The Houston Story

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Ever since I came to Houston a

month ago I've been looking for her.

I turned the town upside down,

but nobody knew her.

Nobody even heard the

name Carrie Hemper before.

A girl can't just disappear into

thin air. Not just like that.

Gee, I hope it isn't her.

I wouldn't want to find her this way.

This is it.

Bring her in, Harry.

What about this Hemper girl?

I know in Oklahoma City she

was a dancer, a chorus girl.

Age?

Oh 24, 25 .. she never said.

Alright, Duncan.

Yeah. Yeah, it's her.

It's Carrie Hemper.

What happened?

- Suicide.

There are some questions

you will have to answer.

A crazy thing for her to do.

Yeah .. out of all the docks

in the world to jump off ..

She had to pick Houston.

Hi, Lou, Clara.

Hi Frank.

- You're late.

But there is still some

dinner on the stove.

I had a sandwich a little while ago.

I got a lot of work to do tonight.

I can't get over Angelo

losing on a TKO in the 6th.

Everybody is worrying about H-Bombs.

He worries about Angelo.

A cut eye. In the old days they

never stopped a fight for a cut eye.

The manager just slapped glue on to hold

him together and sent him out again.

I see you left your cab out front.

Yeah, I want to get an early start in

the morning. Saturday is a good day.

Say, what time does that kid down

the corner get the morning papers in?

Anytime now, I guess.

You don't read them early editions?

Oh, I got paid today.

Better take your rent

money while I still have it.

Be back in a little while.

Give me.

Where'd Frank go?

- Papers.

Did you hear him?

He's going to work again tonight.

Always working.

And thinking. He uses his head.

He's going to get someplace.

Frank is smarter than me.

Is that what you mean?

Almost every night he works

on those diagrams and maps.

All you got on your mind is Angelo.

You starting again?

What's the matter? The truth bother you?

You're not going any place

that cab wont take you.

We eat, don't we?

That's a good reason for living?

I'm just getting the table ready

for you. So's you can work.

Thanks, Clara.

- Got the morning paper?

No, they haven't come out yet.

What are you doing tomorrow, Clara?

Going sailing on my yacht.

How'd you like to buy

yourself a new dress?

Fine. All next week we

can eat the buttons off it.

Now look. I won 25 bucks at

a poker game with the boys.

It's all yours.

What gives?

Look Frankie, just because we've

known each other since we were kids.

Two weeks ago was Clara's

birthday. I was broke then.

Now I'm not.

- What are you trying to do?

Talk me out of a birthday present?

You can even come shipping with me.

Not thanks .. I figured since you'd

be out all day tomorrow ..

I'd be able to put a full

day in on this and finish it.

Thanks, Frank.

The house will be all yours.

For 25 bucks I'd have fixed

the table up for you myself.

Yes?

- Are you Frank Duncan?

What can I do for you?

Maybe we could talk.

- What about?

Carrie Hemper.

Why didn't she come? I want to

talk to her and nobody else.

Carrie is dead. You said so

yourself, right in the papers.

You like talking to dead people.

You got some marbles missing, Frank.

You ought to have some teeth missing.

I don't want to talk to a messenger boy.

You said that stiff in the morgue was

Carrie Hemper. Why did you do it?

You shouldn't have done that, friend.

Because I got orders not to mess you up.

Tell her to call me here.

You know, I hope they change

their minds about those orders.

You mean, just like that, it happened?

All the work you did, all

the time it took and then ..

In one little second.

The phone rings, somebody says

okay and you're a millionaire.

Nobody said okay yet, Louis.

But they could.

The phone did ring. That's

the important thing. It rang.

Why Galveston? Why would

they want you down there?

The sooner we get there,

the sooner we'll find out.

Okay, fasten your seatbelt.

We're flying low the next forty miles.

[ Singing:
]

"Put the blame on me, boys."

"Put the blame on me."

Let's go, Duncan.

This is the man, Mr Shay.

I want Carrie Hemper alive. Not dead.

It's open.

He's here, Zoe.

The guy that killed off

Carrie Hemper for you.

What's the pitch, buster?

I'll ask you one.

Why is it bothering you so much?

Carrie is my grandmother.

You don't say.

What's the matter? Haven't

you seen a leg before?

Not one that belonged to Carrie Hemper.

Joe told me about the birthmark.

Joe?

Joe Hemper.

We were friends. We worked

together in the Oklahoma fields.

He always was going to hit it big.

What did he do, strike oil?

Yes, with his head.

He fell off a derrick

and landed on his face.

He's dead.

Poor sucker.

He probably didn't even have

enough money for a decent funeral.

I saw to it.

That's nice of you, Duncan.

Oh, that's why you came

here to find me, huh?

I figured from what he said about you,

you'd be glad to hear you're a widow.

What do you man "glad"?

Having a husband probably

slowed you down some.

Joe hated you Carrie. He hated you good.

You always wanted to be

where the big money was.

Joe never got there.

It was because you were

smarter than he was ..

You couldn't expect that he wouldn't

get sore at you when you ran out on him.

Is that the end of the story?

Almost.

Except Joe wanted to give

you something before he died.

What was that?

Joe wanted me to use both hands but

you're the kind that bruises easily.

Look. There was nothing personal in

that slap. It had nothing to do with me.

You just can't refuse a dying

man's last wish. That's all.

Let go of me.

You didn't do that whole morgue

bit just to come here and hit me.

Do you always think that fast?

What do you want?

One thing.

Joe told me you were connected

with the big mob boys.

I want to get to Pauley Atlas.

Gordy.

This joker wants to get to Pauley Atlas.

Mr Duncan.

I think you are a little confused.

Is that so?

I'm Gordy Shay. The manager.

Now somehow you seem to think

we have a lot of answers here.

Like on a television quiz program.

It's called "What's My Racket".

But we don't book

comedians here, Mr Duncan.

You'd book a Salvation Army man if he

would make you 5 million dollars a year.

You did say five million?

Distinctly.

But this is one comic that will only

tell his jokes to Pauley Atlas.

Well now maybe I can

learn to laugh just as loud.

No. You run a nightclub, Mr Shay. You do

not want to have anything to do with me.

I need financing.

Not the kind that comes from banks.

Five million dollars is ..

A lot of money.

Not in Texas.

I'll get to Atlas without you.

Maybe he won't think you're so smart

when he finds you passed up a good deal.

No. I'll call you tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I'll see if I

can't find Mr Atlas's number.

In the phone-book.

Mr Anderson is by the pool, Mr Shay.

Atlas does alright for himself.

He should do even better

with you around, huh?

Come on.

It's the funniest story I ever heard.

Well, here comes Gordy.

You know, you are working too hard.

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