"Ben:" "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hi!" "Cheese..." "Hello?" "Oh, hi." "Uh, right." "10:30." "Right." "Uh, we're doing okay." "Right." "Okay." "Fine." "Oh, no, no, no, no." "Whatever makes you comfortable." "Sure." "Fine." "Well, look, if we see you after... you know, whatever you want." "Thanks." "Okay." "Hello?" "Oh, thanks for calling." "W-we just don't think our daughter would have wanted to hear the God thing." "Oh, thank you." "See you there." "That was the rabbi." "It's a done deal." "No God?" "No God." "But yahweh." "No yahweh." "Okay." "Hello?" "10:30, yes." "Oh." "Oh." "Do you want us to hold it for you?" "No, we'll wait." "Well, you're on... you're on the throughway, right?" "Um..." "Lock your door." "Lock your door." "Lock your door." "We're all set." "¶ Feeling's gettin' stronger" "¶ music's getting longer, too" "¶ music is flashing' me" "¶ I want to" "¶ I want to" "¶ I want to take you higher" "¶ I want to take you higher" "¶ baby, baby, baby, light my fire ¶" "¶ yeah, hah" "¶ I want to take you higher" "¶ boom shaka-laka-laka" "Man:" "Cielo." "Cielo." "Cielo." ""Sky." Sometimes "ceiling."" "Do you think the dead girl was learning Italian?" "Woman:" "For the honeymoon..." "she and the fiancé." "The guys on set-up heard they were planning a trip to Rome before..." "Ohh." "Uh, how are the cheese coming?" "I think maybe about..." "about five more plates." "And maybe some of the mushroom, the big sellers." "There should be some more out in just a sec." "Joe!" "Joe, come here." "I want you to meet the meyersons..." "Our old neighbors." "Barbara, don, this is Joe nast." "He's been here... what?" "..." "About three weeks now." "Oh." "Oh." "Isn't that great?" "Welcome." "Joe's Diana's fiancé." "Excuse me just a second." "There should be some more out in just a second." "We're so sorry." "Thank you." "Beautiful girl." "I'm sure the two of you looked just gorgeous together." "So, how are you enjoying our town?" "I beg your pardon?" "So, now what?" "The arraignment, huh?" "String the asshole up by his toes and wait for a trial date, huh?" "T-the other one's a vegetable, right?" "The wife." "Would... would you e-excuse me?" "Even doggy looks sad today." "Ben:" "Oh, my God." "You must be exhausted..." "All of you." "Propping each other up, running on adrenaline." "Probably haven't slept in days." "I'm Stan Michaels, friend of Ben and jojo's from school." "I'm a shrink." "Do you know what your plans are until the trial?" "Plans?" "Selfishly, I'm just asking for my friends... only child gone, work at a standstill." "You know, jojo hasn't touched her typewriter since." "It's only been three days." "Of course." "What I'm trying to say is," "I know this town isn't home to you, but I hope, for their sake, you'll consider staying on." "You're all of Diana they're gonna have left." "Joe, come talk to me." "Man:" "Have you noticed there's usually too much cheese at these things?" "So, like, his mother had canc..." "Ben:" "Thanks." "Thanks again." "Really, you were just fabulous." "Man:" "Buonasera." "Jo, are you cold?" "Oh, not now." "Jo, what are you..." "honey, those are gifts." "Not gifts... party favors." "Gifts from our friends." "They're supposed to be helpful." ""Grieving for grownups"?" "Yes." "Please." "I'll show you helpful." "D... oh, good." "We're all here now." "Let's dish, shall we?" "Oh." "Joe, you go first." "The meyersons." "Oh, my God." "Didn't you just want to smack 'em?" "Why can't people think before they spew?" "And that matching, uh..." "matching couple." "The, uh... the hillers." "Oh, my God, those big dripping looks of sympathy." ""She was such an angel." How would they know?" "They met her once for two seconds, and she was being a total brat that day." "Oh, come on." "Funerals are awkward at best." ""Awkward at best"?" "Put yourself in their shoes." "What are they supposed to say?" "Nothing, thank you very much." "Not if it's cant and trite." "Did you hear that cliché parade?" "And they were all over this poor guy." "Well, it's a first chance meeting." "What... put yourself in their sh... believe me, all our friends are not such horror shows." "Just put yourself in their..." "I don't want to put myself in their shoes, all right, Ben?" "!" "Why the hell should I?" "!" "We are the ones that lost the girl, for God's sake!" "Let them put themselves in our goddamn shoes!" "Stop defending everyone." "Ah, look." "Here's the only honest one that was here today, even if he did vote republican." "Did you see the projection that he got when he booted all over that windbag Madeline?" "Full velocity." "That was impressive, wasn't it?" "Good, good, good boy, but I'm sensing..." "An encore here." "Ben, maybe you better take him out before he spreads the joy again." "I..." "I could... no, no." "Go ahead." "Will you please stop?" "Look, stop cleaning up, okay?" "Look, if we ever had an excuse for once to have our place look like shit, it's now." "So just relish the opportunity, okay?" "Okay." "Come on, Nixon." "And lower your shoulders, Benjamin." "Thank you." "Come back to me." "Ben:" "Come on, Nixon." "I really miss cigarettes right now." "That wonderful fog." "You never smoked, did you, Joe?" "No." "Diana said you had sweet breath... the very first thing she told me." "At least the girl had her priorities straight." "Joe, what do you think you're gonna do... without our girl?" "Jojo, I have no idea." "Promise you'll let me know when you do." "Of course," "I'd like you to remain celibate for the rest of your life, but..." "It's negotiable." "Now, the only way to guarantee this asshole's not gonna skate off on a second-degree charge is to have someone back up intent, and clearly his target, the waitress... common-law wife, concubine, whatever... you can bet she'd have a thing or two to say about premeditation" "if she ever actually pulls through this." "Two shots to the head, you can't count on it at this point." "What we do have now is a witness appears who's tucked in a corner booth out of the guy's eyeline." "Guy never saw him." "Now, I'll be talking to him." "But what he's laying out lines up right with the detective's scenario." "Which is?" "Which is the wife was the only server on the floor at the time, stations were empty." "She was refilling Diana's cup at the counter when the husband approached and shot them both." "Diana was killed." "The wife took two shots to the head." "The guy was caught on the premises with the gun." "And in seven years, he could walk." "And that's the difference between second-degree and life without parole." "Now, there's something else we need to discuss at this point." "This may be a capital case, a death-penalty case." "I need to know your feelings." "Jesus." "Jojo?" "Oh, Christ." "I don't kn..." "I don't know." "I..." "Christ." "Ben?" "Absolutely." "Absolutely." "I just want it over." "No, no." "I want him eviscerated." "I want him strung up and ripped apart." "Christ, Ben." "What, Josephine?" "She asked." "She asked, so I'm telling her." "We never agreed to that." "We never had to." "Is it... do we really need to decide this now?" "Right?" "Excuse me." "It's ultimately the decision of the d.A.'S office, however, your feelings influence that decision." "I just want you to be aware that if we decide to go for death, it may not be so easy to do." "What is the death penalty here?" "Gas." "Shit." "Uh, is it..." "is it better for us if he... if he, uh... if he shot our daughter first?" "Christ, Ben." "I'm afraid that..." "that may be hard to prove." "I mean, what kind of a guy is that who would do that?" "He... he..." "he had to kill somebody." "Is he that crazy?" "W-why didn't he just shoot his wife first?" "Why did he have to kill our daughter?" "Because she was there." "We have your numbers." "Feel free to call." "Call me at any time." "What is it?" "It's like we're all waiting for something to happen." "Joe:" "Good night." "Good night, Joe." "Ben:" "Don't you worry about us." "We're okay." "Okay." "Joe?" "Say it, Joe." "Joe." "Joe." "What?" "I-I need some help." "I think we forgot something." "W-what is it?" "The invitations." "We forgot the wedding invitations." "I didn't call the shop." "They had the master guest list." "The plan was they were gonna just send them out directly." "Well, d-don't you think... never assume." "It's the first rule of business." "You saw the sales girl." "She looked stoned." "I just..." "I-I-I-I-I don't want everyone getting them now." "Not now." "It'd just be too uncomfortable." "Sure." "I gotta be somewhere at 9:00, and then the, uh..." "the d.A. At 11:00." "The d.A." "Ben..." "Hmm?" "I got it." "You think..." "could you get over there?" "No problem." "Thanks, Joe." "It's just... it's just it..." "it... it... it would just be too uncomfortable." "You know, there's a drawer at the bottom of the bureau." "If you want, I could maybe make some space for you." "Oh, no, no, no." "Ben, Ben, it's fine." "Mornin'!" "¶ Meet me in the morning" "¶ 56th and wabasha" "¶ meet me in the morning" "¶ 56th and wabasha." "Whoa!" "Ray!" "Ray, off!" "Come on, ray-ray!" "Joe:" "Nice kitty!" "Nice kitty!" "Nice kitty!" "Okay, nice kitty!" "Sorry about that." "Ray likes boys..." "A lot." "He gonna live?" "He's never moved that fast in his entire life." "Ray doesn't get much company." "So, what can I do you for?" "Go ahead, ray." "Yeah, I, uh..." "I, uh... hi." "Hi." "Um..." "This is kind of strange, but, um, I think you have some mail here." "You think?" "I mean that I'm..." "that I'm looking for." "Anything special you had in mind?" "Wedding invitations." "You want 'em back?" "I do." "What, did you forget to lick the stamps?" "All right." "Well, you coming or not?" "Come on." "Stay." "You all alone here?" "Why, what'd you have in mind?" "Oh, no, I... district manager's been talking since Christmas he's got subs coming in." "I think he forgot." "So it's just me and the Bettys for now." "They're out on route." "We take turns... butt behind the counter, butt behind the wheel." "Except everyone seems much happier when I'm not behind the wheel, so..." "You're not from around here." "Boy shortage." "You notice." "So what, you 4-f, flunk your medical?" "Draft dodger?" "What?" "I've never been called up." "Really?" "You got kind of a slouch going there." "Oh, it's, uh... it's the shoes." "So now what... now that you've blown off the wedding?" "I'm just trying to collect my invitations." "Sure." "Whatever you want." "But you better take 'em off." "I hate it when you leave scuff marks." "So, did you ever see that "Lucy" episode where she's in this big vat stomping grapes, making wine?" "I feel like that every time I climb in." "I pretend I'm in Italy." "Feeling Italian?" "Uh, not just yet." "Give it a sec." "Okay, any particular color we're looking for?" "Uh, pink, I think." "Really?" "Your choice?" "Scented?" "Hey, we get 'em all in here." "Hello." "Look familiar?" "How many?" "75." "All right." "38 to you, rest to me." "You ready?" "It's okay." "Oh, thank God!" "Joe, thanks for doing this." "I couldn't stand the painter up." "I booked him three weeks ago." "Would have screwed up his whole schedule." "What do you think?" "Hmm?" "It... it... wow." "Here we go." "Got it all worked out." "There's a few odds and ends to take care of before we get started." "I went ahead and I booked a photo for us." "Deposit from the wedding took care of the whole... it's all set..." "Ready to go." "I just got to thinking last night maybe we're missing an opportunity here." "I mean, there's work to be done." "Maybe the best thing for us at this point is just to... that's my partner's..." "ex-partner's desk... you know, just dive right in." "We had a plan." "Why not stick with it?" "What else are we gonna do?" "Sit around?" "We'll go crazy." "Stan Michaels, the shrink..." "did you meet?" "See, he sees no problem with it." "Activity... very therapeutic." "So, you know, what else are you gonna do... curl up and die?" "I just..." "Wouldn't want her to see us like..." "like that." "Not like that." "Don't do it." "Don't do it, Ben." "You don't have to answer the phone." "We don't need another wet blanket dropping by." "Ohh..." "Ah, the man is hopeless!" "Hello?" "You know, last week, he actually apologized to somebody for not picking up until the ninth ring." "I just want to put a big banner over this house that says "beg off."" "Or maybe a t-shirt?" "I don't know." "What do you think?" "Great." "We're gonna be fine." "Okay." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Sam Swanson checking up." "Checking up." "What are you complaining about?" "You were livid all day because the carlsons didn't even ask about Diana." "That's right." "Well, which is it, Jo?" "It's both, Benjamin..." "it pisses me off when they ask about her, and it pisses me off when they don't, and that is just the way it is... so there." "Don't shake your head." "You know you'd feel the same way about it." "Well, starting tomorrow, we're all gonna get a handle on it." "I made some appointments for us." "I beg your pardon?" "A stop at the bank to close out Diana's paperwork," "Garfield's for the, uh, bridesmaids' returns." "We're gonna get back on our feet and come out swinging." "Did you have this typed up?" "Is there an itinerary we can follow?" "Joe and I are gonna get a jump on it with a trip over to danvers in the morning." "Why?" "Spring regional." "You're not serious." "Absolutely." "Oh, don't subject him to that." "This is what?" "Mulcahey's project is still out there, Josephine." "If I don't move now, those next century turncoat bastards will." "I was this close to landing him before." "Lower your shoulders." "Oh." "Time to see the boys." "Don't." "We're not home!" "Yes?" "Joe?" "Someone here to see you." "75." "You forgot one." "The address was on the back." "I-I thought you'd want it." "Hi." "Hi." "Hi." "Bertie knox." "Oh, I'm..." "I'm sorry." "Um, bertie, uh..." "I sling stamps down at the p.O." "We've never actually met." "I'm your route manager." "I helped Joe here do some bin diving, dig up your invites." "Really excellent paper selection." "I..." "I'm sorry we couldn't complete the postal cycle for you." "I..." "Well, you want this or what?" "Oh." "Thanks." "Yeah." "It was nice meeting you." "Wait, wait, wait, wait." "You're not on foot, are you?" "I'm dripping, Joe." "Oh, it's no..." "Problem." "No problem for you." "It's not your car." "Exactly." "Nice people." "So, what, you live there?" "No." "Uh, sort of." "You don't?" "Y-yeah, for now." "Yeah." "Just the three of you?" "Yeah." "Isn't that kind of weird?" "Yeah." "It is." "How long are you staying?" "I don't know." "Do you call them mom and dad?" "No." "Do they call you son?" "Not yet." "What do you talk about?" "Mostly?" "Diana." "God, doesn't that make you sad?" "So, commercial real estate." "Commercial real estate." "What the hell does that mean?" "I have no idea." "And this is what you want to do?" "Not really." "Oh." "And what do you want to do?" "I want to figure out what I want to do." "So you're kind of in escrow at the moment." "Real-estate term." "Yeah, I recognize that one." "Yeah." "Hey, you know what, Joe?" "What?" "You just passed my stop." "This?" "You coming in?" "Oh, no, no, no." "I can't." "I'm buying." "No, really." "I've..." "Gotta..." "Get back." "Well..." "Good luck in escrow, Joe." "Good luck to you, too..." "Bert." "¶ If I told you a secret, you won't tell a soul ¶" "¶ will you hold it and keep it alive?" "¶" "¶ cause it's burning a hole" "¶ and I can't get to sleep" "¶ and I can't live alone in this lie ¶" "¶ so look up" "¶ Take it away damn it!" "Ohh!" "¶ Don't look da-da-da down." "Ben:" "Listen, why don't you just keep the deposit from the wedding, and we'll let that take care of it, okay?" "Photographer:" "That's fine, that's fine." "Okay, then." "A little tighter." "Okay, here, Joe, you get up here next to me." "Wait, wait, wait, wait." "He's not gonna sit?" "Uh..." "Partners stand." "I'm..." "I'm..." "I'm..." "Not so sure I can..." "Just point yourself right up here." "Wait, wait." "Huh?" "Perfect." "¶ Oww!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Aaah!" "¶ Friends say it's fine, friends say it's good ¶" "¶ everybody says it's just like Robin hood ¶" "I think we should have those nametags." "And that way, we could... hey." "Tanner." "It's good to see you, Ben." "I got to say, I'm, uh, glad to see you're doing so well." "Oh, ready to get to it, tan." "What do you hear about mulcahey?" "Uh, anything last week?" "Oh, he's serious." "Oh?" "Word is, his appetite's growing." "Mm-hmm." "This thing sounds big, whatever it is, and, uh, from what the guys tell me, he's liking your area... demographics or some such bullshit." "He was asking about you." "Me?" "Not the turncoats?" "You." "What do you think..." "Greek?" "Italian... northern." "That kind of thing just scares the hell out of me." "I've got a daughter myself, her age." "I can't even imagine if..." "Young man, all I can say is," "I'm just..." "I'm just very, very sorry." "Well, Joe helped me come to a decision." "If work can give us just one more reason to get up in the morning, then damned if we aren't gonna jump in full-steam." "What's your, uh, what's your interest in all this, Joe?" "I beg your pardon?" "This business." "Well, um, actually, um," "Ben actually came up with the idea that I would, uh, collaborate with him after we, uh..." "after Diana decided that we should..." "Come back and live." "It was her idea... their idea." "It was your idea." "It was my idea." "You study the market in school?" "Uh..." "No, ultimately." "Hmm." "You just feel like, uh, this is your future, right?" "I think so." "I hope so." "Um, uh..." "Actually, sir," "I haven't really had the chance to think through the ramifications of a life in commercial real estate." "Well, no, I..." "Can understand that." "My God, you've had your mind on a lot of things lately." "Which is why Joe and I are both anxious to jump in and roll up our sleeves." "It's time to... to channel all this scattered energy toward something more..." "Positive, Mike, like this project of yours we keep hearing about." "Joe, what kind of man do you take me for?" "Prisoner of history?" "Not on appearance." "Mired in... in convention or..." "Uh..." "I'm..." "Guessing "no."" "Joe, we are brothers." "I'm younger than you are." "I'm a man of your time." "What do we brothers..." "Lack?" "S... uh, so many things." "One thing... one... time." "Hmm." "See, when I purchase something at a wineshop and then I get back in my car, drive one city block to the hardware store, only to find that I'm right back behind that steering wheel, scratching my ass," "I'm being robbed..." "denied convenience." "My town is now my prison." "The solution?" "Be a man of the times, not a thief of it." "Service my needs and be gracious enough to house them under one roof." "One roof." "One roof, one vendor, one point of purchase... an entire town's needs." "You're talking all of main street retail." "Reborn." "See, mom and pop went to sleep with the gas on." "They're over." "That's done." "To save a town like yours, there's got to be a revolution." "I think Joe understands this... he and his brothers on the streets." "Now, I, on the other hand, am sitting here because I can't tell those next century bastards apart." "I don't get it." "We don't either." "But don't let me down." "There's a piece of it in there for you if you're up to it." "The only question is, can you deliver?" "Now, guarantee..." "they won't all fall that easy." "We have to do our homework..." "tax rolls, comps... get a pretty quick picture of who's vulnerable." "Huh?" "Plan of attack." "I never had one of these." "Me either." "Nice, huh?" "Mmm." "Oh, God, whatever you do, don't tell jojo." "I've been on her for years about her smoking." "I'd never hear the end of it." "This is how I had it..." "in my head." "In your head?" "Pictures, you know... son-in-law, first cigar, a couple of beers once in a while." "Sometimes, y-you just need a little break, you know... a new face, someone to bounce it around with." "Hmm?" "Jo and I, we don't really socialize too much anymore." "It's just us, just on each other, you know... same face in your face." "Forget what the other pillow even looks like empty." "And let's face it..." "Jo, well, she's really the more verbal one, likes to..." "Fill the air up a bit." "And I like to give her that." "Sure." "Yeah." "And then you guys come along." "I figure I finally got a shot at someone to talk to." "She ever, uh..." "She ever talk about me, Joe?" "Diana?" "Yeah, sure." "Nothing really in particular, but..." "I know something wasn't right." "She asked me to meet her." "I was supposed to be there at the counter." "You were... she said she had to talk." "We really needed to talk." "I don't know, I..." "I haven't..." "Please don't tell jojo this." "It'll kill her." "See, I..." "I was across the street there in the office, and then..." "Some phone call... did she say anything?" "I just know something wasn't right." "I know there was something wrong with us." "Had been for a while, ever since she was a..." "Teenager." "Please don't tell jojo this." "Please." "I'm glad you're here, Joe." "Jo?" "Honey?" "Jo?" "Telephone, Benjamin." "I need help, Joe." "I'm blocked." "I can't write a thing." "Sit." "Hello?" "Now, I've been hearing so much shit lately, so much fluff," "I've started to lose sight of her already, and..." "A phrase like "filled with goodness"" "actually passed through my mind today." "So I need to purge, Joe." "Yes, Benjamin?" "That was Cheryl." "She's on her way over." "What?" "!" "Don't look at me." "You're the one who promised her some of Diana's things." "A mere moment of weakness." "I can't believe she's coming over to collect." "And she's bringing friends." "Unbelievable." "Has she tried to jump you yet?" "Josephine!" "What?" "You yourself said that you never trusted the girl." "The only reason that we tolerate the little tart is because somehow Diana took pity on her." "Girl could do a lot of things." "She couldn't pick her friends." "Oh, come on." "Cheryl's not that bad." "Okay, yeah, she's a bit overdramatic, a-a bit socially overwhelming." "But you can't blame her under the circumstances." "Oh, yes, you can." "Yes, you can." "She is a bitch, isn't she?" "Yes!" "Ladies and gentlemen, Benjamin floss." "The vultures have landed." "Cheryl:" "Oh, God." "Just makes you want to cry, looking at all of these." "Every one just..." "Reminds me of..." "God, I wouldn't know which to take." "You'll manage." "Her jacket, I guess." "God, she wore this all the time." "We were together when she bought it." "No, no, I was there." "You're thinking of the canvas." "No, it was definitely the leather." "I remember exactly, Audrey." "Ohh!" "No." "Not the watches." "Leave the watches." "Do I know you?" "I'm Caroline." "Caroline who?" "Davis." "You knew Diana?" "We were on bluejays together." "Look, Cheryl, this is very nice of you." "I just..." "I don't want to leave those guys... look, if you're not comfortable, we'll go." "We'll leave." "I just think you need a chance to get out of there." "That whole house is, like, under this black pale." "Can we just keep this short?" "¶ Fire" "¶ uh-uh ¶" "¶ fire hey, guys." "Cheryl." "Hey." "Guys..." "This is Joe." "Hey." "Hey." "Joe's been keeping me together through this whole thing." "You guys are so amazing." "Oh, yeah." "I don't know what I would have done without him." "Would you excuse me?" "¶ The way you squeeze... ¶ Knocks me to my knees" "¶ 'cause I'm smokin', baby, baby ¶" "¶ oh hoo hoo hoo." "Aww!" "Aww!" "Aww!" "A!" "Jesus!" "A girl can't even pee without you guys..." "¶ When the wind blows" "¶ and the rain feels cold" "¶ with a head full of snow" "¶ with a head full of snow" "¶ in the window" "¶ there's a face you know" "¶ don't the night pass slow?" "What did I do?" "¶ Don't the night pass slow?" "You played my song." "¶ The sound of strangers sending nothing to my mind ¶" "¶ just another mad, mad day on the road ¶" "¶ I am just living to be lying by your side ¶" "¶ but I'm just about a moonlight mile ¶" "¶ on down the road ¶" "¶ I've got 99 years of laying in the dark ¶" "¶ and I'm far too young to lie ¶" "¶ I've got 99 ways to play my guitar ¶" "¶ it's gonna pay me before I die ¶" "¶ so Bob..." "Ohh!" "Ohh!" "I'm sorry." "No." "It's okay." "Sh..." "I should have knocked." "On the closet?" "Oh, shit." "It's okay." "You're safe." "They won't find you in here." "What was that?" "Old habits." "I'm a source of entertainment, in case you hadn't noticed." "You, uh..." "Work here." "Yeah." "Yeah." "Not in the closet." "No." "No." "Help out." "Your place?" "Uh..." "A friend's." "You work here every night?" "Must be a good friend." "So, did you come back for that drink?" "No, the dancing, actually." "Hey, hey." "Well, you had your shot." "Well, closets tend to work better for one, so I'll... no." "Wait." "Please, I-I just..." "I can't..." "I don't think I can go back out there." "It's okay." "You don't have to." "I just..." "I..." "I-I can't." "I know." "That's all right." "Everything you're feeling, I'm feeling, too." "¶ Ooh, come out on a cloudy day ¶ if I told you something, um..." "Ty:" "Bertie, we're dying out here." "Shit." "I gotta go." "Snot check?" "¶ Every hand to shine tonight ¶" "¶ you don't need darkness to do what you think... ¶" "You can come back tomorrow if you want." "¶ ...ba-pa ba-pa ba ba" "¶ ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh" "¶ everybody is a star." "Listen, Cheryl, I..." "Ben:" "Can you believe it?" "Now she says the witness was drunk." "Joe:" "Uh, who said?" "The d.A. I just talked to her." "She says he's no good." "Bullshit." "It's bullshit is what it is." "Half the people in that joint are pissed out of their hats by noon." "Why should this guy be any different?" "Family restaurant..." "unbelievable." "Okay, we've wasted enough time there." "They can screw the trial up, but they can't touch this." "This one's ours." "Now, if we buy out this whole block for mulcahey, we got to find a weak spot." "We find the guy who's hurting but fighting to hang on." "You can bet your mother he's the one that's gonna be tying up the rest of the merchants emotionally, killing any straight shot you got at landing the whole block." "You got to break the spine." "You find him, you break it." "Sit for a second." "Ben, are you okay?" "Now, I checked the tax rolls." "I know their debt history." "They got to be choking on the mortgage by now." "Who?" "The bar?" "That's not a bar." "That's the ballgame." "We get him, we got the whole block." "Ready?" "Hey, Ben..." "You know what?" "Let me take this one." "What?" "I'll handle it." "Let me handle it." "Yo..." "Joe..." "I'm serious." "You're gonna do this?" "I'm gonna try." "Let me try." "Well, hell, what am I..." "Supposed to do?" "Just go on back." "I'll..." "Find you back at the office." "You're serious?" "You're sure about this?" "Go on." "I'll meet you back there." "Good morning." "Good morning." "Boy, it's a..." "Lot quieter by day, huh?" "Tends to work that way." "A nice space." "How long you had it?" "Not mine." "Something to drink?" "You're not...?" "Something to drink?" "Water's fine." "Bubbles?" "Bubbles." "So, who's Cal?" "Name on the door." "He's not around?" "No, he is not." "Is he a friend of yours or..." "As a matter of fact..." "He's in Vietnam?" "Something I can help you with?" "Just curious." "Must have poured a lot of himself into this place." "Pretty handy guy?" "Mm-hmm." "It's a pretty interesting selection you got on the box here." "Nothing new, huh?" "If it ain't broke..." "Nothing that old either." "Everything's what..." "two, three years ago?" "You didn't seem to mind last night." "You got a dime?" "Gimme a number." "¶ You went away and left me a long time ago ¶" "¶ now you're knocking on my door ¶" "¶ I hear you knocking" "¶ but you can't come in" "¶ I hear you knocking afternoon." "¶ Go back where you been afternoon." "¶ I begged you not to go, but you said goodbye ¶" "Can I help you?" "Hi, there." "Maybe you can." "I was wondering if you were here when my daughter was killed." "I was trying to..." "Figure out what..." "Stool she was actually... let's see." "If she was, uh..." "Ben." "Hey, Joe." "Uh..." "Was it here?" "Was it this one?" "Tell me." "I think it was number 6." "Ben, what are you doing?" "And if he came from, uh... now, I know there was a-a-a guy, a witness." "Must have been in the back." "Maybe you remember." "He was, uh, obviously being served alcohol in some quantity because, evidently, he can't remember sitting down." "Pardon me." "Let's go." "I see your window still needs repair." "That's unfortunate." "Maybe, uh..." "Tell the manager to have it fixed." "Man:" "My wife used to have a lot more enthusiasm about blank than she does now." "Fill in the blank, please." "Ben, wind." "Woman:" "Um..." "Where are you right now?" "You got someplace to be?" "No." "I'm... it's..." "it's only 8:00." "Just wiped out, I guess." "'Cause you don't have to babysit us, you know." "You can go out." "Out?" "Yeah." "Spazzy knees here..." "He had a big day today." "I almost slipped, and he broke my fall." "Yeah, I guess I'll..." "Head up." "Good night." "Good night." "Man:" "You used to have a lot more enthusiasm about blank than you do now." "Yeah?" "Diana:" "Joe?" "Yeah?" "Joe?" "Di?" "Joe, are you there?" "Joe?" "This okay?" "The only place I could think of this time of night." "You might want to watch your..." "Yeah." "So, what happened?" "You sounded like..." "I-I-I just..." "I woke up, and I just..." "I swear, I couldn't breathe." "I couldn't stay in the room another minute." "Did you pee?" "What?" "Pee." "I always pee in my pants when that kind of thing happens." "Was it that kind of scared?" "Mm, it was the worst." "I-I couldn't have peed if I tried." "Sorry." "The Bettys." "Okay, so, now, you called me." "Yeah, you know what?" "I don't even know why." "Do you remember anything?" "God, what do all these people have to say to each other?" "You want to read a few?" "You don't open them, you just... oh, don't think we don't do that shit." "You know we do." "I never get any of my own, anyway." "People can share." "So, your dream." "We weren't together when she died." "Ohh." "That's so classic, isn't it?" "Were you, like, floating apart, too?" "No, we weren't together." "In the dream." "No." "We..." "Broke it off..." "Three days before." "Oh, God." "They don't know, do they?" "Joe, you have to tell them." "I-I just got to... yeah, I just got to find the right time." "Wow, it couldn't get a whole lot later, could it?" "I know." "I know." "Then why aren't you telling them?" "'Cause they'll hate me." "And they'll say to me, "when did you know?"" "And if I tell them the truth, I'll say, "six months ago."" "And they'll say... do you know how many times I've seen them looking at me?" "..." ""if you knew six months ago, why didn't you tell her?" "Then she would be alive today."" "If I walked out six months ago, she's not in that restaurant waiting to tell them while I'm packing to... she's here with them now, period." "So you broke it off." "Why?" "You want to know the truth?" "We were really great friends, and moving here didn't change that." "It was supposed to?" "I hoped so." "Then why are you going into business?" "'Cause I don't know what I want." "And as long as I don't know what I want, why not just give them this?" "Bertie..." "I lost my friend." "Don't you miss yours?" "Who?" "Cal." "Cal." "He owns the bar." "How long's he gone?" "Three years." "He's missing." "Yeah." "So you're married?" "Do I look married to you?" "Engaged?" "See any hardware?" "Were you gonna be?" "No one bothered telling me." "But you still work his store." "Why just friends?" "I lend a hand." "But, well, how long were you together?" "Weren't we talking about you here?" "You mind?" "I don't know... a while." "A while." "That song at the bar, that was yours?" "He never actually heard it, but..." "But he knew you pretty well." "About 60%." "Well, how'd you meet?" "He cracked my lip." "The usual pickup game over at Rogers field." "They picked, I sat out." "Didn't know what to make of me 'cause not exactly a guy, not exactly a girl." "So one day I get fed up and go plant myself behind the plate." "First batter gets up, he's so distracted, he swings wide," "I stop the bat with my face." "I actually tattooed my chin for a week." "Anyway, he busted my lip up pretty good." "End of story." "And that was Cal." "That was." "It's..." "Romantic." "You should've seen the stitches." "You can still see the scar." "It's never gone away." "Look." "Feel." "Isn't that weird?" "That's how I knew." "You had four years?" "Five." "He's been missing three?" "That's so long." "How... how can you... because he loved me." "Oh, shit, I gotta pee!" "You made this?" "Aw, sticks and glue." "It's a young man's game now." "Arts and crafts don't get you far, but with the right friends..." "thank you, don." "You see what dinner at the floss home will buy you?" "Don tippet down at the federal commercial loans... his wife hasn't stopped calling the house for jojo." "Well, tonight, they dine with floss  son." "You got both parcels?" "Don holds the paper, and that leaves the bar." "So, how you making out over there?" "I mean, that's all he's gonna care about." "You know, Ben, this one's gonna take some time." "What?" "What do you mean time?" "We got momentum now." "What time?" "What's the problem?" "It's..." "Complicated." "Complicated." "Well, maybe you're right." "Be a hell of a p.R. Storm if don forecloses on the guy while he's still overseas, missing or not." "And, let's face it, he's a little more than missing." "You know the bar, then?" "Uh, jojo knew it." "That stays between us." "We got a couple hours." "Why don't we take a run over there and, uh... and rub noses?" "You know, Ben, I got a good thing working, you know?" "A trust thing, the one-on-one." "I won't get in the way." "Just treat me like an assistant." "Hey, I'm great in a crisis." "You know, you always need one of me around." "Let me make the stop." "You sure you don't want... huh?" "It's good." "Hey..." "You're really loving this, aren't you?" "I can tell." "Will you be home in time for the tippets?" "I need my partner." "This is a big one, Joe." "Sure, Ben." "Dinner's at 7:00." "All right." "¶ Has anybody here seen razor face?" "¶" "¶ heard he's back looking for a place to lay down ¶" "¶ must be getting on" "¶ needs a man who's young to walk him around ¶" "¶ needs a man who's young to walk him around ¶" "¶ oh, it must be hard for the likes of you ¶" "¶ to get by in a world that you just can't see through ¶" "¶ and it looks so cold" "¶ how does it feel to know you can't go home?" "¶" "well, really, it was lovely." "Thank you very much." "Oh." "Oh, here he is." "Uh, don, Tammy, this is Joe, our, uh... our, uh..." "Diana's fiancé." "Joe, uh, don and Tammy tippet." "Hi." "Well, heard a lot about you, Joe." "Hi." "Sorry we didn't have more time." "Now, you call us any time you need to." "Goddamn it, you poor things." "We're here, okay?" "All right, uh..." "You guys, uh, take care of yourselves." "Hang in." "Bye." "Bye." "Good night." "Sorry." "Where the hell was he?" "I don't know, Ben." "Why don't you ask him?" "Where the hell were you?" "Jojo, I'm sorry." "I-I... sorry?" "Did you see that?" "Try 98 minutes of it." "Not that I'm counting, you lucky bastard." "Don't you ever leave me stranded like that again." "This is no joke." "He should've been here." "Oh, Ben, stop acting like he's under house arrest." "I thought he was part of the family." "Obviously I'm mistaken." "Oh, I don't know." "You're certainly treating him like he is." "What... what... what..." "what is that supposed to mean?" "He's right here, Ben." "Talk to him." "He knows how important this was." "All right, tell him." "You tell him!" "Goddamn it, Ben!" "You are doing it again!" "What?" "What?" "That thing!" "What thing?" "You always talked around the girl." "You never talked to her." "I what?" "You never said a straight thing to her, Ben, from the time she was 9 years old." "You made me do it." "That is so unfair." "God forbid she should grow up and then you might have to, too." "I mean, the perfect father, as long as she was a kid." "So unfair." "Don't you see that you're doing it again?" "!" "That is so unfair, and you know it." "Okay, pal, you really want to get into it, then you stick around, if not, go walk the dog because I'm mad at you now!" "Come on, nix!" "And make it a long walk!" "Poor guy." "With Diana gone, he's got nobody else to catch the blast." "Isn't he amazing?" "You gonna sit?" "Fourth one today." "Ben would have a cow." "Last time I snuck a cigarette was with Diana... bra shopping." "Who gives a shit, anyway?" "What?" "Speak." "I don't know." "Sometimes I just..." "I..." "I look at you guys, and I... you wonder why the hell we're together." "Thank you." "When I go to bed at night, I do four things..." "I drop my robe, slide under the sheets, turn on my left side, and stick out my ass." "That's it." "That's the signal." "I just..." "I back it right up there because I know when I do, no matter how cold the damn thing is, no matter how difficult it might feel, no matter how desperately we want to kill each other," "it's gonna be met by this warm body on the other side that's gonna hold it." "Two arms that..." "Wrap around, pull me out of my head, quiet the voices, save me from myself, without ever having to ask." "Every night, 31 years." "Every night there's my ass, and every night..." "He never lets me down." "You find your home, and it may not be what you thought it... you know, color's off, style's wrong... but there it is, anyway, and to hell with you if you can't take a joke." "You find your home." "Ben's mine." "Damned if Diana didn't ask that same thing four weeks ago." "Saw her today." "Who?" "Diana." "At the fotomat." "Girl behind the counter." "Definite 8, possible 9." "The chin." "The eyes." "Even had her ears." "It stopped my fucking heart." "How much longer do you think this is gonna go on?" "I mean, if that woman doesn't come out of her coma soon," "I'm gonna go down there and beat her out of it." "Can't take it much longer." "You look as wiped out as I feel, and you don't even have the tippets for an excuse, you lucky bastard." "Don't let me keep you." "Good night, Jo." "Good night, Joe." "Hey..." "Isn't it the tits you and I have the same name?" "I know we've never acknowledged it." "It is." "It certainly is." "Good night." "Night." "Ah!" "Jesus!" "What are you, 16?" "¶ I'll be your man" "¶ I'll understand" "¶ do my best to take" "¶ good care of you" "¶ yes, I will" "¶ you'll be my queen" "¶ I'll be your king" "¶ and I'll be your lover, too" "¶ yes, I will" "¶ derry down green" "¶ color of my dreams please let me see you." "¶ A dream that's daily" "I want to see you." "¶ Coming true" "¶ I tell you" "¶ when day is through" "¶ I will come to you" "¶ and tell you of" "¶ your many charms" "¶ and you..." "you'll look at me ¶" "¶ with eyes that see" "¶ and melt into" "¶ each other's arms" "¶ and so I come" "¶ to be the one" "¶ who's always standing" "¶ next to you" "¶ Ohh why me?" "¶ Reach out for me" "¶ so I can be" "¶ all right" "¶ the one who's always" "¶ reaching out for you" "¶ yes, I will" "¶ yes, I will" "¶ you'll be my queen" "¶ I'll be your king" "¶ and I'll be your lover, too." "Door's easier." "Hope she's nice." "Is she nice, Joe?" "You know what kills me?" "I knew." "I knew." "I knew in my..." "I saw it in Diana's face, and I didn't ask, and she couldn't tell me, and now she's... and you're..." "It isn't gonna happen, is it, Joe?" "I mean, you two... you weren't gonna happen, were you?" "Huh?" "You know, the thing is..." "you know, this next part?" "I know that it's supposed to happen... this, you know, you with another... you... you know." "But I just..." "I..." "I-I'm not ready." "I'm just not ready." "You're gonna be leaving and." "Look at me." "Look at this." "Oh, yeah." "June 6, 1966... my last blast." "Fucked that up pretty good here, huh?" "Oh, God." "Mm, this was the only thing before the girl that... only way Ben and I survived under one roof." "Now..." "You're gonna go." "I don't know where she is." "Everybody says that they do." "But I don't know." "And I'm scared for my baby." "And it's killing me 'cause not knowing, and I..." "I can't." "I just can't." "I can't do anything." "Everything was for her." "Everything for her, for her... the writing... everything..." "and now I don't... oh, God, I don't know what I'm gonna do." "What are we gonna do, Joe?" "I don't know." "Oh, God!" "Oh, what am I gonna do?" "Ben:" "Huh?" "!" "I'm asking you a question!" "Jojo:" "Leave me alone!" "Look at me, then." "Stop it!" "That's weak... weak!" "We gonna go... we gonna go back to this every morning, is that it, huh?" "Is that it?" "Huh?" "!" "Don't you fall apart on me now." "Not now!" "Please." "It wasn't her, Ben." "What?" "It wasn't her fault, Ben." "She was..." "Ben, jojo was upset... she... she was upset because... what?" "Because Diana and I weren't..." "Hello?" "Uh-huh." "Uh-huh." "When?" "I got the call myself at 6:30 this morning." "First words out of her mouth were his name." "Is she out of her mind?" "Ben, the woman has two bullets in her brain." "What does this suggest?" "She's gonna testify for the defense." "She's backing up insanity." "Claims he quit taking his meds a week before the shooting." "The things we do for love." "So, at this point, we've really got no choice but to press on." "Any more delays, they scream due process, and God knows we can't let 'em slide on that bullshit." "All of which means that the pressure falls on you." "Now, I can tell you..." "From experience that seeing your faces up there front and center every minute, day in and day out, this weighs on the judge." "Whether or not he or she will ever admit it, it's a simple fact." "So I'm gonna need you to be there." "I'm gonna need your help." "I'm gonna need you to be there, all of you, for the duration, for your daughter." "What is wrong with you people?" "!" "How hard is it to fix a window?" "!" "How hard is it to fix a window, huh?" "!" "Tell me!" "How hard... fix the window!" "Jesus Christ!" "What is wrong with you people?" "!" "Fix the window!" "Floss  son." "Floss  son." "F-floss ... flo..." "Mike:" "Well, I'm sorry your boss and his wife couldn't make it." "I was looking forward to meeting the woman." "I, uh, took the liberty of filling a space here since we... oh, there she is!" "Hi, sweetie." "Joe, this is my daughter Jillian." "Jillian, say hello to Joe." "Hello." "Hi." "That dress looks sensational." "A little gift." "Jillian had a birthday last week." "Is that right?" "Yeah." "When's your birthday, Joe?" "Uh, December, actually." "Oh, is that right?" "Only seven months apart." "Oh." "Well, that's interesting." "You know, Joe, I was actually your age when I met Jill's father." "Right." "Well, stranger things have happened." "Oh." "So, Mike, uh, tells us you are making your way in the world of real estate." "Oh, well, that's being generous." "Must keep you very busy." "You must value your free time." "Free time?" "You know, going out, recreation." "I... uh, not of late, no." "No?" "Yeah." "Lately I've been a little, uh, preoccupied." "Oh, I see." "Other interests." "My fiancé's death." "I didn't realize you were still involved in..." "That." "Beg your pardon?" "Well, Mike, um..." "Mike didn't tell me that you were... he didn't tell me that you were still tied up in all of that." "Really?" "No." "Well, you know, it was kind of a deal, the whole thing." "The clean-up alone took days." "You'd be amazed at what a mess a high-caliber weapon can make, and in a restaurant, all those little pieces of... all of... well, anyway, let's just say it was pretty time-consuming." "Then you got the whole burial to deal with." "This whole coffin business... much more complicated than people think." "Standard sizes?" "Dream on." "Had to custom-fit the whole deal." "Had a tailor come out, do her sizes right then and there." "I mean, do you know how hard it is to have a tailor come out to do house calls?" "And on a school night?" "I mean this is pulling teeth, you know what I'm saying?" "And then, you know, of course, you got the house to deal with, and that's a whole other ordeal, you know?" "'Cause who wants her stuff around, right?" "I mean, that's a valuable room." "Why waste it?" "So, you slog through that and, yeah, next thing you know, a couple weeks have gone by, and you're thinking to yourself," ""man, oh, man, am I still tied up with all this?" "Where did the time go?"" "¶ Hey!" "¶ Hey!" "¶ Hey!" "¶ Hey!" "What?" "Man:" "Whoo!" "Oh!" "¶ Hey!" "¶ Hey!" "¶ H-e-ey!" "Hi. ¶ Hey!" "¶ Uh!" "¶ Ah!" "Can I help you?" "Soda." "Sure." "¶ Hey!" "Ben?" "Ben?" "Have a seat." "I'm..." "Thinking maybe some light." "What do you think, Ben?" "You want to tell me what's going on, Joe?" "Explain to me why I look like such an idiot," "Mike mu... mulcahey calling to tell me how sorry he was the deal didn't..." "Make." "What the hell did you do over there, Joe?" "You were just supposed to have dinner." "I'm sorry." "You ended it." "You killed it right there." "You told him the bar was off the table." "I did." "Without even consulting me." "You, who know dick, shit about this business." "You think that's the way partners behave?" "I'm not your partner, Ben." "Then whose name is on the sign?" "This isn't about business." "Oh." "Then, what was it?" "What makes you give a red goddamn cent about a bar in a town you don't even know?" "This isn't your home." "These aren't your people." "So why do you give a shit?" "I mean, there's no reason..." "Not to move the bar, is there, Joe?" "Huh?" "This whole thing was a mistake." "God, yes." "I trusted you." "I'm sorry." "Look, you tell me what's really going on." "I... you need to help me understand what's happening here." "Huh?" "I want... sit down!" "You got something going with that girl?" "Hmm?" "I-I-I wanted to tell you before, and... y-you tell me now." "Please listen to me." "Diana and I... don't say her name." "Diana... don't say her name." "We weren't close." "I'm sorry, Ben." "Please don't." "That's why she wanted to meet you." "Shh, shh, shh." "I'm so sorry." "No, please don't..." "Oh, don't, don't." "Okay, let's talk about this." "We, uh..." "We're in a spot here, Joe." "That asshole just became a loving husband..." "Right in front of our eyes." "And if we don't launch back with something serious here," "I do believe we're screwed." "And..." "I know that's not what you want for these people." "Now..." "If I had one wish, any wish at all here, it would be that I could bring Diana into that courtroom." "Now, obviously, that's not gonna happen, and trust me, the defense is desperate not to have it happen." "They want to keep her as far away as possible, keep her from having any dimension to that judge." "But that's exactly what's gonna happen." "She's got to breathe in there." "He's got to see her and know her and realize what was taken here." "So..." "I don't know any other way to do this." "I think I need your help." "I need you to bring her in the room." "Testify?" "Mm-hmm." "How... how do I... what am I supposed to say?" "Say what you felt..." "your life was taken away here." "This man stole your bride." "The judge needs to know that." "Can you do this?" "How dare you!" "How dare you treat me like this!" "I haven't let a man touch me in three years." "Look at me." "And I'm finally right here, Joe." "And what?" "Now I'm a one-night stand?" "I have to look into her father's eyes and see you haven't said a thing about me?" "Do you know how ashamed I am?" "It's so complicated right now." "I have... so that means you hide?" "This can't be you." "I can't be both these things." "Well, try being one." "I c..." "I can't do this." "I can't do this." "You think if you just run around fast enough, figure out what everyone wants, no one's gonna notice what a coward you are?" "Are you that scared?" "You sleep in that house, you eat their food, you act like every day's just another Sunday, you think if you just keep it up, these people won't notice their daughter's missing?" "What are we doing that's so different?" "Lend a hand, bertie." "There's not a body in that bar that thinks that Cal mcginnis is ever coming home." "You think I don't know that you're never gonna make room in your life for someone who wants to know you better than 60 lousy percent?" "It's the last 40 that counts." "Where'd you go, Joe?" "I'm... right here." "Joe:" "Joseph nast." "N-a-s-t." "Man:" "Please be seated." "Mr. Nast... may I call you "Joe"?" "Joe?" "Uh, yes." "Joe, you knew the victim, Diana floss, did you not?" "Yes." "Would you please describe the nature of your relationship?" "I... uh..." "We were engaged." "Engaged to be married?" "Yes." "How long were you together?" "Uh, three years... uh, clo..." "uh, close to three years." "That's a long time." "Yes." "What were your plans for afterwards?" "After the wedding, I mean." "Honeymoon?" "No, the... the future." "We, uh, we'd been..." "We'd been planning to stay in town, and, uh..." "I was planning to go into business with Ben." "Uh, uh, with, uh, her..." "With her father." "And that would be a..." "Commercial-realty business?" "Yes." "Have you always had this interest in commercial real estate?" "No." "Then why would you do it?" "It was..." "What they needed." "Who?" "Ben and Diana." "Well, that's quite a commitment." "You must have cared for her a great deal to make that kind of sacrifice." "Didn't you, Joe?" "Stop it." "You're gonna blow this whole thing right now." "Look at me." "Joe, when Diana was killed, how far away were you from the actual wedding date?" "When was the wedding scheduled for, Joe?" "Joe?" "Joe?" "What?" "The wedding." "What wedding?" "Your wedding." "My wedding?" "Uh, it... it was, uh..." "I-I'm..." "I'm sorry." "I can't..." "I can't do this." "I can't..." "I didn't..." "it didn't happen." "W-we loved each other, we broke it off." "If I don't..." "Jesus, if I don't say this now, it'll nev..." "She'll never be a part of this." "What are we..." "what are we doing here?" "I don't even..." "I don't even know this guy." "She... she didn't even know this guy." "What's he got to do with her?" "I do... look, you asked me to bring her in the room, and she's not here." "She's not." "And whatever happens here, whatever happens to this guy, she's not here." "And the only way that you're gonna bring her in here is with the truth." "I don't know..." "I don't know what else to say." "You just tell me what to say, I swear I'll try, but if you want her, you got to keep it honest." "You have to understand that Diana had this thing, this way of bringing out the real in people, not just the best, you know... their honesty." "And I guess she's doing it again now, 'cause there's no way that I would be sitting here saying these things I can't believe are coming out of my mouth." "It was Diana who finally had the courage." "She was the one who told me that I didn't want to go through with it." "And I guess she's..." "she's doing it again, cause all this... all of this is everything that she wouldn't want." "She wasn't a bride-to-be." "She wasn't a victim." "She was strong and real and messed up and wickedly honest, just like her mother." "And if I sit here trying to paint it any other way, I..." "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." "I just..." "I thought..." "I thought that if I could just..." "I thought that if I could just..." "Paint the pictures that you needed, you know, that..." "That somehow..." "That somehow you'd bring these people some peace, finally, and they'd have their daughter back, or..." "But, uh..." "That's not how she'd want to be." "The truth is hard." "Sometimes it looks so wrong, you know... the color's off, the style's wrong, but I guess it..." "I guess it's where the good ones live." "Man on television:" "Bachelorette number two." "Good afternoon..." "And number three." "Joe:" "Dear bertie..." "You asked me before where I went." "And I want to tell you." "I went to a place where nothing's right, where every word hurts, every moment's backwards, every sky's without color, without hope." "I tried to come back, bertie." "But I got lost." "¶ The summer had inhaled and held its breath too long ¶ and while I was gone, I met you." "¶ The winter looked the same as if it never had gone ¶ and I didn't even have the courage to realize I was home." "¶ And through an open window where no curtain hung ¶ a wise friend of mine told me, "we all have our homes."" "And now I know it's true." "¶ I saw you." "I hope you get this letter, bertie." "¶ I saw you." "I figure I got 75 chances." "¶ Comin' back to me 'cause if you do, you'll know that in the end, that's where I was." "¶ Small things like reasons are put in a jar ¶" "I found home, bertie." "¶ Whatever happened to wishes wished on a star?" "¶" "I found you." "¶ Was it just something that I made up for fun?" "¶" "I hope you can find yours soon." "¶ I saw you get there..." "as fast as you can." "¶ I saw you and write me when you do." "¶ Comin' back to me love, Joe." "¶ Mm-hmm." "If I'm making too much noise, tough shit." "Can you believe it?" "It's really good to see, jojo." "Woke up at 5:00, and the weirdest thing happened..." "I had this..." "This image..." "This..." "Thought..." "And I was actually able to hold on to it." "Hold on to it..." "do you know how long..." "I mean, God knows how long it's been." "The specifics are back, Joe." "So I'm..." "I'm doing an accounting, the real her, the Diana facts." ""Number 92... laughed like a pig, full-throated, nasal snorts."" "Huh?" "I mean, this is the stuff." "This is the stuff." "Fuck the perfume." "Give me the warts." "You." "Ew, those really ratty sandals she always loved to wear." "They always made this incredible farting sound." "Every time she moved." "Oh, yes." "Ohh." "Ohh." "Yeah." "You did such a good thing, Joe Bob." "You gave us all..." "A real big truth enema... little roto-rooter for the head and a hell of a show of..." "So..." "What excuse have I got not to go back to work, huh?" "Screw the verdict, whatever it is." "I'm back in action." "I love you, Joseph." "¶ Buckets of rain, buckets of tears ¶" "¶ got all them buckets comin' out of my ears ¶" "¶ buckets of moonbeams..." "Morning." "¶ You got all the love, honey baby, I can stand ¶ morning." "Morning." "Morning." "Uh, two vanilla cones." "And pack 'em tight." "Sir, it's, uh..." "It's only 90 cents." "That's right." "Now, you take that 90 cents, and with the rest of the change, buy yourself a new window." "¶ I been meek and hard like an oak ¶" "¶ I've seen pretty people disappear like smoke ¶ my treat." "¶ Friends will arrive" "¶ friends will disappear" "¶ If you want me, honey baby, I'll be here ¶" "Hey, Joe." "Hey." "Wow." "So much for arts and crafts, huh?" "You're welcome to keep that as a souvenir." "Oh, please, who was I kidding?" "He was never gonna cut me in." "I may be naive, but I'm not an idiot." "Did you see this?" "Deal was already in place four counties over." "The turncoats..." "Ride again." "Oh, I don't know, Joe." "If I helped mulcahey carve this town up, it'd only be so I wouldn't have to see it look the same." "I mean, how..." "How can it now without her?" "Then you get to thinking... who the hell wants to buy milk and tube socks on the same aisle?" "What is this, Russia?" "We're Americans, damn it." "I like getting in my car to drive 30 feet." "To hell with them." "It was fun being partners for a while, wasn't it?" "You figure out your next venture, I'm available." "Hmm?" "Yeah." "I'm great in a crisis." "You're closing up?" "Oh..." "Trust me, you should have seen jojo's face." "I think I was more surprised than she was." "I think that's why I'm doing it." "When Diana was too young to remember... she used to come in here every Tuesday..." "And spill a cone from that wonderful place over there and spin in this chair for hours." "That was it." "That was dad to her." "I wish I could say that that changed when she got older." "But I don't think I let it." "She knew me here." "So somehow, when all this crap happened... the thought of not being here, not working, not having you... how else is she going to know me?" "But then you get to thinking..." "Maybe that's just another one of the ways they tell you you have to avoid things, you know, like those, uh... oh, thank you." "You know, those damn books that jojo loves to barbecue." "I can't keep her here." "It's not what she needs." "Won't change the ending." "I can't keep you either." "Maybe if it's okay, I can say to you something I didn't get a chance to say to her." "Okay." "Go." "Go." "¶ And I will stroll the merry way ¶" "¶ and jump the hedges first" "¶ and I will drink the clear, clean water ¶" "¶ for to quench my thirst" "¶ and I shall watch the ferryboats ¶" "¶ and then I'll get high" "¶ on a bluer ocean against tomorrow's sky ¶" "¶ and I will never grow so old again ¶" "¶ and I will walk and talk in gardens all wet with rain ¶" "¶ oh, whoa" "¶ sweet thing, you sweet thing ¶" "¶ hey, yeah" "¶ sweet thing, yeah, yeah" "¶ ohhhhh, baby, baby, baby, baby ¶" "¶ you sweet thing" "¶ and I shall drive my chariot down your streets and cry ¶" "¶ "hey, it's me, I'm dynamite and I don't know why" ¶" "¶ and you shall take me strongly in your arms again ¶" "¶ and I will not remember that I ever felt the pain ¶" "¶ we shall walk and talk in gardens all misty wet ¶" "¶ all misty wet with rain down ¶" "¶ and I will never, never, never grow so old again ¶" "¶ oh, whoa, whoa" "¶ you sweet thing" "¶ hah" "¶ oh, whoa, whoa" "¶ you sweet thing, you sweet thing ¶" "¶ my, my, my, my, my, m-my, my, my, my, my ¶" "¶ and I will raise my hand up into the nighttime sky ¶" "¶ and count the stars that's shining in your eye ¶" "¶ and just to dig it all and not to wonder ¶" "¶ that's just right" "¶ and I'll be satisfied" "¶ not to read in between the lines ¶" "¶ and I will walk and talk in gardens all wet with rain ¶" "¶ and I will never, ever, ever, ever grow so old again ¶" "¶ oh, whoa" "¶ sweet thing" "¶ whoa, whoa, whoa" "¶ sugar baby" "¶ hah" "¶ ohhhhh, whoa" "¶ sweet thing" "¶ sugar baby" "¶ sugar baby, sugar baby" "¶ with your champagne eyes" "¶ Long afloat on a shipless ocean ¶" "¶ I did all my best to smile" "¶ till your singing eyes and fingers ¶" "¶ drew me loving to your isle" "¶ sail to me" "¶ sail to me" "¶ mmm, let me unfold you" "¶ here I am" "¶ he-e-e-e-re I am" "¶ waiting to ho-o-o-o-ld you" "¶ did I dream you dreamed about me?" "¶" "¶ were you hare when I was fox?" "¶" "¶ now my foolish boat is leaning ¶" "¶ broken lovelorn on your rocks ¶" "¶ touch me not" "¶ touch me not" "¶ oh, come back tomorrow" "¶ oh, my heart" "¶ oh, oh, my heart" "¶ shies from the so-o-o-rrow"