MEREDITH What's your secret?
RIPLEY Excuse me?
MEREDITH No, it's just - you are American, aren't you? - no, I just, I
have so much luggage, and you're so, uh, streamlined. It's humiliating.
Ripley shrugs. Now they're opening a second case of the passenger ahead.
Hard not to converse. I'm Meredith, by the way. Meredith Randall.
RIPLEY Dickie, Dickie Greenleaf. Hello.
MEREDITH Hello. They are passed through immigration, head down the long
stairs towards the street. Meredith catches up with Ripley. You're not
the Shipping Greenleaf's?
RIPLEY Trying not to be. Trying to jump ship.
MEREDITH So now, did they put your suitcase in the wrong pile? It's just
- upstairs - weren't you under the R stand? I thought I saw you there.
RIPLEY My father wants me in New York. He builds boats. I'd rather sail
them. I travel under my mother's name.
MEREDITH Which is?
RIPLEY Emily. Just kidding.
MEREDITH The funny thing is, I'm not Randall either. I'm Logue.
RIPLEY As in the...?
MEREDITH As in the Textile Logues. Trying to shrug off the dress. I
travel under my mother's name, too.
RIPLEY Randall.
MEREDITH Right.
MEREDITH (offering her hand) So - partners in disguise. Bye.
MEREDITH Dickie! Oh my God! Ciao.
MEREDITH But you're going skiing with us Yankees, aren't you?
RIPLEY What?
MEREDITH At Christmas. To Cortina with Freddie Miles and -
RIPLEY How did you know that?
MEREDITH Everybody knows Freddie Miles.
RIPLEY Is Freddie in Rome?
MEREDITH Now? I don't think so. But I've met him, of course, and we've
chatted and I know about you and Marge and Mongi and what an unreliable
rat you are. Freddie said you were a rat and I thought to myself now I
know why he travels under R.
RIPLEY I've left Marge, Meredith. And Mongi. So the rat's here now, in
Rome.
MEREDITH Sorry, I wouldn't have made a joke if -
RIPLEY Don't be sorry. I've never been happier. I feel like I've been
handed a new life.
MEREDITH The truth is if you've had money your entire life, even if you
despise it, which we do - agreed? - you're only truly comfortable around
other people who have it and despise it.
RIPLEY I know.
MEREDITH I've never admitted that to anyone.
MEREDITH Show me the other one again. I like them both.
RIPLEY I'll take them both.
MEREDITH I know you're a jazz fiend but do you absolutely hate the
Opera? I've been trying to give my tickets away, it's tomorrow, but if
you were prepared to be dragged... She looks up to catch him
bare-chested. She's intoxicated by him, the romance she feels to be in
the air.
RIPLEY You could drag me.
RIPLEY Let's go.
MEREDITH I thought you were enjoying yourself?
RIPLEY Let's take a Carozza and look at the moon.
MEREDITH You're crazy! It's freezing out there.
RIPLEY C'mon, I need to talk to you. Just the two of us.
MEREDITH Okay then, you're crazy.
MEREDITH Don't worry. Really. Don't worry.
RIPLEY You're such a pal to understand. It's as if Marge is here now - I
look at you and I see her face - and I can't, whatever I'm feeling
towards you - I just can't...
MEREDITH No, I absolutely understand. Of course.
RIPLEY Otherwise you'd be fighting me off.
MEREDITH Beating you away.
MEREDITH Will you meet me tomorrow? Just to say goodbye in the daylight,
properly? So it's not just this, it's too...you should always save pain
for daylight...
RIPLEY Oh Meredith, I'm sorry. Of course I'll meet you. Let's have
coffee in the morning at Dinelli's.
MEREDITH I don't - is that by the Spanish Steps?
RIPLEY Exactly. 10:30 - 10:15.
MEREDITH Peter? Hello, it's Meredith Logue.
PETER Of course it is, Meredith, hello, I'm sorry, half-asleep, how are
you? This is Marge Sherwood. Meredith Logue.
MARGE Hello. Hearing Marge's name Meredith reacts, freezes.
PETER Join us, won't you? We're just waiting for a friend. Do you know,
I wonder did we see you at the Opera last night?
MEREDITH I won't actually, although I think this might - are you waiting
for Dickie?
PETER Well no, as it happens, although...
MARGE Dickie? Do you know Dickie?
MEREDITH You were at the Opera? Well, that explains - yes I was there. I
was there with Dickie.
MARGE I told you! I knew it!
MEREDITH Marge, I don't know you, so I have no right, but Dickie loves
you. He's - I think you'll find he's coming home to you.
MARGE How would you know that?
MEREDITH He told me everything. I was supposed to meet him fifteen
minutes ago, so I...I'm going to go now, I think. Unless he meant us to
meet - which would be a little cruel, wouldn't it?
PETER No, we're meeting another friend. Tom Ripley.
MARGE Do you know Tom?
MEREDITH Ripley? No. I heard about him, of course, but no, I didn't meet
him. Not for me. No, grazie. I hope I didn't complicate matters, but
nothing, nothing untoward happened, nothing to prevent you from
welcoming him back, from marrying him...Goodbye. Goodbye Peter, please
don't get up.
MEREDITH Dickie? Dickie? He turns. He's caught. Suddenly he's Dickie.
Dickie, my God!
RIPLEY Hello Meredith.
MEREDITH I was looking at you, your clothes, I wouldn't have known
you...
RIPLEY Well, you've spotted me and so you get the reward.
MEREDITH What?
RIPLEY Just kidding. Are you alone?
MEREDITH Hardly. I couldn't be less alone.
RIPLEY Of course. Aunt Joan.
MEREDITH And co. A lot of co. Oh, God, I've thought about you so much.
RIPLEY I've thought about you.
MEREDITH When I thought about you I was mostly hating you. Where've you
been hiding?
RIPLEY I haven't been hiding. I've been in Police custody. They've been
trying to flush out Freddie's killer.
MEREDITH You're kidding.
RIPLEY They're letting me have this vacation. Which is why the get-up.
Which is why you haven't heard from me.
MEREDITH You know, the whole world thinks you killed Freddie? It's
terrible.
RIPLEY I know. Look, I can't talk now. Later. Later?
MEREDITH So - are you traveling under R?
RIPLEY You know what - I am.
MEREDITH Dickie, are you with Peter Smith- Kingsley? I bet you are. My
aunt thought she saw him.
RIPLEY Peter Smith-Kingsley? I haven't seen him in months. No, I'm
alone.