The Killing Page #4

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I didn't tell her nothin'.

Honest, I didn't.

You'll let her go, won't you?

You won't hurt her, John?

Randy? Mike?

Take him home to his apartment

and stick with him until I phone you.

- No, I'm not leaving Sherry!

- You're leavin', all right.

Now, how are you goin' -

slidin' or walkin'?

Come on, George, let's go.

What are you gonna do now, Johnny?

Ah, I don't think I'll have to kill her.

Just slap that pretty face

into hamburger meat, that's all.

Marv, why don't you take yourself

a walk for an hour or so?

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I'll be -

I'll be back in a couple of hours.

All right, sister, that's a mighty pretty head

you've got on your shoulders.

You wanna keep it there, or do you wanna

start carrying it around in your hands?

Maybe we could compromise

and put it on your shoulder.

- I think that'd be nice, don't you?

- What were you doing outside that door?

Doing? I was listening, naturally.

Trying to, I should say.

Oh, you admit it?

You admit you were out there snooping?

Yes. Wasn't that naughty of me?

But I'm afraid I was.

I found an address in George's pocket.

I thought he might be playing around

with another woman, so I came over here.

And you'd care if he was playin'

another dame? That would bother you?

You don't understand me, Johnny.

You don't know me very well.

I know you like a book.

You're a no good, nosy little tramp.

You'd sell out your own mother for a piece

of fudge, but you're smart along with it.

Smart enough to know when to sell

and when to sit tight, and you know

you better sit tight in this case.

- I do?

- You heard me. You like money.

You got a great big dollar sign there

where most women have a heart.

So play it smart. Stay in character,

and you'll have money, plenty of it.

George'll have it, and he'll blow it on you.

Probably buy himself a five-cent cigar.

Mmm. You don't know me

very well, Johnny.

I wouldn't think of letting George

throw his money away on cigars.

Isn't there a big "if" in there somewhere?

Yeah. There's a couple of 'em.

If you're smart, if you keep your trap shut

and don't nose around anymore,

you'll have money.

You'll be loaded with a capital "L."

But if you don't, there'll be nothing.

We'll forget the whole thing.

Nothing will happen,

and you won't have a penny.

I wouldn't like that, and, frail as I am,

I'd much prefer to be loaded.

I think we understand each other.

Now beat it.

Those guys.

Fine friends they turned out to be.

Slappin' me around,

callin' me dirty names.

I thought that rotten Randy

would cave the side of my head in.

Poor George.

You're all right now, aren't you, darling?

Doggone it, Sherry, you shouldn't

have come over there tonight.

It's a wonder we both didn't get killed.

I don't think there was much danger of that.

After all, if they'd killed you,

there couldn't be a robbery.

If they'd done anything to harm me

or seriously offend you, why -

They have offended me.

They've offended me plenty.

Oh, George, don't be such an old bear.

They have,

and I'm not gonna forget it in a hurry.

Well, what else could they have done?

I thought they acted quite reasonably.

Well, anyway -

What - What did Johnny do to you?

Do? I already told you.

Just asked me some questions

and made sure it was all right for me to leave.

Sherry, did - did Johnny try anything?

Why, George,

what a terrible thing for you to ask.

- I was pretty sure that you wouldn't -

- I don't think you'd better say any more.

Why did you come over there tonight,

Sherry? It wasn't for the reason you said.

It was for the reason you said, George.

You said it yourself.

I was just trying to make an alibi for you.

I was afraid those guys'd kill you.

You know that I wouldn't look

at another woman.

There wouldn't be any women

chasing after a guy like me.

Oh, let's drop it, George.

You put words in my mouth,

and then you say they're not true.

I told you exactly what happened.

Oh, dear.

Everything's all right

with you and your pals now.

You're gonna have

lots and lots of money and -

- I've been thinkin' it over, Sherry.

- I can hardly wait.

How soon will it be, George?

What day?

It ain't going to be, Sherry.

I'm droppin' out.

You're dropping -

Oh, you don't mean it. You can't mean it.

I'm afraid, Sherry.

This business tonight,

it kinda opened my eyes.

It made me realize the kind of guys

I was getting mixed up with.

Before, all I thought of was the money.

Well, you just keep on

thinking about that, George.

Think how disappointed I'd be

if you didn't get that money.

I'm afraid I'd feel like

you didn't really love me.

I don't see how I could feel any other way.

Why? Why should I have to do a thing

like that to prove to you that I love you?

George, what are you gonna do?

I wanna know right now.

All you've ever done

is talk about loving me.

That's all I've had

for the last five years is talk.

Now that you have a chance

to do something and to -

all those things you promised -

buy me things -

Well, what are you gonna do, George?

You know there ain't a thing in the world

I wouldn't do for you.

Then you'll do this for me, won't you?

I guess so.

It'll be perfect, George.

You have no idea how perfect.

I won't have long to wait, will I?

It will be within the next few days, won't it?

- Oh, when will it be, George?

- You got your own way, Sherry.

You wanted me to go ahead with the deal,

so I'm going.

Now leave me alone, will you?

I'm sorry, darling. Of course.

We won't even talk about it

if you don't want to.

You really love me, Sherry?

Of course.

You'll always love me?

Always and always.

Three days later,

at 10:
15 on a Tuesday morning...

Johnny Clay began the final preparations.

- You want somebody to play with?

- Uh, no, thanks. I'm just lookin' for a friend.

Oh, you patsan. You missed a move.

Knight to knight five, pawn takes knight,

rook takes rook, queen to rook four, check.

- King to bishop -

- Go away. Bother someone else!

You don't know what you're talkin'!

He couldn't do that!

- You don't know what you're talkin'!

- Shut up, patsan. Make a move.

He's right.

I could have won your rook.

- Move, patsan!

- Look, stop talkin' or I'll call Fisher.

I can't think with all this noise!

Good game, Maurice?

Johnny Clay, my old friend.

How are you?

Good to see you, Maurice.

Been a long time, huh?

- How long have you been out?

- Oh, not very long.

It was very difficult, no?

Yeah.

Very difficult.

You have my sympathies, Johnny.

You have not yet learned that in this life

you have to be like everyone else -

the perfect mediocrity.

No better, no worse.

Individuality is a monster,

and it must be strangled in its cradle...

to make our friends feel comfortable.

You know, I often thought

that the gangster and the artist...

are the same in the eyes of the masses.

They're admired and hero-worshipped,

but there is always present...

underlying wish to see them destroyed

at the peak of their glory.

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