711 Ocean Drive Page #3

-Don't mention it.

This is the life, Sonny.

You put horses and radio together and

what do you get? Nothing but money.

You mean Vince's got it.

We're just a couple of hired hands.

I don't see him cutting you in.

That's because I'm the shy type.

I haven't asked him yet.

When the time comes, he'll put out.

About time for those dogs to get going.

Hey, they got Trudy.

The pigs just grabbed her.

They're taking her away.

Hey, Pop, take over.

They just pinched Trudy.

Sonny.

You see, child? You're dated.

From now on, the wire service

is strictly Superman stuff.

What happened?

They gave me the old heave-ho.

Warned me never to darken

their track again.

I guess that washes me out.

You don't know anybody who needs

a slightly used signaller, do you?

I'll put an ad in the paper for you.

I'm afraid I'm too much of a specialist.

Guess I should have married the boy

whose father owned the supermarket.

Uh-uh. I'm allergic to that word

if you don't mind.

Supermarket?

-No, marriage.

Makes me break out in a rash.

Don't worry. I won't be around long

enough to start you scratching.

Maybe you ought to stick around. Maybe

we can find something else for you to do

We?

-That's right, we.

You sound like someone who thinks he's

going someplace.

I'm not one to brag but...

Why don't you stick around and find out?

Might be interesting at that.

Look, Ma, one hand.

Keep calm, little man. Keep calm.

You sure it's all right to try it here?

Suppose the cops saw us?

All we're doing is using

their wire fence for an aerial.

If it works here,

it'll work at the racetrack.

This is a low frequency transmitter,

Vince.

I'm saving it for the day they

crack down on Pop.

With the dough I put into this stuff,

I could own a radio station.

With the dough you're making,

you could buy a network.

Let's have your leg, Chippie.

Hope you don't get electrocuted.

Always kidding...I hope.

Hey, what's that?

That spring needle sets up the circuit.

The wires on your leg run

to a low frequency carrier transmitter.

The batteries are in that case.

We put this telegraph key

in your right pants pocket.

I'm left-handed.

All right. Your left pants pocket.

Now all you gotta do is

make like a telegrapher.

Come on.

When he leans against this wire fence,

he's a walking radio station.

Of course, at the track, he'll have

all of these gadgets under his clothes.

I still don't get

all of this electrical stuff.

What I want to know is

how do we pick him up.

That's what we got the car for.

It's rigged to pick up his signals.

The car keeps circling the track

while he broadcasts.

Then they phone the dope to you.

Want to try it, Vince?

Let's go.

You sure got the angles, Mal.

If it was anybody but Vince,

he'd give you part of the take.

He'll cut me in, Chippie.

I got him by the short hairs right now.

I think they're ready. Start sending.

Here's hoping.

Don't worry. It'll work.

Believe me, I know.

I was down here myself and tried it

last night. Come on.

Nice wine, nice lunch, nice girl.

Nice day.

That seems to cover everything.

What's so special about today?

I don't know. Days are like people.

They have a kind of personality

of their own.

Take today, for instance. I like today.

Any reason?

I got a hunch it's liable to be

lucky for me.

Yep, I think today's my lucky day.

Excuse me.

Mr. Granger, something's gone sour

at the track.

The wires have gone dead.

Every book in town's been calling.

Even I can't get through.

The phones are swamped.

I've been afraid of something like this.

I think things will just have to

work themselves out.

But, Mr. Granger...

-You heard me.

This wouldn't have anything to do with

being your lucky day, would it?

Like arranging to have Pop picked up?

Why would I want to do

anything like that?

You say the FCC picked him up?

Well, hold everything.

I'll get Granger right on it.

He's got another way of

handling the track.

Where's Mal?

He took Trudy to lunch

over at the Blue Boar.

Get him on the phone right away.

-Yes, sir.

Wire's down.

Wire trouble. Keep it closed.

Rocco?

Put Granger on.

Wire trouble.

Mal, what kind of an outfit you think

I'm running around here anyhow?

Get over here. We're in trouble.

You'd like it better

if I came there, huh?

Why, for two cents I'd...

All right. I'll be right over.

Wait in Rocco's office for me.

Well, get it up. We've got a lot

of work to do.

You've got to get a man out to the track

with that new equipment.

They knocked off Pop today.

You can quit shouting, Vince.

I heard you.

But maybe you didn't hear me right.

I'm not taking the new stuff

out to the track.

So that's the way it is, huh?

OK, I'll get somebody else

to take it out.

Not with my equipment, you won't.

I've already taken it out of the shop.

I know it was your money but it was my

brains that made you that dough.

You think you can hijack me

just because I gave a telephone

company sucker a break?

Get smart, Vince.

Ever since I hooked up your outfit all

over the state,

you've been rolling in cabbage

and I know it.

Your take is five times what it was.

But to keep it that way,

you gotta keep me.

And if I don't?

I've handled guys like you before.

You better think that over.

I don't have to.

You never got rid of anything or anybody

that could make you a buck.

With that new equipment,

I can get a lot of guys to finance me.

Your books are gonna be looking around

for a new service.

So, as of right now,

you're out of business.

What do you want?

Twenty percent of your take

from everything.

That still leaves you 80%.

That's better than 100% of nothing.

OK.

Thanks.

Hello, Syd? Mal.

You know that new show

down at the Biltmore?

Yeah.

Any chance you can get me a couple

for tonight up front?

You can?

That's swell, thanks.

Nice guy, that Syd.

During the next three months,

the gangster squad knocked off

all the bookies it could find.

But they popped up like rats

in another hole.

By then, I knew the only way

to drive them out of business

was to crack down on the

Tri-State Wire Service.

But so far, they were within the law.

One thing I was certain of

The bookmakers were paying off

to the service at a drive-in.

We had these small fry marked for arrest

but it was the big shots we were after.

I staked out the place for a few days

looking the boys over.

And I found that Mal Granger was

beginning to throw his weight around.

Lemon.

-Yeah.

Apple?

Hello, Red.

Things are going all right

with you guys, huh?

Stick with us and every night

will be Saturday night.

So long, fellas.

-Right.

We couldn't make it any faster

if printed it ourselves.

You picked a winner the day

you tied up with me, Chippie.

You said it.

Just think of you wasting your time

with the telephone company

and me fooling around with two-bit book.

Where is it?

It's kind of light.

They hit me again yesterday, Mal.

Two grand.

I had to pay off right then, or else.

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