Murder in the First Page #7

- Who?

Me.

Me. Henkin assigned me to the case.

He said I could take it or be fired.

I didn't have any choice.

- A choice to stab me in the back?

- Not stabbing you in the back.

- 'm trying to save your job and mine.

- What about Henri?

What about, there's more to being a lawyer

than profit?

I don't have a brother

who's a partner in a big law firm.

There aren't any other jobs

waiting out there for me either.

The only option I had was to do

what he told me to do.

- What could I have done, James?

- 'll see you, Mary.

What we need to do is establish exactly...

We have a lot of work to get to today,

if you don't mind.

Stop that, Mr. Young.

Jesus Christ, all I was doing was looking.

I wanna set you straight about the way...

You set me straight

the minute you walked in here.

- Mr. Young...

- Please, call me Henri. Please.

Mr. Young, I am not here to satisfy

any sexual fantasies that you may have.

You're not?

No, I'm your attorney.

Well, they're gonna kill me anyway.

You're not gonna do me any good

as an attorney.

You might as well be good for something.

- Mr. Young, I can't...

- Please, please, call me Henri, can't you?

I just wanna hear a lady call me Henri.

Can't you, please, please?

Just once.

Please?

- Henri, listen, we have so...

- Yeah, yeah. That's it. That's it. That's it.

Now I'm gonna touch you just a little.

- Just a little.

- Are you crazy?

Yeah, sure. It's not gonna hurt you

to let me touch you.

Don't make me call the guard.

We're running late on this...

Stop that.

Stop.

Stop that. Stop that.

What? 'm not touching you.

I'm touching me.

Guard? Guard?

You have a problem, ma'am?

Did he do anything?

- No. No.

You let me know if he does.

No, I'd like to leave now, please.

He wants to see you in there.

- What?

He wants to see you in there.

So why'd you wanna meet here?

Neutral territory?

So you wanna be my lawyer again?

Why? What happened to the other one?

I don't know if I want her.

Since I had her, I mean.

She was good, though.

She was everything I wanted

my first experience to be.

You know, I was just talking

and she came over.

- She started touching me right on my...

- That's great. That's great, Henri.

Jim, I'm just playing a joke on you.

I know she was your girlfriend.

I remember from the smell of that perfume

on your jacket.

So, lawyer...

...you wanna come back?

I resigned.

So I guess that means

I'm in private practice now, huh?

I could have had her though.

Of course...

...she don't play cards.

After I got arrested...

...they took my little sister away.

They put her in a home or a orphanage...

...I don't know.

I don't know what happened to her.

Never saw her again.

My parents died when I was 7.

It was just me and my brother...

...and he didn't know anything

about raising a child...

...so he sent me off to boarding school.

I did get to come home on holidays.

And he put me through law school...

...then got me the job

at the public defender's office.

He always wanted me to do well.

We had a plan until you came along

and messed everything up, Henri.

I wish I had been able to take care

of my little sister, you know?

I mean, family's family, right?

Henri, I'm sorry you're here.

Hey, this here's paradise

compared to my last home.

So how about the case?

You wanna talk about that a little bit now?

You never give up, do you?

Okay, what about the Redskins?

How do you think they're gonna do

against the Yankees this year?

Jim, the Redskins are a football team.

Yankees are a baseball team.

Personally, I think the Redskins

would kick the sh*t out of them.

Henri, I'm trying.

I know.

This is gonna be

a private conversation, Byron.

Uh, it never took place, all right?

- s that all right with you, Thurgood?

- 'm the one who suggested it.

That brother of yours...

...is making quite a little name

for himself.

We've even heard his name

in Washington.

My brother has resigned from the case.

Well, he was hired back again last night.

What do you mean,

he was hired back again?

Byron...

...since you made partner,

your work here has been stellar.

- would hate to see anything...

- What are you trying to say?

This administration is not going to allow...

...public attention to be diverted

from all the good it's done...

...by some kind of a witch hunt

in the Justice Department.

I'm just telling you what the score

is, Byron.

It's up to you to take care of him.

Why would J. Edgar Hoover care

about what happens to Henri Young?

Oh, grow up, James.

He doesn't care

about what happens to Henri.

He cares about Alcatraz,

the Justice Department...

...Humson, the administration.

He can't have some kid

from the PD's office...

I'm not a public defender anymore.

Don't play games. You know the point.

Yeah. The point is I'm trying to do

what's right. I'm talking about justice here.

You're disgusted about what happened

on Alcatraz. So am I.

But if you tear the whole system down,

what does that say about America?

We're wrong.

We can't be wrong.

The world is fighting right now

to preserve our system, our way of life.

You can't attack it blindly.

Byron, we're talking about one man here.

It's not that big of a deal.

- You're under surveillance.

- What?

Everyone is watching you.

Tell me how you plan to continue.

You have to realize, no one will talk.

Everyone has been gotten to.

I have somebody.

Who?

I can't tell you.

- So now you don't trust me?

- Byron, you're my brother. I love you.

I need your help.

I... I can't do it, Byron.

I'm sorry, but I can't.

I can't.

James, as a consolation...

...please don't put Humson on the stand.

Why?

Humson was handpicked by Hoover.

It would save a lot of embarrassment

if you were to avoid Humson.

I'll think about it.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, Byron.

Yeah?

Mr. Stamphill?

Yeah. Yeah, this is James Stamphill.

Uh, this is Derek Simpson.

Remember we talked before?

Right, right. Of course.

Of course, I remember.

Have you made your decision?

I've been thinking...

...about what we were talking about

and I'd like to be a witness.

Wonderful.

Now, you do understand that

you'll have to testify in court under oath...

...about the brutality you witnessed

at Alcatraz.

Yes, I know that.

Particularly in reference to Henri Young.

I know some things.

Mr. Simpson, do you hold

any sort of grudge...

...against Warden Humson

or Associate Warden Glenn?

No.

Why don't ljust come over

and we can speak in person?

Yes. Uh, I'm in Chinatown.

It's an alley called Scotland Court.

The number there is 964.

Mr. Simpson, are you in here?

Mr. Simpson, are you all right?

You all right?

Mr. Simpson,

you still wanna be a witness?

- Who's she?

- She's a court reporter.

- What happened to your face?

- My face had a little accident this morning.

Listen, Henri, we need to get

one more deposition...

- No.

...regarding the beatings you received.

Uh, your eye, your leg. Everything.

Henri, remember when you told me

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