"Hiya." "Hear that record?" "I wrote in and asked for it." " Fill her up." " That's Gershwin." "They're playing it especially for me." "You know, the Night Watch program." "That sure is a swell platter, ain't it?" "That's Doris Day singing." " It's regular." " Yes, sir." "If any cars come, Morgan, you're selling gas." "Right." "Keys." "These hicks stash their dough all over the place in case of a holdup." "They don't trust anybody." "Hey, where's Snider?" "He went home sick." "I'm taking his place." "Who are you?" "Friend of Snider's." "I never saw you before." "That's funny." "I've been around." "Do you have any identification?" "Sure." " Is he hurt bad?" " Bad enough." "You drive the car, Morgan." " How am I gonna drive with a slug in me?" " You'll drive." "Unit 1A-16, 1A-16, code 6." "Unit 1A-16, 1A-16, code 6." "Operator, police!" "Police department 22." "I want to report a holdup and the shooting of an officer." "Just a minute, please." "I can't tell for sure, but I'm afraid the officer's dead." "He was a swell guy, a friend of mine." "What's the address?" "Gas station on Maple between 7th and 8th." " Your name, please?" " Gus Snider." "I'm the night man here." "Hurry and get an ambulance over here." "All units in the vicinity on Maple between 7th and 8th, it's a gas station, a 211 and shooting just occurred, an officer involved." "187, handle call, code 3." "It's the phone, Steve." "It's the phone." " Hello." "Steve?" " Yeah." " Steve Lacey?" "Yeah." "Hello." "Hello, this is Lacey." "Hello!" "Who was it?" "I don't know." "They hung up." " Probably was the wrong number." " No." "He asked for me." "Then he hung up." "I think I know that voice, but I can't place him." "Why didn't he tell me what he wanted?" "Well, who could it be at this time of the night except one of those men again?" "Go on." ""One of those men again. " Say it." "An ex-con, like me." "Sure, they're always passing through town, trying to put the bite on me for this or that." "I told you how it'd be." "And I didn't mind, did I?" "I love you." "I wanted you, and now that I've got you, I care a lot less." "I can't figure it." "What do you see in a guy like me?" "I see a guy who's swell, who's kind and strong." "That's what I see." "Unit 1A-16, 1A-16, code 6." "Take a roll on Olympic." "Unit 1A-14, 1A-14, 1300 block, South Flower, a 390 fight." "Yes, there were two of them." "The man behind the wheel was dark, needed a shave, something wrong with his nose and no hat." "That's right." "The other one, he looked kind of normal." "The one who socked me was strong as a bull." "All units, all units, 211, and the shooting of officer at gas station on Maple between 7th and 8th." "The two suspects are white, male Americans." "Number one, approximately 40 years, 175 pounds, black hair, brown eyes." "The heat's on all over town." "...approximately 40 years, 5'10", 175 pounds, black hair, brown eyes, dressed in a gray suit and wearing a gray hat." "Hello, Lefty." "Where're you going?" "Chicago." "What's the idea?" "I think Sims wants to talk to you." " What about?" " He wants to know what you know." "I know nothing." "Take him in." "Now, look, you're making a big mistake." "...New York, now ready." "Gate number 17." "Dragnet's been out for some time, brought in quite a crowd." " You wanna see them?" " No, I'll look later." " You say they took 130 bucks?" " Yes, sir." "I know that's chicken feed to some, but it's a big night for us." " Chicken feed, huh?" " Yes, sir." "Are you sure there were only two of them?" "Why, yes, that's all I saw." "One night last week, three men stuck up a lunchroom in Modesto." "A couple of days later, they put the bite on a gas station in Merced, and after that, a hamburger stand in Tulare." "Each time, a different car, every job a soft touch." "Chicken feed, eating money." "You talking about the three cons that busted out of Quentin 10 days ago?" "I am." "They didn't want to stir up too much excitement so they grabbed their chow money in little towns off 99." "And the three of them kept heading south." "There were two of them." "Take a look." "Doc Penny." "It all happened so fast." "No, sir, I didn't see him." "Gat Morgan?" "Ben Hastings?" "I'm sure about him, and him, too." "He was standing at the wheel and this guy told me to fill up the tank." "You know, I had a feeling there was another guy in that car, but I never got a chance to look because they hit me over the head." "All right, all right, you hold it quiet." "Let the lady talk." "What happened between you two?" "Oh, it was just one of those things." "You know how it is." "Jess and I have been going together for years and tonight..." "I was tired and wanted to go home and go to bed." "We got back to my apartment and I wanted to go out and have a little fun or something and, well, we had sort of a little lover's quarrel." "It was nothing, nothing at all." "We don't really fight." "We're just sort of playful." "The last time I threw a lamp at him he thought it was cute, but tonight he forgot himself and screamed and the neighbors called the police." "It was ridiculous of them to call the police especially as we have invited them to all our parties." "Do you have an aspirin?" "Stop that crying." "It won't get you to first base." "Your boyfriend was Ben Hastings, wasn't he?" "Yes, but I haven't seen him in four years." "But he still has a wire on you and now he's loose." "What would you do if he rang your doorbell some night?" "Well, if you think I'd cover up for him, you're crazy." "Not after what he did to me." "I wouldn't help him or any of his friends." "If he rang my doorbell, I'd run, I'd hide." "I hate his stinking guts." "I've been the pipeline at the department ever since I was paroled." "You shouldn't have picked me up in the middle of the night and brought me down here." "You know what'll happen to me when them boys find out that I'm the pigeon?" "We want you to buzz around and see what you can pick up off the grapevine." "Then get me some other way." "Don't send cops out to get me out of bed." "I live in a decent neighborhood." "I've got a good job." "Let me keep it, will you?" "He's right." "You shouldn't have brought him in." "Let him go." "All units, all units." "Car used by three escaped convicts who held up gas station and shot an officer has been found abandoned at the junction of Glenwood and Highland." "This is a stolen car." "Bloodstains on the front seat indicate that one of the suspects is wounded." "Use caution in apprehension as these men are armed and dangerous." "Kelly, dig into the files quick and get me a list of the ex-cons living in that vicinity within a two-mile radius of 7th and Maple." " Hop to it." " Yes, sir." "Car 46, car 46." "Sergeant Ryan, call dispatcher." "Sergeant Ryan, call dispatcher." "Unit 1A-16, 1A-16, code 6." "Figaro and Olympic." "You own this Rx hospital?" "No, I work there." " Yeah." "What's your name?" " Hessler." "Otto Hessler." "What are you doing out this time of night?" "I went to pick up a patient." "Unit 1A-14, 1A-14." "1300 block, South Flower, a 390 fight." "All right, thanks." "Go ahead." "Here's some more." "Here's another one who lives near there." "Bannerman, safecracker." "He used to be the best box-man on the West Coast." "He did time with our three upstate." "No, they'd never contact him." "He's become a hopeless drunk." "They'd know they couldn't trust him." "Here's a prospect." "Fordyce." "You'd better keep abreast of the times, Kelly." "They've got this guy in the county jail." "Yeah, now here's one." "If I was on the run and needed a cover, I might contact a lad like this." "Steve Lacey, did five in Quentin, paroled two years ago." "He'd have known those three up there." "Lacey's kept pretty straight since he got out." "Yeah, I know." "Sober, industrious, expert mechanic on airplane engines." "A pilot before they sent him up." "Now works at a private airport in Sunland, right?" " Right." " Call him." "Don't answer it, Steve." "Let it ring." "He'll just want what they all want." "Let him think you're away and that you're not here and he'll leave you alone." "Once you've done a bit, nobody leaves you alone." " Somebody's always on your back." " Steve." "No answer." "There, you see." "I told you." "Doesn't look so good for Mr. Lacey." "Who's there?" " Who is it?" " Open up, Lacey." " Morgan?" " Steve." "What are you doing here?" " Is the Doc here?" " Doc who?" "Penny?" "No." "Otto Hessler." "Otto Hessler." "Remember?" "He was in the pen with us." "He's a real doctor, he used to be." "He'll patch me up." "I called him." "I gave him your address." "Where'd you get it?" "Never mind." "I told him to come here." "I don't want him here or you, either." "I'm clean and I mean to stay that way." "Get out, Morgan." "I can't move, Steve." "I'm hurt bad." "Don't touch him, Steve." "Call the police." "No!" "Stay where you are." "Where are the others, Penny and Hastings?" "They coming here?" "No." "We had to break up." "They'll get you, Morgan." "They'll find you here." "Not if you help me." "Look, I walked a mile so I wouldn't park a hot car on you." "I've got to get patched up." "Do me a favor." "Call the Doc again." "Here's his..." "On your feet, Morgan." "You're getting out of here." "Morgan." "Come on, get up." "You hear me?" "Come on." "Come on." "Wake up." "Stop it." "Call the police now." "Don't wait." "Yeah, sure, call the police, easy." "With Penny and Hastings loose?" "If I turn him in, I'll be running till I'm dead." "Get up, Morgan." "Come on, wake up." "Come on, Morgan, come on." "Wake up." "Wake up!" "You sent for me?" "He did." "Get him out of here quick, Hessler." "Has he got any money?" "I won't touch him if he hasn't." "I don't know." "Ask him." "He's dead." "No, no." "He was just talking a minute ago." "Where's the money?" "He must have some." "He knew I wouldn't come unless I got it." "There's only $100 here." "From the way he spoke, he had more." "What happened to it?" "I told you, I don't know." "Put it back." "I'm entitled to it." "I took a chance coming..." "I said put it back." "Don't, Steve." "Let him go." "Let him have it." "All right, take it, take it all." "But you take him with you." "How can I?" "What would I do with him?" "No." "This is no affair of mine." "Absolutely not." "I'll have to do it myself." "I gotta get rid of him somehow." "No, you can't." "Don't touch him." "Call your parole officer." "I call O'Keefe, he calls the police." "But you haven't done anything." "You're innocent." "Once you do a stretch, you're never clean again." "You're never free." "They've always got a string on you and they tug, tug, tug." "Before you know it, you're back again." "You've got to call him." "Do it for me." "For you, yeah." "They can't do anything to you." "Can't they?" "You wait and see." "Just one thing, he died before we could help him." "He didn't talk and we didn't see Hessler." "Nothing." "He was dying when he got here." "That's all." "All right." "All right, anything you say." "Hello." "Hello." "This is O'Keefe." "Who?" "Oh, Steve Lacey." "What?" "Trouble?" "What kind of trouble?" "Here, put these on." "You'll catch cold again." "Who is it?" "It's one of my boys, he's in trouble." "Oh, trouble?" "They're always in trouble." "They call you day and night." "Sometimes I wonder why you just don't..." "This is bad, Steve." "He was shot and he came to me for help." " I tried to get rid of him, but it was..." " Did you call the police?" "No, sir." "I called you first." "Then I'll be calling them myself." "No need for that, Mr. O'Keefe." "They're here now." "Then I'll be right over." "Must you go there?" "Well, it's my job." "I'll see you at breakfast, maybe." "Come in, O'Keefe." "There's always room for one more." "All right, I'll go over it again for your benefit." "Morgan staggered into the room and held a gun on him, this gun." "Begged him to call a doctor." "Then what did you say, Lacey?" "Tell it better this time or O'Keefe won't be anymore impressed than I was." "At least he'll give me a chance, he won't try to tie me up in knots." "What did you say?" "I refused to help him, told him to get out of here." " Then what, Mrs. Lacey?" " I told you, he..." "Let her speak." "And remember, if you lie, you can be held as an accessory." "Now, answer me." "He rolled out of the chair and he fell on the floor." "And what did your husband do?" "He tried to rouse him." "The man didn't answer so then he examined him." " Went through this pockets?" " No." " I could see he wasn't breathing..." " Shut up." "I want the rest of it." "What about the other men who were with him, Hastings and Doc Penny?" "I don't know what you mean." "There wasn't anybody with him." "Now, Mrs. Lacey, how could the guy get here alone if he was dying?" "He would have had to walk a full mile from where they left the car." "I know that." "That's what he said." "You learned it by heart, didn't you?" "Coached her good, Lacey." "I suppose you're gonna give him a gold star for this." "I believe they're telling the truth." "I investigated this girl when Steve asked permission to marry her." "She's straight as a string." "A woman who'd marry an ex-con would lie for him." "She couldn't help herself." "Where's Hastings and Doc Penny?" "If I knew, I couldn't tell you and you know why." "My wife..." "Don't give me that." "You'd cover for them, wife or no wife." " They've been in touch with you." " No." "Then how could Morgan know where you live?" "I'm in the phone book." " Check that." " He's in there." "I can tell you that." "You can, huh?" "Three men stuck up a gas station tonight." "They slugged the attendant, took 130 bucks and killed an officer." "When we got here, why, Morgan was clean, not a nickel on him." "Now tell me about that." " Where's the money, Lacey?" " I don't know." " Come on." "What did you do with it?" " I told you, I didn't touch his money." "How do you know Morgan had any money on him?" "Standard operating procedure." "They ditch the guy who gets hurt, but they stake him for repairs." "Lacey knows that." "It's here somewhere." "I don't believe it." "Look, O'Keefe, you stay on your side of the fence." "I'm looking for a cop killer." "I'm on my side." "I don't take things for granted." "I check and recheck." "Lacey's made good with me." "I have faith in him." "Once a crook, always a crook." "That's nonsense and you know it." "Sick men get well again." "Yeah." "And you hate to lose a patient." "Well, you're gonna lose this one." "Mark, you stay here with a couple of men and find that dough." "Don't worry about wrecking the joint." "Just find it." "Right." "All right, hot shot, put out your hands." "All right, turn around." "You don't like that, do you, Mrs. Lacey?" "Well, just remember, it can happen to you, too, if you're covering up for this guy, so don't try to walk out on us." " You're a material witness." "She has a job." " So what?" " Are you taking that away from her?" "You can keep your job." "But when your day's work is finished, I want you right here where I can find you." "He means he'll use this place as a trap with you for the bait." "Morgan found us here." "Maybe the others will, too." "Don't stay here, Ellen." "Forget about me." "Get out of town." "You finished, Mr. Lacey?" "I'm sorry, Mrs. Lacey." "Such a shame, isn't it?" "It's so useless." "What will they do with him?" "He has rights." "I'll see that he gets them." " Will those men really come here?" " I don't think so." "If they're in town, they'll know the place is watched." "Good night, Mrs. Lacey." "You can call me anytime." "You like it here, Lacey?" "Kind of takes you back to Quentin, don't it?" "Especially the nights, the mutter and groan of the men in the cell blocks, the tramp of the walkers, the block guards going their rounds." "You want to go back there?" "You want to leave your wife?" "I want to be left alone." "That's all, just leave me alone." "Two years I let you alone." "What do you want, Christmas every day?" "I let you alone because I didn't need you." "Now I do." " You've got me." " You're no good to me in here." "This is just a reminder of what could happen, for keeps." "Look, pigeon, I need you on the outside." "Hastings and Doc Penny, they headed south for the border." "They didn't cross it." "They stuck up a couple of spots down San Diego way." "Now, if you were to drop down to Diego and leave word around the right places" " that you had news for them..." " I'm no fink." "That's exactly it." "They know that and they trust you." "One day's work and I drop all charges." "A nice little trip, all expenses paid." " Including my funeral?" " You're stubborn, but you're not afraid." "You're an ex-con with a new beef around your neck and I can hang you with it." "Hang me, then." "One job like that and I'm your pet rat for the rest of my life, walking the gutters, listening to the whispers, reporting everything I hear." "No." "Not me." "Send O'Keefe in." "You know, it isn't what a man wants to do, Lacey, but what he has to do." "Now, you take me." "I love to smoke cigarettes but the doctors say I can't have them." "So what do I do?" "I chew toothpicks, tons of them." "Lieutenant." "Come on, Steve." "Let's go." "Come on, Steve." "You don't have to be ashamed." "I explained everything." "On my way back, I'll stop by where your wife works and tell her she can pick you up tonight." "Thanks." "Welcome back, Steve." "I'm sorry about what happened, Mr. Sweeney." "Forget it." "Mr. O'Keefe said you're clean." "It's okay with me." "Pick up where you left off, boy." "I won't complain about getting this guy back on the job." "One of the best A and E mechanics in these parts." "If it would be possible to marry an engine," "I'm sure he'd never have married a woman." "I don't care, we have a right to splurge just for tonight." "Charred and rare?" "Charred and rare." "And that big baked potato smiling at me." "Well, that's the only hot potato that can smile at you without making me jealous." "And that's what I call a touching scene." "What's the matter?" "Ain't you glad to see us?" "Sure he's glad." "So glad he can't talk." "Introduce us." " Doc Penny." " How do you do?" "Ben Hastings, my wife." "Old friends from his alma mater." " Steve sure picked himself a doll." " Yeah." "Nice little home, cute little wife and a job." "Not a good job, maybe, but one that puts beans on the table." " What do you want?" " What do we want?" "That's a question." "Hospitality, a kip." " A kip?" " Bed and board to you, Mrs. Lacey." "Fix some supper, Stevie's friends are hungry." "You're crazy to come to this house." "Don't you know Morgan's dead?" " We can read." " He died in that room." " Who called the cops?" " I called my parole officer." "What could I do, drop him down the drain?" "They tore this place to pieces looking for the stickup money." " And who got it?" " Hessler." "He came too late but he grabbed his fee just the same." "We'll find out about that." "Can't you see what I'm trying to tell you?" "This place is hot." "They had me down at the city jail for three days." "What did you tell them that they turned you loose?" "I told them nothing." "But this place is being watched." "That's true." "The police warned me not to leave here." "Oh, don't worry, baby." "We won't let them get you." "They won't look for us here." "Why do you think I pulled that stickup on the road to San Diego?" "That was a red herring so as we could double back and shack up with old Stevie and his missus." "We got no room, no place to sleep." "We'll make a place." "One big happy family." "Yeah, and hey, look, steaks." "What's the idea, only two of them?" " Well, I'll go get some more." " No, you won't." "Nobody goes." "You boys can have the steaks." "We're not hungry." "Wait till I tell the boys how Stevie invited us for home cooking." ""What's your hurry?" he says." ""Stick around for a couple of days and we'll bat the breeze for old times' sake. "" " Hello, Hessler." "You working overtime?" " Yes, sir." "What's the matter with him?" "Malignant infection." "His master brought him here and said, "Put him to sleep. "" "Is that what you're doing?" "No, I'm trying to save him on my own time." "People." "They accept the love of a dog, and then when it gets old and sick, they say, "Put it to sleep. "" "And do you know what they call it?" "Mercy." "That's what they call it." "You're a character, Hessler." "How many years did it take to make you a doctor?" "A doctor of humans, I mean." "Twelve, fourteen years." "Have a drink?" "I was a specialist, you know, post-graduate in Europe, intern and then my practice." "And then the big mistake, the girl died." "Now you hate people and love dogs." "The walls do that." "Gets pretty lonely up there." "What do you want?" "Remember, a couple of nights ago, you were stopped in a roadblock?" "Yes." "Where were you bound that night?" "I was coming back to the hospital." "No." "No, you weren't." "It took a little time but we checked on that." "I believe you were on your way to Steve Lacey's apartment." " Lacey?" " Lacey." "You know him." "Did time with him upstate." "Oh, yes, yes, Lacey." "But I don't even know where he lives." "Was Morgan dead when you got there?" "What are you talking about?" "You know all the ex-cons." "They all call you when they pass through town on an emergency." "Come on, spill it." "Was Morgan dead when you got there?" "I told you, I don't know what you're talking about." "You're forgetting we had Lacey in the city jail for three days." "He told you?" "Gat Morgan had a roll on him, stickup money." "You grabbed it." "Right?" "Yeah, I got it." "I'll give it up." "That's good." "We've been laying for you, doctor." "Now we got you." "You can go back for this." "I want you to go to Steve Lacey's apartment tonight, now, and accuse him of ratting on you." "What good will that do?" "I want Hastings and Doc Penny." "Either he knows where they are or he'll be hearing from them." "See what you can dig up." "Understand, I'm making no deals." "That's up to the DA, but maybe you can ease the strain." "Depends on how good a job you do." "Bye, fellow." "Nice little pooch." "Gentlemen, that's what I call a steak." "Rare inside, burned outside." "My compliments, Mrs. Lacey." "You're a handy little gal to have around." "You take the words right out of my mouth, Doc." "Smell that coffee, huh?" "Honey, you sure got a knack." "This ain't like the slop they used to feed us in the mess hall, huh, Steve?" "You should have seen us the day we knocked over the coffee boiler." "I suppose Steve's told you all about his college friends and their pranks." " I don't talk about that place." " I don't blame you." " Lf I had a baby doll like this..." " Shut up." "Even in the pen they couldn't teach him manners." "Yeah, that's right." "That's why I left the joint." "Sit down, Mrs. Lacey." "Sit down." "Take it easy." " I haven't served the dessert." " The dessert can wait." "Sit down." "Let's take a look at you." "Where we come from, we don't see gals like you." "Except on calendars, huh?" "You're a lucky guy, Steve." "I suppose you still fly a plane." "Now and then." "Don't tell me they gave you your license back." "My parole officer got it for me." "Then you've been up since you got out?" "A couple of times." "I test repair jobs." "Why?" "One by one, they yank them up." "Parole officer once a month." "The cops on his back every time he blows his nose." "Parole." "That's for suckers." " You expecting anyone?" " No." "Get these extra plates off the table." " She's coming with us." " Leave her alone, Doc." "We'll be where we can hear what goes on." "If it's the cops, don't forget we got her." "Open the door." "Hello, Steve." " What are you doing here, Hessler?" " I wanna talk to you." " I ought to kick you down those stairs." " Wait a minute, friend." "Wait a minute." "Sims was over to see me tonight." " He told me you ratted on me." " That's a lie." "I told him nothing." "They had you down there for three days." "What if they did?" "You know I'm no fink." "Now beat it and don't come back here again." "What's the matter, Steve?" "Please let me in, huh?" "I don't entertain stool pigeons." "Maybe you got somebody in there you don't want me to see." "I heard voices, men's voices." "Now, it couldn't be Doc Penny..." "No, it couldn't." "I don't know anything about them and I don't wanna know." "You better get out of here, Hessler, before you get messed up." "Okay." "Okay, Steve." "That's the way you want it, that's the way you get it." "You're not a very convincing liar, Steve." "Follow Hessler and see where he goes." "Mrs. Lacey, why don't you get some rest?" "Steve and I will do the dishes." " That's not necessary." " Yes, it is." "Good night." "Here you are, boy." "Here you are." "Now you drink this." "You need plenty of milk." "I want the police department." "Police department, information." "I want to talk to Homicide." "Homicide." "I want to speak to Lieutenant Sims, please." "Lieutenant Sims?" "Just a moment." "Hastings, wait, wait." "Let me tell you." "You knew me and Doc was at Lacey's place, didn't you?" "No." "No." " Did Steve tip you off?" " No." "Then you must have figured it out for yourself." " Cops sent you up there, didn't they?" " No." " Didn't they?" " Yes, yes, Sims did." "But I wasn't gonna tell on you and Doc." "Do you think I'm crazy?" "Honest, I wasn't." "No, please, Hastings, don't." "Listen to me." "I'll explain everything." "Hastings." "No, listen, honestly." "Listen, I was going to tell Sims that I pumped Steve and that he wouldn't tell me anything 'cause he didn't know anything about you." "You drive, you get a 20 cut." "It's easy money, Steve." "I drove a car." "For that I did an easy five." " This is for me." "I don't miss." " You don't miss, huh?" "Where've you been for the past seven years, Doc?" "Okay, so I had a wrong guy helping me." "A woman yelled and he came apart." "You won't come apart, Steve." "Now, get this, it's the Glendale Bank of America." " We take it Saturday at noon." " Are you nuts?" "A bank that big at noon?" "That's the trick." "Who'd figure it for noon?" "Me, nobody else." "I've got it all worked out, every move." "They'll give." "And with you outside in that car, that fast car, we get away clean." " They'll comb the town, close every exit." " All but one." "That same night you pick a plane at the Sunland airport, a job that'll carry five." "You know them all, you've worked on them." "There's no night watchman there from 12:00 midnight till 6:00 a. m." " Patrol car goes through there every hour." " Okay, so we figure that." "We roll the plane out on the airstrip, with you at the controls, we head south, Mexico." "You're crazy." "You're all crazy." "You're right and the rest of the world is wrong, full of square-johns, dopes, guys dumb enough to work for a living." "How come the smart guys are inside and the dopes outside?" "No, I'm not in it." "You're in it." "I say so." "Hastings says so." "Think about that wife of yours, Steve." "You can't afford to make any mistakes." "Look, Doc..." " Who's there?" " Hastings." "Open up, quick." " Well?" " Hessler knew we were here." "He tried to phone the cops." " So I fixed him real good." " You what?" "What would you do, leave him there able to talk?" "Anyhow, somebody outside must have heard him holler because, when I was about to leave, there was a cop standing right there at the door." " Did he see you?" " No." " But I had to ditch the car." " Where?" " Near the hospital." " Well." "Looks like you're in it, Steve, whether you want in or not." " That was your car." " My car?" " Where'd you get the keys?" " Out of your coat pocket, chump." "But don't worry, I picked up another one." "It's out in the alley." "Steve." "Steve." " Hold it." " We've got to get out of here." " Then get out." " We'll stay here and take our chances." " No, you won't." "You're both coming with us." "Yes, and you better make it quick or I'll take a curl off cutie over there." "Okay." "You win." "But she can't go as she is." "Okay, let her grab what she needs, but speed it up." " Keep everybody away from that car." " Yes, sir." "As soon as they're finished in there, tell them to dust the car for prints." "Yes, sir." "I just got a report." "A car stolen from the front of an apartment house two blocks from here." "It may tie in." "Could be." "Call Barry and tell him to put out an APB for Steve Lacey." "Wanted for murder." "I want that guy and I want him quick." "Come on, Mark." "All units." "All units." "Wanted for murder." "Steve Lacey." "White, male American." "Age 32, looks younger." "6', 160 pounds." "Blonde hair, blue eyes." "Suspect was wearing tweed sport coat, khaki trousers, white shirt." "Last seen on foot, but may be driving stolen gray Lincoln sedan." "License in the fore column." "1" " Sam-69417." "1" " Sam-69417." "KMA 367." " They didn't take much with them." " Must have left in a hurry." "Not much food in the house." "What did Lacey have against Hessler?" "Hessler was here tonight." "I sent him." "Must have stumbled into something." "But to beat a guy to death?" "Yeah, that bothers me, too." "It's out of character." "Let's go." "All right, I'll send somebody up to stake the apartment." "You stay around till you're relieved." "What are you doing here?" "Looking for a lost dog." "You've found him." "Get out of here." "Yes, sir." "Hold them here." " Who is it?" "Two from the main line." "It's okay." "It's Doc Penny." " You boys remember Lacey." " Yeah, we remember him." "Nice to see you, Steve." "Before Johnny and Zenner got out, I told them about this deal down here." "Looks good, Steve." ""Who do we know in this town?" They said. "Steve Lacey. "" ""But will Steve play ball with us?" "Sure, he's a great guy. "" "Besides, he's got a sweet little girl for a wife." "That interested Johnny." "You know Johnny." "Yeah." "Me and Steve, we know a good doll when we see one, don't we, Steve, huh?" "But we were worried about you." "We thought maybe you'd gone soft." "You know how the word gets around up there." "Forget it." "He's with us." "Especially now his wife's in on the deal." "What kind of deal are you talking about?" "Getting Doc and Hastings out of the country." "Tomorrow night." "Aren't you in this deep enough?" "If you help them, won't it make it worse for you?" "That's the way it's got to be." "And if anything happens, if someone talks, Johnny here will collect." "We gotta collect." "If one guy sings and gets away with it, they all sing." "I've got to see it through." "There's nothing I can do about it." "But I want her left out of it." "Get that through your heads." "If this touches her in any way, any way," "I'll scramble it so you'll all be stopped." "Sure, sure." "Johnny will take care of her." "He'll be her bodyguard." "Now, we all better get some rest." "We had a tough night." "Yeah, we heard the police calls on the radio." "You're the hottest thing in town, boy." "We'll keep him safe." "We've got to." "We need him." "Now, let's see." "Where do we all sleep?" "Wanted for murder." "Steve Lacey." "White, male American." "Age 32, looks younger." "6', 160 pounds." "Blonde hair, blue eyes." "Suspect was wearing tweed sport coat, khaki trousers, white shirt." "Last seen on foot, but may be driving a stolen gray Lincoln sedan." "License in the fore column." "1" " Sam-69417." "1" " Sam-69417." "KMA 367." "1A-12, 1A-12, gray Lincoln sedan." "Yeah, they found the car on Boyd between Wall and San Pedro." "It's a cinch Lacey had that car." "Now, say he walked six blocks before he found a place to hole up." "It's my guess he's somewhere in there, that gives us roughly two square miles." "That's a lot of territory to cover." "Could take us a couple of days." "Yeah, it will, but it's worth it." "What I can't figure is what happened to his wife." " Maybe he took her with him." " Yeah, he must have." "All right, get to work on this area." "Borrow all the men you can." "If you can find her, you can find him." "Kelly, you and Jones stake out the car." " All right." " Yes, sir." "Unit 1A-12, 1A-12." "Keep out of sight and maintain surveillance." "Detectives en route to stake car KMA 367." "Steve Lacey." "White, male American." "Age 32, looks younger." "6', 160 pounds." "Blonde hair, blue eyes." "Suspect wearing..." "Now, here's the Glendale branch of the Bank of America." "Here's where you wait in the car, Steve, today at noon, sharp." " What car?" " Never mind." "We got one." "Wait till you see that job, Steve." "Now, I want you to get the rest of this by heart." "When we're through inside, we follow the boulevard to Colorado, turn right and double back on Central to Broadway." "Turn right again and continue to Verdugo." "We follow that to the Arroyo Seco and then out onto the Hollywood Freeway." "Here, I got it all written down for you." "It's okay." "Mrs. Lacey just dropped the soap." "She's taking a bath." "Oh, you got a nice, clean kid, there, Steve." "What becomes of Ellen while we're doing all this?" "She's out of it, just like you said." "So now we're rolling nice and easy, see?" "Part of the noonday crowd, one of 1,000 cars headed for the Valley." "And when we hit the Valley?" " That's the good part, Steve." " Yeah, get this." "Not far from the airport where you work, there's an old, abandoned warehouse." "No houses around it, a dead spot." "We roll in there, car and all, and that's where we hole up until night." "Till it's time to go and grab that plane." "What if that part goes wrong?" "You said there was a plane you could get to." "One with a tank full of gas, a charter job, always ready to take to the air." "Yeah, but what if..." "If that's gone, we grab another one." "If we fail at that point, it'll be just too bad for you and that missus of yours." "I've been working on this for seven years." "It can't miss now." "Okay." " You two guys set?" " Yeah, all set." "All right, take off." "Where are they going?" "Never mind." "You can come with me." "What about Johnny?" "He stays." "Did you figure I'd leave your wife here alone?" "Johnny will stick with her until he knows we've pulled the caper and made our getaway." "He'll meet us at the airport tonight." "He's our insurance." "Listen, we've got no time to waste." "I don't want to cripple you because I need you, but she's expendable." "Okay." "I'll just say goodbye to her." "Never mind that." "I'll give her your love, Steve." "Come on." "Get going." "Well, where's Steve?" "Steve just stepped out." "He won't be long." "How about a little game of gin to pass away the time?" "All right." "Those dashboard clocks never do keep time." "You got a swell gal, Steve." "You send her a wire in a couple of days and she'll come running." "She'll stick." " You know the way out, you're sure?" " It's my town." "Your town?" "I want to know." "Give me the way out." "What streets?" "Round to Colorado, turn right." "Turn right again at Central, double back to Broadway," "Broadway to Verdugo, Verdugo to the Arroyo Seco, then the freeway." "Okay." "Keep it solid in that head of yours." "I don't want any mistakes, see?" "I'll do my job." "Sure." "Sure." "But things go wrong." "Possibilities." "You've got to figure on those things." "It's the only way to stay ahead in this business." "Watch what you're doing!" "It helps to have steady nerves in this business, too." "Don't let it fool you." "I'm always jumpy before a job." "Temperament." "Not so good for a guy with a gun." "Yeah, but I come through." "You'll see." "Wait till you see the split you get." "Somebody gets killed, we split the gas chamber." "No chance." "We'll be 10 jumps ahead of those dumb cops and their roadblocks." "No roadblocks in the air." "This one's perfect." "Take it easy from now on." "We can't afford a ticket now." "There she is, Steve." "That's our baby." "Hastings is right on time." "Six minutes before they close the doors." " Where's Zenner?" " He'll be around." "We'll check it." "He'll cut their alarm system, the phone, the lights." "I got everything timed." "We'll take the candy off that baby." "100 grand, maybe more." "All right." "Roll around the block." "Take it easy." "Unit 1A-16, 1A-16, code 6." "Western and Wilshire." "Unit 1A-17, 1A-17 to 300 block, North Bradford." "Investigate prowler." "Meter man." "Go." "Couple days early this month, aren't you?" "All I only know is what it says in here." "Where's Smitty, the regular reader?" "They didn't tell me." "All they said, I should check the master terminal." " Where is it?" " Right over there." "You're doing all right, Steve." "Steady and cool, just right for the job." "A guy with imagination gets pictures in his head." "He gets scared." "I'm scared." "There's a spot." "Pull in there." "Just made it, didn't I?" "Yeah, another minute and it'd have been too late." "I'd hate to carry all this money over the weekend." "It'd be different if I came to take some out." "Yes, sir." "Zenner's all set." "Mr. Prentiss, I'm Mr. Gregory." "I have a little matter of business that requires your attention." "Drop that phone." "This is a gun on your spine." "It stays there until we collect every loose buck in the joint." "Order your tellers to turn over their cash to us or I'll blast a hole in you." "Just as you say." "Come on, on your feet." "Why, you soft-handed, sloppy..." "Move it!" "Move it!" "All units." "All units." "The Glendale branch of the Bank of America was held up at noon today by four men, three of whom are in custody." "Driver of the getaway car escaped, described as follows." "Steve Lacey, white, male American..." "Who turned us in, you or Steve?" "How could we when we didn't know anything about it?" " Steve!" " No!" "All right, Lacey, get up." "You slob, you." "Mark, you take the hooligan in." "I'll book this guy myself." "Turn around." "Hands behind." "Mrs. Lacey, come on down here." "All right, come on." "Get in back, Mrs. Lacey." "You take him in." "I'll book this guy myself." "Get in front, Lacey." "In front." "You're quite a driver, aren't you?" " Lincoln Heights?" " No, City Hall." "I've got a couple of things I want to talk to you about." "A bank full of cops, tellers, clerks, customers, even the Vice-President, every last one a cop." "You didn't expect that, did you?" "Now, you've got a new rap hanging over your head, Lacey, a tough one." " Sims, listen to me, would you?" " Quiet." "What have you done to your wife?" "You figured what she can get for this, you stupid slob, you..." " But I'm trying to..." " Shut up." "Some guys learn and some don't." "Repeaters, plenty of them." "Once isn't enough." "How many times has Doc Penny been up?" "You want to find out if a guy is wrong, you lean on him." "Ride him, ride the daylights out of him." "If he's rotten, he cracks." "If he's wrong, it shows up." "Two years I let you alone." "You got a wife, a job, a bank account." "Then I come around." "You think that's an accident?" "We got wires in the pen." "We hear all the whispers." "One of the fast boys goes to spit, we hear about it." "Steve couldn't help himself." "What's the matter?" "Can't he use the telephone?" "He was afraid for me." "That's why he couldn't." "So he writes a note, hides it in the medicine closet of your bathroom." "The best I could do." "Six words. "Glendale." "Bank of America." "Saturday noon. "" "What am I supposed to be, a mind reader?" "Suppose I hadn't found it, what then?" "If Doc had found that note, Ellen and I'd be dead." "But what's the death of an ex-con and his wife as long as you make your score?" "You got mush in your head." "Take a wrench out of your hand, you couldn't find your way across the street." "Okay, here we are." "All right, get out, both of you." " Mark, take the car back." " Okay." "Next time, Lacey, call me but quick." "Cop's job is to protect the citizens." "You got trouble, you need help, call me." "You won't have any trouble, no matter what Doc told you, no matter what the whispers, nothing you can't handle." "But if you need help, why, call." "Well, what are you waiting for?" "Haven't you got a home?" "Look, Sims, if this is some kind of a joke..." "Joke?" "I want you to go home." "Back to your three rooms, your job, your grocery bills, taxes, babies and all the other hazards of life on the outside." "Go on, there's your bus." "Beat it out of here before I run you in."