"Jesus." "Comin'!" "Yes?" "Hey." "I-it's Joni, right?" "It's Scott Hunter." "I served in 'Nam with your husband." "A-and with Arthur." "Yeah, I'm sorry." "He never mentioned you." "I..." "I can tell him you came by." ""Never mentioned me"?" "All I did was save the guy's life, the ungrateful bastard." "Is he home?" "He's out at the moment." "And it's pretty late." "I'll be happy to tell him you came by." "No." "Wait, wait, wait, please." "Now listen, I..." "I just got word about Arthur and I know two people in Memphis." "And one of 'em's dead." "The other one's your husband." "I..." "I know that it's a late hour and all, but I just drove straight through from Houston when I got the news." "It's... it's 10 hours, and if I could just use your bathroom and your phone, call my wife, let her know I'm safe," "I..." "I'd really appreciate it." "Why didn't you call ahead?" "Well, I..." "I did earlier." "It's just no one answered, you know?" "Come on, Joni." "I gotta piss so bad I could fill a boot." "Come on in." "Thank you." "Would you like something to drink?" "Ah, yeah." "Whiskey if you got it." "Help yourself." "You want me to make you a sandwich?" "Maybe next time." "There's gonna be a next time?" "Aren't I a lucky gal?" "I'll call you." "It's okay." "Take it." "I do make a pretty mean sandwich, though." "_" "Hello?" "I was about to give up on you." "Fourth time's the charm, I guess." "Who... who... who is this?" "Hey, slow down, Mac." "You're awful wound up for someone who just got his dick wet." " Yeah, I'm everywhere." " Who is this?" "Now, that just breaks my heart." "I'd have thought watching that nigger friend of yours bleed out together would've counted for something." "Yeah, trust me." "It's gonna count for a whole lot." "That's the spirit." "Now, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess you probably want your wife back, yeah?" "Where is she?" "She's right here." "Let me get her." "Say hi to your husband, sweetheart." "Oh, shit, sorry." "It's a little hard for her to talk with my dick in her mouth." "Hang on." " Mac?" " Baby?" " Baby, did he hurt you?" " Mac..." " Did he hurt you?" " ...please help me." "Baby..." "Joni, listen to me, baby, the blood... the blood, did he hurt you?" "No." "Okay, there you go." "See?" "Barely a scratch." "Oh, my God, do you understand what I'm gonna do to you?" " Hey, Mac, just..." " No, do you fuckin' understand what I'm gonna fuckin' do to you?" "!" "Shut the fuck up!" "You're gonna do jackshit compared to what I'll do to her if you don't stop mouthing' the fuck off!" "What do you want?" "Answers, mostly." "And fuck it, money while we're at it." "Okay, what kind of answers?" "For now, just concern yourself with the money part." "How much?" "20,000 seems like a nice figure." "You got until 11:00 p.m. tomorrow." "And then what?" "Well, why you think she won?" "She cheats." "Oh, well, if she cheats, you stop playing bridge with her, Mama." " It's that simple." " Oh, no, I ain't gonna stop playin' bridge with that woman." "You know why?" "She makes the best martini goin'." "Oh, good G..." "I've had her martini, Mama." "I'll show you how to make a better martini." " Well, your daddy made 'em best of all." " Mm." "Every night, toddy time." "Set your watch to it." "Oh, man." "I miss that man's martini, I'll tell you." "Yeah, well, you're right about that." "You got, what, three cases of Beefeater" " in that closet over there." " You bet I do!" " Well, you might as well put them to use." " I got an awful good deal." "Yeah, sure, you did." "It has nothin' at all to do with that cute delivery boy." " Aw, it ain't that..." " Muscles out to here..." " Never mind." " ...from carrying all that gin." "He's got a bulge everywhere that's important." "Calm down, now!" "You're gonna burst the stitches!" "Hold yourself now." "Stop it." " Ow!" " Well, you keep shittin' and fallin' back in it, baby." "That's the price you gonna have to pay." "There we go." "Perfect." " Thank you, Mama." " Well, that's my baby boy." "Hang on, now." "It's the last part." " God!" " What's the problem now?" "Oh, it's nothing, Mama." "I just got shot in my leg." "The one I use for walkin'." "Probably get gangrenous and I'll die." "Oh, honey, our people don't die of gunshot wounds." "Our people die of alcoholism and heart disease." "Well, still hurts like all hell." "Okay." "Hold on, now." "What'd I do... oh, here." "This is left over from my hip operation." "You gonna take one every six hours, but you got to take it with food." "There's about five or six in there." "Oughta get you through a day or two, help you feel better, but I can always call Dr. Fred if you need more." "Now hold on!" "What'd I say?" "You got to take it with food." "I got some succotash and blood sausage all ready for you." "You just hold on a minute." " Thanks, Mama." " You want me to burn that sausage?" "Yeah, burn it black." " What?" " I said burn it good." "Okay." "You want fried or scrambled?" "I don't care." "However it comes." "Hello." "We are not available now." "Please leave your name and number after the beep." "Yeah, it's Rook." "Lawn was mowed, plants watered." "Headin' back to the toolshed." "Hello." "We are not available now." "Please leave your name and number after the beep." "Uh, Broker or Karl or someone, it's Mac, uh... it... it's Quarry." "Whoever checks this, you have to have the Broker call me immediately." "It's an emergency." "You tell him to call me at home immediately." " There you are." " Thank you, darlin'." "?" "Born under a bad sign ?" "?" "I been down since I began to crawl ?" "?" "Oh, if it wasn't for bad luck ?" "?" "I wouldn't have no luck at all ?" "?" "Wine and women ?" "?" "Is all I crave ?" "?" "A big-legged woman's gonna carry me to my grave ?" "?" "Born under a bad sign ?" "?" "I've been down since I began to crawl ?" "?" "Oh, if it wasn't for real bad luck ?" "?" "I wouldn't have no luck at all ?" "?" "I'm a bad luck boy ?" "?" "Having bad luck all my days ?" "?" "I've been down ?" "?" "Down don't bother me... ?" "She's better at doing the "push and pull," if you know what I'm saying." " That right?" " Donna!" "?" "...real bad sign... ?" " Ladies." " ?" "Talkin' 'bout bad luck... ?" "My night is over." " Aw!" " Yours doesn't have to be." " What's that for?" " Y'all are gonna have to buy tickets." " For what?" " Next time we ride my "Memphis Train."" "Whoo!" " ?" "Talking 'bout bad luck... ?" " When did he call?" "Just now at the home office." "Old man said he sounded pretty frantic." "Well, friend in need." "?" "Yeah. ?" "Okay, maybe... maybe the, uh... the client, you know, knows something." "You know, the one who hired you to kill Suggs." "Client can't help us." "Not with this." "Yeah, but, okay, they must know something more than we do." "You know what?" "Why don't you let me talk to them?" "That's not an option." "Okay, then." "Fine, fuck it." "I'm..." "I'm gonna..." "I'll just go to the cops." "And tell 'em what, exactly?" "I..." "I'ma tell 'em about Suggs and... okay, look, I'll tell 'em about you if I have to." "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm." "That's certainly an option." "Wife of suspected war criminal whose former lover just died is now missing." "That's a head-scratcher." "Not to mention a man with a prosthetic leg being involved in both your friend's murder and your wife's abduction." "That should be easy to baby-step 'em through." "Mm." " Come on, Karl." " You said you were gonna take care of this." "You said you got this handled." "Afraid I was wrong about you, son." "Please, please." "Please." "I need your help." "See, now... that wasn't so hard, was it?" "Hey, there." " Tommy." " Yeah?" "Sandy Williams." " Cliff's sister." " Holy shit, yeah, Sandy Williams." "Last time I saw you, you had a Barbie in each hand and a mouthful of metal." " How... how are you?" " Uh, not too good, actually." "Yeah, I'm... very sorry." "Funeral arrangements are keepin' me busy." "Tryin' to keep myself movin'." "The worst is when I don't have anything to do." "And what brings you here today?" "I don't know, actually." "Y'all called me." "Will you give me a second?" "Thanks." " Who called her?" " I did." "Toxicology came back." "Your friend was higher than elephant pussy when he got up under his car." " We're ruling' it an accident." " An accident already?" "Why?" "Because it appears that it was a fuckin' accident." "Bullshit." "We haven't even taken a run at that Conway dirtbag yet." "We still can about the Solomon case." "The one where people were killed by bullets and guns and not by mixing substances with heavy machinery." "Landsdale says it was an accident, it was an accident." "'Less you got somethin' that proves otherwise...?" " Let it go, Tommy." " Lieutenant, we can't close this case yet." "We can't close this case yet." "We've been workin' on somethin'." " We got a connection." " Yeah, he told me." "Two dead people in Memphis knew the same woman." "Yeah, and that woman is married to a war criminal." "You got any idea what our numbers are this month?" "This fucking heat is making everybody so miserable, they're killin' each other." "We got no-shit homicides comin' in daily and we got all the makin's of a goddamn race riot over this busing bullshit." "Around here, there are only happy accidents." " Do you understand me?" " Fine." "Lieutenant, at least let me be the one to tell her." "Always gotta win somethin', Olsen." "Hey, Sandy, can I get you a drink of water or anything?" "Oh, no, I'm all right." "Thanks for asking." "Hey, Miss Williams." "We spoke on the phone." "I'm Detective Ratliff, Tommy's partner." "Of course, Detective." "So, any update?" "Well, the toxicology report came back on Cliff." " I, uh..." " Apparently, your brother had been drinking." "Also had marijuana in his system." "Very, uh, high levels." "Okay." "So... so what does that mean?" "It means that they're ruling' it an accident." "Just didn't set the jack properly, maybe, but no sign of any foul play." "Okay." "So, I..." "I guess there's nothin' else that you need from me, then." "No, ma'am." "I'm very sorry for your loss." "Do you have any questions for us, Sandy?" "I'm not sure there are answers to the questions I have right now, Tommy." "I'm very sorry." "What do they say? "It's just... it's one of those things," I guess." "Well, when's the funeral?" "This weekend." "Are you comin'?" "Yeah." "I mean, I'll definitely try." "Well, thank y'all for your efforts." "Well, you hungry?" "Could go for a Huey Burger." "Uh, h-hello?" "Mac Conway?" "Yeah, who's this?" "It's Detective Tommy Olsen." "Uh, wh-who?" "Detective Tommy Olsen from the Memphis Police Department." "I'm investigating' the murder of your friend, Arthur Solomon." "Mr. Conway, we need to set up a time for you to come on down here to the station so you and I can talk." "It's a serious matter." "Are you there, Mr. Conway...?" "You want some oysters?" "Have one." "Come on, everybody loves oysters." "I'm not hungry." "You too fuckin' good for oysters?" "I'm... sorry." "I don't..." "Fine." "Eat crackers, then, you picky bitch." "Sorry." "That was uncalled for." "I get low blood sugar, I get irritable." " What are you..." " Shh, shh, shh, shh." "Let's see." "Let me see your hand." " That's a big cut." " Please..." "A lot of letters you wrote." "You know, they say that cheating's not about the other person." "It's about you and... your need for feelin' sexy or whatever." "Being desired." "Still, I don't know why that dipshit husband of yours would go out for meat loaf when he's got this at home." "Hmm." "What are you talkin' about?" "Well, he cheated on you." "It was a redheaded whore." "Slings drinks at a strip club." "She's not a stripper, per se." "Doesn't take her clothes off for money." "It's more like "has sex with good tippers," I guess." " When?" " Last night." "I followed him right to her doorstep." "I don't believe you." "Believe whatever you want." "I don't give a shit." "But I had to know that you were there by your lonesome somehow." "So... he knew that black guy that got killed a couple weeks back?" "He was in all the papers." "They say a prosthetic leg was left at the scene." "What does Arthur have to do with this?" "This land mine." "Dak To, '67." "Staff sergeant got the worst of it." "Split him asshole to helmet." "Nah, I'm just fuckin' with you." "It was diabetes." "You killed Arthur." "No." "No, that would have been my friend." "Whose throat your husband stuffed a sock in until he wasn't breathing' anymore." "Oh." "You didn't know that part either." "Hey." "You have any idea who he'd have done that for?" "He's bangin' strippers, choking' men to death with socks, and trying to kill upstanding American citizens such as myself." "And you don't know shit about shit." "You have no idea who your husband is." "Well, I am bored to fuckin' tears." "What to do, what to do?" "Please..." "You reek." "You are a mouthy little cunt." "Married to a mouthy little dick." "You fit well together." "Mm-hmm, mm." "Please." "No." "Okay." "I have my period." "I told you at the house." "I told you I needed my purse." "I have my period." "Come here." " No, no, no, no, no!" " Shut up." "Please, please, please, please." "Please...?" " Shut up." " Stop!" "Stop moving'." "You stupid whore." "Stop squirming'!" " Please stop." " Okay." "Get up." "I'm goin' back out." "If you need to shit or piss, you do it now." "Can I have my purse?" " My tampons are in my purse." " All right, I don't wanna fuckin' hear about it." "Hurry it the fuck up." "Yeah, all right." "Come on." "Get down." "Lean back." "Come on." "There you go." "I said, "Come on, you old man, settle that ass down!" 'Course I'm the one who had to spend the whole afternoon picking out the bubble gum from his bush." "Oh, yes, picture it... that straw hair and all." " Oh, God." " And then he starts yelling," ""Naomi," he says," ""you best not tell anybody about this."" "I said, "Baby, I ain't gonna tell nobody you got a wooden dick if you don't tell nobody I got a mouth full of splinters."" " You did not say that!" " Yes, I did." "It went on the whole afternoon." " Whole afternoon... pick, pick, pick, pick." " Oh, my God." " Damn." "Yeah." " Oh, my God." "Mm, mm, mm." "I miss these times with you." "I do." "Aw, I ain't complaining', it's just, you know, you're go, go, go all the time now." "Did I ever show you them pictures from me and your daddy's trip to New York City?" "I ever show you?" "Oh, no." "I don't think you did." "Well, I'm gonna get 'em." "That was the first time your daddy ever rode in a plane." "Mama...?" "What's the matter, honey?" "Sweetheart, what's the matter with you?" "I don't wanna do this anymore." "Oh, baby, I'm sorry." "I thought you liked lookin' at the pictures." "No, Mama, not..." "I'm not talkin' about that." "I'm..." "I'm talkin' about the work I do." "Oh." "Oh, I see." "I just don't think I got it in me anymore." "I'm sorry, Mama, I don't mean to burden you with it." "What you mean, "burden" me?" "Don't ever say it again." "I just want my boy to be happy... my baby." "Well, how many years you been doin' this now?" "Five, now." "I don't know." "I can't even remember anymore." "Mm-hmm, well, I bet it'd take a toll, don't it?" "I imagine it does." "I'm glad you're speakin' on it." "Aw." "I just feel..." "I feel like the inside of me is... it's worn away." "You don't have to say anything." "I'm gonna make you another." "That's what I'ma do." "Well... as long as you don't short-pour the Beefeater this time." "Oh, I know you make 'em better than I do." "Mama, it's shaker, ice, gin, tip your hat at the vermouth, and shake." "Yeah, yeah, and you're a little old smart-ass, that's what you are." "Make yourself another while you're at it." "...and with the first week of school the busing debate came out in force." "Because of a court ruling, changes could happen or December." "Proponents of the plan..." "H-hello?" "Hey, pal." "How are things?" "Where are we meetin'?" "I hope you're pullin' that money together, Mac." "I haven't touched her yet, but I sure have thought about it." "She reminds me of my mother a little bit, but in a sexy way." "I..." "I almost have your money." "Horseshoes and hand grenades, friend." "I'm assumin' you'll be able to get the money within, uh, what, the next four and a half hours?" "I'll have it." "Why'd you come at me, Mac?" "You and your friend." "What did I do to you?" "If I see that she's safe, I..." "I'll tell you everything you wanna know." "How's that?" "Know the King Cotton Hotel that just closed downtown?" " Of course." " 11:00." "Don't keep us waiting." "Hey, Moses." "Best view of the city." "Great show last night." "Saw you talking up them girls." "Um-um, they were talking up me, my friend." "That right?" "What can I say?" "I'm just great company." "More like rich company." "I'll take what I can get." "So tell me, how's it comin' with our little girl?" "She got her little kids." "They all cute." "Her sister help out." "That's about it." "She sure as hell ain't got no $30,000." "You checked her house?" "Watched her work her breakfast, lunch, dinner shift two days runnin'." "Not exactly the sign of a woman who's flush." "Maybe she's saving it for a rainy day." "Maybe she don't got it." "Look..." "I need something that's gonna pay guaranteed." "Not this Easter egg hunt bullshit." "Not too many Easter eggs with $30,000 in 'em." "There's a man... white guy, 30, dark hair, mustache, stares at stuff a lot." "Name's Mac Conway." "Keep an eye out for him." "Like keep an eye out or "keep an eye out"?" "What's the difference?" "Well, one involves me being ready to be lethal with this white boy and one don't." "He's a friend of the dead husband." "And he knows about the money." "He working' for you?" "Just keep an eye out... the nonkilling one." "When you play next?" "Tryin' to get some studio work down at the Fourge." "It's been a slow summer." "Look, this bitch got a little depressing' life and it's makin' me depressed to have to do this." "When can you throw me somethin' real?" "You think you're ready for that after what happened?" " I told you that..." " I told you ignorance still has consequences." "Sooner you find the money, sooner we can talk." "Can I interest you in the wonders of Tupperware?" "This d... this doesn't look like $20,000." "Money's never as big as people think." "It's all there." "All right." "Look, here." "Okay, he called, okay?" "He's at the King Cotton Hotel." "It's 11:00 p.m." "And... and I looked at it and regardless of what direction he comes in, okay," " Mm-hmm." " he's gotta come in from the north on Monroe." " Come in, yeah." " What?" "Nothing." "It's just you're all fired up what with your plan and all." " Got a real sense of purpose..." " Yeah, you're right." "I probably shouldn't be taking this very fuckin' seriously." "You know, if my wife fucked another man in my bed... if it was me," "I'd probably let him have his merry way with her." "Hey, listen, bucko, okay?" "This whole back-and-forth thing that we do, the banter, this ain't that, you understand me?" "I do." "But if "Peg-Leg Pete" doesn't get his money, your wife vanishes off the face of the earth." "But not before he gives her the high hard one, probably slits her throat." "You're under a lot of stress right now." "I get it." "So here's a plan." "I'll show up and pop this guy after you've gotten your wife back." "How's that sound?" "Oh, uh, the newspaper." "There's a lovely tribute to the man who cuckolded you." "You know, sex... is such an intimate experience, isn't it?" "Can you imagine how red her face got?" "Him staring into her eyes?" "The sweat on her breasts." "Anyway, seems like he was pretty well-liked, so..." "Thanks for the beer, Quarry." "It's always... always a pleasure." "_" "What the hell?" "You smuggle this in your cooze?" "Hmm?" "All right." "I'll get you up." "You fucking bitch!" "Come here!" "No, no!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "No, no!" "Fuck!" "Fuckin' Gary." "Hey!" "Hey, is that fuckin' Gary?" "Hey!" "Where the fuck you been?" "Hey, I been around." "No, you... you have not been around." "I called your place and you were not there!" "Jesus, what are you taking?" "Who you here with, huh?" "With these two tearoom bottoms?" "Y'all went to George's bar and you didn't even fuckin' call me?" "You told me you had the fuckin' flu!" "I'm feelin' better!" "Glitter don't lie, bitch." "It's okay, y'all." "It's okay." "It's okay." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Mac, is that you?" "Joni?" "Joni, are you... are you okay?" "Can you hear me?" "Yeah, I can..." "I can hear you, baby." " Are you hurt?" " Will you come get me, please?" "Please come get me." "Okay, you just have to tell me where you are, Joni." "Where are you, honey?" "It's, uh, a bait shop." "Um... uh, Topwater Bait Shop, um, 921 Norfolk Road." "Baby?" "Where is he?" "Hey, hey." "Baby...?" "Wait." "You okay?" "What?" "Did he, um..." "Did he what, Mac?" "I'm just tryin' to check on you, Joni." "That's all." "He didn't rape me." "At least... that part of my honor is still intact." "Right?" "I need to go to the house." " What?" " I need to get my stuff." "No, absolutely not." "Out of the question." "Mac, I need to get my stuff, all right?" "And then, believe me, I never wanna step foot" " in that fuckin' house again." " Okay, what are you sayin', Joni?" "I don't know what I'm saying!" "I'm just... except..." " there's a fucking maniac out there somewhere..." " Exactly!" "That's why going back to the house for anything whatsoever" " is a bad fuckin' idea!" " Don't you fuckin' yell at me!" "Look, we'll just stop somewhere." "I'm takin' care of this, okay?" " I will find him." " Take care of who?" " We're gonna get..." " Who are you?" "!" "...find stuff for you, and then we'll go back tomorrow" " when it's daylight." " I'm gonna get my stuff." "You're gonna what, stash me somewhere?" " You won't let me call the cops." " Okay, I told you, Joni," "I'ma take care of it, okay?" " You just have to give me a little more time..." " I'm gonna get my stuff, Mac!" "Just let me get my stuff, okay, please?" "Let me get my stuff." "Why won't you just... just let me... all right?" "Why won't you just let me get my stuff?" "Look, I'm sorry." "Don't fuckin' touch me!" "Save it for your redhead." "Where are we goin'?" "Gray 300." "Try not to scratch it." "Just in case." "Y'all gonna find this asshole?" " Depends." " On?" "Circumstances." "Where you goin'?" " Depends." " On?" "How fast and far I can drive." "The boss is gonna wanna know where you are, Quarry." "You just tell him to find this one-legged fuck." "Okay?" "What do I... what do I tell her?" "Whatever you'd like." "Probably best to steer clear of the truth, though." "For her sake." "Hazard pay." "And, uh..." "Thank you, Karl." "You are, oh, so welcome, Quarry." "Drive carefully." "Who was that?" "It doesn't matter, okay?" "I'll explain later." "Get in the car." "We need to get outta here." "What about... what about our car?" "Joni, please." "Get in the car." "Are you okay?"