The Naked Kiss Page #5

to have you pinched for extortion.

He said I would understand his weakness.

Kelly...

we've had two cases

of ravaged children in our county.

If by some freak they buy your story...

it means the pressure will be off

the real criminal.

He'll be free to attack other children.

Now do you understand why you can't use

that stinking lie to save your neck!

My neck is in that little girl's hands!

- Find her!

- Describe her!

- I can't.

- What was she wearing?

- I don't remember.

- What do you remember?

Oh, it - it was all a blur.

Everything was a blur.

Yes.

But the safety of that child,

that was no blur.

- You had to save her, didn't you?

- No!

No. I didn't think of saving her.

Of course you didn't, because there was no child.

There was only Grant.

He dropped a bomb on you

because he found out what you were...

and he called you what you really are!

He called me abnormal.

- Oh, you remember that?

- Yes.

How could you? You were supposed

to be in a state of shock.

I've told you all I can remember.

Do you remember going to his house

with your wedding dress?

- Yes.

- What was it in?

Well, it was -

It was in a big cardboard box.

- Do you remember killing him?

- Yes.

- Do you remember a child?

- Yes.

But you don't know what she looked like.

Blonde? Brunette? Redhead?

Brown eyes? Blue?

Five? Six? Seven? Eight?

Red dress? Green? White?

You don't remember.

But you do remember him

making a long speech to you...

explaining his sickness

and asking you to share his secret...

but you just can't remember

what the child looks like.

Well, your story stinks, Kelly!

You phoned me.

You told me you killed him.

You were in a well-rehearsed state of shock when

I got there and found you sitting next to him.

The only thing missing was you muttering

to yourself to really wrap up that phony staging.

I swear that's what happened!

You'd swear on a call-house roster!

What? What is it?

- He's here.

- Oh.

Fine. In a moment.

An old friend of yours

read all about you, Kelly.

Volunteered to pay his own expenses

just to be a character witness.

You remember Mr. Farlunde?

Oh, you're not gonna talk

to that P.I., are you?

- He was my tout. He's the lowest -

- I'll talk to anybody -

I'll talk to anybody that'll tell me

what kind of an operator you were!

- You ought to know.

- That will be on the record too.

In here, Mr. Farlunde.

Look at all the trouble you get into

when I'm not around to watch out for you.

Hello, Captain.

What were your relations

with this woman?

I was her, uh, business manager.

Farlunde, when I ask you a question,

I want the right answer!

I was her procurer.

Why did you drop her

from your stable?

Drop her?

She robbed me of 800 bucks

and blew town.

And you'd take the word

of that leech!

None of that!

How can I take the word

of one of his breadwinners?

Look. Look, that parasite

held out on me...

held out on all of us.

So I got six of his best girls

to walk out on him.

To get even, he spiked my drink

with a knockout pill...

and he cut off my hair!

I was bald!

I waited.

I waited until he was drunk, and then I took

exactly what was coming to me -

$75 and not a penny more.

He has friends in the underworld.

The word was out

to throw acid in my face, so I ran.

For two years, I worked only small towns

until I came here.

Mr. Farlunde...

you, uh, said something on the phone

about a - a lobbyist.

Oh, yeah.

Kelly's job was to, uh...

place a certain legislator

under personal obligation...

so that a certain bill would be passed

in the state capital.

He didn't pass the bill,

but it cost him a bankroll.

Kelly called it "borrowing. "

It was out-and-out blackmail.

- And you'll testify to that in court?

- Oh, you bet.

Yeah? Who's out there?

Dusty. What are you doing here?

- What can I do for her?

- Keep out of this mess.

She didn't keep out of mine.

Not interested.

You'd better get back to the hospital.

I'm no longer there.

You're one of Mac's top nurses.

Come on in. Tell me what happened.

I had no one to turn to...

no one to talk to...

no one to help me.

Kelly gave me a thousand dollars

to go away and have my baby.

Where would she get

that kind of money?

She borrowed it from Grant.

Kelly.

Kelly!

Oh, what do you want now?

You said you never took

one red cent from him.

Oh, why don't you try

the Chinese water torture?

Maybe that'll make me

change my story.

You tapped him for a thousand bucks.

Oh.

Dusty came here, didn't she?

Yep.

She should've kept her mouth shut.

How much did you actually squeeze

out of Grant before he said, "No more"?

Don't use Dusty as a hammer.

Where'd you stash

the rest of the money?

It would kill her

if you used her to hit me.

Don't do it, Griff.

You couldn't be that low,

even for a cop.

She wants to give it to the papers

if it'll help you.

You really put on an act

to win the hospital staff over, didn't you?

Please.

Please let me talk to Dusty.

Look, give me

just two seconds with Dusty.

I know I can change her mind

about this crazy scheme.

Maybe I will.

Thanks, Griff.

If you tell me why

you went to Candy's place.

Oh!

Oh, I was waiting

for that slut to show up.

Why did you go there?

Candy.

You really scraped the sewer to dig up

your character witnesses, didn't you?

I hate being a fink, sweetie...

but you put every call girl in the country

right on the spot.

Get to the point.

All right.

Kelly came to me with an idea,

like, uh, Murder Incorporated.

Only this would have been

Blackmail Incorporated - nationwide.

Naturally, I'm not buying that.

She told me how she was taking Grant

for healthy payoffs...

had him right where it hurts.

You know, family name, philanthropist...

hospital, crippled kids - the full enchilada.

I told her, "Don't push

an important john like Grant. "

Oh, I told her, Griff.

But she - she said she had him so scared...

he was even making

with the wedding talk...

just to keep her quiet.

Well, don't you see? It's open-and-shut.

He couldn't go through with the wedding.

He was gonna have the law down on her,

so she killed him.

It's open-and-shut.

Kelly, you're a new low in our business.

- Will you say all that in court?

- It's the truth. Why not?

She advanced Buff $25 to become a bonbon.

I returned the money.

Buff? Who's Buff?

A student nurse at the hospital.

Oh, come off of it, Griff.

Are you kidding?

You know I don't have to shanghai girls

from your town to replenish my stock.

What kind of a stable boss

do you think I am?

I've got no time

to break in baby baggage.

Hello, Buff.

Did that woman give you a $25 advance

to work in her club across the river?

No.

I made a mistake.

Wrong girl.

I'm sorry, Buff.

I shouldn't have bothered you.

Nobody shoves dirty money in my mouth.

Look what I made.

Look what I made.

What becomes of the sun

When it falls in the sea

And who lights it again

As bright can be

Tell me why

Can't I fly

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