Born Reckless Page #5

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Aw, she's great.

Say, we're havin' supper with her tonight.

You know that, don't you? Spaghetti,

plenty of vino.

Hey, now, don't forget.

You just come back from the old country.

Yeah, my granite castle

on the river.

- Tough joint?

- I've been in easier.

But they won't put me in there again.

They'll bump me off first.

Aw, it's a sucker's game, Big.

You can't beat it.

Now, I'm makin' a lot of dough. Why don't you

come over to my joint and take a cut?

Nah. You stick to your racket, Louis.

I'll stick to mine.

You ain't got a chance, Big.

Good News is on the gang's tail every minute.

- They can't move.

- Brophy'll never lay a finger on 'em again.

What they need is a leader,

and I'm plannin' somethin' big for 'em.

- Very big.

- Okay.

But you're welcome to come in with me

at any time.

- You know that, don't you?

- I know it, Louis.

Thanks.

Tough on the mother, all right.

Yeggs that do a thing like that

oughta be lynched.

Stealin' a kid.

I'm a peaceful man...

but I wouldn't mind

helping string them up myself.

Beacon-4000.

Give me a quick shot, will you, Needle?

- Louis's bottle.

- Okay.

City desk.

O'Brien talking.

Listen, I got a lead on that lost society baby.

Yeah, I trailed a car

down toJamaica Bay.

You know, those low marshlands.

Oh, sure, you do,

where all those fishing boathouses are.

I tipped off the local cops.

They're spreadin' a net around.

- So long, Louis.

- So long, Big.

- I'll see you in the morning.

- Okay.

Nothing will break on it

before morning.

No, this isn't a hunch.

It's a real lead.

I'm gonna stay on it all night.

Well, I'm in a drugstore

in Jamaica right now.

Call me back

if you don't believe me.

Good night.

- Sounds like you got a big story there, Bill.

- I have.

- Seen the duke lately, Louis?

- Say, listen.

If I see that duke again,

I'll punch him in the nose.

There was a dame

around here a little while ago.

Heard she was a duchess.

She was raisin' the dickens.

Hey, boss, your sister is out here...

and she wants to see you right away.

- Rosa?

- Yeah.

- What's wrong?

- I don't know.

- Wait here for me, Bill.

- Sure.

Louis!

Hey, what's the matter, Rosa?

What's-

Joan. Hey, what's this all about?

Oh, Louis, it's so terrible.

Poor Mrs. Milburn.

Her baby!

- Nobody but a beast could-

- Now, take it easy, kid. Take it easy.

- What's wrong, Joan?

- Oh, Louis, my baby's gone.

Stolen!

- Your-Your baby?

- Louis, I-

You mean that little-

- So that's what they was talking about.

- Oh, Louis, I'm frantic.

Dick's still in Europe.

The police tell me to wait, wait.

My baby's gone.

How can I wait, Louis?

Once you told me if I ever needed anyone

to help me, to come to you.

Well, Louis, I need you now.

Sure. Sure, Joan.

I'll help you. I'll help you.

I thought you might-

you might know people who could tell you.

I don't care what it costs.

Anything. Anything!

Ah, now, don't worry.

It'll be all right, I tell ya.

- It's gonna be all right.

- Thank you.

- Take her up to my office. Now, don't worry.

- I knew you'd do it.

It's a cinch. It'll be all right.

Sure, sure.

Give me that gat, Joe.

Give me that gat!

Bill, I want you

to take me down toJamaica.

You know, that place

you tailed that car to.

Wait a minute, Louis.

I didn't tell my city editor everything...

but I'm gonna tell you.

It may make a difference.

You might wanna keep out of this.

Huh?

What do you mean?

That car that I trailed toJamaica,

I followed it back here...

right out to the front door.

It was Joe's hack.

Joe was the guy that was driving it.

Stay out of this, Louis.

Don't be a chump and get yourself jammed up.

You're doin' all right now.

Give me an extra clip.

Give me an extra clip!

Come on, Bill.

Hey, Needle, give me a pint of scotch, will ya?

I may need it.

Hurry.

Right off the ship.

Hey, Bill. Wait here.

I'll be right back.

- Watch yourself, Louis.

- Okay.

Stick 'em up!

Louis.

Good mornin', Sir Maurice.

So this is the place you were gonna bring

that dame to, huh?

Your country estate.

Oh, I say, Louis, don't rag a chap.

Look, you know what women are.

What the heck-

Oh, it's just-just-just a doll I've been making

for the nipper.

What are you doin' down here, Louis?

Me? Plenty.

A couple of fine rats

you guys turned out to be.

Stealin' a kid!

Why didn't you come to me

if you was broke...

instead of pullin'

a lousy trick like this?

We couldn't help it, Louis.

I told Big-

Aw, shut up!

Where's the kid now?

- Is she okay?

- Oh, sure. She's asleep.

Go get her.

- Does Big know that you're comin' down here?

- Shut up!

Careful now.

All right.

Take her outside and give her to O'Brien.

- He's waitin' out there.

- Please let me go home. I wanna see Mommy.

Sure, sure, kid.

You're goin' right home to your mama now.

All right,

now I'm gonna let you guys go clear.

But I oughta put a couple of slugs

into both of ya.

So don't try to pull anything.

Get me?

All right, get out.

Look out, Louis, forJoe.

Hey, Bill,

take the kid from these rats.

Okay, Louis.

Come on out of there, Joe.

I can see it was you

who promoted this lousy trick.

It would take a yellowbelly

like you to think of it.

Well, the kid's gone.

You can't get her back without finishing me...

and you ain't got

the guts to do that.

- I ain't, huh?

- No, you ain't.

Well, I had enough guts to bump off

that four-eyed husband of Rosa's, didn't I?

- You did that?

- Yeah, I did it, and I got enough guts to bump you off too!

Think you're pretty swell, huh? Givin' up

your own mob because you got a new-

Hello?

Oh, hello, Big.

Sure.

Everything's okay here.

The kid's gone back...

to her mother.

I sent her.

Yeah.

Louis.

Louis Beretti.

So you couldn't keep

your nose clean.

I'll be waiting for you...

at your joint.

- Hello, Joe.

- How are ya?

You're stayin' up

pretty late, ain't ya?

Waitin' for Louis

to take the damper.

No, you'd better

give me some seltzer.

Okay.

Well, I think I'll beat it, Needle.

- Okay?

- Go ahead.

Good night.

- Good night, Big.

- Good night.

Good night.

- Any news in the paper, Joe?

- Lots of news.

- Hello, Louis.

- Hello, Big.

Out kind of early, ain't ya?

Yeah. You too.

Yeah.

What's on your mind, Big?

I guess you know.

Yeah.

How's your old lady, Louis?

It's been a long time

since I seen her.

Too long, I guess.

She's okay.

She always did a guy good.

Yeah.

She's been just like a mother to me.

The only one I ever knew.

Sure.

I remember when

we was kids together.

The time I got

that slug in the shoulder.

All the other kids run away.

Yeah.

It was you who took me

to the hospital.

You used to be a good guy, Louis.

Yeah.

It's tough.

Too bad you couldn't

keep your nose clean.

Yeah.

Too bad.

I'm tired, Louis.

I'm gonna hit the hay.

- So long, Louis.

- Okay.

So long, Big.

- So long, Joe.

- So long, Joe.

Did he get you, Louis, bad?

I'm okay.

You'd better phone Brophy.

- He'll wanna talk to me about this.

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