" Freeze!" " Whoa!" "You move, you die." "Don't shoot." "Don't shoot us, okay?" "Shut up." "Come on, guys." "We're flat broke." "We've been out of work." "The club we played got raided." "This look like a robbery?" "My mistake." "Could be the guns." "Problem?" "We're on it." "What's in the cases?" "Show us." "Slow." "Okay, okay." "The theaters are letting out soon." "Catch the crowds and pass the hat." "We're just trying to scratch together a meal." "So scratch." "Act natural." "Keep playing." "All right, then." "Pull them out." "All right, come on, come on, come on." "Get down!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Run!" "That guy with the dreamy eyes and movie-star looks -- in about 20 years, he'll be the man who invents Las Vegas." "His partner is a little guy with big ideas." "One day, he'll be the man who organizes crime." "Their buddy is a sociopath who figured out how to make that a job description." "He's good at it -- always on time, dependable." "Bugsy Siegel." "Meyer Lansky." "Sid Rothman." "Three punks making their mark during prohibition." "It's guys like them that made the roaring '20s roar." "Run, you monkey!" "And tell your boss we'll have a drink on him, at his Irish wake." "Oh, Benny, no, come on." "In years to come, Bugsy and Meyer will make history." "Sid -- he'll just make trouble." "Wait." "I can't find my gun." "I think it's flooded." "We're here to hijack the booze, Benny, not blow it up and us with it." "Keep the pedal down." "You worry too much." "You don't worry enough." "White hats, black hats -- that's what they always wore in those old Westerns we watched growing up so we could tell the good guys from the bad guys." "That works in a kids' Western." "In real life, it's different." "In real life, the bad guys often wear flashy shoes." "Their ties aren't bad, either." "Expensive, anyway." "Silk." "White hats and black hats -- they do exist." "They try to shape the world in their image." "Guys like me have to make do somewhere in the middle." "I live in a world of gray hats." "Joe." "You've finally come for me, to take me from this place, to sweep me off my feet." "I just needed a light." "Why would you not sweep me off my feet, hmm?" "I know plenty of guys would." "Pick one." "I have." "He's sweet, but a fool." "I throw myself." "He never catches." "He sounds like a sap." "What are you afraid of, hmm?" "That you'd break my heart?" "I'd crush it." "Well, only if you were on top." "But I like that." "It gets the job done." "A rendezvous." "Here, Joe?" "Oh, Anya." "Don't be bitter." "Is she more beautiful than me?" "More beautiful wouldn't be possible." "Sexier?" "Oh, think carefully before you answer." "It's almost 8:00." "I guess we'll both find out." "Oh, Joe." "Darling Joe." "A blind date." "You could do better." "Knock me a beer, hon." "You the guy?" "No." "The guy left." "I'm the other guy -- the one drinking." "No, you're him." "Master Gunnery Sergeant Teague." "Marines, right?" "Not lately." "Not now, but then." "Joe Teague." "That's what the fella said." "What fellow?" "Fella that said you'd be here." "Said I should look you up." "He told me to call you Master Gunnery Sergeant Teague." "He said you'd get a kick out of it." "What else did he say?" "Said you killed every Jap on Guadalcanal single-handed." "Is that true?" "Look." "You don't know me." "Why ruin a good thing?" "Might be a grand in it for you is why." "Could it hurt to listen?" "I need a pal." "Get a dog." "Ah, they shed." "You got to walk them." "I need a real pal -- a marine, let's say, a guy who can handle himself." "You show up, you look mean -- an hour of your time tops." "You walk away a grand richer." "Add some details." "All right, the guy that said you killed those Japs says you're a man who can be trusted." "I asked around -- people are of that general opinion." "I can confide?" "Confide away." "There's a guy, see?" "Not the guy who said I killed those Japs." "No, no, he's just the go-between." "He lawyers sometimes for this other guy -- the guy that I'm talking about." "Now, I can't say his name, but you'd know who he is." "How?" "You read the papers?" "The funnies." "Is it Popeye?" "No." "It's not Popeye." "But you'd know him." "Now, this guy, who is not Popeye, wants something that I have." "Now, I'm happy to give it to him, but I want to be compensated." "It's a transaction." "So transact." "There a hitch?" "The guy's the hitch." "He's not famous for being reasonable, and he seems to resent the fact that I've invited him to do this business." "Why?" "What's the item?" "I can't tell you that." "Well, it's been nice knowing you." "No, just -- no, relax, relax." "I can't name the item, you understand?" "Let's just say that it could make life difficult for this guy if it, say, fell into certain hands other than his." "You're blackmailing somebody." "That's a harsh word." "It fits." "You want me there in case the guy who isn't Popeye, he decides to be unreasonable." "You tag along, you watch my back, that's it." "Bingo." "You do know I'm a cop, right?" "Telling me you don't moonlight?" "Come on." "All you cops do it." "It's your Christmas fund." "A grand buys a lot of tinsel." "Get a tree to put it on." "Why me?" "Why a cop?" "Because you're a cop." "These people -- they don't kill cops." "There's too much business at stake, so they don't do it ever." "The mugs who show up for this thing -- they see you standing there, they'll have to play nice." "You should shine that badge up, wear it right here on the front of your belt, right above your pecker where they can see it." "I'll think about it." "All right, well, don't think too long." "Okay, this thing's got to happen soon -- next night or two." "Here's my card." "It's got my name on it." "I know who you are." "Hecky Nash." "Caught your act at the Clover a couple years back." "Clover Club, right, yeah." "You bring a date?" "She laugh?" "I was funny, right?" "Not as funny as you were tonight." "Oh, zing!" "And I thought I was the comedian." "Try this one -- a guy walks into a bar." "By the end of the week, he's a grand richer." "No joke." "See ya, toots." "Want some company?" "Ooh, okay." "Whoa, whoa." "Hang on." "Why?" "They were very cozy." "How long has it been since your last confession?" "Um, a while, I guess." "What sins do you have to confess?" "Look, I-I'm a little pressed for time here." "Your sins." "That's why you're here, isn't it?" "Don't you want to unburden your soul?" "Come on." "Tell me your sins, you rat bastard." "Listen, you -- you've got it wrong." "It ain't me." "It's that Leslie." "He's the one you want." "Guy's nuts, I tell you." "A-a bed bug." "That so?" "Why anyone would hire a guy like that i-is beyond me." "Just being in a car with him that night gave me the creeps." "Makes my skin crawl." "And that's no lie." "This thing he's into -- it's all him, do you understand?" "Look, it's his move." "I-I got nothing to do with it." "I didn't even know about it." "Y-you got to believe me." "Sid, p-please." "Okay, I believe you." "I'm in the clear?" "W-what else I got to do?" "How about an act of contrition?" "What, like -- like, say a Hail Mary?" "Couldn't hurt." "I frankly find this sort of talk offensive." "Let's call this loose talk what it really is." "These latest rumors of corruption are an attempt to undermine confidence in this city's police department and my administration." "I remind these critics that my office has been at the forefront of rooting out and eliminating the corruption that existed in the past." "With the vigilance and dedication of fine officers..." "Excuse me." "Surely." "...like Police Chief Horall, the efforts we have spearheaded will continue with all the vigor and resources at our disposal as long as I am mayor of this great city." "Chief?" "A few words?" "I echo the sentiments expressed here today by Mayor Bowron." "My department is a proud and honorable one, and I will not stand by while the malcontent press dwells on a few bad apples and drags our good name down." "Don't forget where you found it." "Thanks, Jimmy." "Hmm." "Don't make me come looking for you." "I won't." "I'm sitting in his office right now." "Yeah, he just walked in." "Yes, Jimmy." "It's in his hands." "I will make sure he brings it back." "It won't leave his desk." "He promises, right?" "He just nodded, Jimmy." "It looked sincere." "Okay." "Would you give us a minute?" "Read any good files lately?" "Herschel Nussbaum, A.K.A. Hecky Nash." "Huh." "Stage name, I bet." "Detective Morrison, I see you made yourself at home." "What can I do for you?" "Two of my boys were up all night on a follow job." "I can't help wondering why the guy they were tailing stopped at a seedy jazz club on Central Avenue last night and had a drink with a detective from this division." "It's not that seedy." "Friend of yours?" "Caught his act at the Clover a couple years back." "And?" "And he spotted me last night at Bunny's." "He came up." "He offered me an after-hours job." "Doing what?" "He's blackmailing somebody." "Wants me to tag along, see that he doesn't wind up in a dumpster." "The mayor is out there right now... defending his record as a crusader against police corruption." "There's a lot of heat these days, a lot of scrutiny." "I was just sitting there." "Minding your own business, having a drink, and out of the blue, this guy comes up you haven't seen in years -- met him only once -- and he tries to engage you in a criminal conspiracy?" "Right." "More." "Well, you'll love this part." "The guy he's blackmailing -- he give you a name?" "No, but it's somebody high up in the mob." "How high?" "High." "Somebody who gets his name in the papers." "You were gonna bring this to me, right?" "Why else would I pull the file?" "Detective Teague reported the incident to me immediately." "We brought it straight to you." "Well, if it's enough to blackmail a high-ranking mobster, it must be strong evidence." "We get our hands on it, we can bring down someone big, cripple organized crime in this city." "That is a win we could use right now, silence some of the criticism." "You know, things like this get mayors re-elected." "Mayor Bowron's a mayor who remembers his friends." "All right, bring in everyone who shows up at the exchange and the evidence." "Catch him in the act, fellas." "That's the key -- key to the kingdom?" "And you -- you're on loan to Hal's unit until further notice." "Bring home the bacon, Detective Teague." "Do this right, you could make some friends." "Gentlemen." "Bill Parker just teed you up to be his golden boy." "A thing like this could put him one step closer to being our next chief." "There's two things you need to know about bill the boy scout -- one, it's a position he deserves." "Two?" "He's also a man who remembers his friends." "You'd write your own ticket." "We both would." "So don't screw this up." "***" "A wannabe that never was and a bad gambler." "That rap sheet doesn't say "mobster."" "No, but he's been hip-deep in their world his whole life." "He's rubbed a lot of elbows." "Hell, he's friends with Mickey Cohen since forever." "And this guy knows things -- a lot of things." "He'd make a formidable witness." "We tried to squeeze him a few times, but he wriggles away." "What's special about now?" "Why were you guys tailing him?" "Sooner or later, a guy like this, he's ripe to get flipped." "Lately, he's been riper." "Mr. Nash's fortunes are in serious decline." "He's racked up a lot of gambling debts." "He owes a lot of money to the wrong people." "They carry him for old time's sake, but that kind of patience runs out, and when it does... you want to be there to catch him when he falls, offer him a way out long as he goes witness." "Told you he was bright." "I didn't believe you." "Where'd you get these guys?" "Me he found under a rock." "Pat here washed up on the beach one day." "Eddy there crawled out of a drain pipe." "True." "And Nick and tug got left in a basket on his doorstep." "He raised us from puppies." "You -- you pull this off, you're on all our Christmas lists." "Yeah, who's this?" "No, no, now is a fine time." "No, I'm just waking up." "Who is it?" "Shh." "Really?" "No, that -- that's great news." "No, that's worth waking up for." "Uh, let me make a call and, um," "I'll set this thing in motion." "There's a place in the hills..." "Okay." "If that's where they agree." "Right." "He's got a gig tonight at the Griffin." "You know it?" "Yeah." "It's a dive." "I'll meet him when he gets off." "We drive to the exchange from there." "Baldwin Hills." "The oil fields." "Oh, son of a..." "Oil fields are 1,100 acres of horse shit." "The terrain's wide open." "There's no place for us to be, no place to hide." "No way to know where you'll be in those 1,100 acres." "Closest we can be to you is down the hill around Jefferson." "That's over half a mile away." "That's no good for backup." "It would take us three minutes to get up that hill, maybe longer." "How's he gonna signal us?" "Our radios are crap in those hills." "There's too much interference." "A flare gun." "I sign one out, have it in my trunk." "It's dicey." "He's up there, he's on his own, exposed, especially after he fires that flare." "Three minutes." "That's a long time to wait, your ass hanging in the breeze." "You just watch for my signal." "I'll worry about my ass." "Your ass?" "No kidding." "I thought that was your wife!" "He's got her smile." "So I, uh " " I pull out, I apologize to the guy." "It's an honest mistake, you know?" "I thought I was getting a flutter." "Give her my regards..." "Senator." "Oh, you like that one, right?" "Remind me to check your pulse later." "Uh, speaking of pulses, here's a gal who will give yours a flutter." "Treat her nice, she'll do it twice." "Miss Dixie Hills!" "I'm reduced to working places like this." "It's like rolling in vomit." "Hi, Peaches." "Ma'am." "I need a minute." "What are you doing here backstage?" "Are you one of the new dancers?" "Yeah, it's me." "No, probably not." "I'm just checking in." "I said I'd call." "You waiting for somebody?" "You waiting for me?" " Well..." " Yes, tonight." "...I got business with the man over here." "Well, that's divine." "Maybe later?" "I get off at 2:00, just in case." "Knock them dead." "Jasmine, this is happening, okay?" "!" "You'll have your bags packed." "Tell me yes." "By the time I get there." "Look, just like we talked about." "I honk, you're at the door, no going back, not even for a toothbrush." "Yeah." "Packed and ready." "We're gonna be fine." "Love you." "Let's do this." "So, what do you think?" "I'd have picked a more public place." "Then again, no one around to get curious." "It's fine." "Wait." "You think you'll need that?" "Doubt it." "Maybe." "It's not too late." "Go a different way." "My way's fine." "You'll be looking over your shoulder the rest of your life." "The evidence you got, you could take it to the police, get protection." "What are you, my rabbi?" "No?" "Then save it!" "I'm paying you a grand to cover my ass." "That's a lot of money for one ass." "Well, I'm counting two." "That girl you called " " Jasmine?" "Oh, you got big ears." "Don't drag her into this." "You're the one who did that, sounds like." "She know the risk?" "Mostly." "Enough to not like it." "She don't have to, all right?" "She goes my way -- my way or the highway." "Look." "They don't know she's any part of this, all right?" "So just..." "leave it alone." "And don't confuse me for upstanding." "That's not what this is." "It's a winning hand." "My whole life, I've been dealt crap." "Finally, I got a royal flush." "Finally a win." "That's what this is -- my ticket out." "This city." "It's so damn beautiful." "It's like a sky full of stars, but only from a distance." "Up close, it's all gutter." "Those islands you fought on " "I bet they were pretty, too, huh?" "Until you went ashore." "They were always ugly." "Rocks, most of them." "A lot of men died for those ugly rocks." "Tell me the sense." "You could die for this scheme." "Is there sense in that?" "If only to see the looks on their stupid faces." "The wise guys -- they always get the best." "Money falls out of the sky for these idiots." "You know the kicker?" "Dumbest mugs you ever met." "I've been around them all my life." "Mickey Cohen." "Yeah, Mickey." "No secret." "Since the first grade I known him." "Of course, he never got past the second grade." "The shit this guy pulled." "He should be serving life or dead a dozen times over." "Not Mickey." "Mnh-mnh." "He just rises, makes like he's the king." "He's got like 300 suits in his closet, do you know that?" "The finest shoes." "The guy's so dumb he can barely tie the laces." "I thought the two of you were friends." "Right, friends." "Call it that." "We were kids." "He says, "Let's be a gang, pull a heist."" "Me and this other kid, Gabe Zamanski -- we thought it was a game." "Mickey took us up to 3rd Street, where all the movie theaters are, and what's he do?" "He smashes up a ticket booth with a baseball bat." "Girl's inside screaming her head off." "Two cops show." "I yell to Mickey, try and warn him." "Does he listen?" "Like hell." "Mickey never listens." "Me and Gabe run." "Mickey gets pinched." "You think he blames himself, even a little?" "Me he blames." "All these years, he rubs my nose in it." "He even gave me a nickname -- Jesse." ""Jesse" he calls me." "You know, like Jesse Owens." "He says, "That's you, Hecky -- a nigger who runs."" "Then he laughs his ass off, the mad bastard, 'cause he finds that funny." "That's a joke." "I'm a joke to him." "I ran." "I was 10, for Christ's sake!" "The guy you're blackmailing, is it Mickey?" "Mnh-mnh." "Above him." "Even Mickey answers to somebody." "Take my word, this will not reflect well on Mickey Cohen." "And you know what?" "That's Jake by me." "Why should they always get away with it, huh?" "Them and not me." "My whole life, they feast, I get crumbs." "Well, now it's my turn." "It's my score." "For once, the joke's on them, and I get to laugh." "Is it worth it?" "What do you think?" "I think they're here." "Get his attention." "Uh-huh." "Second thoughts?" "Backing out was five minutes ago." "If they make a move, go right." "Clear my line of fire." "Hecky." "Is that you?" "Sid?" "Y-yeah, it's me." "Lower the thing, will you?" "What am I, a moth?" "Who's that?" "Who's back there?" "It's a friend." "Show me him." "Makes me nervous in the dark back there." "You bring a cop to a thing like this?" "What ails you?" "He's just a pal." "Tagged along." "He skunked us, the prick." "The skeevy little hebe." "What do we do?" "We got no choice." "We got to do it the other way." "Boss won't be happy." "Yeah, he can get in line." "I don't like this should happen with a cop." "Just pals, like he said." "Okay, fine." "As long as we're pals." "Go easy." "Let's stay pals." "I'm easy." "Now you." "A little light here." "These all the negatives?" "Got to be all of them." "You know that." "Every single one." "And beautifully displayed." "Those clear sleeves they're in -- you can't even get those in L.A." "Here you get wax paper." "These sleeves -- only one place makes them back east." "There a reason we should care?" "Only the best for the big man." "Am I right?" "That's a roll of tri-x, very sensitive film." "Push it a stop, you can shoot most anything, even at night." "Right." "They're a little grainy, but they, uh, really show off his profile." "He's very handsome." "All right." "We done?" "Hmm." "We walk away whistling." "Smart move tonight, Hecky." "Well played." "See you around." "Doubt it." "I won't be showing my face much." "Yeah, might be best." "You burned bridges with this." "Goes without saying." "I said it anyway." "You made your score." "How does it feel?" "That's how the hand is played!" "Ace-high straight, suckers!" "Read 'em and weep!" "And take this back to the son of a bitch that sent you!" "This right here!" "With my highest regards!" "We should go now." "Just give me a sec." "Give me a sec." "I-I-I need a sec." "I got to..." "I got to take this in." "Did you see?" "!" "Did you see their faces?" "!" "That's the look I'm talking about, when they see the cards laid down on the table!" "'Cause of you." "All I did was show up." "What you did took balls." "You did good, Hecky." "My whole life, I dreamed of a moment like this." "Now I get to rise." "I'm king." "Me!" "Hecky Nash!" "I'm, like, freaking Cagney!" ""Top of the world, ma!"" "Top of the world, Hecky." "Why?" "I'm sorry." "No!" "He's over there." "What the hell happened?" "I told him if I fell behind on the ride over here, he should pull off down the hill, wait for me." "We'd come up together." "I don't know why he didn't." "God, what a moron." "They were waiting for him up here." "Get the lab boys up here." "Wake them up if you have to." "Looks like they clipped him there." "He got out of his car, left the gun behind." "What about the evidence?" "As soon as I found him, I fired off the flare and waited for you." "Check the body and tear his damn car apart." "Okay, we got us a crime scene." "Fan out." "Check down there." "Son of a...bitch." "Scotch rocks." "Thanks." "That's 50 grand under my hat." "That much?" "Mm." "Yeah, your boss will be happy to get it back." "Ah, he doesn't care about that." "He cared about not getting taken by a two-bit loser." "Then he should be doubly happy." "You're missing the point." "He wants you to have it." "Your boss thinks he just bought himself a cop, huh?" "An enforcer with a badge?" "That a bad thing?" "I could steer a lot of work your way." "That is a good offer." "Here's my counter." "You tell Bugsy Siegel to take his money." "Tell him to shove it up his ass." "He hates being called Bugsy." "Makes him bitter." "It is a bitter little world." "No, no." "I got this." "Come on." "The least you could let me do is buy you a drink." "So if not for the money, why?" "Do you need to ask?" "You fed me the guy." "You knew what would happen." "Maybe." "Maybe I'm just that clever." "Maybe I just want to hear you say it." "Why did you kill the comedian?" "Maybe I didn't like his jokes." "I heard you passed the bar exam." "Passed?" "Hell." "I aced it." "Top 5%." "I always said you had brains, kid." "Yeah, you always did." "Semper fi, gunny." "Yeah." "Semper fi, marine." "There are a lot of reasons to kill a man." "In my line of work, you see them all -- greed... lust... despair." "Murder is often meager and selfish." "Lives are taken because somebody lost at the track that day or because dinner was late on the table." "Sometimes there's no reason at all." "Just boredom and booze on a Saturday night." "For me, there's only one reason that ever made sense." "It doesn't make your hands any cleaner, but maybe it'll let you sleep at night." "You do it for love." "Would you like a ticket?" "Just hand over all the cash, lady." "And no lip out of you." "Now, listen, little boy." "Give me it, lady!" "Fork it over!" "Officer!" "Officer!" "Mickey!" "Cops!" "Get him!" "Run!" "Run!" "Here!" "Just take it and go!" "Aah!" "Get!" "Hold still, you little bastard!" "That 10-year-old who just robbed a movie theater and got pinched for his trouble -- that's Meyer Harris Cohen, but everyone calls him Mickey." "By 1947, he'll be the boss of all organized crime in L.A." "Some pint-sized lunatic just tried to rob the Columbia." " You're kidding." " With a bat." "He smashed up their booth." "Do you believe it?" "Thank God for the cops, huh?" "Those lugs?" "They come in here all the time copping free candy, free popcorn, copping a feel while they're at it." "There's a reason they're called "cops."" "It's not right." "All right." "Come on, tough guy." "Tell you what." "You're such a boy scout?" "You go set them straight." "Bill the Boy Scout." "You in there, you're surrounded!" "Come out with your ha" "Keep talking, fat man!" "I'm gonna kill these damn fools in here!" "Just see if I don't!" "What do we do, sarge?" "He's got hostages in there, for Christ's sake." "You hear me?" "!" "Somebody's got to go in." "All you dummies better back off!" "What about Parker?" "Yeah." "I got four people in here..." "Isn't that the numbnuts who hauled in the captain's drinking buddy for drunk driving?" "And booked him." "If you try anything, these citizens are gonna get hurt!" "You " " Parker!" "If somebody winds up dead, it's on you!" "You understand?" "!" "Am I spelling it out okay?" "!" "Sir?" "This one's yours." "I want things!" "I want a fast car!" "I want money!" "You better work it out quick 'cause my fingers get itchy, and I got buckshot to spare!" "I'm coming over to talk." "Show me what you got under the coat!" "Slow and easy, boy, unless you want a round of buckshot in that blue belly of yours!" "What the hell you want?" "You want to be on the slab, huh?" "!" "Is that what you want to talk about?" "!" "Sorry, I'm having trouble hearing you." "Can you speak up?" "They sent me a deaf cop." "Can you believe this?" "Are you deaf and stupid?" "!" "Can you hear me now, blue bitch?" "!" "Look, I-I just want to talk." "I'm not armed." "Can you open up the door just a crack so we don't have to shout?" "This rookie will not be cited for courage in the line of duty." "That's because nobody likes him much." "Around the time Mickey Cohen takes over running the L.A. mob, bill the boy scout here will take over running the Los Angeles Police Department." "Nobody calls him "Numbnuts" after that." "Come on." "They call him "Chief of Police William Parker"... or "sir."" "Good evening, Mr. Siegel." "So nice to see you again." "Good evening, Mr. Siegel." "Right this way." "Thank you, Troy." "♪ The moon is the same moon above you ♪" "♪ aglow with its cool evening light ♪" "♪ but shining at night in Tunisia ♪ Hi, Benny." "♪ Never does it shine so bright ♪" "♪ the stars are aglow in the heavens ♪" "♪ but only the wise understand ♪" "♪ that shining at night in Tunisia ♪" "♪ they guide you through the desert sand ♪" "♪ words fail to tell a tale ♪ Hey, hey!" "That's a winner!" "♪ Too exotic too be told ♪ I can always tell." "You can order prints." "My guy in the back does them up while you're having dessert." "♪ Each night's a deeper night ♪ Oh!" "What a thrill, Mr. Cohen." "Call me "Mickey." Youse are welcome here anytime." "♪ The cares of the day seem to vanish ♪" "♪ the ending of day brings release ♪" "Hmm." "Excuse me." "♪ Each wonderful night in Tunisia ♪" "♪ where the nights are filled with peace ♪" "Mickey." "Yeah." "Some champagne for Mr. Siegel, and, uh, a little nosh, yeah?" "Yeah." "Just, um, start us with some whatnot." "Yes, sir." "Benny, check out tonight's special." "Nice." "Thanks." "Now burn them." "So what happened with your friend?" "Well, I, uh, hear it could have gone better." "Hecky had a babysitter with him, a moonlighting cop." "So we waved goodbye." "Nothing this Jew hates more than being outsmarted by another Jew." "Hurts my feelings." "I'll get over it when I kill him." "I'm sorry, Benny." "What can I say that I haven't already said?" "Mm-hmm." "I've known the guy since we were knee-high." "Then you should have known he was a chiseling rat." "I miss anything?" "We got the negatives, but the comedian weaseled on us." "And here I was hoping I'd get to say "Mazel Tov."" "We'll get to say it." "We'll find him." "Sure you will." "Try the morgue." "He was healthy when we drove off." "And then he wasn't." "I'm waiting to hear that punch line." "Luck like yours?" "Don't ever play my casino, kid." "You'll clear me out." "To long shots coming in." "The cop?" "Nice play." "Smooth." "You had a backup?" "You didn't tell me?" "You kept me dumb?" "Don't take it like that, Sid." "The odds were very long." "♪ The moon is the same moon above you ♪ To hell with odds." "I don't like being kept in the dark." "♪ Aglow with its cool evening light ♪ Or people doing my job for me." "♪ But shining at night in Tunisia ♪ I'm a fixer." "I fix." "Besides, we're all on the same team, right?" "Yes, we are." "♪ Never does it shine so bright ♪ Hey, Sid, it got done." "Now, that's what matters." "♪ The stars are aglow in the heavens ♪" "♪ but only the wise understand ♪" "Benny." "♪ That shining at night in Tunisia ♪" "My 50 grand." "♪ They guide you through the desert sand ♪" "The man's not looking for steady work." "♪ Words fail to tell a tale ♪ Tonight was a gesture of good will." "Good will?" "That's all." "♪ Too exotic to behold ♪ What?" "Like a favor?" "♪ Each night's a deeper night in a world ages old ♪" "Who the hell is this cop?" "♪ The cares of the day seem to vanish ♪" "♪ the end of the day brings release ♪" "♪ each wonderful night in Tunisia ♪" "♪ where the nights are filled with peace ♪" "She wants a cup of coffee." "Do you mind?" "I don't want to miss anything." "Right in here, miss." "We scored big." "We found Hecky Nash's girlfriend at his bungalow." "And get this -- she was waiting for him with her bags packed." "Tell us about Hecky." "He was a comedian." "He worked the clubs, but I guess you know that." "What about side business, not the "make me laugh" kind?" "You'd know better than I would." "He kept a lot to himself." "He gambled...owed people -- that I do know." "What else?" "Anything." "Details." "He collected stamps." "Stamps." "Yeah, I know." "He wouldn't strike you as the type." "Stamps don't get a guy killed." "You don't know stamp collectors." "Detective Teague, Jasmine Fontaine." "Miss Fontaine." "They're nuts." "Excuse me?" "Stamp collectors." "You don't believe me?" "Show them an inverted Jenny, issued in 1918." "It's a little red stamp with a blue airplane in the middle, a Curtiss JN-1." "A Jenny." "A Jenny." "That's right." "One sheet of stamps, the little blue plane gets printed upside down by mistake." "The Jenny's inverted." "100 stamps total -- one of the rarest kind there is." "You want to see grown men kill each other?" "Get a bunch of stamp collectors in the room and show them one of those." " Miss, no offense, but no one wants to hear about stamps." " Yeah, no kidding." "Imagine what my life's been like." "What about his blackmail scheme?" "Blackmail?" "Is that what he was playing at?" "Dumb jerk." "Mickey Cohen." "Name ring a bell?" "Everybody knows Mickey Cohen." "Not everybody works for him." "I hostess at the Clover Club." "I guess that means I work for him." " Doesn't mean he knows my name." " That where you met Hecky?" "He was performing there." "He and Mickey get along?" "Heard lots of stories about them growing up." "Hecky liked dropping his name." "It got boring, like the stamps." "I stopped listening after a while." "No mention of blackmail against Mickey Cohen." "That's crazy, fellas." "Maybe Mickey, maybe not." "But Hecky had something on the mob, and he tried to parlay it." "Yeah?" "Something?" "What's something?" "We're hoping you could tell us." "It hasn't surfaced...yet." "You don't seem surprised your man's dead." "Maybe you are and just hide it better than most." "Hecky liked playing in that sandbox." "Sometimes you get sand in your eyes, so no." "I'm not surprised." "You're taking it real hard." "Your boyfriend is on a slab in the city morgue." "Why don't you roll his coffin in here, and I'll throw myself on it?" "Will that play better for you?" "You're the expert on grief." "Am I under suspicion of something?" "Am I being held?" "No, miss, you're free to go anytime." "Then what do you want?" "Insight." "You were with the man." "Do you want to see his killer brought in?" "Look, if I could help, I'd say so." "Hecky kept this to himself." "Is that why you were waiting at the door with your bags packed when we knocked?" "A guy might think you two were about to blow town." "We were." "Pismo Beach." "Things hadn't been great." "I thought maybe a long weekend might help things." "One weekend?" "You pack heavy." "Yeah." "Hecky always complained about it, but you never know about the weather, fellas, especially on the coast." "Ask any woman." "You knew him." "See if you can talk sense to her." "Huh." "That's funny." "What's that?" "What he just said about you knowing Hecky." "See, all the time Hecky and I were together, he never mentioned you." "You're not exactly the sort of thing he'd forget to tell me." "You being -- what?" " A cop and all." "Not like we palled around." "No?" "Then what?" "He reached out to me a few nights ago." "He wanted protection while he did his blackmail." "I guess you didn't do a very good job." "Detective Teague." "Miss Fontaine." "Is that how they do it in Robbery-Homicide?" "Joe." "You're supposed to question her, not the other way around." "I want eyes on her for the next 48 hours." "If she tries to leave town, take her into custody, for her own protection at the very least." "You have first shift." "You broke it, you bought it." "Miss Fontaine." "This thing that put Hecky Nash in the morgue -- have you considered the trouble it might cause you?" "Food for thought." "Joe, offer the lady a ride home." "I'll take a cab, thanks." "Oh, we insist." "A young lady at night -- it's the least we can do." "Good night, Miss Fontaine." "I do hope we'll be hearing from you." "Get some shut-eye, fellas." "Tomorrow's a new day." "Let's use it to climb out of this puddle of shit we landed in." "So this cop -- he'll whack a guy, but he won't graft?" "That's where he draws the line?" "It's a gift to us." "It's crap." "Nobody does a 50-grand favor -- not a cop making 3 grand a year and change." "If he's not going on a payroll, then why?" "Got to be a reason." "Benny, it's not like he told you to shove the money up your ass." "He politely declined." "50 grand?" "That's awfully polite." "A little breezy." "Nonchalant, I'd say." "It's my word for the day." "Well, here's my word for the day -- "answers."" "This cop is slipping something past me, and I need to know what that is." "So you need to get the skinny, or I'm putting Sid on it." "This time, I'll do your job." "Before you know it, I'll be greasing my hair with that lilac shit you use." "And tell this cop I am not some charity case that he should be doing me any favors." "I pay my own way." "I pay." "He takes." "That's the way the world works." "The girls like that lilac shit?" "I bet they do." "That's the way the world works." "I can't be carrying this much around." "Cash drawer." "My office." "What took so long?" "I've been cooling my heels for hours." "What's on your mind?" "Sorry, Mac." "Thought you were someone else." "It happens." "My mistake." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "Probably just some hophead looking for a fix." "Do I look nervous?" "Still taking pictures?" "At the Clover, I mean." "The girl with the spangly dress, big-flash camera, taking pictures of all the famous people." "Society columns eat that stuff up, I bet." "Mickey loves having his picture in the papers, especially with celebrities." "We had George Raft and Ava Gardner in the other night." "Nice." "Not just famous people." "Nobodys, too." "Next time you're in, I'll take your picture." "Aside from that, I don't take photographs anymore." "Gave that up a long time ago, along with a lot of other things." "Keep it running." "Are you hounding our passengers?" "On your turf?" "I wouldn't dream of it." "Why not?" "That one's worth hounding." "Nice to see you, Sullivan." "Don't arrest any blind beggars." "Yeah, later, Teague." "Let me know how it works out." "I'm a married man." "I could use a thrill." "Good night." "Thank you." "That was supposed to be an easy win." "What went wrong?" "Something about a red light." "You can run them, you know?" "Cops are allowed." "I read that in the handbook." "Yeah, this wasn't a pursuit." "Lay it out again for my benefit." "I told Nash if we get separated driving to the oil fields, he should wait for me at the bottom of the hill." "And why didn't he?" "My guess -- he saw another pair of headlights in his rear view, thought it was me." "Time he realized it wasn't, it was too late." "Look -- it was bad luck." "I'm not making excuses." "It's on me." "You got that right." "Okay, where do we go from here?" "How do we pick up the pieces?" "What pieces?" "We don't even know what the evidence is." "I'll tell you what it was -- big enough to blackmail the mob, enough to get Hecky Nash killed." "Can't tell me that doesn't leave footprints." " Go find him." " Jasmine Fontaine -- she knows more than she's letting on." "I say she's the key." "That's one version." "I think she's telling the truth." " Based on what?" " Her attitude about Nash when I drove her home." "I think she was a heartbeat away from dumping the guy." "Look, I'm -- I'm not saying I know." "It's just that's how I read it." "Your hunch against mine." "Yeah, I won't argue that." "Last night, we expected a soft pitch, and somehow it turned into a fastball that got by us." "We suffered a huge loss." "Just an inning, not the ballgame." "It's never the game." "If I thought that, I'd hang up my badge." "We needed this one, fellas, more than you know." "A righteous win." "Good news on the front page for a change." "Our department needs it." "The mayor needs it." "Hell, the people of this city deserve it." "Yeah, that's right." "There's a reason you call me "Bill the Boy Scout"" "behind my back." "Okay, break huddle." "Nash's evidence." "Get out there." "Find the footprints." "Teague." "A word." "I figured I'd bounce you back to Robbery-Homicide this morning and forget your name, but Hal says he believes in you." "And since I believe in Hal, I'm gonna make it his call." "You have a chance to make it up to us." "See that you do." "Yes, sir." "Jasmine Fontaine." "One of you is right." "Let's find out who." "Hey, you." "Legs." "We got to talk." "First of all, my condolences." "For what?" "You -- you do know, right?" "I'm not " " I'm not the one breaking the news." "Oh, you mean Hecky?" "Yeah, I heard about that." "Ugh, thank God." "You had me, uh -- you had me going there for a second." "I should offer you condolences." "You were friends a long time." "Yeah." "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "I'm, uh..." "I'm taking it hard." "Come on." "My office." "You seem okay." "I thought you'd be all weepy." "Well, not the happiest day." "Hmm." "Mickey, you know Hecky and I broke up, right?" "Months ago." "No." "No, he didn't say." "Well, not something he'd brag about, I guess." "I dumped him." "I'm glad to hear that." "Mickey told me about you, but he didn't say you were so charming." "Jasmine Fontaine, Ben Siegel." "I've seen you in here before -- lots of times." "So we're even." "I've seen you, too." "I like that shimmery dress you wear." "I like your ties." "Listen, legs, uh... here's the thing about Hecky -- it's ugly to hear." "Uglier than getting shot?" "Okay, then I won't mincemeat words." "Turns out he was up to no good." "We hear he was trying to blackmail somebody." "Looks like it backfired." "Hecky liked risky gambles." "I'm not surprised." "Are you?" "I guess not." "Still, he was a friend, so we're trying to get some, uh..." "Insight?" "Yeah, yeah." "That." "Well, like I said, we barely spoke the last few months, and never about blackmail." "I'd have talked him out of it." "It was a stupid bet." "She's got spunk." "You didn't tell me that, either." "Shame on me." "Anyhow, I thought it couldn't hurt to ask, huh?" "Look, I would love to stay and talk." "But I'm flying to Nevada for a quick meeting." "But when I get back, dinner." "Mickey's got my number." "Then I'll use it." "Thanks." "He's got an eye for the ladies." "Like I couldn't tell." "Tell me again who?" "Freddy Steckler." "Drawing a blank." "He's one of our bagmen -- bottom rung." "A nobody." "So this nobody Freddy Steckler calls you, says what again?" "That we should come see a man and do it fast." "But he won't say who or why." "No, not on the phone, just that we should." "We're putting a lot of faith in what Freddy Steckler says." "You the guys?" "Who are you?" "Carl." "Oh, that explains it." "Carl Steckler, Freddy's uncle." "Freddy Steckler, you know him." "Hey, sure, yeah." "We love Freddy." "He's our best guy -- top rung." "Yeah." "That's because I taught him." "I was Mr. Cohen's top bagman back in the day." "My drops never came up short, not by a nickel." "I'm sure it was a thing of beauty." "So was the girl I was about to bone when Terry knocked on my door." "Why are we here, Carl?" "Freddy didn't say?" "Not on the phone." "That's because he's smart." "He listens." "I taught him that, too." "Yeah, that's what I do -- I listen." "I hear things." "For instance?" "I hear that, uh, maybe I could do you a favor." "Uh, maybe, uh, it would be worth something to you." "Could be you'd want to do me a favor in return." "Depends on what it is and what you want for it." "I'm done guessing." "I-I -- all right, this is my end." "I just done a seven-year jolt in Quentin." "Did I ever turn stoolie so I'd have it easy?" "No, sir." "Not me." "I did my time like a man." "Now, uh, I'm not complaining, but I've been out three months." "The best I could do for myself is this -- bussing tables and -- and hauling trash for wops I wouldn't piss on if they was on fire." "Sad." "Very." "I was best at -- at running bags for Mr. Cohen." "I could do that again if somebody asked me." "We'll see." "What's the rest of it?" "This thing I heard -- there's a couple of fellas that you've been looking for." "You want a word with them, but they've been hard to find." "What fellas?" "Moe Feltzer." "Jerry Edelstein." "What about them?" "Inside." "Table 12." "They're on coffee and dessert." "Little Moe and Jerry Two-Tone, you sure?" "When I saw them come in, I called Freddy right away." "Well, I heard you've been looking." "I'm like lost-and-found." "Apron." "Oh, yeah." "Um..." "I done all right?" "Golden." "We won't forget it." "We'll be in touch." "We'll get you out of the food-service industry." "Until then, you just be the model citizen." "Tell the cops a tale." "Yeah." "I got lots of stories." "Now, we got to make this convincing." "Make it quick, huh, and meet me out front?" "Oh, give me your, uh -- give me your throw-down." "Ohh!" "Thanks, Mr. Rothman." "It's a pleasure." "Pleasure's mine." "Ohh!" "Waiter." "Waiter." "Will you please bring the Parmesan cheese?" "I've only asked three times." "Just a minute, ma'am." "Right away, ma'am." "We've gone over and over." "I don't know if we've got much choice in this." "See what I'm saying?" "Hey, Einstein, wrong table." "We already ate." "Oh, shit!" "Shit!" "Shit!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Here's the cheese, lady." "I was in the neighborhood." "Thought I'd check on you." "Thanks." "How you holding up?" "Want me to take over?" "That's a kind offer, Joe." "Yeah, well, it's my fault we're here." "No, I don't see it that way." "It's the job." "Some things go right, some don't." "Anyway, Tug's relieving me in an hour." "I'm good." "Anything?" "Well, she went to work today." "That's normal, right?" "Except the men she works for killed her boyfriend last night, and she had to walk in there and act like they didn't." "Can you imagine the nerve that takes?" "And I bet she didn't flinch." "What do you think, Joe?" "I think I need a drink." "Have one for me." "Yeah." "Thanks for stopping by." "♪ You don't know ♪" "♪ what love is ♪" "♪ till you've learned the meaning of the blues ♪" "♪ till you loved a love you had to lose ♪" "♪ you don't know ♪" "♪ what love is ♪" "Hey, doll." "My usual." "Another for him." "♪ How could you know ♪" "♪ how lips hurt ♪" "♪ till you've kissed and had to pay the cost?" "♪" "The people I work for -- they would love to know why Jasmine Fontaine was waiting for Hecky Nash with her skivvies packed." "That's awkward." "The people I work for would love to know why a cop does a mob hit and doesn't take the money." "It's a first." "I guess we both have a problem." "Hmm." "♪ You don't know ♪" "I got it." "Settle up later, honey." "♪ What love is ♪ I'll run you a tab." "♪ Do you know ♪" "It was no mob hit, Ned." "You know it, and I know it." "Better stay between us." "People are gonna get hurt, somebody in particular." "You should have just kept the money." "At least make my life easier." "Now it's my fault." "You dragged me into this in the first place." "♪ And how lips that taste of tears ♪ You prefer I didn't?" "You know where that would have led." "Why'd you give it back?" "Why not just keep the money?" "Steal from Ben Siegel?" "'Cause if he ever found out," "I'd be taking the big dirt nap in a Nevada landfill." "♪ They lose their taste for kissing ♪ Could have said I kept it." "What happens when they try and hand you the next job, and all they get is, "Shove it up your ass"?" "Yeah." "Giving the money back was the only option." "It's a damn shame, too." "♪ You don't know how hearts burn ♪" "It's the perfect plan, except for you." "Who knew you were that honest a cop?" "♪ For a love that cannot live, yet never dies ♪" "That's not what I think it is." "Oh, for Christ's sakes, Joe." "Are you kidding me?" "Let's just leave it alone, okay?" "♪ Sleepless eyes ♪ How long you had that thing in your wallet, huh?" " Five years?" "Are you sick of looking at it?" "I know I am." " What is it to you?" "You know how many times you showed me that thing during the war?" "It's bad enough I had 30,000 screaming Japs trying to kill me." "You had to show me that thing at least twice a day." "Burn it." "You heard me, you mooney-eyed bastard." "Burn it right now." "Gunny, if somebody sees you with that thing, it's game over." "You've gone this far out on a limb." "You gonna blow it being careless?" "I know it hurts, but it's time to move on." "You're way past due." "♪ Do you know ♪" "♪ how a lost heart feels ♪ Nobody carries a torch this long." "♪ At the thought of reminiscing?" "♪" "♪ And how lips ♪" "♪ taste a tear ♪" "♪ oh, they lose their taste for kissing ♪" "♪ you ♪ Joe." "There's a reason why they call them ex-wives." "♪ You just couldn't know ♪" "And Jasmine Fontaine is no exception." "♪ How hearts burn ♪" "♪ for a love that cannot live, yet never dies ♪" "♪ till you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes ♪" "♪ you don't know ♪" "♪ no, you don't know ♪" "♪♪ what love is ♪♪"