Sleepers Page #10

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But there was never to be a death move against him.

The hit on Michael Sullivan, if there was one, could only come from King Benny.

The underground word... the only one that mattered...

...had spread through the streets with the speed of a late-night bullet.

King Benny's sleepers were making their play.

"Sleepers" was a street name for anyone who spent time in a juvenile facility.

You gonna pay for that, you little prick?

Need your help, fat man. Need a big favor.

I'll be outside.

King Benny been to see you?

Oh, my goodness!

What a f***ing thing we put together!

You have a drunk lawyer on one side, a kid lawyer on the other.

F***ing paper boy, making like Dick Tracy.

There are four sets of eyeballs that saw the whole thing!

Meanwhile, the two on trial kill more people than cancer.

F***ing General Custer has a better shot at a walk!

There's no connection with the guard and us.

The cops think it's a drug-related homicide.

It's just we need you to pull a few strings, fat man.

You know, if you get caught on this, you're looking straight at serious.

I'm talking real jail. The big house....

They are not good boys any more.

They're killers now. Cold as stone.

I know.

I know what they were, and I know what they are, and it's not about that.

It's not worth it, throwing away life just to get even.

You and the lawyer have a chance to get out.

To get out the right way.

There's no choice...not for us.

On occasion, I'd have dinner with Carol.

She still lived in the neighborhood and was a social worker in the South Bronx.

Her concern for us was undiminished by the passing years.

Whenever we went out as a group, Carol would walk between Michael and John...

...grasping their arms...

...in step between the lawyer and the killer.

Mug me or marry me, Shakes. I'm too tired for anything else.

Would you settle for a couple of beers, Carol?

If that's your best offer.

I'll throw in a hug and a kiss.

Deal.

You look tired.

Thank you.

They don't give you time to sleep on this new job of yours?

So, how much do you know?

Just what the neighborhood says.

And what I read in papers like yours.

What does the neighborhood say?

That they're gonna put Johnny and Tommy away.

That their best friend's gonna be the one to do it.

You believe that?

It's hard not to, Shakes.

Unless we all have it wrong. He did take the f***ing case.

-He did take the case. -What else is there to say?

You know Michael very well...

...maybe even better than I do.

Yeah, I thought I did. Now, I don't know.

-You do know. -I don't know!

He went in there, and he asked for the case.

Now, you tell me, what the hell kind of friend is that?

The best kind.

The kind who'll throw away everything to help his friends.

What are you telling me, Shakes?

You know this neighborhood, Carol. Everything's a shakedown or a scam.

Why should this be any different?

I'm hungry.

I'm gonna get something to eat.

There's this point in Michael that you can't go beyond.

I mean, you can try. I tried.

And he just...he shut down.

Couldn't touch him... couldn't even breathe on him.

I thought it was me.

After a while, it just gets easier to let it go.

Do you still love him?

I don't think about it, Shakes.

If I did, I'd say 'yes.'

But you're with John now.

Yeah...as much as anybody can be with John.

The man I know is not the boy you remember.

None of us are.

But there's something special about John.

You just have to look a little harder to see it.

Why didn't you ever ask me out?

-Me? -Yeah.

Cause you were Mikey's girl.

He got to you first.

And after Mikey?

I think it was Tommy's turn.

F*** you!

Because...

...l didn't think you'd say 'yes.'

Well, you were wrong, Shakes.

You were wrong.

What? Go ahead and say it.

You work at Social Services, you got files. You got access to files.

And from time to time, we're gonna need some information.

Yeah, sure...whatever...

Wait. What?

Well, what do you want? You want information?

You want me to get the files? I'll get the files!

What do you want?

You still visit John?

Yeah, once a week for about an hour.

-Good. -Good?

Yeah, good. Just don't tell him that you've seen me.

Just don't tell him anything.

I mean, the more he thinks this thing's hopeless, the better it might work.

Shakes, what is this about?

You want a Rolls Royce? You don't come here.

You go to England or wherever the f*** they make it.

If you want champagne, you go see the French.

If you need money, you find a Jew.

But if you want dirt or scum buried under a rock somewhere, or...

...some secret nobody wants anybody to know about, there's only one place to go.

Right here, Hell's Kitchen! It is the lost and found of sh*t!

They lose it and we find it! Forget about it, man.

Now, you only got two witnesses who are gonna testify.

Two others changed their minds.

-Which two? -The suits at the bar.

So that still leaves the couple in the booth?

For now.

Everything else falling into place?

Except for your witness. That pocket's still empty.

I know.

When you were sent away,

I was always sorry I couldn't do more for you.

I didn't know you liked pigeons so much.

I like anything that don't talk.

Michael's vision on where he wanted this case to go was very clear.

He was aiming for guilty...

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