The Damned Don't Cry Page #9

your stricken conscience.

Tonight you're going to Prenta's house.

You're gonna find out every person

in that meeting...

his name and why he's there.

If what George thinks is true,

you're gonna do even more.

You're going to help him get rid of Prenta.

Get rid of him?

You don't think George intends

to let him live, do you?

He's only been waiting

until he had all the facts.

That's what you're going to get for him.

No.

I can't.

You're talking about killing...

taking a man's life.

I won't do it. I want no part of it.

You want no part of it?

You are a part of it.

What do you think you've been living on

all this time, playing on, traveling on?

Where do you think

the money came from...

that converted you

into the fashionable Mrs. Forbes?

It came from 100 killings, 1,000 beatings...

all the pennies, nickels, and dimes

squeezed from a million fists...

all the $3 payments

at the foot of the stairs...

just to make a lady of refinement

out of you.

No, Miss Whitehead.

This isn't a party you can leave

when you get bored.

We could've left, you and I,

a long time ago.

We were only guests then.

But we stayed too late.

Now you do

what George sent you out here to do.

Only do it better.

Find out about that meeting tonight.

George likes to think that when he gave

me the West Coast, it was a gold mine.

Gold mine. You know what it was.

It was an ashcan. Nothing.

But I turned it into something.

Me, myself. Nobody else.

I developed it.

And the same goes for you boys

in your districts.

I'm tired of sending the cream back East

to a worn out guy who does nothing...

but sit back and watch a mousy

bookkeeper add up what I made.

And I'll tell you something else.

I'm tired of you guys getting

the same kind of deal.

- Not half as tired as we are, Nick.

- Okay.

We'll go to New York in the morning.

I chartered a plane.

And when we get there...

Mrs. Forbes.

Hello, darling. What are you doing here?

I know unscheduled visits

are frowned upon.

Is something wrong?

Yes, Nick.

I'm afraid I've come down

with a terrible malady...

a bad case of jealousy.

- I'm sorry, but I had to be sure.

- About who I was with tonight?

Come on,

I want you to meet your competition.

It's okay, boys.

Great bunch of heart-crushers,

aren't they?

Darling, I want you to meet Mr. Fredericks.

- How do you do?

- How do you do?

- Mr. Bender.

- Hello.

- Loman.

- Good evening.

- It's a pleasure I'm sure.

- And Mr. Hart.

- How do you do?

- Boys, Mrs. Lorna Hansen Forbes.

Haven't we met before, Mrs. Forbes?

I'm afraid I don't recall, Mr. Loman?

The name is Hart, Eddie Hart.

Are you from around here, Mr. Hart?

Kansas City. But I get back East a lot.

- I could've sworn...

- You've seen her picture in the papers.

Somebody's always recognizing me

and assuming they've met me before.

Exactly what happened

the first minute I saw you.

Except for one thing.

Your pictures don't half do you justice.

I must remember

to complain to your editor.

- Also Kansas City?

- No, Cleveland.

We get your pictures out there.

My humble apologies

for the interruption, Nick.

Please forgive me, gentleman. Good night.

- Good night.

- Good night.

Relax, boys.

I'm so ashamed.

I shouldn't have come here, Nick. Sorry.

You couldn't have picked a better time.

Do you know

who those fellows are in there?

They work for the same guy I work for,

George Castleman.

In exactly 48 hours,

they'll be working for me.

Mr. Castleman will be cancelled out.

This whole country will be mine, Lorna.

I want you to share it with me.

You didn't answer me.

What is it, I'm not good enough?

- I didn't say that.

- But that's it.

When you really have to face it, that's it.

I know the right people,

I wear the right clothes...

- but I don't bleed the right color.

- Stop it.

I'll show you what color I bleed.

You and your gold-plated friends.

When that deal goes through,

I'll own them all.

Maybe then my name

will be worth something to you.

Maybe then you won't mind sharing it.

Share your name?

I've been asking you to marry me.

Will you marry me, Lorna?

What is it?

Do I really mean that much to you?

Nick, how much do I mean to you?

- Everything. Is that enough?

- Then get out of this.

Nick, I'm scared about what you're doing,

what you're planning, what it'll lead to.

If you give this up...

If that's what it takes to get you,

you've got a deal.

- I can get out of this inside of a year.

- It'll be too late then.

But I can't get out now, Lorna.

This is the big jump.

I've got to see it through.

Please, don't. Don't go through with it.

Give it up, please.

What do you want?

- Could I see you a minute, Nick?

- Sure.

Come on, darling.

You go on home. I'll see you later.

Patricia.

Patricia isn't here.

She's gone to the movies.

George sent her.

Hello, Lorna.

Aren't you glad to see me?

Yes, of course.

When did you get here?

A little while ago.

I haven't been too far away.

How was the meeting?

Meeting?

What meeting?

The meeting you told Marty about,

at Nick's house.

Or maybe you made a mistake.

Maybe you shouldn't have told him.

What do you mean?

I suppose you don't know anything

about a plane trip tomorrow morning.

Or are you going to New York with him?

George, I don't know

what you're talking about.

You don't.

What do you think I've been doing

since Marty gave me your report?

That was more than a meeting tonight.

They're all here, Eddie Hart, Sam Loman.

It's a planned revolt.

They're out to get me, aren't they?

Yes.

Stop it, George.

Then why didn't you tell me?

What've you been stalling about?

No.

I only found out about it tonight.

I would've called you.

You expect me to believe that?

You're in love with Nick.

You're trying to protect him.

No, George, that's not true. I love you.

I just don't want to see anyone killed.

Not you, not Nick, not anyone.

- Please believe me.

- You're lying.

You're so used to lying,

cheating, and double-crossing...

you can almost make it seem good.

George, stop it! That's enough!

She's no good. Not even to you.

She is to you. She can still help.

She can still be useful.

There's only one thing to do with dirt,

sweep it up.

George! Listen to me.

You want Nick, don't you?

She can get him for you here tonight,

and you'll be in the clear.

She can call him on the phone,

get him over here. He'll never know.

She'll tell the police it was self-defense.

He tried to attack her.

Look at her.

It'll work, George.

Don't you see? It's perfect.

Okay, Marty.

You've got a brain.

The best kind.

The kind you don't have to go out and buy.

Pick her up.

Ethel.

Marty.

Put her in that chair.

Give her the phone.

Call Nick. Tell him you want to see him.

Tell him to come over right away, alone.

Here.

What's his number? I'll dial it for you.

Go on.

What's the number?

See who it is.

It's Nick.

All right. Let him in.

One word out of you and I'll kill you both.

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