L.A. Confidential Page #15

BUD:

Yeah I know. Patchett's running

whores and judging by his address,

probably something bigger on the

side. He doesn't want any

attention.

LYNN:

That's right. Our motives are

selfish, so we're cooperating.

BUD:

Why was Susan Lefferts at the

Nite Owl?

LYNN:

I don't know. I never heard of

the Nite Owl till today.

BUD:

Did Lefferts have a boyfriend?

LYNN:

Like I said we were friendly,

not friends.

BUD:

How'd she meet Patchett?

LYNN:

Pierce meets people. Sue came

on the bus with dreams of

Hollywood. This is how they

turned out. Thanks to Pierce,

we still get to act a little.

BUD:

Tell me about Patchett.

LYNN:

He's waiting for you to mention

mention.

BUD:

You want some advice, Miss

Bracken?

LYNN:

It's Lynn.

BUD:

Miss Bracken, don't ever try to

f***ing bribe me or threaten me

or I'll have you and Patchett

in sh*t up to your ears.

Lynn smiles again. She likes Bud. A beat.

LYNN:

I remember you from Christmas

Eve. You have a thing for

helping women, don't you,

Officer White?

BUD:

Maybe I'm just f***ing curious.

LYNN:

You say 'f***' a lot.

BUD:

You f*** for money.

LYNN:

There's blood on your shirt. Is

that an integral part of your job?

BUD:

Yeah.

LYNN:

Do you enjoy it?

BUD:

When they deserve it.

LYNN:

Did they deserve it today?

BUD:

I'm not sure.

LYNN:

But you did it anyway.

BUD:

Yeah, just like the half dozen

guys you screwed today.

LYNN:

(laughs again)

Actually, it was two. You're

different, Officer White. You're

the first man in five years who

didn't tell me I look like

Veronica Lake inside of a minute.

BUD:

You look better than Veronica

Lake. Now, Pierce Patchett.

LYNN:

He takes a cut of our earnings

and invests it for us. He makes

us quit the life at thirty. He

doesn't let us use narcotics and

he doesn't abuse us. Can your

policeman's mentality grasp

those contradictions?

BUD:

He had you cut to look like

Veronica Lake?

LYNN:

No. I'm really a brunette, but

the rest is me. And that's all

the news that's fit to print.

Lynn starts toward the door. Bud watches her a moment,

then follows. She takes his glass at the door.

LYNN:

It was nice meeting you, Officer.

Out the door, Bud turns back. Blurts:

BUD:

Look. I want to see you again.

LYNN:

Are you asking me for a date or

an appointment?

BUD:

(suddenly unsure)

I don't know.

LYNN:

(another smile)

If it's a date I think you'd

better tell me your first name

because I --

BUD:

(feeling foolish)

Forget I asked. It was a

mistake.

Lynn watches thoughtfully after Bud as he walks away.

He opens his car door like he's going to tear ir off.

A last glance back at Lynn and as he gets in the car...

EXT. TEVERE HOTEL - DAY

An L-shaped walk-up. Jack coasts the car to the curb.

He leaps out with Exley. Exley holds up at the sight

of a late model sedan. He leans down to look in the

window at the two-way on the dash.

EXLEY:

L.A.P.D.

JACK:

Sh*t. Someone beat us here.

VOICES from the carport ahead. We see a chrome bumper,

the purple fender of a '49 Mercury coupe. A door slams.

Drawing a .45, Jack starts over with Exley, .38 in hand.

CARPORT:

Toting shotguns, Dudley's boys from the Victory Motel,

Breuning and Carlisle, stand by the purple Mercury. Jack

and Exley come around the corner, lower their guns.

JACK:

Hey.

Breuning wheels, pumps a round into the chamber. He very

nearly fires before he sees who it is.

CARLISLE:

What the f*** are you guys doing

here?

EXLEY:

Think of us as back-up.

JACK:

What do you got?

As Jack moves to peer through the Merc's window.

BREUNING:

Three Ithaca pumps, an empty box

of double-ought buck and cash.

Jack spots them. Three shotguns on the passenger side

floor, an empty box of shells and loose dollar bills.

JACK:

So long, Vice. Badge of Honor,

here I come.

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