" Tripoli, don't get sand in Tadd's eyes." " I won't." "Not until the last moment, when I bury his head." "Bury his head and I will hang you up by the thumbs or at least your mother will." "OK, I'll just cover his head with honey and let the sand crabs take care of him." "Ants." "No!" "Sand crabs." "Bullshit!" "You have severe language problems Tadd, which your grandpa wouldn't approve of." "He was a sailor." "I beg your pardon, he was a sea captain and he would have put you in irons for using bad language." "Aunt Molly, when grandpa went down at sea was his ship carrying treasure?" "Grandpa didn't go down at sea, grandpa was lost at sea." "With treasure?" "With a beautiful, beautiful crew who loved and adored him." " And were afraid of him, huh?" " Certainly." "He carried a pistol but he was very, very kind." "Now, put this leg further back." "And before I say go, make sure you're up on your toes and ready to sprint." " But with treasure?" " Oil, stupid!" "Don't call your brother stupid." "He's not." "Oil is treasure." "Grandpa is lost but he still may return." "After 20 years Aunt Molly?" "It's a long way from pole to pole, with many an island and many a mermaid betwixt and between." "And it wasn't 20 years, 15!" "OK, the first one to touch the pier." "Get on your marks, get set, go!" "Hey, Aunt Molly." "Tattoos!" "I want a tattoo!" "I bet Grandpa had a tattoo." "I want a tiger." "Look at the tiger." " He's out of sight." " Yeah, I saw him first." "He has got blood coming from his claws." "You don't want tattoos." "They don't come off." "Yeah, but that's why they're really groovy." "Please Aunt Molly, Mama would flip." "Your mother would shoot me." "Grandpa had tattoos, didn't he?" "No, he couldn't have." "He was a good man." "He loved everyone as God meant men to be." "Untouched, perfect." "God made all of us perfect." "Truly, he did." " Why was Grandpa lost at sea?" " I don't know." "Because... he was perfect." "Too good to live on land." "Oh, my God!" " Wow, Aunt Molly!" " Come on." "Quick, quick." "'For the Atlanta Falcons," "'Joe Washington just returned the opening kick off for The Rams 45." "'A 22-yard return." "'He we are, just the top of the game." "'The Falcons behind Sam Walters, the Electric Man." "'The first and ten, Rams' 45." "'Second and five, Rams' 40-yard line.'" "If only there was a way of making a fortune baby-sitting." "You, sister Molly, could be a baby-sitting millionaire." "Don't tell me the kids don't like you better than they like me." "Their own hard working mother." "Don't say that or I'd say seaweed if you said that." "'Here we go." "Back to pass." "Sam Walters looks to..." "Is he the greatest the football player who ever lived, Aunt Molly?" "Sure, he's Sam the Electric Man." "He's very beautiful." "He could be a great dancer." "A great poet, a sailor, a captain, a king." "'...the touchdown twins, Sam the Electric Man and Austin Slade." "Are they the greatest men in the world, Aunt Molly?" "They're like your grandpa or Christopher Columbus or Washington or..." "Jack the Ripper." "Grandpa was a drunken bum." "You ought to come back and sleep here tonight, Molly." "You should be working in a classier saloon." "You could be a top cocktail waitress." "Top." "Maybe even a 'Bunny', Molly, if you concentrated." "What kind of tips do you think those football guys leave?" "Not tips like you get at a hippie joint." " Cathy, I like..." " Where do they stay?" "Your heroes on television." "Where do they go?" "You know where they stay, Cathy." "Name me the joints." "Where do they stay?" " How do you know where they stay?" " I know!" "Aunt Molly knows everything because she works at Centre of Information." "A bar." "Centre of Information." "Tripoli is right." " They love you, Molly." " I know." "You and welfare, that's all they got in this world." "They've got you." " Ah, I've got a pain." " Don't talk about that." "I've got a big pain where Papa kicked me." "Don't..." "Papa never kicked anyone." "Don't say that." "Papa never put a finger on you and you know it." "He was an evil bastard." "And more than anyone, you know it." "You're so silly but you have a great imagination, Cathy." "You could write something like "Little Women"." "If only you could concentrate." "Papa was lost at sea." "Only his brains were lost at sea." "'What's on for tonight, honey?" "'That depends on how close you want to shave.'" "Look!" "He looks like Papa." "Papa should have been so lucky." "'Well, now this is a close shave." "This is the closest." "'Why do we have to go out at all?" "'How close do you want to be to the woman in your life?" "'Be smart!" "Be closer." "'Be the closest guy of all." "Don't bruise the lady.'" "'Hey, Molly." "Do you want to come sail around the world with me?" "'Just you and me in a big sail, Molly." "'In the high waves.'" "'We are inside the Rams 33-yard line.'" " Are you sick, Molly?" " No." "Molly, you are." "You're shaking." "Don't go to work." "Phone in." "Tell 'em you're sick." "I'm not sick." "I'm not." "I just hate it when you say those things about Papa in front of Tadd and Tripoli." "I just need a few shots... small drinks." "What did I say?" "Don't drink, Molly." "It's..." "Papa used to say it's good for what ails you." "What ails you, Molly?" "Nothing ails me!" "You want me to work as a 'Bunny'!" "Don't you know what those girls are?" "They're hookers!" "A girl in every port, a hooker in every port." "I'm not showing my tits and ass for the sake of a tip." "Maybe they do a little dope at the Boathouse." "My bar." "But no one pinches your bottom." "No sir!" "Tadd and Tripoli asked me if both of you are the greatest men who ever lived." " Oh..." " Yes, he did." "Yes." "Great doctor of the world's greatest fucking football team." "Screw Rams, screw Los Angeles." "Why do you live here, little angel?" "Square knot, quarter knot." "Square knot of what?" "A thousand dollars, if you can make." "A sailor's knot." "A knot I can't undo." "Hey, ya." "You're great." "You were a cabin boy, right?" "Seven years before the mast?" " How's the courage?" " Jesus!" "Get your mother fucking hand off my knee." "I won't let you play games with our sailor boy." "A sailor boy." "She's got ultra sweet knockers." "You sure you're not cutting off my circulation." "If I lose that hand, I'm going to look awfully silly trying to catch a pass with a hook." "Here." "This will blow your mind, babe." "Hey, hey." "What kind of ideas are you trying to put in my little girl's head." "Your little girl." "I'm her papa." "My papa." "Let's make it better." "You hop over him, angle tangle." "He's not my type." "You are." "But you're both part of my crew, aren't you, mates?" "What a lowly bitch." "I'm a lowly bitch?" "Yep." "But you Sam, hop." "Oh, go easy on the knee, Molly, my love, or I'll... kill you." "I'll take good care of your knee." "I'm going to enjoy this too, I hope." "Now, just one more knot." "One more... drag." "And then it's down to the sea and the ships." "More of that." "Yeah, more." "I think your friend is asleep." "I saw the motherfucker make it three times when he was asleep." "On the top or on the bottom?" "Oh, passive definitely, but... wow." "You know, you're a far out broad." " Is this always your scene?" " My scene?" "Ah, these knots." "I think they're too tight." "Let's see what you can do with one free leg." "Huh?" "I mean you've both got one leg free, don't you?" "What the hell do you mean?" "Let's see what you can do with one free leg." "Oh, OK." "How's that?" "Ooh, yeah!" "I'm doing good, huh?" "Hey, easy on the merchandise." "Easy on the merchandise, you silly cunt." "That's my Achilles tendon that you've got a hold of." "Goddammit!" "Hey, you're hurting my leg!" "Goddammit!" "Hey..." "let me go!" "Hush, hush, darling." "You'll wake up your friend." "Do you shave with straight razors or is this all going to be agonisingly slow?" "My papa shaved with straight razors." "Bet you've never been beaten with a razor strap, have you?" "Before your time." "I'm not as young as you think." "Sailing, sailing" "Over the bounding main" "Whenever a stormy wind shall blow" "Will Jack come home again?" "Sailing, sailing" "Shit, this will take forever." "'That's the end of the game." "'The Falcons beat the Los Angeles Rams 41 to 13." "'Stellar performance from Sam Walters." "'He went 18 for 25." "No interception...'" "Don't drink anymore Molly or you won't be able to work." "Yes, I will." "Please Cathy, it's very important for little boys, for Tadd and Tripoli to have heroes." "I don't care what you think about Papa and what you think about football players, anyone." "Don't go to work." "You're drunk already." "Damn you, I'm not drunk." "I have to be at work at 7 o'clock, which means I leave now." "It's Sunday night, they need me." "I promised." "You, Molly, it's 10 o'clock." "If you weren't so fast, I'd kill you." " I wasn't really late." " Oh, three hours." " It wasn't three hours." " It was." "And Dorris is a dodo and Daphne has..." "I don't know what." "Menopause." "Cramps." "I don't know what." "She dropped a tray of drinks." " Want me to quit?" " At this particular moment, no." "Then I'd really kill you." "And later you can't quit because you're in love with me." "No, I'm your prisoner." "Two Cutty Sarks, float 'em." "I'm not a dodo." "I just don't sleep with you." " I didn't ask you." " You goose me hard." " I didn't goose you hard." " Well, not hard but often Long John." "Often." "When was the last time, Doris?" "The night I told you I had crabs not cramps, Long John." "Crabs!" "Which needless to say I don't have." "Your really should be a little bit more human with Daphne." "This is the fifth year of her menopause." "I'm holding up motherfucking well." "Motherfucker." "Long John, wash this." "You got it, Billy." "You know any virgins, Long John?" "A virgin is a little girl, about five years old." " Very ugly." " They can run faster than their brother." "Did you ever know any virgins?" "I thought they kept them for movie stars like you, Billy Batt." "I think I'm going to give a big party, for virgins." "It'll be a very small party." "Better have a rock band and someone who reads horoscopes." "Is she a household fixture?" "No, Molly is the captain of her own ship." "Two vodka Gibsons, Long John." "And virginity, Mr Billy Batt, always goes to the lost and found department." "If you've lost it, drink up and you'll find it again." "'Good day, this is Chad Llewellyn with the midday news in San Turin." "'Police are baffled by the mysterious slayings 'and are working around the clock looking for clues." "'As to when the men were killed, they estimate the time as being 'between 9:00 and 10:30 last night." "'Few details of the murders have been revealed." "'The shockwaves that have travelled across the nation 'leave no doubt that two great American heroes have departed." "'The most shocking and brutal crime ever recorded in the world of sports.'" "Heroes?" "'Sam Walters, the Electric Man...'" "Why the hell do you want to wake me up for, Long John?" " What heroes?" " Football." "Who is he talking about?" "Sam Walter, Austin Slade." "They're great." "What the hell is his problem?" "Someone killed them last night." "You're crazy." "Nope." "Oh my god." "Tadd." "Tripoli." " Who killed them?" "Why?" " They don't know, baby." "Sounds like some weird sex scene but they're not saying." "It wasn't." " Wasn't what?" " Well, they're not dead." "Yeah, they are." " I don't believe you." " Oh, shit baby." "I didn't do it." " Long John, we have to call." " Who?" "Tadd, Tripoli." "Cathy, my sister, is going to really screw their heads around." " What day is it?" " Monday." " What time is it?" " 12 o'clock news, baby." "Oh Jesus, they'll hear at school." "'Cathy, Cathy.'" "Oh, Molly darling." "I'm worried about you." "Cathy, please." "The most awful thing has happened." "Tadd, Tripoli." "Please let me pick them up at school today." "Last night... those beautiful men..." "They're dead." "If Grandpa did build a ship, where would he take us, Aunt Molly?" "Grandpa did build ships, little ships." "So beautiful, they could stop your heart." "Grandpa built ships that could take you to places where mermaids would sing, sea dragons laughed." "Where the waves would be gold and silver." " Like now?" " Yes, like now." "Why did she say she went to his funeral?" "She told you she could show you his grave." "No, no." "Grandpa would never be buried in the earth." "Never!" "But your mother would like that to be true." "So we have to let her believe it." "It frightens her to think he's lost at sea." "'What's on for tonight, honey?" "'That depends on how close you want to shave." "'Well, you know this is a close shave." "'This is the closest." "'Hmm, now why do we have to go out at all?" "'" "Do you think he even knows that girl?" " I mean even her name." " Yeah, I think so." "What difference does it make?" "Well, it's like they're going to bed with each other." " They don't even know each other." " How long did we know each other?" " That's different." " Why?" "Well, they're famous." "They're on television." "Everybody's watching them." "A famous movie star wants to go to bed with you tonight." "Why are we going to his party?" "Hmm." "Long John." "Doris, Daphne can't run the bar." "I don't want to go to parties in Malibu." "Billy Batt's a dumb drunk." "I think we should..." "The Electric Man, Tarzan." "They're dead." "Oh..." "Sam Walters, what legs, what thighs that bastard had." "Oh..." "Papa!" "Papa!" "Papa?" "Who is she?" "She's a witch." "Come out of the sea." "She's not a witch." "She's beautiful." "Venus." "Why did she come out of the sea?" "Venus was born in the sea." "Why?" "Her father was a god." "They cut off his balls." "His sperm dropped into the ocean." "The sea was knocked up." "Venus was the kid." "The chauffeur I had in a movie told me that." "Who, your pilot?" "My chauffeur." "Why did Venus...?" "Who did that to her father?" "I think you're lying to me." "I need something stronger." "There's another bar inside." "And there are lots of things a lot stronger." "It's not true that you want to go to bed with me, is it?" "Bed, floor, closet, bathtub." "I think you're too gentle for me." "Don't count on it." "I get the special fabrics at like... four different stores." "That's how you found me, isn't it?" "Jesus, I don't know who I made these for." "I could've patched them for anyone." "I got customers from Long Beach to Trancas and a whole bunch in the Malibu Colony." "See, it's the poor, very expensive look they like." "They pay for it." "They don't pay me as much as you think." "They like to look like rich, rich bums." "You're on welfare." "They don't pay me so much that I can't be." "We don't care about that." "Mrs Strickland, do you buy the jeans and the blouses and the shirts." "No, I patch them." "They come from..." "They're the worn out clothes of..." "Of your customers." "Yes, they bring them to me." " I don't know where..." " Where they got 'em." "Yes, I mean no..." "I don't know." "Why?" "Why do you want to know?" "These obviously are a woman's clothes." "Yes." "Do you know anything about football, Mrs Strickland?" "No." "No." "No." "No..." " You really are a bitcher, aren't you?" " No." "You really bit me, you cunt." "You said you had something stronger than liquor." " You're spaced out already." " No, I'm not Mr Goody-two-shoes." "I'm not spaced out on anything." "What do you think you can do now?" "You think you're on television?" "You think you can cut for a commercial?" "Rock my baby, baby." "Billy Batt." "How to take a lady by Billy Batt, movie star." "I don't go to the movies." "I do watch the goddamned 4:00 in the morning late show." "Cocksucker." "Why don't you act like a man and go hide in the closet, cowboy?" "Go on, naked in the back of the closet behind your clothes." "Could you die for love?" "Well, my father did." "Get your ass out of here." "I'm going to break the bones." "Then suck the marrow!" "Get off me!" "What the fuck's going on, man?" " Stupid son of a bitch." " What did he do to her?" "We should get a doctor or something." " Is she OK?" " Is she all right?" "Should we call an ambulance?" "What did he do?" "Where did he hit her?" "All right?" "Are you OK?" "I mean it, are you all right?" "Nothing's broken." "Can you get up?" "I think so." "Who are you?" "She's dizzy." "I think maybe she's broken something." "Can you walk?" "Aren't you a commercial?" "Yeah." "Wow, you are all right." " I did not." " Yes, you did." " You're just saying that." " Billy Blatt is a sadistic..." " Batt." " ...son of a bitch." "It's true." "McPeak did a western with him last year." "No, I don't know." "Maybe it was my fault." "Listen sweetheart, even the horses wanted him dead." "Not because he couldn't ride." "He can." "I thought you were crazy when you went in there with him, Molly." "I don't know why I went." " Maybe I hit him." " Well, why the hell not?" "I'd have kicked him in the crotch, hard." "I have a terrible headache." "Oh, well drink up." "I've got something strong." "Daphne has these pills." "She gets cramps." "And there are two colours I've never seen in pills before." "Shocking pink and electric blue." "And they're a knockout." "She gave me half of them for emergencies." " What emergencies?" " Pain in the arse, the throat, nerves." "Just pain, doll." "Take two." " Will they make me sleep?" " You'll float like a water lily," "Daphne says, down a Chinese lagoon." "McPeak is going to take me to China on his residuals." "The Great Wall of..." "Are you a commercial person too?" "Well, last year I get a bath-robe but mostly I'm too sexy." "I mean for soups, cereals, scouring pads." "My agent says that I'm not liberated and no one would believe I was married." "Hmm..." "I bet you'd make a fortune." "What I mean is that you look liberated." "Don't you think?" "Molly is a saint." "A goddamn American saint." "Do you love him?" "McPeak?" "Why?" "Because I do." "I want him." "But I came with friends, didn't I?" " No, lady." " Hmm." "McPeak." "A beautiful man named McPeak." "Dark, dark." "From the sea." "He shaves." "Sure, lady." "He took me home with him." "You're a beautiful lady." "Any guy would." "The mermaid's tail won't go down too far, will it?" "Just right, just perfect." "Just rising from the curly black sea." "Well, that's right, isn't it?" "I mean you're an artist, aren't you?" "An artist and I don't believe in anything dirty or obscene." "I don't neither..." "but I..." "I have dreams sometimes." "Everybody's got dreams." "Can't help them." "No." "Why do they call you Jack Dracula?" "That's my name." "I made up a name for myself." "When I was a little girl..." "Molly..." "Kontiki..." "Polynesia Easter." "I swore it was my real name..." "Easter Island." "The Kontiki." "Do you remember the Kontiki?" "The raft." "And Polynesia was the name of the parrot in Dr Dolittle." "Yeah, but Jack Dracula is my real name." "My papa used to say, "Come with me" ""and we'll get lost at sea, Molly Molasse."" "Hmm." "He said that." "He used to say that." "We got lost at sea so many, many times." "Hey, look." "I told you..." "Molly." "Hey Molly." "I thought you were..." "I thought you were here." "Hey, I thought it was that bitch again." "Your girlfriend." "No, I got rid of her." "'Last time she called, I answered.'" "I didn't want her waking you up any more." "What did you tell her?" "I didn't think anyone could shut that one up." "Oh, I don't know." "I said the usual things." "I said we were sorry and now I loved you." "'That she'd had you already.'" "And that if she wanted to go to China," "I knew lots of seaman who could take her on a freighter." "And that I'd kill her and other things like that, if she phoned again." "I don't think I said anything really mean." "'Can I come back?" "I mean just for this morning.'" "I won't bother you much, I promise." "Wow, those pills..." "Come back." "Sure, come back, bother me, I'm ready for it again." "Yes." "Thank you." "Television makes people so much kinder, doesn't it?" " Is she killing the car?" " Yes." "You son of a bitch." "I'm not going to China in any fucking freighter." "Clarissa, what the hell are you doing?" "You... give me that." "She wants not to go to China." "Give me that." "Leave me alone." "I don't want to press any charges." "I just want her locked up." "You don't have any choice, Mr McPeak." "Assault with attempted murder." "You know you're really lucky." "You could be a corpse, even with her aim." "You give her enough time and chances." "Well, she was out of her skull." "I was a bastard, I guess." "I kicked her out last night because I wanted..." "What?" "Well, I wanted to lay another girl." "I just didn't let her down easy." "I was drunk, she was drunk." "Well, she can get pretty wild when you..." "When what?" "Well, she'd cut a guy's balls off if she thought that..." " Would she?" " Would she what?" " Cut a guy's balls off." " I don't know what you're talking about." "It's pretty specific, isn't it?" "You know there are women who'd do that, who have done that." "Oh shit, but that was just an expression." "Clarissa's not insane." "Well, she is but..." "You guys aren't talking about what happened this morning." "You guys are talking about something else." "What are you talking about?" "Long John, I am telling you." "Relax and listen." "She tried to kill him." "'They asked me 400 questions, 400 different ways." "'And left me here because I didn't even see anything happen.'" "I am going to come to the bar." "'I've just got to wait for McPeak." "'Long John, I love you." "And McPeak loves you too.'" "And don't worry." "Goodbye." "Well, that's all we found in the house that could possibly belong to a woman." "She said all her clothes." "There wasn't anything else unless she wears his clothes." "What do we do with him?" "You mean McPeak?" "It took more than one to overpower two football players, didn't it?" "Christ only knows." "The girl he had last night left him a note." "Sweet, I left it up there." "She said that she'd call him tonight." "Said how sorry she was and she signed it "Molly the Little Mermaid"." "How do we hold him?" "I left the note up there for him." "I copied it." "Jesus, lover." "Hey..." ""SW"." "Sam Walters." " You just saw them?" " Yeah." "Sam the Electric Man." "What do we do with him?" " With them." " I don't believe it." "Molly the Little Mermaid." "You are very suspicious, Cathy." "You are very strange." "You're like a stray cat." "You know as much about football as I do" "Why aren't you home with Tadd and Tripoli?" "If you are so worried about a homicidal maniac, why don't you go home and take care of your children?" " I'm not saying you..." " Then don't say anything." "I'm not saying anything against Molly." "It's not as if I thought..." "I don't think she knows what you think." "She'd be upset too if she was questioned by the police." " I don't think she would." " You think she's practically perfect." "You do, don't you?" "Yeah, why not?" "'In the Los Angeles area today, police are questioning two people 'in the Sam Walters, Austin Slade murder case." "'One arrest has been made but the authorities aren't willing 'to release any names at this time." "'It is known, however, that the arrested party is a woman.'" "Sure, it's a woman." "That's what they call equal rights." "When they let a woman play on the National Football League then I'll believe it's a woman." "'Hi, this is Alexander McPeak." "Who did do it?" "Faggots." "I've got details because I've got friends that nobody else's got." "Faggots." "A bloody Mary and a gin and tonic." "'I'm out right now but if you leave your name and telephone number," "'I'll call you as soon as I return." "I love you on television." "I love to watch you shave." "But they were football players." "All football players are faggots." "Closet queens." "I heard details." "I won't annoy you." "I'll always admire you, if only from afar." "Someday I'd love to shave you." "Really, I would." "Goodbye." "I need a very tall vodka." " For you?" " For me." "Don't give it to her." "Cathy, how come you lost Jack Strickland?" "Who's Jack Strickland?" "Her husband, father to my nephews, who, despite everything, are normal." "What do you mean 'normal'?" "I mean I love Tadd and Tripoli." "Oh, where is what's his name, their father?" "He's departed." "Huh, not from this earth but from you, Cathy." " He was no good." " Here's to you." "He drank." "Well, he didn't drink enough." "He was sober enough to know." "To know what?" "To know when to go." "Go home, Cathy." "Go home." "They know who killed those football players." "It said so on television." "But they were your clothes, no matter what you say." "I'm sorry, Long John." "I love Cathy and she knows it." "But sometimes she's..." "I don't know." "I'd just like to punch her in the teeth." "I..." "I hope Doris has a pill for me." " Daphne has diarrhoea." " It's her doctor." "He only has diarrhoea of the prescription pad." "Jesus, how that man runs to pills." "I think he shits pills and pisses medicine." "I've got something for you." "Scotch and soda, and two Michelob." "'What's on for tonight, honey?" "'" "Look, my God, it's him." "That depends on how close you want to shave." "Did you ball him?" "Yeah, but he's not home tonight." "That's why I could kill him." "Do it with a razor." "It'll jack up sales." "'How close do you want to be to the woman in your life?" "'Be smart, be closer." "'Be the closest guy of all." "'Don't bruise the lady." "Good guys don't.'" "Why don't you shave me, Molly?" "Hot, sweet little bitch." "Start right here." "Here under the left ear, Molly." "Dig deep, Molly." "Spiral round the throat, Molly." "And zig zag, Molly." "Back and forth, Molly... until you get to the parts that you want." "'A headache can strike any time, 'but it always seems to come at the wrong moment...'" "You don't care if your sweetheart's heart is broken." "No Doris, I'm too old." "Then why don't you have more sympathy for Daphne." "There's a male menopause, you know." "You're ready for it." "I can't undress with the lights on, Long John." "Why Molly?" "Because you went to bed with that television hero?" "Which television hero?" " The guy who shaves." " No, not because of him." "I..." "I did something to myself." "You did or he did?" "No, I did." "I'm tattooed." "Screwed blue and tattoo." "No, tattooed." "What does that mean, Molly?" "Papa used to read "The Little Mermaid"." "Do you know "The Little Mermaid"?" "Lots of them." "No." "She had a tail instead of legs." "She couldn't fuck." "Well, it didn't say that exactly but they cut her tail up the middle so she had legs." "It bled a lot but then she could walk." "It was very painful." "She was in love." "When did you first do it, Molly?" " Do what?" " Get screwed." "I don't know." "I was always..." "Doris' pills aren't working at all." "Not yet." "How could you not know, Molly?" "I..." "I don't remember lots of things." "For instance?" "When anything started." "When what started, Molly?" "Long John." "Long John, I love you." "Oh, don't worry about last night." "It was silly." "You know I'm silly." "He was on television." "You know how I love television." "That's all." "Why did they hold you?" "I don't know." "I faked it." "I faked it." "I don't know." "Are they still holding your girlfriend?" " Hm-mm." " But why?" "I don't know." "Who are you?" "Who are you?" "Did you shave?" "Did you shave?" "Did you shave this morning?" "I never see your face in colour." "I only see it in black and white." "Molly." "Molly!" "I know." "I fell asleep with the television set on." "Molly, Jesus." "Molly!" "Molly, your hands." "Oh, hell." "Sorry, Long John." "I just..." "Well, it's my own goddamned blood." "If you want, I'll jump out of bed and run down to the laundromat with you sheets and pillowcases." "Your own blood?" "Yeah, I was drunk." "The pills caught, thank God." "Molly, Molly raped by pills." " What's your excuse?" " Molly." "I wanted to take Tadd and Tripoli to the beach today." "I wanted to swim with them." "I don't even own a one-piece bathing suit." " I didn't want them to see." " What?" "The tattoo!" "The mermaid." "All right, I'm a goof." "I'm a drunk." "I'm a junkie." "I tried to take it off with your razor." "The mermaid." "Well, what difference does it make to you?" "Maybe I worked for somebody named Clarissa Jenks." "I don't know, I don't remember." "I don't know anybody named Molly." "I don't know." "Who..." "Who is the Little Mermaid?" "My boys..." "We're sorry Mrs Strickland." "We understand your position." "Who's going to pay to take them to the movies now you questioned all my customers?" "Who's going to want me to work for them?" "I can't just leave the boys outside in the streets while I talk to you." "Mrs Strickland, I'll be glad to give you a couple of bucks" " to take your kids to the movies." " A couple of bucks?" "Where have you been for the past ten years?" "How much do you think it costs to go to the movies?" "If your Clarissa Jenks doesn't know the name of the bar she was in, how the hell am I supposed to know, right?" "Your Clarissa Jenks drinks too much, right?" "She's not here." "I don't know whether she will come back." "I don't know if I want her to." "I think your whole family is..." "'Look, I'm..." "I'm sorry.'" "I love your sister." "It's just that I don't know what she's about." "I know what she's about." "She's killed someone." "She's just killed someone else and I don't know what she does." "If she comes here, I'll crack her skull." "I don't want her near me." "Just tell her to run." "Run." "If you see her, tell her to run." "Aunt Molly never killed anyone and grandpa is not buried in the ground." "What in God's name are you talking about?" "Grandpa would never be buried in the earth." "We think you're a liar, Mommy." "Oh..." "Oh, Tripoli." "Tripoli." "Tripoli, I'm sorry." "Sorry." "Don't worry about Daphne's doctor." "He'll give you something." "He may not understand but he'll give you something." "Some doctors don't understand." "They don't give you anything." "Oh, what the hell." "You had a tattoo." "You didn't like it, so you zapped yourself." "Does it hurt?" "I have a headache." "He'll give you something." "Look how happy Daphne is with the pills he gives her." "If she'd just pull herself together, she could go back to work." "Boy, was she spaced out." "I took her in to lie down." "To get laid you mean." " I thought she was sick." " She was sick but not that way." "She started to bite and hit and scratch me like a lunatic." " Broke two bones in my hand." " You know what I can sue her for?" "No, what?" "All you did, very gently, was bounce her off the floor a few times." "Do you know what bar she worked in?" "Yeah." "Boathouse, Santa Monica." "And she left here with Alexander McPeak?" "She sure did." "Off the floor, into his lap and out the door." "To never, never land." " Hey, whatever happened to McPeak?" " Turn on your television set." "Find out what's happening in the real world." "Thanks." "Not till the sun goes down." "It has for McPeak." "Long John." "You are a bum." "Throwing a girl out because she had an accident." "I didn't throw her out and it wasn't an accident." "Accidently she cut too deeply." "And she's a mess." "Believe me, Molly is a mess." "Molly." "Last night when I was asleep, did you go out?" "Now you've got to tell me if you went out last night." "I was out of it, that's for sure." "Molly, someone killed McPeak last night." "Is it on television?" "What the hell difference does that make?" "Well, you don't know if it's true or not unless it's on television." "Molly, did you kill him last night?" "Why would I?" "He's a star." "He's..." "He's dead, Molly." "And right now, the cops think you did kill him." "They just don't know where you are." "Your sister's covered up for you." "But they'll find you." "Let's get out of here." "Let's go to Daphne's." "Or to Bakersfield." "Bakersfield?" "You know what that doctor told me?" "He told me the reason I had headaches is 'cause I couldn't see right." "I'm not wearing any goddamned glasses." "Well, what does he think I am?" "A hippie?" "Well, why wouldn't I kill the bastard?" "Every time you turn around, you see him." "Stark naked, grinning at me." "He's not my father." "What the hell do you think he's asking for?" "I guess I did kill him." "Why did I do that?" "He's so beautiful." "I think..." "I don't know." "Did he love me?" "He did." "A little bit." "Football players." "Why would I...?" "Men I wanted on my crew." "How many others were on your crew?" "Doesn't it matter that I didn't hate any of them?" "Except that first little bastard." "His mother sang on television." "Then he sang with her." "And he thought that was hot shit." "He was pretty." "He said I wasn't pretty." "He said I wasn't really a girl." "He was rich but I had a telescope." "His eyes were yellow, though." "Low, low, yellow low." "Sweet Molly." "Sweet, sweet Molly." "Tiger's eyes." "I should take more pills, shouldn't I?" "Yes." "Will you give them to me, Long John?" "Yes." "Here, baby." "Wait." " You can't." " We have to see Aunt Molly." "And you can't stop us." "No one can." " She's sick." " She's still our Aunt Molly." " Sure but can't you come back?" " No." "Four mill..." "Four million on the starboard side." "There was a whale under the raft, Long John." " Molly, Tadd and Tripoli are here." " Aunt Molly." "Oh, my darlings." "I wanted to take you two hiking today but your mother said..." "I think Mommy's crazy don't you, Aunt Molly?" "Everybody is a little crazy, sometimes." "But your mother loves you." "She said you were sick." " Your Aunt Molly is..." " Long John, these are my boys." "I just have to take a whole lot of pills today but tomorrow everything will be all right." "Those pills." "Yes, yes." "You could..." "Tadd, why don't you get me something to drink?" "Molly, Tadd and Tripoli can't stay here." "On television, on commercials..." "On one channel, 2,000 pills are taken every day." "Isn't that true, Tadd, Tripoli?" "I'm sorry I broke your television set, Long John." "Tadd, Tripoli, Doris!" "Aunt Molly has to go sleep now." "Sometimes, it's just so nice sleeping on the floor, isn't it?" "Yes, Aunt Molly." "Kiss me." "Doris will take you home." "Won't you, Doris?" "Yes." "If you don't make it by the time you're 18 in the good old USA, you just might as well forget about it." "Unless you're lucky like me." "Then you can make it at any age." "Like Grandma Moses and me." "You know how I picked up two top television football players?" "Said, "I may not be 18" ""but I can give you that old time religion."" "We can't." "Oh God, Long John, we can't." "Long John can." "He's a pirate." "He knows where the treasure is." "I'll take care of it."