Bullets or Ballots Page #5

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The police used to waste a lot of time

getting them, trying to stop you.

From now on, we act first.

We'll let you waste your time

getting them. Maybe you can stop us.

And don't forget to tell Kruger.

That flatfoot.

If he wants trouble,

I'll give him plenty of it.

Hello.

Get Chamberlain on the phone.

I don't care where he is,

get him on the phone.

- Better forget the lawyers and locate Al.

- Mr. Blake too.

I wanna ask him a few questions.

Hello, Chamberlain?

- You'll have to move that car.

- I'm waiting.

You've been here over an hour.

Move on.

Forget it.

This car belongs to Al Kruger.

Hello, Donlin.

Say, what's the idea of the ticket?

Afraid McLaren will fire you

if you don't get rid of them?

Nope. He's already weeded out

all the rats.

Leave him alone, Johnny.

Come on, get up and learn

to keep your mouth shut.

Stop it. Stop it.

Call the wagon.

Someday you'll learn

that you can't be pulling that stuff.

Well, someday I'll run into you when

you haven't got the cavalry around.

Call your lawyer, Al.

Oh, solitary, huh?

Yes, sir. Nice and private.

All for yourself.

Thanks.

- Hello, Mac.

- How are you, Johnny?

- How's the jaw?

- Okay.

How'd you get here ahead of me?

Oh, Donlin phoned

you were on the way over.

- Did he get hurt going off the horse?

- No, but your punches messed him up.

- You ought to learn to pull them.

- They'd look phony.

We've been watching Fenner's men.

They've had you covered every minute.

- Yes, one of them followed me here.

- Yeah?

Here's some more stuff to work on.

- Raids?

- Yeah, the sooner the better.

- You're getting them worried.

- Have you found out who bosses Kruger?

No. All I know is there is somebody

higher up, and he controls everything.

If we can nail that bird, the whole works

will fold up from the inside.

- Does Fenner know who it is?

- No. Nobody except Kruger.

- Think you'll be able to get it out of him?

- Oh, no.

- Then how...?

- Fenner is Kruger's number one man.

If anything happens to Kruger,

and I'm gonna see that it does...

...Fenner moves up.

But I'm not gonna let him...

...because I'm gonna step

into Mr. Fenner's shoes.

- How?

- Well, I don't know yet.

- Is that all you got to tell me?

- That's all for now.

Except keep on smashing them

as fast as you get my instructions.

When the break comes, I'll know.

In the meantime, you've gotta play

the cards the way I deal them, Mac.

Only one thing tough about it.

- What's that?

- Kruger.

He's a rat as much as the rest of them.

He'd knock me off in a minute if

he found out. But I'll hate to cross him.

Because you haven't

given him an even break.

- Yeah, that's right.

- I haven't given you one, Johnny.

We had another man on the force

that tried to smash that mob.

They didn't kill him.

They threw acid in his face.

His headlights don't burn anymore.

- I handed you a rotten job, Johnny.

- Oh, forget it, Mac.

I asked for it, didn't I?

Say, all I know is handling mugs.

I'd have taken the job if I had to ride

a horse or hand out traffic tickets.

Kruger's lawyer is in the office

with a writ for you.

All right.

- Take care of yourself, Johnny.

- Sure.

As soon as I'm set, I'll let you know.

In the meantime, keep hammering,

especially Fenner.

- Blake. Nobody else but Blake.

- Nobody touched us...

...till you brought Blake in. Now...

- Do you think I'm a sap?

- We're talking about Blake.

- So am I.

I gave the guy a break.

If he's double-crossing me...

- Yeah?

- Mr. Blake to see you.

Send him in.

Thanks for the fast legal service, Al.

Hello, stool pigeon.

Say, what is this, a wake?

It might be.

Nice picture of McLaren.

The boys think you're working for him.

- I'm wondering.

- I'm not.

I suppose your bird dog told you.

I mean that thing you've had trailing me

since I've been in the outfit.

What have you got to say?

Sure, Al. They're right.

I just sold you right down the river.

Yeah, the cops said they were sorry

they kicked me off the force.

McLaren sent me a basket of flowers

for hitting him in the jaw.

Said if I wanted to come back, he'd give

me the whole Bronx to wander around in.

I wouldn't clown, Johnny.

Finally got wise to you.

You're through.

Oh, no. I'm just starting.

Copper.

I don't like guys

who put their hands on me.

- Let's keep this a business meeting.

- Start talking.

I went to work for you, Al,

because you wanted help.

I didn't come to you,

you came to me.

So you think I crossed you, huh?

Well, I couldn't get a dime a dozen

if I handed this whole mob...

...over to the coppers,

and you know it.

I can see now why you needed help.

- And you need lots of it.

- You gonna let him talk his way out?

Shut up. Keep talking.

Well, did any of these masterminds

have anything useful to offer?

- Keep on talking.

- I've never seen it fail.

Whenever mugs get into a jam...

...the first thing they do

is they start knifing each other.

Hey, I thought you were smart, Al.

Have you got anything to suggest?

Let McLaren have his fun.

You can't stop him.

As soon as he's made a showing,

the grand jury will fold up...

...and leave him without any backing.

They always do.

Meanwhile, we sit back

and wind up broke.

No, but go to work.

Stop playing cops and robbers.

Quit tapping telephone wires.

Spend your time building up

new rackets...

...so when McLaren comes up,

he'll find a dozen more going.

Just pull them right out of the hat, eh?

- I suppose you've got one.

- Yes, I've got one.

Numbers.

Just talking about a new racket.

What's the odds against picking the right

number out of one to 1000?

- Why, 1000-1.

- That's right.

And the payoff is 600-for-1.

If anybody picks the right number.

Now, here.

A lot of people would pick that every day

if 1 dollar would win them 600.

What are you trying to sell?

The penny-ante game

Lee Morgan's running?

It's so penny-ante

she's cleaning up 12,000 a week...

...just around

a few neighborhood stores...

...and most of the bets are dimes

and nickels.

Seven million people in this town,

all looking for easy money.

You just offer them 600-for-1, and this

thing will spread like a four-alarm fire.

They won't be buying one number,

but four or five.

To control the winning number,

pay off on racetrack bets...

...and manipulate the totals.

All it needs is organization.

Get a million people in this town

buying numbers...

...and this one racket will clean up

300 million a year.

Why, it's a cinch. It's easy.

You boys better beat it.

Mr. Blake and me wanna talk over

a little business.

Come on, Al.

Give it a chance,

and get this thing set up.

- Tell you all about it at the next meeting.

- Sure.

- See you later, boss.

- Everything is gonna be all right.

- Sit down, Johnny.

- Thanks.

Let's go to work.

- What makes you think we'll retire?

- There ain't room for you.

We're organizing

numbers games all over the city.

- And that lets you out.

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