The Killing of a Chinese Bookie Page #7

Could I have a talk

with you a moment, please?

- Oh, sure.

- What's happening?

Will somebody please

tell me what's goin' on.

Don't worry, Rach. I

got a lot of insurance.

- I'm serious. What's go...

- I gotta go talk to your mother.

Could we please have a talk?

Well, now.

I don't know what to think.

I mean...

I'm not feeling well,

to tell you the truth.

I mean, it's not...

My stomach is upset,

and I need some...

some...

I don't know what I need.

I don't know.

But...

I didn't expect that. I

didn't expect a double cross.

You're a funny lady, Betty.

My mother was very funny,

had a great sense of humor.

Yeah, that's right.

She was so funny, she ran

off with this big, fat butcher.

I don't know where she is.

But...

You're terrific.

You're wonderful.

You know any butchers?

- No. I didn't run off with no bu...

- Oh, no, you didn't...

And I don't give a

sh*t about a... butcher.

That's right. Well, that's what she did.

And my father was...

I don't give a damn about your father.

That's right. Yeah, well,

he was a... he was a moron.

- I don't care.

- Well, I care!

- Well, I don't!

- Well, I do!

I don't know what to do with

my hands. I swear to God.

How long's that coffee been there?

Cosmo, I think what happened...

was wrong.

And you won't go to the doctor...

because you think you're gonna live...

with the bullet in you.

And I don't want you in my house no more.

Because I'm not strong enough for you.

Okay, babe.

Listen.

I wish you luck in whatever you endeavor.

And I gotta go because

there are no rivers here.

- I still love you.

- Yeah.

- But you can't stay here no more.

- Absolutely.

Because I don't know what's wrong, and I don't

know what happened, and I don't want to know.

- I know.

- And I don't want to know...

- Pay the guy.

- Yes, sir.

And there's never anyone around

To hear it

Never anyone around

To hear it

The first star

Out tonight I'm safe tonight

I'll warm your hands

and make you smile

Come on!

Hey.

- Hi, Cosmo.

- Hi, Margo Donnar.

Hello, Sherry.

- Hi, Cosmo.

- How are ya?

Hello, big guy.

Well, what's goin' on here?

- Waitin' to start the show.

- Nobody wants their check this week?

- Yeah.

- I do.

- You want your check, don't ya?

- Yes.

Let's get our asses

downstairs. We got people.

So, let's go. What's the problem?

Where's Rachel?

Yeah, is Rachel sick?

Yeah, she's not feeling

too good. She has the flu.

- And she has another job.

- Oh, really?

- Bigger and better things.

- Yeah, where is she?

Got a new job.

- Bigger and better things?

- She's got the flu.

And she's depressed.

Just like you guys.

What is this depression?

There's a problem...

- Come on. I know there's a problem.

- There's just a misunderstanding, Cosmo.

- What is it?

- The problem that: It's not a misunderstanding.

It's a problem, and it

has to be discussed now.

Look, I don't want to

pull a big star bit...

but people do come here because I'm...

well, some unique kind

of personality, I suppose.

A bit far out, a bit

freakish maybe, but...

- Far out. Okay.

- Not a freak at all.

- Yeah, but freakish.

- Straitlaced.

But... Freakish. But unique

in my own way.

And when things go badly...

who gets the booing?

- I do. But when things go well...

- My music director...

they... they, they, they get the

applause and all the cheers...

because they flash their tits.

- Hey, no way!

- Bullshit!

Let us be civil, ladies.

Now, Teddy. Teddy.

Everything takes work.

We'll straighten it out. You know.

You gotta work hard to be comfortable.

Yeah, a lot of people

kid themselves, you know.

They... They know when they were born,

they know where they're goin'...

they know whether they're gonna go to

heaven, whether they're gonna go to hell.

They think they know

that. They kid themselves.

Right?

But the only people...

who are, you know, happy...

are the people who are comfortable.

That's right.

Now, you take Carol, right?

Take her. Take Carol.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen."

No.

A dingbat, right?

A ding-a-ling.

A dingo.

That's what people think she is, 'cause

that's the truth they want to believe.

But you put her in

another situation, right?

Put her in a situation that's tough.

Stress. Where she's up against

something, you'll see she's no fool.

- Right?

- A little silly, but no fool.

Right. 'Cause what's your

truth... is my falsehood.

What's my falsehood is

your truth and vice versa.

- Do you have a Kleenex?

- Right?

But let's let that go.

That's too confusing.

I confused myself.

Now, let me see. Where was I?

Oh, yeah. Well, look. Look at me, right?

I'm only happy when I'm angry...

when I'm sad, when

I can play the fool...

when I can be what people want

me to be rather than be myself.

You understand?

Yeah.

And that takes work.

Gotta work overtime for that.

Yeah. Doesn't matter who you are

or what personality you choose.

- Come on, baby. Silly boy.

- "Come on, baby. " Choose a personality.

- Get dressed.

- Let's go down there and...

- I'll give you a rubdown after the show.

- Right.

- We'll do a great show...

- Watch out.

We'll smile, we'll cry...

big, glistening tears

that pour onto the stage...

and we'll make their lives

a little happier?

So they won't have to face themselves.

They can pretend to be somebody else.

Be happy. Be joyous.

Come on. You. Maestro.

- Yes.

- Give me the downbeat.

The downbeat.

Let's go.

- Come on.

- Come on, Teddy. Get into it.

Come on. Snap those fingers.

Wars have come and wars have gone

History goes on and on

But ever since this world began

- Love

- Love not war has conquered man

Oh, I'm so in love. I'm so in love.

- Look at this. Could you believe this?

- Great. Hey. Yeah.

This lovely man gave it

to me. Isn't it beautiful?

- Go, Sherry.

- You're lovely without that little ring, my love.

All right. Keep it up. No

fooling around. Let's do it clean.

- Come on. Keep going, Tony.

- Okay.

Come on.

Caesar fought to gain control

- Good. Good.

- Worldly wealth was Caesar's goal

But then Cleo played her hand

And love conquered just as planned

How many mothers in the

house? Let me hear it.

- Five.

- Three.

We got some mothers in the house.

Mothers who love their children.

Got sons who love their daughters.

What a pain in the ass.

Give me a spot!

Give me a spot.

Right here.

Is that all?

Let me hear it.

Nice.

That's better.

My name, if you don't know

it by now, is Cosmo Vittelli.

- Come on. Bring 'em out.

- And I own this joint.

You got a lot of nerve.

You know they

say everything is sex.

Sex is everything.

Here at the Crazy Horse West...

we give you a lot more than that.

- I'm dyin'.

- That's right.

And because of your patience, we're gonna

start off by buying every one of you a drink.

Put a spotlight on Sonny.

Put a spotlight on Son...

Sonny Venice, ladies and gentlemen.

Our bartender. Give him some love?

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