"And they're off!" "It's Lucky Arrow breaking on top." "Purple Shadow is second." "At exactly 3:45 on that Saturday afternoon... in the last week of September..." "Marvin Unger was perhaps the only one among the hundred thousand people at the track... who felt no thrill at the running of the fifth race." "He was totally disinterested in horse racing... and held a lifelong contempt for gambling." "Nevertheless, he had a five-dollar win bet on every horse in the fifth race." "He knew, of course, that this rather unique system of betting... would more than likely result in a loss." "But he didn't care... for after all, he thought, what would the loss of $20 or $30 mean... in comparison to the vast sum of money ultimately at stake?" " A bottle of ginger ale, please." " Yes, sir." "Coming right up." "Favorite broke bad." "Could be anybody's race." " Lucky Arrow by a head." "Purple Shadow between horses." " Could be." " Put a five-dollar win next to the five-dollar place." " Stopwatch is third by three quarters." "Southern Star is next, Main Entrance and Stanley Cage." " Quite a crowd you got." " Yeah." "Passing the quarter pole, it is Lucky Arrow and Purple Shadow... with Stopwatch on the outside to third." "At the head of the stretch, it is Purple Shadow leading by a length." "Lucky Arrow is second by three quarters." "Stopwatch, going up on the outside, is third by a length and a quarter." "Then comes Southern Star, Main Entrance, Stanley Cage..." "Third Row and Lover's Dilemma." "It is Lucky Arrow between horses by a head, Purple Shadow by a head... and Stopwatch moving fast on the outside." "It's Lucky Arrow, Purple Shadow and Stopwatch neck and neck." "It's Lucky Arrow, Purple Shadow and Stopwatch." "It's Stopwatch taking the lead." "Stopwatch by a head." "Purple Shadow second by a head." "Lucky Arrow third by a length." "And Southern Star finished fourth." "Waiting for the race to become official... he began to feel as if he had as much effect on the final outcome of the operation... as a single piece of a jumbo jigsaw puzzle has to its predetermined final design." "Only the addition of the missing fragments of the puzzle... would reveal whether the picture was as he guessed it would be." "The result of the fifth race is now declared official." "Twenty-five dollars." "About an hour earlier that same Saturday afternoon in September... in another part of the city..." "Patrolman First Class Randy Kennan had some personal business to attend to." " Hiya, Tiny." "What's the good word?" "Same as always." "Havin' a ball." "I'll see you later." "Good evening, Randy." "How have things been?" "What's the use of kickin', Leo?" "You wouldn't believe it anyway." "Oh." "I suppose they've been very well." "After all, a man drives a new car, lives in a fine apartment." "So?" "I like to live good." "You got any objections?" "None at all." "As long as you don't overlook your obligation to me." "I trust it was purely an oversight." "I'm sure a man in your position wouldn't deliberately... antagonize his creditors." "I ain't got it, Leo." "I know I should have it." "And I'm as anxious to pay off as you are to have me, but I just ain't got it." "Well, we all get a little cramped now and then." "Suppose we make it a thousand?" "I'll rewrite the balance as a new loan." "Give you a fiscal breather, fresh start." "Listen, Leo, I'm broke, get me?" "Flat broke." "Right now I couldn't give you a thousand cents." " But if you can wait a couple of weeks " " Might be arranged." "With the proper collateral, of course." "You mean, where is the dough comin' from?" "I can't tell you, Leo." "All I can tell you is, it's a plenty sweet deal... and I'll be able to pay off like a slot machine." " In two weeks, you said?" "No longer?" " Maybe even less than that." "You know I wouldn't pull a thing like this on you." "I couldn't afford to." "I'm glad you said that, Randy." "I was going to point out as much myself." "But since you relieve me of the unpleasant necessity " "It's a deal then?" "I pay you the 2,600 within the next two weeks." "Plus $400 - a total of 3,000." "The extra interest, of course." "I trust that'll be satisfactory." " I can't say no." " Thank you, Randy." "I was sure you'd see it my way." "Take good care of yourself." "I'll take care of myself, mister." "That's my specialty." "At 7:00 p.m. That same day..." "Johnny Clay, perhaps the most important thread in the unfinished fabric... furthered its design." "None of these men are criminals in the usual sense." "They've all got jobs." "They all live seemingly normal, decent lives." "But they got their problems, and they've all got a little larceny in 'em." "Now, you take my pal Unger, for instance, the guy who owns this apartment." "He's putting up the money to operate with, and he's letting me stay here." "He's a bookkeeper." "Been with the same company for 10 years." "You know, Fay, the biggest mistake I made before was shooting for peanuts." "Five years have taught me one thing, if nothin' else " "Anytime you take a chance, you better be sure the rewards are worth the risk... because they can put you away just as fast for a $10 heist as they can for a million-dollar job." "You don't have to sell it to me, Johnny." "You know I'll go along with anything you say." "I always have, you know, ever since we were kids." "I've always believed you - everything you've ever told me." "Those five years you've been away, I - I know they must have been terrible for you." "I mean, being locked up must be a terrible thing." "You know something?" "This may sound funny, but... waiting for you all those years and staying by myself - it was like, not that you were locked in... but I was locked out." "Well, look at me." "First time we've been together in five years, and I'm making speeches." "Now, now." "Everything is gonna be all right." "I promise you." "Make sure you're right about it, Johnny." "I'm no good for anybody else." "I'm not pretty, and I'm not very smart." "So please don't leave me alone anymore." "Aw, nothing is gonna happen." "Not this time." "Well, I" " I guess I'd better leave you be now." "I know you've got a lot of work to do." "When will I see you again?" "Saturday night." "We'll be on the plane together." "Look, Fay, until it's all over, I want you to stay out of the way." "Yeah?" "If there's anything I can do to help " "No." "Nothing." "You just make the plane reservations." "And remember, tell 'em at the office that you're leaving." "Tell 'em you're getting married, huh?" "I don't wanna say good-bye." " Oh." " Hello, Marv." "We were just talking about you." " Hi, Johnny." "Hi, Miss Fay." " Hello." " I hope it was something nice." " Oh, yes." "Johnny was telling me about what a wonderful friend you were." " Fay was just leaving, weren't you, baby?" " Oh, don't rush off on my account." "I " " Ah, she's late for an appointment." " That's right." " You'll be sure to call me, won't you, Johnny?" " Yeah." "I'll do just what I told you I would." " It was nice to see you again, Mr. Unger." " Thank you." " Take care of Johnny." " Oh, there's nothing I wouldn't do for Johnny." "I'll see you." "A half an hour earlier, at approximately 6:30..." "Mike O'Reilly, the track bartender, came home." "Ruthie?" "I'm home." "At 7:15 that same night..." "George Peatty, the track cashier, arrived at his apartment." " Hello." "Hello." " Feelin' okay?" " Fine." "I been kinda sick today." "I keep gettin' pains in my stomach." "Maybe you got a hole in it, George." "Do you suppose you have?" "A hole in it?" "How would I get a hole in my stomach?" "How would you get one in your head?" "Go fix me a drink, George." "I think I'm developing some pains myself." "Sherry, can't I ever say anything at all without you joking to me about it?" "Hurry up with that drink, George." "The pains are gettin' worse." "I saw somethin' kinda nice comin' home on the train tonight." "Somethin', well, kinda sweet." "A candy bar, George?" "No, not a candy bar, doughnut." "It was people." "This couple sitting' just in front of me." "Oh, they weren't young, exactly." "I guess the woman was about your age." "A little senile, you mean?" "With one foot and a big toe in the grave?" "You wanna hear this or not?" "Do you or not, Sherry?" "I can't wait." "Go ahead and thrill me, George." "Well, anyway, like I say, they were sittin' just in front of me... and I could hear what they were sayin' - well, part of it." "They weren't young, exactly, and they weren't really old." "She was about my age, you said." "Not anymore." "Maybe she was when you started telling this story, but not now." "Anyway, she was calling him Papa, and he was calling her Mama." "And the climax to this exciting story?" "The moral?" "The punch line, George?" "Forget it, Sherry." "Just thought I'd tell you about it, but I might have known." "Oh, I know." "You want to bet I know?" "I'll give you seven-to-five." "Cut it out, will you, Sherry?" "I'm tired." "I don't feel so good." "You want me to call you Papa, isn't that it, George?" "And you wanna call me Mama." " You know all the answers." " Go right ahead." "Course, it may be the last word you ever say, but I'll try to kill you as painlessly as possible." " I gotta go out tonight." "I don't suppose there's anything for dinner." "Of course there is, darling." "There are all sorts of things." " We have steak and asparagus and potatoes." " I don't smell nothin'." "Well, that figures." "'Cause you're too far away from it." " Too far away from it?" " Certainly." "You don't think I had it all cooked, do you?" "It's all down in the shopping center." "Tell me something, would you, Sherry?" "Just tell me one thing." "Why did you ever marry me anyway?" "George, when a man has to ask his wife that, well, he just hadn't better, that's all." "Why talk about it?" "Maybe it's all to the good in the long run." "After all, if people didn't have headaches, what would happen to the aspirin industry?" "You used to love me." "You said you did, anyway." "I seem to recall you made a memorable statement too." "Something about hitting it rich and having an apartment on Park Avenue... and a different car for every day of the week." "Not that I really care about such things, understand... as long as I have a big, handsome, intelligent brute like you." "It would make a difference, wouldn't it?" "If I had money, I mean." "How would you define money, George?" "If you're thinkin' of giving me your collection of Roosevelt dimes " "I mean big money." "Hundreds of thousands of dollars." "You really don't feel well, do you?" "You sure that pain's in your stomach?" "I'm gonna have it, Sherry." "Hundreds of thousands, maybe a half a million." "Of course you are, darling." "Did you put the right address on the envelope when you sent it to the North Pole?" "Go ahead and laugh." "Wait and see." "Maybe you won't be laughing so hard in a few days." "You're really serious." "You really think you're gonna have a lot of money." "I don't think nothin'." "I know it." "You've never been a liar, George." "You don't have enough imagination to lie." "So what makes you think, or know, that you're gonna have several hundred thousand dollars?" "'Cause I do." "I just can't talk about it, that's all." "Not even to me, your little Sherry?" "I shouldn't have even mentioned I was going to have it." "It's not that I mind." "I know I can trust you." " But if these other guys ever - - "These other guys"?" "I can't talk about it, Sherry." "I just can't." ""These other guys"" " Is that why you're going out tonight, to meet with them?" "They got nothin' to do with that." "I just gotta go uptown for a little while." "I see." "Well, you go right ahead, George." "If you wanna act that way, I certainly won't try to stop you." "Sherry, no." "Sherry, honey, don't be sore at me." "Well, after all, when a woman's been married for five years, and her own husband doesn't trust her " "Why, you think more of them than you do of me." "What right have you got to say a thing like that?" "You know I'm crazy about you." "I'd do anything in the world for you." "Honey, you're the one I'm doing it for." "If I didn't love you so much " "Look, I don't want you to do anything for me." "I don't even wanna talk to you anymore." "You go up and see your fella, whatever you wanna do." "Sherry!" "But don't you be surprised if I'm not here when you get home." "Don't you at all be surprised." "You better be here, you hear me, Sherry?" "You will be, won't you?" "You wouldn't do anything foolish, would you?" "I certainly wouldn't want to, but as long as you don't trust me or have the slightest bit of faith in me " "Sherry, if I ever found you with another man " "But why?" "You have no use for me." "Oh, you say you do, but when it comes to a showdown or proving it... well, you say one thing, then you do the opposite." "Well, I could tell you a little bit about it, I guess." "Well, most of it." " But you got to promise to keep quiet." " Why, of course, darling." "Just a second." " Well!" " Hello." "Hello." " How'd you get away from George tonight?" " He had to go somewhere." "That's a break." "I'm glad you called me." "Something wrong, baby?" "No, nothing's wrong." " Can I get you a drink?" " No, I don't think so." "Come on, now." "That's not my baby." " Val, I called you last night." " Oh, yeah?" " There was no answer." " Mmm." "I guess I stepped out." "I called you four times." "Honey, I guess I was out somewhere." "Oh?" "What'd you do?" "I don't know." "I guess I was goofin' off at a movie or something." "Val, why are you doing this to me?" " I don't know what you mean." " I think you do." "Oh, look, Mrs. Peatty." "What I do is my own business." "I never tried to pin you down, did I?" "I never asked you how you got your kicks before you met me, did I?" "That hurt, Val." "You didn't used to talk to me like that." "I'm sorry, baby, but don't bug me." "I gotta live my life a certain way." "I can't stand it when the walls start closing' in." "But you know how crazy I am about ya." "And I'm crazy about you too, sweetheart." "I've given you sufficient proof of that." "Well, I know." "It's just that lately every time I call " "So I step out once in a while." "Look, you got yourself a husband, a guy who'll spend every last nickel on you... won't ask you any questions when you come home from an afternoon movie at 9:00 at night." " Don't be greedy." " I'm not greedy, Val." "I'm in love with you." "If that's being greedy, then I'm the biggest glutton that ever walked the Earth." "Don't make it sound so ominous." "It's not like you're gonna eat me alive." "I may just do that." "Darling, what are the two things in life you're most interested in?" " What?" " Money and women?" "Oh." "That's a nice way to put me down." " That about sums it up, doesn't it?" " We'll let it stand." "But I imagine what you really meant to say was "money and woman."" "We're gonna have money, Val, more money than you ever dreamed of." " Maybe even millions." " Oh, yeah?" "How?" "George." "That's how." "He's stumbled onto somethin' big." " That meatball?" " A meatball with gravy, Val." "You know he works at the track." "Well, somehow - and don't ask me how - but he's got connected with a mob." "They're gonna rob the track offices for the day's receipts." "You mean he seriously told you that he and some mob are gonna knock over the racetrack?" "And you can believe him, Val, 'cause George may be a fool, but he's not a liar." "The guy's crazy." "That's never been done before." "I know." "I told him that, but he says the job's all set up, and it's gonna be done." "And if I just sit tight, I'd be up to my curls in cash, just like that." "Well, let's suppose this is all true." "How do I fit in?" "Well, you know I've been gonna leave George." "I guess you know why too." "Well, you've been saying that for a long, long time, Sherry." "But everything's changed now." "I was gonna tell him tonight." " George may be very rich very soon." "That's all he needs, isn't it?" "He'd still be George." "So you think, uh, let's say George and his boys pull this job, and George gets his cut." "Maybe I could take it away from him, huh?" "I think you could." "What about the others?" "You got any idea who they are?" "Only this." "I went through his clothes while he was showering." "I'm quite sure George went there tonight." "Hmm." "Kiddo, I think we got somethin' here." "You know, if this is true, this is a lot bigger than you think." "You're interested in taking Georgie's cut?" "Well, I got news for you." "Georgie's cut's gonna be peanuts compared to this whole thing." "We gotta find out more about the overall plan." " You think he'd tell you any more?" " Not a chance." "I could see he was scared stiff 'cause he talked as much as he did." "I don't get it, Johnny - about these two other guys." "You mean there's gonna be two other guys in on the deal, and we ain't gonna know who they are?" "That's right." "You don't know who they are, and they don't know who you are." " That makes sense to you, doesn't it?" " Yes, I guess so, but " "It makes sense to me, all right." "How come we need 'em, though, Johnny?" "What are they gonna do?" "Well, one of them's for the job with the rifle." "None of you boys can handle that, even if you were willing to." "And the other one starts the fight in the bar." "These other fellas - how much are they cutting' in for?" "Not that I mind." "Anything you do is okay, but " "These men are not gonna be in on the basic scheme." "They're getting paid to perform certain definite duties at a certain definite time." "And they're not cutting in on the take." "They'll be paid a flat price to do a straight job." "Well, if they don't know anything about the basic plan, about the job, then why are they doin' it?" "It's simple." "These boys are straight hoods." "They get paid in advance." "Five grand for the one with the rifle, and 2,500 for the other." " Where's this money comin' from?" " That's where Marvin comes in." "He's getting the 7,500 for us, and he gets it back off the top." "I wish I could do more, Johnny." "It's almost not right for me to get as much as everybody else." " After all, all I do is " " Your money counts for plenty, Marv." "You don't hear any of them complaining, do you?" "Sure." "You're okay in our book, Marv." "But look, Johnny." "If these two hoods get paid in advance, how do you know they're gonna do their jobs?" "I'll vouch for 'em." "These guys are pros." "They can't afford to weasel out on a deal." "If they did, they'd be washed up." "Okay?" " Okay." " Any other questions?" "Well, let's take a look at this then." "This is a rough drawing of the track as I remember it." "Randy, you'll have to get me an A-1 street map of the whole district." "George, Mike, I want you to go over this thing with me inch by inch." "Bring it completely up to date, add or subtract the slightest change... even if it's something as small as the placement of a hot dog stand." "Now, give or take a few thousand..." "I figure the loot on this deal at two million." "There should be that much in the track offices." "That includes profits on the parimutuel betting... the breakage money, taxes from the mutuel machines... receipts from the concessions and the money from ticket sales." "None of this money is allowed to accumulate at any one point around the track." "Except for money to make change with and the mutuel clerk's payoff money... why, it all goes into the office." "And out of the entire take, only a few thousand dollars... is put in the office safe to cover emergencies." "The rest is out in the open, held for pickup by armored car." "That car arrives about 5:00... and parks directly in front of the main entrance to the clubhouse." "Two men stay in it - one at the wheel, and the other at a machine gun in the turret." "Two others enter the office to collect the dough." "Now, they're armed, of course, and so are the track detectives who cover them from the car to the office and back." "Now, once the armored car arrives, a, uh, stickup is " " Is out of the question." "Say, now, what in the name of Pete would a babe be doing outside that door?" "Uh, what do you think?" "You guys, any of you ever see this woman before?" " It's Sherry, my wife." " Why, you " "You been talkin'." "Now you spilled to her." "I did not." "What, do you think I'm crazy?" "I wouldn't " "You jerk!" "You clown!" "Come on, clown." "Sing us a chorus from Pagliacci." "You better talk, George." "Come clean." "Either you talk, or we'll get it out of her." "Please, you wouldn't do anything to her, Johnny?" "Please." "I don't wanna, but if you won't talk, if you won't tell us what you told her " "I didn't tell her nothin'!" "Honest, I didn't." "Why would I do a thing like that, Johnny?" "Sure, she wouldn't." "She's just a building inspector, isn't she?" "Just stopped outside that door to measure the keyhole." "Why, you " "Let's have it, George." "We're gonna get it out of one of ya." "If you didn't tell her, then why was she around here snooping'?" "Oh!" "She must have found the address in my pocket." "Sure." "That's what it was." "Thought I was two-timing her." "You know, runnin' around with another " "Of course." "She's just checkin' up on me, John." "I didn't tell her nothin'." "Honest, I didn't." "You'll let her go, won't you?" "You won't hurt her, John?" "Randy?" "Mike?" "Take him home to his apartment and stick with him until I phone you." " No, I'm not leaving Sherry!" " You're leavin', all right." "Now, how are you goin' - slidin' or walkin'?" "Come on, George, let's go." "What are you gonna do now, Johnny?" "Ah, I don't think I'll have to kill her." "Just slap that pretty face into hamburger meat, that's all." "Marv, why don't you take yourself a walk for an hour or so?" "Yeah, yeah." "Yeah, I'll be - I'll be back in a couple of hours." "All right, sister, that's a mighty pretty head you've got on your shoulders." "You wanna keep it there, or do you wanna start carrying it around in your hands?" "Maybe we could compromise and put it on your shoulder." " I think that'd be nice, don't you?" " What were you doing outside that door?" "Doing?" "I was listening, naturally." "Trying to, I should say." "Oh, you admit it?" "You admit you were out there snooping?" "Yes." "Wasn't that naughty of me?" "But I'm afraid I was." "I found an address in George's pocket." "I thought he might be playing around with another woman, so I came over here." "And you'd care if he was playin' another dame?" "That would bother you?" "You don't understand me, Johnny." "You don't know me very well." "I know you like a book." "You're a no good, nosy little tramp." "You'd sell out your own mother for a piece of fudge, but you're smart along with it." "Smart enough to know when to sell and when to sit tight, and you know you better sit tight in this case." " I do?" " You heard me." "You like money." "You got a great big dollar sign there where most women have a heart." "So play it smart." "Stay in character, and you'll have money, plenty of it." "George'll have it, and he'll blow it on you." "Probably buy himself a five-cent cigar." "Mmm." "You don't know me very well, Johnny." "I wouldn't think of letting George throw his money away on cigars." "Isn't there a big "if" in there somewhere?" "Yeah." "There's a couple of 'em." "If you're smart, if you keep your trap shut and don't nose around anymore, you'll have money." "You'll be loaded with a capital "L."" "But if you don't, there'll be nothing." "We'll forget the whole thing." "Nothing will happen, and you won't have a penny." "I wouldn't like that, and, frail as I am, I'd much prefer to be loaded." "I think we understand each other." "Now beat it." "Those guys." "Fine friends they turned out to be." "Slappin' me around, callin' me dirty names." "I thought that rotten Randy would cave the side of my head in." "Poor George." "You're all right now, aren't you, darling?" "Doggone it, Sherry, you shouldn't have come over there tonight." "It's a wonder we both didn't get killed." "I don't think there was much danger of that." "After all, if they'd killed you, there couldn't be a robbery." "If they'd done anything to harm me or seriously offend you, why " "They have offended me." "They've offended me plenty." "Oh, George, don't be such an old bear." "They have, and I'm not gonna forget it in a hurry." "Well, what else could they have done?" "I thought they acted quite reasonably." "Well, anyway " "What" " What did Johnny do to you?" "Do?" "I already told you." "Just asked me some questions and made sure it was all right for me to leave." "Sherry, did - did Johnny try anything?" "Why, George, what a terrible thing for you to ask." " I was pretty sure that you wouldn't " " I don't think you'd better say any more." "Why did you come over there tonight, Sherry?" "It wasn't for the reason you said." "It was for the reason you said, George." "You said it yourself." "I was just trying to make an alibi for you." "I was afraid those guys'd kill you." "You know that I wouldn't look at another woman." "There wouldn't be any women chasing after a guy like me." "Oh, let's drop it, George." "You put words in my mouth, and then you say they're not true." "I told you exactly what happened." "Oh, dear." "Everything's all right with you and your pals now." "You're gonna have lots and lots of money and " " I've been thinkin' it over, Sherry." " I can hardly wait." "How soon will it be, George?" "What day?" "It ain't going to be, Sherry." "I'm droppin' out." "You're dropping - Oh, you don't mean it." "You can't mean it." "I'm afraid, Sherry." "This business tonight, it kinda opened my eyes." "It made me realize the kind of guys I was getting mixed up with." "Before, all I thought of was the money." "Well, you just keep on thinking about that, George." "Think how disappointed I'd be if you didn't get that money." "I'm afraid I'd feel like you didn't really love me." "I don't see how I could feel any other way." "Why?" "Why should I have to do a thing like that to prove to you that I love you?" "George, what are you gonna do?" "I wanna know right now." "All you've ever done is talk about loving me." "That's all I've had for the last five years is talk." "Now that you have a chance to do something and to - all those things you promised - buy me things " "Well, what are you gonna do, George?" "You know there ain't a thing in the world I wouldn't do for you." "Then you'll do this for me, won't you?" "I guess so." "It'll be perfect, George." "You have no idea how perfect." "I won't have long to wait, will I?" "It will be within the next few days, won't it?" " Oh, when will it be, George?" " You got your own way, Sherry." "You wanted me to go ahead with the deal, so I'm going." "Now leave me alone, will you?" "I'm sorry, darling." "Of course." "We won't even talk about it if you don't want to." "You really love me, Sherry?" "Of course." "You'll always love me?" "Always and always." "Three days later, at 10:15 on a Tuesday morning..." "Johnny Clay began the final preparations." " You want somebody to play with?" " Uh, no, thanks." "I'm just lookin' for a friend." "Oh, you patsan." "You missed a move." "Knight to knight five, pawn takes knight, rook takes rook, queen to rook four, check." " King to bishop " " Go away." "Bother someone else!" "You don't know what you're talkin'!" "He couldn't do that!" " You don't know what you're talkin'!" " Shut up, patsan." "Make a move." "He's right." "I could have won your rook." " Move, patsan!" " Look, stop talkin' or I'll call Fisher." "I can't think with all this noise!" "Good game, Maurice?" "Johnny Clay, my old friend." "How are you?" "Good to see you, Maurice." "Been a long time, huh?" " How long have you been out?" " Oh, not very long." "It was very difficult, no?" "Yeah." "Very difficult." "You have my sympathies, Johnny." "You have not yet learned that in this life you have to be like everyone else - the perfect mediocrity." "No better, no worse." "Individuality is a monster, and it must be strangled in its cradle... to make our friends feel comfortable." "You know, I often thought that the gangster and the artist... are the same in the eyes of the masses." "They're admired and hero-worshipped, but there is always present... underlying wish to see them destroyed at the peak of their glory." "Yeah." "Like the, um " "Like the man said, "Life is like a glass of tea." Huh?" "Oh, Johnny, my friend, you never were very bright... but I love you anyway." "How, uh" " How's life been treating you, Maurice?" "About the same as always." "When I need some money, I go out and wrestle." "But mostly I'm up here, wasting my time playing chess." "But, you know, I wouldn't know what to do with myself... if I didn't have this place to come to." "Maurice, could you use $2,500?" "It has a pleasant ring to the ear." "Quite musical." "What is it for?" "For taking care of half a dozen private dicks." "Racetrack cops." "I want you to start a fight with the bartender at the track." "The track cops will try to break it up." "You keep 'em busy for as long as you can." "Make 'em drag you out of the place." "No gunplay." "Strictly a muscle job." "Would it be out of order for me to ask... for what it is that you are willing to pay such a price to see me demonstrate my talents?" "I would imagine it is for more than just your own personal entertainment." "$2,500 is a lot of dough, Maurice." "Part of it's for not asking questions." "That sounds not unreasonable." "Still, I will probably go to jail, and jails I have found unpleasant." "Food is very bad, company is poor, beds are too small." "Ah, it'll only be a disorderly conduct charge." "Maybe 60 days, nothing worse." "And if a man has a little money to spread around in the right places, he can be quite comfortable for his stay." "I do not quite understand, Johnny." "For what you want me to do, you could get any hoodlum for a hundred dollars." "Yeah." "I don't want any hoodlum." "I want a guy like you." "Someone who's absolutely dependable... who knows he's being well-paid to take a risk and won't squawk if the going gets rough." "I was thinking, if perhaps you can't work out some other arrangement - 2,500 I like very much." "But suppose I were willing to forgo part of it... and take a share in your, uh, enterprise instead." " No?" " No." "It's not mine to share up." "Very well, Johnny." "Now I sense there will be certain details to work out." "Yeah." "I'll buy you a cup of coffee, huh?" " It's beautiful, isn't it?" " Yeah, it's exactly what I wanted." "Yeah, pops, you could take care of a whole roomful of people with that gun." "Maybe not kill 'em all, but then they wouldn't be good for anything afterwards." "I knew you'd take care of it for me, Nikki." "Say, uh, how long have you had this place?" "Almost a year." "Yeah, and it's picturesque enough, but there can't be much profit in it." "There isn't." "But then there isn't much trouble neither." " What are you thinking about?" " A job." "Your kind of a job." "A job with a rifle." " What kind of money, pops?" " 5,000." " Who do I have to kill?" " A horse." " A horse?" " A four-legged horse." " And for that I get 5,000?" " Well, for that and " "I figured there'd be a gimmick." "The gimmick isn't as tough as you may think." "You shoot the horse, and, if by any chance anything goes wrong, you don't squawk." "And all I gotta do is bump off a horse?" " Well, it's a special kind of a horse, Nick." " So?" "For certain reasons, including your own protection... in case anything happens, I'm not gonna give you the whole story, just your part of it." "Next Saturday the $100,000 handicap is being run." "In the seventh race - that's the big race of the season - there's a certain horse running." "He's one of the best three-year-olds to come along in the last 10 years." "He's a big money winner, and he won't pay even money because half the people out there are gonna be down on him." "All right." "There's a parking lot less than 300 feet from the northwest corner of the track." "From a car parked in the southeast corner of that lot... you get a perfect view of the horses as they come around the far corner and start into the stretch." "A man sitting in a car parked in that spot using a high-powered rifle with a telescopic sight... should be able to bring down any given horse with a single shot." "And a man with your eye would hardly need a telescopic sight." "That horse is worth a quarter of a million bucks... and you know the crowd would go completely nuts." "So what?" "Let 'em go nuts." "You can do it." "You can do it easy." "And you shouldn't have too much trouble getting away in the confusion." "Red Lightning will undoubtedly be leading in the stretch because that's the way he runs." "So he goes down, a couple of other horses pile up on top of him." " There'll be plenty of confusion." "I can guarantee you that." " Yeah." "And there's one more thing - Suppose by accident you do get picked up." "What've you done?" "You shot a horse." "It isn't first-degree murder." "In fact, it isn't even murder." "In fact, I don't know what it is." "But the chances are, the best they could get you on would be, uh, inciting a riot... or shooting horses out of season or something like that." "Well, you put it down, 'cause you make it sound real simple." "You know, pops?" " 5,000 bucks for rubbing' out a horse." " Okay, pops." "How do I get it?" " 2,500 today, 2,500 the day after the race." " Okay." "Crazy." "Now, tell me something " "What's your angle, John?" "They'll probably call the race off, huh?" "And they won't pay off any of the bets?" "Come on." "Maybe." "But what my angle is is my business." "And, Nikki, 5,000 bucks is a lot of dough, and that's what I'm paying it for - so nobody has to know my business." "All right, John." "I got no troubles with you." "I'm with you." " I'm lookin' for Joe Piano." " Who's lookin' for Joe?" " Patsy sent me." " Patsy who?" " Patsy Gennelli." " Where did you see Patsy?" "Alcatraz." "We roomed together." "My name " "Don't tell me who you are." "What can I do for you?" "I want a place to stay for about a week." "I won't be in it very much." "I don't want it cleaned, and I don't want anybody else in it except myself." "I think I can accommodate you." "So how's the boy?" "Eh, he's fine." "He's doing it on his ear." "He's the best pitcher they got up there." " Yeah, I know." " He told me to tell you not to worry about him." "Yeah, he's doing the book, you know." "I worry plenty." "Well, he's a tough kid." "Maybe he'll get a break." "Yeah, I know." "Let's hope." "Here you are." "I got another one." "You don't have to worry about leaving anything in here." "It'll be safe." "I'm always over here." "There'll be no maid service." " You wanna leave anything in there?" " Just this, and another bag next week." "Don't you worry." "Nobody will disturb them." " All right." "What'll it be?" " Oh, no." "No charge." "You said Patsy sent you." "Sure, he sent me, but he's a friend of mine." "I'd feel better if I paid." "Kind of a business arrangement." "I can afford it." " Okay, then." "It'll be $10 a week." " All right." "I'll send the money in the bus to the boy." "Thank you very much." "Have a nice time, huh?" "Four days later, at 7:30 a." "M..." "Sherry Peatty was wide awake." "Gosh, honey." "Did I wake you up?" "I'm sorry." "I just couldn't sleep somehow." "It's all right." "Can I get you anything?" " Would you like some more coffee?" " No, I guess not." "Nice of you to offer though." "I don't know." "I'm just nervous and restless." "I'll be all right." "Go on back to bed, will you?" "No, I won't." "Even if I don't get up to get my husband's breakfast... the least I can do is sit with him while he has his coffee." "Ah, Sherry, are you sure you feel all right?" "I'm sorry." "I didn't mean that the way it sounded." "I deserved it." "I know I've been irritable and moody lately, and I haven't acted like I should." "It's just I can't stand living like this." "This crummy apartment and a hamburger for dinner." "You haven't been so bad, baby." "Yes, I have." "But things are gonna be different." "You'll see." "When we get all that money and have so many nice things..." "I'll stop thinking about myself so much." "Your problems will be my problems - whenever you're worried about something, like now, for instance." "Is it the robbery?" "Is that what you're worrying about?" "Yeah, I guess it is a little." "I have no reason to." "I know it's gonna be all right." "Ah, naturally you'd be a little upset at a time like this." "It's today, isn't it?" "What makes you think that?" "Just because I couldn't sleep, it doesn't mean " "No, I know my Georgie." "He can't fool me." "I'm right, aren't I, darling?" "Today is the day we get all that money." "No, you ain't." "It isn't today." "If you don't stop pestering me, trying to find out something you have no reason to know... there ain't gonna be no money." " But, George, how can you " " I mean it, Sherry!" "Now, I'm gettin' fed up." "You heard what Johnny told you - to stop butting in, mind your own business... or he'd call this whole thing off." "He told me something else too, which I neglected to tell you." "That if I did "butt in," as you and he choose to call it, he'd break my neck." "Maybe he had reason to." "He wanted to make you understand that he means business." "All I've gotta say is, you've certainly changed your tune... since he and his friends slapped you around." "Well, I was pretty sore about that, but, after all, what could they do?" "You said yourself they acted pretty reasonable." "We have no reason to hold a grudge." "Well, I'm not gonna argue with you, George." "If you let people beat you up, and then take their side against your own wife, why " "But you did, Sherry!" "You said - Look, I wanted to quit." "You wouldn't let me." "You said I had no reason to." "Anyway, Johnny didn't lay a hand on me." "None of the guys did but Randy." "I was gonna tell you something about your dear friend Johnny... but since you feel about him like you do, take his word against mine " "What about him?" "What were you gonna tell me?" "Let's stop the conversation right there." "What were you gonna tell me, Sherry?" "I don't think I can tell you when you feel like you do about him." "Not havin' any faith in me and keepin' secrets." "We won't have any secrets." "What happened?" "Well, I tried to tell you about this the other night, but... you were so upset, and every time I tried to say anything, you cut me off." "Sherry, what are you trying to tell me?" "I tried to stop him." "I pleaded and I struggled." "But " "Oh." "It doesn't matter, does it, darling?" "The only thing that really matters is how I feel about you now, isn't it?" "It is today, isn't it?" "Earlier that morning, at 5:00 a." "M..." "Red Lightning was fed only a half portion of feed... in preparation for the seventh race that afternoon - the $100,000 Lansdowne Stakes." "At 7:00 that morning, Johnny Clay began what might be the last day of his life." "Yeah." "All right, all right." "Oh." " What time is it?" " It's early yet." "It's only 7:00." "You better go back to sleep after I leave." "I, uh, just wanted to say good-bye." "Till tonight, that is." "Everything's all set." "Should go perfectly." "But if it doesn't, if anything goes wrong, why, don't talk about this with anyone." "You'll be in the clear for everything except being short on your books, and I don't think they'll be too rough on you." "Oh." "I'm not worried about that." "As a matter of fact, I'm not worried about anything." "I just wish there was something more I could do to help." "No, you've done your part." "I only hope we can do ours as well." "We, uh " "We'll probably never see each other again after we split the money and break up tonight, but... in my book, you'll always be a stand-up guy." "Johnny, I " "I don't know how to say this, and I don't even know if I have the right... but I've always thought maybe you're like my own kid." "Ah, you can say anything you want." "You've had a lot of rough breaks, and maybe you've made a few mistakes... but after today, the good Lord willing, you'll be a new man." "A rich man." "And that can make a lot of difference." "You got a lot of life ahead of you, a lot of people to meet." "People of quality and substance." "What are you gettin' at?" "Wouldn't it be great if we could just go away, the two of us... and let the old world take a couple of turns... and have a chance to take stock of things?" "It can be pretty serious and terrible, particularly if it's not the right person." "Getting married, I mean." "You better go back to sleep." "The, uh, seventh race starts about 4:30 if you want to catch it on the radio." "I'll be back here about 7:00." "Keep away from the track." "Go to a movie or something." " See you later." "It was exactly 7:00 a.m. When he got to the airport." "The weight is okay, Mr. Preston." "Is that all the baggage?" "Well, I'll have one more with me tonight." "I can keep it with me in the cabin, can't I?" "Yes, sir, but be sure and check in here at the counter prior to flight time." " Flight 465 leaves at 9:00 p.m. Tonight." " Thank you." "Thank you for flying American, sir." "Stopping first at a florist, he arrived at the motel at 8:15." "He was on schedule." " Good morning, my friend." " Good morning, Joe." "Now, look, this afternoon a friend of mine is stopping by and leaving a bundle for me." " He's a cop." " A cop?" "Yeah, yeah." "He's, uh - drives a prowl car." " A funny kind of a friend that you have." " He's a funny kind of a cop." "Now, you let him in, huh?" "He'll leave this bundle for me about 6:30." "I'll be by right after that and pick it up, and that's the last you'll see of me." " Would you come in for a drink?" " I'd like to, but I got a lot to do today." " If I did that, everything would be fouled up." " I understand." "I'll see you tonight." " Yeah." "Okay." " So long." "Take care of yourself." "He reached the bus station at 8:45." "It was 9:20 when he arrived at Mike's apartment." "So far everything had gone off according to plan." "Mike O'Reilly was ready at 11:15." "What goes on here?" "This is no way to get your strength back." "Oh, it's very good, Mike, but I guess I'm just not hungry." "Really, I couldn't eat another bite." "Another?" "You haven't eaten anything yet." "Well, I'll take something after a while, after I've had my medicine." "I'll have more appetite then." "That's a promise." "No tricks now." " It's a promise." "You'd better go along now, Mike, or you'll be late for work." "Yeah, I guess I will." "Ruthie, things are gonna get much better for us." "I know." "I know, dear." "I know I've made a lot of promises in the past, but this time it's not just talk." "We're gonna be rich, and soon." "You're gonna have a fine house and doctors that'll make you well again." "Of course, dear." "But you'd better go along, Mike, or you'll be late." "Yeah." " Oh, Mike?" " Yes?" "On your way home tonight, would you bring me some magazines?" "Of course." "But, uh, Ruthie, I'm going to be a little late." "Probably about 10:00." "Some of the fellas and me are having a little get-together." "I understand." "Don't you drink too much beer, Mike." "Remember how it always leaves you the next day." "Don't worry about that." "I won't be doing any drinking tonight." "I called Mother." "She'll be over this afternoon to fix your dinner." "Thank you, dear." "Good-bye." "Don't forget to eat your breakfast." "He reached the bus station at 11:29." "At 12:10, as it was his custom, he arrived at the track." "Well, what do we got here?" "Who's the girlfriend, Mike?" "That's how you spend your money - blowing your money on dames." "An old man like you that oughta know better." "I ain't like you guys." "These posies are for my wife." "Besides, where do you guys get off calling me an old man?" "Why don't you buy your flowers after you get through work, Mike?" "Liable to wilt on you before you get home." "Well, it can't be helped." "After work the shops will all be closed." "Why don't you take 'em out and put 'em in some water?" "Or probably the clubhouse steward would put 'em in the refrigerator for you." " Why don't you do that?" " Well, perhaps I should." "But, well, it's getting kinda late now, and " " I'm all dressed." "Why don't I do it for you?" " No." "What's the matter, Mike?" "I was just trying to do you a favor." "These flowers are going in my locker." "Then I'll know where they are." "Okay, Mike." "Suit yourself." "I'm sorry, Bill." "I appreciate your offer." "But after work you know how it is." "Everybody will be in a hurry to get away, and " "Hi." "...is third, and Comfort King." "It is My Baby leading by a length." "Concentrator is second by three quarters of a length." "Second Ending, moving up fast now on the outside, is third, and Comfort King." "It is My Baby, Concentrator and Second Ending." "It is Second Ending, Concentrator and Comfort King." "It is Second Ending in front." "Down to the wire it's Second Ending, the winner by a half a length!" "Concentrator second by two, Comfort King third, and My Baby." "The result of the first race now appears on the totalizator board." "Be sure to hold all tickets until the result of the race is declared official." "After the first race, Mike was very busy." "Gimme a double bourbon, please." "Don't you think you've had enough, pal?" "Your attention, please." "The horses are now on the track for the second race at six furlongs." "At exactly 3:32 that same afternoon..." "Officer Randy Kennan set in motion his phase of the operation." "Hello, Fred." "This is Randy." "Listen, pal, will you check with the dispatcher's office... and see if they've been getting me loud and clear?" "I think my set's a little on the blink." "Sure." "Huh?" "What?" "He says it's okay?" "Well, that's funny." "It keeps going dead." "No, I don't think it's one of the tubes." "I'll keep fooling around with it." "Give my regards to your missus." "By the way, when's the big day supposed to be?" "Well, don't worry about it." "The sixth one is always the hardest." "Officer!" " Oh, thank heaven." "Hurry!" "Come quick!" "They're killing each other!" "I always knew they'd " "He had timed the trip to the track on half a dozen different occasions... and he knew atjust what point he should be at precisely what time." "He knew the entire success of the plan depended on his accuracy... in arriving at the track at exactly the correct moment." "A minute or two early was allowable, but 10 seconds late would be fatal." "Your attention, ladies and gentlemen." "The horses are now on the track for the seventh race." "The $100,000-added Lansdowne Stakes at one mile." " They're off and running." "At the start it is Red Lightning breaking on top." "Early Streak is second, I'm Hoping is third, White Fire is fourth " "Earlier that afternoon at 2:30..." "Maurice was at the chess club." "He was to be at the track in position at 4:00, just before the start of the seventh race." "Fisher, I am supposed to be back here tonight about 6:30." "If I'm not, I'd like you to do something for me." "Sure, Maurice." "What is it?" "I'd like you to call this number and ask for Mr. Stillman... and tell him Maurice requires his services." "Sounds pretty mysterious." "What's it all about?" "There are some things, my dear Fisher, which do not bear much looking into." "You have undoubtedly heard of the Siberian goat herder... who tried to discover the true nature of the sun." "He stared up at the heavenly body until it made him blind." "There are many things of this sort... including love and death and my business for today." "Please remember to make that call if I'm not back at 6:30." " Your attention, ladies and gentlemen." "The horses are now on the track for the seventh race... the $100,000-added Lansdowne Stakes at one mile." "Your attention, ladies and gentlemen." "The horses are now on the track for the seventh race... the $100,000-added Lansdowne Stakes at one mile." " Yes, sir?" " Bottle of beer." "Yes, sir." "The horses are approaching the starting gate for the seventh race." "The horses are at the gate." "The horses are at the gate." "Hey!" "How about some service, you stupid-looking Irish pig?" "Hey, what's the matter with " "Hold him." "Come on, break it up." "Look out." "It was exactly 4:23 when they dragged Maurice out." "At 11:40 that morning Nikki left his farm." "He arrived at the track at 12:30." " Hi there." " Use the other parking lot, mister." "This one ain't open yet." " I don't like to trouble you." " You're not troubling me." "I said there's no parking here." "There's no parking, and that's that." "Look, Mac, I'm a paraplegic." "I want to get in this lot to watch the races from my car." "That ain't my problem, mister." "My leg's bum, too, but nobody's feeling sorry for me." "I know what you mean, buddy." "Get that in the war?" "Battle of the Bulge." "Say, look, I know this is a lot of extra trouble for you." " I want you to have this." " No, no, no." "Skip it, skip it." "I want you to take it." "Now go on, keep it." "It's all right." " Well, thanks a lot, mister." "I'm sorry I " " That's okay." "Forget it." "Say, will you take down that fence?" "I'd like to get settled down before the first race starts." "Okay?" "Sure, mister." "Your attention, please." "The horses are now on the track for the second race at six furlongs." "I had this laying' around, mister." "I thought you might like to have it." "Thanks." "That's very kind of you." "No trouble at all." "If you need anything else, just honk." "I doubt if I'll need anything." "I'm getting along just fine." "But thanks anyway." "Who you betting' on, mister?" "Anything look good to you?" " Red Lightning." " Huh?" "Red Lightning in the seventh." " So you're bettin' on him, huh?" " Yeah, I got a little bet down on him." "Well, I guess I better be getting back to work." "Yeah, well, thanks for bringin' me the program." "No trouble at all." "You sure there's nothing else I can do for you?" "No, nothing at all." "If I think of anything, I'll give you a yell." "Your attention, ladies and gentlemen." "The horses are now on the track for the seventh race... the $100,000-added Lansdowne Stakes at one mile." "The horses are approaching the starting gate for the seventh race." "Sure is a nice day, ain't it?" " Yeah." " Yes, sir." "I didn't figure it would be when I first got up this morning, but it turned out real fine." "Kinda funny when you stop to look at it." "Weather's almost the same as it always is this time of year, but " "I sure appreciate the way you treated me, mister." "It's not so much the money." "Of course, I appreciate that, too, but it's more the way " "Forget it." "No, sir, I" " I don't reckon I'll ever forget it." "I brought you some luck, mister." "You bettin' this race, I figure you might need it." "Now look." "Keep your junk and leave me alone, will you?" "Some" " Something wrong?" "You're wrong, nigger." "Now, be a nice guy and go on about your business." "Sure, boss." "Sorry to have bothered you." "My mistake." " They're off and running!" "At the start it is Red Lightning breaking on top..." "Early Streak is second, I'm Hoping is third..." "White Fire is fourth, Little Arnie is next..." "Seymour's Darling and Best Seller." "Moving down the back stretch, it's Red Lightning by a length and a quarter..." "I'm Hoping is second by three quarters of a length..." "Little Arnie is third by a length and a quarter... and Seymour's Darling." "Passing the half-mile post, it is Red Lightning by a length and a quarter..." "I'm Hoping is second by a half a length..." "Seymour's Darling is third... and Little Arnie moving fast on the outside." "Into the far turn, it is Red Lightning in front by a length and a quarter." "Little Arnie is second by half a length." " I'm Hoping is third " "And a horse is down!" "It is Red Lightning!" "At the head of the stretch, it is I'm Hoping taking the lead by half a length." " Little Arnie driving on the outside." "Hey, stop!" "Stop, or I'll shoot!" "It's Little Arnie!" "Down to the wire it is Little Arnie going steadily, holding it and winning it!" "Nikki was dead at 4:24." "At 2:15 that afternoon Johnny Clay was still in the city." "He knew exactly how long it would take him to drive to the track... park his car and walk to the grandstand." "He planned to arrive just before the start of the seventh race." "Your attention, ladies and gentlemen." "The horses are now on the track for the seventh race, for the seventh race... the $100,000-added Lansdowne Stakes at one mile." "The horses are approaching the starting gate for the seventh race." "Hey!" "How about some service, you stupid-looking Irish pig?" "Money room." "Carter." "Yes, sir." "Right away." "There's a riot downstairs." "Come on." "They're off and running!" "At the start it is Red Lightning breaking on top..." "Early Streak is second, I'm Hoping is third, White Fire is fourth..." "Little Arnie is next, Seymour's Darling and Best Seller." "Moving down the back stretch it's Red Lightning by a length and a quarter..." "I'm Hoping is second by three quarters of a length..." "Little Arnie is third by a length and a quarter... and Seymour's Darling." "Passing the half-mile post it is Red Lightning by a length and a quarter..." "I'm Hoping is second by half a length..." "Seymour's Darling is third... and Little Arnie moving fast on the outside." "Into the far turn it is Red Lightning in front by a length and a quarter..." "Little Arnie is second by half a length, I'm Hoping is third " "And a horse is down!" "It is Red Lightning!" "At the head of the stretch it is I'm Hoping taking the lead by half a length." "Little Arnie, driving on the outside, is second by three quarters..." "Seymour's Darling is third, and Early Streak." "It is Little Arnie and Seymour's Darling." "It's Little Arnie in front." "Down to the wire it is Little Arnie going steadily, holding it... and winning it by three quarters of a length." "I'm Hoping is second by three quarters of a length..." "Seymour's Darling is third by a head... and White Fire finished fourth." "Your attention, ladies and gentlemen." "Be sure to hold all tickets." "The stewards are conducting an inquiry into the running of the seventh race... and will view the motion pictures." "All right, get your hands up, all of you!" "Now!" "One move out of any one of you, and I'm gonna start firing." "You." "Fill that bag up just as fast as you know how." "You." "Take that gun out of the holster." "Be awful, awful careful how you do it." "Now drop it." " Kick it over here." "All right, turn around and face the wall." "All right, now the money in the safe." "Your attention, ladies and gentlemen." "We have received no exact information... concerning the spill of Red Lightning in the seventh race." "However, jockey Danny Freed appears to be unhurt." "Your attention, ladies and gentlemen." " We have received no exact information " " Fill it up!" "Concerning the spill of Red Lightning in the seventh race." "However, jockey Danny Freed appears to be unhurt." "All right, all right, that's enough." "Now put the bag here in the middle of the floor." "Get back over there." "Now, I'm gonna open this door." "I want you to go through it and go into the locker room." "And close the door after you." "I'm gonna start firing through that door 15 seconds after you close the door." "Let's go." "Now close it!" " Just a minute." " What are you doing?" "Just stay right there." "We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a special news bulletin." "In one of the most daring and methodically executed holdups in criminal history... a lone bandit wearing a rubber mask... today took an estimated $2 million stuffed into a large duffel bag... from the offices of the Lansdowne Racetrack." "The robbery occurred during the running of the seventh race... and was apparently timed to coincide with the shooting of Red Lightning... just as the horse, valued at a quarter of a million dollars... was leading the pack at the far turn." "The jockey, Danny Freed, escaped with minor injuries." "A man identified as Nikki Arano, who allegedly shot the prize thoroughbred... was himself fatally wounded by track police... as he attempted to shoot his way out of the track parking lot." "At this time the most baffling mystery that still plagues the authorities... is just how the bandit managed to successfully get away from the track... with the bulky duffel bag containing the money." "A painstaking search of the track grounds is being conducted... on the theory that the money may still be hidden there." "And now we take you back to our regularly scheduled program." "No one saw the duffel bag come out of the window." "Nah, that part of it worked okay." "Landed right at my feet." "I reported my radio out of order before I went out to the track." "But the captain ain't buying it." "He's convinced I was holed up somewhere, drunk." "And if the captain's convinced, there ain't nobody that can unconvince him." "Besides, no one's gonna think anything of seein' a cop at the racetrack." "I mean, they won't get any funny ideas about it and tie it in with the robbery." "Anyway, if they do it won't cut any ice." "Captain knows I was drunk, and he ain't a man you can argue with." "So I guess I'll just have to break down, admit it and take my punishment." "Yeah." "That would be terrible, wouldn't it, Randy?" "A 30-day suspension." "It's 7:15." "Don't worry." "He'll get here." "He had to pick up the dough at the motel where I dropped it." "There was a funny little guy name of Joe Piano there." "He runs the place, I guess." "Sure hope Johnny knows how to pick his friends." "I need another drink." "Why ain't he here?" "Everything else runs on a timetable till it comes to paying' us our shares." "Then the timetable breaks down." "He's supposed to be here at 7:00." " I think I hear the elevator." " That'll be Johnny." "Yeah." " All right, everybody up." " What is this?" "It'll be a massacre if you don't keep those mitts up." "Now, where's Johnny?" "What time's he due?" "Look, I been sitting on that car since 4:00 listening' to that radio... and I heard some pretty interesting things." "Grandpa, tell me, what time's Johnny getting here?" "Somebody gave you a bum steer, buddy." "Look around." "Can't believe you were tipped, huh?" "Well, if I had a certain little lady here " "Where's the jerk?" "Where's George?" "The jerk's right " "Forty minutes before, at 6:25, Johnny reached the motel." "Due to heavy traffic around the track, he was 15 minutes behind schedule." "Yeah?" "Who is it?" "Oh, it's, uh - it's just a mistake." "I'm sorry." "Johnny arrived at the meeting place at 7:29, still 15 minutes late." "It had been prearranged and agreed to by all... that in the event of an emergency before the split... the money was to be saved by whoever had possession of it at that time... without any consideration of the fate of the others... the money to be divided in safety at a later date." "After what he had seen, and not knowing the cause or the circumstances of the others..." "Johnny had no choice but to save himself and the money." "Ten minutes later he bought the largest suitcase he could find." "I'm back here, Val darling." "How'd it go, dear?" "Watch out there!" "Watch out!" " What happened?" "Sherry, why?" "Why did you do it?" "Do?" "Do what, dearest?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "I was just getting some clothes ready to go to the cleaners." "I " "Hello!" "Hi there!" "So you had to be stupid." "You couldn't even play it smart with a gun pointed at you." "Well, you better get smart fast and get outta here while you can still walk." "But your friend - Val?" "Is that his name?" "Yes, and you'd better get out of here before he gets here." "I" " I'm sick, Sherry." "I " "Call an ambulance." "The door's behind you." "Take a cab." "I love you, Sherry." "George, you better go on and go." "You look terrible." "It isn't fair." "I never had anybody but you." "Not a real husband." "Not even a man." "Just a bad joke without a punch line." "Ain't fair." "Ain't fair." "American Airlines announces the arrival... of Flight 808 DC-7 service from Chicago." "American Airlines announces the arrival... of Flight 808 DC-7 service from Chicago." "Sebastian and I are so excited." "We haven't seen Daddy Sweetums for such a long, long time." "Will the nice man let us wait outside so we can look at the airplanes?" "Why, certainly." "You can stand outside on the boarding ramp." "We'll be announcing the arrival of your husband's flight very shortly." "He's a sweetums man, isn't hims?" "Let's hurry up real fast and see Daddy come off the airplane." " Good evening." " Good evening." "Mr. And Mrs. Raymond Preston, 9:00 flight for Boston." "Mm-hmm." "We'll be announcing the on-time departure of this flight very shortly, sir." " Fine." " Do you have any other baggage?" "No, it was already checked through this morning." "Oh, say, I, uh" " I wanna carry that bag with me on the plane, please." "I'm sorry, sir." "It's much too large." "This'll have to go checked through at Baggage." "Oh, now, uh, let's, uh - let's be a little reasonable, huh?" "You can't tell me that the two of us traveling together... are not entitled to one piece of luggage between us." "Sir, we have no objection to one small bag or even two small bags." "But we don't have anything else." "It's already been checked through." "I see." "Even though it's getting very close to flight time I think we can locate the rest of your luggage." "You could transfer some of the contents in this one to a smaller one." "No." "I'm sorry, that won't work at all." "Now look, uh, let me talk to your supervisor, huh?" "All right." "I'll be very happy to call him." "Mr. Grimes!" "Mr. Grimes?" "Could you come down this way, please?" "Good evening, sir." "What can we do for you?" "Good evening." "My wife and I are going through to Boston." "The rest of our luggage has already been checked through, and I want to take this bag with me in the cabin, please." "I'm afraid it exceeds the maximum cabin size for flight requirements, sir." "Yes, it does look quite a bit too large for the passenger compartment." "Sir, those are our flight regulations which are designed for your comfort and safety." " Well, I can't make the trip without it." " You, uh, really can't, hmm?" "Absolutely not." "Well, in that case, I think we can, uh - How about it, Brown?" "I know it's past cancellation time... but under the circumstances I think we might stretch a point, don't you?" "We'll give you a full rebate on your ticket, sir." "Wait a minute." "I" " I don't want a rebate!" "Well, sir, I" " I don't know what else to suggest." "It's very close to flight time." "There are other passengers waiting." "Perhaps the gentleman is worried about the contents of the bag." "Is that it?" " We'd be very happy to insure it." " More than happy." "We'd be delighted." " No." " If you could just give me its estimated value and tell me what's in it." "No, there's nothing in it." "I mean, uh, just personal items, things like that." "All right." "All right." "Check it through." "Passengers may now board " " Thank you, sir." " I'm sure you'll find the service to your complete satisfaction." " American Airlines Flight 40... the New Englander DC-7 service to Boston... at Gate 8." "Passengers may now board American Airlines Flight 40 " "No, no, Sebastian." "Mustn't frighten pretty airplanes." "We go for trip on nice airplane someday." " Sebastian, come back here!" "Come on." "Come, darling." "Come to Mama." "Naughty boy." "Mr. Preston, we'll be announcing boarding " "Grimes speaking." "What?" "Oh, well, you're not serious?" "Right out on the runway?" "Yes, sir, right away." "Will passenger Preston please report... to the American Airlines ticket counter." "Will passenger Preston please report... to the American Airlines ticket counter." "Taxi!" "Johnny, look." "Johnny, you've got to run." "Yeah." "What's the difference?"