The Killing

---

And they're off!

It's Lucky Arrow breaking on top.

Purple Shadow is second.

At exactly 3:
45 on that Saturday afternoon...

in the last week of September...

Marvin Unger was perhaps the only one

among the hundred thousand people

at the track...

who felt no thrill

at the running of the fifth race.

He was totally disinterested

in horse racing...

and held a lifelong contempt

for gambling.

Nevertheless, he had a five-dollar win bet

on every horse in the fifth race.

He knew, of course,

that this rather unique system of betting...

would more than likely

result in a loss.

But he didn't care...

for after all, he thought,

what would the loss of $20 or $30 mean...

in comparison to the vast sum of money

ultimately at stake?

- A bottle of ginger ale, please.

- Yes, sir. Coming right up.

Favorite broke bad.

Could be anybody's race.

- Lucky Arrow by a head.

Purple Shadow between horses.

- Could be.

- Put a five-dollar win

next to the five-dollar place.

- Stopwatch is third by three quarters.

Southern Star is next,

Main Entrance and Stanley Cage.

- Quite a crowd you got.

- Yeah.

Passing the quarter pole,

it is Lucky Arrow and Purple Shadow...

with Stopwatch on the outside to third.

At the head of the stretch,

it is Purple Shadow leading by a length.

Lucky Arrow is second by three quarters.

Stopwatch, going up on the outside,

is third by a length and a quarter.

Then comes Southern Star,

Main Entrance, Stanley Cage...

Third Row and Lover's Dilemma.

It is Lucky Arrow between horses by a head,

Purple Shadow by a head...

and Stopwatch moving fast

on the outside.

It's Lucky Arrow, Purple Shadow

and Stopwatch neck and neck.

It's Lucky Arrow, Purple Shadow

and Stopwatch.

It's Stopwatch taking the lead.

Stopwatch by a head.

Purple Shadow second by a head.

Lucky Arrow third by a length.

And Southern Star finished fourth.

Waiting for the race to become official...

he began to feel as if he had as much effect

on the final outcome of the operation...

as a single piece of a jumbo jigsaw puzzle

has to its predetermined final design.

Only the addition

of the missing fragments of the puzzle...

would reveal whether the picture

was as he guessed it would be.

The result

of the fifth race is now declared official.

Twenty-five dollars.

About an hour earlier

that same Saturday afternoon in September...

in another part of the city...

Patrolman First Class Randy Kennan

had some personal business to attend to.

-

- Hiya, Tiny. What's the good word?

Same as always. Havin' a ball.

I'll see you later.

Good evening, Randy.

How have things been?

What's the use of kickin', Leo?

You wouldn't believe it anyway.

Oh. I suppose they've been very well.

After all, a man drives a new car,

lives in a fine apartment.

So? I like to live good.

You got any objections?

None at all.

As long as you don't overlook

your obligation to me.

I trust it was purely an oversight.

I'm sure a man in your position

wouldn't deliberately...

antagonize his creditors.

I ain't got it, Leo.

I know I should have it.

And I'm as anxious to pay off

as you are to have me, but I just ain't got it.

Well, we all get a little cramped

now and then.

Suppose we make it a thousand?

I'll rewrite the balance as a new loan.

Give you a fiscal breather, fresh start.

Listen, Leo, I'm broke, get me?

Flat broke.

Right now I couldn't give you

a thousand cents.

- But if you can wait a couple of weeks -

- Might be arranged.

With the proper collateral, of course.

You mean, where is the dough comin' from?

I can't tell you, Leo.

All I can tell you is,

it's a plenty sweet deal...

and I'll be able to pay off

like a slot machine.

- In two weeks, you said? No longer?

- Maybe even less than that.

You know I wouldn't

pull a thing like this on you.

I couldn't afford to.

I'm glad you said that, Randy.

I was going to point out as much myself.

But since you relieve me

of the unpleasant necessity -

It's a deal then? I pay you the 2,600

within the next two weeks.

Plus $400 - a total of 3,000.

The extra interest, of course.

I trust that'll be satisfactory.

- I can't say no.

- Thank you, Randy.

I was sure you'd see it my way.

Take good care of yourself.

I'll take care of myself, mister.

That's my specialty.

At 7:
00 p.m. That same day...

Johnny Clay, perhaps the most important

thread in the unfinished fabric...

furthered its design.

None of these men are criminals

in the usual sense.

They've all got jobs.

They all live seemingly normal, decent lives.

But they got their problems,

and they've all got a little larceny in 'em.

Now, you take my pal Unger, for instance,

the guy who owns this apartment.

He's putting up the money to operate with,

and he's letting me stay here.

He's a bookkeeper.

Been with the same company

for 10 years.

You know, Fay, the biggest mistake

I made before was shooting for peanuts.

Five years have taught me one thing,

if nothin' else -

Anytime you take a chance, you better

be sure the rewards are worth the risk...

because they can put you away

just as fast for a $10 heist

as they can for a million-dollar job.

You don't have to sell it to me, Johnny.

You know I'll go along

with anything you say.

I always have, you know,

ever since we were kids.

I've always believed you -

everything you've ever told me.

Those five years you've been away, I -

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