"Remembering, out of the black silence." "You were born in pain." "Easy!" "Easy does it little mother." "You never lost a father." "Your job is done, little mother." "You were born with hate and anger built in." "Took a slap on the backside to blast out the scream." "And then you knew you were alive." "8 pounds 5 ounces." "Baby boy Franky Bono." "Father doing well." "Later you learn to hold back the scream" "And let out the hate and anger in other way." "You come into Manhattan by dark, whatever time of day it is." "Through tunnels like sewers hidden under the city." "But you don't mind that." "It's always that way, whatever city it is." "You're alone, but you don't mind that." "You're a loner, and that's the way it should be." "You've always been alone." "By now it's your trademark." "You like it that way." "The railroad company make sure you don't forget you're coming to town on Christmas." "It gives you the creeps, but that's alright." "Everyone on the good will kit might even leave you alone." "You hate cities, specially at Christmas." "But that's alright too." "When the better business bureau rings the Christmas bell the suckers forget there's such a business as murder." "And businessmen will make it their exclusive line." "Like you, baby boy Franky Bono, out of Cleveland." "Nice view we have here." "Thank you, mister, merry Christmas." "Registered as Fred More of Albany, in town for a week or less, on business." "By the way mister, if you need anything just ask for George." "OK." "At noon you make contact." "The wind is cold as you approach the ferry but the palms of your hands start to sweat." "This is the first bad moment, there's always a few on every job, when you're not alone." "You can depend on yourself, no one else." "You learn the hard way:" "they all hate the gun they hire." "When people look at you, baby boy Franky Bono, they see death." "Death across the counter." "Remembering..." "Watch it Franky!" "You almost missed him." "You'll know him by the hate in his eye when he asks for light." "You got a match, buddy?" "Ever been in Ohio?" "Yeah, Cleveland." "I've got a friend that practices in Cleveland." "You know him?" "Yeah, I know fat Nick." "You got my passport?" "Half the dough is in the envelope, you get the other half when the job is finished." "How do I get in touch?" "There's a number in the envelope." "Call after you make the hit." "I'll let you know where to meet me for the pay-off." "Ok" "One more thing." "If you get spotted before the hit, the contract's off." "You understand me?" "Yeah, I understand you." "Now you're alone again." "You relax." "Your hands are cold now, even with clubs on." "On your own again." "Nothing to worry about." "The target's name is Troiano." "You know the type." "Second string syndicate boss with too much ambition." "And a moustache." "To hide the fact he has lips like a woman." "The kind of face you hate." "Nice little home." "Quiet little community." "An hour out in the suburbs." "Every morning he's picked up by two body-guards." "Hood written all over them." "But when the neighbours read the headlines "Mobster killed", they'll say:" ""But Mr. Troiano seemed like such a respectable man!"" ""He went to work every morning, 9:30 on the dot."" "You already know one thing:" "you can't make the kill at his house." "Too easily spotted, 24 hours street lamps." "It's a laugh." "You could afford a house like that." "If you wanted it." "You're in the upper 5% item bracket. *" "Killing pays well, for a reason." "You have the experience and the know-how." "You're proud of your reputation:" "expert and thorough." "You don't have to know a man to live with him." "But you have to know a man like a brother to kill him." "Watch it." "Body-guard's slowing down." "It could be they're watching for a tail." "Pass them." "Don't ever take chances, you're not a gambler." "Now you know the pattern the job will take, a waiting job." "Waiting to find where Troiano goes to be alone." "And you know another thing." "You'll have to be quick and silent." "While he's away from his body-guards." "It will be a job for a gun." "That means another bad moment." "Another contact." "Your hands sweat a little on the wheel." "Remembering another Christmas, running from the cops." "Watch it Franky, danger signal." "You're mind's wondering." "But you know why." "You're out to do business with Ralphy and he chains your stomach." " Bono." " Bono." "Yeah, come on in." "Jesus, good to see you." "You surprised me." "I didn't expect nobody." "Kids have been knocking on the door all day." "Place is kind of a mess." "You have to excuse me, I didn't expect no company or nothing." "I just had my lunch here." "So how you've been?" "You're making a dollar?" "I'm doing alright." "You always did alright." "Sit down, Frank." "I'm in a hurry, Ralph." "You got one of them for me?" "I heard you did a little time?" "Still in business, Ralphy?" " What can I do for you?" " I need a piece." " That's no problem." " 38 with a silencer." "A silencer?" "That may be a little problem." "You know, I..." "I got to worry about a machinist." "But..." "We'll work something out." "But it will cost you." "Nancy!" "How you doing?" "Look how she knows me." "How you're doing sweetie?" "How much?" "She hasn't eaten all day, I'll get her something." "There you go." "Here you go, sweetie, come on." "Come on!" "Come on!" "You like that, don't you?" "You like that!" "Five hundred dollars, Frank." "I'll give you two." "I'd like to help you out, Frank, but two..." "I'll tell you what I'll do, Frank." "Four hundred dollars." "But that's rock bottom." "Three." "The odd half now, and the rest when I get the piece." "Frank, make it another fifty." "Come on, what does it mean to you?" "I gotta make something on the deal, just another fifty." "Come on, Frank, please." "Alright." "I'll give you the other fifty." "But that's it." "You understand?" "Sure, Frank." "When I make a deal, it's a deal." "Now we'll have a drink, eh?" "I'm in a hurry, Ralph." "When do I pick it up?" "Just one for the new year, Frank." "What have happened to that..." "The girl you used to go with, the redhead?" "What was her name?" "Sally, yeah!" "Frank." "She..." "She liked me, didn't she?" "Yeah!" "She liked you." "Here's to Sally." "Ralph, when do I get the goods?" "Oh, yeah." "Over the east side the barge called "The Katherine Hell"." "Pier 21." "Ask to speak to Joe Boniface, tell him that Vinny St. Terence sent you." "Tell him you're from Cleveland." "He'll deliver the goods." " Where's that again?" " Between 23rd and 24th street." "I want this quick." "Oh, yeah!" "Anytime after tomorrow, Frank." "Alright." "Hey, what's your rush Frank?" " I got to run, Ralphy." " I thought..." "Look here." "Look what big Ralph got for Christmas." "Isn't that nice..." "Yeah, isn't that nice..." "Now you're alone again." "In another rented car." "You pick up the target where you left off yesterday." "Right on schedule." "Today the brakes are with you when you stay with him while he makes his morning rounds." "The streets of Harlan are busy enough, no one notices you." "You catch a danger signal." "Your hands are sweating but that's alright because you know what it is." "The hate of Harlan." "You hate them and they hate you." "Like another Harlan, where you grew up." "Watch it Franky, save your hate for Troiano." "He runs the girls and the dope and the books and the numbers." "There's a guy you can really learn to hate." "You will." "Before the time comes." "You always do." "Somehow you always hate the targets before you hit them." "The sisters at the orphanage used to say:" ""God moves in mysterious ways"" "Sometimes you wonder if he moved you within the world of men like Troiano." "He thinks he looks like a gentleman if his shoes are shined." "You could kill him right now with pleasure." "Knock it off for today." "Pick him up tomorrow when he lives the restaurant." "Time to kill. 24 hours to stay faceless in the crowd." "Get yourself lost in the city." "Lose yourself in the Christmas spirit with the rest of them." "Funny." "You're hands are cold when you think of Christmas." "Remembering." "Remembering other Christmases." "Pushing your nose against the plate glass straw windows til the cold of it make your head ache." "Whishing for something." "What was it?" "Roller-skates, bike, sled, games?" "Nothing like that." "Something bigger." "More important, something special." "Alone at dinner." "You hands are hot remembering the hot sweaty hands of the Mother Superior holding you." "Watch it!" "Danger signal." "And now you catch it." "Another bad moment." "Of all crummy times." "The familiar face out of the past." "Good old Pete from the orphanage." "It has to happen now and then." "You can handle it." "But why now?" "You feel hot." "Like they were crowding in and pushing you." "Who?" "Anyone." "Everyone." "Pete." "You hate the type." "You'd like to push his loud mouth in." "You smile, you're polite, you don't even hear the words." ""Yuk...yuk...yuk..." like a parrot." "Then he's reminding you, there was a girl." "His sister, Laurie." "You don't usually remember names, specially women's names." "But Laurie..." "There was something special there." "Tell me about yourself Franky." "What have you been doing?" "Pete, I can't stay, I've got to take-off." "What, are you kidding?" "Hey, waiter!" "Bring me two more here." "You're going no place, man." "Come on." "Do I have to lay out like I used to?" "Come on now Franky, show me in." "Where the hell did you disappear to?" "Well, I've been on the move a lot." "And I..." "Sure!" "Sure, who hasn't?" "As for me, maybe you remember I was always pretty fair with a paintbrush?" "So when I came out of the army I studied commercial art, GI Bill." "And finally got myself a job at an advertising agency." "I guess I've been kind of lucky." "Glad to hear it, Pete." "Say!" "What are you doing tonight?" "I mean, Laurie is giving a party and you're coming." "No." "I can't make it kid, I've got to go." " Waiter!" " Nonsense, Franky, it's Christmas eve!" " Franky, you got to come." " I can't make it, kid." "There will be a lot of swinging people there." "You'll have a wonderful time." "Besides, here she comes now!" "Laurie, look who's here!" "How about it, Laurie?" "You recognize this guy?" "Hello Franky!" "Hello." "You sure have changed." "She hasn't changed a bit." "Maybe a little longer, wider, but that's all." "Laurie, we're going let him have a lonely old beer on Christmas eve?" "You know you're making a mistake." "But you tell yourself it's smarter to play it cool." "Go for one drink, stay for a dance maybe, and then get out." "You tell yourself they might get suspicious if you turn down the invite." "Maybe you're right, maybe you're smart." "Maybe you're kidding yourself, so watch it." "You hate parties." "You sit alone waiting for a chance to blow the noisy crowd out of you hears wondering what you're doing here." "If you want a woman, buy one." "In the dark, so she won't remember your face." "But for some reason you stall around." "Telling yourself it's a good a way as any to kill time." "I always wanted to dance with you, Franky." "Come on, go ahead, we're all friends here." "Yeah, go ahead, my sister only asks once, you know..." "You're not having a very good time, are you?" "I guess I just got two left feet." "Try." "That's more like it." "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, quiet down, listen:" "20 years ago I won a great contest, I'll never forget it." "And just to prove my manhood, I'm going to do so again." "Franky, I challenge you to a peanut pushing contest with the nose." "Of course I have a slight advantage because I..." "Will you tape this loud mouth!" "?" "He has a good chance, I haven't practiced for years." "Come on, Franky, I'm giving you a second chance!" "How many people get that in their life?" " You'll get him, Franky." " This ought to be something..." "One for you." "Come on, Franky!" "You son of a gun, you won!" "December 25th, you have all of Christmas day to kill." "You hate Christmas so much you can't stand the thought of sweating it out alone in the crummy hotel room." " Hello." " You know..." "I had such a funny feeling, I wasn't sure you'd come." "Here..." "Thanks, Franky." "Merry Christmas to you!" "Come on in!" "No, it really was great." "I haven't eaten a meal like this in years." "Why not, Franky?" "Well, you know I've moved around a lot." "Never settled in one place." "Doing what?" "You certainly can be evasive." "Where did you go when you left Chilacate?" "Franky?" "Cleveland!" "I was sick of that little burger, I wanted a big city." "And what did you do?" "I got a job in this big parking lot." "The old guy who run it..." "He liked me, treated me like a father." "He made me manager." "And I was doing pretty good." "Til the all damned thing fell apart." "What do you mean?" "There were these local racket guys and they tried to shake the old man down..." "They bombed his house and they killed his wife." "Why?" "Why?" "!" "You just don't ask questions like that!" "That's why!" "All I know is the old guy took off afar like a scared rabbit!" "Maybe I should have gone with him." "What did you do?" "What did I do!" "I look to stay alive, that's what I do!" "Let's just forget the whole thing, shall we?" "Why don't we dance..." "Unless of course you'd rather push another peanut across the floor." "Come on, Franky." "That was some dance..." " Let's seat down." " No, Franky." "Franky, no!" "No, Franky!" "I'm sorry!" "I'm very sorry." "Sometimes I just don' know what the hell I'm doing." "I think you'd better go, Frank." "Laurie, please." "Let me stay." "I promise you I won't get rough anymore." "I just got carried away." "Please, Laurie..." "Please." "Suppose we have a warm up in the coffee." "Laurie, I want to explain what happened over there." "Franky, look, just forget it, really..." "There's nothing to say." "It's OK." "It's fine." "Franky, you're a very attractive guy, how come you're not married?" "I don't know." "Well, I think what you probably need is a girl..." "Or someone." "You know, someone you could feel good with." "Someone who could make you feel at home, that's all." "Drink your coffee, Franky." "And then you'd better leave, I really am very tired." "December 26th." "Troiano's had his day in church and he's back at work." "So are you." "You're feeling better now, you got Christmas out of your system." "You begin to feel the excitement that always comes as you start to close in." "You have a crazy hunch something new will happen today." "The break of monotony awaiting." "And you're right." "In the middle of the afternoon Troiano goes into a small brown stone." "He leaves his protection outside." "Now you know where Troiano goes alone." "But you still don't know why." "You should have figured." "Troiano is strictly in character." "Christmas day with the family, day after Christmas shacked up with a dame." "Four hours alone..." "Or almost alone." "Now you know where the target is going to get hit." "The details will have to be worked out." "But the general set-up is perfect." "And you're learning to hate Troiano like you haven't hated anyone since the old man." "Watch it!" "Danger signal!" "Ralphy!" "You should have spotted him before he spotted you." "Ralphy with his pet sewer rats." "Troiano with his high price dame and Ralphy and his rats, two of a kind." "And a anger drum beat in your head til you taste the heat on your tongue." "In times like this, you know who your real friends are." "How you're doing, Franky?" "You're with the birthday party outside?" "I usually don't like birthday parties." "You know, I figure like it's bad luck." "I mean like, why tempt fate?" "What you're driving at fatty?" "You know, Frank, I may be fat over here but I'm not fat up here." "You know, I figure we can have to renegotiate the contract." "Renegotiate this..." "We made a deal!" "Yeah, I know we made a deal, Frank." "But I had no idea out there." "You're going to have to pay luxury prices, boy." "I'll pay you nothing." "I'm warning you, fatty, you're sticking your tummy where it doesn't belong." "Don't threaten me." "Without a gun in your fist you're nothing." "You know I ever paid you in the first place." "Why don't you go home and feed your rats?" "Fine, Frank, I'll go home." "But if I just happen to read in the newspaper that our friend out there have no more birthday parties..." "You come by and see old Ralph." "I figure you're going to own a few bucks or something." "You're over your head, fatty." "We'll see, Franky." "We'll see." "I got to run now." "I'm in a hurry." "You're not marked up, that's a break." "You're sweating all over your body." "You tell yourself it's the steam heat but you know the radiator has been cold all night." "You know you'll stay in the sweat til they find the body in the newsbreaks." " Yeah?" " This is Cleveland." " Hello, Cleveland." " Listen, I've got to talk to you." " So talk." " I mean not on the phone," "I wanna meet with you." " Did you take care of everything?" "No." "What I'm trying to tell you is that's been some trouble." " You've seen the papers?" " How the hell you get into that?" "I couldn't help it, he was trying to shake me down." "Alright." "Were you spotted?" " No, but what I want to tell you..." " I ain't interested in the details." " But listen, let me tell you..." " I told you, I ain't interested." "We got not time to play with." "We're only interested in one thing:" "You getting that job done." "But what I wanna tell you is I don't wanna do the job." "What?" "I want out." "Alright, now listen carefully, Cleveland." "Item 1: for just thinking what you just said you're in real trouble." "And they're going to hear about this call." " But I..." " Item 2..." "You made a contract with us, so you'll do the job, and you'll do it right." "Then we'll listen to your problems." "You got to New Year's Eve." "And remember:" "You're in trouble now." "The worse trouble in your life but you can't get the steam out of your head to concentrate." "For the first time in your life you don't want to be alone." "Hello?" "Laurie?" "This is Frank." "Hello, Frank." "Laurie, I've got to see you." "Is something wrong?" "Are you in trouble?" "No trouble." "I just got to see you, it's important." "Frank, I'm sorry but it's just impossible for me to get away for the next couple of days." "In Christmas practically my whole family come to town and..." "Well, you know how it is." "Yeah, I know." "Couldn't you tell me over the phone?" "No, I..." "Wanted to see you when I tell you." "Frank..." "If it's about the other night..." "I'd like you to know I have no hard feelings and..." "As far as I'm concerned we're still the same friends." " OK?" " OK." "Frank, I really can't talk any longer now, but..." "Why don't you call me next week when things won't be as hectic?" "Alright, Laurie." "I'll speak to you soon." "OK." "Bye, Frank." "By the way..." "I'd like to wish you a happy new year." "Thanks." "OK, she doesn't know it but she just did you a big favour." "You're alone." "The way you were born." "Your head's cooler and the scream's fading away." "Your hands are still hot, but you know why." "Another bad moment." "Another contact." "To pick up the gun fat Ralphy ordered." "And you wonder how much the contact knows about Ralph's being whacked-out." "And if it means something to him." "Where can I find Joe Boniface?" "What you want know for?" "I'm a friend of Vinny St. Terence." "He asked me to say hello." "I'm Joe Boniface." "You've got some merchandise I'm interested in." "Come on up." "What do you want?" "I could use a 38 special." "With a silencer." "Oh, yeah." "I had a lot of trouble getting that." " They're not easy to get these days." " Oh, cut the crap, pop." "You're getting paid for it." "You're alright, he doesn't know, or doesn't care." "You're relaxing now." "Hands cold again." "There will be a gun in them soon." "And your mind's running clear and cool." "Expert." "As an engineer designing a bridge." "You could have been an engineer." "You're moving now, smooth." "Like a piece of precision machinery." "Before you hit the target in his little love nest you have to know everything about the flat and the building, as well as the architect who built it." "You could have been an architect too." "Hello!" "Hello, Mr. Troiano!" "It's so good to see you." "So tight." "Can never get though." "There's so much work, I can never get through." "Thank you for taking care of the apartment." "Thank you!" "You know, the people upstairs don't think I'm entitled to a life of my own." "I have the right to my own life." "Keeping watching Troiano you feel the hate shaping up at the back of your neck where hair's short." "That's a good sign." "You get the feeling this is how it was meant to be." "Like you are Troiano's fate." "Now you have a free hour inside the love nest." "Relax!" "Watch it steady Franky boy!" "So the dame phone rings..." "Where did you get the crazy idea it was Laurie?" "Calling you here?" "Concentrate." "No Gun." "Concentrate." "Concentrate." "A life depends on it." "No neighbours to begin from any window." "Troiano wanted his privacy." "OK." "That just about wraps it up in a beautiful package." "Just a couple more details before you tie the baby-blue ribbon on it." "The last day." "In just a few more hours your job will be done." "Check and re-check." "Nothing can go wrong." "No mistakes." "Because this is your last job!" "You got that figured out now." "You face fact:" "You know you're through." "You killed fat Ralphy in panic and then you tried to run out." "They don't like that." "The people who hire." "They say a guy's cracking up when that happens." "And maybe they're right." "Watch it." "Hold on til it's over." "How do you like that?" "It's not in your head at all!" "An orphanage!" "A crummy orphanage right under your nose." "Remembering." "Just one more killing, Franky, and then you're through." "One more to die, and then you won't have to be alone." "You know, you're really a very attractive guy, how come you're not married?" "What you probably need is a girl..." "Or someone..." "Someone you could feel good with." "Who could make you feel at home." "Franky!" "Laurie, I want to talk to you." "I'm terribly sorry, Frank, it's so early..." "It's important." "You know what you said the other night, about..." "What you were telling me about..." "Needing somebody?" "I've been thinking about it and you were right." "I do need somebody." "What I'm trying to say is this:" "Laurie, I need you." " Frank, I'm sorry." " Laurie, sweet heart, have you got..." "Hello, Frank!" " What the hell is this?" " I'm terribly sorry, Franky..." " You must have misunderstood..." " What?" "It's just that you were so lonely!" "I just thought..." "You thought what?" " You really ought to calm..." " Shut up!" "What?" "Never mind, never mind..." "I understand." "Merry Christmas." "Watch it, Franky, danger signals..." "Like electric current, like lightning..." "Like fire in the night and sirens screaming in your head." "Don't think." "Don't remember." "Don't look ahead." "Concentrate." "You have a job to do and you're an expert." "A killer who doesn't kill gets killed." "One last contact to pick up your money." "Only a few minutes and then..." "You'll be alone again." "The way you were meant to be." "The way you like it." "This is Cleveland." "God moves in mysterious ways, they said." "Maybe he is on your side, the way it all worked out." "Remembering other Christmases, wishing for something, something important, something special." "And this is it, baby boy Franky Bono." "You're alone now." "All alone." "The scream is dead." "There's no pain." "You're home again." "Back in the cold black silence."