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Lonely Hearts (2006)
Hey, we're all proud of you, Buster.
Charlie. Small town cops dropping a pair like this. Wait a lifetime, never even sniff one this good. Wanna make a move to the boroughs, you let me know. It's a phone call. Hey, maybe you wanna throw the switch. I can fix that, too. You are such an asshole. You don't even know what you have here. Whatever it is, consider it our gift to you. You know, you don't have to go in there. Yeah, I do. If any two maggots ever deserved to boil in their own shit, it was Ray Fernandez and Martha Beck. They'd probably still be cozy in a Lansing jail cell if it weren't for Buster. Or, maybe it was Annie. Buster's wife. Who one September night stuck a service thirty-eight in her ear. No note. No nothin'. Just blew her brains out all over the bathtub. Cops don't talk about what they see. They push it down with a stiff Bromo and a bourbon back, hide behind a... newspaper and hope nobody notices. But after... Buster found Annie in the bathroom, that all changed. And he took it out on Fernandez and Beck with a vengeance. If they wrote a book on confidence men, Ray Fernandez would've been the pinup boy. He wasn't the first rat-fuck barnacle to play the lonely hearts game. But he might've been the smoothest. He knew the game, he knew his marks. He loved the way it made him feel. Hell, he was so slick, he even convinced himself he was Don-fucking-Juan. Oh Bea... I'm so sorry I'm late. A thousand apologies. So sorry I'm late. The meetings with my lawyers ran over. I'm so sorry I'm late. Had a meeting with my lawyers. It went over. I nearly missed the plane. I was in such a hurry I... left my wallet and my passport. I left my wallet and my passport. And I left my passport and my wallet... on the counter at the airport. You're even more... beautiful than your picture. Stunning. Today's a special day. It's the oldest con in the book. He pen paled 'em, war widows, old maids, spinsters, anyone alone. Was like picking plums. They advertised, for Christ sake, through correspondence clubs and lonely hearts rags. He was quite the bard. Always slipping in a little fishing expedition to feel... out their bank account. If he smelled... money, Valentino. If he thought they were broke... he'd bounce 'em... like a bad check. Buster was my partner. We went all the way back to a squad car, for Christ sake. He was the toughest badge I'd ever seen. Turned more collars than a Chinaman drycleaner. But after he lost Annie, he parked himself behind the desk, pushing paper, taking phone calls, and a lot of other people's shit. I didn't understand that. Robinson, Homicide. You don't know shit because Jackie Robinson is a... I don't know shit? veteran baseball... Fuck Jackie Robinson. Jesus Christ, let me tell you something so everybody can hear me. You gave me a hundred to one. Hundred to one I wouldn't drop a nickel on the first team to put a nigger in baseball. Okay? Even, even if he is a cousin of Robinson's here. Okay? It's okay. Hello. Oh, Mrs. Reilly? Oh, Reilly, your wife's on the phone. Her negro lover just left, wants to know if I can come down there and finish her off. How you gonna... finish her off, you haven't seen your prick in six months, you fat fuck. That's funny, your wife... found it real good. You think I'm scared of you... you big fuckin' sack of meat? - Get outta here. - Why don't ya... keep your mouth shut and learn something? Fuck you. I'm telling you, he's gonna burn your house... down one day. He's a rat. Listen, me and Eastman, we're going over to Jimmy's. We're gonna uh, play some cards, suck on the beer tit, tell some lies. How 'bout it? Hey Robbie. Hey Rene. I can't. I... gotta take the train tonight. Train? What happened to your car? What, you didn't hear? The kid drove it into some garbage cans. Siren going, lights, everything. Which bone did you break? The one between his ears. Hey, I can drop you. Yeah, Rene could give you... a lift. Nice. Okay. Enough. What? So we... playing cards or what? No, but I'll... take that ride. Meet ya at Jimmy's. By the time Fernandez picked up on Martha Beck's bullshit smear in some lonely hearts rag... she'd already been picked over by every... Tom-Dick son of a bitch who ever sniffed a skirt, including her own... brother, who started raping her from... the time she was ten. She was good-looking, alright. But damaged goods. Martha. Raymond. Uh, uh, I'm sorry I'm late. The meetings with my uh, lawyers ran over. I was in such a hurry I... I nearly missed my plane and I left my wallet and passport at the counter. What kind of lawyers? Oh... just, regular lawyers. We're closing in on some uh, some import prospects. I can't believe you're here. I can't believe we're here. I mean after so many letters... and for such a long time, it's... It's incredible. I mean, here we are... face to face. Oh, what? Please say something. I uh... You're just so beautiful. May I... show you to a table? How's room service? It's off the menu, ma'am. We'll have... breakfast in bed. What are you doing? I have an appointment. I won't be an hour. I love the way you write. Such a poet. Raymond? You don't disappoint. A regular Charles Boyer. Hey, what d'you say we... test our luck later, watch the greyhounds run? Think you can wait... for me? Oh, I can wait. The question is, can you? Hey, you're a little kitty cat. Toodle-loo. Toodle-loo. Maybe he skinned out 'cause she was broke. Or maybe he was afraid she was a keeper. Either way, Martha had him... figured at Hello. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord... forever. Amen. Dorothy. My deepest sympathies. Well thank you. I'm sorry. Raymond... Martin. I was a customer of your husband's. He was a tough... but honest businessman. And I know he'll be missed, that son of a gun. What company... you with? Bradley Coachworks in Cleveland. I manage receivables. So you know our... account man, Ben Chadwick. Of course. Ben, he's a good man. Anybody who knew my father knew he was... a son of a bitch. And Ben Chadwick's been dead five years. Oh my... god! Oh my god! My husband's company has been a loyal customer for many years. In spite of your... disregard for the deceased, he did a fair business with us. And it's disgraceful that you'd humiliate a... patron on this, of all days. Shame on you! Shame on you. Let's go, baby. Let's go, baby. Shame on you! Come on. Are you okay? I'm okay. It's hard to say whose... voodoo was working on who. But the day them two figured each other out was the beginning of a bad end for a lot of people. So what's up with Rene? You don't need to know. What, she's got those uh, silver dollar summits. Am I right? Come on. A week's pay for confirmation. You don't make enough, Charlie. Well that's true. - Slow down here. - Leave it alone. - Slow down. Slow down. - Leave it alone. No-no, come on, stop. Come on. Stop. What're you doing? - Borrowing money? - Shut... the fuck up. What're you doing? Back up! Back up, now! Back up, shit stick. We gotta get him to County. You're not putting... that bloody mess in my car. Let's go. What? Look. Look at my car. It's full of blood. Next time you take the train. I'm sorry. Oh. I'll pay for it. My ass. What're you trying to do anyway, get yourself killed? Baker Baker. Baker Baker, you up? Two Baker Baker. Deceased female in Wantaugh, twenty-seven thirty-two Merrick Road. Possible suicide. Uh, we're ten-ten. Detective Reilly requested you, sir. I've been babysitting this fuckin' midget for a year, now. Let's just go. - With you? - Yeah. - Nah. - No-no, let's just do it. Come on. Two Baker Baker en route. It's raining out there. You know if she had any family or relatives? I, you know, I don't... know. What's the story? We're supposed to be off duty. Well the book says uh, two detectives from Homicide. What're you... doing here? Me? I was losing. Suspicious. You are such a piece of shit. That's not really the point, is it? Patty Forsythe, twenty-five. Filleted the radial, couple superficials. Had a hard time getting started but eventually got it right. Good, all we need is... some celery sticks and we can have a couple Bloody Marys. Why is this suspicious? Why is it suspicious? Well, look, tasty... dame. Right? She got a nice place. She got a job. What, out of the blue she just decides to play... connect the dots with a razor? Come on. All right, everybody out. Let's go. I want names and badges. Everyone. Come... on. - What the hell's wrong with you? - Huh? What do you mean what's wrong with me? It's a suicide. A minute ago you said it was suspicious. Which is it? It's a suspicious suicide. How's that? I make her a snow cone uh, thirty-six to forty-eight. Mm-hm. She used ice. Probably thought it would hurt. Yeah... probably did. Vascular contractions would explain the false starts. Alright, give me a liver... temp on her. So, since... when is he back on the job? He's always been on the job. - Oh. Really? - Mm. See that, all this time I'm thinking he works for the fuckin' phone company. You called us, remember? - Mm-hm. - He's top dick. Yeah, he is. You got that right. Why don't you keep your mouth shut. Why? What, is he gonna do something? He's not gonna do anything. You know why? 'Cause he's a fucking pug. Keep it up. Donuts for the note. Reilly's buying. There's no note. There is a note. She wanted to get somebody's attention. You'd know all about that, wouldn't you? Hey. Hey-hey. I can't... You bite... your fuckin' tongue out, you... Hey. hear me? Huh? I can't... Found it. Eclair for me, shit stick. Fuck you. Hey. Don't forget my father. So your sister's got Eddie? Yeah, but I still gotta go. It's two in the morning. Yup. I gotta go. Where are my pants? Over here. How long you gonna keep me a secret, huh? You're no secret. Trust me. Shoes? They're down over there. Oh yeah. I heard the Dispatch. You okay? Yeah. I mean come on, that's my job. Been doing it a long time. That doesn't mean you're not human. I don't wanna talk about it. Hey, I'm... not your wife. So don't treat me like one. I'm sorry. You know Eddie, he never cried. Not even at the funeral. No? No. Kid shouldn't have to be that tough. Neither should you. Make you some eggs? You're a doll. But I gotta go. Bye. See you later. Okay. Wanna take my car? Nah. I'll just walk down to Merrick... take the bus. It'll be easier. Okay. How'd you find me? I'm a detective, remember? Well, I thought maybe you was a peeping Tom. You know uh, no one's gonna hold her against you. Yeah, except for maybe my son. Two fights in one night. That's pretty good. And Reilly. Reilly's a... fuckin' idiot. You used to know that. I don't know, Charlie. People don't just punch out for no reason. Yeah well, she had a reason. Uh, I was talking about Annie. Yeah, I know. All right, so our girl, she comes home early with the groceries. She's looking for a little romance. She's got uh, candles, bottle of chianti, and some rib eyes. She sees the boyfriend through the back door with his sister bent over the table, here, doing a donkey. A sister? Yeah, sister. Bent over... Seen them through the back... door on this table. People are work. What can I tell ya? Jesus Christ. All right, so, she leaves, comes back after they're gone. She scrubs the table with Brillo. Goes into the bathroom. You know the rest. Did they dust? No. Why not? Because while fucking around on your girlfriend may be shitty, it ain't illegal. At least not yet, anyway. Well it... is, if it's your sister. She had to have cash or... jewelry or silverware or something. Yeah, she had the ruby slippers and the diamond broche she wears to the steno pool every day. She worked for the L-I double-R, for Christ sakes. She's got nothing. Let me stake you a... roll of quarters, we can still shine them freebooters down at Jimmy's. Come on. Nah. I gotta go home. Yeah. Where you been? Huh? You first. Where you been? You been out drinking? Huh? - Buster. - Let me smell your breath. - Buster, don't. Buster, don't. - Did you really do that? - Stop it. - Let me smell your breath. - Stop. Buster, stop. - This is... - Stop it. Stop it. - Stay out of it, Ida. Stop. - So... What're you doing! - What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you? I'm trying to keep you from making an ass out of yourself. Ida, he wrecked the car a week ago. He shouldn't even been driving. He's been delivering papers so he could pay to fix the car. He wanted to surprise you. Yeah, well, how the hell was I supposed to know? I don't know, you tell me, you're the cop. Eddie. Eddie. I'M IN TOWN. CAN'T YOU HEAR ME HONEY, I'M IN TOWN. HANGIN' ROUN', JUST WAITIN' FOR YOU. CAN'T YOU SEE, YOU'RE THE ONE AND ONLY BO Y FOR ME. MM, YOU AND ME ARE. UNINTELLIGIBLE. Sweetest Delphine, your letter of last week gives me such hope. The way you speak of your daughter gives me a sense that there is love in this world left for me. No-no-no-no, too soft, too soft. And mention the kid's name, mothers love that stuff. It's the simple things. I will arrive on March tenth with my sister Martha. Excellent. She's the hottest bitch you've ever seen, and does me like a kitten. That's for sure. Mm. You smell like a pimp. That's the only way I can get your scent off me, Kitty Cat. Okay, okay, sign this. Yeah. Ray Martin. Hey, hold on. What? Go get dressed. What for? Because I want you with me. Really? Why? Make sure I behave. Besides, I like it when you watch me work. So feisty. I've been trying to get your ass street side for a year, and you wanna chase this? Yeah I do. If it'd make you feel better, I'll put a car on the house, maybe they'll... come back. They're not coming back. Look Buster, you wanna get your ass off the desk and get back to work, that's great. This thing, it's just a heart break. Robbie, Motor Pool sent up your keys. Say your car's as good as new. Thanks. Look, a girl don't rip herself up like that for no reason. With all due respect to your wife, this case isn't fucking about her. Let me tell you something, Mac. You couldn't find a rattlesnake in a fucking lunch bag. This is a lonely hearts a mile away. Get outta my way, I'll make you look like a genius. And don't ever mention my wife again. It's none of your fucking business! Fuckin' asshole. Wounds are consistent with self-infliction. So, didn't we know that... already? She pregnant? Very good, Detective. Oh, Jesus Christ. Think she knew? Can't help you there. Sure she did. That was the hook. She thought they were... gonna be a family. That's why she did it. What're you gonna do with her body? No kin. Probably send it to the medical college. They're always looking for cadavers. Call the Weiss Brothers in Massapequa. Tell 'em I'll take care of it. They know me there. You know that girl in there? No. Why you paying for her funeral? Well, you know, medical schools, they saw 'em up. You wanna see her sawed up? Tell you the truth, I don't give a shit. Well you know, maybe you should. You got three daughters, right? Think about it. You dropping a month of paychecks on a box ain't gonna change nothin'. It's my paychecks. Mine. Come on. Hey, you okay? I'm fine. Really? Really. Let's go. Remember what you told me when I made detective? Huh? You said, do the job. Make sure you go home. Don't tell your wife nothing, and keep the blood out here. What do you think, you actually make... a fucking difference out here? I was kind of hoping we did. We didn't make this fucking... sewer, we just work in it. You taken a good look at these people? Huh? They're fucking animals, what they do to each other. You're not gonna change that. You know, all I got is the job. Okay? That's a straight line. I know that. Uh, okay, you wanna do this, this makes some kind of sense to you, fine. I'll back you up. I owe you that. But for both our sakes, don't make it personal. Do it right. Act like a cop. Ain't nothing out here but bad road and trouble. It's beautiful. The woods... the silence. No people. People die in the damn woods. And bears fuck there. By the time Fernandez and Beck left Patty Forsythe in the bathtub... they'd already conned a dozen Janes from Staten Island to Miami Beach. Martha played the part of Ray's spinster sister to a T. Who's the best you've ever had, hm? Some sister. Oh, shit! Shit, shit. Martha, Martha stop. It's the cop... it's the cops, god damn it! Stop. Oh god! Oh god! Oh, okay. Okay. Okay, okay stop it. Come here. Come here. Come on. Uh... shit. Shit. License and registration. I wasn't speeding. Was I speeding? You were all over the place, Mister. What the hell are you... doing? Schooling you a little, Raymond. The car is stolen, Martha. I changed the plates, but if he checks the registration, Jesus! I'll... take care of it. What're you gonna do? Explain it to him. Wait. Wait. Stop. See what you did? Oh, my god. Martha. Martha. God. Okay. Nice. Drive carefully. Thanks. Now... who's the best you've ever had, hm? You are. Best that peach fuzz ever had, too. He shot off like a cap gun. Don't ever forget who... butters your bread, Raymond. Don't you ever love them. Who? Any of them. Don't even pretend. Understood? Yeah. Let's go. It's hot. My god... why would she do that? I was hoping that you'd tell me. She have any family? Um, she lost a husband in the war. What about... this Raymond guy? Ray Martin? Ray Martin. Run it. How'd they meet? Why don't you... just ask him? You got a number? Address? Oh my god, he doesn't know? He's from Florida. I mean that's all I know. What was he like? Is he a... good guy? Bad guy? Raymond? Yeah. He's a sweetheart. He's so... uh, handsome, you know. He writes her letters and whatnot. Poems, even. Poems. He uh... never lets you pay for anything. Loves to go dancing. He took us all out to the Rivoli Ballroom one time. He can really cut it up. Where'd you learn to dance like this? You should be in shows or something. Me and Arthur Murray go way back. The real Arthur Murray? Sure. When we get back from Florida you can ask him all about it. Tell me about Florida again, Ray. Can't be out of this damn cold soon enough. Tomorrow, sweetie, on our drive down to the city, I'll tell you about it as many times as you want. In the meantime, I'm gonna fill up these glasses. I can't stand to see beauty go wanting. Ray said you got separated during the war. Oh yeah. My mother took me to Spain to her hometown, when I was just a little girl. Then the war came and we couldn't get out. What happened to Ray? He didn't tell you? What? Don't tell him I told you, but he worked for the British Intelligence. He fought fascists. Like a secret agent? You didn't hear it from me. I tell you something, Martha. Spy or no spy, that brother of yours makes me feel positively adolescent. Oh honey, you've got something on your teeth. Let me ask you something. What in the fuck are we doing back here? He's got a hunch. He's got a hunch. And this is uh, for what? Extractions. Need a confession, you pull a tooth. Oh, okay. Oh Christ, what's that stink? Fucking rat. This is a snipe hunt. You know that, right? Cupids Crossroads. The club for lonely heart connections. Have you ever passed someone on a corner and wondered, could that be my immortal Capulet? My irrevocable Montague? At Cupids Crossroads, no one escapes... the raptures of love. How 'bout this Dream Catcher? Mature female... loves nightlife, cozy fires and bubble baths for two. Reach out and tell me your dreams. Your future Mrs... W-R-I-T-E. Can have the pick of the litter, Buster. Casanova Cop and his naughty nightstick seek receptacle for love. Are you kidding? Half of these dames, they... keep their teeth in a jar. They take dinner through a god damn straw at night. Not Patty Forsythe. These dames really want a date... they need to go straight for the meat and potatoes. Okay? Wild female, she's rich, she likes to cook, she likes to fuck. Need a personal post office just to bag the mail. Well that's how I found your wife. What? I didn't... I'm sorry, I was far away. I couldn't hear what the... fuck you said. Come here, you motherfucker. Very loving, older female considered attractive, and compassionate and ready to enjoy life to the fullest... loves ballroom dancing and nights under the stars. What d'ya got? Mrs. Forsythe closed her personal account five days ago. She wrote a check from this account and they deposited it into a joint account. With Ray Martin? That's right. How much did she deposit? Mr. Martin deposited, let's see, forty-eight hundred seventy dollars. Mrs. Forsythe transferred the balance of her personal account... six thousand six hundred twenty-three dollars. Six thousand? For a combined... total of eleven thousand, four hundred and ninety-three dollars in the... joint account. And now... you're saying that account is closed as well? The next day Mr. Martin withdrew the balance. And that was a check? No... cash. Thank you. So? She had almost seven thousand. Yeah, seven thousand dollars at thirty-five bucks a week is almost four years pay. Where'd she get that? Figure it out. What's the army death benefit pay, ten grand? Yeah, about. Okay. Well her husband died in forty-four. She gets a part-time job, lives off the death benefit. That's the number. That's what she had to steal. Still, it ain't murder. Not yet. Well... welcome home, Janette. I know it's not much to look at, darling. It's one of my rentals. It's just for a couple of nights. Look... we get our business out of the way in the morning, go to the church in the afternoon, we'll be on our honeymoon... by Tuesday. Is she coming with us? Who, Martha? She doesn't like me, Raymond. Well how can you say that? Martha likes everybody. She's a nurse. She didn't say a single thing to me, the whole trip, just glared at me in the mirror. Well, even if that were true, it's none of our business, is it? No it isn't. You need a hand? No, but I think the kitchen might. I'll take... care of it. She's alone Janette. You're a beautiful woman. You and me, we got each other. She sees that. It's difficult. I hadn't thought about it that way. You want me to get her a hotel for the night, I will. I will. Or maybe you and I should go to a hotel, huh? That'd be fun. I suppose I can take it a while longer if she can. Mm. That's a good girl. Okay. We'll make it work. No problems. Forget about her. It's you and me, kid. Come on, let's get in there. Tea time. Janette, lemon, honey? Nothing. No thank you. How 'bout you, Ray? You want honey? I wanted to surprise you. That's wonderful. Martha, find some tools. We'll hang it up. You're gonna... ruin him. She's right, you know? You're too good to me. I'm cold. I think I'll run a bath. Why don't you give me a few minutes and sneak in with me? Okay. I'll see ya soon. Ray? It's all right. There, you do it. What the hell is wrong with you? Excuse me? Are you trying to blow this? What are you talking about? You are driving her crazy. Staring at her in the car. God damn tea? You want me to send you to a hotel? How dare you. I've been so nice to that old cow. And you two have been treating me like the fucking maid. I'm not gonna put up with it, Ray. We are getting out of here right now. We don't have the money, Martha. Ray. It's alright, it's alright. In a minute. What... about that other girl, the one from Michigan... the one with the kid? That's the real money. We don't... need this whore. Let's... leave right now. Are you listening to anything that I'm... saying? Anything? All of our cash, all of it, is in her bank account. Ray, I... don't care about the money. Look, sit down. Sit down for a second. The checks clear Monday morning. Okay? Monday morning. - Baby. - It'll be all over. - Baby, I can't wait 'til Monday. - I promise, it'll all be over. Come on. That's enough. Please, let's just get out of here. Come on. Let's go. - You got such a fire, baby... - Come on. you put it out with this. But I'm not leaving without my money. Got it? You need any help? Yeah. Keep that dog out of here. There's glue all over. Skip. Skipper. Skipper. Skipper, come on. Come on, boy. Here uh, I got... What's that? Billy G's... paying me a dollar and a half a week. What for? On account of he's got... uh, football practice, doesn't wanna lose his paper route, so. Why aren't you playing football? Gotta pitch papers. Well it's gonna take a lot of papers to... pay for that fender. I know. Why don't ya pick up a block... help me. Go 'head. Wipe it down with this. Tell me you love me, baby. I want to hear you say it. Yeah, sure. Say my name. What are you talking about? My name. Say my name. Come on. Janette. Say I, I love you. I love you Kitty Cat. I do. Come on. Oo! Oh my god. Oh... Jesus Christ! You trying to drive... me crazy? Do you enjoy... playing with my heart like this, huh? Hurting me like this? No... baby, no. I was just working. Son of a bitch! You called... her my name! You called her fucking... - No-no-no-no. - my... No. I... heard you. My eyes... were closed, Kitty Cat. I was with you. Don't you see? The only way I could do it was to see you. I'm always with... you. I'm always with you. I'm always... Yeah. Mm-hm. I love you, Ray. Oh, yeah. Mm, Kitty Cat. No, no baby, no. No-no-no, wait-wait-wait-wait-wait. Wait. Don't stop, Kitty Cat. - No let me... - Don't stop. No. Close your eyes now. And finish yourself. I want to see you see me. And Raymond... if you're lying, I'll know. I'll see your heart. Baby. Close your eyes. Oh, god Martha, you made such a mess. Oh, Martha. Rene. What're you doin' here? You shouldn't be here. No. No. You never answer your phone, and... I try to get you, you show... up in the middle of the night. - Oh... - And when something happens, I don't know how to get a hold... of you. What happened? My father. What? My dad died. I just need you to hold me. I found him in the kitchen. My daddy. Come on, let's... go inside. Where is he now? Dad. Eddie, don't. Eddie. Eddie. You're gonna break it. Well she don't fit. I'll make her fit. The bitch won't die. Why'd she do it? Was it because... of that woman? No. Though I can't say at the time I didn't think about it. Well I guess you got what you wanted. You... have no idea what I want. Then why don't you... explain it to me. 'Cause you can't. Holster your weapons. You're... gonna love this. Missing Persons blotter. Lady says her mother disappeared three days ago with two characters that... sound like our friends from Wantaugh. Off to Florida. Cleared out her bank account. Ray Martin? It's gotta be. It's also gotta be an alias. Coffee? No, no-no, after. We need to talk. About what? About us. I think about the future, Raymond. Planning... the future, huh? See, there you go again. There I go what? Hm? I'm trying to talk about something that's important to me, something that means something. And you get sarcastic. Look, I'm tired. Okay? I'm sorry. What do you wanna talk about? Come here. Let's talk. Don't laugh. Mm... I promise. I want a baby. A baby? I don't wanna be alone the... rest of my life. Babies don't leave. I'd like that. Don't bullshit me, Raymond. No, I would... like that. You know, to have a boy, a son, I could take the track, ballgames or something. Or maybe a little girl, I could buy dresses for, little shoes, dolls. My own little princess who calls me Daddy. What's not to like? You mean that? Of course I mean it. We'd... have to get the hell outta here, though. City's no place to raise a kid. No. Too many creeps. Yeah. Well Kitty Cat, we get our business out of the way, we'll be set. Get some money socked away, get a place upriver, Croton or Hastings. We can do anything. We can do whatever we want. I'll put a bun in the oven, we'll be on our way. What's the matter? What did I say? What did I do now? What's the matter? I'm crying because I'm happy. That's your mother? Yeah. How old is she? Fifty-three. Yeah. How long they been together? About three months. Big age difference, huh? Yeah. Yeah. Says here she's happy, she eloped, she'll call you when she gets settled. What's wrong with that? It's not her writing. Well you mean, you uh, actually positive that that's not her writing? Yeah. How 'bout money? Did your mother have money? Around five thousand, plus a house. Yeah? You check with the bank? The house was sold. She cleared out all the accounts. How 'bout uh, this guy, you ever seen him? Met him? Yeah. How 'bout his sister, she ever around? She don't like me very much. Listen, this ain't right. The suspect in the photograph goes by the name of Raymond Martin. The woman standing next to him is the missing person. Her name is Janette Long. Apparently he travels with a uh, woman who claims that she's his sister. We don't know much about her other than uh... she's romantically linked to Martin. If you've got any information or you see anything, you know, let... us know. Thank you for letting us intrude on your precinct. Thank you. Excuse me. Excuse me. You didn't look at the picture. Yeah, sure I did. Can I show you something? I mean you gotta ask yourself... why would a beautiful girl hop in a tub and do that to herself? You know what I think, Officer... Chetnick? I think that these two... barnacles figured out that she was alone, and that she was getting money from her dead hero husband and a GI insurance policy. A beautiful girl with a baby inside her. Take a look. Take another look. Excuse me. You know... this is kind of a heartache. You know, maybe the only way to resolve it is with a razor blade. But they're gonna do it again, and it could even be in your backyard. How are you gonna live with that? What the hell was that? I don't know. Call a hotel 'cause I'm not flying in this shit. It's ridiculous. Where d'you keep your balls, in a fucking safe? You know, you're right, let's be daring and see what happens. Try it out. All right, it's raining a little bit. A little bit? Let's stand here. Detective Robinson. I pulled 'em over on a possible DUl. Don't know if they're your pair or not. The guy was bald. He might've wore a rug, though. How do you know that? Tape on his dome, you know? Double stick. I thought that was kind of screwy. Did you run this? Didn't have to. He wasn't drunk. Why didn't you tell me this before? No. Out. That's all you get. Right. I'll tell you this, though. The... sister that's with him, she's crazy. How do you mean? Unstable, you know? Fucked up in the head. Wouldn't believe a damn thing she says. Thanks. Come on. I got a name, I got a number. Let's go. Where you going? You know tonight is the kind when accidents happen. He's Raymond Martinez... Fernandez. Alias Ray Martin. Alias Shit stick. Incarcerated Tallahassee for burglary, larceny. Oh, did a year at Bass Creek for polygamy. No kidding. Married twice. Jane Thompson. She keeled over... of a heart attack on the honeymoon in Spain. Second wife, Myrtle Young, OD'd on Phenobarbital. Goes belly-up after they stick her on a bus back to Little Rock. The guy's... prolific. Got an address? Yeah. P.O. box in Ansonia Station in Manhattan. Big spender. This is good. Well, we'll need a warrant. Get the Leprechaun on it. Reilly! So you got uh, any idea how long it's been since this guy checked his mail? Quite a while. Check the postmarks. What about this, how's he pay for this? Does he have a billing address? Yeah, Detective. Okay, what is it? You're standing next to it. Uh, that's why people have mailboxes, so that they... can get their mail. You know, we should have Eastman check electric... telephone. There's gotta be a trail on this guy. - Right. - Yeah. Somebody's gotta stay with the box though, right? Yeah. Yeah. Reilly, it's you. What's me? Hold on, whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa, hey... come on. I'm not staying with the fucking... Stay with the box! I haven't even had my lunch. Alright. Come on, you idiot. Going! What? What? I'm a little up to here from him. All first names. P.O. boxes from all over. Meredith from Deluth. Sally from Wheaton. But this is shit. We can't take this to the D.A. Well just keep looking. Don't come in here with bad news. Well do you know how many spic-ass Fernandez motherfuckers there are on the Con Edison rolls? No, how many? Thousands. You wanna know how many Raymond Martinez Fernandezes there are? Put us out of our misery. Just one. In Valley Stream. Out by the airport. No kidding. - All right. - Let's go. He even paid his bill. What a fuckin' idiot. - Gonna knock, right? - Right. We're in! Bathroom's clean. Nobody in the kitchen. They've gone. They skinned out. We just missed 'em. How do you know that? Look, there's food on the table. The lights are on. The heat's on. Check the milk outside. Pay attention. They could still be upstate, for all we know. Or in Lauderdale by now. Maybe... they're on the fuckin' moon. Hey, check the god damn basement. Go. Come on. Come here. We have to check the basement. Thought... we were gonna knock. You did. What's your problem? You. You're my problem. I'm your problem? Yeah. It's like you don't wanna catch bad guys anymore. Yeah, I do. But I'm a homicide cop. This is bunko all the way. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about your coasting. You're talking about poker, you're talking about pension. Like you don't give a shit. Oh I give a shit. Grand larceny, polygamy, incest, maybe. They're all lonely hearts. Who gives a shit? She's probably sucking on a coconut in Florida right now. This homicide thing is all in your head. It's a zero. It's all fiction. - Really? - Yeah. Then why is MacSwain all over it? And if I'm so screwed up, why did they put you on it, huh? Well I think that question answers itself. You better get down here. Spatter on the walls, blood, bone, brains, but no bullet. Soap underneath the baseboard. They thinned it out when they cleaned up. But no body. Sure there is. Somewhere. It's a total bleed-out. Who's this? It's the landlord. When's the last time you saw 'em? Speak English. I already told him. Now who's going to pay for my floor? Three days ago. Son of a bitch, he had lease... with me. I make out, though. Fifty... dollar deposit. Good. You can pay for it yourself. Albany make... the car? Yeah. Forty-seven Plymouth. Stolen. Probably switches plates every time he winds his watch. What about my door, huh? Think we're goin'. Get outta the way. Hey buddy. Now everything matches... you stupid piece of shit. You got any more questions? We just missed 'em. They were only five miles away buying a Desoto flop top in Seaford. But they might as well have been on the moon. We were so close, but we lost 'em. And it all went cold. Hello. I'm Ray. I... know. Uh, this is my daughter, Rainelle. Hello Rainelle. This is a picture I made. This is... Mommy, this is me, and this is... you. How about that. You're so talented. Oh. Thank you. Can I show you my... room? Of course you can. Is it this way, right? Okay. Do you have any pets, huh? Um... Little frog or something, perhaps? You must be Martha. Nice to meet you, Delphine. It... means so much to me that you give up your nursing job, you come all the way here with Ray. Please. Let me look at you. So pretty. It's okay, boy. It's okay. You're fine. Okay... Oh, you got one. Yeah. You caught all those? Yup. Dog doesn't like 'em. Do you, now? Come here, Skip. It's okay. Watch out. Sorry about your dad. Thank you. Did you uh, wanna... try? - Sure. - It's easy. Alright. Take the rope... it's kind of... Pick that up and... It's getting worn. Good afternoon. What the hell you doing? Boiling crabs. What's it look like? No, what the hell's she doing here? I invited the squad. She's part of the... squad. She's talking to my son, for Christ's sake. So what? Well, he don't understand. Maybe you should explain it to him. Then maybe you should explain it to me. Look, who I'm banging... he doesn't need to know about. - Nice. Thank you very much. - Rene, look, he's fifteen. How am I supposed to say I'm with a woman that's not his mother, huh? You don't need to say it. He already knows you're banging me. Ida knows you're banging me. Everybody knows. Well you know, they do now. So what's your problem? I don't got a problem. Sure you do. You wanna know what I think? I think your son hasn't cried yet 'cause he's waiting for you to. You know everything, don't ya? Oh come on. It doesn't have to be that hard, okay? All right. It's me. Why don't you come over. No. Now. I know this son of a bitch. And he ain't happy. This is why I'm here on a Sunday? Yeah, shit bags don't keep... store hours, Charlie. Yeah, and the dead'll... still be dead in the morning. He's fleecing women, having the good life. Cars, money. He loved his life. Then suddenly he's banging the sister on his girlfriend's kitchen table? Blood in the... bathtub, blood in the floorboards. Who knows where else? It's a mess. Maybe she ain't his sister. Maybe she's one of his marks or, maybe she's got her claws into him. Yeah, that's... what I was thinking. Can't keep a guy like that down, not for long. He's restless. He wants... his life back. He's gonna try to dump her, and when he does, Hell's coming home for Christmas. - You're such a sweet little girl. - Thank you. - This is the life. Huh, kid? - Yeah. Who ever thought he'd take a shine to babies. It's really wonderful. They've really taken to each other. You know? She never met her real father. No? I resigned myself that it's just going to be me and her. I am so grateful to you and Ray. Thank you. I know little girl who needs nap. I know a little boy who needs a nap. Right now, young lady. Mommy. Alright now, be a good girl. Oo, my god. You weigh a million pounds. Oh Ray, will you go to market like you... said? The list is on the counter. Okay Mommy. Well-well-well. Yeah. Isn't this rich? Don't get to liking it too much, Raymond. You never know when things will change. Yeah? Well maybe I'm ready for a change. You Bette Crocker and the brat? I can see it all. You out there building a picket fence, waving to the folks in the neighborhood, sticking the fucking... star on top of the Christmas tree. Hm? That'll be something, all right. Maybe it would. You'd be out of your mind inside a week begging me to come back. But, the real problem here, Raymond... the real reason this could never work is the simple fact that you are no good. You are no damn good. Don't forget to go to market. I'm sorry, but I forgot to put the cereal in the bag. I sure don't want your little one going hungry. I sure appreciate that. I like your car. What is the matter with you? I'm sick like dog. Is it the food? Oh, no. It's me. Ten minutes after I get pregnant, my body lets me know. The only thing that makes me feel better is the cool of the tile. Oh, thank god for it. I was down for... two months with Rainelle. Don't be angry with us, Martha. I wanted... to tell you but Raymond, he wanted it to be surprise. Raymond? He wants us to go out and celebrate, but... between you and me, I'm not up to it. I can see that. If it's a girl... we're gonna name her Martha. I made him promise. Can I tell you something, Martha? Tell me. I know Raymond isn't exactly who he say he is, you know. He like to tell the stories. Doesn't matter to me, because I have my little girl to raise and now I have the new baby. I don't want to do it alone. Rainelle, she's crazy about him, and... his heart is in the right place. You know? I don't... know when it happened but, I'm in love with him. It's gonna be all right. It's gonna be all right. I'll get you something for your stomach. Oh. Remember, I'm a nurse. Okay. Here. This will make you feel better. Put your feet up. Put your feet up. I'll get you a pillow. Thank you, Martha. Mommy! Delphine? Mommy. I want my mommy! Martha? Is that for me, baby? Delphine? You knocked her up. Ray. Ray. What did you do to her? The baby. What's wrong with her! Mommy! If you don't love me then I don't wanna live. Do it. Prove that you don't love me, hm? Oh, come on, baby. You want out. I'll help you. We'll do it together. Alright? Just... squeeze it. Stop it. I don't wanna stay. Not without you. I can't. I can't. Who knows you, Raymond? Who takes care of you? Martha. Who... wants you like you are? Who's never... ever gonna leave... you? Who do you love, Raymond? Tell me. Who is... it? Martha! Then show me. Show... Martha that you love her. Prove it. Prove it... baby. Oh no, not like that. If you don't want to hug me... don't even try it. I don't want you to prove it like that. Shoot her. Do you love... me? Do you love me? Say you love me! Yes! Then... do it. Do it... because you love me. Mommy! Speed limit's thirty miles an hour back here. What's your hurry? I don't know. Driver's license, please. What's the lime for? Horse died. Hm. Dispatch Code Three. Get back in your vehicle, sir. I said get... back in your truck. You have any idea how many interstate APB's go out in a week? I'm leaving. All right. Well, see you later. No. I'm going to Rochester to live with my sister. Found a job and everything, so. What the hell you gonna do that for? I got nothing keeping me here. Buster. They're in Michigan. They killed a cop. Did they... get 'em? Not yet. I got us a flight out of Idyllwild. We gotta go... right now. Come on. I don't want you to go. So stop me. I'll be back in a couple days. Don't go. Take care of Eddie. Look at that, a brand new tricycle. How 'bout that, huh? Did you wanna look at it? It's in that box. It's beautiful. Just like you wanted. Fellas. Hunt, Kent County... Robinson, Nassau County. Tooley, detective squad. Charlie. You got uh, information on a case we're investigating. Well it's actually our case we're investigating. This is... my sandbox, Detective. Well it's kind of like a fly shitting on pepper, if you catch my drift. Maybe you wouldn't mind explaining something to me. - What's that? - Why didn't you just phone it in? When was the last time you lost an officer in the line? This is the first. So you don't practice capital punishment here in the uh, Wolverine State, do ya? Look, you help us catch 'em... we'll invite you up to New York for an honest trial and a first class Westinghouse fish fry. You got no body. No body, no murder. No murder, no extradition. You don't know where they are. So, we make a deal or we let them slip into a more sympathetic commonwealth. Well how do we know you've even got something? What's that... supposed to be? A P.O. box, Grand Rapids. We... got a deal? Do we have a... deal? Yeah, yeah, come on, come on. Hey. Hey. Stop pouting, you spoiled brat. Stop pouting. How you doing, ol' timer? That your dog? Yes sir. God... damn, he's an ugly son of a bitch. How much you want for him? He ain't for sale. Everything's for sale. A thousand dollars. What? Take it or leave it. A thousand... dollars. I'll take it. Here's one from our boy. My dearest Delphine, I can't wait to see you. There's no date. There's only one reason she wouldn't check her mail. He's already here. Two-oh-four Adeline Place. Byron Center. Honey, would you like some milk? Hm? Maybe later, huh? Hm? What's the matter? You don't like your dog? He's not my dog. Listen. You know you're all alone now. And I know how that feels. It burns on your skin. Hm? Makes you feel a really bad pain right on your stomach. You can't breathe well. You feel like you're in a dark room and that the walls are coming down on you, and that no one can come and save you. I know how you feel, honey. Do you feel... lonely? Hm? Do you feel lonely? You don't have to feel lonely. I'm gonna take such good care of you, baby. I'm gonna be such a good mommy. I'm gonna love you so much. But you must love me back. Understand? You must love me back. I hate you! No you don't. I hate you! No. Ray! Don't fire! I got him! Get him! Get him! Son of a bitch! No! No! So where's Mrs. Downing? I don't know. Where is the little girl? I don't know. Only four... in the clip. Whose gun is this? You... got five seconds to tell me where that fucking little girl is. Sweetheart. Oh god. Oh god. Once we found Delphine Downing... toes-up in the shed, it was no trouble to find Janette Long. She'd been there all along, rotting... away under the coal chute. But the Kent County prosecutor wasn't giving up the biggest... pinch since Bugs Moran without a confession. So we sweated 'em. The truth is, though, animals like that, they can't wait to tell you their story, while it was ripe. Want a donut? You know what they say about cops and donuts? No, what? Neither one is any good without a hole in them. They say that about women, too. It's good to see you have a sense of humor considering what you got ahead of you. Room and board for the next fifty, sixty years? Be worse if you had it your way. That's true. I know who you are. You do? That's good. Tell you what. Let's don't... bullshit each other, huh? Fine. I'm not gonna ask you much. I'm not gonna ask you about the pretty girl in the bathtub. I'm not gonna ask you about the uh, three dozen women that you fleeced across the country. I'm not even gonna ask you to tell me where Janette Long's body is. But I am gonna ask you what... happened, because there's a young lady and three kids that need to know, 'cause they wanna understand so they can move on with their lives. You'd just love it to be that simple, wouldn't you? Put it in a little box, explain what you can't. Like you did with that little girl, huh? What? That's what you're all about too, isn't it? Making things, people, just go away? You can't just throw things away. What you did to people. It's always there, out there, waiting for you in the dark. Sure enough. The thing is, though, you'd just as soon see me burn... so you can go home... to your little house, your little wife, your little life, and pound your chest like a monkey. Huh? I take some amusement in denying you and your donuts that pleasure. Ms. Beck. - You can call me Martha, honey. - Martha. My life is a never-ending sewer of maggots like you. You're gonna grow old and die in a concrete box with bars at one end and a shitter at the other. In a couple of years I won't even remember your name. Just gonna be a case file stamped, Closed. But you got an opportunity... to help somebody. It's not much, really... considering what you did. It would be the one... decent thing that you do in what's left of your sad and pathetic life. We did it with a hammer. Ray, he strangled her. He didn't do any more than I did. I'm not trying to pass that off on him. We both did it. It's just that one bitch wouldn't die. That's all. That's all. We hauled 'em back to New York. The trial lasted forty-four days. They were charged with three murders and tied to twenty more. But it only took Janette Long to get 'em the juice. Looks nice. You know, I built it for her. Well, for both of you. She would've liked that. I wished I had told her. You told me. You know, I don't know why she left us, Eddie. I mean I, I could understand why she'd leave me but, you, no. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault, either. You know where I'm going? Yeah. You know how to rig... the trailer hitch? Yeah. Why don't ya pick me up afterwards. Careful with the fender. Okay. Okay. You wanna know why? You wanna know why we did it? Okay Martha, why? Why'd you do it? Because Raymond is mine. He belongs to me. God, he's a lover. So... romantic. I'm the only one for him. Nothing comes between us. No one. Raymond Martinez Fernandez, you've been duly convicted and sentenced to death to... be carried out forthwith. Do you have anything... to say? Oh god. Oh my god. He kills... for me. That's how much he loves me. What else would anybody kill... or die for? Has anybody... ever loved you that much, Detective? To kill or die for you? I can smell him. So sweet. Martha Jule Beck, you've been duly convicted and sentenced... to death to be carried out forthwith. Do you have anything to say? So long. You don't look so good. I'm all right. You sure? An eye for an eye... right? Yeah. Yeah. They don't have enough eyes and teeth between 'em to pay for what they did, though. Some god damn fish fry, huh? Like MacSwain said, this is a good one. I don't know, Charlie. It don't feel that good to me. Yeah, well I know why they're in there. I know why. We just did our job. We did. For a long time I didn't understand what he did that day. I figured he tossed a gold shield career into the shitter. But it started to hit me what the job had become for Buster. And for me, too. Buster left his... regrets and what didn't work no more in the Sing Sing Death House. He pushed up river for better days. And he never looked back. |
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