Tequila Sunrise Page #2

He won't fire the chef, Arturo.

But one less bartender

is not a problem.

JO:
He can't drive that car.

ARTURO:
He can have mine.

JO:
Your Cadillac?

You want to kill him?

ARTURO:

I'll drive.

I go dance.

- No, you're going home.

- Why?

(MAC AND JO OVER RECORDER)

Well?

In the course of last night...

...something came up

which persuaded me...

...that Mac dining in that place

is a non-drug related activity.

Yeah.

He won't get away with what he's

done for 15 years and just retire.

What do you suggest?

I suggest you make sure

we have a case.

After all, what are friends for?

(JO OVER RECORDER)

We haven't seen you in a while.

MAC:
I've been a little busy lately.

And I took a break, you know?

JO:

Did you go away for Thanksgiving?

MAC:
Yeah, I went up to Aspen

and put the skids on.

JO:
Put skids on?

MAC:
Yeah, I went skiing.

JO:
Are you good?

MAC:
No.

MAC:

Well, passing.

I'm not an expert.

Are you?

JO:

No.

MAC:
You should go sometime.

It's fun.

JO:

Maybe I will.

HAL:
What the f***

is the matter with you?

I don't need you

flying in from Washington...

...taking over my office,

telling me to manufacture evidence.

This is my backyard, Hal! I don't

grow weeds in it so I can pull them.

Mac.

GREG:
I swear to God I wasn't using

you. I was just trying to pay some bills.

Now you got another one to pay.

And if I don't come through,

these guys'll kill me.

They won't kill you. They'll

probably just break your legs.

MAC:

Here comes the money junkie.

I've been calling and calling.

I just broke a f***ing nail!

MAC:

I sent your lawyer the check, Shaleen.

Tomorrow's the first.

You might as well write another one.

I'm at a critical point.

This business requires cash.

So do I. Sorry, I'm not starving

so you can tell your little boy...

...you're a rubber hose salesman,

not a drug dealer.

SHALEEN:
Cody gets old enough to ask

what his father does for a living...

...suddenly he has a conscience.

Greg, I'll deal

with that other stuff later.

Leave my kid out of this.

Our kid.

SHALEEN:

Anyway, I need another 10,000.

SHALEEN:
The Mercedes burned up.

- The SLC?

It's under warranty.

Take it back, make them fix it.

You know those a**holes. They claim

I didn't have any oil in the engine.

I made an improper suggestion.

I overreacted.

It was uncalled for.

No.

It was my fault.

Well, Okay.

HAL:
Look, I'll lay my cards

on the table.

Any questions about our operation...

...go ahead, ask me.

Shoot.

Who's your snitch?

I can't tell you that.

We got to start somewhere, Hal.

How about...

July 17, 1963?

"Frescia and McKussic were arrested...

...for curfew violation

on Hermosa Beach."

...when he was busted for drugs

on Rosarito Beach.

No, he was on the beach.

I was in the water.

Otherwise I'd have ended up in

the same Mexican jail for 2 years.

What can I say?

You have really done your homework.

This is not about you being a cop.

I know you're one of the best.

You're close to Mac.

Mac is close to Carlos,

who is coming to town.

Who says?

He's getting ready to move

...personally.

That's the word.

For $ 1100 a week...

...a local snitch will tell you

anything you want to hear.

I'm hearing it

from the Federal Mexican Police...

...and I'm not paying them.

You say this is your back yard.

Has Carlos ever made a move in it

without Mac's help?

If Carlos is back in town,

Mac's back in business.

What do you want?

- Use Mac to get to Carlos.

NICK:
How?

Any way you can.

If Mac's clean,

it will do him a lot of damage.

Say he is working with Carlos

and we bust him.

I will personally guarantee

that Mac...

...doesn't stand trial

in federal court.

You're liable to save him

I cleared out of your office.

(MAC IN SPANISH)

- It's me, Mac.

CARLOS:
Hey, my buddy. Qu pasa?

No, you called me, buddy.

(CARLOS IN SPANISH)

Not now. They watch me

everywhere I go.

CARLOS:

CARLOS:

I'm telling you,

there's renewed interest in me here.

My cousin used my name

as a guarantee of delivery.

CARLOS:

CARLOS:

CARLOS:

CARLOS:

MAC:
I'm not worried about my cousin.

It's you.

Don't come here now.

Not now.

CARLOS:

CARLOS:

(MAC IN SPANISH)

Your chef's visa has expired.

JO:

He has a work permit.

My brother has an immigration lawyer

working to get Nino his green card.

Andy Leonard?

Have you seen Andy Leonard in

your restaurant with Dale McKussic?

Yes, they're both

very good customers.

- What's that?

- What's what?

A "good customer."

JO:

Someone who is on time.

Who doesn't make personal requests

or demands for unusual dishes.

HAL:
In other words,

you're telling us...

...you've never had to satisfy any

personal requests for Mr. McKussic.

No, he usually orders off the menu.

Who are you and what's this about?

Agent Maguire.

Federal Drug Enforcement.

JO:
Has Andy Leonard been arrested

on some sort of drug charge?

HAL:

We arrested him.

JO:

You think my restaurant is involved?

Leonard's in there all the time.

So is the District Attorney.

Does he sell drugs in my restaurant?

HAL:
Leonard doesn't have dinner

with the D.A. He does with McKussic.

JO:
You think Mr. McKussic

sells drugs there?

SPUDDER:

Maybe.

All I do is see him eat.

Miss Vallenari, we know

how important your chef is to you.

We have our problems.

We certainly...

...don't have to help

Immigration with theirs.

In other words,

if I'll spy on my customers...

...my chef won't be deported

for drunk driving?

I didn't say that.

JO:

Don't bother to explain.

At 8:
00, I'll be seating my lawyer

and his ex-partner, a federal judge.

I'm sure they'll explain to me

what you meant.

Okay, Hal.

Hello, I'm Lieutenant Frescia

from the Sheriff's Department.

We've met...

with Mr. McKussic.

Absolutely.

And when you sue him...

...I don't want to be anywhere

in sight. Get me out of here.

(GLASS BREAKS)

(NINO IN ITALIAN)

Arturo will come for it.

NICK:
Take care of it.

JO:
Everything okay?

Somebody dropped

last night's evidence...

...including Nino's urine specimen.

NINO:

What's that mean?

It means

we'll have to drop the case.

No court?

No court.

Take it easy, for Chrissake!

I work here.

What's on your mind?

The way I met you with Mr. McKussic.

You seemed like friends.

I'm sorry.

It's really none of my business.

You've been terrific.

NICK:

Don't worry about it.

Just buy me dinner

one of these days.

Any goddamn day you want.

Thank you so much.

JO:

Bye.

We got the word your friend

has got a deal cooking.

We're going to nail him.

If anybody can do it, you can.

Why'd you let her chef go?

She's tough, isn't she?

- She beat the sh*t out of you, Hal.

- The hell she did.

NICK:
The hell she didn't.

Ask anybody.

HAL:

What you got going on here?

WOMAN:

Hi.

Where've you been?

I've been looking for you.

MAC:
In Chula Vista,

selling farm equipment.

MAC:

What are the Sin Sisters doing here?

GREG:

Just cranking on the coke.

I'm just kidding.

They're just leaving.

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