Kiss Me Deadly Page #3

lt was a nice bird.

Used to eat out of my hand.

You let it die. Why'd you let it die?

lt reminded me of her every time it sang.

She was a good kid.

She was lots of fun.

We worked together, couple of jobs...

Till she got sick.

That's when I noticed

that she started to change.

You get on a merry-go-round

and think you can get off any old time.

But then it starts going too fast.

She was scared.

She was more and more scared.

She was afraid to go out.

She'd go to the movies once in a while

or out for groceries, but never very far.

Then the police came around.

They asked questions, lots of questions.

Then they took her away.

After a while, I had a feeling

someone was watching the place.

Then those men came.

What did they want?

I didn't stick around to find out.

Why was Christina so afraid?

lt's all right, you can trust me.

I don't know.

You wanna get even for what happened

to Christina, don't you?

I'll see what I can do.

(train passes noisily by)

(chamber music )

(phone rings)

This is Crestview 5-4 1 24.

Mr Hammer, whom you are calling,

is not available at present.

If you wish to leave a record of your call,

please state your message at the tone.

(man) Good evening, Mr Hammer.

You will wonder who this is,

but it does not matter.

What does matter is that your work

has been interrupted, your car wrecked.

Your life has been ruffled - to put it mildly.

If you had not stopped

to pick up Christina,

not any of these things

would have happened.

So let's pretend you did not pick her up.

- So what happens if I pretend?

- Ah, so there you are, Mr Hammer.

Why, nothing will happen.

Your life will go on as serenely as before.

As a token of our intentions, look in front

of your apartment tomorrow morning.

(line goes dead)

Ha-ha! That Mike.

He wrecks one car and goes out

and buys another one, just like that!

Wow. Va-va-voom!

Oh, some day I'm gonna get me

a car just like this.

I'm gonna get in and I'm gonna drive.

Oh, shines like a million.

Hey, even the keys are in.

Think I'll go around the block and come

back before he wakes up. Why not? Pow!

Nick!

- Don't touch anything.

- I didn't.

Turn that key and it's the last thing

you'll ever do. Open the hood.

Look under it.

- No, the other side.

- The other side.

Down around the starter.

See anything?

Yeah.

Disconnect it and take it out.

- Is this what you mean?

- Yeah. A torpedo.

- Turn the key and, boom, no more Nick.

- Wow.

- The hood.

- Oh, the hood.

Wow, that was close.

Boy. Oh, boy.

- Are you sure?

- Yeah, I'm sure.

- Are you really sure?

- I said I'm sure.

He's sure.

Pom-pom-porrr...

My moustache! My father's moustache!

Let's go to the freeway.

I wanna see how this bird flies.

- We better stop off at the garage first.

- Why?

- That's the one they expected us to find.

- There's another one?

- You sure?

- Yeah, I'm sure.

He's sure.

Find anything?

The sweet little kiss-off. lt's a bomb

connected to the speedometer.

Car goes slow, nothing happens,

but when you open her up wide...

Va-va-voom?

Hey, Nick.

How'd you like a rod like this one?

- Mine? All mine?

- Down to the last cotter pin.

What do I have to do?

Name it and it's done.

- Can you find out who souped her up?

- A cinch.

I know of a place in Culver City.

I'll dig around and ask a few questions.

- Va-va-voom?

- Va-va-voom.

Nicky, you should ask what it's worth

to him. What he's gonna get out of it.

Don't bother me, small fry.

You play your guitar, Sammy-boy,

and I'll drive my car.

Voom-voom pow!

Nicky, you're gonna get yourself

in a lot of trouble.

(a waltz)

(music back on)

- Did you call your friendly Mr Friendly?

- Yes. He awaits me anxiously.

Then call him back and cancel it.

Forget these penny-ante divorce cases.

I got a line on something better.

That girl was mixed up

in something big.

And a cut of something big...

could be something big.

I want you to find out

all you can about her.

First you find a little thread,

the little thread leads you to a string,

and the string leads you to a rope...

and from the rope you hang by the neck.

What kind of a girl was she,

this friend of yours, Christina?

I only ask because Ray Diker phoned up.

He left two names.

He said you might check up on them.

Where are they?

In my typewriter.

Va-Va-Voom says that in Greek

your name would be Michali Sfiros.

But under any other name

would you be as sweet?

Kawolsky.

Kawolsky.

He was a professional fighter.

His first name was Lee.

Couldn't get anything on Raymondo.

Don't know what he was.

Why do you keep saying ''was''?

They both knew your Christina.

They both died the same way she did.

How was that?

The way you almost died.

Traffic... accident.

One fell out of a cab

and the other was run over by a truck.

Who's Carmen Trivago?

Carmen Trivago, a poor man's Caruso,

an unemployed opera singer

in search of an opera.

Raymondo's friend.

And who's Harvey Wallace?

He drove the truck

that ran over Kawolsky.

I was going down Washington Boulevard.

Where they're building that freeway?

lt was kinda late. I'd had a long day.

Winter. You know how it gets dark early.

I had my lights on.

I had 'em on. I know that.

Streets are jammed down there

around quittin' time.

This was after seven...

and the street's empty.

I was goin' under a bridge,

and goin', you know?

This guy come out of nowhere.

Did he step out or run out?

- Or maybe he was pushed.

- Yeah, pushed. More like he was pushed.

- Hello, Mike.

- Hi, Eddie.

How do you like my new boy? Kid Nino.

Doesn't he move pretty?

Sure - just like all your fighters, Eddie.

All right, Kid, shadow-box around.

I'm showing you off to a friend.

lsn't he beautiful? lsn't he lovely?

Look at the way he moves.

Sure, he's great.

But when he fights his big fight

he won't be able to punch

his way out of a paper bag.

- Why not, Mike?

- You'll sell him out, like all the others.

Not this one, Mike.

Wait until the odds build up,

until you can't resist.

No, Mike.

- When does he go?

- Tomorrow night. Main bout.

He's a winner, so it'll be short money.

Bet all you can. Bet your shirt.

lt'd pay more if he lost. You sure

he isn't gonna lay down and die?

On my word, Mike.

Now that's the kind of a bet I like.

Thanks a lot.

What I really came over for

was to find out what you know

about a kid that used to fight

under the name of Lee Kawolsky.

- What about him?

- Come on, don't give me that.

- You know just about everybody.

- About him I don't know.

He was killed in an accident,

but it wasn't really an accident.

Two fellas, they came in here.

Charlie Max and Sugar Smallhouse.

They asked, if anybody asked questions

about Lee Kawolsky, what do I know?

I looked at their faces.

You know what I said?

I said ''I don't know anything.''

They said to keep that in mind

and they'd make it worth my while.

You'd sell the gold

out of your mother's teeth.

- How much did they give you? I'll top it.

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