The Asphalt Jungle Page #6

You can go to the insurance company.

Insurance company?

- They'll listen to reason.

This is a very bad jolt for them.

It's possible they'll be willing to buy

the jewels back, no questions asked...

...for as high as 25 percent

of what they're worth.

Doc, let's blow.

I'll start on it tomorrow.

Get busy, Emmerich.

And remember, you might have been

lying here dead with your friend.

Shall I get in touch with you

through Cobby?

No. I'll get in touch with you.

Come on, Dix.

I advise you to clean up after your friend.

Don't give him any water.

- He asked for it.

I said, don't give him any water.

- Let go.

You wanna kill him?

Maybe he's hurt in the stomach.

Where's the doctor?

Why doesn't he come?

You said 10 minutes. It's half an hour.

Louis will die.

Why can't I take him to the hospital?

They wheel him into an operating room,

you'll never see him again.

Take it easy, Maria.

Louis is gonna be all right.

The doctor will be here,

fix him up good as new.

You and Louis are gonna have

six more kids.

All as fat as pigs, big black eyes,

lots of hair.

Just like Louis, eh, Maria?

Stay away from the baby.

Tell me the truth.

How did it happen?

I told you. A fight.

- Louis don't fight. You know that.

Why is it always you?

Whenever Louis gets into trouble,

you're around.

You dirty cripple. You crooked-back.

You have the evil eye.

- Shut your mouth, Maria.

I don't let anybody say that to me.

I'm sorry, Gus...

...but I gotta blame somebody.

What I carry on my back,

I was born with it.

I didn't grow it myself.

Please forgive me, Gus. I didn't mean it.

Listen to that.

- Yeah. Must be a fire.

It's not in this neighborhood, though.

Someplace else.

Oh, Gus. I pray to God

that doctor get here quick.

He'll be here any minute, Maria.

Sounds like a soul in hell.

Dix, why don't you get in touch with Gus

and let him take you to the doctor.

Don't be foolish.

- I don't like doctors.

I'm getting along all right.

That bullet just ripped through my side

and went on about its business.

Good thing I jumped.

- How can things go so wrong?

How is it possible?

One man killed,

two others plugged.

I'm out 30 grand. We got a load

of rocks we can't even peddle.

Quit crying and get me some bourbon.

I must be awful stupid.

Here I am with a good business...

...money rolling in...

...I gotta get mixed up in a thing like this.

I ought to have my head examined.

Yeah, hello, hello.

Yeah, this is Cobby.

What?

It's Gus. Dragnet's out,

and they're combing the district.

He wants to talk to you.

You, Dix.

Gus? Dix.

Yeah. Listen careful.

Cops are knocking over joints along

the boulevard, meat wagons and all.

Now, look, I already called a guy,

Eddie Donato.

Donato's got a grocery down by the river.

Yeah. Thanks, Gus. How's Louis?

Louis is not so good. He got a slug

in his belly. Doc's doing all he can.

Here they are now,

the happiness boys.

Hello. How are you?

Looks like I'm in for a working-over.

Look. Go down to Eddie's

by way of the old car barn.

It's deserted at night.

You get beyond that, you're okay.

Cops never bother Eddie's neighborhood.

So long, Dix. Blow now.

All right, all right, all right.

What? Please talk a little louder.

This is Eddie Donato.

Oh, sure, sure.

I'll get Doc for you.

Hey, dottore, I got your man.

Hello.

Yes.

Fine, fine.

Good.

That will be satisfactory.

Cobby?

- Yes.

Emmerich came through.

The insurance people say okay.

Of course, we have to wait

till the banks open Monday morning.

But it's 250,000, which is not bad.

What's the matter?

- As a lawyer, you may be very brilliant.

But as a casino player,

you have a lot to learn.

You don't mind if I smoke, do you?

- Of course not, Lon.

Lon, how could you make a play like that?

You won't make a single point this hand.

Come in.

- Two gentlemen to see you, sir.

They are from the police department.

What on earth could they want, Lon?

Well, something to do

with a case, I suppose.

Excuse me?

- Oh, bother. We were having so much fun.

Hurry back.

- Sure.

Yes?

- Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Emmerich.

I'm Andrews.

This is Officer Janocek.

How do you do?

- How are you?

Well, what can I do for you?

Do you know a man

named Robert Brannom?

Brannom. Yes, of course.

What is it?

Something the matter?

There sure is, Mr. Emmerich.

His body was pulled

out of the river this morning.

Great heavens.

- But it was no drowning.

He had a hole through his pump.

He'd been shot.

Will you step in here for a minute?

Well, I must say, this is...

It's quite a shock.

Bob Brannom, eh?

Murdered, you say?

Great heavens.

We found a list of names in his pocket

written on your business stationery.

Who are these people, do you know?

- Oh, that's a list of my debtors.

Brannom was working for me.

He was trying to collect old debts...

...without much success, I must say.

Was he giving the treatment

to anybody on this list?

Certainly not.

Then you don't think there's any connection

between this work for you and his death?

None whatever.

- When did you see him last?

Well, now, last Wednesday evening,

in this room.

Yes. We went over that list together.

The coroner says he was plugged

at 1:
00 or 2:00 this morning.

Not much after the Belletier job was pulled.

We figured there might be a connection.

One of the heist guys was shot,

we know that.

There was blood on the floor.

Maybe it was Brannom's.

He could've died in the car,

they dropped him in the river.

Oh, no, no. Bob Brannom's a good deal

of a roughneck, but he's no criminal.

And if I'm any judge, Belletier's was

the work of bigtime professionals.

Oh, no, no, gentlemen.

Bob Brannom mixed up in any burglary...

...why, that's inconceivable.

I see.

Oh, one more thing, Mr. Emmerich.

Just for the records, of course.

Could you give us an account

of your whereabouts last night?

Yes, I could.

Why? Is it necessary?

I'm afraid so, Mr. Emmerich.

Well, boys, a man of my years

hates to make an admission like this...

...but a Miss Phinlay is living

in my cottage on the river.

And last night, I went to visit her

at about 11:
30, I think it was.

Stayed rather late.

Oh, she'll verify this, of course.

Oh, but boys...

...use a little discretion, eh?

Unless, of course, it serves

some useful purpose.

I understand, Mr. Emmerich,

and thank you very much for your help.

Oh, not at all. Thank you.

And say, if I can be any further help,

you just call on me.

Good day.

- Good day.

Hello, Angela?

- Yes.

This is Lon.

- Why haven't you called me?

Listen, baby,

you may have a visit from the police.

Is it your wife?

- No, no. It's nothing like that.

They'll probably ask you

some questions about last night.

Now, listen, baby.

I want you to tell them

that I was there with you...

...from 11:
30 until 3 in the morning.

That's most of the night.

- Most of the night, that's right.

Now, is that clear?

- Sure, it's clear.

Yes. Oh, no, no. Just politics, baby.

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