Blue Velvet

"Blue Velvet" by Bobby Vinton

It's a sunny, woodsy day in Lumberton, so get those chainsaws out.

This is the mighty W-O-O-D, the musical voice of Lumberton.

At the sound of the falling tree...

it's 9:30!

There's a whole lotta wood waitin' out there, so let's get goin'.

Mr. Beaumont?

Your son Jeffrey's here to see you.

Hey, Dad.

Do you have a Detective Williams still working here?

Yes, he's up in room 221.

Right up the stairs, through that door.

Thanks.

Detective Williams?

Yes?

My name is Jeffrey Beaumont. I live near you. I believe you know my father Tom?

- Beaumont's Hardware Store? - Sure I do.

I hear he's in the hospital.

- How's he doing? - Well, he's OK, I guess. I hope.

They're doing tests. That's why I'm home from school.

I was at the hospital this morning

and, coming home through the field behind Vista,

I, uh... found an ear.

You did? A human ear?

Yeah. I thought I should bring it to you.

Yeah, that's right. Let's take a look at it.

Yes, that's a human ear, all right.

Let's see what the coroner makes of it.

Then I want you to show me exactly where you found it.

All right.

We'll check the morgue records, but I don't recall anything minus an ear.

The person may very well still be alive somewhere.

What can you tell about the person from the ear?

Once the tests are done, quite a lot.

Sex, blood type, whether the ear came off a dead person.

Also, it looks like the ear was cut off with scissors.

- I'm goin' out for a while. - Do you want the car?

- No, I'm just gonna walk around. - All right.

You're not going down by Lincoln, are you?

No, just around the neighborhood. Don't worry.

OK, honey.

Hello. My name is Jeffrey Beaumont. Is Detective Williams here?

- Oh, yes. Yes, Jeffrey, come on in. - Thanks.

Well, Jeffrey, you found something very interesting.

Very interesting. I know you must be curious to know more.

But I have to ask you not only not to tell anybody about your find,

but also not to ask more about the case.

One day when it's all sewed up,

I'll let you know all the details.

Right now, though, I can't.

I understand. I'm just real curious, like you said.

I was the same way myself when I was your age.

- That's what got me into this business. - Must be great.

It's horrible, too.

I'm sorry, Jeffrey. That's the way it has to be.

Anyway, I know you do understand.

Sure.

- Thanks for the card for Dad. - You're welcome. Nice to meet you.

You, too.

- Say hello to Sandy for me. - We will.

- Good night, Jeffrey. - Good night.

Are you the one that found the ear?

How did you know?

I just know, that's all.

- I remember you from Central. - Are you a senior?

Yup.

- How is Central these days? - Terrible.

- I don't know... boring. - What else is new!

So what are you doin' now?

I'm home from school. My father's in the hospital.

- That's too bad. - Yeah.

What do you know about the ear?

- Didn't Dad say not to talk about it? - Yeah, but you brought it up.

You know anything?

I don't know much but bits and pieces. I hear things.

Yeah?

My room is above my father's office so...

Above your father's office?

- So I heard a few things about the ear. - Uh-huh. And?

Well... there are a couple of cases I get mixed up on.

But one name that keeps coming up is this woman singer.

She lives in an apartment real close to your house.

Close to the field where you found the ear.

It's a strange world, isn't it?

- Yeah. - Where is this apartment?

It's really close by. That's what's so creepy.

They had her under surveillance,

'cept I don't know what they found out 'cause she's not my dad's case. So...

I guess you gotta get back home pretty soon, huh?

Not really. Why?

Well, uh...

- You... wanna see the building. - Yeah.

- Come on, I'll show you. - OK.

Hey, baby! Hey, babe!

That's her building right there.

She lives on the seventh floor.

Come on.

So, uh... what are you gonna do now that you're home?

Help out at my father's hardware store.

They're giving me my own hours, which is nice.

I used to know a kid that lived there.

Had the biggest tongue in the world.

What happened to him?

I don't know. He moved away.

All my old friends are gone.

- You know the chicken walk? - What's that?

That's kind of interesting.

- Coffee time. - Yo!

Hey, Double Ed, where are the overalls?

They're on the bottom shelf, rolled up, where they've always been.

Hey, Ed, how many fingers?

Four.

I still don't know how you do that.

Now listen. You sure you don't need me or this rig for a while?

If you wanna spray for bugs, Jeffrey, it causes us no pain.

Okey-dokey, Double Ed.

- Oh, it's so good to have you back. - Yeah, sure.

You hungry or thirsty, or both?

I don't know.

I'd like to talk to you about somethin'.

Wait just a minute.

Listen. Don't you guys dare say anything to Mike.

- Sure. - It's not what you think, OK?

- Promise? - Whatever you say.

- I don't wanna cause trouble. - I'm here, aren't I?

- He is nice-lookin'. - Yeah.

You ever been to Arlene's?

Of course.

Now are you gonna tell me why we're here?

There are opportunities in life for gaining knowledge and experience.

Sometimes it's necessary to take a risk.

I'll bet someone could learn a lot by getting into that woman's apartment.

You know, sneak in, hide, and observe.

- Sneak into her apartment? - Yeah.

Are you crazy?

Jeffrey, she's possibly involved in murder. This is givin' me the creeps.

Now just settle down. I have a plan which I think will work.

There's very little for you to do, but I do need your help.

Don't you even wanna hear the plan?

Tell me any plan you want, but it's not going any further than this diner.

Sandy,

don't take that attitude.

All right. The first thing I need is to get into her apartment

- and open a window to crawl into later. - How are you gonna do that?

Right out in the car I happen to have some old overalls

and a bug-spraying rig.

I will go to her apartment as a pest-control man.

I will spray her apartment.

You knock on the door, draw her attention away from me,

and I'll jimmy a window.

- And what do I say to her at the door? - You will be a Jehovah's Witness.

I have some Awake! magazines for you.

I don't need very much time, just a few seconds. Whaddaya think?

I don't know.

I mean, it sounds like a good daydream, but... actually doing it's too weird.

- It's too dangerous. - Sandy, let's just try the first part.

No one will suspect us.

No one would think two people like us would be crazy enough to do this.

You have a point there.

Give me at least three minutes.

I can stall if it's more, but I need time to find a good window. All right?

All right.

Let's go.

Here I go.

Wait a minute. What's her name?

Oh, brother, Jeffrey.

Dorothy Vallens, seventh floor.

Look on her mailbox for the number, bright boy.

Thanks.

Dorothy Vallens, seventh floor.

OK. Good luck.

Good luck yourself.

Three minutes. No sooner.

Yes? What is it?

Pest control. I gotta do your apartment.

- That stuff stinks. - This is new stuff. There's no smell.

Good.

Just need to do the kitchen.

Grand Central Station!

It's only the bug man.

- That should do it. - Yeah?

- Are you all right? - Yeah. What happened?

I was about to go to the door when that guy did it for me.

- Was it all right? - Yes and no. Did you recognize him?

I only saw his back. I think he went out a door at the end of the hall.

I didn't get a good look at him either, but he sure looked at me.

I didn't have time to get a window, but I found these keys. Nifty, huh?