Prime Cut

Take five.

Special order.

Hello.

Good night, sir.

Jake.

Go cool it, baby.

That broad, she could write a dirty book and make it a bestseller in two weeks.

Jimmy, give us some drinks here.

How you been, Nick? Been looking all over town for you.

Okay. How about yourself, Jake?

I got some trouble. Big trouble in Kansas City with Mary Ann.

He's getting fat as a water rat.

He owes us a lot, Nick. Close to a half a million.

He's skimming his own cream and sticking Kansas right up my ass.

I need you to straighten him out.

So what's the tab?

$50,000.

Any way it cuts.

- Any way? - Any way.

Go get yourself a bagman.

No, Nick, it's bigger than that. I need you.

Well, Jake, I'm kind of taking my ease.

Why don't you use your own boys?

I did, Nick.

I sent Kelly down there. I sent Maguire down to look for him.

He found him in 10 feet of cowflop.

They found Maguire floating down the Missouri.

And then I sent down Murphy.

Shaughnessy, bring that over here.

Take a look at that, Nick.

Go ahead, take a look.

Brings back bad memories, Nick. Weenie and Mary Ann.

The pigsfoot brothers. They knocked down on everyone.

And we knew them when.

I'll need some boys.

Delaney.

O'Brien.

Shaughnessy here.

They're good men, Nick. They're young, but they're good...

and what's going on in this town, the best I got.

Okay, they'll do fine.

Attaboy, Nick. See you around.

You'd better watch out.

You might have yourself another Clarabelle.

I never did have any taste, Nick.

When you get to Kansas City, don't say hello to Clarabelle for me.

What should I do with these, Mr. Devlin?

- Did you know Murphy? - Yeah.

- Was he a good guy? - Yeah, he was a good guy.

Then bury him.

Report for Chicago remains unchanged.

The heat wave continues into the fifth day...

with temperatures in the mid 90s and high humidity.

All parts of the Midwest are similarly affected...

and no relief is expected for at least the next four to six days.

Meanwhile, conditions in the East from Washington to New England...

are relatively cool, with highs reaching the mid 80s.

That's news and weather for now, more of the same at 9:00.

Now, back to Walter.

A whiff of the old times, eh, Nick?

- I'll take it, kid. - Thanks.

Jump in, kid.

Would you meet my mother, Mr. Devlin?

Sure.

He's coming to meet you, Mom.

Oh, look, it's Mr. Devlin.

Nick says he wants to meet you, Mom.

- It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. - The same, I'm sure, Mr. Devlin.

- How do you do? - Hello.

Mom, I never saw anyone do that.

Jump in.

Corned beef and cabbage, eh, kid?

- Coffee, Nick? - Yeah, okay.

I've never been to KC.

- It's all farmland, huh? - Yeah.

- What do they grow there? - Wheat, corn.

Jesus, what a bare-ass town.

Hang a left here.

Stay put.

One, three. One, four.

One, five. One, six.

One, seven. One, eight.

One, nine.

- What the.... - Nice to see you're in the same old rat hole.

I didn't expect to see you here, Nick.

You want some, Nick? It's kosher kiel.

Too bad, Weenie. That's your hot dog hand.

You tell Mary Ann that I'm here, and not to get any fancy ideas...

about turning me or any of my boys into hamburger.

You got it?

Not hamburger.

Irish stew! Then grease!

Nice day.

We're all closed down. It's a private sale.

Country hospitality. Shit!

No, absolutely. She's great.

This guy says to the girl: "That's not my ring, that's my wristwatch."

Nick.

Mary Ann.

- You're a sight for the old eyes. - You, too.

How's life been treating you? I heard you're back East.

Chicago.

Chicago?

- You know some of the guys, don't you? - Yeah, I know some of the guys.

- You eat guts? - Yeah.

I like them.

Talk now, eat later.

- You micks... - Yeah, we got bad tempers.

George, slice up some more meat there, will you?

Give them anything they want.

Dig in, guys.

Come on, dig in, will you?

American beef is better. Eat more meat.

I gotta talk some business here with my friend Nick from Chicago.

Pretty fancy place you got here.

I thought you and Weenie were in the meatpacking business.

Well, cow flesh, girl flesh. It's all the same to me.

What they're buying, I'm selling.

What do you want, Nick?

The $500,000 you stiffed Chicago.

Nobody liked the hot dogs, Mary Ann.

- Maybe Jake'll like steak next time. - Don't push.

Come on, Nick, smarten up.

Chicago's crumbling.

There's nothing left there anymore but kids and old men.

What hasn't been burned down has been shot out, picked over.

If it still moves, it's stuck in Joliet.

The East, who's running it? Black boys? Puerto Ricans?

They got their own way of doing things.

- You talk their spic talk? - Sí.

What do they got anybody wants, rats and garbage?

You know what Chicago is?

Chicago is a sick old sow, grunting for fresh cream.

What it deserves is slop.

Someday, they're gonna boil that town down for fat.

Here, it's different. This is the heartland.

Everybody wants what I got. Grade A.

Prime stuff, raised special.

Of course, we gotta keep them a little doped up.

Uppers, downers, all the livestock gets their shots.

Help me, please.

Why don't you come in with me, Nick? It's good business.

No. You wallow in your own sewer. Just get it up for Chicago.

It's the weekend, you know. The banks are closed.

Banks get opened. Easy or hard, they get opened.

You be at the fair tomorrow. I'll give you what you want.

How much is girl flesh to go these days?

Well, the Blue Book is $20, but for you it be $15.

Let's just say I'm taking her on account.

Yeah, real smart. You and Jake, you think you're big men.

Walk in anywhere, you take down your pants and I'll take down mine.

We'll see who's the biggest man.

Why don't we just ask Clarabelle?

How's the thumb, Weenie?

If it still hurts, why don't you stick it in your mouth and suck?

Here, take care of things for me, would you, please?

- Nicholas Devlin. - Nick.

- Hello, Jerry. How are you? - Good to see you, Nick.

- Have your reservations all ready. - Good.

Show Mr. Devlin the Chicago Suite.

They used to call it the Presidential Suite, but they don't stop in Kansas anymore.

Anything you need Nick, just ask. You look fine.

You look good, too, pal.

- I'll take her. - She's light as a baby.

Shay, she'll need some things.

Send somebody up from the dress department.

All right, who deals?

All right, I put my ante in.

This is gonna cost you, fellas.

I open.

Hello, kid.

Hi.

I never saw anything so pretty.

It smells good.

I go the limit.

Straight Havana.

I've got a good nose.

- Smell a friend from a mile away, huh? - You bet.

- What's your name? - Nick. What's yours?

- Poppy. - Hello, Poppy.

Am I your present?

No.

Protective custody.

Well, I guess that's not so bad.

Is this one okay?

There. Am I all right?

Just fine.

- Two, sir? - Two, please.

- Would you prefer the dinner, sir? - Yes, we'll have the dinner.

I believe the young lady would like the consommé...

and I'll have the vichyssoise.

Connie, white Jersey, $2,500.

We're gonna have the best fair ever.

Yep, we got the best damn fair ever.

Let me see that.

I'll get some liniment for that.

Shorthorn.

- It ain't gonna sting, is it? - No.

- Are you sure? - Yeah.

- That's gonna heal just fine. - Yeah.