Wait Until Dark Page #4

to know her, by any chance?

-My husband?

-Of course he didn't.

l'm sorry, Mr. Talman,

l was asked to make inquiries.

Did you hear anything peculiar yesterday

afternoon or evening, Mrs. Hendrix?

No, l didn't.

We were out all afternoon.

l go to blind school,

and my husband was at the studio.

Was there anybody with him

at his studio?

-No.

-Hey, wait a minute. What is this?

He was supposed to photograph a girl,

and she didn't turn up.

Nobody can verify he was there

or what he was up to?

Are you questioning her

for a reason?

-l'm not questioning her.

-Why are you taking notes?

l'm allowed to talk, you know.

Sure, but she's allowed not to.

She doesn't have to answer.

Don't they study the Constitution

at police school?

-You some lawyer?

-No, but l know her rights!

l didn't think you were.

Well....

Goodbye, Mrs. Hendrix.

l'll probably be back.

-Mike?

-Well, he was certainly a big help.

ls--? ls this room dirty?

No. Why?

The sergeant kept dusting things.

-Did he?

-Yes.

Over by the refrigerator and...

...the banisters.

Here.

l'll get it.

Sergeant probably forgot his badge.

Forgive me for bursting in on you

like this, Mr. Hunt.

No. Mr. and Mrs. Hendrix live here.

Hendrix. Oh, l'm terribly sorry...

...but is this 27B Saint Luke's Place?

l'm Mrs. Hendrix. Can l help you?

My name is Roat. Harry Roat Jr.

What is it, Susy?

-Mr. Roat, Mrs. Hendrix is blind.

-Oh, l see.

l'm sorry for intruding upon you

and Mr. Hendrix--

-No, my name's Talman.

-Yes, well, whatever.

Mrs. Hendrix, has my father been here?

-The old man?

-Yes, do let me explain.

l'm so embarrassed.

lt all must be just a terrible mistake.

He made a mess of Mrs. Hendrix's things.

You better straighten him out.

Well, he's not crazy, l assure you.

He's not crazy.

He's just very old, and he thinks

a photographer named Sam Hunt lives here.

He's very old, my father,

and very worried for my sake.

He thinks that my wife has been...

...seeing this Mr. Hunt.

And that's why l've troubled you with my--

Hi, Susy, l've got the groceries.

Thanks, Gloria.

l'll put them away.

Okay.

-See you.

-Bye.

You know, you really do have

the wrong house, Mr. Roat.

-Here.

-We don't know anyone named Hunt.

l don't know this man Hunt either,

dear lady. May l explain?

Three years ago...

...my wife was on vacation in Montreal

with my mother and father.

And while she was there,

my wife became acquainted...

...my father says, with this photographer

named Sam Hunt.

Now, my father says

that they've been seeing each other...

...from time to time ever since.

My wife is...

...very beautiful.

-What is all this about, Mr. Roat?

-Well...

...l believe my father followed my wife

to this apartment.

You're wrong.

You see, the other afternoon,

there was a big scene.

There were testy words

between my wife and my father...

...and my wife stormed out of the apartment

with her doll.

Her doll?

Yes, the doll was what started

the bad words that day.

lt was especially made for my wife

in Montreal to play her favorite tune.

The point is that when my wife left

the house, my father said to me:

"Sam Hunt gave her that doll.

Do you know that?"

And then he ran out

of the house to look for her.

Later, my father called and said

he lives at 27B Saint Luke's Place...

...in the basement apartment.

And then this morning, when l told Dad

that Lejiana hadn't....

Lejiana?

Yes. Lejiana, my wife.

When l told Dad that she hadn't

come home last night...

...he got terribly excited

and drove off in my car...

...so l finally decided to come here

on the off-chance that....

-Your wife didn't come home last night?

-That's right and--

Want me to get it, Susy?

Hello.

Yeah. Hang on.

Susy, it's that Sgt. Carlino.

He wants to speak to you.

Why?

-May l take a message?

-l'm leaving now.

-No, l'll take it.

-Forgive me for intruding.

Well, his son's here now.

Don't go. He wants to talk to you.

-Who? Who does?

-The police.

-Say l've gone.

-lt's about your wife, Mr. Roat.

Hello.

Speaking.

That's right. No, she didn't.

ln fact--

Was she hurt?

No, tell me now.

-Mr. Roat!

-Mike!

Oh, l'm frightened.

l'm very frightened.

Don't worry, Susy.

He's gone.

Mrs. Roat is dead.

She was murdered last night near here.

-What did you say?

-And the police think Sam did it.

-Sam?

-Yes. The doll.

The doll.

The one Mr. Roat Jr. described.

Sam brought a doll exactly like that

back from Canada.

l was trying to help him unpack from the trip

when something fell on the floor.

The something played a little tune.

The something was a doll!

Mrs. Roat's special-made, handmade,

made-in-Canada doll. Sam had it!

l thought it was a surprise

for me, but it wasn't.

lt was for a little girl in the hospital.

A woman at the airport

asked Sam to carry it for her...

...so that her other girl, who was meeting

her, wouldn't see it and get jealous.

The woman called yesterday about getting

the doll, and Sam couldn't find it.

Sam never met the doll lady

in his life before. He told me so.

Don't do this to yourself, Susy.

Then there was the woman

he was supposed to photograph.

Sam said she didn't show up.

But he was away a long time

waiting for her.

And her name was Lejiana,

and so is Mrs. Roat's.

Well, suppose he did know her.

lt's not so serious.

Oh, but it is.

All right, then.

Let's say that it's serious.

Let's try to figure this all out.

From the beginning.

First, the old man came in screaming

about Sam and Mrs. Roat.

He went into your bedroom

and tore it apart.

He messed up your dresser.

Why did he do that?

He must have taken something, Susy.

He just must have.

Come here.

Now, look.

Check, feel around,

see if anything's missing.

Our wedding picture's gone.

The one of Sam and me.

Do you see it anywhere?

No.

That's the meanest thing l ever heard of.

l'm calling the police.

No!

No, Mike, we can't.

We mustn't say anything

to the police. Nothing.

They've got to forget all about us, Mike.

They think Sam did it!

Please.

What is it?

-That's funny.

-What's funny?

There's a police car pulling up outside.

They're just standing there.

Susy, l think they're watching this house.

Don't worry.

lt's no good, Mike.

What?

The doll. l can't find it.

Hold on. l just found another suitcase.

What?

l just found another suitcase.

Any luck?

Well, just some papers.

And some letters.

Well, if any of them are from Mrs. Roat,

don't bother to read them to me.

Oh, they're from you, Susy.

You type very well.

l didn't know Sam was a hoarder.

Listen to me. We've got to face

the fact that Sam's in trouble.

We've got to find that doll.

lt's the one thing that proves

that Sam's connected with this.

But it's not here.

We've looked for it.

Well, now, wait a minute.

You're the one who told me.

You said that Sam brought a doll

back from Canada.

You said it's the same doll

that Roat described.

You went right down the line

and told me that it proved...

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