A Man Betrayed

1

I'm coming your way.

Hear me calling what a happy day.

Sunshine.

For sale. For sale.

Sunshine for sale. For sale.

Please give a man a dime

for a cup of tea, mister?

If I had my teeth, they'd be chattering.

Oh, you poor man. Give him five dollars.

Don't despair.

Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, sir.

He probably has to cut in

Boss Cameron for half.

You wanted to go slumming.

- You think we'll be safe in there?

- No!

Oh, then let's go in!

Look you go on now and

beat it, will ya?

These educated college squirts.

They can't hold their liquor.

Sure glad I flunked in kindergarten.

Hey why don't you watch

where you're going?

What's up?

I'm Casey from the Globe.

It looks like the mister up

there finally got sore.

And decided to put the finger

on our fair city.

You got the wrong guy.

You wouldn't print that,

would you, Casey?

Not and hold my job.

Maybe the chap just suddenly died

of a fractured skull from the fall.

Look, copper.

Cameron don't put enough cement on

these streets to dent whip cream.

But I wouldn't print that either.

That bruise wasn't for the lovetap.

Where'd he come from?

I saw him come from the Inferno.

I thought he was just another drunk.

The Inferno, huh?

Who is he? Anybody important?

I'd hate to disappoint you, madam.

But I'd say he ain't very important.

Just local stuff.

We'll, I'm not Philo Vance

or Dashiell Hammett.

That S on his sweater means

he's one of the visiting basketball team

from Spring Valley.

I always knew this

town was pretty raw.

But I never knew lightning to use a 38.

That man was shot right

through the lungs.

Holy cats.

This is news that even

Cameron can't stop

Cameron ain't gonna be

too pleased about this.

You should oughta know he ain't

gonna stand for rough stuff.

You should oughta work with

these, like I do, Tomato.

Please, I've been telling

you the name is D'Amato.

D'Amato! D'Amato! See?

You're still a vegetable peddler

to me, Tomato.

Why you come down to my joint?

Why don't you stay uptown

and leave me alone?

I just wanted to see how

your half lives. And dies.

It's a funny thing. You've been

getting away with murder for years.

But it took lightning

to pin it on you.

You know if I was you I'd pack

my bags and not see the boss.

Or I'd see the boss

and not pack my bags.

I'll change the name of the place.

That'll pick things up.

Yes. I'll change the name.

I read that a guy named

Shakespeare says

a rose by any other name still stinks.

Where the coroners? Lightning come yet?

They always come fast

like in moving pictures.

Why didn't body moved?

What do you got there?

Too busy. Counting these.

Gee, they're pretty.

Where you got them?

Off this stiff only he

wasn't a stiff then.

Pretty and green and stuff.

Like grass.

Love grass.

Love everything pretty.

You didn't see anything on him?

I mean nothing that could identify him?

No, no.

I put one of them cards like we give out

to to the hicks down at the station.

- In his pocket. Good advertising, huh?

- See?

I run this town with ballots.

Not bullets.

You know that, Amato.

What you do with your dice and

your wheel is your business.

But using a gun makes it my business.

Boss, it was an accident.

The hick lost at craps.

Don't they all?

The greatest of these

lose at crooked dice.

And Spider cracks them like an egg.

Gee it was pretty.

But he wouldn't shut up.

He kept squawking about

calling the cops.

I should've taken away your gun when

I took away your vegetable stand.

You won't use your brain.

You won't play smart like Tom and me.

- Mr. Cameron. My bro.

- Yes?

Well?

Nothing.

Get away from my train.

I covered you on that Smith jam by

making young Carney take the rap.

But this time...

I don't know.

This is just what the district attorney

has been waiting for.

I'd let Pringle hang you with your own

rope if it wasn't for the river wards.

Even those votes may not help now.

Every reform leader in town

will be crying for my scalp.

Every newspaper yelling bloody murder.

Globe's headline oughta be pretty.

You mean Casey?

At the bat.

It's a mess. Coming just

before election means suicide.

Suicide.

Why yes... that's what it'll be.

Suicide.

Where is it? Where is it?

I've gotta have it now I tell you.

Here it is, chief.

You're going to give me

a raise for this head.

Divine wrath strikes city. Casey.

The moving finger writes and

having writ spells Cameron.

Omar Khayyam and Casey.

No no that's not it

yes I know.

Here it is. My garden.

When fertilized with vitamin X the

pansies turn their little faces

laughingly to the sun.

No wonder mine have been frowning.

I use vitamin P.

Oh it don't make sense.

Hitler wants to play

London Bridge is falling down.

Cameron's dumb henchman commits murder.

And you worry about the facial

expressions up pansies.

What happened to this. Exhibit A.

Pringle and the good citizens have

been trying to get of Cameron for years.

I had a call.

Sammy?

Cameron.

Hello, boys.

Just happened to be in the neighborhood

and thought I'd drop in for a nightcap.

We're as dry as Kansas.

I'll send the boys over with

some of my private stock.

Bourbon or rye?

No drink. Ulcers.

Well I gotta be moving along.

- Claustrophobia?

- Yes.

Unhappy in tight places.

Nice seeing you again, Bob.

We haven't had a chat for a long

three months four days six hours

seven hours you forget daylight saving.

Incidentally you really helped

me out with that sewage story.

The switch in contracts came a

little bit late but

I always like to see the right

man get the job and keep it.

How's your wife?

Okay and my son's alright too.

Oh that's fine.

He must be old enough

to play basketball now.

Next year.

Too bad about that basketball

player from Spring Valley

committing suicide tonight.

Suicide?

- Hadn't you heard?

- No.

Well it's a good thing

I tipped you off.

I always like to take

care of the Globe.

The publisher's a pal of mine.

Yes before I came to town

for the first time.

Lost all his money gambling.

Was afraid to go back home.

Too bad but

you know how those things happen.

I don't but our publisher does.

I hear you've become quite a gardener.

I wouldn't take it too seriously.

It might interfere with your job.

Good night, Bob.

Remember me to your wife.

Someday I'm going to print the truth.

And then I'll have nothing to do

but grow the biggest asters in Newburgh.

Who are you gonna call?

Ripley.

A murdered boy just committed suicide.

Excuse me.

Smelling new-mown hay?

I hate to trouble you, ma'am but uh...

this is the first time

I've been in this city and...

I'd never guess.

In fact that was just going to ask you

the way to the aquarium.

Oh.

I know a girl like you back home.

But she doesn't get by there not much.

Well now that we're so friendly, just

where is our home sweet home?

Spring Valley.

Let's see. There's Temple City.

We're about 10 miles north.

There it is.

There. That's a fly speck.

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