Transcript of Cooper Lamb’s phone call to Red’s Bar and Grill, Atlantic City
COOPER LAMB: Lemme talk to Red.
BARTENDER: Red’s busy.
LAMB: Yeah, yeah, he’s not too busy for me. Put the old buzzard on.
BARTENDER: Telling you, he’s not here.
LAMB: Which is it, he’s busy or he’s not there? Tell him it’s Cooper Lamb.
BARTENDER: Who am I going to tell? The thin air? It’s the middle of the day, there isn’t nobody in this place, it’s freakin’ dead.
LAMB: That’s Cooper Lamb. Go on. Say my name out loud.
BARTENDER: What kinda name is that?
LAMB: Just say it.
BARTENDER: I ain’t sayin’ nothing.
LAMB: Sayyy it…
BARTENDER: You’re a goddamn pain in the ass, you know that, Lamb? Here you go.
RED DOYLE: Hey, kid, what’s up?
LAMB: Nice employee you got there.
DOYLE: Trained him well, didn’t I? He’s better than a German shepherd in the front yard.
LAMB: I’ll bring Lupe in sometime to meet him. They can talk dog to dog.
DOYLE: Okay, enough chitchat. You’re calling about Archie Hughes, right?
LAMB: You sit at the dark nexus of the criminal underworld, Red. Tell me what you know.
DOYLE: Next of what? I don’t know anything. Not this time, Lamb.
LAMB: Red, don’t do me like that.
DOYLE: No, I’m serious. I’m not playing around here. You know how many people are calling me about their bets? This is costing me boo-coo bucks.
LAMB: Speaking of…
DOYLE: Oh no, don’t you freaking start with me too!
LAMB: It’s just that, without Archie on the team, I’m not feeling as bullish about the Birds, if you know what I mean.
DOYLE: If I hear anything about the murder, I’ll let you know. But in the meantime, your bet stays the same, capisce?
LAMB: You are an international man of mystery, Red. I’m counting on you.
DOYLE: Yeah, yeah, I’ll keep my ear to the ground.
LAMB: Right next to your mind in the gutter.