The Last Crooked Mile

Hello? Delta Insurance Company?

Mr. Dietrich, please.

Just put him over there, Ferris.

Make him comfortable.

The doctor will be here in a few minutes.

- Yes. - Oh, hello, Dietrich?

Sorelson. Got bad news.

The bank's just been held up.

Oh, as near as I can judge at the moment, around 300,000.

It was the shipment we had ready for the Federal Reserve Bank.

Yes, they got the entire amount.

Oh, unfortunately, there's no record of the serial numbers.

All right, I'll wait for you.

I'm Lieutenant Mayrin of the robbery detail.

Oh, how are you Mayrin?

I'm Floyd Sorelson, the manager.

Well, where shall we begin?

Well, I just heard the police report from the officer on duty.

Four masked men, all well-dressed,

one with blonde hair.

Three of them made a getaway in a grey sedan.

Anything you can add to that?

Their voices were muffled under their masks.

They were about average height.

That doesn't give us much.

Uh, any outstanding characteristics?

You notice anything particular about any of them?

Well, now you mention it,

there was something peculiar about one of them.

The one with the light hair. He seemed to be the leader.

When he held his gun on me,

I noticed that his nails were highly polished.

It struck me at the time. Hmm. Good. Anything else?

No, I don't believe so.

Uh, could you men add to that?

I was on vault detail.

It all happened too quickly for me.

Well, the blonde hair and the polished nails gives us something.

As for the grey sedan,

well, if they're as smart as they think they are,

the first thing they'll do is switch cars.

I'll get in touch with you later.

Right.

All set, Spike?

Everything is ready.

Wanna take a look?

Sweet job, Spike.

- Little bonus. - Oh, thanks!

Stick this mop in the furnace.

- On me, it don't look good. - Okay.

Hop in.

Don't forget to get rid of this crate.

Don't worry. And good luck.

Car 28. Calling car 28.

Go to Fulton and Delaware.

See a woman about a barking dog. That is all.

Now ain't that something?

They're worrying about barking dogs

and we're on our way to San Diego.

Dummy up.

Okay. This is it.

Now take it easy. I'll do the talking.

Anything wrong, Officer?

Let's see your driver's license.

What's the matter with him?

He used to work a night shift.

Where'd you come from?

Richmond.

We're heading for Del Monte. Is this the road?

This is the road. You mind taking your hats off?

Sure.

What are you looking for?

A blonde.

Huh. I've been looking for them for years.

Huh? Huh?

What's the matter?

It's all right, Charlie. The man's looking for a blonde.

What's her address?

You over there, let's take a look at your hands.

Okay. So, they ain't clean.

All right, turn them over.

Highly-polished nails, eh?

Yeah. His toes light up, too.

All right. Pull over here.

There are a couple of questions I want...

All right. The Jarvis gang is wiped out.

Or at least those responsible for the actual hold-up have been eliminated.

Well, somebody had to get rid of that grey car, Mr. Dietrich.

It didn't walk into the river.

Granted. Then obviously, there was another confederate.

What I can't understand is why the police...

have failed to unearth one lead in two weeks.

Well, I hate to admit it, Mr. Dietrich,

but we're smack up against a blind alley.

The Delta Insurance Company is concerned with only one thing.

Where is the money?

$300,000 can't disappear into thin air.

That's what Lieutenant Mayrin's been trying to tell you, Dietrich.

He believes the gangsters turned the money over...

to someone else when they switched cars.

Am I right, Lieutenant?

We went through that wrecked car with a fine-toothed comb.

We pulled out every stitch of upholstery,

tore the engine down, and ripped the doors apart.

There just isn't any trace.

Your own investigators were there.

I'm inclined to string along with your theory, Lieutenant.

What about possible confederates?

No, we grilled everyone that ever rubbed elbows with Jarvis,

including a sweetie. No soap.

Dietrich, I still think you're making a mistake

in not letting the public know the money hasn't been found.

And I agree with him.

Why don't you offer a reward? That might help.

I'm sorry, but we don't feel that way.

The more secretive this is kept,

the better our chances that whoever has the money will make a slip.

Yes?

A gentleman to see you.

Who?

A gentleman who says he has some information on the case.

Oh, he has? All right. Send him in.

This might be interesting.

Any objections, gentlemen?

I wouldn't care if you brought in the Scotland Yard.

- Gentlemen. - Oh, so it's you.

Dwyer's the name, gentlemen. Tom Dwyer.

Uh, look, Dwyer, you wouldn't be interested in this case.

No dames involved.

You never did look in the right places, Mayrin.

You're Mr. Sorelson, aren't you?

Yes.

I believe you said you had something on this case, Mr. Dwyer.

I have.

Mr. Dietrich of the Delta Insurance Company.

For one thing, I know you haven't found the money.

How did you find that out?

Oh, I've got friends.

I've got friends everywhere.

I also happen to know that the Jarvis car...

was sold at the police auction to a guy in Ocean City.

Hmm. Smart boy. He knows everything.

Sure. That's my business.

Now, Mr. Sorelson, there are just two things that I'm interested in.

Women and money.

Right now, I happen to be long on women.

I'd like to take a crack at this case.

Oh, I knew he didn't have anything.

He's just trying to ace himself in.

We have our own investigators. We don't need outside help.

Okay, if that's the way you feel about it,

don't wanna take up your time or mine.

Just a minute, Dwyer.

Dietrich, Mr. Dwyer impresses me as a go-getter.

Besides, he's qualified to go beyond the limits of the police.

Personally, I think it's worth a try if Dwyer's willing to gamble.

Now that's the way to talk, Mr. Sorelson.

What's the win spread, Mr. Chips?

Well, young man, the Delta Insurance Company

will pay 10 percent to anyone...

for all or any part of the money recovered.

But remember, you're entirely on your own.

Ten percent.

$30,000, and all in one big pot at the end of the rainbow.

Now that's something to start cooking with.

Well, you better watch out for that rainbow, Mr. Dwyer.

May have a hole in the other end of it.

Even if I fall in, I'll come up with the pot.

Keep in touch with me, son.

I'll be interested in your progress.

And you have my best wishes.

You better save those for the police.

Gentleman, there are just 30,000 reasons why I'll be seeing you again.

Soon.

What time does the show start?

6:00.

It's positively the greatest, the most sensational...

Okay, okay, okay, I'll be back. You don't have to sell me.

Good, good. And bring your friends.

- Hey, Ferrara. - Eh?

- Who was that guy? - Search me.

He just wanna know when the show opened.

I see.

Something is wrong, Mr. MacGuire? You know him maybe?

No, I don't know him maybe.

I am expecting an associate from back east.

He wants to take a look at the car.

I'll wait inside.

Okay. I'm just gonna go catch my dinner.

What's the matter? Did you lose it someplace?

Shut up.

Come on.

Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry...

Not bad. Not bad, honey.

I always could shoot.

I wasn't referring to your shooting.

Why, Tom!

I didn't think you'd remember me.

There are a couple of things about you I couldn't forget.

Well, it was very sweet of you to call.