The Asphalt Jungle Page #2

a foot taller and straightened up a little.

Suppose you want your heater back.

Well, you ain't gonna get it.

How about that?

Quit kidding, Gus.

- I mean it.

Go on, get sore. Smack me down.

You know I wouldn't do that.

- Look, Dix...

...take my advice and knock off for a while.

The happiness boys are on a rampage.

Headquarters has given them the push.

I can't afford to knock off.

- Oh, stop worrying. I'll stake you.

Yeah? I need 2300.

- What?

Something I just gotta take care of.

- Cobby, maybe?

Well, let him sweat. It'll do him good.

Cobby can spare a few pounds.

You can't owe money to a guy like him...

...a little loudmouth who bones you

when he isn't even trying to.

I don't get you, Dix.

I just can't be in Cobby's debt

and keep my self-respect.

All right.

I got a grand put away.

You can have that.

Maybe I can dig up 1300 more.

I guess it's all right to owe me, huh?

- I guess.

Yeah. It's just my luck.

Well, I'll get it tomorrow or bust a gut.

In the meantime, stay away

from the boulevard, especially at night.

By the way, they knocked over

the Club Regal.

Wasn't that where Doll worked?

- Yeah.

It's coming in bunches, it looks like.

Go home, Dix. Stay home.

Don't get your flag at half-mast.

Remember, you still got old Gus.

Thirteen hundred? You must be crazy.

For Dix? What do I care for that hooligan?

I'd like to help you out, Gus,

but I got mouths to feed...

...and rent to pay and all that stuff.

Why don't you wise up,

you wise guy?

You're a low-down scum.

A low-down, dirty scum,

to talk to me like that.

Look, Gus.

I guess I can make it, all right.

Yeah?

- Dix, it's me, Doll.

Doll?

Hi, honey.

Come on in.

Close the door.

- Well, sure, Dix. Sure.

I'm awful sorry to bother you,

honey, but...

Doll, if you're gonna smoke,

you gotta learn to carry matches.

Doll, what are you crying about?

Nothing...

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, Dix.

I don't know what I was thinking about,

bothering you at this time of the night.

I'll just run along.

Gus told me the Club Regal

got knocked over.

Yeah. Can you imagine, raiding the Regal?

The cops must have all gone crazy.

So it's a clip joint. So what?

And it would have to happen on pay night.

How about a drink?

- Hey, don't care if I do.

One of my eyelashes is coming off.

Were you locked out of your room?

How'd you guess?

Here's how.

Dix, if it wouldn't be too much trouble,

could I stay here a couple of days?

Just a day or two.

All right. Stay if you want to,

but don't you go getting any ideas, Doll.

Everything is here, from the observed

routine of the personnel...

...to the alarm system,

the type of locks on doors...

...the age and condition of the main safe

and so forth, so forth.

Take my word for it, Mr. Emmerich.

This is a ripe plum ready to fall.

My friend, according to the boys,

all takes are easy...

...but as a lawyer, I make lots of money

getting them out of jail.

Please, Mr. Emmerich.

Perhaps you know my reputation.

I've engineered some very big things.

That's a fact, Mr. Emmerich.

Doc here is tops.

Am I to understand you gathered this

information before doing your last stretch?

That is correct.

I was ready to begin operations...

...and the cops grabbed me for

an old caper I'd almost forgotten about.

The Adelphia Finance caper.

You took them for 160,000,

didn't you, Doc?

A hundred and fifty-eight.

You really believe

there's a million in this thing?

Maybe even more.

- You mean by that...

...that the take will be worth

half a million to us in actual cash?

You know as well as I do

that in no case will a fence...

...give you more than 50 percent.

- That's right, sir.

Well, what are your main problems?

- There are three.

Money to operate, personnel

and finally, the disposing of the take.

No trouble about the first, eh?

Wait a minute.

This remains to be seen.

The helpers will be paid off

like housepainters.

They'll be told nothing

about the size of the take.

Sometimes, men get greedy.

Well, how many helpers do you need?

- Only three.

A box man.

Him, we pay most.

Maybe $25,000.

I got a guy for you. Louis Ciavelli.

Best box man west of Chicago.

Expert mechanic.

Been in some very big capers.

From what I hear, he can open a safe

like the back of a watch. Only, he costs.

Then we need a topnotch driver,

in case of a rumble.

He should get 10,000.

And finally, sad to say,

we need a hooligan.

Most of these fellas are drug addicts.

They're a no-good lot.

Violence is all they know,

but they are, unfortunately, necessary.

For a more or less reliable man,

I'd say 15,000.

Well, that's 50,000 in all.

How...?

How's this take to be handled?

Get in touch with the best fences

in the Midwest...

...and deal with whoever makes

the highest offer.

Maybe no one fence

can handle the whole thing.

In that case, we deal with two or three.

Half a million, eh?

I...

I'm just thinking.

If I decide to go into this thing, I...

I, myself, I might handle the...

You, a fence, Mr. Emmerich?

Oh, no, no, Cobby. Not exactly.

But your proposition looks pretty good.

I'd like to see the most made of it.

Oh, I suppose a fella should stick

to his own trade...

...but I know some big men that might

not be averse to a deal like this...

...if they're properly approached.

Highly respectable men, I might add.

So why don't you let me see what I can do

before you look for a fence.

A few days wouldn't make

much difference to you, I don't suppose.

Might mean a lot more money for all of us.

Good. There's just one thing.

I dislike to mention it, but...

...I've just come from prison and...

- Well, of course.

Cobby will be glad to advance you

anything you need.

See that you have a place to stay. Cobby?

- Well, you bet your life.

And I got some fancy phone numbers

for you too, Doc.

What's it like, a man of your taste,

seven years behind the walls?

Not too bad.

It's a matter of temperament.

I cause no trouble.

The prison authorities appreciate that.

They made me assistant librarian.

I'm afraid I wouldn't make a model prisoner.

After this job, it's Mexico for me.

I'll live like a king.

Mexican girls are very pretty.

I'll have nothing to do all day long

but chase them in the sunshine.

You've been very kind, sir.

- Good night. Good night.

Mr. Emmerich.

- Cobby.

What's the big idea, standing there

staring at me, Uncle Lon?

Don't call me 'Uncle Lon.'

I thought you liked it.

Maybe I did.

I don't anymore.

I had the market send over

some salt mackerel for you.

I know how you love it for breakfast.

Some sweet kid.

It's late.

Why don't you go to bed.

Some sweet kid.

Hello, Bob Brannom?

This is Emmerich.

No, no. I didn't call you to get the right time.

Listen, I've got a job for you.

No, no. Nothing like that.

I've got over $ 100,000

standing out on my books.

Come to my office tomorrow, I'll give you

a list of the people that owe me.

No, no, no.

Use the method called for

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes