walking nonchalantly

SNYDER  (not taking the fake):  Then you'll have to come up with another grand somewhere.

Hooker is beat and he knows it.

HOOKER:  All right.

He reaches into his coat, pulls out a stack of bills and counts out $2000 to Snyder.  Eirie looks on in amazement; he didn't think Hooker had it.

SNYDER  (pocketing the money and motioning his partner to put his gun away):  You're a smart egg, Hooker.  No use dyin' for 2 grand.

Snyder and his policeman friend get in their car and start down the street.  Hooker and Eirie walk nonchalantly in the other direction.

EIRIE KID:  I thought you blew all your money.

HOOKER:  I did.  That stuff I gave him was counterfeit.  They'll pinch him the first place he tries to spend it.

Snyder and his partner disappear around a corner.  Hooker suddenly takes off like a shot.

INT.  DRUGSTORE - NIGHT

He runs into a drugstore and goes to the phone booth.  There's already a woman in it.  Hooker rips open the door and throws her out.  Hurriedly, he begins to dial.

EIRIE KID (standing outside the booth):  What the hell you gonna do when Snyder rushes his finger right to Lonnegan?  You're committin' suicide, kid.

HOOKER (waiting for the ring):  Aw Christ, it doesn't make no difference now.  If Snyder knows about it so does everybody else.  He never gets anything first...Damn, there's no answer at Luther's.

EIRIE KID:  Listen to me, Hooker.  Whatever you do, don't go back to your place tonight, don't go anyplace you usually go, ya hear me?  Get outa town or somethin', but...

Hooker, still getting no answer, slams the phone down and blasts out of the booth.

EXT.  STREET - NIGHT

Eirie chases him frantically, calling him to come back, but he's giving away too many years and there's no stopping Hooker at this point.

=================== {excerpt, the 1973 script for The Sting, written by David S. Ward}

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