just overnight is all. tomorrow i'll get you out, i promise. but it means i gotta pick you up tonight.
reggie, there ain't no two ways about it. you're spending the night in jail, but i already told you i'll get you out tomorrow. now where are you? you're at your mother's house, aren't you?
okay. just stay put till i come for you. reggie, do yourself a really big favor and be there when i get there.
how can i help you?
use that coffee cup on the desk.
that's winston. he works here.
yeah.
so, you want a ten-thousand dollar bond. what've you got for collateral?
you have it with you?
you have cash. what do you need me for?
cost you a thousand for the bond.
who's it for? a relative?
ten thousand sounds high.
he takes off and i gotta go to kentucky to bring him back, you pay the expenses.
i've done it.
what's his full name?
records office.
hello, this is max cherry. cherry bail bonds. who's this? hi, vicki. look, vicki, i need you to look up the booking card and rough arrest on a defendant named beaumont. that's all i have. i believe it's a surname but i'm not sure. thanks.
getting there.
beaumont livingston.
on his prior, he served nine months, and he's working on four years' probation.
do you know what he's on probation for?
possession of unregistered machine guns.
they do consider this a violation of his probation. your boy's looking at ten years, plus the concealed weapon.
i need your name and address.
house or apartment?
now i need you to count your money.
across the street a great western. it goes in a trust account. you'll need to fill out an application for appearance bond, an indemnity agreement, a contingent promissory note. that's the one, if beaumont skips and i go after him, you pay the expenses.
yes.
comfortable?
i can see that. why?
oh, yeah? what did he do?
the bond for possession is only a thousand.
it still sounds high.
before we start talking about stewardess, let's get beaumont out of the way first.
what?
hear what?
did the police contact you?
the stewardess. do you know her last name?
what does she do for you?
beaumont worked for you.
was she?
you're not my client until you get busted and i bond you out.
cause you want me to know what a slick guy you are. you got stewardesses bringing you fifty grand.
you want me to speculate on what you do. i'd say you're in the drug business, except the money's moving in the wrong direction. whatever you're into, you seem to be getting away with it, so more power to you. okay you want another bond, and you want to move over the ten thousand you put down on beaumont to the stewardess. that means paperwork. i have to get a death certificate, present it to the court, fill out a receipt for return of bond collateral, then type up another application. an indemnity agreement -
- i'm telling you what i have to do. what you have to do, in case you forgot, is come up with premium of a thousand bucks.
well, come back when you do, and i'll bond out the stewardess.
if i don't see it in front of me, you're right. it ain't shit.
ordell, this isn't a bar, an you don't have a tab.
falsely accused? she didn't come back from mexico with cocaine on her?
is white guilt supposed to make me forget i'm running a business?
tomorrow i'll talk to your probation officer. karen's a good kid, but she's mad at you, because you lied to her. this business about your grandmother's funeral
but you didn't ask permission. you broke a trust. if you had asked, karen probably would have let you. i'm sure she would.
but then you told her you were home.
i don't know. maybe it's a language problem. anita, you ever cause this much heartache over something that could easily be avoided, i'll never write you again. you understand?
i mean it. i don't care how many times your mother calls or how much she cries.
then say "yes, max. i understand."
dropping off and picking up. dropping of lopez, anita. picking up brown, jackie.
i'll call her.
i won't forget.
still reading his novel. we hear offscreen, a sheriff's voice.
miss brown.  i'm max cherry. i'm your bail bondsman.
i can give you a lift home if you'd like?
who do you think i am?
i gave you my card there.
you're serious?
in cash.
sure, ever been to the riverbottom?
it's okay. it's a cop hangout.
i thought you might want a drink?
we could stop at the hilton by the airport.
it's kind of a sports bar
why does it need to be dark?
great.
no thanks, i quit three years ago.
ten pounds. i lose it and put it back on.
what's your brand?
was she helpful?
you know, i figured out the other day i've written something like' fifteen thousand bonds since i've been in the business. i'd say about eighty percent of them were at least drug related. if you want, i can help you look at your options.
i am, as a matter of fact.
what have they told you?
i'd say if you're tried and found guilty you won't get more than a year and a day. that's state time. prison.
but they won't want to take you to trial. they'll offer you simple possession, a few months of county time, and a year or two probation. how 'bout another?
you know who put the dope in your bag?
they wanted you to tell them what you know.
what did they want to know?
no, thanks.
that would be beaumont livingston.
i wrote him on monday. they found him dead on tuesday.
same as you. ten thousand.
you mentioned a guy from l.a.p.d., but you didn't mention the federal.
no, you didn't. what branch?
he's the one who wants you.
'cause if he busted you, you'd play hell bonding out of federal court. he doesn't want you mad at him, he wants you to tell him what you know. he uses you to get a line on ordell, make a case, then take him federal. you know what ordell's into?
how many trips did you make?
he's got that kinda money?
cash poor?
if you knew bringing anything over ten thousand was against the law, why not pack a hundred grand?
ask a.t.f. they might give you permission.
well, jackie, you got caught, you're gonna have to give 'em something.
give 'em what you got. offer to help. show a willingness to be helpful. you want to stay out of jail, don't you?
what'dya think?
where is it?
if you're having some.
you get a chance to use it?
black's fine.
you want to hang on to it awhile? it wouldn't be legal, but if it makes -
you went out this morning and bought a gun?
you went out this morning and bought a gun.
somebody loan it to you?
sure.
it looks nice.
you never got into the whole cd revolution?
yeah, but you can't get new stuff on records.
this is pretty.
who is this?
'76?
it's nice.
are you?
what i meant was have a lawyer do the negotiating for you.
well, if the a.t.f. guy is the one who wants you, that'll only interest him up to a point.
how'd you find that out?
he called you?
what?.  what'd you do?
why?
no thanks. there's gotta be other ways to get it out.
how do you get it out?
you're gonna offer to set him up?
it's very possible ordell's killed somebody.
you're not old. you look great.
it's not really something i think about.
okay, i'm a little sensitive about my hair. it started falling out ten years ago. so i did something about it.
i'm fine with it, or i wouldn't of done it, i did it to feel better about myself, and i do. when i look in the mirror it looks like me.
you know, i can't really feel too sorry for you in that department.
in fact, i'd make a bet that except possibly for an afro - you look exactly the same as you did at twenty nine.
bigger?
nothin wrong with that.
does something else worry you?
fifteen thousand.
walks into the food court. he stands looking a all the international fast food choices in front of him. as he tries to decide, he hears from behind him;
well, hello.
i walked right past you.
catching a movie.
"american prseident"
pretty good. me and annette bening are goin steady.
no.  .  i don't believe she's ever heard of me. but that doesn't mean we're not going steady.
i think falling in live with movie stars is something that happens to a man as he gets older.
well, i'd never be so bold as to speak for all men, but as or myself and a few of my friends, that's definitely the case. there's a lot of actresses out there you like, and there's some you have crushes on. but there's always one who you love. and with her it's sorta like going steady.
for now. these relationships never last too long.
sandra bullock. you know her?
she's adorable. but i had to end it.
i'm old enough to be her father.
i don't care.
what're you, a bag lady?
you talk them into it?
bring the money in and they follow it?
you don't actually do it that way?
make the delivery somewhere in the mall.
sit down, leave the bag under the table?
will ordell go for that?
he was here?
i called you last night.
you think he's got a thing for you?
i don't follow your logic. what does his being nice to you have to do with him wanting ordell's money?
i see.
has he hinted around?
you know some interesting people.
has nicolet told you any colorful stories like that?
no harm in that. he's a young guy havin' fun being a cop. i know the type, trust me on this. he's more interested in ordell than the money. if he's gonna do anything suspect, it'll be cutting corners to get the conviction; but he wouldn't walk off with the money. it's evidence.
what? if i was in nicolet's place?
if i saw a way to walk off with a shopping bag full of money, would i take it?
a half-a-million dollars will always be missed.
okay, sure. i might be tempted. especially now, since i'm getting out of the bail bonds business.
i have to stand behind all my active bonds, but i'm not writing any new ones.
a lot of reasons. but the main one would be i'm tired of it.
it's been a long time coming. i finally made up my mind - i guess it was thursday.
hi, i'm max cherry. your bail bondsman.
yeah, that night i went to pick up a guy. i hear he's staying at this house, so i sneak in, wait for him to come home.
uh-huh.
i dropped you off.
went to my office, found out you took my gun.
got another gun and a stun gun.
and went to this guy's house in el monte, and i waited for him.
shoot him with the stun gun. while he's incapacitated, cuff him, take 'em to county.
that's my job.
he never came home. but i'm sitting on the couch, in the dark, holding my stun gun and the whole house smells of mildew - so after a couple hours i think, "what am i doing here? nineteen years of this shit? so i made up my mind, that's it.
more or less.
which one?
i believe i said i'd be tempted.
don't even think about it. you could get yourself killed go to prison.
caf mocha.
no, thanks.
the feds. it's evidence.
you're rationalizing.
it could work.  if she handles the cops right, i could work.
do you think they bought it?
you know, a good cop won't let you know he knows you're fulla shit.
it'll be more than that.
but you still have to show him the money at the airport.
where's the rest of it?
what if he checks it?
you're takin' a helluva chance kid.
then you're out and you get nothing.
you're gonna have surveillance all over you.
in a dress.
i'm going out for a few hours.
i'm going to del amo, see a movie, get something to eat.
whatever looks best and starts the soonest.
in his cadillac seville, cruising down hawthorne boulevard to the mall. he plays hid delfonics cd.
not right now. i'm just killing time waiting for my wife. but thanks, anyway.
thanks, i won't.
and away we go.
max, old boy. you've spent nineteen years dealing with people who take incredible risks. you walk over to that counter, you're gonna find out what it's like.
excuse me, but my wife thinks she left a bag of beach towels in the fitting room?
thanks.
got 'em, thanks.
i've been looking for you.
mister robbie, isn't it? i have the ten thousand you put up. isn't that why you called.
the bond collateral on beaumont livingston you moved over to cover miss brown, remember?
they decided to no-file. tell me where you are and i'll bring you your money.
you still there?
you're right, that was ordell. you have time, you think you could find out for me where he's staying?
they don't have your winning personality.
i think i do. is that good enough?
i know where he is.
all winston had to do was ask around. ordell's living in long beach with a woman junkie.
people talk to winston. he's street, same as them, they trust him. they get busted, they know somebody who can bond them out. i thought i might drop in on him. he'll no doubt be surprised to see me.
on the phone i told him i have the ten thousand he put up for your bond. i could bring the money and the papers for him to sign. walk out and call the sheriff's department.
everybody wants him, he's a homicide suspect. it doesn't matter who brings him in, he's gonna name you as an accessory.
it's not that simple.
so how do we give ordell to nicolet?
set him up.
tell him you want to see him?
why?
what do you tell nicolet?
we get ordell to come to my office. nicolet - is he already there, or does he come busting in while we're chatting?
what if he hears something he's not supposed to?
i thought you might be asleep.
i'm alone.
you want your money? your bond refund?
i have a bond receipt for you to sign.
she wants to give you your money. if she didn't, there'd be cops batter- ramming the door right now.
winston found you.
that's what winston does. he finds people who don't want to be found.
uh-huh.
she wants to give it to you herself and collect her ten percent. she also wants to explain why she had to hold on to it.
jackie didn't trust melanie. she'd already tried to get jackie to go in with her, split the half million amongst themselves. what she did was take quite a risk to see you get your money.
all i did was walk out with it.
in a way, yes.
this place stinks.
my office.
she's been there since thursday night.
she was afraid.
she still is. she doesn't want to get shot before she can tell you what happened.
it's in the safe. she can't get at it.
i'm telling you, you got her spooked. she won't leave there till you have your money and you're gone.
if she wanted to set you up, you'd be in custody right now. when you said you'd name her as an accessory she believed you. that scares her more than anything.
uh-huh.
she's all alone.
she will.
it's the next street.
turn left.
uh-huh.
yeah.
no.
yes.
in his inside coat pocket.
i went to give him his refund, so he wouldn't have to come here.
i found out.
i told jackie, and jackie said you wanted him.
hey, you.
less ten percent.
i hesitated taking that much.
i'm sure.
what's he doing?
did you tell him you were leaving?
that's ordell's.
not after they're dead.
i didn't say you did.
i know.
i'm fifty-five-years old. i can't blame anybody for anything i do.
you'll get over that.
where're you going?
madrid or barcelona?
thanks, but you have a good time.
thank you for saying that, but no. my business.
i'm just tired in general.
a little bit.