A Perfect Murder (1998)
Michael Douglas: Steven Taylor
Photos
Quotes
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Steven : [Steven stabs David Shaw, while using his left hand to cover his mouth] You should thank me. Artists are always appreciated more after they're dead!
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David Shaw : [walking slowly behind him in the park] Excuse me sir, can you spare me 400 grand?
Steven : [holding the bag, wearing sunglasses and a dark trench coat] I don't see why not.
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Steven : [in David's loft, sitting on his bed] Fucking my wife.
David Shaw : [sitting in a stool] I don't know...
Steven : I think it's about time you called me Steven.
David Shaw : We're in love, sir.
Steven : That's it? You steal the crown jewel of a man's soul, and your only excuse is some candy ass Hallmark card sentiment? Even if it were true, that's not good enough!
David Shaw : What weren't true?
Steven : She is in love with you, buddy. You're in business.
David Shaw : What the hell are saying?
Steven : I'm saying you did not meet my wife by chance, I'm saying is you didn't study at Berkley, I'm saying is you learned to paint by doing three to six at Soledad State Prison, for relieving a widow in San Francisco of her life savings, your second conviction, if I'm not mistaken your real name is Winton Lagrange, which I'd rather like, born to pure trailer trash in Barstow California, warded to the court at the age of 10, you went from pick pocket, to car thief to con man until you found out you had a way with the softer sex no doubt looking for that mother you can barely remember, life made up of completely depressing little scams, until now.
David Shaw : Where'd you get all that?
Steven : All that is for sale, Winston. Yhe hell of it is that you're not half bad with a brush.
David Shaw : Thank you. Call it rehabilitation.
Steven : Call it a con and my wife is the grand prize but you set your sights a little too high this time/
David Shaw : She loves me.
Steven : She loves "David Shaw", your invention. not that it matters because you made a fundamental miscalculation. Now you play it out, love conquers all, Emily divorces me, she marries you. Given your history, her advisors are going to insist on a prenup, so you might storm the castle but you're not getting the keys to the treasure room ever!
David Shaw : I don't care about that.
Steven : The petty swindler, doesn't care about a trust fund that can buy fucking Barstow? Why don't you cut the shit? You care or we would not be having this conversation, the only thing that's stopping you from bolting out right now is bad genes and greed.
David Shaw : Now what?
Steven : Choices, I can tell Emily exactly who you are, and life will imitate art you become a starving painter, game over.
David Shaw : Or?
Steven : Or you can cash out.
David Shaw : Cash out?
Steven : Half a million dollars, tax free.
David Shaw : Just for walking away from her?
Steven : I said "tax free", I didn't say "free."
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David Shaw : [standing in front of Steven's desk] What happens if the plan goes to hell?
Steven : It won't.
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Steven : How's *that* for wet work?
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Steven : [irritated for being forced by David to meet in a crowded diner] What do you want?
David Shaw : The rest of my money.
Steven : [scoffs] You didn't fulfill your end of the bargain, did you?
David Shaw : So?
Steven : So, what do I get?
David Shaw : You get the "super fine thing", might even call it the "legitimately sublime."
Steven : What exactly is this "super fine thing?"
David Shaw : You're looking at it, it's called "time outside of prison" old partner, and you can't beat it with a stick.
Steven : Exactly how much time does four hundred thousand dollars buy me?
David Shaw : Whatever the market will bear.
Steven : It'll take me a few days.
David Shaw : You've got four hours.
Steven : That's impossible and you know it.
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Steven : [standing in front of Steven's desk] I'm sure someone with your resume will be able to come up with an alibi in no time.
David Shaw : I'm sure someone with my resume would just take the money and run.
Steven : I'll bet you four hundred thousand more you don't.
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Steven : [Explaining the murder plan to David] There was a robbery in the building last year probable means of entrance is the driveway gate that granite facade creates a blind sport in the surveillance cameras it wasn't corrected for aesthetic reasons, you enter as I leave at eight o clock for my card game tomorrow night I'm not going to pull out of the driveway until its clear the gate takes five seconds to close you have the right side of the wall as I drive by then you enter the stairs and use the service elevator the key to the front door also works on the service entrance I'm going to take the key from Emily's purse and hide it behind the pipe in the stairway my key implicates me her key could've been lost or stolen in any case she's not going to be around to explain, the lock to the service entrance is always dead bolted she won't notice it even if she checks you'll be in the stairway at nine thirty, by that time Emily will be taking a bath because that's what she does on nights I play cards the phone in the kitchen is a separate telephone line exactly ten o clock I'll call here when she answers the phone and the tragic confrontation will happen which will appear to be a spur of the moment bludgeon rifle the jewelry in the bedroom disable the service entrance lock and make it look like it was jimmied put the key back behind the pipe and leave the building the same way you came in.
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David Shaw : [standing in front of Steven's desk] When's this card game of yours?
Steven : Tomorrow evening.
David Shaw : Tomorrow? No fucking way!
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David Shaw : [in David's loft] What's the five hundred grand for?
Steven : Killing my wife.
David Shaw : Emily?
Steven : One hundred thousand now, four hundred thousand after cash and carry.
David Shaw : You're out of your mind.
Steven : Not really.
David Shaw : Why?
Steven : I appreciate your curiosity but my agenda doesn't concern you.
David Shaw : What if I go to straight to Emily and tell her all this?
Steven : That'd be my word against yours, Winston.
David Shaw : What if I go to the cops?
Steven : Have you ever been to Boca Raton Florida? there was a lady down there that was carrying on with a much younger man he was a hell of a tennis player, anyway when the affair ended he disappeared, along with the lady's bearer bonds, an acquaintance of mine has a photograph of the suspect and all police need is a name, as in strike three, fifteen years no parole.
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Emily : [talking privately in Steven's office] But why did you put his key on my key chain?
Steven : David threatened violence from the very beginning so when I saw the body lying in the kitchen I'm sure it was him none of the doors have been forced open so I assumed he had your key.
Emily : But when? I had just used it to come that evening.
Steven : Are you sure? He used your key? Because if memory serves me right, the door was wide open I saw you walk in.
Emily : Maybe.
Steven : In which case he could've taken your key the day before, did you see him the day before?
Emily : Yes.
Steven : So I went through his pockets and found what I thought was your key and I reacted I grabbed a screwdriver and jimmied the door and put back in his pocket and took what I thought was your key and put it on your keychain I am so sorry for having to put you through this it was the only thing I could do.
Emily : Can you ever forgive me?
Steven : I already have.
Emily : We have to go to the police.
Steven : I don't think this is the time for brutal honesty. I've tampered evidence in a homicide. I paid off a blackmail. I'm in way over my head and so are you, David can say anything he wants. He could say I hired him to kill you or he could say he blackmailed us, the happily married wealthy couple in which case it appeared we killed that poor bastard thinking it was David all depends how he wants to play it.
Emily : What about the man that I killed?
Steven : You think that has anything to do with David?
Emily : It must.
Steven : Do you have any idea how many burglaries are committed each day in this city? I don't think so.
Emily : What are we going to do now?
Steven : We're going to have to disentangle ourselves from your artist friend is there anything in his loft that can link David to you and I?
Emily : My ring.
Steven : I thought you said it was being repaired?
Emily : That was a lie I left it by the bed.
Steven : Is there anything else?
Emily : Isn't that enough?
Steven : I'll get it.
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Emily : [while sitting in Steven's chair] The key to the dead man's apartment was on my key chain, someone put it there after I killed him and there's only one person in the world that could've done that.
Steven : Me.
Emily : Why?
Steven : To protect you.
Emily : From what?
Steven : [Steven shows Emily of pictures her and David kissing] Your lover, unless somebody else sent me these pictures, he called me here at the office two months ago, bragged about how hard you fell for him, he shelled out a hundred thousand dollars but he wants more.
Emily : For what?
Steven : Breaking it off.
Emily : I don't believe you.
Steven : Did he mention Belize? That's where he took all the other ones, This guy was quite the aphrodisiac with lowly limited means he learned to paint in a state prison not at Berkley I don't know where we go from here Emily I don't know if "we" is an option I do know I have done everything in my power to protect you from this career criminal you let crawl into our bed.
Emily : Why didn't you tell me?
Steven : Because I was sure you were in love with him, were you?
Emily : I thought I was I can't even imagine what I put you through, is this why your business is in trouble? Banks and margin calls?
Steven : How did you know?
Emily : It's true, isn't it?
Steven : Yes, it's true but I can always make money that's the fun part, there's a god damn sea of it out there but there's only one of you.
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David Shaw : [meeting in a crowded diner] Come on Steve, a man with your résumé can come up with four hundred grand in no time.
Steven : [Nods] Where?
David Shaw : My place, you don't show up with the cash, I'll mail the recording I have as "Steven's greatest hits."
Steven : I understand.
David Shaw : [hands him the tab] Be fucking sure you do.
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Steven : [over a speakerphone with Steven's advisors Nolan and Stein present] In case you forgot Elliot, it's a "zero sum game, I just don't think you got the balls for it.
Elliot : The hell with you Taylor, this time tomorrow neither one of us will have any balls left.
Steven : Just don't panic.
Elliot : you're damn right I am.
Steven : so what's it to you? You dropped $50 million in a day?
Steven : do you know how fast 50 can become 500?
Steven : what's the spot rate?
Elliot : you look at it, we're sitting at ground zero and you're telling me to "think happy thoughts"?
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Steven : [talking privately at the Stern of a ferry, referring to the imposter David sent to kill Emily] so who was he?
David Shaw : somebody I met at "Berkley"
Steven : can he be connected to you?
David Shaw : not anymore
Steven : you got any idea who you're fucking with?
David Shaw : yeah, you're the guy who hired me to kill your wife because you couldn't the "wet work" yourself, neither could I
Steven : so how do you know he didn't talk to someone?
David Shaw : Ron was a good man
Steven : not quite good enough
David Shaw : ok, what's plan B?
Steven : well it's a little coincidental if there's another attempt on her life
David Shaw : [sarcastically] gee you think?
Steven : so, we wait
David Shaw : for what?
Steven : I'll let you know
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Steven : [joking with his friends and business partners at The Met Gala] Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.
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Stein : [to Steven as he enters his office for the first time that day, referring to their bond investments overseas] The spreads are "blowing out" and the way things look in Europe, it could turn into a real bloodbath.
Steven : So, what are we talking?
Stein : We're talking at least a hundred and fifty basis points.
Hansen : Bundesbank will have to tag along, so your Yen and other positions are going to get hammered.
Steven : So, what's our exposure?
Nolan : Based on my preliminary model?
Steven : Yes, no frills.
Nolan : [implying the worst-case scenario for their investments] Think Chernobyl.
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Steven : [leaving a message on David's answering machine] David, hi, it's Steven Taylor here, I'm finishing up a little early today and I thought I'd come by and check out your work, let's say about six if that "flies" with you, why don't you give me a call at my office here 544-1817, I look forward to seeing you.
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Steven : [meeting in a bar] Want a drink?
David Shaw : No, I'm ok, unless you want another one?
Steven : No, I'm fine.
David Shaw : I asked you to meet me here because my place is kind of hard to find.
Steven : [jokingly] Like in the "illegal" loft space?
David Shaw : That's one way to put it.
Steven : [before leaving the bar] I feel like I'm knee deep in bohemian cache, lead on.
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Steven : [making a toast with a Martini with Emily, preparing to go to The Met Gala] Here's to "stolen moments".
