The Killing

- - And they're off!

It's Lucky Arrow breaking on top. Purple Shadow is second.

At exactly 3:45 on that Saturday afternoon...

in the last week of September...

Marvin Unger was perhaps the only one among the hundred thousand people at the track...

who felt no thrill at the running of the fifth race.

He was totally disinterested in horse racing...

and held a lifelong contempt for gambling.

Nevertheless, he had a five-dollar win bet on every horse in the fifth race.

He knew, of course, that this rather unique system of betting...

would more than likely result in a loss.

But he didn't care...

for after all, he thought, what would the loss of $20 or $30 mean...

in comparison to the vast sum of money ultimately at stake?

- A bottle of ginger ale, please. - Yes, sir. Coming right up.

Favorite broke bad. Could be anybody's race.

Lucky Arrow by a head. Purple Shadow between horses.

Could be.

Put a five-dollar win next to the five-dollar place.

Stopwatch is third by three quarters.

Southern Star is next, Main Entrance and Stanley Cage.

- Quite a crowd you got. - Yeah.

Passing the quarter pole, it is Lucky Arrow and Purple Shadow...

with Stopwatch on the outside to third.

At the head of the stretch, it is Purple Shadow leading by a length.

Lucky Arrow is second by three quarters.

Stopwatch, going up on the outside, is third by a length and a quarter.

Then comes Southern Star, Main Entrance, Stanley Cage...

Third Row and Lover's Dilemma.

It is Lucky Arrow between horses by a head, Purple Shadow by a head...

and Stopwatch moving fast on the outside.

It's Lucky Arrow, Purple Shadow and Stopwatch neck and neck.

It's Lucky Arrow, Purple Shadow and Stopwatch.

It's Stopwatch taking the lead.

Stopwatch by a head.

Purple Shadow second by a head. Lucky Arrow third by a length.

And Southern Star finished fourth.

Waiting for the race to become official...

he began to feel as if he had as much effect on the final outcome of the operation...

as a single piece of a jumbo jigsaw puzzle has to its predetermined final design.

Only the addition of the missing fragments of the puzzle...

would reveal whether the picture was as he guessed it would be.

The result of the fifth race is now declared official.

Twenty-five dollars.

About an hour earlier that same Saturday afternoon in September...

in another part of the city...

Patrolman First Class Randy Kennan had some personal business to attend to.

- H' - Hiya, Tiny. What's the good word?

Same as always. Havin' a ball.

I'll see you later.

Good evening, Randy. How have things been?

What's the use of kickin', Leo? You wouldn't believe it anyway.

Oh. I suppose they've been very well.

After all, a man drives a new car, lives in a fine apartment.

So? I like to live good. You got any objections?

None at all.

As long as you don't overlook your obligation to me.

I trust it was purely an oversight.

I'm sure a man in your position wouldn't deliberately...

antagonize his creditors.

I ain't got it, Leo. I know I should have it.

And I'm as anxious to pay off as you are to have me, but I just ain't got it.

Well, we all get a little cramped now and then.

Suppose we make it a thousand? I'll rewrite the balance as a new loan.

Give you a fiscal breather, fresh start.

Listen, Leo, I'm broke, get me? Flat broke.

Right now I couldn't give you a thousand cents.

- But if you can wait a couple of weeks - - Might be arranged.

With the proper collateral, of course.

You mean, where is the dough comin' from'? I can't tell you, Leo.

All I can tell you is, it's a plenty sweet deal...

and I'll be able to pay off like a slot machine.

- In two weeks, you said? No longer? - Maybe even less than that.

You know I wouldn't pull a thing like this on you.

I couldn't afford to.

I'm glad you said that, Randy. I was going to point out as much myself.

But since you relieve me of the unpleasant necessity -

It's a deal then? I pay you the 2,600 within the next two weeks.

Plus $400 - a total of 3,000.

The extra interest, of course.

I trust that'll be satisfactory.

- I can't say no. - Thank you, Randy.

I was sure you'd see it my way.

Take good care of yourself.

I'll take care of myself, mister.

That's my specialty.

At 7:00 p.m. That same day...

Johnny Clay, perhaps the most important thread in the unfinished fabric...

furthered its design.

None of these men are criminals in the usual sense.

They've all got jobs. They all live seemingly normal, decent lives.

But they got their problems, and they've all got a little larceny in 'em.

Now, you take my pal Unger, for instance, the guy who owns this apartment.

He's putting up the money to operate with, and he's letting me stay here.

He's a bookkeeper.

Been with the same company for 10 years.

You know, Fay, the biggest mistake I made before was shooting for peanuts.

Five years have taught me one thing, if nothin' else -

Anytime you take a chance, you better be sure the rewards are worth the risk...

because they can put you away just as fast for a $10 heist as they can for a million-dollar job.

You don't have to sell it to me, Johnny.

You know I'll go along with anything you say.

I always have, you know, ever since we were kids.

I've always believed you - everything you've ever told me.

Those five years you've been away, I - I know they must have been terrible for you.

I mean, being locked up must be a terrible thing.

You know something?

This may sound funny, but...

waiting for you all those years and staying by myself-

it was like, not that you were locked in...

but I was locked out.

Well, look at me.

First time we've been together in five years, and I'm making speeches.

Now, now. Everything is gonna be all right. I promise you.

Make sure you're right about it, Johnny. I'm no good for anybody else.

I'm not pretty, and I'm not very smart. So please don't leave me alone anymore.

Aw, nothing is gonna happen.

Not this time.

Well, I - I guess I'd better leave you be now.

I know you've got a lot of work to do.

When will I see you again?

Saturday night. We'll be on the plane together.

Look, Fay, until it's all over, I want you to stay out of the way. Yeah?

If there's anything I can do to help -

No. Nothing. You just make the plane reservations.

And remember, tell 'em at the office that you're leaving.

Tell 'em you're getting married, huh?

I don't wanna say good-bye.

- Oh. - Hello, Marv. We were just talking about you.

- Hi, Johnny. Hi, Miss Fay. - Hello.

- I hope it was something nice. - Oh, yes.

Johnny was telling me about what a wonderful friend you were.

- Fay was just leaving, weren't you, baby? - Oh, don't rush off on my account. I -

- Ah, she's late for an appointment. - That's right.

- You'll be sure to call me, won't you, Johnny? - Yeah. I'll do just what I told you I would.

- It was nice to see you again, Mr. Unger. - Thank you.

- Take care of Johnny. - Oh, there's nothing I wouldn't do for Johnny.

I'll see you.

A half an hour earlier, at approximately 6:30...

Mike O'Reilly, the track bartender, came home.

Ruthie? I'm home.

At 7:15 that same night...

George Peatty, the track cashier, arrived at his apartment.

- H' - Hello.

Hello.

- Feelin' okay? - Fine.

I been kinda sick today. I keep gettin' pains in my stomach.

Maybe you got a hole in it, George. Do you suppose you have?

A hole in it? How would I get a hole in my stomach?

How would you get one in your head?

Go fix me a drink, George. I think I'm developing some pains myself.

Sherry, can't I ever say anything at all without you joking to me about it?

Hurry up with that drink, George. The pains are gettin' worse.

I saw somethin' kinda nice comin' home on the train tonight.

Somethin', well, kinda sweet.

A candy bar, George?

No, not a candy bar, doughnut.

It was people.

This couple sittin' just in front of me.

Oh, they weren't young, exactly. I guess the woman was about your age.

A little senile, you mean? With one foot and a big toe in the grave?

You wanna hear this or not? Do you or not, Sherry?

I can't wait. Go ahead and thrill me, George.

Well, anyway, like I say, they were sittin' just in front of me...

and I could hear what they were sayin' - well, part of it.

They weren't young, exactly, and they weren't really old.

She was about my age, you said. Not anymore.

Maybe she was when you started telling this story, but not now.

Anyway, she was calling him Papa, and he was calling her Mama.

And the climax to this exciting story? The moral? The punch line, George?

Forget it, Sherry.

Just thought I'd tell you about it, but I might have known.

Oh, I know. You want to bet I know? I'll give you seven-to-five.

Cut it out, will you, Sherry?

I'm tired. I don't feel so good.

You want me to call you Papa, isn't that it, George? And you wanna call me Mama.

- You know all the answers. - Go right ahead.

Course, it may be the last word you ever say, but I'll try to kill you as painlessly as possible.

I gotta go out tonight. I don't suppose there's anything for dinner.

Of course there is, darling. There are all sorts of things.

- We have steak and asparagus and potatoes. - I don't smell nothin'.

Well, that figures. 'Cause you're too far away from it.

Too far away from it?

Certainly. You don't think I had it all cooked, do you?

It's all down in the shopping center.

Tell me something, would you, Sherry?

Just tell me one thing.

Why did you ever marry me anyway?

George, when a man has to ask his wife that, well, he just hadn't better, that's all.

Why talk about it? Maybe it's all to the good in the long run.

After all, if people didn't have headaches, what would happen to the aspirin industry?

You used to love me. You said you did, anyway.

I seem to recall you made a memorable statement too.

Something about hitting it rich and having an apartment on Park Avenue...

and a different car for every day of the week.

Not that I really care about such things, understand...

as long as I have a big, handsome, intelligent brute like you.

It would make a difference, wouldn't it? If I had money, I mean.

How would you define money, George?

If you're thinkin' of giving me your collection of Roosevelt dimes -