House of Games Page #3

This is the candy store.

Now, I come into your candy store,

and I give you $20 in singles and I say

"Could you please give me a $20 bill?"

"I have to send a registered letter

to my mother. "

"To your aunt. " It's more pathetic.

- "To my aunt. "

- It's addressed and there's a stamp on it.

You give me a $20 bill. Give me the 20.

I seal it, and you watch me seal it

in the envelope.

Now, I gave you what appeared

to be $20 in singles

but, when you count it, there's only 19.

- And you say "I've only got 19."

- I've only got 19.

"Here, let me count it. "

And there are only 19.

"God, I'm sorry. Let me get

another dollar from my wife in the car. "

"Here, hold this a minute. "

And I give you the envelope

with the $20 in it,

and I take the $19, and I go home.

"Goodbye. "

And that's a little larceny called "the flue".

- I don't get it.

- You don't get it?

- You gave me the 20. I gave you the 19.

- Yes.

- I just won a dollar.

- Open the envelope.

That's right.

- But I saw you put the $20 bill in there.

- No. That's what you thought you saw.

- How did you steal the bill?

- Secrets of the pyramids.

It's OK, Joe. Show her.

I think we owe her one.

All right. The flue revealed.

Let's do it again.

I come into your store

and I hand you $20 in singles and I say

"Could you please give me a $20 bill?"

"I have to send

a registered letter to my aunt. "

You give me the bill, and I seal it.

And you watch me seal it in the envelope.

A little page in the history of the short con.

It's been very nice talking to you.

- Here's your cab.

- Thank you.

Good night.

May I talk to you for a moment?

Is my friend square with you

on the 800 dollars?

- I thought you'd say that.

- We struck a bargain.

You said watch for the tell

and you'd cancel his debt.

Are you a man of your word?

- All right. He's square.

- May I have the IOU?

Hey, you're right.

What's right is right.

Thank you.

- What's your name, by the way?

- Thank you for a lovely evening.

You're a lovely woman.

Good night.

Come back anytime

you'd enjoy some more excitement.

Let's go.

He said "I can make any woman

a whore in 15 minutes. "

And what did you say to that?

I said he couldn't make anybody a whore

that was not a whore to start out with.

He said "I've been reading your mail,

and you are that whore. "

Then... because

he didn't realise what he had done...

- And what had he done?

- I know there are people who are normal.

- Are there?

- Yes, there are.

- But...

- But what?

But I don't know what those people do.

It's all right, darling. It's all right.

No. It's not all right.

It never was all right. How can you

live when you've done something...?

Sssh.

Maria? I have to talk to you.

You excuse me.

Thank you.

Why do we listen to their troubles

when we can't help them?

Oh, you have been talking

to your murderess.

I know why she is in the hospital.

She's sick.

The question is, what am I doing in there?

It's a sham. It's a con game.

Nothing that I say will help her.

I can learn nothing from her

to help others avoid her mistakes.

That poor girl. All her life,

my father tells her she's a whore, so...

- Your father?

- I'm sorry?

You said your father

says that she's a whore.

- I said "my father"?

- Yes.

You remember

what your friend told you yesterday?

Don't work so hard.

Do something that gives you satisfaction,

something that you always enjoy.

What do you really enjoy?

- What do I enjoy?

- Yes.

- I enjoyed writing my book.

- Then write another book.

In the short term, come to my house

for dinner tonight. Will you do that?

I'm sorry. I can't come tonight.

Tonight, forgive me for asking,

you have something to do

that gives you enjoyment?

- Yes, I think so.

- That's good.

You need joy.

- You come to play pool?

- I'm looking for Mike.

Mike ain't here.

Try down at Charlie's.

Thank you.

Can I help you?

- Drinking?

- Scotch and water.

- Scotch and water.

- Thank you.

- You pay now.

- How much is it?

Like most things, it's negotiable.

Oldest trick in the book.

Never fails.

Not good for much,

but still of great historical interest.

- Hiya.

- Hi.

It's good to see you.

Did I tell you my name? My name is Mike.

- Glad to meet you.

- Well, I'm glad to meet you too.

- I have a proposition for you.

- And what's your name?

How would you feel if someone were

to do a study of the confidence game?

And to talk to you and learn your views

and watch how you operate?

- A study of?

- Yes.

- For what?

- For my own reasons.

- Are you a journalist?

- I'm a writer. A sort of writer.

A sort of writer

and that's why you came back?

- How would you feel about that?

- Why did you come back here?

I came back here to write.

I came back...

I would like to see how you operate.

Is that the idea? You want to see

how a true bad man plies his trade?

Yes.

All right.

- You'll call me when it comes in.

- Yes, sir.

Thank you.

The basic idea is this.

It's called a confidence game. Why?

Because you give me your confidence?

No. Because I give you mine.

How do you get money

when you have no money?

Watch closely.

This is called "short con".

Would you please check again, please?

Howard. Martin Howard.

- Money order for $300.

- Hasn't come in yet.

- As I told you...

- It was supposed to arrive this afternoon.

- The moment it arrives...

- All right, all right. Thank you.

I'm expecting some money.

Sergeant John Moran.

- One moment. Moran?

- Yes, sir.

- I'm sorry, it hasn't come in yet.

- They told me definitely by nine o'clock.

If you'll have a seat,

I'll let you know the moment it arrives.

Thank you.

Can you beat that?

Can you beat this?

I've been waiting here since... Honey?

- Since three o'clock this afternoon.

- No.

Three o'clock this afternoon.

I got my car stolen. My wallet.

The kid's in a hotel room,

hasn't eaten since noon.

- They told me I'd have my money by nine.

- I swear to God.

I've gotta pick up a bus ticket.

- When's the bus leave?

- Six, but I gotta pick up the ticket.

- Where you going?

- Pendleton.

You're in the Corps?

I was in the Corps!

- When were you in?

- '68 to '70.

Yeah, I was there.

- Marty Howard.

- John Moran.

John.

- OK, look. What do you need for the bus?

- 40.

When my money comes in,

I'll give you the 40.

- No, I couldn't take that.

- Are you gonna miss your formation?

I'll lend you the 40. When you get back

to the base, send it back.

- Um...

- No. You get on that bus.

- Thank you.

- Nothing to it. You'd do the same for me.

- If my money comes in first...

- No, we'll be all right. I couldn't do that.

Moran!

Could I see some ID, please?

Thank you.

Now that man is going to

give his money to a total stranger.

Now, you've got to take some money

from me. I want you to take it.

- What do you need?

- No, we'll get by.

No, wait. You tell me.

What do you need? I've got it right here.

Save your money, Joe. Semper fi.

- What's more fun than human nature?

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