The climax, when Earl Brooks finally reveals that he is truly a Magnificent Bastard:
Mr. Brooks: (
Smiling softly) I'm sorry, Mr. Smith. I really did want you to kill me. But
in case at the last minute I changed my mind, I returned to your apartment and bent the firing pin on your gun. In fact I even brought another gun for you so you could finish me if I
had decided to go through with it.
(He opens his coat to reveal the spare pistol, as Smith tries once again to fire his own.)
Mr. Brooks: Unfortunately for you, my daughter's pregnant and just before you pulled that trigger, I realized how much I want to see the end to that story.
(Now in blind panic, Smith tries one last time to fire, and obviously fails.)
Mr. Smith: You can't do this to me! If you touch even a hair on my head, the cops are going to find those pictures! They'll know that you killed that couple!
Mr. Brooks: The contents of your safety deposit box, Mr. Smith, have vanished.
(And with that, he swings the shovel into Smith's left arm; Smith howls in agony.)
Mr. Brooks: Ooooh, hurts doesn't it?
Mr. Smith: HELP ME!
(Brooks silences him first by smashing him in the face with the shovel, then slicing his throat open with one swing. Smith topples to the ground.)
Mr. Brooks: Before I was the Thumbprint Killer, Mr. Smith, I killed a lot of people... in a lot of different ways...
(He dismissively tips Smith's corpse into the open grave.)
