London After Midnight

1 
A cloudswept sky ....
 trees moaned ...
  owls hooted ....

2
a muffled shot ....
  a groan ...
a scream pierced
the midnight ....

3
1:08 AM

4
"Williams, you say you've 
been Roger Balfour's butler
    for twenty years?"

5
"If you did not hear a 
shot what made you
come down here again
after you retired?"

6
"Some strange unnatural
power urged me to come
and see if Mr. Balfour
    was alright."

7
"Sir James .... you say
you left Balfour here
at eleven o'clock. Did
you see anyone after 
       that?"

8
"No one but my nephew,
Arthur Hibbs. He was
in his room reading ....
in my house next door."

9
"My dear man .... surely
  you do not suspect 
     my nephew!"

10
"Mr. Hibbs .... I want to
  know where you have 
   been all evening."

11
"Why .... I .... I've been
   in my room reading."

12
"This man was killed 
fifteen minutes ago!
Where were you at 
   that time?"

13
"If he has been dead
only fifteen minutes ....
how did you get here
      so soon?

14
"That's my business, 
     young man."

15
"I was obliged to question
you all .... even though this
note convinces me it was
        suicide."

16
"You're mistaken! There's
something strangely mysterious 
about this! My friend Balfour
never would have committed 
        suicide!"

17
"Nevertheless, my report to
headquarters will be ....
       suicide!"

18
But Balfour's death 
remained an unsolved 
      mystery.

19
until five years later,
again shortly after 
   midnight ----

20
"'Oly 'Enry! The bloomin'
   'ouse is 'aunted!"

21
"You understand that if 
you lease this house the 
owner will not pay for 
    any repairs?"

22
"As soon as you are 
ready we'll drive you 
  back to London."

23
  "We .... shall .... stay .... here .... 
tonight. We .... have .... guests 
         .... arriving."

24
In spite of the haunted 
neighborhood, Sir James
Hamlin still loyally clung
to the adjoining estate.

25
"Sir James, it's 'orrible!
The Balfour 'ouse is
'aunted .... with movin'
lights and dead people!"

26
 "Dead people? Why,
Smithson .... what do 
     you mean?"

27
"Honest, Sir James .... they're
dead people from the grave!
Vampires is what they are!"

28
"Professor Burke is to be 
our house-guest, Williams.
Have rooms prepared for him."

29
"It's unnerving, Mr. Hibbs!
The new maid swears to 
your Uncle that she saw 
living dead people in the 
     Balfour house!"

30
"Burke, I've called you in 
again because I believe
these strange people 
leasing Balfour's house
link up with his death."

31
"We found his note .... and
his own pistol beside him!
That's suicide, isn't it?"

32
"Then what can it all 
mean? Mysterious
people! Lights! Weird
noises! And come .... 
     see this!"

33
"Sir James, how did
they ever get this 
 out of my desk?"

34
"Here's the new lease for
  Balfour's house! See
   who has signed it!"

35
"Great heavens, Burke!
It's signed by Roger
      Balfour!"

36
"Just a coincidence!
Two people of the 
same name .... that's
        all."

37
"Mr. Burke, I've witnessed
that signature too often
to mistake it! It is
  Roger Balfour's!"

38
"What's your motive in
trying to make us
believe this lease has
been signed by a man
who has been dead
  five years?"

39
"You remember Lucille
Balfour? She is living
      here now."

40
"I'm terribly frightened, 
Sir James! A voice
keeps calling to me
from the garden!"

41
"It sounded exactly like 
my father calling .... 
    'Lucy, Lucy'!"

42
"Now, don't worry, Miss
Lucille. If it really is
anything .... we'll take
      care of it."

43
  "Did you hear what she 
said .... her father's voice!"

44
"I shall never be satisfied
until I see that Balfour 
     is in his tomb!"

45
"Burke! The tomb is 
empty! Balfour is 
       gone!"

46
"Young man, why are 
you suddenly interested
    in vampires?"

47
"Smithson, the maid, lent
me this book .... and after
what happened tonight,
I do believe in vampires!"

48
"But, Burke, you've got
to admit that Balfour's 
    tomb was empty!"

49
"This is all ancient tommyrot!
That young pup is spouting
  like a common variety
      of jackass!"

50
"Where's Lucy?"

51
"I -- locked her in
     there --"

52
"Oh, sir .... it was 'orrible!
  Miss Lucille was bidding
    me good-night,----"

53
"- and then, sir I screamed,
and frightened 'im! And
out of the window 'e flew!"

54
"Smithson, have you 
  been drinking?"

55
"Oh, no, sir! If I 'ave .... 
I 'opes I chokes on the
       next one!"

56
"Now do you believe in
      vampires?"

57
"That's what 'e was ....
a vampire! The book
says sometimes they 'ave
wings .... like bats!"

58
"Come, Burke! We must
   get the police!"

59
"That nephew and that
maid of yours act mighty
   suspicious to me!"

60
"We must get the police at 
once .... and arrest everybody 
   in the Balfour house!"

61
"I don't want the police 
in this! We'll go over 
there in the morning!"

62
"You see, dear .... you turn
to me first in danger. That
   proves love, Lucille."

63
"Can't I sleep upstairs with 
 you tonight, Mr. Hibbs?"

64
"There isn't going to be 
any sleep about this
   house tonight."

65
"You're right! We've got 
to protect Miss Lucille
from those vampires!"

66
In the daytime vampires
take the form of bats ...
and sleep in spots
     accursed.

67
"We should have come 
last night! Where do
you suppose they have 
        gone?"

68
"Don't say it! Let's
 get out of here!"

69
"Lucille, I am going to 
reveal to you that your 
father did not die by 
       suicide!"

70
"You can't mean that 
  someone killed my 
      father!"

71
"I am going to ask you
to put yourself in my
hands .... to do whatever
I say .... no matter how
   trying it may be."

72
"I want you to promise
to keep this a secret .... 
    from everyone."

73
"Mr. Burke, you make
me feel that I should
trust you .... that you
    are my friend."

74
"What was he saying 
      to you?"

75
"I can't tell you! Please
     don't ask me!"

76
"I don't trust him! Why
wouldn't he let Uncle
send for the police last 
        night?"

77
"And now he is getting 
you under his spell!"

78
"Oh, Arthur .... he says
  that someone killed
      my father!"

79
That night strange sounds
and lights told Burke and
Sir James that the tenants
had returned to the Balfour
          house.

80
"Burke .... look! It is
    Roger Balfour!"

81
"Come, Burke! We're 
helpless before such
creatures as these!"

82
"For one who doesn't 
believe in vampires, you've
taken a sudden interest 
       in them!"

83
"Perhaps it's for the 
same reason that
you did, Mr. Hibbs!"

84
"Be brave, my dear. Follow
my instructions tonight."

85
"Young man, I'll take
one of your cigars ....  
and have a little talk 
      with you."

86
"I've suspected you for 
 a long time, Hibbs."

87
"Yes? And I've suspected 
         you!"

88
"Tut! Tut! Don't boil over!
If you didn't kill him, then
whoever did will be after 
     you before long!"

89
"Look me straight in the 
eye .... and think back to
the night of Balfour's
        death!"

90
"Watch my eye and
think .... think hard.
You were in this room
that night, remember?"

91
"Someone was after your 
nephew! Or maybe .... 
        me!"

92
"I want to know where 
you've been all night, 
      Williams!"

93
"I was in bed. The shot
  awakened me. I put
  this on and rushed
       up, sir."

94
"Let him go! I'll have some
interesting questions for
  him to answer in the 
       morning!"

95
"Burke, this is my nephew's 
   room! Where is he?"

96
"That's what I want to 
know! I've been waiting 
   here three hours!"

97
"I don't want any police 
in this! Just do as 
    I tell you!"

98
"Wake up Hibbs! You've
   been sleeping!"

99
"I sat here reading .... 
didn't note the time."

100
"Lucille! Lucille!
Smithson! Smithson!"

101
"Tell .... Luna .... we .... 
    are .... ready."

102
"I'm going to call
the police! You fooled
   us long enough!"

103
"Don't try to fool me
with police! You know 
 just where she is!"

104
"While you're accusing 
me .... they may be
   killing her!"

105
"Remember .... Lucille .... 
you .... are .... doing .... 
this .... for .... your .... 
        father."

106
"We've got the nephew and 
Butler where we want them!
Now there's only Sir James
to take care of!"

107
"Sir James .... everything
  is working out just 
  the way I want it!"

108
"I want you to go to 
that house and ask
for Roger Balfour."

109
"Whomever you meet .... 
stare straight in their
eyes! Show no fear!"

110
"Lock him in that room!
I'll take care of him
        later!"

111
"We're going to finish 
     this tonight!"

112
"It is five years ago .... you
   are at Roger Balfour's
           house!"

113
"Five years ago .... 
at Roger Balfour's
      house!"

114
"Smithson, I'm all ready to 
prove that when hypnotized
a criminal will re-enact his
          crime."

115
"James, I have signed
my will .... naming you
executor of my estate."

116
"---- and I'm happy to
know you will be
Lucille's guardian!"

117
"It pleases me greatly,
too, Roger .... because
I hope Lucille will be
  my wife some day."

118
"But .... she's only a child,
           James."

119
"I don't mean now.
I mean in five or 
   six years."

120
"No, James .... I'll never 
      agree to that!"

121
"That eliminates him!"

122
1:10 AM

123
"Take paper .... and write
     what I tell you!"

124
"You will write .... I am
   taking my own life,
  forgive me, Lucille."

125
"That's how Roger Balfour 
committed suicide, is it?"

126
"I thought so! And last
night you meant to
get your nephew out of 
the way, too .... so you
 could have Lucille!"

127
"Aw, stop kicking! We
got more for doing this
than we'd earn in a 
month at the theatre!"

128
"I've solved this mystery!
  You're at the bottom 
         of it!"

129
"Please, Arthur! He's 
Inspector Burke of
  Scotland Yard!"

130
"Sorry I had to be so
rough with you, Mr.
Hibbs .... but I guess
your reward is worth it."