They Drive by Night Page #3

What will it be, boys?

A T-bone, rare,

and make it good this time.

The last one I had could've

been used for a manhole cover.

This one will be so tender,

it'll throw its arms around you.

- Same for you?

- Yeah.

I'll just have some coffee.

- Bring her a steak.

- Fattening her up, huh?

- Something else for you, honey?

- Yes. Cool off your imagination.

Hey, McNamara.

Where are you going?

- What's it to you?

- Come on. We go.

What's the matter?

Don't you know me?

- Hello, Joe.

- Come on. Sit down, Harry.

- What are you guys doing here?

- What do you suppose we're doing?

- Have a cup of coffee?

- I had five.

Don't do any good.

I'm still sleepy.

- Come on. We go.

- Yeah, he's right.

I haven't seen my wife for so long.

As soon as I deliver this load,

I'm hot-tailing it home empty.

Bet when I walk in the kids will say,

"Who's that man?"

You should have wrote, Harry.

I know how worried Pearl gets.

No use writing now.

I'll be home tomorrow

night and surprise her.

I hear you've been

doing pretty good.

Yeah. I got the truck all paid for.

Don't owe a cent.

Come on. Let's go.

When you guys are hitting

the road tomorrow...

...think of me in that

nice white bed.

So long, guys.

So long, Harry.

Well, you gotta have your brains

knocked out to be a truck driver.

You don't have to, but it helps.

Here she goes, boys, the last game.

Then I can hit the road.

I don't know why I mess

with them machines.

They almost cost me my job three times.

Irish, you remember Cassie.

Sure. Hi, Cassie.

Quit working for Barney?

Yeah. He was always trying

to tie my apron strings.

- There's nothing wrong with that.

- There is if you're not wearing an apron.

Fifty-eight free games!

I'll never get away from here.

- What's that for?

- Gonna pass.

If it's clear ahead,

he'll wink back at me.

That's funny.

It looks clear to me. Hey, Paul.

Yeah? What is it?

Ain't that McNamara's

truck ahead of us?

What do I care

whose truck it is?

Yeah, it looks like it.

It is.

What's the matter with him?

He's all over the road.

- He must be asleep.

- Blow your horn.

Not unless I have to.

He might come to and run

his rig off the road.

- We gotta try to head him off.

- Watch out he don't cut into us.

Get over close. I'll try to hit his hood

with this and wake him up.

Pull over closer and I'll

try to hop aboard!

Watch out!

Grab the extinguisher!

- How many in there?

- There were two.

Oh, Paul, you're late.

How's about coming in

for some coffee, Joe?

Oh, this is Cassie Hartley.

This is Pearl, Paul's wife.

- Hello.

- Pleased to know you.

Come on, it's cold out here.

Can't stop. I'll about make

the market now.

- What's wrong with Paul?

- He'll be all right.

He just needs a good night's sleep.

Tell him I'll wire him from L.A.

What time I'll pick him up.

Bye. Goodbye.

Bye.

I can't figure you out.

If you took care of your truck like

yourselves, it'd fall apart in two weeks.

We're tougher than any truck

off any assembly line.

I bet your friend Harry McNamara

thought that too.

Forget about Harry, will you?

He probably was so tired,

he thought the whole thing was a dream.

How much money you got?

Come on, how much?

- A dollar and 12 cents.

- Just what I thought.

Not even enough to rent a room.

- I'll get by.

- How?

I get rid of this load,

I'll get you a room.

You needn't do that.

I'm grateful for the ride.

You've been nice.

If I let you go, I'll be worrying,

wondering what happened to you.

And I got enough worries

the way it is.

I guess I'd be pretty dumb

not to say yes.

Maybe I'm dumb anyway.

You can figure that out later.

I ain't used to taking in roomers

at 4:
30 in the morning.

It's never too late to start.

The best people check in at 4:30.

I don't know about that.

I never see any of them.

Well, anyway, you got

a bed for a week.

Yeah. That'll give me time

to find something to do.

- I'll pay you back.

- I'm real worried about that.

I got it all doped out

with the cops if you don't.

What are you crying for?

I don't know. Just crying.

If you got a load of

your face, you'd stop.

You look like you walked

through a sprinkling system.

Oh, you dames are sure screwy.

Paul's wife pulls

the same stuff too.

What stuff?

One minute she's all right,

the next minute, she's bawling.

She never knows why.

The trouble with her is,

she wants a kid.

Paul says no-go. They can't afford it.

Don't get me wrong.

That's not why I'm crying.

I get a kick out of you.

I've picked up lots of girls on the road,

but none of them ever was like you.

Come here.

Come on, I ain't gonna bite you.

I wasn't afraid of that.

I always have liked redheads.

You shouldn't. Red means stop.

I'm colorblind.

I think I'd better unpack.

Joe, don't you think you'd

better get on your horse?

What's the rush? We got a

lot of things to talk about.

We can talk some other time.

Now is a nice time.

When I'm relaxed

my thoughts are clear.

Yes, I can even read

them from here.

You know something, Red?

I like you.

I like the way you

fill out your clothes.

I like everything about you.

Are you glad you ran onto me?

Yes. You're a nice guy.

But you've got to remember that

nice guys leave when ladies ask them to.

That nice, I ain't.

Mister, you worry me.

Oh, Cassie?

You're plenty beautiful.

Joe, you need sleep and so do I.

Will you do me a favor and get going?

Joe?

Joe.

I'm sorry I woke you up,

I was trying to shut out the kid noise.

That's all right.

I gotta get going.

You sure slept.

That's the first time I've been

in a bed in weeks. It felt good.

- Where did you sleep?

- Chair.

Oh, I'm sorry, kid. I didn't mean to

gyp you out of your bed.

You didn't mean anything.

You went out like you were slugged.

You ought to get yourself a regular job.

What do you see

in the trucking business?

I'm on my own, anyway.

If a guy can get two or three big rigs,

there's a fortune in this business.

You really believe that, don't you?

Sure, I believe it.

If I didn't, I'd be on Paul's side.

I'd quit right now,

let Farnsworth take the truck...

...and go grab a job

digging ditches.

After what I saw last night,

digging ditches looks good to me.

No future in it.

A shave wouldn't go bad,

but I ain't got time now.

I gotta get to market

and hustle up a load.

- When will you be back?

- That depends. Maybe a couple of days.

- Good. I'll have a job by then.

- That's the talking.

In the meantime, you gotta eat.

This won't take you

into the Cocoanut Grove...

...but you'll get enough till I get back.

You must be out of your mind.

You may never see me again.

Don't worry about that.

I'll see you.

Joe.

- Don't go to sleep on the road.

- I won't. Not after a pepper-up like that.

And don't practice that on anyone else.

Save it for me.

- Hiya, fatso.

- How are you, Joe?

Oh, I been eating.

Where you going?

Gonna pick up some watermelons.

- Who gave you the load?

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