Chicago Deadline Page #4

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Hey, Rosita!

She must have heard me.

I don't know. It was like one of those mixed up things in a dream

where everything's in the way and you can't get there.

If she didn't hear me, it was bad luck.

Just a couple of seconds.

If I could have caught up with her,

I might have been able to...

Ed, Peter's holding a call for you through the board.

Never mind.

He said it's important, about a Rosita somebody.

Said to tell you it's juicy.

All right, all right.

Tommy, I'm sorry for her, honestly.

Go on, take your call.

You don't care what she really was.

All she did was die.

Hasn't she even got a right to do that?

Tommy!

Tommy!

Hello?

Ed? I got Blacky Franchot. He just called in.

You remember him.

Yeah. Big shot mobster, about a year or two ago.

Yeah... Ed, he won't talk to anybody but you.

And he's been down to the morgue to see Rosita.

All right, put him on.

Here's your party, Ed.

Hello, Blacky, this is Adams.

You were asking around about Rosita.

I can tell you about her.

How soon can you get up here?

Where?

786, Randolph, apartment 5, second floor.

Twenty minutes, fifteen.

Hurry!

Blacky!

Blacky, this is Ed Adams.

You gotta hold on.

Who did this?

What's this got to do with Rosita?

I loved her.

Who did it, Blacky?

Journal.

Hello, give me the desk.

Hello?

Hello, Gribbe? It's Ed Adams.

Where are you?

Blacky Franchot's.

He called me, you know about that.

I was late. Somebody else beat me to it.

They, uh... put a hole in him.

He just copped out.

Langden, get down there.

Boyd, find Paige.

Did he talk?

No.

Well, it definitely links the Rosita dame.

You sure he didn't say anything about her?

I told you no.

Well he coulda. He could've said he was crazy about her...

in his last breath.

Blacky Franchot.

What happened to him?

He was knocked off.

Oh, that's fine.

Get over there. Take the cameraman with you,

and hurry.

Sit right there, Ed. Pig's on his way with a camera.

Hey, here's Langdon.

Hello, Adams.

Hello, Solly.

What's going on?

Somebody just got plugged.

Who was it?

Blacky Franchot.

Dead?

Yeah?

Do any talking before he went out?

Not to me he didn't.

Relax.

Where do you want to go?

I was going home to bed.

Without medical attention.

Give me the address.

No, thanks.

It's funny how you keep turning up.

It's hilarious.

How was it you were around back there?

He called me.

How did he know about you?

I haven't the faintest idea.

What did he want?

He wanted to tell me about Rosita.

And he didn't.

No.

What did Rosita have to do with this?

Nothing.

Look, Solly, I don't care how many are killed

or who does it.

Naturally not. You being a reporter.

Was she Blacky's girl?

Blacky's, yours, mine...

I know a guy who thinks she was the greatest kid

that ever lived.

Stone, okay.

I'm gonna find out, Solly.

Nobody likes to hurt reporters, Ed.

You know that.

I'm glad to hear you say that.

Nobody likes to but sometimes a wise guy brings it on himself.

Solly, why do you shake when I mention the name Rosita?

Why does everyone?

I'm not shaking.

You're hiding behind a gun.

For the last time, Adams. Drop it!

Or I'll be the berry.

Let him out, Bill.

Sorry, baby.

I gave you up long ago.

Come here.

No, no, I'm afraid to kiss you.

I feel I'm taking up too much of your time.

Where's your phone?

You mean to say you aren't through working yet?

What you people need is a Union.

We've got one.

Well, who's the head of it, Captain Blye?

Journal.

Give me the desk.

Gribbe.

Hello, George. I know who killed Blacky Franchot

but I can't prove it.

I can't risk telling you.

Yeah, sure, but just give me an idea.

You'd find me floating in the docks of Frisco a couple of hours

after you catch this guy.

Where did you get to, Ed, who did you see?

Nothing doing.

Where are you?

I'm at a place, uh...

gotta shake down a personal witness.

Okay, but stay away from here.

Anstruder's heard about it and he wants to know

how you got to Blacky.

He's getting out a warrant for you.

Give me your phone number.

Nothing doing.

Ed, what's the matter with you?

I'm tired.

Well so am I!

Ed.

Hm?

Blacky Franchot was killed?

Yeah.

Ed. Forget about Rosita and that little book.

Please.

Fifty-four names.

Each one with a different picture of her.

She was a dame, a saint, a gangster's girl.

And a sister who remembered birthdays.

You're only going to get into trouble.

Blacky Franchot.

Fixed with Blacky Franchot.

How did she fit in?

How does it happen that after she's dead

the guy who's in love with her gets knocked off?

Do you know, Leona?

No.

Do you think she loved him?

Yes, I think she did.

Go on.

Oh, I'm only guessing, I don't know.

Don't lie to me baby,

you know I'm gonna get it out of you.

All right. I knew her. We had an apartment together

when she met Blacky.

He lived on the same floor.

Sorry.

I'd rather you didn't bother.

Get hurt?

No.

I'd like it very much if you'd just leave me alone.

I said I was sorry and I'll explain it if you like.

I'm Blacky Franchot and I didn't remember the name

Rosita Jean D'Ur either

when I saw it on the box, but it bothered me.

Then I remembered Rosita Ditmond, lived out on Franklin Park,

went to grade school.

Blacky Franchot. Edgar Franchot?

The shy little kid, two classes ahead of you.

Mop of black hair.

No.

You don't believe me?

No.

How would I know?

You could have found out some way.

Okay. But is it all right now if I say that I'm sorry?

I guess so.

I've been meaning to come in see you.

But your old shyness held you back.

I've been busy.

But I've watched you come in and go out.

I've seen the jills you go out with.

A bunch of babysitters.

What are you afraid of?

Afraid?

Yeah, I've been worried about you.

Why the name Jean D'Ur?

I was married.

Had a babysitter?

Why?

He'd never let a girl like you get away.

He was killed.

Oh, tough.

What are you doing now?

I work in an art store.

Want a better job?

I don't want anything, Edgar Blacky Franchot.

A better job? Or somebody to worry about me?

Or to talk over the nostalgic days of Franklin Park?

Hi.

Leona. This is Mr. Franchot. We met on the stairs.

Oh.

He's an old schoolmate of mine.

He says? What have you been doing to find out?

Thanks for the psychology lesson.

And, uh... I'll try to improve the joke.

No go?

I wish you wouldn't.

The delivery boys come at all hours.

This is the first one you brought back personally.

Look, I'm all ready for you.

You like spaghetti? I cooked it myself.

Well, I told Tony how to cook it.

No, thanks.

Okay.

I'm sorry.

What did you mean the other day when you said I was afraid?

If you'll have one glass of wine with me.

I can explain it best from my angle.

Four years ago I bought a girl a mink coat.

I made payments on it for a year.

I used to stand outside her building nights

just looking up at her windows.

Trouble is I stood there one of the wrong nights.

Since then I've never been pushed around.

You've been going at it differently with those babysitters of yours,

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