"Oh, Lady!" "That's how guys lose their jobs- not collecting fares." "I'm sorry." " I guess I'm a little excited." " Thank you, lady." " Good evening." " Good evening." "I'm Mrs. Stewart." "Would you give me my husband's room number please?" " Lieutenant Stewart." " Lieutenant Stewart." "Yes." "He's arriving today." "I wired for the reservation- Lt. and Mrs. Paul Stewart." "You say you wired for a reservation?" "Yes" " Mrs. Paul Stewart." "I'm afraid there's been a slipup." "Apparently your wire wasn't received." "But I sent it three days ago." "Well, I'm sorry." "There's nothing I can do for you." "You mean I can't stay here?" "I wish I could help, but we're completely booked up." "But I've got to stay here." "This is the only place we can find each other." "I thought for two years he was dead... and now I don't know if he's been hurt or what." "Please don't be upset." "Perhaps I can arrange something." " Has Mr. Walters checked in yet?" " No, sir." "Not until tomorrow." "Fine." "Then we can give them 816-C." "But you'll have to leave by noon tomorrow." "Yes, of course." "Thank you very much." "Not at all." "Will you register please?" "Janet." "Janet!" "Janet, it's me." "Let me in, Janet." "Janet, I'm home." " Paul!" " Why don't you open the door, Janet?" " Janet, please open the door!" " Paul!" "Paul, darling!" "Paul!" "Paul!" "Don't go away!" "Paul!" "Paul!" "Wait!" "Paul!" "Wait!" "I can't open the door!" "Janet!" "Help me!" "Janet!" "I can't find you!" "Where are you, Janet?" "Janet!" "Janet!" "Paul?" "Paul!" "Hello." "This is Mrs. Stewart." "Did my husband come in?" "No, thank you." "Youfollowedme ,Margaret." "You've been spying on me." "I have been watching you for months making a fool of yourself." " I don't think so." " Bringing her here." " Elaine was just about to leave." " I didn't interrupt too soon?" "Perhaps it's just as well things worked out like this, Margaret." "I've" " I've decided to ask you for a divorce." " A divorce?" "Why should I divorce you?" " Well" "Please, Margaret, let's be sensible." "Whatever we had for one another is gone." "We've been afraid to admit it before, but it's true." "Elaine and I" " Well, I love her." " You never loved anyone but yourself." " Please, Margaret." " I was good enough for you once." "Now you want someone younger." " It's not that way." "It's just that I- I can't go on with you any longer." "All right, Richard- You can have your divorce." "You're right." "We are strangers." "But I have some pride." " No one's going to think you've cast me off" " Please, Margaret." "You want Elaine" " Have her, but people are going to know the truth." "I'll start by telling the clerk you've been entertaining your girlfriend in our apartment." "Then I'll call the newspapers." "Careful, cautious Richard... destroying everything he is for the sake of a cheap" " Get away from that phone." " You asked for it." "I'll enjoy telling your friends" "Leave that phone alone!" "I hate you!" " Good morning." " Good morning, sir." " I'm Lt. Stewart." " Oh yes, Lieutenant." "We've been expecting you." "Your wife's gonna be glad to see you, sir." "Mr. Blake, this is Lt. Stewart." "Mr. Blake's our manager." "Lieutenant, you really had us worried." "I'm glad you finally got here." "I wasn't sure." "The weatherman threw the book at us." " Well, you're in for a real welcome." " 816-C, boy." "Oh, that's all right." "I'd kind of like to surprise her." " Very well, sir." " Thanks." "Janet." "Darling, what's the matter?" "Janet." "Janet, it's me." "It's Paul." "Janet!" "Hello?" "Hello, operator?" "This is Lt. Stewart calling." "Can you send a house doctor to 816-C right away?" "It's very urgent." "Thank you." "Well?" "What is it?" "What's wrong with her, Doctor?" "I'm not sure." "I think she's suffering from some sort of shock." "I'll be frank with you, Lieutenant." "This is a little outside my line." "There must be something you can do for her." "We ought to call in a nerve specialist- a psychiatrist." " Can you suggest one?" " There's a very good man in the hotel" " Dr. Cross." "If we're lucky, we might find him in." "Uh, this is Dr. Blair." "Will you see if Dr. Cross is in for me?" "Thanks." "Cross has had a lot of experience with this sort of thing." "I'm all right for a broken arm or an old-fashioned hangover... but when it comes to the mind, well" "Uh, Hello, Dr. Cross." "This is Blair in the hotel." "How are you?" "Say, I've run into something that's right up your alley." "One of the guests here has had some sort of shock." "No, I-I don't know what caused it." "Oh, would you?" "Well, that's mighty nice of you." "Thanks, Doctor-816-C." "He'll be right with us." "She was so alive when I saw her last." "I can't quite believe this." "Better snap out of it, Lieutenant." "I don't want another patient." "Dr. Cross is one of the best men in this part of the country." "I'm very happy that he's going to have a look at it." "I don't get it." "What could have brought it on?" "I wish I could tell you." "The mind's a strange instrument." "What affects me may not bother you in the slightest." "The workings of the mind depend on so many things inside as well as outside." "You can't make hard and fast rules." "I suppose it is plausible that she hasn't been feeling well" "Worrying about me" " Not- Not knowing whether I was dead or alive" "Then coming here and not finding me." "That'll be Dr. Cross." " Good morning, Doctor." " Good Morning." " I appreciate your promptness." " Not at all." "Sooner you get to a case of shock the better." " This is Lt. Stewart" " Dr. Cross." " How do you do, Lieutenant?" "Thanks for coming, Doctor." "My wife is in the bedroom." "She doesn't know me." "She doesn't seem to know anything." " Were you here when it happened?" " I just got in a few minutes ago." "I opened the door." "She was sitting on the divan." "Her eyes were wide open." "She was staring at" "At nothing." "Did you notice anything peculiar about her actions when you saw her last?" " I've been a prisoner of war for two years." "I've just come home." " Oh." "I see." "She's had a rugged time of it, all right." "First thinking I was dead, then hearing from me." "On top of all that, my plane was 12 hours late." "Would you say that she was a nervous, imaginative girl?" "No, sir." "I've known her all my life." "We came from the same small town in Michigan." "Went to school together." "She-Well, she's just a nice kid." " What's wrong with her, Doctor?" " She's had a nervous collapse-went into shock." " Where did you find her?" " In the living room." "In the living room?" "You said she was sitting on the divan." " Yes." "Right here." " I see." "What do you think could have caused it, Doctor?" "Well, that's difficult to say." "You have no idea how long she might have been sitting there?" "No." "Oh, the clerk did say... she phoned down about one in the morning." " Between one and 8:30." " What difference does that make, Doctor?" "The important thing is, what can you do for her?" "It's hard for a doctor to make promises." "We can only do our best." "Are you living permanently at the hotel?" "No." "We've got to clear out by noon." "Oh, I see." "Then I had better take her to my place." "She's going to need someone with her night and day." "Dr. Cross has a private sanatorium just out of town." " I see." " Believe me, Lieutenant." "It's best for her." "There must be a hospital here in San Francisco." "I'd like to be near her." "Of course." "But I'm at my place every day." "It's in the country, and she'll get plenty of fresh air and quiet." "If I were you, Lieutenant, I'd listen to Dr. Cross." "Okay." "You men know best." "Just get her well again." "I was getting ready to leave when you called." "I'll take Mrs. Stewart up with me now." "Hello, this is Dr. Cross." "Will you get my office please?" " I'm going with her, Doctor." " I'd rather you waited..." "Lieutenant, until I've been able to give her a thorough examination." "It's quite possible your presence may excite her and do her more harm than good." "It's just that I" " It's been so long since I've seen her." "Why don't you drive up with me tomorrow?" "Miss Jordan?" "Will you call the hospital and tell Miss Hatfield... to have a room ready for a new patient." "We'll be there shortly." "Yes." "That's right." "You pick us up at the hotel." "Right." "You'd better pack a bag for your wife, Lieutenant." "Thanks, Doctor." "I'm from Dr. Cross's office." "We were to pick up a patient." " Oh, yes." "They're on their way down now." " Thank you." " Your car is waiting, Doctor." " Thank you." " This is Miss Jordan from my office." "Lt. Stewart." " How do you do, Lieutenant?" "Mrs. Stewart has had a nervous collapse." "What a shame." "Don't you worry, Lieutenant." "We'll soon have her well again." " You'll call for me in the morning, right?" " Yes." "I'll pick you up at 11:30." "Put her to bed and have Dr. Stevens give her an injection of scopolamine." "Yes, Doctor." " Miss Hatfield?" " Good morning, Doctor." "Your patient is coming in at the ambulance entrance." "You have a room ready?" " Yes I have, sir." " Thank you." " Good morning, sir." " Good morning, Doctor." " How is she?" " Quite relaxed, sir." " What's her trouble?" " Amnesia shock." " She's had her injection?" " Yes, Doctor." " She's ready to talk now." " Thank you." " That'll be all." " Sir." "I'm Dr. Cross, Mrs. Stewart." "I am your friend." "I'm here to help you." "I want you to think." "You're going to remember things now." "You went to meet your husband at the Belmont Arms." "Do you remember that?" "You were worried about Paul." "He didn't arrive on time." "You were too nervous to sleep." "Did you walk out on the balcony?" "I" " Yes." "I walked out on the balcony." "See?" "You can remember." "Now what did you see from the balcony?" "They" "They were quarreling." "You heard them distinctly?" " I" " Did you hear them distinctly?" "He's trying to... stop her." "He's going to... hit her." "He's hitting her head." "He's killing her." "Who?" "Who's hurting the woman?" "That man." "He's her husband." "He's killing her." " Well?" " She knows, Elaine." "She remembers." "Her room was opposite my apartment." "She walked out on the balcony, and she heard everything." "Yes?" "Can you come?" "They're having trouble with Mr. Edwards." "Yes." "Darling, I didn't think you'd ever get here." "I love you." "You've got a headache." "I can tell from your eyes." "Yes." "It's bursting." " You did it?" " Yes." "Yes." "I did it." "It was horrible, Elaine." "I had the porter take the trunk down." "I told the hotel manager I was joining my... wife in Carmel for a few days" "To ship the trunk to my lodge." "No one knew she was in town last night?" "No." "She came up the back way." "She wanted to surprise us." "Remember?" "You're not sorry." "Are you?" "I wish I had called the police." "I lost my head." "I didn't mean to kill her." "There was no premeditation." "But now I've concealed her body." "I've shipped the trunk to my lodge." "And you know as well as I do there's only one answer for that." " I shouldn't have listened to you, Elaine." " Think, Darling." "What would've happened if you'd called the police?" "Manslaughter means 20 years." " What would that have done to you- to us?" " I don't know." "Would you have wanted it that way?" "Now no one knows." "We're safe." "You're forgetting Janet Stewart, aren't you?" "She knows." "What if she talks?" "I haven't forgotten her." "She can't tell as long as she's in this condition, can she?" "Shock will wear off in a couple of weeks at the most." "It'll wear off if you let it, Dick." " Elaine, I'm a doctor." " She'll talk only if you let her." "You mean too much to me." "It's the only way out, Dick." "It's the one and only way out for us." "If I don't know, Elaine, I've got to think." " Good morning, Mrs. Penny." " Good morning, Doctor." " You're looking very well today." " Thank you, Doctor." " Good morning, Doctor." " Good morning." "This is Lt. Stewart." " Miss Hatfield's our head nurse." " How do you do, Lieutenant?" " Is Miss Jordan with Mrs. Stewart?" " Yes she is, Doctor." "Good morning, Lieutenant." "Janet." "Darling, it's me." "It's Paul." "I'm home, dear." " She's worse." " Not really." "She was restless, and we gave her a sedative." "You've got to be patient, Lieutenant." "It's going to take time." "And you must try to stop thinking of your wife as she was." "You see, when you were reported killed... she had a terrible time adjusting herself, but she did." "Then when the news came that you were alive and on your way home... it was hard for her subconscious to accept that... because the first adjustment had been so difficult." "Then, of course, when your plane was late... she thought she'd been tricked- that you'd never sent that wire." "Don't try and let me off easily, Doctor." "Give it to me straight." "Tell me." "Can you help her?" "That's a very difficult question to answer." "Sit down, Lieutenant." "The mind is a delicate, fragile thing." "It's almost as intangible as, as faith." "And that's what you're going to need- a lot of faith in yourself, and in your wife, and in me." "Please don't think I haven't faith in you, Doctor, because I have." "But yesterday, after you left with Janet, I- I needed someone to talk to." " Of course." " So I went to the army hospital... and I talked with some of the doctors." "I told them Janet was in your care." "They said I couldn't find a better man." "But, well, you know how it is." "I" " I figure that maybe two minds might be better than one." "And I asked if another opinion mightn't help." "Well, that's perfectly understandable." "If you want a consultant, by all means bring one in." "Thanks." "They recommended Dr. Franklin Harvey." "Harvey?" "Well" " I studied under him." "He's probably the best man in his field." "Well, that's swell, Doctor." "I was a little embarrassed." "I didn't want you to think" "Not at all." "I'll phone Dr. Harvey and have him out here." "Good." "Well, I might as well go back to town." "If it's all right, I'll run out again tomorrow." "For Mrs. Stewart's sake, I'm going to ask you to observe... our regular visiting days- Sundays and Thursdays." "I'll phone Dr. Harvey and try to have him out here Thursday." "You can talk with him then." "Okay." "We'll make it Thursday." "Oh, I thought you'd like to know, Lieutenant, she's resting quite easily now." "Thanks." "Good-bye, Doctor." " Miss Jordan." " Bye." "Mrs. Stewart?" "Mrs. Stewart." "You're going out on that balcony again, Mrs. Stewart." "You're looking into the other apartment." "You're listening to the argument." "Do you remember what happened to the woman?" "He's hitting her." "He's hitting her with the candlestick." " Now he's hitting you." " No!" "Hitting you with the candlestick" "Hitting your head again and again." "My head" " It's hurting my head." "The candlestick is killing you." "Soon you won't be able to remember anything." "You can't hear the sound now." "You can't hear anything." "You can't hear." "You can't remember." "You can't remember." "You can't remember." "Edwards's condition... is deteriorating rapidly." "If this continues, we will have to take steps... to put him in a more suitable institution." "She's exhausted." "You haven't got far to go." "Elaine, do you think you could manage it here alone for the weekend?" "Certainly." "Why?" "The trunk should be there tomorrow." "I've been wondering." "There are no servants at the lodge." "What'll happen when there's no one there to receive it?" "Nothing." "They'll just leave it on the back porch." " When are you leaving?" " Tomorrow." "Dr. Harvey's due here this afternoon." "Harvey?" "Coming here?" "For what?" "Stewart requested a consultation." "You're not going to let him examine her?" "How would it have looked if I'd said "no?"" " He might discover something." " He has no reason to be suspicious." " You can't risk it." "I won't let you." " I know what I'm doing, Elaine." "Darling, you're not thinking clearly." "I've never seen things so clearly before in my whole life." " You'll send me a report on her spinal test?" " Yes, Doctor Harvey." " And the other specimens." " Yes." "You know, Richard, I'm not sure I completely agree... this was all brought on by her husband's late arrival." "That was a contributing circumstance." "I feel there may have been something else." "Well, that's always possible." "Of course, sir." "But I've found no evidence of it." "Just speculation." " Will you have a cigar, sir?" " Yes." "Thank you." "Let's continue the present treatment and see how she comes along." " Yes, sir." " I notice, Richard, you've been giving her sedatives." "Yes, I have." "She's been pretty difficult at times." "I'd go easy on them." "If she's under sedation... there's no way of knowing when she comes back to normal." "No." "I had planned to take her off them within the next 24 hours." "Fine." "By the way, how's Margaret?" " I'm joining her at the lodge." " Give her my regards when you see her." " I will." "Thank you, sir." " Well, I better talk with the young man." "Sometimes I wonder which are more difficult: patients or their families." " Hiya, beautiful." " Hi." "Yeah, what a night." "You don't happen to know a blonde... who'd like to relax with me, do ya?" " That's what I thought you'd say." " Coffee?" "Please." "And poor Edwards- These storms don't do him any good." "He kept ducking into his closet and slamming the door." "I finally had to lock it." " How's your patient?" " All right, I guess." "I was talking with her husband." "It's kinda tough... coming home and finding your wife in that condition." "Yes." "I can't figure Dr. Cross's treatment." "Why keep the poor guy from seeing his wife?" "Think it would help snap her out of it if she saw more of him." "Dr. Cross doesn't want to get her excited." "After all, the attack was brought on by worry over him." "Yeah." "That was close." "It is time to turn in." "You better tuck your patient in and get a good night's sleep." " Guess I should be up there now." " Is it true doctors get a night off once in a while?" "If you had a night off, you wouldn't know what to do with it." "Wouldn't I?" "Wouldn't I?" " Good night, Doctor." " Good night." " Well, another stormy weekend." " It isn't my night off." "Well, anyway, the rain will help Jane on her day off." "Who's there?" "Why, Mr. Edwards, you shouldn't be in here." " Come." "I'll take you back" " Don't." "I-I" "Hurry!" "Edwards!" "Don't be afraid." "We won't let the storm hurt you." "You're coming back to your room, aren't you, Mr. Edwards?" "Aren't you, Mr. Edwards?" "That's fine." "Come along." " Take care of him, Frank." " Yes, Doctor." "Come along, sir." " Are you all right, Elaine?" " Yes." "There, there, Mrs. Stewart, It's all over." "He killed her!" "He hit her on the head, and he killed her!" "Her husband killed her!" "Edwards became very violent last night." "This morning, we found that he had a key hidden away." "I ordered the lock on his door to be changed." "As for Mrs. Stewart, she's suffering from hallucinations." "She keeps insisting that she witnessed a murder... which, obviously" "Come in." " Oh." "Hello, Lieutenant." " They told me I'd find you here." " I hope I'm not interrupting." " Not at all." " It's kinda rough, isn't it?" " Yeah." "She's out of her head." "She's got a crazy idea she saw a murder." " What am I going to do?" " Ah, you're gonna sit tight." "She's in good hands." "So they keep telling me, but" "Oh, she's getting worse." "I'm thinking of taking her back to San Francisco to a hospital there." "I, uh" " I wouldn't do that, if I were you, Lieutenant." "Dr. Cross is tops." "You know that." "You brought Harvey in to consult." "You can't do any better than that." "But I can't just sit around and watch her get worse." "I've got to do something." "I wouldn't try to kid you for the world." "So far, we've tried... to snap her out of it with quiet and rest and simple foods." "There are a dozen other things we can do" " Electric therapy, insulin shock." " Insulin shock?" "They use that in the Army on guys who... blow their tops." "Because it often helps, but you're not gonna turn it down, are you?" " No." " Well, relax." "The setup here is perfect." " Everybody's rooting for you." "Now just take it easy." " You mean that?" "Okay." "Say, put in a couple of extra licks, Doc." "I'd like to take her home soon." "Okay, Lieutenant." "We'll do everything we possibly can." " Well, good-bye, Doctor." " Good-bye." "Oh, I beg your pardon." " Look at this." "Mrs. Cross is dead." " What?" ""The body of Mrs. Margaret Cross, wife of the psychiatrist..." ""has just been recovered from its resting place..." ""among the rocks at Point Lobos." ""Mrs. Cross has been missing since Friday night." "Coroner Jess Haines has pronounced the death accidental. "" " Good morning, Doctor." "You have our deepest sympathy." " Thank you." " I'm terribly sorry, Doctor." " Thank you." " Will you come in, Miss Jordan?" " Yes, sir." "You're the perfect picture of a heartbroken husband." "Am I?" " I've missed you." " Driving back, there was time to think." "I got to thinking about you." "I asked myself, "Is she worth what I've done?"" "Well?" "That was a very satisfactory answer." "How did things go while I was away?" " Things are going so well, I hardly believe it." " What do you mean?" "Mr. Edwards got out during the storm." " He went into her room." " What?" "He went after me." "I struggled with him." "She woke up and confused Mr. Edwards with you." "She was thrown back into that night at the hotel." " Oh, Elaine that undoes everything I've tried to do." " No!" "Stevens and Miss Hatfield heard her." "They're convinced she's insane." "Now no matter what she says, they'll think she has hallucinations." " I see" " But you don't see, darling." "Before you were trying to make her forget." "Now she can talk her head off and no one will believe her." "If we can encourage her to talk, convince her husband she's insane... we can keep her here as long as it suits us- then have her committed." "Darling." "Janet, darling." "It's me." "Wake up." "I'm here, dear." "Paul" "I've waited all night for you, darling." " What took you so long?" " Don't worry." "I'm with you now." "We have to be out by morning, Paul." "They won't let us stay." "Lt. Stewart." " You shouldn't be in here." " Paul!" " It's him!" "Him!" " Who is it, dear?" "He killed her!" "He killed his wife!" "He picked something up, Paul, and he hit her with it." "He was arguing with her and he killed her!" "I know." "I know, dear." "You've upset her." "You shouldn't have come in here." "Come outside." "Give her a hypodermic, Nurse." " Don't leave me here!" "He'll kill me!" "Come back!" " Lie down." "What is it, Doctor?" "What's happened to her?" "I'm going to be frank with you." "What you've just heard is something I've been afraid of." "There are times when patients emerging from amnesia... suffer from delusions." "It doesn't happen often." "I'd hoped it wouldn't happen in her case..." " but you heard her yourself." " But why?" "Well, that's hard to explain... but if you come with me, I think I might be able to clarify it for you." "Hello, Mrs. Penny." " Good day, Doctor." " How are you feeling today?" "Just fine, Doctor." "Just fine." "That's a lovely thing you're knitting there." "It's a shawl for one of my friends." " Everyone here treating you well?" " Oh, yes." "They're very nice." "Dr. Stevens hasn't tried to kill me with that needle for a long while now" "Neither has Miss Hatfield." "Haven't I told you many times that no one here is trying to kill you?" "Oh, yes, they are." "You all want to kill me." "You're murderers, all of you." "But I've learned." "I'm too smart for you." "What you've just heard, for the second time... is the typical attitude of many of our patients towards the hospital staff." "But that old lady, she seemed all right." "Mrs. Penny is suffering from a paranoid form of dementia praecox... characterized either by delusions of grandeur or persecution or both." "The patient, when confined to the hospital... almost invariably becomes convinced... that the doctors and nurses who are treating him... are really murderers intent on killing him." "This delusion is quite common among mental cases... in an institution of this sort." "Are you trying to tell me my wife is out of her mind?" "No. "Out of the mind" denotes complete loss of reason." "Mrs. Stewart hasn't reached that stage." "But she's got the same crazy idea as the other patients." "Right now, she's merely suffering delusions." "However, I" "I feel it's only fair to tell you, Lieutenant... that this condition can become worse." "Our fight now is to prevent further deterioration of her mind." "You've got to help her." "You've got to get her well again." "I'll do everything I can." "Believe me." "Come now, Mrs. Stewart." "You shouldn't be out of bed." "Will you help me, please?" "Please!" "Please, help me." " Get the police here, please!" " We don't need the police." " Come along and everything will be all right." " Oh!" "You don't understand." "There's nothing the matter with me." "I want the police." "That doctor's a murderer." "You go back to bed and we'll call the police." "Don't talk as if I were crazy!" "I'm telling the truth!" "Orderly!" "Now, come along, Mrs. Stewart." "No one is going to hurt you." " Everything is gonna be all right." "Orderly!" " No, no." "Let me go!" "No!" "I'm not crazy." "I wish you could've been there to see her yourself." "Yes, I heard about it this morning." "She had the usual delusions." "She kept insisting that you were a murderer." "You know how they get." "She wanted me to call the police." "For a moment, she became violent and I had to give her a sedative." " I think we ought to do something about her." " I agree with you, Doctor." " I'll be in to see her in a few minutes." " Thank you, sir." "Thank you." "There." "You see?" " Everything worked out just as we planned." " Yes." "Well, smile, darling." "It's fallen right in our lap." "You don't seem particularly pleased." "I am." "Of course I am, Elaine." "Well, what are you going to do?" "I'm going to try to find something that will convince her that she's insane." "You'd better get back to her now, darling." " I'll be over in a few minutes." " Right." " You feeling any better today?" " I'm all right." "There's nothing the matter with me." "Miss Jordan tells me you're still talking about some woman I'm supposed to have killed." "I've asked you to stop thinking about such things, Mrs. Stewart." "But... it was your own wife." "If I can prove to you that you couldn't have seen me kill my wife... would you believe that this is a delusion you've been suffering from?" "You were arguing with her..." "about a divorce." "If you will look at the date on this newspaper, Mrs. Stewart... you will see that my wife died only a week ago." "You've been a patient here for over three weeks now." "Three weeks?" "That's right." "So, you see, this has all been a very vivid dream." "You must fight these dreams, Mrs. Stewart, or they're going to become worse... and we don't want that to happen." " My mind is all right." " It's not all right, Mrs. Stewart." "You're mind is sick and it's getting worse." " My mind is all right." " You wouldn't want your husband to see you in that condition." "Would you?" "He doesn't want to see you when you are like this." " You're losing your mind, Mrs. Stewart." " No, no." " Losing your mind." " Oh, no." "Thank you, Miss Hatfield." " Dr. Cross, there's someone in your office to see you." " Yes?" " Did I have an appointment?" " No, sir." "He's from the District Attorney's Office of Monterey." "Oh, yes." "Thank you." " Dr. Cross?" " Yes." "How are you?" "My name's O'Neill." "I'm with the district attorney's office in Monterey County." "Oh, yes." "What can I do for you?" "It's in connection with your wife's death, Doctor." "I thought the case had been closed." "Something happened this week that made us consider the possibility... that your wife didn't fall into that chasm by accident." " I don't understand." " A couple of days ago, someone broke into Harwood Lodge... beat Mrs. Harwood into unconsciousness and made off with her valuables." "We caught the thief day before yesterday." "But what has that to do with Mrs. Cross's death?" "It may not have anything to do with it." "It occurred to us that since the lodge was so close to your place... the man who clubbed Mrs. Harwood may have paid a visit to your wife." "You've lived around Point Lobos for nearly 10 years." "Mrs. Cross spent much of her time there." "She must've known those cliffs pretty well, even at night." "Yes." "I'd hate to think that she" "I'm not saying it was murder, Doctor." "I'm just checking." "Of course." "I'll do everything I can to help you." "I knew you'd feel that way about it." "Have you checked your place to see if anything was missing?" "I'm sure there isn't, or I'd have noticed it." "If it's all right with you, Doctor, we'd like to have Mrs. Cross's body exhumed." " But the coroner said" " It was only a routine examination." "Well, I don't know as that's necessary, Mr. O'Neill." " You've got your man." " All we've got is a drunken old tramp... who clubbed Mrs. Harwood and stole a little money and jewelry." "We can't know about Mrs. Cross unless the body's exhumed." "But it seems almost sacrilegious." "Hasn't she been through enough?" "Haven't I?" "I'd hoped you'd be more understanding, Doctor." "Naturally, we'd get a court order, but it'd be much simpler if you" "If this tramp killed your wife, you want to see him punished, don't you?" " Of course." " Then you can't conscientiously object to the exhumation." "No." "No, Mr. O'Neill, I can't." "If the man is guilty, he must be punished, of course." "Thank you, Doctor." "You'll hear from me, one way or the other, in the next few days." "Thank you for your cooperation." "Darling, I've been so worried." "I didn't know what had happened to you." " Where have you been?" " The city." "When you weren't here for dinner, I began to worry." "What did the man from the district attorney's office want?" " They're going to exhume Margaret's body." " You're not going to let them?" "I had nothing to say about it." "They'd get a court order." " But why are they" " They think some prowler may have killed her." " Prowler?" " They weren't looking for anything before." "She slipped and fell and fractured her skull against the rocks." "Now they may discover it wasn't the fall that killed her." " They can't prove anything." " No?" "Once they start asking questions, I" "That's why I went to the city." "I had to make sure I hadn't overlooked anything in the apartment." "Why didn't I report it in the first place?" "Why did I let you talk me into" "If it weren't for that Stewart girl" " If they start asking questions and find her" " Maybe they won't find her." "We've taken care of everything else." "If we have to, we'll take care of her too." "And you're not helping matters acting this way!" "If a man wanted to, if he had courage... he could get rid of her and no one would ever know." "A doctor has an advantage." "I could give her insulin shock treatment." "Shock treatment's indicated in a case like hers." "I could give her four injections" "Then with the last one, an overdose." "No one would ever know the difference." "Then we'd be safe." "No matter what the district attorney's office found... we'd be safe- they'd have nothing on us." "We could get married then." "You'd be yourself again, Richard." "We'd find peace and quiet here, just the two of us." " You don't think I'd do it, do you?" " Why not?" " Is her life more important than ours?" " I've had enough." "Look, Elaine, I can't go on like this." "Things keep piling up." "First, it was Margaret, and then tricking that child so she'd forget." "Then convincing her that she was insane." "There's a limit beyond even which I can't go." "Richard... remember the first night I came here?" "Remember?" "You were alone." "You were sitting here in front of the fireplace with a sick headache." "The lights were out." "You didn't hear me when I knocked." "I opened the door and you said, "Oh, it's you, Miss Jordan."" "You called me "Miss Jordan" then, remember?" "I told you I had to see you about Mrs. Penny's prescription." "You talked to me and you saw that I was tired... and you asked me if I wouldn't have a drink." "I hesitated and you said..." ""I won't bite your head off, Miss Jordan."" "We had a drink." "Remember?" "We sat here for a long time and then... suddenly you laughed and you said your headache was gone." "And you asked me about my family... and I told you... and we both laughed." "Remember?" "Then you took me in your arms." "I know you remember that." "I won't do it, Elaine." "I won't do it!" "Just a minute." "I'm coming." " Hello, Doctor." " Come in." " I hope you hadn't gone to bed." " No." "They told me at the hospital I'd find you here." "I didn't expect to see you so soon, Mr. O'Neill." "I-I thought you'd phone me if there were any developments." " I had to serve the papers." " Oh, yes?" "Coroner's Inquest Subpoena." "Now it's legal." "What did the coroner find?" "Your wife was murdered, Doctor." "Oh?" " Are you sure?" " Yes, sir." "Sit down, Mr. O'Neill." "She was beaten over the head" "Suffered an explosive fracture." "Death was practically instantaneous." "This prowler you told me about, you think he did it?" "It seems so." "He clubbed Mrs. Harwood." "Your wife went out the same way-A pattern." "Killers usually follow a pattern." "You don't know how she was killed- I mean, the weapon?" "She was struck with a candlestick." "A candlestick?" "Are you sure?" " A heavy silver one." " How can you know?" "Microscope." "There were particles of silver in the wound." "They told us it was a silver object." "There were bits of wax mixed in with the silver." "They told us it was a candlestick." "It must've been a heavy candlestick to have done the damage." "Just routine, Doctor." "A criminal doesn't have much of a chance these days, does he?" "No, sir." "By the way, do you have... any silver candlesticks at the lodge?" " We might have." " I'd like your permission to go through the house." "The murderer may have left the candlestick behind." "We'll get fingerprints." "If he got rid of the weapon, we may be able to find the mate." " Then we'll know what to look for." " Of course." "Go right ahead." "Thanks." "Now, if we can find the candlestick, our troubles are over." "By the way, when did you see Mrs. Cross last?" " Alive, I mean." " Oh, a couple of weeks before she was killed." " Why?" " Can you place it a little more definitely?" "I think so." "Things had been piling up around here... and I needed a change... so I drove down to Point Lobos on a Friday night." " Anyone see you?" " I don't think so." "Why?" "We're trying to fix the exact time of her death." "Well, I'm not sure anyone saw me." "I drove down there on Friday night... left there around 9:30 Saturday night." "Well, it's not too important." "Naturally, I want to do everything I can to help you." " If I think of anything, I'll get in touch with you." " Thanks." " Sorry to bother you so late." " That's all right." "See you at the inquest." " Good night, Doctor." " Good night." "Wilt thou love her, comfort her... honor and keep her in sickness and in health... and forsaking all others, keep only unto her... so long as ye both shall live?" "I will." "What's the matter, Richard?" "You haven't been yourself lately." "Something on your mind?" "Darling, what's happening with us?" "Richard, I must speak to you." "People are talking about you and that nurse, Miss Jordan." "How do you like my hair, Richard?" "Of course, I had it dyed." "Everyone says it makes me look years younger." "I could give her four injections." "Then, with the last one, an overdose." "Then we'd be safe." "No matter what the district attorney's office found, we'd be safe." "Get me Lt. Stewart, please." "The treatment itself consists of a series of shocks... brought on by injections of insulin." "The dosage and the degree of shock is gradually increased... until we've reached what we feel is the limit the patient's system can stand." "Well, if you do give Janet this insulin, how certain can you be it'll help her?" "I'm neither a miracle man nor a prophet, Lieutenant." "If medicine were an exact science, and not an art..." "I might be able to tell you." "But you think there's a chance?" "Yes, I do." "I-I have seen it work in the Army." " All right, Doctor." "Go ahead and try it." " Fine." "We'll begin the treatment tomorrow morning." "We'll give her about an hour and a half." "Now watch her." " Oh!" "Oh!" " Dextrose." "We'll bring her out now." "No." " Is Dr. Harvey in?" " Yes." "He's in." "Do you have an appointment?" "I'll be glad to consult with you, Doctor." "I'm sorry to break in this way" " My secretary will make the appointment." " I had to see you." "It's about my wife." "She's been getting insulin shock treatments" "Now, just a moment, young man." "Oh." "It's Lt. Stewart." "Well, we've had some wonderful results with insulin." "But after three treatments she still insists... she saw Dr. Cross murder his wife with a candlestick." " Murder his wife?" " Yes, and she says he's trying to kill her." "Well, that's a very common delusion." "Mrs. Cross is dead and Dr. Cross did live in our hotel." "You and the Crosses were in the same hotel?" " The Belmont Arms." " I see." " And when was it she said that?" "Yesterday?" " Yes, after the treatment." "Hmm." "You realize, it's hard to make generalizations... but, as a rule, the patient is completely normal... immediately after insulin shock." "They may relapse into their hallucination after this lucid period... but for that moment, no matter how bad the case... the patient speaks the truth." "You're telling me, in your own way, that... that Janet's normal" "That she's got something on Cross, and he's pretending she's crazy..." " to save his own neck." " I'm not saying quite that, but" "Will you read this, Doctor?" "Get Dr. Cross at his sanatorium, please." "It seems inconceivable." " Hello, Dr. Cross." " I'm sorry, Dr. Harvey." "Dr. Cross is with Mrs. Stewart." "No, sir." "This is Dr. Stevens' day off." "I see." "Thank you." "Well, Lieutenant, I think a trip is in order." "She's the only one who knows, Richard." "No matter what O'Neill says or anyone else." "If she's out of the way, we've nothing to worry about." "They can hint and guess all they want, but without her, they have nothing." "Oh!" "Oh!" "I can't do it, Elaine." "Dextrose." "I've got to bring her out of it." " No." "No, you can't." "Dick, you can't." " Oh!" "Dextrose, Elaine." "I've got to save her." "I've got to." " You can't." "We've got to go through with it." " I can't go through with it." " It's her life or ours!" "No one will ever know." " Get off me, Elaine" " Richard, listen to me." " Let go of me." " Richard, I love you." " Let go." "Richard!" "Richard!" " Dr. Cross, where is he?" " With Mrs. Stewart." "Come along." "I may need you." "Adrenaline, quickly." "Don't worry, son." "She'll come out of it in a couple of hours... and you'll be able to take her home in two or three days." "I'm very grateful to you, Doctor." " Paul." " Oh, Janet, darling." "September 13." "In the case of Janet Stewart..." "I gave her insulin shock again today... for the fourth time." "Can you give me a minute?" "Thank you." "Dr. Harvey completed the treatments successfully... and the case is closed."