Crane (49 page)

As for dating I’ve always been the kind of guy that goes with one girl at a time so I’m not the kind that’s going out to single dances or bars looking for friends or what not. I find somebody that I’m happy with and I stay with them. I guess basically I’m the married type person.

As for the other single people in the business, I think everybody’s out for the same thing, they’re eventually going to find somebody they’re happy with and then they stay with them.

In our business of course it’s easy to meet a lot of people and a lot of actresses especially. There are a lot of single girls. It’s a funny thing, you eventually find out they’re not single, that there’s a married husband of theirs that’s lurking somewhere in New York City or something and they’re out here trying to earn a living. That, so many times.

I think that all single people should have a card verifying and signed by the pope or somebody that they are really single and bona fide so that
you don’t find, you know, wake up some day with a gun in your head because you didn’t hear footsteps.

You’ve got to be fast on your feet in this business. That’s my advice. And especially if you go to ski resorts. I mean that’s, especially where it’s slippery, if you’re not fast on your feet you’re really in trouble.

Carpenter:
Do singles stick together socially?

Crane:
I don’t think that singles stick to themselves. You find people you enjoy being with married or single. It doesn’t make any difference. I don’t think anybody has a stamp on their head that says I am single or I’m different than a married person. In fact, most everybody that I know in show business, as I said before, you forget that they’re married, that there is somebody that’s attached to them.

Carpenter:
Is life more or less difficult for singles?

Crane:
It’s difficult when you’re registering at hotels as a single. You put down your name and you feel that some time during your stay in that city you may not be passing that desk by yourself and will they somehow reach out and grab you and say, “Uh-uh, stay away from the elevator.” And that can be embarrassing. So many times I will sign in as Mr. and Mrs. even though I’m by myself. Not that I’m necessarily thinking I’m going to get lucky. But I just don’t want the guy at the desk to embarrass me as I’m walking by with somebody.

I have so damn many things that I love to do: tape editing, I love recording, I love music. So, this is why I say even though I was married for 20 years I really led a single existence as my wife always used to say. When I came home from work, I used to go in the back room, that’s where my tapes were and my records, and they didn’t see hide nor hair of me until I left the following morning to go to the studio. And that’s basically the way I live now. Nothing has really changed. Except it’s costing more, a hell of a lot more. And my advice is make a lot of money otherwise you can’t do it.

I say there are disadvantages to being single. Not necessarily deductions. As I say, I find somebody that I enjoy being with and that’s it. I don’t like camping around with a lot of different people. I’ve always been that type of guy that’s married. Even when I’m not married, I’m married. I enjoy one person and I go steady.

I’m doing a play—“Beginner’s Luck”—that is written by Norman Barasch and Carroll Moore who wrote “Send Me No Flowers” which was a story about a man that thinks he’s going to die and so prepares his wife
for that day. She thinks he’s going to leave her and there’s a whole mix up where she’s sure he’s having an affair and his neighbor convinces him to admit it even though he’s not having one.

In this new play, “Beginner’s Luck,” a married man sets out to have his first affair and his wife catches him when the building catches fire. He’s seen coming out of the building with his bowling ball because he’s supposed to be bowling that night. His wife divorces him right away without understanding. Later, she says, “If we had such a great marriage, how come you were up at that girl’s apartment when the fire started?” He says, “I don’t know. I guess because I’m human.” She says, “Oh, you’re not going to fall back on that old bromide.” And he says, “No, I’m just saying human beings have faults, weaknesses, and they make mistakes. In my case, I also ran into a little bad luck.” It’s a very funny line and very true because if the fire hadn’t started she never would have known.

We found out that married people who came to see the play got uneasy during the first couple of scenes when the man’s having the affair because I think too many of them associated with what was going on. The men didn’t want to laugh too loud because that would show recognition of the situation. The wives sure didn’t want to laugh because there was nothing funny about a guy messing around especially with a gorgeous, young, single girl who works in his office. I think you can find more girls in offices than you can in show business. In fact, I’m going to get out of this business. I’m going to go work in an office.

Appendix B

MARICOPA COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT

SUBJECT: HOMICIDE

FILE
#: 90-099

VICTIM
: Robert E. Crane

CHARGE
: Pending

DATE:
9–12–90

INVESTIGATOR
: Raines/Vassall

ATTORNEY
: M. J. Parker

APPROVED BY
:

John H. Carpenter and Bob Crane, Jr. Conversation (date unknown)

The following is a transcript of a taped conversation between John H. Carpenter and Bob Crane, Jr. The original tape was presented to this investigator by Chuck Slone [
sic
], Bob Crane, Jr.’s step-father on September 8, 1990.

JC: John H. Carpenter

BC: Bob Crane, Jr.

JC: [I think Patti was] vindictive enough from what I heard in conversations.

BC: John, you haven’t seen the will yet.

JC: You’re right, I told him [Lieutenant Ron Dean] that, I said you and I have been in contact with each other. We’re now amateur sleuths.

BC: Right.

JC: And I said we’re trying to compare notes from what we read, he said well don’t believe anything you read, and I said we don’t know that.

BC: Yeah.

JC: You know, and I said the will is ridiculous—

BC: Right.

JC: I said this will is absolutely bananas. I said I was with Bob and many times he said the new house it’ll be a great show place for Bobby.

BC: Yeah or the equipment for instance.

JC: Yeah and I said, I said to him, I said and would you believe I said Bobby was telling me that two years ago they left the equipment to Scotty.

BC: Yeah.

JC: He was only five then, what the hell would he do with all of the material from Bob.

BC: Right, i.e. Patti, you know.

JC: Yeah. And I, and I said well that’s my own opinion and I said that’s it.

BC: Yeah.

JC: Then he popped up with what, what’s Dick Dawson’s phone number and I know he had got it from before.

BC: Yeah.

JC: And I figured this is bullshit and like I said I called my attorney at home this morning and I said you know I said this is a crock and he says don’t talk to them if you don’t want to.

BC: Yeah.

JC: And so then they [Lieutenant Ron Dean and detective Dennis Borkenhagen] told me last night well you’re going to be around the weekend, I mean for, the fly out Thursday and Friday and I said yeah and then Rita [Carpenter’s extramarital girlfriend] popped up and she said no we’re going to be late Friday because I have a hair appointment, she does.

BC: Yeah.

JC: And I said okay so fine I’ll be home at ten o’clock. He says okay we’ll be in touch with you because we’re going to see quite a few people in town. And I don’t even know if they have your new phone number.

BC: I imagine, well they, they can get it through Vaughn or, Lloyd Vaughn or Goldstein.

JC: Yeah.

BC: They’re the two, you know, I went to Phoenix with. I mean if they don’t talk with me it’s ridiculous, now I imagine they’re going to talk to Patti.

JC: I don’t know, like I said they, like I told them last night you guys don’t tell me nothing.

BC: Yeah.

JC: You come to me and ask me and now they’re asking me stupid things like you went and bought a sun shade for your car, my lotus—

BC: Yeah.

JC: —and I said yeah, they said where did you buy it at. And I’m thinking to myself, what the fuck is this, man, we’re talking, we’re talking one o’clock in the afternoon the day before.

BC: Yeah.

JC: I mean you know this is fucking ridiculous, I told them what I had done during the course of the day and I went in and got the sun shade, they said where did you buy it, I said how in the fuck do I know where I bought it. I can tell you that I went down the street and made a left-hand turn and went into a, a car, car parts house—

BC: Yeah, yeah.

JC: —what did they sell, I said car parts.

BC: Yeah, yeah come on.

JC: You know and this is bullshit and then you know he says how are you sleeping at night, and I said great.

BC: Me too.

JC: You know I said fuck I’m sleeping great.

BC: I’m so exhausted after every day man I just I zonk out.

JC: This is fucking ridiculous.

BC: Stupid questions.

JC: I mean you know and after they left last night, I thought to myself this is, this is bananas you know.

BC: Yeah.

JC: If they, if they’re accusing me, great you know at least I know where I stand.

BC: Yeah.

JC: You know and I went to Phoenix to give them my, my fingerprints, my blood type.

BC: Yeah.

JC: They say that there was blood on my car, this is bullshit.

BC: Yeah.

JC: And they say it’s the same type as Bob Crane’s and I said what type is that.

BC: Yeah.

JC: He says a very uncommon type. And I’m thinking to myself oh bullshit, and then the guy driving me to the airport says well you know he
says it might not be his blood, you know and they break it down to inspect them to genes to this and that.

BC: Yeah.

JC: And I says I know nothing about it, you know, here you are you’re still mentioning things to me, I says I know nothing about it. And I’m thinking to myself what the hell is this shit.

BC: No they’re, they’re searching.

JC: Boy they’re, they’re scratching and then they’re scratching my back hard.

BC: Yeah.

JC: And I’m the one that’s trying to help.

BC: Yeah.

JC: I’m telling them you know give me something, you want to know something about something that’s different.

BC: What pisses me off is that they haven’t talked to any family members, just for background or whatever, or for whatever I mean, my relationship with him you know—

JC: Yeah.

BC: —in terms of anything I could give them.

JC: Oh yeah they asked last night, where was Bobby Crane—

BC: Great.

JC: —living and I said they lived together as son, son and father.

BC: Yeah.

JC: It’s a two bedroom, two bath big house. Uh-huh, I mean it’s—

BC: Yeah well I’ll probably be accused next so you know, it’s okay.

JC: Well great friend except for one thing I called you on the phone as soon as I found out and you were sitting there working.

BC: Yeah.

JC: And that was what 2:30, 3:00 o’clock that afternoon.

BC: Right. That’s—

JC: After I’d talked to Dean thinking it was a fucking robbery.

BC: Yeah.

JC: Like an asshole and I’m giving him my name, hey if something’s been robbed, my name is John Carpenter you know bullshit.

BC: Yeah, yeah.

JC: Oh this is crap, you know I wouldn’t mind it so bad if they were coming at me with you know can you help us Mr. Carpenter, that routine but no this guy comes up with and now I’m becoming reluctant ever since
that first fuckin’ night why did you kill Bob Crane, what did he ever do to you to get you so mad at him.

BC: Yeah, yeah.

JC: And I’m thinking to myself fuck I’ve never said a bad work [
sic
] to your dad in the twelve years or thirteen years that I’ve known him.

BC: Right.

JC: And I’m sure your [
sic
] glad, your dad felt very highly of me.

BC: Oh yeah.

JC: You know.

BC: I’ve told them this already, I’ve had like five phone conversations with either Dean and Borkenhagen, you know, just from the length of like asking me one question do you know Joe Smoe—

JC: Yeah.

BC: —to what can you tell us about John Carpenter, and I said you know the fact that I’ve known him through my dad for you know like I said twelve or thirteen years, I mean the complete character reference on you, you know.

JC: Yeah.

BC: Type, if my dad had any best friend, you know, or whatever you want to call it—

JC: Uh-huh.

BC: —it was you.

JC: Yeah.

BC: Because he wasn’t, you know, as you know he didn’t have a lot of—

JC: Right.

BC: —male friends or anything.

JC: Right. You know here’s what got me too, what do you think about Bob Crane’s death, and I said it’s very sad, I said it’s a loss, I said I’m very sorry, the man is a beautiful man.

BC: Yeah.

JC: He says is that all you got to say. And I said well that’s my feeling.

BC: Yeah.

JC: He said well other people have said other things. And I said well I don’t care what other people say, you asked me what I felt, I said he’s a very beautiful man, we’ve had a lot of good relationships with each other, our friendships.

BC: Right.

JC: I taught him all he knows about video.

BC: Right.

JC: I said it’s, it’s a awful loss, he’s a very good long friend.

BC: Yeah.

JC: You know, so.

BC: I guess they’re waiting for you to just break down or something, you know.

JC: Oh yeah run out and say here take my blood. Well anyway I thought I’d let you know, you know.