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TEASER
In the Capice living room, Louise stands facing Lambert, a gun in her hand. She says, “Tell me where my husband is or I’ll – kill you.” Lambert starts to get up but thinks the better of it. They hear the sound of a car driving up outside. It upsets Louise but seems to please Lambert. He sits back, sips his brandy and smiles. Louise, desperately off balance says “I don’t know who that is, but sit right where you are. I don’t want to kill you, but if I have to, I will.” She motions Lambert to a chair where she can see him from the front door and moves to the archway. Lambert, no fool, sits as ordered.
COMMERCIAL
ACT ONE
Mike is unconscious in his hospital room bed. Nancy is beside him, holding his hand. He’s beginning to show signs of life. The doctor enters with a hypodermic tray. He tells Nancy that since everyone thinks it’s important that Mr. Karr be on his feet as fast as possible, he’s going to give him a stimulant. He prepares Mike’s arm for the needle. Nancy asks how long it will take and the doctor says maybe an hour. Nancy excuses herself to make a phone call and calls Ed Gibson to tell him that Mike will be awake sooner than expected. She says she’s sure Mike would want him and Chief Marceau there when he wakes. She puts down the phone and goes back to Mike. The doctor has finished with the shot and is putting the needle back on the tray. He takes Mike’s pulse and listens with his stethoscope. He tells Nancy that Mike will be all right and leaves the room. Nancy sits beside Mike, holds his hand and waits.
COMMERCIAL
ACT TWO
In the Capice living room the situation is as before. Lambert sits apparently relaxed, but naturally alert, while Louise holds the gun on him. In the back hallway, leading into the living room, Kilborn is there peering guardedly toward them. Louise and Lambert hear the sound of the front door opening and closing. Louise, who’d held onto her purse when she took out the gun, puts her hand inside the purse, still holding the gun, aimed in Lambert’s direction. Vivian enters, her coat and hood dripping. She apologizes to Louise and Lambert but says she forgot Sara Louise’s Raggedy Ann doll. Lambert seeing a way out of the situation he’s in offers to get the doll, but Vivian says that’s not necessary. She had it packed with the stuff for Mrs. Grimsley, but just forgot it. She can get it. Vivian exits toward the kitchen where Kilborn is concealed. He quickly moves out of her way as she crosses past him toward the rear of the house. Meanwhile, Lambert remains standing. He casually edges closer to Louise.
She tells him to sit down. He says she won’t shoot now, Vivian would be a witness. Louise grimly tells him to sit down as he still edges closer. Vivian reenters with the doll. She senses the tension in the air, but assumes it’s only a family argument. Married people are like that. Lambert tells her it was very nice of her to come back for the doll and Vivian tells them she knows how much the baby loves it and she wanted her to have it. Vivian moves toward the door adjusting her rain hood as Louise, trying to hide her tension, tells her to be careful going down the hill. At the door Vivian turns and looks back, taking in the scene, sensing that something is badly amiss. Then she exits. Lambert takes another step toward Louise. She takes her hand out of the purse and holds the gun on him. She tells him to sit down and he hesitates, reading the desperation on her face, then he returns to his chair. He sits and the more composed he appears, the more Louise’s tension grows. He asks her what will happen if she kills him. Who takes her to visit her husband? Who keeps him alive and lets him come back someday? He tells her that the bullet that kills him... kills her husband, too. Louise says she knows why he’s been impersonating Phil – he wants to steal her father’s properties – but even if she helped him he’d never be safe as long as Phil is alive so his talk of letting him live and come back to her is a lie. Her courage has been bolstered to its peak, but her shattered nerves begin to show. He takes the big gamble and starts slowly toward her. Louise backs away from him and orders him to stay put but he continues to walk toward her, into the gun. By now her own actions with the gun and Lambert’s coolness toward her threats has completely unnerved Louise. She has reached the end of her frenzied determination. She lowers her hand, tears streaming down her face and puts the gun on the table.
Sobbing, she starts half-running toward the stairway, but Lambert grabs her arm and pulls her back. He tells her he can’t trust her anymore and slides his hands up to her neck. He tells her he could shut her up this way, but he still needs her. Removing his hands from her neck he grabs her arm telling her he’s going to “keep her on ice” until he figures out what to do with her. Nearing collapse, she won’t go with him willingly, but she hasn’t the will or the strength to fight. Lambert pulls her toward the dining room double doors and pushes her in. He closes the doors and turns the key, leaving it in the door. Pacing for a moment, he stops at the table and looks at the gun with a wry smile. He doesn’t pick it up, but pours a drink, lights a cigarette and sits down. Then, remembering something, he exits through the archway toward the back of the house. In the dining room Louise is pressed against the double doors. She is frustrated, but not beaten. She tries to open the door but they’re locked. She beats her fists against them then pulls herself together and thinks. She stumbles across the darkened room toward the door leading into the kitchen but just as she reaches it, a key turns and the lock shoots home. She tries the door frantically to no avail. On the other side of the door Lambert chuckles.
COMMERCIAL
STATION BREAK
ACT THREE
SCENE 3A
In Mike’s hospital room Nancy sits beside his bed, waiting for him to waken. He is far from regaining consciousness, but he is more restless than before. He turns on the bed and twists his head around on the pillow. The doctor enters the room and Nancy asks if Mike should have more stimulant. The takes Mike’s pulse and tells Nancy he’s doing fine and will probably be raring to go by tomorrow morning. As the doctor exits a disappointed Nancy says to herself, “Tomorrow? But tomorrow may be too. . .” she stops herself.
SCENE 3B
In the Capice living room, Lambert returns from the hall. He sits down again and thinks. In the hallway where Kilborn has been hiding, he can see Lambert sitting with his back to him. He is pleased with the outcome and decides the time has come. He enters the living room unseen by Lambert and picks up Louise’s gun with his gloved hand, then puts his hand in his coat pocket. He asks Lambert if there’s any trouble. Lambert is startled and turns quickly, seeing Kilborn. He asks him how he got in and Kilborn tells him Ursula had a key. He asks Lambert where Louise is, and Lambert, not knowing how long he’s been there, has to bluff. He tells her she’s in her room then tells Kilborn to sit down and have a drink. They both hear Louise pound on the door again and Kilborn, enjoying this cat-and-mouse with Lambert, asks about it. Lambert hesitates a moment, then decides not to deceive Kilborn. He smiles wryly and tells him Louise is not upstairs, he locked her in the dining room. Kilborn, pretending surprise, says he thought Lambert said he had Louise under control. Lambert tells him he has, indicating the locked doors as if to prove it. Kilborn then takes the gun from his pocket and Lambert, his face darkening, tells him Louise found that gun somewhere and threatened to use it on him. Kilborn tells him he’s glad she didn’t and asks Lambert what he plans to do with Louise. He tells him he hasn’t decided yet, but his plans won’t change. Kilborn smiles and says, “Nor mine.” Lambert, for the first time, senses the purpose of Kilborn’s visit and looks at the gun. He knows, and decides to play for time. He again asks Kilborn to have a drink with him, to toast their bright and shining future. He turns to get Kilborn a glass and Kilborn smiles to himself, holding the gun.
COMMERCIAL
ACT FOUR
SCENE 4A
Back in Mike’s hospital room, Mike is a little further out of unconsciousness. His head is not clear, but he tries to sit up weakly. He doesn’t know where he is, nor does he recognize Nancy, but she’s encouraged. She tells him Ed is on the way to talk to him. He can tell him what he found out about Mr. Capice – and tell him what to do about it. She’s no longer worried about his condition and can smile a little as she tenderly strokes his face.
SCENE 4B
Locked in the dining room, Louise is controlling her almost hysterical sobbing. She tries to collect her scattered wits. Physically and emotionally exhausted she leans against the door, trying to hear what may be going on in the living room. On the other side of the door Lambert, too, is listening and Kilborn is biding his time. Lambert re-joins Kilborn and tells him to drink his drink. Kilborn, still holding the gun, picks up the glass with his other hand. Lambert raises his glass and says, “To our future, Kilborn.” Kilborn, in a deadpan manner says, “A short drink – to a short future,” and sips his drink. Lambert drains his and eyes Kilborn.
COMMERCIAL
ACT FIVE
Kilborn tells Lambert to sit down. Lambert, waving toward the dining room says, “If you’re worried about – I can handle her. . .” Kilborn points the gun at Lambert to prove he’s serious. Lambert, who’s been looking for a chance is not craven, but is crafty. Wisely he sits. He asks Kilborn what he wants. Kilborn tells him this is the trip he’s planned for him – a short future. . .a long trip. Never taking his eyes off the gun, Lambert tells Kilborn he’s been playing his game. Kilborn tells him he didn’t expect him to deceive her for very long. Sooner or later she’ll expose him, and the time has come to prevent that. Lambert knows Kilborn well enough to know this is not an empty threat. He tries to think of a way out. Time. . . that’s it, play for time. Trying to match Kilborn’s calmness, Lambert tells him that if he shoots him his whole deal would go sour. Kilborn tells him that, on the contrary, he’s no longer any use to him – alive. Lambert stands slowly and casually, measuring his chances. Kilborn tells him he’s not as naïve as Mrs. Capice, he won’t delay – and he won’t lose his nerve. He tells Lambert he’s extremely useful to him – dead. All his aims will be accomplished – will begin to be accomplished – when Mrs. Capice is convicted of his murder. He pulls back the slide of the gun and lets it shoot home. The sound is deadly in the silence. Lambert has reached the end of his courage. He is not maudlin. . .he doesn’t grovel. . .but he doesn’t want to die. He tells Kilborn there must be some other way.
Inside the dining room Louise leans against the door dejectedly. The sound of a shot is heard from the other side of the locked doors. Louise reacts as the sound of another shot is heard. She is stunned. . . puzzled. . .frightened.
In the living room Lambert is sitting almost as he was before, except now he’s dead. Kilborn looks down at him and knows he’s dead. He moves quickly, but not rushing. He lifts the cushion of the chair and drops the gun under it. Then he picks up the glass, which still has some brandy in it. He pours the liquor into a potted plant, then dries the glass carefully with his handkerchief and replaces it with other unused glasses. Lambert’s glass is beside him on a small table and a cigarette is still smoking in the ashtray. Kilborn decides all is well and goes to the dining room door. He quietly unlocks it, then exits to the hallway and out of the house.
In the dining room Louise has recovered enough from the shock of hearing shots to try the doors again. They are heavy and yield to her only after she has exerted all her strength. She gets them partly open and looks out. A look of horror crosses her face.
COMMERCIAL
CLOSING BILLBOARD
Harry Kramer: This is Harry Kramer inviting you to join us again Monday for THE EEEDDDGGGEE OF NIGHT.
