Crossfire Page #4

"Know what I'd like to do? I'd like to take

you dancing. You remind me of my wife."

What's the idea

saying a thing like that?

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you.

I haven't really been dancing

in almost two years.

Why not?

- Because I haven't.

- Why?

Because I've been working for a living.

What do you do when you're not

working for a living?

I live.

How much would you charge to dance

with me now? I mean here.

It's nice out here.

Used to be a spaghetti restaurant.

They don't use the garden anymore.

- Would you like me to make you spaghetti?

- Sure.

I live at the Regal Apartments,

on Southern Street.

You could wait for me.

I won't be home for a couple hours...

...but, well, you could sleep or some...

I'll try to get away early.

But if you don't wanna wait, just lock

the door and put the key in the mailbox.

It was a crazy thing to do, I guess,

but it made sense at the time.

Besides, I thought

I could use a little sleep.

I walked around some more,

then I went up to her apartment.

First thing I remember was

somebody knocking on the door.

I couldn't figure out at first where I was.

Then when I remembered...

... I couldn't remember

whether Ginny had been there or not.

- Hasn't she come home yet?

- I don't know.

I don't think so.

- You mean Ginny, don't you?

- Who do you mean?

I guess I mean Ginny.

- You belong here or something?

- Or something.

- How long have you been waiting?

- I don't know, I just woke up.

I don't even know what time it is.

- I got a key somewhere she gave me.

- I know. I saw you with her at the joint.

- Who are you?

- I'm a man who's waiting for her.

Is that all right?

Sure.

- Want some coffee?

- Sure.

I'm her husband. I'm Ginny's husband.

I was a soldier. I conked out.

You're wondering about this setup,

aren't you?

Yeah, I guess I am.

Well, ask her, then.

She was a tramp when I married her.

I didn't know it at first...

...but I knew it before we married. That's

one reason I enlisted, to get away from her.

But I couldn't wait to get out

and come back to her.

When I did, she didn't want me.

Funny, isn't it?

But I still want her. I still love her.

You know what I just told you?

That's a lie.

- I see.

- I'm not her husband.

I met her the same as you did,

at the joint.

I can't keep away from her. I wanna

marry her, and she won't have me.

- I see.

- Do you believe that? Well, it's a lie too.

I don't love her,

and I don't wanna marry her.

She makes good money there.

- You got any money on you?

- No.

She makes good money sometimes.

Hey. Do you suppose I could be a soldier?

Maybe I could in the regular Army.

Make a good rating and make

some dough by the next war.

- Why not?

- Why not?

Because I don't want to.

What do I wanna be a soldier for?

I'm too restless.

I don't know what I wanna do.

- You gonna wait for her?

- I don't know.

Well, wait for her if you want to.

Soon as we've had some coffee,

I'm gonna take a nap.

Got any cigarettes?

No.

I remembered what you said

when I left you, Keeley.

You said, "Meet me at the hotel

at midnight. " I said, "Why?"

You said, "Meet me. I wanna show you

Washington. It's educational.

Maybe you'll learn something.

Meet me, or I'll murder you. "

Suddenly, the whole thing was screwy.

I decided to get out of there.

I went straight to the hotel, and next thing

I knew, you were pushing me around.

How long was it from the time you left

Samuels' till the time you met this Ginny?

- I don't know...

- How long were you in her apartment?

- Well, I...

- Oh, you ought to be kept in a cage.

What's happening? Is everything

suddenly gone crazy?

I don't mean just this.

I mean everything. Or is it just me?

Oh, it's not just you.

The snakes are loose.

Anybody can get them.

I get them myself,

but they're friends of mine.

- I think Samuels understood it.

- That's a big help.

Are you still in love with your wife or not?

I guess I am.

- She still in love with you?

- That's a screwy thing to ask.

Maybe it is, but she's here now.

Or she should be.

- I gotta figure out how much to tell her.

- Mary?

Oh, she doesn't know anything.

She was coming here anyway.

- Why?

- To see you.

That's why I tried to keep you sober

tonight. I talked to her this afternoon.

Maybe she's here now.

She was supposed to be on a plane.

I don't know where she is,

but I'll go and try to find her.

Keeley, I couldn't have

killed that guy, could I?

- Leroy found Floyd.

- Where?

He's in a room on Maryland Avenue

where he's hiding out.

He phoned Leroy, trying to raise some

dough. Leroy says he sounds scared.

- You got the address?

- I don't want nothing to do with this.

- I don't wanna get in trouble.

- Just tell us where Floyd is.

Then go back to the hotel

and stay there and forget it.

Don't move, even to another seat.

You want a sandwich or something?

Okay, watch the picture, then,

and don't move.

Open up, Floyd. It's Monty.

Let me get out of here.

What do I have to stay for?

We have to be careful now.

The cops are screwing down.

And that Finlay is sharp.

I tried a couple things,

but I don't know about him.

- We'll be okay. Keep our stories straight.

- Give me a cigarette.

Let me have a cigarette, huh?

Get ahold of yourself.

I gotta leave so I can go out

and keep in touch with things.

- Keep out of sight till they find Mitch.

- Let me go away someplace.

That won't do no good.

You gotta talk to the cops sometime.

No, Monty. I can't talk to them.

You got nothing to worry about

as long as our stories are straight.

I can't say there was no argument. Mitch

was there when you went after Samuels.

- The cops will pick up Mitch...

- Mitch won't say nothing. Mitch was stinko.

He won't remember exactly.

Nobody knows exactly except me and you.

Why'd you go after the guy?

Why'd you have to start an argument?

No Jew is gonna tell me

how to drink his stinking liquor.

There wasn't no argument.

There was just a quiet discussion.

We left right after Mitch.

Remember that, Floyd. Right after Mitch.

- Yeah.

- We was worried about him.

Sure.

Floyd.

Floyd, open up, it's Williams.

We heard you're in trouble.

What's the matter, Floyd?

Leroy tells me you're in a jam,

you need some dough.

We don't like to see anybody in a jam.

How much dough do you need?

Oh, I talked to Leroy about something else.

Got it wrong, I guess.

Anyway, I was going away,

but now I don't know.

Heard about Mitchell?

The cops think he killed that man he met

with you and Monty. Did you hear about it?

Yeah, I heard about it.

This has got nothing to do with that.

I wasn't there. I left. Me and Monty left.

Cops can't pin anything on me and Monty.

I got in a jam about something else,

Keeley, and it just caught up with me.

That's what I need the dough for.

I haven't got enough dough on me, but I'll

scrounge around, see what I can dig up.

Gee, thanks a lot, Keeley.

I'll be back before morning.

Rate this script:1.0 / 1 vote