"You are much too trusting." "I had nothing to do with Allison Brevard's death." "I'm relieved to hear that." "It's just unfortunate you don't have an alibi." "[Siren Wailing]" "He is blind-jealous crazy, Lieutenant." "He's threatened to kill her a dozen times." "He said if he couldn't have her, nobody would." "You're still my wife, Lila." "Not for long." "I'm sorry about David Tolliver." "I'm not at all sure that he's guilty." "[Woman Gasping]" " You ask a lot of questions." " I'm nosy." "[Footsteps Approaching]" "[Line Ringing]" "Damn it!" "[Squeaks]" "?" "[Lullaby]" "?" "Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra ?" "?" "Too-ra-loo-ra-li ?" "?" "Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra ?" "?" "That... ?" "[Grunting]" "[Man] Amelia, she wasn't on the plane." "You're sure there was no call?" "No, no." "She said very definitely Flight 507 from Boston." "There might be someone with her that she..." "Amelia, ignore this call." "Jessica!" "Oh, Edmund!" "[Laughs]" "Hi." "Give that here." "Oh, my goodness, I thought I'd missed you two." "Kai and Liang got hung up on the plane, and we were the last ones to get off." "Well, frankly, when you said you might be bringing someone with you, I, uh..." "[Laughs] You mean you thought..." "Oh, Edmund!" "No." "I was going to bring Marilyn." "Marilyn Dean, my editor." "But at the last minute she couldn't make it." "And this is Buddy." "Ah, here you are." "[Speaking Chinese]" "[Chinese]" "[Replies In Chinese] [In English] This is my friend, Dr. Gerard." " [Chinese]" " Delighted to meet you." "[Chinese]" "Sayonara!" "Oh, Edmund." "They're Chinese notJapanese." "Oops." "Now, where's my luggage?" "Right around this way." "Jess, I can't tell you how we appreciate your trouble." "Don't be silly." "I was delighted to be asked." "This is my first university lecture." "I wasn't sure you'd do it." "You're a very famous person these days." "Oh, no, Edmund." "Now, Elizabeth Taylor..." "Now, that is famous." "Me, I still have to take a number at Cooper's Bakery, same as ever." "Same old Jessica." "Hey, watch it with that "old" business, buster." "Oh, and speaking of being successful, it's not many people, you know, who get to be the dean of students at a major university." "A secretary?" "Oh, Mrs. Fletcher, I'd be delighted to help." "Oh, that's very kind, Amelia, but I really need someone full time at the hotel." "And it seems to me you've got your hands full right here." "Uh-huh." "Paying my bills." "For which I'm eternally grateful." "Speaking of which, Dr. Gerard, did you really order an inflatable raft... from the White Saddle Sporting Goods Company?" "Well, uh, uh, I might want to go camping someday, hmm?" "It's a wonder he keeps any of his money." "There she goes, Jess, acting like a wife again." "[Laughs]" "I'll post the secretarial job." "One of the grad students will jump at it, believe me." "[Edmund]Jess, why don't you forget the hotel and stay with me?" "Not on your life." "I've got work to do." "Anyway, you and I would spend every minute rehashing all those good old Saturday nights... in the basement of Kappa Gamma Chi." "Most of which you spent with Frank, if I remember." "You do know you chose the wrong one." "It's funny you said that." "You know, Frank said the same thing." "[Laughs] Did he?" "The man had a morbid sense of humor." "You do know that she's in love with you, don't you?" "Hmm?" "What?" "Who?" "Amelia." "Your secretary." "Oh, Jessica, don't be silly." "For heaven's sakes." "[Knocking]" "Yes?" "[Man] I'm here from the university." "About the job." "Oh." "Oh!" "David Tolliver, Mrs. Fletcher." "May I come in?" "No." "I mean, actually, uh..." "Well, I was expecting, uh..." "Someone in a skirt?" "Surely, Mrs. Fletcher, you're not going to hold my gender against me." "I'm very sorry about the hour." "I just wanted to beat the crowd." "Believe me, Mrs. Fletcher, they will be lining up for a chance to work for you." "Well, I'm very flattered, I'm sure, but, uh..." "I suppose you'll be wanting to see a sample of my skills?" "David..." "It is David, isn't it?" "David, look, it's very, very late, and frankly, I..." "Uh, would you turn to a page?" "Any page." "This is like a card trick." "I don't mind competing, Mrs. Fletcher, as long as I'm given equal footing." "You'd be surprised how prejudiced some people can be, although it's more noticeable among male employers." "Not that I've worked for that many men." "I don't usually get the chance." "Most of the time I end up working for women." "I wonder why." "The question I'm most often asked is, where did I go to secretarial school." "And, well, of course, I didn't." "I'm self-taught." "But I can assure you, Mrs. Fletcher, I am fast and I am accurate." "As a matter of fact, as you can see, I can even talk and type at the same time." "Top left column." "Well, this is really very, very good." "But, uh, really," "I've never worked with a secretary before of any sex." "And, uh, believe me, this has nothing to do with your skills, but I do think that I would feel more comfortable with an older woman." "What are you doing now?" ""Well, this really is very good." "But, uh, really, I've never worked with a secretary before of any sex." ""And believe me, this has nothing to do with your skills, but I just would feel... more comfortable with a younger man."" "Oops." "Did I get that last part wrong?" "Oh, no, no." "No, no." "Come tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m." "Done." "Uh, just one thing..." "Wouldn't you rather attend the lectures?" "Well, actually, Mrs. Fletcher, my tastes in literature run from Vonnegut to Hesse." "Good night." "Good night." "Murder?" "Murder, you say, Mrs. Darling?" "[Pitches Voice Higher] Murder, Captain." "Plain and simple." "Little Nell, poor thing, knocked off a trolley, derailed by the basest of human emotions... jealousy." "Half-mad, half-crazed with grief, she raised the pistol to eye level and..." "Bang." "Ooh, does that say "Bang"?" "Well, it doesn't look very deadly, does it?" "But then, of course, little Nell wasn't very deadly either." "Am I right?" "Well, of course I'm right." "Because you do remember what I told you, now don't you?" "Little Nell was in a wheelchair." "And the victim, that villainous blackmailer Haskell, was shot in the temple, the bullet coming out of the base of his skull... a downward trajectory." "Haskell, of course, would have had to be down on the floor on his hands and knees like a puppy dog, that is, if Nell had actually been sitting in a wheelchair." "Therefore, the killer has to have been..." "All together now." "[Scattered Responses]" "By George, I think you've got it." "Well, at least some of you." "[Laughter]" "[Bell Rings]" "Mrs. Fletcher, that was mind-boggling." "Oh, uh, thank you, uh..." "I'm Todd Lowery." "I'm with the English Department." "I thought you looked a little too professorial to be a student." "[Todd] Just wanted you to know that my wife and I are both fans." "Especially Emily." "And she's very tough to fool." "Well, I guess I'll just have to try harder." "Well, if you'll excuse me." "I can't wait until tomorrow." "Congratulations, Jess." "It was a triumph." "Ah, thank you." "Uh, do you suppose that cute little number was Emily?" "Who?" "His wife." "Whose wife?" "Oh, forget it." "How about that dinner invitation?" "Oh, I'm sorry." "I have to beg off tonight." "Faculty meeting." "Tomorrow, I promise, absolutely." "I'm gonna hold you to it." "At 5.60 an hour, your reading habits are expensive, David." "Oh, I took myself off the clock hours ago." "The work's all done." "Oh." "Ah, that's very nice." "Thanks." "Well, since it's nearly 7:00, how about dinner?" "Oh, I don't think my digestive tract could handle pizza and beer, or whatever it is you young people eat these days." "Pizza and beer." "Tonight's a special occasion, so how about a chateaubriand for two?" "Are you sure you can afford it?" "No, but you can." "You know, I feel as if everybody's staring at me." "No, they're staring at me with envy in their hearts." "That is not only transparent, David, it's corny." "Only the words, not the thought." "Jessica, I..." "I just don't enjoy the company... of my bubbleheaded female contemporaries." "But I do enjoy yours." "I can't remember when I've had such a good time." "[Laughs]" "Thanks." "No, no." "No, that's mine." "No." "I was only joking." "Starving students shouldn't joke about money with successful writers." "All right." "Thank you." "But remember, I never claimed to be starving." "Thanks." "You know, that's a very nice car you drive." "Reflection of the man." "David Tolliver?" "Yes." "Lieutenant Andrews, Seattle P.D." "Would you mind accompanying us down to headquarters?" "There are a few questions we'd like to ask." "[Scoffs] Yes, I would mind." "Questions about what?" "Several nights ago, a woman by the name of Allison Brevard... was murdered by an intruder in her townhouse." "Now, would you like to come with us, or would you prefer that I place you under arrest?" "Well, it was just routine." "Oh, David, two hours is not normal routine questioning." "They're talking to everyone who even knew Allison Brevard." "I think I was number 48 on a list of 50." "Apparently, she surprised some burglar." "Must've put up a struggle." "Police said they found black wool threads under her fingernails." "Probably from his sweater." "Believe me, Jessica." "It's nothing to be concerned about." "[No Audible Dialogue]" "Is there a chance you're looking for me?" "Oh." "Oh, yes, as a matter of fact, I am." "They told me at the precinct house I'd find you here." "Bagel, black coffee and my sports page." "It's, uh, Mrs., uh, "Felser"?" "Uh, Fletcher." "Fletcher." "David said the questioning last night was merely routine." "He said that?" "[Laughs]" "Of course it wasn't." "If you put a surveillance on every casual suspect, you'd soon run out of those black unmarked cars, wouldn't you, Lieutenant?" "You look like a nice lady." "Let me give you a piece of advice." "Stay away from that guy." "I'm sorry." "You'll have to be clearer." "I'll admit he's a nice lookin' guy, and I'm sure for a woman like you that... that kind of attention is very flattering." "Just a moment." "You think that David and I..." "I've been in the city for two days, and I hired that young man as a secretary." "I hardly know him." "But notwithstanding, I still don't think that he is a killer." "Maybe he's not." "We're not even sure it was a burglary." "Not a real one." "Maybe it was a setup to make it look like one." "And maybe Tolliver was waiting for her, not to rob her, but..." "Well, I suppose that you have evidence to support all these maybes." "Look, he had been seeing the victim for several months." "But what does that prove?" "What I mean by "seeing"..." "I know what you mean, Lieutenant." "She gave him money, gifts, including that fancy car." "Well, even if that's true, why would he want to kill her?" "Maybe she was trying to break it off." "Maybe he got tired of playing up to her." "How do I know?" "Guys like that play by their own rules, Mrs. Fletcher." "[Sighs]" "Hi." "I thought I heard you come in." "What are you doing here?" "Just putting in my contacts." "I mean, how did you get in?" "Oh, the maid let me in." "She knew I was workin' for you." "I was just about to dig in." "David, were you going through my briefcase?" " Of course not." " But one of the latches is open." "Really?" "Well, it wasn't me." "Wanna get started?" "I think we better skip today." "Well, that sounds strangely like a dismissal." "Of course." "You've been talking to the police." "And now you think..." "Jessica, I swear to you." "I didn't harm that woman." " But you knew her." " Mrs. Brevard was a frightened and lonely woman." "A few months ago, we were involved in an auto accident." "She was drunk." "It was her fault." "I was parked at the curb." "She couldn't even think straight, so I drove her home in her car." "Mine was totaled." "And when we got there, she wrote out a check..." "God's truth..." "to pay for a brand-new car." "She didn't want the insurance people or the police notified." "[Sighs]" "Later, I found out she had quite a record of accidents." "David, it's not necessary to..." "No!" "I have a right to tell you." "Jessica, Allison Brevard was delightful... when she was sober, which I'll admit was not very often." "We had dinner a few times, and that was the extent of it." "Lt. Andrews said she gave you money." "She lent me $450." "My final tuition payment was due, and I was strapped." "I paid it back three weeks ago." "I still think we should skip today." "Whatever you like." "Tomorrow?" "I'm not sure." "[Chuckles] Shall I call first?" "Yes." "Okay." "David, please, never let yourself in like that again." "Word of honor." "[Edmund's Voice] Murder, Jess." "It's unbelievable." "Don't prejudge him, Edmund." "There's no evidence to link David to that woman's death." "Spoken like a true champion of justice." "Oh, don't be snide." "Don't you think he's just a little old to be mothered?" "Or something else?" "[Clears Throat]" "You're letting your imagination run rampant in the wrong direction." "I hope so." "Todd Lowery says you should copyright your seminar and take it on the road." "Never." "Once is enough." "[Amelia] Oh, excuse me." "Dr. Gerard." "Dr. Gerard." "Mrs. Fletcher." "Sir, I know the police have been to see you." "I want to assure you I had nothing to do with Allison Brevard's death." "I'm relieved to hear that." "It's just unfortunate you don't have an alibi for that evening." "I was home alone studying the entire night." "If only there was some way to convince you, both of you." "All I'm asking for is the benefit of the doubt." "Well, you have it as far as I'm concerned." "And after the lecture, I'm going to put in a long evening writing." "So tomorrow, you're going to have scads of typing." "Thanks. 10:00?" " Yeah." " I'll be there." "Jessica, that's a mistake." "Oh, Edmund, really." "I mean, obviously the boy is something of a con man, and-and perhaps he's a liar." "But a killer?" "I don't think so." "You are far too trusting." "Now, supposing he had killed that woman." "Don't you think that he would have set himself up with some sort of an alibi?" "Yes, of course." "That would be the obvious thing to do." "Look, you don't know me, but I'm a friend of David Tolliver's, and I can prove he didn't kill that woman." "Who is this?" "Well, my name's not important." "Well, it is to me if I'm going to..." "Hey, lady, just shut up and listen." "I'm taking a hell of a chance just making this call." "We have to meet." "Well, you know where I'm staying." "There's an abandoned warehouse down by the docks." "Number 33." "I'll meet you there at 10:00 tonight." "Look, whoever you are, I have no intention of meeting you anywhere." " Jack." " Who were you talkin' to?" "None of your business." "That guy, right?" "No, not that guy." "Get out of my way." "Come on, Jack!" "You're still my wife, Lila." "Not for long." "Come on, honey." "This is crazy." "I love you." "Whatever's gone wrong, we can work it out, okay?" "Come onJust give it a chance." "Look, Jack, it just didn't happen for us, all right?" "So just let it be." "We agreed." "I didn't agree to anything." "Jack, you're hurting me." "No, Lila." "I'm not letting you go." "You're hurting me, Jack." "Let go!" "Hello?" "Is anybody there?" "[Squeaking]" "[Squeaking]" "[Groaning]" "[Gasps]" "[Police Radio Chatter]" "Lou, pick up Tolliver." "I want to know where he's been the last couple of hours." "Here you are." "Are you sure you didn't see or hear anything?" "No." "So this so-called proof that the girl had... that Tolliver couldn't have killed the Brevard woman was..." "She never had a chance to tell me." "You know this was stupid." "Why didn't you call me?" "If I had, she might not have been willing to talk." "Excuse me, Lieutenant, but if you're suggesting that David killed her, wouldn't that have been awfully stupid?" "I mean, to kill off his own alibi?" "That is what you're thinking, isn't it?" "No, ma'am, what I'm thinking is that we're dealing with a very clever young man... who wanted us to think that he had an alibi, eliminated the girl, and then she couldn't say anything either way." "Cal, I just checked the surveillance team at Tolliver's apartment." "They say he's been home all evening." "Never left, and he's still there." "I told her not to call you." "I told her it could be dangerous." "Dangerous why?" "Because of her husband." "She and Jack are separated, and he's been hounding her for weeks." "David, she said that she had proof... that you couldn't possibly have killed Allison Brevard." "We'd been seeing each other, off and on." "It was..." "It was finally turning into something, and that's why all this talk about Allison Brevard is so much nonsense." "The night Allison died, Lila and I were together the entire night." "Why didn't she tell me?" "BecauseJack Schroeder is crazy." "He is blind-jealous crazy, Lieutenant." "He's threatened to kill her a dozen times." "He said if he couldn't have her, nobody would." "Good morning, Amelia." "Good morning, Mrs. Fletcher." "I'm sorry." "Dean Gerard isn't in just now." "Oh." "I'll tell him you dropped by." "Amelia, despite what you may think, I'm not a rival." " Pardon me?" " Edmund and I are dear friends." "Nothing more, believe me." "Oh, Mrs. Fletcher, you misjudge me, really." "Oh, Amelia, for heaven's sakes." "Only a blind person would misread your feelings for Edmund, who, it seems, is in desperate need of a very good optometrist." "[Laughs] That's better." "Now, do let me be an ally because I'm certainly not an enemy." "I loved Gwen." "I really did." "And she was good for him." "And then when she died, I..." "You know, all he needs is a little nudge." "Not from me." "From you." "Well, I'm working myself up to it." "Uh, Jessica," "I'm sorry about David Tolliver." "[Chuckles] I've always liked him." "Oh, don't write him off just yet." "Frankly, I'm not at all sure that he's guilty." "You'd be Mrs. Fletcher, the murder lady." "I've never heard it put quite like that before." "Well, if you're thinking of ripping off Lila's death for your next book, forget it." "She's dead." "Let her rest in peace." "You seem more upset by me than you are by your wife's death, Mr. Schroeder." "Life goes on." "You did threaten to kill her." "Yeah." "I also threatened to win a gold medal at the last Olympics." "I didn't even make the team." "I'm real bad at follow-through." "You're a real bad liar too." "I believe you loved your wife very much." "[Scoffs]" "So did a lot of other guys." "Those other guys, I suppose you mean David Tolliver." "Who?" "Oh, the grad student." "Pretty guy." "Smiles a lot." "No, not him." "They were just friends." "Are you sure?" "Yeah, positive." " He wasn't the real problem." " Then who was?" "Professor Lowery?" " You ask a lot of questions." " I'm nosy." "Say, Mrs. Fletcher, isn't it about time you were in class?" "Oh, for heaven's sakes!" "Oh, I am very sorry to be late." "Do please forgive me." "Phew." "Ah, let me see..." "today's lecture." "Uh, this afternoon, I..." "I'd like to try something a little different." "Uh, suppose today we put ourselves in the shoes of the murderer." "How does he think?" "How does he act?" "A hypothesis..." "Ayoung woman is married to a very violent and jealous young man." "She longs for love and affection, and he is unable to provide it." "Therefore, she searches for it elsewhere." "A perfect recipe for a murder of passion." "The young woman is discovered dead, and of course, the list of suspects is legion." "First problem?" "Check out alibis." "No." "You're thinking like a policeman." "Now, we are setting up a murder." "We're not solving it." "Uh-huh?" "Create the alibis." "Uh, wrong again." "No, writers create alibis." " But so does a killer." " Yes, he creates his own, but if he's going to throw suspicion elsewhere, he has to be aware of what all the other suspects are up to." "He has to time the killing for maximum effectiveness." "He has to choose a day, a weekday." "Say, 10:00." "He knows that "A" will have an alibi, that "B" won't." "He knows that C's alibi is such that he's unable to reveal it, and that D's alibi is so suspect that it would be worthless." "Uh, the obvious suspect..." "Uh, Professor Lowery, who would you say?" "The husband, naturally." "Why?" "Because you haven't yet identified A, B, C or D." " [Laughter]" " Fair enough." "Well, let's take "A" for instance." "Uh, he's a young man, uh, possibly a college professor." "Uh, he is, uh, secretly in love with the victim, but he has a major problem..." "he's married." "Is he?" "Perhaps not." "Would you say that she knows about the relationship?" "I'd say no." "Well, that's a good thing, because if she did, we'd have to add her to the long list of suspects, and we wouldn't want to do that, would we?" "It's your scenario, Mrs. Fletcher." "Ah, come, come, Professor." "It's a little give and take." "Uh, tell me about, uh..." "Tell me about his alibi for the time of the woman's death." "Uh, I..." "Why don't you ask someone else?" "Well, I'm asking you." "Well, I suppose, uh..." "He would have been with his wife." " Would she swear to that?" " Yes." "Would she lie for him?" "I said, would she lie for him?" "I don't know." "She might." "[David's Voice] Jessica, I had to go out." "I'll be back as soon as I can." "You had a call from Professor Lowery." "He wants to meet you at his office at 9:00 this evening." "Says it's urgent and confidential." "Regards, David." "[Gasps]" "[Groaning]" "[David] Mrs. Fletcher?" "Mrs. Fletcher?" "David?" "Oh!" "Oh, David." "It's all right, Jess." "You're gonna be fine." "How is it you..." "Shh." "While I was out, I heard about your thing with Lowery at the seminar." "By the time I got back to the hotel, you'd already gone." "I was just running in the door when I heard you scream." "Did you see who it was?" "I didn't see anyone." "Jessica, I am sorry." "It was my fault." "I should've stayed." "I should've gone there with you." "Jessica, are you all right?" "Yes, l-I'm fine." "What happened?" "Someone attacked her on the third floor of the English Building." "Someone?" "Why don't you stop lying?" "I think we know who was responsible." "Well, Dr. Gerard, it wasn't me." "I swear." "Swear what, that you're telling the truth?" "Just the way you were telling the truth when you said Lila was with you the night Allison Brevard died?" "Well, she was with me." "No, young man, she was not with you." "Because that night she was with me." "Yes, yes, I understand." "No, I'll tell her." "Thanks very much, Lieutenant." "Good-bye." "Well, David has admitted paying Lila to phone you, set up the meeting, and then lie to provide him with an alibi." "Jess, I want to tell you about Lila." "Uh, this coffee is cold." "Jess..." "Look, Edmund, whatever happened between you and Lila is your business, not mine." "Will there be anything else, sir?" "A little more coffee for the lady, and then bring me a check, if you will." "Not that much happened, Jess." "A few months ago, she came to me looking for a job." "Todd Lowery needed a teaching assistant." "I put her in touch." "An affair started." "It didn't last because Lila wanted to get out of it, but Todd wouldn't let her." "He's more subtle than her husband, Jack, but I think perhaps just as dangerous." "At any rate, she came back to me, begging my help." "We..." "We met a few times." "First in my office, then later at a little out-of-the-way place out of town." "The Lumberjack Inn." "Not exactly a campus hangout." " Edmund, there's no need..." " Yes, there is a need." "I admit I was attracted to her." "I was lonely." "She was young, very vital." "It happens." "But the important thing is, the night the Brevard woman died..." "Lila and I were at the inn until almost midnight." "I remember it specifically because on the way home, we were nearly run off the road by a speeding car." "What?" "Yes." "Lila tried to pass it off as a drunk driver, but I don't think so." "It's almost as though the driver were trying to..." "to threaten us, to warn us." " What kind of car?" " I don't know." "Dark color." "Blue, black." "L..." "I don't remember." "Edmund, who knew you were with Lila?" "No one." "Could someone have followed you?" "No, not a chance." "She was so terrified of her husband, she was always looking back to make sure we weren't being followed." "Jessica, I know I acted foolishly, but I think it did serve one useful purpose." "It's exposed that young man for the liar and the killer that he is." "Are you so sure?" "Yes." "And if we were talking about anyone else but David Tolliver, you would be too." "Class dismissed." "Hello, Professor Lowery." "Mrs. Fletcher." "I heard about last night." "Are you all right?" "Oh, yes." "I'm much better, thank you." "I hope you realize that I had nothing to do with that telephone call." "Oh, I'm sure not." "It would have been terribly stupid." "Look, about yesterday afternoon, I..." "Look, I really feel a little embarrassed about all that." "Well, don't be." "Your little charade knocked some sense into me." "I realized how ridiculous I've been." "I was up all night talking with my wife about it, and..." "She's a terrific gal, and..." "Anyway, we're gonna go away, just the two of us, next week... and try to put everything back together again." "I am so glad." "Good-bye." "And good luck." "Thanks." "I wish you the same." "[Chuckles] Oh, oh!" "I almost forgot." "On my way over in the taxi, I saw a student nick the fender of your car." " What?" " I couldn't get his license." " What are you talking about?" " Well, that is your car out there, isn't it, the, uh, blue sedan?" "No, no." "My wife dropped me off this morning." "She's out shopping for the trip." "Anyway, we drive a yellow station wagon." "Well, it must belong to somebody else." "A stupid mistake on my part." "Good-bye." "[Lt. Andrews] Mrs. Fletcher!" "Good morning, Lieutenant." "I've been looking all over for you." "I thought you might like to know your friend has been released." "David?" "Burglary Division got some leads on the jewels that were stolen from the Brevard woman." "They backtracked to a fence who led them to a three-time loser who was on parole." "He gave a complete confession." "To the murder?" "To the murder." "Well, I thought you'd be relieved." "Oh, oh, I am." "It's just that, uh..." "Well, we're still no closer to the killer of Lila Schroeder, are we?" "What are you doing here?" "I was waiting for you." "L..." "I wanted to thank you." "I thought I told you never to let yourself in when I'm not here." "Jessica, I'm sorry." "L..." "I forgot." "Will you please forgive me?" "For what?" "For lying?" "For bribing that poor, unfortunate girl to lie for you?" "For shoving me down a flight of stairs?" "That wasn't me." "No?" "Oh, can I have your word for that too?" "I asked Lila to meet you because I didn't want you to have any doubts about me." "Well, I do have my doubts, David." "Quite a few of them, beginning with that so-called telephone call from Professor Lowery." "That call did come in." "Jessica, it's the truth." "The person called, asked me to take a message." "Said it was urgent." "W-Wait a minute." "Uh, say that again." "H-He asked me to take a message." "No, no, no, no." "No." "You-You said a person said it was Lowery." "I wouldn't know his voice." "L-I don't know him." "You said "a person," David." "Not "him," n-not "he," but a "person."" "Why?" "I don't know." "Because..." " Because?" " Well, I'm-I'm not exactly sure." "I keep thinking back about the voice." "It was, uh, muffled, a whisper." "Forced." "Forced." "Yeah." "Edmund?" "Jessica?" "Amelia, where is he?" "I've got to talk with him." "What is it?" "What's the matter?" "I've just come from a meeting... with that... that dimwitted Lt. Andrews." "He's gone to a judge to get a warrant." "What are you talking about?" "Edmund is about to be arrested for the murder of Lila Schroeder." "No." "I'm afraid, yes." "He has no alibi for the time of Lila's death." "Alibi?" "Well, why should he?" "He hardly knew her." "Oh, Amelia, I'm sure you must have known." "Edmund's been seeing her secretly for the past couple of months." "That..." "Dr. Gerard and that girl?" "His car was spotted outside the warehouse at the time of Lila's killing." "His car..." "No!" "A late model dark-blue sedan?" "Oh, Jessica, for heaven's sake!" "It's a... a common car!" "I mean, th-there are a thousand like it in this city." "I drive a dark blue car." "Amelia, I know how you feel, and I feel just as shocked as you are." "But Lt. Andrews is seeing a waiter from the Lumberjack Inn." "Where?" "The Lumberjack Inn." "You know." "It's a small place just out of town." "Edmund and Lila met there several times during the past few months." "I'm sure you know it." "Uh, no." "No, I don't." "Of course you do." "But I don't." "Why would I lie?" "Yes, why would you lie?" "Because you are lying." "Well, I'm sorry, I just..." "I just don't understand..." "Two weeks ago, you drove out to the Lumberjack Inn because you wanted to spy on him." "You drove your blue car recklessly close to Edmund because you wanted to frighten him." "You wanted to scare him away from Lila." "Jessica, re..." "Honestly, I..." "I... l-I've never even heard of the place." "I think you have." "You pay Edmund's credit card bills, don't you?" "Isn't that what you were doing the first time I met you?" "[Jessica Continues] You made a fuss about some purchase that he'd made." "You're the only one who could have known about that place." "And it was also you who called my hotel room... and disguised your voice and lured me to Lowery's office so that you could..." "What?" "Kill me?" "No, I..." "I wanted to frighten you, that's all." "That's why I dressed in black, to make you think it was David." "The police were satisfied that David was guilty, and you just... wouldn't let it alone." "I went to see Lila Tuesday evening." "To confront her." "As I pulled up, she was just leaving." "Her actions seemed strange, so I..." "I followed her." "I wanted to see what she was up to." "I was afraid she might have been meeting Edmund." "I followed her into the... warehouse." "She saw me." "She knew why I was there." "She laughed." "She threatened to tell Edmund." "And I just lost my temper." "I reached for the longshoreman's hook, and I just lashed at her!" "I ran!" "I r..." "Amelia, for God's sake... why?" "Because I love you." " I had no idea." " No." "None at all." "Even after all these years, even after Gwen died." "And then... when you... started up with..." "Amelia, Lila didn't mean anything to me." "That was a passing thing." "I could have handled it." "Are you sure?" "Can I interest you in a slightly overstuffed bear?" "Hello, David." "I phoned the hotel." "I wasn't gonna let you get away without a proper thank-you." "For what?" "Well, without you, I might have been convicted of murder." "I doubt that." "Jessica, can we stop being merely polite with each other?" "I think you know by now how I feel about you." "No, I don't." "Nor do I want to." "That I'm enormously attracted to you." "The way you were attracted to Allison Brevard?" "Look, I didn't lie to you." "I can't explain it, but I find myself drawn to mature women." "Particularly if they're bright and funny." "David, I think this conversation has come to an end." "Why?" "Because you can't or won't open up to me?" "Or maybe you think I am lying." "David, I've get a plane to catch." "You know, the only thing I'm guilty of is caring." "And I do care, very much." "Even casual acquaintances find a way to say good-bye." "Good-bye, David." "And I do wish you well." "And I you." "You know, I was enjoying the writing." "Send me a copy of the book when it's finished?" "I may do better." "You may end up being a character." "What would I be..." "a victim, a suspect, killer?" "I don't know." "I haven't made up my mind yet."