1:17:02
So one by one,
you sneak up into that backroom
1:17:05
with the friendly pornographers
and bingo, it's Arabian Nights.
1:17:08
No fantasy too wild,
no taste too bizarre,
1:17:11
except that all the time
the camera is clicking away.
1:17:13
Then somebody grabs the negatives
away from Salt, right?
1:17:15
Crystal, maybe.
And you turn San Francisco
1:17:18
inside out looking for her.
Then all of a sudden Crystal's dead,
1:17:21
and there's a body
in the morgue to prove it.
1:17:23
But now the blackmailer lands on you,
and you either pay up
1:17:26
or prints of you and Crystal
will be sent to every ritzy club
1:17:29
between here and New York,
not to mention your wives.
1:17:31
- Am I right so far, Hagedorn?
- You are substantially correct, sir.
1:17:34
You know, I've lived in this town
for what, seven or eight years now,
1:17:37
and it's not a bad town,
certainly more fun than most.
1:17:40
Streets get swept, the garbage
gets picked up, and the graft gets paid.
1:17:44
But the politicians don't really
run this town, they never have.
1:17:47
They ran it, because they had
the money, and now you run it
1:17:49
because you've got the money,
and run it to suit yourselves.
1:17:51
Am I losing anyone,
going too fast for you?
1:17:53
You buy the power, you trade it,
you sell it. And you know what?
1:17:56
When you die, your pictures will go up
on that wall with all the others,
1:17:58
and not one of you,
not a single one of you,
1:18:00
ever had to scramble
for one lousy vote,
1:18:03
and maybe that's why I don't see
the mayor here or the DA.
1:18:05
Just the cops, the crooks
and the big rich.
1:18:09
And me. And that's what
I wanna know, why me?
1:18:12
Because, sir, the person
1:18:13
who has what we wish to buy
insists upon you.
1:18:17
So, what if I do make your buy-back
for you, what then, what's in it for me?
1:18:20
Well, now, Mr. Hammett,
1:18:22
we finally come
to the essence of things.
1:18:24
You will find us, sir, most generous.
1:18:26
- Money, huh?
- Indeed, sir.
1:18:28
To hell with your money.
I want two things:
1:18:29
First, I want my story back.
It might not be much, but it's mine.
1:18:32
It's what I do, and I want it back.
1:18:34
And second,
and this is the most important thing,
1:18:36
I wanna be let alone.
1:18:44
So, what's the blackmailer asking,
1:18:46
- a million?
- One million dollars.
1:18:49
It's a lot of dough.
Where and when?
1:18:51
In one hour's time, sir.
Your authorization,
1:18:54
credentials and complete instruction
are in this envelope.