Detective Story Page #7

Ring any bells?

No... I'm afraid not.

You looked away then. Why?

Did I? I wasn't conscious of it.

Are you sure a Dr. Schneider

never treated you?

Certainly not. I just told you no.

Why are you so indignant?

I didn't say what he treated you for.

Come in.

Mrs. McLeod, I'm going to have

to ask you a very personal question.

Did you ever have a child?

You know Jim and I have no children.

I mean, before you were married to Jim.

I was never married to anyone but Jim.

I know that.

Then how can you ask?

Mrs. McLeod,

my job is to find out the truth.

Please answer that question.

You have no right to ask that.

I have a right to get at the truth.

Did you ever have a baby?

No, Lieutenant Monaghan, I did not.

Does this name mean anything to you?

Tami Giacoppetti?

No.

Hello, Mary.

What is this, Lieutenant?

I'm sorry, Mrs. McLeod.

Come, rest a while.

Lying on the sidewalk, huh?

Man or woman? Where, please?

353? 353,

isn't that on the north side of the street?

Well, that's the 16th Precinct.

Call them.

Any report on Schneider yet?

No, not yet.

Say, Jim...

I just had a long talk with Mr. Pritchett,

and he's willing to drop the charges.

He is? What's this about, Mr. Pritchett?

- I'd like to give the boy another chance.

- To steal from someone else?

Well, I wouldn't want this

on my conscience.

Suppose he commits a worse crime?

What about your conscience then,

Mr. Pritchett?

I'll gamble. I'm a gambler.

I bet on horses.

This once I'll bet on a human being.

You stick to horses.

The percentage is better.

Now, just a minute, Jim.

I advised Mr. Pritchett to do this.

You had no right to do that, Lou.

This is my case. You know better.

I didn't think you'd mind.

- Well, I do.

- Well, I'm sorry.

But you said

that everything would be all right.

I made a mistake. It's his case.

The disposition of it is up to him.

Well, everybody concerned is...

I'm sorry, girlie,

you've got to leave me out of this.

It's his case, take it up with him.

Mr. McLeod, I'm going to

return the money, and if Mr. Pritchett...

Young lady, this isn't a civil case,

this a criminal action.

Jim, take a look at this sheet

on Charley.

One second, Mr. Pritchett.

- So you didn't done it, Charley?

- No.

- No, on my mother's grave.

- And you've never been in jail?

May I drop dead.

What do you guys want from me?

Heart-breaking, isn't it?

These are your fingerprints, Charley.

They never lie.

Burglary, eight arrests, two assaults,

three muggings, one rape...

two homicides, five extortions,

one prison break.

Nice little sheet, Charley.

He's a four-time loser.

If he makes one false move,

hit him over the head.

Book him and bring him back here

for the inspector.

And book that bum, too.

You got a cigarette?

What do you want, room service?

It's the green-light hotel, ain't it?

Take him away.

Sure, they laugh, they cry.

But don't think it's your laughter

or your tears. It isn't.

They're a different breed.

Believe me, I know.

Who are you? God?

Didn't you ever make a mistake?

Yes.

When I was new on this job, we brought

in two boys caught stealing from a car.

They looked like babies. They cried.

I let them go.

Two nights later, two nights, one

of them held up a butcher in Harlem.

Shot him through the head

and killed him.

Yes, I made a mistake,

and I'm not going to make it again.

But, Officer, you...

Young lady, I don't want

to discuss this with you.

- Don't talk to her like that.

- Shut up. Sit down.

When you're dealing

with the criminal mind, Mr. Pritchett...

softness is dangerous.

But if it's a first offence...

It's never a first offence,

it's just the first time they get caught.

Why are you so vicious?

I'm not vicious, young lady.

I didn't steal this man's money. He did.

Look, this is a war, Mr. Pritchett.

We're your army.

We're here to protect you.

But you civilians are too lazy,

or selfish or scared...

or just too indifferent

to even want to appear in court...

and see the charges through

that you, yourselves, bring.

But if I get paid...

I don't care about that.

This is a criminal action.

Are you or aren't you going through

with it?

Because I'm not going to let him go.

If I don't bring charges?

Then I'll book him, anyway,

and subpoena you into court.

It's my duty to protect you,

in spite of yourself.

I guess I've got to leave it up to you,

Officer. Whatever you say.

I say prosecute.

All right, you know best.

I'm sorry, miss, but he had no right

to rob me in the first place.

That was a terrible thing to do.

All right, Mr. Pritchett,

we won't take up any more of your time.

Now, here's the address, we'll see you

in court tomorrow morning at 10:00.

There goes John Q. Public.

A man of iron.

Mr. Pritchett.

Jim, the Lieutenant's busy.

He doesn't want to be disturbed.

All right, Arthur. In there.

Jim...

why must you make everything

so black and white?

Don't be so intolerant.

- I'm just trying to warn you, Jim.

- What about?

You're digging your own grave.

It's right there in front of you.

One more step and you're in it.

You're very psychic today.

What's on your mind?

- Come on, champ, what's this about?

- Sit down, Tami.

$20 hat. You must be rolling.

$40. I'm comfortable.

What's on your mind, champ?

The woman you said hello to.

That girl's 100%.

I won't say a thing against her.

You don't have to.

This is all off the record.

When I talk, it's for the record, champ.

Look, Giacoppetti, I'm Lieutenant

Monaghan, I'm in charge here.

Keep your tongue in your mouth

and we'll get along.

- You mind if I call my lawyer?

- It ain't necessary.

My lawyer gets mad, too.

Nothing you say here

will be held against you, understand?

I give you my word.

I won't hurt that girl.

I don't want you to.

She's only a witness.

Sit down, Tami.

Okay.

- Shoot.

- When did you know her?

- Seven years ago.

- Like her?

I was crazy about her.

- She was my girl.

- What broke it up?

- She gave me the air.

- Why?

Why'd she give you the air, Tami?

I think maybe I better call my lawyer.

Look, Giacoppetti,

we got a sheet on you.

All I got to do is lift that phone

and you're out of action. Capisce?

- Capisce.

- Well?

Well, one day she comes to me.

She's in trouble.

Now, I got to break it to her I'm married.

She's crying her eyes out.

I'd have married her

if I could have got a divorce.

I tell her I want that kid.

I'd go away with her...

give her anything she wants...

the moon out of the sky,

I'd get it for her.

Dames, who can understand them?

Go on, Tami.

That's the last I see of her.

Then I hear she went to some doctor.

I find the place. She wouldn't see me.

The baby was born dead.

I had a little talk with that doctor.

I beat the daylights out of him.

What was his name?

Some Dutchman, some...

- Schneider?

- Yeah...

Karl Schneider?

- Yeah, that's it.

- Thanks, Tami.

Now, will you tell me

what this is all about?

- Wait.

- Wait for what?

Wait.

Come in.

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