Miller's Crossing Page #18

Tom

Uh-huh. . . Course, there's always that wild card

when love is involved. . .

Caspar is staring intently at Tom. After a beat:

Caspar

. . . I know Mink is Bluepoint's boy, but I still

don't make it that way.

Tom

Mm. Well, then there's nothing to worry about.

Caspar seems lost in thought:

Caspar

Yeah. . .

We hear the door to the office open offscreen and Johnny

Jr. runs into frame clutching a scrolled piece of paper.

Johnny Jr.

Poppa! Poppa! I got a prize from the--

Caspar holds his hand up to quiet the youngster, still

looking at Tom.

Caspar

Just a minute.

As Tom rises to his feet:

. . . Course, there's no reason not to be

careful--

Johnny Jr.

Poppa! Poppa! The sisters gave me a--unnnh!

Cascar has cuffed him sharply on the side of the head.

He points at Tom.

Caspar

Shaddap! You take a page outta this guy's book.

A little less you talk and a little more you

think!

Cascar looks at Tom and smiles.

. . . Kids. Ya gotta be firm. Anyways. You

know what I'm sayin'. No reason to worry but no

reason not to investigate, neither. If Mink is

around I want you to find him. He can tell us

what's what. . .

(to Johnny Jr.:
)

. . . What's a matter, somebody hit you, what's a

matter, we ain't friends anymore?. . .

He picks up Johnny Jr., who is crying softly, and sets him

in his lap. Encouraged by the attention, the child starts

wailing. Caspar bounces him on his knee and raises his

voice over the sobs:

. . . If you find him, I wanna talk to him alone.

That's how you get the straight dope. Man-to-

man. Just me, Mink. . .

He pats his jacket where his shoulder holster is.

. . . and my friend roscoe. Y'understand what

I'm sayin'?

Tom takes a contemplative drag on his cigarette.

Tom

. . . It ain't complicated.

44. CUT TO:

CLOSE SHOT A MAN'S FACE

Crunch!--being hit by a gloved hand.

The blow and the man's grunt echo.

CLOSE ON A NEWSPAPER

As the noise of fists against flesh continues, echoing, in

the background.

The newspaper headline reads: PARTY BOSS LOOSES MUNICIPAL

CONTRACT. The subhead reads: Liam (Leo) O'Bannon Removed

From City Highway Commission; New Construction Contracts

To Raffo Bros.

ON TOM:

Leaning against a pillar in a large bare room with a

hardwood floor. He is reading the newspaper.

We are in a gym. In a ring in the background two boxers

are sparring as two or three old men with towels slung over

their shoulders and elbows hooked over the ropes idly

watch, and offer occasional bits of half-hearted advice.

We hear high heels echoing across the floor and Verna

enters.

Tom

You should leave town for a few days; things are

going to heat up here. Go out to the Pallisades;

I'll join you once I'm done.

Verna

. . . I can't find Bernie. Did you find him?

Tom looks out at the fighters in the background, avoiding

Verna's look.

Tom

. . . Yeah.

Verna

Is he leaving?

Tom

He left.

Verna

Where to?

Tom

. . . He didn't say. You should--

She reaches out to touch his hand--

Verna

Thanks.

She leans in to embrace him.

Tom's eyes drift up to the fighters.

45. EXT THE GYM

Peeling paint on its blackened-out window reads: Gleason's

Gym. Training in The Sweet Science.

Verna is exiting the gym in long shot.

We pull back to bring Bluepoint into frame. He sits in the

driver's seat of a car, watching through his side window as

Verna recedes. Quietly:

Bluepoint

What's he up to?

An offscreen voice, a passenger:

Voice

I dunno.

Bluepoint

That's Bernie's sister, isn't it?

Voice

I dunno.

Bluepoint thinks, a short beat.

Bluepoint

What's he seeing her for?

Voice

I dunno, maybe he's--

Bluepoint

Shutup. Get outta the car. Stick with the

bighead.

Bluepoint reaches for the ignition, as we hear the car door

open.

. . . I'll see where the twist flops.

46. CUT TO:

INT SPEAKEASY:

A hand swings through frame holding the barrel of a gun,

smashing the butt into a surprised face.

With a loud crash the surprised man stumbles back into a

table and hits the floor. Legs and the skirts of an

overcoat approach the prostrate, round, middle-aged man and

start kicking him.

He rolls across the floor trying to shield himself from the

blows.

Voice (off)

C'mon, get up. I just wanna talk.

Another Voice (off)

Yeah, get up. He ain't gonna hurt ya.

Round Man

He already hurt me! He broke my goddamn nose!

Whisper, the man standing over him, has a long scar across

his neck. He has a rasping voice:

Whisper

So what? I had my nose broke once.

Round Man

I already paid Leo's men.

Bert, another enforcer, is down at the end of the bar with

Tom.

Bert

You still pay Leo for protection? Is he protec-

tin' you?

As he kicks at the little round man:

Whisper

We's protectin' you. Johnny Caspar's runnin'

things or maybe you ain't heard.

In the background Whisper continues to hector and kick at

the round man as Bert and Tom talk in the foreground.

Tom

So Bluepoint hasn't got a line on Leo yet?

Bert

Not that I know about. He's been lookin', but I

guess Leo's been movin' around and--hoist this

over the bar, will ya?--and thingslve been kinda

hectic.

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