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Could be.
He's probably on the bum and wants to touch you for the price of a drink.
Well, I'm on the bum; I'll buy him a couple of drinks and tell him my troubles. But not tonight. If you won't drink with me, I'll drink alone, tonight.
Sorry, old man. Work.
Midge, what did you mean, there's no losing it?
What.
My... the acrophobia.
I asked my doctor. He said only another emotional shock could do it, and probably wouldn't. And you're not going to go diving off another rooftop to find out.
I think I can lick it.
How?
I've got a theory. Look. If I can get used to heights just a little at a time... progressively see?
Here, I'll show you what I mean. We'll start with this.
That!?!
What do you want me to start with the Golden Gate Bridge?
Now. I look up, I look down. I look up, I look down. Nothing to it.
Stop kidding. Wait a minute.
Step number two.
Okay.
Easy, now.
This is a cinch. I look up, I look down. I look up
Johnny!
Oh, damn it! Damn it, damn it
Now, that's the kind of greeting a girl likes. None of this "hello you look wonderful" stuff. Just a good straight "who do you know"
Well, who? Come on, you know everybody.
Professor Saunders, over in Berkeley.
Not that kind of history. The small stuff! About people you never heard of!
Oh! You mean Gay Old Bohemian Days of Gay Old San Francisco! The juicy stories? Like who shot who in the Embarcadero August, 1879?
Yeah.
Pop Leibel.
Who?
Pop Leibel owns the Argosy Book Shop. What do you want to know?
Who shot who in the Embarcadero in August, 1879.
Wait a minute! You're not a detective any more. What's going on?
Do you know him well?
Pop Leibel? Sure.
All right, come on. Introduce me. Where is your hat?
The poor thing....
And she died...
Now then, JohnnyO; pay me.
For what?
For bringing you here. Come on, tell!
Nothing to tell.
You'll tell, or you'll be back in that corset! Come on!
I'll take you home.
Here you are.
You haven't told me everything.
I've told you enough.
Who's the guy, who's the wife?
Out. I've got things to do.
I know. The one who phoned. Your old college chum, Elster.
Out!
And the idea is that the Beautiful Mad Carlotta has come back from the dead, to take possession of Elster's wife? Ah, Johnny! Come on!
I'm not telling you what I think! I'm telling you what he thinks!
Think? Well, what do you think?
Is she pretty?
Carlotta?
No, not Carlotta. Elster's wife.
Mmm, yeah, I guess...
Midge!
Byebye!
I did. Since when do you go about slipping notes under men's doors?
Since I stopped being able to get them on the phone. For a man who has nothing to do, you're certainly a busy little bee. Where do you go, these days?
Just wander.
Where?
Around.
Oh?
Mm. Better.
Did you need it?
Yeah.
Oh?
What was this desperate urge to see me?
All I said in the note was: "Where are you?" That doesn't sound desperate to me.
Well, I detected an undercurrent.
I just thought if I gave you a drink and fed you some dinner, you'd be so grateful you'd take me to a movie.
Fair enough. What'll we talk about at dinner?
Oh... this and that.
What I've been doing?
If you want to. Naturally, we won't talk about anything you don't want to talk about.
Naturally.
What have you been doing?
Wandering.
Oh, I'm having a wonderful time! I've gone back to my first love... painting.
Good. I've always said you were wasting your time in the underwear department.
Well, it's a living. But I'm excited about this.
What is it, a still life?
No, not exactly. Want to see?
As a matter of fact, I thought I might give it to you.
Oh?
Is there something I can do for you?
Yes... you run this hotel.
Oh, yes!
Would you tell me, who has the room on the second floor in the corner, that corner?
Oh, I'm afraid we couldn't give out information of that sort. Our clients are entitled to their privacy, you know. And I do believe it's against the law! Of course, I don't think any of them would mind, really, but still I would have to know who you are, and ask
Oh, dear! Has she done something wrong?
Please answer my question.
I can't imagine that sweet girl with that dear face
What is her name?
Valdes. Miss Valdes. It's Spanish, you know.
Carlotta Valdes?
Yes, that's it. Sweet name, isn't it? Foreign. But sweet.