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Dominique (1979)
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Where are you going, darling? Shopping, I usually do on Saturdays. Not this Saturday. Not unless you drive yourself. You fired the chauffeur. I did what? Last night, after the party. You quarreled with him, said he'd been driving too fast. Don't you remember? Yes, of course. - John? - Yes, Ma'am? Was I unpleasant to you last night? Did I ask you to leave? Why, uh, yes, ma'am. I need your help. Perfect. It's about Dominique. As you probably know, she has a birthday coming up in two weeks. I know, I'm doing a sketch as a present. If she likes it, I'll sculpt her a head for Christmas. I thought I might give a dinner party for her. - Help cheer her up. - Good idea. It's important that nothing go wrong. I want her to get her confidence back. And I thought maybe you might help me arrange things. - Do you think you could? - Of course. I'd be glad to. I think we should accept the offer. We'd lose control of the firm, wouldn't we? We need their capital. Without it, we could lose everything. Oh, I think we can get it elsewhere. At rates of interest that could destroy us. We better accept before they change their minds. No. Did you see the television play last night? Yes, I did. You should ask Arnold, I was really frightened. Frightened? Yes, the television play last night. The one about the ghost. I didn't see it. I wouldn't have been frightened, though. I nearly saw a ghost once. What do you mean, nearly? You either see one or you don't. You remember Beauty? - Our dog, a cocker spaniel. - She got a virus. Poor little thing, her legs kept giving way, and the vet said she'd have to be put down. She always used to sleep in a little basket by our bed. On the day that she was taken away, I woke up in the middle of the night, and I saw her lying there. I could've reached out and touched her. Did you? No, I closed my eyes and I said there are no such things as ghosts and when I opened them, she was gone. What if you hadn't said that? What if you really believed? Oh, it still would've been an illusion. I wonder. - Happy birthday. - Happy birthday. Oh, my broach! Where did you last see it? In Dominique's bedroom, I was doing my hair. You said how pretty it was. Not to worry, Marjorie, I'm sure it's somewhere. - Was it pinned down properly? - Yes, I'm sure it was. Don't you remember, you said how much you liked it, and how pretty it would look on your blue dress. What is it? What is it? Downstairs. The conservatory. Feeling better? Why don't you tell me what that was all about last night? You know very well. How would I know? You put it there. There was nothing there, darling. But I saw it. And I didn't fire John. Well, we'll try not to quarrel with the next one, alright? Mrs. Ballard? No, I'm Ann Ballard. Mr. Ballard's sister. Or rather, half-sister. Oh, my Tony's Calvert, I'm the new chauffeur. The agency sent me. Oh, yes. Radio repair, auto mechanic. Well, these seem quite good. Do you mind if I, um, check these? No, of course not, sir. I've worked for a number of Americans, sir. Cars are a bit temperamental, but I manage to keep them running. Mm, salary acceptable to you, is it? - Yes. - When can you start? Well, the agency suggested I be ready to start right away, sir. Good, you'll find your quarters excellent, as well as the food. Oh, and uh, Tony. I would expect excellent service. Wouldn't be fair if you didn't, sir. Mm. Her one consolation since the accident. - An accident, sir? - Mm. She fell down the stairs, been almost a year now. Mrs. Davis will show you to your room. This way. - What's it like? - What? Well, the house, the people. Mr. Ballard is a partner in a firm stockbrokers. You will drive him to the city each morning and then come back to take Mrs. Ballard wherever she wants to go. You will pick up Mr. Ballard when he's finished work. The young lady is Mr. Ballard's half-sister. She's an artist, lives in a cottage down the road. And Mrs. Ballard's accident, how did that happen? I've no idea. Dominique. Dominique. Dominique. Dominique. Dominique. Dominique. Dominique. Dominique. Mrs. Ballard? Tony, you've got to help me. He hides things to make me think I'm losing my memory. That broach, he put it on my dress. And now... Yes? Voices. Voices? Calling me in my room. Mad, isn't it? But that's what he wants everybody to believe. That I'm mad. Tony, please help me. Help me find whatever he's doing. Look, Mrs. Ballard. Well, I've got a good job here. Mr. Ballard's my employer. I can't take your side against him. Then you won't help me? I'm sorry. Tony, Tony, Mrs. Ballard, come quickly. Quick! Better fetch a doctor, sir. I'll cut her down. I'm sorry. Did she leave a note? We found this in her hand. "I make only two requests, that my truskin bracelet" "be buried with me and that my will not be read" "until the date of my wedding anniversary," "October the 31st." A truskin bracelet? Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts. Shut not thy merciful ears to our prayer, but spare us, Lord most holy. Oh, God, most mighty. Oh, holy and merciful savior. Thou most worthy judge eternal. Suffer us not at our last hour. For any pains of death to fall from thee. - Do you want me to stay? - No, thank you, Ann. Come in. Good morning, sir. Mrs. Davis said you wanted to see me? Oh, uh, yes. Tony, you didn't hear anything unusual last night, did you? Unusual, sir? Mm, any sounds. No, don't think so, sir. You weren't playing your radio around 11? No, I went to bed early, sir. Well, if you do hear anything different, would you let me know? Yes, sir. That'll be all, Tony. Okay. Yes? - Mr. Ballard? - Yes? This is the superintendent of the cemetery where your wife is buried. I'm sorry to disturb you at this late hour, sir, but, something very strange has happened, and I thought I'd better let you know. Strange? Yes, sir. What is it? Well, I'd rather you came down in the morning and saw for yourself, sir. Very well, thank you. I'm terribly sorry to have to ask you to come here like this, Mr. Ballard, I've no wish whatsoever to intrude on your grief, but... It was delivered late last night, sir. - It was highly irregular. - Where did it come from? - Come from? - Who delivered it? Oh, Reeve's, the stonemason. You'll find them just across the road, sir. George, a large double tombstone, name of Ballard. Why, it's up in the cemetery, a rush order. Delivered last night. That's how she wanted it. Who wanted it? The lady. What lady? What lady? Well, the one who ordered the tombstone. Did she give her name? She didn't. - No, it'll be on the check. - Ah, but she paid cash. Oh? The money's in the till. What did she look like, George? Well, she was all in black and had one of them long black coats, and that was right and proper, too, because she was in mourning. Mourning? Yeah, she said she was in mourning. For her husband. In answer to your letter of October 12th. It is evident that there has been a mis... "It is evident that there has been a misunderstanding?" Misunderstanding. "It is evident that there has been a misunderstanding." But Mr. Ballard, it's against the law! 1,000. Supposing we get caught? When? Tonight. Will you be alright, sir? Mr. Ballard? In the conservatory. It's in the conservatory. What? My wife's body. Break it. Break it! I can't, sir, where's the key gone? I don't know. Can I do anything to help, Mr. Ballard? Do you know where the key to the conservatory is? The conservatory? I thought it best to replace the key where the late Mrs. Ballard always left it. The top lid of that desk. That you, Mrs. Davis. I'm sorry I disturbed you. - Who is it? - Ballard! What're you playing at? What do you mean? There was something hanging in the conservatory. You had the key. - What are you trying to say? - There was a body there. And now there's nothing. What are you trying to do to me? - What are you accusing me of? - You know damn well. I leave in the morning. Just pay me what's owed to me. Very well. And a bit more. This came by hand. She said it was urgent. But are you sure she was dead? I examined her, I signed the death certificate. I saw her, Charles. Not a ghost, I saw her and last night, I... Yes? Nothing. I had to tell somebody. But it's so unbelievable, pianos playing, faces in the night, bodies hanging, gravestones. Someone is doing it. Dominique? But she's dead. Is she? - We saw her buried. - We saw a coffin buried. - What are you doing? - Calling my solicitor. I'm having her exhumed. David. David. David. David. David. Yes. What? I'll be right there. I came to make sure Dominique's grave was tidy. After all, we were very close, you know. And then I saw it. I called Arnold and, uh, we thought you ought to see it before anybody else did. Morning, sir. I don't think I should take it too seriously. After all, we can't afford to lose you, can we? I mean, the board meeting's on the 26th, isn't it? October the 25th. That's tomorrow. Who is it? It's me, sir, Tony! It's Tony, sir! I thought I heard shots. Dominique. It's Dominique, I shot at her. I shot at her, but I... No. No. No, I shot right at her. No, the bullets went right... Revenge. That's what she wants. Revenge. It was you who drove her to... It was you and Mrs. Davis. Why, sir? Money. Money, I needed it, she had it. I couldn't let my business fail. But I... I want you to leave immediately. If you breathe one word of what you know to anyone, I will say you were fired for stealing. Do you understand? Dr. Rogers? Charles? David Ballard. No. No. No. No. No. No. No! No! We are gathered here today to read the wills of the late Mr. and Mrs. Ballard. Mr. Ballard's will is quite straightforward. Apart from several minor charitable requests, the entire estate was to have gone to his wife, Mrs. Dominique Ballard, but as her death so tragically preceded his, it will now go to his half-sister, Miss Ann Ballard. All of it? All of it, the entire estate. But I understood the business profits were to be left with me, to be put back into the business, of course. Mr. Ballard made no such provisions. May I continue? Mrs. Ballard changed her will shortly before her death. I don't know why or why she made the request she did. I asked her, mind you, but she offered me no explanation. Now, in her will, which, according to her instructions, was to be read today, Mrs. Ballard made some minor requests. Her furs to go to Mrs. Marjorie Craven, as a gesture of appreciation for the many years they'd known each other. And several charities will benefit. But, the residue. A very considerable sum to go to, "My only true friend." "Our chauffeur." "Tony Calvert." David. David. David. David. David. Did I scare you? It's over. All over. Now we can go away somewhere. Where nobody knows us. No. What do you mean? No, you've got his money, I've got hers. We're safer apart. I didn't do it for the money. I did it for you. But you did do it. I wanted to help Dominique do to David what he was trying to do to her. I didn't mean her to die. But once he ordered her exhumed, you agreed there had to be a body. You agreed to everything. Even the doctor. I agreed. I agreed to the wig, the mask, the bullets in the wall. I agreed to everything so we could be together. I love you. You can't leave me now. You'd never be sure I wouldn't tell. Not the one you were playing. Mine. Yes, I know. Don't worry about it, it's all worked out. There is a way you can fake your suicide. It would never work. I mean, there'd have to be a death certificate. And who would we get to sign that? Dr. Rogers. He's in debt, he'd do anything for money. Oh, Ann, I don't know. You know, leaving all my money to Tony, it... He'd give it back, I'd see to that. After all, we are going to be married. If it works, where would I go? Where would I hide? Well, you could stay at the cottage, and then I'll get you away. You really think he'd believe that I'm a ghost? Dominique, he will have seen you buried. It's either you or David, you know. Will you do it? It's my protection. But it was your plan. Your idea. I did it for you. Oh, I did it for the money. Tony! Not blanks this time. |
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