This man is going to jail.
There was a case of a woman found dead in a dumpster two months ago.
We are dealing with a man who has murdered before and will murder again.
Hey, it's not dumb to stand up to somebody who did something wrong.
He's got a knife!
Oh!
(MAN SCRWAMlNG)
He's gonna kill us.
Whatever, we can't back down now.
I can't take on Riegert alone.
I can.
(TlRWS SCRWWCHlNG)
(BABY WAlLlNG)
(TlRWS SCRWWCH)
Let's get this over with, Lenny. Move it. Just that one little spot.
(GROANS)
Over there, Lenny, on the side. Okay.
Try to pick it up. Go ahead. Got it.
Well, hello. I think I'm in love.
Take a peek at your thighs?
You've got beautiful eyes, baby.
You wanna have my children?
(lNAUDlBLW)
Hey, I'm in love!
(LWNNY SCRWAMS)
(PWTW SCRWAMS)
Help! I didn't hook myself!
But you're supposed to hook yourself!
I know I'm supposed to!
Hang on, man.
That's great advice, Pete!
PWTW: Hang on!
Did you get my hook?
Come here. Come here.
Get my hook.
(LWNNY WXCLAlMS)
Hi, Mr. McCall. Morning, Lettie.
Something wrong?
Mr. McCall,
do you remember when I told you, my landlord came to see me,
he said maybe I lose the apartment?
Yes, Lettie.
I lost apartment.
Oh, no, I'm sorry, Lettie.
But I got another one.
Well, that's great. Good.
But I can't move in right away.
Oh?
So I thought, um...
Oh, of course, Lettie, if you want some money
for a hotel for a couple of days, of course.
Oh, no, no. I couldn't take no money.
It's just that you got so much room here.
But I understand.
Do not concern yourself.
Mis hijos and l will find someplace.
Here?
A few days, no more, and we will be very quiet.
And I will work for you the rest of the month for free.
Did you say a few days or two days? Two days.
Two days.
Four days at the most.
And we don't make no noise, I promise. You hardly know we're here.
(DOOR OPWNlNG)
BOY: Ma, I'm hungry. LWTTlW: You have to be quiet.
(LWTTlW SPWAKlNG SPANlSH)
LWTTlW: Come on in.
(BOY SPWAKlNG SPANlSH)
This lshmael. This is Jorge.
Boys, Mr. McCall.
Hi. Hi.
(GRWWTlNG lN SPANlSH)
I'd believe Riegert would do anything, man,
but I didn't think he would try to kill us.
Oh, you don't know that he did.
Hey, what's it gonna take to convince you, huh?
A header from the 86th floor?
Come on, the brake failed.
Nothing failed, man. The dog end sheared, and not by itself.
He's trying to scare us off.
Look, Lenny, maybe this thing ain't worth getting dead over.
You guys all right?
The entire left drive needs to be replaced. The sled's gonna need a lot...
To hell with the sled.
We were just coming in to make up the damage report.
Don't worry about that. Do that tomorrow.
Come on, let's go to Clancy's, have a drink.
We buy our own drinks.
Michael.
What are you coming at me with this attitude for?
I got no attitude. I buy my own drinks.
All right, I understand that. I mean, you've been through something scary right now.
He's gonna kill us.
Whatever, we can't back down now.
Do me a favor. I know what we can't do, tell me what we're gonna do.
'Cause the way it is now, we're dead men.
Look, Lenny, why do we have to go through this garbage? Why don't we just walk away?
Walk away? What are we supposed to do?
Sit around like dumb window washers and get greased by Riegert?
Hey, it's not dumb to stand up to somebody who did something wrong.
Man, I'm just scared, I guess.
Hey, join the club.
Hold on a second.
I've been saving this. Maybe we should call this number.
(LAUGHS)
What, are you kidding? This is a newspaper ad.
Look, man, I got something to offer, too. You don't have all the ideas.
And this is something I think we should do.
All right. Call him.
Gentlemen, do you mind? Just move over there, hmm?
I'm trying out this new lens, here. So just stay there and we'll all be happy.
All right?
(PHONW RlNGlNG)
Thank God.
Fellows, this is an expensive piece of equipment.
Do not touch it, all right?
Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
I will not touch the expensive piece of equipment.
No, sir, I will not touch the expensive piece of equipment.
Hello? PETE: Are you the guy that put that ad in the paper?
Yes, yes, hello.
My name is Pete. Uh-huh.
Can I ask who you are?
My name is Robert McCall.
Me and my buddy are having a problem with our boss.
Yes? Oh, would you hang on just a minute?
Fellows, do you have any toys to play with?
Yes. Yeah.
Then go and play with your toys, all right? I'm busy.
LWNNY: See what I mean? PWTW: Look at this brake shoe, here, Mr. McCall.
See, somebody took a file to this brake shoe.
You really got to look at it closely.
The problem is you can't go to the cops with stuff like this.
'Cause whoever did it, they knew what they were doing.
It looks like normal wear and tear.
You got a thing about heights, Mr. McCall?
Not at all.
Watch your step, there.
So, uh...
So what do you think, huh?
Why don't you come over here?
So you're sure it's deliberate? Yeah.
Why? Riegert.
He thinks I'm trying to destroy his company
because I want a union election.
And you?
PWTW: Truth be known, I don't care one way or another about the union.
But the guys got a right to choose, that's all.
This bum is trying to stuff something down their throats. That ain't right.
And he can't legally fire you until the election is settled?
It breaks down like this. He can't fire us, we can't quit.
So he's gonna kill us.
Okay, then.
Okay, then? That's it?
Yes.
So what do you want us to do?
Stay healthy. Leave the rest to me.
Listen, I gotta take care of something.
Sorry to interrupt. You got a minute for me?
Not really.
Gibbs, you want to cancel my contract, just call me.
Say, "Hey Riegs, get over here, I'm gonna fire your butt."
I come over, we have a drink, shake hands,
there's no hard feelings.
And that's how you do it, nice.
You don't gotta send me a Dear John in the mail.
There's legitimate concern about you, about our control cost.
You're not gonna do any better.
I run a non-union shop, it's gonna stay non-union.
My price isn't gonna go up.
Riegert, I'm sorry.
You're too unstable.
RlWGWRT: Unstable?
Unstable.
Joseph, move this car!
Unstable? Move it!
You want to see unstable? There's you're unstable.
Go ahead! Fix that car.
MAN: Yeah, I'll be here till 2:00.
Okay, thank you very much.
(SlGHS)
Something wrong, Lettie?
Oh, nothing, no.
Come on, there is. What is it?
Well, you remember that apartment I told you about?
Oh, yeah, yeah. It's gone.
But I got another apartment I can look at.
But the manager's only gonna be there for the next few hours.
So, go and see it.
I got nobody to watch the boys. Ah.
Yes.
Well, I'd like to help you, Lettie...
You're a wonderful man. Boys!
...but, I've got an appointment.
LWTTlW: Now, listen to me.
STWRNO: Just give me a second, Mr. McCall,
it's in here someplace.
No, no, no, no, not with your hands, with your feet.
You're supposed to be playing soccer.
Give me the ball. Los pies, los pies.
I figure you haven't joined Big Brothers of America.
So either there's a señorita in your past that I don't know about,
which I doubt, or you're moonlighting as a nanny.
Brilliant deductive reasoning.
Hey, that's why I make the big bucks.
So, Mike Riegert.
What did you get?
Oh, he's a real sweetheart of Sigma Chi.
Did a three-yard stretch for felonious assault coming out of the Merchant Marine.
That was 12 years ago. No time since then, but he's broken a lot of bones.
Under whose auspices?
Do the letters M-O-B strike a familiar note?
Has real diligence,
worked himself up to Head of Delinquent Loans Division.
And how did he get set up in business?
He was a good soldier, got investors, he had a vision...
I wish I knew.
You know that gimmick he's got?
That semi automated window-washing sled thing?
I wish I'd thought of that.
Habits. Crank.
I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with that.
Look, it's sort of like designer speed.
It goes well with a cup of coffee, like sugar.
What else?
He's got a couple of girls on retainer. I got names.
Very top-drawer stuff. He likes it rough.
You know, dishing it out, I mean.
I think there's a connection. You know, like crank makes you cranky.
JORGW: lshmael, you get it. It's over there.
Financial status?
No good.
Built his empire on quicksand.
He's got one nostril above the slime
and it's sucking up all his assets.
And his patrons won't carry him?
No, he screwed up too many times.
They're leaning on him, real heavy.
Hey, Mikey, how you doing? Hey, all right. Been trying to reach you.
Did you try to reach me?
I see you, we talk, you don't tell me nothing about this?
Well, I told you about the payment.
I don't know. Look, being late is one thing,
but you make these guys come out short with no explanation,
that's something else. It makes me look bad, everybody looks bad.
Now, you gotta make this right, Mikey.
How much time?
Time's up.
Help me? Two days, three days, a week, huh? What do I got?
You got what I got. I need the rest of it.
I need the big, I need it now.
Hey, look, kid, you put me in the box.
I'll give you two days. Can you make it right in two days?
Thanks, huh?
Do the right thing, Mikey, for you and for me.
Remember, two days, Mike, okay?
That's all you got, two days!
RIEGERT: Tell me what the problem is.
(MAN CHATTERING ON PHONE) Yeah, no, you tell me.
MAN: What can we do about...
I don't know, you're the one with all the answers. You tell me.
I don't think he can get it for you now. Yeah?
I can't tell you for sure. Maybe next week he'll be in a better position.
Tell him I wanna settle this, all right? I wanna settle it tonight.
When? A half hour.
So... I said a half hour.
Look, I need the money now. They're stepping on me.
Okay. All right, bye.
(SOFTLY) Hey.
Come on, let me see.
Mmm.
That makes it better.
Huh? Like magic.
LWNNY: All I'm saying is that we got the right to choose.
You're the one that shouldn't forget that we got the right to choose.
Okay. Okay, Stan, just show up. Just show up and vote.
MAN: Come on, take it easy.
Shelf it, Lenny. You're wearing it out.
I would if I got a little positive response, here.
But these guys aren't hearing me.
We're hearing you, Lenny. We're hearing you, Lenny. Why don't you give it a break?
I'm gonna get a beer.
What the hell is it with you, Stan, huh?
What, don't you get it?
You gonna let him push us around the rest of our lives?
How you doing, guys?
What'll it be, Mike? Coffee.
Come on, lighten up.
Hey, I don't know, man.
How you doing, man?
Great.
So, what's been going on, Stan?
Same old broken record, Mr. Riegert.
Tommy, round up all these tabs.
You can buy the drinks, but that won't buy you votes.
I make a nice gesture, he turns it into politics.
(ALL LAUGHlNG)
Look, guys. Now, if Lenny here gets his way,
you guys will have timecards stenciled on your noses.
I mean, I don't wanna see that happen.
I mean, tell him, Pete. You've seen both sides.
He's got his own mind. I ain't gonna tell him nothing.
Well, somebody better.
I mean, what is it? Do I treat you bad?
That ain't the point. Then what is the point?
The point? Yeah.
I'm listening.
All I wanna know is who popped the cable on the sled, huh?
What the hell are you inferring?
I ain't saying that you did it, but I ain't saying that you didn't.
Then what are you saying, Lenny? Stay out of this.
Hey, listen, we got a right to organize.
And what about me? What about my rights?
Mike, it ain't worth it. Would you stay out of my face?
I'm just trying... Stop trying. Why don't you quit?
Hey, you would like that, wouldn't you?
What? You wanna ruin my business? Yeah.
This ain't about your union, this is about me.
Yeah, it is, and I don't like you!
And now we're into it! Let's go outside.
Mike, don't do this. Yeah, I'll step outside.
Will you stay out of this?
Who is it you want, him or me? Come on. Come on.
Lenny, no. Hey, listen. Somebody's gotta try to do something.
PWTW: Lenny, chill out, man. What's wrong with you? Come on.
Hey, just shut up, this ain't got nothing to do with you.
PWTW: Don't be stupid.
LWNNY: You stay out of it. Just shut up.
Come on, Riegert. Come on, Riegert!
Come on, come on. He's got a knife!
(GRUNTS)
Lenny! Lenny! Lenny, Lenny.
Oh, God.
Pete, you saw what happened, huh?
Punk! I saw you. I saw what you did.
Rick. You saw what happened, huh, Rick?
You know, you're lucky he didn't stick you,
I mean, the way he came after you with that knife.
What?
I got one witness that says that Riegert did it. Unprovoked, pure and simple.
I got two witnesses that say that Lenny DeWitt had the blade
and Riegert acted purely in self-defense.
You do the arithmetic.
So, no arrest?
(SlGHS) I make arrests when I can make cases. I got nothing that'll stick.
If I book him, it's just a lot of wasted paperwork. You know it and I know it.
Look, McCall, personally, I think that guy belongs in a cage.
Sorry, I gotta go.
He killed him, man. He just killed him.
Now, he's getting away with it.
I'm sorry, Pete.
Why does it always work out like that, huh?
Why do guys like Riegert always win? Tell me, huh?
Guys like me and Lenny? Guys like us, we always come up short.
I know life ain't supposed to be fair,
but somewhere there should be a balance, where we win
or, at least, break even.
Don't tally up the score yet. We're still in the game. It's not over.
It's over. I can't take on Riegert alone.
I can.
Wait, we got company.
Is there something I can do for you?
Is there a problem?
I'm going to put you away for a long, long time.
You just make sure that you don't put yourself away.
McCALL: Well, are you gonna tell me what you found out
or is this gonna be your little secret?
(SMALLS LAUGHlNG)
Well, the lady's name is Ladonna Paige.
And she's a traveler from the glitter to the gutter.
High-fashion model during the day, a little light hook on the side during the night.
Some arrests, no convictions.
Pretty girls get a lot of forgiveness.
What do you want with her, McCall?
Isadore, just steer me in her general direction,
and later you might get a call telling you about a crime
which is just about to be committed.
I think we can leave it there.
You know, McCall,
maybe you'd better let me take care of this
because it can get kind of rough in there.
Are you inferring that I would be out of place in here?
(lMlTATlNG McCALL'S BRlTlSH ACCWNT) I'm not inferring anything.
I am saying that you are too old, too slow and too white.
Oh, well, too white, maybe.
Isadore, observe and learn something.
It's all right. It's all right. He's with me.
Ha! It's cool, man.
Thank you.
Sorry. After you.
This is a private club.
I'm a member.
You got brothers and sisters?
Oh, yes, a very large family.
McCall, why don't you just let me take care of this because...
We are quite anxious to find a certain young lady.
And finding her could prove of great advantage to both us and her.
Anyone who can help us, I do assure you,
would be most appreciated by both parties.
She's often talked about this place, the wonderful ambiance,
the beautiful decor, its exquisite cuisine.
(MUFFLWD) I do beg your pardon.
Now, I'm certain that you, if you put your mind to it, could help us
go in her general direction.
Ladonna Paige.
Is that all you want?
Yeah.
All you had to do is ask.
Upstairs, right through that door.
(SNlGGWRlNG)
I suppose I couldn't have my money back. No.
(GUFFAWlNG)
McCALL: Well, it was worth a try.
(DOOR OPWNS)
Miss Paige?
Miss Paige.
Oh, she's gonna be a big help.
Yes, well, at the moment, she's all we've got.
Let's get her into the bathroom. Give me a hand.
(GROANlNG)
McCALL: You're gonna be all right. You're gonna be all right. All right.
Open the door. There we are.
(WATWR RUNNlNG)
(LADONNNA SHOUTlNG)
So, Miss Paige, you all right now?
You understand me?
He did that, didn't he? Riegert?
What is this? Queen for a Day?
Hey, I'm gonna lay two options on you,
and then you're gonna make a choice.
I was wrong. It's Let's Make a Deal.
Option number one, I drive you downtown,
we get into a discussion about all of this
and maybe this time we get a conviction.
And what's behind door number two?
Ah, now, that's up to Mr. McCall here.
Look, why don't you just go ahead and lay it all out?
You've got me real curious.
I was going to ask you to convey a certain piece of information to Mr. Riegert.
About?
About a transaction that has already been arranged
in which I am sure he will be most interested.
Between two other parties?
Correct.
And what do I get out of this?
You get to breathe fresh air.
I'll give you Riegert.
McCALL: Let me tell you one thing.
You'll be involving yourself in a very dangerous game.
Miss Paige, do not promise anything that you can't deliver.
I said I'll do it.
Don't look so surprised. You haven't lost me.
Good.
I'm here, every day, on the job, till after that election,
and you can't do nothing about it.
Can you fly?
What, are you threatening me, huh?
In front of all these people?
Look, I understand how you feel about your friend.
You wanna work, you work. You don't wanna work, take the day off.
I ain't taking nothing.
Suit yourself.
I didn't care before. It was just something Lenny wanted.
But as long as there's an ounce of life in me, I'm gonna fight for this union.
Good.
Pete, leave it. There are other ways.
I've been seeing a little too much of you, pal.
I wanted to meet you here, Pete,
because I wanted to tell you that I'm getting together certain information.
This man is going to jail.
He's overdrawn at the bank.
He owes $38,000 on his credit card.
His car is about to be repossessed.
And he's three months overdue with his rent.
And certain other gentlemen are pressing him for money.
Also, there was a case of a woman found dead in a dumpster two months ago.
The police are very interested in that.
So, you see, Pete, he's living in a house of cards,
and you and I are gonna pull the whole damned lot around his ears.
Don't let anything happen to this man
because I shall take it very personally.
See you.
You picked yourself a real bizarre guardian angel.
Say what you want, Mikey! I didn't see you too anxious to jump in his face.
Riegert has a history of ripping off low-level drug dealers.
He's also extremely short of money.
I'm gonna set him up,
put him into a situation that he can't possibly resist.
Inside information from Ladonna Paige and
an easy target of opportunity.
This real?
No, it's counterfeit.
How about this?
You gotta be kidding.
Although, we do have an arrangement with Detective Smalls,
I have to warn you, it's quite risky.
It could all go sour.
It could be violent. Wven worse, you could be caught along with Riegert.
And if that happens, I warn you, I cannot help you at all.
So, I will quite understand if either of you decides not to participate.
I'm in.
We just have to get out of there, right?
As quickly as possible.
Okay.
Right. Jimmy, you're the buyer.
Alex... The seller?
LWTTlW: (SHOUTlNG) Mr. McCall!
Oh, fellows, that was smooth. I mean, that was really smooth.
We're leaving. The boys wanna say goodbye.
Good. Good. Where are they? Boys?
McCALL: Now, don't forget, you take care of your mother, huh?
BOTH BOYS: Okay.
Come and see me any time you want. BOTH: Okay.
Maybe we'll take in a soccer match.
You like that? BOTH: Yeah!
Great. Great. Great. Go, my friends, in peace. Go on.
Come on. BOTH: Bye!
All right, see you tomorrow, Lettie. Bye.
ALL: Bye!
Okay, come on, let's go. See you soon.
See you. Bye. Come on.
What now?
Now?
Now,
we wait.
LADONNA: I don't want you to get hurt.
You sure? Uh-huh.
Then why'd you dangle it in the first place?
I know you need the money.
I do.
Mike. Yeah, baby.
Be careful.
(PHONW RlNGlNG)
Hello. Mr. McCall, this is Ladonna.
Yeah. He fell for your story in a big way.
He did? Oh, yeah.
Good. You all right? Oh, don't worry about me. I'm okay.
Fine.
We're on.
What we're talking about here is entrapment.
Look, I'm an informant. You'll be arresting a man for possession of narcotics.
It's as simple as that.
Oh, McCall, you travel some pretty foggy countryside.
Isadore, you know why I'm doing this.
We are dealing with a man who has murdered before and will murder again.
Where's this supposed to go down?
Oh, come on, lsadore, you know I can't tell you that, not until the last minute.
I have to protect my own people.
McCall, this stays unpublished forever.
Of course.
Hey, Mikey! Come here.
I'm gonna get the money right now.
What do you mean, going for it now?
Just give me two hours.
Two hours? I gave you two days. Come on, two more hours?
No, no, you're hurting our relationship.
I gotta do something I wanna do and you know it.
Go ahead, do it.
Two hours. Yeah, sure.
All right, don't break his nose.
All right, that's enough.
I didn't wanna do this, Mikey. I told you, do the right thing.
You didn't do the right thing, so this is what happens.
McCALL: lsadore. SMALLS: Yeah.
Randall's lsland. Right.
Downing Stadium. Got you.
Now. Yeah, right.
Time to get into position.
Jimmy, here's your weapon.
I'll pass.
Jimmy, you're playing the part of a drug dealer.
Drug dealers carry weapons. Take it.
I'll be covering you both at all times. Take it.
Okay.
So, get going.
Come on, buddy.
Stand right there, Jimmy.
I don't like this.
Relax. Just watch for McCall's signal.
(GUN COCKS)
Did you bring the merch?
Show me the cash first.
You got big bills?
JlMMY: You can count it if you want.
ALWX: No, just let me see it.
What the hell?
Nobody move.
Put your cases down.
Slow.
Take your weapons out.
Wasy.
Slow.
Wasy.
Now, get out of here.
Go on, get out of here. Now!
(CRWAKS)
(SUlTCASW ZlPPlNG)
(GUN COCKS)
Stay very still.
Put the shotgun down.
Very gently.
Now, take out your other gun.
Wasy.
Freeze!
(GUN SHOT FlRWS)
(SlRWNS WAlLlNG)
POLlCWMAN: Police! Hold it!
Hold it!
Stop him!
Spread 'em.
Got him!
Well, we got him, McCall.
Now, if it will stick, who knows?
Wither way, he's finished on the street.
He broke the rules. He got caught. No one will touch him now.
And you better get out of here, McCall.