Quicksand Page #6

It's less than a week since Helen waited

for me outside the garage.

"Have you been dancing lately?",

she said.

And all I had to do was say, "Swell idea

let's go out dancing tonight."

If I had said that I wouldn't be running

away from the cops tonight.

With a murder hanging over my head.

No, Danny, no.

Hey, buddy, pull over to the curb.

I'll have to take a look

at your driver's license.

Brady.

That your name?

Yes, sir.

You went through

a boulevard stop back there.

Will you sign this?

Yes.

And take it easy.

Yeah.

Helen, you kept me

from making an awful mistake.

If you'll only take me with you,

I can help you. I know I can.

Let me lay it on the line.

I'm going to have to keep running.

I'm going to have to keep running

all my life.

Because when they catch me,

they're going to hang me.

Hang you?

For murder. I...

I killed a man tonight.

Start the car

then tell me how it happened.

Telling her about it wasn't as hard

as I thought it would be.

It was Helen who came up with

the idea of Mexico.

We decided to head for an inland town

like Hermacio.

Where not many tourists come.

A man could be safe for fifty years

in a place like that.

What's that?

That's goodbye to Mexico.

It's the main bearing.

It'll take a couple of days to fix.

Then we'll have to hitchhike.

And get there by morning?

We'd never make it.

We have to make it.

Helen, I had the right girl all the time

and was too dumb to know it.

If we ever get out of this thing...

We're going to get out of it.

Yeah, but how?

I've got an idea.

This is the baby

that's going to get us there.

What are you going to do with that?

Get us a lift, honey, a lift

straight through to Mexico.

Come on. Careful.

Get in quick.

Don't try any funny stuff.

I don't want to hurt you.

All right, when the signal changes,

get going.

Turn south on the highway, keep running

fifty and don't run any red lights.

May I ask where we're going?

Keep driving. You'll find out.

I suppose you know

what you're getting into.

This isn't a car theft.

It's kidnapping.

No one asked you.

I don't want your advice.

Well, I happen to be a lawyer.

Maybe...

Maybe you can keep your mouth shut too.

No, Dan, let him talk.

He might be able to help us.

She's right.

Whatever it is that you're running away

from, this is worse.

Kidnapping is a capital offense.

They can hang you for it.

What's the difference?

They're going to hang me anyway.

I just killed a man.

How about the girl?

You leave her out of it.

She had nothing to do with it.

I believe that.

But will the police?

Look, son, I can see this girl

means something to you.

Why don't you tell me what happened?

For her sake.

She'd need a lawyer sooner or later.

Maybe you're right.

If you're sure you can keep her

in the clear.

If she's innocent,

you tell me the whole story,

and it's the truth.

The truth.

I don't know where to begin.

Start at the beginning.

The guy was a lawyer,

Maybe he could help Helen.

So I told him the whole story.

I told him about sticking up Shorty

and breaking into the penny arcade.

I told him about Vera and Nick

and old man Mackey.

I told him everything that had happened.

From the very beginning to the end.

I see.

Now the first thing you ought to know

is where the girl stands.

That's right.

She's in the clear.

They can't touch her.

How about Dan?

You said maybe it wouldn't be murder.

It might be manslaughter.

No, it's murder all right.

I might be able to get him off

with second degree.

They'd have a hard time

proving premeditation.

Second degree.

That would mean life, wouldn't it?

It could.

I'd rather they hung me.

There's one discrepancy in your story.

It's worth checking up on because

if we get the right answer,

Murder's out.

Manslaughter too.

What do you mean?

How do you know he's dead?

He's dead, that's all.

His head fell over on the desk

like he was dead.

It would do that if he were unconscious.

Did you feel his pulse?

Or listen for a heartbeat?

No, I didn't.

Men don't die easily.

They take a lot of killing.

I can imagine Mackey sitting

in a police station right now.

Telling the desk man

what a narrow escape he had.

If he only was alive...

I'd give myself up to the first cop

that came along.

Here's an all night restaurant.

Why don't I use their phone

and find out how Mackey is?

Why don't you keep on driving

till I tell you how Mackey is?

He's dead, that's what. He's dead.

Oh, but Dan, maybe he isn't.

He is. I know he is.

I didn't want to kill anybody.

I don't want to kill you now but if you

try any more funny stuff, I'll...

I'll blow a hole right through you.

What day is this, Helen?

- It's Saturday.

No it isn't. It's Sunday morning.

We still have a couple of hours

before daylight.

We can still make it.

Turn this car around.

Where are we going now?

Remember Buzz Larson?

- Yeah.

He's taking a fishing party way down

past San Diego this morning.

If we can get to the pier in time,

I can go with him.

To Mexico?

Way past the Mexican border.

Step on it, will you?

I hope the boat is still here.

Yeah, there it is.

Down there. We made it.

We'd better hurry.

- I'd better hurry. Not you.

I'm going with you, Dan.

There's no harbor below San Diego.

I'll have to swim in from the sea.

I'm going with you, Danny.

You've taken too many chances already.

I've got to go on by myself from here.

I'll send for you as soon as I get

a job. You know that, don't you?

Yes, but...

Oh, Dan don't go. I'm so afraid.

There's nothing to be afraid of.

Hey, wait a minute.

How are we going to keep him from going

to the cops till the boat pulls out.

I'll keep him away. Give me the gun.

I wouldn't do that if I were you,.

Why not?

I told you the girl was in the clear.

She won't be if she takes that gun.

After that, she'd be an accessory.

Don't listen to him, Dan,

you've got to get away.

He's right. You've got to be kept out

of this. That's all that's important.

Would you take my word for something?

- I might.

As a citizen,

I have to notify the police.

But as a friend, I don't have to hurry.

Thanks.

Would you do me another favor?

If I can.

Don't wait till the boat pulls out

of the harbor.

Leave now?

I'll get out of here right away,

- Thanks.

You haven't seen Brady

since noon Monday?

No, I haven't.

- And you haven't heard from him either?

Nope.

Wait a minute, I just remembered.

He phoned me Monday afternoon.

For any particular reason?

Yeah, I owed him $20.

He said he needed it.

There's a news broadcast at six o'clock.

I want to hear before

I talk to the authorities.

...every airport, every bus depot

and every railroad station

in a determined effort to prevent

the killer's escape.

At 4 o'clock this morning,

officers threw roadblocks

across both state highways, and are now

stopping all outbound cars

but at last report, McDonald

was still at large.

McDonald.

Meanwhile police officers

Huxton and Chandler are dead.

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