Original subtitles

I guess you could

Yeah, right.

Okay. All right.

We-- we're gonna miss you in the group.

We really will.

And here's to wish you a wonderful trip back east.

Okay?

And here's to help...

I hope the three weeks with your parents

doesn't wipe out two years with therapy with Dr. Fales.

Thank you.

Speaking of Dr. Fales,

Rosemary, why don't you rent them

this hot tub for therapy sessions?

Get the whole group in here.

You wanna share a hot tub with Bruce?

Or Gilbert?

I wish I was strong enough to lead therapy.

You, you're stronger than any of us.

Oh, no. I'm not.

Oh.

I just look that way.

Ooh.

Julie is like me.

Ice cube front and jell-o inside.

I'm terrified to get up in the morning.

What about your divorce?

-Did it come through? -Yeah.

Well, welcome back to single's town, girl.

You all think that I'm happy to get out of my marriage,

but I'm not.

He still thinks I'm his property though.

He's a man.

For somebody who makes their living

writing an advice column.

I wish he'd understand that he's got to stop bothering me

or I'll only have to quit my job.

Why you?

You know why. We work for the same newspaper.

Let him quit. Get him fired.

I couldn't do that.

String him up by his tonsils.

No.

Oh, my gosh.

Have a nice trip, Sally.

Thank you.

-So, you wanna come? -Oh, I can't.

I'd love to but I'm overloaded with work.

Oh, you gotta

Somebody, please help me.

Help.

Help me.

Please, stop. No.

No.

No.

No.

Hey.

-Good morning, Julie. -Morning.

-Did you hear that? -Good morning, Julie.

-I'll be right in. -That's deadline.

Yeah. Well you talk to your husband about that?

Ex-husband, sweetie.

-Okay. -Too sunny in here for you?

Got a case of pink eye.

Oh, good Lord.

Oh, no.

Another one.

"Murder, I think about it more and more.

They talk forever about their stupid problems

and I'm the one who's miserable.

I wanna shoot them through the head

and I can do it.

I've got his gun.

You're one of them.

I'm gonna kill you too."

What a crackpot.

I mean, you have to be a crackpot

to write a letter like that.

You think that this is a joke?

Show it to Doug.

Go to the police.

The thing is I've gotten hoax letters before.

He's threatening you.

You don't fool around with something like this.

You should go to the police.

That is one of those nuts from that therapy group.

That's who I bet it is.

One of those nuts from that group.

I do have a group session this afternoon.

Well, there you go. You can ask a psychopath

about a psychopath.

We could've made it, you and I,

if it hadn't been for that group.

Doug, stop it.

You know that that's not true.

By the way,

have the divorce papers come through yet?

Day before yesterday.

Don't look so sad.

I'm not the only woman in the world.

It's just that sometimes, people...

Do what you want.

Do what you want.

What do you think of these?

For what?

Gonna wallpaper for the new art room.

But they're both perfectly awful.

You think so?

Who's gonna do it for you?

What do you mean who's gonna do it for me?

I'm gonna do it. My uncle was a paper hanger.

He left me tools.

Business grave if I let somebody else

hanging paper in my walls.

Gilbert, Gilbert, my God.

You surprised me.

I'm gonna be working on your building tomorrow.

- My building? - Yeah.

Where you got your office.

You got some boiler problems down there.

Tell me about it. I don't even have any hot water.

It's the boiler.

My boss is sending me down to check it out.

We do all the boiler work

for the company that manages your building.

They got 50 to 60 office buildings in the city.

Yes?

Your group is coming in, Dr. Fales.

Thank you.

Alison...

are you all right?

Yes, daddy.

You were out late last night again.

I wish you wouldn't drive alone like that.

It's dangerous.

So, loneliness,

sometimes it weighs on me like a--

like a blanket made out of tar,

or rubber, or something.

Asphalt.

I don't know how to push it off.

When I'm working it's not so bad,

especially when there's a crisis.

Uh, a boiler blows up,

something like that, I fix it.

For a while, I can feel like a hero.

Then I get off work and everybody else

has got some place to go.

It makes me...

kind of angry,

makes me really pissed.

I don't know why I'm saying all this for.

I feel like that sometimes.

Everybody does.

Go on, Gilbert.

What do you do when you get angry?

I walk it,

or I drive it.

Sometimes I walk it, sometimes I drive it.

Walk it?

I don't have anybody to talk to.

I ain't got a family here.

We're a family for you.

This group.

We're here for you.

Yeah, when?

2:00 in the morning when I'm riding the streets.

Are you here then?

I never seen you.

You know what I do sometimes?

I walk to the supermarket 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning

just to see somebody's face.

I've never seen you there, Francoise.

You know why, Francoise?

You got a husband, that makes a lot of difference.

A husband she'd be better off without.

Now, wait a minute.

Rosemary, you can't say things like that.

What? About Francoise's husband?

- Yes. - Are you kidding?

We tore him apart last week.

Well, that's exactly it. That is exact--

we tore her husband apart last week. That's right.

And the poor man wasn't even here to defend himself.

You know, I think we should really be

a little more careful with other people's marriages.

Oh, please.

What marital experience

do you speak from, Rosemary?

None, love.

I've been remarkably successful in avoiding it.

Maybe there's a reason for that, sweetheart.

--Rosemary,

you are a real catastrophe today.

There are two sides to relationships.

I think we have to address ourselves to it.

-That's it. -Thank you, doctor.

See you next time.

Thank you.

Dr. Fales?

Yes?

Could I see you for a minute, please?

I didn't wanna bring this up in front of the group.

It's the second one in two weeks.

Could he be serious about murdering people?

-He's asking for advice. -From me?

It's what you give in your column.

Yes. But to kids with pimples.

I think if he wanted to kill,

he wouldn't write letters.

How are things going with your husband?

Doug is wallpapering his office.

Is he?

Yes, he is.

His family is in the wallpaper business

and his uncle that is in--

you know, his parents died when he was an infant.

But, you know that.

I never do these sort of things.

Your appointment is for 6:30, Dr. Fales.

Thank you, Clara.

Oh, I'll just be a minute.

You wanna a ride?

Definitely.

My car divorced me last night.

I can't even find the bus stop.

Help me with this.

This is no town to be without wheels.

Tell me about it,

especially with creeps like Gilbert

- wondering around. - Gilbert?

Yeah, all those fantasies he has about women.

I'd like to strangle him with a barbwire.

They were just fantasies.

I should talk, me,

a topless dancer with a Masters

-from Wellesley with-- oh. -Oh, God.

Oh, God. It's disgusting.

I hate goodbyes.

Fritz! You shaved your head.

Bro, I don't believe it.

Suits you, it does.

It really does. When did you do that?

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

Is anybody there?

Oh.

- Hurry up.

It's cold.

No problem.

I keep wondering how many of these things

I got to see before it starts turning my stomach.

You always surprise me.

I don't know, Jake.

You know, it's like a rollercoaster,

you know what I'm saying?

Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down.

You got to learn how to roll with the punches.

Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee.

I'm looking for a Det. Donahue.

-I called before. -Right. Lt. Donahue

is right behind that door over there.

Just walk right behind this counter,

through the door.

Okay. Thank you.

It's eight to five, it's some kind of a hoax.

Some character playing kiddie games.

But what if isn't?

Then you're in a different kind of problem.

Isn't where's my cup?

Who's got my cup?

You mean we have to wait until somebody dies?

The law works in mysterious ways, Miss.

But it's just a sad letter.

You'd be surprised how many people out there

feel the same way this guy does.

How long have you been writing

that lonely heart's column of yours?

About a year.

I wanna guarantee you two things.

One, that that letter

is as phony as a three-dollar bill.

Two, if before you're though writing that column,

you're gonna have a sack full.

I know.

That's what my therapist says.

What's a pretty girl like you go to a therapist for?

Well, it helps with my column.

And anyway, you know,

there are a lot of people out there

- who have problems. - Yeah, tell me about it.

We clean up the mess.

Oh, please.

Please.

Please.

Please.

Like the flowers?

Another letter came this morning.

Oh, really?

"Dear Julie,

maybe you don't believe I'm serious.

Your time is growing short.

The bullet's in the chamber,

the gun's ready to blow.

I'm aiming it at you."

Signed, Scared to Death.

Total schizo.

Well, I've got to do something.

Julie, don't get involved.

-This person is appealing-- -So what?

He's obviously insane!

Why don't you go to the police?

She did, they think it's a hoax.

I think I'm gonna have to do something myself.

To answer him, maybe in the column.

No!

The police could set me up

with a special phone line so I could--

maybe I could talk to him.

Let me see that letter.

You know something, I think it's a hoax, too.

Doug, you just don't want me to get involved.

Whoever is writing this is obviously capable of murder.

-All right? -Now, look.

He doesn't wanna hurt me, he just wants my help.

How do you know what he wants to

or doesn't want to do to you?

The guy's obviously a lunatic.

Doug's right, you know.

It's the same thing.

Hey, look, even if he threatens somebody directly,

we could go after him.

But the guy hasn't done anything.

Well, how do you know he hasn't?

Some of those letters mentioned a gun.

Now how-- maybe he's shot somebody already.

Maybe. Look, I'm dealing

with a half a dozen murders a day

and you're busting my chops on a maybe.

Now, come on, do you know how many homicides

there are in the L.A. area every week?

Do you?

Archie,

let me see the latest beauty file, will you?

Forty. Forty a week.

And that's just the ones that turn up.

Yeah, uh, we had thirty-two three weeks ago.

We've thought the world turned good.

Paid job?

-No. -Good.

Nothing in, nothing out.

Oh, thanks, Arch.

John Doe,

shot in the head twice, close range.

Jane Doe, slit throat.

John Doe, knifed.

Twelve-year old girl,

raped, knifed, and shot.

We can't figure out in what order yet.

The stepfather did it.

One happy family.

John Doe, Jane Doe, Jane Doe.

All right.

Okay.

You see what we're up against?

Suppose I published a number in my column

where he could call me?

The trouble is, we don't have the time

or the manpower to give you any real protection.

Wait a minute.

Oh, my God.

It's Sally.

She was in my therapy group.

When was the last time you saw her?

It was last week in the group.

It was her last group

before she's supposed to leave for Tennessee,

but we didn't miss her

because we thought she'd gone already.

Would you, um,

would you mind, uh, coming down to the morgue

to make a positive ID?

I'd like to call somebody first.

How was she killed?

We don't give that information out.

It helps sometimes when we make an arrest.

You know, to, uh,

make sure we got the right party.

If you wanna change your mind about writing that column,

I wouldn't blame you.

If you want my honest opinion though,

I don't think whosever writing those letters

had anything to do with this girl's death.

Well, that's my opinion, Julie.

I'm gonna answer whoever's writing those letters.

What would you say to him?

You know, I want him to call me

and I'm-- I want him to get some help.

Supposed he came after you.

That's what Doug's afraid of.

You found this here on the door.

Glass door outside the office.

Can't the police do something about this now?

Honey, the department won't let us do nothing

more than setup that private phone line

- we talked about.

But believe me, this guy don't wanna kill.

He wants to communicate.

- I hope so. - We're gonna setup

a special phone number where he can reach you.

Now, he won't know where he's calling,

so you won't have to worry.

There won't be any kind of personal danger to you.

I have felt less terrified in my life.

Ever consider the possibility

it might be somebody you know

and somebody who works here in the office

or maybe somebody

from that therapy group of yours?

-I'd check it out. -How am I supposed to do that?

I'd do it carefully.

Whoever it is, it's running short on words.

Have you told your daughter yet?

What?

I'm coming to dinner?

Not yet.

It's a wonderful house.

It was, when my wife was alive.

The grounds are still cared for.

Solid grounds of cemeteries.

Why Pieter,

I've never heard you talked like this.

You never heard me talk at all.

You know what I dreamt last night?

I dreamt you wrote me the most beautiful love letter.

Only you didn't want me to know it was you.

So you cut out all the words

from newspapers and magazines,

just like the letters I've been getting in the mail.

Only...

somebody saw you doing it,

so you killed her.

How did I kill her?

I don't know.

I don't remember.

How can you not remember something like this?

I wasn't interested.

All I cared about was what you said in the letter.

Pieter?

Pieter, what's happened?

Is it Sally?

Finding Sally dead?

Yes.

You never saw my hair down.

Wait for me here.

Yes, yes.

Have you seen my daughter?

I think she's upstairs.

Alison?

Alison?

We have a guest for dinner tonight.

Alison?

Yes?

I invited Julie for dinner.

I just want to tell you.

All right. Let's get the body outta here.

Yah!

No credit cards, no wallet, nothing.

For the first time in history, the goddamn garbage man

got here when they're supposed to.

Probably a hooker.

You think all women are hookers, don't you?

I mean, Louise, she had two pounds of makeup on her face,

she's either a hooker, an actress,

a dancer, something.

Then what's she doing in the back alley?

Probably setting up a trick.

Oh, come on.

-What? -Oh, come on.

Get in the car.

What's the matter?

This case doesn't have anything to do with those letters,

does it?

What? From that newspaper girl?

Yeah.

Kind of let her talk about guns, I mean, you don't,

talk about guns and then use a knife.

Yeah, you know it.

She recognized last night was knife.

I don't know.

I mean, what do you wanna do, bring him down in here?

I'd say let the morgue boys run a make on it,

see what they come up with it.

All right. You're gonna have to wait until tomorrow.

You know those guys don't work here. Fine.

Well, not that a couple of days is not gonna kill anybody.

Alison?

Dinner's ready.

Alison darling.

You know, I spoke to the police this evening.

They can set up that special line.

Pieter...

listen...

maybe I shouldn't stay this evening.

Yes, you should.

Where do I sit?

I'm Julie.

I know who you are.

That's a very lovely dress, Alison.

It was my mother's.

She's dead.

I know, and I'm sorry.

Why?

She wasn't your mother.

I thought we are going to give her things away.

So you can get rid of her forever?

What do you think?

Alison...

Don't you have any advice to give here, Julie?

Nothing to say?

There are laws against minors drinking.

Oh, I see.

And are there laws against minors

wearing their mother's dresses?

Are there laws against that too?

Why are you behaving like this?

I don't like you wearing your mother's dress.

It's not good for your well-being.

My well-being?

You were so concerned about my well-being,

why did you bring her here?

Alison.

-Pieter, I think I should leave. -No, you will stay.

It's practically the anniversary of mother's death--

-of my mother's death. -Stop it. That's enough.

And that's enough of that too.

Okay. Okay. You don't want me to think about mother.

You don't want me to wear mother's dresses.

I won't.

That's what you're concerned about?

That's really the right thing to be concerned about.

Alison

I'm an American.

What's happened to you, Alison?

You think it's so awful to wear mother's dress?

Well, I won't wear it anymore.

-I won't wear it anymore. -Stop it.

- No. - Alison.

- No

I'm sorry.

I'm terribly sorry.

Alison.

Alison.

Please.

Alison.

- Please.

Please listen.

Please.

-Daughter, listen to me. -Leave me alone.

-Alison. -Leave me alone

with my mother's dress.

I don't wanna with it.

Gilbert.

Gilbert, what are you-- what are you doing here?

I've been working on the boiler,

I told you yesterday, remember?

Oh, boiler.

You probably, uh, forgot.

Oh.

I cleaned it out,

changed a couple of valves,

sometimes make a couple of changes,

you're as good as new.

Well, isn't the boiler downstairs?

Right.

I wanted to see where you worked,

I think about you sometimes.

You're the only one in that therapy group I can stand.

I'm going to be leaving the group soon.

Figures.

Why?

So what's going on between you and Dr. Fales?

Hey, you think I'm dumb?

You two hadn't taken your eyes off of each other

the whole six months you've been there.

I don't think this elevator's moving.

It's not.

Are we stuck in here?

You're really the nervous type, aren't you?

Relax, I'm a maintenance man.

I'll fix it.

Dear, Julie.

This is Julie no one is home now

but if you'll leave a number, I'll call you back

as soon as I can.

Uh, It's Doug, um...

I just wanna make sure you were safe.

Hey, what the hell are you doing down there?

Son of a bitch.

I'll fix your ass about the people coming in here

and shitting around here.

Get back here.

I'm gonna see-- what is the hell wrong with you?

Dammit.

Son of a bitch.

I'm coming at you.

Turn get back here.

Hey, come back here

fucking

get back here.

Come here, turn around and I'll get your ass,

I'll break your fucking neck.

Turn, you son of a bitch.

Come on.

Come on. Get back here.

I'll fix your ass.

I think...

you shouldn't mention the murder to the group.

You're still up?

I couldn't sleep myself.

We dressed you like that

when you were eight years old.

Remember that?

You haven't kissed me goodnight for a long time.

There's always a first time.

What really bothers me, you come all the way out here

in an hour then-- and then sit around

do nothing, just waiting.

Well, you're my guest here.

We're here.

Where's everybody?

Dear Julie.

I want to speak to Julie please.

Julie, it's for you.

We hardly had a session.

I'm waiting for the police,

they let us go into the column tonight.

I'm sorry Pieter.

I-I just forgot to call.

You know, I won't be reachable later

except through this special number.

Give it to me.

Well, it'll in the newspaper tonight.

I see.

Bye-bye.

Yes?

No one answers at Rosemary boil shop, Dr. Fales,

and the bartender where Pat works,

said she hasn't been in in two nights.

Why don't you go home, Clara?

Well, I wouldn't mind

because my sister is in the...

Where are you going?

Out.

Where do you go when you go out at night?

Alison.

I ride around

like a lot of people.

I wasn't able to find my gun for several days.

Do you know where it is?

What do you need it for?

You know where it is.

Do you want to kill me?

You don't need a gun to kill me

because you're killing me anyway.

Alison...

I found these on the floor.

You wrote the letters, didn't you?

Letters like that are dangerous.

Alison, one of my patient have been killed.

You think I killed one of your patients?

Alison...

You blame me for killing one of your patients?

Please, Alison.

You don't even know me.

I'm your own daughter and you don't even know me.

Wait.

I hate you.

I really, really hate you.

Alison.

Alison.

I have to talk to you.

Go away.

-Alison... -Go away, call the police.

I don't care. I don't care what you do.

God, I just

What are you doing?

You're in a car in a closed garage.

What do you care?

You were never interested in me.

Alison.

Your family was never important to you.

My family is everything me.

Darling, shut the motor off.

You let mother die, now you're killing me.

Mother died of cancer, darling, you know that.

She died because you were never there for her

like you're never there for me.

Shut the motor off.

You're all you care about.

Alison, shut the motor off.

Why weren't you there for her?

Please, shut off the motor, darling.

You're with your patients

holding their hands,

listening to them.

We will talk but shut the motor off.

You were even listening to them

the night that mommy died.

Alie, darling...

You could have saved her but you didn't care,

you didn't care.

I did care.

Ugh, words.

Alie, Alie, darling.

Doug.

Caught me with my pants down.

This is Lt. Donahue.

I'm Jake how you doing?

-Yeah. -Heard a lot about you.

Hope it was all good.

- Howdy? - Hi.

Julie says you're gonna be staying with her, huh?

Yeah. I'm doing some wallpaper, you know,

and so I thought I'd hang around in case...

anything happened.

Nothing's gonna happen.

She's safer here than she'd be at home.

You understand we're not trying to capture this guy,

we just wanna get a chance to talk to him, that's all.

Yeah. Let me show you what we did.

Uh, we switched this second button here

for that special number published in the call.

So aren't you gonna bring in a separate line?

The same thing.

Nobody's gonna know where it rings.

And we'll be taping everything over at the department.

But we'll only come on the line,

if you hit that last button.

Okay.

This guy's not gonna call.

Well, uh...

the little lady was good enough to give us her time

and we're gonna try to help her out.

You ever done any wallpaper, Lieutenant?

Dough, stop it.

No.

Here.

Hello.

may check the line 2552835.

Thank you.

Huh?

We're in business.

Now, that's it.

Now look, if your pen pal calls,

hit that button as fast as you can,

so we can throw a trace on him,

-okay? -Okay.

-Thank you. -Hey, thank you.

Okay.

-Okay. -Yeah.

Hello?

Is this Dear Julie?

Yes, who is this calling?

Never mind who it is. I read your column.

Who the hell you get off, giving people advice?

You think you're some kind of a fucking god

or something, you're no psychiatrist.

You probably need a psychiatrist yourself.

Why did you call this number?

Telling you I think you're full of shit.

Nobody can say I don't have an interesting

group of readers, huh?

- You know what I think? - What?

I think every nut in the city's gonna call you

except the one you want.

Hello?

Hi, this is Alison.

- Alison Fales? - Yeah.

Um, there's something I want to talk to you about.

Sure.

I called your apartment and, um,

I about this number,

so, uh, I bought this newspaper.

Alison, is your father with you?

No.

Well, what is it you want to talk to me about?

Um, not over the phone.

Can I come see you?

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, that's okay, Alison.

I'm at the office, you know.

I really wanna talk to you.

Hey, come on, give me a break, will you?

Excuse me, is Donahue upstairs?

They're down the morgue.

Ed, where's Lou and Jake?

I think they're down the morgue with Jensen.

Thank you.

I was here other day with two detectives.

Oh, yeah. I remember you.

I was told they're here.

Gee, I haven't seen them.

It's because, um...

two more of my patients are missing.

Well, I'll show you what I got on ice.

Yup, it's the last one.

Know her?

No.

Hi.

Are you alone here?

No.

My husband is in the back.

I bet you thought I was crazy.

About last night?

No, uh, I told your father

I thought it was too early for us

to meet last night.

No, not about last night.

Oh, my God, Alison, you wrote those letters.

Doug.

It's amazing.

Why did you do it?

Were they jokes?

Jokes? I meant them.

Yeah, but did you do it?

That's the question.

Did you do it?

Alison, did you murder anybody?

Oh, I could.

I could.

Julie, it's Pieter.

Where are you?

Where is the number I'm calling?

You're at the office, aren't you?

Yes. Yes.

Is someone with you?

Alison.

Julie?

- Alison!

My God!

What are you doing?!

Alison!

Darling, listen to me!

Please!

Let me talk to you.

Alison!

Please let me talk to you.

Please!

All right, darling.

You're right.

I won't look at you if you don't want me to.

Please.

Please, let me talk to you.

Alison.

- Talk to me!

Alison?

You haven't done anything to Julie, have you?

Don't hurt her.

Please, don't hurt her.

I didn't want her to take mommy's place

or your place.

You're my flesh and blood.

I could never love anyone

the way I love you.

Do you hear me, darling?

Can you hear me?

You make me sick!

Who's that?

Did he recognize her?

Well, he said he didn't, but I don't know,

I had a funny feeling he was lying,

and it wasn't a nice job either,

those wounds are made by a long pair of scissors.

No shit.

Yeah, just like hers.

And we found traces of paste in the punctures.

Paste?

Yeah, you know, water-based paste,

the kind of use to hang wallpaper with?

Sweet Jesus.

Come on!

Who the hell are you?

You don't know my face, do you?

Your group didn't either,

but you know everything else about me, don't you?

Don't you?

You dissect me like a worm, all of you!

Every Tuesday and Thursday, right?

Tuesdays and Thursdays, you slice me up,

you and your disgusting little group!

Kick the damn thing!

Kick it! Kick it!

-Oh! -Get your ass here, come on.

Come on, buddy! On the double!

Open the goddamn door!

You took my wife away from me.

You made her think I was nothing!

You are nothing!

You took my wife away from me!

I'll kill you!

You're nothing!

Oh, my God! Don't do that!

Don't!

No!

I'll kill you!

Don't!

No, no, no! Don't!

No!

I'll kill you!

Oh, God!

Daddy!

Daddy!

Oh, my God