"Hey, baby." "Hey, good-looking." "Cool out, now." "Got no time for love talk." "How you doing, baby?" "I'm doing it." "What's happening?" "Lot of heartbreak out there on the street." "Always is." "I hear some folks gonna get well real soon." "Canetti the doctor?" " I didn't hear that, brother." " That's cool." "See you later, sport." "Evening, Jane." "Evening, Cindy." "Hi, Benjy." "What you doing out here this time of night?" "We've been to the movies." "Bet your mama don't know you're coming back this way, does she?" "No." "Well, I think I just better take you both home, huh?" "This ain't no place for little ladies after dark." "Mrs. Torelli, how's my pretty girl?" "No use kicking about it, Benjy." "Is that cat still in your house?" "What's his name?" "Hayes?" "Yeah, but only until the end of the week." "Then he goes." "Him and all his complaints." "You know, I went to clean his room while he was out." "And what do you think?" "He's got a brand-new colour TV." "And a radio." "He can even hear Europe on it." "And new suits." "On his salary?" "There's gotta be trouble." "Better he's gone, Benjy." " Oh, maybe." " I know." "And the way he keeps looking at the widow on the third floor." "Believe me, I know, Benjy." "Oh, man's nature is a powerful thing." "You can keep it." "Hello." "I'd like to speak to Mr. D." "Yeah." "Yeah, yeah, I'll wait." "Yeah, the weapon was a hunting knife." "Eight-inch blade, handle made of elk horn." "Picked up less than a block away." "Yeah, he was a big shot with connections." "Japanese," "Kenji Shimada, age 42." "Also known as Victor on his passport." "Hey, Steve, Phil Teranian, The Examiner." "Phil." "Good morning." "How you doing?" "I'd be better if you could feed me something on the Shimada killing." "Well, we really don't have much yet, Phil." "Maybe later?" "It's been four days." "You gotta have something, huh?" "He arrived from Tokyo via Honolulu on the 11th." "Plane came in at 3:45 p.m., he checked into the Fairmont at 4:15, stayed in his room till 7:00, then he went out and was found murdered at the corner of Tracy and Hyde at 12:05" " Come on, I got all that." " Phil, you got what I got." "Yeah, but the guys upstairs think there's something more." " No kidding?" "Really?" " Come on, Steve." "The VP of Akito Industries buying up American companies like jelly beans and you still figure it's a mugging?" "The wallet was gone, watches, rings." "That's what it looked like." "I'll talk to you later, okay?" "Who's that?" "Armbruster." " The mayor's office?" " Yeah, the mayor's office." "How come it's different when an ordinary guy gets killed?" "Right." " What do you got?" " Well, I'm not sure yet." "Do you know that guy, Benson?" "The guy who owns the company Shimada was gonna take over?" "Right." "Now, did he tell you he went to Tokyo last summer?" "Yeah, he told me." "Did he tell you he took his mother with him?" " His mother?" "No." " And he didn't tell you that she owns the majority of stock in his company." "Or that he opposed the takeover by Shimada's group." "But old mom, mom sold the company out from under him." "No." "You get that from Tokyo?" "Yeah." "Listen, it even gets better." "It seems that Shimada was here mainly because there are a few questions about financial irregularity in Benson's company." "Well, now, wait a minute." "He did say that he just got back from Boston where he talked over some business with his bank." " His mother live there by any chance?" " That's right." "We'd better get on the horn to that bank." "The accounts executive's name is Morgan." "He's getting all the records." "Boston P.D. will put it on the wire." " What about the mother?" " She's with a couple of guys now." "A Sergeant Bradley and an Inspector Perranoski." "Well, you got out of the blocks pretty early this morning, didn't you?" "It wasn't too bad, really." "Five a.m. here, it's already 8 in the morning in Boston, 10 at night in Tokyo." "Handled it all with the comforts of a bedside phone." " A bedside phone?" " Yeah." " Whose bed?" " No, no." "Come on, huh?" "I've been trying to get you since 7:30 this morning." " Don't know what you're talking about." " You don't?" "Okay, buddy boy, that's fine." "But I tell you, I really think that's a good idea of you" " Good morning, officers." " Good morning." " Crunch time again, huh?" " That's right, Dedini." "What chances are there of getting a transfer into Narco with you for a couple of weeks?" "I'm sorry, kid." "Maybe if you get a little more experience." "Hey, Steve, you know a guy named Hoskins, don't you?" "Benjy Hoskins." "Sure do." "Yeah, the street hustler." "Have you seen him lately?" "No." "No, I haven't seen him in a while." "Why?" "Somebody tried to take him out." "You might have heard something." "No, what happened?" "He was trying to call me from near Columbus and Union and he got blasted through the glass." "Is it bad?" "He's holding his own." "He's at the General Hospital." "I'm on my way there now." "If you hear anything at all, let me know." " Okay." " Mike, see you." "Yeah." "Benjy Hoskins, huh?" "Real smart, old guy." "Street smart." "Never figured he'd get hit." " He ever do anything for you?" " No." "Oh, I seen him work around here with the fellas from time to time." "How did you come across him?" "I was working black and whites." "There was this kid about 10, 11 years old." "He had a gun under his mattress, waiting for his stepfather to come home." "And Benjy told me about it so it wouldn't happen." "I see." "There's a lot of things that didn't happen because of Benjy." "That's what I heard." "Would you mind, after I take care of this Boston stuff," " if I went down" " Wait a minute." "Do you think I'm gonna sit back and watch you crack this case open, with half of city hall looking over my shoulder?" "Never." "Now, you get your tail over to that hospital and I'll follow up on Benson." "Oh, excuse me." "My name is Steven Keller." "I'm a friend of Benjy's." "I just wanted to see how he is." "That's how he is." "Are you a relative?" "I'm his daughter." "Sorry, I didn't know he had a family." "You were such good buddies, he confided everything in you, right?" "The doctor says the bullets are out." "But there's a lot of him shot up inside, I know that." "I've seen people shot up on the streets before." "I know the look." "Well, they do good work here." "They've put together a lot of guys in bad shape." "How do you know my father?" " We worked together a while back." " You a cop?" "Yes." "You friends enough to find out who shot him?" " We're working on it." " Didn't say "we," said "you."" " Steve." "You got something?" " No, I just thought I'd stop by." " You met Sergeant Dedini?" " We've already met." " How's he doing?" " Fine." "I found these things in his pockets." "I'll leave them here." "Have you seen these before?" "Could be telephone numbers." "Are you sure?" "There's blood." "Maybe the lab can read them." "Milt, may I talk to you outside for a second?" "Yeah, sure." "Some dads are good." "Some dads are grand." "But you're the best dad in the whole dad land." "Daddy." "How you doing, baby?" " You want this case, you got it." " I'm not saying that." "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, okay?" "The way she talks, I got nothing else to worry about." " She cares, that's all." "She just cares." " So do I." "He's a good stoolie." "I hope he still is." " He just woke up." " Don't worry, baby, I'll be all right." " Steve, how you keeping, man?" " Okay, Benjy, okay." "How you like my little girl?" "Terrific." "She is just terrific." "Yeah, terrific." "Not like her ugly old man, huh?" "Showed her the way to go, and she went, on her own." "You sound like a proud daddy." "I am, man." "I am." " Benjy, who hit you?" " I don't know for sure, Milt." "You called me." "Why?" "Big deal going down." "Heard a number." "Guess they spotted me." "Did you write it down here?" " Did you write it down here?" " I'm sorry, please." "You'll have to leave." " Which number?" " Can't you hear?" "Leave him alone." " Which number was it, Benjy?" " He's done enough." "Miss Hoskins, he really should be alone now." "You've been up a long time." "Why don't you go on home?" "We'll call you about his progress." "Well, what do you think?" "Whatever he heard must have been awful heavy." " I'm not sure I buy it." " The four bullet holes sell me, Milt." "A guy like that makes a lot of enemies." "Maybe he's telling us a story to make himself a big man." "You're a real angel, baby." "He gets all shot up doing you a favour and you give him nothing but spit." "Look, I'm sorry." "So was Judas." "Miss Hoskins, I didn't mean it that way." "If you took it that way, I apologise to you." "I took it like it came, mister." "I'm gonna run the numbers through the lab." "Maybe they can make them." "Tell me that's no way to handle the man." "No, no." "No, you tell me." "Right." "Black and white get you here?" "I'll take you home." "It's cheaper than a cab." "I can pay my own way." "I'm sure you usually do." " So?" " He's still breathing." " You talk to Canetti?" " Yeah, he ain't happy." "Well, he's just gonna have to wait." "There's at least two dudes in there that I know gotta be fuzz." "I don't know." "A man like Victor Shimada, been around, knows how to handle himself." "It seems that nothing is enough anymore." "You've got to be on your guard all the time." "I mean, what happens in our streets today, it's terrible." "It's" "I know how you feel, Mr. Benson." "And I also know that you're a very busy man, so if I could ask you a few of these questions again?" "Sure, sure." "I'm sorry." "You said that you had dinner with Shimada at Luzio's and that while you were there, nothing unusual happened." " That's right." " And you went home around 9:30?" "Yes." "He was bushed from his trip." "He wanted to get some rest." "I see." "And you dropped him off at his hotel." "No." "I just wish that I had." "He insisted on taking a cab." " You went straight home?" " Yes." "Yes." "Thank you very much." "I appreciate your help." "Not at all." "And I only hope you catch the man who did it." "Well, if it's any comfort to you, we've got half the department working on it." " It's a nice place." " Surprised?" " Should I be?" " Oh, come on." "Daughter of a street hustler, living uptown, working a legit job and going to night school?" "Well, I'd say it's against the odds, if that's what you mean, yeah." "Five-to-one against it, baby." "Kids I grew up with, like Felicia and Mary Ann," "Marty and Big Alice, they're all dead," "in jail or on parole." "Good kids." "Except they didn't have a father to push them, chase them," "to love them out of trouble." ""Get out of the alley," he kept saying." ""I'll help you."" "And he did." "Yeah, he's quite a guy." "Just another street bum." "A stool pigeon, right?" "That's what you called him." "No, I call him Benjy." "Thanks for the ride." "Listen, Vi, there's something I gotta tell you." "If I could help, I would." "But I work on homicides and I've got a rough case right now with a lot of pressure to crack it." "Sure, I understand." "You all right?" "I'm fine." " Here's your glossies, Mike." " Good." " How's Benjy?" " He's gonna be okay." "It really hurts, though, to see a guy like that chopped up." " I saw Benson again." " Yeah?" "And?" "Step inside." "You got something?" "I got the same feeling you got." "He said he had dinner with Shimada at Luzio's and they broke up around 9:30." "That's right." "Benson went home in his limo and Shimada took a cab, right?" "It was Benson's party and yet he lets his guest go home in a cab." " Did you check that out?" " Doorman says that's what happened." " Could he have been greased?" " No, he's not the type." "Mike, you know a guy by the name of Cappy?" " Bayview Towers?" " Yeah, pushes a broom." "Well, he's pushing something else right now." "Said he recognised Shimada's picture in the paper." "Recognised how?" "He saw him leaving one of the apartments last night, 11:45." " Where is he now?" " A phone booth, Chestnut and Hyde." " Give you ten minutes for a call." " Get on that phone." " Okay." " Tell him we're on our way." "We'll get him." "The nurse gave us a good description." " Where were the guards?" " There weren't any." "You left him here alone?" "There was no reason to believe they'd try again." " Your father was" " Was not that important?" " Was not under any threats." " None of you really care, do you?" "You say you do, but you don't." "Look, Miss Hoskins," "I've only got so many people to cover this city." "I don't wanna hear your problems." "I know your problems." "It's a big town and a big job, okay?" "But if a big man gets burned, anybody with any juice, you got cops tripping on cops to find out what happened, right?" "Sixteen G. You're sure?" "Come on, Mike." "I told you, it's a nest." "Three girls working it." "I been checking the action maybe eight, ten months now." " Shimada came here last night?" " Like I told you." "The dame comes in at 9:30, he comes in at quarter of 10." "He goes home at a quarter of 12, she goes home at 12." " Came by cab?" " Yeah." "Leave the same way?" "Limo." "A limo?" "Okay." "Who was the gal?" "Look, Mike, I take a big chance just talking to you, you know?" "I mean, anyone sees me, you know, I could get a jacket, get banged up pretty bad." "You called me, Cappy." "Yeah, yeah." "Look, I got this friend's up on a bum rap." "Making a little book, he gets hassled, you know?" " What's his name?" " Bernstein." "Bobby Bernstein." "I'm making no promises." "Mike, I know." "Your ear, that's all I need." "I'm still listening." "Merry Cantrell, 2911 Taylor." "You got that?" "You got Bernstein too?" "Well, good seeing you, Mike." "You too, Cappy." "He's really a charmer." "So he asked for a favour." "They all do." "You know, Benjy never asked for anything." "Just gave." "I guess stoolies come in all shapes and sizes, buddy boy." "Just like cops." " What was that address again?" " 2911 Taylor." "2911." "Let's go." "Try to locate Dr. Kamer." "I'd like him for consultation." "I'm sorry, Miss Hoskins, there's still no change." " So you do know Miss Cantrell?" " Yes, well" "And you arranged a little dinner party for Shimada." "You picked him up at a quarter to 12, after telling your chauffeur you wouldn't be needing him anymore for the evening." "It takes 18 minutes to go from the Bayview Apartments to the corner of Tracy and Hyde." "Five minutes after that, Shimada is found knifed to death." "Lieutenant, I have to ask again, are you gonna make a charge?" "I'm gonna have to ask your client again, Mr. Marston." "And this time, I suggest he think over his answer carefully before he gives it to me." "Mr. Benson, you're a hunter." "Do you have a hunting knife with an elk-horn handle?" "Lieutenant, I'd like a word with my client alone, please." "I'd like a word with him myself but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to give him to the DA's office now." "Excuse me." "So how you doing?" "I hit him with that bank report on the missing funds." " Yeah?" " He began to sweat." "And when that girl waltzed across there, he had had it." "He turned every colour of the rainbow." "That was it, finished." "Was he our man?" "Well, without that company, he was nothing and he knew it." "He took a gamble." "Not much of a guy." "No wonder his mother didn't trust him with the company." " Hey, Steve?" " Yeah." "That was Dedini." "Thought you'd wanna know." "That old guy, Benjy?" "They took another crack at him." " In the hospital?" " Yeah." "Guy got away." "Benjy's in Intensive Care." " Mike?" " Yeah, go ahead, go ahead." "Catch your man?" " Yeah." " Good." " Vi..." " Tell me something." "Tell me how a raggedy, old black man could ever get the idea that he was helping the police with what he did." "How could he get the idea that they cared?" "How--?" "How could--?" " How could he let himself die" " Vi, it's okay." "for a crazy idea like that?" "Police." "I'd like to use your phone, please." "Mike?" "Yeah." "Listen, find Dedini for me, will you?" "Tell him I want everything he's got on this thing with Benjy." "Yeah." "Just now." "Okay." "He just never really got out of the alley." "Scuffed all of his life." "Paid his dues." "But by the time he got straight, it was too late to change." "Listen, you sure you wanna go home?" "Maybe you ought to stay with some friends." "I've got arrangements to make." " The church, funeral." " Vi." "Vi, not yet, all right?" "You gotta give me a few hours." "Now, I got the hospital cued and if anybody asks," "Benjy's still in Intensive Care." "You really think they'll come back?" "It's worth a try." "So now he gets police protection, after he's dead." "Vi, we got a good description from the nurse." "Dedini's checking the phone numbers." "We're doing everything we can." "Just need a few hours." "Okay?" "Listen, one of the numbers Dedini checked out is to a guy named Hayes." "A Larry Hayes." "Now, do you ever remember your father mentioning his name?" " No." " What about an address on Kearny?" " 1145 Kearny." " No." " Could he be the man?" " It's a possibility, yeah." " Are you gonna be all right?" " I've done my crying." "Hayes is 28, single." "No record except for a few traffic violations." "What does he do?" "He's a clerk at Vanguard Freight, down on the pier." "Been there four years, three months." "Foreman says he's reliable, no troubles." " Who is this, Hayes?" " Yeah." " Now, what about women and booze?" " He plays the field." "And the ponies when he's got the bread." "Booze, no problem." "Well, what else?" "You talk to the landlady?" "I tried." "A Mrs. Torelli." "She wasn't in." "How'd Benjy get the number?" "He overhear it?" "That's what he said." "But they could have been given to him." " Now, what's that supposed to mean?" " It's a thought." "Are you saying he worked for them and he got crossed?" "It's happened before." " Milt, will you come on?" " No, you come on." "He's dead, that's tough." "But don't tell me it's not possible." "A stoolie is out for himself, period." "And Hoskins wasn't any different." " I think he was." " Now, Steve" "Just a minute, Mike." " You check his rap sheet?" " I bet it's a mile long." "That's right, small stuff." "Grocery heist, running numbers, con games." " When he was a kid." " So?" "So you tell me, when's the last time he got busted?" " Couple of months?" " Try 12 years." "That's right, man." "He's been clean for 12 years and all that time he's been working for us." "He even gets nailed phoning in a tip." "And what does he get for it, huh?" "There's no badge for Benjy." "So I don't see him being some kind of dirty name, you know?" "Okay." "If you put it that way, I'm sorry." "Hey." "Look, you gonna take Hayes?" " Am I still on it?" " Benjy called you." "So I guess he thought you were the right man for the job." "Okay." "Okay, I'll check out these numbers." "If anything worthwhile, I'll let you know." "Good." "I know, I know." "Rule one, you gotta keep your fists in your pockets and feelings out of the way." "But I feel better." "It's off my chest, okay?" "You got it off your chest?" "Yeah." "I think I'd better get off my duff now, huh?" "Okay." "Yes, operator?" "I'd like the number for a Mr. Larry Hayes, 1145 Kearny." "Yup." "Hello?" "Larry Hayes?" " That's right." "Who's this?" " Vi Hoskins." "Who?" "Hold on a second." "All right, now, what was that?" "I said, this is Vi Hoskins." "Come on, baby, you know who I am." "Who says?" "Listen, my old man died an hour ago." "But if you call the hospital, they'll give you some jive about he's still hanging in there." "I'm filling you in to show you I'm straight." "Lady, I think you got the wrong number." "No way." "My daddy gave me this number, you dig?" "That's how I'm onto you." "And he gave me some other stuff too, like names, dates, places." "All right, I don't know what's going down here" "Don't jive me, baby." "I got folks who'll pay for what Benjy gave me." "Like the other side of the street he worked, you dig?" "Has this got something to do with the cops?" "It's got to do with you, baby, and me." "I want a taste." "No reason my daddy had to die for nothing." "Now, here's my number." "You write it down and get back to me." "555-7214." "Lady, I don't know what you're talking about." "This is Hayes." "I think I just might have something for you guys." "Yeah?" "I haven't done anything wrong." "Well, then you don't have anything to worry about, Hayes." "Hey, now just a second." "You guys can't come busting in here." "I don't see anything busted." "You still working at the freight line?" "That's right." "Would you mind telling me what this is all about?" "Could be about narcotics," " but all we got right now is murder." " What?" "How well do you know Benjy Hoskins?" " Hoskins?" " Nice colour set." "Large screen." "Must have cost a bundle." " How'd you pay for it?" "Time or cash?" " Now, just a second" "Look at this stereo set, Steve." "How can a man who makes $94.50 a week afford such goodies?" "Maybe you got something going on the side, eh?" "All right, now, hold it." "I am clean." "I don't know what you guys are looking for, but I'm clean." "Play the ponies too, huh?" "Steve, check out these numbers with the ones we've got." "No, it's none of these." "Look, if you guys wanna search this place," " you're gonna have to" " This is Vi Hoskins' number." "Look, don't shoot." "Don't shoot." "Come on, who killed Benjy?" "Not me." "I didn't even know the guy was dead till she called." "Look, I don't know anything." " I just passed on some information." " Like what?" "We've got this freighter." "It's called Star of the East." "It goes to the Orient and back." "It stops at 17 ports." "This guy just wanted to know the hours it picked up and stopped." "That's all." "You didn't know that it was picking up narcotics all over, did you?" " No!" " All right." " Now, what about Vi Hoskins?" " Nothing!" "I've never met her." "I've never seen her." "I just got this call out of nowhere." "I get this stupid call!" " When was that?" " Just before you guys got here." " Two minutes." " What'd she call for?" "She said she had some names." "She wanted a payoff." " Hey, you're lying, man." " I'm not lying." "It's the truth." "She said her old man had died and she wanted a piece of the action." " Tell me the truth, man!" " Let go of me!" " She wouldn't have said it, Mike." " Steve." "Did you tell her about him?" "Yeah." "I gave her the name and address, yeah." "That's all right." "Police." "She won't need you anymore." " Pull out." " All right, where are you going?" "Out." "Is that against the law?" "Look, we've got Hayes, we know you talked to him, but what I have to find out from you is, why?" "Because he could lead me to the man who killed my father." "And what did you plan to do when you saw that man, Miss Hoskins?" " Kick him in the shins?" " I don't have to tell you anything." "You can't stop me." "We can now." "Where'd you get this?" "You can get anything, anywhere, if you pay for it." "My name is Stone, Mike Stone." "I never met your father, but from everything I've heard, I'm sure he didn't teach you that." "No." "But I want that man to pay." "Vi, we do too." "And we'll get him." " I've heard that number before." " Not from me, you haven't." "All right, you called him, you gave him the message, then what happened?" "Somebody else called me back." "He didn't say who he was, just that he'd meet me." "Where?" "The corner of Sacramento and Battery, 20 minutes." "Twenty minutes?" "Get a police woman and set up a stakeout?" "Not enough time." " Then let me do it." " It's too dangerous." "He knows who I am, why I wanna meet him." "He'll call again and I'll go when you're not around." " Now you listen to me, young lady" " Please, Mr. Stone." "I know the risks." "I don't care." "I want that man caught now." "Steve?" "Okay." "We're gonna need help." "I'll see if I can raise Dedini." "We'll need another cab." "We're a couple of blocks away, Dedini." "Where did you land?" "Sacramento and Battery, northwest corner." "You can stop at the next intersection." "Get set." "There's Vi." "There's Dedini." "Pull over." "Hi there." "I'm waiting for someone." "Me too." "Let's walk, Miss Hoskins." "She's made the meet." "One guy." "Wait a minute." "I think he's made us." " Move it out." " We'll lose the play." "Circle around." "We'll cover." "Dedini, she's in a yellow coupe, Ford," "California licence 871-Frank-Kay-Love, headed north on Sansome." "Just turned north on Commercial." "Pull over here." "Okay, honey, just hang loose." "Have a nice trip." "They made a switch." "She's in a blue wagon." "We'll follow it." "You grab the guy in the yellow coupe." "He's still on Commercial." "Put your hands on the roof!" "Don't move." " You guys crazy?" "What's the matter?" " Don't move!" "Watch the light." "Stay close." "Watch out!" "We lost them." "Well, we shouldn't have let her go alone." "Let's grab the guy back there." "Come on." "He had it on him." "Wanna bet it matches?" " It ain't mine." "He planted it." " Yeah?" " Where'd your friend take the girl?" " What girl?" " Where is she?" " Steven." "Now listen, this gun's got you tied into one murder." "If anything happens to that girl," "I promise, you're never gonna see the light of day." "Where are they?" " A deal, what about a deal?" " Keep talking." " He took her to Canetti's warehouse." " He's big man." " What warehouse?" " On the docks." "Number 46." "Forty-six?" "Andy, here." "Get on the horn for more support." "You take him." "I'll take him." "Up against the roof." "Up against the roof." "So your old man gave you Hayes' number?" "That's right, Mr. Canetti." "What else did he give you?" "I haven't heard any offers yet." "You people are something else." "Your old man working with the cops, and now you're working to make some bread off his corpse." "Yeah, we people have got to make it where we can, don't we?" "You know, I'm sorry." "You're a nice-looking broad." "Okay, okay, take it easy." " Vi?" " No, don't shoot!" "Somebody stop her!" "You're out of the alley, so stay out!" "Did you see that?" "She tried to kill me." " The broad's crazy." "She's bananas." " Canetti." "Canetti." " You have the right to remain silent." " Yeah, but she" "I think this would be a good time for you to start making use of it." "Thanks for coming." "I'll be back from time to time." "He was a man..." "Well, he's a man I wanna remember." "Did you hear what he said?" "Sergeant Dedini?" "Yes." "He meant it, didn't he?" "He sure did."