The Naked Face

If I had been really smart,

I would have died when I was a kid.

I mean, that would have been a really smart thing to do.

You know what saved me?

Balling.

God talks to me.

He talks to me whenever there's his work to be done.

I'm his chosen instrument.

I set fire to my apartment once.

They got me out but my cat died.

I feel dead. Like I'm not here.

I feel less here than I ever have in my life before.

And that's why I came to see you, Doctor.

Something is drastically wrong and I don't know if I can solve it.

You want me to park it for you, Dr. Stevens?

Yes, thank you, Charlie.

Is that it for today?

Yes, thank God.

Looks like it could use a wash.

The greatest thing is the security I feel when I'm in bed with a man.

When we have sex,

I feel successful,

beautiful. I feel normal.

Then I go home to my wife, my kids.

And I look at them,

and I face what I really am.

My two daughters, they adore me.

And I sit there,

and all I can think

is that they're looking at a monster,

because that's what I really am.

And I swear to myself that I'm never going to do it again.

Until I have to...

Oh, Christ, dear Christ!

Hi. Can I see some of your roses?

Well, those are red, they're $15.95.

But it's such a bad day, I can let you have two dozen for $20.

All right, that's fine, yeah.

Another dozen just like these?

We live in an amazing house

overlooking the lake with a long drive leading up to it.

My husband bought it for me.

He's very generous.

He loves me.

I feel I'm being disloyal to him even being here.

Do you have to have that thing on?

No.

We can switch it off.

It's only there to remind me afterwards.

What you must remember, Mrs. Blake, is whatever you tell me

is just between you and me, it goes no further.

It's just that I'm...

I'm scared.

Most people that sit in that chair feel the same way.

So, don't force it.

Okay?

What does your husband do?

He builds condominiums. He's...

He builds condominiums.

Maybe he built the one I live in.

Is this your first marriage?

Yes.

And is it everything you thought it would be?

I told you, I...

I love my husband and he loves me.

Yes, of course you did. So we're...

We are not looking for anything ordinary then, are we?

What does that mean?

Nothing sinister,

just that we can rule out the usual causes of marital troubles,

sexual incompatibility, unfaithfulness, social diseases.

Now the reason you came to consult with me was something deeper.

Tell me, does your husband know you've come to see me?

No.

Would the reason for that be that the problem is his, not yours?

People can imagine things, can't they?

Frequently.

Things that aren't necessarily true?

Yes.

I'll think about it some more then and

I'll contact you again if I need to.

I have to go. I'll call you later.

Can I help you, gentlemen?

Yeah, we'd like to see Dr. Stevens.

May I tell him what for?

Well, in a manner of speaking, no.

In a manner of speaking, no. I like it.

Why don't you write it down?

I'm gonna use it.

- Hey, Mac? - What?

What do you think the tab is for a joint like this?

I don't know.

I guess it costs about $50 to come through this door.

Well, plenty of people must think it's worth it.

He's got his book all full.

Well, that's because the Surgeon General

hasn't determined shrinks as being bad for your health.

Excuse me, gentlemen. Would you care to step in, please?

Dr. Stevens will see you now.

Okay. Thank you.

You're welcome. This way please.

Excuse me.

Doctor, my name is Lieutenant McGreavy. I'm from Homicide.

And this is Detective Angeli.

Well, gentlemen, won't you sit down?

McGreavy.

We've met before, haven't we?

We certainly have. As a matter of fact, we met in court, in the Zifrin case.

Zifrin.

Yes, I remember.

But you were in a wheelchair then, you'd been shot.

I was in a wheelchair, and I had been shot and my partner had been killed.

And your expert testimony helped screw up justice

as far as the Zifrin case was concerned.

I wouldn't say that.

He was committed as insane.

Is he being released?

Is that why you've come to see me?

He's doing very well. He gets three square meals a day,

which is more than I can say for my partner's wife.

But that's not why we're here, sir.

We were wondering if it was possible for you to identify this.

It looks like one I have.

It is. Well, I mean, at least it has your name stenciled inside of it.

We were just wondering how it got out of your possession.

Well, there's no mystery.

It was raining earlier and one of my patients

hadn't brought his coat, so I let him borrow that.

What's this all about?

Well, I'll tell you what it's all about.

Somebody stuck a knife through it while your ex-patient was still wearing it.

Are you telling me that Mr. Boyd has been murdered?

Well, if he wasn't, it will go in the Guinness Book of Records as a suicide first.

Oh, my God.

Now, could you tell us approximately what time he left here?

Well, his appointment was at 11:30, and the sessions usually last an hour.

But he was upset today so we cut it short.

I would imagine he left here around 12:10.

What upset him?

In simple terms, he was a bisexual, married,

with two children,

and trying desperately to come to terms with his homosexuality.

He was a fag with a family.

That is your description, not mine.

Do you have any idea of his gay contacts?

No. Why would I?

Where was Mr. Boyd murdered?

It was a couple of blocks from here.

Happened about 12:20,

but there was no robbery intended or anything like that.

By that I mean his wallet was still intact and had a couple of hundred dollars in it.

Now, there's a question that I'd like to ask you.

Was he an obvious gay or was he butch?

No, far from it.

This is awful.

I keep thinking of his poor wife and children.

Did she know about him?

No, I don't think so. Has she been told yet?

No.

Well, then I'd like to do it.

I think I could possibly break the news more gently.

I'm sure because I know that we cops, we jump in with both feet...

No, I did not mean that.

Then let me ask you a question, and I'm gonna jump in with both feet.

Do any of your patients, do they love you?

What the hell does that mean?

That means, Doctor, translating from the French, do they have the hots for you?

After all, you sit there and you listen to them, listen to all their troubles

and you hold their hand and you wipe their eyes

and one day a fag walks in here you see...

- No, a patient walks in here... - I beg your pardon!

A patient, a patient walks in. Yes.

A patient walks in who can't make up his mind

whether he likes boys or whether he likes girls!

Now isn't it possible that this Mr. Boyd...

Now, I don't wanna shock you with the terminology I'm gonna come out with,

but this Mr. Boyd gets a hard-on for you

and you being normal, of course, you reject him

and now he threatens you with blackmail,

so it's your word against his and we have the beginning of a motive.

You're very lucky to go around with a colleague

with such an overdeveloped sense of humor.

Oh, yeah, he's a barrel of laughs on a murder case.

Don't get too cute, Doctor.

I don't feel "cute," as you put it.

Nor do I feel that I have to stand here and listen to your innuendo.

If a patient of mine has been murdered,

then I shall answer any legitimate questions

and do anything I can to help.

But do not push your luck, Lieutenant!

Just give us the files on Boyd.

No way.

I can get a court order.

Then I suggest you get it!

From what you've told me, he was knifed in the street by some random maniac

and I suggest you start looking for him.

You're quite right.

I don't know what we're doing in your office.

We should be out in the streets looking for him because you're the expert on maniacs!

You know how to protect them, like you protected Zifrin!