"So, what'll it be, stranger?" "Can I interest you in a mai die?" "Or would you prefer a rum and choke?" "Or maybe you'd like something a little stronger." "I've got just the thing." "It's a nasty little snootful about a newshound named Charlie... who needs a murder story and a drink." "But not necessarily in that order." "What some people won't do for a good stiff one." "I call this little eye-opener "Deadline. "" "My name's Charles Mackenzie, and I'm a newspaperman." "At least, I was until a little while ago." "I'd do anything to get a story." "Anything." "That was my reputation." "The way I figured it, people had a right to know." "First Amendment, huh?" "That's what this country's all about, right?" "I worked on some pretty high-class newspapers in my time, you know." "Pretty good magazines, too." "But I had a little problem." "Since the all-star break... he's been unable to go more than, I'd say, four innings at a stretch." "You sleeping, Charlie?" "...is wondering how much more room to give..." " I was just resting my eyes, Mike." " It's awful late." "Getting close to midnight." "You told me you had a meeting over at the newspaper." "Yeah, sure." "I gotta pay a little surprise visit to old Phil Stone down at the paper." "But I still got time for one more." "Why don't you lay off, Charlie?" "How about a nice cup of coffee?" "Mike, I can lay off any time I want." "Charlie, I'm talking to you as a friend here." "You gotta go see somebody about a job." "Do yourself a favor." "Go home, shave, get yourself cleaned up." "I don't need any good grooming advice from you." "Just who the goddamn hell do you think you are?" "Charlie." "Charlie, listen, I don't mean anything by this." " I'm just trying to help you out, that's all." " I may be down on my luck right now... but I have been there, right at the top." "I have talked things over with senators, millionaires, sports champs, you name it." "I don't need to take any shit from some drink-pusher... working in a skid-row gin joint." "Hey, Charlie, back off." "I said I was sorry." "Mike, I'll buy that lady a drink." "So, what's a pretty lady like you doing in here?" " Waiting for somebody?" " Nobody special." "See, I'm a reporter." "Always trying to get at the facts." "Now, a good-looking girl, sitting in a skid-row bar alone... there's a good chance she's a hooker." "Even though it's none of your business, I'm not for hire." "I'm real particular." "Good." "Glad to hear it." "Are you glad you won't be asked to sleep with me?" "That's kind of insulting, you know." "I wouldn't mind sleeping with you." " Don't do me any favors." " All right, look, let's start over." "Okay, kids, here's your drinks." "Your health..." "Charlie." "My name's Charlie." "You're a real friendly guy." " I like you, too..." " Vicki." "Vicki." "I don't remember seeing you in here before." "Come here every night or something?" "Well, I told you I'm a reporter." "On the crime beat." "Murder, rape, robbery." "So, I come in here a lot on business." "Maybe I should do an interview with you." "What's your story?" "You know my story." "I'm pretty." "I don't know what it was about this babe." "Sure, she was good-looking, great body." "Probably knew how to use it, too." "But then, you know, I've been with lookers before, lots of them." "But, anyway, she set off something special in me." "Made me feel real, you know?" "Back in touch." "I mean, I've always been a ladies' man." "Never had any trouble meeting them." "Lots of girlfriends, couple of wives." "After a while they all drifted away." "And women didn't seem so important anymore." "It was the booze, I guess." "Anyway, there was something special about this one... like maybe she could make me feel 25 years old again." "I thought, with her... maybe I could get it all back." "Gotta go, honey." "Where?" "It's 9:00 a. m." "Most folks have to go to work in the morning." "They are not freelancers like you." " Why don't you meet me for lunch?" " Okay, look, Charlie... let's just get a few things straight, okay?" "I'm not looking for something permanent." "I've had a lot of boyfriends." "Real solid relationships don't work for me." "I don't like getting tied down." "I like meeting guys, seeing somebody new." "It's exciting to me." "An adventure." "I'm gonna make things real easy for you." "We had a great night." "There's the door." "You never have to show up here again." "You mean that?" "That's how you feel?" "Yeah." "I've got my own problems." "I like that, Charlie." "That's a great attitude." "I mean, it's okay if we see each other some more." "I just didn't want you to think that it's going to go anywhere." "I said have lunch, not get engaged." "I'm sorry, Mr. Mackenzie, but Mr. Stone is too busy to see you now." "How do you know that?" "You haven't even asked him." "I'm an old friend." "He doesn't see anyone without an appointment." "Okay, make me an appointment." "I can't do that until I've discussed it with Mr. Stone." "Hey, Phil." "Charlie Mackenzie, how are you, Charlie?" "Great, Phil." "Look, I gotta talk to you about a job." "I'm awful busy right now, Charlie." "Sorry, maybe some other time." " Five minutes, Phil, just give me a chance." " Okay, five minutes." "It's good seeing you again, Phil." "Been a long time." " How's Norma and the boys?" " They're fine, Charlie, just fine." "I ran into Leon last week." "We had a good laugh." "He reminded me of that exclusive I gave you on Roy Angel." "Remember that?" "The Globe had his confession before the cops did." "Boy, we used to make that D. A. squirm, didn't we?" "Yeah, sure we did, Charlie." "Give me another chance, Phil." "I need a job." "I wish I could, Charlie, but I'm up to my armpits here." "Things are gonna be different." "I'm gonna quit drinking." "Yeah?" "I heard that one before." "Nothing ever changed." "Look, I met this girl." "She made me see I've been wasting myself." "I still got a lot to give." "All I want is another chance." "I'm a damn good reporter." "You know that, Phil." "All right." "I'll tell you what I'm gonna do." "I'm gonna give you a trial run." "You want a job?" "You go out there and prove to me that you can still bring in a story." "Damn right." "I'll get you a page-one break." "No." "Bring me a murder, Charlie." "Something juicy." "Charlie, I thought it was about time for you to show up." "You ought to be happy to see your brother." "I am happy to see you, Charlie, and you ought to be happy to see me." "But you don't care about seeing me, you just want another loan." "Oh, Christ." "So I had a run of bad luck." "But things have changed." "I just got a job today." "Except they won't pay me until I get a big story, you know... so I'm still strapped." "What, you think I like asking?" "You wanna see me beg?" "You'd think you'd come and visit me every once in a while... just to make it look good, but no." "You just show up for the rent money." "Listen, it's not like I don't have any feeling for you." "This is the last time, Charlie." "You've been hitting me up for $500 every month... and I've been sucker enough to give it to you." "But this is it." "Don't come back anymore." "Listen, get off your high horse." "You got it all wrong." "You get a disability pension, I get nothing." "I'm gonna be out there pounding the pavement, night and day." "I've heard enough." "You got the money, just go." "I know you're just gonna go to some bar and you're gonna drink yourself stiff." "I'll tell you something, Mildred, this time maybe you're wrong." "I got news for you." "I'm quitting drinking, as of today." "See, I've been hitting the bottle a little too hard lately... and you know how it goes, one thing leads to another." "So, I'm swearing off the stuff while I'm on assignment." "Mike, I got a big welcome home at the paper today." "I got my old job back, even got a cash advance." "They said they missed having a real pro around." "Hey, Charlie, congratulations!" "I always knew your luck was gonna change." " What'll it be?" " Two coffees." " Going light, huh?" " Quitting drinking as of today." "Hey, Charlie, that's great, even if you are one of my best customers." "Hey, everybody, Charlie here is going on the wagon." "So, Charlie... how was that for a story?" "Banner headline, baby." "You really have gone all day without drinking?" "I mean, I thought maybe you kind of had a problem." "Damn right, I'm off the stuff." "And tomorrow I'm gonna show you what a real top newspaperman looks like." "I'm gonna break a big story." "I can feel it." "And you know what I'm gonna do with the cash advance?" "I'm going to buy you some earrings." "I know, down at the paper, they've written me off as a drunk." "A lot of people got a real prejudice against drinking." "It never hurt my work, no matter what the bastards thought." "I was always top man on the crime beat, right to the end." "I could always write a great lead." "And you can't teach that, you know?" "You really don't have to buy me the earrings, Charlie." "Why?" "I'm acting too much like a boyfriend?" "This is a good thing." "Let's not spoil it." "I'm not asking you to move in or get married." "Hell, I don't even know your last name." "Right." "No last names." "No phone numbers." "Let's just enjoy being here, okay?" " Lt. Jameson, please." " Yeah, this is Jameson." "Roy, hi." "Charlie Mackenzie here." "I'm doing a piece on homicide downtown." "I wanna come over and run some things by you." " Right, digging for dirt." " No, I am not digging for dirt." " I just want to check a little information." " I can connect you with" "Shit, Roy, I don't wanna talk to your P R. guy." "I wanna talk to you." " Sorry, Charlie." " Roy?" "Roy?" "Vince, I'm trying to help this kid out down at The Globe, you know." " Give some leads." "You got anything?" " Nothing today, Charlie." "Come on, Vince." "We all know that The Heraldkills stories it thinks are too raunchy." "Look, I got nothing for you." " Vince, I'll pay you." "The kid is desperate." " Ask Rickman." "All right." "Can you give me Rickman's number?" "I'll try him." " Yeah, it's 1029." " Thank you, Vince." " Metro." " Howard Rickman, please." " Who's calling?" " Charlie Mackenzie, here." " Can he get back to you?" " No." "I'll call him back." "James Foley." "Foley, you've got to help me out." "I'm coming up dry." "I might have something." "Well, can you meet me later on?" "I need it tonight." " Look, I'll try." " Okay, I'll check in with you later." "Come on, Bernard, let me come down to the morgue tonight." " I'm off duty." " When do you get back on duty?" " I'm taking my sick leave." " Oh, yeah." "Sure." "Sure." "See you later." "Take care of yourself." " How's it going, Charlie?" " Fine." "Just trying to hook up some old contacts." "Crime beat's only as good as its informants, right, Charlie?" "Yeah, but something's gonna break, you know." "Something good." " I'm gonna deliver for you big time." " I hope so, Charlie." "I hope so." " How's it going?" " Lousy." "Haven't got a goddamn thing." "This goddamn city is dead." "Wouldn't you know it?" "Just when I need a good rip-shithouse murder... there's zilch going on." "Gotta keep at it." "That's the way it goes." "You know so much about it, you keep at it." "Hey, Charlie, come on." "I'm telling you, I've been calling in favors right and left." "I've been listening in on the police radio band... been to the morgue, the hospitals, nada." "Charlie, it's only 9:00." "Pour me a drink, Mike." "Charlie, I'm talking to you as a friend here." "You got a chance to straighten out, to get back to work." "I am working!" "There's nothing the matter with me." "There is just nothing going on right now." "I'm taking a break." "Why don't you go on up the street to the Greek's and have something to eat." "He makes a great bowl of chili, Charlie." "It's gonna pick you right up." "Have a cup of coffee, you relax a minute." "Then, Charlie, you go out there and you get that story." "I'm pulling for you, kiddo." "I don't want to go to some Greek's greasy spoon." "I'm thirsty." "I'm broke." "I had a real hard day." "Now, you gonna give me a drink?" "No, I'm your friend, Charlie." "I'm not giving you any booze." "All right, to hell with this." "So I said to the goddamn code inspector:" ""What's the deal?" "You come in here every two months..." ""you're always trying to find some little problem..." ""you're always trying to get me fined. "" "You know the truth?" "They want money." "You don't pay these guys off, they kill you." "That's all there is." "Those goddamn bureaucrats, they work for the city." "They're all crooks." "They all got their hand out, you know what I mean?" "Yeah, I know what you mean." "Now, could I read my paper in peace?" "Sure." "No problem." "Read your paper." "You're not going anywhere tonight." "You're a dirty, filthy whore!" "I'll do what I want." "Just get your filthy hands off me!" "You will not do what you want." "You're in my house!" " Yeah, who's gonna stop me, you?" " I'm gonna stop you." " You stay here when I tell you stay in." " You're pathetic!" "You're not going out again tonight!" "Don't you laugh at me." "Don't laugh at me!" " Let go of me!" " I'll show you." "You stay here with me." "You listen to me, woman!" "I killed her." "You wanna talk?" " Is that your wife in there?" " Leave me alone." "Come on." "Talk to me." "Get it off your chest." "What's your name?" "Niko Stavro." "So, what happened?" "What was the fight about?" "I strangled her." "She's been playing around." "I just couldn't take it anymore." "I had her followed by a detective." "She's been picking up guys in bars... bums and winos, and screwing them." "She just wanted to humiliate me." "She was no good." "She was just a tramp." "Two years ago, she came in here, she asked me for work as a waitress." "She could charm a snake." "A month later I was married to her." "She used to flirt with every man that came in." "I didn't mind at first." "I was proud to have such a young, good-looking wife." "Right, big difference in your ages?" "I hardly saw her anymore." "She's out half the night, sleeping half the day." "I loved her." "Tonight, she said she wanted to go out." "I tried to stop her." "She started to laugh at me." "God help me!" "All right, we're gonna have to call the police." "Now, I'll stay and help you with this, huh?" "So, where's the phone?" "It's in there." " Hello, may I help you?" " Phil Stone." " All right, can you hold, please?" " Yes?" " Charlie Mackenzie, here." " How's it going, Charlie?" "I'll phone you back." "Charlie?" "Vicki." "Oh, Christ." "How could you do this to me?" "Charlie." "You call the police?" "Yeah." "They're on their way." "Thank you for callingThe Globe." "May I help you?" " City desk." " One moment." " City desk." " This is Charles Mackenzie." " Are you ready for my feed?" " Yeah, Charlie, go ahead." "Good." "Here goes." "Inflamed by jealousy... a distraught Lomax Park man tonight... squeezed the life out of his unfaithful wife... while she laughed and taunted him." "Niko Stavro... reported to be a Greek immigrant, had hired a private detective... to follow his wife, Vicki... when he became suspicious that she had a lover." "After he found out the details of her secret, sordid life... he flew into a rage and strangled her." "Quote:" ""She wanted to humiliate me." ""She was no good." ""She was just a tramp. " Unquote." "Stavro wept... when he confessed his crime to the police." "So now, get this:" "I'm gonna write a book about my double life." "Crime reporter and criminal." "It's a great angle, huh?" "I'm going to start to write it just as soon as I get out of this thing." "But first of all, there's something I gotta do..." "I really do need to have a drink." "Poor Charlie." "I bet he wishes that he'd killed the story instead." "Perhaps now they'll let him write for the paper's horror-scope column." "Care for another drink?" "Or should I just put a head on this one?"