"DIRTY GAME IN CASABLANCA" "You can go." "Are you still here?" "Take it." "Why did you bring me here?" "I saw you dancing." "I wanted to take leave of certain things." "We could give it another go." "Are you a fan of racing?" "Once I bet 500 diram on a horse." "20 metres from the line, it was two lengths ahead." "But then it stopped short, and the jockey went flying over its ears." " The horse crossed the line alone." " So what?" "The same happened to you." "You've pulled up." "Why?" "I'm crazy about you." "Excuse me." "I too came in alone." "It doesn't matter." "It's your wife that obsesses you?" "What makes you think I'm married?" "I know a lot about you, Dean Baker." "If I came here, it's because I know." " How?" " Doesn't matter." "When you've forgotten your wife, you'll be able to tolerate anyone who isn't her." "Without making a fuss." "And look me up." "I wouldn't want to miss out." "Take your money." "Thanks for the derby." "It's me who should pay." "Wait." "Here." "You can take my car." "What's your name?" "Jill, Jill Prentiss." "How will you get back?" "14 months in separate rooms." "But we still use the same bathroom." "I spent the night with a whore in a hotel." "Really?" " I couldn't manage a thing." " Then I have the advantage." "Me, I can." " Who will you try to enslave now?" " Guess." " It's not easy to forget you." " Is that so?" "Even if I wanted, I can't." "I don't want you to forget me." "Don't go." "Help me dress." "It's the right time to announce that I'm going to... file for divorce." "File for divorce..." "Autumn is long and sad." "Why didn't you call me?" "Were you waiting for the rain?" "Hello." "I was afraid you'd forget to phone." "The rain has been much delayed." "Much too much." "I knew that I would love you, immediately." " At first glance." " Me too." "I knew before I asked you to sign your book." "Why do you look at me like that?" "Hello, hello?" "I'm listening." "Do you need anything?" "Have you brought the whiskey?" "Mr. Baker, you nearly died." "Do you realise?" "There's $20 left." "Isn't that enough for a bottle?" "Your money, papers and personal items are in safe keeping." "They will be returned when you are discharged." " I need a drink." " I don't think it is necessary." "An inspector of police wants to see you." " Why?" " Can't you guess?" "He has a few questions to ask you." "I'll tell him you're well enough to see him." "I want to return to the United States." " Why?" " That's my business." "Is your relationship with Shirley any worse?" "Or is it just your own problems?" "Give me an advance of $2,000." "Twenty years of living with writers, and I've still to understand them." "To what biological species do you belong?" "We're cows and a son of a bitch called an editor, milks us." "The sales figures of 42 countries." "Numbers... numbers..." "Without numbers the letters wouldn't exist." "And without letters, neither would you." "What's destroyed you, Dean?" "Your incapacity?" "Or Shirley's money?" "It gives you pleasure to know that I've sold my soul to the devil... and it haunts me, right?" "Eddie, don't be vulgar." "She bought you, of course, but now, no longer needs you." "Bought at bargain price." "Women come and go with me." "I can't help it." "Even on the front page." "What will you do in New York, continue drinking or just piss about?" "Will you give me the money?" " An advance on your next book?" " Yes." "Writers aren't what they think." "For an editor, they are only numbers on a sheet." "This is you, Dean Baker." "Your income and projections are worked out here." "Would you like to see what you're worth?" "Much less than you think." "Good morning." "Delighted to meet you, Mr. Baker." " Sit down, Wendy." " Thank you, Sir." " Would you like something Mr. Baker?" " D'you fancy a drink?" "No thank you." " Do you want something Mr. Baker?" " Money." "I need $ 2,000." "I'm very sorry, Mr. Baker, but I've received instructions." "I understand." "Wendy, how many years have you worked for Brewster Shipping?" "I arrived in New York in 1971, then I went to London, and finally I'm here." "What do you expect from life?" "Is there anything to expect from life, Mr. Baker?" "No, certainly not." " You can go." " Thank you, sir." "Mr. Baker, on the 21st there's an extraordinary general meeting." " I know." " Well, it's rumored..." "It's rumored you will relinquish your position as director but will just remain husband of Mrs. Brewster." "One moment, I believe I'll no longer hold that office either." "Could you, could you request a judicial review of the accounts?" "Why?" "A fraud has been committed." "The company, like many others these days, has heavy losses, but at the end of the financial year, the shareholders will receive their dividends." " Of course." " Yes, that's right." "Tomorrow, I will give you the proof." "I trust only you Mr. Baker." "Why me?" "If a man has embezzled a sum of one million dollars, he would hardly attempt suicide." "You never know, Wendy." "You don't feel anything looking at her?" "Are you sure?" "Do you understand?" "At midnight at Papa Yul." "Iran and also Charlie and Duke." "Who are they going to bring this time?" "That's up to Jill." "You dancing excites me." "You are living proof that guys like Steel, have no taste." "And we'd like to know who you are going to bring this time." "Tell him." "Certainly not!" "Jill, you know you'll end up by agreeing." "And you know why?" "Because you're very attached to your little ears." "We could trim them a bit." "D'you think they need a trim, Steel?" "That'd be funny." "You wouldn't look so cute without your ears." "Jill the earless." " Good night." " Good night." "What a surprise!" "Why did you come looking for me?" "I wanted to tell you my story, and then leave afterwards." "Like at the motel?" "No thanks." "Take me to a motel, and only think about dying." "The problem is I've no luck with death either." "Are you afraid of me?" "What is it?" "I'm tired, you know what that means?" "Tired." "One can feel bad, sadness, fear. but tiredness is worst." "You know you'll never write that good book." "Never!" "And that love is routine." "And you feel... tired." " Are all writers like you?" " No." "Some manage to survive." "The other night, when he asked me to accompany you," "I had a reason to accept." "What?" "I was to take you to a poker game." "You were on Freddy's list.." "The technique never changes." "I make the first move, then it's child's play to lead him where I want." "I take 10% of the winnings." "What's that?" "Why tell me all that?" "The game is tonight." "But I didn't think of looking for it nor taking anyone." "Have you no shame?" "We're on the railway line!" "Stay with me." "Aren't you tired?" "No!" "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "Now you're scared." "You want to live." "Let's make the most of this moment." "Take hold of it!" "It's death that you feel!" "Don't you see?" " Let me go!" " Be with me!" "Let me go!" "Dean!" "Dean!" "I thought that this time that'd be it." "You see?" "I'll never see it through to the end." "Take me to your poker game." "Wait." "Don't go in." "It's dangerous." "What can happen?" "It's my lucky day." " We're guests of Papa Yul." " Alright, Miss Jill." "Good evening, Papa Yul." "Have you changed men again, Jill?" "He's a friend." "An American friend." "Welcome." "Jill, when are you going to join me for a while on this couch?" "Papa Yul, Mr. Baker wants to play?" "Will you allow?" "Papa Yul allows." "Enjoy yourselves." "Thanks." "Two kings." "Good evening." "Mr. Baker, a pleasure to see you with us." "Good evening." "I must warn you, I've no money on me." "We all know that you're the husband of Brewster Shipping." "A signature will do." " How much would you like to start?" " $5,000." "5,000 dollars." "Sign here, and I'll fetch it for you." " Charlie, give your place to Mr. Baker." " OK." "100... 500... 1,000." " Change, please." " Here." " Cut." " New deck." "D'you want a whiskey?" " A new deck." " Thanks." "Come here, Jill." "You bring me luck." " Open." " Pass." "Double the opening." "Fine." " A card?" " Hang on, let me look." " Two." " There." "One, thanks." "Raise two hundred." "I'll see." "He's fled the hospital." "Have you any idea where he's gone?" "Why bother with him?" "Don't be like that." "Dean is my husband." "I should forget him, but I can't help it." "I can't wait like that." "I only came back here to see him." "I must see him." " Two cards." " Here." " Dean." " Shirley." "Dean my love, I caught the first plane when I learnt what you had done." "You didn't want to miss my funeral?" "I'm sorry but you've had all this trouble for nothing." " Another time perhaps." " Don't talk like that." "I'm by your side." "I went to the hospital, and they told me you'd gone." "They wouldn't let me have whiskey in my drip." "It's been a terrible time." "Dean, forgive me." "Why have we torn each other apart all these years?" "I love you, Dean." "I love you." "I love you, Dean." "You say it like you believe it." "But it's true." "I swear." "From now on, it'll all be different." "I never want to be away from you." "Never." "Are you awake, Mr. Baker?" " Who is it?" " The owner of your heart." "Your ace of hearts." "Ace of hearts?" "A card signed by you, Mr. Baker." "You can trust me." "I promise that before Sunday..." "The papers will publish the news of your death." "Goodbye..." "Mr. Baker." "You won a considerable sum last night." "50,000 dollars." "You deposited it here, remember?" "Vaguely." "I keep that sum." "And I'll only give it to him who has the ace of hearts you've signed." "I was drunk, I don't know what I did." "Ibrahim, leave us please." "I know, Mr. Baker, but what does it matter?" "I handed out 5 cards." "He who has the ace of hearts, has the option on the $50,000." "On condition that he kills you in the maximum of one week." "I don't want to get my money back." "I'll pay more if necessary." "You've set in force a mechanism, and there's no means of stopping it." "A curious situation." "You could write a novel..." "If you have the time." "It's completely absurd." " What game are you playing?" " Not us, Mr. Baker." "It's you came here and asked for help." "And we have helped, it seems." "OK." "I signed a contract." "I'll pay in full and annul it." "Do you have another $50,000?" "The sum deposited here, will be available for for the owner of the ace of hearts." "You signed a life insurance policy." "Very short term, Mr. Baker." "I'll talk to these people and reach an agreement." "There are two possibilities." "Firstly:" "The 5 players have formed an agreement..." "And plan to share your policy." "Secondly:" "Four players covet the card which the fifth possesses..." "And fight him to possess it." "And what can I do?" "Wait for them to kill me?" "There are five directions which you could follow." "But keep in mind that one of these directions can be a trap, into which you could fall victim." "Charlie Stratford." "Pier 4." "Boat, The Aurora." "Mr. Baker." " What's happening?" " Why have you followed me here?" "I was waiting at your house, but you left so quickly..." "I have the proof I mentioned." "The company is smuggling contraband with its ships." "Return to your office Wendy." " Yes, Sir." " And don't say a word." " Very good, Mr. Baker." " Thanks." "Goodbye." "Charlie!" "Charlie?" "Charlie." "Charlie?" "Dean, over here." "Hurry up." "Papa Yul told me that I'd find you with Charlie." "A model citizen, your king of thieves." "Why did you take part in the game last night?" "I thought it would be less likely the others would take you." "To help you?" "A plane, a few hours." "You could be in the United States." "I haven't got my passport." " What will you do?" " To be honest, I don't know." "I'm caught in a trap." " Why did you come?" " Long time too, I'm caught in a trap." "Why not try to get out of it together?" "I once wrote a strange story." "A couple madly in love." "That love overcame all difficulties." "It might have been strange, but I think it was beautiful." "The only solution is to retrieve the card." "First on the list is..." "Charlie Stratford, known as Snowflake." "That snow will never come." "Charlie has met his final avalanche." "A fix of powder - $5 of drugs." "A sachet - $10." "I'd think I'd learn a lot by marrying you." "The second is Duke Foreman" "The manager of the racetrack." "Years ago killed a Jockey with a knife." "I hope he's calmed down since then." "Let me go with you." "No." "This is my business." "When will we meet again?" "At the racetrack, later this afternoon." "I'll be there." "By the restaurant." "Be there before the last race.." "And now you should say:" "Take care." "Dean, Take..." "Good morning." "I'd like to see that gun." "Yes, effendi." "This one is a real gem." " No, the other one, below." " Ah, the revolver." "Magnificent." "Don't worry." "There are no bullets." "Magnificent." "An authentic silver colt." "Does it work?" "Do you have ammunition?" "How much do I owe you?" "Whatever you like." "It's the first sale of the day." "You set the price." "I'm not exaggerating, I've got my children to support." "Thank you Effendi, thank you." "May Allah protect you.." "A moment." " Come with us." " What d'you want?" "You'll see." "Mr. Baker." "Eh, Mr. Baker." "I've got the suit you ordered." "That's great news my friend." "Quick, to the back door." "Your brother, the policeman, is he here?" "Joaquin, he's down there." "You there!" "Wait." "Dead, Dean?" "There's someone else looking for the ace of hearts." "Freddy." "Does he know which card you've got?" "No." "I bet $10 on that horse." "What shall we do?" "I don't know." "Look!" "Come on!" "Look!" "They're here." "Come on!" "Run!" "Dean, quick!" "C'mon!" "I have to go." "No, stay." "If I stay now, I'd lose precious time." "Forget your ace of hearts." "Stay here." "I'll be back soon." "Is anyone there?" "Steel!" "Steel!" "Is there anyone?" "Is there anyone?" "Answer me!" "Leave me alone!" "What's happening!" "I'm looking for..." "Steel." "Where the hell is Steel?" "I want Steel?" "Get the hell off me!" "Calm down!" "Calm down!" "Yes, boss." "I wasn't expecting you, Mr. Baker." "I was waiting for Freddy or one of his men." "What you want from me, Mr. Baker?" "I'll let you guess." "What card did you receive?" "Right now the ace of hearts is in the hands of Freddy." "At least I hope so." "I wouldn't like to be in your shoes, mister writer." "Freddy is not very sympathetic." "This is a devilish game." "Two players are dead..." "And perhaps there'll yet be one more." "If I could avoid it, I wouldn't be here." "Did my girls hurt you, Mr. Baker?" "You know what I want to do?" "To go as far away as possible." "And I hope to learn about your death." "And only then will I return." "You seem in a bad way, Mr. Baker." "My girls fight like wildcats." "You know what?" "I command them." "Freddy must have the ace of hearts." "But I know where he is." "Oh, my god!" "He's dead!" "Call the police." "How on earth did that happen?" "Shirley?" "What are you doing here?" "I saw you go in and was curious to see in what state you'd come out." "Not too good, but better than I expected." " What do you mean?" " Get in." "I see you've finally learnt to fight for something," "Even if your life isn't really worth much." "My darling, little wife." "Tell me that's how you were." "I'm always the same." "Come on, take your bottle." "Start your mistakes again," "Not hard to make you think she loved you." "Perhaps I'm making another mistake now." "That might be, Dean." "They're hunting you." "They'll end up by getting you." "Hide and seek with death." "I'm beginning to like it." "The worst of you... is your tenacity." "First it destroyed you and now it could save you." "What's behind this sudden blaze of love?" "What do you want?" "I knew that you'd act like a fool." "To find the ace of hearts." "You'd make yourself vulnerable." "You're just like..." "A hare running across open ground, Dean." "A race without end." "Yes." "I'll stop running." "No, don't go." "You know..." "It's the first time you've kissed me without thinking of your wife." "I'm not with her any more." "I'm with you." "I've never felt for a man what I feel for you." "And you?" "What am I to you?" "I don't know." "Sometimes so much..." "Sometimes nothing." "I don't know.." "Tell me about her." "New York, a rainy evening." "A book shop in the Garden." "Shirley Brewster entered with a book that I signed." "And time stopped for us." "I gave her my number..." "She called me the next day." "A rainy evening." "I thought of myself as one of the best writers in the world." "A kind of Tolstoy." "And she was able to show me that I was only a clown." "to be shown off parties and patronized." "And I never wrote a book." " Why didn't you leave?" " Not so easy." "By day I tried..." "But at night, Shirley..." "Shirley proved the stronger." "It seemed that we fought." "She and my talent." "We both lost." "It scares me that you still love your wife." "Give me time to forget.." "I don't care that my horse came in last." "You and me, we'll end up winning." "Not yet." "The ace of hearts must belong to Duke." "Because Freddy wouldn't come looking for Steel." "Not you, now." "I'm the only one left." "Dean Baker." "Dean, it ends on Sunday." "Let's hide until then." "Get dressed." "We're going." " Where?" " To look for Freddy." "Let me take a bath first." "OK?" "It's from another deck." "What is it?" "Not mine, this card?" "Dean, I can explain." "Dean listen, please." "Listen." "I love you." "What are you plotting?" "You and Freddy?" "No!" "I got the ace of hearts." "I swear!" "But I'd never use it." "You must believe me." "I knew the others would kill for it." "And so the possibility for me..." "To free myself, from Freddy." "To be free." "I hate him." "You don't know how much I hate him." "I hate him for this." "For everything" "Freddy'll be looking for you." "We mustn't wait." "Now you've found out..." "I could take you out." "Put the gun in your hand." "And everyone would believe you committed suicide." "Afterwards, Papa Yul would give me $50,000." "But I couldn't." "I love you." "I love you, Dean." "You're all that matters." "I love you." "I love you." "Let's go now." "We'll hide away somewhere." "Freddy and me.." "We have to play this right to the end." " Hello, Mushad." " Hello." " We've come to see the boss." " Very well, miss." "Come on, Dean." " Hello, Freddy." " Hello, Jill." "My father used to say, there were three things that made life bearable." "Love, cards and music." "The poor guy died of a heart attack with a hand of four kings, listening to the fifth symphony whilst a woman waited in vain, back home." "Mine died doing three things at once." "And shaving too." "He was a very busy man." " Tell Bob to come in." " Yes, Sir." "You've caused us a lot of work, Mr. Baker." "Thanks, Jill for bringing him." "He wanted to come." "My friend is very cross with you." "Running from one place to another." "Now, Bob." "Show Mr. Baker what happens..." "When you get angry." " Dean!" " Enough, enough!" "Give me your ace of hearts, Jill." "I could kill you for what you're going to do." "I came here to propose two solutions." "Really?" "Sounds interesting." "I'm listening." "Firstly, $100,000 if you promise to leave us in peace." "Who do you take me for, Mr. Baker?" "I'd like to take the money I've won." " Fix the amount." " Where will that take us?" "Your wife has turned off the tap." "I'll stay with you, Freddy." "You've always wanted me." "I'll do what you want." "I promise." "I'm not bothered, Jill." "I can have all that I want now." "For a long time, there's been another woman." "I only hope that she'll want to marry me.." "The poker game was only a pretext, Mr. Baker." "You complicated things absurdly." "But finally..." "Things turned out well." "Interesting game, wasn't it?" "Having thought about it..." "I prefer the second solution that you proposed?" "This is it!" "You're a bluffer, Mr. Baker." "You wouldn't have the guts." "Ali never sells guns that work." "You've played and lost." "Your lover is in an awkward position." "A bit of music..." "Ideal for dying." "We've got to get out of here." "Is there another way out?" "No, just the one." "Right, The gun will serve us well." "Let me through or I'll shoot!" "Stop. don't move.." "Or I'll blow off the head..." "of your boss's wife." "Do what he says." "Don't move." "Stay!" "Who's there?" "Is there anyone there?" "The body floated gently, bobbing amidst the shadows in the azure blue of the pool." "The face marked by an expression of surprise." "As if still questioning the identity of the murderer." "Given that everyone wanted him dead, the suspects could be anyone." "Have you a light please?" "Of course." "And Shirley who married her other lover." "And Jill, free to give herself to whoever she wants." "Duke, the brutal one, cheater at cards..." "Charlie, the weakest, destroyed by drugs." "Steel, the pervert." "And then, Freddie, the best fighter." "Also Edward, the book-keeper." "Small time, but ambitious." "All had a reason to want him dead." "Well?" "." "What do you think?" "D'you remember the day I went to you?" "After I left hospital." "I asked you for $2,000 to return to New York." "And you told me I was only worth $3.47." "I'd have given you 50,000 if you'd have promised never to return." "It's funny you mentioned that figure, $50,000." "$50,000." "That leads to an interesting thought." "When a computer shows you by figures on a page... that you are a man, finished, you can do two things." "Laugh at cybernetics." "Or rather think." "Ask my wife, how much I'm worth." "As she is logical, she proved to be more precise and cruel than any computer" "I was worth zero dollars." "Zero!" "Zero!" "Zero!" "It was a perfect time to file for divorce." "So I went to Brewster Shipping." "Even my friend Wendy Casling refused me $2,000." "Is that right, Wendy?" "I was very tired." "And I started to dictate my goodbye note." "and it became a story of 200 pages." "Perhaps I could accept my failure as a man, but not as a writer." "This time I've made it through to the end." "The rest was easy the characters were real," "They live around me." "Your book interests me." "I'll give you $50,000 to start." "Are you going to publish this crap?" " Why not." " I won't stand for it." "We'll take you to court." "And demand damages." "We'll forbid publication, We have powerful friends." "I don't doubt you have." "You'll regret this, Baker." "I swear it." "Gentlemen, please." "Calm down, please." "Why can't we talk things over calmly?" "How could you allow yourself to caricature us like that?" "A writer must be at liberty." "All this is a tissue of lies." "Vile calumnies." "I've researched each one of you." "The races you fixed at the racetrack, Mr. Foreman." "And false too the death of a jockey never investigated?" "And what would you do... for a dose of snow, Mr. Stratford?" "Your little fun, with your strange friends." "Lies too?" "I've never seen such a bunch of scoundrels in one boardroom." "I'm flattered by the hand you've dealt me." "but you were a bit over the top." "Don't try to publish that book." "What are you trying to achieve, by publishing this farce.?" " Mr. Casling." " Yes, Mr. Baker." " Have you the proof you mentioned?" " Certainly." "Tomorrow morning in an extraordinary general meeting, I'll ask a review of the books." "That's intolerable!" "What do you accuse us of?" "Drug smuggling!" "That part of my novel at least, matches perfectly with reality." "You, the shareholders of Brewster Shipping... earn profits which are far from trivial." "Busying yourselves in that traffic." "That is the truth." "Where does it get you, that reality?" "The book can disappear..." "But we're still alive." "Bear that in mind." "That's right." "You're still alive." "But you all have a motive for wishing my death.." "You envy me and hate me..." "And despise me." "One of you is like the owner of the ace of hearts." "And the deadline is also tonight." "The killer will find his victim at a propitious time." "As the saying goes:" "Let the best man win." "Good night to you all." "Thanks for your attention." "Mr. Baker." "I hope that what I've written hasn't upset you at all." "No." "I just wanted to say..." "To watch out." "You've already told me once.." "But you're in danger.." "Why haven't you told the police?" "What will happen, will happen." "I've no intention of avoiding it." "After that night in the motel, I thought a lot about you." "I did too." "I always hoped that we'd meet again." " Good night, Mr. Baker." " Good night." "Here, my drink." "Goodbye, I'll call you." "Right, now your apartment is free." "You don't believe everything your husband has written?" "Why not?" "We can't end it like this." " At least give me an explanation." " Explain what?" "What can I say?" "You know why I'm leaving, Freddy?" "Perhaps not." "I realised that I was losing my husband." "And finally I wanted to prove I didn't care." "But nothing could make me forget." "Not even you, Freddy." " Do you know what you are?" " Don't bother to say." "I know perfectly well what I am." "You husband is here, Mrs. Baker." "Yes, I know." "He's taken my car." "Good night." "What's happening?" "Is anyone there?" "Who's there?" "Who's there?" "Answer!" "What's going on?" "Who's shouting?" "Wendy!" "Is anyone there?" "Is anyone there?" "Quick, come on." "Don't let anyone escape." "Surround the house." "Hurry up!" "I'm coming." "Get a move on!" "This way!" "Quick, this way." "Is it you?" "Is it you Mr. Baker?" "Are you Mr. Baker, owner of this house?" " Yes!" "We're looking for Freddy Blankton." "He's just killed the Brewster book-keeper." "Who's there?" "Come out with your hands up!" "Come out or I'll shoot!" "It's a woman, Sergeant." "Jill, Jill!" "We're out of luck." "We bet all on one card... and we lost." "I did it for you." "Who is that woman?" "I know her." "She's Jill Evans." "Dean..." "It would have been... really nice..." "To live with you." "The events you imagined." "I.. didn't..." "lose... by... it." "Although..." "You still love your wife..." "Freddy..." "And... he loves only me." "Jill." "Right, Freddy?" "Mr. Blankton, I'm arresting you." "You are accused of the murder of Wendy Casling." "Come with us please." "¡Dean!" "No!" "Wait, Dean!" "Dean!" "Wait, Dean!" "You can't leave like this!" "Dean, come back!" "Don't go!" "Come back!" "Subtitles:" "Corvusalbus and Hammett"