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Stacey Ames has to leave when Wells arrives
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The Plot
Alejandro Orsini is making love to a lady friend when Burton Wells knocks on his door - along with two thugs. Wells asks Miss Ames to leave, and as soon as she's gone, the thugs begin beating Orsini. Wells says that it's because his casino debt of $200,000 is overdue. When Orsini says that he has no cash now, but will pay the money back, Wells wants some confirmation for his employers of the fact, and Orsini tells him that he'll soon be marrying the fabulously wealthy Mona Morrison.
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Mona asks Paul if he's staying for the wedding
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With that commitment in mind, Wells makes sure that he's invited as Orsini's house guest at Mona's new home on Sardinia.
Also invited to her palatial estate is Paul - as the guest of Mona's son Willem, after the two have competed together in sky diving contests.
Paul is enjoying an afternoon party with other guests when Willem's sister Diana introduces herself to him. They dance, and then the couple walk over to chat with her mother who invites Paul to stay for her wedding to Orsini.
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Mona asks Paul about her son
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Mona then asks Paul to come into the garden with her, saying that she has little awareness of her children's lives, living so apart from them, and would like to know what Willem is like.
Paul tells her about his friend's sky diving exploits, but Mona says that she's never had any interest in witnessing him in competition. Paul suggests that she come out and watch Willem trying out a new parachute in the morning.
But "first thing in the morning" sounds like a preposterous time to Mona to do anything.
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Wills tells Orsini that he should be concentrating on Mona
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Wills notes Orsini chatting with some girls, and asks why he's not concentrating on his fiancée who has left the scene with Paul.
Orsini confidently says that he knows what he's doing, and shuns any advice from constantly intervening Wills.
Wills conveys the power and ruthlessness of his employers to Orsini, and says that if he doesn't pay his debt, it's Wills - who extended the extra credit to him - who will pay the price. Orsini doesn't appear bothered, and simply replies that Wills should learn to relax and enjoy himself.
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Mona watches Willem sky diving
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Mona does go out with Paul in the morning to watch her son sky diving.
She observes him with interest, and even a bit of admiration, and Willem waves to her when he reaches the ground.
Diana visits Paul later, telling him that she's always ending up with the wrong men, and would like to know how to find someone like him - who even fascinates her mother.
Mona is puzzled that Diana thinks she's interested in Paul, but believes that she must have hit on a good idea.
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Mona suggests Diana start a rumor about Paul and herself
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To make Orsini a little jealous, and invite more attention from him, Mona instructs her daughter to tell Wills that she might even be postponing the wedding because of Paul.
When Diana sees Wills later, she makes a point of telling him that Orsini has gone out sailing, and that her mother went off with Paul - not fair, she says, as her brother had brought Paul as a date for her.
Wills goes to Paul's room, and prods him for information about himself, saying he thought they'd met before. Then, he changes his tone to one of friendly threat.,
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Wills tells Paul not to stay for the wedding
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He suggests that Paul should not stay for the wedding, and that Mona's interest in him might even prevent the marriage to his friend taking place.
Paul goes to Orsini about the visit, but he says that Orsini can't imagine a reason why he'd sent Wills to deliver such a message, indicating that the man was a mere acquaintance, and Paul shouldn't trouble his mind about Wills' remarks. Paul apologizes, and Orsini genially says that the meeting gave them a chance to get acquainted, and that he'd seen Paul race at Le Mans, and looked forward to speaking with him.
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Paul learns that a gambling syndicate is interested in him
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Pondering the matter, Paul rings a friend in San Francisco to see if he can find out anything about Burton Wills.
When the return call comes in Paul is sitting by the pool with Orsini, and Paul's friend reports that he can't find anything about Wills, but learns that international gambling interests are doing searches on Paul. It is the same company, Fairmont Enterprises, that Wills works for. Paul's friend warns him to be careful, as the men in question are dangerous.
So Paul goes to confer with Willem.
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Paul confers with Willem
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He asks Willem if he knows any reason why a London gambling syndicate would be interested in his mother's wedding, and Willem replies that they might be taking bets on whether or not it will come off.
But Paul says it's more serious than that, and these people are trying to dig up information about himself.
Willem scoffs at the idea, but when Paul points out that Orsini has spent a lot of time in London, Willem suggests quizzing him up about the matter, then adds that his family is familiar with being used.
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Wills knocks Paul down the stairs
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After leaving Willem's room, Paul walks down the hall, and Wills suddenly appears from nowhere, hitting him, and sending him falling down a flight of stairs.
“Sorry about your accident,” he says to Paul lying in a heap at the bottom.
When Paul finally manages to raise his head, Wills comes down and gives him another chop, reminding him of his advice that staying around for the wedding isn't in Paul's best interests.
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Arnold Phillips says he knows nothing of Orsini
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In response Paul takes off for London, and visits the gambling club where Orsini used to play, asking questions about him under an assumed name in the guise of being a travel writer. The manager says that Paul must be mistaken about Orsini, acting as if he didn't know the name, but Paul pursues his investigations, and talks to the woman who plays piano in the casino. She had a brief romance with Orsini, and in addition to speaking of the many other women in his life, she comments on the sizable amounts he lost at the gambling tables. She also reveals that Orsini has debts of $200,000 to the club.
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Paul asks Louise Laine about Orsini
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However, she says that Mona Morrison came along just in time to offer him necessary collateral.
When Paul leaves the casino, the manager appears again with two thugs who beat Paul up. As he lies on the ground, the manager whom he'd spoken to earlier says that they know all the life details of Paul Bryan, including his medical circumstances, and he certainly wouldn't want to go back to Sardinia. Paul moans that he doesn't know where Sardinia is, and has no intention of going there. Then he takes the first plane back to the island.
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Paul tells Mona about Orsini's debts
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When he gets back to Mona's home, she is delighted to see him, and expresses pleasure that he won't miss the wedding.
He tells her that since he was invited, he's felt that there was something he wasn't supposed to be part of, and that his presence was jeopardizing her marriage to Orsini, which he believes is being set up by a London gambling syndicate.
Paul adds that her fiancé is in debt to them, and is marrying her to pay them off.
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Willem also hears Paul's news with ambivalence
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Mona doesn't regard the revelation as being of significance, and points out that, not only does she want to marry Orsini, but that she has more than enough to cover his gambling. Paul is dumbfounded.
“It's only money,” Mona declares, and asks Paul to please stay on for the wedding. Diana and Willem come on the scene, and when mother and daughter have departed, overheard by Wills, Paul tells Willem that what he'd said earlier about a London gambling syndicate was all true, that Orsini owes them money, and is marrying Mona to settle his debts.
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Paul gives Wills a friendly pat
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“So what?” asks Willem, “she has plenty of money. Let her buy what she wants with it. Anything that will make her happy is OK.”
After Willem leaves to dress for the wedding, Paul notices Wills nearby. He walks up to him, and pleasantly puts his arm across Wills' shoulders, then punches him in the stomach, followed by a chop into his neck.
Then he walks away telling Wills he hopes that he has a nice time at the wedding.
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