The Prowler Page #2

I'd like you to meet my husband.

Sorry, but no can do.

I've got my reports to make out.

We've been having a lot of

trouble with prowlers lately.

I'll drop by once in a while

to see if everything's okay.

Won't that be too much trouble?

Well, it could be, but

I don't think it will.

After all, we Hoosiers have to

kind of stick together, don't we?

Sure do.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

3:
58 a.m. And 50 seconds.

I'll be with you again tomorrow night.

And good news, folks. The

cost of living is going down.

Goodnight to everyone.

I'll be seeing you, Susan.

You got one of those... businesses?

Thanks.

Boy, if they could only see me

now, I'd be the envy of the force

if they knew about this, huh?

Those guys, there's nothing but

hamburgers night off or no night off.

They don't mind, though. Hamburger's

the only thing they're used to.

You don't like being

a policeman, do you?

Why should I?

Well, for one thing, you

look nice in the uniform.

This is the only uniform I like.

Quite a collection.

Got any Guy Lombardo?

They're not what they seem.

Those are my husband's

programs, all of those shelves.

He has them recorded so he can

listen and improve his diction.

There's nothing wrong

with being a policeman.

Nothing wrong with digging

ditches, either, or delivering mail.

I'd rather be one of those

guys shows up around 10:00 in

the morning after having

a big argument with himself

over whether he'll drive the station

wagon today or the convertible.

What are you looking for? Cigarettes?

Yeah. Fresh out.

You don't smoke, do you?

No. But my husband does,

only he keeps them locked up.

Are you kidding?

No. He keeps a carton or

more in there all the time.

If you were a good locksmith,

I could give you a pack.

Hold that. Give me a bobby pin.

Does he keep everything locked up?

Mostly.

You, too?

That's a leading question.

Probably does.

A mean, jealous guy like that

wants his wife all to himself.

I can't say I blame him

though, I'd do the same myself.

There. See how silly it is

to keep things locked up?

Maybe. But it did delay

you for a little while.

Is that all he wants,

just to delay things?

Sometimes a little delay does the trick.

Harder to close than it was to open.

You ever dance?

I used to.

Another thing I think you'll like is

tree ripen-ripened fruit for dessert

these mild September evenings.

The wife serves fruit and

coffee every night, and I

want to tell you that when I

lean back from the table and

take that first puff off my cigarette...

Think he was watching.

Then I know all's well with the world,

and the wife knows it, too. Good idea...

There's only one good thing

about this arrangement.

What's that?

At least you always

know what he's doing.

He always knows what I'm doing, too.

Like making me sandwiches tonight?

He'll know. Why not?

What's a guy like

that look like, anyway?

Oh, just like a normal, decent,

middle-aged American husband, which he is.

You don't make him sound very exciting.

Lot of good things aren't exciting.

That's what's good about them.

Why did you marry him, Susan?

Because I loved him.

Try again. Why did you marry him?

While I was knocking

around at movie studio

gates, I found out a

few things about myself.

I married him because I wanted a family.

That's why we got this

big house. I wanted kids.

So, have you got them?

No.

What other reason was there?

To stay away from men like you.

But it didn't do any good, did it?

You're a real cop, aren't you?

You want everything free.

You're wrong.

People never give

anything to cops for free.

They always figure to

get something out of it.

I think you'd better get out of here.

Wouldn't I be a fool

to do a thing like that?

I'll report you.

Go ahead. You know where the phone is.

Please go.

Please leave me alone.

Stop it.

What do you think I am?

I told you to leave me alone.

Now get out of here.

All right.

Night.

And don't come back.

No, please.

I came to... to apologize

for the other night.

Look, it's kind of hard

to apologize like this.

Thanks for the apology, but

you shouldn't have come back.

Maybe not, but I couldn't

leave things the way they were.

Why not?

Well, I... I just didn't want to give

you the wrong impression, that's all.

There's another reason

I came around, too.

Do you mind?

This probably sounds corny, but

I get lonesome once in a while.

I guess everybody does.

And the idea of both of us

coming from the same part of

the country and both

of us being alone...

Yes, I know.

It's kind of a home-sickness, I guess.

We used to have a record of that.

Did you?

Did you ever go to the

football dances after the

Terre Haute/East Indianapolis games?

I went to two of them.

I bet you're a good dancer, too.

We might have met right

there in Terre Haute.

Yeah, I guess we might have.

We were both dancing

there on the same floor.

Might have bumped into each

other and didn't even know it.

Could be, but I doubt it.

Why?

Because I'd have turned And looked,

and I'd have remembered your face.

Even now, I'd remember it.

Things never... never

turn out quite like that.

I'd have taken just one look at

you, and I'd have asked you to dance.

The daytime, baby, the nighttime, baby,

the right time, baby to fall in love.

Come on, please.

And I'd have asked your

name, and you'd have told me.

And I'd have told you how swell

you danced and how pretty you were.

I'd have liked that.

But I'd have been scared.

Maybe. But not for long.

Why not?

Because I...

Please don't.

I mean it, Webb. Please don't.

Yes, it's our time,

baby, to fall in love.

Here.

Take a look at this.

No future in being a cop.

That's what some guys think.

No money, and they just

don't like the work.

Well, I do.

Rose quartz.

One of the best specimens we've found.

You see, it just depends on what

you figure a cop's job really is.

Now... huh?

Oh, yes, yes, yes.

The history.

You know, not far from where

we found this is the site of

the one of the worst Indian massacres

in the history of the whole Southwest?

No kidding?

Absolutely. Here.

You see, I figure that the job

of a cop is to protect lives.

Now, some of these

trigger-happy guys...

Charles, Charles, dear.

Well, they think they

have to protect things.

Oh, iron pyrites.

That's fool's gold.

That's the first specimen we found.

Cost us $7.80 to have it SA'd.

Is that right?

Charles, don't you think

Webb's seen enough for tonight?

Have you?

No, no.

The way Bud talks about it,

it makes it sort of come alive.

Sure. Here.

You know, I've been on the

force for 20 years, almost

time for me to retire, and

I haven't shot a gun once,

except on the range, of course.

Oh. That one came from out in the

Mojave Desert, a place called Calico.

I rip-roaring mining town,

and now hardly anybody

Why, even the coyotes...

But Charles, Webb has a date.

Look at the way he's dressed up.

No, no, no.

He smells pretty, too.

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