Original subtitles

If the bust goes down, you got your money.

Police officers. Freeze!

Get 'em over here. Get 'em.

-You lousy snitch. -Please.

-Larue Collins. -Right. Waste her.

[Tires screeching]

What are you so steamed up about?

It's my fault she came here.

-Where are you? -You don't care.

I care, you understand. I care about you and your right to live.

Police officer. Let me through.

This here buyer, he's a little nervous anyhow, you know.

You're sure there won't be no slipups?

We don't make no slipups, Max.

Just be sure he pays off when we deliver. You're responsible.

We're layin' out a lot of bread for this operation.

The guys are comin' in from Detroit and Cleveland.

A little around the left kidney, huh, baby?

Hey, that hurts.

That ain't your kidney. That's your liver, Angie.

You better lay off that vino Russo.

Rosso. Rosso's red. Russo's my cousin.

That was pretty good, larue.

Either you're gettin' better or I'm gettin' used to your feet.

Max: No later than Saturday night.

Remember, after that, my buyer's long gone.

You worry too much, Max, you know that. What about a pizza?

-Fehhh. -Here's for you, baby.

- I'll settle up with the old bag out front. - Thanks.

You and me, let's get together. Okay?

What'd you have in mind?

Uh-huh.

-How about it? -Joe?

Sorry, pal. I'm a police officer. You're under arrest.

-How about it? -You lousy...

-hi. -Larue, what're you doing here?

I've gotta see you. I've got some hot information.

Not here. I'm working, can't you tell?

But it's the biggest thing I've ever come up with.

It's the wrong time and the wrong place. Call me tomorrow.

I said it's big. Please.

Pepper: Alright.

Well. Whatta you think? Big, huh?

Yeah.

Like maybe worth a couple of hundred? Cause I sure do need it.

Well, I'll phone in the information

and if the bust goes down, you've got the money.

I need it now.

Larue, that's not how we operate and you know it.

I'll phone it in and if everything goes okay, you've got it.

Look, are you trying to say my batting average hasn't always been perfect?

Well. Okay, I'm no Joe namath.

Are you always right?

Pepper: You okay? Larue: Yeah, fine.

Your boy, is he okay?

How'd you know about him?

You showed me his picture once, around last Christmas.

-He's a beauty. -Yeah. He's okay.

He's about the only good thing I've got left.

♪ Feelin' good was easy lord when he sang the blues ♪

♪ feelin' good was good enough for me ♪

♪ good enough for me and my Bobby McGee ♪

Those up there. Take those.

Come on, move fast.

Okay, those. Get these over here.

Back there. Hurry up.

Crowley: Police officers. Freeze.

Alright, let's go.

- Put your hands on top of your head. - Nobody move a muscle.

Billy? Dick? Hustle the other guys over.

- Mark, get 'em in the center over there. Move! Move! - Let's go.

Hey, come back, move.

Come over here. Come on.

Get 'em over here. Get 'em.

Larue Collins?

Right. Waste her.

♪ It was just another word for nothing left to lose ♪

Do you have a phone I could use?

Ah choy: No.

Well, suppose somebody was trying to call me?

-Who? -Somebody.

Ah choy: The people who come here,

their wives are dead, their friends are dead, who's gonna call them?

Their rotten kids?

Let's get out of here, huh?

By the way, if a lady comes here lookin' for me,

would you tell her that I'll see her at her place later on. Okay?

And also tell her, that I said, please, to have the money ready.

Now, don't forget, I said, please.

Ah choy: Wanna leave your name?

She knows my name.

[Singing]

Larue: Taxi!

Alma: Larue? What happened?

Larue: Nothing. Alma: But, are you okay?

Larue: Yeah. I tripped and fell, that's all.

Cabbie: Looks to me like somebody took a shot at you, lady.

Would you mind your business, huh?

Then how come that hood's smashed over there?

You wanna make a buck or you want to stand there beatin' your gums?

Go on, here.

It's your funeral, lady.

Hey, you! Hey, you!

Police!

Listen, Alma, I don't think I'll come up right now, okay?

- Why not? - I gotta see somebody. I'll call you later.

Is it about those men who took a shot at you?

What men? Hey, you been dreamin' again?

Well, you haven't had a bite of lunch.

I was gonna fix some nice tuna salad sandwich.

I'm really not hungry right now.

You're never hungry. Where do you get your energy?

Why, I'm a living doll. Didn't you know that?

You just wind me up once and throw away the key.

Larue. Larue, listen. Are you okay?

Fine. Top of the world. What's the name of that song?

'I'd trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday.

But, it's today and I'm top of the world.

See you later, okay.

Alma. Here.

We'll have a late lunch, okay? You call and have them send up some delicatessen.

Okay.

-Friends? -You know we are.

Girl, you alright?

About the only thing I can tell you for a fact is that she was not Chinese.

She was some kind of a well, just a blonde.

- She mostly complained. - Complained? Complained about what?

The tea, the service everything. You want to know anything else?

No, not right now. Thank you very much.

- That'll be 975, lady. - Keep the meter running. I'll be right back.

Now I don't want to hear anymore of those silly jokes about "hoosgow" and "calaboose"

and all such foolishness.

These men are your friends, just as much as the fireman,

or the street cleaner, or the man who fed the lions at the zoo.

Children, come over here.

Excuse me, I'd like to see sgt. Anderson, please?

What's your name?

Just tell her that larue wants to see her on a personal matter.

She's not here right now.

Oh, bill. Sergeant crowley'll talk to you.

When do you expect her back?

If you've got a problem, sergeant crowley will handle it.

Sergeant Anderson is out on a case.

Can I help you?

No, it's personal matter between me and sgt. Anderson.

Well, why don't you come with me? It's okay.

What I want my children to get out of this,

is that a policeman is not a symbol of punishment,

not a boogie man who will come and lock them up if they're naughty.

Yes, ma'am.

What's your name?

Larue Collins.

I don't remember sergeant Anderson ever talking about a larue Collins.

Look, larue, have you got something for us or did you just come in to warm your hands?

Well, what I'm trying to bring out is

sergeant Anderson and me, we usually had an agreement...

Like, how much is it worth?

Well, I'll tell ya. Depends on what you've got to sell.

I need about $250.

It's a matter of life and death when you come right down to it.

Well, sergeant Anderson never paid you $250.

Unless she paid you out of her own pocket.

'Cause you see, I okay all the bills here

and I never okayed any $250 for a larue Collins.

Look, I know you guys gotta lot of pull downtown

but even so, you still need to come up with results, right?

Arrests, convictions.

Who do you think's been feeding her all this time?

Those apple stealers on the beat?

Go ahead, I'm listening.

How would you like to know...

Do you remember that job at the cloverdale bank last winter?

How would you like to know who masterminded the whole thing? The entire operation.

- Now how about it, is it a deal? - It could be.

Well, you pull in a guy by the name of Joe caryk.

Twist him a little bit and you'll hear an earful alright.

He can't stand pain. I know, I worked on him.

Who's Joe caryk?

Joe caryk's been in the Nevada pen for the last three months.

You just made that up.

Is this all you've got for us, larue?

I tell ya, we're wasting each other's time.

Hey, Pete, will you show this lady downstairs.

Let me tell you something.

You're lucky you didn't pull this on sergeant Anderson.

Mr. Cop. Sir... you just killed a girl.

♪ Busted flat in Baton Rouge ♪

♪ waitin' for a train ♪

♪ and I was feeling nearly as faded as my jeans ♪

♪ Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained ♪

Hey, lady, hey, lady. You crook or cop?

Little bit of both, I guess.

-[Little girl crying] Nun: You stop that crying.

- You stop that right away. - Come on, little girl,

you don't know when you're well off.

Thank you. Come on, children. Come on, let's all keep up together.

Mrs. Gucciares?

-This is larue Collins. -Yeah.

Listen, have you seen anybody around the house?

I mean, somebody that might look a little suspicious?

Looking for you? No, larue, not that I've seen.

Well, listen, I have to go away on business

and I want to pack a couple of things. You sure nobody's been around?

You know, like a cop or a tough guy?

Nobody I've seen.

Okay. Thank you.

Yeah, goodbye.

Marco: Key's to her apartment.

Pepper: Bill! Crowley: What?

Why did you let her leave?

Let who leave? What're you talking about?

You should have realized, if she came here, it was urgent.

- What are you talking about? - Larue Collins.

How urgent that was?

Some crazy bird comes in here, I've never seen in my life,

asking for 250 bucks, and tells me a cockamamie story

a five-year-old wouldn't buy. That was some urgent.

Why didn't you contact me?

Now wait a minute. What are you so steamed up about?

- What's the matter with you? - I was supposed to meet her.

I've got the money right in my purse. It's my fault she came here.

Wait a minute, pep. Was she the snitch on that fur busting thing?

Yeah.

-The one you call "apple Annie?" -Yes.

- How am I supposed to know? - I should've told you.

You're right you should've told me!

How did I know she was gonna come here?

I had this dentist appointment and he said it would take less than an hour.

Yeah, and it took two, right?

God, I really don't know. All I know is, she must really be in trouble.

Because you know as well as I do, that no informer is ever gonna let herself be seen

walking into a police station unless she's desparate.

So, I'm sorry, bill, but I'd better go find her before somebody else does.

And don't start lecturing me about being personally involved.

Because sometimes I do, just like you.

Pete, get your coat. We gotta get to the ah choy restaurant.

Joe, what time was this shooting?

About 1:15, why?

The woman that was shot at, she didn't report it, did she?

Not to my knowledge.

Larue Collins, came in here about 1:30 all steamed up.

- Somebody's already started shooting at her. - Says who?

This happened just 15 minutes before larue came in here.

Do you know anybody else who got two bullets and did not report it?

- Did you get a description of the woman who got in the cab? - What, at the shooting?

Everybody wants to help, nobody wants to help. Therefore, you end up with nothing.

Okay, pep. Let's go find her.

I'm alright.

A lousy bloody nose, and you're gonna take me to the hospital.

Crowley: Let's give her another shot.

I'm alright. I don't want to.

Well, let's put it this way.

You have no idea why these two men were looking for her?

I told you. Now, believe me, officer, I was in no mood to ask them no stupid questions.

Can you give us a description of these two guys?

Doesn't this cat know that around here,

if you want to ask questions like that, you don't do it out in the open?

I'll tell you what they looked like. They looked like two guys.

One of them was a little taller. One of them was a little fatter.

At first I thought they were cops.

But one of them, well, he was too well dressed.

If I hear anything, I'll send you a postcard.

[Doorbell rings]

Why, larue, come in.

Mrs. Fontaine. How do you do?

What is it?

Why, I heard so much about this place, I thought I'd come up and see it.

-Like? -Oh, yes. It's real grand.

I asked, what do you want?

My money.

Your money?

From all those Johns I've send over here.

Ten dollars a head and there were twelve of them.

See right there. That's a $120 you owe me.

That was our deal.

What are you perspiring about? Look at you.

Bet you haven't taken a shower this morning.

You're probably crawling with bacteria.

You don't know nothing.

You're just fishing.

There's nothing bothering my conscience.

Then why all this excitement?

Well, to tell you the plain truth, I have to go out of town for a little while.

My mother called me long distance

and, well, she's gettin' kind of old now and she wants me to come home.

You see, it's my kid.

- He misses me and I'd like to see him, too. - Really?

Well, now, tell me, how do you plan to support him?

I mean, I don't imagine there are very many massage parlors in Arkansas.

Oh, I have a trade in my hands.

In a manner of speaking.

I have a diploma from the Hollywood hair styling school. I graduated.

What about your other work?

I don't know what you're talking about. I have no other job.

I'm no hooker, if that's what you mean.

You're trying to Welch on paying me, aren't you?

You figure if you stall long enough, I'll be dead, and you'll get to keep my money.

Dead? Larue, now don't tell me you have enemies.

You know any other jokes?

Now, larue, you know if I had the cash in my hand, I'd give it to you. Wouldn't I?

Now please get out of here. Call me later.

Larue: What time?

Larue, will you please stop nagging.

Can't you see I'm trying to concentrate?

Alright, I'll call you later.

Mrs. Fontaine?

You wouldn't blow the whistle on me, would you?

I mean, well, I'm kinda up against the wall. You know what I mean?

Alma: I know that she's in trouble.

Someone tried to kill her outside that restaurant. The Chinese place.

-How do you know that? -I was with her.

Did you see who it was?

- No. - Did larue have any idea who it might have been?

-She pretended... -Pretended what?

That it didn't even happen.

When was the last time you saw her?

-A little while after that. -Then?

She split. And she said to me, "I will be back in a little while."

Well, it's been several hours.

Alma: Ahem ahem.

-Can I get you some water? -Yes. Thank you.

So, I thought that you must know something.

-Larue was here. -Oh, she's okay?

She split again.

Well, didn't you try to help her?

Well, I wasn't... I didn't see her.

Well, for goodness sakes, what were you doing?

I was here. She didn't tell me why she came.

Well, someone was trying to kill her. That's why she had come here.

-How long have you known her? -Two years.

We were in detention together for a couple of months.

- And you've been friends ever since? - Oh, yes. In our way.

What does that mean, "in our way", Alma?

I mean she's a friend of mine. She's probably my best friend.

But I don't know too much about her.

I mean, she talks to me, but she holds back at the same time.

I don't know how else to explain it to you.

I know she's into gambling, kind of heavy gambling.

It's her sickness, I guess.

And she's got a mother somewhere. And a kid.

-A kid? Is she married? -Oh, no.

What about boyfriends? Has she got a boyfriend?

She talks about a few guys from time to time.

One, was from back home, wherever that was, when she was very young, of course.

And, once in a while, there was a guy, that she had known here,

and she would start to talk about him,

then she'd stop, as if she didn't want to remember things.

What was his name?

Oh, I can't remember.

Ahem. I'll go to the files, okay?

Okay, great.

- Alma, let's try to piece this together. - Okay.

[Knocking on door]

[Knocking continues]

Donny: Who is it? Larue: It's me, larue.

Donny, please.

Hi.

Crap game don't start till six o'clock.

I'm not here for that.

I'm not in that anymore.

I'll bet.

-Is your mother here? -My mother's working.

She's working to support me in the style to which I'm stuck.

You makin' this for your brother?

It's something to do. What do you want?

I hear you've got another girlfriend.

I just wanted to tell ya, I hope she appreciates you.

I've always been afraid to go on one of these things, ever since I was a kid.

I've really missed you, Donny.

I want you to know that.

You lousy lyin' tramp.

-Donny, please. -You lousy snitch.

Donny: Come on. You're not gonna start that again, are you?

I stopped comin' to see you in the hospital because you always started up with that fantasy.

You fingered me to those cops.

Larue: I did not. Donny: You fingered me.

How could I? I didn't even know you were into pushing junk.

How could I? Why?

-You mean it's just my fantasy? -Yes.

That they made a move on me and crippled me?

Crippled me good, that's my fantasy.

Because you had a gun, and you shot at them. And then you ran.

- Why'd you run? - Because I wanted to come back.

I wanted to come back to you and grab you, take you in my arms, like the nice times.

The nice times and ask you, how much did they pay you?

Stop it.

Will you get out of here. What do you want?

I feel safe here.

Get out of here. Leave me alone. Will ya?

Donny, I'm in a little bit of trouble.

And I need some bread.

-You've gotta be kidding. -I'm not.

I need maybe just $200?

A loan, Donny, I'll get it back to you, I swear. Please.

Please, please, I gotta go home.

Even if I had the money...

Even if I had $200 in my pocket, do you know what I'd do?

I'd take it out and I'd hold it up high, hold it up, like under your snitchy nose.

And then, I would take this lighter, and I'd burn it.

I'd burn the money.

Burn it under your damn snitch nose.

I should've killed you. I should've killed you. And you're asking me for bread?

Donny, they're gonna push me off the top of the Ferris wheel.

Tell them to push extra hard, will you, for me?

Donny: Will you get out of here.

Anything else, Alma?

Alma: Well, I don't know if this can be of much help, sergeant.

Anything is liable to be of help at this point.

Well, once she asked me to go with her to a pan parlor.

That's where they play cards, you know.

Spanish rummy, and something like that.

Pepper: Did you go? Alma: No.

I don't like cards. They don't like me.

But, larue went quite a bit.

Yeah. When she needed money, you know. She made out pretty good.

Thank you. I'll be right back.

Pete, I want you to get out and check all the pan parlors

in larue Collins neighborhood. Okay?

There must be at least two dozen.

Well, then, check two dozen. Three, if you have to. Please.

-Okay. -Here's the mug.

Larue's files.

Alma, I'm gonna read some names to you,

and I want you to tell me if they mean anything. Okay?

-What sort of names? -Just guys, women.

People, you know, we've arrested over the years.

Well, what does this have to do with larue?

Pepper: You want to help her?

Just tell us if any of the names register.

Okay.

Crowley: Okay, ray decamp, anything?

No.

I want to make a collect call to smackover, Arkansas.

[Telephone rings]

Hello.

Yeah, operator, I'll accept the call.

Mama?

Mother: Larue? Larue: Yeah, how's everything?

What do you want?

Larry, is he alright? Isn't he?

He's fine. Now, what do you want?

I wanna come home.

I wanna be there for this birthday on Sunday, you know.

Oh, that's just fine. You've already missed four of 'em.

Well, I wanna come back. I wanna be with him.

I wanna stay with him and take care of him.

Like last time?

I'm talkin' about this time, mama.

I need you to do me a favor.

I need for you to send me $200 for the bus.

You'll wire it to me. Okay?

I want to buy him a few things.

Oh, I see it's going to be that kind of homecoming. Just like Christmas.

Only we never did see you get off the bus.

And you never did bring him anything.

-Look, mama... -now, listen. I'm sorry.

I've got some ladies here, visiting.

Besides, the boy'll be home soon from school and want his snack.

Alright, mama.

You tell Larry, that I said I'm comin' straight home.

Larue: Mr. Lincoln? Lincoln: Yes?

Larue: Got anybody looking for a game?

Question is, can you buy any chips?

How about a little loan, huh? Just ten dollars is all I need.

I feel a little lucky today. I'm just bustin' with luck.

Lincoln: Forget it.

Larue: How about these? Huh?

Is it gold?

Larue: Why, sure it's gold.

I am sure, it's worth at least twenty bucks.

-I'll give you ten. -Okay.

You're crazy.

Marco: She didn't try to come here and borrow some money?

No.

Marco: We're crazy. She wasn't here.

Okay. She stopped by.

I gave her $200 because she wanted it. She wanted to go home.

Arkansas. You know, home.

She's probably on the plane right now.

[Donny grunts]

Here, how about this one? Erica tarn.

- T-a-r-n.? Anything? Can you tell me anything? - No.

Donald haas?

No.

Oh, wait, wait a minute.

Her boyfriend, her old boyfriend. She used to call him Donny.

Yeah. And haas, that sounds a little familiar to me.

Pep, what's the address you got on him?

780 martinson.

Crowley: I think I'll just pick up Joe and we'll check that out.

Pan player: And that is it.

Another game?

Larue: No.

Hey, are you alright there?

It isn't the end of the world, ten dollars.

She wanted money. I told her to get out.

- These two guys that came, do you know who they were? - I don't know. Two creeps.

-You never saw them before? -No.

-Do you know where larue is now? -No.

- Here, why don't you... - Just leave me alone.

- Alright, let's get you to a doctor. - Get out of here.

[Dials]

[Telephone rings]

Crowley's office. Where are you?

Everywhere, nowhere, Baton Rouge, Kentucky...

California sun.

Larue, just tell me where you are, right now, I'll come and get you.

No. I just want to rest for a little while.

-Talk some. -We'll talk. We'll talk.

Larue: Was I so wrong?

Everything I've done. Was I so rotten wrong?

Helping us? Is that what you mean? Helping me?

Yes.

Honey, it's the way we operate.

We get half of our jobs done that way. No, you didn't do wrong.

You did great.

Donny did I ever talk to you about him?

No, you didn't.

I didn't mean for it to happen.

I swear. I didn't mean for him to wind up like he did.

Alive but dead, really.

Now, I'm gonna die.

Honey, you're not gonna die.

Not if you tell me where you are and let me come and get you.

You don't care.

You're sittin' in some big fat office collecting some fat cop pay

and I'm on the telephone botherin' you.

You wanna know something? I care. I care.

You understand? I care about you and your right to live.

Now, where are you, larue?

I'm gonna need some bread.

I'll get it.

-$200. -I'll bring it. I've got it.

Larue: I'm in a phone booth.

Sixth near sundown.

I'll be there, five minutes.

That's all I can wait, five minutes.

They're after me. They're gonna kill me.

Oh, my god, I'm so scared.

Five minutes.

[Knocking]

[Car horn honking]

Hey, can you move it?

I need it. I need it bad and I need it now.

-My money. -I know.

[Door locks]

I got a call a little while ago.

I mean, I get lots of calls, but this one was about you,

how a couple of cats are after you.

Mrs. Fontaine, if you don't give me my money, I'm gonna kill you.

I mean that.

I got off the bus.

There's that park there.

I looked for and I found...

This.

And I'll use it on you.

I'll bash it through your skull.

I know you've got that money and it's mine.

And what are you gonna do?

Get as far away from here as I can.

I loathe you. You know that, don't you?

Everybody loathes you.

You and your kind. You're filthier than the dirt that rock was in.

Do you know that? Just tell me that you know that.

I want to hear that!

You?

With what you do here, in this place?

-You want me to say that? -Yes!

Alright.

I'm filth.

Now, give me my money.

[Indistinct announcements]

Excuse me, I want a ticket.

Woman: Thank you.

Larue: I wanna buy a toy. Saleslady: For a boy or girl?

A boy. He's gonna be six. A very big, handsome six.

I like this one.

Would you like it gift-wrapped, sort of?

No, just put it in a bag. That'll be fine.

Okay. That'll be four twelve.

-Have a nice trip, now. Here! -I will.

[Gunshots]

[Indistinct announcement]

Passing woman: Miss! Miss! Somebody get a doctor.

Excuse me. Police officer. Let me through.

Larue, hey, larue, hey, it's me, pepper.

You're gonna be alright. You know that.

Tell Larry... I was comin' home.

-My little boy, okay? -Yeah. Okay.

I'll tell him you're gonna be there soon.

Home and healthy and free.

Freedom!

That's just another word.

Better make it fast!

Pep. Two guys. I got a description from the newslady.

With this mo, they'll be in our files.

She said she'll make positive identification.

- I want to be there when you move in on them. - You will be.

Doctor: Officers.

What's the matter?

She's dead.

-Oh! -Let's go, pep.