Boss (2011–2012): Season 1, Episode 2 - Reflex - full transcript

It's called Lewy body.

Degenerative progression is slow.
There is no known cure.

Sam Miller, Sentinel.

He's asking her about you.

- Dad.
- Emma, how are you?

Can I give you a lift somewhere?

How's the kid looking? ls he ready?

He's ready.

My friend, Governor Mac Cullen,
is going back to Springfield.

I want you to run for governor
against Mac Cullen in the primary,

He is toying with us,



And this fucking Ewing'.!

How does this affect O'Hara, sir?

I need something to get those maggots
on the City Council off my back,

something to give me control
over the cemetery without their oversight,

Something they can'! vote against.

What about trash?

Let the streets run with shit.

"Shame on us.

"That our leaders have such little regard
for the potential of our wrath.

"Because they know we have no wrath.

"Games are played so brazenly
and yet we go about our lives,

"bearing them, absorbing them,

'no! even bothering
to shrug a shoulder over them.

"It's Tuesday. One week of stalemate
over the trash collection ordinance.



"One week since a procedural round
of voting led to nothing on the council.

"One week of shit collecting on our streets.

"Forgive me, Pm angry.

"We don't know when the vote
will come to the floor again.

"The Mayor is, if anything,
a man accustomed to winning.

"I! he is holding off,
it's because he does not have the numbers."

Send them in,

“The issue of St. Johannes Cemetery

"being tied to the ordinance.
so touted by his council opponents

"as an affront to the Democratic process.
Is nothing but a smokescreen.

"Where is our outrage?

"Every member of that hallowed hall

"should be dragged
from his home in handcuffs,

"Where is our wrath?"

Public outrage,

ls this The Sentinel? ls this Bentley?

Yep. Same line is holding
pretty well at The Times.

- How long before opinion changes?
- Hard to say, You're clean for now.

People have lives. No time for the minutia.

To them, you were trying to get things done
in the face of pure obstruction,

and they're paying for it
with shit on the streets-.

All right, who have we got where?

Our block's safe
and we've peeled off most of the middle,

Ross' opposition is also holding steady,

Who's left?

The week has shaken it down to three.
We need two for a majority.

- Carmona.
- He's out. Problems in his ward,

- He's going no.
- Riche.

He's just posturing,

He's gotta look like he's
standing up to me once in a while

to please his Hyde Park independents,
but he'll come around on the main vote,

- Stoney.
- I'll confirm,

Solomou,

This late in the game? What's he playing at?

- I don't know, sir.
- He's your guy. Reel him in.

Got two, need two. You happy with that?

No, me neither.

One more,

What about Alverson?

Too far a swing.
He thinks of himself as an independent,

bu! he votes with Ross
on almost every issue.

I'll have a crack at him. Find out where he is,

And tell the Sarge about the vote.

- We're gonna make it happen tonight.
- Yes, sir.

Torossian is a handshake for the 5 million.

We're heading back now.
Should be at O'Hare at,»

8:00 p.m.

Zajac oppo, talk to me,

Blank so far.

There's nothing on him
in any of our databases.

- Well, how far back do they go?
- Several decades.

So we find it from scratch.
When is he announcing?

Tomorrow, the Hilton.

I want to know all vulnerabilities,

Legal, criminal, credit reports,
wives, ex-wives, girlfriends, boyfriends,

what rashes he's had, if he flunked class,
borrowed money, from whom, what rate,

anything he's ever said on TV, radio, print,
if he's a Mac or a fucking PC.

I want to know,

because I want to know every fucking thing
there is to know under the sun about him,

and I want you to do whatever
you need to do to get it.

Tomorrow, before he even opens his mouth,
I want him slammed shut.

Sir, are we skirting
a little too close to Hatch here?

- Hot day.
What?

Hatch Act of 1939 prohibits

the use o! public office
for partisan advocacy.

Yeah, I know what fucking Hatch is,
Do your fucking job.

And stop using words like "skirting-"

Fucking skirting.

You have your».

Without sound?

-It'll work.
- What about Zajac?

We've got the tape.
It's rough, taken almost 20 years ago,

It's shot on Hi8 so we had to digitize it,

- How does he look?
-It's dark, taken at night.

Halsted Street outside
the dormitories at U of C,

we have campus police crowding him

and a bunch of other students
going bananas.

He looks younger, but it's him. It's Zajac.

How do you want to get it to Cullen?

I think we just mail it to him.

There is no mystery behind the experience,

If ifs governed by your impulse,
your personal desire.

If you haven't given yourself up
to something you don't fully understand,

what do you gain?

Because you know what you lose.

In your heart, you know-.

There is a mystery
to the message of the Book.

A mystery and a completeness

It must be embraced as a whole.

All of it or none of it at all,

in every action, in every thought.

You cannot pick and choose.

Where is the honesty in that?

Where is belief?

Yeah?

Emma, can we go for a walk?

It's old, taken almost 20 years ago,
but it's him.

We checked student records,
He was there at U of C.

There's no report of the beating, no arrests.
Nothing else, just this.

- Where is he?
- No record,

- Who filmed this?
- No record.

HOW did you find it?

It was mailed to us,

This. This is a turd wrapped in a bow.

- What do you want to do about it?
- Fuck.

It stinks,

I got no qualms
hitting with unsubstantiated shit.

In fact, unsubstantiated shit
is exactly what I'd like to bury him with.

But this thing, this thing doesn't feel right-

If we make sure it can'! be traced to us,

the worst it can do is not damage him
the way we want.

And if it is what it looks like, Zajac is DOA.

Put it out,

My friend, Chief English oi the Potawatomi,

representatives from
the Illinois Heritage Fund,

St. John's Church
and other interested parties,

we are before you together today,
in a sense,

because history has compelled us here.

We have reached an agreement
for the safe transfer

and permanent exhibition
of the St. Johannes finds

at the Chicago History Museum.

I await approval from the Council,
and the deal is done,

That's it for that. A few quick ones,

Where does the City Council
stand on this, sir?

Swinging straight to frustration.

Unfortunately, and predictably,
they're dragging.

We need a minimal ordinance
to make this a reality, and I'm still wailing.

All the vested parties have agreed,

So, as you can see,
there really is no excuse.

Unless some aldermen are more interested
in political posturing

than letting the city run its business,

How is the city's trash tied to the find?

Good question. And it begs another.

If this here is a good thing,

and certainly,
collecting trash is a good thing,

then would somebody
from that hallowed hall

please tell me how tying the two together
makes either of them a bad thing?

I'm just trying to move here.

I think those currently playing
the no game will soon come to see.»

Chief English...

Chief, my friend.

My wife. My wife.

You've a wife, Tom. Your wife.

My wife.

I know what you're all thinking,
why the pictures of kids?

Well, aside from it being a deft piece
of photo opportunism by some...

Did you just see what she just did?

- It was great.
- There is an actual purpose,

The city's Board of Education
has graciously allocated

a gran! lo subsidize trips
to the proposed exhibition

for all fourth, fifth and sixth-graders
in public schools.

Mr. Mayor, when do you
anticipate the visits to start?

As soon as the exhibit
is approved and open.

- Next. Bobby, you.
- She's good.

- She's good.
- Back to the trash ordinance, sir.

I'd like you to take a look at something,

- What is it?
- The clinic.

I have trouble reading this stuff myself,
but all I can tell you

is that a lot of those minuses
should not be minuses.

So what does it mean?

The archdiocese doesn't think
that it's workable.

Cost effective is what they say.
Drugs are expensive.

- You mean closing it?
- Maybe.

More than maybe.

Cost effective? What about their health?

You know what I would tell you,
but herds what they would tell you,

that our first obligation
is the community's spiritual health,

If attendance went up, donations with it,

they might be inclined
to see things differently,

How?

Maybe help us understand
what you're saying up there.

Your sermons, people need to get it,

And try easing up a bit.
You're not doing yourself any favors,

Rigidity scares people.

Hey, I'm telling you this,
but I'm not giving you any of my gags,

I'll be right in.

Yeah, the presentation, the museum thing,

the St. Johannes find, what I just did.
I need the coverage, the raw footage.

- Yes, sir. Which station?
- Any.

The chamber clerks have
set the vote for 9:00 p.m.

Good, I'll swing three.

Stone spoke to Alderman Riche. He's a lock.

- What about Solomou?
-I’m seeing him this afternoon-.

- What is he doing?
- I don't know, sir.

Look, if he's jockeying, I want to know why
I don't know what for.

Yes, sir.

He ever pull this kind of thing
when you worked his office?

- No.
- You should know his moves, cold,

-before he does himself.
- Yes.

Okay. Alverson?

He'll be at West Town Funeral Home
at 3:00 p.m.

- Who died?
- Cal Lewis'

I knew him.
He used to run the 34th for 20 years.

Back in the old man's time.
Gosh, he must have been, what?

Ninety-two.

Ninety-two.

Stone wanted me to let you know
that Ross will be there as well.

He thought it might be too hard a push
for Alverson, given the situation.

Yeah, yeah, the situation.
You know, I think it'll actually help him-.

Get everything out in the open.

Take tiptoeing out of the equation,
he's got nothing to hide.

Yeah, tell desk boy
to stick it on my schedule.

Yes, sir.

Hows our guy doing
with his big announcement?

Nervous, but he'll be all right,
I'm headed there now.

Watch him.

Yes, sir.

Fucking 92.

Fuck you.

Shocking footage surfacing today

that places State Treasurer Zajac
at the center of a race attack.

The incident is believed to
have taken place 20 years ago

while Mr. Zajac was a student
at the University of Chicago.

No word yet from the Treasurer's office
on the content of the video.

He is expected to announce
his run against Governor McCall Cullen

in the upcoming gubernatorial primary,
sometime later today.

Tape's not vetted, so we need to make sure
we're not linked morally or physically.

We put it out through an anonymous biog,
impossible to trace back to us.

- Okay, and morally?
- What not to say- Limits, boundaries-.

- Christ's sake, yes.
- Don't pass judgment.

Let the tape do its own thing,
It's his problem.

Let the press pass judgment.
Don't make it personal.

Throw some at me,

Governor, Zajac has been hammering you

for weeks now on your integrity,
on cronyism,

- Care to comment about the tape?
- Yeah, I got it.

Governor, he's called your honesty
into question.

Yes, yes, open it,

Boys, boys, slow down,

Slow down. All right.

Obviously, I have seen the images,
and I do find them troubling.

I would like to say, however,
that we must not rush to judgment.

- I am sure...
- But, Governor...

I am sure that Treasurer Zajac

has a good explanation
for what we've all clearly seen,

and this issue
will be resolved pretty quickly-

What do you believe
the explanation could be?

That's not for me to say,

Do you know Treasurer Zajac personally,
Governor?

Well, we work together for the Stale.

I've always found him to be
an affable and forthright young man.

Governor, are you relieved?

See now, that's the game
and you know that I've...

Has he just lost this, sir?
As opposed to you winning?

Let me put it this way,

those images, to me, tell only one story.

It's disgusting,
and it's not a good one for young Mr. Zajac.

Give us some more details, sir.

Oh, man. Did he really just go that fan?

Disgusting young Mr. Zajac?
What is this, 1953?

This is chumpbait. You know what that is?

I've only been sitting here
five feet away from you

for the past three years.

Yes, I know.

Okay, what's on your mind?

Honestly, you look a! something like this
and you instantly just know, it's bullshit.

It's made so the chumps will pick it up
and put it out for other chumps to feed on.

Like a chumpbait-

- And where'd they say it came from?
- A blog. An anonymous blog.

Fuck you.

Move, move, move.
Never stop, never question,

Feed the beast. Gotta keep their attention.

Give-them-something-new bullshit.
Truth be damned.

Truth be damned? Dude.

I mean, we sit here making sure
everything is vetted, checked,

rechecked, checked on the recheck,

and along comes Mr. Happy Shiny blog

and puts out what-the-fuck-ever
and it's everywhere.

Where the fuck is journalism?

Chumpbait!

I brought more salbutamol
to refill his breathing device,

but his pack is still full,

Thank you for thinking of him.

Yeah.

So, why are you here?

The salbutamol,

I got it covered,

So, are you looking for something else?

Like last time?

Or is it something else?

What is it?

How'd you come across the find?

We were helping the exhumers.
The earth just gave away.

Guess if you dig,
you're gonna find something,

- You want a bile, buddy?
- No, I'm okay,

You sure? 1 got plenty more.

Thanks,

Habaneros,

- He likes a lot of them.
- Yeah, me, too.

- Me, too.
- Just a few more questions,

I know why the cemetery
has been left with the work half done,

but why aren't you guys working here?

Most days we don't work-

Most of the work is done by the».

- Night crew?
- Yeah, the night crew,

We come in the morning,
and we find these piles of din

from them, from the night.

Sometimes we bet, you know,
to figure out where they're gonna be next

You all right, buddy?

Do you have water?

It's funky, right?

Just breathe through your nose,
and it kind of smells like orange juice.

Let them come at you.
Let them hit you with all they want-.

Don't rush it. Wait,

Even when you think
you've waited long enough,

wait some more.

Let them run out of steam,

Only then, you come in.

Okay?

- There he is,
- Mr. Zajac!

How do you explain this
to the people of Chicago?

I have a prepared statement.

How would you feel
if this happened to your family?

How does your family feel about this?

Do you have any other
skeletons in your closet?

What about your wife, sir?

Many of us, I would say all of us

who've had enough time living life,
encounter situations that we regret,

Not all of us are given opportunities
to address that regret.

Maybe, in some way, set something straight,

I have an apology to make to you.

I regret that events have led us to this point,
this unwarranted scrutiny.

I'm seeking high public office,

I expect and deserve
the microscope to be placed on me,

I chose this. You did not,

And lam sorry that you now feel the same,

simply because you had the courage
to come here today

and let the truth be known
about a traumatic moment in your life.

Thank you, my friend.

Thank you, John,

Wow.

How about that?

Twenty years ago,
I was a student at the University of Chicago.

I lived in the dorms off' Halsted Street.

One night, I was walking home. It was late.

And I came across something
that I wish I could forget.

A man, this man, my friend, John,
was in a fight,

He was taking a vicious beating
from a mob of drunk and angry young men.

I was scared. I didn't know what to do.

I tried to shout them off,
but they turned on me, too,

So on impulse, Iran,
and I called for campus police,

By the time we got back,
John was on the ground, barely conscious,

I wish--- I regret

that I did not do more.

Thank you.

Moments like that have made me who I am,

A Chicagoan. I'm an Illinoisan.

I know my city and I know my state,
and I know how to fight to make them better-.

I am proud to be running for governor
for reasons like this.

I know the dark side of us,
as well as the good.

And I know that there is still much hatred

that unfortunately,
courses through the veins of this city,

this state and this country,

But 2 can fight it.

What does not help,
what we must all overcome,

is that kind of prejudice,
that rush to judgment,

that political circus play
that has always thrived on our fears,

The kind that allows
our highest state official

to jump to devastating,
unfounded conclusions

without a thorough investigation,

That will no! he the case with me.
Thank you.

"Highest state official,"

- We give him that?
- Could be Kitty.

Could be his awn,

Time to put out the news on Cullen.

Sorry to interrupt, sir.

The coverage you asked for,
of your exhibit presentation,

of the Indian find, earlier.

- O'Hare.
- Yeah.

I've spoken lo them.
They're gonna pick up the pace.

- How long before it's done?
- Two, maybe three weeks.

The quicker the better.

Boy, this Indian thing couldn't have come
at a worse time, could it?

Like a giant fucking arrow saying,
"Look at me."

They're gonna put on some
extra security at night.

Yeah.

Yeah, it's like the '80s around here
with all these tapes.

I'll let you be.

L do believe that those currently playing
the no game will soon come lo see that...

You've a wife, Tom. Your wife.

My wife.

The city's Department o! Education
has graciously allocated a grant

to subsidize trips to the proposed exhibition

for an' fourth, fifth and sixth-graders
in public schools.

When do you anticipate the visitors to start?

As soon as me exhibit
is approved and open.

Next. Bobby.

- Sir!
- Can you find my wife?

Yes, sir.

Hey, hon. It's Kane.
I'll just be a second. Meet you in the car,

Sure. Come on, boys.

What do you want?

Is this what you want?

- Sorry.
- Quicker than I thought.

Hey, guys.
What'd you think of Daddy's speech?

It was okay,

"Ruddy lace, red cheek.

"High up a Peak-.

"In hand held firmly his kite-

"The wind is there, the open air,

"today, he'll give it flight.

"He unfurls the twine, lets loose the line.

"It soars into the sky,

"And to and fro the ribbons go.

"His kite, it flies so high."

ls that press?

No, internal promotional video
for the opening of the new wing,

part of Mrs... Your wife's patronage.

Would you like to join her, sin?

- No, no.
- Just a few minutes?

We'd be so grateful.

- How much more do we need?
- Just a few minutes.

"But before he knows, a sharp gust blows.

"The kite plummets to a tree,"

Thanks for stepping in
the way you did this morning,

"It's tangled there, quite mangled there.

"An awful sight to see,"

Creep of age. Not getting any younger.

"So up he climbs, but in no time

"his balance makes him wobble.

"The branch, it shakes,
cracks, shudders, breaks

"and down he comes a-topple."

I spoke to Emma last week,

why?

"Cry as he might,
his beloved kite will never fly again,"

Why, Tom?

"For both the boy and his banged-up toy

"forever broken shall remain."

why?

Just checking in.
I wanted to see if she's still breathing,

All right, enough.

"Even as he grows,
childhood comes to a close,

"one thing in his eyes still burns.

"Up in the trees, it's all he sees,

"the kite for which he yearns,"

R's been a long time.

Five years.

You look well.

I'm not sure why you're here, Dad.

- I wanted to talk to you.
- About what?

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately.

Been kind of forced to,

I wanted to tell you about

things I regret,

Okay.

You know, let me start over.

You don't look well. That was bullshit,
You look beautiful.

Emma!

- I have to go.
- Wait.

Wait, Emma.
Maybe I can just call you from time to time.

- I don't know, Dad.
- Emma, please. Just to talk.

Please.

Okay, phone calls.

Mrs. Kane, just a...
You have a quick moment?

Are you from the hospital?

No, I'm a reporter with The Sentinel.
Sam Miller.

I'm doing a profile on your husband,

and I was wondering if you would
consider giving me an interview.

- You can contact my office,
- I have, several times.

I can't seem to get a response,

Persevere, Mr. Miller, It'll get you places,

Just a few quick questions, right here?

I seem to recall a man
from The Sentinel orchestrating

quite the embarrassing situation for me
at the recent school event.

Now, you guys all look the same to me,
but I'm pretty sure it wasn't you.

He was

cleaner looking.

All right,

Because of my lack of cleanliness,
then just one question.

Are you aware that your husband
has been to see Dr. Harris?

Dr. Ella Harris. She's a neurologist.

Maybe there's something there
the public should know?

My husband suffers from migraines,
always has.

Dr. Harris is treating him.

The only news here
is that he's switched doctors,

And yes, I absolutely agree that The Sentinel

should be reporting
this kind of breaking news.

It's perfect for your brand
of cutting-edge journalism,

Migraines,

Thank you for your time.

We can meander around the issue

for as long as each of us feels
the situation requires us to,

for the sake of, let's say, false propriety-.

But I figured I'd just save us
both a lot of trouble.

The trash ordinance.
I'm here because I want your vote,

- I want to end this charade tonight.
- I don't have to go your way, Mr. Mayor,

You don't have anything on me,

You're right, I don't. Does Ross?

No. No, he doesn't.

Then why do you act like he owns you?
Like you're not your own man?

You have voted with him
on 98% of ordinances

since you joined the Council.

That's more than party affiliation,
or a whip line, or even an ideology-.

What exactly is it?

Sometimes it's good
to proclaim your independence,

Otherwise, you're always
just a foregone conclusion.

I didn't think you knew him.

Does it matter?

You know, I grew up on a farm-

One thing I learnt, and I'll tell you this,

I never seen no chickens follow a turkey,

Alderman Solomou,

-Kitty.
-Hi.

What are you doing, Nick?

Remember when you first
came to work for me?

Before the big man
sucked you into his orbit?

You didn't know a thing,
but I could see it in you instantly,

Your instinct for survival,

It took you all of, what? A day to figure out
how that happens in this place.

Go with Kane,

What do you want?

Because I have to say,
not knowing what it is

is making me look really bad in front of him.

- Nothing.
- So you voting with us, or not?

You see?
Your even asking me that is wrong,

- It's fucking games.
- Okay, so what is this?

Is this a sudden conflict of conscience?

Maybe I've seen it one too many times,
when trash gets attached to trash,

This is what you taught me,

This is how things work

Wins accumulate on top of wins
and form streaks, remember?

It doesn't matter what the vote is about.
Streaks give you capital-.

When you're winning,
that's when you can do everything else,

spend your capital
on the other things that matter.

If he loses this, think of all the other things
that are gonna fall by the wayside.

Kane is the city,

And everything we do
that is good for the city

comes from the fact
that he has the power to do it,

Do the right thing, Nick.

Who is knocking?

Well, this is a surprise,

Do you want to go get something to eat?

Wow, a complete surprise,

why?

All right, fine.

I'm sorry for what happened at the clinic-

What you told me».

I've been thinking,

We have a bond. Right, Tom?

Yes, I suppose we do.

For God's sakes,
I'm not trying to play you here.

All right,

Maybe you'll let me come
to that conclusion on my own?

Why have you been talking to Emma?

I told you.

Do I need to remind you,
the danger she poses?

Do you believe in change?
Even if people can't, circumstances do.

Maybe she has new circumstances.

I'll tell you what I believe.

I believe that to preserve what we have,
we made a choice,

one that is completely
outside the realm of such fluff

as changing circumstances.

We chose to fortify ourselves,
against all my natural instincts,

and distance ourselves from our daughter,

I recall you being very clear to me
about why this was necessary,

So don't sit there and waver

with whatever it is you have
going on in your head.

We chose.

We committed,

Emma's a liability.
Was then, is now, to the life we have.

Her behavior could not be tolerated.

She had to be cut loose,

That does not change,

I cannot have that change,

Do you understand why?

Yes,

-ls there something else I should know?
- No.

There is one other thing,

Yes?

Who's Dr. Ella Harris?

When was the last time
you cared where I put it?

Hello?

Hello?

Morn, ifs Emma.

Emma.

ls Dad there?

No.

Would you tell him I called?

He doesn't really live here. You know that,

Yeah, sorry.

Why don't you call him
during the day, at work?

Are you awake in the daytime?

He came to see me,

If you speak to him,
will you just tell him I called?

- Why did he want to see you?
- I don't know, Mom. I have to go.

Do you need money?

Are you clean, Emma?

- Can we help you, sir?
- Yeah. Hey, how are you doing?

- Can you lower that?
- Who are you with?

- The American Birding Association,
- You're gonna have to move along.

Hey, guy. ls it just a guy or guys?

- Your light's in my face.
- What's your name, sir?

This is public property. I'm pretty sure
I'm allowed to be standing over here.

-Is that your car?
- Maybe,

All right, let's go-.

- Look, I fell.
- You fell, sir.

- I know.
- You fell,

Jesus Christ, all right.

Fucking thank you.

For fuck's sake, I'm leaving.
Get that light out of my face,

So rude,

Instant polling shows Zajac passing us
in a vote today match-up by 10 points.

Opinions are ranging.

"Tour de force in political births."

"Bad news for the incumbent
Governor McCall Cullen.“

"With his beautiful family,
our hearts have been won

"by this vital young man,"

Fuck,

Sir, we went personal.

- If we try to approach this».
- Don't.

Sir,

What?

More footage surfacing today,

heating up Illinois' tightening
gubernatorial primary race,

The images show incumbent
Governor Mac Cullen

on a recent trip to Miami with a close friend?

No word yet from the Governor's campaign
as to the nature of this trip.

So take a look.
Text us, email us and tell us what you see.

The vote has started, sir.
Blocks are progressing as forecast, sir.

- Where are we with our swing three?
- None have cast yet.

Alverson's given no early indication.

Solomou, we'd say is okay.
Riche, we think...

He's up now.

Riche's in the bag.

We need two out of three.

Worst-case scenario, sir, if we only gel one,

should I hold the floor open
for you to come down and break the tie?

- I want to win this without.
- Yes, sir, I understand.

Just a moment,

Solomou, nay.

Should I hold the floor for you, sir?

- What about Alverson?
Just a moment.

Alverson, sir.

- He just voted for you.
- Good.

I'll talk to him tomorrow, set him straight,
We should have won this.

No, what we're looking at here
is that the Mayor never should have lost this

and he came close,

He came real close,

I do believe that those currently playing
the no game will soon come lo see that...

I do believe that those currently playing
the no game will soon come lo see that...

I do believe that those currently playing
the no game will soon come lo see that...

Tom?

Torn?

Tom!

What do you want me to do?

Have another olive, then see yourself out,

Cal Lewis died.

You should have seen him.

They had him done up
like a Victorian choirboy,

Fucking guy was 92.

I remember back
when you used to run things,

how he'd conk you out
from his perch at the 34.

Scruples as bendable as soft plastic
in everything he did.

So there he is, lying there,
flat-faced and dead

and everybody’s crying
like they lost some fucking saint.

Then there's that daughter of yours.

I don't think I can go there.

Tell her, you know.

She is one tough girl, tougher than you.

She came to me that way already.
Fully formed, you could say.

And I have wondered,

many times,

just what you did
to make her the way she is,

Sir, is it okay if I interrupt?

Yeah.

Mayor Rutledge, I have a little snack for you.

Okay.

Here we go.

Even under catatonic disturbance,
people retain their sucking reflex,

All you need to do is rub it across their lips
and the reflex takes over.

I can't give him that,

Will you be staying long, sir?

A little while,