"Welcome, sir." "Welcome to the immortal hills." "Thank you." "It's all by way of making you feel right at home, Bobby." "Mr. chairman." "Come along, sir." "After you." "This is your place now, you know?" "Of course, it isn't as if you was any stranger here, Bob." "Yes, but somehow this place all looks different to me, like I never saw it before." "Well, maybe I never had to." "It's cold as an icebox in here." "Oh, that thing hasn't worked in years." "Cement halls, the wet, you know..." "Makes the air a wee bit crisp, you see." "Won't bother you none once you get down to work." "Well, I'm not sworn in yet." "Oh, that's only for show, sir." "Now, let me see if I've got the list of committeemen right." "First, chairman Robert kraft, yourself." "Now, Mr. honegger, treasurer, your uncle George, secretary, and, of course, Mr. trowbridge, and Mr. bates, making five in all, right?" "Right." "You canna find me at any time." "My dwelling's straight across the boulevard, opposite the gate." "Makes it nice, living so close to my work." "Now, would you like to see the sights, sir, give the roof a chance to catch the heat?" "Hmm." "If you care to make a tour, it's a bit warmer outside." "That's quite a map." "Oh, yes, sir, that's a map of the entire cemetery down to the wee-est speck of dust." "Here we are, and here's my shed with the rose stone, and there's the gate you come in." "Certainly kept it up to date, there's the new mausoleum on here, already." "Aye." "Oh, yes, sir." "This map's going to be a big help to you, Bobby." "Suppose you got a customer and you want to know what ground we can show him, this is where the map comes in." "One look, and quick as a wink, you know who's where and what's what." "It's them pins that makes it so easy." "The black ones stand for the ones that is already there, and the white ones for them as has made their arrangements for the future." "Now, for example, here's my place." "Lovely, isn't she, Bob?" "There." "Sun in the morning, but, eh, gets those trees to give shade in the afternoon heat." "Mckee, you've been on this job now, 40 years, right?" "Aye." "Well, I guess the committee's right, it's high time we retired you." "Nothing to worry about, full pension." "You'll draw the same check every month." "I'm to be paid for nothing from now on?" "No, you're to be paid for 40 years of devotion, and that's something." "Anyone in mind to replace you?" "Oh, aye, uh, why I hadn't a given it much thought, sir, but, uh, why?" "There must be plenty of young and hard-muscled toughs who would give their eyeteeth for my shoes." "It's a lovely place to work." "You're outside near mother earth." "Well, let me know if, uh, you find somebody, huh?" "Oh, aye, I will." "Yes, sir, that's quite a map." "Pardon me, sir." "I just wanted to show you where we keep this, in case of emergencies." "No need to worry, though, we haven't had none, yet." "Oh, you expecting visitors, sir?" "No, but that sounds like stu drexel." "Oh, aye!" "Drexel and pretty Beth Ferris." "I heard they was promised." "Looks like they're hitched." "She finally caught me, Bob." "Bethie, many happy returns of the Clay." "Stu, that's a great place you picked for a honeymoon." "Oh, marriage has made me conservative." "How 'bout it, Mrs. d?" "Can I carry you over the threshold?" "I still don't think it's so very funny." "I think it's positively awful, if you really want to know the truth." "Aw, bethie, don't be that way." "What's the trouble?" "How would you like to get a cemetery plot for a wedding gift?" "Now, bethie, you know pop never meant it for a present." "It's just a formal legal sort of thing." "You see, dad left part of my inheritance in trust for when I got married." "One of the provisions was that myself and my wife had first-class accommodations here at the immortal hills." "Doesn't cost us a cent, but we have to buy the plots before the bank will let me have the cash." "You know, dad, he never did consider me much on responsibility." "He was a very smart man." "Oh, aye, that he was." "And though a bonny bride should have her thoughts far from doom, it's a lucky girl whose father-in-law provides from the beyond for her future." "Isn't he sweet?" "Thanks, Scotty." "Bob, give us a couple near the old man, will ya?" "And call Owens at the bank in the morning so I can cash a check." "I don't think it's funny at all." "From the last administration, sir." "Folks get a wee bit rocky when they come out here, sometimes." "Best to be prepared." "Down the hatch." " Thank you." " Mm." "Oh, over here, that's where the drexel bunch is." "Ah, it'll get so you'll love it out here, Bobby." "It's a fine and green and lovely place." "A fine place to slip away from the cares of the world." "Slip away and live a wee bit." ""As retiring chairman of the immortal hills cemetery management committee... "" " George, I haven't got..." " Sh!" ""It is now my very great pleasure to announce..." " I don't even..." " Sh!" "The appointment of Robert kraft, president of kraft department store... "" "now, George, don't shush me." "You railroaded me into this." "Now, wait a minute, Bob." "It's your turn." "Last year was his turn." "The year before, it was mine." "Nobody refuses to take the chairmanship." "Pardon us, Henry." ""President of kraft department store... "" "why?" "Why?" "Nobody ever has." "It's just not done, son." "Well, can you give me one good reason why I should take over the management of a whole big cemetery when I'm up to my neck in my own business?" ""As retiring... "" "hold it." "Of course I can." "Tradition, particularly for us krafts." "You always harp on dignity, honor, prestige." "Well, how do you think we got it?" "Because your great grandfather, your grandfather, and your father served on every community project, board, and committee that was ever created." "They served for free." "But they did it for business." "That's what a fine family has to do in this town." "And you can't refuse to do it without losing a lot of respect from our customers." "And another thing..." "It's just not done." "Well, pass me over till next year." "I'm up to my ears." "Bob, do you realize you're talking about only a few hours a month, at the most?" "Mckee, the caretaker, handles everything." "All you do is show up once a week and sign the checks." " It's getting late, George..." " Proceed, Henry." "Raise your right hand." "Well, what about bill honegger?" "Raise your right hand." ""Do you, Robert kraft, swear to discharge the duties and responsibilities of this office faithfully and completely, to the utmost of your abilities?"" "I do." "Congratulations, Bob." "See ya." " So long, Henry." " Thanks, Mr. trowbridge." "Thank you, uncle George." "Uh, okay, miss Lane, you can put through his calls now." "Thank you, Mr. Watson." "I'll ring him for you now." "Hello." "There's a guy named Watson on the phone, says it's urgent." " Do you know him?" " Of olds and Watson?" "Of olds and Watson, you know." "Oh, the undertaker." "Swell." "Hello." "Well, thank you very much, Mr. Watson." "I'll do the best job I can." "Yes, sir." "Aw, you're kidding." "Well, sir, uh, don't worry about it." "I'll take care of it myself." "I'll be there within an hour." "Yes, sir, thank you." "Well, what about this ad?" "Have to wait, I'm sorry." "Well, now, call mckee." "You don't have to go up there every time." "This is different." "Somebody prominent?" "Stu drexel and his wife." "Stu and bethie?" "No." "Hi." "Hi, Jess." "Mckee, this is Mr. Jessup of the milford herald." "Hi." "Jessup, Jessup..." "Oh, the west slope, between the pattersons and the finleys." "What else is new?" "You were my big news for the day." ""Asked about plans for the coming year, kraft revealed the immortal hills will install a drive-in bar to stimulate additional trade."" "I'm stuck with the obituary detail." "Boy, it's cold in here." "Mckee, let's get that heat on no later than tomorrow, huh?" "We'd better get ready for the interment." "Aye, that'll be done, sir." "And you better change the drexel pins, black instead of white." "Oh, they already got black pins, sir." "Oh?" "Who changed them?" "Well, now, the last I remember was the very day they come out here to give you the order, and you stuck in two pins." "Yeah, I guess that's right." "I must have picked up the wrong color." "Hmm?" "Oh, nothing, it's just a little weird, that's all." "What?" "Well, the kids came out here right after they tied the knot, and they bought a couple of plots." "Stu was complying with some technicality in his trust." "And it was all very cute." "We had a couple of laughs, and afterwards, ljabbed two pins in the map..." "White pins, I thought, just to make it official." "Now I hear today they've been killed, and the map's had them on the blacklist all the time." "Okay, so what?" "Oh, nothing, it just made me feel a little eerie, that's all." "I think he means he marked the young couple for death, sir." "Yeah, I guess that was it." "That must have been the feeling I had." "Boy, it's funny what'll go through a guy's mind, isn't it?" "Do me a favor, mckee." "If he starts fooling around with those pins again, be sure he stays away from the west slope, between the pattersons and the finleys." "Indeed, I will, sir." "Hi, Annie." "What are you doing out here?" "I had a luncheon date, but I was stood up." "I know a nice little place down the street." "I just might take you up on that." "I won't hold my breath." "Oh." "George told me about Beth and Stuart, and I just had to see you." "Made me think how lucky we are, just to be alive and together." "Oh, Ann, this is Mr. mckee." "This is miss Craig, my fiancée, Andy." " How do you do?" " Miss." "Would you be wanting me for anything else, Bobby?" "No, thanks, Andy." "Bob." "Hmm?" "What's wrong?" "Oh, nothing." "I'm just a little depressed, that's all, but you'll take care of that." "Ann, I kept wishing we could keep our appointment." "Oh, rendezvous, if you don't mind." " Your gray flannel is showing." " Yeah." "Actually, do you know what made me turn around and come here instead of going home?" "Mm-mm." "Well, I was driving along, feeling rejected, and then, all of a sudden, I saw you very clearly in my mind." "Bob, it's just that you're too attractive." "After all, president of a department store and in charge of the immortal hills?" "Irresistible." "I saw you and I heard you." ""Lunchtime, Annie."" "That's what you said, distinctly." ""Lunchtime, Annie"?" "Well, I can do better than that, I hope." "Oh, you did." "You said..." ""I want you, and I need you" and..." "And a whole lot of lovely things I'd be embarrassed to repeat." "Yeah." "You know, just about the time you were seeing me," "I had you on my mind." "That's amazing." "No, I mean it." "And I don't blame you for not wanting to repeat what I was thinking." "Oh." "Darling, we'd better go to lunch." "Or get married." "Or I can just as easily join Jess at that little spot down the road he spoke of." "We regret the management does not permit exchanges once the merchandise has been purchased." "Then I'll freshen up." "Immortal hills, kraft." "Hi, Carl." "No, terrible." "No, I'm sorry, the funeral's been confined to the immediate family." "Yeah, all right, Carl." "I'll see you later." "No, not..." "Oh, Ann, you're right." "What?" "You're right." "We are lucky to..." "Lucky to be alive and..." "With each other." "Come on." "♪ Hey, ho, nobody home a'" "♪ meat nor drink nor money have I none 4'" "♪ still I will ♪" "Hey!" "Bobby!" "♪ Be happy f" "♪ hey, ho... a' ah, I picked this drexel stone for class." "Fine and rich and swirly." "I'm a granite man, myself." "Bobby!" "Bobby, I've got a surprise for you..." "You found your replacement." "Oh, well, no, no, not yet, but I'm scouting the countryside." "This is far sweeter." "This is what I call getting things done." "Oh mckee, you should have been an executive." "Ah." "Hey, best take off your coat, Bobby." "You'll be getting overheated." "Fairly quiet this week, only one passing." "Now, if you'll just sign these." "Let's get rid of these flowers." "Oh, aye, they smell a wee bit sickly." "I was hoping to keep them for the burial this afternoon." "Oh, you need much help?" "Oh, no." "This is just an average funeral." "They don't come like the drexel doings every day, thank the lord." "Mckee, this bill for w." "Lsham, what's it for?" "Why, he's the lad for this afternoon, Bobby." "Oh, no need to look so sad." "Will lsham was the same aged lad as me." "Oh, there's something that I've been meaning to tell you." "Mighty queer it strikes me, Bob." "I went to the map just after we got the news to change will lsham's pin to black." "It was already black." "Looks like there might be something..." "Creepy about that map." "Changing pin colors, without human assistance, no less." "I changed Mr. Isham's pin, Andy." "You... but, Bob, you haven't been here since he died." "Jessup, please." "I know, I changed his pin before he died, not after." "Jess, it's Bob kraft." "Can you come over here right away?" "No, I'm at the cemetery." "That map's nothing but an old piece of paper hanging on the wall." "All you do when you stick pins in it is to make holes in the paper." "White pins, black pins, safety pins, it doesn't make any difference, see?" "Well, look, it's unfortunate that it worked out this way, but coincidences are part of everyday life." "Some are funny, some are pretty odd, but this one isn't even good enough to make the back page of the shopping news." "That's all it is, Bob, coincidence." "Yeah." "You're right, Jess." "Thanks." "That's okay." "Sometime when I've tied on a real head-bender, you can do the same for me." "What's your trouble?" "Well, nothing, but I've... been through all this before." "The grass and the quiet... and that sound." "I never knew what it was." "It's the sound of a name being cut into a headstone." "Yeah, I've..." "I've heard of people who thought they'd been through the same bit before in their dreams." "I think it's even happened to me." "What would you say if I told you this happens to me regularly, ever since I was a child, sometimes as often as every other week?" "I'd say you were sensitive or exaggerating." ""Third-floor sportswear..." "$9,280 gross."" "Compared to $8,500 at the same date last year." "Hmm." "Basement sportswears..." "I'm gonna call bates and honegger and trowbridge right now and tell them I'm quitting." "Don't worry, George." "Nothing drastic will happen to the store." "My mind's made up." "You mean mixed up." "I've lived in milford all my life, and I can't remember any man who ever let that place get the better of him." "Why, when I was chairman," "I'll bet I stuck the wrong colored pins in that thing a dozen times." "If I ran out of one color, i..." "I used the other." "You've only been down there a couple of times." "George, I put black pins in the map for the drexel couple the day they were killed." "Now, I didn't think anything of it at the time." "And then I took a white pin out of the map, quite at random, and I put a black pin in its place, and today I find out the old man it belonged to died during the week." "Bob, that's terrible." "For heaven's sake, Bob, everybody loves a ghost story." "Where's your sense of humor?" "You don't really believe that stuff you're telling me, do you?" "No." "But I still think i may be learning something about myself." "Where are you going?" "Oh, I think I'll just take a run out to the cemetery." "What for?" "Sounds like it might be fun." "After all, I've been trying to find some way to wipe out our competition for years." "Good night, George." "You want to take my car?" "All right." "Won't be but a moment, sir." "Now, don't bother, mckee." "I think I've got it." "Oh, that'll be all, mckee." "Is everything all right, Bobby?" "We'll see you later, Andy." "Well, the place hasn't changed a bit since I was chairman." "A few more pins in the map." "Black ones." "White ones, too." "Sit down and relax, Bob." "I think I can get this whole thing cleared up for you." "What are you gonna do?" "I'm going to convince you that there's nothing out here for you to worry about." "George, let's forget this." "Uh, Bob." "I said I'm just going to convince you." "Well, George, suppose you took Henry trowbridge's white pin out and put a black one in its place, and tomorrow morning he turned up dead." "There's not a chance." "Well, I know not a chance, but suppose by some weird coincidence, it happened." "Now, it's happened to me three times already." "I deal strictly in facts, son." "I don't go for this coincidence bunk." "But if Henry trowbridge even looks a little peaked tomorrow," "you can resign, and I'll back you up." "Now, Henry trowbridge..." "Let me see if I remember." "George, I just mentioned Henry as an example." "Now, you're not gonna use him." "Why, Henry's as good a choice as anybody, considering he directly preceded you as committee chairman." "Wait a minute, George." "You, uh, better let me put the pin in." "If you do the honors and nothing happens, it won't be quite as conclusive." "By all means, let's not diverge from the established pattern." "But I'll have you know, i was no slouch when it came to pinning the tail on the donkey when I was a kid." "Uh, no reflection on Henry." "Go ahead, Bob." "You better call Henry and tell him what we did." "Eh, he'd only think we were kidding." "No, he'd believe you." "Then he'd call my physician, and he'd reserve a nice, quiet room for me at Providence hospital." "Let's keep this quiet, my boy." "Henry can't complain." "After all, if his term had run a week or so longer, he might be having the willies instead of you." "Hello?" "Hello, Mrs. trowbridge, this is Bob kraft." "What are you doing up so late?" "Uh, nothing serious." "Uh, I just meant to call Henry earlier, and, uh, it slipped my mind." "Uh, put him on, will ya?" "Oh, if he's watching a movie and enjoying it, uh, ask him to call me back during the commercial." "No, no, Bob." "Just hold on, and I'll get him." "He's upstairs reading in bed, but I'm sure he's not asleep." "Well, I hate to disturb him." "You just hold the wire, Bob." "Hello, Henry?" "Oh, he's..." "He's not breathing, Bob." "I've got to call a doctor." "I understand." "I'll hang up right away." "I'm... terribly sorry." "♪ Hey, ho, nobody home a'" "♪ meat nor drink nor money... x" "wait here." "This won't take long." "Morning!" "How do you do, sir?" "Well, I don't understand it." "Jess said he'd be here in 20 minutes." "I'm sure he's on his way..." "Lieutenant clayborne." "So that's it, huh?" "Sure big enough." "There are the black pins, eh?" "We're, uh, particularly concerned with these four." "Isham, and the drexel couple and now trowbridge." "Let me get this straight, Mr. kraft." "You say that every time you stick a black pin in the map, people turn up dead?" "That's right." "Well, go ahead, lieutenant." "You think I'm a crackpot, and I hope you're right." "L just want to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt." ""Stuart and Elizabeth drexel, d.O.A., emergency receiving hospital, result of highway collision."" ""William Isham, cause of death..." "Cerebral hemorrhage."" ""Henry trowbridge..." "Coronary thrombosis."" "Well, the rule is this..." "Where no evidence of homicide exists on initial investigation, the matter will be dropped." "Investigated and found nothing." "Sorry." "Jessup." "What's new?" "Or should I say, real?" "Nothing like murder, if that's what you're after." "I'm sorry Bob saw fit to disturb you, lieutenant." "No harm done." "What do you make of it, Jess?" "I keep telling him it's just coincidence." "Yeah." "If I were you, Mr. kraft, I'd take a week or two off, take it easy." "You'll forget all about it." "If you're gonna use this story, kindly refrain from mentioning my name." "I know." "Lieutenant clayborne, with an "e" on the end." "Boy..." "Didn't think four deaths could appear so flimsy to a policeman." "You never should have called the police." "Clayborne's one of the best." "Any other guy might have looked for a big, heavy book to throw at you." "Yeah, maybe you're right." "On the other hand, maybe that thing's dangerous." "Really dangerous." "Or maybe the element of danger is in a man." "In me." "Bob." "Is there something different about me, Jess?" "I'm really beginning to wonder." "Hey, buddy, if there is anything to this map bit, don't go blaming it on nameless forces." "Maybe somebody's trying to scare you." "Could be you got an enemy or two?" "Somebody using your desk, George?" "Oh, he came in to keep me company, darling." "That was very sweet of him." "Oh, darling, you must be dead tired." "I'm all right, Ann." "No sleep, and then to have to go back" " out there again..." " I'm all right!" "There's no crime in needing a good rest." "George, I've got some correspondence to take care of." "I've already taken care of your mail." "And I took the Liberty of making reservations for you." "Flight 33 leaving for Miami at 5:45." "My pal, sanford, owns one of the finest hotels on the beach..." "George, thanks, anyway." "There's nothing I'd rather do, but I can't possibly go now." "Bob, I gave you my word that if anything happened to Henry, you could resign." "I talked to Charlie and bill honegger, and they understand completely." "It's all fixed, son." "The situation's changed." "Until this thing's cleared up," "I'm not about to resign." "Oh." "Now, will you tell the others?" "Ask them to meet me here in my office, 7:30 tonight." "It's awfully short notice." "The committee can't just ignore what's happened." "I guess you're right." "Darling." "Ann, I'm sorry." " I didn't mean to snap at you." " Oh." "Now, why can't you resign?" "Well, because..." "Well, possibly something real, unreal..." "I don't know...." "Is waiting to kill one of us every time I jab a black pin into that map." "Bob, if you're talking about Henry trowbridge, the poor man died of a heart attack." "Heart disease is the country's number one killer." "Maybe not in milford." "Oh, Bob, you can't mean that that map is literally killing people?" "No, Ann, maybe it isn't the map." "Well..." "What about the other day?" "You saw me, you heard me..." ""lunchtime, Annie." "I want you." "I need you."" "Bob, I was obviously trying to bring a little..." "A little romance into our very dull and dismal lives." "No, Ann, don't try to deny it now." "I do deny it!" "Bob, I love you." "I'm..." "I'm not in any sort of occult thrall to you." "Hey." "Can't you take a joke?" "All right, then, i was lying, too." "Does that bring you back to reality again?" "Bob?" "I think we better take advantage of..." "Of those plane tickets." "George's Mr. sanford could be best man." "The offer's awfully attractive." "I love you so much." "Ann, if you're gonna cry, do it someplace else." "Now, Bob, it's real simple." "We're willing to play ball with you." "If you want to remain chairman of this committee, we wouldn't think of trying to dissuade you, because we have confidence in you." "Full confidence." "All the confidence in the world, Bob." "Now, all we want before we break this up is a promise from you, Mr. chairman, that before you turn in tonight, you'll go out to the cemetery..." "Now, let me finish." "You'll go out there and change my white pin to black, and Charlie's and George's." "Just as simple as that." "And then go home and go right to bed." "No, sir." "You're not the committee, Bob." "You're only our chairman with a duty to carry out the will of the majority." "We feel that you should do as bill said, because it'll put an end to this business once and for all." "Otherwise, we'll do the resigning right here and now." "Well, let me sleep on it." "Let's all sleep on it." "I don't think you people realize what might be involved here." "Motion defeated, tonight." "Well, your devotion to the principle of majority rule moves me deeply." "Okay." "Then, good night." "All right, Charlie." "Here goes nothing, George." "Who is it?" "It's me, Bobby." "Open up." "I seen your car lights from my window driving through the gate, so I come a runnin'." "You needn't have bothered, mckee." "You put in a full day already." "Now, I'll see you tomorrow." "No, no, no." "B..." "Bobby, please, Bobby, listen." "When you locked and bolted this place," "I said to myself," ""now, there's a man who knows his business."" "That's what I said." ""He may not know everything, what's behind it, but he knows when a thing's to be fooled with and when it's to be left alone."" ""There's nothing to fear with a man like Bobby kraft at the wheel," that's what I said." "Well, that's fine." "Now, you run along home and don't worry about a thing." "Nothing's going to happen to you." "N... no." "Please." "Bobby, lock this door again and send yourself home, or else, who can answer for what may happen to the whole miserable lot of us?" "It'll have to be open sometime." "If I don't do it, they'll get somebody who will." "Now, good night, Andy." "Good night." "Andy, go home." "[Picks up phone 1 hello?" "Ls this the immortal hills cemetery?" "What do you want, Jess?" "Bob?" "Why didn't you answer me?" "I've been looking all over town for you." "I'm calling from your place now." "What are you doing at the cottage again?" "Haven't you had enough for one day?" "Jess, I think I've done something terribly wrong." "For the love of Pete, what are you talking about?" "Well, we had a meeting of the cemetery committee after closing tonight." "Bill honegger, Charlie bates, and George, everybody." "And they voted to make me come out here to the cemetery and stick black pins in the map for each of them, just like it was some kid's nightmare." "So I did it." "Jess, there's a black pin in that map for Charlie bates and bill honegger and George." "And if anything happens to them, to any of them, it's my fault, nobody else's." "Nothing's going to happen to them, Bob." "As a matter of fact, I think they did you a big favor." "I've never heard of a coincidence involving three people dying all at once." "By tomorrow at this time, this whole big worry of yours will be nothing but a lot of hot air." "Yeah." "Well, I hope you're right, Jess." "I guess there's nothing for me to do but see this thing through, huh?" "I think I'll check on 'em myself and see..." "Bob?" "Bob?" "Honegger, bates, and George." "Six-six-six." "Desk." "Lieutenant clayborne, please." "Homicide." "This is homicide, sergeant greer." "Uh, lieutenant clayborne, please." "Not here." "Can I take a message?" "Sergeant, uh, this is, uh, Bob kraft, kraft department store." "Oh, sure." "Wait a second." "Wait a second, and I'll check." "Uh, Mr. kraft, are you calling on police matters, or is it just something personal?" "Well, uh, it's a little bit of both, sergeant." "Try him at Adams, one-three-one-one." "Thank you." "Adams, one-three-one-one." "Adams, one-three-one-one." "Adams, one-three-one-one." "Bill honegger, Adams, one-three-one-one." "Adams one..." " Desk." " Get me homicide." "Yes, sir." "Homicide." "This is Bob kraft speaking." "I can't get through to that Adams number." "So?" "Clayborne's at that number, and it's imperative that I speak to him right now." "Well, sir, uh..." "Just a second, sir." "I think he's reporting in on another line." "I've been trying get you, but your lines are busy." "Hang up, and I'll call you back right away." "Something happened to bill honegger?" "Hello?" "It's Jess, Bob." "Jess, uh, I'm expecting a call from clayborne." "He, uh... hang up, call me back in 10 minutes." "Clayborne's with me." "Let me talk to him." "He's not here now." "He's..." "What's wrong, Jess?" "Bill honegger's dead." "Soon as I found out," "I routed clayborne out of the sack and filled him in on the whole wild story." "We were over at honegger's in 10 minutes with two squad cars detailed to cover Charlie bates and your uncle." "How did honegger get it?" "He didn't." "That's the trouble." "What?" "Poor guy just dropped dead." "Nothing out of the ordinary?" "Bates?" "Charlie bates?" "They found him in his apartment." "Say it." "No homicide." "Just stopped breathing." "George?" "George, yeah..." "I called and told him about honegger before I left for clayborne's." "By the time the police got there," "George had already left." "Oh, they'll find him, Bob." "Don't worry." "I'll be waiting for word about George." "Let me know." "Well, Bob, I see you followed our wishes to the letter." "Come on, now." "I'll drive you home before you catch pneumonia." "You three men made a terrible contribution to this town tonight, whether you meant to or not." "I'm not going anywhere, uncle George." "I'm staying right here." "Well, I'll..." "I'll admit that, uh..." "What with, uh, Charlie and bill going so suddenly..." "Charlie and bill and Henry and Isham and Beth and stu." "Stop looking at the map." "You're looking at it!" "I'm looking at you." "And we're both waiting, aren't we, uncle George?" "Waiting to see if you escape." "Escape dying?" "Nobody escapes that, my boy." "The only question is how long?" "The only question is does a man die in his own time or in the map's?" "So far, everyone's been forced to conform to its schedule." "Everyone but you." "That puts me back on schedule." "My own schedule." "Well, if it makes you feel any better." "Let me tell you something..." "From now on, if you want to see me, you're going to have to come down to the store." "I won't make another special trip on your account." "The next time i see you, George, we'll both be right here." "Desk." "Homicide." "Homicide." "This is Robert kraft out at immortal hills." "Clayborne speaking." "Lieutenant, my uncle just left here." "I think under the circumstances, the least you could do is put a man on to watch over him, no matter how ridiculous the situation seems to you." "Thanks a lot, Mr. kraft." "We'll take care of it right away." "He's wearing an overcoat over his robe and pajamas." "We put a description on the wire quite some time ago." "Then, you do think there's danger." "Sergeant, kraft, George m., driving east on bunker hill." "Probable destination, manor apartments..." "We'll have your uncle safe and sound in 10 minutes, Mr. kraft." "You'll hear from me." "Are you sure your uncle was out there tonight?" "You didn'tjust think you saw him?" "I told you he just left here." "That was two hours ago and no sign of him anyplace." "I put out an all-points after the first hour." "He's not on the road, and he's not home." "Hold the wire, lieutenant." "You better come out, lieutenant." "He's still here." "♪ O where ha you been all the day I" "♪ randal, my son e" "♪ o where ha you been all the day?" "A'" "Andy!" "♪ Someone ♪" "♪ I been out huntin', mother a'" "♪ I been out huntin', mother a'" "♪ make my bed soft, mother a'" "♪ make my bed soon a'" "♪ for I'm sick... x" "Andy!" "Mckee, I'm gonna burn that stuff in the greenhouse if this heater doesn't work by tonight." "Bobby, it took a whole lifetime of collection for me to get the whole caboodle here." "And see here, you haven't even touched your food." "Man, you've got to eat if you want to keep above the ground." "Ah, lights for me, Bobby." "Of course, I cannot answer for what happens after sundown." "Better wait in the car." "Irresistible, huh?" "Aren't I crazy?" "Completely." "I'll never change, I'm afraid." "Annie, uh, I'll see you later?" "Bob, please." "I take it back." "What?" "That day in the car..." "I did see you, and I did hear you." "I really did." "I should never have denied it." "It's all right, Annie." "I'll see you later." "Do you have a party named Jacob mittel someplace on the map?" "M- i-t-t-e-l." "The importer?" "Sure." "You know him?" "Yeah." "We contact the French designers through mittel." "As a matter of fact, he's in Paris now." "Better strike him out." "Jay?" "Go ahead." "How did he die?" "He isn't dead." "At least, not yet." "I know what you're thinking, Mr. kraft." "You're thinking that we tricked you into killing Jacob mittel." "Well, you're 100 percent right, so try to relax, huh?" "This one's on the police." "You see, Jacob mittel's in the prime of life." "No previous major illnesses, no record, life expectancy exceptionally good." "He's in Paris with all that ocean water to protect him from this mess." "Up until now, all the deaths have been confined to the local area." "If it strikes somebody on another continent, then, we've really found something." "I knew I should have gotten rid of those pins four days ago." "Even the map." "The whole thing." "Out!" "What I want to know is what are you going to tell the district attorney is responsible for these deaths?" "We gave this case a real full-dress investigation," "Mr. kraft." "Questioned you and all the other suspects and witnesses until the point of comedy." "Found nothing." "No motive, no opportunity, no suspect, no crime, no weapon." "Except seven pins went in..." "And the seven people died." "Not one... seven." "Who put in those pins?" "You did." "All seven." "Other chairmen and so on have been putting pins in that map for years and nothing happened." "But... with me..." "It isn't impossible for a certain kind of man to be endowed with powers that nobody had ever dreamed he could have." "A lot of scientists claim that." "Maps and pins can't kill alone, the power of a human brain has to be behind them." "Like in the indies, I guess." "Those voodoo dolls you hear about." "Witch doctor sticks pins in the thing until the guy in question is jinxed into dying." "Of course, i..." "I know you didn't mean to kill anybody." "I have to get back." "You'll hear from me the minute we get word." "I think I best be running along, too." "Bob..." "I think so." "I destroyed them." "Something in me killed them." "Something in me..." "But i..." "I couldn't refuse the job." "[ Scoffs 1 not a man with my reasoning power." "Power..." "If I have the power of death using the black pins..." "Then I must have the power of life using the white ones." "[ Rumbling 1" "[ rumbling 1" "this is the cemetery." "That's right." "This is rosemond mittel." "Rosemond, I don't... yes." "Can't you hear me?" "This is rosemond mittel, Jay's wife." "Rosemond." "Yes." "I... just received a cable, Bob." "Can't you hear me?" "You just received a cable from Paris, France." "That's right." "I'll read it again." ""Regret to inform you, Jacob w." "Mittel died in..." "Hotel royale."" ""Body awaits disposition."" ""Signed, American embassy, Paris, France."" "That's right." "He died there." "Died in Paris, France." "Died." "Jacob w." "Mittel." "Impossible." "Impossible." "He cannot be dead." "What?" "What?" "You still think that thing's the killer?" "Or your own puny power, Mr. chairman?" "The only power you or that map ever had was me, so as far as killing goes..." "You... you marked them for death, Mr. chairman, but who did the deed?" "Andrew mckee." "Oh, Andy, why?" "You and your high and mighty committee, turning out a man with 40 years of service on the grounds." "40 years." "I told you, Andy, a full pension." "It isn't a cash that keeps a man going, lad, what keeps his feet on the ground, and keeps him on the job till the lord makes him quit." "The lord..." "But nobody else." "This is my house, my lands, my activities." "Aye, we come a long dark road to put this gun to your head, Bob." "Andy, we never tried to take anything away from you." "Aye." "I made sure of that." "I snuck up on each one of them in turn when they was alone and held them fast, like so, until they went." "Aye, even big old George, your uncle, left as easy as a baby." "Mittel?" "That doesn't explain what happened to mittel." "Mittel's dead." "Will you stop that confounded talk, man?" "That map's naught but a doodad, you fool." "There's nothing to fear here." "That map." "Andy, talk about something else, quick." "It's important." "You're finished with talking." "Finished you are, with maps, and pins..." "Black and white." "Talk about something else, i said." "It's important." "Right now." "Talk about anything else." "Now!" "Why?" "Because I caused you to kill those people." "Andy, you better get this straight right now." "You heard that lieutenant." "It's possible for some people to have things inside them that make other things happen." "Nothing is impossible for a man like that if he thinks about it hard enough." "I know you, Andy..." "You're no killer." "I made you do it." "You thought me into killing them?" "Then they could all be back." "Andy, I never knew it." "How do you account for that?" "That noise." "Can't you hear it?" "Andy." "Andy, stop." "There's nobody." "They could all be back." "They could all be back." "510p" "kraft, don't let them get inside." "They're coming." "You shouldn't have stuck in them white pins, Bobby, but now it's too late." "Too late." "I only killed five." "You gave me only five." "Not the young drexel couple." "Go away." "Go away." "Leave me alone." "Go away." "Go." "Save me, Bobby." "He's dead, lieutenant." "All right, forget the normal procedure." "Get him out of here." "Exhibit a." "He really didn't need it." "They died of fright first, just like he did." "You're forgetting about those seven trips to the mausoleum, lieutenant." "Seven bodies, seven trips." "They helped." "Lieutenant, uh..." "Jacob mittel, uh, died in Paris?" "No, that was a plant, Mr. kraft." "Mittel's all right." "Sorry we had to put you through this, but it was the best way to make mckee come out in the open." "Uh, Mrs. mittel stayed up all night at headquarters waiting for us to call in." "Our radio car is posted just outside." "We signaled her to phone you and tell you that lie about her husband." "Am I getting through to you, Mr. kraft?" "Well, not quite yet." "We watched him, Bob." "He actually managed to..." "Unearth all seven of them." "Wonder what got into him." "It was those white pins." "It was." "Oh." " Annie, I've lost my overcoat." " Hmm?" "Oh, where?" "Which one?" "I'll get it." "No, never mind." "I think I can find it myself."