"Dottie!" "Dottie, God damn it, wake up!" "Shut up, T-Bone!" "God damn it, Dottie, let me in!" "T-Bone, shut up!" "Dottie!" "Wake up!" "Dottie!" "Open the goddamn door!" "Dottie!" "Get out of that fucking bed right fucking now!" "Dottie, open this door!" "Dottie!" "Dottie, please open the door!" "Dottie!" "Dottie, I gotta take a piss!" "Wake up, it's me!" "Shit!" "Hold on!" " Open the goddamn door!" "I'm coming, just a second." "Shut up!" "Oh, God, put some clothes on, for Christ's sake!" "Well, hell, I didn't know who you were." "Shit." "Close the goddamn door!" "You answer the door like that, if you don't know who the hell it is?" "Nothing you never seen before." "Nothing half of Dallas County hasn't seen before." "Shut up." "Dad here?" "He's asleep." "Dottie's here, ain't she?" " Did Adele throw you out?" "No, I need to talk to Dad." "Why'd she throw you out?" "Did you hit her again?" "No, I didn't hit her." "Hey, look, would you please put some clothes on?" " My God, I never heard so much fuss." "it's a bit distracting." "Your bush staring me in the face." "All right!" "Jesus." "God damn it!" "Help yourself." "What'd you do?" "Chop up some clover?" "Where'd you get this shit?" "I bought it from you." "This is that?" "What are you doing here?" "Adele threw him out." "So what?" "The boy can talk." "I need a place to stay, all right?" "Why'd she throw you out?" "It's a long story." "Sharla, get me a beer." "What'd you do?" "Hit her again?" "No, God damn it!" "I didn't hit her." "It's not like you never hit her before." "This ain't none of your goddamn business, Sharla." " Hey, I live here." "Calm down." "Listen, Dad, I gotta listen to your naked wife" "giving me the third degree?" "I'm not naked." "Why do you let her walk around here like that?" " Like what?" "it's the middle of the night." "She answered the door with her beaver puckered out" "like it was trying to shake my hand." "You hush your mouth!" " She didn't know who you were." "That ain't the point, God damn it." "I don't want Dottie looking at her own stepmother's pussy." "That's it." "I'm going to bed." "I've heard all the shit I can take in one night." "Good night." "You little shit, I'm going to fucking kill you!" " Cut it out!" "Sweet dreams!" "...kill you!" "Damn it." " Don't let the bed bugs bite." "You knocked over the weed!" "He can stay here tonight!" "Hey, I'll stay as long as I goddamn feel like it!" "If he stays here any longer, I'm liable to hurt the little bastard!" " Don't go to bed mad." "Good night!" "Fucker!" " Don't die in your sleep!" "Goddamn hick!" "What the fuck?" " Now I'm in the fucking doghouse." "Hey, put some pants on." "I need to talk to you about something." " I need pants for that?" "So we can get out of here." " I'm not going out." "Come on, this is private stuff." "Then fucking whisper!" "I need you to put some pants on." " No." "Come on." "I need $6,000 or some guys are gonna kill me." "You'd better get out of town, quick." " If you could just give me $1,000." "I don't have it." "Hey, I could hold them off with $1,000." "Chris, I do not have it." "I wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for Mom." "Then she goes and kicks me out." "You hit her, didn't you?" "God damn it, no!" "I didn't hit her, I told you." "Why'd she kick you out?" "I threw her up against the fridge." "She stole two ounces of coke from me." "That's bullshit." "Adele doesn't snort cocaine." "She sold it." "Gave it away to that goddamn Rex, 'cause the shit's gone." "She was the only other one knew where it was, then tonight, she comes up to the house with her car running like a watch." "Which?" "The gold Cadillac?" "You're shitting me." " Piece of shit hadn't run in years." "What'd I tell you?" "So my blow is gone and now these guys are gonna kill me." "And my own mother, for Christ's sake." "So?" " What?" "You gonna loan me the money?" " No." "Man, I'm fucked." "I hadn't had $1,000 my whole life." "How'd you like to?" " How'd you like to have $15,000?" "Jesus." "Now, just hear me out." "Every goddamn time." "What about the farm?" "Leave the farm out of it." "I'm talking about something way easier than that." "This ought to be good." "You ever hear of Joe Cooper?" " No." "He's a cop." "A detective, actually." "Okay." "He's got a little business on the side." "What's he do?" "He's a killer." "He kills people." "Yeah, so?" "Mom's got a $50,000 life insurance policy." "Don't look at me like that." "Well, who's the..." "What do you call it?" "Beneficiary." " Dottie." "Dottie?" " The whole thing?" "The whole $50,000?" "Yup." "She didn't leave nothing to me?" "Of course not, you dipshit." "Why would she do that?" "I'm her ex-husband." "She hates you, Dad." "You know that." "How much something like that cost?" "Well, I hear he charges 20." "Thousand?" "Jesus." "Listen, this isn't really something we can cut corners on." "I'd say it's worth it not to get caught." "I mean, Killer Joe's a professional." "He'll do this right." "How do you know?" "Who told you about this?" "Never mind that." "I want to hire him on spec." "Ask him to do it for free and then give him a cut of the insurance money." "Well, after we pay this guy" "and we clear $30,000." "30 thousand." " We split it four ways." "Three ways." " How do you figure?" "You, me and Dottie." "What about Sharla?" "What about her?" "She gets a cut." "The hell she does." "She ain't family." "She's been my wife longer than Adele was." "It's less money." "It's less money for you." "And it's more money for you." "I'm the father here." "I found her." "She's my ex-wife." "Not you." "Not Dottie." "Okay, fine." "We'll just split it four ways." "I ain't agreed to nothing, okay?" "This is murder we're talking about." "I'm not just gonna stand here nodding my head." "Look at it this way." "Is she doing anybody any good?" "What do you mean?" "Is anybody gonna care if Mom's not around anymore?" "Yeah." "Rex." "Son of a bitch screws anything draws breath." " That doesn't mean he doesn't care." "He'd be tickled pink." "You should see the way she treats that poor bastard." "Probably about the same way she treated me." "What's better for Dottie?" "Having $10,000 so she can go to that Amazon school or having a beat-up, old, ugly, naggy alcoholic mother for another 20 years or so?" " I see your point." "Exactly." "So long as Dottie never knows what we're talking about." "We're really doing her a favor." "Yeah." "What are you doing here?" "Got in a fight with Mom." "You built this city all by yourself?" "Yeah." "Sure did." "Brick by brick." "I heard that at the wedding." "Scared the shit out of me." "Sleep talking gives me the creeps." "Yeah." "Gotten worse." "About every night." "She's not seeing anybody yet?" "Don't hold your breath." "Truth be told, I think she's still a..." "You know." "What?" "A virgin?" "Let me just call him." "You know, let's just set up a meet and talk to the guy." "We don't got to decide anything right now." " Okay." "Okay, good." "I heard y'all talking about killing Momma." "I think it's a good idea." "Well, there you go." "This is murder we're talking about." "That looks hard." "Who are you?" "I'm Joe Cooper." "Joe Cooper." "You scared me to death." "Excuse me." "And I apologize." "I knocked on the door, but you had the TV on too loud to hear me, so I decided to let myself in." "It's okay." "That looks hard." "From a TV like that." "You should have a teacher." "I'm Joe Cooper." "I'm supposed to meet Chris here at 10:30." "He's not here." "Well, I'm a little early." "He's usually late." "Could I trouble you for a cup of coffee?" "Sure." "Why don't you sit down and I'll take your jacket." "Can I ask your name?" "I'm Dottie." "Hello, Dottie." "Hi." "What?" "What are you?" "I mean, what do you do?" "I'm a detective." "Really?" "Like Magnum, P.l.?" "No." "He's a private detective." "I'm in the Dallas Police Department." " He ain't real, either." "No." "I'm real." "I read it's nothing like them shows with car chases and all." "A lot of paperwork." "I read some policemen go their whole lives without shooting their guns." "Probably true." " You ever drawn your gun?" "Oh, sure." "You ever shot anybody?" " Yes." "Who?" "Nobody you'd know." "Did they die?" "Well, they have." "Yes." "Wow." "What's the most exciting thing that's ever happened?" "I went into this house." "I heard an awful screaming coming from inside in the back." "And it was pitch dark." "So I followed the sound of the scream back to a bedroom." "All right, I didn't know what the hell to expect." "Yeah." "When I opened the door, suddenly just..." "There's this huge, fat man was on top of me." " Screaming and kicking and clawing..." "Oh, my God." "And the thing was, there was nobody else even there." "And he wasn't trying to hurt me." "He wanted me to help him." "Why?" "See, he got into a fight with his girlfriend, right?" "She'd been having an affair, so..." "In order to teach her a lesson." "That's what he said." ""Teach her a lesson."" "He doused his genitals with lighter fluid and he set them on fire." "You believe that?" "It's true." "That poor miserable bastard set his own genitals on fire just to teach his girlfriend a lesson." "I guess he showed her." "I wonder if she ever got over it." " Was he all right?" "No." "No, he was not all right." "He set his genitals on fire." "I had an aunt who set herself on fire once." "Yeah?" "Not on purpose, though." "She was wearing this long lace dress and she got it caught in the furnace." "She died before they could put the fire out." "Really?" "They say she's the one in the family I look the most like." "Her name was Vivah." "Isn't that a pretty name?" "I don't think she ever got married, though." "You gonna answer that?" "It's for you." "My dad couldn't get away from work." "I was wondering if you could meet us at Bob's Muffler." "There's some place private where we can talk?" "There's a pool hall next door, out of business." "Just off Harry Hines." "Bring Dottie, she'll show you the way." "Don't change plans on me again." "Listen, I'm really sorry." "Could you try to make a little more noise?" "Why don't you try kissing my ass?" "Son of a bitch." "Are you gonna kill my momma?" "I don't know." " Why?" "I was just curious." "My momma tried to kill me when I was real little." "She put a pillow over my face, because she cared more about herself than her little baby." "She didn't love me like a momma should love a little baby." "And she was happy, because she thought she'd done it." "And then I couldn't grow into something better than she'd been." "Had ever been." "She hadn't done it." "She didn't send me back to Him." "She just made me sick." "Made me not be for a while." "But then I was." "She was sad that I was and I always will be." "How do you know that?" "Know what?" "That your mother tried to kill you?" "'Cause I remember." "This is my father, Ansel." "Ansel." "Like a beer?" "No." "No, thank you." "Look." "I don't have a lot of time, so..." "All right." "Let's get right to it." "If that's all right." "All right." "Well, first off, me and my father never done nothing like this before." "We don't want to do it, but it's got to be done." "That's got nothing to do with me." "All right." "Well, sir, instead of me kicking this off, maybe you could tell us the questions" "we need to ask." "it's pretty simple." "You're gonna pay me for a service that I'm going to perform." "You're going to give me the particulars of her schedule." "Her habits." "I'll act on them accordingly." "I won't give you many details on my activities, because the less you know, the better for everyone involved." "All right." "Now I only have a couple of rules that I insist on sticking to." " Insist." "Okay." "Yeah." "If you're caught, if you're implicated in this crime, you are not under any circumstances to reveal my identity or participation." "Oh, of course." "If you break this rule, you'll be killed." "Do you understand?" "I..." "I must be absolutely clear on this point." "I understand." "Do you understand?" "Yeah." "My payment is $25,000 in cash in advance." "No exceptions." "25?" "Yes, sir." " I thought you said 20." "I was told 20." "25." "Is that a problem?" "We don't have a problem with 25." "That's not our problem." "Then what is your problem?" "We have a problem with the advance." " No exceptions." "Sir, let me explain." "One of the reasons we're interested in having this done is my mother holds a very large insurance policy." "They usually do." "Now we thought if we could guarantee payment after the policy had been covered..." "Look, this really isn't open for discussion." " The conversation is finished." "Please, this isn't..." "What'd you think this was?" "Let's Make A Deal?" "This is serious business you're fucking with here, boy." " I'm aware of that." "No, I don't think you are." "I don't take you seriously." "This is gonna get done one way or another." "Our conversation is finished." "I never met you." "You never met me." "Of course, we never discussed the possibility of a retainer." "What do you mean?" "You know how to reach me." "Call me if she's interested." "Hey, man, you talking about my sister?" "Is that who she is?" "Jesus." "What's he mean, "retainer"?" "What do you think he means?" "He means Dottie." "But retain what exactly?" "Just how stupid are you?" "Are you really that stupid?" " Watch your fucking mouth!" "What are we gonna do, Dad?" "We gotta think of something." " We could kill her ourselves!" "Are you gonna kill somebody?" "You can't even tell time!" "Well, what do you suggest, smart-ass?" "Well, we can forget about the whole thing." "Or we can give him Dottie." "Yeah, it might just do her some good." "Don't be silly." "Nobody's gonna ever see them." "What are you so worried about anyway?" "It's not like you can see your face in any of them." "Personal call?" "Two large pepperoni pizzas, please." "That photo shop behind the mall." "You worry too much." "Just some pimply-faced little girl who never seen one before in her life." "Nothing that big anyway." "What time you gonna pick me up?" "8:30?" "What do you expect me to do until then?" "Hold on, Jenny." "Can I have some money so I can fix supper?" "Jenny, I gotta call you after my shift." "I can't, I have to..." "Yeah." "Yeah, me, too." "What are you fixing for supper tonight?" " Just some casserole." "You gonna make a salad?" "Why don't I give you a few extra dollars?" "Get yourself a new dress." " We're having a guest for supper." "Do we have to dress up?" "I'm just saying you'd look real pretty in a dress." "Was it your boyfriend on the phone?" "What do you mean?" "That wasn't your boyfriend?" " I'm married, silly." "I won't tell Daddy." "I don't know what you're talking about." "That was Jenny, an old friend from high school." "Here you go." "I said no black olives." "Fire up another supreme." "No black olives." "I'm taking my break." " Eat." "Is he cute?" "Stop talking like that." "You should have a cute boyfriend." "I had a boyfriend in the third grade." "I never told nobody." "His name was Marshall." "He was fat." "He loved me." "You need to go out more often." "Nobody ever knew we were going together." "We didn't see each other at recess, we didn't sit together at lunch." "We never wrote notes and he didn't walk me home from school." "When would you see him?" "In class, at school." "I mean, alone." "We didn't see each other alone." " Ever?" "That would have spoiled the secret." "How'd you know you were going together, if you never spent any time alone?" "We just knew." "If we talked about it, it wouldn't have been what it was, which was true." "What was true?" "Love." "We loved each other." "How do you know he loved you, if y'all never talked about it?" "Because he loved me with pure love." "Well, not many like that around, I guess." "It's Joe, isn't it?" "Joe's coming over." "Joe who?" "I don't remember." "His eyes hurt." "What?" "Met him?" "What's he like?" "He told me I should get a teacher for my kung fu." "Yeah?" "And he had me make him some coffee." " What's he like?" "I don't know." "Hey, Ansel." "Now you just forget about Jenny." "She's an old friend and I don't need any trouble from your daddy over an old friend, you hear?" "You should have a cute boyfriend." "Hey, y'all talking about me?" " Your ears must've been burning." "No, sir." "I was just telling Dottie here how pretty she'd look in a new dress." "Yeah, I'll ride you over to the Thrifty and maybe we'll pick you out something pretty, all right?" "Is everyone getting dressed up?" "Yeah, we're all getting dressed up." "Hey, can I get some money?" "We're out of beer." "My purse is downstairs." "When are you gonna tell that girl it's just gonna be her and Joe?" " She'll figure it out." "You gotta tell her." "That girl's not like other people." "God damn it, she don't put two and two together like you, me and Chris." "What are you so worried about?" "She never been on a date before." " It ain't a date." "It's the closest thing she ever come to one." "Except for some fat kid that didn't even know it." "What fat kid?" "You talk to that girl, else you're liable to blow this whole thing real good." " What am I supposed to say?" "Tell her the story, for God's sake." "Why do you have to make everything so difficult?" " What story?" "The situation." "Tell her why Joe is coming over tonight." " How am I supposed to get to that?" "If she don't know what's expected of her, she might disappoint him." "I'm riding her over to the Thrifty, ain't I?" "What about my beer money?" "Sharla." "What fat kid?" "Hope you have a spare." "Daddy?" "Daddy." "Hey, hey, look at you." "I mean, you look like a goddamn movie star." "Turn around." "Turn around." "Yeah, just like a goddamn movie star." "I feel funny." "Don't say that." "You look beautiful." "My butt's too big." "Well, let me let you in on a little secret." " Guys like big butts." "They do not." "I'm speaking from experience." "Sharla doesn't have a big butt." "Yeah, well, give her some time." "Why aren't you dressed yet?" "'Cause I'm not gonna stay for supper." "What do you mean?" "Chris and I got some business to attend to." "Where's Chris?" "So it's just gonna be you and Joe for supper." " I should change." "No." "No." " No, honey." "Yeah, I should." "Dottie, I think it'd be nice for Joe, if he saw you looking pretty." " Yeah, I'm going to..." "Listen, honey." "Dottie!" " Just settle down." "Dottie!" "Let go of me, I have to change!" " Dottie, wait a second!" "Change!" "I have to change!" "I have to change!" "Dottie, don't close that fucking door on me!" "I have to change!" "God damn it!" "Hold still, you little bitch." " What the hell is going on in here?" "What the fuck!" "What the hell's going on?" " She wants to take off her dress." "So?" "Well, don't you think she looks nice?" "Let her change, if she wants." "You put on whatever you like." " Don't you think she looks nice?" "Hey, let her change, Dad!" "Let her change!" " Hang on a goddamn second." "Hey." "Let her change." "Change." "What are you doing here?" "We're on our way out." " We discussed this." "Well, don't push it." "We're leaving." "That's right, junior." "Don't push it." "Now, we make arrangements," "I expect the details to have some attention paid to them." "Let's go, Dad." "You understand?" "Yeah." "Good boy." "Where is she?" "She's changing." "Dad, too bad he didn't meet Sharla first." "He could've dated her, I wouldn't have minded so much." "That's my wife you're talking about, fuck head." "Yeah." "Right." "Dottie?" "It's me, Joe Cooper." "We're alone now." "You don't wanna come out, it's okay." "You stay in there as long as you like." "Casserole smells nice." "I wish I had a funny story about first dates or casseroles, but I don't." "Maybe one will come to me." "Maybe not." "Lee Hazlewood." "Okie from Muskogee." "I don't have a funny story about Lee Hazlewood, either." "Or Oklahoma." "I guess Oklahoma's kind of funny anyway, though." "I grew up looking at Oklahoma." "From the south bank of the Red River." "When I was a boy, the border between Texas and Oklahoma was actually the middle of the river." "You fish the north bank, you caught Okie fish." "I caught Texas fish." "Sometime since then, we gave our half of the river away." "Now the whole damn thing belongs to Oklahoma." "South bank." "That's the border now." "I'm not sure why we did that." "But it makes me mad." "It's kind of like giving away your front porch." " How are you?" "Fine." "You wanna know how I am?" "How are you?" "I'm fine." "Thank you." "You look nice." "Thank you." "I changed." "I didn't know it was just gonna be you and me for dinner." "Someone should have told you." "They did." "Just now." "What'd you change from?" "A dress." "I'd love to see it." "Your eyes hurt." "I beg your pardon?" "Dottie, do you trust me?" "Not quite." "Good." "Lovely." "I'm a virgin." "I know." " Tuna casserole." "Yes." " May I serve?" "Please." "Thank you." "I'd really like to see that dress." "It wasn't right." "May I see it anyway?" "How you gonna kill my momma?" "That's not appropriate dinner conversation, Dottie." "Unless you poison her." "Will you be the detective who investigates?" "Probably not." "Sometimes." "Is that a problem?" "That's a convenience." "So are homes." "Yes." "I love my brother." "I remember when Momma and Daddy were getting a divorce." "She just told us." "She was drunk." "She said, "I don't love your daddy no more." ""I never loved him."" "And I screamed something that didn't make any sense." "Ran out of the house to the front yard." "Chris came out." "He hadn't said anything." "He just laid on top of me." "He stretched his body out like this." "Laid on top of me till I stopped crying." "Dottie." "We never talked about it ever." "Bring the dress." " Now?" "Yes." "Why wouldn't you wear that for me?" "'Cause it's not me." "Not when you're not in it." " I once had a boyfriend." "Put it on." "All right." "Where are you going?" " I was going to put on the dress." "I said put it on." "I was." "Here." "I wanna see you put it on." "Stop." "Take off your socks." "Take off your brassiere." "Take off your underwear." "Babies..." "Put on the dress." "Come here." "Right behind me." "Put your hand inside my pants." "Do you feel that?" "Yes." "What's that feel like?" "I don't remember." "How old are you now?" "Twelve." "So am I." "Switch places with me." "Your boyfriend?" " Marshall." "Marshall." "He was fat." "He loved me with pure love." "It was our secret." "Nobody." "Come on!" "1,000 on the nose on 5 on the eighth at Lone Star." "On My Mind there in sixth." "Then it's Mango, Cliff, Rick's Cafe and way, way back there, Bella Luna." "Less than half a mile to go as they move into the far turn." "Betty Boo leads a nose on the outside." "Yes I Can..." "It's still Tilt a Whirl with a tenuous lead." "Legal Tender and Endearing Manner strike to the front just outside the eighth pole." "Come on, 5." "Cavalier coming down hard the center of the track and Daddy Mike is right there." " Come on, 5." "Come on, 5, come on, 5!" " Towards the inside," "coming on through..." " Piece of shit." "...but it's Endearing Manner that's come on now" "to take the lead as they come..." " He held back!" " And in a spectacular finish..." " He held back!" "...a spectacular upset, Endearing Manner has won the impossible!" "17-to-1, the result at Lone Star here today." "God damn, motherfuck!" " Hey." "Time's up, brother." "You asked for an extra week three weeks ago, brother." " You told me you had a plan." "No, listen, I called you." " I called you at 11:00." "This the plan?" "Come on, G-Man." "Yeah, the money is coming to you by about..." "Motherfucking!" "Son of a bitch!" "You little motherfucker!" "Where you going?" "Piece of shit!" "Here you go, here you go!" "Chris." "Hi, Digger." "How you been, boy?" "Pretty good." "How about yourself?" "Fair to middling." "Blood pressure." "You taking medicine?" "Yeah, all that." "No salt, low stress." "Course, Amy keeps making that fried chicken." "You know I can't resist it." "How is Amy?" "Well, she's all busted up right at the moment." "You remember Dumpling, that old bluetick we had?" "Yeah, sure, Dumpling." "Yeah, well, we had to put him to sleep yesterday morning." " Oh, no." "Yup." "Well, you missed yourself a hell of a party a couple of weeks ago." "Sorry I missed your birthday." "Well, I'm glad you missed my birthday." "I just wish you hadn't missed the party." "How many people we have out there at the place, G-Man?" "A couple hundred." "Oh, hell, it wasn't that many." " A hundred and fifty anyway." "No shit." "Sorry I missed it." "Yeah, good old party." "Lots of barbeque." "Hey, G-Man here, he played the accordion." "That's right." " Hey, wasn't that gal out there?" "What gal?" "Well, the one that's always sniffing around Chris's shit here." "What the hell's her name?" "The one with the great big caboose on her that..." " Arlene?" "Arlene." "Yeah, Arlene." "You'd better look out for her, boy." "She may be too much woman for you." "Well, she'd better stay away from the barbeque or she'd be too much woman to fit through the door." "Damn, you make me laugh." "Hey, listen, I'm just gonna have the boys here kick the shit out of you." "You'd better pay me my money in a couple of days or I'm gonna wrap you up in electrician tape and bury you in a coffin about 10 feet deep." "I'll tell Amy you asked about her." "That'll make her smile." "He really likes you." " Stay the hell down!" "I'm sorry!" "I'm sorry!" "I'm sorry!" " Easy." "Easy." "Oh, my God, what happened?" " Fuck!" "Chris!" "Shit." "You look rough, boy." "Them old boys caught up to you." "Dad!" "I think they broke my hand!" " What did they do to your face?" "Excuse me." " Do you want to go to the hospital?" "I think he does." " What happened to you?" "I got beat up!" "I got beat up!" "Can we get a wet rag?" "They put the fucking boot to you, or what?" "That son of a bitch Digger Soames?" "They do all they were going to?" "If they wanted to kill him, he'd be dead." " Your nose is broken." "Is that all?" "What'd they say to you?" "What the fuck do you think they said?" " I reckon they want their money." "No shit!" "Hey, you want a beer?" "Where'd they find you?" "Fucking Sport of Kings." "Did you see Bill there?" "I don't know, why?" "He owes me 10 bucks." "I'm going to bed." "Come on, Ansel." "We have to go to the hospital." "No, he's fine." "He just got a whupping." " Ansel!" "Come on!" "All right, then." "I guess we're gonna turn in." "Dottie, go on." "Good night, Chris." "I want to know what kind of progress you're making." "It's being taken care of." "Yeah, right." "You've been fucking my sister and my mother's a hell of a lot healthier than me at the moment." "Do you want me off the job?" "Say the word." "When are you planning on doing it?" "Tonight." "Really?" "So you'd be leaving tomorrow then?" "No, no, no, the retainer's for the money." "I'm not leaving until I get my money." "I don't like that." "Well, I don't care." "I don't want you near my sister." "I don't care." "And if I tell you the deal's off?" "Then I'll leave right now and you'll never see me again." "Your call." "Who you into for this money?" "I won't tell you." "Digger Soames?" "How'd you know that?" "What'd he say he'd do to you, if you don't pay him?" "You know that, too?" "He'll do it." "Aren't you supposed to arrest people who commit murder?" "I like Digger." "Do it." " Mr. Tim." "Hey, Joe." "Joe, Joe." "Thank God." "I was afraid I wouldn't get here." "I'd be too late." "Thank God." "Listen, we got to stop this." "All right?" "I've been in a lot of trouble all my life, but I never did nothing like this before." "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to waste your time." "I mean, I hate that bitch." "I always hated her." "I just can't be the one, you know?" "But the main thing really is Dottie." "You know, my sister never did nothing to nobody." "You got to give her up, 'cause I can't look her in the eyes otherwise." "I mean, you can't have her." "I can't let you have her." "What are you doing?" "Where are you going?" "Hop in." "Shit." "Fuck!" "I started a farm once." "it seemed like the life I want." "Work for myself outside a lot." "Live in the country, smoke dope." "Watch TV." "That's all I really want." "So I started a rabbit farm." "I built it with my own two hands." "Lumber, chicken wire, water bottles, pellets, rabbits." "I loved those little bastards." "They smell like shit and they fuck all the time, but they're awful easy-going animals." "A rat, a skunk or something got into the pen and it was rabid and awful hot out, too." "And they just tore each other up." "Their eyes rolling and foaming at the mouth and screaming." "You know rabbits scream?" "They sound just like little girls." "I mean, it was disturbing." "I started selling dope for a living." "I knew more about it, so..." "So I can't pay this guy and I don't even really want to." "You gotta get out, Joe." "You gotta leave my sister alone forever." "What's going on?" "Jesus." "Easy." " Put her feet on the floorboard." "Okay." " All right?" "Yeah." "Put that in the trunk and shut it." "Give me some light." " I was watching that, Chris." "Listen." " I was watching a show." "I know." " I wanted to see how it turned out!" "He don't catch the bird, okay?" " It just goes on and on and on." "Yeah?" "Listen, honey." "I know you know what's going on, okay?" "I don't got to explain it to you." "If I'd known how this would all fall out," "I might have done things different." "No." "What's wrong?" "For God's sake." "Shit." " Morning, y'all." "Good morning." "Morning." "What was her maiden name, Ansel?" "I need it for the file." "Yes, sir." "Rogers." "Adele Carolyn Rogers." " Is there gonna be a trial?" "No." "No." " Joe knows what he's doing." "I ain't never been to a trial." "Did you see the shot in the paper?" "Her car?" "Joe knows what he's doing, all right?" "They couldn't do no autopsy, 'cause there wasn't much left to speak of." " How'd it go?" "Let's just get out of here." " Little son of a bitch." "What's the matter?" "I am not talking in front of Dottie." "She knows what's going on." " I'm not talking in front of her." "What happened with Filpatrick?" "I ain't talking in front of Dottie!" "They're not gonna pay you the money, are they?" " Dad?" "Ansel, calm down." " Dad?" "Ansel!" "Don't make a scene!" "Who told you about Adele's policy?" "Rex!" "Rex told me." "He just mentioned it in conversation." "Will you, for the love of God..." "When?" " In conversation." "Not how, when?" "A few weeks ago." "Me and Mom just had a big fight..." " Christ." "I told you, Ansel." " What happened?" "I told you from the start." " Shut up!" "Don't tell me to shut up!" " I'm not the one who blew this thing." "What happened, Dad?" "You show up at our place, tell everyone what to do." "How we're all gonna see 100 grand!" "God damn it, you tell me right now." "Dottie is not the beneficiary!" " Rex is the beneficiary!" "I don't understand." " It's not real tough." "Explain it to me." "Dottie does not get the money." " Rex gets the money." "Wait." "Dottie does not get $50,000, boy!" "Rex!" "Rex!" "Rex gets the $50,000." " That's not right." "No, that can't be." "That's the way it is!" " Go talk to Filpatrick yourself!" "I was told!" "Because he told me!" "Rex told me, he told me!" "Rex was Momma's boyfriend." "Just shut up, Dottie!" "He told me!" " He was lying." "Why do you think?" "Why would he do that?" "No." "No, he couldn't have known I'd do this." "Who told you about Killer Joe?" "God." " I told you." "Did I tell you?" "Yeah." "Oh, my God, I'm fucked." "Piece of fucking fuck-suck-cake!" "I don't believe you, God." "You'd better believe it!" "'Cause the sooner you believe it, the sooner you figure out a way to pay Killer Joe his money!" " We gotta get going." "Not to mention Digger Soames." " Gotta get going, y'all." "For what?" "Funeral's in a half hour." "Y'all get going." "I gotta think of something." "I wish you would." "We're all so much better off whenever you do." "Where's Joe?" "He's coming back, isn't he?" "Yeah." " He's coming back all right." "Yeah, he's coming back all right." "Let's hit it." "We gotta get your mother in the ground." " I'll take Dottie." "Dottie!" "Yeah, we'll be along." "Mrs. Smith, when you're done fumigating the gates of hell." "Hey, Chris." "Why don't you do us all a big favor?" "Just go kill yourself." "Do you feel bad?" "Yeah." "I feel like maybe I'm not supposed to be on Earth or something." "Do you remember them shows you used to put on with your knees?" "We'd be laying in bed and you'd get a flashlight and put your knees up and put a pair of sunglasses on one knee and some kind of hat on the other?" "Yeah." "Put on a little show." ""Greatest Show on Earth" is what you called it." "Yeah?" "Into time and forever, from now on, no more adventures, or time-outs or king's exes." "Everlasting one more time than you can say, into infinity and outer space." "Amen." "Nothing's worse than regret." "Not cancer, not being eaten by a shark, nothing." "Joe's coming back, isn't he?" "'Cause I..." "I'm leaving." " I think maybe..." "I want you to come with me." "Where?" "Mexico." "No, further." "Peru." "In South America." " How we gonna get there?" "We'll drive." "We can drive it." " Chris..." "Do you like Texas?" "These people talk about it like it's such a great place and all, but it's really just a bunch of goddamn hicks and rednecks with too much space to walk around in!" "It's warm." "Let's go." "Let's just go." " Now." "To the funeral?" "Hey, if we're gonna pull this off, we gotta gas up." " I have to see Joe." "No, Dottie." "I have to see him." "If we see Joe..." "We have to go to Peru now!" "Well, then you go by yourself, 'cause I have to see Joe!" "I'll make you a deal." "We'll go to the funeral and you can see Joe after." "No funny stuff." "Promise." "You swear?" "I swear." "You can't tell Joe we're going to Peru, okay?" "You can't tell him goodbye, not outright." "Okie-dokie." "And you can't tell Dad or Sharla, either, 'cause they're mad at me right now and might try to spoil our trip." "I understand." "You excited?" "You wanna go?" "I'm always excited." "We can do this." "We can pull this off." "Not if somebody makes me mad." "Rex didn't even bother to show up." "Son of a bitch." "Bow down thy ear to me." "Deliver me speedily." "Be thou my strong rock for a house of defense to save me." "I would be glad to rejoice in thy mercy." "For thou has considered my trouble." "Thou has known my soul in adversities." "And thou has not shut me up into the hand of the enemy." "Thou has set my feet in the Lord's room." "Have mercy on me, oh, Lord." "I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind." "We are gathered here to put to eternal rest" "Adele Carolyn Rogers-Smith." "Beloved mother of two children, Christopher and Dorothy." "Devoted to her family and community." "Hey, Rex." "Hands on the car." " Fucking asshole." "Whatever." "Dottie!" "It's us!" "We stopped by the K-Fry-C." "You hungry?" "Dottie!" "Chris!" " Hey." "Fetch me a beer, would you?" "He's not here." " Hey, Joe." "Dottie here?" "She's asleep." " Where's Chris?" "I don't know." "Do you want some chicken?" "We stopped by the K-Fry-C." "Yes, please." "Sure, help yourself." "It's right here on the stove." "Fetch it for him, would you, hon?" "Sure, white or dark?" "Leg." "You want a beer?" "Yes, please." "Set that on the table, please?" "Thank you." "Funerals make people hungry for some reason." "I'm starving." " You hear about the insurance?" "Sharla." " Yes, I did." "I don't know what to say." "You don't have to say anything." "It's not your fault." " Yeah, but..." "Chris." "That Chris is so stupid, I could have told you he'd fuck this up." " Why didn't you?" "Why didn't I?" "It's just an expression, really." "What is?" "What she said." "That she could have told you Chris would fuck it up." "I've never heard of that expression." " A manner of speaking, really." "I never liked that little bastard." "You haven't?" "He's just no good." "You can't trust him." " They never really hit it off." "All he cares about is himself." " That's not fair." "Bullshit fair, it's true." "It's really all anybody cares about, if you think about it." " No wonder." "No wonder what?" "No wonder Chris wound up the way he did." " What the fuck did I do?" "Just shut up." "I mean, how stupid do you have to be to let an idiot like Rex take advantage?" " Rex?" "Yeah, Rex." " What about Rex?" "I said..." "I said, how stupid do you have to be to let an idiot like Rex" "take advantage?" "Yes, I heard what you said." " Tell me about Rex." "Rex is Adele's boyfriend." "Was." "Was Adele's boyfriend." "Tell me about Rex." " What do you want to know?" "Not you." " You." "What?" "You." "Tell me about Rex." "What do you mean?" "Now, you know the man, don't you?" "I mean, you have met." " Yeah, of course." "Tell me about him." "I don't know what you mean." "Is he tall, is he fat, is he Chinese?" "Where does he work, how old is he, do his ears hang low?" "Is he unlike other men?" "Tell me about Rex." "Rex is..." "I don't get this, really." "Who told you about our arrangement?" "What arrangement?" "The contract between myself and this family?" " Ansel." "Why?" "Well, she is my wife, Joe." " I wasn't addressing you, sir." "Okay." " Why did he tell you?" "I'm his wife, like he said." "Were you gonna get a out of this money?" " Sure." "Why?" "'Cause I'm his wife, like he said." "Did you advise Ansel against the idea?" "No." "Why?" "You could have told him Chris would fuck it up." "It's none of my business." "But it is, isn't it?" "I mean, it is your business." "What are you getting at?" "If you were going to share in the money, then it is your business, isn't it?" "Yeah, I don't know." "Yet you did not advise Ansel, your husband, against it." "Look, I wanted some of that money, all right?" "If Chris could pull this off, then I..." "Were you gonna split Ansel's share or were the four of you gonna split it evenly?" " We didn't discuss that." "I'm sure you did." "You're a practical woman." "Well, I assumed that I would take a fourth." "Not one-half of one-third." " No, a fourth, four ways." "instead of one-sixth." "One-sixth." "No." "Four ways." "So the remainder of the money would be split evenly after I'd been paid my fee." "$25,000." "Right, right." "Right." " Yeah, right after you were covered." "Which means equal shares." "What would those four equal shares come out to?" " I haven't done the math." "Well, then do it with me." "Right now." "The insurance policy gets covered." "The agent Filpatrick cuts Ansel a check." "Dottie." "That would be Dottie." "Right, best of all possible worlds, Dottie." "Look, I don't know why we're doing all this." "We're not gonna see any of that money!" "Just watch my feet here, all right?" " So Ansel gets the check." "Dottie." " Dottie." "Look, if the check is for 100," "We Pay you 25." " How much?" "25." "How much, though, the policy is for?" "However much." "How much?" "50 thousand." "That much." "50 minus your 25." "Right, minus my 25, but you said 100, didn't you?" "Yeah, however much, minus your money." "No, but you said 100." " Yeah, however much." "The check is for 100." " However much." "But you said 100." "However much, minus your 25." "She was mistaken, Joe." "It's 50." "All right?" "Is it?" "Yeah." "Stick around for witches as Christopher Lee unearths a whole coven at the Horror Hotel." "Join us for more of our George Raft marathon." "Starting with Whistle Stop." "Fuck!" "Come on!" "Isn't it?" "No." "Wait a minute!" "In case of accidental death, the figures double." "Right, Filpatrick told us that this morning, didn't he, Ansel?" " No." "Yeah, I think he did." "Ansel." "Did he?" " No." "I think he did." "So..." "it's not 50." "No." "It's 100." " Like I say, however much." "However much." " Look, what are you getting at?" "What do you mean?" " I made a mistake, all right?" "Yes, you did." "I said 50 or 100." "However much." "Y'all, don't do this now." "You said that you never cared for Chris." "I haven't." "I don't." "And you also said that Rex is an idiot." "Yeah, right." "And you also said that the check was for 100." "Or however much!" " I was just wondering..." "What are you getting at?" "Oh, fuck." "Whose dick is that?" "Where'd you get those?" "That's not Ansel's dick." "Is that your dick, Ansel?" "No." "Yes, it is, darling." "You were drunk." "How about that one?" "Nope." "That one?" "Make sure now, you might have been drunk." "No." "Whose dick is it?" "You just stop that." " That must be your boyfriend." "Oh, please!" " Your boyfriend Rex." "Oh, please now." "That idiot." "The one who's getting all that money." " I didn't know!" "All 100 grand." "Just stop it!" "I didn't know anything about this, I swear." "Were you aware of this, Ansel?" " I'm never aware." "Of course not." "Whose is it?" "You son of a bitch!" "There's no need for name-calling." "I haven't called you any names." "I am a guest here." "You be polite." "Now." "Whose little dick is that, and do not lie to me." "You lie to me, it'll be the last lie you ever tell." " Rex." "It's Rex." "Rex?" "Who?" " Rex!" "Correct." "Ansel, please!" "Ansel is not too inclined to assist you at this point in time." "Are you, Ansel?" "No, I'm not." "In fact, Ansel's doing just fine standing over there." "Yes, sir." "That's what I thought." " Let me go, you motherfucker!" "What did I say about insulting me?" "We'll give you the money." "I swear it." "We'll give you as much money as you want!" "I'm afraid that's impossible." "No, it's not." "Rex picked up the settlement this afternoon." "What?" "He gave it to me before he left." "100 grand." " God Almighty." "Where did he go?" "Worthless, of course." "It's made out to Rex." "Where did he say he was going?" " He was unavailable for comment." "I don't understand." "Why didn't you get him to... loan..." "I can get him." "Looks like you need a new boyfriend." "I'll be your boyfriend, just for a little while." "Just stay down." "Stay down." "Look at me." "Suck this." "Go fuck yourself!" "If you insult me again," "I will cut your face off and wear it over my own." "Do you understand?" "Ansel!" "You made your bed." "That's right." "Now lie in it." "Now suck it!" "Please." "Do you want me to wear your face?" "Now suck it." "Easy." "Easy." "Yeah." "Yeah." "Here we go." "All right." "Hey." "Hey." "What do you think?" "I don't!" "Now listen carefully, both of you." "I performed a service for this family." "And I deserve my payment in full." "Because of the misunderstanding with the insurance," "I won't receive any cash for my services." "That is unfair." "I don't care to hear excuses or placement of the blame." "I hold you all equally responsible." "Reach around." "Grab my ass." "Reach around." "Grab my ass." "There you go." "Grab it." "That's it." "There you go." "I was fortunate, however, in thinking ahead." "I secured a retainer for my services." "Since I fulfilled my obligation and since my cash is not forthcoming, that retainer is now mine." "It belongs to me and I'm taking it with me when I leave." "You're very good at this." "Please moan." "Chris doesn't agree with the concept of the retainer." "He's coming here tonight to attempt to take it with him." "I can't allow him to do that." "This family can't allow him to do that!" "We have to go." "It's suffocating me." "I can't be around them anymore." "Do you understand me?" "I'll slaughter all of you!" "If this family allows Chris to leave this trailer," "I'll slaughter all of you like pigs!" "Do you believe I'd do that?" "I am asking for your help." "Will you give it to me?" "Ansel?" "Yes, sir." "Now, you're a very beautiful woman." "Don't you think so, Ansel?" "I hadn't given it much thought." "No!" "Wrong answer!" "She's a very beautiful woman." "And that's sweet." "Don't you think so?" "Easy." "Now, hey." " I want you to tidy up the kitchen." "Okay." "Then you're gonna set the table for a proper meal." "Okay?" "Get that chair." "And we're all gonna sit down." " For dinner." "Okay." "Just the four of us." "Understand?" "Look at me." "Just the family." "Get that chair." "How you doing, guy?" " Where'd you get them pictures?" "Oh, that's hardly important." "I guess." "I mean, all she did was suck his cock and try and steal your money." "It could have been worse." "How?" "Well..." "No, I suppose that's about as bad as it gets." "Listen." "Go spend some time with your wife." "Sharla." "Yes?" "Are you okay?" "Yes, I'm fine, Ansel." "Are you sure?" "Yes, I'm sure." "Okay." "Shut up, T-Bone!" "Hey, son." " Dottie here?" "She's in the bedroom." "Thank God, I'm starving." "You hear from Joe?" "He's in his bedroom." "You eat already?" "Hi, Chris." "Junior." "You're home." "Hi, Joe." "I heard about the money." "I gotta tell you, I'm all broke up things didn't work out." " Yeah, me, too." "it's the way the world turns, right?" "It's the way the cookie crumbles?" "Yeah, okay." "Caveat emptor, you know what I mean?" "Shall we dine?" "Dean" "Smells heavenly." "Chris, Ansel, you hungry for some K-Fry-C?" " Hell, I'm not really that hungry." "Well, you should join us, Ansel." "All of us." "Chris, have a seat right here." "There we go." "As it should be." "There we are." "Sharla, have a seat." "Thank you." "This is lovely." "Who would like to say grace?" "Dottie?" "Would you do the honors?" "Dear Jesus, thank you for the food." "Thank you that we're all here together and safe." "We're sorry Momma's dead." "We hope you'll give her a place to stay in heaven." "Please forgive us for anything we did wrong." "We would all like a place to stay in heaven, too." "In the Lord's name, which is Jesus Christ, we say, "Amen."" "Amen." "That was beautiful." "Thank you." "Let's eat." "Sharla, would you grab us some drinks and get young Chris a plate, please?" " White and dark?" "Yes, please." "Ansel, get that potato salad started, will you?" "And potato salad." " I love potato salad." "And potato salad." "Iced tea." "Is that homemade, Sharla?" " I only need one scoop of that." "Yes, it is." "Will you get Dottie some potato salad on there, please?" "How about that you start with that and we'll get you some more" "if you like." "That's perfect." "Can I start now?" " Yes, you may." "Sharla, white or dark?" "it doesn't matter." "Do you want some potato salad?" "Yes, please." " Sharla, potato salad?" "No, thanks." " Sharla, your mascara's running." "Fuck you." "Everybody." "I have an announcement to make." "You've all probably noticed that" "Dottie and I have been spending an awful lot of time together." "The fact is, we've fallen in love." "So it's my privilege to tell you that I've asked her to be my bride." "And she has accepted." " Haven't you, dear?" "Yes." " I for one would like to say..." "Shut up." "A toast." "To my future wife." "When's all this supposed to take place?" "Well, we're leaving right after this delicious meal." "Is that right?" "Yes." "You can't have my sister, Joe." "What do you mean, Chris?" "I mean, I can't let it happen." "You're not gonna marry my sister." " I don't think it's up to you." "Shut up." " Don't tell me to shut up." "You say another word, old man, and I will rip your head off your shoulders." "Now, Chris," "I can certainly understand your love for your sister." "But you got to out the old apron strings sometimes." "Okay, I'm not going to discuss it." "She's my sister." "I'm taking her with me." "We're leaving here." "Maybe we should let Dottie decide." "Dottie doesn't have a say in the matter." " Oh, I believe she does." "You believe wrong." "Dottie, go get your stuff." "Dottie, stay seated." "Dottie." "Stay seated." "Dottie." "Dottie, sit down." "Dottie." "Dottie, go get your stuff now." " Dottie." "Dottie." "Dottie." "That-a-girl." "Dottie!" "She's my retainer." "Deal's off." "You're gonna have to eat this one." " You know I'll kill you." "Go fuck yourself." "Take your seat, Joe." " Dottie, go get your stuff!" "Dottie, stay where you are." " This will be just fine." "Dottie!" "Go get your stuff!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" " Kill him, Joe!" "Stop it!" "Joe." "Yes!" "Stop it, Joe!" "Get him!" "I got him, Joe!" "Stop it, Daddy!" " Fucking kill him!" "Oh, God." "Oh, God." " Get him." "Oh, God." "I'm getting angry!" "Oh, God, Dottie!" "Dottie." "Jesus!" "Dottie!" "Dottie!" " Easy." "Don't, Dottie, Dottie!" "Put the gun down." "I'm going to have a baby." "A baby?" " A baby?" "Please don't kill me!" "A baby?"