The Sting

SNYDER: What are ya gonna do, call the cops?

BILLIE: I don't have to. You'll be bustin' in on the Chief of Police just up the hall.

SNYDER: Which way are the rooms?

BILLIE: Who told ya this guy was in here?

SNYDER: Nobody. I just know what kinda women he likes. I'm gonna check all the joyhouses till I find him.

BILLIE: Maybe I could help ya if ya told me his name.

SNYDER: I think I'll keep that to myself. Which way are the rooms?

BILLIE: Right through there. But I wouldn't go in there if I were you.

SNYDER: You the owner here?

BILLIE: That's right.

SNYDER: Lieutenant Snyder. Bunco.

BILLIE: Joliet badge, Snyder. Don't cut much up here.

SNYDER: I'm lookin' for a guy on the lam from a counterfeiting rap. Thought he mighta come in here.

BILLIE: Don't think so. I know everybody in the place and I always bounce the lamsters.

SNYDER: All right if I look around your lobby?

BILLIE: No, but you're welcome to a free beer before you go.

BILLIE: Yeh, go ahead.

SINGLETON: At the finish, it's Single Action by two, Fasanella second, Visitation third. Line on Single Action... 3 to 2. Hell with it, that's no good.

BILLIE: Best we had was Cat's Eye in the second at Del Mar, and he was only 5-2. Not many longshots comin' in today.

SINGLETON: Billie. You ready?

SINGLETON: Visitation is still up by two at the three-quarters. Single Action second, Fasanella third.

BILLIE: What's the line on Visitation?

SINGLETON: 7 to 2. That ain't bad.

BILLIE: He'll probably fall down.

BLACK MAN: Jesus, what a bundle. Did you know he was that loaded?

STRANGER: Hell no, I just cut into him. I woulda settled for pawning one of them shoes.

STRANGER: If that punk and his pals decide to search ya, you'll never fool 'em carryin' it there.

BLACK MAN: What do we do?

STRANGER: You got a bag or somethin?

BLACK MAN: No.

STRANGER: How 'bout a handkerchief?

BLACK MAN: Here.

STRANGER: You wanted by the law or somethin'?

BLACK MAN: Naw, it's okay.

STRANGER: You're crazy carryin' that kinda money in this neighborhood. No wonder you got hit.

BLACK MAN: Thanks. I'm obliged to ya, but I gotta get goin'.

STRANGER: You ain't goin' nowhere on that leg.

BLACK MAN: I gotta! Look, I run some slots down in West Bend for a mob here. I got a little behind on my payoffs so they figure I been holdin' out on 'em. They gave me to 4:00 to come up with the cash. I don't get it there I'm dead.

STRANGER: It don't look good, gramps, it's ten of now.

BLACK MAN: I got a hundred bucks for you and your friend if you deliver the money for me.

STRANGER: I dunno. That little mug that got ya is mad enough at me already -- what if he's out there waitin' around a corner with some friends.

BLACK MAN: He won't know you're carryin' it. C'mon, you gotta help me out.

STRANGER: Sorry, pal. I'll fix you up, call you a doc, but I ain't gonna walk into a bunch of knives for ya.

BLACK MAN: How bout you? I'll give you the whole hundred!

STRANGER: What makes you think you can trust him? He didn't do shit.

BLACK MAN: Give it to me! Please. I gotta know it's all there!

STRANGER: You just sit tight, old man. We're gonna have to get you to a doctor. I'll call a cop.

BLACK MAN: No, no cops!

BLACK MAN: The wallet. You gotta go after him. He's got all the money.

STRANGER: Don't worry, we got the wallet. What happened? He get ya with the knife?

BOUDREAU: Paltrow, Sterling, Furey, and the Big Alabama are in from New Orleans. Fiskin and the Boone Kid from Denver, and Phillips, Barnett and Limehouse Chappie from New York. Those and the guys outside should give ya 30 or so to choose from.

TWIST: Good, have 'em down at Stenner's old Pool Hall before 3:00. We're gonna run through the route tonight.

BOUDREAU: Okay, Twist, but you know if this blows up, I can't do ya no good downtown. Gondorff is Federal.

TWIST: Don't worry about it, pal.

BOUDREAU: Twist, you know this guy?

TWIST: No. Never saw him before. He's a dick, though.

TWIST: Listen Duke, we're setting up a wire store. I need a twenty man boost right away.

BOUDREAU: I got twenty or so in here tonight. Take your pick.

TWIST: These guys have gotta be the quill, Duky. We can't afford to rank the joint.

BOUDREAU: Get me the sheet, Jake. Let's see who's in town.

BOUDREAU: Twist! When did you get back in town?

TWIST: Coupla days ago. I'm workin' a big one with Gondorff on the North Side.

COLEMAN: Straighten up, kid. I wouldn't turn ya out if ya weren't ready. I got a guy named Henry Gondorff I want you to look up. There ain't a better insideman alive. He'll teach ya everything ya gotta know.

HOOKER: You'll take a cut of what I make, won't ya?

COLEMAN: I'm out, Johnny.

HOOKER: If that's the way you want it.

COLEMAN: That's the way I want it.

HOOKER: What the hell you gonna do with yourself?

COLEMAN: Aw, I got a brother down in K.C., runs a freight outlet. I can go halfsies with 'em! It ain't too exciting, but it's mostly legal.

COLEMAN: ...It's the only reason I ain't quit before now.

HOOKER: What?

COLEMAN: I'm gettin' too slow for this racket. I done the best I'm gonna do. You hang on too long, you start embarrassin' yourself.

HOOKER: What are you talkin' about? We just took off the biggest score we've ever had. We can do anything we want now.

COLEMAN: It's nothin' compared to what you could be makin' on the Big Con. You're wastin' your time workin' street marks.

HOOKER: Hey look. You think I'm gonna run out on ya or somethin'? Just cause we hit it big. Luther, I owe you everything. If you hadn't taught me con, I wouldn't know nothin'.

COLEMAN: Aw hell, you sound like some goddamn sucker. You know everything I know. You got nothin' more to learn from me.

HOOKER: But you played the Big Con. You said it was nothin'. A game for flakes and mama's boys.

COLEMAN: And I'm tellin' ya now, you're a fool if you don't get into it. A bigger fool than I was. I been lookin' for this one all my life, Johnny. Now I got a chance to step out at the top.

COLEMAN: You're late. Where you been?

HOOKER: I had some appointments.

COLEMAN: How much did ya lose?

HOOKER: All of it.

COLEMAN: In one goddamn night? What are ya sprayin' money around like that for? You coulda been nailed.

HOOKER: I checked the place out. There weren't no dicks in there.

COLEMAN: You're a con man, and you blew it like a pimp. I didn't teach ya to be no pimp.

HOOKER: What's eatin' you? I've blown money before.

COLEMAN: No class grifter woulda' done it, that's all.

HOOKER: You think my play is bad?

COLEMAN: I think it's the best...

LONNEGAN: And tell Cole I wanta see him when he gets in.

COMBS: He's not comin' in. Not to get bounced off a job anyway.

LONNEGAN: He had his chance and all he did was shoot up a rooming house. Made a lotte noise and woke up a few cops, but didn't hit nothin'.

LONNEGAN: We'll put Salino on it. I need somebody careful.

COMBS: Salino? Why waste our best people on a small-time job like this? It ain't no heavy gee we're after. The guy's a five and dime grifter.

LONNEGAN: Then why ain't he dead?

COMBS: They didn't think he'd be so cagey, that's all. They'll get him next time.

LONNEGAN: Use Salino. It'll take a little longer, but there won't be any holes in it.

GRANGER: I just got the count. We'll put the take on the 4:15.

COMBS: We'll be waitin'.

COMBS: Granger, this is Combs. Why haven't we heard from ya? Everybody else is in.

GRANGER: We had a few problems with the Law this morning. The Mayor promised the Jaycees to get tough on the rackets again, so he shut everybody down for a couple hours to make it look good. Nothing serious, it just put us a little behind for the day.

COMBS: You been making your payoffs, haven't ya?

GRANGER: Hell yes. He does this every year. There's nothing to worry about.

COMBS: Okay, finish your count and get it up here as soon as you can. I don't wanta be here all night.

GRANGER: Believe me, the Man's gonna be real happy. Looks like we cleared over ten grand this week.

COMBS: We cleared 22 here.

GRANGER: Well, hell, you got the whole Chicago south side. How do ya expect the eight lousy spots I've got to compete with that?

COMBS: They did 14 grand in Evanston, 16.5 is Gary, and 20 in Cicero. Looks like you're bringing up the rear, Granger.

DUFF: Buck Duff. I was in Maxwell's boost in Troy.

TWIST: You the Duff that didn't come up with his end when Little Jeff was sent up?

DUFF: Wasn't no problem a mine.

TWIST: He was a con man, wasn't he?

DUFF: He was a tear-off rat. He got what he deserved. No sense helpin' pay his bills.

TWIST: Shove off, Duff.

EIRIE KID: What the hell you gonna do when Snyder rushes his finger right to Lonnegan? You're committin' suicide, kid.

HOOKER: Aw Christ, it doesn't make no difference now. If Snyder knows about it so does everybody else. He never gets anything first...Damn, there's no answer at Luther's.

EIRIE KID: Listen to me, Hooker. What ever you do, don't go back to your place tonight, don't go anyplace you usually go, ya hear me? Get outa town or somethin', but...

EIRIE KID: I thought you blew all your money.

HOOKER: I did. That stuff I gave him was counterfeit. They'll pinch him the first place he tries to spend it.

HOOKER: How do you like that Coleman, huh? After three years.

EIRIE KID: Aw come on, it was the only thing to do. He knew he was holdin' ya back.

HOOKER: We were partners. If it weren't for Luther I'd still be hustlin' pinball down at Gianelli's. I don't need anything more than I got.

HOOKER: You ain't gonna have nothin' if you don't lay off them games of chance. There's a depression on ya know.

HOOKER: There's always a depression on.

EIRIE KID: If you saved a little, you wouldn't have to grift so much.

HOOKER: I like griftin'.

EIRIE KID: You could buy yourself some things. Clothes, or a nice car...

HOOKER: I don't look any good in clothes and I don't know how to drive. What else ya got to sell, Eirie?

EIRIE KID: Forget it.

EIRIE KID: Hey, Luther told me he was carrying a wad, but I didn't figure this much.

HOOKER: Which way did he do, Eirie?

EIRIE KID: Straight north. He was gonna take it all and run.

HOOKER: The bastard. He can blow his nose all the way.

FLOYD: I know I give him four threes. We can't let him get away with that.

LONNEGAN: What am I supposed to do? Call him for cheating better than me?

LONNEGAN: I've had it with that bum, Floyd. Stack me a cooler.

FLOYD: You've only been playin three hours, Doyle.

LONNEGAN: I don't care. Load me a deck. Set it up for threes and nines. I'll cut it in on his deal.

FLOYD: What do ya want the others to get?

LONNEGAN: Nothin'. They gotta be outa there early. I'm gonna bust that bastard in one play.

LONNEGAN: Name's Danny McCoy. No Neck McCoy we called him. Runs a few protection rackets for Carnello while he's waiting for something bigger to come along. Me and Danny been friends since we were six. Take a good look at that face, Floyd, cause if he ever finds out we let one lousy grifter beat us, you'll have to kill him and every other hood in Chicago who'd like to do the same thing. You understand what I'm sayin'?

FLOYD: Yes sir.

LONNEGAN: Good lad.

FLOYD: We got word from Chicago. They got one of the grifters last night. The nigger.

LONNEGAN: What about the other one?

FLOYD: They're still looking for him.

LONNEGAN: Who's got the contract?

FLOYD: Combs gave it to Reilly and Cole.

LONNEGAN: Hackers.

FLOYD: They staked out the other guy's place last night, but he never showed. They figure maybe he skipped town. You wanna follow 'em up?

FLOYD: No, we checked his story with a tipster. He was cleaned by two grifters on 47th.

LONNEGAN: They workin' for anybody?

FLOYD: I don't know. Could be. We're runnin' that down now.

LONNEGAN: All right, mark Mottola up a little and put him on a bus. Nothin' fancy, just enough to keep him from coming back. Get some local people to take care of the other two. We gotta discourage this kinda thing.

FLOYD: Doyle, can I see you a minute?

LONNEGAN: I'm busy, Floyd.

FLOYD: It's important. We had a little trouble in Chicago today. One of our runners got hit for 12 grand.

LONNEGAN: Which one?

FLOYD: Mottola.

LONNEGAN: You sure he didn't just pocket it?

GARFIELD: We bought ya a tap into Moe Anenberg's wire. He's got eyes at every track in the country. You'll get race results, odds, scratches, pole positions, everything; and just as fast as Western Union gets 'em.

NILES: Does J.J. know how to use this thing?

GARFIELD: All he's gotta do is read.

GARFIELD: Been a while since I stocked a wire store. Not many mobs playing that anymore.

NILES: All we need is the bookie setup for now. We'll worry about the telegraph office later.

GARFIELD: All right, I'll rent ya everything I got in the warehouse for two grand. That'll give ya phones, cages, blackboards and ticker gear. You supply the guys to move 'em. If you want a counter and bar, that's another grand. I don't know where the hell I'm gonna get 'em though.

NILES: C'mon, you can do better than that. We ain't no heel grifters.

GARFIELD: You want the stuff tomorrow or don't ya? It's gonna take hours just to clean it up. Besides, Gondorff's still a hot item. Where am I gonna be if he gets hit?

NILES: Just give us what ya can, Benny. We'll send a truck down.

NILES: Looks all right. It's big enough and off the street.

GARFIELD: I don't know. This is kinda short notice. I'm not sure we can get it all done by Saturday.

NILES: Got to. Gondorff's ridin' the mark in from New York on the Century.

GONDORFF: You beat him, kid.

HOOKER: You were right, Henry. It's not enough... But it's close.

GONDORFF: You wanta wait for your share?

HOOKER: Naw, I'd just blow it.

HOOKER: Henry.

HOOKER: Yeh.

HOOKER: I appreciate your stickin' your neck out. I wouldn't have asked ya if it weren't for Luther.

GONDORFF: Ain't nothin' gonna make up for Luther, kid. Revenge is for suckers. I been griftin' 30 years and never got any.

GONDORFF: I better do some packin'. I'm gonna be a hot number again after tomorrow.

HOOKER: Then why you doin' it?

GONDORFF: Seems worthwhile, doesn't it? Maybe it's just for the cave-in on Lonnegan's face when we put in the sting.

GONDORFF: Take it easy, you won't lose him now. We had him 10 years ago when he decided to be somebody. Believe me, I've seen enough to know.

HOOKER: How many guys you conned in your life, Henry?

GONDORFF: Two or three hundred I guess. Sometimes played two a day when I was in Shea's mob. We had it down to a business. 'Course Chicago was a right town then. The fix was in. The dicks took their end without a beef. All the Wall Street boys wanted to make investments for us. Even had marks looking us up, thinkin' they could beat the game. Yeh, kid, it really stunk. No sense in bein' a grifter if it's the same as bein' a citizen.

GONDORFF: What's the matter, kid? You're not sayin' much.

HOOKER: Just a little nervous, that's all.

GONDORFF: Luther always told me to bite my toenails when I get nervous. You see yourself doin' that and you realize it ain't worth it.

GONDORFF: You know how easy it'd be for one of Lonnegan's guys to nail you?

HOOKER: All we need is a couple days, Henry. A couple days and we'll get Lonnegan down and stomp on 'em.

GONDORFF: You just won't learn, will ya. Hell, you come in here, I teach you stuff maybe five guys in this world know, stuff most grifters couldn't do even if they knew it, and all you wanna do is run down a bullet. You're just like all them new jerks. Lotsa nerve and no brains. And ten years from now when me and the others are through and you dumb guys are all dead there won't be one gee left who knows the Big Con was anything more than a way to make a livin'.

HOOKER: A couple days; that's all I'm askin'. I can stay clear that long.

GONDORFF: Christ, they'll probably miss you and hit me.

GONDORFF: Well you found him again and we're gonna have to do somethin' about it. What else haven't ya been tellin' me?

HOOKER: Nothin'. I told ya everything there is.

GONDORFF: Then why'd ya move outa your room?

HOOKER: It was too noisy.

GONDORFF: You can't play your friends like marks, Hooker.

GONDORFF: Why didn't you tell me about Snyder before?

HOOKER: I thought I'd lost him.

HOOKER: You think he'll show?

GONDORFF: Did he say he wouldn't?

HOOKER: No.

GONDORFF: He'll show.

HOOKER: Then he drove me home. He tried to put himself away as legit, so I went right into the pitch.

GONDORFF: Did he hold you up on anything?

GONDORFF: How 'bout Lonnegan?

HOOKER: I gave him the breakdown just like ya told me to.

GONDORFF: And?

HOOKER: He threatened to kill me.

GONDORFF: Hell, they don't do that and you know you're not gettin' through to 'em.

GONDORFF: No signs of trouble?

HOOKER: What do ya mean?

GONDORFF: You know, somebody tailin' ya. A torpedo or somethin'.

HOOKER: No, not a thing.

GONDORFF: Everything go all right?

HOOKER: Yeh, it was easy.

HOOKER: How'd ya do?

GONDORFF: Well we got some workin' money anyway.

GONDORFF: You just worry about your end, kid.

HOOKER: If we ever get to it.

HOOKER: He's waitin' for you in the card room.

GONDORFF: Let him wait.

HOOKER: He's not as tough as he'd like to think.

GONDORFF: Neither are we.

GONDORFF: You can't do it alone, ya know. It takes a mob of guys like you and enough money to make 'em look good.

HOOKER: We'll get by without 'em.

GONDORFF: This isn't like playin' winos on the street. You gotta do more than outrun the guy.

HOOKER: I never played for winos.

GONDORFF: You gotta keep Lonnegan's con, even after you spent his money. And no matter how much you take from his, he'll get more.

HOOKER: You're sacred of 'em, aren't ya?

GONDORFF: Right down to my socks, turkey. If I'da been half as scared a that lop-ear, I wouldn't a fallen asleep on 'em. Lonnegan might kill me, but at least he won't bore me to death.

HOOKER: Then you'll do it?

GONDORFF: If I can find a mob that'll risk it. But no matter what happens, I don't want you comin' back to me halfway through and sayin' it's not enough... cause it's all you got.

HOOKER: Aw right, he runs the numbers outta the south side.

GONDORFF: And a packing company, a chain of Savings and Loans and half the politicians in Chicago and New York. There ain't a fix in the world gonna cool him out if he blows on ya.

HOOKER: I'll take him anyway.

GONDORFF: Why?

HOOKER: 'Cause I don't know enough about killin' to kill him.

HOOKER: Gondorff, you gonna teach me the Big Con or not?

GONDORFF: You didn't act much like you wanted to learn it.

HOOKER: I wanna play for Lonnegan.

GONDORFF: You know anything about him?

HOOKER: Yeh, he croaked Luther. What else do I gotta know.

GONDORFF: You gonna stay for breakfast, or do you already know how to eat?

HOOKER: I picked something up on the way.

GONDORFF: Lonnegan after you, too?

HOOKER: I don't know. Haven't seen anybody.

GONDORFF: You never do, kid.

GONDORFF: I'm sorry about Luther. He was the best street worker I ever saw.

HOOKER: He had you down as a big-timer. What happened?

GONDORFF: Aw, I conned a Senator from Florida on a stocks deal. A real lop-ear. He thought he was gonna take over General Electric. Some Chantoozie woke him up, though, and he put the feds on me.

HOOKER: You mean you blew it.

GONDORFF: Luther didn't tell me you had a big mouth.

HOOKER: He didn't tell me you was a fuck- up, either. You played the Big Con since then.

GONDORFF: No, I lammed it around for a while while things cooled off. Philly, Denver, Baltimore, nuthin' towns.

GONDORFF: Glad to meet ya, kid. You're a real horse's ass.

HOOKER: Yeh, Luther said you could teach me something. I already know how to drink.

GONDORFF: Turn the goddamn thing off, will ya.

HOOKER: You sober?

GONDORFF: I can talk, can't I?

GONDORFF: What's the problem?

NILES: He wants to put a half million on Syphon.

NILES: Looks like he's sulking.

GONDORFF: If we're lucky, this'll bring him back stronger than ever.

GONDORFF: He's gonna hit ya with 20 grand, Eddie. How much cash we got?

NILES: Not enough to cover a bet that big.

GONDORFF: Get a couple extra guys in the line, then. We'll give him the shut-out.

NILES: All you gotta do is show up with some money and look like a fool.

GONDORFF: I also gotta win.

GONDORFF: We'll use the wire. Never known a gambler who wouldn't like to beat the ponies.

NILES: The wire is ten years outa date.

GONDORFF: That's why he won't know it.

NILES: He's been taking the 8:10 Century Limited outa New York on Friday and getting in here early Saturday morning. He usually stays a day to check on his policy operations, and then flies back.

GONDORFF: Wonder why he doesn't fly both ways.

NILES: The porters say he runs a braced card game in one of the cars. $100 minimum, straight poker. Last time he pulled in here ten grand heavier than he left New York.

GONDORFF: Fancies himself a gambler, huh?

GONDORFF: How ya doin'?

SINGLETON: Nothin' yet. I got a good one on the lead at Hialeah, but he's fadin'.

SINGLETON: Look at that. He's got four apes with him.

GONDORFF: That's what I like about these guys, J.J... They always got protection against things we'd never do to 'em.

SINGLETON: You in?

GONDORFF: Yeh, I think so. I gave the kay- ducer a C-note. You find out the deck?

SINGLETON: He usually plays with a Royal or a Cadenza. I got you one of each. He likes to cold deck low, 8's or 9's.

GONDORFF: Nice work, J.J.

SINGLETON: I'm not sure I know it.

GONDORFF: We'll give him the hook on the train, and play him here. You think I can get in that poker game, Eddie?

SINGLETON: Lonnegan's a fast egg, Henry. He's not gonna sit still for a standard play.

GONDORFF: Everybody'll sit still for somethin'. What did ya find out about the train, Eddie?

GONDORFF: A half mill on an eight to one shot. You're dumber than I thought, Lonnegan.

LONNEGAN: You're more gutless than I thought.

GONDORFF: I can't lay that off in time. We lose a bet that big, it could break us.

LONNEGAN: If ya win it could make ya, too.

GONDORFF: What are the odds on Syphon?

GONDORFF: Never get enough, huh pal? I'd think you'd get tired of losin', Honnigan.

LONNEGAN: The name is Lonnegan.

GONDORFF: Make sure you see cash from this guy, Eddie. He's got the name for bettin' money he don't have.

LONNEGAN: I guess I left it in my room.

GONDORFF: What! Don't give me that crap you little weenie. How do I know you ain't gonna take a powder. You come to a game like this, you bring your money.

LONNEGAN: See and raise 1,000.

GONDORFF: Raise 5,000.

GONDORFF: Raise 1,000.

LONNEGAN: Raise 500.

GONDORFF: Raise 300.

LONNEGAN: Pass.

LONNEGAN: Raise 500.

GONDORFF: See ya and raise three.

LONNEGAN: See and raise five.

GONDORFF: Five and call.

GONDORFF: Yeh, that'd be real nice of ya, Mr. Lonneman.

LONNEGAN: Lonnegan.

HOOKER: She coulda killed me last night.

GUNMAN: Too many people coulda seen ya go in her room. She was a professional. Used to work in the Dutch Schultz gang.

HOOKER: Who are you?

GUNMAN: Gondorff asked me to look after ya.

HOOKER: How do I know you're tellin' the truth.

GUNMAN: Don't have much choice, do ya?

HOOKER: My end was only one.

SNYDER: Then you'll have to come up with another grand somewhere.

SNYDER: I'll tell ya what you did, smart boy. You tied into a loaded mark on 47th across from Maxies. You and Coleman played the switch for him and blew him off to a cab on 49th. If he hadn't been a numbers runner for Doyle Lonnegan, it woulda been perfect.

HOOKER: You're crazy. I'm not stupid enough to play for rackets money.

SNYDER: Not intentionally maybe, but that don't make no difference to Lonnegan. He'll swat you like any fly.

HOOKER: I'll square it with the fixer.

SNYDER: Nobody can buy you a prayer, if I put the finger on ya.

HOOKER: Hi there, Snyder. Things a little slow down at the Bunco Department tonight, eh? Somebody lose the dominoes?

SNYDER: You scored blood money today, Hooker. You need a friend.

HOOKER: Aw, find yourself a shoplifter to roll.

MAN: I'm sorry, really I am, but my train leaves in ten minutes.

HOOKER: All right, I'll give ya a break. Down that hall there, there's an unmarked door on the left. Go on in there and wait at the window. I'll take this... ...in the back and run it through right away. We'll have you outta there in a couple minutes.

MAN: Thank you. You don't know how much I appreciate this.

HOOKER: Think nothin' of it.

HOOKER: Then I'm afraid we'll have to impound your money until we're sure that it's all good. Can I see your wallet and your ticket, please?

MAN: But I got a train to make.

HOOKER: It'll only take 20 minutes or so. You can pick it up at the window down the hall.

MAN: But what about all these other people?

HOOKER: We'll get 'em! Give us a chance. I'm not the only agent in here, ya know. We go around advertising ourselves, how many counterfeiters do you think we'd catch, huh? You think I'm wearin' this rag here 'cause I like it? Christ, everybody thinks life's a holiday or somethin' when you got a badge. I been here since three this morning, Charlie, and I never knew there was so much ugliness in people. You try to help 'em and they spit on you. I shoulda let ya go and gotten yourself arrested for passin' false notes.

HOOKER: Excuse me, sir. Treasury Dept... I'd like to ask you a few questions.

MAN: What for? I haven't done anything.

HOOKER: We don't doubt that, but there's a counterfeiting operation passing bad money in the station. Have you made any purchases here today?

MAN: Yes, a ticket to Chicago.

LORETTA: I don't even know you.

HOOKER: You know me. I'm just like you... It's two in the morning and I don't know nobody.

HOOKER: I, ah...thought you might wanna come out for a while. Maybe have a drink or somethin'.

LORETTA: You move right along, don't ya.

HOOKER: I don't mean nothin' by it. I just don't know many regular girls, that's all.

LORETTA: And you expect me to come over, just like that.

HOOKER: If I expected somethin', I wouldn't be still standin' out here in the hall.

LORETTA: Looks like he missed ya.

HOOKER: Yeh, this time anyway.

LORETTA: What does this guy want?

HOOKER: He'd like to kill me.

HOOKER: You got a back door to this place?

LORETTA: No. What's wrong with the front?

HOOKER: Look, I don't have time to fuck around. There's somebody out there I don't need to see. You got a fire escape or anything?

LORETTA: No.

HOOKER: All right, do me a favor. Go into the bathroom, open the window and wait for me there.

LORETTA: What the hell for?

HOOKER: Just do what I tell ya and everything'll be jake.

HOOKER: What time you get off work here?

LORETTA: 2:00 A.M.

HOOKER: You doin' anything tonight?

LORETTA: Yeh, sleepin'.

HOOKER: Meat loaf, apple pie and a cup of coffee.

LORETTA: Sixty-five.

LORETTA: You done?

HOOKER: Yeh, I guess I shoulda had the meat loaf.

LORETTA: It isn't any better.

HOOKER: Where's June today?

LORETTA: She don't work here no more. I'm fillin' in for a couple days... till I can get a train outa here.

HOOKER: Where you goin'?

LORETTA: I don't know. Depends what train I get on.

HOOKER: Les, I got Mr. Lonnegan with me. He wants to see you a second.

TWIST: What the hell's the matter with you. We coulda met at a club or somethin'.

HOOKER: I thought it might be good for him to see the setup.

TWIST: Well we can't talk in here. They're having the place painted.

HOOKER: Twist? I told him the tale. He wants to see ya.

TWIST: All right, when?

HOOKER: Tomorrow, after 4:00. Stay inside, I'll come in and get ya. And be hard on him for a while; he's talking money.

TWIST: Okay, Tootsie.

HOOKER: You sure it'll be one of these two?

TWIST: No. They're just the only ones we know of.

JIMMY: You sure you wanna start off that big? Bet like that could put a real dent in us.

HOOKER: I feel lucky tonight.

JIMMY: Aw, come on, Hooker, why don't you just...

HOOKER: Three grand on the black, Jimmy.

JIMMY: Ain't seen you in months, boy. Thought maybe you took a fall.

HOOKER: Naw, just a little hard times, that's all. It's all over now.

JIMMY: You gonna have a go here? How 'bout a ten spot on the line here. The 4-9 been lookin' good today. Lotsa action on 28th Street down there, too. Pay ya 10-1.

JIMMY: Hooker!

HOOKER: How ya doin', Jimmy.

LONNEGAN: Tell your friend I'll have the money here by post-time tomorrow. We'll take the first race where the odds are 4-1 or better. And make sure I can get to that window this time.

HOOKER: How am I gonna do that?

LONNEGAN: I don't know, figure something out.

HOOKER: What happened?

LONNEGAN: I didn't get the bet down in time.

HOOKER: Oh, Jesus.

LONNEGAN: A week's a long time, friend. Anything can happen. All of it bad.

HOOKER: He's right, Les.

LONNEGAN: What happened to your face?

HOOKER: Had a little fight with a raggle down on 13th. She got me with her ring.

HOOKER: I gotta talk to me partner first. We can't afford to expose our game too much.

LONNEGAN: Let me talk to him.

HOOKER: No.

LONNEGAN: You want your money back? Try and get it in a court of law. C'mon, don't be a sorehead. I'll make it worth your while. Migth even help ya finance the big play if this one works out.

LONNEGAN: You got the 400 grand yet?

HOOKER: Not yet, but... Hey, there's only a grand here.

LONNEGAN: I think we oughta place another bet tomorrow.

HOOKER: What is this? That's my money. You tryin' to muscle me?

LONNEGAN: If your system's as foolproof as you say, you'll get even more.

HOOKER: You stayin' in or not?

LONNEGAN: I'm in.

HOOKER: It's foolproof. We got a partner downtown runs the central office of the Western Union. Race results from all over the country come in there and go right across his desk on their way to the bookies. All he does in hold them up a couple minutes until he can call us and get a bet down on the winner. Then he releases the results to the bookies and we clean up on a race that's already been run. It can't miss, unless the Western Union Dicks get onto it.

HOOKER: Well, what did I tell ya?

LONNEGAN: You're a lucky man, all right.

HOOKER: Lucky, hell. I could do it every day.

LONNEGAN: Why don't ya then.

HOOKER: 'Cause it's better to do it all at once. We're puttin' down 400 grand next week. At 5-1 we make 2 million. Twenty per cent of that is yours if ya stick with us.

LONNEGAN: You got a system, Carver?

LONNEGAN: You really picked a winner, kid.

HOOKER: Give 'em a little time.

LONNEGAN: You should always look to the back too, kid.

HOOKER: I was afraid you weren't gonna come. We haven't got much time.

LONNEGAN: Get on with it then.

HOOKER: Sometime after 1:00 a guy's gonna call here and give you the name of a horse. All you do is take this two grand across the street to Shaw's place and bet it on that pony. There's nothin' to it, but don't take too much time. We only have 3 or 4 minutes after you get the call.

LONNEGAN: You're not gonna break him with a $2,000 bet.

HOOKER: This is just a test. The big one comes later. Be careful with that though, it's all I got.

LONNEGAN: And you were gonna pay me back?

HOOKER: I am after this race.

LONNEGAN: You're dreamin', kid.

HOOKER: 660 Marshall Street. Tomorrow at 12:30, if you're interested.

LONNEGAN: If I'm not there by quarter of, I'm not coming.

HOOKER: If you help me out, I'll pay ya back the money you owe Shaw, myself.

LONNEGAN: That's worth fifteen grand to ya?

HOOKER: Maybe a couple million.

LONNEGAN: Why me? Shaw probably has lotsa enemies to choose from.

HOOKER: I need somebody respectable...but not completely legit. What I'm gonna do isn't very legal.

LONNEGAN: I'm a banker, friend. That's legit in this state.

HOOKER: All you gotta do is place a bet for me at Shaw's place. I'll supply all the money and the information.

LONNEGAN: What's the matter? You gotta get back to Shaw?

HOOKER: Naw, he picked up some jane in the bar. Can't see him till morning anyway.

LONNEGAN: All right, then.

HOOKER: You were set up, Lonnegan. Shaw's been planning to beat your game for months. He was just waiting for you to cheat him so he could clip ya.

LONNEGAN: I could have you put under this train for this, errand boy.

HOOKER: So could Shaw.

LONNEGAN: Then why the rat?

HOOKER: Cause I'm tired of bein' his nigger. I want you to help me break him.

LONNEGAN: He'll have to take a check. I couldn't find my wallet.

HOOKER: Yeh, he knows that.

LONNEGAN: What do you mean?

HOOKER: He hired a dame to take it from ya.

LONNEGAN: Your boss is quite a card player, Carver. How does he do it?

HOOKER: He cheats.

HOOKER: Will you wait until the chump is played?

POLK: Hell yes. We don't care about the mark. He deserves what he gets.

HOOKER: I mean completely played. Until he's beat and the score is taken. You come in before we beat him and I'll kill him. You'll have a tough time explaining that, won't ya.

POLK: All right, Hooker, but you take it on the lam, and we'll shoot you down on sight.

HOOKER: Just as long as I get to finish the play.

POLK: You've already done time twice, and judges don't like three time losers. You wanna sit in the can for forty years, startin' tonight?

HOOKER: I'll make parole.

POLK: Like hell. You won't even get a review till you're seventy. And if the board starts to go soft, we'll let ya out in the yard some night with a hard-nose young bull who'll put fifty slugs in your face and ask what you were doin' there later.

POLK: Look, I got nothin' against you, but you're in trouble here. All you gotta do is tell us when Gondorff's gonna play his chump. We come in at the sting, make the pinch, and you walk out free as a bird. No questions, no court appearance, nothing.

HOOKER: No.

HOOKER: You got nothin' on me.

POLK: We'll get it, and if we can't, we'll just make it up. Grand larceny, extortion. Counterfeiting, anything you want.

POLK: You want a drink or something?

HOOKER: No.

POLK: We want to talk to ya about Henry Gondorff.

HOOKER: Don't think I know him.

POLK: Well give yourself a couple seconds, crumb. You wouldn't wanna lie to me. Lt. Snyder here says you done a lotta griftin' in this town.

HOOKER: Lt. Snyder doesn't know shit.

LONNEGAN: Take it easy. Everything's all right. I put it on Syphon, on the nose.

TWIST: On the nose! I said place. Place it on Syphon. That horse is going to run second.

TWIST: Yeh, and what if we play tomorrow and he doesn't come up with the money. We risk our whole operation for nothing. I'll say when we make our bets.

LONNEGAN: Not if you want me to keep makin' 'em for ya.

TWIST: Can't do it. There're telegraph inspectors all over the place. I got 750 grand coming in from the coast, and I'm not gonna blow it for a lousy 14 gees. We'll get somebody else to do our betting.

LONNEGAN: I could come up with 750 grand in a day if I had a reason to.

TWIST: But who says you will. I got a guy I can depend on. He's liquidating everything he has for this. You wouldn't even give Carver his money back.

LONNEGAN: I need more proof, that's all. Anybody can get lucky once.

TWIST: On a 6-1 shot? The hell with ya. We'll keep the deal we got.

LONNEGAN: If it works again tomorrow, I'll have a half million in cash here by noon the next day. We split 60-40.

TWIST: We were getting 50 from our guy.

LONNEGAN: With 20% coming off the top for me laying your bet. Either way you end up with 40.

LONNEGAN: All right, Riley. What the hell happened?

RILEY: We missed him.

LONNEGAN: You weren't hired to miss him.

RILEY: There wasn't any way he coulda known we was in there. We made a clean pick on the lock and didn't leave no footprints in the hall. Somebody musta wised him up.

LONNEGAN: Yeh, and what does Cole say about that?

RILEY: I don't know. He took it hard.

LONNEGAN: All right, get outa here. You're outta work.

TWIST: We'll take it. You manage the building at the end of the alley?

OLD MAN: For fifteen years.

TWIST: I'll need a room over there that faces this way. How much a week?

OLD MAN: Only rents by the month. Two hundred and fifty for the two of them.

TWIST: This is the last time I expect to see you down here.

OLD MAN: Never heard of the place.

POLK: Do ya know him or don't ya?

SNYDER: Yeh, but I don't know where he is.

POLK: Well we do. He's chummin' around with a Big C named Henry Gondorff. Ring any bells?

SNYDER: Sure. Every bunco man in the country knows Gondorff.

POLK: There's word he's gonna run a con on the North Side here. We got a year-old Florida warrant on him, but it's a thin beef, and he can beat it in court unless we catch him cold. All we want you to do is pick up Hooker for us.

SNYDER: Why don't you pick him up yourself?

POLK: Cause the stoolies are used to street dicks jumpin' him. If word gets around that Feds are in on it too, Gondorff'll fold up the whole thing.

SNYDER: Wouldn't that be too bad. You'd hafta move outa this nice office ya got.

POLK: Don't crack wise to me, flatfoot. I spent a lotta time in dumps like this, eatin' Gondorff's dust while the bunco squad gets rich tippin' him off. But it's not gonna happen this time. We're not even gonna let the police know we're here. If you keep your mouth shut and do a job, there'll be a promotion in it for ya. And you better take it, cause I can make ya work for us without it.

SNYDER: What the hell good is Hooker to ya?

POLK: He's gonna set up Gondorff for us.

SNYDER: He'll never do it.

POLK: I think he will.

SNYDER: What is this? I got work to do.

POLK: Sit down and shut up, will ya. Try not to live up to all my expectations. We were told you know a hustle artist named Johnny Hooker.