"Hello?" "Hi Kit, this is Libby Mannering." "Hi Lib." "What are you doing tonight?" "Hmm, nothing, what did you have in mind?" "My mother and father are going away." "How lucky can you get?" "Overnight, they'll be gone till tomorrow." "Are they leaving you alone?" "Well no, they're getting a babysitter for Tess, my sister." "Don't they trust you?" "Well sure they do, but you know how parents are." "Listen can you come for dinner and then spend the night?" "I don't know about all night, my father's awfully peculiar." "Oh, so is mine." "But I can handle him." "Try it Kit, we'll have a lot of fun." "Okay, I'll ask him and call you right back." "Hello?" "Lib?" "Hi Kit, can you come?" "Just for dinner, I can't stay overnight." "Did you tell your father my parents were going away overnight?" "Yeah I goofed." "That's why he said no." "Well maybe if I talked to him." "I'm very persuasive." "You don't know my father." "But at least I can come for dinner." "He'll drive me over, how do we get there?" "You live out in the wilderness." "It's not that bad, it's easy really." "You go about 15 miles past the gas station on Elm, then you turn right on Tompkin Street, you keep going right until you pass the rail road tracks, and then you turn left and go for about six miles." "You come to a red barn, and you pass..." "Tess, Tess!" "Oh you little fool." "You're supposed to be sick." "You come in the house this minute, do you hear me?" "How can you play outside with the thermometer in your mouth?" "You little idiot, wait until I tell Mommy you went outside." "Don't tell her." "Stop talking." "You can't take anybody's temperature while they're running around." "Don't you know that silly, now sit there." "If there's a fever, it's mine, I'll read it." "Supposing you make a mistake?" "I won't, you start at the top, count back to the red line." "106, 105, 104." "103, 102, 101, 100." "99." "I'm normal, I'm a normal person." "Oh that's your opinion." "Mother?" "Mother?" "Yes?" "I checked Tess' temperature and she's normal." "Did you hear, Daddy?" "I'm normal." "Well, that's my girl." "She thinks she should get a medal." "A medal, really?" "Well." "Oh have you kids seen my tobacco pouch?" "You know you could lose a battleship in this place?" "You really look cute, Daddy." "Cute?" "Well, I'll buy that." "Libby." "Don't forget to tell Mrs. Beale to give Tess one of these before dinner and one after." "And then she goes..." "Goes straight to bed." "Big mouth!" "Will you two please stop it?" "Now here's the Wards' number," "Santa Barbara, 5930, and Dr. Sweeney's home number, okay?" "Mm-hmm." "We're running late honey." "Oh I really think we should wait until Mrs. Beale comes." "All right." "I'll get it." "Yes?" "Ms. Mary this is Mrs. Beale." "Oh hello Mrs. Beale." "Hi Kit!" "Hi Libby!" "Hi." "Hi." "How are you?" "Fine, how are you?" "Fine." "I want you to meet my father." "Hello Mr. Austin." "Hello dear." "Are you coming in to meet my folks?" "Well I'm sorry, I haven't the time, but please thank your mother for having Kit over, okay?" "Sure." "And I'll pick you up at 11:30." "Oh, Daddy couldn't you make it 12?" "Mmm-mm, 11:30's late enough." "You have to be up early tomorrow, remember?" "Yeah, I'll be ready." "Good night Libby." "Good night Mr. Austin." "When he says 11:30 he means 11:30." "Well come on then, let's not waste any time." "David we can't go." "I'm sorry, but we'll just have to call the Wards and break the date." "Well for heaven's sake, why?" "Mrs. Beale can't come." "Mother." "Daddy, this is Kit Austin." "Oh, hello." "Hello my name is Tess." "Hi Tess." "Hello Kit." "Oh Ms. Mannering, it was so nice of you to invite me to dinner." "Now what is all this about Mrs. Beale not coming?" "Mrs. Beale is sick." "Ah..." "Oh Mother, we'll be all right alone." "Well it'll be pretty awkward to break the date now honey, it's business as well as social you know, couldn't we get somebody else?" "But dear I tried to get everybody before" "I got Mrs. Beale." "Mother, when are you gonna realize" "I'm practically grown up." "Well you know she's got a point there." "No, no, she's very responsible." "You remember how she held down the fort when your mother was ill and that was two years ago." "Well I suppose we could start back early." "Sure, we'd be back at the crack of dawn." "Don't worry Daddy, we'll be all right." "Countdown from the top, see how normal I am." "I'm very normal." "I know you're just fine." "Good bye." "Goodbye Libby." "Oh you do have those numbers now?" "Yes Mother, the Wards and Dr. Sweeney." "Okay." "Ellie come on." "Oh all right, goodbye Kit." "Bye bye, have a good time." "Thank you." "It's so different, from our apartment I mean." "It's so big." "Come on, I wanna show you my room." "Tess, you set the table." "Libby I wanna show her my room." "You can do that later, set the table now." "Oh let her come, Libby." "Come on, Tess." "I wish I'd worn my jeans." "Oh I'll lend you a pair of mine." "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" "No." "Are you spoiled?" "Probably." "Libby, what is that?" "That's Carmen." "Go ahead, pet her." "Well, we've got a pony and ducks." "Even a tame raccoon." "My father's a frustrated country squire, I think." "Come on." "Lib, don't you ever get lonely out here?" "Ah, it's funny." "I never used to be." "Until I grew up, this was just all there was." "You know, pets and bicycles and a sandwich and a glass of milk after school." "But I was never lonely." "And now?" "Well now it seems like everything I want is someplace else." "You know what I mean." "Parties, the movies, even going to a friend's house for dinner, they're all someplace else." "Give your boys a road map?" "It's not that bad." "But when I do have a date, they have to drive all the way out here, pick me up, drive back to town and drive me all the way back here." "What's the sense of making it so hard for 'em?" "What's the matter Lib?" "Oh, Daddy was supposed to fix this." "He probably did, but nothing he ever fixes stays fixed." "Come on Kit, help me." "I wouldn't just be lonely out here," "I'd be scared stiff." "You wanna look around some more?" "There's a lot of things to see." "No, let's go back." "Kit, Kit, Kit!" "Kit, it's for you, a phone call, a boy." "Maybe it's Gary." "Tess, that's not funny." "Hello Gary?" "Hello?" "Hello!" "There's nobody there." "He must've hung up." "Nobody called, that's her idiot notion of a joke." "I'm sorry." "We do it all the time, call people for fun." "Yeah we do it all the time." "Wait till you hear what they say." "Pick a name, Kit." "Go ahead, close your eyes and pick a name." "Pick a name?" "Any name!" "Gimme the phone." "William Harrison." "One, four, one." "Nine, one." "Hello?" "Hello, is Bill there?" "Who is this?" "This is Alice, I've been waiting for him." "Almost an hour." "Waiting for him?" "Yes, at the Green Garter Club." "He promised to be on time." "Well this is Mrs. Harrison." "I'll be sure to tell him." "Oh, this is his wife?" "Oh I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number." "Okay it's your turn now Kit." "John Adams." "28061." "Six, one." "Hello?" "Hello, is John there?" "Yes, he's here." "John, it's for you." "Yes?" "Hello John?" "This is Alice." "I've been waiting for you, almost an hour." "Oh but I wanted to meet you Alice." "Yes I did." "But you see I already had a date." "With my wife, who also wants to use the phone." "Oh whoops, I struck out." "Give it to me!" "No, you'll just get scared and hang up." "No I won't." "Find me a number Lib." "Okay." "Ah, two, three, two." "Two." "One." "One." "Three." "Three." "Hello?" "Mommy, is this Mommy?" "No, this isn't your mother, dear." "But I told Mommy I'd call her so she can pick me up at the movie theater on Elm Street." "Well, why don't you try again and dial very carefully honey." "But this is the wrong number, and I spent my last dime." "Could you call my mommy for me please and tell her to come get me?" "Of course darling, what's her number?" "Her number is OL4367." "I'll call her right now, and you wait right where you are." "I'll wait here, thank you." "Stupid." "But you gave her our number." "Well it's the only number I know." "Hello?" "Your little girl called my number by mistake." "She's waiting for you at the theater on Elm Street." "Well it's so nice of you to call." "Thank you." "I'm sure Nancy was upset." "I'll pick her up right away." "And thanks again." "Now let's see if I remember Dave." "You like your coffee strong, hot, and black, right?" "Right." "Do you know that that phone is still busy?" "Thank you." "Do you think anything could be wrong?" "Oh honey I'd be worried if they weren't on the phone, so they're talking, so everything's perfectly normal." "Of course." "You know how kids are." "Oh..." "Steve Mara k." "Five, six." "Seven, nine, one." "Hello." "Hello, is Steve there?" "Who is this?" "Just a friend." "Look sweetie, are you sure you got the right number?" "Oh, well why would Steve give me a wrong number?" "Steve?" "Steve!" "Hold on." "Steve." "Look he's taking a bath, call him later." "In the bathtub!" "Tell her you've gotta talk to him!" "But it's terribly important." "Hold on." "Steve, will you rush it up?" "I wanna get my things..." "You ape!" "You belong in a cage!" "And you wanna know why I'm leaving you!" "You're not jealous, you're not that normal!" "You're insane!" "So he doesn't wanna get out of the tub." "Well try again then!" "What's his number?" "Oh, I don't remember, what was his name?" "It started with an M." "Mannering?" "That's our name, stupid." "Oh no it was a strange name." "Well how can we find it now, you closed the book." "It started with an M." "Well, let him stay in the tub, find me somebody else Kit." "Judith?" "Judith?" "Steve?" "Steve." "Steve?" "Steve?" "What happened?" "I stumbled, fell against the shower door." "Are you all right?" "It shook me up a little." "I thought Judith was leaving?" "She left all right." "She didn't even finish packing." "We had another fight, a beaut." "I'll send her things after her." "She's gone for good." "I'm here Steve." "Don't let this hurt you." "She's not worth it." "You married a childish, empty-headed, little tramp." "But now we can make something wonderful together." "We have made it." "You know that." "Your hands are trembling." "I gotta get her things out of here as soon as possible." "I gotta get dressed." "Of course, go ahead." "I'll straighten up in here." "No!" "What is it?" "Steve?" "Later." "Will you promise to come over later?" "I tried to call you three times, your line was busy." "Judy must've been trying to call a cab." "I was kinda worried." "That's why I came over, your back door was open." "You know it's kinda nice being neighbors." "I can check up on you." "Your phone's off the hook, Steve." "That's funny." "Good night Amy." "Later." "Is this Mr. John Hamburger?" "Yes it is." "That's fine, would you send over six with pickles and onions?" "Get lost nuisance burger!" "What did he say?" "He said, "Get lost nuisance burger!"" "You won't believe this Libby, I swear you won't!" "Donald Ileak!" "Donald Ileak?" "Is his brother the plumber?" "I'm hungry!" "Okay now I'll show you something." "Hello?" "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." "Will you stop bothering people?" "Oh, no sense of humor." "Yes." "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." "You did?" "Nothing's sacred!" "Operator." "Operator, I've been getting a busy signal at this number for over two hours, could you check and see if there's anything wrong with the line?" "Yes Ma'am, that was OL4367?" "Yes, that's right, thank you." "Hello?" "Yes?" "Yes Ma'am that number is busy." "I see, thank you." "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." "Slick, Slick where are you?" "Slick come here!" "Slick!" "Hey, hey, from now on when you have some business to attend to, do it at the curb." "Don't wander off!" "Hey come on let's go." "Next time it's your turn." "Hey what's wrong?" "Nothing, nothing." "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." "Eww!" "You pig, you got peanut butter and jelly all over this page." "That's because I put my sandwich on it." "I put it on the man in the bathtub." "You what?" "The man in the bathtub remember?" "He couldn't talk 'cause he was taking a bath." "I put my sandwich down then, on the phone book." "Steve, Steve Mara k!" "Let's see if he's still in the tub." "Maybe he drowned!" "Hey, I'm hungry, are you?" "Steve." "Steve!" "Steve?" "I've been waiting for you." "Here, let me do that." "You shouldn't be alone, especially tonight." "Come on in." "Your shoes are all muddy, where have you been?" "I had a flat, I had to change it." "Well we're gonna get those shoes right off." "Come on, let's sit down, I'm gonna take care of you whether you like or not." "Come on, take your shoes off." "I'm giving the orders now." "I know what you need." "But first, I'm gonna give you a nice stiff drink." "I'm gonna have one too." "I'll show you what it is to be taken care of." "Let's drink to that first night we had together." "I never knew anything could be so wonderful." "Now we can drink to a whole lifetime of nights like that." "You know Judith was wrong for you." "She was too young, too young to be a wife, a companion or, ugh, anything." "I want you to relax." "We're gonna have a beautiful life." "Just being together, that's all that really matters." "We can go away, anywhere we want." "Oh I need you Steve." "Let it ring." "You need me." "Let it ring!" "Yes?" "I sot him!" "Well talk to him!" "Is this Steve?" "Steve Mara k?" "That's right, who's this?" "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." "What does he say?" "He's playing along, sounds exciting." "Yes, I know who you are, and I saw what you did." "Who, who is this?" "He wants to know who I am." "Oh make up a name, make up a name." "Suzette." "Suzette?" "Where are you calling from?" "Where can I reach you?" "What a swinger!" "He wants a date?" "Wouldn't you like to know?" "Suzette?" "Suzette!" "Steve?" "What is it?" "What's wrong?" "Just a business deal I've been working on." "Look I may have to go out later, you'd better go home." "No, Steve." "I'll wait, right here." "Please, Amy, I wanna be alone till I can work this out." "Who is Suzette?" "Get off my back, give me room to breathe, you don't own me yet." "I'm sorry Steve, truly I am." "I can't help worrying," "I just don't want to see you hurt again." "There's nothing to worry about." "It's just a business deal and Suzette's a part of it." "Darling if you're in trouble, I wanna help any way I can." "Amy please, go on home, I'll be over later." "Look I have money, lots of it!" "It's ours now, we can go away together, please, please let me help." "Amy, trust me." "We'll be together, it'll work out that way," "I promise you, just trust me." "I trust you with all my heart." "Hello?" "Hello Steve?" "Hello Suzette." "Why did you hang up on me before?" "I've got to see you." "As soon as possible." "See what I mean, sexy." "Hi Steve." "Suzette, I wanna meet you." "I wanna meet you too." "What a sex maniac!" "He does want a date." "Anywhere you say." "Well, somewhere nice and quiet." "I know you realize how important this is to both of us." "It means everything to me Suzette, everything." "I'll meet you anywhere, at your home, at work." "I know you're smart, I know you want the same things I do." "That's all that's keeping me going, nothing matters but seeing you." "You can trust me Suzette, I promise." "Suzette?" "Oh my God." "You'll be hearing from me, goodbye now." "Wait a minute, please." "I'll call you back, I promise." "Then you will meet me?" "Promise?" "Suzette, Suzette?" "Where can I reach you?" "Oh didn't he sound exciting?" "Yeah and sexy." "Well Why'd you hang up then?" "Oh I can't meet him Kit, you know that." "So what's the use?" "Oh call him once more, please." "No, game's over." "I wonder what he looks like." "We'll never know." "That's Tess, she fell outta bed again." "Libby, Libby!" "Libby!" "I had a bad dream, Libby." "Well, that's all right, try to forget it." "I can't, it was horrible." "Try anyway, it was just a dream." "All right, if you'll stay here until I fall asleep." "Okay." "Libby?" "What?" "If you did meet him, what would you do?" "I don't know, go for a ride or something or just talk." "About what?" "Well, whatever he wanted to." "His work, girls he's known, where he's been." "But what would you talk about?" "Boys, where I've been." "Libby you haven't been anywhere." "Well I went to New York with Daddy once." "I guess I'd lie a little bit." "Well, what if he didn't wanna just talk?" "I'm not exactly a baby Kit." "I can take care of myself." "Just by talking?" "Suppose that he wanted to kiss you?" "Well, maybe I'd let him." "Just once, or as much as he wanted?" "Well, I don't know, he sounds nice." "His voice was so deep, so exciting." "It was like he was running his hand down my back." "Real slowly..." "Was it cold?" "That's a silly question." "I'll tell you what would happen if you really did meet him." "He'd take one look at you and send you straight home." "Anyway he's probably married." "Oh Kit, you're so naive." "Just because a man's married..." "I just wish I knew what he looked like." "Kit, if we could find out." "Tess are you asleep?" "Sure I'm asleep." "We could meet him Kit, well see him I mean, without him seeing us." "I don't know what you mean." "Well we know where he lives," "I could take Mommy's car." "I've got my learner's permit." "Libby Mannering!" "You wouldn't dare!" "I will if you will." "We could park near his house and see him." "You're not leaving me alone, Lib." "Ah, well I thought you were asleep." "I was." "I can't leave Tess, Kit." "Well I'd stay with her." "No, she's my responsibility." "I just couldn't leave her." "Well our problem is about the same, Tom, trying to convert to computers without violating the union contracts." "Well I'm seeing Roy Miller next week to go over some of the figures." "David?" "David there's no answer at home." "Well there must be." "But I've tried three times in the last 10 minutes the phone rings but there's no answer." "And you're sure you've got the right number?" "Well of course I had the operator check it." "Well maybe they've got the TV turned way up." "The phone's in the same room, they'd hear it if they were there." "Now calm down honey, maybe they're out saying good night to Carmen." "That's our goat." "Or taking a look at the moon or they're up in their room playing records." "Now relax, what could be wrong?" "I don't know, I just wish we hadn't left them alone." "Number one, we don't get out of the car." "Number two, we stay just 10 minutes." "Well if that's all we're gonna do, what did you put on your best dress for?" "And all that make-up?" "Just in case!" "Suppose he doesn't come out?" "It doesn't matter, now remember, nobody gets out of this car, is that understood?" "There it is Lib, stop!" "Lib turn out the lights." "Be quiet!" "It kinda looks like him, doesn't it?" "Like he sounds I mean." "Sort of mysterious." "Oh Lib there's no reason for him to come out." "He's probably in bed by now." "Well, maybe he's got a dog." "He might have to take it for a walk." "Oh this is silly Lib, let's go home please." "We just got here." "He's probably sitting there, reading, or watching TV." "If I honk I bet he'd hear it!" "Well don't!" "Look we can come back in the daytime, let's go home now, please!" "If we don't see him tonight, we never will." "Oh Lib, you said you wouldn't get out of the car." "I'm just gonna walk past his house." "Oh Lib please don't go!" "Lib, come back Lib!" "Please, Libby!" "Go get her Kit, make her come back!" "Oh that's all right Tess, nothing to worry about." "She's gone Kit, I can't see her." "You little tramp!" "Throwing yourself at him, chasing him." "I don't even know him!" "Get outta here!" "You're a liar, I heard you on the telephone." "Now get outta here!" "Please, we didn't mean to cause any trouble, it was just a game." "I know what kind of a game, with a man over twice your age." "Now get outta here!" "Somebody's coming!" "Mrs. Marak please, you don't understand!" "You little tramp!" "They caught Libby, get back Tess, quick!" "Please, let me explain!" "Get outta here, go!" "Look, just a minute, if you ever try to see him or call him again..." "I won't, I promise I won't!" "You'd better promise, now get in there!" "Go on!" "Oh no, no please don't take that." "Go on home!" "Look honey." "You're too young." "Get out!" "I met your little business deal, Steve." "Suzette." "What did she tell you?" "She lied of course." "Another childish, empty-headed, little tramp." "Your taste is sickening." "She even lied about her name." "Ellie Mannering." "Keep it, as a souvenir." "Just a reminder that this is your last Suzette." "And it is your last one, get that through your head right now." "Look I don't need you to plan my life or to give me orders, you wanna crack a whip, get yourself a dog." "Oh but the orders are just starting." "We're gonna get married, go away and do exactly what you said, be together." "You're crowding me again Amy." "I got things to do." "Sure you have things to do." "With Suzette." "I heard you on the phone with her." "I listened in the bedroom." "I also know what happened here tonight to Judith." "It's a simple choice, Steve." "Life with me or no life at all." "You're blackmailing me into marrying you." "You must want it awful bad, the ring with the Mrs. in front of your name." "But only with you." "What you're saying is I have no choice." "None at all." "Very simple, all I have to do is pick up the phone and call the police." "Well Amy, maybe it'll work." "Who knows, you might be just what I needed." "How about a drink huh?" "I can use one." "It'll work." "Maybe not at first, but it will work." "A little ice." "Steve." "Yeah?" "Please try to understand." "I had to do it this way." "What'll we drink to?" "How about uh, to us?" "Okay, to us." "Steve..." "Oh I told you we shouldn't have come." "Who was she, Lib?" "Mrs. Marak." "I've just got to get it from her." "What Lib?" "She took Mommy's registration card." "Maybe if we went back, but explained it was all a joke?" "Oh we're in enough trouble." "If you go back I'm getting out of this car now." "Hello, Sgt. Harris." "Oh Sgt. Harris, this is David Mannering." "The Mr. Mannering in Oakland Hills?" "Yes that's right, on Woodbridge Road." "I've been calling my house for almost an hour now my children are there alone and there's no answer." "Well where are you calling from?" "Well I'm in Santa Barbara, 90 miles from the house." "Could the phone be out of order?" "No, no I had the operator check the number." "I wonder if you could send a car out there?" "Well yes, but could they just be asleep?" "Well of course they might be asleep or playing outside, but I'd certainly appreciate it if you'd check." "I'll send a car out right away, Mr. Mannering." "Oh thank you Sergeant, thank you." "Yes we'll be at Santa Barbara 5930." "And will you call us back here?" "5930, yes sir." "Thank you very much." "David let's go home, now." "Well look honey, everything's probably fine." "There's no point in leaving now, not until we hear from the police." "You're gonna catch it when Mommy and Daddy get home!" "Tess Mannering if you say one word, just one word!" "She won't have to, they'll know we were out in the car." "Oh Libby what are we gonna do." "Oh I wish I knew." "You're gonna catch it!" "I know one thing, you're going to bed, now!" "But suppose I have another bad dream!" "That's your problem." "You're gonna catch it anyway." "And you better take all that stuff off your face too!" "Oh Lib if my dad finds out he'll never let me come here again." "You know how strict he is." "If my parents find out, that's the end of the car." "And I'll be grounded for years." "Libby you've got to get it, you've just got to!" "Well I wanted to go back, but who chickened out?" "Yeah but who got us into this mess?" "And remember, we'd just stay five minutes, and nobody gets out of the car." "Then you got out!" "How did I know his wife would be there?" "I told you he was probably married." "Shouldn't have gotten out in the first place." "Hello?" "Is Mr. Mannering there?" "No he's not." "Is Mrs. Mannering there?" "Are you Mrs. Mannering?" "No, she's gone too." "This is his daughter." "Well when will your parents be back?" "Not till tomorrow morning, can I take a message?" "No, just tell them Mr. Jackson called, it's a business matter." "Good night." "Tess, Tess?" "Did you take that pill?" "Libby?" "What?" "How are you gonna get the registration card?" "I don't know, maybe I can call Mrs. Marak in the morning." "Get up before my parents come home." "You've got to Libby!" "I know, I know, stop worrying." "Tess?" "Oh where is she?" "Tess?" "Tess, are you hiding in there?" "Kit, Tess is gone!" "Gone where?" "I don't know, come on, we've gotta find her." "Oh Libby do we have to go outside?" "She's not in the house." "Now he's gone." "Tess?" "Tess!" "Tess, are you out there?" "Come in the house this minute." "Come on." "Libby she wouldn't go this far." "That idiot would go anywhere." "Oh that little fool." "Oh when I get my hands on her." "Tess?" "Tess!" "Oh I bet she's in here." "Tess." "Tess Mannering what are you doing in here?" "I couldn't sleep, I had another bad dream." "Well why didn't you tell me." "It's my problem, you said so." "Anyway Gypsy couldn't sleep either." "Oh Libby, let's go back." "Another thing, I was locked in, couldn't open the door." "Oh Libby!" "Relax, relax, relax." "Well, no wonder your folks couldn't find you, have you been out here all night?" "No we went out in Mommy's car." "Yes, with Gypsy." "That's our pony." "Okay, come on, let's get back to the house." "You're gonna have to phone your parents, they're worried stiff, come on honey." "Come on." "Come on little lady, ah." "How long have you been out there?" "Okay honey, okay." "But you gave your mother a very bad time." "Let me talk to her David." "Libby?" "Hello mother." "I'm sorry you were worried." "We were just out back." "We didn't hear the phone." "Yes I know dear but you should never have gone out." "How's Tess, did she take her pills?" "Yeah she's fine." "Well you get right to bed, you understand?" "Yes mother, we will." "Right away, I promise." "We'll see you tomorrow, okay?" "Good night, dear." "Good bye." "They were upset." "I don't blame 'em." "Okay now." "No more wandering around outside tonight huh?" "As for you." "You get to bed." "Lib do you think they believed you?" "I mean about just being out back?" "Why shouldn't they?" "Oh oh, that's my father." "I'm going to bed like he told me to." "Lib we've got to stick to our story." "But suppose I can't get the registration back?" "Whether you do or not, we never left here." "I can't let my father find out, you know that." "He won't, don't worry." "Promise Lib, never to tell?" "Sure Kit." "Say it, say you promise." "Say it!" "I promise!" "Hello Lib." "Hello Mr. Austin." "I gather you two gave Mr. and Ms. Mannering quite a scare?" "We were just out back, Daddy." "At this hour?" "I don't think you used very good judgment." "Come along, Kit." "And Lib I suggest you lock up and tuck yourself in." "I will Mr. Austin." "Bye Lib, call you tomorrow." "Good night Mr. Austin, bye Kit." "BYE bye." "Good night Lib." "Bye." "BYE bye." "Was Mr. Austin mad?" "Well, not exactly mad." "Just kind of, well, grim." "Lib, when are Mommy and Daddy coming home?" "In the morning." "What?" "In the morning." "What time?" "Uh, about nine or 10." "Lib will you sleep with me tonight?" "Oh Tess, you're such a baby." "Please, I'll do you a favor some day." "Okay." "What'd you say?" "I said okay!" "Goodie!" "Can we leave the light on?" "Tess, what are you afraid of?" "I'll be right here." "Move over." "Move over!" "And that winds up the late scores, sports fans." "It's still anybody's pennant, anybody's ballgame you might say." "Uh just a moment ladies and gentlemen." "Here is a special bulletin." "The body of an unidentified woman was found earlier tonight in the wooded area adjoining Oakland Hills." "That's not far from here." "The victim, described by police as young and attractive, was brutally, sadistically murdered." "According to Chief of Detectives John Halliday." "Police were directed to the dead woman's shallow grave by Linda Carson, 22, of Abaum Grove Township." "While searching for her dog in the woods near Oakland Hills, at approximately 8:30 tonight," "Ms. Carson saw a man lurking suspiciously among the trees." "According to Chief Halliday, Ms. Carson saw what the man was doing." "Digging a shallow trench in the rocky ground." "Prompted by what she described as a hunch," "Ms. Carson reported the incident to the police." "According to Ms. Carson's description, the murderer was tall, dark-haired, about 40 years of age." "To repeat." "What's the matter with you kid?" "Oh that's horrible." "You've been shaking like a leaf ever since we left the Mannerings." "Might as well level with me kid." "What have you been up to tonight?" "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." "What did you say?" "Nothing Daddy." "Lib, Lib!" "You didn't let Spot in." "He's all right." "He doesn't mind sleeping outside." "He isn't sleeping, he's barking." "Well then you go to sleep." "I can't, he's keeping me awake." "Well then let him in." "Okay." "Spot?" "Shot!" "Spot, Spot!" "Who are you?" "Tess, Tess Mannering." "Where's Suzette?" "You're Steve aren't you?" "That's right, where's Suzette?" "Come on in, she's upstairs." "She's sleeping?" "Well she was till Spot woke us." "Wait, I'll get her." "Lib, wake up Lib!" "He's downstairs." "Who, Spot?" "No, Steve!" "What do you mean?" "I mean Steve, he's downstairs." "Tess, if this is a joke." "It's not, he's downstairs waiting for you." "Suzette!" "What do I tell him?" "Don't ask me." "Thanks." "I wonder how he found us." "I don't know." "The registration." "I bet he got it from his wife." "He probably knew how much trouble we'd be in without it." "No, now you stay here." "Can't I look at him from the top of the stairs?" "Well, all right." "Steve?" "Steve, are you in here?" "Steve?" "Steve, where are you?" "Mr. Marak are you out there?" "You're not Suzette." "You're just a kid." "Where is she?" "Mr. Marak, I pretended to be Suzette." "I'm Libby Mannering." "You pretended?" "It was a game, we called people on the telephone just for fun." "Steve?" "This is Suzette, I saw what you did, and I know who you are." "It was just a game." "You said you saw what I did, what did you see?" "Nothing, nothing." "That was just part of the game." "But you knew who I was, knew my name, how did you find that?" "Well in the telephone book." "We just picked any name." "I put peanut butter and jelly on it, that's how we found it." "We called lots of other people too." "We said the same thing to all of them." "I'm really sorry Mr. Marak, we shouldn't have done it." "But I tried to explain to your wife that it was just a joke." "Did she give you the registration card?" "You know what I should do?" "Tell your parents." "Oh no, no please, please don't do that." "You must want this awful bad huh?" "Oh I sure do." "You don't know what a mess I'll be in if I don't get it." "My wife was pretty upset." "I'm really sorry." "It's all right, I calmed her down." "Well there's no use making a federal case out of a silly prank, hmm?" "Here." "Oh, just one thing, don't use the phone for fun and games anymore." "Good night, and thank you." "Hello?" "Libby?" "Kit, you'll never guess." "I told you everything would be all right." "You see, all your worrying was for nothing." "I hate to say I told you so." "I've got it, Mommy's registration card." "No he brought it here." "Steve Marak was there?" "Mm-hmm!" "He didn't want us to get in any trouble." "Oh thank goodness, is he still there?" "No he's gone, but he sure had me scared." "I would've been scared too, what did he look like?" "Well he was kinda tall." "He had brown hair." "He was older than we thought, about 40." "Oh Libby this is real weird." "Wait till I tell you, a woman was murdered tonight, I heard it on the radio, some girl saw the man who did it, she saw the murderer Libby, and he was tall, had dark hair and middle-aged." "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." "And look it happened at 8:30, just when we started calling, isn't that a weird coincidence?" "I mean kooky!" "Oh it's my clad, I have to hang up." "Kit?" "Kit?" "This is the operator." "Operator, give me the police, okay?" "Tess, get UP!" "Tess, where are you?" "Tess!" "Tess, where are you?" "Tess!" "Libby hide, he's coming after you!" "Tess, get out of the house, run for help!" "Oh Tess!" "Tess, where are you?" "Tess, Tess?" "Here I am Libby..." "The car!" "Get to the car!" "Libby, Libby, Libby..." "She's lucky you called this in time Mr. Austin." "She's lucky my daughter finally told me the truth." "I wasn't scared, really scared I mean." "But Daddy's gonna be mad." "That man broke our window and pulled out the telephone." "You're such an idiot." "They can fix the window." "But we're not gonna be using the phone for a long, long time." "Sorry, you have reached a disconnected number."