Wait Until Dark Page #5

...that Sam and Mrs. Roat were connected.

And now Mrs. Roat's dead,

murdered right next door.

-Maybe l was wrong.

-That doesn't matter.

lf you thought that way,

the police will think that way.

Without the doll, it's a lot of ranting

and raving from those crazy Roats...

...but with it,

the police have a case involving Sam.

-Mike--

-Do you understand?

Mike, did you notice how l jumped

when Mr. Roat Jr. came in here?

-Have you been listening to me?

-For a moment, l thought it was the old man.

He had on the exact same shoes

as his father. New shoes.

And one of them squeaked a little bit.

-You probably didn't notice.

-No, l didn't.

And another thing, it's winter.

-lt's dark early now, isn't it?

-Yes.

Then why has everybody been

playing around with the blinds?

-What?

-Mr. Roat did it.

And Sgt. Carlino did it too.

Mike.

ls that police car still outside?

l'll check and see.

-Yes, and they're looking this way.

-See their faces, the policemen in the car?

-Not very well. lt's pretty dark.

-Try. This is important.

-Why?

-ls one of the policemen Mr. Roat?

-ls it?

-No.

No, it isn't.

There'd be a radio inside a police car,

wouldn't there?

Yeah, l suppose.

What are you getting at?

Sgt. Carlino fiddles with the blinds...

...and immediately, the police phone

and ask to speak to him.

Then Mr. Roat Jr. fiddles with the blinds,

and Carlino calls him.

No, l don't think the police

work like that. lt's too cops and robbers.

Mr. Roat's story and Sam's

don't go together.

And l've been forgetting something

very important.

-What's that?

-That l know Sam...

...and l don't know Mr. Roat.

You've got to get this through your head.

lt's what the police think that counts.

lf we wanna help Sam,

we've gotta find that doll--

-But it isn't here! lt isn't here!

-lt must be!

-lt's got to be in this safe.

-But l told you, it couldn't be.

-And why not?

-Because it isn't ours. Not really.

The woman who had this apartment

wanted to sell it to us when we moved in.

When we convinced her that we

didn't want it...

...she locked it and deliberately dropped

the key down the drain outside.

-Susy, you're making that up.

-l am not. Why should l?

-Be careful.

-Why should l?

On second thought, l don't suppose

l'd open my safe in front of a stranger.

Have l been treating you like a stranger?

l wish the doll were in the safe.

lt is your problem, isn't it?

Yours and Sam's. You have to do

what you think is best for him.

Where are you going?

To pick up my things at the apartment.

l can't miss the last plane.

-You said you'd stay.

-Sam will be home soon.

Will you give me a phone number?

What phone number?

Where you're going,

in case l find the doll.

l'll phone when l get there.

Give me the name of your friend

so l can call lnformation.

Well, yeah, l may have it

written down someplace.

-Here it is. Can you remember it?

-Yeah.

-Cl2....

-242. That's like ours. Go on.

-4598.

-242-4598.

Right.

Mike?

Thank you.

Five, nine.

-Where's Roat?

-Who knows?

Out beating up old ladies.

How goes it inside?

She's something, man.

She is really something.

Yeah.

You're on next. Give her a minute,

then push her as hard as you can.

Really push. Keep hinting at

that safe and the doll.

lf it's in there and she can't open it,

she will after you've gone.

What about Roat Jr. from Scarsdale?

Yeah. What about him?

Who's that?

lt's only me, Susy.

Thank goodness.

When l got upstairs, l found l'd left

a stick of butter in the bag.

Do you remember the man who was

here when you brought the groceries?

-Which one?

-Not Sam's friend. The other one.

-Sure.

-What did he look like?

Kind of dumb-looking, l guess.

-You'd recognize him, wouldn't you?

-Yeah.

Come.

Get up on a chair

and look out the window.

There's a police car out there. Can you

see the face of the man inside of it?

There's no police car.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah, l'm sure.

There's no car out there.

Well, yes, there is, a kind of squatty

truck. Right by the phone booth.

Phone booth?

ls there anyone inside the truck?

Well, there's a man standing near it.

ls it the man who was here

when you brought the groceries?

l don't think so.

Susy, he's coming this way.

Watch out. He's looking

through the window.

-Can he see you?

-No, but he's still looking.

l think he's going. He's go--

You had it!

-l was only borrowing--

-We've got to hide it.

-Where is it? Give it to me.

-Under your feet.

l was only borrowing it.

That's why l brought it back.

Where are we going to put it? ln

the washing machine. Come. Help me.

-Gloria?

-Yeah?

How would you like to do something

difficult and terribly dangerous?

-l'd love it.

-Can you see the phone from upstairs?

-From mother's bedroom, l think.

-Good.

Go upstairs and watch that phone booth.

Don't take your eyes off it for a second.

Now, if anyone from the truck

goes in and makes a call...

-...phone me as soon as they come out.

-Got it.

Just let the phone ring twice and

then hang up. Remember, twice.

-l know. Like a signal.

-Good girl.

Susy, if you need me for anything, just

bang on the water pipes in the corner.

-Who's that?

-Sgt. Carlino.

Quick, under the stairs.

l'll be right with you, sergeant.

Just a minute.

Coming.

l'm sorry to keep you waiting.

l'm glad you dropped by, sergeant.

Some children were playing out back,

and l think they broke a window.

-Would you mind taking a look?

-ln here?

l think so.

There's nothing broken here.

Well, maybe in the bathroom.

lt's hard for me to tell.

There's nothing broken anywhere.

Look, Mrs. Hendrix, l understand

Mr. Roat called on you this afternoon.

Yes, he was here for a moment.

You've been looking for something, l see.

l couldn't find the garbage bags.

No?

Do you know what l think?

You can't find that doll.

lt's not that. l couldn't

find the garbage bags.

No, the doll! The doll your husband

brought back from Canada.

-The doll he gave Mrs. Roat.

-My husband did not know Mrs. Roat.

l'm sorry, Mrs. Hendrix,

that's just not true.

Mr. Roat recognizes your husband

from a photograph his father has.

And old man Roat remembers seeing

your husband and Mrs. Roat together.

Now. Now, l wonder where

that doll can be.

-ln that big, black safe maybe?

-No, there's nothing in the safe.

There is no doll, and my husband

never knew Mrs. Roat.

He did, as a matter of fact, know her.

Now, if you don't open that safe...

...l'll get a search warrant and drill it.

lt'll take me less than 1 0 minutes

and before your husband gets back.

-Who are you phoning?

-The 6th Precinct.

l want to speak to Mr. Roat.

-Operator?

-Wait a minute.

Mrs. Hendrix, l'll get him.

l can get through quicker.

-Hello?

-Sixth Precinct, Carlino speaking.

Go ahead.

Is Mr. Roat Jr. still there?

Mrs. Hendrix wants to speak to him.

Hold on, l'll see.

lt's for you, Roat Jr.

-Hello? This is Harry Roat Jr.

-Mr. Roat, this is Mrs. Hendrix.

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