" Mornin'." " Hey." "Wanta ride with me today?" "No, thanks." "Got something going on tonight." "That's good." "Something interesting?" "I was gonna meet someone, Dad." "Okay, cool." "All right." "See you at work, I guess." "Yeah, see ya in a few." "Crap." "Ugh." "She gon' come sit with us?" "I have no idea." "Okay." "Well, I just wanted to let y'all know that Trey Willis is getting out on bond today." "Why would you need to tell us that?" "I know there's been a lot of talk around town in regards to what Trey did or didn't do." "As far as killing George?" "Among other things." "Like raping my sister?" "It's all gonna come out in the trial, Bobby." "Sounds familiar." "I just don't want you to do anything that you would regret." "You wouldn't be so lucky this time." "If Trey didn't kill you himself, he'd damn sure press charges." "I ain't gonna do anything to Trey or anybody else" "I haven't heard about yet." "Okay." "I'll take you at your word, then." "But I do know this." "I can't keep giving a shit forever like everyone else around here." "You're not gonna say he didn't do it, are you?" "Ma'am?" "Daniel Holden." "At the end of all this, you're not gonna say he didn't kill my baby, are you?" "I'm really sorry this is all getting stirred up again for ya, ma'am." "I wouldn't lose sleep over that, Sheriff." "She never quit stirring." "Not one goddamn day." "Hey, Daniel, it's your mama." "Not much to say today, other than everybody misses you terribly." "Let's see, Jared got a new bike." "He isn't much interested in cars yet." "Which is good." "Bikes are a lot cheaper." "And your job sounds interesting, honey." "You know, a good place to start." "Proud of you." "Anyway, call me again if you get the chance." "I promise to have the phone near me next time." "Uh, no pressure, though." "We love you." "Okay." "Nobody's gonna be completely happy with this." "It's called a schedule." "I took everyone's requests into consideration, but there were some conflicts, so..." "Works for me." "I got zilch going on." "Well, that's great, Frank." "Thanks." "Uh, sorry." "Peanut came to me first." "Am I supposed to knock?" "Hell, no." "Get in here." "Take a load off." "What?" "What she got going on on Thursday?" "Doctor's appointment, post-something or other." "Still?" "You saw that baby." "Gotta be collateral damage." "I have finals on Friday." "You have Friday off." "But not Thursday." "What about Wednesday?" "The day before the day before finals?" "If I could remember stuff that long," "I wouldn't have to cram the night before." "All right, all right." "I get it." "What about Frank?" "Don't worry about it." "Just do good on your tests." "Superman does good." "We do well." "Are we still gonna smoke pot together?" "'Course... maybe." "That means no." "Just..." "let me figure out how to make a schedule first." "Then we can discuss our pot futures." "Okay?" "You're doing great, you know." "Right." "I'm serious." "Go, study, multiply." "Yes, boss lady." "Look, Jon, I know you've become close to the family." "It's not about that, Bernie." "We all want our clients to be exonerated." "Of course we do." "But more than that, we don't want them to be executed, so we take plea deals, deals for time served, Alford pleas." "Look, a win for us is a life not taken by the state... period." "But with this particular case, sir, if the plea deal had been offered just two days later, one day..." "With the events that transpired in that time," "I can guarantee you, my client would not have taken the deal." "That's unfortunate, Jon, truly." "And with the additional information that we've learned since then," "I can almost guarantee you, the prosecution would never dare retry him." "Okay, Jon, since you won't take "hell, no, absolutely not"" "for an answer, what are you talking about here?" "Just going down there for a couple of weeks to further build the case." "There is no case." "It's over." "You have four other clients on death row, two toward the end of their appeals process." "They will not be neglected, sir." "What's the end game here?" "I'm just looking at options." "Please." "There's only one option." "Habeas corpus." "You're..." "You're talking about years of legal maneuvering, years of resources, of which there are limits around here, for a guy who's already out of friggin' jail." "And even then, it's a long shot." "You know that as well as anyone." "If that were the criteria, sir..." "Post-conviction relief for somebody already on probation?" "You got to get real, Jon." "I know you're right." "I do." "Seven years is a lot of your life to invest." "It was, at that." "And it's personal." "It's always personal." "We know that, too." "But he's out." "You got him out." "You have to let it go now." "Of course." "Um, thank you for listening." "Hello." "Um, I'm here to meet..." "Oh." "There he is." "Thank you." "I'm so sorry I'm late." "No, it's all right." "Um..." "Well, how you think you did on your test?" "Oh, I don't know." "Just glad it's over." "I'll bet you did great." "Like I've said, you're one smart gal." "Thank you, Teddy." "Have you ordered?" "Nah, I was just waiting on you." "I hope you haven't been here too long." "I'm sorry." "Don't be." "I got nowhere to go." "Free as a lark." "But I do." "I have to be at work in less than an hour." "Sorry." "Oh, why... why so early?" "There's a... a woman coming in to show us how to..." "Uh, it's not exactly dinner conversation." "Oh, well, you got to tell me now." "How to clip toenails on old people." "You want some ketchup with that?" "You asked." "Y'all ready to order?" "Um, oh, can I take a quick look, please?" "Um, Teddy?" "Uh, yeah." "Uh, hamburger, medium-well, fries, Diet Coke." "Uh, may I..." "I have a Cobb salad, please?" "Uh, light on the blue cheese, if they can, and just water, I guess." "So, how was your week?" "Well, we got the county contract." "What?" "No fanfare, just called and said we got it." "They're gonna be getting tires from us the next 12 months." "Rims, too." "Wow, rims, too?" "That's great, Teddy." "Well, like they say, you stop chasing after it..." "Your..." "Your dad must be on cloud nine." "Well, it's more like cloud three, but it's nine for most people." "Maybe things are... are turning around, you know?" "At..." "At the store." "Yup, I bet you aced that test." "I think I did, be honest." "That's great, Tawney." "I even like studying." "I like school." "I get there early." "I mean, I'm not saying it's not work." "It's work." "It's not like actual fun." "Hey, you ain't got to make something be what it's not for me." "I mean, if you like something, enjoy it, then that's what it is, right?" "And if you can't tell me that, then what the hell are we doing?" "You sound like Rebecca." "It makes sense, you know." "I still feel guilty sometimes." "Enjoying things?" "That I'm staying at that big house and you're staying with..." "at your daddy's..." "Hold it." "I thought that subject was off limits on date night." "I can't remember." "Probably." "The main reason you're by yourself is so you can figure out what you want... really want." "And if you're always feeling bad or guilty, how are you ever gonna know?" "Probably won't." "I want you to thrive, Tawney." "I really do." "I know you do, Teddy." "I want you to thrive, too." "I know you do." "I'm sorry, too, Dimitri." "I'm very sorry." "The bomb, Dimitri... the hydrogen bomb." "Cool." "Good evening, Mr. Persinger." "Hey, Tawney." "Hey, y'all." " Hey, Mrs. Sutter." " Hey, Tawney." "Well?" "I don't know yet." "Fingers crossed." "Thank you, Mrs. Sutter." "How are your cards tonight?" "I hope you have better luck on your test." "I'll come by and check on you a little later." "You got the short straw..." "Zeke." "How's he doing tonight?" "Dramatic as usual and extra pissy." "Page me if there's any issues." "I'll get the on-call nurse." "Have fun." "Thank you." "Mr. Zeke, it's Tawney." "I'll be with you tonight." "You had to wake me up to tell me that?" "I'm sorry." "Can I get you anything right now?" "My plaque." "Your..." "Your plaque?" "You don't have to talk loud." "I'm not deaf." "Uh... what... what plaque are you talking about?" "I've told you all five times already." "This would be my first time, sir." "From the plant." "35 years' worth." "I want to have it with me when I go, which I'm praying is tonight." "Well, can your... can your nephew bring it for you?" "He lives in Arizona." "Arizona?" "Is..." "Is there any other family nearby?" "My wife was barren." "Wasn't her fault." "Just was." "Well, what about neighbors or friends?" "Could they go get it for you?" "We had a falling out." "Who did?" "The key is in the mouth of the horny toad next to the... the iron thing." "It's not real, of course." "It's ceramic." "Blood pressure is a little low tonight." "I'll come check on you in a little while, okay?" "You're just like all the rest of 'em, ain't you?" "What do you mean?" "Never mind." "♪ Why do you build me up ♪" "♪ Build me up ♪" "♪ Buttercup, baby ♪" "♪ Just to let me down, let me down ♪" "♪ And push me around ♪" "♪ And then, worst of all ♪" "♪ Worst of all ♪" "♪ You never call, baby ♪" "♪ When you say you will, say you wil ♪" "♪ But I love you, still ♪" " ♪ I need you ♪ - ♪ I need you ♪" "♪ More than anyone, darling ♪" "♪ You know that I have from the sta-a-rt ♪" "♪ So build me up, build me up, buttercup ♪" "♪ Don't break my he-e-art ♪" "Buzzkill." "Buzzkill times a bunch." "Since when did he like camping out?" "I don't know that he does." "Well, it's just one night." "I'm sure he'll be fine." "This is Ted." "Hey it's Amantha." "I need your help." "What happened?" "My car broke down around Clyetteville Road." " What are you doing way out there?" " What's wrong?" "It's Amantha." "Just convening with nature, I guess." "In the dark?" "What happened?" "Well, it wasn't dark when I was convening." "Can't get phone service near the car, so I had to walk... half-mile, maybe?" "Well, just go back to your car and wait there." "I'm on my way." "Thank you, Big Ted." "Tell her to lock the doors." "Lock the doors." " Mama just say that?" " Yep." " What'd she say?" " Yep." "It was kind of scary, really, but don't tell her that." "Nope." "I'll be there... 20, 30 minutes." " Thank you, Big Ted." " Yep." "What happened?" "Everything okay?" "Everything's fine." "Didn't mean to scare you." "Just seeing if you needed help." "My boyfriend should be here any minute." "Had car trouble." "Thank you, though." "Amantha?" "It's Billy." "Billy Harris." "Shit fire, Billy." "Sorry." "Kind of hard not to scare someone in this situation." "No shit." "Well, that's not good." "Already had that much figured out." "Where the hell'd you get a flashlight that big?" "At the big-flashlight store." "Your boyfriend know anything about cars?" "No." "I mean, I don't have a boyfriend." "Oh, okay." "It just sounded..." "I was a little unnerved by the situation." "Completely understandable." "Is anybody coming?" "Yes, anybody's coming, Billy." "My stepfather." "Oh, well..." "Mr. Talbot can probably tell you how bad it is." "I'm sure." "Well, I appreciate you stopping and all, but you don't have to stay." "Ted'll be here any minute, and I can just wait in the car." "Might be small-town of me, but I ain't leaving a woman by herself on some dark road until I am sure she's taken care of." "Would you leave a man like that?" "Well, it depends on who it was." "Now, I can go sit in my truck and wait if you prefer keeping your own company." "God, you're still sensitive, aren't you?" "That's a trick question." "I just didn't want to put you out, Billy." " That's all." " You're not putting me out." "I'm recording the game, got venison in the Crock-Pot." "God, I don't know how you can wait." "I'm sorry." "It's a bad habit." "No skin off my back." "So, are you still cutting grass and stuff?" "Yep." "Still in the landscaping business." "I..." "I didn't mean that sound like, you know, a putdown." "I didn't take it that way." "Grass needs cutting, leaves need raking." "You still working at Thrifty Town?" "How'd you know that?" "You're back in Paulie, Dorothy." "Right." "Yeah, still there... after all these months." "Do I look stoned?" "I'm sorry?" "I withdraw the question." "I'd say you're safe, unless you, like, lead with that." "You sure that's him?" "Uh, not yet." "Don't worry." "If it's not, I'm packing." " You are not packing." " Okay." "If you're packing, Billy, you're an idiot." "You say that now." "Please don't shoot my stepfather." "Hey." "Where's Dad at?" "Amantha had car trouble." "There was a wrecker involved." "That sucks." "She was out on Clyetteville Road by herself, just riding around, I guess." "I'll be." "I think she's smoking marijuana again." "Huh." "Who's the cake for?" "Daniel." "Oh." "His birthday?" "No." "Just thought I'd send him a cake." "No law against it." "Hope not." "How's he doing these days?" "He has a full-time job now at a warehouse." "He's still staying at that halfway place." "So, when can he have visitors up there?" "I mean, like family?" "Whenever he wants to, really." "Oh. 'Kay." "He's just not been up for it yet." "I'm sure it's a lot, you know, starting over... or starting, I guess, in this case." "How was date night?" "Well, it's a little strange at first, to be honest, meeting your wife on a date." "I bet." "But it's good to see her, too." "I'm sure it is." "Her therapist, she told us to meet in a neutral place... you know, kind of avoid certain triggers or whatever." "It helps us, you know, practice being more honest with each other." "Kind of new age-y, but..." "Still, it sounds very challenging, trying to be honest without all the baggage." "It's kind of working for me, really." "Hopefully Tawney, too." "Takes a lot of courage to do what you're doing." "I'm proud of you." "Can I..." "Can I help you do anything?" "Not bake a cake, but, uh, take out the trash or something?" "Not right now." "Thank you." "I'm still filling it up." "I'm gonna turn in." " Night, Teddy." " Night, Janet." "Ole Billy Harris." "Pretty good people, huh?" " Said he was carrying tonight." " Well, some people do." "That's politic of you." "Not a subject gonna get a lot of traction around here." "Not the way you want it to." "Are you carrying, Ted?" "I'll never tell." "You want to come by the house tonight?" "I know your mother would like to see you." "This late?" "Well, you can stay the night, see her in the morning." "Why?" "What's wrong?" "She's just a little blue." " Mom's chronically blue." " She's a little more than normal." "Like before?" "She needs you right now, Amantha." "She's the one that wanted me to leave..." "leave town." "He hasn't really returned her calls much." "That's kind of his M.O." "And she's having a real hard time letting go of certain things." "Kind of her M.O." "Anyway... you're her daughter." "So..." "You pulled that out?" "I don't feel good about it." "Really, Mom?" "I just know he's soaking wet in that old tent." "Does he have his phone with him?" "I made him take it, even though he protested." "Well, why don't you call him if it'll make you feel better?" "I'll get a lecture." "Or not." "You talk to Jon lately?" "It's 3:00 in the morning." "It just seems like I never even get to talk to you anymore." "I hardly see you." "How about tomorrow or sometime not in the middle of the night?" "You're not leaving early?" " I don't have a car." " Oh." "Right." "I'm too old to be this poor." "We'll figure something out, honey." "That Willis boy is out." "Out of what?" "Jail." "Well, good for him." "Yeah, good for him." "He gets to see his family and everything." "I'm thrilled, in fact." "He's gonna be okay, Mama." "Who is?" "Jared." "I know." "You're right." "Good night." "A little bird said you had a date last night." "I did, at that." "It go okay?" "Dad, I don't want to hurt your feelings." "The harder you try to be involved in my personal life, the more it makes me want to... drink or something." "There's no time limit on this Tawney thing." "If there's any major change, I'll let you know." "Sounds good." "Oh, my." "Are we having Big Ted's famous flapjacks?" "Bringing back memories, isn't it?" "Brings back appetites." "Lehman looked over your car this morning." " Already?" " That's Lehman." "And?" "The front-left control arm broke loose, and the axle dropped right to the ground." "Is that expensive?" "It's not cheap." "He also felt that the transmission was compromised, too, and a few other things he's concerned about." "Great." "His suggestion is not to throw good money after bad." "Sorry." "Hey." "If it isn't the intrepid adventurer." "Hardly." "I'd hug you, but I've already had a bath." "I don't know how they did it in the old days." "It's hard to succeed at anything without the right equipment, buddy." "We're just proud you took the initiative to try it." " Absolutely." " Yeah." "It's not a fad." " All right, then." " Okay." "Oh!" "Now I need a nap." "So good." "Yeah, buddy." "Mm." "Sure was, Ted." " May I, uh, be excused?" " Of course." "Okay." " Who is the unlucky chauffeur?" " I'll take you." "Come on." "All right." "Why don't you move back here for a while?" "What?" "Just for a few months." "You could save on a down payment for a really good car... one you could feel safe in when you do your riding around." "I still got a couple months left on my lease, but even then..." "Well, maybe Marvin will let you out of it early." "Melvin." "But I doubt it." "It's not really his call." "Or we could even loan you the money, and you could pay us back." "Right, Ted?" "I'm sure we could work something out." "I..." "I don't know." "That's a lot of... steps, lot of owing, lot of people in one place." "We've all been in here before." "Still trying to forget those years." "Oh, you loved it." "It's just an option." "I appreciate the offer, Mom." "Really." "Flapjacks were the best ever." "Glad you liked them." "After you." "Bye-bye, y'all." "Still got your big-ass truck?" "No, I got a Prius." " I'll clean up." " Well, I can help." "I'm going to Nashville." "Okay." "Stand outside that house if I have to." "I have to see him, make sure he's real." "I think that's a good idea." "It was nice of you to make flapjacks." "Kind of like the old days." "I mean, our old days." "I love what you've done with the place." "Yeah, right." "Hey, does this grill outside work?" "Never tried it." "You hate everyone who lives here?" "Pretty much." "I got a proposition." "Okay." "Let's trade places." "What?" "You go stay with your mother, and I come here." "Don't you have a mortgage?" "You've got, what, two months left on your lease?" "Thereabouts." "So, I come here, I'll pay half your rent, and in two months, you've got close to 1,000 bucks saved up for a down payment on a car, free and clear." "Why would I pay half the rent?" "Because you need a car, and I don't." "But you need something." "Not really." "I hope you don't sell tires like this." "Okay." "Truth is, I never thought I'd be at the house this long." "I come home, there's Dad." "I go to work, there's Dad." "On the weekends, there's Dad." " I can't do it anymore." " So, I would be doing you the favor?" "It'd be mutual." "Wouldn't pay half the rent, tell you that." " 25%?" " Hell, no." "If you stay here, you pay the rent in full." "Okay." "I'll pay the rent." "God, let me think about it first." "I gotta go." "Dad would fall all over himself to take you to work every day." "That's 'cause he's a gentleman." "Come on, I can't be late." "I'm the boss." "Bullshit." "Yeah, I know."