Ace in the Hole Page #10

- Yes, Leo.

Is Chuck with you?

I'm right here, Leo.

- See that she gets the present, Chuck.

- She's wearing it.

She is? How does she like it?

Does she look pretty in it?

Yes, Leo.

Thanks, Chuck.

I'm ready.

Bless me, Father,

for I have sinned.

I'm sorry.

Amen.

What's holding up those oil drums?

Send them up!

Stop the drill. Stop everything.

Quiet! Quiet, everybody!

Shut off that music and listen!

This is Charles Tatum speaking!

Listen to me!

Listen! Listen!

Leo Minosa is dead.

He died a quarter of an hour ago

with the drill just 10 feet away.

There's nothing we can do any more.

There's nothing anybody can do.

He's dead. Do you hear me?

Now go on home, all of you!

The circus is over.

Operator, get me Chicago!

Operator! Operator!

This is a press rush.

Get me New York. Longacre 57598.

What are they doing with that?

They're taking it away.

Orders from New York.

You never heard anybody

as mad as Nagel.

I don't get it either, Chuck.

Where were you?

What's the idea of not

protecting your own paper?

You had it all for yourself.

You had it first.

- He told me to tell you you're fired.

- Get me a drink.

So they moved your piano out, eh?

What are you gonna play on now?

Had everything sewed

up, didn't you, Tatum?

Everything but the payoff.

What slipped up?

Beat it.

Booze yourself out

of another job, fan?

The great Tatum.

Better wipe his mouth.

Beat it. Beat it.

You heard him. Outside, all of you.

Where do you go from here, Tatum?

Maybe the kid can get you a

job on a high school paper.

Put in a call to New York.

I wanna talk to Nagel.

Aren't you a little late, Tatum?

- The papers are on the street now.

- Don't stand there, Herbie. Get Nagel.

What're you gonna flash to them?

How they weave a Navajo rug?

That ought to be

worth $1,000 a day.

Look, Tatum, you were good

to us. We'll be good to you.

Here's a hot tip. We just

got it from the sheriff.

He's gonna dig Leo out yet

and give him a big send-off.

Get out.

Get out!

See you in New York when you

pick up that Pulitzer Prize.

Get out!

Okay, hold it. Nagel.

Hello, Nagel? Tatum.

Wait a minute. Don't yell at me!

Sure. Sure, I let you down.

I know they're on the

street, the other papers.

Sure, sure. Everybody else got

the story. Only it's the wrong story.

Shut up, I said!

Leo Minosa didn't die.

He was murdered.

Is that the best you can think of?

Stop it, Tatum. You're

wasting your breath.

Now let me tell you the

story behind the story.

You got drunk yesterday, you were

drunk all night, and you're still drunk!

All right, I'm crazy!

But it's only because I

took a chance on you!

And I'm giving you your money's

worth, a Tatum special.

Something that'll make all

the other papers look sick.

Hey, Nagel, you wouldn't be

sap enough to hang up on me.

Not now. Listen to this.

"Reporter keeps man

buried for six days!"

Now get set for the rest of it.

Nagel! Nagel! Nagel!

New York?

Running a big-city newspaper,

that bald-headed idiot.

He won't believe me.

You believe me, don't you?

Yes, I do, Chuck.

Now let me help you. I'll take

you to a doctor or a hospital.

Forget the doctor.

We've got things to do.

Like, for instance,

re-elect a sheriff.

Come on, fan. We got a deadline.

Come on, Herbie.

You're wasting my time.

Sit down. That's your desk.

Now go to work.

What's the matter with everybody?

Haven't you ever seen me before?

Go on! It's getting late! Your

paper starts printing in an hour.

Mr Boot! Boot! Mr Boot!

Where's Boot?

Yes, Chuck.

How'd you like to make yourself

$1,000 a day, Mr Boot?

I'm $1,000-a-day newspaperman.

You can have me for nothing.

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