Crossfire Page #3

like a pack of drunken buffaloes.

You see Monty or Floyd, let me know.

- Where's Monty come in? What's he doing?

- Helping Mitch.

Every time he opens his mouth,

he hangs him a foot higher.

Where do you suppose

that stupid birdbrain is?

What's the matter, corporal?

- I'm all right.

- Don't sit on the curb.

- Just sit down to rest.

- Better go rest somewheres else.

Papers all right? Okay.

You don't want a little help?

- I'm all right, thanks.

- Well, watch yourself.

And don't sit on no more curbs.

You get killed that way.

Pickup on a Corporal Mitchell.

- 29645217.

- What for?

I don't know, but it's a double A.

Must have murdered somebody.

- Cup of coffee, please.

- Any luck?

Ask the desk if there

are any messages.

Mitch's wife might have phoned

from the airport.

Okay.

- Sure you know Mitchell when you see him?

- Sure.

Hi, Harry. What's the matter?

Which one?

Beat it.

- What's the matter, Keeley?

- Shut up.

- Break it up. Stand back.

- Got the wrong guy. Mitchell got away.

- He took off...

- You started after me.

What do you expect me to do,

get run over?

- Where's Keeley?

- Who's Keeley?

Okay, let him go.

Tragedy struck this great waterfront city

in the early hours of the morning.

Fire, starting in this warehouse,

spread quickly.

- I couldn't have killed this guy.

- That's not the point.

We can't stay here forever.

You've gotta have a story for the cops.

They've got Monty's, and it sounds

pretty good, but not for you.

I want you to tell me everything you can.

How drunk were you?

I don't know. Pretty drunk, I guess.

How long were you with this girl?

- Well, I...

- You ought to know.

Was it one hour, two hours, three hours?

I can't remember.

My head hurts.

- I can't remember any of it very well.

- Okay.

You ran into Monty and Leroy and Floyd.

And you went to some bar with them.

Okay, take it from the bar. Take it slow,

and remember everything you did.

Well, we were there

quite a while, I guess.

I got restless. I wanted to shove.

Monty was shooting off his mouth.

I wasn't really listening.

Some of them are okay, get that.

Now, Mitchell, here, he's okay.

He was one of my boys.

An artist. Very talented.

But most of them, they got no manners.

You don't wanna hear that. Let's have

a good time. Have another round.

You never seen such stealing.

I remember I was suddenly

sick of him and Floyd.

I wanted my wife.

I wanted to be alone.

I wanted to be somewhere else.

They got no respect for the service.

- What will you have?

- Beer.

My girl is worried about you.

We were talking about you

when that kid spilled that drink on her.

She says you're not drinking

but you're getting drunk anyway.

Anybody that can do that

has got a problem.

- It's a funny thing, isn't it?

- Very funny.

It's worse at night, isn't it?

I think maybe it's suddenly not having

a lot of enemies to hate anymore.

Maybe it's because for four years

we've been focusing our mind on...

On one little peanut.

The win-the-war peanut.

That was all. Get it over.

Eat that peanut.

All at once, no peanut.

Now we start looking at each other again.

We don't know

what we're supposed to do.

We don't know

what's supposed to happen.

We're too used to fighting.

But we just don't know what to fight.

You can feel the tension in the air.

A whole lot of fight and hate

that doesn't know where to go.

Guy like you maybe starts hating himself.

Well...

...one of these days maybe

we'll all learn to shift gears.

Maybe we'll stop hating

and start liking things again, huh?

What sort of an artist are you?

I did a mural once in a post office

for the WPA.

Oh, a lot of fine artists came from there.

I thought at first

he was just plain screwy.

Then suddenly I changed my mind.

He was easy to talk to.

I don't remember

exactly what we talked about...

... but I remember we talked

a lot about baseball.

I think he must have been

on a newspaper or something.

We were still talking

when his girl came back.

They wanted me to go out,

eat with them. That seemed all right.

I guess I said I would.

But she had to change, so we decided

to go up to his place and wait for her.

I don't remember

exactly what we talked about...

... or how long before Monty

and Floyd came.

Suddenly I began to feel worse

instead of better.

Everything began to get fuzzy.

You're doing all right, kid.

You're doing all right.

You know what I'd do

if I had some dough, Sammy?

I'd go to the liquor store,

and I'd tell the man...

...wrap up three bottles of this liquor.

Three bottles all at one time.

Sammy...

...let me tell you something.

Not many civilians will take a soldier

into their house like this for a quiet talk.

Well, let me tell you something.

A guy that's afraid to take a soldier

into his house, he stinks.

And I mean he stinks.

He ought to have the screws put to him.

Am I right, or am I right?

- Don't you think...?

- I asked you a question, Sammy.

- What was that?

- You know what was that.

Am I right, or am I right?

- You're right, sergeant.

- You can say that again.

You're all right, Sammy. You're okay.

- Are you all right?

- I'm all right.

I'll be right back.

I just need a little air.

- Can I get you anything?

- He's all right. You heard him.

- Let's have another round.

- There isn't time.

What kind of a brush is this?

What's the matter, Jew boy?

Afraid we'll drink all your

stinking wonderful liquor?

I didn't wanna hear anybody

yelling at anybody.

I decided not to go back.

The air felt good.

I must have started to walk.

I don't remember.

I remember a street sign.

I couldn't read it.

I don't know how far I walked.

It must have been a long way.

I don't know what the place looked like

on the outside or how I got there...

... but I remember looking up

and seeing this girl...

... this Ginny...

- What did you say your name was?

- Ginny. Because I'm from Virginia.

- I sure get tired of it here.

- What do you work here for then?

For laughs, dear. For laughs.

- Every night?

- Every night.

- To nothing.

- Until when?

- Till we close.

- Then what?

Then I sleep. Me and myself

in my great big bed. We sleep.

- I could have killed my girlfriend. She...

- You got that in quick, didn't you?

- Drink up and be nice.

- You know what I'd like to do?

I'd like to take you dancing.

- That's what the music's for. I work here.

- I mean really take you dancing.

The two of us going somewhere...

...eating something,

talking about ourselves.

- I'm serious.

- Sure. I know, I remind you of your sister.

You remind me of my wife.

Be nice. Order us some more drinks,

and then we'll dance.

I've had enough to drink.

What did you leave for?

You didn't wanna drink.

You wanted to yap.

I don't make any money on that.

You're not getting so rich

out here all by yourself.

- What's wrong with me, anyway?

- You're corny.

- What did I say? We were just talking.

- Oh, is that what that was?

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