The Big Sleep Page #9

There's nothing to do but

wait for Canino to come back.

He doesn't know

I was in the other room.

You know what he'll do

when he finds out?

He'll beat my teeth out and then

kick me in the stomach for mumbling.

That's just a start.

It won't be pretty.

Please don't talk like that!

You should have gone to Mexico...

Stop! Please!

Then, you couldn't have gone,

could you?

The border patrol would've

checked you through alone.

Too many people would've

seen you without Regan.

It was much safer to come here with her,

especially for Eddie Mars.

Will you get out of this

and stay out if I let you go?

Take this thing out of

my mouth, will you?

That's better.

Get a knife and cut these ropes.

Watch your fingers.

Don't cut toward your hand.

Who's got a key to these handcuffs?

Canino.

I don't suppose there's a gun

around here?

None that I know of.

The boys made a fast trip.

What can you do?

Look, angel. I'm going to

leave you in a tough spot.

That's all right with me.

- How do I get out of here?

- That door leads onto a side porch.

All right, as soon as I've gone,

you count to 20 slowly...

...and then scream your head off.

- I will!

All right. Start counting.

Get going, Art.

You heard what I said!

There! Behind the wheel!

Over here, Canino!

That looks like the key.

We'll have to take his car.

How far is it from back there

to the nearest telephone?

About eight or 10 miles to Realito.

Why?

When Mars' wife gets my car fixed,

and he finds out what happened...

...there'll be plenty of trouble.

You'll be in it

just as much as I will.

I don't mind,

as long as you're around.

I didn't have a chance to thank you

for what you did back there.

You looked good, awful good!

I didn't know they made them

like that anymore.

I guess I'm in love with you.

Will you go to the police with me?

I can't.

Why not?

What if I told you

I killed Shawn Regan?

Would you tell the police that?

I will if you take me there.

I'm not going to.

Look, angel, I'm tired.

My jaw hurts, my ribs ache,

I killed a man back there...

...and stood by while a

harmless guy was killed.

I can't say all that happened...

...because Geiger tried to throw

a loop over Carmen.

They'll swarm over your house...

...so fast that every closet

your family's been in...

...for the last six years

will look like a police convention.

They'll all ask the same question:

"Where's Shawn Regan?

Why did Mars hide his wife out to make

it look like she ran off with Regan?"

Why did you hide out there?

You're playing with dynamite.

Don't ask any more questions.

I won't even ask you

how you got into this mess.

I'll ask Eddie Mars

if I can get there quick enough.

Why are you doing that?

I guess I'm in love with you.

Hello. Let me talk to Mr. Mars.

Hello, Eddie.

This is Marlowe.

Yeah, Marlowe,

or what's left of him.

That Canino's a pretty good boy.

You'll have trouble getting

another as good.

What's the matter, Eddie?

Can't you talk?

I'm in Realito, the same

place Canino called from.

Only now, it's me that's calling.

I want to see you.

Why don't you go to the police?

I just killed your best boy.

Do you want to see me

or don't you?

All right. Where?

Las Olindas is too far.

Not your apartment either.

Your house?

You mean the one that Geiger lived in?

All right. When?

How long will it take me

to get there?

I'll be there just as quick as I can.

- That worked.

- You're taking an awful chance.

He'll be here in 10 minutes.

Go through there, and make sure that

back door is locked...

...and then close all these curtains.

I'll get rid of the car.

You're the one who's shaking now.

I'm scared, angel.

I'm sore too.

Mars has been ahead of me

all the way. Way ahead!

If I don't get the jump on him

this time, we're cooked.

There they are.

Watch the back.

If you see anybody coming,

yell like you did before.

- What is it?

- The curtain! Stop it swinging.

I got here first, Eddie.

Put those scissors down.

Put them down!

Turn around.

Over there.

Sit down.

There's two men out in back,

behind some trees.

- Watch them.

- Hello, Mr. Mars.

- You double-crossing...

- I told you to sit down.

And leave her out of it.

She's all right, Eddie.

She kept her deal with you.

She didn't tell me a thing...

...except that she killed Regan.

But I didn't believe that.

Regan's dead, all right,

but she didn't do it.

It was Carmen, wasn't it?

How'd it happen?

- She didn't tell...?

- I asked you how it happened.

- Carmen liked Regan.

- But he liked your wife.

And he said no to Carmen.

She gets mad when anybody says that.

I've seen her that way. Go on.

She was high. By the time it was over,

she couldn't remember much about it.

I've seen her that way too.

- Then you hid the body.

- You can't prove that.

It'll be just as bad for you

if I prove it to myself.

Then you started to blackmail

Mrs. Rutledge...

...by telling her what Carmen had done.

How did you prove to her

that Carmen had done it?

Prove it to me.

You've seen Carmen when she's that way.

Sure I have. Have you?

Why didn't you know her

when you walked in that day?

You're pretty smart,

but I've been waiting for this one.

What are you going to do?

I said you were smart.

You walked in without a gun.

You were going to agree to everything,

just like you're doing now.

When I went out,

things would be different.

That's what those boys

are doing out there.

But everything's changed now,

because I got here first.

Angel, get on the floor!

Don't get excited, Marlowe.

If anything happens,

if there's any shooting, you'll just...

What do you think will happen now?

What will your boys think?

What will they do to

the first one out that door?

Who's it going to be, you or me?

- Look, Marlowe...

- You look at this!

Haven't you ever seen a gun before?

You want me to count to three,

like they do in the movies?

That's what Canino said

to little Jonesy.

- Don't go crazy!

- Jonesy took it better than you.

- That's one, Eddie!

- Don't, Marlowe!

That's two, Eddie!

Don't shoot, it's me! Mars!

Bernie? This is Marlowe.

I've got some more red points for you.

- Who is it this time?

- Eddie Mars.

His boys got him.

There's more to it than that.

He killed Regan.

I'll tell you about it when I see you.

Where are you?

The same place, Laverne Terrace.

Come up and get me out of here.

And watch yourself.

They may still be outside.

Right away.

It won't take him long.

Wait, let me do the talking.

I don't know what I'll tell him,

but it'll be pretty close to the truth.

You'll have to send Carmen away...

...from a lot of things.

They have places for that.

Maybe they can cure her.

It's been done before.

We'll have to tell your father

about Regan. I think he can take it.

You've forgotten one thing.

Me.

What's wrong with you?

Nothing you can't fix.

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