Lady in the Lake

.

- -

- Stephan. - Hmm.

I'm Madeline.

Maddie?

That's what you wrote in your letter.

You're right.

I'm Maddie.

Schwartz is your last name.

I saw it in the newspaper,

but you didn't put it in your letter.

I thought Maddie would be more personal.

Or maybe you thought all Polish people are Nazis.

But I'm a Seventh-day Adventist.

Oh.

We follow the Sabbath commandment.

Oh.

Do you keep Sabbath?

No.

My father always kept the Sabbath.

Even during the war.

Was your father a soldier?

A medic.

We're conscientious objectors. We don't bear arms.

And why is that?

Well, because Jesus Christ came into this world

not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

And what about little girls' lives?

Your father sounds like he was a very faithful man.

- Mm-hmm. - Where is he now?

He died when I was seven.

- So sorry to hear that. - What's that?

- It's a tape recorder. - No, I know... I know what it is.

I-I do... I don't want to be recorded.

I thought that you wanted to talk to me

because you felt that we're connected.

I do.

I... I did. I... I mean, I do.

They only would let me come

if they thought this was an interview.

Just jot down some thoughts

so it doesn't look like we're up to no good.

Yeah?

Hmm.

Do you feel connected to other people?

Not recently.

I haven't been able to connect to anybody since I found Tessie's body.

How did you know?

Know what?

Where to find her.

Just chance, I guess.

Why did you leave the body in the lake?

Oh, I didn't.

Then who did?

There was a colored man with you at the store that day.

Who was he?

Stephan.

Mm-hmm.

It's gonna be really hard to connect.

And I know we both are here to connect, right?

It's gonna be really hard if you don't tell me anything truthful.

But you're the one who's lying.

About what?

That it was just chance that got you to look for her there.

You're right.

You're right.

How did you know that place?

It's where you used to go with boys.

- I go there too. - For what?

To watch girls who let boys touch them.

I used to be one of those girls.

- Sorry. I'm sorry. - Last time I was there, I, uh...

- It was before my high school graduation. - I'm sorry.

And I was going with this boy.

It was getting quite serious and he wanted to go all the way.

I wanted to save myself.

You had to pretend to be innocent.

But it do... it doesn't matter.

If you don't keep the Sabbath, being a virgin won't save you.

But Tessie kept the Sabbath

and you still killed her.

I didn't kill Tessie Durst.

Then who did?

Stephan. Stephan.

I know what it's like to pretend to be innocent for other people.

I used to think that was the only way to salvation.

- And what changed your mind? -

Jesus died a virgin and so did I.

I don't understand.

The experiments.

I was a virgin when they made me sick.

Experiments?

Innocence never leaves slowly.

- - It leaves suddenly, abruptly, violently.

Innocence leaves when you discover cruelty.

First in others, then in yourself.

It would have made you sick to know

he was closer to my death than you would ever be.

- - And how close he would bring you to yours.

So?

"Operation Whitecoat."

What the hell is this?

Ongoing secret military program in Fort Detrick, Maryland,

that uses conscientious objectors as human guinea pigs

as a defense for the US against biological warfare.

Fascinating.

Where the fuck is my Zawadzkie story?

You're looking at it.

Reggie?

Reggie?

I dreamed about a dark lady last night.

"A dark lady denotes profitable investments. 366."

I want you gone by Christmas morning, you understand?

You hear me?

Cleo?

Cleo?

Let's go.

Do you think you leaving gon' get you clean? Hmm?

Reggie, I ain't got time. I'm sick and you're not helping me.

You wanna get clean, do it here with me.

You understand?

Or I'll lock you up myself.

Unpack all that shit.

I was ashamed to leave, Maddie.

But more than that, I was ashamed I've never loved anyone

as much as I loved the memory of my father.

Who will I be if I stop waiting for him to come back?

Hey, hey.

I need you to promise me,

what we do today is between you and me.

Okay?

Just you, me and God.

How you be, T-Man?

Morning, Mrs. Tatum. Got somebody in your chair?

No, I'm in between clients, but Charlie already swept by...

Good morning, Mrs. Tatum.

T-Man's mama.

Yeah.

He ain't my responsibility.

And I'm just putting bets, so we got nothing to talk about.

Unless you're here to get your hair under my hot comb.

No, no. I wear wigs,

but I hope that won't keep you from hearing my offer.

Mmm, I make wigs too, sugar.

You know they say a woman's hair is her crowning glory.

Hard to believe sometimes, the things we do to ours.

Oh, please. Ain't no shame in what we do to our hair.

- I'm doing it for my little girl. - Oh, yeah?

Uh-huh. Started with my sisters and now it puts food on my table.

- Food is good. Food is real good. - Mmm. Mmm.

I bet you wouldn't mind owning your own salon.

Oh, you sound like a man with a paper asshole.

- Do I? - Mm-hmm.

My boy tells me you got dreams of opening a parlor in Upton.

What's in a dream?

If we work together, you can have that parlor.

That's $50.

Christmas Eve, you take that, you put it all on 366. Not a dollar more.

That's a big bet.

It's no bet.

You telling me the numbers are rigged?

I'm sure deep down you already knew that.

So?

You don't see me going around telling kids Santa ain't real.

What if they come around asking?

You point at your dream book.

Tell them you dreamt of a dark lady.

A dark lady denotes profitable investments.

Hmm. Three, six, six?

When we win, you keep 20% and I'll take the rest.

What's the catch, sugar?

Your silence.

For $6,000,

I could be as quiet as a mouse in a church full of cats.

You know, 'cause once we win, that's all we are.

Three mice in the same boat.

Anyone finds out, we all drown.

Miss Powder Blue, huh?

- - Oh, you ain't gonna tell me her name?

All you need to know is that I...

- I got us here so that we can do our job, okay? - Our job?

- Our job. - Nigga, our job is to patrol the streets.

Man, I ain't sign up for this.

- Uh-huh. -

A nigga moves up in the world,

the first thing he does is hook himself up with some white trim.

Ain't that right, Officer Platt?

And your point?

Maybe you ain't as clean as you think, brother.

Hey, this the brother I wanted you to meet.

- Gready. - Duke.

- Duke, hey. - Hold on.

What's the bloodline on these birds?

I got some Stichelbauts. I got some Janssens.

500-mile birds I ran at the race from Tennessee.

Came in second place.

Take 'em anywhere in America.

- Anywhere? - Anywhere.

$1.50 a bird.

- Hey, Duke. - Shit!