High and Low Page #2

" Save the child first,

then catch the kidnapper."

And this time

we must be especially careful.

They usually ask 200,000.

The highest was two million.

is an incredible ransom.

The kidnapper's extreme,

maybe mentally disturbed.

You're the boy's father?

A widower.

lt's his only child too.

You'll find him?

We'll do our best.

What will you do?

Wait for his next move.

lt's all we can do.

lt's an ordeal for you...

but safest for the boy.

All ready.

Have the telephone company

trace all calls here.

Where's your son, Mrs. Gondo?

lnside.

Ask him what happened

before and after the kidnapping.

Wait. Nakao, you go.

Taguchi might frighten the boy.

You talk to the father.

Do you have a recent photo?

Yes. l'll get it.

lt's time to drive

Mr. Kawanishi to the airport.

You're in no shape to go.

Take a cab.

Wait. lt may be

the kidnapper.

Upstairs phone.

Keep him talking.

Maybe we can trace him.

Hello. Gondo speaking.

Hello. Gondo speaking.

l got the wrong boy.

Don't celebrate yet. Listen.

l don't care whose boy it is.

You're paying.

Why me?

Don't ask.

Just pay up, or he dies.

Understand?

Absurd.

Exactly. lt's absurd.

The wrong boy's

a lucky break for me.

Extortion can only be threats...

against a person or his kin.

So l can't be charged

with extortion.

But you have to pay anyway.

You're a fool to pay,

but you must.

Who says l'll pay?

l absolutely will not.

You will.

You won't kill him.

You don't have the guts, Mr. Gondo.

A fiend.

Smartest crook l ever saw.

He could kidnap any child

and ask ransom for anyone.

And it's not extortion.

Not kidnapping for gain.

Simple kidnapping.

He'd get only five years at most.

This is no joke.

lt's absurd.

He can't get away with it.

lt's not just money

he wants from me.

He wants me to be humiliated,

to suffer.

Forcing me to throw away

my hard earned money.

He wants to laugh at me.

l won't let him.

l won't pay him.

l'll tell him so next time.

No ransom. Never!

Ow! That hurts.

Put him to bed.

l'm not sleepy.

l'll wait for Shinichi.

He understands what's happened.

He feels responsible for it.

l feel the same way.

No one's responsible.

The man is a maniac.

But Shinichi was kidnapped

in place of your son.

Then you think the ransom

should be paid?

You know the position

Mr. Gondo is in.

But he was willing

to pay for his own son.

Said he could raise

more money later.

How? From where?

He's mortgaged everything.

He can't raise more money

to save his own life.

Giving 30 million to a madman.

Stop it!

Let's go to bed.

But l--

Come on.

Time for bed.

lnspector.

Can you promise the boy's safety

if Mr. Gondo pays?

The boy may be dead by now.

Or he may be killed afterwards.

What's the sense in paying?

But if he is still alive,

we can still hope.

What will the kidnapper do

if he isn't paid?

Would he kill the boy?

From the way he talks,

he seems intelligent.

l don't think he'd risk

capital punishment.

He may be intelligent,

but he's not a rational person.

His plan is so cruel,

he must be sick.

We must believe

he'll carry it through.

lf he's paid, he'll return

the boy as he said.

lf not, he said

he'd kill him, didn't he?

lt's a vicious case.

l'll ask the Chief

for a special investigation.

See what you can find out here.

Mr. Gondo, call us

before you answer the phone.

What about me?

Am l going to Osaka or not?

lf l am,

l'd better hurry.

Why are you hesitating?

lt's very clear.

Pay ransom and we're ruined.

That's all there is to it.

Go.

l'm going,

no matter who's calling.

All right, go.

No, Kawanishi, wait!

lnspector!

Keep him talking.

We need more than last time.

Upstairs phone okay?

Hello. This is Gondo.

The boy's fine.

l'll let him talk to you.

Daddy? Are you there?

Shinichi!

Whether he lives or dies...

depends on you.

Good night, Mr. Gondo.

He got away again.

Please save my son!

l couldn't ask you before

to pay all that money.

But now l've heard his voice...

and l must.

Please save him!

Once he's safe, the police

will get your money back.

Please lend it to me!

l'll do everything you want

till the day l die.

l'll make my son work too.

Stop it. Stand up.

Damn it, stand up.

Please save him!

Stand up, l said!

l want to pay, but l can't.

You don't understand.

l'm going.

Wait.

Get up. Please get up.

He won't let your son die.

l'll reason with him too.

lt'll be all right.

lt'll be all right.

lsn't Shinichi back yet?

Go to Osaka tomorrow.

Postpone it!

Then l'll return this.

Excuse me. l'm tired.

Please close the curtains.

Sorry.

You slept here?

No, the Bos'n and l--

Bos'n?

The Bos'n is head

of our squad.

A lot of our work

is connected with the harbor.

" Bos'n" fits him.

A real slave driver.

Dragging me out all night.

You dragged me out.

Scaling walls...

and hiding in shadows

like thieves.

The Chief has set up

a special section.

We can use

the whole police force.

The kidnapper says

he isn't extorting money...

but he's driven you into a corner

and demands ransom.

The department says

that's " kidnapping for gain."

lt's a maximum

That doesn't help me.

His deadline is today.

l thought it over all night.

This is my decision.

The boy's father wants me

to lend him the money.

He says once his boy's safe,

you'll get my money back.

But even if you guarantee it,

l won't pay any ransom.

l'd get it back too late.

Without that money now,

l'll lose everything.

Please understand me.

My work is part of me.

Without it, l'd be dead.

You may say l'm callous,

but l won't pay the ransom.

lt's not true.

l know he'll pay it.

l won't.

l can't.

l told you why last night.

You know what'll happen

if l pay?

l'll be bankrupt.

They'll force me

out on the street.

You'll be all right.

You can start over.

What do you know about poverty?

A big house, fancy clothes

and fine food.

That's been your life.

l could start over,

but you can't.

Yes, l can.

l don't want luxury.

lt's all you've ever known.

That's why you can say,

"Pay the 30 million."

lt doesn't mean anything to you.

You're spoiled.

lt's not that.

Can't you see how

the boy's father feels?

Yes! l can't stand

his groveling.

Look, l'd pay if l could.

But l can't

just think about him!

There's you and Jun

and my own survival.

lt's ridiculous!

Plenty of men richer than me.

And at a time like this.

lt would be suicide for me to pay.

Why should l?

l know.

But it can't be helped.

Aoki has no choice

but to ask you.

l'm asking too.

So is Jun.

Enough! l'm not paying,

no matter who asks me.

l'm not paying any ransom.

Just in time. Take this check

and get to Osaka.

l've been thinking it over.

What?

About that check.

Whether l should take it or not.

You told me not to hesitate.

Well, l was wrong.

lf l went to Osaka

and closed this deal...

you'd control the firm.

But you'd be hated

for sacrificing a child.

You'd be ruined.

No one would buy your shoes.

You're not paid to think!

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