"hello, this is yvette malone speaking." "I'm not home just now, but if you'll be kind enough..." "To leave your name and telephone number, I'll call you when I return." "Please begin at the tone." "Yvette, nick here." "Uh, I just thought I'd let you know that..." "I'm still on pa's ship off the coast of malaysia thinking about you." "And, uh, sure is nice to hear your voice." "Even if it is recorded." "well, we're getting some rough weather here, honey." "So, uh, I guess I- they want you to go up, sir." "Okay, let's go." "All right, now move your asses." "Get him to sick bay, and do it now." "Ha!" "Well, if it isn't mr." "Keifitz." "Lookin' more like your father every day." "You came all the way out here to tell me that?" "No, no, sir." "I brought you an assassin." " A what?" " Yeah, well, that man that they're moving there." "He says he shot your brother." "He was second rifle at city hall." "It's an outrage to bring this man here." "You prefer the native hospital in brunei where a man can die of athlete's foot." "I don't have the facilities." "This man fell off an oil rig." "Doctor, will you leave us?" "Then I take no responsibility." "That's right." "And you, out." "And you, stay." "Now, can you write?" "Sir?" "English." "Can you write english?" "I think so, sir." "Do your best." "Be our witness." "Just write down whatever he says." "Fletcher!" "You hear me?" "Nick kegan is here." "You understand?" "I think he wants to shake your hand." "Now, what's your full name?" "Arthur turkus fletcher." "How old are you?" "Fifty-eight years." "We will hear your testimony." "I shot president kegan." "Jesus." "How?" "I was second rifle in city hall, February 22, 1960." "I hit with both shots." "Where was the number one rifle?" "Behind the wall." "I shot on the line with him." "Who hired you?" "Junior." "Casper jr." "They remembered me from shooting demonstrations for the rifle association." "Said he'd push me into history." "Twenty-five thousand dollars for a morning's work." "A morning's work." "Please," "Mr. Kegan," "The rifle's in the steam pipe under the middle window in the engleson building." "Room 903." "I left my fingerprints and all with my name taped to it..." "For when the time came to prove that I killed the president." "What about willy arnold?" "The pickering commission proved willie arnold shot my brother." "Nick, he's dead." "You can't run away from this." "get a hold of miles garner in philly," "Have him meet me at the airport with some long underwear." "It'll be freezing there." "What are you gonna do?" "I'm gonna look for his rifle." "Mm." "whether this guy is real or not, pa'll understand I had to leave the ship." " I'm sure he will." " I hope so." "You get that down?" "I'll look at it." "Jesus, you print like an ape." "I'm a high school graduate." "But I've never been involved in anything like this." "Now," "You were just a little boy when president kegan..." "Was gunned down in philadelphia." "But in the subsequent 19 years," "More than 16 people," "Who seemingly had nothing to do with that awful event," "Have died under mysterious conditions." "If what you say is true, nick, it's gonna shake up a lot of people." "President, congress, everyone." "Especially pa." "Does he know?" "No, not yet." "I guess this assassin thought nobody'd look for him, working for the president's father, huh?" "We're gonna need a wrench for the steam pipe." "We'll get it from the building supervisor." "Captain heller, this way." "Captain heller, that's the wrong building!" "Is he reliable, miles?" "Captain heller, philadelphia's finest." "He drinks a bit, but if there's a rifle up there, he'll know how to handle it." "Captain heller, nick kegan." "We have no time to lose, captain." "You say you're nicholas kegan?" "That's right." "Got any identification?" "Come on." "I've known nick since he was a boy." "He's tom kegan's son." "Our late president's half-brother, okay?" "You'll vouch for him?" "Of course, yes." "Good enough." "Now, uh, what's the problem here, fellas?" "It's this way, captain." "Oh." "Kegan," "We did everything possible to protect your brother here." "But you can't protect anyone against a nut." "Nine-oh-three." "Damn shame." "Police, open up." "Open up in there." "Police." "You john kullers?" " We'd like to have a look at your steam pipe." " My steam pipe?" "We'll get a search warrant if necessary." "Search warrant for a steam pipe?" "how long have you occupied these premises?" "cops." "Why me?" "Answer the question." "Four years, I don't know." "Where were you on February 22, 1960." "1960?" "What is this?" "You don't remember the date president kegan was shot?" "Long island." "In school." "Mrs. Sayers' eighth grade english class." "Oh, yeah?" "Look, hey, I got a legitimate operation here." "All right, miles." "I'll check it." "Stand back." "I'm sorry." "Sorry?" "What for?" "Now you'll have to live it all over again." "I could put it back." "You'll always know where it was." "Oh, the hell with it." "What's that?" "What is that?" "That's not mine." "You make one sound about what you saw here today," "And you'll be the sorriest little man in the sticks." "Boy, this'll stink right up to heaven." "Yeah, this is the kind of thing that rises." "Hey, take this." "I don't like the way it feels." " Where to, captain?" " Bring it to the f.B.I., wouldn't you say?" "Oh, why not?" "They probably built it." ""they probably built it."" "Miles!" "Miles." "Help!" "Phone?" "Do you have" "Mr. Kegan's office." "Who's calling, operator?" "Yes, we will." "Hello, mr." "Kegan?" "No, I'm sorry." "Your father left for rockrimmon last night." "I'm not sure." "I'll give you rosemary." "Yes, nick." "How nice to hear from you." "Your father's left the house already for his golf." "May I help you?" "In the desert, yes." "Well, how urgent?" "I see." "Oh, dear." "I'd better connect you with john cerruti." "Hold on." "Nick." "Surprise, surprise." "How are you?" "Where are you?" "You left the boat, nick." "Left the ship." "That's naughty of you." "Very bad not telling headquarters." "Your father" "What?" "What rifle?" "Uh-huh." "In philadelphia?" "Well, that's astonishing." "Well, it's startling." "Shocking about miles." "Listen, now where are you now?" "Exactly where?" "Okay, follow me carefully." "Do nothing." "I'll handle the police." "You wait for a car." "We'll pick you up and you can discuss this with your father in rockrimmon." "And nick, don't panic." "Panic is counterproductive." "How are you, keith?" "The same." "Always the same." "And you, you're looking good." "where's pa?" "He's playing golf." "But he should be back any time now." "I've got to see him right away." "Hey, shogun." "Shogun." "Shogun." "You've been gone a long time, nick." "Shogun forget." "Have you had dinner?" "No, not yet." "First, I'd like to take a look at pa's copy of the full pickering report." "That will only make you sad." "Sad?" "Now, you once told me all knowledge was good." "I don't recall." "Actually, that not something I would say." "I'll go find pa." "I'm freezing." "Sun's going down." "The desert's supposed to be hot." "Quit bitching." "You've been bitching all day." "I don't like it." "What am I gonna do with these girls, mr." "Secretary?" "First they're hot, then they're cold." "When she's hot again, send her over." "I'm always hot." "Hello, pa." "Y'all know my son, nicholas." "Hi, nick." "all grown up, nick." "He ain't a global figure, like his brother was." "No interest." "He's a seafaring man like yourself, admiral." "Good boy." "Right, nick?" "If you say so, pa." " You didn't tell me you were leaving the boat, son." " I had to." "What do you think these girls are doing under this blanket, son?" "I don't know, pa." "Think they're playing with my nuts?" "you're awful." "I gotta talk to you, pa." "You better believe it, boy." ""clair de lune" ]" "Am I disturbing you?" "mother, what are you doing here?" "Oh, shh!" "I'm supposed to be a secret." "I thought you were in nantucket." "Oh, it was freezing there." "And nobody came to visit." "I met this real nice man." "Pa said he just wanted my money." "So he sent for me." "It's a big secret." "The newspapers, you know." "Oh, nicholas, cocoa's sick." "she's sick." "Aw, let me see." "No, no." "No, she's not well." "Look." "See, she's sick." "Don't be sick on me, honey." "Please don't." "It's just her paw, mom." "She'll be all right." "Keith will take her to the vet tomorrow." "They'll know what to do." "She's never been like this before." "It frightens me." "You frighten mommy." "I'll speak to keith before I leave." "He'll take care of it for you." "You look real handsome." "thank you, mom." "Listen, I got a great idea." "Let's have an easter egg hunt on the lawn." "We'll get all dressed up." "Everybody will come." "We'll make it black-tie." "Wouldn't that be wonderful to have a formal easter egg hunt on the lawn with our friends?" "You can stay for that." "It's winter." "The middle of winter, mom." "But isn't it a lovely idea?" "Yes, mom, it is." "C-cocoa's sick." "You didn't tell me nick was here." " I didn't know he was coming, emma." " You're always mad..." "Just because nick doesn't wanna be president like tim did." "He's different, that's all." "He's my son and he's" "He's sensitive." "Different wives have different sons." "Yes, emma." "Come on, honey." "Let's go up to our room." "I'm flying dr." "Marshall in from washington." "He's got some new cure thinks maybe will help her." "Some kind of vitamins." " I hope it works." " It won't." "You abandoned my ship." "Pa" "I got 60 million bucks floating there and you take off like she's Friday night's hooker." " If you'll let me, I'll tell you why." " Make it snappy." "I got people outside." "What the hell were you doing in philly?" " I called you." "You don't take my calls." " Didn't cerruti tell you?" "Cerruti?" "I gotta hear from cerruti?" "What's he gotta do with this?" "It concerns tim, pa." "Tim?" "What about tim?" "I was on the teekay when a man named fletcher confessed on his deathbed..." "That he'd been one of the two riflemen." " Bullshit." " He told us where he'd hidden the rifle." "And this morning I found it with miles garner and captain heller of the philadelphia police." "Where is this historic weapon?" " I dunno." " You don't know?" "everybody was killed as we were leaving the building." "I was trying to reach you when the car was driven away with their bodies." "And the rifle." "And this is the tale you come home with?" "Keifitz heard the confession on the ship." "An orderly wrote it down." "Wrote it down?" "Pa?" "You all right, pa?" "Just wanted to say good night." "Oh, would you please have a veterinarian check out mother's dog?" "Something's wrong with its leg." "I'll have it attended to." "Don't turn out the light, please." "All right." "Good night." "Good night." "hope I don't sound too depressed," "But so much has been happening in the past few days." "I got a lot to tell you." "Most of all," "I wanna tell you that the more I hear your voice, the more I feel I do love you." "Maybe I'll come to new york and make an honest woman out of you, huh?" "Bye-bye." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hello, nick." "Come on, boy." "Wake up." "Got to get our ass in gear." "What time is it?" "Time for action." "I've been up all night." "Talked to keifitz in brunei." "Um, looks like you were telling the truth." "The truth?" "Pa, I'm your son." "Yeah, you always had an excitable imagination." "For a while, as a boy, I was afraid you might turn out to be a fag." "You're a real winner, pa." "Keifitz is on his way here with that killer's confession." "Then we go the limit to bust this thing wide open." "You're bringing the confession to the president?" "Hell, no." "That moron can't read to find the men's room." "We gotta picture it for him." "Evidence." "Find the rifle." "The men behind this fletcher." "And the man behind those men." "Then we go to the president." "This is bigger than we are, pa." "What the president will do is resurrect the pickering commission." "Fucking corpses to begin with." "Well, you accepted that willy arnold acted alone." "Sure as hell I did." "If I had pointed a finger at the russians, the cubans," "Some goddamn hoodlums or industrialists" "Maybe throw us in a world war, civil war." "Sure I accepted it." "I got interests in this country." "Interests in this country?" "Yeah, interests." "But don't think I fell for the arnold theory." "I've been a hunter all my life." "I know the best of them." "And the best have trouble with one shot of the kind that killed tim." "Let alone three." "And then arnold getting it from joe diamond, the plump saloon keeper," "While arnold's handcuffed to detectives surrounded by 75 rookies." "That's what I mean, pa." "We need help in this." "Help?" "Like who?" "The c.I.A.?" "They smuggle my cigars from havana, that's what they do." "Import, export." "And the f.B.I.'s good for chasing runaways." "Fucking f.B.I. Gave the commission its information in the first place, remember?" "This ain't the forties anymore." "It's a whole new ball game." "We gotta be pioneers, son." "We gotta face that we're alone in the wilderness." "We got what the pioneers had, all they had." " The family." " The family unit." "God blessed you, goddamn it, with the best of families." "My international vice president, john cerruti," "Has files on the high and mighty and the low and ornery..." "That make the c.I.A. Record look like the corner newsstand." "Information's power." "And now we're gonna use it to get to the bottom of this thing." "Then we go to the president and congress, as a family unit." "And rub their fucking noses in the dirt that killed my son." "Now, get your ass out of bed." "Oh, and by the way, you won't need the vet." "The vet?" "Yeah, the vet for cocoa." "Your mother passed out last night and smothered the mutt in her sleep." " Oh, no." " Yeah." "Sleeps with the goddamn dog." "Crazy woman." "Now move!" "I'm sorry, mom." "You stink, pa!" "You stink!" "Captain heller died two years ago..." "In the virgin islands of a heart attack." "So miles was either duped or duped you with a phony." "And your wig-maker friend jumped out the window." "Police say suicide, 'cause vandals wrecked his business." "Sit down." "No, thanks." "Now, where do we start?" "looks like we've already started." "We got three names at the top." "Fletcher, casper jr., and z.K. Dawson." "Dawson's the big one." "One of the richest cocksuckers in the u.S.A." "Christ." "This takes me back." "Yeah, there it is." "Tim and me in the primaries." "Dawson was up against us, pushing us hard." "You were just a kid." "Spent a lot of money in that state." "I mean, over-the-counter, under-the-table, tucked-into- a-box-of-cigars money." "Shit, put out 9,700 primary-day workers alone." "Most gorgeous tv commercial you ever saw." "Tim leading tanks to liberate the hess sector in germany." "Geez, he looked great." "Ah, made a big noise in that shitty little state." "Got 53 movie stars to turn out." "And, uh, all that time and..." "After and..." "Before and during." "Everything I did, every dime I spent," "Every threat I made, I was just leading tim further along the road..." "To meet that bullet." " It sounds like that's just what you were doing, pa." " What?" "Leading tim along." "Listen, kid." "We find the killers of your brother and you'll be a hero like he was." "A fucking legend." " I don't wanna be a legend." " What the hell do you wanna be, a goddamned piano player?" "maybe, but I'm not very good." " You stink." "You're lousy." " I know that." "You know that?" "You ain't a piano player, you ain't an artist." "You got no business sense, no political sense." "What the hell do you want anyway?" "Where are your values in life?" "I honestly don't know." "Do you get laid?" " I ask you, do you get laid?" " Yeah." "You know how many times your brother got laid in office?" " What are you, the national inquirer?" " One thousand seventy-two." "And with a schedule like his." "Maybe politics don't turn me on." "Your brother was a giant." "You'll be the same." "You watch." "Now, I set up a meeting with you and z.K. Dawson." "He'll lie of course." "But you'll get something from the meeting." " No, pa." " What?" "I said no." "What no?" "Here's a map on how to get there." "He's south of tulsa." "It's all arranged." "Take it." "Take it!" " Okay, pa." "For the family." " You bet your ass." "Good luck, boy." "I'll be with ya." "I know you will, pa!" "Hello." "Good afternoon." "Can I help you?" "Yes, I'm here to see mr." "Dawson." "Your name, please." "Nicholas kegan." "You go right ahead." "Z.K.'s on the playing field." "Take the turn to your right..." "Before you reach the house and that's where you'll find him." "Thank you." "Yeah, I'm z.K. Dawson." "Who the hell are you?" "I'm nicholas kegan!" "Get out of the vehicle." "I said, get out of the vehicle." "Uh, speak up." "I'm, uh, nick kegan." "Tom kegan's son." "I know that." "But what are you doing here on my playing field, messing up our games?" "Oh, the guard said, well" "I don't care what the guard told you, I wanna know what you're doing here." "We had an appointment, mr." "Dawson." "I'm aware of that fact." "Now you're wasting my time." " Well, look here, uh- - watch your tone." " Mr. Dawson- - that's better." "Mr. Dawson, we've discovered a rifle." "We have every reason to believe it's the weapon that killed my brother in philadelphia." "Your brother was a miserable, cold-assed, arrogant son of a bitch." "And not a good friend of mine, as I guess is well known to you." "Yes, I'm aware of that." "But the assassin was hired by a man named casper jr." "And as you know everyone of importance in the area, we thought" "What I ought to do is run right over you, flatten you like a waffle." "Sir?" "I know why you're here." "You're here because you think I had some part of a conspiracy killed your brother." "You and all the other conspiracy lovers in this conspiracy-loving country." "Actually, mr." "Dawson" "Why should I kill your brother when I'm getting rich off him?" "Off his military spending', his space spending'." "His tax reduction a-and h-his crisis spending'." "Hell, you know if your old man didn't own him already, I might have bought him myself." "Except for his snotty personality." "I didn't come here to listen to slander, mr." "Dawson." "slander?" "You think before you speak, young man." "Hell, they didn't teach you kids nothing since 1944." "Hey, I didn't kill your brother." "That's a vile, cruel, mythological invention." "But it is also a- an infectious invention." "And when it reached the ears of my daughter, I thought, maybe I'll make..." "A couple of phone calls and really find out who did the deed." "Who might that be?" "The philadelphia police killed your brother." "The man in charge of the operation was a captain heller." "So if I was you, I'd just go and have a talk with that man." " Uh, he's dead." " Well, then I'd track down a sidekick of his." "A man named ray doty." "Thank you." "Yeah, well, you're welcome." "Now, I'm gonna tell you one more thing." "I'm gonna give you a head start of 30 seconds." "And then me and my boys here, we're coming after you." "Sir?" "You heard me." "We still got some private property in this country." "Ten..." "Nine..." "Eight..." "Seven..." "I'm looking for a passenger named nicholas kegan." "Mr. Kegan?" "Yes?" "Telephone call for you." "Please hurry." "We're beginning our descent." "You have a telephone call for me here?" "Please." "I have a telephone call up here." "where the hell is he?" "Pa?" "You didn't call me when you left dawson." "Pa, there are hundreds of people on board." "Uh, we're about to land." "Maybe, but I'm still losing money on this airline." "Now, what'd dawson say?" "He says it's heller in the philadelphia police." "Says I should talk to a cop named ray doty." "He also fired on my car with tanks." "The old coot." "Ray doty." "I'll arrange it." "That why you going to new york?" "come on." "Come on." "No, I'm gonna see my girl." "Girl?" "What girl?" "Just a girl, pa." "Look, I gotta go." "Forget the girl." "You go see doty." "By the way, keifitz is dead." "Keifitz?" "Died in brunei." "Keifitz?" "What about the confession?" "Orderly's dead too." "Fell off the toilet and broke his neck." "What?" "4-14, 4-14, where are you?" "4-14 approaching runway 6." "It's safe to talk in here." "These lights stay on all the time?" "Day and night." "All year round." "They never know what time it is." "Just keep laying those eggs." "And they never hatch." "Never do." "Give 'em hormones, of course." "And amphetamines." "Keeps 'em going." "They're all on speed." "Jittery as hell." "My father's information agency has paid you." "Is this, uh" "I took the cash." "Just like in the old days." "Once a cop, always a cop." "Wish I was back on the force sometimes." "So how did, uh, casper jr." "Get to you?" "Oh, he didn't get to us." "He got to joe diamond." "¶" "You do that very well." "I think- now you gotta understand..." "That joe diamond was a notorious cop lover." "I mean, a real cop lover." "He always kept this nightclub full of rookies." "Drinking beer, getting high." "Anyway, the meeting was set up..." "Between diamond and an old pal of his." "It took place in tucson." "How you been, gameboy?" "Oh, older and fatter." "Uglier." "Like you." "I don't know." " Did you eat?" " Yeah." "What'd you eat?" "Pastrami on whole wheat with celery tonic." "Any good?" "Lousy." "Tucson." "Don't ever order the wild west pastrami." "Sit down." "it's like old times." "Y-you remember us in atlantic city?" "Maybe." "Maybe not." "But I got a contract for you." "One of the biggest contracts ever handed out anywheres." "Me?" "I-I'm a restaurant man." "You're also a thief who is crazy enough to steal..." "From moey and sam and morris and uncle louie." "I wanna pay back." "you are fucking right." "I-I can pay back?" "When you handle this hit, you'll be paying back." "A hit?" "Why me?" "There must be 200 mechanics around here can make any hit better than me." "I told 'em." "No good." "Those guys aren't political." "I'm political?" "You were in cuba." "Very good friends with a certain minister." "I thought about you a lot, gameboy." "You have a commie background in the f.B.I. Files." "Commie?" "I was out of cuba ten years before castro." "Joe, what do you want from me?" "You were in cuba." "This is crazy." "Anyways, youse gotta make the hit." " Who's the contract?" " There are two." "We've already taken care of the first one." "You make the second hit." "A kid named willie arnold." "I don't know him." "A-and who's the first?" "President kegan." "so diamond went back to philly to get ahold of captain heller." "Heller was my superior officer at the time." "He was a great family man." "Seven daughters and a big house." "Daughters are expensive." "¶" "After the assignation, diamond's job was to shoot the phony assassin," "Willie arnold, in the police station." "Heller was paid to get an in." "Heller was terrific at organization." "Our last meeting took place right here at this farm." "Here's two sets of keys to the engleson building." "Get them to the texan when he arrives tomorrow." "Right, captain." "Willie arnold should be planted in the tv center warehouse by half past 9:00." "The motorcade will pass towards city hall at 12:30." "Ray will give you your rifle and some shells to have arnold throw on the floor as evidence." "Tell willie arnold to go home after the real hit." "If we need him, we'll send a patrol car." "Ray will give you the rest of the details." "And when we arrest arnold after the hit, you know what you have to do." "Right, joe?" "Yeah, I know." "There are a lot of things we gotta consider here." "All right, cut it out, will you?" "Come on." "how did they find diamond?" "Who?" "Casper jr." "And his people." "Figures to me the mob found him." "Diamond was with the boys in cleveland, chicago, detroit." "Why would the mob wanna kill the president?" "Business reasons." "Heard a very big man in the syndicate say one day that..." "Kegan took $2 million in campaign contributions from the boys and then..." "Didn't do anything about it." "Nonsense." "Tim didn't need the money." "Who knows." "Anyway, whoever did it still has a terrific amount of clout... 19 years after it happened." "Yeah." "Hello?" "you're home!" "Nick?" "Oh, wonderful." "I've been trying to reach you for days." "Where are you?" "Grand central." "I'm, uh" "I'm on my way over, okay?" "Okay." "I can't wait." "yvette" "Oh, I got something to tell you." "I can't believe you're real!" "Yeah, well, I'm not real." "I'm just a more complicated new machine." "You're what?" "You come on over and see what this new machine can do." "I'm on my way." "I can't wait." "I love you." "Then come and get me." "oh, shh!" "Somebody's gonna call the police!" "Shh." "Shh." "Shh!" "Marry me." "Marry me!" "Shh." "Shh." "Shh." "Oh, marry me." "Marry me!" "Yes!" "Yes!" "Oh, god, yes!" "Oh, you make me so happy." "Shh." "Come on." "Somebody's gonna call the police." "Shh." "hi." "Hi." " When should we do it?" " Let me rest a minute first." "No, I mean get married." "Get married?" "You just said yes." "Oh, I always say yes at those times." "You know I can't marry you." "What?" "Come on." "Up." "Ah, be right back." " Why won't you marry me?" " You hardly know me." "We see each other." "I talk to you all the time." "You talk to my machine." " Oh, so what." "I can tell the difference." " That's a beginning." "I'm making an honest proposal of marriage." "Tell you what." "I'll give you a copy of my answering machine tape." "You can take it with you." "Come on." "Don't toy with me." "I'm serious." "We'll have this huge wedding in saint patrick's cathedral." "Saint patrick's?" "What if I'm jewish?" "That doesn't matter." "Pa knows the cardinal." "You see, darling." "You know nothing about me." "I know all I need to know." "You know what?" "That you're in love with my answering machine." "Well, I'll know you better later on." "Do you know what I do for a living?" " That doesn't matter." "You will never have to work again." " But I wanna work." "I'm assistant editor at national magazine." "Maybe pa owns it." "Do you want a promotion?" "I want my own life too, nick." " Well, I'll buy you whatever you want." " No." "You just said no." "I said no." "How can you say a thing like that?" "Why complicate things?" "We have great sex, freedom, no kids, no responsibilities." "Why duplicate the messes others make?" " But we don't have to." " We can make a mess of our own?" " Who knows what will happen?" " Don't ask me anymore, nick." "I adore you." "I really do." "But the answer's gonna stay the same." "I'd tell you why if I could but I can't." "Don't say you can't." "Say you don't want." "I don't want." "Then forget it." "All right." "I think I'd better leave." "If you want to." "I have a friend coming over if you'd like to meet her." "A friend?" "Who?" "Patty." "She's from the magazine." "You'd dig her." " Dig her?" "What does that mean?" " Whatever you want it to mean." "God, you're just like the others." "Others?" "How many are there?" "Fewer and fewer." "Oh, I get it." "You're into women." " I am a woman." " You know what I'm talking about." "Nope." "And I won't marry a person I can't understand." "Good night." "Call the machine whenever you want, darling." "It only goes one way." "Mr. Wilson?" "Good evening." "Mr. Kegan." "This is a pleasant surprise." "Can I have my key, please?" "Certainly." "My, you're looking..." "Worse than I've ever seen you, sir." "I've been traveling." "It certainly doesn't agree with you." "Good night." "Good night." "I'll alert the staff that you're in residence." "And get some sleep." "Welcome home, nick." "It's good to see you." "Good to see you too, raymond." "The maid is freshening your room, sir." "Get me a double, please, raymond." "A double what, sir?" "Uh, on second thought, make it triple." "A triple what, sir?" "Hello." "This is yvette malone speaking." "I'm not home just now." "I hate this machine!" "Leave your name and telephone number," "I'll call you when I return." "Please begin at the tone." "Hello, yvette, listen, I'm sorry I was so, uh, rude." "I didn't, you know, listen to you or anything." "I want you to know that I still care about you and I wanna see you." "Why don't we have lunch tomorrow at the lorraine, huh?" "12:30." "Nicholas?" "Help!" "Help!" "Help!" "Raymond!" "I brought your drink, sir." "Hello." "This is nick kegan." "A maid just left my room." "Have security stop her, please." "She tried to kill me." "Sorry I'm late." "I'm glad you came." "Well, me too." "I hate saying good-bye to a naked man." "Excuse me." "Yes, sir." "Can I help you?" "We'd like a table, please." "For the two of you?" "Yeah, someplace we can talk." "Well, I'm sorry, sir." "We don't allow ladies in trousers in the dining area." "You what?" "Uh, it's no problem." "You know what happened to me this morning?" "I go out of the taxi, and the cabdriver followed me on the sidewalk," "Swearing at me because he didn't think I tipped him enough." "Madam, we will have to ask you to leave." "We're staying, my friend." "She's got you." "impossible." "My name is nicholas kegan." "My father owns this place." "Oh, I'm awfully sorry, sir." "I didn't recognize you." "Please, right this way." "Right this way." "Thank you." "Listen, I'm, uh- I'm sorry about last night." "No, I'm sorry." "I got about six different kinds of jet lag." "No, I understand." "Tell me, where were you one week ago today?" "Uh, brisbane, australia." "Oh, brisbane." "The coral sea, stonefish," "Captain cook sweeping north through that treacherous channel." "Oh, that's beautiful." "Yeah." "Look, yvette" "I still wanna marry you." "Is that why this lunch?" "No." "I need your magazine's help." "Maybe it's your magazine." "I need to contact someone in the mob- someone big." "What for?" "It is not to be talked about." "I cross my heart." "I also need everything in your files on joe diamond." "Joe diamond?" "Who he knew in the mob." "Who knew him." "What for?" "Does it concern your brother?" "We have reason to believe that we're on the track of uncovering a conspiracy." "A conspiracy?" "Three days ago," "I met the true assassin of my brother." "Is this on the level?" "Now I want to find out who actually hired diamond." "Not the go-between." "I wanna find the man who is responsible for this." "Well, sure." "It'll cost." "It cost to have my brother killed." "I think we can pay whatever it cost..." "To find those who- who did it to him." "And I don't want any press until I say so." "Are you offering us the exclusive?" "Thank you." "If you come up with the contacts." "Wow." "This is big." "I mean, really big." "Hey, wow!" "you know," "When I'm with you, the" " Wow!" " Yvette?" "Yvette" "You know, tim" "He had thousands of women, and I've, uh" "I've actually only had twelve." "And I know that may seem conservative to you." "Oh, listen, honey." "You get me this story, I'll get you all you want." "Are you listening to me?" "I sure am." "And if you want this story, I gotta get my tail in gear." "I call you from the magazine." "Thanks for lunch." "Lunch?" "This news makes my day." "It's wonderful." "Excuse me." "What the hell were you doing with that broad at lunch today?" "She's a friend of mine." "Are you screwing her?" "Oh, I forgot." "You're the boy scout of the family." "Tim always shared information on his broads." "I'm not tim." "Where'd you meet her?" "Keifitz introduced us in paris one weekend." "She's the press." "I said no press." "I need contacts with the mob." "I'm in business, for christ's sake." "Been dealing with the mob for years." "But you go to some dame you got the hots for and spill everything." "That's wrong." "Like hell." "Cerruti played the whole lunch to me ten minutes ago." " You had us bugged?" " It's my restaurant, son." "A lot of people more important than you make deals there." "Of course I have it bugged." "Telephone for you, sir." "I'll take it in my room." "Take it here." "Cerruti's recording it anyhow." "Hello." "Hello, yvette." "You what?" "Already?" "Yeah, you sure do." "how much?" "Who is it?" "Uh-huh." "Cleveland." "All right." "I'll catch the next plane." "And thanks." "Who are you meeting?" "Someone named irving mentor." "Yvette says he's the magazine's direct line to the mob." "I'll check on him." "I got something for you." "Whatcha scared of?" "I don't want you in any more situations you can't handle." " I don't want a gun." " Look," "Somebody tried to kill you last night." "This ain't no treasure hunt you're on." "Pa, I'm not gonna carry a gun." "I admire the way you fought off that killer, boy." "Single-handedly." "It was only the maid." "Ah, trained killer." "We got her, by the way." "We got her?" "Yeah." "Working her over now." "My people are on this all the way." "All right." "If you won't carry a gun, take this." "For my peace of mind if nothing else." "You're amazing." "Take these, uh, brass knuckles too." "Uh, don't lose them." "They have a sentimental value." "Thanks." "Uh, I'll see you in cleveland." "I'll be in the hospital." "Oh, nothing's wrong." "Six-months' blood change is all." " Blood change?" " Yeah." "I take it from the kids at amherst." "Got a deal with the red cross." "Uh, for the circulation." "I'll see you, pa." "Call me from cleveland." "I'm looking for irving mentor." "Never heard of him." "Uh, my name is nick kegan." "I bought you coffee." "Cream?" "No, thanks." "You got the cash?" "Better count it." "Humph." "You bet your ass." "Okay." "The contract for the hit came from gameboy baker." " Gameboy baker." " You got it." "Wait, wait, wait, wait." "Wait a minute." "Sorry." "This ain't a social visit." "Oh, yeah?" "It's not worth 15 grand, either." "Now sit down." "Sit down or give me my money back." "Watch your language." "These are my boys, you know." "get out of here." "Tell me about this, uh, gameboy baker." "Joe diamond is from the old neighborhood." "Small-time thief." "No sense." "¶ it was gameboy baker..." "Who helped set joe up in his nightclub." "Only joe wasn't paying back." "He was too busy supporting some of the local rookies." "I was the one who delivered the message." "That moey and sam and morris and uncle louie wanted a conversation with him." "so joe skipped to cuba." "And by the time the boys found him," "He was in bed with every faigelah politician in havana." "joe took protection from his cuban friend..." "And went back to his club in philly." "But he still owed the boys an obligation," "Which he paid back on that day he shot willy arnold." "Open that door." "The smoke's getting to me." "That could be a signal or something." "Open the door or I'll shove the cigar down your throat." "Eighty-five cents, wholesale." "Now, who is casper jr.?" "A hollywood agent." "What?" "Deals for harry small, head of federal studios." "Why would people like that wanna kill a president?" "That particular president cost that studio... $50 million..." "When he stopped screwing ellamae irving and she killed herself." "I give you $15,000 and you tell me gossip." "Where there's smoke, there's fire." "What can I tell you?" "Hold it, hold it, hold it." "Just a moment." "What the hell?" "What are you feeding us?" "The cat's dead." "What is this?" "calling dr." "Rogers." "Telephone call, dr." "Rogers." "My father's a patient here." "Your name?" "Nicholas kegan." "Thank you, doctor." "Federal studios?" "Hell, you couldn't spot a nigger in a snowbank." "I'm telling you what he said." "I got interlocking companies controlling federal." "Her last two pictures lost money." "Harry small was glad to get out of her contract." "You gotta stop chasing mare tails, boy." "I fixed up a meeting for you with frank mayo." " Mayo?" " Heard of him, huh?" "Grand vizier of the underworld." "I thought he was in jail." "Upstate, maximum security." "I got him out to meet you this afternoon." "What can he tell me that mentor didn't know?" "What did mentor know?" "Nothing." "You tell that broad of yours she owes you 15 grand." " Have a pastry?" " Think that sugar's good for you?" "It's my hospital." "Own what you use." "Nothing competes today with owning a hospital." "No customer credit." "Pay in advance or get out." "Unique product- pain." "Laundry alone throws off enough to pay the orderlies and lab." "And what the lab turns over" " When is the meeting with mayo?" " I'm talking business here." "You should see the net on what the lab throws off." "I own 27 hospitals in 15 major cities." "Wish I had more." "Where is the meeting with frank mayo, pa?" "Grant's tomb, 4:00." "Hey, nick." "Uh, would you like a little?" "No, thanks, pa." "Please, sit down." "Uh, pa says that you have some information on joe diamond." "Oh, yeah, but..." "Before we get into that, I, uh" "I wanna tell you that I'm apologetic about" "About what happened to your brother, even at this late date." "But, uh, unfortunately, mr." "Kegan," "You always hear about these things too late." "I was on key biscayne at the time." "But I could have done nothing, anyway, because, uh, it wasn't our business, see?" "They, uh- they did it on their own." "Mr. Mayo," "Who actually made the contract to kill the president?" "see what I mean?" "That, for me, has always been a mystery." "I don't know." "What about diamond's connections in cuba?" "Diamond had no connections in cuba." "Well, irving mentor says he did." "Irving mentor." "Mm-mmm." "I never heard of him." "Who send you to this, uh, to this mentor man?" "A friend." "Mm." "That's funny." "No, no, no." "No, diamond was never in cuba." "I'm told he was out of- out of chicago." "Mr. Kegan, uh," "You're getting the runaround here." "I'm sorry, sir." "Personnel has no record of any yvette malone." "She works here." "Apparently not." "Could you check again?" "I mean, you must have a record of her." "Sir, this is national magazine." "Everything we must have, we have." "Thank you." "It's no good, mister." "The lady in 12-g is 62 years old." "Drinks like a fish." "But yvette lived here." "I visited her here." "Why don't you try number 86?" "Maybe you got the wrong building." "You have nobody of that description?" "Buddy, we haven't had a good-looking woman in this building in four years." "Floor upon floor of ugly people is all we got." "Here's 50 bucks." "I gotta find her." "Make it a hundred." "I'll tell you everything I know." "Okay." "Here's a hundred." "I already told you everything I know." "No such person ever occupied these premises!" " Look here, mister." " Now, hold on, cocksucker." "You can't buy me, huh?" "You don't accept my word for it, you deserve to pay." "Now, get the hell out of my si" "Come on!" "Come on!" "I'll bop your skull open, you bastard, you!" "Your money can't buy me, huh?" "You give me the creeps." "Get out of here!" "Go on!" "Filthy bastard, you." "You give me the creeps, all of you!" "Go on!" "Then I'll say good night, sir." "Oh, uh, raymond." "Sir?" "Do we have any ovaltine?" "Ovaltine?" "I think I'd like some before I go to sleep tonight." "I seem to remember when I was a kid I had this cup with a borden's cow on it." "Cow, sir?" "Oh, just give me a glass of milk." "Very good, sir." "Boy!" "I have come back for you!" "Now, wait!" "Wait!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Wakey, wakey, wakey!" "It's me!" " You're a dead ghost!" " Like hell I am." "Pa said you're dead." "Do I look dead?" "I need some sleep, but..." "They're still dredging for my body and I've still got it." " Then you're not dead." " No." "I got an obit in the times..." "But I am not dead." "Now, when they got the medic," "I figured it was healthier not to be alive." "yeah." "Ain't you glad to see me?" "It's a conundrum" "Riddles within riddles." "Now yvette's gone." "That broad we met in paris?" "The one you kept calling?" " I wanna marry her." " You're gonna give the whole thing up?" "Someone is trying to teach me a lesson in futility." "Why am I the only one who wasn't killed?" "They will run you dizzy." "They will pile falsehood on top of falsehood..." "Until you can't tell a lie from the truth and you won't even want to." "That's how the powerful keep their power." "Don't you read the papers?" "You've got to accept that there is a world outside of you..." "And that you affect that world." " Your dad knows it." " Pa thinks, uh," "Moses lied about the ten commandments, because what god really said..." "Was, "do what you want, but don't get caught."" " Pa's awareness is global." " Yeah, so is mud." "Nick, use him." "Use the organization." "He's got more clout than the common market," "And you're taking the advice of a broad who's probably a plant." "Now, you could've been killed in that diner." " I thought you liked staying alive." " come on." "I'm gonna find her." "Go to cerruti." "He works for you, remember?" " What about you?" " I'm gonna stay dead for awhile." "I feel healthier that way." "Where are you going?" "Gonna order cerruti to produce yvette." "This is the contract silo, nick." "Contracts, contracts, contracts." "Agreements kept." "Agreements broken." "Papers, papers, papers." "Signatures." "Your father's holograph signature..." "On his interlocking companies going back, oh, 30 years." "Also those of diplomats, authors and inventors." "Tax deals." "Foundation deals." "Signatures of presidents and sheiks." "Signatures to put men away for, oh, decades." "Destroy careers, public lives, marriages, estates." "Love affairs." "Letters of passion, indiscretion and conspiracy..." "Acquired by your father's intelligence network." "Letters to persuade a man to close a deal or leave a job or sell out on his brother." "Data necessary to sustain a financial empire." "and here" "Here are the spoken words." "Shh." "Voices and sounds." "And visuals." "Pictures on microfilm." "Movies." "Video." "Marvelous little gadgets that document verbatim..." "All your father's conversations with all his people." "And his people's conversations with others." "From our satellite, we can watch everything." "Nasty little wars in africa." "Troop movements." "Ship movements." "Nuclear tests." "The sinai." "The panama canal." "Every little thing to check an investment, buy us in or out." "Even tonight, while most of our workers sleep," "It goes on." "take a coffee break, gentlemen." "I have a rare visitor and we'd like to be alone." "Information." "Black holes of information." "Galaxies within galaxies." "Multiple expanding universes of information." "Aren't you glad you came?" "Pa never allowed the family here in his office." "Ah." "Misjudgment." "You'll run all this someday." "You'll need to know." "All this and you couldn't find my brother's killer?" "I'm so glad you're here." "I receive so few outsiders." "Who to trust?" "Who to trust?" "All the nerves but none of the flesh." "End of our social." "Why did you come here without an appointment?" "What do you want?" "I want to find yvette malone." "Impossible." "She's been kidnapped." "Kidnapped?" "Yeah." "Abducted, swept away, taken off, snatched- kidnapped." " By whom?" " The kidnappers." "Bad guys." "Casper jr." "where are you going?" "To find my father." "I just realized." "He's been keeping me alive." "He's protecting me." "She's..." "Involved, nick." "Miss malone's involved." "It wasn't the tubesters who got to diamond." "We have new information." " While you sleep, we continue." " Who was it?" "You met the man this afternoon." "Frank mayo." "And it was lola comante who got to mayo and had the president killed." "¶" "Miss Iola comante!" "thrice married by 23, movie queen at 30," "Lola entered middle age as friend of the shady and legit alike..." "With the special power of a president's procuress." "Lola got tim his girls, and he blessed her with fame and fortune." "Tim enjoyed her favors and the favors of her friends..." "In the privacy of rockrimmon." "Sanctioned and abetted by your father," "Who occasionally indulged in lola himself..." "And who also had some business connections with her." "Until it all ended one day when lola tried to collect on a deal." "Enchanted by ambition as she was," "Lola had arranged a $2 million campaign contribution..." "From the family of frank mayo." "Mayo wanted the president to kick out castro..." "And restore the casinos to havana." "But the president was aware of no such contribution and no such deal." "It was your father who had accepted the money from lola." "When did you get so lily-white, son?" "Been reading your own press?" "This thing's gone to your head." "Sure, I took that cash." "You think you got those votes on your good looks?" "I bought 'em and I paid for 'em." "And when I needed cash, I got it." "Now, uh, you remember your debts." "You want out of this cuban thing, you gotta pay back another way." "And, uh, be nice to lola." "She's on your side." "Where you going?" "Hey." "Where you going?" "Come back here!" "I'm your father!" "Goddamn it!" "Why do you think I got you this job?" "To review the fucking fleet?" "the president broke contact with your father on this matter..." "And with lola as well." "He never spoke to either one again." "so tim turned against pa?" "Mm." "It hurt your father a great deal," "Both personally and..." "Financially." "Then it was mayo who killed my brother and you've known it all along." "A qualified no on both counts." " Z.K. Dawson." " The guy in the tank?" "No, no, no." "Not that asshole." "The real dawson who hasn't left venezuela since 1956." "Your oklahoma adventure was a little something I cooked up." "You cooked up?" "Yes." "A scene." "A skit." "Rather humorous, I thought, with a point." "And what can the point be, mr." "Cerruti?" "You see, it wasn't dawson himself who plotted your brother's assassination." "It was his only daughter- formerly maggie dawson, then mrs." "Luigi bellini..." "And lately" "Yvette?" "The attraction between you two becomes romeo-and-julietish, no?" "Opposing families." " That is ridiculous!" " Don't snap at me, you." "She plotted the whole thing." "She was your brother's mistress too." "Bet you didn't know that." " Where is she now?" " Yvette?" "I told you." "Kidnapped." " By whom?" " By whom?" "By the kidnappers." "Bad guys." "Casper jr." "you are lying, cerruti." "No one's allowed up here, nick." "Tell me where she is or I'm gonna blow this whole thing open." "No way." "You're not to be believed." "What have you got?" "A half a dozen different scenarios all going in opposite directions." "Fantasies." "They'd lock you away in the booby bin." "You're no threat to me." "You give me this information or I'm gonna get it the old-fashioned way." "The ol- oh." "The old-fashioned way." "I see." "What are you gonna do, break my arms?" "God, it's painful to see you like this, nick." "It's painful to see you suffering under a delusion so intense," "So aggravating that you actually believe that you have the nerve..." "To come in here and threaten me like this." "You're just not the type." "Did you hear that?" "Did you hear that, you clown?" "You've broken my arm." "Is it him?" "Huh?" "Huh?" "Is it pa?" "Is it him?" "Please tell me." "Is it pa?" "ow!" "Is it pa, cerruti?" "Your legs are next." "Cerruti, is it pa?" "Your father spent $11 million to raise your brother up..." "From a skirt-chasing college boy to president of the United States." "For 20 years, he told him what to do and how and why..." "And what would happen when it was done." "Your father put tim in the white house." "Why?" "Because that's where you can generate the most cash." "A cold-ass business proposition like everything else in society." "But your brother decided to stir up the population," "Began to think we were all living in a democracy." "He started believing it." "Lunch with de gaulle, dinner with kruschev." "The whole razzle-dazzle went to his head." "Yet in spite of the fact that everybody in this country..." "Lives in the same dog-eat-dog way," "Grabbing any angle to make a buck," "If you were to inform them that your father had tim killed," "They'd wanna tear the old man apart limb from limb." "Pa had- pa had him killed?" "What the hell?" "That's the system you wanted, nick," "And that's the system you've got." "The whole secret, as your father says, is not to get caught." "I want to find yvette." "Yvette malone..." "Was a professional actress named jenny o'brien," "But I don't think she wants to see you today, nick." "She's the guest of a freshman anatomy class over at kegan university medical school..." "And she's kinda tied up right now, if you get the picture." "You get the picture, nick?" "You get the picture?" "You get the picture, nick?" "Don't touch." "What the hell?" "He was caught trying to enter." "That's my son!" "He refused to tell us his name, mr." "Kegan." "Rosemary will call dr." "Grokest when she comes in." "You sure made a night of it, boy." "You should have called first." "Ought to know that by now." "I'll get you some whiskey." "You want those fellas fired, I'll have 'em fired." "Good men, though." "Ah." "You gonna pass out on me?" "Pa, cerruti told me everything." " You saw cerruti?" " You killed him." "Your own son." "Was it really for money?" "Rosemary, where the hell are my cigars?" "Rosemary!" "a wise man fools the doctors." "Was it for money?" "Where did you get the balls to suggest to me..." "That I'd have your brother murdered for some additional cash?" "The president of my country." "Is this an attack, son?" "A conspiracy?" "Have you gone over to the enemy?" "Or are you mad?" "for money." "Shame." "For shame on you." "Somewhere deep in your soul, pa," "You wanna get caught and punished." "Like a petty thief back to the scene of a crime." "Petty thief?" "Hell, I'm the king of thieves," "The jupiter of thieves." "But I'm not a killer." "There he is..." "And there and there." "My guardian angel." "My unseen listener." "John cerruti." "Somewhere in the air," "Recording, peeking in." "John cerruti killed tim." "Cerruti." "Did it with my men and my money." "And the profits went into my companies." "When he told me he'd killed my son, there was nothing I could do against him, 'cause every finger in the country would point to me." "Tim's own pa." "And you too." "And our family." " No, pa." " You think I'm in control here?" "I'm nothing but a goddamn front." "Cerruti has run everything since the day tim was shot." "Darndest part" "Don't even give himself a raise." "Lives in brooklyn in a rabbit hole." "Whatcha doing?" "I'm calling the police." "You begging to die?" "You got eyes in that empty head?" "Look, I'm an old man- skin sagging, false teeth, eyes milking over." "But I've been holding this thing together with the minutes ticking by... 'cause when this old clock comes undone, you watch where the wheels will fly." " I won't buy it, pa." " I'm standing between you and darkest night, son." "The other side of me is chaos." "Hold it, keifitz." "We won't need the gun." "Won't need the gun?" "God, son, it must've been the milkman after all, 'cause you sure as hell ain't no part of me." "That man damn well needs his gun... 'cause he's gonna shoot you with it." "Pa!" "Pa, take my hand!" "Stupid!" "You wanna go with me?" "Take my hand, pa!" "You get out of this alive, son" "You get out of this alive." "Take our money out of the western world and put it in south america." " Oh!" " Brazil." "Ah!" " Aah!" " Brazil!" "They're the next ones up!" "Pa's dead." "I'll connect you with john cerruti." "Call the police, rosemary." "Yes, mr." "Kegan." "Are you coming back?" "I'm part of the family." "Hello." "This is yvette malone speaking." "I'm not home just now," "But if you'll be kind enough to leave your name and telephone number," "I'll call you when I return." "Please begin at the tone." "Hello, honey." "This is nick." "I just wanted to hear your voice once more." "And I wanted to tell you that I love you..." "And I'll miss you." "Bye."