Manhattan Night

1

I sell mayhem,

scandal, murder, and doom.

Oh, Jesus, I do.

I sell the newborn and the dead.

I sell the wretched, magnificent

city of New York back to its people.

I sell newspapers.

Thanks for your time.

Yeah?

Porter. I got

a shooting, plus a fire.

- Mm. Any bodies?

- At least two, projects on Avenue d.

Paul said something about a kid.

I'm on it. I'm on it.

Thanks.

I'm always running to the place

where the bad thing

just happened,

arriving just after

the danger has passed,

watching from a safe distance,

searching for an angle,

that little wrinkle, the kick to the heart

that makes you want to put down the dollar

and pick up the paper.

With three deadlines a week,

I'm always looking

for a good story.

I seen the smoke.

And I'm looking up there.

And that's when Demetrius,

he come jumping

through that window.

And he on fire,

burning like all over.

And he holding Vernon here.

And Demetrius,

he fall, fall, and fall.

I can see he gonna land

on top of the baby.

And then just before

Demetrius land,

he do this little kind of flip.

And he landed on his back.

And he holding the baby up,

like...

And I can see that

he do that on purpose.

What did you do?

I run over and

I pick up Vernon here.

And I see Demetrius.

He just not gonna make it,

because he landed

on his back like that.

Hey, little man.

I'm sorry that happened to you

and your daddy. You okay?

No, no, no, he don't talk yet.

Fall, fall, fall.

Thanks for your time.

Hey, you're the one that helped

them find that little girl?

I write a column

for a daily newspaper.

In other words,

I'm an endangered species.

I used to think my stories

could make a difference.

Now I just hope they are

enough to feed my family.

These days, eight million kids

have iPhones

and post their videos on YouTube

like they're actually reporting

and commenting on something.

Eh. My wife says I sound old.

I'm heading into a long one, so

you'll probably get home before me.

Josephine needs to get paid.

And please remember to scrub

the pots and pans.

You keep leaving them for me.

Yeah, well, they

have to soak overnight.

Oh, yeah?

- Yeah.

- - Really?

Is that what

your mother told you?

Well, look, I got to go, baby.

- Wait, Porter.

- What?

Did you remember your tuxedo?

Yeah, but I don't want to go.

Everyone's going to be

sucking up to Hobbs, uh...

you know, if they're really thinking about

cutting your column, you better go.

I know you are a watcher, Mr.

wren, but it is rude to stare.

I'm sorry. I was just trying to

figure out where I knew you from.

I see you recognize me, though.

From your cheesy picture.

The one that

goes with my column.

Your smug expression

is annoying.

It was, uh, taken last year,

in the waning moments

of my youth.

Right before they retired

the film camera?

- Wow.

- - Sorry.

Does anyone actually read

the newspaper anymore?

Well, I have a few fans

of the print edition.

I'm told they Twitter at me.

I think they Twitter

about how awesome it is,

the feel of the paper,

the smell of the ink.

Hashtag-well-written-column.

Well...

I do like the feel of the paper.

And your column, Mr. wren,

is always very well written,

in an old-time,

classic kind of way.

- Well...

- I do wonder, though.

It must be depressing for you to

be in all those places

right after a terrible thing

has happened.

You must have seen

so many awful things.

I've seen a few things.

People seem to open up to you.

You must have a skill for

asking the right questions.

Usually people want

to tell somebody,

and I'm just there

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