The Long Wait

Thanks.

Any luck?

Maybe we can find a name that will ring a bell. Let me help.

I don't blame you for losing your temper.

Amnesia's one of the most unnerving things that can happen to a person.

You're not really sick and yet you're not yourself.

Look in the mirror and say, "who am I?

Where did I come from?"

And you have what we call a general amnesia.

Your past is a total blank.

What are my chances of getting better?

Tell me the truth.

Your wallet, your driver's licence, social security, they were all in your coat.

If they hadn't been burned, we'd have something to go on to...

Help you find your way back.

Of course, that's not to say it's hopeless.

One of these days, the part of your brain that remembers

will start working again.

How, we don't know, but it just happens that way.

When will that be?

Well, I won't lie to you, I don't know.

Could be soon, it might be months...

It might even be years.

That looks better.

Yeah. Now, that's much better.

You'll soon be able to use those just as good as ever.

How good is that?

How do I know?

Maybe they could box,

paint a house,

play a violin.

Although you don't look much like a violin player to me.

I'm checking out, doctor.

It's time I started looking for myself.

It's some racket, amnesia.

Yeah, if you know when to pull it.

You just say to your wife, "how do I know why I didn't come home last night?

I've got amnesia in the head!"

Amnesia in the head! Hey, that's a good one!

I gotta use that gag myself!

Yeah, just tell 'em you caught it from a pal!

- Yeah, like a cold. - Yeah.

Hey, you know, I think I'm getting it now. Where's my paintbrush?

Do you know where my paintbrush is?

Take it easy!

What's the matter with you, anyway?

This pays you up through today, bonus and all. Sign here.

That's 739 dollars and 50 cents.

Ain't you got no feelings?

You just nearly killed a man.

I've had a bellyful of you for two years.

We've got a hospital for accident cases

and we don't need you to keep it filled.

Hi, hon!

- Chuck just blew in from this trip back east. - Yeah?

Lori and me are just having a drink, for old time's sake.

Yeah.

You know I wouldn't step out on you, hon.

You took away from me fair and square.

- No hard feelings. - Beer, Tom.

I was hoping I'd run into you, pal.

Just came back from your part of the country.

- What's my part of the country? - Are you kidding?

Where you come from?

Nobody knows where I come from, not even me.

Well, let me go and I'll tell you.

Every heard of a town called Lyncastle?

- Nice burg, busy, wide open. - Alright, skip the travelogue.

Sure, sure.

Well, anyway, I was walking down the main drag and what do you think I see?

- Your face. - His face? Where?

In a store window, photographer's place.

You know, they always have a lot of pictures in the window.

- Who did he say I am? - Didn't know. He was a new guy.

Just bought out the joint. He was clearing all the old faces out of the window.

So I bought yours, just for old time's sake.

Lyncastle?

Where is that?

Across the state line, about seven or eight hundred miles.

- So when are we leaving, hon? - I'm leaving now.

I'm travelling light.

Here, Chuck, it's all yours.

Well, how do you like that?

That's gratitude!

And after all I've done for him, too.

Take it easy, baby.

I've never been to Lyncastle in my life.

This is the picture I really got from the post office upstate.

Johnny McBride?

That must be his real name.

Murder?

It might have been me.

I got the photo from this thing.

Was that a smart idea or was that a smart idea?

Well, he fell for it.

Hey, Tom, you got a bottle of that high-class champagne?

We're celebrating.

Hey, Mack... Is there a good hotel near here?

Sure. The Lyncastle Hotel, two blocks down, turn to the right.

Thanks.

Operator.

Room 502.

Thank you.

Lyncastle Hotel.

Room 404.

Thank you.

Do you know me?

What gave you that idea?

You were looking at me as if you did.

Couple of gals were staring at you.

All I did was follow their eyes and hit you.

I couldn't very well miss, it's such a big target.

Your party's on the line, miss.

Thank you.

Lyncastle Hotel.

Yes, we do.

Well, I'll try to connect you, sir.

Johnny!

Johnny boy!

This is great.

You must have got everything fixed up.

Sure glad to see you.

Yeah. Glad to see you too.

It's been a long time, Johnny.

Yeah. Couple of years, maybe more.

Just about two years. Where you been?

In the oil fields.

Look... I'm kinda bad on names.

What's yours?

Are you kidding, Johnny? What's the matter with you?

Well, it just slipped my mind, that's all.

But you couldn't forget me. Pop Henderson.

Yeah, yeah. Pop Henderson.

We're old friends...?

You bet.

We must have a lot to talk about, the old days, people we knew.

I'll be off duty in a couple of hours.

Go on up to your room.

I'll come up later.

Front.

Take Mr. McBride to 408.

Ten bucks?

Yes, sir.

- You know this town well? - Backwards.

Yes, sir.

I'm a great guy for asking questions.

This green stuff makes me very talkative.

I'll send for you when I need you.

Yes, sir.

That's him alright.

The driver recognized him when he got off the bus.

What do you want?

We're police officers. You're coming with us.

What for?

Come on.

Why you!

Wait a minute, Tucker, wait a minute!

Now, what am I charged with, besides resisting an officer?

Murder. Just murder. That's all.

Who told you to come back here?

Some smart lawyer with a fancy trick up his sleeve?

Well, it won't do you any good.

Just because it's two years doesn't mean we haven't still got a case.

Because we've got a piece of evidence that doesn't lie.

It says for sure that you're the killer.

Alright, let's get moving.

Sure, sure.

Anyone can forget a little thing like a crime.

You don't remember?

You don't remember!

It's guys like you playing innocent that spoils my appetite.

I suppose you've never even heard of the Lyncastle Bank?

You don't remember being a teller there and taking 250 grand out of it?

How much dough do you have to take out of a bank before you remember it?

One thing I do remember, in the hotel you guys said murder.

Yeah, and murder it is.

Maybe we haven't got a case for the jury

on the amount of dough that you took from the bank,

but we've got you dead to rights on the killing.

You have?

I don't remember.

Alright, McBride, look,

I'll go along with you.

I'll try to refresh your memory.

- Here, have a cigarette? - No, thanks.

One fine night a couple of years ago, a man by the name of Minnow

was sitting in his home behind his desk working on some papers.

A minute later he was dead. Cause of death? A bullet hole.

From what? A .38.

Who fired the gun? You.

Why did you do it? Because Minnow was the District Attorney.

What was he doing to you?

He was going to prove you took the 250 G's out of the bank so you plugged him.

Remember that?

Okay, then.

Here, take a look at this.

So you didn't think we had it on you?

In case you don't know it, McBride, these are your fingerprints,

taken right off the gun that did the killing.