"Surprised?" "You betcha." "In your telegram you said Mrs. James Devereaux, I didn't" "That's who I've been for the last 17 years." "You never told me." "You never asked." "Why are we whispering?" "Come on, back over here." "Come on." "Wait a minute, hold it." "Boy, you look terrific." "So do you." "Except you got a little gray over your ears there." "It's the only difference." "Everything else works about the same." "That was six years ago." "Really was a voluptuous week, wasn't it?" "Yeah, aside from the good times, you didn't give away much though, did you?" "Why did you drop us like that?" "I turned around to wind my watch and turned back and you slipped out of L.A." "It was time to go home." "So?" "Why was I flown down here, for sport or business?" "No, for business." "Strictly business." "Remember you told me that if I ever had any real trouble...." "Uh-huh, well" "Oh, my God!" "Is he looking at me?" "I think he was a little more interested in me." "Listen, I've made a reservation for you here, at the Town House." "My telephone number is right there, inside the cover." "Now you-- You call me tomorrow, all right?" "Your door was unlocked." "It still is, kid." "Out!" "Come on, Lew, give me a break." "You're either an awful good guesser or you're a cop." "Swimming's an okay way to relax." "But I know a better way." "All right, that's enough." "Now, who the hell are you and how'd you know my name?" "Don't you think I'm kind of sexy?" "Yeah, I think you're kind of sexy." "But I'm not gonna spend the 200th anniversary of this great country of ours in the slammer." " Come on, out." " Never had anyone turn me down before." "There's a first time for everything, kid." " I'm sorry about that." " No, you're not." "You're right, I'm not." "Now come on, out." " Hey!" " Grab the paint." "What the hell are you--?" "Listen!" "You keep your goddamn mouth shut, mister." "You want to make a statement?" "Now, you listen." "I can fix it so you won't get no pleasure pissing." "Nobody will ever find a mark." "Really." "Now, let me see." " We got child molestation, stat" " Oh, come on." " Statutory rape." " Nope." " Indecent exposure." " Nope." "Resisting arrest." "Carrying a concealed weapon." "I got a permit." "Not in Louisiana you haven't." "Chief, this here is Harper." "Thank you, lieutenant, I know who he is." "And Harper thinks that he is bright." "I'll take it from here." "Yes, sir." "Lieutenant Franks gets overenthusiastic now and again." "I just called you in for questioning." "What the hell does he do for a living?" "Tell me something, what do you private detectives get these days?" " Hundred and fifty per." " A day?" "And expenses." "That's a lot of money." "Not if you only work four days a year, it ain't." "What's the beef?" "The beef is that you were seen in the state of undress in a motel room with an underage girl." " Who did the seeing?" " I did." "Guess a whole lot doesn't happen in town without you knowing." "Mister, you don't belch without me knowing about it." "She let herself in." "Hey, I may be horny, but I'm not stupid." "You down here working on a case?" "Yep." "Employed by who, and what for?" "Well, the what for is confidential." "The who is a Mrs. Devereaux." "Olivia Devereaux?" "No, Iris." "Do you know her?" "Yeah, sure, sure." "That family has a lot of pull around here." " Where do you know her from?" " Confidential." "I'd sure like to know what the hell she'd need a private peeper for." "Well, I can't say, I mean, it's the ethics of the profession." "You feel left out?" "One, I believe you about the girl, at least for now." "Now, that doesn't mean I can't throw you in jail and let you fight it in court." "See where I'm going?" "I'm picking up signs." "Two, I'm keeping your weapon." "It violates our local gun policy." "I don't want you shooting up the place." "Okay." "Three, don't give me any of that West Coast, snot-ass bullshit." "Now, we may talk a little different down here but we ain't stupid either." "I hear what you're saying." "That's good, that's good." "One more thing there, Harper." "If anything untoward should happen to Iris or her daughter, Schuyler I'd like to hear about it first." "I take a strong interest in the welfare of those two, you hear?" "Sure." "Hi, Lew Harper." "Mrs. James Devereaux is expecting me." "Yes, I'll tell Miss Devereaux you're here." "Please, all I said was that the opening is a little flowery." "Well, damn it, at least give it a fair reading." "All right, James, that's right, indulge yourself in another drink it might help create the atmosphere for your" " Your artistry." "The one indulgence I have never had is privacy." "It just isn't very good, I'm afraid." "Mrs. Devereaux...." " Yes?" " There's a gentleman here to see you." "Thank you." "I don't know where to start." "Why don't you start where you stopped yesterday." " I'm frightened, Lew." " That's a good place." "Hey, you're not running off again, are you?" ""Mr. James Devereaux."" ""Dear Mr. Devereaux, lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds." "The deceived husband, so love's face may still seem love to you though altered anew." "Do you enjoy playing the cuckold?" "Or are you unaware of your wife's amorous activity?"" "Well, it's an old portable." "With a flaky E." "Interesting style if I remember my high school lit. class." "Mailed right here in Rivage." ""Rivage."" "Does your husband know about this?" "No, he wasn't at home when the mail arrived." "You usually read his mail?" "We read each other's mail." "What does he do for a living?" "Writes unproduced plays-- Between drinks." "Where does all this come from?" "This all belongs to his mother." "Olivia's family has owned Beau Rivage for 175 years." "The abolition of slavery was a mild agitation for them." "How did you slip in?" "Born into the lace." "Good blood, no money." "One becomes accustomed to style." "Is that the old lady?" "Olivia?" "What's she doing out there, changing the guard?" "She has a iron clamp around this house." "Do you know that she keeps us on allowances like adolescents." "If she ever got hold of that letter" "I can manage James, it's Mama that scares me." "She'd make my life a nightmare." "Do you?" "Do I what?" "Enjoy connubial bliss outside the bonds of holy matrimony?" "That's an unusual question for you to ask." "That's my business." "The marriage hasn't worked for some years now." "Why don't you just break it off?" "And do what?" "And" "Where do you think this all came from?" "It came from Pat Reavis." "Who's he?" "He was the family chauffeur, till I fired him a few days ago." "That letter came in the mail the next morning." "Did you have a fling with him?" "No, I did not have a fling with the family chauffeur." "What do you want me to do?" "I want you to make him stop." "I do not want any more letters." "Don't know what to say." "I'll take a run at it." "Iris, why couldn't--?" "Thank you." "Where do I find this Reavis fella?" "Well, I don't know where he lives." "He used to work for Kilbourne Oil, maybe he's gone back there." "You shouldn't have any trouble finding that place." "Have you met my daughter?" "Schuyler, this is Mr. Harper, he's" "Exterminator, Dixie Pest Control." "How do you do, Mr. Harper?" "Sometimes I do better than others." "Well, I hope so." "Do we have a problem?" "That's what I'm here to find out." "I generally start in the servants' quarters, you know the cook, the maid, the chauffeur." "Oh, yes, the chauffeur used to live over the garage it's right around there." "Exterminator?" "Trust me." "Can I help you?" "No, thanks, but I'll keep it in mind." "It's quite a zoo you got here." "Do you think you could introduce me to the head keeper?" "Right on." "Come on." "Thanks for not saying anything to mother about the Town House." "How'd you know I'd even be there?" "I heard her making a reservation." "You read your mama's mail too?" "Why did she book a room for you?" "I'm up from New Orleans, she didn't like the local." " Oh, come on." " No, no kidding." "Pest control." "What are you really up here for?" "Insurance." "What's Pat Reavis really like?" "He was fun." "Mild psychopaths often are, if you don't cross them." "Like I said, you're a pretty bright kid." "I guess I have my daddy's genes." "Grandmother?" "Grandmother?" "This is Mr. Harper." "He's here to check over the house for pests." "Schuyler, you may bring me a glass of sherry." "Yes, Grandmother." "Ma'am, you got a zebra finch over there with a discolored beak." "You ought to wash it off in vinegar." "Stems from a protein deficiency." "A Mrs. "James Devereaux" called our New Orleans representative and" "Mr. Harper, that is quite enough of that." "You can tell Mr. Kilbourne my answer is no and will remain so for as long as I live." "Yes, ma'am." "I'll be happy to." "Just tell me where I can find him." "Mr. Harper, I can do without the charades." "Mr. Kilbourne is forever trying these tiresome tactics and he's a rank amateur." "This'll come as something of a surprise, but I don't work for Mr. Kilbourne." "In fact, I don't even-- I don't even know him." "I detest you big oil company "yes" men." " I'm not a "yes" company oil" " Quiet." "You oil people have ruined our town." "Destroyed our parish." "I will not allow you to populate my land." "Go." "Now leave my property." "And tell your employer, Jay Hue Kilbourne to go to hell!" "Yes, ma'am." "I see what you mean." "She's a functioning ball-breaker." "Did you find anything?" "Well, enough to get started." "Is that your friend from the French Quarter?" "That's Peter." "He's helping James with his creative endeavors." "Okay." "Well, where were we?" "I" "I found that old portable with the flaky E but I hope this Reavis can be easily conned." "This ain't exactly heavy ammunition." " Well, what else can you do?" " I don't know." "Try to find him and hit him with this in the hope it scares him off." "It ain't easy standing around talking shop with you." "No, I'm finding it difficult to adjust to the sight of you." "Were you angry when I left Los Angeles so suddenly?" "Would have been angry if it had never happened at all." "Iris, you are wearing my gardening hat again." "I would be so grateful, so everlastingly grateful if, in future, you would ask my permission." "Yes, Mother." "I could kill that bitch." "Hey, excuse me!" " Can I talk to you a minute?" " Sure." "I thought you might be interested in a little ride." "You know, around the city." "I don't think I got the time." "Right up front, I am required by law to advise you guys that my hands are registered in the state of California as lethal weapons." " You understand?" " Oh, really?" "Black belt, huh?" " You betcha." " Glo, show him yours." "Well, that's a different ball game." "I was just" " I was just kidding." "I'm a brown belt." "Where do you want me to sit?" " You want the front or the back?" " The back's fine." "Could you slide over there, tiger?" "Anything you say, buddy." "Hey, Harper!" "Step lightly on over here!" "Sure glad you could see fit to come visit us." "Oh, no." "I wouldn't have missed this for the world." "Jay Hue Kilbourne here." "Always a pleasure to welcome newcomers to our domain." "They're in training." "That one's ready." "I raised that little fella from a pup." "Matter of fact, he favors a nephew of mine." "Boy's features aren't regular." "Sort of pinched, with strange little ears." "Damn near broke my sister's heart." "I can imagine." "You know anything about pit bulls, Mr. Harper?" "We got regular straight-up teeth matches on weekends." "Lot of big money wagered." "And illegal as hell." "How do you tell the winner?" "Like anything else, only one sure way." "One of them is left alive." "I have fun, Mr. Harper, hell of a good time." "You see, I'm not like most folks who get their kicks head-on." "I sort of slide in sideways-like." "As a matter of fact, in high school they used to call me "the Crab."" "Now, you take the oil business, my business." "It's never any fun to drill straight down." "I'm a slant driller by instinct." "Are you slant-drilling me?" "Very perceptive." " You see those tide lands, Mr. Harper?" " Yeah." " No, I mean, right" " Right over there." " No, I saw them." "Well, they're oil-rich." "And there's just no end to them." "Now, a good portion of them, I own." "But the biggest piece is right there and I don't have a thing to do with it." "But I aim to." "I sure enough aim to." " Guess whose land" " Olivia Devereaux." "Outstanding." "A hundred million dollars in black gold underneath that earth." "And do you know what she wants to do with that land, Mr. Harper?" "She wants to turn it into a goddamn sanctuary for birds." "I think that's kind of sweet." "Well, now, look." "I" " I'm all for saving wildlife, like the next fella but we gotta think about America's future." "Energy sources just aren't that easy to come by." "Did you come to that conclusion out of patriotism or just greed?" "Little of both, Mr. Harper." "Like most men of wealth." "Now, I guess you know why I sent for you." " I have" " Yeah, not here." "Not here, boy." "Little privacy, huh?" "Just preliminaries." "Preliminaries, that's all." "Now, tell me." "Why do you think I sent for you?" "Can't say I know, but there are people who think that I work for you." "They been reading my mind." "Because that's exactly what I want you to do." "Work for me." "I don't think I could get used to it." "I think you'd learn to enjoy it." "I look at is this way, Mr. Harper:" "Three people are involved, or should I say could be involved with the title to that land." "Let's start with James." "It turns out, through some incredible good fortune I've got a whole lot of embarrassing material" "The visual kind." "that could be used regarding James' unorthodox sexual persuasions." "Now, Iris is another story." "You a nice-looking young man." "Oh, yeah." "And I hear tell that Iris" "Well, bless her heart." "she likes to play around a little." "You could be most helpful with her." "It would mean a great deal to me." "And to you too." "Well, that still leaves Olivia, though, doesn't it?" "That leaves Olivia." "But you got that figured out." "Can I go now?" "Why, certainly." "Hey, Candy Mr. Harper's anxious to leave now." "Well, what about my proposal?" "I'll give it a lot of consideration." " I'm sure we'll be hearing from you soon." " Jay Hue." "Outstanding." "Hey!" "Drinks for everybody!" "Hey, where's the action around here?" "You're just kind of early, mister." "Place doesn't start jumping until about 9, man." "Here." "Would you like to try a coon-ass beer?" ""Coon-ass"?" "Sure." "You know a guy by the name of Pat Reavis?" "I might." "I understand he spends a lot of time here." "Is he a friend of yours or something?" "Yeah, something." "I'm supposed to meet him." "Them guys that work in them rigs all day, they usually come in here late." "Things really picks up then." "Yeah, that's what Pat told me." "Yeah, man." "Reavis really got himself a hot little chick there, man." "He told me that too." "What's-her-face, the hot one...." " Gress-shen, man." " Gress-shen." " Not just the face, the body, man." " Gress-shen." "Oh, you mean Gretchen." "That's what I said, man." "How you like that coon-ass beer?" "It works." "I spotted your car." "You spotted my car?" "Will it wash off?" "That's a rental." "Clown." "You're gonna come with me, clown." "Yeah?" "Who did I molest this time?" "You better watch your mouth, mister." " You're gonna push me too far." " You know what I think, Franks?" "I think this is just another roust." "I got no time to dance with you." "You hold it right there, old horse." "You all better stop right about there, Harper." "Harper!" " I got him, chief." " You know she's a nice dancer but her likes to lead." "Listen, clown." "One of these days, you're gonna be sunny-side up." "Lieutenant, get on the air and get a fingerprint kit down here." "Yes, sir." "Louie, enlever le drat." " How'd it go down?" " Pretty ugly." "Crushed her head with that rake and pushed her in." " Any suspects?" " That's why I wanted to talk to you." " You've been around here all day" " Come on, now." "I'm not on that list." "No." "Unless you give me a reason." "You ever hear of Reavis, Pat Reavis?" "What, the chauffeur?" "I was trying to track him down when old bullet-head found me in the bar." "Yeah, we think he's running." "But tell me, what's your interest in Reavis?" " Let me talk to my client first." " Oh, no, no." "Now, what do you think you are, a lawyer?" "This is a homicide and I wanna know about Reavis." "What's against him?" "Well, for one thing, he was fired." "For another, we found his wallet on the lawn between here and the house." "And for another, he disappeared." " That's all kind of convenient, isn't it?" " No." "I would like to talk to my client first." "Sure, sure, that's your right." "She's by the little house at the pool." "Harper, stick close by." "Don't be taking any trips." "Okay." "Never can get these things off." "Maybe you shouldn't try." "I'm sorry about Olivia." "Thank you." "That's a joke." "God, I loathed that woman." "Broussard's asking questions." "He wants to know what I know about Reavis." "Want me to tell about the letter?" "Dance around him with fancy footwork?" " What do you want?" " What difference does it make?" "Let's talk about something else." "What do you want me to do?" "I want you to make it like it was six years ago." "Your sense of timing always amazes me." "Oh, I get it." "You're a name freak." "Don't spread that around!" "Hey, you got any G's around here?" "Any G's." "Jennifer!" " That's a J." " You sure?" "Well...." "Gretchen!" "That's a G. G-R-E-T" " Wait." "Which one's she?" " Pink flower!" "I better warn you, though." "She's a working girl." " That's gonna cost you!" " I hope so!" "I just love her." "Just love her!" "You gotta be kidding." "I mean, what's so sexy about names?" "Well, probably nothing, but it just happened that way." "It was Gertrude, Gloria, Ginger and Gidget." "And they was all 10's." "And another one coming." "I hope so." "Come on, dude, what's your story?" "Pat said that you was the best cu" "One of the...." "He said you was one of the...." "I guess he just wanted me to say hello." "Pat Reavis?" "Yeah, one in the same." "He's one hell of a fella." "No, he's not." "He just kind of turns me on." "Pat never told me about you." "Yeah, well, see, I'm new on the rig down there." "He was gonna come up here and meet me and was gonna introduce us." "Look, I owe him some money and he's...." "Well, then he'll find you." "Why don't you take your shoes off and relax?" "I think it's kind of early to...." "Are--?" "Are you afraid to take your clothes off in front of women?" " I don't know that I'm afraid" " Oh, don't" " Don't worry about it." "You'd be surprised at some of the...." "Well, what's your thing, what are you into?" "I just like to try a little conversation first." "Oh, sure." "You wanna call me dirty names?" "I didn't say that." "You want me to call you dirty names?" "No, I didn't say that either." "I don't know how people can dirty talk cold turkey." "I mean, I-- I gotta get a kind of run on it or get some foreplay or...." "You know what I mean?" "I better get a refill." "Hey, this good old Pat, you seen him around lately?" "Not since last weekend." "He's probably down at his place in New Orleans." "Oh, boy, he just must be raking it in." "I didn't know he had a place down in New Orleans." "Well, it's not a palace exactly but it's in the Quarter, not too far from Jackson Square." "How about if I gave you a dirty word and then you have to make up another one starting with the last letter of the one I just gave you?" "Now, wait a minute." "You're gonna give me a dirty word...." "Hey, honey, that's awful complicated." "I don't think we're gonna get much action out of that." "Hey, say, you're kind of rushing it." "Jackson Square, that's a ritzy place." "Exactly" " Exactly where does Pat live around there?" "I was only there once." "It's near that cute little hotel with the cornstalk fence." "Around in back." " A room right off the main drag." " Cool it, honey." "Thanks." " Yeah?" " Did you ring, Mr. Reavis?" "I've had your laundry here for a week." "Will you pick it up?" " Messages?" " Your sister, Elaine, called." "But that was three days ago." "Okay, thanks." "Elaine called." " What does...?" " What you doing here?" "What am I doing here?" "Well, I was walking down the street" "It beats the shit out of me." "Okay, okay, let's take it from the top again." "Now, what you doing here?" "Okay." "Give it to you straight." "I'm a burglar, just like you." "I'll save you a lot of trouble." "Ain't nothing here." "Maybe he's telling the truth." "Take him with us." "Tie his hands and search him." "Oh, my." "It's not nice to look up ladies' dresses." "Well, everybody's gotta look someplace." "No Reavis, no account book, just this guy." "Lew Harper, Los Angeles." "Well, you're a long way from home, Lew." "I'm working my way down to Miami." "Well, just what were you looking for in that place?" "An honest buck." "Did you find anything?" "Like what?" "There was all junk in there." "Wouldn't even take it to a fence." "Like maybe an account book?" "I don't follow account books very much, you know." "It's mostly appliances, watches, jewelry, things like that." "How's that grab you?" "Oh, well, I mean, that's a beaut." "Yeah, it's pretty nice, wouldn't you say?" "What do you mean, "nice"?" "That would set me up for life in Palm Beach." "Well, now, Lew, honey, this wouldn't set you up for a week in Hoboken." " It's a fake." " Oh, no." "Yeah?" "This has all been an unfortunate mistake, Lew." "Can you just forget it ever happened?" "Hey, what's to forget?" "You wouldn't throw me over for no little account book, now would you, sugar?" "Oh, honey, that's no fair, my hands are tied." "That's just to protect you from self-abuse." "You don't abuse yourself, now, do you, sugar?" "It would be such a waste." "Elaine Reavis, telephone." "Elaine Reavis, telephone." "No, honey." "See, that won't work either because I gotta stay away from my apartment for a few days." "Listen, I always loved your place." "What's wrong with it now?" "Yeah, that's the spirit." "Okay, I'll just pack my toothbrush and I'll see you after supper." "Bye." "Hey, you got any food here?" "I'm starving." "Just give me a minute to change." "I'll fix you something." " Let the cat in." " Yeah." "Little bonus here." "Stay where you are." "Hands up against the fireplace there." "Who do you work for?" "The exterminator." "You don't have to count it." "There's $10,000 there." "Nice going, Elaine." "Who else did you bring back here?" " I didn't know." "I didn't know." " Okay, shut up." " What did you do this time, Pat?" " Nothing." "Killed an old lady for hire, looks like." "That's bullshit, I didn't, I swear." "Hello, operator, give me the Rivage Police Department." "Yeah." "Name is Harper, it's an emergency, and I'll wait." " I'm taking you in, Reavis." " I didn't do it, man, you hear me?" "I didn't kill that old lady." "How does a punk like you get $10,000?" "Five-card draw, big time." "You never told me about that, Pat." "Hello, give me Broussard." "He isn't, who is this, Franks?" "Can you handle a message..." " ...old hoss?" " You punk." " I'm always holding you together." " Been doing your work." "Talking about the dough you're raking in." "You'll take care of all of us." " I'll bring him in." " You're nothing." " It'll take half the time." " You're a hustler, a stud." " You two" " I've had it with you." "Girls, girls, girls." "Hey, listen, you may be some kind of hotshot policeman." "But I'm here to tell you you're out of your depth." "You're into something that's way over your head." "You drive." "Ten grand." "That's nickel-and-dime." "What were you doing at the Devereauxs' yesterday?" "I wasn't there." "I was fired." "Reavis, I saw your car." "I didn't kill that old lady." "I didn't even know about it until I got back to town." "Oh, yeah, why didn't you go see the police?" "You kidding?" "Me against the Devereauxs?" "One guess who gets the shaft." "You didn't answer my question." "Let me rephrase." "What were you doing at the Devereauxs' yesterday?" "Schuyler and me were getting it on." "So, what's the big deal?" "Kid's got a crush on me." " That's why I was fired." " Oh, yeah?" "I thought it was because of a letter you wrote to Iris' husband." "What letter?" "I don't write letters." "All I know is that they stuck it to me good." "I don't chase women, buddy." "They chase me." "Yeah, boy, you certainly got them running after you." "How do you do that?" "You got a special wrinkle?" "Is it that kinky pad of yours with mirrors and everything?" " Creep." "Shut your mouth." " Wait a minute." "I'm filled with admiration." "Some guys just look good in the locker room." "Let's cut the crap, okay?" "What do you want from me?" "Money?" "There's plenty more of that coming." "And you could be in for a big piece." " Half?" " Yeah, if you get off my back." "Yeah, but then we'd have to be friendly and go to the same restaurants" " Nah." "What's the difference to you?" "Come on, man, move over." "Get on the shoulder." "What?" "There's nothing but a swamp." "Didn't I tell you, big time?" "Not your territory." "We want Reavis." "He's my prisoner and I'm bringing him in with me." " You never got a message?" " Nothing on the blotter except a common drunk and a grand-theft auto." "That's all." "Maybe you called the wrong police department." "Well, if I did, Franks was on the other end of that telephone." "Where is old bullet-head?" "Well, I was told sick leave." "Something about a hunting accident." "Be out the rest of the week at least." "Oh, at least." "I bet he's got a sling on his right arm too." "What are you trying to say?" "You making some kind of charge?" "Who do you think would want to kill Reavis?" "Oh, lot of people, lot of people." "Olivia Devereaux was highly respected in this community no matter what her family thought about her." "She was the leader of a certain lifestyle, a certain order which a lot of folk here took comfort in." "So all those blue-haired ladies from the bridge club just went down and bumped off big, bad Pat." "That's your privilege to think what you like." "Look, Harper, the Devereauxs have been through a lot." "I'd just as soon put a lid on the whole thing." "I don't want Iris to get hurt, or Schuyler." "I'm just worried about my batting average." "What about it?" "Well, first my client's mother-in-law gets it then her daughter's boyfriend." "You got it wrong." "Schuyler had nothing to do with Pat Reavis." "Come on, Broussard, you babysit that girl." "You telling me you don't know?" "You know, for a fast 150 a day, you sure do a lot of speculating." "The way you've been chasing after that teenybopper I think you want to ball her yourself." "One more of those and I'll knock you right through the wall." "You hear me?" "Now, as far as I'm concerned, this case is closed." "Who would want to do a thing like that?" "I got no answers." "I believed you last time and look where it got Pat." "You're a cop, aren't you?" "Well, I'm a second cousin, I'm a private." "Bastard." "I let you soft-soap me into telling you where Pat lived and now he's dead." "You're a hell of a guy, you know that?" "You betcha." "All I was trying to do was keep him alive." " So justice could triumph, no doubt." " Hey, hey." "I got no idea what justice is." "I am interested in truth, though." "That's a laugh." "All right, not the big, philosophical stuff." "The everyday things, like who, why, when, where." "I'll tell you what." "I'm interested in why Pat Reavis was killed." "And I'm interested in why I got roughed up for something that was supposed to be hidden in his place in the Quarter." "An account book." "You want me to try to find out who killed him?" " What good is that gonna do him?" " Oh, no good at all." "Except I think he'd understand." "Well, what makes you so sure that I have the account book?" "Because it wasn't where it was supposed to be." "And I think you're the only person he trusts." "I don't know why I should help you." "I don't know why I should even listen to you." "Hey, don't." " Got a beer?" " Help yourself." "Thanks." "Do you got any idea what you got here?" "He told me just to keep it for him, not to look in it." "Well, let me tell you something." "Old Jay Hue Kilbourne kicked back to a lot of lawmakers to get those oil leases of his." "Oh, boy, could this make justice triumph." "Keep it for me, will you?" "Help me out, okay?" "How would you like to help me put on some suntan lotion?" "Wouldn't help, honey, you're gonna be burnt out by the time you're 30." "I'm looking for your mama." "She's down at the bayou." "Thought private eyes only read mystery stories." "Who told you I was a private eye?" "Mr. Harper." "Did you tell her?" "I got pretty tired of seeing you hanging around, Harper so Iris explained to me about that stupid note the chauffeur wrote." "Like it was something I'd give a damn about." "I told her to get you the hell out." "I'm sure she'll want to say goodbye." "Well, what do you know." "I think I've just been fired." "Oh, really?" "By whom?" "The master of the house." "Well, that's nice." "That's the first positive action he's taken in years." "He can't fire me, I've ruined a perfectly good suit." "And I've run up 800 bucks in expenses." "You are incredible, Lew." "You have a problem." "You have no talent for surrender." "Yeah." "I guess I got this wild, selfish streak in me." "I'm gonna be sued by that rent-a-car company too, you know." "Go away." "Why don't you learn to give up things gracefully?" "I can't." "I know who wrote that letter." "Schuyler." "What makes you think that?" "It's right out of her schoolbook." "Reavis was a functioning illiterate, for chrissake." "She had him sounding like a 17th-century lyric poet." "You're lying." "Why do you think she'd do that?" "I don't think you know a lot about your daughter, Iris." "What are you trying to do to me?" "What is she trying to do to you?" "Pat Reavis was killed." "The question is, who killed him and why?" "Things are getting pretty ugly around here." "I don't much care for it, but fired of not, I'm gonna stick it through to the end." "And people may not like everything I find, you understand?" "Doesn't really matter." "How was your vacation, Franks?" "Christ!" "I understand you had an unfortunate hunting accident." "You know that you assaulted a police officer?" "Not important." "I don't think Broussard likes you anymore." "Where's your Mardi gras mask?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "I ain't got no time to mess around." "Let's start from the top." "How much did Kilbourne pay you to kill Reavis?" "You're not gonna pull that trigger." "You big-city boys are up to your ass in rules." "Oh, boy." "All right, I got two live ones in there." " Bull." " Bull, what?" "You got nothing in there." "One more to go." "Now, let's start from the top." "How much did Kilbourne pay you?" "Look, I don't have to say nothing." "I know my rights and the Miranda decision" " Two." " Goddamn." "Goddamn it, are you crazy?" "Right." "Want to play again?" "Kilbourne always pays me a little something whenever he needs a favor done." "How much did he pay you to kill Reavis?" "No, I'll have my ass in a sling if" " Three." " You son of a bitch, it was $5000." " Goddamn." " Why did he want him dead?" " I don't know." " Four." "I don't know." "I swear to the Almighty, I don't know, honest." "Come on, you turkey, why did he want him dead?" "Because he paid Reavis to kill old lady Devereaux?" "I don't know." "I don't know!" " Five!" " Sweet screaming Jesus, I don't know!" "I swear to the Almighty, I don't know!" "I don't much care for it but I guess I gotta believe you." "Christ." "Personally, I think you held up rather well." "Hoboquad!" "Desalles!" "It's okay, good boy." "All I gotta do is say the magic word and you're dog food." "Let him aboard, Candy." "Hello, Mr. Harper, I've been hoping to see you." "Some tub you got here, Jay Hue." "Just one of my fun fleet." "Please don't think I'm inhospitable." "Nothing but vandals everywhere." "Those puppy dogs sure cut my insurance rates." "Come on inside." "I don't believe you've met my wife." "Can't say that I have." "Mavis, darling, this is Mr. Harper." "How do you do, Mr. Harper?" "Some days I do better than other days." "Mavis, want to go for a walk?" "How long a walk, darling?" "Why I don't know, May-May, average." "Just average." "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Harper." "Sweet child." "Sit down, Mr. Harper." "One of my other passions." "Cooking." "This is shrimp étouffé." "Local favorite, but my version." "Could I get you a drink?" "Yeah, a little of that Glenlivet might hit the spot." "Outstanding." "A man who knows his liquor." "Free pour." "I've got this bad old stomach and I can't touch a thing but cereals." "Well, what do you do with all the food?" "I dump it overboard, of course." "Fish seem to enjoy it immensely." "You want a taste?" "Not this trip, no." "It's just as well." "It needs to sit a bit." "Can the fish really tell?" "I expect they can't." "Now, what can I do for you, Mr. Harper?" "The Devereaux oil lease." "I'd like a pretty big chunk of that." "I'm sorry, Mr. Harper, along with my bad old stomach I'm having trouble with my hearing lately." "Well, Jay Hue, we can be friends." "Reavis showed me the 10 grand you paid him to kill old lady Devereaux." "I'm afraid Reavis is dead, Mr. Harper." "Yeah, that he is, that he is." "But Franks ain't." "And he told me about the 5 grand that you paid him to kill Reavis." "I think that's kind of neat." "Not many people can afford to hire a killer and then hire a cop to kill him." "I hate to be a spoilsport, Mr. Harper you doing all that good figuring but I did not hire Reavis to kill Olivia Devereaux." "He was in your employ." "You bought him when he was the Devereaux chauffeur." "He was my spy." "An industrial spy." "Happens all the time, just good business." "When Reavis hit me with that first installment of $10,000 to keep quiet about a murder I had absolutely nothing to do with tried to implicate me in it well, let's just say I was not unhappy when he met with that most unfortunate accident." "I ran a check on you, Mr. Harper." "You are not stupid." "I have my moments." "You want to live, don't you?" "To a ripe old age?" "I'd hate to think that I was making those social security payments for nothing." "Then you better do like I say." "Because I hold all the aces." "I'm not so sure about that, Jay Hue." "You missing an account book." "Now, how the hell did you get that?" "Just doing my job." "You got guts, Harper, coming in here like this." "Not really, Jay Hue." "So long as I stay alive and healthy it stays tucked away and out of sight." "Hundred and fifty thousand dollars, Harper." "Two hundred and fifty thousand..." " ...that's my last offer." " No deal." " Harper, are you listening?" " Nice talking to you, Jay Hue." "Harper!" "Hey, that's a quarter of a million dollars!" "You crazy, boy?" "Harper?" "We gotta stop meeting like this, people will start talking." "He had Pat Reavis killed for that account book." "No kidding." "It won't take him long before he works out the rest of it." "The rest being that you gave Reavis the account book to begin with." "And then what?" "A little long-distance blackmail from Acapulco?" "Harper, I have to get away from Jay Hue." "He's crazy." "I mean...." "I mean, he's really crazy." "I hadn't noticed." "Thanks for the tip." " I'll be especially careful." " Harper, this isn't fun and games!" "He'll do anything to get that book." " You gotta take me with you." " No way." "I give up self-abuse in high school." "Okay, I deserve that." "I'll owe you one." "You pick the time and place, but he'll hurt me." "I mean, he'll really hurt me this time." "Please?" "Wait in my car, I gotta make a phone call." "Iris, you awake?" "Who is this?" "It's California, I'm just checking in." "What do you want?" "I just wanted to say I don't think Reavis killed the old lady." "Well, you're wrong." "Now, I don't care if that man is dead you find a way and you prove that he did it." "Are you on the bottle?" "I'm telling you, Reavis isn't the guy." "Why don't you just drop it, Lew." "Just get off the case and leave me alone." "Hey, what the hell is happening out...?" "Get out of here and get out of my life." "I don't want you rummaging around in my closets anymore." "It's a juggling act just to make my life work." "Try to get some sleep, will you?" "Lew, don't hang up." "Listen to me...." "I can't handle the responsibility." "Iris?" "Now, listen, you turn on the television, I'll be right over." "No." "Don't do that." "I'll mail you your money." "Just go away." "Iris?" "Stop!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Outstanding." "You know, the patients used to pay a fortune for this, Mr. Harper." "Sometimes, it would even restore their memory." "I don't know what you're talking about." "You're loony as a fruitcake, you know that?" "I'm gonna make believe I didn't hear that." "Doctor." "Stop!" "You'll kill him, you...!" "You can scream." "Scream all you like, darling." "This place has been out of business for years." "It's soundproofed anyways." "Do you remember what I told you, Mr. Harper?" "About my crab-like ways?" "Now, you can save yourself a whole lot of unnecessary excitement if you just tell me where that little book is." "Candy, this man is sorely trying my patience." "Maybe you need time to reflect on it, Mr. Harper." "Gonna be a long, hard night." "Cold, wet, nasty." "Mighty uncomfortable." "But we'll be back bright and early tomorrow." "By then, I think you'll want to tell me where that book is." "And don't you go away now." "Y'all take care." "You okay?" "Son of a bitch tried to kill me." "Well, he's coming back in the morning for seconds." "Could you get me out of this?" "I can try." "Oh, shit." "I'm gonna break my nails." "Why don't you give him that stupid account book so we can get out of here?" "Honey, there ain't no way he's gonna let us out of here." "Jay Hue." "Jay Hue!" "Jay Hue!" "Jay Hue!" "No." "Easy, easy." "Easy!" "Oh, no!" "No!" "No!" "My God!" "I don't know why I ever married the crazy son of a bitch." "I was always afraid of him." "He was such a freak." "Him and his damn oil." "He never gave me anything but this crab." "Look at this, look at this crab." "I don't have one real thing." "Not one real diamond." "Look at this." "Just rhinestones." "I got a whole drawer full of rhinestones." "Take off your clothes." "I don't think that's very funny." "I said, take off your clothes!" "You mind telling what you have in mind?" "We're gonna go right out through there." "Come on." "Get on it, will you?" "Harper, you sure you know what you're doing, honey?" "Well, all we can do now is wait." "How did Jay Hue wind up with a place like this anyway?" "His sweet mama sent him here for the cure." "He didn't like the way he was treated so he bought it up and closed them down." "Harper, is any of this gonna work?" "I don't know." "If it doesn't, we're in a lot of trouble." "It'll be a little while longer." "Can you hold on?" "Yeah, I think." "I can't get a grip on the goddamn thing." "What do you mean?" "Christ, we'll never get it open now." "What do we do now?" "I'll probably have to go down and see if I can get...." "Let's see if I can break out of this skylight." "Harder!" "Harder!" "It won't break!" "The water's getting higher!" "I can't break it." "Give me that thing." "I'm gonna see if I can clear the drain." "I'll break this thing." "I'll break it!" "I'll break it!" "I'll break it!" "I'll break it!" "No, I dropped it." "I dropped it." "I can't clear out that drain." "There's too much suction." "I gotta get my breath." "I gotta try to turn off some water." "Give me a hand." "No!" "No, I'm not going down there!" " Come on." " I'll drown down there." "I'll die down there!" "I'll die!" "I'll die!" " I'm going down myself." " No." "I don't wanna die in here!" " Couldn't do it." " No." " Couldn't do it." " No." "We're gonna die." "Oh, Mama." "What a dumb way to die." "Candy I forgot my Gelusil tablets." "You leave them in the car?" "I could have." "I keep a spare in the glove compartment anyways." "You want me to go fetch it?" "Well...." "Oh, to hell with it." "Oh, God!" "You okay?" "Boy, that's one I wouldn't wanna try again." "Let's get out of here before Jay Hue gets back." "I can't even get up." "I don't want you to." "I'm leaving you for Broussard this time." "You understand?" "It'll never stick, Harper." "Watch him." "I gotta find a phone." "May-May?" "Wanna kiss and make up?" "What the hell did you...?" "He's right." "He would've gotten away with it." "Well, maybe you can plead self-defense." "Cry a lot." "Throw yourself on the mercy of the court." "Dead." "Dead." "Oh, God." "When did it happen?" "Sometime last night." "What are you doing here?" "I fired you." "This is my house." "You get the hell out." "Don't waste your energy on form, pal." "You're in real trouble." "Trouble?" "Everyone knows she was" " She was always fond of Seconal and liquor." "This was no accident." "That's a logical assumption, isn't it, Mr. Harper?" "Beats me." "Who found her?" "Schuyler found her this morning and called me." " Schuyler, where is she?" " They were quite fond of one another." " Touching." " Get him out of here!" "Come on." "Come on!" "What the hell am I doing with these?" "She tell you about us?" "She didn't have to." "Oh, God, what a mistake I made." "I should have taken her away from here a long time ago." "I didn't know what to do." "I didn't know where to go." "I was just a kid." "She was from the finest family." "Seventeen years ago, things were a lot different." "I'm...." "I'm so tired." "I'm so tired." "So goddamn tired." "Giving Grandma's birds a holiday, huh?" "Why not?" "They can go anywhere they want now." "That's a bad move." "They won't make it out there." "Tough." "The old lady was a lot nicer to birds than she was to people, huh?" "That's right, California." "Schuyler, I got all the big stuff figured." "But it's tying up those tiny little loose ends that's driving me up the wall." "I know about you and Reavis." "I saw you skulking around the bushes." " And I saw his car." " So what?" "You're right, not relevant." "Well, what I was getting at...." "You know, as bad a frame job as it was" "See?" "Loose end." "how did you manage to lift Reavis' wallet?" "You're making it up anyway." "Use your imagination." "What do you mean?" "Wha--?" "While you were doing it with him?" "Hey, that's pretty neat." "All that passion and light-fingered at the same time." "Oh, my goodness gracious." "Strong." "Can't believe how strong you are." "Must come from that swimming." "Now, what did you hit that sweet old lady so hard for?" "You're not a messy kid, are you, or did you just get carried away?" "Let go of me." "Iris." "I figured a while back that you wrote the letter." "But that was just the kickoff." " What was the whole game plan?" " Shut up!" "Hey, you heard Iris and me on the phone last night." "She was pretty low." "I know you heard us because after she hung up, there was a second click." "Click goes the phone, you go to her room." "Wait a minute, don't get me wrong." "I know you didn't shove those sleeping pills down her throat." "But you sure fixed it so she'd do the job for you, didn't you?" "I don't have to listen to any of this." "Another loose end." "What did you tell her, huh?" "About all those kinky things you had going with Reavis?" "Or maybe described how you killed the old lady." "Or worse." "Maybe you told her how miserable you were gonna make the rest of her life." "They really did a job on him!" "Who?" "Your dad?" "I hated her!" "I hated both of those bitches!" "And you got rid of both of them so you could have Daddy all to yourself?" "Like I said, you're a pretty bright kid." "But what are you gonna do with all that information?" "Nobody's gonna believe you." "Well...." "It's a funny thing about the law, kid." "Most of the time, they're not around when you need them." "But there is a first time for everything." "Oh, my God." "Oh, I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "What are you doing?" " I hate you!" " No." "Why did you stir this up?" "Why?" "Tell me, why?" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?" "I'll kill you." "I'll kill you!" "Oh, no." "I named her." "I gave her that name." "She's so pretty." "I wanted her to have everything good in life." "Everything good." "That's your kid out there." "How you gonna handle that?" "I wouldn't be in your shoes for anything." "Good luck." "Yeah, same to you." "Anybody home?" "I'm out back!" "Well, hello." "What brings you back?" "I didn't wanna leave without...." "Pat wanted me to give you something." "Just before he died, he said that he really dug you." "Pat socked a little away." "He wanted you to have all of it." "Here it is." "And I need 200 bucks." "And, you know, the usual message:" "Don't spend it all in one spot." "I'll see you, Gret." "What about the account book?" "You want it or what?" "Forget it." "No, wait." "You take that goddamn account book and send it to the biggest newspaper in New Orleans." "You got that?" "That's outstanding." "Hey." "I wish you'd stay a while." "Gretchen, I got a plane to catch." "Harper?" "You're not such a tough guy."