The Unknown Man Page #5

start and I'm not starting.

You mean to say that you're going

to do nothing? Right.

Look, grow up. There's no new case

against Wallchek. The old one is busted.

Busted, snafu-ed, smashed.

You smashed it, remember.

Alright, I smashed it. I was wrong.

I'm green, I'm naive,

I'm anything you like.

But right now I'm trying to put things

square and you won't raise a finger.

Licked before we start?

Start what?

Are you scared to start something?

What kind of a man are you?

What kind of a town is this, anyway?

I'll show you.

Our fabulous metropolis.

Eleven hospitals.

Half a dozen parks, two museums ..

An opera house and sundry

other holes of lesser delights.

A cultured city teeming

with pride and industry.

All that's good and strong in men.

Teeming also, with all that's

base and weak in them.

Gambling, extortion.

All the syndicated pastimes.

The traffic in vice is highly organised.

I know that Joe, but ..

Highly organised, ruthlessly administered

and way beyond the clutch of the law.

I don't believe that.

Nobody is beyond the law.

Not today. Not in this country.

No?

No.

Crime today my friend, functions

from skyscrapers and plush hotels.

The big wheel, the boss man, the brains

behind it all is may be your friend.

A guy you like to have

a drink with at the club.

Your most exclusive club.

You know this man?

No .. I don't know.

I know that he exists.

Suppose I did know him.

When I try to bring him in, within a

week I'm peddling vacuum cleaners.

He goes on as he goes, and I can't

even do the little bit I've been doing.

Grabbing the small-fry,

the Wallcheks, the hired help.

Go on home, Sir Lancelot.

Home to your nice clean

practice and your pretty wife.

Stop bunny-hugging crime

before it blows up in your face.

I tell you it's dynamite.

Hey.

Take it easy, will you.

Look, I'll put a man on Wallchek.

I'll have him tailed night

and day wherever he goes.

Maybe he'll put some other guy to sleep.

If he does.

Next time he'll be a dead duck for sure.

Hulderman, Hulderman.

First name?

Peter.

Peter Hulderman.

62549 Cedar Street.

Age of deceased?

Sixty-one.

Family?

None.

Cause of death?

A guy in a truck knocked

the old boy over and beat it.

"Old Hulderman was dead."

"This was the first real shock."

"Now he had to go on."

"He had to find out."

"He went back to Wallchek's apartment."

[ Telephone ]

[ Telephone ]

[ Telephone ]

Yes?

"Wallchek?"

"Be there tonight at 9:30."

"Don't be early because I'll be

out, but don't be late either."

"9:
30 sharp. Understand?"

"Hello? Wallchek?"

"Now he knew and now he would

have given everything not to know."

"His faith in his world of perfect law

and justice had begun to crack."

"It went on cracking."

"Get me the facts I told him. Facts,

evidence, proof, a witness with guts."

"So, back he goes to Cedar Street."

"To the shopkeepers,

the scared little rabbits .."

"Who will suffer the crime

and take the punishment."

"All that day he goes from shop to shop

walking miles and getting nowhere."

"Getting nothing but a shake of the head

and a frightened look in their eyes."

"They're not sticking their necks out."

"They're not talking."

"They won't come forward.

No, not one of them."

"As the day wears on,

Brad gets desperate."

"Finally, he remembers

the Crime Commission."

"He had nothing to eat or drink all day

but he doesn't even wait to telephone."

"He needs help badly."

"It's just 9:
20 when he rings the bell."

Andrew.

Thank heaven you're home.

I know it's a little late, but I ..

Tell me, have you got guests?

No. No, I'm alone.

Mind if I come in for a minute?

What is it, Brad? You look terrible.

Oh, my head is sort-of

spinning a bit, but ..

I'll be alright if I can just

sit down for a minute.

Been on my feet all day and ..

I'm weary.

Oh, that's good.

You don't mind my dropping in

like this do you, unexpectedly?

That's quite alright.

Here.

Come on, take a good pull.

Thanks.

Boy, what was that?

Brandy.

That's the first I've had in a ..

I don't, you know.

You look all in. Shall I

call up Perry Garvin?

Oh no, no. I don't need a doctor.

I just want to talk, Andy.

What's the trouble?

You remember the Wallchek case?

I found that today.

Where?

In his apartment.

Then he did it?

I think I've known since

just after the verdict.

But that's not the half of it. I went

to see old Peter Hulderman and ..

Look, would it surprise you to know that

this town is riddled with the most ..

Vicious form of extortion?

It wouldn't surprise me.

I've stumbled on to

a regular hornet's nest.

I don't know where it's leading me, but

one thing I do know, I can't turn back.

Were you serious when you wanted me

to join the Crime Commission of yours?

Certainly.

Right then. I'm with you.

That's great news, Brad. We need you.

And I need you, believe me.

You're my last hope.

That's what we're here for.

If the law won't act or can't ..

It's up to the ordinary decent citizen

to clear up the mess himself.

Take my word, we'll

do everything we can.

I know. Now then, where do we start?

Where did you start?

With Hulderman.

No, no. No more thanks.

I think you need it.

So you went to Hulderman?

Uhuh.

And he talked?

To me, yes.

Will he talk to us?

He can't .. he's dead.

Dead?

Since when?

This morning.

Thank you.

It seems they'll stop at nothing.

Then I went to the D.A.

He says there is somebody

running this town.

Behind all this. The big wheel.

I know it sounds like nonsense, but ..

I'm not sure.

I've often wondered if there

wasn't some superior brain.

[ Blender noise ]

Forgive me, I'm expecting someone.

Don't move .. I won't be a moment.

[ Blender noise ]

[ Blender noise ]

Sorry.

How do you feel now, better?

Alright.

You know, when I was a boy

I was crazy for milkshakes.

I used to dream of the day when

I could have them by the dozen.

Well, now I can.

And you know something?

I'm still crazy for milkshakes.

I feel there is a moral

in that somewhere.

Who was it, Andrew?

Who?

Your visitor. Who was it?

A friend.

What friend?

Look here, what is this?

You drop in unasked, cry on my shoulder

and then start firing questions at me.

Who was it?

I think you must be drunk or crazy.

No, I'm not drunk but

there are things that ..

Drive a man almost crazy.

Such as?

Such as, you're searching the home of a

murderer. Suddenly the telephone rings.

You sound like a detective story.

You pick it up.

There is a voice that's

vaguely familiar and ..

A noise that you can't place at all.

A noise like a fan or a motor running.

The voice says to be at

some place at 9:
30 sharp.

You hang up.

You try to remember the voice.

You go on trying all day.

That night, you're at

the home of a friend.

At 9:
30 somebody calls.

The host goes out and you're alone.

There is only a noise.

That noise.

Who was it, Andrew?

The D.A. put a man on Wallchek.

They're tailing him.

They'll know. They'll

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