Hollywoodland

Now how the hell should I know?

You said he was distraught.

I didn't say I knew why.

I mean, you don't look too happy, either.

Will you excuse me?

That's the fiance of the deceased. Miss Leonore Lemmon.

The one on the end is a house guest. Robert Condon.

The other two are friends, Carol Van Ronkel and Bill Bliss.

Bliss found the body.

- What time the party start? - Just after midnight.

He woke up, came downstairs, 20 minutes, half an hour,

said good night and went back to bed.

The coroner's ruling, it indicated suicide.

Paterson.

Yeah.

The fiance said he was depressed.

Also predicted he would do it.

He went upstairs, she told her pals he was going to shoot himself.

So, why didn't she stop him?

Maybe she believed what she saw on TV.

On TV?

What, him?

Faster than a speeding bullet.

Hmm.

Oh, hi.

I have new information.

Good.

I went to the office on Rossmore.

The office is occupied by an orthodontist.

You can imagine my consternation.

We're setting up in a better location.

It's right off Wilshire, adding an operative.

But delays, phone lines. So, the time being...

We have reason to believe that my wife continues to engage in illicit

carnal relations.

I'm gonna take care of the mail.

Good.

Mr Sinclair.

We did check into that and there was nothing we came up with.

Yes, well, in that regard, I blame myself.

How's that?

My wife became aware of a change in my demeanour

and curtailed her activities accordingly.

- She still at Western Costume? - I drop her off there every morning.

What transpires after that...

- All right, the fee is... - $50 a day.

Three-day minimum, in advance.

We'll do everything we can.

It's not right, you know.

His money.

He's nuts.

Don't give me grief, okay? Nobody said you had to stay in Van Nuys.

You're the one that wanted a backyard.

What did I say?

Disneyland.

He like it?

Russ took him on a canoe, the Indian Village.

Seemed to go all right.

Russ...

Russell.

Rusty...

Am I supposed to ask your permission?

I just want to make sure his intentions are honourable.

- Keeping busy? - Yeah. May be something big.

- You don't believe me? - Oh, I always believed you.

Every time.

Where's Evan?

What's going on?

That actor who shot himself, the one who plays Superman.

- What about him? - It's made him very upset.

He told you that?

Every kid on the block is upset.

Scout. Come on. Your old pops is taking you to school.

What's on your mind, Scout?

Nothing.

Nothing?

Nothing.

You know, things you see on TV,

you know, someone's a cowboy or a spaceman,

it's just pretend, right?

I know.

- You remember we talked about that? - I remember.

Okay.

- Hey, what's this? - I don't know.

Well, why don't you find out?

- Do you like that? - Kind of.

All right, come on, turn the knobs.

2:00 in the morning, I'm thinking, maybe I ain't the best PI in California,

but if I catch a one-eyed Negro Jew

sneaking into a house in Beverly Hills, it's time to pack it in.

Davis is a very talented performer.

What'd Rick do?

What's the matter, Ace? Alpha Beta not hiring any more parking lot guards?

Not with you moonlighting, Chuck.

Study this gentleman. Observe him closely.

The haircut, the getup.

Nobody told him the world don't need two Ralph Meekers.

Listen to him, kid.

And don't start smoking, either. Filthy habit.

This isn't show business, pal.

It's just a job. You punch in every day.

- Let's get out of here. - I'm still eating, Chuck.

Come on.

Sweetheart, cheque please.

Hey, Del.

- Rick working you hard? - Payroll scam at Warners.

- Well, that's real detective work. - I'm a real detective.

Anything you guys throwing away?

- Jesus, Lou... - Look, I'm asking.

The shit you won't touch, come on.

You will?

If it puts me in a Fleetwood bigger than Ricky Harris', yeah.

- He drives a Lincoln. - Come on, Del, feed me something.

- Why should I? - 'Cause you owe me, partner.

What?

What, the guy who used to play Superman? He shot himself, what?

Someone thinks he didn't.

Oh, yeah? Who?

- His mother. - His mother.

- How do you know what she thinks? - She tried to hire us this morning.

What does she have the cops don't?

Look, you like a headline, there's a headline.

What did Rick say?

Maybe you forgot, we're paid to keep things out of the newspaper.

Helen Bessolo. She's in from Illinois.

At the Ambassador. And you don't work for Rick Harris.

- What? - When you pitch her,

you're not an associate, you're not a stringer.

Who said I'm pitching her?

I'm done eating.

Oh, I forgot.

Have one.

- Guess who's a daddy? - It's a boy.

Mrs Bessolo? I'm Louis Simo.

I called.

Our children, yes.

They'll always be our babies.

You work for Mr Harris?

I was an operative at the agency. I branched out on my own.

May I?

Now, there are certain situations

the agency is not prepared to handle.

They come to me.

Your house full of strangers.

- How's that? - The ones there, that night.

Van Ronkel, Bliss. And that woman.

This is Lenore? The fiance?

Leonore.

How could you trust anything they say?

Did he give any indication to you?

About what?

Being, you know,

despondent?

Why would he be?

When was, if I may, the last time you spoke with your son?

Do you know a Herbert Spirakis?

No.

He's also an investigator here. Very professional.

He says I have a case.

Mrs Bessolo, I'm gonna level with you, all right?

LAPD, Los Angeles Police Department, they don't like to be shown up.

Okay, they've already closed the door on your son. It's a suicide. End of story.

You want that door open again?

You want to make the cops and the DA pay attention?

You need a headline this big, only with the truth.

So that everybody knows. Okay? You got to shove it in their faces.

Did Herbert Spirakis tell you that?

I have to pay by cheque.

Five minutes. I didn't let you in.

Hey. The $20?

Right.

Sorry.

Say, you know who people wanted to see? Lana Turner's guy,

- Stompanato. - No kidding.

I tell you, that kid of hers,

the knife was practically sticking out of his ass.

- Think about how hard... - What are these?

Huh?

These marks?

What'd he do, beat himself up before he shot himself?

I don't know.

Don't do that. Hey.

I didn't say you could touch anything.

Don't worry about it.

Put it down, the coroner's gonna be back. You hear?

Okay, that's it, you gotta go.

So, pal, who's T.M.?

Come on, what do you say? You help me, I'll help you.

George. George.

Yes?

Don't order any more drinks, I can't afford it.

We couldn't afford the cover, Nati. Drinks are just gravy. Hello.

Billy Wilder. Hire me, please.

We're two steps from the men's room.

Anyone sees us, they'll think we're queer.

You do look fetching tonight.

- Okay. I'm leaving. - No, you're not.

You're gonna stay right here

and wait for the casting guy from Fox, right there.

You and I are going to practise the fine art of being noticed