The Pelican Brief Page #4

It would be better for me if you go now.

That's not fair.

The prettiest girl in the Quarter,

the saddest girl in the Quarter.

I can't get you to give me a smile?

I saw that.

That's something.

Just one beer?

No.

I've found my mission in life.

To make you smile.

You must find another mission.

Wait!

Will you marry me,

just for 5 minutes?

I know it's stupid,

but I think we're fated for each other.

I must go now.

Please, you're not going to

walk out on me, are you?

I'd walk a million miles

For one of your smiles

You beautiful

You wonderful girl

From the laundry

You've got the wrong girl.

Go get her.

Please, help me!

Looking for Mr. Sneller.

Mr. Sneller?

Yes, Mr. Edwin F. Sneller.

FRIEND:

Have you heard from Darby?

Yes, I did.

I got a note from her.

She's staying with an aunt in Colorado.

But she's going to

be back next semester.

I'll see you later.

Gavin, it's Darby.

I'd just about given up on you.

Tell me where you want to meet

and I'll come with 3 agents.

I thought the FBI was not involved.

It's not involved, not yet.

I have friends.

We can get you out of the city tonight,

in Washington tomorrow.

I promise you'll meet Voyles.

We'll go from there.

At noon tomorrow,

take the trolley to Riverwalk.

Wait, Riverwalk?

Wear a long sleeve shirt

and a red baseball cap.

Wait on the riverside

at the bandstand...

...and I'll find you.

The riverside bandstand.

- How tall are you?

-5'10".

Your weight?

About 180,

but I'm planning on losing it.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Gavin, it's Darby.

I'd just about given up on you.

Tell me where you want to meet

and I'll come with 3 agents.

I thought the FBI was not involved.

It's not involved, not yet.

I have friends.

We'll get you out of the city tonight,

in Washington tomorrow.

I promise you'll meet Voyles.

We'll go from there.

At noon tomorrow,

take the trolley to Riverwalk.

Wear a long sleeve shirt

and a red baseball cap.

Wait on the riverside at the bandstand

and I'll find you.

The riverside bandstand?

- How tall are you?

-5'10".

Your weight?

About 180,

but I'm planning on losing it.

All right.

Tell me where you want to meet...

Tell me where you want to meet...

...and within an hour

I'll come get you with 3 agents.

Mr. Sneller on line 2.

Khamel is dead.

We don't know who did it.

- And the girl?

- She's running.

We lost her.

We'll find her.

There's been another murder.

You remember my friend gave

the brief to a friend at the FBI?

The FBI friend was killed yesterday.

How do you know?

I was holding his hand.

He was shot...

...in broad daylight

in a crowd.

I'm very sorry.

I'm in New York now.

When can you come?

You'll have to give me

something I can confirm.

We get crank calls from people claiming

to know who killed Rosenberg and Jensen.

Something you can confirm?

Please.

Such as?

The name of the friend

that was murdered in the car explosion.

Take your time.

Callahan.

His first name?

Thomas.

Where did it happen?

In New Orleans.

I think that should be enough.

All right.

What's the name of the friend

that worked at the FBI?

Verheek.

Gavin Verheek.

Voyles' Chief Counsel.

I think that's more than enough.

I'll be on a plane this afternoon.

You must follow my instructions.

This is Gray Grantham.

That's right.

Got it.

Did you follow my instructions?

Yes.

You must think I'm crazy.

Yes, I did...

...till I checked New Orleans.

Callahan was...

...killed exactly as you said.

I also checked Verheek.

According to the FBI...

...they found his body 2 days ago...

...in a hotel room early in the morning.

He'd been dead for at least 8 hours.

That can't be.

Want to talk about the brief?

Everyone I've told

about the brief is dead.

I'll take my chances.

You can't, under any circumstances,

use my name...

...or reveal how you got

the information.

Or publish anything until

I've left the country. Agreed?

Unless I can convince you otherwise.

You can't.

May I sit down?

Mind if I use a tape recorder?

Interesting read, isn't it?

What'd the president say?

He spoke to Voyles...

...who will leave it alone for a while.

The president asked Voyles to back off?

We thought it was just another shot

in the dark. Now I'm not sure.

That's obstruction of justice.

Assuming the brief turns out to be true.

If it does, you'll be the fall guy.

I won't be the only one.

The old Nixon two-step.

Don't even think that name.

Look at the hopeful side,

Irangate, Iraqgate...

Good chance it won't come out.

What's up with Grantham?

We got his car phone.

We haven't been inside the home yet.

Why not?

We almost got caught

by the cleaning lady.

Grantham knows about the brief.

He called 3 White House aides today...

...and God knows who else.

What made you hone in

on this particular case so quickly?

I remembered this piece

that "Frontline" did a year ago...

...about the young lawyer

who originally filed the suit.

They said he'd committed suicide,

but his family thought it was foul play.

After the assassinations,

I called his family.

They said he had

a depressive problem years before...

...but medication had taken care of it.

His doctor confirmed

what the family said.

They told the police

they were not convinced it was suicide.

But the police

closed the investigation.

Exactly.

That's it.

That's the brief.

Maybe we could...

...finish up in the morning?

I'll be up late going over my notes...

...while they're fresh in my head.

Call me when you wake up.

Try and get some sleep.

Mr. Grantham.

I know it sounds silly, but...

...would you sleep on the sofa?

No problem.

Good night.

Listen...

At the risk of sounding old-fashioned...

...isn't it time I knew your real name?

Darby Shaw.

What made you pick me,

Darby Shaw?

Callahan was a fan.

Does the name Victor Mattiece

mean anything to you?

Money.

Power.

Influence.

He's made and lost several

fortunes drilling oil in Louisiana.

In 1979...

...his oil company punched some holes

in Terrebonne Parish and hit oil.

A lot of oil.

He needed governmental permission...

...to dredge a channel though

the marshlands to get the oil out.

Enter Mattiece,

the great campaign contributor...

...and as night follows day...

...government permission

to gouge through the endangered marshes.

Mattiece is that close

to at least a billion dollars...

...when Green Fund...

...an obscure environmental outfit...

...trots down to the U.S. District court

in Lafayette and files a lawsuit...

...to stop the entire operation.

Of course, Mattiece spares no expense

to win the lawsuit.

I don't think there's a top law firm

between Houston and New Orleans...

...that he hasn't hired.

F***ing PBS!

By the time the Green Fund lawyers...

...all two of them...

...wade in, the joint ventures...

...limited partnerships

and corporate associations...

...form an impenetrable maze

that makes Mattiece invisible.

Luckily for the Green Fund's lawsuit...

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