Call Northside 777 Page #4

What do you mean,

asking such a question?

Any objections to answering?

- No. No objections.

He's got to ask

everything, dear. I know that.

I didn't meet Helen

till after she was divorced.

This can be proved by our friends.

- I see. I see.

You understand

I have to ask a lot of questions.

l-- Sorry.

What's he askin' all the

questions for anyway?

What's the big idea?

It's about your Uncle Frank.

- He's not my uncle. He's my father.

Well, thank you, folks.

Good-bye.

[ Groans ]

Darling, wake up.

What's the matter?

Huh?

- Hungry?

Want a nice sandwich?

- No, no, no, no, no--

You've been gnashing

your teeth and making an awful noise.

I've never known you to be like this, Jim.

Well, maybe it's something I ate.

I ate the same things.

Well, maybe it's something I wrote then.

[ Sighs ]

Hey, you look nice.

Will you marry me?

I did.

- Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's right.

Thanks.

- You're welcome.

Just remember, I'm here.

Well, come on over here.

Maybe we can work this out together.

What's the matter?

Won't the pieces fit together?

Some of'em, but they make

the wrong picture.

Pieces never make the wrong picture.

Maybe you're looking at them

from the wrong angle.

Sometimes it's mighty hard to figure.

Why don't you let go?

You want him to be innocent.

You want him to be free.

Admit it.

- Well, maybe you're right.

Maybe I do want him to be free, but that

doesn't make me believe he's innocent.

If you want to believe,

that's enough.

Believe it.

Will you marry me?

Oh, that's right. You did.

Will you fix me that sandwich then?

Hey, hey, hey, hey.

Yeah.

[ No Audible Dialogue ]

Hey, Kelly? Have you seen this item

on the warehouse fire?

Might be a firebug, arson ring.

You think there's anything to it?

- There might be.

Well, follow it up.

Is that an assignment?

- Sure.

Okay.

Oh, Mac. I know there's nothing more

to the Wiecek case.

It's all washed up, but before you tackle

this warehouse yarn--

The warden called me this morning.

Wiecek wants to see you again.

Well, for what?

- I don't know. Maybe he wants to confess.

Well, I was just up there.

Don't I get time off for good behavior?

Wiecek's been up there for 11 years, Mac.

That cop's been buried longer than that.

Hello, Wiecek.

Mr. McNeal.

I sent for you to tell you that...

I don't want you to write anymore...

...about me or my family.

I've read what you've written.

I've seen the pictures of my mother...

...my wife and my boy.

We've poured our hearts out to you...

...unashamed.

- Well, you wanted help, didn't ya?

That's the only way you can get people

interested in the case.

Nobody's gonna read a little two-line ad

like your mother ran in the paper.

A half a million people

have been followin' this story.

Now somebody might know

the killers and get in touch with us.

I don't want that kind of help.

I'll stay here a thousand years.

But you must not write anymore...

...about my wife and

my mother and my boy.

My mother is doing this for me,

not to sell your papers.

Oh, now, wait a minute. Wiecek.

- I made my wife divorce me...

...so my boy has a new name.

Now you put his picture in the paper,

spoiled everything for him.

I don't know.

I thought I was doin' a good job.

No. This is writing without heart...

...without truth.

Before, I thought maybe

some crook lawyer...

...would try to get the

$5,000 from my mother.

But this, I never figured.

Yes, I say it.

I'll stay here. I'll stay here a thousand years.

But never write anymore about my family.

Leave them alone.

Leave alone my wife and my boy.

What do you make of that?

Well, I guess he figured

you pitched him some pretty low curves.

Why, it was a story.

I wrote what I saw.

You know, up here

every man claims to be innocent.

But the prisoners

are the harshest judges of themselves.

And they believe we have only two men

who don't belong here--

Tomek Zaleska and Frank Wiecek.

All right, Warden. Say, l-I wonder if you'll

let me try something else?

I'd like to talk to Tomek Zaleska.

Okay.

[ Warden ] I'd like to talk to Zaleska.

- [ Man ] Yes, sir.

[ Lock Rattling ]

Tomek, this is McNeal of the Times.

He'd like to talk to you.

- [ Zaleska ] Yes?

Warden, would it be stretchin'

the rules too much...

...if I talk to him alone?

Well, no. Oh, go right ahead.

- Thank you.

Are you familiar with the work

the Times is doin' for Wiecek?

Yes, sir.

Now, look, Tomek. We want to clear up

this Bundy case one way or the other.

We don't think Frank was in it with ya.

Now, if you confess and

name the man that was...

...really with you that night...

...the Times will do

everything in its power...

...to get ya a parole

for turning state's evidence.

The chances are

you'll be outta this place in a few years.

Now, wh-what have you got to lose?

You're in for life now.

Come on. Tell us the truth.

Sure. I could say I did it.

Then maybe have a chance

of getting out like you say.

But if I confessed...

...who would I name

as my partner? Joe Doakes?

I couldn't make it stick for one minute.

That's the trouble with being innocent.

You don't know what really happened.

I didn't do it.

Me and Frank had nothin' to do with it.

Okay, Tomek.

[ Cell Door Clatters ]

Well?

You must run a nice jail.

This guy doesn't want to get out either.

I'm gonna get this outta

my system if I never write another line.

Warden, do you think

Wiecek'd talk to me again?

Yeah. Yeah,

I imagine he would.

I'll take you over to the hospital.

He works there.

Frank, Mr. McNeal would like to talk

to you again if it's all right with you.

Look, Frank. I've decided

to go on with this case.

I'll slant the story your way.

I also want you to know

I'm still not convinced you're innocent.

But I'm willin' to dig-- get the facts.

But remember this.

If I ever catch ya lyin'...

I'll blast you so hard, you won't even

get a parole when your 33 years are up.

Is it a deal?

I've nothing to be afraid of. It's a deal.

Okay, Frank.

I want you to give me some information.

This, uh-- This judge you told me about.

You know, the one that died?

Were there any witnesses when he told you

he'd try to get you a new trial?

Yeah, there was a bailiff.

- Uh-huh.

What was his name?

- I don't know.

Well, I'll find out. What was the name

of your lawyer?

His name was Underwood.

- Underwood.

Where does he practice?

- He's disbarred now.

That's great-- a disbarred

lawyer and a dead judge.

All right. What else?

- There's Wanda Skutnik.

It was she alone who put me where I am.

She identified me.

But the other two witnesses--

Gruska and the mailman-- said no.

Then there was the police captain.

He was the one who got

Skutnik to say I was the man.

He stood right alongside

of her when she picked me out.

She was afraid of him.

- What was his name?

I never found out.

He wasn't at the trial.

Well, where can I find this Skutnik dame?

- l-I don't know.

That's nice material.

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