Edge of the City Page #6

Mom, I wanna come home.

Yes. Yes, please come home.

You father... George.

Yes, Katherine?

George.

George, he wants to come home.

Axel?

Axel, are you there?

Listen, you've got to talk to me.

Your mom says

that you wanna come home.

Well, we want you to.

Do you understand me?

We want you to.

I don't care what you've done.

I don't care

what kind of trouble you're in.

I don't care anything

about whatever's happened before.

It's from now on that counts.

Do you understand me?

Listen, you've got to talk to me.

The thing is, Axel, that we miss you.

You're all we've got,

and we miss you.

Please, son, will you talk to me?

Just say something.

You can curse me

or yell at me if you want to.

I don't care,

just please say something.

Pop.

You really want me?

Ha-ha-ha. Axel, my son,

have I ever lied to you?

I mean, just forget

whatever else might have happened.

Did I ever lie to you?

No, Pop, you never did.

Well, then listen to me now.

We want you to come home.

I'm in trouble, Papa.

I'm a deserter from the Army,

I'm a bad guy. I'm in trouble, Pop.

Well, we don't care.

We'll work something out.

Just please, will you come on home?

Okay, Pop.

Okay, Papa. I'm coming home.

Tell Mama I'm coming home.

- Yes?

- Mrs. Price.

We met the other night.

I'm Axel North.

- Is Lucy here?

- Yes, she's here.

Well, do you remember me?

I was a friend of Tommy's.

I'd like to see her, please.

Yes, you can see her.

She'll be right out.

Axel. Oh, Axel.

All I know is that the policeman came,

and he said he didn't know anything.

Look, Lucy, it happened, that's all.

All right.

It wouldn't help Tommy any,

he's dead.

That's the end.

- Hello.

- Hello.

You going somewhere?

I was, I was planning to leave.

I'm going home.

- Where have you been?

- My room.

We tried to phone you,

but we didn't know your number.

We wondered what happened to you.

- We were worried.

- Look, Lucy, what can I tell you?

- He was my friend.

- I understand.

You don't have to say anything.

Well, look, the reason I came up,

I have some money.

It isn't much, $50, $55.

- I want you to have it...

- No, no, no, we're not in bad shape.

There's the insurance

and the union welfare.

- All in all, we'll be all right.

- Well, what are you gonna do?

I'll go to work. Tommy and I...

We used to joke about

my busted-up career.

Actually, it wasn't a joke, really.

Now I have the chance to prove

whether I can do it or not.

Well, look, I wanted you to have

this money anyway.

Axel, I wanna know.

- Look, it wouldn't help to know.

- Tell me.

- No, it wouldn't do any good to know.

- Tell me, tell me!

- It was a fight.

- A fight?

The police said...

- With whom?

- What's the difference with whom?

It was a fight with a guy.

You mean Tommy wasn't killed...

...he was murdered?

No, it was a fight.

Now, Tommy could have killed him...

No, no, no, Tommy would never fight.

Well, what did this man do to him?

- How did he get Tommy to fight?

- You're making it worse, it doesn't help.

Why don't the police know?

Why don't they arrest the man?

Ellen, tell her it doesn't help

to know these things?

- Why don't they arrest him?

- They don't know who it is.

- Do you know?

Of course I know. I know.

You know who murdered him?

You know,

and you're not telling the police?

You're running away

without telling the police?

Look, Lucy.

Lucy, you just don't understand.

I understand.

You let them kill Tommy.

You're supposed to be his friend,

but you're not.

You never were.

You're just like the rest of them.

You're just like everybody else. Get out!

Get out of here!

You want me to have your money?

What does that buy you?

Take your white man's money

and get out.

Get out of here. Get out!

What's gonna happen?

Oh, Ma.

Axel. Axel, please.

Axel. Axel, please.

Please. Please, don't run away.

- Please, not from me.

- She doesn't understand.

- Then tell me! Tell me so I understand!

- What could I do? It started, that's all!

- You couldn't help Tommy?

- No, I couldn't help him.

Come here.

- Mr. Davis.

North.

- Mr. Davis, I wanna talk to you.

- Sure, sit down.

No, thanks.

I want you to do me a favor.

Call that detective

that was here this morning.

- Detective?

- That's right.

Now, I know you know his name

and I know you know his precinct.

Okay.

Charlie.

- What?

- I'm gonna take you in to the cops.

- What are you talking about?

- I said I'm gonna take you in to the cops.

You know what you're doing,

Nordmann?

Yeah, Charlie, I know what I'm doing.

Hey, Charlie.

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