The Face Behind the Mask Page #2

Stop me? Why?

Just some sporting interest, I guess.

I was just saying to myself... Heads he jumps, and

tails he doesn't. Heads I save him, and tails I doesn't.

But... Why do you wanna do a thing like that for?

Hungry? Or because of a dame?

Which is it?

Your face!

Well, gee, that ain't nothin'.

I don't want to live.

What do you get out of being dead?

Landing in a grave ain't my idea of life.

I cannot work.

Nobody will talk to me.

Nobody will look at me.

I'm looking at you.

And I'm talking to you.

Listen, you're pretty lucky to find a guy like me.

What's the matter?

What a minute. What you need is some hot grub.

You're going with me.

Yeah, Janos-I've been on my own

since I was 15.

I learned my lesson early.

You've gotta go for the free rides in this world.

You gotta grab everything you can for yourself

before somebody else grabs it first.

Only don't get too greedy.

I grabbed one thing too many, once-

and I got free room and board in a reform school.

What? You stole?

Well, that's what they called it.

But Dinky, it is wrong to steal.

You can't do wrong and find happiness in life.

Never.

What do you get out of going straight?

I tried to go straight 6 or 7 times.

But something always went wrong.

Something always happened.

You know, Janos...

I got a mother out in the middle west.

She's been waiting for me to come home...

And I've been expecting to go, too.

I don't know, I guess maybe

that's not for me.

I had a pretty good chance last year.

I saved up some dough, and...

I was going to buy her the chicken ranch

she's always wanted.

But then I got sick and I went

to the hospital for 4 months.

When I got out, my job was gone.

Honesty don't pay.

I cannot get any job but... I wouldn't steal.

But you already did steal, Janos.

What if you hadn't? Supposing you had

taken the poke to the police.

Then where would you be?

You'd be hungry. This way, we're eating.

We got a room, haven't we?

Boy, it's been so long since I've seen

a real bed I won't know how to sleep in it!

And when the money is gone...

the bed is gone...

Then what will you do?

Didn't you turn up tonight?

Did I know I was going to be here

a couple of hours ago?

Something always happens.

Besides, I got plans.

Just waiting for a buddy of mine

who's doing a stretch up the river.

But he'll be out in a couple of months,

and he'll have plenty of jobs.

Jobs? You think one for me?

You bet! Now look, you go to sleep.

I'm dying to get the most out of the bed.

We'll take everything up offical-like tomorrow.

Yes.

Goodnight, Dinky.

- Goodnight, Johnny.

This ain't no hospital. If your pal's

so sick, call a doctor.

I know, but we have no money.

That's none of my business, buddy.

You owe me for 3 nights.

He's been keeping everyone awake

with his coughing and wheezing.

I'm sorry, but you'll have to pay or get out.

- Oh, Johnny, I've been giving you a lot of trouble.

- Keep quiet, Dinky.

You know, I've been kind of changing my mind.

Kind of back-and-forth-like.

And I think sometimes it's better to be dead.

Do not talk, Dinky,

you know you must be quiet.

If only I would have the money for a doctor...

Tonight I was supposed to go out on a job,

a job at the Broadway market.

- A job where?

- At the Broadway.

Near 4th and Kay.

- Why didn't you tell me?

Oh, because you don't like to grab.

Johnny, do something for me.

- Yes?

I want you to go to Al's Place.

Look for Benson and Watts.

Tell them... tell them I can't make it.

Tell them I tried, but I'm too sick.

Benson and Watts, sure.

Yeah, at Al's Place. Anybody'll tell you

who they are.

I still don't know how you did it,

and without experience.

All you have to worry about is

to eat like this 3 times a day

and take your medicine like the doctor said.

I'd have given anything to see Benson and Watts' faces

when they found that safe empty.

Oh boy, if you don't think

I'm gonna give them a ribbing.

We will get you well first.

That is all that matters, Dinky.

- Hello, Dinky.

- Hello, Benson.

- Sitting pretty here, ain't you?

- Oh, I'm doing all right.

- Who's that?

- Oh, he's all right.

- What's the matter with his face?

- Lay off that.

You double-crossed us on that market job.

I haven't been out of bed.

We know the taxi guy that brought you here.

We know the junkyard you come from.

and we know you didn't have any dough before that.

- It wasn't me.

- It was me.

Where's the dough?

- Okay, here, here's your share.

- How'd you do it?

It wasn't difficult.

Why, a guy can pull a job

as slick as this can go places.

Even Jeff couldn't do better.

Jeff is that buddy of mine I told you

about that's up in Sing-Sing.

He'll be getting out soon.

What do we need Jeff, when we got a guy like him?

Never mind that.

Why? I got a lotta jobs lined up.

The way he works he don't leave a mark.

We could be riding pretty.

We could be living in a hotel...

get a car... get everything!

Okay, come on get out of here

and leave us alone.

He doesn't like to talk about it... Go on.

All right. Think it over and I'll see you later.

- All right.

You know, we can go a long way

if we stick together.

I don't understand.

You got to understand. Now listen, JOhnny-

you got to understand, we're fighting life.

And Benson is right.

We can all be riding pretty.

No more flophouses, no more junkyards.

We don't have to wait until

Jeff finishes his stretch.

You've shown them what you can do

in that market job.

And we know plenty of other spots.

Good spots.

You've got the chance to get the thing

you want

more than anything else in the world.

You don't know what I want.

Yes I do.

You want a face.

A new face.

A face that people can look at

without being scared to death.

One you can look at yourself without shuddering.

One that will let you stop

thinking how to dodge people.

Look, Johnny, I'm not trying to hurt you.

I want to help you.

That's what you want and

you've got a chance to get it.

You can buy one.

- You can buy a face?

It's being done every day.

All you've got to have is money.

I think they call them plastic doctors

or something like that.

You can buy anything with money.

Money can get me a new face?

Why, sure, Johnny, you don't have to look

like that for the rest of your life.

I even knew a fella who the cops

were after had his whole map changed.

Could they fix my face so that

people can look at me?

All you need is money.

Money...

I don't want to express a definite opinion.

That must come from Dr. Cheever himself.

Doctor, it is possible?

Dr. Cheever has performed what you

might almost term miracles.

Yes.

However I'm only his assistant.

The final word will still have

to come from Dr. Cheever.

But the doctor is on a vacation now,

what am I going to do?

I could fix you up with a

temporary mask until his return.

Would that be expensive?

If you had a photograph or something

to go by, I could make you a good mask

for about 400 dollars.

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