"Oh!" " Myles?" " What?" "What's that horrible sound?" "What" "Blue jay." "Why?" "Giving his wife hell." "That beautiful thing?" "She let the cat into the garden." "Oh." " Love, love, love?" " Love, love, love." "Mmm." "Myles!" "I'm asleep." "Mmm!" "What time is it?" "It's either a quarter to 4:00 or 20 after 9:00." "Oh!" "Darling, would you mind answering the phone?" "There's no reason to be scared." " Whom am I speaking to?" " It's me" " Abby." "May I speak to Mr. Clarkson?" "Oh." "Well, you see, Myles is asleep." "So is Paula." "They're both asleep." "They're always sleeping." "Who shall I say called?" "Duncan Ely." "Wait just a minute." "Would you mind spelling that for me?" "D" " U-N..." "C" " A-N." "E" " L-Y." "Myles!" "Myles!" "You forgot your tape recorder." "I love you." "You mean you love me anyway." " Yes?" " Myles Clarkson." "I have an appointment." "Oh, yes, of course." "Will you come this way, please?" "May I help you?" "You'll have to wait until Mr. Ely's through playing." "Oh, yes." "We can go in now." "This way, please." " Clarkson?" " Yes, sir." "I let you come because I read your piece on that Russian genius" " What's his name?" " Stravinski." "Yes." "It wasn't good, but it wasn't too bad either." "Well, thank you." "Did you recognize the piece I just played?" "Late Romantic." "Liszt, I think." "Not a bad guess." ""Mephisto Waltz."" "The devil dancing with his paramours." "All right, I give you 30 minutes, no more." "Oh, throw that disgusting cylinder away!" "Mr. Clarkson." "May I see your hands?" "Turn it over." "Now the other one." "Stretch your fingers." "Have you ever played the piano?" "I studied for four years at Juilliard." "And?" "I had the usual first concert." "Half family and half critics." "I got a standing ovation, then seven New York City reviews." "The kindest phrase I remember is "indecently immature."" "I resented that." "I was 20 years old." "Critics." "Even when they're right, they're stupid." "They don't understand that after a concert, there's blood on the piano keys." "And there should be" "Yes, Bennett." "Please ask Mrs. Delancey to come down here." "Very good, sir." "I want my daughter to see your hands." "Go ahead, please." "Well, for about the next year or so," "I tried to end it all with the aid of scotch on the rocks." "So you took up the trade common to retired admirals, unhappy wives and exhausted poets." " You became a writer." " A musical journalist." "Can you stretch a tenth?" "No, here at the piano." "Roxanne, he has great hands." "Rachmaninoff hands." "Uh, you" " I forgot your name." " Myles Clarkson." "I happen to be the greatest pianist alive, and I tell you this, Mr. Myles Clarkson." "Hands like yours... are one in a hundred thousand." "Don't you agree, Roxanne?" "Yes." "Our Father is no longer in heaven, my dear." " God exists." " Oh." " And the devil is his vice president." " Or is it vice versa?" " Oh, there's a dreadful pun in there somewhere." " Unintended, my dear." "Roxanne, have you visited, uh, Kurt's new villa at Cap-Ferrat?" "No, darling.I've been spending my days in South America." "We have this working ranch in Chile." "It's a family thing." "Oh, that's very interesting." "Richard, I saw your last picture." "At least, I hope that was your last picture." "My dear boy, you really should make them use doubles for you, especially in those nude scenes." "Look, I have discovered that the beach in winter at Coney Island... is absolutely enchanting, and no one's discovered it yet." "See, I have an axiom to grind." "Cliché is king." "Now, wouldn't you agree?" "No, I don't." "Death." "There's nothing more popular than death." "Death is corny." "It really is." "Absurd, ridiculous and corny." "What were you like as a child?" "At Abby's age, I was, um, beautiful and precocious." " Hmm." " And at, say, 17?" " I was merely beautiful." " You then were still in London?" "Why are you so interested in me?" " Aren't you?" " No." " Why not?" " Well, I know too much." "A gardener who does what?" " Do you know what she said?" " Oh, thank you, but I'm having some terrific wine." "This is really nice." "Thank you, thank you." "This is" "You see this callus on my finger?" "That just proves one thing- that my wife does the typing." "I think you should be an actor or a pianist." " So the great Duncan tells me." " He's right." "He's always right." "But he's just a little bit insufferable too." "He's forced me to play the piano with him this evening." "A duet." "Forgive me, Mozart, for I know not what I do." " Congratulations, young man." " Thank you very much." " Now I know what Duncan meant." " Thank you." " We must discuss your career one of these days." " Oh, thank you." "Thank you." " How was I?" "Rotten?" " No." "With a lot of work," " you could become a third-rate piano player." " Oh, that good, huh?" "But, Myles, say you loafed eight hours a day at your writing." " You could become a halfway decent novelist." " I have, and I'm not." "Myles, you're giving me a horrible headache." " Let me get you something." " And I want to go home." " Good night." "Good night, Myles." " Good night, Roxanne, darling." " Hope to see you soon." " Very soon." "Robin, sit!" "This is Robin." "Isn't he a beautiful creature?" "Robin, I would like you to meet Mrs. Clarkson." "Oh, shut up." "I'm not a customer." "What time is it?" "It's eleven days before Christmas." "You know what our total sales are, plus sales tax?" "No, and I don't want to." "Eleven dollars and 25 cents." "Well, it's a nice neighborhood anyway." "So is the rent." "In five more minutes, we're gonna close up shop, go home, serve dinner, write a note of apology to our dear husbands, takes 100 sleeping pills... and hang ourselves in the upstairs closet." "Let's wait till tomorrow." "I think I see a customer." "Paula." "We had to come and see your boutique." " Hello, Mr. Ely." " Hello." "Beautiful." "Um, this is my partner, Maggie West." "Duncan Ely." "Mrs. Delancey." " How do you do?" "I brought some friends." " Good." "I wanted your first day to be a success." "Paula, it's beautiful!" " How much have they bought?" " Over $500." " What are they after?" " Who cares?" "I sold him the Hermes scarf for 29.95, and he never batted a beautiful white eyelash." "He wants three more." "They're spending too much." "It makes me nervous." "Why are they doing it?" "Why?" "Duncan Ely." "Now I remember." "His wife was murdered... by a dog." "Myles." " Hmm?" " I'm worried." " Why?" " Because." "Well, there's a good, solid reason." "They spent all that money in my shop... to buy ridiculous things." "Who?" "Roxanne and her friends and Duncan." "You know he comes in every other day?" "Why?" "What's the reason?" "He likes you." "Is that so frightening?" "Yes." "All these questions about you, about me, about Abby." "He's studying us like little white mice in a maze." "I don't want to go there on New Year's eve." "It's too late." "I already said we would go." "Well, call him up and say you're gonna be ill." "Why can't we do what we always do- celebrate our crazy Mexican honeymoon?" " Drink tequila and play checkers?" " Yeah, exactly." "Why?" "So once a year, at least, I can let you win." " The hell you do." " The hell I don't." "Look, baby." "I really wanna go to that party." "It's important to me." "Then good." "Go by yourself." "What, are you jealous?" "Yes." "Of whom?" "Mrs. Delancey?" " Well, who else is there?" " Oh, God!" "Actually, anything she can do, I can do." " Love?" " Love." "Happy New Year!" "Oh, how delicious!" "If they all looked like you, I'd switch sexes." "It's nice that you have a choice." "How's my girl?" "Oh!" "Terrible!" "I'm stoned, and I hate it." "What's the matter?" "Have I got dandruff again?" "Myles, I wanna go home and I wanna go to bed." "Success makes you miserable, doesn't it?" "Where are you going?" "If I'm not back in 10 minutes, call the police." "Oh, great!" "Thanks very much." "Oh!" "There you are, you bad boy." "Hmm?" "You bad boy." "Oh, yes." "Oh, you silly dog." "He loves perfume." "You must have frightened him." "He really is quite a coward, you know." "Now, Robin, lie down." "That's a boy." "Roll over." "That's it." "Yes." "He's a great big baby." "Aren't you, Robin?" "Hmm?" "He's a lousy hypocrite is what he is." " Did you like my work?" " Frankly, no." "I come from a worried generation." "I like nice, safe abstract forms." "Yours are a little too real for comfort." "That's true, and very perceptive." " I'd love to do a life mask of Myles." " Why?" "His bones, here and here" "They're so beautiful." "Don't you agree?" "No, I don't." "But he is pretty." "It's all right then?" "I can do him?" "I'm not my husband's keeper." "You see, I was married twice- once at 15 to an old man almost 30." "Duncan had it annulled." "It cost him lots of money." "Did you always call him Duncan?" "I guess I always have called him Duncan." ""Dad" would be entirely too domestic... and lace-curtain for a man like him." "There were lots of affairs in between." "And then I married once more, and divorced." "I suppose I should have stayed." "He was such a- a nice, simple, rugged, intelligent man." "He's vice president of Western Oil out here." "Duncan, what's the matter?" "Oh, faint." "Just one of those" "Don't worry." "I'll be all right." "Those stairs" "They go round and round." "Your hands, they're ice-cold." "Shall I get your medicine?" "No, thank you." "I took it." "It" " It doesn't help." "I'm sorry you're not feeling well." "You're the one that looks sick." "I expect you'll be better... as soon as it's peeled off and cast." "People should be born at 70... and live their lives backward." "The present arrangement simply doesn't make sense." " I'm awake." " Oh." "Have a nice time?" "Murder." "We" " We killed three bottles of champagne." "With Roxanne?" "And Duncan." "Hey, you know somethin'?" "He had me play the Mozart again." "And I was pretty good." "Maybe stoned on champagne is how I ought to live." "Myles, you're broken out with pink." "Oh, that's the- you know, the plaster." "I hate Roxanne." "Naturally." "I don't want to go there anymore, and I don't want you to go there either." "Why?" "Would you just explain to me why?" " Because they're too damn friendly!" " Quiet!" "Don't shout." "There are some things I can't say without shouting." "Do you mind?" " Look, they like us." " They like you." "They think" " They think Abby is the most wonderful child in the Western world." " And they like me too." " Of course they do." " But it's all too sudden." " Baby, what is it?" "What's the matter?" "You know, I mean, really?" " I'm scared." " That's ridiculous." "I'm" " I'm the son he never had." "Oh, fine." "Is he the father you never had?" "Myles, may I remind you that you've already got one father?" "He's a druggist in Providence, Rhode Island." "Remember?" "Anything more than that is bigamy or something." "Duncan Ely's dying." "Oh, Myles, no." "Yeah, he told me himself tonight." "He's had leukemia for eight months." "They keep changing his blood every two weeks, but it doesn't do any good." "He's gonna die." "I'm sorry." "Really, I am." "He told me not to tell anybody, but I guess it's all right." "He's a great man." "He's a great artist." "He's maybe the greatest since the invention of the pianoforte." "And he's never gonna give another concert." "Open up your fist, Mr. Clarkson, and hold this real tight for about two minutes." " How is he?" " Much better, I think." " Sleeping?" " Yes, very quietly now." "He's got so much courage." "It's an inspiration." "Why don't you go down to the kitchen and have Bennett get you some supper?" "Thank you." "I will." "I'll take that in for you." "All right." " I brought some hot bouillon for you to drink." " Oh." " Go on." "It's good for you." " All right, thank you." "I gave some blood yesterday." "You'll feel tired for an hour or so." "Why don't you take a nap?" "Mmm." "When Duncan wakes up, I'll call you." "I know he wants to talk to you." "Yes, do that, please." "Good-bye, Myles." "Is it nearly 12:00?" "Almost, Duncan." "Hmm?" "Myles?" "How's Duncan?" "Oh." "I'm sorry." "Really, I am." " Though he had a great life." " Nobody has enough." "What is it?" "That costume." "Oh, the laundry didn't come back." "And I got cold waiting for you." "Just on top, huh?" " No, leave it on." " Why?" "I wanna see you." "Love, love, love?" " Don't be stubborn." "Say it." " What do you mean?" "What do you mean, what do I mean?" "Do you wanna go downstairs?" "No." "Can't we wait?" "No, I can't wait." "What was all that mumbo jumbo about?" "I expected to see him rise from the coffin." "People have a right to their own religion." ""I, Duncan Mowbray Ely," ""a resident of the city of Los Angeles..." ""in the county of Los Angeles in the state of California," ""being of sound mind and disposing memory," ""do make, publish and declare this my last will and testament..." ""hereby revoking any and all wills and codicils..." ""thereto by me heretofore made." ""Item one:" ""In recognition of my affection for Myles Clarkson," ""I give, devise and bequeath to him..." ""one of my Steinway pianos and my entire collection of musical scores..." ""for his personal enjoyment and use in the hope that..." ""he will continue his interest in music," ""for which I believe he has such an extraordinary talent." ""Furthermore, I direct that within one week of my demise," ""my executors pay to the said Myles Clarkson..." ""the sum of $100,000 cash, such sum to be drawn from my personal checking account."" "Myles, I don't believe it!" ""This sum I bequeath to the said Myles Clarkson..." ""for his support and maintenance," ""though it is hoped he will use it to further his musical career if he so chooses." ""Item two:" ""To my daughter, Roxanne Delancey," ""I hereby bequeath my home in Los Angeles, California, and all of its contents."" "All that money has made you terribly attractive." "Did you know that?" " Remember me?" " Mmm, no." "Not yet." " What the hell is that?" " There are 42 cathedrals in this town." "Remember?" " No." " Sure you do." "Wait a minute." "Listen to this." " Now do you remember?" " Turn that damn thing off!" "You used to be so polite." "So gentle." "That was last week when I was poor." "Do you love me?" "Any fool can love." "It's what comes next that counts." "Oh, Myles!" "Robin!" "Robin!" "Robin!" "You're a bad dog!" "Shame on you!" "Come on." "You could have hurt me." " Now I'll have to tie you up." " Hi, Abby." "Mommy!" " Oh, I've missed you so much." " Oh, Mommy!" "I'm so glad you're back." " Oh, look, Mommy." "I have a dog." " So I noticed." "Abby, he's a very beautiful dog, and you're gonna give him right back to the beautiful lady who gave him to you." " No offense." " Oh, please, Mommy, can't we" "No!" "Come on, Robin." "Come on." "Aw." "What?" "Tears already?" "Yes." "Everything's back to normal." "Hello, Maggie." " Hello, hello." " How was she?" " Oh, awful." " Typical." " Where's the rich man?" " Parking the rich car." "Happy vacation?" "Mad." "It can't go on." "Actually, I feel unfaithful." "He's like three different men." " Is that a new ring?" " Loot." "Ooh, let me see." "He wants Daddy." "Don't we all?" "Daddy will let me have him." "You'll see." "Hello, pretty girl." "Oh, Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Daddy, listen to me." "I want this dog real bad." "I'll keep him in my room." "Oh, please?" "And he won't eat your pencils anymore." " I promise!" " Pencils?" "Did you let him into Daddy's study?" "When I first met this dog, I disliked him." "But now that's all changed." " Little by little, I've grown to hate him." " We'll keep him." "Oh, no, Myles." "I don't want a dog in the house." " A dog needs a child." " Oh, thank you, Daddy." " Mmm!" " I still smell tobacco." "Open the window, will you?" " It's already open." " If that's a martini, I want a taste." "Ah!" "We could use a new brand of scotch." "This tastes like a poor man's kilt." " What's for dinner?" " Well, we still have some hot dogs left." "Oh, well, thank you very much." " Get dressed." "We're going out." " We are?" "Where?" "Japanese." "I love Japanese." " I'll make the reservations." " And Maggie too, huh?" " And the good doctor?" " I don't know." "He's still at the hospital." " He won't be off till 9:00." " Well, we'll wait for him." "Isn't that nice of me?" "Look who's here." "Roxanne." "It's nice to see you." " Maggie, you know Roxanne." " Yes." "Hello." " Dr. West, Roxanne." " No, no, no." "Don't get up." " Um, this is Richard." " Richard, uh" " She doesn't know his last name." " Oh." "Here, take your shoes off, and come on in and join us." "Waitress, would you, uh, put some cushions around for us?" " Hi." " It's so good to see you again." "Abby, come on." "Move up." "Pull in your elbows." "Her elbows are like razor blades." "Who would imagine the States had all this room?" "We do, but we're lonely." "I didn't know you were back." "Are you practicing?" " Oh, yes." "Trying to play Brahms on a spinet." " But you have the Steinway." "No, I don't." "I need a bulldozer to get it into the house." " Well, then use mine." " Yes, that's a good idea." "Richard, that key I gave you, give it to Mr. Clarkson." " It's in your purse." " Oh, yes, that's right." "You'll have the house all to yourself." "Richard and I are going to Bermuda." "Are we?" "I'm glad." "Aren't you?" "Western Union." " Why didn't you call?" "You could have read it over the phone." " I know." " Are you stunned?" " Four hundred dollars?" "Hardly." "Oh, Myles, I think it's beautiful." "Just for pinning Duncan Ely down on paper." "Those who can do." "Those who can't write clever little interviews... about equally divided between snide and admiring." "Why do you want to be somebody else?" "Because I'm nobody the way I was." "That's true." "You've changed." "Oh, it's horribly exciting." "But it's not comfortable the way it used to be." "Still, in the morning," "I can't bear to have you pull away from me." "It makes me feel all empty." "Was that you on the piano just now?" "Why?" "Didn't you like it?" "I did, but it was frightening." "It was one of Duncan's last tapes." "Myles, why did you say that?" "This tape machine is cold." "Oh, well, hello, Roxanne." "Hello, Paula." "Beautiful day." "Hello, Myles." " What happened to Bermuda?" " Oh, there was some silly hurricane." "So Richard wouldn't fly." "Well, I won't either, not with a coward." "You know, all the interesting men are either married or not worth the effort." " No, don't stop." "Go on." " That was you I heard outside, wasn't it?" " It's unbelievable." " Why?" "I've been playing 18 hours a day." "Twenty-four." "You practice in your sleep." "But it's not just technique." "It's also faith." "Duncan gave me that faith." "Nobody else." "So if I try to play like him, that's not surprising, is it?" "No." "You're right, and I'm wrong." "I think you should do whatever you want to." "I'm gonna call my friend, Mr. Hurok." "I think Myles can take over Duncan's concert a week from Friday." "I accept." "Myles, is that you?" "I have no choice." "He wants it done right now." "Abby?" "What do you want with Abby?" "Really, I don't want to hurt her." "She's a beautiful little thing." " But I have to." " Don't!" "Please, don't!" "Don't!" "Sorry." "It's part of the bargain." "Mommy." "Mommy." "Mommy." "Mommy?" " Mommy?" " What is it?" " Oh, I had the most awful dream." " Oh, so did I." "It's nothing." "It's not real." "It's not real." "It'll go away." "You're warm." "Maybe we should take your temperature, all right?" "Come on." "Come on." "Oh, there you go, love." " Where's that mad animal?" " He's gone." "He'll be back, unfortunately." "No." "No, he went home." "He jumped out." "The window was open." "And you hated him, so he jumped out and went home." "Roger, what's happening?" "I've got to know." "We have to identify the bug before we can kill it." "Oh, Paula, she's gonna be all right." "She's strong, like you." "Well?" "He doesn't know." "Not yet." "The penicillin didn't do a thing." "She's had convulsions, but they're under control." "They think possibly it's some kind of spinal" "Myles?" "Do dreams tell the truth?" "What are you talking about?" "What dreams?" "How is she?" "I'm afraid she's gone." "Oh, my God!" "We tried everything." "The truth is we could never..." "get a firm diagnosis." "I did." "Don't you see?" "They put oil on her forehead." " Paula?" " Paula!" "Paula, stop!" "Paula, don't run away." "Please." "Please!" "Paula, stop!" "What are you running away for?" "That's not gonna help." " Because I'm so scared." " I know." "But I'm here." "Don't run away from me." " Myles, it's come true." " What?" "What did?" "He said he had to kill her." "Some kind of bargain." " Who?" " Duncan Ely." "He said you had these great hands, like Rachmaninoff." "And now Duncan's dead." "But you play like him." "As well as he did." "I've heard you." "How did his brain get into your fingers?" "Paula, you've got to stop talking like this." "Oh, he's dead." "I know he's dead." "But ever since the night he died, everything has changed." "You" " You've changed, even the way you make love." "Paula, you're living in a nightmare." "You better wake up." "I know!" "Don't you think I know?" "It's hideous!" "But suppose it's true." "That book she had" " Roxanne." "People who pray to the devil." " Paula." " Is it possible?" "Do such things happen?" "Those faces in the library." " And my little girl." " You've gotta calm down." "Maybe the doc can give you some medication, something to help you sleep." "Why did he kill her?" "Was it really some kind of bargain?" "He put the oil right here." "Is that what happened?" " Paula, stop it!" " Oh, Myles, tell me the truth!" "Tell me the truth!" "Stop it." "Thank you." "Clear footprints of a giant dog in the snow." "The paw marks led straight to the murdered woman's body, but there were no marks leading away." "The victim's husband... was the world renowned pianist, Duncan Ely." "The deceased woman leaves a married daughter," "Mrs. Roxanne Delancey." "Yes, I was married to Roxanne... a long time ago." " How is she?" " Beautiful." "I don't like her either." "I remember your name now." "You did that article on Duncan Ely in the Sunday Times." "No, that was my husband." "I just did the typing." "Well, uh, Duncan Ely was a very great man." "He was also arrogant, cruel and annoying." "You won't find that in the article, Mr. Delancey." "More important, my husband forgot to mention... the murder." "Was it true?" "Was your mother-in-law murdered by a dog?" "No." "No, that's ridiculous." "The Swiss didn't seem to think so." "They hung the animal from the beam of a wooden bridge... over a mountain stream." "On the curious assumption, I suppose, that the devil can't swim." "Or don't you believe in the devil?" "Those are peasants who still live in the Middle Ages." "We don't." "I have reason to think you're wrong." "There are people living today, like Roxanne, your talented ex-wife." "I don't know how or why, but I think she was responsible for the death of my daughter." "Mrs. Daley, Mrs. Clarkson's ready to leave now." "Would you show her to the elevator?" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "He's never played like that before in his life." "He's marvelous." "Marvelous!" "And sexy." "I mean, don't you think he's sexy?" " You know him better than I." " The body's familiar, yes." "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "There's a very handsome man staring at you, if you feel like a change." " Where?" " Over there." "One row down." "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "You were sensational." " Beautiful." "Beautiful." " Thank you." "Dino." " You were sensational." " Thank you very much." "Myles, it was just sensational." "I thought it was just beautiful." "Thank you." "That was very kind of you." " Hi, good-looking." " Oh, nice to see you again." "Uh, Mrs. Clarkson." "The bar is much too crowded." "Here, have some of mine, please." "Well, you're a lot more sociable than you were last time I saw you." " I am also a lot less sober." " Hmm." "Ninety-proof courage?" "Mmm." "You're wrong." "I'm not scared of these people." "My ex-wife and her campy crowd." " Well, I am." " My, they would be very happy to hear that." "Yes, worship Satan." "Sure." "That's just so they can do anything their little butts desire." "Oh, hey, listen." "I, uh" "I just wanted to forget about what happened... after Mrs. Ely died because it was done." "You see?" "It was over with." "But I began thinking about your child, and I decided not to be so goddamn selfish." "Hey, my number is on the inside." "Dino." "My, that's a nice perfume you're wearing." "What kind is it?" "Shalimar." " Isn't this beautiful?" "You must be paralyzed with joy." " As you see." "Myles has been offered the rest of Duncan's tour." "Has he told you?" "Chicago, Salt Lake City." "Twenty-four concerts in six weeks." "Well, Billy boy, how are you, love?" "Since you kicked me out, great." "How terribly funny to see you here." "Have you given up your squash?" "He used to play squash every Friday evening." "No, all I do anymore is make money." "Aren't you sorry?" "Oh, I am, darling." "I really am." "Hey, uh, you better keep the whiskey." "You'll need it." "She's gonna tell you the story of my life." "Ex-husbands are so boring." " Have you noticed?" " I like him." " Don't." " I think he's rather funny." "He's a dangerous, silly, fraudulent man." "Maybe that's just what I've always wanted." "It was very kind of you to come." "I mean it." "I just want you to rest assured that there's, uh, no amatory intention on my part." "Too bad." "Let's start with the facts." "There is no devil." "But there is." " Where?" "Introduce me." " In my nightmares." "Yes, but they're yours." "Well, whatever you dream is yours." "You" " You made it up." "Nobody else." "Don't you see?" "I know, but they're not like any dreams I've ever had before." "They're- They're frightening." " Because they tell the truth." " What truth?" "My little girl was killed by these people." "But why?" "Why should they?" "Because they bargain with human bodies." "The world's a pretty nice place to live in, in my opinion." "Why anyone should want to make a religion out of sickness and hatred, I just don't understand." "God's not fashionable." "We have to have somebody." "Paula." "What" " What is so funny?" "I keep thinking you're Myles." "But you're a different shape." "I know." "I sometimes feel the same way about Roxanne." "They say the truth is that once you've had one of them, nothing else will quite satisfy you." " Then you believe?" " I believe that they believe." "Why did you divorce her?" "Because of the child." " You had a child with Roxanne?" " Uh-huh." "The same day that, uh," "Mrs. Ely was killed, Roxanne disappeared." "I found her in the snow halfway up the mountain, and she'd had a miscarriage." "No." "No, it was lucky for all of us it was dead." "It was a monster." "I should have thought a thing like that would have brought you closer together." " Yeah, except" " What?" "It wasn't my child." "Don't you see?" "They play at witchcraft because then they can do anything they like." "Paula, I've absolutely no proof, but I'm also absolutely sure... the man who was the father of my dead child... was Duncan Ely." "Hey." "I'll get some more wood." "Bill?" "Bill?" "Bill?" "Bill!" "Bill!" "We were not drunk." "We were not taking drugs." "And we were not lovers." "What else were you not?" "I wasn't with him when he was killed." "He was out here by himself." "You made a statement." "You said you knew how he died." "Regardless of whether you think we poor cops will understand or we won't understand, you're gonna explain to me exactly what you meant." "I think Bill Delancey was killed by my husband." "You said he was out of town." "That's a pretty good trick, killing a man all the way from Chicago, Illinois." " He's not really my husband." " Oh?" "Why is that?" "Someone's using his body." "Well, I guess that pretty well clears this case up, huh?" "Darling." "She knows." "What do I know?" "That you're not Myles at all?" "That you're Duncan Ely?" "And you're in love with her!" "You're in love with your own daughter." "I warned her to stay away from Bill, but she wouldn't." "You killed Bill." "You killed Abby." "And now you want to kill me." "Well, I'm not gonna let you." "Let go of me!" "Let go of me!" "Let go of me!" "Oh, don't touch me!" "Don't touch me!" "Don't touch me!" "That's not his handwriting." "I know it isn't." "My God!" "Oh." "How are you feeling, Paula?" "Wonderful." "Just wonderful." "Still have that headache?" "No." "But when I move, everything goes around and around." "Uh-huh." "I think you're gonna be just fine." "Better than ever in fact." "What did you find in my head- room for rent?" "No." "You had a, uh, minor stroke." "Oh, that's nice." "Who struck me?" "We can't always tell the cause of these things, particularly in someone your age." "They happen." "Either you die, or you get better." " It wasn't the accident, huh?" " No, no." "It was the other way around." "What happened inside your head is what caused the accident." " What day is it, Mag?" " It's Tuesday afternoon." " Two weeks." " Three." "I've got to get out of here." "There are so many ways to kill a person." "Sometimes I'm afraid to drink the water." "It might be poisoned." "Isn't that silly?" "Paula!" "They haven't given up." "I know they haven't." "They killed Mrs. Ely... and Abby and Bill." "Then they tried to murder me." "Well, I'm just one grade too tough." "Paula, if I didn't know you were sane, I'd think you were a little crazy." "They made a big, fat bargain with the devil... so they could enjoy each other- father and daughter." "Then they realized that I knew what they were doing." " They tried to kill me." " Paula, why don't you just... face the truth?" "What?" "All they are is a thing on a double bed- your Myles and that Roxanne bitch." "Listen." "Abby had some... rare kind of virus." "And Bill Delancey, he just had a little too much to drink." "And as far as Mrs. Ely was concerned, she probably had a very bad heart." "All I know about is you." "Paula, you're sick." "And you're going to stay sick unless you make up your mind to just get up and- and get a divorce." "No." "I want Myles." "Whoever he is, I still want him, even if it's... just once more." ""I shall have no other gods before me..." ""but thee, O Master." ""I shall go wherever thou commandest, and shall do thy biddings."" "Master." "I'm ready to bargain." " I'm Mrs. Clarkson." " Good evening." " Is Mrs. Delancey in?" " Yes, but she's working" "Yes, of course she is." "I saw the light in the studio." "Oh, by the way, someone smashed one of the headlights." "You shouldn't leave the Rolls out there in plain view." "This neighborhood is full of rich teenage bastards." "Yes, yes, thank you." "You're so right." "Why, Paula, how lovely." "I was just coming down for a drink." "Would you, uh, care to join me?" " No, thank you." " Tea or something?" "I don't have time." "He's not here." "What do you want?" "I've made a bargain with the master." "What are you talking about?" "He's on my side now." "You're insane." "Bennett!" "Oh, Myles, please help me." " Paula, answer the phone." " Mums, sweet peas, daisies." " Perfect if she's Virgo." "Is she Virgo?" " I kind of doubt it." "Would you like to enclose a card?" "We have beautiful messages already printed." " "Best Wishes for a Speedy Recovery"?" " No." "Listen, uh, I'll deliver those myself." "Thank you." "Would you just put that on my account?" " Yes, ma'am." " Thank you." "Paula?" "Paula?" "Paula?" "Paula?" "Paula?" "They made her do it." "They made her kill herself- that Roxanne bitch and Myles." "They made her believe all that nonsense about Satanism." "Come on, Maggie." "Isn't that a little far-fetched?" "Is it?" " What on earth is that?" " It was on her face when I found her." "I don't want people to know that she believed in that madness." "Roxanne." "Good news." " She's dead?" " Yes." " You sure?" " I was at the Wilcox Avenue Police Station." "They were very sympathetic." "They broke the news to me- suicide." "How dreadful." "Yes, isn't it?" "What did you put on your hands?" "I've changed my perfume." "It's Shalimar." "Do you like it?" "I hate it." "It's what our little housewife used to wear." "Really?"