The Houston Story Page #2

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You should have come over sooner.

Well that girl. He's always with a girl.

You'd better wait here a minute.

Having big dreams?

You say the word and

I can make them better.

You always operate so fast?

I never operate without

taking a few X-Rays first.

Oh, Doc Duncan.

The man with the X-Ray eyes that

sees right through everything.

You don't hide so much.

Will you excuse us please?

Are you okay?

You'll find out for yourself, huh.

Well, come on over.

Come over and have some refreshments.

A cool drink or something.

It's nice to see you, Mr Duncan.

It's a nice party.

Hmm.

Gordy should have

brought you over sooner.

Thank you.

When you know you're seeing

the right man, it's never too long.

And you know the right thing to say.

That's very important, Gordy. Very.

I'm sure it is.

Do you know the right things to say

about that proposition you had?

Where can we talk?

My study is rather pleasant.

Alone.

No, no. The three of us.

My dear, you'll excuse

us I'm sure, won't you?

You've been here enough times

to enjoy yourself and have fun.

Would you excuse us.

This way, gentlemen.

Well there it is, Mr Atlas.

That's the whole thing.

Every move laid out to the last detail.

The racket has been right under

your noses and you didn't see it.

Well it's good, Mr Duncan.

It's an ingenious thing.

Stolen oil, right from the oilfield.

But what are we going to do

with the oil after we've stolen it?

There are half a dozen independent

distributors in this country.

Who would grab at it right now

without asking any questions.

And if we want ..

A half dozen countries who'd

buy it without any questions.

Big, Gordy. Real big.

I tell you another thing.

I've lined up twenty foremen

right now who can be bought.

They won't be looking when we

tie into their oil lines with our line.

Thirty percent of their oil

production will go into our tanks.

I've studied the layout of ..

Every pipeline and storage tank in

three of the eleven Houston fields.

And when we feel that

we're ready to spread out.

We'll move in to the other eight.

Now if we do that.

We'll go over five million

dollars net profit a year.

You can do all this?

I can start it rolling tomorrow.

That sounds very good Mr Duncan but

it seems to me I'd be a bit worried ..

For fear that we might just do

it ourselves and count you out.

I went to a lot of trouble

getting to you, Mr Atlas.

Oh, you mean the incident in the morgue?

That was a delightful thing,

wasn't it, Gordy.

Hilarious.

You know, I'd always

heard that .. Paul Atlas.

Deals square with anyone

who deals square with him.

Ha .. ha, I'm a gambler.

If people don't respect my

integrity, they don't play with me.

That's why I came to you, Mr Atlas.

Besides, you couldn't handle it

without first getting an oilman ..

Who knew the fields from the bottom up.

That's why I thought Frank Duncan

could handle it as well as anyone else.

Yes surely, surely.

Is there anything else you

think we should know?

One important thing

to keep us in the clear.

We must form a dummy

corporation as a front.

I see.

With a man at the top who can sign

papers so that if anything goes wrong ..

I don't take the rap and neither do you.

Well, have you such a man in mind?

Yes I do.

A nice guy .. not too smart.

His name is Louis Phelan.

Louis Phelan.

He thinks of everything, doesn't he.

Would you trust me with those

papers? Say for about a week?

Sure.

- Fine.

You will have your

answer a week from today.

Now the boys will drive

you back to Houston.

And thank you for coming.

Goodbye.

- Thank you.

I don't like him.

Well, he's a pretty outspoken young man.

But he's got something, Gordy.

Something I think the

boys in St Louis will like.

Yeah .. if it works.

Do you know what it would mean ..

If we could bring five million

dollars into the combine a year?

Emile Constant might

increase my territory.

He might even let me expand

into Reno or Las Vegas.

Uhuh.

Are you going to cut Duncan in?

Well, he's a pretty smart boy.

He knows oil. We don't.

But we can learn.

And as soon as we learn

everything that he knows.

We won't need him anymore.

Yeah.

That sounds better.

Ah, don't be silly.

I've brought you up from a pup.

Do you think I'd let

anybody move in on you?

Come on, get your things. We're

leaving for St Louis in the morning.

Clara, where is Louis?

- Asleep.

I went to a movie. When I got

home he was already in bed.

What's the matter?

I think I got my deal.

Deal?

You know all the work I've been

doing. A new way of drilling oil.

But I needed financing?

- And you got it?

I think so.

Oh, I'm glad for you, Frank.

Real glad.

Thank you, Clara.

Frank.

Yeah?

Louis has a good head on his shoulders.

Who says not?

He hasn't always driven

a cab. He has brains.

Maybe they are a little undeveloped.

But .. if he had a chance.

He'll get his chance.

Maybe.

He might.

Frank.

If you could get him a spot with you.

You know how I feel about Louis.

If he only knew a little

something about oil.

Goodnight, Clara.

You going to eat or play tag

with Madge in the kitchen?

Watch your language, boy.

He's talking about one

of the women I love.

Get a load of that perfume on Madge.

Sure smells better than those oil-wells.

Why don't you try one of our steaks?

They are more tender.

Hi.

I used to be single once.

You guys go ahead and order.

I knew this was going to

be one of my good days.

There is nothing like

having dessert first.

You coming over tonight?

Yeah. I'll tell Louis

not to wait up for me.

Ah, you'd better go back out front.

Hello, Kings Arms?

This is Mr Franklin.

Mr Shay told me to call up

today about his insurance.

Oh he won't be back for a

few days? He went out of town.

I see, thanks. Yeah, I'll call again.

Nobody else gets back in

that kitchen with Madge.

That kitchen separates the

men from the boys, pal.

Okay fellahs, what will you have?

Hey honey, sit down.

- Go it.

Hey look, something just came up.

It may be a break for me.

Yeah?

Can you give me a

rain-check for tonight?

A break?

- Yeah.

Why sure, Frankie. Look, I'm just a

kid who wants to see you go places.

As long as I go with you.

You are my girl.

Okay, you got a big, fat rain-check.

I've got nothing on tonight.

Oh yeah, and a guy

can catch cold that way.

Thanks honey, I'll call you.

- Sure.

Okay fellahs. What will you have?

Spaghetti and meatballs.

- Pork chops ..

I know what you want. Okay.

What are you doing here?

The door was open, nobody here. I've the

natural instinct of a house detective.

A Peeping Tom, you mean.

What's the matter?

All the girls in Houston busy?

How do you keep a chip on

those lovely round shoulders?

Adhesive tape.

What do you want?

So.

You didn't think Joe was

good enough for you ..

And I don't think Shay is

good enough for you.

You think you are?

There is one thing that

makes us hit off even.

What's that?

Money.

More than Shay ever

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