Chinatown Page #19

ESCOBAR:

(meaning the corpse)

This broad hired you, Gittes, not

Evelyn Mulwray.

GITTES:

Yeah?

ESCOBAR:

Yeah -- somebody wanted to shake

down Mulwray, she hired you, and

that's how you happen to know Mulwray

was murdered.

103.

GITTES:

I heard it was an accident.

ESCOBAR:

C'mon, you think you're dealing with

a bunch of a**holes? Mulwray had

salt water in his goddam lungs! Now

how did he get that... in a fresh

water reservoir?

Gittes is surprised at this piece of information, but remains

nonplussed.

ESCOBAR:

You were following him night and day

You saw who killed him.

You even took pictures of it. It

was Evelyn Mulwray -- she's been

paying you off like a slot machine

ever since her husband died.

GITTES:

(smiling)

You accusing me of extortion?

ESCOBAR:

Absolutely.

GITTES:

-- I don't think I need a day or two -you're

even dumber than you think I

think you are. Not only that, I'd

never extort a nickel out of my worst

enemy, that's where I draw the line,

Escobar.

ESCOBAR:

Yeah, I once knew a whore who for

enough money would piss in a

customer's face -- but she'd never

sh*t on his chest. That's where she

drew the line.

GITTES:

(smiling)

Well, I hope she wasn't too much of

a disappointment to you, Lou.

Escobar manages a thin smile.

ESCOBAR:

I want those photographs, Gittes.

We're talking about accessory after

the fact, conspiracy, and extortion

-- minimum.

104.

GITTES:

Why do you think Mulwray's body was

moved you dimwit? Evelyn Mulwray

knocked off her husband in the ocean -and

thought it would look like more

of an accident if she hauled him up

to the Oak Pass Reservoir?

This is a little telling.

GITTES:

(continuing)

Mulwray was murdered and moved -because

somebody didn't want his

body found in the ocean.

ESCOBAR:

And why's that ?

GITTES:

He found out somebody was dumping

water there. That's what they were

trying to cover up by moving him.

This stops Escobar. He's dumbfounded by it.

ESCOBAR:

What are you talking about?

GITTES:

C'mon I'll show you.

Escobar hesitates.

GITTES:

(continuing)

C'mon - make a decision, Lou.

You're in charge.

The men around Escobar look to him. Escobar grudgingly nods.

CLOSE SHOT - STORM DRAIN

It yawns AT CAMERA, only a trickle of water dropping into

the ocean.

VIEW WIDENS TO INCLUDE ESCOBAR, GITTES, AND TWO PLAIN-

clothesmen, standing and staring at the empty pipe as if

they expect it to talk.

GITTES:

(squinting in sunlight)

It's too late.

ESCOBAR:

Too late for what?

105.

GITTES:

They only dump the water at night.

A THIRD ASSISTANT runs down the side of the cliff and Over

to Escobar.

ESCOBAR:

Reach anybody?

THIRD ASSISTANT:

Yelburton, he's the new chief.

ESCOBAR:

I know who he is. Well?

THIRD ASSISTANT:

He says -

GITTES:

I know what he says.

ESCOBAR:

(to Gittes)

Shut up.

(to Assistant)

Go on.

THIRD ASSISTANT:

Yelburton says they're irrigating in

the valley -- there's always a little

runoff when they do that.

And he says is Gittes knows that,

and has been going around making

irresponsible accusations for the

last week.

Escobar turns to Gittes. Stares at him for a long moment.

ONE OF ASSISTANTS

Let's swear out a warrant for her

arrest. What are we waiting for?

GITTES:

(meaning Escobar)

-- Because he just made lieutenant,

and he wants to hang onto his little

gold bar.

Escobar stares hatefully at Gittes.

ESC0BAR

Have your client in my office in two

hours -- and remember. I don't have

to let you go. I've got you for

withholding evidence right now.

106.

EXT. MULWRAY HOME - DAY

Gittes in Mulwray's Buick whips into the driveway. He looks

in the garage. Evelyn's car is gone. Only the Gardener's

truck is there.

Gittes hurries along the pathway and up to the house. He

rings the doorbell. Scarcely waiting for an answer he tries

it. It's locked. He reaches into his pocket -- pulls out his

cigarette case, takes a pick out of the side and starts to

fool with the lock.

The Maid opens the door abruptly, stares in some surprise at

Gittes.

GITTES:

Where's Mrs. Mulwray?

MAID:

No esta.

Gittes looks past the Maid to the center of the living room -where

luggage is packed and neatly piled. The Maid is

actually in the process of throwing covers over the furniture.

GITTES:

(indicating luggage)

Is Mrs. Mulwray going someplace?...

(no answer)

on a trip?... vacation?...

MAID:

No esta in casa.

Gittes nods. He continues through the house and out back to

the veranda.

EXT. MULWRAY VERANDA - GITTES

is unsettled. Sees the Gardener working by the pond. He

wanders a few yards in that direction.

Gardener spots Gittes, half-bows, nods and smiles. Gittes

in turn, nods, smiles.

GITTES:

-- bad for glass.

Gardener breaks into a big grin. Nods again.

GARDENER:

Oh yes, bad for glass.

(Points to the newly

mown lawn.)

Salt water velly bad for glass.

Gittes can't quite believe what he's heard,

107.

GITTES:

Salt water?

The Gardener nods vigorously. Points to the pond.

GARDENER:

Velly velly bad.

Gittes has moved to the pond. He kneels. Clinging to the

edge of it he can now see as he could have before if he'd

looked closely, a starfish.

CLOSE STARFISH:

It has one leg missing. The fifth point on the star is Just

beginning to grow back.

GITTES:

touches the water, tastes it. He licks his lips, then spots

something glinting in the bottom of the pond.

GITTES:

What's that... down there?

The Gardener peers into the pond.

GITTES:

(continuing)

... there.

The Gardener spots it. He rolls up his trousers, gets in the

pond, and reaches into the bottom, his chin actually touching

the water. He misses the object, which seems to scoot away

like an animal. Then he grasps it. He lifts it out of the

water and holds a pair of eye glasses, rimless, bent, his

finger poking through the frame where one lens is shattered.

The Gardener seems surprised. Gittes looks at the glasses.

They are heavily bifocal and reflect the sun.

INT. MULWRAY HOME

Gittes holds the phone to his ear. On the telephone table,

lying on his handkerchief are the glasses. The Maid hovers

around over Gittes' shoulder, uneasily watching him.

CROSS' VOICE

Hello.

GITTES:

Have you got your checkbook handy,

Mr. Cross? I've got the girl.

CROSS' VOICE

-- you've got her? Where?

108.

GITTES:

Do you remember the figures we

discussed?

CROSS' VOICE

Of course I do. Where are you?

GITTES:

-- at your daughter's house.

How soon can you get here?

CROSS' VOICE

Two hours... tell me, will Evelyn be

there as well?

GITTES:

Either that or she'll be in jail.

CROSS' VOICE

What are you talking about?

GITTES:

Just bring your checkbook.

Gittes hangs up.

EXT. BUNGALOW-HOUSE - ADELAIDE DRIVE

Gittes pulls up in Mulwray's Buick. He hurries to the front

door, pounds on it. The Chinese servant answers the door.

CHINESE SERVANT:

You wait.

GITTES:

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