" I'm sorry, sir." "My fault." " I can't find the pictures." " Has he been strip-searched?" " Every nook and cranny." "Hold it!" "That's him!" " Mama, I'm scared." "Are they gonna kill me?" " We haven't ruled it out!" " Oh, dear God!" " Stiles is dead." "If that's the case, those photographs are more important than ever." " What do you think you're doing?" "You could've been killed!" " I almost pulled it off." "If you really think all I want are those pictures, you're free to go." "Take off." "The kid grows more amazing by the minute." "He's done it again." "Hello, Stiles." "Mr. Schwimmer." "I didn't expect you." "Well, I was... in the neighborhood." "How's it going with Altobelli?" "Uh, he was a little more stubborn than the others... but I got him to sign just the same." "Yeah, that's nice." "Very nice." "I think this calls for a celebration." "Don't you?" " Yeah." " You're a drinkin' man, aren't you, Kelly?" "I've never been known to turn a free drink down." " You got a glass?" " Yeah." "To your health." "Mr. Schwimmer meets Mr. Stiles... and places an order for some strong-arming." "Mr. Stiles gets his blood money." "Mr. Stiles enters... and leaves Main Street Electronics." "Hmm." "Pity we couldn't photograph what was happening in there." " What are you doing?" " Hurrying you along." "These will help us prove that Schwimmer's the front man in a loan-sharking operation." "Okay, our client awaits us at the bank." "We will confront her felonious subordinate, confirm his guilt... and then stop pounding the dreary pavements of white collar crime." "Come along." "Oh, excuse me, sir." "I'm sorry." " I'm sorry, sir." "My fault." " No harm done." "No harm." "We know for a fact, Mr. Schwimmer... that you used your position in this bank to set up a phantom company." "Your company, which also used the same borrowed funds... to bankroll a loan-sharking operation." "Ah." "Miss Holt, Mr. Steele." "I'd like you to meet my boss, Lowell McKenzie, Vice President in Charge of Loans." "Miss Conover tells me we have a serious problem here." "I don't know what these people are talking about." "We're talking about embezzlement, at the very least." "That's why I hired Mr. Steele's agency." "I have not done anything wrong." "Oh, come now, Mr. Schwimmer.!" "You referred customers to your phantom company for a loan... knowing that Miss Conover here had already turned them down at this very bank!" "That's not exactly exemplary behavior on your part, is it?" "And you paid a man by the name of Kelly Stiles to, shall we say... persuade the owner of Main Street Electronics to make his usurous payments." "Fortunately for him, his health insurance covers extended hospital stays." "Uh, I assume that you have proof of your accusations." "We captured the entire relationship with Schwimmer and Mr. Stiles... uh, unequivocably... uh, in our minds, uh, as well as on film." "Um" " Why don't you just turn over the pictures?" " I can't find the pictures." "What do you mean, you can't find the pictures?" "My wallet." "The kid." "He picked my pocket." "Is there a problem?" "Uh" "As a matter of fact, there-there does seem to be a slight delay." "You see, uh, seems that, uh... someone, um, picked Mr. Steele's pocket." "However, we- we know th-the culprit and exactly... where the- the culprit is." " We do?" " We will." "Hmm." "Oh!" "I beg your pardon, sir." " Arthritis or just nerves?" " What?" "I saw you try to lift that man's wallet." "I don't know what you're talking about." "You want to pick up a quick two grand?" "Who do I have to kill?" "He's not just any kind of pickpocket." "Pickpocketing's an art, and that kid's a pickpocketer's Picasso." "Dare I ask?" "What makes you such a connoisseur?" "Well, let's just say there was a time in my life when a particular appreciation... for that particular kind of craft put food on my plate." "So you got marked this morning?" " It isn't easy, picking a pick." " Ex-pick, Thelma." "We need to get the take back fast." " Who is she?" " Uh, old acquaintance." " How old?" " I was given her name when I first came here." "Like, uh, Travelers Aid." " Well, Thelma, what do you got?" " You got a description?" " Uh, about 15 or 16." " No, no, no, no, no." "Worked alone." "Came at his mark head-on." "Carried a newspaper." " Folded?" " Once." " In his right or left hand?" " The right." " A southpaw." "You have some very interesting friends, Mr. Steele." " Did he give you the bump?" " Oh, very subtly." "Smoothest pick as I've ever seen, Thelma." "Jackie Crawford." "You'll find him over at the Gold Hotel." "How could you possibly know that?" "Well, every cannon has his own technique, dolly." "It's like a fingerprint." "Besides, there ain't many master cannons around these days... especially one that's 16 years old." " Oh, it's Jackie." " Oh, thank you, Thelma." "I owe you one, love." " Who doesn't?" " Take care of yourself." " Bye." " Miss Holt." "Do you know anyone that lifted some pictures off a mark today?" "Hold it!" "That's him!" "Damn it!" "Come here!" " Come here, kid.!" " Mama!" "Mama!" "You'll need more than your mama!" "Out of the way, madam!" "That boy is a thief!" "Mr. Steele, a little discretion, please." "Mama, you know I'd never do anything dishonest." "Who are you trying to kid, kid?" " Mama, I'm scared." "Are they gonna kill me?" " We haven't ruled it out." "My mama's got a heart condition." "Jackie." "I can't breathe." "Hold on, Mama." "I'll get your medicine." "Don't even think about it, mate." "Don't even think about it!" "There you go." "Yes." "Rest yourself." "All right." "How much is it gonna cost to make the fat lady sing?" "Mr. Steele, aren't you being a bit insensitive?" "Fifty?" "A hundred?" "Two hundred buys an awful lot of pasta, Mama." "Make it 250, and you've got a deal." "All right, all right." "So I bought the family drama." "But maybe we should rethink." "There are other ways of solving this case." "That slippery little con artist has the photographs, and I know I can find him." "Besides, we're not gonna get anywhere with Schwimmer." "He looks at us, and all he sees is egg on our faces." "There's another man in those photographs" " Kelly Stiles." " Perhaps I can get somewhere with him." " Well" "Okay." "Thank you very much." " We have a meeting tonight at 6:30." " Oh, pardon me, sir." " My fault." " It's quite all right." "Mm-hmm." "Very clever, kid." "Very sweet." "Oh, no!" "You're not getting away this time." "The only thing standing between you and that gentleman in blue is a packet of photographs." "You're not bad for an old man." "Flattery will get you nowhere." "I want those pictures back." "Otherwise I'm gonna turn you over." "Pick your future." "Sure." "Lay it on me, just like my pop did." "Please, kid, I hate to cry on a clean shirt." "Come on." "Sir, I don't know what you want." "Please don't" "Good afternoon, Officer." "I'd like to make a citizen's arrest." "A few moments ago, I caught this young man lifting that gentleman's wallet." "He's right." "My wallet's gone." "And there it is, hanging out of his pocket!" " Trying to pass it off on the kid, huh?" " I'm not a pickpocket." " It is my wallet." " I'm a private investigator." "Look, here's my I.D. Uh" "He also picked my wallet, Officer." "Come here, doll." "Ah!" "Laura, thank God." " Has he been fingerprinted?" " Yes, ma'am." " Mugged?" " You bet." " Strip-searched?" " Every nook and cranny." "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" "It's a rare opportunity seeing you behind bars, Mr. Steele." "But all good things must come to an end." "I think you can let him out now." "All right, smiley." "This is where we part company." "There you go." "Take a seat." "I got a lead on Stiles, the strong-arm man." "Well, you pursue it." "I'm gonna get those photographs if it's the last thing I do." "Jackie knows you'll be looking for him." " Yes, but he doesn't know where." " All right." "Thank you very much." "Oh, miss." "I think you dropped these." "Thank you." " Who are you?" " Oh." "I'm Laura Stiles, Kelly's cousin." "I've been managing' this building for a long time... and ain't ever seen no kin of Stiles here before." "Oh, I pop by now and then." "Keeps Aunt Mary happy." "Stiles?" "You alive in there, Stiles?" "Oh, dear God!" "Unless I'm mistaken, your cards are already on the way to the community fence." "Let's just hopeJackie doesn't show up elsewhere." "Well, if this is gonna be a chase, I'm only gonna slow you up, boss." "If I'm not back, leave without me, okay?" "Mind telling me what you're doing, lady?" "It's okay." "I'm a private investigator." "She told me she was his cousin." "I'm here on a case." "Explain it to the boys from Homicide." "No, no." "You don't have to go through all that." "Look, lady, if this turns out to be murder and I let you go, it's my butt in the sling." "So make yourself comfortable and ready to talk." "Well, now, isn't this a coincidence, eh?" "Hey." "How you doin'?" "Wish I could stay and chat, but, uh, gotta run." "Hey!" "Come here!" "Hey!" "Come here!" "Mama, everybody, positions fast!" "Come on." "How many of there are you?" "Can we stop running the marathon and get down to business?" "Come on." "You can't hold me!" "You know it, and I know it, and you know I know it!" "You were found in the room alone with the murder victim." "Lieutenant, do you honestly think I had anything to do with his death?" "Nope." "Then why am I standing here watching you eat a hamburger?" "Because your client might have something to do with it." " Absolutely not." " I'd like to hear that from your client." "Lieutenant, we both know that you cannot force me... to divulge my client's identity!" "Mmm." "You know..." "I think that there's still a B.L.T. on wheat out there." "You really should eat something." "They don't serve breakfast here till 6:00." "I'm not hanging around here till 6:00." "Miss Holt, you're a material witness." "That means I can keep you hangin' for 48 hours." "You can sue me for false arrest later." "Lieutenant, at least let me call my client." "You don't know what kind of pressure I'm under, Miss Holt." "You have got to find a way to prove this case." "Miss Conover, I know, but right now I have to ask you something." "Would you be adverse to my giving your name to the police in relation to this case?" "My job is hanging by a thread as it is." "I don't need to add to that by having the local press get a hold of this mess... and crucify this bank in every local newspaper." "Good-bye." "No deal." "Make yourself at home." "You might be here for a while." "Listen, if I'm gonna get the "crime doesn't pay" routine, don't bother." " My old man laid that one on me a long time ago." " Oh, really?" "Sit down." "Your old man live around here?" "I doubt it." "He dumped me in a pit called Hoboken when I was a kid." "I haven't seen him since." "Hmm." "And your mother?" "She died, just before my dad left me in New York." "That's funny." "I was under the impression Hoboken was in New Jersey." "What do I know?" "I was nine." "Okay, drop the Little Orphan Annie routine." "It wears a little thin." "You don't have to lie to make me feel sorry for you." " I pity the truth." " Oh, that's heavy." "Yes, well, mediocre talents and little quips won't get you by forever." "Someday you're not gonna be cute any longer, and then where will you be?" " Still taking care of number one." " Oh, really?" "End up like those burnt-out, middle-aged con artists you run with?" "Great plan." "Yeah?" "What makes you the prophet?" "Because I know you, Jackie." "I've known you for 15 years." "The setting was different, but the kid was the same- a little bit of talent and a lot of talk... and some cockeyed notion that he'd got the whole thing made!" " You?" " Yeah, one big difference." "I got lucky." "Someone convinced me I wasn't the success story of the century... that I could make other choices." "Well, what do you care about me anyway?" "Once you get your hands on those pictures, I'll be just another bad memory." "Listen, kid, Miss Holt and I will solve this case with or without the pictures." "If that's all I wanted when I picked you up, all I had to do was twist your arm." "Come on." "Don't con me, pop." "Me?" "Con you?" "The little master?" "If you really think all I want are those photographs, you're free to go." "Take off." "There's the door." "I'm not gonna follow you." "Go on." "You know, I don't get you." "I don't know what you are." "Well, you don't have to, but you'd better start figuring out what you are." "Say I do get you those pictures." "How do I know you're not gonna try and bust me again?" "You don't." "But you have to trust somebody someday." " Come on." " Hey." "I'll get the pictures." "Hey, I trust you." "You trust me." "Okay, I'll wait." " Jackie Crawford?" " Who wants to know?" "You sold me out!" "You fink!" "You lyin' fink!" "You sold me out.!" "After I trusted you" "Wait, wait, wait." "Please, there's a mistake." "Jackie, please, it's a mistake." " Backstabber.!" " It's all a mistake." " I trusted you." " Jackie!" "What the hell do you think you were doing?" "I finally got him to trust me." "Our first loyalty is to our client... and that cop was going to squeeze me until I gave him her name." "Oh, so you gave him Jackie instead." "I didn't know he was going to turn over the pictures." " I figured they'd get somewhere with him." " Oh, splendid, Laura." "You may have just bargained away the case." "I was not about to rot in jail while a murderer was on the prowl." " Murderer?" " Stiles is dead!" " Well, who would've killed Stiles?" " Schwimmer had a motive." "Killing Stiles may have eliminated the only link between him and the loan-sharking." "Well, if that's the case, those photographs are more important than ever." "Jackie!" "Jackie!" "Jackie!" "I had him, Laura." "I had him believing there was at least one person who wasn't trying to scam him." "This morning that kid was nothing more than an annoying inconvenience." "Yeah, well, perhaps I know him better than I care to." "One hell of a trade, Holt." "That kid didn't have any pictures." "Oh, convinced you of that, did he?" "You owe me one, and you're gonna make good, one way or another." "Well, we're certainly making a lot of new friends today, aren't we?" " Where are you going?" " We still need the photographs." " You can't follow Jackie." " Why not?" "You're the Benedict Arnold of the piece." "One more whiff of you, and he won't go anywhere near those photographs." "Besides, you may have lost a little objectivity." " I'm not saving souls, Laura." " Not even a cheap little pickpocket's?" "Come on." "He's more than that, damn it!" "I found these at Stiles's place." "Four electronics stores, including the one in our photographs." "I wouldn't be surprised if you found out that all of them fell prey to Schwimmer's operation." " You're not suggesting I do" " Legwork, Mr. Steele." "It'll do you good." "You can walk off some of that emotion you're carrying around." " I checked on four of the electronics stores." " Has Miss Holt called in yet?" " Uh-uh." " Sorry, Mildred." "Carry on." "Go on." "Each of the four owners?" " Vanished or, in one case, dead." " Oh, splendid." "I also called the bank, and I checked with Miss Conover, and she told me that" "That I turned down each one of those four loan requests during the last nine months." "Ah, Miss Conover, Mr. McKenzie." "You mean to tell me that you still don't know any more than that?" "Uh, actually, um" "Obviously not." "To the contrary, Mr. Steele's learned a great deal, haven't you, boss-sir?" "Oh, yes, of course I have... but Miss Krebs is much better at the specifics." "Miss Krebs?" "Well, one of the things Mr. Steele's uncovered... is that the loan-sharking was used as a means... to corner a portion of the electronics market." " Hmm." "Interesting, eh?" " Hmm." "I never heard of racketeers being so selective before." "It doesn't have the aroma of racketeers." "It smells more like Schwimmer's on his own." "A one-man loan-sharking operation?" "You're sure of that?" "Well, Mr. Steele's as sure as he can be at this point." "Frankly, Steele, I came here because word is leaking out... that our bank funded loan-sharking... so I'm in desperate need of either a villain or a scapegoat." "I'll give you, well, to the end of the day... to bring me a villain before I make you the scapegoat." " Fair enough?" " More than generous, yes." "Come on, kid.!" "We're practically brothers." "If we wasn't, you think I'd offer to split the 500 with you?" "What good are the pictures to you anyway?" "Take what you can get out of'em." "That's the way I look at it." "Well, how come I can't hand 'em over, collect the dough?" "The guy's kinda edgy." "He only wants to deal with me." "How come he came to you, Larry?" "I mean, how come he expected you to come up with those pictures?" "What do you care?" "For once in my life, I got lucky." "And we're both lookin' at a nice piece of change." "So that's all this guy-whoever he is- can come up with, huh?" "Five bills?" "You think I'm holding out on you?" "Nah." "If you can't trust your friends" "Hmm." "You made yourself a hell of a deal, Jackie." "I'm beginning to think so." "Always thought rats traveled in pairs." "All right." "So you caught me." "What do I have to do to get rid of you people?" "You could start by giving me the photographs." "It always comes back to that, doesn't it?" "Look, I know you feel you've been had, but Mr. Steele didn't set you up." "I'm the one who got you busted." "So?" "What do you want me to do about it?" "Break into tears?" "Maybe send him a rose." "I wish it had never happened." "I wish I could erase it." "But I can't." "So, we both have to live with it." "Well, I'm sure you'll recover, fast." "Who are you to tell me what I'll feel?" "Who are you to come in here, looking like some debutante... telling me that we've got a problem?" "Can you handle a secret, lady?" "I don't need you." "I don't need you." "I don't need your friend." "It's very safe, isn't it?" "Not needing anybody." "Nobody needing you." "If you can figure out a way to go through life like that..." "I'll buy your book." "But for now, a man I care about cares about you." "Don't throw that away." "If this is about those pictures- and it is, isn't it?" "I just sold them to Larry, and he's on his way to sell them to the guy you're trying to bust." " Where?" " Beats me." "So why don't you pack up your Bible... take a hike?" "Good luck, Jackie." "I have a feeling you're going to need a lot of it." "Mm-hmm." "Very good." "Very good." "They're worth every penny." "I think this calls for a celebration, don't you, Larry?" " You're a drinking man, aren't you?" " Oh, I sure am." "He gave the pictures to Larry." "Larry's on his way to meet Schwimmer." " His car's still here." " Which means Schwimmer came to him." "Come on!" " Uh!" "Which room's Larry in?" " Don't know any Larry." " You've got one more shot at an answer, mate." " 204." "Thank you." "My God.!" "Just like Stiles.!" "Right." "The window." "Oh." " Laura, come on." "He's down here.!" " Right." "We've lost him." "I think we just found him." "I'd like to see Schwimmer get out of this one." "Schwimmer!" " But he's our villain." " He's off the hook now." "He's dead." "That's no excuse." "Try telling him that." "I'm not exactly sure why we're hiding." "I think it's a good instinct." "At least we know Schwimmer wasn't working alone." "Oh, a definite breakthrough." "Unfortunately, we don't have any other suspects." "Whoever it is killed for the photographs." "The only connection we have left to those photographs is" "Jackie." "Someone obviously wanted something thatJackie has very badly." "Couldn't be the photographs." "He sold them to Larry." "Larry gave them to Schwimmer, who turned them over to the killer." " Yeah." " They're probably ashes by now." "Mm-hmm." "Unless" "Unless, unless, unless" "Share your thoughts, Mr. Steele." "I, too, would like a reason to smile." " What always comes with a set of photographs?" " A set of negatives?" "Only there aren't any negatives of these pictures ofJackie." "Could it be that he took those negatives and put them in the photographs that he gave Larry?" "You mean the killer has the right pictures and the wrong negatives?" "Well, Larry was merely the middleman." "Jackie was getting the thin end of the wedge." "What better way to bargain with the real buyer?" "And with his smiling face plastered all over those negatives... it was as good as a calling card." "Yes, well, apparently the buyer took a run at locating them... before he dealt with Jackie." " You think he was successful?" " Not if I know my boy." "You're positively delighted with that treacherous little urchin." "Well, you must admit, Laura, it's a daring, brilliant, unexpected ploy." "Something I would have done." "No doubt about it, the kid's got a great future... provided somebody doesn't kill him first." "Well, we can't let that happen." "The lad has far too much potential." "Come on, Miss Holt." "Let's go." " Ah, Leroy!" "Remember me?" " 204." "Yes, Pavlov would be impressed." "Put your arms down." " Only this time we're looking forJackie." " Oh, he's gone." " Where?" " Uh, to shoot the moon." "Oh, colorfully put, but could you be a bit more precise?" " Said he found the mother lode." " Oh." "And as soon as he taps it, he's gonna fly this here coop for good." "Leroy, what we desperately need from you right now... is the location of that mother lode." "We've been here for two hours, Mr. Steele." "Mm-hmm." "He'll show." "Yeah?" "Him and Santa Claus." "Hope you don't find coal in your stocking this Christmas." "Oh!" "All right, everybody." "Here we go" " Boys Town." " Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney." "MGM, 1938." " Yeah, yeah, I know." "A bevy of misfits band together to keep Mickey from getting killed." " Only he can't know that they're protecting him." " Bevy of misfits?" "Merely a figure of speech, Mildred." "Okay." "Go, go, go." "Remember, Laura, don't be obvious." "Try to, uh, lurk." "Okay?" "Go." "Go." "Bus 15 for Manhattan Beach, Oceanside, Del Mar and San Diego... now boarding at Gate number 7." "I'm sorry, boss, but my buns were falling asleep." " Understandable, Mildred." " He's been sitting there for an hour and a half." "I know." "Painfully understandable." "He's making his move." "Hold fast, Mildred." "He's only a guppy." "We want the big fish." "Paging Mr. Fisk." "Paging Mr. Rodney Fisk." "We've got him." "All right, mister!" "The jig's up, Fisk!" "Those negatives are as good as a confession." " What are you talking about?" " Why did you go into that booth and pick those up?" " I got 10 bucks for it." " From who?" "I don't know." "Some kid over there." "The kid grows more amazing by the minute." "He's done it again- given us the slip." " Not quite." " Oh!" " It's going to Fresno!" " So are we!" "Hold the fort, Mildred!" "Next time, make up your mind before you get on the bus!" "Pull over!" "Pull over.!" "Pull over!" " Hey, what gives?" " Where's the kid who was on here?" "What kid?" "I don't memorize every face that rides my bus." " Did you make any stops?" " Stops!" "This bus don't make any stops." "It's an express to Fresno." "That's what I told the little wiseacre." " What little wiseacre?" " The one that wanted to get off at Fifth and Broadway." " Did you let him off?" " Hey, service is our business." "Fifth and Broadway." "Fifth and Broadway!" "Why are you following me?" "I'm not following you." "I'm" " I'm lost." "I was, uh, looking for Fourth Street." "Please, don't- don't hurt me." "Take my wallet." "A-Anything!" "Just, please, don't- don't hurt me." "Fourth Street's that way." "Thank you." "I didn't mean any harm." "I'm" " I'm sorry." "It's" "Can I please have my cane back?" "It's been in my family a long time." "Jackie?" "Fifth and Broadway." "He could have gone down any one of these streets." "I should have known you were scamming me when you offered to pay up front." "Well, I had to be sure I could get the negatives." "But I left them on the bus." "I kept my end of the deal." "I'm sure you did, Jackie." "They'll be waiting for me in Fresno." "But how can I be sure that you didn't make any copies, hmm?" "I can't very well have you blackmailing me for $10,000 every week, now, can I?" " If it's the money you want, I'll give it back to you." " Uh-uh." "Don't bother." "I'll get it myself." " McKenzie?" " Don't dance with him." "Hit him!" "What the hell do you think you're doing?" "You could have been killed!" " I almost pulled it off." " You almost didn't." "Yes." "See?" "Whoo!" "No wonder McKenzie wanted those pictures." "They tied him right in to Schwimmer and the loan-sharking operation." "You never told me how you knew which direction Jackie took when he left the bus." "That was the way to the Gold Hotel." "Home, as it were." "Mr. Steele, I do believe you're getting sentimental in your old age." "Well, nothing permanent, I assure you." "Hello." "The ticket was three dollars cheaper than you thought." "My, my, my, my." "Well, Jackie, I must say, I'm delighted you accepted the judge's suggestion." "It sounds more like a school than a juvenile camp." "Besides, how bad can it be if they let you come by yourself, huh?" " Hmm." " If you need anything, you know where to call." "I couldn't say this before." "I don't think I've ever said it before." "Thanks." "I mean that." "Come here." "Take care of yourself." " See ya." "Thanks." " Yeah." "I think you had quite an effect on that young man." "And he on me." "I, uh, lifted your watch." " I know." " You did?" " How come you didn't stop me?" " I knew you'd come back eventually." " You did?" " How?" "Because I lifted your bus ticket."