Well, here we are. I turned down here at the next block.
Thanks, Mr,
I'll get off there.
Want anything else?
No.
Hey, you
me.
Yeah, you,
that's where you're headed.
Peace.
Yeah,
I thought if he was heading north, I might be able to help you out.
Pushing this all lake and I don't like to ride alone at night.
I'm one of those guys who got to talk or I fall asleep.
Sure. I might.
Pardon? He's got lou to keep him company but
I ain't got nobody at all.
Where are you coming from?
West?
Yeah, sure. I know. But
where L A
maybe I got a cousin out in L A
you don't say? Yeah, he's been out.
You're not much of a talker, are you? My mother taught me never to speak to strangers.
A wise guy. So what? Ok. OK. Don't get sore. She's
trying to be sociable. That's all.
Hey, glamorous,
you'll change for a dime. Will you?
Let's have something quieter this time, Joe. My head's splitting.
Is that what's wrong with it?
Mhm.
Done with your coffee.
No,
and don't rush me. Will you?
Hey, turn that off? Will you turn that thing off. What's eating you now? Yeah.
What's eating you? That music? It stinks. Oh, you don't like it, huh? No. Turn it off.
Wait a minute, pal.
That was my nick.
See,
this is a free country
and I play whatever I wanted.
Sure.
And if you don't like it,
you don't have to listen to it and you can leave here anytime you want it.
Ok. Ok. I'm sorry. I asked first good piece play tonight. You don't like it.
Some people just ain't got any good taste
that too,
that tune.
Why was there always that rotten tune
following me around beating in my head. Never letting up.
Did you ever want to forget anything?
Did you ever want to cut away a piece of your memory or blot it out?
You can't, you know,
no matter how hard you try,
you can change the scenery
but sooner or later you'll get a whiff of perfume where
somebody will say a certain phrase or maybe hum something.
Then you licked again.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
I used to love that song once.
So did the customers back in the old break at Dawn Club in New York.
I can't remember a night when I didn't get at least three requests for it.
Sue.
She was always selling it to.
Those were the days.
Eyes are blue, your kisses too. I never knew what they could do.
I can't believe that you were in love with me
calling.
I'm on your mind. Each place you go. They can't believe that you're in love with me.
Always placed you far above.
I just can't imagine that
me
and after all is said and done to think that I'm the lucky one.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
It wasn't much of a club really.
You know, the kind a
joint where you could have a sandwich and a few drinks
and run interference for your girl on the dance floor.
I pounded the piano in there every night from eight until the place closed up,
which usually meant four in the morning a
good job as jobs went in those days
and two
there was sue
who made working there a little like working in heaven.
But how we felt about each other. Well, there was nothing very unusual in that.
I was an ordinary, healthy guy and she was an ordinary healthy girl.
And when you add those two together, you get an ordinary healthy romance,
which is the old story.
Sure.
But somehow
the most wonderful thing in the world
all in all. I was a pretty lucky guy.
Mr
Paderewski. I presume
it's beautiful. You're going to make Carnegie Hall yet. Al
As a janitor,
I'll make my debut in the basement.
I don't blame you for being bitter darling, but you mustn't give up hope by some day.
Yeah, someday.
But don't get arthritis first in the meantime, let's blow this trap.
Like to get something to eat.
I don't think so. Al I lose my appetite working in this fleabag.
Let's go home. Ok.
I can't stand much more of that dump.
Did you see that drunk tonight? Trying to paw me? No. What drunk does it matter?
What drunk?
What's the matter with you tonight, darling?
That's the third time he started to tell me something. That's tough.
We shouldn't have any secrets from each other. Sue
next week we're gonna make with a ring and the license you and me will be a team. Yes.
That's right.
In the Bush League. I
don't get you. We've been struck out.
It's a funny way to talk, darling.
Don't you want to marry me?
Look, I love you. You know, I do and I want to marry you.
But,
but not now,
only after we've made Good
Sunday, I'm going away.
Oh,
I know. You'll think it's silly. That's why I hesitated to tell you.
But I'm going to California.
I wanna try my luck in Hollywood.
That's the most stupid thing I ever heard of.
Don't, you know,
millions of people go out there every year and wind up polishing cuspidors.
I thought you had better sense.
You sound as if you don't think I have any talent that has nothing to do with it.
I'll make out all right. Maybe. But what about me?
Doesn't it mean anything to you that you're busting up all our plans.
We may not see each other for years. It won't be that long.
I thought you loved me. I do. You know I do.
Well,
here we are.
Oh,
al
why can't you see my side of it?
I'm young.
We both aren't.
And we've got all the time in the world to settle down.
Really? Darling.
What I'm doing is the only same thing to do.
I,
I
hate the thought of being so far away from you, but,
but we'll be together again someday.
Maybe you'll decide to come out too later on
so long.
L
Aren't you going to kiss me? Good night?
Sure. Why not?
And I
say Robert, you hit the jackpot this time. 10 bucks.
Thanks.
Mhm.
So when this drunk handed me a 10 spot after a request, I couldn't get very excited.
What was it? I asked myself a piece of paper crawling with germs.
Couldn't buy anything I wanted.
You couldn't,
and I thought of something
long distance.
I'd like to put a call through to Los Angeles,
MS Harvey
Sue. Harvey Harbey.
The number is Crestview 657 123.
Just having a fight
spot.
Hello, Sue.
This is Al.
Oh, baby. It's great to hear from you too. What's that? You do? Oh,
me too, darling.
I thought I'd go batty without you. I just had to.
Huh?
You're working as a haslinger?
Gee, honey, that's tough. Those guys out in Hollywood.
Don't know the real thing when it's right in front of them,
you just stick it out. Sue baby. Keep going around to those casting offices.
I'm sure you'll click.
Look, I'll tell you what, you stay put out there. I'll come to you.
No, don't try to stop me. Just expect me.
Train, who knows? Train, plane bus, magic carpet. I'll be there if I have to crawl.
I have to travel by Pogo Stick
and then
let's get married right away.
That's the stuff.
That's what I've been wanting to hear you say
well,
goodbye for now.
I'll be seeing you soon.
Yeah.
Bye.
The only way I could cross country was to thumb rides
for, even after hocking everything, I only had enough money to eat
money.
You know what that is?
It's the stuff you never have enough of little green
things with George Washington's picture that men slave for,
commit crimes for, die for.
It's the stuff that has caused more trouble in
the world than anything else we ever invented.
Simply because there's too little of it.
At least I had too little of it.
So it was me for the thumb.
Have I done any hitchhiking?
It's not much fun, believe me.
Oh, yeah.
I know all about how it's an education, how you get to meet a lot of people and all that.
But me
from now on, I'll take my education in college
or in ps 62 or I'll send a dollar 98 in stamps for 10 easy lessons.
Thumbing rides may save your bus fare,
but it's dangerous.
You never know what's in store for you
when you hear the squealer breaks.
If only I had known what I was getting into that day in Arizona.
Yeah. Throw that in the back seat.
Ok. Let's go. Make sure that door is closed.
You know, Emily Post taught to write a book of rules for guys thumbing rides
because as it is now, you never know what's right and what's wrong.
We rode along for a little while. Neither one of us sang anything.
I was glad of that.
I never know what to say to strange people driving cars
and two. You can never tell if a guy wants to talk.
A lot of rides have been cut short because of a big mouth.
So I kept my mouth shut until he started opening up.
Hand me that little box that can pop it with it. Pal
all the way. Were it?
How far are you gone? L A?
Wow, you're really traveling, aren't you?
Yeah. But I don't expect to make it for a couple of years at the rate.
I've been promoting rides.
Not much luck. Sure. All bad.
Not many people stop for a guy these days afraid of a stick up. Maybe
they can't blame him.
Where you coming from?
New York?
New York.
You're in luck this time.
I'm going all the way
right through to Los Angeles.
You drive a car.
Sure. Whenever you're tired, let me know
I'll holler.
I guess at least an hour passed before I
noticed those deep scratches on his right hand.
They were wicked,
three puffy red lions about a quarter of an inch apart.
You must have seen me looking at them because he said
beauties, aren't they?
There gonna be scars someday?
What an animal,
whatever it was. It must have been pretty big and vicious to have done that.
Right. On both counts of New York.
I was tussling with the most dangerous animal in the world.
A woman,
she must have been Tarzan's mate.
Looks like you lost the bob. It
certainly wasn't a draw.
You know, there ought to be a law against dams with claws.
I tossed her out of the car in her ear.
Am I wrong?
Give a lift to a tomato. You expect it to be nice, don't you?
Yeah.
After all, what kind of dame? Sun rise? Sunday school teachers,
a little witch.
You must have thought she was riding with some fall guy.
Me who's been poking horses around race tracks since I was 20.
Uh, not a million things like her.
2 million.
Yeah.
Stop the car, open the door.
Take it on the art. The Duffy sister. I told her
that's the stuff
as that was done. Huh?
But if you want to see a real scar, brother,
get a load of this.
Wow.
I got that one too.
Dooley.
Yeah, we were just kidding. Of course. My dad owned a couple of Franco
Prussian sabers, kept them on the wall for decorations.
Uh, one day another kid and I took him down and the old man wasn't around, had a door.
You got me in the arm here.
Pretty mean cut
infection set in lady.
Yeah, I can see that.
I'll give me that box again, will he?
Yeah,
the pain made me lose my head, I guess,
began slashing
before I know it. I put the other kid's eye on.
That was tough.
It was just an accident. Of course.
Do you know how kids are?
I got scared and decided I was gonna run away from home.
Oh, man, almost caught me when I was packing my duds.
The bloody rag. I had wrapped around my wrist. Hadn't caught his attention.
You have seen the bundle for sure.
But I beat it when he was phoning for a doctor.
I was 1516 years ago.
I haven't been home since
go in there for a bite or something. Huh? A
bite or something.
Brother was I hungry.
I hadn't had anything in my stomach for hours
yet.
Even with that gnawing in the pit of my belly,
I didn't want to be in too big a rush to put on the feed bag
first. I had to make sure this guy knew the score
if I got him. Down on me. It was goodbye. Ticket to Hollywood.
I'll wait out here for you, Mr,
if there's some money, don't worry about paying for it this time. It's on me.
Well, that's white of you, Mr Paskell. Think nothing of it.
You make your first million. Maybe you can do the same for me. Come on New York.
I gotta make the west coast by Wednesday with
the horse running in San Annita named Pirate Bicycle.
It means so to me, if I'm on it, we'll make it all right.
He did most of the talking during the half hour. We were in the place
I ate,
he rambled on about his old man whom he hadn't heard from since he ran away as a kid.
Now, he happened to become a bookie
and then all about how he got rooked in Miami
one race 38 grand.
They cleaned out my book. How do you like that?
It was tough luck. Yeah. And I'm supposed to be the smart guy.
Well, you just wait,
I'm going back to Florida next season with all kinds
of Jack and you'll watch the stinkers run for cover
or anything else. Oh, thanks. I've had plenty.
Let's check the system.
Oh, just a minute. You changed there. Ok. But sister.
Oh, thank you. Said call again. I'll be waiting outside for you when you finish work,
shop checker.
I drove all that night while Hasco slept like a log
after a while. I began to get sleepy myself.
I was happy though.
Soon I'd be with Sue again.
The long trip was practically over and there'd
be no more hoofing it down the concrete.
I began to think of the future,
which couldn't have been brighter if I'd embroidered it with neon lights.
It was nice to think of Sue shooting to the top.
It's amazing what a full belly can do to your imagination.
Eyes
through your kisses too.
One
could do
like
you
love with me.
Everyone
I
mind each place you go.
I can't be
that you were in law,
Mr Haskell.
Mr Haskell. Wake up. It's raining,
don't you think we ought to stop and put up the top?
Mr Haskell? I'm gonna put up the top
until then I had done things my way.
But from then on something else stepped in and shunted me off
to a different destination than the one I had picked for myself.
But when I pulled open that door,
Mr Haskell, what's the matter?
Are you hurt?
Are you hurt Mr Haskell?
Start yours.
I'll listen to it.
But I know what you're gonna hand me even before you open your mouths.
You're gonna tell me you don't believe my story of how Hassel
died and give me that. Don't make me laugh, expression on your smug faces.
I saw it once he was dead
and I was in for it.
Who wouldn't believe he fell out of the car
wife Pascal came too. Which of course he couldn't even, he would swear.
I conked him over the head for his dough.
Yes, I was in for it.
Instinct told me to run.
But then I realized it was hopeless.
There were lots of people back down the road who could identify me,
that gas station guy and the waitress,
I would be in a worse spot then trying to explain why I beat it.
The next possibility was to sit tight and tell the truth when the cops came.
But that would be crazy.
They'd laugh at the truth
and I have my head in the noose.
So what else was there to do but hide the body and get away in the car.
I couldn't leave the car there with him in the gully.
That would be like wrecking a tombstone.
My idea was to cover him with rush
not to rob him.
But then I remember that even if I only drove the car for 100 miles or so,
I would need money for gas.
You so heights,
it was stupid of me to leave all that money in a dead man.
Not only that,
I'd have to take his driver's license in case I was stopped for something.
I didn't like to think about it,
but by that time I'd done just what the police would say I did. Even if I didn't,
I'd close.
The owner of such an expensive car would never be wearing them.
Some cop might put me in on suspicion.
Hey, you, this, your car
don't, you know,
better to leave a car without wheels halfway in the middle of the road.
That's the way accidents happen.
I'm sorry, officer, I was just putting up my top.
I, I didn't think, well, the next time think I'll let you go now.
But watch your step in the future.
I know that's a lonely stretch.
But cars come by here once in a while and we have plenty of crackups.
Thanks.
Mhm.
I left nothing in the car to give me away as Robertson.
If they found a dead man in the gully, now
it could be me
as I drove off, it was still raining
and the drops streak down the windshield like tears.
I kept imagining I was being followed and
that I could hear sirens back in the distance
just how long it took me to cover the 60 odd miles to the California State Line.
I don't know.
I lost all track of time
but the rain had stopped and the sun was up when I pulled up to the inspection station.
Hello,
carrying any fruits or vegetables,
any livestock or poultry.
I can see your registration and driver's license, please.
Anything in the baggage compartment, just baggage.
Charles Haskell Junior S 30 brown eyes, dark hair, identifying marks. None.
Are you Charles Haskill Junior?
Yes.
Well,
remember if you're employed and you stay over
30 days you take out California plates.
All right, officer. But I'll only be in the state a short while.
Right. You can go now.
No,
I couldn't drive any farther without some sleep. Cops are no cops.
I knew I had to hit the hay and hit it hard.
I was dead tired.
I know
on your account, Mr Haskell.
No.
Ask him.
You can die.
Don't think,
I don't think I did it.
No
one
has.
Oh,
who's there?
It's the maid. Can I come in and clean
later
in a half hour?
All right, sir,
there was no time to lose.
Every minute. I had to be Charles Haskell
was dangerous
and I'd have to be Charles Haskell
until I got to some city where I could leave the car and be swallowed up.
That meant driving the car as far as San Bernardino.
Maybe even to Los Angeles in a
little town I might be noticed,
but in a city I should be safe enough.
Then after I ditched the car,
I could go on to sue.
But those five minutes at the state line
made me realize it might be a good idea to find out a little bit about Mr has.
Then if anybody asked me questions, I could give the right answers.
The first thing I found out was that I had $768.
This was a lot of Jack.
But believe me,
it was the kind of money I'd rather not have.
And then I found out from a letter Haskell was carting around in his bag
that he wasn't the openhanded easygoing big shot
who went around buying dinners for strange Hitchhikers
before I got done reading it. I saw him more as a chiseler.
It was written to his old man in California.
The one he hadn't seen in so many years
in it has go posed as a salesman
of hymnals of all things.
It was easy to see where Haskell expected to raise a new stake for his book in Miami
by rooking his old man.
That was about all I found out from his effects
and it was enough.
I told myself maybe old man Haskell was lucky his son kicked off.
He would never know us,
but it saved him from taking a flyer in sacred literature, preferred
near the airport, a desert center. I pulled up for water.
There was a woman
say you come on. If you want to ride,
how far are you going?
How far are you going?
That took me by surprise and I turned my head to look her over.
She was facing straight ahead. So I couldn't see her eyes
but she was young.
Not more than 24
man.
She looked as if she'd just been thrown off the crummiest freight train in the world.
Yet, in spite of this, I got the impression of beauty,
not the beauty of a movie actress. Mind you
or the beauty you dream about when you're with your wife,
but a natural beauty.
A beauty. That's almost homely because it's so real.
Then suddenly she turned to face me.
How far did you say you were going?
Los Angeles?
L A
L A is good enough for me, Mr That's
what I was afraid of.
What did you say?
Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud.
People get in trouble for doing this.
What's your name?
You can call me Vera if you like.
Do you live in Los Angeles?
No.
Where are you coming from?
Oh, back there
needles.
No.
Oh, sure. Phoenix.
You look just like a Phoenix girl.
Are the girls in Phoenix? That bad?
The girl must have been pretty tired
because she fell asleep. Not 20 minutes after she stepped into the car,
she lay sprawled out with her head resting against the far door
like Haskell.
I didn't like that part of it much
but I didn't wake her up.
It wasn't that this girl still worried me.
I've gotten over that funny feeling I had when she looked at me,
which I put down. It's just my jangled nerves
with her eyes closed and the test has gone out of her.
She seemed harmless enough.
And instead of disliking her, I began to feel sorry for her.
The poor kid probably had, had a rough time of it.
Who was she anyway?
And why was she going to Los Angeles?
And where did she come from in the first place?
The only thing I knew about it was her name.
Not that it made any difference a few hours more. And we'd be in Hollywood.
I'd forget where I parked the car and look up, sue
this nightmare of being a dead man would be over
who this name was. Well, it was no business of mine.
Where did you leave his body?
Where did you leave the owner of this car?
You're not fooling anyone.
This buggy belongs to a guy named Haskell. That's not you, Mr
You're out of your mind. That's my name. Charles Haskell. I can prove it.
It's my driver's yourself
the trouble. Mr
Evan Haskell's wallet only makes it worse.
It just so happens. I rode with Charlie Haskell
all the way from Louisiana. He picked me up outside of Shreveport.
You rode, you heard me?
Then it all came back to me.
All the talk about dueling and scars and scratches.
There was no doubt about
it. Vera must be the woman Haskell had mentioned.
She must have passed me while I slept. Well.
Well, I'm waiting.
My goose was cooked.
She had me
that Haskell guy wasn't dead yet.
He wasn't stretched out stiff and cold in any Arizona gully.
He was sitting right there in the car laughing like mad while he haunted me.
Well,
there was nothing I could say
was her move,
Vera, whatever her name was
was just my luck picking her up on the road.
It couldn't have been Helen or Mary or Evelyn or Ruth.
It had to be the very last person I should ever have met.
That's life.
Whichever way you turn, fate sticks out a foot to trip you.
I told her everything, but she didn't believe my story.
I should have saved my breath.
That's the greatest cock and bull story I ever heard. So he fell out of his car.
Say, who do you think you're talking to a hick? Listen, Mr,
I've been around and I know a wrong guy when I see one.
What'd you do? Kiss him with a wrench? Now, wait a minute. What I told you was true.
You see, that's why I had to do it.
You think I killed him? Well, the cops would have thought so too. Yeah.
Well, maybe they still think so.
What makes you so sure I'll shut up about this
here. I'm innocent.
Give me a break, will you?
It won't do me any good having you benched. The cops are no friends of mine.
Now, if there was a reward, but there isn't.
Thanks. Don't thank me yet.
I'm not through with you by a long shot.
Let's see. That role
is that all Haskell had,
isn't it enough? No, I thought he had more. Not that I know of you can search me.
You think I'm holding out on you? Well, maybe I will at that.
He told me. He was gonna bet $3000 on a horse named Paradise
on Wednesday at San Anita.
He was stringing you along. He meant 300 maybe. Sure. Three bucks, 300.
He was a piece of cheese. A big blowhard.
Listen, Mr, don't try and tell me anything about Charlie Haskell.
Remember I knew him better than you did. Ok. Then you knew he was a four flusher.
That explains the three grand bet. I'm not so sure he didn't have that three grand.
Why should I believe you?
You got all the earmarks of a cheap crook. Now, wait a minute.
You're a cheap crook and you killed him for two cents.
I changed my mind at turn you and I don't like you.
All right. All right. Don't get sore.
I'm not getting sore, but just remember who's boss around here.
If you shut up and don't give me any arguments you'll have nothing to worry about.
But if you act wise, well, Mr, you pop into jail so fast it'll give you the bins.
I'm not arguing.
I see that you don't, you know, crooked as you look,
I'd hate to see a fellow as young as you
wind up sniffing that perfume that Arizona hands out freedom,
murderers.
I'm not a murderer. Of course you're not. Paskell knocked his own head off. He fell.
That's how it happened. Just like I told you.
And then he made you a present of his belongings. I explained why I do. That
doesn't make a difference one way or another. I'm not a mourner.
I like task
even less than I like you.
Yeah, I saw what you did to him. What do you mean? Scratches on his wrist? Sure.
I scratched him.
I don't say you did.
So, your idea was to drive the car a little way?
Maybe under San Bernardino and then leave it.
You weren't gonna sell it,
sell it.
You think I'm crazy. Somebody else's car.
See, all I want to do is leave it somewhere and forget I ever saw it.
Not only don't you have any scruples? You don't have any brains. I don't get you.
Maybe it's a good thing. You met me. You'd have got yourself caught.
Sure why you dope.
Don't, you know, a deserted automobile always rates an investigation,
huh?
Look, the cops find a car. Then they get curious.
They wonder where the owner is.
So, all right. They don't trace Haskell, they trace you.
I never thought of that.
The only safe way to get rid of the car is to sell it to a dealer.
Get it registered under her new name.
Say stop at the next door. I want to get a bottle and do some shopping before we hit L A.
Ok? Since we find a place I'll drop you off and pick you up later.
Nothing doing, you're coming in too from now on you. And I are like the Siamese twins
have it your way. If I don't get the point, the point is I don't want you to get lost.
I'm not gonna beat it. If that's what you're afraid of, I'll say you're not.
Well, I'm gonna see that you sell this car so you don't get caught.
Thanks.
Of course, your interest wouldn't be financial, would it?
You wouldn't want a small percentage of the profits.
Well, now that you insist, how can I refuse?
100% will do?
I'm fine. I'm relieved.
I thought for a moment you were gonna take it all.
I don't want to be a hog.
A few hours later we were in Hollywood.
I was recognizing places Sue had written about.
It struck me that far from being at the end of the trip,
there was a greater distance between Sue and me than when I started out.
Vera wasn't kidding with that Siamese Twins Crack.
She rented a little apartment
as Mrs Charles Haskell.
When I objected to this, she explained it. It was on account of the car. A
dealer might think something was funny if he
called in front of her using different names.
Home. Sweet home. Yeah.
Not bad either.
In case there's any doubt in your mind, I'll take the bedroom.
Sure is stuffy in here.
Keep the windows shut. Ok.
The old crow downstairs said there's a folding bed behind this door,
you know how to work it.
I invented it
some joint one can't have everything.
I'm first in the bathtub.
I don't know why,
but I figured you would be,
boy. Oh, boy.
It sure feels good to be clean again.
I must be 10 pounds lighter.
He must be.
Well,
the
rides isn't exactly the way you keep your school girl complexion.
I wish that guy with the sax would give up.
It gets on my nerves.
Forget it.
Have a drink.
Aren't you afraid? I might take you up on it.
If I didn't want to give you a drink, I wouldn't have offered. It
might be a sorehead. Roberts.
You got yourself into this thing.
You should be grateful. I'm not turning you in.
Well, if I wasn't regular, you'd be in the pen this minute, being photographed,
fingerprinted and being pushed around by the cops.
So, cheer up. Get rid of that long puss.
Or is your conscience bothering you?
It isn't.
Well, that's the spirit.
He's dead and no moving around will bring him back
anyway.
I never could understand this. Worrying about something that's over and done with.
Now, look Vera, for the last time I didn't kill him.
He
was a sick man.
Maybe he was dead before he fell out of the car. I don't know. Sure. Sure.
He died of old age.
All right.
So it will make you sociable.
You didn't kill him.
Thanks.
We're out of liquor. Roberts.
Yeah.
Too bad.
I felt like getting tight tonight.
Well, I think you succeeded. And Marta,
is that Prima Donna's Cort?
That's good.
I want to get tight.
Why,
what have you got to get tight about?
Oh, I don't know,
field things.
You should have my worries
if I had your troubles, I'd stay sober
and I've got the key to that door.
Yeah,
maybe you're right.
I'm always right.
You know, I don't like your attitude. Roberts.
Well, there's a lot of things I don't like.
Sure.
Life's like a ball game.
You gotta take a swing at whatever comes along
before you wake up and find it's 1/9 inning.
I bet you read that somewhere.
That's the trouble with you. Robert. All you do is belly ache
but taking it easy and
we're trying to make the best of things.
Maybe that's what's wrong with the whole world.
Get the professor.
People knock themselves out trying to buck fate. Now, take you, for instance,
you're lucky to be alive.
Well, suppose Haskell would pull open your door.
You'd be playing a harp. Now,
think of that.
You think of it?
I'm tired of thinking
there's plenty of people dying this minute.
I would give anything to trade places with you.
I know what I'm talking about.
I'm not so sure.
At least
they know they're done for it.
They don't have to sweat blood.
Wondering if they are
your philosophy stinks. Pal.
We all know we're gonna kick off someday.
It's only a question of when.
But
what got us on this subject anyway.
We'll be discussing politics next.
Yeah.
Where'd you hide the butts
on the table? Sucker.
We bought each other with conversation for a couple of hours longer.
Every five minutes.
One of us was wishing we had another bottle or a radio or something to read.
Then finally we ran out of chat.
I know it's only 11
but I want to get up early and make the rounds of the used car lots.
Don't worry about that.
We've got all the time in the world. Maybe you have.
But if you think I want to stay cooped up in this place any longer than I have to.
You're batty. It's not a bad place. Pay a penny for diggings like this in New York.
I wouldn't like it if it was the Ritz,
you brought me liquor.
You got a mean cough. Ought to do something about it.
I'll be all right.
That's what Camille
said.
Nobody, you know,
wasn't that the dane that died of consumption? Yeah.
Wouldn't it be a break for you? If I did kick off,
he'd be free with all Haskell's do and car.
I don't want to see anybody die.
Not even me.
Especially not you. One person died in me
if you did.
Well, that's all I need.
You don't like me. Do you rabbit
like you?
I love you.
My favorite sport is being kept prisoner.
After we sell the car, you can go to Blazers for all I care, but not until then
I'm going to bed.
Good night. Robert don't try and sneak away during the night.
All the doors are locked.
Anyway.
If I find you gone in the morning, I'll notify the police, they'll pick you up.
Don't worry. I know what I'm gonna spot.
Well, good night.
I hope that portable wreck isn't too uncomfortable for you.
Don't
lose any sleep over.
Ok.
You
six.
Bye
to
three.
Hello.
No,
not yet, darling.
Tomorrow.
Maybe
if this were fiction
I would fall in love with her, marry her and make a respectable woman of her.
Or else she'd make some supreme class, a sacrifice for me
and die.
Sue. And I would ba a little over her grave and make some crack about.
There is good in all of us.
But Vera unfortunately
was just as rotten in the morning as she'd been the night before.
All right. All right, I'm coming.
Look,
it's almost noon.
So what the dealers will be there all day. They'll be there all year too.
But that doesn't mean I'm gonna wait that long. Shut up.
You're making noises like a husband.
Well,
do I rate a whistle? You sure do. But let's go, let's go. Let's go.
I spent 85 bucks in two hours preparing bait and all you can say is let's go.
Come on,
we passed a few used car lots last night down this way.
What do you think we can get for this heap?
I don't know. Plenty. You just let me handle everything.
Maybe we can get $2000.
I don't know. But don't worry, I'll squeeze as much out of this guy as I can.
I'll let it go cheap without a fight. He might think we were stole in the car
and listen,
don't make any slips and call me Roberts that'll cook us.
I don't need you to tell me that
you better just sit by and keep your mouth closed. Remember, we're both in the soup.
If anything happens, I get up and drive.
You're my wife, Vera has,
look
after the deal's closed.
Let's go back to that place on Hollywood Boulevard where I saw the fur jacket.
I want to buy it
after the deal's close. I'm saying goodbye to you.
That's right. I forgot.
I guess I'm getting kind of used to you.
Well, that's a habit you could start breaking.
Let's try this place in the middle of the block.
Good afternoon. What can I do for you?
We're interested in selling a car if the price is right.
Well, if it's in good mechanical condition, it should. Blue book for about 1600.
Tony. Take a look at this motor.
1600.
Are you kidding?
Ok.
Well, maybe 1850
before I let it go for 1850 I'll wreck it and collect the insurance first
ad this motor has seen a lot of driving
while the mechanic inspected the car.
We haggled
at last. When we were all worn out, we hit a compromise
his price.
Ok. It's a deal.
All right. Come in. We'll sign the papers.
I have the ownership papers right here with me.
Look Vera, in the meantime, will you clean out the dash compartment?
There may be some stuff in it.
All right, darling.
1850 bucks. That dirty
crook,
New York, huh?
Yeah,
but you bought the car in Miami?
Well, let's see about the insurance. We can either have it transferred or canceled.
Uh What kind of insurance do you have, Mr Haskell?
Well, uh
aren't all the papers there?
I don't see any.
Surely, you know what type of insurance you carry in the car, the name of the company.
Yeah, but uh well, if you'll just tell me the name of the company,
I'd be very glad to take care of all the details.
Well, did you sign the papers yet?
Not yet. Well, don't we're not selling the car. Well, wait a minute,
Mr Pascal.
Come on, darling. What's the matter? You change your mind? Yes, I'm sorry.
I guess I have but
it's,
you got me out of a tight spot, Vera,
but I still don't understand all this. You will in a minute.
I almost threw away a gold mine.
1850 isn't to be sneezed at
the car doesn't book for as much as I thought. We're not selling the car.
You want to keep it.
Now, wait a minute, Vera, you said yourself,
I wouldn't be safe until the car was in someone else's name.
I like to be free of this mess. When I go, that's just it. Roberts. You're not going.
There's a driver at the next corner,
pull in there and we'll get a bite to eat and I'll explain.
What is this another one of your brilliant ideas?
Oh,
I
take your order, make mine a ham sandwich and coffee and for you, sir.
Oh, I don't care the same.
Thank you.
Get this Vera.
I've been pretty patient so far.
I've done everything you asked me to do, but no more. Shut up.
You've taken Haskell's money.
You can have the door, we get from selling the car,
but you're not gonna keep me a prisoner.
It's a good thing. I bought the paper. Take a look at that Vera. I'm in no mood.
Read that.
No.
Yes. No, I won't do it. Yes, you will. You think I'm crazy? It's impossible.
I tell you.
Excuse me,
blow the horn when you're through.
No one could possibly get away with an act like that. Be wise to me in a minute.
Don't be yellow. You look enough like him. The same coloring and the same build.
See how his clothes fetch you?
No kidding. You almost had me fooled for a while. Oh, grow up Vera.
Don't you think a father knows his own son.
And there must be other relatives. The father won't have to know you.
Well, Whaley gives up the ghost. He's an old geezer and he won't pull through.
And as far as other relatives are concerned, they haven't seen you in 15 or 20 years.
Eight, I'm not hungry
and I won't do it.
It's not as tough as it sounds. Remember you've got all kinds of identification.
His car, a letter, his license. I could never get away with it.
It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
The old boy has scads of gold. Look in the paper there.
Personal fortune assessed at over 15 million. He'll leave plenty. I tell you.
Maybe he cut off his son. How do we know
it's out, Vera,
I won't have anything to do with it.
I think you will
look Vera, I'll do anything within reason,
but not that.
So forget it. Find yourself another stooge. You s,
it'll be fixed for the rest of your life as Charlie Haskell.
You can take your inheritance and go away.
No more worrying about the rent,
no sweat and scheme and wondering where your next meal's coming from.
Think about that. Robert Vera,
please. You're talking too loud
on this. I'm splitting 5050 with you. Sure, why not? We're both alike.
Both born, the same gutter. Take it easy. Vera.
There's people around here. You don't know what you're talking about.
We'll wait till we read that old man. Haskell's dead.
Then you show up
like you read in New York that he was sick.
No.
Suppose he doesn't die. He will. I know he will. Something tells me.
But as much as I insisted, I would have no part of her scheme,
Vera was taking it for granted.
I would.
Neither of us had our mind on the cards as we played that night.
I knew we were just trying to kill time between newspaper editions.
This was a death watch for Vera.
Maybe it was for me too.
Don't you realize if I'm caught,
they'll want to know where I got the car and
stuff and they'll have me on a murder charge.
Yes, Marie won't get caught.
I, not the seven.
And if I'm caught, don't you realize you'll be out too?
18 points that gives me 30.
How will I be out? You'll be out $1850. We would have gotten in the car. Really? Very.
You'd be an awful chump. He threw away all at dawn. A dizzy, long shot.
Let me sell the bus tomorrow
with the money. It'll bring in what? You've already got a clever kid.
Like you can run it up in no time. Then we'd both be in the clear.
I'll be in the clear anyway.
Maybe,
maybe
if I got caught,
I
couldn't sort you, you know, you mean you'd squeal. Well, no, not squeal.
Never mind what you meant.
Even if you did tell the cops. I was in on it with you.
What could they do to me?
They might give me the same medicine they gave you a rope.
But I'm on my way anyhow,
all they'll be doing will be ring it.
All right.
But it's like the 1850 you'd lose, you'd kick yourself along the block.
If you ever let get away from you,
I'll take the chance.
Want another drink. You're being a goon.
That's the way people wind up behind the eight ball.
Once they get a few dollars, they become greedy and want more.
My, my
Caesar who you know that Roman General, he got his for being greedy.
He wasn't satisfied. So the final wind up was he took the count
a couple of days ago. You didn't have a dime why you were so broke.
You couldn't pay cash for a postage stamp.
Now you've got almost $700 with 1850 in the offing. Take my advice.
Don't try for more. I'm tired of this game.
Let's have some black jacket play solitaire. Ok, I will.
If that's the way you feel about it,
the way I feel about it getting sore and throwing things won't help much, Robert.
I'm really doing you a favor. I help you out of a jam by keeping my mouth shut.
I show you how to make some soft money. And what thanks do I get? Thanks.
I would rather call the cops and tell him you killed a man and stole his money.
Yes, you did. No, I didn't. You know, I didn't.
All right. Then
suppose I call the cops
here Anderson. What do you got to be scared of?
Ok.
Call me mud. Go ahead and call him. See if I care.
At least they'll give me a square deal.
You want me to call him?
You heard me?
But I'm warning you if I'm pinched, I'll swear you were in on it.
I'll say that you help me if I'm fine, I'm good. Even with you, you wouldn't dare.
You didn't.
Yeah.
And try it and see.
Column.
Yeah.
Ok. I will
information.
I want the number at the Hollywood police station.
Ok, I got it. Thanks.
Wait a minute, Vera, you wouldn't do that, wouldn't I give me that?
And I'll show you if I would take it easy. Now, let's talk this over.
This was early in the evening
and the conversation while hectic
was at least pitched low.
But as the minutes passed
and more obstacles to her plan popped into my head
and the air got blue.
Each word coming from our lips cracked like a whip.
I reminded her that as Charles Haskell, I didn't even know my mother's name
where I'd gone to school,
the name of my best friend,
whether I had an Aunt Emma or not,
my religion.
And if I had ever owned a dog,
I didn't even know what my middle initial stood for.
I also pointed out that the real Haskell had a scar on his forearm.
His people never saw that scar.
He told me he ran away right after putting out the kid's eye. Yeah.
But his father knew he was cut to be some kind of a market. So what
the old man's dead or will be, I hope by tomorrow morning's papers anyway,
you could cut yourself a little, couldn't you?
Boy, For that kind of dough? I let you cut my leg off.
You're drunk and you're crazy mad Vera turn in if you want to,
but I won't get mixed up in this.
Besides how do we know hes
was such a phony. Maybe he wasn't the man. So at all, maybe he just dreamed it up.
Well, dreaming or not.
You won't be dreaming when the law attacks you on the shoulder.
There's a cute little gas chamber waiting for you, Robert.
And I hear extraditions. Arizona's a cen.
Where's that boat?
Leave me a lo
here.
I want a phone call. Police.
I hate you
stinker. You leave me alone, I'll let you alone.
You promise to leave the phone where it is. You're drunk.
You don't know what you're doing. You're hurting me. Well, you promise.
All right,
you hurt me.
I'm sorry. But it's hot in there. Open up a window, it's not hot. Don't tell me now.
Do you do it or do I do it
here? An old Gent and see. Yeah.
All right, I'll open up the window.
Ok.
Vera, open the door, please open the door.
Vera, open the door. Don't use the phone. Listen to me.
I don't like you, Robert.
You know, gentlemen, see,
you hurt my hand
and I'm gonna get even with you
if you don't open the door and I'm gonna kick it down, Vera,
Mila, don't call the cops. Listen to me. I'll do anything you say,
Vera, let me in.
I'll break the phone.
Yes.
Yeah.
The world is full of skeptics.
I know
I'm on myself
in the Haskell business. How many of you would believe he fell out of the car
and now after killing Vera without really meaning to do it,
how many of you would believe it wasn't premeditated
in a jury room?
Every last man of you would go down shouting at
you had me over a barrel and my only outmost force
the room was still
so quiet that for a while I wondered if I had suddenly gone deaf.
It was pure fear, of course.
And that was hysterical,
but without making a sound,
Vera was dead
and that was her murderer.
Murderer.
What an awful word that is.
But I'd become one,
I'd better not get caught.
What evidence there was around the place had to be destroyed.
And from the looks of things, there was plenty
looking around the room at things we'd bought was like looking into the
faces of 100 people who had seen us together and who remembered me.
This was the kind of testimony I couldn't rub out.
No,
I could burn clothes and hide bottles for the next five years.
There'd always be witnesses, the landlady for one.
She could identify me, the car dealer,
the waitress in the drive in the girl in the
dress shop and that guy in the liquor store,
he could all identify me.
I was cooked, done for,
I had to get out of there
while one I'd remain beside a dead body planning
carefully how to avoid being accused of killing him.
This time. I couldn't,
this time I was guilty.
I knew it
be
it.
I was like a guy suffering from shock.
Things were whirling around in my head.
I couldn't make myself think. Right.
All I could think of was the guy with the saxophone and what he was playing.
It wasn't a love song.
It was a dirge,
but my problems weren't solved.
I had to stay away from New York for all time
because Al Roberts was listed as dead and had to stay dead.
And I could never go back to Hollywood.
Someone might recognize me as Haskell
then too.
There was sue.
I could never go to her with a thing like this hanging over my head.
All I could do
was pray she'd be happy.
Yeah,
I was in Bakersfield before. I read that Burr's body was discovered
that the police were looking for Haskell in connection with his wife's murder.
Isn't that a laugh?
Haskell got me into this mess
and Haskell was getting me out of it.
The police were searching for a dead man.
I keep trying to forget what happened
and wonder
what my life might have been if that car of Haskell's hadn't stopped.
But one thing I don't have to wonder about,
I know
someday a car will stop to pick me up that I never thumbed.
Yes.
Freight
or some mysterious force
can put the finger on you or me
for no good reason at all.