Esteemed Professor Erlacher,
I hereby confirm that I will present to the next international genetics congress,
The new hybrid I have developed by introducing
the sperm of a rat into the ovum of a monkey.
This hybrid has in it's teeth and under it's nails...
A very potent poison.
One that produces a kind of instantaneous leptospirosis.
It's bite or scratch will kill a human being in just a few seconds.
Hope you enjoy your dinner, filthy, stinking animal.
He should kill you all.
That's what I say.
Hey, Mousy, wake up.
Now, be good.
Don't touch me with those. Much too dangerous.
We're friends after all, huh?
You get presented at the next genetics congress.
You know, when I started this experiment, they all thought I was a fool.
Well, we'll show them, won't we.
You shouldn't scratch the guy who loves you.
You have to learn to love me too. OK, Mousy?
Once we get to the congress, they'll call you by your scientific name.
No more Mousy.
- Antonio. - Yes, sir?
Tomorrow, before we go to the city,
Get rid of these rats.
Mm, with pleasure.
Easiest to burn them.
And feed him in half an hour.
Raw meat's the only thing he'll eat now.
As I expected. It's the right diet for him.
If you say so, doc.
But don't you think he's grown too strong this past month?
Don't worry about that Antonio.
Just keep away from his claws.
Tell me about it.
OK, let's put the umbrella down.
That's it. Beautiful, beautiful.
Just like that. That's it. Have more fun with it.
That's it, that's it. Beautiful. One more.
Good. Turn around now. That's it. Just like that.
Stay just like you are. Drop the umbrella.
On your knees now. That's it. Beautiful, beautiful.
Lightning. Hold that. That is fantastic.
There ya go. Come on now. Let me see you having a good time.
Oh, that there. Hold it.
Beautiful, beautiful. Lemme get one of these.
Over here a little bit. Lean on your right hand.
That's it. Just like that.
Ah ha. Think that's the end of the reel.
You want one like this, Mark?
Not right now. I'm gonna work with Marylin for a while.
Is there anything to drink?
Didn't you see the cooler I brought?
It's up there.
Marylin, it's your turn. I'm taking a break. Move.
Here I come.
Marylin: Did you two create something beautiful?
Peggy: Are you kidding?
The only thing he's got that clicks with me is a shutter.
What are you laughing about?
Why? We're not allowed to laugh?
Let me in on the joke too.
We were talking about you.
And you know what she said?
That you were just mean and nasty.
Isn't she happy here?
Yep. She's OK.
- For now. - You're doing great.
Let's try to keep her that way.
You know the client only hired us because he likes Peggy.
He's paying good money for the job.
It's true.
We'll do it for the money. OK, let's go!
- Woo! - Alright.
Move it. Move that stuff.
I love it. I love it!
That's it.
Hey, come on!
Let's get around! Make some fucking money!
This time over to the right, to the right.
Hold it.
Down in the water. Up. Hold it.
Beautiful, beautiful.
Now, pull out all the stops! Let's go! Go!
Not bad. I think we deserve a break, alright?
Mark: Is there anything left in the cooler?
I'm dying of thirst.
Keeping up with that lady isn't easy.
Peggy: Hmm, some moves you were putting on there.
Now that I've seen how the pros do it,
I'm for an early retirement.
Mark!
Ahh, it was nothing.
Well, it was enough for me.
Thank god tomorrow I'll be back in New York.
I couldn't take one more day here.
Lucky you.
I'll be here at least three more.
Mark, are we still going to shoot in the jungle?
Oh, of course.
We have to get up tomorrow morning at dawn.
That's awful. That's evil!
There's a party on tonight.
And I'm not going to miss it. No way!
- You wanna go to the party? - Damn right.
Then you lose the job.
Ugh, your a slave-driving, blackmailer.
No, I'm the photographer who's gonna make you famous one day, Marylin.
Hmm.
Mark, wouldn't it be good to call the police?
Why the police?
Well, I think we should tell them about what we saw today down at the beach.
Don't say a word to anyone.
We're not in New York.
And I don't feel like being interrogated by the police...
About somebody I don't even know.
He may have been there for months.
But, Mark, you saw him.
So what?
It was...
Oh my god, like an animal had-
OK, OK.
Peggy, please. Just stop it.
When I think about what I saw today I almost faint.
You're going back to New York tomorrow.
And I have to stay here.
You hear that, Peggy?
Marylin gets scared just at the thought.
Do you think there's anything goin' on...
Between Mark and Monique?
I don't know.
And, frankly, I couldn't care less.
I'm done. And tomorrow I'll be back in New York.
I can't wait. My New York.
Homesick, are you?
Yes, I happen to like the city.
The life, the crowds.
Each to his own.
What are you doing tonight?
I've got a date.
With a very important...
- And fascinating man. - Ahh.
- But... - But?
Would you lend me your black dress?
Uh...
You don't mind, do you?
Don't be silly.
Hello?
Yes, ah. Monique, of course.
How are you, baby?
What?
Eh, don't be silly. It's all stories.
That's all stories.
I don't believe that you feel lonely, no.
I'm alone.
Where do you think I am?
I work here like mad.
Believe me, I work here like mad.
You can come over and...
What?
Yes, yes. Of course we can go out.
Don't worry, dear. I'll call you back, OK?
Yes, I'll call you back.
What happened?
Tire blew out, ma'am.
Well?
I don't have a spare, miss.
I'm sorry. You'll have to walk.
Oh, but I-
But I'll be late.
It's just a flat. Can't you fix it?
It's the third one today.
I don't have any more spares.
Well, which way do I go?
Uh, there's a bus stop about 100 meters down the road.
100 meters? Is it safe to walk?
Oh, yeah, sure.
Uh, senorita...
Por favor, the fare?
- Keep the change. - Gracias.
Anyone here?
Hello?
Isn't anyone home?
Hey, taxi!
Taxi!
Excuse me.
I called that one.
Are you sure?
Yeah, sure.
Oh, boy.
Listen, why don't you get in?
We're both going to town, and I'll drop you off.
Well, OK. Just don't go getting the wrong idea.
Not me.
- Buenos dias. - Buenos dias, senor.
My name's Fred Williams.
I'm leaving on the first afternoon flight, so forget it.
I wasn't trying to pick you up.
Where are you going?
To the morgue.
I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?
No. Yes, have you got a cigarette?
Sure.
Here you go.
All set.
I'm sorry, really.
I didn't mean to be so rude.
It's alright. Forget it.
It has to do with my sister.
- She have an accident? - Mm-mm.
She was murdered.
Some maniac. She was here-She was working.
- Senor? - Where to?
The morgue.
The body was chewed by rats.
Better brace yourself, senorita.
Go ahead.
Oh.
Inspector, you're going to hear from my father, the senator.
Why?
Because this isn't my sister.
You frightened me for no reason.
What? What do you mean?
That's impossible.
I'm telling you that this woman is not my sister, Marilyn.
She was American of the same description with a purse with your sister's initials.
So we were positive we had identified her.
How about her fingerprints?
Did you even check the hotel?
No. The embassy reported her missing.
And that was enough without carrying out any further research on it, huh?
It appears that that's just how it was.
But where's my sister? Where is Marilyn?
What you're saying is that Miss Marilyn left together with the others.
Yes. Three days ago.
To go where?
Into the jungle.
They were looking for a more natural background.
More wild.
Thank you.
So she's still alive.
You're bound to get a promotion on this one, Inspector.
For your information,
We have already caught the murderer.
Oh, really?
Yes, really.
He's a nutcase, a street bum.
So, Mr. Williams, you just go on writing your TV mysteries.
And leave the investigating to us professionals.
Do you hear me?
Loud and clear, Inspector.
So you write mysteries, huh?
Better than true confessions.
Disappointed?
No, I'm not.
You were expecting some millionaire, weren't you?
I'm glad this business about Marilyn is all over.
Well, it does help having a father who's a US senator.
Well, my dad saw Marilyn's photos.
It's enough for me to know she's alive.
He's not too happy she's playing in the Caribbean, though.
Sounds too much like fun.
Well, I come here all the time.
Whenever I'm short on inspiration.
Or I get a new idea.
Yes, how about now?
I'll tell you.
This morning, that light bulb really flashed on.
You had an inspiration, huh?
I found a story ready and waiting.
That girl in the morgue.
Come on, come with me.
I'll show you how I work.
- Where are we going? - Come on.
The victim hid inside the wardrobe.
To escape from somebody who was following her.
But little did she realize...
That what waited inside the wardrobe...
Would be her death.
You mean there were two of them?
And the one who killed her was inside the wardrobe?
Nobody killed her.
What? But you saw her body.
That was murder.
She died of a heart attack.
Yep. I saw the medical report at the morgue.
Poor girl simply died of fright.
Nothing more than that.
And what caused her to die of fright...
Was the evil that left the scratch marks here inside the wardrobe.
My guess is some hop head.
Are you serious?
Are you making this all up?
Well, I guess I was kind of making it up.
Our friend, Inspector Lopez, is a pretty good cop.
But he likes to have the whole thing strictly in hand.
He has no imagination.
What do you mean by that?
Okay. Imagine this.
A beautiful girl, very elegant, very sexy...
Walking down a dark street at night in a horrible slum.
A street bum sees her.
He's a little bit drunk and he can't believe this beautiful vision.
So he wants to talk to her.
To stop her, to touch her.
The girl gets frightened, let's say, and runs to this abandoned,
half-wrecked house she sees.
Go on.
She looks around the house and finds that wardrobe.
She shuts herself inside it.
But...
But?
What she doesn't know is that this house has a horrible secret.
Something strange.
She hears footsteps. The bum's footsteps.
When all of a sudden...
You hear that?
Yes.
- Be careful. - Shh.
Stand back.
Oh, whoa, you almost had me convinced there.
Me too.
Hold it.
What is it?
Someone's coming.
Come on, let's get away from here!
What's he doing?
He's looking for something.
He's going.
Yeah.
Come on, let's go.
He's gone.
But who was it?
I guess somebody real curious.
It's getting late. We have to talk to the inspector.
So you can get on with your story.
Well, it's got a good beginning.
I got the inspector just as he was leaving.
We'll get this over with in just a minute.
Okay, fine.
- Ah, Inspector. - Mr. Williams.
We wanted to talk to you for a few minutes.
Anything new on your side of the fence?
Where the hell have you been?
I've been looking for you for two hours.
Oh, have you now?
If we could talk this over in your office, Inspector.
We found the corpse of another girl.
And it might be your sister.
You better take a look, miss.
I think you owe it to yourself.
My car's over there.
Why not?
I've got something interesting to tell you-
Some other time, Mr. Williams.
This isn't Marilyn either.
She's in the jungle.
She's on an assignment.
Are you sure?
Yes, yes, yes. Positive, OK?
Now let me get out of here.
- I want to get out of here! - Come on, Inspector.
Ah, come on. It's not the end of the world.
Anyway, you'll feel better tomorrow morning. I guarantee it.
Fred.
What is it?
I'm afraid. I'm afraid for Marilyn.
I've got this premonition.
I phoned my father, and he's worried too.
What do you want me to do?
I've decided to stay here.
I want to talk to Marilyn.
I want to see that she's alive.
Well, you can count on me for help.
My story is taking an unexpected twist.
Jump down. Great.
There you go. Uh huh. Beautiful.
The side now.
Great. Uh huh.
Come to me now.
Uh huh. Keep coming.
Let's go down there.
Good. Good.
More energy.
Good.
Good, good.
Turn, turn.
Faster.
OK, come on. Let's go.
Hold that right there.
That's right.
Feel the jungle. You're an animal.
You're wild. Let it go.
That's it, all of it.
OK, back up.
Up the steps.
Now, sing for me, Marilyn.
Higher.
Move back a little. Go on.
That's it, right there.
Good.
Oh!
This is gonna stun the lot.
I love it.
I love you.
Now, move back just a little farther.
Little more, little more.
Getting better all the time.
Where's the nearest town?
San Martin. It's about three miles from here.
We still might see a house before that.
I'll go see if there's a phone in this place.
There's no one here.
Looks like a ghost town.
Yeah, could use a dab of paint here.
I don't like this place, Mark.
It's spooky.
Anyone here?
Let's get out of here, Mark. There's no one here.
There's roaches and rats. Come on.
Hey, we have to wait for Monique, you know.
Mark she's never going to find a phone here. That's for sure.
Get her back, Mark. Let's go.
Will you relax? Forget it.
There's nothing to be nervous about.
Yeah. I hope you're right.
But I was the one who got this blood all over me.
You can take a shower.
Hey, what are we waiting for?
Would you go get Monique?
Come on.
Look, Marilyn, there's got to be somebody living here.
And besides, it shouldn't take too long to find them.
Yeah.
I'm going.
Hey, where are you going?
You told me to get Monique, remember?
I sure do.
Well, that's what I'm doing. You satisfied?
Satisfied, sure.
Be right back.
Oh, damn it!
Oh, Jesus.
Monique! Monique!
Mark: Open the door! What's wrong?
What's going on in there? Monique!
Mark, what's wrong?
Why's she screaming?
Monique's in there and I can't open the goddamn door!
She's not yelling now.
Try the window.
Naw, they're all blocked. The only way is to get this door open.
I'll try this bar.
Got it.
No, Marilyn, you better stay out here.
I don't know what I'm gonna find in there.
I'm coming with you.
Forget it. Out here is much safer.
Mark: Monique! Oh, my god! Monique!
Mark!
Monique, where is she?
No. Better not look.
What happened to her?
I'm not sure, but it's horrifying.
She's ripped the shreds.
She looks like she's been attacked by some kind of animal.
Mark, those dead girls, the other ones.
- Was it the same thing? - Maybe.
Some bloodthirsty animal is killing all these people.
What's that? You hear it?
It's still here.
Oh, Mark, Mark!
Take me away! Please, Mark!
What's your sister like?
The black sheep of the family.
Ever since I can remember, she's been getting into trouble always.
Two years ago, she left home to become a model.
And you know the rest.
What about you?
What do you want to know?
Everything. I'm a writer.
We're all curious by nature.
It's our one bad habit.
Okay. I'm 29 years old.
And for all those years, I've been living in my father's house.
I work in Washington.
I'm single. How's that?
Complete and to the point.
There you are.
In a few days, there'll be no trace left.
I hope so.
Are you a real doctor?
Let's just say...
But anyway, I haven't practiced for years.
You're not American.
No, British.
But my family came from a small town in Spain.
I'm sorry about the accident.
Tonto drives like a wild man.
It wasn't his fault.
It was my fault.
I was thinking about Monique's death.
You still haven't told me how it happened.
I don't really know myself.
She got attacked by somebody in the abandoned village.
San Martin?
Yeah. You know it?
Yes.
What happened there?
Why did all the residents leave?
People here are very superstitious.
It doesn't take much to get them scared.
I've seen it happen before.
What are they scared about?
Well, if I told you...
You wouldn't believe me.
Excuse me, Mr. Olman.
But I have the feeling you're hiding something from me.
There's some kind of secret you're not telling me.
Don't be absurd. About what?
There's nothing worth keeping undercover around here.
Where's Marilyn?
Oh, she's taking a shower.
She's beautiful.
Beautiful.
It seems like a thousand years since I've seen such beauty.
Mark: Doctor, we appreciate all your help, but we don't want to be a nuisance.
Doctor: Oh, it's really nothing at all.
It's a pleasure for me.
Mark: Well, I'll admit, I don't feel like getting back into the car.
I'm in too many pieces.
You can both sleep here.
There's plenty of room. No problem.
May I make a telephone call?
Unfortunately, we have no phone here.
There's something over there.
Where?
Behind that door.
Please, don't move.
- Tonto, wake up. - What is it?
The girl saw something.
It'll be best if you don't sleep tonight,
And lure him back into his cage.
I'll take care of it.
Not like last time, I hope.
- That's how he got away. - Hmm.
How long will you be needing the car, sir?
A week, ten days.
Will you be paying cash?
No, I have a credit card.
Fine. Would you fill out this form, please?
Hello, car rental.
Could you give me your name, please, sir?
Fred Williams.
Yes, a fashion photographer and two models.
They rented a four-wheel drive.
They were going into the jungle.
The car was due back two days ago,
But we're still waiting to hear from them.
No, we usually wait two weeks before reporting the car missing to the police.
Could you hold on, please?
Great. You're all set.
- Go see the garage attendant. - Thanks.
Hello? Are you still on the line, sir?
What? No. No, sir.
There's no need for alarm. A two-day late return is normal.
Call back tomorrow evening.
Maybe by then they'll be back.
Goodbye.
Mark!
Mark, Mark! It's been in the room!
Oh, Mark, Mark! Help me! Help me!
Oh, my god.
He's done it again. Turn on the lights.
See if he's hiding in here.
What's going on?
Why didn't the lights go out?
Who killed Mark?
I can't explain right now.
The main thing is to get you safely away from him.
From whom? From what? Who killed Mark?
I said there's no time for explanations now.
Just stay here and don't move.
- Did you see him? - No.
Under the bed. Look under the bed.
But don't lean in too far.
Nothing.
Look over there, in the closet.
Well?
Not here.
Go check out the lab.
I'll stay with the girl.
Marilyn...
I'm sorry about your friend's death.
At this point, you have the right to an explanation.
Oh, god, no.
Hey.
No, it's not theirs.
Are you sure they came this way?
This is the only road into the jungle.
Then we should keep on looking.
Sure. We have no choice.
The hybrid you saw is my greatest achievement,
And comes from the crossing of two species.
The first time I saw it, I was convinced it was a miracle.
I thought I would win the Nobel Prize.
It took me 20 years of experiments, but I created that hybrid.
Then it escaped.
The village people were very frightened.
Three girls had disappeared.
And people began talking about a curse.
Some said that God wanted to punish them for their sins,
That he had sent a terrible monster.
Half man, half rat.
I realized, obviously, that it was my hybrid.
Then everyone ran away.
Suddenly, abandoned San Martin.
Two days later, I went to San Martin.
And it was there.
It was then that I saw it.
Why didn't you tell the police?
I must admit...
I committed a great mistake.
You didn't tell anyone anything, right?
I thought...
I thought it was my big chance.
A discovery that would have brought me fame and fortune.
The creation that would win me a career in America.
I wanted to capture him alive.
And because of that, all the people have died.
Wait a minute.
At first, it wasn't certain that this creature was responsible for the deaths.
No one, no one could have said that.
It seemed so harmless.
But what kind of a monster is it?
It's not as impossible as it seems.
It has both simian and rodent characteristics.
I don't know what caused this.
But it also secretes a powerful, deadly venom.
For which there is no known antidote.
Its intelligence is surprising.
It has the instincts of a rat and the intelligence of a monkey.
That's quite a combination, a dangerous combination.
Only someone trained could capture it.
It shuns bait and avoids all kinds of traps.
It recognizes all types of weapons.
And sometimes adopts precise, thought-out tactics.
Did you know a rodent can smell a man ten kilometers away?
That it can adapt to any environment?
That in one year, a pair of rats can produce two thousand offspring?
Now, just imagine if this creature were endowed with higher intelligence.
It would be terrible.
Wouldn't dare to destroy it.
And with further experiments, I can get rid of the poison.
It must be allowed to survive.
Fred, that farmer said San Martin's a ghost town.
There's no reason on earth for Marilyn and her friends to come here.
Hmm. Sure there is.
They're always looking for different backgrounds to photograph.
What do you think you'll find?
Maybe not Marilyn.
But the title for my new book, "The Ghost Town."
You like it?
Uh, well...
Now, the key that unlocks this mystery...
Is the ghost town itself.
Where the murderer hides after committing his bloody crimes.
This town, let's say, was once the site of...
Ancient rituals, human sacrifices.
The murderer's ancestor was a sacrifice victim.
He wants to avenge his ancestor,
So he simply slaughters whoever crosses his path.
Well, right off hand, I can come up with one fairly major objection.
Hmm?
It's that this murderer doesn't kill just anyone, only young women.
Okay, so he kills only women.
Because he sees in them the priestess who ordered the sacrifice.
He's an enormous Indian.
Well, he can't very well be enormous. How would he fit in the wardrobe?
- Shh! - What?
- Did you hear that? - What?
That sound.
Hurry! Back to the car.
It must have been an animal or something.
Marilyn and her friends didn't stop here.
Let's get out of here, please.
Okay, let's go.
Be ready in a minute.
Okay, we can go.
Maybe I should have done this sooner.
Hell, I'll be back in a minute.
Where are you going?
I was forgetting my research papers.
I can't leave without them.
Oh, God, can't you get them another time?
I won't be longer than a minute.
Oh, no. He took the damn keys.
No!
If that little boy we talked to really saw the car they were driving,
We should be seeing it soon.
And he said a doctor lives around here.
A two-story house.
We should keep our eyes open for that too.
I bet they stopped off there.
Yes, but for what?
I don't know.
Maybe they had an accident or...
Maybe somebody got sick.
Maybe they're back in the hotel.
You think so?
Yes, I've had enough.
I want to stop at the first possible place in phone Marilyn.
She's already fast asleep in the hotel.
I know I'm right.
Hey, Terry, listen.
We'll stop at the doctor's house.
That'll be our only chance to find a phone.
Alright.
Anyway, try not to worry, huh?
No!
Yep.
This is the one alright.
Come on.
Let's take a look.
Anybody home?
Anybody here?
Something's wrong. I can feel it.
Don't move.
I'm going in there.
If anything happens, get back to the car and get in.
No, I have to stay. It's my sister.
Oh, my god.
- Don't look. - Oh!
Get out.
Are you all right?
Oh, god, what happened?
Must have been some kind of animal.
Hey, look at that.
That hole is new.
You stay here.
Mm-hmm.
Oh!
Fred!
What is it?
I heard a noise.
It was up there.
It sounded like an animal breathing.
But now I don't see anything.
Seems to be locked.
Marilyn! Marilyn!
I, um, can assure you that we're doing everything we can to...
Catch the murderer.
We are presently following a very promising lead.
It's a question of days, if not hours.
In other words, you're still stumbling around in the dark.
God, you cops are the same everywhere.
Listen, my friend...
Maniacs are as unpredictable here as they are in New York.
But, sooner or later, they all get caught.
Just like in New York.
Yeah, in the meantime, more people get killed.
Think it over, Inspector.
Mr. Williams, we're doing all that we can.
And the killer's doing all he can.
Fred, Fred, please.
It's not so easy to catch a maniac.
You don't know that 100 officers have been assigned to this case.
Yes, but no one has noticed that this maniac is not behaving like a maniac.
I mean, there are no fetishes, no rituals.
You haven't even discovered a murder weapon yet, right?
What is it you are driving at?
I don't know.
There's just something about this case that doesn't add up.
You are a writer.
You can work with your imagination.
I'm just a cop.
I have to stick to the facts.
Oh, yeah, the facts.
I'm about to leave, can I have my sister's personal effects, Inspector.
Certainly.
She must have stepped down for a second.
Alvarez.
These guys are slow.
I know.
Si, Senor?
Go and get the victim's personal effects.
Muy bien.
He'll be right back.
I tell you, that Lopez.
What a pig-headed cop.
He'll never get the guy who did it.
Well, it's certainly not going to bring Marilyn back to life.
So I'd be grateful if we just forget it.
Sure.
Hey, you mind taking care of the check-in?
I'll take a trip to the news stand.
OK.
Thanks.
- All the foreign papers are there, senor. - Fine.
- How much? - It's 1.50.
OK, I'll take this one, too.
5.25, sir.
There you go.
Get your change in a minute.
A pack of super filters.
Be right there.
- Your change, sir. - Muchas gracias.
- Make it two packs, huh. - OK.
- Checking that bag, miss? - Yes, ma'am.
OK.
- Are we all set? - I guess so.
This one, too. There.
I brought you a little something to read.
Couldn't you find something more cheerful?
- Well, it's not so bad. - Here, sir.
Oh, is that our flight?
Yes, sir.
I'll have to make do with the newspaper.
No!