- Eddy Otis: [whispering in the dark] Did you know that I can see things, Priscilla. I can see things nobody can. I'm so good at predicting, that I can read tomorrow's headline. A man last night broke into the home of his ex-wife, and killed for the third and last time. Arriving tragically too late, Eddy Otis, the woman's... the dead woman's friend, shot and killed him. The man, Richard Parker, was already wanted in connection with several other murders. Oh yes, he's here. Priscilla, he's in the house right now, wondering when he should make his final move. Why? Because I wanted him to. He's my puppet. Here he comes. Come on, Richard. Come to papa.
- Eddy Otis: [Talking to Richard] Let me tell you something: I can't remember when I've liked a guy as much as I like you. But the truth of the matter is, you're a wimp. You think you can be alive without taking risks. That's why you end up living this 50% existence when there's 100% waiting, out there, to be had. You're full of fear. Your life is choked. You... you write jingles when you'd rather be doing albums. You do it for money, but you're always in debt. You want to make love to my wife, but you're afraid you'll get caught. This is how you die, step by step. These little things you deny yourself. This... cowardice.
- Eddy Otis: Most people will never know what it's like to drive a boat at 100 miles per hour. Go to Jamaica for the weekend see the Grand Canyon from a hot air balloon. See what I'm saying, without money, you shrivel up.
- Priscilla Parker: So how do you explain all those shriveled up rich people?
- Eddy Otis: I'll tell you how, because those people, they know how to make money, but they don't know how to spend it. Getting money's easy.
- Priscilla Parker: We have to talk...
- Eddy Otis: [listening to the tape of Kay singing] I'm sorry. That sounded so much like Kay. It really got to me. Where did you find that?
- Priscilla Parker: I got it in the mail.
- Eddy Otis: It's from Richard.
- Priscilla Parker: I got it in the mail.
- Eddy Otis: Oh, that poor, sick bastard. What's he trying to do to us? He finds some girl that sounds like Kay. He records it and sends it here. You think you've started a life and you hear something like this and it just brings it all back!
- [smashes tape recorder]
- Eddy Otis: I'm sorry.
- Richard Parker: I'm looking for an Olivia Kamen.
- Hotel Desk Clerk: She's down at the Dominion Cafe.
- Richard Parker: Where's that?
- Hotel Desk Clerk: It's the joint on East Broad and Bay.
- Richard Parker: Could you walk it from here?
- Hotel Desk Clerk: No. But you could.
- Richard Parker: What happened to the contest?
- Maxie: Contest?
- Richard Parker: There was a blues contest on the radio. I was just listening to it.
- Maxie: Oh, that was last week. You must have be listening to a repeat.
- Richard Parker: There was a singer, Olivia Kamen?
- Maxie: Oh, she won. But when we went out lookin' for her to give her the prize, she lit out. Didn't leave an address or nothin'.
- Richard Parker: What does she look like?
- Musician in Blues Connection: What does she look like? Ooh, she looked good!
- Richard Parker: [as he and David were hearing Kay's voice] That's her voice. I'd know it if she was singing underwater.
- David Duttonville: So who got killed that night?
- Richard Parker: I don't know. We got to exhume the body and get a closer look.
- David Duttonville: Can't exhume the body. It was cremated. I checked on the way over. Besides, Otis is not the only one who identified the body.
- Richard Parker: Someone else?
- David Duttonville: A doctor.
- Richard Parker: A doctor?
- David Duttonville: Yeah.
- Richard Parker: I'll bet you $1,000 if you call my insurance company, you will see that same doctor's name on an insurance claim that Eddy made when he faked an accident involving my car.
- David Duttonville: You're suggesting that Otis went out and hired someone...
- Richard Parker: Probably.
- David Duttonville: ...who resembled Kay, so you could make love to her and he could then beat her to death.
- Richard Parker: Yes.
- David Duttonville: I'll think about it.
- Richard Parker: I'm Richard Parker. Why are you doing this to me?
- Mrs. Watkins: Who is it?
- Mr. Watkins: Call the police. Get my gun and then call the police.
- Richard Parker: I lost my wife... my child, my home. I'm facing a death sentence or a life imprisonment.
- Mr. Watkins: [to Mrs. Watkins] Call the police.
- Richard Parker: How do you sleep at night?
- Mr. Watkins: [raises his gun as he was about to shoot Richard. To Mrs. Watkins] Damn it, woman, call the police.
- Richard Parker: Didn't he pay you to enough to kill me?
- Richard Parker: Priscilla, please. Don't be jealous. There's nothing to be jealous of.
- Priscilla Parker: I'm not jealous. It's just that - Something went missing from this marriage... and for a while it seemed to come back again.
- Richard Parker: Now - We never should have taken that money.
- Priscilla Parker: We never should have taken that money? Now you say something? Now you're gonna make the moral judgement. Is that what this is all about? Eddy lacks your moral fibre? What about gratitude, Richard? He risked his reputation. He risked his life for us! No, he may not always play by the rules, but at least he's in the game. When was the last time you took a risk?
- Richard Parker: [startled] Oh, Jesus. Who the hell are you?
- David Duttonville: My name is David Duttonville. I'm a private investigator. I... I'm gonna sit down now. You scared me.
- Richard Parker: Door was open. I used to live next door, I was just...
- David Duttonville: Yes, I know who you are. I thought you were still in the...
- Richard Parker: I made the bail.
- David Duttonville: Great.
- Eddy Otis: You know, me and Kay were saying, you two have really got it made: a nice home, a nice business, a beautiful, talented daughter, a great marriage.
- Richard Parker: I'm very lucky.
- Eddy Otis: What's the trick?
- Richard Parker: To which?
- Eddy Otis: Marriage. How do you hold it all together?
- Richard Parker: Trust, I guess.
- Eddy Otis: Trust. That's very interesting.
- Priscilla Parker: Don't hurt me, please!
- Richard Parker: I'm not gonna hurt you.
- Priscilla Parker: I...
- Richard Parker: [hands tape to Priscilla] I want you to play this for Eddy. It's Kay. She's alive. It was another one of Eddy's scams. This one was for a million and a half.
- Priscilla Parker: Oh, Richard. Oh.
- Richard Parker: Just play the tape... for Eddy tonight.
- Priscilla Parker: May I go now?
- Richard Parker: You'll play it?
- Priscilla Parker: I'll play the tape.
- Richard Parker: How's Lori? Can I see her?
- [Priscilla walks away]
- Richard Parker: Please? Please! Priscilla?
- Priscilla Parker: Where are you staying?
- Richard Parker: The Carolina Motel.
- Priscilla Parker: For how long?
- Richard Parker: That depends. Be careful.
- Jimmy Schwartz: Richard, listen. We talked about this yesterday, and I-I'm not getting the sound that we, er, were looking for. Look, we're all tired, but, you know, we might as well not be recording this unless we're gonna get some punch. Now, maybe my ears are clogged or something, but, it's a...
- Richard Parker: Jimmy, we - we agreed on this yesterday.
- Jimmy Schwartz: Say it. What? What? Tell me.
- Richard Parker: We've been playing a long time. Okay? We need a lunch break. Why don't we just get through one track, one take, and then give us your notes, okay?
- Jimmy Schwartz: Okay, but, you know, I want - Hold it.
- Richard Parker: We can fix it in the mix.
- Jimmy Schwartz: We can do it in the mix, but I-I-I want to hear it in the performance too. Just, just surge. I want a - Whee!
- Richard Parker: Jimmy!
- Jimmy Schwartz: Wha- Richard, look. At the risk...
- Richard Parker: It's not the fucking Leonora Overture, okay? It's a jingle. Just let us get through it once, okay? And then we'll have lunch and then we'll have notes and then we'll fix it in the mix, okay?
- [first lines]
- Jimmy Schwartz: Richard. Hold it. Richard, what's the matter? I'm not selling those skis to my mother. Please, a more neon sound. Remember: to be free, to soar like an eagle, to slip the surly bonds of earth. Right? That's the feel.
- Eddy Otis: Priscilla? Could you come here and help me?
- Priscilla Parker: Sure. Sure. What is it?
- Eddy Otis: I-I'd like to get up. I've been lying in the same position too long.
- [last lines]
- Man on radio: Here we are with the WKPJ traffic news. Good news for all you happy commuters wending your way home. Traffic is flowing smoothly on all major arteries. In other news today, an Atlanta court threw out all charges against Richard Parker in the murder case that shocked the city earlier this year. Parker, the court concluded, was set up by his neighbour, Eddy Otis in what veteran insurance investigator David Duttonville called one of the most diabolical life insurance scams on record. When asked about his future plans, Mr. Parker said he intends -
- [Priscilla turns the radio off]
- Priscilla Parker: [to Richard] When you deem me worthy, I'd like to know what happened between you and Eddy.
- Richard Parker: [on the phone] Hello?
- David Duttonville: I got your message. Didn't I tell you not to go to Charleston, Richard?
- Richard Parker: Why didn't he kill the real Kay? It would have been a lot easier.
- David Duttonville: Maybe they were partners in it. Maybe he liked her too much. But I don't...
- Richard Parker: Maybe they're still in touch.
- David Duttonville: It's a possibility, I guess.
- Richard Parker: It's my last possibility.
- Richard Parker: You got anything?
- David Duttonville: Got, er, three Memphis
- Richard Parker: I got a Memphis. Savannahs.
- David Duttonville: Savannah here.
- Richard Parker: Atlantic City, New York, Chicago
- David Duttonville: Another Savannah.
- Richard Parker: Savannah, Savannah, Savannah. Four Savannahs. The same day that Eddy heard the tape. Same number.
- David Duttonville: Great, let's give it a call.
- Richard Parker: 912-555-3722.
- David Duttonville: Here, give it a try.
- [hands phone to Richard]
- Richard Parker: No, you do it, you do it. Just ask for Olivia Kamen.
- Hotel Desk Clerk: [on phone] Scoville Hotel.
- David Duttonville: Hello?
- Hotel Desk Clerk: Hello.
- David Duttonville: Hello?
- Hotel Desk Clerk: Scoville Hotel. Can I help you?
- David Duttonville: Yeah. Scoville Hotel. Can you give me Olivia Kamen's room?
- Hotel Desk Clerk: Who?
- David Duttonville: That's K-A-M-E-N.
- Hotel Desk Clerk: Hold on.
- [pause as the phone rings for Olivia Kamen]
- Richard Parker: What?
- David Duttonville: They're ringing her room.
- Richard Parker: She's there.
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