Chinatown Page #5

Sophie BUZZES.

GITTES:

(continuing)

Whitey, what's new, pal?... Yeah,

listen, where did you get those

photographs... Yeah, blowing a fuse

over the El Macando love nest -that's

cute, Whitey... so who sent

them to you... I sent them?

(Gittes laughs a little

hysterically)

Why would I be asking how you got

them if I sent them?... Whitey?...

Whitey?... C'mon, level with me for

once, my tit's in the wringer and

it's beginning to hurt... yeah...

yeah -- yeah.

He hangs up.

WALSH:

So he says you sent them?

22.

GITTES:

(after a moment)

-- they're all a bunch of phonies.

INT. DEPARTMENT WATER & POWER - HALL

Gittes stops outside a door marked: HOLLIS J. MULWRAY CHIEF

ENGINEER:

He enters an outer office. The SECRETARY looks surprised.

GITTES:

Mr. Mulwray, please.

SECRETARY:

He's not in, Mr.

GITTES:

Gittes.

SECRETARY:

May I ask what this is regarding?

GITTES:

It's personal. Has he been out long?

SECRETARY:

Since lunch.

GITTES:

Gee whiz -(

he glances at his

watch)

-- and I'm late.

SECRETARY:

He was expecting you?

GITTES:

Fifteen minutes ago. Why don't I go

in and wait?

Without waiting for a response, he does. The Secretary half

rises in protest but Gittes is through the inner door.

MULWRAY'S INNER OFFICE

The walls are covered with commendation, photos of Mulwray

at various construction sites, large maps of watershed areas

and reservoirs in the city. On the desk is a framed, tinted

photo of Evelyn in riding clothes.

Gittes moves to the desk, watching the translucent pane in

the upper half of the door leading to the outer office as he

does.

23.

He begins to open and close. the desk drawers after quickly

examining the top. He tries one of the drawers and it doesn't

open. He reopens the top drawer, and the bottom one opens.

He looks in it, pulls out a checkbook. He opens it -- riffles

through the stubs like he was shuffling cards.

Drops it -- finds a set of keys, an old phone book, and a

menu from a Water Department lunch at the Biltmore Hotel in

1913. Then, Gittes hauls out the blueprints that Mulwray had

laid across the hood of his car -- they read in bold type:

WATERSHED AND DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR THE LOS ANGELES BASIN.

He flips through them -- reads one notation in Mulwray's

neat hand:
"Tues. night. Oak Pass Res. - 7 channels used."

Gittes spots a shadow looming in front of the translucent

pane. He quickly tosses item after item back, kneeing the

drawer --nearly knocking a spare pair of Mulwray's glasses

off the desk top when he does. He catches them, puts them on

the desk and is pacing the room as the door opens.

RUSS YELBURTON enters the room. An anxious Secretary is right

behind him.

YELBURTON:

Can I help you?

(extending his hand)

Russ Yelburton, Deputy Chief in the

Department.

GITTES:

(equally pleasant)

J.J. Gittes -- and it's not a

departmental matter.

YELBURTON:

I wonder if you'd care to wait in my

office?

This is more a request than an invitation. Gittes nods,

follows Yelburton out, through the outer office to his offices

down the hall.

YELBURTON:

(continuing; as they're

going)

You see -- this whole business in

the paper with Mr. Mulwray has us

all on edge -

INT. YELBURTON OFFICE

Smaller than Mulwray's, he has most noticeably a lacquered

marlin mounted on the wall. There are a couple of other

pictures of Yelburton with yellowtail and other fish he's

standing beside.

24.

There's also a small burgee of a fish with the initials A.C.

below it, tacked onto the wall.

YELBURTON:

After all, you work with a man for a

certain length of time, you come to

know him, his habits, his values,

and so forth -- well either he's the

kind who chases after women or he

isn't.

GITTES:

And Mulwray isn't?

YELBURTON:

He never even kids about it.

GITTES:

Maybe he takes it very seriously.

Gittes winks. Yelburton chuckles appreciatively, loosening

up a little.

GITTES:

You don't happen to know where Mr.

Mulwray's having lunch?

YELBURTON:

I'm sorry, I -

GITTES:

Well, tell him I'll be back.

Gittes spots a card tray on Yelburton's desk.

GITTES:

(continuing)

-- Mind if I take one of your cards?

In case I want to get in touch with

you again.

YELBURTON:

Help yourself.

Gittes fishes a couple off the tray, puts them in his

handkerchief pocket. He goes out the door, nearly running

into a man who is standing by the Secretary's desk - about

GITTES' age only a head taller and a foot wider, dressed in

a plain suit that fits him about as well as a brown paper

bag.

GITTES:

Mulvihlll, what are you doing here?

25.

OUTER OFFICE - YELBURTON, MULVIHILL AND GITTES

MULVIHILL stares at Gittes with unblinking eyes, remains by

the desk.

MULVIHILL:

They shut my water off, what's it to

you?

GITTES:

How'd you find out? You don't drink

it, you don't take a bath in it,

maybe they sent you a letter. Ah,

but then you'd have to be able to

read.

Mulvihill moves toward Gittes, shaking with fury. Yelburton

steps between them.

GITTES:

(continuing)

Relax, Mulvihill, glad to see you.

(to Yelburton)

Do you know Claude Mulvihill here?

YELBURTON:

Hope so. He's working for us.

GITTES:

turns off onto a winding road. It goes up into the foothills.

Gittes swerves, missing a dog stretched out lazily in the

road. Gittes honks and yells indignantly at the sleepy animal.

Gittes stops on a curve. Above a steep bank and partially

hidden is the Mulwray home -- designed and constructed with

shade and curves that are dramatic. When he turns off the

ignition, the distant SOUND of the SURF can be HEARD.

Gittes heads up to the entrance.

EXT. MULWRAY HOUSE - GITTES

rings the bell. He waits. Powerful CHINESE BUTLER with heavy

hair and a half- jacket of gold on one front tooth, answers

the door.

GITTES:

J.J. Gittes to see Mr. Mulwray.

He hands the Chinese Butler a card from his wallet. The Butler

takes it and disappears, leaving Gittes standing in the

doorway.

Gittes stands, and sweats, watching a Japanese GARDENER trim

a hedge. There's a SQUEAKING SOUND. Gittes moves a few feet

off the porch.

26.

POV - GARAGE

A chauffeur is washing down a cream-colored Packard with a

chamois. Steam rises off the hood. The squeaking has obviously

come from the chamois.

CHINESE BUTLER:

In doorway.

CHINESE BUTLER:

Please.

Gittes looks behind him. The Chinese Butler is gesturing for

him to follow.

THROUGH THE HOUSE - GITTES

follows him, trying to check out the rooms as he goes. A

maid is cleaning in the den. They pass through it out some

French doors along a trellised walkway to a large pond with

running water.

CHINESE BUTLER:

You wait, please.

Gittes is left standing by the pond. It's suddenly very quiet

except for the runnning water. The pond is over- flowing.

After a moment, the Gardener comes running back. He smiles

at Gittes, probes into the pond.

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