Original subtitles

Oh, Jessie.

Hi, Ben.

So, I guess Mom still thinks you can talk me into anything?

Well, she said since I talked you into going to art school, maybe I can talk

into going to school here.

I'm going to L .A., Ben.

Be reasonable, Jessie.

She'll give you anything you want.

If you stay here. But if you leave, she'll cut you off without a thing, God.

I know.

Thanks, Ben, but I want to be on my own.

It'll be good for me.

Well, do... Do you have any money at all?

I have my tuition, and I sent out a first month's rent to a girlfriend who's

going to be my roommate.

You won't change your mind? Nope.

Well, take this.

If you run into trouble, it's your father's address and phone.

He's nobody's father.

My daughter is as stubborn as you are.

Atta girl.

Bye. Good luck.

Beat it pal

You're a girl.

Yeah. And your place is a wreck.

I don't remember inviting you in.

So tell me, do you live with someone or did you turn this place into a slum all

by yourself?

Well, let's start with who are you and what do you want?

I want to be somewhere else.

I'm your daughter, Mac.

You got any ID?

You're Jesse.

Well, you certainly grew up.

What brings you to L .A.? Well, I don't want to put you out or anything, but my

roommate took off with my rent. It's a long story, but I need a place to stay

for a couple nights until I get a job.

Stay? Here?

Is this asking too much?

What about that guy your mother married? He's loaded.

Have him wire you some dough.

No, no, no. See, we don't talk.

He does what Mom wants, and Mom wants me doing her country club number.

So do it.

What do you got against being rich?

Apparently, this was a mistake.

I shouldn't have come.

Oh, wait a minute. Now, you can't wander around town. I've got an extra bedroom.

Just for a couple of nights.

Sure, until you get a job.

Do you mind if I have some coffee?

Help yourself.

Donuts are in the refrigerator.

Oh, wow.

Don't they die in here?

Want to clean it out?

I'll get it.

Hi, Oscar.

Well, how are we doing?

Got anything on Arlene yet? Not yet.

But one of my operatives is going to take that house out all day today.

Wait. I thought you were going to handle my case personally.

Oscar, it's not good procedure for me to be seen too much. I mean, the neighbors

get excited, they call the cops.

If Arlene spots me, she could tip the boyfriend off.

You're right.

I wasn't thinking. I'm not thinking. It's in my mind.

That's what you're paying me for.

By the way, that operative I mentioned to you?

Today's payday, 500 bucks.

This is getting expensive.

The best costs.

Justice is neither swift nor cheap.

Oliver Wendell Holmes. You're telling me.

Listen,

the boyfriend, what's he like?

Young? Have a lot of hair?

I don't know. I haven't seen him yet.

Good luck.

Yeah, you too, Oscar.

Oliver Wendell Holmes?

Mary Holmes?

How many operatives do you have?

As of today, just you.

I am not a detective, Matt.

It's either that or clean out the refrigerator.

Go to this address.

Okay. Here's a map.

Take a picture of everybody who goes in and out of there. Why?

Oscar's still paying his ex -wife Arlene alimony.

Some other guy is keeping her.

We proved that.

Oscar's off the hook.

Are you sure Oscar isn't just being vindictive?

Truth is, he's still hung up on her.

I didn't hear him say that.

I don't have to.

I'll see you later.

I've got an important meeting in Acadia.

Okay.

Is that a TV antenna?

This is the sculpture that got me into the LA Art Institute.

It's called Tangled Web.

Oh.

Beautiful.

Hold it right there.

Hi, Katie.

What's this?

I guess Oscar's ex won't be cashing any more of his checks.

And like they say in the movies, I've got the goods on the killer.

Nice work, Jesse.

Social call, fellas.

Just dropped by to remind you that today's payday.

So it's only tomorrow.

Hey, that was today, but you blew it at the track, right?

You don't want to hang out with him, honey.

He's got no future.

You're in trouble, aren't you?

Hello.

owe some guy named Tony a lot of money and you use the $500 from Oscar to try

win it at the track?

Yeah, I know.

Who would have thought it wouldn't work?

Well, thanks to you, we've got our suspect.

He's on his way down.

You are turning into a model citizen, Max.

I'd like to claim all of the credit, but my offspring here took the pictures.

Your daughter?

Jesse Morgan.

Allison Darnell.

Daddy, what big surprises you have.

I'm a parent.

I'm a taxpayer. I work hard. I'm a responsible citizen.

Was he always this noble?

I wouldn't know.

Of course, now that the case is closed, I'm also here because my client can pay

me. Wait!

This is a mistake. I didn't do it.

Oscar. Max. Max, you've got to help me. This is a mistake.

A terrible mistake.

Max. Max.

What is he doing here?

We just arrested him for the murder of his wife.

And your evidence is going to nail him.

Poor Ollie.

This is terrible.

Just awful.

I'm really sorry.

You gave them pictures of my car. How could you do that? I'm sorry. I didn't

know. I'm sorry.

I've been trained for murder. You helped them do it. Oscar, I feel dizzy.

Look, the kid didn't know about the car, neither did I. Let's get past that.

The really bad news is the rope that was used to strangle Arlene was found in

your trash.

Thunder damage to your car matches a car on the scene.

Now, do you have an alibi?

Alibi? No, I got a call to go meet Arlene on a street corner near my

And the guy that called said he was her lawyer and she wanted to negotiate. So I

went. I waited about an hour. She never showed.

Did anybody see you there?

It's a side street, practically deserted.

What am I going to do?

Did Arlene have a key to your car?

Yes. She never returned it.

That means the anonymous boyfriend has access to your car.

Max, I want to hire you to prove I didn't do it.

Oscar, you already hired me. You don't have to hire me again. I'm still working

for you.

And listen, I'm sorry if I went after you like that. No, no, no, that's okay.

You're upset. You've had a bad day.

Oh, it's... Oh, poor Arlene.

She was so confused.

I didn't care about the money, not really.

Just I didn't want to lose it.

I really loved it.

Terrible, Max. This is all my fault.

No, he just did what I told you. Well, you're going to help the poor guy,

you? Well, if I don't, I'll never get the rest of my fee.

Nobody is that cynical.

No, I'm not.

But I owe Tony Myers 10 ,000 bucks, and he's very cynical.

Ah, just like home.

Phone's dead.

Maybe somebody forgot to pay the bill.

Sound like your mother.

So tell me about it, Max.

Seems you used to be some big deal Hollywood detective.

What happened?

Well, the women got faster and the horses got slower.

How's your mother?

Perfect. I remember.

What's her new husband like?

Obedient. Uh -huh.

Did you ever graduate from that fancy woman's college back east?

How'd you know I went there?

Read about it in Newsweek.

What happened?

I got bored.

What happened?

I got bounced.

You're a tough case, aren't you?

What makes you think you're going to do any better in art school?

Well, I like doing things with my hands. You know, sculpture and watercolors. I

like to make art out of junk that people throw away.

And I'm good, too. I don't know where I get it.

My mother was an artist.

She made her living drawing greeting cards.

She wanted to paint.

But it's hard to be a starving artist and raise a kid.

She was good.

Maybe that's where you got it.

Maybe.

So, Mac, tell me again what we're doing here.

I'm going to check out Oscar's car.

So what are you looking for? The last number called.

Let's give him a ring.

Starling Residence.

Hello, is Herman Starling there, please?

Uh, no, sir. This is the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Starling. I think you

have the wrong number.

Oh.

Thank you very much.

We might have something big.

What do you mean, Jake?

That's Jack Starling's house. Starling's a film director.

He's been in and out. He directs films with numbers after them, like Death

6 and Obliterator 7.

He married an heiress, and she's putting up the money for his first -aid

picture. So what now?

Well, somebody called Starling's house.

If Oscar didn't do it, maybe our killer did.

Arlene kept a pretty neat house.

No sign of the boyfriend, not even a beer in the refrigerator.

Maybe he's married.

Why do you say that?

Well, when he killed her, he wasn't in here long enough to clean the place out,

and married men are very careful in these situations.

Are they?

Hey, look at this.

Coupling?

Expensive.

Look.

For my Jay.

May 22nd, 1988.

Jay is a Mr.

Big Movie Guy, Jack Starling.

Could be.

Maybe Arlene was pressing him for a commitment, threatening to tell his

So he killed her.

Nice guy.

If he did, he's got a big problem.

His wife probably gave him these cufflinks.

That means he's got to get this one back.

Party time. Looks like it.

But how am I going to get in there without getting caught?

Pretend we're florists.

I don't look like a florist.

I do.

No.

No, you don't.

Something I can do for you?

I got caught.

Well? Very well.

We got invited to the party.

So anyway, I was rifling through the desk, and I heard this noise behind me,

I whirled around, and there is the oh -so -glamorous but very annoyed Mrs.

Starling herself.

Now, I know from experience that the best defense is a good offense, right?

got right in her face, and I said, that is a great dress. Where did you get it?

Now, of course, she's too flattered to not answer me. So while she's like, I

realize that I just saw a picture of her at a Bryn Mawr reunion on her desk. So

I tell her that I was at Bryn Mawr myself, which I was for almost a whole

semester before I got bounced for... Never mind.

Anyway, we kind of hit it off.

She's sort of like mom, you know?

Vague.

Max, hurry up. We're going to be late.

Shall we dance?

Jesse Morgan and guests?

Mr. Morgan, sir, have a good time.

To your left, wearing a simple frock of spun gold and discreet emeralds, Mrs.

Jack Starling.

And on your right, short, dark, and untalented Mr. Starling.

Okay, I'm going to see if I can find the cuff link. Make sure Starling doesn't

leave the room. Wait a minute.

Mr. Starling?

Hi, I'm Jessie Morgan.

Nice to meet you. I'm a friend of your wife.

I'd like you to meet my dad. He's a huge fan of yours. I never miss one of your

movies, Jack. Really?

Death Ray 3.

That was my favorite.

Yeah. How about a drink?

Really? Yeah. Oh, you kidding?

Nick Doninger worked on it.

Still am.

I'm sorry we haven't gotten to know each other when you were prepping this.

I know some inside stuff that really happened.

Um, I guess you finished writing it by now.

More than finished, Mr. Morgan. We're halfway through shooting. Listen, I

must get back.

It's good to meet you.

Actually, I'm working on something that might interest you.

Happened today.

Woman got killed in a condo in Westwood.

Yeah, it was on the news.

Accountant murdered his ex -wife.

Well, that's what the cops think.

Actually, I happen to know she was killed by her boyfriend.

Really? And how would you know that?

I've got a key piece of evidence.

The killer left a cuff link behind.

Would you believe it?

It's getting late.

I gotta find my daughter.

Get her home.

I'll call you in the morning.

Fine.

Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Morgan.

Good night.

Darling.

It's time to go home.

Let's go home.

Did you find anything?

I didn't have a chance.

Don't worry. You gave it your best shot.

Please don't take me off the cage. I'm the one who got Oscar in trouble. Look,

darling could be dangerous.

Only one of us needs to get close to him. That's me. So I'm in and you're

You can't tell me what to do.

Go to art school.

Classes don't start till next week.

The trash is full of beer cans. Make something creative.

Somebody's in your bedroom.

I'll look into it.

Hi, Allison.

Jesse. Geez, you look gorgeous.

And you.

You were so late, I decided to wash my hair.

Well, it's important to have friends on the force.

Good night, Max.

Come in.

Do you need anything?

Sheets, towels?

I got some fancy soap. Some wise guy gave me a Christmas round here

You're embarrassed.

Why would I be embarrassed?

You tell me.

How come you know so much about married men?

You're the detective, Max. You figure it out.

You're right.

None of my business.

Good night. He was a philosophy professor.

Very smart.

Very married.

Very sweet to me.

You had a thing.

Somebody found out. You got bounced.

What about him?

Tenure. He was unbounceable.

So... So, I left school and... He didn't call me.

Mom, Shrink said it was your fault.

Growing up without a dad syndrome.

Well, now you know your mother pays her Shrink extra to blow smoke like that.

You deserve better. You know that.

I'm working on it.

First one up makes coffee.

Good night.

Good night.

Dear Jesse, happy third birthday.

Since I can't be there, I'm sending you Henry.

He looks just like an ordinary teddy bear, but he has a secret.

In the middle of the night, when you're sound asleep, he'll whisper messages for

me. He'll tell you I'm thinking of you and missing you and hoping to see you

very, very soon.

Love you, baby.

Always will.

And someday...

we'll be together again.

I love you, Daddy.

Yeah, Jack.

I thought this case might be right up your alley.

Oh, yeah, I got the cuff link.

Yeah, I do think it'd be a good idea if we got together.

What about now?

Well, where are you shooting?

Well, we're in canyon country.

Yeah? Yeah?

Oh, yeah, I can find it. Bye.

Morning. Morning.

That was Jack Starling. I got some inside information on the Red Gardenia

he can use shooting his movie.

I'm going to go see him.

Do you want me to come with you?

Oh, no. You just hang out, be creative, paint the dining room.

You wouldn't be kidding me about this, would you? I never cared about serious

money.

Mr. Stonick, the stunt's all set up. We're ready when you are. Trevor, take

hand off of me, and yes, I am ready.

If I was going to the cops, you'd be the slammer by now.

But I got some bills to pay.

The coupling's yours for a hundred grand.

You're out of your mind. And you're out of luck.

The engraving says, to my J, May 22nd, 1988.

Take it or leave it.

We finish this picture tonight.

Stage eight. I'll bring the money, you bring the cuff link. Nine o 'clock.

Smart move, Jack.

Charlie, baby.

Hear me good.

Bradford.

Bradford!

Take the donut out of your mouth and let's shoot this.

happy with that we got it that's a wrap folks

i'll see you tonight oh yeah

Where do you think you're going?

I heard you on the set with Starling, Max. You're selling out for money.

I had to tell him that.

If I'm going to nail him, I've got to get close to him. Well, then why did you

lie to me? I told you.

He's dangerous.

I'm trying to keep you out of this, but you won't do what I tell you.

Oh, man. I wish I could believe you.

Give me the cuff link. You know, I found all those cards and letters and

presents that you sent me that mom apparently sent back. And for one tiny

moment, I thought, what do you know about that? Maybe he's not such a bad

after all.

Well, you could keep your teddy bear, Max.

You're the bum mom always said you were.

Anything for money.

A dirty little double -crosser.

Darling! Where's your father?

He's working late at the office.

Do you have the money?

What do you have for me?

Show me the money first.

Show me the money first.

Why not?

Would you like to count it?

Yes, I would.

Pretty expensive cuff link.

$100 ,000 just for one of them?

Sentimental value.

Well, next time you murder a mistress, it might cost you a lot more than money.

I'll try not to make the same mistake twice.

That's good. It'll be a lot easier on the next girl that way.

So, mine's all here.

Here's your cufflink.

Now, if you'll give me the wire you're wearing.

Where? I believe that's a tape recorder in your pocket.

Tape recorder, right. To me, a wire... Give me that.

to tell your wife about your affair, didn't she, Jack?

You'd have lost your wife, no money, no movie, and a Jack Starling.

Ha! Here's the kicker, Jack.

You didn't have to kill Arlene.

Your wife's having an affair with your chauffeur.

Give it up, Jack!

7, 8, 9, 11 ,000.

You know, Oscar, it wouldn't cost you a dime if the cops hadn't grabbed that 100

grand. What can I say?

You saved my life. You saved mine.

Here's your 10. Tell Tony thanks.

Yeah.

There's a game tonight. You coming?

Yeah, maybe.

Max, if you ever need anything... I'll let you know. Good luck to you. Good

to you, Oscar.

Ah, Jesse.

Here are the rules.

I like my life the way it is. I like the Lakers, I like the track, I like

Allison, and a couple of other ladies. As for you...

You behave yourself, you go to school, and you stay out of my cases and you

won't get bounced. Max. What?

I'm leaving.

Where are you going?

Allison found me a place and I've got a line on a part -time job.

I can't stay here, Max. It just wouldn't work.

We have too much history.

Maybe not enough.

You sure you want to do this?

I think I better.

I'll call you.

Wait.

Here. Max.

It's your end of the job.

I'm sorry, my dear, but I've decided not to rent the room after all.

to provide for them, but no, they want to go off on their own and do God knows

what with God knows who. I should have known.

Excuse me.

Jesse, wait. So would you tell her I was a drug addict or something? I told her

I wanted you to stay with me so I could make some things up to you.

And she believed that fairy tale?

Some people know the truth when they hear it.

Let's go home.

You know, Max, I think that we actually work pretty well together.

Yeah?

Drive.

Okay, Max, here are my rules.

You don't tell me what to do. Unless it's necessary.

You don't tell me I sound like my mother. Unless you do.

And I don't clean the refrigerator.

Well, that's all right.

Neither do I.