The Player Page #12

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- I don't see why.

Because that's what police do.

- Can I ask you a question?

- Sure.

Why was it so important

to see David that night?

What was so urgent?

He pitched me a story

a few months ago.

- The Japan story?

- Yes, the Japan story.

I liked it but it needed work,

especially the ending.

I was sitting in my office...

...and it suddenly occurred to me

how to make the ending work.

So what was it?

What?

Your idea for the ending.

Up.

Up? What does that mean?

As opposed to down. Moods.

You know, happy as opposed to sad.

Hopeful as opposed to depressing.

- What did you think of his ending?

- I never read it.

- You never read it?

- Nope.

I don't like reading.

- Do you like books?

- I like words and letters.

But I'm not crazy

about complete sentences.

What did he think?

He walked out on me.

I don't think David liked me.

I think he just didn't like

happy endings.

Put your face here.

Great.

What are you doing?

You aren't going to paint me, are you?

I might put you

in one of my paintings.

There's one I want to do

of an Icelandic hero.

He's a thief

and he's made of fire.

- You might not like that.

- Why not?

Because you're in the movies...

...and in movies you can't have thieves

as heroes, can you?

I don't know about that. We have a long

tradition of gangsters in movies.

Yes, but they always have to suffer

for their crimes, don't they?

We should pay for our crimes,

shouldn't we?

I think knowing you've committed a crime

is suffering enough.

If you don't suffer...

...maybe it wasn't a crime after all.

Anyway, what difference does it make?

It has nothing to do

with how things really are.

Do you really believe that?

I don't know what I believe, Mr. Mill.

It's just what I feel.

You know what you are,

June whatever-your-name-is?

A pragmatic anarchist.

Is that what I am?

I never was sure.

Can I just pick this up?

- Oh, it's heavy.

- Thirty-seven ounces.

Really? Look.

I want to thank my mother, her mother

and her father's mother who...

Hello.

- Meet Detective Susan Avery.

- How do you do? My partner.

- Willa Broom.

- My pleasure. Let's go in here.

This is the first real movie studio

Detective Avery's been to.

- Really?

- Aside from the Universal Tour.

I always take my family there

when they come.

I've been there so often,

I feel like I'm ready to direct.

You'd probably do better

than the film grads these days.

I'm sorry I didn't call you

when I heard Kahane was dead.

- Heard or read?

- Read.

- Why didn't you?

- Walter asked me the same question.

I wish I had a better answer. All

I can say is I didn't think about it.

How did you know where

he was gonna be?

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