Jane Patterson: What's that noise? Miss Van Gorder, the garage is on fire!
Detective Davenport: Great Scot, look at that!
Cornelia van Gorder: [shuts off the light] Lizzie you put out the light in the other room...now where're you going?
Detective Davenport: To put out the fire.
Cornelia van Gorder: Will you just stay right here?
Jane Patterson: But Miss Van Gorder, the garage!
Cornelia van Gorder: Well let it burn, you watch the stairs.

Lt. Andy Anderson: [finding Judy dead] The Bat.
Cornelia van Gorder: Yes the Bat, he caught her at the head of the stairs. We saw him rushing down the stairs as we came out of our rooms. I hurled that
[a fireplace poker]
Cornelia van Gorder: at him, I hit him I believe. 'I'm going to cover this place from attic to basement' you said, well what were you covering out there while that poor child was murdered, where were you?
Lt. Andy Anderson: I saw a man outside on the grounds. I went out and hunted him, I hunted him among the trees so far as the brook down near the back road, then I lost him. After that I'd give my own life than let this happen to Judy, but I told you to stay in your rooms and lock your doors and stay there! What was she doing at the head of those stairs?
Dale Bailey: That was my fault.
Cornelia van Gorder: They heard a strange noise, heavy pounding in one of the rooms on the third floor, we all heard it.
Dale Bailey: I wanted to see what it was, but Judy, she wouldn't let me go out there by myself,
[crying]
Dale Bailey: I made her stay on the balcony!
Lt. Andy Anderson: What about your new butler?
Cornelia van Gorder: Oh he's in his room I suppose.

Lizzie Allen: [the wind is banging a shutter against the house] That ain't nothing, just something bumping against the house.
[wind blows a door open and closed]
Lizzie Allen: That's just the wind banging the door, pay no attention to it. Listen to this,
[reads paper]
Lizzie Allen: 'One of his victims who lived for a moment after she was found described the Bat as a man without a face'. Honestly, Miss Gordy, I think that woman was exaggerating.
[a tapestry blows against an open window]
Lizzie Allen: That's just the taphestry at the top of the stairs.
Cornelia van Gorder: I know, I know, I've heard it before on a windy night.
[taphestry clinks a shaking suit of armor]
Cornelia van Gorder: That sounds as if someone were on the stairs, I know there isn't, at least there shouldn't be.
Lizzie Allen: Them's just the noises you hear in any old house on a windy night.
[reads the paper]
Lizzie Allen: It says here that the Bat never leaves no fingerprints.
Cornelia van Gorder: That's understandable, having no face he probably has no fingers either.

Dr. Malcolm Wells: In my report I shall state that death was caused by a stunning blow followed by severe laceration and hemorrhage.
Lt. Andy Anderson: In plain English, he didn't know what hit him.
Dr. Malcolm Wells: Oh he knew, but he didn't have time to think about it.

Cornelia van Gorder: [about Warner] Now there's a character.
Dr. Malcolm Wells: How long did you say he worked for you as chauffer?
Cornelia van Gorder: About three months.
Dr. Malcolm Wells: Well I hope he doesn't have a police record.

Cornelia van Gorder: [reading newspaper headline] Mr. Fleming will be laid to rest in his family's tomb on Monday.
Lizzie Allen: And I hope he stays there.
Cornelia van Gorder: Well why shouldn't he?
Lizzie Allen: This is his house, and ever since he died, some funny things have happened here.
Cornelia van Gorder: For instance?
Lizzie Allen: The housekeeper, the cook and the butler said that they heard strange noises at night, and the upstairs maid swore she met a man without a face coming up the back stairs.
Cornelia van Gorder: Oh so that's why they quit and left me to run this place without a staff.
Lizzie Allen: They didn't tell you, Miss Gordy, but the truth is they were scared to stay.
Cornelia van Gorder: But you're still here, Lizzie! Haven't you seen anything?
Lizzie Allen: No... no and even if I had, I ain't afraid of ghosts. They're afraid of me! Honest, Miss Gordy, a spiritualist once told me that ghosts was allergic to me.
[Cornelia Van Gorder laughs]
Lizzie Allen: But, but this bat fella they keep talking about in the paper - I - I think he'd be different.
Cornelia van Gorder: No, I don't think you'd have the same effect on him.
[thunder crashes]
Cornelia van Gorder: Oh dear!
Lizzie Allen: What are they trying to do, drive people away from this part of the country?
Cornelia van Gorder: Why? What does it say about the Bat?
Lizzie Allen: His specialty seems to be killing women, my goodness, two of them in one night, all his victims died the same way, like their throats had been ripped open with steel claws.
Cornelia van Gorder: That's charming, I'll have to try it some time.
[Lizzie stares at her weird]
Cornelia van Gorder: In a book.

Cornelia van Gorder: [to Lizzie Allen] When you refer to my books, please don't call me "Miss Corny".

Cornelia van Gorder: Can't you see that fire was setting us out of the house?
Detective Davenport: Out of the hou...are you talking about the--
Cornelia van Gorder: Yes, yes, I'm talking about the Bat! Now that the lights are out, he'll think his trick has worked, and we've gone, here'll be here in a minute.
Detective Davenport: So will Lieutenant Anderson.
Cornelia van Gorder: I hope so but the Bat will be here first, and he'll KILL AGAIN if we get in his way...we've got to be as clever as he is!

Cornelia van Gorder: Jane Patterson, my new housekeeper, knows this house better than you do, Doctor, she worked for John Fleming, and Warner was my chauffer.
Dr. Malcolm Wells: Chauffer turned butler?
Cornelia van Gorder: [laughs] Yes, it's incredible, he can play any part in a moment's notice.

Cornelia van Gorder: This is the Oaks, a house in the country which I've rented for the summer. As an author I write tales of mystery and murder, but the things that have happened in this house are far more fantastic than any book I've ever had published.