 Stand by for crime. I'm Chuck Morgan newscaster at station KOP here in Los Angeles You know, there's nothing that strikes tear to the heart of a city more than the knowledge that there's a maniacal killer at large Especially one who kills just for the sake of killing with no apparent motive or reason Now we had one here in LA a while ago The press dubbed him the sniper Used a rifle to pick off his victims from dark alleys or upstairs windows or even automobiles Five murders were credited to him without the police getting a ninkling as to his identity And it was at this point that the guy began warning his victims. He'd make a phone call and say You're next and hang up Sure, the police gave the warned victim protection, but you can't assign a couple of cops to standing guard over a man forever This the sniper knew He'd merely wait until the cops were called off the job even if it took six months and then cracked down Well, this was a deal that I was thinking about last Tuesday I was sitting here in my office Mulling over the situation when my blond secretary Carol Curtis came in with some stuff Hi Chuck. Hi. Here's the stuff on the mayor's talk last night. I leave it in the basket. Okay Hey, what's the matter with you? This sniper gag is getting me down. Yeah, it's pretty serious Let's see that blonde girl who was shot last week made the 10th victim didn't she and her warning came in four months ago Well, one thing you can say about this sniper. He's got patience. He's got more than patience He's got the cunning of a warped brain the heartlessness of a man who doesn't know the meaning of human emotions You think he's nuts, huh? Sure. He's nuts. All his predecessors were nuts like Jack the Ripper and all the others You know, honey The trouble is there's a type of insanity that only a psychiatrist would recognize criminals like the sniper are the most dangerous Hmm, the police are taking an awful beating from the taxpayers. I know I talked to Bill Megs down at headquarters yesterday He's about ready to throw in the sponge. He won't bill talks about quitting, but he never will Doggonic glamour post. What are we going to do? What are we going to do now? Listen Chuck if you begin sticking your chin out on this I'll I'll divorce you I Absolutely refused to give you a divorce until after we're married. Hmm. Very funny Okay, so I'll break our engagement We aren't engaged. We are to you proposed to me two weeks ago, and I accept that it's official and final And there's nothing you can do about it. I'm even making payments on a ring Which Papi Mansfield has agreed to deduct from your salary. He what? Well, you certainly don't expect me to be engaged without a ring Oh, do you want it to become known around town that Chuck Morgan is a kid? I give answer the phone Chuck Morgan You don't seem to realize the phone I said. Oh, all right Chuck Morgan's office who? Chuck it's the sniper give me that for Morgan speaking. I Say now listen up Chuck what did he say? He said just two words glamour plus You're next Look like I was going to stick out my chin on this deal whether I wanted to or not Now I knew how those other victims had felt when they heard the warning come to them over the phone Wasn't a pleasant feeling You thought of yourself walking along a street some night and hearing the bark of a rifle Feeling the impact of a bullet between your shoulder blades You wonder what night it would be And you thought of all the nights in between before it happened And you wished you were a million miles away living in a desert island The voice that came to me over the phone was neither young nor old he could have been 16 or 60 But it didn't matter what he said was what mattered And the implication of it was still ringing in my ears when I hung up the phone Chuck this is horrible. It's all right. Don't get excited. Grammar plus. I'm not dead yet Well, you will be all of the others are every single one of them. That's a cheerful picture. Oh, I'm sorry only I couldn't On the way let's cut out being so morbid and do some constructive thinking okay Do you remember Danny Yates? Oh sure He was a little bookmaker a couple of racketeers frame for a job. He didn't do one and you saved him from a five-year stretch By proving a minute right now our first move will be to go down and have a talk with Danny Are you crazy the only place we can find Danny Yates is on skid row and skid row is where the sniper hangs out That's only theory glamour plus nobody knows where the sniper hangs out Besides, it's the last place. He'd expect to find me. Come on. Come on. Come on. Get your bonnet I had a theory about our friend the sniper And usually guys like him followed a pattern the pattern stemmed from frustration Killing was the release to the same pent-up energy that warped their brains And because of this frustration they all had the same weakness a desire for recognition All of which didn't prove anything But if Danny Yates reacted the way I hoped I might get a lead It was getting dark when Carol and I reached skid row The place hadn't changed much since my last visit Skid rose never do except to grow bigger I still don't see why you didn't tell Bill Megs and get some police protection if I had they wouldn't let me come down here But that's what I mean. Oh, I hate this place. Then why did you come? Well, if you're going to be shot in the back I want to be on hand to catch the body when it falls Yeah, cute kid glamour plus Well, here's the joint Joint is right What crummy looking characters the time has come for you to stop talking glamour plus so shut up Oh, sometimes I wonder why I don't hate you. Let's take a look around Yeah, yeah, there's Danny at the corner table over there playing issues were game of solitaire. Come on The black six goes on the red seven Danny. I like host playing Hello, Morgan. Hi, what's on your mind social visit Danny mind if we sit down go ahead How about buying us a drink? Sure What do you have? Smirnoff vodka and soda for me. How about the chick? The chick isn't drinking She's particular. Now listen glamour plus. Don't blast her out Morgan. She's cute That's what Chuck just told me and you can both keep your compliments. Hey Mike. Yeah, Danny Two Smirnoff's and soda. All right What's it all about Morgan when a tip on a horse? Yeah The 11th race is coming up Danny The horse's name is sniper There ain't no such horse. Yes, he's been running a lot of dead heat lately What do you think his chances of losing the next one or Danny? I don't know what you're talking about. Here's your drinks Yeah, put them on my tab Mike. Okay Danny you have the reputation of being an honest bookie. You always pay your debts and you figure I owe you something Five years is a long time to be locked up for a man who likes his freedom as much as you Yeah This tip on your horse kind of important to your personally Morgan practically a matter of life and death. I get it Wait here. I didn't know you were so good at double-talk Chuckie boys Danny prefers it that way. Well, you're not silly enough to think that he or anyone else down here actually knows the identity of the Sniper do you nobody down here wants to know the snipers identity then they can't talk Well, suppose he began sniping at some of the local characters He'd be surprised how quickly he'd be found out You got a pencil and paper Morgan right here. All right Right down this number To 22 front street. There's a chick lives there named a May. She's got a kid brother named a Tony Kind of a wild kid likes to play horses. Yeah, got it Danny your pal and step it Morgan bite away. Yeah figure with square now The slate swipe clean Danny Thanks street was an alley that divided the city block The street light burned in the end. We ended The buildings on either side were old and seem to be mostly deserted Our shadows marched ahead of us as we advanced into the gloom a Figure appeared out at us from the darkness of a doorway. We heard the step and whirled around But where it was must have gotten cold feet when he saw my hand reached her to pocket Footsteps pounded away down the alley I began to wish I hadn't let Carol come with me Then I remembered what an important role she was playing in this drama much more than even she suspected We stopped before a door. I let a match saw that it was to 22 Well, this is it me and a brother must like to live away from things Low rent is probably the answer to that one. Now look After we've talked to me a few minutes I want you to remind me of something for instance. We'll make it go something like this Hey Chuck, don't forget that you're meeting Danny Yates at the corner of Wilshire and Rossmore at 1130 That's not me if I'm wrong, but but didn't we just leave Danny Yates? What you do is I say and don't ask questions Okay, okay, we're supposed may isn't home The girl who answered the door was a homeless female I'd ever seen She had a horse face and buck teeth. His skin was pockmarked and her eyes were crossed Then we got another shock She spoke and her voice was the antithesis of her looks. It was low resonant and rich Yes Are you may yes? I am won't you come in? Hey, I Suppose you're the police what makes you think that I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later You're after Tony aren't you? I suppose you have a warrant Tony your brother. Yes. What do you think he's done? I don't know. Will you wait here a minute, please? Tony yeah, you come here a minute, please Hey Who's the broad that'll be enough Tony no kid and say she's got class And it does me. We're from the police Tony. Are you kidding this babe ain't no cop And how about a chick if you don't mind? I don't like being poor. I don't be so hard to get along with I go for blondes Honest I do keep your hands off her son Well listen to him She your special property or some good being let go over sure I will and just what do you think you're gonna? I'm sorry, but your brother doesn't seem to have any manners. He's always been that way I'm glad you had any deserved it Tony's all the family I haven't I try not to blame him too much. Oh you poor kid Here sit down. Oh Oh my jaw What happened you ran into something that didn't agree with it Get up on your feet. I sit on my chair and behave yourself keep your hands off me jughead So you're a cop, huh? Well, you ain't got nothing on me nothing I don't imagine it take very long to get something on you But since I'm not a cop will skip it for now. You're not from the police. No, I'm Chuck Morgan newscaster in KLP This is my secretary Carol Curtis. Oh, then Tony hasn't gotten into trouble again. That's a matter of opinion Oh, thank goodness lately every time there's been a knock at the door It's been someone looking for Tony with a complaint. Oh, will you quit your blubber insist? I ain't done nothing If you're Chuck Morgan, what are you doing here? Came down to see a friend of mine Danny Yates. He gives me tips on horses Someone at the saloon said I might find him here while he ain't here. So I see what difference does it make Chuck? Say, didn't you leave word to have Danny meet you at the court of Rossmore and Wilshire at 1130? Yeah, but meeting him here would have simplified as matters. That's all All right, let's get going may I I'm sorry if we troubled you. Oh, it's all right, mr. Morgan I'm just glad that Tony hasn't done anything wrong. That's all. Well, I wouldn't count on that too much may Kids like Tony usually wind up behind bars. They get ideas They get away with one or two jobs and think they're smarter than the cops, but it never works out that way a Fact that Tony I believe is going to find out sooner than he thinks Well, I've been shooting arrows into the air all evening without knowing for sure where any of them were going to fall I learned a couple of things for sure and was guessing it a lot more Everything now depended on who was listening to my 11 o'clock broadcast Karen I got back to the studio about 10 30 and found Pappy Mansfield owner of KOP waiting for us Hi, Pappy. Hey, we're in the devil YouTube band. Did you realize you've got an 11 o'clock broadcast? No, no, no, no Pappy It's only 10 30 plenty of time plenty of time my foot. There's all that wire stuff That's got to be gone over in the script written Carol. You get into the newsroom. No, no, wait a minute Hold it glamour puss. We can forget the wire stuff tonight Pappy Carol and I have dug up a better yarn That's really a honey Pappy way to hear it. It better be good. Well, what is it? Your favorite newscaster had a call from the sniper tonight. Oh, what's news about that? There's a lot of people that should get what you mean the sniper called you right? I don't believe it. He wouldn't dare don't be so sure Pappy I'm no different than anyone else that the sniper wants to call me has every right the world to call me Chuck This is serious my boy you act as if you're delighted at the prospect of being shot in the back Well, that's what I've been telling him all evening only he won't listen Pappy I'm delighted about two things first. This is going to be a knockout of a story for my broadcast tonight and second It's going to be the end of the sniper I suppose you figure that when your dear public learns their favorite newscaster has been picked for elimination They'll demand that the sniper give himself up and he'll do hmm monster the same thing I hope you sound pretty sure of yourself. I'm just whistling in the dark. Pappy. I'm really scared stiff You would be too Pappy if you knew somebody was going to shoot you in the back Well, you don't have to apologize for him Carol. Have you notified the police? Well, he wouldn't let me Instead we took a trip down to a skid row Chuckie boy got a tip on a horse brace Then we called on May. Oh, it was low. All right. All right glamour plus your sarcasm isn't helping the situation Pappy look cuz you're sure I've got to ask you to give me a hand in this How about it? Well, you know you can count on me Chuck But first I'd like to have you cut out all this double talk and bring me up to date on the facts I know you've been up to something now. What is it good Carol? Get into the office and start knocking out tonight's script. Well, Pappy and I go into a huddle, huh? Okay, but just remember I'm in on this too Pappy the first thing I want you to do is call Bill Megs at headquarters I did my broadcast as per schedule making a big thing of the fact that I was next on the snipers list The telephone began ringing almost at once and Carol had a time of it assuring everyone I had ample police protection and for the time being at least was safe Well, Carol and I left the studio a few minutes after a level 15 and drove up vine to Rossmar Just beyond 6th we parked the Jalopy and walked up towards Wilshire on the west side of the street We came to a driveway with a hedge and stopped in the shadows Wait here a minute glamour bus. I'll be right back. Where are you going? Keep your eye on the corner up there and don't move Okay, I went up the drive and around the garage and checked on the street in the next block Then I came back to where Carol waited Anything happen or a car just drove up and parked beyond the bus stop on Wilshire The car Carol pointed out was an old convertible The top was up, but there was no glass in the back window. It was headed west Anyone sitting inside had a clear view over the benches that were placed at the bus stop. I Wasn't sure but I thought that the convertibles motor was idling Chuck look at the crowd gathering the bus stop That's an awful lot of people to be waiting for a bus at this time of night I hope the sniper if he's waiting in that convertible doesn't think so he might get suspicious Suspicious of what most of those people are cops. It's all part of the plan. What plan why aren't I in on it? You're in on it more than you think glamour person. I'll tell you all about it in the morning Why you do you mean I've been a guinea pig all evening or less now listen Will you stop asking questions and maybe I'll tell you what's going to happen? You're better look in a minute Danny Yates is going to come walking up Wilshire towards the bus stop He'll mingle with the crowd a minute after that the bus will come along and everyone will get on but Danny What are you doing? He'll be left sitting on the bench alone a perfect target for the sniper who's in the park convertible Yes, well at least that's what we're going to find out if he is You probably take a shot at Danny and then head up Wilshire Now unless I miss my guess you turn right on Muirfield to get out of the traffic Oh, wait a minute. There's something cock-eyed here. Why is the sniper going to sniper Danny Yates when you're his boy? Muirfield Street makes a turn after it leaves Wilshire and swings back to Rossmore Now I'm counting on the sniper not knowing that because there's a police blockade over there right now, but it doesn't answer my question Why is this quiet? Here comes Danny Danny came briskly up to the bus stop timing his arrival with the arrival of the bus itself He mingle with the crowd and for a minute. I lost him Then the last of the people got on the bus swung away and Danny was left sitting alone on the bench Then something happened. I hadn't caught it on The bus as it passed the park convertible began to backfire. I glanced at it and then back to Danny Danny was gone But I could see one of his legs sticking up over the back of the bench then Carol yelled the convertible Chuck. It's moving away. Wait here glamour bus. I Ran up the driveway cut across a patch of lawn and thought of the five-foot fence I landed on my hands and knees just as a pair of headlights swung around the corner of Muirfield It was a convertible and the driver saw the blockade of police cars at the moment I was getting to my feet. It's slewed into the opposite curve with the squealing of brakes The door opened and the figure got out and sprinted across the lawn I followed The figure disappeared around the house lights bang on in the house Their reflection showed me a shadow climbing over a back fence. I took a running jump The two of us landed on the other side at the same time Something switched through the air and I caught the gleam of a rifle barrel Low struck me glancing Lee and I went down. I saw the rifle barrel coming again I made a lunch to the guy's legs I hung on for dear life dodging his blows with the rifle to my head it cleared then I reared up and dumped the guy I Grabbed him by the shirt font pulled him into me and then I give him a hard right Let me crumpled up like a coat drop from a hook Well, mister, I guess this is the end of the trail. Yeah, come on. Where are you? I must have gone over the fence. I'm over here, Papi. I Got up my lighter and up down pulled out the guy's hat a Massive hair spilled out from under that hat The face that was revealed by the rays from my lighter was pocked marked and ugly. It was a face of may You all right Chuck sure sure I'm fine. So that's the sniper, right? Well, he Holy smoke. It's a girl. It's a girl, Papi What a lousy break life gave her and what a lousy break she gave all our victims Yeah, I don't mean it that way. Papi. I was thinking something else. Oh, you were what? Don't think you'd understand Papi But remind me to tell Carol to congratulate herself the next time she looks into a mirror I'm Papi and I dropped into Nicodels for a beer and a sandwich before saying good night Seem good to see some bright lights and pleasant faces again To know when I parked my car and a lot behind my apartment house later on I Wouldn't have to worry about a sniper appearing through the sides of a rifle at my shoulder blades. I Knew that Carol and Patti had a lot of questions They wanted answered and that neither of them was too happy about the way I'd handle this affair now. Let's see We don't want to offend this mighty genius Pappy But wouldn't it be just dandy if he broke down and told us the secret of his great success It would indeed my dear it would indeed now look I was only doing my duty as a good citizen and as a news reporter Well, why don't you let me in on it? Yeah me all right. All right. Here's the way it was in the first place I Figured out this frustration angle. It had to be someone like me Only of course, I thought it was a man. Well, think of that the great mind made a mistake You see may was enjoying her publicity even though she remained anonymous. It was the only recognition she had in her life So when I announced over the air tonight I'd received a warning from the sniper had burned her up to think that someone else was stealing her stuff someone else. Yeah Glamour plus beer. You didn't actually think that the sniper had called me. Did you but why shouldn't I yeah? Who was it then? Was Danny AIDS Pappy? No, you see Danny had been wanting to repay me for the favor I'd done him so I gave him his chance He pretended to be the sniper for Carol's benefit Then he pretended that he was giving me a tip on the races for Carol's benefit Then I let me know. I knew Danny AIDS At 11 I broadcast the fact that I've been warned may heard the broadcast She put two and two together. She figured it was Danny was trying to muscle in on her act Chuck Morgan Do you mean that all the time I had to do it glamour plus if you thought I've been warned by the sniper Pappy Bill Megs and everyone else would be convinced. I had to make the whole thing look like for real Neither one of you would have helped me with a crazy idea like this if you thought I was pretending And who was that sitting on the bench at the bus stop? That was a dummy dressed up to look like Danny Pappy helped with that Danny himself boarded the bus Got in with the crowd crotch down roadway Oh, I don't know whether to feel mad or glad that the big blugs alive Pappy What would you do? Why don't you just order another beer and forget the whole thing? I'll tell you what I do well. I'll tell you I'd skip a couple of payments on your ring that he's paying for Now that ought to fix it. Oh, that'd be that's a wonderful idea. That's just what I'll do Then here wait a minute wait a minute now. I didn't order any ring. I'm my sorry I can't afford to have a ring