[Riv]
Fraser: You
really should be setting a example, Ray. I mean, you stand
for the rule of law, and--There! You just did it
again!
Ray: Did
what?
Fraser: You
know perfectly well what.
Ray: No, I
don’t.
Fraser: You
just made a turn without indicating.
Ray: I wouldn’t
do that.
Fraser: You
just did.
Ray: You’re
seeing things!
Fraser: I’m not
seeing things,
Ray! You made
a left hand turn at that intersection and you didn’t use
your--There! You just did it again!
Ray: Did
what?
Fraser: You
know, perhaps I’m reading too much into matters, but it
would appear that you’re doing this on purpose.
Ray: Ah, it
really annoys you, doesn’t it?
Fraser: I just
don’t think it’s very safe.
[Dief grumbles and
whines]
Ray: Hey, hey
hey
hey! He’s slobbering all over
the upholstery! I just got this car! What are you, safety
dog?
Fraser: It’s
not your driving habits,
Ray. Look,
look!
Ray: What is
it? A crime going down? Dispatch. This is Detective
Vecchio--
Fraser
: Mark Smithbauer.
Ray: You want
me to report a hockey player?
Fraser: Well,
he’s a very big fan.
Ray: Yeah well
what does he want, his autograph?
Fraser: It’ll
just take a little while.
[to
Dief] You
stay here, I’ll get it for you.
[to
Vecchio]
He’d only embarrass himself.
Ray: You gotta
be kidding me.
Just a radio check, dispatch.
[onto the
street]
I’m guessing
you two don’t meet a lot of celebrities.
Fraser: Well,
we were inspected by the Assistant to the Deputy
Commissioner of the RCMP once.
Ray: Oh that
must have been pretty special.
Fraser:
Mm-hmm.
Ray: I meet
celebrities everyday, and you can’t make a big deal of
it.
Fraser: Really?
Like who?
Ray: Plenty of
celebrities. Big celebrities. Lou
Ferrigno for one. Point is
that they are people just like you and me, only they’re a
lot richer, nastier and more obnoxious. Hey, not Lou. He’s
a prince, but the others...
[liquor
store]
Fraser: Well,
people like to talk about famous people, Ray, and it’s not
always good.
Ray: Well, it’s
not always wrong.
Fraser: I’ll
just be a minute.
Ray: All right.
Don’t make a big deal out of it.
[Vecchio looks at
magazines while Fraser heads over to Mark; enter a masked
man with a gun]
Robber:
Everybody down! On the floor! On the floor!
Fraser: This
isn’t worth it, son. Before you continue, I suggest you
consider the consequences.
[robber runs out the
door] You
see, Ray? Sometimes if you just--
[Vecchio tackles him
as everyone pulls out guns and fires; Vecchio runs after
the robber]
Fraser : Hey, Mark, it’s okay--
[Mark hits him in the head and runs out the back; Vecchio
returns & is too late to run after
Mark]
Ray: What a
jerk, man. Now I’m going to run him down and bust
him.
Fraser:
No.
Ray: Why?
Because he’s a hockey star?
Fraser: No.
Because he was my best
friend.
<Doo Mah>
[Riv]
Fraser: Ray,
that was a stop sign.
Ray: I
stopped.
[Mark’s
building]
Fraser: Thank
you. You know, he probably assumed that I was an
accomplice.
Ray: You’re
making a lot of excuses for this guy, Benny.
Fraser: No, I’m
not! I’m just giving him the benefit of the doubt. There
is a difference.
Ray: What he
doesn’t need is more benefits. You know what a place like
this costs?
[goes to press the up button, finds that it’s lit already, and Dief is waiting patiently]
Ray
: This guy must be pulling down seven figures for playing
one of the stupidest sports ever invented. Every time I
pick up the paper he’s whining about his knee, complaining
about this, moaning about that.
Fraser: Hockey
is a very demanding sport, Ray.
Ray: Oh, give
me a break! I was just being polite calling it a sport.
You know what hockey’s like?
[starts to push the button in the elevator, but PH is already lit...Dief again]
Ray
: Hockey is like figure skating with clubs.
[Dief
barks]
Hey, you want an autograph, shut your yap.
[Mark’s
apartment]
Gardino: So we
have a masked male of indeterminate height and weight
carrying a big gun. Shouldn’t be too hard to crack this
one.
Mark: The guy
was trying to kill me.
Huey: Mm, so
you said.
Mark: I was two
blocks from a police station! Are you people so
incompetent you can’t even police two blocks?
Gardino: The
man called us incompetent, Huey.
Huey: Yes, he
did, Louis.
Mark: You want
to know a fact? Every time I take a slap shot, I put more
money into this economy than you will earn in your
lifetimes, okay? You think this city can afford to let
something happen to me? What I think is you
oughta make sure this doesn’t
happen again.
Dawn Charest:
Excuse me.
Gardino: Who
the hell are you?
Dawn: Dawn
Charest, media relations for Mr. Smithbauer. I just need
to take a second.
[to
Mark] Shut
your mouth!
Mark: Someone’s
trying to kill me and they send these two morons.
Dawn: I don’t
care if they’re Chip and Dale. You let
me talk to them.
That is my job unless of course you want to completely
ruin your career.
Ray
: I didn’t know you were covering liquor store jobs now,
Louie, I thought that would be beneath you.
Gardino: Lot of
things are beneath me, Vecchio. Talking to you is right at
the bottom.
Huey: The man
called in an attempted murder.
Ray: The man
has a serious ego problem.
Gardino: No one
tried to kill this guy?
Dawn: Mr.
Smithbauer stopped a armed robbery, that’s all. He
appreciates your concern but doesn’t want this to turn
into a media circus.
[looks at
Fraser]
Fraser: Excuse
me.
Gardino: He
appreciates our concern. Does he also appreciate wasting
our time?
Fraser:
[to
Mark]
Hi.
Mark: What
happened?
Fraser: Oh, you
mean, uh... Well, you hit me with a bottle.
Mark: I hit a
cop?
Fraser: Oh,
actually I’m not a police officer in this--
Mark: You’re
not a cop? This is my problem, right here. I have no
security!
Ray: Yeah, and
I’ll bet he doesn’t have a lot of friends either.
Fraser: I’m a
friend of Detective Vecchio’s.
Mark: Yeah,
right, okay, fine. Uh, whatever you need. Who’s it to?
[picks up a pen and
signs an 8x10 of himself]
Fraser: Uh,
Diefenbaker.
[Mark signs it, hands it over then walks
away]
[lobby; Dief runs
out of the elevator holding the photo in his
mouth]
Ray: Nothing
like old friends, huh, Fraser? Good to know that no matter
how many years apart, you can still get an eight by ten
glossy out of him.
Fraser: Well
it’s been a long time, Ray. There’s no reason to assume
he’d remember me.
Ray: Eh, more
excuses.
Fraser: He’s my
friend, Ray.
[27th
precinct; Welsh’s office... Welsh is looking at the
newspaper, with the headline: ‘Smithbauer Cheats
Holdup’]
Ray: After
further consideration I changed my mind, sir, I do not
believe it was a robbery.
Welsh: Liquor
store, mask, gun. You think we’re jumping to conclusions,
do you?
[Fraser is at Vecchio’s desk, signals by pointing at his
own
clothes]
Ray: Uh, yes,
sir, I do. I, uh, the gunman, sir, he was wearing a
cashmere jacket and he was driving a black Cadillac. These
are kinda expensive things for a two-bit hood. Would you
not say so, sir?
Welsh:
Detective, I’m surprised you haven’t picked up on that
little-known fact about thieves. They usually don’t pay
for things.
Ray:
[mumbles]
Yeah, that’s exactly what I said to him,
sir.
Welsh:
Who?
Ray: Uh,
nobody, sir.
Welsh: This
wouldn’t have anything to do with the Mountie, would it? I
mean, I think we’re perfectly capable of finding enough
crime in Chicago without his help. Wouldn’t you
agree?
Ray: Uh, yes
sir. I totally agree. The Mountie has nothing to do with
this, sir. [watches
Fraser opening the file
cabinet]
Apparently something was open, sir.
Welsh: That
would be anything in particular?
Ray: Ah yes
[Welsh steps right
behind
Vecchio]
sir-ererrrreeee-it was, uh the
cash register, sir. He, uh, apparently it was open, sir.
He-he made no attempt to go for it, which means, you know,
how could he, you know, have, uh, been there to, you
know...
Welsh: That
would be the register with all the well-armed people
around it.
Ray: Yeah, that
would be the one, sir.
Welsh:
Detective, I think we need to have a discussion.
Ray: Oh, uh,
I-I thought we were, sir.
Welsh: In
private [shuts the
blinds]
[outside Mark’s
trailer]
Fraser: Excuse
me. Could you tell us where we might find Mark
Smithbauer?
Henderson: You
see a Winnebago around here that looks like most single
family
dwellings?
[inside; Mark is testing (& breaking) hockey
sticks]
Mark:
Henderson, didn’t you test these sticks?
Fraser: I’m
afraid they can’t offer you police protection.
Mark: So what’s
the deal? They send a Mountie to guard a national
treasure?
Fraser: I’m
sorry, no.
Mark: Like that
somehow surprises me. Anything else?
Fraser: You
don’t remember me, do you?
Mark:
Diefenbaker, right?
Fraser: Uh, no,
that’s my wolf.
Mark: Hey look,
I’m sorry I meet a lot of people.
Fraser: I
understand.
Mark: So
where’d we meet?
Fraser:
Inuvik.
Mark: Ah, you
gotta be wrong. I haven’t been there since... I don’t know
how old I was.
Fraser:
Thirteen. We used to play hockey on the pond behind your
dad’s barn.
Mark: No
kidding, huh?
Fraser: Mm-hmm.
Everyday after school, and you’d never let anybody leave.
As a matter of fact, when it got dark, you’d pull out your
dad’s tractor and turn on the lights and we stayed there
‘til...’til somebody’s folks showed up, made us go home,
do our homework. Usually it was my grandmother.
Mark: You think
I’d remember something like that, eh?
Fraser: Well,
you’ve traveled a long way since then. Oh, uh, I owe you
five dollars.
Mark:
What?
Fraser: When we
were thirteen we made a bet. Who would get his face on a
rookie card first. I’ve been wanting to give this to you
for a long time.
[hands him a
bill]
Mark: That’s
the only dream I ever had,
eh? When my
rookie card came out. I went and brought a dozen. Yeah.
First and last ones I ever had.
Fraser: They’re
worth a lot of money now.
Mark: They were
when I sold them. Hey listen, uh, you want to do some
moonlighting?
Fraser: I’m
sorry?
Mark: I need a
bodyguard. Maybe you can use the extra money. Twenty-five
bucks an hour?
Fraser: Oh, I’m
sorry, I-I-I--
Mark: Make it
thirty.
[exits]
[pond/ice rink]
Mark : Hey who wants to play some hockey, eh?
[kids
cheer]
Henderson: So,
he want you to be his bodyguard, huh?
Fraser: I
believe so, yes.
Henderson: Take
the money, he loves to spend it.
Fraser: He also
seems very generous with his time. It must be a real
thrill for these kids.
Henderson: I’m
sure it’s just a happy coincidence that every major
newspaper in the city is here covering his altruism.
[Mark counts the
numbers on the ice]
Kid: We’re a
man short.
Mark
: [to
Henderson]
Hey, give Barney a pair of skates there.
Fraser: Oh,
no-no-no. Actually, I haven’t played hockey since I was...
[Mark has skated
off]
Henderson:
Right here in the Winnebago.
[Fraser arrives on the ice in full gear (red
jersey).
Music: ‘Hockey Night in Canada Theme’ by Dolores
Claman]
[playing hockey,
Fraser takes a tumble over the aggressive Mark]
[Dief barks]
Fraser:
It’s all right, Dief.
Photographer 1:
Dawn, do you think you can make him come a little
closer?
Dawn: Mark!
Stay in front, Mark!
[Mark takes the hint
and hot dogs. ignoring the boy who is trying to get Mark’s
attention]
Boy: I’m open,
Mark! Mark! I’m open! Over here! I’m open!
Photographer 2:
Thanks, Mark.
Dawn: That’s it
Mark.
[Mark heads off the
ice]
Boy: Hey Mark,
where you going?
Mark: Game’s
over, kid.
Fraser: You had
quite a game going,
Mark. Seems a
shame to cut it short.
Mark: They can
play without me.
Fraser: But
they’re here because of you.
Mark: Thousands
of kids play hockey in this
city. These
ones have had their thrill. See
Dawn. She’ll
make sure you get paid.
[disappears into his
trailer]
[Dawn’s office;
going through Mark’s fan mail]
Dawn: And
that’s just from today. So you’re a friend of Mark’s,
huh?
Fraser: Yes,
ma’am.
Dawn: You know,
it simply doesn’t make any sense for someone to want to
hurt Mark. I mean he’s a hero. One of the few this country
has left, and I work too damn hard and get paid too damn
well to make sure he stays that way. Have you ever done
any product endorsements?
Fraser: Not
that I’m aware of, no.
Dawn: Has
anyone ever told you that you have phenomenal bone
structure?
Fraser: Yes, a
starving Inuit. Miss Charest, if nobody intends to hurt
Mark, then I’m quite probably wasting my time.
Dawn: It’s his
money to waste.
Fraser: Oh, I
have no intention of taking his money.
Dawn: You don’t
have a bad side. Sign with me and I’ll make you a very
rich man.
Fraser: Ma’am,
if there is someone out there who means to harm Mark, then
as you say, we may lose a hero, and I don’t think we can
afford that.
Dawn: You’re
serious.
Fraser:
Yes.
Dawn: I don’t
want any police involvement.
Fraser: If
there has been a threat to Mark, then the authorities
should be alerted.
Dawn: No. If I
give you this, it goes no
further. News
of one nutcase can cost a guy like Mark a fortune in
endorsements. Those are my terms, Constable.
Fraser: All
right.
Dawn: I figured
it was just some kook. Nothing dangerous, right?
[typed letter reads: “You hurt my kid. You hurt the sport.
Now it’s your turn to hurt.” Another letter reads: “We
were there. We saw
it. You can’t
hide.”
Fraser: Thank
you, ma’am.
Dawn: Uh, one
more thing. My card. I really could do wonderful things
with you.
[27th
precinct]
Fraser: Well
yes, it was off the record, but I thought you’d be
concerned.
Ray: I never
get unofficially concerned.
Fraser: What I
was hoping is that your forensic people could check the
letters out--
Ray: What’s
the matter, haven’t you tasted everything yet?
Fraser: Ray,
the writer of this letter keeps referring to something
that hurt the sport.
Ray: Yeah,
look, I got a ton of work. Forensics has got a ton of
work. Go do something else.
Fraser: I
understand, Ray.
[leaves, then comes
back]
Ray:
What?
Fraser: These
kind of letters are usually solo efforts but this writer
keeps saying
‘we saw
it.’
Ray: Look,
everybody in Chicago sees every move this guy makes, all
right? Half of his life has been televised.
Fraser: That’s
it. Thank you, Ray.
Ray: Hey Benny.
[holds up the file
Fraser just left behind, but Fraser keeps
walking]
[apartment; hockey
game on TV]
Brewer: Lucky
for you I kept all these games, huh?
Mrs. Brewer:
[bringing in
popcorn]
Yeah, real lucky.
[Brewer & Fraser reach for popcorn without taking
their eyes off the
screen]
[knock on door...
Mrs. Brewer opens it]
Ray: Excuse me,
ma’am. I got a
note that the Mountie...
[spots
Fraser]
Hey, Benny.
Brewer: Come on
in, Detective.
Ray: Yeah, how
you doing?
Brewer : Shh!!
Ray
: Well, twelve straight hours of hockey seems like a bit
much even for you, Fraser.
Brewer:
Fourteen.
Ray: Yeah,
while you guys’ve been wasting
your time here, I’ve been down at the forensics lab
wasting mine.
Fraser: No
prints?
Ray: Too many.
A dozen or so postal workers and four or five people down
at Smithbauer’s PR
office.
Brewer: Shoot,
you jerk!
Ray: The guy
can’t hear ya. The game was played over two weeks
ago.
Brewer: Your
friend know nothing about hockey?
[Fraser shakes his
head no]
Announcer:
Smithbauer has it again. Through the goal screen!
Brewer: Ah
jeez, he should have shot.
Announcer: He
loses possession in back of the net, and New York is able
to take the puck...
[later]
Announcer
: ...and two minutes to go in regulation. This game’s tied
up at two. Smithbauer, right wing side... over the blue
line – lines up! And that puck goes nowhere. New York able
to clear it out of the center.
[Mark’s stick breaks
& he throws it into the
crowd] Oh,
Mark, there’s no place for those kind of childish antics
in this game.
[Fraser wakes
Vecchio up, takes the tape from the machine and puts in a
new one]
Ray: So we
solve the case?
Fraser: Maybe.
Thank you, Mr. Brewer.
[Vecchio & Fraser exit; Dief stays
put]
Announcer:
Schaffer into the blue line and inside the zone.
Schaffer....... and he scores!
[going down stairs in Fraser’s apartment
building]
Ray: Sixteen
thousand fans screaming in unified hatred against one man
and you think you heard what one of ‘em said?
Fraser: No, I
think I saw what one of ‘em said.
Ray: Oh, like
that’s easier.
Fraser: I
suppose not.
Ray: All right,
we’ll take the tape down to the lab, those tech nerds can
do unbelievable things. You point to the seat and they’ll
cut out every other voice in the arena.
[realizes Fraser
isn’t
following]
Fraser!
Fraser: Up
here, Ray.
[another apartment; hockey game
playing]
Ray: I thought
you read lips.
Fraser: Oh! Not
like she can! Grace loves the opera but she can’t afford
to sit close.
Ray: Yeah, but
she’s deaf.
Fraser: Well,
that doesn’t mean she can’t enjoy good music.
Ray: Really?
Oh, I thought it did.
[Grace is looking at the TV through
binoculars]
Grace: Looks
like "You hurt Mike
somebody"
Tough to make out.
[rewinds]
Announcer:...childish
antics to this game.
Grace: No-no,
it’s, uh, “You hurt my kid.”
Fraser: Thank
you.
Ray:
[slowly &
emphatically]
Yes, Thank you very much.
[Grace signs to
Fraser (“You’re friend is an idiot!”)]
Fraser: No, not
once you get to know
him.
[street]
Ray : So great, we got our man. Now all we got to do is I.D. him. I’m gonna to take this video down to the lab and they’re gonna... [realizes Fraser isn’t following] Fraser!
[Fraser is already crossing the
street]
Fraser: This
way.
[video store; the hockey game plays on the
TV]
Fraser: That’s
it.
Clerk:
“Blowup.” 1966.
Antonioni.
Ray: I loved
that movie. Travolta, right?
Clerk: No that
was “Blow
Out.” “Blowup”
is this great movie about a photographer who accidentally
takes a picture of a murder. But he’s not exactly sure of
what he has, right? So he blows up the photo to figure out
what’s going on. It’s a great movie. I have no idea what
the Yardbirds are doing in it,
though.
Fraser: Would
you be able to do that for us?
Clerk: Sure,
yeah, but it’s not going to do you any good. Excuse me for
a second. [to
customer]
Sir, you, uh, don’t want to rent this film. The director
didn’t even get a cut.
[to
Fraser]
Now uh, Antonioni was working
with film. You guys are stuck with tape. Seven hundred and
twenty pixels across and if you have fifty people to the
screen, that’s fourteen pixels per face which means you’re
looking at, like, two pixels per nose and no matter how
much I blow up the image, each nose is going to look like
uh, two little dots. It’s going to be pretty hard to
distinguish between noses if they look like two little
dots.
Fraser: All I
need to know is how far his seat is from the aisle.
Clerk: That I
can do.
[Riv]
Ray:
[into
radio]
Elaine, section C, Row 12, seat 7. I need to know if it’s
owned by a season ticket holder.
[apartment building
hallway]
Ray:
[knock
knock
knock]
Police!
[no answer, they go to kick it in,
then...]
Kid:
[voice]
Let me see your badge!
[Vecchio holds it up to the peephole]
Kid
: [opens
door]
Hello?
Fraser: Hello,
son. Is your father
home?
[kid shakes head
no]
Ray: Do you
know where he is?
Kid: He said he
had something for Mark.
[hockey rink; team
practice]
Ray: This
building is designed for quality sight line, sixteen
thousand perfect shots.
Fraser: You get
the players out of the line of fire, I’ll search the
building.
[players evacuate the
building]
Ray: I’m sorry
for the inconvenience but you’ll be back on the ice as
soon as we get the necessary security measures in
place.
Mark: What’s
going on?
Fraser: I’ll be
right with you.
Ray : He’s all right.
Fraser : He’s not upstairs. But the security door appears to be tampered with.
[they spot a guy headed for Mark; they chase him onto the
ice & tackle
him]
Ray: Not too
smart using a stick to attack a player in full gear.
Guy: I wasn’t
attacking him!
Ray: Yeah and
I’m not arresting you either.
Guy: Look I
just wanted to put it in his face! He can’t do that and
get away with it.
Ray: Do I look
like I’m interested? You have the right to remain
silent. Why
don’t you use it?
Guy: Where’s
the stick? See for yourself. I mean it was scored, right
where he broke it. In a straight line. I mean, why do you
think he threw it away?
[Vecchio takes
suspect out one door, but Fraser goes back the way they
came]
[corridor]
Mark
: So did you get the guy?
Fraser: Yes.
The stick he attacked you with...
[looks
around]
Mark: It was
right here. [to
player]
Did you see it? [to
Fraser]
Maybe someone picked it up. I’ll ask around, eh?
Fraser: His son
was hit by a broken stick you threw at him.
Mark: Really?
Why didn’t somebody say something?
Fraser: I think
he tried. He also said you cut your own stick.
Mark: Why the
hell would I do that?
Fraser: I don’t
know.
Mark: Hey,
sticks break everyday and in every way you can imagine,
okay? I’m sorry about his kid. I would have sent him a
jersey or something, but the guys a wacko. He comes at me
with a stick and I’m suppose to, like, take him
seriously?
Fraser:
Mark--
Mark: Are you
saying you believe this guy? Is that what you’re saying,
huh? You’re not being paid to care about nuts. You’re
suppose to be watching after me -- where the hell were
you, anyway?
Fraser: I think
you’re laboring under a misapprehension. I’m not taking
your money. I’m doing this as a friend.
Mark: Friends,
I got plenty of, okay? I got people I shook hands with
once and all of a sudden I’m their best buddy. I don’t
need any more friends, I need someone I can count on. I
need a bodyguard! Now if you can do this job, then just do
it and shut up, okay?
Fraser: I’m
afraid I can’t do that.
Mark: Yeah,
well, that’s what I figured, pal.
Fraser: Well if
he’s the man you’re worried about, then you don’t really
need me, do you?
[he walks
away]
[outside rink... car
tries to run Mark down, crashes into a parked car, and
screeches to a halt; looks like it may come back, but
another car appears, and the first speeds
away]
[27th precinct; interrogation room]
Mark
: You saw what happened to the car. How the hell do you
explain that?
Gardino: Oh,
you wanna report an accident. Well, that’s downstairs.
This is major crimes.
Mark: He came
right at me!
Huey: Look, we
arrested the guy with the stick. Guess what? He was in
jail when this happened.
Mark: Then it’s
obviously somebody else, isn’t it?
Gardino: Yeah,
well if we arrested everybody who hated you, we’d pretty
much have to shut down this city.
Mark: It’s your
job to protect me.
Gardino: Well,
we seem to have a difference of opinion. Watch this
closely. Case is open, case closed. Want to see in slow
motion?
Mark: You know,
if this was anyone else on the team, you’d be on them
around the clock.
Gardino:
Ironic, isn’t it?
[Mark
exits]
[Fraser’s apartment;
Fraser is reading]
Robert Fraser’s
Diary
: Three days after the robbery I had
Mulet cornered near the base
of Copper Canyon. Mulet wasn’t
a strong man but he didn’t have to be. He had a gun. And
I’d lost mine while falling 50 feet down the canyon walls.
To be a free man, Mulet only
had to do one thing: kill me. They say that every man has
a price at which he’ll do anything. I’d like to think it’s
the other way around. Every man has a line -- a line he
won’t cross over, no matter what the cost. The only
problem was, I didn’t know exactly where
Mulet’s line was, and neither
did he.
[Dief sits up and
barks, and the door squeaks open]
Mark: Hello
Ben. [takes a look
around the
apartment]
You live like this?
[Fraser doesn’t
speak, but
waits]
Somebody’s still after me.
Fraser: You
should go to the police.
Mark: Yeah, I
did. They’re not big fans of mine.
Fraser: You
don’t seem to engender friendship, do you?
Mark: Well, in
my experience, friends stayed around only long enough to
see you get what they think you deserve.
Fraser: Maybe
so.
Mark: I need
your help.
Fraser: I
really can’t help you.
Mark: Looks
like I’m not the only one who’s changed, eh?
Fraser: Unless
you tell me the truth.
Mark: I don’t
know what’s going on. I really don’t know.
[Fraser waits him
out]
Okay-okay. It was a couple weeks ago. I was approached by
two men who wanted me to throw a game. They wouldn’t take
no for an answer. They’ve been after me ever since.
Fraser: The
February 26th game?
Mark:
Yeah.
Fraser: I
watched the tape. You know, you had a better shot when you
were 13.
Mark: Oh, I’m
34 now, okay? I’m slowing down. My shot’s starting to go.
I’ve blown my knee out so many times I can hardly walk
without a brace. Next time it’ll probably be the last
time.
Fraser: Some
people might consider that to be strong motivation to take
the money.
Mark: Did you
watch the end of the tape? You watch the last four
seconds? I scored the winner unassisted. That’s not too
smart of a thing to do if I’m trying to throw a game, is
it?
Fraser: I think
you should stay here tonight.
[Dief whines]
Mark:
Here?
[later; Mark is in the bed, Fraser on the
floor]
Fraser: So,
how’s your dad?
Mark: Oh he’s
great. I bought him a house up there at Silver Lake. I go
home every Christmas unless I got a game.
[about
Dief] Can
you make him stop staring at me?
Fraser: No, I’m
afraid that’s impossible.
Mark: I was
sorry about your father.
Fraser: You
heard about that?
Mark: Yeah. You
remember Henry Duckett?
Fraser:
Yeah.
Mark: He
dropped by when I first got into town, he couldn’t wait to
talk about old times.
Fraser: I
thought I heard he was in prison.
Mark: Yeah.
Real-estate fraud. I was just one of a long list of
friends. You know what I miss?
Fraser:
What?
Mark: Looking
for a puck in a
snowbank.
Fraser: You
could drive it 8 feet in.
Mark: Well,
that was packing snow, too.
Fraser: You
know, I used to think you’d miss the net on purpose just
to see how far you could drive it into the bank.
Mark: You know
when you came by, I remembered you, you know that.
Fraser: I
know.
Mark:
[to
Dief] Hey.
You’re too much. [to
Fraser] I
can’t sleep.
Fraser: What is
it?
Mark: It’s
seven p.m.
[rink; Mark is on
the ice, Fraser in the stands; Vecchio comes down the
stairs to sit behind Fraser]
Mark: Hey come
on, get on the ice! I found some extra skates. Don’t you
want to play?
Fraser: No,
thanks anyway. I’m still a little sore from the last
time.
Ray: Turk
Broda, big time bookie. Matches description, same with the
car. What, do you really believe his story?
Fraser: Of
course.
Ray: Nah.
Something’s not right here, Fraser. Once Smithbauer told
Broda that he wasn’t going to take the money, Broda
wouldn’t have bet on the game. Either someone else is
after him...
Fraser:
Or?
Ray: Or he took
the money.
Fraser: No,
you’re wrong, Ray. I know this man.
Ray: You knew
this man. People change, Fraser.
Fraser: Not who
they are.
Ray: Lot’s of
things change people. Success, money, the city. When did
you last see him?
Fraser: We were
13.
Ray: Puberty
changes people.
Fraser: You
don’t know this man, Ray. Hockey’s all he ever wanted.
He’d never cross that line.
Ray: All right.
[exits]
[
Broda’s betting parlor]
Ray: Where’s
Broda?
Broda: Unless
you got a warrant, Detective, which I sincerely doubt, I
would appreciate it if you’d leave my establishment.
You’re scaring the patrons.
Ray: Yeah, they
look petrified.
[goon opens Vecchio’s coat, starts to take his gun]
Ray
: Forget it, Smiley.
Broda: Let him
keep it. He ain’t gonna do anything stupid in here.
[Vecchio approaches
Broda &
sits] So
talk.
Ray: What
happened? You get cleaned out already?
Broda: Oh
no-no, I never gamble, Detective Vecchio. Now what can I
do for you?
Ray: Mark
Smithbauer. Leave him alone.
Broda: Why
would I be interested in some hockey player?
Ray: You’re not
going to force him to do anything.
Broda: Look
around here, Detective, you see anybody tied to their
chair? Nobody makes anybody do business with me.
Ray: You’re
telling me you’re in business with Mark Smithbauer?
Broda:
Detective, people play poker in my establishments. I’m not
greedy, I just take my share of the pots. Someone bets on
the home team, hey, I lay off on the visitors. Why would I
do anything else?
Ray: Maybe you
own the game.
Broda: That’s
not a smart thing to do. Too many things can go wrong.
Found out that people can be very unpredictable.
Ray: Let me
give you fair warning. The
Mountie’s watching Smithbauer
and I’m watching you.
Broda: Oh! I
see. Now you’re scaring me, too.
[
Broda’s phone rings]
Now if you’ll
kindly excuse me, I have some business to attend
to.
[Vecchio exits]
Broda
: Hello?
Henderson:
Yeah, they’re coming out now.
Broda : Thank you. [hangs up, then to henchman] You fix the car?
Henchman : Check.
Broda : Okay.
[rink]
Mark: You
remember that? Four miles through blizzards to the rink,
four miles back home.
Mark &
Fraser: Uphill both ways.
Mark: Let’s
walk, okay? Hey, we’re going to walk, okay?
Henderson: It’s
twenty below!
Mark: Ah, he
sounds like your grandmother, this guy,
eh?
[Fraser tosses him a
stick]
Hey! Hey! What-huh? You don’t have a chance my friend.
Hey, hey!
[they begin to mix it up as they walk away, and goons in the Cadillac follow them]
[icy street; Fraser & Mark horsing around, when
suddenly a Riv skids, slides toward
them]
Ray:
[very calm
voice]
Controlled skid. Want a ride? Hop in the back.
Fraser: Uh, no
thanks, Ray, it’s probably safer on foot.
Ray: Ya got a
minute? I need to discuss some business with you.
Mark: Yeah,
I’ll be up ahead.
[exits]
Ray: Spoke to
the Turk.
Fraser:
Really?
Ray: Look, he
told me... I don’t think I scared him off.
Fraser: Well I
appreciate the attempt. Although I do question the
legality of it.
Ray: Look
Fraser, you remember what I told you what the city does to
people.
Fraser
: What is it, Ray?
Ray:
[sighs]
It’s nothing. I’m just gonna keep an eye on
him, all right?
Fraser:
Thanks.
Ray: Hey,
Benny. Be careful.
Fraser: I
will.
[Vecchio drives
off, but as he passes a car going the other way, he
recognizes it as the car from the robbery]
Ray:
Damn!
[Vecchio turns the
car around... the goons shoot at Fraser and Mark...
Vecchio skids to a stop in front of them; they hide behind
the Riv as the goons shoot up the car... Vecchio returns
fire]
Ray: Brand new
paint job, wax and detail. You have any idea what windows
for a Buick Riviera cost?!
Fraser: Thought
you went home.
[takes Mark’s
cap]
Ray: Oh, you’re
welcome!
Fraser:
[to
Mark] Give
me your jersey.
Mark: What’s
going on?
Fraser: They’ll
assume that I’m you.
[puts on
skates]
Mark: You can’t
out-skate a car.
Ray: You sure
as hell can’t out-skate a bullet.
Mark: My
problem, okay?
Fraser: Your
knee. You’re not wearing your brace.
Mark: Yeah, I
just wear it for sympathy anyway.
Fraser: Forget
it. I always was faster than you.
Mark: At
what?
Fraser: Lacing.
[he is lacing up
the skates]
Ray: Okay, I’m
going to stay here, cause I can’t skate at all. Okay, I’ll
cover. Go-go-go-go!
[shoots]
[Fraser skates out
and hits a goon with the stick... Mark skates out and
shoulders two goons]
Mark: No place
for that in the game.
[skates off after Fraser, and goons
follow]
Ray:
[on
radio]
Shots fired, 25th and Walnut. Officer needs
assistance.
[Vecchio follows in
Riv]
Mark:
[to
Fraser]
Stay with me, big guy. If we were basketball players, we’d
be dead.
Ray:
[on
radio]
Officer in pursuit of black Cadillac in pursuit of two
guys on ice skates. Why is that so hard to believe?
Mark:
[skate catches on a
manhole cover and he goes down in
pain] Ow!
Oooh
oooh.
Fraser: You all
right?
Mark: My knee.
Ahhh. Go on, go on, get out of
here. You can’t out-skate them carrying me, go. Come on,
go.
Fraser: You’re
right.
Mark:
[surprised]
What?
[Fraser breaks
Cadillac window with his stick & skates away...
Cadillac follows... Mark hits a puck... it hits the
driver, knocking him out, and the Cadillac smashes into
some parked cars... Vecchio arrives, Riv skidding past the
crash]
Ray:
Whoa!!
[three patrol cars
arrive & slide into one another, and the
Cadillac]
Fraser: Oh dear
[he skates over to
Mark] Nice
shot.
Mark:
Thanks.
[video
booth]
Announcer: Over
the blue line. Lines up. That puck goes nowhere. New York
able to clear it out of the center...
Technician: Do
you want me to skip ahead to Mark’s goal?
Fraser: No,
thank you. Actually could you, uh, back it up a little
bit?
[rewinds]
There.
Announcer: New
York looking to apply pressure. Getting the puck in the
Chicago zone. That’s Ketner in
the right wing. Looks for Scott in front but it rolls into
the goal crease. That will be held by Chicago for a face
off. Coming up to left of their goal. Both teams have
played very tightly this hockey game.
[video shows Mark testing the strength of one stick, then
choosing
another]
[Fraser’s
apartment]
Fraser : Good evening, Diefenbaker.
[Fraser walks into the room... Mark is
waiting]
Mark: He’s
relentless, isn’t he?
Fraser:
Unfortunately, yes.
Mark: I just
came by to thank a friend.
Fraser: You’re
welcome. You took the money from Broda, didn’t you?
Mark: How can
you say that? You saw the tape. I scored the winner. What
are you talking about?!
[long pause]
I needed the
cash badly. I didn’t think it mattered. I didn’t think
anything mattered anymore. And for 59 minutes I did
exactly what they wanted. And then the crowd started
counting down the
seconds. I was
back on that pond and nothing in my whole life mattered
more than those last 9 seconds. It didn’t seem to make
much difference when I told them they could keep the
money. You gonna turn me in?
Fraser: Well,
unless Broda testifies against himself, then there’s no
evidence of a conspiracy, so...no.
[rink; press is
leaving, past a waiting Vecchio & Fraser]
Reporter 1:
Look, the guy had it all and he flushed it all away. He
deserves what he got.
Reporter 2:
Lifetime suspension? You kidding? This is a sport where
you get a couple of games for trying to take a guy’s head
off.
Reporter 1:
Please. You feel bad for the guy?
Reporter 2:
Nah, nah, nah, he’s a jerk.
Ray: Let it go,
Fraser. People like to talk about celebrities.
Fraser: They’re
not always wrong.
[locker
room]
Fraser: Hello,
Mark.
Mark: Hi,
Ben.
Fraser: I’m
sorry it had to turn out this way.
Mark: Yeah.
This is the only way it coulda
turned out.
Fraser: I
brought you something.
[hands over cards, with a
grin]
Mark: My entire
career in cards. That must have set you back a few bucks,
eh?
Fraser: Three
dollars and fifty cents. Canadian
[smiles
again] I
got them as they came out. Seeing your face on them made
me, uh, made me feel proud.
Mark: I can’t
take these, eh?
Fraser: Well,
I’m still proud. Besides, I’ve got another whole set of
them back home.
Mark: Hey.
[does a ‘what’s on
your shirt, got your nose,’ and
laughs]
Thanks.
Fraser: What
are you gonna do?
Mark: I don’t
know.
[exits]
[pond; Mark hitting
pucks into the snow bank]
Kid: Hey if I
can find those pucks, can I keep half?
Mark: You can’t
find em!
Kid
: Sure, I can.
Mark: No you
can’t, cause I won’t let you. I’m gonna find each and
everyone of ‘em, and then you can have them all. There’s
one. Want me to autograph it for you?
Kid: Are you
somebody?
Mark: Nah. You
want to play a little?
Kid: It’s kind
of dark, isn’t it?
Fraser: Okay,
Ray!
[Vecchio turns on the Riv’s lights, and Fraser skates onto ice, in red serge]
Fraser
: Did you know there are 38 outdoor ponds in downtown
Chicago?
Mark: I was
wondering what took ya. All right, Canadians against the
Americans, eh?
Kid: You two
Canadians?
Mark : Yep.
Kid
: That’s no fair!
Fraser: He’s
right. [points to
Vecchio]
You can have him. He’s from the United States.
[Vecchio trips and falls on the
ice]
Kid: Okay, but
we get two goals.
Mark: How about
we give you three, eh? Hee
hee!
[the game
begins]
Robert Fraser’s
Diary
: As I walked him out of the canyon,
Mulet hadn’t a thing to say.
He almost seemed surprised that he hadn’t shot me. It’s
funny. Some men don’t know where their line is until
they’re committed to crossing it, and then it’s usually
too late.
[“This program is dedicated to the brave hockey playing
members of the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police”]
End