Mulholland Falls (1996) Movie Script
1
Good evening, gentlemen.
Can I check your hats, please?
Gentlemen?
Gentlemen.
Got caught like a bear trap.
You want to play or do you
want to pay? I got a great girl.
Jack Flynn?
Here you go, buddy.
Buy yourself a good time.
- They'll let anybody in here.
- Mr. Flynn, I'm Maxwell Hoover.
I'm with the Los Angeles
Police Department.
That means I get change back.
Are you still here?
What is it gonna cost me?
I came here to deliver a message.
Your presence is required
back in Chicago.
It's cold in Chicago,
which is why I came out here.
Is Mr. Flynn being
charged with a crime?
What are you, his lawyer?
No, but I'm represented
by a good one.
What's my friend being charged with?
He did things in Chicago.
I beat all that, pal.
I beat those indictments.
Jimmy, hit him in the nuts!
Let's go. Get him outta here.
You guys are making a big mistake.
Where are we going?
The airport.
You're going to the airport, Jack.
You gotta get back to Chicago
as soon as possible.
This ain't the way to the airport.
This is it.
Yeah. This is it.
This is what?
This is Mulholland Falls, Jack.
Mulholland Falls?
It's kind of like Niagara Falls.
Come on! There ain't no falls in L.A.
You guys can't do this.
This is America.
This isn't America, Jack.
This is L.A.
I thought we weren't
gonna do this anymore.
- Do what?
- This.
Come on, let's go.
Jack?
Maybe he's dead.
He's not dead,
he's looking right at us.
Jack, are you dead?
He's alive.
Now, Jack, we don't have
organized crime in L.A.,
and frankly, we don't
want organized crime.
So here's what I want you to do.
I want you to look around
and remember this
because this will always be
your way back to Chicago.
Mulholland Falls.
Lee.
Now, that's a thought.
- Hey, Max.
- Kate.
- Lili.
- Hi.
We were just discussing husbands.
I'm trying to find
a new one for Lili.
- Do you know any?
- Jeez, Lili.
Only guys I know are
cops and bad guys.
Thanks, Pete.
And I don't know if I can
recommend either one.
How about Eddie Hall?
- Eddie Hall?
- Yeah.
Eddie Hall. No.
He's been married five times.
- You see what I mean?
- Yeah.
I'm sorry I was late, Kate, but we
had a little accident up in the hills.
No, no, no, Kate.
You know I got two flat feet.
Come on.
Excuse us, Lili.
- I love you.
- I love you, too.
- You the foreman?
- Yeah.
Where are we out here? What is this?
We're in a new housing subdivision.
You ever think about who those people
are that are gonna live way out here?
No.
Me, neither.
All right, guys,
I'll take it from here.
- No pictures till I tell ya.
- Whatever you say.
Hey, Doc.
Max, I should've stayed in bed.
Are you in charge of this operation?
Yeah, this part I am.
You got any heavy
equipment around here
that could press a woman
into the ground like that?
A big roller maybe.
Seems like that would've
chewed her up more.
- Is this the way you found her?
- Yeah. We didn't touch it.
Yeah, she was just like this.
Why don't you step over there,
an officer will take your full statement.
Jesus, Milt.
There's nothing to hold on to.
Okay,
roll her over and see
what she looks like.
Jesus.
- You okay, Max?
- Yeah.
Step aside, boys.
Let me get a couple.
Jeez, what a mess.
- Check under her fingernails.
- Okay.
How'd she die?
It's like she jumped off a cliff.
There's no cliff out there.
Somebody moved her?
She wasn't moved.
She died just where you found her.
Doc, did you see this?
What is it?
Looks like glass.
"A Farewell to Arms."
"By Ernest Hemingway."
You know the way this guy writes,
he never talked to a
woman in his life.
When did you ever read Hemingway?
He thinks they all want
to be called "my darling."
And what they really want is?
What they really want is a man
that'll listen to their stomachs.
Max, don't drool on me.
- Come on.
- What's the matter?
I'm sorry.
What's wrong?
Tell me.
We found a dead girl in the Valley.
She was broken into 30 pieces.
Couldn't even pick her up.
Who is she?
Nobody.
Just a girl.
Just a girl.
I'm sorry, Kate.
Can you believe that?
The D.A. won't indict Kroyle.
What's wrong with this country?
A guy chops up his parents with an
axe and doesn't get the gas chamber?
How can you plea bargain
something like that?
His fingerprints are all
over the murder weapon.
That places him at the
scene of the crime.
They won't indict.
It doesn't make any difference.
I knew that D.A. when he
was a bagman for Jack Draga.
No kiddin'. How'd he become
a D.A. then, for Christ' sake?
D.A.'s an elected office.
Any scumbag can get in
if they got enough votes.
Ellery, how come you got a hot dog in your
mouth while you're threading a projector?
Why do you eat while you're working?
Why do you eat all the time?
It's all psychological, Max.
I eat so I don't think about food.
So you eat so you
don't think about food?
Yeah.
Ellery, I don't want to
butt into your business,
but this psychiatrist,
the guy you're going to,
I think he's in worse
shape than you are.
She, Max. It's a woman.
Dammit, I can't get my finger
in there! It won't fit!
Try your dick.
Esther, please.
Here, try this.
So you're going to her about food?
Yeah.
I thought you were going to
her about the other thing.
- My temper?
- Yeah.
It's all related, Max.
The eating and the anger,
they come from the same place.
The food calms me down.
Esther, don't you have
something better to do?
No. Not better than this.
All right.
- Ready?
- Yeah. Turn it on.
What is this, somebody's
summer vacation?
That's the girl we found
in the Valley, Max.
Max, I gotta talk to
you about this D.A.
He's a prick. Max?
Coolidge, do me a favor.
You go get yourself something to eat.
Go back to your desk.
Max, if something is wrong...
I mean, maybe it's best to talk it out,
you know, and get it out in the open,
if it's anything like that.
No, nothing like that.
But any problem could be solved, Max.
All you have to do is break
it down into parts, you see?
It's just simple, it's right into parts,
my psychiatrist told me,
and you deal with
each part individually.
One part, and then you
go to the next part.
You just gotta break
it down, but the first...
Ellery.
Do me that favor.
Just do it.
Hoover!
You alone?
Yeah.
- I need protection.
- From what?
You look at the film I sent you?
You know who the guy in it is?
I don't even know who you are.
I'm Jimmy Fields.
Look, that guy in the
movie, he killed her!
Killed who?
Spare me the crap,
I don't have time for it!
A mutual friend is dead,
they killed her,
and I'm going out the same way
unless I can get some help.
How do you know she's dead?
Because she would've
called me otherwise.
Because she always called
me, always, always.
Because I was her best friend.
That means I didn't fuck her.
What did you do with her,
share makeup tips?
Do I make you nervous, Lieutenant?
When was the last time you saw her?
Saturday.
In Vegas.
She dropped my camera
off Saturday morning,
said she'd meet me back in L.A.,
that her and the general were
gonna go for a little ride.
What general?
Cops.
Does Thomas Timms ring a bell?
You go look it up.
How many more films are there?
Couple.
Did she know?
Maybe.
I asked you a question.
Did she know you were taking movies?
No.
I'd put that gun away.
Help me, Hoover.
You're supposed to be a cop!
I thought you couldn't
turn anybody down.
Is that what she said?
That's what she said.
She was wrong.
I had him by the neck
when he swore at me.
Here he comes.
Where are we going, Max?
I got something to take care of.
I'll be back later.
We gotta ask you a question.
The dead girl, she's the same one
that's in the movie, isn't she?
Coolidge tell you that?
I've been worried, Max.
Worried? You're worried?
What the hell you worried about?
We're partners here.
Tell us, was something going on
between you and that dead girl?
Look, guys, I want you to cut
me a little slack on this one.
Just let me do what I gotta do.
I thought you had grand
jury testimony today.
To hell with the grand jury, Max.
So where are we going?
You know, I've been thinking,
why is it we always sit
in the same places?
And why is it you're always
the one that drives, Max?
I guess it's 'cause I got the keys.
Yeah, but that's what I'm saying.
Why is it you always have the keys?
There's reasons for
everything, right?
Ellery, I would never
attempt to criticize
the inner workings of the human mind.
Are you still seeing
that psychiatrist?
There's nothing wrong
with my psychiatrist.
We just want to know how much longer.
I don't know, it's open-ended.
Oh, Jesus, God.
Why is it you have the keys, Max?
- Max.
- Yeah.
Let Ellery drive.
Are you happy, Coolidge?
Yup.
Take it out of low.
Oh, jeez!
Sorry, Max.
That's why he usually has the keys.
Relyea, go talk to the manager,
tell him we're going through a room.
Right.
Manager says some guy in 23,
a Jimmy Fields, is her best friend.
Hasn't seen either one
of them in over a week.
He's not very neat, is he?
Son of a bitch!
Son of a bitch!
- You all right, Max?
- Yeah.
For a minute there,
I just couldn't breathe.
I couldn't stay in there.
- Want a cigarette?
- Yeah.
How long were you seeing her?
Six months.
Every chance I got.
Here?
Yeah, here.
Jesus Christ.
That guy's got film on you
and everything, doesn't he?
You remember Kenny Kamins?
- Can I help you, gentlemen?
- We're looking for Kenny Kamins.
- Have you seen him?
- Never heard of him.
He never heard of him.
You believe that, fellas?
What are you guys doing here?
You got a fucking warrant?
You sound like you're from New York.
- So what?
- I'm from Jersey.
What's going on? What do you
think you're doing, Kenny?
Relax, Allison. Jenny and I
were just having a party.
Go do something useful.
Go powder your nose.
You're sick, Kenny. This is sick!
I'm not gonna let you do
this to her. She's a child.
So were you once, doll.
Look at what a woman you became.
No, Kenny.
Are you nuts?
Nice one. That was a good shot.
Come here.
You pull that shit again, and I'm
gonna break your little neck.
All right?
Hello, Kenny.
This is a private party, Hoover.
- You got a warrant?
- I got this.
Remember this, Kenny?
Kenny, Kenny, what are you doing?
- Get her out of here.
- Let's go.
You broke my fingers!
What do you say, Kenny,
we have a little party?
I don't do that stuff.
- You don't want to see this.
- Yes, I do.
Jesus Christ, Allison, call the cops!
I am the cops, Kenny.
Inventive way of dispensing justice.
It's an integral part of the job.
You were more effective than I was.
So, who are you?
You won't find out by killing me.
Why did you fall for her, Max?
What did Katherine say?
You told her, didn't you?
- The guy with the camera, he's a fruit?
- Right.
Not shaking you down, is he?
Could be, he's running scared.
Maybe we should pay him a visit.
I thought we weren't gonna
do that anymore. We agreed.
Did you guys ever hear of a
general named Thomas Timms?
Yeah.
He's one of the inventors
of the A-bomb.
They made him Chairman of
the Atomic Energy Commission.
I got seven minutes of
film with him with Allison.
You got trouble.
Let's talk to the fruit.
All right, let's go over it again.
What did she say?
She said that she was going
for a ride with Timms.
Out to where they test those things.
And she wasn't scared?
No, she wasn't scared.
She was never scared.
Except of being alone.
Come on, Jimmy, sit down.
What'd you make the films for, Jimmy?
What'd you make the films for?
Why were you in it?
What was it? Blackmail?
I thought about that.
You know, for a rainy...
Why'd you make 'em?
- That was nice.
- What's wrong with Max?
- I don't know.
- What's the matter with him?
Why'd you make 'em, Jimmy?
Because it made me feel a part of it.
You know, watch the
boys get impassioned.
You made films of me, didn't you?
Yes, I did.
Where are those films?
That's the question, isn't it?
When she didn't show up,
I went back to my apartment,
but the place was torn apart.
They'd taken them all.
Except for the one I sent you.
That was still at the lab.
You know, Jimmy,
none of that proves Timms' guilt.
What, do you need a roadmap?
Timms knew about the film.
He's the last to see her alive.
She's dead. They killed her up there.
She didn't die in the
desert, she died here.
Right outside of L.A.
You told me yourself that Allison
didn't know about the films,
so Timms couldn't have
known about it either.
Why would a guy kill his girl
over a film he didn't
even know existed?
You were the last to see her alive.
How do I know you didn't kill her?
Because I loved her and
she was my best friend.
She nearly died when you left,
did you know that?
She loved you, and you just used her.
How does that feel?
You know, you sit there like
you're protecting the innocent.
All you really do is
just beat up on the weak
and disregard or destroy anybody
or anything that stands in the way
of you and your pathetic little sense
of right or wrong or justice and power.
If anybody is responsible
for Allison's death
it's you.
You son of a bitch!
Shit! Come on, Eddie.
Come on, he's gonna kill me!
Come on!
- Get him out of here!
- It ain't worth it.
You don't realize.
Just get him out of here!
Come on, Fields, let's go. Move it.
Max, everybody has weak moments.
You gotta get it out,
- you gotta tell Kathy.
- Shut up! Shut the hell up!
Jesus Christ, is that what
your psychiatrist told you?
Let me tell you how it goes, Ellery.
You meet somebody.
Maybe they're a little off center,
but they tell you the truth.
And you like them for that,
and one thing leads to another,
and you end up in bed.
- Now, that's weak.
- Max...
But, now, listen to me.
Nobody gets hurt.
You go home, and you see your
wife, and you're feeling bad.
You want to unload it,
you want to get it off your chest.
So you tell her, and now she's hurt.
Now, that's weak, too, Ellery.
But it's also cruel.
It's just goddamn cruel.
Here's something for you.
Here's something that doesn't
cost you 25 bucks an hour.
You carry your own water, Ellery.
You understand?
Carry your own water.
Max, I was just
trying to help. I'm sorry.
No, forget it.
It's all right.
We're still partners, right?
Yeah. Partners.
Thanks, Ell.
Go help them, will you?
- You okay, Max?
- Yeah.
Come here.
I don't understand how
anybody can live at the beach.
Those waves crashing
and flopping all the time
drive me crazy.
I'm with you, Eddie. I like the
sound of traffic when I'm sleeping.
I find it very peaceful.
Most people do.
I guess cops are just different.
Don't push your luck there, Fields.
The only reason we're
here is because of Max.
If I had it my way,
I'd rather dump you
out of a speeding car.
See if you'd bounce around a little.
Hey, Earl!
How's that chili comin'?
It's done.
As my Aunt Mabel used to say,
presentation is everything.
I think you and Coolidge
ought to open up an automat.
The look is connected
to the way it tastes.
Stay down!
It stopped.
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
Where's Fields?
- I'll get him back.
- Right.
Fields!
Shit!
That's it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess so.
You see 'em take Fields?
I couldn't see shit, Max.
They shot the hell out of this place.
Must've had a heavy machine gun.
Fruitcake disappeared.
Lieutenant? They want
you down at the beach.
We see around the head there...
- Jesus Christ.
- How'd they kill him, doc?
What can I tell you?
They stuck a gun in his mouth
- and blew the back of his head off.
- An execution?
Not until they asked him
some questions first.
Contusions, abrasions,
ecchymosis around the neck.
Right.
Come on, I want to show
you guys something.
We took these x-rays of Allison Pond.
Look what happened.
Yeah, this foot's got a heel.
This one doesn't.
Why is it all blurry?
Gamma rays fog the film.
That glass in her foot,
it's radioactive.
Yes, sir?
LAPD. I'm here to see General Timms.
Hey, give me that.
Five to one we don't get in.
This is the Army.
I say we try the back way.
Five to one... I take those odds.
- You'll take it?
- Yeah.
Five to one?
- Here's my five.
- Here, you hold the money.
Make sure he knows that.
Sorry, sir. No civilian
admittance, no exceptions.
Did you talk to General Timms?
The General's unavailable, sir.
Did you tell him it
was police business?
Yes, sir. They said no civilian
admittance, no exceptions.
You lose, Coolidge.
You know, you could've talked
to him a little more, Max.
You owe me a buck.
Wait, wait, wait.
Amateur hour.
Seen too many movies, Relyea.
Shit.
- Come on, it's hot.
- I'll get it, I'll get it.
Let me try.
All right.
You know, when I was a kid, I thought
everybody in Hollywood had a horse.
Because every movie I
saw was a cowboy movie.
You remember those movies, right?
They would come galloping into town,
the cowboys would get off the
horse, dust all over the place.
They get the reins and
wrap it around the railing
once, twice, three times,
keep on wrapping it,
but Gene Autry?
Let me tell you something.
Gene Autry would come into
town, jump off the horse,
and carefully wrap the reins
around once, just once.
Then he would go inside
and see the sheriff.
Boy, did I worry about
that horse getting away.
I did.
What the hell is that?
This place is weird.
Jesus, what a big hole.
We just dropped the
damn thing right here?
Yup. That's what happens when
they set one off at ground level.
What happened to all the dirt?
Vaporized, along with
everything else.
We got company.
- Guess it's time to go, huh?
- Yeah.
Step on it.
Put your hands in the
air or you will be shot!
They're clean, sir.
You men are in violation
of federal law.
I could have you all shot.
Do you have some identification?
There you go.
Put your hands down, gentlemen.
"Lieutenant Hoover."
Los Angeles Police Department.
We're investigating a homicide, sir.
You're way out of your
jurisdiction, Lieutenant.
I'm going to assume that you
are aware of the penalties
for trespassing a federally
restricted area.
And for destruction of
government property.
We go where the case takes us.
Not if it takes you here you don't.
Out here it's military law.
And I'm in charge of enforcing it.
Captain?
Escort these gentlemen back
to the base and lock them up.
- Yes, sir.
- Colonel, sir?
Yes, sir.
On the perimeter, sir,
but they'd violated security...
I don't think that's
a good idea, sir.
Well, I don't think
that's a good idea, sir.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Put that one in the jeep.
The rest of them can
wait at the base.
- Sergeant!
- Miller, Resnick!
- Sergeant?
- Yes, sir.
If I see this vehicle in
a restricted area again,
I'll burn it... And everyone in it.
Lieutenant.
Wait here.
Hoover, Truman...
Is that the general?
All bombs.
- What are those?
- Ships.
Lieutenant Hoover, I'm General Timms.
What can I do for the Los Angeles
Police Department today?
I came to talk about Allison Pond.
Yes, I know.
Colonel Fitzgerald informed me.
Did he also mention the condition
in which Miss Pond was found?
Yes, he did.
Excuse me for not wanting to stand,
but I've had a horse accident.
I pinched a sciatic nerve.
Have you ever had
back troubles, Lieutenant?
I got shot there once.
I'm going to cut through
formalities, Lieutenant.
You are aware that Miss Pond
and I had a certain relationship,
and I believe you're also aware that she
had similar relationships with other men.
I believe Miss Pond
was in your company
from Friday through the weekend.
That sounds about right.
We went to Tahoe on Saturday.
Senator Bolton has a house there
that he lends us for the
weekend from time to time.
So you were in Tahoe, not here?
Friday night here,
then Tahoe on Saturday,
and Sunday night,
I flew to Washington.
She wasn't out at the test site?
That's restricted.
But then you know that, don't you?
She went down to Los Angeles
Saturday, Lieutenant,
and I went on for a meeting
with the Secretary of Defense.
Do you think much about
national security, Lieutenant?
Well, I got all the security I can
handle right now in L.A., General.
Do you know much about
atomic energy, what it means?
Ended the war.
Did you know that the atom
itself is mostly empty space?
I never really thought
about it, General.
Almost completely empty,
but with tiny fragments of matter.
And since this entire universe
is made up of atoms,
everything that we see and touch...
In fact, the very floor beneath us
is made up of almost
completely empty space.
The only reason we
don't fall through it
is because these tiny particles
of matter are just whirling about
at such speed that they give
us the illusion of solidity.
Actually, the floor is spinning
right underneath our feet.
Do you feel it, Lieutenant?
Then we're just empty
space ourselves.
Exactly, exactly.
And these tiny particles of matter,
which are so small that no
one's ever seen them, never,
they contain enough energy
to blow up this house,
an entire city,
every person on Earth.
That is inconceivable.
General, I really don't think
much about those things.
I'd probably see too much.
What do you see?
People dead before their time.
That's the history of
the world, Lieutenant.
Some people die before their
time so that others can live.
It's the cornerstone of civilization.
War, religion, democracy.
A hundred die so that
a thousand may live.
Well, General, I take
'em one at a time.
Right now I got Allison Pond.
We're not so different,
you and I, Lieutenant.
You see, certain men...
A doctor, a national leader,
an officer of the law,
give to society in ways
that most people do not.
In turn, society gives them
certain considerations.
Now, we don't teach this in school.
We don't acknowledge it.
But those who accept
the burden of leadership
understand they have
these considerations.
You've accepted the burden of
leadership, haven't you, Lieutenant?
In what sense, General?
You protect society,
the ordinary citizen.
Now, in doing so,
sometimes you may break the law.
You may violate the Constitution,
the Bill of Rights, Search and Seizure.
In fact, it may even be
known that you do so.
And yet, nothing happens,
because it is understood that that
is part of the burden of leadership.
And you accept it.
You accept your sins.
General, Allison Pond
was out at your test site.
We found this in her foot.
I'm gonna need your calendar
for the last month,
where you were, who you saw.
Of course you are.
Colonel Fitzgerald will get
you everything you need.
Thank you, sir.
Nice house.
I've spoken to Los Angeles.
We'll have the film within 24 hours.
What'd Timms have to say?
He said the cornerstone of
civilization was human sacrifice.
Lieutenant Hoover, sir.
Maxwell.
Maxwell Hoover, say hello to
Special Agent Jeffrey McCafferty
of the old FBI.
Lieutenant.
Special Agent McCafferty here seems
to be interested in one of our cases.
Allison Pond.
Special Agent, that was her
name, wasn't it? Allison Pond?
Yes, sir.
Bill, you mind if I inquire what
business it is of the FBI's?
If I may, Chief.
Our role here is
purely informational.
We are aware of the fact
that a man of fundamental
importance to national security
has somehow been brought
into an investigation
in reference to a young girl's death.
In light of the damage that this could do
to him both personally and in his work,
the director felt that
it was appropriate,
without stepping on your
jurisdiction, of course,
for me to come down and share with
you our knowledge of the situation.
And what would that be?
I'm prepared to give you the
director's personal guarantee
that General Timms had nothing to
do with the death of Allison Pond.
How would the director
know something like that?
I'm afraid I'm not at
liberty to discuss that.
That's it?
That's it?
If I call your boss in Washington,
he'll vouch for this pile
of crap you're handing us?
The director specifically
asked me to tell you
that he appreciates your cooperation
in this matter, Lieutenant Hoover.
He also felt that you would understand
the sensitive nature of the situation,
being that you're a
married man yourself.
We are not within our
resources, gentlemen.
And we're more than willing
to share them with you.
Of course, if you were to come across
anything in regard to evidence,
the director would be
grateful to see it himself.
The director would be very grateful.
Maxwell...
Do you have the slightest
idea how intensely I hate
these pathetic little Ivy
League cops being in my town?
Let alone sitting in
a chair in my office?
Yes, sir, I sure do. Yes, sir.
Have you got anything
hard on this guy Timms?
He's lying about Allison Pond.
- Can you prove that?
- No, sir, I can't prove it, but I will.
But here's the deal, Bill.
We had an informant.
Now, he was killed at the
beach by a heavy machine gun
heavy caliber machine gun.
That's military, that's a connection.
Wait a second, I know three guys
a block from Lankershim Boulevard
in North Hollywood alone who've got
the same ordnance in their back rooms.
Wake up.
Bill, when we set this squad up,
we answered to nobody but you.
That was the deal, nobody but you.
Four men, no politics, no favors.
- We answered to nobody.
- No.
When we set it up, it was
organized to do two things,
get rid of gangsters and criminals,
not go up against the
Atomic Energy Commission.
But goddamn it, Bill,
what if they're killing people?
Sometimes you guys talk to people
and nobody ever sees 'em again.
They become history.
Nobody looks too hard into that.
Allison Pond never hurt anybody.
She must've done something.
Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting
here talking about her like this.
I'm coming.
- Mrs. Hoover?
- Yes?
FBI. We have a warrant to
search the premises, ma'am.
A warrant?
You're looking for a film?
What kind of film?
Mike, check the bookcase, please.
What kind of film?
Esther, where's Max?
Cut it.
No!
Find him!
- Are you hurt?
- No.
What happened?
The FBI was here with a search
warrant, looking for a film.
What's going on?
Max, what is going on?
The man in the film is
named Thomas Timms.
He's the head of the
Atomic Energy Commission.
And the girl is dead.
- That's all?
- That's all.
You know why these
guys are still L.A. cops?
Because they couldn't cut the
grade to make federal agents.
Wire taps, warrants, subpoenas.
You follow proper procedure,
and it can't fail, boys.
J. Edgar taught me that.
This prick from the LAPD
thinks he got over on me?
I fixed his ass with a search
warrant on his premises.
What if Hoover comes here?
I'll arrest him for trespassing.
Jesus Christ!
See? That's federal property.
This isn't.
This is L.A.
This is my town.
Out here you're a trespasser.
Out here I could pick
you up, burn your house,
fuck your wife, and kill your dog.
And the only thing that'll protect
you is if I can't find you
and I already found you.
How long?
Six months.
A little less.
Did everybody know?
No.
No, nobody knew.
It's been over...
You Pig!
Hoover.
Fitzgerald.
You've got something of ours.
I want to see Timms.
There's no reason to involve
the General in this.
It's a straight trade,
yours for ours.
What you got today was a copy.
We will do whatever is necessary.
No Timms, no deal.
All right. 10:00 tomorrow at the
military airfield west of the city.
You bring everything,
we bring everything.
Originals and any copies.
This is where you bring
people to get rid of them.
Isn't it?
It's over, right?
It's not like that, Allison.
It's not just over.
The thing is you think you
can have it both ways,
that you can make it work both ways.
But I can't.
I have different problems, Max.
I never wanted it both ways.
I thought you were asleep.
What are you thinking about?
I know what you think.
I just don't know how
you're thinking about it.
It isn't good.
Yeah.
You want me to leave for a while?
At least.
- We got a serious problem, Max.
- What's that?
Hoover. Not you, the other Hoover.
Called the chief from
Washington 5:00 this morning.
The chief has been looking
for you ever since.
Kidnapping, assault,
attempted murder.
If I attempted to murder
McCafferty, he'd be dead.
Max, this is serious.
The chief is pissed!
So let him be pissed.
Max, he wants to talk to you.
- What the hell are you doing?
- Coming along.
I am not going back there telling
the chief you wouldn't come.
Hall's right about that psychiatrist.
He's turning you into
a piano teacher.
She. It's a woman, Max.
Where are we going, Max?
Max? Where are we going?
This is about to turn
bad, isn't it, Max?
Yeah. Yeah, it is.
Now, listen, Coolidge,
you don't come with me.
This is personal.
Max, I'm coming.
No, no, listen to me.
This is something I gotta do.
Max, we're partners. I'm coming.
Right. Right, we're partners.
Lieutenant, we only
expected one visitor.
He goes wherever I go.
We're partners.
Suit yourself.
Sergeant, search 'em for weapons.
- I don't carry a gun.
- Raise your arms, sir.
That's very impressive.
Escort them to Colonel
Fitzgerald's office.
What's that?
It's a restricted area, sir.
- Restricted?
- Yes, sir.
- Can I see it?
- Sir, that area is restricted.
I cannot take you there.
You know, Coolidge...
Take this.
Stash the car. I'll meet you later.
- Be careful.
- Yeah.
It's locked?
Locked.
Wait here, I'll go around back.
Lieutenant Hoover?
What is it?
Cancer.
It's in my blood, my bones.
Even now, they tell me, in my brain.
You've never seen anyone
with terminal cancer, have you?
I saw a whole roomful of
terminal cancer on my way in.
The hundred who died so
that the thousand might live.
What were they, experiments?
Think of them as soldiers.
They didn't seem like soldiers to me.
That's why you killed Allison.
My God, Lieutenant.
Why would I kill Allison?
She showed me pleasures
I never dreamed existed.
It's all I think about these days.
I'm sure you understand that.
It was a mistake.
What do you mean, it was a mistake?
Her death.
An error in judgment.
An overzealous reaction
against a perceived threat
to national security.
She saw the cancer ward.
She took pictures.
You're much more intelligent than
you appear to be, Lieutenant.
Must be a big advantage
in your field.
In my field, everyone
was always so desperate
to seem cleverer than they were.
- What is that?
- Film.
Of you and Allison.
She was spectacular, wasn't she?
Drop the gun, Lieutenant.
What now, Colonel?
Sir, they breached security,
they intended to harm you.
No, they brought me a film.
Pardon me, sir,
but they've compromised
top secret scientific areas.
We have a test scheduled in one hour.
I understand that perfectly, Colonel.
These men are not enemies.
Perhaps you could see to it that
they are taken back to Los Angeles.
With all due respect, General, security
for this particular installation...
Colonel...
Take them back now.
All right.
Sir.
The captain and I have
business in Los Angeles.
We're gonna catch a ride down
with you if you don't mind.
It's your plane.
- Let's take it up.
- Roger.
How come there's no door?
It's very loud.
This plane is rigged for jumping.
You won't be uncomfortable.
They're gonna throw
us out of the plane,
just like they did Allison Pond.
You gave us the
wrong film, Lieutenant.
I'm not interested in police
training films about the clap.
Everything you have for
everything we have
that was the understanding.
But you see, there's a problem.
- You sent the film to my house.
- That was to get your attention.
No copies were sent to the press or
the Los Angeles Police Department.
You see, the problem is you sent the
film to my house addressed to my wife.
And she watched it.
I don't care who sees it now.
See what I mean?
I don't have anything to lose.
Does Timms know about this?
The general's no longer relevant.
Who made the decision to
throw her out of the plane?
If such a thing had happened,
the general wouldn't have been informed.
He wouldn't have made that decision.
Of course not.
Would it have been you?
That's right.
If he couldn't intervene on her part,
he can't intervene to save you.
No one can intervene
here, Lieutenant.
They threw Allison out of the plane.
- They threw her out of the plane, Max.
- That's right.
You threw that little
girl out of a plane!
You're pathetic, Hoover!
I did my job!
She died because she was in the way!
She died for nothing,
you son of a bitch!
Hold on, Max.
What the hell's going on in here?
- What's happening?
- Oh, my God.
Is he all right?
He's been shot, Max.
Is he dead?
Come on, get up! Come on!
Get up! Wake up. He's alive!
You fly this plane, or I'll fucking
kill you right here, you hear me?
Stay awake. We gotta land this
plane now, or he's gonna die on us.
Come on. We need you
to fly the plane.
- You gotta fly this plane.
- We need you to fly the plane!
Stay awake. Come on, come on.
That's it.
Oh, Jesus!
We made it, Max!
- Are you all right?
- Yeah.
Yeah, I'm okay. You all right?
I feel cold, Max.
Jesus Christ, Ellery,
how can you be cold?
We're in the middle
of a goddamn desert!
Max, I gotta sit.
All right, go ahead and sit down.
Hey, Max?
- What happened?
- Max, I think I'm shot.
Let me see.
- I'm shot.
- Oh, my God.
My psychiatrist is not
gonna like this, Max.
I'm cold.
You know, while it was all
happening in there, Max
I felt good again.
It was like it used to be.
Ellery, don't talk,
save your strength.
- Save your strength.
- Why?
I like to talk, Max. You know me.
You gotta get it out, right?
Tell me the truth.
Is there something wrong with me?
Ellery, listen to me. Listen to me.
There's nothing wrong with you.
- You mean it?
- Yeah. Listen to me.
- You wouldn't lie to me, right, Max?
- No, no, no.
We're partners, right?
We're partners.
- Partners.
- Yeah.
- Right.
- That's right.
We're partners, Max.
No, come on, Ellery. Come on,
come on, stay awake.
No, no. Come on, come on, come on.
Stay awake. Come on, come on.
Stay awake! Come on back!
Ellery, come on!
I hear they broke up the squad.
I broke up the squad.
There's no squad without Ellery.
What are you gonna do?
I don't know.
I honestly don't know.
Did you ever think about
leaving me for her, Max?
No, Kate. No.
Why'd you stop seeing her?
Kate, I love you.
I have always loved you.
When I realized what
a mistake I had made,
I just didn't want it between us.
But... It is.
I guess it always will be.
It'll never be the same, Max.
- Let's go, Eddie.
- Let's get out of here.
You broke my heart, Max.
Good evening, gentlemen.
Can I check your hats, please?
Gentlemen?
Gentlemen.
Got caught like a bear trap.
You want to play or do you
want to pay? I got a great girl.
Jack Flynn?
Here you go, buddy.
Buy yourself a good time.
- They'll let anybody in here.
- Mr. Flynn, I'm Maxwell Hoover.
I'm with the Los Angeles
Police Department.
That means I get change back.
Are you still here?
What is it gonna cost me?
I came here to deliver a message.
Your presence is required
back in Chicago.
It's cold in Chicago,
which is why I came out here.
Is Mr. Flynn being
charged with a crime?
What are you, his lawyer?
No, but I'm represented
by a good one.
What's my friend being charged with?
He did things in Chicago.
I beat all that, pal.
I beat those indictments.
Jimmy, hit him in the nuts!
Let's go. Get him outta here.
You guys are making a big mistake.
Where are we going?
The airport.
You're going to the airport, Jack.
You gotta get back to Chicago
as soon as possible.
This ain't the way to the airport.
This is it.
Yeah. This is it.
This is what?
This is Mulholland Falls, Jack.
Mulholland Falls?
It's kind of like Niagara Falls.
Come on! There ain't no falls in L.A.
You guys can't do this.
This is America.
This isn't America, Jack.
This is L.A.
I thought we weren't
gonna do this anymore.
- Do what?
- This.
Come on, let's go.
Jack?
Maybe he's dead.
He's not dead,
he's looking right at us.
Jack, are you dead?
He's alive.
Now, Jack, we don't have
organized crime in L.A.,
and frankly, we don't
want organized crime.
So here's what I want you to do.
I want you to look around
and remember this
because this will always be
your way back to Chicago.
Mulholland Falls.
Lee.
Now, that's a thought.
- Hey, Max.
- Kate.
- Lili.
- Hi.
We were just discussing husbands.
I'm trying to find
a new one for Lili.
- Do you know any?
- Jeez, Lili.
Only guys I know are
cops and bad guys.
Thanks, Pete.
And I don't know if I can
recommend either one.
How about Eddie Hall?
- Eddie Hall?
- Yeah.
Eddie Hall. No.
He's been married five times.
- You see what I mean?
- Yeah.
I'm sorry I was late, Kate, but we
had a little accident up in the hills.
No, no, no, Kate.
You know I got two flat feet.
Come on.
Excuse us, Lili.
- I love you.
- I love you, too.
- You the foreman?
- Yeah.
Where are we out here? What is this?
We're in a new housing subdivision.
You ever think about who those people
are that are gonna live way out here?
No.
Me, neither.
All right, guys,
I'll take it from here.
- No pictures till I tell ya.
- Whatever you say.
Hey, Doc.
Max, I should've stayed in bed.
Are you in charge of this operation?
Yeah, this part I am.
You got any heavy
equipment around here
that could press a woman
into the ground like that?
A big roller maybe.
Seems like that would've
chewed her up more.
- Is this the way you found her?
- Yeah. We didn't touch it.
Yeah, she was just like this.
Why don't you step over there,
an officer will take your full statement.
Jesus, Milt.
There's nothing to hold on to.
Okay,
roll her over and see
what she looks like.
Jesus.
- You okay, Max?
- Yeah.
Step aside, boys.
Let me get a couple.
Jeez, what a mess.
- Check under her fingernails.
- Okay.
How'd she die?
It's like she jumped off a cliff.
There's no cliff out there.
Somebody moved her?
She wasn't moved.
She died just where you found her.
Doc, did you see this?
What is it?
Looks like glass.
"A Farewell to Arms."
"By Ernest Hemingway."
You know the way this guy writes,
he never talked to a
woman in his life.
When did you ever read Hemingway?
He thinks they all want
to be called "my darling."
And what they really want is?
What they really want is a man
that'll listen to their stomachs.
Max, don't drool on me.
- Come on.
- What's the matter?
I'm sorry.
What's wrong?
Tell me.
We found a dead girl in the Valley.
She was broken into 30 pieces.
Couldn't even pick her up.
Who is she?
Nobody.
Just a girl.
Just a girl.
I'm sorry, Kate.
Can you believe that?
The D.A. won't indict Kroyle.
What's wrong with this country?
A guy chops up his parents with an
axe and doesn't get the gas chamber?
How can you plea bargain
something like that?
His fingerprints are all
over the murder weapon.
That places him at the
scene of the crime.
They won't indict.
It doesn't make any difference.
I knew that D.A. when he
was a bagman for Jack Draga.
No kiddin'. How'd he become
a D.A. then, for Christ' sake?
D.A.'s an elected office.
Any scumbag can get in
if they got enough votes.
Ellery, how come you got a hot dog in your
mouth while you're threading a projector?
Why do you eat while you're working?
Why do you eat all the time?
It's all psychological, Max.
I eat so I don't think about food.
So you eat so you
don't think about food?
Yeah.
Ellery, I don't want to
butt into your business,
but this psychiatrist,
the guy you're going to,
I think he's in worse
shape than you are.
She, Max. It's a woman.
Dammit, I can't get my finger
in there! It won't fit!
Try your dick.
Esther, please.
Here, try this.
So you're going to her about food?
Yeah.
I thought you were going to
her about the other thing.
- My temper?
- Yeah.
It's all related, Max.
The eating and the anger,
they come from the same place.
The food calms me down.
Esther, don't you have
something better to do?
No. Not better than this.
All right.
- Ready?
- Yeah. Turn it on.
What is this, somebody's
summer vacation?
That's the girl we found
in the Valley, Max.
Max, I gotta talk to
you about this D.A.
He's a prick. Max?
Coolidge, do me a favor.
You go get yourself something to eat.
Go back to your desk.
Max, if something is wrong...
I mean, maybe it's best to talk it out,
you know, and get it out in the open,
if it's anything like that.
No, nothing like that.
But any problem could be solved, Max.
All you have to do is break
it down into parts, you see?
It's just simple, it's right into parts,
my psychiatrist told me,
and you deal with
each part individually.
One part, and then you
go to the next part.
You just gotta break
it down, but the first...
Ellery.
Do me that favor.
Just do it.
Hoover!
You alone?
Yeah.
- I need protection.
- From what?
You look at the film I sent you?
You know who the guy in it is?
I don't even know who you are.
I'm Jimmy Fields.
Look, that guy in the
movie, he killed her!
Killed who?
Spare me the crap,
I don't have time for it!
A mutual friend is dead,
they killed her,
and I'm going out the same way
unless I can get some help.
How do you know she's dead?
Because she would've
called me otherwise.
Because she always called
me, always, always.
Because I was her best friend.
That means I didn't fuck her.
What did you do with her,
share makeup tips?
Do I make you nervous, Lieutenant?
When was the last time you saw her?
Saturday.
In Vegas.
She dropped my camera
off Saturday morning,
said she'd meet me back in L.A.,
that her and the general were
gonna go for a little ride.
What general?
Cops.
Does Thomas Timms ring a bell?
You go look it up.
How many more films are there?
Couple.
Did she know?
Maybe.
I asked you a question.
Did she know you were taking movies?
No.
I'd put that gun away.
Help me, Hoover.
You're supposed to be a cop!
I thought you couldn't
turn anybody down.
Is that what she said?
That's what she said.
She was wrong.
I had him by the neck
when he swore at me.
Here he comes.
Where are we going, Max?
I got something to take care of.
I'll be back later.
We gotta ask you a question.
The dead girl, she's the same one
that's in the movie, isn't she?
Coolidge tell you that?
I've been worried, Max.
Worried? You're worried?
What the hell you worried about?
We're partners here.
Tell us, was something going on
between you and that dead girl?
Look, guys, I want you to cut
me a little slack on this one.
Just let me do what I gotta do.
I thought you had grand
jury testimony today.
To hell with the grand jury, Max.
So where are we going?
You know, I've been thinking,
why is it we always sit
in the same places?
And why is it you're always
the one that drives, Max?
I guess it's 'cause I got the keys.
Yeah, but that's what I'm saying.
Why is it you always have the keys?
There's reasons for
everything, right?
Ellery, I would never
attempt to criticize
the inner workings of the human mind.
Are you still seeing
that psychiatrist?
There's nothing wrong
with my psychiatrist.
We just want to know how much longer.
I don't know, it's open-ended.
Oh, Jesus, God.
Why is it you have the keys, Max?
- Max.
- Yeah.
Let Ellery drive.
Are you happy, Coolidge?
Yup.
Take it out of low.
Oh, jeez!
Sorry, Max.
That's why he usually has the keys.
Relyea, go talk to the manager,
tell him we're going through a room.
Right.
Manager says some guy in 23,
a Jimmy Fields, is her best friend.
Hasn't seen either one
of them in over a week.
He's not very neat, is he?
Son of a bitch!
Son of a bitch!
- You all right, Max?
- Yeah.
For a minute there,
I just couldn't breathe.
I couldn't stay in there.
- Want a cigarette?
- Yeah.
How long were you seeing her?
Six months.
Every chance I got.
Here?
Yeah, here.
Jesus Christ.
That guy's got film on you
and everything, doesn't he?
You remember Kenny Kamins?
- Can I help you, gentlemen?
- We're looking for Kenny Kamins.
- Have you seen him?
- Never heard of him.
He never heard of him.
You believe that, fellas?
What are you guys doing here?
You got a fucking warrant?
You sound like you're from New York.
- So what?
- I'm from Jersey.
What's going on? What do you
think you're doing, Kenny?
Relax, Allison. Jenny and I
were just having a party.
Go do something useful.
Go powder your nose.
You're sick, Kenny. This is sick!
I'm not gonna let you do
this to her. She's a child.
So were you once, doll.
Look at what a woman you became.
No, Kenny.
Are you nuts?
Nice one. That was a good shot.
Come here.
You pull that shit again, and I'm
gonna break your little neck.
All right?
Hello, Kenny.
This is a private party, Hoover.
- You got a warrant?
- I got this.
Remember this, Kenny?
Kenny, Kenny, what are you doing?
- Get her out of here.
- Let's go.
You broke my fingers!
What do you say, Kenny,
we have a little party?
I don't do that stuff.
- You don't want to see this.
- Yes, I do.
Jesus Christ, Allison, call the cops!
I am the cops, Kenny.
Inventive way of dispensing justice.
It's an integral part of the job.
You were more effective than I was.
So, who are you?
You won't find out by killing me.
Why did you fall for her, Max?
What did Katherine say?
You told her, didn't you?
- The guy with the camera, he's a fruit?
- Right.
Not shaking you down, is he?
Could be, he's running scared.
Maybe we should pay him a visit.
I thought we weren't gonna
do that anymore. We agreed.
Did you guys ever hear of a
general named Thomas Timms?
Yeah.
He's one of the inventors
of the A-bomb.
They made him Chairman of
the Atomic Energy Commission.
I got seven minutes of
film with him with Allison.
You got trouble.
Let's talk to the fruit.
All right, let's go over it again.
What did she say?
She said that she was going
for a ride with Timms.
Out to where they test those things.
And she wasn't scared?
No, she wasn't scared.
She was never scared.
Except of being alone.
Come on, Jimmy, sit down.
What'd you make the films for, Jimmy?
What'd you make the films for?
Why were you in it?
What was it? Blackmail?
I thought about that.
You know, for a rainy...
Why'd you make 'em?
- That was nice.
- What's wrong with Max?
- I don't know.
- What's the matter with him?
Why'd you make 'em, Jimmy?
Because it made me feel a part of it.
You know, watch the
boys get impassioned.
You made films of me, didn't you?
Yes, I did.
Where are those films?
That's the question, isn't it?
When she didn't show up,
I went back to my apartment,
but the place was torn apart.
They'd taken them all.
Except for the one I sent you.
That was still at the lab.
You know, Jimmy,
none of that proves Timms' guilt.
What, do you need a roadmap?
Timms knew about the film.
He's the last to see her alive.
She's dead. They killed her up there.
She didn't die in the
desert, she died here.
Right outside of L.A.
You told me yourself that Allison
didn't know about the films,
so Timms couldn't have
known about it either.
Why would a guy kill his girl
over a film he didn't
even know existed?
You were the last to see her alive.
How do I know you didn't kill her?
Because I loved her and
she was my best friend.
She nearly died when you left,
did you know that?
She loved you, and you just used her.
How does that feel?
You know, you sit there like
you're protecting the innocent.
All you really do is
just beat up on the weak
and disregard or destroy anybody
or anything that stands in the way
of you and your pathetic little sense
of right or wrong or justice and power.
If anybody is responsible
for Allison's death
it's you.
You son of a bitch!
Shit! Come on, Eddie.
Come on, he's gonna kill me!
Come on!
- Get him out of here!
- It ain't worth it.
You don't realize.
Just get him out of here!
Come on, Fields, let's go. Move it.
Max, everybody has weak moments.
You gotta get it out,
- you gotta tell Kathy.
- Shut up! Shut the hell up!
Jesus Christ, is that what
your psychiatrist told you?
Let me tell you how it goes, Ellery.
You meet somebody.
Maybe they're a little off center,
but they tell you the truth.
And you like them for that,
and one thing leads to another,
and you end up in bed.
- Now, that's weak.
- Max...
But, now, listen to me.
Nobody gets hurt.
You go home, and you see your
wife, and you're feeling bad.
You want to unload it,
you want to get it off your chest.
So you tell her, and now she's hurt.
Now, that's weak, too, Ellery.
But it's also cruel.
It's just goddamn cruel.
Here's something for you.
Here's something that doesn't
cost you 25 bucks an hour.
You carry your own water, Ellery.
You understand?
Carry your own water.
Max, I was just
trying to help. I'm sorry.
No, forget it.
It's all right.
We're still partners, right?
Yeah. Partners.
Thanks, Ell.
Go help them, will you?
- You okay, Max?
- Yeah.
Come here.
I don't understand how
anybody can live at the beach.
Those waves crashing
and flopping all the time
drive me crazy.
I'm with you, Eddie. I like the
sound of traffic when I'm sleeping.
I find it very peaceful.
Most people do.
I guess cops are just different.
Don't push your luck there, Fields.
The only reason we're
here is because of Max.
If I had it my way,
I'd rather dump you
out of a speeding car.
See if you'd bounce around a little.
Hey, Earl!
How's that chili comin'?
It's done.
As my Aunt Mabel used to say,
presentation is everything.
I think you and Coolidge
ought to open up an automat.
The look is connected
to the way it tastes.
Stay down!
It stopped.
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
Where's Fields?
- I'll get him back.
- Right.
Fields!
Shit!
That's it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess so.
You see 'em take Fields?
I couldn't see shit, Max.
They shot the hell out of this place.
Must've had a heavy machine gun.
Fruitcake disappeared.
Lieutenant? They want
you down at the beach.
We see around the head there...
- Jesus Christ.
- How'd they kill him, doc?
What can I tell you?
They stuck a gun in his mouth
- and blew the back of his head off.
- An execution?
Not until they asked him
some questions first.
Contusions, abrasions,
ecchymosis around the neck.
Right.
Come on, I want to show
you guys something.
We took these x-rays of Allison Pond.
Look what happened.
Yeah, this foot's got a heel.
This one doesn't.
Why is it all blurry?
Gamma rays fog the film.
That glass in her foot,
it's radioactive.
Yes, sir?
LAPD. I'm here to see General Timms.
Hey, give me that.
Five to one we don't get in.
This is the Army.
I say we try the back way.
Five to one... I take those odds.
- You'll take it?
- Yeah.
Five to one?
- Here's my five.
- Here, you hold the money.
Make sure he knows that.
Sorry, sir. No civilian
admittance, no exceptions.
Did you talk to General Timms?
The General's unavailable, sir.
Did you tell him it
was police business?
Yes, sir. They said no civilian
admittance, no exceptions.
You lose, Coolidge.
You know, you could've talked
to him a little more, Max.
You owe me a buck.
Wait, wait, wait.
Amateur hour.
Seen too many movies, Relyea.
Shit.
- Come on, it's hot.
- I'll get it, I'll get it.
Let me try.
All right.
You know, when I was a kid, I thought
everybody in Hollywood had a horse.
Because every movie I
saw was a cowboy movie.
You remember those movies, right?
They would come galloping into town,
the cowboys would get off the
horse, dust all over the place.
They get the reins and
wrap it around the railing
once, twice, three times,
keep on wrapping it,
but Gene Autry?
Let me tell you something.
Gene Autry would come into
town, jump off the horse,
and carefully wrap the reins
around once, just once.
Then he would go inside
and see the sheriff.
Boy, did I worry about
that horse getting away.
I did.
What the hell is that?
This place is weird.
Jesus, what a big hole.
We just dropped the
damn thing right here?
Yup. That's what happens when
they set one off at ground level.
What happened to all the dirt?
Vaporized, along with
everything else.
We got company.
- Guess it's time to go, huh?
- Yeah.
Step on it.
Put your hands in the
air or you will be shot!
They're clean, sir.
You men are in violation
of federal law.
I could have you all shot.
Do you have some identification?
There you go.
Put your hands down, gentlemen.
"Lieutenant Hoover."
Los Angeles Police Department.
We're investigating a homicide, sir.
You're way out of your
jurisdiction, Lieutenant.
I'm going to assume that you
are aware of the penalties
for trespassing a federally
restricted area.
And for destruction of
government property.
We go where the case takes us.
Not if it takes you here you don't.
Out here it's military law.
And I'm in charge of enforcing it.
Captain?
Escort these gentlemen back
to the base and lock them up.
- Yes, sir.
- Colonel, sir?
Yes, sir.
On the perimeter, sir,
but they'd violated security...
I don't think that's
a good idea, sir.
Well, I don't think
that's a good idea, sir.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Put that one in the jeep.
The rest of them can
wait at the base.
- Sergeant!
- Miller, Resnick!
- Sergeant?
- Yes, sir.
If I see this vehicle in
a restricted area again,
I'll burn it... And everyone in it.
Lieutenant.
Wait here.
Hoover, Truman...
Is that the general?
All bombs.
- What are those?
- Ships.
Lieutenant Hoover, I'm General Timms.
What can I do for the Los Angeles
Police Department today?
I came to talk about Allison Pond.
Yes, I know.
Colonel Fitzgerald informed me.
Did he also mention the condition
in which Miss Pond was found?
Yes, he did.
Excuse me for not wanting to stand,
but I've had a horse accident.
I pinched a sciatic nerve.
Have you ever had
back troubles, Lieutenant?
I got shot there once.
I'm going to cut through
formalities, Lieutenant.
You are aware that Miss Pond
and I had a certain relationship,
and I believe you're also aware that she
had similar relationships with other men.
I believe Miss Pond
was in your company
from Friday through the weekend.
That sounds about right.
We went to Tahoe on Saturday.
Senator Bolton has a house there
that he lends us for the
weekend from time to time.
So you were in Tahoe, not here?
Friday night here,
then Tahoe on Saturday,
and Sunday night,
I flew to Washington.
She wasn't out at the test site?
That's restricted.
But then you know that, don't you?
She went down to Los Angeles
Saturday, Lieutenant,
and I went on for a meeting
with the Secretary of Defense.
Do you think much about
national security, Lieutenant?
Well, I got all the security I can
handle right now in L.A., General.
Do you know much about
atomic energy, what it means?
Ended the war.
Did you know that the atom
itself is mostly empty space?
I never really thought
about it, General.
Almost completely empty,
but with tiny fragments of matter.
And since this entire universe
is made up of atoms,
everything that we see and touch...
In fact, the very floor beneath us
is made up of almost
completely empty space.
The only reason we
don't fall through it
is because these tiny particles
of matter are just whirling about
at such speed that they give
us the illusion of solidity.
Actually, the floor is spinning
right underneath our feet.
Do you feel it, Lieutenant?
Then we're just empty
space ourselves.
Exactly, exactly.
And these tiny particles of matter,
which are so small that no
one's ever seen them, never,
they contain enough energy
to blow up this house,
an entire city,
every person on Earth.
That is inconceivable.
General, I really don't think
much about those things.
I'd probably see too much.
What do you see?
People dead before their time.
That's the history of
the world, Lieutenant.
Some people die before their
time so that others can live.
It's the cornerstone of civilization.
War, religion, democracy.
A hundred die so that
a thousand may live.
Well, General, I take
'em one at a time.
Right now I got Allison Pond.
We're not so different,
you and I, Lieutenant.
You see, certain men...
A doctor, a national leader,
an officer of the law,
give to society in ways
that most people do not.
In turn, society gives them
certain considerations.
Now, we don't teach this in school.
We don't acknowledge it.
But those who accept
the burden of leadership
understand they have
these considerations.
You've accepted the burden of
leadership, haven't you, Lieutenant?
In what sense, General?
You protect society,
the ordinary citizen.
Now, in doing so,
sometimes you may break the law.
You may violate the Constitution,
the Bill of Rights, Search and Seizure.
In fact, it may even be
known that you do so.
And yet, nothing happens,
because it is understood that that
is part of the burden of leadership.
And you accept it.
You accept your sins.
General, Allison Pond
was out at your test site.
We found this in her foot.
I'm gonna need your calendar
for the last month,
where you were, who you saw.
Of course you are.
Colonel Fitzgerald will get
you everything you need.
Thank you, sir.
Nice house.
I've spoken to Los Angeles.
We'll have the film within 24 hours.
What'd Timms have to say?
He said the cornerstone of
civilization was human sacrifice.
Lieutenant Hoover, sir.
Maxwell.
Maxwell Hoover, say hello to
Special Agent Jeffrey McCafferty
of the old FBI.
Lieutenant.
Special Agent McCafferty here seems
to be interested in one of our cases.
Allison Pond.
Special Agent, that was her
name, wasn't it? Allison Pond?
Yes, sir.
Bill, you mind if I inquire what
business it is of the FBI's?
If I may, Chief.
Our role here is
purely informational.
We are aware of the fact
that a man of fundamental
importance to national security
has somehow been brought
into an investigation
in reference to a young girl's death.
In light of the damage that this could do
to him both personally and in his work,
the director felt that
it was appropriate,
without stepping on your
jurisdiction, of course,
for me to come down and share with
you our knowledge of the situation.
And what would that be?
I'm prepared to give you the
director's personal guarantee
that General Timms had nothing to
do with the death of Allison Pond.
How would the director
know something like that?
I'm afraid I'm not at
liberty to discuss that.
That's it?
That's it?
If I call your boss in Washington,
he'll vouch for this pile
of crap you're handing us?
The director specifically
asked me to tell you
that he appreciates your cooperation
in this matter, Lieutenant Hoover.
He also felt that you would understand
the sensitive nature of the situation,
being that you're a
married man yourself.
We are not within our
resources, gentlemen.
And we're more than willing
to share them with you.
Of course, if you were to come across
anything in regard to evidence,
the director would be
grateful to see it himself.
The director would be very grateful.
Maxwell...
Do you have the slightest
idea how intensely I hate
these pathetic little Ivy
League cops being in my town?
Let alone sitting in
a chair in my office?
Yes, sir, I sure do. Yes, sir.
Have you got anything
hard on this guy Timms?
He's lying about Allison Pond.
- Can you prove that?
- No, sir, I can't prove it, but I will.
But here's the deal, Bill.
We had an informant.
Now, he was killed at the
beach by a heavy machine gun
heavy caliber machine gun.
That's military, that's a connection.
Wait a second, I know three guys
a block from Lankershim Boulevard
in North Hollywood alone who've got
the same ordnance in their back rooms.
Wake up.
Bill, when we set this squad up,
we answered to nobody but you.
That was the deal, nobody but you.
Four men, no politics, no favors.
- We answered to nobody.
- No.
When we set it up, it was
organized to do two things,
get rid of gangsters and criminals,
not go up against the
Atomic Energy Commission.
But goddamn it, Bill,
what if they're killing people?
Sometimes you guys talk to people
and nobody ever sees 'em again.
They become history.
Nobody looks too hard into that.
Allison Pond never hurt anybody.
She must've done something.
Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting
here talking about her like this.
I'm coming.
- Mrs. Hoover?
- Yes?
FBI. We have a warrant to
search the premises, ma'am.
A warrant?
You're looking for a film?
What kind of film?
Mike, check the bookcase, please.
What kind of film?
Esther, where's Max?
Cut it.
No!
Find him!
- Are you hurt?
- No.
What happened?
The FBI was here with a search
warrant, looking for a film.
What's going on?
Max, what is going on?
The man in the film is
named Thomas Timms.
He's the head of the
Atomic Energy Commission.
And the girl is dead.
- That's all?
- That's all.
You know why these
guys are still L.A. cops?
Because they couldn't cut the
grade to make federal agents.
Wire taps, warrants, subpoenas.
You follow proper procedure,
and it can't fail, boys.
J. Edgar taught me that.
This prick from the LAPD
thinks he got over on me?
I fixed his ass with a search
warrant on his premises.
What if Hoover comes here?
I'll arrest him for trespassing.
Jesus Christ!
See? That's federal property.
This isn't.
This is L.A.
This is my town.
Out here you're a trespasser.
Out here I could pick
you up, burn your house,
fuck your wife, and kill your dog.
And the only thing that'll protect
you is if I can't find you
and I already found you.
How long?
Six months.
A little less.
Did everybody know?
No.
No, nobody knew.
It's been over...
You Pig!
Hoover.
Fitzgerald.
You've got something of ours.
I want to see Timms.
There's no reason to involve
the General in this.
It's a straight trade,
yours for ours.
What you got today was a copy.
We will do whatever is necessary.
No Timms, no deal.
All right. 10:00 tomorrow at the
military airfield west of the city.
You bring everything,
we bring everything.
Originals and any copies.
This is where you bring
people to get rid of them.
Isn't it?
It's over, right?
It's not like that, Allison.
It's not just over.
The thing is you think you
can have it both ways,
that you can make it work both ways.
But I can't.
I have different problems, Max.
I never wanted it both ways.
I thought you were asleep.
What are you thinking about?
I know what you think.
I just don't know how
you're thinking about it.
It isn't good.
Yeah.
You want me to leave for a while?
At least.
- We got a serious problem, Max.
- What's that?
Hoover. Not you, the other Hoover.
Called the chief from
Washington 5:00 this morning.
The chief has been looking
for you ever since.
Kidnapping, assault,
attempted murder.
If I attempted to murder
McCafferty, he'd be dead.
Max, this is serious.
The chief is pissed!
So let him be pissed.
Max, he wants to talk to you.
- What the hell are you doing?
- Coming along.
I am not going back there telling
the chief you wouldn't come.
Hall's right about that psychiatrist.
He's turning you into
a piano teacher.
She. It's a woman, Max.
Where are we going, Max?
Max? Where are we going?
This is about to turn
bad, isn't it, Max?
Yeah. Yeah, it is.
Now, listen, Coolidge,
you don't come with me.
This is personal.
Max, I'm coming.
No, no, listen to me.
This is something I gotta do.
Max, we're partners. I'm coming.
Right. Right, we're partners.
Lieutenant, we only
expected one visitor.
He goes wherever I go.
We're partners.
Suit yourself.
Sergeant, search 'em for weapons.
- I don't carry a gun.
- Raise your arms, sir.
That's very impressive.
Escort them to Colonel
Fitzgerald's office.
What's that?
It's a restricted area, sir.
- Restricted?
- Yes, sir.
- Can I see it?
- Sir, that area is restricted.
I cannot take you there.
You know, Coolidge...
Take this.
Stash the car. I'll meet you later.
- Be careful.
- Yeah.
It's locked?
Locked.
Wait here, I'll go around back.
Lieutenant Hoover?
What is it?
Cancer.
It's in my blood, my bones.
Even now, they tell me, in my brain.
You've never seen anyone
with terminal cancer, have you?
I saw a whole roomful of
terminal cancer on my way in.
The hundred who died so
that the thousand might live.
What were they, experiments?
Think of them as soldiers.
They didn't seem like soldiers to me.
That's why you killed Allison.
My God, Lieutenant.
Why would I kill Allison?
She showed me pleasures
I never dreamed existed.
It's all I think about these days.
I'm sure you understand that.
It was a mistake.
What do you mean, it was a mistake?
Her death.
An error in judgment.
An overzealous reaction
against a perceived threat
to national security.
She saw the cancer ward.
She took pictures.
You're much more intelligent than
you appear to be, Lieutenant.
Must be a big advantage
in your field.
In my field, everyone
was always so desperate
to seem cleverer than they were.
- What is that?
- Film.
Of you and Allison.
She was spectacular, wasn't she?
Drop the gun, Lieutenant.
What now, Colonel?
Sir, they breached security,
they intended to harm you.
No, they brought me a film.
Pardon me, sir,
but they've compromised
top secret scientific areas.
We have a test scheduled in one hour.
I understand that perfectly, Colonel.
These men are not enemies.
Perhaps you could see to it that
they are taken back to Los Angeles.
With all due respect, General, security
for this particular installation...
Colonel...
Take them back now.
All right.
Sir.
The captain and I have
business in Los Angeles.
We're gonna catch a ride down
with you if you don't mind.
It's your plane.
- Let's take it up.
- Roger.
How come there's no door?
It's very loud.
This plane is rigged for jumping.
You won't be uncomfortable.
They're gonna throw
us out of the plane,
just like they did Allison Pond.
You gave us the
wrong film, Lieutenant.
I'm not interested in police
training films about the clap.
Everything you have for
everything we have
that was the understanding.
But you see, there's a problem.
- You sent the film to my house.
- That was to get your attention.
No copies were sent to the press or
the Los Angeles Police Department.
You see, the problem is you sent the
film to my house addressed to my wife.
And she watched it.
I don't care who sees it now.
See what I mean?
I don't have anything to lose.
Does Timms know about this?
The general's no longer relevant.
Who made the decision to
throw her out of the plane?
If such a thing had happened,
the general wouldn't have been informed.
He wouldn't have made that decision.
Of course not.
Would it have been you?
That's right.
If he couldn't intervene on her part,
he can't intervene to save you.
No one can intervene
here, Lieutenant.
They threw Allison out of the plane.
- They threw her out of the plane, Max.
- That's right.
You threw that little
girl out of a plane!
You're pathetic, Hoover!
I did my job!
She died because she was in the way!
She died for nothing,
you son of a bitch!
Hold on, Max.
What the hell's going on in here?
- What's happening?
- Oh, my God.
Is he all right?
He's been shot, Max.
Is he dead?
Come on, get up! Come on!
Get up! Wake up. He's alive!
You fly this plane, or I'll fucking
kill you right here, you hear me?
Stay awake. We gotta land this
plane now, or he's gonna die on us.
Come on. We need you
to fly the plane.
- You gotta fly this plane.
- We need you to fly the plane!
Stay awake. Come on, come on.
That's it.
Oh, Jesus!
We made it, Max!
- Are you all right?
- Yeah.
Yeah, I'm okay. You all right?
I feel cold, Max.
Jesus Christ, Ellery,
how can you be cold?
We're in the middle
of a goddamn desert!
Max, I gotta sit.
All right, go ahead and sit down.
Hey, Max?
- What happened?
- Max, I think I'm shot.
Let me see.
- I'm shot.
- Oh, my God.
My psychiatrist is not
gonna like this, Max.
I'm cold.
You know, while it was all
happening in there, Max
I felt good again.
It was like it used to be.
Ellery, don't talk,
save your strength.
- Save your strength.
- Why?
I like to talk, Max. You know me.
You gotta get it out, right?
Tell me the truth.
Is there something wrong with me?
Ellery, listen to me. Listen to me.
There's nothing wrong with you.
- You mean it?
- Yeah. Listen to me.
- You wouldn't lie to me, right, Max?
- No, no, no.
We're partners, right?
We're partners.
- Partners.
- Yeah.
- Right.
- That's right.
We're partners, Max.
No, come on, Ellery. Come on,
come on, stay awake.
No, no. Come on, come on, come on.
Stay awake. Come on, come on.
Stay awake! Come on back!
Ellery, come on!
I hear they broke up the squad.
I broke up the squad.
There's no squad without Ellery.
What are you gonna do?
I don't know.
I honestly don't know.
Did you ever think about
leaving me for her, Max?
No, Kate. No.
Why'd you stop seeing her?
Kate, I love you.
I have always loved you.
When I realized what
a mistake I had made,
I just didn't want it between us.
But... It is.
I guess it always will be.
It'll never be the same, Max.
- Let's go, Eddie.
- Let's get out of here.
You broke my heart, Max.