Still of the Night

Doctor, I, uh, feel I have to tell you that

this has to be my last session with you.

I got fired yesterday.

Look, what's the use, huh?

I can't afford this sort of thing anymore.

Mr. Harris, do you really believe I'd stop seeing you now, at a time like this,

just because you couldn't afford it?

I think it's something we should go into in the next session.

Sure thing.

Next Thursday at 4:00, right?

Right.

Dr. Rice, this is Nick Dine.

I can't make my 11:00 session tomorrow. I'll see you next week.

Hi, Sam. It's Sarah here.

I'm just calling to let you know that the divorce is final.

Um, I hope you like your new apartment.

If there's anything you need...

Well, Bucky, it's not the '78 playoff game.

Dr. Rice?

My name is Brooke Reynolds. I was a friend of George Bynum.

I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment.

I promise I won't take much time.

Certainly.

Come in.

Sit down.

I was sorry to hear about George.

When something like this happens...

Dr. Rice, George left this in my apartment.

And before I could return it to him I heard that he had been...

That he was dead.

I...

I thought his wife should have it.

I don't know her. I mean, I've met her once or twice, but...

I'm... What I'm trying to say is

I don't think she knows anything about George and me.

And I don't see any reason why she should be hurt by this now.

I thought if...

If you could return it to her

and not mention anything about me.

I thought you could say that he left it here in, in your office,

the last time he was here or...

Wouldn't it have been simpler if you had just mailed it to her?

Do you want to talk about this?

Yes, yes. I need someone...

Excuse me. Yes.

Uh, Dr. Rice, uh, I tried to call you this morning, uh,

but there wasn't any answer.

I'm Detective Joseph Vitucci, Homicide, Central.

I wonder...

Oh! Oh, I'm terribly sorry.

- Don't worry about it. - Can I pay you?

So stupid of me. Stupid...

Could you step into the waiting room, please.

I'll be with you in a moment.

Here. Why don't you use this door?

No one will see you leave. I've got it.

Miss Reynolds...

Thank you.

Okay.

Dr. Rice.

Joseph Vitucci, Detective First Class, Homicide Central.

How do you do?

I appreciate your taking the time.

It's all right. Sit down.

You're a psychologist, huh?

- Psychiatrist. - Oh.

All right.

I-A-T-R-I-S-T.

That's right.

And George Bynum was your patient, huh?

Yes.

Now. How long have you been treating him?

Twice a week for two years.

And, uh, last time you saw him?

Thursday the 22nd, 5:30.

Do you mind?

Okay. Now, anything happened like, you know, threats, attempts on his life...

Anything that he mentioned, dah dah, dah dah, dah dah, you know?

No.

Okay. Uh, how about anybody he was having trouble with?

Nothing.

What exactly was it that you were treating the deceased for?

I'm sorry, that's confidential information.

Okay.

Uh, but if you think of anything that's, uh, not confidential,

I would appreciate it if you would give me a call.

Sure.

Uh, listen, Dr. Rice. If I were you, I'd be careful for a little while.

What I mean is, if I thought you knew something about George Bynum's death,

the guy that killed him might get the same idea.

January 4th, first session with George Bynum.

Referred by Jack Berger, 47, married, good health.

Works at Crispin's, the auction gallery.

He said the pre-Columbian statue on my desk was a cheap copy.

Told me I watered the plants too much,

finally admitted he was having trouble sleeping.

I'm afraid I've really done it this time!

My assistant quit, and...

God, I... I'd promised the job to a girl who works with me.

I mean we, we'd been having a...

You know.

Well, anyway, yesterday afternoon

this woman came walking into my office, and I don't know why but,

before I knew what was happening, I'd offered her the job.

Her name's Brooke Reynolds. She's very shy, very subdued.

I really am in a lot of trouble.

March 22nd.

Crispin's is handling the Maddow Estate.

He's a big collector of antiquities.

Mostly Archaic Greek and Coptic.

There's a lot of cataloging to be done.

Here.

Take it.

Mmm.

See, you can hold it, you can touch it, you can feel it.

You don't have to be afraid of it.

It's so beautiful.

How long do you think it took him to make that?

Oh, three or four days, I should say.

Mmm-hmm.

Now, here's a man who lived 500 years before Christ,

who probably didn't even know how to read and write,

who never went more than a few miles beyond his village.

And yet, he has made something that has outlived Caesar,

has outlived Lorenzo De Medici, has outlived Napoleon.

And if you don't drop it, it will outlive you and me.

Hi, I'm sorry I'm late. I got a call from a patient.

- Oh, God! - You're not dressed.

Mother, I'm sorry. I just forgot all about it.

Hmm.

What's that supposed to mean?

It's supposed to mean "hmm," that's all.

It's not like you to forget Uncle Charlie's party.

You're his favorite.

Got a lot of work to do.

Sam, is something wrong?

No, I'm fine.

Have you, uh, heard from Sarah lately?

Yeah.

- She called to say the divorce was final. - Hmm.

Do me a favor, don't start that "hmm" stuff again, okay? I'm in no mood for it.

Look. Just tell Uncle Charlie I'm sorry I couldn't make it.

Oh, come on, Sam. Uncle Charlie's not so bad.

Besides, how long is it since you've gone out and seen people?

I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I don't need a social director.

All right, Sam, what's happening?

I lost a patient.

What happened?

A guy named George Bynum.

It was all over the Daily News. Stabbed to death.

Oh, that's awful!

You want to know the truth? I'll tell you the truth.

I think he would have been better off seeing a priest or a rabbi.

Oh, come on, Sam!

Instead of paying 75 bucks an hour to a doctor

who can't even hold his own marriage together!

Now, you listen to me.

I'm not talking mother-son, I'm talking shrink to shrink.

When a man's wife leaves him after

- seven years of marriage... - Eight!

Eight years of marriage, there's supposed to be some kind of emotional reaction.

He's supposed to feel a lot of pain.

He's supposed to feel a lot of anger.

It's not particularly pleasant, but he's got to go through it.

- But what... - But, in my case...

I'm creating an elaborate system of highly structured activities

so I can avoid dealing with my own emotions.

But then there's nothing really new about that, is there?

Okay?

Just tell Uncle Charlie I can't make it, and I'll take a rain check.

April 15th. I think George Bynum is in some kind of trouble.

At today's session he was distracted and upset.

Uh, listen, Doctor.

Let me ask you a question. Okay?

I mean, just hypothetically.

Now what if, uh, you found out

that someone you knew had actually killed somebody

and, uh, because her family is rich, um, nobody found out about it?

Actually, I'm the only one who knows about it.

Except for you.

Anyway, uh, what I wanted to know is if somebody'd

done something like that before, killed somebody,

is it likely that, uh, they would do it again?

Angelo?

Angelo?

Anybody out there?

Who's there?

Dr. Rice?

What happened to the lights?

I don't know. Somebody must have pulled the wrong switch.

Are you all right?

I'm fine, fine.

Oh, the doorman said you might be down here.

I'm very sorry if I'm disturbing you, but...

I felt very, very badly about breaking that figurine in your office this afternoon,

so I... I brought you...