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                                        CHINATOWN



                                        Written by

                                       Robert Towne



                

               FULL SCREEN PHOTOGRAPH Grainy but unmistakably a man and 
               woman making love. Photograph shakes. SOUND of a man MOANING 
               in anguish. The photograph is dropped, REVEALING ANOTHER, 
               MORE compromising one. Then another, and another. More moans.

                                     CURLY'S VOICE
                              (crying out)
                         Oh, no.

               INT. GITTES' OFFICE

               CURLY drops the photos on Gittes' desk. Curly towers over 
               GITTES and sweats heavily through his workman's clothes, his 
               breathing progressively more labored. A drop plunks on Gittes' 
               shiny desk top.

               Gittes notes it. A fan whiffs overhead. Gittes glances up at 
               it. He looks cool and brisk in a white linen suit despite 
               the heat. Never taking his eyes off Curly, he lights a 
               cigarette using a lighter with a "nail" on his desk.

               Curly, with another anguished sob, turns and rams his fist 
               into the wall, kicking the wastebasket as he does. He starts 
               to sob again, slides along the wall where his fist has left 
               a noticeable dent and its impact has sent the signed photos 
               of several movie stars askew.

               Curly slides on into the blinds and sinks to his knees. He 
               is weeping heavily now, and is in such pain that he actually 
               bites into the blinds.

               Gittes doesn't move from his chair.

                                     GITTES
                         All right, enough is enough. You 
                         can't eat the Venetian blinds, Curly. 
                         I just had 'em installed on Wednesday.

               Curly responds slowly, rising to his feet, crying. Gittes 
               reaches into his desk and pulls out a shot glass, quickly 
               selects a cheaper bottle of bourbon from several fifths of 
               more expensive whiskeys.

               Gittes pours a large shot. He shoves the glass across his 
               desk toward Curly.

                                     GITTES
                         Down the hatch.

               Curly stares dumbly at it. Then picks it up, and drains it. 
               He sinks back into the chair opposite Gittes, begins to cry 
               quietly.

                                     CURLY
                              (drinking, relaxing a 
                              little)
                         She's just no good.

                                     GITTES
                         What can I tell you, Kid? You're 
                         right. When you're right, you're 
                         right, and you're right.

                                     CURLY
                         Ain't worth thinking about.

               Gittes leaves the bottle with Curly.

                                     GITTES
                         You're absolutely right, I wouldn't 
                         give her another thought.

                                     CURLY
                              (pouring himself)
                         You know, you're okay, Mr. Gittes. I 
                         know it's your job, but you're okay.

                                     GITTES
                              (settling back, 
                              breathing a little 
                              easier)
                         Thanks, Curly. Call me Jake.

                                     CURLY
                         Thanks. You know something, Jake?

                                     GITTES
                         What's that, Curly?

                                     CURLY
                         I think I'll kill her.

               INT. DUFFY & WALSH'S OFFICE

               Noticeably less plush than Gitte's. A well-groomed, dark-
               haired WOMAN sits nervously between their two desks, fiddling 
               with the veil on her pillbox hat.

                                     WOMAN
                         I was hoping Mr. Gittes could see to 
                         this personally.

                                     WALSH
                              (almost the manner of 
                              someone comforting 
                              the bereaved)
                         If you'll allow us to complete our 
                         preliminary questioning, by then 
                         he'll be free.

               There is the SOUND of ANOTHER MOAN coming from Gittes' Office.

               Something made of glass shatters. The Woman grows more edgy.

               INT. GITTES' OFFICE – GITTES & CURLY

               Gittes and Curly stand in front of the desk, Gittes staring 
               contemptuously at the heavy breathing hulk towering over 
               him. Gittes takes a handkerchief and wipes away the plunk of 
               perspiration on his desk.

                                     CURLY
                              (crying)
                         They don't kill a guy for that.

                                     GITTES
                         Oh they don't?

                                     CURLY
                         Not for your wife. That's the 
                         unwritten law.

               Gittes pounds the photos on the desk, shouting;

                                     GITTES
                         I'll tell you the unwritten law, you 
                         dumb son of a bitch, you gotta be 
                         rich to kill somebody, anybody and 
                         get away with it. You think you got 
                         that kind of dough, you think you 
                         got that kind of class?

               Curly shrinks back a little.

                                     CURLY
                         ...No...

                                     GITTES
                         You bet your ass you don't. You can't 
                         even pay me off.

               This seems to upset Curly even more.

                                     CURLY
                         I'll pay the rest next trip. We only 
                         caught sixty ton of skipjack around 
                         San Benedict. We hit a chubasco, 
                         they don't pay you for skipjack the 
                         way they do for tuna or albacore.

                                     GITTES
                              (easing him out of 
                              his office)
                         Forget it. I only mention it to 
                         illustrate a point...

               INT. OFFICE RECEPTION

               He's now walking him past SOPHIE who pointedly averts her 
               gaze. He opens the door where on the pebbled glass can be 
               read: "J. J. GITTES and Associates. DISCREET INVESTIGATION"

                                     GITTES
                         I don't want your last dime.

               He throws an arm around Curly and flashes a dazzling smile.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         What kind of guy do you think I am?

                                     CURLY
                         Thanks, Mr. Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                         Call me Jake. Careful driving home, 
                         Curly.

               He shuts the door on him and the smile disappears.

               He shakes his head, starting to swear under his breath.

                                     SOPHIE
                         A Mrs. Mulwray is waiting for you, 
                         with Mr. Walsh and Mr. Duffy.

               Gittes nods, walks on in.

               INT. DUFFY AND WALSH'S OFFICE

               Walsh rises when Gittes enters.

                                     WALSH
                         Mrs. Mulwray, may I present Mr. 
                         Gittes?

               Gittes walks over to her and again flashes a warm, sympathetic 
               smile.

                                     GITTES
                         How do you do, Mrs. Mulwray?

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                         Mr. Gittes...

                                     GITTES
                         Now, Mrs. Mulwray, what seems to be 
                         the problem?

               She holds her breath. The revelation isn't easy for her.

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                         My husband, I believe, is seeing 
                         another woman.

               Gittes looks mildly shocked. He turns for confirmation to 
               his two partners.

                                     GITTES
                              (gravely)
                         No, really?

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                         I'm afraid so.

                                     GITTES
                         I am sorry.

               Gittes pulls up a chair sitting next to Mrs. Mulwray between 
               Duffy and Walsh. Duffy cracks his gum.

               Gittes gives him an irritated glance. Duffy stops chewing.

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                         Can't we talk about this alone, Mr. 
                         Gittes?

                                     GITTES
                         I'm afraid not, Mrs. Mulwray. These 
                         men are my operatives and at some 
                         point they're going to assist me. I 
                         can't do everything myself.

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                         Of course not.

                                     GITTES
                         Now, what makes you certain he is 
                         involved with someone?

               Mrs. Mulwray hesitates. She seems uncommonly nervous at the 
               question.

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                         A wife can tell.

               Gittes sighs.

                                     GITTES
                         Mrs. Mulwray, do you love your 
                         husband?

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                              (shocked)
                         ...Yes of course.

                                     GITTES
                              (deliberately)
                         Then go home and forget about it.

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                         But...

                                     GITTES
                              (staring intently at 
                              her)
                         I'm sure he loves you, too. You know 
                         the expression, let sleeping dogs 
                         lie? You're better off not knowing.

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                              (with some real anxiety)
                         But I have to know.

               Her intensity is genuine. Gittes looks to his two partners.

                                     GITTES
                         All right, what's your husband's 
                         first name?

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                         Hollis. Hollis Mulwray.

                                     GITTES
                              (visibly surprised)
                         Water and Power?

               Mrs. Mulwray nods, almost shyly. Gittes is now casually but 
               carefully checking out the detailing of Mrs. Mulwray's dress 
               – her handbag, shoes, etc.

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                         He's the Chief Engineer.

                                     DUFFY
                              (a little eagerly)
                         Chief Engineer?

               Gittes' glance tells Duffy Gittes wants to do the questioning. 
               Mrs. Mulwray nods.

                                     GITTES
                              (confidentially)
                         This type of investigation can be 
                         hard on your pocketbook, Mrs. Mulwray. 
                         It takes time.

                                     MRS. MULWRAY
                         Money doesn't matter to me, Mr. 
                         Gittes.

               Gittes sighs.

                                     GITTES
                         Very well. We'll see what we can do.

               EXT. CITY HALL – MORNING

               Already shimmering with heat.

               A drunk blows his nose with his fingers into the fountain at 
               the foot of the steps.

               Gittes, impeccably dressed, passes the drunk on the way up 
               the stairs.

               INT. COUNCIL CHAMBERS

               Former Mayor SAM BAGBY is speaking. Behind him is a huge 
               map, with overleafs and bold lettering:

                        "PROPOSED ALTO VALLEJO DAM AND RESERVOIR"

               Some of the councilmen are reading funny papers and gossip 
               columns while Bagby is speaking.

                                     BAGBY
                         Gentlemen, today you can walk out 
                         that door, turn right, hop on a 
                         streetcar and in twenty-five minutes 
                         end up smack in the Pacific Ocean. 
                         Now you can swim in it, you can fish 
                         in it, you can sail in it but you 
                         can't drink it, you can't water your 
                         lawns with it, you can't irrigate an 
                         orange grove with it.  Remember we 
                         live next door to the ocean but we 
                         also live on the edge of the desert. 
                         Los Angeles is a desert community. 
                         Beneath this building, beneath every 
                         street there's a desert. Without 
                         water the dust will rise up and cover 
                         us as though we'd never existed!
                              (pausing, letting the 
                              implication sink in)

               CLOSE – GITTES

               sitting next to some grubby farmers, bored. He yawns, edges 
               away from one of the dirtier farmers.

                                     BAGBY (O.S.)
                              (continuing)
                         The Alto Vallejo can save us from 
                         that, and I respectfully suggest 
                         that eight and a half million dollars 
                         is a fair price to pay to keep the 
                         desert from our streets and not on 
                         top of them.

               AUDIENCE – COUNCIL CHAMBERS

               An amalgam of farmers, businessmen, and city employees have 
               been listening with keen interest. A couple of the farmers 
               applaud.

               Somebody shooshes them.

               COUNCIL COMMITTEE

               In a whispered conference.

                                     COUNCILMAN
                              (acknowledging Bagby)
                         Mayor Bagby... let's hear from the 
                         departments again. I suppose we better 
                         take Water and Power first. Mr. 
                         Mulwray.

               REACTION – GITTES

               Looking up with interest from his racing form.

               MULWRAY

               Walks to the huge map with overleafs. He is a slender man in 
               his sixties, who wears glasses and moves with surprising 
               fluidity. He turns to a smaller, younger man, and nods. The 
               man turns the overleaf on the map.

                                     MULWRAY
                         In case you've forgotten, gentlemen, 
                         over five hundred lives were lost 
                         when the Van der Lip Dam gave way 
                         core samples have shown that beneath 
                         this bedrock is shale similar to the 
                         permeable shale in the Van der Lip 
                         disaster.  It couldn't withstand 
                         that kind of pressure there.
                              (referring to a new 
                              overleaf)
                         Now you propose yet another dirt 
                         banked terminus dam with slopes of 
                         two and one half to one, one hundred 
                         twelve feet high and a twelve thousand 
                         acre water surface. Well, it won't 
                         hold. I won't build it. It's that 
                         simple. I am not making that kind of 
                         mistake twice. Thank you, gentlemen.

               Mulwray leaves the overleaf board and sits down. Suddenly 
               there are some whoops and hollers from the rear of the 
               chambers and a redfaced FARMER drives in several scrawny, 
               bleating sheep. Naturally, they cause a commotion.

                                     COUNCIL PRESIDENT
                              (shouting to farmer)
                         What in the hell do you think you're 
                         doing?
                              (as the sheep bleat 
                              down the aisles toward 
                              the Council)
                         Get those goddam things out of here!

                                     FARMER
                              (right back)
                         Tell me where to take them! You don't 
                         have an answer for that so quick, do 
                         you?

               Bailiffs and sergeants-at-arms respond to the imprecations 
               of the Council and attempt to capture the sheep and the 
               farmers, having to restrain one who looks like he's going to 
               bodily attack Mulwray.

                                     FARMER
                              (through above, to 
                              Mulwray)
                         You steal the water from the valley, 
                         ruin the grazing, starve my livestock 
                         who's paying you to do that, Mr. 
                         Mulwray, that's what I want to know!

               L.A. RIVERBED – LONG SHOT

               It's virtually empty. Sun blazes off it's ugly concrete banks. 
               Where the banks are earthen, they are parched and choked 
               with weeds.

               After a moment, Mulwray's car pulls INTO VIEW on a flood 
               control road about fifteen feet above the riverbed. Mulwray 
               gets out of the car. Me looks around.

               WITH GITTES

               Holding a pair of binoculars, downstream and just above the 
               flood control road using some dried mustard weeds for cover. 
               He watches while Mulwray makes his way down to the center of 
               the riverbed.

               There Mulwray stops, tuns slowly, appears to be looking at 
               the bottom of the riverbed, or at nothing at all.

               GITTES

               Trains the binoculars on him. Sun glints off Mulwray's 
               glasses.

               BELOW GITTES

               There's the SOUND of something like champagne corks popping. 
               Then a small Mexican boy atop a swayback horse rides it into 
               the riverbed, and into Gitte's view.

               MULWRAY

               Himself stops, stands still when he hears the sound. Power 
               lines and the sun are overhead, the trickle of brackish water 
               at his feet.

               He moves swiftly downstream in the direction of the sound, 
               toward Gittes.

               GITTES

               Moves a little further back as Mulwray rounds the bend in 
               the river and comes face to face with the Mexican boy on the 
               muddy banks.

               Mulwray says something to the boy.

               The boy doesn't answer at first. Mulwray points to the ground. 
               The boy gestures. Mulwray frowns. He kneels down in the mud 
               and stares at it. He seems to be concentrating on it.

               After a moment, he rises, thanks the boy and heads swiftly 
               back upstream – scrambling up the bank to his car.

               There he reaches through the window and pulls out a roll of 
               blueprints or something like them. He spreads them on the 
               hood of his car and begins to scribble some notes, looking 
               downstream from time to time.

               The power lines overhead HUM.

               He stops, listens to them then rolls up the plans and gets 
               back in the car. He drives off.

               GITTES

               Hurries to get back to his car. He gets in and gets right 
               back out.

               The steamy leather burns him. He takes a towel from the back 
               seat and carefully places it on the front one. He gets in 
               and takes off.

               POINT FERMIN PARK – DUSK

               Street lights go on.

               MULWRAY

               Pulls up, parks. Hurries out of the car, across the park 
               lawn and into the shade of some trees and buildings.

               GITTES

               Pulls up, moves across the park at a different angle, but in 
               the direction Mulwray had gone. He makes it through the trees 
               in time to see Mulwray scramble adroitly down the side of 
               the cliff to the beach below. Be seems in a hurry. Gittes 
               moves after him, having a little more difficulty negotiating 
               the climb than Mulwray did.

               DOWN ON THE BEACH

               Gittes looks to his right where the bay is a long, clear 
               crescent.

               He looks to his left. There's a promontory of sorts. It's 
               apparent Mulwray has gone that way. Gittes hesitates, then 
               moves in that direction but climbs along the promontory in 
               order to be above Mulwray.

               AT THE OUTFALL

               Gittes spots Mulwray just below him, kicking at the sand.

               Mulwray picks up a starfish. Brushes the sand off it. Looks 
               absently up toward Gittes.

               GITTES

               Backs away, sits near the outfall, yawns.

               BEACON LIGHT AT POINT FERMIN

               Flashing in the dust.

               CLOSE – GITTES

               Sitting, suddenly starts. He swears softly. He's in a puddle 
               of water and the seat of his trousers is wet.

               MULWRAY

               Below him in watching the water trickling down from the 
               outfall near Gittes.

               Mulwray stands and stares at the water, apparently fascinated. 
               Even as Gittes watches Mulwray watching, the volume and 
               velocity seem to increase until it gushes in spurts, cascading 
               into the sea, whipping it into a foam.

               AT THE STREET – GITTES' CAR

               There's a slip of paper stuck under the windshield wiper. 
               Gittes pulls it off, gets in the car and turns on the dash 
               light. It says:

               "SAVE OUR CITY! LOS ANGELES IS DYING OF THIRST! PROTECT YOUR 
               PROPERTY! LOS ANGELES IS YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE!!! 
               VOTE YES NOVEMBER 6... CITIZENS COMMITTEE TO SAVE OUR CITY, 
               HON. SAM BAGBY, FORMER MAYOR – CHAIRMAN." Gittes grumbles, 
               crumples it up and tosses it out the window. He notices other 
               flyers parked on a couple of cars down the street.

               Gittes reaches down and opens his glove compartment.

               INT. GLOVE COMPARTMENT

               Consists of a small mountain of Ingersoll pocket watches.

               The cheap price tags are still on them. Gittes pulls out 
               one.

               He absently winds it, checks the time with his own watch. 
               It's 9:37 as he walks to Mulwray's car and places it behind 
               the front wheel of Mulwray's car. He yawns again and heads 
               back to his own car.

               GITTES

               Arrives whistling, opens the door with "J.J. GITTES AND 
               ASSOCIATES – DISCREET INVESTIGATION" on it.

                                     GITTES
                         Morning, Sophie.

               Sophie hands him a small pile of messages. He goes through 
               them.

                                     GITTES
                         Walsh here?

                                     SOPHIE
                         He's in the dark room.

               Gittes walks through his office to Duffy and Walsh's. A little 
               red light is on in the corner, over a closed door. Gittes 
               walks over and knocks on the door.

                                     GITTES
                         Where'd he go yesterday?

                                     WALSH'S VOICE
                         Three reservoirs. Men's room of a 
                         Richfield gas station on Flower, and 
                         the Pig 'n Whistle.

                                     GITTES
                         Jesus Christ, this guy's really got 
                         water on the brain.

                                     WALSH'S VOICE
                         What'd you expect? That's his job.

                                     GITTES
                         Listen, we can't string this broad 
                         out indefinitely we got to come up 
                         with something.

                                     WALSH'S VOICE
                         I think I got something.

                                     GITTES
                         Oh yeah? You pick up the watch?

               INT. DUFFY & WALSH'S OFFICE – GITTES

                                     WALSH'S VOICE
                         It's on your desk. Say, you hear the 
                         one about the guy who goes to the 
                         North Pole with Admiral Byrd looking 
                         for penguins?

               Gittes walks to his office.

               ON HIS DESK

               Is the Ingersoll watch, the crystal broken, the hands stopped 
               at 2:47.

                                     GITTES
                         He was there all night.

               Gittes drops it, sits down. Walsh comes in carrying a series 
               of wet photos stuck with clothes pins onto a small blackboard.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing; eagerly)
                         So what you got?

               Walsh shows him the photos. He looks at them. They are a 
               series outside a restaurant showing Mulwray with another man 
               whose appearance is striking. In two of the photos a gnarled 
               cane is visible.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing; obviously 
                              annoyed)
                         This?

                                     WALSH
                         They got into a terrific argument 
                         outside the Pig 'n Whistle.

                                     GITTES
                         What about?

                                     WALSH
                         I don't know. The traffic was pretty 
                         loud. I only heard one thing – apple 
                         core.

                                     GITTES
                         Apple core?

                                     WALSH
                              (shrugs)
                         Yeah.

               INT. GITTES' OFFICE

               Gittes tosses down the photos in disgust.

                                     GITTES
                         Jesus Christ, Walsh. That's what you 
                         spent your day doing?

                                     WALSH
                         Look, you tell me to take pictures, 
                         I take pictures.

                                     GITTES
                         Let me explain something to you, 
                         Walsh. This business requires a 
                         certain finesse.

               The PHONE has been RINGING. Sophie buzzes him.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah, Sophie?
                              (he picks up the phone)
                         Duffy, where are you?

               Duffy's VOICE can be HEARD, excitedly. "I got it. I got it. 
               He's found himself some cute little twist in a rowboat, in 
               Echo Park."

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Okay, slow down – Echo Park.
                              (to Walsh)
                         Jesus, water again.

               WESTLAKE PARK (MCARTHUR PARK)

               Duffy is rowing, Gittes seated in the stern.

               They pass Mulwray and a slender blonde girl in a summer print 
               dress, drifting in their rowboat, Mulwray fondly doting on 
               the girl.

                                     GITTES
                              (to Duffy, as they 
                              pass)
                         Let's have a big smile, pal.

               He shoots past Duffy, expertly running off a couple of fast 
               shots.

               Mulwray and the girl seem blissfully unaware of them.

               DUFFY

               Turns again and they row past Mulwray and the girl, Gittes 
               again clicking off several fast shots.

               CLOSE SHOT – SIGN:

                                 "EL MACANDO APARTMENTS"

               MOVE ALONG the red tiled roof and down to a lower level of 
               the roof where Gittes' feet are hooked over the apex of the 
               roof and Gittes himself is stretched face downward on the 
               tiles, pointing himself and his camera to a veranda below 
               him where the girl and Mulwray are eating. Gittes is clicking 
               off more shots when the tiles his feet are hooked over come 
               loose.

               Gittes begins a slow slide down the tile to the edge of the 
               roof and possibly over it to a three-story drop. He tries to 
               slow himself down. The loose tile also begins to slide.

               Gittes stops himself at the roof's edge by the storm drain 
               and begins a very precarious turn, this time hooking his 
               feet in the drain itself. The loose tile falls and hits the 
               veranda below. He stops as it's about to slide over the edge. 
               He carefully lays it in the drain. But a fragment off the 
               cracked edge of the tile falls.

               WITH MULWRAY AND THE GIRL

               Mulwray staring at the fragment at his feet. He looks to the 
               girl.

               He's clearly concerned. He rises, looks up to the roof.

               FROM HIS POV

               The roof and the sign topping it betray nothing. He slowly 
               sits back down, staring at the tile fragment.

               CLOSE SHOT – NEWSPAPER "DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER BLOWS 
               FUSE OVER CHIEF'S USE OF FUNDS FOR EL MACANDO LOVE NEST."

               In the style of the Hearst yellow press, there is a heart-
               shaped drawing around one of the photos that Gittes had taken. 
               Next to it is a smaller column, "J.J. Gittes hired by 
               suspicious spouse."

               INT. BARBERSHOP – GITTES

               Holds the paper and reads while getting his haircut and his 
               shoes shined. In fact, almost all the customers are reading 
               papers.

                                     BARNEY
                              (to Gittes)
                         When you get so much publicity, after 
                         a while you must get blasι about it.

               A self-satisfied smile comes to Gittes' face.

                                     BARNEY
                              (continuing)
                         Face it. You're practically a movie 
                         star.

               In b.g., customers can be OVERHEARD talking about the drought.

               Interspersed with above, someone is saying, "They're gonna 
               start rationing water unless it rains." Someone else says, 
               "Only for washing your cars." Third says, "You're not going 
               to be able to water your lawn either, or take a bath more 
               than once a week." First says, "If you don't have a lawn or 
               a car, do you get an extra bath?"

               Gittes has been staring outside the barbershop. A car is 
               stalled.

               The hood is up. A man watches his radiator boiling over.

                                     GITTES
                              (laughing)
                         Look at that.

                                     BARNEY
                         Heat's murder.

                                     OTHER CUSTOMER
                              (end of conversation)
                         Fools names and fools faces...

               Gittes has heard the word. He straightens up.

                                     GITTES
                              (smiling; to Other 
                              Customer)
                         What's that, pal?

                                     OTHER CUSTOMER
                              (indicating paper)
                         Nothing. You got a hell of a way to 
                         make a living.

                                     GITTES
                         Oh? What do you do to make ends meet?

                                     OTHER CUSTOMER
                         Mortgage Department, First National 
                         Bank.

               Gittes laughs.

                                     GITTES
                         Tell me, how many people a week do 
                         you foreclose on?

                                     OTHER CUSTOMER
                         We don't publish a record in the 
                         paper, I can tell you that.

                                     GITTES
                         Neither do I.

                                     OTHER CUSTOMER
                         No, you have a press agent do it.

               Gittes gets out of the chair. Barney, a little concerned, 
               tries to restrain him, holding onto the barber sheet around 
               Gittes' neck.

                                     GITTES
                         Barney, who is this bimbo? He a 
                         regular customer?

                                     BARNEY
                         Take it easy, Jake.

                                     GITTES
                         Look, pal. I make an honest living. 
                         People don't come to me unless they're 
                         miserable and I help 'em out of a 
                         bad situation. I don't kick them out 
                         of their homes like you jerks who 
                         work in the bank.

                                     BARNEY
                         Jake, for Christ's sake.

               Gittes is trying to take off his sheet.

                                     GITTES
                         C'mon, get out of the barber chair. 
                         We'll go outside and talk this over.

               The Customer is shrinking back into the chair.

                                     BARNEY
                         Hey, c'mon, Jake. Sit down. Sit down. 
                         You hear about the fella goes to his 
                         friend and says, 'What'll I do, I'm 
                         tired of screwing my wife?' and his 
                         friend says, 'Whyn't you do what the 
                         Chinese do?'

               Gittes allows himself to be tugged back to his chair.

                                     GITTES
                         I don't know how that got in the 
                         paper as a matter of fact – it 
                         surprised me it was so quick. I make 
                         an honest living.

                                     BARNEY
                         'Course you do, Jake.

                                     GITTES
                         An honest living.

                                     BARNEY
                              (continuing)
                         So anyway, he says, 'whyn't you do 
                         what the Chinese do?'

               INT. GITTES' OFFICE

               Gittes comes bursting in, slapping a newspapers on his thigh.

                                     GITTES
                         Duffy, Walsh.

               Walsh comes out of his office, Duffy out of the other one.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Sophie, go to the little girl's room 
                         for a minute.

                                     SOPHIE
                         But, Mr. Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                              (insisting)
                         Sophie.

                                     SOPHIE
                         Yes, Mr. Gittes.

               She gets up and leaves.

                                     GITTES
                         So there's this fella who's tired of 
                         screwing his wife.

                                     DUFFY
                         Jake, listen.

                                     GITTES
                         Shut up, Duffy, you're always in a 
                         hurry and his friend says why not do 
                         what the Chinese do? So he says what 
                         do they do? His friend says the 
                         Chinese they screw for a while. Just 
                         listen a second, Duffy...

               A stunning YOUNG WOMAN appears behind Gittes in his doorway. 
               She's shortly joined by a small, GRAY-HAIRED MAN. They listen, 
               unseen by Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         ...and then they stop and they read 
                         a little Confucius and they screw 
                         some more and they stop and they 
                         smoke some opium and then they go 
                         back and screw some more and they 
                         stop again and they contemplate the 
                         moon or something and it makes it 
                         more exciting. So this other guy 
                         goes home to screw his wife and after 
                         a while he stops and gets up and 
                         goes into the other room only he 
                         reads Life Magazine and he goes back 
                         and he screws some more and suddenly 
                         says excuse me a second and he gets 
                         up and smokes a cigarette and he 
                         goes back and by this time his wife 
                         is getting sore as hell. So he screws 
                         some more and then he gets up to 
                         look at the moon and his wife says, 
                         'What the hell do you think you're 
                         doing?
                              (Gittes breaks up)
                         ...you're screwing like a Chinaman.'

               Gittes hangs onto Sophie's desk laughing his ass off. The 
               little Gray-Haired Man winces. When Gittes looks up he sees 
               the Young Woman, apparently in her late twenties. She's so 
               stunning that Gittes nearly gasps.

                                     YOUNG WOMAN
                         Mr. Gittes?

                                     GITTES
                         Yes?

                                     YOUNG WOMAN
                         Do you know me?

                                     GITTES
                         Well... I think I... I would've 
                         remembered.

                                     YOUNG WOMAN
                         Have we ever met?

                                     GITTES
                         Well, no.

                                     YOUNG WOMAN
                         Never?

                                     GITTES
                         Never.

                                     YOUNG WOMAN
                         That's what I thought. You see, I'm 
                         Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray. You know, Mr. 
                         Mulwray's wife.

               Gittes is staggered. He glances down at the newspaper.

                                     GITTES
                         Not that Mulwray?

                                     EVELYN
                         Yes, that Mulwray, Mr. Gittes. And 
                         since you agree with me we've never 
                         met, you must also agree that I 
                         haven't hired you to do anything. 
                         Certainly not spy on my husband. I 
                         see you like publicity, Mr. Gittes. 
                         Well, you're going to get it.

                                     GITTES
                         Now wait a minute, Mrs. Mulwray...

               She's walked past him toward the door. He stop her.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         ...there's some misunderstanding 
                         here. It's not going to do any good 
                         to get tough with me.

               Evelyn flashes a cold smile.

                                     EVELYN
                         I don't get tough with anybody, Mr. 
                         Gittes.  My lawyer does.

               Evelyn starts out the door and Gittes starts after her. This 
               time he's stopped by the Gray-Haired Man who has also come 
               out of his office and up behind him.

                                     GRAY-HAIRED MAN
                         Here's something for you, Mr. Gittes.

               Gittes turns to be handed a thick sheaf of papers, a summons 
               and complaint. Evelyn walks out the door.

                                     GRAY-HAIRED MAN
                              (continuing; pleasantly)
                         I suppose we'll be hearing from your 
                         attorney.

               Gittes stares down at the papers in his hand.

               INT. GITTES' INNER OFFICE – GITTES, DUFFY & WALSH

               On Gittes' desk. There are empty coffee cups, the summons 
               and complaint, and the newspaper Gittes had brought with him 
               from the barber shop.

               The three men are sitting, worn and silent. Walsh chewing 
               gum is the loudest noise in the room.

               Gittes looks to Walsh with obvious irritation. Walsh stops 
               chewing.

               Duffy puts out a cigarette in the dregs of one of the coffee 
               cups.

                                     GITTES
                              (to Duffy)
                         There's seven ashtrays in this room, 
                         Duffy.

                                     DUFFY
                         Okay.

                                     GITTES
                         That's a filthy habit.

                                     DUFFY
                         I said okay, Jake.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah, yeah. If she'd come in here 
                         saying she was Shirley Temple you'd 
                         say okay to that, too.

                                     WALSH
                         Look, Jake. She gave us Mulwray's 
                         real phone number and address.

                                     GITTES
                         All she needed for that was the phone 
                         book!

                                     WALSH
                         No, no. She said not to call, her 
                         husband might answer.

                                     GITTES
                         When I find out who that phony bitch 
                         was.

               Gittes is staring down at the newspaper. He suddenly grabs 
               the phone, begins dialing. A tight little smile breaks out 
               on his face.

               He buzzes Sophie.

                                     GITTES
                         Sophie.

                                     SOPHIE
                         Yes, Mr. Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                         Get me the Times. Whitey Mehrholtz.
                              (as he waits)
                         And how about that snotty broad?
                              (the phone to his ear)
                         What does she think, she's perfect? 
                         Coming in waving her lawyers and her 
                         money at me – so goddam smug. She's 
                         no better than anybody else in this 
                         town.

               Sophie BUZZES.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Whitey, what's new, pal?... Yeah, 
                         listen, where did you get those 
                         photographs... Yeah, blowing a fuse 
                         over the El Macando love nest.  That's 
                         cute, Whitey... so who sent them to 
                         you... I sent them?
                              (Gittes laughs a little 
                              hysterically)
                         Why would I be asking how you got 
                         them if I sent them?... Whitey?... 
                         Whitey?... C'mon, level with me for 
                         once, my tit's in the wringer and 
                         it's beginning to hurt... yeah...  
                         yeah... yeah.

               He hangs up.

                                     WALSH
                         So he says you sent them?

                                     GITTES
                              (after a moment)
                         They're all a bunch of phonies.

               INT. DEPARTMENT WATER & POWER – HALL

               Gittes stops outside a door marked:

                            "HOLLIS J. MULWRAY CHIEF ENGINEER"

               He enters an outer office. The SECRETARY looks surprised.

                                     GITTES
                         Mr. Mulwray, please.

                                     SECRETARY
                         He's not in, Mr.?

                                     GITTES
                         Gittes.

                                     SECRETARY
                         May I ask what this is regarding?

                                     GITTES
                         It's personal. Has he been out long?

                                     SECRETARY
                         Since lunch.

                                     GITTES
                         Gee whiz.
                              (he glances at his 
                              watch)
                         And I'm late.

                                     SECRETARY
                         He was expecting you?

                                     GITTES
                         Fifteen minutes ago. Why don't I go 
                         in and wait?

               Without waiting for a response, he does. The Secretary half 
               rises in protest but Gittes is through the inner door.

               MULWRAY'S INNER OFFICE

               The walls are covered with commendation, photos of Mulwray 
               at various construction sites, large maps of watershed areas 
               and reservoirs in the city. On the desk is a framed, tinted 
               photo of Evelyn in riding clothes.

               Gittes moves to the desk, watching the translucent pane in 
               the upper half of the door leading to the outer office as he 
               does.

               He begins to open and close the desk drawers after quickly 
               examining the top. He tries one of the drawers and it doesn't 
               open.

               He reopens the top drawer, and the bottom one opens.

               He looks in it, pulls out a checkbook. He opens it, riffles 
               through the stubs like he was shuffling cards. Drops it, 
               finds a set of keys, an old phone book, and a menu from a 
               Water Department lunch at the Biltmore Hotel in 1913. Then,

               He flips through them, reads one notation in Mulwray's neat 
               hand:

                      "Tues. night. Oak Pass Res. 7 channels used."

               Gittes spots a shadow looming in front of the translucent 
               pane. He quickly tosses item after item back, kneeing the 
               drawer, nearly knocking a spare pair of Mulwray's glasses 
               off the desk top when he does. He catches them, puts them on 
               the desk and is pacing the room as the door opens.

               RUSS YELBURTON

               Enters the room. An anxious Secretary is right behind him.

                                     YELBURTON
                         Can I help you?
                              (extending his hand)
                         Russ Yelburton, Deputy Chief in the 
                         Department.

                                     GITTES
                              (equally pleasant)
                         J.J. Gittes. And it's not a 
                         departmental matter.

                                     YELBURTON
                         I wonder if you'd care to wait in my 
                         office?

               This is more a request than an invitation. Gittes nods, 
               follows Yelburton out, through the outer office to his offices 
               down the hall.

                                     YELBURTON
                              (continuing; as they're 
                              going)
                         You see, this whole business in the 
                         paper with Mr. Mulwray has us all on 
                         edge.

               INT. YELBURTON OFFICE

               Smaller than Mulwray's, he has most noticeably a lacquered 
               marlin mounted on the wall. There are a couple of other 
               pictures of Yelburton with yellowtail and other fish he's 
               standing beside.

               There's also a small burgee of a fish with the initials A.C. 
               below it, tacked onto the wall.

                                     YELBURTON
                         After all, you work with a man for a 
                         certain length of time, you come to 
                         know him, his habits, his values, 
                         and so forth. Well either he's the 
                         kind who chases after women or he 
                         isn't.

                                     GITTES
                         And Mulwray isn't?

                                     YELBURTON
                         He never even kids about it.

                                     GITTES
                         Maybe he takes it very seriously.

               Gittes winks. Yelburton chuckles appreciatively, loosening 
               up a little.

                                     GITTES
                         You don't happen to know where Mr. 
                         Mulwray's having lunch?

                                     YELBURTON
                         I'm sorry, I --

                                     GITTES
                         Well, tell him I'll be back.

               Gittes spots a card tray on Yelburton's desk.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Mind if I take one of your cards?  
                         In case I want to get in touch with 
                         you again.

                                     YELBURTON
                         Help yourself.

               Gittes fishes a couple off the tray, puts them in his 
               handkerchief pocket. He goes out the door, nearly running 
               into a man who is standing by the Secretary's desk, about 
               GITTES' age only a head taller and a foot wider, dressed in 
               a plain suit that fits him about as well as a brown paper 
               bag.

                                     GITTES
                         Mulvihlll, what are you doing here?

               OUTER OFFICE – YELBURTON, MULVIHILL AND GITTES

               Mulvihill stares at Gittes with unblinking eyes, remains by 
               the desk.

                                     MULVIHILL
                         They shut my water off, what's it to 
                         you?

                                     GITTES
                         How'd you find out? You don't drink 
                         it, you don't take a bath in it, 
                         maybe they sent you a letter. Ah, 
                         but then you'd have to be able to 
                         read.

               Mulvihill moves toward Gittes, shaking with fury. Yelburton 
               steps between them.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Relax, Mulvihill, glad to see you.
                              (to Yelburton)
                         Do you know Claude Mulvihill here?

                                     YELBURTON
                         Hope so. He's working for us.

               EXT. MULWRAY HOUSE – GITTES

               Rings the bell. He waits.

               A powerful CHINESE BUTLER with heavy hair and a half-jacket 
               of gold on one front tooth, answers the door.

                                     GITTES
                         J.J. Gittes to see Mr. Mulwray.

               He hands the Chinese Butler a card from his wallet. The Butler 
               takes it and disappears, leaving Gittes standing in the 
               doorway.

               Gittes stands, and sweats, watching a Japanese GARDENER trim 
               a hedge. There's a SQUEAKING SOUND. Gittes moves a few feet 
               off the porch.

               POV – GARAGE

               A chauffeur is washing down a cream-colored Packard with a 
               chamois.

               Steam rises off the hood. The squeaking has obviously come 
               from the chamois.

               CHINESE BUTLER

               In doorway.

                                     CHINESE BUTLER
                         Please.

               Gittes looks behind him. The Chinese Butler is gesturing for 
               him to follow.

               THROUGH THE HOUSE – GITTES

               Follows him, trying to check out the rooms as he goes. A 
               maid is cleaning in the den. They pass through it out some 
               French doors along a trellised walkway to a large pond with 
               running water.

                                     CHINESE BUTLER
                         You wait, please.

               Gittes is left standing by the pond. It's suddenly very quiet 
               except for the runnning water. The pond is over-flowing. 
               After a moment, the Gardener comes running back. He smiles 
               at Gittes, probes into the pond.

               There's something gleaming in the bottom of it. Gittes notes 
               it.

               After a moment, the Gardener drops the long probe, the waters 
               recede.

               EXT. POND – GITTES AND JAPANESE GARDENER – DAY

                                     GARDENER
                              (to Gittes)
                         Bad for glass.

                                     GITTES
                              (not understanding)
                         Yeah sure. Bad for glass.

               The Gardener nods, and is off, leaving Gittes staring at the 
               object in the bottom of the pond that is gleaming.

               He looks at the tool the Gardener was using, hesitates, picks 
               it up and starts to probe into the pond himself, toward the 
               gleaming object.

               He then spots Evelyn rounding a turn, coming down the 
               trellised pathway. He casually belts the probe, holds onto 
               it for poise.

               Evelyn is wearing jeans that are lathered white on the inside 
               of the thighs and laced with brown horsehair.

               She's wearing riding boots, is perspiring a little, but looks 
               younger than she did in the office.

                                     EVELYN
                         Yes, Mr. Gittes?

               Gittes is a little taken aback at seeing Evelyn. He is annoyed 
               as well. Nevertheless, he is elaborately polite.

                                     GITTES
                         Actually, I'm here to see your 
                         husband, Mrs. Mulwray.

               He laughs. a little nervously. He waits for a reply. There 
               is none.

               The Chinese Butler appears on the veranda.

                                     EVELYN
                         Would you like something to drink?

                                     GITTES
                         What are you having?

                                     EVELYN
                         Iced tea.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah. Fine, thank you.

               Chinese Butler nods, disappears

               EXT. POND AND GARDEN – MULWRAY HOUSE – DAY

               Evelyn sits at a glass-topped table. Gittes Joins her.

                                     EVELYN
                         My husband's at the office.

                                     GITTES
                         Actually he's not. And he's moved 
                         from his apartment at the El Macando.

                                     EVELYN
                              (sharply)
                         That's not his apartment.

                                     GITTES
                         Anyway... I... the point is, Mrs. 
                         Mulwray.  I'm not in business to be 
                         loved, but I am in business, and 
                         believe me, whoever set up your 
                         husband, set me up. L.A.'s a small 
                         town, people talk.

               He waits for a response. Then:

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing; uneasily)
                         I'm just trying to make a living, 
                         and I don't want to become a local 
                         Joke.

                                     EVELYN
                         Mr. Gittes, you've talked me into 
                         it. I'll drop the lawsuit.

                                     GITTES
                         What?

                                     EVELYN
                         I said I'll drop it.

               The iced tea comes on a tray which Ramon sets down between 
               them.

                                     EVELYN
                              (continuing; pleasantly)
                         So let's just drop the whole thing. 
                         Sugar?  Lemon?

                                     GITTES
                         Mrs. Mulwray?

                                     EVELYN
                              (as she's mixing one 
                              of the drinks)
                         Yes, Mr. Gittes?

                                     GITTES
                         I don't want to drop it.

               Evelyn looks up. Gittes smiles a little sheepishly.

                                     GITTES
                         I should talk this over with your 
                         husband.

                                     EVELYN
                              (a little concerned)
                         Why?... What on earth for?  Look, 
                         Hollis seems to think you're an 
                         innocent man.

                                     GITTES
                         Well, I've been accused of many 
                         things, Mrs. Mulwray, but never that.

               Again he laughs a little nervously. Again no reaction.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         You see, somebody went to a lot of 
                         trouble here, and I want to find 
                         out, lawsuit or no lawsuit. I'm not 
                         the one who's supposed to be caught 
                         with my pants down... so I'd like to 
                         see your husband. Unless that's a 
                         problem.

                                     EVELYN
                              (with a slight edge)
                         What do you mean?

                                     GITTES
                         May I speak frankly, Mrs. Mulwray?

                                     EVELYN
                         You may if you can, Mr. Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                              (determined to be 
                              polite)
                         Well, that little girlfriend, she 
                         was attractive in a cheap sort of 
                         way of course.  She's disappeared. 
                         Maybe they disappeared together 
                         somewhere.

                                     EVELYN
                              (with rising anger)
                         Suppose they did. How does it concern 
                         you?

                                     GITTES
                         Nothing personal, Mrs. Mulwray, I 
                         just --

                                     EVELYN
                         It's very personal. It couldn't be 
                         more personal. Is this a business or 
                         an obsession with you?

                                     GITTES
                         Look at it this way. Now this phony 
                         broad, excuse the language, says 
                         she's you, she's hired me. Whoever 
                         put her up to it, didn't have anything 
                         against me. They were out to get 
                         your husband. Now if I see him, I 
                         can help him.  Did you talk this 
                         morning?

               Evelyn brushes lightly at the horsehair on her Jeans.

                                     EVELYN
                         No. I went riding rather early.

                                     GITTES
                         Looks like you went quite a distance.

                                     EVELYN
                         No, Just riding bareback, that's 
                         all. Anyway, you might try the Oak 
                         Pass or Stone Canyon Reservoirs. 
                         Sometimes at lunch Hollis takes walks 
                         around them. Otherwise he'll be home 
                         by 6:30.

                                     GITTES
                         I'll stop by.

                                     EVELYN
                         Please call first.

               Gittes nods.

               EXT. OAK PASS RESERVOIR – DAY

               Gittes drives up a winding road, following a flood channel 
               up into the parched hills.

               TWO FIRE TRUCKS

               One a rescue truck, are at the entrance to the reservoir.

               The chain link fence with its KEEP OUT sign is open and there 
               are people milling around. The reservoir is below.

               Gittes' car is stopped by a couple of UNIFORMED POLICE.

                                     GUARD
                         Sorry, this is closed to the public, 
                         sir.

               Gittes hesitates only a moment, then:

                                     GITTES
                              (to the Guard)
                         It's all right. Russ Yelburton, Deputy 
                         Chief in the Department.

               He fishes out one of Yelburton's cards from his handkerchief 
               pocket, hands it to the Guard.

                                     GUARD
                         Sorry, Mr. Yelburton. Go on down.

               Gittes drives past the Guards, through the gate, along the 
               reservoir. He spots a police car and an unmarked one as well.

               Gittes stops and gets out of the car. Several men with their 
               backs turned, one talking quietly, staring down into the 
               reservoir where other men in small skiffs are apparently 
               dredging for something.

               One of the men turns and sees Gittes. He recognizes Gittes 
               and is visibly shocked.

                                     LOACH
                         Gittes, for Chrissakes.

                                     GITTES
                         Loach.

                                     LOACH
                              (moving to Gittes, 
                              taking him by the 
                              arm)
                         C'mon, get out of here before --

               EXT. RESERVOIR – DAY

               Loach tries to ease him down the path.

                                     GITTES
                         Before what? What the hell's going 
                         on?

               At the sound of his raised voice, a man standing at the edge 
               of the channel, talking to two boys in swimming trunks, turns 
               around. He's a tall, sleek Mexican in his early thirties, 
               LUIS ESCOBAR.

               Both Gittes and Escobar register considerable surprise at 
               seeing one another. The men around them are extremely uneasy.

               Loach is actually sweating. Finally, Escobar smiles.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Hello, Jake.

                                     GITTES
                              (without smiling)
                         How are you, Lou?

                                     ESCOBAR
                         I have a cold I can't seem to shake 
                         but other than that, I'm fine.

                                     GITTES
                         Summer colds are the worst.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Yeah, they are.

               Gittes reaches into his pocket, pulls out his cigarette case.

                                     A FIREMAN
                         No smoking, sir. It's a fire hazard 
                         this time of year.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         I think we can make an exception. 
                         I'll see he's careful with the 
                         matches.

                                     GITTES
                              (lighting up)
                         Thanks, Lou.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         How'd you get past the guards?

                                     GITTES
                         Well, to tell you the truth, I lied 
                         a little.

               Escobar nods. They walk a couple of steps. The other police, 
               two plainclothesmen and a uniformed officer, watch them.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         You've done well by yourself.

                                     GITTES
                         I get by.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Well, sometimes it takes a while for 
                         a man to find himself and I guess 
                         you have.

                                     LOACH
                         Poking around in other people's dirty 
                         linen.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah. Tell me, you still throw 
                         Chinamen into jail for spitting on 
                         the laundry?

                                     ESCOBAR
                         You're behind the times, Jake. They've 
                         got steam irons now.
                              (smiles)
                         And I'm out of Chinatown.

                                     GITTES
                         Since when?

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Since I made Lieutenant.

               It's apparent Gittes is impressed despite himself.

                                     GITTES
                         Congratulations.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Uh-huh. So what are you doing here?

                                     GITTES
                         Looking for someone.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Who?

                                     GITTES
                         Hollis Mulwray. You seen him?

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Oh yes.

                                     GITTES
                         I'd like to talk to him.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         You're welcome to try. There he is.

               Escobar points down to the reservoir. A couple of men using 
               poles with hooks are fishing about in the water. It can be 
               SEEN that one of them has hooked something.

               He shouts. The other man hooks it, too. They pull, revealing 
               the soaking back of a man's coat. They start to pull the 
               body into the skiff.

               INT. CORONER'S OFFICE – EVELYN AND ESCOBAR

               Are standing over the body of Mulwray. Escobar has the sheet 
               drawn back. Evelyn nods.

               Escobar drops the sheet. Escobar and Evelyn move a few feet 
               to one side and whisper, almost as though they were trying 
               to keep the corpse from hearing them.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         It looks like he was washed the entire 
                         length of the runoff channel. Could 
                         he swim?

                                     EVELYN
                         Of course.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Obviously the fall must have knocked 
                         him out.

               Evelyn nods slightly Escobar coughs. A coroner's assistant 
               wheels the body out of the office.

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (continuing)
                         This alleged affair he was having. 
                         The publicity didn't make him morose 
                         or unhappy?

               OUTSIDE THE CORONER'S

               Gittes has been sitting on a wooden bench, smoking and 
               listening. At this question, he rises and looks through the 
               doorway.

               Escobar sees him, ignores him. Evelyn doesn't see him.

                                     EVELYN
                         ...Well, it didn't make him happy...

                                     ESCOBAR
                         But there is no possibility he would 
                         have taken his own life?

                                     EVELYN
                              (sharply)
                         No.

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (a little uncomfortably 
                              now)
                         Mrs. Mulwray, do you happen to know 
                         the name of the young woman in 
                         question?

               Evelyn shows a flash of annoyance.

                                     EVELYN
                         No.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Do you know where she might be?

                                     EVELYN
                         Certainly not!

               Escobar and Evelyn move slowly toward the door.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         You and your husband never discussed 
                         her?

                                     EVELYN
                              (stopping, faltering)
                         He... we did... he wouldn't tell me 
                         her name.  We quarreled over her... 
                         of course. It came as a complete 
                         surprise to me.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         A complete surprise?

                                     EVELYN
                         Yes.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         But I thought you'd hired a private 
                         investigator.

                                     EVELYN
                         A private investigator?

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (gesturing vaguely 
                              toward the door)
                         Mr. Gittes.

                                     EVELYN
                         Well yes.

               Evelyn looks up to see Gittes standing in the doorway only a 
               foot or two from her. She stops cold. They look at one another 
               for a long moment.

                                     EVELYN
                              (her eyes on Gittes)
                         But I... I... did that because I 
                         thought it was a nasty rumor I'd put 
                         an end to...

               She finishes, looks plaintively at Gittes. Escobar is right 
               at her back. Gittes says nothing.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         And when did Mr. Gittes inform you 
                         that these rumors had some foundation 
                         in fact?

               Evelyn looks at Escobar but doesn't know how to answer him.

                                     GITTES
                              (smoothly)
                         Just before the story broke in the 
                         papers, Lou.

               Escobar nods. They begin to walk slowly, again have to move 
               out of the way as some other corpse is being wheeled out of 
               one of the Coroner cubicles.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         You wouldn't happen to know the 
                         present whereabouts of the young 
                         woman.

                                     GITTES
                         No.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Or her name?

                                     GITTES
                         No.

               They have walked a few steps further down the hall.

                                     EVELYN
                         Will you need me for anything else, 
                         Lieutenant?

                                     ESCOBAR
                         I don't think so, Mrs. Mulwray. Of 
                         course you have my deepest sympathy 
                         and if we need anymore information, 
                         we'll be in touch.

                                     GITTES
                         I'll walk her to her car, be right 
                         back.

               ESCOBAR'S POV

               Evelyn glances at Gittes. They go through a couple of outer 
               doors and pass several reporters who have been in the outer 
               hall, laughing, kidding, the tag end of lines like "only in 
               L.A." and "Southern Cafeteria."

               Gittes hurries her past the reporters who flank them, asking 
               questions. Gittes brushes them aside.

               EVELYN AND GITTES – AT HER CAR

               In a small parking lot.

               Evelyn fumbles in her bag, looking feverishly for something 
               in her purse.

                                     GITTES
                         Mrs. Mulwray?... Mrs. Mulwray.

                                     EVELYN
                              (flushed, perspiring)
                         ...Just a minute...

                                     GITTES
                              (touching her gently)
                         You left your keys in the ignition.

                                     EVELYN
                         Oh... thank you.

               She glances down, leans against the side of the car.

                                     EVELYN
                              (continuing)
                         Thank you for going along with me. I 
                         just didn't want to explain 
                         anything... I'll send you a check.

                                     GITTES
                              (puzzled)
                         A check?

               Evelyn gets in her car.

                                     EVELYN
                         To make it official, I hired you.

               She drives off, leaving Gittes gaping.

               INT. CORONER'S OFFICE HALLWAY

                                     GITTES
                         Don't give me that, Lou. You hauled 
                         me down here for a statement.

               Escobar shrugs.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         I don't want it anymore.

                                     GITTES
                         No?

                                     ESCOBAR
                         No. It was an accident.

                                     GITTES
                         You mean that's what you're going to 
                         call it.

               Escobar looks up.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         That's right.
                              (contemptuously)
                         Out of respect for his civic position.

               Resume walking.

               Gittes laughs.

                                     GITTES
                         What'd he do, Lou, make a pass at 
                         your sister?

               Escobar stops.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         No, he drowned a cousin of mine with 
                         about five hundred other people. But 
                         they weren't very important, just a 
                         bunch of dumb Mexicans living by a 
                         dam. Now beat it, Gittes, you don't 
                         come out of this smelling like a 
                         rose, you know.

                                     GITTES
                         Oh yeah? Can you think of something 
                         to charge me with?

                                     ESCOBAR
                         When I do, you'll hear about it.

               Gittes nods, turns, and walks down the hall.

               OUTSIDE MORGUE

               Gittes stops by a body on the table, the toe tagged with 
               Mulwray's name. MORTY is standing near it in a doorway to an 
               adjoining room. A RADIO is on, and with it the announcement 
               that they're about to hear another chapter in the life of 
               Lorenzo Jones and his devoted wife, Belle. Another Coroner's 
               assistant sits at the table, listening to the radio and eating 
               a sandwich.

               Gittes ambles into the room.

                                     MORTY
                              (a cigarette dangling 
                              out of his mouth)
                         Jake, what're you doin' here?

                                     GITTES
                         Nothin', Morty, it's my lunch hour, 
                         I thought I'd drop by and see who 
                         died lately.

               Gittes picks up the sheet and pulls it back. CAMERA GETS ITS 
               FIRST GLIMPSE of Mulwray's body. Eyes open, the face badly 
               cut and bruised.

                                     MORTY
                         Yeah? Ain't that something? Middle 
                         of a drought, the water commissioner 
                         drowns. Only in L.A.

                                     GITTES
                              (looking at. Mulwray)
                         Yeah. Banged up pretty bad.

                                     MORTY
                         That's a long fall.

                                     GITTES
                         So how are you, Morty?

               Morty is wheeling in another body with the help of an 
               assistant.

                                     MORTY
                         Never better. You know me, Jake.

               As he begins to move the body into the refrigerator, he breaks 
               into a wrenching spasm of coughing. Gittes spots the other 
               body, lowers the sheet on Mulwray.

                                     GITTES
                              (picking up on cough)
                         Yeah, so who you got there?

               Morty pulls back the sheet.

                                     MORTY
                         Leroy Shuhardt, local drunk used to 
                         hang around Ferguson's Alley.

               Morty brushes some sand from the man's face, laughs.

                                     MORTY
                              (continuing)
                         Quite a character. Lately he'd been 
                         living in one of the downtown storm 
                         drains. Had a bureau dresser down 
                         there and everything.

               Gittes has already lost interest. He starts away.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah.

                                     MORTY
                         Drowned, too.

               This stops Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                         Come again?

                                     MORTY
                         Yeah, got dead drunk, passed out in 
                         the bottom of the riverbed.

                                     GITTES
                         The L.A. River?

                                     MORTY
                              (a little puzzled)
                         Yeah, under Hollenbeck Bridge, what's 
                         wrong with that?

               Gittes has moved back to the body, looks at it more closely.

                                     GITTES
                         It's bone dry, Morty.

                                     MORTY
                         It's not completely dry.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah, well he ain't gonna drown in a 
                         damp riverbed either, I don't care 
                         how soused he was. That's like 
                         drowning in a teaspoon.

               Morty shrugs.

                                     MORTY
                         We got water out of him, Jake. He 
                         drowned.

               Gittes walks away mumbling.

                                     GITTES
                         Jesus, this town...

               EXT. SUNSET BOULEVARD – GITTES – DAY

               He's parked on an overpass. The sign HOLLENBECK BRIDGE on 
               one of its concrete columns. Gittes looks down into the 
               riverbed below.

               FROM THE BRIDGE

               Gittes can see the muddy remains of a collapsed shack, its 
               contents strewn down river from the bridge. Below him, lying 
               half over the storm drain and one wall that was on the bank 
               of the river is a sign that proclaims "OWN YOUR OWN OFFICE 
               IN THIS BUILDING $5000 to $6000" which was used as a roof of 
               sorts. Downstream, there's the dresser, an oil drum, a Ford 
               seat cushion, an Armour lard can, etc. The trashy remains of 
               Shuhardt's home.

               Gittes scrambles down the embankment and as he lands near 
               the storm drain one shoe sinks, ankle deep into mud. Gittes 
               pulls it out, swearing.

               He begins to walk a little further downstream when he hears 
               the vaguely familiar SQUISHY CLOP of something.

               Clearing the bridge on the opposite side is the little Mexican 
               Boy, again on his swayback horse, riding along the muddy 
               bank.

               They look at one another a moment.

                                     GITTES
                              (calling out to him)
                         You were riding here the other day, 
                         weren't you...?

               The Boy doesn't answer.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Speak English?... Habla Ingles?

                                     THE BOY
                              (finally)
                         Si.

                                     GITTES
                         Didn't you talk to a man here... few 
                         days ago... wore glasses... he...

               The Boy nods.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         What did you talk about, mind my 
                         asking?

               The shadows of the two are very long now.

                                     THE BOY
                              (finally)
                         The water.

                                     GITTES
                         What about the water?

                                     THE BOY
                         When it comes.

                                     GITTES
                         When it comes? What'd you tell him?

                                     THE BOY
                         Comes in different parts of the river. 
                         Every night a different part.

               Gittes nods. The horse snorts. The Boy rides slowly on.

               EXT. RIVERBED – DUSK

               Gittes scrambles up the embankment to note the direction the 
               storm drain by Hollenbeck Bridge takes. It is headed above 
               toward the Hollywood Hills, where the sun is setting.

               EXT. GITTES IN CAR – NIGHTFALL

               Winding his way up a section of the Hollywood Hills. He picks 
               up on an open flood channel with the spotlight by the driver's 
               windwing.

               GITTES IN CAR – MOVING

               Along the flood channel. It is dark now and Gittes follows 
               the channel with the car spotlight. He turns at a fork in 
               the road which allows him to continue following the flood 
               channel.

               FURTHER UP – MOVING

               The road is narrower. Gittes drives more slowly. Foliage is 
               overgrown in the channel so its bottom cannot be glimpsed.

               STILL FURTHER – NIGHT

               The road is dirt. Heavy clusters of oak trees and eucalyptus 
               are everywhere. It is very still. Another turn and a pie-
               shaped view of a lake of lights in the city below can be 
               GLIMPSED.

               POV – CHAIN-LINK FENCE

               Over the road, bolted. It says "OAK PASS RESERVOIR. KEEP 
               OUT. NO TRESPASSING."

               The chain-link itself actually extends over the flood channel 
               and down into it, making access along the channel itself 
               impossible.

               Gittes backs up, turns off the motor, the car lights, the 
               spotlight.

               A lone light overhead on tension wires is the sole 
               illumination.

               There is only the eerie SOUND of the tension WIRES HUMMING.

               Gittes gets out of the car, clubs the fence near the Flood 
               channel itself.

               ON THE OTHER SIDE

               Gittes carefully works his way up through the thick Foliage 
               toward a second and large chain-link fence. Lights from the 
               reservoir still higher above can be SEEN.

               Suddenly there is a GUNSHOT. Then ANOTHER. Gittes dives into 
               the flood control channel, which is at this point about four 
               feet deep and six feet wide. There is the SOUND of men 
               scurrying through the brush, coming near him, then retreating. 
               Gittes loses himself among the ivy in the channel.

               He waits. The men seem to have passed him by. But there is 
               another SOUND now. An echoing growing sound. It puzzles 
               Gittes. He starts to lift his head to catch the direction.

               GITTES IN FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL – NIGHT

               Then he's inundated with a rush of water which pours over 
               him, knocks off his hat, carries him down the channel, banging 
               into its banks, as he desperately tries to grab some of the 
               overgrowth to hang on and pull himself out. But the force of 
               the stream batters him and carries him with it until he's 
               brought rudely to the chainlink fence. It stops him cold. 
               He's nearly strained through it.

               Swearing and choking, he pulls himself out of the rushing 
               water by means of the fence itself.

               Drenched, battered, he slowly climbs back over the fence and 
               makes his way toward his car.

               AT GITTES' CAR

               He fishes for his car keys, looks down. One shoe is missing.

                                     GITTES
                              (grumbling)
                         Goddam Florsheim shoe, goddammit.

               He starts to get into his car but Mulvihill and a SMALLER 
               MAN stop him. Mulvihill pulling his coat down and pinning 
               his arms, holding him tightly. The smaller man thrusts a 
               switchblade knife about an inch and a half up Gittes' left 
               nostril.

                                     SMALLER MAN
                              (shaking with emotion)
                         Hold it there, kitty cat.

               CLOSE – GITTES

               Frozen, the knife in his nostril, the street lamp overhead 
               gleaming on the silvery blade.

                                     THE SMALLER MAN
                         You are a very nosey fellow, kitty 
                         cat... you know what happens to nosey 
                         fellows?

               The Smaller Man actually seems to be trembling with rage 
               when he says this. Gittes doesn't move.

                                     SMALLER MAN
                              (continuing)
                         Wanna guess? No? Okay, lose their 
                         noses.

               With a quick flick the Smaller Man pulls back on the blade, 
               laying Gittes' left nostril open about an inch further. Gittes 
               screams.

               Blood gushes down onto his shirt and coat.

               Gittes bends over, instinctively trying to keep the blood 
               from getting on his clothes. Mulvihill and the Smaller Man 
               stare at him.

                                     THE SMALLER MAN
                              (continuing)
                         Next time you lose the whole thing, 
                         kitty cat. I'll cut it off and feed 
                         it to my goldfish, understand?

                                     MULVIHILL
                         Tell him you understand, Gittes.

               EXT. OAK PASS RESERVOIR – NIGHT

               Gittes is now groveling on his hands and knees.

                                     GITTES
                              (mumbling)
                         I understand...

               Gittes on the ground can see only his tormentor's two-tone 
               brown and white wing-tipped shoes, lightly freckled with his 
               blood.

               THE SHOE

               Comes up and lightly shoves Gittes into the ground. The SOUND 
               of FOOTSTEPS RETREATING, Gittes gasping.

               INT. GITTES' OFFICE – GITTES

               Sits behind his desk, BACK TO CAMERA, not moving. Duffy sits 
               staring at nothing, Walsh moves uneasily around the room.

               The PHONE is RINGING. Sophie BUZZES.

                                     GITTES
                              (pressing down intercom)
                         Yeah, Sophie.

                                     SOPHIE'S VOICE
                         A Miss Sessions calling.

                                     GITTES
                         Who?

                                     SOPHIE'S VOICE
                         Ida Sessions.

                                     GITTES
                         Don't know her. Take a number.

               NEW ANGLE – REVEALING

               A bandage spread-eagled across Gittes' nose.

                                     WALSH
                         So some contractor wants to build a 
                         dam and he makes a few payoffs. So 
                         what?

               Gittes turns slowly to Walsh. He lightly taps his nose.

                                     WALSH
                              (continuing)
                         Think you can nail Mulvihill? They'll 
                         claim you were trespassing.

                                     GITTES
                         I don't want Mulvihill.  I want the 
                         big boys that are making the payoffs.

                                     DUFFY
                         Then what'll you do?

                                     GITTES
                         Sue the shit out of 'em.

                                     WALSH
                         Yeah?

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah. What's wrong with you guys? 
                         Think ahead. We find 'em, sue 'em. 
                         We'll make a killing.
                              (a dazzling smile)
                         We'll have dinner at Chasen's twice 
                         a week, we'll be pissing on ice the 
                         rest of our lives.

                                     WALSH
                         Sue people like that they're liable 
                         to be having dinner with the Judge 
                         who's trying the suit.

               Gittes looks irritated. The PHONE RINGS again.

                                     SOPHIE'S VOICE
                         Miss Ida Sessions again. She says 
                         you know her.

                                     GITTES
                         Okay.

               Gittes picks up the phone. He winks to his boys.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Hello, Miss Sessions. I don't believe 
                         we've had the pleasure.

                                     IDA'S VOICE
                         Oh yes we have... are you alone, Mr. 
                         Gittes?

                                     GITTES
                              (clowning a little 
                              for the boys)
                         Isn't everybody? What can I do for 
                         you, Miss Sessions?

               Walsh promptly starts to tell Duffy the Admiral Byrd story.

                                     IDA'S VOICE
                         Well, I'm a working girl, Mr. Gittes. 
                         I didn't come in to see you on my 
                         own.

                                     GITTES
                         When did you come in?

                                     IDA'S VOICE
                         I was the one who pretended to be 
                         Mrs. Mulwray, remember?

               Walsh has finished off the punch line and both men are 
               laughing raucously. Gittes drops the mail he's been loafing 
               through and puts his hand over the receiver.

                                     GITTES
                              (to Duffy and Walsh)
                         Shut the fuck up!
                              (then back to Ida)
                         ...Yes I remember nothing, Miss 
                         Sessions, just going over a detail 
                         or two with my associates... you 
                         were saying?

                                     IDA'S VOICE
                         Well I never expected anything to 
                         happen like what happened to Mr. 
                         Mulwray, the point is if it ever 
                         comes out I want somebody to know I 
                         didn't know what would happen.

                                     GITTES
                         I understand... if you could tell me 
                         who employed you, Miss Sessions. 
                         That could help us both.

                                     IDA'S VOICE
                         Oh no.

                                     GITTES
                         ...Why don't you give me your address 
                         and we can talk this over?

                                     IDA'S VOICE
                         No, Mr. Gittes. Just look in the 
                         obituary column of today's Times...

                                     GITTES
                         The obituary column?

                                     IDA'S VOICE
                         You'll find one of those people.

                                     GITTES
                         'Those people?' Miss Sessions.

               She hangs up. Gittes looks to his two men.

               INT. BROWN DERBY – CLOSE ON NEWSPAPER

               Gittes is seated, flips through the paper until he finds the 
               OBITUARY COLUMN, scans it, looks up, abruptly tears the column 
               from the paper and puts it in his pocket.

               When he closes the paper we can SEE headlines in the left 
               hand column: "WATER BOND ISSUE PASSES COUNCIL". Ten million 
               dollar referendum to go before the public.

               Evelyn Mulwray is standing at the table as he does so. He 
               rises, allows her to sit.

               CLOSE ON EVELYN

               Gittes watches her as she removes her gloves slowly... She's 
               wearing dove gray gabardine, subdued, tailored.

                                     GITTES
                         Thanks for coming... drink?

               The waiter's appeared. Evelyn is looking at Gittes' nose.

                                     EVELYN
                         Tom Collins with lime, not lemon, 
                         please.

               Evelyn looks down and smoothes her gloves. When she looks 
               back up she stares expectantly at Gittes.

               Gittes pulls out a torn envelope. The initials ECM can be 
               SEEN in a delicate scroll on the corner of it.

                                     GITTES
                         I got your check in the mall.

                                     EVELYN
                         Yes. As I said, I was very grateful.

               Gittes' fingers the envelope. He coughs.

                                     GITTES
                         Mrs. Mulwray, I'm afraid that's not 
                         good enough.

                                     EVELYN
                              (a little embarrassed)
                         Well, how much would you like?

               CLOSE ON EVELYN

                                     GITTES
                         Stop it. The money's fine. It's 
                         generous but you've shortchanged me 
                         on the story.

                                     EVELYN
                              (coolly)
                         I have?

                                     GITTES
                         I think so. Something besides your 
                         husband's death was bothering you. 
                         You were upset but not that upset.

                                     EVELYN
                         Mr. Gittes...
                              (icily)
                         Don't tell me how I feel.

               The drinks come. The waiter sets them down.

                                     GITTES
                         Sorry. Look, you sue me, your husband 
                         dies, you drop the lawsuit like a 
                         hot potato, and all of it quicker 
                         than wind from a duck's ass. Excuse 
                         me. Then you ask me to lie to the 
                         police.

                                     EVELYN
                         It wasn't much of a lie.

                                     GITTES
                         If your husband was killed it was.
                              (meaning check)
                         This can look like you paid me off 
                         to withhold evidence.

                                     EVELYN
                         But he wasn't killed.

               Gittes smiles.

                                     GITTES
                         I think you're hiding something, 
                         Mrs. Mulwray.

               Evelyn remains unperturbed.

                                     EVELYN
                         Well, I suppose I am... actually I 
                         knew about the affair.

                                     GITTES
                         How did you find out?

                                     EVELYN
                         My husband.

                                     GITTES
                         He told you?

               Evelyn nods.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         And you weren't the slightest bit 
                         upset about it?

                                     EVELYN
                         I was grateful.

               Evelyn for the first time appears a little embarrassed.

                                     GITTES
                         You'll have to explain that, Mrs. 
                         Mulwray.

                                     EVELYN
                         Why?

                                     GITTES
                              (a flash of annoyance)
                         Look, I do matrimonial work, It's my 
                         metiay.  When a wife tells me she's 
                         happy her husband is cheating on her 
                         it runs contrary to my experience.

               Gittes looks significantly to Evelyn.

                                     EVELYN
                         Unless what?

                                     GITTES
                              (looking directly at 
                              her)
                         She's cheating on him.

               Evelyn doesn't reply.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Were you?

               Evelyn is clearly angry but she is controlling it.

                                     EVELYN
                         I don't like the word 'cheat.'

                                     GITTES
                         Did you have affairs?

                                     EVELYN
                              (flashing)
                         Mr. Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                         Did he know?

                                     EVELYN
                              (almost an outburst)
                         Well I wouldn't run home and tell 
                         him whenever I went to bed with 
                         someone, if that's what you mean.

               This subdues Gittes a little. Evelyn is still a little heated.

                                     EVELYN
                              (continuing; more 
                              calmly)
                         Is there anything else you want to 
                         know?

                                     GITTES
                         Where you were when your husband 
                         died.

                                     EVELYN
                         I can't tell you.

                                     GITTES
                         You mean you don't know where you 
                         were?

                                     EVELYN
                         I mean I can't tell you.

                                     GITTES
                         You were seeing someone, too.

               Evelyn looks squarely at him. She doesn't deny it.

                                     GITTES
                         For very long?

                                     EVELYN
                         I don't see anyone for very long, 
                         Mr. Gittes.  It's difficult for me. 
                         Now I think you know all you need to 
                         about me. I didn't want publicity. I 
                         didn't want to go into any of this, 
                         then or now. Is this all?

               Gittes nods.

                                     GITTES
                         Oh, by the way. What's the 'C' stand 
                         for?

               He's been fingering the envelope...

                                     EVELYN
                              (she stammers slightly)
                         K... Cross.

                                     GITTES
                         That your maiden name?

                                     EVELYN
                         Yes... why?

                                     GITTES
                         No reason.

               Evelyn turns into Gittes.

                                     EVELYN
                         You must've had a reason to ask me 
                         that.

                                     GITTES
                              (shrugs)
                         No. I'm just a snoop.

                                     EVELYN
                         You seem to have had a reason for 
                         every other question.

                                     GITTES
                         No, not for that one.

                                     EVELYN
                         I don't believe you.

               Gittes suddenly turns sharply in to Evelyn.

                                     GITTES
                              (moving in)
                         Do me a favor. Sit still and act 
                         like I'm charming.

               Evelyn involuntarily draws back.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         There's somebody here. Say something.
                         Anything. Something like we're being 
                         intimate.

               Evelyn reluctantly allows Gittes to move closer and dangle 
               his hand in front of their faces. She stares at him.

                                     EVELYN
                              (meaning his nose)
                         How did it happen?

                                     GITTES
                              (quietly)
                         Been meaning to talk to you about 
                         that.

                                     EVELYN
                              (quietly)
                         Maybe putting your nose in other 
                         people's business?

                                     GITTES
                              (quietly)
                         More like other people putting their 
                         business in my nose.

               Evelyn actually smiles a little.

                                     WOMAN'S VOICE
                         You son of a bitch.

               Gittes looks up and flashes his smile.

                                     GITTES
                         Mrs. Match. How're you?

               MRS. MATCH is swaying over the table, a plump woman with a 
               glass of whiskey in one hand, a large purse in the other, 
               and a menacing look in her eye.

                                     MRS. MATCH
                         Don't give me that, you son of a 
                         bitch.

                                     GITTES
                         Okay.

               Gittes turns back to Evelyn.

                                     EVELYN
                              (softly)
                         Another satisfied client?

                                     GITTES
                         Another satisfied client's wife.

                                     MRS. MATCH
                         Look at me, you son of a bitch. You... 
                         you bastard. Are you happy, are you 
                         happy now?

               She tries to take a swipe at Gittes with her purse. Gittes 
               covers himself. Waiters rush over.

                                     MRS. MATCH
                         You smug son of a bitch. My husband's 
                         so upset he sweats all night! How do 
                         you think that makes me feel?

                                     GITTES
                         Sweaty?

               Mrs. Match swings at Gittes again and again. She catches him 
               on the nose. It hurts. He covers it, then swings his leg out 
               from under the table and deftly kicks her in the shin.

               Mrs. Match drops her purse and spills her drink. She grabs 
               her shin, hopping around a little. The waiters who had tried 
               to restrain her now try to keep her from falling over.

                                     GITTES
                         Let's get out of here before she 
                         picks up her purse.

               They rise and move toward the door.

                                     EVELYN
                              (quietly)
                         Tough guy, huh?

               Gittes looks, sees she's kidding, and nods.

               OUTSIDE IN THE PARKING LOT – DUSK

               Gittes' car has been brought by the parking attendant. The 
               attendant opens the passenger side for Evelyn.

                                     EVELYN
                         Oh, no. I've got my own car. The 
                         creamcolored Packard.

                                     GITTES
                              (to attendant who 
                              dutifully starts for 
                              her car)
                         Wait a minute, sonny.
                              (to Evelyn)
                         I think you better come with me.

                                     EVELYN
                         What for? There's nothing more to 
                         say.
                              (to attendant)
                         Get my car, please.

               The attendant starts after it again. Gittes leans on the 
               open door of his car and in to Evelyn. He talks quietly but 
               spits it out.

                                     GITTES
                         Okay, go home. But in case you're 
                         interested your husband was murdered. 
                         Somebody's dumping tons of water out 
                         of the city reservoirs when we're 
                         supposedly in the middle of a drought, 
                         he found out, and he was killed. 
                         There's a waterlogged drunk in the 
                         morgue. Involuntary manslaughter if 
                         anybody wants to take the trouble 
                         which they don't. It looks like half 
                         the city is trying to cover it all 
                         up, which is fine with me. But, Mrs. 
                         Mulwray.
                              (now inches from her)
                         I goddam near lost my nose! And I 
                         like it. I like breathing through 
                         it. And I still think you're hiding 
                         something.

               Evelyn steadies herself on the open car door. She stares at 
               Gittes for a long moment. Then he gently tugs the car door 
               closed.

                                     EVELYN
                         Mr. Gittes.

               He drives off into the Wilshire traffic, leaving Evelyn 
               looking after him.

               INT. DWP – MULWRAY'S OFFICE DOOR

               WITH ITS LETTERING:

                            "HOLLIS I. MULWRAY CHIEF ENGINEER"

               Gittes goes through the door to the Secretary. She looks up. 
               She recognizes Gittes again and is not happy to see him.

                                     GITTES
                         J.J. Gittes to see Mr. Yelburton.

               The Secretary immediately gets up and goes into the inner 
               office.

               Gittes turns and strolls around the office a moment. He sees 
               a photographic display of "THE HISTORY OF THE DWP. THE EARLY 
               YEARS", along the wall. He stops as he spots a photo of the 
               man with the cane Gittes had seen photos of earlier. He is 
               standing high in the mountains, near a pass. The caption 
               reads "JULIAN CROSS. 1905".

               Cross is strikingly handsome.

               Gittes immediately pulls out the envelope containing Evelyn's 
               check. He looks at the corner of it, his thumb pressing down 
               under the middle initial C, then he looks back to the photos.

               The Secretary returns.

                                     SECRETARY
                         Mr. Yelburton will be busy for some 
                         time.

                                     GITTES
                         Well I'm on my lunch hour. I'll wait.

                                     SECRETARY
                         He's liable to be tied up 
                         indefinitely.

                                     GITTES
                         I take a long lunch. All day 
                         sometimes.

               Gittes pulls out a cigarette case, offers the Secretary one. 
               She refuses. He lights up and begins to hum 'The Way You 
               Look Tonight,' strolling along the wall looking at more 
               photographs.

               INT. MULWRAY'S OFFICES

               Here he spots several photos of a much younger Mulwray, along 
               with Julian Cross. One of the captions: "HOLLIS MULWRAY AND 
               JULIAN CROSS AS THE AQUEDUCT CLEARS THE SANTA SUSANNAH PASS. 
               1912".

               Gittes, still humming, turns to the Secretary.

                                     GITTES
                         Julian Cross worked for the water 
                         department?

                                     SECRETARY
                              (looking up)
                         Yes. No.

                                     GITTES
                              (humming, then)
                         He did or he didn't?

                                     SECRETARY
                         He owned it.

               Gittes is genuinely surprised at this.

                                     GITTES
                         He owned the water department?

                                     SECRETARY
                         Yes.

                                     GITTES
                         He owned the entire water supply for 
                         the city?

                                     SECRETARY
                         Yes.

                                     GITTES
                              (really surprised)
                         How did they get it away from him?

                                     SECRETARY
                              (a sigh, then)
                         Mr. Mulwray felt the public should 
                         own the display. The water. If you'll 
                         just read the display.

                                     GITTES
                              (glances back, hums, 
                              then)
                         Mulwray? I thought you said Cross 
                         owned the department.

                                     SECRETARY
                         Along with Mr. Mulwray.

                                     GITTES
                         They were partners.

                                     SECRETARY
                              (testily)
                         Yes. Yes, they were partners.

               She gets up, annoyed, and goes into Yelburton's inner office.

               Gittes goes back to the photographs. He hears a SCRATCHING 
               SOUND, apparently coming from just outside the outer door.

               He moves quickly to it, hesitates, swiftly opens the door. 
               Workmen are behind it, scraping away Mulwray's name on the 
               outer door, looking up at Gittes in some surprise.

               The Secretary returns, sees the workman on the floor.

                                     SECRETARY
                              (to Gittes)
                         Mr. Yelburton will see you now.

               Gittes nods graciously, heads on into Yelburton's office.

               INT. DWP – YELBURTON & GITTES

               There is a subtle but perceptible difference in Yelburton's 
               attitude. He's now head of the department.

                                     YELBURTON
                         Mr. Gittes, sorry to keep you waiting. 
                         These staff meetings, they just go 
                         on and on.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah, must be especially tough to 
                         take over under these circumstances.

                                     YELBURTON
                         Oh yes. Hollis was the best department 
                         head the city's ever had. My goodness, 
                         what happened to your nose?

                                     GITTES
                              (smiles)
                         I cut myself shaving.

                                     YELBURTON
                         You ought to be more careful. That 
                         must really smart.

                                     GITTES
                         Only when I breathe.

                                     YELBURTON
                              (laughing)
                         Only when you breathe... don't tell 
                         me you're still working for Mrs. 
                         Mulwray?

                                     GITTES
                         I never was.

                                     YELBURTON
                              (stops smiling)
                         I don't understand.

                                     GITTES
                         Neither do I, actually. But you hired 
                         me or you hired that chippie to hire 
                         me.

                                     YELBURTON
                         Mr. Gittes, you're not making a bit 
                         of sense.

                                     GITTES
                         Well, look at it this way, Mr. 
                         Yelburton.  Mulwray didn't want to 
                         build a dam and he had a reputation 
                         that was hard to get around, so.  
                         you decided to ruin it. Then he found 
                         out that you were dumping water every 
                         night. Then he was drowned.

                                     YELBURTON
                         Mr. Gittes! That's an outrageous 
                         accusation.  I don't know what you're 
                         talking about.

                                     GITTES
                         Well, Whitey Mehrholtz over at the 
                         Times will. Dumping thousands of 
                         gallons of water down the toilet in 
                         the middle of a drought.  That's 
                         news.

               Gittes heads toward the door.

                                     YELBURTON
                         Wait. Please sit down, Mr. Gittes. 
                         We're... well, we're not anxious for 
                         this to get around, but we have been 
                         diverting a little water to irrigate 
                         avocado and walnut groves in the 
                         northwest valley. As you know, the 
                         farmers there have no legal right to 
                         our water, and since the drought 
                         we've had to cut them off. The city 
                         comes first, naturally.  But, well, 
                         we've been trying to help some of 
                         them out, keep them from going under.  
                         Naturally when you divert water you 
                         get a little runoff.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah, a little runoff. Where are 
                         those orchards?

                                     YELBURTON
                         I said, the northwest valley.

                                     GITTES
                         That's like saying they're in Arizona.

                                     YELBURTON
                         Mr. Gittes, my field men are out and 
                         I can't give you an exact location...

               Gittes nods.

                                     GITTES
                         You're a married man, am I right?

                                     YELBURTON
                         Yes...

                                     GITTES
                         Hard working, have a wife and kids...

                                     YELBURTON
                         Yes...

                                     GITTES
                         I don't want to nail you. I just 
                         want to know who put you up to it.  
                         I'll give you a few days to think it 
                         over.
                              (hands him a card)
                         Call me. I can help. Who knows?  
                         Maybe we can lay the whole thing off 
                         on a few big shots and you can stay 
                         head of the department for the next 
                         twenty years.

               Gittes smiles, leaves an unsmiling Yelburton.

               INT. GITTES OFFICE

               Gittes enters, drops his hat on Sophie's desk. Sophie tries 
               to tell him something but Gittes goes on into his office.

               EVELYN MULWRAY

               Is sitting, smoking. She looks up when he enters.

                                     EVELYN
                         What's your usual salary?

               Gittes moves to his desk, barely breaking stride at the sight 
               of her.

                                     GITTES
                         Thirty-five bucks daily for me, twenty 
                         for each of my operators, plus 
                         expenses, plus my fee if I show 
                         results.

               He's sitting now. Evelyn is very pale now, obviously very 
               shaken.

                                     EVELYN
                         Whoever's behind my husband's death, 
                         why have they gone to all this 
                         trouble?

                                     GITTES
                         Money. How they plan to make it by 
                         emptying the reservoirs, that I don't 
                         know.

                                     EVELYN
                         I'll pay your salary plus five 
                         thousand dollars if you find out 
                         what happened to Hollis and who is 
                         involved.

               Gittes buzzes Sophie.

                                     GITTES
                         Sophie, draw up one of our standard 
                         forms for Mrs. Mulwray.
                              (he leans back; to 
                              Evelyn)
                         Tell me, did you get married before 
                         or after Mulwray and your father 
                         sold the water department?

               Evelyn nearly jumps at the question.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Your father is Julian Cross, isn't 
                         he?

                                     EVELYN
                         Yes, of course. It was quite a while 
                         after. I was just out of grade school 
                         when they did that.

                                     GITTES
                         So you married your father's business 
                         partner?

               Evelyn nods. She lights another cigarette.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing; staring 
                              at her, points to 
                              the ashtray)
                         You've got one going, Mrs. Mulwray.

                                     EVELYN
                         Oh.

               She quickly stubs one out.

                                     GITTES
                         Is there something upsetting about 
                         my asking about your father?

                                     EVELYN
                         No!... Yes, a little. You see Hollis 
                         and my fa... my father had a falling 
                         out...

                                     GITTES
                         Over the water department, or over 
                         you?

                                     EVELYN
                              (quickly)
                         Not over me. Why would they have a 
                         falling out over me?

                                     GITTES
                              (noting her nervousness)
                         Then it was over the water department.

                                     EVELYN
                         Not exactly. Well, I mean, yes. Yes 
                         and no.  Hollis felt the public should 
                         own the water but I don't think my 
                         father felt that way.  Actually, it 
                         was over the Van der Lip. The dam 
                         that broke.

                                     GITTES
                         Oh, yeah?

                                     EVELYN
                         Yes. He never forgave him for it.

                                     GITTES
                         Never forgave him for what?

                                     EVELYN
                         For talking him into building it, he 
                         never forgave my father... They 
                         haven't spoken to this day.

                                     GITTES
                              (starts a little)
                         You sure shout that?

                                     EVELYN
                         Of course I'm sure.

                                     GITTES
                         What about you? Do you and your father 
                         get along?

               Sophie comes in with the form, cutting off Evelyn's reply. 
               Gittes places two copies on a coffee table in front of Evelyn.

                                     GITTES
                         Sign here... The other copy's for 
                         you.

               She signs it. When she looks back up, Gittes is staring 
               intently at her.

                                     EVELYN
                         What are you thinking?

                                     GITTES
                              (picking up one of 
                              copies, folding it, 
                              putting it in his 
                              pocket)
                         Before this I turned on the faucet, 
                         it came out hot and cold, I didn't 
                         think there was a thing to it.

               INT. SEAPLANE

               The engines make the small cabin vibrate. Gittes threads his 
               way down the tiny aisle of the eight passenger cabin, which 
               is full of middle-aged men in old clothes and their fishing 
               gear. Gittes is poked by a pole, has to move along.

               One of the old men says something to him.

                                     GITTES
                              (above the engines)
                         What?

                                     OLD MAN
                         You'll have to sit with the pilot.

               Gittes moves forward into the cockpit, the PILOT looks up – 
               nods for Gittes to sit down, first moving a half eaten cheese 
               sandwich out of Gittes' seat.

               EXT. HARBOR - SEAPLANE

               Taxiing down the ramp into the sea. In a moment, it kicks up 
               a spray of foam and takes off.

               INT. COCKPIT

               The island gradually looming larger before the Pilot and 
               Gittes.

               The Pilot glances over at Gittes who, as usual, is impeccably 
               dressed. A contrast to the others on the plane.

                                     PILOT
                              (above the engines)
                         Well, you're not going fishing.

               Gittes shakes his head.

                                     GITTES
                         Not exactly.

                                     PILOT
                              (winks)
                         But that's what you told your wife.

               The Pilot laughs raucously. Gittes laughs politely.

                                     PILOT
                         Lots of fellas do. Tell the little 
                         woman they're going on a fishing 
                         trip, then shack up with some little 
                         twist on the island... she pretty?

                                     GITTES
                              (abruptly)
                         I'm going to see a man called Julian 
                         Cross. Ever heard of him?

                                     PILOT
                         Is the Pope Catholic? Who are you, 
                         mister?... I ask because he doesn't 
                         see a whole lot of people.

                                     GITTES
                         I'm working for his daughter.

                                     PILOT
                              (surprised)
                         That right?... She used to be some 
                         looker.

                                     GITTES
                         She ain't exactly long in the tooth 
                         now.

                                     PILOT
                         She must be about thirty-three, thirty-
                         four.

                                     GITTES
                         You must be thinking of a different 
                         daughter.

                                     PILOT
                         No, he's only got one, I remember 
                         her age, I read it in the newspapers 
                         when she ran away.

                                     GITTES
                         She ran away?

                                     PILOT
                         Oh yeah, it was a big thing at the 
                         time. Julian Cross' daughter. God 
                         almighty. She was a wild little thing.

               He gives a sidelong glance to Gittes, a little concerned 
               he's said too much.

                                     PILOT
                              (continuing)
                         Course, she settled down nicely.

                                     GITTES
                              (smiling a little)
                         Well, you never know, do you?

                                     PILOT
                              (loosening up)
                         That's for sure.

                                     GITTES
                         Why'd she run away?

                                     PILOT
                         Oh, you know. She was sixteen or 
                         seventeen.

                                     GITTES
                              (nudging him)
                         We missed the best of it, didn't we, 
                         pal?

               Both men laugh a little lewdly.

                                     PILOT
                         She ran off to Mexico. Rumor was she 
                         was knocked up and didn't even know 
                         who the father was. Went there to 
                         get rid of it.

                                     GITTES
                         You don't say?

                                     PILOT
                         Cross was looking for her all over 
                         the country. Offered rewards, 
                         everything. Felt real sorry for him, 
                         with all his money.

               ALBACORE CLUB – DAY

               A pleasant but unobtrusive clapboard blue and white building 
               on the bay overlooking the harbor. The seaplane lands. A 
               motor launch with a burgee of a fish flying from it turns 
               and heads in the direction of the plane.

               EXT. WINDING ROAD – RANCHO DEL CRUCE

               Gittes, driven in a station wagon, passes under the sign 
               with a cross painted below the name.

               The ranch itself is only partially in a valley on the island. 
               As the wagon continues one can SEE that it is actually a 
               miniature California, encompassing desert, mountains and 
               canyon that tumble down palisades to the windward side of 
               the sea.

               The wagon comes to a halt where a group of hands are clustered 
               around a corral. The circle of men drift apart, leaving JULIAN 
               CROSS standing, using a cane for support, reedy but handsome 
               in a rough linen shirt and jeans. When he talks his strong 
               face is lively, in repose it looks ravaged.

               EXT. BRIDLE PATH – GITTES & CROSS

               Walking toward the main house. A classic Monterey. A horse 
               led on a halter by another ranch hand slows down and defecates 
               in the center of the path they are taking. Gittes doesn't 
               notice.

                                     CROSS
                         Horseshit.

               Gittes pauses, not certain he has heard correctly.

                                     GITTES
                         Sir?

                                     CROSS
                         I said horseshit.
                              (pointing)
                         Horseshit.

                                     GITTES
                         Yes, sir, that's what it looks like. 
                         I'll give you that.

               Cross pauses when they reach the dung pile. He removes his 
               hat and waves it, inhales deeply.

                                     CROSS
                         Love the smell of it. A lot of people 
                         do but of course they won't admit 
                         it. Look at the shape.

               Gittes glances down out of politeness.

                                     CROSS
                              (continuing; smiling, 
                              almost enthusiastic)
                         Always the same.

               Cross walks on. Gittes follows.

                                     GITTES
                              (not one to let it go)
                         Always?

                                     CROSS
                         What?  Oh, damn near yes. Unless the 
                         animal's sick or something.
                              (stops and glances. 
                              back)
                         And the steam rising off it like 
                         that in the morning. That's life, 
                         Mr. Gittes. Life.

               They move on.

                                     CROSS
                              (continuing)
                         Perhaps this preoccupation with 
                         horseshit may seem a little perverse, 
                         but I ask you to remember this. One 
                         way or another, it's what I've dealt 
                         in all my life. Let's have breakfast.

               EXT. COURTYARD VERANDA – GITTES & CROSS AT BREAKFAST

               Below them is a corral where hands take Arabians, one by 
               one, and work them out, letting them run and literally kick 
               up their heels.

               Cross' attention is diverted by the animals from time to 
               time. An impeccable Mexican butler serves them their main 
               course, broiled fish.

                                     CROSS
                         You know, you've got a nasty 
                         reputation, Mr. Gittes. I like that.

                                     GITTES
                              (dubious)
                         Thanks.

                                     CROSS
                         If you were a bank president that 
                         would be one thing, but in your 
                         business it's admirable. And it's 
                         good advertising.

                                     GITTES
                         It doesn't hurt.

                                     CROSS
                         It's why you attract a client like 
                         my daughter.

                                     GITTES
                         Probably.

                                     CROSS
                         But I'm surprised you're still working 
                         for her, unless she's suddenly come 
                         up with another husband.

                                     GITTES
                         No. She happens to think the last 
                         one was murdered.

               Cross is visibly surprised.

                                     CROSS
                         How did she get that idea?

                                     GITTES
                         I think I gave it to her.

               Cross nods.

                                     CROSS
                         Uh-huh. Oh I hope you don't mind. I 
                         believe they should be served with 
                         the head.

               Gittes glances down at the fish whose isinglass eye is glazed 
               over with the heat of cooking.

                                     GITTES
                         Fine, as long as you don't serve 
                         chicken that way.

                                     CROSS
                              (laughs)
                         Tell me. What do the police say?

                                     GITTES
                         They're calling it an accident.

                                     CROSS
                         Who's the investigating officer?

                                     GITTES
                         Lou Escobar – he's a Lieutenant.

                                     CROSS
                         Do you know him?

                                     GITTES
                         Oh yes.

                                     CROSS
                         Where from?

                                     GITTES
                         We worked in Chinatown together.

                                     CROSS
                         Would you call him a capable man?

                                     GITTES
                         Very.

                                     CROSS
                         Honest?

                                     GITTES
                         Far as it goes. Of course he has to 
                         swim in the same water we all do.

                                     CROSS
                         Of course, but you've got no reason 
                         to think he's bungled the case?

                                     GITTES
                         None.

                                     CROSS
                         That's too bad.

                                     GITTES
                         Too bad?

                                     CROSS
                         It disturbs me, Mr. Gittes. It makes 
                         me think you're taking my daughter 
                         for a ride. Financially speaking, of 
                         course. How much are you charging 
                         her?

                                     GITTES
                              (carefully)
                         My usual fee, plus a bonus if I come 
                         up with any results.

                                     CROSS
                         Are you sleeping with her? Come, 
                         come, Mr. Gittes. You don't have to 
                         think about that to remember, do 
                         you?

               Gittes laughs.

                                     GITTES
                         If you want an answer to that question 
                         I can always put one of my men on 
                         the job. Good afternoon, Mr. Cross.

                                     CROSS
                         Mr. Gittes!  You're dealing with a 
                         disturbed woman who's lost her 
                         husband. I don't want her taken 
                         advantage of. Sit down.

                                     GITTES
                         What for?

                                     CROSS
                         You may think you know what you're 
                         dealing with, but believe me, you 
                         don't.

               This stops Gittes. He seems faintly mused by it.

                                     CROSS
                         Why is that funny?

                                     GITTES
                         It's what the D.A. used to tell me 
                         about Chinatown.

                                     CROSS
                         Was he right?

               Gittes shrugs.

                                     CROSS
                              (continuing)
                         ...Exactly what do you know about 
                         me, Mr. Gittes?

                                     GITTES
                         Mainly that you're rich and too 
                         respectable to want your name in the 
                         papers.

                                     CROSS
                              (grunts, then)
                         'Course I'm respectable. I'm old.
                         Politicians, ugly buildings and whores 
                         all get respectable if they last 
                         long enough. I'll double whatever 
                         your fees are and I'll pay you ten 
                         thousand dollars if you can find 
                         Hollis' girlfriend.

                                     GITTES
                         His girlfriend?

                                     CROSS
                         Yes, his girlfriend.

                                     GITTES
                         You mean the little chippie he was 
                         with at the El Macando?

                                     CROSS
                         Yes. She's disappeared, hasn't she?

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah.

                                     CROSS
                         Doesn't that strike you as odd?

                                     GITTES
                         No. She's probably scared to death.

                                     CROSS
                         Wouldn't it be useful to talk to 
                         her?

                                     GITTES
                         Maybe.

                                     CROSS
                         If Mulwray was murdered, she was 
                         probably one of the last people to 
                         see him.

                                     GITTES
                         You didn't see Mulwray much, did 
                         you?

                                     CROSS
                         No.

                                     GITTES
                         When was the last time?

               Cross starts to reply, then there's the SOUND of a MARIACHI 
               BAND and some men in formation clear a bluff about a hundred 
               yards off. They are dressed like Spanish dons on horseback. 
               For the most part they are fat in the saddle and pass along 
               in disordered review to the music.

                                     CROSS
                         Sheriff's gold posse... bunch of 
                         damn fools who pay $5,000 apiece to 
                         the sheriff's reelection. I let 'em 
                         practice up out here.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah. Do you remember the last time 
                         you talked to Mulwray?

               Cross shakes his head.

                                     CROSS
                         At my age, you tend to lose track...

                                     GITTES
                         Well, It was about five days ago. 
                         You were outside the Pig 'n Whistle 
                         and you had one hell of an argument.

               Cross looks to Gittes in some real surprise.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         I've got the photographs in my office. 
                         If they'll help you remember. What 
                         was the argument about?

                                     CROSS
                              (a long pause, then:)
                         My daughter.

                                     GITTES
                         What about her?

                                     CROSS
                         Just find the girl, Mr. Gittes. I 
                         think she is frightened and I happen 
                         to know Hollis was fond of her. I'd 
                         like to help her if I can.

                                     GITTES
                         I didn't realize you and Hollis were 
                         so fond of each other.

               Cross looks hatefully at Gittes.

                                     CROSS
                         Hollis Mulwray made this city and he 
                         made me a fortune... We were a lot 
                         closer than Evelyn realized.

                                     GITTES
                         If you want to hire me, I still have 
                         to know what you and Mulwray were 
                         arguing about.

                                     CROSS
                              (painfully)
                         Well... she's an extremely jealous 
                         person. I didn't want her to find 
                         out about the girl.

                                     GITTES
                         How did you find out?

                                     CROSS
                         I've still got a few teeth in my 
                         head, Mr. Gittes, and a few friends 
                         in town.

                                     GITTES
                         Okay. My secretary'll send you a 
                         letter of agreement. Tell me are you 
                         worried about that girl, or what 
                         Evelyn might do to her?

                                     CROSS
                         Just find the girl.

                                     GITTES
                         I'll look into it as soon as I check 
                         out some avocado groves.

                                     CROSS
                         Avocado groves?

                                     GITTES
                         We'll be in touch, Mr. Cross.

               INT. HALL OF RECORDS – DAY

               Dark and quiet except for the whirring of fans. Gittes 
               approaches one of the CLERKS at a desk.

                                     GITTES
                         I'm a little lost. Where can I find 
                         the plat books for the northwest 
                         valley?

               The Clerk's droopy eyes widen a little.

                                     CLERK
                         Part of it's in Ventura County. We 
                         don't have Ventura County in our 
                         Hall of Records.

               Which is a snotty remark. Gittes smiles.

                                     GITTES
                         I'll settle for L.A. County.

                                     CLERK
                              (regards him, then)
                         Row twenty-three, section C.

               The Clerk turns away abruptly. Gittes regards his back a 
               moment, then goes to the stacks.

               THROUGH THE STACKS

               Gittes sees the Clerk turn to another, say something. The 
               second clerk gets on the phone. Gittes watches a moment, 
               then swiftly turns his attention to the stacks.

               He hauls down the northwest valley volume, opens it. It's 
               huge and there's a lot to go through.

               The print itself makes him squint.

               INSERT PAGE

               Showing TRACT, LOT, PARCEL, even a METES AND BOUNDS 
               designation where the description of the land parcel is long 
               and hopelessly involved e.g. '6000 paces to Rio Seco, thence 
               7000 paces to Loma Linda, etc.' These descriptions are old 
               and faded. In the owners' column, however there are numerous 
               freshly typed names pasted over the prior owners.

                                     GITTES
                         Hauls the huge volume back to the 
                         Clerk's desk.

                                     GITTES
                              (to Clerk)
                         Say... uh... sonny.

               The Clerk turns sharply around.

                                     GITTES
                         How come all these new names are 
                         pasted into the plat book?

                                     CLERK
                         Land sales out of escrow are always 
                         recorded within the week.

               Gittes looks a little surprised.

                                     GITTES
                         Then these are all new owners?

                                     CLERK
                         That's right.

                                     GITTES
                              (astonished)
                         But that means that most of the 
                         valley's been sold in the last few 
                         months.

                                     CLERK
                         If that's what it says.

                                     GITTES
                         Can I check one of these volumes 
                         out?

                                     CLERK
                              (quietly snotty)
                         Sir, this is not a lending library, 
                         it's the Hall of Records.

                                     GITTES
                         Well, then, how about a ruler?

                                     CLERK
                         A ruler?

                                     GITTES
                         The print's pretty fine. I forgot my 
                         glasses. I'd like to be able to read 
                         across.

               The exasperated Clerk reaches around, rummages, slaps a ruler 
               on the desk.

               Gittes goes back to the stacks with the ruler. He opens the 
               book, places the ruler not horizontally but vertically.

               INSERT PLAT BOOK NORTHWEST VALLEY

               Beside the OWNER column he places the ruler, looks toward 
               the clerks, then swiftly rips down the page, tearing out a 
               strip about two inches wide containing the owner's name and 
               property description. As he tears, he either sniffles or 
               coughs to cover the SOUND of the PAPER being ripped.

               EXT. ROAD – GITTES DRIVING – DAY

               Amidst a hall of shimmering dust and heat, parched and drying 
               groves, narrower roads.

               He passes a ramshackle home, next to a rotting orchard. There 
               is a "SOLD" sign on the collapsing barn. Gittes stops, checks 
               it against the names he had taken from the Hall of Records.

               OLD STUCCO BUILDINGS FURTHER ON

               And a few withered pepper trees. Gittes has paused at this 
               dried-up intersection. There is a "SOLD" sign on a drug store. 
               Gittes looks OFF SCREEN.

               Coming INTO VIEW above the arid fields is a spiraling cloud 
               of purple smoke. Gittes heads in that direction.

               Gittes parks at the edge of the field. About twenty yards 
               away is a man mounted on a strange machine, holding a lid 
               off it.

               Billowing lavender clouds are belching forth.

               Several CHILDREN are watching the man at work.

                                     GITTES
                              (to one of the Children)
                         Say, pal, what's he doing?

                                     CHILD
                         Making some rain.

               Gittes nods, walks over to the man who is elaborately busying 
               himself with the intricacies of his machine. He's aware of 
               Gittes watching him.

                                     GITTES
                         Well, you're just the man I'm looking 
                         for.

               The Rainmaker now glances down at Gittes, who as usual is 
               immaculately dressed.

                                     GITTES
                         Some associates and I are thinking 
                         of buying property out here. Of 
                         course, we're worried about the 
                         rainfall.

               The Rainmaker steps down.

                                     RAINMAKER
                         No problem with me on the Job.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah.
                              (glancing around at 
                              the desolate, dry 
                              field)
                         Do you have any references?

               RAINMAKER & GITTES

                                     RAINMAKER
                         City of La Habra Heights filled an 
                         800,000 gallon reservoir with sixteen 
                         inches of rain in two days.

                                     GITTES
                              (nods)
                         That's swell. But how about here?
                              (pulling out names 
                              from his pocket)
                         Ever worked for Robert Knox, Emma 
                         Dill, Clarence Speer, Marian Parsons, 
                         or Jasper Lamar Crabb?

                                     RAINMAKER
                         Never heard of 'em... new owners?

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah.

                                     RAINMAKER
                              (climbing back up)
                         Lot of turnover these days. Better 
                         tell them to get in touch with me if 
                         they want to hang onto their land.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah, I'll do that.

               GITTES DRIVING

               Is now covered with a film of dust:

               He reaches a fork in the dirt road. There are a couple of 
               mailboxes.

               Gittes takes this fork and begins a slow ascent.

               As he does, the tops of a line of bright green trees can be 
               SEEN, coming more and more INTO VIEW, row upon row of avocado 
               and walnut groves, their foliage heavy. The few structures 
               in the distance are white-washed, and well kept, right down 
               to the white-washed stones that mark the pathway to the home. 
               Towering above it all is a huge wooden water tank.

               Gittes drives through a gate that has "NO TRESPASSING" and 
               "KEEP OUT PRIVATE PROPERTY" signs neatly printed on it.

               He drives down the road into the grove.

               GITTES

               Pulls to a halt in the road flanking the orchard lanes. He 
               puts the car in neutral, stares at the trees. By contrast 
               with what he has seen they are lush and beautiful, their 
               heavy branches barely swaying in a light breeze.

               Then a SHOTGUN BLAST abruptly strips bare the branches of 
               the tree he'd been staring at.

               EXT. AVOCADO GROVES – DAY

               Gittes is shocked. He looks behind him. Riding on horseback 
               down the field in the direction he had just driven is a Red-
               Faced Man in overalls. His hat blows off his head. He does 
               not, however, lose the shotgun he has just used. Gittes' 
               lane of retreat is denied him. He guns the car, and takes 
               off down one of the orchard lanes.

               MOVING WITH GITTES

               The dirt lane is rough. As Gittes nears the end of it, a 
               Younger Man on a mule blocks the exit.

               Gittes veers a sharp left, knocking a branch off one of the 
               trees, heading down one of the cross-lanes. Here he's pursued 
               by a scraggly dog that nips at the tires. Gittes yells at 
               it.

               ANGLE ON GROVE

               Two farmers on foot, one using a crutch, run down the lanes 
               toward a dust trail rising above the trees. They've spotted 
               it. Clearly it's from Gittes' car.

               This hide-and-seek chase between one man on horseback, one 
               on a mule and a couple on foot continues up and down and 
               across the orchard lanes until Gittes' front tire and radiator 
               are ruptured by another SHOTGUN BLAST.

               Gittes' car veers off, scattering a stray gaggle of geese 
               and smacks into an avocado tree, shaking loose a barrage of 
               the heavy fruit onto Gittes and the car.

               Gittes immediately tries to get out through the branches 
               over the back of his car, but he's pulled off it by one of 
               the younger farmers, a huge brute who he begins to tussle 
               with. The Crippled Farmer begins to bang Gittes on the back 
               with his crutch. The two of them manage to pound Gittes to 
               the ground within moments, where the Crippled Farmer continues 
               to whack away at Gittes with the crutch.

               The older Red Faced Farmer with the shotgun and the Man on a 
               mule ride up.

                                     RED FACED FARMER
                         All right, quit it! Quit now! Search 
                         the man, see if he's armed.

               Gittes is hefted half off the ground and the two younger 
               Farmers spin him around, going through his clothes. Gittes 
               is badly banged up and half out on his feet. They toss his 
               wallet, his silver cigarette case, etc. on the ground.

                                     RED FACED FARMER
                         I said see if he's armed, not empty 
                         his pockets.

                                     BIG FARMER
                         He ain't armed.

               Gittes leans against the back of his car, breathing heavily.

                                     RED FACED FARMER
                         All right, mister. Who you with? 
                         Water department or the real estate 
                         office?

               Gittes' back is to the Red Faced Farmer. He has trouble 
               catching his breath. The Crippled Farmer pokes him rudely in 
               the back with his crutch. Gittes turns sharply.

                                     GITTES
                              (to Crippled Farmer)
                         Get away from me!

                                     CRIPPLED FARMER
                         Answer him!

                                     GITTES
                         Touch me with that thing again and 
                         you'll need a pair of them.

                                     BIG FARMER
                              (shoving Gittes)
                         Whyn't you pick on somebody your own 
                         size?

                                     RED FACED FARMER
                         I said cut that out! Give him a chance 
                         to say something.

               Gittes looks up at the Red Faced Farmer.

                                     GITTES
                              (reaching down for 
                              his wallet)
                         Name's Gittes. I'm a private 
                         investigator and I'm not with either 
                         one.

                                     RED FACED FARMER
                         Then what are you doing out here?

                                     GITTES
                         Client hired me to see... whether or 
                         not the water department's been 
                         irrigating your land.

                                     RED FACED FARMER
                         Irrigating my land?
                              (exploding)
                         The water department's been sending 
                         you people to blow up my water tanks! 
                         They threw poison down three of my 
                         wells! I call that a funny way to 
                         irrigate. Who'd hire you for a thing 
                         like that?

               Gittes reaches into his pocket. The paper's on the ground. 
               He picks it up.

                                     GITTES
                         Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray.

                                     BIG FARMER
                         Mulwray? That's the son of a bitch 
                         who's done it to us.

                                     GITTES
                         Mulwray's dead. You don't know what 
                         you're talking about, you dumb Oakie.

               The Big Farmer takes a swing at Gittes. Gittes kicks him 
               squarely in the nuts, knees him in the jaw after he's doubled 
               up, and hits him solidly. The Crippled Farmer takes careful 
               aim and brings his crutch down on the back of Gittes' head. 
               Gittes is knocked to the ground and lies still beside the 
               Big Farmer who is writhing in agony in the dirt.

                                     RED FACED FARMER
                         Well, that's that.

               BLACK SCREEN

               There's a PURLING SOUND, which soon becomes defined into the 
               SOUND OF VOICES talking quietly – about whether to move or 
               not to move, doctors, etc.

               CLOSE – EVELYN MULWRAY

               Is staring down at Gittes who's lying in the screened in 
               porch of the farmers. His wife, the Red Faced Farmer, and 
               the Big Farmer are there, along with the dog.

               The Red Faced Farmer's wife has set tea out. The farmers, 
               all of them, now seem awkward and a little embarrassed.

               FRONT PORCH – RED FACE FARMER'S HOUSE – REACTION – GITTES – 
               DUSK

               He focuses on Evelyn who sits right next to him. He's got 
               dried blood down the side of his face from his nose, a huge 
               mouse on his cheek, and his clothes are torn in a couple of 
               spots.

                                     GITTES
                              (to Evelyn)
                         What's going on?

                                     DUBOIS
                              (quietly, almost as 
                              if he were in a 
                              hospital)
                         You didn't look too good, so we 
                         thought we better call your employer.

               Gittes nods. He checks his watch. He looks out. It's almost 
               evening.

               Gittes says nothing. The wife of the Red Faced Farmer (DUBOIS) 
               looks reproachfully at Dubois. Gittes feels the back of his 
               head, It obviously hurts him.

               EXT. DUBOIS FARMHOUSE – EVENING

               Evelyn and Gittes go out to her car, the cream colored 
               Packard.

               Dubois accompanies them, along with the Big Farmer who is 
               carrying a crate of something. Gittes has cleaned himself up 
               a little.

                                     DUBOIS
                         Look here, if it's all the same with 
                         you, we'll get your car patched up. 
                         If you'll tell me what your trousers 
                         run you, I'll make good on them, Mr. 
                         Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                         It's okay, Mr. Dubois.

                                     DUBOIS,
                              (to Evelyn)
                         It's just that they're after everybody 
                         out here, tearing up our irrigation 
                         ditches trying to make our land 
                         worthless so they can pick it up for 
                         twenty-five dollars an acre.

               Gittes nods.

                                     DUBOIS
                              (continuing)
                         Anyway. Earl here is sorry, too. He 
                         wants to give you something to take 
                         back with you.

               Gittes looks. Earl has the huge crate he's holding brim-full 
               of avocados.

                                     GITTES
                         Thanks, Earl.

               INT. CAR – EVELYN & GITTES – DUSK

               Evelyn driving.

                                     GITTES
                         Thanks for coming...

               Gittes pulls out cigarette case, takes one, offers one to 
               Evelyn who refuses.

                                     GITTES
                         That dam is a con job.

                                     EVELYN
                         What dam?

                                     GITTES
                         The one your husband opposed. They're 
                         conning L.A. into building it, only 
                         the water won't go to L.A. It'll go 
                         here.

                                     EVELYN
                         The Valley?

                                     GITTES
                         Everything you can see, everything 
                         around us. I was at the Hall of 
                         Records today.
                              (whips out papers, 
                              turns on the car 
                              light)
                         That bother you?

                                     EVELYN
                         No.

                                     GITTES
                              (looking over papers)
                         In the last three months, Robert 
                         Knox has bought 7,000 acres, Emma 
                         Dill 12,000 acres, Clarence Speer 
                         5,000 acres, and Jasper Lamar Crabb 
                         25,000 acres.

                                     EVELYN
                         Jasper Lamar Crabb?

                                     GITTES
                         Know him?

                                     EVELYN
                         No, I think I'd remember.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah. They've been blowing these 
                         farmers out of here and buying their 
                         land for peanuts. Have any idea what 
                         this land'll be worth with a steady 
                         water supply? About thirty million 
                         more than they paid.

                                     EVELYN
                         And Hollis knew about it?

                                     GITTES
                         It's why he was killed. Jasper Lamar 
                         Crabb. Jasper Lamar Crabb.

               He's pulling out his wallet, excitedly now, spilling its 
               contents onto the seat. He pulls out the obituary column 
               he'd folded up earlier in the day.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         We got it. We got it, baby.

                                     EVELYN
                         What? What is it?

                                     GITTES
                         There was a memorial service at the 
                         Mar Vista Inn today for Jasper Lamar 
                         Crabb. He died three weeks ago.

                                     EVELYN
                         Is that unusual?

                                     GITTES
                         Two weeks ago he bought those 25,000 
                         acres. That's unusual.

               EXT. MAR VISTA INN AND REST HOME – NIGHT

               Evelyn's car pulls up before the elegant Spanish rest home, 
               its entryway illuminated by streetlights. There is a small 
               sign giving the name of the place in elegant neon scroll. It 
               sits on the rolling green lawns.

               Gittes gets out of the car with Evelyn. He offers her his 
               arm and they go up the walkway to the entrance.

               INT. MAR VISTA INN AND REST HOME – NIGHT

               Gittes and Evelyn are approached by an unctuous man in his 
               forties, with a flower in his buttonhole. He sees Evelyn 
               first.

                                     PALMER
                         Hello there, I'm Mr. Palmer. Can I 
                         help you folks?

               Then he gets a clear look at Gittes, bruised, trousers torn, 
               etc.

                                     GITTES
                         Yes, I sure hope so. It's Dad.
                              (indicating his 
                              disheveled appearance)
                         I just can't handle him anymore, can 
                         I, sweetheart?

               Evelyn shakes her head.

                                     PALMER
                         Oh my goodness.

                                     GITTES
                              (hastily)
                         Nothing to do with Dad. It's me, 
                         actually.

                                     EVELYN
                         They just don't get along very well. 
                         Dad's a lamb with anyone else.

                                     PALMER
                              (not so sure)
                         Oh, well, I don't know.

                                     GITTES
                         Naturally, I want the best for him, 
                         money is no object.

                                     PALMER
                         Perhaps if we could meet your father.

                                     GITTES
                         There's just one question.

                                     PALMER
                         Of course.

                                     GITTES
                         Do you accept anyone of the Jewish 
                         persuasion?

               Evelyn can't quite conceal her surprise at the question.

                                     PALMER
                              (very embarrassed)
                         I'm sorry. We don't.

                                     GITTES
                              (smoothly)
                         Don't be sorry, neither does Dad. 
                         Wanted to make sure though, didn't 
                         we, honey?

               Evelyn stares back at Gittes, amused and appalled. She manages 
               to nod.

                                     GITTES
                         Just to be certain, I wonder if you 
                         could show us a list of your patients?

                                     PALMER
                              (polite but pointed)
                         We don't reveal the names of our 
                         guests as a matter of policy. I know 
                         you'd appreciate that if your father 
                         came to live with us.

               Gittes locks eyes with Palmer.

                                     GITTES
                              (confidentially)
                         That's exactly what we wanted to 
                         hear.

                                     PALMER
                         Oh, good.

                                     GITTES
                         I wonder, is it too late for us to 
                         have a look around?

                                     PALMER
                         I don't think so. Be happy to show 
                         you.

                                     GITTES
                         Would you mind if we took a stroll 
                         on our own?

                                     PALMER
                         Just, if you will, confine yourself 
                         to the main building. It's nearly 
                         bedtime.

                                     GITTES
                         We understand, c'mon, sweetheart.

               He takes Evelyn.

               INT. PARLOR – EVELYN

               Looking. Either by accident or design, the primarily 
               octogenarian guests have segregated themselves. In one wing, 
               the men are playing pinochle, some are playing dominoes, one 
               elderly gentleman sits by himself carefully peeling an orange.

               In an adjacent parlor several white-headed ladies work on a 
               quilt.

               Gittes grabs Evelyn's hand.

                                     GITTES
                              (quietly)
                         They're all here. Every goddam name.

               Gittes points to the wall. It says "ACTIVITIES BOARD". There 
               are titles. "LAWN BOWLING". "BRIDGE". "FISHING". "CROQUET". 
               Below them are the names of the guests, entered under certain 
               activities, for certain days.

               After Evelyn looks, she turns to Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing; indicating 
                              the ancients around 
                              them)
                         You're looking at the owners of a 
                         50,000 acre empire.

                                     EVELYN
                              (astonished)
                         They can't be.

                                     GITTES
                         They may not know it but they are.

               Gittes strolls toward the women knitting and working on the 
               quilt.

                                     GITTES
                         Hello, girls.

               Two of the ladies giggle. The third continues to busy herself 
               with her quilt, off by herself.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Which one of you is Emma Dill?

               Two of them say "she is," and point in different directions. 
               The third gives them a curt look and goes back to her 
               knitting. Gittes approaches her.

                                     GITTES
                         Are you Emma?

               Some old voice is singing softly, "Don't Sit Under the Apple 
               Tree."

                                     EMMA
                         Yes.

                                     GITTES
                         I've been wanting to meet you.

                                     EMMA
                         Why?

                                     GITTES
                         Did you know that you're a very 
                         wealthy woman?

                                     EMMA
                              (stitching, smiles)
                         I'm not.

                                     GITTES
                         Well you own a lot of land.

                                     EMMA
                         Not anymore. Oh, some time ago, my 
                         late husband owned a good deal of 
                         beach property in Long Beach, but we 
                         lost it.

               Gittes looks at the quilt. In it is the head of a fish among 
               the rest of the crazy quilt pattern. Gittes spots it.

                                     GITTES
                         That's just lovely.

                                     EMMA
                         Thank you...

               He looks through the quilt for other pieces of the fish, 
               comes across the tail and by it the initials A.C.

                                     GITTES
                              (indicating tail)
                         Where did you get this material?

                                     EMMA
                              (what it sounds like)
                         The apple core club.

                                     GITTES
                         The apple core?

                                     EMMA
                         No. The albacore. It's a fish. My 
                         grandson's a member and they take 
                         very nice care of us.

                                     GITTES
                         How do they do that?

                                     EMMA
                         Give us things. Not just some old 
                         flag like this, but –-

                                     GITTES
                              (kneeling)
                         But what?

                                     PALMER'S VOICE
                         We're a sort of unofficial charity 
                         of theirs, Mr. Gittes. Would you 
                         care to come this way? Someone wants 
                         to see you.

               Gittes looks up, sees Palmer standing in the doorway, looking 
               taut and a little drawn. Evelyn is beside him. She gestures 
               as if there's someone behind Palmer.

               Gittes rises.

                                     GITTES
                         See you later, Emma.

               He walks toward Palmer who waits for him to walk in front.

               AT THE ENTRANCE HALL – MULVIHILL

               Is waiting. He's got his hand in his pocket. Evelyn looks to 
               Gittes.

               The four of them stand there, Mulvihill towering over 
               everyone.

                                     MULVIHILL
                         Come on I want you to meet somebody, 
                         Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                              (glancing from Palmer 
                              to Mulvihill)
                         Can we leave the lady out of this?

                                     MULVIHILL
                              (a little uncertain)
                         Yeah, why not?

                                     GITTES
                         Okay, I'd like to walk her to her 
                         car.

                                     EVELYN
                         I'll stay.

                                     GITTES
                              (taking her by the 
                              arm)
                         Get in the car.

                                     MULVIHILL
                         I'll see she makes it.

               Mulvihill has walked up beside Gittes. He makes the mistake 
               of opening the glass door in the entryway, putting his back 
               to Gittes for a moment. Gittes swiftly pulls Mulvihill's 
               jacket up over his head. He spins him around. With his jacket 
               covering his face, Gittes hammers away at Mulvihlll, beating 
               him against the glass door, along the wall, mercilessly 
               pounding his fists into the cloth until the cloth turns red 
               and Mulvihill begins to sink to the red tile floor.

               Palmer screams. Evelyn stands there astonished. Mulvihill's 
               gun has clattered to the floor.

                                     GITTES
                              (as Mulvihill hits 
                              the floor, to Evelyn)
                         What are you waiting for? Get in the 
                         car!

               Evelyn goes.

               Mulvihill tries to get up again. Palmer starts to go for the 
               gun, nearly picking it up. Gittes slaps it out of his hand 
               and kicks it.

               It goes flying down the hall, at least thirty feet; hits the 
               wall.

               Palmer goes screaming off into the night. Gittes turns back 
               to Mulvihill who starts to get up, then collapses.

               Gittes goes out the front door, ignoring the excited audience 
               of ancients behind him.

               OUTSIDE

               As Gittes walks down the pathway, he stops. Two men are coming 
               toward him. One of them is shorter, and has the nervous, 
               jerky moves of the man who slit his nose.

               Gittes stops. The two men fan out and continue to move toward 
               him.

               Gittes spots the two-tone shoes. He begins to back up.

               Suddenly there is a pair of headlights flashing brilliantly 
               behind the two men. In a moment Evelyn's car is headed across 
               the lawn directly toward the two men, accelerating as it 
               gets near them. They look in disbelief, then dive for safety. 
               The car skids to a stop, fishtailing a little on the grass.

               Evelyn opens the passenger door.

                                     EVELYN
                         Get in.

               Gittes jumps in and she takes off across the lawn, tilting 
               the elegant little neon sign on the lawn as she goes. Two 
               SHOTS ARE FIRED.

               INT. CAR – EVELYN & GITTES

               Evelyn looking straight ahead, driving. After a moment she 
               takes one hand off the wheel and rubs her left eye a little. 
               Gittes watches her. He smiles.

               EXT. VERANDA – MULWRAY HOME – NIGHT

               Gittes stands on the veranda, smoking a cigarette, staring 
               off into the night.

               Evelyn comes out to the veranda, carrying a tray with whiskey 
               and an ice bucket on it. She sets it down. Gittes turns.

                                     GITTES
                              (watching her pour)
                         Maid's night off?

                                     EVELYN
                         Why?

                                     GITTES
                              (a little surprised, 
                              he laughs)
                         What do you mean, 'why?' Nobody's 
                         here, that's all.

                                     EVELYN
                              (handing Gittes his 
                              drink)
                         I gave everybody the night off.

                                     GITTES
                         Easy, it's an innocent question.

                                     EVELYN
                         No question from you is innocent, 
                         Mr. Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                              (laughing)
                         I guess not to you, Mrs. Mulwray. 
                         Frankly you really saved my a... my 
                         neck tonight.

               They drink.

                                     EVELYN
                         Tell me something. Does this usually 
                         happen to you, Mr. Gittes?

                                     GITTES
                         What's that, Mrs. Mulwray?

                                     EVELYN
                         Well, I'm only judging on the basis 
                         of one afternoon and an evening, but 
                         if that's how you go about your work, 
                         I'd say you're lucky to get through 
                         a whole day.

                                     GITTES
                              (pouring himself 
                              another drink)
                         Actually this hasn't happened to me 
                         in some time.

                                     EVELYN
                         When was the last time?

                                     GITTES
                         Why?

                                     EVELYN
                         Just. I don't know why. I'm asking.

               Gittes touches his nose, winces a little.

                                     GITTES
                         It was in Chinatown.

                                     EVELYN
                         What were you doing there?

                                     GITTES
                              (taking a long drink)
                         Working for the District Attorney.

                                     EVELYN
                         Doing what?

               Gittes looks sharply at her. Then:

                                     GITTES
                         As little as possible.

                                     EVELYN
                         The District Attorney gives his men 
                         advice like that?

                                     GITTES
                         They do in Chinatown.

               She looks at him. Gittes stares off into the night.

               Evelyn has poured herself another drink.

                                     EVELYN
                         Bothers you to talk about it, doesn't 
                         it?

               Gittes gets up.

                                     GITTES
                         No. I wonder... could I. Do you have 
                         any peroxide or something?

               He touches his nose lightly.

                                     EVELYN
                         Oh sure. C'mon.

               She takes his hand and leads him back into the house.

               INT. BATHROOM – MIRROR

               Gittes pulls the plaster off his nose, stares at it in the 
               mirror.

               Evelyn takes some hydrogen peroxide and some cotton out of a 
               medicine cabinet. Evelyn turns Gittes' head toward her. She 
               has him sit on the pullman tile adjacent to the sink.

                                     EVELYN
                         Doctor did a nice job...

               She begins to work on his nose with the peroxide. Then she 
               sees his cheek, checks back in his hair.

                                     EVELYN
                              (continuing)
                         Boy oh boy, you're a mess.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah.

                                     EVELYN
                              (working on him)
                         So why does it bother you to talk 
                         about it... Chinatown...

                                     GITTES
                         Bothers everybody who works there, 
                         but to me... It was...

               Gittes shrugs.

                                     EVELYN
                         Hold still. Why?

                                     GITTES
                         You can't always tell what's going 
                         on there.

                                     EVELYN
                         ...No. Why was it.

                                     GITTES
                         I thought I was keeping someone from 
                         being hurt and actually I ended up 
                         making sure they were hurt.

                                     EVELYN
                         Could you do anything about it?

               They're very close now as she's going over a mouse very near 
               his eye.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah. Make sure I don't find myself 
                         in Chinatown anymore. Wait a second.

               He takes hold of her and pulls her even closer,

                                     EVELYN
                              (momentarily freezing)
                         What's wrong?

                                     GITTES
                         Your eye.

                                     EVELYN
                         What about it?

                                     GITTES
                              (staring intently)
                         There's something black in the green 
                         part of your eye.

                                     EVELYN
                              (not moving)
                         Oh that... It's a flaw in the iris...

                                     GITTES
                         ...A flaw...

                                     EVELYN
                              (she almost shivers)
                         ...Yes, sort of a birthmark...

               Gittes kisses her lightly, gradually rises until he's standing 
               holding her. She hesitates, then wraps her arms around him.

               INT. MULWRAY BEDROOM – TELEPHONE

               On a nightstand, city lights visible through the open window 
               behind it. It is RINGING. Evelyn's arm reaches INTO SHOT. 
               SOUND of something hitting the headboard. Gittes moans.

               VIEW SHIFTS TO INCLUDE Gittes in bed, holding his head, which 
               he's just hit. Evelyn pauses in her reach to the phone. She 
               turns to him, whispers, "I'm sorry," kisses him on the head 
               and lips. PHONE CONTINUES TO RING. She picks it up.

                                     EVELYN
                         Hello...
                              (in Spanish now)
                         No, no, I'll come and help, just 
                         keep watching her and don't do 
                         anything until I get there... 'bye.

               VIEW SHIFTS AGAIN TO INCLUDE Gittes in bed, watching Evelyn 
               next to him as she's talking on the phone. She hangs up. She 
               touches Gittes' cheek lightly.

                                     EVELYN
                         I have to go.

               Gittes stares at her silently.

                                     GITTES
                         Where?

                                     EVELYN
                         Just... I have to.

                                     GITTES
                         And I want to know where.

                                     EVELYN
                              (she starts out of 
                              bed)
                         Please don't be angry... believe me, 
                         it's got nothing to do with you.

                                     GITTES
                              (stopping her)
                         Where are you going?

                                     EVELYN
                              (near tears)
                         Please!... Trust me this much...
                              (she kisses him lightly)
                         I'll be back. Look, there is something 
                         I should tell you. The fishing club 
                         that old lady mentioned, the pieces 
                         off the flag.

                                     GITTES
                         The Albacore Club.

                                     EVELYN
                         It has to do with my father.

                                     GITTES
                         I know.

                                     EVELYN
                         He owns it. You know?

                                     GITTES
                         I saw him.

                                     EVELYN
                              (sitting up straight)
                         You saw my fa... father? When?

                                     GITTES
                         This morning.

                                     EVELYN
                              (panicked)
                         You didn't tell me.

                                     GITTES
                         There hasn't been a lot of time.

               She leaps out of bed, throwing on a robe.

                                     EVELYN
                         What did he say?
                              (insistent)
                         What did he say?

                                     GITTES
                         That you were jealous, and he was 
                         worried about what you might do.

                                     EVELYN
                         Do? To who?

                                     GITTES
                         Mulwray's girlfriend, for one thing. 
                         He wanted to know where she was.

               Evelyn starts quickly for the bathroom, then comes back and 
               kneels by the side of the bed, takes Gittes' hand.

                                     EVELYN
                         I want you to listen to me. My father 
                         is a very dangerous man. You don't 
                         know how dangerous. You don't know 
                         how crazy.

                                     GITTES
                         Give me an example.

                                     EVELYN
                         You may think you know what's going 
                         on, but you don't.

                                     GITTES
                         That's what your father said. You're 
                         telling me he's in back of this whole 
                         thing?

                                     EVELYN
                         It's possible.

                                     GITTES
                         Including the death of your husband?

                                     EVELYN
                         It's possible. Please don't ask me 
                         any more questions now. Just wait, 
                         wait for me. I'll be back. I need 
                         you here.

               She kisses him, rushes to the bathroom, shuts the door. Gittes 
               stares at it a moment. Then leaps out of bed, rummages around, 
               tosses on his trousers. He grabs his shoes, throws them on. 
               Then hurries out of the bedroom.

               EXT. MULWRAY HOME – GITTES

               Running across the driveway to the garage. There are two 
               cars there.

               Mulwray's Buick and Evelyn's Packard.

               Gittes moves over to the Buick, opens the passenger's door.

               INT. BUICK - GITTES

               Checks the ignition. No key is in it. He pulls a couple of 
               wires from under the dash, starts to mess with them, seems 
               satisfied.

               Slides out across the seat, slams the door.

               EXT. MULWRAY DRIVEWAY – NIGHT

               Gittes hurries over to the Packard. He gets down on the 
               driveway, lying on his back, bracing himself. With the heel 
               of his shoe, he kicks at the right rear taillight of the 
               car. He shatters the red lens, gets up. He carefully pulls 
               the red lens off the taillight, exposing the white light 
               beneath it. He tosses the red lens into the shrubbery and 
               hurries back toward the house.

               ONE RED AND ONE WHITE TAILLIGHT – MOVING – NIGHT

               Evelyn's car speeds along the curves on Sunset Boulevard, 
               the red and white lights coming IN AND OUT OF VIEW.

               GITTES DRIVING – NIGHT

               Behind the wheel of Mulwray's car, keeping a healthy distance 
               from Evelyn in front of him.

               EVELYN'S PACKARD

               Pulls up before a small little bungalow house. She gets out, 
               looks up and down the street. There is nothing. She hurries 
               on up the walkway to the front door.

               DOWN THE STREET – GITTES IN BUICK

               Idles the engine with the lights off. He brings the car a 
               few yards further down the street, parking it near Evelyn's.

               Gittes gets out of the car and goes up the walkway. The 
               curtains are drawn except for one of the small windows on 
               the side of the house.

               He goes to it and looks, balancing on the edge of the porch.

               THROUGH THE WINDOW

               Gittes sees Evelyn's Oriental servant rush through the living 
               room of the small house. In a moment he re-emerges back 
               through the living room carrying a tray with a glass and 
               pitcher on it.

               GITTES

               Around to the side of the house. He runs into shrubbery and 
               a short picket fence.

               He climbs over it, follows along the stucco wall to a series 
               of windows at the corner of the house. These all have shades 
               on them.

               He can hear someone crying in the house. Someone else talking 
               alternately firmly and plaintively in Spanish. Here the 
               windows have blinds. He moves to one where the blind is not 
               completely drawn.

               There's an inch or so of space at the bottom.

               THROUGH THE WINDOW

               Gittes can see the servant again. Evelyn is pacing back and 
               forth in and out of his line of vision. After a moment someone 
               rises INTO SHOT, obviously from lying on a bed. The figure 
               is just a few feet from Evelyn. Her tear-stained face comes 
               INTO VIEW. It is unmistakably the girl Gittes had last seen 
               with Hollis Mulwray.

               Mulwray's girlfriend. She's looking up to Evelyn, speaking 
               in Spanish. Her words are not discernible but the tone is 
               bitter, anguished. A newspaper is strewn about the room.

               Evelyn kneels. She insists that the girl swallow down some 
               pills.

               The girl reluctantly does.

               GITTES

               Continues to watch.

               EXT. STREET – EVELYN – NIGHT

               Emerges from the house, goes to her car and gets in.

               INT. CAR

               Evelyn sees Gittes sitting in her car, staring coldly at 
               her.

                                     GITTES
                         Okay, give me the keys.

                                     EVELYN
                              (stunned, furious)
                         You bastard.

                                     GITTES
                         It's either that or you drive to the 
                         police yourself.

                                     EVELYN
                         The police?

                                     GITTES
                         C'mon, Mrs. Mulwray. You've got your 
                         husband's girlfriend tied up in there!

                                     EVELYN
                         She's not tied up!

                                     GITTES
                         You know what I mean. You're keeping 
                         her there against her will.

                                     EVELYN
                         I am not!

                                     GITTES
                         Then let's go talk to her.

               Gittes starts to get out of the car. Evelyn grabs his arm, 
               nearly screaming:

                                     EVELYN
                         No!

               Her intensity actually rips Gittes' already partially torn 
               jacket.

               He looks at it and her. It seems to have a momentary calming 
               effect on both of them.

                                     EVELYN
                              (continuing)
                         She's too upset.

                                     GITTES
                         What about?

                                     EVELYN
                         Hollis' death. I tried to keep it 
                         from her, I didn't want her upset 
                         before I could make plans for her to 
                         leave.

                                     GITTES
                         You mean she just found out?

                                     EVELYN
                         Yes.

                                     GITTES
                         That's not what it looks like, Mrs. 
                         Mulwray.

                                     EVELYN
                         What does it look like?

                                     GITTES
                         Like she knows about Hollis' death. 
                         Like she knows more than you want 
                         her to tell.

                                     EVELYN
                         You're insane.

               Gittes explodes.

                                     GITTES
                         Just tell me the truth. I'm not the 
                         police. I don't care what you've 
                         done. I'm not going to hurt you, but 
                         one way or another I'm going to know.

                                     EVELYN
                         You won't go to the police if I tell 
                         you?

                                     GITTES
                         I will if you don't.

               A long pause. Evelyn's head sinks onto the steering wheel, 
               her hair covering her face.

                                     EVELYN
                         She's my sister.

               Evelyn is breathing very deeply now. Not crying, but the 
               kind of deep breathing that comes from real hysteria. Gittes 
               puts an arm on her shoulder.

                                     GITTES
                         Take it easy... If it's your sister 
                         it's your sister... why all the 
                         secrecy?

               She lifts her head and looks up at him. He's genuinely 
               puzzled.

                                     EVELYN
                              (really upset)
                         I can't...

                                     GITTES
                         Because of Hollis? Because she was 
                         seeing your husband? Was that it? 
                         Jesus Christ, say something. Was 
                         that it?

               She nods. Gittes sighs.

                                     EVELYN
                              (finally)
                         I would never ever have harmed Hollis. 
                         I loved him more than my own family. 
                         He was the most gentle, decent man 
                         imaginable... and he put up with 
                         more from me than you'll ever know... 
                         I just wanted him to be happy...

               She begins to cry softly.

                                     GITTES
                              (after a moment)
                         I took your husband's Buick...
                              (he opens the car 
                              door)
                         I'll return it tomorrow.

                                     EVELYN
                         Aren't you coming back with me?

                                     GITTES
                         Don't worry. I'm not telling anybody 
                         about this.

                                     EVELYN
                         ...That's not what I meant.

               There is a long moment of silence. Gittes looks over to 
               Evelyn. Her hair covers most of her face from him.

                                     GITTES
                              (finally)
                         Yeah, well... I'm very tired, Mrs. 
                         Mulwray. Good night.

               He gets out and slams the car door. She drives off.

               INT. SHOWER – GITTES' APARTMENT – GITTES

               The spray is hitting him full on the top of the head. Gittes 
               is so exhausted he's literally holding onto the nozzle as 
               the water pours down. He shuts the shower off, reaches weakly 
               for a towel, dabs his nose lightly with it.

               INT. GITTES' BEDROOM – GITTES

               Pads around in elegant silk pajamas.

               He walks over to the window where morning light is streaming 
               in. He closes the curtains, collapses on the bed, on top of 
               the covers, inert. Almost immediately the PHONE RINGS. Gittes 
               lets it go on for a moment, then picks it up without saying 
               anything.

                                     VOICE ON PHONE
                              (male)
                         Gittes?... Gittes?

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah.

                                     VOICE ON PHONE
                         Ida Sessions wants to see you.

                                     GITTES
                         Who?

                                     VOICE 0N PHONE
                         Ida Sessions, you remember Ida.

               Gittes slowly rises to one elbow.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah?... I do?

                                     VOICE ON PHONE
                         Sure you do.

                                     GITTES
                         Well, tell you what, pal. If Ida 
                         wants to see me she can call me at 
                         my office.

               He hangs up, falls back down. PHONE RINGS AGAIN. AND AGAIN. 
               Gittes swears, picks it up.

                                     VOICE ON PHONE
                         684 1/2 East Tensington. Echo Park. 
                         She begged me to call. She's waiting 
                         for you.

               Before Gittes can say anything, the phone clicks dead.

               EXT. CERRITOS TOWER ROAD – HOLLYWOOD HILLS – EARLY MORNING

               Gittes pulls up. It is a bungalow courtyard with a very narrow 
               walkway and sickly green stucco.

               EXT. IDA SESSIONS' APARTMENT – DAY

               Gittes at the front door. It's slightly ajar. He knocks. 
               Nothing. He opens it and enters.

               INT. LIVING ROOM

               Morning light filters through the half-open blinds. Dust 
               particles in the shafts of light. It's still and empty. Gittes 
               sees something down the hall, under the legs of a telephone 
               table. Gittes moves toward it. It is grotesque. When he gets 
               closer he can see it's a wilted head of lettuce. Just inside 
               the kitchen some radishes and onions lie on the linoleum. 
               Gittes walks on into the kitchen.

               INT. KITCHEN

               Clearing the kitchen counter, Gittes sees IDA SESSIONS lying 
               on her back on the floor, surrounded by the groceries from a 
               broken bag.

               Ice cream has melted around her. Her eyes are open, a stream 
               of ants is moving across the ice cream and into her mouth. 
               She's recognizable as the woman who posed as Evelyn Mulwray.

               Gittes kneels over her. He gingerly opens her handbag, fishes 
               for its contents, takes them and looks at them on the kitchen 
               counter.

               Wallet with a few bills in it, driver's license with her 
               name. A Screen Actors Guild card. Gittes nods, turns, 
               carefully replaces the items in the purse.

               He idly opens the broom closet, pantry, and even Frigidaire, 
               which is all but empty. Then he steps over her body and moves 
               across the hall to a door that is slightly ajar.

               INT. BATHROOM

               Gittes enters and turns on the light.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Find anything interesting, Gittes?

               Escobar and another PLAINCLOTHED MAN stand in the bathroom 
               by the entrance to the bedroom door. Gittes turns around. A 
               THIRD MAN is now coming down the hall from the bedroom.

               Gittes looks at the two, doesn't reply.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         What are you doing here?

                                     GITTES
                         Didn't you call?

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (jerk of his head 
                              toward the kitchen)
                         How do you happen to know her?

                                     GITTES
                         I don't.

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (turning toward other 
                              room)
                         Let me show you something.

               INT. KITCHEN

               Escobar points to the number "MU 7279" on the side of one of 
               the kitchen cabinets.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Isn't that your number?

                                     GITTES
                         Is it? I forget. I don't call myself 
                         that often.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Just to be on the safe side, we had 
                         Loach here give you a ring.

               He indicates one of his assistants.

                                     ESCOBAR'S ASSISTANT
                              (a slight sneer)
                         What happened to your nose, Gittes? 
                         Somebody slam a bedroom window on 
                         it?

                                     GITTES
                              (right back, smiling)
                         Nope, your wife got excited, crossed 
                         her legs a little too quick. You 
                         understand, pal.

               The Assistant starts to move for Gittes who is ready for 
               him.

               Escobar steps between the two.

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (to other Assistant)
                         Loach.
                              (Escobar pulls out a 
                              drawer)
                         How about these? Look familiar?

               In the open drawer are the photos of Mulwray and the girl in 
               the park, boat, and at the El Macando on the veranda.

                                     GITTES
                              (no point in denying 
                              it)
                         Yeah, I took 'em. So what?

                                     ESCOBAR
                         How did she...
                              (meaning the corpse)
                         ...happen to have them?

               Gittes takes a deep breath.

                                     GITTES
                         Either you tell me or I guess 'cause 
                         I don't have the answer.

               Escobar nods.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         You really think I'm stupid, don't 
                         you, Gittes?

                                     GITTES
                         I don't think about it one way or 
                         the other. But if you want, give me 
                         a day or two, and I'll get back to 
                         you. Now I'd like to go home.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         I want the rest of the pictures.

                                     GITTES
                         What pictures?

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (meaning the corpse)
                         This broad hired you, Gittes, not 
                         Evelyn Mulwray.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah?

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Yeah. Somebody wanted to shake down 
                         Mulwray, she hired you, and that's 
                         how you happen to know Mulwray was 
                         murdered.

                                     GITTES
                         I heard it was an accident.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         C'mon, you think you're dealing with 
                         a bunch of assholes? Mulwray had 
                         salt water in his goddam lungs! Now 
                         how did he get that... in a fresh 
                         water reservoir?

               Gittes is surprised at this piece of information, but remains 
               nonplussed.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         You were following him night and 
                         day. You saw who killed him. You 
                         even took pictures of it. It was 
                         Evelyn Mulwray. She's been paying 
                         you off like a slot machine ever 
                         since her husband died.

                                     GITTES
                              (smiling)
                         You accusing me of extortion?

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Absolutely.

                                     GITTES
                         I don't think I need a day or two. 
                         You're even dumber than you think I 
                         think you are. Not only that, I'd 
                         never extort a nickel out of my worst 
                         enemy, that's where I draw the line, 
                         Escobar.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Yeah, I once knew a whore who for 
                         enough money would piss in a 
                         customer's face, but she'd never 
                         shit on his chest. That's where she 
                         drew the line.

                                     GITTES
                              (smiling)
                         Well, I hope she wasn't too much of 
                         a disappointment to you, Lou.

               Escobar manages a thin smile.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         I want those photographs, Gittes. 
                         We're talking about accessory after 
                         the fact, conspiracy, and extortion. 
                         Minimum.

                                     GITTES
                         Why do you think Mulwray's body was 
                         moved you dimwit? Evelyn Mulwray 
                         knocked off her husband in the ocean 
                         and thought it would look like more 
                         of an accident if she hauled him up 
                         to the Oak Pass Reservoir?

               This is a little telling.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Mulwray was murdered and moved because 
                         somebody didn't want his body found 
                         in the ocean.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         And why's that?

                                     GITTES
                         He found out somebody was dumping 
                         water there. That's what they were 
                         trying to cover up by moving him.

               This stops Escobar. He's dumbfounded by it.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         What are you talking about?

                                     GITTES
                         C'mon I'll show you.

               Escobar hesitates.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         C'mon make a decision, Lou. You're 
                         in charge.

               The men around Escobar look to him. Escobar grudgingly nods.

               CLOSE SHOT – STORM DRAIN

               It yawns AT CAMERA, only a trickle of water dropping into 
               the ocean.

               VIEW WIDENS TO INCLUDE Escobar, Gittes, and two Plain 
               clothesmen, standing and staring at the empty pipe as if 
               they expect it to talk.

                                     GITTES
                              (squinting in sunlight)
                         It's too late.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Too late for what?

                                     GITTES
                         They only dump the water at night.

               A THIRD ASSISTANT runs down the side of the cliff and Over 
               to Escobar.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Reach anybody?

                                     THIRD ASSISTANT
                         Yelburton, he's the new chief.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         I know who he is. Well?

                                     THIRD ASSISTANT
                         He says –-

                                     GITTES
                         I know what he says.

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (to Gittes)
                         Shut up.
                              (to Assistant)
                         Go on.

                                     THIRD ASSISTANT
                         Yelburton says they're irrigating in 
                         the valley. There's always a little 
                         runoff when they do that. And he 
                         says is Gittes knows that, and has 
                         been going around making irresponsible 
                         accusations for the last week.

               Escobar turns to Gittes. Stares at him for a long moment.

                                     ONE OF ASSISTANTS
                         Let's swear out a warrant for her 
                         arrest. What are we waiting for?

                                     GITTES
                              (meaning Escobar)
                         Because he just made lieutenant, and 
                         he wants to hang onto his little 
                         gold bar.

               Escobar stares hatefully at Gittes.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Have your client in my office in two 
                         hours and remember. I don't have to 
                         let you go. I've got you for 
                         withholding evidence right now.

               EXT. MULWRAY HOME – DAY

               Gittes in Mulwray's Buick whips into the driveway. He looks 
               in the garage. Evelyn's car is gone. Only the Gardener's 
               truck is there.

               Gittes hurries along the pathway and up to the house. He 
               rings the doorbell. Scarcely waiting for an answer he tries 
               it. It's locked.

               He reaches into his pocket pulls out his cigarette case, 
               takes a pick out of the side and starts to fool with the 
               lock.

               The Maid opens the door abruptly, stares in some surprise at 
               Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                         Where's Mrs. Mulwray?

                                     MAID
                         No esta.

               Gittes looks past the Maid to the center of the living room 
               where luggage is packed and neatly piled.

               The Maid is actually in the process of throwing covers over 
               the furniture.

                                     GITTES
                              (indicating luggage)
                         Is Mrs. Mulwray going someplace?...
                              (no answer)
                         on a trip?... vacation?...

                                     MAID
                         No esta in casa.

               Gittes nods. He continues through the house and out back to 
               the veranda.

               EXT. MULWRAY VERANDA – GITTES

               Is unsettled. Sees the Gardener working by the pond. He 
               wanders a few yards in that direction.

               GARDENER

               Spots Gittes, half-bows, nods and smiles.

               GITTES

               In turn, nods, smiles.

                                     GITTES
                         Bad for glass.

               GARDENER

               Breaks into a big grin. Nods again.

                                     GARDENER
                         Oh yes, bad for glass.

               He points to the newly mown lawn.

                                     GARDENER
                              (continuing)
                         Salt water velly bad for glass.

                                     GITTES
                         Can't quite believe what he's heard,

                                     GITTES
                         Salt water?

               The Gardener nods vigorously. Points to the pond.

                                     GARDENER
                         Velly velly bad.

               Gittes has moved to the pond. He kneels. Clinging to the 
               edge of it he can now see as he could have before if he'd 
               looked closely, a starfish.

               CLOSE STARFISH

               It has one leg missing. The fifth point on the star is just 
               beginning to grow back.

               GITTES

               Touches the water, tastes it. He licks his lips, then spots 
               something glinting in the bottom of the pond.

                                     GITTES
                         What's that... down there?

               The Gardener peers into the pond.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         ...there.

               The Gardener spots it. He rolls up his trousers, gets in the 
               pond, and reaches into the bottom, his chin actually touching 
               the water.

               He misses the object, which seems to scoot away like an 
               animal. Then he grasps it. He lifts it out of the water and 
               holds a pair of eye glasses, rimless, bent, his finger poking 
               through the frame where one lens is shattered.

               The Gardener seems surprised. Gittes looks at the glasses. 
               They are heavily bifocal and reflect the sun.

               INT. MULWRAY HOME

               Gittes holds the phone to his ear. On the telephone table, 
               lying on his handkerchief are the glasses.

               The Maid hovers around over Gittes' shoulder, uneasily 
               watching him.

                                     CROSS' VOICE
                         Hello.

                                     GITTES
                         Have you got your checkbook handy, 
                         Mr. Cross? I've got the girl.

                                     CROSS' VOICE
                         You've got her? Where?

                                     GITTES
                         Do you remember the figures we 
                         discussed?

                                     CROSS' VOICE
                         Of course I do. Where are you?

                                     GITTES
                         At your daughter's house. How soon 
                         can you get here?

                                     CROSS' VOICE
                         Two hours... tell me, will Evelyn be 
                         there as well?

                                     GITTES
                         Either that or she'll be in jail.

                                     CROSS' VOICE
                         What are you talking about?

                                     GITTES
                         Just bring your checkbook.

               Gittes hangs up.

               EXT. BUNGALOW HOUSE – ADELAIDE DRIVE

               Gittes pulls up in Mulwray's Buick. He hurries to the front 
               door, pounds on it.

               The Chinese servant answers the door.

                                     CHINESE SERVANT
                         You wait.

                                     GITTES
                              (short sentence in 
                              Chinese)
                         You wait.

               Gittes pushes past him. Evelyn, looking a little worn but 
               glad to see him hurries to the door. She takes Gittes' arm.

                                     EVELYN
                         How are you? I was calling you.

               She looks at him, searching his face.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah?

               They move into the living room. Gittes is looking around it.

                                     EVELYN
                         Did you get some sleep?

                                     GITTES
                         Sure.

                                     EVELYN
                         Did you have lunch? Kyo will fix you 
                         something.

                                     GITTES
                              (abruptly)
                         Where's the girl?

                                     EVELYN
                         Upstairs. Why?

                                     GITTES
                         I want to see her.

                                     EVELYN
                         ...she's having a bath now... why do 
                         you want to see her?

               Gittes continues to look around. He sees clothes laid out 
               for packing in a bedroom off the living room.

                                     GITTES
                         Going somewhere?

                                     EVELYN
                         Yes, we've got a 4:30 train to catch. 
                         Why?

               Gittes doesn't answer. He goes to the phone and dials.

                                     GITTES
                         J. J. Gittes for Lieutenant Escobar

                                     EVELYN
                         What are you doing? What's wrong? I 
                         told you we've got a 4:30.

                                     GITTES
                              (cutting her off)
                         You're going to miss your train!
                              (then, into phone)
                         Lou, meet me at 1412 Adelaide. It's 
                         above Santa Monica Canyon... yeah, 
                         soon as you can.

                                     EVELYN
                         What did you do that for?

                                     GITTES
                              (a moment, then)
                         You know any good criminal lawyers?

                                     EVELYN
                              (puzzled)
                         No...

                                     GITTES
                         Don't worry. I can recommend a couple.
                         They're expensive but you can afford 
                         it.

                                     EVELYN
                              (evenly but with great 
                              anger)
                         What the hell is this all about?

               Gittes looks at her, then takes the handkerchief out of his 
               breast pocket. Unfolds it on a coffee table, revealing the 
               bifocal glasses, one lens still intact. Evelyn stares dumbly 
               at them.

                                     GITTES
                         I found these in your backyard... in 
                         your fish pond. They belonged to 
                         your husband, didn't they?... didn't 
                         they?

                                     EVELYN
                         I don't know. I mean yes, probably.

                                     GITTES
                         Yes positively. That's where he was 
                         drowned...

                                     EVELYN
                         What are you saying?

                                     GITTES
                         There's no time for you to be shocked 
                         by the truth, Mrs. Mulwray. The 
                         coroner's report proves he was killed 
                         in salt water. Just take my word for 
                         it. Now I want to know how it happened 
                         and why. I want to know before Escobar 
                         gets here because I want to hang 
                         onto my license.

                                     EVELYN
                         I don't know what you're talking 
                         about. This is the most insane... 
                         the craziest thing I ever...

               Gittes has been in a state of near frenzy himself. gets up, 
               shakes her.

                                     GITTES
                         Stop it!  I'll make it easy. You 
                         were jealous, you fought, he fell, 
                         hit his head. It was an accident, 
                         but his girl is a witness. You've 
                         had to pay her off. You don't have 
                         the stomach to harm her, but you've 
                         got the money to shut her up. Yes or 
                         no?

                                     EVELYN
                         ...no...

                                     GITTES
                         Who is she? And don't give me that 
                         crap about it being your sister. You 
                         don't have a sister.

               Evelyn is trembling.

                                     EVELYN
                         I'll tell you the truth...

               Gittes smiles.

                                     GITTES
                         That's good. Now what's her name?

                                     EVELYN
                         Katherine.

                                     GITTES
                         Katherine?... Katherine who?

                                     EVELYN
                         She's my daughter.

               Gittes stares at her. He's been charged with anger and when 
               Evelyn says this it explodes. He hits her full in the face. 
               Evelyn stares back at him. The blow has forced tears from 
               her eyes, but she makes no move, not even to defend herself.

                                     GITTES
                         I said the truth!

                                     EVELYN
                         She's my sister.

               Gittes slaps her again.

                                     EVELYN
                         She's my daughter.

               Gittes slaps her again.

                                     EVELYN
                         My sister.

               He hits her again.

                                     EVELYN
                         My daughter, my sister.

               He belts her finally, knocking her into a cheap Chinese vase 
               which shatters and she collapses on the sofa, sobbing.

                                     GITTES
                         I said I want the truth.

                                     EVELYN
                              (almost screaming it)
                         She's my sister and my daughter!

               Kyo comes running down the stairs.

                                     EVELYN
                              (continuing; in Chinese)
                         For God's sake, Kyo, keep her 
                         upstairs, go back!

               Kyo turns after staring at Gittes for a moment then goes 
               back upstairs.

                                     EVELYN
                         My father and I, understand, or is 
                         it too tough for you?

               Gittes doesn't answer.

                                     EVELYN
                         ...he had a breakdown... the dam 
                         broke... my mother died... he became 
                         a little boy... I was fifteen... 
                         he'd ask me what to eat for breakfast, 
                         what clothes to wear!... It 
                         happened... then I ran away...

                                     GITTES
                         To Mexico...

               She nods.

                                     EVELYN
                         Hollis came and took... care of me... 
                         after she was born... he said... he 
                         took care of her... I couldn't see 
                         her... I wanted to but I couldn't...  
                         I just want to see her once in a 
                         while... take care of her... that's 
                         all...  but I don't want her to 
                         know... I don't want her to know...

                                     GITTES
                         ...so that's why you hate him...

               Evelyn looks slowly up at Gittes.

                                     EVELYN
                         No... for turning his back on me 
                         after it happened! He couldn't face 
                         it...
                              (weeping)
                         I hate him.

               Gittes suddenly feels the need to loosen his tie.

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah... where are you taking her 
                         now?

                                     EVELYN
                         Back to Mexico.

                                     GITTES
                         You can't go by train. Escobar'll be 
                         looking for you everywhere.

                                     EVELYN
                         How about a plane?

                                     GITTES
                         That's worse... Just get out of here. 
                         Walk out, leave everything.

                                     EVELYN
                         I have to go home and get my things.

                                     GITTES
                         I'll take care of it.

                                     EVELYN
                         Where can we go?

                                     GITTES
                         ...where does Kyo live?

                                     EVELYN
                         With us.

                                     GITTES
                         On his day off. Get the exact address.

                                     EVELYN
                         Okay...

               She stops suddenly.

                                     EVELYN
                         Those didn't belong to Hollis.

               For a moment Gittes doesn't know what she's talking about. 
               Then he follows her gaze to the glasses lying on his 
               handkerchief.

                                     GITTES
                         How do you know?

                                     EVELYN
                         He didn't wear bifocals.

               Gittes picks up the glasses, stares at the lens, is 
               momentarily lost in them.

               EVELYN

               From the stairs. She has her arm around Katherine.

                                     EVELYN
                         Say hello to Mr. Gittes, sweetheart.

                                     KATHERINE
                              (from the stairs)
                         Hello.

                                     GITTES
                         Rises a little shakily from the arm 
                         of the sofa.

                                     GITTES
                         Hello.

               With her arm around the girl, talking in Spanish, Evelyn 
               hurries her toward the bedroom. In a moment she re-emerges.

                                     EVELYN
                              (calling down)
                         He lives at 1712 Alameda... do you 
                         know where that is?

               REACTION – GITTES

               He nods slowly.

                                     GITTES
                         Sure. It's Chinatown.

               THRU WINDOW

               Of bungalow Gittes watches Evelyn, the girl and Kyo head for 
               Kyo's black dusty sedan.

               Gittes drops the curtain, heads swiftly to the phone. He 
               dials.

                                     GITTES
                         Sophie... is Walsh there?... yeah, 
                         listen, pal, Escobar's going to try 
                         and book me in about five minutes... 
                         relax, I'll tell you. Wait in the 
                         office for two hours. If you don't 
                         hear from me, you and Duffy meet me 
                         at 1712 Alameda.

                                     WALSH'S VOICE
                         Jesus, that's in Chinatown, ain't 
                         it?

               The front BELL RINGS.

                                     GITTES
                         I know where it is! Just do it.

               Gittes hangs up and goes to the door. He opens it. No one is 
               there.

                                     GITTES
                              (not even bothering 
                              to look around the 
                              sides)
                         Come on in, Lou. We're both too late.

               Escobar and his minions appear from either side of the door.

                                     GITTES
                         Looks like she flew the coop.

               Escobar nods.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         I don't suppose you got any idea 
                         Where she went?

                                     GITTES
                         Matter of fact I do.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Where?

                                     GITTES
                         Her maid's house. I think she knows 
                         something's up.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         What's the maid's address?

                                     GITTES
                         She lives in Pedro. I'll write it 
                         down for you.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         No, Gittes, you'll show us.

                                     GITTES
                         What for?

                                     ESCOBAR
                         If she's not there, you're going 
                         downtown, and you're staying there 
                         til she shows up.

                                     GITTES
                              (deliberately petulant)
                         Gee, Lou, I'm doing the best I can.

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (shoving him toward 
                              the door)
                         Tell us about it on the way to Pedro.

               EXT. SAN PEDRO – 29TH STREET – DAY

               A steep hill overlooks part of the harbor. Escobar's unmarked 
               car pulls up to a stop in front of a Spanish duplex perched 
               on the steep hillside.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         That's it?

                                     GITTES
                         Yeah.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Well, let's go.

                                     GITTES
                         Do me a favor, will you, Lou?

               Escobar waits.

                                     GITTES
                              (continuing)
                         Let me bring her down myself... she's 
                         not armed or nothing... she won't be 
                         any problem... I'd just like a minute 
                         alone with her... It would mean 
                         something... to...  her... and to 
                         me.

               Escobar shakes his head. For a moment it looks like it means 
               no.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         You never learn, do you, Gittes?

                                     GITTES
                              (a little chagrined)
                         I guess not.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Give you three minutes.

                                     GITTES
                         Gee, thanks, Lou.

               Gittes gets out of the car, glances around, goes up the 
               stairs. He looks back down at Escobar. Gittes rings the bell. 
               He waits. It opens. It's a WOMAN who's not recognizable. 
               She's got the remnants of a black eye.

                                     WOMAN
                         Yes?...

               Gittes looks past her to Curly, the fisherman from the first 
               scene.

               He's seated at the dinner table with his father, his mother, 
               and his children. Curly looks up in surprise.

                                     CURLY
                              (happily)
                         Mr. Gittes! Come in, come in.

               Gittes enters and closes the door. Curly rises and comes 
               over to him, greets him happily.

                                     CURLY
                         Gee, this is a surprise, Mr. Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                         Call me Jake. How is everything?

                                     CURLY
                         Just sitting down to supper, Jake. 
                         Care to join us?

                                     GITTES
                         No thanks.

                                     CURLY
                         How about a glass of wine? Honey, 
                         this is...

                                     WIFE
                              (coolly)
                         Yes, I know.

                                     GITTES
                         Thanks just the same, Curly. I could 
                         use a glass of water, though. Come 
                         out with me to the kitchen for a 
                         second.

                                     CURLY
                              (puzzled)
                         Sure thing.

               INT. KITCHEN – GITTES AND CURLY

                                     GITTES
                         Curly, where's your car?

                                     CURLY
                         In the garage.

                                     GITTES
                         Where's that?

                                     CURLY
                         Off the alley.

                                     GITTES
                         Could you drive me somewhere?

                                     CURLY
                         Sure, as soon as we eat.

                                     GITTES
                         Right now, Curly. It can't wait.

                                     CURLY
                         I'll just tell my wife.

                                     GITTES
                              (pulling him out the 
                              back door)
                         Tell her later.

               They head out the back door and down the steps toward the 
               garage.

               EXT. ALLEY AND GARAGE

               Curly pulls open the garage door. Gets in, starts the car, 
               backs it out. It's an old, late twenties Plymouth Sedan. 
               Gittes hops in. They take off. At the edge of the alley Gittes 
               looks back.

               POV FROM CURLY'S CAR

               Escobar is getting out of his car, moving towards the duplex. 
               Gittes slips down in the seat.

                                     GITTES' VOICE
                         Just drive slow for a block or two, 
                         will you, Curly?

                                     CURLY'S VOICE
                         What's this all about?

                                     GITTES' VOICE
                         Tell you in a couple of blocks.

               INT. SEDAN – GITTES AND CURLY

                                     GITTES
                         How much do you owe me, Curly?

                                     CURLY
                              (embarrassed)
                         Oh, gee, Mr. Gittes we're going out 
                         tomorrow. I know you been real good 
                         about it but my cousin Auggie's sick.

                                     GITTES
                         Forget it. How would you like to pay 
                         me off by taking a couple of 
                         passengers to Ensenada... you'd have 
                         to leave tonight.

                                     CURLY
                         I don't know...

                                     GITTES
                         I might be able to squeeze an extra 
                         seventy-five bucks out of it for 
                         you. Maybe an even hundred.

                                     CURLY
                         Plus what I owe you?

                                     GITTES
                         I'll throw that in too.

                                     CURLY
                              (smiling)
                         Okay, you got yourself a boat.

               EXT. MULWRAY HOME – GITTES AND CURLY

               Carry bags out to Curly's car. Curly opens the door for the 
               Maid.

               She gets in. He turns to Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                         Tell Mrs. Mulwray to wait for half 
                         an hour after you get there. Then if 
                         I don't show, take her down to the 
                         boat.

                                     CURLY
                              (a little worried)
                         You sure this is okay?

                                     GITTES
                              (mildly indignant)
                         Curly, you know how long I been in 
                         business.

               Curly nods, reassured. He gets in and takes off.

               EXT. MULWRAY HOME – DUSK

               By the pond, cigarette smoke drifts INTO SHOT. A car pulls 
               up. In a moment Cross can be SEEN, looking TOWARD CAMERA.

                                     CROSS
                         There you are.

               He walks toward Gittes who stands by the pond, smoking.

                                     CROSS
                              (continuing)
                         Well, you don't look any the worse 
                         for wear, Mr. Gittes, I must say... 
                         where's the girl?...

                                     GITTES
                         I've got her.

                                     CROSS
                         Is she all right?

                                     GITTES
                         She's fine.

                                     CROSS
                         Where is she?

                                     GITTES
                         With her mother.

               Cross' tone alters here.

                                     CROSS
                         ...with her mother?

               Gittes pulls something out of his pocket and unfolds it.

                                     GITTES
                         I'd like you to look at something, 
                         Mr. Cross.

                                     CROSS
                              (taking it)
                         What is it?

                                     GITTES
                         An obituary column... can you read 
                         in this light?

                                     CROSS
                         Yes... I think I can manage...

               Cross dips into his coat pocket and pulls out a pair of 
               rimless glasses.. He puts them on, reads.

               GITTES

               Stares at the bifocal lenses as Cross continues to look 
               through the obituary column. He looks up.

                                     CROSS
                         What does this mean?

                                     GITTES
                         That you killed Hollis Mulwray.

               Gittes is holding the bifocals with the broken lens now.

                                     GITTES
                         Right here, in this pond. You drowned 
                         him...  and you left these.

               Cross looks at the glasses.

                                     GITTES
                         ...the coroner's report showed Mulwray 
                         had salt water in his lungs.

                                     CROSS
                              (finally)
                         Hollie was always fond of tide-pools. 
                         You know what he used to say about 
                         them?

                                     GITTES
                         Haven't the faintest idea.

                                     CROSS
                         That's where life begins... marshes, 
                         sloughs, tide-pools... he was 
                         fascinated by them...  you know when 
                         we first came out here he figured 
                         that if you dumped water onto desert 
                         sand it would percolate down into 
                         the bedrock and stay there, instead 
                         of evaporating the way it does in 
                         most reservoirs. You'd lose only 
                         twenty percent instead of seventy or 
                         eighty. He made this city.

                                     GITTES
                         And that's what you were going to do 
                         in the Valley?

               EXT. POND – CROSS AND GITTES

                                     CROSS
                              (after a long moment)
                         No, Mr. Gittes. That's what I am 
                         doing with the Valley. The bond issue 
                         passes Tuesday. There'll be ten 
                         million to build an aqueduct and 
                         reservoir. I'm doing it.

                                     GITTES
                         There's going to be some irate 
                         citizens when they find out they're 
                         paying for water they're not getting.

                                     CROSS
                         That's all taken care of. You see, 
                         Mr. Gittes. Either you bring the 
                         water to L.A. or you bring L.A. to 
                         the water.

                                     GITTES
                         How do you do that?

                                     CROSS
                         Just incorporate the Valley into the 
                         city so the water goes to L.A. after 
                         all. It's very simple.

               Gittes nods.

                                     GITTES
                              (then)
                         How much are you worth?

                                     CROSS
                              (shrugs, then)
                         I have no idea. How much do you want?

                                     GITTES
                         I want to know what you're worth. 
                         Over ten million?

                                     CROSS
                         Oh, my, yes.

                                     GITTES
                         Then why are you doing it? How much 
                         better can you eat? What can you buy 
                         that you can't already afford?

                                     CROSS
                              (a long moment, then:)
                         The future, Mr. Gittes. The future. 
                         Now where's the girl?... I want the 
                         only daughter I have left... as you 
                         found out, Evelyn was lost to me a 
                         long time ago.

                                     GITTES
                              (with sarcasm)
                         Who do you blame for that? Her?

               Cross makes a funny little cock of his head.

                                     CROSS
                         I don't blame myself. You see, Mr. 
                         Gittes, most people never have to 
                         face the fact that at the right time 
                         and right place, they're capable of 
                         anything. Take those glasses from 
                         him, will you, Claude?

               Mulvihill moves INTO VIEW. Extends his hand for the glasses. 
               Gittes doesn't move.

                                     CROSS
                         It's not worth it, Mr. Gittes. It's 
                         really not worth it.

               Gittes hands over the glasses.

                                     CROSS
                         Take us to the girl. Either Evelyn 
                         allows me to see her, or I'm not 
                         averse to seeing Evelyn in jail. If 
                         I have to buy the jail. Hollis and 
                         Evelyn kept her from me for fifteen 
                         years. It's been too long, I'm too 
                         old.

               EXT. CHINATOWN STREET – NIGHT

               The streets are crowded. Here and there one can see Chinese 
               in traditional dress.

               GITTES

               Driving slowly, spots Katherine with Ramon and luggage, nearly 
               lost in the crowd. They are walking toward a car parked near 
               a laundry truck.

               Gittes sees them, keeps driving.

                                     CROSS
                              (suddenly)
                         Stop the car. Stop the car!

               Mulvihill tries to clobber Gittes. Gittes elbows him. The 
               car jumps the curb and hits a lamppost.

               EXT. STREET – CROSS

               Leaps out of the car shouting:

                                     CROSS
                         Katherine! Katherine! Wait!

               Gittes is after him, grabbing him. Cross tries to swing at 
               Gittes with his cane. Mulvihill comes up behind Gittes and 
               the three of them begin an awkward wrestling match, the crowd 
               scattering, Mulvihill pulling his revolver, trying to hit 
               Gittes on the side of the head. The three men crash to the 
               pavement.

               CURLY

               Starts out of the car toward Gittes. Gittes sees him.

                                     GITTES
                         No, Curly, get 'em out of here! Get 
                         'em out of here!

               He bites Mulvihill's hand and furiously pounds it into the 
               sidewalk, shaking gun loose. Mulvihill and Gittes try for it 
               but someone else has it.

               EVELYN

               Holds the gun. She's shaking but apparently in control of 
               herself.

               GITTES

               Rises to his feet. Mulvihill starts to help Cross up.

                                     EVELYN
                         No, don't help him. Don't do anything.

               Mulvihill doesn't move. Cross rises on his own. Evelyn holds 
               the revolver on him.

                                     EVELYN
                         She's gone. It's no good.

                                     CROSS
                         Where?

                                     GITTES
                              (moving to Evelyn)
                         Let me handle that.

                                     EVELYN
                              (to Gittes)
                         I'm all right.

                                     GITTES
                              (she's not)
                         Sure, but I'd like to handle it.

               Evelyn backs up as her father takes a step toward her.

                                     CROSS
                         You're going to have to kill me, 
                         Evelyn. Either that or tell me where 
                         she is.

               Evelyn is backing up. Cross moving on her. Evelyn cocks the 
               pistol.

                                     CROSS
                         How many years have I got?... she's 
                         mine too.

                                     EVELYN
                         She's never going to know that.

               There's the SOUND of a SIREN. Cross lunges toward her. Gittes 
               grabs Cross.

               Duffy and Walsh are elbowing through the crowd. Gittes sees 
               them.

                                     GITTES
                         Duffy, go over and sit on Mulvihill.
                              (to Walsh)
                         Jesus Christ, I didn't tell you to 
                         bring the police department with 
                         you.

                                     WALSH
                         Jake, it's Chinatown. They're all 
                         over the place. You oughta know 
                         better.

                                     GITTES
                              (to Walsh, meaning 
                              Cross)
                         Gimme your keys. Watch this old fart, 
                         will you?
                              (moving to Evelyn)
                         Take Duffy's car. Curly's boat's in 
                         Pedro, near the Starkist cannery. 
                         It's the Evening Star. He'll be 
                         waiting. I'll take care of this.

               She looks to Gittes. He looks at her. She turns and he looks 
               at her.

               She turns and Escobar is standing between her and it.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Mrs. Mulwray, you don't want to run 
                         around like that.

                                     GITTES
                         Oh, Christ. Escobar, you don't know 
                         what's going on. Let her go. I'll 
                         explain it later.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Mrs. Mulwray, it's a very serious 
                         offense pointing that at an officer 
                         of the law. It's a felony.

                                     GITTES
                         Let her go. She didn't kill anybody.

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (starting toward her)
                         I'm sorry, Mrs. Mulwray.

                                     GITTES
                         Lou, she will kill you. Let her go 
                         for now. You don't know.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         Gittes, stay outta this.

               Escobar continues to move toward her. Gittes grabs him.

                                     GITTES
                              (to Evelyn)
                         Now take off.

               Evelyn gets in the car. She starts it. Gittes lets Escobar 
               go.

                                     ESCOBAR
                         I'll just have her followed. She's 
                         not going anywhere.

               There's a single GUNSHOT. Both men look surprised. Down the 
               block a uniformed officer has fired, standing beside his 
               double-parked car.

               Duffy's sedan slows to a stop in the middle of the street. 
               It jerks a couple of times, still in gear, then comes to a 
               halt.

               Gittes rushes to the car. He opens it. Evelyn falls out, 
               inert.

               Blood is pouring from her right eye.

                                     GITTES
                              (yelling)
                         No!

               He holds onto Evelyn as Escobar and others hurry up. Cross 
               himself elbows through.

                                     GITTES
                         Where is he? I'll kill him, I'll 
                         kill the son of a bitch.

               Several officers contain Gittes.

                                     GITTES
                              (to Escobar)
                         Who is he, get his name? I'll kill 
                         him.

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (badly shaken)
                         Take it easy, take it easy, it was 
                         an accident.

                                     GITTES
                         An accident?

               Gittes looks down. What he sees horrifies him. Cross is on 
               the ground, holding Evelyn's body, crying.

                                     GITTES
                         Get him away from her. He's 
                         responsible for everything. Get him 
                         away from her!

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (stunned)
                         Jake, you're very disturbed. You're 
                         crazy. That's her father.

               Walsh and Duffy elbow through the crowd.

                                     ESCOBAR
                              (to them)
                         You wanna do your partner the biggest 
                         favor of his life? Take him home. 
                         Just get him the hell out of here!

               Duffy bear hugs the protesting Gittes, along with Walsh, 
               literally dragging him away from the scene, with Gittes trying 
               to shake free.

               Through the crowd noises, Walsh can be heard saying, "Forget 
               it, Jake. It's Chinatown."

                                         THE END


Chinatown



Writers :   Robert Towne
Genres :   Crime  Mystery  Thriller


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