Miller's Crossing Page #2

Leo

You know Bernie's chiseling you because he's a

chiseler. And you know he's a chiseler because

he's chiseling you.

Airily:

Caspar

Sometimes you just know.

Leo

. . . So you wanna kill him.

Bluepoint

For starters.

Leo nods, thinking. He swivels to look interrogatively at

Tom.

Tom gives an almost imperceptable shrug. The ice cubes in

his glass clink.

Leo turns back to Caspar, pauses.

Leo

. . . Sorry, Caspar. Bernie pays me for protec-

tion.

Tom, peering over his drink, does not entirely conceal his

surprise.

Caspar stares at Leo, his mouth open. It is not the

response he expected.

Caspar

. . . Listen, Leo, I ain't askin, for permission.

I'm tellin' you as a courtesy. I need to do this

thing, so it's gonna get done.

Leo

Then I'm telling you as a courtesy that you'll

have trouble. You came here to see if I'd kick

if you killed Bernie. Well there's your answer.

Caspar's voice is harder:

Caspar

Listen Leo, I pay off to you every month like a

greengrocer--a lot more than the Motzah--and I'm

sick a gettin' the high hat--

Leo

You pay off for protection, just like everyone

else. Far as I know--and what I don't know in

this town ain't worth knowing--the cops haven't

closed any of your dives and the O.A. hasn't

touched any of your rackets. You haven't bought

any license to kill bookies and today I ain't

selling any. Now take your flunky and dangle.

Caspar is staring at Leo. He looks at Tom, then rises

slowly to his feet. Back at Leo:

Caspar

Ya know I'm tryin'. . . I'm tryin not to raise my

voice in anga. I've always gone along to get

along. But you make me lay off the Matzoh and

you're givin' me the needle. I told you the

sheeny was robbin' me blind, I told you I wanna

put him in the ground and I'm telling you now I'm

sick a the high hat.

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes