["Jingle bells" instrumental music playing]
[Sad music playing]
[Thunder rumbling]
[Man] Now, you two have done good so far.
So, keep calm, keep breathing right.
It's almost over.
- What are they saying now? - [Matthew] Shut up.
You shouldn't talk to your wife that way. She's been through a lot.
- [Matthew] Listen here! - No, you listen.
You listen and do exactly what the fuck I tell you to do
or this ends real bad.
Do you see that desk behind you?
Put your fancy fucking suitcase on that desk.
- Not until I see my son. - {Crying}
all right.
They're loading up a car up above,
your kid's in that car.
Put the case on the desk and open it up.
- Oh, oh, oh, okay. Hold on. - [Phone clatters]
[Case unlocks]
[Matthew] I'm here.
We're gonna give you a look.
You see the kid, you run down the street.
Get the kid off the car, don't look back,
and never say a word about it.
[Matthew] He's on the car. Charlie's on the car.
Do we understand each other?
- Yes, yes. - [Emily] Please. Please don't hurt him.
Here it comes.
[Engine roaring]
[People talking]
[Emily] Charlie!
- [Dramatic music playing] - [Phone dings]
[Man] Let's go, let's go!
- [Bell dinging] - [Crashes]
[Engine revving]
- [Emily] Excuse me. - [Matthew] Move, move.
Excuse me.
[Whimpering]
[Crying] Oh, Charlie boy. Charlie boy.
[Matthew] Jesus.
[Emily] Oh, you're such a brave boy.
You're not crying.
[Crying]
[Kissing]
[Emily] Matthew. Matthew.
[Matthew] Yes.
[Emily] What's wrong? What's wrong with him?
[Gasps]
- Charlie! - [Yelling]
Jesus Christ!
[Matthew] Help! Help!
[Matthew] Jesus!
- [Towing] - [Matthew] Help!
[Thunder rumbling]
['30s music playing]
[Strickland] Okay, Mason, here's one for you.
Are you being cheated out of life's thrills?
Probably.
Love, romance, excitement?
Never heard of them.
Mayhaps you should read lipstick girl
by edna robb Webster.
- Never heard of her. - [Man burps]
[Strickland] Hey, what do you know? It begins today.
Forty cents, for two coffees and toast?
How many gallons do you throw in the truck?
- Six. - Six gallons?
[Mason] Three days of meals, another two days of gas.
Oh, yeah. Here we go.
Chapter one.
"The pappe & son department store,
the largest mercantile establishment in mitchelfield
- was arousing itself noise..." - S. S. Chubby's setting sail.
- Hey. Come on. - Say goodbye to edna.
Get out in front of him, I'll follow from behind.
- Lot of behind to follow. - Go.
[Door chimes]
- [Mason] You're kidding me. - [Audience laughing]
[Strickland] We get to go to the movies.
[Audience laughing]
Cut it out now.
[Strickland] Fucking horse kicking him in the ass,
how do you not find that hilarious?
I grew up on a farm.
[Engine rattling]
Steering's all loose.
- What'd you do to it? - I didn't do anything.
You know, maybe chubby's keeping it clean 'cause he's seen
this milk truck following him around town.
If you don't have a car, don't complain.
[Strickland] Not my fault, ruthie broke the axle.
[Mason] Another complaint.
Just 'cause the guy has a high-pitched voice,
that's no reason to Rob a guy of his livelihood.
He brought a lot of joy to a lot of people.
Well, he's not bringing me any.
Three days waiting for him to stick his dick in something.
Studio signs him to a contract, they should honor it.
Who cares what he does with his pants off?
Walt lebaron cares, that's who.
He's the one who's paying you.
Morals clause, shmorals clause.
Whole town needs a shot in the dick.
Hey, heading right.
[Engine stops]
[Strickland] Hey.
[Velma] Hi, chubby.
- [Chubby] Well, hello, red. - [Velma chuckles]
[Strickland] Oh, wow.
Here we go.
Hey, how about I have a look? You stay in the truck?
- Sure. - [Car door opens]
[Car door closes]
You know, that's your problem. You get no pleasure out of life.
- Shut up. - Shut up.
[Velma laughing]
[Suspenseful music playing]
[Rattling]
[Velma laughing]
[Velma moaning softly]
[Door creaks and closes]
[Velma moaning softly]
- [Velma chuckling] - [Chubby talking softly]
[Glass shatters]
[Chubby laughing]
[Kissing]
[Camera shutter clicks]
[Both moaning]
- [Chubby grunts loudly] - [Velma screams in excitement]
[Velma laughing] Oh, god. Oh, god.
[Camera shutter clicks]
[Mason] Pete, start the truck!
- Pete, start the car! - [Velma screaming]
- [Engine turns over] - [Chubby] Son of a bitch!
[Chubby] I'll get you, you prick!
You sons of bitches!
I'm going to kill you, you cocksuckers.
[Chubby] Oh, yeah!
[Strickland chuckling] Chubby, you glorious bastard!
He threw a shoe at me.
I'm your biggest fan!
[Pleasant music playing]
[Mason] Evening, rigoberto. Can you open the gate?
- [Airplane engine roars] - I can if you say it.
[Engine running]
Something about a clown.
[Airplane engine roaring]
[Speaking Spanish]
Does it have to be in Spanish?
This whole place used to be Spanish.
[Gate creaking open]
[Gate creaking closed]
[Sighs]
[Birds chirping]
[Creaks]
- [Sighs] - [Shuts]
[Sighs]
- [Cow moos] - [Man speaking Spanish]
[Mason] Shit.
[Mason] What are you doing? Trying to get yourself killed?
You want some breakfast?
[Men speaking Spanish]
[Scoffs]
[Mason clicking tongue]
[Mooing]
Here, get up, get up.
Good girl. Good girl. Good girl.
[Mason] Eat your hay. Stay off the runway.
[Moos]
Come on.
[Moos]
Now, stay.
Not you.
They don't want me around either.
[Flies buzzing]
- [Men talking] - [Banging]
[Snoring]
I'd have said it was over when the talkies came.
But clearly,
the man still has a lot to offer the world.
[Mason] How did you get in here?
"The clown carries you."
He just... he just gave you the password?
Well, I'm a very persuasive lawyer.
- You forget that sometimes. - Yup. [Grunts]
I try and forget a lot of things.
At some point, you got to admit this isn't working out.
What do you mean?
Let me speak for the dead
and say your parents didn't want this for you.
[Urinating] The farm's still here.
You got pans on their bed.
- What do you want, e.B.? - [Flushes]
[E.b. Jonathan] Herman baggerly called me last night.
I called you, you don't answer.
Who's Herman baggerly?
Major player, boyo. Lumber, real estate,
one of the fattest bank accounts in the city.
What's he doing with you, then?
I've helped him in the past.
Certain business matters,
which require discretion and finesse.
[Mason] Yeah, 20 bucks a billable hour?
Well, a man has to eat.
And I'd say we both understand that.
And you need me why, e.B.?
Because some friend of his is in trouble,
the police are involved and you're good at your job.
3:00 pm. At my office.
I don't know, I got a lot going on today.
The chubby thing, and I'm due in court.
I'm getting paid to serve as a material witness.
That frank Dillon case.
Deep pockets on baggerly.
- Opportunity for both of us. - Yeah? Is he looking to buy
a two-cow dairy in the middle of an airport?
You're really thinking to sell?
[Sighs] I haven't seen you in...
Three months, e.B.
Well, it's been quiet out there, boyo.
I don't deny it.
But this is alive one.
3:00 pm, wear your good suit.
This is my good suit.
And there's egg on your tie.
[Lebaron chuckling]
[Lebaron] Oh, boy.
Yeah, that's him all right.
No question of moral relativity here.
I mean, that's...
That's food.
- Pumpkin pie, I'm pretty sure. - I blame his agent.
I mean, I got nothing against the guy myself,
you understand, but...
I'm not here to judge anyone, Mr. Lebaron.
I just wanna get paid.
Ah! I will have someone out you a check.
- [Phone dials] - Business affairs, please, Mitch.
What did we say, 200? [Clicks fingers]
We did say that. Of course, that was for pictures
of chubby Carmichael but,
these happen to be pictures of, velma Fuller,
or should I call her "red"?
[Man] Business affairs.
Hello? Hello...
[Lebaron] Okay.
How much did you have in mind?
Five hundred seems fair.
- Don't be ridiculous. - Fine, make it six,
- that's serious... - You got some fucking nerve.
Nerve and these nasty, nasty pictures
of your up-and-coming starlet.
Okay.
[Sighs] I'm gonna have to walk this up to Mr. Hammersmith.
Be sure to send him my regards.
Mason...
You've got an egg stain on your tie.
[Sighs] Yeah, turns out it's mustard.
- [Virgil] How was your Christmas? - Yeah, it came and went.
My wife's folks came by on the day.
Her mom brought a fruitcake, could have been used by the pharaohs.
Kids cried when I made them eat it.
You got a kid, right?
Yeah, lives with his mom.
Well, you spent Christmas with him, right?
- No. - Well, how come?
Are you, lonely or something, Virgil?
[Mason] He went out happy.
Well, if happy's drowning in panties and a matching bra,
yeah, why not?
He was wearing man clothes on the outside.
What's with that?
Oh, my next patient.
Kidnapping gone way wrong.
Worst thing you ever seen.
What do you know what I've seen?
[Dragging]
How's this?
I like it better than the suit.
I got a domestic stabbing with a three piece, if you want.
[Bostwick] Mr. Mason, in what capacity were you hired by the defense?
I was hired as a private investigator.
And is that, these private investigations,
the current means by which you earn a living?
- You know it is, fenton. - [Clears throat]
Pardon me. Yes, Mr. Bostwick.
[Bostwick] Now, am I correct in asserting
were recently cited for assault?
- Mr. Mason. - I'm sorry. What?
A complaint for assault.
This is irrelevant, your honor.
I'm sure that you resent this line...
No, what I resent is Alvin rutherford showing up repeatedly
and offering me pennies on the dollar for a home
my father built with his own hands.
Tragic, Mr. Mason, but assault?
I threw a cow pie at him.
[Chucang]
That's funny.
However, far less amusing
is the dishonorable end to your military career.
That has nothing to do with this trial.
A blue discharge for conduct unbecoming.
Would you care to elaborate on that, Mr. Mason?
- Was that a mistake? - Feel free to jump in, frank.
Objection.
- Question of relevance. - You're goddamn right.
[Judge Ross] Sustained.
- Watch the god talk, sir. - Sorry.
[Bostwick] Nothing further, your honor.
[Mason] E.B. Send you 'cause he thought I forgot the way to the office?
[Della] The meeting's changed.
We're going to Pasadena now.
We are? Fine, we can take my truck.
We could if the plan was to make the world's worst impression.
Oh, I don't have to plan for that. That happens naturally.
I'll say, you were just four words from contempt of court.
Go fuck yourself. I could have got that in.
Thus demonstrating your masterful knowledge
- of legal decorum. - Frank Dillon is sitting there
like a monument to the useless and the judge is concerned
with my decorum? Why didn't he hold him in contempt?
Because I sure as hell did.
Letting him dig into me like that.
A fucking peanut vendor would have known to object.
- So many windmills, so little time. - [Scoffs]
How are you today, miss street?
Peachy.
How are you, Mr. Mason?
[Baggerly] I wasn't expecting a congregation.
I rely on miss street
to keep the facts straight, Herman.
Do you intend to take notes, miss?
That's generally what I do.
Unless you object.
And you're a detective, Mr. Mason?
It's a fancy word for a busybody, but yes.
We've been working together since... when was it?
Just after the war.
Gave him his firstjob back from France,
- isn't that right, Perry? - [Baggerly] You served overseas?
With lots of other farm boys.
Mr. Mason was in the army,
survived the battle of the argonne.
How can we help you, Mr. Baggerly?
It's not me that needs help, Mr. Mason.
Matthew and Emily dodson,
an unspeakable act...
Was visited upon them, they're quite ovennhelmed.
[E.b. Jonathan] Consider us at their service.
Friends of yours?
Members of my church.
Working people without many resources.
[E.b. Jonathan] Well, god has put you in their path.
Is this a...
[Baggerly] Radiant assembly of god.
Right. On the radio.
Sister Alice.
A woman of wonder-working power.
I won't hesitate to say that she changed my life.
Do the dodsons know you contacted me, Herman?
They're anxiously awaiting your guidance, Elias.
What about the police?
How's that?
Well, they'll be on this hammer and tongs.
Why not leave it to them?
[Baggerly sighs]
I'll be frank, Mr. Mason.
I don't trust the Los Angeles police department
to do the job that's needed.
Neither would I.
- [People shouting] - [Police siren]
[Holcomb] So you found this upstairs?
[Matthew] I told you, my wife did.
- I was at work. - And she called you?
Yeah. Hysterical.
Why'd neither one of you call the police?
Read the note.
You can read, can't you?
So your wife finds the note,
calls you, what she do next?
[Matthew] How should I know? Ask her.
[Ennis] We'll get to her in a minute.
[Holcomb] You own a grocery store,
much money in that?
What?
Nice house for a grocer. It can't be cheap to maintain.
- [Matthew] What's that supposed to mean? - [Holcomb] How long does it take to get
- from the grocery store to here? - [Matthew] What difference does it make?
- Easy, Matthew. - How... are you suggesting
I had something to do with it?
- What the hell? - Just covering all angles, Mr. Dodson.
Where was I? Who saw me? I didn't kidnap my son.
- I didn't murder my own son. - [E.B. Jonathan] No one is saying
- you did. - Well, he is!
He's dancing around, but that's what he fucking thinks.
[E.b. Jonathan] Maybe this is a good time for a little break.
Sound okay to you, detective holcomb?
Yeah. Why not?
Get some fresh air.
[Matthew] It's all right. You treated me like... you can't...
- You can't just walk... - [E.B. Jonathan] Easy now, Matthew.
Let's have a little drink of cold water, shall we?
[Matthew] Water. Right, great idea. That'll fix everything.
[E.b. Jonathan] This is all part of the process.
[Matthew] Are you kidding? Look out there, it's a goddamn zoo.
[Stairs creaking]
[Camera shutter clicks]
[Suspenseful music playing]
[Clicks]
[Reeling]
[Clicks]
[Children talking in distance]
[Lighter clicks]
[Emily] Are you the man that works with Mr. Jonathan?
Yes, ma'am.
Perry.
I'm Emily dodson.
Charlie's mother.
Offer you a cigarette, Mrs. Dodson?
If you promise not to tell my husband.
Wouldn't dream of it.
[Lighter clicks]
[Exhales]
[Emily] Thank you.
You were in the war, weren't you?
The way you hold your cigarette.
Hiding the Ember in your palm.
I guess I'm still trained not to give them something to shoot at.
Was your husband over there?
Brother.
I haven't seen him since we left Missouri.
I really wish they'd let me clean in here.
All this fingerprint dust...
Can't help feeling that it...
Reflects poorly on me somehow.
Oh, I don't think poorly of you.
God does.
That's why I'm being punished.
Do you have children, Mr. Perry?
It's Mason. Perry is my first name.
I have a son.
What's his name?
Theodore.
Teddy.
How old?
Nine in February.
Charlie likes turtles.
Liked.
What's your boy fond of?
Firetrucks.
I bet.
Nine is a good age for a boy.
[Crying]
I'm sorry.
[Typing]
[Mason] Yeah, fine, he's a hothead,
but he's a little too touchy if you ask me.
And her?
She was just sitting downstairs the whole time?
[E.b. Jonathan] She told the detectives she gave the boy a bath,
put him to bed,
fell asleep by the fire listening to the radio.
[Della] Actually, she puts Charlie to bed,
goes downstairs to clean up the kitchen,
goes back upstairs to check on him
then goes downstairs and falls asleep
listening to the radio.
She doesn't twitch an eyelid
while someone creeps into her house and nabs her kid?
- You think she's a drinker? - [Della] No. She's a mother.
Feeding, changing, burping, screaming,
you wouldn't last a minute.
[Mason] Is this something you know about?
[Della] Call it an educated guess.
All right. You're the kidnapper,
you have to case that house long enough to know
Matthew's hours at the grocery store,
the time Emily gives Charlie the bath,
then puts him down,
then falls asleep herself.
Unless you have someone on the inside.
Oh, so you agree with the police.
You think the dodsons had something to do with it.
- I'm not agreeing with anyone. - I sure hope not.
I've stood with those two.
That's grief, not guilt.
I'm just pointing out that someone knew
they were good for a hundred grand.
How do you figure that from a guy
who sells pickled cucumbers and aftershaves?
It's queer from both sides.
[Della] And the baby.
Someone stood over Charlie and stitched those eyes.
Yeah, it's a dark tone,
long, long, deep, dark tone.
Wipe it off, gentles.
We do what we're asked to do.
Well, that's easy for you to say.
Detectives aren't gonna like me over their shoulder on this.
And I got a license that could get pulled.
[E.b. Jonathan] So you don't want the job?
- Did I say that? - [E.B. Jonathan chuckles]
Bring me a signature and a check.
Cheer up.
Someone might throw a shoe at you.
And you, get your hands off my liquor and yourself
down to the angel's flight in the morning.
Be my eyes, son.
Time and a half.
- It's new year's Eve. - Earn it.
- [Banging] - [Lupe moaning in pleasure]
[Creaking]
[Lupe moaning in pleasure]
[Objects clattering]
[Lupe gasping]
[Lupe] Very good, papi.
[Cow mooing]
I think she's jealous of me.
Did you bring some more of that Tequila?
It's called mescal.
And if you want some, you better get it yourself.
I ain't your fucking help.
[Effort grunts]
[Lupe chuckles]
Either take them off or put them back on, papi.
Make up your mind.
What are you in a rush for?
- I need sleep. - Sleep here.
I sleep in my own bed.
I'll give you 6,000 for this dump.
Ha, ha! Six thousand and she won't even sleep here.
It's a fair price.
It's a price.
It's a great fucking price.
You don't even have citrus.
You know I'm working this one.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
It's a big case.
You don't usually do the bigs.
I'm doing this one.
- [Sighs] Six thousand five hundred. - [Chuckles]
Enjoy your bed.
[Door closes]
[Man] And right there, in that very window,
sat the boy's parents.
- Watching, hoping, tragically unaware... - [Camera shutter clicks]
That their tiny innocent was already ascending to heaven
in the clutches of this demon.
This instrument of death.
Thank you, ma'am. Happy new year, sir.
[Woman] Happy new year! Horror at angel's flight,
baby murdered, read all about it.
[Whistle blows]
[Bell dinging]
[Clicking]
- [Gun cocking] - [Mason gasps]
[Holcomb] Looking for something?
[Ennis] Close the blinds, Steve.
Maybe I couldn't see him so good and shot him by accident.
Look, fellas, if I... interrupted
some sort of tender moment, I sincerely apologize.
Guy's a laugh riot.
Take it easy with that thing.
What the hell are you doing here, Mason?
You gotta know something stinks around dodson
or else you wouldn't be here.
Get paid to look into things. That's what I'm doing.
Hell with this. We got him on a b&e.
Let's run him in, torch his license.
- Get the fuck off me. - [Holcomb] Settle down.
Ease up, god damn it.
You got something says dodson's clean,
you'll be doing him a favor by letting us know.
[Man in car] ...Tiny innocent was already ascending to heaven.
Right after the dodsons found little Charlie dead,
a green phaeton goes tearing up hill street,
clipped the trolley.
[Holcomb] You think that's our kidnapper?
Where did you get this phaeton shit?
Traffic cop working the bottom of the flight.
He didn't think anything of it at the time
because most cops are stupid.
Go check it out.
[Door closes]
Your ape almost broke my camera.
My ape would've broke yourjaw.
- Here. - What's that?
For the car thing.
[Scoffs] Save it for a better sketch artist.
Man in hat? That sure narrows it down.
What about the guy on the phone or the one in the car?
Halfway to rio is my guess.
Is that why you like dodson for it?
Got to arrest somebody.
So you tie him up in a bow and put yourself up for promotion.
- That's tidy. - Listen to you,
pissing on my five bucks because some sap thinks
you can play cop?
I already got the entire city standing on my neck.
So you enjoy the view while you're up here
with the real police because I'm gonna nail dodson.
And when I do, you're back on the bottom,
feeding off runaways and cheaters.
[Holcomb] Lock up when you leave.
[Door closes]
[Man on car] Tragically unaware
their tiny innocent was already ascending to heaven.
[Camera shutter clicks]
Mason here, any messages?
[Diane] Mr. Strickland called, read me
three paragraphs of something called lipstick girl,
I did not write them down.
Anything else?
Just Walt lebaron.
Hammersmith pictures requests the honor of your presence
at his new year's party.
Two tickets for you at the door, business to discuss.
All right. Thanks, Irma.
Diane, god damn it.
Yeah. Yeah, I know.
We got five minutes and you owe me four bucks.
You said two.
Two for him, two for me.
That's four.
Happy new year.
[Clicks]
[Dragging]
[Singing] It makes no difference
if it's sweet or hot, hot, hot
just give that rhythm everything you've got...
What the fuck am I doing here?
You're getting paid.
[Crowd cheering]
[Strickland] Looks like Groucho Marx.
Lovely ladies, kind gentlemen, welcome.
1931 was gangbusters for hammersmith pictures.
1932 is gonna be even better
because the brightest stars in the sky live right here,
- Mr. Dusty Rogers... - [Strickland] Oh, shit.
Hero of the prairies.
[Strickland] Shorter than I thought.
They must use really small horses in the movies.
[Hammersmith] Ladies, how do you like the continental...
Hey... what are you gonna do with your 300?
I'm gonna get a new pair of shoes.
Maybe some... Are you listening to me?
I say something, then you say something,
that's how conversation works, Perry.
He's scaring the Jesus out of me right now.
Mr. Petre lupu.
[Crowd clapping]
I don't think you're getting into the spirit of the thing.
I saw the kid, Pete.
The thread.
- You all right? - Yeah.
[Hammersmith] If you should be happening to be living
- next to miss america. - Yeah.
[Crowd laughs]
[Hammersmith] I call her the sweetest piece of strudel I've ever seen.
I'll be back.
But you're gonna call her red, miss velma Fuller.
[Crowd whistling]
Just a little, right there.
I'm sorry, Clara, I can't help myself.
Anyway, listen. Happy new year...
No champagne tonight?
Just the cash, Walt.
Can we do it this year?
Go see a hammersmith picture. Thank you all.
Okay, Mason.
Okay. Let's get you paid.
[Amusing instrumental music playing]
[Hammersmith] You know what we have here?
Plenty of nothing?
[Hammersmith] Ten thousand square foot of it.
Why? Because I'm waiting on a ten-million-dollar line
of credit from the Irving trust.
I liked it better when we were bandits
on the I am from the picture patents company.
Let's see what you got.
With people starving on breadlines.
The negatives?
They're somewhere safe.
Oh, okay.
[Sighs]
[Hammersmith] Nice lighter. Here's the thing...
We said 200.
Six hundred is fair,
because I can get that from the teller, easy.
Let me tell you how I see it.
People are desperate out there, Mason.
They're starving, scared, hopeless.
And for one little nickel, what do we give them?
The two hours in the dark,
singing, dancing,
laughter, tears, romance...
Hope.
And here you come on new year's Eve
and what you wanna do
is take these poor suffering people's hope away
- for 400 measly bucks? - I can be flexible on the price.
It's not about the price.
It's the principle.
200 like we agreed
minus...
199 for all the bullshit.
You need to think about your actions.
You need to decide what kind of person...
You wanna be.
And the negatives
when you have a chance.
- [Mason grunts] - [Sizzling]
[Groans]
[Grunts]
[Door closes]
[Mason] Fuck.
[Amusing instrumental music playing]
[People laughing]
You get it? Did you get the 600?
- There. - The fuck is this, a dollar?
- I think I overplayed it. - No, Christ.
- No, no, no. - I'm sorry, Pete.
I got a family to feed.
[All cheering]
And fuck you.
[Black hat] Relax, he'll be here.
He got a hot date, maybe?
[Black hat] Uh-oh, touched a nerve.
I'm starting to think he doesn't like us.
Why are you still wearing that hat?
Your picture's on every front page in town.
It's a fedora.
- One and half million in Los Angeles. - [Sighs]
It looks good on me.
None of this was part of the plan.
So jump off a pier and swim to Tahiti.
I'll take your share.
My share of what? A noose?
[Black hat] No one's getting strung out.
[Fireworks bursting]
I should've run.
The second I saw Charlie done like that.
His eyes, Jesus.
I should've run.
We all should have.
But we didn't, did we, killer?
[Door opens]
Evening, gentlemen. Sorry I'm late.
Bunch of drunk sambos blocking up the road singing and dancing.
Spooks were so fucking happy,
I didn't have the heart to crack any skulls.
[Man] Let's get this over with.
[Ennis] No auld lang syne?
Okay.
What the fuck?
[Gunshots]
[Coughing]
They made the car.
- [Gun cocking] - [Bullet casings clatter]
[Spurting]
[Choking]
[Door opens, closes]
Fuck. Fuck.
[Dramatic music playing]
[Effort grunts]
[Fireworks whistling]
[Panting]
[Door rattling]
[Yelling]
[Fihuds]
[Linda] Mailman said it's a stamp short,
wants me to pay for it. I said I'd love to pay for it
except my bum of an ex hasn't sent me money a month.
Yeah, it's been tight, you know?
I haven't... I don't know
why the fuck I am arguing with you about this,
just put him on the phone.
He's already in bed.
Well, then, wake him up.
I'm his... I'm his father.
I get to talk to my son on new year's Eve.
That was already last year.
It's new year's day.
- Put him on the fucking phone, lin... - [Line disconnects]
[Sighs]
[Music playing]
How long have you been standing there?
Long enough to see you make a jackass of yourself.
She hung up on me.
You never call the ex on new year's Eve, papi.
Hello, operator?
Could I get, a long distance call?
City of salinas, axminister 7-7181.
What the hell happened to you?
All right. Well, I was just on that line,
it is... it is the number of a heartless woman,
but there is nothing wrong with her ears,
so keep it ringing.
You know, my second husband tracked me down to Caracas, so,
I had to pull my little .22 on him.
They only shot the pendejo in...
Just a little longer, please?
Do you... do you have kids, operator?
Do you have a heart?
No heart.
[Hangs up phone]
Listen...
I'm flying straight to oaxaca.
Knocking back some mescal,
chewing on chapulines by sunset
next to someone dumb and good-looking next to me, so...
I thought of you.
Love, romance, excitement? Hmm?
All of... all of life's big thrills.
Maybe you can get cleaned up first.
Everybody's up to something.
Everybody's got an angle, hiding something.
And everybody is guilty.
[Chucang]
[Softly] Fuck.
[Smashing]
They don't make these things so good.
[Bat clatters]
[Sighs]
Poor papi.
[Kisses]
There is a black angel out there.
A big, big, black angel
with long fingers.
[Door opens, closes]
[Sighs] Fuck.
[Sighs]
[Instrumental music playing]
So you like turtles?
[Dramatic music playing]