"I hate this river." "What's the trouble, Mrs Ambrose ?" "Oh that things floated by again, Stephen." "In with one tide, out with the other." "Why, I'm sick of it." "Don't get upset, Mrs Ambrose." "It's due to sink any day now." "Why don't the authorities do something about it?" "They know that the tides cause the same filth to wash back and forth." "Back and forth." "Oh, I tell you I hate this river." "It's people who should be blamed for the filth, not the river." "The mail just arrived, Mr Byrne." "Put it on the table please." "Looks like a manuscript." "My manuscripts are like the tide out there." "They always come back." "Maybe they wouldn't if you took my advice." "Spice 'em up." "Make 'em racy." "That's what the public wants." "What is it, Emily?" "Well, it's just that it's getting awfully late Mr Byrne and the plumber hasn't arrived to fix the downstairs tub." "Well, if he hasn't come by now he probably isn't coming by at all today." "Use the upstairs one if you like." "Thank you, sir." "How does your wife like the new maid, Stephen?" "Very well I think." "Good." "Where is Marjorie by the way?" "I haven't seen her all day." "She's spending the day with the Lawlers, in the country." "That's nice." "Did she say when she'd be back?" "Only in time to dress for Miss Whittaker's party." "Good heavens!" "Why I better go and finish my gardening, so that I could start to get ready." "I've still millions of things to do out here." "Emily." "Oh, Mr Byrne." "It's you." "You frightened me." "Did I?" "I thought you were still in the garden." "Did you?" "I left everything nice and tidy for..." "Mrs Byrne." "Did you?" "Mr Byrne, please let me by." "Of course." "Nice perfume you use, Emily." "No Mr Byrne." "You're hurting me!" "Emily!" "You've been drinking." "Let me go!" "Did you happen to tell my wife that you've been digging into her perfume?" "I don't care!" "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "Emily." "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "Shut up!" "Stop it." "Do you want the whole neighborhood to hear you?" "Pull yourself together and I'll let you go." "That's better." "All we needed was that old gossip to hear us." "Emily..." "Emily!" "Emily!" "Emily!" "Merciful God!" "Hello, Stephen." "I tried the front door but..." "John!" "Thank heaven it's you." "Well, what's happened?" "There's been an accident." "Marjorie?" "No, the new maid Emily." "She fell." "Let me look at her." "No!" "I..." "Stephen, what's the matter with you?" "Have you sent for a doctor?" "No." "There's nothing anybody could do." "She fell down the stairs, she hit her head." "They'll blame me!" "Why should anybody blame you?" "Well...because I was playing a fool, pretending I was going to kiss her." "She got frightened and something happened." "I don't know what exactly but of course they'll blame me!" "Stephen, stop it!" "Let me look at her." "This girl didn't fall." "She did." "I saw her." "She was strangled!" "It was an accident I tell you!" "I scarcely touched her." "I hardly put my hands to her to prevent her screaming." "You don't know how quickly it happened, John." "You don't know!" "Where are you going?" "For the police." "You can't." "You're my brother!" "I've gotten you out of a lot of nasty scrapes, Stephen." "But this is murder." "John don't let me down." "You've always helped me." "You can't do that to your own brother." "Please, you have to help me." "Please, John!" "Please!" "Stephen." "I can't go through with this." "You promised to stay up there!" "Listen to me." "The only thing to do is to go to the police." "Tell them exactly how it happened." "It was an accident." "But they'll never believe me." "Even you don't believe me." "Do you?" "I don't know what to believe." "I only know that I'm not going to help you." "For once you're going to get out of this thing by yourself." "John if you won't do this for me, do it for Marjorie." "For her sake." "Did you know that Marjorie went into town today, to see the doctor?" "Is she ill?" "She's going to have a baby." "Now can you understand why I must get out of this, why you must help me?" "Yes." "I suppose I must." "Good." "Now go back and warn me if anyone comes." "John." "Wait a minute!" "It'll soon be over, John." "She'll soon be in the river and it'll all be forgotten." "Forgotten?" "Yes." "Yes." "I mean for the time being." "We weight it, and take it way out, were it'll stay sunk." "Stephen!" "Marjorie!" "Marjorie, is that you out there?" "No, it's me, Mrs Ambrose." "Oh, it's you Stephen." "Stay down." "I'll get rid of her." "Is Marjorie back yet?" "No." "Not yet, Mrs Ambrose." "I wanted to ask her what she's going to wear tonight." "I thought of my best black." "But still, no, it's never very dressy at the Whittaker's." "Well, she'll be home before long, Mrs Ambrose." "My, she stayed late, didn't she?" "Well, of course the Lawlers are always hard to get away from." "Maybe she missed her train?" "I'm not worried, she'll be here soon." "Well, ask her to drop in for a moment if she has time, will you Stephen?" "Yes I'll do that." "I must go in now." "I have to get ready myself." "I'll see you at the party then." "Until later" "I thought the old hag would never leave." "I thought you said Marjorie went to the doctor's today?" "She did." "Mrs Ambrose said she went to the Lawler's." "She went both places." "The Lawlers live in the country" "If she went there that means she spent the day" "I think she went to the doctor's!" "Now stop quibbling and help." "A scandal would ruin all of us." "We have more people to consider than this dead servant girl." "You used to refer to her as Emily." "Don't be like that." "Don't you understand how I feel?" "If I could undo what's happend." "If I could go back...but I can't." "I've got to think of Marjorie and my child." "This has been a lesson to me." "I know I've been foolish but I'll change." "I swear I will." "John!" "Marjorie will be back any minute!" "All right, Stephen." "All right." "You talked me into this too, as you have a thousand times before." "That filthy moon." "Don't you think we ought to tie the anchor to the sack?" "Yes." "Well, this should do it." "Hoist the anchor." "All right." "Lift up." "Did you see that?" "What?" "Something bright." "Something flashed out there in the water." "Let's get away from here." "I'll drop you off at Weeds Point so Marjorie doesn't see you." "Emily." "Stephen?" "Marjorie." "Is that you, Stephen?" "Yes Marjorie." "You frightened me." "Sorry dear." "I couldn't seem to find the light." "Where have you been dear?" "I uh...took the boat out." "Well, do you know where Emily is?" "Emily?" "Yes." "She's not in the house and she promised to help me dress for the party." "Oh, she said something about going for a walk." "That's not like her." "She knows it's Cook's and I'm alone." "She probably went off with a young man someplace and forgot the time." "I can help you if you like?" "I could say that you're all promise today but..." "I won't." "I thought I'd be doing my best but I'm enjoying it." "Oh, you're very sweet." "Did you do much writing today?" "No." "Why not?" "Oh, another script came back." "I'm sorry, darling." "Is that why you went boiating?" "Yes, I suppose so." "I should of been with you." "Did you miss me?" "Very much." "I..." "Wish you hadn't gone out today." "Come on." "Darling, what is it?" "What's happened?" "Well, what is it?" "What is it?" "It's..." "It's nothing." "I have a terrible headache, that's all." "Then we better stay home tonight." "No." "No." "I'll be all right." "Don't worry." "Oh, darling." "Grab the lady by the hand!" "Round the lady over there!" "And to the sound of 1, 2, 3!" "And round that gent from..." "Oh I can't anymore, Stephen!" "I'm exhausted!" "Hell of a party, Sir Whittaker!" "At last my favorite dance!" "How many times have you said that this evening?" "Four." "First time I've meant it." "Stephen, you're wonderful!" "You inspire me!" "First your right and then your left!" "Meet your partner and give her a swing and throw them all around the ring!" "Oh, that brother of yours is a real devil!" "A real devil!" "Oh, Stephen!" "Do you know what'll happen to me if I drink that?" "Why do you think I'm giving it to you?" "Stephen!" "You're the limits." "Well, John." "Aren't you gonna try the punch?" "No." "I don't feel like drinking tonight." "What's the matter with him?" "He seems depressed." "Have you ever seen him when he wasn't?" "That's not nice, Stephen." "It must be very hard to love music very much and not be able to dance and to be a part of things." "He could've been a part of things tonight." "Why didn't he call the dances?" "I suggested." "He's just naturally a wet blanket, that's all." "That's very cruel, Stephen." "You wouldn't have said such a thing if you hadn't had..." "If you hadn't had say, about four too many." "Don't start with me, Marjorie." "I'm sorry." "I'll go see what's wrong with him." "John!" "Why are you leaving?" "Just what is the purpose of all this dancing, this drinking?" "Don't you understand?" "Can't you see what I'm trying to do?" "No!" "Well, if anything should ever come out everyone will remember that we were here at the party acting in a normal manner." "Well, I think it's repulsive!" "Do you think I'm enjoying myself?" "Frankly I do." "Unaware of the fact that I'm protecting both of us." "Us?" "Yes!" "Us." "You helped me get rid of her didn't you?" "Whatever I've done, you're in it with me." "So I advise you to keep your mouth shut." "Sorry I had to remind you of that." "Come?" "Come and join the party." "Is that you, Mrs Byrne?" "Yes, Mrs Beach." "You shouldn't have bothered to stay up for us." "Oh, Mrs Byrne." "What is it?" "It's Emily." "She's not home yet." "She's not?" "No." "When I first got here I thought maybe you'd sent her on an errand or something." "She still isn't home." "I'm afraid something's happened." "She's probably with her parents." "No Mr Byrne." "She don't get on with them." "She would've told us if she was going to spend the night with them." "The thing that puzzles me is that none of her dresses are missing." "How do you know that, Mrs Beach?" "She showed me her things when she first came to us, Mr Byrne." "She didn't have very much." "If none of her dresses are missing she can't have gone far naked." "Stephen!" "I'm not going to sit up and worry about Miss Good Servant Girl who wants to make a night of it someplace." "I'm going to bed." "Wouldn't waste my time reading such trash if I were you, Mr Byrne." "Since when is the disppearance of a human being considered trash, in your estimation, Ms Bantam?" "Since I found out what a bad name that Emily Gaunt has given young women like myself...in service." "Bad name?" "Yes." "That Emily was a proper hussy." "Scatting about, night after night." "Young men followers and heaven knows what all." "There's no doubt that she was out with one of her many sweethearts the night she disappeared." "And she went further than she meant." "But..." "You make your own bed you must lie on it." "Would you like your eggs now?" "No, I..." "I don't care for any this morning." "Now Mr Byrne, you haven't eaten proper all week." "Miss Bantam, did you know Emily Gaunt?" "No." "But I know them that did." "Seems to me you speak with great authority about a person you never knew." "Well, Mrs Beach knew her, didn't she?" "I happened to be present the day after Emily, when the cook was questioned." "She didn't give the impression she believed Emily wasn't a decent girl." "Yes, but Mrs Beach just happened to overhear Mr Stephen." "And Emily's parents came worrying around the other day." "Wouldn't you like just one egg?" "Emily's parents came to see my brother?" "Yes, and he let them have it, he did." "Said they never should have let her work in an honest house in the first place." "That she was a thief and a good for nothing trollop." "That's a lie!" "Good gracious, Mr Byrne!" "Don't shout at me!" "It wasn't me that said it." "It was your brother." "It's the truth, John." "At first I didn't believe it either but Stephen kept after me to go through my things." "It was Stephen then who was first suspicious?" "Yes." "A whole outfit was missing." "Hat, dress, shoes, everything." "And only yesterday I discovered that the Oldport earrings that Stephen had given me for my birthday were missing too." "Oh, but let's not talk about Emily anymore." "It's Stephen that I'm concerned about." "I don't know exactly how to say it." "There's such a... such a peculiar look that comes over his face when he's talking about Emily." "It almost seems as though he were actually enjoying it." "As though he...delighted in her disappearance." "Well, he goes on and on about her." "Well Marjorie I..." "I wouldn't worry about him if I were you." "After all he's a... he's a writer." "The..." "The mystery of her disappearance probably intrigues him." "Oh, probably you're right and he fancies the whole thing as a great big melodrama with himself in the leading role." "He'd like that." "Like the article in this morning's paper?" "I didn't see it." "Stephen took it with him." "He left early this morning." "Hadn't they promised to keep our name out of it?" "Well, you can't blame them, it makes a better story." "I don't understand why they kept their promise for a whole week and... then suddenly today even a picture of Stephen." "I wonder how they got hold of it?" "I don't know." "It's..." "Why..." "There's only one print of that picture that I know of!" "Now, isn't he like a child?" "He wanted his picture in the paper." "How do you do, Mr Byrne?" "Mr Miller." "What do you think of the display?" "Very attractive." "But, it wasn't up when I passed yesterday." "No, your brother called me last night and told me of the publicity he was expecting in the papers." "And he wanted me to cash in on it." "Thank you, dear boy." "Oh gee, I'd love to be a writer too." "Well, why don't you try Effie?" "Your mother says you're very good at making things up." "Some of your excuse are masterpieces of imagination." "Don't you listen to this scoundrel." "Imagination's not enough." "Just the other day I read in a magazine that a writer must write only about things he knows." "If he puts down truthfully the things he's actually experienced, if they're exciting enough, he's bound to be very successful." "That's very interesting, Mrs Ambrose." "Don't touch that!" "Did you read it?" "No, I only picked it up." "What's the matter, Stephen?" "Nothing it's...it's not ready to be read, that's all." "You never minded my reading your things before." "I've changed my ideas about a lot of things." "I know." "Just the other night when you went out by yourself" "Don't nag!" "A writer needs to be alone to gather experiences." "Can't you understand that?" "I wasn't nagging, Stephen." "What I started out saying was simply that when I was alone the other night and John dropped in" "What did he want?" "Nothing special." "Seemed so forlorn lately." "We reminisced about those evenings when you used to read your stuff aloud to us" "I wish you and John wouldn't discuss me behind my back." "I'm not interested in what my brother has to say." "He's a bookeeper and will always be one." "He'll never understand the problems of an artist." "I was a fool to let you pick on me and criticize my writings." "No one picked on you, Stephen." "You asked us for our honest opinion and we gave it to you." "Never mind." "I didn't need anyone then and I don't need anyone now." "I'm doing very well on my own." "You mean since Emily?" "Go on." "Go on, you can say it." "I didn't mean it that way, Stephen." "The success of my books since this Emily thing proves that they were good in the first place." "All I needed was a little publicity." "In the future they'll not only be good but they'll be great, because they'll be about things I know." "Like what you're writing now?" "Yes!" "Well, what's it about?" "Will you stop prying!" "Let's have our tea." "I wasn't prying, Stephen." "I was only interested." "I don't care for any tea, thank you." "John Byrne's Accounting Office." "Walter Herbert, office boy speaking." "One moment please." "It's your housekeeper." "She'd like a word with you, Mr Byrne." "Thank you, Walter." "Check these over, Elmer." "What is it, Miss Bantam?" "Mr Byrne." "With the cold weather coming on" "I told the neighborhood boys to gather some driftwood." "Save you catching cold like last year." "But when I went to get the woodsack I found that your brother hadn't returned it." "I wonder, would you mind stopping there on your way home this evening?" "When did my brother borrow it, Ms Bantam?" "Several weeks ago when he was doing the gardening." "He sent Emily for it." "All right I'll..." "When did you say he borrowed it?" "Several weeks ago." "And even though that Emily isn't with him anymore, you'd think they'd return the sack." "After all, your name's on it." "My..." "My name is on it?" "Yes." "I stencilled everything you owned with India ink." "I'll go for it if you're busy." "No." "No." "I'll stop by for it, Ms Bantam." "I hate this river." "We neighbors really should gather a petition, Stephen." "What's the trouble today, Mr Ambrose?" "That horrible thing floated by again." "That dead animal!" "It couldn't be, must've sunk long ago." "No!" "No it isn't." "Why, it's a sack." "Yes, that's what it is, a sack of some kind." "Probably filled with rubbish." "Do you see it?" "Well, I've other things to do besides standing out here." "But I tell you, Stephen." "You should write up a petition for us." "Yes." "Yes, Mrs Ambrose." "Really!" "The way some people use this river is a disgrace." "A penny for your thoughts." "Hello John." "Hello Marjorie." "Is Stephen in?" "No, he's on the river somewhere." "He seems to have found an unusual interest there lately." "Won't you come in?" "I'm glad you've come, John." "I need someone to talk to very badly." "When I feel like this, there doesn't seem to be anyone else in the world like you." "Do you mind?" "You know that I don't." "You're nice, John." "Very, very nice." "Yes, like mint tea when you have a cold." "Oh no John, like a..." "Like a friend." "More than that." "Stephen?" "I think you know John that I...tried to make a success of my marriage." "It hasn't always been... well, exactly perfect." "Maybe it was my fault." "Girls have foolish ideas." "And when they marry they think they've snared Prince Charming himself." "And he is charming, John." "Very charming." "But a woman sees deeper." "I see things now in Stephen that I never let myself see before." "Don't get bitter, Marjorie." "Oh, I know the countless things you've done for him." "How we couldn't live like this if you hadn't given up most of your share of the inheritance." "So that he could continue writing" "You wanted a career for him, didn't you?" "Yes." "But I didn't want a big success like this Emily's disappearance has brought on." "At first I thought it was simply childish the way he capitalized on it... but there's a limit and he's become ghoulish." "You should have heard him today..." "Did you quarrel?" "Yes." "I hadn't wanted to tell you that." "I'm beginning to wonder why he ever married me at all." "Perhaps it was because he need you?" "He told me today that he's never needed anyone." "That was just talk." "Everybody needs someone." "Believe me." "Are you lonely, John?" "Pardon me, Mrs Byrne, but I thought it was getting dark here." "Thank you, Mrs Beach." "Sorry I said so much, John." "It's unfair to talk about Stephen behind his back." "But when you worry, darkness does something to you." "I understand, Marjorie." "Perhaps you're not prepared to tell me yet, since you are troubled I..." "I'd like to tell you that I honestly think things are going to be better for you." "Stephen's bound to change when the baby comes." "The baby?" "Stephen told me." "Stephen told you that I was going to have a baby?" "Yes." "But it's not true." "I wish that it were." "Now what on earth would make him want to tell you a thing like that?" "Maybe I misunderstood." "Don't go protecting him again, John." "You must know why he lied to you." "I can't discuss it now, Marjorie." "Tell him to come to my place when he gets home." "I'll talk to him." "You didn't eat a bite?" "You didn't touch the roast." "Of course it's all dried up now." "That's what comes from warming it over and over when you don't serve dinner on time." "Sorry, Ms Bantam." "Sorry." "Being sorry won't help a spoiled dinner." "You'll be sorry when you get stomach ulcers." "I know it's none of my business Mr Byrne, but you've been drinking a good deal lately." "I apreciate your interest in me Ms Bantam but" "I must remind you that I'm quite old enough to determine my own drinking capacity." "When a man's alone as you are he should be grateful to have somebody look after him." "I'd be grateful to you if you'd stop nagging at me!" "Why, I never heard of such a thing!" "Just because I take an interest in you!" "Well, I don't want you to take an interest in me." "I'm quite capable of running my own life." "All right!" "Seems like I can't do anything right anymore." "You didn't bring the woodsack." "No." "But I told you the boys will be here in the morning to gather driftwood." "What shall I tell them?" "I don't care what you tell them." "Now please leave me alone!" "I know I'm only a servant girl, Mr Byrne." "But I come from a very gentile family." "And I don't have to take this sort of treatment from anyone." "If you want to be left alone perhaps I can leave you alone." "Permanently!" "Just as you wish, Ms Bantam." "You mean..." "You want me to go?" "That's entirely up to you." "Well, I can certainly take a hint!" "Now look what you made me do!" "Well, I'm leaving you, Mr Byrne!" "I'm leaving tonight." "And you can get somebody else to take your insults." "And I hope you get a seething hussy like that Emily Gaunt." "That's what you deserved!" "Not a decent girl like myself!" "It's come up, John!" "It's come up!" "What are you talking about?" "Emily's come back!" "What?" "The woodsack, it's come up out of the river!" "I've been up all night." "I chased it for six miles." "But the tide was too fast and I couldn't find it." "I almost had her once but she got away." "It's your fault." "Why didn't you tie it securely?" "I was a fool to trust you." "Be quiet." "So it'll be passing up and down the river until they find it." "Up and down the river!" "It'll go on for weeks!" "The police will find it soon enough." "Yes, but they won't know we did it." "I mean..." "There are hundreds of sacks like it." "They won't trace it to us, will they?" "No..." "Not to us." "They'll trace it to me." "To you?" "My name is on it." "There's a gentleman to see you, Mr Byrne." "You know I don't wish to be disturbed." "He's from the police, sir." "Police..." "Send him in." "Yes, sir." "I'm..." "Just a moment please." "Sorry." "I wanted to get my thoughts down before they went away." "I'm Lt. Sarten, sir." "How do you do?" "What can I do for you?" "Well..." "It's um..." "It's about um..." "This sack." "You ever seen it before?" "I don't know." "Sacks look pretty much alike." "It looks like the woodsack that was stolen from here." "Stolen?" "Yes, it belonged to my brother." "Oh yes, his name is stencilled in there." "Is it?" "I didn't know that." "You say that it was stolen from here?" "Yes, we borrowed it from him and when I went to return it, it was gone." "About how long ago was that?" "About three or four weeks ago." "But if you know it belongs to him, why do you return it to me?" "Well, we tried to contact him all day but had no success." "You he..." "This sack... contained the body of Emily Gaunt." "...clad only in this inexpensive dressing gown." "And according to the medical expert who testified at this inquest... strangled... and afterwords thrown into the river." "Now, when did you first discover that this dressing gown was missing?" "It was uh... when we were getting her things together to send back to her parents." "And... when and how did you discover that your own things were missing, Mrs Byrne?" "The morning after Emily failed to return." "It was my husband who suggested that I go through my wardrobe." "He insisted that inasmuch as none of Emily's dresses were missing she might have gone out with some of my own things." "And, then we discovered that not only was my lace dress gone, but some of my best lingerie, an evening wrap, and a pair of silver slippers." "Was there any other thing of value gone?" "Yes." "Several days later I found that... that a pair of opal earrings that my husband had given me for my birthday were missing too." "Then you're under the impression that it was Emily Gaunt who took these things?" "It was hard for me to believe." "For in the short time that Emily worked for us, I found her most dependable." "But I..." "I was forced to this conclusion." "What is your occupation, Ms Bantam?" "I was a housekeeper." "In the home of Mr John Byrne, sir." "But, I'm unemployed at present." "How long were you employed there?" "It woulda been five years this coming Christmas." "Why are you no longer employed by Mr Byrne?" "Because he became too impossible to get along with from the time that Emily Gaunt disappeared." "Please explain yourself, Ms Bantam." "Well, Mr Byrne became so irritable" "I could scarcely speak to him and get a civil answer." "In what manner would you say that he had changed?" "Well, Mr Coroner..." "He was in the habit of eating a very hearty breakfast through all the years I worked for him." "But after that Emily Gaunt disappeared..." "In fact, the very morning the story appeared in the newspaper he scarcely touched a thing." "And several times when I even indicated that the hussy might have got what she deserved he practically snapped my head off." "Ms Bantam." "Tell us what you know about this sack." "It's Mr John Byrne's all right." "I stencilled his name in it." "The one that was borrowed by Mr Stephen Byrne?" "Yes." "Mr Stephen was doing some gardening and needed an extra sack." "Emily came for it." "And to your knowledge the sack was never returned?" "No sir." "But of course, it might have been returned without my knowledge." "What do you mean by that, Ms Bantam?" "I mean simply that it's peculiar to me that Mr John Byrne would have allowed the sack to remain at his brother's for any length of time at all." "Please clarify that statement." "Well, it was his habit to go out and collect firewood off the river" "I should say it's what might be called a hobby." "The only sort of hobby possible for a man with his affliction." "Oh, I'm so sorry." "I shouldn't have said that." "Please continue, Ms Bantam." "Well, recently" "I called in some of the neighborhood boys to gather firewood." "But when I went for the sack I found that Mr Stephen hadn;t returned it yet." "So I phoned Mr John and he agreed to pick it up." "But when he got home and I reminded him that he hadn't he was quite rude to me." "Said he was perfectly capable of running his own household." "He raised his voice to such an extent that I was quite nervous and upset." "Then he dismissed me." "And when did this seen occur between you." "Ms Bantam?" "It was the night before Emily's body was found in the river." "You've heard testimony that you borrowed the sack some time ago from your brother." "Is that correct?" "It is." "And to your knowledge it was never returned to your brother?" "That is correct." "Before I could return it I found that someone had stolen it." "And has your brother access to your home?" "Yes." "You mean, he ahs a key to your home?" "No, Mr Coroner." "The back door's always open." "Then there was nothing to prevent his coming to your home at a time when you were not there and taking what was rightfully his." "No, nothing to prevent him but in this case I don't think it probable." "By the way, Mr Byrne, it may have helped this case if you had reported that the sack had been stolen from your home." "I didn't think the loss of an old sack worth troubling the police about." "But why didn't you report the theft of the more valuable things either?" "The opal earrings, for example?" "Because I didn't wish to cause Emily's parents... further concern." "Besides my wife and I thought that eventually, poor Emily would return and the articles would be recovered." "Now, tell me Mr Byrne..." "When was the last time you used this sack for gathering wood?" "Some weeks ago." "It's hard to say." "Could it have been about... three weeks ago?" "What you mean is, about the time that Emily Gaunt disappeared?" "I must ask you not to mind what I mean, Mr Byrne." "Would you say it was...four perhaps?" "I couldn't be sure." "Then, would you say it was near the time that Emily Gaunt disappeared?" "I couldn't be sure!" "The collection of firewood unlike a marriage or a birthday, is not a festive moment in my life." "I don't remember." "But you do remember the testimony that the sack was stolen from your brother?" "Will you kindly give an oral answer to the questions asked at this inquest?" "I do." "Does it not strike you as being rather odd... that a thief would bother to take an object of such... little value?" "I wouldn't know." "Or, that a girl..." "If we conced for a moment that Emily Gaunt took it..." "Do you think she would have taken such a sack with her to some... mysterious rendevous?" "I am not here to answer riddles." "No, I shouldn't think you were." "Mr Byrne, I will be more direct then." "Did you know the deceased" "Emily Gaunt... intimately?" "Mr Byrne, I asked you..." "She was employed by my brother!" "I knew Emily Gaunt by sight." "Is it usual for you to zealously defend persons whom you know by sight to the extent that you snap off the head of a woman who has served you faithfully for five years?" "I would defend anyone who was being maliciously slandered." "Very admirable indeed." "Especially when they were being slandered who's bitterness" "That is all, Mr Byrne." "For one who is not here to answer riddles I must say you've done very well." "Mr Coroner, Mr John Byrne was the last of the witnesses for this inquest." "I have a few things I'd like to say, if anyone will let me." "If they pertain to this inquest, by all means, Mrs Ambrose." "Well, I can't sit here any longer listening to all these insinuations against a boy who couldn't possibly harm a fly." "It's ridiculous." "Preposterous!" "It's downright silly, that's what it is." "Mrs Ambrose..." "Will you kindly control your temper... and give us a more coherent reason for your impatience with this inquest?" "No, Harry." "I'm not trying to take advantage of our friendship." "But I've known these Byrne boys since they were lads." "And John's only fault is that he works too hard and never thinks evil of anyone." "And as for this silly old maid, it's as plain as the nose on your face she's in love with him and imagined heaven knows what about him!" "And when an old maid's in love heaven protect the object of her affections if that love goes unrequited." "All the devils and all the (?" ")!" "And if there's anyone else who wants to know anything about himself, just let me know." "Was there anything else you wished to know, Harry?" "That will be all, Mrs Ambrose." "And so, in all probability" "Emily Gaunt dressed in her mistresses finery, went off to some secret tryst." "Therefore, the conclusion of this inquest is... that the girl was murdered... by person... or persons unknown." "Inquest dismissed!" "Here he comes now." "Oh, Mr Byrne." "Mr Byrne!" "Yes?" "No, not you." "Mr Stephen Byrne." "Me?" "Yes, they'd like to see you inside a moment." "Certainly." "You go on, I won't be long." "Sorry to trouble you again, Mr Byrne, but you probably realize the case is far from being closed." "So?" "Are you certain you have nothing more you'd like to say to us?" "Nothing." "I can understand your feeling, Mr Byrne." "After all the man is your brother." "But if there's any further light you can throw on this..." "There's nothing more I can say." "Excpet that I'm fully convinced that my brother is innocent." "Is that all?" "That was all." "It was foolish to call him back." "Yes." "Stephen." "What is it?" "You know I'm working." "Stephen, why are you so irritable?" "What is it?" "I'm rather worried." "Well, can't you wait and tell me about it later?" "All right, I'll be in my room." "It's about Lt Sarten." "I'm sorry I snapped at you." "I was trying to finish a chapter." "What did you want to tell me?" "Well..." "It's in these last weeks... since the inquest" "I seem to run into that detective all the time." "And just a little while ago at the market too." "And he always looks at me as though..." "As though, he thinks I know something I haven't told about Emily." "Has he..." "Has he asked you any questions?" "No, but last night after you had gone out" "I decided to go over to Mrs Ambrose's and I saw someone across the street." "It looked like him." "And I..." "I almost ahd the feeling that" "That he'd been watching the house." "How long was he there?" "I don't know." "When I got back he was gone." "Well, if he has any snooping to do..." "I should think he'd do it in John's direction." "What do you mean, Stephen?" "You were at the inquest." "You know what I mean." "No, I don't" "Well, if you ask me, he acted so stupidly that he forced everyone to believe that he had something to do with it." "Stephen!" "On top of everything else, he hasn't acted normal since the inquest." "He shuns everybody." "He won't even talk to me." "And let's face it, John's a cripple." "He knows he has no chance with a girl of our class." "It's not hard to believe that he carried on with a servant girl." "Stop it!" "Aside from everything he's done for you he's your brother." "There's a limit to this business of being brothers, Marjorie." "Stephen, you're insane." "You're very fond of him, aren't you?" "You know that." "Are you in love with him?" "How long has this been going on?" "Don't think I haven't been aware of it." "You have a filthy mind." "This isn't going to be very flattering, my dear." "I haven't the slightest pang of jealousy." "No, I shouldn't think you would." "A husband who comes home drunk night after night and reeking of cheap perfume, isn't exactly in a position to be jealous." "Sometimes cheap perfume can be very exciting." "You are a swine, Stephen." "Marjorie." "Hello, J..." "John." "Hello, Marjorie." "I met your office boy on his way over here." "I told him I'd bring these up for him." "Thank you." "I've been here so many times, John." "To the office too, but you were never in." "I know." "Why have you refused to see me, or to answer my calls?" "Haven't you found a housekeeper yet?" "There seems to be an extreme shortage of domestic help at present." "Why, that's not true." "Only yesterday Mrs Beach was telling me" "It's true in the case of Mr John Byrne." "Even the children know that I killed Emily Gaunt." "I know, John." "I've learned a lot about people myself lately." "They can be very vicious." "And they think that because you've lived with them for years they're fond of you." "But it's not true." "I'm going away, Marjorie." "Oh no, John!" "Oh, don't run away from them." "I'm not running away from them." "Is it that you think it'll be better for... for all of us if you go away?" "I've got to be sensible." "Ever since the inquest my mail consists chiefly of anonymous letters." "Not too flattering suggestions." "Most of my clients are closing out their accounts." "John, maybe it wasn't wise refusing to see people and not going any place." "But you still have friends in this town." "Let me give a party." "We'll ask everyone you like." "Our real friends." "We'll show this town." "It wouldn't do any good." "This town likes its nasty little, backstairs gossip." "If I stay and... you keep on seeing me, defending me..." "They'll think that we..." "I wouldn't put anything past them." "I don't care what they say or think about me." "Marjorie, my darling." "I'd rather die than cause you any suffering." "Oh, John." "Don't talk like that." "There must be something I can do." "No." "The only thing to do is to go away." "I've thought it out very clearly." "John..." "The promise me one thing?" "Before you do anything..." "Before you make any decisions... let me know." "I promise." "Won't you come in, John?" "I'd rather not, Marjorie." "Good night then, and thanks for seeing me home." "Good night." "Stephen." "Stephen, it's about John." "I'm not interested." "Stephen please, he's desperate!" "I'm afraid he's going to harm himself in some way." "Don't be dramatic." "He as much as told me so tonight!" "He said he'd rather be dead than go on the way things have been going." "You mean..." "Suicide?" "Yes, Stephen." "Please see him." "Try to stay with him as much as you can." "If you hurry you can catch up with him now." "All right, Marjorie." "If you insist." "Thank you, Stephen." "Oh, I almost forgot." "Mrs Ambrose was over." "She said as long it's Cook's day off you should let her know if you want to have supper with her." "I'm in no mood for her tonight." "I'll have something here." "Well, you better tell her now, before she goes to any trouble." "You know how sensitive she is." "Yes, I guess you're right." "Stephen." "Yes, John." "What are you doing here?" "Marjorie was very worried." "She sent me to look for you." "Lucky I found you, isn't it?" "What do you mean?" "Oh, you might have um..." "No." "Suicide would only convince everyone that they'd been right." "I'm glad you realize that." "What were you thinking of as you stood there?" "Of another night on this river." "You know, John..." "In spite of everything that's happened and everything that's going to happen..." "I want you to know that I've gained something." "Gained something?" "Yes, I was always afraid as a child." "I didn't have the courage to do things." "I was afraid of people." "What they might say or think." "Maybe that's why my writing wasn't good." "You were right in that." "But, I'm not afraid anymore and..." "I've written something good." "Because it's real." "It took a murder to do that." "Doesn't the end justify the means?" "You must be very, very ill, Stephen." "Ill?" "Yeah, sick." "Otherwise, you couldn't think as you do." "What's happened to you?" "You know, John." "I wish I could really trust you again." "But I can't." "Am I right?" "Suppose a policeman were to come up to us here, right now." "Suppose he were to ask which of us killed Emily." "What would you do?" "I know what you would do." "You would point at me!" "Would I?" "You stepped right out of Emily's murder as though you were shedding your skin." "You shifted the blame to me." "Did I?" "Yes." "John...." "Which one of us would the world miss the most?" "I mean, if there were a choice of one of us." "Well, ask the world." "I'm gonna start thinking about myself." "You're very much in love with Marjorie." "I know that." "You've always been." "And you've had the opportunity that night of getting rid of me by going to the police." "Why didn't you take it?" "There are things you would never understand, Stephen." "You're right, John." "I can't understand my own brother expecting to go on sharing my wife with me." "I'm going to the police, Stephen." "I'm going to tell them the whole story, including my part in it." "I should have a long time ago." "How many times have I told you to keep away from my desk?" "Stephen!" "I hadn't expected that bit read for some time." "Since you have read it, tell me what you think about it." "How can you ask me that?" "Well, don't you think it's good?" "Can't you appreciate its quality quite apart from its content?" "Not when it says that my husband is a murderer." "I thought I disguised it completely." "But you read between the lines, didn't you?" "John must love you very much letting everyone think he did it." "Oh no, he loved you very much." "He was old fashioned." "He believed in chivalry." "That's why he kept silent about it." "But you..." "I don't think I can expect you to keep silent about it." "Can I?" "Do you intend to go on forever letting people think he did it?" "John disappeared tonight." "If something should have happened to him..." "Let's say he drowned himself in the river." "That would solve everything, wouldn't it?" "Stephen!" "Everyone would know that he was driven to commit suicide by his guilt." "Wouldn't they?" "You're forgetting about me." "Oh, no." "I'm not forgetting about you." "John commited suicide tonight" "What?" "I saw to it." "Before I'm through with you they'll know that what John did once, he did again." "Stephen, you're insane." "Am I?" "Now don't you realize, Marjorie?" "Your reading the manuscript has solved everything." "But no, I met Emily on the stairs." "She was coming down from her bath." "She'd used your perfume." "She looked rather pretty and I wanted to kiss her." "She got frightened and screamed." "I had to stop her screaming!" "I didn't mean to kill her." "I hardly touched her." "But..." "I didn't realize how easy it would be." "So very easy." "John." "Emily." "Emily!" "Let me go!" "Emily!"