"Could you hear it?" "Let me try again." "That's me popping my lips." "Your favorite." "Hope you can hear it." "Anyway, this is your wife Joni Conway and today is Monday, March 10th, 1969." "And this is my first tape recording to you, my brave and amazin' husband Mac Conway, while you're over there fighting for our country." "I thought we could send each other these tapes instead of letters 'cause then it's almost like we're talking to one another." "I miss you so much, Mac." "I miss you so goddamn much." "So much that I'm willing to cuss about it, apparently." "I miss your face, your arms when you wrap 'em around me." "It's just so lonely here without you." "All I want is for you to walk through that door, scoop me up and wrap those arms around me so tight." "I better slow down or I'm gonna end up talkin' dirty to you." ""Don't be a tease, Joni."" "Man, I can just hear you now." "I love you, baby." "I love you so much that sometimes it feels like all there is is that love." "Like there's not any room for anything else." "So I need you to promise me something." "Promise me, your wife, Mrs. Joni Conway, that you'll stay safe and get this stupid tour over with and come home to me." "We can start our life together, okay?" "I've been so angry for so long, asking, "Why'd you get drafted?" "Why are we so unlucky?"" "But then I realized, well, we have each other and we always will." "And it doesn't get any luckier than that." "I'm not making much sense, I guess." "I wish I could talk to you." "But since I can't, you just listen." "You stay safe, baby, and know that I love you." "Okay?" "I love you so damn much." "What's goin' on?" "Will you... will you say somethin' to me?" "Can we please..." "Mac." "Got a body over in Binghamton." "Binghamton?" "Somebody's picket fence wasn't white enough?" "The hell's all this?" "Talbot Avenue double murders." "Our mystery one-legged man." "Hoggard and... what was the black fella called?" "Arthur Solomon." "He the one with the sock shoved down his throat or the other one?" "Other one." "Solomon only had his throat blowed open." "No sock." "So, Solomon comes home, right?" "Did some pretty heinous shit in Vietnam..." " Allegedly." " "Allegedly" does some pretty heinous shit in Vietnam, but nothing comes of it." "It gets swept under the rug." "Or maybe he didn't do nothin'." "A month later, guy's shot dead in an apartment next to a prosthetic leg and another dead guy with a... a sock shoved down his throat." " And?" " And one may have something to do with the other." "Where's our one-legged man?" "And who else was there?" "Okay, "Hanoi Jane."" "Maybe you can explain it to me on the way to Binghamton." "Let's go." "Hello." "We are not available now." "Please leave your name and number after the beep." "I..." "I need to speak with the... is anybody there?" "I need somebody to pick up." " I gotta talk to someone, please." " Morning, sunshine." "You look like you could use a drink." "Look, I'm sorry." "You gotta understand" "I wasn't allowed to tell you about your wife shackin' up with ol' Cliff Williams." " Boss man had a plan." " Where is he?" "He's probably in whatever coffin he sleeps in" " when the sun's out." " How do you contact him?" "That's not really how it works." "Okay, what if somethin' goes wrong on a job?" "I called, but all I got was some answering' machine." "Who, ol' "Hal 9000"?" " I hate that damn thing." " You cut the shit, you understand me?" "I need to know what happens next." "I'm not here to be your fuckin' friend." "Well, here I thought I'd found a fourth for bridge." "Well, let's see." "You owe him money, right?" "How much?" " 30." " Whoo-whee!" "He's got your Wranglers 'round your ankles and your ass over that whiskey barrel, don't he?" "Yeah, well, you d... you built the file on me, right?" "The "scout" phase?" " Indeed I did." " So why is he doin' this to me?" "He sees something in you, something unique." "Fuck "unique"!" "Well, then toodles." "Wait, where you going, please?" "You don't wanna be friends, you wanna be friends." " What?" " I need to know what I'm supposed to do next." "What happened to the money you owe him?" "My friend... he did something with it." "And I guess it's kinda hard to ask him what, considering'." "Pay him his 30 Gs and maybe you can have a conversation." "That's the best I can tell you, handsome." "That there's no good news in this world." "I can't come up with that kinda money." "It ain't even been 12 hours since you found out the sky's not blue." "You get some rest, okay?" "He'll be in touch." "Thanks again for the ride." "Mac needed the car for some job interviews." "Gotta be weird having him back home." "It's not weird." "I'm just excited I get to join you and Cliff's little Carpool Club." "There's no Carpool Club, Andrea." "Ridin' in to work together almost every day?" "I call that a Carpool Club." "I still think the two of you shoulda hooked up" " before Mac got back." " Andrea." "Come on!" "Everybody at work could see how much he digs you." "There's no harm in a little fling." "Well, then maybe you ought to hook up with Cliff." "My God." "I appreciate your cooperation, miss..." " My God." " Don't stop." "My... you know, I'm just gonna ask him about it." " Go." "Andrea, please." " My God, do you think he's..." " I think we need to talk to the cops." " I can't be here right now!" "Okay." ""In anticipation of the upcoming school year"..." "Hattie, I ain't got time for this right now." ""that changes regarding school attendance will be taking place in the form of busing."" "Well, I've had my fill of change of late, thank you." "But this is a good change." "Well, a lot of white people may not agree with you." "They had, what, 15, 16 years since they were supposed to do this?" "Once white parents get a taste of how bad it is in the black schools, watch how quick the black schools get better." "Better books, better teachers," " classrooms that ain't falling' apart..." " But I like my school." "You want some more milk, baby?" "I got it." "You can get dressed now." "Are they really gonna make me switch schools?" "Nobody's switching anything yet." "Aunt Hattie's just reading a letter from the school district sayin' they're gonna work to make changes down the road." "They're finally gonna make all the white kids and the black kids go to school together come January of next year." "What?" "That's the truth, ain't it?" "And, Marcus, honey, it's a good thing." "Gonna mean you get a better education." "Will my friends switch, too?" "Well, we don't know how it's all gonna work out yet." "You just worry about enjoyin' what's left of your summer, all right?" "Can you get that?" "And no dribbling in the house!" "Hello." " Who is it?" " Hey!" " Mac?" " Ruth." " Well, come in." " I thought I'd swing by, you know, see how everything's goin'." "Aw, well, that's nice of you." " Yeah." " But we're okay, really." "Well, you know, there's nothin' nice about it." "It's my job to, you know, make sure y'all are doin' all right, so..." " Please sit." " Thank you." " You want some coffee?" " Yes, ma'am." "Mama!" "Marcus won't tie my shoe!" "Keep it down in there, please." " Do it yourself, you baby." " Here you go." "Thank you." "Have you... have you..." "have you heard any more," " from the cops?" " No." "Why, you talk to 'em?" "Yeah." " Yeah, I did." " What they say?" "Well, they... they were just askin' about, you know, who he'd been hangin' around with, that sort of thing." "Did Artie ever mention anything to you about money or buying you or the kids anything?" "No, nothin' like that." "Is... is that what they think this is about?" "Money?" "Probably just speculating." "You crazy you think them cops care at all about another dead black man in Memphis." "Well, they talked to Mac about it, so at least they doing somethin'." "I said no dribbling' in the house!" "Sorry." "Mac?" " Mac?" " Yeah?" "You all right?" "Yeah." "Yeah." " Mama!" " I'm comin', baby." "Look, I..." "I apologize" " for the...for interrupting." " Ma!" "Mama!" " I should let y'all have your morning." " No." "No..." "I'm coming, baby...." " Excuse me." " Let..." "let me walk you out." " Okay." " Sorry about all the chaos." "That's fine." "Everyone's just tryin' to make sense of everything." "That goes for all of us, right?" "here, here, here." "What... what is this?" "Just take it." "It's okay." "It's sweet of you to check on us, but we don't expect anything." "We're gonna be okay." "Yeah, I know." "If y'all need anything, okay, and I mean anything at all," " just give me a call." " I appreciate that." "You give my best to Joni." "...and so we struggle, Lord." "We struggle to understand Your plan." "We never expect someone as vibrant and full of life as Cliff to be taken in the prime of his life." "But it's the struggle to understand why that we come to find out that the only certainty in life are the trials and tribulations we must endure." "Susan." "Hi." "Your dad's not here right now." "That's okay." "I can wait." "I need his help with, somethin'." "Only, I have no idea when he'll be back, so..." "Okay." "You and I can catch up?" "How's that lovely wife of yours?" "She is great." "Missed you at the party, though." "And I was sorry to miss it." " I was feeling under the weather..." " Say no more." "I came down with malaria twice my first tour, so..." "Could I?" "By all means." "Thank you." "Would you, have a glass with me?" "I don't do much drinking in the middle of the day." "Well, you are missin' out." "Now, there." "That was a day." "Hey, how many years you been puttin' up with his bullshit?" "10 in May, actually." "A decade?" "Damn." "They ought to give you the Purple Heart." "You said you needed to ask for Lloyd's help with something?" "Yeah, it's a financial matter." "Yeah, of course it is." "What's that supposed to mean?" "Nothin'." "If you'll excuse me, Mac," "I really do have some housekeeping I need to attend to." "Aw, I thought y'all had a maid." "It's a figure of speech." "Lloyd may not be home for several hours." " Let me try him at the office." " Yeah, you do that, Susan." "You do that." "He's here." "Right now in the house." "What am I supposed to do, "visit" with him?" "I thought you told him, Lloyd." "Well, evidently you didn't deliver it strongly enough 'cause here he is." "Your father would..." "Fuck." "Fuck." "Fuck!" "Fuck!" "I'm gonna order us another." "Should I get us somethin' stronger?" "What's wrong with you?" "You've been starin' off into space since Binghamton." " What, damn it?" " That body in Binghamton." "I was friends with him." "High school." "Well, God, why didn't you say somethin'?" " Are you okay?" " We were good buddies." "We just lost touch over the years, you know?" "You wanna dump it off on Anderson and Boyd?" "No, nothin' like that." "It's just weird." "All these bodies and that's the first one I actually knew." "Great." " Two shots of whiskey, honey, okay?" " You got it." " Same time tomorrow?" " Maybe, yeah." "I'll call and let you know." "Thanks, Andrea." "Hey!" "Hey." "Hey, when did this come out?" "Yeah." "No." "Joni, don't." "No." "I got it." "See, it's easy." "There, you see?" "I got it." "Here, just..." "There we go." "Yeah, we just we just had a little disagreement." "All better now." "We got..." "I missed it." "Everything is better." "See, Joni, look." "Look, Joni." "This is all that's needed." "Joni..." "Joni, no." "Don't do that, Joni!" "Joni!" "Well, so now you're not talking to me?" "Come on, Joni!" "Joni!" "Thanks for tunin' in to 58, WHBQ, Memphis." "Here's Velvet Opera with "Anna Dance Square."" "Get you anything?" "No, I'm..." "I'm okay." "You wouldn't happen to have seen a one-legged man come through here, would you?" "He's got a funny mustache," " name of Suggs?" " Doesn't ring a bell." " Sorry." " All right." "Care for a private dance, mister?" " No, I'm all right." " Hey, Alli, you got any one-legged customers with funny mustaches lately?" " What was it?" " It's, Suggs." "I got a fellow with a hook hand." "No mustache, though." " No, that's not it." " I'll keep an eye out." "Thanks, Alli." "Sure you don't want the private dance?" "Not your type?" "Nah, I'm just playin' hard to get." "Maybe drop the price down." "Gwen." "Mac." " What'll you have?" " Bourbon, neat." " Ancient Age?" " Gotta be better than the current one." "It must be tough being' married and workin' at a place like this?" "Probably about as tough as it is to be married and be a customer in a place like this." "I only wear this so the customers won't hit on me." "Yeah?" " How's that... how's that workin'?" " You tell me." "_" "_" "One time a piece I sold you jammed." "One time out of five, six?" "That's batting' .800." "That'd get me to the Hall of Fame." "All it takes is one time, Joe Don, and my guys don't get any more at bats." "Why are they shootin'?" "Thought you was doin' bank jobs." "When you put it that way, we could probably just be using toy guns." "Thanks, Joe Don." "You just saved me a couple hundred bucks." "Hold on!" "I'm sorry." "None of my business what they're used for." "Just, you're one of my favorite customers." "Hate to think you're dissatisfied." "Plus five snubs, four more .45s and double the ammo order." "Then we're lookin' at 3,800." "I was thinkin' 33." "Hold the hell up." "It's always been 2,000." "You know that." "Plus the snubs, the .45s, and ammo?" "Why are you gettin' cute on me?" "3,800." "Feels like 33, though." "36, then." "I can move those snubs, easy." "I guess "favorite customer" don't account for too much." "Not for 500 goddamn dollars..." "Hey!" "Don't cuss at me." "Now, times are tough, J.D., and they're gettin' tougher." "I like doin' business with you." "And you say you like doin' business with me." "But I can and I will find somebody else." "To the Hall of Fame." "Somethin' I wanna show you." "Aw, a gift?" "You shoulda opened with that." "I wouldn't have been so curt." "Right?" "Thought you might like it." "What made you think that?" "I don't know." "Because you're..." "Because I'm what, Joe Don?" "Well, you're queer." "Ain't you?" " Usual spot?" " If it ain't broke." "See you then." "You done with Mr. Williams' desk, Tommy?" "Ma'am." "Joni?" "Can you come with me, please?" "Some of your coworkers told us that you and Mr. Williams sometimes carpool together." "Occasionally." "And... yesterday morning was one of those occasions when you and your friend came by?" "I called, but I couldn't reach him." "Did you speak to him at all on Wednesday?" "Just here at work." " But not after work?" " No." "They told us it was an accident." "This is all pretty standard questioning, ma'am." "We're just tryin' to get a timeline down." "We know he was coverin' a show at the Flamingo." "Seems to be the last anyone saw of him." "On Wednesday, you were where?" "I was home all night with my husband." "Your husband, what's his name?" "Lloyd McKinnon Conway Jr." "Goes by Mac." "As in Quan Thang" "Lloyd McKinnon Conway Jr.?" "My husband didn't..." " what does my husband have to do with this?" " So, Cliff, did he have a girlfriend he ever talked about," " any relationship problems?" " Y'all think... y'all think that someone did this to him, is that it?" "You're over on Glenview, right?" "Yeah." " And Cliff lived on Piccolo?" " Yes." "It's a little out of the way for a carpool." "Not really." "I could just pop over and get him and then get on Union or vice versa." "My father used to bring me." "I saw "Gorgeous George" himself here 30 years ago in Memphis." "Come out the tunnel, "Pomp and Circumstance" blaring', his valet tossing' rose petals all the way to the ring." "Get up!" " How you holdin' up, son?" " Pretty fuckin' terrible." "I would imagine so." "Been a heck of a homecoming you've had." " I admire your resiliency." " My "resiliency"?" "No, I mean it." "Look around you." "We live in an age of superfluous men." "Not one of these knuckle-draggers can handle a fraction of what you've endured." "Yeah!" "Well, I think they got the better end of the bargain." "So, what?" "You want me to work for you because I have a shitty life and haven't managed to put my head in an oven yet?" "You know what makes us miserable?" "The expectation that the world is somethin' other than what it is." " And what is it?" " That's it, boy!" "Go, Mandingo, go!" "Two!" "Think after the last few weeks you've had, you would know all too well." "So this money I owe you, this 30,000... 26,000." "Cliff Williams?" "I believe he's shuffled off this mortal coil." "Okay, so the money I owe you, I can get it." " But I'm gonna need more time." " Talkin' about Mr. Williams, are you and your wife on speaking' terms presently?" "Why?" "Didn't know if she mentioned that she was questioned by the police this afternoon." "Relax, it's okay." "All they know is that some hippie idiot smoked some grass, decided to work on his car, probably too stoned to realize he hadn't set the jack right." "So they think it was an accident." "It was, wasn't it?" "Yeah!" " McCall, git up!" " One, two... three!" "Ring the bell." "Undefeated since the Battle of Gettysburg." "Boo!" "Where is she tonight, anyway, your wife?" "What's that matter?" "Just wondering if you left her alone or not." "You know, Gorgeous George used to have his valet spray perfume around the ring before a match." "Whoo-hoo!" "Quarry?" "Quarry, listen up." " Quarry!" " No!" "No, no." "You... you lured me here, okay?" "You lured me here so you could send your..." "your flunkies out to hurt her." " I'm not fuckin' stupid." " Of course not." "She's fine." "What sense would it make for me to harm her?" "Let's just say I have a vested interest in where things stand between you two." "Okay, why?" "Why?" "What are you, my marriage counselor?" "God damn it." "Even after everything she's done, you still love her, don't you?" "Son, I know the world don't make a whole lotta sense to you right now." "Nothing makes a man angrier than havin' no sense of meaning or purpose in life." "And what?" "You're gonna give that to me?" "I can't give you that, son." "I can't fill that real void." "But there's somethin' I could do with your help with." "Coming through." "One second, ma'am." "I'm sorry." "Okay, here we go." "And pancakes for you." "Waffle for you." "Enjoy." "There you go." "Come again." "How you doin'?" "Here you go." "Watch your back." "You wanted ketchup?" " Good morning." "Coffee?" " Please, ma'am." "Thank you much." " Hope they're not workin' you too hard." " You know," " just the breakfast, lunch, and dinner shifts." " That's it?" "How you doin'?" "What can I get for ya?" "I might need a little help there." " I'm new to the neighborhood." " Well, welcome!" "Thank you kindly." "What would be your expert recommendation?" " How hungry are you?" " Very." "The biscuits and gravy are the best things on the menu." " Sawmill?" " Red-eye." " Even better." " And steer clear of the meat loaf, but you didn't hear that from me." "Loud and clear." "Biscuits, some of that red-eye gravy." "Cheese eggs." "Scrambled if they can swing it." "Okay." "Comin' right up." "You promised!" "I didn't promise you nothin'!" "Mama said you'll be in trouble next time." "Shut up, okay?" "Just go get the ball." "Find it?" "Lesson one... new job, new car." ""In the system" we trust." "Should I be takin' some notes or somethin'?" "Probably." "Gonna see a man about some guns." "You're just there to back me up." "Broker wants you to learn the ropes." "Okay." "Who we meetin'?" "A guy named Joe Don." "Total fuckin' dolt." "Lovely day for doin' business, ain't it?" "All right." "Well, who's this?" "This is Quarry." "Okay, what the hell is "Corey" doing here?" "Well, I could say the same about Mr. Meatball here." "I know him." "I don't know him or why somebody I've got a perfectly good workin' relationship with would switch shit up on me all of a sudden." "I say he's good and for you that means golden," " you understand?" " Okay." "How do I know he's not a cop?" "Good God." "Yeah, he is." "We both are." "You're under arrest for being ugly assholes." "Do you have my guns or not?" "Yeah." "Go ahead." "Show him." "Gun, gun, gun, gun, gun, gun, gun." "Okay." "Show him." "Well, sure looks like money from way over here." "Still gonna need to count it, though, if you don't mind." "And here I thought we'd established a level of trust." "Aw." "Leave it, fuckstick." "Y'all can go ahead and hand over your guns now." "Mind tossing' me that little bag there, "Corey"?" "You go and throw me a surprise party, Joe Don?" "Pink Lady." "I knew your little swish-ass would love that piece." "Ruinin' a business relationship and all for this kind of money?" "Why?" "'Cause it feels like 3,800, you cocky little faggot." "That's why." "Grab the fuckin' gun!" "Fuck." "Shit." " You motherfucker!" "Go get him!" " What about the..." "Take him out!" "Fucking faggot, shit-loving motherfuckers." "You got that handkerchief?" "I can't believe Joe Don had the balls to pull something' like that." "Sorry it went down that way." "You'll have to get that looked at." "I know a guy." "I'll be fine." "So, how'd it go?" "My." "Tst." "Well, it's gonna keep you off the dance floor." "The money?" "I believe you just got a bag full of guns." "Consider the money hazard pay." "Fair enough." "What say we put a thousand on your tab, too?" "Whatever you say." "There you go." "You're down to 25,000 already." "Let me ask you a question..." "does everything go to shit in this "perfect system" of yours or did I just come on board at a really bad time?" "I hadn't realized you'd "come on board," Quarry." "Glad to hear it." "I wanna hear you." "I wanna hear you come." "Yeah." "Hold on." "Aw, yeah, this way I can hear you." "What you sound like when you come anytime I want." "Mail service is still fucked." "I had to get four letters from you a few days back." "Nothin' since, so..." "They're really the only thing I care about here." "That and getting back to you." "I'm not saying this to make you worried, but just because you're the only person I can tell." "I'm so miserable." "I miss you so goddamn much, Joni." "I have..." "I have these thoughts about, like, fruits... and vegetables." "And, um... not dehydrated." "Just stuff from the store, the colors." "And I think about us putting... clean sheets on the bed and sleeping in together." "I can't remember the last time I slept in." "The way we wake up on a Sunday mornin' with nothin' in front of us, you know, but the whole day." "That sound you make when you pop your lips." "I think about your strong coffee and your spaghetti." "The way you cook spaghetti." "And watchin' you cook it without you knowing that I'm watchin' you." "I don't know, maybe that's weird." "But... it matters to me." "And I think about you." "I mean, you're my whole wide world, Mrs. Conway." "You make what's bad about me good and what's good about me better." "I am so fuckin' lost without you." "Shit, I'm a mess." "Now I realize that..." "I couldn't live if I didn't have you to come back to, you know?" "I just couldn't live."