Stroke! Stroke!
Pick him up, pick him up!
Son of a bitch!
I mean, Your Honour, good shot.
I`m currentIy doing
an externship for extra credits
as a cIerk
for Judge Hookstratten.
BJ Hookstratten?
That`s more impressive
than being in the top 5%.
I don`t know offers
you`ve had from WaII Street...
The top 5 in my cIass,
not the top 5%. I`m sorry...
Mr McDeere, we`re offering you
68,000 a year
from the Ieading Iaw firm
in Chicago.
- Where eIse do you have to be?
- My job. I`m on Iunch break.
I know you`ve had
a Iot of offers,
but we have 127 cIients
that are Fortune 500 companies!
We`II offer you 74,000...
..requirement
for a first-year associate
is onIy 2,000 hours, not more.
We want you to have a Iife
outside the office.
If you`re a Lakers fan,
we have a box at the Forum.
I know other firms have been
offering you everything.
But with your abiIity
and ambition,
the pIace for you is our firm.
Let`s not taIk
about the package,
Iet`s taIk about
what`s in the package.
One partner is an ex-governor,
two are congressmen.
One is a former secretary
of agricuIture...
May I take your coat, sir?
- MitcheII McDeere?
- Yes.
Lamar Quinn. Come on in.
I`d Iike you to meet OIiver
Lambert - our senior partner.
This is Royce McKnight,
our managing partner.
- WeIcome. Care for a drink?
- I`m fine.
Take a seat, Mitch.
Tired of interwiews?
No, sir. I don`t quite know
what to say.
UnusuaI for a Iawyer.
I can get tongue-tied
in many situations, sir,
but it`s usuaIIy with my wife.
WouId you mind describing one...
with your wife?
The first time I saw her,
anytime we argue,
whenever she enters a room,
as a matter of fact.
Might we ask about
the rest of your famiIy?
My father was kiIIed
in the coaI mines,
and my mother remarried
and Iives in FIorida.
Brothers and sisters?
None.
Mitch, I hope you don`t
think us intrusive
but stabiIity in the famiIy
has a speciaI importance for us.
Bendini, Lambert & Locke
is just a smaII Memphis firm,
41 Iawyers.
But we`re a Iarge famiIy,
so we`re carefuI.
Now, sir...
Do you have any questions?
Do you have an offer in mind?
It incIudes a bonus scheduIe,
a Iow-interest mortgage
so you can buy a home,
country cIub membership,
and we`II Iease you
a new Mercedes.
You pick the coIour, Mitch.
Lamar, you haven`t
been paying attention.
His wife picks the coIour.
- Do I...do I open it here?
- Of course.
UnIess you can teII us
what`s in it.
A Iawyer worth that offer
shouIdn`t have
to open the enveIope.
Mr McKnight,
you are the managing partner
at Bendini, Lambert & Locke?
Did Mr Lambert as senior partner
give you instructions
regarding my empIoyment?
He did.
Mr McKnight, do you foIIow
Mr Lambert`s instructions?
Objection - vague, ambiguous.
Sustained.
What preciseIy
were those instructions?
That you were in great demand
and I shouId make certain
that we obtain your serwices
before a bidding
situation deveIoped.
How did you go about
making certain?
I bribed a cIerk in
the Harward Law pIacement office
for the exact amount
of the highest offer
and then added 20%.
Mitch, the Ietter you got
from Bendini, Lambert & Locke
was the onIy one sent out.
We want you.
OK. You`II have to Ieave now.
I`m expecting my husband.
To heII with him.
Come here.
Moo shoo pork, Szechwan beef,
Mandarin duck...
from Wong Boys.
- It`s even got a cork.
- What`s going on?
You remember the Ietter I got
from that firm in Memphis?
Memphis?
That`s what I thought
untiI their offer.
- What was the offer?
- They didn`t say. It`s there.
- It`s seaIed.
- I guessed.
- What?
- Yeah, but I`m a good guesser.
PIus a 5% increase
the second year.
- Why?
- ``Why``?
- Whose side are you on anyway?
- Yours.
PIus bonuses,
a Iow-interest mortgage.
A home with grass around it?
They want to fIy us down
to Memphis for a visit.
Been in one Iimo,
you`ve been in them aII.
Bye. See you Iater, Your Honour.
Hey, Mitch.
Come on. Associates first,
then Iunch with the partners
in our private dining room.
He`s our number-one
draft pick, so to speak,
and he`s being romanced
by the big boys
from New York and Chicago
and everywhere eIse,
so we have to seII him
on our IittIe firm in Memphis.
MeanwhiIe, he`s going
to try not to be embarrassed
whiIe I teII you he`s graduating
from Harward with honours.
No one`s divorced in the firm?
- No one`s divorced in the firm.
- ImpossibIe.
No bacheIors, either.
- What about women?
- They had one once.
OnIy one?
Yeah, AIice Krauss.
WobbIed around on high heeIs.
Affirmative action on stiIts.
AII white, aII maIe,
aII married, huh?
- What`s this?
- There he goes.
It`s different
from the Northeast.
The pace, we`re aImost stateIy
by comparison.
Courteous... And not as gossipy.
- We keep each other`s secrets.
- I Iike that.
What do you Iike about it?
AII of it. It`s a famiIy.
Just the way you said.
I`ve been teaching in Boston
at a private schooI.
Do you work?
Not since I put Lamar
through Iaw schooI.
- But working isn`t forbidden.
- Forbidden?
- Working. By the firm.
- How couId it be forbidden?
It isn`t.
Anyway, two babies in 14 months,
was aII the work I couId handIe.
- You pIan to start a famiIy?
- Maybe in a few years.
- The firm encourages chiIdren.
- How do they do that?
- Hey. How about it?
- How about it!
OK. The ``Love Boat`` band,
the secret recipe ribs -
they`re a IittIe square, but...
I don`t mind square.
I Iike square. Weird, I mind.
What do you mean, weird?
Here`s a quote.
The firm doesn`t ``forbid`` me
to take a job,
and they ``encourage``
chiIdren. Ask me why.
Because they Iove kids.
Because chiIdren
promote stabiIity.
- Want to hear more?
- No. You`re right.
I`m just going
to throw myseIf over the raiI.
- My wiII is seIf-expIanatory.
- OK, OK, OK.
These are nice peopIe, Abby.
OK, I`m more impressed than
you are - you grew up with it.
6,000 a year here
is Iike 150 in New York.
Did you ever think
I`d make a six-figure saIary?
AbsoIuteIy.
You did?
WeII...your foIks
are onIy a few hours away, too.
If we fight,
I don`t have far to drive?
ExactIy.
She made two phone caIIs
from the hoteI...
one to her parents and one
to the Memphis schooI board.
She seemed a IittIe reIuctant.
I`d hate to Iose this young man.
I think she`II come around.
What about Kozinski and Hodges?
Have you spoken to Chicago?
I have.
It`s not good.
We`II have to do something.
I drew the happy face,
Mrs McDeere.
Where is Memphis?
- Is that it?
- It Iooks different.
It`s prettier
than the pictures they sent.
``Mitch and Abby,
we`ve taken the Iiberty
``of furnishing the house
temporariIy.
``Just a few things
to make you feeI at home.``
Abby!
Not bad, huh?
Where`s yours?
- Don`t get up.
- Don`t worry.
- MitcheII McDeere.
- Tad eager, are we, Mr McDeere?
What are you doing? Dutch says
you`ve been here since 6:30.
I`m starting the bar exam work.
No associate`s ever faiIed it.
I`II show you your office.
WaIIy Hudson, contracts.
Here to heIp with the exam.
- Thanks, WaIIy.
- No associate`s ever faiIed it.
First day`s a four-hour
muItipIe choice on ethics.
Look at the first six chapters.
I`II see you Wednesday, 8:45.
- No associate has ever faiIed.
- No kidding!
Ken Curry, domestic reIations.
Mike HiII, wiIIs and estates.
Nina.
Fuck! PIease.
Sorry. Can I heIp you?
ActuaIIy, I think
I`m here to heIp you.
I`m Avery ToIar, your designated
mentor. Let`s go to Iunch.
Lunch? But it`s not even...
Not even noon.
It`II be a working Iunch.
Come to my office
whiIe I drop this off.
BiIIing incIudes how Iong you
spend thinking about a cIient.
I don`t care if you`re
in traffic, or shaving,
or sitting in a park.
My particuIar fieId...
Is forming Iimited partnerships
through offshore corporations.
I want you to review
the Iast one I did
for a cIient named Sonny Capps.
Made 14 miIIion Iast year.
Paid 4% in taxes
and resents every buck.
But he paid us 400,000,
so keep him happy.
Look at the deaI.
Try coming up with something.
I`II caII him in the morning.
- Mr ToIar, shouId I save these?
- PIease.
- What do you mean ``anything``?
- What do you think?
You`re the risk taker.
You think I`m taIking
about breaking the Iaw?
- How far do you want it bent?
- As far as you can.
So don`t risk an IRS audit?
I don`t care.
They just better not win.
- Yes, Mr ToIar?
- Something before Iunch?
I shouId warn you,
the firm frowns on drinking
- during office hours.
- Iced tea, pIease.
Bombay martini on the rocks,
EIIis, three oIives.
On the way.
Senator.
I`m aIIowed
a few minor rebeIIions.
- Put that in the bedroom.
- I made some tea.
I`ve never had so many peopIe
doing things for me.
This is Southern hospitaIity.
WouId you Iike speed diaIIing?
My husband`s office number...
- Let`s see, that`s...
- We have it, Mrs McDeere.
We do aII the instaIIations
for the firm.
- What Ied you to Iaw schooI?
- I can`t remember.
Sure you can, counseIIor.
I was a deIivery boy
for a pizza parIour.
One day the owner
got a notice from the IRS.
He didn`t know much EngIish,
even Iess about withhoIding tax.
He went bankrupt,
Iost his store.
That was when
I thought of being a Iawyer.
In other words,
you`re an ideaIist.
No tax Iawyer`s an ideaIist.
I Iost my job. It scared me.
Being out of work?
No. What the government
can do to anybody.
What about you?
What Ied you to Iaw schooI?
It`s so far back,
I don`t think I can remember.
Sure you can, counseIIor.
I used to caddie
for young Iawyers
off from work on weekdays...
and their wives.
I`d Iook at those Iong tan Iegs
and knew I had to be a Iawyer.
The wives had
Iong tan Iegs, too.
EIIis, another martini, pIease.
So we`re not
a coupIe of ideaIists?
Heaven forbid.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I`II Iet Mrs Quinn
know you`re here.
- Are you sure it`s today?
- That`s what he toId me.
Kay?
There`s been...
Marty Kozinski
and Joe Hodges were kiIIed.
We just got word
about 20 minutes ago.
Did you meet them
at the barbecue?
- What happened, Kay?
- We`re not sure.
They were diving off a boat
on Grand Cayman,
and then there was some kind
of expIosion on the boat.
Lamar?
Marty was...
His twin girIs are
a month oIder than our son.
I`m very sorry, Lamar.
By the way...
OIiver wanted me to teII you...
You shouIdn`t be burdened
with a student Ioan.
Excuse me?
If you bring
the papers by tomorrow,
the firm wiII repay it for you.
Kay was scared.
What? She was upset.
There`s a difference between
being upset and being scared.
- She was scared.
- Of what?
- Do you know her that weII?
- Maybe not.
But I have spent
a Iot of time with her IateIy.
They have their own horses.
Two of them. Quarter horses.
Does that make haIf a horse?
Sorry.
..and wipe away tears from our eyes.
In the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the HoIy Spirit, amen.
Let us pray.
Lord, our God,
you are aIways faithfuI
and quick to show mercy.
Our brother Marty was suddenIy
and vioIentIy taken from us.
Come swiftIy to his aid.
Have mercy on him and comfort
his famiIy and friends
by the power and protection
of the cross.
We ask this
through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Let us go
in the peace of Christ.
I`m just going
to say goodbye to OIiver.
I`II catch up with you.
Mrs McDeere. I`m Avery ToIar.
You`re the reason I see so
IittIe of my husband these days.
He must be the most ambitious
man in the worId.
One of them.
I mean...Ieaving you every day
just to go off to work.
- I`m sure you couId manage.
- Just teII me how.
Did you know them weII,
the men who died?
Yes.
You must be overwheImed
with grief.
PeopIe grieve in different ways,
Mrs McDeere.
Abby!
Hearsay.
Oh, shit.
- Is he in?
- Yes, Mr ToIar.
HeII of a proposaI, kiddo.
Just redraft this section on
repatriation of offshore funds.
- I need it tomorrow.
- Tomorrow? I need another week.
Can`t have it, paI.
We are fIying
to the Caymans tomorrow
- to take on Sonny Capps.
- But the bar exam...
It`II be here
when you get back, kiddo.
ShaII I stay, Mr McDeere?
WouId you Iike a sandwich?
No, I`m fine, Nina.
You go on home.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- So what`s good here?
- I`m just having coffee.
I`m going with
the steak sandwich.
Two steak sandwiches
on roIIs, pIease.
Two steak sandwiches on roIIs.
You with Bendini,
Lambert & Locke?
Yeah. How did you...
Ah. Sorry. I`m just a IittIe...
Looks Iike they`re
working you to death.
They do that with
new associates, I guess.
- I`ve just been with them...
- Eight weeks.
Sorry, guys,
I`m just a IittIe punchy.
That firm Iooks
Iike a heaIth hazard.
- The hours they make you keep.
- The work they make you do.
Kozinski and...Hodges.
Bob Lamm and AIice Krauss.
That`s 4 dead Iawyers
out of 41 in Iess than 10 years.
None of them
over the age of 45.
Beats any Iife insurance tabIes
I`ve ever heard about.
Who are you guys?
CouId we get those sandwiches
to go, pIease?
We`II probabIy
see each other again.
The car wouIdn`t start.
I got...caught
in this incredibIe accident...
12 cars... Maybe 13.
And there was a...
pregnant woman in one of them.
I heIped deIiver the baby.
It was a... It was a girI.
They said they`re going
to name her AbigaiI.
Come on, Abby.
Why do you think
I`m working Iike this?
- I want you to have...
- Wait a minute.
I never asked for anything
except for us to be together.
I wanna give you everything
you gave up to marry me.
Stop it.
It`s sweet.
It`s some kind of courtship,
but I don`t need aII that.
Just bring me fIowers sometime.
What were you
working on aII night?
Just...you know,
it`s...just this stuff...
Avery`s got me doing
for the Cayman trip.
- Want to have some eggs?
- I had some eggs.
Want to have some naked?
You don`t even know what moves
me about you, do you?
Mitch, I know what you want,
but it`s not for me.
It`s not even for you,
and you know it.
It`s easy for somebody rich
to taIk about being poor
Iike it`s some bothersome fIy
you just wave away.
This isn`t about rich or poor.
It`s something that won`t
get fixed with 10 Mercedes.
Hey, that`s not fair,
Abby. That`s not fair!
This is about a mother
in a traiIer park
and a brother
you pretend you don`t have.
Have a nice trip.
Just foIIow me
and don`t over breathe.
What about Sonny Capps?
Aren`t we under pressure?
Tremendous pressure. If we
don`t dive before the bank,
we can`t do it.
You can`t dive
and then fIy within 24 hours.
How can you dive
so soon after the accident?
We don`t know what happened
to Kozinski and Hodges.
There was a pIane crash
Iast week.
We didn`t take a boat
to the Caymans, did we?
That`s ridicuIous. Let us
sit down for five minutes.
Thank you.
Son of a bitch pays Iess than 5%
tax and wants to fire us.
The Hyatt.
This new pIan
is very aggressive,
and it defers aII your
tax IiabiIity for years.
You couId start right away.
I`m sorry, sweetheart.
I can`t taIk right now.
These taxes
are onIy deferred, right?
The future tax vaIue is Iess
than haIf their present vaIue.
- Who says?
- After the eIection...
Are you teIIing me who`s going
to be president next?
That wouId be
vaIuabIe information.
Mr ToIar has a pIan that...
that meets aII your needs,
whoever`s in the White House.
- Let him teII me.
- He`s trying to.
- Are you his Iawyer or mine?
- Neither one, sir.
- Why the fuck are you here?
- Sonny...
You`re not the firm`s
onIy concern here.
We put you into deaIs
with other cIients
who may be sensitive about
exposing their reIationships
to outside attorneys.
You hear that, counseIIor?
That`s a veiIed threat.
If you`re taIking
about our friends in Chicago,
they don`t make money
when I pay you fees. You do.
They make money
being in business with me.
As Iong as
they`re making money,
they don`t care
who does my taxes.
You don`t know me.
I`m a nice guy.
Lose me a miIIion bucks,
I won`t break your Ieg.
Sonny...
Let`s not get carried away.
What did I say?
- What did I say?
- It`s what you didn`t say.
What I didn`t say?
What didn`t I say?
``Thank you.``
Mr ToIar`s scheduIe
virtuaIIy guarantees you
zero tax with zero risk.
Your stock wouId be the face
amount of the instaIment.
The stock has no vaIue but
it`s offset against income.
You defer your tax in fuII,
even with a bankabIe LC.
- Deferred tiII when?
- What do you care?
It`s the best interest-free Ioan
you`II ever get.
So the worst is I pay my taxes
much, much Iater?
No. Next year they`re cIosing
this IoophoIe.
If you haven`t grabbed
this proposaI,
you`II feeI you`ve been fucked
with a dick big enough
for an eIephant to feeI it.
Do you know that for a fact?
Hey, you Iike
the word ``protege``?
I never had one.
You ever been one?
I`m ``A``, you`re ``B``.
Right next door.
- Avery, who`s in Chicago?
- We`II get to aII that.
To heII with it.
CIean up and come over.
You earned a good night out.
Mr Abanks, I don`t beIieve
it was an accident.
Just think about it.
I Iost my son.
I`d have screamed bIoody murder
if something was wrong.
- You`re right. I`m sorry.
- Nothing to bury, even.
Just a stone.
They never did find him
or the other two.
What other two?
The other two
who spIit the charter.
Your friends
and two other guys.
Lawyers?
They were in swimsuits.
They paid cash.
- Were they American?
- CouId have been anything.
One was...I don`t know,
squat, heavy.
Other guy had Iong,
bIond hair...aImost white,
with weird bIue eyes.
- Mitch?
- Yeah.
Grab a Red Stripe.
I`m a IittIe sIow.
Take your time.
I`m trying to Iook
as pretty as you,
which I`m convinced I can.
It just takes me
a IittIe Ionger.
Anything to munch on?
Yeah. There`s some stuff
next to the fridge.
It`s got a Iock on it.
Use that key I gave you.
- Do you see it?
- Yeah, sure.
Did you find something?
Listen, Capps is a tough guy,
but he`s aIso a bIowhard.
He Ioves to give the impression
that he`s connected.
He thinks it`s gIamorous.
He said a coupIe of things.
You`re about
to take the bar exam.
Here`s a muItipIe choice...
The difference between tax
avoidance and tax evasion is:
``A``, whatever the IRS says,
``B``, a smart Iawyer,
``C``, 10 years in prison,
``D``...aII of the above!
Being a tax Iawyer`s got
nothing to do with the Iaw.
It`s a game.
We teach the rich how to pIay it
so they can stay rich.
The IRS keeps changing the ruIes
so we can keep getting rich
teaching them.
It`s a game...
One you just pIayed very,
very weII. Where`s your beer?
I decided to wait for the rum.
- I hear it`s good down here.
- Everything is. Taste it aII.
I think that since
we`re here on this isIand,
there`s things we can do
on it...primitive things.
Come on, you deserwe it.
Look,
this isn`t going to happen.
TeII my friend
I went back to the condo.
You don`t know
what you`re missing.
Thanks, anyway.
Are you aII right?
It`s OK. Just wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Can I Iook at this?
- You`re not a doctor.
- No, but I`ve...
I`ve sprained a Iot of...
I`ve sprained a Iot of ankIes.
MostIy mine.
You shouId...
You shouId ice this.
You shouId aIso
report that guy.
That was your boyfriend.
That was for money.
- Aren`t you going to finish?
- I`m sorry.
- You think that`s...
- It`s nothing to do with me.
- Is this too tight?
- No.
I work in a traveI agency.
I wanted to feeI
Iike aII those peopIe...
with first-cIass tickets
and pretty cIothes.
I guess...I wanted to feeI...
rich.
How much wouId it take
to feeI rich?
I don`t know.
How much wouId it take
to feeI safe?
You did that.
You made me feeI safe.
WiII you stay with me
for a whiIe?
Why don`t you take
the afternoon off?
You deserwe it. Spend it with
that pretty wife of yours.
Oh, shit, I forgot.
She phoned Iast night.
What did you teII her?
That you were probabIy
waIking on the beach.
I was.
I guessed right, then, didn`t I?
OK, Mr McDeere.
Just sign where the ``X`` is,
and initiaI where it`s marked.
The man
from ``GentIemen`s QuarterIy``.
How you doing, Ray?
Pretty fair. How`s yourseIf?
It`s a Iong time, huh?
It`s OK.
I`ve become a patient man.
Don`t beat yourseIf up, kid.
If I wasn`t here, I wouIdn`t
want to be here, either.
- You ever taIk to Ma?
- A few months ago.
- StiII with the same guy?
- They`re aII the same guy.
So... You finish Iaw schooI?
Yeah.
That suit`s a dead giveaway.
You get a job on WaII Street?
You aIways said...
No, I`m not. I just...
I went with a firm across
the river in Memphis.
- Memphis?
- Hey, Ray...
WouIdn`t it be funny if I went
to Harward, you went to jaiI,
and we both ended up
surrounded by crooks?
Sonny Capps is thriIIed.
McDeere was dazzIing.
We shouId puII Lamar
out of that tax seminar
and send Mitch instead.
Let him take the jet.
- Any probIem with that, BiII?
- No, no. No probIem.
So far the kid`s
been reaI predictabIe.
If you`re even haIf right,
you`II need heIp.
- What does Abby think?
- I haven`t toId her.
I guess...
I guess I don`t
want it to be reaI.
Nothing`s reaI untiI
I teII it to Abby.
How`d you ever Iand the job
with a brother in the joint?
That`s OK. I`d have done
the same thing myseIf.
You were aIways
around for me, Ray...
aII those years after Dad died.
I`d have done the same.
You think I teII guys around
here my brother`s in Harward?
Jesus, Ray.
Iisten, I want you
to see a friend of mine.
His name`s Eddie Lomax.
He`s a private investigator
in LittIe Rock. Ex-cop.
Anything I can do for you?
Sure. Get me out of here.
Where to?
Anywhere I can see
a whoIe Iot of sky.
I can get through the days -
I even eat the food.
It`s amazing how much
you miss the sky.
Ever pIug one of these in, and
forgot to put the water in?
No.
- You know what happens?
- No.
The Iights go out.
He`s been dying to see you.
- Tammy!
- Mr Lomax wiII see you now.
Mitch McDeere. I practicaIIy
went to Iaw schooI with you.
Ray taIked about you every day
for three years.
I was his ceIImate. Did he
teII you it was statutory rape?
She was 17, Iooked 25.
I got one to four.
Sit down. Come on, sit down.
Want some Sweet `n`Low?
Dairy cream?
No. I...
I`ve got some business
I`d Iike to go over with you.
- I`m Ieavin`.
- Thank you, dear.
That`s my secretary.
She is terrific.
Her husband`s a nut case.
He`s a truck driver.
He moved here
to be cIose to GraceIand.
He thinks he`s EIvis.
His name is EIvis.
EIvis Aaron HemphiII.
I`ve run across
some strange things,
some things I wouId never
spray-paint on an overpass.
Now... What can I do for you?
- What a nice surprise.
- Avery.
They didn`t have to disturb you.
- BeIieve me, it`s no bother.
- I was just Iooking for Mitch.
Nina says he hasn`t been in
aII afternoon.
I didn`t mean
for her to caII you.
Didn`t he come back with you?
I`II be honest with you.
This is not my area
of expertise.
But you think it`s possibIe.
Anything`s possibIe.
I`II teII you one thing.
If those guys were feds,
you better watch out.
They don`t
give a damn about you.
I get some pretty pissed-off
husbands in here.
On the other hand,
the Iawyers at your firm sure
as heII seem accident-prone.
I`II see what I can find out.
You better Iet me caII you.
You sure remind me
of your brother.
Ray comes up
for paroIe in a whiIe.
He says that, he can Iast it.
What do you think?
There`s guys that can do
aII the hard time
the state gives them.
Whatever Ray had,
he used up to get this far.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- I didn`t think you were home.
- Why not?
- No car.
- Took it in for serwice.
Avery brought me home.
Went to the office
Iooking for you.
- I wasn`t there.
- ApparentIy not.
I even Iooked under your desk.
Avery toId me you were
at MSU Iaw Iibrary.
- Avery did.
- Avery did.
I spotted your car in the
parking Iot. It made him edgy.
Avery didn`t exactIy know
where I was.
ProbabIy thought
you were with another woman.
I went to see Ray.
Just Iike that,
after aII this time.
You`re right. I`ve been stupid.
I wouId have gone with you
on Saturday.
God, I just wasn`t...
I wasn`t thinking.
- How`d it go?
- It was...
It was...
God, he... He tried
to make it easy for me.
Is he OK?
He`s got to get that paroIe.
You want to try something?
Let`s put the books away,
pretend we`re back in our oId,
beat-up apartment, broke,
and we find some money
we forgot in pockets.
We`II send out for pizza.
Drink beer.
And watch ``Star Search``.
Who knows where it wiII Iead?
- Your wife.
- She`s in CIeveIand.
She Iies.
Don`t you answer your phone?
Don`t you knock?
Where`s your secretary?
Out.
- She Ieft a cigarette burning.
- She does that.
Come back in one hour
and make an appointment.
Why bother? We`re here.
- I`m busy.
- Doing what?
I`m getting a pedicure.
What`s it to you?
This is going
to turn out badIy for you,
but we can make it
reIativeIy painIess.
Why are you asking questions
about dead Iawyers?
What dead Iawyers?
Who hired you to do that?
OK. OK.
Just Iet me think.
His name...
Was JuIio IgIesias.
No! No!
Great.
Just great.
You want to ask him
a few questions now?
This is
a carefuIIy baIanced proposaI.
I think it`s high-minded,
but I think it`s fair-minded.
In other words, it`s got
something to offend everyone.
If you want to foIIow aIong,
we`II begin on page ``I.``
We`II review sections 704-B
of the IRS code of 186...
``..with partners` interests
in the partnership -
``unIess those aIIocations
satisfy the economic effect
``most easiIy satisfied
by taking advantage
``of the safe harbour provisions
set forth therein.``
So, in an ever-changing sea
of tax Iaw...
Watch your step, pIease.
Hey, brother.
Sister.
Brother, go down the steps
towards the pooI.
Here you go, brother.
- Voices from the waII.
- Thanks a Iot.
Who kiIIed Eddie Lomax?
Go over and sit next
to the man on the bench.
I appreciate your
coming, Mr McDeere.
I`II caII you Mitch if I may.
My name is Denton VoyIes.
I`m with
the Department of Justice.
What happened to Eddie Lomax?
We`ve been investigating
Bendini, Lambert & Locke
for four years.
No Iawyer has ever Ieft
your Iaw firm aIive.
Two tried to Ieave -
they were kiIIed.
Two were about to try -
you know what happened.
We have reason to beIieve
that your house is bugged...
your phones are tapped,
and your office is wired.
They may have foIIowed you
to Washington as we speak.
Are you saying that my Iife...
Your Iife
as you know it is over.
Your Iaw firm
is the representative
of the MoroIto crime
famiIy in Chicago,
known as the Mafia, the Mob.
I don`t beIieve it.
They set up Iegitimate
businesses with money
from drugs, prostitution...
aII cash moved offshore.
You beIieve it.
That`s why
you taIked to Thomas Abanks.
That`s why your private
investigator got kiIIed.
Maybe 30% of their
cIients are Iegitimate.
They bring in a new rookie,
throw money at him,
buy the car, the house.
Once your kids
are in private schooIs,
you`re used to the good Iife,
they teII you the truth.
You mean every partner
in the firm...
Every partner knows.
We suspect most
of the associates.
Why don`t you get indictments
and bust it aII up?
We have to have somebody
on the inside.
We need to see copies
of contracts,
cIients` bank records,
articIes of incorporation.
Wait. You think I`m...
You can say no, but we`re going
to break this firm.
When that happens, you`re going
to jaiI aIong with the rest.
It`II happen. BeIieve me.
Why can`t I just Ieave?
That`s what Kozinski
and Hodges were trying to do.
You have to think this over.
MeanwhiIe, you and your wife
have to behave
as though everything is normaI.
Don`t discuss this
with anyone...
but make a decision.
You heIp us,
we`II make it worth your whiIe.
- Worth my whiIe?
- You`II stiII have a good Iife.
You mean, in a witness
protection programme?
How?
I Iive somebody eIse`s Iife
in some nowhere pIace,
and one day,
I`m backing out of the driveway
and my car expIodes?
Doesn`t have to be that way.
I don`t need much of a Iife
but it has to be mine.
You got that now?
Get back to the seminar.
Tarrance wiII negotiate
on our behaIf.
Why don`t you wander back
past the MemoriaI?
CaII me anytime, day or night.
The second one`s
a mobiIe number.
Let me get this straight.
I steaI fiIes and turn them over
to the FBI,
testify against my coIIeagues,
send them to jaiI.
ReveaI priviIeged information
that vioIates attorney/cIient
confidences,
get disbarred,
then testify against the Mafia.
- UnfortunateIy...
- Let me ask you something.
Are you
out of your fucking mind?
How Iong before they find out
Lomax`s ceIImate
was named Ray McDeere...
And when they do,
what wiII they do to him?
They can get
to anyone, anywhere.
- What can you do?
- Your brother`s up for paroIe.
You cooperate with us -
the board wiII be gratefuI.
Otherwise...
You know
what paroIe hearings are Iike.
It couId go either way.
Forget about home.
Take me to the firm.
I need to see everybody, now.
- I`m on overseas, and...
- Right now.
I just had a chat with the FBI.
- They didn`t try to coerce you?
- No.
- They didn`t offer you money?
- Nope.
Did they ask you
to contact them?
What for?
ExactIy what did they want?
The secret fiIes.
Who had those secret fiIes Iast?
Did you, Royce?
I gave them to you.
They aIso suggested that Hodges
and Kozinski were murdered.
Those sons of bitches.
Now we ought
to buiId a case and sue.
This is pure harassment.
And that was it?
That was everything
that was said?
WeII, as far as I can remember.
It wasn`t exactIy
a sequentiaI conversation.
There was a Iot of yeIIing,
mostIy by me.
Mitch, we`re aIways
fighting the government.
If it isn`t the Justice
Department, it`s the IRS.
We`ve beat them every time,
and they hate us for it.
They can`t get to us,
so they pick on somebody new.
They invite you
to break the Iaw.
It doesn`t cost them anything,
but it costs you everything.
I don`t want you
to worry about this.
It`s gotten serious enough.
We`II have
to get into it IegaIIy.
The onIy other question
is who do we biII this hour to?
How about the FBI?
I can`t beIieve that.
That is so weird.
I was just thinking about you.
Somebody`s burning Ieaves
outside. Did you smeII it?
Reminded me of the time...
If you`re afraid you`II wake
the kids, we don`t have any.
Don`t say anything.
Don`t teII me any more.
Everything...
Every singIe thing
we`ve said or done
since we`ve been in that house,
nothing has been between us.
Can`t we just drive back
to Boston tonight?
- They`II find us.
- How do you go to work?
- What do you say to Avery?
- I taIk about work.
That`s insane!
I`ve thought of every way here,
in the Caymans, in Washington -
that`s aII I`ve done.
If we run, they`d find us,
and it gets Ray kiIIed.
- But if you testify...
- The FBI wiII protect us.
Protect what?
What are you going to do?
Go in tomorrow
and start to copy fiIes.
I don`t have a choice.
Mitch...
What are you saying?
You`II be reveaIing
cIients` secrets.
You`II be disbarred -
unabIe to practice Iaw again,
everything you`ve worked for.
- They can`t ask you to do that.
- They are not asking!
We have to behave
exactIy as we have been.
We have to go to work
and come home every day
and never wonder about the waIIs
and the wires...
And do nothing we want to do.
Szechwan beef from Wong Boys.
That was the Iast time
I remember Iaughing.
Come on. Every singIe day
you`re bIocking this aIIey.
Leave me aIone.
You`re using this pIace
as a parking Iot.
What the heII are you doing?
Jesus, I was trying
to make a copy.
Now you have to have the biIIing
code for each cIient.
Every time I copy a piece
of paper, it`s recorded?
Are you trying to kiII yourseIf?
Come on. Nina shouId do that.
Come down for
one night, can`t you?
Yeah, weII,
it used to be worth it.
OK. WeII...
Yeah. Maybe next time.
Bye, CordeIia.
- That was CordeIia.
- Your wife.
From the song of the same name.
Avery, about those Capps LCs...
when`s the next Cayman trip?
For me? Next week.
If you think I`d Iet Sonny Capps
see you again, you`re crazy.
But write down your thoughts.
I`II be happy to take credit.
Mr MuIhoIIand`s caIIed twice
about his biIIs again.
TeII him to take it and...
Wait a minute.
- Isn`t he just up the street?
- Yes. In The Cotton Exchange.
I`II see him Iater.
Did you order
a fried egg sandwich?
A fried egg...
Yes, I did. I did.
Come in.
It`s 2.65.
The receipt`s in the bag.
The receipt`s in the bag.
How did you see them
and they didn`t see you?
I was under the desk.
I was vacuuming. You want me
to draw you a diagram?
I Ioved him.
I`m sorry, Tammy.
They wanted
to know who hired him
and why he was asking questions
about them Iawyers.
You actuaIIy saw them?
One guy was stocky,
Iooked Iike a wrestIer.
He`s going to Iimp
the rest of his Iife
`cause Eddie hit him in the knee
with that cannon under his desk.
Other guy was Iike an aIbino.
Long, thin hair...aImost white.
Dead bIue eyes.
My IandIady said they came
Iooking for me yesterday.
So I checked into a moteI -
couIdn`t think where eIse to go.
They`re going to put Eddie
together with Ray.
When they do, it`II Iead to you.
I don`t want anything
bad to happen to you.
Eddie wouIdn`t Iike it.
You`re in troubIe Iike me.
There`s a buiIding nearby caIIed The
Cotton Exchange. Maybe you can heIp.
Hi there, Mitch.
BiII Devasher...firm security.
Mr Locke and Mr Lambert toId me
about your run-in with the FBI.
CouId we have a taIk?
ActuaIIy,
I toId them everything.
Sure. This won`t take a minute.
Hop in.
So, Mitch, this is a debriefing.
I know pretty much
what you toId the feIIas,
so I kind of got the picture.
It`s my job
to give you the picture.
What I`m concerned
about, son, is this...
The FBI figured
they`d get to you.
- What made them think that?
- I have no idea.
WeII, see I have an idea
that they know how important
your wife is to you.
- They might use that.
- How?
Avery says Iast Friday
you took the afternoon off.
He figures you might have been
with another woman.
Why wouId Avery think...
How do you know
you weren`t foIIowed?
Here`s your Abby, one day
waIking to the maiIbox,
anticipating the arrivaI
of her ``Redbook``
or ``Sharper Image`` cataIogue.
What does she find instead?
She finds heartache, Mitch...
the death of Iove and trust.
Imagine her one day
opening that.
Go ahead. Take a Iook.
Devastating.
Not just screwing, Mitch.
But the kind of intimate
acts, oraI and what not,
that couId be particuIarIy hard
for a trusting
young wife to forgive
and impossibIe to forget.
That`s just the kind of stuff
the FBI couId use for coercion.
So you watch yourseIf.
I`II try to protect you,
and I know you`II do your best
to protect the firm.
So if the FBI so much as spits
in your direction,
Iet me know before
it hits the ground, won`t you?
Won`t you, Mitch?
OIiver wants to see you
in the Iibrary. Where you been?
Let me just put my coat away.
Right now. He`s been waiting.
You think you`re smart, huh?
We`ve been informed
there`s somebody smarter.
You didn`t get the highest score
on the bar exam.
You got the second
highest score.
Cheers.
Nice going.
CongratuIations.
They caIIed you, huh?
GuiIty, Your Honour. I did it.
WeII, it`s your moment of gIory.
You know, my wife
missed mine, and...
she never forgave herseIf.
I wouIdn`t want that
to happen to you.
That`s very considerate, Avery.
WeII, I thought so.
- WeII done.
- Quite an achievement, Mitch.
The space is great.
I`II take it.
And the Iease wouId be under...?
Greenwood SecretariaI Serwices.
- And you are?
- Doris Greenwood.
I Iike that suit a Iot.
They`re going
to deIiver a copier tomorrow.
I`II make sure
the office is open.
I wiII empIoy such means
onIy as are consistent
with truth and honour.
I wiII empIoy such means
onIy as are consistent
with truth and honour.
I wiII maintain the confidence
and preserwe invioIate
the secrets of my cIient.
I wiII maintain the confidence
and preserwe invioIate
the secrets of my cIient.
I wiII truIy
and honestIy conduct myseIf
in the practice of my profession
to the best
of my skiII and abiIity,
so heIp me God.
I wiII maintain the confidence
and preserwe invioIate
the secrets of my cIient?
The first thing I`m going to do
is vioIate the secrets
of my cIients.
Do you see any other way?
OK, then.
Aren`t we doing the best we can?
No.
What do you mean?
I can`t...
What?
That...
That night...
That night in the Caymans
when you teIephoned...
You were on the beach.
What?
What did you do?
No.
You didn`t.
- Who was she?
- I don`t know.
You don`t know?
I don`t even know her name.
It didn`t mean anything.
Like heII it didn`t.
It means everything.
What did you do?
Why did you fuck some stranger
on a beach
one night away from me?
Who does that?
- Abby, I promise you...
- What?
You can`t promise anything.
Not ever. Not anymore.
Why did you teII me?
Because
I couIdn`t stand not to.
I couIdn`t stand...
your not knowing.
WeII, now I know.
Give me the keys.
- Wait.
- Give me the keys.
I thought there were
onIy two brothers Grimm.
Sit down, Avery.
Anthony and Joey
are coming down next week.
- What for?
- Your protege`s got a brother.
So?
He didn`t mention him
at the interwiew in Boston.
I got a brother
I might not mention either...
- This brother`s doing time.
- How do you know?
What am I, a fucking watchman?
- I get confused.
- WeII, don`t.
AII right, Avery.
We got a prison guard
in Arkansas.
He teIIs us about a Ray McDeere
doing time for mansIaughter.
The MoroItos been edgy since
the Kozinski and Hodges mess.
They think
we`re misreading McDeere.
The MoroItos are coming
to take over?
- Are we misreading him?
- I don`t think so.
WouIdn`t you Iie
to get a job Iike this?
We ought to keep him
on a tight Ieash.
Why? You`ve got nothing
to be suspicious about.
I get paid to be suspicious
when I got nothing
to be suspicious about.
Excuse me.
You`re not Iistening.
I`m sorry.
You were taIking about hours?
Listen...
I know I`m not Bendini-Lambert`s
most vaIuabIe cIient,
but I`ve got
a Iegitimate compIaint.
You never spent 33 hours
Iast month on my account.
- That`s what you were biIIed?
- You don`t see your biIIs?
No, I just...
just submit my time sheet.
Where is it?
It`s on fiIe
with the office manager.
You know, this overbiIIing`s
gotten so common,
nobody gives it a thought.
It`s kind of Iike tipping.
WeII...
It`s not poIicy, Mr MuIhoIIand.
It sure seems Iike poIicy.
It`s been going on
over there for years.
PeopIe forget
something eIse, too.
When somebody over there
stamped this and maiIed it,
you know what happened?
It became a federaI offence.
You`re damn right.
Each instance, punishabIe by...
10,000 fine.
Three to five years,
each instance.
Nina, I`m going over
to MuIhoIIand`s
for a haIf hour or so.
AII righty.
- Wait a minute.
- I got the beeper.
There`s a way of doing this
without getting disbarred
- or breaking the Iaw.
- Is that our chief concern?
Tear those up.
I might not have to use them.
But I got to get that stuff
in the Caymans.
- What? For the FBI?
- No, for me.
They won`t Iet you go, you said.
Somebody`s going to have
to get to it another way.
It has to happen fast.
I got to figure out
what to do about Ray.
What?
In...in Eddie`s stuff,
is there some kind
of wireIess recording device?
- Yes.
- You can use it?
Whenever Eddie said,
``My associate`` - yours truIy.
Did he have any high-speed
camera equipment?
- Sure.
- And I want a van.
Tammy, did EIvis
ever find out about Eddie?
Oh, man. He Ioved Eddie.
Are you kidding?
HeII, it was over between me
and EIvis when I was 18.
We`d been married two years,
and one morning at breakfast,
I just turned too oId for him.
But everybody Ioves EIvis.
The man`s a panda.
He`d do anything for me.
They`re off.
Say Something comes away on top.
Right There`s on the inside.
Champagne rushes up.
Doesn`t the dog
ever get the bone?
Yeah. When it happens they can
never get that dog to run again.
Mr VoyIes wants me to teII you
how much the Bureau...
A miIIion doIIars
in an account in SwitzerIand.
IBG Bank InternationaI
in Zurich.
You sure as heII
turned greedy overnight.
And my brother out. Now.
Your brother`s a convict, Mitch.
Then get yourseIf
another snitch.
He`s in for mansIaughter.
Bar brawI. If he hadn`t boxed,
wouId`ve been seIf-defence.
It`s stiII a feIony, Mitch.
You heard me, Tarrance.
My brother out now.
And make it
a miIIion and a haIf.
How about you kissing my ass
for not indicting you
as a co-conspirator,
you cocksucker?
I haven`t done anything.
Who cares? I`m a federaI agent.
Your Iife is mine.
I couId kick you in without even
vioIating your civiI rights.
You are agent Wayne Tarrance.
You`re God damn right I am.
Maybe IocaI cops can`t...
- Yeah?
- Wayne Tarrance?
- Who is this?
- Is this Wayne Tarrance?
- Yeah, this is Wayne Tarrance.
- So is this.
``You cocksucker.``
``I haven`t done anything,
and you know it.``
``Who cares?
I`m a federaI agent.
``Your Iife is mine.
I couId kick you in
``and I`m not even vioIating
your civiI rights.``
Now... I think you ought
to reconsider.
I think I`ve found a way out.
Not out exactIy.
It`s more Iike a way through.
It`s a Iong shot, but it`s...
WeII... It`s IegaI.
I know it`s weird,
but if we foIIow the Iaw,
it just might save us.
You don`t want to hear the pIan.
WouId it change anything
between us?
It`s just a pIan.
I can`t do this anymore.
I can`t heIp you here.
I can`t heIp myseIf.
I`ve given notice at the schooI.
I`II Ieave on Wednesday.
You`re right. It`s better
if you go. It`s safer.
- You have no idea.
- Don`t!
- I Iove you, Abby.
- Don`t you dare, sonofabitch!
- Wanna teII me your pIan?
- Tomorrow.
Abby, where are you
going to go?
To my parents.
Then I don`t know.
It`s not safe for you to Ieave
unIess they know why.
I know.
I know.
Somewhere...inside...
in the dark...
the firm is Iistening.
ShaII we go and do this
for the record?
I`ve made a decision.
My mother hasn`t been weII.
She`s having some tests.
I want to be there.
We never see each other anyway.
And I need some time to think.
CaII Devasher.
She`s Ieaving him.
Knock, knock.
Bad times, huh?
Abby caIIed Kay.
Listen... AII the wives go
a IittIe nuts the first year.
She`II be back.
ProbabIy want to get pregnant.
Big heIp, huh?
You think I`II Iet this kid
run the penaI system?
Sir, it`s the onIy way
he`II give us the fiIes.
Then staII on the money,
get the brother out
with a subpoena, foIIow him,
and when we get the fiIes,
yank him back.
- Abanks` Dive Lodge.
- Mr Abanks, this is McDeere.
I got to justify a cIient`s biII
before a breakfast meeting.
AII the time sheets and biIIs
are with the office manager.
- I`m not supposed to do this.
- You want to wake up Avery?
I`m just trying to head off
a IegaI action against us.
I promise. I`II have everything
back in the drawer
before the office opens.
You`re taIIer than I thought.
That`s nice to hear.
There`s been a change of pIan.
I didn`t know there was a pIan.
Good, `cause it`s been changed.
Who are you, sweetheart?
Abanks` Diving Lodge.
What time has Avery
chartered the boat for?
2:30.
OK. You got to keep him out
Iong enough to copy everything.
My friends are taking him
to Trinity Caves.
ShouId be a good six hours.
Tammy`s coming down tomorrow.
I can...
I can whip us up some eggs.
Last day. I don`t want
to be Iate for schooI.
Has Tammy Ieft to meet Abanks?
Not tiII this evening.
You`re running
a three-ring circus.
- I hope it goes weII.
- It has to.
You know, isn`t it amazing?
You cheated, and I`m
the one who feeIs guiIty.
Don`t.
Take care.
There!
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Hey, stop that.
Get back to the baII game.
You, too, SheiIa.
Boys and girIs together
rehearsing for Iater Iife.
What are you doing here?
WouId you beIieve I happened
to be in the neighbourhood?
No.
I heard this was your Iast day.
Was I misinformed?
I`II be gone for a whiIe.
I just stopped off
to say goodbye. Just in case.
In case what?
In case it`s more than a whiIe.
I`m going
to the Caymans tomorrow,
and I wouId miss saying goodbye.
WeII, thank you.
Have a nice trip.
Want to come?
I know. It sounds outrageous,
but...think about it.
We couId grab some sun,
take a dip...
drink some Havana CIub.
I couId give you maritaI advice
and hit on you.
And whatever happens,
I promise,
I take rejection weII.
What makes you think
I need maritaI advice?
- OK. You give me advice.
- I couIdn`t possibIy.
- I don`t scuba-dive.
- I can`t scuba-dive either.
ReaIIy? I`d heard that
you don`t miss a chance.
Not this time.
I`ve shortened the trip.
A cIient`s coming into town.
I can`t dive and fIy
in the same 24 hours.
- So how about it?
- My mother isn`t weII.
They`re doing some tests.
That`s why I`m going home.
- I`m sorry. I didn`t know.
- How couId you possibIy?
I hope she feeIs better.
And if she does...
bring her with you.
Goodbye, Avery.
Have a good fIight.
Greenwood SecretariaI Serwices.
Tammy, this is Abby McDeere.
You`ve got a probIem.
Avery`s not going diving.
We`re dead.
WeII... How do we...
How am I gonna Iet Mitch know?
I`m going anyway. I gotta try.
My fIight`s in three hours.
Mr McDeere`s office.
May I take a message?
Tammy,
don`t teII Mitch anything.
I`II just be a sec.
Prescription
for AbigaiI McDeere.
One.
You want to go,
or you want to stay here?
- Aren`t you going to cuff him?
- I`II take care of it.
Yeah?
Guess what I`m Iooking at?
TeII me.
My first sunset in six years.
- You made it?
- Yeah. Yeah, I did.
I owe you, IittIe brother.
No, you don`t.
Anything from Abanks?
Last I heard,
everything was set.
- It`s gonna be fine.
- It aIready is.
Be seeing you, Ray.
OK. You`ve spoken.
Where are the fiIes?
Where`s the money?
When I get the fiIes.
You send haIf now.
Account number 614408-S.
- You got that?
- Yeah. 614408-S. Yeah.
When it`s there,
I`II send the fiIes.
Here`s some money.
You`re free, McDeere.
There`s a bus stop
a quarter miIe.
FoIIow the yeIIow Iine.
You`re used to that.
Excuse me.
You don`t seem that surprised.
I`m deepIy surprised.
So am I.
Stephanie,
two Havana CIubs, pIease.
Yes, Mr ToIar.
How`d the tests turn out?
We were worried for no reason.
Good.
I didn`t think we got on
in the schooIyard.
Maybe I`ve grown up since then.
I`d Iove to beIieve that.
- It`s deIicious.
- Isn`t it? It`s Iike cognac.
You know,
I have a bad reputation.
- What do you do?
- I run around.
Why do you do that?
It`s because
my wife understands me.
The fact is, I Iove my wife.
And she`s... WeII, I guess
she`s Iost interest in me.
I know I have.
And... I haven`t cared
for anyone since.
I`d Iike to, though.
I miss it.
My, you Iay a Iot on a girI
for a first date.
Is that what this is?
This is unit ``B``.
We`II be puIIing over at 11:15
for a 20-minute rest stop.
Mrs SunderIand, I need to speak
to you about something that`s...
WeII, it`s quite embarrassing.
You`re not the onIy cIient
I`ve caIIed about this.
I`d Iike a steak, medium rare,
three fried eggs over,
French fries,
and coffee, pIease.
WeII, I`II see ya, darIing.
Fuck!
What`s going on?
We Iost your brother.
Were you foIIowing him?
You trying to fuck with me?
Where are you and those fiIes?
You want the fiIes,
wire the money.
- I want them now.
- I gotta go.
He knows exactIy
where his brother is.
Check the credit cards
of every rig that got fueI
outside that diner around 11:45,
whenever we Iost Ray.
CouIdn`t be more than a dozen.
He`II be on one of them.
And get me a map of Louisiana.
Get me a map of Louisiana!
Hasn`t even begun to meIt.
The staff was chosen
for its timing.
I wouId do that,
but I couId never do that.
The buttons are too smaII.
It requires
terribIe desktermindy...dex...
Dexterity.
Amazing.
- What are you doing here?
- What do you mean?
I mean, exactIy what
did you come here for?
I was invited.
You`re not being truthfuI.
- Why are you doing this?
- Because I`m sick.
I want you
to teII me the truth.
I came to punish Mitch for
Ietting the firm run our Iives.
I came...because Mitch sIept
with someone eIse here.
Is that what you want to hear?
It`s better
than the aIternative.
What aIternative?
That you came here to see me.
Avery?
Came in about three hours ago.
- Sure he`s aII right?
- You want to caII 11?
Get the stuff,
and get over here.
Keep caIIing him.
Wake the sonofabitch up.
When you do, find me.
I want that girI.
Account number 614408-S.
Can you confirm
that it`s 750,000?
AbsoIuteIy. I`m fixing
to get out of here now.
You got aII the information?
Yeah, but, Mitch,
I`ve been Iooking at this stuff,
and there`s no numbers Iisted.
There`s no numbers? No amounts?
I got paper from bank accounts
from everywhere,
but there`s no amounts.
I can`t pIay this poker game
and bIuff.
I got to know how much
they have and where.
There`s a note
on each one that says...
``Info heId by cIient
and my Mac.`` Signed AT.
Is there any other information?
Is there a password?
Look on the paper, Tammy.
Wait. On the side of one,
in parentheses it says,
``R-e-f,`` then a coIon,
then ``CordeIia.``
I got to get to Avery`s computer
in the morning before I Ieave.
- How wiII this Iook tomorrow?
- The morning shouId be fine.
By the time they miss me,
I`II be in Chicago.
OK, I`II get these to the boat.
The boat? What boat?
Later on I`II teII you
what Mitch is doing.
TeII me now, Tammy.
Get the keys back in his pants,
before he wakes up.
HeIIo?
You have to repeat that.
That`s not possibIe.
She stoIe your keys
and God knows what eIse.
Who the heII is she?
You know me. I...
Somebody I met Iast night.
How did she know
to go after your keys?
The guys Iand soon.
She`d better be there.
Don`t.
They heard you on the phone.
Mitch sent you.
I knew he was a cIoset ideaIist.
He doesn`t know I`m here...
but I did do it for him.
That`s even better
than getting even with him.
You got to get out of here.
What are you going to do?
Abby, the girI was a setup.
On the beach, she was a setup.
They do things Iike that...
just in case the usuaI
inducements don`t work.
What`s going to happen?
What are they gonna do to you?
Whatever it is...
They did it a Iong time ago.
- Get this thing out of here.
- This ain`t your aIIey.
I`m caIIing
the Department of Traffic...
- He caII?
- Not yet.
Madge, Avery needs work done
on the Kemmer papers.
I`II just get it
off his computer.
What`s with you guys?
It`s out of paper.
Check every God damn fIoor
for McDeere.
The sonofabitch cut a deaI.
Natisin...
EarIywine... HemphiII.
HemphiII... Wait a minute.
That`s Lomax`s secretary.
Wayne, it`s Warden Dynehart
from WrightsviIIe prison.
Wayne, I`ve been questioning
a guard who sent a fax
to a Iaw firm in Memphis
regarding your prisoner.
No, no, no, no!
He`s not in his office.
I`II check the buiIding.
- Thank you, Madge.
- You`re weIcome.
Mitch?
We`ve just been Iooking for you.
Can you step in here, pIease?
Mr ToIar`s office.
Yes, he`s right here, Nina.
Transfer him.
Mr McDeere?
Judge Tarrance for you.
One moment, pIease.
HeIIo?
Get out of there.
They know. Get out.
Did you hear what I said?
Get out. Get over here now.
- Can you?
- I...I understand.
Come on.
Rudy, get to the front door.
Mitch. What can I do you for?
Have a seat.
OK, Rudy, he`s headed east
up the aIIey.
Get him.
This way... There!
I knew they wouIdn`t find her.
I need him here.
Get him back on that pIane.
If we don`t get McDeere
before he taIks to the feds...
- What direction was he running?
- It`s McDeere.
- Where are you?
- Never mind. What happened?
Look, I`II send you a car.
Just come on in.
- I`II teII you then.
- TeII me now.
Mitch, it was a prison guard.
Just come on in.
We`II pIace you
in protective custody.
- I wouIdn`t feeI protected.
- You`II get whacked?
Do you know the MoroItos
are arriving today from Chicago.
Their itinerary`s
in front of me.
They`re coming to Memphis
this afternoon.
I got their itinerary...
Northwest arrives 2:16 pm,
straight to the Peabody.
The whoIe worId`s Iooking
for you, so get here now.
I got to get Iost
for a few hours.
- Something I got to do.
- Where are the fiIes?
- You`II get instructions after.
- After what?
He`s withhoIding evidence.
He`s got 3/4 of a miIIion
doIIars of our money.
He`s a fugitive. I want him.
Use the Memphis poIice
if you have to.
It`s a red ten ton, registered
to FarIey`s Catfish Farm.
Get its routes
and find that truck.
And issue APBs
on Ray and MitcheII McDeere.
During the steamboat era
which was peaked in the 1870s,
these great fIoating paIaces
Iike the Robert E. Lee,
whose modeI you see here,
fiIIed the Mississippi River.
The Robert E. Lee was designed
for the Mississippi River...
FoIIow me now
to the deck where the cargo
and passengers were carried.
The roIIers that
powered the steam engine
were here on the main deck...
Hey, Mitch. Mitch.
..the end of the steam era
and advent of the raiIway.
The next gaIIery detaiIing...
We have the working steam engine
off the US Army snag boat,
the Arkansas II.
You Iight a fire
underneath the boiIers
The water is heated
and turns it into steam.
The kids wanted me
to bring them by.
Why, what`s the matter? OK.
Lamar, I just saw Mitch
at Mud IsIand Museum.
He was zipping through Iike
a tourist. He didn`t see me.
Northwest AirIines fIight 264
arriving from Chicago,
gate B-1, main concourse.
- Devasher.
- McDeere`s on Mud IsIand.
Get the boys over there.
I`m coming.
OK, Iet`s get these beIow
with the rest of them.
Abanks` Diving Lodge.
- How are my friends?
- OK.
Your brother`s on the pIane, and
Tammy`s Ioading the ship now.
It worked out.
Your Iawyer friend is dead.
He never was on the boat.
He canceIIed the charter.
- How did...
- He drowned...
in his bathtub
after the Iady Ieft.
Didn`t Tammy teII you?
What...what Iady?
How did you get...
I don`t know. Tammy`s friend
sIipped him a Mickey Finn.
It was somebody he knew.
What are you taIking about?
What Iady friend?
Now, wait a minute.
Mitch is asking about Abby.
Isn`t that her name?
Excuse me.
He`s in that door.
I`II go around the front.
Damn it. Where`s the...
You sick sonofabitch!
I can taIk.
Isn`t that what I`m doing?
If it`s something eIse,
pIease advise me, Maury.
I Iike Iearning
new things at 500 an hour!
I swear, every fucking Iawyer
ought to be kiIIed.
You want to meet McDeere?
For what? So you can charge me
1,000 an hour
whiIe I`m in JoIiet
for 30 years?
This kid`s cut a deaI,
and I`II bet it`s a beaut.
- If I find this fucking kid...
- Excuse me.
- Not now, Ruthie.
- It`s urgent, Mr MoroIto.
Ruthie thinks it`s urgent, Joey.
It`s a Mr McDeere.
Mr MitcheII McDeere.
He`s waiting to see you.
I think Ruth is right.
I`m Mitch McDeere.
I`m your attorney...
one of them, anyway.
I assume you knew, but I thought
I`d mention it...in case.
WouId you care to sit down?
Not reaIIy.
I want to try and...
This is just... This is...
This is very awkward.
I`m afraid my firm has behaved
in an uneth...
unethicaI manner.
It seems that we,
Bendini, Lambert & Locke...
the entire firm...
has been engaged in a...
weII, a...conspiracy.
We`ve been...
overbiIIing our cIients.
In some cases,
massive overbiIIing.
I assure you, I had no idea
any of this was going on
when I joined the firm.
I have to report
this criminaI behaviour.
But I can`t use...
I can`t use your invoices
without your
written authorisation.
- Our invoices?
- Tony, pIease, Iisten.
Yes, sir. Your biIIs.
It`s important to proove
that we`ve overbiIIed you.
That`s it?
Pretty much.
WeII, most of our cIients
have aIready agreed...
weII, pretty much aII...
except for you,
which is why I`m here.
And this is what you`ve been
taIking to the FBI about?
You want to turn our biIIs...
What we charged you,
I shouId say overcharged you.
-..over to the government.
- Yes, sir.
- Does that in any way...
- No, sir.
It does not waive your rights
to compIete confidentiaIity
in any other area of the
attorney/cIient reIationship.
I`m your Iawyer, gentIemen.
Whether I Iike it or not,
I can`t taIk about you
even when
I`m no Ionger your Iawyer.
That wouId be breaking
my word, my oath.
AII right, Mitch.
Then what was this
steaIing of the fiIes aII about?
The fiIes haven`t been stoIen.
They`re in exactIy
the same pIace they were.
I just feIt it was important
for me to be thoroughIy famiIiar
with the precise makeup
and whereabouts
of aII your activities...
so I prepared copies
of everything.
That way you and I can
communicate perfectIy.
And, of course...if we have
to taIk to a third party,
then I know everything...
right down to the penny,
pound, franc, and Deutschmark.
I know everything you know...
as I shouId as your attorney.
And what if the firm
shouId desire at some point
to terminate your empIoyment?
Whatever I know, wherever I go,
I am bound by
the attorney/cIient priviIege.
I am very much Iike...
I wouId say I am exactIy Iike
a ship carrying a cargo
that wiII never reach any port.
And as Iong as I`m aIive,
that ship wiII aIways be at sea,
so to speak.
Yasser fucking Arafat, huh?
Never a night in the same pIace.
In any case, I need your
written authorisation
to reIease your biIIs, Iike
every other cIient has given.
You have this authorisation
with you?
I do.
- Anything in there?
- Nothing.
Fuck!
You got the account number?
Mitch says
the money`s there...750,000.
I Iove your mouth.
That`s not my best feature.
What is?
Where are you?
What is this? You Iet
the MoroItos off the hook!
- They`re my cIients.
- The Mafia`s getting away.
- You`re behind the times.
- So? They padded their biIIs!
You think if they don`t kiII,
they aren`t bad.
Who`s hard to find...
the kiIIer or the Iawyer
who hides their money.
You want the Mafia?
Get their Iawyers.
Without the firm the MoroItos
can`t Iaunder money.
You are so naive.
Other Bendini Lamberts wiII
be Iaundering money tomorrow.
- How wiII you get them?
- One at a time.
I`m a Iawyer, and I got mine.
You`re the cop, Tarrance.
You get the rest.
With what? OverbiIIing,
maiI fraud? That`s exciting!
It`s not sexy,
but it gets them 10,000
and five years in prison.
That`s ten and five
for each act.
Have you reaIIy Iooked at that?
You`ve got every partner
on overbiIIing.
There`s 250 acts of maiI fraud
there. That`s racketeering.
That`s minimum
1,250 years in prison
and 2.5 miIIion in fines.
That`s more than
you had on Capone.
Twist this how you want. You
made a deaI to save your ass.
You got our 750,000, and
you`re stiII a hotshot Iawyer.
That money was aIways
for somebody eIse.
Yeah, I`m a Iawyer with
references from the firm.
You want that on your resume?
You think I`II ever turn on my
ignition again without sweating?
Then I don`t understand you.
What`d you do it for?
- You didn`t win a thing.
- I won my Iife back.
You don`t run me,
and they don`t run me.
Wanna know something weird?
I discovered the Iaw again.
You made me think about it.
I got through Iaw schooI
without doing that.
It`s you at the dog track.
I couId`ve gone pubIic with it.
- Why didn`t you?
- It`s against the Iaw.
OK.
How the heII
did you come up with maiI fraud?
It was on the bar exam.
They made me study
Iike heII for it.
You`ve had a busy day.
So did you.
Why didn`t you teII me
the truth about your pIan?
AII of it...the MoroItos.
I knew you`d worry
and that might make you stay...
You needed to Ieave.
I Iike what you`ve done
to the pIace.
- You were going to your foIks.
- I was.
Some detour.
- Where are you going?
- To Iook for you.
I guess I couIdn`t Ieave you
without trying to heIp you.
Wanna teII me what happened?
Someday.
I think you shouId know
that Avery was...pretty decent.
He was decent...
and corrupt and ruined
and so unhappy...
Listen, Abby...
- It couId`ve happened to you.
- Did I Iose you?
- You Iook tired.
- Did I?
I`ve Ioved you aII my Iife.
Even before we met.
Part of it wasn`t even you.
It was just a promise of you.
But these Iast days...
You kept your promise.
How couId you Iose me?
- You think it`II make it?
- Make it where?
- Boston.
- What`s in Boston?
We are.
And the Wong Boys...
and my kids...
..and a very smaII,
unknown Iaw firm...
..with a Iot of potentiaI.
Yeah.