"_" "_" "_" "_" "My husband wants to thank you for coming." "Of course." "We know what side of the bread gets buttered." "We know how to butter bread!" "You don't have to yell." "He's not deaf." "Oh, I" " I didn't" "What's wrong with him, then?" " He had a stroke." " A mild stroke." "He can't walk or talk." "For now, he can't." "One day, though." "He's still..." "same lion inside." "But until he's better, you talk to me." "That's right." "Talk to Ma." "She's in charge." "Also, we want to thank you for your cards and letters." "Are you kidding me?" "Cards and letters?" " We're in a state of siege, and you're talking about" " Boys." "You know about the offer on the table?" "Kansas City?" "The money's good, you know?" "More than fair." "Sure, but what they don't tell you is after you sign, they take your balls with a straight razor and fatten you up like a housecat." " Language." " Give me a break." "I'm saying-- this is our business." "We built it with blood and muscle." "It's earned." "And you can't just write a check" " This family has been" " You can't just write a check." "This family has been a peace-time family since Kennedy." "You think we just, out of the blue, pick up our guns and it's high noon?" "We're talking about the Kansas City mafia." "They're like all the sharks in the sea." "And we're..." "Let's be honest, we're small-time." ""Know thyself."" "What are you on about?" "It's in the Bible." "I'm saying we hit 'em and hit 'em hard." "Otherwise, wither and die." "Right, pop?" "Look, it's not just the business." "It's the country." "This no-brains Jimmy Carter with his stupid peanut grin, and now I got to wait in line to fill my tank?" "Exactly." "Where does it end?" "Enough-- all of you." "It may be we have to fight, and I'm not afraid of a war." "I'm not." "But on my terms-- as a last resort." "So I need to know now-- are you with me?" "Well, look." "We talked." "And we're not saying "Yes, we're going to war."" "But we recognize promises were made in blood, generations ago." "What he's saying is we're not gonna make the first move." "But if these Kansas City mooks come at you shootin', we'll cut the goddamn nose off their face." "Uh-huh." "Late." "Sorry." "Couldn't get the shampoo out of my hair." "Soft water." "Say what?" "This goddamn northern water." "It's slick to the touch." "Yeah." "I thought it was the shampoo." "It could be that, too." "I always carry my own." "Agree." "Agree to what?" "That's the brand-- Agree." "No additives." "It works-- hard water or soft." "Feel my hair." "Yeah, that's nice." "So update's this-- nothing on the Gerhardt Frau as to "Yes" or "No"." "I didn't expect it, but still." "Research thinks that they'll stall, then pass." "So we kill 'em." "Maybe." "If the market says kill 'em, we kill 'em." "The market says offer more money, we offer more money." "Whatever the pluses and minuses dictate." "And on the Gerhardt kid-- this Rye?" "Get this." "He gunned down a judge-- some small hick town a couple hours south from here-- then disappeared." "On the run now, we're thinking." "On the run is good." "On the run we can use." "Find him." "You, not them." "Then he's leverage over the Frau, and maybe turn things our way without buying a bunch of extra bullets." "_" "Car 18, over." "This is 18." "Over." "I got the Rock County sheriff on the line." "Hold." "Over." "Went by the house." "Betsy says you're up in Fargo." "Yeah, I went to see about our judge's caseload." "Maybe there's a connection to our shooter." "Over." "Well, I'm callin' 'cause we got a print match off of that gun you found." "Right index belonged to one Rye Gerhardt, which, I looked up, is the youngest male heir to that Gerhardt syndicate out of Fargo." "You don't say." "Over." "Yup, so there's that." "Okay, well, I'll mention that to Fargo PD." "Uh, I'll probably be back late tonight, though." "You want to tell Betsy not to wait up for me?" "Over." "Okay, then." "Sounds good." "Over." "Over and out, I guess." "How ya doing?" "You know, waitin'." "Lou Solverson, Minnesota State Police." "I drove up from Luverne." "Ben Schmidt." "Forensics inside." "Ah." "Takin' their time." "Yeah." "Heard the crime scene was a deal." "Mm." "I'm working things up here." "Thought maybe tomorrow, I'd drive down, take a look." "You're welcome to." "Or I can send ya the photos." "They're pretty thorough." "Three dead, including the judge." "Fry cook and a waitress, also." "Shot multiple times." "Got the prints back on the gun just before." "Rye Gerhardt." "That bad, huh?" "I'm not saying your life would be easier if it was your own prints on the gun, but that's the lines along which you should be thinkin'." "Distribution, right?" "Gerhardts?" "Yeah." "Dieter-- that's Otto's dad-- started running booze during prohibition, ended up building a trucking' empire." "1951, he gets 19 bullets in the head." "That's when the son, Otto, he takes over, which is like-- the good news is, World War I is over." "The bad news is, "Say to hello to Adolf Hitler."" "And the shooter is Otto's youngest?" "Yeah." "Yeah, the runt-- mm, basically wind and swagger, except, I guess he's more than that now." "Say... you ever heard of, uh..." "Mike Milligan or The Kitchen Brothers?" "Out of Kansas City." "We caught them sniffin' around the crime scene, but nothing to hold 'em on, so..." "You, uh-- you in the service?" "Navy-- two tours." "Swift boat-- I was a lieutenant." "Infantry for me, outside Da Nang." "And we had a saying-- fubar." "Yeah, we had that, too." "So when you put a dead judge, the Gerhardt family, and some hitters from Kansas in a bag together," "I go back to thinking it might be best just to confess to the crime myself-- go live a long life in a cell somewhere with hot and cold running water." "He got a place in town, then-- your uncle?" "Rye." "Something he doesn't tell people, where he can do his business?" " You mean nail girls?" " Girls, drugs." "I don't know." "I don't." "I mean... maybe." "Okay." "Maybe I been there with a boy or to score some weed." "No drugs, your dad says." "Says anyone sells to you gets the axe." "Geez, you're all a bunch of squares." "Sometimes a girl just wants to bust a nut, ya know?" "It's over on 13th somewhere." "Near the train station, I think." "Not like I memorized the address." "Show me." "♪ if you know ♪" "♪ if you know someone ♪" "♪ who's been looking ♪" "♪ for true love ♪" "♪ send her to me ♪" "♪ oh, yeah ♪" "♪ send her to me ♪" "♪ I'm looking, too ♪" "It's supposed to fall out, they say." "With the chemo." "Donna Pearlman lost hers overnight." "Woke up and thought there was a dog sleeping' on her pillow." "Not everyone loses it." "We could just wait and see." "Part of me thinks I should just shave it off-- be bald." "My cousin had a melanoma-- didn't lose a single hair." "Lost her eyebrows, though." "Now, that'd be a horror show." "So I decided." "I want to do it." "What's that, hon?" "The seminar." "I thought about it, and I think I should." "I'm so happy." " So happy." " What seminar?" "It's called Lifespring." "I did it last year in Mankato." " Amazing." " Oh." "Yeah, and I just, you know," "I want to be the best me I can be, ya know?" "Good for you." "What did ed say when you asked him?" "You didn't, did you?" "You naughty girl." "We were busy." "Ladies." "Hi, dad." "Spoke to your man on the wireless." "Said to say he's gonna be late tonight." "Oh, yeah." "I thought he might." "Whatcha got there?" "Uh, Connie, you mind if I put one of those up in your window?" "Nope." "Okay, Mrs. Blaycock." "You can head to the dryer." "Is that him-- the one that killed those poor people?" "We think so." "Yeah." "City boy, turns out." "Rye Gerhardt-- raised without the proper moral fiber, I'm thinking." "I mean, to kill all those people, and for what?" "You know, a little money?" "You know, I was thinking last night-- that shoe you found in the tree." "What if that's got something to do with the murders?" "Something how?" "Well, you said yourself, the shooter left his vehicle behind, so, I'm thinking... what if he walked out onto the road and got himself hit by a car." " Like a hit and run?" " Yeah." "I mean, you found glass in the road, right?" " Yeah, yeah." " And, uh, skid marks?" "So, I'm thinking, what if the killer goes after poor Denise, shoots her in the parking lot, and then inadvertently gets himself struck by a passing motorist?" "Hey, Peg, didn't you say that" "I'm sorry, but that just don't make sense." "I mean, how come the motorist don't stop?" "If they hit a person-- run 'em over, I mean?" "Yeah, I'm inclined to agree with Peggy." "It's not like you're gonna just drive home with a Gerhardt in your windshield and, you know, start supper." "All I'm saying is-- maybe rather than looking for a man, you should be looking for a car." " We got to" " Hi, Peggy." "Hey, Noreen." "Ed, we got to-- Get your coat." "Hi." " Hi." " What's" "Noreen, hon, we've got a-- well, it's a family crisis is what it is." "So I need to-- Will you tell Bud" "I'll have him back after lunch, okay?" "Whatever." " Slow down." " They know." " Know what?" " About the accident." "There's a theory-- Betsy Solverson." "She said hit and run, so we got to deal with the car." "O-okay, yeah, but just slow down." "I don't understand what you're" "I can't slow down." "The clock's goin'." "Like I said, there's a theory." "So we got to deal with the car." "Now-- today." "Deal how?" "It's broad daylight." "_" "_" "Sorry, Officer." "Did I-- Am I in a loading zone?" "Sir, let me see some ID." "Yeah." "Is there" "Am I in trouble, or...?" "Skip-- that's your Christian name?" "Yes, sir, Skip Sprang-- Carriage Typewriters." "Grand re-opening, coming soon." "Re-opening?" "Well, we're still open, technically." "That is-- if you're looking for a classic, can't do better." "But the new models are-- they'll be in any day." "Beauties-- all electric." "State of the art." "They're not just for women anymore, ya know?" "Mm." "And what's got ya here at court today?" "Well, sir, uh, had a hearing, but, uh, it's been postponed." "Hearing on...?" "Small bother-- back taxes." "Nothing scandalous, but time sensitive, if you get my-- on account of" "I need, you know, cash, to cover the new models, see?" "Is that why you went by Judge Mundt's office?" "Did what?" "Oh, uh, yeah." "I, uh, heard, uh, what happened about the-- and, I mean, condolences to the family and all." "But-- like I said-- lives hang in the balance here." "And time is, ya know, ticking' down to get the typewriters-- spaceships, really-- out of, ya know... hock." "What do ya think?" "He's a squirrely fella." "Might be worth bringing him down to the station, digging' down." "Ya, I don't" "I mean, how many cases she have, our judge?" "Can't go diggin' down on every sad sack" "Yeah, exactly." "You said it." "A few back taxes." "It's not like I'm even" " Sir." " Yeah, okay." "Okay, Mr. Sprang." "You have a nice day." "Okay, then." "Uh, thanks much." "Spaceships, really." "They're not just for women anymore?" "Gerhardts?" "No avoiding it, I suppose." "Rye!" "Come on!" "Open the-- It's" "Let me in!" "And here I was sitting on my hands." "Now look what Santa brought me-- a little man." "Whatcha doin' here, little man?" "I'm, uh-- I'm looking for Rye." "You look like you could use a drink." " Uh" " Or at least watch me drink mine." "It gets so lonely here by myself." "Hell, I may even dance for ya." "♪ Joe Henry had his say ♪" "♪ he wouldn't set me free ♪" "Oh, geez." " Who's" " Don't worry about him." "He's boring." "Let me guess." "You're the partner." "Uh, the, uh" "Rye said, "I got this new deal." "Workin' with a fella downtown."" "So, I'm thinking you're the fella downtown." "No." "Not" " I'm-- My name is Skip." "I just come to, uh... pay off some debts." "Gamblin'-- ponies." "Oh, okay, then." "Pay me." "Well, uh," "I don't actually have the money on me." "I was just-- come by to say, ya know, I'll have it soon." "So, you came by to not pay my uncle." "And you're a patriot to boot." "Well, I mean... greatest country on Earth, yeah?" "Uh, my tie." "I think you and me should go for a drive." "Like, I said, I-- you know-- there's some appointments." "Sucks to your appointments." "I say let's have some fun." "What do you say, red man?" "Should we have some fun?" "You betcha." "Well, that's the tree I was thinking." "You want me to do it?" "No, it's better me." "You sure about this plan?" "It'll work." "Like I said, my uncle used to drive his truck and drink Old Milwaukee." "And, you know, insurance don't want to pay for accidents when you're drunk, so he came up with this plan." "Every crack-up, he'd drive his truck to some deserted spot till he sobered up, fake a new accident to cover the damage he did drinking." "Well, it's creative." "So, that's what we do." "We cover the damage, file a report, and then, I mean, that should do it." "We got rid of the-- I mean, the guy's all ground up, and you burned his clothes, you said, so, once the car's fixed, it's" "We're free." "You been a real paladin." "A-- what's that?" "It's like a knight." "My knight." "Oh, well-- I mean, you're my wife." "Okay, so, you should probably get out." "You got the one shiner already." "Okay." "Okay." "Watch your toes, now." "I mean, what are the odds?" "Black ice and you doing a 180, hitting a tree with the back?" "You could run that scenario 1,000 times and never end up with these circumstances." "Yeah, I got it right the second time, though." "Yeah, you did." "I think I got the whiplash." "Come on, hon." "If they ask, I backed into the garage door, okay?" "Still going, huh?" "Grandma's working it out." "She thinks maybe we can maybe sell Kansas City a piece of the business, not all." "They didn't look like fellas who want to own half a car." "I need you to go back to school tomorrow." "Dunlop will drive you." "No way." "It's gonna get hinkey around here for a while, most likely." "Can't be worried you're gonna catch a stray." "I can help." "No." "I promised your ma I'd keep you out of it." "Get you good and educated so you can make something of yourself." "I am something already, though, aren't I?" "A Gerhardt." "We're not negotiating." "This is a top-down decision." "Grandma agrees." "Uncle Dodd says" "Dodd's got nothing to do with it." "You're my son." "He's got his girls, so he decides what happens to them, but you're mine." "Like I said, grandma agrees." "Come in, car 22." "Over." "This is car 22, copy." "Yeah, car 22, got a situation..." "Not too late to go to the movies." "We can-- we can drive over there, if you'd like." "Over." "Copy that." "Gonna need your guns." "I'll hold onto mine." "It's got sentimental value." "Well, you're not getting inside with that on your hip." "Am I the only one here who's clear on the concept of law enforcement?" "Is that Ben Schmidt?" "Mrs. Gerhardt." "Oh, I heard about Otto." "We're beset on all sides." "How's your mother?" "Off the crutches, thanks." "Who's that?" "Lou Solverson, Minnesota State." "Up from Luverne." "Yeah, they had some senselessness there a few days back I'm afraid we're gonna have to talk about." "What kind of senselessness?" "Three dead, including a state judge." "A Judge Mundt." "Everything okay, mom?" "Not sure yet-- something about a dead judge." "Not sure how it falls to us." "Ma'am we found the murder weapon at the scene." "Prints came back this morning." "And?" "We're gonna have to talk to Rye." "That's not gonna happen." "You need to leave." "Mrs. Gerhardt, if either of these men draw," "I'm gonna be forced to shoot some people, and I don't want to do that." "Now, your son's wanted in connection with three murders." "And I'm guessing that's not the first time you heard somebody say that, so however it is you want to handle this, you need to handle it now, or it'll get handled for you." "Everybody go easy." "You okay, Ma?" "Maude Schmidt's boy here is trying to tell me your brother killed a judge." "Nobody killed a judge." "We own all the judges." "What'd be the point of killing one?" " Now, Dodd." " Don't you "Dodd" me." "We're not friends." "We found Rye's prints on the gun." "You're gonna find my boot on your neck, you keep talking like that." "Well, now, to be fair-- I'm the one who found the gun, so I think you're dancing with the wrong girl." "What'd you say?" "I says, I'm the one who found the gun, so you should be talking to me." "And I'm from out of town, so forgive me if I should be terrified, but in Minnesota, when a police officer says talk, you talk." "You want to dance?" "Let's dance." "Ben, you need to teach your friend some manners." "How about Mike Milligan out of Kansas City?" "You know where we can find him?" "Pretty sure he's looking for your brother, too." "Uh, Uncle Dodd?" "Uncle Dodd, Hanzee called." " Not now." " Said it's real important." "Wants you to meet him at the dig." "We're done here." "You heard my son." "We've said all we're gonna say." "Give him his gun back." "Get him out of here." "Okay." "Time to go." "Well, we could get a warrant." "From what judge?" "You heard Dodd." "They own most of the town." "Hey, pull over, huh?" "_" " The typewriter guy?" " Yeah, like I said." "He was squirrely." "Hey, I" " I got to get back, talk to my boss," " but, uh, station's just a few blocks if you want to" " No, sure." "Sure, sure." "Thanks for showing me around today." "Yeah." "Unh-unh." "What are you, having a baby in there?" "Hello." "You didn't tell me your family was in from out of town." "Unh-unh." "Whoops." "Got to ask you your business here." " Maybe I'm the owner." " Nope." "Met the owner this morning." "Is that right?" "Maybe tell us where he is." "Make a few bucks." "I was gonna ask you the same." "Say, you wouldn't by any chance be Mike Milligan and The Kitchen Brothers, would you?" "You make us sound like a prog rock band." "Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Mike Milligan and The Kitchen Brothers." "Double whoops." "Easy." "Minnesota cop." "You do know you're in North Dakota, right?" "Must have got lost on the way to the lake." "So where'd you say you saw old Skip?" "At your mother's house." "I think, going in the back door." "I like him." "I like you." "Met another fella from Minnesota yesterday." "Big guy." "Sheriff, I think." "I liked him, too." "We're a very friendly people." "No, that's not it." "Pretty unfriendly, actually." "But it's the way you're unfriendly-- how you're so polite about it, like you're doing me a favor." "Well, this has been enjoyable, but I better get going." "What did Nixon call it?" "Peace with honor." "Something like that." "Naw." "You stay." "We've seen everything there is to see." "I am not a crook." "Rapid fire." "Some round, some oval." "What's that, friend?" "Circular patterns-- unnatural, bright, hovering in the sky." "You know, they come only in the odd months-- the visitors." "Always in sets of three." "Such a night was two nights past." "Reports from Mankato to Vermillion." "Visitors?" "From above." "Some say they take you to their ship and probe you in places you don't want to mention." "I believe their purposes are more benevolent." "As the caretaker to the zoo, strange happenings occur, they are near." "Strange happenings, huh?" "I wondered what was causing that." "You think it worked?" "What's that, hon?" "I said you think it worked?" "Today, with the car?" "It worked." "I don't know how you can be so sure." "It worked." "Hiya, hon." "Dad's here." "Oh." "Hank." "Uh, I should go." "Sit." "Let me get you some Divinity." "Ooh, I won't say no." "You go see the Gerhardts, then?" "It's been real "high noon", my day." "Gerhardts, and I ran into those Kansas City fellas you pulled over." "Milligan, and, um..." "What do ya-- The Bathroom Brothers." "Yeah." "The ones that don't talk." "Yeah." "We pointed our weapons at each other for a bit before calling it a day." "Maybe two pieces of cake, then." "Sounds right." "Mm." " Hiya." " Hi." "You okay?" "Yeah." "No complaints." "Mm." "Playing cribbage, you hold your horses there." "Yeah." "You-know-who's cheating." "Who's cheating, dad?" "Huh?" "No, come on." "By the way, I looked at your hand." "Get back in the goddamn truck." "What are you talking about?" "I got him." "And button up that coat." "You're embarrassing' me." "Yeah?" "You want to hit me again?" "Is that getting you hard?" "I wanted a boy." "What did God give me?" "Four goddamn girls." "Please, sir, this is a huge misunder" "Shut up." "We know about the judge and the typewriters and the taxes, and we know you were putting ideas into his head." "And all I want to hear out of your mouth right now" " is where he is." " Who?" "If you knew the day I'm havin'" "Tell him." "Why would I go by Rye's place yelling' his name if I knew where he was?" "You talk to the cops?" "In the hole." "What?" "Look, I can find him." "I can-- if you give me a day-- two days" "Lie down." "On the ground?" "Please!" "I" " I" " I-- I'm not the one you want to" "Talk to Milligan!" "They got him." "What'd you say?" "Came by yesterday looking for Rye." "Probably-- they found him." "I'm just..." "I could call." "Make a deal." "I got capital." "You don't know anything." "No, no!" "No, no!" "You're gonna drive down to that shithole Minnesota town, and you're gonna bring my brother back tonight." "Judge or no judge." "If Kansas City gets in your way, if the cops get in your way, if anybody gets in your way, you kill 'em dead."