"Harry!" "Harry, we forgot to turn in the key!" "I wanna drop it in a mailbox." "Wait." "Give it to me!" "Oh you shouldn't have done that." "They were very nice to us." "Floors, please." "4, please." "What's the matter with this thing, Cy?" "Just old, Pete." "Like me." "Did you report it?" "I haven't had time." "I better talk to the engineer about it." "Word's around Curis O'Keefe's coming in." "Mean anything?" "His coming in?" "Not if we can help it, Cy." "Don't worry about it, Cy." " If you say so, Pete." "Come in." "How do you feel tonight, sir?" "Hrmmmmmm..." "You got a good suite for O'Keefe?" "The Audobon." "Too damn good for that vulture." "But..." "He might make me a good offer." "Yes, he might." "Well?" " And how would it look to you?" "The O'Keefe's St. Gregory." "Hrmmmmm..." "The O'Keefe's St. Gregory." "There's another way out of this, you know." "That's worse than O'Keefe." "Joe Laswell's union telling me how to run my hotel." "How we'd run the house, that's not the business of the union." "Well I'm an old fashioned inn keeper." "I take care of my employees, and they take care of my guests." "That's the way I want it to be." "I don't want it to change." "There wouldn't be that much change in the operation." "Well maybe you're right." "But I won't talk to Laswell, I hate him." "He tried to crack me too many times." "Listen, I'll talk to him." "I can call Washington tonight and I can arrange a telephone interview with Laswell for tomorrow morning, now how's that?" "That damn skyscraper!" "Pretty soon I won't be able to see the ships come up the river anymore." "Mr. Trent?" "What do you think?" "Ok, alright, talk to him." "Ok." "Goodnight, Pete." "Goodnight, Mr. Trent." "14 flights, I don't think I can..." " 14 or 40, we walk." "God, what a stupid thing we've done!" "It wasn't stupid at all." "It was the only sensible thing to do." "Yes, Madam." "I'll send a boy up right away." "That's right, yes." "Right away." "Isn't this the wrong floor?" "Honey, we always get off at the wrong floor." "Hi." "You boys waiting for us?" "Yeah." "Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah." "Come in, come in, come in, come in." "What are you doing?" "I'm going to call the police." " Are you insane?" " I will be if I don't." "Wait." "Will you do as I ask and wait?" "We've got to be very clear about this." "Geoffrey give me the phone." "Will you please give me the phone!" "Operator." " Room service please." "¶ This day and age we're living in," "¶ gives pause for apprehension," "¶ like speed and new invention and things like third dimension." "¶ But I get a trifle weary" "Mr. McDermott, the O'Keefe party is just arriving." "Oh, ok Ted, I'll be right there." "Mr. O'Keefe?" "Peter McDermott, general manager of the house." "Well I was expecting Warren." "Mr. Trent will pay his respects in the morning, if that's alright with you sir." "Madame Rochefort, Mr..." " McDermott." "Nice to meet you Madame, welcome." "Merci, monsieur." "My secretary, Elliott." "How do you do?" " How do you do?" "May I show you your suite, sir?" "Madame?" "This way." "Audobon Suite." "Speak English, McDermott." "I don't understand French." "I said Mr. McDermott was young to hold such an important job." "And what did Mr. McDermott say?" "That I was lucky, Mr. O'Keefe." "Slow elevator." "Antique." "Very antique, sir." " This way, sir." "This place hasn't changed in 30 years." "Did I hear music from the Delta Queen." "Yes Madame." "The Jazz Hot." "Thank you." "Telephone messages and telegrams are on the desk there, sir." "Mr. O'Keefe, the south wing." "Madame is straight through." "Umm, the tan bags are mine." " Oh yes, Mr. Elliott is 10-03." "Is this suitable, Madame?" "Is it a good city?" "It's a wonderful city, Madame." "What is the water?" "Big Muddy." "The Mississippi River." "And the bridge?" "Where does it go?" "It crosses over to Algiers." "And that's the new Trademark Building." "And over here's the old French quarter." "You might find that amusing." "If I'm here long enough I will try to see it." "Just stopping over to buy the St. Gregory, Madame?" "Can it be bought?" "I doubt it, Madame." "McDermott." "Excuse me, is there anything else?" "No." "Thank you." "Goodnight Madame." " Night." "May I help you unpack, m'am?" "If you're finished, Mr. McDermott, I think that'll be all." "Alright, goodnight." " Goodnight." "Get Morgan up there." "Operator." " Mr. Lawrence Morgan's room, please." "Mr. Morgan's room is 402?" "Shall I ring?" "Thank you." "Yes, Your Grace." "I understand, Your Grace." "Thank you, Your Grace." "I can't find Dupere, I can't find him anywhere." "Well see if you can find Art, or Sam." "Pete, the Duchess is raising hell." "Something went wrong with room service and we're getting complaints on a party in 1216." "Well send Dupere up there." " We can't find him." "You what?" " We can't find him!" " Alright, I'll see to it." "Herbie, check out a complaint on 1216." "Well ask the House Manager now, Pete, I'm pretty busy here." "Listen, you're not too busy." "Now check it out." "Ok." "Operator." " 1216 please." "Yeah?" "Hello?" "Hello?" "14 Please, Jack." "Hello, Mr. Dickson?" "Look, you gotta cool it up there." "I accommodated you, you gotta accommodate me." "Yeah sure, Herbie." "Yeah." "Alright, I'll cool it!" "Ok." "Somebody turn the radio down out there." "I could swear she bumped my arm, Mr. McDermott." "I was just about to serve the sauce and she tipped my arm." "I didn't do anything, Mr. McDermott, I swear I didn't." "You never get complaints on me..." " I know, I know, don't worry about it Saul." "Talk to service and say I said to take you off the 14th floor for a while and keep you out of sight." " Thank you, sir." "Yes?" " Good evening, may I see Her Grace, please?" "I'm her secretary, what is it you want please?" "Let him come in." "Thank you." "Oh good evening, Your Grace." " Good evening." "Good evening, sir." "I understand you had some trouble with our service." "Well, not trouble really, Mr. McDermott." "You see, my husband's had a very tiring day at the Trade Council meeting and we wanted to spend a quiet evening in our suite." "And..." "And the waiter spilled some food on his jacket." "Such a clumsy thing to do, really." "I'm really terribly sorry, sir." "I'll let the waiter go and the hotel will pay for the damage." "Oh..." "I wouldn't want you to let the waiter go." "We didn't want to make quite that much of it." "That's very kind." "May I have the jacket?" "I'll see that it's cleaned." "It won't happen again, Your Grace." "Goodnight, sir." "Thank you." "Grant us, if it be thy will, success in what we are about to do." "We ask thy blessing and thine act of support in acquiring this hotel, named after thy own St. Gregory." "Moreover, if it be thy will, we plead that it be done expeditiously and with economy." "Such treasures as we, thy servants, possess not being depleted unduly, but added and husbanded to thy further use." "We invoke thy blessing also, oh God, on those who will negotiate against us, asking that they shall be governed solely according to thy spirit and thou shalt cause them to be reasonable and use discretion in all that they shall do toward us." "Amen." " Amen." "And now, Larry, how much am I going to have to pay for this hotel?" "I won't suggest a price, Mr. O'Keefe." "That's for you to decide." "But..." "May I?" "But there's no question that the 2 million dollar mortgage coming in view is going to make the bargain easier." "No change in that?" "No, Trent can't raise the money." "But he's had an offer from a real estate company that'll get him out of half a million plus some stock in a corporation." "They want to tear down the hotel and put up an office building." "They'll tear down the St. Gregory over Trent's dead body." "Not until." "Then I'd say there's not much stopping you, Mr. O'Keefe." "Well I've arranged a contact with an auditing firm that's handled the hotel's business for the past 20 years." "What did it cost us?" "2000 dollars." "Do you drink scotch?" "I don't drink." " Oh that's right, I forgot." "Was it worth it?" "Yes sir." "This man McDermott's increased the net income of the hotel by almost 30% in the last 4 years." "While it's not enough, still it shows what could be done under the O'Keefe management." "McDermott struck me as being an affable young man but, uh, not much else." "You sure this increase is his work?" "No doubt about it." "Coincides with his taking over as General Manager when Trent had the stroke 4 years ago." "What's his background?" "According to the hotel's chief bell captain, man named Herbert Chandler," "McDermott came in here as a bell hop 15 years ago." "Trent took a liking to him and put him on the front desk." "Then he sent him to the school of hotel management at Cornell university." "When he came back, Trent used him as Assistant Manager." "He's been very clever about getting convention business." "and filling the ballrooms and banquet rooms with private parties." "You'll have to give a lot of thought to McDermott." "Why?" "He's a hard case business man and he has a lot of influence with Trent." "When you start to bargain, in my opinion, it'll be McDermott that you'll butt heads with." "Not Trent." "What's his salary?" "400 a week." "Well!" "I don't think McDermott will butt very hard." "No... not very hard at all." "Hi." "Hey there." " Hi Mike." "Dupere." "Listen pal, we got a full house and a full house means trouble." "Just be here when you're needed, alright?" "I was over at police headquarters." "Reporting on a suitcase that got stolen." "Oh come on how much did you win in the poker game?" "Well if that's how you feel about it maybe you'll do some checking." "Maybe I will." "I'm sorry." "I'll stick on the job." "Ok." "Can I have 1415 please." "Clerk." "Please. 1415." "Please." "Exuse me sir. 1415, that's the presidential suite sir." "What?" " The presidential suite." "Oh I asked for 1451, oh that's not mine." "Oh excuse me." "There you go." " Thank you, no harm done." "Hello?" "Yes, put them through." "Jeff!" "Geoffrey, it's London!" "I don't want to talk to them." "But you must, it's the foreign office." "Tell them I'm not in." "Tell them I'm drunk!" "Tell them anything." "No David, it's Caroline." "Jeff." "Jeff!" "The post to Washington's narrowed down to you and John Elsbeth." "You can see what that means, can't you?" "There'll be resistance to Elsbeth in Washington." "It's yours, Jeff!" "The post is yours!" "You must realise we can't do anything foolish now." "I detest you." "Hi Dick." "Hello Pete." "Listen, Dick." "Number 3 elevator's acting up." "Well, let's take a look at the stamp brakes." "Relays are slow, Pete." "That's all, I reckon." "I'll see if I can tighten it up tonight when we don't need 'em." "Were you asleep?" "No." "Don't get too bored, baby." "We'll have this wrapped up in 24 hours." "Curtis?" " Hmm?" "Why do you want this Hotel?" "Buying hotels is my business." "This one is different." "Is it?" "The excitement in you..." "It's more than just business." "Mhm." "Yep." "Tell me." "You might think me petty or vindictive and I wouldn't want that." "I've already decided what I think of you, Curtis." "I can't ever take you for granted, can I?" "Alright." "Long time ago I sat downstairs waiting for an interview with Warren Trent for a job as sub-clerk on the front desk." "Sub-clerk." "I used my savings to get to New Orleans for that interview." "I was night clerk and porter at a small hotel about 100 miles up the river from here." "The St. Gregory was the great hotel of the south in those days." "I waited..." "I waited." "For hours." "Finally, Trent came out to take a look at me." ""He won't do" he said, "sorry"." "That's really about all there is to it." "Except that I, uh, I didn't have enough money to get back to my job." "I was so sure he'd hire me." "I walked that hundred miles." "Does he remember this?" "No." "No." "But you'll remind him when the hotel is yours." "Mhm..." "Yeah it's sort of like coming full circle." "You understand?" "But it's more than that too." "I want to save the hotel." "How sentimental of you." "Well, I've got a couple more calls to make but I won't be long." "Will you be awake?" "Of course." "Feature conventions, accomodate it more strongly and I'll send it out." "Make it bolder." " Alright." "Oh and here's the ad we're getting out of the Vista travel magazine." "What about the 85th birthday of the hotel?" "Are they gonna give us a write up?" "With pictures." "Oh look at that." "Mr. O'Keefe's travelling companion." "The only way to travel." "Excuse me Mr. Mason, there's a call for you in my office." "Ok." "I'll get it." "Bonjour, Madame." "Bounjour, Monsieur McDermott." "You have fish!" "How pleasant." "Did you find the beauty salon satisfactory, Madame?" "What is your opinion?" "Charming." "Then, it was satisfactory." "Come in, Pete." "Morning." " Good morning." "Washington." "Yeah, thank you dear." "How do you feel?" "Like a man trying to hold up his britches with one hand and climb up a tree with the other." "Hello." "Mr. Laswell?" "Yes." " I'm here with Warren Trent, Mr. Laswell." "My stopwatch is running, you've got 3 minutes." "You don't have a stopwatch and I don't need 3 minutes." "I'm speaking for Mr. Trent." "We'd like to make a deal, sir." "I make deals." "Others accept them." "If your time's so important, don't waste it splitting hairs, Mr. Laswell." "Go on." "Alright." "You've been waiting to get a foot in the hotel business down here for 20 years." "Now's your chance." " What's the price?" "2 million and a secured first mortgage." "For that you get a union shop and write your own contract." "When do you need it?" "Like yesterday." "How much money is your hotel losing?" "Plenty, but not so much the trend can't be changed." "Matter of fact, it is changing." " Prove it." "The books will prove it." "But I think you should know that Curtis O'Keefe is in the hotel right now." "He's here to make an offer." "O'Keefe doesn't buy a pig in a poke." "Maybe Trent would be smart to unload." "Well if he does that you won't get the same chance from O'Keefe." "Ok, McDermott." "I'll fly two of my financial people down there this afternoon." "They'll take your books apart." "And I mean apart!" "Don't figure to hide anything, I want it all." "You'll get it." "If it's go, I'll pick up your note for 3 years and I want a 3 year shop contract." " 5 years on the note." "3 years." "We can talk renewal when the time comes." "5 years." "Don't try to hang us up, Mr. Laswell." "Alright, but one thing." "We won't need an employee vote." "Trent's signature on the contract will be enough." "My people vote, ya hear!" "They vote!" "You mean you're asking me to spend time and money to set this up without any kind of a guarantee for a shop contract?" "I tell you, my people vote!" "Mr. Laswell, I'm pretty sure our people will go along with this." "If they don't, Mr. Trent loses his hotel." "I think if he's willing to take that chance, you should be willing to gamble on your end of it." "We'll do business." "Hello?" "Someone would like to talk to his lordship about his car." "About his car?" "!" "Put them through." "This is the Duchess of Lanbourne." "Who are you?" "And what is it about our car?" "If his lordship could meet me outside the hotel I'd be freer to talk things over." "If this is some silly prank..." "You know this is no prank." "You and the Duke have already made one bad mistake, now don't make another." "Where will you be?" "And how will we know you?" "I'll know you ma'am." "I'll be in a little shop on the corner called Thieve's Market." "How very appropriate." "I thought you'd appreciate the humour, ma'am." "And of course this fountain here is restful and charming." "But a circular magazine, tobbaco, book and gift shop, what's more practical?" "Ah and these comfortable chairs!" "Oh get rid of them!" "If the guests wanna sit down, let them sit in a bar or coffee shop where they will spend some money." "And what about shops?" "All that is income space." "And there's room there for men's furnishings, ladies wear, drug store, travel agency." "Elliot, can't you find something to do with yourself?" " Yessir." "If I'm not taking you away from your work too long." " No, no sir." "Ahahahahaha..." "Well I don't believe it." "What, sir?" " The 20th century." "You know most of this hotel belongs in a museum somewhere." "It's another era." "Too bad." "I'd like to ask you, how would you feel about managing the O'Keefe St. Gregory?" "When exactly does it become the O'Keefe St. Gregory, sir?" "I'm preparing an offer." "And if it's acceptable, I'll keep you on automatically at $700 a week." "That's an awfully generous offer, sir." "I'm aware of the fact and I'll be going against another bid from that real estate outfit." "And I'm also aware of the fact that Warren relies on you for your advice." "You want me to support your offer, is that it, Mr. O'Keefe?" "You've put 15 years of your life in this hotel." "Now if they pull it down where does that leave you, Peter?" "I know all about you, Peter." "Like me you started in carrying suitcases and taking tips." "And like me you broke through." "I need men like you." "You'll have a great career for the O'Keefe chain." "I mean it." "Pardon me, Mr. McDermott, but it's time for the staff meeting." "Thank you, dear, I'll be right in." "Now look if I could get a quick answer from Trent." "I'll have my attorneys draw you up a contract and we'll proceed from there." "I think I can promise you a quick answer, Mr. O'Keefe." "Good man, Peter." " Excuse me." "He didn't bat an eye." "I warned you about him." " There's another deal for the hotel." "And it's not the real estate outfit." "I don't know what you base that on." " The nose, Larry, the nose." "I smell it." "Now whose is it?" "Where does it come from?" "Hilton?" "Charlton-Combine?" "I wanna know." "You can't hide a deal like that." "A million dollar deal like you can hide a 10 cent poker game." "Find it, Larry." "And find it fast." " I'll do my best, Mr. O'Keefe." "I'll pray for you, Larry." "I appreciate that." "Thank you." "Follow me now." "Who are you?" "You've seen me around the hotel, ma'am." "I'm one of the house detectives." "I got lots of friends." "Oh really?" "Yeah." "I got one in the place across the river your husband's been visiting quite often, on the quiet" "I was talking to my friend last night." "Seems your husband was there like, you might say, uh, stoned?" "Smashed?" "Yes, yes, I understand." "You came over there in the cab to get him, but he insisted on taking his Jag back to the hotel." "Well?" "Well then I heard about the hit and run at the end of the bridge that crosses the river." "An eye-witness report says the car was some kind of, uh, foreign car." "Well I'm a curious fella." "I'm waiting." "I, uh, I took a look at your car." "Oh?" "There's a broken headlight." "The chromium ring around the headlight was found in the road." "In a couple of days they'll know it's from a Jaguar." "Now if you're thinking of getting the car repaired, don't!" "Every garage in the state will be alerted to watch for a damged Jag." "You know, ma'am." "You should have been driving that car." "I don't drive." "Well..." "That's too bad." "Cause I'd like to help you out." "How very generous of you." "Well I thought you might be the generous one." "Say, ten thousand dollars?" "And in what way could you help me?" "By keeping what I know to myself." "If the car cannot be repaired and is discovered it'll be reported, won't it?" "You know, as a blackmailer you're not very good at your job." "You thought I'd be panicked and hand the money over to you without thinking, didn't you?" "No, now wait a minute." " No, I won't pay you ten thousand dollars." "I'll give you twenty five." "If you earn it." "If you drive our car away from this area," "I'll give you ten thousand dollars when you leave and fifteen thousand dollars when you meet us with the car in Washington DC." "With that busted headlight I'd be picked up before I got out of the city." "I expect a smart man like you can solve that problem." "Twenty five thousand dollars?" "What does a smart man like me call a Duchess?" "What do you call any woman?" "I'll think of something." "Brilliant dinner, Warren." "You might like to know that this same meal is available in my main dining room tonight." "Yes, well most of the big houses have had to standardise their menus to the general public taste." "When somebody wants a real dinner this is still the place to come." "In New Orleans?" "Yes, but I noticed your dining room was empty tonight, Warren." "Well, a big convention cleared out today." "Besides, this is the middle of the week!" "It's the middle of the 20th century!" "And the hotel business has changed since the Trent family built the St. Gregory." "Brandy please." "Thank you." "Now if you don't think so, you compare my balance sheets to yours." "Well I've spent my life maintaining my kind of establishment to turn it into a cheap run joint now." "Well you can call it cheap run if you like." "But what the public wants today is an efficient economic package." "Old style hospitality doesn't count anymore." "Oh a few of the smaller houses might hang on to that." "But a big house like yours has to compete." "And you can't compete." "Unless you think the way I do." "I'll continue to think for myself for a while." "There's still plenty of people who like to travel first class." "First class is dead Warren." "Finished!" "First class means travelling for the pleasure of travelling." "The jet plane killed all that." "The great luxury trains are gone." "The big ships are designed for tourist class." "The highways are channelled." " Are they both down there?" "There is no pleasure in the act of travelling anymore." " Keep them there." "People want to get there..." " Excuse me Mr. O'Keefe, sorry to interrupt." "That's an extremely interesting point of view." "I'm needed at the desk." "As I was saying, there is no pleasure in the act of travelling anymore." "People wanna get there and they wanna get there fast." "They want to get into a hotel fast and they want to get out fast." "Now I have a blueprint for the future." "A completely automated hotel." "Ha!" "Their baggage will arrive by high speed conveyer." "Everything will be done by conveyer." "Room service, laundry, valet." "Even the bill will be presented by conveyer." "Ha!" "You're talking about a hotel for automatons with punchcard brains and lubricants for blood." "No, no." "There will still be people, Curtis." "And there'll still be innkeepers with pride in their houses and a personal interest for their guests." "The St. Gregory will still be here." "If it's still here, it won't be the same." "The same." "Mister Silverstein?" " Yes." "How do you do?" "I'm Pete McDermott." "How do you do?" " How are you?" "Now take these bags up to 3-10 and 12 will you?" "Follow me will you?" " Shilling." "3-10 and 12." "4-0-2." "Yes?" "Herb Chandler, Mr. Morgan." "McDermott just met two guys and took them to the main offices." "Well what does that mean, Herb?" "You said for me to keep my eyes open." "These guys arrived in the hotel limousine." "They didn't register, but McDermott sent their bags upstairs anyway." "The names on the bags are Silverstein and Giotti." "The address is Washington, D.C." "Did you get that, Mr. Morgan?" " I got it, Herb." "Thanks." "Operator?" "I want to speak to George F. Lancing." "O'Keefe's McKinley Hotel in Washington, DC." "Baby, I work here." "I can't leave yet." "Buy me another drink." "One's enough." "You're just tryna give me the run around." "I swear I'll come through." "Hey, what hotel are you staying at?" " The St. Gregory." "I tell you what." "You give me your key, I'll come on over." "You can get another key at the desk." "How long will you be?" "Just 1 hour." "I swear." "Come on now, gimme that key." "50, baby." "Don't baby me." "You think I'm nuts?" "I'll give you a 20." "Nothing doing." "This guy is loaded." "I seen his bank roll." "I swear." "50?" "Good luck, baby." "Jeff!" "Jeff?" "Jeff." "Jeff, it's going to be alright." "Dupere can mend the headlight." "And he's agreed to drive the car to Washington." "Of course." "What do you mean of course?" "You sure he's only doing it for the money?" "Well certainly!" "What other possible reason..." "Oh come off it, Caroline I know how you operate." "A smile that means so much more." "A sultry glance over your shoulder, a turn of the hips, you do it all so well." "So far it looks pretty good." "Not as good as we'd like, but pretty good." "41, 42..." "That bitch!" "I didn't think it was possible that a union could invest in a business that holds a labor contract." "Oh don't be a damn fool!" "Of course it can!" "Where the hell have you been?" "Trent will give a note to the union pension fund." "The note will be secured by a mortgage on the hotel." "The union will hold the mortgage in trust for the pension fund." "That's how it's done." "It's legal." "I just can't believe it." "Trent turning the St. Gregory into a Union house?" "!" "He's fought it off all his life." "McDermott again, Mr. O'Keefe." "Oh right." "McDermott again." "Ok, let's figure this out." "We know the real estate bid, we can guess what the union deal is." "How do we outsell either of them?" "How do we sell our own bag of goods?" "¶ This year I can hear guitar's gently playing." "¶ Strange they should sing what your heart forgot to say." "How about a little Jazz Hot, for the lady in yellow?" "Sure Pete." "Any sign of a forced entry, sir?" " Nope." "All I know is that I'm out $500, stolen from me in your hotel and I wanna know what you're gonna do about it!" "Mind if I see this?" "See, our hotel insurance doesn't cover the loss of valuables unless they've been put in our safe, Mr. Kilbrick." "On the other hand a police investigation might turn something up." "You were given two keys, do you have both of them?" "No, I guess I lost one, mislaid it." "I don't know." "Well you see, in New Orleans there's a racket called a B-Girl routine." "A B-Girl takes a key from a man and promises to come to his room later and then she gives the key to a professional hotel thief." "I was just wondering if you happened to be in the quarter last night maybe you dropped..." " Now wait a minute." "I gotta plane to catch." "I can't get mixed up in any police investigation." "I don't know anything about any B-Girls." "I, uh, I gotta wife." "Let's just forget it will ya?" "Oh we'd keep the whole thing very quiet for you Mr. Kilbrick." "Nevermind, to hell with it." "Forget it." "The last time I stay in this joint!" "Don't forget to leave your key at the desk, Mr. Kilbrick." "If that guy ever carried 500 bucks in his kick, I'll eat my shoes!" "What's your feeling, Sam?" "Do you think it's a once only job, or what?" "Well we've had another complaint." "A couple in 614 was awakened by a guy who had the door open." "Acted like he was drunk, said he had the wrong room." "Said he wanted 641." "Check the desk?" "Yep, spare key to 614's still in the box." "I tried 641 in 614 but it won't turn." "Anyway, 641's an old dame." "I think if we do have a thief he'll be onto us by now and he'll be working pretty fast." "Why don't you and Art and Dupere stay on tonight." "Get three more guys from the agency to patrol the halls." "Ok, Pete." "Operator?" "Get me extension 2 in Audobon Suite." "Thank you." "Hello?" "Hello, Madame Rochefort?" "Yes." "Peter McDermott here, Madame." "I, uh, have your note." "Would it be possible?" "We could start with lunch in one of the small cafes, say around 1 O'Clock?" "I think I should meet you." "Alright, it's a little place called Le Moine's." "1 O'Clock." "I will be there." "Goodbye." " Bye." "Mr. McDermott please." "This way, Madame." " Thank you." "Monsieur McDermott." "Bonjour, Peter." " Bonjour, Madame." "What a charming place." " Glad you like it." "Let's go through there." "Thank you, Pierre." "What would you like to drink?" "Martini, thank you." "Martini for Madame and bourbon on the rocks for me." "Thank you sir." " Thank you." "Cigarette?" "Well now..." "Madame." "Jeanne please." "I am not Madame." "Curtis introduces me that way." "He thinks it makes our arrangement more dignified." "Which it doesn't, of course." "Alright, Jeanne." "What's this all about?" "You have my note." "Yes, I have your note, and I'm very sure you're not interested in looking at a bunch of old buildings." " But I like old buildings." "And I'm equally sure you're not interested in a risky flirtation with some hotel manager." "Not in your situation." "And what is my situation?" "Oh I've a pretty fair idea what the pearls cost, Jeanne." "That means you're here because O'Keefe suggested it." "Why?" "Curtis thinks he is so clever." "Yes, I'm supposed to get information from you..." "About the hotel." "Well he could have saved you the trouble by asking me himself." "We've made the financial arrangements." "It's not for sale." "No?" " No." "Well, Curtis likes to do things indirectly." "Intrigue amuses him." "I have a funny feeling I'm missing something, Jeanne." "If you are so suspicious of me, why did you come?" "Curiosity." "Nothing more?" "I..." "I think we'd better leave it at curiosity." "Alright." "You are only here for curiosity." "And I'm only here as a spy." "Now what shall we do?" "Uh..." "How about enjoying lunch?" "The food's apt to be pretty good." "Do you live in the hotel?" "Yeah, mostly." "Mostly?" "Where else do you live?" "I've got a place here in the quarter." "When I have time, which isn't very often." "Thank you." "Your Grace." "You understand, of course, that if anything goes wrong and you think you don't have to pay the rest of the money in Washington," "I go to the police." "Really?" "But, uh, wouldn't you have some explaining to do, Monsieur Dupere?" "No." "I'd just say I was paid $300 to take the car to Washington." "And then I heard about the missing Jag, and I got suspicious." "And that's all they'd have on me." "$300." "My..." "Aren't you clever?" "I'll need a note from you to the garage man, permission to take your car." "Will that be necessary?" "Well it would be a bit sticky without it, ma'am." "He might ask questions." "Would you excuse me, please?" "Yes, ma'am." "I'm sorry." "That's Rosey Ford." "Joseph M. Sica." "Keycase Milne." "I think I saw this man in the past few days when the convention was here." "Yes." "I'm pretty sure he was a guest here." "Maybe still is." "Alright." "Show this around to the bellhops and roomservice boys." "Right." "Who is it?" "Roomservice." "Door's open." "Come in." "I'm in the shower." "I'll take the cheque in here." "Yes, sir." "Tips on there." "Yes, sir." "That's the, um, St. Louis Cathedral ahead of us." "Built in 1718." "The place you keep your apartment, when was it built?" "Le Jazz Hot?" " A little bit of everything." "Would you like a drink?" "Anything special?" "No." "You know what time it is, don't you?" "No." "It's almost 3 O'Clock." "Ah, what time are you expected back at the hotel?" "I said what time are you expected back?" "At what time are you expected back?" "I was worried about you!" "Huh?" "Take off your jacket." "You embarass me." "Good." "I once had a place..." " What?" "I once had a place in Paris almost like this." "It was the first place of my own I'd ever had." "It was warm, and pretty, and bright." "I was in love." "It was a long time ago." "It couldn't have been that long ago." " Oh yes, it was." "I was 17 and I'm 22 now." "I'm sorry..." "I cry very easily, at nothing at all." "It's a trick to make men sympathetic, you see." "You're sympathetic now and before you were afraid of me." "If he had not made this easy for us, I would have found another way." "Or you would." "Am I right?" "Yes." "Hey!" "Somebody gonna take these bags?" "I'm Dr. Elmo Adams from Philadelphia." "I have a reservation." "Oh yes, one moment please." "Oh Mr. Bailey, this is Dr. Ad..." " Adams." "Philadelphia." "I have a reservation." "Yes, Dr. Adams." "One moment please." "Mrs. Gurner." " Yes?" "Get Pete." "He went out to lunch." "I don't seem to be able to find your reservation, doctor." "When was it made?" "Last night." "I have a wire confirming." "Yes, of course." "Well it's obvious there's some misunderstanding." "Would you wait a moment please?" "Get me the penthouse." "Bailey, there's a guy taking pictures." "Yeah?" "Mr. Trent, this is Bailey." "Sir, I've got a bit of a problem down here." "I'm busy." "Get Pete." " Yeah well Pete isn't here right now." "There's a colored couple here with a confirmed reservation." "Bailey I don't need to tell you the policy of this hotel." "You've known it for 20 years." "Yes, sir." "I'm sorry about the delay, doctor, but I don't have a room for you." "We expected some of our rooms to check out and they didn't and, well..." "We're rather pressed for space." "However, if you'll allow me sir, I'll engage a room for you at another hotel." "No thank you." "You accepted my reservation." "I want a room here." "I'm sorry, doctor, but there isn't anything I can do." "Let's go, Mary." "Boy will you take the..." "You are dressed?" "It's late. 6 O'Clock." "Give me a cigarette." "Aren't you a little concerned about your, uh, great and good friend?" "I should be." "But I am not." "He has been very kind to me." "He wants me to marry him." "But I won't." "Now..." "I have even been unfaithful to him." "And I should be sorry about that." "But I am not." "I can't quite believe you're with him just for things like this." "But I am." "Yes, I know." "But why?" "When I was left alone in Paris, in that apartment," "When I knew that I had been used," "I said alright, alright Jeanne, if that is the way it is, you can do that too." "Tough kid, aren't you?" "Yes, I'm a tough kid." "Well it's still 6 O'Clock." "May I come back?" "But you're leaving New Orleans." "If I don't go with Curtis." "Aren't you forgetting how tough you are?" "Put your clothes on." "Seems alright, Vic." "What are you gonna do with the car?" "I'm doing a favour for the ambassador." "Ok." "Take it easy." "Was it too boring, baby?" "I learned what you wanted to know." "The hotel is not for sale." "They have new financing." "It's almost 7 O'Clock." "Isn't that rather a long time for lunch and a trip around the quarter?" "Where have you been?" "Don't ever ask me to do anything for you again." "Jeanne." "I'm very fond of you." "What are you doing?" "What's the matter?" "Now Bailey just told me about the negro couple you turned away." "Now I want permission to find them and give them a room." "What?" "!" "We've been over this a dozen times." "You knew it was gonna happen sooner or later." "You promised me you'd roll with this." "Well I'm not gonna roll with it until they make me." "Why, I'd lose all my old standby's if I start letting colored people in the hotel." "We've got statistics on all of these seg'd hotels." "Their clientelle hasn't changed one half of one percent." "Now look, Pete..." " Now Warren!" "If this is a civil rights action it'll be all over the newspapers tomorrow." "Laswell's union has a large membership of negros." "He can't put money into a business where they turn negros away." "He's gonna blow the whistle on our deal!" "Well why weren't you here to handle it for me?" "You know I don't understand things like unions, civil rights, indoor ball games..." "I don't understand the whole damn world anymore, that's what I don't understand." "This is yes or no." "Now YES or NO?" "!" "Or do you wanna take a chance on losing the hotel?" "Ahhhh go ahead." "WELL GO AHEAD!" "Well alright." "Hello, Mrs. Grattan?" "Listen dear, I want you to sign operators and have them call every hotel, motel and tourist home in this town, and find out where a doctor Elmo Adams and his wife are staying." "Now listen, call Mason." "Get him over here." "Hell." "There's something else I don't understand." "What?" "!" "Motels!" "Will you hold the line, please?" "Hotel Beauvoir?" "St. Gregory calling." "Do you have a Dr. Elmo Adams and wife registered there?" "Yes." "I'll wait." "Give me a cigarette, will you." "Yes, just a moment please." "Mr. McDermott." "The Beauvoir has a Mr. Adams and wife." "A Mr. Adams?" "See if he's registered from Philadelphia." "Bauvoir, is Mr. Adams from Philadelphia?" "Yes sir." " Get him on." "Ring his room please, operator." "Hello, um, Dr. Adams?" "Well excuse me, are you the Dr. Adams who was in the Hotel St. Gregory this afternoon?" "Yes." "Oh this is Peter McDermott, I'm general manager of the St. Gregory." "I'm terribly sorry about the mix up this afternoon we've been trying to locate you." "We have a room for you and your wife now." " Well, I'm checked in here now." "Well the St. Gregory will be happy to pick up your bill, doctor." "If I may, I'll come on over in the limousine and pick you up." "Well that's mighty nice of you, Mr. McDermott." "Excuse me." "Ah yes sir?" "Could you call Dr. Elmo Adams, tell him the St. Gregory car is here." "Well, E. Adams and wife just checked out, sir." "I talked to him 20 minutes ago." "He was expecting me." "Ah, yes, I know." "Did he say where he was going?" "No sir." "Do you mind if I see his card?" "Thank you." "Mr. McDermott." "If you're think of de-segging the St. Gregory, maybe you can use a little color on the desk." "You think you're kidding?" "Send me an application." "The St. Gregory's on the NAACP list, Mr. McDermott." "But we haven't made you a target yet." "If we were making you a target, we'd send a delegation out to try and talk to you first." "If we couldn't talk to you, then we'd arrange a situation that'd put the matter into court." "So you see, this Dr. Adams today didn't belong to us." "I've checked the local papers and the wire services and there's been no story filed on Adams." "Well then I don't understand why he ducked me." "Could he belong to another civil rights organisation?" "Maybe, but I doubt it." "In fact, I'm a little curious myself." "We usually know what's going on in the district." "I'll put the word on the grape vine, see what I can find out and let you know." "Would you?" "I'd appreciate that Mr. Dusan." "I do not want any trouble for the hotel." "Does that mean that the bars against negroes are down here?" "It does." "How about Mr. Trent?" "He's been, what you might call, overcome." "In New Orleans, that's the millennium." "Thanks for your time, Mr. Dusan." "It's been a good night's work for me." "Thank you." "Dupere didn't show up, Pete." "Oh boy." "Get another man from the agency." "You all set up for tonight, Sam?" "Yeah we're set." "Our thief might be a pro named Keycase Milne." "Bailey and a couple of the bellhops think they recognise his mugshot but they can't tie him to a room." "Maybe he's skedaddled, maybe he hasn't." "These old gunners can disappear in a hotel this big like rats from a barn." "Listen I'll give you a hand with the patrol tonight myself." "Alright, Pete." "Evening." "¶ Myyyy loooove." "Yeah." "Something for you, Pete?" "Well hows about a little something for a troubled spirit?" "Yours?" " Mhm." "¶ Alone..." "Together." "Hi Tom." "Make it a double." "Beer." "Hello Mr. O'Keefe." "Peter." "Would you get me a napkin, please." "Thank you." "Say, I like this girl." "A lot of people do, she's been here a long time." "I wanna thank you for showing Madam Rochefort around the city." "Hospitality of the St. Gregory, sir." "I'm making Warren an offer tomorrow." "Didn't madame tell you, Mr. Trent's arranging new financing for the hotel." "Yes, of course." "But when he hears my offer I think he might sell, if you make him affirm the view." "Oh I think you overestimate my importance." "Do I?" "Aside from keeping you on here at $700 a week with me," "I'll also pay you a $20.000 bonus when Warren sells." "Now if that's an overestimation, it's one you should take advantage of." "Would you agree?" "$20.000 is a very agreeable sum." "I was hoping you'd feel that way about it." "Yes, I like this girl." "We'll keep her on." "A Mr. Bailey would like to see you at the front desk, sir." "Ok, Ted." "Hi there, Captain Yolles." "Hi Pete." "Say." "I um, I need your help." "Sure." "I've got your man Dupere out there in the patrol car." "He was picked up for driving a Jaguar that belongs to some very prominent guests here." "The Duke and Duchess of Lanbourne." "Do you know anything about him having the car?" "No." "Picked up?" "What do you mean, you picked him up for stealing a car?" "It's possible." "I'd like to talk to the garage man." "Sure, come on." "Charlie?" "Charlie!" "Listen, Detective Dupere did he take a car out of here tonight?" "Yeah, early." "That big Jag that belongs to the English Duke." "Did he have permission to take it?" "He gave me a note from the Duke's wife." "Let me see it." "It's right here." "It's a piece of purple paper." "Hey Junior, did you see a piece of purple note paper here somewhere?" "I cleaned a lot of stuff out of here." "Well where's the trash?" "I took it to the incinerator like I always do." "I'm sorry Pete." "I don't know, I swear he gave me a note." "And you know I don't let no cars out of here unless..." "Oh no, no, I know that Charlie." "Thanks, thanks." "Is there any reason you can't tell me what this is about?" "Well, that's the car that killed the little boy." "Oh no." "Do you suppose the Duke and Duchess are in tonight?" "Yes, they're hosting a party in the Dominique room." "Suppose I can speak to the Duke without horning in." "I can do it for you." "Get Dupere." "Oh, ah, we asked for your husband, Your Grace." "It's alright, I can speak for my husband." "Well this is Captain Yolles of the city police." "It's, um, it's something about your automobile." " Oh?" "A man named Dupere was picked up driving it quite some distance from here." "He claims you gave him permission to drive it." "I just wanted to check with you about it." "I gave no one permission to drive my car." "Do you know this man?" "Should I know him?" "He's the one who was driving the car." "He says that you paid him $300 to drive it to Washington DC." "We always ship our car." "Listen what the hell is this?" "She gave me a note that..." "Watch your language!" "Book him on suspicion of car theft." "Here's the dough!" "Talk to Charlie." " Book him!" "Is that all?" "Yes ma'am." "Oh there is something you might help me with." "Were you, or your husband, driving your car on Tuesday night?" "Tuesday..." "No, no." "I think that was the night we didn't leave the hotel." "You're certain of that?" "What is this, Captain?" "If you don't believe me, why don't you ask Mr. McDermott?" "I think that was the night you were in our suite, wasn't it?" "Yes." "Sorry, ma'am." "May I return?" " Yes, ma'am." "You'll get your car back tomorrow." "Thank you." "Good evening, Your Grace." "Are they onto us, old girl?" "Elmer, hold it." "Hold it." "Wait a minute." "Hey, we've done pretty good up in the kitchen today." "Only got 9 spoons, 3 forks and 14..." "Listen, Henry." "Henry, is this tonight's stuff?" "Yeah." " Did you burn much of it?" " Just some." "Why?" "Well..." "It might be too late." "But there's a piece of s tationery like this that has some writing on it." "Now do you think you could find it?" "I guess." "That's a tall order." "One little, old biddy piece of paper?" "Well it's a mighty important piece of paper." "I'll try." "That's all I can say." "I'll try." " Ok." "What happened?" "He's working alright." " Shh." "Shh." "I jumped him on 7." "Lost him on the service stairs." "He's wearing a dark grey suit and a hat." "But I couldn't get a make on his face." "It's those damn credit cards." "They..." "They..." "Credit cards." "Hey!" "I think we can stop looking now." "Are they in the hotel now?" "No." "They're at that trade council." "Their closing ceremonies." "Calm enough about it, aren't they." "Well, there's no rush." "We're waiting on a state department fella to fly in anyway." "Yeah?" " From Washington, Mr. Laswell on line 5." "Oh good." "Hello?" "McDermott, what's the matter with you people down there?" "You crazy?" "!" "Well if we are I don't think shouting on the phone is the cure, Mr. Laswell." "Damn it all!" "You killed your own deal, don't you know that?" "!" "I take it this has something to do with a man named Adams." "There's a 2 column story in the Washington Herald." "With pictures." "You there, McDermott?" "Yes, I'm here." "I know Trent's an old hard nose, but you seem like a man with brains." "What happened?" "We wanted that deal down there!" "We wanted it too, Mr. Laswell." "Then how did you let this happen?" "!" "Would it make a difference?" "Look, do you understand my situation?" "I've got about 40.000 negro members." " I understand very clearly, Mr. Laswell." "I'm sorry, McDermott." "I like doing business with you." "Well..." "I killed the goose, didn't I?" "Forgive me Pete, I'm a stupid old man." "What?" "I said forgive me, I'm a stupid old man!" "Oh." "Now we're right back where we started, back with the real estate people." "O'Keefe has a proposition for ya." "He hasn't made a..." "He hasn't made a move yet." "Hello, penthouse." "Oh yes, sir." "Just a minute." "He's making a move now." "Yes?" "Yes Curtis." "Why, I'd be glad to talk to you." "I'll bring my..." "I'll bring my general manager along, if you don't mind." "Fine." "Well, we'll hear what he has to say." "Good morning." "Good morning sir." " Hello." "Good morning!" "Oh I didn't mean to frighten you." "Go right about your business." "I just came for Her Grace's letter case." "You'd think they were trying to break us down with their silence." "Perhaps they're doing the decent thing." "They're waiting for me to give myself up." "I'm afraid you're not much of a mastermind, old girl." "The whole scheme has been ridiculous." "You can be quite assured the long arms of the law are reaching out to gather us up." "But they have no proof!" "And after all, you're not just anybody." "What could they achieve?" "You could claim your diplomatic immunity against arrest and they know it!" "You'd want me to do that, wouldn't you?" "After we've gone this far, yes." "Of course." "Good morning, gentlemen." "Come in, please." "Good morning." "Warren." "Warren." "Come in, come in." "Hey there." " Morning." "Warren, sit over here." "I'm certainly glad that Warren brought you along, Peter." "I'm sure you're gonna be a big help to both of us." "I'll try not to get in the way." "Well, it's a beautiful day and I think we can get right to it, Warren." "You know what I want to talk about." "Mhm, I just wondered why you put it off so long." "I had to look the house over, do a little checking here and there." "Now, I think I should tell you," "I'm familiar with your current financial picture." "Oh I'm sure you are." "You probably know it better than I do." "It's a depressing picture, Warren." "But what I'm about to propose, if you can overcome your prejudice to my kind of operation, will mean security for yourself and perpetuation of the St. Gregory." "Now first of all, I want you to keep your appointment." "Rent free, service free, for as long as you live." "You'll still be on top of the St. Gregory, you'll still be a part of this world famous hotel which your father built and you made into the fine inn that it is." "Your thousands of friends will still be able to find you here by picking up that house phone and saying "give me the penthouse"." "Agreed?" "I'm listening to ya." "Downstairs there'll be a plaque commemorating the name of Trent," " O'Keefe's room." "founders of the greatest house in America." " One moment please." "Alright?" "Go on." "The purchase price will be based on." "Good morning, Mr. McDermott." "I have some information for you." "The man called Adams works in a hotel in Philadelphia, run by the O'Keefe chain." "He has no connection with any Civil Rights organisation." "and still leave you a very tidy sum." " That's very interesting." "of the real estate people." " Thanks a lot for your trouble." "They'll pay one million, two hundred and fifty thousand in cash." "But I'm keeping the house alive, Warren." "I can't believe you're gonna let them pull it down." "This house is more than just Warren Trent." "It's the 300 people that work for ya." "You forgetting about them?" "No, no I'm not." "Right." "Some of them have been here almost as long as you've been here." "And what about their jobs?" "Warren." "Look at me." "I will take care of your people." "I'm leaving for Mexico City tonight." "Make a decision now." "Save the hotel." "I think you should accept the offer, Mr. Trent." "Hmm?" "It's a fair offer." "You don't want to see the old house torn down." "And you can live here for the rest of your life, you'd like that." "Live here and watch the changes he'll make." "You can watch him tear out the old Lorado Taft fountain." "Watch him pull down the great marble columns." "You can watch him change the grand promenade into a row of busy little shops." "You can watch him divide the great suites into little matchbox rooms." "McDermott, now that's enough!" " I'm persuading him!" "You see, Mr. O'Keefe offered me $700 a week to persuade you to sell to him Mr. Trent." "Oh and a $20.000 bonus and that's a hell of a lot of money to..." "Warren I don't know what this bellhop of yours is talking about." "Go ahead, Pete." "Persuade me." "Alright!" "Alright, I offered him some money." "Well that's business." "A man goes in with every advantage he can get." "I think I made a little mistake this time." "But you're a business man, Warren." "Which your general manager, obviously, is not." "Noooo..." "But he talks mighty good!" "Go on, Pete!" "Persuade me!" "Well let's see." "Your employees that Mr. O'Keefe is so deeply concerned about, he'll take care of them, alright." "He'll bring a wrecking crew of efficiency experts in here and within 30 days there won't be a man or woman in this hotel you can call by name." "Not true." "Should I believe him, Pete?" "Oh, you can trust him!" "You trust him?" "Sure I trust him!" "He's gonna pay me $20.000." "Now you might wonder why I'm worth $20.000 to Mr. O'Keefe." "Well I'll tell ya." "You see, he thought I might tumble to a little trick he played on us yesterday." "He deftly arranged to have me, um, charmingly pre-occupied while Dr. Adams tried to check in here." "Now Dr. Adams, or Elmo Adams, is the day bell captain of Mr. O'Keefe's Philadelphia hotel." "He was jetted in here yesterday morning with a reporter from the Washington Herald." "Now I'm not too sure about Mr. O'Keefe's tie up with the Herald." "But it was good enough to plant the story for Laswell to read." "So in case I heard about this, the 20.000 bucks was supposed to buy my mouth." "Not for talking, but to keep it shut." "But don't let this influence you, Mr. Trent." "Take his offer, for my sake." "He's beautiful!" "Alright, I killed your union deal but I'll match the real estate offer. $1.250.000." "You're gonna be out of a job, Pete." "You made a big mistake, shooting off your mouth." "Well, you know, everyone makes mistakes." "1 million, 500 thousand in cash." "Oooooh-weeee that's a lot of cash, isn't it, Pete?" "1 million 5, that's my final offer." " I want you to call Lumiere down at the bank and tell him to close that Real Estate deal." "Sorry about that." "Elliot!" "Peter!" "I don't tell lies." "For anyone." "I know." "You better cancel all reservations." "As the guests start moving out, start shutting down the plant." "Captain Yolles." " It's the Duke of Lanborne here, Captain." "Now you are the gentleman who spoke to my wife last night, aren't you?" "Yes, sir." "Well I should like to have a little chat with you captain." "Alright, sir, I'll be right over." "No I think I'd rather come there if you don't mind." "I think in the circumstances it would be more proper for me to come there." "After all, what I have to say is best said where that sort of business is conducted." "Yes immediately." "Thank you." "How do you do?" " Good afternoon." "Down?" "Down please." "Afternoon ma'am." " Afternoon." "What happened?" " It's the elevator." "Which one Herbie?" " Number 3." "Give me a pencil with a rubber tip." "Stand back, just stand back please." "Give me that." "Just stay back." "It's between floors, Pete." "About the tenth." "Herbie, Sam, let's get up there." "Get these doors closed." "Give me a leg up here Sam." "Herb, attaboy." "Ok Herbie, take us up." "You alright?" " Yep." "Slow down, Herb." "Slower Herb." "Take it slow." "Ok, stop it." "Stop it!" "Pete, those brakes are burning out." "Cy?" " We're ok, Pete." "Oh please get us out here, please!" " It's gonna be alright ma'am." "It's gonna be alright." "It's gonna be alright, ma'am." "Now come on." "You're next." "That's it kid, easy." "That's a girl." "Sam." "Easy now there, don't look down." "Ok ok, come on." "Hurry up." "Now you sir!" "Get him up." "Come on!" "Step on my back!" "Come on, get your legs up." "Well get rid of the bag!" "Put the bag down!" "No." "No!" "No!" " Get rid of the bag." "Get rid of the bag!" "Come on, come on." "Here you go, Sam." "Hold my wrists, that's it." "It's gonna blow!" "Her Grace will see you now." "Your Grace." "I wish it was not necessary to do this." "I understand." "Very well, you see, I was driving the car." "I panicked and drove away from the scene of the accident." "Everything that was done after that was done because... my husband wanted to protect me." "I'm completely to blame." "And this man?" "It was just as he told you." "He was given $300 to drive the car to Washington." "Beyond that, he's not implicated." "I'm very sorry for the trouble I put you through." "Please forgive me." "Alright, Dupere, wait for me outside." "Captain." "What will you have me do now?" "Nothing, for the moment, Your Grace." "I shall be leaving the hotel, staying with friends." "You'll keep me informed about where you are?" "Of course." "And captain." "Please, whatever happens, please don't let my husband's name be disgraced." "You see, everything that was done was..." "Well you see my..." "Well..." "My husband..." "loved me very much." "How much money did you really get?" "Alright, beat it." "You gonna pick her up?" "What for?" "For trying to give her dead husband a clean bill?" "She's a nice, pretty woman." "A sure way to empty a hotel fast." "Drop an elevator." "Right." "Ok We'll be right in." "You sent for me, sir?" "Yeah Pete, I want the employees to have six weeks severance pay." "The old timers, give them 6 months pay." "Right." "How many guests do we have left?" "Oh, about 60, including the O'Keefe party and they'll be checking out soon." "Keep the boys on their toes until the last one is gone." "Thirteen presidents have stayed in this hotel." "Hey, you know Pete?" "I'm going to have more than half a million left." "Find us an inn to keep." "Oh, maybe not so big, but one we can keep the way we want it." "I'll look around." "Ask one of the boys to take Mike out for his constitution." "Right." "Come on, boy." "McDermott." "If I'm not there, try the Lost Reaches number in Aco Polko." "McDermott." "The young lady's returning to Paris." "If you would arrange her flight and put it on my bill I'd appreciate it." "Of course I will, sir." "Well..." "It was a good house." "It's too bad." "Suppose this is pretty good considering, Tom." "Old customers coming to the wake." "Words got around we're closing." "Ladies and gentlemen." "The drinks are on the house." "Go, honey." "Give me the..." "Give me the penthouse." "Hello, Mr. Trent?" "I think you'd better come on down here." "I'm giving all your booze away." "Alright." "I'll be right down." "Give me the Audubon Suite." "Bienvenue, Mademoiselle." "Merci." "Would you like something?" "Yes." "Anything special?" "Yes."