Deadfall

Most people like to think

they have some degree of control over their lives.

The truth is, we're all subject to the influence of others.

Those who appreciate this

can make a lot of money from those who don't.

But any small-time grifter

who ever dealt off the bottom of a deck can tell you that.

I can tell you about the price one pays for peddling confidence,

how every mark you fleece takes away another piece of your soul

and what happens when you try to pick up the pieces.

I'm risking 50 grand here!

50 grand for $500,000 worth.

You having second thoughts?

You give me the word, I'll turn this car around.

I work for you.

If you got a bad feeling about this, let's just go home.

I'm a big shot, see?

I can chance it.

You're the man.

The beginning of the end started out normally enough.

I was in the middle of a deal,

trustworthy as ever.

My pop used to say I was the best loyalty man he'd ever seen.

I played the all-American boy.

People thought they could pull the wool over my eyes.

Well, that was my con, and it never failed.

Let's see it.

Give me a break, will you?

Here. Okay?

I feel like a fucking piece of bait in here!

Before you give him the money, tell him I want a taste.

What, what?

He wants a taste.

Sure, he does.

I'm seein' angels.

Do it. Do it!

He's wired! It's a setup!

Police! Drop it!

Freeze! Hold it right there!

Drop your weapon!

Go on! Get out of here!

All right, everybody. Porky is out of here.

All right!

Got me right in the heart.

Hey, Joey!

All right, Mikey. Show's over.

Mikey.

Mike.

Hey, pop, it's all here. Every last dollar!

You shot him!

What?

He's really been shot.

There's real bullets in here, man.

I had the blanks.

I had the...

I had the blanks in my gun!

What the hell are you trying to pull, Joe?

Get that gun.

Joe, listen... get the cake.

- My brother took the cake. - Your brother?

You go get it.

Bring it, bring it, bring it...

Go get it for me.

Pop!

- Pop! - Come on, let's go.

- Pop! - Come on, Joe.

Got to go.

I didn't do it! I had the blanks!

No!

We'd always been a team.

Pop called the shots, and I carried the ball.

Without him, I went numb.

We're burying your father in Potter's field.

He's already in the box.

Wouldn't want the cops snooping, would we?

I remember loading blanks.

There's no way I would ever make a mistake like that!

You were in charge of the guns.

There's no way I would make a mistake like that.

Take it.

Take a look.

Go on.

It's Huey's gun.

It's got the blanks.

Goddamn.

Tell me this is a dream I'm gonna wake up from.

I feel real bad, Joey.

Maybe I should have double-checked the chambers.

Sorry.

Here's your cut.

Got to get out of town, set yourself up.

Fast, like the rest of us.

Pete!

Pete!

Pete, did you see the woman on my...

what was that?

I almost forgot.

This is all your father had on him.

See you.

Bus 59 leaving gate 5 in 15 minutes.

Bus 59 leaving gate 5...

I told myself the woman at the grave wasn't really there,

my scattered mind had just dredged up a memory.

"Leave the past to them who's stuck there,"

is what pop would've told me.

There ain't no money in a memory.

The man was never short on advice.

With his last breath,

he was still telling me what to do.

He hadn't said what the cake was,

but his address book said where to start looking...

out west, where his brother Lou would be.

I always remembered being alone.

Pop and I spent a lot of time on buses

moving from town to town, waiting for the heat to pass.

Pop was the teacher. I was the student.

That was our relationship.

So it was a surprise to me

when I found the letter he wrote to his brother Lou...

the brother I never even knew he had.

Most of it was about how much pop hated him.

Something had gone down between the two brothers.

Looked like a woman was the cause.

But the real shock was that he said he was proud of me

and that he loved me.

Now, that's not the pop that I remembered.

Maybe it was the way he used to be

before all he cared about was turning a buck.

Maybe it was Lou who had changed him.

That's what I wanted to believe...

the big secret I swore I'd uncover.

The coast was alive, but I had no time for the sights.

I was looking for something to tip me off,

a break in the routine, a place to start the hunt.

Appreciate it.

- What it is, my man? What it is? - How you doing?

- Do you have a nice hot one? - Salted or unsalted?

I don't care, long as it's lucky.

Hope that's hot enough for you. - So do I...

- Hello, ladies. - Hello. Can I help you?

Coffee, please.

- Regular or decaf? - Regular.

- 75 cents for the coffee, please. - Here you go. Keep it.

- You come here often? - No. It's the first time.

- Why do you ask? - I don't know.

Would you like a nice maple spiral doughnut

with your coffee? They're heavenly.

Maybe some other time. Thanks.

Hey, kid. What's your name?

Mitch. - Want to make an easy 20 bucks, Mitch?

For what?

I'm looking for Lou Donan.

- Who's asking? - His nephew.

Pick a card.

I don't think so.

You don't think so?

That's not very sociable behavior.

- Go on, pick a card. - Look, I'm a little busy right now.

Why don't you take your game someplace else.

Busy at the market. Tell you what.

If it's a high card, I'll tell you who I am,

and if it's a low card, I'll tell you who you are.

Is that a deal?

Sure.

- Joker. - Joker.

Hallelujah.

Praise the lord. It's a hell of a card trick.

Now, why don't you get lost?

So you're Lou's nephew?

- Yeah. That's right. - Yeah. That's right.

I didn't know Lou had a nephew.

Well, you know it now.

Come on. Let's take a walk, friend.

Get comfortable.

Damn, I love watching people.

Damn! Business really booming out there?

Look at all those happy people.

You can learn a lot from just watching people.

So... God, it's been...

30 some-odd years since I've seen my nephew.

What's the matter, cat got your fucking tongue?

All this time, I didn't even know I had an uncle.

Well, then there's a lot you don't know.

What did you want to see me about, Joe?

I...

I've got some bad news about my father.

- He's... - He's dead.

Yes, I know.

It must be kind of a shock?

Looks like you've just seen a ghost, friend.

Eddie, will you put the gun down, please,

and get Joe a glass of water?

Yeah?

Yeah.

You're down.

All right.

Good luck.

Bye-bye.

So, how'd you find me?

I had to go through some of my father's stuff.