Perfect Page #4

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Rough night.

Mikey Douglas was in town,

and I got the cocktail flu.

- Where are you?

- I'm at JFK. Guess what?

I got a meeting today with McKenzie.

We're to meet at 12:00 at the Atrium Club.

- You're shitting me.

- No.

- You got any space in the next issue?

- I'll make space.

- Has the cover closed yet?

- Yeah, it's closed.

Screw the cover.

You're drunk, aren't you?

Must have been some turbulence.

Listen, I can't talk. I got to go.

I'll drop by later, how's that? 'Bye.

Wish me luck.

Adam?

Kent, it's Mark.

Listen, I've waited all my life to say this:

Hold the presses.

And get me Frankie.

- What is she doing here? Frankie!

- Adam!

- What are you doing?

- Mark wants me to photograph McKenzie.

- No, he's nuts. I can't take you with me.

- Come on. You can try.

- Forget about it.

- Adam, come on.

Go, Frankie. I'm not kidding.

Nobody's supposed to be here.

You'll blow it.

- My photos are as important as your story.

- There'll be no story without an interview.

- Don't do this to me.

- Bull!

- What?

- It's Charlie, his flack.

- Stay here.

- Charlie who?

- Give me your camera.

- No.

Charlie, hi.

I'm so sorry I'm late.

The traffic was impossible.

- Mind if I use my tape recorder?

- Why don't you ask him yourself?

Well, you certainly come prepared.

- Where to, Mr. McKenzie?

- Just drive around the park.

- So, what happened?

- I got it.

I never thought I'd get him to talk,

but once he started he wouldn't stop.

It was amazing.

I have three solid hours all on tape.

Adam!

Where's my camera?

Give it to me right now.

- Don't ever pull that again.

- The film's inside.

- My first picture credit.

- What?

- Have it developed. See you later, Frankie.

- Screw you.

- So what's the story?

- Okay.

McKenzie was negotiating

to sell his computers to Czechoslovakia...

to save his company.

He had it all worked out.

He was gonna move computers...

through dummy corporations,

all over Europe...

until they wound up

behind the Iron Curtain.

He claims the government found out

what he was up to...

and put him out of business

by busting him.

- How much space do you need?

- Six pages.

Four.

Five.

Okay, four and a half.

We'll hold the issue. When can I have it?

- How soon do you need it?

- Tomorrow morning.

You got it.

What about this aerobics contest

coming up?

They want me to make a demonstration.

- Jessie, phone for you.

- Okay.

- Okay, killer, I'll see you later.

- Be good.

- How you doing? You through?

- Yeah.

- Where were you?

- Hiding.

Here you go.

Hello.

Adam, hi.

I'm fine. How was the interview?

It was real interesting.

I really can't tell you the details right now.

I'm afraid this phone is being tapped.

I'll be in tomorrow.

I'll call you when I know what time.

I'll be there.

Make sure my tape recorder is on.

I understand you suspect the government

of what lawyers politely call "misconduct."

That's right.

Well, could you expand on that?

I have reason to believe...

that they eavesdropped

on my office computers.

You know, like hackers. But...

these hackers weren't kids.

They were FBI hackers.

Yes, hello.

What cuts?

What trouble?

Right.

I'll be there. Okay.

Frankie.

- How did my pictures turn out?

- Bad, amateurish, snapshotty.

That good?

- Mark can see you. The lawyers are here.

- The lawyers?

Come on in.

You know Tod Turner and Martha Young?

Only on the phone.

You really are expecting this

to cause trouble.

- I thought you liked causing trouble.

- I do...

more than anybody you know,

but up to a point.

Let me guess what that is.

Could that be the point

where trouble costs you money?

Right. You want to split the bills

on this one?

- What's the problem?

- Martha, why don't you start?

Mark says that you have

the entire interview on tape.

Something like three hours?

- Who's to retain custody of the tapes?

- I am, why?

The magazine should retain

the original tape, or a copy for its files.

- That's not a problem, is it?

- That is a problem.

I promised McKenzie

I wouldn't let anyone have a copy.

The prosecutors will demand a copy

once this story is out.

I promised him they would never get it.

I gave him my word.

We'll do everything to keep the tapes

from the government.

- We'll fight any subpoena in court.

- That's not good enough.

I will make sure the tapes don't get out.

The only way to do that is to keep them.

What happens if the magazine were fined

$1,000 a day until you turned them over?

I won't test the magazine's guts

or its bank account.

The government could pressure you, too,

send you to jail.

That's a risk I have to take.

Where are the cuts? I want to see them.

Adam, be reasonable.

You could have libelled McKenzie.

He could have libelled others.

Let's not kid around.

Mark could be facing millions in lawsuits.

Without your tapes we have no evidence

to go into court with.

I can't recommend that Mark publish

the article unless you turn them over.

I can't recommend these cuts.

Someone's editing with their elbows.

- Where are the tapes?

- In my bag.

Look, you wanted me to do the story,

I did the story. Okay?

Take it or leave it.

Print it, don't print it.

I got a plane to catch.

Another story to write.

You have a big decision to make.

Now, where were we?

What comes after the warm-up?

After the warm-up...

is the cardiovascular section.

It should last for 15 to 20 minutes.

It should be un-interrupted and steady.

This aerobic phase exercises

the most important muscle in the body.

- Which is?

- The heart.

- How do you feel?

- I feel great.

- You're gonna be sore tomorrow.

- I don't think so.

- Still want to interview me?

- I don't know.

- I broke the cardinal rule of journalism.

- What's that?

After what we did last night,

I don't think I can be objective.

- I need to take a shower.

- I need to make a phone call.

- You want to come out to my house later?

- Yeah.

- You did good today.

- Thanks.

For a New Yorker.

- For a New Yorker, too.

- Nice legs.

- Mark, it's Adam!

- I'll take it up here.

- Tell him I have to talk to him.

- Hello.

Mark? Hi. Just checking up.

The McKenzie story going or what?

- We're closing it tonight.

- Good.

- Where are you?

- I'm at the infamous Sports Erection.

- How's that going?

- It's tougher than I thought.

I need some more time.

I haven't really started writing yet.

What about that Aerobics Pied Piper?

- Hi, Adam.

- Hi.

I'm working on her.

Do me a favour and send an advance copy

of that McKenzie story...

to Simon & Schuster? Dick Schneider.

Tell him why it's not on the cover, okay?

Speaking of covers, I got this great idea

for the health issue cover.

Ready?

You wanted to use Christie Brinkley,

now you can.

- In a leotard.

- Not bad.

- Dita needs to talk to you.

- No, I don't want to.

I don't have my notes.

I'll just call her later, okay?

All right, I'm going. 'Bye.

- Kenny?

- Hey, what's up?

Could you tell me something?

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