Sucker Page #2

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I need that money.

If you want to earn it back,

Sunday morning at the mall.

Good evening, Lawrence.

Come on, mate.

Good morning.

Good morning, young man.

It's Lawrence.

What are you doing here?

You said you might need a hand.

What kind of hand?

With whatever scam you've got going on.

Do you think you might

like to speak up a little?

I don't think everybody quite heard you.

Look about you. What do you see, hmm?

Magazines.

For every imaginable interest,

but they're all concerned with desire.

People want what they can't have.

Some are more obviously

concerned with desire.

Persuasion is about giving

people what they want.

- I don't want this.

- Perhaps not, Master Lawrence.

But ask yourself this.

(muttering) Turn around.

- What do you want, hmm?

- (writing)

Thank you.

- My wife is seven months pregnant.

- Excuse me?

A long-time customer

of this establishment.

A subscriber to many fine magazines.

I'm sorry. What was her name?

- And you send her this.

- Oh. Dear.

Perhaps we could just exchange

it for the correct publication.

Yes, of course. I do apologize.

- No, no, no.

- If there's anything I can do.

Not at all.

However... (chuckling)

she's always complaining about the

lack of a good pair of scissors.

Ah. How much for your very best pair?

Oh, please.

It would be my pleasure, sir.

Oh, that is too kind.

Thank you. Good day.

Confidence is about trust.

- Can I borrow $50?

- You already have my 50.

Hmm, I suppose you might see it that way.

Do you really think you've

got what it takes, hmm?

Sure.

Convince her to take the money.

- My $50?

- Yep.

But you have to keep the wallet.

Oh, sorry. Is that your wallet?

Um, no. Is it yours?

- No, it's a man's wallet.

- Yes, um...

- Anyway, do you want the money?

- What? No.

I mean, I just thought I'd keep the

wallet, and you could have the...

Here.

See if there's any ID in it.

- Look, a family man.

- Oh, and $50.

- Don't you want it?

- No. Isn't there, like, a card or something?

No. Wait.

All right.

- (change drops)

- (line rings)

Hello. Is this...

Yes, speaking.

Oh, really? Oh, thank goodness.

What is your name?

Sarah. Oh, that's lovely.

(chuckles) Yes, I have

a daughter called Sarah.

Listen, anyway, we've

got your wallet, so...

Look, I'd like to give you a reward.

Those photos mean so much to me.

How does $200 sound?

- That's not necessary.

- No, not at all.

It's for your honesty.

It's such a rare quality.

- Hey! Give me the wallet.

- No, I found it.

- Look, I want the wallet.

- Keep the 50. I'm keeping the wallet.

- It's a man's wallet.

- I want it for my dad. You take the money.

The wallet's worth more than $50.

Yes. So?

Take the money?

No, you idiot. What are you doing?

- Please take the money?

- Oh, my God.

(picks up receiver)

He's an idiot.

He wants to talk to you.

Hello?

You're supposed to say, "How

'bout I sell you the wallet?

How much are you willing to pay?"

This is the guy that

busted your chess swindle?

This is Lawrence. He's no Laurence Olivier.

But he is damn cute.

LAWRENCE (narrating): Yeah.

She didn't say that.

(voices rewinding)

- This is the guy that busted your chess swindle?

- This is Lawrence.

I told you that scam was

rubbish. It's old, and so are you.

Lawrence, meet Sarah.

Come on, Dad. We can do better.

We leave tomorrow night.

WOMEN:
Don't, don't

Don't, don't

Don't, don't

This ordinary thing

Can be more colorful

than you say it is

The cardinal sin

Is to tell a lie, but

now you must give in

The storm came down on you

Just like it was the end

I've never heard of such a thing.

It's like a bus with medical students.

We drive around to help

out country hospitals.

- Medibus.

- But you are not a medical student.

Not yet.

I need a job if I'm ever

going to pay back Dad.

Lots of driving. Very dangerous.

At least if we have an accident,

the bus is full of doctors.

Hey. (speaking Cantonese)

It's a joke, Uncle.

Why don't you ever speak Cantonese?

Thanks for everything, Uncle.

Make sure to call every few days.

I will.

Ah! (Cantonese)

(gasps)

With a belly full of hot

tea, all is in harmony.

- Confucius?

- No, Lawrence.

Antioxidants.

- (chattering)

- (silverware clinking)

I want to learn to do what you do.

What do you think it is that I do?

You're a con artist, aren't you?

I'm a reader of people.

Ordinary people.

What about that man?

What do you think he does?

- He's a businessman.

- Mm-hmm.

- A stockbroker or something.

- How do you know that?

It's an expensive suit.

Cheap shoes.

The affectation of status.

That's his tell.

He's a salesman, popular at school,

probably captain of the football team.

- He's married, but he's having an affair.

- How do you know?

He has a mobile, but

he's using a pay phone.

- His wife checks his bills.

- The battery could be flat.

(chuckles)

I used to have partners.

Long ago, far away.

We pulled long cons,

short cons, card scams.

We played the Melon Drop, the Rainmaker,

the Fiddle Game, the

Wire, and even the Badger.

Always assume that the more

sordid explanation is correct.

(cell phone rings)

Hi, honey.

Yes. Still at work.

Yeah. Sure.

Lawrence,

the game is not a game.

- You would have to follow my directions.

- Of course.

I need to be able to trust you.

There's no running back home the

first time things become tricky.

It's not going to happen.

And another thing.

You must never tell

anybody about this. Ever.

Any of it.

Would you promise?

LAWRENCE (narrating): I... promise.

WOMAN:
Borders

and horizon lines

(car door opens, closes)

- We're alone, but side by side

- (door opens)

We're yet to dream

We're yet to dream

Nothing here is

what it seems

There's an animal inside

There's an animal inside

Half awake and almost dead

Keeping empty beds elsewhere

We're yet to bleed

We're yet to bleed

All the time and energy

Ah-ah-ah

- Ah-ah-ah

- In silence

Ah-ah-ah

In silence

Could we try to reinvent

Feed the head...

LAWRENCE (narrating): My

parents would have killed me.

I wasn't even allowed sleepovers.

- And these people were criminals...

- (snoring)

but I didn't care.

I was exactly where I wanted to be.

The first scam I learned

was the Lost Trinket.

We would look for the

worst pub in town...

- (sheep bleating)

- with the dodgiest barman.

Someone with greed in their bones.

I call these suckers tin mittens.

(clinking)

You know I did drama at school, right?

Shut up, Lawrence. Do you want

to go home to your stupid family?

- What can I get you?

- A drink for me and the lovely lady.

Just a beer, thanks.

LAWRENCE (narrating): There

are five steps to any good con.

First is roping the sucker.

(laughs)

We'd have a drink, sit

around for a bit, then leave.

Could you quit the Hamlet routine?

What?

The next day, I would

come back to the same bar.

Hello, my good lady.

- Hi.

- Hi.

- My intended and I...

- My fiance and I...

- were here the other day...

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