Where the Sidewalk Ends Page #5

- Check on that, Klein.

- Yes, sir.

- Sure, check!

Check all you want.

And what time do you claim

you got to the Astor Hotel, Jiggs?

About 2:
40.

Anybody see you around there?

Yeah. Uh,... Pat Rafferty

and Hymie Berg. They're taxi drivers.

The congressman doesn't answer

in his room. Want me to run him down?

No. No, we'll check later.

The pier watchman was slugged at 3am

according to reports. Is that right?

Mm-hm. Yes.

That gives Jiggs Taylor 20 minutes

between 2:
40 and 3 o'clock

to come back here from

the Astor Hotel and do his stuff.

He couldn't have come back here

from the Astor, killed Paine,

lugged the body out to the car,

driven down to the pier

and slugged the night watchman

by three o'clock, not in 20 minutes.

Seems we're on the wrong man, Lieutenant,

especially if the congressman

backs him up.

It's not the wrong man.

If Paine was already dead at 2:15

and Taylor got the body at that time,

stuck it in the back of his car...

Well, that's screwy!

I told you I picked up

Congressman Reynolds.

Sure you did. But you were

on the way to dump Paine's body

when Reynolds hailed you.

He took him to the hotel. 20 minutes

was enough to scoot back to the pier,

slug the watchman at 3:00am

and drop Paine's body.

Paine was out of here at 1:10

according to the old lady downstairs.

We're wasting time, Lieutenant.

I don't think so, Dixon.

Bring them along.

Did you see anybody

coming out of that building

carrying something over

his shoulder, like a large bundle?

- I didn't see anything like that.

- I'll take over, Casey.

- Says she didn't notice anyone...

- Never mind.

I'm going to ask you a very important

question, Mrs Tribaum.

Are you sure it was Kenneth Paine

you saw leaving this house at 1 .10?

Of course I'm sure. I never heard

so many foolish questions.

I'm going to try a little experiment,

Mrs Tribaum.

Taylor! I want you to put on

this raincoat and hat.

What for?

Put tape under his eye, somebody,

to match Paine's description.

Oh, no, wait a second.

What's all this for?

Now, don't act dumb, Taylor,

it won't get you anywhere.

Last night, you put on

Paine's coat and hat

and carried his bag out of here at 1:10,

after you'd killed him

and stuck his body away somewhere.

You wanna come clean now, Jiggs?

- Oh, I told you the truth.

- Then put the coat on.

Don't do it, Dad. They have no right

to ask you to do that.

No, I won't. I ain't goin' in

for any of these monkey shines.

All right. Dixon, you're about

his build:
put the hat and coat on.

That's comic-strip stuff, Lieutenant.

The lady said she saw Paine

leave here last night.

Sure I did.

I saw Mr Paine out of the window.

No, you saw a raincoat,

a hat and a bag. Go ahead, Dixon.

- Anybody got some adhesive tape?

- Here.

Under the left eye.

Mrs Tribaum, did he walk straight to

the car or did he look down at you?

- He looked down.

- Dixon, take the bag.

Just walk to the car and look down once.

Is this where you were sitting?

No. I was standing here

closing the window.

A taxi driver had asked me

if I'd called a cab.

Are you sure you could recognise

a face at that distance, Mrs Tribaum?

I can tell that fellow isn't Mr Paine.

Can you distinguish his face

in this light?

No, but I can tell by something else,

it isn't Mr Paine.

By what?

He didn't wave at me.

- Did Mr Paine always wave at you?

- Always.

He went like this.

What about last night.

Did he wave at you last night?

Do you remember?

Yes, I remember.

He didn't wave last night.

You're right, it wasn't Mr Paine.

No, never.

He would have waved.

Thank you, Mrs Tribaum.

That's it, boys, take him

to the station and book him.

- Well, you're kidding.

- Nobody's kidding, Taylor.

You thought you were pretty fancy

walking off as Paine at 1:10.

You got the body at 2:15,

dropped Congressman Reynolds

at the Astor at 2:40,

and hurried it back to the pier.

- Well, that's screwy! I...

- Take him along, boys.

- I'd like to talk to my father.

- Go ahead.

- May I talk to him alone?

- Can't be done. He's under arrest.

Dad,

please,

did you see Ken last night?

So help me,

I swear by your ma,

I never saw him or laid a hand on him.

I believe you.

You take Miss Taylor home, Casey.

We're knockin' off for tonight.

I'd rather go alone, if I may.

I've been lookin' for you for an hour,

Mark. Scotch and water, Bill.

You got to hand it to Thomas,

he wrapped this one up quick.

His first job, too.

I didn't think he had it in him.

Stop talking like an idiot. He bungled it.

Wait a minute, Mark, that ain't fair.

Don't tell me what's fair, I know.

Scalise did it.

Scalise did both jobs: Morrison and Paine.

You can't go against the facts.

I bet Jiggs Taylor will confess

the whole job in a day or two.

- See you later.

- Where you goin'?

I'm going to get it out of Scalise.

Wait a minute, Mark.

You're not on that end of it.

You know the boss's orders,

he's got a plan on Scalise.

Let me go.

Look, Mark, I'm gonna give it

to you straight, like a friend.

I don't like to see you made a monkey

of by a girl with a pretty face.

You're as dumb as Thomas.

- Come on, I'll drive you home.

- You're driving me nowhere.

You stick with your boss and his orders.

You let me go or I'll paste you.

We're closed for the night.

- Scalise in here?

- I'll go and see.

Don't bother.

Get your clothes on, Scalise.

When I'm ready, Mr Dixon.

- Hey, cut that out!

- OK, Steve.

I warn you not to touch me.

Why? You don't seem to be

carrying a knife at the moment.

We found the one you used on Morrison.

- That's a lie.

- Is it?

It's always a pleasure

to watch a cop four-flush.

I don't like rats to grin at me.

That's too bad.

Maybe I'd better show you my hand,

dream boy.

Tonight I'm not kidding, Scalise.

You're gonna talk.

We found out Morrison had you

for about 20 grand and wanted to leave.

So you knifed him. Then you got worried

about Kenneth Paine sobering up

and telling about what happened,

so you sent one of your mugs

down to his place to knock him off.

You tryin' to frame me for Paine?

You killed Morrison and you killed Paine,

and I'm going to get a statement

out of you.

Outside, you lugs. He's gonna talk,

and talk to me alone.

Come on, I said outside!

OK, Steve.

Joe, Ernie!

- Have a look out front, Kramer.

- Yeah.

Get your coats.

I oughta finish the job.

This guy's gonna keep after me.

Wouldn't be smart: they'd put on

too much heat for a dead cop.

- They still out there?

- They're still there.

- Both of them?

- Both of them.

- Oh, I can't make up my mind.

- Don't.

All right, have it your way. Let's go.

Get the key, Steve.

- Yes?

- Mark Dixon.

If you don't mind, I'd like to talk

to you a little, Miss Taylor.

What's the matter?

You're hurt.

I could use a drink.

Where the devil am I?

I keep coming and going.

I don't know why I came here.

I'll go now.

You can't leave like this.

Why did I come here? I must have

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes