LA Noire Needs to be a TV Show
So, if police procedural shows are popular... and Mad Men is popular... Why haven't we got an LA Noire-style TV show yet?
Now, you've done it. Out of all the shiny rat holes and killer slums to hide out in, you had to run to this one. The up and coming West, open to all lost and wounded souls. And you're just a little of both, ain't you Dick? Let's see you get out of here alive.
"... sorriest bunch of kids I've ever seen, but if you keep your head down and look out for each other--you might just live."
"Heart warming speech, wasn't it?" his new partner asked, whispering out of the side of his mouth as the police chief finished his encouraging grumbles and left.
"I guess," he replied, turning with a precision he hadn't been able to lose after leaving the army.
Silence reigned for a moment before his partner mustered up the courage up to try again. "So, I hear you're a war hero."
"Wouldn't say so myself."
"The Times would, though. Richard Huston--one of the finest lieutenants in the Pacific theater," the kid said, his arms sweeping wide as if picturing the headline in front of him. "I was a year shy of signing up! Tried to lie, but they caught me. Went into the Police Academy instead, which makes me your senior--odd, isn't it?"
"Really odd," Dick agreed, but mostly because everything back home seemed strange to him now. "Where's our first assignment again?"
"Oh, right. I've got the address right here! I see you're enthusiastic about your first day of work."
"Sure." Or just enthusiastic about ending the conversation.
--
"I swear, Dick, you must be the only GI who didn't meet a girl on furlough," his brother-in-law joked, cracking a wide smile. It dropped away at the lack of response. "You know, it's been a while since you've come back. Maybe it's time for you to..."
"Start living again?" he replied, wry even as he hid his eyes behind the newspaper. "Not all of us can have a house with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids, John," he shot back.
He didn't even notice the man blustering away until his sister came in, huffing with her hands on her hips. "It's not right for you to take the war out on my husband," she scolded.
"Sorry Dorothy," he said, still flipping through the Times.
"Honestly, he has a point. You need to get back to normal. You've got a job now, haven't you? Maybe it's time to start going out. Grabbing drinks with the guys--finding a nice girl?"
Dick shoved the papers aside with a rustle and a cocked eyebrow. "I know that tone of voice, Dorothy Marie. I'm not going to like what you say next, am I?"
"It's just that you're still young and handsome! Decorated war veteran with a steady job... It's appealing. I know a few girls who--"
"No. No. Absolutely not," he scowled, jumping to his feet. "Damn it, Dorothy. I moved to California because you wanted me out here. I come to dinner because you're worried. I draw the goddamn line at you setting me up with someone."
"Yeah, that's what you said about dinner," she said knowingly.
Dick grimaced.
--
"My name's Mary," she said.
"Richard," he replied, eyes scanning the red satin interior of the lounge his brother-in-law had recommended. Not his type of place. Not at all.
"So, I... hear you were in the war. Where'd you get to go?" she asked after a moment of silence.
"Japan," Dick said. "I don't really like talking about it," he interrupted as she opened her mouth for a follow up question.
Mary's teeth clicked with the speed of her withdrawal. "Oh."
Another awkward silence.
"Well, what do you do for a--"
"Look, Mary. I'm sure you're a very nice girl, but I'm not really looking for anyone at the moment. Why don't we just go back and tell our respective parties that we gave it a shot, but it didn't work out?"
Mary was the image of a china doll. Porcelain skin with big baby blue eyes and blond hair done up with a ribbon. Dick was so surprised she didn't shatter when she started screaming.
"Look, Richard Huston! I know the war did bad things to people--I'm not stupid! But I think you're a good guy despite it all, and I'm a great girl. We deserve a shot. I want mine with you," she said, barely restraining herself from attracting the rest of the room's attention.
She was fiery, Dick thought, which he liked. But the way she bit her lip and tightened her jaw wasn't anger--it was desperation. He had seen it enough to know.
Interesting.
"... Sure, Mary. Whatever you want," he agreed, relaxing for the first time in a long time. It was nice having someone yell at him again. Dick smiled, finally taking off his hat.
Mary grinned back, all her secrets in the loosening of the lines around her lips.
Now, you've done it. Out of all the shiny rat holes and killer slums to hide out in, you had to run to this one. The up and coming West, open to all lost and wounded souls. And you're just a little of both, ain't you Dick? Let's see you get out of here alive.
"... sorriest bunch of kids I've ever seen, but if you keep your head down and look out for each other--you might just live."
"Heart warming speech, wasn't it?" his new partner asked, whispering out of the side of his mouth as the police chief finished his encouraging grumbles and left.
"I guess," he replied, turning with a precision he hadn't been able to lose after leaving the army.
Silence reigned for a moment before his partner mustered up the courage up to try again. "So, I hear you're a war hero."
"Wouldn't say so myself."
"The Times would, though. Richard Huston--one of the finest lieutenants in the Pacific theater," the kid said, his arms sweeping wide as if picturing the headline in front of him. "I was a year shy of signing up! Tried to lie, but they caught me. Went into the Police Academy instead, which makes me your senior--odd, isn't it?"
"Really odd," Dick agreed, but mostly because everything back home seemed strange to him now. "Where's our first assignment again?"
"Oh, right. I've got the address right here! I see you're enthusiastic about your first day of work."
"Sure." Or just enthusiastic about ending the conversation.
--
"I swear, Dick, you must be the only GI who didn't meet a girl on furlough," his brother-in-law joked, cracking a wide smile. It dropped away at the lack of response. "You know, it's been a while since you've come back. Maybe it's time for you to..."
"Start living again?" he replied, wry even as he hid his eyes behind the newspaper. "Not all of us can have a house with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids, John," he shot back.
He didn't even notice the man blustering away until his sister came in, huffing with her hands on her hips. "It's not right for you to take the war out on my husband," she scolded.
"Sorry Dorothy," he said, still flipping through the Times.
"Honestly, he has a point. You need to get back to normal. You've got a job now, haven't you? Maybe it's time to start going out. Grabbing drinks with the guys--finding a nice girl?"
Dick shoved the papers aside with a rustle and a cocked eyebrow. "I know that tone of voice, Dorothy Marie. I'm not going to like what you say next, am I?"
"It's just that you're still young and handsome! Decorated war veteran with a steady job... It's appealing. I know a few girls who--"
"No. No. Absolutely not," he scowled, jumping to his feet. "Damn it, Dorothy. I moved to California because you wanted me out here. I come to dinner because you're worried. I draw the goddamn line at you setting me up with someone."
"Yeah, that's what you said about dinner," she said knowingly.
Dick grimaced.
--
"My name's Mary," she said.
"Richard," he replied, eyes scanning the red satin interior of the lounge his brother-in-law had recommended. Not his type of place. Not at all.
"So, I... hear you were in the war. Where'd you get to go?" she asked after a moment of silence.
"Japan," Dick said. "I don't really like talking about it," he interrupted as she opened her mouth for a follow up question.
Mary's teeth clicked with the speed of her withdrawal. "Oh."
Another awkward silence.
"Well, what do you do for a--"
"Look, Mary. I'm sure you're a very nice girl, but I'm not really looking for anyone at the moment. Why don't we just go back and tell our respective parties that we gave it a shot, but it didn't work out?"
Mary was the image of a china doll. Porcelain skin with big baby blue eyes and blond hair done up with a ribbon. Dick was so surprised she didn't shatter when she started screaming.
"Look, Richard Huston! I know the war did bad things to people--I'm not stupid! But I think you're a good guy despite it all, and I'm a great girl. We deserve a shot. I want mine with you," she said, barely restraining herself from attracting the rest of the room's attention.
She was fiery, Dick thought, which he liked. But the way she bit her lip and tightened her jaw wasn't anger--it was desperation. He had seen it enough to know.
Interesting.
"... Sure, Mary. Whatever you want," he agreed, relaxing for the first time in a long time. It was nice having someone yell at him again. Dick smiled, finally taking off his hat.
Mary grinned back, all her secrets in the loosening of the lines around her lips.