Crossfire Page #2

I know the score.

Then you can understand

why I need your help.

I'm not helping stick a pal of mine

into trouble.

I'm not asking you to.

All I'm asking for is facts.

How did it get started this afternoon

in the bar with Samuels?

Like always. Bunch of people in a bar.

Something happens,

you're talking to somebody.

What happened?

Leroy knocked a drink all over this...

What did you say her name was?

This Miss Lewis.

You didn't tell me about Leroy.

He's a dumb hillbilly.

A friend of Floyd's.

He came in with Floyd,

but he didn't stay long.

Go on.

Well, like I said, we was talking.

I was worried about Mitch.

What's the matter, Mitch?

What's eating you?

- Nothing's eating me.

- Let's go. Nothing's gonna happen here.

Sit still. The idea is to sit still.

You don't meet people by going

in and out of one bar after another.

- I'm sorry, I...

- It was an accident.

You silly hillbilly.

Why don't you look what you're doing.

You'll have to forgive Leroy.

Leroy's from Tennessee.

He just started wearing shoes.

- Apologize to the lady.

- I said I'm sorry.

- That the best you can do?

- It was just an accident, soldier.

Leroy's all right. He's just dumb.

He was our secret weapon.

Won the war with him.

By not letting him across.

He's that dumb.

If the Krauts caught him and asked

how many generals we had...

...Leroy would've told them.

Because his mother said,

"Leroy, never tell a lie."

- Where you going?

- See you, Floyd.

Well, look there, now.

I hurt Leroy's feelings.

Right back, Sammy.

That's the way it is, Sammy.

That's what you get when you get

an army full of civilians.

I been in the regular Army, see?

But I been out a couple of weeks.

Same as Floyd. And am I glad to be out.

I had enough of an army

full of stinking civilians.

I never seen anything like these guys.

Some of them are okay, get that.

Now, Mitch here, he's okay.

He was one of my boys.

He's very talented.

But most of them, they got no manners.

Floyd, will you give me my drink?

And the stealing.

I never seen as much stealing

as we had.

One day, one of the men complains

he had swiped from him...

...a wristwatch his mother sent him.

His mother sent him.

Half these guys, I think, got no mothers.

They got no respect for the service.

You can tell a man by

how he don't respect the service.

He don't respect the service,

he don't respect his mother.

That's the kind of a guy that spoilt

the Army for a guy like me.

When I got in, it was a good racket.

You could live good.

You played it smart, you could save

- Take me, when I...

- What I couldn't do with 1000 bucks.

What would you do with 1000 bucks?

Well, man, if I had 1000 bucks, I could...

Well, I could go to Mexico...

...California...

Know what I'd do? I'd live on the beach.

I'd fish, and I'd eat...

...and just live on the beach.

And I'd steal me a air-cooled machine gun.

I shoot anybody tried to bring me back.

Criminy, Monty, what's the use

of being out if you got no dough?

- Wonder where I should go.

- Floyd and me talked some more.

I don't know how long. The next time

I looked, they were leaving.

So we left then too. Things were

pretty expensive in that bar anyway.

I figured if the Jew boy was setting up

drinks, we might as well get in on it.

We followed them to the apartment

and just walked in.

Hiya, Sammy. We come to the party.

- There isn't any party, sergeant.

- You thought you could skip out on us.

You feel sick?

- I'm all right.

- Maybe you better go get some air.

- Mitch. What's the matter, boy?

- I'll be right back.

- You want me to come with you?

- I'm all right. I'll be right back.

- I have to get ready to go in a few minutes.

- That's too bad, Sammy.

We gotta look after Mitch. Come on.

- Here's to you, Sammy.

- Come on, Floyd.

Thanks just the same, Sammy.

And that was the last we seen of Sammy,

the last we seen of Mitch.

He wasn't outside. I couldn't figure out

where he'd got to.

Floyd was pretty stinko. I started back to

the Stewart with him. Then I got worried.

I put him in a cab and went back

to look for Mitch.

- And ran right into me.

- You ought to know.

You came up to Samuels' apartment

even though you saw police cars?

Well, how did I know they had

anything to do with Samuels?

You're just a bunch of hick cops here.

You won't pin anything on Mitch.

Not in 100 years.

I'm sorry.

It's just that I'm worried sick

about Mitch.

Did you have some sort of

an argument with Samuels?

What was there to argue about?

His liquor was good. Everything was okay.

You'd never met him before?

No. I told you, I just met him in the bar.

I never even seen him before.

- You sure?

- Well, sure, I'm sure.

Of course...

...seen a lot of guys like him.

- Like what?

- Oh, you know...

...guys that played it safe during the war.

Scrounged around keeping

themselves in civvies.

Got swell apartments, swell dames.

You know the kind.

I'm not sure that I do. Just what kind?

Oh, you know...

...some of them are named Samuels.

Some of them got funnier names.

You'll be at the Stewart Hotel?

Sure. I got nowhere else to go.

I'm sponging a bunk from one of the boys.

Coming, Keeley?

There are one or two more questions

I'd like to ask Sergeant Keeley.

He ought to look at a casualty list.

There are a lot of funny names there too.

I said Monty was illiterate.

Said he ought to read.

- I was just philosophizing.

- I'm not interested in philosophy.

I'm trying to solve a murder.

Mitchell was in a strange mood tonight.

You admit that.

He left Samuels' apartment

intending to come back.

We arrive and find Samuels

beaten to death.

And we find Mitchell's wallet

in the sofa.

I say Mitchell did come back.

- Some sort of an argument developed...

- I say you're nuts.

Why? Or don't you think Mitchell

could kill Samuels that way?

I don't think Mitchell would kill

anybody any way.

- You still don't know where he is?

- No.

I didn't know when I came in,

and I haven't suddenly gotten brighter.

- You don't believe he did it.

- He was there.

- So were Floyd and Monty.

- They left. Mitch said he was returning.

- According to Monty.

- To Monty.

Monty's a liar.

What makes you believe his story?

- Happens to be the only story I've got.

- Then why did you let him go?

Did I?

You don't think he's gonna lead you

to Floyd Bowers, do you?

Is that all for me?

You know where to find me.

Mitchell hasn't been here?

- What happened? Who'd he kill?

- He didn't kill anybody.

He's in trouble, but nobody knows

where he is. We gotta find him.

- What are we waiting for?

- That lobby is full of cops and MPs.

Spread out. Find him.

Try and tag him before he gets here.

Scare the pants off that knucklehead.

I made him promise

to meet me here at midnight.

That's an hour ago.

I was gonna watch him

till his wife showed up.

When you find him,

put him someplace safe.

I'll be waiting in the coffee shop.

One at a time. Don't go through that lobby

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