"Hey." " Good morning." " ( dog whining )" "( groans )" "My early morning wake-up call, huh?" "I'm up, I'm up." "( laughs )" "Yeah yeah yeah yeah." "Okay okay okay." "This is for you." "Yeah?" "How's that?" "Hmm?" "You like that?" "Good." "Sorry to keep you." "You coming?" "Or are you staying?" "Oh good." "Come on, let's go." "Red, let's go." "Let's get out of here." " We're going, we're going." " ( whines )" "Okay, come on." "There you go." "There you go." "Come on, old boy." "Come on." "Up you go." "There you go." "That's it." "You hunker down." "Read my mind, Emma." "Well..." "Read his too." "Thanks for taking care of things today, em." "Now get before they stop biting." "( sniffs )" "Amateurs." "( boys chatting )" " What's the look for?" " ( boy laughing )" " What are you laughing at?" " Of course you didn't." "Hey, old timer." "You getting any bites?" "A couple in the cooler." "Check it out if you like." "It took some convincing to get them there." "Yeah, not bad." "Good size." "You can pull 'em five pounds or more out here now and again." "These'll do me just fine though." "Yeah?" "We've been walking around all morning, haven't seen a single deer." "Wish we had your luck, huh?" "It's not luck." "It's your gun oil." "I smelled you long before I heard you." "Which isn't difficult, either." "You should swab it down a whole lot better." "Anything you're aiming to shoot can smell you coming for over a mile." "This your dog?" "Mmm-hmm." "Kind of old, isn't he?" "Oh yeah." "We both go back aways." "Yeah, raggedy old fella." "What is he, 10?" "11?" "14." "14 years old." "That is an old dog." "What kind of bait are you using?" "Worm." "Really?" "Like a live worm?" "Plastic." "Giving it a try." "So far so good." "Yeah, I like buzzbait." "Ever use the buzzbait?" "So we've been walking around a long time." "Kind of tired." "Real hungry." "Are you hungry, Pete?" " Man, I'm famished." " Famished." "( coughs )" "Sit around for a few." "I'm sure I'll have enough for four." "( scoffs )" "Well, thank you." "I think we'll eat in town." "Have you got any money, Pete?" "Nope." "Flat broke." "How about you, Harold?" "Yeah, man." "I got like 10 bucks." "10 bucks?" "I don't feel like eating shitty fast food." "I want a sit-down meal." " Thank you, though." " Mm-hmm." " How about you, old man?" " Red." "You got any money?" "How much money you need?" "Whatever's in your wallet will work fine." "My wallet's in my pickup in the glove compartment." "You passed it on the way down here." "That's bullshit." "I don't have much use for money down here, do I?" "There's $20, $30 in it." "I won't say you're welcome to it, but I'm not gonna argue with a shotgun either." " You got any credit cards?" " Never use them." "Harold, check his rig." "Come on, man, it's just" "Check his rig." "God, you're so fucking stupid." " It worth anything or what?" " No." "It's just old flies and shit." "There's nothing worth taking." "Fuck, all right." "Put your rig down, old man." "( barking )" " Easy there." " Yeah, he better take it easy." "Put your goddamn rig down." "I set it down, I could lose it." "I could get a strike out there." "They're biting pretty good today." "All right, reel it in and then set it down." "( quietly ) What the fuck are you doing?" "What do you got, huh?" "You got a beat up pickup, a wallet with 20 bucks in it and a rig that ain't worth jack shit." "A couple of fish, though, and a goddamn dog." "You got nothing." "Here." "The smallest opens the dash." "Red?" "That's his name?" "Uh-huh." "Though he's lost most of his color now he's getting older." " ( gunshot ) - ( Red whines )" "Oh!" "Holy shit!" "( laughs )" "He's red." "Look at that, he's red." "He's fucking red now, isn't he?" "You should remember to keep a little more cash around, old man." "( Red whining )" "Maybe stuff like this won't happen to you." "( spits )" "Let's get out of here." " Have a nice fucking day." " ( Pete laughs )" "Sit!" "Sit!" "Good boy." "Shit, man." "You crazy son of a bitch." "Harold, come on." "Pete:" "Holy shit, man." "Holy shit." "This fucking thing took its head off!" "Oh, Jesus." "Hold on, boy." "Hold on." "Hold on." "Hold on, Red." " Hold on, boy." " ( whimpers )" "Jesus." "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus." "( panting )" "( swings creaking )" "( children laughing )" "( dog barking )" "( laughing, barking continues )" "( noises stop )" "( phone ringing )" " Dean's." " Dean, Ave Ludlow." "Got a question for you." "Hey there, Ave." "Shoot." "Do you ever carry" "Browning Auto-5?" "Don't stock the auto-5." "Never have." "You might want to try Just Guns down on 95." "Just Guns." "All right, then." "How's that mangy cur of yours holding up?" "( chuckles )" "He got himself into a skunk last night." "Got any deals on tomato juice?" "I'll call Emma," "Tell her to set a case aside for you." "Charge you wholesale for it, okay?" "Our noses thank you both." "( shop bell rings )" "( country music playing )" "Can I help you?" "I'd like to know if you sold a Browning Auto-5 to a boy about 17, 18 years old maybe recently." "about yea high." "Thin, short blond hair," "Spiky." "You police?" "No." "Lawyer?" "P.I.?" "Nuh-uh." "Then why are you asking?" "Let's just say it's a private matter." "It's a private matter?" "Sorry, we can't be dealing in private matters here, friend." "The boy I'm looking for... he used the Browning against my dog." "He had no reason to." "I'm sorry to hear that, mister." "But like I said." "Your dog..." "He dead?" "The boy shot him in the head." "Check the ledger, Jimmy." " Yeah, but" " Check it." "Suppose he goes and shoots the kid." "What then, Clarence?" "He ain't gonna do that." "You a hunting man?" "Sometimes." "You?" "All my life since I was 10 years old." "Uh-huh." "Couple years back I did something damn foolish." "Forgot the safety." "First time in 30-some years." "Tripped over a bush, finger on the trigger..." " blew it clear off." " ( thuds )" "Hurt like I never imagined." "Used my jacket for a tourniquet, but the blood just kept pumping out of me." "I was losing it." "Couldn't even remember which way the road was." "Fading fast." "And this fella starts barking." "Runs a few paces, keeps barking like he's encouraging me." "I'd pass out and he'd come bark right in my ear." "I pulled myself almost a mile before I blacked out." "That was his last day on Alpo." "( laughs )" "It's been top sirloin ever since." "Here it is." "Boy came in with his father." "Real snappy dresser, his father." "Said he had short hair?" "Danny C. McCormack." "Just turned 18 years of age." "( dog barking )" "( vacuum humming )" "( knocks )" "( vacuum stops )" "The name's Avery Ludlow, ma'am." "Is Mr. McCormack in?" "Danny would not do that." "Avery:" "I'm afraid he did, Mr. McCormack." "Daniel was the one that did the shooting." "The other two just stood by and watched and then laughed when it was over." " They laughed?" " That's right." "They seemed to think shooting a dog to death was a pretty funny thing." "Does Daniel own a T-shirt that says" ""Stolen from May's Whorehouse"?" "( laughs )" "What is it, Ludlow?" "You want money?" "You want money?" "No, sir." "I'm after whatever justice I can see coming out of this thing." "What I want to know is that the boy admits to what he's done and he's made to feel damn sorry for what he did." "That's where you come in, Mr. McCormack." "He's your boy." "How do I know what you're telling me here is the truth, Ludlow?" "Huh?" "What proof have you got?" "I've got a spent shell casing that the Sheriff's office could probably match to the Browning if it needs come to that." "But why don't we just ask him?" "Hey, Hon. Is Danny upstairs?" "Yeah?" "Could you go on up there and tell him come on downstairs to the study?" "Tell them I said right now." "( footsteps approaching )" " ( knocking ) - ( door opens )" "Danny:" "Hey, Dad." "Hey." "Do you know this man here?" "No." "Why?" "You're absolutely sure?" "Uh-huh." " What?" " This is Mr. Ludlow, Danny." "Okay?" "He's been telling me a pretty amazing story." "Told me you tried to rob him yesterday." "That you shot his dog." "What?" "Us?" "Are you kidding?" "Mr. Ludlow is not kidding, no." "Did you take the Browning out yesterday, Danny?" "No." "No no." "We drove to Jenny Lind." "Ask mom." "She saw us take the car." " With who?" " Us and Pete." " You go anyplace else?" " No." "You go up to Miller's Bend?" "Why would we want to go to Miller's Bend, Dad?" "Oh..." "Do you own a T-shirt that says "Property of"" " Stolen from." " Stolen from" ""Stolen from May's Whorehouse"?" "You own a shirt like that?" "If I did I'd probably wear it." "But you don't own a shirt like that?" "No." "No, sir." "I got to tell you, I thought the whole story sounded far-fetched from the very beginning, Ludlow." "I got a couple of good boys right here that would not be involved in something like what you were describing to me." "I'm sorry about your dog." "Truly am." "But, um..." "You got the wrong pair of kids and that's all." "It's Harold, right?" "Danny said your name yesterday." "I want to thank you for lying to your brother about my rig." "Could've brought a couple hundred dollars or so and you knew that." "Nice of you not to mention that to your brother." "Now suppose you tell your dad about my dog." "I don't know anything about your dog, mister." "The truth would swallow a whole lot easier, son." "Yeah, well I" "Mr. McCormack:" "That's just about enough, Ludlow." "They said they didn't do it." "And if they said they didn't do it, they didn't do it and that's that." "I guess you're just mistaken." "Well, I asked you." "Excuse me?" "I said I asked you." " Asked me what, sir?" " To do the right thing here." "It could have been the right thing maybe, if it had been the right boys." "Oh, I've got the right boys, Mr. McCormack." "It's you who've got the wrong boys." "And I think you probably know that." "Thank you for your time." "Yeah." "10 days, $100." "What?" "You can't prove attempted robbery." "It's just your word against theirs." "So what you've got is a case of cruelty to animals." "Maybe reckless conduct with a firearm." " Misdemeanors." " Misdemeanors?" "Jesus." "Under the law an animal is just property." "They have a mandatory $100 fine." "He didn't just give the dog a kick, Sam." "He killed it." "It's still just cruelty to animals, Ave." "That's all the law has to say about it." "You can ask for up to 364 days in prison, but practically speaking, no prosecutor in his right mind is going to request more than 30." "And he wouldn't get more than 10." "The Sheriff could at least arrest him, put the fear of God into the little son of a bitch." "To arrest the little son of a bitch, the Sheriff would've had to have seen him pull the trigger." "I'm sorry, Ave." "It's no good." "I still have to try." "All of this time, work and expense for an old mongrel dog you already buried?" "That really what you want?" "That old mongrel dog was Mary's gift to me for my 50th birthday, Sam." "And they made a joke about killing him." "( radio playing )" "There he is." "Hey." "Where's the old mutt?" "He's gone, Emma." "Gone?" "A boy shot him" "Back by Miller's Bend" "On Sunday." "Oh My Lord." " Why would" " There wasn't any sense to it." "Just meanness." "( creaking )" "( car engine starts )" "( tires squeal )" "Sam:" "You know, Ave, last time we talked it got me thinking." "I know how much that dog meant to you, especially after what happened with Mary and the boys." "Will they prosecute?" "All I could get out of them was a "we'll see."" "Which I guess is better than a "no way."" "I'll be over as soon as I check with Emma." "Fine." "I found out a few things about McCormack." " Uh-huh." " Yeah, he made his money in trucking just like his daddy." "He had some run-ins with the law when he was younger." "There was some talk about government payoffs." "Oh, married a beauty queen." "You see her out there?" "Sure did." "Yeah, he married pretty well," "But I'm not sure he treats her that good." "Anyway, all in all, there's plenty of money and political clout there." "But underneath, McCormack is nothing but a redneck one generation removed." "Oh, I also think" "I've found out who your third boy is." "Word is Danny and Harold hang out with a kid named Pete Doust." "Man:" "Don't move shit around." "With your sewing crap in the way" "I can't find the remote control." "Woman:" "Hey, open the door." "Mr. Doust?" " I'm Avery Ludlow." " I know who you are, sir." "I guess you talked to Mr. McCormack then." "Mr. McCormack don't talk to no out-of-work carpenter." "His boy called my boy." "And?" "And what?" "Oh, Mr. Ludlow..." "Petey says they drove out to Jenny Lind," "They hung out there, even bought a couple CDs there." "Goddamn expensive couple CDs." "Didn't say nothing about no shotgun or no old dog." "Maybe they did drive to Jenny Lind before or after, but at about 4:00 in the afternoon they were at Miller's Bend." "And when they didn't get the money they wanted from me" "Danny McCormack shot my dog." "And your son stood there with him laughing about it." " Look" " No, hey, Mr. Lud" " Ludlow." "I heard every word of this and I want to know just what you think you're doing coming out here like this?" "I mean, if you have a complaint with the McCormacks why don't you just take it up with them?" "You heard that your boy was party to attempted robbery?" "That he thought it was funny that his friend shot my animal?" "He didn't shoot your dog." "He was there." "He saw the boy who did." "I want him to say that." "Maybe he's sorry." "You ever think of that?" "How can he be sorry if he denies it happened?" "You're right." "It wasn't your boy who fired the weapon." "And I'd be willing to forgive him if he'd only show some nerve and decency and own up to his part in it and tell the Sheriff what Danny McCormack did." "This is my phone number." "I know a boy can be hard in his heart sometimes and regret it later on." "I only want the truth from him." "Tell him to do what's right." "That's all I'm asking." "( car horn blaring )" "Got a pie cooling in the back, Ave." "Might make this go down a lot easier." "That'll be nice, Gloria." "Thank you." " Evening, Sam." " Gloria." "Ave, this is Carrie Donnel from KPZS News over in Portland." " Mrs. Donnel." " Carrie will be just fine, thank you." "I'm sorry to hear about Red." "I've got an idea I want to run past you" "A modified course of action." "What about the present course of action?" "Well, Jack Wentz declined to prosecute and McCormack's already got himself a lawyer." "A fella by the name of Cummings." "He's good." "Did you-- did you ever throw Danny McCormack out of your store?" "I never laid eyes on him before Sunday." "What they're saying is you did." "That you threw him out for trying to steal a penknife a few months back or some damn thing." "They're trying to make out like you're some kind of crank who's got a grudge against Danny." "What about their father?" "He's backing them up, lying all the way." "They've closed ranks, Ave." "So they got an anonymous phone call in the Sheriff's office, went down to investigate it." "They found two dogs barely alive chained outside in the yard." "It was the dead of winter, no food, no water." "The owner had been on vacation in Florida for a week." "Now the D.A. wasn't going to prosecute the case until the local papers got hold of it." "Then she changed her mind." "How are you guys doing over here?" "That pie's still waiting on you in the back, Ave." "Oh, sure, Gloria." "Sure." "Maybe in a minute, huh?" "Are you saying you want to report all this on television?" "I want you to report it, Mr. Ludlow." "I want to take a film crew down to where it happened." "Well, what about slander?" "You won't name any names." "You're just going to tell your story." "What those boys did and what the D.A.'s Office isn't willing to do," "I want to piss people off about it." "I don't suppose you have a dog, do you, Carrie?" "Cats." " Cats?" " Cats, Mr. Ludlow." "Three of them." "Ave will do just fine, Carrie." " I was sitting down here." " Oh, is that right?" "That's where we usually get the best catch." "So this is where you were?" "Dave, I think you can just set up over here." "Red, he knew this lake like his front paws." "And he was sitting just here." "That's where he sat." "And the boys..." "Sam said you didn't have a T.V. and I wouldn't want you to miss the show." "This thing's heavy." "You want to get the door for me?" "Oh, let me help you with that." "Oh no, I appreciate the chivalry, Ave," "But the door will be just fine." " Okay." " Thank you." "( sighs )" "So the report ran a few hours ago, but they're gonna replay it." " Oh." " So where's your cable connection?" "Right, no T.V." "Uh, do you have any wire hangers?" " Wire hangers?" " Yeah." "Uh, yes." "Try the closet." "Found one." "You were a soldier?" "Mmm-hmm." "Carrie:" "And the dog was a birthday gift from your wife?" "Avery:" "Yeah, that's right." "About 13 years ago." "And your wife Mary, she's gone now, isn't she?" "Avery:" "Uh-huh, a couple years after that." "She never did get to see Red fully grown." "Carrie:" "So far the District Attorney has refused to prosecute the case." "Nationwide for the killing and violent abuse of animals, offenders are fined on average only 32% of the maximum fine possible and have spent a mere 14% of the maximum jail time." "Most offenders never even come to trial." "It has been said that the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way it treats its animals." "Here in York County it might also be measured by the justice it seeks for Avery Alan Ludlow and his dog Red." "This is Carrie Donnel reporting for KPZS..." "So what do you think?" "Well, I don't know if it'll do any good, but what you said, you certainly said it well." "And that means a lot to me." "( man coughs )" "( Carrie screams )" " Are you okay?" " Yeah." "( car engine revs )" "Well, we certainly got their attention." "Carrie:" "Well." "This McCormack son of a bitch has got one long reach." "The D.A. is still declining to prosecute." "After last night?" "Well, there are no prints on the rock or the note." "Anybody could have done it." " Nobody else had reason to." " You know that and I know that." "The court's a different story." "But that note implied a threat." "Maybe that'll help, Sam." "Not necessarily." "But what it could mean is that Carrie had better call into work ASAP." "Right." "( dialing )" "So that's it?" "No, we could still sue-- hire our own forensics man, subpoena the shotgun." "Maybe they'd even settle." "But that's just money." "Yeah, just money." "So, uh, you want to go ahead with this?" "Of course I do!" "You know I can't do this for free, Ave." "But I'll try to keep the cost down." "Thanks, Sam." "I appreciate it." "Oh come on, Barry." "We can't just lay down and let" "Yeah, but we're the only division that has the freedom to go after stories like this." "If we give into them now we're just" "( sighs ) Yes, yes." "No no, I understand." "Yeah." "Okay." "That was my editor." "Wants me to cover an apartment building fire instead." "A goddamn fire that nobody was injured in." "He got ordered off." "Yeah, damn right he did." "It's okay, Carrie." "It's not your fault." "I just can't walk away from this." "But you have to." "I'm so sorry, Ave." "Okay." "Oh boy." "When I drink I get so hungry." "You know what I could use?" "I could use a piece of that cherry pie right about now." "and speaking of sweet things," "You know, I think that waitress was sweet on you." "Who?" "Gloria?" "It's those eyes." "And of course now you've been on television." " You better look out." " You're crazy." "Maybe you should have some cherry pie, soak up some of that alcohol." "Thank you." "You know, Ave, I'm just so disappointed." "I swore that I would never let" "I've been suited for this job from the very beginning and I'm good at it." "I know what I want." "What about you, Ave?" "What do you want out of this life?" "There must be something." "The truth?" "The truth about what?" "When I lost Mary... all I had left of her was a house, our store and Red." "Those boys nearly took all that away from me and I..." "I just need to make some sense of it." "What if you can't find the answers that you're looking for?" "What if there's no answer?" "How do you know when to stop trying?" "I learned one thing during the war:" "That you fight with whatever you've got," "Whatever you can lay your hands on... and you never stop." "The minute you do, that's the minute the world rolls right over you." "This is Mary?" "She was 53 there." "She was beautiful." "She never thought so." "Carrie:" "Well, she was wrong." "She looked so young for her age." "How old are you, Ave?" "I ever ask you that?" " No." " Well, then." "How come you don't have any pictures of your sons?" "I don't have any sons." "Yes you do, Sam told me." "He shouldn't have." "We had Timmy late." "I was 48, Mary was 42." "So it was a kind of surprise to both of us." "We had to fix up the attic in order to give him a bedroom." "He was a good boy." "An easy boy." "Favored Mary that way." "But the older boy, Billy, had been different right from the start." "He always had a way of turning a good thing sour on himself." "He always had a problem with lying, here at home and to other people." "He dropped out of school when they kept him back Junior year." "Went to work for Clover's Hardware here in town." "Got to work late half the time." "Stayed out nights, made up lies about why." "He always had this way with him," "Like he couldn't help himself." "I got this idea in my head that he might work it out for himself in the service." "Get some discipline in his life." "It had worked for me." "Maybe he wanted to leave the house by then anyway, because it was one of the few times he listened to me and did what I told him to." "He joined the Navy." "Nine months later he was out on a section 8." " Do you know what that is?" " Mentally unstable." "Unfit is the word they use." "The night it happened..." "I was with Emma down at the store taking the six-month inventory." "It was the dead of winter." "Tim was asleep in the bedroom upstairs," "Mary was reading in the kitchen." "It was about 11:30 by the time we finished the inventory." "When he told the story later to the police, to the detectives, to the lawyers, Billy lied." "But it was confused lying." "It was as if he couldn't actually remember what had happened." "He'd lie about one thing and then tell the truth about whatever the hell that was and then go back and lie about the first thing again." "Or something completely different." "It just went on that way." "But how we pieced it together was..." "Billy had come around the house earlier that evening looking for some money." "Mary told him no." "Told him if he wanted money he'd have to come down to the store and talk to me." "Well, he knew he wasn't going to do that." "I'd had it by then." "So they argued and eventually he left." "Then just before 11:00" "He came back to the house again still looking for money." "And Mary still told him no again." "I don't know why, but he... locked Red here, up here in the bedroom." "Maybe he was barking, I don't know." "Then he went back out to the kitchen and started hitting her." "Beating her." "Maybe he thought he'd get money from her that way." "Maybe it was just one of his crazy rages." "But he hurt her." "He hurt her so bad" "I guess he thought he'd killed her." "Because then he decided-- he decided he'd have to cover up what he did." "So he went out to the tool shed and got the can of kerosene I used to keep out there... went up to the attic bedroom and threw it all over Tim." "All over my son who was lying asleep." "He burned him to death... up there in his room." "But kerosene doesn't burn as hot as gasoline." "I mean, he killed Tim all right, the boy was saturated with the stuff." "But all that burned up there was my son and the mattress he lay on." "Not even the drapes caught fire." "He... closed the bedroom door, locked it behind him, stood outside and waited till my son stopped screaming." "Until it was quiet." "Then he came back down and threw the kerosene over Mary lying on the kitchen floor, lit another match and threw that on her." "Then got into his car and drove away." "But she... my wife wasn't dead." "Oh, he'd hurt her, but he hadn't killed her." "She was still alive." "He'd got it wrong." "Wrong about that just like he was wrong about the kerosene burning the house down." "He was wrong about everything always." "It was all for nothing." "I guess the pain woke her." "She managed to get herself outside" "And roll across the ground on the dirt and the grass until the flames were out." "Then she still had enough left in her to crawl back into the house and dial 911." "They found her on the stairs halfway up to Tim's bedroom." "She lived for another five days." "Never did come out of the coma." "I think that was a blessing." "Her burns were so bad they wouldn't let me hold her." "In the end" "I did anyway." "( dog barking )" "Thank you." "( car starts )" " Danny:" "Pete!" " Pete:" "I'm leaving right now." "I don't care." " No!" " Leave a little bit!" "Pete:" "I didn't fucking take it!" "Don't you lie." "Go back in the house, you crazy bitch." " Fuck you." " Fuck me?" "( spits )" "Fuck you!" "( engine starts )" "That is disgusting, man." "( girl giggling )" "You're touching me but you're not looking at me." "Ow!" " I'm going." " Are you going?" " I want to go home." " Danny:" "I had a nice time." " ( Danny laughing )" " I'll tell you in the car." "He's such a dick." "I hate him." "( Pete laughing ) What are you doing?" "Danny:" "I don't know." "She's the most irritating girl I've ever met." "( laughing )" "I saw you parked here." "Danny didn't." "Where is he?" "He's down the street at Bowman's Auto." "Does he know you're here?" "No." "No, I told him I needed cigarettes." "You know, he'd be pretty damn mad if he knew I was talking to you." " Would he?" " Yeah." "You and him argue a lot, your brother?" "Look, Mr. Ludlow," "I'm not gonna pretend that things are all buddy-buddy between Danny and me." "That's not why I'm here." "That's not my point." "What is your point then?" "That, um..." "That I just wanted to say sorry." "You know, for what we did." "About your dog." "That's why I'm here." "I'm here to say that." "I'm glad to hear it." "Though the one I need to hear it from most is your brother." "I'm still glad to hear it from you though." "Question is, what now?" "What do you-- what do you" "Are you gonna keep on lying for him?" "God, I mean what do you expect me to do?" "I mean, first you come and you ask me in front of my father." "Then you go and you get it on T.V." "I expect you to tell the truth." "I expect you to tell your father." "I expect you to tell the Police if it comes to that." "You don't get it." "You don't understand." "That's just not gonna happen." "Suppose you make me understand." "Look, I gotta go, all right?" "If Danny sees me here" "Who are you afraid of, Harold?" "Your brother?" "Your father?" "You were man enough to come down here and say what you just said to me." "I figure that already makes you a bigger man than your brother and maybe even your father." "I don't think you've got all that much to worry about from either of them." "Do you?" "Believe me, Mr. Ludlow, you don't have a clue." "Mr. McCormack:" "Hon, what is it?" "I was going to vacuum." "And?" "So I hear you're suing me." " I'd rather not." " Yeah?" "I don't know why you bother." "It's not gonna be worth either your time or your money." "I'm wondering if you're proud of Daniel, Mr. McCormack." "Because if not, then there's gonna be trouble between you and the boy." "And that's something you may care to do something about while you still have time, instead of using your money to cover up for him." "You know, I don't need any lectures from you." "My boys are my boys." "And I'll handle them any way I see fit, okay?" "If you're gonna sue me, just go ahead and do it." "It'll cause me some embarrassment in some places, but it won't hurt me very-- very much." "So do it." "And if you could win, what are you gonna get out of it?" "The value of a dog?" "A goddamn dog from a goddamn dog pound?" "Huh?" "Huh?" "Really I could care less either way." "Do you understand?" "Do you understand, Ave?" "Mm-hmm." "I guess I do." "You guess you do?" "Good." "Do not come back here." "And do not go snooping around my boys anymore." "or I'll have the Sheriff up your ass before you know what hit you." "Okay?" "( bat cracking )" "Pete:" "I got it, I got it!" "Shit!" "Come on, you guys." "Let's kick some ass." "Here we go." "Batter batter batter." "Swing!" " Good eye, Danny." " Why don't you pitch over the plate?" "Come on, Danny, you're playing like my grandmother." " Come on!" " Listen, it's all good." "Hit the next one." "Let's go." " Outside." " Bitch!" "Pete:" "Hey, take it easy, Danny." " Danny, it's okay, man." " Danny:" "What was that, huh?" "Pete:" "Yo, Danny." "Danny, we got a game going on here, man." "We have two outs." "Danny, hey!" " Danny, please, man." " Harold:" "Danny!" "Shut the fuck up, Harold." "Get in the car or you're walking your ass home." " Pete:" "Danny, come on." " Fuck!" "Fuck!" "Calm down, man." "What are you doing?" "Danny!" " We'll see you guys later." " Harold:" "Sorry." "Pete:" "Danny, wait up." "Danny, come on, man." "Harold:" "Danny, could you wait?" "Danny, wait!" " ( engine sputtering )" " Fuck!" "Just get in the car." "Danny, wait." "( engine revving )" "Real nice." "Catch a fucking ball, huh?" "Leave me to do all the fucking work." "( baby crying )" "Hey." "It's the goddamn old man again." "You've been following us, haven't you?" "Why would I want to do that?" "I've seen your truck." "It's a small town." "I suppose you would now and then." "Saw you in Jenny Lind." "That's possible too." "Cut it out." "Cut it out?" "You know what I'm talking about." "I'm telling you right now, cut it out." "Are you threatening me, son?" "I'm telling you." "I wouldn't be threatening anyone if I were you." "Not unless you can fight a whole lot better than you can swing those things." "You stupid son of a bitch." "What are you doing following us around, huh?" "Spying on us?" "Who the hell do you" "No, Danny!" "Danny, chill!" "Danny!" " Just chill." " All right." " Chill." " Fuck this jerk." "You got a nice swing, Pete." "Good eye too." "Not like Miss McCormack here." "You stupid fuck." "Come here." "Don't walk away from me." "I'll leave your fucking dentures on the sidewalk." "( groans, gasps )" "You've just been suckered, boy." "I got witnesses all over the street" "Who saw you come at me first with a weapon." "Some of them are old friends of mine." "So don't you try and make a fuss of this." "I just gave you what your father should've given you and wouldn't." "But you damn well had to have that one way or another." "It won't bring my dog back, but maybe you'll think twice." "And maybe you'll think of me and Red before you let that mean streak out again." "( coughing )" " ( gasping )" " You all right?" "Don't even worry about it." "( horn honks )" "On the house, Ave." "( rock music playing )" "Bartender:" "Last one's on me, Ave." "Call it a contribution." "Good night, jack." "( phone ringing )" "Joe's." "Yeah, he's here." "He's just leaving." "Ave!" "What?" "I'll tell him." "( fire roaring )" "( sirens blaring )" "( groaning )" "Cup of joe?" "Hmm?" " Doughnut?" " No thank you." "Somebody torched it, all right." "Didn't even try to cover it up." "Have them run it for prints." "Weren't any on the rock." "Ave, I'm sorry." "Ave." "I want you to leave town, Ave." "Go on up to the lake, have a couple of quiet days fishing." "Heck, I might even join you." "We both know who did this." "Everybody knows." "We've been out on this all night, Ave." "Nobody saw anything." "You don't always need to see the truth to know it." "Listen, Ave, they weren't even in town." "The Sheriff checked." "They were all out at their house up at St. Elizabeth throwing a big 17th birthday party for their boy Harold." "Couple of dozen witnesses, every one of them reliable." "nobody left there all night long." "Pete Doust too?" "( hammering )" "You again." "Mr. Ludlow's here, Hon." "Is Peter around, Mr. Doust?" "Uh, no." "He's up to St. Elizabeth." "Why?" "Went up for the party last night, did he?" "For the party, yeah." "Why?" "Well, I guess you all didn't hear." "My store burned down last night." "Somebody set fire to it." "I hope you're not saying what I think you're saying." "'Cause Pete was up there, you know, with the McCormacks all night long with dozens of other people." "So he had nothing to do with that fire." "I see you all have been making a few home improvements." "Oh, yeah." "Yeah, about time, you know?" "Yeah, about time." "Sure, I know." "I was wondering," "Good help like this doesn't come cheap." "And what I heard was you're out of work these days." "Fuck you, Ludlow." "They're not gonna use this story either, are they?" "No, they're not." "Nobody died, am I right?" "That's right." "Nobody died." "I wanted to go to the McCormack house today... get the father on camera saying, "no comment,"" "show everyone what he's like-- that nothing means nothing to him." "I pushed them, Ave." "I wouldn't let off it." "I didn't think" "They transferred me to another affiliate" "In Boise." "I lost, Ave." "And I let you down." "( truck starts )" "( crows cawing )" "Oh my God." "I need to speak with your husband, ma'am." "Oh my God." "I'm sorry." "It's your husband who needs to see this, ma'am, not you." "Why are you doing this to us?" "I don't mean any disrespect, but I'm afraid you've got that wrong, ma'am, about who's done what to who." "Can't you please just leave us alone?" "Where is he, Mrs. McCormack?" "Right here." "Goddamn lunatic coming here." "Sometimes the only way to know a thing, Mr. McCormack, is to know it first hand." " You're trespassing." " See it, taste it, touch it." "And then you'll know it." "Somebody burned my store down last night." "A few nights back, somebody threw a rock through my window." "But I'm not here about any of that." "I'm here... about this." "Get that goddamn thing out of here." "Now, Ludlow!" "In a minute when you tell me what you're gonna do about it." "I'm not gonna do shit about it." "You stupid old fuck!" "You just don't fucking listen." " No, Danny, don't!" " ( gunshot )" "( all shouting )" "Dad!" "Let my boy go!" "God damn it, let him go!" "Put it down." "Put it down." "That's simple." "Put it down." " Okay..." " ( sobs ) ...Now we're gonna get up" " real slowly." " It's okay, Danny." "Knees first." "Then all the way." "Ma'am, I'd be obliged" "If you'd throw me that hand towel you have there." "Much obliged." "( Danny grunts )" "I'm taking him into town." "Trespassing's one thing, and I guess I'm guilty there, but weapon assault's another." "And I never knew anyone who'd shoot a suspected intruder in the ear at point-blank range in broad daylight." "And I don't think the police will either." "And who knows, Mr. McCormack?" "We might make the papers this time." "Huh?" "I'd appreciate it very much if you'd cover up my dog for me again, ma'am." "I'll be back for him." "Danny, it's okay." "You're driving." "( winces )" "Go on." "Go easy." "It's a damn bumpy road." "You're fucking crazy." "In that case, you better do as I tell you, hadn't you?" "( engine starts )" "Would it help if I said I was sorry about the dog?" "I think you're a tad late with your apology, son." "( tires squealing )" "Oh, shit!" "Danny:" "He's not gonna stop." "I'm telling you, we got to stop the truck." "I know him, okay?" "He's not gonna stop." "Just keep on driving." "( crashes )" "You hit him just like we said, son." "Okay?" "( screaming )" "( crickets chirping )" "( rattling )" "( Avery groaning )" "Hey." "How are you doing?" "Come on." "What-- what you got there?" "What you got there?" "( groaning )" "Yeah." "( groans )" "Shit." "Thank you." "Bye." "Oh my god." "My god, what the hell are you doing here?" "I came back for my dog." "What?" "I left him here up on the porch." "They will fucking kill you." "Jesus Christ, they think they already fucking killed you." "I only want my dog, that's all." "Your mother, she covered him up for me." "It's around the back." "They threw your dog in the woods." "Why?" "Because it's evidence." "Mr. Ludlow, it is fucking evidence of what they did to you." "Take me there." "Look at you, you're fucking hurt." "You don't know what you're talking about." "Just take me back to where they threw him." "Fuck." "God." "Don't you worry about god." "Just take me there." "All right, fine." "Then you'll go?" " That's right." " You'll go if I take you there?" "Yes." "I know" " I know it's around here somewhere." " Where?" " I don't know." "Okay, fuck." "It's up" "Mr. McCormack:" "Flying Jesus!" "( chuckles )" "You don't stay down, do you, old man?" "You're fucking unbelievable." "I came back for my dog." "For the dog?" " Yes." " You want the dog?" "That's right." "Well, there's your goddamn dog." "Now tomorrow we're gonna bury him." "You sure do cause a whole lot of trouble there, old man." "Whole lot of trouble." " Dad!" " Jesus Christ, Harold!" "Get the hell over here." "What are you doing over there?" "Dad, come on, look." "Isn't this enough?" "Just stop!" "Harold, you got no more sense than he does." "Dad's right." "Enough of this old fuck already." "( cocks gun )" " This ends now." " ( gunshot )" "( groans )" "( groaning )" "( gunshots )" "Aw, fuck!" "Get him!" "( grunts )" "( groans )" "( gasps )" "( Danny groaning, sobbing )" " Danny!" " Dad!" "( grunts )" "Easy, boy." " Easy." " They're not sorry." "No, not sorry." "No, easy." "( gagging )" "Easy." "Easy." "( breathing stops )" "( whimpering )" "( sobbing )" "You got shot, boy." "Stay still." "Stay still." "I'll send somebody." "( gasping )" " You see what you did?" " Huh?" " Huh?" " ( groans )" "You see what you did?" "And somebody, either you or Danny, shot your boy Harold too." "Now I don't think it matters which one of you, do you?" "My my." "My my." "You had yourself quite a day." "Quite a day." "( digging )" "( sighs )" "( car door opens, closes )" "Today's the day, huh?" "Be sure to drop me a line when you get to Boise so I know how to find you." "Carrie:" "I'm not going to Boise, Ave." "The editor from a New York paper called." "He read the article." "Said it was the best human interest story he'd read in a decade." "That he wanted more so he offered me a staff job." "They even said they'd pay for the lawyers if McCormack follows through on his lawsuit." "Good for you." "Jesus, Ave." "How long you gonna make me wait?" "Wait?" "What for?" "The article." "What did you think?" "Well, it was certainly well written." " But?" " But... it wasn't true." "I don't understand you." "Carrie, two boys died." "It was self defense, Ave." "I just couldn't let it go." "I couldn't." "Like it or not." "What?" "What?" "Emma gave her to me." "Evangeline had herself a litter of four." "Ah." "Two of them black and two of them red." "Oh no, Carrie." "I don't think I can" "What do you mean?" "You don't think you can what?" "Carrie, I'm old." "I-- she's just" "Don't think of things that way or else there's nothing in life that you can have that's anywhere near worth having." "I can't do this." "I" "You give her what time you can." "She'll do the same." "Carrie, take the dog." "You'll both do just fine." "Carrie, take the dog." "Take the dog, Carrie!" "Carrie." "Carrie!" "The dog!" "( starts engine )" "( paws pattering )" "( whines )" "So..." "What do I call you?" "( orchestral music playing )"