Bullets or Ballots Page #2

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I was busy reading this about Bryant.

- Did you know him?

- Yeah, a little. Swell fella.

He had a swell wife and kid too.

It'll be plenty tough on them.

- Wife and kid?

- Yeah.

You're a funny fella, Johnny.

When you come out of your shell,

you're really human.

I don't like to see

decent people pushed around.

When something breaks down there

in your old stamping ground...

...it gets under your skin, doesn't it?

What makes you think so?

- It's the only time I see you take a drink.

- Oh, no. This is just a celebration.

We found out

who stole Mrs. Blausmeyer's laundry.

- Oh, that must be something.

- It was.

- Are you on the level?

- Why, sure.

Well, that's a fine finish

to a great police career.

Looking for laundry in the Bronx.

Well, it's better than being pensioned off

with the fire horses.

Say, I'm not kidding myself.

I'm no use to them downtown anymore.

When things like this happen,

they need you.

You and your whole squad

ought to be back there in action.

They don't believe in kicking the rats

into line anymore.

Nowadays, you're supposed to kiss them

and tuck them in.

- Your friend McLaren thinks so too.

- Well, he's only a captain.

He takes orders too.

And you'll go on being loyal to McLaren

and the department.

- Yeah. That's it.

- And looking for laundry.

Nice, clean job.

Well, someday Mac will be back

up on top.

Then you won't have to worry

about me anymore.

Say, I thought you didn't let mugs

come into this place.

I don't when I know them. Who's he?

That's Crail.

I sent him up to Sing Sing

a couple of years ago.

Hello, Blake.

I see the parole board has let you loose

on the public again, huh?

Yeah, no thanks to you.

Well, I see where they cut

the bigshot detective down to size.

It must be tough not to be

able to kick the boys around...

...and make them tip their hats.

Yeah, but they still do.

To a Bronx flatfoot?

Yeah.

And as long as I'm part of the force,

they'll keep on tipping their hats.

Remember it next time.

I guess I'll go downtown

and see what's going on.

You haven't lost your gentle touch,

have you?

I'll see you soon.

Don't hurt your knuckles.

- What's the trouble?

- Arrest him for destroying property.

Yes, sir.

Come on, on your feet.

You're sure you saw Fenner

go inside the hotel?

Yes, I didn't pull away

until after he went in.

- What time did you leave him?

- Nine fifty-five.

Could he have had time

to get to Bryant's office by 10:15?

- I guess so.

- I'm not paying you to guess.

He could've if he grabbed a fast car

right away and got a break with traffic.

Yes?

Detective Blake to see you.

Send him in.

- That's all. Wait for me.

- Yes, sir.

- Hello, Al.

- How are you, Johnny?

- Big night for you, huh?

- How?

Secretary and chauffeur

working overtime.

Oh, that happens a lot.

- Your rackets must be doing all right.

- About 5000 last week.

Five hundred thousand.

I can't count that high.

- Have a chair, Johnny.

- Thanks.

I thought you were homesteading

up in the Bronx.

What are you doing

in this neck of the woods?

Oh, just poking around the old hangouts.

- Cigar?

- No, thanks, I'll smoke a pipe.

What do you think of Bryant's death?

I was just reading about it.

Yeah.

- It's too bad. He was a nice fella.

- They'll probably try and hang it on you.

A couple of the boys from headquarters

were up here half an hour ago.

They were very nice about it, though.

That's the trouble with them.

They have to be.

You'd have taken me around the corner

and rolled up a newspaper.

Yeah, I suppose I would.

But I didn't get much out of you

the last time I gave you a going-over.

You came close to it.

I wish I'd known it then.

You'd have got some more.

I wanted to get you on that rap.

- Good old days, eh, Johnny?

- Yeah.

You've traveled a long way since then.

You'd have gone a long way

if you'd thrown in with me...

...the first time I asked you to.

- Yeah, I suppose I would.

You would have been a great help

in this business.

You know more about this town

than any bird that ever lived in it.

If I'd gone in, I'd have nailed you.

Oh, no, you wouldn't.

You never double-crossed anyone

in your life, not even a crook...

...if he told you something

in confidence.

Sure, you rode the pants off

of all of us.

But you always let us know

where you stood.

You've known what I thought of you.

And you're the only fella

I'd take it from too.

But I'd still like to have you

throw in with me, Johnny.

I'll stick with the department.

After all the kicking around

they've given you?

- Yeah.

- Well, you're a sucker.

All you'll ever get out of it

is a petty-larceny pension.

I could do more for you in a year than

you can earn in a lifetime on the force.

Maybe I like to make my money

the hard way.

Well, I'll probably still be asking you

10 years from now.

If you live that long.

Blake's the name.

- How about getting out?

- I asked Johnny in.

No Bronx detective's

gonna hang around this office.

- Listen, Fenner...

- Never mind, Al.

Fenner can't forget the week he spent at

the hospital after he took a swing at me.

I don't think much of him either.

- See you sometime.

- So long, Johnny.

Oh, I forgot to compliment you, Fenner.

Nice, clean job you did on Bryant.

What's he talking about?

You know what he's talking about,

you 10-cent thug.

- I told you to leave Bryant alone.

- Yeah? What's the matter with him?

Fenner, someday you're gonna

get wise to the fact that...

...that strong-arm gangster stuff

went out with Prohibition.

You're not running liquor anymore.

You're in big business.

I pulled you up out of the gutter.

And you take a chance on ruining

a $200-million gold mine...

...to satisfy a grudge.

Well, it's a fine way to pay me back

for all I've done for you.

Oh, I wouldn't pay you back

that way, Al.

Hello.

Yes, Kruger talking.

Yes, sir, right away.

The bosses?

They're liable to knock the props

out from under me...

...on account of this Bryant mess.

If they do, it'll be the last thing

that'll ever happen to me.

You knew that.

Swell, having to cover you up

to save my own neck.

Who are they, Al?

If you knew,

you wouldn't sleep much tonight.

How are you, gentlemen?

Who did it, Kruger?

Bryant?

I had an idea that's why you called me.

Yes, but you haven't answered

the question.

I wished I knew myself.

- It wasn't anyone in the organization.

- Very interesting.

How did you arrive at that conclusion?

I checked on them.

Driscoll, Vinci, all of them.

Did you check on Fenner?

Why, yes.

What makes you pick him out?

Just that he's a little inclined

to that type of work.

No, not anymore.

He's getting too fat on the profits

to want trouble. He was at the hotel.

So you don't suspect him?

Why, certainly not.

He's been doing all right, hasn't he?

Getting that extra 2 million for you

out of the raise in milk.

Did it occur to you that Bryant's death

would cause an investigation?

Sure, but I'm not worrying.

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