Here’s why I think that Lynn thought she was helping Bud: Exley was Bud’s nemesis at that point in the movie. He was already responsible for getting Bud suspended. I assumed they told Lynn that the pictures would be used to get Exley fired or neutralized so he wouldn’t be a threat to Bud.
Yeah, that sounds plausible. Cop gets caught with a prostitute and fired. She’d believe that. But she’d have to know it would crush Bud, unless she figured that being in the line of work she’s in Exley would technically be just another John. At any rate I guess they didn’t ever make it clear in the movie. It sounds like you didn’t pick up on anything to connect it up either.
And speaking of the scene where Cromwell shoots Spacey, it was rather disconcerting seeing Cromwell so good in that bad guy role. My only exposure to him prior to L.A. Confidential was as James Coco’s straight man French (or Belgian) chauffeur in Murder by Death.
For me, it was, “Farmer Hoggett?! Nooo!”
No. Leverage is influence to make him do what they want. What they want is for him to die.