[Man] I never believed that man could adjust
his destiny to the whims of others.
I guess that's why they call it fate.
Von Humboldt once said, ''How a person masters his fate
is more important than what his fate is.''
I wonder if he ever found himself trapped in a rusty cell
waiting for a coven of bloodthirsty killers to come for him.
Probably not.
[exhales] Twelve hours before the sun sets.
Twelve hours left to live.
It all started, like so many other stories, with a meeting,
one through which I hoped to attain some information.
You see, I'm a writer.
Just a small-town paper guy with some aspirations,
but I always tried hard.
This time I succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.
[switch clicks]
♪♪ [house]
- Hey. - Hi-- Eric.
Here by invitation.
I'm Colin, the house manager.
Is this your first time to The Lair?
- Yeah. - There's a cover.
Right.
[Colin] Enjoy yourself.
Cute. Where'd you get this?
Antique shop down on Front Street.
I guess it's not as special as I thought.
Oh, you'd be surprised.
If you're feeling adventurous...
Kind of like a deli counter.
[chuckles] More like roulette.
Have a drink. See how your number plays out.
Thanks. I will.
- What can I get you? - Bourbon on the rocks.
[Man on P.A.] Number four.
- There you go. - Thank you.
[Man on P.A.] Number six.
[exhales]
You?
I'm also the service manager.
It's incredibly wild.
That's what makes this place so special.
♪ Baby ♪
♪ I wanna get in your veins ♪
♪ Baby ♪
♪ You got no one but yourself to blame ♪
♪ You can run, but you can't hide ♪
♪ Welcome to your suicide ♪
♪ We both know what I'm gonna do ♪
♪ Your agony is my ecstasy ♪
- [grunts] - [groaning]
Time to take out the trash, Francis.
All right, Damien.
- Soon as we close. -♪ Your agony is my ecstasy ♪
[groans]
- Thom. - Frankie.
Thanks for showing.
When you called the paper, I was a little reluctant.
but I'm very interested in what you have to say.
- You bring the cash? - I'd be wasting your time if I didn't.
Good. That's real good.
Now, listen, I picked you out special
because you seem like a decent guy.
Not like some of those other writers at your newspaper.
I knew you'd be the one who'd want to know about this.
You said you had something about the murders. What is it?
Yeah. Those John Doe murders?
The ones that happen every year or so?
It all comes down to...
- to that place. - What place?
You know...
The Lair?
Lair?
Yeah, you know it.
No, I heard of it.
It's a real private place,
the kind of place where certain types of men go.
No names. No identities.
No guilt.
- No nothing. - No.
You get the picture.
But it's real popular with a certain type of clientele.
So, it's a sex club, and?
What I'm trying to tell you is that
all those murders you've been writing about
for the past year are all linked to that club.
You think there's a serial killer targeting the club?
I'm just saying you should look into it. That's all.
None of the victims have ever been identified.
How do you know all this? Do you work at The Lair?
I can't get into that right now
I'm taking a big risk just by being here.
- So why are you? - I'm desperate.
I can't be a part of it anymore.
I gotta get away, but they won't let me.
- Who won't let you? - I can't tell you that.
Look, if they even suspected I was here right now--
Frankie, if you know something, you should go to the police.
- Why don't you tell them? - Then I have to tell them everything.
You're talking in riddles. I came here for facts.
If you don't have anything for me, then--
Here, here.
You want this.
What is it?
I can't tell you that.
You'll have to figure that out for yourself.
Frankie, you got me chasing my own tail here.
- Help me out. - It's--
[coughing]
What's wrong?
- [coughing] - You okay?
They know.
- Frankie, what are you saying? - [choking, coughing]
[panting] I'm sorry.
Hey, what about the money?
Be careful.
Just turn him over gently.
We got a young John Doe...
naked, dead.
Makes a good-looking corpse.
Any signs of blood at the scene?
No.
All right, just wrap him up, and get him into town.
- All right, sir. - All right.
Changing departments, Thom?
Hey, Laura.
I didn't know we had any openings in the Style section.
Oh, this?
I'm not even sure what this is.
I think it's got something to do with the John Doe murders.
Ah, your big break at last.
Laugh if you will.
The guy who gave it to me acted like
it was a matter of life or death.
You know, if that's evidence,
you should really take it to the police.
That's a big if. I think the guy was just trying to shake me down.
But it's weird. He left without even getting paid.
It's kind of a strange piece. Don't you think?
I mean, it's obviously hand-made.
It just looks so familiar.
You know what, let me see that.
I think I know why.
You know, I wrote this book review last Halloween.
Myths and Legends of the Coast.
Check this out.
You're right. This is where I've seen it before.
Maybe it has a local history. Can I borrow this?
Sure.
Maybe it is my lucky day after all.
♪ Would I like it ♪
♪ Any other way? ♪
♪ Would I see if ♪
♪ The skies turned gray? ♪
♪ Would I feel ♪
♪ You ripping me? ♪
♪ Would I? ♪
♪ I got the things I know for you ♪
♪ I got the things I do for you ♪
♪ I got the things I want for you ♪
- I saw you today. - Jonathan?
- When did you get home? - I saw you with him.
Him? What's the matter with you?
Who the hell is he? What's his name?
Where is this coming from?
I saw everything.
Okay, is that your secret meeting place or what?
Oh, I can't believe-- You were spying on me? You were following me?
Seems like I had a real good reason to, doesn't it?
Oh, this has gotta stop. We've been over this a hundred times.
I thought we trusted each other.
You know you're the only guy I wanna be with.
That's why I asked you to move in with me.
How do you expect me to trust anyone,
especially when I caught you red-handed.
Oh, I am not cheating on you.
You stop comparing me to your ex-boyfriends, okay?
He was an informant.
I was anxious to get something on the John Doe murders,
and I took a chance.
I thought he might have had some useful information, but I was wrong.
I've never even seen this Frankie guy before.
Why did he give you a gift then?
Gift? What are you talking about?
I saw him give you this. What is it?
[scoffs] Okay.
I'm not gonna stand here while you talk like that
and dump accusations on me.
It's not a gift.
If you give me any credit at all,
you'd believe what I'm saying is true.
I'm sorry.
Jonathan, I meet and question people for a living.
It's what I do.
Believe me, there's nothing going on.
I'm starting to worry about you.
I don't even know what to say.
I'm sorry. I should have given you a chance to explain.
You gotta change the way you think about us, okay?
- I love you. - I love you, too.
All right, let me go finish up in here,
- and we'll go grab a bite to eat, okay? - Okay.
Jonathan!
Jonathan.
Damn it!
- What a surprise. - [chuckles]
Yeah, work was slow, so I knocked off early.
Well, I made dinner.
I thought that we were going to meet my friends for dinner.
I changed my mind.
- Okay. - What, is it a problem?
No, I just thought that we were gonna go out tonight.
That's all.
This isn't good enough? I thought you loved this.
I'm sorry. l-- I didn't mean to cause a problem.
Okay, Jimmy?
♪♪ [house]
Whoa. Members only.
Unless you have an invitation.
How do know I'm not a member already?
Because I know every single one of them.
Would you happen to have an invitation?
Not on me. But I'd like to talk to Frankie.
Frankie, the janitor?
Yeah, is he here?
Yeah, I believe so. Is he expecting you?
Not really. But I have something that belongs to him.
Well, I'm sure I can get it to him.
Actually, I'd like to give it to him personally.
I wouldn't feel right about it otherwise.
Right hand, please.
You can go anywhere in the club with this.
Do anything you want.
Thanks, but I just want to talk to Frankie.
Ask for him at the bar.
In case you change your mind later.
I won't.
Oh, it's still early.
- What can I get you? - Vodka on ice.
- I'd like to talk to Frankie, too. - Okay.
Vodka on ice.
[Man on P.A.] Number nine.
[moaning, slurping]
[phone rings]
Hello?
[hangs up]
[dial tone]
[hangs up]
What do you want?
You forgot something today.
I wanna make sure you got it back.
Where'd you get this?
Thom? My boyfriend?
He doesn't want it,
and I don't want him to have it.
I don't understand.
Then let me make it clear to you.
Thom and I are in a relationship.
And I'm gonna do whatever it takes
to protect it.
I don't know anyone named Thom.
And if you're smart,
you'll get out of here while you still can.
Are you threatening me?
I don't know why I even bothered coming here.
Thom was right about you. You are a loser.
That's right. I am.
And if you care about him,
you'll leave now and never come back.
I'll leave as long as you and I are clear.
Don't ever come back here again!
Or you'll be sorry.
Just remember what I said...
Oh my God, what happened to you?
Nothing! Nothing. It was...it was an accident.
Just forget it, all right?
- Who did that to you? - No one! Just... leave me alone.
Hey!
[grunts]
What do you want? Augh!
[snarls]
- [chomps] - [screams]
[screaming]
Jonathan!
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