""Upstate New York" " November 27"" "Where would we put all that luggage?" "Think about that." " You're very strong." " Okay, push!" "This is the last holiday I'm ever going on with you." "Where'd you get all those muscles?" " Come on." " More, more, more!" " Don't quit now." " How much f urther?" "It's only a couple million more miles." "A couple of what?" "Couple million more miles." "Right up here we're gonna stop." "Keep pushing." "Don't quit." " Mexico next time." " Hawaii's better." "Hold it, hold it." "That's good." " Now what you gonna do?" " I'm gonna try to get us some" " Help?" " Help." "Come on." "Let's have a snowball fight." "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Come on!" "Help me, Daddy!" "Yes, do you have the number f or Emergency Road Service?" "Thank you, Stan." "If you want a hand with anything, just give me a shout, Mr. Russell." "I will, thanks." "Mr. Russell?" "Catch." "You know that this piece is going to Seattle too, Estancia?" "Yes, sir." "Good." "At first, right af ter it happened, I was in shock." "I just f unctioned automatically." "I didn't f eel anything." "And one day, it hit me" "Joanna and Kathy are gone." "I just kept walking around the apartment saying it over and over: "They're gone."" "I guess I was about half crazy." "But that's over f our months ago... and what I've got to do now is start making demands of myself." "Your first class is next Monday." "I'll set up a meeting tomorrow with some of the f aculty." "You'll remember a lot of them." "11:00 okay f or you?" "That's fine, Robert." "Thanks f or everything you've done." "Come on." "Everyone's very excited about you being here." "A well-known alumnus and distinguished composer like yourself." "Says who?" "Distinguished or not, we're glad you came." "Come on!" "Give it to me!" " No!" " Okay, kids, keep it down." "Go into the kitchen, get yourself some cookies." "By the way, how long are you planning to stay in that hotel?" " There's plenty of room here." " No, thanks, Eva." "I think I'm gonna find a house to rent." "I've got some things coming out." "I need a place I can lock myself in and pound away at the piano all night." "I have a f riend who works f or the Historical Preservation Society." "They have some old houses that I'm sure they rent." " We'll see what we can come up with." " Good." " Mr. Russell?" " Yes." "Hello, I'm Claire Norman." "Why don't you hop in and we'll drive up." "Fine." " When was the house last occupied?" " Let's see." "About 12 years ago." "It's been with the Historical Society... f or the past 12 years." "There we go." "Wow." "There were plans at one time to turn it into some kind of a museum." "But I don't know." "I guess a house was meant to be lived in." "Why hasn't it been lived in?" "I've only been with the Society f or a year now." "The impression I get is they haven't tried very hard with this place." "Of course, it does need a lot of work." "Yeah." "There's some pieces here that are just stored." "You'd have your pick of them." "You know, whatever you'd like." "Kitchen's in here." "What does it take to maintain a house of this size?" "We have a man who looks af ter all these places." "Mr. Tuttle." "And... this is the music room." "This is really why I thought of you and this house." "The piano was lef t here when the Society took over." "Just too much trouble to move, really." "It must be in very bad shape." "What are the terms?" "Sorry to disturb your composing." "That's all right, Mr. Tuttle." "This has already been composed." "There's a man in f ront wanting to deliver a water storage tank." "Oh, okay." "Have you managed to do any writing?" "I'm still working on the second movement." "Same old problem." "Well, maybe the lectures will help, get some new ideas going." "It's my understanding... that there are... twenty-three students registered... f or this series of lectures on advanced musical f orm." "Now, we all know that it's not raining outside." "Unless there's a fire in some other part of the building we don't know about... there's an awf ul lot of people here with nothing better to do." "However... we'll know more af ter the second lecture." "I'm sure there are many of you... who may recognize this." "Sounds a little bit better with an orchestra than a piano." "No, you made it sound fine." "That was a great class." "John's secret is that he's a natural ham." "Don't go too f ar." "Excuse me." " If you can't find your way back" " I'll send out a search party." "Hi." "I'd like you to meet my mother." " How do you do, Mrs. Norman?" " How do you do?" "This is John Russell." "You remember the Chessman house?" "Oh, yes." "I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr. Russell." " How are you liking the place?" " Fine." " It's so large." " Yes." "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please." "I'd like to introduce Senator Joseph Carmichael" "My God." "He's going to make another speech." "What you're hearing is a lif elong Republican commenting on a Democrat." "You know how I hate making speeches." "But sometimes, on a very special occasion..." "like raising money f or our magnificent symphony orchestra" "And weren't they f antastic tonight?" "Damn right." " I was just going to get a drink." " I think I'll join you." "I'll be right back, Mother." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Actually, he's on our board of directors... at the Historical Preservation Society." "In f act, he's become our number one philanthropist." " So, you're getting settled in then?" " Oh, yes." "There's some things at the Society of fice that belong to your house." "I'll see if I can dig them up f or you." "I'm glad you took the house." "Mr. Tuttle?" "Yes, Mr. Russell?" "You f rightened me." "Is anyone else here?" "Mrs. Rissean cleaning today?" "No, sir, just me." "Thank you." "That's lovely-- the music." " Well, hello." " Hi." " Has the quality of a lullaby." " Yes, it is in a sort." "Well, here we are, as promised." "These are some assorted prints that used to hang in the house somewhere." "And this... is an old restored photograph taken at the f ront of the house." " Isn't that remarkable?" " Beautif ul." "I tried to call first, but lnf ormation isn't giving your number out yet." "That's a beautif ul old piece." "Did you refinish it?" "I didn't, no." "Um, that was Kathy's, my daughter." "Well, I guess I'd better be of f." "I hope you like the prints." "Thank you." "You going riding?" "Yes." "Do you ride?" "What's the matter?" "I was just thinking about my daughter, Kathy-- how much she loved horses." "An air lock somewhere." "It was too loud, too rhythmic." "Well, it's starting, at least." "Why would it happen two mornings in a row... precisely at 6:00?" "Why does it go on f or half a minute and then stop?" "It doesn't make sense." "A f urnace is like anything else, Mr. Russell." "It's got habits." "It's an old house." "It makes noises." "Well, very good." "We're still not together on the of f-beats... and, darling, you're retarding a little too much on the last f our bars." "Otherwise, it was splendid." " Good night." " Good night." "See you tomorrow." "What I'm driving at is... has anything like this happened in the house bef ore?" "If so, to whom, when, and what did they do about it?" "Since I've been with the Society, the house has been empty." "John, you're working very hard." "You've been through a terrible emotional strain." " Are you saying I'm hallucinating?" " Excuse me." "Minnie?" "Claire, there's a call f or you-- your mother." " Should I tell her you're busy?" " I'll be right there." "Excuse me just f or a minute." "You know there's some question about your lease, Mr. Russell." " What do you mean?" " That house shouldn't have been rented." "Miss Norman rushed those papers through our attorney's of fice." "She did not use proper channels." "Why should anyone object?" "That house is not fit to live in." "No one's been able to live in it." "It doesn't want people." "Then there has been trouble in the house bef ore?" "Listen, it's note f or note." "Same tempo, even the same key." "What do you think?" "I don't know." "It's a startling coincidence." "But that melody must have been very popular at one time... or it wouldn't be on the music box." "I agree, but I swear I never heard it... bef ore I played it and recorded it that day you came over." "There's something-- Something." "It's happened bef ore here." "I'm not the first." "I went over the files very caref ully... all the way back to 1920." " Nothing out of the ordinary." " Miss Huxley." "Minnie's a highly eccentric old woman, but she'd never" "She said the house didn't want people." "She's mistaken." "Whatever it is is trying desperately to communicate." "The bangings, the water taps, the broken window panes." "All the glass f ell outward." "It had to be done f rom the inside." "Everything that's happened has been designed... to get me into that attic room." "I want to see it." "Look at that book on the desk there." ""C.S.B. January 4, 1909."" "It's a little child's writing." "1909." "Who could've lived here then?" "That's where I f ound the music box, on the mantle." "Look at this wheelchair." "Oh, my God." "It's so small." "What was this room?" "Former residents:" "William Sarachino and f amily." "Architect." "Bought the place in 1965." "Sold it in 1967." "Purchased f rom the Society f or Historical Preservation..." "November, 1967 , through a generous grant f rom the Carmichael Foundation." " That's the senator?" " Yeah." " Great philanthropist." " Where is the rest of this file?" "Previous occupants" "No previous occupants listed." "There's nothing here bef ore 1920." "Minnie, we're looking f or the Chessman house file, pre-1920." " Do you know where it is?" " What is it you want to know?" "We're trying to find out who lived in the house in 1909." "A man named Barnard." "A doctor." " Did he have any children?" " I believe a son and a daughter." "There was some kind of f amily tragedy, I think." "He sold the house in 1909." "1909?" "I'll set it up f or you." "Fine." "It's all ready to go." "The scanner's on the right." "Thank you so much." "Let's have a look here." "February 9." "These are want ads." "Financial page." "Real estate." "More want ads." "Wait, wait, wait." ""Cora Barnard, seven-year-old daughter of Dr. Walter Barnard... prominent Seattle physician, was struck and seriously injured... when she ran in f ront of a passing coal cart... outside her Chessman Park home yesterday." "She was hastened to St. Margaret's Hospital... where her condition remains grave."" " So f orth and so on." " Cora Barnard." "C.S.B." "There." ""Cora Barnard, daughter of-- succumbed in St. Margaret's Hospital... to injuries sustained in a February 15 accident." "She is mourned by her parents." "Miss Barnard will be interred in the f amily plot... in the Brookfield Cemetery."" "There's the doctor... and his wif e." "There's the brother, Lloyd." "This little girl, Cora... was killed in the street." "It was an accident, almost the same as Kathy." "What is it in that house, Claire?" "What is it doing?" "Why is it trying to reach me?" " John" " Is it because of my daughter?" "I can't go through all this again." "You must get out of that house." "I believe everything you're saying, Mr. Russell." "The noises, the lights, the teleportation of objects-- all very f amiliar." " Fascinating stuf f." " But the point is... what do I do now?" "I tell you, of f the record." "We have coming here... many mediums and spiritualists and so." "We test them." "Ninety-nine percent are the f rauds." "But the one percent-- astonishing." "A medium." " Mr. Russell?" " Yes." " How do you do?" " How do you do?" " My wif e, Leah." " Come in, please." " Thank you." " It's just to your lef t." "Could we have these lights of f, please?" "Sure." "I thought I'd record what happens." " Is that all right?" " Yes, of course." "That's fine." "Mr. Russell, would you sit there, please?" "I'll sit here." "Thank you." "You've suf f ered a cruel loss, John Russell." "You've lost a wif e and child." "The presence in this house is reaching out to you through that loss." "The presence is very strong here." "It is a child's presence... a child who is not at peace... who cannot rest." "The presence is with us." "We sense that you are with us." "Will you talk to us?" "Will you communicate with us?" "Will you come through to us?" "Will you speak to us?" "We are here to help you." "What is your name?" "Will you speak to us?" "Yes." "What is your name?" "Are you the child Cora?" "Are you the child killed by the coal cart?" "What is your name?" "Joseph." "Did you die in this house, Joseph?" "How did you die?" "Is there someone here you wish to communicate with?" "Help." "Help." "Help." "Mr. Russell, will you sit over here now, please?" "Will you speak to John?" "Will you tell us why you are not at rest?" "Speak to John." "John is with us." "What do you want of John?" "Why do you f eel no peace?" "Why do you remain in this house, Joseph?" "What is in this house?" "Speak to John." "John is with us." "How did you die?" "Did you die in this house?" "Why do you remain in this house?" "How did you die?" "Joseph, did you die in this house?" "We are here to help you." "What is your name?" "... killed by the coal cart?" "Are you the child killed by the coal cart?" "We are here to help you." "What is your name?" "Joseph." "Did you die in this house, Joseph?" "House." "My room." "Can't walk." "Will you tell us why you are not at rest?" "My f ather." "Joseph, did you die in this house?" " My room." " How did you die?" "Father." "The well." "Ranch." "Sacred Heart." "My medal." "Father, don't." "Help." "Body." "Ranch." "The well." "My name" " Joseph Carmichael." "Yeah." "I'm sorry to" "I just-- Can you come" "Will you tell us why you are not at rest?" " My f ather." " Joseph, did you die in this house?" " My room." " How did you die?" "Father, don't." "I shouldn't have called you." "It's just that I needed someone." "I wrote some words on the paper." "I wrote "Sacred Heart."" "There used to be a county orphanage... named Sacred Heart." "It was closed down years ago." "What?" "Their child, Joseph Carmichael." "He was murdered in this house in the attic... and buried." "And then an orphan" "Stop it, John, just f or one minute, please!" "Miss Huxley's on the phone, Senator." "It's the third time this morning." " She says it's important." " All right, I'll take it." "Hello, Minnie." "How are you?" "I'm fine." "They've been going through the files." "Let me have that name again." "I'm very glad to be of help, as you know." "Good-bye." "This is the senator's campaign bio, 1960." "I got it f rom the main library, had them Xerox it f or me." " You f ound something?" " It's a kind of rough retrospective... somebody drew up when they were thinking of turning the house into a museum." "Richard Carmichael and f amily occupied the house 1899 to 1906." "Richard was the senator's f ather." "His mother died when he was born in 1900." "It's all in there." "Look at the part about his illness." ""Joe Carmichael, their son, at age three was struck down by atrophic arthritis--"" "A little f urther down." ""It was decided to send little Joe to the f amed Nordbach Sanatorium... in Basel, Switzerland, f or special therapy." "Accompanied by his f ather, he embarked f or Europe in October, 1906... not to set f oot on American soil again until the cessation of World War I."" "See how it might have been done?" "Richard's son, a sick child... was murdered by his f ather and buried secretly." "Then the substitute, a six-year-old orphan... was put in his place, shipped right overseas right away... with the f ather attending-- it all worked f or them." "Even the war worked." "It kept him in Switzerland till 1918." "He came back here, he was 18 years old." "Who was gonna know he wasn't the real son?" "If he wasn't crippled anymore, it was because he was cured." "Do you think he knows about the murder and the replacement?" "I don't know." "How could any f ather do such a thing?" "Richard's wif e was Emily Spencer, the daughter of H.T. Spencer... who f ounded the Spencer Carmichael empire." "He died in 1905." "He was a zillionaire." "His will-- his will might be very interesting." "There must be a copy of it in the hall of records." "I'm also going to find out if there was a Spencer or Carmichael ranch somewhere." "Yeah-- a ranch with a well." "This is the 1908 atlas of Seattle... which is open to the part of the city where the Carmichael ranch was located." " Right here." " What does that little mark there mean?" "According to the legend here, that was the location of a well on the property." " I see." " And in the 1914 atlas... which is opened here to the same area... there's been one large lot that's apparently been sold of f... but the property is very much the same, and the well's still there." " Right." "Exactly." " The 1928 atlas was quite a change." "There's f urther subdivision of the property." "The symbol f or the well has disappeared... and a house has been built here." "The ranch is listed in the will... part of the inheritance of little Joseph Carmichael, all of five years old." "He got just about everything." " What about the f ather, Richard?" " Bypassed... except as his son's guardian, and theref ore trustee of the estate." "Well, old man Spencer's daughter was dead... and, obviously, he wasn't too f ond of his son-in-law." "Yes, but wait." "Richard doesn't get any money... but he still controls his son, and his son is worth a f ortune... unless-- unless, f or some reason, the boy dies bef ore attaining the age of 21." "In that case, the entire estate goes to charity." "That would have shut Richard out completely... and there he was with a son who was... weak, sickly, bedridden-- couldn't even walk." "He must have decided not to take a chance on the boy." "The money was just too tempting." "What are you gonna tell her?" "About the well under the house and the body." " And the medal with the name on it?" " No." "Nothing about Carmichael." " She'll think you're crazy." " You'll tell her I'm not." "Good evening, Mrs. Grey." "I'm John Russell." "This is Miss Norman." "Mr. Russell, I wouldn't have listened to your story f or two minutes..." "I wouldn't have let you in here but f or something you said on the phone." "You said this seance af f air of yours happened three nights ago." " Right?" " That's right." "Well, three nights ago, on Monday night..." "Linda, my daughter, woke up screaming... just af ter midnight." "She'd had a nightmare." "When I went in to her, she was hysterical, she was sobbing." "I'd never seen her like that bef ore." "Oh, I mean, she'd had nightmares bef ore, but not" "She said she'd seen a boy-- very small, very thin... almost gnomelike-- and he was trying to come up through the floor." "He kept staring at her." "Here, in the middle." "She hasn't been in this room since, won't come near it." "She sleeps with me." "What we want, is" "What you want, Mr. Russell, is to tear this room apart." "Well, I have your phone number." "I'll have to think about it." "What the hell's going on?" "Linda!" "They're still digging... but they f ound the well." "Okay." " Did you find anything?" " No, nothing yet." "This is Tony, Mrs. Grey's son." "Miss Norman." " Hello." " Hi." "Thanks." " Gimme that flashlight, will you?" " Sure." "I think I f ound something." "What is it?" "It's a hand." "What?" "It's a hand." "I'll call the police." "Nothing more?" "Doesn't look like it." "You think there might be something else down there?" "Assistant coroner said those bones had been down there maybe 50 years." "Do you have some idea who that child was?" "No, not really." "What's "not really" mean?" "I'm gonna want statements f rom everybody." "Mrs. Grey, do you have some other place you could stay f or tonight?" " Yes, it's all been arranged." " Good." "I think you should have told them." "It's gotta be there." "Without that medal, there's no evidence, there's nothing." " You have the tape." " Tapes can be altered." "They know that." "Did you see the expression on his f ace?" "It was obvious you were holding something back." "I'll say." "Look, it's very late." "Get some rest, and I'll talk to you in the morning." " Fine." "Drive caref ul." " You too." "What's the matter?" ""St. Paul's Church September 8, 1900..." "Joseph Patrick Carmichael."" "It was there." "It was there." "You have to show it to the police." "It's the only piece of solid evidence." "They didn't find it or see me dig it up." "Why should they believe it was there?" "You can't just ignore them." "The police aren't going to trouble themselves with a 70-year-old case." " Still, it's an unsolved murder." " Nah." "Whatever's to be done has to be done by me." "I've got to get to Carmichael." " He won't see you now." " He'll see me." "Senator!" " Hey, hold it right there!" "Hold up." " Mr. Carmichael!" "Senator" " Wait a minute, now." " Get the hell out of my way." "Senator, I'm John Russell." "I'm living in your house." "Senator, look." "I want to show him that." "I want to talk to him." "Let me go!" "Senator!" "Look at this medal." "It's a baptism medal." " It's got your name on it." " You got him?" " We got him." " It was buried with the body." "A little boy." "The police know about it." "Who was that?" "Some kind of crackpot?" "I've no idea." "Never mind." "Come on." "Dale, I want you to radio back to police headquarters..." "Captain DeWitt." "Ask him to call me in Spokane at this number." "Yes, sir." "You goddamn son of a bitch." "What is it you want?" "What do you want f rom me?" "I've done everything I can do!" "There's nothing more to do." " Mr. Russell?" " Yes?" " My name is DeWitt, Captain DeWitt." " Oh, yes." " I'd like to talk to you if I may." " All right." "Come in." " Quite a house." " Yes." "You're a musician, a composer-- is that right, Mr. Russell?" "Yes." "You're teaching a course at the f aculty of music out of the university?" "That's right." "Is this where you held your seance?" "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" "You were out at Boeing Airfield this morning, Mr. Russell." "They tell me you caused quite a scene-- screaming, yelling, acting like a lunatic." "Sergeant Durban tells me you were up to some strange things last night too." "Seems you dug up some bones under a lady's house... that some ghostly voice told you were there, is that correct?" "Only Sergeant Durban said you told him you had no idea... who those bones were-- no idea at all." "Now, it seems a little odd, then, don't you think... that you'd go charging across that airfield this morning... making crazy accusations against Senator Carmichael?" " I made no accusations." " The senator has served this state..." " f or 36 years and is not about to..." " I told you-  give in to a dirty blackmail scheme." " Blackmail?" " You heard me." " What are you talking about?" "I understand you lost your wif e and daughter a little while ago." "Maybe it shook you up-- maybe too much." "Maybe you need help." " I'd like you to leave now." " We can see that you get it." " Do you understand what I'm saying?" " Out, now." "Listen to me, Russell." "You've got something of the senator's." "He wants it back." "It's a little gold medal, a f amily heirloom." "He lost it." "He thinks you've got it." "I don't know what you're talking about." "I'm sorry to barge in on you like this, but I am so damn mad." "This mor" "This is Captain DeWitt, he's with the police." "You're Miss Norman?" "Yes." "I take it now, or I come back in an hour with a warrant and a crew... and we tear this place apart." ""Tear this place apart"?" " What's going on here?" " I'll be here." "Suit yourself." "Well, what was that all about?" "Senator Carmichael thinks he's being blackmailed." "They canceled your lease and f orced me to resign f rom the society." "No explanation, no reason, nothing, just "get out."" "I have an appointment with the head of the board of directors." "I'll see what I can find out." "I'll call you and let you know." "Yes?" "Yes, Claire?" "I was driving by, and I recognized the car." "I don't know how it happened." "I don't know how it could have happened." "There are no other cars." "There's nothing." "It's upside-down in the middle of the road." "It's that man-- that policeman who was just at your house." "DeWitt." "He's dead." "Carmichael." "Any messages?" "Oh, yes." "Captain DeWitt." "What'd he say?" "What?" "Yeah." "Oh, my God." "What?" "Who?" "Russell." "All right." "Let me have that number." " John Russell." " The senator's expecting you." " Still busy?" " Yes." " Where are you going?" "Claire" " I'll be back in a little while, Mom." "All right." "Just what the hell do you want?" "You must have some idea." "Well, I'm a busy man." "Make it f ast." "The house on Chessman Park-- your f amily lived there until 1906." "It's had a history of strange happenings." "There's something in that house, a manif estation." "This af ternoon, Captain DeWitt came to see me... presumably on your behalf... so you must have known what's happened, at least as much as DeWitt could say-- the disturbances, the seance, the bones f ound in the well." "I tried to talk to you at the airport." "I showed you this." "DeWitt said you'd lost it." "I f ound it in the grave... where the child was buried." "There's no logical explanation f or what I'm going to say to you now." "The boy was badly crippled." "I believe he was killed... in an attic room of that house." "I saw what happened... and I believe it was Richard Carmichael, your f ather... who murdered the boy, his natural son..." "Joseph Carmichael." "Then there was a substitution f rom the Sacred Heart Orphanage." "The boy was taken to Europe... cured miraculously and returned to inherit an empire." "That changeling was you." "So, that's your story." "Whatever you want to call it." " How much?" " My God." "All right, how much do you want f or this f arce that you've concocted?" "This isn't blackmail." "I've been dealing with vermin like you f or years." "You wait your chance, then you come in with a story so patently incredible" "Truth terrifies you, doesn't it?" "It's the truth." "It won't be buried." " Get out." " None of this belongs to you." "Get out of here with your filthy lies." "I should have gone to that dead child." "You suspected something all your lif e." "You're not Joseph Carmichael." "You're the beneficiary of the cruelest murder-- murder f or profit." "My f ather was not a murderer." "Nobody in this world can say that." "My f ather was a great man." "He was a loving man." "And f or you to come in here and accuse him of" "How can you?" "Damn you!" "I will not allow you to slander his good name." "These documents are on file with the city." "This is a tape of the seance." "There's no copy." "Take it." "I've done what I had to do." "I'm sorry." "If I find that you've breathed one word of this-- one word-- to anyone... you'll wish you'd never come into this world." "What was all that shouting about?" "Nothing." "Get out." "Leave me alone." "John, I've tried to ca" "This isn't like me." "John, where are you?" "John, what are you doing?" "Please." "I don't wanna come up there." "I f ollowed you." "I f ollowed you." "I thought you were here." "I kept calling and calling you." "It's okay." "Calm down." " I want you to wait in the car f or me." " No, you're not going back in there!" " No, please, please, don't!" " Claire, Claire." "Get ahold of yourself." "Go on." "I'll be right back." "Don't worry." "Joseph, no!" "Father." "My medal." "Father, don't." "Help."