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                              MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY
                         
                          

                                   Screenplay by

                          Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman




                         
          NOTE

          Most of the sequences in this production are filmed using a hand-
          held camera or a Steadycam. These very mobile cameras move around
          the set, and get constantly closer and further from the
          characters. Still, we'll be using the usual technical terms, such
          as «long shot» or «full shot» or «medium shot» here and there to
          give the reader an idea of the location of the camera at the
          beginning of each sequence. And then we'll mention the movements
          of the camera.

                         
                         TRISTAR LOGO
          Winged white horse flying over clouds
                         
 
                         BLACK SCREEN
                         
          CREDITS IN WHITE LETTERS ON BLACK SCREEN
                         
          We hear jazz music during the credits.
                         
          END OF CREDITS
                         
          NEW-YORK - AERIAL VIEW - EXTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          While the camera is flying over New-York, we keep on hearing the
          jazz music.
                         
          The camera reaches a round building that looks like a stadium and
          starts moving around the building.

                         
          HOCKEY GAME - INTERIOR NIGHT

          Long shot on the skating rink. A hockey game is in progress on the
          rink. The camera follows a player, and then pans on the audience.
                         
          The camera stops on a medium shot of Larry and Carol, a couple in
          their early fifties. Larry seems fascinated by the game, but Carol
          seems to find it boring. She looks at the ceiling, and then puts
          her hand over her mouth to suppress a yawn. Larry turns toward
          her.
                         
                          LARRY
           Come on.
                         
                          CAROL
           What?
                         
                          LARRY
           You promised to sit through the entire hockey game without
           being bored and I'll sit through the Wagner opera with you
           next week.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know, honey, I promised. I know.
                         
                          LARRY
           I already bought the earplugs.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. Well, with your eyesight, I'm surprised you can see
           the puck.
                         
          The crowd starts yelling and we guess that one of the players has
          done something really good. Carol mockingly claps her hands.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yay, hooray.
                         
          Then she raises her eyes to the ceiling, seeming more bored than
          ever.
                         
          LARRY'S BUILDING - LOBBY - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          A nice-looking apartment building in New-York.
                         
          Full shot of the lobby. We see the street through the glass door.
          An uniformed attendant is standing near a counter, on which he is
          writing on a book.
                         
          Larry and Carol are coming from the street and entering the
          building. He is carrying some shopping bags, and she is reading a
          newspaper, the «Daily News».
                         
                          LARRY
           God. I can't wait to get into bed and stretch out.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
          The attendant slightly turns around and bows to them. They bow
          back to him. He goes back to his book-keeping, and the couple
          keeps on walking through the lobby.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, there's a Bob Hope movie on television later.
                         
                          CAROL
           know. Can you believe this guy in Indiana ? Killed twelve
           victims, dismembered them and ate them.
                         
                          LARRY
           Really ? Well, it's an alternative lifestyle.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, I'll say.
                         
          They reach the two elevators. Larry presses the call-button on the
          wall between the two elevators.
                         
          LARRY'S BUILDING - ELEVATOR - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Medium shot inside the cabin of the elevator. The inner door
          slides open. Carol enters first, still reading her newspaper.
          Larry enters behind her and presses a button on the control panel.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Hold the elevator.
                         
           LILLIAN (voice over)
           I'm coming.
                         
          Hearing people's voices, Larry puts his hand on the edge of the
          door to keep it from closing.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Hold the elevator.
                         
          Paul and Lilian enter the elevator. They are a middle-aged couple.
          He is bald and tall, and very smily. She is small, with grey hair.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           That's right.
                         
                          PAUL
           Thank you.
                         
          Lilian has a broad smile when she recognizes Larry and Carol. The
          elevator door slides shut. Lilian looks at Carol.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           I, uh, I see you at the gym sometimes.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, you do ?
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Yeah, we live in the apartment down the hall.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, well, I go whenever I have the discipline.
                          LILLIAN
           It's important to put that time in. It does wonders.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh god, yeah. I agree with you.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Exercising changed my life.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, geez...
                         
                          LARRY
           I prefer to atrophy. I'm not a very exercise person.
                         
                          PAUL
           We bought a treadmill last week.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, well, we had one. But you know, we got rid of it
           because it was just taking up too much space.
                          LILLIAN
           Oh, it-it-it...
                         
                          LARRY
           Because you have to turn it on and get on it once in a
           while. That was her problem.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Hey, I... exactly, I... and it's so confusing, with all
           those buttons and computerized programs. I'm just never
           gonna get that.
                         
          LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Full shot of a very sober and modern hallway. Creme-colored walls,
          grey carpeting, dark wooden doors.
                         
          We hear the elevator door opening and Carol comes out, followed by
          Lilian, Larry and Paul. They all talk together and we can hardly
          understand the following dialogue.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, I know. It's late.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           It's so wonderful, meeting.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, well, yeah.
                         
                          PAUL
           It is just like New York. You have neighbors. You never
           meet them... You guys...
                         
          The following line, said by Lilian, is clearer and we understand
          it better.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           ... I've seen you so many times in the hallway, you know...
           and I've always wanted to come up and say hallo.
                         
                          PAUL
           Well, anyway... good night.
                         
          Larry and Carol walk away from Lilian and Paul, who remain near
          the elevator.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Good night. Such a lovely couple. You know that...
                         
          Paul bends down to pick up something on the carpet. Lilian walks
          one step in Larry's direction.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Oh, uh, say, hello ?
                         
          Paul starts opening his apartment door, just across the hallway
          from the elevator.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Huh ? Yeah ?
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Huh, listen... why don't you come in for a-a-a second and
           have a drink with us ? I mean, we'd really love that.
                         
          The camera pans around toward Larry and Carol. Larry makes a
          negative sign with his hand.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, oh well that'd be fine...
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           She makes great Irish coffee.
                         
          Mute conversation between Carol and Larry. Larry evidently doesn't
          want to accept Lilian's invitation, but Carol wants to.
                         
           LILLIAN (voice over)
           Oh, please ? Uh uh, I want you to give me a treadmill
           lesson.
                         
                          LARRY
           There's a movie on television I want to watch.
                         
          Carol starts walking toward Lilian and Paul's apartment, followed
          reluctantly by Larry.
                         
          The camera pans around during Carol's next line, and we see Carol
          entering Lilian an Paul's apartment.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, about the tread... oh, well, if I can figure it out,
           then believe me, anybody can.
                         
          She laughs, and Larry, entering the apartment behind her, utters a
          forced laugh.
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          The cosy apartment of middle upper-class people. The decoration
          looks like them.
                         
          Medium shot of Lilian walking across the bedroom toward the large
          double bed. She walks near the famous treadmill.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Have a look at the instructions. They drive me crazy. You
           know ? I don't know what I'm doing at all. Let's look...
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           No. Please, it's easy.
                         
          Lilian picks up a book on a table near the bed.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Wonderful book they've given me. Now I'm at level five.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           What ?
                          LILLIAN
           That I know.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           You're that advanced ?
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Well, yeah.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           God, I only got to level two.
                         
          Lilian brings the book to Carol.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Look at these diagrams. Do you believe this ?
                         
                          CAROL
           That's amazing.
                         
          She is standing near the treadmill. Lilian shows her one of the
          diagram in the book.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           I can't understand this even.
                         
                          CAROL
           Let me see.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Yeah, well. See this ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay.
                         
          PAUL'S APPARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
          One of the wall could be a bay window, but, for the moment, it is
          entirely covered by a beige drape.
                         
          Medium shot of Paul bringing a stamp book to Larry.
                         
                          PAUL
           Now, let me show you a mint 1933 airmail. Very rare... and
           very beautiful.
                         
          Larry is seated near a small table, on which Paul puts the book
          down. Paul sits down next to Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah.
                         
          Paul picks up a special philatelist magnifying glass and puts it
          in front of the stamp, for Larry to have a better look at it.
                         
                          PAUL
           Look at that. And this plate block is quite unique because
           it has a flaw in the engraving. See if you can see it.
          Larry, who is not interested in philately at all, scratches his
          head.
                          LARRY
           Uh, it's hard for me.
                         
                          PAUL
           Actually I'll give you a little hint. Right down here in
           the corner.
                         
                          LARRY
           That tiny thing there ?
                         
                          PAUL
           Interesting, yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           Ah, you have a really...
                         
                          PAUL
           That makes it quite valuable, you see. And I just got a
           commemorative set of issues that are going to be quite
           valuable, too.
                         
          He picks up a transparent envelope inside which are several
          stamps.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yes.
                         
                          PAUL
           Look at the color, right there. All these are gonna become
           a real f...
                         
          Larry stands up.
                         
                          LARRY
           Well, listen... we're probably keeping you up, right ?
                          PAUL
           Oh, no-no-no. This is wonderful.
                         
                          LARRY
           I should be going.
                         
                          PAUL
           What do you do, if I may ask ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Me ? I'm in book publishing. I work up at Harper's.
                         
                          PAUL
           Are you really ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah.
                         
                          PAUL
           I own an old, uh, cinema. Having it redone.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh.
                         
                          PAUL
           Used to have a string of three, but, you know, business is
           not what it used to be.
                         
          He picks up some more stamps from the table.
                         
                          PAUL
           Now, look at these presidentials. Look at the color work.
           Even the perforations are still intact.
                         
                          LARRY
           Where's Carol ?
                         
                          PAUL
           All the...
                         
                          LARRY
           Because I should really be going, actually.
                         
                          PAUL
           Oh, really ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah. I mean, so, we...
                         
          In the background, behind Larry, we see Carol and Lilian entering
          the room.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Coffee's ready !
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, coffee. I forgot coffee.
                         
          He turns around to face the women.
           PAUL (voice over)
           Good. We can get back to this later. Come on in.
                         
          We see Paul's hand on Larry's shoulder, pushing him toward the
          centre of the room.
                         
          A little later.
                         
          Full shot of the room. They are all seated around a low table,
          Larry and Carol on the sofa, Paul and Lilian on two armchairs.
          They've just finished their coffee.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Well, we've never had any children, but it's easy to
           empathize. Oh, um, uh, what college does your son attend ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Brown.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Oh.
                          PAUL
           Nice color.
                         
          They all laugh.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Paul never attended college. He's self-made.
                         
                          PAUL
           Always regretted it. I think knowledge is the second most
           important thing. First is health, then knowledge, then
           money.
                         
          Larry puts his cup down on the low table.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, it's amazing how time, we,... we'll just...
                         
                          LILLIAN
           And, do you work ?
                         
          Larry stands up.
                         
                          CAROL
           Huh ? Do I ?
                         
                          LILLIAN
           Yes.
                         
          Larry looks at Carol and sits back on the sofa.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, well, I actually, um, I used to work at an ad agency,
           but that was many years ago.
                         
          The camera moves closer to Carol and Larry.
                         
                          CAROL
           But... You know, I've been seriously thinking of starting a
           little restaurant. But, well, Larry, he's trying to talk me
           out of it.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, she's a great cook, though, really. Her duck and fennel
           omelette on a bed of scallops and Hollandaise sauce with
           truffles and sweetbreads'll make you snap into a fetal
           position and have you in bed screaming for a month.
                         
                          CAROL
           He loves to tease me, but actually, he really loves exotic
           food.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           My weakness is any rich dessert, cream, butter, anything
           with fat.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, really ? Oh well, let... listen... I'll fix you a
           dessert that'll make your eyeballs roll up. You'll have to
           exercise for a month to work it off.
                          LILLIAN
           Yeah.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           We're going to Le Cirque for our anniversary.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, really ?
                         
          The camera moves around, away from Larry and Carol, to Paul.
                         
           LILLIAN (voice over)
           Yes. Twenty-eight years. November.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Really ?
                         
                          PAUL
           Well, what do you buy the woman who buys everything ?
                         
          The camera moves around backward, away from Paul and back to Larry
          and Carol.
                         
                          LILLIAN
           We already have twin cemetery plots.
                         
                          LARRY
           Well, it's... I always think a Bentley is in good taste.
           You know, or you can go the route that I went with her. On
           her twentieth, I got her some very lovely handkerchiefs.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. Oh no. But, you know, they had my initials on them.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, it was a very, very high-class item. I didn't even
           know her size. I'm going over.
          Carol bursts out laughing.
                         
          Black screen. Actually, we are in :
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Carol and Larry's apartment is quite different from the one we've
          just left. It is the apartment of a couple of New-York
          intellectuals, with nice, artistic furniture. We hear a door
          opening.
                         
                          LARRY
           Jesus, couldn't you keep the conversation going a little
           longer in there ?
                         
          Lights are switched on.
                         
          Full shot. We see only part of the hall, the camera being in a
          corridor, and the walls of the corridor concealing part of the
          hall.
          Carol enters the apartment, and Larry holds the door for her.
                         
                          LARRY
           I was signaling you frantically.
                         
          Larry closes the door.
                         
                          CAROL
           I was just trying to be neighborly.
                         
                          LARRY
           Neighborly ? If this guy showed me his stamp collection one
           more time... I mean, my favorite thing in life is to, you
           know, look at canceled postage.
                         
          The camera follows Larry walking in the corridor toward :
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Actually there are two large beds in the bedroom, the room being
          divided by a partition set between the two beds. The partition is
          only a half wall. There is a opening, without door, at each end of
          the partition, to go from one section of the room to the other.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Oh, come on, Larry. It was sweet. They, you know, they're
           looking forward to their anniversary.
                         
          Medium shot of Larry taking his jacket off. He puts it on a chair.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, and I'm looking forward to seeing that Bob Hope movie.
           I don't know why they put it on so late.
                         
          The camera turns back to the corridor and Carol, still in the
          front hall.
                         
                          CAROL
           You know, do you think that's gonna happen to us ?
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           What ?
                         
          Carol walks in the corridor, toward the bedroom.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, that we'll become like them ? You know, just another
           dull aging couple, you know, with our little walks, you
           know...
                         
          She walks into the bedroom.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           We are a dull aging couple.
                         
                          CAROL
           Our TV, our lox and bagels. And... and our twin cemetery
           plots ?
                         
          Larry is seated on his bed. Carol looks at some pills bottles on
          the night table.
                         
                          LARRY
           No, we should be as lucky as them. To, you know, to be in
           their physical shape, at their age ? They look great. Did
           you see the dumbbells this guy lifts ? If I lifted
           dumbbells like those, I would get a hernia the size of the
           San Andrea's Fault.
                         
                          CAROL
           How often do you think they make love ?
                         
          She goes out of the main part of the room, and the camera follows
          her.
                         
          She sits down on the other bed and starts taking her shoes off.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Oh, you know, probably more than we do, in their shape. You
           know, I'm sure as much as once a week.
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry ?
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           I'm exhausted. What ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Do you still find me attractive ?
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Of course. What kind of question is that ? Of course I do.
                         
          Carol stands up from the bed and moves across the room. The
          camera, still located in the main part of the room, follows Carol,
          so we don't actually see her walking, but we see the partition and
          the large clock on it.
           CAROL (voice over from behind the partition)
           Yeah, but we're not turning into a pair of comfortable old
           shoes, are we ? Do you think ?
                         
          Carol reappears on the other side of the partition.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Never comfortable.
                         
                          CAROL
           No ?
                         
          Larry's head appears in the forefront of the shot. He is still
          seated on the bed.
                         
                          LARRY
           I don't think you have to worry about that.
                         
          MARKET PLACE - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Long shot on a large outdoor antique market place in New-York.
          The camera pans along the stands in the market, showing sellers
          and customers.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           How you guys doing ?
                         
           SY (voice over)
           We're fine.
                         
           MARILYN (voice over)
           We're good.
                         
           SY (voice over)
           We like that. We're gonna get this one.
                         
           MARILYN (voice over)
           That's very nice, actually.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           So, actually...
                         
           MARILYN (voice over)
           Listen, are we going to see you at Elaine's Thursday ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Oh, no. Thursday's our Wagner opera.
                         
          Medium shot on a stand around which Larry, Carol, Sy and Marilyn
          are standing. Sy and Marilyn are a couple about the same age as
          Carol and Larry.
                         
                          MARILYN
           Uh...hum. You know... Ted's coming to Elaine's with us.
                         
                          CAROL
           Ted.
                         
                          MARILYN
           Yeah.
                         
                          CAROL
           How is Ted ?
                         
                          MARILYN
           He's... he seems to be doing well. I mean, I... I actually
           think he's glad... I think he's glad he's divorced.
                         
                          SY
           Well, I don't think he's... no, he's not doing... Come on,
           he's not doing well at all. He's not used to it.
                         
                          MARILYN
           Well he looks... I think he looks, you know, like he's
           glad.
                         
          Sy looks at some of the antique displayed on the stand.
                         
                          SY
           Yeah, yeah. This.
                          LARRY
           So what do you want to do ? you guys gonna browse, or...
                         
                          SY
           No, we're gonna go to a movie.
                         
                          MARILYN
           Yeah, we're gonna go see «Double indemnity».
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, really ?
                         
                          MARILYN
           Yeah.
                         
                          SY
           Why don't you come with us ?
                         
                          MARILYN
           It starts in a little while.
                         
          MOVIE THEATER - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Full shot of the screen of the theater, on which the film «Double
          Indemnity» is shown. And under the screen, in the dark, the back
          of some of the spectator's heads.
                         
          This film is a very famous 1944 film directed by Billy Wilder, and
          referred by the Library of Congress as one of the hundred best
          films of the Twentieth Century. The term «double indemnity» refers
          to a clause in certain life insurance policies that doubles the
          payout in cases when death is caused by certain accidental means.
                         
           BARTON KEYES (played by Edward G. Robinson)
           I'd have the police after her so fast, it'd make her head
           spin. They'd put her through the wringer. And brother, the
           things they would squeeze out.
           WALTER NEFF (played by Fred MacMurray)
           They haven't got a single thing to go on, Keyes.
                         
                          BARTON KEYES
           Oh, not too much, I guess. Just twenty-six year
           experience... All the percentage there is, and this hunk of
           concrete in my stomach.
                         
          The third character in the sequence, Phyliss Dietrichson, played
          by Barbara Stanwyck, is half-hiding behind a wall.
                         
          NEW-YORK - LARRY'S RESIDENCE STREET - EXTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Full shot of the street, where Larry's apartment building is
          located. The camera is set near the entrance of the building, and
          Carol and Larry are walking toward us.
                         
                          CAROL
           God, that movie was great, wasn't it ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, I... I... it was one of my favorites.
                          CAROL
           I loved it.
                         
                          LARRY
           It just... they were all so wonderful, in the picture.
                         
                          CAROL
           You know, who could we fix Ted up with ? I mean, there must
           be somebody in your office.
                         
                          LARRY
           Ted ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           Well, I don't know. Ted... I always thought Ted had a crush
           on you.
                         
                          CAROL
           Me ?
                         
          She laughs. They have reached their building. The camera turns
          around to follows them inside the building. Larry puts his hand on
          Carol's back to guide her inside the building. We see an ambulance
          revolving light reflected in the glass door of the building.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah. Why are you so stunned ? I think that...
                         
                          CAROL
           Please. I mean, you know, I adore him, but you know, he's
           like a girlfriend to me.
                         
                          LARRY
           Uh. Now he's divorced, you know ?
                          CAROL
           Do I detect a note of jealousy ?
                         
          The camera is still on the sidewalk near the entrance of the
          building and we see Carol and Larry walking toward the elevators.
                         
          LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          A short black screen, which actually is just a close shot on the
          outer door of the elevator. This door slides open, and we get a
          medium shot of Larry and Carol inside the elevator.
                         
          They seem surprised by what they see on the landing. There is a
          gathering of neighbors, which we don't yet see. But we hear their
          voices.
                         
           NEIGHBOR (voice over)
           I had to come up here and call nine-one-one.
                         
           ANOTHER NEIGHBOR (voice over)
           So what's the trouble ?
                          ANOTHER NEIGHBOR
           Oh, is that the-that the E.M.S.
                         
           ANOTHER NEIGHBOR (voice over)
           That guy's so excited.
                         
           ANOTHER NEIGHBOR (voice over)
           The doctor and the E.M.S.
                         
          The camera follows Larry walking toward the group of neighbors.
          Paul's door is wide open.
                         
                          LARRY
           What's the matter ? What's going on ? What happened ?
                         
          He is answered by a tall male neighbor.
                         
                          TALL NEIGHBOR
           She had a heart attack.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Oh my God !
                         
                          TALL NEIGHBOR
           Sh-She's dead.
                         
          The camera turns around to show us inside the apartment. There is
          a stretcher standing in the corridor. On the stretcher, a body -
          Lilian's body - is covered by a white sheet. Three men are
          standing near the stretcher, one of them wearing green gloves and
          writing on a clipboard, another one carrying a black leather case
          (he is evidently a doctor).
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           She-she's dead ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Dead ?
                         
           NEIGHBOR (voice over)
           They're giving Mr. House a sedative right now. He's running
           around like crazy.
                         
          The camera turns back to the tall neighbor standing near the front
          door. A policeman enters the apartment.
                         
                          TALL NEIGHBOR
           I called E.M.S. and they got here as soon as they could,
           but it was too late.
                         
                          LARRY
           Sh-We just met her last night.
                         
          The camera turns back inside the corridor. The doctor is coming
          toward the front door.
                         
           OLD FEMALE NEIGHBOR (voice over)
           Awful, just awful.
           LARRY (voice over)
           What happened ?
                         
                          DOCTOR
           Well, it was a classic coronary. She just went like that.
                         
          The camera turns back toward the group of neighbors.
                         
                          CAROL
           Is there anything we can do ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, my God.
                         
           DOCTOR (voice over)
           You can be good neighbors. You know, we calmed him down,
           uh...
                         
                          LARRY
           Th-Th-Th-The first time we saw them was last night. We just
           met them. W-We had... They invited us in for coffee.
                         
                          TALL NEIGHBOR
           Such a... S... Such a nice lady.
                         
           OLD FEMALE NEIGHBOR
           Nice lady.
                         
           NEIGHBOR WITH A MOUSTACHE
           Sweet person.
                         
          NEW-YORK - LARRY'S RESIDENCE STREET - EXTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Full shot on the entrance of Larry's building. Larry and Carol are
          coming out. They are very elegantly dressed, Larry wearing a suit
          and a necktie.
                         
                          CAROL
           God, okay.
                         
                          LARRY
           You look wonderful.
                         
          Paul is coming down the street toward the entrance of the
          building. He is carrying some grocery in a paper bag.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, hallo.
                         
                          PAUL
           Hi.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hi, Mr. House, so... sorry.
                         
                          PAUL
           Thank you so much for those wonderful flowers.
                         
          Paul seems very relax. He smiles a lot, which could be surprising,
          when we understand he put his wife in the grave only a couple of
          days ago.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh.
                         
                          PAUL
           It was quite nice of you.
                         
                          CAROL
           That's... sure.
                         
                          LARRY
           If there's anything we can do. You know, anything you need,
           just tell us and we'll...
                         
                          CAROL
           No, anything. Anything at all. I mean, God, it's just such
           a shock when anyone... It was just so sudden. I mean, she
           seemed so... God, well, healthy.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah.
                         
                          PAUL
           She had a heart condition.
                         
                          CAROL
           She did ? She never mentioned it... It... that she was...
                         
                          LARRY
           Ah.
                         
                          PAUL
           She wouldn't have.
                         
                          CAROL
           No. Right. Well...
                          LARRY
           If there's anything we can do.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, anything. Really.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, if you need anything, if you are lonely, come by.
           You know.
                         
                          PAUL
           Thank you. You know, you owe me a wonderful French dessert.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, no, no, no. I know, I haven't forgotten. Believe me, I
           haven't forgotten.
                         
                          PAUL
           Well, have a nice time. You seem all gussied up.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. Oh, I know. We're going to the opera.
                          PAUL
           Oh, enjoy.
                         
                          LARRY
           My favorite, my favorite.
                         
                          PAUL
           Goodnight.
                         
          He walks away toward the entrance of the building, still smiling a
          lot and looking very happy. Carol looks at him with a question on
          her face.
                         
                          LARRY
           Goodnight.
                         
                          CAROL
           Goodnight.
                         
                          LARRY
           Come, we're gonna be late.
                         
          THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE - EXTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Long shot on the Met building.
                         
          We hear the music from Wagner's The Flying Dutchman.
                         
          The camera slowly tilts down. We don't see Carol and Larry yet,
          but we hear their voices.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           The deal was, I sit through the ice hockey game and you
           watch the whole opera.
                         
          The camera is now on ground level, and we see Carol and Larry
          coming out of the Met.
                          LARRY
           I can't listen to that much Wagner, you know. I start to
           get the urge to conquer Poland.
                         
          They cross the esplanade in front of the Met.
                         
          ELAINE'S RESTAURANT - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Elaine's is a cosy place, like there are many around Greenwich
          Village.
                         
          Carol and Larry are eating at Elaine's with Sy, Marilyn and Ted.
          Ted is a quite handsome man in his forties.
                         
          We get a medium full view of the party, with a very mobile camera
          moving around the table and going from one person to another,
          getting closer to one person, then moving slightly away.
                         
                          SY
           I'll tell you something. I think it's weird. I mean, listen
           to this. One night she's having coffee, and the next night
           they are carrying her out in a rubber bag.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, I know, I know. And she did not look like she was ready
           to go.
                         
                          TED
           Maybe this guy killed her, you know ? Like, he's got, like,
           a young tootsie stashed someplace, or something.
                         
                          LARRY
           No, no, not this... you gotta, you gotta see this guy. This
           guy gets his jollies from licking the back of postage
           stamps. He's a-a boring old...
                         
                          TED
           Well, I can see that. Yeah, depending on whose picture is
           on the stamp.
                         
                          CAROL
           She never once mentioned that she had a heart condition.
                         
                          LARRY
           Well, what is she gonna say ? Oh, yeah, hello, I'm Mrs.
           House and I have a bad heart.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, she had no problem telling me about her hysterectomy
           in the first five minutes.
                         
                          SY
           It is much easier to talk about a hysterectomy than it is
           to talk about a heart condition.
                         
                          TED
           You said she liked... she liked eating high cholesterol
           desserts. Is that what you said ?
                          LARRY
           So, she had one too many.
                         
                          CAROL
           No. No ! She wasn't on a diet. We discussed diets.
                         
                          LARRY
           So she wasn't on a diet. But...
                         
                          TED
           This would be a really great way to kill somebody.
                         
                          SY
           How ?
                         
                          TED
           You clog their arteries with whipped cream, chocolate
           mousse, butter. They go like that.
                         
          Carol is laughing very heartily at Ted's joke.
                         
                          SY
          That's great.
                         
                         LARRY
          I like a... It's disgusting.
                         
                         TED
          you know what I mean ?
                         
                         LARRY
          It's disgusting, but a... It's fatal.
                         
                         TED
          Wouldn't that be great ?
                         
                         MARILYN
          I'd like to French-pastry myself to death right now.
                         
                         SY
          I'll help you.
                         
                         MARILYN
          I really would.
                         
                         SY
          All right.
                         
                         MARILYN
          In fact, I'd like another piece of pie, right after this.
          Do I dare ? I like yours better than this.
                         
                         TED
          Are you gonna start a restaurant ? Are you serious about
          that ?
                         
                         MARILYN
          You really should. you're a great cook.
                         
                         TED
          Because, if you do, count me in. I wanna be part of that.
          Really.
                         
                         LARRY
          Really ?
                         
                         MARILYN
          You should.
                         
                         CAROL
          No. Well, I don't know. I mean, you... Are you serious ?
                         
                         TED
          Yeah. Oh, oh, God, it'd be wonderful.
                         
                         LARRY
          What are you encouraging her for ? It's so...
                         
                         TED
          She's great. She's a great cook.
                         
                         LARRY
           I know, but...
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, it's thanks to you, actually. I mean, it was his
           idea. The cooking lessons, so I mean...
                         
                          TED
           Yes, I had...
                         
                          SY
           Yes, but a restaurant is a serious business. I mean, you
           just can't take that lightly. You can't be cavalier about a
           restaurant.
                         
                          CAROL
           I'm not being cavalier about it.
                         
                          LARRY
           Do you know how time-consuming it is ? Yeah. You have to be
           there every night.
                         
                          SY
           Absolutely.
                         
                          LARRY
           You'd be stuck there, you know.
                         
                          TED
           Wait. Look, look.
                         
                          LARRY
           They steal from, if you're not... You gotta be hap...
                         
                          CAROL
           But it's bi... it's what I do. It's-It's what I do, Larry.
                         
                          TED
           She'll cook... She's great. She's-She's a pro. She's a pro.
           She'll be cooking... She'll be cooking in the kitchen. I'll
           be at the front, running the joint like Rick, you know, in
           «Casablanca».
                         
                          SY
           It's not that easy.
                         
                          MARILYN
           You do it anyway. Right as well get paid for it.
                         
                          LARRY
           Right. Directs...
                         
                          TED
           I'm set, I'm serious about it. I don't... I mean, it's not
           like a hobby. I mean, it's gotta be a serious thing.
                         
                          SY
           I'll be the first customer.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
          Medium shot of Carol coming out of the bathroom. She switches the
          bathroom light off. She is wearing a pink night dress.
                         
          The camera turns toward Larry's bed, in which Larry is already
          lying. He has a book in his hands.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, I was thinking of fixing Ted up with Helen Dubin.
           You know, I figured they would just, you know, get into an
           argument over penis envy, or something.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh.
                         
                          LARRY
           The poor guy suffers from it so...
                         
          Carol puts something on the night-table on her side of the bed.
                         
                          CAROL
           Did he seem a little too cheerful ?
                         
          She looks at some pills bottles on the night table.
                         
                          LARRY
           No, he seemed like his regular self to me, but-but, uh,
           when you brought up the notion of the restaurant... the guy
           lit up like Mr. Glowworm.
                         
                          CAROL
           The restaurant ?
                         
          She picks up a hair brush.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah. He sees himself as, uh, you know, as Humphrey Bogart
           in Casablanca. I-I see him more as Peter Lorre, wringing
           his hands.
          Carol starts walking toward the other section of the room. The
          camera follows her.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, no, no. No, no, no. I mean, Mr. House, Mr. House.
           Didn't seem a little too cheerful to you ?
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Mr. House, our next-door widower ?
                         
          Carol stops in front of a large mirror set on the wall in one
          corner of the room.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yes. Yes. I mean, there's... Well, you know. I mean, didn't
           he seem too compose for a man whose wife just died. Don't
           you think ?
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Well, Jesus. What do you want the guy to do, walk down the
           street sobbing hysterically ?
          Carol starts brushing her hair.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, I don't know. All I know is, they were supposedly
           looking forward to their, you know... anniversary, and,
           and, and, you know, uh-uh, i-i-if... I suddenly dropped
           dead... wouldn't you sob for months, or-or years, if I...
           You know...
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Hey, don't make those kind of jokes, okay ? I don't like
           those remarks. And, meanwhile, I'm the guy who needs a
           physical check-up.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, I don't know.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Uh, uh.
                         
          Carol walks to a chest of drawers, on top of which she drops the
          hairbrush. Then she switches the lights off in the other section
          of the bedroom, and walks back to the bed.
                         
                          CAROL
           I mean, to me he just seemed a little too perky. You know ?
           Now, suddenly he wants his French desserts, and, «Have a
           nice time, you know, at the opera». And, my God, «We're
           certainly dressed up». I mean, you know. This guy should be
           a wreck.
                         
          She sits down on her side of the bed, and takes her socks off.
          While talking, Larry puts the book and his glasses on the night-
          table. Carol switches the light off on her night table and gets
          into the bed.
                         
                          LARRY
           Right. Meanwhile, I can't get the-the Flying Dutchman theme
           out of my mind, you know ? Remind me tomorrow to buy up all
           the Wagner records in town and rent a chainsaw.
                         
          He switches the lights off on his bed table. The room is
          completely dark, and we hear the next sentences on a black screen.
                         
                          CAROL
           Helen Dubin's wrong for Ted.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah ?
                         
                          CAROL
           She's too mousey.
                         
                          LARRY
           Well, he's a little mousey, too. They could have their
           little rodent time. They can eat cheese together.
                         
          Carol bursts out laughing. The phone starts ringing.
                          LARRY
           Oh, Christ.
                         
          He switches the light back on, puts his glasses on his nose and
          picks up the phone.
                         
                          LARRY
           Hallo ? Yes. Yes, of.... Yes, of course you woke us. You
           know, not everybody's up at one o'clock in the morning
           watching the porn channel. I'll put her on.
                         
          He gives the phone receiver to Carol.
                         
                          CAROL
           Who is it ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Ted. For you.
                         
                          CAROL
           Ted, hi.
                         
          RESTAURANT - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Medium shot of Ted, dressed in a night-gown, and standing near the
          counter of a restaurant. The room is very dark, only lit by a lamp
          on the counter.
                         
                          TED
           I figured out how he killed her and made it look like a
           coronary. He gagged her and tied her to the treadmill, and
           then he turned the exercise program up to the Olympic
           levels.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Carols bursts out laughing.
                          CAROL
           No, no. You know, I mean, I just think this guy is too
           perky. You know, I mean he's not acting like a man whose
           beloved of twenty-eight years died just a few days ago.
                         
          Larry is trying to get the telephone cord, stretched from his
          night-table to the handset hold by Carol, away from his face.
                         
                          LARRY
           Jesus, are you onto that ? My God, I thought you were just
           joking.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, I know.
                         
                          LARRY
           Let me speak to him, all right ?
                         
                          CAROL
           What? Oh. Here. Just a sec. Here's Larr...
                         
          She gives the handset to Larry.
                          LARRY
           Hey, listen. She was not murdered. She... she had a heart
           attack. It was a coronary. There was a doctor there. He
           said to.... He was an old man.
                         
          RESTAURANT - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Close shot on Ted, drinking from a mug.
                         
                          TED
           How do you know it was a real doctor ?
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm not gonna touch that. I'm tired. I want to go to sleep.
           Look...
                         
          RESTAURANT - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Medium shot of Ted.
                         
                          TED
           Wait-wait-wait a minute, wait a minute, put Carol back on,
           I called about something else. Listen, I know a great
           location for a restaurant.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A YARD - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          A yard in the middle of old New-York buildings.
                         
          The camera is located at the inner end of the passage leading from
          the street to the yard. We gets a full shot of Carol and Ted
          coming from the street and walking toward us and the yard.
                         
                          TED
           Hah, look at this. Isn't this great ?
                          CAROL
           Well, it's dark.
                         
                          TED
           Aren't these walls great ? A cave, you know, like you have
           to go through a little cave.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, I see.
                         
                          TED
           And then you come out, to this here.
                         
          They have reached the yard. The camera moves back to get a medium
          shot of them both.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, look at this though. It's really so beautiful.
                         
                          TED
           Yeah. Isn't it great ?
                          CAROL
           But... it's kind out of the way for a restaurant, isn't
           it ?
                         
                          TED
           No, no... that's the appeal. That's just the appeal,
           because it's... it's, I mean it's so romantic... tucked
           away back in here like this.
                         
          The camera leaves Carol and Ted in the middle of the yard and
          moves up and around to show us the old building around the yard.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Yeah.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           And, you don't want street traffic. You want...
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           No.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           you want a little out of the way spot that people hear
           about and lovers go to.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Yeah.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           It takes months to take a reservation, you know ? Very few
           tables.
                         
          The camera moves down to ground level to give us a better view of
          the yard. It does look a bit neglected, with weeds growing in
          between the stones covering the ground. There are some trees and a
          small out-of-order fountain with a statue on top of it.
           CAROL (voice over)
           You know, you've really thought this out.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Oh, well, I used to come here all the time with-with July,
           when we were married.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Uh uh. Right.
                         
          The camera moves back to Carol and Ted.
                         
                          TED
           Used to walk around here. Really beautiful at night. It's
           gorgeous at night.
                         
                          CAROL
           It's beautiful, I bet.
                         
                          TED
           I used to think, «What am I doing here with July ? We don't
           love each other any more», you know ? It made the moment
           doubly poignant.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - CORRIDOR - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Medium shot of the corridor, showing the front door. Paul opens
          the front door. Larry and Carol are standing in the doorway. Larry
          is wearing a necktie and Carol is carrying a large tray.
                         
                          PAUL
           Hi. How are you ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Hi. How are you ?
                         
                          PAUL
           Oh, my...
                         
                          CAROL
           These are my floating islands. I hope you like meringue.
                         
          Paul takes the tray from Carol's hands.
                         
                          PAUL
           I love it. Come on in, come on in.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, okay.
                         
                          PAUL
           This is unbelievable.
                         
          Carol enters the apartment, followed by Larry.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know, it's just...
                         
                          PAUL
           Did you do it ?
          Larry closes the door behind him.
                         
                          CAROL
           I did do it. I told you. Anyway, this has got... this is
           vanilla sauce here and I put little chocolate truffles.
                         
                          PAUL
           Well, come on in.
                         
                          CAROL
           Do you like chocolate truffles ?
                         
                          PAUL
           Would you share it with me ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, no. She made these just for you. This is...
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, well...
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          They all enter the living room.
                         
                          PAUL
           No, no, no, it's too much for one. I'll I make some coffee.
           Please.
                         
                          LARRY
           They're only half a dozen.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, no, no. Look, I'll make the coffee. That'd be better.
           Let me make it.
                         
                          PAUL
           Oh, you've already done so much.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, no. I insist, I insist. Go on, sit down, relax.
                         
          She takes the tray from Paul's hands.
                         
                          PAUL
           Aren't you nice.
                         
                          CAROL
           Enjoy yourself, you've been through enough.
                         
          She walks to the kitchen, carrying the tray.
                         
                          LARRY
           She worked on those for... How're you holding up ?
                         
                          PAUL
           Oh, I don't know. I was thinking after a while. I'd get
           away from here. From this place and all its memories.
                          LARRY
           Uh uh, so you have someone to go with, or are you...
                         
                          PAUL
           I have a brother in Florida.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, really ?
                         
                          PAUL
           I'm hoping he can get away for a while.
                         
                          LARRY
           Good. It's a good idea.
                         
                          PAUL
           Do you like snorkeling ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Snorkeling ? No, no. I get nervous when brightly colored
           fish are staring at me face to face, you know.
                          PAUL
           Hey, I've got some stamps I wanted to show you.
                         
          He turns to his desk to pick up a stamp album.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, stamps. Well, that's...
                         
                          PAUL
           Come on, look at these.
                         
          The camera pans to the kitchen.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          The conversation between Paul and Larry keeps going in the living-
          room but we can't understand the words.
                         
          Carol puts water in the glass jar of the coffee machine. She puts
          the lid on the jar and turns around to put the jar in the machine.
          She looks in the coffee plastic container and notices there is no
          coffee inside. She bends down and opens the cupboard door. Not
          finding any coffee in the cupboard, she closes it, stands up and
          turns around to look inside the cupboard above the sink. She
          closes it, and bends down to look inside the cupboard next to the
          dishwasher. She seems surprised by something and pauses. Then she
          takes a copper funeral urn from inside the cupboard. She stands up
          and takes the lid off the urn. She looks inside the urn and closes
          it. She seems a bit shocked and bends down to put the urn back
          inside the cupboard. Then she stands up and looks absently around
          her.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          A little later.
                         
          Full shot of the room. Larry and Carol are sitting next to each
          other on the sofa. Carol is drinking coffee from a cup, and Larry
          is staring, with his arms crossed on his chest, looking a little
          bored. Paul is sitting on an armchair and eating the floating
          islands from a plate he is holding in his other hand.
                         
                         
                          PAUL
           This is very delicious.
                         
                          CAROL
           Thank you.
                         
                          PAUL
           You are an artist.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, thanks very much. Uh, was it a large... funeral ?
                         
                          PAUL
           Oh, no. We had... very few friends, no family.
                         
          The camera moves closer to Larry and Carol.
                          CAROL
           Right. Just a simple affair, uh ? Well, they're the best,
           aren't they ?
                         
                          PAUL
           Yeah.
                         
                          CAROL
           I guess. Anyway, then you're laid the rest, and, you know,
           I was just... where, um, where are the twin cemetery
           plots ? We... because, we were thinking that that was just
           such a romantic idea. Weren't we, Larry ? You know ?
           Larry ? You remember when we were talking about the twin
           cemetery plots and, you know, how kind of romantic that
           is ? Remember ?
                         
          Larry looks at his wife. He has a little difficulty to come back
          into a conversation he wasn't following.
                         
                          LARRY
           Uh-huh. Yes, yes. We were. We were spending the eternity
           with the beloved. I sound like... I sound like one of those
           guys, now.
                         
          The camera pans to Paul. He has put his plate on the low table.
                         
                          PAUL
           Yes.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Yes but, I was just wondering where, um, where is the
           cemetery ?
                         
                          PAUL
           Oh, it's... uh, in... uh, it's in Nyack. We used to summer
           there occasionally.
                         
          He wipes his lips with his napkin.
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Medium shot. Larry enters the apartment, followed by Carol, who
          then walks in front of him.
                         
                          LARRY
           What was all that stuff about twin cemetery plots ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Listen, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know ? I mean, we-we never discussed it at all, but I
           knew that you were trying to tell me something, so I picked
           up on it quickly.
                         
          He closes the door behind him.
                         
                          CAROL
           Listen.
                          LARRY
           But I... You know, we...
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, just... I was in the kitchen okay ? And I was making
           the coffee. There were no beans, so, I was looking in his
           cupboards, just to see, you know, and I came across this
           urn, okay ? And I opened it and there were ashes in it.
                         
                          LARRY
           Ashes ? Funeral ashes ? Did you wash your hands ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry, he had her cremated !
                         
                          LARRY
           How did you know it was her, for Christ's sake ? They were
           ashes. What, did they resemble Mrs. House ?
                         
          He walks into the living-room.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, and who else would it be, okay ?
                         
          Larry picks up his jacket from the back of an armchair.
                         
                          LARRY
           Anybody. Could it be, an associate, an old relative, his
           accountant, his cat. Who knows ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Right, right. Hidden, uh ? Hidden away ?
                         
                          LARRY
           What do you mean? Th-th-the guy didn't do anything.
                         
          The camera pans across the hall toward the kitchen. She has a box
          (cereals ?) in her hand.
                          CAROL
           Look, Larry. All I know is he lied, okay ? He lied.
                         
          She puts the box in a cupboard above the sink. Then she picks up
          the phone on the wall.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Look. Maybe-maybe-maybe he is embarrassed. Maybe he didn't
           want to spend eternity next to the beloved, so he-he told
           us that-uh... You know, what's the difference ? Who are you
           calling ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Ted !
                         
          The camera pans back to the living-room and Larry. Larry walks
          behind a partition, still holding his jacket. The camera follows
          his movement.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Jesus. Leave the guy alone. You know, he-he... he's a
           poor widower, he wants to go on a vacation or something.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Yeah. Where ? Oh, I know where, ah ah. Snorkeling, right ?
           Ah ah.
                         
          Larry puts the jacket on something we don't see because it is
          hidden by the partition. Then he picks up a brochure on a low
          table and walks toward the kitchen. The camera follows him.
                         
                          LARRY
           So what ? Different strokes. You know, he has fun, uh,
           sitting at the bottom of the water, face to face with
           squid.
                         
          Carol is still standing in the kitchen, with the phone handset on
          her ear.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, I know. I know. What about this ? What if they had a
           big insurance policy, or something like that, huh ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Too much «Double Indemnity», you know ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Hu-Huh.
           (speaking on the phone)
           Hi. Yeah. Hi, it's me. Listen, we were just in our
           neighbor's apartment, right ?
                         
          Larry walks away from the kitchen.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. And get this. I came across an urn with ashes in
           it. Only he says he had his wife buried.
                         
          TED'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
          Ted is lying on a large comfortable sofa, sipping beer from a
          bottle.
                         
                          TED
           That's what you do if you don't want an autopsy. You don't
           want something discovered, you know ? Like-like poison.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Carol is still standing up, the telephone handset stuck between
          her ear and her shoulder.
                         
                          CAROL
           Mm. Right. They'd have detected poison, wouldn't they ?
                         
          TED'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
                          TED
           Uh, I don't know. There's a lot of different kinds of
           exotic poisons, you know ?
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Full shot of the kitchen, seen from the hall. Carol is still
          standing up but now she holding the phone handset with her hand.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, but why would he... Why would he be lying ? I mean,
           why-why would he lie at all ?
                         
          Larry walks back into the kitchen.
                         
                          LARRY
           Jesus, you're up to poisons already. You guys are slipping
           into a mad obsession.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. Oh, would you do that ? Because... That'd be great.
           Because, you know, I'm not good at that kind of thing,
           okay ? All right. Okay. Well, I'll talk to you later. Okay,
           bye.
                         
          She puts the phone back on its hook on the wall
                         
                          LARRY
           Let's go to bed. Could we go to bed, now ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Hey, I'm not tired.
                         
                          LARRY
           What do you mean, «You're not tired» ?
                         
                          CAROL
           You know, Ted's gonna check with the funeral home,
           tomorrow.
                         
                          LARRY
           Great.
                          CAROL
           You know what I mean ? I mean, I don't understand why
           you're not, not more fascinated with this. We could be
           living next door to a murderer, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           Well, New York is a melting pot. You know, get used to it.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Later in the night.
                         
          Medium shot on the bed. Larry is asleep, but Carol is not. She
          moves in the bed, and then sits up. She turns around, pats her
          pillow, and tries to lie back on her side. But she sits up again,
          looking around the room. Eventually, she gets out of the bed.
                         
          She walks around the bed in the dark, and switches on the lights
          in the corridor. The camera follows her in the corridor.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
          Carol switches the lights on in the hall, then she looks into the
          peephole in the front door.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh my God !
                         
          The camera turns around toward the corridor. Larry is getting out
          of the bedroom, putting his slippers on.
                         
                          LARRY
           Hey, are you okay ?
                         
          Carol walks in the corridor toward him.
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry. Larry, I heard a noise. I-I-I heard a noise in the
           hallway, so I just... I... You know, I-I looked and I
           think... I think Mr. House was getting on the elevator.
                         
          Larry hops toward her, still trying to put his slippers on. She
          backs up and they are now both in the front hall.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah ? You're sure ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, you know, I was... I'm-I'm... almost certain that it
           was him.
                         
                          LARRY
           So-So-So what ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Just, you know... I mean, who else could it be ?
                         
                          LARRY
           So what ? It's not a crime. He can get on the elevator.
                          CAROL
           I know. I know. But wh-who would it be at one-thirty in the
           morning ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Jesus. I was in a deep sleep. What-What's the
           difference ?
                         
                          CAROL
           But, you mean, you know how we're always complaining about
           living on the geriatric floor. Do you know what I'm
           saying ? A joke ?
                         
          While Larry is answering her, Carol opens the front door and peeks
          into the hallway.
                         
                          LARRY
           All right, so it was Mr. House. So he got on the elevator.
           It's not a felony. The guy pays rent. He's entitled. I
           mean, what... Can you go back to bed ? This is crazy. You
           woke me up out of a deep sleep. I gotta get up early
           tomorrow morning.
                         
          Carol closes the door, and walks toward the kitchen. The camera
          follows her.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Carol looks through a notebook.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna ring him up. I'm gonna
           ring his apartment. I'm gonna see if he's home.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           You're gonna ring Mr. House, now ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yes, because this is really...
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           What are you talking about ?
                         
                          CAROL
           It's very sus...
                         
          Larry joins Carol when she already has the handset in her hand.
          But she succeeds in dialing Paul's number.
                         
                          LARRY
           Don't ring Mr... What are you doing ? No, don't ring...
                         
                          CAROL
           Let me just... Larry, don't. Wait.
                         
                          LARRY
           Don't ring Mr. house. This is a widower. Leave the poor guy
           alone. You're crazy. Stop it.
          Carol listens to the phone.
                         
                          CAROL
           That's one ring.
                         
                          LARRY
           So you saw him go out. It's not a-not a crime.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, two rings. He's not there, yet.
                         
          Larry takes the handset from Carol's hand.
                         
                          LARRY
           Give me this. Give me this.
                         
                          CAROL
           What are you doing ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Look, if you want to find out if somebody left, just call
           downstairs. Call the-the-the person at the desk.
                          CAROL
           All right, I'll call. Just keep ringing.
                         
                          LARRY
           Ask if someone went out.
                         
                          CAROL
           Keep ringing.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, um. Sure, I'm gonna keep ringing. You got it.
                         
          While Carol walks out of the kitchen, Larry puts the phone back on
          its hook on the wall.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, man.
                         
          Carol walks into the hall. The camera follows her.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           This is insane. What's gotten into you ?
                         
          Carol picks up the building internal telephone handset from the
          wall.
                         
                          CAROL
           I don't know. What is he doing ? Where is this guy at one-
           thirty in the morning ? You know what I'm saying ?
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           It's not your business. He can go any place he wants.
                         
           CAROL (in the phone)
           Hallo ? Yes, hallo. This is Mrs. Lipton. Yes. Did anybody
           just leave the building ? I'm just... hmm. You're sure ?
           You're sure no one ? No, okay. All right. Yes. Thank you.
                         
          While she was talking on the phone, the camera has moved toward
          Larry, standing at the entrance of the kitchen.
                         
                          LARRY
           Okay. Are you happy ?
                         
          We hear the noise of the phone being put back on its hook.
                         
                          CAROL
           I don't believe this. Man, I don't get it.
                         
          Larry joins his wife in the hall.
                         
                          LARRY
           Now, can we back to bed ?
                         
                          CAROL
           No.
                          LARRY
           For crying out loud, it's no big deal. You're making a
           mystery where nothing exists.
                         
                          CAROL
           Just let me think about this a second. Okay, I got it.
           Wait. I know, it... No, wait. Listen to me. Larry...
           Listen. He got on the elevator, okay ?
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, I'm gonna...
                         
                          CAROL
           No, wait. No, no, listen to this. No.
                         
                          LARRY
           I wanna go to sleep. I don't want to be standing here in
           the middle of the night.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know. Larry, he got on the elevator and he took it to the
           basement.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, great ! Great ! So what ? Now, what've you got ?
                         
                          CAROL
           He has a car, right ? He's got the garage door key, he
           opened... he could... he has the...
                         
                          LARRY
           So what ? So what ?
                         
                          CAROL
           What do you mean, «so what» ? He's...
                         
                          LARRY
           What's the big deal ? So, the next-door neighbor went out
           in the middle of the night and took his car. So, he went
           someplace.
                         
                          CAROL
           All right. So, I'm right, though.
                         
          She starts walking back to the bedroom. Larry follows her. The
          camera remains in the front hall, filming them.
                         
                          LARRY
           That's all.
                         
                          CAROL
           I mean, I'm right.
                         
                          LARRY
           I mean, so you're right. So big deal.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yes, he isn't in his apartment.
                         
                          LARRY
           But this kind of right is gonna put us in the toilet. So,
           you're right. You're suspicious.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, that's right.
                         
                          LARRY
           It says more about your mind that about him.
                         
                          CAROL
           What about your rigidity ? How about that ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Get into bed. Get into bed.
                         
                          CAROL
           How about that point ?
                         
                          LARRY
           You're so... What's wrong with you ? Jesus !
                         
          They disappear in the bedroom.
                         
          NEW-YORK - LARRY'S RESIDENCE STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Long shot on the crossroad between the street where Larry's
          residence is located and another street. Carol is crossing the
          street. She stops walking while on the crosswalk. The camera zooms
          on her and we see an expression of surprise on her face.
                         
          Reverse angle long shot on the entrance of Larry's building. Paul
          comes out of the building. The camera zooms on him : he looks
          around him as if afraid to be followed.
                         
          Reverse angle shot on Carol looking at him from a distance. She
          enters her building. She smiles to the attendant on duty.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hi !
                         
          LARRY'S BUILDING - BASEMENT - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of Carol walking down the staircase leading to the
          basement. We see her through the glass panel of a heavy metal
          safety door. She opens the door.
                         
                          CAROL
           Jack ?
                         
          The camera follows Carol to a reverse angle shot showing the
          workshop of Jack, the factotum caretaker of the building. With a
          screwdriver and a plier in his hands, he is working on something
          we don't see.
                         
                          CAROL
           Jack, do you think you could come upstairs today, because I
           got a leak in the kitchen ?
                         
                          JACK
           Well, yeah. Yeah.
                          CAROL
           You can ?
                         
                          JACK
           Sure.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, but, it will be this afternoon.
                         
                          JACK
           But I... I got...
                         
                          CAROL
           All right, you're not gonna go now ?
                         
                          JACK
           I'll be back in about a minute.
                         
          Jack walks out of his workshop and along one of the basement
          corridors.
                         
                          CAROL
           In a minute.
                         
                          JACK
           Okay, just wait a second. I'll be right back.
                         
          The camera follows Jack walking away.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Yeah. Okay. All right. Oh, God.
                         
          The camera turns around to a reverse angle shot on Carol, still in
          the workshop. She looks around, apparently looking for something.
          She peeks through the door of the workshop, to make sure Jack is
          not coming back too early. Carol rushes to a key-box on the wall,
          into which there is a spare key for every apartment in the
          building. She selects a key, takes it out of the box and puts it
          in her pocket. Then she leaves the workshop toward the staircase.
                         
          LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of the hallway. Carol comes out of the elevator, and
          looks around her. She walks back and forth in the hallway, before
          coming back to Paul's apartment door, just in front of the
          elevator. She opens the door with the key she has just stolen in
          Jack's workshop.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - CORRIDOR - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of the front door, seen from the living room. The front
          corridor is completely dark. The door opens and Carol walks in.
          She closes the door behind her.
                         
          Carol walks toward the living room, and the light coming from the
          windows.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR DAY
          Carol crosses the kitchen. She kneels down to look into the
          cupboard where she had found the funeral urn. Apparently the urn
          is not there anymore.
                         
          NEW YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Long shot on a crosswalk in New-York. Paul is crossing the street.
                         
          The camera zooms on Paul. He has almost crossed the street, but he
          suddenly stops a few feet from the next sidewalk. He feels his
          jacket : apparently he has forgotten something in his apartment.
          He turns around and starts walking back on the crosswalk.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Carol is still looking in all the cupboards of the kitchen. She
          gets out of the kitchen into the living-room.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          The camera pans around the room, following Carol, who looks inside
          every piece of furniture in the room.
                         
          NEW YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot of Paul walking along the sidewalk, going back toward
          his apartment.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Carol has picked up a few papers from a low table, and is looking
          at them. She puts her hand into her trouser pocket to get her
          glasses out. She puts her glasses on to have a better look at the
          documents she has found.
                         
          LARRY'S BUILDING - LOBBY - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Through the window of the lobby, we get a full shot of Paul coming
          toward the entrance of the building. An attendant rushes to open
          the door for him.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Carol is sitting at the desk. She has opened the drawer of the
          desk and is looking through its content. She takes an Air France
          ticket folder out of the drawer and looks inside it. Then she
          picks up another one.
                         
          LARRY'S BUILDING - LOBBY - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot of Paul entering the elevator.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Carol closes the drawer of the desk. She stands up and picks up
          the phone from the desk and starts dialing a number.
                         
          TED'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of the room, which is quite wide. Ted is seated at his
          desk, and the shot is taken from the other side of the room,
          showing Ted's back. The phone rings. Ted picks it up.
                         
                          TED
           Hallo ?
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium close shot of Carol speaking on the phone.
                         
                          CAROL
           Ted... I'm in his apartment.
                         
          LARRY'S BUILDING - ELEVATOR - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium close shot of Paul inside the cabin of the elevator. He
          gives a quick look up to the floor numbers above the door.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Same shot of Carol on the phone.
                         
                          CAROL
           The urn is missing. It's gone. Yeah, I think it might have
           been. He had this satchel last night. He was carrying this
           bag, and I think that might have been what he had in his
           satchel.
                         
          TED'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Close shot of Ted's back. He is still seated at his desk and
          talking on the phone
                         
                          TED
           Listen, I'd get out of there right away, if I were you.
                         
          The camera moves around Ted, showing the typewriter he is typing
          on.
                          TED
           No, no, no. Go, go, go. We'll do... We'll talk more from
           your apartment.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Same shot of Carol on the phone.
                         
                          CAROL
           He's not going snorkeling with his brother. He's got two
           tickets to Paris, and he's got reservations at the Georges
           Cinq hotel with a woman named Helen Moss.
                         
          She turns around, because she feels she heard a noise in the
          landing hallway.
                         
          LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          One of Paul's neighbor is standing in the hallway, waiting for the
          elevator. He's got some documents in his hand. The elevator dings
          and the door opens. Paul comes out.
                          NEIGHBOR
           Oh. Hi. How are you ?
                         
                          PAUL
           Good morning. How are you ?
                         
          Paul has his key in his hand and is ready to open his apartment
          door.
                         
                          NEIGHBOR
           Good. You got the notice on the... Uh, maintenance
           increase ?
                         
          Paul turns around to look at the neighbor.
                         
                          PAUL
           No. When did that happen ?
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Close shot on Carol, whispering in the phone and looking toward
          the front door.
                         
                          CAROL
           I'm gonna look around and see what else I can dig up here,
           okay ? Yeah. I'm telling you, this is just... Ted, I-I'm
           just dizzy with freedom. This is just... uh, this is just
           the craziest thing I've ever done.
                         
          TED'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Close-up shot on the ashtray, where a cigarette is burning slowly.
          The camera pans to a close-up shot on Paul's face, still on the
          phone.
                         
                          TED
           Yes, it's crazy. But soon, we'll be too old to do anything
           crazy. Go, leave, leave, leave.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Carol puts the phone down on the desk. She stands and turns around
          when she hears the front door opening.
                         
          Black screen shot on the front door in the dark of the corridor,
          then the camera quickly spins around to show Carol, standing in
          the living-room, with a frightened look on her face. She walks
          away from the room. The camera spins back to the front door, which
          opens. Paul enters and switches the lights on. He closes the front
          door, and walks along the corridor to the living-room.
                         
          Carol walks into the kitchen from the living-room.
                         
          The camera pans to Paul, looking for something on his desk. He
          looks through all the documents scattered on the desk.
                         
          The camera pans back to Carol, hiding in the kitchen, then back to
          Paul.
          Paul opens both his hands in a gesture of despair : apparently, he
          hasn't found what he was looking for. He starts walking across the
          room, and the camera pans back to Carol in the kitchen. She rushes
          out of the kitchen.
                         
          The camera remains at the same spot, and we see Paul in the
          living-room, still looking for whatever he is missing. He walks
          out of the living-room through the kitchen.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Paul enters the room, looking in the inner pocket of his jacket.
          He walks around the room, and opens a closet. He looks through the
          hanging clothes, and finds a few documents in one of the jackets.
          He closes the closet, and starts looking through the documents he
          has found. He puts them inside the inner pocket of his jacket. He
          starts walking out of the room, when the phone rings. He stops and
          picks up the phone receiver on one of the night-tables.
                         
                          PAUL
           Hallo.
                         
          Medium shot of Carol hiding under the bed. We notice she doesn't
          have her glasses anymore.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Oh, hi. Yeah. I know. I-I...Yes, I miss you, too. I did. I
           made all the arrangements.
                         
          Back to Paul standing by the bed and talking in the telephone.
                         
                          PAUL
           Yeah, look. I... Okay, I have to run. But I'll see you
           later, okay ? Okay.
                         
          He puts the phone down on its hook, and starts walking out of the
          room. He stops, thinks for a couple of seconds, turns around, sits
          on the bed and picks up the phone.
          Back to Carol under the bed. The bed frame hits her back when Paul
          sits on it. She looks up. We hear Paul dialing a number.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Extension five. Well, keep ringing, would you please ?
           Because I just talked to her. What ? Okay. Uh, will you
           tell her... yes, tell her that Tom called. Tom. Thank you.
                         
          Back to Paul sitting on the bed. He puts the phone down on its
          hook, stands up and starts walking out of the room.
                         
          Back to Carol under the bed, waiting for Paul to get out of his
          apartment.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Starting from street level, the camera tilts up along a very
          modern office building, all glass and steel. A sign, above the
          main entrance, says «10 East 53». This is the building where
          Larry's office is located.
          LARRY'OFFICE - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of a large office room. In the forefront, a reception
          desk, with a young female receptionist talking to someone we still
          don't see. Coming from the other end of the room, Larry is walking
          with Marcia, a tall dark-haired lady, wearing sunglasses.
                         
                          LARRY
           So, I thought your rewrites were great. I really think you
           helped your book, you know ? It's... It's dense a little
           bit, but, uh...
                         
                          MARCIA
           Well, I don't want it to be too transparent, I mean...
                         
          They are now at the reception desk level, and, since the camera is
          following them, we can see the young gentleman the receptionist is
          talking with.
                         
                          LARRY
           That's... That's something you're never gonna have to worry
           about, you know ? This book makes «Finnegan's Wake» look
           like airplane reading, you know ? But-But it's long. It's-
           It's-It's...
                         
          They are now walking along a corridor.
                         
                          MARCIA
           You know, you're the only editor in the world I'll take
           suggestions from, but even you shouldn't push it.
                         
                          LARRY
           No, I'm not pushing it. I think the book is great.
           Absolutely great. You know, but, uh... how much, how much
           of Dorothy is you? As I was reading it, I kept thinking how
           much is... you know, how much did you base it on your own
           life ?
          They have now reached a smaller room, actually Larry's private
          room. Marcia takes her glasses off, and then her coat, and sits on
          a sofa.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Well, I was a waitress. I lived with a poet. I was a film
           critic.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Right, but not-not a blackjack dealer, right ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           No, but I put myself through school playing poker.
                         
          The camera pans to Larry, who is standing up at the other end of
          the room, looking through some documents.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, really ? Do you still play ?
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           No, but I still know how.
                          LARRY
           Yes ? Are you good ?
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, because maybe you could give me some pointers.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           I could turn your game around in two hours.
                         
                          LARRY
           Could you ? That's great. That's... you know, you-you have
           all these skills, and you're beautiful, and you can write
           so well... and now it turns out you play poker. This is,
           uh, too good to be true.
                         
          Larry sits down with the pile of documents on his laps. The camera
          pans back to Marcia. She has a cigarette in her hand.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Well, I wouldn't say beautiful.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Oh, I would.
                         
                          MARCIA
           But I do have tremendous sex-appeal.
                         
          The camera pans back to Larry, who is looking through the huge
          pile of paper on his laps, perhaps a manuscript.
                         
                          LARRY
           Okay, you sold me. Are-are you seeing anybody ?
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           No. Don't let my confidence fool you, it's a facade. Why do
           you ask ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Because I have a friend who became single recently, and I-I
           know he would get a big kick out of you.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Oh. So, when do you want your poker lessons ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Uh, next week. I could take you to lunch. We could-we
           could, um, I'll put you on my expense account, and you
           could... teach me when to... bet and when to fold.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           How about a cheeseburger right now ?
                         
          The phone rings.
                         
                          LARRY
           Now ? That's a possibility.
          Larry picks up the phone from a small table.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, we could, we could do...
           (talking into the telephone)
           Hallo. Yes ? Where are you ?
                         
          The camera pans back to Marcia, who listens to Larry, smoking her
          cigarette.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Is everything okay ? Really ? No, I could, sure.
                         
          The camera pans back to Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           I could. Yeah. I need-I need, you know, five minutes, or
           so. Okay. Yes. Yes. I know where it is. Okay, hold on.
                         
          He puts the telephone down on its hook.
                         
                          LARRY
           I can't do it. I have to... My wife, I have a little thing
           I have to do. I'll do the cheeseburger with you next week,
           or something.
                         
          The camera pans back to Marcia, who is smiling.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Story of my life !
                         
          She crushes her cigarette in and ashtray and stands up.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A PARK - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of a round concrete pond, with a fountain in the middle
          pouring water. In the background, a meadow, with chairs scattered
          on it. Carol is standing by the pond. Larry is talking to her,
          looking very nervous.
                         
                          LARRY
           What do you mean, you snuck into his apartment ? Are you
           nuts ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, stop being such a fuddy-dud.
                         
                          LARRY
           A fuddy-dud ?
                         
          Carol starts walking around the pond. Larry follows her.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           What are you talking about ? That's a crime. You can't do
           that. You... That's-That's burglary and breaking and
           entering. But... What has gotten into you lately ? For
           crying out loud, save a little craziness for menopause.
                         
                          CAROL
           It was a cinch. I took the key and I just let myself in.
                         
                          LARRY
           Hey, look. Do... I don't want to... You-You'll wind up
           rooming with John Gotti. You can't do that. You can't just
           steal the key and then go into somebody's apartment.
                         
                          CAROL
           Listen. He's not going snorkeling with his brother, okay ?
           Okay ?
                         
                          LARRY
           I don't wanna know. I don't wanna be an accessory.
                         
                          CAROL
           He's going to Paris, to a fancy hotel with a woman named
           Helen Moss.
                         
                          LARRY
           Tell Ted. I don't want to know. Leave me alone.
                         
          They keep on walking around the pond, the camera following them
          from a fixed location. They are now hidden by the fountain.
                         
           CAROL (voice over from behind the fountain)
           I told Ted.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from behind the fountain)
           You told Ted before you told me ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over from behind the fountain)
           Yeah. He's more open-minded about these things.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from behind the fountain)
           Yes, I know. I'm-I'm-I'm a bore. I'm-Because I-Because I
           don't break the law, you know ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over from behind the fountain)
           Yeah.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from behind the fountain)
           I live within the Constitution, so I'm dull.
                         
           CAROL (voice over from behind the fountain)
           Listen. Perhaps he got rid of the urn, okay ?
                         
          They appear back from behind the fountain.
                         
                          LARRY
           I-I don't wanna hear. Leave me alone. Don't tell me.
                         
                          CAROL
           He talked on the phone with a woman.
                         
                          LARRY
           How do you know ?
                          CAROL
           Because he... Well, he came back while I was there, you
           know, so...
                         
                          LARRY
           He did ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, but I hid under the bed.
                         
                          LARRY
           You hid under his bed ?
                         
                          CAROL
           He didn't see me, Larry. He didn't see me at all.
                         
                          LARRY
           I cannot believe this. My stomach is curdling, here I...
                         
                          CAROL
           He was-He was very lovey-dovey with his kind of bimbo, you
           know ? He kept saying stuff like, you know, «don't worry,
           it's gonna be all right. We're gonna be together.» That
           kind of thing.
                         
          They keep on walking around the pond, slowly coming back toward
          the camera, which moves a little to meet them.
                         
                          LARRY
           But what would you have done if he, if he found you out ?
                         
                          CAROL
           I know, listen, I-I couldn't think that far ahead.
                         
                          LARRY
           That far ahead ? You're talking two seconds.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, I c...
                         
                          LARRY
           He could have looked under the bed and there you are. What
           do you...
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, but... Larry, listen. And then, listen to this. He-He
           called this woman back. Probably this-this Helen Moss
           woman, right ?
                         
                          LARRY
           I don't wanna know. Leave me alone.
                         
                          CAROL
           And when he calls her back, she's not there. And then he
           leaves this message, and he says : «Tell her Tom called».
           You know what I'm saying ? Tom. Tom, Larry.
                         
          They are back at the same place where we saw them first by the
          pond. They stop walking.
                          LARRY
           Yeah, yeah. I... I know, I get it, his name is Paul, but I
           don't care. I don't wanna hear.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, okay. Well, I'll tell you. I thought I did...
                         
                          LARRY
           I just don't...
                         
                          CAROL
           I thought I did a great job, and so did Ted. I don't think
           a private eye could have done any better than me. I put
           everything back where I found it, I was very careful. I
           made one mistake.
                         
                          LARRY
           What ?
                         
                          CAROL
           I left my reading glasses on his table.
                         
          Larry looks at her with a very puzzled eye.
                         
          LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Medium close shot on Paul's apartment front door. We get a close
          shot of the back of Carol's head. The door opens on Paul.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, hallo. Hi. I-I thought I'd bring you some chocolate
           mousse. I know how much you enjoyed the last dessert.
                         
          Carol walks rapidly inside the apartment, followed by Larry. Paul
          looks a bit surprised by this intrusion. He follows them along the
          corridor. He doesn't even close his front door !
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - CORRIDOR - INTERIOR NIGHT
          The camera follows the three persons along the corridor.
                         
                          PAUL
           Well, thank you.
                         
                          CAROL
           I thought I'd-I'd give you, you know, another shot at
           something really delicious. Do you want me to serve that
           for you, because, you know, you should have it while it's
           still fresh.
                         
          The shot becoming a bit wider, we notice that Paul is carrying the
          tray of chocolate mousse that Carol gave him when entering his
          apartment.
                         
                          LARRY
           And you can divide it up and we can all have some.
                         
                          CAROL
           That'd be great. That's a great idea.
                          LARRY
           You'll really like this dessert.
                         
                          PAUL
           Okay, I'll get some plates for it. Wait a minute.
                         
          Paul walks out of the corridor toward his kitchen, and Carol
          rushes into the living-room.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, that'd be really good.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, that's great.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          They both start searching the room frenetically. While Larry looks
          on the desk, Carol searches the rest of the room, even kneeling on
          the floor.
                         
                          CAROL (WHISPERING)
           Come over here. I put'em... um... right here. Right in here
           somewhere. The first... Wait. I should...
           (to Paul, with a much louder voice)
           Uh, how-How are you doing in there ? You need...
                         
          Larry drops things on the floor. With a nervous gesture, Carol
          shushes him.
                         
                          CAROL
           You need any help ?
                         
          The camera pans to the kitchen, where Paul is preparing the
          dessert.
                         
                          PAUL
           No, I'm fine. I'll be right in.
           CAROL (voice over)
           Um... Okay, great.
                         
          The camera pans back to the living room, where Larry is still
          nervously messing things on the desk. Then he starts moving around
          the room, looking for his wife's glasses. Carol puts things back
          in order on the desk. Larry walks to her, and whisper something we
          can't understand.
                         
           LARRY (to Paul, with a louder voice)
           Are you okay ? Can-can-can-can we do anything for you ?
                         
           PAUL (voice over from the kitchen)
           Coffee or tea ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Tea. It's what... I'd like to have some tea.
                         
          Paul walks into the room, with a pair of glasses in his hand.
                         
                          PAUL
           You know, I found your glasses.
                         
                          CAROL
           Mine ?
                         
                          PAUL
           These are yours, aren't they ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yes.
                         
                          LARRY
           No.
                         
                          CAROL
           Uh, no. Yeah. Uh... No no no no no. They... They... Oh,
           God.
                         
          Carol and Larry both look very nervous. Carol takes the glasses
          from Paul's hand.
                         
                          LARRY
           No, no, those aren't yours. These are the same, actually.
           They are, aren't they ? These-These-These ones, are.
                         
                          CAROL
           They are actually... They're mine. Honey, they're mine.
           I... You know what happened ? I think the other night, I
           must have left them here. It's the strangest thing.
                         
                          PAUL
           Did you ? I didn't notice that.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, no. Yeah. I know. Because, remember, you were saying
           that you thought that I left them at your mother's house ?
                         
          Carol and Larry both look very embarrassed. Paul looks at them
          with a slight surprised eye.
                         
                          LARRY
           At your mother's house.
                         
                          CAROL
           That's right. Of course, so...
                         
          She turns toward Paul, who has remained very calm.
                         
                          PAUL
           That mousse looks fabulous.
                         
                          CAROL
           Anyway, it's so good. I love mousse.
                         
                          PAUL
           Thank you very much.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hey, listen, are you looking forward to going snorkeling in
           the Caribbean ?
                          PAUL
           Very much. Very much.
                         
                          CAROL
           Uh uh.
                         
                          PAUL
           That's funny. I found those glasses under my bed.
                         
                          CAROL
           That's because I must have dropped them and they probably
           got kicked under.
                         
                          LARRY
           Kicked under, right, because what she'll do, she'll drop...
                         
                          CAROL
           They were just...
                         
                          LARRY
           She'll always drop things and she'll kick them all around
           the house.
                         
                          CAROL
           They f...
                         
                          PAUL
           The mousse ?
                         
          He walks away to the kitchen, with a strange smile on his face.
                         
                          LARRY
           She's always-She's always kick...
                         
          Carol looks at Larry with a meaning look, to make him stop
          rambling.
                          CAROL
           Anyway, I'd love to have some mousse.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yes, really ? Remember there was the time you kicked the
           mousse under the bed in the house. Remember that ? It
           was...
                         
          Carol walks away toward the kitchen.
                         
                          CAROL
           I remember.
                         
                          LARRY
           It took-took six months to get the...
                         
          NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium full shot of Carol waiting under the awning of a place
          (hotel or club) called the «Five Hundred». She hears a car
          stopping and she looks at the street.
           TED (voice over)
           Hi. I'm sorry I'm late. The traffic's murder.
                         
          Carol runs to the car.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know, but where... where are we going ?
                         
           TED (voice over from inside the car)
           I looked up, looked up Helen Moss in the phone book.
                         
          Carol climbs into the car and closes the door.
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           Yeah.
                         
           TED (voice over from inside the car)
           It was just H. Moss.
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           Right.
                         
           TED (voice over from inside the car)
           So I-it's on Bank Street...
                         
          The car drives away, with Ted's voice fading as the car gets away
          from us.
                         
           TED (voice over from inside the car)
           Bank Street... we're going to go down and do surveillance.
           I got a lot whole of food. It's great. I called up this...
           I called this number.
                         
          NEW-YORK - BANK STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full view of the corner of two very quiet streets. A brick
          building covered with vines. The camera pans away from the
          building to Ted's car parked on the other side of the street
          corner. Medium shot of the inside of the car, through the open
          window on the passenger's side, Carol's side.
                         
                          TED
           There's her house.
                         
                          CAROL
           Right. So we should just sit here and wait, huh ?
                         
                          TED
           Yeah.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay.
                         
          They look at each other and laugh.
                         
          Slightly later. Medium shot through the windshield. The view is a
          little blurred by the daylight reflection on the windshield.
                         
                          TED
           Maybe he thought that if he, if he, if he divorced her,
           she'd-she'd hit him for a ton of alimony. Or maybe she,
           maybe she controls the family fortune. What do you think of
           that ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, I don't know. Yeah, maybe we're wrong, Ted. Maybe we're
           just, you know... I mean, maybe she died of natural causes,
           like the doctor said and we're just two people with, you
           know, hyperactive imaginations whose lives need a little
           shot of adrenaline.
                         
          Ted looks through the paper food-bag he has brought with him.
                         
                          TED
           Does yours ? I'll tell you, mine needs something.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah? What's that, there ?
                         
                          TED
           You want ? They're jelly doughnuts. You want a jelly
           doughnut ?
                         
           CAROL (with a disgusted tone in her voice)
           Ooh.
                         
                          TED
           Eh ? Come on. No, come on. Come on. You gotta get into it.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay.
                         
                          TED
           Oh my God. Look, look, look, look, look !
                         
          The camera pans to the other corner of the street. Two people, a
          male and a female, are coming out of the brick building.
           CAROL (voice over)
           What ? What ? What ? What ?
                         
           TED (yelling in voice over)
           Helen ! Helen !
           (Back to a normal low voice)
           Duck, duck, duck !
                         
          Neither one of the couple has turned around at the sound of Ted's
          yelling, and they start walking down the street, away from the
          corner.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Ted! God, oh...Oh.
                         
           TED (yelling in voice over)
           Helen !
                         
          The camera pans back to the car, looking through the open window
          on the passenger's side. Carol is hiding under the dashboard. Ted
          is hiding his face with his paper bag, holding a paper cup in the
          other hand.
                          TED
           It's not her.
                         
                          CAROL
           It's not her ?
                         
          She sits back in her seat.
                         
                          TED
           No, it's not her.
                         
          Carol laughs.
                         
                          TED
           What...
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God, you really have this worked out, don't you ?
                         
          She keeps on laughing. Ted starts laughing too.
                         
          Slightly later. It is raining. It is still the same medium shot
          through the passenger's window, but the window is now closed, with
          the rain pouring on the window-pane.
                         
                          TED
           I figured she'd come out and go to work, you know ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Maybe she doesn't work. Maybe she's like... you and she has
           writers hours.
                         
                          TED
           I'm writing a play about something that happened to you and
           me.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God. Oh, dear. What ?
                         
                          TED
           Remember-Remember that time... you and... you and I and
           Larry and Julie were all on that-that eating tour of
           France ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God. Yeah. Yeah.
                         
                          TED
           And they, and then they wandered off and they forgot to
           pick us up ? You remember ? We had to share that bed-and-
           breakfast place.
                         
                          CAROL
           Right. Do you remember those wonderful cottages ?
                         
                          TED
           Yeah.
                         
                          CAROL
           And I remember... that we shared a bedroom together,
           right ?
                         
                          TED
           Yeah, but not a bed.
                         
          The camera pans away from the car to the other corner of the
          street. Someone is coming out of the brick building. It is
          apparently a male wearing white pants. He opens an umbrella.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           No, not a... Well, God. You were too gentlemanly to suggest
           that.
                         
                          TED
           Well, it's not... Not that I didn't think of it.
                         
          The camera follows the man with white pants, while he is crossing
          the street on the other side of the street from the car.
                         
                          CAROL
           No. Well, I knew what was going on in your mind... because
           of the way you kept plying me with Chateau Margaux,
           remember ?
                         
          The camera is back behind the passenger's window of the car.
          Though the car-windows, we see the white-pants-man walking on the
          sidewalk on the other side of the street. Ted and Carol do not
          seem to notice him at all.
                         
                          TED
           It could have been our little secret, then you passed out.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, you... Yeah, God. It seems like a long time ago,
           doesn't it ?
                         
                          TED
           Not that long ago.
                         
          Slightly later. The rain has stopped. Same shot through the
          passenger's window of the car, but the window is now open again.
                         
          A long pause. Ted and Carol seem to be both lost them in their own
          thoughts. Then Ted gives a look outside and comes back to
          attention.
                         
                          TED
           Look, look, look, look.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, what ?
                         
          The camera pans to the other side of the street. A woman is coming
          out of the brick building.
                         
           TED (yelling in voice over)
           Helen !
           (with a softer voice)
           Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck !
          On the other side of the street, the woman has stopped and is
          looking around her.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Oh, god, yeah. Right.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           She didn't see us. She didn't see us.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           No ? No. That's gotta be her.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           I'll bet it's...
                         
          The woman starts walking again on the sidewalk.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Are you sure ?
                         
           TED (voice over)
           I mean, she answered to Helen.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           She answers to... She's pretty.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Yeah, I'll say.
                         
          The woman has reached the corner of the street and she lifts her
          arm.
           CAROL (voice over)
           She's... What is she doing ? She's getting a...
                         
           TED (voice over)
           She's getting a cab.
          A yellow cab stops near the woman.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Okay, okay. Hold on.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Keep-Keep down.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Okay, don't worry. Don't worry.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           I'm gonna follow her.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           All right.
                         
          The woman opens the cab door and climbs into it.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Long shot of a street covered with a metal structure. We could be
          under a commuter train bridge. The yellow cab is driving toward
          us. The cab stops at the corner of the street with another street.
          The woman comes out of the cab, and walks away on the sidewalk of
          the other street. The camera pans back to the first street and we
          see Ted's car coming toward us. The camera stops at the corner of
          the street and Carol walks out of the car. She runs in the
          direction of Helen, and waves Ted to join her. The camera pans to
          the end of the street, which actually is a dead end street with
          the back door of a movie house. The woman enters the movie house.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot of a door leading to an emergency stair way. Helen,
          the woman we just saw coming out of the yellow cab, is coming down
          the steps and through the door. She is blonde, young and pretty.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Watch your step. It's very steep. Be careful.
                         
          Behind Helen, Paul is coming out of the stairway. Helen has
          stopped to look around her.
                         
                          HELEN
           Oh, this is beautiful.
                         
                          PAUL
           Isn't it ?
                         
                          HELEN
           Yeah.
                         
          The camera pans away from the couple toward the main hall of the
          movie house. It is an old-fashioned movie house, with red velvet
          seats, and a carved balcony.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Well, we only show revivals now. This week, we have Fred
           Astaire. Next week, we have an Orson Welles festival.
           HELEN (voice over)
           Oh, yeah ?
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Yeah, it'll be about the last thing we do before we start
           renovating.
                         
          The camera keeps on panning around the room.
                         
           HELEN (voice over)
           Mm. Oh, Paul, I...
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Oh, come on, there's nobody around.
                         
          We hear moaning and kissing sounds.
                         
           HELEN (voice over)
           I-I...
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Come on.
                         
           HELEN (voice over)
           Okay.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - BACKSTAGE - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of the backstage behind the screen. In a corner, a
          stairway going to the top of the backstage. Half-hidden on the
          stairway, Carol and Ted.
                         
           HELEN (voice over)
           I've never been behind a movie screen before like this.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Strange, isn't it ?
                         
           HELEN (voice over)
           Yeah.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Used to be a first-run house when the neighborhood was
           better.
                         
          The camera pans to the back of the screen, in front of which Paul
          and Helen are standing.
                         
                          HELEN
           Oh.
                         
                          PAUL
           Beautiful, huh ? Look around.
                         
                          HELEN
           All these mirrors.
                         
          The camera pans around the room, where a lot of huge mirrors are
          stacked.
                          PAUL
           Huh ? Well, it used to be all mirrors, and it was quite
           beautiful.
                         
          The camera tilts down to give us a closer shot on the mirrors.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           I'm having all this broken glass replaced as we go along
           with this renovation. You know, they used to have stage
           shows, here. Now, of course, we only show old movies.
                         
          The camera tilts back up on Paul and Helen.
                         
                          HELEN
           It has such a lonely feeling.
                         
                          PAUL
           That's because I'm the only one here. And my assistant,
           Mrs. Dalton. I'm gonna have this place fixed up, then I'm
           gonna sell it. The money's gonna come in handy.
                          HELEN
           It sure will.
                         
          Paul looks around, a bit worried.
                         
                          PAUL
           What's that noise ?
                         
                          HELEN
           Where ?
                         
          The camera pans to the other side of the room, where a middle-aged
          woman with red curly hair has just entered. She is Gladys Dalton,
          Paul's assistant. She is walking with the help of a cane.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Oh, Mrs. Dalton. I didn't know you were here so early.
                         
                          GLADYS
           Oh, uh, I-I didn't know whether an-anyone was here. I-I'm
           sorry. I-I-I heard the noise and I thought...
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           It's quite all right.
                         
                          GLADYS
           But, but, uh...
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           It's quite all right.
                         
                          GLADYS
           I apologize.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Quite all right.
                         
                          GLADYS
           All right.
                         
          Gladys Dalton starts going out of the room and the camera tilts up
          on the stairway, on which Ted and Carol are still hiding.
                         
           HELEN (voice over)
           I'd love to really get an acting job. I had it with this
           modeling.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           Maybe you won't have to work at all.
                         
          Ted and Carol are moving away from the stairway, which remains
          empty.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Close shot on the clock on the wall : the time is just after one
          o'clock. The room is completely dark and the clock is the only
          source of light. The camera pans to the bed and on Carol, sound
          asleep. We hear a noise, like an object dropping down. Carol
          instantly wakes up. She gets up and the camera pans to Larry,
          still asleep. He eventually wakes up, moves around in the bed,
          takes his glasses from the night-table and put them on his nose.
                         
           CAROL (whispering in voice over)
           Oh, my God.
                         
          Slowly Larry gets out of the bed.
                         
                          LARRY
           What's the matter ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Larry, come with me, okay ?
                         
          Larry starts walking along the corridor.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Geez, I was...
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Come on.
                         
                          LARRY
           I was fast asleep. I was dreaming of round card girls.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Larry has reached the front hall. Carol is looking through the
          peephole of the front door.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay. Uh, it looks like he's gone. Yeah. Yeah. He's gone.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Christ. Not that again. Please, you know...
                         
                          CAROL
           Listen, Larry. I want to take another look around his
           apartment. Yeah.
                         
          Carol walks along the corridor toward the bedroom. Larry follows
          her.
                         
                          LARRY
           What are you talking about ? Where're you going ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Listen.
                         
                          LARRY
           It's-It's one o'clock in the morn...
                         
                          CAROL
           He'll never be back, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           What ? What ?
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                          CAROL
           No, he's not coming back. Not for at least an hour, an hour
           and a half.
                         
                          LARRY
           What-What're you doing ? You got his key ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           You're kidding. What are you talking about ? You can't
           do... Why... because you-you followed him to the movie
           house, you-you said there was nothing happening.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, wait a minute, look, he was with this young model type,
           and they were talking about money.
                         
          Carol is putting her shoes on.
                         
                          LARRY
           Well, so what ? That's the...
                         
                          CAROL
           So, that's the motive.
                         
                          LARRY
           What... Hey, listen to me. Come here.
                         
                          CAROL
           What are you talking about ?
                         
          Carol walks back through the corridor toward the front hall. Larry
          follows her.
                         
                          LARRY
           Come here. Wait a minute. Come here. Look, look.
                          CAROL
           Come here. What do you mean, Larry ?
                         
                          LARRY
           I've been thinking about you.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
                          CAROL
           What do you mean ?
                         
                          LARRY
           I think you gotta see... I gotta... You gotta, you gotta go
           back to your shrink.
                         
                          CAROL
           What do you m...
                         
                          LARRY
           I want you to see Doctor Ballard again.
                          CAROL
           Huh ? Larry, I went for two years.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm s... Yeah. I know. But you...
                         
                          CAROL
           Just come... come on.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know how General Motors will recall defective cars ?
           Well, you gotta go in for a tune-up.
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry, we'll be in and out in five minutes.
                         
                          LARRY
           You got... No. No.
                         
                          CAROL
           Five. Only five.
                         
                          LARRY
           I... What... I'm telling you, I'm your husband. I command
           you to sleep !
                         
          He points to the bedroom.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, I didn't...
                         
                          LARRY
           Sleep ! I command it !
                         
                          CAROL
           No, I...
                         
                          LARRY
           I command it ! Sleep !
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry, all I can tell you is, if this had been a few years
           ago, you would have been doing the same thing. Because if
           you recall, we solved a mystery. Yep, we solved a mystery
           once. Remember ? It was the-it was the noises in the attic
           mystery.
                         
                          LARRY
           Uh, yes. The country house. The bluebird. I know.
                         
                          CAROL
           That's right. So...
                         
                          LARRY
           But that, though, was a sweet mystery. This is murder.
                         
                          CAROL
           This... Wh... You agree, right ? It's murder, Larry ? So,
           I'm right.
          She opens the front door and walks out of the apartment.
                         
                          LARRY
           No, I... Yeah, look, no, I-I forbid you ! I forbid you to
           go! It's a-a... I'm forbidding ! Is that what you do when I
           forbid you ? If-If that's what you... I'm not going to be
           forbidding you a lot, if you do...
                         
                         
          LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Full shot of the landing. Carol is walking rapidly toward us and
          Paul's apartment. Larry walks behind her. Carol takes Paul's key
          out of her pocket and tries to open the front door. But she takes
          the wrong key on the keyring.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, damn it.
                         
          Larry takes her by the shoulders.
                         
                          LARRY
           Don't do this. We should be asleep, now, in one of our many
           cuddling positions.
                         
                          CAROL
           Please, stop it, will you ? Please, be quiet, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           This is wrong.
                         
                          CAROL
           Be quiet. You're gonna wake up the neighbors, okay ? Okay,
           I got it. I got it.
                         
          She opens the door.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
          Full shot of the front door, seen from the living room. A small
          lamp is still lit on a low table. The door opens and Carol walks
          in, followed by Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           This is no good. I promise you, this could only lead to
           great unhappiness.
                         
                          CAROL
           Listen, Larry... Relax, okay ?
                         
          She closes the front door.
                         
                          LARRY
           Pl... I can't relax. How can I relax ? I'm in a strange
           man's apartment in my, in my T-shirt and-and pajamas.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, don't worry about it. All right, now Ted told me to try
           something here... Yeah.
          She rests her hands on the telephone, which is next to the lamp.
                         
                          LARRY
           What do you mean, Ted told you ? Who... Ted ? Ted ? What is
           he, your mentor ?
                         
          The camera zooms to a close shot on the telephone. Carol picks it
          up.
                         
                          CAROL
           Um, «Last number dialed».
                         
          The camera zooms backward to Carol with the phone handset to her
          ear.
                         
                          LARRY
           Ted is a sick schmuck. He's-He's home, and we're in...
                         
                          CAROL
           Just be quiet for a second, all right ?
                         
          She listens to the phone.
                         
                          CAROL
           Shhh !
                         
                          LARRY
           I mean, I'm... What if he comes back ? I'm... My heart
           is....
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry.
                         
           MALE VOICE OVER FROM THE PHONE
           Waldron.
                         
                          CAROL
           Uh, who ?
           MALE VOICE OVER FROM THE PHONE
           Who is this ? Who do you want ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Um, who's this ?
                         
          She puts her hand on the phone microphone and turns toward Larry.
                         
                          CAROL
           Do you know anybody named Waldron ? Waldron ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Hang the phone up.
                         
                          CAROL
           Just be quiet. Okay, wait.
                         
                          LARRY
           Hang the phone up, now.
                         
          She puts the phone handset back to her ear.
                          CAROL
           Oh, great. Now they-they hung up on us.
                         
                          LARRY
           Good, good.
                         
          He takes the handset from her hand and slams it down.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, great.
                         
                          LARRY
           Let's get out. I wanna go home. I want to go back to bed.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, just let me think for a second, now. Waldron, right ?
           Helen Moss. Okay. He used the name Tom, right ? So, Tom
           Waldron. We gotta run a check on that.
                         
                          LARRY
           Run a check on it ? What, do you want to beat it down to
           the morgue ? You got all the jargon.
                         
                          CAROL
           Come on.
                         
          She walks away from the phone table.
                         
                          LARRY
           Where are you going ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Right.
                         
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Carol enters the bedroom, followed by Larry.
                          LARRY
           I'm not a night person. I don't wanna be... What are you...
           I don't know what I'm looking for.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, oh, wait. Look.
                         
          She starts looking through the mail scattered on a table.
                         
                          LARRY
           What ? What do you wanna do, go through the guy's mail ?
           This is insane.
                         
          He starts looking through the mail.
                         
                          CAROL
           What do you mean ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, my...
          As he takes some more letters, Larry hits a small porcelain
          statuette, and drops it on the floor, where it breaks. He bends
          down to pick up the debris.
                         
                          LARRY
           Jesus. Oh, Christ !
                         
                          CAROL
           What are you do... Well, just... Clean it up, Larry. Clean
           it up.
                         
          Larry stands up.
                         
                          LARRY
           What do you mean, clean it up ? What am I gonna do,
           vacuum ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Put it under the rug, or something like that, okay ?
                         
                          LARRY
           I can't. It's a wall-to-wall carpet. I broke his-his-his-
           his... porcelain...
                         
          He looks at the porcelain pieces in his hands.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well then glue it. Glue it back to...
                         
          She moves around the room.
                         
                          LARRY
           What do you mean, glue it ? What are you talking about ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, look. Look.
                         
                          LARRY
           What ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Look.
                         
          She shows him a pair of gloves she just picked up on a low table.
                         
                          LARRY
           So what ? Gloves. I have gloves. They keep my fingers warm.
                         
                          CAROL
           So ? I know. I know, but you keep yours out on the bureau
           in this kind of weather ? Uh ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Let's get out of here, because this is a...
                         
                          CAROL
           I think something's very strange, here. I mean, he left
           these out and ready. I think the whole thing is really
           sinister.
                          LARRY
           It's eye of the beholder. What you have... you've got to go
           to the eye doctor, get happy glasses.
                         
          He pushes her toward the exit of the room.
                         
                          CAROL
           What ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Look, I'm gonna take the pieces with us, and we'll-we'll
           get rid of them.
                         
          NEW-YORK - CLUB TWENTY-ONE - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot of the famous entrance of the club 21, with the line
          of painted cast iron lawn jockey statues which adorns the balcony
          above the entrance. The camera zooms backward to give a full shot
          of the entrance of the club.
                         
          NEW-YORK - CLUB TWENTY-ONE - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot on the lobby of the club. On the right, a counter with
          an attendant behind the counter. Facing us the entrance of the
          main room. Carol, Larry, and their son Nick, are coming out of the
          room. Nick must be in his early twenties.
                         
                          CAROL
           So, how did you like your birthday cake, Nick ?
                         
                          NICK
           I loved it, I...
                         
                          CAROL
           I know.
                         
                          NICK
           I loved... But then again, I love chocolate anything, so...
          The camera moves around the three people as they walk toward the
          cloakroom.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know.
                         
                          LARRY
           Right.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know. What-What-What are you laughing about ?
                         
                          NICK
           Well, I...
                         
                          LARRY
           If only he could stay in town-If only could stay in town
           just a couple of more hours.
                         
                          NICK
           I know. I was going to, but I...
                          CAROL
           Well, what about that ?
                         
                          NICK
           They're working us so hard at school. I can't.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh.
                         
          They've stopped in front of the cloakroom.
                         
                          NICK
           I gotta get right back.
                         
                          CAROL
           Really.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm gonna take him to Brooks Brothers for his present. And-
           And-And, uh...
                         
                          NICK
           Brooks Brothers. Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           Your mother's going to a wine-tasting.
                         
                          CAROL
           You're going to get something from Brooks Brothers ?
                         
                          NICK
           Yeah. A sweater.
                         
                          LARRY
           She's going to a wine-tasting. Can you believe that ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, if I'm going to be a restaurant owner, I should know
           something about wines. Don't you... Larry ?
                         
          Larry walks across the lobby, because he has seen someone he knows
          in the sitting-room. He waves his hand and comes back to his wife
          and his son.
                         
                          LARRY
           Hi. Hey, I want you to meet somebody.
                         
                          CAROL
           What ?
                         
          The camera pans around, to show us Marcia crossing the sitting-
          room.
                         
                          LARRY
           I want you to meet somebody. This is, this is...
                         
                          MARCIA
           Hi, Larry.
                          LARRY
           Hi. How are you ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           Good. How are you doing ?
                         
                          LARRY
           This is my wife.
                         
          Marcia has reached the lobby.
                         
                          CAROL
           Honey, I'm here. I'm right o...
                         
                          LARRY
           You snuck around.
                         
                          CAROL
           Carol. Remember me ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah. This is Marcia Fox.
                         
          The two women shake hands.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, hi.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Hi.
                         
                          LARRY
           My son Nick. He's in town on, uh...
                         
                          MARCIA
           Good to see you.
                         
                          LARRY
           It's his birthday, so we took him to Twenty-One.
                         
          Marcia shakes hands with Nick.
                         
                          NICK
           Nick. How are you doing ?
                         
                          LARRY
           It's a tradition we have in the family.
                         
                          MARCIA
           That's great. Oh, your friend called me. He's taking me to
           dinner in New Jersey next week. Some mafia joint.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, I fixed her up with Ted. He's going to take her...
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, you did.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah. That place that we ate at.
                          CAROL
           Well, very nice. That's lovely.
                         
                          LARRY
           He's a lot of fun. You'll have a very good time.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Great. Great.
                         
                          LARRY
           That's great. So.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Well, good to see you. Good to see you.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, you too.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Take care.
                         
                          CAROL
           Goodbye.
                         
          Marcia walks away.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, it's great. She'll have a great time.
                         
                          CAROL
           So, that's Marcia Fox, huh ?
                         
                          LARRY
           S-So, what are you making a face for ? She's great.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, do you think she's Ted's type ? Is that...
                          LARRY
           Ted's type ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
          Larry gives his ticket to the cloakroom attendant, whom we don't
          see.
                         
                          LARRY
           She's anybody's type. She's brilliant, she's talented.
           Yeah. I gave you...
                         
                          CAROL
           Thank you.
                         
          Larry gives her purse to Carol.
                         
                          LARRY
           You get your bag.
                          CAROL
           You know, your pupils are dilating.
                         
                          LARRY
           No, she's dangerously sexual.
                         
          They start walking toward the entrance of the club.
                         
                          CAROL
           I just wanted to tell you that.
                         
                          LARRY
           Let me tell you... Listen, when you go to the wine-tasting,
           honey...
                         
                          CAROL
           I see.
                         
                          LARRY
           Getting back to real life, spit it out. Okay ? When you
           drink...
                         
                          NICK
           Yeah. Don't drink too much, Mom.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, spit... And spit it out.
                         
                          CAROL
           What do you mean ? Nick.
                         
                          LARRY
           They spit it out at a wine-tasting, you know what I mean ?
           Because, yeah. I don't want you to be lying on the bathroom
           floor with your head by the bowl tonight, you know ?
                         
          They walk out of the club.
          NEW-YORK - A LOUNGE - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          This is very nice lounge in New-York, very tastefully decorated.
          It looks like one of those old English Club in London. Beautiful
          paintings on the walls, and even stained glasses on the windows.
                         
          This is where the wine-tasting is taking place. The camera pans
          around the room. We see people talking while holding wine-glasses.
          We hear Ted and Carol's conversation without seeing them yet.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           That Mouton 45. That was...
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Didn't you love it ?
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Oh, that was-was like, sublime, you know ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Yeah.
           TED (voice over)
           And the inexpensive Spanish one. Wasn't that... wasn't that
           a nice surprise ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           It was very, very...
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Wasn't that great ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Yeah.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Look at these paintings. Look at this.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           So, uh...
                         
          The camera has reached Ted and Carol and follows them walking in
          the room.
                         
                          TED
           I love the blue in that.
                         
                          CAROL
           So, Larry fixed you up with Marcia Fox, huh ? His, uh...
                         
                          TED
           Yeah, yeah, well, you know. He's...
                         
                          CAROL
           His favorite writer.
                         
                          TED
           He says she's wonderful, and I'm...
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh.
                         
                          TED
           I'm trying to do everything I can to get out and meet
           people, you know.
                         
                          CAROL
           Sure.
                         
          We now get a medium shot of Carol and Ted walking toward us.
                         
                          TED
           I'm-I'm not looking forward to this.
                         
                          CAROL
           So, you're taking her to Vincent's out in Jersey ?
                         
                          TED
           Yeah.
                         
                          CAROL
           Is that what you're...
                          TED
           I-I guess. She's not my first choice.
                         
                          CAROL
           No ? God, look at this! Oh, that park is so beautiful.
                         
          They have reach a large window, where they can get a view of the
          park on the other side of the street.
                         
                          TED
           Yeah, it's great. Of course, I can't have my first choice.
                         
                          CAROL
           No ?
                         
                          TED
           I'm getting drunk. I don't know what I'm saying.
                         
          He sits down. She sits down on the sofa besides him. Behind them,
          you see the park through the windows.
                         
                          CAROL
           You're getting... So am I. I don't know about this.
                         
          Ted looks at his watch.
                         
                          TED
           I'm gonna be late for my shrink. I've got a...
                         
                          CAROL
           You've got to go, huh ?
                         
                          TED
           Yeah.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay.
                          TED
           Well, you know, you would be my first choice.
                         
                          CAROL
           Me, huh ?
                         
                          TED
           Yeah.
                         
          Carol laughs.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well. Oh, boy.
                         
                          TED
           Well, you... Can I give you a lift ? Do you, uh, I'm gonna
           go east. Do you...
                         
                          CAROL
           Thanks. No, I-I think I'll stick around, I need to think. I
           need my... I feel a little, you know, tipsy.
                          TED
           I didn't offend you by what I said, did I ?
                         
                          CAROL
           No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You didn't offend
           me, no, I was very, uh, flattered by this, Ted. Flattered.
           Well, anyway.
                         
                          TED
           See you later.
                         
          He stands up and bumps into a low table in front of the sofa.
                         
                          CAROL
           See you. Oops, careful. Whoops.
                         
                          TED
           Sorry. Excuse me.
                         
                          CAROL
           Excuse me.
                         
          Carol looks at him walking away with a strange expression in her
          eyes.
                         
          NEW-YORK - STREET IN FRONT OF THE LOUNGE - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium tracking shot of Ted walking on the sidewalk, coming from
          the lounge and toward us.
                         
          Medium low-angle shot of one of the window of the lounge, seen
          from the street. This shot is low-angled because the lounge is
          located slightly above street level. Carol is seated in front of
          the window, looking very pensive. She takes a sip of her glass of
          wine. She looks absently though the window.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A LOUNGE - INTERIOR DAY
          The street seen through the window, next to which Carol is seated,
          but we don't actually see Carol. We see a big car, followed by a
          bus. The camera zooms on the bus. Through one of the bus windows,
          we see a woman, seated inside the bus. And this woman looks very
          much like the deceased Lilian, Paul's wife.
                         
          NEW-YORK - STREET IN FRONT OF THE LOUNGE - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Close shot on the window, in front of which Carol is seated. She
          looks at the passing bus, with a wide open mouth, and a surprised,
          almost frightened, expression on her face. She stands up a little
          and then sits back.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A LOUNGE - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full view of the room. In the background, Carol, still seated by
          the window. She stands up, picks up her purse, and starts crossing
          the room, bumping into people. She reaches the staircase, and
          walks downstairs.
                         
          NEW-YORK - STREET IN FRONT OF THE LOUNGE - EXTERIOR DAY
          Full view on the entrance of the lounge. Carol is walking rapidly
          down the stairs leading to the entrance. She reaches the sidewalk,
          and looks around her for the bus. She walks away from the lounge
          and toward us, with the camera on a tracking shot in front of her.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot of Larry working in the kitchen, putting things away
          in the cupboards. Behind him, we see the front hall. The front
          door opens and Carol walks in.
                         
                          LARRY
           I got a great sweater at Brooks Brothers' today for Nick,
           today.
                         
          Carols closes the door and leans on the wall. But Larry doesn't
          seem to understand that something is wrong with her. He walks away
          to the sitting room. He keeps on talking in voice over, while
          Carol is still leaning on the wall of the front hall.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Really beautiful. It's cashmere. Very expensive. The kid
           looked so handsome in it, though. Also, I decided I'd cook
           dinner tonight. My one dish tuna casserole.
                         
          Larry comes back in the kitchen and looks at his wife, but still
          doesn't seem to notice that something is wrong. We follow Larry
          into the sitting-room.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Larry is setting the table for dinner
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Well, no wonder he had her cremated.
                         
                          LARRY
           What ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Mrs. House.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Jesus. You're not about Mrs. House again. I thought
           we'd have a light dinner, you know, because we had a rich
           lunch at Twenty-One, I thought.
                         
          The camera pans to Carol standing at the entrance of the room and
          leaning on the wall
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           What ?
                         
                          CAROL
           I just saw Mrs. House.
           LARRY (voice over)
           What are you talking about ? The ashes ?
                         
                          CAROL
           No, no, no. A bus. It passed me, and she was on it.
                         
          Larry joins Carol.
                         
                          LARRY
           Uh, the dead woman passed you on a bus ? Which bus was
           this, the bus to heaven ?
                         
          Larry walks away toward the kitchen. Carol follows him.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, but I'm not, I'm not joking. I mean, I'm telling you
           something. I'm telling you, I really saw her. I actually
           saw her.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Larry is checking his cooking.
                         
                          LARRY
           Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
          Larry takes two wine-glasses out of the sink.
                         
                          LARRY
           You want to lie down for a while ? We'll put a cold
           compress on your head, or a hot compress on your back,
           or...
                         
                          CAROL
           No, Larry, you know, I was at the wine-tasting, right ? And
           I was just... I was sitting at, you know, a bay window. I-I
           happened to look out. A bus passed, and she was on it,
           Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           Remember I said to you ? Yes, remember I said to you, spit
           it out ?
                         
                          CAROL
           I...
                         
                          LARRY
           I said don't drink it. You said you were going to a wine-
           tasting ?
                         
                          CAROL
           But ?
                         
                          LARRY
           You said you were going to taste wine all afternoon ? I
           said spit it out ?
                          CAROL
           Yeah...
                         
                          LARRY
           I said don't swallow it ? You swallowed it. And that's why
           you're this way.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know. I know. Okay. I-I... Yeah. I had a few drinks, but
           it's-it's not... I mean, I saw her.
                         
          Larry puts the glasses away on the dinner table.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, I 'm sure you saw her.
                         
                          CAROL
           I ...
                         
                          LARRY
           How could you see her ? She's dead. Not only is she dead,
           she's been cremated. It's not even Halloween.
                         
          They walk into the sitting-room.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - SITTING-ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay. Are you telling me that you... That, that, that, that
           you... That I didn't see her ? Is that what you're saying ?
                         
                          LARRY
           I think it's a pretty fair assumption that if a person is
           dead, they don't suddenly turn up in the New York City
           transit system.
                         
                          CAROL
           I just... I just don't know what's happening, Larry. I-I-I
           don't know what's going on.
                         
                          LARRY
           What's going on ?
                         
                          CAROL
           What's... yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           Let me put it this way : total psychotic breakdown. Okay ?
           Is that enough ?
                         
                          CAROL
           I...
                         
                          LARRY
           Maybe, look. Maybe she's a twin. That's possible. Now
           forget this.
                         
                          CAROL
           Why ?
                          LARRY
           Taste my tuna casserole. Tell me if I put in too much hot
           fudge.
                         
          He opens the dish he had put earlier on the table.
                         
                          CAROL
           Honey, you're getting so close-minded these days. I just...
                         
          The phone rings.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh. Oh, God.
                         
          She picks up the phone from the wall. Larry sits at the table.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hallo ? Ted. Ted.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Ted. Ted.
                         
                          CAROL
           Ted, you're not going to believe this, but, Ted, I saw Mrs.
           House. Yes, Mrs. House. Yeah. Mrs... the murdered woman.
           That's right.
                         
          Larry opens the red wine bottle and pours some wine in his glass.
                         
                          LARRY
           She wasn't murdered. It was a coronary. It was a coronary,
           folks. It was a coronary. She wasn't murdered. I don't know
           what they're talking about.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. No, I'm sure. I'm sure I saw her. She was on a bus,
           you know ? I mean, I-I saw her just moments after you left.
           I was looking out the...
          Larry puts the cork back on the bottle.
                         
                          LARRY
           He was at the wine tasting, too. Sure, why not.
                         
                          CAROL
           Would you ?
                         
                          LARRY
           They're both at the wine tasting.
                         
                          CAROL
           Would you really ? Oh, that would be so great. You'd just
           run a check on Paul and Lillian House.
                         
          Larry stands up and walks toward Carol.
                         
                          LARRY
           Don't run a check. Don't run a check.
                         
          He takes the phone from Carol's hand.
                          CAROL
           What are you talking...
                         
                          LARRY
           Stop.
                         
                          CAROL
           What are you doing ? I mean...
                         
          Larry talks to Ted on the phone.
                         
                          LARRY
           Listen, could you call back later, because my marriage is
           falling apart.
                         
          He puts the phone down.
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry, what are you... But, what ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Forget it. Will you ? If you're gonna have an affair with
           the guy, you don't need a murder to do it.
                         
                          CAROL
           I'm telling you, I saw Mrs. House.
                         
          Larry sits back at the table.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yes, I know, on the bus, the dead persons' bus. No car
           fare.
                         
                          CAROL
           I s...Okay.
                         
                          LARRY
           Now, sit down. Let's...
                         
                          CAROL
           Now look. Just... I can tell you. I can show you the exact
           spot, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, I'm not going to see the exact spot.
                         
                          CAROL
           Uh ? What about lunch ? Tomorrow ?
                         
                          LARRY
           No, I've got a business lunch tomorrow. I got...
                         
                          CAROL
           On... on your, on your lunch hour ?
                         
                          LARRY
           No, I got a business lunch. I'm not interested.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God. I'm telling you... I mean, this is such a shock.
                         
                          LARRY
           Hm ? I'm not interested. Come on, will you...
                         
          She walks away toward the front hall.
                         
                          CAROL
           I mean, I'm telling you, I'm just vibrating from this. I
           mean, I saw this woman.
                         
                          LARRY
           Will you eat something ? We've got tickets to the theatre.
                         
          Carol comes back into the room.
                         
                          CAROL
           What ? Wh...I'm not going to the theatre.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           What do you mean you're not go... We've been holding onto
           these tickets for two months, now.
                         
          Carol walks again to the front hall and comes back toward the
          sitting room, via the kitchen.
                         
                          CAROL
           Do you comprehend the enormity of what I'm telling you,
           Larry ? Do you compr...
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           If you got a big story, tell it to the Police. Don't tell
           it to me.
                         
                          CAROL
           What am I going to say to them ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Tell them your story. Tell them this whole cockamamie
           story.
                         
                          CAROL
           What story ? I don't have a story. I mean, I got nothing.
           Unless... Oh !
                         
                          LARRY
           That's right. That's right, you've got nothing.
                         
                          CAROL
           Unless... Unless I locate her.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, okay, good. Now, will you sit down because we're
           going to the theater. I don't care what you say.
                         
          She takes a drink on water in the kitchen.
                         
          LARRY'S BUILDING - LOBBY - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Medium shot of Larry and Carol coming out of the lift. They cross
          the lobby. Jack, the caretaker of the building in standing near
          the entrance of the building.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Jack ? Jack ? You-you were there when Mrs. House died,
           right? You saw her ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Right. Yeah. You saw her lying there, right ?
                         
                          JACK
           Yes, she was lying on the floor.
                         
                          CAROL
           You said... Yeah, but... but you're, you-re sure it was
           her, right ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Hey, he said it was lying on the floor. Right. Right. You
           know, I... He's sure. He's sure. He's sure.
                         
                          JACK
           She was in that bag. Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           My-My-My wife's been having some bad dreams, and she
           doesn't know what she's talking about.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, look. Yeah, yeah.
                         
          Larry gives some banknotes to Jack.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, this is, this is for all the times I call you to fix
           the faucet, and you show up six months late.
                         
                          JACK
           Thanks.
                         
          THEATER - AUDIENCE HALL - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Full shot of the audience watching the show. We hear music. In the
          forefront, Carol and Larry. Larry is taping his chin with the
          program. Carol turns toward Larry and starts whispering.
                         
                          CAROL
           The super is a drunk. I know, but, we've seen him smelling
           of Jack Daniel's, remember ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, but...
                         
                          CAROL
           I mean, I know he didn't see Mrs. House, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           If she's a twin, it's a different story. But you don't seem
           to feel she is, so...
                          CAROL
           Well, I don't know. Oh, I know. Unless he's in on it.
                         
                          LARRY
           Who's in on it ? The super ? The super can't change a fuse.
                         
          The lady, sitting next to Larry, just gave the couple a bad look,
          and Carol taps on Larry's arm.
                         
                          CAROL
           Shh !... Shh !...
                         
          A short pause.
                         
                          CAROL
           I mean, she...
                         
                          LARRY
           What ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, she's alive. And my question is, who was in that bag.
           I mean, somebody...
                         
                          LARRY
           She's not alive, unless she's a twin. Okay ? Now keep
           quiet...
                         
                          CAROL
           Look, somebody... Somebody got cremated, Larry. Somebody.
                         
                          LARRY
           Shut up.
                         
          NEW-YORK - STREET IN FRONT OF THE LOUNGE - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Long shot of Ted and Carol walking toward us in a quiet street.
          Actually it is the street where the wine-tasting lounge is
          located, and, of course, the street where Carol saw the bus with
          Lilian on board of it. They walk near the entrance of the
          «National Arts Club». Ted is holding a small notebook and looking
          at what is has written in it.
                         
                          TED
           Lillian House.
                         
                          CAROL
           Right.
                         
                          TED
           Uh, maiden name, Lillian Beagle. Born in Carlyle,
           Pennsylvania, nineteen-thirty-five. Married Paul Richard
           House.
                         
                          CAROL
           Right, I know.
                         
                          TED
           She was not a twin. Had an older sister who...
                          CAROL
           So goes Larry's theory.
                         
                          TED
           Uh, went to England twenty years ago, and an older brother
           who died in nineteen-eighty-seven.
                         
          Carol stops in front of the building next to the «National Arts
          Club». It is the building where they had the wine-tasting session
          the day before.
                         
                          CAROL
           Right here. This is it.
                         
                          TED
           This is where we were.
                         
          The camera tilts up to show the window behind which Carol was
          sitting the day before.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           This is where we were. I know. And I was sitting right
           here, after you left.
                         
          The camera tilts back down to Ted and Carol.
                         
                          TED
           Right.
                         
                          CAROL
           And I was having a glass of, you kn-you know, wine, and I
           looked out the window, and-and I saw the... right here.
                         
          Carol shows Ted the spot where she saw the bus.
                         
                          TED
           You saw her after I left ?
                          CAROL
           Yes, I saw... her on a bus. It was passing. You... It was,
           like.
                         
          She walks in the middle of the street.
                         
                          TED
           Wait a minute. Are you... You're absolutely sure you saw
           her ? You saw her face ?
                         
                          CAROL
           I'm positive I-I saw her.
                         
          A car is honking. Carol, still standing in the middle of the
          street, moves out of the way of the car.
                         
                          CAROL
           Whoo !... Excuse me. I-I'm telling you, Ted.
                         
          Ted joins Carol in the middle of the street.
                         
                          TED
           What was the number of the bus ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Uh, I don't know what the number of the bus was, but I know
           that it was heading west to east, so it was... it obviously
           was a cross-town bus.
                         
                          TED
           All right. Okay, look, look. It's a cross-town bus.
                         
          They walk to the sidewalk on the other side of the street, where
          the park is located.
                         
                          CAROL
           Right.
                         
                          TED
           Okay, so look. The end of the line is a few blocks down
           there.
                         
                          CAROL
           So, okay. So, then, it's like...
                         
                          TED
           So, she... She had to get off somewhere... somewhere.
                         
                          CAROL
           Then... Her destination was probably within the next five
           or six blocks.
                         
          They start walking on the sidewalk, going the way where they first
          came from.
                         
                          TED
           Yeah, right. So, let's, let's look around. Let's, we, we'll
           see some, you know, uh, like a, like a, you know... clue,
           or something. Or something. Maybe we'll see her. You're
           sure you saw her face ?
                          CAROL
           Don't, don't doubt me, okay ?
                         
                          TED
           Okay, okay, okay. No, no, no, no.
                         
                          CAROL
           I'm-I'm not kidding. Look.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A WIDE AVENUE - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          This is not a nice area anymore. It is a wide dingy-looking
          avenue, with the nearest buildings very far away and a road bridge
          over the street. And it is raining.
                         
          Long shot of the avenue, with Carol and Ted walking further away.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God. Well, I think, you know, I think we've reached the
           end of the line.
                          TED
           I think this is it.
                         
          A bus is coming toward them.
                         
                          CAROL
           Look. The bus.
                         
          The bus slows down.
                         
                          TED
           I don't think... there's noth... Watch out. Watch out.
                         
          Ted pushes Carol so she doesn't get soaked by the bus driving very
          close to the sidewalk and into the pools of rain.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, what ? Oh. Whoo !...
                         
          The bus makes a U-turn on the avenue.
                         
                          TED
           Yeah, look. See ? See, he's turning. That's it.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, I know.
                         
                          TED
           That's all there is, here.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, what do you think ?
                         
                          RED
           What ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Do you think we should retrace our steps ?
          NEW-YORK - STREET IN FRONT OF THE LOUNGE - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          They are back in the same street where the wine-tasting place is
          located.
                         
          Full shot of the park across the street, seen across the thick
          vertical bars of the railings that surround the park. Ted and
          Carol are walking on a lane in the park.
                         
                          TED
           You-you wear a tie with a dress. It's a... It's a very
           special...
                         
          The camera follows Ted and Carol, moving on the other side of the
          railings.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, I don't think it looks good, and I don't even know if
           it looks... I mean, I feel like it'd be to masculine if I
           wore it with a pair of pants.
                          TED
           Oh, it'd look great on you. No, no, just don't wear it with
           pants.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh.
                         
                          TED
           With pants, it's-it's... what ?
                         
          Carol has just stopped walking, and she is looking at something on
          the other side of the railings.
                         
                          CAROL
           Ted, look.
                         
                          TED
           At what ? What ?
                         
          The camera pans around to a reverse angle shot of the other side
          of the street. It stops on a building. On the awning above the
          entrance of the building is written : «Hotel Waldron». The camera
          stops on that shot and doesn't move anymore.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           That hotel.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           What about it?
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Well, that's... the Waldron. I mean, I thou... I-I was in
           his apartment, I pressed the number... «last number
           dialed», and...
                         
           TED (voice over)
           You're kidding.
           CAROL (voice over)
           And they answered the phone. And said... Waldron.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Let's-Let's-Let's get to a phone. Let's get to a phone.
           Let's call up. You got a quarter ?
                         
          Medium shot of Ted talking into the handset of a pay-phone on the
          street.
                         
                          TED
           Hallo ? Mrs. House, please ? Mrs... Mrs. House. Can you
           ring her room for me, please ?
                         
          The camera pans to Carol, standing in the street near Ted.
                         
                          TED
           Really ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Well ?
                          TED
           What. Maybe... Well, maybe she checked out. No-nobody,
           nobody at all. Uh... What about...?
                         
                          CAROL
           Wh-What about...
                         
                          TED
           Yeah, what about, uh, Helen Moss, Moss. You're sure ?
           Nobody... nobody at all. All-All right. All right, okay.
           I'm sorry. All right. Thank you. thank you.
                         
                          CAROL
           Great. Oh, God. It looks like it's gonna rain again. Well ?
                         
          A RESTAURANT - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot on a restaurant. This part of the restaurant is empty.
          Only two people, Larry and Marcia, are seated at a table behind a
          set of crossed wooden bars, on the other side of which the camera
          is located. Apparently Marcia is teaching Larry how to play poker.
          Marcia wears sunglasses and has a cigarette stuck between her
          lips.
                         
                          MARCIA
           If I get two kings, I take one. Otherwise, I fold.
                         
                          LARRY
           So...
                         
                          MARCIA
           Got it ?
                         
                          LARRY
           I-I never go out. I-I-I-I-I just, I can't take... I
           can't...
                         
          Marcia shuffles the cards.
                          MARCIA
           That's how you wind up on welfare.
                         
          The camera pans away from the two players to another section of
          the restaurant, where a few people are still eating. It looks like
          a very good restaurant, with waiters dressed with white shirt and
          black vest.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           You know, I need the action, for some reason. I-I can't...
           I bet anything. Okay, just...
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Cut ?
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           No, no, go ahead, I trust you. Lay it on me.
                         
          The camera pans back on Larry and Marcia. This is a different
          shot, with the camera in front of their table. Marcia seems very
          relaxed with the cards in her hands, when Larry seems quite
          nervous. He holds the card very close to his eyes, seeming afraid
          that his partner will look at them.
                         
                          MARCIA
           You seem in a strange mood.
                         
                          LARRY
           No, no, no. I'm just probably just a little drunk.
                         
                          MARCIA
           On Perrier ?
                         
                          LARRY
           No. What are you talking about ? I had rum cake.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Want any cards ?
                         
          Larry shuffles his cards in his hand, hesitating on his next move.
                         
                          LARRY
           Uh, one second. Just let me, let me see, see what I,
           possibilities I got here. Uh, yeah. I'm gonna have, uh...
           I'll have, uh... I'm gonna have four cards.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Four ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah.
                         
          She gives him his four cards.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Cruising for a bruising.
                         
                          LARRY
           Inside and outside straight.
          Marcia looks at her cards. Larry keeps shuffling his cards very
          nervously.
                         
                          MARCIA
           You're in trouble, now.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, I can't escape the feeling that my-my wife is
           becoming attracted to somebody else... and it's really
           bothering me.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Really.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah. That's why I'm not playing my best. This guy is, you
           know, more adventurous than I am, and for some reason they
           just seem to hit it off. I'm gonna be very lonely if, uh,
           you know, if this happens.
                         
                          MARCIA
           You must love her a lot.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, I do. I do.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Um... if you want to hold on to her, you have to make some
           effort. I mean, who's the guy ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Uh, Ted. The guy that I fixed you up with.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Ted.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Well, we could always switch. Ted gets Carol, I can be your
           date.
                         
                          LARRY
           Maybe-Maybe I should actually make a greater effort with-
           with Carol.
                         
          NEW-YORK - STREET OUTSIDE THE WALDRON HOTEL - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of the entrance of the Waldron Hotel. The pavement is
          wet but it doesn't seem to rain anymore. The camera pans to a car
          parked on the other side of the street a short distance from the
          hotel. This is Larry's car, with Larry seated behind the wheel and
          Carol seated on the passenger's seat. Medium shot of the inside of
          the car, seen through the open window.
                         
                          CAROL
           So, you bored ? I mean...
                          LARRY
           Well, it's more fun than the Wagner opera.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. Well, to me, I mean, just... I mean, it's just one of
           the most exciting adventures I've ever been on.
                         
                          LARRY
           Would you rather be here with Ted ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Well-Well, he has a more enthused attitude, Larry. I...
                         
                          LARRY
           More enthused ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, enthused, yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           Well, he's a fun guy. He's a light guy, I'm a heavy guy.
                          CAROL
           Well, I...
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, Ted-Ted would be fun on a scavenger hunt.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, look. I... Larry, you used to be a lot of fun.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, he's the guy you want if you have a really heavy
           scavenger hunt. He's the man.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know, well, but, y-you know. You used to...
                         
                          LARRY
           Do you know that this neighborhood was where I first took
           you out on a date when we-we first started going out.
                         
                          CAROL
           What ? I don't know. I don't know. Just for some reason,
           you've gotten so stodgy in your old age, you know ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Hey, you remember there was a movie house right on this
           corner.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, I know. Yes ! Yeah, I remember.
                         
                          LARRY
           Not to change the subject.
                         
                          CAROL
           You know, I...
                         
                          LARRY
           I took you to see «Last year at Marienbad» on our first
           date ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, I know. I had to explain it to you for the next six
           months.
                         
                          LARRY
           Who knew they were flashbacks ? You know.
                         
                          CAROL
           Look, Larry. Look. We've got plenty of time to be
           conservative. You know what I'm saying ? Don't you see ?
                         
          The camera starts moving around the car.
                         
                          CAROL
           It's to me, it's like this-this tantalizing plum has just,
           like dropped into our laps. I mean, life is just such a
           dull routine and here we are, right ? I mean, we're on the
           threshold of a genuine mystery. I mean, to me, the whole
           thing is like. It's... Hey, no.
          The camera stops moving on another medium shot, where we still see
          Larry through his open window, but we see Carol only through the
          wet windshield.
                         
                          LARRY
           Are you gonna burst into a song, here ? We're in a car.
                         
                          CAROL
           Just don't make fun of me, okay ? Because I'm open to new
           experiences.
                         
                          LARRY
           Let me ask you a personal question, here.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           Did you ever sleep with Ted ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Sleep ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Don't get nervous. Yeah. Yeah, you guys...
                         
                          CAROL
           What, are you nuts ?
                         
                          LARRY
           We were on an eating tour of France, together.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           You two guys spent an evening, you know, together.
                          CAROL
           Yeah, right. We sp...
                         
                          LARRY
           At that place, you know.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know... Yeah, but what about you ? Remember ? You spent
           the evening with Julie. Am I right ? You spent the night,
           and shared a...
                         
                          LARRY
           That meant absolutely nothing. She hated me. Julie despised
           me.
                         
                          CAROL
           What ?
                         
                          LARRY
           You know that. She-She thought I was a low-life and a wimp
           and a vermin and a roach. Just-Just jump in anytime you
           want to defend me, you know.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hey, I mean, I'm waiting for you to say something I don't
           agree with, okay ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Ho-ho ! Hey, you're nailing me... Jesus !...
                         
          He stops smiling because he just saw something in front of his
          car, something we don't yet see, because the camera hasn't moved
          from its position.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh. Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah.
                         
          The camera starts panning very rapidly toward the entrance of the
          hotel.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Larry, Larry, look. It's her ! I'd say it's her !
                         
          A lady carrying a white open umbrella is entering the hotel.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Oh my god, it is.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Yeah. You see what I mean ? See, so I was right all along,
           wasn't I ?
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Can you... Are you sure ? Are you sure ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           I'm positive. Yes.
                         
          The camera starts panning back toward Larry's car.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Oh, my God.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Right ? Right ? I mean, I was...
                         
          Medium shot of Larry and Carol in the car, seen through Larry's
          open window.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm... Jesus, I'm sh...
                         
                          CAROL
           I know. W-Well. Come on.
                         
                          LARRY
           That is her. Are you...
                         CAROL
          Yeah. I know.
                         
                         LARRY
          I told you so.
                         
                         CAROL
          What do you mean, you told me so ? What are you talking
          about ? You're nuts, honey.
                         
                         LARRY
          Oh, Jesus. I'm flabbergasted.
                         
                         CAROL
          Yeah. No, look. You're white. You're completely white.
                         
                         LARRY
          I know. All the blood rushed to my brother.
                         
                         CAROL
          Larry !
                         
                         LARRY
          I don't know what to do.
                         
                         CAROL
          Let's go. Let's get out there. Let's find out what's going
          on.
                         
                         LARRY
          No, I don't want to.
                         
                         CAROL
          Oh, come on. Y-You're not afraid of her, are you ?
                         
                         LARRY
          No, I'm not afraid.
                         CAROL
          You're not afraid of Mrs. House.
                         
                         LARRY
          She's an old woman and I'm a virile male.
                         
                         CAROL
          I know.
                         
                         LARRY
          And yet somehow I am scared. I don't know why. Maybe
          because she's dead. You know ?
                         
                         CAROL
          Let's go. You know, I tell you, I'm gonna break this thing
          wide open.
                         
                         LARRY
          Well, how ? What do you want to do ?
                         
                         CAROL
          I'm... You know, I'm... God, if only Ted were here with us
           now. You know what I'm saying ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, don't give me Ted ! Wh... Let's... Let's... Wh... Let's
           get out of here.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, wait. I got an idea.
                         
                          LARRY
           What ?
                         
                          CAROL
           I know what we should do. We should get a gift, right ?
                         
                          LARRY
           What ?
                         
          Carol gets out of the car.
                         
                          CAROL
           We'll surprise her. We'll sneak into the hotel. Come on.
                         
                          LARRY
           How ? How ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, no. Come on.
                         
          Larry gets out of the car.
                         
          HOTEL WALDRON - LOBBY - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          A modern clean lobby, with a very conventional decoration. Medium
          shot of a clerk cleaning the lobby floor with a broom. She is a
          woman in her forties, very casually dressed with a flowered blouse
          and a beige sweater, and with uncombed hair hanging on her
          shoulders.
          The camera pans around toward the street door. Carol enters the
          lobby, followed by Larry. Carol is holding a small present-wrapped
          parcel in her hand and walks toward the clerk.
                         
                          CAROL
           Uh, excuse me. Hi.
                         
           HOTEL DAY CLERK
           Hi.
                         
                          CAROL
           Um, we were just wondering. Uh, did you see a woman come
           in ? She was, uh, she was a little woman, about five foot
           three ? She had on a gray sweater ?
                         
           HOTEL DAY CLERK
           Older woman ?
                         
                          LARRY
           And came in with a-with a canvas bag, and an umbrella.
                          CAROL
           Slightly older. Not...
                         
           HOTEL DAY CLERK
           Mrs. Caine ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Mrs. Caine ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Mrs. Caine. Oh, yes. Uh-huh. That's her.
                         
                          LARRY
           Mrs. Caine. Uh-huh.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yes.
                         
          Larry takes the parcel from Carol's hand.
                         
                          LARRY
           We-We had a present for her. We're friends. We-We wanted to
           surprise her, because it's her birthday, so-so...
                         
          He gives the parcel back to Carol.
                         
           HOTEL DAY CLERK
           Oh.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yes, that's right. What room ?
                         
           HOTEL DAY CLERK
           Uh, six-eleven.
                         
                          CAROL
           Six-eleven. Really, thanks a lot.
           HOTEL DAY CLERK
           Okay. Sure.
                         
          Carols walks away, but Larry stays with the clerk. He takes a
          banknote out of his pocket.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, we-we may need some information, while we're here,
           so-so, we just want you to know... I'll take very good care
           of you, if you play ball with us.
                         
          He gives the banknote to the clerk, who seems a bit surprised by
          Larry's attitude and present. She looks at the banknote.
                         
                          LARRY
           What are you making that face for ? He's the father of our
           country.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Will you come on ?
                         
          Larry walks toward Carol, who is waiting for the elevator.
                          LARRY
           I'm coming, I'm coming.
                         
                          CAROL
           Come on. What're you doing ?
                         
          HOTEL WALDRON - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot on the elevator door opening. Carol walks out,
          followed by Larry, who closes the door. Carol starts looking
          around for room numbers. The camera follows them
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay. Um, six-eleven. Six-oh-seven.
                         
          The camera stops at the beginning of a long narrow corridor. Carol
          and Larry walk along the corridor, away from the camera.
                         
                          LARRY
           Huh. Very nice. I love a hotel that's got lots of blue
           powder sprinkled along the baseboard.
                         
                          CAROL
           Six-eleven. Here, Larry. All right.
                         
          They have stopped walking at the end of the corridor, in front of
          a door. Carol knocks on that door.
                         
                          CAROL
           Um, Mrs. House ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Mrs. House ?
                         
          Carol knocks louder on the door, helped by Larry. Under Larry's
          fist, the door opens slowly.
          HOTEL WALDRON - ROOM 611 - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium close shot on the door, that opens slowly.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           M-Mrs. House ?
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Hallo ?
                         
          Carol enters the room, followed by Larry.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hallo ? Mrs. Hou...
                         
                          LARRY
           I don't... I don't...
                         
                          CAROL
           My God, I don't...
                         
                          LARRY
           I don't think she's...
                         
          The camera starts panning around the room, up to the window, then
          starts panning back toward Carol and Larry.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           I don't see her.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           This may not be the right-right place.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Just hold on, Larry. Hold on, hold on, hold on.
                         
          The camera is back on Carol and Larry. Larry is looking inside a
          closet.
                         
                          LARRY
           There's nothing here.
                         
          He closes the closet door. Carol yells.
                         
                          CAROL
           Ahhh ! Larry !
                         
          She runs to the beds and look down on the floor between the two
          twin beds. She drops the parcel on the floor.
                         
                          LARRY
           What's the matter ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, my God ! Wait a minute !
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Jesus.
                         
          Carol kneels down on the floor, bending on something she just saw
          on the floor. The camera follows her movement and we see a human
          hand resting on the floor, the rest of the body being hidden by
          one of the bed.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, my God, look ! Mrs. House ? Mrs. House ?
                         
                          LARRY
           What's the matter ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Hallo ?
                         
                          LARRY
           What-What-What...
                         
                          CAROL
           Mrs...Oh, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           What? What-What's...
          Carol, still kneeling on the floor, straightens up and looks at
          Larry.
                         
                          CAROL
           I think she's dead.
                         
                          LARRY
           Dead ? T-T-Try-Try giving her the present.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. Oh, my God. Mrs. House ? Mrs. House ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, come on ! Let's get out of here !
                         
                          CAROL
           I think that's it, Larry. I think she's dead !
                         
                          LARRY
           Come on. Let's get out of here.
                         
          He helps Carol to stand up.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, my God.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm thinking of running the Boston marathon.
                         
          They both start running out of the room.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God. Okay, oh God.
                         
                          LARRY
           This woman is forever dying.
                         
          HOTEL WALDRON - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - INTERIOR DAY
          Same shot of the long corridor as before. We see Carol and Larry
          coming out Room 611 and running toward us.
                         
                          LARRY
           Come on, come on. Move, move. Adrenaline is leaking out of
           my ears.
                         
          They reach the end of the corridor, and the camera follows them as
          they run around the corner of the hallway.
                         
                          LARRY
           Get down those stairs.
                         
          They don't use the elevator and instead run down the stairs.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, all right.
                         
                          LARRY
           Come on, come on. Quickly.
          NEW-YORK - STREET OUTSIDE THE WALDRON HOTEL - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Long shot of the entrance of the hotel, seen from the other side
          of the street. A blue police car is parked in front of the hotel.
          Two plainclothes police officers and one uniformed policeman are
          talking with Carol and Larry. They both try to explain the
          situation to the police officers. But since they both talk
          together, the police officers have a hard time understanding them.
                         
          While they are talking, the camera zooms forward from a long shot
          to a full shot of the group.
                         
           CAROL (talking together with Larry)
           And then, you see, what happened was I suspected Mr. House,
           right ? He's a... He runs a movie house. But-But then what
           hap... We're sit... I saw her on this bus, right ? And...
           And she has... no place at all. Then we checked anyway. So
           we were just sitting there, just waiting...
                         
           LARRY (talking together with Carol)
           We-We-We were there. She-She was very nervous. So-So we
           were going to the movies, and, and, and we were walking and
           looking around the place. And then suddenly she's a... Her
           hand is on the floor. You could see it on the side of the
           bed. She was lying there, she was sort of... like blue in
           the face. The girl was nervous. I tried to keep calm, as
           best as I could.
                         
          One of the plainclothes police officers stops their talking.
                         
           FIRST POLICE OFFICER
           There's nobody up there.
                         
                          CAROL
           There's what ?
                         
                          LARRY
           What do you mean, there's nobody up...
           FIRST POLICE OFFICER
           There's nobody.
                         
                          CAROL
           Wait a minute, wait...
                         
           SECOND POLICE OFFICER
           There's no body there.
                         
                          CAROL
           We-We saw...
                         
                          LARRY
           We just saw her there. She's lying on the floor.
                         
                          CAROL
           We...
                         
           SECOND POLICE OFFICER (talking to the uniformed policeman)
           Mike, check the basement with...
          He starts climbing the few steps to the entrance of the hotel,
          followed by Carol and Larry. The other police officer remains on
          the sidewalk.
                         
                          LARRY
           She was totally dead.
                         
                          CAROL
           We... She's there.
                         
                          LARRY
           Wait, wait.
                         
          HOTEL WALDRON - ROOM 611 - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium close shot of an uniformed policeman, different from the
          one we just saw in the street.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           She was right here. She was lying, like, right this-a-way.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Yeah, she was definitely laying here.
                         
          The camera pans from the uniformed policeman to the two police
          officers talking with Carol and Larry in the middle of the room.
          The following dialogue transcript separates what Larry says from
          what Carol says, but, most of the time, they talk together at the
          same time, making it quite difficult for us, or for the police
          officers, to follow their conversation.
                         
                          CAROL
           Because, I mean, she was, she was there, do you
           understand ?
                         
          The camera tilts down on one of the police officers looking under
          the bed.
                          LARRY
           The... Y-Yes. She was... It looked like she was strangled,
           or something. Not-Not that I'm an expert on violent death,
           because I wouldn't know.
                         
                          CAROL
           We're-We're two professional people.
                         
                          LARRY
           Right, I'm a... I-I work at Harper's.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm in publishing.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, that's right, and I'm-I'm looking to start a little
           restaurant, basically French, although international
           cuisine would be fine. Not that I really have a location...
                          LARRY
           Right, she's a fantastic cook. But, uh, I'm against the
           restaurant, myself, but-but she's a wonderful cook.
                         
           FIRST POLICE OFFICER
           Calm down. Calm down ! Please !
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, just...
                         
                          LARRY
           Look, obviously what happened is, in the time it took you
           guys to respond... somebody came here and removed the body.
           Not that you didn't respond quickly, you know, you were
           here fast. It took-took you three minutes, not-not-not
           counting the half-hour that the operator 911 took to
           understand what I was saying.
                         
           FIRST POLICE OFFICER
           Nobody is doubting you, okay ? We're going over the whole
           building, all right ?
                         
                          CAROL
           All right.
                         
          NEW-YORK - STREET OUTSIDE THE WALDRON HOTEL - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot of Carol, Larry, the first plainclothes police officer
          and the uniformed policeman we first saw in the street.
                         
                          CAROL
           Uh, did you check...
                         
           FIRST POLICE OFFICER
           Mr. House...
                         
          The second plainclothes police officer joins the group.
           SECOND POLICE OFFICER
           ...He's been at his place of business all day.
                         
                          LARRY
           Any witnesses ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, b...
                         
           SECOND POLICE OFFICER
           Uh-huh, backed up and corroborated.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, but you didn't use our names, or anything like that,
           did you ?
                         
           SECOND POLICE OFFICER
           No, we didn't.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, okay.
           SECOND POLICE OFFICER
           I don't know. If you think you saw his wife, shouldn't you
           tell him ?
                         
                          CAROL
           No, I'm... No, I mean, he's in some sort of scheme, here.
           It's...
                         
           FIRST POLICE OFFICER
           We think you should calm down and file a report.
                         
                          CAROL
           It's not... Oh !
                         
           FIRST POLICE OFFICER
           This way, if anything turns up, we got it on record.
                         
          He gives his business card to Larry.
                         
                          CAROL
           All right.
                         
           FIRST POLICE OFFICER
           Take a card, give us a call, have a good day.
                         
                          CAROL
           Thank you. Thanks very much.
                         
           SECOND POLICE OFFICER
           Bye-bye.
                         
          The two police officers walk away with the uniformed policeman.
          Larry looks at the card in his hand.
                         
                          CAROL
           Thanks very much. Oh, man, I don't know how we're gonna...
                         
                          LARRY
           Jesus, I gotta have a drink. I gotta calm myself. I need
           fourteen Zanacks or something.
                         
                          CAROL
           Where is Ted ? I just don't understand where Ted is. I
           mean, you know, all this stuff is happening.
                         
          They start walking away on the sidewalk, while the police officers
          are climbing in their car.
                         
                          LARRY
           Ted ? Ted-Ted's, you know, he's got his date with Marcia
           Fox tonight. He's probably out buying some Spanish Fly.
                         
                          CAROL
           Do you think Helen Moss might be in on this ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Helen ? I don't know and...
                         
                          CAROL
           I think so.
                          LARRY
           I don't want to know about this. I think we should change
           our lives.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, think about it.
                         
                          LARRY
           We should move out of that stupid apartment, you know. You
           know, start over maybe in Mexico.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, no, no.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, sell blankets. We'll work off the hood of a car
           or something.
                         
          A CAFETERIA - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of a classical New-York cafeteria. Rows of table on
          either side of the room, each table surrounded by beige imitation-
          leather twin seats. Another row of table in the middle of the
          room, with chairs around them. Huge electrical fans hanging from
          the ceiling.
                         
          The camera pans on the left to a medium shot of the table around
          which Larry and Carol are seated. They are drinking beer.
                         
                          CAROL
           I'm just beginning to calm down.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm telling you, I didn't know what's happening. It was
           like one of those television shows, where you open the
           door, and you see a-a dead body. You know, I always hated
           those shows.
                          CAROL
           Yeah. You know, I've never seen a dead person before in my
           whole life.
                         
                          LARRY
           I... The only one I ever saw was my uncle Morris, who was
           ninety-four years old.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           He collapsed from too many lumps in his cereals.
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry, is this the most exciting thing that's ever happened
           to us in our whole marriage ?
                         
                          LARRY
           This is too exciting. I don't need this. You know, I like
           something quiet... like a fishing trip, a Father's day, you
           know, or, the time we saw Bing Crosby walking on 5th
           avenue. You know, I don't need a murder to enliven my life
           at all.
                         
                          CAROL
           You know, whoever did it was probably still in the room
           while we were there. Probably hiding in the closet.
                         
                          LARRY
           Make sure and tell me that just before I go to sleep,
           tonight. That'll be good for me.
                         
                          CAROL
           But you know, that probably means he saw us.
                         
                          LARRY
           Great, I'll never get my eyes closed. You know, I mean,
           what do you want me to do ? I'm petrified. Not only that,
           but I'm a little drunk.
                         
                          CAROL
           I wonder who was cremated. Who was it ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Well, it was... Well... You know, obviously, it wasn't Mr.
           House, because he has an alibi.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, yeah, but I don't buy that.
                         
                          LARRY
           She doesn't buy that. She doesn't buy the alibi. Let's get
           out of here. I want to go home.
                         
          NEW-YORK - STREET OUTSIDE THE WALDRON HOTEL - EXTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Full shot of Carol and Larry walking toward us. It is very dark
          and the sidewalks are wet from a recent rain.
                          LARRY
           Jesus, it's starting to rain again. Can you believe that ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God. If only Ted were with us, he'd have a million
           theories about this, I'll tell you that.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, I know. I know. Ted's got a mind like a steel sieve.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, right.
                         
          The camera hasn't moved, so now we get a medium shot of Larry and
          Carol. They have reached their car, and Carol walks around it to
          get into the passenger's seat.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know what I think ? I think it's possible. That hotel
           room was on the, on the ext... That end of the hall.
          The camera tilts up the facade of the Waldron Hotel.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           What ? Yeah ?
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           It's right up there. That's the room.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           I know.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Well, what if they got the body out over that little roof ?
           You know, that would be a possibility. Why would...
                         
          The two windows, which Larry is pointing at, suddenly get lit.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Ohhh !... What are the lights...
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Oh, Jesus.
                         
          The camera tilts back down to street level. Larry and Carol are
          around their car, ready to climb in.
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry, the lights !
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, that's eerie, isn't it ?
                         
                          CAROL
           My God. This gave me the chills, honey.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, well, let's call the police.
                          CAROL
           I mean... Oh, no, no, no. Come on. Let's go over there now.
           Let's check it out. Come on. We don't have time.
                         
                          LARRY
           Check it out ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yes.
                         
                          LARRY
           What, are you nuts ? No, I'm not gonna check that out.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, but look at it, Larry. Look at that. There's lights
           going on, there.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, I know, I know. That's crazy. Look, look. Why don't
           we go home and nap, and we'll call the police, and they can
           check it out while we're home in the... ?
          Carol walks away from the car toward the hotel.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, no, the police are red tape. Come on. This is my case,
           honey.
                         
          Larry catches up with her. The camera remains on the sidewalk,
          looking at the couple walking toward the hotel.
                         
                          LARRY
           What do you mean, it's your case ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yes, it's my case.
                         
                          LARRY
           Hey, come here. I don't want to do this.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, come on.
                         
                          LARRY
           No.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God. If only Ted were with us.
                         
                          LARRY
           Hey, don't give me Ted. Ted would be shaking in his boots.
                         
                          CAROL
           Ted... Oh, God.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm at least just trembling like a leaf.
                         
          They have reached the hotel and they are climbing the steps to the
          entrance of the hotel.
          HOTEL WALDRON - LOBBY - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Medium close shot on a window set in the wall of the lobby. Behind
          the window, the night clerk is sorting some paper. There is a
          grill in the window, to allow people to to talk to the clerk.
                         
          Carol and Larry walk to the window.
                         
                          CAROL
           Um, excuse me. We're with the Police department. We'd like
           to, uh, check out room, uh, six-eleven, please ?
                         
          Larry tries to play the part of the relaxed policeman doing his
          job, but he overdoes it and he looks more bizarre than serious.
                         
           HOTEL NIGHT CLERK
           You were here before.
                         
                          CAROL
           Uh, that's right. Yes. Mm-hm. Yeah.
           HOTEL NIGHT CLERK
           You are Police ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Ee... Ooh, um, just, uh-uh... Show him your card.
                         
                          LARRY
           My what ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Your-Your card. Your-Your Police identification card.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, I-I...
                         
                          CAROL
           Your card, you know. Your card. He's got his card.
                         
          Larry goes through the pockets of his jacket and gets the business
          card the police officer gave him. He shows it to the clerk and
          then slides it through a small rectangular hole at the bottom of
          the window. The clerk takes it and looks at it.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. See ?
                         
           HOTEL NIGHT CLERK
           Okay.
                         
          The clerk gives the card back to Carol.
                         
                          CAROL
           Thank you very much. Six-eleven ? Okay. Great.
                         
          The clerks goes and gets the key of the room. He gives it to
          Carol, who drops the card on the small counter under the window.
                         
           HOTEL NIGHT CLERK
           Is there any trouble ?
                         
                          LARRY
           No, no, no, no, no. I-m-I'm-I'm-I'm j... I'm-I'm ju...
           um... I'm a detective. They-They-They lowered the height
           requirements, so I... I'll take this card back. They-re,
           they're...
                         
          He takes the card from the counter and puts it back in the inside
          pocket of his jacket.
                         
                          CAROL
           Come on.
                         
                          LARRY
           ...expensive.
                         
          Carol walks toward the elevator and Larry follows her.
                         
          HOTEL WALDRON - SIXTH FLOOR HALLWAY - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          As before, the camera is located at one end of the long corridor,
          showing Larry and Carol at the other end of the corridor ready to
          enter Room 611. Larry keeps looking around while Carol is opening
          the door.
                         
          HOTEL WALDRON - ROOM 611 - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Full shot of the room with the door in the background. The door is
          opening slowly. Carol enters the room, followed by Larry
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay.
                         
                          LARRY
           Be careful.
                         
                          CAROL
           Telling me to be careful. Now, just don't upset anything.
           Okay, Larry ?
                         
          Larry closes the door.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm not upsetting anything. I just, you know, I'm just
           gonna leave a-a set of fingerprints around, so if there's a
           trial, we can get trapped.
                         
          The camera follows Carol and Larry moving around the room.
                         
                          CAROL
           All right, now look. The murderer must have, like, hid in
           this closet, right ?
                         
          Carol opens a closet.
                         
                          LARRY
           I don't like this.
                         
          Carol gives a quick peek inside the closet, and then closes it.
                          CAROL
           Right, and then he must have...
                         
                          LARRY
           Let's go. You know, I've got to get up early tomorrow. I've
           got to be in temple.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, he must have dragged the b... The body out, really
           fast. What ?
                         
          We hear a click coming from the door of the room.
                         
                          LARRY
           Shhh !...
                         
          Larry picks up a metal lamp from the floor and hides behind a
          closet in front of the door with Carol behind him. The door opens
          and the cleaning lady walks in with her bucket and things. Larry
          is ready to hit her, but, when he realizes who she is, he drops
          the lamp. The cleaning lady yells.
                          CLEANING LADY
           Ahhh !... Oh, Jesus! What...
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm... Didn't mea... I-I, oh, it's-
           It's-It's a...
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, hi.
                         
          Larry opens the door and pushes the lady out of the room.
                         
                          LARRY
           You don't have to turn the bed out. It's not necessary. And
           no-no-no croissants tomorrow for breakfast.
                         
          He takes some money out of his pocket and gives it to her.
                         
                          LARRY
           Here, here. Here, take this for yourself. I like the
           towels. Keep the little mints coming on the pillow, uh...
                         
          He closes the door.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, Jesus. Larry. I mean, really.
                         
                          LARRY
           Let's go. That's why the light was on. This is crazy, we're
           gonna get in trouble.
                         
                          CAROL
           Just a second, Larry. Let me just look around here, just a
           little bit.
                         
          Larry picks up the lamp which is broken in two pieces.
                          LARRY
           Oh, look. I did damage. I... Now. I'll be sued.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Oh ! Larry !
                         
                          LARRY
           That's what ?
                         
          Carol comes back to Larry, holding something small in her hand.
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry, look. Look. I thinks that's her wedding band, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           How do you know ?
                         
                          CAROL
           How do I know ? I saw it on her.
                         
                          LARRY
           You did ?
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           Jesus.
                         
                          CAROL
           I think so.
                         
                          LARRY
           So much for the police combing every inch of this place.
           Where did you find it ?
                         
                          CAROL
           I found it behind the door, right there.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, brother. Let's get out of here, come on. And take the
           ring with you. Maybe there's a pawnshop open.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay. Okay.
                         
          Larry opens the door and they walk out of the room.
                         
          HOTEL WALDRON - ELEVATOR CABIN - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Medium shot inside the cabin. The elevator is moving down.
                         
                          CAROL
           Didn't I tell you the police weren't thorough ? I mean they
           probably thought we were cranks, right ? I mean, we got no
           body, and... I mean, they must get fifty crisis calls a
           minute. Why would they bother with us ?
                         
                          LARRY
           I don't know. I just know, this is very deep stuff.
                          CAROL
           Just...
                         
                          LARRY
           We should not be here. I'm scared, this is creepy. You know
           what I mean ? This goes... this could be... Who knows who's
           involved in this ? This could go very deep, Carol. This
           could be like, you know, like with the Warren commission,
           or something. I don't like it.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, not the Warren Commission.
                         
          There is a loud noise and the elevator suddenly stops.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, my God !
                         
                          LARRY
           Jesus ! What is that ?
                          CAROL
           Wait a minute. Okay, all right, now look. All right. The-
           the elevator's probably stuck.
                         
                          LARRY
           Why are we stopping ? Why are we stopping ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Relax now, Larry.
                         
          Carol starts punching all the buttons on the control panel.
                         
                          LARRY
           Don't tell me to relax ! I'm-I'm-I'm a-a world-renowned
           claustrophobic.
                         
                          CAROL
           It's okay. It's okay, everything's going to be fine.
                         
                          LARRY
           Stop. Hit something.
                         
                          CAROL
           I am hitting it.
                         
                          LARRY
           I don't like this, I don't, I don't...
                         
                          CAROL
           I know, I know. It's okay.
                         
                          LARRY
           It's easy for you to say, but I can't breathe, I'm phobic.
                         
                          CAROL
           The-the idea is, there's plenty of air, in this elevator.
           Uh, Larry, relax. Now, if you just don't panic, okay ?
           Don't panic, all right ?
                          LARRY
           I'm not panicking, I'm not panicking, I'm...
                         
                          CAROL
           Now, just don't worry.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm just going to say the rosary, now.
                         
                          CAROL
           Somebody'll help us. Somebody's gonna help us. Somebody'll
           find us here. Hello !
                         
          She hits the door with the palms of her hands.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, I don't know, I don't like this.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hello !
                          LARRY
           Say something. Stop it.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hallo ! Hallo !
                         
                          LARRY
           I don't like this.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God, look just...
                         
          Larry is getting really hysterical, moving his hands nervously
          around him.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm running over a field, I see open meadows. I see a
           stallion.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yes, it's...
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm a stallion.
                         
                          CAROL
           Shh. Shut up, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           There's-There's a cool breeze passing over me.
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry, just shut up and calm down. Just, okay ? You're
           gonna be o...
                         
                          LARRY
           I see grass. I see dirt.
                          CAROL
           Larry, shut up ! Hallo ! Hallo !
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, you said, you said, «Act as a policeman».
                         
                          CAROL
           I know, yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           I said «No». You said «Pretend to be a policeman». You said
           «Show him your card». I said «What card».
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, wait a minute. I know what. Here, just... Larry,
           boost me up.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, I ca...
                         
          Carol points to the ceiling of the cabin.
                          CAROL
           Boost me up, and we'll get out there. We're gonna do it.
                         
                          LARRY
           I can't get through those things.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. Yes we can. I can do it. I can loosen it.
                         
                          LARRY
           It'll never open, they're painted shut.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, wait. No, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           They're-They're... They-They never, they... they never
           open.
                         
                          CAROL
           Come on. All right, put your hand together. Come on. Put
           your hand together.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm breathing.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, no, it's okay.
                         
                          LARRY
           I can't breathe. I can't breathe.
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry !
                         
                          LARRY
           I can't breathe. I can't breathe.
                          CAROL
           Larry, I mean, it's just... All I have to do is loosen
           that, okay.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm fainting because the-there's...
                         
          Carol takes Larry's hands and joins them together.
                         
                          CAROL
           All right, put your hand together. Put you hand together.
           Now give me a boost, okay ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Jesus !
                         
                          CAROL
           All right, you ready ?
                         
          She puts a foot on Larry's hands.
                         
                          CAROL
           Wait a second ! Wait, wait !
                         
          Close shot on Larry's distorted face. We see Carol's body going
          up.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Jesus, you've got to cut down on those rich desserts.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, wait a minute, now ! Oh, just wait ! Wait, wait !
                         
                          LARRY
           Let's go, my life is passing in front of my eyes. The worst
           part of it is, I'm driving a used car.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, now you'd think they'd loosen this stupid thing.
                         
          Medium close shot on the ceiling of the cabin. Carol is trying to
          open a trap above the ceiling lamp.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm scared.
                         
          The trap opens, and Lilian House's body comes out. Carol yells and
          falls down on the floor. The upper part of the body is hanging out
          of the trap, with its arms moving around.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, my God !
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, my God. It's her.
                         
          The camera tilts down to floor level and Larry and Carol.
                         
                          CAROL
           So that's where he hid her.
                          LARRY
           Oh, Jesus. Claustrophobia and a dead body. This is a
           neurotic's jackpot.
                         
          Suddenly, the lights switch off. The cabin is now pitch dark.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh ! Oh, Larry, hold on. I'm scared.
                         
          We hear the noise of the elevator starting again.
                         
                          LARRY
           We're going down.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God. What's happening ?
                         
                          LARRY
           We're going down.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God, press up ! Press up !
                         
                          LARRY
           Press up ? I can't see my hand. How can I press up ? Jesus.
                         
                          CAROL
           We must be heading for the basement, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           The basement. I want to get off in the mezzanine. I'm
           returning shoes. It's dark in here.
                         
          We hear the noise of the elevator door opening.
                         
                          CAROL
           What ? What are you doing ?
                         
          Apparently Carol has come out of the elevator.
                         
          HOTEL WALDRON - BASEMENT - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          This shot is supposed to be in the basement of the hotel, but
          since it is still pitch dark, we can't tell the difference.
                         
                          LARRY
           Where are you... I'm getting back on the elevator. I don't
           care.
                         
                          CAROL
           I don't know where... Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           I-I can't see anything.
                         
                          CAROL
           There's nothing out there. Wait a minute. What are you
           doing ?
          Larry lights a match, and we see his scared face lit by the flame
          of the match.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hey, what are you doing with matches ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Th-Th-These are my matches. I got them at...
                         
                          CAROL
           Wait a minute, what... When were you at the «Café des
           Artistes» ?
                         
          Larry blows the match, because it is burning his fingers.
                         
                          LARRY
           Look. I got... Yeah, I was with an author. An authoress.
           At-at the... At...
                         
                          CAROL
           At the «Café des Artistes» ?
                          LARRY
           Yeah, b... A French, a French authoress. An author.
                         
          He lights another match. We very dimly see the basement walls
          around them.
                         
                          CAROL
           Wait. Shh ! Shh ! Shh !
                         
                          LARRY
           Jesus.
                         
                          CAROL
           Try this way.
                         
          Medium full shot of Carol and Larry walking toward us in a
          corridor. Beside the light of the match, there is some other dim
          light coming from somewhere in the basement.
                         
                          LARRY
           I like a basement with-with knotty pine and a pool table.
           You know, where you can...
                         
                          CAROL
           Hey, look, look, look, look. Uh-huh.
                         
          They are now in close shot.
                         
                          LARRY
           What ? What ?
                         
                          CAROL
           What's this ?
                         
                          LARRY
           I... No, wait a minute. Not so fast. I don't like it here,
           it's dank.
          The camera turns around to follow them in the corridor.
                         
                          CAROL
           All right.
                         
                          LARRY
           And there's strange noises. I don't know what this is. I
           don't know. This...
                         
          We hear a loud metallic bang.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Jesus !
                         
                          CAROL
           Calm down.
                         
                          LARRY
           Calm down ? Don't tell me to calm down.
                         
                          CAROL
           There. Turn the light on.
          Larry switches the light on. They are in a room with beige walls.
          There are pots of paint stacked behind Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           This... Wh-Wh... I-I don't... What do you...
                         
                          CAROL
           Let me see.
                         
          Carol tries to open a door near Larry, but it is locked.
                         
                          CAROL
           Where... There. Oh. We're locked in here. What are you
           gonna do ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, relax, relax, relax. Don't... I'll break it down. Stand
           back.
                         
          Larry walks back a few steps and rushes on the door, trying to
          break it open.
                         
                          CAROL
           Careful, now.
                         
                          LARRY
           Don't worry. Just-Just give me a second.
                         
          He does it another time.
                         
                          CAROL
           Don't hurt yourself.
                         
                          LARRY
           Must be one of those new doors.
                         
                          CAROL
           Let's try out here.
                         
          Carol points to another room opening in the one they are in.
                         
          Carol and Larry are now walking in a lit corridor.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, my god. I keep hearing noises.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh. What's down there ?
                         
          Carol walks rapidly toward a dark section of the corridor. The
          camera follows her.
                         
                          LARRY
           Where ? Where you... Where are you going ? Don't leave me.
                         
                          CAROL
           Let me see. It's okay. What ? Oh !
                         
          She has reached a door with a barred window showing the street
          outside.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. I think this is it. I think this is the service
           entrance.
                         
          She tries to open the door, but it is a bit stuck.
                         
                          LARRY
           Well, come on.
                         
                          CAROL
           I'm trying.
                         
                          LARRY
           Come on, get it open.
                         
          Carol succeeds in opening the door.
                         
                          CAROL
           I got it. I got it.
                         
                          LARRY
           Go into a trot.
                         
          They rush outside.
                         
          NEW-YORK - STREET OUTSIDE THE WALDRON HOTEL - EXTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Long shot on the dark street. At a distance, we see a man putting
          a large oblong-shaped parcel in the trunk of a car. The man looks
          very much like Paul.
                         
          The camera pans around to give us a reverse-angle medium shot of
          Carol and Larry coming out of the basement of the hotel. They
          stopped in the middle of the short staircase.
                         
                          CAROL
           Wait ! Wait ! Did you see that ?
                         
                          LARRY
           What ?
                         
                          CAROL
           It looks like somebody's putting a body into a car.
                         
                          LARRY
           Jesus.
                         
                          CAROL
           I swear. Look. It's got a white sheet on it.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yes.
                         
                          CAROL
           Right... Yeah. Come on.
                         
          Carol walks on to the sidewalk, followed by a very frightened
          Larry.
                          LARRY
           It is. Oh, brother.
                         
          The camera pans back around to give us a reverse-angle shot of the
          car leaving the curb of the street.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Let's-Let's-Let's get out of here. Let's get out of here.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Oh, my God. Wait. No, look ! Let's-Let's follow him. Come
           on.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           No, no, no, no.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Yeah, no. Come on.
                         
          The camera pans back around again to give a reverse-angle medium
          long shot of Carol and Larry running toward their car.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm not going to follow. I'm not gonna... I don't wanna
           follow him.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, let's follow it. I swear, there was a body in that car.
                         
                          LARRY
           I know, I saw that there was a...
                         
                          CAROL
           Larry !
                         
                          LARRY
           I don't wanna follow a car with a body in it.
                          CAROL
           Come on, hurry up. Hurry up !
                         
                          LARRY
           It's-It's probably-It's probably a rented car.
                         
          They have reached their car and they start climbing into it, Larry
          still on the driver's side.
                         
                          CAROL
           There ! Oh !
                         
                          LARRY
           And a rented body.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hurry up. Come on.
                         
          They slam the doors, switch the headlights on and start.
                         
          NEW-YORK - AERIAL OVERVIEW OF BROOKLYN BRIDGE - EXTERIOR NIGHT
          The camera starts with the interchange at one end of the bridge,
          then pans to the bridge itself. At this early hour of the night,
          the bridge still has a lot of traffic moving on it. Then the
          camera moves down to get a closer look of the traffic on the
          bridge.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           Oh, Jesus. I-I can't c... I can't follow his car.
                         
          The camera follows the moving traffic on the bridge, and certainly
          also follows Larry's car, even though, from this height, we can't
          tell which car it is.
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           Well, he's right up ahead. He's right there.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           Where, up ahead ? I don't know which car I'm following
           here. I... You know, I'm not a good driver. I can't chase
           somebody in a car. I'm gonna have an accident. I'm, you
           know, I'll-I'll-I'll wind up hitting a school bus or
           something.
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           Look, it's nighttime. There's no school buses at night-
           time.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           Don't tell me that. What about night school ?
                         
          LARRY'S CAR - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Long shot of the road taken from inside Larry's car. They pass the
          «15W» exit.
                         
          NEW-YORK - INDUSTRIAL PARK - EXTERIOR NIGHT
          Long shot inside an industrial park, somewhere on the outskirts of
          New-York. Larry's car drives slowly inside the park, coming toward
          us. There is no one else at this time of the night. The place is
          lit by a few lampposts, and there is smoke behind Larry's car.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           You have no sense of direction. I was...
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           Well, not exactly. Twenty-twenty vision.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           You have no sense of direction.
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           Not exactly. But anyway... No, I do have a sense of
           direction. He came right here.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           Where the hell are we ? What is this ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           I-I don't know why here.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           I don't know, but...
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           There it is !
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           What ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           There's his car. Right there.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           How do you know it's his car ?
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           That's his car.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           Oh, it is his car.
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           It is his.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           Yes. Yes. Yes.
                         
           CAROL (voice over from inside the car)
           Well, of course.
                         
          The car stops.
                         
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           Okay, let me turn the light off.
                         
          The car headlights switch off.
           LARRY (voice over from inside the car)
           Be careful, be careful, be careful.
                         
          They both get out of the car, and they start walking toward the
          place where Carol saw the other car.
                         
          They reach the other car surrounded by huge piles of metal scrap.
          The car and the scenery around it are lit by a powerful red light.
          Carol and Larry run toward the place where the red light comes
          from. It is inside a huge building. But they don't go inside the
          building and, instead, keep on running along the building.
                         
          Medium shot on Larry and Carol. Carol stops Larry and points at
          something.
                         
                          CAROL
           Look, look !
                         
          The camera pans to the thing Carol was pointing at. A body, half-
          wrapped in a white sheet, is being lifted by a huge electromagnet.
           LARRY (voice over)
           Oh, my God ! It's Mrs. House's body !
                         
          Reverse high-angle shot on Larry and Carol, as if they were seen
          from the magnet.
                         
                          LARRY
           Come on ! We gotta stop it before it gets dropped.
                         
          Larry takes Carol's hand and runs toward the magnet.
                         
          Reverse angle long shot on a group of workers in the background.
          Then the camera pans to a reverse angle medium shot on Larry and
          Carol coming out between rows of huge heavy-duty bags.
                         
          Reverse angle medium shot on a huge cauldron full of hot melted
          metal. A huge pair of metal jaws is dropping metal scraps into the
          cauldron. Among the metal scraps, we see Mrs. House's body
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, my God.
                         
          The camera zooms to a close shot on the cauldron.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Good bye, Mrs. House.
                         
          Reverse angle shot on Larry and Carol. Then reverse angle long
          shot on the cauldron. A lot of bright sparks are coming out of the
          cauldron.
                         
          Long shot on the building. Larry and Carol are coming out of the
          building. They start running toward the camera. The camera pans
          around to a medium shot on Paul's car. Through the windshield, we
          see Paul behind the wheel, lit by the red light coming from the
          melted metal. He starts the car and drives away.
                         
          The camera pans around toward Carol and Larry, still running - too
          late - toward Paul's car.
                         
                          LARRY
           That was Mr. House ! That was definitely Mr. House.
                         
                          CAROL
           What are we gonna do ?
                         
          They run after the departing car.
                         
          NEW-YORK - LARRY'S RESIDENCE STREET - EXTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Full shot of Larry's car. He has just parked it, and Carol and he
          are coming out of it.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm gonna call the Police, now.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, Larry, and tell them what ?
                         
                          LARRY
           And get them...
                         
                          CAROL
           I mean, this guy...
                         
                          LARRY
           What are we...
                         
          Larry has walked around the car and joins Carol on the sidewalk.
                         
                          CAROL
           You know, he's got proof his wife died of a heart attack
           two weeks ago. We've got no body. We've got nothing, Larry.
                         
          Larry looks away from her and puts his hand on his mouth, as if
          frightened by something
                         
                          LARRY
           Ohhh !...
                         
                          CAROL
           What ? What ? What's wrong ? What? Oh !...
                         
          The camera turns around Larry and Carol and, located now behind
          Larry's back, gives us a full shot of the entrance of Larry's
          building.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
                         
          Paul and Gladys Dalton, Paul's assistant at his movie house, are
          coming out of the building. Paul tuns his head around and sees
          Carol and Larry.
                         
                          PAUL
           Hallo, there.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hey.
                         
                          PAUL
           How are you ?
                         
                          CAROL
           H-How are you ?
                         
                          PAUL
           May I introduce Gladys Dalton, my gal Friday ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Mrs. D... How are you ? Nice to see you.
                         
          Carol and Larry shake hands with Gladys.
                         
                          PAUL
           This is Larry and Carol, my neighbors.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yes.
                          GLADYS
           Nice to see you.
                         
                          PAUL
           We were just watching Madame Bovary. Wonderful.
                         
                          GLADYS
           Such a sad story.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, it is. We, you know...
                         
                          LARRY
           She-She-She gets cremated. She gets killed at the end.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
                          PAUL
           Yeah. Listen you gotta stop up for a drink before I go on
           my trip.
                         
                          CAROL
           Love to.
                         
                          PAUL
           See you later.
                         
                          CAROL
           See you later.
                         
                          PAUL
           Oh, incidentally, if you hear of anybody who needs an
           apartment, I think I may be moving.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, well, it...
                          PAUL
           See you later. Come on, Gladys.
                         
          He puts his hand on Gladys' shoulder and start walking away with
          her.
                         
                          CAROL
           What a shame.
                         
                          PAUL
           Good night.
                         
                          CAROL
           Good night.
                         
          The camera follows the departing couple, Gladys still walking with
          the help of a cane.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Medium shot of Larry and Carol, sitting in their bed. They've
          already put on their nightclothes and they have a last talk before
          going to sleep.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, Jesus. What a day, huh ? I can't figure it out. It's
           got to be that either he's a...
                         
                          CAROL
           What ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Either she's a twin, or he's a twin.
                         
                          CAROL
           He... He...
                         
                          LARRY
           Or they're multiple personalities, or you're a twin or I'm
           a twin.
                         
          Carol laughs.
                         
                          LARRY
           Because I don't know what's going on.
                         
                          CAROL
           You're nuts.
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, look.
                         
                          CAROL
           Wait, wait, yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           Let me be logical about this.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, she's not a twin. We know she's not a twin.
                          LARRY
           Hey.
                         
                          CAROL
           What are you talking about, Larry ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Stay calm. I want to try and puzzle this out.
                         
                          CAROL
           I'm calm, Larry. Okay, but okay, she's a twin, she's not a
           twin. I mean, now you're saying we are twins ? What are
           you, nuts? Okay, I'm calm. I'm calm, okay.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, I'm going to be logical.
                         
                          CAROL
           All right, all right.
                         
                          LARRY
           The, um, the first thing is this.
                         
                         FLASHBACK SCENE
          LARRY'S LANDING - HALLWAY - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          The door of the elevator opens. Inside the cabin, Larry and Carol
          are smiling and talking.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           We came home that night. There had been a heart attack.
                         
          Some neighbors are gathered around Paul's apartment door. Larry
          asks them questions.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Uh, what if they induced it ? You know, some kind of
           poison. We never saw the body.
                         
          The camera pans inside Paul's corridor, where Mrs. House's body,
          completely covered by a white sheet, is lying dead on a stretcher
          with the doctor and the emergency medical team around her.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           You know, it had to be some other woman. You know, some-
           some woman who probably had some kind of ballpark
           resemblance to Mrs. House.
                         
          The camera pans around to the group of neighbors standing in the
          hallway.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           The super says he saw her, but, uh, he's a drunk, you know.
           Mrs. House could have been hiding.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Back to Larry and Carol sitting in their bed.
                          LARRY
           But you-you remember that you heard a noise that night.
           That had to be Mrs. House leaving to check into the hotel.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. Yeah. Well...
                         
                          LARRY
           I can't sleep. I just, I...
                         
                          CAROL
           No, wait a minute, wait.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm too, you know... I'm too...
                         
                          CAROL
           But it doesn't make any sense at all, Larry, because
           suddenly, you know, he murders her. I mean, what's it all
           about ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Let me, let me call Vincent's restaurant in New Jersey...
           and why don't we go meet Ted and Marcia and get something
           to eat, and talk with them.
                         
                          CAROL
           Wait a minute. At one in the morning ? What are you talking
           about ? You mean... You wanna...
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, so what ? So what ? It's so, you know, Ted-Ted was
           taking her to a show and to-to-to dinner... so they'll be
           there.
                         
                          CAROL
           All the way out to New Jersey...
                         
                          LARRY
           So, hey, kid, this is the apple. This is the town that
           never sleeps. That's why we don't live in Duluth. That,
           plus I don't know where Duluth is.
                         
          He picks up the phone on his night table.
                         
                          LARRY
           Lucky me.
                         
          VINCENT'S RESTAURANT - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Vincent's is a nice cosy place, with dim lights, tasteful
          decorations, and light piano music.
                         
          Full shot of a table with the four customer seen in profile. Larry
          is seated next to Marcia, and across from his wife. Ted is seated
          next to Carol. During the following conversation, the camera moves
          around the table.
                         
                          TED
           Uh, you really saw his face ?
                          CAROL
           Yes. Oh, yes, I'm here to tell you...
                         
                          TED
           You saw, you saw what he looked like ? No question. You
           know exactly who it is.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, no question about it. It was-It was Mr. House. There
           was no... Not a, not a question. I mean, you could see him
           because, uh, you know, there was-there was just no way that
           you could avoid it. He was right there.
                         
          The camera stops on Marcia and thus stops moving around the table.
                         
                          MARCIA
           To me, it's obvious.
                         
                          LARRY
           Wh... How do you see it ?
                          TED
           How obvious ? What do you mean ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           Obvious he's committed the perfect murder.
                         
                          LARRY
           What do you mean ?
                         
                          TED
           What ? How ? What do you mean ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           Okay, look. You have to start off with another woman who
           bears some ballpark resemblance to Mrs. House.
                         
                          TED
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           That's what I said. That's exac... I used the term
           «ballpark resemblance» myself.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know. You used the term, right.
                         
                          LARRY
           It was my idea. I said what she said.
                         
                          MARCIA
           They're with this woman.
                         
                          TED
           Yeah.
                         
                         FLASHBACK SCENE
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
          Paul and another woman, that looks like his wife, are seated
          around a table, having dinner. Lilian House gives a glass of wine
          to the woman, then another one to Paul, and kisses him on the
          forehead.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Maybe having dinner. They don't induce a heart attack,
           because that's fiction bullshit.
                         
          Later. The woman has a hard attack. Paul helps her to walk to the
          sofa.
           MARCIA (voice over)
           She has a heart attack. She drops dead spontaneously.
           They had no thought of killing her. Maybe they wished she
           was dead.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Why ?
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           I don't know. Maybe they stood to gain if she died. They
           see a golden opportunity.
          Later. Lilian, wearing a pink night-robe, is dressing the dead
          woman, lying on the sofa, into her own clothes.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Mrs. House dresses her up in her clothes. She hides.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           This is my theory. Exactly my theory.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           That's right. She checks into a hotel.
                         
          VINCENT'S RESTAURANT - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Back to the restaurant. Long shot on the table. All the other
          tables are empty. The camera zooms to a full shot of the table,
          Marcia and Larry facing us, and Carol and Ted with their back to
          us.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, well, we got that far, with the exception of the
           actual spontaneous heart attack.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Okay, you know the husband's planning to go to Paris with
           this pretty young woman.
                         
                          TED
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah.
                         
                          MARCIA
           He's cheating on his wife.
                         
                          TED
           Yeah.
                         
                          MARCIA
           So, instead of finishing the scheme they planned, he
           double-crosses her and kills her, taking her share of the
           profits.
                         
                          TED
           Well, you think, you think Helen Moss is in on this, too,
           huh ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           Yeah, a good chance she's aware.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, but what about Mrs. Dalton ? He claims he took her to
           the movies.
                         
                          MARCIA
           She's his alibi. She covered for him when he strangled his
           wife. She said he was at work all day.
                          LARRY
           That's right, because he introduced her as a colleague.
                         
          Marcia lights a cigarette.
                         
                          TED
           Wait, why... Why would she...
                         
                          MARCIA
           She's a colleague who maybe loves him.
                         
                          TED
           Oh, wait, wait. He's cheating on her, too.
                         
                          LARRY
           Cheating on two women ?
                         
                          TED
           Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's perfect. Just, it all fits.
                         
                          LARRY
           The guy doesn't look the part.
                         
                          MARCIA
           The point is, he's gotten away with the perfect murder.
           There are no bodies around to prove anything. And all the
           paperwork is strictly above board. He's home free.
                         
                          TED
           Oh, my... Oh, where did you find this woman ? She's a
           genius.
                         
                          LARRY
           She's brilliant. She's brilliant. But the guy... He knows
           that we know, so if he knows we're on him.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Well, he doesn't care. Why should he ? Everything's been
           neatly disposed of. He's home free. Only he, and maybe his
           mistress, know the truth.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, j...
                         
                          LARRY
           She's right, there's no body.
                         
                          CAROL
           Hold on, hold on, for a second. We don't know this is all
           true. This is just a theory.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, but it's a great theory. Have you been paying
           attention ? This is a great theory.
                         
                          TED
           Oh, yeah. It sounds good, it holds water. Everything fits
           together in this.
                         
                          CAROL
           I am paying attention.
                         
                          LARRY
           I think it's great.
                         
                          MARCIA
           When I come back from the ladies room, I'll tell you how to
           trap him.
                         
          She stands up and starts walking away to the toilets. Larry and
          Ted stand up too. They wait for her to be gone to sit back.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, excuse me.
                         
                          TED
           Where-Where did you find her ? She's-She's-She's really
           something.
                         
                          LARRY
           Her mind, it just goes.
                         
                          TED
           Yeah, she's got one idea after another. It's like one thing
           leads to another.
                         
                          LARRY
           Fantastic.
                         
          Close shot on Carol.
                         
                          CAROL
           I'm surprised you two didn't drool yourself to death.
                         
          The camera zooms back to a medium shot on Carol and Ted.
                         
                          TED
           Oh, I thought we just had a nice first date. That's...
           LARRY (voice over)
           I knew that they would hit it off.
                         
                          CAROL
           Why? Uh-huh. Yeah. Him.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           I-I-I knew this.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, uh-huh. What about you ? You were gonna jump into her
           lap. I saw you, Larry.
                         
          The camera moves around the table to a medium shot on Larry, with
          Ted and Carol's backs in the foreground.
                         
                          LARRY
           What are you talking about ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Huh ?
                          LARRY
           I'm, I'm, huh, what's wrong with you ? I'm her editor. I'm-
           I'm a father figure to her, how...
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, the only thing you didn't do is rub your hands
           together. That was it.
                         
                          LARRY
           You gotta be joking. What... are you telling me that you're
           jealous of Marcia ?
                         
                          CAROL
           I... Well. It's not that I'm jealous.
                         
                          TED
           Kids, kids. People, what are we doing, here?
                         
          The camera pans to a medium close shot on Carol.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, look who's talking. My God, I mean, you kept staring
           into her eyes like she was the Dragon Lady, or something.
                         
          The camera slightly zooms back to show us Larry and Carol
                         
                          LARRY
           What'd wrong with you ? You're jealous because he's-he's
           interested in her.
                         
                          TED
           I'm interested in her theory. What... I don't... What are
           you...
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, I'd just like to know if you take all your-your
           authors to lunch at the Café des...
          Marcia walks back to the table.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Okay, I've got it.
                         
          She sits down, while Larry half-stands up and then sits back.
          Close shot on Marcia
                         
                          MARCIA
           Here's the story. Since he's gotten away with it, all we
           can do is bluff. As long as we have no body, we have no
           case.
                         
          The camera pans to Ted.
                         
                          TED
           What... What do you mean ? What do we... We pretend that he
           slipped up, and the molten steel didn't do the job ? What-
           What do you mean ?
                         
          The camera pans back to Marcia.
                          MARCIA
           Yeah, it's possible. He saw you there, he knows you're onto
           him. After he ran away, why couldn't you have retrieved the
           body ?
                         
                          LARRY
           You're kidding. I... We couldn't have gotten her out of
           that. We... I would have wound up with a few toes and a
           shoulder, maybe, at most.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Well, that's... Okay, okay, you have the body. What does he
           know ? He was probably too scared to be very lucid.
                         
          The camera pans to Ted, who looks at Marcia with worshipping eyes.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           He's an amateur. He dumped the body and ran off, and then
           somehow - who knows the details, you two dug her out. Now,
           you can send him to the chair.
                         
                          CAROL
           Okay, okay, just...
                         
                          TED
           I like this woman, she's lurid.
                         
                          CAROL
           Let me tell you why he's not going to believe us, okay ?
                         
          The camera pans on Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, first of all, because I can't, I can't bluff or lie
           without giggling, so-so...
                         
          The camera pans to Carol.
                          CAROL
           Yeah. No, because if we really had the body, why tell him ?
           Why not go straight to the Police ?
                         
          The camera pans to Marcia.
                         
                          MARCIA
           If you tell the cops, you can't shake him down.
                         
          Medium shot on another table, around which two middle-aged men are
          seated, listening very eagerly to the conversation.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Oh, she's wicked. Oh, I-look... look how, look how this
           works out. You go to the law, what do you gain ?
                         
          Medium close shot on Ted and Carol.
                         
                          TED
           I mean, so-so maybe they, you know, they put him in jail.
           What have you got ? You haven't got anything.
           LARRY (voice over)
           Right.
                         
                          TED
           But if he wants the evidence, and he's got to pay for it,
           now... Okay, now he's nervous, right ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah, you know, wait. There's just so many fallacies in
           this, I can't even count them.
                         
          The camera pans to Marcia and Larry.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           What ? Name one.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Name one? Okay, the guy looks us straight in the eyes and
           says, «What body? What the hell are you talking about ?
           Prove it».
                         
                          MARCIA
           Well, that's when we keep bluffing.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           What ? How ? What do we do ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           We produce the body.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yeah, but where are you gonna get it. Madame Tussaud's ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           Yeah. Say-Say we found someone to corroborate this story.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Oh, really. J-Just...
                         
                          MARCIA
           Someone he trusted.
                         
          The camera pans to Ted and Carol.
                         
                          CAROL
           Like who ?
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Like his lover. Say she called and said, «Paul, I've just
           seen Lillian's body. They want a hundred thousand dollars
           for it».
                         
                          TED
           Why-Why would she do that ?
                         
          The camera pans to Marcia and Larry.
                         
           MARCIA (to Larry)
           Remember that book you recommended to me ? «Murder in
           Manhattan» ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, yes. Max Schindler's book. That's right, the phone
           call.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           I don't remember that book.
                         
                          LARRY
           This is perfect.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           You never mentioned that book to me.
                         
                          LARRY
           No, no. Because you don't like light reading, so I never...
                         
          The camera pans to Ted and Carol.
                         
                          CAROL
           Since when did I not like light reading, Larry ?
                         
                          TED
           I don't know... I don't know this book. What is this book ?
                         
          The camera pans to Larry and Marcia.
                         
                          LARRY
           This book. That's fantastic ! It would be so perfect
           because s-she's a, she's a-an, actress, or would-be
           actress, anyhow, and you're-you-re... Jeez, we could use
           his theatre. He's a playwright. This is so perfect. Your
           theatre is empty all the time, anyhow.
                         
          The camera pans to Carol and Ted.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God.
                         
                          TED
           Oh, yeah, thank you. That's great. What-What are we talking
           about here ? What-What do you mean ? What-What is this ?
                         
          The camera pans to Larry and Marcia.
                         
                          LARRY
           Listen to this. What you do is, we get her in for a fake
           audition, and you write some lines that don't mean
           anything.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           And she does them, and she doesn't know what she's doing
           and we tape-record it.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Uh...
                          LARRY
           Listen to this.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           I'm listening.
                         
                          LARRY
           And we edit it up. We edit the tape recording up, and we
           make one end of a phone call...
                         
          The camera pans to Ted and Carol.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           ...and we play it into the phone to Mr. House.
                         
                          TED
           This is in the book ?
                         
          The camera pans to Larry and Marcia.
                         
                          LARRY
           This is perfect, list...
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Oh, come on. No, that could never, ever work, in a million
           years. You don't know what he's going to say.
                         
          The camera pans to Ted and Carol.
                         
                          CAROL
           What's he gonna say ?
                         
          The camera pans to Marcia and Larry.
                         
                          MARCIA
           In the book, they use several tape recorders.
           CAROL (voice over)
           In the book ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           We coordinate it.
                         
                          LARRY
           It's coordinated.
                         
          The camera pans to Ted and Carol.
                         
                          CAROL
           In the book. You mean, you're basing your plan on some dumb
           paperback ?
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           This is great. This is great.
                         
                          CAROL
           I s... No, really.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           I like... No, it's great.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh.
                         
          The camera pans to Marcia and Larry.
                         
                          MARCIA
           He's gotten away with murder. Our only chance is to nab him
           as he tries to kill again, cover his tracks.
                         
          Medium shot on the two waiters, standing on either side of the
          counter, and listening to the conversation.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           It's great. What happens, is... it provokes him to kill
           again. They catch him the second time.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Exactly. He's gotten away with the first murder.
                         
          Medium close shot on Carol and Ted.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           You know what I'm thinking, though ?
                         
          The camera pans to Marcia and Larry.
                         
                          MARCIA
           What ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Actually, in the book what happens is, now that I think of
           it, he... he kills the... the two people that are working
           the scheme on him.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Yeah, that's all right.
           CAROL (voice over)
           But...
                         
           TED (voice over)
           But you're not worried about that.
                         
                          LARRY
           Um, well, I don't know.
                         
                          MARCIA
           It's perfect.
                         
                          LARRY
           Either that, or I've... I've just developed Parkinson's.
                         
          The camera zooms back, to show us the four people around the
          table.
                         
                          TED
           No, we can handle him. We can handle him. Listen, this is
           incredible. This is an incredible idea.
                          MARCIA
           It's perfect. It's perfect. He knows you're onto him. You
           shake him down.
                         
                          CAROL
           No, no.
                         
                          MARCIA
           He comes after you, we nab him.
                         
          The camera stops zooming back and gives us a full shot on the
          table.
                         
                          TED
           That's great. It's great. You're wonderful. I just... I'm
           amazed.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Yeah.
                         
                          CAROL
           I... I just...
                         
                          MARCIA
           It's either that, or he walks.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah. Yeah, wait. I... So, what you're saying is...
                         
                          TED
           This is great.
                         
                          CAROL
           Wait, no, okay... What you're saying... Oh boy. You're
           saying, you want to provoke Mr. House into trying to murder
           Larry and me.
                          MARCIA
           Yeah. It's perfect. You're not scared, are you ?
                         
                          LARRY
           No, no, no, no, no, I'm not scared. I'm not scared. I'm
           just turning it over in my mind. I just want to check with
           my clergyman before we commit.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot on Helen Moss, making a phone call from an open booth
          in the street. While she is talking, the camera comes closer to
          her, to a medium close shot on her face.
                         
                          HELEN
           Hi, uh, B-twenty-four messages ? Oh, really ? Audition for
           what ? Did he say ? Okay, okay. Wait, hold on.
                         
          She looks into her purse and gets her agenda out of it.
                         
                          HELEN
           Let me get a pencil. Okay.
          TED'S THEATRE - STAGE - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full slightly high-angled shot on the stage. In the middle of the
          stage floor, a white circle, on which there is a chair and a small
          table with a telephone. Suzanne Raphael, a young woman, is
          auditioning. She is seated on the chair, holding the telephone.
          Behind Suzanne, which is the left side of the stage seen from the
          audience, a white wall, with a doorless opening. On either side of
          the wall, two red columns. And on either side of the girl, which
          are the front and the back of the stage, two red metallic frames.
          In front of the girl, a video camera on a tripod, with an operator
          standing behind the camera. Actually, the operator is Sy, Larry
          and Carol's friend, whom we have seen much earlier in the film, in
          the antique market and at Elaine's restaurant. The stage is well
          lit, when the audience hall is in the dark.
                         
                          SUZANNE
           Yeah, well, Dad, you know, I've heard just about enough of
           this.
                         
          She slams the phone down. The camera pans around to show us the
          right side of the stage, where there is several rows of theatre
          seats and a table in front of the seats. Ted, Marcia and Marilyn
          are seated in the front row. Marilyn is Sy's wife, whom we have
          also seen earlier in the film. Carol is seated in the second row,
          behind Marcia.
                         
                          TED
           Good, that's great. Thank you, Suzanne. Thank you.
                         
                          MARCIA
           We'll let you know. That's Suzanne Raphael, right ?
                         
                          TED
           Yeah. Good, thank you.
                         
          Carol taps on Marilyn's shoulder, and whispers something to her.
          Ted joins them in their whispered conversation. The camera pans
          back on the stage. Larry, with a clipboard in his hand, has
          entered the stage, pushing Helen in front of him.
                         
                          LARRY
           This is Helen Moss.
                         
                          HELEN
           Hi, there.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Hi, there.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Hi.
                         
                          HELEN
           Hi.
                         
          Medium close shot on Ted, who stands up, and walks toward the
          stage. The camera follows him.
                          TED
           Uh, have you, uh... I know, I know you just got the
           material, uh, you know, just in the... last little while,
           but... uh, h-have you had a chance to-to study it ? To go
           over it, a little bit ?
                         
          The camera pans to a medium close shot of Helen.
                         
                          HELEN
           Yes, yes. Uh, I have, but, um, I have just a few questions.
                         
                          TED
           Sure , yeah.
                         
          The camera moves slightly, and is now located behind Ted's back,
          still with Helen in medium close shot.
                         
                          HELEN
           Is she divorced, in this ?
                         
                          TED
           Uh, yes. Yes.
                         
                          HELEN
           Uh, recently ?
                         
                          TED
           Yes. Yeah. But she's, uh, very, highly emotional.
                         
                          HELEN
           Yeah.
                         
                          TED
           You know really... uh, lot of... Lot of feeling. Very
           strong.
                         
                          HELEN
           Oh.
                          TED
           Hm ?
                         
                          HELEN
           Should I just begin ?
                         
                          TED
           Yeah, just... Whenever, you know, whenever you feel it.
           Whenever you feel into it.
                         
          Ted walks away. Helen takes a very deep breathing, sits down, puts
          her hands trough her hair, takes another breathing, and picks up
          the phone handset from the telephone on the table. She overdoes it
          a lot, trying to act as the prima dona she is not.
                         
                          HELEN
           Yeah, okay.
                         
          She dials a fake number on the phone keyboard.
                         
                          HELEN
           Hello, Joe ? I-I was just... I...
                         
           TED (voice over)
           Uh, let me stop you right there.
                         
          Helen looks in Ted's direction.
                         
           TED (voice over)
           I'm sorry, I... uh, if you'll be... if you'll start out
           more frightened... then that'll take you where you're gonna
           go.
                         
                          HELEN
           Right, right.
                         
          She breathes deeply before starting again.
                         
                          HELEN
           Hello, Joe ? I can't talk much, now, and if I sound
           strange, don't get alarmed.
                         
          Later. Helen is auditioning another scene. She doesn't have the
          phone in her hand any more. She is holding a script and looking at
          it. Larry is seated in front of her, and read his own script on
          his clipboard.
                         
                          HELEN
           Give me your hand. Hold on. Try not to fall. Hold on.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm trying, I'm trying.
                         
                          HELEN
           Quickly ! Hurry !
                         
          Later. Close shot of Helen's face auditioning another scene.
                         
                          HELEN
           They're asking two hundred thousand dollars for it. Yeah.
           They say it's Monet, but I say it's a fake.
                         
          Medium shot of Helen, seen from behind. We see Sy standing behind
          his camera on her right, and Larry standing with his clipboard in
          his hand on her left. In the background, Ted, Marcia, Marilyn and
          Carol listening to her. While Helen is talking, the camera moves
          backward through the opening in the scenery.
                         
                          HELEN
           Ever since Joe came home from Vietnam, he's cast a pall on
           everything. A dark cloud, a pall.
                         
          A BUILDING - EXTERIOR NIGHT.
                         
          Full shot on the upper level of a building, that could be either
          Ted's theatre of Sy's workshop. The camera tilts down to street
          level.
                         
          SY'S WORKSHOP - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          We are inside Sy's workshop. It is full of very high-tech video
          and audio equipment.
                         
          Medium shot of Marilyn standing behind a computer. Close to her,
          Carol is seated on a table, and Ted is standing next to her. They
          are both looking at a large video monitor. On the monitor screen
          and on the computer screen, we see the same picture of Helen
          auditioning with the telephone in her hand.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Hello, Joe ? I can't talk much, right now...
                         
          The camera pans to Marcia, seated behind Carol and also looking at
          the monitor. Behind her, Sy is looking at another monitor, and
          manipulating some switches on an editing machine underneath the
          monitor. Larry is standing next to him.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           ... and if I sound strange, don't get alarmed.
                         
          Sy rewinds the video tape.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Hello, Joe ? I can't talk much right now.
                         
          Sy fast winds the tape.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Hello, Joe ? Ever since Joe came back from Vietnam...
                         
          Close shot on Ted's face, then the camera pans to Carol and
          Marcia, seated one behind the other, and behind them, Sy working
          on the editing machine, with Larry standing next to him. The
          camera zooms on Sy.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           ... he's cast a pall on everything. A dark cloud, a pall.
                         
          Sy rewinds the tape.
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           A pall.
                         
          Sy rewinds the tape.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Pall.
                         
          Sy rewinds the tape.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Pall.
                         
          Slightly later. Medium close shot of Ted looking at something we
          don't see, with Marcia standing next to him.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Hello, Joe ?
                         
          The camera pans to Carol standing up and looking at the same thing
          as Ted. We hear Helen's voice distorted by Sy's editing machine.
           HELEN'S VOICE (distorted)
           Hello, Joe.
                         
          The camera pans back on Ted and Marcia, then it pans to a close
          shot of a big high-tech tape recorder, on which Sy is working. We
          see his hands cutting off a short section of the audio tape, and
          gluing back the two severed ends of the tape together.
                         
          Full shot of the room. In the foreground, Sy is working on his
          tape recorder. On his right, Larry is standing and looking at him.
          On his left, Marilyn also looking at him. Behind him, Carol, Ted
          and Marcia, all looking at him.
                         
                          TED
           It's so...
                         
          The camera zooms on Ted and Marcia.
                         
          Close up shot on the tape recorder. Sy starts it.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Hello, Paul ? I can't talk much, right now...
                         
          The camera tilts up from the tape recorder to a medium shot on Ted
          and Marcia. Ted smiles when he hears the work Sy has done with the
          tape.
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           ... and if I sound strange, don't get alarmed.
                         
                          MARCIA (SMILING)
           Perfect.
                         
          She shakes hands with Larry.
                         
                          TED
           That's great.
          He also shake hands with Larry, moving slightly Carol out of the
          way.
                         
                          MARCIA
           You did great. Great.
                         
          Larry suddenly notices that Carol has been excluded from the hand-
          shaking party, and he turns around toward her.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, yeah, it's, excuse me, hey, don't worry, yeah, okay.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Fantastic.
                         
          MARCIA'S CAR - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          The camera is behind Marcia, who is driving in a street in New-
          York. We see Helen walking on the sidewalk.
                         
                          MARCIA
           There she is.
          The camera pans around, from inside the car, to get a better shot
          of Helen.
                         
                          TED
           Where ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           You have to keep her busy for all afternoon.
                         
          Through the back window of the car, we see Helen entering a
          restaurant called «Time».
                         
                          TED
           Yeah, yeah, okay. Okay, yeah. Yeah, I'll-I'll just keep
           improvising, you know ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           Okay, well, it shouldn't be too hard. She's a hungry
           actress, you're a playwright with a role.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Close shot on Marcia's car, inside which Marcia and Ted are
          talking together.
                         
                          TED
           You know what ? I'll g... I'll talk about the play, or, get
           her, get her talking about the part, you know, her life.
           I'll get her talking about her life, and her whole
           background. Stop the car, I'm gonna get out here.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Good. We'll hook up later, okay ?
                         
                          TED
           All right. Good - Good luck with your assignment. Ok ?
                          MARCIA
           All right, you too.
                         
          Marcia has stopped the car, and Ted is getting out of it.
                         
          SY AND MARILYN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of a large room, furnished with good taste. In the
          background a large bay window, overlooking some green trees. On
          the right, there is a large modern mantlepiece. On the left, a
          bicycle is leaning on the wall. Under the window, a large and cosy
          sofa.
                         
          Carol and Sy are standing in front of the window and talking
          together. Next to them and Marcia is also standing and reading a
          large album. In the foreground, Larry, who is the only one not to
          be casually dressed, and is wearing jacket and necktie, is playing
          with a small cassette-player in his hands. Marilyn is walking into
          the room.
                         
                          MARILYN
           Listen, does anybody want some guacamole or anything ?
          Sy walks toward her, holding another cassette player. Carol is
          also holding one.
                         
                          SY
           Would you stop with the guacamole ? We have to get started
           with this.
                         
          He looks at his watch.
                         
                          LARRY
           He should be back for lunch, right ?
                         
                          SY
           Come on, let's go.
                         
                          MARILYN
           Yeah. All right, let's go.
                         
                          LARRY
           So, everybody's got the right tape recorder and the right
           tape in ?
                         
                          SY
           Yes, we do.
                         
          They all sit down around a low table.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           All right, one second. And then we ca... I mea... so, uh,
           we're on speaker.
                         
                          CAROL
           This is so insane.
                          LARRY
           Now wait, wait, wait. There's, um... I'm not nervous.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, w...
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - BACKSTAGE - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          The backstage is in the same disorder as before, with all the
          mirrors scattered around. Full shot of Paul and Gladys standing in
          the middle of the room
                         
                          PAUL
           I have the contractor come in and nobody's here ? Now you
           see if you can find...
                         
          The phone rings.
                         
                          PAUL
           I'll get that. Uh, you go and call him.
                         
          Paul walks out of the room.
                          GLADYS
           Oh. Yes, yes, all right.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Paul walks into a small room in a corner of the backstage. It must
          have been a dressing room, but now it is full of various junk,
          with a big poster, that looks like a enlarged newspaper, on the
          wall. Paul picks up the phone from a small counter fixed on the
          wall.
                         
                          PAUL
           Hallo ?
                         
          SY AND MARILYN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of the little group around the low table. Marcia and
          Larry are seated next to each other in front of the camera, Sy is
          seated on Larry's left and his wife on Marcia's right. Carol is
          seated on the other side of the table, with her back to the
          camera.
                         
          Marcia, who is seated next to the telephone, presses the «play»
          button on her cassette player. Helen's voice comes out of it.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Hello, Paul. I can't talk much right now. And if I sound
           strange, don't get alarmed.
                         
          Marcia presses the «stop» button.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium close shot of Paul on the phone.
                         
                          PAUL
           What's the problem ?
          He sits down.
                         
          SY AND MARILYN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Marcia presses the «play» button.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           They have your wife's body. They showed it to me.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
                          PAUL
           Say that again.
                         
          SY AND MARILYN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Carol is shaking her head, not paying much attention to what is
          going on. Marilyn and Marcia both silently point to Carol's
          cassette player, to tell her it is her turn to play it. Carol
          picks up her player to put it in front of the telephone and
          presses the «play» button.
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           They have your wife's body. They showed it to me.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
                          PAUL
           Exactly who has it ? How many are there ?
                         
          SY AND MARILYN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          It is Sy's turn to switch his player on.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Your neighbors. That's right. They want two hundred
           thousand dollars for it.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
                          PAUL
           Where are you calling from ? There's an echo. Are you on a
           speaker phone ?
                         
          SY AND MARILYN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          The group seems surprised by a question they did not expected.
          Marcia silently points to Marilyn's player. Marilyn presses the
          «play» button.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Hold on.
                         
          Marcia presses on the «mute» button on the telephone set.
                         
                          LARRY
           We don't have an answer for that. What are we gonna do ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           Go to a different thought.
                         
                          CAROL
           Mm...mmm... What thought ? Wait.
                         
          Marcia presses the «mute» button on the telephone. Sy turns to
          Carol.
                         
                          SY
           Shhh !...
                         
          Carol puts her hand in front of her mouth. Larry gets his player
          close to the telephone and presses the «play» button
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           You've either got to pay them off, or get rid of them.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
                          PAUL
           Look, we can't talk about this on the phone. Can you meet
           me ?
          SY AND MARILYN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          It is still Larry's turn to use his player.
                         
           HELEN'S VOICE (louder)
           Yes! They're keeping it refrigerated.
                         
          Marcia hits Larry's elbow, to tell him it was the wrong cue.
                         
           PAUL (voice over in the speaker of the telephone)
           What ? What did you say ?
                         
          Larry is very nervous all of a sudden, and puts another player in
          front of the telephone.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           About two hours ago.
                         
          Larry drops the player.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
                          PAUL
           Two... what ? Two hours what ?
                         
          SY AND MARILYN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Marcia points to Marilyn's player. Marilyn presses the «play»
          button.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Hold on.
                         
          Marcia presses the «mute» button on the telephone set. Larry just
          got the cassette out of his player and can't put it back in. He is
          more and more nervous.
                          LARRY
           Jesus... we're all screwed up. I got this all screwed up.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Okay, let's get off as quick as possible. We've done it.
                         
                          SY
           All right, well, do something. Do something.
                         
           MARCIA (to Larry)
           Shhh !... Um, okay. Sh !...
                         
          She presses the «mute» button on the telephone, then presses the
          «play» button on her player.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Hello, Paul. I can't talk much right now. And if I sound
           strange, don't get alarmed.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
                          PAUL
           Look, Helen, you're not making any sense. I know you're
           upset, but you have to pull yourself together. Now, could
           we meet ? The usual spot.
                         
          SY AND MARILYN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           Hold on.
                         
          Marilyn, who has just been playing her player, presses the «stop»
          button on it. Then Marcia presses the «mute» button on the
          telephone. Meanwhile, Larry has succeeded in getting a good length
          of tape out of his cassette, and tries to put it back in !
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
                          PAUL
           Helen ? Helen, you still there ? Helen ?
                         
          SY AND MARILYN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Larry is still trying to put the tape back into the cassette.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Okay, hurry up, hurry up. Okay.
                         
                          LARRY
           Somebody press something, come on.
                         
          Now, Larry is surrounded by a hundred feet of tape, which is
          flying all around him ! Marcia points to Carol's player.
                         
                          CAROL
           What ?
                         
                          LARRY
           You can't press some... Come on.
          Marcia presses the «mute» button on the telephone, and Carol
          presses the «play» button on her player.
                         
                          HELEN'S VOICE
           You have no choice, they've got the goods. You just pay
           them off, or get rid of them. I have to hang up.
                         
          Marcia presses the «off» button on the telephone.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Paul slowly puts the telephone down on its hook. He stands up and
          walks back to the backstage.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - BACKSTAGE - INTERIOR DAY
                         
                          GLADYS
           What's the matter, Paul ? You look all shaken up.
                         
                          PAUL
           No, no. It's nothing.
                          GLADYS
           I worry about you these days, Paul.
                         
                          PAUL
           I'm fine, I'm fine.
                         
                          GLADYS
           You're different.
                         
                          PAUL
           I said I was fine. Will you stop interfering ?
                         
                          GLADYS
           You never used to pull away from me.
                         
           PAUL (getting mad)
           I told you to leave me alone ! I don't want to have this
           conversation all the time !
                         
          He walks out and Gladys put her hands on her eyes. She slowly
          walks away with the help of her cane.
                         
          NEW-YORK - STREET OUTSIDE SY AND MARILYN'S HOUSE - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of a nice building with short trees and wrought iron
          gates in front of it. We hear voices but we don't see anyone yet.
                         
           LARRY (voice over)
           Great. All right. Now, my job is to wait exactly one hour
           and call Mr. House from a phone booth. Where are you...
           Where are you running so fast ?
                         
          Carol runs out of the building.
                         
                          CAROL
           I have to go home and change.
                         
          Larry comes out of the building and closes the door. Carol turns
          toward him.
                         
                          CAROL
           I've got an appointment with a friend of Ted's about a
           location for... What ?
                         
                          LARRY
           What's the matter ? What are you so angry about ? What are
           you so... What are you so steamed up about ?
                         
                          CAROL
           What do you mean ? Well, I meant... I just don't understand
           how you could give a book to Marcia, and not to me.
                         
          They start walking down the street. The camera follows them.
                         
                          LARRY
           What are you talking about ?
                         
                          CAROL
           I just don't need...
                          LARRY
           We had just a big success in there.
                         
                          CAROL
           What...
                         
                          LARRY
           Marcia likes to read what I like to read.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, right, God. Yeah, well it's true. I guess it's true. I
           mean, we've got nothing in common, that's for sure. Now
           that, now that Nick's grown up, I mean, you know, we're
           just left facing each other.
                         
                          LARRY
           You got stuff in common with Ted, right ? You can cook
           together with Ted, or you can take your clothes off and
           baste a chicken with him.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, right. Oh, oh, well, what about you and Marcia, huh ?
           What does she teach you besides poker ? That's what I'd
           like to know, okay ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Mud wrestling. Is that what you want to hear ? Nothing, I'm
           her editor.
                         
                          CAROL
           Look, I think the time has come for us to reevaluate our
           lives.
                         
                          LARRY
           I reevaluated our lives.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                          LARRY
           I... I... I got a ten. You got a six.
                         
          The camera stops moving and just shows just the departing couple
          walking down the street.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, listen, I think maybe I will go back to seeing my
           shrink.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh. You don't have to see your shrink. There's nothing
           wrong with you that can't be cured with a little Prozac and
           a polo mallet.
                         
                          CAROL
           Just... I just would like to be alone for a while, okay,
           Larry ?
                         
                          LARRY
           What are you talk...
                          CAROL
           Just... just, I... I... Uh, okay ?
                         
          Long shot of Carol running away, while Larry, standing in the
          middle of the sidewalk, looks at her going away.
                         
          A CAFETERIA - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          A classical New-York cafeteria, with tables and chairs scattered
          all around the room. In the background the long counter, where the
          food is displayed, and along which the customer are lining up at
          lunchtime. Around a slightly isolated table on the left, Ted and
          Helen are talking.
                         
                          HELEN
           So, I have this, like, really crazy father and everything.
                         
                          TED
           Oh, yeah ?
                         
          The camera zooms to a medium shot on Ted and Helen.
                         
                          HELEN
           And, yeah. He's wanted, like, in three states. He has a
           terrible driving record. So we had to move from Virginia
           then to New Jersey, and...
                         
                          TED
           So, your father is wanted in three states for driving ?
           Really ?
                         
                          HELEN
           Yeah, for driving. Yeah. So I moved to Hackensack, and
           then... Well, anyway, I was in all these different contests
           and I was even, uh, Miss, uh, Teenage Passaic.
                         
                          TED
           Oh, how wonderful.
                         
          LARRY'S APARTMENT - FRONT HALL - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot of the room. The front door opens and Carol walks in.
          She slams the door shut and puts her purse on a table. She takes
          her coat off, walks into the corridor and opens a closet to put
          the coat away in it. She then chooses a new set of clothes and
          shoes to go to her appointment. She closes the closet and walks
          into the bathroom to change. She closes the bathroom door. The
          camera remains outside the bathroom and starts moving along the
          corridor back to the front door. The front door opens and Paul
          walks in. He walks silently along the corridor toward the
          bathroom.
                         
          A CAFETERIA - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Same medium shot as before on Ted and Helen.
                         
                          TED
           Was that before or after the fourth abortion ?
                          HELEN
           Well, after the fourth, but before the drama prize.
                         
                          TED
           The drama prize ?
                         
                          HELEN
           And... Mm... hm.
                         
                          TED
           I don't remember the...
                         
                          HELEN
           Remember ? Remember ?
                         
                          TED
           What ?
                         
                          HELEN
           «Out, out, damn spot ?» The topless «Macbeth» ?
                         
                          TED
           Oh, yeah. Oh, for the fraternity party, yeah, yeah.
                         
                          HELEN
           Yeah, yeah.
                         
                          TED
           Topless «Macbeth». I don't... How could I forget that ?
           It's just...
                         
          NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Larry is in an open phone booth in a quiet street. He picks up the
          handset, put a coin in the slot, and starts dialing the number he
          has written on a piece of paper.
                         
                          LARRY
           Hallo, Mr. House ? This is Larry Lipton. I... I got a... a
           package I think you're gonna want. Of course it's gonna
           cost you, uh, $200,000 in... in small, unmarked bills.
           Or... or... or large marked ones, if... if... if you want
           to go that route.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          The small disused dressing-room in the corner of the backstage.
          Paul is talking into the telephone. In front of him, Carol is tied
          on a chair, with a white cloth gag taped on her mouth. While Paul
          is talking, the camera zooms on Carol's frightened face.
                         
                          PAUL
           And I have a package you might want, Mr. Lipton. If you
           ever wanna see your wife alive again, you'll do as I say.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Larry is still in the phone booth.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, really ? Well, I think you're bluffing. Yeah, don't...
           don't ever try and bluff a bluffer. Yeah, if... if you got
           Carol, put her on the phone.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Paul takes the gag off Carol's mouth and put the phone mouthpiece
          in front of her lips.
                         
                          CAROL (CRYING)
           Larry, Larry, help me ! I'm here, Larry !
                         
          Paul puts the gag back on Carol's mouth
                         
          NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Larry looks very frightened.
                         
                          LARRY
           Oh, my... Oh, my God. D... Don't hurt her !
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Paul is holding the gag in front of Carol's mouth with one hand
          and the telephone with the other hand.
                         
                          PAUL
           I'll tell you exactly where to meet me, and you bring that
           package I want. Now, once I have it and I'm safely gone,
           you'll get your wife back. Otherwise, I'll kill her.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Larry is now very very frightened.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yes, yes. Yeah, no, no, no, no. I... I... I understand. I,
           uh, yes, no. I'll be there. I'll be there. I... I... Yes,
           I'll b... I... I'll bring your wife's body, she... In...
           in... in the trunk of my car. Yes, I'll... I... I promise.
           I'll be there. I...
                         
          Larry hangs up and hold the side of the phone booth.
                         
                          LARRY
           I don't have his wife's body. Bluff, bluff.
                         
          NEW-YORK - A STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Long shot of a street covered with iron works. Actually, this is
          the same street and the same shot as the one we saw earlier in the
          film, when Ted and Carol were following Helen going to Paul's
          movie house in a yellow cab.
                         
          Larry's car is coming toward us, and then turns into the dead-end
          street where the back entrance of Paul's movie house is located.
                         
          DEAD END STREET BEHIND PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Larry stops the car near the entrance of the movie house. Paul is
          waiting for him.
                         
          Medium close shot on Larry's car. Larry opens his door, and comes
          out of the car.
                         
                          LARRY
           Where's Carol ?
                         
          Paul walks toward the car. He's got a gun in his hand.
                         
                          PAUL
           First show me Lillian's body.
                         
                          LARRY
           I... I got it.
                         
                          PAUL
           There's no way she could have survived that vat of molten
           steel.
                         
                          LARRY
           No, no, I... I... I got...
                         
                          PAUL
           If you're not bluffing, where is she ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Why are you so nervous ? What are you so nervous about ?
                         
                          PAUL
           Where ?
                         
                          LARRY
           If I don't have her, what are you so nervous ?
                         
                          PAUL
           Where is she ?
                          LARRY
           I got her in the trunk of my car.
                         
                          PAUL
           Open it. Come on, now.
                         
                          LARRY
           I... I got her.
                         
                          PAUL
           If she's not there, I'll put a bullet through your head.
           Now, open it !
                         
                          LARRY
           I... I...
                         
          Larry walks around his car toward the trunk.
                         
                          PAUL
           Come on! Come on!
                         
          Larry opens the trunk.
                          PAUL
           Step back!
                         
          Larry takes something in the trunk, then closes it back, but the
          door of the trunk doesn't close well and opens again. Larry walks
          back to Paul and shows him what he's got in his hand.
                         
                          LARRY
           No, no, I got her. See, if I don't have her, how come I got
           her ring ? I got her ring, there. This is... This is her
           ring.
                         
                          PAUL
           I think you're lying !
                         
          He walks to the open trunk.
                         
                          LARRY
           It's a... No, no, no, no. Uh.
                         
          Paul takes a bad-looking dummy out of the trunk. Apparently, it is
          an amateur dummy that Larry has made himself.
                         
                          PAUL
           What is this ? What is this ?
                         
          He throws the dummy back in the trunk.
                         
                          LARRY
           I could never bluff.
                         
                          PAUL
           What ?
                         
                          LARRY
           I... I... I've lost a fortune in cards over the years.
                          PAUL
           Listen to me.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm not a bluffer.
                         
                          PAUL
           I'm going to put a... Get a...
                         
          They start fighting.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Carol is still tied and gagged on the chair. She tries desperately
          to get free.
                         
          DEAD END STREET BEHIND PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot on Larry and Paul, still fighting. Larry succeeds in
          getting away from Paul, who fires his gun. But, apparently, Larry
          is not hit by the gunshot, because he runs toward the back
          entrance of the movie house. The camera follows him.
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - BACKSTAGE - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot on the staircase on the side of the backstage. Larry
          runs down the stairs, while we hear the sound of the «Lady from
          Shangai». «The Lady from Shangai» is a 1947 film written, directed
          and played by Orson Welles.
                         
                         
                         
           MICHAEL (Orson Welles - voice over from the film)
           That's what Grisby thought. But, of course, she meant to
           kill Grisby, too. After he'd served his purpose. Poor
           howling idiot.
                         
          Larry has now reached the backstage. He is behind the screen, a
          small part of which is seen on the side of the shot.
                         
           MICHAEL (Orson Welles - voice over from the film)
           He never even did that. He went and shot Broome. And that
           was not part of the plan. Broome might have got to the
           police before he died.
                         
          Larry walks around the backstage, trying to find his way. We see
          the black and white film on the screen, but also reflections of
          the screen on the multiple mirrors scattered around the backstage.
                         
           MICHAEL (Orson Welles - voice over from the film)
           And if the cops traced it to Grisby... and the cops made
           Grisby talk, he'd spill everything.
                         
          Medium shot on the staircase. Paul is walking very slowly
          downstairs.
                         
           MICHAEL (Orson Welles - voice over from the film)
           And she'd be finished, so she had to shut up Grisby but
           quick.
          Back on Larry, still trying to find his way around the backstage.
                         
           MICHAEL (Orson Welles - voice over from the film)
           And I was the fall guy.
                         
          Full shot on the screen, where a man is falling down a long slide,
          like the one used by kids on playgrounds. We hear the film music.
                         
          Medium close shot on two mirrors, one behind the other. On the
          mirrors, we see the reflection of the screen. Paul is slowly
          walking from behind the first mirror, his gun in hand.
                         
          Full shot on the mirrors, with Larry walking cautiously among
          them.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium shot on Carol in the small room. She is still trying to get
          free from her bonds and gag.
                         
           ELSA (Rita Hayworth - voice over from the film)
           Why don't you try to understand ?
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - BACKSTAGE - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Back to the mirrors showing numerous reflections of the screen.
                         
           ELSA (Rita Hayworth - voice over from the film)
           He was mad. He had to be shot.
                         
           MICHAEL (Orson Welles - voice over from the film)
           And what about me ?
                         
          Paul walks in, his gun in his hand.
                         
           ELSA (Rita Hayworth - voice over from the film)
           We could have gone off together.
                         
          Close shot of Larry half-hidden behind a large mirror.
                         
           MICHAEL (Orson Welles - voice over from the film)
           One who follows his nature, keeps his original nature in
           the end.
                         
          Larry inadvertently drops the large mirror on the floor. The
          mirror breaks with a crashing sound.
                         
           CAROL (voice over)
           Help ! Help !
                         
          The camera pans to Paul, walking slowly with his gun pointed
          toward Larry.
                         
                          PAUL
           They can't see us behind the screen, and they can't hear us
           with the sound on. Not even a gunshot.
                         
          Behind Paul, we see the film on the screen. We have now reached
          the famous last scene of the film, shot in the hall of mirrors.
          Rita Hayworth's face is reflected on the many mirrors in the film,
          just like, in the actual scene in the backstage, Paul and Larry
          are reflected on the many mirrors scattered around.
                         
           ARTHUR (Everett Sloane - voice over from the film)
           I knew I'd find you two together.
                         
          Arthur's figure, walking with a cane, is reflected in the many
          mirrors in the film. Just the same, Gladys, who has just entered
          the backstage, walking with a cane, is also reflected on the
          mirrors scattered around her. She has a gun in the hand which is
          not holding the cane.
                         
          While Gladys and Paul are talking, the film keeps on showing on
          the screen behind them, but we do not understand the words from
          the film, because Paul and Gladys' voices are louder.
                         
                          GLADYS
           Hallo, Paul. Didn't you expect me ?
                         
          Medium shot on the mirrors, showing several reflections of Paul.
                         
                          PAUL
           Mrs. Dalton.
                         
          Close shot on Gladys' face. While she is talking, the camera pans
          away from her, showing her reflection on a mirror.
                         
                          GLADYS
           You made a lot of promises to me, over the years. And then,
           you decided to dump me for that young model.
                         
          The camera keeps on panning, showing another reflection of Gladys.
                         
           PAUL (voice over)
           I never led you on.
                         
           GLADYS (with a very harsh voice)
           It's late for excuses.
                         
          Medium shot on the mirrors showing several reflections of Paul.
                         
                          PAUL
           None of you can prove anything.
                         
          Full shot of the screen, showing Arthur and his numerous
          reflections on the mirrors in the film.
                         
           ARTHUR (Everett Sloane - voice over from the film)
           So you'd be foolish to fire that gun.
                         
          Low angle shot on the staircase, showing Larry going down the
          stairs.
                         
           ARTHUR (Everett Sloane - voice over from the film)
           With these mirrors, it's difficult to tell. You are aiming
           at me, aren't you ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Carol ? Carol ? Carol ?
          Medium shot of Gladys and one of her reflections.
                         
                          GLADYS
           I'm aiming at you, lover.
                         
           ARTHUR (Everett Sloane - voice over from the film)
           Of course, killing you is killing myself.
                         
                          GLADYS
           Of course, killing you is killing myself.
                         
           ARTHUR (Everett Sloane - voice over from the film)
           It's the same thing.
                         
                          GLADYS
           But you know, I'm pretty tired of both of us.
                         
          She fired her gun twice
                         
          Medium shot on the many reflections of Paul. He fires his gun
          twice. We hear noises of mirrors being broken by the gunshots,
          both in the film, and on the backstage itself.
          Medium shot of Gladys and one of her reflections. She turns
          around, not being sure, because of the mirrors, of Paul's exact
          location.
                         
          Medium shot of Paul walking on the backstage. We still hears
          noises of mirrors being broken, but we don't know if the noises
          come from the film or the backstage.
                         
          Medium shot of Gladys and several of the reflections.
                         
          Medium shot of the floor of the backstage. We see the bottom of
          the screen and, of course, the film projected on it, and in which
          the mirrors are being broken. Paul enters from behind a mirror
          frame, and falls on the floor. Gladys' reflection appears in
          several mirrors. She stops and looks at Paul's body lying on the
          floor.
                         
          PAUL'S MOVIE HOUSE - OLD DRESSING ROOM - INTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium close shot of Larry entering the room. He rushes to Carol,
          and takes her gag off.
                         
                          LARRY
           God ! Are you okay ? Are you okay ?
                         
          He hugs and kisses her.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God, Larry ! Oh, Larry, I'm so happy to see you !
                         
                          LARRY
           Jesus, I was, I was never so glad to see somebody in my
           life. Are you all right ?
                         
          He starts untying her hands.
                         
                          CAROL
           Yes, I'm all right.
                         
                          LARRY
           You don't know what's going on out there. I'll never say
           that life doesn't imitate art again. I'm... I'm... Oh,
           gee...
                         
                          CAROL
           We... we gotta call the police, Larry.
                         
                          LARRY
           Yes, and... and... and... a glazier.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know. Oh, God.
                         
                          LARRY
           Quick, quick. Dial, dial, dial.
                         
          He picks up the telephone, and Carol, whose hands are now
          completely free, starts dialing.
                          CAROL
           Larry. Oh, God, Larry. Oh, God. Oh, honey. Oh, God. Ow !
           Ow ! Oh, God ! Jesus !
                         
          Larry hugs and kisses her again.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Oh, wife mine.
                         
          He takes the rope away, but he does it so nervously that he almost
          takes Carol's head off !
                         
                          CAROL
           Aow ! Aow !
           (talking in the phone)
           Hello ?
                         
                          LARRY
           Wife mine.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, God.
                         
          NEW-YORK - STREET IN FRONT OF THE POLICE STATION - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Medium close shot on the top part of the door of the police
          station. A sign says : «4th precinct 621».
                         
          The camera tilts down. Three uniformed policemen are standing on
          the sidewalk near the door. Marcia and Ted come out of the
          station, and stop at the entrance.
                         
                          TED
           God, it's... it's so complicated. I can't... Can't keep
           track of it all.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Oh, listen. I'll give it to you one more time.
          Marcia takes a cigarette, and Ted lights it with his lighter.
                         
                         FLASHBACK SCENE
          PAUL'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - INTERIOR NIGHT
                         
          Medium shot. It's dinner time in Paul's apartment. Paul and
          Lilian's sister are seated around the table. Lilian comes in from
                         THE KITCHEN
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Mrs. House had a sister who moved to England many years
           ago.
                         
          Lilian gives a glass of wine to her sister.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           She changed her name when she married.
                         
          Lilian gives a glass of wine to Paul.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Her husband died. She moved back to New York recently, a
           very, very rich widow... but a recluse.
                         
          Lilian's sister has a heart attack. Paul helps her walk away from
          the table to the sofa.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Mr. and Mrs. House knew they weren't in her will. They have
           her over to dinner, she accidentally keels over. I guessed
           right there.
                         
          Lilian's sister is lying dead on the sofa, and Lilian, wearing a
          pink night-robe, is dressing her sister in her own clothes.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           She has a reasonable resemblance to her sister, so they
           fake it... Pretend Lillian House died. They cremate the
           sister.
                         
          The camera pans to Paul talking on the telephone.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           Lillian checks into a fleabag joint... and for several
           weeks she pretends to be her sister... closing her
           accounts, liquidating her assets, accumulating big money.
                         
          The camera pans back to the sofa, where Lilian is still dressing
          her sister.
                         
           MARCIA (voice over)
           What she didn't realize was that her husband was two-timing
           her with Helen Moss, this pretty model.
                         
          NEW-YORK - STREET IN FRONT OF THE POLICE STATION - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Back to the entrance of the police station, where Ted and Marcia
          are still talking. They start walking along the street.
                          MARCIA
           So, he decides not to cut her in and go off to... I don't
           know... With his mistress and, uh, keep all the dough. So,
           he kills Lillian. He cremates her, or pours molten steel
           all over her or something... and, uh, that's when we came
           along and tripped him up.
                         
          Medium shot of Ted and Marcia slowly walking behind the police
          cars parked near the station.
                         
                          TED
           He had some great alibis.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Yeah, that woman that worked for him ?
                         
                          TED
           Yeah.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Mrs. Dalton ? She covered for him. She loved him. Not that
           she dreamed he was a murderer.
                          TED
           What do you... What do you... I want, I want to celebrate,
           or something. What do you wanna do ? You wanna... Wanna go
           see what, uh, what Larry and Carol are up to ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           I think they wanna be alone.
                         
                          TED
           Oh, yeah. Uh, okay. All right. Uh, well, you have any
           plans ?
                         
                          MARCIA
           You're taking me to dinner, right ?
                         
                          TED
           Yeah, right. Absolutely. Only we can't sleep together.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Why not ?
                         
                          TED
           Not... not tonight.
                         
                          MARCIA
           Why not ?
                         
                          TED
           Well, I already slept with Helen Moss once today, and I'm
           not young and active like I used to be.
                         
                          MARCIA
           You'll do anything to catch a murderer, won't you ?
                         
          NEW-YORK - LARRY'S RESIDENCE STREET - EXTERIOR DAY
                         
          Full shot of the corner of the street where Larry's building is
          located. The pavement is wet from a recent rain. Carol and Larry
          are coming around the corner of the street.
                         
                          LARRY
           What an experience.
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, really one.
                         
                          LARRY
           I'm... I'm still vibrating.
                         
                          CAROL
           I know.
                         
                          LARRY
           Incredible.
                         
          Carol, who was walking quite rapidly, suddenly slows down. Track
          shot of Larry and Carol, with the camera in front of them
                         
                          CAROL
           Oh, you know, Larry, you were surprisingly brave.
                         
                          LARRY
           What do you mean surprisingly ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           You seem shocked.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well...
                         
                          LARRY
           You know, I'm a pretty good guy, you know.
                         
                          CAROL
           Well, you know... Yeah, I know, uh...
                         
                          LARRY
           Where do you wanna go for dinner tonight ? Let's not go to
           any restaurant where they serve cowards.
                         
          Carol laughs.
                         
                          CAROL
           I don't know.
                         
                          LARRY
           I... What are you laughing at ?
                         
                          CAROL
           You know, Larry, I love you. I love you.
                         
                          LARRY
           How could you have ever been jealous of Marcia ? Isn't that
           ridiculous ? Don't you know that I could only love you ?

                          CAROL
           You were jealous of Ted.
                         
                          LARRY
           Ted ?
                         
                          CAROL
           Yeah.
                         
                          LARRY
           You've got to be kidding. Take away his-his-his elevator
           shoes and his fake suntan and his capped teeth... and what
           do you have ?
                         
                          CAROL
           You.
                         
          Larry laughs. They have reached their building and they enter it.
                         
                          LARRY
           Right. I love that.

                          CAROL
           I...
                         
          An attendant opens the door for them. Through the glass doors, we
          see them cross the lobby toward the elevator.
                         
                         CREDITS
                         
          The credits are «Woody Allen style» : in white Windsor Light
          Condensed typeface letters on a black background.
                         
                          THE END
                          


Manhattan Murder Mystery



Writers :   Woody Allen  Marshall Brickman
Genres :   Comedy  Crime  Mystery


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