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OPENING BILLBOARD
Harry Kramer:Theee Edgggge of Night.
ACT ONE
SCENE 1A
It’s early morning in the Capice living room. Lambert, in one of Phil’s dressing gowns, idles possessively about the room, sipping a cup of coffee. He hears a sound and looks toward the stairs. Louise is slowly, sleepily, coming downstairs. Lambert takes a position in front of the mantle, the picture of the lord of the manor. Louise enters. Though in a dazed way she knows what to expect, this evil image of her husband is still a shock. Lambert asks if she slept well and she looks at him, still in shocked disbelief. She takes a faltering step toward him and says, “Even your voice is like Phil’s. Who are you?” He crosses to pour a cup of coffee for her from a silver service and says, “Phillip Capice – to everyone but you.” Louise, watching in a numbed way, closes her eyes and pleads for this to be a bad dream but Lambert tells her it’s no dream – she better get used to it. He tells that her as long as she cooperates nothing will happen to Phil. If she plays her cards right – plays them close and careful – she’ll get her husband back before too long. Louise asks when and he tells her that as soon as he gets some things he wants, some properties – some of her father’s properties. He tells her she may have to help him with that, but she shouldn’t mind because as long as she helps him, he’ll keep her husband alive. To reinforce things Lambert says, “You have nothing to fear from me. Neither has your husband so long as you do as I tell you. But one false move will mean he’s finished.” He asks her if she understands and Louise nods slowly and fearfully. Lambert says, “Be sure you do, because remember, you’re alone in this. No one can help you. No one.” His eyes pinion hers as her knowledge of her aloneness empties into her face.
SCENE 1B
In the hospital waiting room Bill Marceau asks Nancy how Mike’s doing. Nancy and Bill have never met before and Nancy asks him how he knew who she was. In a sympathetic and admiring way, Bill tells her the floor nurse said she was in the waiting room – and that she’s been here all night. Nancy tells him Mike’s still unconscious, the doctor gave him a very strong sedative to quiet him down. Bill comments that being clobbered by a pair of hoods should have done that. Nancy says that Mike was terribly worried about something. He kept trying to fight back to consciousness so he could do something about it. Bill says he was investigating Phillip Capice’s accident and asks if Mike had found something out. Nancy says she doesn’t know for sure, but it upset him. Bill frowns, remembering Mike’s suspicions and asks Nancy to start at the beginning. Nancy tells him that Mike had come over to the house to talk about a case – he called Bill from there – and then. . .
COMMERCIAL
ACT TWO
SCENE 2A
Nancy is telling Bill about the conversation she and Mike had the previous evening. She says Mike dropped by to talk about her brother’s car accident, but his mind was really on something else – some other problem that was bothering him very much. While they were talking Mike was looking at a rose bush catalog and Nancy began to tell him about a mix-up her mother had when she planted a rose bush – she thought she’d planted one kind of rose, but another kind bloomed. Her mother had mixed up the tags. Mike said she might have given him the answer he was looking for. He went straight to the phone and called Bill, asking him questions about Mr. Capice’s accident. Bill frowns, saying he doesn’t get it. Phil gave them a complete account of the accident, yet when he told Mike about Mrs. Bonifacio he sounded excited. Nancy says he was, but didn’t say why. They drove over to Mama Jo’s (Mrs. Bonifacio) right away – Mike knew her from his days as a policeman – and he asked her about Phil’s accident. Mrs. Bonifacio told them she’d seen another car drive away that night, it seemed to mean something to Mike. He kept pressing her for details, trying to get her to remember. Bill is puzzled because he can’t imagine why Mike would keep after Mrs. Bonifacio since they had Phil’s detailed account of what happened. As for this other car – Phil mentioned a car’s headlights had almost blinded him that night. Was that the car Mrs. Bonifacio told Mike about? Nancy says Mike didn’t get a chance to ask about that because that’s when the hoodlums came into Mama Jo’s place and. . .well he knew the rest. Bill says he’s going to phone Mrs. Bonifacio and see what he can find out from her. Bill exits as Nancy waits, worriedly.
SCENE 2B
At the same time, in Ursula’s lab, Sam Haven is seated playing solitaire as Kilborn enters. He tells Kilborn he’s fed up with playing solitaire. He can’t hide out here forever. Kilborn picks up a pair of binoculars and crosses to the window. He tells Sam it’s time to put away the cards; he has a job for him – a job that will pay well, first class passage out of the country. Sam tells him it sounds good and asks him if he wants Capice killed. Kilborn says that the way it looks now Phil will probably die a natural death. Sam then assumes it’s Louise, but Kilborn says he needs her. When Sam finally guesses he wants Lambert killed, Kilborn tells him there’s no killing involved. But if he finds it expedient to dispose of Lambert, he would like his remains to disappear. Sam tells him that’s a large order and he’ll need to know all the details. Kilborn tells him he’ll tell him all he needs to know when the time comes. The first thing he wants him to do is familiarize himself thoroughly with the lay of Orchard Hill. This makes Sam suspicious because Kilborn knows Marceau would do anything to get his hands on him and the first thing he asks him to do is show his face around Orchard Hill? Kilborn tells him it’s a private estate. If he’s careful, he shouldn’t have any trouble. He tells him to survey the grounds and surrounding areas thoroughly – keeping in mind that the purpose of the investigation is solely to arrange for the disappearance of a dead body. Sam tells him he’s on his way and starts out.
COMMERCIAL
STATION BREAK
ACT THREE
In the hospital waiting room Nancy is alone drinking coffee while Bill is in the phone booth. He hangs up and joins her. Nancy asks him if he learned anything and he says no, Mrs. Bonifacio said she saw a car coming out of the street where Phil’s accident occurred, but that’s all. The doctor enters and greets Nancy and Bill. Bill asks him about Mike’s condition. The doctor tells them he’s still under sedation, but there’s no skull fracture or dangerous signs of hemotosis. Bill tells the doctor Mike had something on his mind, something of great importance in a matter he was investigating. The doctor says he knows, but Mike’s physical condition is, naturally, his first consideration. It was necessary to give him the sedative to quiet him down. There’s no need to worry, but it may be some time before he throws off the sedation. Bill asks if there’s something he can be given to bring him out of it and the doctor says it’s best if Mike comes to naturally. The doctor excuses himself to get back to Mike. Bill looks at Nancy, feeling helpless. Nancy says she wishes there were something she could do and Bill says there’s something he can do. He can drop over to Orchard Hill and pay Louise and Phil a little visit. Nancy seems uneasy with this and Bill asks her what’s wrong. Nancy says that whatever Mike thought he was on to, she got the impression it was something that had been kept hidden deliberately. Bill says there are reasons he needs to get the feel of the situation. He tells Nancy that if he’s not back when Mike wakes up, she should listen to what he says – listen carefully. Nancy says she will and Bill leaves her sipping on her coffee and nibbling on a donut.
COMMERCIAL
ACT FOUR
A short time later in the Capice living room Lambert idles about, smoking a cigarette, deep in thought. The sound of tires on the gravel driveway causes him to hurry to the window. He looks out, frowns, and crosses to the hallway door. He calls up the stairs for Louise. Louise comes down the stairs and asks him what he wants. Lambert tells her the Chief of Police just drove up. He reminds her that one false move and her husband dies. The doorbell sounds and Lambert tells Louise to get back upstairs and stay there until he’s gone. Louise freezes under Lambert’s harsh, warning look then goes upstairs as the doorbell sounds again. Lambert goes to the door and opens it to Bill. He welcomes Bill into the house as Bill tells him he was on his way back to headquarters from Monticello General and thought they’d like to hear the latest on Mike. Phil/Lambert tells him most definitely he’d like to hear about Mike, then asks Bill for news about Judy. Bill dourly tells him there isn’t any, then asks if Louise is home. Lambert wants to say no, but doesn’t dare chance it. After a moment’s hesitation his eyes meet Bill’s and he tells him he’ll call her. He goes to the stairs and calls, “Louise?” Louise answers from upstairs and Lambert asks her to come down. Almost too ready, too prepared, Louise says, “Of course!” and comes down the stairs. Lambert gives her a warning look as she greets Bill. Bill tells Louise he stopped by to tell them about Mike’s condition. Tensely, Louise asks how he’s doing. Bill senses that Louise seems upset and asks her what’s wrong. Lambert quickly covers for her and tells Bill that Mike’s accident has upset her, perhaps because of his. Bill asks what the connection between his and Mike’s accident is and Lambert tells him that Louise hasn’t recovered from the shock of his accident and now Mike’s in the hospital unconscious. All this has upset her. Bill detecting the tension but not buying the lame excuse, tells the faux Phil that they’re still looking for the man who contacted him through Mrs. Barnett and made an appointment to meet him the night of the accident. Lambert becomes a little uncomfortable as Louise gives him a sharp glance. Bill says that Phil was vague about some of the details – because of the concussion and all. He was wondering if he’d thought of anything since then that might help. When Lambert says there’s nothing, Bill tells them he’ll be on his way. Impulsively, Louise tells Bill to tell Mike – tell him to get up and get well and come see them. Bill says he will and sees himself out. Louise starts toward the stairs then sways as though she might collapse. Lambert starts to help her but she backs away from him in fear and revulsion. Then she turns toward the door, takes a step and opens her mouth as though to call for Bill. Lambert making no move to stop her only eyes her narrowly. Suddenly she stops; she must not obey the mad impulse. She wilts slowly and, beaten, turns to go up the stairs. The sound of Bill’s car can be heard from outside as Lambert goes to the window and looks out, a smile of satisfaction on his face.
COMMERCIAL
ACT FIVE
SCENE 5A
Sam and Kilborn are in Ursula’s lab. Sam is asking Kilborn what happens when a murder takes place. Kilborn impatiently asks Sam to come to the point. Sam says that once the medical examiner has tagged the body the morgue wagon takes it away to the morgue. Suppose the brakes on the morgue ambulance didn’t work? Suppose it starts down the river road for Orchard Hill, gathering speed fast, the driver steps on the brakes – no breaks. He can’t stop. He tries to make the turn at the cliff but he can’t, he goes over the edge into the river. That’s the end of the driver, the morgue wagon, and the corpse! Because the river’s high this time of year – lots of tricky currents, and then there’s the tide. That would make it tough to fish out the bodies. Kilborn says that’s all very well, but he can’t take chances on probabilities, however, suppose the body wasn’t in the ambulance when it went over? They’d assume it had been lost in the river, wouldn’t’ they? Especially if the backdoors of the ambulance were open. The telephone rings as Kilborn answers it.
SCENE 5B
In the Capice living room Lambert is on the phone with Kilborn. He tells Kilborn that Louise passed her first test. The Chief of Police was just there to report on Mike Karr’s condition. Louise had her chance to expose him and the whole business but didn’t. Kilborn asks him if he has her under complete control and Lambert says he thinks so. She did have thoughts of going after Chief Marceau when he left, but changed her mind. He thinks they’re safe. Kilborn hangs up the phone saying, “Fool!” Sam asks him what now. Kilborn tells Sam that Lambert thinks he has Louise Capice in the palm of his hand. Did Reno have her and Phil in the palm of his hand? Did Sam? No! He and his wife tricked them into thinking so. She may be tricking Lambert. She may lose her head, make a break for it – and not turn back. One way or another, she’ll fight. Which means he must move fast – tonight!
COMMERCIAL
CLOSING BILLBOARD
Harry Kramer: This is Harry Kramer inviting you to join us each weekday afternoon for THE EEEDDDGGGEE OF NIGHT.
