Original subtitles

Hello?

Philip, where are you?

I'm at the airport.

Margaret, my plans have changed.

I'll be going to Dallas for a few days.

Philip, are you sure you're all right?

Of course I'm all right.

Margaret, they're announcing my plane now.

Look, I'll call you tomorrow from Dallas.

It's funny how you can spark trouble.

I haven't seen Margaret Ballinger for about six months.

And maybe it was the way she stood there,

not moving, just waiting for me,

that warned me something was wrong.

Philip's falling apart.

It all started with the phone calls.

When I answer the phone, they always hang up.

And when Philip's home, he takes some calls in another room.

It's all very secretive.

Well...

Oh, it's not that, Harry. It's not that.

We've been married 12 years.

Philip...

Well, Philip had a couple of casual affairs,

but that was a long time ago. We survived all that.

So this is different.

I want you to help me, Harry.

You said he went away on a business trip.

When's he due back?

Margaret, when's he due back?

He's not on any business trip, Harry.

That's just what I let people think.

Philip...

disappeared a week ago.

I went to the Ballinger Publishing Company.

Margaret had given me the name of Philip's assistant.

Excuse me.

May I help you?

My name's Harry Orwell. I'd like to see Mr. Rawson.

Just a moment, please.

Mr. Rawson,

there's a Mr. Orwell here to see you.

Now tell him I'm a friend of Mr. Ballinger's.

He's a friend of Mr. Ballinger's.

Fine.

He'll be right with you.

Thank you.

Hi, Burt Rawson.

Harry Orwell.

Was it about a manuscript?

Personal.

Come on in my office.

I'm a private detective,

and I'm also a friend of Philip's

and Margaret's.

She's worried about him.

Well, I'm his assistant,

and I'm worried about him, too.

I mean, he goes away on a business trip,

and I don't know anything about it,

and I don't know where he is.

Has he ever done it before?

No.

You have no idea where he is?

Well, I got this from him.

It's his handwriting.

We'll have business back soon, Philip.

When did you get it?

It must be more than a week.

You have the envelope?

It was mailed right here in San Diego.

I'll look around his office.

I already looked.

Help yourself, if you like.

I had no idea what I expected to find.

I didn't even know what I was looking for.

Did you find anything?

If he gets in touch with you,

let me know, Harry Orwell.

I'm in the book.

Blow that part up right there.

CFO-207-EB.

CFO-207-EB.

Thank you.

CFO-207-EB.

Yeah, right here.

Marina West, Dock B, Slip 24.

Who's it registered to?

Carolyn March, Alpine.

Address?

General delivery.

March?

Roy!

Hey, Roy!

How's my car?

Visiting hours aren't till six, Harry.

You said you'd have it ready, Roy.

Would I lie to you, Harry?

Just give me the keys, Roy.

That car's got a will to live, Harry.

You be gentle with it.

I'll treat it as though it belonged to me.

Hey, you know a Carolyn March?

She lives around here.

Used to live around here.

Last week's paper.

It was quite a wreck.

They've got the car over at Lutz's garage.

You from the insurance company?

They told me they got a guy coming by.

Is this the car Carolyn March was killed in?

Did she ever see it?

No, he looked at it.

Say anything?

Nope.

Hey, did she live around here?

No.

Hi.

Who are you?

I'm Harry Orwell. I'm a private detective.

I'm Michelle March.

Philip's wife sent you, didn't she?

May I ask you a couple of questions?

What a drag.

Where's Philip?

He should be home with his wife by now.

When's the last time you saw him?

After the accident.

He came back here to me and stayed all week.

Well, Philip was in the car when your mother had the accident.

Do you think this will hit the papers?

Probably will.

Well, then he's just gonna have to tell his wife everything.

What do you mean, everything?

You don't have any idea what I'm talking about, do you?

I guess I don't.

Philip wasn't leaving his wife for Carolyn.

He's leaving her for me.

So here was the reason for Philip Ballinger's strange behavior.

And I had to explain it to Margaret.

And I didn't want to explain it to Margaret.

So you see, the reason this has all dragged on so long is...

Well, Philip just hasn't been able to work up the courage to tell his wife.

Do you think he's embarrassed?

Now, how old are you?

I'm 16.

Did it ever occur to you that Philip might be lying to you?

It's happened.

Married men telling lies to little girls.

A private eye.

Funny, I never met one before.

I bet most people haven't.

What are you gonna tell Margaret?

Yeah, I'm gonna leave the telling to Philip.

I've been doing that for six months.

Were your mother and Philip friends?

They got along.

Then why was she driving the night of the accident?

Does that matter?

Philip and I had a fight.

I took the keys and told him I wouldn't give them back

until he called his wife and told her the truth.

He'd been drinking.

So?

So, Philip got mad and said he had to get out.

Carolyn saw by that time he was in no shape to drive,

so she said she'd take him home.

She's dead, isn't she?

I mean, she's really dead.

Sugar and spice and everything nice.

Well, it wasn't up to me to figure out how or why

Philip Ballinger had gotten involved with a 16-year-old girl.

It had happened before.

Two other men.

I was gentle.

It just died on me in the middle of nowhere.

The car didn't die, Harry.

You killed it.

I'm in town to see about selling our boat.

I have a boat.

It's down in the marina.

It's a very expensive boat.

Philip bought it for us.

I...

I guess his wife knows now.

She does know, doesn't she?

What do you want from me?

Well, I need the money for funeral expenses and everything,

and I don't like to keep taking money all the time

from Philip without his wife knowing about it.

That seems wrong.

Doesn't it seem wrong to you?

Yep.

Excuse me.

That's how it seemed to me.

So I'm going to tell her.

I don't think Philip has the guts to tell her himself.

Neither did Michelle.

She was trying to get me to tell Margaret for her.

Why didn't you tell me before?

Well, I was hoping it might blow over.

What happened to change her mind?

Well, she said she was going to come by here

and tell you herself.

What's she like, Harry?

She's 16.

Oh, poor Philip.

No wonder he's been acting the way he has.

He must be so embarrassed.

I'd heard that kind of laugh before.

There was no humor in it.

And as things turned out,

there was nothing to laugh about at all.

During the night,

someone had found a permanent solution

to the problem of Michelle March.

Happened about 11.30 last night.

We know that because another boat

sailed in full of happy locals,

and they found her just after it happened.

I wouldn't believe the number of drunks on boats, Harry.

It's getting so the channel's as bad as a freeway.

Yeah.

Now, it was death by gunshot, rifle.

Ballistics calculated the angle of the trajectory

they figured came from over there in the parking lot.

Maybe a telescopic sight.

Death was instantaneous.

Huh, why am I telling you all this?

Frank, the lab guards will be finished.

Almost, Manny.

Right. Hi, Harry.

Hi, Manny.

How was Alpine?

Have a nice visit?

Michelle March was killed here,

so I go to check it out,

and what do I find?

That you have been there before me.

I have to make a living, too.

I respect that, believe me.

I know how hard you work, Harry.

To drive all that way to Alpine

to investigate a murder a day before it occurs,

it's sort of like fortune telling.

I suppose you'd tell me what you were doing

in Alpine a day before yesterday?

Want to hear about a fishing trip

I went on about a month ago?

No, I want to hear about Alpine.

I want to hear about that nice,

beautiful place.

Ah, good.

That's what I thought,

because it's your license.

If you do, you know that, don't you?

I'll get back to you.

Yeah, you bet you will.

You bet your sweet license you will.

Excuse me.

You're excused.

Can I talk to you a minute?

Go ahead and talk.

Don't bother me, none.

You worked around here for a long time?

Hey, I said,

if you want to talk, you ought to have a conversation.

Okay, I'll have a conversation.

Any particular subject?

Yeah, yeah.

I'm not much interested in photographers.

Just take a little longer look there.

Recognize that fella?

Who wants to know?

Yeah, Five Bucks wants to know.

I seen him around.

When?

Nice fella.

Never bothered me, none.

You didn't happen to see him last night, did you?

It's hard to say.

He was out here at night. Haven't you noticed?

Yeah.

277-1277.

What's that?

It's my phone number. If your memory comes back,

there's another Five Bucks in it for you.

277-1277.

If I'm not there, call the San Diego Police Department.

Ask the fleet for Lieutenant Manny Quinlan.

He'll know where to find me.

My name's Harry Orwell.

Okay, Harry.

You know, don't you?

Margaret,

I was going to tell you.

Now,

that's a lie.

But I was breaking up with her.

What did you have in mind for an encore?

A younger sister?

Philip, Philip, I'm sorry.

I say stupid things because I'm frightened and upset.

Can't you see that?

Do you think I plan in advance everything I'm going to say?

Perhaps I could be more civilized if it didn't matter so much.

Margaret,

I really

was trying to get away from her.

You're all I have.

I'm desperately afraid.

Oh, Philip,

tell me what to do.

I don't know. I don't know.

We were both here last night.

Whatever happens,

we were both here

last night.

Would you like a cup of tea, Harry?

Tea? No.

Did you see the papers?

No, why?

That's a...

That didn't Philip tell you?

No, we haven't talked about it.

Don't you think you should?

Why?

It's over now, isn't it?

What is there to talk about?

As a matter of fact,

I thought he was going to talk about it last night.

I mean about what's been going on all this time.

I kept waiting because he

seemed as if he wanted to talk.

So?

Well, we had some drinks by the fire.

I made dinner.

He had some galleys to go over,

so I ended up reading them with him.

The two of you sat here,

having dinner,

reading galleys of a book, right?

Well, I often help him.

What's so strange about that?

Well, he's been missing for a week.

I mean, don't you think you ought to...

Harry, I told you I don't question him.

He didn't say anything,

so I didn't either.

He didn't mention

the girl you didn't ask about.

That's right.

Anybody come by?

No.

Anybody telephone?

Um, I only hesitate

because I'm one of those odd people

who doesn't always answer the telephone.

No, nobody phoned.

Just the two of you sitting here

in front of the fire, having dinner.

Yes, that's right.

Michelle March is dead, Margaret.

I didn't know her,

and I don't want to think about her.

Well, I think you ought to start thinking about it.

The police are going to ask you questions.

I'm not curious.

Oh, boy, I am.

No, absolutely not.

It's a man's first book, and I'm gambling on it.

Well, then you must disabuse him of the idea

that I'm going to let a 23-year-old lad

dictate to me what our paperback agreement

is going to be.

I'm sorry, Harry.

It's a movie sale, man.

A movie sale?

Now, Simon, your client is a genius,

but he's a deranged one.

Who do you think is going to be interested

in making a motion picture

about the tribulations of a giraffe?

Philip, can you... Oh, I'm sorry.

Agent...

Good idea.

Simon, there's a big difference

between seagulls and fish

and a neurotic giraffe.

Sit down.

He's back.

You'll have to figure that one out.

You read all this?

Why, sure.

All of it?

Well, there's an old story about a guy

that sent a manuscript to a publisher

and he got a little printed rejection notice back,

and he got really mad because he knew

they couldn't read it all

because he glued the last 50 pages together.

So he sent him a letter,

and he got a little letter back,

said he didn't have to eat a whole apple

to know it was bad.

What are you reading there?

A little murder mystery.

George did it?

George did it.

He's guilty as hell.

I figured it out on page six.

It turns out that he did do it?

You reject it?

No, no.

That's just a little game I play.

You must have solved a lot of these,

I suppose.

Did you ever read any of them?

No, no.

I don't like them.

Well, they're kind of fun.

All right.

The coroner says that murder's getting to be like a sport,

but that was not really like a murder,

more like a killing.

You know she was a friend of Philip's?

You're kidding.

Nope.

Are you involved in this somehow?

Well, I told you that the last time I was here.

You're not saying Philip knew anything about this?

I thought you were friends.

Well, murder is murder.

Well, now that occurred, what, about 11.30 last night.

Isn't that what the paper said?

Well, let me tell you something.

Philip was working late in this office right here,

and I was right here with him.

You're sure?

Absolutely.

You know, the only thing worse than having no alibi

is having two alibis.

Harry, sorry to keep you waiting.

Ready for some lunch?

Yeah.

When's your birthday?

April 1st.

You're gonna get somebody to buy you a new tobacco pouch.

How long you had that thing?

A long time.

My peace and security blanket.

We have an emotional attachment to each other.

I met your girlfriend, Michelle.

How did you find out?

Well, Margaret was worried about you,

so I did a little investigating.

Margaret?

I only told her about it this morning.

Who told her about it this morning?

Somehow she found out.

She showed me the picture in the paper,

so we discussed it before I left the house.

One of them was lying to me.

Whether it was Margaret or whether it was Philip

didn't really matter.

What bothered me was why.

You're holding out on me, Harry.

Want me to tell you what I think?

Take a look.

Woman's high heel.

It's a crime.

It was caught in between the deck boards of the boat

right next to the body.

I'm gonna take a guess, Harry.

And say this belongs to a woman.

That woman happens to be your client.

All I want to know is your client's name.

All I owe you is hard evidence, man.

Will that do?

I'm gonna give you one more chance.

What is your client's name, Harry?

It's not evidence.

I'm gonna find her.

And when I do, if she's involved in this

and you try to conceal something from me...

Tell him March may have been murdered.

What?

Yeah, I checked the automobile.

The brake lines might have been cut.

Why didn't you tell me that before?

Well, it's not your jurisdiction.

It's Alpine.

That accident was checked out by some kid sheriff

who's never been involved in a murder in his whole life.

He had no reason to suspect foul play.

You knew that, Harry.

That's why I didn't give him the evidence.

I saved it for you.

I want to help you.

Who is your client?

I'm gonna put this together by myself,

otherwise I don't get paid.

Manny didn't know much about painting,

but he knew what he liked.

On the other hand, I didn't like what I knew.

I called the Ballinger house first

to make sure Margaret wasn't home.

Unlike most people who don't steal for a living,

she wasn't too careful about locking the door.

Why don't we take that pair of shoes

and put them in the fireplace, Harry?

Oh, why didn't you do that last night?

I know it's ridiculous,

but I've always found it rather difficult

to throw away something really good.

It seems wasteful somehow.

Manny?

Where is he?

No, I'm...

Manny?

I'll get back to him.

Why were you at the marina last night?

That child called.

Michelle March?

It was just one of those strange coincidences

that sometimes do happen.

I picked up the phone at exactly the same time

as Philip picked up the extension in the bedroom.

I realized he hadn't heard me.

She said she had to see him,

and they arranged to meet at the boat.

What time is this?

After 11, I think.

Oh, what happened?

Then Philip put down the phone,

and I did too.

I couldn't take it anymore, Harry.

Margaret, I...

Don't come any closer.

I just want to help you.

I don't want your help.

Okay, Margaret.

Harry, I...

I followed him.

I waited a few minutes

because I didn't want him to see me.

All I could see was

the boat at the end of the pier.

I thought...

I thought they were in the cabin together.

I lost my head.

I was going to kill her.

I had a gun with me.

This gun.

Well, I...

I ran all the way down the pier to the boat,

and I found her.

She was dead.

And Philip wasn't anywhere.

Well, then I...

I thought I was going to be sick,

and I thought

if I'm sick, they'll know somebody was here,

so I ran away.

I knew I'd lost my heel somewhere,

but I couldn't go back for it

because I thought I was going to be sick.

Well, then...

Then what did you do?

Then I...

I came back.

Philip wasn't here.

He didn't come back for hours.

When he did, he was...

I don't know, he was...

Did he say anything?

He was very pale,

and he wouldn't come to bed.

He just sat there staring at me

and drinking and drinking.

Funny thing was,

he didn't seem to get drunk.

Then he passed out.

The next morning, the newspaper came.

Margaret, do you think he killed him?

Margaret, do you think Philip killed him?

Stop it!

Well, that's the question

the police are going to ask.

They're going to ask questions all day

and all night.

Well, the police don't know I was there.

How do you know they don't?

Well, if they did, they'd be here right now.

Well, they're going to know

because I'm going to have to tell them.

What are you talking about?

We're friends.

I know, I'm sorry.

You work for me.

Everything I've told you from the beginning

is a privileged communication.

That's not so in a murder.

What?

No, read the evidence code sometimes.

It applies to doctors, lawyers, clergymen.

It doesn't apply to private detectives.

If I don't tell them, I'm an accessory.

Margaret,

I'm going to put the gun down.

Margaret!

Margaret!

Harry,

you'd better leave.

I want you to tell me

you were there.

I know it.

The police are going to know it.

So tell me what happened.

She called me,

asking me to meet her.

I went there.

I heard a shot.

It sounded far away,

like a car backfiring.

Suddenly she crumbled and fell.

But it was dark

and I didn't know what was happening.

I...

I had to use my pipe lighter.

Then I saw...

She was dead.

There wasn't anything I could do.

And so I ran away from her.

The same way I ran away from her mother

when she was killed.

You think Margaret killed her?

That's what the police are going to think

when I show them these shoes.

What do those shoes have to do with this?

Leave us alone, Harry.

Hi, Harry.

What happened?

How do I know? Ask the doctor.

A bullet entered the left subacromial region,

glancing off the scapula.

Thanks, doctor.

Listen, statistics say you were shot

by the same rifle used to kill Michelle March.

Yeah, you heard right.

We found her two blocks away in an alley.

I want to know who did this, Harry.

Yeah, me too. When you find out, let me know.

Enough of games already.

You want a subpoena?

You get the subpoena.

You're going to suspend my license?

Your Honor, I want to suspend this man's license

because he won't cooperate

in the case of attempted murder.

Who was the victim, Your Honor?

He was, Your Honor, that silly Manny.

Should have been a lawyer.

Manny, you think you know who shot me?

Me, I don't know.

You follow your leads, I'll follow mine.

Thank you, Harry.

I had to call you.

I killed her for giving him my darling, Phillip.

Did you call the police?

No.

What did you find?

A typewriter.

What are you looking for?

Something. Maybe that.

His tobacco pouch?

Have you ever seen him without this?

Me neither.

What's he call it?

Peace and security.

Manny Quinlan.

Manny, I...

I'm afraid for me to tell you

that the man in the picture came down to the boat.

Phillip Ballinger.

I was looking for him, then I wasn't looking for him,

now I'm looking for him again.

Harry, it doesn't make any sense.

And who is the guy with the beard?

The guy that was with Ballinger.

Maybe the guy we're looking for, Manny.

I'll see you there.

Stop that line there, will you?

You know, you really should have left her alone, Phillip.

I mean, you just fought the girl.

It wasn't like that.

You'd have found out.

Found out what?

Well, you and I were the only ones you know.

Come on, get in here.

Hey, where are they?

Oh, down there, and you better hurry.

There's another five bucks.

Hey!

Does this boat work?

Well, it ought to, I just fixed it.

Now, where are the keys?

In the boat, why?

All right, if I use it.

It doesn't belong to me.

Hey, you got my five bucks?

When Lieutenant Quinlan gets here,

tell him to call the...

the Harvard police.

Burn.

Why didn't you kill me when you killed Michelle?

I was going to.

I wanted to kill you both.

It's a great sight I got on there.

I could have put one in your sideburn,

just real easy, but...

but I didn't lose my head.

I thought, wait, they'll think you killed Michelle.

So that's why I didn't kill you,

because I didn't lose my head.

I want you to remember that, Philip.

Yes, I will remember that.

And I understand why you did what you did.

I think you loved Michelle,

perhaps in a different way.

Shut up.

Don't try to talk me out of this.

Burn.

You won't get away with it.

Oh, yes, I will.

When we get out to sea,

you're going to have an accident,

fall overboard.

Oh, I'll report it to the authorities,

and I'll even tell Margaret,

try to console her,

and in a few days, your body will wash ashore.

There'll be an inquest,

and the case will be closed.

Looks like he's trying to force them out of the beach.

Hold it right there!

Hands up!

Hey, Harry?

You okay?

Yeah, next time, I'll take the bus.

Thanks, Harry.

How's Margaret?

Adjusting.

Adjusting?

To the idea that there are worse things in this world than infidelity.

For a while there, she thought I was a murderer.

How about you? Are you adjusting?

Well, I don't gamble, drink, take drugs,

but nobody's perfect.

You know, Philip, you're in the wrong business.

You should have been a marriage counselor.

Harry, if you ever decide to write a book,

let me know, will you?

Oh, thanks.

If I ever did write a book, I had the title for it.

Nobody's perfect.

We all have to come in out of the cold once in a while,

and we all warm ourselves to different fires.

Sometimes you get burned.