Death Wish Page #3

She's not responding.

You want technical jargon?

I can reel it off.

Catatonia, dementia praecox,

passive schizoid paranoia.

It boils down to this: She's had

an experience she can't face...

...and she's running away from it

inside herself.

You didn't handle it right.

Oh, Christ, Dad.

I'll get other doctors.

Who are these doctors you have?

They're good doctors.

She's almost a goddamn vegetable.

If you don't sign the papers,

what happens?

They keep her until the insurance

runs out. That won't be long.

If you sign the papers

and she's committed, what then?

I've got insurance that covers it

up to $600 a month.

They've recommended

a sanatorium in Long Island.

This commitment,

is it a one-way thing?

Nobody can answer that, Dad.

You want to know what they are?

Statistics on a police blotter.

Mom and Carol, along with

thousands of other people.

And there is nothing we can do

to stop it.

Nothing but cut and run.

What a bummer. That was the

worst f***ing movie I've ever seen.

You got money, man?

I'll kill you. Give me your money

or I'll bust you up.

Oh, Jesus.

Good morning, inspector.

Good morning. What do we got?

We got a corpse.

One bullet hole in his chest.

Fellow over there was jogging,

found him on the path.

- The dead man?

- Thomas Leroy Marston.

He had a parole card. Served 42 months

of a 5-year hitch for grand larceny.

He's a drug addict,

probably popping smack again.

We found this on the grass next to him.

The thing hasn't been fired.

Deceased had a gun clip on his belt,

must be his.

What would you say if I suggested

he tried a heist and got shot?

Maybe two guys

trying to heist each other.

No, this man wasn't robbed.

He still has money in his wallet.

- Morning, Paul.

- Morning.

- Hi, Paul.

- Morning, Sam.

Well, we've marked it out

as you've indicated.

It's beautiful.

What's our profit?

Not quite three million, but...

...our investment can be amortized

in two years. It is a show-place.

Look at that wasted space.

Jainchill loves those hills.

Besides, it's take it or leave it.

It's too pretty to leave.

Okay, I'll run it for the board.

- I may need your help, Paul.

- Okay.

Tucson agreed with you. You look well.

I feel good.

- Was he a white man or a black man?

- I just don't know.

They were under that light.

I wasn't seeing good,

I had blood in my eyes.

Well, was he tall, short, thin, fat?

Frank, forget it, huh?

Ride the ambulance to the morgue.

When they get the slugs out...

...run them over to the lab

for ballistics.

You saw him pretty good, didn't you?

You're full of sh*t.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

If we had the brains

to live in the country...

...we wouldn't be here

for the reason we are today.

We'd be going

into the city to work...

...Mom and Carol would be

safe at home waiting for us.

Nothing to do but cut and run.

What else?

What about the old American

social custom of self-defense?

If the police don't defend us,

maybe we ought to do it ourselves.

We're not pioneers anymore, Dad.

- What are we, Jack?

- What do you mean?

I mean, if we're not pioneers,

what have we become?

What do you call people...

...who, when faced

with a condition of fear...

...do nothing about it?

They just run and hide.

Civilized?

No.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have to start

this investigation somewhere.

So let's start here.

Motive:
Revenge.

I want the records checked.

Go back, say...

...three months.

Limit it to homicide.

We could be looking for a man

who's had a member of his family...

...killed by muggers.

Now, he shoots that pistol

pretty good, right?

Okay.

Combat veteran.

Put Vietnam vets at the top of the

list because they're young and tough.

Then work through

Korea and World War II.

Oh, my God.

Who said that?

Whoever said it,

you're right on the button.

By God and Jesus Christ,

it's impossible.

But until we find a shortcut,

we at least keep busy.

So when the media demands to know

what we are doing...

...we'll tell them

we have definite clues.

Okay?

We won't tell them we have

Did anybody see what he looked like?

We're in Commissioner Dryer's office

waiting for a press conference.

Last night, there was another killing

which appears to be the work...

...of the person the media has dubbed

"the vigilante."

This is the first official statement

from the commissioner.

I can see the commissioner now...

Good morning.

With me is Inspector Frank Ochoa...

...who's been placed in command

of a police detail...

...assigned to what we've all

been calling the "vigilante murders."

Now, it has been confirmed

by our ballistics laboratory...

...that the same gun, a.32 pistol,

used in the previous homicides...

...was used last night in a shooting

aboard a subway train.

Now, I know that this person

has captured the imagination...

... of many people in our city.

And I want to say to our citizens...

... murder is no answer

to crime in a city.

Crime is a police responsibility.

And if this person

is listening to my voice...

... I urge him in the name

of law and order...

... to desist

from this one-man crusade...

... and turn himself in to the police.

He'll be given fair treatment.

That's our police commissioner,

the king of clichs.

- Vigilante's identification?

- No comment.

Do you think he's crazy?

He's got a wire down, all right,

but I don't believe he's a maniac.

It's rumored the rate of muggings

has dropped. Is that true?

Not true.

If it were, would you announce it?

Or are you afraid of imitators?

I don't want to get

into hypotheticals.

I'll bet muggings are down.

One way to find out.

Take a walk on Columbus Avenue.

I think I'll wait

for the official report.

Yes?

You want to confess

to the vigilante killings.

All right, I'll put you

through to Rosenberg.

He's in charge

of confessions today.

He's the 23rd. Put him through.

We couldn't get prints

off the groceries.

- Wasn't there a sales slip?

- Yeah. Here.

D'Agostino's.

Some of this code must identify

the particular store.

Find out where it is.

Get records and check on families

that have somebody killed by muggers.

Put them through the computer

and see if any live near this store.

People are inclined to buy groceries

in their own neighborhoods.

Hi, Jack. Come on in.

Make yourself a drink.

What do you think? The new paint.

- It's a little hard on the eyes...

- On the eyes? It's cheerful.

Turn it up, I can't hear.

We got liver and spaghetti for dinner.

How do you like your liver?

Hey, no drink? Let me make you one.

Listen, that's all right.

I'll get it myself.

I saw Carol today.

- Aren't you gonna ask how she's doing?

- I went up to see her yesterday.

What are you so high about?

You want me to moan and groan

for the rest of my life?

You want your liver medium?

Medium. I'll make it medium.

Hey, there goes the p*ssy posse.

Hey, mister, you got a match?

Yeah.

What else you got?

Let's see the money, man.

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