Criminal

Would you bring me a Coke please?

- Of course. Only a Coke? - No, with ice.

Here's your drink.

Thank you.

I don't have change.

Don't tell me. Don't you have something smaller?

No, that's all I have.

Well, what am I going to do then?

You're going to leave me broke. Take it.

You're leaving me broke here.

So quickly?

Thank you very much.

Wait, wait. I have change from the taxi.

If it's no trouble, maybe it would be better... I'll give you this.

$50, no?

$50 and the $50 that I already gave you, that's $ 100.

So if you give me $ 100, we'll be even.

I give $ 100 to you?

The $ 100 bill for the change.

Okay. Take it.

What kind?

Lights.

What the fuck are you trying to pull?

I just need security here.

Security. I need security.

I already give you your change. What the fuck are you trying to pull?

- You're trying to rip me off. - Excuse me. Excuse me.

- I'm a police officer. What's the problem? - He's trying to rip me off.

- Sorry, I was trying to buy cigarettes... - Be quiet.

I'll get to you in a minute.

- Now, ma'am, what is your name? - Dolores.

Hey, L.A.P.D. Vice. I got this. Okay?

Okay, Dolores. Calm down and tell me exactly what happened.

He asked me for cigarettes. He gave me a $50.

Now he says he gave me $ 100. He's trying to rip me off.

- Okay. Is that true? - No. It's not true.

I was just buying cigarettes. Then she start to shout.

- I don't know what's going on. - You know what?

This seems a little familiar.

Maybe we should talk to the waitress you bought the Coke from.

Should we do that?

Officer, would you mind asking that waitress to come over?

Now, what is your name?

What's your name?

Get over here.

Don't make it hard.

Just relax.

Calm down. Slow down.

All right. What's your problem?

You been doing some drugs? You high today?

9:30 in the morning, and you're high.

- Dolores, you okay? - Fine.

All right. You stay right here. I'm gonna need a statement from you. Let's go.

Keep her there, okay? I'll be right back.

Right here.

Stand against the car.

- What's going on? - Just relax.

All right. Get in.

I'm not a cop. Get in. I'll drop you off.

No tricks, all right? You wanna learn what you were trying to do?

- I never thought about it. - Well, you ought to start.

- You know what? I'm okay. - You don't know what you don't know.

Unless it was part of your plan to get pinched and beaten for $45.

Listen, they got security cameras on us now. You want a ride or not?

Okay.

So you know what I do, right?

I usually work with another guy. My partner, a Jew.

Disappeared a week ago, and no idea where he is, so...

...I gotta find a new partner.

Why me?

I can't do what I do alone.

You can only go so far by yourself.

You can survive, but if you want more than that...

...you gotta work with someone. And I got a lifestyle to support.

Look, I don't wanna be your friend, okay?

I'll tell you that right off the bat. This is work.

So if I ask you personal questions...

...it's because the more I know, the more I can develop your role.

- You understand? - Yeah.

- You speak good English? - Yeah. Pretty good.

All right, so, what's your name?

- Rodrigo. - What?

- Rodrigo. - No.

No, we gotta Anglo you up a little.

- Brian. - Brian?

Yeah, Brian.

- What's your name? - Richard.

Richard Gaddis.

- Is it up here? - Yeah.

Here.

Nice color.

Yeah.

So how about this.

You give me a couple hours...

...I show you some basics, get you warmed up.

If it works out, we'll kick it up a notch.

You hate it, you walk.

I hate you, you walk. Nobody gets hurt.

- Okay. - Yeah?

- Yeah. - All right.

Look. It's my experience people are more likely to give money...

...to someone who looks like they already have money. Okay?

I walk up to you all decked out, standing in front of this car...

...I got some kind of emergency.

You know, under normal circumstances, I don't need anybody's help, right?

And then there's you showing up with the same story.

Who you think they'll give their money to?

In my neighborhood, you'd be dead.

Yeah. Well, that's why we're not working your neighborhood.

- Ever been to Westwood? - No.

Hello?

Hello?

- Hello? - Hello? Debbie?

Sorry.

- Who is this? - Sorry. Wrong apartment.

Hello? Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

- Grandma? - Yes?

Who is it?

What, you don't recognize your favorite grandson?

- Nicholas? - How are you?

Well, I can't believe it. It's been so long.

- When did you get to town? - Oh, I got in last night.

Are you all right? I hardly recognized your voice.

I know, I'm... I just got over something.

- But I'm not contagious, don't worry. - You came to visit me?

You'll be mad. I'm with a friend. We were visiting somebody nearby...

...and my rental car broke down.

- The rental car? - Yeah.

It's one of those Cooper MINls. Seen those?

- A what? - It's no bigger than your toaster.

It's so cute, you'll love it. Guess what color it is. Guess.

- Turquoise? - No. I wanted turquoise.

They gave me a blue one. Cobalt, they call it.

Anyway, the guy is coming to tow the car back to the rental place...

...and I don't have any money to give him. I left my wallet at the hotel.

How could you go out without your wallet?

I know. You know me, so stupid.

I am so sorry. This is so embarrassing.

But if you have just $ 100, it would be a huge help.

I'll go back to the hotel, switch the car and come back with the money.

It'll take 15 minutes.

Okay?

Are you there?

If Jerald ever found out about this, he would absolutely flip.

I don't think we should tell Jerald.

Can't you come up for a minute?

I can't. I have to wait with the car.

But I'm with my friend. If you could give him the money...

His name is Brian. He's really nice. He's Spanish.

- Oh, okay. - Mexican.

- I'm coming down . - Okay.

It's okay to leave it with your friend?

Oh, yeah. He's real nice. He's a friend from school.

Grandma, the tow truck is coming. I gotta go. I have to go.

Hey.

- She gave me 200. - Sweet.

And she said you should give this back to your mother.

Why don't you keep it? Got a girlfriend? Give it to her.

No. I told you, I'm not, like, a professional crook.

- Whatever. You want the ring? - No, it's not that.

- What is it? - You know...

You know, the old lady, man.

Oh, I see. Waitress in a casino, fine.

Trusting old lady, never.

Come on.

She told me I look like her nephew, the one who died of blood poisoning.

- Are we still talking about this? - Yeah.

I don't know, man. It was weird, that's all.

So why don't you just go back and confess.

I don't feel anything for them, okay?

They're marks.

And some of them are dumber than fucking pets.

- You ever been to Beverly Hills? - No.

It's a great place to work.

All right. So...

...go in here, order a soy latte to go.

Okay.

Pay with this.

- Then come find me. All right? - Cool.

- I need money. - Yeah, join the club.

No, but I need a lot of money. I need a lot of money now.

- How much? - A lot.

- How much? - Seventy.

- Seventeen? - No, 70. 7-0.

For what?

For my old man. He owes it.

- Gambling? - Yeah.

How much do you have?

Thirty-eight.

- Who does he owe it to? - This guy. This Russian guy.

If I were you, I'd get a new old man.

I gotta do something. They might kill him.

They probably will. Which is why you should stay out of it, okay?

Look, I don't wanna hurt anybody.

I'm not a violent person. I've never even seen a gun go off.

That stuff at the casino was choreography. I was totally in control of that.

Don't get involved with these people. I'm telling you.

It's my dad.