Chinatown Page #9

noses.

44.

With a quick flick the Smaller Man pulls back on the blade,

laying Gittes' left nostril open about an inch further. Gittes

screams. Blood gushes down onto his shirt and coat.

Gittes bends over, instinctively trying to keep the blood

from getting on his clothes. Mulvihill and the Smaller Man

stare at him.

THE SMALLER MAN:

(continuing)

Next time you lose the whole thing,

kitty cat. I'll cut it off and feed

it to my goldfish, understand?

MULVIHILL:

Tell him you understand, Gittes.

EXT. OAK PASS RESERVOIR - NIGHT

Gittes is now groveling on his hands and knees.

GITTES:

(mumbling)

I understand...

Gittes on the ground can see only his tormentor's two- tone

brown and white wing-tipped shoes -- lightly freckled with

his blood.

THE SHOE:

Comes up and lightly shoves Gittes into the ground. the

SOUND of FOOTSTEPS RETREATING, Gittes gasping.

INT. GITTES' OFFICE - GITTES

sits behind his desk, BACK TO CAMERA, not moving. Duffy sits

staring at nothing, Walsh moves uneasily around the room.

The PHONE is RINGING. Sophie BUZZES.

GITTES:

(pressing down intercom)

Yeah, Sophie.

SOPHIE'S VOICE

A Miss Sessions calling.

GITTES:

Who?

SOPHIE'S VOICE

Ida Sessions.

GITTES:

Don't know her -- take a number.

45.

NEW ANGLE - REVEALING

a bandage spread-eagled across Gittes' nose.

WALSH:

So some contractor wants to build a

dam and he makes a few payoffs. So

what?

Gittes turns slowly to Walsh. He lightly taps his nose.

WALSH:

Think you can nail Mulvihill?

They'll claim you were trespassing.

GITTES:

I don't want Mulvihill. I. want the

big boys that are making the payoffs.

DUFFY:

Then what'll you do?

GITTES:

Sue the sh*t out of 'em.

WALSH:

Yeah?

GITTES:

Yeah -- what's wrong with you guys?

Think ahead. We find 'em, sue 'em -we'll

make a killing.

(a dazzling smile)

We'll have dinner at Chasen's twice

a week, we'll be pissing on ice the

rest of our lives.

WALSH:

Sue people like that they're liable

to be having dinner with the Judge

who's trying the suit.

Gittes looks irritated. The PHONE RINGS again.

SOPHIE'S VOICE

Miss Ida Sessions again. She says

you know her.

GITTES:

Okay.

Gittes picks up the phone. He winks to his boys.

GITTES:

Hello, Miss Sessions. I don't believe

we've had the pleasure.

46.

IDA'S VOICE

-- Oh yes we have... are you alone,

Mr. Gittes?

GITTES:

(clowning a little

for the boys)

Isn't everybody? What can I do for

you, Miss Sessions?

Walsh promptly starts to tell Duffy the Admiral Byrd story.

IDA'S VOICE

Well, I'm a working girl, Mr.

Gittes -- I didn't come in to see

you on my own.

GITTES:

-- When did you come in?

IDA'S VOICE

-- I was the one who pretended to be

Mrs. Mulwray, remember?

Walsh has finished off the punch line and both men are

laughing raucously. Gittes drops the mail he's been loafing

through and puts his hand over the receiver.

GITTES:

(to Duffy and Walsh)

Shut the f*** up!

(then back to Ida)

... Yes I remember -- nothing, Miss

Sessions, just going over a detail

or two with my associates ... you

were saying?

IDA'S VOICE

Well I never expected anything to

happen like what happened to Mr.

Mulwray, the point is if it ever

comes out I want somebody to know I

didn't know what would happen.

GITTES:

-- I understand... if you could tell

me who employed you, Miss Sessions -that

could help us both -

IDA'S VOICE

Oh no -

GITTES:

... Why don't you give me your address

and we can talk this over?

47.

IDA'S VOICE

No, Mr. Gittes -- just look in the

obituary column of today's Times...

GITTES:

The obituary column?

IDA'S VOICE

You'll find one of those people -

GITTES:

'Those people?' Miss Sessions -

She hangs up. Gittes looks to his two men.

INT. BROWN DERBY - CLOSE ON NEWSPAPER

Gittes is seated, flips through the paper until he finds the

OBITUARY COLUMN -- scans it, looks up -- abruptly tears the

column from the paper and puts it in his pocket.

When he closes the paper we can SEE headlines in the left

hand column:
WATER BOND ISSUE PASSES COUNCIL. Ten million

dollar referendum to go before the public.

Evelyn Mulwray is standing at the table as he does so. He

rises, allows her to sit. Gittes watches her as she removes

her gloves slowly...

She's wearing dove gray gabardine -- subdued, tailored.

GITTES:

Thanks for coming... drink?

The waiter's appeared. Evelyn is looking at Gittes' nose.

EVELYN:

Tom Collins -- with lime, not lemon,

please.

Evelyn looks down and smoothes her gloves. When she looks

back up she stares expectantly at Gittes.

Gittes pulls out a torn envelope. The initials ECM can be

SEEN in a delicate scroll on the comer of it.

GITTES:

I got your check in the mall.

EVELYN:

Yes. As I said, I was very grateful.

Gittes' fingers the envelope. He coughs.

GITTES:

Mrs. Mulwray, I'm afraid that's not

good enough.

48.

EVELYN:

(a little embarrassed)

Well, how much would you like?

GITTES:

Stop it. The money's fine. It's

generous but you've shortchanged me

on the story.

EVELYN:

(coolly)

I have?

GITTES:

I think so. Something besides your

husband's death was bothering you.

You were upset but not that upset.

EVELYN:

Mr. Gittes...

(icily)

Don't tell me how I feel.

The drinks come. The waiter sets them down.

GITTES:

Sorry. Look, you sue me, your husband

dies, you drop the lawsuit like a

hot potato, and all of it quicker

than wind from a duck's ass -- excuse

me. Then you ask me to lie to the

police.

EVELYN:

It wasn't much of a lie.

GITTES:

-- If your husband was killed it

was.

(meaning check)

-- This can look like you paid me

off to withhold evidence.

EVELYN:

But he wasn't killed.

Gittes smiles.

GITTES:

I think you're hiding something,

Mrs. Mulwray.

Evelyn remains unperturbed.

EVELYN:

-- Well, I suppose I am...

actually I knew about the affair.

49.

GITTES:

How did you find out?

EVELYN:

My husband.

GITTES:

He told you?

Evelyn nods.

GITTES:

(continuing)

-- And you weren't the slightest bit

upset about it?

EVELYN:

-- I was grateful.

Evelyn for the first time appears a little embarrassed.

GITTES:

You'll have to explain that, Mrs.

Mulwray.

EVELYN:

-- Why?

GITTES:

(a flash of annoyance)

Look, I do matrimonial work, It's my

metiay. When a wife tells me she's

happy her husband is cheating on her

it runs contrary to my experience.

Gittes looks significantly to Evelyn.

EVELYN:

Unless what?

GITTES:

(looking directly at

her)

She's cheating on him.

Evelyn doesn't reply.

GITTES:

(continuing)

-- Were you?

Evelyn is clearly angry but she is controlling it.

EVELYN:

I don't like the word 'cheat.'

50.

GITTES:

Did you have affairs?

EVELYN:

(flashing)

Mr. Gittes -

GITTES:

Did he know?

EVELYN:

(almost an outburst)

Well I wouldn't run home and tell

him whenever I went to bed with

someone, if that's what you mean.

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