Why can't people get themselves murdered on the ground floor?
Lieutenant.
Hey, chaney. Putting on some weight?
Where's the main event?
Down there.
Oh, Jesus. Who was he?
Student. A few lived here.
One of them called?
No. Neighbor, floor below.
Heard some yelling.
Did he see anything?
No. Nothing.
It's hot as hell.
What were they yelling about?
Don't know.
All in some weirdo language.
Could this neighbor tell how many there were?
He wasn't sure. Two, three...
One woman.
Surprise, surprise.
"But the lipstickstained cigarette in the ashtray
"said this was no dream.
"So there was just one problem
"if only he could...
Remember what she looked like"?
You don't like it.
I didn't
I know. It's not that good.
I reread this last night.
This has an edge
that your new stuff doesn't have.
I won't lie to you, Phil.
The publishers are getting antsy.
You need a bestseller soon.
It's a dry spell.
Of course.
These things happen to writers.
It's been two years.
Four.
Four.
Christ.
Christ. Yeah, I'm researching all the time.
I can't come up with any new crimes.
Get married again. You'll think of new crimes.
The last thing I need is another woman.
You haven't been with a woman since Susan.
That's not true. I have.
Forget Susan. She left you.
Thanks for reminding me, Sam.
That's ok.
It must have been so humiliating
leaving you for a literary critic.
Why would you think that?
That's what you need.
What I need is a story.
Sleep with her and take notes.
Uh, miss?
Go for it.
Go on.
Hi.
My name's Phil.
I wrote this.
Mine's Karen, and, uh...I wrote this.
18810439a,
the state of New York vs. Richard Ryan.
My client has never dealt drugs.
He claims the only drug he's used is aspirin,
and frankly, I believe him.
Ok, ok. We accept possession,
but let's forget assault.
He's not capable of assault.
I understood from the prosecution
that he attacked a uniformed officer
and that this was seen by four witnesses.
Hey. Oliver, fx, Millie.
Hiya, Phil.
Phil, how's it going?
Good to see you, man.
You look tired. Have some liverwurst.
Thanks. I'm not hungry.
So how did it go?
Just like Rose said felony possession.
He dropped the assault charge.
You owe me 5 bucks.
Thanks. See you soon.
How's the new book?
It didn't work out.
I need a new story. What's happening here?
Drug case down the hall,
kidnapping second floor,
a big malpractice upstairs.
1♥8♥9♥40326a...
Stick to murders. They're the cream.
Tony bernardini's preliminary.
How does defense plead?
Not guilty.
Not guilty. We're asking for a reasonable bail.
No chance.
Bail is...
500,000.
$500,000.
That face he's an obvious killer.
Remember, a man's innocent until he's proven guilty.
Is he innocent, Rose?
Guilty.
Who is that?
Must be the girl Mason mentioned.
They say she killed a guy.
3265790a,
the state of New York vs. Nina ionescu.
Her?
How could she kill anybody?
Stabbed him through the heart
with a pair of 9inch scissors.
She'll go to prison.
The major drawback in killing someone.
Your honor, my client doesn't speak much English.
Guilty or not guilty?
I'm requesting a 24hour continuance
to talk with my client
through a Romanian interpreter.
Granted.
Chapter one.
The tough heart
of private eye Peter swift
turned to molten lava
when he saw her in that courtroom.
She had the face of an angel,
fragile, ethereal.