Barbara Sonderman: [Joe enters her dressing room] I always thought private detectives wore felt hats and pencil mustaches.
Joe Mannix: [chuckles] Well, I could send out for one of them.
Barbara Sonderman: That won't be necessary.
Joe Mannix: Actually, Miss Sonderman, I didn't expect to see you until Saturday night.
Barbara Sonderman: You're coming to the opening?
Joe Mannix: Yes.
Barbara Sonderman: [laughs] A private detective who goes to opera?
Joe Mannix: Unless there happens to be a hard rock concert at the Bowl.
Barbara Sonderman: [laughs] Would it bother you if I changed while we talk?
Joe Mannix: Not at all.
Barbara Sonderman: I hope you won't be disappointed on Saturday. I used to be a very good Carmen... before I stopped singing.
Joe Mannix: Why did you stop?
Barbara Sonderman: My voice started to go. You have any idea what that means to a singer, Mr. Mannix?
Joe Mannix: Some.
Barbara Sonderman: Death. Like an early death.
Joe Mannix: Hm. Miss Sonderman, uh... you didn't call me here because you've had trouble with your voice.
Barbara Sonderman: No. Yesterday, after the run-through, someone tried to kill me.
Joe Mannix: Kill you?
Barbara Sonderman: I was alone on stage. There was a shot. It just missed me.
Joe Mannix: Did you call the police?
Barbara Sonderman: No.
Joe Mannix: Why not?
Barbara Sonderman: It's been a long year. I've waited a long time. I've got my voice back, and I want my return Saturday night to be the best performance of my career. I'm not going to have it postponed or canceled for anything.
Joe Mannix: Not even if your life's in danger?
Barbara Sonderman: The only life I have, Mr. Mannix, is singing.
Joe Mannix: Do you have any idea who shot at you?
Barbara Sonderman: None.
Joe Mannix: How about Karl Henning?
Barbara Sonderman: [laughs] What have you been reading?
Joe Mannix: Back issues- newspapers, magazines.
Barbara Sonderman: Publicity. Waste of a lot of good trees.
Joe Mannix: Not all of it. You graduated high school and you went to study with an internationally known voice coach. You had your operatic debut in Carmen at La Scala. Great success. "The best young soprano in years." Well, that's what Newsworld said. And then, uh, along came Karl Henning.
Barbara Sonderman: [laughs] What did Newsworld say about Karl?
Joe Mannix: He had too much money; you had too much temperament- boom!
Barbara Sonderman: Boom is right. We kept exploding in each other's face. That was a long time ago, and I haven't seen Karl in years. And, you know, if he shot at me... it was an awfully delayed reaction.