In a darkened artist's studio, Joey Daniels jams the cargo elevator and grabs a sculpting knife from a table. He attacks the artist, Camilla Rousseau, and insists that her work is too beautiful to share. Ray arrives and the killer backs up, falls through a window, and plummets over a fire escape to his death.
Camilla wakes up from her nightmare, next to her sleeping husband. She gets up and lights herself a cigarette, and the phone rings. Camilla answers it and the killer says that he won't let her display her work like some cheap slut.
The next day at an art gallery exhibition, and her agent Billy assures Camilla that in three weeks they'll be enjoying her art. Billy tells her that she has to put up or quit, and Camilla says that she knows all about what will happen if she doesn't have her art done on time. Her husband Stephen comes over and tells Billy that it's been hard for her to get that hard. Billy points out that he held her hand through her nervous breakdown after her stalker came after her three years ago. He insists that the man is dead and Camilla has to open if she wants to make money, and walks off when Stephen sarcastically says that he must have Camilla's interest at heart.
Camilla talks to the exhibit artist, Banks. She sarcastically comments on his paintings, and Banks asks if she's "housebroken". Camilla says that she's housebroken but not tamed and walks off. The owner, Peter Van Hoat, comes over and assures Banks that the attendees love him. Meanwhile, Camilla gets a call and discovers that it's from her stalker. Frightened, Camilla hangs up and tells Billy and Stephen that she can't open. She explains that Joey has been calling her ever since she started working on her painting. Billy insists that Joey is dead, but Camilla walks away and Stephen tells Billy to stay out of it.
That night, Billy meets with Ray. The agent says that Camilla is convinced that Joey is calling her, and Ray tells Billy that she needs a doctor. Billy insists that Camilla needs an opening and they need Ray's help, and Ray says that he likes Camilla but she needs professional help. The agent says that his life is going after people walking away from, and offers to hire Ray himself.
The next day, Ray and Camilla take the elevator up to her old studio where Joey died. Camilla insists that the telephone calls are real and she's just not finding excuses to work. Ray asks if she's being neurotic, and Camilla insists that she likes to work and wants to open. As Ray says that he believes her, the phone rings. The answering machine picks up and Joey leaves the same message as the last two times and then hangs up.
Later, Camilla moves back into the studio despite Stephen's objections. She tells him that she wants to open and asks him to understand. Billy looks at her new sculpture, and Camilla explains that it's "Echoes 2". Stephen tells him to think about more than his commission, and Billy insists that Camilla needs to work and open. When Stephen walks off, Billy tells Camilla that he'll buy Stephen a drink while she goes to work. He leaves and Camilla finds the sculpting knife that Joey used among her old tools.
Ray takes the answer machine tapes to one of his contacts, a blind sound engineer named Howie, and the man figures that Ray thinks the wrong man died three years ago. Ray doesn't answer, and the engineer plays the tape and confirms that it's the same voice as three years ago. Satisfied, Ray tells Howie that he's paid off his favor and leaves.
Ray drives to a firewood business and approaches Daniel's parents, and the mother Ruth asks if Ray knew Joey. Her husband sends her to check on an order and talks to Ray privately, saying that Joey is dead and they don't want to talk about it.
Camilla is working in the studio and a man comes up in the elevator and walks over to her. It's Stephen, who apologizes for acting like a jerk earlier. She asks for his opinion on his sculpture, and Stephen suggests that she can easily find another agent given her talent. He wonders why it's so important for her to have an opening now, and Camilla insists that she has to work. Stephen offers to help if he can't save her, and they kiss.
Ray goes to the telephone box and taps the telephone line.
Camilla and Stephen start to make love. The phone rings and Stephen takes it off the hook. Joey calls, and Ray traces the call to an address. Meanwhile, Camilla says that Billy is coming there to meet the movers, and she has to meet with someone. As they talk, Stephen puts the phone back on the hook.
Ray drives to the address--an abandoned warehouse--and breaks in. He finds a table with several phones labeled with the locations where Camilla has received calls. Ray autodials the studio phone but no one answers.
Next, Ray goes to the city Hall of Records and discovers that the warehouse is owned by DM Enterprises. He asks the clerk, Mel, to get him the information. Mel says that he doesn't know how long it will take, and Ray gives him the phone number of the Van Hoat gallery.
Billy goes to Camilla's studio and looks at Camilla's sculpture. The cargo elevator comes up and Billy goes over. He opens the door and the elevator goes down.. A man comes up behind Billy, turns on the music, and as Billy turns to the man and smiles in greeting, the man stabs him with a tool. Billy falls onto the top of the elevator and the killer brings it back up.
Later, the police arrive to secure the crime scene. Camilla is drinking and rebuffs Steven when he tells her to stop. The police lieutenant in charge demands to know who Ray is, and Ray says that he's a friend. Mel's call gets transferred to the studio, and Ray takes it When Ray gets there, Mel says that all he could do was get DM Enterprises' unlisted number. Ray says that he's going to buy DM Enterprises and their warehouse.
When Mr. and Mrs. Daniels arrive at the warehouse, Ray is waiting. He says that he invited them and asks why. When Mr. Daniels threatens to call the police, Ray invites him to do so, saying that the police will want to know why they manage the warehouse. Mr. Daniel says that they have nothing to do with Camilla, and Ray plays the recorded voice of Joey from one of the machines. The couple insist that Joey used to use the place and they rent it out to make some money on the side. Anthony Swerling is the owner, and Ray says that the man may have been responsible for what happened to Joey and he needs the couple's help to find him.
Banks goes to the studio and tells Camilla that he figured she needed a shoulder to lean on. She dismisses her work, and Banks tells her that "Echoes 2" is better than the original. Banks describes it as tortured, nihilistic, and a perfect self-portrait. He wonders if she should be alone there, and Camilla says that she promised Billy that she'd make the opening so she's going to finish. Banks suggests that they finish things between them. When Camilla tells him that they finished it, Banks tells her that she finished it. He tries to kiss her, but Camilla tells them that he should go. He says that he will... for now, and leaves.
In a darkened office, Stephen stares at a bronze sculpture of "Echoes 1", and then looks over at the bust that Camille damaged when Joey attacked her.
Camilla is finishing "Echoes 2" when her phone rings and her answering machine comes on. It's Stephen, who asks if she's there. She picks up and says that she finished the piece, and Stephen says that she'll tell Van Hoat and he'll tell the owner, and says that he loves her. Once Stephen hangs up, he tells Van Hoat that Camilla is having trouble with the piece and she's not sure if she's going to be able to make it. Stephen tells the owner that he's going over to check on her.
Ray drives to Swerling's address and finds the office number on the mail box. He goes in and finds Camilla's sculptures displayed.
Camilla finishes "Echoes 2".
Stephen takes the elevator up to the studio.
Ray finds "Echoes 1 behind a hidden panel.
Stephen enters the studio and joins Camilla in admiring "Echoes 2". He says that it's the best thing she's ever done and kisses her, and Camilla goes to get some champagne.
Ray finds Stephen's gold-tipped cigarettes in an ashtray, and calls the loft.
Stephen takes the phone off the hook and jams the elevator. Camilla returns with the champagne, and Stephen says that it's better than the original. She remembers that he never saw the original, and Stephen says that he'll put it next to the original so he can look at them both.
Ray drives to the studio.
Stephen tells Camilla that her work is too beautiful to be shared with anyone, and Billy didn't understand that.
Ray discovers that the elevator is jammed and takes the stairs.
Stephen wonders if it was a mistake to pay Joey to say his words, and that it's good to say them himself. He insists that "Echoes 2" was only meant to be seen by him, grabs the sculpting knife, and tells Camilla that she doesn't learn. He stabs at her and she falls backward over a table. Stephen grabs her just as Ray arrives and tackles him. They fight and Stephen goes out the window and falls to his death.
Sometime later, Ray finds Camilla in the park and says that according to the papers, she's a big hit. She assures Ray that she doesn't need his sympathy, and Ray says that he knows and just wanted her to know that he was there for her. Camilla shows him a sketch that she's doing and asks what he thinks of it, and Ray tells her that they have a lot of common. She asks how she can send it to him when she's done, and Ray tells her to do a lot of pieces and have an opening, and he'll be there. With that, Ray walks away.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 15, 2018