Chinatown Page #2

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...

6.

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.

7.

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!

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