The Big Heat Page #3

I don't know who called. But

i know where to go to find out.

Just a moment. Who do you

want to see? Mike lagana.

Oh, sorry. I didn't recognize you,

sergeant. How many men on this detail?

Three of us on the day and night

shift and four after midnight.

Ten cops to watch over

mike lagana.

One hundred bucks a day

of the taxpayers' money.

Well, mr. Lagana kind of runs

things. I guess that's no secret.

No. That's

no secret at all.

You like this detail?

I do what i'm told.

Yeah. That's what we're all

supposed to do, isn't it?

Good evening, sir. I'm from the

police department. Is mr. Lagana in?

I'll see, sir.

It's a little drafty outside.

Please wait.

This way, officer.

I promised my daughter her father

won't be seen or heard tonight.

What's your name again?

I think the butler missed it.

Bannion. Dave bannion.

I'm from homicide.

I think

i've heard of you.

My mother.

A great old lady. They broke

the mold when they made her.

She died last may.

She lived here with me.

Had her own suite of rooms.

Her own bath. Everything.

Never got over being

surprised about my success.

You didn't come here

to listen to me.

Well, what is it this time?

Benefit dance? Pension fund drive?

I came about a murder.

You came here to my home

about a murder?

A girl named lucy chapman was

murdered last night. Or this morning.

First she was tortured, then

strangled. Who runs your department?

It's lieutenant wilks.

Mm-Hmm. Wilks, huh?

Yeah, it was an old-Fashioned

killing. Prohibition kind.

That's why i thought you might

- I don't care what you thought.

I'm glad to help you boys

whenever i can.

But i got an office

for that sort of thing.

This is my home. And i don't

like dirt tracked into it.

I see.

And i violated your

immaculate home, is that it?

That's exactly it.

And tomorrow morning, i'll see you

don't get the chance to do it again.

What'll you do, make another phone

call, or have somebody make it for you?

I've seen some dummies

in my time,

But you're

in a class by yourself.

I'm stupid because i want some

answers about a murder, is that it?

Shut up and get out. We don't talk

about those things in this house, do we?

No, it's too elegant,

too respectable.

Nice kids. Party.

Painting of mama

up there on the wall, huh?

No place for a stinking cop.

It's only a place for a hoodlum who built

this house out of corruption and murder.

You couldn't plant enough flowers

around here to kill the smell.

I warned you to get out.

Cops have homes too.

Only sometimes there isn't

enough money to pay the rent...

Because a cop gets hounded off the

force by your thieving cockroaches...

For trying to do an honest job. George!

What's the matter? You think i

live under a rock or something?

Your creeps have no compunction about

phoning my house, giving me orders,

Talking to my wife like she was a dirty

- Yes, sir?

Get rid of him.

Let's go, mister.

Take your hand off, george.

It comes off

when we get to your car.

Better not, george.

You want to pinch-Hit

for your boy, lagana?

What makes you think you can walk into

lagana's house and slug his bodyguard?

You're no rookie. You've been

around long enough to know better.

I'm not asking you to take the rap

for me. I'll stand up for what i do.

Big, fancy words.

Well, i'm in no mood for them.

I'm the one getting

the squeeze from upstairs.

What am i supposed to do when some

cop-Hater phones my home and insults my wife?

Sit home and like it?

Are you trying to tell me

lagana phoned your house?

I'm trying to tell you nothing dirty

happens in this city without lagana's okay.

I'm not interested in your theories.

Not when they affect my job.

You're just begging to go back into

uniform, pounding a beat in the sticks.

That lucy chapman killing

is a county squeal.

It's the sheriff's

headache, not ours.

Now i told you that once,

and i'm telling you again.

I won't tell you

a third time.

That'll be all, sergeant.

Let the pans soak. I'll

scour them when we come back.

The main feature doesn't start

for about an hour.

Do you mind if i put

my two cents in?

No, honey, i don't mind.

I've been thinking about

lieutenant wilks.

That leaning tower of jelly.

You know how long he and his wife

have looked forward to retirement.

We've done it ourselves when

we've looked that far ahead.

Wilks only has a few more years to

go. He's worried about his pension.

If i'd had any sense,

i'd have turned in my badge.

Your big trouble, honey, is that

you attack yourself from all sides,

Like jersey mosquitoes.

You don't want to quit the

department, not for one minute.

What am i supposed to do, hold

onto my job by just stringing along?

Afraid to look to the left

or to the right...

Because i might see something

that they don't want me to see?

If you do, you're gonna

have trouble from me.

Just keep leading with your

chin and don't you compromise.

That's what i wanted to hear

you say. Thanks, inspector.

Honey.

Mm?

If i tell you something,

you won't laugh?

No, i won't laugh.

I love you.

See, i'm not laughing.

Oh, let's stay home, huh?

We're having company.

I can't sleep.

Nonsense, miss bannion.

You trot right back to bed.

Hey. The thing for you to do

now, according to the book,

Is to lead her to b-E-D with

great kindness and great firmness.

Let's go. Suppose you try it.

I'll drive over and get the sitter.

Who'd you get?

Maxine.

Tell her not to bring half the high

school along to keep her company this time.

hey, little girls like you...

Should be sleeping

right about now.

Tell me a story.

In bed, darling. In

bed. Which story, daddy?

Well, let's see. How about,

uh, the three little kittens?

That lost their mittens.

commissioner.

I need the car keys.

Here. Hey!

Nothing. Nothing at

all. Be back in a minute.

Right.

Go on, daddy.

In bed first, darling.

Here we go.

The three little kittens that

lost their mittens. Go on, daddy.

All right. The three little

kittens, uh, they lost their mittens.

And they began to cry, and,

oh, they had a terrible time.

And their mother came home,

and she said, "oh, my!

You-You kittens,

you've lost your- "

Stay in bed, darling.

Katie.

Yes?

bannion's here, commissioner.

Have him come right in.

I have a lot of work waiting for

me in my office, commissioner.

Well, let it wait. Your being here

will make bannion more comfortable.

I didn't get the opportunity to

speak to you at the funeral, sergeant,

To tell you how hard

your tragedy has hit us all.

Uh, sit down, will you?

I've put an around-The-Clock

detail at your in-Laws' house.

The report says that's where your

child is staying. That's right.

Yes, it pays

to play it safe.

How is the little girl?

She thinks her mother

went on a trip.

Is there anything

else we can do?

Maybe a loan from the fund to tide you

over this period? Don't hesitate, sergeant.

Find out who planted

the dynamite in my car.

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