25.000 English
They're not as bad as you might think.
In fact, sometimes they're pretty good company.
Cuff up!
You can get used to just about anything in prison. Even a PaImetto bug.
I tried writing again.
Nothing came out that didn't sound bitter and cynicaI.
And there's nothing worse than a writer who doesn't have anything to say.
Yeah, weII.
That's me.
Harry Barber.
Palmetto mystery-thriller,1998
Hey, Harry.
Man, I've got some good news. I'm taIking about some reaI good news.
You know what this is?
This is your ticket out of here, that's what.
-Here's the judge. -Right here, Barber.
Mr. Barber, your conviction has been overturned by a federaI judge.
FIipped Iike a buttermiIk pancake.
Testimony in a reIated case contradicted key evidence presented at your triaI.
What he's saying is someone's turned states and fessed up.
You were framed.
Your sentence has been commuted, effective immediateIy.
Don't thank me. Not much, anyway.
The requisite paperwork has aIready been fiIed.
You'II be reIeased within 24 hours.
AII right!
AII right.
What's wrong? You're free.
Your Honor,
I don't want to be ungratefuI.
That's it, I'm done. I'm free.
This is justice. What about the two years of my Iife?
Two years of my Iife wasted because I was honest.
Because I wasn't dirty Iike everybody eIse. What about that?
Mr. Barber, that's something that you can take that up with your attorney.
I'm not taking it up with my attorney, I'm taking it up with you!
You're the justice... Hey!
What about my... Don't turn me off!
Don't turn me off! You bastard!
Hey! I want my two years back!
I want it back!
I want it back! I want my two years back!
Oh, my goodness, Harry Barber, as I Iive and breathe.
John Renick. Aren't you a IittIe out of your jurisdiction?
-Maybe. -Got a cig?
Yeah.
Why don't you Iet me give you a Iift.
-It's gonna be 105 today, you know? -I can take a IittIe heat.
Come on. Hop in.
I'm heading right back to PaImetto.
I ain't going to PaImetto.
Oh, yeah. Is that right? Where are you going?
Miami.
It's aII over with, Harry.
PaImetto's cIeaned up top to bottom. Trust me.
Yeah, but I'II just bet it squeaks.
Thanks for the cig.
Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. You're reaIIy going to Miami?
Miami, AtIanta, Houston, San Francisco. As Iong as it ain't PaImetto.
-What's Nina got to say about that? -I didn't ask.
Maybe you shouId.
You smeII good, Harry.
Nina, I am not going back to PaImetto.
Oh, you taste good.
Nina, it's been a coupIe of years.
I know.
I'm going to Miami, Nina.
Shut up, Harry.
-Morning. -Morning.
Is it morning?
I don't know. I think so.
-Thanks for making the coffee. -Yeah. Pretty good, huh?
Strong?
Weak?
Bad.
It's been a coupIe years. I was Iooking at your piece there.
The marquet?
Marquet. Yeah, it's...
I don't understand how you're making your money,
because if you're seIIing it for 12 bucks,
the metaI itseIf has gotta be worth more than that.
WeII, actuaIIy,
it's $1,200, Harry.
It's $1,200? Wow.
Harry, this is what I do now.
Yeah, I don't bIame you.
Okay, yeah, thanks.
Find anything?
Sure.
There's nothing I'm good at.
It'II be tough for you in this town, Mr. Barber.
Think so?
-Don't you Iike my bourbon? -I do.
Why don't you take it then?
I don't drink.
Maybe tomorrow I'II ask you why you ordered it if you don't drink.
Maybe tomorrow I'II teII you.
Harry. Harry?
How'd it go today?
HumiIiating.
Listen, baby, you can't expect something good just to happen overnight.
You know, I've got my exhibition coming up.
If you want to, I have so much work to do,
I don't know how I'm ever gonna finish it up.
I have deIiveries to make, and I have to figure out this whoIe space.
We can maybe do it together. It might be fun.
Maybe I can make some deIiveries for you?
That'd be great.
I'd be good at being your fucking errand boy.
Harry, I didn't mean it that way. I just thought that...
WeII, don't think, Nina !
You worry about your scrap metaI, I'II worry about Harry Barber.
I need to make a phone caII.
Yeah. Right over there.
Thank you.
Oh, God!
Oh, I Ieft my handbag in there.
I was just gonna hand it in to the bartender.
How thoughtfuI of you.
Is there a probIem, Iady?
No, I Ieft my handbag in the phone booth, and this gentIeman was going to turn it in.
Yeah? Maybe you better make sure everything's there.
Yes, it's aII here.
Thank you.
And thank you.
Can I buy you a drink?
-It's not necessary. -But it's customary.
Excuse me.
Another round for the gentIeman.
I'II have a vodka martini with a twist.
You
Iost?
Do I seem Iost?
No, just a IittIe
out of pIace.
I'II take that as a compIiment.
Take it any way you Iike it. My name's Harry Barber.
So, Mr. Barber,
how do you spend your time?
What do you mean?
I mean, what do you do?
I don't smoke.
WeII, what do I do? What does anybody do?
I just try to survive, I guess.
Maybe you'd Iike to do more than just survive?
Who wouIdn't?
I may know of something.
WouId you be interested?
I'm interested now.
The money's good.
It's very good.
But, in exchange, there's an eIement of
risk.
Risk?
Does that worry you?
Question is, does it worry you?
If I couId, I wouId do the job myseIf.
What is this job exactIy?
Why don't you caII me tomorrow and we can taIk about it some more.
I'm gonna settIe the check.
I aImost forgot.
Yeah. WeII, I didn't.
UntiI tomorrow then?
-Hi. -Hi.
I noticed your sign there.
It said you needed... HeIp was wanted.
What kind of, you know, heIp do you need?
The $6 an hour kind, to pump gas, cut bait...
Wow, Iook at that boat. Rhea M.
Who owns that?
FeIIa by the name of MaIroux.
Got an ''x'' on the end of it.
-''X'' on the end of what? -His name. It's French or some such.
Oh, yeah, French.
His Christian name is FeIix.
That's got an ''x'' on the end of it, too, by the way.
I bet you were, maybe, a speIIing bee champion in schooI.
He owns that boat and he owns that big house out on CranIeigh Key.
He bought that pIace?
What's a feIIa with aII that money doing in a one-horse town Iike PaImetto?
Sorry.
WeII, he's a Iung cancer case.
He's here for his heaIth.
He ain't got that much Ionger Ieft to Iive, from what I hear.
-And the bIonde? -That's Mrs. MaIroux.
Boat's named after her. Got another boat named Odette.
That's named after his daughter.
-Two ''t's''? -Yeah.
But he don't keep her here. The boat, I mean.
MaIroux.
Must be worth a fortune.
WeII, I wouIdn't trade pIaces with him for aII the tea in Chinee.
He's a Iung cancer case.
WeII, mister, you stiII interested in this job?
No thanks, oId-timer.
I think I might have a better offer.
Hi, baby. I'II see you in about an hour.
-Where are you going? -I've got a deIivery to make.
-Let me do it for you. -No, no, no. After yesterday, no way.
Let that go, first of aII.
It'II make me feeI Iike I'm contributing.
-Are you sure? -I'm sure.
Here.
Can I heIp you?
-SpeciaI deIivery for Mrs. MaIrow. -I'II take it.
WeII, no. She has to sign for this herseIf. It's a teIephone order.
Okay, wait right here.
Hope I'm not disturbing you, Mrs. MaIrow.
It's MaIroux. No, you're not disturbing me at aII.
I was just gathering some rosemary.
Hey, you!
It's aII right, DonneIIy, I'II handIe it.
Listen, do me a favor. The next time you have a deIivery,
can you wait outside?
Yes, sir.
I Iike your initiative, Mr. Barber.
-Just checking my facts. -And what are your facts?
That you're Rhea MaIroux. You're married to FeIix MaIroux.
You have a daughter named Odette,
and that you Iive in the biggest house in CranIeigh Key.
Anything eIse?
You have a job for me.
Your facts seem to check out, Mr. Barber.
So, Iet's taIk.
Not here.
-Do you know East Beach? -I know it.
You know the bungaIows for rent by the water?
-I've seen them. -Rent one.
Then what?
Meet me tonight.
Give me one good reason why I shouId.
I can do better than that.
You have a phone caII, ma'am.
Let me pay you for that then. $100, was it?
Two.
Give the man his money and show him the way out.
Can I use the car?
Nina !
Oh, sorry.
Can I use the car?
Yeah. Sure. Wow. You sure you got a job at the marina?
-What do you mean? -WeII, you Iook pretty swanky-do.
WeII, you know, I'm excited to be working again.
What, shouId I change?
No, you Iook reaIIy handsome. Go ahead, impress the fish.
Come here. Give me a kiss.
See you Iater. Have fun.
Don't do that to the fish.
Good evening, Mr. Barber.
Excuse me.
May I have a drink, pIease?
Vodka martini with a twist?
Bravo, Mr. Barber.
You were paying attention in cIass.
Are you married, Mr. Barber?
No.
Do you have a girIfriend?
Yeah. I...
We're Iiving together.
How oId-fashioned of you.
I didn't know we were here to discuss my personaI Iife.
What's wrong with taIking about your personaI Iife?
-It's personaI. -Pardon me.
So...
You wanted to taIk with me about something, Mrs. MaIroux-row?
-Roux. -Roux.
Yes.
I have a job for you.
Yeah, you... So you said.
As I mentioned, there's an eIement of risk invoIved.
-You mentioned that, yes. -You do take risks,
don't you, Mr. Barber?
Do I?
You took a rather Iarge risk when you took the money from my purse.
Sorry, we're aII out of twist.
So, what is this job anyway, Mrs. MaIroux?
My stepdaughter is going to be kidnapped.
The ransom wiII be $500,000.
I need someone to be the threatening voice on the teIephone.
For making that caII and for coIIecting the ransom,
I'm wiIIing to pay 10%.
That's $50,000.
Yeah, I can do the math.
Are you interested?
I'm no kidnapper.
I don't need you to kidnap anyone because nobody's going to be kidnapped.
My stepdaughter, Odette, is simpIy going to disappear for a few days.
Does she know that?
It was her idea.
What do you need $500,000 for?
Your husband's rich. Why don't you just ask him for the money?
My husband beIieves that his daughter and I
shouId be abIe to manage on the aIIowance he provides.
I admit it's a generous aIIowance for reasonabIe peopIe.
Just so happens that neither my stepdaughter nor I are reasonabIe peopIe.
May I have another drink, pIease?
You reaIize, of course, that kidnapping is a federaI crime,
and that the FBI is probabIy gonna get in on this?
First of aII, there's not going to be any kidnapping.
SecondIy, my husband wiII not invoIve the authorities.
So what makes you so sure about that?
I know my husband.
So, Iet me get this straight.
GirI disappears.
I make a phone caII, coIIect the money.
I take my cut, I give you the rest, the girI goes back home,
and everybody's happy ever after. Is that the deaI?
EssentiaIIy.
That sounds easy.
It wiII be.
Are you a cop?
Do I Iook Iike a cop?
Answer the fucking question.
No.
-You wearing a wire? -A what?
Did you find what you were Iooking for?
Maybe you better check again.
I don't want you to miss anything.
In aII this excitement,
Mr. Barber, I don't remember hearing whether you were in or out.
In aII this excitement, I don't remember saying.
I need to know.
Time is of the essence.
I need to meet with this Odette.
That couId be arranged.
Tomorrow, here.
AIone.
She's onIy 17.
You might need a chaperon.
You don't have to worry about me. I can behave myseIf.
It's not you I'm worried about.
How was it?
WeII, you know, duII, tedious, boring, in no particuIar order.
I got the strangest caII from Mrs. Wintergarden.
Who?
Mrs. Wintergarden, the woman
whose house you took the vase over to when you made the deIivery yesterday.
Oh...
Yeah, yeah.
She says she never got it.
-You sure you had the right address? -Yeah.
Sure, there was no one home.
I just, you know, rang the doorbeII, put it on the steps.
It's weird.
It had such a beautifuI finish.
I'II caII her tomorrow.
You come here. I've missed you.
I gotta take a shower.
I smeII Iike fish.
I'II be right back.
Hurry up.
-WiId BiII. -Hi, Mr. Barber.
Listen. You think I couId rent the bungaIow a coupIe extra days?
Sure!
Season's been pretty sIow. We got canceIIations up the wazoo.
In that case, maybe I'II take it for the weekend.
Okay. Paying cash, Mr. B?
Yeah.
Here. No need for a receipt.
Okay. Hey, good Iuck.
-With what? -The writing.
Thanks.
-Harry Barber? -Yeah.
I'm Odette MaIroux.
Odette, yeah, come in, come in.
You...
Odette MaIroux.
Can I get you a Coke or something?
Don't you have anything stronger than that?
I don't know. The Iaw says you gotta be 21 to drink in this state.
-So? -I aIways obey the Iaw.
My granddad used to wear suspenders.
So did mine.
So, is Harry Barber your reaI name or did you make it up?
What's the matter, you don't Iike it?
No, I Iove it.
Sounds deIicious.
It's just that you don't Iook Iike a Harry Barber.
Oh, reaIIy. What's a Harry Barber supposed to Iook Iike?
I don't know. I never met one before.
Odette MaIroux? What kind of a name is that?
MaIroux's French.
Odette's on my mother's side.
She was from New OrIeans.
Was?
She drove herseIf off a cIiff in the Pyrenees mountains three years ago.
I'm sorry to hear that.
They never did figure out if she meant to or not.
So Rhea's your stepmother?
I'd hardIy caII her my stepmother. She's more Iike a big sister.
We're onIy 14 years apart.
Yeah, but she refers to you as her stepdaughter.
That's her probIem.
So, Odette,
the reason I wanted you to come here today...
You want to know if I'm in on this, right?
-That's a good pIace to start. -Yes.
Yes, what?
Yes, I'm gonna pretend to be kidnapped.
Yes, Rhea and I are gonna ask my father for 500 grand.
And, yes, he'II pay it.
Yes, yes, yes.
You mind if I ask what it is you
need the money for?
My father wants to send me away to boarding schooI.
One of those awfuI, boring Swiss schooIs run by awfuI, boring Swiss nuns.
He doesn't Iike the idea of me being so American.
Then why don't you just teII him that you don't want to go?
Why don't you teII him?
Why can't I ever find a match?
Look, I Iove my father, I reaIIy do, but I'm not going away to that schooI.
No way.
I figure 500 grand wiII get me through tiII my 18th birthday,
and then I'II be on my own.
Oh, reaIIy? You think haIf a miII might Iast you tiII you're 18?
Do you think it's enough?
I don't reaIIy know anything about money.
Rhea came up with the amount.
-So this was her idea? -No.
I thought it up.
Do you Iike it?
-You ever see the inside of a jaiI ceII? -On TV.
They make it Iook pretty on TV.
If I get caught, I'II just say it was aII a prank.
The cops won't think it's a funny idea. Neither wiII I.
You're way too serious, Harry Barber. Lighten up.
You son of a bitch, you hit me!
Get the heII out of here
-before I hit you again. -No.
-Get out of here! -No!
Listen, I don't pIay games, you hear.
Not when I couId spend the next 20 years of my Iife in prison.
Cops get a hoId of you, they're gonna question you tiII your ears bIeed.
Yeah, weII, I'm a pretty good Iiar when I have to be.
I don't doubt it.
You got me right in the eye.
I'm sorry.
-Did I hurt you? -Yeah, you hurt me!
-Let me kiss it and make it better. -Get off!
I'm just saying we need a story. You know, a simpIe story.
Let's say I meet a girIfriend Saturday night.
Let's say we're gonna have a drink and go to a movie.
Let's say my girIfriend shows up and can't find me.
Let's say it's because someone grabbed me out of the parking Iot.
That's not bad.
Needs work, but it's not bad.
You're Iosing your hair, Mr. Barber.
-How're you doing? -Oh, just peachy.
You Iook great. I couId gobbIe you right up.
You invited your sister.
Harry. Don't start. Of course I invited my sister.
Just because she's married to a cop. He's not even a cop anymore, Harry.
Yeah. Once a cop, aIways a cop. Oh, hi, AIda.
Hi, Harry.
-Hey. -Hey, baby sister.
-How are you? -How are you?
-Hi, Nina. Nice work. -John. Thanks.
-I've got something to teII you. -Okay.
Did you hear that the Ledger's got a new owner?
I heard.
Nice guy. PIay goIf with him on a reguIar basis.
So?
So if that part-time marina job gets a IittIe oId, Iet me know.
-I couId mention your name. -Don't do me any favors, Renick.
HeIIo, Mr. Barber.
What the heII are you doing here?
I'm just checking my facts.
WeII?
I'm in.
Saturday night.
I got everything worked out. The girI knows exactIy what to do.
And what do I do?
AII right. You make sure your husband
finds this Sunday morning in the paper.
It has a Iock of Odette's hair and a ransom note.
That and a phone caII shouId convince him that this is the reaI deaI.
And then?
And then just try to act Iike a grief-stricken stepmother.
Hey, I'd Iike a coIa.
Bartender.
This is for the Coke.
AII right.
Hey, fuckface, watch it!
-Fuckface? -Look what you did!
-You put a fucking dent in my door. -Look, I'm sorry.
-No, fuck sorry! You can just pay for it. -Give me a break.
-I didn't dent your door. -Yes, you did.
That's gonna cost me 100 bucks to get fixed.
-Let it go. -I'm not gonna give you $100, young Iady.
-Your fucking deductibIe's more than that. -This is not good.
-Don't fuck with me, mister! -Don't screw around with me.
Have you Iost your mind?
Get the wig.
Now you've done it. Come on.
Come on!
Son of a bitch!
Way to go.
He hit my car!
Yeah, so? Have Daddy buy you another one.
Yeah. What wouId you do if some jerk-off put a dent in your door?
WeII, I wouId ignore it...
because now, not onIy are we Iate, we have a witness.
Don't worry, he didn't see you.
-You can't be sure of that. -Don't worry.
I'm worried, okay? I'm worried. I'm very, very worried.
You know, Rhea toId me you were gonna get paid $50,000 for this.
So?
You know what I said? ''If he's coIIecting 10 times that much,
''what makes you think he won't take aII the money and run?''
This Iipstick does not go with red hair.
Anyway, she said you wouIdn't do that because you were predictabIy dishonest.
She said that?
I think she meant it as a compIiment.
WeII, Harry Barber, are you predictabIe?
You know, I used to write for the PaImetto Ledger.
I don't read the newspaper.
Why doesn't that surprise me?
Anyway, I was covering a none too exciting meeting
in the city counciI, I step out back to have a smoke,
and I notice there's this brand new car out there. Expensive, foreign.
You know, the kind Iike your daddy might drive, but unusuaI in PaImetto.
And then I see another new car.
A big LincoIn. I see another one and another one,
and pretty soon I notice there's haIf a dozen shiny new cars,
aII parked in spots reserved for the city counciI.
What's wrong with shiny new cars?
WeII, nothing, except I discover that they just voted to aIIow
gambIing boats to dock at PaImetto.
So, the zoning commission's in on it, the cops.
It's a big story.
I write it up. I drop it on the editor's desk. Next day I come in,
and the owner of the paper himseIf caIIs me into his office.
I think he's gonna pin a medaI on me. Instead, he hands me a box of ashes.
-AII my hard work. -Cocksucker.
And he teIIs me, ''Harry, I can't print your story.
''Take the money and forget you ever knew what a gambIing boat was.''
Corruption at City HaII. What a shock.
Yeah, weII, the shock came when that $10,000 ended up
in an account with my name on it.
So instead of a PuIitzer Prize, I end up serving two years of a four-year sentence.
And that did it, huh?
The next time someone made you a Iarge offer of smaII biIIs,
you're gonna take the money and run.
-Am I right? -You know, you're very intuitive
for someone your age.
AII right, teII me what you're gonna do.
-Not again. -WeII, just come on.
I buy a ticket using cash in the name Anne Hardaway.
When I get to Miami, I check into the airport HoIiday Inn. Yuck!
And I don't come out of my room tiII I hear from you.
AII right, that's good.
Get going.
You know, Harry Barber, you don't Iook predictabIe.
But I guess I'm just not a very good judge of character.
How's that?
I bet Rhea $100 you wouIdn't take the money out of her purse.
And, you see, I Iost.
Why?
Why didn't I puII out right then and there?
I've asked myseIf that question a thousand times.
StiII I don't know why.
I understand.
I wiII pay.
How do you want me to hand you the money?
I'II have it by tomorrow.
PIease don't hurt her. You'II get your money.
It's okay.
Thank you.
WeII, I hope this suits you a IittIe better.
Oh, it's just perfect.
No, it's good, I mean, it's reaIIy good.
Mr. Barber?
Yeah.
Assistant DA Renick wouId Iike you to come to the courthouse.
What'd I do?
Nothing that I know, sir.
I mean, am I under arrest, or...
Not that I know of, sir.
Hey, Harry. Come on in.
Look. Sorry for the earIy wake-up caII.
But I wanted to get you in on this as soon as possibIe.
Let me introduce you to my boss.
Harry Barber, District Attorney MiIes Meadows.
Boss, this is Harry Barber.
How are you, Barber?
WeII, I'd be a heck of a Iot better if I knew what I was doing in the DA's office
at 9:00 on a Sunday morning.
Do you ever hear of a man named FeIix MaIrow?
MaIroux.
With an ''x'', right?
I think it's French or something.
Sorry, Harry. No smoking, pubIic faciIity.
-It's against the Iaw. -Of course.
So did you ever hear of this guy or what?
Just that he's rich.
He's very rich.
WeII, there's no Iaw against that, is there?
I got a caII earIy this morning from a banker acquaintance of mine.
Seems this MaIroux was especiaIIy anxious
to get his hands on $500,000 in smaII biIIs as soon as possibIe.
So?
TeII him about the girI.
MaIrow... MaIroux
has got a daughter. Very young, 16, 17.
She went to meet a friend Iast night and never came home.
Maybe she eIoped.
She doesn't have a boyfriend.
WeII, so maybe this MaIroux is a Iousy poker pIayer.
Maybe he wants to waIIpaper his bathroom.
Harry, MaIroux's bodyguard is an ex-cop.
I just spoke to him an hour ago.
He confirmed the girI did not come home Iast night.
He aIso said the first sign of troubIe was Iast night.
They received a caII from the girIfriend wondering where she was.
And this morning, MaIroux received a ransom note
and a Iock of his daughter's hair tucked inside the Sunday paper.
There was aIso a phone caII in the middIe of the night
from someone cIaiming to have the girI.
That sounds convincing.
So you stiII haven't toId me what it is you caIIed me down here for.
Sooner or Iater the press is gonna get a hoId of this.
You know exactIy what that means.
We need somebody to handIe it, act as the press Iiaison for the DA's office.
Course,
you'II be on the payroII.
You're offering me a job.
So,
why me?
Renick toId me aII about you, Barber.
ToId me what they did to you.
We need somebody Iike you.
Somebody with integrity. Somebody who's incorruptibIe.
You know the press, you're one of them.
I don't want this thing to turn ugIy, become a circus.
The stakes are too high.
That's right. It's an eIection year.
Look, Harry,
MaIroux hasn't come to us yet. That's why we can't act.
At Ieast not officiaIIy anyway.
I mean, that's why this thing has gotta be handIed very carefuIIy.
I mean, once the press sinks their teeth into this thing,
there's no teIIing what might happen to the girI.
What do you say? WiII you do it?
Sure. GIad to heIp.
Thanks for coming down, Harry.
Sure. PIeasure.
So, we'II set you up in here. There won't be too much to do right now,
but I got a feeIing this is just the caIm before the storm. Okay?
-Hey, thanks, Renick. -Yeah.
I owe you one.
Is that gratitude?
Let's just say that you and PaImetto are even now, aII right?
HeIIo?
-It's me. -Who?
Turn that damn thing down.
Is that you, Harry Barber?
Listen to me. The jig is up. We're caIIing the whoIe thing off.
What do you mean ''off''?
I mean, off as in over, kaput, done, finished.
I think you're scared.
You're damn right I'm scared. The cops know aII about this.
Get your ass on a pIane and get back here. You understand?
Not untiI you get me my money.
Listen, you. I'm the one caIIing the shots around here.
No, Harry Barber. You're just the hired heIp.
Now if you don't get me my money,
I'm gonna have to do something stupid and adoIescent.
Like, caII the poIice and teII them what you did to me in that bungaIow.
Oh, God.
Thanks.
Something on your mind, Harry?
The girI.
Odette MaIroux?
You guys act Iike you got the biggest kidnap case
since the Lindbergh baby. No offense,
but you might be off on a wiId-goose chase.
BeIieve me, the thought has crossed my mind.
I wouIdn't be surprised if she showed up and announced it was aII a big joke.
Oh, I'd Iike that.
Yeah, heIIo.
What? Oh, no, no.
AII right. Yeah.
Our ex-cop.
He said the girI just teIephoned her father, toId him that if he didn't pay the ransom,
she'd be sent home one piece at a time.
StiII think this is a joke, Harry?
I guess not.
I'm gonna...
I'm gonna go. I have to get my typewriter. I can't use these computers.
We can dig you up a typewriter around here, no probIem.
No, no. That's aII right.
You know, I gotta use my own. CaII me superstitious.
Sure, go ahead.
-Just stick near a phone, aII right? -You got it.
HeIIo.
PeopIe I was worried wouId get invoIved are aIready invoIved.
Where can I meet you?
The beach.
Okay, I'II be there in 20 minutes.
What seems to be the probIem, Mr. Barber?
How the heII did you get in here?
Easy. The door was wide open.
The cops are invoIved.
Oh.
-How did that happen? -Yeah, you teII me.
For starters, that pit buII of yours, DonneIIy,
is an ex-cop, or didn't you know that?
How wouId I?
Maybe the same way you knew that I'd take that money out of your purse.
You know, you can't beIieve everything Odette says.
Oh, yeah, speaking of,
that siIIy IittIe stepdaughter of yours is taking matters into her own hands.
-She teIephoned... -Her father. Yeah, I know.
-How did you know that? -Yeah, how did you know that?
Yeah, weII, never mind how I know.
You said your husband wasn't gonna invoIve the authorities.
-Yeah, weII, he isn't! -Somebody has!
WeII, it wasn't him.
He's a sick man. He Ioves his daughter. He's not about to trust the poIice.
What I don't understand is why the heII he'd wanna trust you.
Get off of me!
The money's there.
It's aII there. It's at the house.
The president of the bank dropped it off himseIf.
It's $500,000!
Come on.
UnIess you're not up to it.
Maybe we shouId caII the whoIe thing off.
Fine.
You know, this stiII couId work.
It's gotta be tonight.
I'II set a time and a pIace.
After I make the pickup, I'm gonna caII the house.
You make sure that you answer.
If anybody asks, you teII them you're going to see Odette.
We meet back here, we spIit up the money.
UnIess, of course,
you don't trust me.
I trust you.
Just remember,
watch what you say.
DonneIIy's an ear for the poIice.
I'II be carefuI.
What took you so Iong?
He needed a IittIe encouragement.
How?
-Fax for Miss Hardaway. -Thanks.
I take it back, Harry Barber. You are predictabIe.
Yeah, you there?
Pick up. It's me.
Listen, I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner. It's a busy day,
and it's Iike the crime of the century's going on down at the DA's office,
and Renick wants me to be press Iiaison.
I can't taIk about it, but I just...
WeII, I'm gonna be Iate.
I'm gonna be very Iate, so don't wait up. Bye-bye.
Okay. In an hour this'II aII be over with. You'II have your money.
And you'II have yours.
AII right, get on in there and wait for me.
You know,
I can't heIp but think about what happened in that bungaIow the other day.
What are you taIking about? Nothing happened.
I know.
It's a shame.
You sure you don't want me to come aIong?
The instructions said to come aIone.
I can't risk my chiId's Iife.
Okay.
Yes. Yes! Yes!
Yes!
We did it.
We sure as heII did it.
Hey.
You want to check this out?
Wake up, sIeeping beauty.
What are you, drunk?
Odette.
You're a fucking idiot.
Straight back to jaiI.
Straight back.
You fucking did it.
Twenty years.
Christ, you did it!
Come on! Come on!
Just Iight!
Fuck!
Son of a bitch.
You aII right under there?
Oh, yeah, I...
You know, I took my eye off the road for one second and I sIid into a guardraiI.
-Been drinking? -No, I don't drink.
-This yours? -GirIfriend's.
Sir, Iet me see your Iicense and registration, pIease.
Okay.
You know, I work at the DA's office.
I don't know if it's too Iate, but maybe you couId contact
the assistant DA, John Renick, there. He couId vouch for me.
You mean the John Renick?
You know him?
-Yeah. We went to the Academy together. -Oh, God.
He's my girI... My wife...
No, my girIfriend's sister's boy...
Husband.
-He's a good cop. -A great cop, according to him.
Look, I got an idea.
Why don't you open up that trunk there?
We'II get the spare out and I'II heIp you fix that tire.
-Okay. -AII right.
You know,
the spare is no... It's no good. It's no good, the spare.
WeII, you sure?
Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm...
No, I'm positive. It's...
My girIfriend had a fIat.
WeII.
We might better check and take a Iook-see.
Maybe she got it fixed.
No. She wouIdn't, 'cause she's... You know women.
They don't care about
spare tires. They...
I know women. WeII, it'd be fooIish not to check, though.
No, but I know my girIfriend. She...
Why don't we just pop her open anyway, take a Iook?
Might be surprised at what we find.
Go on, open her up.
Okay.
Shit!
WeII, I'II be damned!
How about them bananas?
Done broke it off. I'II teII you what, I'II...
I'II just caII you a tow truck, aII right?
-Thanks. -You bet.
-Very kind. -You're weIcome.
Thanks.
Here's $10, $25, that's $30.
Thirty? That's 50 bucks for the tow.
-Fifty bucks! Give me a break. -Fifty bucks.
Hey, that car's not coming off the hook untiI after you pay me.
Come on.
-AII right, I'II be right back. -I'II be here.
Is that you, Harry?
Go back to sIeep, baby.
John? Yeah, here he is. HoId on.
Harry.
Harry, it's John on the phone.
Yeah.
Harry, there's a new deveIopment. Mr. MaIroux just caIIed us.
His daughter didn't show up.
So now we're officiaIIy invoIved.
We need you to write a statement, a press reIease.
Okay.
I'II be right there.
Oh, hey, I need someone to pick me up.
-Yeah, just sit tight. -Thanks.
What's happening?
This case I've been working on, is a kidnapping case,
and the girI who was kidnapped, the money was given,
but she was never returned. And now...
Seems to reaIIy be affecting you.
Did you know her?
No, but it's... Of course not.
So,
that why you started drinking again?
I mean, a guy's entitIed to a drink every once in a whiIe.
You were the one who said it affected your judgment.
Yeah. WeII, I was wrong. My judgment's as bad as it ever was.
What's going on, Harry?
TeII me.
Nina...
So, what was it that finaIIy got MaIroux to caII in the cavaIry?
-Wife taIked him into it. -His wife?
It's about time, too.
We've aIready been in touch with the FBI.
They're sending up an agent this afternoon.
Stop here.
-It was exactIy here, Mr. Renick. -Right there?
I set the odometer when I Ieft home.
Let's go check that out.
Come on, Iet's go!
Hey, over here!
AII right. Get some pIastic on that. We need that thing protected.
That's a footprint. Great.
AII right.
Hey, Harry.
Harry, come here. Put your foot over next to this print here, wiII you?
What size shoe are you wearing?
Same size as the kidnapper, Iooks Iike.
-Come on, where's that pIastic? -Hey, I got tire tracks!
AII I can teII you, he was no pro, that's for sure.
WhoIe thing's sIoppy, haIf-assed,
and from what I know aIready, not very weII thought out.
I bet he's IocaI.
Let's get somebody on these tracks! We don't want them covered up.
Hey, hey, hey. Harry, come on.
It couId be important evidence you're standing on there, aII right?
Sorry.
Am I stiII needed, Mr. Renick?
Yes, sir. I'II be right there, Mr. MaIroux.
Hey, who is that guy with MaIroux?
That's DonneIIy. He's the ex-cop I was teIIing you about.
-Looks famiIiar. -Maybe you remember his face from TV.
He was the bagman for that crooked bunch down at City HaII.
He pIea-bargained his way out of doing any jaiI time,
but he stiII had to quit the force.
Hey, Harry.
It was his testimony that sprung you out of prison.
Damn!
ToId you they'd be aII over this Iike shit on a stick.
WeII, it's time for you to earn your keep, my friend.
Get out there and keep them off me, brother.
In-Iaw.
-There'II be a press conference upstairs... -Are you invoIved in this, Mr. Barber?
...in three minutes.
HeIIo.
My name's Harry Barber. I'II be the press Iiaison for the DA's office.
I used to be one of you, so I know how anxious you are to get going,
but I'd Iike to ask that everybody turn off their cameras
and turn off their tape-recording devices, pIease.
Do as I'm asking you, pIease...
You see, I...
The DA's office and the poIice department...
How come they Iet you out of jaiI, Harry?
...have asked that you hoId off on your story for the next 24 hours.
Why? Why is that, Harry?
We don't know a heck of a Iot more than you do.
Pretty much what you aII received in your statement.
And, thank you. So the district attorney doesn't want to
jeopardize this girI's situation if we break this story too soon.
Come on, Harry. We're not just taIking about a kidnapping case,
we're taIking about a murder case.
That's not true, Ernie.
-Do they have a suspect? -No.
If they don't now, they wiII soon. Right, Harry?
If the girI's aIready dead, then why are we sitting on this story?
They're just trying to fIush the kiIIer out. Right, Harry?
Come on, Harry. Throw us a bone.
Kind of rough, huh, Harry?
You know the press, they think they know everything.
But they're gonna cooperate though, right?
Yeah, for now.
What about you? Anything I shouId know?
WeII, we sent the ransom note and the drop-off instructions to the FBI.
We're just gonna have to wait and see what they come up with.
What do you mean? Like fingerprints?
Fingerprints?
Harry, the guy's dumb, not brain-dead.
They'II take saIiva sampIes from the enveIopes,
the cigarette butt we found, profiIe his DNA with it.
DNA?
They can do that?
Don't you watch TV?
Anyway, come this way. There's something more concrete
I want to show you.
You know, some peopIe might caII this Iuck.
I Iike to Iook at it as good investigative work.
Checked the routine poIice report the night the girI was taken.
Oh, it's hot.
This guy was discovered out coId in the parking Iot,
right next to where they found the girI's car.
Somebody gave him a great thump on the head.
Is that right?
I Iook Iike heII.
And he had receding brownish-bIonde hair.
He was about that taII.
Had to be about... God, he had to be about yea wide.
And he had kind of a smaII but Iongish face.
Jesus, Harry.
He couId be taIking about you.
Yeah, me and a hundred other guys.
-I'm gonna grab some Iunch. -Yeah. AII right. Go ahead.
...it turned out to be a red wig.
I aImost forgot. Nina caIIed, said she couIdn't find her car keys.
The car.
Nina !
Harry?
Are you here?
Do you have the keys? I need my car.
What are you doing?
What are you doing with that briefcase?
Nothing, I just...
It doesn't concern you, Nina.
Harry, if it concerns you, it concerns me.
Not this time.
-TeII me what's in the briefcase, Harry. -Nothing's in the briefcase.
What's going on?
Nina, nothing is going on. Nothing.
This is about that girI, isn't it?
The one that was kidnapped.
Nina, I need a few minutes aIone, right now.
-Where are you going? -I need to take my car.
-No, no, not now. -Why not, Harry?
-Just not now, Nina. -Harry, what is going on?
Nothing! Nothing's going on! Nothing! Okay?
Nothing!
It's the girI, isn't it?
Nina...
Harry, you answer me. The girI, she's in the garage, isn't she?
Dead?
Did you kiII her?
No.
I didn't kiII anybody.
Oh, God, I knew something was wrong, Harry, but...
Now you see why I didn't want to get you invoIved.
Okay.
AII right. What do we do now?
WeII, one thing's for sure. We gotta get rid of the body.
Oh, God, Harry, don't taIk Iike that.
I'm sorry, Nina. I'm not a good IittIe Scout Iost in the woods. Not anymore.
We gotta rent a car and dump the body somewhere.
We have aII the money we need right here.
Oh, God.
I thought I was one step ahead of her the whoIe time.
She pIayed me Iike a game of Chinese chess.
Checkers. Are you taIking about Rhea MaIroux?
AII she wanted was the girI dead and somebody to pin it on.
Why?
I don't know. It doesn't make sense.
UnIess she wanted the whoIe fortune to herseIf after the oId man dies.
-You think she kiIIed her daughter? -Stepdaughter. Not a chance.
Maybe there's somebody eIse invoIved.
Maybe Rhea MaIroux's got a friend.
DonneIIy.
Who's that?
Don't answer it. Don't answer it. That'II be John Renick.
It's onIy a matter of time before he puts two and two together
and comes up with the name Harry Barber.
Harry, why don't you teII John what happened? He'II beIieve you.
What, beIieve what? That I was gonna extort a haIf a miIIion doIIars
from FeIix MaIroux and not kiII his daughter?
It's the truth.
Yeah. It'II be Rhea MaIroux's word against mine.
What?
Rhea MaIroux's word.
No, no, no.
I've got a message from Harry Barber.
Who's Harry Barber?
Maybe this wiII ring a beII.
My stepdaughter is going to be kidnapped.
The ransom wiII be $500,000.
I need someone to be the threatening voice on the teIephone.
For making the caII and for coIIecting the ransom, I'm wiIIing to pay...
-I've heard enough. -... 10%.
What does this have to do with me?
You're fucking Rhea MaIroux, for starters.
So what do you want?
There's a body of a girI in the trunk of my car.
It needs to be taken care of or somebody's gonna find it.
-And if it's taken care of? -Then nobody needs to hear the tape,
and you can go on fucking Rhea MaIroux.
I expect to hear from you.
I'm not the onIy one who's been fucking Rhea MaIroux.
Maybe you shouId Iisten to the rest of your tape, sweetheart.
In aII of this excitement, Mr. Barber,
I don't remember hearing whether you were in or out.
In aII this excitement, I don't remember saying.
I need to know.
Time is of the essence.
Hey, where have you been? I've been on pins and needIes.
I Iistened to the tape, Harry.
-AII of it. -Nina...
It's not what you think. It didn't mean anything.
It sounded sincere.
WeII, yeah. Nina, Nina...
Harry, I don't understand why. I don't understand. Why did you do this?
I don't know. She...
She's a beautifuI woman.
I'm not taIking about Rhea MaIroux.
Everything. Everything. I don't understand. Don't teII me you did it for the money.
-No, I didn't do it for the money. -Then why?
WeII, I guess I feIt Iike
somebody owed me something for those two years. This is my way...
WeII, weII.
If it isn't the missing Iink.
You know, I'm not surprised you're mixed up in aII this, DonneIIy.
A snake can't change the fact that it crawIs on its beIIy for a Iiving.
Sticks and stones, Barber. Now, give me the tape.
Now, Iook.
You take the body, you get the tape. That's the deaI.
No, no, no. I'm making the fucking deaIs around here, aII right, Harry?
Give me the tape.
-Now, give me the other one. -What other one?
What other one? You met Odette aIone in that bungaIow.
If you taped Rhea, you taped the girI.
WeII, Harry?
Did you tape the girI, too?
Nina...
Now, about that probIem of yours.
Here's the soIution.
This stuff dissoIves the fIesh off of bones, then dissoIves the bones
just Iike piss on a snowman.
Harry, give me a hand. AII right, give me a hand.
You want to pIay, you gotta pay.
Oh, Jesus!
You got a bathtub?
-Yeah, why? -Where's the bathtub?
-Why? -For her.
You're gonna do this here?
-We're doing it here. -No, you can't do it here!
You know what, we'II use that.
-No, no, no. Take her out. -It's happening, Harry.
-Not here! -We're doing it. Shut up! Okay?
You shut up!
It's gonna take a coupIe of minutes.
Shit! Don't get it! Don't get it!
Don't answer it! Don't answer it!
Just keep the water running, Harry.
Your phone's ringing.
Want me to get that?
I aImost forgot, Harry.
Guess you earned it.
Goodbye.
Counting your money, Harry?
I don't know how you can even stand to touch it.
Fuck you!
Taking kind of a Iong Iunch, aren't you, Harry?
Get in.
BuckIe your seat beIt.
So what do you think, Harry?
About what?
Don't teII me you haven't heard?
They found her.
They found who?
Odette MaIroux.
In a bungaIow down at East Beach. Right under our noses the whoIe time.
Let's go, Harry.
We're Iive here at East Beach, and this is Harry Barber...
Harry, did you know it was MaIroux's daughter? Did you know she was dead?
Did you know she was dead, Harry?
Harry, are you invoIved in this?
Come on, come on. Meadows is waiting on us. Let's go.
WouId you give us a statement?
Hey.
It's seaweed.
Mr. MaIroux, I hate to do this to you, sir, but it's very important.
Let's get on with it.
Is this your daughter, Odette?
Mr. Renick,
this is BiIIy HoIden. He manages the pIace.
-Was it you that caIIed this in? -Yes, sir.
The maid found her a IittIe whiIe ago.
Was the girI renting the bungaIow?
No, sir.
Who was?
Harry Barber.
Get him.
Harry!
Harry, stop!
Oh, my God! My God!
-I'II get you a doctor. -No, no, no. No doctors.
Don't think anything's broke.
You probabIy hurt that oId truck more than it hurt you.
But that gunshot wound's another matter.
It might be best if you just gave yourseIf up.
I was hoping the rain was gonna wash away the whoIe dirty business.
And me right aIong with it.
Thank you.
I was in it right up to my ears,
and had no idea how the heII I was gonna get myseIf out.
There was onIy one thing I couId do.
Harry.
I've been waiting for you, Harry.
Yeah. I'm sure you have.
I have a boat.
We can go away together.
Just you and me.
Why don't I beIieve you?
Nobody was supposed to get kiIIed.
TeII that to Odette MaIroux.
It was DonneIIy.
He's such an animaI.
I'm so scared!
WiII you hoId me?
I need you so much.
No.
Not this time.
Somebody's gotta pay the piper. It's not gonna be me.
Where's your husband?
-Upstairs? -You're not gonna teII him.
-Yeah, yeah. I think he deserves to know. -No, Harry, he'II kiII you.
-Better him than the State of FIorida. -What about us?
Us?
Where does somebody Iike you come from?
I'm just a girI with a IittIe ambition.
A IittIe ambition?
We're no different!
You and me, Harry, we're the same.
That's where you're wrong.
Who are you?
My name's Harry Barber.
Do I know you?
We have a mutuaI acquaintance or two, yes.
What do you want?
My neck is in a noose and I gotta get it out.
And you're my onIy chance.
Does this have something to do with my daughter?
UnfortunateIy, sir, it's got everything to do with your daughter.
Do you know who kiIIed her?
Yes, I do.
I am waiting.
WeII...
I know you got no reason to beIieve me,
but I promise you it was...
ShouId I caII the poIice, sir?
Continue, Mr. Barber.
Your wife and DonneIIy.
-Look, I know you don't want to beIieve... -He's Iying, sir.
I know you got no reason to beIieve me, but it's true.
-They suckered me... -Shut up!
...into this phony kidnapping thing.
-And then they kiIIed your daughter. -He's Iying, sir!
And they did it for money. They're in on this together.
-I swear to God. -Shut up!
Rhea?
CouId you come in here?
PIease.
I don't Iike doing this. My wife is very upset.
It's an act, I'm teIIing you.
Your wife and this guy kiIIed your daughter.
Who is that?
That's not your wife.
That can't be your wife.
Shut up!
AIthough this is a death penaIty state, Mr. Barber,
I won't Iive Iong enough to see you die for the murder of my daughter.
I didn't kiII your daughter.
Make sure he isn't found.
I didn't do it.
-Ever. -I swear to God I didn't kiII her.
Listen to me! Wait! I didn't do it.
I'm teIIing you...
MaIroux, I...
I didn't kiII your daughter. I didn't do it!
HeIp me!
You had to get her invoIved, didn't you, dumb fuck?
Hi, Harry.
-Rhea MaIroux. -You know the wife, Harry.
To be.
IntimateIy.
For your information, she said you were Iousy,
just Iike your writing.
I did not say Iousy, I said predictabIe.
Like showing up tonight at MaIroux's. She figured you wouId.
It's not rocket science.
Guy coming out of prison on a bum charge is gonna want to even the score a IittIe.
It's onIy human nature.
The wife's good at that human nature stuff.
She's not bad at the physicaI stuff either.
But you, Harry, you just couIdn't keep your shirt on, couId you?
Or his pants.
FIash a IittIe green under your nose, and a IittIe pink,
and you were panting Iike a big dog on a hot day.
Yeah, so I'm a sucker, me and that poor girI
you had pIaying Iike she was Odette MaIroux.
She was very cute.
And a good IittIe actress, wasn't she?
Some runaway from the Midwest. Idaho, I think.
-That's the Northwest, hon. -Who cares?
Nobody's gonna see her again anyway.
I can't beIieve that you kiIIed her and Odette MaIroux
just for the ransom money.
Listen to you, Barber, a guy so broke his fucking cash bounces.
Five hundred thousand bucks
is five hundred thousand bucks.
You aIways were smaII time, DonneIIy.
Fuck you with a piIe driver, Harry.
Hon?
Which one do you think for the pIane ride?
I feeI, I don't know, dark and mysterious.
-I don't know. Surprise me. -Okay.
The IittIe Iady and I are going to Vegas to get married, take some R and R.
Get the fuck off me.
Mr. MaIroux gave us the week off, and his bIessings, sweetheart.
-Mr. MaIroux? -Yeah. That's how we met, Harry.
I do the cooking and the cIeaning
-and take care of the oId man. -See, she does the gardening, too.
Rosemary, herbs, aII that sort of thing.
-I've aIways been a working girI. -I'II bet.
I gotta hand it to you, Barber.
When you showed up at the doorstep that day,
I thought you bIew the whoIe deaI.
You know, you got a fucking knack for that.
I had a damn good thing going when I was a cop.
Good thing tiII you fucked it aII up.
You couIdn't just take the money, couId you?
Not Harry Barber. He's Mr. CIean.
No. You just don't Iearn, do you, Barber?
-Maybe next time... -You're out of next times, Sunny Jim.
You understand me?
WeII, I guess this is goodbye.
Can I have a moment?
This must be what you want.
I'm gonna miss you.
Okay, Iovebugs, that's enough.
You don't reaIIy think she's gonna marry you, do you?
-You taIk too much, Barber. -She ain't gonna marry you, I promise you.
She's gonna fuck you over...
You know,
the worId is fuII of Harry Barbers.
Guys who want to pIay in the big Ieagues, but just don't have the taIent.
My advice to you, Harry, is don't go in the deep end if you can't swim.
Hey, what're you doing, Harry? You want to fucking pIay games?
You want to make this painfuI?
What is that?
Is that a wire? You wearing a wire?
HoId it, DonneIIy!
CIear!
-Check the back. -Get her! Take care of her!
Check upstairs.
AII right, I got you.
-Where have you been? -We were right outside.
That couId've been me, man.
It couId've been you, but it isn't you, aII right?
That couId've been me!
But it isn't you, Harry! We had to make this Iook good
if it was gonna be beIievabIe.
You were Iate! That couId've been me.
Jesus Christ! What?
Hi, baby.
I Iove you.
You okay?
You did it, Barber. Nice work.
Free at Iast.
-Read him his rights. -What're you doing? What?
Conspiracy to kidnap, accessory to extortion, Harry,
-hindering an investigation. -This was my idea.
The whoIe wire thing. I got you re-eIected!
Over here!
-Come on out of there! -Open the door!
HeIIo.
WouId you mind, pIease, hoIding my bag for me?
Move it!
This isn't right, Renick.
I heIped you out, you know it.
-This isn't right. We had a deaI. -Let's go. Let's go. Get her out of here.
-Take them downtown. -Move it! Move it, come on!
-Let's go. Let's go. -This isn't right.
WeII, I'm back in prison,
back with my IittIe friends.
It's part of the deaI I cut with Renick.
But it isn't going to be for Iong.
The way I figure, just Iong enough for me to write my story.
And then, who knows?
They might even turn it into a movie.
EngIish