"Good evening, senator." "Good evening, Becket." "I will not be dictated to!" "If I want to ride beyond the estate," "I shall do so!" "I won't!" "I won't!" "If you don't mind waiting here for just a moment," "I'll tell my brother you're here." "Thank you, senator." "Miss Marshall, my brother will see you now." "Thank you, and thanks for the lift from the station." "Miss Marshall." "Good evening." "I believe my brother the senator has told you we're in mourning here." "My nephew died recently." "Yes, I know." "So I presume your business must be very important." "Won't you sit down?" "Thank you." "I came here because I happened to read of his death." "Then you noticed that services were limited only to family." "Isn't a man's widow a member of the family?" "If there is a widow, miss Marshall." "My maiden name was Sandra Marshall." "My married name is Mrs. James Caldwell Demarest." "I am your nephew's widow." "Perhaps I'd better postpone my condolences until I learn a few more of the facts." "This is my marriage license." "Jim's papers include no copy of this." "Perhaps he had a hidden safe deposit box." "We'll check on it." "If I hadn't seen that notice," "I would've known nothing of my husband's death." "He would have been safely buried before I discovered it." "Safely buried-that's a strange expression, miss Marshall." "Mrs. Demarest." "I should prefer to be called that." "Of course, but I'm afraid I must insist upon a little more proof than this copy of a license, which I'm by no means sure is genuine." "May I ask the reason for this..." "Secret marriage?" "I'm not sure it was secret to you." "Oh, come now, Mrs. Demarest." "If I am to believe you, you must believe me." "But he must have told you." "He had to be married in order to get his inheritance." "What would have been the use of the marriage otherwise?" "I don't follow you." "The will." "What will?" "The will you encouraged Jim's mother to draw up." "Surely you remember the clause." "I suppose you refer to the one which keeps Jim and his sister's money in trust until they reach 30." "It always annoyed Jim." "You made yourself guardian of his fortune." "It must have been extremely difficult to ask his uncle for money when he had the right to millions." "Difficult, but not insupportable." "That might be forgivable, but certainly not passing control over to the wife if he married." "No doubt you intended to choose that wife." "Some placid girl who would do what you told her, but Jim was smarter than you thought." "He married me." "And I am not a placid girl." "No... you're not." "Um... might I ask where he found you?" "We knew one another at college." "I was working for my doctor's degree in geology." "Hmm." "Do your parents know of this marriage?" "No." "No?" "They're both dead." "Were you in love with him?" "No." "He came to me as a friend, and I helped him." "Ohh... you helped him." "And exactly what did you get out of helping him?" "I needed money." "He gave me $2,000 to complete my studies." "I was to divorce him after six months." "There were no other strings." "I see." "You were married five months." "Jim's death was quite convenient, wasn't it?" "$2,000 has now become 2 million." "Well, what do you intend to do?" "I shall claim the rights left me in his will." "But he left no will." "I don't know where the original is, but here's a copy." "No signatures." "It's completely worthless." "I happen to know there is an original, completely attested." "If you don't find it," "I shall be forced to claim my entire rights." "If I were to bring this... battle of wits down to direct insults," "I'd say you were one of the most cold-blooded, scheming women I've ever met in my life." "You've already said that." "For the moment, we'll let it rest there." "For Jim's sake and the rest of the family," "I'd prefer no unpleasantness tonight." "I suppose you'll have to stay the night, but I'd prefer you left in the morning." "Would it be possible to see..." "Your husband?" "No." "The casket is closed." "You will, however, allow me to pay my last respects." "This way." "Charles..." "Well, Mark, before you say a word," "I can't go through with it." "I'm going back to Washington at once." "You're not." "You're in this as deeply as I am." "No, I'm not!" "Keep your voice down." "The girl's in there." "Well, who is she, anyway?" "I'll tell you later." "Uh, my housekeeper Marta will show you to your room." "Thank you." "Get this straight." "I'm leaving here tomorrow." "How would it look if you weren't at the funeral?" "I should have never consented..." "This way, madam." "I'm sorry." "I hope I haven't kept you waiting." "No." "Uncle Mark, how dare you open my letters!" "Julie..." "Allow me to introduce you to Sandra Demarest, your sister-in-law." "My sister-in-law?" "Yes." "Jim's widow." "I'm very glad to know you, Julie." "I'm stunned..." "But completely, absolutely stunned." "You're not a bit Jim's type." "Oh, I don't mean you're not awfully attractive, because you are, but..." "Why, it's stupendous." "Will Amy Daniels be mad." "It serves her right." "Sandra, tell me all about it." "Please, please?" "We will, Julie, if you'll control yourself." "It was a secret marriage." "Oh, how exciting, Sandra." "I'm going to call you Sandra right off." "Anyway, I'm awfully glad you're here." "You'll stay for a long time, won't you?" "Mrs. Demarest is not prepared to stay." "Why not?" "I have a suitcase checked at the station." "Well, Becket can bring it in the morning." "Thank you." "Good." "That's settled." "How about this letter, Mark?" "May I ask what right you had to read it?" "I didn't." "I wanted the address." "It wasn't on the envelope." "If you think you're busting up this romance, you're mistaken." "I hardly think this is the proper time to discuss marriage proposals." "Oh, who said anything about proposals?" "You want me stuck in this mausoleum all my life?" "We'll discuss it later, Julie." "No, we won't!" "Sit down." "Good night, Julie." "Yes?" "May I come in?" "Yes, of course, Julie." "I'd have come before, but Marta was hanging around." "She's always spying on me." "And that wasn't very nice of me to talk about Amy Daniels." "But Jim was always mad about her until- well, I suppose after she let him down flat." "Um..." "Did she really turn him down?" "Oh, she turned him down all right." "It was so strange." "They were engaged." "I know they both were crazy about each other." "She'd been here playing tennis the day before it happened." "They were spooning about something fierce." "And then the very next day, it went poof!" "Don't you think that's strange?" "Yes, I do." "Did Jim say anything about Mark to you?" "A few things." "Why?" "I think Mark was the one who broke it off." "He's always managed to stop Jim from doing anything he wanted." "Jim could've done so many good, fine things with his money." "But I guess you know about the money." "Yes, I know." "But Mark didn't think so." "He said Jim was a dreamer, an idealist." "So now he's using the money for his laboratory, his plans, his ideas." "Julie, those are dangerous accusations." "That money's in trust." "That won't stop Mark." "I know him for what he is." "He'll twist you around his finger like he does everybody else." "Believe me, Julie..." "That won't happen." "You're imagining things, aren't you?" "That's what Mark says." "He says I'm always imagining things." "You won't let on to him about what we've been saying, no matter how he tries to pry it out of you?" "You know I won't." "I knew you were regular." "My, this is attractive." "It's very old." "It came from Florence." "It belonged to my mother." "It's late." "I suppose you want to go to bed." "I am tired." "Then I'm off." "I don't want Marta to start snooping." "Julie..." "What did Jim die of?" "Of pneumonia." "Didn't Mark tell you?" "No, he didn't." "He'd been in Canada." "He came home late at night." "I heard his voice in the library," "I'm sure I did." "The next morning Mark said he was ill." "And you never saw him again?" "They put him in the laboratory." "I'm never allowed in there." "Oh, Sandra, please stay here." "I'm so terribly lonely in this house." "Nobody to talk to, people looking at me all the time." "Promise me you'll stay." "I'll stay as long as I can." "Thank you." "Good night, Sandra." "Good night, Julie." "I think I'm going to like having a sister." "Same here." "We all go into the library." "I'm sorry, I must get back to Washington." "One moment, Charles." "Davenport, go in with the others, will you?" "I'll join you in a moment." "I put in an appearance at the funeral." "You can't ask for anything more." "It's a question of Jim's will." "You should be here." "No." "I don't want anything to do with it." "I hope you won't regret this." "I hope you won't, Mark." "You realize this whole thing has been a great shock to us." "So it will take a certain amount of time" "Mark, I've been explaining to Mrs. Demarest we're making every effort to locate Jim's deposit box." "How long will it take?" "Two weeks, I should say." "Oh, then Sandra can stay." "I'm so glad." "Of course Mrs. Demarest can stay." "We want her entirely satisfied about everything." "I think you should keep this death certificate." "May I look at it?" "Certainly." "I think you'll find it quite in order." "Signed by the local doctor and undertaker." "May I keep it?" "Of course." "You're Jim's widow." "Can't we skip these gruesome details?" "It's going to be a nice day." "Can't we go riding, Sandra and I?" "Mrs. Demarest may not care to." "It'd be pleasant to get some sunshine." "But I haven't any- riding habit?" "Don't worry." "I can find something for you." "Mrs. Demarest..." "I've no objection to your going riding, but I wish you wouldn't let Julie take you off the estate." "Don't you think you're holding too tight a leash on her?" "No." "I saw her yesterday jumping fences, dashing across country." "You can't bottle up all that energy very long." "No?" "I must still insist." "But if she doesn't get around and meet people her own age, how will she learn discrimination?" "Discrimination?" "If Julie exercises as much discrimination as you did about men, she might not find it resulted so profitably, or would she?" "I rather asked for that one, didn't I?" "Oh, that was wonderful." "It's beautiful here in the woods." "Sandra, you're going to think me an awful heel." "I brought you riding under false pretenses." "Julie, we haven't left the estate?" "Oh, no." "I'm meeting Ronnie." "Ronnie?" "Yes, Ronnie Manning." "He wrote the letter Mark opened." "Until the sun came out," "I was afraid we wouldn't make it." "Do you think you should?" "Why not?" "I don't know how much longer" "Mark will let me leave the house, let alone ride." "Why do you say such things?" "You'll find out." "There he is, Sandra." "Come and meet him." "No." "You go ahead." "I'll wait here." "Where's Julie?" "Well, she was right behind me." "I'll ride back and see what's happened to her." "She's meeting Manning, isn't she?" "I was hoping you'd be more sensible about Julie." "But I'm afraid you're incurably romantic." "I'm no chaperone." "Don't ask me to be one again." "It's very important for Julie to be straightforward." "Things like this don't help." "Do you think the atmosphere here is conducive to being straightforward?" "Please accept my handling of Julie." "I've asked you once, now I'm asking you again." "Sandra!" "How long have you been here?" "I wish you hadn't done this, especially after promising me." "I'm afraid Mr. Manning won't like what I have to tell him either." "How dare you spy on me!" "I won't stand it." "I won't!" "Now..." "If Mrs. Demarest will please excuse us," "I'd like a word with you." "Get down, please." "Get down!" "Where's miss Julie?" "She'll be along." "Mr. Mark is with her." "She rides so wild, I get scared." "I watched you riding in." "You sit a horse well." "Thanks." "Tell me, Roberts, do they use the rear wing of the house?" "Oh, yes, ma'am." "That's Mr. Caldwell's laboratory." "Thank you." "Julie?" "Did you hear it, Sandra?" "You did, didn't you?" "Julie, what is it?" "You heard it." "I didn't imagine it." "Julie, shh." "Quiet." "You'll wake everybody." "I've heard it before, a week ago." "Mark says I have nightmares." "That isn't true." "I do hear it." "Hear what?" "Voices." "People scuffling." "A man crying out in agony." "You heard that tonight?" "Yes." "And it sounded like Jim's voice." "Jim's voice?" "Oh, no, Julie." "It couldn't be." "Aah!" "It is!" "I tell you" "which is the door into the other wing of the house?" "The laboratory?" "Up there." "But it's locked." "It's always locked." "That's where it must have come from." "Get into bed." "Pretend you're asleep." "Julie, I don't know what's going on here, but I'm going to find out." "Please stay with me tonight." "No." "You'll be all right." "When I leave, lock the door." "In the morning, tell Mark what you heard." "If he finds I left my room, they'll lock me in like before." "Don't say you left the room." "Remember, I wasn't with you." "Understand?" "Yes." "Remember, Julie, I wasn't with you." "Yes." "Good morning." "You slept well, I hope." "Soundly, thank you." "Good." "Good morning, Mrs. Demarest." "Good morning, Angela." "I'll just have fruit juice, toast, and coffee." "I see my brother is having his troubles." "His political opponents are after him like a pack of wolves." "Really?" "They'd like nothing better than to find some chink in his armor." "If would be a great thing for the Caldwell family if the senator landed such an important position." "You'd be world famous, not that your scientific reputation isn't enough." "Hello, everybody." "Good morning, Julie." "Good morning, Julie." "You slept well?" "I did not." "You didn't?" "Why not?" "It happened again last night." "What happened?" "Something woke me up." "A sound of scuffling, and it seemed to come from the laboratory." "Somebody cried out." "Really, Julie, these nightmares of yours." "You know perfectly well no one's in that wing." "It wasn't a nightmare." "I heard it." "You couldn't have." "Didn't you hear it, Sandra?" "No." "I'm afraid I didn't." "Julie forgets she's had dreams about my lab since she was a child." "Why?" "I used to take her in there quite often when she was little." "Then she'd start sneaking in when I wasn't there and playing around with the apparatus." "That was dangerous, so we put a lock on it." "I wasn't asleep." "If there had been some such noise, wouldn't someone else have heard it?" "Becket's room is" "Becket." "He'd say anything you asked him to." "That's unnecessary." "You're overly excited, my dear." "You have a tendency that way, haven't you?" "May I make a suggestion?" "What?" "Next time you hear some odd noise in the night, just follow the custom of your sex and stick your head under the bed clothes." "Excuse me." "You see?" "He was lying." "Yes, he was." "What are we going to do?" "Do nothing to make him suspicious." "I want to see Jim's room." "What's the day's schedule here?" "Who is where at what time?" "In the afternoon, Marta has her nap." "Becket watches me then, but he has a lot to do." "You won't keep things from me, will you?" "Of course not, Julie, I" "Good morning, Mrs. Demarest." "Good morning." "Miss Julie." "Good morning." "Sandra, let's go out to the garden." "This is Jim's room." "Look, Sandra." "These were all taken last summer." "The girl there with him is Amy Daniels." "That was about two years ago." "Jim was awfully attractive, wasn't he?" "Yes." "You know, there's something curious about this picture of Jim and Mark." "What do you mean?" "It's a friendly-looking picture..." "Not at all what I was led to believe about the way Jim and Mark got along." "Mark used to be sweet to us..." "Perhaps because we were younger, more under his influence." "It's only when we want to have our own way that he's mean." "That was my mother." "She died when I was 4 years old." "Haven't you any pictures of your father?" "I can't even remember what he looked like." "He died in a hospital." "They say it broke my mother's heart." "This money you're to inherit belonged to your mother, didn't it?" "Yes." "She must've been very devoted to your uncle Mark." "I know why you say that." "On account of the will." "Who's to know how devoted she was?" "I was 3 when she and Mark drew it up." "Jim was away at school." "All I know is that father was taken to a hospital, died there." "From then on, mother was never the same." "Julie, is this the way Jim always kept his room?" "Yes." "Nothing's been changed or taken away?" "No." "It's exactly the way it was when he was alive." "I wonder why all his pipes are gone." "Jim was always smoking." "Yes." "He had lots of pipes." "Are these all his clothes?" "Oh, no." "His sport clothes are all gone." "The things he wore for riding, for tennis." "Sandra, what does all this mean?" "What are you thinking, Sandra?" "You think it really was Jim last night." "Then what are they doing to him?" "What's going on in the laboratory?" "Julie." "Sandra, tell me what's happening in there." "Something horrible." "That's why Mark wouldn't let anybody in there." "They'll take me next." "That's why they won't let me off the estate." "I've got to run away." "I won't stay in this awful place." "I'll run away." "They'll never find me!" "Never!" "Never!" "Julie, they won't do anything." "Please be sensible and calm down." "Mrs. Demarest, Mr. Caldwell would like to see you in the library." "Thank you." "I'll be right down." "Come on, Julie." "I'll take you to your room." "Sandra, I'm afraid." "I'm sorry I upset you." "Please lie down and get some rest." "I'll go see what your uncle Mark wants." "You'll be all right?" "In this room it isn't so bad..." "When the door's closed and I know that no one's looking at me." "I don't like eyes looking at me." "That's when I get frightened." "Then- I can't explain." "It's as if everything went dark." "As if something were closing in on me, a dark cloud." "And I want to run and run and run, but it keeps following me." "Then you mustn't run away." "Turn and face it." "That's what I always do." "But aren't you ever afraid?" "Everyone's afraid once in a while." "For instance, a minute ago I was afraid when I thought Jim was alive." "I thought the way you did, that they were doing something awful to him." "And you see what happened?" "I made you afraid." "And that was stupid." "Fear is stupid." "Get some rest." "I'll try." "You wanted to see me?" "Yes." "I know Julie likes you." "I thought it would be nice for her to have a companion, but I thought I'd also made it clear she cannot have her head." "I'm told you were both in Jim's room and that Julie was greatly upset." "Can't you see that dwelling on Jim is the worst possible thing you could do to Julie?" "I don't know what plans you have in that devious feminine mind." "If you're trying to enlist Julie's sympathy, don't do it." "And if I ignore your advice?" "I'll kick you out." "That wouldn't do any good." "Julie's very fond of me." "That's exactly why I've been so forbearing." "So long as you're in this house," "I'd like her to keep her illusions about you." "She wouldn't have any if she knew why you're here." "If I'm to believe you're acting in Julie's best interests, then you must believe I'm here because I have a right to be." "Of course, Mrs. Demarest." "You're here because you're a member of the family, an unhappy bride of five months." "You're wasting your time." "Don't forget, Mr. Caldwell, I have a card up my sleeve- a little matter of a will which your lawyer is attempting to find." "I can assure you that if Davenport does find the will," "I, for one, shall be vastly relieved." "The Caldwells have always been very proud of their women." "No doubt you've noticed their portraits around the walls." "All of them beautiful." "Some of them clever." "My grandfather, for instance, married a dancer." "She was the toast of Paris." "Doesn't sound like a Caldwell." "He was a venturesome fellow." "Sailed around the horn as a lad." "Captain of a sailing ship." "Care for a drink?" "Unfortunately, his romance with the dancer came to a bad end." "Really?" "She died two months after they were married." "What a pity." "He poisoned her." "Something wrong?" "Quite an interesting liqueur, isn't it?" "Made from a recipe belonging to our family and only used on special occasions." "You consider this a special occasion?" "I certainly do." "Lovely color, too, isn't it?" "And a fascinating name- lagrima sangue." "Do you know Italian?" "Enough to know that it means tears of blood." "I forgot." "Of course." "You're a college graduate, aren't you?" "Well, to the will." "Bless its little heart." "It's very good." "Thank you." "I'm glad to see you have an appreciation of good things." "In fact, I'm beginning to realize it more and more." "You're altogether a very charming person." "Thank you." "Attractive." "I like women with steady eyes, firm chin." "My teeth are also very good." "And, of course, a sense of humor." "Am I to turn this into a mutual admiration society?" "I think it's a little late for you to change your first impression of me." "You don't like me, do you?" "Hmm..." "Silence is revealing." "I'm the silent type." "Are you?" "I wonder what type you really are." "Surely your scientific mind has figured that out by now." "It would be interesting to know into which category I fall." "Category?" "Don't you catalog all women and keep them neatly filed in a sort of mental card index?" "In my human relations, I'm quite open-minded." "You surprise me." "Then I am progressing." "Yes." "I think it's time I got dressed for dinner." "By dinnertime, we'll be right back where we started." "You underestimate yourself." "Then I have made an impression." "A good one, I hope." "Don't answer." "Just let me use my imagination." "Can I trust it?" "Not to carry me too far?" "I'd sooner not commit myself." "I prefer to give it free rein." "I'd like to probe behind that sphinxlike exterior of yours, find out what goes on behind those eyes..." "Those very lovely eyes." "Why did you do that?" "The scientist in me came uppermost." "The scientist?" "Yes." "Purely research." "I wanted to confirm my first impression of you." "And did you?" "I did." "Mrs. Demarest!" "Mrs. Demarest!" "Miss Julie would like to know if she could borrow your cold cream." "Certainly, Angela." "Did miss Julie have a rest?" "Oh, yes, ma'am." "Thank you." "No!" "Don't!" "Don't!" "Please don't!" "I'm just doing what I'm told, miss Julie." "Miss Julie is asleep." "Mrs. Demarest, I've been meaning to ask you." "Would you like some hot chocolate before bed?" "Now that you've mentioned it, it sounds very nice." "Sorry." "You could have had it last night." "I'm new." "It takes a while to get used to things." "It's not too much trouble?" "Oh, no." "Miss Julie always has hot chocolate." "Mr. Caldwell has sandwiches and scotch in the laboratory." "Must be a problem to get anything to Mr. Caldwell sealed up in his lab." "Becket always fixes his tray." "It goes up in the dumbwaiter." "Of course nobody else does it." "Mr. Mark is so particular about the laboratory." "I guess he does need something working so late." "Sometimes he works as late as 2:00." "Sometimes all night, I wager." "No, ma'am." "He has very regular habits." "It's never later than 2:00." "He's sort of particular about that." "He likes us to be regular, too." "For instance, Becket always sends the tray up at 12:00." "Once it was 12:30, and Mr. Mark didn't like it." "I'll bring your hot chocolate in just a few minutes." "Thank you, Angela." "You mustn't come here again unless I tell you." "You understand?" "Is everything all right at three hills?" "I wish you could come out sometime." "That's impossible." "You mean on account of that girl?" "Who is she?" "She claims to be Jim's wife." "Jim's wife?" "We're checking her story." "In the meantime, if she should find out anything- that's my problem." "That prescription you wanted is in the filing cabinet." "I'll get it while you're here." "I'm getting kind of worried about the prescriptions." "I don't like the idea of filling it around here." "You know how the gossips are at the drugstore." "Everybody knows everybody else's business." "Have it filled in Salem." "Don't bother me with details." "You sure Doc Reynolds is all right?" "Reynolds is a old family friend." "I'll take care of him." "I'm not suggesting you're not doing your part." "Stop talking nonsense." "I don't remember sending that tray down." "Aah!" "Where is she?" "Don't look." "Julie!" "Julie!" "Oh, no." "No." "It was an accident." "She was trying to run away- that's a lie." "It was an accident." "That's a lie!" "This way, doctor." "I'll have to notify the coroner." "That's the law in case of violent death." "If she was trying to run away, she wouldn't have taken this." "It's mine." "Someone else packed it." "Someone who does what you tell her to do." "Stop that, Angela." "I'll never forgive myself, never..." "Being asleep last night when it happened." "Maybe if I'd been awake, I might have heard something and stopped her some way." "Nobody could have done anything last night." "It happened too quickly." "Come." "We're finished in here." "Three hills." "Have you any explanation for your remarkable behavior?" "What is this insane desire to get into my lab?" "I want to find Jim." "And what makes you think Jim has risen from the dead?" "I don't think he is dead." "You really are a remarkable woman." "You fling the most amazing accusations at me without proof of any kind..." "Or do you think you have some proof?" "Maybe." "Don't try my patience too far." "What do you know?" "I don't know what you've done to Jim or where he is, but I do know what happened to Julie." "You drove her to her death." "It was an accident." "I don't believe it." "I don't give a hoot in Hades." "I warned you about Julie." "You ignored my advice." "Filling her head with stupid ideas about me." "You made her afraid." "The poor kid tried to run away from the home where she was loved." "Why did you keep her a prisoner?" "I thought it best for her." "The night I arrived, she talked about your treatment of Jim." "There's something else you should know." "Everything she said about hearing a man's voice scream was all true." "I know because I heard it, too." "She was with me." "We heard it together." "She was with you?" "In my room." "We knew you were lying." "I see." "And to what use do you intend putting this knowledge?" "Well, what are you going to do?" "Answer me!" "I think you'd better leave." "Wait." "You seem to prefer that way." "Here's something else you may need." ""Earth to earth," ""ashes to ashes," ""dust to dust." ""In sure and certain hope of the resurrection" ""unto eternal life through Our Lord Jesus Christ," ""at whose coming in glorious majesty to judge the world," ""the earth and the sea shall give up their dead," ""and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in him shall be changed and made like unto his own glorious body."" "Oh, Marta, you'll all be leaving on tonight's train." "Yes, sir." "I'll be driving." "You can take my things with you." "Pack me an overnight bag, will you?" "Yes, sir." "The last time of anything is sad, but sometimes not knowing it is the last time is even worse." "I was thinking of that ride Julie and I took together." "If she had known, how she would have drained every last moment of its happiness." "They could at least have left this room alive until we left." "You may not believe it, but this was once a very happy house..." "When Jim and Julie were kids." "I remember one summer- 4th of July, I think it was- we invited everybody from Miles around to come and celebrate and bring their kids." "Julie had a small pony then." "She must have been about 5 or 6, I guess." "She was giving the other kids rides." "One little guy got bucked off into the fish pond." "She laughed so hard at that kid standing there shivering in his wet things, all the other kids started jumping in, too, just to hear her laugh some more." "That's the effect her laughter had on you." "You wanted to hear it again and again." "There's something I'd like to show you." "Most people don't appreciate fine old pieces like this." "I thought perhaps you might." "This was my father's wedding present to my mother..." "And this was given to my sister when Jim was born." "No jewel is quite like a pearl." "Just like the ocean they come from- the same depth, the same coldness." "The same subtle cruelty just beneath the surface." "This my brother and I gave her when Julie was born." "That was a great event for a us, a girl." "The Caldwells generally run to boys." "These were all meant for Julie when she grew old enough to appreciate them." "Take what you want." "Why me?" "You're Jim's widow." "You've changed your mind about me, haven't you?" "I spoke to Davenport on the telephone this morning." "Jim's safety deposit box has been found." "I see." "It was opened by court order." "The will was in it completely attested." "It's a little late for apologies." "Things have gone too far for that." "I'm leaving for Washington." "You're welcome to stay in the Boston house as long as you want." "I can't understand why you want me around after what's happened." "When tragedy strikes a house, the lives of everyone in it become tangled up." "What are you going to do?" "I haven't decided yet." "You know, I- I really am very sorry for having treated you the way I have." "Thank you." "And there's something else." "Come with me, will you?" "Where are we going?" "To my lab." "You always wanted to get in there, didn't you?" "Well, I did, but now- at least give me a chance to change your opinion of me." "Why bother?" "I wouldn't want you leaving thinking badly of me." "What makes you think showing me an empty room will change my opinion of you?" "It'll be a beginning." "Of what?" "We seem to have built a wall between us." "I'd like to try to break it down." "You see, Sandra," "I find I like you very much, very much indeed." "What is this?" "More scientific research?" "You don't forget very easily, do you?" "No." "No, I don't forget." "This room I think you know." "You see?" "Simple workroom." "No hidden secrets, no mysterious strangers." "Who is Laidell?" "Laidell?" "He's a sort of gamekeeper." "Been with you a long time?" "Quite long." "Like doctor Reynolds, an old and trusted friend as well as a servant?" "That's right." "Must be wonderful to command such loyalty." "It is." "How can you give it all up, go and live in an apartment in Washington, leave this house, this estate?" "I couldn't work here anymore." "There's too many unhappy memories." "What are you doing about the horses?" "Horses?" "Selling them." "Have they gone yet?" "No." "Why?" "I should like to ride." "Do you mind?" "Of course not." "There's nothing to do until we leave tonight." "I'll call down to the stables." "Roberts, Mrs. Demarest is going riding." "Yes." "Let her have Colonel, will you?" "Good afternoon, Mrs. Demarest." "Well, there he is all ready." "Thanks, Roberts." "I shan't be long." "What will you do now that the house is being closed?" "I got a job at the mannings', ma'am." "Have you been here long?" "About five years before the war." "Were you in the service?" "Yes, ma'am." "Canadian air force." "Two years overseas." "Well, there he is." "He needs some exercise." "A good horse, he is." "I'll miss him." "I don't want to ride off the estate." "How far does it extend exactly?" "Go down the road as far as that other gate and back into the woods as far as them three hills." "The three hills?" "That's the game preserve." "It's a lonely place." "Nobody goes there no more." "Is there a lodge there?" "Yes, ma'am." "Never used no more." "If you're thinking of riding over that way," "I shouldn't." "It's overgrown." "Don't worry." "I won't." "Have a good ride, ma'am." "Jim!" "Jim!" "All right!" "I'm coming!" "Jim." "Jim." "I've been searching for you everywhere, ever since I came to Willow Miles." "Willow Miles?" "Don't you remember me?" "It's so difficult to remember." "It's been difficult ever since the accident." "What accident?" "I'll be all right." "I'll stay here until I'm well." "The Laidells take care of me." "What do you mean, take care of you?" "They give me things to make me sleep." "If they didn't, I wouldn't be able to." "Jim, listen to me." "Don't you remember the things you told me about Mark trying to get your money?" "That's why we married- to stop him from getting it." "Surely, you remember that." "Mark sent me here." "You told me you thought he was planning to murder you." "Sandra, I remember you." "Jim, last week there was a funeral." "It was a mock funeral." "People think you're dead." "Mark arranged it." "Why do you lie to me?" "Why should Mark do a thing like that?" "He has control of your money and Julie's, too." "Julie's too young to give him his way." "He won't hurt her." "Jim..." "Julie is dead." "She was driven to her death." "Mark did it." "You say Mark did it?" "He has all the money, just as you were afraid of." "I was afraid of that." "He's closing the house, going away." "No one must know you're alive." "Don't you understand, Jim?" "But you know, Sandra." "He can't close my mouth with money the way he did the undertaker and the doctor." "But he can close your mouth." "He wouldn't dare." "What's that?" "Laidell." "Supper's ready!" "Coming!" "Now listen to me." "Go back to the house." "I'll have to wait till they think I'm asleep." "When they give me my sleeping pills, I'll fool them." "After they're asleep, I'll leave." "Jim!" "Take it easy, Laidell." "I'm coming." "Take this path here." "It leads around behind the shed where they keep the truck." "Mrs. Laidell will be coming back with it." "Slip through the gate before she locks it." "How are you going to get out?" "I'll meet you at the house." "Don't worry." "They both sleep like logs." "Watch yourself." "Jim." "Jim, what's going on?" "You're like an old hen, Laidell." "Here I am." "How about some cards after dinner?" "Why, sure." "Sure, Jim." "Anything you say." "What happened?" "I was thrown." "I thought so when the horse came back without you." "We've searched for hours." "I'm sorry." "Oh, that's all right." "It's lucky you weren't hurt." "I kept a fire going in the library." "Come on in." "You must have ridden quite a long way." "Yes." "How far?" "I don't know." "Through the woods." "I can't tell exactly." "Roberts." "It's all right." "Mrs. Demarest is back." "Yes." "Well, I won't see you again, so goodbye, and thank you." "Well, it's too late for the train, so you'll have to drive in with me." "Marta left you a tray." "Won't you eat something?" "No, thank you." "I'm not hungry." "The sooner we go, the better." "Would you mind if I stayed here tonight?" "I'll take a taxi to the station in the morning." "The house is closed." "There's no one here." "I can manage." "Then I'll stay on, too." "I wouldn't want you to change your plans on my account." "That's all right." "I prefer it." "I don't like driving at night either." "I'll be all right, really." "Won't you please- you're not trying to drive me out of my own house, are you?" "No, of course not." "Look..." "Sandra..." "You and I may never see each other again, so there's something I should tell you." "I think I will have something to eat." "I'll take it to my room." "Why don't you just have it by the fire?" "I'll see you in the morning." "Good night." "Jim." "Jim." "Jim, I- what are you doing?" "Let me go." "What made you think I was Jim?" "You still think he's alive, don't you?" "Yes." "I don't know who or what was in the coffin, but Jim is alive." "I've seen him." "I've spoken to him." "All right." "You want the truth, you'll have it." "I tried to tell you inside, but you wouldn't listen." "You're not going to like it." "There was a very good reason for the will that made me trustee for Jim and Julie." "Their father died in a sanitarium, violently insane." "Their father was in..." "Oh, no." "No." "There's proof in my safe." "I wonder if you..." "If you have any idea what it is to live in the shadow of insanity." "The terror of it." "The..." "Well, if you had, you could understand a lot of things." "Ever since they were children," "I had to take care of them, watch them, for any sign of that terrible thing" "I knew was in their blood." "I took them to the finest psychiatrists, the finest doctors." "They could do nothing except tell me to..." "Watch them." "Watch them carefully." "I did my best." "If you are telling the truth, what really happened to Julie?" "I can only give you an opinion." "No one was in the room with her." "No one spoke to her." "I think Julie knew about herself." "I believe she committed suicide." "Then why did you try to make it look like an accident?" "I had to because of..." "Because of my brother." "If his enemies, and he has plenty of them, ever knew that a Caldwell had committed suicide, that there was insanity in the family- you said the insanity is in the Demarest blood." "That wouldn't have stopped them." "They would have crucified him." "I had to protect him." "Why do you keep Jim a prisoner?" "Jim killed a man." "I don't believe it." "Don't you?" "You're going to listen anyway." "He was on vacation in Canada, shortly after you were married, I imagine." "His car skidded, there was an accident." "He got into an argument with a gas station attendant, hit him with a wrench." "He died the next day." "I used every bit of influence my brother and I had to keep it out of the American papers." "The upshot of it was..." "The court committed him to my care." "Rigid confinement for the rest of his life." "Most of the time he's quite normal." "Then something happens that upsets him, and he goes berserk." "Like the other night." "I had to keep him in that wing until the compound was ready." "Now perhaps you can imagine how I felt when you suddenly appeared and claimed to be his wife." "I had been warned that under no circumstances could either Jim or Julie ever marry, have children." "But it can't be true." "I've seen Jim." "I've talked with him." "He's as normal as you or I. He" "Jim!" "He was telling you a lot of lies, and you believed him." "No, I didn't." "But you might have killed him." "Would it make any difference?" "Are you in love with him?" "No, Jim, of course not, but I..." "You are in love with him." "Let me go." "You're going away with me." "But first I want to destroy those papers." "The papers?" "I heard Mark." "I can open the safe." "I don't want any proof..." "Proof of anything." "We'll get in a car and go away." "You do want to go away with me, don't you, Sandra?" "Don't you?" "Sandra!" "Why are you afraid of me, Sandra?" "I've never hurt anybody." "You and Mark think you'll put me away again, but you won't get the chance." "I don't want you to go back there." "I begged you to come with me." "You think I'm crazy." "I'm not." "I won't hurt you, Sandra." "I know, Jim." "I know." "Jim!" "Don't move." "If you do, I'll..." "I'm not going back in that pen for the rest of my life." "You hate me." "No, Jim." "No." "Yes, you do." "So does Sandra." "I heard enough just now." "I don't like people to hate me." "Nobody hates you, Jim." "Let's talk about this..." "Quietly." "This could only make trouble for all of us." "No." "No!" "I'm going my own way." "I warn you, don't try to stop me." "Aah!" "It's..." "It's better this way." "It was all my fault." "No." "No, you shouldn't blame yourself." "I was so stubborn." "So suspicious." "So hard to convince." "Why not?" "I didn't trust you either."