be trouble

for Verna, wouldn't it?

Or for you, if you'd been

paying her blackmail.

Look. Accusing me of

paying Verna blackmail

isn't going to find her for you.

The there is a trick like the one you

just cooked up with the Haines woman.

No need to lose her temper.

I'm not losing my temper.

I'm simply telling you that

I don't know where Verna is.

And I don't expect to know.

But if I ever do, I won't tell you.

Is that clear?

You've never seen her

since your wife died?

Never.

Nor even just before?

Nor even just before.

I want you to meet a friend of yours.

Howdy there, Mr. Ballantine.

Long time, no see.

You mixed up in this thing too?

He isn't mixed up in anything.

I simply want him to tell you

what he told me.

What's that?

Well, it's about this girl.

The one they showed me the picture up.

Of course I seen her meet

you at the store that day.

Then her and you drive off

toward the ranch.

You remember that?

Of course I don't.

And what difference would

it make if I had met her?

Quite a difference.

You see, we think Verna was

there to blackmail you.

Same old tune again.

Not exactly.

We think you killed her and

hid her body on the ranch.

You drove off with your wife. And

unfortunately had the accident.

Which would have made it

unnecessary to murder Verna.

If I believed something like that,

Trenton, I'd take it to the police.

I have.

Lieutenant Carr

of the Los Angeles homicide bureau.

And Mr. Trenton's suggestion,

we had a warrant issued

by the Solari County authorities

to search your ranch.

I was wondering if you would like

to take a drive up there with me?

Are you the folks from L.A.?

I'm Lt. Carr and this is Mr. Rogers.

- Howdy.

- How are you making out?

Sorry.

We've been searching since daybreak.

Pounding and digging. Picks and axes.

We got the house plum gone up.

I reckon you won't mind, Mr. Ballantine.

Because we ain't found nothing.

How about the rest of the ranch?

Then over that too but.

Maybe you city fellers

is smarter than we are.

It looks like we had a

long drive for nothing.

Well, maybe we are to

walk around a little.

Just to please Mr. Trenton.

What do you think?

You're the boss.

You want me and the boys?

Not much unless you figure

you need some more exercise.

I'm getting too soft

for this kind of thing.

Would you mind

hiding your next victim in Griffin Park?

I would just as soon as stop all

talk about victims. Here or anywhere.

Yeah, I know. It's hard on the nerves.

Let's take a breather. My knees

feel like a couple of rusty hinges.

Every time somebody disappears,

somebody else hollers foul play.

And mostly,

the missing person just left town.

- Cigarette?

- No Thanks.

It seems like wives

cause the most trouble.

They never can believe

their man would leave on his own.

- I remember one case...

- Hey, Lieutenant!

There's a horse down.

What's so important about that?

He seems sick or something.

He's lying down.

Down there, by the waterfall.

What's he doing down there?

Maybe he thinks the pastor is better.

He's right too. It's fur clover.

I suggest we leave out the

botany and get moving.

It's a long ride back to town.

Horses don't eat lying down.

For my money, he's sick.

Or maybe he fell down there.

What do you think?

I'll phone a vet from the ranch house.

In the meantime, he's suffering.

I think we ought to go

down and take a look.

It happens to be Mr. Ballantine's horse.

What do you say Mr. Ballantine?

Do you figure he's right?

I suppose he is.

Ah, that's the ticket.

Anybody coming with me?

We ought to get our

expenses from the SPCA.

Are you coming, Mr. Ballantine?

Right behind you.

You better stay back.

You're liable to scare him.

Hello, fella.

The guy's broke both front legs.

That's tough.

What do you want to do?

There's only one thing you can do.

Yeah.

You think somebody should shoot him?

We can't let him suffer.

You want to do it, Mr. Ballantine?

No, not me. It was Greta's My wife...

I couldn't.

I don't think it'll be much fun

for either of us, sport.

Oh, Mr. Ballantine!

Would you come over here for a moment?

Care to identify her?

That's it.

The beginning.

The middle and the end.

The truth.

The whole truth, so help me.

You may have this witness.

Mr. Ballantine, is been testified

that the woman's corpse

found in the whirlpool was

battered beyond identification.

Do you consider this

fortunate or unfortunate?

Your Honor, I object. The question

calls for an expression of opinion.

Objection sustained.

Very well, Your Honor.

I hardly think there's any necessity

for cross examination.

You may stand down.

We will recess until two o'clock,

at which time, I will hear

the closing arguments.

You are now excused,

ladies and gentlemen.

You've got 5 minutes.

- Hello, Larry.

- Hello.

- Do you mind me coming here?

- No.

I have something to say.

I don't know quite how to say it.

I'm sorry.

- Why?

- I believe you.

Thanks.

I went up there because I was jealous.

Because I still wanted you.

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