"Hello, operator?" "Operator?" "Operator, the lights in my room." "What?" "The lightning?" "Well, do you suppose you could send up some sort of light?" "I'm leaving for Cuba tonight and I still have packing to do." "Well, thank you." "The entire hotel's in darkness." "They're sending up some candles." "The lights are out all over the city." "New York has had many storms, but never has the whole place gone dark." "It's very strange." "Exciting, isn't it?" "Oh, that must be the boy." "Oh." "I hope these will help, Ms. Carter." "They will." "Thanks." "We expect to have the lights on soon." "Oh, that'll be fine." "Hold it, sister." "Just like Christmas, ain't it?" "More like the Fourth of July." "Yeah." "Nice night for a murder." "How did you know?" "I didn't." "I didn't!" "I just said it would be a nice night for one." "One flash of lightning and we're practically back in the Middle Ages." "You'll have to get used to candles, Ms. Carter." "There's no electricity on Black Island." "The castle today is exactly as your great-great-grandfather built it." "You mean, the ghosts have to find their way around in the dark?" "How depressing." "Oh, so you know the stories about Castillo Maldito?" "Mother told me about it." "She also told me about Santa Claus, Snow White and the seven dwarfs." "Unfortunately, the legends about the castle are not bedtime stories." "Oh, Mr. Havez, I believe you're trying to discourage me." "Well, I suppose as a member of the Cuban consulate," "I should paint the castle as a palm-fringed paradise." "But, privately, Ms. Carter, I advise you to stay away from Black Island." "Oh, come now." "You don't believe in ghosts." "We must admit there is a dividing line somewhere between superstition and the supernatural." "All I know is that during the last 20 years, no human being who has tried to spend a night in Castillo Maldito ever lived to see a sunrise." "I bet I will." "Very well." "I shall cable that you are coming." "Who's there?" "It's Kelly." "Raspy Kelly." "Speak up." "I can't hear you in the dark." "Come on, push that button." "I don't wanna be here all night." "I'm in a hurry." "But Mr. Lawrence ain't got time to talk to nobody tonight." "Alex!" "Just a minute." "I is coming, boss." "Oh." "Thunder and lightning going..." "What a night, and ain't nobody don't want me." "Mr. Lawrence's domicile." "Who's calling?" "Broadcasting station?" "Just a minute." "He's getting dressed." "No, no, not you." "Wait a minute." "Ouch!" "Will you quit buzzing there?" "Do you by any chance know where I put my pants?" "How lovely!" "Alex." "Alex." "I is coming." "Look, give me the candle and you fall over the furniture for a while." "Yes, sir." "Basil Rathbone must be giving a party." "Yes, sir." "Kind of rough, isn't it?" "You know, Alex, every time we have a storm like this, something happens to me." "You remember that Greek girl in Los Angeles?" "I sure do." "Mmm, I don't like it." "I don't like it either." "Who was that on the phone?" "Radio station, boss." "They said don't pay any attention to the storm 'cause they's gonna use some kind of auxiliary power." ""Aux," what?" "They mean you'll go on the air at the regular time." "Well, did they get a positive okay from heaven?" "I don't know." "If that's Raspy Kelly, I owe him some money." "Well, from the tone of his inflections, you better pay him." "And that dame in Cincinnati." "Boy, what a storm that was." "Hiya, Larry." "Hiya, Raspy." "Say, get my hat and coat, will ya, Alex?" "Yes, sir." "Say, here's that 50 for that Frenchy Duval story." "Thanks." "When you gonna spill it over the air?" "In just about 30 minutes." "Yeah?" "How can they broadcast on a night like this?" "They'd manage to stay on the air if the world was coming to an end." "They would, eh?" "You don't mind, do you?" "No." "Thanks." "I got another one for you." "Even better." "It's about Machine Gun Marky." "Oh, really?" "Is it hot up to the minute?" "Is it hot?" "Wait'll you hear it." "He's driving his car, see?" "Another car comes along, runs him into a ditch." "Marky gets all smashed up." "When did it happen?" "Well, I can't tell you exactly, but it'll probably be tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" "Yeah." "Well, so long." "Hey, Raspy, wait a minute." "Does your mob know you're giving me these stories?" "Oh, don't worry." "But anytime you get..." "Don't shout." "Anytime you get too gabby on the air, the boys just tune you out." "But they don't mind a little publicity." "They kind of like it." "I know." "I plug them or they'll plug me." "You get the idea." "Raspy, you don't mean..." "Now, listen." "Have you got a match or a blowtorch?" "Alex, where are you?" "Right next to you, boss." "Oh, you look like a black out in a blackout." "This keeps up, I'm gonna have to paint you white." "Oh, that's better." "Where's Raspy?" "I heard a door slam." "You did?" "Better get going, Mr. Larry." "Yeah." "You know, you sure do keep me worried." "Oh, don't be silly." "I'm in great shape, for the shape I'm in." "I know, but a lot of folks don't like you, boss." "I expect some of these mornings when I come to get you out of the bed," "I'll have to pull the sheet up instead of down." "Well, you can stop worrying for the next four weeks." "Finish packing my bags and pick me up right after the broadcast." "Yes, sir." "Tomorrow we'll be up in those trout streams." "Don't forget your muffler." "Ah, that's the life." "Those great open spaces, fresh mountain air." "Go to the window at 6:00 in the morning, open it, climb in and go to bed." "Ah, life, love and the pursuit of happiness." "Remember that redhead in Poughkeepsie?" "Well, don't be late." "Yes, sir." "Getting up 6:00 in the morning, climbing in and out of windows." "If only you had some relative to go with you." "Don't worry about me." "Poor working girl, honest but tough." "I can take care of myself." "That must be him now." "Come in, Mr. Parada." "I'm sorry to be late." "Oh, am I intruding?" "Not at all." "This is Mr. Havez of the Cuban consulate." "This is Mr. Parada." "How do you do?" "I presume you are here to witness the transfer of the estates to our charming friend?" "Yes, as a matter of routine." "Very well." "Here are all the rights and titles to the Castillo Maldito on Black Island, and to the island itself." "I am sure you will find them all in good order." "And here, my dear, is your transportation to Havana, if you still care to use it." "Well, outside of the ghosts, are there any new reasons why I shouldn't sail tonight?" "Now, maybe this is a good reason." "I just received this cablegram giving me the authority to offer you $50,000 for your castle." "$50,000!" "This doesn't make sense." "Why should anyone offer so much for a castle full of secondhand spooks?" "Who's making the offer, Mr. Parada?" "I'm sorry, I'm not at liberty to tell you that." "Excuse me." "Hello." "Yes." "You don't know me, Ms. Carter." "My name is Mederos." "Ramon Mederos." "I want to warn you against selling your castle to Parada." "What did you say?" "Well, I..." "I can't see you right now." "Where are you?" "I'm in the hotel." "When may I see you?" "In 20 minutes?" "I'll be there." "In the meantime, be cautious." "Everything's in regular order, I'd say." "Thank you." "And now if you will witness the transfer with your signature, Senor Havez." "Just a record for me to have in case anything should happen to Ms. Carter." "Thank you." "The Castillo Maldito is now your property." "Oh, what do you wish to do about that offer?" "Well, must I decide now, this minute?" "After all, anything over $4 calls for deep thought on my part." "Take your time, my dear, until sailing time." "Thank you." "I hope you'll change your mind." "I'll be in my room down the hall if you wish to reach me." "All right." "Well, good night." "And if you don't change your mind, bon voyage." "Thank you for everything." "It's been a pleasure." "Well!" "Is your decision to go to Black Island?" "More than ever." "Then let me wish you good luck." "Thank you, Mr. Havez, and you've been swell." "As you Americans say, watch yourself, and let me hear from you." "I'll send you a snapshot of the sunrise over Castillo Maldito." "Good night." "And now for another story from that sun-dodging prowler of the underworld." "That slaphappy habitué of Manhattan nightspots." "The man who sees all, hears all, knows all and tells all, Lawrence Lawrence." "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and good evening to my friends, too." ""Say, I've just finished breakfast" ""and I wanna tell you that Cronin Coffee" ""is the only coffee that lets you sleep" ""and keeps you awake at the same time." ""There's no chicory in it, no caffeine, no mocha, nothing." ""Ah, nothing can change the peculiar flavor of Cronin Coffee." ""So our advice is keep it in the can, uh, with confidence." ""Oh, and now I'm gonna tell you a story filled with sunshine and shadow," ""laughter and tears, corn and hokum." ""A true story of how a baby's innocent hands" ""have softened the heart of a racketeer." ""Say, you all have heard of Frenchy Duval, the number one big shot" ""of our busy, bustling underworld?"" "Hey, Frenchy, you're on." ""Well, sir, Frenchy was out in the tall grass" ""for his health a few weeks ago" ""when his landlady was called away from home," ""leaving Frenchy with the care of her four-month-old baby." ""She didn't come back until three days later, and by that time" ""Frenchy used everything in the house for didies down to his last sock." ""So now, Frenchy has a nice, new racket, baby laundries." ""You know the kind I mean, with the slogan," ""'We wash everything but the brat. '" ""Frenchy discovered that there were about 2,000 baby laundries in the state," ""all of them making money." ""So, without telling even his closest pals what he was doing," ""Frenchy moved in and three-cornered the market." ""And so, today, the hard-boiled king of the underworld" ""is really cleaning up in a big way." ""Frenchy is a modest fellow, so this will be news to the public, the police," ""and, oh, yes, the Federal Income Tax Bureau. "" "Get that guy on the phone." "We're gonna have a little talk." ""And now, ladies and gentlemen, you jive hounds of the java," ""I bid you good night and goodbye" ""as I leave tonight on my vacation." ""Yes, sir, for the next four weeks I'll be off the air," ""off the payroll, off my nut..."" "And off of Cronin Coffee." ""And so this is Larry Lawrence signing off," ""sounding the keynote of Cronin Coffee." ""Goodbye."" "You've just heard Lawrence Lawrence, the man who knows all the rackets and all the racketeers." "Phone call for you, Mr. Lawrence." "For me?" "How'd you like the program?" "Oh, you were wonderful, if you're any judge." "I'll think of something." "Hello." "Oh, hello, Frenchy." "How'd you like the ad?" "Okay, Larry, but you had the story a little wrong." "Yeah." "Come on over to the hotel." "Uh, you're not sore, are you?" "No, I'm not sore." "Why should I be?" "I'm just asking you to come over to the hotel so I can give it to you straight." "Yeah, well, sure, Frenchy." "I'll be right over." "Yeah." "Wants to give it to me straight." "Uh-oh." "Well, it's been nice knowing you." "Hey, Gerty, Frenchy Duval just phoned Lawrence..." "How long will you be, boss?" "You know our train leaves in an hour." "Yeah, well, we'll make it." "I just have to run in here a moment and see Frenchy Duval." "Frenchy Duval?" "Yeah." "Nothing to be afraid of." "He's an old friend of mine." "He wants to see me before I start on my vacation." "Did he hear your broadcast tonight?" "Well, certainly he did." "Just a minute, Mr. Larry." "Huh?" "I expect you better take this with you." "Yeah, I think..." "Oh, no thanks, Alex." "I don't imagine I'll need it." "Frenchy wouldn't dare." "Or would he?" "I mean, to a pal?" "Ah!" "Don't be silly." "Am I a man or mice?" "Here, give me that." "Park the car and come up to Room 1409." "And I'll expect to see you in five minutes." "I hope you get your expects." "Which way is 1409?" "End of the hall, turn to the left." "Yeah." "Don't go far away." "I wouldn't want to go down without you." "Hello." "Is that you?" "No!" "No, it's not me." "I'm sorry, I was expecting someone else to pass." "Oh, I'm glad." "Perfectly safe, public place like this." "Courage, Camille." "So you thought you'd get away with it." "What's going on?" "Do you mind if I come in?" "What is this?" "Don't talk and especially don't scream." "If there's going to be any hysterics around here, I'll have them." "Put it down, sister." "And stand still." "If this is another attempt to scare me into selling the island..." "Lady, I'm not buying an island, I'm headed for one." "Oh, pardon me." "Say, you're terrified, aren't you?" "Yeah, and a little sick, too." "I don't mind dying, but I hate the preliminaries." "Well, put down that gun." "The way you're shaking, you might shoot somebody." "Yeah, that's the trouble, I just did." "Oh!" "I feel the same way about it myself." "I think my blood is running the wrong way, if it's running." "Who'd you shoot?" "I have no idea." "Is it murder to kill a perfect stranger?" "Why'd you shoot him?" "He was shooting at me." "Isn't that self-defense?" "Lady, when you kill one of Frenchy Duval's men, it's suicide." "You wouldn't be Ramon Mederos, would you?" "No, my name is Lawrence." "Lawrence what?" "Lawrence." "Lawrence Lawrence." "Yeah, and my middle name is Lawrence, too." "My folks had no imagination." "May I?" "Lawrence?" "Not Cronin Coffee Lawrence?" "Yeah." "Good to the last flop." "Oh!" "Will you come to see me on visitors' day?" "What's the excitement, mister?" "Unknown man shot on the 14th floor." "He ain't unknown to me!" "What do you know about this?" "I'd just come in..." "I really know all about it." "But really, I do." "Just a minute, lady." "But, really, I do." "I was in my room..." "Quiet, everybody!" "Quiet, please." "You'll all have a chance to talk later." "Where were you when you heard the two shots?" "In my room, reading." "I heard a woman scream." "That was me." "When I opened the door, I found this poor fellow on the floor." "That's right." "I saw him open the door." "Gangway." "Hi, Lieutenant." "Is he dead?" "You tell me." "This lady says she saw a tall man wearing a scarf run down the hall." "I certainly did." "He went right down there." "Did you see him?" "No." "The guy's dead." "All right, folks, get back to your rooms, please, and stay there." "Well, you're not gonna leave him here!" "Please." "We'll take care of this, lady." "Jim, you stay here till the coroner comes and don't let anyone off the floor." "Yes, sir." "Are all the exits covered?" "Yes, sir." "All right, boys." "Go through every room." "Let's try this room, Sergeant." "Yes, sir." "Open up." "It's the police!" "They're searching the rooms." "Oh, don't give me away, please." "Someday you may have a little boy that will grow up and commit an innocent murder." "What can I do?" "Can I go out that way?" "No, that door leads into the hall." "Where can I go?" "The bathroom." "Yeah, the bath..." "Oh, not the bathroom." "My mother was once frightened by a plumber." "Oh, you're gonna make me miss my boat!" "Boat?" "What boat?" "Who is it?" "It's the police." "Quick, under the bed." "Oh, thanks." "I'll do the same thing for you sometime." "Open up!" "Just a moment." "I'm coming." "Sorry, miss." "We're making a checkup of every room, trying to locate a killer." "A killer?" "Do I look like the sort..." "Look, there's nothing personal about this." "I'd just like to look around your room." "Certainly." "Nobody in this room." "Is that the bedroom?" "Yes, but there's nobody in there." "There never is." "We'll have a look anyway." "Going somewhere?" "Yes, I'm taking a boat tonight." "Got your ticket?" "Yes." "Let me see it, please." "Here it is!" "Thanks." "Nothing in this closet." "Service hall, huh?" "Cuba, huh?" "Some folks are sure lucky." "Yes." "Nothing in the bathroom." "What happened?" "Did you lose something?" "No, I was just scratching." "Come in." "Excuse me, Ms. Carter." "Can I get your trunk?" "I..." "I'm busy at the moment." "I know, miss, but if I don't take it now, it might not make the boat." "Is it all right, Officer?" "Sure, go ahead." "Thank you." "Come on, Sergeant." "Will you lock it, please?" "Yeah, sure." "Sorry to have bothered you this way, but that's the routine." "It's quite all right." "I'm sure you'll find your man." "Well, he ain't gonna get off this floor unless he jumps." "You can come out now." "Where are you?" "Look, ma'am, where have you got my boss?" "Your boss?" "Who do you mean?" "I don't know what he told you, but his real name is Lawrence, three times." "Who are you?" "I'm Alex, the old family detainer." "He's hiding somewhere in here." "I might have known." "Mr. Lawrence." "Okay, Mr. Larry, you can come out now." "Certainly was nice of you, miss." "Mr. Lawrence?" "Hey, boss?" "Mr. Lawrence?" "My good dresses." "And I packed them so carefully..." "Good heavens!" "What's the matter, miss?" "The trunk." "Trunk?" "He's in my trunk." "He took these things out." "I'll phone the porter." "Oh." "Oh, please don't, miss." "He's gotta get out of here somehow 'cause they's got the hotel surrounded." "But we've got to get him out of that trunk." "Get it." "My initials are on it, M.C., Mary Carter." "Now, hurry." "Where's the trunk going, miss?" "To the pier." "I'm sailing for Cuba tonight." "Cuba?" "Hot Congo!" "Extra!" "Extra!" "Murder in downtown hotel!" "Read all about it!" "Extra!" "Murder in downtown hotel!" "Heads up!" "Get your morning edition!" "Paper!" "Paper!" "Sweet Judas!" "Mr. Larry?" "Mr. Larry?" "Calling Mr. Lawrence!" "Mr. Larry?" "M.C., M.C. I don't see no M.C." "Where are you?" "Are you there, Mr. Larry?" "Mr. Lawrence!" "Where are you?" "Mr. Larry?" "All these trunks and things." "I won't ever find any M.C." "Mr. Larry?" "Mr. Larry?" "Are you there?" "Are you there?" "Oh, Mr. Larry was" "I just love fooling around with baggage." "I used to be a porter." "Is that so?" "Yes." "I been around trunks for 20 years now." "Yes." "Mr. Larry?" "Where is you?" "Mr. Larry?" "Mr. Larry?" "Come in!" "How you feel, boss?" "I'll tell you when I'm unpacked." "We'll get you out as soon as Ms. Carter get here." "She better hurry or it'll be too late." "Keep your chin up, Mr. Larry." "I can't, my knees are in the way." "Don't shoot!" "Come on, do it again." "Do what?" "Talk to the trunk." "That's positively amazing." "Oh?" "Who's that?" "It's marvelous." "It's marvelous!" "I never saw your lips move one bit." "Come on, do it again." "Mister, I ain't always got the power." "All right, I can be stubborn, too." "I'm gonna stand right here until you do it again." "Get me out of here!" "That's terrific!" "It's positively terrific!" "Come here." "You know what I'm gonna do?" "I'm gonna take you back up to Tony's." "The gang up there'll love your act." "No, sir, I ain't going no place." "Oh, you gotta." "Look, you and I'll pass the hat." "You and I will make a fortune on this trunk." "This trunk's got to stay right here." "Oh!" "You're too good, eh?" "Well, if you're gonna act that way, do you know what I'm gonna do?" "I'm gonna kick this trunk right off the pier." "You might hurt somebody." "In fact, I think I'll kick it right in the ocean." "Are you gonna make this trunk talk or aren't you?" "I..." "Here come Ms. Carter now." "Is he all right?" "He can still talk." "Just get me out of here!" "I will as soon as I can, but I seem to have lost my keys." "Lost your keys!" "Maybe they're in the top drawer." "Will you look and see?" "I'm in the top drawer." "They're not here." "Gangway!" "Oh, you can't take my trunk yet." "I want to get something out." "Well, you'll have to do that in your stateroom." "Oh, but I want to get it out now!" "Lady, do ya want this trunk to go to Cuba or don't you?" "Certainly." "Well, all right." "Why, he can't sail with me." "He ain't sailing, lady." "He's flying." "Oh!" "Poor Mr. Larry." "Alex, I remember now." "The keys are in my overnight bag." "Yeah, but, lady, he's up there." "Oh!" "Oh, I beg your pardon!" "Pardon me." "Oh, it was my fault." "Oh!" "Now, isn't that always the way when you're in a hurry?" "Yes." "There you are." "Thank you." "Not at all." "I'm terribly sorry." "It was my fault." "Murder in downtown hotel!" "Big murder in big hotel!" "Read all about it!" "Get your paper before sailing!" "Extra!" "Murder in downtown hotel!" "Extra!" "Read all about it!" "Get your paper before sailing!" "Whoa, it's lucky he's in that trunk!" "Will you hurry with that trunk, please?" "Never dropped one in my life, lady." "Put it here, please." "Can I open it for you, ma'am?" "No, thanks, I'll do it." "Much obliged." "Hope you have a nice trip." "Thanks." "I'll have it open in a minute." "There." "What's new?" "Hold it." "There's someone at the door." "Good evening, Ms. Carter." "Mr. Parada." "I just wanted to make sure that you were quite comfortable here." "Oh, yes, everything's just fine, thank you." "All visitors ashore." "Isn't that the last all ashore warning?" "Perhaps it is." "All visitors ashore!" "Ms. Carter, I must ask you a question that may seem impertinent." "What is it?" "Someone telephoned you tonight while I was in your room." "Yes." "I'd like you to tell me who it was." "Ms. Carter?" "Yes, thank you." "Excuse me." "From an admirer?" "No." "Just a friend wishing me a safe trip." "Safe?" "Is there any doubt of that?" "And now, my dear young lady, this person who called you?" "Oh, it was a man I didn't know." "He said his name was Ramon Mederos." "Did he mention me when he was talking to you?" "I don't remember." "But it is important that you do remember." "Mr. Parada, you really must go now." "Thank you for all your trouble and..." "And for coming down to see me off." "To see you off?" "But, my dear, I am sailing with you." "What?" "There's nothing to keep me in New York now, so I've decided to go home." "My stateroom is right across the way." "The boat's pulling out!" "Of course." "Oh!" "Let's go up on deck and wave goodbye to..." "To anybody." "Yes, it may be some time before you see New York again." "Yes." "There are certainly a lot of people going to Cuba." "What's this?" "This would happen to me." "Oh, no." "Go away, we're all very ill." "You okay, boss?" "I'm fine." "Is there a chiropractor in the house?" "Don't you think you better sit down?" "I gotta learn to stand up first." "Give me your hand." "Yeah, that's better." "All we need is a grind organ and a tin cup." "Up." "Up." "Up." "Put me down." "Put me down!" "Put me..." "Ah, that's the way to die." "Listen, Mr. Larry, did you shoot that man in the hotel with my gun?" "Yes, I confess." "Just go away." "No, you didn't." "My gun's a.32, and that man was shot with a.38." ".32,.38." "That's six points in my favor." "Look." "I didn't kill him." "That's what I told you." "It was somebody else." "I'm pure again." "Let's go home." "Oh." "That's all right, Mr. Larry." "I brought your bags." "Oh, this certainly teaches me a lesson." "So help me, I'm through mixing with murders, my own or anybody else's." "I..." "Alex, that girl's in trouble." "She ain't in half as much trouble as you are." "Do you know where she went with that man that was in here?" "Now, Mr. Larry, you ain't jealous, are you?" "How would you like another murder tonight?" "Murder?" "That fella, Mederos, he telephoned Ms. Carter tonight." "Then somebody shot him." "So now you're gonna horn in, and get shot." "And get shot." "That's right." "Ms. Carter saved my life." "Maybe I can save hers." "Ain't you just a little bit scared?" "Scared?" "Me?" "I'm shaking so hard, the water on my knee just splashed." "There's a great deal of fog on Black Island." "You know, at times it completely shrouds the castle." "You can't discourage me." "I'm going to have fun in Cuba." "A daiquiri at the Florida, a rumba at the Nacional, and the beer-barrel polka at Sloppy Joe's." "There are certain things that travel folders do not mention." "Ghosts again?" "I was a skeptic too until I saw with my own eyes this malignant force at work in your castle." "A priest might call it a demon." "The natives call it voodoo." "Is there any particular reason why this "malignant force" should pick on my castle?" "Some say it's because this remote ancestor of yours who built it was Cuba's greatest slave trader." "So, it's perhaps the vengeance of all those lost souls who've been tortured, starved and murdered in the castle dungeon." "Pardon me, am I protruding?" "Lovely view, isn't it?" "Mr. Lawrence, I want you to meet Mr. Parada." "He's just been telling me about the castle I've inherited." "How do you do?" "Oh, I feel as though I know you, I've heard so much." "You've been in Havana before?" "No, my first trip." "Pleasure trip?" "Not exactly." "Are you interested in tobacco plantations?" "No." "Sugar industry?" "Look, I'll save you a lot of time." "I'm a ghost breaker." "A what?" "Well, you've heard of trust breakers and home breakers?" "I'm a ghost breaker." "I take family skeletons out of the closet and dust them off." "I explain mysteries that people don't want explained." "I make a nice living, too, chasing ghosts of the past, if you'll pardon the poetic reference." "It's very interesting." "Are you the one who is advising Ms. Carter not to sell her castle?" "Oh, no." "My advice is to keep the castle and sell the ghosts." "I myself have heard of only one ghost, the spirit of Don Santiago." "Does he appear nightly, or just Sundays and holidays?" "I never saw it." "But I've known several people who have." "Your uncle, your mother's brother was the last one." "What did he tell you about it?" "Nothing." "He was dead." "Dead?" "He was lying at the foot of the staircase." "His eyes were staring, mad." "His face a mask of terror." "Good laugh would be worth a lot of money at this point." "Uh, what connection is there between this bogeyman of yours and the buried treasure?" "Treasure?" "What treasure?" "Well, there's always money where the ghost walks." "Cute." "I hope you still feel as comical when you come out of the castle, my friend." "You smell something burning?" "Sulfur, no less." "Thanks for dashing to the rescue." "Well, I got a little excited when I read your fan mail." "I don't mind saying that it did something to my girlish morale." "That was the idea, to scare you off the boat." "What's the answer?" "Lady, one or more persons, identity unknown, definitely do not want you in that castle." "I wonder why." "Me, I'm mentally retarded." "I'm still 11-years-old when it comes to Fourth of July, circuses or haunted castles." "Say, how are you gonna get off the boat?" "That's right." "I better go and see the purser." "Stay here." "I beg your pardon." "Well, we always seem to be bumping into each other, don't we?" "Foggy night, isn't it?" "Oh!" "Are you all right?" "A lot of cold chills are running up and down my back." "Yeah." "They must've run over from mine." "Come on." "Well, what'll you take with your aspirin?" "Scotch or rye?" "What are you having?" "I think I'll start with an Old-Fashioned and bring it up to date." "I'll have the same." "All right." "Well, lovely." "I beg your pardon." "Are you engaged for this dance, Lady Wimplesnood?" "Dance?" "Yes." "Lovely party the vice president is giving." "Ah, good old vice." "Shoot the chassis to me, lassie." "Your name?" "Oh, you remember me." "The girls call me Pilgrim 'cause every time I dance with one, I make a little progress." "You may be a pilgrim, but I can see you're no puritan." "Oh." "Keep dancing." "Oh, tell me, who's the lady asleep over there on the pool table?" "Oh, don't be silly, girl." "That's no pool table." "That's our hostess." "My dear!" "Oh, where did you learn to dance so divinely?" "Oh, didn't you know?" "I used to dance with Sally Rand." "Oh." "It's quite a feather in my cap, too." "Keep dancing." "Oh, I remember." "You're that amusing butler I went swimming with." "Oh, I'm sorry, that was my father." "He was the son of that famous old Indian chief, Sitting Bull." "Oh, what was his name?" "Uh, Sitting Yet." "Oh, my word!" "And you're his son Lariat." "Yes, that's right." "Oh, steady, steady." "I know you've had a rough evening, and I don't know what it's all about either, but don't lose your nerve, honey." "Would it make you feel any better to know that you're not cavorting with a killer?" "What?" "Well, the man I didn't shoot was Ramon Mederos." "What in the world are you saying?" "Look." "He was shot with a.38, and I'm from the class of.32." "So that's Ramon Mederos." "Who is it?" "Excuse me, boss." "If you hurry, we can make it." "Make what?" "We can get off the boat and go back with the pilot." "We can?" "Oh, that's great!" "We got to hurry." "Goodbye, Ms. Carter." "Goodbye, Alex." "Goodbye, Larry." "Goodbye, Mary, and lots of luck to you." "Thanks for everything." "I'll be seeing you when you get back." "What am I doing?" "What?" "Why, I'm not going to New York." "I'm going to Cuba." "But why?" "Why?" "Well, because I'm crazy to go to Cuba." "Everybody should go to Cuba." "See Cuba and die." "No, that's going too far." "Now, wait a minute, Larry, if you're doing this on my..." "Oh, not at all." "No, Alex and I want to investigate Black Island and get acquainted with the spooks." "You speak for yourself, boss, 'cause I won't have no parts of no spooks." "What, you're not afraid of meeting a few spooks, are you?" "I'll meet them when I have to, but ain't no sense in teasing them." "Honest, Mary, I just love murder mysteries." "Even since I was a little shaver." "Before I started to shave even, uh..." "Alex, close that door." "Yes, sir." "Lady, somebody's playing at murder, but for keeps." "First Mederos." "Somebody found out he was gonna tell you something important..." "Exit Mederos." "Then I come to the rescue and I'm greeted by a flying fire bucket." "You know, I'd swear Parada did it, except that he looks guilty, and in situations like these, you never suspect the guy that looks guilty." "As far as I'm concerned, I can ignore the whole thing." "Get out." "But the pilot..." "Yes, sir." "Out!" "And get me a stateroom." "Not too far from this one." "Yes, sir." "He always sees the darker side of everything." "He was born during an eclipse." "Are you sure you should stay on board?" "Oh, I won't be too much trouble." "Just one meal a day and put me out for a few minutes at night and in the morning." "There aren't any words to tell you how much I appreciate what you're doing." "You know, it's downright chivalrous." "It's dangerous, too." "I don't know why I do such things." "I'm crazy." "You're an angel." "Good night." "Good night." "Is it bedtime?" "All right, you can put me to bed, but you can't put me to sleep." "Will you please lock this door and keep it locked till morning?" "Don't worry." "Good night." "Good night." "Look, if you and I were out on a beautiful lake in a canoe, just drifting along, but soulfully, underneath a million stars and a great big moon with a soft breeze blowing a perfume of a lot of roses around," "do you think..." "I mean, could you..." "No, I guess not." "Good night." "Good night." "Give me Mr. Lawrence's cabin, please." "Hello." "Larry, there's somebody outside my window!" "What?" "Oh." "That's only Alex." "Yeah, he'll be there all night and I'll be there all day." "We tossed a coin for the night shift and I lost." "Yeah." "Thanks again." "And, um, Larry," "I hear there are lots of lakes in Cuba, and the moon's so big you can hardly see Havana." "Good night." "Got to stay up all night and watch her." "When was it built?" "I've got the facts right at my fingertips." ""Completed in 1597, Morro Castle stands grimly guarding" ""the beautiful harbor of Havana," ""with its history of piratical plundering, slave traders and buccaneers."" "Sounds like a Cecil B. DeMille script." "Exactly." ""Cuba is truly the island of romance," ""a land of flashing-eyed senoritas" ""seasoned with onions and a dash of garlic, all for 50 cents."" "What?" "Could that be?" "Here, let me see it." ""Flashing-eyed senoritas," ""many of them continental style, spread out over the sidewalk."" "Huh?" "Oh, no." "You'd fall over them in the dark." "Wait, there's a trick to these things." "Now you just give like that, and just let them fold naturally like that." "Then you have it." ""A land of flashing-eyed senoritas equipped with red, green and amber lights" ""to control the traffic."" "They do everything, don't they?" "Yeah, in this folder." "Well, now you know all about the castle." "Good morning, Ms. Carter." "Good morning." "May I have a word with you before we land?" "Sure." "Now?" "Will you excuse us?" "Of course." "Thank you." "Secrets." "Maybe my slip is showing." "What are you doing there?" "Nothing, senor." "Nothing." "I beg your pardon." "I just happened to see a disagreeable chap listening at your door." "It's none of my business, of course, but I thought you might like to know." "Thank you." "Aren't you..." "Yes." "And you're..." "Pelham!" "The Murrays!" "The six-day bike race at the garden!" "Right!" "Now I know." "You're Geoff Montgomery." "And you're Mary Carter." "Yes." "Come in." "Thank you." "Have you been aboard all the time?" "No, I flew down from New York about 10 days ago." "I just came aboard on the official launch to meet some friends." "You've lived in Havana for some time, haven't you?" "Oh, practically a native." "Perhaps you can tell me what that means." "Hello!" "What is it?" "It's a voodoo ouanga." "A what?" "An ouanga." "Charm prepared by a voodoo priest." "Some of them are supposed to bring good luck." "But not that one." "No." "This is a death ouanga." "Do you know what's back of this, Ms. Carter?" "Perhaps I can advise you." "I suppose you've heard of the forbidden castle at Black Island?" "Oh, yes." "Yes, I heard that jinx was wished on..." "Not you?" "Me." "Well." "I'm simply doing my best to make clear to you that Ms. Carter is taking her life in her hands if she goes into that castle tonight." "You know, that gives me an idea that scares me out of my wits." "What?" "I'll go there first." "Hmm." "You're a brave man." "Me?" "No, my nerves are the breakaway kind." "I've got rabbit blood in me." "Do you know what'll happen if I should see a ghost there tonight?" "No." "I'd be so scared," "I'd probably take a shot at it." "Won't I feel silly shooting ghosts?" "But that's me all over." "Tell your friends." "I'll be seeing you." "Ms. Carter, I think you'd be foolish to go further without some help." "I wouldn't trust Parada." "He has a peculiar reputation." "If it weren't for the voodoo element, I'd..." "Yes?" "Do you know anyone here in Havana?" "Anyone in Cuba?" "No, but Mr. Lawrence is on my team." "Who?" "Lawrence." "Larry "Radio" Lawrence." "Yes?" "Oh, come in, Larry." "This is Mr. Montgomery." "I met him a few weeks ago in New York." "How are you?" "Yes." "You live here?" "Well, maybe you know what a zombie is." "A what?" "Well, Parada just told me about a caretaker on Black Island." "Negro woman, lives in a little shack with a zombie son." "Yes, that's more voodooism, and not very pleasant." "When a person dies and is buried, it seems there are certain voodoo priests who..." "Who have the power to bring him back to life." "How horrible." "It's worse than horrible because a zombie has no will of his own." "You see them sometimes walking around blindly with dead eyes, following orders, not knowing what they do, not caring." "You mean like Democrats?" "That's all we needed on top of ghosts and skeletons, a zombie!" "How about some drinks in the smoke room?" "Let's." "That'll help." "Oh." "Well, while I think of it, how is the Hotel Santana?" "Oh, as good as any." "The best food is at Las Palmas on the Malecôn." "Let me take you there tonight, uh, both of you, to celebrate your first night in Havana." "Thanks, I'd love it." "Wouldn't you?" "Yes, I've been wondering about tonight." "Now that's all taken care of." "First night in Havana!" "It's all so lovely, so romantic." "Just what I expected Havana to be like." "May I say that it's never seemed more lovely to me than at this moment." "Thank you." "Thank you." "I wonder what in the world has happened to Larry." "I'm having an excellent time without him." "It would be just like him to sneak over to Black Island without me." "May I?" "Thank you." "Oh, good evening, Ms. Carter." "Good evening." "That man seems to be everywhere." "Oh?" "How far away is Black Island?" "The other side of the mainland, then about half mile offshore." "Would you like to take me there?" "Tonight?" "Sorry, only this morning my doctor warned me against sudden shocks." "And even if he were wrong, I wouldn't take you there." "You aren't afraid, are you?" "No." "No, but it's hard to laugh off that voodoo stuff." "At night in Castillo Maldito there are things..." "There's no denying it." "They..." "They move about in the shadows." "They..." "Look!" "That man." "What's the matter?" "Is he a ghost?" "Looks pretty solid to me." "I beg your pardon, senor, senorita." "You are Ms. Carter?" "Yes." "I am Francisco Mederos." "Ramon was my twin brother." "I want to know why he was murdered, and by whom." "I..." "I have no idea." "You talked with him in New York." "On the telephone, yes, I..." "Then he was killed." "Why was he killed?" "I don't know." "Ms. Carter, I must insist." "You heard Ms. Carter say she knows nothing about..." "You will mind your own business, senor." "I think it's about time you..." "Hello, Francisco." "How are you?" "I haven't..." "Excuse me, but I haven't seen this man in a month of Sundays." "You look..." "Why, you gotta come over and have a drink with us." "I've got Dolores with me." "You remember Dolores." "She meets all the boats." "Now, come on." "I won't take no for an answer." "Very well." "You will see me again, Ms. Carter." "Oh, yes, you'll see us later." "Well!" "I can do very nicely without anymore of Mr. Mederos." "Who is he?" "Oh, he comes from an old Cuban family." "They own half the country down here, a lot of money." "Would you like to leave?" "Go somewhere else?" "Only to one place, and you won't take me there." "I think your father must have been as courageous as your mother was beautiful." "Corny, but nice." "Don't you think we ought to use some more of that dance music?" "Let's." "And forget about your friend, Mr. Lawrence." "The only way that he can get out to Black Island tonight is by swimming." "The native boatmen won't tie up there after dark." "Larry'd find a way." "Oh, I wouldn't worry about him if I were you." "I'm not, but after all, it's my castle and my ghosts." "Pardon me, Mr. Montgomery, will you take a telephone call?" "Oh, yes." "Will you excuse me?" "Of course." "I'll be right back." "Do you mind if I run along?" "I have several things to do." "Good night, Dolores." "Good night, my friend." "Good night." "Come on, will you?" "You're rowing slower and slower." "But my heart's beating faster and faster." "And you told me you rowed number four at Harlem Tech." "Yes, but we knew where we was going." "Look, there's a light!" "Come on, get going!" "Lafayette, we are here!" "Lafayette's here, too!" "Give me the rope." "Come on, Seabiscuit." "Come on!" "Yes, sir." "Boss, don't you think we ought to have our lunch now?" "Pack in a little solid food before we go messing around with them spirits up there?" "Oh, now relax, will you?" "It's only 11:45 and you know it's against the union rules for ghosts to start walking before midnight." "Your watch must be slow." "There's one now." "I don't know why you get so nervous." "That's probably the colored caretaker Parada told me about." "She's just trying to scare us." "Well, she's wasting her time, 'cause we're scared already." "He must be the zombie." "I'll say he is." "What do you want?" "Could we interest you in a subscription to Weird Stories magazine?" "Three more subscriptions and I get a year at Vassar." "Wait a minute, Aunt Dinah." "Well, let's go, Alex." "That..." "Alex!" "Where are you?" "Here I am." "I can row all right now." "I'm all rested." "Oh, come on out of there and help me up the hill, will you?" "Up the hill?" "Yeah, come on." "Wait now!" "Can't we detour around that-a-way?" "Do you see what I see?" "I'm trying to hope not." "If you pay no attention, sometimes they go away." "How long since anybody lived here?" "Twenty years." "But it's only been two months since anyone died here." "Now why did I say that?" "I don't know." "Give me the flashlight." "Look!" "Bats!" "Guess they're scared." "Come on." "Guess there ain't nobody home." "Let's go." "Let's go." "Parada, is that you?" "Is that you?" "Ghost has a cold." "Light a couple of those candles." "Yes, sir." "Alex!" "Who does that look like?" "Why, that's Ms. Carter." "Oh, thanks." "Hey, wait a minute." "That's impossible." "Isn't it?" "I'm befuddled." "Mmm, what a hot Spanish dish you must've been." "Wish me luck, darling." "Hey, boss, you ain't going upstairs, are you?" "Where those ghosts is?" "Listen, you stay there and if a couple of fellows come running down the stairs in a few minutes, let the first one go." "That'll be me." "If somebody passes you, that'll be me." "That'll be me." "Nothing under the bed." "Hmm." "Mr. Larry!" "Mr. Larry!" "Wait now!" "Now wait a minute." "You can't do that to me." "I know better." "Old man Mose is certainly dead." "Come out of there before I shoot!" "Alex!" "Honest, it's me." "You're bleached!" "No, I ain't, boss." "When I gets scared, my albino blood shows through." "Come out of that dust bowl!" "No, sir." "You say there wasn't no ghost and I saw him, right over there." "So did I, but I still don't believe it." "Well, I'm convinced." "Let's go home." "Mmm-mmm, not till I find out who's trying to scare us." "And what a swell job he's doing." "This is no penny ante game, Alex." "Well, what are you gonna get out of it?" "Heart failure." "Come on." "Let's find out what that is and oil it." ""Maria Ysobel Sebastian."" "And that's all that's left of that gorgeous girl in the portrait." "Boss, is that a mummy?" "Yes, Ms. Carter's great-great-grandmummy." "I didn't mean it, honest." "You think I'd pull a crack like that in a place like this?" "Must've been a frog in my throat." "That's better than having a knife in it." "Come on." "Hmm, old Don Santiago himself." "That's the gentleman we met in the hall." "He sure gets around." "He's got a lot of spirit." "Well!" "Now we know where that ghost music came from." "I wonder where you put the nickel in?" "Larry!" "Larry!" "Whoo-hoo!" "Whoo-hoo!" "Larry!" "Larry!" "Is that you?" "Is that you?" "Larry!" "Where are you?" "Is anything back there?" "No, it's a dead-end street." "Larry!" "Whoo-hoo!" "That sound like Ms. Carter's voice." "Nah, that's just what they're trying to make us believe." "They can't fool us." "Yes, sir." "Here, help me down." "Larry?" "Larry?" "Stop clowning, will you, please?" "Where are you?" "Where are you?" "Get out!" "Get out!" "Run away." "Run away before it's too late." "Get out!" "Get out!" "Away!" "Run away before it's too late!" "Larry, where are you?" "Help!" "Larry, help me!" "Larry!" "Alex!" "Where are you?" "Here I am." "Believe me, we aren't gonna get hurt unless we find the real secret of this place." "Well, why do we keep looking for it?" "It is sort of ridiculous, isn't it?" "Gesundheit." "What'd you say, boss?" "I always say "Gesundheit" when anybody sneezes." "I didn't sneeze." "I ain't got the strength." "You didn't sneeze?" "Well, if you didn't sneeze, and I didn't sneeze, something smells around here." "And it ain't fried chicken." "Who could it have been?" "It's the guy that sent the death warning to Mary." "It's the volunteer fireman that tried to drop the bucket on us." "It's the ghost we've been chasing ever since we left New York and he's right here in this castle!" "What's the matter, boss?" "Why do you let me babble on like this?" "Suppose he's listening." "Suppose he knows I know." "Suppose we get out of here." "We'll go down have a little talk with Mother Divine and that phony zombie son of hers." "From the frying pan right into the fire!" "We'll turn on the heat." "If anyone should join the angel throng tonight, we can have her as an accessory." "Look out!" "Hold him, boss!" "Hold him!" "Alex, quick, get the can opener!" "Hold him, boss, hold him!" "I got him, boss!" "I got him!" "I got him!" "It's the zombie!" "It ain't Baby Snooks!" "Move over, Alex." "Here I come." "Here come some more ghosts!" "Alex!" "Alex!" "In the closet, boss!" "Wait now!" "Put him in there!" "Oh, Larry!" "Oh, boy, let him out again." "Is that sure enough Ms. Mary?" "Larry, what in the world was..." "Uh, before we go any further, allow me to tell you that you're the most beautiful ghost that ever walked." "Well, I couldn't let you have all this fun by yourself." "How'd you get over here, Ms. Mary?" "When boats won't land, you swim." "Swim?" "Didn't anyone tell you about the sharks?" "Never mind the sharks." "Larry, the picture." "Oh, she was lovely, wasn't she?" "Yeah, she certainly was." "And she's improved with age." "There's nothing in reincarnation, is there?" "Why?" "I seem to understand her." "She's pointing at something she wants us to know." "She's telling us the way to solve the secret of the place." "What's down there?" "Oh, just some of your stuffed ancestors." "Take me there." "Sure." "You stay here, just in case." "Yes, sir." "Lady, if you can tell them anything, tell 'em to get out of here!" "Don't move!" "If you a ghost, this ain't gonna do me no good, but if you isn't, it ain't gonna do you no good." "Now which is you?" "Wait now!" "Hold on!" "Hold on!" "I'm no ghost." "You're Mr. Lawrence's man, aren't you?" "Yes, sir." "Is Ms. Carter here?" "Yes, sir." "Is she all right?" "I mean, did she arrive here safely?" "Yes, sir." "Well, as long as you two are on deck to look after her," "I guess there's no reason for me to..." "My boat!" "Someone's stealing my motorboat!" "Is you there, Zom?" "Okay." "Larry." "Hmm?" "Look up there." "What does it say?" ""God's" something." "Treasures!" "That word is "treasures," isn't it?" "Yes. "God's treasures in abundance lie."" "That's it." "Something, something, "heavenly."" ""Heavenly key before they die."" "Hmm, there's more to this than meets the eye." "You're telling me." "That's a message if I ever read one." "Look for a key." "What kind of a key?" "The only keys I ever saw in church were in the collection basket." "Listen, let's find a keyhole, then look for a key to fit it." "Here are a lot of keys." "Very funny." "Very funny." "Well, it could mean music." "Not on that organ." "It doesn't work." "I thought you said it didn't play." "It didn't." "Someone or something has pumped air into it since I left." "There's a gag here somewhere." "Holy smoke!" "What's the matter?" "Don't look now, but grandpappy is having a nightmare." "Mr. Parada!" "Easy, old boy." "We'll get you out." "It's no use." "I've only a few minutes." "He stabbed me." "Who?" "Who did it?" "I..." "I came here to warn you, to protect you." "Under the..." "Under the castle, fortune..." "A fortune." "What kind of fortune?" "You'll find it." "Music." "Marching men." "The organ." "Oh, he must be delirious." "Listen, Parada, tell us who did this to you." "Music." "Marching men." "Organ..." "Mr. Parada!" "Upstairs, at the end of the hall." "Men." "Marching men." "Larry!" "The marching men are notes of music!" "The key!" "That's what he was trying to tell us!" "Keep playing, Mary!" "Keep playing!" "Higher!" "That's enough!" "Look!" "I'll see what's down there." "You stay here." "Alone?" "Here?" "Oh, no!" "All right." "Watch it." "Look at these old slave chains." "Yes, but who lit this lantern?" "Look at these railway tracks running through here." "Reminds me of my hotel room in Scranton." "It's some sort of a mine." "Here." "It's stuck." "Find something to pry it open." "Here's something." "Oh!" "Oh, let me have it." "Ramon's twin brother." "Thanks." "My name is Lawrence." "I was there when your brother was shot." "In fact, I thought I'd done it myself until..." "You can't get away with it!" "Now listen!" "Not you!" "Look out!" "Geoff!" "Back away!" "Put that down!" "Back away!" "You, too!" "Move!" "Put your hands behind your back." "Let the girl go." "For what?" "I did everything I could to keep her away from here." "I even tried to buy her out, but first your brother and then Parada crossed me!" "What's it all about?" "A vein of silver as wide as the island, that's what it's all about!" "I discovered it and it's mine!" "Who told you about it?" "What difference does it make?" "None now, because it's not going to do you any good." "Now wait a minute!" "Let Mary go!" "Nobody's going to carry any tales out of here!" "Close your eyes." "Close your eyes!" "Boss, did I press the wrong button?" "I'll match you to see who faints first." "I can explain everything that happened but that transparent ghost." "Wasn't it Geoff?" "He arranged everything else." "He couldn't have reached the island that fast from the nightclub." "Wonder if Mederos knows?" "Hey, Commodore!" "Yes?" "Who was that playing Don Santiago?" "He wasn't playing." "That was the real ghost." "Now we have something to worry about on our honeymoon." "Our what?" "Our honeymoon." "Didn't I tell you?" "No, but I'd like to hear about it." "You would?"