Marlowe Page #4

that a man in my spot dreads over

all other mistakes.

I will find myself doing business

with somebody I can trust.

and I'm going to be too

damned smart to trust him.

Take this letter to

Mr. Philip Marlowe.

" Dear Mr. Marlowe.

This agency employs

you to investigate...

on behalf of one its television

personalities, a certain matter...

... the particulars of which

you have been given verbally.

You fee is to be $ 100

day plus expenses...

... plus a deposit of $ 500.

Sincerely, etc...."

My driver will take

you to the office.

I'm just going to have

to trust you, Marlowe.

I hate making mistakes.

Alright, lunch everybody.

40 minutes for the crew.

time for the rest of you.

first shot after lunch

will be Miss Wald.

Please be back punctually.

Who let you in? -Mr Crowell.

I do not want you to work for me.

I go to ridiculous

extremes to get clients.

Even collect rare photos.

You like a drink? -No, thank you.

Alright, so you know.

It could happen to

any red-blooded girl.

Do you love him? -You

mean will I give him up?

Something like that.

Do not know if I could,

or that I want to.

Anyway, what good will that do now?

Who took the pictures?

-I don't know.

Who's trying to blackmail

you? -I don't know.

Could you be persuaded to

give those negatives to me?

Mr. Crowell hired me to decide

what's in your best interests.

I know what's in my best interests.

Fold that letter up and forget

this job. Go away, Mr. Marlowe.

You can't win them all! -Did

Steelgrave have Hicks killed?

You remember Hicks?

He was stretched out on the

bed in the Alvarado hotel.

Sonny did not know there

was a picture of us...

... not until you came to

my place and I called him.

Leaves the blackmailer, and

whoever else is in this with him.

You don't think he will let

you off the easy way, do you?

You aren't going to follow my

advice? -In one ear and out the other.

What?

You're on, Miss Wald. -Thank you.

Thank you very much for coming by.

You know, Miss

Wald, ... -Excuse me.

You could make life easier for all of

us by laying your cards on the table.

Goodbye, Mr. Marlowe.

I'll be in touch.

Yes?

I'll be right there.

Stay with it.

Hello. -Hello, I'm Dr. Lagardie.

How do you do. I'm

looking for a Mr. Quest.

Orrin Quest.

Who? -Quest.

" Q " as in quintessential,...

... "U" as in uninhibited,...

... "E" as in extrasensory...

..." S" as in subliminal,...

... and " T" as in Truth.

We chatted on the phone.

About a Mr. Klausen.

Please, come along.

There is no Orrin Quest

among our patients.

You don't know him at all?

The name is completely

unfamiliar to me.

Sit down. -Thank you.

That's funny. His

sister says he was here.

Hiding out.

From what?

You tell me.

I could be wrong, but smelling all

that pot smoke in Klausen's place...

... and his calling you,

I jumped to conclusions.

I told you I don't know a Havin

Klausen, or an Orrin Quest.

I think you're wasting your time.

You don't mind if I

call you a liar, doctor?

I should I call the police

and have them run you out.

But my field is special

children. Unusual children.

Sometimes its better to let them bang

on the walls and scream their heads off.

Until theyre prepared for

reason. Scream away, Mr. Marlowe.

A fellow named Klausen and

a grifter named Hicks...

both killed... by the same man,...

... but not necessarily

for the same reason.

Hicks because he muscled in

on somebody elses shtick.

And Klausen because he

was a babbling junkie.

Not exactly a master of the

zipped lip. Any good so far?

What is all this to do with me?

Question:
what was the shtick?

Answer:
Some photographs.

A good man could make a fortune...

... out of these

particular photographs.

Question:
Who took the photographs?

Presumption:
Orrin Quest,

the boy I'm looking for.

And why this particular subject...

without their knowing they

were being photographed?

Time to take a flier. Let's

say Quest knew the girl...

. . let's even say the

girl was his sister.

Pretty well screamed out by now?

Not quite.

These ice pick jobs.

They say the Steelgrave

gang was taught the technique

by a young intern in Brooklyn.

And it worked...

What happened...

to a bright young medic like that?

Did he come west when they did?

Did he come to...

open a clinic... for kids...

well... to cover illegal activities?

Don't worry, it's not lethal.

I need a little more time.

Not much, just to clear things up.

What's the matter?

-Have you got a band aid?

Ooh, you'd better take

that off. -In here?

Oh honey. First aid,

rubbing alcohol, band aids...

You should get a tetanus

shot. That looks deep.

Where I can find Mavis?

Mavis? -She's not at her place.

And why should I

turn you over to her?

Because underneath those

pasties there's a size 40 heart.

I thought you liked Mavis.

I do like her but why should

she get all the goodies?

She's a star. Give me that.

If you believe that Mavis and

I studied at Lee Strasbourg...

Thank you, nurse. You're

wanted in the premmies.

Will you come back tonight?

Am I under oath? -Sure.

Probably not.

They'll be shooting

late at the studio.

Very well.

Thank you, Doctor. -My pleasure.

Thank you, nurse.

-Any time. Call me.

Honey, that is a no-no.

Okay, kids, that's fine.

Give me a minute,

huh? How long did...

Miss Wald...

Your brother... -Don't you

have anything else to do?

He took the pictures of

you and Steelgrave, right?

He's dead.

Someone shot him a

couple of hours ago.

You're making that up.

I have to tell Orfamay

too. You want to come along?

All set, Miss Wald?

Where is Steelgrave tonight?

Don't try to blame him.

I talked to him on the

phone more than an hour ago.

. . in his place at Mount Wilson.

That's one thing about Steelgrave.

He's never around when

the shooting starts.

Maybe that's because he

knows when it will start.

Please Miss Wald.

Orfamay Quest?

Checked out. -To

where, did she say?

She asked for a train

schedule to Kansas.

If that's any help... -Every

little bit helps. Thank you.

Any time.

Are you going to leave

without saying goodbye?

After all we've meant to each

other? -I told you I leave Saturday.

But it's only Friday.

I ran out of money.

And out of friends.

I'm going home. My

train leaves in an hour.

And I can do without your company.

Here, I'll help

you. -No, thank you.

Orfamay.

Orfamay!

What do you want?

I thought we could go up to

my place and have a drink.

I'll give you a

shoulder to cry on. Oh!

Miss!

Miss!

Hot chocolate, please. -Coffee.

I'm sick of this stupid city

It's can be a meat grinder.

How come you're being so

nice to me all of a sudden?

I get an attack of the

nices every now and then.

You're getting ready to tell

me something nasty, isn't it?

Yes.

About Orrin, isn't it?

Yes.

They killed him, didn't they?

Yes.

When? -Tonight at Lagardie clinic.

You could have saved him had

you gone there when I told you!

But you had that girl in your place!

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