I killed a lot of guys.
They were worthless pieces of shit...
...but I killed them...
...and you're not supposed to kill people.
So what happened to me?
I guess maybe in the end...
...it was a lot better than what I deserved.
But it takes a long time to work that out.
In the meantime, you just want to get even.
Hello, Dr. Jane, I'm Dr. Galen.
As you know, I'm here to conduct an interview...
...on your status, see how you're doing.
Dr. Ralph Galen.
I only recently found out my case is under your supervision.
Correct.
A chair please, Hector.
I'll probably be here about a week.
- All for me? - All for you.
As a professional courtesy, I will refer to you as doctor even though...
Even though I've lost my medical license.
I suppose I should thank you for your good manners.
Well... shall we get started?
Nearly two years ago, on the night of November 22nd...
...the SFPD received an anonymous call...
...which lead them to investigate what proved to be multiple murder...
...four dead bodies, and you unconscious...
Yes, yes, yes. We all know about my condition.
Unconscious on an operating table.
It turned out that you had set up an illegal off-the-books surgical clinic...
- ...where you performed... - Illegal, off-the-books operations...
...on those unfortunates who wanted and needed medical help...
...but couldn't afford the outrageous costs.
An empty gun was found in the hand of your surgical assistant...
- Albert Becker... - The gun belonged to Frank Kitchen.
And the ballistics evidence from Becker's gun...
...matched the bullets taken from the dead bodies as well as the bullet in your chest.
You were arrested, charged with multiple crimes...
...and at a hearing you were found mentally unfit for trial.
Absolute bullshit.
The presiding judge stipulated that you were to be periodically evaluated...
...and that, at the point, if and when you were judged...
...to have fully regained your faculties...
...you would be returned to the remand of the district attorney...
...city of San Francisco, and bound over for prosecution.
Do you feel relieved, now that you've gotten all that off your shoulders?
Well, first...
...I'm especially interested in your relationship and involvement...
...with your brother, Sebastian.
We were close.
He was a very special person.
Yo. Whitney.
Your money's on the table. Go home.
And by the way, you failed miserably at your chosen vocation.
There wasn't a shred of stimulation.
Get the fuck out!
I have a copy of the NYPD's complete file on your brother's case.
I... I doubt you've had access to it.
You'll have to turn the pages for me, won't you?
Thanks to your ridiculous security requirements.
Yeah.
Unless, in the name of mercy, you could untie the bindings.
I'd still be in your medieval straightjacket...
...but at least I'd have some degree of control over the movement of my arms.
Hey, maybe you don't get it. Or maybe your bosses don't.
You kill me, you never get that money back. Never!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!
As you can see, the proper authorities conducted a full investigation.
The murder of your brother Sebastian was obviously a professional job.
I paid a lot of money to discover the killer's identity.
He's a lifetime criminal who goes by the name of Frank Kitchen.
There were rumors that some form of street justice may have been handed out...
...but the death of Sebastian Jane remains an unsolved murder.
It's now a cold case.
I'm guessing that's been... troubling for you?
Assuming there is such a person...
...I want to talk a bit more about this Frank Kitchen.
Why would you think there's no Frank Kitchen?
I mean, don't be an idiot. You actually think I made him up?
I need a room.
If I need maid service, I'll let you know.
Yeah?
Yeah, I just checked in.
Yeah.
Room 308.
Let's talk for a minute about Honest John Baconian.
You obviously found him useful.
"Honest" John Baconian?
"Good king, great king, and yet not greatly good."
Do you read Shakespeare? Of course not.
Why do I even ask?
Richard II, act IV.
Honest John Baconian...
...was there ever a man with a more disingenuous name?
Such a Darwinian creature.
Right. According to your initial statements to the police...
...in the past this Honest John supplied you...
...with impoverished homeless people against their will...
...so that you could perform deviant medical experiments on them...
I did conduct experiments to further human knowledge...
...in areas most fear to go.
And I harmed no one of any value.
You should change your line of questioning.
It's good to see you, Frankie.
It's been a while.
It's two years since we've done business.
But you're stayin' in a dump.
Frankie does great work. Just flew in from Miami.
I called him and he came in as fast as he could.
I appreciate that because it shows respect.
You fucking backstabbing motherfucking chinky.
I don't trust you, but I love you.
Now I come all the way down here from my office to your shitty room...
...to impress on you how important this is, how important this is to me.
This man, Benny Hong Lee, the one we brought you here to take care of...
...this fuckin' chinaman stole my money...
...and now he's trying to steal my entire operation...
...this business that I worked my entire life to build.
He wants to take it away just like that.
But we got a problem. He left town for a week, Vegas.
I promised my friends that I wouldn't do my laundry in their backyard...
...and I always keep my promise.
That's why they call me Honest John, right?
So we wait.
Give him the bag.
That's $25,000.
You sit, you wait a week...
...you do the work. No mistakes.
You ever wanna get together again, this is how you get ahold of me.
Just give me a call.
My name is Johnnie, in case you forgot.
- Where you from, Johnnie? - A long way from here.
That's it, no more questions.
Yeah, well... I'm gonna leave town real soon.
Don't worry about it. It's no big deal.
I had forgotten about her Shakespeare obsession.
First thing she did after she got here was send for the complete works.
You got a little blast of it?
Yes, my inability to recognize a quote from Richard II...
...was held to be an unforgivable fault.
She's constantly reminding me, she's probably the most clever woman...
...who ever drew a breath.
Just this morning I got a nice little lecture on Poe.
Poe? As in Edgar Allan?
Oh, God, is there another?
Do you read Poe?
Of course not. You don't read Shakespeare, so...
...why would you read one of our country's greatest and most influential authors?
Well, when I was a kid I always liked the Vincent Price movies.
What... what's the point?
Poe once wrote an essay called "The Philosophy Of Composition."
In it he develops his theories about proper art...
...being indifferent to moral and political considerations...
...that real art was about its own dynamic inner relationships...
...able to stand on style alone.
You should read it.
I guess I have to ask this again. What's the point?
The point, Dr. Galen, is that, in addition to being a medical doctor...
...I am an artist.
Frankie, baby, good to see you. Hey, listen. We've got a problem.
It doesn't involve Mr. Benny Hong Lee.
And I really hate to say this, Frankie, 'cause I like you...
...but you made some enemies. Some bad ones.
Now, I did a little renegotiating, and I got a better deal.
I'm now satisfied that the conditions are correct and in place.
Frankie, you should take it easy on yourself. Do what I tell ya.
The fuck?
No!
Hey!
Who the shit are you?
You're some kind of laid-up hooker, right?
You on dope?
Somebody work you over?
I kinda like that look of yours.
Get out.
I got a right being in this room, okay?
I own and operate this joint.
And your screamin'...
...somebody wandering around in here...
...I thought maybe there might be trouble.
Where'd you come from?
The guys registered in this room didn't tell me nothin'.
You know...
...you might wanna be takin' it six or so blocks out to here...
...where all the weirdos hang out?
Probably pull in a lot more business down there.
Just bein' friendly.
You keep it down in here, hey, babe?
Hello, Frank. You can call me the doctor.
I'm the one who operated on you.
And the reason why is simple.
A year and a half ago, you killed a man very close to me.
In the handbag I've left a photograph of him...
...as a small reminder of the terrible thing you did.
You should think positive...
...maybe even thank me.
You have a new life. You get to start over.
And this time you're a woman.
In many ways, it's often said, the most splendid of God's creatures.
I have liberated you from the macho prison you've been living in.
I'm an excellent surgeon, and I'm quite proud of the work I've done on you.
Your face and body have been carefully sculpted...
...with no visible scars to the casual observer.
People pay small fortunes for work that's less good than what's been done on you.
But I'm afraid you'll have to sustain your new femininity with hormones.
You'll find everything you need in the package I've sent.
You should begin with a premarin immediately, at first, two per day.
After one week, add the prevera.
Two per day.
I've also left you some feminine clothing...
...and $100 for sundries while you convalesce.
I understand your current accommodations are less than ideal.
Several of my employees paid the rent.
Your room is taken care of for the next two weeks.
We left word to leave you undisturbed.
My generosity allows you to recuperate at your own pace.
A quote from Hamlet that you might find inspirational.
"God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another."
Good luck, Frank. You've been a very bad man.
This is your opportunity for redemption.
Oh, no, honey, you picked the wrong guy to try to rip off.
That look of yours, I kinda like.
I just gotta check out what you got down there.
Hey! You remember me?
Look, room 3... room 308.
I need my keys, now.
Fuck!
Yeah.
All right.
Okay.
Your medical setup, the equipment, the nurses...
...your private bodyguards... the costs must have been enormous.
Say it.
"How did I get so goddamn rich?"
Okay. How did you get so goddamn rich?
My father did well enough to send me to good schools.
When he died, I received a reasonable inheritance...
...which, unlike my brother, I prudently invested.
Then I went to work. I was very good at my profession...
...and my practice turned out to be quite lucrative.
If you're a plastic surgeon, the sky is the limit.
Then there were issues with your peers at Mother of Mercy?
I had enemies. Political enemies within the medical community.
My manner has always caused me problems...
...with those less equipped to keep up.
I was a better surgeon than any of them.
They hated that.
And I was a woman.
That made it worse.
All right, yes.
When I lost my medical license I set up an illegal clinic.
Before I often did...
...plastic surgery for idiots who wanted a smaller nose...
...arger breasts, sometimes a larger penis...
More to the point, you then became interested in...
Gender change operations, yes.
After I could no longer officially practice...
...I discovered a huge black market for that kind of surgery.
Most people who want it don't want to go through the endless waiting period...
...and, in addition, many times they can't afford the enormous costs.
- And you took advantage. - I was doing beneficial things...
...making people happy, giving them the medical attention they wanted.
And it had the added benefit of financing my independent research.
In school I was always at the top of my class.
At the hospital I was always the best surgeon on staff.
I was always the one who figured out a new technique...
...a better way of getting things done.
But all it ever got me was envy...
...jealousy...
...and now disgrace.
So I became a rogue.
A rogue on the medical frontier.
And it's lonely out there, Ralph.
Quite lonely.
- Yeah? - Hi, is Johnnie there?
Yeah, this is Johnnie.
It's me, Frank.
- Frank. - Yeah.
Midnight coffee date Frank.
Hey, you remember me?
Yeah, I remember.
You wanna meet for a coffee?
Sure.
- Tonight? - Yeah.
How about we meet at that place near you?
Same place as before.
Hey, listen.
I... I don't look the same.
I shaved, and some other stuff. I...
Hey, I gotta get back to work.
I'm working a double, so I'll meet you on my break. Today, ten o' clock?
Yeah, I'll see you tonight.
Frank?
Yeah, it's me.
- I look a little different? - You are different.
A lot different.
I... I don't know what to say.
- So you're a nurse. - Yeah, I guess I forgot to mention it.
You had plastic surgery?
Just like some gangster guy out of an old movie?
You're some kind of criminal, right? I had that figured.
I can still tell it's you, though. It's okay. You look all right.
I got into some real bad shit...
...with some real bad guys.
I was hoping I could stay over at your house for a couple of days.
I promise to stay out of your way.
- I'll even pay you for it. - No. I don't want your money.
We're friends. Fuck buddies.
Yeah, it's pretty basic here.
I'm not a lot on fixing places up.
I don't even got a TV.
I like to keep things to a minimum, you know?
I just need a place to clear my head.
Figure out what I'm gonna do. This is fine.
Stay as long as you want. I'll let you know if you wear out your welcome.
Hey, one thing. I...
...I started to tell you that at the diner.
- I got problems. - Hey, no pressure.
Suit yourself. But since it's my place I keep the bed.
You sleep on the sofa. I'll get you a blanket and a sheet.
I keep an extra pillow in the closet.
It's all clean, so you don't have to worry about catching some disease.
Mi casa es su casa, right?
Anyway, I always trust my instinct, you know what I mean?
I'm not sure why, but I feel kinda connected to you.
Big boys tell me I'm a little crazy.
I got that for Halloween a couple years ago. It's weird?
You... you thought your life was in danger?
Clearly there was that possibility.
Criminal organizations sometimes try to pass an unpaid debt along...
...to other members of the victim's family.
The men who hired Frank Kitchen to kill my brother might've turned him loose on me.
- You hired bodyguards. - I did. Three of them.
I even insisted on a dress code.
I'm sorry, a dress code?
Yeah. Dark suit, white shirt and tie.
I, of course, had to buy their wardrobe for them.
They were all but one ex-policemen.
But in the end, all three of them turned out to be worthless.
Question, if you're rich, and you loved your brother so much...
...and he's in all this trouble with all the wrong people...
...why didn't you just give him the money he owed?
I did. All of it.
And he went out and bought paintings and drugs and pinball machines.
Gambled and partied, squandered every penny.
Then he came back, said he was sorry, and asked me for more money.
As a matter of principle, I said no.
It was a mistake.
So you feel guilty about his death?
No. Not for a moment.
My brother was a fool...
...but he was also a unique, eccentric, and talented man.
He just never seemed to find his place in the grand scheme of things.
How's it going?
She's gotten very chatty. But evasive.
- Keeps a lot of it theoretical. - Right from the get-go...
...as soon as she got here she was the most anti-social piss-ant on campus.
No communication, no jokes. Just death stares and a wall of ice.
Ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up for Dr. Rachel Jane.
Phi beta kappa. Three degrees with honors.
Never married, no children, thank God.
Let's see what happens tomorrow if I turn the heat up a little.
Hello, doctor.
How are we feeling this morning?
You can release the arms, Hector. Thank you.
If you'd indulge me here for a moment, I'd like to go back...
...and review the facts of this case as they pertain to your criminal involvement.
You're sounding very serious, Ralph.
I thought we were becoming friends.
Your brother, Sebastian Jane...
...the semi-celebrity, playboy, socialite, art collector...
...pinball wizard, occasional art critic, drug addict, alcoholic, etc.
A little respect. He had world-famous collections.
It is believed that Sebastian Jane was murdered by certain mob interests...
...to whom he owed money, a lot of money...
...and then, according to the police, there were several rumors...
...in the criminal world that you had hired local racketeers...
...to find out who the person was that killed your brother.
This "killer," which, according to you is a professional hitman...
- ...named Frank Kitchen... - Now this is getting tedious.
Help me, doctor. We have a lot of dead bodies...
...but none of them are traceable to your Frank Kitchen.
Are you really saying that because my brother wasn't a very nice person...
...that he deserves to be brutally murdered by this street trash?
Wait, wait, you're creating a straw man. That is not what I'm saying...
- ...and you know it. - What are you saying, Ralph?
You're becoming such a tiresome bore and such a confused person...
...that I find it difficult to follow your thoughts.
I'm asking you if all this...
...wasn't really some sort of classical psychological transference...
...of your own personal inadequacies.
This man you keep talking about, this Frank Kitchen...
- ...doesn't even seem to exist. - That again?
- I mean, really? - Yes, that again. Doctor...
... had the FBI do a run on the name. Nothing.
No Frank Kitchen, no professional hitman or anything even close.
No criminal record, no fingerprints, no record in the armed services...
...no driver's license, no taxes paid. No passports, nothing.
Dr. Jane...
...was all this because you had a nonexistent sex life?
You were a kind of medical wallflower.
The female equivalent of some guy who was impotent.
- Couldn't get it up. - This is just silly.
I've had sex when I wanted and with whom I wanted...
...for my entire adult life.
And did you have sex with your surgical assistant, Albert Becker?
Yes, quite often. Any time I wanted.
- It was part of his job? - He seemed to enjoy it.
I've never concerned myself with my partner's pleasure.
Just knock one off and back to your real work.
- Yeah, exactly. - I see. To summarize...
...in addition to your academic and medical achievements, your personal sex life...
...has been quite wonderful. I guess I'll just have to take your word for it.
Yes, you'll just have to take my word for it.
Admit it. Your lover, Albert Becker, turned out to be a murderous lunatic...
- ...and there is no Frank Kitchen... - I'm sick of this bullshit!
Don't you dare play psychiatrist with me, goddamn it!
There is a Frank Kitchen! There is a Frank Kitchen!
Do you think that you're some fucking detective?
You're nothing more than a cheap, second-rate bureaucrat!
My name's Frank Kitchen.
It's not my real name, but it's the one I use for my work.
I'm making this account of what happened to me. I don't know.
Consider it a therapy session...
...for someone that never liked talking much.
When I'm done telling this story, I'm gonna send it out...
...to my lawyer in Miami and he's gonna put it on ice...
...in case after I'm dead somebody wants to know...
...what really happened to Frank Kitchen.
I got hired to do the job by a mob rep in Miami.
I did good work. Why the hell would they be pissed?
And if they were pissed...
...why not just give me a push instead of this butcher job?
And who was this doctor? And how was Honest John connected to her?
I had to get back to the street.
I had to get to Honest John.
But I wasn't ready to go straight to him.
I had to make sure I could still make my old moves.
It's hard to go back to being Frank Kitchen...
...when you look like a chick.
I had to tape my swollen tits. I had to sit down to take a piss.
And the goddamn hormones were making me soft.
If there was anything left of Frank Kitchen...
...it was his point-blank aim...
...and I couldn't wait to use it.
First guy on the list, Earl Hawkins.
Long time on Honest John's payroll.
Earl runs the pimps that run the hookers.
Next came two Nicaraguans.
Emece Trece guys.
They did a lot of heavy lifting for Honest John over in the East Bay.
Joe Caddigan.
Miami said Joe was Honest John's main dope guy.
He imported smack, and a lot of it.
- Nobody was gonna miss him. - Hey, Joe.
Vladimir Gorsky.
This guy was some kind of Russian mafia reject.
He was in charge of collections on short-term loans...
...that Honest John made at sky-high rates.
Gorski's sideline was raising dogs for fights.
But if a dog don't win, then he and his trainer kill the dogs.
You're the one who called about buying a dog.
Yeah, that's me.
- Where did you get my number? - I got it from Honest John's boys.
- What's his name? - We call him Poncho.
It'll cost you $2,000.
He's in very good shape. He's ready to fight.
You show Vladimir money?
A dog is the only thing I ever trusted.
A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor...
...if you're famous or some bum.
Only thing a dog wants is to be your buddy.
It's funny how things work out.
It wasn't part of my plan, but now I had a dog.
Poncho had some scars from where they made him fight...
...but he was really just a sweet guy.
Me and Poncho were buddies in no time.
It was the most domestic I've ever been in my life...
...and for some reason it was okay.
Oh, hey. How's it going? You having a good day?
Mine was okay, despite the head fucking nurse in C ward who's got it in for me.
Always on my ass about something.
Oh, there's this one patient, this old guy, Jerry.
Every time I try and change his IV he always grabs my ass.
I don't mind. He's sweet and he's on his way out, so...
Oh, here's a blast of good news.
No more double shifts, so I got more free time...
...if you wanna hang out more.
I mean, that's if you want to.
You wanna take off your clothes?
Okay.
I mean, I'll... I'll do what I can.
You'll do fine.
Last guy on the list.
They told me his name was Jin Tao.
Sometimes you get to say hello to old friends.
You knock off a guy who you figure is gonna be all alone...
...you use the silencer.
You wanna make as little noise as possible.
But if you figure you're gonna take on resistance...
...then leave the silencer at home.
You wanna let the sound of the .45 scare the shit out of them.
Throws off their aim.
How you been?
Hello, doctor.
Hello, Ralph.
Good of you to come.
I know you'll doubt this, but I actually miss our little sessions together.
- You asked to see me. - I did, but first I'd like to apologize...
...for my fit of temper at our last meeting.
I momentarily lost my composure.
Apology accepted.
I want to make a legal deposition to be filed with the district attorney's office.
I'd like to confess.
And for which crimes you've committed are you willing to make these confessions?
All of them, Ralph. Every single one that I'm responsible for.
I'm afraid I've been a very naughty lady.
Would you like to tell me what you hope to accomplish with this deposition?
Certainly.
The authorities will clearly see that I've made great progress...
...here at the hospital, but most important...
...when I confess it will cleanse my soul.
I will be born again.
- Home phone? - None.
Insurance carrier?
I don't have one, but I can pay cash.
Referring physician?
I found out about this place from a friend.
And you're here for a diagnostic consultation?
Yeah. I need to speak to a real surgery doctor.
You know, a guy who is... does major surgery.
Are you in any pain?
It's all still a bit sore.
I... I think I popped a couple of stitches.
Who was your surgeon?
I can't remember right now.
Well, he seems to have done a fine job...
...so why aren't you talking to him about this?
Well...
- ...I can't afford the plane fare, for one. - Where? Colorado?
The clinic there in Denver? They do wonderful work.
Yeah, that's right.
The transgender programs that I'm aware of all have very thorough screening processes.
How long have you been living as a transsexual?
For a few months.
Ordinarily, there's a requirement of functioning for at least a year...
...in the transgender role before an actual surgery is performed.
Did they not insist upon that?
Yeah, well, that's... that's the thing. I...
...I thought I wanted it, so I...
...you know, I told them what I knew they wanted to hear.
You should never let embarrassment prevent you from taking the best possible care...
...you can of your body.
It's your obligation to yourself. Now, I'd like you to call a counselor that I know.
She's part of a very good therapy group. You can use my name as a referral.
I don't want a counselor. I don't need group therapy.
Can the operation be reversed?
And if that's not possible...
...then...
...can I get off with whatever this is?
It usually takes six months to a year to develop sensation again.
Look, I just want to know if I can go back to being a guy.
Medically, other than the breast implants...
...it's too soon to even consider another procedure.
I'd be irresponsible in advising you otherwise...
...and no reputable physician will operate on you again...
...without at least six months of intensive therapy.
Can I go back to being a guy?
Again, the implants, that's not a problem.
But beyond that, to the best of my knowledge...
...there is no procedure that will completely restore you back to your former self.
Cosmetically, yes, something can be done.
But it won't be functional.
What it sounds like you're asking for is currently medically impossible.
So that was it. This was the way it was gonna be.
I was gonna be a chick except for in my head...
...so get used to it.
Two people.
One's a beauty and one's an I-don't-know what.
I'm still trying to figure you out, and I don't get it.
But, you know...
...look at the bright side.
The cops are never gonna come looking for you being a guy...
...so maybe being a girl's the best way to stay out of prison.
I've been thinking about this.
You could change your name. Get a fake passport, papers...
...go to Mexico or Costa Rica or Brazil, some place where people hide out, you know?
Nobody would find you. I'm sure you know somebody who can get you a fake ID.
What about you?
You want me to go with you?
No.
Haven't I made enough trouble for you?
All right, let's proceed. We'll begin with the formalities.
It's February 3rd, 3:00 in the afternoon.
I'm Paul Wincott, Deputy District Attorney for Alameda County, California.
This hearing will be visually recorded as well as transcribed...
...by a duly appointed stenographer for the Supreme Court of the State of California...
...under the jurisdiction of the honorable Judge Thomas Vancleeve.
Doctor, now it's my understanding that you'd like to make an opening statement...
...before we proceed with a series of questions pertaining to your case.
This is a confession.
It has very little to do with the dead bodies you found at my clinic.
They were simply collateral damage.
My confession deals with the professional killer Frank Kitchen...
...or whatever his real name is.
Contrary to my oath as a physician and all civilized medical standards...
...I performed unwanted and unnecessary radical surgery on Mr. Kitchen...
...whom I admit was a completely unknowing and unwilling patient.
I did it partially for deeply personal reasons.
He had murdered someone very close to me...
...and in return, my first instinct was basic.
I wanted to cause Frank Kitchen enormous psychic pain.
I want you to understand this, and the record will bear me out.
I'm hugely sympathetic to those who want and choose to participate...
...in gender reassignment...
...but normally that would never include Frank Kitchen.
He was by all accounts the type of man who reveled in murderous activities...
...as well as his masculinity.
But as time went by...
...the more I thought about the situation, I changed my mind about the man.
He was an abandoned child who had become a ward of the state...
...condemned to live on the streets at an early age.
I have the traditional romantic nostalgia...
...for the idea that everyone should have a second chance...
...but I'm also a doctor, a scientist, in a way an artist.
I decided I wouldn't and couldn't do something simply for revenge...
...so I also performed the surgery partially as an experiment.
I wanted to reinforce the theory that, if gender is identity...
...then even the most extreme surgical procedure will fail to alter the essence...
...and this proved to be true.
Frank Kitchen is still very much the man he was because...
...he believes himself to be the man he was.
So you see, my experiment was a success and a failure.
My sincere hope for his redemption was naive.
Frank Kitchen went right back to the gun.
He went right back to killing.
I also want to confess to the crime of Hubris...
...to the unforgivable crime of an overweening estimation of my own worth.
However, having said that, I find myself at a philosophical crossroads.
Whereas I'm aware of my own inadequacy in the grand scheme of things...
...simultaneously I find myself the prisoner of lesser minds.
I have dared to defy conventional morality...
...but the true individual has always had to struggle...
...with being overwhelmed by the tribe...
...and no price, even this imprisonment and indignity...
...is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.
On your terms, I am sorry for nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I am proud of the experimental work I was doing...
...for the benefit of every living human being.
Sometimes harsh methods have to be used on the road to progress.
That is my statement. I will answer no questions.
None of you are worth my time.
Now take me back to my cell.
It wasn't like Honest John was a hard guy to find.
He kept a crappy old back alley office in this dry goods store.
He even kept regular hours.
He's got bodyguards, but no security cameras.
Honest John doesn't want any record...
...of who comes to see him or who he's been talking to.
The best thing you can have going for you is the element of surprise.
So how do you get that back when your target already knows he's being hunted?
11:00 am, broad daylight.
The place where they work. It's where they feel safe.
It's where you get back the element of surprise.
Hey, this is a freight elevator...
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
- Who the fuck are you? - Frank Kitchen.
I stashed Mr. Honest John in the basement...
...cleaned up the bodies...
...and then I had a few questions for him.
I wanna know what happened.
Why'd you turn me over?
How I got like this.
I want details, John...
...and I don't have a lot of time.
But I brought this along.
You won't need it.
The doctor pays me 25 grand...
...I bring her people to operate on.
It's not easy, you know, finding people like that...
...somebody that nobody's gonna miss when they disappear.
You don't want the cops coming around and asking questions, right?
One more time.
Why me?
This is how it came down.
The doctor wanted you.
But to tell you the truth, I had it in for you, too.
You did a job in Vegas a year ago.
The guy you pushed... was a cousin of mine.
It was a family thing.
Look, my cousin is a fuckin' douchebag, but the family went nuts.
They call me, they think I'm some kind of big shot.
What am I gonna do about it? When am I gonna do something?
So I ask around.
I find out you were the guy that did the push.
I feel bad, but what am I gonna do?
Then the doctor calls me and she tells me what she needs...
...so I figure I can kill two birds.
I hire you, I'm square with my family...
...the doctor gets what she wants, I get what I want.
Too bad you lose, but everybody else wins.
I wanna hear more about this doctor.
She makes her money doing cut-rate surgery.
Somebody told me they pulled her license a couple of years ago.
We're not buddies. She keeps her distance.
You wanna know about the doctor, you should ask your girlfriend.
- Say that again? - You heard me.
What, you think you just ran into her in that bar?
What a fuckin' dumb shit.
I thought you was a smart guy.
But I guess the little head took over the big head. Happens all the time.
She followed you from the hotel.
She picks you up, she gives you a fuck, she reports in to the doctor.
That way they can keep an eye on you down the line.
She's a nurse, right?
Nurses work for doctors.
Yeah...
...you're right.
Have one.
I think I'm gonna take a shower first. I've had kind of a rough day.
Come over here.
Sit down. I poured you a drink.
I do something wrong?
Yeah, you did.
Cheers.
I had a long talk with Honest John.
I did it because I thought they'd break my arms and legs...
...maybe kill me if I didn't.
If I try to tell you the whole story, it's just gonna sound...
...like some pathetic attempt at an excuse, right?
Fuck it.
Go ahead and do it.
If I were you I wouldn't push my luck!
How did you get involved with these shits?
Oh, God, I met a guy.
He was one of Honest John's bodyguards. He's big, mean, and no good. Just my type.
He went to go work for the doctor, and he talked me into making some extra money.
I provided the drugs.
Anything the doctor couldn't get without a prescription...
...I had plenty of access to at the hospital.
You'd be amazed how easy it is for me to grab the stuff.
I really am a nurse. I want you to get that.
I really needed the money and they paid a lot and...
I only met the doctor a few times. I never did know her real name.
She told me what she was doing wasn't exactly by the book...
...but she said that they'd be making experiments that would be helping people...
...and she's a real doctor and a good talker and let's face it...
...it was a really fucked-up period in my life.
I usually got my orders from Albert. He's a nurse, but not like me.
He's a surgical nurse. They're a lot more skilled, okay? He's...
Oh, God, he's a bastard. Real mean.
He did hard time for some sex charge.
He's got this deal with the doctor.
He's real hung up on hookers, and she pays for them.
I guess it's a reward for his good work.
He likes 'em kinda kinky, you know? Real exotic.
What about me?
I'm just supposed to keep an eye on you.
Albert's called a few times to check in so far, that's it.
End of story.
The safe thing to do...
...is to kill you.
I didn't kill her, but it was goodbye Johnnie.
I gave her some dough and I put her on a bus to Reno the next morning.
She had some friends there.
I told her to give me three weeks. If she didn't hear from me...
...she could come back to her place and I'll be long gone.
Poncho.
Gracias.
Chao, Poncho.
When I put Johnnie on the bus, I told her to make a phone call for me from Reno.
She promised she wouldn't let me down.
I believed her.
Hello, sweetie.
Well, they said you were a hottie.
Just my type.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy, take it easy, nobody's gotta get hurt.
Did you really think we were gonna fuckin' fall for that phone call from Johnnie?
Bring her over here.
Hold her still.
Nighty night.
It looks like the new model Frank Kitchen.
Well, Frank, I hope you got some rest.
Hey, Frank. If you get thirsty you can crawl over here.
Thank you, Albert. That will be all.
It might interest you to know, Frank, that...
...this old hotel was the site of many...
...many a sinful party back around the time of the big earthquake.
All the rich people used to dance and romance there.
If these walls could talk...
Much better.
You need a more natural look to bring out your best features.
I did a good job on you, didn't I?
You're really quite beautiful in a waitress/shopgirl kind of way.
But I don't want to be picky.
You certainly qualify as an attractive woman.
But inside your head, I can see you really haven't made any progress.
Still a killer.
Still a street animal. Still a macho man.
I gave you a new chance in life...
...and you wasted that opportunity.
I realize you don't understand what this is all about.
Such a complicated series of events and misfortunes.
I'm just wasting words with you.
Surgery at 10:00 tonight.
Hello, Frank.
Get him undressed while I get set up. I got three injections to give him.
I don't wanna check his blood pressure until he's out.
You're lucky to have such a good surgeon, Frank.
I'm sure she'll do an excellent job on your arm.
I spoiled the surprise.
She's gonna take your right arm off at the shoulder and give you a nice little flipper.
Just like a seal.
Fuck, I can do it!
Won't be holding a gun with that hand anymore.
The doctor seems to think that's a good thing.
Makes the world a safer place.
I'm a cold guy.
You make a living the way I do, you learn to keep a hold of yourself.
You panic, you make mistakes, you're dead.
Nice tits?
She did a good job.
Why don't you take a look at this?
Bet you haven't seen one of these that you didn't have to pay for in a long time.
I think you're out of bullets.
So...
...what do we do now?
I think I'm actually a bit of a coward...
...when it comes to life and death situations.
I assume the men who work for me are...
Dead.
I have an idea.
I think we should call it quits.
You walk away into the night...
...I'll pull a disappearing act of my own...
...and, sad to say, we'll never see each other again.
Over.
Quits.
I don't think so.
You see, you never know when you're gonna need one of these.
I can't believe it.
Everything's coming apart.
All my work.
Falling to pieces.
Do you like my little humidifier?
It's... 150 years old.
Made in Edinburgh.
Still runs like a charm.
Don't shoot me, Frank.
I never beg...
...but so much of what I do is for the good.
After I wiped my prints...
...there was just one more thing I had to do.
I called the cops from a phone in the back of the bar about a block away.
I told them to send an ambulance over to take care of the doctor.
There wasn't any trial.
It wasn't even too big a story in the paper or on the news.
They just sent the doctor off to the nut house.
- Hello, Ralph. - Doctor.
You've come to say goodbye.
Yes, yes, I have.
Before we say sweet sentimental things to each other...
...I have to ask what you thought of yesterday's hearing.
I thought it was cheap theatrics by someone desperate for attention.
And finally I thought it was a performance of no consequence.
What I see is simply a doctor who broke her oath...
...a doctor who was found in a building with four dead bodies...
- I killed none of the four. - No, your surrogate Albert Becker did...
...but you built the theater where the tragedy could play out.
Bullshit. Albert was no angel, but he never killed anyone.
You invented Frank Kitchen to protect the memory of Albert Becker.
I tried to help Frank Kitchen, but the fact remains...
...he killed all four, then he shot me...
...and proceeded to do other vile things.
You're completely wrong. It makes me so angry and sad.
Goodbye, Ralph.
I see. I see. You show me once again how very clever you are...
...and then... then it's adios, muchacho.
No, not that easy.
I wanna know what you've been trying to pull off from the get-go.
What's your agenda?
I'm just gonna stand here...
...until I get an answer.
All right.
It took me a long time to recover from my wounds...
...but after two years in this hell hole I decided to put up a fight.
If you could be manipulated properly...
...maybe I'd get out of this miserable facility...
...and rightly end up in front of a judge and jury.
I'd hire myself some hotshot lawyers and...
...hope for 12 men and women, good and true...
...who would appreciate my vision of a better world.
I buy the plan. But you blew it in the hearing.
After I lost my temper and attacked you, I knew it was game over.
A trial would be one long misery with a predictable end...
...resulting in an even greater humiliation.
So I decided to accept my fate...
...but I wanted there to be a statement of the truth.
I wanted it to be on the record in case anyone ever cares to look for the facts.
Now I'll return to my books and my private thoughts.
Goodbye to out there and all that.
Goodnight, room. Goodnight, moon.
Go fuck yourself, Ralph.
Adios, muchacho, and be on your way.
I still feel bad about Johnnie.
Although she screwed me over, I really liked her.
She stayed working in Reno. I think it was the best thing for her.
A new city, new place to live, a fresh start.
Yeah...
...I think it worked out for the best.
One more thing.
The doctor.
I used to be a guy.
A real bad guy.
Then things changed.
Now I look at the cards I got dealt in a different way.
One thing's for sure.
Change is gonna come.