Part 1 Chapter 3 Noir Author Reni Fou

Portland Noir Voiceover1

VOICE OVER Noir2

Part One3

Sam Spade was a quiet man, though a man with a great sense of justice. 4

As he sat there gazing out the window onto the Italian Veranda, lighting a 5

cigarette he became lost in thought and sat alone in the dark room as the 6

smoke created a dim whiteness; we call this Noir. 7

He became lost in these thoughts, in these memories. 8

Time seemed to elude him now and like the old flicker shows he used to see on cold autumn Brooklyn nights these memories played out before him like a cheap drawn out low budget B movie, but he wouldn't have it any other way. 9

He remembered the day that some big shot Hollywood director/producer/nobody came into his office beginning what would be his hardest case yet. 10

See Sam Spade wasn't your average run of the mill detective, he invested interest, ideals, and determination into his cases. If someone hired him to see: if his wife was cheating he would find out, he would also find out how long, when, where, and how, and every Tom, Dick, and Harry the lady had been with. 11

That's how he worked, he never would invest too much emotion into a case preferring to be as cold and complacent as possible; these people weren't his friends they were nothing more than a business transaction. Things ran smoothly like this until that October afternoon. 112

Part Two13

There was a slight tap and knocking of the door, while Sam Spade motioned 14

the man to precede and come in,15

“Hello, Mr. Spade," he said while taking a seat in front of the desk. 16

Now he wasn’t much on looks, the man rather, was just a plain sort, with a plain 17

face you see everywhere you go, plain hair color: brown, mousy. The man 18

although what he made up for in looks he got in money and power. 19

Spade with a sense of easiness and relaxation leaned back in his chair,20

“Call me Sam,” he said replying to the mans previous address. 21

With a look of agreement the man answered22

“Okay, Sam look, I need to hire you to watch a girl for me,” 23

he said with an expression of a frank blankness of severity. 24

Puzzled, Spade questioningly asked,25

“What kind of girl? Your wife? Look if you're some sicko into watching 26

young girls I suggest you do that yourself pal.” 27

There was a sense of a rude missile like attitude in the tone of 28

his voice as he spoke those words. 29

Caught off guard yet amused the man answered30

“No, it’s nothing like that.” 31

Spade reassured continued the conversation,32

“Okay shoot.” 33

Assuring the man said 34

“Alright have you heard of Ms. Edie Sedgwick?”, 35

{Eadie Parker alias Alexandra Hay}36

saying this as he began to light the end of his cigarette. 37

Sam Spade with the same easy cool attitude and tone 38

that he always maintained said,39

“No some blonde bombshell bimbo or something?” 40

The man a bit amused but for the most part annoyed, remained 41

leveled with Spade as he sat folding his arms across his chest,42

“No not quite she’s just one of the most happening young starlets 43

out there right now,” the man stated. 44

Spade uncaring responded,45

“Eh, I don’t pay attention to pop-culture,” he said this while he leaned forward in the chair and put the cigarette bud face down into the ashes.46

Further annoyed the man also put his cigarette bud face down into the grey spread ashes that lay upon the bottom of the tray,47

“Well really that’s not what I’m hiring you for…”, the man trailed off quickly adding his own witty comment. 48

Defensively Spade replied49

“Then what are you hiring me for then?” Spade had said this with a level of counter annoyance which was aimed directly toward the stranger in his office. 50

The man squirming and crossing his legs in the seat, placed his hands upon his lap,51

“If you would allow me I’m getting to that. See, I need you to watch her, make sure she doesn't get into trouble. The last thing we need for this production is bad 52

press you see, and Edie isn’t the most responsible when it comes to what cameras see and what they don’t. Catch my drift?” he said, with a smug expression struck across his face. 53

Sam Spade peeved and tense, turned his chair facing the window and he looked outside upon the paved concrete of the sidewalks, and streets below with,54

“Look, I’m a detective not a baby sitter.” he responded cold and bitterly. 55

The man with a look of uncertainty and misunderstanding began by saying56

“I never said you were, all I’m getting at is that you will temporarily be her guardian [angel] of sorts…her body guard in a way, protecting her from herself you see. All 57

your job pertains to is making sure she gets on set on time, and at least 58

half coherent and not doped out of her mind, understand?" he responded while removing his hands from his lap. 59

Sam Spade sitting up now, leaning forward and questioningly asked60

“And why hire me?" he asked the man. 61

The man keeping his cool and remaining level headed on things said62

“Lets just say that you were highly recommended”. The man walked out. 63

[He was] leaving Sam Spade behind the desk with a look of puzzlement 64

and disarray about him, questioning just what he had gotten himself into. 265

It was 11 o’clock [pm], the dark night sky cloaking everything but the light of the 66

street lamps. 67

She was walking down the street on her way to apartment D1 in 68

the lower east side of Manhattan, wearing her best swanky outfit, she rushed 69

past the many reporters and onlookers, pushing past the unrelenting out for 70

blood photographers and remained focused and centered on one thing: 71

the door. 72

As broken glass hit the ground with every flash of the bulbs, 73

photographers quickly exchanging them out for a new one, hoping to get that 74

one lucky shot that could make front-page news. 75

She made her way up the steps to the entrance of the apartment building, the door man upon seeing her quickly opened the door and hurried her inside. 76

There in the lobby of the building awaited many guests of the party, both coming and going at their leisure. 77

The host of this night's glamorous party was the man who lived 78

in apartment D1. We shall call him Mr. D1, and every year or so it was he 79

who got around to hosting the years biggest bash. 80

Edie, like she had every year, attended the party and was one of the most important well-known guests. 81

Advancing her way towards the front door of Mr.D1’s apartment, 82

which was always seemingly open this time of year, 83

she headed inside, finding herself in the usual busyness of the party’s mingling crowds, drinking, and the casual full-heated discussions 84

over whatever stirred the minds of intellectuals and Hollywood a-list alike. 85

She floated around the crowd and commenced greeting and chatting up fellow 86

partygoers. Grabbing a drink off the tray she made her way to the back of 87

the room to the location of the host and her usual scene. 388

Welcoming smiles and expressions met hers, and sitting down on the chair 89

nearest the group looked over at two beatniks, a man and a woman arguing 90

over the severity of communism and the cold war. With a half-laughing 91

expression Edie let out,92

“What an interesting topic we’re talking about tonight!” she said this as a motive or way of squeezing herself into the conversation and drawing all attention towards herself. 93

A man who had appeared to have been there just about all day, piped up and exclaimed,94

“Oh! You have no idea they’ve been at it all night!” His tone seemed to be of that of obvious intoxication but also that of a youthful excited glee. 95

All of a sudden the man in the heated argument, 96

with his face turned red and contorted, threw his fist down upon the table,97

“I don’t give a damn about the communists!” noticing how abrupt his words were he found a sudden calmness and he said98

“As far as I’m concerned the only thing we have to worry about are the bankers or 99

the producers, …”. 100

Interrupting the man, and mildly amused the woman said laughingly101

“…or the MGM heads.”. 102

The conversation then seemed to open a floodgate as everyone put 103

their own two sense worth in. 104

Edie wanting a piece of the action, and hoping 105

to end the lengthy discussion added,106

“What do we have to hate the Russians for? I mean they gave us 107

Tchaikovsky, Nabokov, and more importantly vodka108

…109

” she said while finishing off her drink. Everyone by then amused 110

chuckled lightly at her little joke, if it ever was a joke, that was one of 111

the things you could never tell with Edie was whether or not she was 112

serious. 4113

Edie with a look of want and need painted across her face,114

“Oh, how dreadful my day was you know sometimes, 115

I don’t even know why I put up with it and how he always barks orders at me 116

despite the fact he’s repeated himself goodness knows how many times, and I have heard him only goodness knows how many times. It’s just terrible absolutely terrible, why are people so cruel? I cannot stand cruel people,” she said turning her attention towards Mr. D1. Understanding and still he leaned over sympathetically towards her,117

“ Aw darling, come sit by me. We shall have something here to release 118

the stress of a hard days work," he said, motioning her to take a seat by him on the sofa, while he searched around him for the dangerous equivalent of a days drink, after getting off the late shift. 119

Bringing out a spoon, he lit a match, and in a flash crystallizing the powdery substance into the liquid elixir of the hopeless, he loosened his necktie and fastened it around his arm, raising the syringe to himself. 120

Edie, struggling and impatiently waiting, the light around her seemed to make her glow, dimmed little by little. Then handing the needle to her, he leaned back smiling confidently. Looking down at it with a sense of uneasiness she asked,121

“How much do I owe you?" 122

[His] eyes meeting hers, the man replied123

“Don’t worry about it. Think of it as a party favor, would you please…" 124

As she raised the syringe to herself, the room became smaller and 125

darker, Edie began to fall down the rabbit hole spiraling into relief and 126

everyday dependence. 5127

The sunlight beamed down assuring a brand new day. It was 4:15 pm, just the 128

time that the man told him to meet the young starlet outside her hotel. He 129

made himself indiscrete and unnoticeable, which was easy in his line of 130

work.131

He was told she would be sporting a white dress, black sunglasses, and 132

have short blonde hair. His objective: to follow this lady in white, so he 133

did as she walked down 6th avenue to the corner of 5th street, and called a 134

cab. Which, after Sam Spade’s further investigation, led him to several back alleys. 135

There he saw the exchange of hands and the conclusion when the actress was handed a bag of smack, paid generously by her fathers' charitable donation. 136

He had seen this kind of thing [done] all the time [by] some daddy’s girl, who got into the business by his dime. And who lets her fame eventually spiral downward for some fix that she’s not even able to pay for. 137

But despite that always keeps up appearances hiding her dirty little secret that everyone already knows. So, she was a typical addict. 138

Sam Spade realized this, along with the fact that it would be far easier baby- sitting a junkie than an actual earnest woman. Realizing this he began to relax a little more and put himself at ease. 139

While trailing her though, he would always pick up on the fact that 140

she was aware of his presence. In all likelihood, this was perfectly 141

plausible, but deciding to ignore this fact as he continued with his routine 142

surveillance. 6143

It was then that she sat down at the local café and he drew up a newspaper looking inconspicuous.144

“Are you quite finished following me? I mean I know everyone loves me, 145

but usually men buy me dinner first,“ she let out laughing. 146

Startled by this sudden spark of conversation, 147

he had nothing to do other than to reply148

“Well what’s on the menu?”. 149

Laughing quietly to herself the woman flipped her hair behind her 150

ears while drawing her sunglasses up, and with an outstretched hand said151

“Well, hello I’m Edie”. He nodded replying,152

“Sam Spade.“, he said. 153

Edie looked at him with a sudden acknowledgement,154

“Ah, where have I heard that name before?! Oh of course you must be 155

the one Jeffrey and the studio hired to keep an eye on me, correct?” she said biting her lower lip. 156

Stunned he said “Wait they told you?”. 157

A glow of light-hearted happiness seemed to radiate from her, as 158

she tucked one of the many loose tussles of hair behind her ear,159

“No not at all, but I find it a ridiculous notion that they could keep 160

the slightest thing from me. Although it is pleasant to hear that they care 161

so much!” she responded. 162

With a look of uncertainty, he said in a questioning 163

manner,164

“Any idea why that is?”.165

Letting go a youthful smile she said166

“Well, because Sammy, I’m a reckless, irresponsible Playgirl”. 167

Even he, the cold and complacent man he always was said to be168

couldn’t help but be attracted to her bluntness. 169

She said what needed to be said and what was more than likely true coming from the horses mouth herself,170

“Well, Mr. Spade you know what you can do for me now? [It] is buy me coffee”. 171

Hesitant he looked at her expression, which read for an immediate 172

response and helpless in the situation he said,173

“Sure how do you take it…”. 174

Quick to jump she turned to the waiter, and said175

“No, I’ll order don’t worry…I’ll have a frappuccino and he’ll have…”. 176

Interrupting her he said turned to the waiter,177

“Black”. 178

Looking down at her feet a bit irritated and with amazement and a 179

look of shock she said,180

“Oh how dreadful you drink black! I’ve never met anyone 181

who takes just black; usually they take like sugar or cream in it. 182

Oh you poor thing!” she exclaimed with her hand covering her mouth.183

“Although, I do hear you can tell a lot about a person based on the 184

coffee they drink.“ she added. 185

Never before in his life has Sam Spade been commented on 186

how he takes his coffee. 187

And pretty soon she began to comment on a lot of things: 188

from the way he dressed, the content of his conversation, 189

even down to how he flossed his teeth. 190

It seems for Sam Spade Ms. Sedgwick had become 191

nothing more than an annoyance. 7192

Though, as hours became days and days became weeks, their understanding for 193

one another flourished. This eventually budded into an odd kind of 194

acceptance or adoration towards one another. 195

And then one night, under the clear black of the night sky, while looking up from the city streets below Edie said196

“Isn't it marvelous! I’ve never seen the sky so clear! It’s just stunning, the stars are completely lovely.” 197

As she said this, Sam Spade fought the urge he had inside to embrace 198

her. Over these past few weeks he felt he had gotten closer to Edie, despite 199

her ups and downs, and highs and lows; he was growing to love her.200

“Sam is there anywhere you’ve always wanted to go in your life? I have always wanted to go to Italy. I always thought it was a place onto itself, the Vatican, the art, 201

the fashion! It’s surprising I have yet to go in my lifetime considering daddy had 202

us traveling all over Europe when we were younger. I suppose somehow Italy 203

just managed to skip me by.” she said. 204

Then with a short blank stare and a deep sigh she let out a hopeless moan, then all of a sudden struck with the spark of an idea she blurted out205

“Oh Sammy! Let us runaway to Italy, just the two of us wouldn’t it be lovely?!”. 206

Indeed it would be lovely, Sam Spade thought to himself, but he had 207

already broken his own rules. He had to finish this and settle it like 208

nothing more than business. 209

“No, I can’t…I won’t. Despite what you think, lady we’re not friends or lovers here, so, I’m not going to Europe with you or anyone for that matter. Okay kid?”. 210

As he said those harsh bitter words, the sounds seemed to pierce 211

him as he spoke them, his face was cold but inside he became a mess, growing 212

chaos within him as he argued with every side of himself and every core of 213

his being. It hurt him more to hurt her than it would ever have Edie he 214

thought. 215

Edie’s eyes full of misunderstanding and hurt, unflinching and 216

uncontrollable, she called a cab,217

“I’m going home…” she said, as she went into the cab, sinking into the darkly lit, 218

smoke ridden, back seat of the car. 219

Little did Sam Spade know that this 220

would be his last time ever seeing Edie again. 8221

Feeling badly about the way he had left things the previous night, Sam Spade 222

had gone to Edie’s Soho apartment with the full intent of apologizing. 223

As he buzzed the buzzer no one answered and eventually a neighbor, of what appeared to be of Chinese descent, had to let him in. 224

As he walked up the stairs he felt something was wrong, he had ignored his instincts long enough. Something was wrong. He proceeded up each step cautiously, one by one, until he was at her door. It was open, probably because of the fact that she was so distraught the previous night; she had forgotten to close it fully all the way. 225

Sam Spade approached the door pushing it open with his end of his now drawn 226

pistol. The apartment, despite the fact that it was morning, appeared dark 227

with the blinds drawn and black curtains hung. 228

Cigarettes slowly sat burning out in the ashtray on the counter. The only light 229

on in the apartment was that of the bathroom as it could be seen resonating 230

in the crack underneath the door. 231

As Sam Spade approached the bathroom, uncertain of what he might see, 232

he was for once in his life truly afraid. 233

Reaching for the knob of the door, he turns it; it’s locked. 234

Frantically he looks for a way to open the door, a key or 235

something that will permit him entrance. 236

Finally, he breaks down the door, 237

looking down his heart sinks. 238

He, is emotionless, dead, and cold; 239

unable to process what had happened. 240

Grasping with disbelief, on the floor, his eyes 241

traveled from the matches, [she was] left loosely scattered about, 242

to the spoon laying upon the tiled floor with a hint of death still lingering on it‘s tip. 243

Then his eyes moved to the syringe, and the belt wrapping, 244

tied tightly around her arm, and finally his eyes met with her cold, 245

lifeless body. Edie lie, her arms and legs mangled together in some sudden 246

release, track marks racing down her arms. The finish line:247

‘her life‘. That November Edie died of an overdose on heroin. 248

Sam Spade, still to this day, blames himself. 9249

Part Three250

Looking out the window onto the rainy Italian streets below he remembers; he 251

remembers her. Sam Spade came to Italy for her, to do what she couldn’t; 252

he came with her, he came to runaway with her. 253

It was the case that finally killed him, it was the woman, the lady that killed him. 254

Sitting in the darken room, silhouettes’ cast by the moonlight, a single strand of white smoke is seen from the end of his cigarette, dimly lit in the room. 255

He sits in the corner, on the chair by the window. 256

The silver shine and the cold steel of his pistol seem more attractive by each passing second. The sounds of Fellini’s 8½ plays in the background on the TV quietly, muffled. 257

He came for her to this place under the stars that skipped her by. 258

He ran away with her; and raising the gun to his head he put it 259

inside his mouth and pulled the trigger. 10260

Author Reni Fou on www.storywrite.com261

This maudlin tale paints humans in dark shadows, without any redemption.262

500 lines263

20,000 characters264

10 pages265

reading time 20 times 100 seconds266

is 2000 seconds267

200/100268

2 words/second269

4000 words270

2000 seconds271

60 seconds/minute272

200/6 is 100/3273

33 minutes or 40 minutes maximum274

At four times the speed at275

8 words per second or 10 minutes276

500 seconds or 600 seconds at 60 seconds/minute277