The American Side Page #3

---

You shouldn't.

Who lied?

Sterling's been rounding off

the corners of the truth again.

It seems Mr. Paczynski, isn't

buying the official version

of Tom Soberin's demise.

I don't blame him.

You don't know

the half of it.

Thanks for the drink.

[footsteps approaching]

You came to me looking

for Tom Soberin, didn't you?

The newspaper

said suicide.

Who was he to you?

My mentor,

at the university.

You were

working with him?

I work alone.

[thud]

Look, I didn't even know

Tom Soberin was here.

I was hired by a man

named Sterling Whitmore.

To do what?

Study a design, an invention.

Anyway,

every night I had to turn in

my notes, and every morning

I would get them back.

People take all kinds

of precautions

in my line of work.

Okay.

But two days ago,

something odd happened.

When I got my notes back,

there was a mark on them.

A symbol Tom Soberin

would make when he thought

I miscalculated.

So Whitmore hired Soberin

to double check your homework?

-But there was no mistake.

-How do you know?

I know.

Why did he

make the note?

To send a message.

-What kind of message?

-To stop.

To stop working

on the design and see him.

Just like at school.

So I called the university

and they told me he was here,

at the Mayflower.

When I went to my apartment

there were men

coming out of it.

I've been dodging them

ever since.

What do you expect me to do?

If Tom wanted me to stop,

whoever killed him knows why.

[sighs]

What makes you think

I care?

Well, you're here.

You got a name?

I'm Nikki Meeker.

Here, your lighter.

Tom was a master technician.

Great.

You don't hire him

to design.

You hire him

to build.

[engine stalling]

[engine stops]

Damn it.

?

[engine revving]

[tires screeching]

[man]

Let's go, man.

I've been run out of a few

of Borden's parties myself.

I can only take those a**holes

for so long before I say

something that pisses 'em off.

You saying Chase

tried to run me down?

Wake up, Paczynski.

That's Bohemian Grove

Buffalo style.

Bohemian Grove?

That camp

near San Fran

where all the big wigs

dance around the bonfire

thinking up ways

to manipulate

the world economy?

Nixon said it was

the faggiest thing

he ever saw.

Look what

happened to him.

[laughing]

That's a string pulling crowd

pulling your string.

Chase got

something to hide?

We all got something.

You, uh... You've done some

strange pulling yourself.

I'm one generation removed

from a carnival barker.

What lie did I tell you?

You said Tom Soberin

wasn't on your payroll.

I said he didn't get

the Chase-Whitmore

company card from me.

Check your notes.

-What was he doing for you?

-Great story.

Little Roger Wood,

a propeller pin sheared off

their boat motor.

Boy went over the edge

of Niagara Falls

with nothing more than

a life vest

and his swim trunks.

Nary a scratch.

The boat driver was

battered and drowned.

Great story.

Same journey,

different results.

Of course, that was

the Canadian Horseshoe.

What no one has ever done

is survive the American side.

Great for suicides,

not so good for pickle barrels

and diving bells.

But there is a way.

With precise trajectory

and an ideal rate of flow,

a properly built device

could manage it.

Good luck.

[Whitmore]

Come on in, Stick.

Stick, this is

Mr. Paczynski.

Ah, we picked up

your car.

Have it humming

by morning.

Mr. Stickney, here,

is a riverman.

Knows Niagara better than

the average man knows

his own shoes.

When you first heard the falls,

how close were you?

Uh, I don't know

a mile or two.

I can hear 'em right now.

[laughing]

If you think I'm buying that

Tom Soberin was building

you a barrel, you're nuts.

One man's nuts

is another man's balls.

[laughing]

Nikki Meeker wasn't making

notes for a sideshow stunt.

You talked with her?

-Is she all right?

-She's fine.

Where is she?

Tell me about

Chase's sister.

Mighty sexy, if you ask me.

What does she do?

Looks good

in the company newsletter.

You look like you could use

some shut-eye, Mr. Paczynski.

You're welcome to one

of our guest rooms.

There are planners

and there are doers.

You strike me as a doer.

Am I right?

I'm just a guy.

[laughing]

Yeah.

[clock chiming]

Quite a feat, isn't it?

I was with

the Corps of Engineers

on that one.

Wish we could

do it again.

Give us a leg up

on our travel plans.

You ready?

[exhales]

?

[car engine starting]

?

?

?

Charlie, you been

following me?

Don't think

I won't crack you.

I think you'd love to.

You set up Tom Soberin.

-What are you talking about?

-You paid Kat to get him

in that parking lot.

I paid her to make sure

Tom had a good time.

He didn't.

-You all right, miss?

-She's fine.

It's fine.

-Do I need to call the police?

-Yeah, ask for Maguire.

And you used me

to finish the job.

Please, can't we talk

about this...

Phone book's full of names,

why call yourself Nikki Meeker?

If my brother

found out what I did...

Please it's not safe.

You can tell me or the police,

maybe squirt out

a few tears this time.

My brother kept

a design in his safe.

A very valuable

but incomplete design.

Whitmore knew

it would rot in there, so

we made a deal.

I'd get it, and he'd find

someone to make sense of it.

Now, we're

getting somewhere.

Whitmore gave

Nicole's notes to Soberin.

And whatever was

in those notes made

Soberin come running to me.

Why?

He said the design

shouldn't be developed.

What do you mean?

What is it?

-I don't know. He didn't say.

-Come on!

It was never finished,

that's why we hired Nicole.

You have to believe me.

I did a stupid thing,

not a terrible thing.

You've done both

and your brother knows it.

My brother doesn't even know

the design went missing.

Well, someone tried to make

a speed bump out of me.

Whoever they were,

they killed Soberin and Kat.

And they'll come after you.

Just leave.

Uh-uh.

Well, I hope you can protect

Nicole better than I did.

You called her Nikki.

Please, let me

make this right.

We're way past

making it right.

I'm sorry, I...

I would've met you

on that beach.

You're a beautiful

piece of work, kid.

But if you killed Kat,

I'm gonna nail you to the wall.

[footsteps fading]

Slavko fixed your faucet.

Extraordinary what some people

learn to tolerate.

You may have something

we're looking for.

Sense of humor?

Maybe I can save you

some time.

I'm quite certain

you do not know

what we're looking for

or where it is.

But I've got it.

Don't feel bad.

Most of the world

does not know

what is under its nose.

Mustache.

Here you are, banging

your head against the dark,

as they say,

and you keep at it.

You keep at it.

Very good.

Excuse me.

[clearing throat]

[speaking foreign language]

Well, you've heard of the FBI.

Think of us

as their brothers.

[speaks foreign language]

Whoa! Final notice.

From last week.

[tram bell dinging]

[thud]

[footsteps]

-[thumping]

-[Charlie grunts]

-You.

-You.

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