You said a man wants to see me.
Alley out back.
He can't come in here? What is he, white?
Oh, boy. Man.
Who is he?
Never met him before,
but he said his boss was looking
for a reliable guy to do some work.
Who's his boss, Jimmy?
No one I knew.
But I heard you were looking for something quick.
See, I thought we were cool, man.
Mmm-hmm.
And now you're gonna bring me into some sketchy shit?
Yeah.
Well, you're lucky anybody's calling
after that Gotham Hotel mess.
Now, I get my fee no matter what.
Just go hear the man out.
Give me your Roscoe.
Curtis, now that's... Curtis. Curtis.
See? Trouble.
Just trouble.
You Curt?
Who are you?
Jones.
You work for Frank?
I've done work for Frank. This is not Frank.
Okay, 'cause if he's in, I'm out.
What did I just tell you?
Watkins?
Do I look like I work for Aldrick Watkins?
So what's the score?
We're sending a man that works in an office
to pick something up from that office
and bring it back to his home.
You are part of a babysitting team
watching his family while he does it. No one gets hurt.
Three hours of work.
For this, I'm offering you two grand now,
and three on the other end.
For three hours?
They said that your number was five grand.
Is this something you think you can do?
Then he calls me an opportunist,
like being married to him is some kind of opportunity.
When he's out doing, you know, whatever.
You know how he gets.
Well, you used to, and it is way worse, now that he's fancy.
Do you think I'm a schemer, Ronald?
I think you have ulterior motives.
But I find that sexy.
Oh, I get it.
So, this is my scheme, is it?
Don't kid yourself, Ronald.
We both know who you're really fucking here.
How could you say that?
Oh, and that's another thing that ticks me off.
How many times a week do I put on this dress?
And he has yet to notice
I couldn't hit a tennis ball to save my life.
I can't reward that kind of inattentiveness.
I simply will not.
You look cute.
Come here.
Mmm. Lipstick.
Do you love me?
Of course I love you, Ronald.
You better.
Psst.
Hey.
We're almost there, okay?
I'll be calling you.
Where's the fire? It's five of.
Really? My watch must be fast.
Well?
Close the door behind you.
Imagine my surprise when I got your call.
Self-interest is the sincerest form of flattery.
They want you, Ronald,
much as I mighta tried to dissuade them.
Then are you gonna tell me who they are?
Because this "Outfit outta Chicago"
No, they're not prepared to do that.
If Frank is involved, you can let yourself
Everyone has a problem with Frank these days.
Who's "everyone"?
For our purposes, no one.
Look, they agreed to match your price.
Three grand up front, 4,500 upon completion.
What's this?
What?
You think I'd be all right with that?
Maybe that's how they do things in Chicago now. But not here.
All right, give me that envelope back.
I'm gonna find someone else.
He sits up front.
You're not gonna get stabbed in the neck, Ronald.
I like to sit in the back.
So sit in the back.
Mister, you mind sitting up front?
I do.
I'd like to sit in the back.
This is ridiculous. We're wasting time.
Be my guest.
Curt, meet Ronald. Ronald, Curt.
The other man's inside.
Now there's another man?
It's a three-man job.
You never said that.
He said we wasn't gonna be working alone.
So who's this fucking guy?
Charley.
Not that guy. This fucking guy.
And who the fuck is Charley?
Like you, I'm meeting 'em both today, too.
Do we need to go over anything?
Instructions seemed pretty clear to me.
Ask Sambo.
Name's Curt.
Like he told you in the car.
You're Curt Goynes.
You didn't hear about this guy?
Why would I?
I don't know anybody that knows him.
Hmm.
Well, you know Frank.
Frank who?
No. Frank Capelli.
How do you know Frank Capelli?
I met him once, briefly.
Oh.
Yeah, and if you're Ronald,
then you got to be Ronald Russo,
'cause you sure as hell match the description.
What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
You seem worried about how you might be described.
Let's be clear,
the only thing I'm worried about
is this thing getting fucked up because of you.
What's that supposed to mean?
It's not your fault.
You were born like that.
Born like what?
Okay.
All right. This isn't why we were hired.
And who did hire us, Charley, huh?
You gonna tell me straight up
this ain't some Frank Capelli production?
No. No, no, no, no.
It's, uh, some outfit out of Illinois,
wants to expand to Detroit.
The guy pitched it like
"get in on the ground floor" kind of thing.
They grow their presence and we have an in.
What's with the fucking eye?
Sometimes when people lie,
they tend to over-explain. Kind of thing.
So he's been running numbers for Watkins,
but then decides that he wants a little bit of his own turf.
And Watkins stakes him, like, 25 g's.
But Goynes wants a bigger score.
Exactly. They always do.
They're never satisfied.
So he goes to the Italians
and he sets up this big meeting at the Gotham.
And he wants to play them off each other.
You know, the blacks and the Italians.
But Watkins gets tipped off
and things get really fucking ugly.
Both sides lose people,
Watkins loses his 25k.
And both blame Goynes.
But not for the deaths because that's, you know... people.
The big thing?
Watkins' code book goes missing.
Every bet, every debt, every bribe, every payoff.
The real names. Ten years' worth.
So he has Watkins' code book, huh?
That gets out in the open,
everybody's going down.
Cologne again.
Hmm? Oh, yes.
Mary. Yes, I do. I sometimes wear cologne.
Maybe it covers up the other odors.
-Yeah. Sure. Maybe that's it.
So I was awake for a while last night.
How is that news?
That is not news.
Matthew?
Mattie?
There's no clean socks.
Just borrow some from your father.
Dad's are too big.
They're not that big.
Peg, you need help tying those?
No.
You sure? 'Cause I can...
I don't need help.
Okay. Amy's coming early
so you can set up show and tell.
I know.
Good morning.
Hey, shh, shh, shh.
-Don't.
Shh, shh, shh.
This is a typical morning. Nothing changes. Okay?
Now, what would you do now,
normal Monday?
I would make breakfast.
Well, there you go then.
What do you want?
Is that something you'd say, normal Monday?
I don't know.
Can I just... Can I just... Oh, God. Oh, God. Thank you.
Mom. Mom?
Go ahead. Move.
It's okay, Matthew.
Hi, kiddo.
Good morning.
Everything is normal, Matthew,
exactly like any other Monday. Except...
So, have a seat.
It's fine. Go ahead, sit down.
It's okay. It's okay.
So, Matthew...
are you a Sugar Smacks guy or a Trix guy?
Can you please stop pretending this is a normal conversation?
Matthew.
Sit.
Dad?
What is this? Who are you?
Go on. Get in there.
Mary? Mary, are you all right?
What's happening? -We're okay. It's okay, Matt.
Why are these guys in our house?
Hi, Matt. Good morning.
There is a document in a green safe
You and me are gonna go get it. These guys are gonna babysit.
-What are you-- -Everyone is going to be fine
as long as we get what's in that safe
-by 10:00 a.m. -
-Can you shut your fucking kid up?
I don't care. Keep it quiet.
Come on, I'll take you to the playroom. It's okay.
Okay, we're gonna go to the playroom.
Hey. Stay in sight.
If you want her quiet,
then let her go into her goddamn playroom,
-We-- - Mary.
Sorry.
Feisty. - Come on.
Hey, put her in the room
and you sit right there.
It's okay.
I'll be right here, okay. I'll be right here.
Hey.
Forbert won't be in the office all week. My boss.
-Mel Forbert? -Hey.
I don't have the combination to that safe.
That's okay, his secretary does.
And from what we understand,
you have the combo to his secretary.
Do you mind if we have this conversation
Do I mind? Pleasure.
Matthew, go to your sister.
Dad, he knows Mr. Forbert.
He doesn't know anybody.
Get in the room.
Hey, do not be a hero.
Do you understand me? Do not.
All right. Go on.
Hey, listen to your father. Get over there.
Hey.
I'm not allowed in that safe.
I'm not interested in any of that.
You'll figure it out.
He sure wasn't smiling like this
about the combo to his secretary.
Drop it.
Actually, there is something I'd like to know.
-
Psst.
Answer it.
Oh, darn.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Door is that way.
Bird feeders.
-What? -Just... This way.
-Is Peggy here for carpool? -Ah, sorry, Amy.
I forgot to call your mom
and let her know that Peggy's staying home today.
So, I'm so sorry. But, here, you're gonna have to do
the hummingbird thing all by yourself, okay?
Just tell your mom everything's fine. Okay?
Mmm-hmm. -We're good.
Bye.
Well, I don't think that's the end of that.
Yeah. No, it's not.
-Hi, Dawn. -You okay?
Everything's fine.
-Mary? -No, I'll call you later, okay?
Everything's fine.
Had a fight and Peg's real upset,
stay home and sort it out. So...
Oh, I'm very sorry about the bird feeder.
-You sure? -Yeah. It's fine. I'm fine.
Everyone... Everyone's fine. It's fine. Seriously.
Okay.
I'll call you later. Okay? Bye.
Bye.
That was good work, Mary.
Come here.
They don't want to hurt us.
That's why they're wearing masks.
Okay. Now what?
You got 30 minutes.
Look, it's not that easy. All right?
I can't just walk in there--
Twenty-nine minutes and 54 seconds
my boss calls your house.
Fifty-one. Fifty--
Good boy.
Good morning, Mr. Wertz.
The weeklies are in and Mr. Forbert needs you to
compare them to the budget because I guess
Okay. Okay. Okay. All right. Okay. Good.
You can just leave those. Uh, I'll just...
Leave them there.
-You told her. - What?
Oh my God, you did it. Was she okay?
Is it strange that I'm actually worried about Mary?
What? What? No. I didn't. I didn't.
I was gonna tell her and then Peggy had a bird feeder thing
It doesn't matter. And now's there another thing
-Okay. Right. -I told Phil.
Uh-huh. -As per our promise.
I need to get into the green safe right now.
Why? He cried, Matt. Phil. He cried.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. What... The combination
I came to work from the Humpty Dumpty Motel.
I'm sorry. I need the combination
Oh, "I"? "I," Matt? Because what about our thing?
-What drawer do you keep it in? -It is not in a drawer.
Everything will be fine. I promise you.
Yeah, sure, another "promise."
I am going to tell her. I don't--
We're fine. I'm fine. We're f... We're fine.
Well, did you even talk to the guy like
Yes! But, no. I...
I'll call you.
But, Matt! Matt, what are you...
You can't do this. Matt, you can't do this. Wait.
-
He took it, Matt. That's what I was
Why would Mel Forbert...
Why would Mel Forbert what?
Naismith. He moved on it anyway.
"Anyway"?
-Oh, Paula, this is bad. -What do you mean "anyway"?
-What? -This is bad.
Matt? What do you mean "Naismith"?
Are we finished? Can I... Can I go home now?
Wait at the house after, I'll call with instructions.
Okay, wouldn't mind stopping
Well, he said that we should go home
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Uh, let's go.
Let's go home now. I just want to see my family.
So, how does he know my dad's boss?
He doesn't. I already told you that.
Did he... Did he work there
I don't know. I just met him, like you.
So how do you know he doesn't?
Why are you doing this?
There's a piece of land out there.
A man took it from me and I want it back.
Where?
Look, kid, we're gonna be out of your hair
Okay? Just relax.
Is my dad gonna be okay?
-Mister. -Yeah, that's the plan. Okay?
Can I go see my mom, please?
Thank you.
What happened to your plane? It run out of gas?
Actually, it crashed.
You want to go see your mom, too?
No.
What did he mean "after"?
What?
He said "Wait at the house after." After what?
After we get there.
How do you do it?
I don't like doing the dishes either.
I... I don't know why, but I can't bring myself
I don't want to know anything about you.
-We're more alike than you think.
Well...
What if you don't want the things that you're
Keys in the ignition.
What? Why?
'Cause that's what I said to do.
-Hey, your mask. -Uh, it itches.
Matt? - We're good. It's done.
Okay, I need everyone in the living room. Now.
Why? What is going on? -What's going on, big guy?
Hey, family. I need the whole family
Where's the, uh, girl?
The little one? The little girl?
-Peg. -She's in here.
Well, get her then. Will you give me a hand here?
Hold on a minute, mister. Hold on, okay?
You're scaring them and they have been
Yeah, what are we doing here, Charley?
We're following instructions. Living room.
Are you helping me or are you not helping me?
No, no, no, no. The man in the alley said
and he would call you with instructions.
Those are other instructions,
which are none of your business.
The instructions at present are to get your family
close together. Do you understand me?
-Sir, I must respectfully ask that--
-
What the fuck was that about?
Put it down. Ronald. Ronald, just think.
-I am not putting it down. -All right.
Think. Think. It's a setup, man.
Where's his mask, man? Huh?
This is wrong. -Think, Ronald.
Someone answer the fucking phone!
Calm down, man. -
Relax.
Answer the phone.
Hello?
Who is this?
Mary Wertz. Who is this?
Put the one on who just came back.
Um, he's just...
Put your husband on.
He wants to talk to you.
Yes?
What were you thinking, Matthew?
I'm actually asking.
-What do you mean? -What's going on?
Do you think we're fucking idiots?
Matthew, what is going on?
Matthew, shh!
-Mom? Dad? -Matt, what is going on?
Matthew, please. Your mother said "be quiet."
Put Charley on. Don't tell me he stepped out.
-Who's this? -I said put Charley
Uh, he didn't show.
Are we getting fucked here, Jones?
Put the other one on.
Put the other one on, now, or I will go
you will find yourself in all 48 states
-What is it? -I said Charley.
He's indisposed, man.
All right. Listen to me carefully.
Kill Ronald and the others
and meet me at the Flame Show Bar in half an hour.
You'll get your share and theirs.
Got it.
What'd you do?
The safe was empty.
Forbert must have taken the document home.
I had to put something in the envelope.
You put us at risk?
-What was I supposed to do? -What is wrong with you?
Hey, hey, hey. Shut up. Shut up!
Keys. Give me your car keys.
He said leave them in the car.
No. - Hey, hey, hey.
Whoa, Ronald.
Listen, you shot him.
Okay, he broke in, you disarmed him,
-What the fuck are you doing? -Here. Take it.
Okay, let's go.
Look, I'm gonna need you.
And when I do, I expect you to help me.
Understand? Hey! You understand?
-Yeah. -Okay. Come on.
We need to find someplace to stay tonight.
Charley knew the bagman.
He knew Jones. You couldn't tell that?
I got cash up front.
Yeah, which they were gonna pick right back up
He told me to kill everybody in the house.
Who told you to kill me? Jones? On the phone? Or before?
Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Go, go, go, go, go, go.
They see me? They're Frank's guys.
I know why Frank wants me dead. Why's he want you dead?
No fucking idea.
Fuck Capelli.
This thing is bigger than Frank.
I mean, think about it.
They gonna give us $5,000 for just three hours
And the thing they want is in a fucking safe at GM.
Maybe this outfit out of Chicago is real?
Yeah.
Try to kill me. Think you're the only one
Yeah, I can make a move, too. They can consider this shit
-Excuse me, sir. -You're excused.
-Wait. Wait. Jesus, Curt. -
Aldrick Watkins or Frank Capelli?
You can tell me the truth now.
I don't know.
Uh-huh. Get up.
Goddamn, man. I just got back to sleep.
Get your big ass up.
Who set me up, Jimmy?
Go open that door right there.
Turn around.
Now back up. Back. Back.
Back. Back, back, back, back.
I got two kids now, Curtis,
they threatened to... to kill 'em both
-Fish me, specifically, out? Who?
Jimmy, I will put a bullet in your gut,
and let you bleed out down there.
All I know is that a guy called me a half an hour ago.
Offering me $10,000 to turn you in.
$15,000 for the white guy.
Was it Jones?
He wasn't white.
He just said that Mr. Watkins would appreciate it,
Wait a minute. Wait.
You're telling me that Capelli hired Watkins to fish me out?
I don't know. "Hired"? I don't know. They got
-Oh, they're working together now?
-That's bullshit, Jimmy! -I don't know!
You can throw me over this rail and I still won't know.
Sounds like the man of the house,
says he surprised the intruder, disarmed him, and shot.
Okay. All right, thanks for your time.
Mr. Wertz? I'm Detective Joe Finney,
Michigan State Attorney General's office,
Organized Crime Task Force.
Organized Crime?
Yeah. Uh, Detroit Police, uh, got two phone calls.
One from a friend, Mrs. Atkinson,
she said she was concerned.
And then another from a neighbor,
Organized Crime? Like the mob?
Well, I guess that's the $64,000 question,
Yeah, her badgering was annoying him,
out of the way. He was only in there a minute.
I had followed, and so I was turning.
Um, and then I kind of came up behind him,
All three shots then from this angle?
No, I moved to here and I saw him
and then I shot again twice as he was falling.
But you told me you had his gun.
How many were there?
One of them.
"Of them"?
One person. One person. Him.
First, I didn't see anything. I just heard a gunshot.
I was in the playroom for most of the time.
Yeah, "most of the time".
When did you go into the playroom?
When my dad told me to go in the playroom?
Why did he tell you to go in the playroom?
I don't remember.
I closed my eyes, honestly, for the whole thing.
I just couldn't believe what was happening.
It's very scary. -Yeah. So, I...
I mean, is there anything you can think of?
Any reason for this man to have targeted
He doesn't like happiness?
Can I have the keys?
I'd like to listen to the radio.
Oh, my.
Rudy.
Uh, I only need a minute. If you don't mind.
Thank you.
Clarisse home?
Angel? You have a visitor.
Okay. Just a minute.
Been all right?
So, uh, I hear they're flattening the neighborhood
to the cemetery. Pulling up those trolley tracks too, huh?
-Hmm. -Yeah, "urban renewal."
More like "Negro removal."
Yeah, that's right.
Hey, Clarisse.
When'd you get out?
Uh, day before yesterday.
They said it was overcrowded, so...
Well, Detroit.
How can we help you, Curtis?
Uh, I believe she still has my suitcase.
Heard you knifed someone day one.
It wasn't like that.
All them fellas was mad at me when I went in there.
Guy came at me with a knife. I had to defend myself.
Well, guess it worked.
Time being.
So, what'd you do in there, all that time?
Thinking. You know. Just... Just a lot of thinking.
How long are you gonna--
Oh, not long. Today, tomorrow, maybe.
-Where are you gonna go? -Kansas City.
-Really? -Yeah.
Oh.
Man wants forty-seven-fifty for it now.
He build on it or something?
You'd think, right? Nah, he just knows
You know Aldrick Watkins is never gonna let you
I know. I know. I'm working on that.
Thank you.
Okay.
Good luck, Curt.
Curt. You're not to come back here.
I wouldn't think of it.
Is that what I think it is?
It depends on what you think it is.
You'll, uh, let me know if you need anything else?
Oh, yeah. Don't you worry. I'll... I'll definitely
Good.
I got it. I got it. I got it. I got it!
-Yes? - Can you talk?
-Yes. -This is that call I promised.
It stays between you and me. Do I have your word?
-Yes. -Get the keys
Meet us at the auto shop on Lafayette and Russell
Alone, Matt. Now hang up.
What did he say? -
What is happening? -Pack a bag.
Pack a bag? Why?
Why do we need to pack a bag? I don't want to go.
Matthew! Matthew! I'm done with your lip! All right?
Okay. Okay. -Pack a bag! Jesus Christ!
Okay. Thank you, Dawn. Appreciate it.
Here he comes.
Hurry up. Come on.
Get in the car. Hurry up.
Where your boss live?
Northern Ohio. About an hour away.
Well, that's where we're headed then.
Wait, wait, wait. I can't promise anything.
I'm not even sure that he's home.
Only outcome is that we get
What are you doing?
Making sure you don't do something stupid.
-Wait, I-- -I'm Matt Wertz.
-Accounting. Well, payables. -Ah, yes.
Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Wertz?
I need to speak to Mr. Forbert, please. These are, um...
We work together. It's, uh, it's urgent.
Where is your husband?
He's in his office.
-Where is his office? -It's upstairs. I know where.
All right. You got it? - Yeah.
Let's go inside. Let's go inside.
Come in.
Wertz?
Hi, Mel. Hi. Louise told me to come up.
I've never done this.
I've never, uh, I've never come to you in this way,
-I absolutely need... -What?
...to borrow whatever that document was
Oh, well, that's not possible.
And why would you need that?
Because the person that put it together
And, uh, they... I told him that I would
sneak it back to him so that he could come
Uh, I put it together.
Not one other person at the company
Okay, that was a lie.
That's how important it is,
that I would lie to you.
And that I would do what I did at work,
which I never would do if it weren't that important.
Okay, well, you need to leave, Matt.
I can't.
I'm gonna slowly reach for the phone.
No, no, no.
You need to go.
-Oh, for Christ's sake. -I can't.
Now, what are you doing?
This is me warning you that I'm going to have
It is literally life or death for me, sir.
Look, do you know what will happen to you
I do. I'm sorry.
I'm gonna punch you now, sir.
What the fuck, Wertz?
I'm punching you. This is going to be a punch.
I can't give it to you. This is proprietary
I'm sorry.
I love my job, sir!
I love my job and this is how important this is
that I'm willing to be fired.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Don't worry. Nothing's gonna happen.
We're gonna be out of here in no time.
Ma'am...
It's been a long day.
And I'm gonna have to put this over you
You understand? Thank you.
Hey.
We got it. We can go.
Bye, Louise. Thank you. Sorry.
You have a good time?
Mel! Mel?
What happened? Oh, my God, Mel.
I'm calling the police!
-No. -I'm calling the--
No police! Please, hon, please. No police.
Wow. Though once we had in that bar, Coogan's!
Dawn, you remember that? When the guy, the colored guy
and I got in the middle, but I'm a big guy.
He was one of the small ones.
But a guy with a gun? That is...
That is not what I imagined old Matt would do.
Brian. -What? It's not.
I'm sorry, Mary, your husband surprised me, that's all.
Often wondered, myself, what I'd do,
Don't want to put that to the test, though.
-I'll be back for dinner. -Oh, you are not
Matt is Dad. My name is Matthew.
Matthew?
Come here for a second.
Don't worry, I'm not gonna bite.
You're not in trouble. Nor is your dad.
It's the men that put you into this position
that we're concerned about. You understand?
One day, you want, you can come to my office,
I'll show you diagrams going back 20 years.
All the way back to Italy, believe it or not.
For right now,
you can help us fill this picture
just by answering a couple few easy questions. Hmm?
I already answered questions.
Well, you did, but there's just this one thing that keeps
You said that, uh, that "one of them"
One of them. One of them. One of who?
No, I... No, I said "him." He--
Well, no, no, you changed it to "him." You changed it.
But me, I'm more of a "go with your first instinct"
So what I'm asking you, Matthew...
I'm asking if you can remember any names...
or any identifying characteristics, at all?
You know, Doug Jones?
Frank Capelli? Aldrick Watkins? Anything?
Is my dad in trouble?
Well...
Honestly, Matthew, the...
the only time in my experience people
get into trouble is when they
There were three of them.
I'm sorry, Dawn. He's gonna do what he's
It's okay. It's okay.
Poor thing.
It's okay. This is a really hard time.
No, it's something else, and I can't...
You can talk to me about anything. You know that.
How do you do it? Actually, how does
-What do you mean? -Just anything.
All of it. This, and this, and...
It's impossible.
I was thinking that maybe we could go away somewhere?
Who?
Us. A trip.
Together, somewhere.
Good luck explaining that one.
So, is that the real one, Matt?
I just want this to be over.
What is it?
Some new exhaust system. Like a muffler.
Is that what it is, Matt? It's a muffler?
I don't know. They don't tell me anything.
I just push numbers around.
You're pushing more than numbers now, big guy.
You got that right.
All right.
May I have my car back, please?
We like your car, Matt.
Dawn, please just put her on.
Not tonight.
Everything is so weird right now.
Oh, Paula Cole, Matt?
Sorry. I shouldn't have said that.
Dawn, please. Just put her on.
Matt, not tonight. I'm sorry.
Gee, what a beautiful room.
Do you have it? Matt--
Wait. Wait.
-Matt-- -Wait. Just wait. Just wait.
-You went to Forbert's? -Yes.
-And so you got it? -Yes.
-Okay, so you-- -Wait. Just wait.
-Wait, wait, wait. -So you have the document.
Wait, wait, wait. There's a conversation
intended to have with you.
That I've been...
That I set aside time to have, with you,
Okay.
But if you remember Peggy had that bird feeder...
Anyway...
the conversation that I intended to have
I'd like to have with you now so that you understand
that led to this moment, where we are right here now.
So this conversation that I'd like to have now,
which I recognize at this point is conceptual...
-Everything's-- -Matt, where is the document?
Where is it?
Did you even reach out to Naismith
-Yes. Yes, I spoke to him a week ago.
I... Let me finish.
I told him what you told me. I said that
at my company has a document that
that I think your bosses at Studebaker
-You said that? You-- -Yes. Let me finish.
And he agreed. He agreed to buy it.
Okay. And?
Imagine this is two days ago that I'm telling you this,
You never called him back.
No. I did. I did.
Oh.
But what I wanted to tell you is that--
Mmm-hmm. You chickened out. Mmm.
No, I decided it was wrong.
And so you chickened out. Oh, God.
No, it was a process. A proc... A thought...
-I did not just "chicken out." -No, no, no, no, no.
I contacted a realtor.
I rented us a car for when we got to California.
I didn't know that you'd move so fast.
-Oh, God. -I didn't know
Oh, my God, you said "anyway".
Back in the office, you said,
"He moved on it anyway" and I was thinking,
But now I know exactly what "anyway what?" means,
it means you chickened out and Naismith
knew about it and he moved on it anyway,
and now I am stuck in the Humpty fucking
with a guy who could see the brass ring
coming around the corner and then literally
while he was making a plan to grab that brass ring.
I was not making a plan. I was executing a plan.
To not do the thing.
That I acknowledge that we said we would do.
-"Executing" how? -Calling Naismith.
And telling him we were out.
Which is what I was gonna tell you two days ago.
No, no, no, no, no.
-And now-- -Here we are.
Yeah. Here we are.
I guess I'll call the rental company.
And, I guess I'll call Phil.
It's all the way back.
Hey, uh, can Jones activate on his own?
No idea what you mean.
Can he call shots is what I'm asking?
Are you planning to bring Frank in?
I am considering it.
How are you gonna approach him?
Well, from what I could discern,
So you want me to go and knock on his door?
He's not gonna mess with you, Ronald.
We got what he wants.
All you need to do
is convince him to show up at Cafe Roma with $50,000.
-Fifty? Mmm. -That's right.
And we'll give him the document. 25. 25.
Now if he balks, we'll know we hit
But if he bites,
then we know there's a lot more
You know, he's not gonna move a hair
Yeah, you probably right about that.
Mmm-hmm.
Take it.
Wow.
-Take these, too. -
Curt, man, you've got to go.
I just can't have the scrutiny here.
What scrutiny?
Man, we're talking about 12 hours tops. I'm gonna
-And they just raised the bounty.
I'm talking 20 for you now. 25 for the white guy.
Wait, you telling me that the bounty is 45
-That's what they told me. -"They"?
Both gangs. Capelli and Watkins.
Shit, I thought Jimmy was just lying.
No, man, that's what I'm telling you, Curt,
things are different everywhere now, man.
Okay, this bounty. Is it... Is it dead or alive?
The white dude, either. But for you?
Capelli wants you dead and Watkins wants you alive.
That's not good.
And that's why I can't have you here, man.
I been on the up and up since you went in.
I haven't touched them numbers in four years.
I got a job now.
I'm a bellman at the Gotham.
I got a good girl.
And I don't wanna have to lie to people,
but I also don't want people in my shit here.
All right. All right. How much you make
It's good. $11 a day.
Okay. Here's 200. That is five times
Okay, and get me a couple more guys.
Uh, I'll give them 200 each, too.
See if you can find some of them Purple Gang boys
unless the Italians done run them out
-Why are you doing this? -'Cause I'm gonna
And since when you--
I don't need a fucking lecture from you, Lonnie.
You ain't got no goddamn idea what's going on.
Now, you gonna do this shit or not?
All right. So you just make sure you tell them
and I'm gonna make a move or knock over my glass
And when I hit the deck, they go to work.
I just got to ask you this, man.
In case the fellow I'm working with
And how you gonna know this?
It's Ronald Russo.
Frank, if you're not gonna peel 'em,
can you at least come get the eyes out,
You know how I feel about the eyes.
-Frank! - Mmm-hmm.
-Are you gonna get that? -Yes!
What do you want?
-Hi, Frank. -What do you want?
We had a little slip up at work.
Well, we're about to eat.
We'll be quick.
And you must be Veronica.
It's Vanessa.
Oh, excuse me. Vanessa.
Go upstairs.
Gotham Hotel. Twelve noon.
And what if he says no?
Well, sell it, god damn it. He's got to go for it.
but you got to tell him the whole plan.
Okay. I'll tell the boss.
Yeah, and also tell him that he's got to show up
He's got to. That's the only way
He says he can deliver the code book
and guarantee you 50, maybe more.
-A lot more. -And what does he get?
Safe passage. And five grand for himself.
So the 50 isn't really 50, it's 45.
At that price, ain't it worth more
to just turn Goynes in to Joe Finney?
And that other guy, what's his name? Russo?
That's more like Capelli business.
Either way, what you want me to tell Goynes?
Tell him...
I'll be there. With pleasure.
A Cadillac convertible.
I was set up to die for the plans for a Cadillac
It's what I heard, that's all I know.
See, Frank, now I know you're lying.
Because I happen to know it's about some
Well, maybe it's an exhaust system
What fucking difference does it make?
We were hired to steal some car shit,
Why are you even here? What do you want?
Because I have a proposition for you.
Okay, I'm going in my pocket.
But first, I need you to admit you picked me
Now, I'll admit I know why you want me gone.
Just like you know why I want you gone.
I never aced you for my job.
I was in line, and you know it.
Well, you might've been in line,
but you were walking the wrong direction.
It's never your fault, is it? Is it?
And since you're so sure about why I apparently want you dead,
you might want to get yourself checked for the clap.
Consider it a gift from me to you
through my lovely wife "Veronica."
I don't know what you're talking about.
She already told me.
And I could kill you, but I'd rather give you
You can have her.
Frank. Frank, she's way out of my league.
Okay.
She's your wife.
Yeah. Exactly. Fine.
Now that we've established a line of open communication,
okay, why don't you tell me what your proposition is?
Okay. Here's the deal.
Where's the other half?
Goynes wants 50 grand for the whole thing.
Fifty?
Yeah, but I got a plan.
He thinks you'll think it's a drop in the bucket
just to keep whatever deal you got going on track.
But here's what I think.
You call Jones off the case.
We meet the moulinyan at Cafe Roma, 08:30.
He brings the other half. We do the trade,
then we dump Goynes, and we split the cash.
Split?
Yeah. My 25 comes out of the bounty,
which I deserve because I'm salvaging your deal
and delivering the black guy.
You ask me, he's worth more than the whole thing.
Why is that?
Goynes has Watkins' code book on him at all times.
The code book.
You ask me,
he's running some side game with it.
Then we're done.
Well...
Then, uh, okay,
I heard you guys are shorthanded in Reno.
Maybe you send me out there.
I would... I would like...
Frank, I would like something permanent.
I can walk forward, Frank.
Fuck!
I just need a place to start from. You know?
Let's take care of this first, okay?
Okay.
Thank you, Frank.
You are fucking him. I was right.
-What? - He just confirmed it.
Frank, I don't know what you're talking about.
I wouldn't-- I don't--
He just fucking admitted to it.
Frank, I would never do that! No, please, no! Please, please!
You're fucking kidding me.
He said Goynes keeps it right by his chest.
What if there's some bigger deal
that he's not letting on to?
It's a plan of Ronald Russo's. How big a play could it be?
Hey, you think that Reno's gonna put up with this
Ron fucking Russo's amateur-hour fucking
Reno is never gonna have to worry about it.
You hearing me on this?
Fuckin' Russo's blind greed, he just gave us
Drink your fucking bourbon before the ice melts.
You staying for dinner?
-Pour you some Chianti? -Nah.
Wine is good for you. Ask Jesus.
Yeah, well, so's a clear head. Ask Pontius Pilate.
Frank.
Nice to see you again, Curtis.
-You got the fifty? -Yeah, right here.
You got the two halves
-of the document? -Mmm-hmm.
Let's dispense with the bullshit.
We got the document.
You want it and it's yours.
For a price. But it's a new price.
What new price?
Twice the bounty you getting for us.
-Really? 90,000? -That's right.
-Ninety? -Fifty, forty.
-You're not serious? -Yeah, I'm dead serious.
Well, it's not my money, so I'll of course have
-From who? -Who the fuck do you think?
-The people that I need... -No, no, no, no, no.
...to get to approve everything.
-We're here now and we're gonna sell it.
-Hey, Ronald, how about you let me do this--
-for the price we agreed-- -Hands on the table.
Oh, Ronald.
It's not my fault. Frank fucked us.
You see, Ron, the problem is you're not smart enough
to know how not smart you are.
Which makes you unpredictable. Which makes you untrustworthy.
And sloppy.
-Sloppy? -You fucking heard me.
This whole fucking thing is offensive. Let's go.
Whoa. Wait, wait, wait. Where are we going?
Get up!
Where are we gonna go?
Well, it ain't gonna be no place good, Ronald.
-Where are we gonna go? -But, you, know...
-Okay. -...sometimes things
Oh, my lord. Stay down. Stay down.
Frank! Don't fucking move. Don't fucking move.
Get your ass against that car.
Now who hired you? Who sent you, Frank? Huh?
Your motherfucking pimp,
Your mother's mother fuck--
Ah, fuck.
God damn it. Who fucking hired you?
Your mother's pusher.
-Who hired you, Frank? -It was her pusher, that's who.
Dude, you gonna make me ask you again?
I offer you an olive branch and you fuck me with it, huh?
Goynes. Goynes, don't let him hit me.
Fuck you, Frank!
-Fuck your Reno and your bullshit--
Hey, hey! For the last goddamn time,
who hired you to get that fucking document?
Ow, ow, look, guys, please don't, don't.
I'll sit in the back. I'll be fine.
-Get your ass the fuck in there.
Fuck! No, no, no. I'm claustropho--
Shut the fuck up.
Hugh Naismith.
Yeah, Mr. Naismith, um,
I'm taking over your account from Frank Capelli
and I'm calling to arrange for payment and delivery.
Hang on, hang on, hang on. I'm sorry, who is this?
Don't matter, uh, we have the items
and I'm calling to arrange payment.
I don't know you. They had me dealing
How do I know you even have what I want?
This is very irregular.
Hang on. Hang on.
Uh...
Okay, "compound consisting of a mixture of propane
and butane fractions containing
approximately 25% of unsaturates
was fed to a catalytic mass
at a temperature of about 495."
Do you want me to keep going with this bullshit?
May I ask, how did you get it?
A man named Mel Forbert.
I can clear my morning. When can we meet?
Okay, and you're gonna have the cash, right?
One-twenty-five. As arranged.
One-- Yeah, one-twenty-five. That's correct.
But it's the same deal with you
that I had with Capelli and Chicago.
Nobody at Studebaker, or Studebaker-Packard,
or anywhere knows about this.
Yeah, of course. Uh, so 12 noon. Gotham Hotel,
you're meeting us in the Holiday Room,
but you wait down there in the lobby,
we'll come down there for you.
125,000?
Yeah, that's what the man said.
Well, shit.
Where is the son of a bitch?
He's going home.
And when he gets home, he's gonna call the cavalry.
If he goes home, he ain't calling anyone.
Fuck.
Ow, fuck. Ow, fuck.
Vanessa.
What the fuck's going on? What are you do--
-Vanessa, don't. Don't-- -
Hey, Mom? Um...
When I was walking earlier...
the policeman, Finney...
saw me, and... I...
may have told him some things.
You mean, you told the truth.
Sorry.
No. No. It's not your fault.
Okay?
We all make choices.
And your dad's gonna have to deal
But you did what you did, and it was the right thing.
What?
If we stop at Naismith, we're selling ourselves short.
Actually, I was thinking the same thing.
I was.
All right, listen, the point is,
there's somebody above Naismith
and there's somebody above Forbert.
And that's who we should be dealing with.
-So, what? Ditch Naismith? -No.
-Ditch 125,000? -No, no, no.
-Come on. -I'm not saying that.
-That's crazy. -No, no.
We're not ditching nothing.
We adding. Whoever they trying to hide this thing from.
Let's not get greedy, Goynes.
I need more.
Never satisfied, huh?
All right. Forget it. You don't want to partake,
you definitely don't have to.
That is not what I'm saying.
It's fucking bold. Fucking bold.
Okay, okay, okay. Where, then?
Anywhere. Sandusky.
Maybe Toledo. Maybe we can move back to Detroit.
Look, Louise, listen,
I need you to think about this rationally.
There's no logical reason for them ever to come back here.
Look, they got the thing they wanted.
I literally have nothing they need.
Well, that's not exactly true.
-Sir, we'd like to know actually--
-We would like to know-- -Hey.
Do... Do I know you?
No idea what you're talking about, buddy.
Listen, who paid you?
I... I don't know what you're talking about.
Who paid you to hide the document?
Mike Lowen's office,
Yeah, it's Mel Forbert for Mr. Lowen.
Please tell him it's urgent.
You cancel the rental car?
What do you think, Matt?
I think you did. Of course you did.
Uh-uh.
Nope.
-Really? -Yeah, I kept the car.
And the appointment with the realtor.
-You did? -
Paula? Paula, what about the desk? Everything?
Just the third drawer, everything else can stay.
-Hey, Matt. -Hi, Phil.
You're going... You're going with Phil?
Phil. You had a good idea. California. So...
Maybe one day we'll see you and Mary out there.
He was early. And he came alone.
-That's good. -Confident man.
Certainly gives that impression.
Mike Lowen. Afternoon, Mike Lowen.
You don't remember, do you?
Staked out the liquor, which is, counterintuitively,
not entirely terrible.
Pour you boys something?
Nothing for me. -I'll trust you on that scotch.
Excellent choice.
You should have seen the look on my face when my caddie
came running across that fairway.
I never show up anywhere on short notice,
just ask my wife, and yet here I am.
Here we are. Congratulations.
This moment...
stings like a motherfucker.
Of course, we're gonna have to count it.
I'll do my arithmetics right there.
Excuse me.
So where'd we blow it?
What's the, uh, what's the word I'm looking for?
The bridge between you and me?
Who was it? How did we get to this place?
What does any of this matter right now?
Well, I believe all truths must be acknowledged,
however painful they are,
or else there's no growth.
And growth is the key. Growth! Progress!
Of course there's no growth without reach,
and the risk being overreach.
So what I want to know is where was it my guys,
my weak links, my overreach,
and where was it I was just simply outplayed?
Well, all that really matters is
we're here, like you said,
and, uh, we know everything.
What do you know?
If I may.
I mean, it's a hefty bite and I want to know
Black Bottom. Paradise Valley. You heard of 'em?
You leveled entire neighborhoods.
You tore up the trolley tracks
and now you got this redlining bullshit everywhere.
Where are people supposed to live, Mike?
The country is re-landscaping itself, gentlemen.
I hate to break it to you, this is happening everywhere.
A hundred cities and counting. So again--
Yeah. -What am I paying for?
And you got no control.
I did not create the river,
I am simply paddling the raft.
Hmm.
So again, what am I paying for?
Same thing you paid Forbert for. Silence.
About?
You know what about.
There is no conclusive evidence
that the automobile has anything to do
with the pollution levels in Los Angeles,
or in any other city on the planet for that matter.
And the catalytic converter will never be scaled to a size
where it makes any sense under the hood of any car.
-Ah. I'll get it. -
Tell him to sit tight.
Yes.
Uh, this is Naismith.
Sit tight, Hugh.
Quite a grab.
As long as we're talking about overreach. I give Studebaker--
No, sorry, "Studebaker-Packard" a year, two tops,
even with the merger.
Fine, I'll address it to him. Finally this makes sense.
The clown, Naismith,
somehow hears the Big Four are working together.
On what, he just has to know.
Desperate to impress his bosses
who know nothing of his plan, he hires who he hires.
They hire you.
Somehow you sniff your way to the head of the pack.
And hence, the twain has met.
You and me.
Against all laws of history, nature, class--
No, caste.
All right. How we looking on the count, Ronald?
I count 375 even.
I know you think we are playing by "your" rules,
but let's be clear, you do not "make"
you follow them, even when you think
you have control,
you are under the illusion of control, at all times,
it is a fact you will never understand
and you will go to the grave not understanding,
the same way I will go to the grave
not understanding the genius of God's magnificent universe
because I did not create it. But I and others like me
did create these rules, in this world, on this field,
and you are playing by them now
even if you walk out of here with my money.
Am I clear?
What is clear is that we got your money.
Ah, it's money. I have a lot of money.
I will continue to have more still.
It's like a lizard tail. Cut it off,
the damn thing just grows back.
I work, it grows. I sleep, it grows.
In fact, however we end up here,
I'll go home, I'll call my banker,
and I will sleep like a baby tonight.
You still don't remember, do you?
Don't blame you, it was years ago
and I was one of a panel of four.
I was at Ford at the time.
We were trying to recruit you just out of the service.
Hard sell. I guess GM made a better pitch.
Hmm. -Okay, you got me.
Yes, I remember you. Michael Lowenstein.
Umlaut. Lowenstein. I'm Swedish.
The "stein," I found misperceived,
as you can imagine, inhibited some of the traction
I needed for our overseas business
the last few decades.
And it wasn't entirely helpful here, either.
I'm sure you can understand.
Oh, yes, "stein", real drawback.
Certainly you do, Mr. "Russo."
All right, enough. The money's here,
we're leaving. You can too.
Then I shall get my hat.
That was a watershed year for me. That year.
1928. I thought...
we're losing guys to GM now?
That same year, they surpassed us in sales.
We, who invented the whole damn thing,
Well, I left Ford later that year.
Decided I'd put my chips on the industry as a whole.
Smart. Individual companies, to me?
It's a distinction without a difference.
I remain agnostic as to how they choose
And I create some space for them to spread their wings.
It works well.
So far.
There's a mutual trust.
I believe you have something of mine.
He's got the other half.
Mutual trust.
You know what I love? When characters you've
in this great novel called Life show up at the end
and the whole story gets filled right in.
Good to meet you both. Individualists.
Defiers of rules. Two men who,
somehow arrived in the same spot,
from entirely different places. Reach, gentlemen.
Reach for the moon!
So GM, huh?
That was a long time ago.
Good. Now let's go get that Naismith money.
Oh, no. This is as far as I go.
What do you mean, "Oh, no"?
I'm done. You can have the Naismith money all to yourself.
So you're just gonna abandon the plan?
You just don't know when to stop, huh?
It's the bellhop.
-Lonnie? -Yeah.
Let him in.
Sorry, Ronald.
Aldrick.
Curtis.
What's... What's going on, man?
-Aldrick, it's all right there. -Let's go.
I'm sorry, man.
Aldrick.
Aldrick, I put this whole thing together for you, man.
You're not gonna take that money?
That money is too expensive. I got what I want.
So? How'd it go?
It broke my way, baby. It broke my way.
Oh, look at those. Ronald!
There's more?
How much is this?
375, baby.
375?
Yeah.
I have 31. That's...
That's $406,000.
Ronald, I can't believe it.
How did you... How did you manage this? I can't--
Oh, my gosh, Ronald, baby.
Oh, my goodness. We could do anything.
We could go anywhere. Around the world.
Oh, we could even take an airplane, Ronald.
We could take ten airplanes if we wanted to. I mean, I just--
You did it.
We're not there yet. Here.
-Where's the car? -Spot 5.
Okay, get it and wait for me at the entrance.
Okay.
No, no, no. I got that one.
Okay.
I'll be right behind you.
-Aldrick. - Hello, Joe.
Chatty little bird in a tall tree
said you might have something of mine.
So, I suppose I should thank you.
Before you do, let me play out two scenarios.
And to be clear, both end with
Curtis Goynes dead.
Scenario one, you solve the murder of Charley Barnes,
Douglas Jones, and Frank Capelli.
After an arduous trial that plunges an already
racially-divided Detroit into chaos,
you get a promotion of
a thousand a year? If that?
And I make sure Goynes dies in prison.
Or number two. You still solve the murders,
but the perp himself
is taken care of by his own.
Which leaves you a hero
and which sets an example to others like him
that might be tempted to play outside of their league.
And instead of 25 grand
that trickles out over the rest of your life,
you get a bonus, paid instantly,
that equals twice that.
No runs, two hits for the Senators.
No runs, no hits for Detroit.
Beautiful day here at Briggs Stadium.
Couple of scattered clouds out there.
But all in all, a gorgeous day, and why not play two,
a double header scheduled today.
As the first one from Schmitz misses outside.
One ball and no strikes,
didn't quite connect there with his receiver.
Finally!
Can you believe it's 45 cents to park with no grace period?
-Did you bring a map? -It's in the glove compartment.
That's my girl.
You know, you're not the only one
that can think ahead, Ronald.
-Change of plans. -Oh, yeah?
Yeah, we're gonna go far.
Take this turn off right here.
Keep it running.
Ronald, would you relax? Nobody followed us out here.
Look at us, in the middle of nowhere.
It's your favorite! Come on, open it.
Just open it.
-Nice. -Mmm-hmm.
Okay.
-
-Oh, shit. - Bye, Ronald.
Oh, fuck me.
-Officer? -Could you step out
Well, may I ask what this is about?
Please step out of the car.
Well, I think I have a right to know why you're asking me--
Stand over here.
Safe travels, Mrs. Capelli.
Oh, hey. Come in, I guess. We're eating.
Thank you.
I'll get Mary.
Matt's here.
Jesus, Matt.
My God, it's only Tuesday.
Officer Finney.
Right this way.
I believe I have something of yours.
It's all there.
Uh, you'd said $375,000 but I think you made
The actual number is 406 and change.
I must've miscounted.
Oh, and, uh, this 50,000 presented itself as well.
Hmm. Well, I wish I could cut you in--
Hey, it's your money.
Right. Of course.
Listen, uh, pick one of those bottles there.
Uh, that one on the left is pretty good.
And that's $88 wholesale.
Well, you let me know if there's anything I can
Of course.
-Thanks, Joe. -Uh-huh.
Motherfucker's got eyes, they just can't see.
Including me.
Let me ask you something.
What made you think that you could trust me?
You can be trusted, Aldrick.
I took the 25 I staked you back then, plus interest.
Took another 50 for the federal man.
How do you imagine the rest of it should be divided?
I just want 5k.
Just what's yours.
Just what's mine.
So we're good?
Enjoy Kansas City.
I done got over at last
when I first met you
such a sweet little thing
you got so bad
a cryin' shame
I done got over at last
was so miserable
my love was in vain
I turned my back
with some other man
I done got over at last
to be no angel
some good woman
I done got over at last