The truth, George. Always tell the truth. It’s the easiest thing to remember.
Williamson comes out of the office with leads. Roma takes one, reads it.
Roma : Patel ? Ravidam Patel ? How am I going to make a living on these deadbeat wogs ? Where did you get this, from the morgue ?
Williamson: If you don’t want it, give it back.
Roma: I don’t “want” it, if you catch my drift.
Williamson: I’m giving you three leads. You . . .
Roma: What’s the fucking point in any case . . . ? What’s the point. I got to argue with you, I got to knock heads with the cops, I’m busting my balls, sell you dirt to fucking deadbeats money in the mattress, I come back you can’t even manage to keep the contracts safe, I have to go back and close them again . . . . What the fuck am I wasting my time, fuck this shit. I’m going out and reclose last week’s . . .
Williamson: The word from Murray is: leave them alone. If we need a new signature he’ll go out himself, he’ll be the president, just come in, from out of town . . .
Roma: Okay, okay, okay, gimme this shit. Fine. (Takes the leads.)
Williamson: Now, I’m giving you three . . .
Roma: Three? I count two.
Williamson: Three.
Roma: Patel? Fuck you. Fuckin’ Shiva handed him a million dollars, told him “sign the deal,” he wouldn’t sign. And Vishnu, too. Into the bargain. Fuck that, John. You know your business, I know mine. Your business is being an asshole, and I find out whose fucking cousin you are, I’m going to go to him and figure out a way to have your ass . . . fuck you—I’ll wait for the new leads.
Shelly Levene enters.
Levene: Get the chalk. Get the chalk . . . get the chalk ! I closed ‘em! I closed the cocksucker. Get the chalk and put me on the board. I’m going to Hawaii! Put me on the Cadillac board, Williamson! Pick up the fuckin’ chalk. Eight units. Mountain View . . .
Roma: You sold eight Mountain View?
Levene: You bet your ass. Who wants to go to lunch? Who wants to go to lunch? I’m buying. (Slaps contract down on WiUiamson’s desk.) Eighty-two fucking grand. And twelve grand in commission. John. (Pause.) On fucking deadbeat magazine subscription leads.
Williamson: Who?
Levene (Pointing to contract): Read it. Bruce and Harriett Nyborg. (Looking around.) What happened here?
Aaronow: Fuck. I had them on River Glen.
Levene looks around.
Levene: What happened?
Williamson: Somebody broke in.
Roma: Eight units?
Levene: That’s right.
Roma: Shelly . . . !
Levene: Hey, big fucking deal. Broke a bad streak . . .
Aaronow: Shelly, the Machine, Levene.
Levene: You . . .
Aaronow: That’s great.
Levene: Thank you, George.
Baylen sticks his head out of the room; calls in, “Aaronow.” Aaronow goes into the side room.
Levene: Williamson, get on the phone, call Mitch . . .
Roma: They took the phones . . .
Levene: They . . .
Baylen: Aaronow . . .
Roma: They took the typewriters, they took the leads, they took the cash, they took the contracts . . .
Levene: Wh . . . wh . . . Wha . . . ?
Aaronow: We had a robbery. (Goes into the inner room.)
Levene: (Pause.) When?
Roma: Last night, this morning. (Pause.)
Levene: They took the leads?
Roma: Mmm.
Moss comes out of the interrogation.
Moss: Fuckin’ asshole.
Roma: What, they beat you with a rubber bat?
Moss: Cop couldn’t find his dick two hands and a map. Anyone talks to this guy’s an asshole . . .
Roma: You going to turn State’s?
Moss: Fuck you, Ricky. I ain’t going out today. I’m going home. I’m going home because nothing’s accomplished here . . . . Anyone talks to this guy is . . .
Roma: Guess what the Machine did?
Moss: Fuck the Machine.
Roma: Mountain View. Eight units.
Moss: Fuckin’ cop’s got no right talk to me that way. I didn’t rob the place . . .
Roma: You hear what I said?
Moss: Yeah. He closed a deal.
Roma: Eight units. Mountain View.
Moss (To Levene): You did that?
Levene: Yeah. (Pause.)
Moss: Fuck you.
Roma: Guess
Jeffrey Cook, A.J. Downey