Wait Until Dark lines

…you are now working for me. Don't move.

Sam? …Gloria? It's me. Is she what you expected?…La Liciana…I'm home. …I left twenty minutes in…because it was a silent movie. …Yeah, next time let's call to find out what's playing. …I tried to walk, but I got turned around, and a taxi took pity on me. At lease he said he was a taxi. When will you be home?…You're kidding! Then I'm definitely coming over. I'll bring a bottle of our worst Chianti. Jesus! You are supposed to be there!…Gloria? I know you're there. You can't fool me.

Scene 2

Hear about the murder?

Quiet. You were saying?

The police found a body this morning. Just down the block.

Where'd you hear this?

It was on the radio.

You're making this up.

Why would I make up a dead body?

It's a ploy to keep me from walking out on you. You can open 'em up now.

You'd walk out on a helpless little blind girl?

You bet.

What if I turn out to be the killer?

If you can kill someone and hide the body all by yourself, you're not so helpless.

You're just saying that to make me feel good. Women are easier to kill than men.

Not in my limited experience. Was it a woman?

That's what they said.

Where'd they find her?

At the end of the street in that vacant lot.

They sure it wasn't an accident?

She was strangled.

…I could stay.

You're going to tell that nice old man with his Purple Heart son you're not coming? The police have probably made an arrest by now.

Do you want me to stay?

…No.

What's the phone number for the police?

Dial the operator and yell: "I'm blind, get me the police!"

Operators get busy.

Police get busy too.

I'm serious. What's the number?

Sixth Precinct: WA-4234. Hospital: WA4-1477. Fire Department: WA3-9091. Chinese laundry-

Okay, you don't have to kill the ball. I'm leaving five singles on top of the safe for Gloria.

Gloria's not getting near this place today.

Who's going to pick up the groceries?

Not Gloria.

Come on, she's a nice kid.

She's a brat.

I think you're just jealous. Pick it up. You could hear where it fell. Think. Did it hit wood or linoleum?

It hit the floor. Am I anywhere near? Give me a hint at least.

What if I weren't here?

If you weren't here, I wouldn't have thrown it at you!

Okay. If you can't do it, you can't do it. Catch. What's your real beef with Gloria? You say you don't like being alone all the time.

So get me a dog.

A dog can't do the shopping.

Dogs can't rearrange the furniture either.

What the hell's that mean?

She moves things when I'm not here. Then I come back and I bang into chair, trip over rugs-

She doesn't do that.

How would you know?

Look, things are a mess up there right now. Her mother's a dipso, her father walked out on them. And she just got glasses.

Glasses. Such a burden.

Yeah, well, you're not supposed to know. It's not like you have to be chatty with her. The two of you can defrost the icebox while I'm gone. All you do is pull the plug and put a pan under it.

You spoil me.

And after, if it stops raining you can walk to my studio and back, but no asking for help.

I never ask for help.

You asked that old lady on Sixth Avenue last night.

She asked me! Why do I have to be the world's champion blind woman?

The world's a dangerous place. I'm holding out my hand for you.

Don't ever walk out on me.

Why would I do that?

Because you're done playing "I Married a Blind Girl"…?

I'm going to be late.

Sam? Where does the icebox plug into the wall?

Feel around, you'll find it.

And if I don't?

Call Gloria.

Sam?…Gloria? SAM?! Fire department, please, hurry! Hello?…I hate to…Hello?…I hat to ask you, but I think there's something burning. And I'm blind…I can smell it! I smell smoke! Could you send someone over? Hang on, someone's at my door. Wait a minute! I'm coming! I'm coming!

Mrs. Hendrix-?

Am I on fire?

What?

There's a fire, something's burning!

Easy now!

Can you see it anywhere? I'm blind!

I got it. All clear. Fire's out.

Thank God…What was it?

Ashtray. Cigarette caught a gum wrapper on fire.

Little…! Where was it?

The ashtray? On the thing under the mirror.

I don't know why I can't tell where smoke's coming from! I can smell it, but I can never find where it is!…I don't know you, do I?

Uhm, no. My name's Mike Talman. I was in Italy with Sam Hendrix.

In the Marines?

We were attached to the same unit.

Ohh! You just missed him.

You're kidding.

He won't be back 'til late tonight. Oh! I'm Sam's wife, Susan.

Nice to meet.

He's going to be so sorry he missed you.

It's my fault, I shouldn't have let it go until the last minute. I'm headed down to Washington this afternoon.

Do you live in New York?

No, I was on forty-eight-hour leave. Me and four other guys got a suite up at the Astor. I was on my way to the station when it hit me this is where Sam ended up.

Are the other fellows from the same unit?

Actually…Here, you lost some of your, uhm, lady things.

Thanks.

Actually, these are guys from back in boot camp, Sam wouldn't know 'em from Adam. Can I give you a hand with that, Mrs. Hendrix?

Susan. No, I have to do this by myself. You never know when you might have your underwear all over the place and no passerby to swoop down and save you. This is Sam's reasoning.

Sound's like Sam's way of getting out of doing laundry.

The thought had occurred to me. I missed that one, huh?

Impressive.

A brush of air and the scent of bleach. Did you know immediately when you came in?

That you can't see?

Thank you for that. Most people say, "You're blind." Like, "This is what you are," not, "This is what you can't do anymore."

So it's not something since birth?

I was in a car accident a year and a halk ago. They were able to fix everything but the headlights. Doctor's joke.

I met Sam in a car accident.

Really?

I was driving our Jeep outside Palermo…….The one Sam saw cut right through the windshield.

…He never told me that.

That surprise you?

No.

These photos on the wall, have you ever seen them?

No, I didn't meet Sam 'til after.

A couple I remember being there when he took them. That town squre, some…Hey, look, that's one of me….I'm sorry. Idiot.

They tell you when you lose your sight, your other senses will start to work overtime. Which is true. Every scratch behind the wall, the perfume coming off a waitress-it gets so cranked up you can't stand it. But I can smell and taste a photograph as much as I like: nothing.

Well, I'm no expert, but I think Sam's stuff is pretty great.

Yeah, Sam's great at everything. He's really the one who should be blind, he'd be terrific at it.

You want me to get that?

No, I should…Actually, yes, thank you, I'd love it if you would.

Mr. Hendrix? | No, I-

I'm Mrs. Hendrix, can I help you?

I'm from the police, Sergeant Carlino. May I come in?

Yes, certainly.

Is your husband home, Mrs. Hendrix?

No. I expect him back late tonight, though.

Lieutenant, huh? | Yeah.

Lieutenant Talman…Mike, right?

Mike, yes.

Mike was in the Marines with my husband. He's a friend.

A body?

A woman was strangled. It was on the radio.

She was found in the weeds down nest to the laundry. Young, pretty, blonde. We've been asking the residents around here if anybody knew her.

You're going to have a hard time getting a positive identification from me, sergeant.

Nah. No purse, no jewelry, labels were torn out of her clothes.

Seems like the killer wanted to make it hard to find out who she was.

Well, he's succeeding so far. Last night, did you see any…I mean, did you hear anything out of the ordinary?

No.

Mrs. Hendrix, I'm gonna leave you my number at the precinct in/case you

I know the-

-or your husband think of anything.

I'll tell him.

A murder right down the street. Not what you want to hear when the sun's starting to set.

Mike? What was Sergeant Carlino doing at the icebox?

The icebox?

It sounded like he went over to the icebox when he was asking about last night.

I don't know. I didn't notice anyway. Look, I better get going, my taxi's outside, and the meter's prob-

Yes, of course.

Tell Sam I'm very sorry I missed him.

I will.

Oh, Carlino's phone number, in case Sam…

Just put it next to the phone.

It's off the hook.

…Jesus! I left the fire department hanging on the line!

Here.

Thanks!

I gotta-

Go, go! Thank you! Hello?! Hello, are you still there? Oh! I am so sorry!…No, I'm glad you stayed on the line, you're the fire department. …No, no, the fire's out. Sorry. …I'm sure, a friend came and put it out. …No, some idiot left a wrapper in the ashtray and it caught fire…Yeah, a kid. …No, not mine! If she were, I'd strangle her. …Thank you. …Goodbye. Christ!

I'm not a kid.

I'm sorry, Gloria, I didn't hear the buzzer, or I would've let you in.

Sam says I should let myself in, so you don't have to run up the stairs to open the door. He says you trip. I saw the soldier you had down here. Aren't you afraid Sam'll be jealous?

Why, was he handsome?

For a fat, bald guy.

Did you open the icebox?

Yes.

Is the door closed?

Uh-huh.

I didn't hear it shut.

Maybe it didn't, then.

Will you check?

Okay.

Well?

You're right. It didn't shut.

Will you shut it, please?

It's right next to you.

I'd appreciate it if you'd shut it for me.

Sam says I'm not supposed to do things you can do yourself.

You opened it, you shut it. Why thanks. I'd ask why you didn't notice it was open the first time, but maybe you're not used to your glasses yet.

I don't wear glasses.

Just like you don't leave gum wrappers in the ashtray?

(ashtray?) What?

Just like you don't smoke cigarettes down here when we're not home? The place stank to high heaven last night when we came back.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Look in the sink, Gloria. Or do you have to get those glasses adjusted first?

I told you I don't wear glasses!

Sam said you did.

Probably so you wouldn't get jealous.

Of you?

Feel!

What made the two dents on the sides of your nose, pigeons?

I was wearing sunglasses.

In the rain? Pick that up.

You want me to tell Sam about your boyfriend? "Lieutenant Michael Talman, War Department, Washington D.C." He left a package on the safe. I'm sure he'll be back, though, right?

Pick up those things you threw on the floor.

Pick them up yourself.

You should go now, Gloria. I don't need you today. In fact, I never want to…I don't want you to come down here again.

You're missing-

Just go upstairs to your apartment.

But you keep missing the-

Go home, Gloria!

…I can't. My mother's got someone with her.

Well, if you're gonna help, help.