The Big Heat

Mr. Lagana.

I know it's late.

Wake him up.

Tell him it's

tom duncan's widow.

I'm very sorry, mr. Lagana, but there's

an important call on the private line.

A woman who says

she's tom duncan's widow.

Widow?

That's what she said.

Yes?

This is lagana.

No. I'm glad you

called me, mrs. Duncan.

I appreciate it.

Yes, of course

we will get together.

But now i suggest you call

the police immediately.

Call vince.

Mr. Lagana

wants vince stone.

It's his girl.

She says he's playing cards.

This is not a social call, debby.

Tell vince i want him, right away.

Oh, sure, mr. Lagana. I always

like to tell vince you're calling.

I like to see him jump.

Vince!

It's him!

Oh, pass the deal, hmm?

Why don't you shut the door and

see if anybody needs a drink?

well, i don't know

about your politicians,

But i'm so bored

i need one.

Two.

Debby!

Shut the door.

Yes, mike?

Well, i didn't know it was the private line

ringing, or i would have answered myself.

When?

When did it happen?

Oh, sure,

i'll see to it.

Too bad you had to make the trip

out from headquarters, sergeant.

From out of bed, you mean. When a cop

kills himself, they want a full report.

Did you know him? No.

Just to say hello to.

He was in charge

of the record bureau.

Single contact wound. Powder

burn on his temple and right hand.

Suicide. No question. Tell the

wagon boys they can have him, huh?

Yes.

No note or anything,

huh, gus? No. Nothing.

You'd better make a list of all

this stuff for the report, huh?

Right.

I'm going upstairs, have

a talk with mrs. Duncan.

Please come in.

Mrs. Duncan,

i won't keep you very long.

You needn't apologize.

I know this is necessary.

Please sit down.

Thank you.

My name is david bannion.

I knew your husband slightly.

Tom had many friends.

Would you mind telling me

what happened?

When i first heard the shot,

I was too surprised to move

for a few seconds.

Then i ran downstairs.

When i found him,

he was- He was dead.

i'm sorry i have to ask you

these questions,

But they want

a full report downtown.

Of course.

When a policeman kills himself,

the department gets worried.

Well, that depends

on the circumstances.

There weren't

any circumstances.

Everything tom ever did...

Was clean and wholesome.

That's the kind of man

he was.

do you know why

he took his life?

It-It must have been

his health.

S- Several times

the past few months,

He complained...

About a pain

along his left side.

When i suggested

he see the police surgeon,

He'd make excuses.

I think he was afraid to.

Then he didn't

see a doctor?

Not that he ever told me.

You've been most helpful.

Now look, if there's anything

you need, anything at all,

You get in touch

with us, huh?

Thank you, mr. Bannion.

good-Bye, mrs. Duncan.

What's with dinner? How about

putting the paper down and helping?

All right.

Whoop. Hey.

What's that, steak?

Medium rare.

How do you manage steaks

on my salary?

You know, downtown,

they just don't believe me.

- Tell them you married an heiress.

- All right.

Next year, when joyce

starts kindergarten,

You're gonna have to kiss the steaks

good-Bye until she finishes college.

Unless you become police

commissioner in the meantime.

Oh, that's inevitable.

Oh, naturally.

Okay, commissioner, you get

the stringy end of the steak.

What about joyce? She go to bed all

right? Just the usual tug of war.

She had to go to the bathroom a

few times, hear three stories...

And have a glass of water

before she finally went to sleep.

She's angelic all day. But

at night, she's a holy terror.

That's the way

i usually describe you.

That's what the book says, though,

doesn't it? Be patient, but firm.

The book, the book.

Very scientific and calm.

The trouble is, the authors

have never met our daughter.

Well, it's very simple. She's

madly in love with me, that's all.

Hey, you know something. That's

the conflict between the two of you.

You're both in love

with the same wonderful guy.

Right? Right. Wrong.

We're just used to you.

Well? How is it?

It's good steak.

Thanks.

You want some beer?

I'll take a sip of yours.

You see? That's exactly what i

mean. It's a perfect marriage.

We share the same scotch, the same

cigarette, the same can of beer.

Among other things.

Hey, you know something. I'm gonna drink

mine, i'm gonna take a sip of yours.

That'll be something

different for a change, huh?

Oh, they'll wake joyce.

hello?

Well, he's having dinner.

Oh.

It's sergeant kahn.

Hello, marty. Ye-

What?

Who says duncan

didn't kill himself?

I saw the body, marty. There's no

question about it being suicide.

Uh-

All right,

what's her name?

All right,

i'll go see her.

Lucy chapman around?

The last stool

on the other end.

Lucy chapman?

Yeah.

I'm bannion, homicide.

Oh. With this band playing, you

need megaphones to talk at the bar.

We can sit in a booth.

All right.

Okay, what is this

information you have?

This story is all wrong, mr. Bannion.

Why, tom wouldn't kill himself.

He wasn't worried about his

health, not for a single minute.

No? Then what was he worried

about? Nothing. Nothing at all.

Not after his wife

agreed to divorce him.

Duncan told you he was getting a

divorce? He talked about nothing else.

When was this? Night

before last. My night off.

What'll it be, folks? You

don't have to order anything.

That's all right. I'll

have a beer. What about you?

Only when i'm working.

- How'd you get to know duncan?

- Well, i- I met him a year ago.

A year last may 11,

down in lakeside.

Tom owned

a summer place there.

I liked him right away.

He was a real wonderful guy,

mr. Bannion. Nice and gentle.

Thirty-Five, mister.

Pay now.

Okay.

Thank you.

Tom used to come

to the club every night.

His wife traveled a lot.

Sometimes, when she

was away, i-

I used to go to the house.

We'd go swimming and then lie around

in the sun. That sounds very cozy.

Oh, it wasn't that way,

mr. Bannion.

Oh, sure. Sure.

Please. Please,

you've got to believe that.

You've got to understand

how things were with tom.

How he was caught between the

two of us. Between me and that-

That leech he was married to.

What's your pitch, lucy?

You trying to use us

for a shakedown?

Shakedown?

Me?

Sure. I understand. You're

covering up for a cop's widow.

You don't want to find out

anything that'll change her story.

- I want to find out facts.

- Oh, in a pig's eye you want facts!

The only difference between me and bertha

duncan is that i work at being a b-Girl...

And she has a wedding ring and a

marriage certificate. That'll be all.

Maybe for you. I can still

talk to the newspapers.

Yeah, i know. You can talk

yourself into a lot of trouble.

So what? At least

i'll show she's a liar.

Tom had no reason

to kill himself.

The fact is, he did kill

himself. And that's positive.

Can i have a brandy?

She claims she saw your

husband a few nights ago-

Wednesday night

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