Part 15
| Reporters are waiting for Christie, Mary, and Theda at the door of the flat. |
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| One of them asks what Christie thinks about the fact that Ted's bail was withdrawn. Christie is confused. Theda answers instead of her that she is happy that other girls are safe now. Another reporter asks what she thinks about that Ted was released on bail earlier. Was she afraid that he would harass her? Christie answers that it's not quite so. Both of the reporters want her to specify what she means but Theda manages to change the topic. She makes a long speech to protect Christie and her decency. |
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| At the same time Mason and Cruz are reading Christie's criminal record. |
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"When she was 16 she ran away from home because of mother's drinking," Mason reads.
"What about her father?" Cruz asks.
"Died when she was 10. Mother got married again. The second husband was rough, and mother seems to begin drinking that very time. Older sister Mary went to the convent soon. In almost three years Christie collected her belongings and left home."
Theda continues praising Christie to the reporters: she is telling about Christie's jobs, how she earned money in the sweat of her brow and how she was appreciated.
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| Mason is reading that, having run away from home, Christie came to Los Angeles, then to Sacramento and finally to Santa-Barbara. Several times she was detained for solicitation. |
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| Cruz says that she was free of charges and it can hardly be the evidence in the court. But Mason believes that it will help them a lot. |
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| Theda continues talking to the reporter; Mary and Christie enter the flat. Mary smiles at mother's speech but it's not funny for Christie. |
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| Mary opens the door again and makes mother to come in. They discuss the recent event, and then Theda notices that Christie is looking through the newspaper. Christie is looking at the first page with the article about Ted's second arrest with his picture. |
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| Ted suffers behind the bars, and then he decides to write to Christie. |
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| Mason comes to Cruz and asks whether he has any information about the real rapist. |
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| Cruz says he has something. Fibers that were under Christie's nails are not from Ted's clothes that he wore that night. |
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They discuss further investigation and search of potential witnesses.
* * *
Mason came to visit Ted.
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| He show Ted the extract for Theda's "press-conference" where she says unpleasant things about Ted, and asks his brother to tell everything bad that he knows about Christie, all her background. |
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| Ted doesn't want to do it. Mason asks Ted to trust him, and Ted begins telling hesitatingly but then stops. Mason pushes on him. Ted says that it is not easy for him to hurt other people. |
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| Mason says strictly that if Ted is on Christie's side he won't defend him. Ted asks him to shut up. He won't bad-mouth Christie; she is a nice girl. |
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Mason says that now it's Ted's turn to shut up because this nice girl put him behind the bar with serious but absolutely unjust accusation. Ted must understand that it's not time for sentimentality. It's his revival at the stake, and they have to use all the opportunities, otherwise he will be in jail.
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Mary takes the newspaper with Ted's picture and says moodily that when she sees his face she wants to excoriate that stupid smile from his face. Theda says she won't have to do this. She asks Christie how she feels herself.
"I am all right," Christie answers. She is touched and she thanks her mother and sister for their support in spite of all the problems she caused. |
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Theda says that now and then they will take care of each other, as they are a family again. Mary agrees with her mother.
At the moment the doorbell rings. A deliveryman brings a letter for Christie. Christie takes it and stands astonished. |
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Mary sees that it is from Ted and cries that she can hardly believe in such insolence. She grabs it and tears to pieces.
* * *
Mary falls asleep on the sofa, and Christie takes Ted's letter from the trashcan and puts its pieces together. Sleeping Mary turns over and over, then wakes up screaming.
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| Christie jumps to her and asks what happened. Mary answers that she had a horrible dream. She dreamt that she kills Ted. She stabs him again and again. Mary stands up in horror and says that she has never had dreams before. She can't forgive him. Neither in reality, nor in dream. |
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| Christie is sorry that it happens to Mary because of her. If only she could help her. Mary doesn't listen to her and screams that she hates Ted. |
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| She looks at her sister and says that it is wrong. It is against her learning. "I've changed", she says. "I've really changed". |
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| Having stayed alone Christie is reading Ted's torn letter. |
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| He writes that he is sorry about what has happened. He knows that it is hard for her and he wants to help. But he doesn't understand why she continues telling that it was he who did it. Both of them know it is not true. And she can stop it. |
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Christie is crying and asks Ted to stop it. She can't bear it anymore.
Ted in the cell is writing one more letter. He says it will be the last one, his last attempt. |
