Absence of Malice Page #2

Not for attribution.

No confirm, no deny.

Background?

Can't help.

Off the record.

Off the record?

Yeah.

No comment.

You're a real sweetie.

I told you it was gonna be dull.

[INTERCOM BUZZES]

Yeah?

All right, I'll be there

in a minute.

Cheer up.

Maybe you'll get lucky.

I gotta go to a meeting.

Oh, take your time.

Have a little coffee.

"Under investigation," weak.

Can't we say he's a suspect?

I don't know what he's suspected of.

The murder of Joey Diaz.

Kidnapped. No murder, no body.

Presumed murder.

You're missing six months,

you're dead.

The prime suspect.

I don't know he's prime.

Maybe they have somebody primer.

"Key."

"The key."

"A key."

McADAM:
Christ,

you want anybody to read this?

You keep watering it down.

"Informed sources."

"Well-informed."

If he wanted to leak

the story, why didn't he

tell me off the record?

Instead of talking out of school,

he got you snooping through files.

Smart guy.

"Sources in the federal building"?

That sounds like the janitor.

"Knowledgeable sources."

McADAM:

"Knowledgeable sources."

Why did Rosen want it out?

Maybe he's trying to be a nice guy.

Maybe he wants us to owe him.

Maybe he likes your legs.

If we try to figure out why people

leak stories, we'll publish monthly.

Davidek better read this.

Oh, he's gonna love it.

Now, then, madam, you propose to

say that Mr. Michael Colin Gallagher

is the proximate cause of the demise

of the esteemed Mr. Diaz.

That's not what it says.

He's under investigation.

Gallagher will think

we make him out a murderer.

As will his friends, his neighbors.

Let us assume he is neither

a murderer nor the subject

of investigation.

Let us suppose that your story

proves to be false on its face.

This story's true.

If papers printed nothing but truth,

they'd never employ attorneys,

and I should be out of work.

I read the file.

I'm not interested

in the facts.

The question is not whether

your story is true,

the question is:
What protection

do we have if it proves to be false?

Now, then, Mr. Gallagher

is not a public official,

nor is he likely

to become one. Pity.

Is he a public figure?

He's not going to sue, for God's sake.

So, what does it take

to make him a public figure?

If I knew, I should be a judge.

They never tell us till it's too late.

I'd be more comfortable if he were

a movie star or a football coach.

Football coaches are

very safe indeed.

Have we spoken with

Mr. Gallagher?

We don't call the Mafia

for comment.

Please make the attempt.

All right.

If he talks to us,

we'll include his denials,

which will create

the appearance of fairness.

If he declines,

we can hardly be responsible

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