we're sitting in pastels, this nouvelle northern california place on the upper east side.
you'll notice that my friends and i all look and behave in a remarkably similar fashion, but there are subtle differences between us. mcdermott is the biggest asshole. van patten is the yes man. price is the most wired. i'm the best looking. we all have light tans. right now i'm in a bad mood because this is not a good table, and van patten keeps asking dumb, obvious questions about how to dress .
or can it be worn with a suit?
with discreet pinstripes you should wear a subdued blue or charcoal gray vest. a plaid suit would cal i for a bolder vest.
van patten looks puffy. has he stopped working out?
that's not paul owen. paul owen's on the other side of the room. over there.
oh jesus, mcdermott, what does that have to do with anything?
you spin a dreidel, mcdermott, not a menorah. you spin a dreidel.
no. just cool it with the anti-semitic remarks.
whoa, wait. may i ask where pamela is during all this?
i'm not sure, guy, but i don't think dyslexia is a virus.
maybe it's just the light.
what?
it's definitely weak but i have a feeling if we do enough of it we'll be okay.
calm down. let's do it anyway
that's the spirit.
i believe in taking care of myself, in a balanced diet, in a rigorous exercise routine. in the morning, if my face is a little puffy, i'll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. i can do a thousand now.
after i remove the icepack, i use a deep pore-cleanser lotion. in the shower, i use a water-activated gel cleanser, then a honey-almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub.
then i apply an herb mint facial masque which i leave on for ten minutes while i prepare the rest of my routine.
i always use an after-shave lotion with little or no alcohol because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm, followed by a final moisturizing "protective" lotion.
there is an idea of a patrick bateman, some kind of abstraction, hut there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory, and though i can hide my cold gaze and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping you and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: i simply am not there.
it is hard for me to make sense on any given level. my self is fabricated, an aberration. my personality is sketchy and unformed, my heartlessness goes deep and is persistent.
aerobics class. sorry. any messages?
i occasionally box with ricky at the harvard club. anyone else?
when?
negative. cancel it.
just. say. no.
okay, jean. i need reservations for three at camols at twelve-thirty, and if not there, try crayons. all right?
oh wait. and i need reservations for two at arcadia at eight tonight.
no, silly. forget it. i'll make them. thanks.
no. no. be a doll and just get me a perrier, okay?
is that the ransom file? thanks. don't wear that outfit again.
i said "do not wear that outfit again." wear a dress. a skirt or something.
come on, you're prettier than that.
i'm not here. and high heels. i like high heels.
i'm trying to listen to the new george michael tape but evelyn-my supposed fiance-keeps buzzing in my ear.
do. what.
evelyn?
is your evian spiked?
no-i can't take the time off work.
i don't want to talk about it.
because i. want. to. fit. in.
i'm on the verge of tears by the time we arrive at espace since i'm positive we won't have a decent table, but we do, and relief washes over me in an awesome wave.
hi. pat bateman.
let me guess-you live in the east village?
i am fairly sure that timothy and evelyn are having an affair. timothy is the only interesting person i know. courtney is almost perfect looking. she s usually operating on one or more psychiatric drugs. tonight i believe it's xanax. more disturbing than her drug use, though, is the fact that she's engaged to luis carruthers, the biggest dufus in the business.
oh come on. price. there are a lot more important problems than sri lanka to worry about. sure our foreign policy is important, but there are more pressing problems at hand.
well, we have to end apartheid for one. and slow down the nuclear arms race, stop terrorism and world hunger. but we can't ignore our social needs. either we have to stop people from abusing the welfare system. we have to provide food and shelter for the homeless and oppose racial discrimination and promote civil rights while also promoting equal rights for women but change the abortion laws to protect the right to life yet still somehow maintain women's freedom of choice.
we also have to control the influx of illegal immigrants. we have to encourage a return to traditional moral values and curb graphic sex and violence on tv, in movies, in pop music, everywhere. most importantly we have to promote general social concern and less materialism in young people.
why don t you just go for price?
he's rich.
he's good-looking.
he has a great body
no. i'm not. why should i ?
it's not.
hello.
listen, wait. you're not. shhh wait.  you're not giving me valid reasons.
what are you trying to say to me?
bleach-ee? are you trying to say bleach-ee? bleach-ee. oh my god.
two things. one. you can't bleach a soprani. out of the question. two. two. i can only get these sheets in santa fe. these are very expensive sheets and i really need them clean.
if you don't shut your fucking mouth i will kill you, are you understanding me?
now listen-i have a very important lunch meeting at hubert's in thirty minutes, and i need those . no wait, twenty minutes. i have a lunch meeting at hubert's in twenty minutes with ronald harrison and i need those sheets cleaned by this afternoon.
this is crazy. you're a fool. i can't cope with this.
stupid bitchee! understand? oh christ!
hello
well.
then why can't they get these stains out? i mean can you talk to these people or something? i'm not getting anywhere.
um, well. it s cranberry juice. cranapple.
well, i mean, um, it s really. bosco. you know, like.  like a dove bar. it's a dove bar. hershey's syrup?
listen, if you could talk to them i would really appreciate it. i'm really late. i have a lunch appointment at hubert's in fifteen minutes.
yeah, well, oh boy, listen, i've got to go. thank you, uh.  victoria?
oh, i don't know, victoria. i'm at work all the time.
next saturday?
oh, can't, i'm afraid. matine of les miserables. listen, i've really got to go. i'll-oh. christ. i'll call you.
listen, what are you doing tonight?
listen, you're dating luis, he's in arizona. you're fucking me, and we haven't made plans. what could you possibly be up to tonight?
on a lot of lithium?
you should come have dinner with me.
am i confused or were we talking about tonight?
pumpkin?
pumpkin you're dating an asshole.
pumpkin you're dating the biggest dickweed in new york.
pumpkin, you're dating a tumbling, tumbling dickweed.
courtney? dinner?
i'm thinking dorsia.
nice?
the question is do you like it, courtney? and will you blow off a fucking phone call from your sad excuse for a boyfriend to eat there tonight.
eight?
sounds like i'll have to. don't fall asleep, okay? wear something fabulous. dorsia, remember?
umm. yes. i know it's a little late but is it possible to reserve a table for two at eight or eight-thirty perhaps?
is that donald trump's car?
you know, courtney, you should take some more lithium. or have a diet coke. some caffeine might get you out of this slump.
j&b. straight.
yes.
yes, dear.
courtney, you're going to have the peanut butter soup with smoked duck and mashed squash. new york magazine called it a 'playful but mysterious little dish." you'll love it. and then. the red snapper with violets and pine nuts. i think that'll follow nicely.
yes, luis is a despicable twit. i hate him.
is it a what?
i'm ignoring you.
what do you want, courtney?
it's a plain end. i think.
oh jesus. i'm going home.
it's a plain end, see? so?
why?
i'm getting out of here. where's your lithium?
oh christ, this really isn't worth it. and see, courtney, it's there for what? huh? tell us. why is it pulled down half an inch? so it can catch the force of the ejaculate!
see? happy? you dumb bitch? are you happy, you dumb bitch?
lucky, i guess.
uh huh.
your compliment was sufficient luis.
i've been great. and you?
owen has mistaken me for this dickhead marcus halberstam. it seems logical because marcus also works at p&p and in fact does the same exact thing i do and he also has a penchant for valentino suits and oliver peoples glasses. marcus and i even go to the same barber, although i have a slightly better haircut.
it's. it's. all right.
oh well, you know.
oh yes. i'm very lucky.
new card. what do you think?
picked them up from the printers yesterday
that's bone. and the lettering is something called silian rail.
nice.
i can't believe that price prefers mcdermott's card to mine.
impressive. very nice. let's see paul owen's card.
look at that subtle off-white coloring. the tasteful thickness of it. oh my god, it even has a watermark.
hello. pat bateman.
you want some money?. some. food?
is this what you need?
it's cold out, too, isn't it?
why don't you get a job? if you're so hungry, why don't you get a job?
why? were you drinking? is that why you lost it? insider trading? just joking. no, really-were you drinking on the job?
gee, uh, that's too bad.
why don't you get another one? why don't , you get another job?
you're not what? qualified for anything else?
i know that, i know that. jeez, you're like a broken record. i'm trying to help you.
listen, do you think it's fair to take money from people who do have jobs? from people who do work?
listen, what's your name?
speak up. come on.
get a goddamn job, al. you've got a negative attitude. that's what's stopping you. you've got to get your act together. i'll help you.
shhhh. it's okay.
do ,you know how bad you smell? the stench, my god.
you reek. you reek of. shit. do you know that? goddammit, al-look at me and stop crying like some kind of faggot. al. i'm sorry.
it's just that. i don't know i don't have anything in common with you.
do you know what a fucking loser ,you are?
there's a quarter. go buy some gum.
i have all the characteristics of a human being- flesh, blood, skin, hair-but not a single clear, identifiable emotion except for greed ,und disgust. something horrible is happening inside me and i don't know why.
my nightly bloodlust has overflowed into my days. i feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy.
i think my mask of sanity is about to slip.
marcus halberstam. for two at eight?
j&b, straight. and a dixie beer.
not if you want to keep your spleen.
listen, the mud soup and the charcoal arugula are outrageous here.
hey, i'm a child of divorce. give me a break hmmm, i see they've omitted the pork loin with lime jello.
nobody goes there anymore.
is that ivana trump over there? jeez patrick i mean marcus, what are you thinking? why would ivana be at texarkana?
so, wasn't rothschild originally handling the fisher account? how did you get it?
i like to dissect girls. did you know i'm utterly insane?
cecelia is, well. you know (cecelia. i think she's having dinner with. evelyn williams.
another martini, paul?
paul, give me your amex card. good boy. bateman slaps the card down, looks at the check.
two-hundred-and-fifty. very reasonable. let's leave a big tip, shall we? my place hr a nightcap?
come on, you dumb son of a bitch. i've got a preview of the barneys catalogue and a bottle of absolut waiting for us.
you like huey lewis and the news?
their early work was a little too new wave for my taste. but then sports came out in 1983, i think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically.
the whole album has a clear, crisp sound and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that gives the songs a big boost. bateman comes back out and leans the ax against the wall. he walks to the foyer and puts on a raincoat, watching owen from behind ail the time.
he's been compared to elvis costello but i think huey has a more bitter, cynical sense of humor.
yes, owen?
no, owen.
yes, it is.
in 1987 huey released this, fore!, their most accomplished album. i think i heir undisputed masterpiece is "hip to be square," a song so catchy that most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. but they should because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity and the importance of trends. it's al~ a personal statement about the band itself.
hey, paul?
try getting a reservation at dorsia now, you fucking stupid bastard!
fucking bastard.
no, luis. it's not me. you're mistaken.
commes des garcon.
jesus lives, luis.
where to send the bastard? dallas? pans?
singapore? london. i'll send the asshole to london.
hi, this is paul. i've been called away to london for a few days. meredith, i'll call you when i get back. hasta la vista, baby.
what is it?
ye-es, je-an?
who?
tell him i'm at lunch.
send him in, i guess. as she exits, he picks up the cordless phone and pretends to talk to someone at the other end.
now, john, you've got to wear clothes in proportion to your physique. there are definite do's and don'ts, good buddy, of wearing a bold-striped shirt. a hold-striped shirt calls for solid-colored or discreetly patterned suits and ties.
right. and yes. always tip the stylist fifteen percent.
listen, john, i've got to go. t boone pickens just walked in.  just joking.  no don't tip the owner of the salon. okay, john, right, got it. sorry about that.
oh that? just mulling over business problems. examining opportunities. exchanging rumors.  spreading gossip.
hi. pat bateman. nice to meet you.
so, what's the topic of discussion?
you're not with the fbi or anything, are you?
ah, i see. yes. paul's disappearance. yes.
coffee?
perrier? san pellegrino?
can you bring mr.
mr. kimball a bottle of san pelle-
it's no problem
well, what's the topic of discussion?
oh right. well, i haven't heard anything about the disappearance or anything.  not on "page six" at least.
understandable. lime?
you sure? i can always get you a lime.
shoot.
twenty-six. i'll be twenty-seven in october.
harvard. the harvard business school.
fifty-five west eighty-first street. the american gardens building.
thanks.
who do you ask?
nuprin?
bad habit.
no, i guess it's okay.
no problem.
bring us an ashtray for mr. kimball, please. she whisks in with a crystal ashtray as they sit in silence.
well.
i'm. at a loss. he was part of that whole. yale thing, you know.
yeah. yale thing.
well, i think for one that he was probably a closet homosexual. who did a lot of cocaine. that yale thing.
he led what i suppose was an orderly life. he.  ate a balanced diet.
i hope i'm not being cross-examined here.
no. not really.
hang. out?
let me think. the newport. harry's. fluties. endochine. nell's. comell club. the new york yacht club. the regular places.
no, he just hung out there.
don't you know this?
before yale? if i remember correctly, saint paul's.  listen, i just. i just want to help.
we were both seven in 1969.
do you have any witnesses or fingerprints?
well, maybe he did, huh?
but. has anyone seen him in london?
hmmm.
oh.
what?
yikes! no. paul wasn't into that. he followed a balanced diet and-
have you consulted a psychic?
had his apartment been burglarized?
i mean no one's dealing with the homicide squad yet or anything, right?
that's so typical, isn't it?
nothing.
the earth just opens up and swallows people.
you'll have to excuse me. i have a lunch meeting with cliff huxtable at four seasons in twenty minutes.
uh, no. there's one. down here.
yes. it's very good.
absolutely, i'm 100% with you.
you like that, slut?
you want to know what i'm wearing? sixty-dollar boxer shorts by ralph lauren, a hundred-and-fifty-dollar white cotton t-shirt by commes des garcons. my rolex cost-
i'm a corporate raider. i orchestrate hostile takeovers. what do you think of that? huh, bitch?
i haven't seen you around here.
would you like to see my apartment?
do you want to come to my apartment or not?
do you take american express?
do you take american express?
i'm joking. come on, get in.
i'd like a girl, early twenties, blonde, who does couples. couples. fifty-five west eighty-first, the american gardens building. apartment 7c. and i really can't stress blonde enough. blonde.
that's a very fine chardonnay you're drinking.
i want you to clean your vagina.
no. from behind. get on your knees.
i want to watch. you have a very nice body.
thank you. send her up. christie, get out and dry off, choose a robe-not the bijan and come and meet me and our guest in the living room for drinks.
you've arrived! how lovely, let me take your coat. i'm paul. how good of you to come.
not quite blonde, are you? more dirty blonde. i'm going to call you sabrina. i'm paul owen.
so, don't you want to know what i do?
well, i work on wall street. at pierce & pierce. have you heard of it?
actually, that's none of your business, christie, hut i can assure you it certainly wasn't cheap.
no, no smoking. not in here.
varda truffle?
i don't want you to get drunk, but that's a very fine chardonnay you're not drinking.
do you like phil collins? i've been a big genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, duke. before that i really didn't understand any of their work. it was too artsy, too intellectual. it was on duke where phil collins' presence became more apparent. he puts aside the cd and takes out another one.
i think "invisible touch" is the group's undisputed masterpiece.
it's an epic meditation on intangibility, at the same time it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. christie, take off the robe.
listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of banks, collins and rutherford. you can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. sabrina, remove your dress.
in terms of lyrical craftsmanship and sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. sabrina, why don't you dance a little?
take the lyrics to "land of confusion." in this song, phil collins addresses the problem of abusive political authority.
"in too deep" is the most moving pop song of the 1980s about monogamy and commitment. the song is extremely uplifting. their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything i've heard in rock.
christie, get down on your knees, so sabrina can see your asshole.
phill collins solo efforts seem to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying in a narrower way, especially songs like "in the air tonight" and "against all odds." sabrina, don't just stare at it. eat it.
but i also think that phill collins works better within the confines of the group than as a solo artist-and i stress the word artist. this is "sussudio," a great, great song, a personal favorite.
don't touch the rolex.
we're not through yet.
what an asshole.
i know her. i knew her.
how did you guess?
thanks, guy, but. she's got a lousy personality.
well, let's just say hypothetically, okay? what if they have a good personality? i know, i know-
do you know what ed gein said about women?
no, serial killer, wisconsin in the fifties. he was an interesting guy.
he said, "when i see a pretty girl walking down the street i think two things. one part of me wants to take her out and talk to her and be real nice and sweet and treat her right."
what her head would look like on a stick.
is that all you ever have to contribute, van patten? "what about fucking dinner?"
keep touching me like that and you'll draw back a stump.
excuse me.
what. is. it?
i've gotta. i've gotta. return some videotapes.
what?
maybe.
dinner at the river cafe. au bar afterwards, maybe.
you and. luis?
i never knew you smoked.
you look marvelous. there's nothing to say. you're going to marry luis. next week, no less.
yes, courtney?
you too.
yes?
detective kendall. uh campbell?
don.
uh, yes. i mean. whenever necessary. you know.
how's the investigation going? taken anyone in for "formal questioning?"
yeah. no finlandia, as usual. fucking dump.
dan, great to see you again. like i said, you need anything at all, i'm your man. i don't envy your job. i mean owen was a. complex man.
rasta man!
i mean-mon. we be jammin'.
ask me a question.
what do you think i do?
no. flattering, but no.
i m into, well, murders and executions mostly.
welt. it depends, why?
so, where do you work out?
leaving what?
don't, i'll drink it.
where to? are you going to go get a gram?
don't tell me. merchant banking?
where to? morgan stanley? rehab? what?
price! come back!
oh really?
that's. that's too bad.
what?
no. i really don't.
jean?
would you like to accompany me to dinner?
that is. if you're not doing anything.
well, isn't this a coincidence.
listen, where should we go?
let's not think about what i want. how about anywhere you want.
no, come on. anywhere you want.
come on. where do you want to go? anywhere you want. just say it. i can get us in anywhere.
soooo. dorsia is where jean wants to go.
dorsia is. fine.
yes, can you take two tonight, oh, let's say at nine o'clock?
oh really? that's great.
two at nine? perfect.
see you then.
yes? you're dressed. okay.
they know me.
why don't you meet me at my house at seven o'clock for drinks, okay?
and jean? you'll want to change before we go out.
jean? sorbet?
i'm on a diet. but thank you.
you can always he thinner. look. better.
no. it's all right. i'm not very good at controlling it anyway.
so listen, what do you really want to do with your life?
and don't tell me you enjoy working with children, okay?
do you have a boyfriend?
interesting.
maybe. i don't know not really. bateman opens up a cupboard where there are a lot of very bateman opens a cupboard where there are a lot of neatly ordered weapons - an ax, a rifle, a chain saw, duct tape, twine and a nail gun.
jean, do you feel. fulfilled? i mean, in your life?
growing. i'm glad you said that.
did you know that ted bundy's first dog, a collie, was named lassie? had you heard this?
forget it.
oh. uh, tape. duct tape. i. need it for.  taping something. bateman goes back to the cupboard for the nail gun.
what. no! put it in the carton.
jean? what?
i'm looking for. i guess you could say i just want to have a meaningful relationship with someone special.
yes. i don t think i can. control myself.
if you stay, i think something bad will happen. i think i might hurt you. you don't want to get hurt, do you?
thanks. it slipped my mind completely.
kimball-i've been wanting to talk with you, come into my office. jean, great jacket. matsuda?
yeah, gone into rehab. shame. is he a suspect?
god. i guess. i was probably returning videotapes.
i had a date with a girl named veronica.
what?
well. i. wait. what information have you received?
well, i could he wrong.
we had. gone to a new musical called. oh africa, brave africa. it was. a laugh riot. and that's about it. i think we had dinner at orso's. no, petaluma. no, orso's. the. last time i physically saw him was. at an automated teller. i can't remember which. just one that was near, um, nell's.
patrick, please. i hope i've been informative. long day-a bit scattered.
great, yes, i'd like that.
absolutely. i'm with you on that one.
never. i mean. i don't really like.  singers.
no, i like music. just-they're-huey's too.  black sounding. for me.
i'll be there.
oh this won't be anything like last time, i promise.
just come in the limo and talk to me for a minute.
nothing like last time, promise.
so, you're looking great, how have you been?
really?
oh, lawyers are so complicated-don't do that. here.
bitch.
uh uh uh. half now, half later.
okay, your name is christie. we're meeting a friend of mine, elizabeth. she'll be joining us in my new apartment shortly. you'll like her. she's a very nice girl. don't say anything about yourself. is that clear. christie?
it's not that nice.
what do you mean, she was a hot number.
she's my. cousin.
she's from. france.
elizabeth, it's three in the morning.
don't tell him you're here.
you're at paul owen s.
paul owen.
no.
listen, i would just like to see. the two of you. get it on. what's wrong with that? it's totally disease-free.
come on. don't you find christie attractive?
come on. i think it would be a turn-on.
christie, you're not drinking your wine.
are you telling me you've never gotten it on with a girl?
well, you went to sarah lawrence for one thing.
did you know that whitney houston's debut lp called simply whitney houston had four number-one singles on it? did you know that, christie? whitney's voice leaps across so many boundaries and is so versatile-though she's mainly a jazz singer-that it's hard to take in the album on a first listening.
it's hard to choose a favorite track among so many great ones, but "the greatest love of all" is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about self-preservation and dignity. it's universal message crosses all boundaries, and instills one with the hope that it's not too late to better ourselves. to act kinder. since, elizabeth, it's impossible in the world we live in to empathize with others, we can always empathize with ourselves.
it's an important message, crucial, really, and it's beautifully stated on the album.
not the face, you bitch. not the fucking face, you piece of bitch trash!
i think, evelyn, that we've. lost touch.
my need to engage in homicidal behavior on a massive scale cannot be, um, corrected, but i have no other way to fulfill my needs.
we need to talk.
it's over, evelyn. it's all over
i'm fucking serious. it's fucking over. us. this is no joke. i don't think we should see each other anymore.
i know that your friends are my friends. i've thought about that. you can have them.
yes, i am.
we never really shared one.
i'm. in touch with humanity. evelyn, i'm sorry. you're just not terribly important to me.
i know my behavior is. erratic sometimes.
if you really want to do something for me, you can stop making this scene right now.
i'm leaving now. i've assessed the situation and i'm going.
i'm just leaving.
i have to return some videotapes.
here kitty, kitty.
harold, it's bateman. patrick bateman. you're my lawyer so i think you should know-i've killed a lot of people. some escort girls, in an apartment uptown, some homeless people, maybe five or ten, an nyu girl i met in central park. i left her in a parking lot, near dunkin' donuts. i killed bethany, my old girlfriend, with a nail gun. and a man, some old faggot with a dog. last week i killed another girl with a chainsaw-i had to, she almost got away there was someone else there, maybe a model, i can't remember but she's dead too. and paul owen. i killed paul owen with an ax, in the face. his body is dissolving in a bathtub in hell's kitchen. i don't want to leave anything out here. i guess i've killed 20 people, maybe 40-i have tapes of a lot of it. some of the girls have seen the tapes, i even.  well, i ate some of their brains and i tried to cook a little. tonight i just, well, i had to kill a lot of people and i'm not sure i 'm going to get away with it this time-i mean i guess i'm a pretty sick guy. so-if you get hack tomorrow, i may show up at harry's bar, so, you know, keep your eyes open.
not in the mood, i guess.
yes, of course. the hash browns are delicious. i'm just. not.  ordering them.
i'm not really sure. i had a shower. and some sorbet?
but how? where do you place paul that night?
and?
marcus?
but marcus denied it?
well, does marcus have an alibi?
he does? you're sure?
oh. kimball now where were you?
where was marcus?
so who was he with?
oh, right. of course. we had wanted paul owen to come. but he said he had plans. i guess i had dinner with victoria. the following night.
mrs. wolfe?
no.
i'm looking for. paul owen's. place.
doesn't he live here?
are you sure?
no. yes. i mean yes, i did. in the times. but.  doesn't paul owen still live here?
but i think. i want to know what happened here.
i won't. don't worry.
jean? hello? jean?
hello? jean, i need help!
jean-i'm not-
oh god, what did you say, you dumb bitch?
what are i doing?
i don't think i'm gonna make it, jean.
to the office this afternoon.
just. say. no!
stop sounding so fucking sad! jesus!
i'm not going anywhere unless we have a reservation.
excuse me, gentlemen. right back. he approaches carnes cautiously.
shut up, carnes, they will not.
so, harold, did you get my message?
yes, naturally.
what exactly do you mean?
but wait, harold, what do you mean?
carnes? wait.
what are you talking about? bateman is what?
wait. stop. you don't seem to understand. you're not really comprehending any of this. i killed him. i did it, carnes. i'm patrick bateman. i chopped owen's fucking head off. i tortured dozens of girls. the whole message i left on your machine was true.
no! listen, don't you know who i am? i'm not davis, i'm patrick bateman! i talk to you on the phone all the time! don't you recognize me? you're my lawyer.
now, carnes, listen to me. listen very, very carefully. i killed paul owen and i liked it. i can't make myself any clearer
it never was supposed to he! why isn't it possible?
why not, you stupid bastard?
no, you. didn't?
i'm just a happy camper. rockin' and a-rollin'.
but inside doesn't matter.
whatever.
there are no more barriers to cross. all i have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem i have caused and my utter indifference toward it, i have now surpassed.
my pain is constant and sharp and i do not hope for a better world for anyone. i fact i want my pain to be inflicted on others. i want no escape.
but even after admitting this, there is no catharsis. i gain no deeper knowledge about myself, no new knowledge can be extracted from my telling. there has been no reason for me to tell you any of this. this confession has meant nothing.