A Slight Case of Murder Page #8

Well, well, well, you don't have to tell me.

I thought that you boys

and that frowzy bunch of directors...

would come around to my way of thinking.

Well, how much more time

you gonna give me?

I'm sorry to have to tell you, Remy...

that at the meeting of the board

this afternoon...

your note was definitely called in.

What?

You mean to tell me that you gents

came all the way up here to tell me that?

We have all the papers with us.

And if the note isn't paid

by 12:
00 tomorrow...

we have orders to proceed

with the foreclosure.

Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute,

will you? You gotta give me a chance.

That brewery's all I've got.

I'm gonna do big things with it.

Now, look, boys. It'd be different, see,

if I didn't have the dough, but I got it, see.

Hello?

Nora.

- Anything wrong, Remy?

- Come in here. I wanna talk to you.

Nora, how long has it been

since we've had a family conference?

Now, look, Remy,

if you're in trouble, I wish you'd tell me.

Nora, I've always been a good provider,

ain't I?

Ain't Marco always given you

everything he possibly could?

You don't have to ask me that.

What are you driving at, Remy?

Ain't I always worked hard?

Day and night, year in and year out?

Ain't I always come up the hard way?

Remy, what are you driving at?

Will you please come to the point?

You got me feeling

like I'm walking up a blind alley.

Well, it's like sticking a knife in my heart,

Nora, but I gotta tell you this.

I'm broke.

You mean...

You mean, you've lost the brewery and...

Yes, the brewery, the house in town,

the cars, everything.

Why, Remy, you're sweating

worse than a stuck hog.

Well, who wouldn't sweat?

I've been a sucker.

I've been a setup for a bunch

of tinhorn money lenders...

who was only too quick to dish it out

when I was making dough...

but pull back their ears when I need it.

They're holding a note

for a cheap $462,000...

and if it ain't paid by tomorrow at noon,

everything goes.

Look, Remy, we've always been partners.

If you need dough, take my jewelry.

Take every piece of it.

Well, Mama, I hate to tell you...

but for the past six months

you've been wearing phonies.

- Phonies?

- Yeah, I pawned the real ones.

- Why didn't you tell me?

- I thought I'd get them back any day.

Well, then get it some other way.

You've been in tough spots before.

You'll get out of this one.

You bet your life I will.

The trouble with Marco is,

he's been playing the other guy's game.

I've been trying to be legitimate,

and it ain't my racket.

I don't know the rules.

So I'm gonna play my own game.

Starting right this minute,

I'm gonna be illegitimate.

- Remy!

- Yeah, I know what I'm talking about.

It ain't too late, and I'm gonna make

a good beginning right now.

- What you gonna do?

- I'm going right out there.

I'm gonna grab me

Mary's boyfriend's old man...

and I'm gonna sell him

a half interest in the brewery.

Well...

Hey, Mike, where's Whitewood?

The old gent, I mean.

He was laying on the couch

until Myrtle spilled some wine on him.

Then I don't know where he ducked.

- Milk? Who's sick?

- Nobody.

The missus told me

to take it up to the orphan.

One side or lose a leg.

Come on, kid. Open up.

It's Mike with some milk.

If you don't want to get battled on...

take it back and bring me a bottle of beer.

All right, you can come down

and get it yourself.

Open it up, boy. Open it up.

Well, don't point it at me...

Oh, there you are.

Where've you been, old timer?

Say, I've been looking all over for you.

Nora wants to truck with you.

Mr. Marco, isn't there some place

where we can have a little talk privately?

Yeah, yeah, sure.

Say, I was getting around to that myself.

Let's step right in here to the library.

Have a chair.

- Have a cigar?

- Thank you, not just now.

Take some home with you.

Smoke them later. You'll like them.

Look, got my name on them.

Nothing cheap about Marco, is there?

Here, take that one with you, too.

Mr. Marco,

let us come to the point at once.

I refer, of course, to the situation

between your daughter and my son.

You mean about their getting married?

Precisely. Naturally, I'm deeply concerned.

Well, from now on,

you don't have to worry anymore.

- I got good news for you.

- You have?

Yeah, I've decided to let them get married.

You have decided?

Yeah, I thought you'd be surprised.

What with your kid being a cop...

and me not knowing anything

about his family.

You infer that you accept us,

that you don't know who we are?

Yeah.

- I'm willing to take a chance.

- That's very gracious of you, indeed.

Hey, now, wait a minute. Now,

that ain't only as far as I'm gonna go, see.

Just to show you

that my heart's in the right place...

I'm willing to let you be a partner

in my business.

- Just what is your business?

- A brewery.

And seeing

how it's all gonna be in the family...

I'm willing to let you buy in easy.

- For just about how much?

- Oh, not much.

You know, just enough

to give you a rooting interest.

Say, about half a million.

Not much. Only half a million.

Well, I might let you press it a little.

Mr. Marco, I should like to say

that this is an experience...

that I shall never forget.

Now, wait a minute. Don't thank me.

Please don't do that.

The first thing you know,

you'll embarrass me.

Now, how about having

a little glass of beer?

Marco's Gold Velvet. It's the tops.

I ought to know. I make it.

- Oh really, I...

- Come on, now. Drink it, will you?

It's the best beer on the market.

Say, I got an idea.

I got my pictures on the bottles.

When you're my partner,

I'll put yours on the cans.

Go on, now. Drink it.

What's the matter? What's the matter?

What was in that glass?

Why, it's Marco's Beer.

What's the matter? Don't you like it?

It is positively the vilest,

most revolting stuff I have ever tasted.

What? You got the nerve

to tell Marco that his beer...

It is absolutely rotten.

Say, you say another word about my beer,

and I'll throw you right out that window.

That will be quite unnecessary.

I assure you, Mr. Marco...

I haven't got a penny

to put into your brewery...

and furthermore, I am going to remove

the Whitewoods and their police blood...

out of your house this very minute!

What?

That's the kind of family

my daughter wanted to marry into.

Why, Mr. Whitewood, what's the matter?

Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Marco...

but I'm afraid I'm going to have

another one of my fainting spells.

If I could just get a little fresh air.

You'll do nothing of the kind.

What you need is rest and a little quiet.

You come right upstairs with me.

Could I know just where we're going

to get this peace and quiet?

You bet your life.

You're going right upstairs

to the back bedroom...

and have a good night's sleep. Come on.

Doesn't like my beer.

Most revolting stuff he...

Why, it's delicious.

What's the matter, boss? Anything wrong?

- Where's Lefty?

- In the pantry, putting more beer on ice.

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