" How about a tall cool one?" " Can't serve you nothin' before noon." "Get you a beer right down there." "They got air conditioning." "But it's a hot spot." "50, 70, 75, 80 out of a hundred." "Thank you." "I appreciate all your help but I'm just not sure if that's what I'm lookin' for." "You're not payin' for a lot of things you don't need." "No power steerin' or nothin'." "I think it's about in your price range." "Yes, sir." " Why don't you just give me a call?" " OK, then." " It's a hot day, isn't it?" " It sure is." " What's your name?" " I'm Mr Haynes." "Mr Haynes." "Harry Madox." "I noticed you walkin' away from this new car here." " Are you interested in a new car?" " Yes, I am." "You obviously know automobiles because we've had this one come back to us twice." "But I got one here I wanna show you." "This is the same car that I drive." "I have not had one minute's hard time with this car." "Come in here." "Jump right in there and see how that baby feels." "Hop in." "Yes, sir, the styling' on this car is tremendous." "Who the hell is that guy out there?" "Darned if I know." "I gotta git." "I'm late for Little League." " I like the headroom." " Isn't that something?" "It's like this car was made for a cowboy hat." "Let me run inside and see what kind of deal I can work for you." "I'll just wait right here." "Wave your hands around and talk like you own the place." "I do own this place." "What the hell do you think you're doing?" " Sellin' a car." " Like hell you are." "I just did." "I got $100 off your down payment." "The price is gonna have to stay the same, partner." "But I want you to look at that low monthly payment." " That's the best you can do?" " You're not gonna beat that anywhere." " We got a deal." " All right, you old rascal, you." "I'll tell you what." "I believe you've got the finest automobile we've got on the lot." "I believe it's my personal favourite." "# Gotta find my baby" "# Or my heart is gonna break" "Unit five, I got a report from unit six." "They say they're sufferin'." "They got lane number one." "You and Elmer take lane three and four." "Well, I would assume then that the truck is in lane two." "So that's a roger." "Keep me in mind." "I'm expected." " Where do I park this thing?" " It's good, right where you're at." "I'm Gulick." "I'm the other salesman." "You must be Mr Madox." "Harry." " How's business?" " Pretty fair." "Tyre kickers couldn't have much trouble finding the place, that's for sure." "Shouldn't chew that stuff." "It's bad for you." "Madox, I want you to go out with Miss Harper this morning." "Who's Miss Harper?" "And go where?" "There's a repo out in the county." "Deadbeat by the name of Sutton." "And don't take any guff." "I'm tired of chasing that son of a bitch all over, the first day of every month." "Sorry, nothin' doin'." "Our deal was for straight commission, remember?" "What the fuck are you talkin' about?" "I don't make any money running errands for you." " Maybe you won't like this job." " Maybe I won't." "Mr Harshaw?" "Gloria." "Gloria Harper." "This is Madox." "Mr Harshaw, maybe I could just talk to Mr Sutton?" "I've always managed to collect before." "Forget it." "You've got better things to do for me than run that SOB down every month." " I just thought..." " Dammit, Gloria." "Who's runnin' this place?" "Get the hell outta here." " I'll get Lon to drive you." " I'll take her." "Oh." "I thought you were sufferin' from too full a schedule." "It cleared up." "Why don't you make up your mind who you're workin' for?" " This is a business, not a club!" " Where's the green LTD?" "Think we ought to come in like this when he's not here?" "Probably not." "The man married?" "I don't think so." "He..." "He gets his drinkin' water from a spring down behind the house." "I'm just gonna go down to see if he's there." " I'll go with you." " It's OK." "I'm OK." "You can just wait here." " We can come back later." " Oh, no, I found him." "He was down at the spring." "And he paid me." "Both payments." "Must be a fast talker." "Glad I don't owe you any money." "Hey!" "You folks lookin' for me?" "I need to talk to you..." "Well, surely, Miss Harper." "A man of my type always enjoys talkin' to a woman of your evident quality." " Sutton?" " The same." "The very same." "Miss Harper, ain't you gonna introduce me to your gentleman acquaintance?" "No." "Another time, perhaps." "Please." "I'll take care of this thing." "I always do." "I think I can live with that." "Sure you folks won't stay for lunch?" "Another time." "Wow." "That was about as much fun as kissing' a passed-out drunk." "I guess I just don't have Sutton's charm." "You liked him so much you had to go back and talk to him twice." " Once at the spring..." " All right, I lied about it." "Now can you just leave me be?" "Sutton a relative of yours?" "OK, kid." "Maybe I got it wrong." "Maybe I got it wrong." "I hope that's not that sleazy hotel I'm in." "Forgot to get my suit insured." "Come on." "Move it on through." "Gloria..." " Miss Harper." " It's my baby, Harry." "Remember?" "Did you get that car?" "No." "The guy paid Miss Harper." "Gloria!" "You'll just have to do the whole damn thing over again next month." "I hope not, Mr Harshaw." "What was the fire down there?" "The gin?" "No." "Hamburger joint this side of it." "Maybe I'll go take a look." "How about hangin' around while I go to lunch?" "Sure." "As soon as I get back from mine." "I suppose now you wanna go to lunch?" " What the hell did I do?" " Just watch it." "Mr Julian?" "Mr Julian?" "Where the fire, Mr Julian?" "Where the fire?" " Mr Julian?" " Nobody here, Dad." "Mr Julian must be." "He always here." "Damned if I see him." "I hear the hook and ladder and all the people toin' and froing', but I can't discover the fire." " You say you know where the fire is at?" " A hamburger shack down the street." "Thank you, sir." "Well, I hope I didn't keep you waiting." "I guess I have to learn how not to take a crap when the sirens go off." "All my boys are at the fire." "All volunteer firemen." "Used to have a woman worked here but... she quit." "Damn." "I have got to get that surveillance equipment working." "We hooked it up for the insurance, but the damn thing never has worked right." "Jesus Christ!" "Lucky you wasn't a bank robber." "What could I do for you?" "I'd like to open an account." "Of course." "Of course." "Always happy to welcome a new customer." "Let me find a pen to write with here." "A pencil will do." "Now, was that checking or..." "savings?" "Took your time, didn't you?" "I'm going to lunch." "Why don't you give Gulick a hand with that car out there?" "The hell with that." "What the hell is the matter with you?" "You got a grudge against the world?" "Nope." "I'm a car salesman." "When I want a job cleaning' cars, I'll get one." "That may be a lot sooner than you think, the rate you're going." "What are you, anyway?" "35?" "36?" "Huh?" "Around there." "Well, you sure as hell haven't set the world on fire so far, or you wouldn't be hangin' around a place like this." "Yeah, but I got ambition." "I figure if I stick around selling jalopies for another 30, 40 years, somebody'll give me a testimonial and a $40 watch." "You wanna watch that stuff with Harshaw." "He's a good man, but got a temper." "Is that a fact?" "Course, maybe he's got a reason." "Hi." "Can I help you?" "I was just lookin' for George." " George?" " Mr Harshaw." "I'm his wife." "You must be the new salesman." "Madox." "Harry Madox." "Sorry, Mrs Harshaw, but your husband's gone to lunch." "Oh, damn." "Is there something I can help you with?" "Well, I hate to ask you." "I mean, you're workin' and all." "I'm not hurtin' myself." "Well, if you really wouldn't mind," "I've got some papers and clothes that need unloading'." "Sure." "I'd be glad to." "Well, get in." "I have a pair of shoes like those." "I ought to wear 'em more often." "They seem to be more effective than I remembered." "It's awfully nice of you, especially since George shouldn't carry heavy things." " Why not?" " He didn't tell you?" "About his heart?" "He's had two attacks already." "The doctor says he's got to cut back on everything." " That's why he hired you." " No, he didn't tell me." "Well, George never did like to go admitting' certain kinds of reality." " Ain't you gonna put 'em down?" " What?" "Mustn't know your own strength." "Here." " So what you gonna do in our town?" " Whatever there is to do." "Well, there are only two things to do around here." " Have you got a TV?" " Nope." "Well, now you're down to one." "Lots of luck." " Good morning to ya, Lon." " Howdy, bud." "What are you in such a good mood about?" "Lon, it takes a lot of money to be free." "And I'm gonna sell one of these to the first sucker that walks in here today." " You are, are you?" " Yes, sir." "Well, now." "How do you reckon to accomplish that?" "Sheer willpower." "In this life, you gotta take what you want." "You damn sure can't stand around and wait for somebody to give it to you." ""Gotta take what you want." That's good." "I like that." " You know what I always say?" " What's that?" "Look before you leap." "Mr Harshaw's gone for the weekend." "Huntin'." "Said he needed the rest." "Yeah, and I got a notion from what." "I met her yesterday." "Mr Harshaw met her in a real small town." "Huntin' trip, I think it was." "He always said that she just sort of happened." "Mm-hm." "The smart thing would've been to get out and let her happen to somebody else." " Harshaw Motors." " Mr Madox?" "This is Mrs Harshaw." "I hate to be a pest, but I was wonderin' if I could ask you a teensy-weensy favour?" "Well, sure, Mrs Harshaw." "What do you need?" " Mr Harshaw's cap." " What?" "Hi." "Well, come on in." "The least I can do is buy you a drink." "Sorry the place is such a mess." "I gave the girl the weekend off." "Oh." "That one thought he was stalking' George." "Did he ever get a surprise!" "Bang, bang." "I hope you like mai tais." "So..." "How are you standing the excitement?" "Maybe it picks up on Saturday night." "Yeah, it does." "They show two vampire operas at the movies instead of one." "I could buy a TV." "Or you could join the Ladies Club and collect trash." "Now there's a hot pastime." "I doubt if I could pass the credentials committee." "Not if you approached 'em one at a time." "You'd be lucky if you ever got your credentials back." "Which one lives over there?" "Mrs Gross." "She's the one with the binoculars." "What do you think of the view?" "Better all the time." "That's where the pool was gonna go." "George said I could have one if I was good." "But... he said his family hadn't had one and what was good enough for them was good enough for us." "I meant to ask you..." "about findin' me." "Did I give you the right directions?" "I could find it in the dark." "You sure?" "I think you'd better leave." "Like hell." "I thought you said you lived in a small town." "Then you'd know that bitch over there watched you arrive." "And she's watchin' right now for you to leave." "Who cares?" "I do." "Bad boy." "Bad, bad boy." "I'm going to bed." "You can let yourself out." " How much?" " A dollar." " Thank you." " Thank you." "I need a double order of grits and some more toast." "What you reading?" "Oh!" "Oh, nothing." "It's... it's just... silly." "Would you..." "Would you like a soda?" "Yeah, a soda." " You don't want a soda." " Yes, I do." "Yes, I do." "What could be nicer on a hot afternoon than a tall, clean, cool soda?" "All right." ""He was a stranger in town." "A rough man, mocking, sometimes cruel."" ""But Miriam saw past the tough facade to the bitter wounds that made him" " hide his true self from the world."" " I told you it was silly." "Oh, Junior, better not read that stuff." "It's bad for you." "I'm sorry about the other day." "I must've had the book open to the wrong place." "Oh, please." "I realised later what it must've looked like." "My life's just been a succession of jams over floozies of one kind or another." "I forget how to treat a real lady." "What do you say we forget about the whole thing?" "Start over." "Make friends." "How about tonight?" "Wanna go for a ride?" "Hey, look..." "I have to get back." "I'll drive you." " It's just walking distance." " I'll walk you." "She's a wonderful woman, the woman who raised me." "She's always takin' people in." "Always feeding' the whole neighbourhood." "She had a daughter, a little bit older than me." "She was my best friend in the whole world." ""Was"?" "Yeah, she died." "It was a bad time." "Spunky." "Hey!" "Look who's waitin' here!" " You're very pretty." " Oh, I'm just ordinary." "Ordinary?" "Well..." "Well, what?" "Well, don't you ever knock?" "Only when I'm not expected." "You were expected all right." "That was pretty ballsy of you, Harry." "Just comin' in my house like that." "What would you have done if I'd have screamed?" "But you didn't scream, did you?" "Why don't you pour me another drink?" "There isn't any." "The hell there ain't." "What happened to it, I wonder." "Maybe it leaks." "You know, Harry." "We're a lot alike, you and me." "Cos we got these hard, hard outsides." " But inside..." " We're hard, hard, hard." "Harry?" "Do you think I'm fat?" "Of course not." "Well, you sure as hell oughta know." "I don't know what the hell I'm doin' here." "You seemed to like it at the time." "What's my batting average always been for stayin' out of trouble when it's baited with this much tramp?" "Even zero." " You're insulting'." " You'll live." "I don't mind a little insult now and then." "Long as I'm sure it's just a little love play." "It isn't." " Where you going, Harry?" " Nuts." "# Knocked out of my brain" "# Since I fell for you" "# Now I've come down" "# With the heartbreak blues" "# It's gonna take a doctor" "# With a special degree" "# Cos I need a love doctor" "# I'm your Love MD" "Recognise these?" "The shoes, I mean." "I always wanted to be put up on a pedestal." "You are crazy." "What about your husband?" "Oh..." "I take my opportunities where I find 'em." "Wanna look at mine?" "You can come up real close and get a real good look." "That was more fun than eating' cotton candy barefoot." "It's late." "I gotta go." "Is it late, Harry?" "Oh, God." "Got a light?" "Hey!" "Home for lunch, back at two." "Now, y'all come over here." "Come on!" "This one here is my personal favourite." "Never mind this door bein' open." "I'm just airing' out the back seat." "Climb up in there and have a look at the size of that seat." "It's absolutely huge." "You could have half a dozen kids in there." "You'd lose half of 'em." "Don't you love a big seat?" "I know I do." "Lon, I'm gonna go check out the fire." "I'll give you the combination number." "Just don't kill me." "It's 397... 6557." "There's plenty in there." "357... 395... 3957..." "Mr Julian!" "That you?" "Mr Julian!" "Mr Julian?" "You in there?" "You in there, Mr Julian?" "Mr Julian?" "Can y'all please just keep your distance?" " Give him a hand with the hose!" " I got it!" "Hey!" "Help!" "Help!" "Help!" "Oh, God!" "Somebody help me!" "Fuck." "Hose me down!" "Hose me down!" "Who the hell is he?" "Are you all right, Mort?" "He didn't hurt you?" "And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." "He was driven to part from all men." "So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him:" "And Abram was 70 and five..." "Should I let Spunky go?" "He likes to chase rabbits." "Sure, why not?" "Even rabbits deserve a good laugh now and then." "It's beautiful, isn't it?" "Yes, it is." "Oh, watch it, watch it!" "Thank you." "Harry." "Do you wanna see my birthday cake?" "It's your birthday?" "Seriously?" "Well!" "How old are you?" "I'm 19." "Well." "You look disappointed." "Did you want me to be older?" "No, of course not." "That'd be stupid, wouldn't it?" "I'm 36." "Well." "Here." "Have a sandwich, you poor old man." "You have to keep up your strength." "Nice." " Thank you, Harry." " Happy birthday, Junior." "I..." "I have to go in." "Thank you." "Junior." "Thank you." " Madox?" " Who wants to know?" "Sheriff's deputies." "You're gonna have to come with us, so why don't you just make it easy on yourself?" "Now let's go back to that first day that you arrived in town." "You went to the bank and there was a fire that day, too, I believe." "Yes, there was..." "now that I recall." "And when you went in, there was nobody there at the bank as far as you could see?" " They'd all gone to the fire." " Yeah, that's right." "And I believe you'd been told that the surveillance equipment had been installed improperly." "But you never gave it another thought... until there was a robbery" "and another fire." "Only I wasn't at the robbery." "I was at the fire." "Why don't you just go ahead and say it." " What are you talkin' about?" " Your alibi." "He's sitting right there looking at you." "He remembers you from the fire - that big splash you made saving that drunk." "Only that was 20 minutes after the fire started... after the robbery." "Nobody saw you at that fire until after the bank was robbed." "You know you robbed the bank." "We know you did." "That makes it unanimous." "You know you're never gonna be able to spend this money." "We got all the numbers right here." "You might just as well give the money back." "It'll go a lot lighter on you." "Well." "The man won't listen to reason." "Go ahead and lock him up." "Then go home for a little while." "Do all this over tomorrow." " This is him." " You're sure?" "It sure sound like him." "He got a kind of a bleep, like a tea kettle." "OK, Uncle Mort." "Thank you." "Watch your step." "All right, get these other guys outta here." "You stay." "Hello." "Uh-huh." "Uh-huh." "No, no, no." "That's fine." "OK, yeah." "Thank you for calling." "Bye-bye." "That's George Harshaw callin' from Galveston." "He says that Mr Madox was definitely at the fire the whole time." " Harshaw?" " Mm-hm." " I don't remember seein' him there." " No, he wasn't." "Mrs Harshaw said that she drove up just as Mr Madox was gettin' out of his car, not five minutes after the fire started." "Mrs Harshaw" "I guess you're free to leave, Mr Madox." "Harry!" " Hi." " Hi." " I heard you were in jail." " Yeah." "It's OK now." "Just a mistake." "We got her straightened out." "They were just doin' their job." "I kept seeing' your car out in front of my house." "All I could think about was our day at the pool." "Tell you what." "We'll do it again." "When?" "Tomorrow." "But first get in." "I'll drive you to work." "OK." "Hey!" "Excuse me, Miss Harper." "I wonder if I might trouble you for a moment of your time?" "Is there something I could help you with?" "Harry." "Uh..." "No, I don't think so." "You think there's anything he can help us with, Miss Harper?" "No, I guess not." "You see how it is." "Another time, perhaps." "We'll give you a holler." "Come on." "Please, Harry." "It's just a personal matter I have to discuss with Mr Sutton." " He'll walk me to work." " Come on!" "Cheer up, buddy." "Chicken don't always lay its eggs in the same nest." "Harshaw Motors." "Hello?" " Wrong number." " I guess." "Second time it's done that in the last ten minutes." "Lon." "Do you know anything about a guy by the name of Sutton?" " Sutton?" " Yeah." "Deadbeat." "Repossession deal." "Yeah, I remember him." "I don't know much about him, though." "I think he used to work for Harshaw." "I think he was gonna put in a pool, but I never did hear any more about that deal." "Thanks, Lon." " Gin." " Shit." "Oh, God." "There's that guy again." "He must have come in to check that car out nine times." "Well, maybe tenth time's the charm." " Harshaw Motors." " It's about time you answered." "I didn't expect you back so soon." "Did you have a nice trip?" "Well, ain't you cute." "Been havin' a good time watchin' that little girl?" "Didn't expect you back until Monday." "I'll tell you all about that when I see you." "Harry, meet me about ten tonight at this place I know." " I don't think I can make it." " Oh, don't you really?" "Well, ain't that too bad." "By the way." "Wasn't that lucky I saw you there the other day at the fire?" "Just supposin' I'd missed you." "What's the matter?" "Don't tell me I'm slippin'." "What do you have to see me about?" "Well, now I've heard everything." "Well, if that's all it is... let's get on with it." "If we hurry, maybe we can catch the next train home." "Keep your hand to yourself, or I'll break it off." "Who's on top this time?" "If we hurry, maybe we can just make it." "What if I told you to go to hell?" "Well..." "Then I'd know I just dreamed the whole thing about the fire." "That'd be just awful, wouldn't it?" "See?" "You thought you could leave me for that Sunday-school kid." "Thought you could leave me for her." "You see?" "You do like me, don't you?" "No." "Not even a little bit." "Ain't that funny?" "I coulda sworn you did." "But, honey... before you get carried away with not likin' me," "I've just remembered there was something else I wanted to tell you." "What's that?" "I always get what I want, Harry." "You got a husband who might have something to say about that." "Never mind him." "He got everything he paid for." "Do you know why we came back from Galveston so soon?" "No." "How could I?" "He had chest pains." "The doctor in Galveston looked him over and says he has to have an operation... quick." "So why did he go huntin' today?" "He always overdoes it when he's sick." "He practically can't help himself." "The doctor says if he has another one, it'll kill him." "So what has that got to do with me?" "Anything at all too exciting' will just kill him." "No." "He had his first attack the first day he met me." "Harry." "Harry!" "Harry!" "Harry!" "Harry." "You've gotta help me, Harry." "I can't be left alone!" "Help me, Harry." "I told you." "I won't have anything to do with it." "You're too worked up." "You're off your head." "You don't know what you're saying." " You better find something to do." " Something to do?" "Yeah, get a job." "Get a hobby." "Have a kid." "I don't know." "Do something." "Have a kid?" "Hell, no." "I don't want that." "But if I was pregnant with your child," "I'd show you what I'd do about that." "I've done it before." "My God!" "It's not the falling down, honey." "It's the climb back up." "Light me a cigarette, Harry." "Poor old Harry." "He don't like me." "You lousy little witch." "What's it got to do with liking' you?" "I told you we were a lot alike, didn't I?" "Now lean down, Harry." "You wanna kiss me, don't you?" "Kiss you?" "I'll kill you." "I swear to God I'll kill you." "No, you won't." "Not now." "Now kiss me." "Gloria?" "Are you OK?" "Remember..." "I started to tell you about... about the girl that I grew up with?" " The one that died." " What I..." "What I didn't tell you is that..." "she killed herself." "And Sutton drove her to it." "He did it." "She was my sister, Harry." "I really loved her." "She finally told me." "She'd been havin' an affair with a woman who was a teacher of ours." "They'd been meeting in Houston." "Somehow Sutton found out." "He seems to know what people's weaknesses are." "And he was blackmailing' her." "But I..." "I went to her." "Just..." "Just to comfort her." "Sutton was there." "He'd been there the whole time, takin' pictures of us." "He said to Irene he had real pictures now." "And what had we been doing in that bedroom we shared when we were girls?" "He came into my office after Irene died, lookin' for money." "He had the pictures, but he was very clever." "He didn't act like a blackmailer." "He whined and he said he felt terrible about what had happened to Irene." "That he was a poor man." "Couldn't scrape a livin' in the world." "Said it was his only chance for survival." "And that if he didn't have the money - just $500 - to leave town, that he would go to my momma, give her the pictures, ask her for the money." "I had it there." "I gave him the money." "And once you did..." "He knew that I had taken it." "And he asked for more." "He kept comin' back and I just..." "I couldn't catch up after a while." "I'm gonna tell Mr Harshaw." "I don't want Sutton to tell him." "I don't..." "I don't want for anyone else to have to tell him that." "Come on in." "Make yourself at home." "Have a seat." "You a tough guy, huh?" "No." "You're the tough guy." "I'm worse." "It's not loaded." "Well, how about that, huh?" "So tell me." "What, uh..." "What seems to be your problem?" "I mean, not that I'm nosey, you understand." "Gloria Harper." "You've been on her back now..." "for over a year." "Oh, Lord of mine." "That little girl's got you all stoked up, doesn't she?" "So you drove yourself all the way out here just to tell me to get off it, huh?" "Is that right?" "I'm gonna do better than that." "I'm gonna help you off." "Get up." "Get up!" "Don't you go out on me now, you son of a bitch." "Don't you go out on me now!" "Come on, get up." "Get up!" "You like pictures, huh?" "You like these pictures?" "You got your goddamn pictures." "Come see me, Harry." "I'll meet you anywhere." "Come see me tonight." "Harry?" "Nice entrance." "What's on your mind?" "I'll make it short and to the point." "George says you're gettin' serious about Gloria Harper." "If you think you're gonna ditch me for that saccharin little candy-ass, you've got another thing comin'." "I don't see as you got much to say about it." "So that's the way it is, hey?" "That's it." "You're gonna wish to Christ you never laid eyes on me." "I already do." "Not yet." "Not really." "But you will." "Goddamn it, Dolly." "These Women's Club meetings drag on." "George, you're drinkin' and smokin'." "The doctor says you couldn't do neither." "Jesus, Dolly." "One of each isn't gonna put me over the top." "I've been thinkin'." "Good thing for Madox." "Gloria Harper." "Huh?" "He ought to get real smart and marry her." " George?" " She's young, fresh-faced, looks like an ad-writer's dream of the all-American girl." "Why don't you pour me a drink?" "And she's a woman that you can trust, too." "You know what I mean?" "Huh?" "That's really important to a man." "George, I'm so tired." "Why don't you pour us both a drink?" "Come on in my room tonight." "Rub a little bit of that night cream on my shoulders?" "You can do that, can't you, George?" "Hm?" "I'm so tired." "And I'm so hot." "You know, I been thinkin'." "I know I been a bad wife." "But now I'm gonna be very, very bad." "How bad exactly?" "Momma's real angry with you." "She's more angry than she's ever been." "Now we've just got one more... and then we can get down to business." "Guess what?" "All these things I'm doin' to you," "I've done to your boy..." "Harry Madox, down at the sawmill over and over again." "What's the matter, George?" "Don't you like the game, George?" "Don't you feel well, George?" "Well, maybe Momma can make it all better." "There we go." "I'm fuckin' you to death, George." "Aagh!" "Don't pay no mind to the way my face looks." "I fell out of bed." "What's on your mind?" "Thinkin' about buyin' another car." "Why don't you just pay for the one you got?" "It's all right." "I'm gonna trade mine in on a new 'un." "Like perpetual motion, huh?" "Trade in the car you don't own for one you can't pay for." "Kinda had my eye on that Lincoln out front." " What are you usin' for money?" " You ain't got it yet, do you?" "See, now why should I make another payment on a car when I'm gonna trade it in on a new 'un?" "I was thinkin' maybe you and me could take that Lincoln out for a little test drive." "Now, listen, you stupid bastard." "I don't know what you're drivin' at." "But I can get a bellyful of you quicker than most." "So why don't you get wise to yourself and shove?" "You fall out of bed one more time and the cockroaches'll start talkin' to you." " That was a hell of a fire, wasn't it?" " What are you talkin' about?" "See, the day they had the fire, I was walkin' along here about, oh, half hour after the fire started." "I'd been over there watchin', but fires bore the hell outta me." "The way I see it, there ain't no money in 'em." "At least, that's how I saw it back then." "You take a smart son of a bitch like you, boy, he knows there's money in fires." " How 'bout gettin' to it?" " You gotta get that sheriff thinkin' that you got to the fire the same time as the fire trucks did." "Otherwise, you're in real trouble." "See, you gotta tell everybody the same story." "I know that I got in trouble with more little gals that way." "Course, I hang around with a more female type of woman myself." "Set your ass down." "I ain't real happy with my new face, mister." "Sit down." "Now, let's talk about the money." "I tell you what." "I'm gonna let you drive my new Lincoln." "It's my personal favourite." "You get the dent ironed out of that fender." "I'll be by on Monday to pick it up, along with the bread." "How do I know you'll go?" "You don't." "You're just gonna have to trust me." "See ya tonight, honey." "He wanted $500, Harry." " You didn't give it to him, did you?" " No, I didn't." "Not yet." "I don't have it in the office today." "Gloria." "Gloria, don't you even think about givin' it to him." "Blackmailers are all the goddamn same." " Each buy is the last until the next one." " I know." "Except there's something else now, Harry." "He told me that he knows somethin' about you." "Something bad." "Harry." "What is it?" "Baby, don't even worry about it." "And listen to me." "Whatever you do, don't pay him." "Do you understand me?" "Don't pay him." "And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees..." "Oh, that's good." "Oh, baby!" "My God!" "My face!" "Oi!" "Wake up!" "What'd you do?" "Tell her you're gonna send me to jail?" "I told you to stay away from Gloria Harper." "And you made her bring you the fuckin' money, you sick bastard." "Gloria?" "Yeah, she was here, right on that bed." "You know what we was doin'?" "She ain't half bad for a girl that goes both ways, you know?" "I'll kill you." "I'm gonna fuckin' kill you." "The minute a guy like Sutton came in here and paid cash for a car," "I got suspicious." "The more I thought about it, the less I liked it." "These numbers match up all right." "Lucky for me." " And lucky for you." " Lucky for me?" "Yes, sir." "There's a reward connected to the solution of this particular crime." "Not a bad 'un either by most folks' standards - $25,000." " Mr Madox." " Sheriff." "Harry!" " How soon can you be ready to leave?" " Leave?" "For the Caribbean." " Just you and me... and a wedding ring." " Caribbean!" " Did you say wedding ring?" " Will you go?" "Yeah." "I'll go." "Harry!" "Phone call!" "I'll be right back." "Yeah, Madox." "Harry?" "You'll never guess what's happened." "George is dead." " What?" " The hospital just called." "You know he was workin' too hard and overexertin' himself." "Well, his heart just gave way." "You might say he died in the saddle." "But, you know, he was concerned with my welfare right up until the very end." "And I was wonderin' if you might be free to come over and discuss it as soon as possible?" "Tell it to Gulick, Dolly." "I'm outta here." "Goodbye, Mrs Harshaw." "Harshaw Finance." "Lon, that was Mrs Harshaw." "Mr Harshaw's dead." "He died of a heart attack." "Oh, no." " Oh, God." "That's awful." " Think you can take over?" "Um, well, yeah, I could but ain't you gonna be here, too?" "Not with any luck." "Excuse me a minute, Lon." "Harry." "That was Mrs Harshaw." "Mr Harshaw's dead." "Harry, I never got a chance to tell him." "It's OK, baby." "It's OK." "I just told Mrs Harshaw that we'd be right over." "I have a few things I wanna go over with her." "I don't think that's a good idea, baby." "Harry." "We have so much to look forward to." "I have to be clear with the past." "I have to do that." "You're right." "You're absolutely right." "Gloria, I want you to promise me something." "We're going to the Caribbean." " You promise?" " Oh, yeah." "Nothing anybody's gonna do is gonna stop us." "Harry." "I just have to tell you one thing before we go in." "It's OK, baby." "You don't have to tell me anything." "Well, I know that you told me not to, but I gave Sutton that $500." "I already know." "We don't even have to discuss it." "I just don't wanna lie to you, that's all, about anything." "God, you look beautiful." "Thank y'all for comin'." "I know this may even be harder for you than it is for me." "At least he didn't suffer much." "He was in the hospital unconscious for almost 24 hours." "I heard him out in the hall up there and..." "I guess he must have started downstairs for somethin' and... he just fell all the way to the bottom." "So I ran to him and..." "I was so scared." "Half out of my mind, really." "And then I fell too..." "Mr Madox, don't you feel well?" "I feel fine." "I'm all right." "Well, I know you been wonderin'." "About the business, I mean." "I wanted you to know right away that..." "I have no intention of selling' out." "George thought a great deal of both of you and..." "I want to try to carry on just the same because it's what he would have wanted." "I guess he knew that it could happen at any time cos... he kept this little notebook and he'd write down all his ideas on how he wanted the business carried on." "I typed it all up." "Since you're in charge now, Mr Madox," "I think you should read it." "And you too, Miss Harper, if he thinks you should." "It seemed important so I left a copy with my attorney." "As for that shortage in your accounts, Miss Harper," "I know you'll understand that Mr Madox was only doing what he thought was right when he told me about it, and, of course, I wouldn't think of bringing' charges." "You can just continue right on the way you have been till it's all taken care of." "I want you to know, dear, that we're your friends and that Mr Madox hated having' to do it just as much as I hate havin' to mention it now." "Harry insisted that you be given another chance." "I understand, Mrs Harshaw." "Of course." "I always intended to pay it all back." "So." "If there isn't anything else, y'all don't mind if I leave, do you?" "Of course not, dear." "I'll drive you home." "Thank you." "I'd rather walk." "Harry, darling." "I don't think you'll ever have much luck explaining' it to her." "Sutton didn't know." "He wasn't even at the fire." "You told him." "It was you." "You'll have to beg now." "You had your chance." "Now I'm gonna enjoy hearin' you beg me to marry you." "See... you have to look after me, Harry." "Something might happen to me." "Yes." "Something might." "You see, Harry?" "Then kiss me, Harry." "Kiss me." "Oh, God." "In this life, you gotta take what you want." "I always get what I want, Harry." "Yes, indeed." "I've found my level." "And I'm livin' it." "Synchronization by Cullyn"