Woman on The Run

1

I give it to you without the hoopla,

Danny Boy, the simple facts of life.

I'm sitting on a crossfire,

with the cops on one side,

Smiley Freeman on the other,

and the both of them gunning for me.

So, I'm the guy who knows

that you're the one

who took the 20 grand from Smiley

to cover up the dirk and kill him.

Got a cigarette, Danny Boy?

Now, my proposition's

quick and easy, Danny.

We split the 20. Five for you,

fifteen for me, and I take it on the lam.

Live and let live's my motto.

Ah, that look in your eye,

Danny, is painful to my pride.

Danny Boy, don't kill me.

Danny Boy, don't!

Hey, what happened? What's going on

down there? Were those shots?

You'd better call the police.

There's been a murder.

- Evening, Inspector.

- Hi.

Hi, boys.

Always happens in the middle of the night.

Yeah.

- That's Joe Gordon all right.

- Yeah.

He won't be doing much testifying now.

- Convenient for Smiley Freeman.

- Yeah.

Peddler, over there with a dog,

says he saw it.

Yeah?

- Stenographer here yet?

- Not yet, Inspector.

What's this guy's name?

Frank Johnson. Lives around here.

Claimed he was out walking his dog.

Hi, Mr. Johnson.

Inspector Ferris, homicide detail.

- Understand you had a front seat.

- I sure did.

- Get a good look at the killer?

- Too good.

That street light was right on his face,

when he got out of his car and shot at me.

- Shot at you?

- Twice.

You're lucky he missed.

Think you'd recognize him,

you saw him again?

That's not a face I'm likely to forget.

Pick him out of a line-up?

I think so, yeah.

Say, what's this all about anyway?

The dead man, Joe Gordon,

was going to testify before

the grand jury next week.

- That's tough.

- Not too.

He had a bad record. He knew

too much about Smiley Freeman.

- You know who Smiley Freeman is?

- The gangster?

That's right. Gordon was our witness.

Now you're it.

- Me?

- Yeah.

All you have to do is identify

the killer. We'll do the rest.

- Married?

- In a way.

What do you mean "in a way"?

Are you or aren't you?

Yeah, I am.

- Where do you live?

- Right over there.

136 Alta Linda, apartment 4D.

- Pick up Mrs. Johnson. Bring her here.

- OK.

Hey, don't wake her up!

She's not gonna like it.

Well, she'll want to know

where you are, won't she?

We're taking you down to headquarters.

Headquarters? What for?

- Protective custody.

- I see what you mean.

Now, where were you standing

when he shot at you?

- Oh, right down there.

- Show me.

Well, I was right down there with

the dog when the car drove up.

I didn't pay much attention to it.

Little bit later, I heard a shot.

I looked up just in time to see

this fellow, whatshisname,

fall out of the car.

Then the killer pumped

another shot right into him.

My dog barked. He got out of the car,

started to shoot at me.

I ducked and he drove away.

- What kind of a car?

- I don't know. A light coupe.

They all look alike to me.

Well, his aim was all right. He was

just shooting at the wrong target.

He thought your shadow was you.

Will you go call Reardon?

- Maybe he won't miss next time.

- There won't be any next time.

Yeah, but suppose you don't

get a conviction. Then what?

Do I have to spend the rest of my life

with police protection?

Or wind up on a sidewalk like him?

What are you worried about?

He missed, didn't he?

Stay here a minute. We'll get

the rest of the story downtown.

I hate to get mixed up in this.

Yeah, it's getting so a man has to be

careful where he's looking these days.

- Take it easy.

- Keep out of here, will you?

Say, I think I dropped my pipe

somewhere around here.

Is it OK if I look for it?

- Remember where you had it last?

- Yeah, it was over here somewhere.

What's the matter, bud?

Come on! Get out of here, will you?

Pick up Smiley Freeman

and everybody connected with him.

Put him in a line-up.

See if Johnson can identify anybody.

I want everybody. No excuses, no lawyers.

- I want everybody.

- Will do.

See if you can pick up anything on

that car. Somebody may have seen it.

Mrs. Johnson, that's not your husband.

The man was killed. He saw it happen.

He... he's right over here.

Sorry I had to get you out of bed,

Mrs. Johnson.

But, after all, we had to

make sure that he had a wife.

- Where is he?

- He took a powder.

Sergeant, pick up Johnson.

Idiot will get himself killed.

Get down there and cover the park!

Just like him, always running away.

What do you mean, "always running away"?

- Running away from what?

- From everything.

Broadcast a description.

White male American.

Wears a trench coat, soft brown hat.

A very ordinary-looking feller,

I'm afraid.

Yeah. Well, how would you describe

your husband, Mrs. Johnson?

I couldn't. I haven't been

able to for a long time.

May I go now? Come on, you mutt.

- Nice dish, huh?

- Nice-looking dish.

I want everything shut off.

Bridge controls, roadblocks, everything.

- I'll stick with her.

- Right.

Did you hear the shots fired?

How could I? I was in bed, sound asleep.

Find any pictures of him?

No, but plenty of her.

Just some tired snaps of him.

Hm, they won't do anybody any good.

But keep 'em.

Reads books on psychology.

I wonder why. Has he got a problem?

I wouldn't know.

Maybe he's confused. Aren't we all?

Pipe smoker? Hm.

- What does that mean?

- Nothing.

Oh, he's got two suits,

one of which he's wearing.

Well, what does he care

what he looks like?

Nobody pays any attention to him

anyway. Not even his wife.

You're really wasting your time.

There must be at least

20,000 men in San Francisco

who answer that description.

How are you going to find him?

There'd have to be something

different about him.

Different, anyway, from other people.

There is something different about him.

There's something different

about everybody,

and we're gonna dig

until we find out what it is.

Now you see our problem, Mrs.

Johnson. Why won't you help us?

I'm helping. What do you want me to do?

- I want you to answer a few questions.

- Go ahead, ask.

Where does he generally go

when he's not at home?

I haven't the faintest idea.

- Has he any relatives in this area?

- No.

- Who are his friends?

- I don't know his friends.

The dog is our only mutual friend.

You always go to sleep

when he walks the dog?

No, sometimes he goes to sleep

and I walk the dog.

Say, Inspector. Here are a couple of more.

I'm terribly sorry.

There's been a mistake.

Release these men at once.

- Keep digging.

- OK.

Every man between the ages of 35

and 40 who was out tonight

is wearing a trench coat

and a snap-brim felt,

all of them five foot 11, weighing 170,

and all of them scared

to answer questions.

The domestic situation in this town

must be terrible.

Yeah. Kitchen?

Well, it's got a stove in it.

Hey.

Don't you eat anything but dog food?

He's not particular and I'm lazy

so we eat out.

Where?

Well, let's see:
the corner drugstore,

the lobster grill at the wharf

when we're in that neighborhood,

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