Original subtitles

[music playing]

Well, what language shall we speak tonight?

English will be fine.

Whatever you like.

A present, one of many.

Forbidden fruit.

Now, why don't you tell me what you'd

really like for your birthday?

[suspenseful music]

[screams]

[theme - "hot summer night"]

THEME SONG: I feel thebeat on the street tonight.

The lights are bright, andit feels all right tonight.

It's a hot summer night, and I'm ready tonight.

It's a hot summer night, and it feels so right.

It's a hot summer night, and I'm ready tonight.

It's a hot summer night, and it feels so right.

It's a hot summer night, and I'm ready tonight.

It's a hot summer night, and it feels so right.

Hot!

Elaine?

Oh, yeah.

Hey, baby.

Suzanne.

- Hi. - How you doing?

- I'm doing good. - You look great!

Thank you.

So where's your secretary at?

She's in Hawaii with someguy to see if he's Prince

Charming or just another frog.

So how's the store?

So what's the name of this place?

Foreclosed.

For Clothes?

That's an interestingname for a clothes store.

For Clothes.

Foreclosed, like they took it all away.

You had $20,000.

Let me tell you somethingabout retail, Dennis.

You got fire insurance,sales clerks, cash registers.

Then, you find out people don't want to buy

the clothes of tomorrow today.

I'm lucky it only cost me $20,000.

Well, at least you gave it a shot.

Yeah, I tried.

So what are you doing now?

- I'm a temp. - Temp what?

[phone ringing]

Oh.

Dennis Booker's office.

No, this is his temporary secretary.

Just a moment, please.

It's for you.

Say hi.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'll be right up.

Thanks, Chick.

So you want to tell me exactly what happened?

Well, I see it posted at the agency, right?

Teshima, temp needed, middle management,

executive, D. Booker.

That's you.

Dennis, please, please.

I need this job really bad.

They disconnected my phone.

I'm eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

OK.

OK?

Yeah.

You want to go out later?

Well, I'm chained to thisdesk for the next eight hours.

No.

I mean, like, want to goeat or-- or I don't know,

talk or something?

- That would be nice. - Yeah?

I'd like that.

All right, I got to go upstairs,

but, uh, I'll see youdown here in a little bit.

- OK. - All right.

Bye.

Bye.

STERLING: Mata Yamashiro,head of Teshima Real Estate.

The police already have the murder in custody.

Now, this is a very touchy situation.

The official word fromOsaka is to keep this quiet.

But I want you to find out the truth.

I was very close to this guy.

My first visit to headquarters, I stuck

out my neck at a board meeting.

If it wasn't for Mata, itwould have been chopped off.

After that, we became very good friends.

He always put me up at his place.

He even taught me a little Japanese.

Sounds like a good guy.

I'd consider it a personalfavor if you look into it.

Well, how deep do you want me to dig?

All the way.

He deserved better than this.

All right.

Your pal Mata got asteak knife in the heart.

Her prints are all over the murder weapon.

Maid walked in, the girl was sleeping.

And Mata was in heaven.

I read a book just like this once, "The Case

of the Sleeping Siren."

Why would she stick around after the murder?

DI NARDO: Claims she was drugged.

Lab will have an answer on that tomorrow.

What a way to go.

Mm.

Lisa Brooks.

It's not bad, huh?

Think she's telling the truth?

It's her profession to lie.

Didn't anybody tell you?

She's a call girl.

Uh, hi.

I'm Dennis Booker.

Do you mind if I call you Lisa?

Call me whatever you like.

I want you to tell me whathappened last night, Lisa.

Sure.

What do you want to know?

Do I keep my eyes closed?

Do I fake it?

Do I take American Express?

Look, you're the fifth cop that's been in here.

So why don't you just go getyour jollies somewhere else?

Look, I'm not a cop.

I'm a private investigator.

I work for Teshima.

Mata Yamashiro used to work there.

So?

So if you're smart, you'lltell me what happened.

Look, if you help me, maybe I can help you.

Why?

What's in it for you?

The truth.

I took the call as a favorto another girl, Venus.

She brought over a bottle of champagne

and said that Mata liked topretend it was his birthday.

I went to the hotel.

We drank the champagne and got in bed.

The next thing I knew, it was morning.

The maid was screaming, and the guy was dead.

Well, then why did you run?

There was a dead man in my bed.

What about yourfingerprints on the knife?

I don't know.

I think I ate something.

You just told me just drank champagne.

Excuse me.

I didn't know you wanted a play-by-play.

Look, Lisa, you're in trouble here, all right?

The police think you did it.

No.

Really?

Well, did you?

What difference does it make?

Nobody believes a call girl.

They would if you had proof.

Look, do you know where to reachthe girl you took the job for?

She's not going to talk to you.

And what's the point, anyway?

The point is, ifyou're telling the truth,

you were probably set up.

That's the point.

Booker, Booker, we gotthe suspect and the weapon.

It's an open-and-shut case.

How about a motive?

She doesn't even know the guy.

Love games got too heavy.

You see it all the time.

She brings spiked champagne,she sleeps all night in bed

at the scene of the crimeto establish an alibi.

Come on.

OK, have it your way.

It's premeditated.

I'm posting bail.

Where are you going to geta half a million dollars?

[laughs]

I guess I should thank you.

Thank Teshima.

So is this a shakedown, or what?

Hey, everybody wants something.

What do you want?

I want a 1938 HarleyKnucklehead with my initials

right on the side.

You ought to do that more often.

It looks good.

Yeah, we're looking for Venus.

Try the planetarium.

Oh.

You mean Venus, the goddess of love.

Room number 12.

She just went up.

Thanks.

[women laughing]

Venus, open up.

It's me.

VENUS: Damn.

Venus.

Get back.

Wait here.

[suspenseful music]

[screams]

[thud]

Someone pushed her and thenleapt onto the next roof.

Just like that, huh?

Marianne Hutchins, a.k.a.

Venus, the goddess of love.

She had a suitcase and a passport.

Any reason why your friend mightbe leaving town in a hurry?

No, I--

Hey, get it!

Where were you, Booker?

We were together.

DI NARDO: Let me get this straight.

Venus, the goddess of love, is leaving town.

She's bopping some guy for travel money.

But when you two barge in, she decides

to commit suicide instead.

I told you, someone pushed her.

It must have been whoever she was meeting.

Booker, a word, please.

That's nice work.

You get her out on bail, and two hours

later, I got another dead body.

She telling the truth?

Look, I think whoever killedVenus was worried about her

talking about the other night.

I think you're right.

And guess who.

No, Di Nardo.

She didn't have time to do it.

Now, let me ask you something.

What are you doing this for?

Thinking I should haulher back in for this now.

And what good would that do?

Look, if she's telling the truth,

she'll do more good to us free, right?

The woman is an actress.

She pretends for a living.

She wouldn't know the truth if it jumped

up and bit her on the nose.

I just need some more time.

I need it now.

Look, look, will you just dome this one favor, please?

All right.

Don't worry.

I can handle it.

[chuckles]

Thanks.

Why did you lie to thepolice about us being together

when she went off the roof?

If I said I was alone,they'd think I pushed her.

Did you?

Why would I do that?

Maybe Venus was the only one who

could link you to the murder.

Who does Venus work for?

- I don't know. - Oh, come on, Lisa.

A madam, a pimp, what?

Girls switch around a lot.

It may be the oldest profession,but it's not the most loyal.

How do they collect?

Street girls, the john pays them.

The higher-end girls all have beepers.

The clients pay the chauffeur,and he gives them their cut,

and that's all they know.

There are a few independents like me.

Thomas, I'm telling you the truth.

I guess it's just hard to believe someone who

pretends for a living, Lisa.

Come here.

[music playing]

Here, I'll walk you inside.

Uh, no.

Look, I don't allow men in my apartment.

Please.

All right.

Get some sleep, then.

And we'll find out who sent Venus on that date

tomorrow, all right?

Hey, Dennis, thanks for understanding.

I don't understand.

I don't understand at all.

Good night, Lisa.

STERLING: Good work, Booker.

You have anything to say about this?

Yeah.

My left profile's better.

All right, just what thehell do you think you're doing?

You told me to find the truth.

I didn't tell you to putup a half a million dollars

of Teshima's money and endup on page one with your arm

wrapped around the murderer.- The suspect.

Come on. She's a hooker.

That doesn't mean she's guilty.

All right, look, Booker,she's a very pretty girl.

She knows how to wrap a guyaround her little finger,

you know?

That's why they call their customers tricks.

She's different. You don't know her.

And you do after one day?

Look, Chick, I know what I'm doing.

I just need some room to move.

OK.

OK.

We ran down the dealsthat Mata was working on.

This was the biggest one, Kellem Blake.

The real estate guy?

STERLING: That's right.

He's selling us a huge parcel of land

to build a high rise complex.

BOOKER: Great.

We really need another one of those.

That's what pays your salary, Booker.

Now, we've been in negotiations for months.

The deal closes on Monday.

The food was spicy.

Drinks were strong.

Wish you were there.

Oh.

Listen, dinner-- I'm sorry.

Oh, don't be sorry.

You left a good tip.

I can't believe I'm so bad at this.

What?

I stood you up.

I haven't had a chance tosit down and talk to you

since you've been here.

I mean, I really want to talk to you.

It's OK.

You're worth the wait.

Ah, maybe not.

Yeah, thanks.

I knew you'd understand.

No, really, it's OK.

I saw the newspaper this morning.

Quite a mess, huh?

Yeah.

You really think that lady's innocent?

Well, tell you the truth,I don't know what to think.

[doorbell rings]

Uh, Mr. Blake is expecting me.

I'm Carla Blake.

Hi, Carla.

Welcome to our humble home.

Oh, thank you.

Come on in.

Would you like some coffee?

Yeah, black would be great.

Whatever you like.

Nice place.

Thanks.

Oh, thanks a lot.

Mm-hm.

Did-- did you ever meet Mata Yamashiro?

Yes.

Kellem brought him home for dinner.

It was the night before the murder.

Did you ever hear him talk about the business

deal they were working on?

Oh, I wouldn't know.

Kellem never talks about business in front of me.

You see, Mr. Booker, Ihave a confession to make.

I'm the feminist's nightmare.

I even cook.

Darling, this is Dennis Booker.

Oh, I'm glad you've come.

- Oh, thanks a lot. - Excuse me.

I'll leave you two alone.

Thanks.

Most people aren't glad tosee a private investigator.

Mata Yamashiro was an honorable man,

and I enjoyed doing business with him.

I want to see his murderer put away.

And yet, to be honest withyou, I don't want any problems

in closing the deal.

Well, were there anyproblems with closing the deal?

He wanted to pay too little.

I wanted to charge too much.

But we worked out a fair price.

Well, after Mata lefthere, did you see him again?

You mean the day of the murder.

No.

I was stuck in a boardmeeting that ran all night.

Besides, Mata had a date.

A date?

You didn't know about that?

Mata was seeing this girl regularly.

Now, he was having trouble with her.

This girl didn't understand.

She thought he was going tomarry her and change her life.

Did he ever mention her name?

Yes.

I think her name was Tracy.

Tracy.

Of course I didn't tell you we were looking

for some girl named Tracy.

And if I were you, Iwouldn't mention a word of it

to your pal Lisa, either.

Why?

Because if you do, and thenwe find this Tracy character

with a tag around her toe in the morgue,

we're going to be damn sure your friend did it.

Well, I'd think something like this

would take the heat off Lisa.

Think again.

Lab turned up drugtraces in the champagne--

Seconal.

Well, then that means she's telling the truth.

Contents of Lisa Brook'shandbag at the time of arrest.

Quite a coincidence, no?

BOOKER: She was carrying Seconal in her handbag

to knock out the guy? Come on.

That's pretty stupid, isn't it?

Or pretty cold.

I mean, she drugs the vino, kills the guy,

and lays next to the bodytill the maid walks in.

Makes a great alibi.

Why didn't she just wear a pair of gloves

and leave without a trace?

Hotel security would haveseen her go, don't you think?

Yeah.

Well, I think you read too much.

Uh-huh.

I think you're right.

Do you know anything aboutthe call girl operation

that Venus was working for?

Why don't you ask your friend?

All right, all right, all right.

All I know is that it's real high end.

Vice has been trying to bustthat operation for years.

They phone the number,get the answering service.

By the time they find the address,

the operation has moved.

Do you know who this owner is?

For all we know, it could be Jimmy Hoffa.

But I do know who used torun it, Madam Philippe.

Ah!

She was a legend in this town,last of the old-time madams.

But I hear she sold her littleblack book and, uh, got out.

Well, do you know where I can find her?

Like I said, ask your girlfriend.

[music playing]

LISA: Both arms up like a swan.

And down.

And again, ready?

And in port de bras, keep your shoulders

down and move from the heart.

OK.

Now, let's have our curtsy.

Ready?

Curtsy.

And curtsy.

And you're done.

That was good!

OK.

We'll come back to the center, OK?

Looks like a lot of fun.

You're very good.

Once upon a time, therewas a soloist in the city

ballet groomed for stardom.

Years of hard work and practice,wiped out with one injury.

She found herself alone in the city

with no money and huge doctor bills.

But she met a kindly older gentleman

who offered to help her out, then

introduced her to his friends.

And she lived happily ever after.

Uh, Lisa, why do you take Seconal?

I have trouble sleeping.

I have a prescription.

You know this man?

Hm-mm.

You sure?

Maybe he was a client or something.

I'm not a vending machine.

I'd remember him.

Did you find something out?

Maybe.

Madam Philippe, you ever hear of her?

She's our patron saint.

[classical music]

BOOKER: Who bought your book?

It sold for a bloody fortune, you know?

Blind auction through intermediaries.

In it were secrets of someof the men who run the world.

Do you know who bought it?

I know a great manysecrets, but not that one.

I wouldn't want to know.

Why not?

The business has changed.

I mean, nowadays, these girls are

paid for information about the business

affairs of their clients--

mergers, stock sales, things like that.

Exquisite bone structure,beautiful smile.

My dear, you could make a great deal of money.

Oh, I already do.

Oh, not you, darling.

Him.

I can't believe you don'tknow who you work for.

Who do you work for?

Some faceless stockholders,a couple of old men in Osaka.

Hold on a second.

No, you hold on.

Don't you ever doanything for your company

that you don't believe in?

What makes you think you're so superior?

Hey, what I do opens doors for me.

What you do closes doors for you.

Oh, I don't know.

The money looks pretty good.

I don't think it's about the money for you.

I think there's somethingmissing in your life.

What do you care what I do?

I saw you in that dance studio.

You looked so happy.

You looked like someone who wanted a family.

Wanting something doesn't make it happen.

You can make it happen.

How do you know?

You're beautiful, Lisa.

And you're smart.

You're-- you're funny.

You're a very special person.

This is going to sound really silly.

But all my life, men have toldme I'm beautiful, I'm special.

You're the first one, though,that I'm tempted to believe.

Well, it's getting late.

Yeah.

Yeah, it is.

[music playing]

Good night.

Good night.

I'll call you in the morning.

Yeah, hi.

This is Charles Cook.

Yeah, let's see.

Tracy's tonight.

I'm staying at theWindsor Hotel, suite 703.

You got it.

All right, thanks.

[music playing]

[knocking on door]

Uh, who is it?

WOMAN: It's me, Tracy.

Dennis.

You're Tracy?

White lingerie, black lingerie,various electrical equipment.

What else do we have, Tracy?

What?

Tying up guys your specialty, huh?

Tracy is just a work name.

I have a lot of them.

Why didn't you tell me?

You didn't ask.

What difference does it make?

Look, Mata had a regular girl.

Her name was Tracy.

I never saw him before that night.

I telling you the truth, Dennis.

Save it.

I fell for that look once.

I don't make the same mistake twice.

Dennis.

Calm down.

Dennis, please don't do this.

Do yourself a favor, Lisa, all right?

Just make it easy on yourself.

Look, there is nothing here, I swear.

GIRL: Mommy, Mommy!

Oh, hi.

Mm.

Everything's OK.

I'm just talking to my friend right now, OK?

OK?

So why don't you go back to sleep,

and I'll see you in the morning?- OK.

OK. Mwah.

OK.

Bye.

Uh, look, I'm sorry.

It's OK.

Forget about it.

Who's the father?

He's the one time I believed the lies.

I had this fantasy that Mr. Right

was going to waltz in here witha big bouquet of red roses.

Of course, the first fight we had,

he threw the past right back in my face.

So I've been saving my money, and I

was going to take her away,start over in a new city

with a new identity.

But you can never get away from it.

You can if you're notafraid to take a chance, Lisa.

Trust someone.

So who should I trust?

You?

I don't even know whyyou're really doing this.

Sometimes, people judge you for what they see

and not for what you are, Lisa.

You've had some bad breaks.

But it's time for you to stop blaming the past

and get out of this life.

What, uh, what's this?

Just a reminder of the person I never became.

You still can, Lisa.

I wish I'd met you sooner.

[music playing]

[knocking on door]

Mrs. Blake.

I'm sorry to bother you.

What can I do for you?

Well, I'm not even sure how to say this.

But ever since you came tothe house, I've been thinking,

and there's something I need to know.

That woman who has been charged with the murder,

was she seeing my husband?

No.

She says she never met him, and I believe her.

Thank you.

You're an angel.

Oh.

Thank you.

OK.

Bye-bye.

Bye.

Who was that?

Just another personobsessed with the call girl.

You want to talk about it?

Lisa Brooks is going to be charged

with murder unless I can findout who the real killer is.

Everyone else thinks she's guilty but me.

Do you think I'm nuts for believing her?

And where would I be ifyou didn't believe me, huh?

Thanks.

I checked the calls the day of Mata's death.

One number appeared over and over, a geologist.

The guy was closing a real estate deal.

What's so strange about that?

Yeah.

Well, it was a different geologist than the one

listed on the land report.

The police tell me they'reready to charge Lisa Brooks.

She's not the murderer, Chick.

How can you be so sure?

I just know.

Booker, I don't want totell you how to do your job.

But are you sure you're making decisions

with your head and not your heart?

Yeah, Chick.

I think I am.

OK, you little lamb chop, you.

You go and have fun, OK?

And I'll see you when you get back, OK?

OK.

All right, you go have fun.

Bye.

WOMAN: This is the service.

A Bob Harrison called at 2:15, said

you met him at the senator'splace on the island.

He wants you to meet him fordrinks at 6:00 this evening.

Call 555-4665, room 16.

[music playing]

Yes.

Room 16, please.

Hello, Bob.

Yes, this is Tracy.

Mr. Jaycom, thank you for meeting here.

When you told me thatMata was suspected of fraud,

I had to come.

You weren't thegeologist on this project.

No.

But, uh, we work on many projects together.

Why did Mata call you the day of his death?

This land, he was worried about it.

He said his company wantedto build a shopping center.

And?

We walked it together.

I felt that there were bad spirits here.

Bad spirits?

Toxic waste.

This land is infected with it.

All the soil would have tobe replaced before anything

could be built on it.

The cost would be astronomical.

Well, what about the official geology report?

Unfortunately, bribes arevery commonplace, especially

when the stakes are so high.

The man who sells this landstands to make millions.

Mata was a very fine young man.

I'm glad I saw him before he died.

Who was he with?

The woman he saw every time he was

in the city, a heavenlycreature with the name of a--

a planet, Venus.

BOOKER: Kellem Blake has to be the murderer.

Mata must have told him hewas calling off the deal,

so Kellem killed him the night before Mata

could report to Teshima.

What makes you so sure?

Because Kellem lied to me about the name

of Mata's girlfriend.

He did it to frame Lisa.

So he has to be the killer.

If Blake killed Mata andVenus to cover this up,

then Lisa's got to be next.

I know.

I'm on my way.

I'll call you back.

[music playing]

Lisa!

She's not here.

Lisa!

Lisa.

Where is she?

I don't know.

Hey, you can't do that!

You don't understand.

She's in a lot of danger.

WOMAN: This is the service.

A Bob Harrison called at 2:15, said

you met him at the senator'splace on the island.

He wants you to meet him fordrinks at 6:00 this evening.

Call 555-4664, room 16.

4664.

MAN: Breaker's Motel.

I must have made a mistake.

No.

There's no mistake, Lisa.

I'm your date.

Come in.

I said, come in.

Who are you?

I used to be a working girl, just like you.

Only I did what all theother girls only dream of.

I married the john, and I got out.

It was fun for a while.

But once you've bought everything you can buy,

life gets boring.

Venus worked for you.

You're the madam?

Yes.

I bought Madam Philippe's book.

Knowledge is power, especially in business.

Well, it's a long way from being

a madam to being a murderer.

My husband stood to loseeverything on that Mata deal.

It would have ruined him.

So you did his dirty work for him?

It takes someone likeus to really take control.

He could barely handle killing Venus.

Drink it.

No!

Everybody freeze!

Don't move.

Just hand me that.

That a girl.

You guys all right?

Yeah.

Your husband's at the car, Mrs. Blake.

I figured you'd want to be together

when I read you your rights.

We got it all on tape.

All right?

Chick, you really don't have to do this.

Booker, you came throughfor me, and for Teshima.

To Booker.

To Booker.

Well, a man's only as goodas the people he works with.

Oh, that brings me to my next toast.

To Elaine, who just got married.

Called in a resignation. - Really?

Yeah.

So the frog turned outto be a prince after all.

Well, here's to true love, right?

Cheers.

Where you going?

Back to the employment office.

Your secretary's coming back tomorrow.

Hold on a minute.

Don't be in such a hurry.

You have to take the DenisBooker secretarial quiz.

OK, shoot.

How fast can you type?

Eight words a minute.

- You know shorthand? - No.

- Word processing? - No.

Fax?

What's a fax?

Great.

You're hired.

Dennis, stop kidding around, man.

I got to get me a job.

I'm not kidding around.

Elaine just got married,and a fax is just a machine

that runs a phone bill up.

But no, really, I need someonehere, someone I can talk to,

some I can trust, and someoneto help me out on things, OK?

I don't know.

You think I could fit in around here and--

You'll fit in just about as well as I do.

OK, on one condition.

I'm not your secretary.

I got to be, like, an assistant.

OK.

But stay, please?

OK?

OK.

Thanks.

[music playing]

[phone ringing]

WOMAN: Hi, Tracy.

This is the service.

A Mr. Allen called at 3:30.

He's in town for a couple of days.

Call him at--

Yeah.

Tell Mr. Allen he's out of luck.

Tracy's just retired.

[theme - "hot summer night"]

THEME SONG: I feel thebeat on the street tonight.

The lights are bright, andit feels all right tonight.

It's a hot summer night, and I'm ready tonight.

It's a hot summer night, and it feels so right.

It's a hot summer night, and I'm ready tonight.