The Stone Killer

-How heavy did he pay?

-The groin.

Halfway between a pension and a wreath.

A spic kid tried to pull a heist

on the liquor store.

Patrolman tried to stop him.

Kid's inside now. He's got a big gun.

And a small future.

Mr Torrey, can you give us

a statement, please?

Okay, get back, people. Stand back.

Get out of the way. Don't come crowd in.

Now, who the hell told Torrey to go in there?

Don't know.

You still got two ways to build it, kid.

Come on down.

Stop.

The third teenage suspect shot dead

by New York City police in four weeks

brought another flood of complaints

to the Mayor's office today.

The incident was in Spanish Harlem,

where a police lieutenant

chased an 18-year-old Puerto Rican boy

into an empty building.

The boy was suspected of shooting

and wounding a police officer

after a raid on a nearby liquor store.

At the time

the policeman entered the building,

it was already surrounded by police.

Among the questions being asked,

was there not an easier way

of getting the boy out than in a coffin?

Come on, now. Out of the way. Let's move.

l tried, Lou, but all you got is enemies.

-That kid was only 1 7.

-The gun made him older.

What the hell do they want

a cop to do out there?

They don't want to change the law.

A kid can buy a gun

easier than bubble gum.

lt'll all come clean at the hearing.

No, l'm finished, Guido.

They put it down like l don't care.

A gun-happy cop.

l did try to talk him out of it, Helen,

but l guess he wanted

to be a comic book hero.

Maybe he was just frightened, Lou.

Yeah, he was scared,

but he was dangerous, too.

Kid like that, locked in the city streets,

can't find his way

over the respectable white wall.

He's full of rage.

He numbs the pain with junk.

This way, he made the newspapers.

What are you gonna do?

Les Daniels offered me a fixture

on the Coast, Lieutenant.

-Why not?

-Why not?

Will you see Julie?

She's your daughter, Lou.

-How is she?

-Fine.

-Want her address?

-No.

You remind me of home, Lou.

Remember the mill, the smelter, the mines

and the dead ground

they cut out for miles around,

where everything stunted

and withered and died?

lt seemed November all year long.

l look at you and l see that town.

Hello, Lou. Welcome to Los Angeles.

Stay sweet.

Hands against the wall.

-A real Jesse Owens.

-These blue-gum n*ggers can run.

Shut up.

Your Southern manners are showing.

What are you harping for,

a civil rights medal?

No snow. He's made his drop.

Clean as a nail file.

Some smart n*gger.

We had you gift-wrapped from the time

you picked up the stuff, candyman.

Now we want the john. Which room?

You're a connection, and you're black,

and this ain't a tolerant society.

You've got enough rocks to break.

First floor. Second door from the fire escape.

Let that honky go in first.

Maybe l'll get lucky.

Who the hell are you?

Don't just stand there. Get the hell out.

You could die easy.

-lt bothers me.

-Stand.

You got a face, and l can't make it.

New York, six years ago, Armitage.

Get dressed.

Your boy Armitage is wanted

on a murder one in New York.

You deliver him.

This is New York Kennedy Airport.

Passengers from Los Angeles

should follow the red arrows

to the baggage collection area.

Taxis and buses to the city centre

are available outside...

Hey, nobody cares, Armitage.

Nobody remembers old headlines.

-l still got something you're gonna need.

-You had your gaudy moments.

You think l peddle fish?

-There's gonna be a hit.

-Who?

-Do we deal?

-l don't buy fiction.

-l can turn the light on Wexton.

-Who the hell is Wexton?

No games, no names.

All right, l can wait. My value goes up.

But you better put me in a glass box, Torrey.

You better take good care of me.

This here man says he's valuable.

-Take good care of him.

-Yeah, he looks it.

You know what O. Henry called this place?

He called it ''Baghdad on the subway.''

He must have lived in Pittsburgh.

You see that killing at the airport?

That's what l mean. You get the worst here.

What's a nice guy like you

want with the Fourth Precinct house?

They give a good massage

and a quick piece of ass.

-Evening.

-Hello, Mr Torrey. How are you?

Good, good.

My God, Torrey.

Good to see you. Been a long time.

Yeah.

-ls Lorenz back there?

-Don't l know you?

-Could be, could be.

-Who wants him?

You wop bastard. How the hell are you?

lt's been over two years.

l guess we're the survivors, huh?

Some of us getting desk fat.

What's with this airport killing?

You remember Bootlace Armitage?

Yeah. He get the blast?

Yeah. We picked him up

about a week ago in Los Angeles,

-and l placed the face.

-You always could, Lou.

The name Wexton

mean anything to you, Guido?

Armitage used it.

Tried to give me the impression

he was back in the big games.

-l put it down to nostalgia.

-A lot of people die of nostalgia, Lou.

-He was an executive gun, though.

-Was. Ten years ago.

-Yeah. ls that all you got?

-Only that name Wexton.

Armitage did say there was a hit scheduled.

Well, let's read about it in the newspapers.

Let's go out and get a couple of beers, Lou.

Boy, you New York cops,

you don't sweat, do you?

Two years on the Coast and you forget.

This is the hub of our great society.

Hey, Guido, how about running

the name Wexton around downtown?

lt might ring a bell with somebody.

Sure. l'll get the book on Armitage

from files. Steinholtz?

Get onto homicide

about that killing at the airport.

Give it to Briers. l've got six reports to do.

You've got six reports

and a phone call to homicide.

With authority comes responsibility,

Steinholtz.

l'm so happy, so proud. Honoured, even.

Say, two from the tap, please.

Come on, Susie, hurry up.

We gotta get out of here.

-Don't you know who that guy is?

-No, l don't know who he is. Who is he?

Well, you ought to know.

He's with the police, all right.

-Okay.

-Don't stall.

-We got trouble enough last month.

-All right.

-You got a nervous clientele.

-Yeah.

We could bankrupt this guy.

So, you like Los Angeles?

lt's better than a sharp stick in the eye.

Well, you never did run

in the popularity stakes, did you?

Stay a while, J.D.

You remember J.D., don't you, Lou?

Come on. Let's go back

and wash our hands. Come on.

Mexican grass. A good, mild high,

but not a real competitor any more.

Old heads dig it.

Lebanese Gold, overrated.

Middle-class market,

you know, suburban swingers.

Moroccan. Real rough gauge.

Uptown, the Village.

And last,

Nepal Coarse.

For God-trippers.

J.D.'s the best grass man on the East Coast.

Half this town climbs on him.

Well, you gotta have pride.

l remember you.

You bought me two years on Rikers lsland.

l remember you.

You're gonna bag this stuff?

With your sheet, you can get five to 10.

That's a lot of years.

Captain, l know what l got in my hand.

Question is, what do you got in yours?

Did you hear about that airport killing?

Only what they say on TV.

l don't want to miss the gossip, any of it.

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