The Sniper Page #3

---

Yeah. He owns the Mariposa.

Hey, wait a minute.

Wasn't he picked up about a year ago

on narcotics charges, charges dismissed?

That's the one. His name's in here.

We'll check on him.

Hello? No, this is Sergeant Ferris.

Yeah. Yeah. I'll tell him.

Well, it looks like the boyfriend

read the morning papers.

Turned himself in,

and it looks like he's got an alibi.

Figured he would.

Well, we might as well get downtown

and see what he's got to say. Come on.

All I know is that we had lunch yesterday.

We were going to go out of town tomorrow.

That's all I know.

We didn't fight or anything, honest.

- I was going to see her...

- Look, Al,

for the tenth time, get it through your head,

we know you didn't do it.

We've had you checked.

You got an air-tight alibi,

but the fact remains that somebody did it,

and we think that maybe

you can give us a lead.

- Did she know any soldiers? Any officers?

- Not while I knew her. She only seen me.

- Are you sure?

- Why shouldn't I be?

- What's soldiers got to do with it?

- How about Solmes?

- How about Andy Solmes?

- Who's he?

- She had his name in her book.

- I don't know him.

- She did.

- Not while I knew her.

She only seen me.

Very well, then,

why were you going out of town?

- Got it. Here you go.

- Thanks, mister.

It's all your fault. Why don't you

leave us alone and go play your own game?

- Mr. Miller. Awful late for you.

- I ate out. I don't feel very well.

Do you hear that, Assa? He don't feel well.

Isn't that too bad?

- What's the trouble? Stomach?

- No. No. It's my hand. I burned it cooking.

What a shame. Assa, do you see that?

He burned his hand cooking.

I'm trying to get Assa

to catch some mice in the cellar.

He ought to earn his keep

just like all the rest of us.

Shouldn't you, you naughty boy?

You'll have to be careful, Mr. Miller.

I do think mothers should teach boys

to cook just as well as girls.

My mother never taught me anything.

No, you don't. You've got to work, too.

Everybody's got to work in this world.

All right, let's settle down.

I suppose you all know

why I've called you in here.

In case you don't...

Pretty, isn't it?

So, that's how it is.

And before we know it,

everybody who's got a telephone

is gonna be on our necks.

"What are you doing about it?"

They're gonna ask.

What are you doing about it?

It's a good question.

What are we doing about it?

That's right. Nothing.

And until today,

there wasn't much we could do about it.

I don't expect you to find

a drop of water in a rainstorm.

But this morning, this was brought in.

Here's what it says. Quote,

"To the police. Stop me.

"Find me and stop me.

I'm going to do it again." Unquote.

And it's written on the top of a box

of.30 M1 ammunition,

the same kind that killed

both of these dames.

Where'd it come from?

Mailman got it in a box at 7th and Sanes.

Turned it in to the central post office.

- And they brought it down here.

- Any fingerprints?

Thousands. Everybody

except the postmaster general.

But at least it shows us

the type of man we're up against.

Now, I don't have to tell you

how much I dislike it.

This guy's probably been

saving up for this for years.

Now we got to get him and get him quick.

If we don't,

every other loopy in town's

gonna jump on the bandwagon,

and we'll find ourselves knee-deep

in a slaughter house.

It's happened before, it can happen again.

Frank, both of these have been your babies.

Got you up a tree.

- Way up on the top branches.

- Well, before you fall out,

check the files for every registered

sex offender of this type.

And pay particular attention to those

who have recently done time.

How about checking with the Army

on stolen carbines?

Yeah. We can do that, too. Especially in

regards to... What do they call them?

Section Eights. I'm checking with the FBI

and the police association

to find out if they've had

any other cases just like this.

Wasn't there a series

in New York like this once?

Maybe. We'll find out.

I think there was. They never caught the guy.

- Could be the same one.

- That was a long time ago.

All right. All right. So that was New York,

this is here. That's why I've called you in.

We've got to do something before we all

find ourselves pounding beats again.

Now, get out and round up

a bunch of these people,

rapists, defilers, peeping Toms, etcetera,

everybody we've got

this kind of a record on.

Bring them in. Let's talk to them.

Find out where they've been,

what they've been doing lately.

Let the newspapers know we're not

sitting around with our feet on the desk.

If we're in the dark,

it's our business, nobody else's.

- All right, now, get out and earn your money.

- What money?

Got them all sorted?

As well as I can. First time I ever did this.

Well, now we'll see what goes.

All right, first three.

Tinman, Eureka, Debiaci.

George Tinman, Peter Eureka, Tony Debiaci.

Walk over there and get a spot.

Face front. Keep your hands to your sides.

All right. Settle down.

Quiet.

First man here is George Tinman.

Three charges against him.

1946, 1949 and 1950.

What kind of charges, George?

You heard me.

- They said I was looking in their windows.

- They said? Who? The girls?

Looks like they recognized you

all three times.

How could they tell? It was dark.

Keep your hands at your side.

What you been doing lately, George?

I'm a... I'm a swimming instructor.

Do you take your spy glass

to work with you?

No, sir.

That's right.

It would rust underwater, wouldn't it?

How about rifles?

Did you ever shoot fish in a barrel?

I never shot a gun in my life.

I'm glad, George. I wouldn't want you

to get into any bad habits.

Second man is Peter Eureka.

Peter's a letter writer.

Not a very nice one, either.

He writes to strange women, and

he's frightened a lot of them pretty badly.

How about that, Pete, don't you like women?

Never been married?

- Three times.

- Three times.

Why'd all these happy homes break up?

Did you spend all your wives'

household money for stamps?

- I did the breaking up.

- Yeah. I guess you probably did.

You know, Pete, I read somewhere

that the pen is mightier than the sword.

- How about that? Did you ever try a sword?

- I never had a sword.

What about a rifle? I guess maybe

you thought a rifle was the best thing of all.

- I never shot anybody.

- Not even maybe an odd wife or two?

I never shot anybody.

And what about Eureka?

What does that mean?

Every day I hear somebody yell, "Eureka!"

They talking about you, Pete?

I don't know what it means.

That's too bad.

I thought I was gonna get to find out.

You're wasting your time, Andy.

It's none of these men.

- There's a lot more coming.

- It won't be any of those, either.

You're the police psychiatrist.

Suppose you turn up the guy we want.

What makes you so sure, Doctor?

- It's my job.

- And this is ours.

Next man is Anthony Debiaci.

Ant, put your hands at your side

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes