Original subtitles

A good city, decent, honest, orderly.

And on the outskirts of it, a parasite.

A tiny city feeding on the flesh of a larger one.

Its reason for being? A loophole in the state

law allowing poker palaces to operate legally.

The new police command in Verdun had asked me

to do an article on corruption in their city.

By publicizing the truth,

the police hoped to make the citizen aware of what

gambling costs him in the form of extra taxes,

property devaluation, and moral risk to himself and to his family.

Mr. Nichols?

He's here.

Now, if I'd have done this thing, you said it, I'd be loving four on the clock.

Well, what are you going to do with the guy?

Traveling with the big boss, huh?

Dirt Jerry Lace had come up in the world and finally arrived where he belonged, huh?

Well, I take it we're here to be spanked.

Does the teacher want to tell us what we've done wrong?

You'll be sure and say that when Mr. Jesse comes in.

He has a marvelous sense of humor.

Sit down, gentlemen.

Last year, gentlemen, we more than doubled our money.

Was not everyone satisfied with this?

It appears not, sir.

Mr. Jesse, if you're worried about that news reporter that got killed, forget it.

Narrow alley, a man gets run over with a truck. Accidents happen.

Perhaps you have lost my telephone number, Mr. Nichols.

Generally, I am asked for advice before such trucks drive in such alleys.

Look, I was only trying to prevent things.

He was on his way out of here with information.

He'd have spread it across every paper in the country. And with your good help,

we have something even worse.

A reform movement.

You consider that a profitable turn of events, Mr. Nichols?

All they've done is toss out a couple of old cops, promote a couple of new ones.

We still got our own boy left in there, haven't we?

All they've done, Mr. Jesse,

is shake up the police department and put in an honest chief.

What can a new chief do to hurt us?

Gambling's legal here, ain't it?

One must know where the real danger is in anything, Mr. Nichols.

Against a germ that we cannot see or understand, we are helpless.

But against such things as we can see, there is no margin for error.

Some people might think that this affliction has made me bitter.

But you're wrong.

You gentlemen, all of you, are my good legs.

And Jerome here, my good right arm.

Come, Mr. Nichols.

Bring your chair out.

Sit right here, in front.

Well, we are told that the law here permits gambling.

But how do we keep such a law on the books?

I'll tell you.

Because...

Like this man, this law has been supported by four good legs.

Politicians, the businessmen, the people.

The police.

You are comfortable, Mr. Nichols? Yeah, I'm fine.

I took only one leg away.

The police.

You see, my friends, with one leg gone,

The others were no longer able to support him.

Because I value your friendship.

All of you.

I leave Mr. Lace behind.

Listen carefully to the advice that he gives.

I see your quality chair, Jerome, and I know your ensconced.

Take note, gentlemen.

Wherever Mr. Lace is sent in behalf of our mutual interests, his chair follows him.

It makes him happy, comfortable.

Is that not so, Jerome?

That is so, sir.

Mr. Jesse.

I understand we're to have a visitor tomorrow afternoon on the 3 o'clock jet.

Paul Marino.

I'm tired now, Jerome.

I'll leave the matter to you.

And it is time now that I see if my faith in you is justified.

Hey, what's the matter?

He looked so sad when we left him.

Can't we bring him home?

Baby, the last time we tried it was a flop.

Well, that was because he was too little.

Other children with brain injuries live with their parents.

It'd be a lot easier on you. You're holding down two jobs.

You're working 16 hours night and day to make enough money to keep them there.

You're skipping lunches. You're wearing shirts that are all frayed at the cups.

Will you stop, please? All right.

Turn around here.

I'm sorry, baby.

The doctors agree he's in the right place.

I'm sorry.

We'll see him again next month.

Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.

Hi, Sam.

Anything I can do?

No, it's all right.

How's Paul?

He's fine. He loved the airplane you made him.

That's great.

So, how's business?

No calls.

Yeah.

Next week will be better.

I'll get it.

I'm due down to the station.

I'll, uh...

I'll give you a call later.

Hey, can I have a little smile, please? This is better.

Mr. Marino, how about this cab here?

I'll be glad to drop you off. Pete Nichols. I run a club in town.

Well, thanks.

Throw the bags in the back.

Well, I figure, Mr. Marino,

the Chamber of Commerce should have come out here with a brass fan. After all,

a man with your rep, power of the press.

What did you have in mind? Well, that's what I like,

a guy that lays it right on the line. You know, it saves a lot of wear and tear.

You kid me, I kid you, we wind up making the same deal, you know what I mean?

Well, not yet, but keep talking.

Well, I figure you're out here to get information for the column of yours, and,

well, because somebody invited you.

And you're just trying to give me your point of view?

That's the idea.

Look out there, Mr. Marino.

You know, these people are really looking for a place to sit down,

spend a couple hours, relax.

Now, there's nothing wrong with that, is there, Miss Marino?

We got legalized gambling in this town. We pay taxes on it.

Along comes this reformed group who can't stand a guy having a little fun.

That's why I wanted to see you, get a couple things straight.

Sounds fair.

Okay, I still understand you gotta have an angle to write about.

Supposing I throw a couple patsies your way that

pull something raw, phony dice, smart cards.

You write a nice column about how you cleaned up the

bad element in the joint and everybody's happy.

That makes sense, doesn't it, Mr. Marino?

Suppose it doesn't make sense.

A smart guy like you getting in the car the way you did,

you could have gotten yourself kidnapped.

Maybe never wind up where you're going.

By the way, where are you going?

Police station.

That's what I figured. Here you are.

Thanks.

Jerry Alder, the consolidated syndicate, flew in to do a story on gambling here.

But he didn't finish it. He was run down by a truck. This is the file.

That's the way they operate in this community, Mr. Marino.

Right out in the open and bold as ever.

Oh, Nichols is bold, all right.

The fact is, he made some sense.

After all, poker is legal here.

Did he tell you about the crooked gambling?

The backroom dice tables?

Isn't that really so terrible when you consider

what's happening in other parts of the country?

Mr. Marino, the issues go deeper here, a lot deeper.

It's not just the gambling itself.

It's the fact that every time legalized gambling is allowed,

it brings trouble with it.

I've never seen it to fail.

Everything from rape to murder to something that

Captain Meeker and I consider a lot worse.

I've lived here all my life, Mr. Marino,

and I've seen what happens to the people when they sit at those tables.

These files are...

Filled with your average fun-buying citizen.

People who wound up in our tank just because of gambling. Now,

these are not Monte Carlo players. They're not even Las Vegas players.

They're very, very ordinary people. Babysitters, laborers, a doctor,

a schoolteacher. There's even a cop.

Don't you think a lot of them would have wound up in jail anyway?

All right, forget about that.

Mr. Marino, the thing that I care about is that whisper of a pair of

dice or a deck of cards that tells people that there's a Santa Claus,

that they can get something for nothing.

Do you know what happens to people like that?

They end up sick and bitter at the end of their days wondering what happened.

Are you going to change their lives?

Well, I'd like to.

I'd like to help them change their own.

What do you plan to do about it?

Well, we're after Nichols and his kind every chance we get.

We hit him with what we can find.

We get him for cheating, for strong arm, For using shills, come on girls,

doctoring drinks, none of these things amount to much.

But they accumulate.

And eventually the public is going to find out that this is a sewer.

They're going to vote out gambling altogether.

Now that's where you can come in.

Help us get the facts before the public. Work with us.

And the alternative is...

Illegal gambling. Not if we can prevent it.

Oh.

Let me think about it a while, will you, before I make any comments.

Good enough.

Oh, excuse me, Chief. I didn't know you were busy.

Hello, Dick.

Harry, come on in. Somebody I want you to meet.

Paul Marino, Lieutenant Harry Bell. Glad to know you, Mr. Marino. How do you do?

Harry can help you a lot, Mr. Marino.

He's been chief of detectives here for five years. In fact,

he'd have made a better chief than me.

They put the best one in that chair, Mr. Marino.

Especially when it's the same guy who kept a hopped

up burglar from putting a bullet in me years ago.

Dick.

Desk had a call from a Mr. Jerome Lace, the new manager of the Blue Knight.

He wants you to drop in and see him.

What does the casino manager want with me?

Suppose you tell us.

Let's see what he wants, Dick.

Come in.

Maker, uniformed division.

I'm Jerome Lace. Thanks so much for dropping by. Not at all.

What can I do for you?

I understand there's a movement on to clean up Verdun.

That's right.

Well, I was sent out by the hotel chain that owns the Blue Knight here.

You see, we're a reputable organization.

We're proud of it.

And we're a little ashamed about what's happened in this place.

I'm listening.

Rather suspiciously. Why don't you sit down?

Very beautiful chair.

Early Italian, isn't it?

Yes, according to my sources, no less than Cesare Borgia once graced that chair.

It's rather an indulgence of mine.

You see, I'm on the road a lot on behalf of my employers,

and I always like to have a personal piece of furniture along with me.

Well, I've thrown you the ball, Captain. Now, what would you do if you were me?

Well, that's simple enough.

If you're a hotel man, Mr. Lace, why don't you run a hotel?

Take out the gambling.

You mean the games of skill?

Mm-hmm. That's rather a tall order.

Yeah.

Good way to find out if a man's just making talk.

Purse!

Yes, sir?

I want all tables and machines taken out by noon tomorrow.

I want to convert the main casino into a room for dining and dancing only.

Yes, sir.

It's all right, you can go now.

Now, some of my employees may try to run some games in the rooms upstairs.

Suppose I could hire you in your spare time to

see that I could get what we've agreed upon?

Well, it's very flattering, Mr. Lace,

but I'm afraid I just couldn't Squeeze it into my schedule.

Well, without even hearing about a salary?

There's one thing a police officer learns early, Mr. Lace.

When a man hands you something and you take it,

that always leaves that empty hand out there waiting.

Well, no hard feelings.

No.

I just heard that some of the officers in this town We're a little underpaid.

Thought perhaps you could use the extra money.

Well, you heard correctly what I make out all right. Married? Yeah.

Children?

Yes, two.

Have any pictures?

No, I don't carry them.

Well, I've never been married myself.

Must take a lot out of a man.

Food, clothing, schooling for the children.

Always those medical emergencies we never allow for.

Well, I've always made out on my own, Mr. Lace, and it's going to stay that way.

Fine.

There it is, empty.

I'll keep it that way. Fine.

I'll drop back tomorrow, see how the changeover's making out.

Here's the file on Chief Swinson, sir.

It won't be necessary. I found my man.

Oh, I think you made a mistake, sir.

You can't shake a man like Meeker with dynamite.

I'll own him in a month.

Richard, would you take a look at this thing?

It shows you what good honest work will do.

They want us to bid on a big contract to supply cabinets for 100 tract houses.

Holy smoke. Now we're going to need extra workmen and equipment.

Yeah, yeah. Well, listen, with a contract like this,

we can get a second deed of trust on a house.

Yeah, and we're going to need a larger place.

Yeah, the Owens mill, that's for rent.

Well, let's start on inventory and...

See how much we have to borrow.

Big spender. Expense account. Generous boss.

You earning your pay?

I think so.

The new chief never got past sergeant under the old administration.

Tried the bottle for a while, had a good sense to give it up.

Strictly a coffee man, though.

How about Nathan?

Not much on him. The real question mark is Bell and detectives.

Well, keep digging and trying to pick up some pictures.

We're staying.

Well, that's good, because I wanted to finish this game. See,

this is the last ball, and I think I've got

a winner here. All right, let's see you go.

Philip, thanks a lot. Sorry, friend.

Well, that's a pretty good technique, keeping me waiting, cooling my heels.

I work out a plan, and you give that chief what he wants

with your muggings and strong arms and illegal games.

There'll always be a police chief, only you've got to own him.

That's what you were supposed to do.

But while you sit here using your brain,

this stinking reform group is running off our customers.

Perhaps you should know something about elementary arithmetic.

Sometimes you have to risk a nickel to make a dollar.

Once this reform group tastes victory, you'll never stop them.

Maybe you should use less brains and more muscle.

Nurse?

Yes, sir?

Perhaps he's right. Maybe we better try some muscle.

Yeah, it was Bell. I got to go in and set up a raid for tonight.

He's had a tip on some backroom gambling.

Anything important?

This is supposed to be your day off. I can't handle all this alone.

I know, honey, but it's going to be all right. It's running smoothly.

These guys know what they're doing.

Jerry will be home pretty quick from school to help out.

Don't worry about it. Does that make you feel important or not?

I see the bills piling up.

Yeah, I know.

End of the year, we'll own this place. We won't just be renting it. Listen,

these are some blades that are going to be picked up from the sharpeners. Now,

please, try to behave like a lady executive.

I'll talk to you later.

Long time since I've been in a library.

Oh, hello, Chief.

Listen, I thought you were supposed to be a field man. Instead,

you spend the morning going over my personal files,

and now you're in the back issues of the paper. For every word in my column,

it takes a thousand in research.

I find paperwork has trapped many a man.

It's a good thing.

No organization, not even criminal, can afford to be without it.

I think you trapped something from the look on your face.

Well, for instance, a few years ago, Lieutenant Bell, then a sergeant,

was accused of taking a bribe.

The case was dismissed.

Witness never showed up.

On another occasion, the said sergeant was subpoenaed as a witness

against one of the club owners accused of rolling a customer.

This time, Lieutenant Bell's witness conveniently

changed his story on the witness stand.

Case again dismissed.

In other words, Bell's a bad cop, is that it?

Well, he's still in a position to play footsies with the casinos.

I'd stick my life on Harry Bell.

Wait a minute.

Take a look at this.

September 10th. That's eight years ago.

September 10th. Officer Swenson takes Bandit's

bullet intended for partner Harry Bell.

I heard that before. Mr. Marino.

When two men walk down dark alleys together, jump suspects. When time after time,

they risk their lives covering each other.

Something happens between them that... Or anyhow,

that's how I know Harry Bell never do anything to hurt me.

Anything he might have done before I took over, I'm wiping away.

You're not quite sure what he did. Otherwise,

he'd be next in line for your job, not Meeker.

Well, I came here to give you some information.

Your friend, uh, Jerome Lace,

the fellow that closed down the gambling in his place,

tipped us into a raid tonight, which you might be interested in.

Hey, mister.

Don't you know the laws in this city?

You're jaywalking.

Well, I guess I deserve a ticket.

No, I'm going to take you down to the station.

Get in.

Anything you say, officer.

Claude Redhannon breaking the law.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the right guy to be chief of police.

Who'd replace you?

Oh, boy. Every man thinks he's indispensable, Harry.

Then one day he drops out of sight like a stone thrown in a pond.

They'd find somebody all right.

Probably me, too.

Probably.

Listen, Harry.

I had my reasons for promoting Meeker over you. Hey, fella, I'm not questioning you.

You've always played it like you see it. That's what I keep telling myself.

Harry, you know what we ought to do.

We ought to really disgrace this police department

and go out and get stinking together. Is that an order, Chief?

Come on, let's drive.

I didn't want to take the risk of anybody recognizing me in this club.

Mika's raiding it at 8.05.

What charge? Illegal dice, backroom operation.

It'll be a big game.

I want you to be in on it. Hey, you better take this camera, then.

I hate to lose the shots I got tonight.

You'll be put in the same cell with Pete Nichols,

the casino owner. Afraid he'll be lonely?

The captain who's raiding the club tonight has that business going.

It's just been awarded a fat contract building hundreds of cabinets. It's tidy,

very tidy. Yeah, and by some strange coincidence,

the man who fingered the raid here tonight is an officer

in the company that awarded that contract.

Any connection? That's what we're going to find out.

So I go to jail for it.

All right.

All right, clear.

There's a guy who runs the joint.

Hey, big shot, some connections you've got,

but you couldn't even get yourself arrested, eh? Hey, what am I saying?

That's the one thing he can do, and he's supposed to give us protection, eh? Hey,

you guys got protection too, huh?

Nah, that's what I mean. Shut up. Yeah, shut up. Big man.

Hey, cop.

Any answers on those phone calls I gave you?

And every answer the same. They never heard of you.

Well, you must be dialing wrong. Try again.

Hey, big shot.

How come a man like you has got to send messages?

You know, operating a dice game is a hard time charge. It brings two to five years.

I told you once, stop running off at the mouth. Hey, how about that?

He wants me to shut up. I lose my shirt in

his joint, he wants me to shut up yet, huh?

All right, Nichols. Come on.

It's about time.

Hello, Pete. Bill.

I'm terribly sorry about what's happened. What's going on, anyway?

I'm just trying to get things to work out for you.

Yeah, well, I'll be working out some things of

my own if our friends don't get me out of here.

Friends? What friends?

I don't know you, mister, and you don't know me.

You got it?

Thanks for the information, Nichols.

Get him back.

What do you mean the men walked off the job?

It's been two weeks since we paid them.

The money is supposed to be there today.

Well, it didn't get here.

Well, I called the tract people and find out why. Did you call them?

They say that the cabinets aren't up to specifications.

That's impossible. I checked them out myself. They're exactly what was ordered.

Look, I can't pin them down. It's something about the finish.

There isn't any finish.

There's not supposed to... I tried to tell them that.

Richard, can you get over here, please?

Honey, I don't understand. You can't have a going concern one morning,

and four hours later, the whole thing falls apart. Listen, it's kind of busy here.

I'll call you back a little later.

You find out what you can, okay?

The chief isn't here.

No, as a matter of fact, I came to see you.

Are you having some trouble with that cabinet job?

No, it's...

Well, that's kind of close to being personal business, isn't it?

A writer sometimes has to be blunt, Captain.

I'm wondering if that job obligates you to anyone. No.

If you've got something to say, say it.

Did you know that Jerome Lace is an officer in

the corporation that gave you that track job?

Sign here. Collect your things. Someone's met your bail.

I'll be back in a minute.

Hey, kid.

How would you like to get back the money you lost?

We don't have to kill.

Just deliver this message to the central post office. Box 944.

Get it?

You'll be at the club tomorrow. I'll pay you off.

You sure you'll be out? I'm sure. 24.

24-M.

Well, that means if he's not out in 24 hours, he talks to Marino. You're guessing.

Yeah, but it's an educated guess.

Look, should I put that in box 944, then stake it out?

Now, let's play your hunch.

Take it to Jerome Lace.

Tell him Nichols insisted that you deliver it to him personally.

And if I've guessed right?

Oh, don't worry about it. I have a chance on

you. Oh, that's different then. Thanks a lot.

Thank you, Bruce.

Pleasure, Captain.

I would ask you to sit down,

but in our effort to cooperate with the police department,

this room has been rather neglected.

Why didn't you tell me you were behind that contract?

Well, we own some hotels and build and operate others. Now,

you had a cabinet company, and we had a need for your product.

And what else?

Well, let me reassure you, I have no intention whatsoever of reopening this room.

As a matter of fact, we were just considering the possibility

of changing it into a small dance room.

Now, if I've done anything wrong, I certainly want to make amends.

Would you like to cancel the contract?

I already have.

I see.

Well, won't that put you rather deeply in debt?

I'll worry about that.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I guess most particularly, I'm sorry for your boy, the one who's ill.

I know how much it must mean to your wife to keep

him where he is instead of a state institution.

Of course, that kind of a decision is up to you.

You may have me wrong, you know.

I wish you'd let me do something for you.

Well, you don't have to shake my hand, I understand.

Just don't cancel the contract.

I really need those cabinets.

So the lace technique began to work.

Within hours, the plant was in operation.

A decent police officer had been corrupted.

Your notion of converting the gambling room into a dance floor was inspired.

I used to be quite a dancer in my day, Jerome.

Did you know that?

Gentle dancers, like the Waltzes.

Mayo, you remembered my favorite.

The older a man gets, the more he returns to the food of his childhood.

The beginning and the end finally come together.

Which brings us to the subject at hand.

The end of the line for Chief Swenson, and the beginning

for our choice, the good Captain Meeker.

Once again, Jerome, I presume I can leave the details in your capable hands.

There's a man here to see you, sir. Says he has a note for you.

Get it.

It's to deliver it personally.

It's from Nichols.

Where did you get this?

In the tank.

Some guy told me to deliver it personally when I was sprung.

What's your name? Lipton.

I was in that joint that got raided.

Give the gentleman a tip.

Yes, sir.

And thank you, sir.

Mr. Nichols' hand is an ultimatum.

There are certain things I dislike.

Cold food and people trying to put the heat on me.

We now have two problems on hand.

Might I suggest that we find one stone for both birds?

Twenty bucks.

I'm liable to wind up rich if I keep running errands like that.

You could also wind up dead.

There's no question about it now that lace and nickels are tied up.

I'll go another step.

Lace and whatever interests he represents aren't about to let him get away with it.

If they were, Mr. Nichols would have been out long ago.

Now they're letting him cool off for a reason.

And when they do let him out, it'll be to shut him up forever.

If I were you, I'd beat him to the punch.

I may have the police department, please.

Lieutenant Bell, please.

Hello.

Lace, this is Bell.

That bail order on Nichols won't work. Orders from the chief.

He's taking him down to Rutgers Precinct in a private car to avoid attention.

Well, thanks very much, Bell.

I guess there's nothing more we can do.

Mr. Jesse, I think I've just found that stone for the two birds.

I knew you would, Jerome.

Where are we going?

I know that old trick about moving a guy from one

jail to the other so he can't get bailed out.

You always had a big mouth, Nichols.

Don't make me sorry I'm keeping your friends from shutting it.

Coming up awful fast.

He's after us.

Let's see if he's coming up on us. Step on it!

Let's see if he's trying to force us off the edge.

This is not the best time for a visit, Marino.

You know as much about it as we do.

Are you sure? And I'm not in any mood for a debate.

Chief would still be alive if he hadn't been in that car,

and he wouldn't have been if you hadn't steamed

him up about moving Nichols personally.

You're not exactly what I'd call the most popular fellow in the world around here.

I came here on your invitation. At first I wasn't sure, so I stayed.

Now I am sure.

This place is rotten with corruption.

I'm a little too busy for any more advice from an amateur.

What happened to the eager young captain who was going to clean up this city?

Don't you want to find out about the chief?

Find out what?

We had reason to believe that Nichols was marked for murder.

That's why Swenson moved him personally.

All right, what's your point?

My point is that Bell knew where Swenson was headed with his prisoner.

He could have tipped off anybody.

Ask Bell, then see what you make of it.

Unless you've got some reason for not wanting to find out.

I want Lieutenant Bell brought in immediately for questioning.

I said immediately.

That's all, Marino.

Captain Meeker.

Jerome Lace.

It would be extremely unwise for you to make any trouble for Lieutenant Bell.

Who do you think you are to give me orders?

I'm your friend and business partner.

Suppose you meet me at your factory in one hour.

I think I can demonstrate why you ought to play ball.

One hour.

Be there.

Good evening.

I usually invite my guests.

You started Mika pinning me to the wall.

And now you're going to stop him.

Give me a reason for stopping him.

He's on the pad, crooked as they come.

I know about the cabinet deal. Not good enough.

Come again.

I don't even know what they want to question me for.

Then I'll tell you.

The death of Chief Swenson.

You think I'd hurt Swenson?

You did, when you told them where Nichols was being taken.

They used you, Lieutenant, played you for a sucker.

I wouldn't have hurt the Chief or anything.

I love that man.

You've got to believe that.

I do believe it.

But the car going off that cliff was no accident.

Isn't that really why you're here?

Trying to convince yourself you had nothing to do with it?

I remember Chief Swenson telling me what a great guy you were.

How he'd risk his life on Lieutenant Bell.

He told me that when two men walked down dark alleys together,

when time after time they risked their lives covering for each other.

He risked his life on you when they killed him.

Give Swenson what he needed to break them wide open.

You give me 30 minutes.

What for? So you can run?

You want the dope to break them?

Just give me 30 minutes.

You got them.

Yeah, it's funny.

I mean, all the times I've been out looking for somebody I don't want, now it's me.

Gives you an idea of what the other guy thinks.

The criminal.

Oh, listen, I forgot some stuff. You go ahead. I'll be home soon.

I don't mind waiting.

Well, it'll be a while. You better go on and see Jerry gets fed.

I think he'd rather wait a few minutes and have dinner with both of us.

Well, I'll be too late for dinner.

Richard?

I need you home with me.

Please.

I can't. Now you go on. Do as I tell you, will you?

I always do.

Baby.

Tell me something, how much does it matter to you whether I'm right or wrong?

Not much.

Why?

Because I love you. And I've never known you to be wrong where it really mattered.

Eavesdropping isn't one of my faults, please believe

me, but under circumstances, I had no other choice.

What do you want?

A reasonable attitude.

I don't like to think of your sick child deprived of the attention he needs.

My family's problems are none of your business.

You're wrong, Chief.

The workmen, the supplier, the credit.

All of them are gone.

What does it take to get this mill working again? It takes that hand you held out,

the one that had nothing in it.

Well, it has something in it now.

You signed...

Certain loan papers.

Now, one can look at that in two ways.

One, it was a mistake, since you were subject to my orders, or another,

that it was a good thing, because you can buy your family what they need.

You say one word for me, and you're through.

No police department will trust you again.

In another word, you'll go bankrupt.

You don't leave many ways open to me, do you?

Just my way.

No, there's another way.

My associates will be very angry with your family.

There's still one other way.

Bill.

What are you doing? He killed Swenson. You don't know that.

There's absolutely... Why didn't you come in this afternoon and talk to me?

Come in.

Hi, Jack. Hi.

Grand jury's indicted Mr. Jesse on conspiracy, accessory to Swenson's murder,

the murder of Bell. At least one of those ought to stick.

How about Meeker?

Suspended from the department pending full investigation.

Story all wrapped up?

Yeah.

I'm going to hang around for a while.

Meeker may need a character witness or something.

I don't know.

Swenson, Meeker, Bell.

It's going to be hard to prove it's all worthwhile.

I don't know.

Maybe it all is going to be worthwhile.

Let's have a drink.