The Cat and the Canary Page #2

How do you do?

Fred Blythe

and Charlie Wilder.

Nice to see you.

Thanks, thanks.

Well, where's

the leading lady?

Leading lady?

Young man, did you inherit the streak

of insanity that runs in this family?

What was that

leading lady crack?

Oh, nothing really, but all

this, midnight, the alligators...

I mean, the heirs,

and the family lawyer

all gathering to hear

the reading of the will.

It reminds me of a lot of melodramas

and murder mysteries I played in.

It does?

Thanks.

And in every one

of those plays,

there was a leading lady, young,

beautiful, modern, charming...

Would you take this

for me, please? Thanks.

Well, I got here.

Oh, I'm terribly sorry

to be so late.

Oh, dear Aunt Susan.

And Cicily. Well, this is like old times.

Charlie, they told me

you weren't coming.

It's good

to see you.

And, Fred.

Hello, honey.

And...

Well, of all people,

Wally Campbell.

Well, don't you

remember?

The little girl you took to a

high school dance and deserted.

You used to

call me the twerp.

The twerp?

Joyce Norman! Say, when did

you grow up and get pretty?

Have I kept you waiting?

I'm so sorry.

That's all right, my dear.

Now, shall we proceed?

What a house.

Isn't it?

That's Uncle Cy.

Hello, Uncle Cy.

They tell me he was so

crooked that when he died,

they had to screw him

into the ground.

Shh. Quiet.

Oh, sorry. Here you are, Joyce.

Thank you,

Charlie.

Now as soon as we're all

comfortably settled, we'll begin.

Here.

Thanks.

Mr. Norman made his will

in two parts.

I will now read the contents

of envelope number one.

Oh, tell me. Tell me.

Miss Lu? Miss Lu?

Tell me the name, Master.

The name.

Miss Lu!

What?

What was that noise,

like a gong?

It's the warning.

It came just before

the master died.

You know, I've been thinking

there's no use in my staying here.

After all, I've never inherited

anything, except hay fever.

So if nobody objects, I think

I'll swim back to the mainland.

You're going to

stay right here...

Yeah, but I can...

I have a million

questions to ask you.

Yeah, well, ask her one for

me about those seven bells.

They are the spirits.

They mean

seven may live.

There are eight people

in this room.

One will die

before morning.

I feel very faint.

Yeah, well, it's been nice knowing

you all but honestly, it's hot in here,

I have to get

some air. I...

Now, wait, wait.

Stop all this, Miss Lu.

Do you want to frighten these

ladies out of their wits?

There's not much

danger of that.

It has happened.

The insane asylums

are full of people who've lost

their minds through fright.

Oh, may we hear

the will, please?

Yes, let's hear it.

I'll bet you two to one

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes