" Good morning, Lieutenant." " Good morning, Templar." "They are all here." "How would you want them?" "Give me the woman that reported it first, the cleaning woman." " Her husband is with her." " Alright both of them." "You and your husband." "Sit down, please." " What was the man's name?" " Dr. Frank Peralta." "Dr. Frank Peralta." "All right, what happen?" "When I went in this morning to clean up, it was at 7.30" "There he was, just laying there." " You live at the same address, Mr. Benson?" " That's right, same floor." " You saw him last night?" " Around 10 o'clock." "He was coming in." "I was going out." " Was he alone?" " No, he had a young lady with him." " You know the young lady?" " Never saw her." "Very pretty." " What was she wearing?" " A blue suit, and flowers in her hair." " Gloves?" " I do not think so, but I don't remember exactly." " I guess they were going home?" " That's what I assumed." " And that was at 10 o'clock?" " Around 10." " You think you know her if you saw her again?" " I think so." "We met face to face." "I see." "What do you know about her?" "I live in the apartment under Dr. Peralta." "About 10:35 last night I heard this thud on the floor above my ceiling." " How do you know the time?" " I had just turned on the 10:30 news." "I heard footsteps on the stairs outside." "I opened my door a bit and looked out." "I was curious." "I'm glad you were." "What did you see?" "A young woman, quite pretty passed me and went out." " From doctor Peraltas apartment?" " I suppose so." "But you didn't see her come out of his door?" "I'm not sure." "I don't think so." " Do you think you would recognize her?" " Yes, I'm sure." "I got a good look at her." "She passed under the light." "I see." " You're Dr. Peralta's secretary?" " I was..." "Want do you know of his plans for last night?" "He had an engagement for dinner with a girl called Teresa Collins." " You didn't care for Ms. Collins I take it?" " I know very little about her." "But I couldn't believe that Dr. Peralta was in love with her." "You mean he thought he was?" "Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn't." "But she treated him so wickedly, she kept him in such a state." "He was going to propose to her last night, he said." "Teresa Collins?" "You know where she lives?" "No, but I can tell you where she works." "She runs a magazine stand in the Medical Building." "Where Dr. Peralta office are..." "were." "Mrs. Didriksen, you go first." "See if you see anybody you know." "In the middle years, but not a bad little number at that." "Keep your mind on what you're doing, will you?" " You go out with me and I'll buy you a steak." " Good enough for me." " I ain't kidding." " Neither am I. Thank you." "When I get out of this monkey suit, I ain't such a bad looking guy." " Benson, you go." " That's the girl all right." "Behind the counter." " Are you sure?" " Pretty sure." "Pretty sure?" "Wouldn't you swear to it?" "I think so." "Still, there's something..." "Yes, I swear to it." "I hope you'll remember that." " Don't you remember me?" " Sure if you want me to." "I remember you all right." " Where did she go?" " How do I know." "What about in there?" "That's the girl all right." "Behind the counter." " You would swear to it?" " Yeah." "On a stack of Bibles." "Okay, thanks." "We'll get in touch later." "Looks pretty good." " Miss Collins?" " Yes?" "I'm from the police department." " I beg your pardon." " Good morning, Doctor." "Could you show me something in the line of lemon drops." " How about lemon drops?" " Very good idea!" "I do not know how I can thank you." " I'm sorry." " Okay." "Would you mind to tell me how you spent last night?" " Why?" " You mind?" " No, but..." " From 8 o'clock on." " What it's all about?" " Begin at 9." " Will you tell me then?" " Sure." "All right." "I went for a walk Jefferson Park." " Alone?" " Yes." " How long did that take you?" " I got home around 11:30, 11:45." "For nearly three hours you walked alone in the park?" "Not exactly." "For two hours I was listening to a band concert." "A then I strolled by the lake and sat listening to the water." "Then I got chilly, and went home." " In all that time you never met anybody you knew?" " I didn't say that." "Anybody who knows you, I should say." "My butcher and his wife sat back with me were during the concert." " What his name?" " Mr. Peterson, 14th street." "That's were his shop is." " You'd speak to him?" " Sure, we old friends!" " I can check, remember." " All right, check." "Anyone else?" "Yes." "The park policeman down by the lake." "We talked for a while." "Do you know his name and number?" "No." "But we know each other." "We've talked down there before." " What's he?" "Some kind of sweetheart?" " Not till I get his name anyway." "The truth is..." "And a boy named Nat de Grott walked me home with me." "Where do I find him?" "He works at the True Value shop at 15th and 5." " And he actually walked home with you?" " Go ask him, if you don't believe me." " I intent to." " Now, what's this all about?" "Dr. Frank Peralta was murdered last night." " Murdered?" " Stabbed to death straight through the heart." " Doctor..." " Terry!" "Terry!" "What happened?" " Break it up." " Yes, sir." "Folks, keep moving, keep moving." "It's all over, lady, keep moving." "Well, what do you want?" "Hello, Franky?" "Okay." "She's all right now." "A little shaky." "But okay, the doctor says." "All right, let her go." "Are you kidding?" "Of course I'm not kidding." "It's a free country." "You mean with two witnesses who saw her smack at the place?" "Against three that saw her smack away from it." "4 smacking miles away!" "I saw them." "Three solid tax-paying, God fearing citizens... who know her and talked to her all over Jefferson Park last night." "From 9 o'clock to 11:35 p. m." " What do you know about that?" " I don't get it." "I just don't get it." "It makes no more sense to me than Chinese music." " Second floor, Lieutenant." " Thanks." "Can I come in?" " Certainly." " Thanks." " How you feeling now?" " All right, thank you." " It sticks, you know." " It sticks?" "The alibi." "Oh!" "Well, of course, it's the truth." "That butcher now, he couldn't be in love with you." " No..." " The cop might." "And another guy, but not the butcher, I don't think." "I don't think so either." " Guys generally falls in love with you?" " Some." "Peralta?" "He was a very dear friend..." "very dear." "Why did you quarrel with him?" "The elevator boy heard you yesterday." "It wasn't a quarrel." "We just differed about something." "Rusty never liked him." "Jealous?" "You think Rusty might have killed him?" " Why?" " He was in love with you to, right?" "For a policeman, you certainly spent a lot of time thinking about love." " I'm the romantic type." " Thanks." " You're left-handed?" " Excuse me." "Is this visit social or professional?" "You gave the doctor the lemon drops with your right hand." "I was born left-handed." "Most of the things I learned to do right-handed." "I didn't liked being left-handed." "The medical examier figures he was stabbed right-handed." " What am I supposed to say to that?" " I'm just waiting to see." " If you don't mind..." " We'll break this alibi." "It might take time, but I'll figure it out." "If you don't mind, I'd like you to leave." "I'm tired and want to go to bed." " You and your..." " Oh, Terry?" "So that's it!" "My sister..." "Ruth." "Why didn't you tell me?" "Excuse me." "I was going to when the time came." "Everybody knows it, so it wouldn't be much use to hide it." "Not at the Medical Building." "They don't know it." "No." "Not there." "That was so we could take days off if we wanted to." "When we didn't have another job." "You make a habit of that monkey business?" "All twins do now and again." "Well..." "You're Terry..." "and you're, Ruth." " You've no idea how much this relieves me." " That's nice." " I thought I was losing me marbles." " It's not always easy to tell us apart." "So I see." "Which one was at Jefferson Park last night?" " One of us." " That I know." "Which one is what I asked." "You... or you?" "I know you're stalling because I will get it out you one way or another." " So..." " How?" "You don't want to make it any tougher than it is." "So let's have it:" "Which of you did which last night?" "One of us spent the evening in Jefferson Park." "The other went to bed early." "But how can that one prove that?" "And that's all we got to say." "Were you in Jefferson Park last night?" "Are you going to answer me or not?" "I'm not." "You're only making trouble for yourselves." "It'll only be harder for you in the end." " How?" " Because you can't get away with this." "It's..." " What?" " Will you cut this nonsense out and be sensible?" "A man was murdered." "I give you one more chance." "Let's see if we can get somewhere." "Which one stayed home here last night?" "One of us spent the evening in Jefferson Park." "And the other..." "But what one do which is what I'm asking." "Which one did which?" "Okay..." "I'll just have to run you both in." " Are you allowed to play the field like that?" " What?" "Can you throw any number of people in the court and tell the judge to take his pick?" "I'm afraid you'd look awfully funny explaining that to a lawyer." "What lawyer?" "" " The one that will come to the police station... if we are not here to answer the phone any time tonight." " Pretty smart, aren't you." " Not dumb." "Well, listen to this:" "Did you ever hear about a charge called obstructing justice?" " Yes." " Then would you like to reconsider?" "Me...?" "Or her...?" "Look"." "Will you tell me one thing?" " One of us..." " Will you cut that out?" " Is there no way to tell you apart?" " We are identical." "I though I told you that." "It's all right, dear, he's not going to do anything." " You don't think so, huh?" " No, I don't." "I know what our rights are, and so will a judge." "And one of them is the constitutional right not to say anything that might incriminate us." "Constitutional right, she says!" "And will you please leave?" "Or do you want me to call our lawyer now?" "Okay, Ms. Collins, I'm a policeman, not a lawyer, so I give you this round..." "But just one round, remember." "So don't try to duck out because we'll unravel this thing yet" "The law's never been licked yet by these Rube Goldberg defenses... and it is not going to start with this one." "And bring a warrant next time with the name already written in." "Did you read up on this before you did it?" "Never mind." "Don't tell me." "I don't want to hear it." " I forgot to tell you, Lieutenant..." " Yeah?" "It's two of them, two twins." "Did you get that?" " Yeah, I got that." " Look very much alike, the fellow told me." "Some people can't even tell them apart, he said." " Can't they really?" " That's the way twins are." "Yeah, thanks." "I can see you got you eyes open all right." "I try to keep on my toes as much as possible, Lieutenant." "And don't we don't appreciate it either." "Good night." "Good night, Lieutenant." "Thank you, sir." "It's no use." "There isn't even a piece of print on the handle." " Gloves?" " Could be." "There should be a state law against selling gloves to murders." " You know what they do in the old days?" " That's no good, ladies bruise too easy." " Get me Judge Hill." " Yes." "Judge Hill." " You know, I was just thinking." " Yeah?" "Maybe one of these babies has got a birthmark somewhere." "And I was just wondering if it might not be a good idea if I ran back there... and made a kind of a thorough examination of both of them..." " Just an idea..." " All right, if you're through with the comedy relief..." "Here is the list of witnesses." "Have them here at 9 a. m. tomorrow sharp." " Got it?" " Got it." "Oh, Judge Hill..." "Lieutenant Stevenson, Detective Bureau." "I want a couple of warrants for Ruth and Teresa Collins." "That's right." "Charge:" "Suspicion of murder." "Yes, sir, both of them." "What?" "I'm gonna hang numbers on their backs like football players." "All right, bring 'em in." " Where do you live, Collins?" " 492, Kendale Avenue." " Have you been arrested before?" " No." "Turn around." " That's her, all right." "No question in the world." " Bring her in." "I'd know her in a million." "Came to me." " Your name's Teresa Collins?" " It is." "You two girls are held in suspicion of murder." "What do you got to say for yourselves?" "Neither one of us intends to say anything until we've talk to a lawyer." "Well, how do you like that?" "Know her in a million, eh?" "What do you think, doc?" "Really?" "No idea, Rusty." "It's hard to believe she could have done such a thing." "Oh, she didn't." "I know she didn't." "Those guys are crazy." "You better have a lemon drop, Good for the nerves." " Sent them in." " Will you go in, please?" "They are not gonna make me say one word against her." "I tell you that right now." "I knew her too well." "We're sorry, Rusty." "Dr. Elliott, Mr. District Attorney." " Thanks you very much for coming over." " Not at all." "Sit down, will you?" "I don't think this is going to take us very long, Rusty." "You told Lieutenant Stevenson that you saw Dr. Peralta at the magazine stand... talking and apparently arguing on the morning of the day Dr. Peralta was killed." " That right?" " Yes, sir." "Can you tell me which girl that was?" " No, sir." " You are sure of that?" "I did not know that there were two of them." "Quite a coincident, doctor." "Quite." "Scott Elliott, psychologist, Ph. d." "Author of "Twins:" "A Clinical Study." "Mental Traits of Identical Twins."" ""Twins and siblings." All published by the State University Press." "Your own particular field." "I have devoted quite some time and study to the subject." "Did you know they were twins in this case?" "No." "One at the time, twins look a good deal like singletons." "Is there any foundation for the old popular belief... that the twins are usually penalized in some way... by nature, either physically or psychically?" "No, no, that's a superstition." "Well, that clears that up." "Lieztenant Stevenson reports that you had a conversation with Dr. Peralta that morning." "Would you mind repeating what was said?" "He asked me if I had ever come across a case of split personality." " Go on." " Of course I told him I had." "Then he asked if there was ever any danger in such a case." " He used the word "danger"?" " Yes..." "Or if I thought all that kind of thing was exaggerated." " To which you replied?" " I told him I couldn't say." "I couldn't answer with a generality when he obviously had a specific in mind." "And then he said something..." ""I had a battle with her this morning and I'm seeing her tonight." "It's rather important." Then we separated." "Seeing whom tonight?" " Miss Collins, I supposed." " Which one?" "I have no idea." "Then can you tell me now which girl was behind the counter that morning?" "No." "That's all." "Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen for helping us out here this morning." " Thank you." " Thank you." "Take the girls outside for a moment." "You see?" " You're going to let them get away with it?" " What can I do?" "You haven't a witness that can tell one girl from the other." "I wouldn't have a ghost of a chance in court." "A kid just out of lawschool could make a monkey out of me with set up like that." "I couldn't even get an indictment from the grand jury." "They'd want to know which one, too." " But one of them murdered him." " I'm sure of it." "You tell me which one and I put her in the chair." "I've just as much concern for the proper operation of the law as you." "But in this case we're helpless." "If you have no more evidence than you've shown me... it would simply be a waste of time to try to take it into court." " Okay..." " Let's have them back." "Come in." "One of you women is a murderer." "You've killed a man in cold blood." "The other is an accomplice." "But the law upholds your refusal to give any testimony out of the circumstances." "It also forbid the indiscriminate prosecution of more than one person... in order to make sure of one guilty one." "This protection now enables you to become... parties to an outrageous and shameful miscarriage of justice." "I have no words adequate to express my contempt and abhorrence for both of you." "Now get out!" "We are free?" "You're free." "Goodbye, Lieutenant." "Au revoir, Miss Collins." "Remember me?" "Stevenson." "Of course, Lieutenant." "Come on in." "Sorry." "I don't mind ordinary music, it's the wonderful stuff that bores me." "That's snobbish, you know." "Well, this is an ordinarily place, where are the gimmicks?" " Gimmicks?" " Don't you witchdoctors..." " treat people with tinker toys?" " They're in my laboratory at the university." "What about that office you keep in the Medical Building?" "Just a convenient place to get case histories." "I don't practice really." " Would you have a lemon drop?" " No, thanks." " Sit down." " Thank you." "Have you given any thought to this twin case?" "I supposed you'd given that one up." "No." "Not me..." "Not me personally." "This is on my own time." "You don't look ambitious." "It's not ambitious, I'm just peculiar." "I don't like a perfect crime." "Not even in books." "I don't like to think things are orgamized that way so somebody can be the square rap." "Yes, I thought about it." "I rather like those girls." "Or one of them anyway." "She seemed very nice." " You don't know which one?" " No, I'm afraid not." " I never talked to them together." " You think you'd know if you did?" " I imagine so." " You couldn't tell that day in the D. A.'s office?" " No..." " You see..." " The whole thing just burns me to a crisp." " Why?" "How do you know someone else didn't do it" "I don't." "And in the meantime I play along with the twins." "At least one of them." "Do you realize that one of the girls could knock that guy off... on the corner of Broad an Main with 50 witnesses..." " and we still couldn't hang it on her?" " I guess not." "I could be in that room myself and see her plant that knife with my own eyes... and I couldn't make it stick unless I grabbed her by the wrist... and held on to her until I had her in solitary?" "I just can't bear it, I tell you." "I can't bear it." " So..." " So, first, tell me this:" "You're a twin expert." "Do you know anything whatever about those to dames... that would give me a chance to begin to work?" " Well, sure." " What?" " The crime." " The crime?" "Well, of course." "You don't suppose just anyone could commit a murder, do you?" "You're going to have to be very patient with me." "What do you mean by that?" "The character, personality." "Not even nature can duplicate character, even in twins." "I interviewed a pair of twins once so alike that dogs got mixed up about them." "Once, living a thousand mile apart... they both got toothaches in the same tooth." "And each one had that tooth pulled out." "Do you know why they were living so far apart?" "Why?" "Because one was lecturing at a big Eastern university... and the other was serving his stretch in prison." " Different characters." " I see." "It's the same here, I should say, if you're right about these girls." "One could and one couldn't commit murder." "That's all there is to it." "Yeah." "That's all there is to it..." "Constitutional rights!" "Oh well, another thing:" "Do you often interview twins?" "Often." "But not for the police." "What about the one you liked?" " What about her?" " Suppose she is innocent..." "There is no particular reason to believe she is any danger, if that's what you mean." "Living with a killer?" "It's really not my business, that kind of thing." "If one of them kills that way with a knife... don't you think there's a chance she'd kill again?" "Her sister, if she ever became nervous about her?" " No doubt about it." " I'll never ask you the name." "Or proof." " I bet." " I swear it on anything you say." "Some day you call me and say you've got the answer, and I'd be satisfied." " Why?" " I've already told you." "Because then I'll know that there's still no such thing as a perfect crime." "The system worked." "You still can't beat a square rap." " Social regularity, huh?" " If that's your name for it." "Well, it's out of question." "The whole idea." "I am not a detective and there's no reason to assume I could be of the slightest help to her." "Besides I didn't say I was in love with the girl." "Simply said, I liked her." "But how do I know she wasn't the one who did it?" "You can't just look at a person and tell a thing like that." "For all I know, she may have been killing people for years." "Both of them." "All I said was that she was very pleasant, very nice." "And it's not easy to believe that..." " Why, Mr. Lemon Drops!" " It couldn't be anyone but Terry." " How are you, doc?" "Glad to see you." " Thanks." "You too." " Thanks." " Still chumping on that cast-iron candy." "I told you before I don't chump 'em." "I wear 'em down." " No wonder I never got it." " Didn't you?" "An expert like you." "No." "Obviously you are both wonderful." "I almost forgot that there was such a thing as kidding." " Things haven't been so good, eh?" " Not so good." "You saw the papers." "Those pictures." "We are celebrities now." " No work, you mean?" " One look at our face and..." " They don't forget." "Not in this town." " It's a little rugged." "You can't blame them." "You saw what the district attorney said." "I wish you wouldn't say things like that." "But he knows." "He must have read the papers." "Everybody else did." "I know but..." "Then maybe my idea, that is the real reason why I'm here... maybe is some good to you as well as me." "How do you mean?" "I'd like to add you two to my collection of twins." "I'm the old twin student, remember?" "And I like very much to add you girls to it." "I'd pay you something." "Of course not much." "It'd be only be an hour or so each day at your own convenience." "We did that once when we were kids in Chicago." "Then you know what it is." "Physical, verbal, psychological, the standard stuff." "Are you quite sure you're not doing this for the police?" "I was gathering data on twins before I ever met a policeman." "I was doing it long before I laid eyes on either of you girls." "Must been my main occupation in research for years," "I'll probably still be doing it after you both are married and settle down with twins of your own." " Which you're very likely to have, you know." " What is your purpose in this?" "The purpose of all research:" "To learn as much as possibly about the subject." "In my case, to add to my knowledge about identical twins." " And you'd pay us?" " 25 Dollars a week a piece." "That's the customary allowance." "For that I'd expect you to come to the laboratory at least 3 times per week... separately for not more than 2 hours anyway on each visit." "What do you think?" "I don't think we're interested." "I don't like the idea of being a guinea pig." "I don't want to press you if you're afraid in any way..." "We have nothing to be afraid of, doctor, nothing but snoopers." "In that case, there is nothing more to be said." "I'm sorry if I'm given that impression, and I apologize." " I'm sorry too." " I think we should do it." "I don't think he's a snooper, and we could certainly use the money." "You don't mind being ask a lot of personal questions?" "Why should I?" "Or why should you?" "It's for a good purpose, I think we should do it." "There is no reason to fear it... because we do need the money." "And because, well... we've always liked Dr. Elliott." "Both of us." "Well, then let's leave it like this." "Talk it over between yourselves and call me." "I hope you can see things Terry's way... but if you can't, I'll understand." "No harm done." "Goodbye now." " Goodbye." " Goodbye, Terry." " I hope I'll be seeing you both soon." " Goodbye, doctor." "We will call you." "Please do." "What's the matter with you?" " Do you think that was very wise?" " Why?" "What are you afraid of?" " I'm not afraid." "It's..." " Don't lie about it." "You are afraid." "You're more and more afraid every day." "Why?" "Terry, you know very well what it is." "You think I killed him." "Why don't you admit it?" "But I don't!" "You know I don't." "Then why are you so frightened?" "If they knew which one was in the apartment that night..." "You know what that'd mean." "He proposed to me there and I said yes." "Why should I kill him?" "I know that, dear." "I know you didn't do it." "I know it so well... that I'd do anything to keep them from learning you were in his apartment that night." "That's the only reason I'm frightened." "Believe me, dear." "Please believe me." "Well, then is there anything about yourself that you're afraid for Elliot to learn?" "Of course not." "Well, then stop worrying." "There's no need for it." "Besides, he is very attractive, very good looking." "I like him." " You don't think we can fool you now?" " No." "Not anymore, Terry." "I even have you spotted in the magazine stand." "How do you mean?" "I know some of the times when it was you and some of the times when it was Ruth." "Not all, of course, but some." " What was the difference?" " I do not know..." " Meaning, I'm not sure yet." " Which one did you like the best?" " You." " Really?" "Sit over here, will you?" " Why?" " Why what?" "Why do you say you like me best?" "Because that's always the answer during office hour." "What is this one?" "These are pictures of ink blots." "Actually." "The kind you probably made yourself when you were a child." "Just blots of ink and the paper folded over." "What is it for?" "It's another way of examining personality." "I'm going to hand them to you one by one... and all you have to do is tell me what you see." "What it looks like to you." " Quickly?" " If you see it quickly, sure." "As soon as you make something out of it, you tell me." "Ready?" "Face that way, please." "What does it look like to you?" "It might be a mask." "You see?" "The black holes for eyes... heavy eyebrows and lips give it a fixed expression." "Anything else?" " May I turn it?" " Anyway you wish." "This looks the face of a white lamb with a black nose." "It's got a mark on its forehead." "It looks like a moth spreading its wings over a butterfly." "Beneath its fron paws, there are two men face down, with their arms outstretched." "It all seems symbolic of something." "The lamb looks so innocent but it has two men under its paws." "Symbolic of what?" "The lamb of death?" "I wonder if you are really as so cool as you pretend." " No, I'm not." " I don't think so either." "Outside the office I'm Robert Taylor with jet propulsion." "What do you see in this one?" "What does it looks like to you, Terry?" "These are two men, back to back." "But they don't seem to be aware of each other." "Now it's changing into the full face of a man with drooping mustache and slanting eyes." "And this is a dancer, a woman dancing with a puppet." "Now you see the puppet reaching to pat a cruel a rival that pretends not to see her." "But all the time he's trying to reach near enough to do her some harm." "May I have a cigarette, please?" "By the way, why did you leave Nebraska, Ruth?" "We've been lived in a farm for about a year... and the farmer's wife wanted to adopt me because she couldn't have any children." "But they could only afford to adopt one of us." "Why did they pick you instead of Terry?" "Do you know?" "Oh, it just happened." "I suppose no particular reason." "There're not much choice between twins." "But Terry was very upset when she heard about it, naturally." "So we just decided to pull out." "That's all." "What do you see in this one?" "These are two people in costume, and they're dancing around a May pole." "They are bending over because they just about wound up the ribbons." " It's that what you wanted?" " That's it." "Anything else?" "Turn it if you wish." "These are two skaters like in the ice show." "And they are leaning backward, one foot high in the air and the arms extended." "How did Terry find out, do you know?" "Oh, the farmer, I think." "He never liked her for from the beginning for some reason." "Was he cranky?" "No, I got along fine with him, but Terry for some reason..." "What do you see in this one?" "These are two old ladies sitting back to back in an open streetcar like the old cable cars in San Francisco." "And they seem frightened." "They've got..." "They're holding on to the arms of their chairs... and they got their feet tugged tightly under their seat." "And look at those chins." "This is a drum majorette, with a high bearskin shako." "She's very straight and graceful, light-footed." "And she got her knee high in the air." "Thank you very much." "Hello?" " Well, it's about time!" " Sorry I'm late." " What did you do?" "Go through town?" " No." "Scott and I just got to talking." " Talking?" " After that ink spot stuff." "Who do you suppose ever thought that one up?" " Talking about what?" " Just gabbing." "Chicago, movies, when we were kids." " Not about us?" " No, mostly about himself." "He was awefully funny about when he went to school." "He must have been." "He was, really." "Once he drops that office act, he is awful lot of fun." "The way he used to be around the cigar stand, remember?" "Is that his line, down memory lane?" "I don't think it was a line, he just seemed to want to talk." " Nothing romantic?" " I'm afraid not." " Dear me, you sound disappointed." " No...!" "Not falling for him, are you?" "My goodness, Terry, sometimes it seems as if that's all you ever thought about:" "Falling for someone!" "Of course not!" "Just don't want to see you do anything foolish." "Yes, mama." "I'm not convinced yet that he's being strictly on the level with us in this thing." "I don't know, of course." "I can't believe it." "Perhaps not, but if I were you, I'd be just a little careful." "Not too friendly... yet." " If only we weren't so..." " I know." "It's not very pleasant." "But as long as we are, we just have to be on our guard with everybody." "Particularly him." "Well, it's something I hadn't figured on." "Never even dreamed of." "I'm not gonna ask any questions." "I said, I wouldn't, and I won't." "All I can do is to stand here, a poor, broken-down old policeman... and wait for whatever you want to tell me." "You know the ink blot test?" "I made several other kinds of tests to check and cross-check." "In the ink blot test about 80% of the people who study the blots... will see generally the same figures, the same illusions and visions." "What the other 20% see in the same blots... reflecting the true secret pattern of their own mind and personalities... is quite illuminating and pretty accurate." "In this particular case, there don't seem to be much room doubt about one thing." "What?" "One of our young ladies is insane." "Very clever, very intelligent, but insane." "This one's called a free association test." "And it's so simple that even I understand what I'm doing." "If all this is to find out which of us is smarter, I can save you a lot of time:" " It's Terry." " Is that official?" "It's a funny thing about us." "I'm older than she is: 7 minutes and 55 seconds." "But that isn't the way it feels." "All our lives, she has been the older sister." " Always helping and protecting me." " Sit over there, please." "And like a mother too, actually, because we've been orphans since we were 10." "I wish you'd get it out of your head that this is a contest." "I'm interested in absolute, not comparative results." "Yes, professor." " You know something?" " What?" " I'm a very pleased man today." " Good!" " Which I haven't been for almost a week." " No?" " Because you haven't seemed happy." " I'm sorry." "I was afraid I'd done something that offended you." " Oh, no." " I didn't mean to." "I assure you." "I was something else." "I was a little worried... about something else." " But it's all right now?" " Yes, it's okay now." "Good." "That's the way it ought to be." "Well, back to cold science." "I'm gonna give you some words, one at a time." "As soon as you hear the word, you answer with the first word that comes into your mind." "Not a sentence, just a single word." "And answer as quickly as you can." "That's the important part of it, speed." "Are you ready?" "Table." "Chair." "Ready?" "Dark." "Night." " Moon." " Beams." " Knife." " Scissors." " White." " Black." " Mirror." " Death." "King." "Queen." " Blossom." " Flower." " River." " Lake." " How could you have said it?" " How do I know?" "It just popped out." "I don't understand all this fuss." "What possible harm can it do?" "None." "None whatever." "I don't give two cents for that fellow and his kindergarten games." "I can do that stuff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and beat him at it every time." "He doesn't frightened me with that stuff." " It's you I'm worried about." " But why?" "Because it shows your mind is still on that thing, and you can't deny it." "When he said "mirror" and you automatically said "death", that proved it." "It may not mean a thing to him, but it does to me because I understand some of that mumbo-jumbo." "And it's a dead giveaway that it's still in your mind and I had something to do with it." "Terry, please!" "I've told you..." "Why do you keep saying a thing like that?" " Forget it!" " But you have not right even to think." "Why do you take these sleeping pills?" " Because I can't sleep without them, of course." " Why can't you?" "Because my nerves are still bad." "I haven't gotten over everything yet." " Neither of us has." " Is that all?" " What other reason could there be?" " Not your conscience, perhaps?" "My conscience about what?" "Perhaps you're sorry you didn't tell the police all you know." "Maybe that's what troubling you." "Maybe you're thinking you should do it even now?" "But that's utterly ridiculous." "Such a thought never entered my head." "Because, if you are, there is the phone, right there..." "Oh, Terry, stop it!" "You're talking nonsense!" " Am I?" " Of course you are!" "I hope so." "Because if you ever suspected me..." "I do not know what I'd do..." "I really don't..." " Table." " Chair." " Moon." " Stars." " King." " Queen." " Death." " Mirror." "Girl." "Woman." " Black." " White." " Rose." " Thorn." "I have an idea, you aren't much impressed with any of this stuff, are you, Terry?" " No?" "Then why do you think I'm here?" " Just to humoring the old professor." " Is that all?" " Or nothing else to do." "Had it ever occurred to you that I might like seeing you." "No, it hadn't..." "Do you tell the truth?" "Don't you like to see me?" "If you knew how anxious I was for you to get here this afternoon... you wouldn't have to ask that." " Honest?" " Very honest." "Then maybe we could see each other outside the office some time." "We will, I'm sure." " Would you like to?" " Very much." " All right, when?" " Soon." "But not before we finish with these test, I'm afraid." "What's that got to do with it?" "It's hard enough for me to keep my mind on science as it is... please don't make it anymore difficult for me." "Alright." "But the first night afterward?" " It's a date." " The very next night." "Remember." " I'll remember, Terry." " Good night." "I was really crazy about that boy, but Terry simply couldn't stand him." "She insisted that he wasn't on the level, and that's the way it turned out, he wasn't." " How did you find out?" " He dated her one night and she told me." "Terry's turned in, I guess." "How many men have you been crazy about?" "That was just a kid stuff." "We were about 16 then, I think." "All this autobiography I'm given you..." "is this for science too?" "No." "No, this is personal." "The more I know about you, the more I wanna know." "I want to know everything about you that's possible to know, for myself." "And apparently you will." "Good night." "Do you think, when all this business is over, I can call and ask you out to dinner... or dancing or just to talk, in a purely personal way?" " You think you'll still want to?" " That's what I'm looking forward to." "Do you mind?" "NO." "I like it." "You are a wonder." " Good night." " Good night." "It's all right." "I'm not asleep." "Don't turn on the light." "I'll undress in the bathroom." " You're taking a sleeping pill tonight?" " I don't think so." "I slept all right last night." " I think you better take two." " Two?" "What on earth for?" "If you take two, maybe you won't be so troubled in your sleep." " You mean I talked?" " Talked, cried." " You scare me half to death sometimes." " Good heavens!" " Dreaming, I suppose." " No." " You don't remember what you dream?" " I don't remember even dreaming recently." "You don't remember my waking you last night when you were sobbing." " No." " Or what you said to me?" "No." "What did I say?" "Such big deep sobs, as if you were terrified." "As if you were seeing something so dreadful you couldn't bear to face it." "You don't remember what it was?" "I do not remember anything about it at all." "But I thought you wakened." "No..." "Pretty harrowing for a few minutes." "I can't imagine what it was to frighten me so." " Has it happened before?" " A few times." "One night you were rather gay for a change." "Quite gay, in fact." "Seem to have been something about Scott." "Oh, dear..." " You think quite a lot of him, don't you?" " I do like him but..." " Does he like you?" " Oh, some, I imagine." "Ever say anything?" "You know, nothing serious, just casual things..." "Ever kissed you?" "He maybe just trying to pump YOU, YOU know?" "Oh, I don't think so." "Don't you want to know what seemed to be frightening you?" "I don't know whether I do or not." "You've talked about before in your sleep." "You were worried about one of us being... crazy." "The old saying, that one of twins is likely to be abnormal." "But that's not true, that's a superstition." "You heard Scott telling the district attorney that." "I know." "That's an old wives tale." "We've heard it for years but it's not true." " Didn't you hear Scott say it wasn't?" " Yes, I heard him." "This is so awful." "It frightens me." "The whole idea of talking and dreaming and sobering and..." " remembering nothing about it." " It can't be very pleasant, but it's not really so important." "Just bad dreams." "I know, but..." "such a thought..." " What's this one?" " Blood pressure, Terry, and pulse." " You mean a lie detector?" " That's the easy name for it." "Do you mind?" "Why should I?" "What do you want me to talk about?" "I'll let you know when we are ready." " How much more of this stuff have we got?" " Winding up this week." "Friday afternoon and that's that." " The whole thing?" " Yes, the work is complete." " Then Saturday night's the night." " The night?" " If you tell me you've forgotten..." " Oh, sure." " Remember?" " That's right." "Well?" "I'm afraid I did forget." "I'm terribly sorry." "You mean you can't make it?" "Any other night, but..." "What a man!" "And me thinking that you were simply living for that night." "It's inexcusable, I know." "But we finished so much sooner than expected." "Who's my rival?" "You have no rival, you know that." "Is that always the answer during office hours too?" "Your memory is too good." "Come on, let's get on with this now, and straighten that out later?" "There's nothing to straighten out." "My heart is broken, that's all." "Let's have the machine." "All I want you to do is to answer a few simple questions." "Not on any forbidden subject." "You needn't be worried about that." "It's all over the whole thing." "Ask me anything you'd wish." " Does that goes for Ruth too?" " That you better ask her." "Oh, yeah, yes." "Yes, of course." "I hope so, anyway." "You've both been through a pretty terrible ordeal." "If you manage to come out of it okay... that's wonderful." "What are you going to ask me?" "You were telling me the other day about when you lived in Ohio... before you moved to Chicago." "Remember?" " Anything else interesting about that time?" " Oh, off hand..." "I believe that Ruth was telling me about a boy she went with... that you didn't care much for." "Freddie Eckland." "Yes, I think that was the name." "In Dayton." "Why?" "What did she say?" "She just said that you told her he wasn't on the level and proved it." " Was she complaining?" " Good heavens, no." "She was grateful." "You know how she depends on you." "She was rambling along about how you've always looked after for her... sort of like a older sister, she says." " Did she tell you that I met him first?" " No, I don't believe she did." "Well, that's the truth of the matter." "I met him first and introduced him to her." "He did care the slightest for her, and I knew it." "Then he started going around with her." "Without her even dreaming that it was actually me he was interested in." "Terry!" " What is it, dear?" " That light again!" "Wake up, dear." "You're dreaming again." "No, it wasn't a dream!" "Didn't you see it?" "There wasn't anything to see, dear." "You're dreaming, I tell you." "It wasn't a dream!" "It wasn't asleep!" "The whole room lighted up, Terry!" "I saw everything in a great flash!" "Now, you're all right." "There is nothing to be afraid of." "But I was sure I saw it." "I was sure of it!" "It doesn't matter, it really doesn't." "But what is it?" "What do you think it is?" "Something is happening to me, and I don't know what it is!" "I don't understand it!" "You're just imagining things." "Your nerves are playing little tricks on you, that's all." "I'm so scared!" "I'm so scared!" "I don't know what to do!" "It's nothing really." "Just remember I'm with you... and I'm always going to be with you." "No matter what happens." "So that's all there is to it?" "Yes, that's all there is, I'm afraid." "I didn't promise you a great deal more, remember?" "All I can say positively is that Ruth didn't do it." "She's simple isn't capable of that sort of thing." "That I know." " That does narrows it down a bit." " Terry is paranoiac." "A paranoiac has no more conscience, no more sense of right and wrong... than a two year old." "A paranoiac is capable of anything." "That's something, but not much." "You can't run loonies in until they have done something, broken some kind of law." "If the family don't see fit to commit them... you've to wait until someone is set on fire." "Unfortunately." "Pretty tough on Ruth." "You gotta tell her, aren't you?" "I suppose so." "But it's not going to be easy." " Apparently, she hasn't a ghost of a suspicion." " No?" "What about that double alibi?" "She could be tricked." "Terry could trick her." "Well..." "Much obliged anyway, doc." "Yeah..." "Sorry I couldn't have been more help to you." " Good night, Sergeant." " Good night, doc." " You gonna see Ruth again soon?" " I expect to." " Tell her no matter, no matter how hard it is." " I will." "Because it's six to uneven the other one will pop off again before it's over." " It's quite possible." " It's better than that." "And watch out for yourself, too." "I don't think I figure very seriously in our calculations." "She didn't mind these tests, it was just another challenge to her." "Another opportunity to show the world what contempt she has for it." "That was the first tip off I got on her." "Don't you say there was no pattern to a psychotic's calculations." " Well..." " Don't be too modest, doc." " All right, I'll tell her." " When?" "Tonight if I can." " Good night." " Good night." "You know, it might help if Terry came out and spit on the sidewalk or something." "Then we could pick her up." "If I was that young man, I'd feel a trifle nervous." "Yeah?" "Why?" "Because from the way he tell it, he looks very much to me like the new Peralta." "The target for tonight?" "That's the way it is." "The minute the doctor falls in love with his patient, from then on... he's about as useful as a papoose." " Hello." " Hello." " Hello, Ruth?" " Hello Scott!" "How are you, dear?" " Are you alone?" " Yes." "Why?" "I don't want Terry to know." " Do you think I could see you alone tonight?" " Of course." "When?" "Anytime." "Whenever you say." "Could I make it rather late?" "Around 11?" " She'd be asleep by then." " 11 is all right for me." "Supposing I come to your apartment at 11 or a little after." "I'll leave the front door unlocked, and you come straight up to the top of the stairs." "I understand." "Do you mind?" "No." "Of course not." "I couldn't be more pleased." "You know there's no one in the world I'd rather see walk in that door." "I saw your light, I was walking... and I thought if you weren't busy for a little while..." "No, no, no." "I was just wondering what to do next." " Not that it's anything important..." " Feeling depressed?" "I guess so." "Something like that." "Have you had your dinner?" "Then what do you say?" "Instead of dinner with me tomorrow night... how about having it with me tonight and tomorrow night?" " Oh, I didn't mean..." " And as many other nights as you can spare." "But tonight, my dear, I think we should have it with music." "You sure you don't want to tell me?" "What causes hallucinations?" "Hallucinations?" "Things you imagine you see or hear." "What causes them?" "Bad nerves." "Just nerves?" "Or a sick mind." " May I explain something?" " No, please don't." "I think I'd like to go home now." "Would you get my bag and gloves?" "I'll wait for you here and will go out his way." "Of course, dear." "I'll be right back." "Police headquarters." "Lieutenant Stevenson, please." "Lieutenant?" "This is Scott Elliott." "What do you think of me in the role of a human booby trap?" "So you got the picture at last?" "It's possible." "Would you still be there 10:30?" "I wanna talk to you about something that has come up" "Something that may be more on your line than mine." "I'll be right here, partner, from 10:30 on." " She loaded again?" " Looks like it." "He's a very smart guy for a college man." " Are you ready?" " Thanks." "Oh, come on, you can do better than that." "I was worried." "Where did you go?" "Walk." " With Scott?" " No." "Haven't you seen him?" "He called about 7." " Who?" " Scott." "I told you I haven't seen him." " You just come in?" " No, I'm just going out." "To dance." "I don't know whether I ought to leave you here alone or not." "Do not be silly, I'm all right." "Have you been taking your capsules?" " No." " Why not?" " They're no good." " Maybe you don't take enough." "But be careful, don't take too many." "Look, darling... try not to worry so much." "No matter what happens, they can't do a thing without my consent... and I'll never in the world give that, believe me." "I know, dear." "So don't be too scared." "We'll never be separated." "You and I are gonna be together as long as we live." "Remember that, darling, always." "Good night, dear." "I won't stay out too late." "Goodbye." "Come in." "I'm so glad you came." "I wondered about how you lived." "I apologize for its neatness but I have no woman around to keep it messed up." "I'll hold it." " Could I get you something to drink?" " No, thanks." "I hope I didn't alarm you with all that urgency and mystery..." "No, I was just puzzled that you felt you needed some excuse." "I'd have come anyway." "You know that." "Sit here." "But it wasn't an excuse." "I was quite serious, it was something I thought we should discuss right away privately." " Does it have to be tonight?" " I'm afraid so, dear." "It's quite important." " It's about Terry." " You don't like Terry, do you?" " Of course I like her." " But what?" "But, I love you." "Why?" " Why do I love you?" " Why me and not her?" "That's something I'm very curious about." "Why did you choose me instead of her?" "We're so much alike." "What was it you saw in me that you didn't see in her?" "How can I answer that?" "All I know is that you're the one I fell in love with." " What else do I have to know?" " Am I better looking than she is?" " Well, to me you are, of course!" " Don't laugh." "I'm serious, I want to know what you think the difference is." "For instance, kiss me." "Do you really believe you could tell that from one of Terry's?" "Or my lips from hers?" "I think so." " Have you ever kissed Terry?" " No." "Then how can you possible know?" "How could you even say such a thing?" "I'm not sure, but I think I'd know in my heart." " Would you really?" " I think so." "Of course, I don't believe it for a second." "But I want to asked you anyway because it's usually Terry they usually go for." " She is the one that really sends them." " But that's not true." "Of course it's true." "Terry is the smart one." "I've told you that before." "No, they don't go for her, that's the trouble with her." " That's why I wanted to talk to you." " I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." "It's not an easy thing to tell you, but I feel that I should." "Terry is not well." "She's sick... inside." "She needs help from you and from me if possible." ""Sick"?" "How?" "She is twisted inside." "How it got started, I don't know." "Some incident when you were babies, I imagine, that you've both forgotten." "But there's a natural strong rivalry between sisters... and ever since that incident, whatever it was... it's grown more and more bitter in her until now it's... abnormal." "And she needs care and attention right away." "Terry and I has never been rivals." "Never." "Not in the slightest." "All women are rivals fundamentally... but it never bothers them because they automatically discount the successes of others... and alibi their own failures on the grounds of circumstances." "Luck, they say." "But between sisters it's a little more serious." "The circumstances are generally about the same... so they have fewer excuses with which to comfort themselves." "That's why sisters can hate each other with such terrifying intensity." "As for twins, especially identical twins... you must have some idea yourself what agonies of jealousy are possible." "Go on." "People, men particularly, find it easy enough to like you." "You're a natural and normal." "By the grace of God, you've managed to escape that poison of rivalry and jealousy." "But not she." "In spite of the truth of what you say that actually on the surface there's little to choose between you." "That is of course a lie!" "I'm sorry, my dear, but it isn't." "It's the whole history of her case by her word as well as yours." "The boy Dayton, remember?" "And the lawyer in Chicago... and that family that wanted to adopt you but not her." "It's the same story over and over and over again." "Whichever they met first, it was you they preferred in the end." "I've never listened to such utter nonsense in all my life!" "I called you tonight because I want you to talk to her about this." "I want you to as the one nearest and dearest to her... to persuade her to go to a doctor and put herself under his care." "I want you to get her to do this at once." "And if I refuse to insult her with such incredible rot?" "But you mustn't." "I can't tell you how important it is that she gets this care immediately." "And if she refuses?" "If you refuse..." "Terry," "I'm afraid I'll have to tell who killed Frank Peralta and why." "You can't." "You don't know." "I think I do." "Not that it matters, because there is nothing you'll be able to do about it." " Whatever you guess." " Shall I remind you anyway?" "If you wish." "Peralta was killed because the same thing happened to you again." "It was Ruth he really loved without even knowing she even existed." "It was your he courted, took to dinner, the movies, to dance... finally asked to marry him." "He didn't know there were twins." "All he knew was that every now and then the girl at the counter... brought him a warmth that he missed at other times." "That's what puzzled him." "That's why he asked me about a split personality." "Nor do I think you were aware of all this until that night in his apartment... when he spoke of this curious difference in you from time to time." "Then you knew it had happened again." "It was Ruth he was in love with, not you." "So you made sure that if you couldn't have his love... neither should Ruth." "Who else have you told this to?" "I said, who else have you told this ridiculously story to?" "Nobody else so far... and there'll be no need to tell it again if you do what I suggest." "Go to your doctor and be guided wholly by what he says." "I see no particular necessity for that." "It's just as I told you:" "There's nothing you can do about it, no matter how strongly you feel." "You don't think so?" "No." "I'm afraid you've just been wasting your time." " Haven't you forgotten Ruth?" " Not at all." "But you must have, because I can assure you... she won't take this "ridiculous" story so lightly." "I don't suppose so." "She's been behaving so strange lately... that I wouldn't put anything past her." "But I doubt that anyone would take seriously the word of a girl who suffers from hallucinations." "Or hasn't she told you?" "Just a minute!" "What do you mean by that?" "Where's Ruth now?" "Look..." "Are you so sure which one you've kissed?" " Of course I am." " Look closely." "Are you certain?" "Hello?" " Speaking." " Have you still got that Terry there with you?" "Could you bring her her over by yourself or do you want me to sent the wagon?" "Just a minute." " Who is that?" " The guy from the hospital." " I'll be with you in a minute." " Sorry, doc, but I have bad news." "I got nervous after I left you and I decided to come over here and take a look for myself." "I hate to have to tell you this, but when I got in here..." "What?" "No..." "All right Stevenson, I'll be right over." "Ruth's dead." "She's killed herself." "Does that surprises you?" "I'm terribly sorry, doc, but..." "I'm terribly sorry, Miss Collins." "Sit here." " May I go in...?" " Well, I suppose so, if you want to." "The examiner is in there." "You go with him Franklin." "Can you tell me what happened?" "She took some of this sleeping junk apparently." "It was empty in the bathroom." "She's been taking it for the last 2 or 3 months." "Ms. Collins..." "I hate to have to ask you questions, at a time like this... but did she have any reason you know of?" "Yes, I'm afraid she did." " What was it, Miss Collins?" " Her conscience." "Oh!" "Yeah?" "I don't..." "Take your time, Ms. Collins." "I'm not pressing you." "I know it's a tough situation." "I'm all right..." "It's just that I have been under such a strain, and now this." "But she's free now, poor darling." "And now I have a right to some peace too." "Of course you'll have." "Make a clean breast of it now, the whole thing." "You'd be surprised, how much better you'll feel." "She killed him." "She killed him?" "She said she didn't, but I know she did." "I believed her at first." "I kept on believing her for a long time." "But now I know that she did it." "Take this down." "That night, Ms. Collins, what happened?" "When I got home from Jefferson Park, she was already in bed." "I thought asleep." "When it all came out, she made me promise not to say anything... because she knw I knew she'd been out with him." " You believed her then?" " Yes, but..." "It was something the matter with Terry." "She was sick inside." "She was twisted." " You mean Ruth?" " No, Terry." "I'm Ruth." "It was a kind of deep bitterness." "Wait a minute..." "I thought you were Terry!" "No, I'm talking about Terry, I'm Ruth." " But didn't you...?" " Didn't I what?" "Nothing." "I'm just a little..." "Go on." "Then Scott found out about it." "Something in those tests." "And he told me tonight, he told me she was not right..." "She was sick inside..." "with jealousy..." "That's why she killed him, Scott says." "He didn't know that we were two of us." " All he knew was..." " Just a minute." " What are you trying to pull?" " I'm just telling what you told me." "Just about what you told me." "Remember?" "But this isn't Ruth, this is Terry!" "No, Scott, we've been over all that once tonight." "This is ridiculous!" "I know this girl almost as well as I know myself." " And it's Terry!" " How do you know?" "How do I know?" "I've been studying them daily for almost two months." "I have no more difficulty telling these girls apart than I have telling you and me apart." " Can you prove it?" " Prove it?" "All I know is that she says she's Ruth." "She certainly sounds like Ruth." "And unless you have some way of proving different..." " Shall I go on?" " You bet!" "I think we're getting somewhere with this." "Go ahead." "The tests only showed what I'd known for a long time:" "That she hated me from the bottom of her heart... because men find it easy enough to like me, but not her!" "It was the same story over and over again." "Whichever they met first..." "I'm sorry, dear." " You're not sourly, are you?" " Of course not." "I didn't explain to you what I was gonna do is I didn't know myself until I got here." "It was only after a talk with Ruth that the idea came to me." "Then it was too late to explain." "So I just had to take a chance." "All I can say is you aged me 10 years... but under the circumstances I forgive you." " You wanna know why I got nervous?" " Why?" "Psychological reasons." "I got to thinking about what you'd told me... and then it occurred to me that maybe Ruth was in more danger than you are." "After all, even a nut can figure out that it's simpler to get rid of a rival... than go knocking off her boyfriends all the rest of her life." " I take back what I said about the police." " Thank you, doc." "Fourth-floor, novelty department, $9.75 this week only." "Was the mirror me?" "The reflection was." "That's what twins are." "Reflections of each other." "Everything in reverse." " And now, will you answer on question for me?" " What?" "Under the circumstance you're going to say it is impossible, of course, but... why are you so much more beautiful than your sister?"