The Unknown Man Page #4

that. This is a night to celebrate.

Or is it?

Are you kidding?

You don't beat the chair every day.

You did a terrific job, Brad.

Hi.

Oh this is Sally. Sally Tever.

Hi again.

Good evening.

Won't you sit down?

Thank you.

Well, I guess life must look pretty

good to you tonight, eh fellah?

Yes sir. You made yourself a brand

new reputation. You know that?

Hey Rudi, come on out here will you.

Brad! Well, Bradley Masen.

What brings you here?

Just the doctor paying a

call on his favorite patient.

After quit a major operation, eh doctor?

Well. How do I rate, doc?

I should say you've made

a very remarkable recovery.

Yeah, thanks to you. You sure

put it across and boy am I grateful.

Honey, call up The Odalisque.

Tell Joe my usual table.

Well Brad old boy, care to join us?

How about a night on the town?

Come on, what do you say, pal?

No, not tonight thank you.

No? Alright, another time then.

You know, now that it's all over

you and I ought to get together.

Talk over old times.

Yes, yes.

Say.

It just struck me. You did the job

and you haven't been paid for it.

There was no fee.

Don't give me that. You do

right by Rudi, he pays off.

Ain't that so, Wayne?

I guess that's so.

Before I took the case you warned

me there would be no money in it.

Ah, don't believe me.

You have to be awful careful

with Rudi, Mr Masen.

He's a terrible liar.

You want to make something of it?

A terrible, terrible liar.

What's on your mind, fellah?

I was just thinking.

Twenty-six dollars and forty-five cents.

It couldn't have meant that

much, could it? Not to him.

Didn't I tell you it was crazy

to pin the rap on Rudi?

Yes, you told me.

You also told me that

he hadn't a nickel.

Well, you know how it is with these

guys. Down one minute and up the next.

I believe Wayne said 500, but I figure

when a guy owes his life to a guy ..

Here.

That's a lot of money.

Two grand.

You want more?

Say the word and you got it.

When I took this case,

I understood you were broke.

That was one of my

reasons for taking it.

Huh?

But still, there no is fee.

That's the craziest thing I ever

saw in my life. Hey, Mr Masen.

Why did you do it?

Why did you take the case?

I wanted the satisfaction of

freeing an innocent man.

Goodnight. Goodnight, Miss Sally.

Goodnight, Wayne.

Goodnight, Brad.

D.A.'s office.

Yes, we have the

post-mortem, Mr Corrigan.

Thank you, sir.

Mr Bucknor.

Mrs Masen is here.

Right away, sir.

You can go in now, Mrs Masen.

D.A.'s office.

No, sorry. The Grand

Jury is on vacation.

You could try Preliminary.

Yes, I will.

Mister Bucknor,

this is very good of you.

You know, my housekeeper is a human

mistake but her coffee is something.

You like coffee?

Love it.

Good. This is for you.

Thanks.

By the way, hello and how are you and

it's a fine day and .. what's wrong?

I'm worried about Brad.

And look, this visit is off the

record if you don't mind.

I don't want him to know about it.

It's about the Wallchek case.

Mister Bucknor.

Brad thinks it's possible

he may have been wrong.

So?

Of course, I know it's absurd.

But if by any chance,

there had been some mistake.

I mean.

Suppose this boy really

had done it, after all.

Brad says he never would forgive himself

for "perverting the law" as he calls it.

You see, the law is Brad's life.

It's as much a part of

him as his arms and legs.

He was brought up on it by his father.

They look on justice ..

As something sacred.

The Masens.

It's .. kind of a religion with them.

And now Brad feels he

may have dishonored it.

Good coffee, huh?

Oh.

Yes .. yes, it is good.

You know, Mrs Masen.

The law has quite a few

holes in it here and there.

But from where I sit, trial

by jury is not one of them.

Maybe the boys do make a

mistake occasionally. So what?

That could happen to the worst of us.

But if we take it to

heart, we'd all go nuts.

Now that's exactly what I ..

Oh, please. Would you say that to Brad?

Just the way you said it to me.

Coming from you, it might ..

Oh, I'd be so very grateful.

Get Bradley Masen's office please.

Thank you.

You know something?

I like your hat.

Mind you, it wouldn't look well on

everybody. What do you call those ..

Little thingamajigs on the side?

Bobbles. Just .. just bobbles.

Bobbles?

You learn something every day.

Thanks again, Mr Bucknor.

Goodbye.

Goodbye, Mrs Masen.

At first it was five dollars,

then fifteen, then twenty-five.

All the time they were raising

the price, raising the price.

They called it protection. Protection.

Every Thursday night

they came and we paid.

You don't have to believe me.

I can't prove every word.

Yes, but I do believe you.

That's my trouble.

Funny.

All through the trial I took

if for granted you knew.

Funny.

No, I didn't know.

I'm the one to blame

for not telling the court.

But I was scared.

Scared of what would

happen to me if I talked.

Well .. I'm not scared any more.

Will you talk now, Peter? Will you tell

the D.A. everything you've told me?

No. The law cannot touch him now.

It is too late for the law.

The law acquitted him for

murder, Peter. I mean it's ..

You could very easily turn it

round and get him for extortion.

Oh no, no. I cannot prove anything.

And he has friends. Big friends.

So you just don't know.

You didn't want to help me?

Of course I want to help you.

Well maybe you can.

Afterwards.

Afterwards?

This key fits Wallchek's place.

Uhuh.

I fixed a new lock for him.

Like I said in the court.

I am going up there

one day when he's alone.

I'll slip in quietly.

And there will be ..

Just the two of us.

Like him and Johnny.

I wonder.

Would you defend me ..

Afterwards?

Listen to me, Peter.

You're not going to kill Wallchek.

You're not going to kill anyone.

You know why?

Because it says so in

the book. Remember?

"Thou shalt not kill".

Now come on, snap out of it.

Look at that stain on the floor.

I know, I know.

It won't come off.

I scrubbed it over and over and over.

That's where it happened.

That's where Johnny died.

He was just nineteen.

I know. I know, Peter.

Alright now, come on.

You'd better take the key.

Take it!

Take it before I change my mind.

"Early next morning, Brad found

me as I was leaving the morgue."

"He told me he was morally

certain now, that Rudi was guilty."

"We'd been right with our man

but wrong with our motive."

"According to Hulderman, all shops in

the area were paying protection money."

"With Wallchek collecting."

"But collecting for who?"

Well, for himself I suppose.

You suppose? You're green, brother.

Wallchek is small-fry.

You think so?

I know so.

Is the old man is ready to talk?

Does he have any proof?

Well, he says it's too late.

But I was hoping ..

Hope is for kids and

when you're in love.

Have you gotten anything

solid I can get my teeth into?

Facts, proof, evidence?

A witness with guts?

No, but I ..

I thought not.

Then we're licked before we

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