American Dream Cagney and Lacey

So you tell me, dear.

Why would I burn down my own factory?

-How's business, Mr Seymour?

-Don't ask.

-Cream, two sugars.

-Thank you.

-Hm-mm... You've got such a punim. You know what a punim is?

-Yes, sir. Thank you.

I'm asking... How's business?

For 25 years, stocks go up, hemlines go up.

Stock's down, hemlines down. It was easy.

Well, not so easy...

But now... Now there's minis and maxis, above the knee, below the knee...

Who can guess this business?

So this nice, convenient fire solved a lot of your problems?

Nice?! The insurance company whose gonifs don't pay off without the say-so I didn't do it.

And now you two ladies are giving me the third degree.

Nice(!)

-Very nice.

-What my partner is saying, sir, is that eventually you will get the money.

You think money is going to do it?

Money makes up for 43 years of sweat and blood?

The Fire Department says it was definitely arson.

Why should I do such a thing? I had a wonderful line coming out!

If you didn't do it, who did?

I don't know.

Excuse me, Mr Seymour. You seem a nice man... but you're a terrible liar.

Excuse me back, detective lady.

I'm a terrific liar.

I've been in the shmatte business for 43 years.

OK, Mr Seymour. You are not lying. You don't know who it is.

But you have a pretty good suspicion. Am I right?

Who are you protecting, Mr Seymour?

You know I got great-grandchildren. Two of them.

And eight grandchildren.

All from three daughters and a wife.

Who am I protecting?

A business you can rebuild.

Family...

If I tell you the name, that's the end of the story.

I don't sign nothing. I don't go testifying.

Otherwise...

I came into this world with nothing...

..I can go out the same way.

He claims Ashland Trucking is trying to take over the delivery business of the whole district

-without saying anything outright, but three fires later...

-Looks like there could be something to it.

Nelson Ashland's been in the business a year.

-He's got a lot of the trade. Nobody wants to say how.

-Organised crime?

We ran the name past OCCB, but they've never heard of him.

So all you've got is a situation that smells hickey and a story from this Seymour. He won't co-operate?

-He gave us the name. It's all he's got. He's an old man. He wants to retire.

-What do you want from me?

-24-hour surveillance on Nelson Ashland.

-Come on, Cagney!

That's three sets of detectives off the duty roster on the word of a man who may be covering HIS handiwork!

-I believe him.

-So do I, sir.

All right... So I'll think about it.

In the meantime, you two are bringing up the rear in this squad when it comes to paperwork.

I figure you got 45 minutes till shift change. How about it?

Yes, sir.

Good.

Well...?

Oh, yeah.

-I'll talk to Knelman about the surveillance.

-Thank you, Lieutenant.

The sergeant's exam...

Coleman, you make book on anything.

Come on, La Guardia, it's a natural. We have Petrie going out at 3-2. He's the odds-on favourite.

-What about Cagney and Lacey?

-Got them at 4-1. Now way two women from the same squad will make sergeant.

One sort of offsets the other.

-And what about me?

-7-1.

-7-1?! What, are you kidding?

Takes more than a pretty face, Isbecki.

-Obviously, if you made it.

-Sticks and stones, Isbecki.

-Wanna put your money where your mouth is?

-Not at those odds!

It's ridiculous. I've got as good a chance as Cagney and Lacey.

Ah... Let me get this straight.

-Are you saying that if I give you 4-1, you'll bet?

-Careful, Victor.

It's OK. ..4-1.

As opposed to 7-1, right?

Hey! Isbecki, you drive a hard bargain. I guess you're right. What, ten bucks' worth?

Make it 50.

That's why he's 7-1.

-Hi, Christine! Where's Mary Beth?

-Harvey! What are you doing here?

-I can't talk. Where's Mary Beth?

She's over in the records file.

Hey, you!

-What's Harvey doing here?

-I don't know, but he only wears suits to funerals.

-Oh!

Probably wasn't a close friend.

-Ernie, Ernie, Ernie...

-Yeah?

He jokes about me getting out of manual labour, only he doesn't think I can do anything else.

Only now I put together this contracting thing. I proved myself.

We've been talking. Today, he puts it on the line. I start Monday.

Oh, Harve, that's wonderful.

Wonderful!

Harve... What do you know about tax shelters?

I'm a businessman, Mary Beth. It's business.

Ernie isn't exactly Albert Einstein.

-If he can do it and make that kind of money, why not me?

-Why not?

Hey, Chris, how are you?

-Hi, Mr Lacey.

-How's your pop?

-Fine.

Salute!

Good.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

-Harve, you noticed how much this wine is on the menu?

-A night to be extravagant.

-In fact, Mary Beth, I'll tell you what.

-What?

-Make a wish.

-What kind of wish?

-Something you always wanted but we couldn't afford.

-I don't need anything.

-I want to buy you a present.

-Oh, honey...

-Tell me something I can buy you. A present.

-Come on. You got something. Tell me.

-A new refrigerator.

-Oh...

-We need a new refrigerator.

-I don't want something we need. I want something YOU want.

OK...

How about...?

-No, it's too much.

-What is it? Tell me. Why is it too much?

An engagement ring.

I never cared, Harve, because the wedding ring was plenty. But I always wanted...an engagement ring.

A small one.

To the lady who is still my fiancee.

You should see the size of the office that he's gonna get. The desk is the size of a squad car!

-It sounds terrific. Are you going to celebrate?

-I don't know.

Muriel's taking the kids for Saturday, so... We'll probably do the usual, you know.

-Oh! Ho-ho, Mary Beth!

-What?

-It's been a long time since the old folks had a Saturday alone together.

-No, not that, Christine.

We might do that, too, but probably we'll just go for a drive.

THEY LAUGH

That's OK. So where are you going?

Nowhere. It's just a drive. Harve likes to drive. Sometimes we stop and look at houses.

-But you're not going anywhere!

-You never get in the car and drive?

-No, it's like window-shopping.

-I have seen you window-shop!

Only when I am trying to kill time. Otherwise, I figure what I want and then set out to find it.

Well, we stop and look at houses, and we imagine if we lived there.

-I think that'd be frustrating.

-Do you never look at a dress and imagine what it'd look like on?!

Sure I do. If I like it, I buy it.

-That's the difference between you and me, Christine.

-What, patience?

-Money!

-That's great, Mary Beth. Almost a joke.

-We'd better run. We have two more witnesses. Samuels wants us back by three.

-Not a joke!

24-hour surveillance, starting Monday. Cagney and Lacey are in charge. You report to them,

they report to me. I want to know everything this Nelson Ashland does

-and everyone that he sees.

-Wire tap?

-We haven't got enough for a court order.

-What kind of vehicles do we get?

-Regular unmarked squad cars.

We're to keep tabs on a possible strong-arm guy from open cars?

You used the word yourself, Cagney - "possible". This is the best I can get with a possible.

You give me a probable, or a likely, and I'll get you the whole shooting match. Until then, it's squad cars.

-..Questions?

-How long, sir?

-If you don't turn anything up in a week...

-Shifts?

-Cagney and Lacey decide.

-We'll take graveyard.

-Fighting with the wife again, Marty?

-Do this somewhere else. Some of us still got work to do here.

-Yes, sir.

And, as you know, we are back in the dining room again.

Can you see it, Harve?

-Having a dining room - candelabras, and I'm lifting soup from a tureen.

-It'd be nice. It's well-built.

Well, um...

-Thank you. It's a lovely home, Mrs...

-Parks.

-Parks.

-I could run my own workshop.

-It just came on the market this week. It's not going to stay around.

-I'm sure it won't. Thank you.

-What are the terms?

It's all right here on the offer sheet.

The first mortgage is assumable and, say, with 20% down, the second is very reasonable.

What's the monthly payment?

Well, depending on the down and the interest rate on the second, it would be between these two figures.

-Thank you very much.

-Hold on a minute, Mary Beth.

-Can I talk to my wife?

-Of course.

Harve, I know what you're going to say.

-Do you like the house?

-No! I don't like the house(!) It's a wonderful house.

-I like it, too. A lot.

Harve, we can't afford this house.

I know it's a stretch, Mary Beth, but with the new job, the tax break we get, we could almost do it.

-You mean it?

-Yes.

-Are you serious?

-You want me to buy you a house?

-This house here?

-Yes.

This house right here?

Oh, jeez...

-I don't wanna move.

-Quit belly-aching!

If I change schools, I'm not going to be eligible for basketball.

-Nobody's said we're moving yet.

-All my friends are here.

-He means Julie Knight.

-I'm going to kill you!

What kind of talk is that?

-I need you to get some brown beef after school.

-I've got practice. How come Michael never has to?

-Cos I'm not old enough.

-Whoever goes can pick out dessert, right?

-Hi, guys.

-Oh, honey!

-Look at you! You look... I don't know the word for it.

-You like it?

-Yeah!

-Pretty good for off-the-rack!

-I think you look funny.

-You do?

-Get used to it, your father's in the big time.

-Handsomer - that's the word. You were handsome,

but now you're handsomer.

-I got to go.

-I'll be thinking about you. Honey, you forgot...

-What is that?

-Nothing, never mind!

-I made lunch.

-Expense account, Mary Beth.

-Expense account...

Do good.

See you guys tonight.

-OK, which one is going to Zyboot's Fare.

-I'll go.

-You're old enough?

You think Ashland's ever going to go to work?

I don't know, Chris. But I got a couple of extra BLT on wholewheat, if you are interested, for later.

-Thanks. Mary Beth, your house sounds really wonderful.

-Oh, it is.

It's got a room that Harvey's going to put in a skylight for me. I could grow flowers all year.

It's not like this place, but it'd be nice for the four of us...

What do you want with a white elephant like that? Look at the lawn!

-If that isn't Astroturf, Ashland spends every weekend behind the lawnmower.

-You making fun of me?

-No...

-It sounds like you're making fun of the house I want. It may not be a big deal...

I'm not making fun of your house. I'm just giving you the downside to ownership...

-That's easy for you to say. You own your lawn.

-Exactly!

-You've always owned the house you lived in.

-That isn't true. When I went to college, I did not.

When you were waiting for your trust fund! I'm sorry, you don't know what you're talking about.

I DO know what I am talking about. It's why I'm trying to advise you. There are two sides to ownership.

In this country, when you're growing up, they make promises.

They promise that you'll grow up, find a terrific man, have terrific children, live in a terrific house.

A house you own! I've been feeling cheated all my life because I couldn't afford a house.

Well, that's stupid, Mary Beth.

-I've never had a husband, never had children. I do not feel cheated. My life is fine.

-By choice, Christine!

The owning of a house like that... For people like Harve and me, it's almost not a choice any more.

Only now we got one...

I know...

It's the American dream, right?

It's important to me.

Well, I'm happy for you, Mary Beth. I really am.

And I'm sure you have a nice house.

If we get it.

We still have to work the price down, get a second... Christine!

Excuse me, ladies, would you mind getting out of your car?

Officer, we're detectives Cagney and Lacey, 14th squad, New York City.

I will reach into my pocketbook to get my ID. My partner will get out of the car...

and I will place my ID on the seat for your inspection.

Right-hand pocket.

We're staking out someone in that house over there.

-Mr Ashland?

-Do you know him?

He's the one who called.

He thought maybe you were casing the place, planning a burglary.

-Good morning, Mr Ashland.

-Thank you, officers.

Oh, boy...

-Cross!

-It was embarrassing! Two Nassau uniforms lapping us like we're a couple of Keystone Kops.

-We gotta have vans or something.

-I can't go to Knelman for more on the basis of an unsubstantiated hunch.

Now, give me some ammunition. You still got a couple of days. ..Come on upstairs. I want to talk to you.

-Want to try Mr Seymour? Maybe he changed his mind.

-Sure. You're the one with the nice punim!

I call it the "mister woman's haberdashery". I woke up one morning and saw the whole line in my head.

-Pretty nifty, huh?

-Mr Seymour, you told us you were retiring.

What can I tell you? Harvey Holscher calls, says he's shutting everything and going to Miami Beach.

He'll give me a deal on this place if I come in lickety-split, so Freyda's Frocks is back in business!

So your wife said.

-Mr Seymour, you haven't even collected on your insurance yet.

-Don't worry. Don't worry, I will.

I have a little something in the bank, so... I got orders from two of the biggest chains in the country.

-You can do it that fast?

-That's the beauty of the shmatte business.

A few thousand dollars, a couple of designs and a good name, you're in business.

Fabrics go to the cutting service, then to my sewing contractor.

His people send me the dresses. The shipping contractor picks them up.

All done on a handshake.

-A wonderful country, America.

-That easy, huh?

And next month, I may be taking out a second and third mortgage on my house.

You'd do that?

When you want something, you do what you gotta do. Otherwise, nobody is gonna give it to you.

-Mr Seymour, tell me something. This time, are you going to use Ashland Trucking Company?

-Who knows?

-That's a nice coat.

-Thank you.

-Mind if I ask how much you paid for it?

-Mr Seymour, we need your help. If you...

-You, if you'll excuse me, need something more stylish.

Camel's hair, maybe.

Mr Seymour, the way we see it, you got two choices.

Either you give in, and you hire the gonifs - thieves -

which is hard to picture for you - a man who works as a cutter every day of his life,

even after his son could afford to support him -

-or else go up against Nelson Ashland again.

-In which case, you'll be asking for another fire.

Or worse. So, Mr Seymour... ..Oh, you ask him.

Please...

He's a remarkable man.

-71 years old.

-71?!

-He's excited like a kid over starting up again.

Now he's a registered confidential informant, the lieutenant's going to try and get us everything.

Two surveillance teams, 12 detectives, vans and wire taps.

Christine is hacked off, as part of the deal I made with Mr Seymour is that we would watch his place,

which means Petrie gets to lead on the team that's tailing Nelson Ashland. She's so competitive!

-Are you listening to me?

-Sure. That is terrific, babe.

-How come you're sitting there, smirking like you know something?

-I don't know nothing.

-Do you know you had dinner with a very rich man tonight?

-Huh?

I closed my first deal today. Ha!

-Harve!

-I dunno how the guarantee comes off the commission, but either way, it is a nice piece of change.

-You told me it was going to take a while.

-This stuff is easy!

I learn some catchwords and these people sit around and listen to me like I'm doing magic tricks!

-A rich person?

-That's me.

-I have this thing about wheeler-dealers!

The best part is this guy, Foster, is about to confirm a bigger deal.

-You know what?

-What?

-That this calls for a proper celebration. Wanna join me in the bedroom?

Gee, I wish I could, Mary Beth, but I got to finish my paperwork.

-Aw... OK.

-Yeah.

-Is it going to take long?

-Well... I...

When I'm done, I'm done. Why don't you go and, um, I'll join you later?

OK?

I might be asleep.

I'll be quiet so I won't wake you.

Harve, if you want to wake me, wake me.

It's OK.

Goodnight.

-Did you get him?

-Yeah. If we had wire taps, we'd know who we were taking pictures of.

This is so stupid, getting shots of everyone that goes into Seymour's building.

-One piece of evidence, that's what the lieutenant said. Then he gives us the right equipment.

-Coffee?

No. It might keep me awake(!)

Harve closed his first deal yesterday. He got another suit - three-piece with a vest.

-CAGNEY LAUGHS

-What?

-No, it's nice. It's just hard to picture Harve in a suit!

Why?

I don't know.

It doesn't fit. Some men it fits, but...

Old Harve? I just can't see him in a three-piece suit!

I think you got a prejudice against men who are blue-collar, Christine.

Oh, come on, that is ridiculous!

Yeah? Have you ever dated one?

Have you ever gone out with a man who did not graduate from college?

-I don't remember.

-I rest my case.

That does not mean I'm prejudiced.

I'm not making a value judgment, simply pointing out an observation.

Hm-mm. Right...

So did you make another offer on the house?

-Mary Beth? Did they accept?!

-I'm very superstitious about things like this!

-I'm going crazy every night with that mortgage rate.

-Terrific!

-I don't want to talk about it any more, OK?

-OK.

I haven't been so excited about anything since Michael was born.

What are you doing?

I'm taking a picture of my partner.

-They'll develop that at the police lab.

-If they can't take a joke, to hell with them!

-Stop that!

-I don't see anything hickey.

-If you knew you were under surveillance,

-would you do anything incriminating?

-There's not been one torch job in the garment district.

This can't go on indefinitely. Crime hasn't stopped in the streets just because we've got a hard case.

-I've new business coming in the door every hour.

-Let me show you this.

That's Monday, 1pm, Twelve Months Restaurant. It's a big deal, three-martini business lunch.

Ashland puts it away pretty well, right through a big dessert and coffee. He left at two forty-five

and then, just 20 minutes later, he goes to another restaurant.

-He stops at a coffee shop, reads the paper and has another coffee.

-Did he talk to anybody?

This is one of the two of them - he is two stools away.

-He stayed ten minutes and then went back to his office.

-That's his only break from routine all week.

Anybody?

OK, La Guardia, finish cataloguing these pictures. I want the Massadini files on my desk tomorrow morning.

-Lieutenant! You can't drop this investigation.

-A cigarette stand gets knocked over for 80 bucks.

That man has as much right to a detective hot on his case as anybody in the garment district does.

-Nelson Ashland is dirty. Everything Seymour said is true.

-But we don't have one shred of evidence!

Excuse me, Bert, I think we have something. This photo in the coffee shop, this fella here...

-He looks familiar.

-Remember that commission on organised crime? Took the fifth the whole day long.

-He's got a record as long as your arm.

-Including arson! I just can't think of his name. Fenton, or...

-Farraday or...

-No, it's Fennady.

-That's it.

-Frank Fennady.

-10-1 Ashland left the paper and Fennady picked it up.

-Thatta girl!

All right!

Get me Inspector Knelman, please!

Lieutenant Samuels.

COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC PLAYS OVER SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

-Anybody?

-Small guy in a coat. I think he's going to the tailor on the first floor.

-So, how's it going?

-I can't stand it with this music blasting in my ear, George.

Hey, George! Do we have to have this music blasting?

If I cut out the monitor, you won't be able to hear anything else that's going on out there.

I love it. 71 years old and he's into country and western music!

Hey, Victor! Where are you going?

-Lunch!

-It's almost five.

-Well, I don't plan to eat.

-Wait!

Bonbon's got a free hour.

-We take over the stakeout on Fennady at six-thirty.

-Hey! What do you think I am? An amateur?

I'll be there in plenty of time.

-MUSIC CONTINUES

-Argh!

Is the music getting to you?

No, it's this.

"Proceedings upon felony complaint, from a deposition thereof." Who understands this stuff?!

-Well, you probably do! Do you think Coleman understands it?

-It was easier when Coleman made sergeant.

Sure(!)

'Yes? Can I help you?'

'I'm looking for Aaron Seymour.

'I'm Seymour. What can I do for you?

'Mr Seymour, I represent Ashland Trucking.'

-Here we go.

-'I wanted to talk to you about your shipping needs for your new line...'

All I'm trying to get at, Mr Seymour, is are you going to give in or not?

May I ask you smart ladies something?

-Ever noticed the shoddy tailoring on women's suits?

-Beg pardon?

Now, take men's suits. There's hand-stitching here, extra tailoring there. That's quality!

Now, say you want to buy a nice, classic, never-go-out-of-style women's suit with the same oomph?

You'd love it. You'd wear it forever.

You'd be happy to pay 150.

-Could you answer my partner's question?

-Mister woman's haberdashery look!

-It's going to be a monster. I can feel it in my kishkas.

-In your whats?

-Kishkas. ..Guts!

I'll tell you what I'm gonna do.

You ladies have been so terrific, what say I give you each a sample?

-We can't.

-Why not? You think it's a bribe? It's not a bribe.

-I like you.

-And we like you, Mr Seymour. And we thank you,

but we just want to do our job.

I want you should be happy.

I want everybody should be happy.

Even Nelson Ashland?

-My old mother, may she rest in peace, used to tell the story...

-Oh...

..way back in the old country, the Cossacks would come through the town, hurting people.

My uncle one day thinks, "Maybe I should do business with them."

Even Cossacks understand business. So he gives each one a chicken.

-You're going to pay protection to the king of the Cossacks?

-What can it cost me? A chicken?

10-15% extra on the shipping?

This line is going to be a monster!

So I take a little less profit margin, and I avoid a lot of tsuris!

-Well, Mr Seymour...

-I want to think about it.

I gotta think!

But I ask you, ladies...

..what would be so terrible?

We're sitting out like idiots and he's caving in!

-You heard what he said.

-Did you see the look on Mrs Seymour's face?

-That man's not going to get a minute's peace tonight!

-Hey!

Am I in your way?!

-Where's George picking us up?

-36th Street.

That creep has taken our space.

-Where's Pappas?

-Hello, Marcus. He's in the back.

How's it going?

Boring...

-Fennady hasn't stirred from his room.

-Isbecki?

->

With Bonbon... Sorry, Marty, you'll have to stay till he gets here.

-Little post-prandial hanky-panky?

-I don't know.

But I'm sure he'll tell me all about it...in living colour.

Anybody go in I should know about?

Mr Fennady isn't exactly the social butterfly.

Like I said, boring...

I guess we should be grateful.

-He did not come out that front door!

-It's the only way out.

-Good morning!

-Good morning! What's up?

-Fennady slipped by Petrie and Isbecki last night.

-You're kidding?!

-He didn't. And Coleman's hiking up the odds on us. Not fair!

-Let it go, Victor! All right?

-OK, so you lost him.

-It's not the worst thing in the world.

No...

There was another fire in the garment district last night.

The night watchman was critically injured.

Congratulations! You are now the favourites in the sergeant's pool.

What's with the look? I didn't set the fire, I just set the odds.

Six.

We're covering Seymour's loft and we're trying to re-establish surveillance on Fennady.

We lost contact yesterday.

We're combing the garment district!

I understand.

Sir, two weeks ago, I was begging you for surveillance equipment...

Yes, Inspector.

Thank you.

-Typical! I got to yell to get their interest in this case. Now they want it back for themselves

-Sure(!)

The papers pick it up and it's the biggest thing since the Son of Sam!

When is Seymour shipping out his dresses?

-Any day now, sir.

-Well, Knelman's given us till Friday.

Then it goes to Major Cases.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

I've been looking at all this bank stuff and the different rates.

With a fixed rate at 13%, and a variable at 11.5,

the difference is 130 bucks a month, assuming we put 20% down,

which is what we planned, but I figure the variable can go to 14...

-I'm sorry. This must be kind of boring, huh?

-No!

It's nice to see you so excited.

I tried to tell Harve about this, but he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. Pretty boring, huh?

-Yup.

-I wasn't talking to you!

Oh, lord!

Mrs Seymour!

What...?

-Seymour was worried that you should get hungry down here.

-Mrs S...

-I made you a couple of sandwiches.

-Brisket! I took off all the fat.

-This is supposed to be an undercover operation!

You young girls with your diets!

-Mrs Seymour, please!

-I heard about the night watchman who got burned.

And so did Seymour.

So...eat and be well.

You should take on a few more pounds. It wouldn't kill you!

Yes, ma'am. Thank you.

Ready for this?

She made us sandwiches.

Well, that's very sweet, but she's now compromised the stakeout.

What was I supposed to do?

"From Aaron Seymour. I'm shipping the dresses tomorrow.

"If he's coming, he's coming tonight. No more chickens for the Cossacks!"

-All right!

-What did I tell you?

Kishkas, Mary Beth. The man has kishkas!

(Isbecki?)

Yo!

-'Anything?'

-Negative.

Nothing, Bert. He hasn't moved.

-It doesn't make sense. If Ashland doesn't send him tonight, it'll be too late.

-We can see the door.

There's no other way out. He's got to still be there.

That's what Isbecki said.

-You're not falling asleep on me, Chris?

-No!

It's 4.51. The sun will be up in an hour.

Which one of these?

Fennady!

-Mr Fennady, are you there?

-He could in Miss Marr's apartment.

-Who's Miss Marr? ..Fennady!

-His girlfriend. On the other side of the building.

-The other side?!

-Has she got a fire escape?

-Course!

-..Tell them Fennady may be on his way. ..Open up this door.

Come on, dammit! Open up this door!

DOOR OPENS

Did you hear that?

I didn't hear anything.

-Police! Hold it right there! Turn around and put your hands up in the air.

-I'm on him, Chris.

Right there... Get your hands up, I said! Higher!

-Don't you move!

-Stand still. Spread them!

-You have the right to remain silent...

-Christine!

Hold it!

Put your hands up, Mr Fennady.

High! Where I can see them.

And keep them there.

Hey...

Hey, kiddo.

-Couldn't sleep again, huh?

-Yeah.

-Did you have a bad day?

-Huh!

This job...

-I don't know.

-Everybody has a bad day, huh?

You can't keep on with this not sleeping.

HE SIGHS I'm not doing anything, Mary Beth.

I'm sitting around, having lunch with these rich guys, and there's something...

I don't know. My stomach... I can't eat.

I'm not... I'm not making something. You know what I mean? I'm not accomplishing anything.

Honey, you had a bad day.

-You can't expect every day to make a big sale.

-You don't understand.

I sold two.

It isn't enough.

What?

You know, back in history, when they built all those cathedrals,

the workers carved their names in the stone.

It was like signing their work.

When I was on the high steel, I saw the Indians do that. They'd scratch their initials on the girders.

Even now, when I do a remodel, I put my initials down under something, where it doesn't show.

It's silly, I guess. I don't know...

I keep thinking I...

I can't take Mike out like I used to, and point to a building and say, "I built that.

"My name's on it."

You can't...

..carve your initials in a tax shelter.

Then you have to quit.

-It means no house.

-I know.

-I feel terrible.

-No, Harve... I've been thinking about that house.

I mean...

what with interest rates the way they are...

it may not be real smart to commit to a long-term mortgage like that.

-They're bound to come down eventually, huh?

-I know how much this house means to you.

-Ssh!

We'll do it. It'll just take a little longer, that's all.

I got something for you.

It's beautiful, Harve.

-I can't have that now.

-We can afford it.

-We need a new refrigerator.

-No! If I'm taking your house away, the least I can do is give you a ring.

Harve, we're going to get the house. We are, right? We're putting it off, is all.

Oh, boy! It's beautiful!

Yeah... It's about time we got engaged.

Give me your hand, will you?

Perfect.

I love this ring.

I really love this ring.

Tell you what, we'll go in the bedroom, and I'll show you how much I love this ring.

HE SIGHS

-Mary Beth? >

-Hm-mm?

You know, maybe next summer, we could repaint. >

It's about time we sprung for new carpets and drapes. >

We could really fix this place up. >

With all the stuff I'm doing for everybody else, you'd think I could spend time and energy here, right? >

Right.

What do you say, kiddo, we really do a job on it? >

Right.