"My husband wants to thank you for comin'." "Course." "We know which side of the bread gets buttered." "We know how to butter bread." "You don't have to yell." "He's not deaf." "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 the same lion inside." "But until he's better, you talk to me." "That's right." "Talk to Ma." "She's in charge." "Also, we wanna thank you for your cards and letters." "Are you kiddin' me?" "Cards and letters?" "We're in a state of siege and you're talkin' about cards..." "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 ya is, after ya sign, they take your balls with a straight razor, and fatten ya up like a house cat." "Language!" "Gimme a break." "I'm sayin', this is our business." "We built it with blood and muscle." "It's earned." "And ya can't just write a check..." "This family has been..." "Ya can't just write a check!" "This family has been a peacetime family since Kennedy." "You think we just out of the blue pick up our guns and it's High Noon?" "We're talkin' 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 sayin' 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 gotta 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 sayin', "Yes, we're goin' to war."" "But we recognize promises were made in blood." "Generations ago." "Hmm." "What he's sayin' is, we're not gonna make the first move." "But if these Kansas City mooks come at ya shooting', we'll cut the goddamn nose off their face." "Mmm-hmm." " Late." " Sorry." "Couldn't get the shampoo out of my hair." "It's soft water." "Say what?" "This goddamn northern water." "It's slick to the touch." "Yeah, I thought it was the shampoo." "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." "Nothin' 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." "If 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 thinkin'." "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." "Went to see about our judge's caseload." "Maybe there's a connection with our shooter." "Over." "Well, I'm calling '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." "Ya don't say." "Over." "Yup." "So there's that." "Okay, well, I'll mention that to Fargo PD." "Probably be back late tonight, though." "You wanna tell Betsy not to wait up for me?" "Over." "Okay, then." "Sounds good." "Over." "Over and out, I guess." "How ya doin'?" "Ya know." "Waitin'." "Lou Solverson, Minnesota State Police." "Drove up from Luverne." "Ben Schmidt." "Forensics' inside." "Takin' their time." "Yeah." "Heard the crime Mmm. scene was a deal." "I'm workin' things up here." "Thought, maybe tomorrow, 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 sayin' 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 runnin' booze during Prohibition, ended up buildin' 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 hello to Adolf Hitler." "And the shooter is Otto's youngest?" "Yeah." "Yeah, the runt." "Basically wind and swagger." "Except, I guess he's more than that now." "Say..." "You ever heard of a Mike Milligan or the Kitchen Brothers?" "Out of Kansas City." "Caught 'em sniff in' around the crime scene." "But nothin' 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 sayin'." "Fubar." "Yeah, we had that, too." "So when you put a dead judge, the Gerhardt family, and some hitters from Kansas City in a bag together," "I go back to thinkin' it might be best just to confess to the crime myself, go live a long life in a cell somewhere with hot and cold runnin' 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've been there." "With a boy or to score some weed." "No drugs, your dad says." "Says anyone sells to you gets the ax." "Jeez." "You're all a bunch of squares." "Sometimes, a girl just wants to bust a nut, you 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, 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 wanna 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." "Did it last year in Mankato?" "Amazing." "Oh." "Yeah, and I just..." "You know, I wanna be the best me I can be, ya know?" "Good for you." "What did Ed say when you asked him?" "You didn't, did ya?" "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." "Yeah, I thought he might." "Whatcha got there?" "Connie, ya mind if I put one of those up in your window?" "No." "Okay, Mrs. Blaycock." "You can head to the dryer." "Is that him?" "The one killed those poor people?" "We think so." "Yeah." "City boy, turns out." "Rye Gerhardt." "Raised without the proper moral fiber, I'm thinkin'." "I mean, to kill all those people." "And for what?" "You know, a little money?" "You know, I was thinkin' last night." "That shoe you found in the tree?" "What if that's got something to do with the murders?" "Somethin' how?" "Well, you said yourself, the shooter left his vehicle behind?" "So, I'm thinkin' 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." "Yeah." "Yeah." "Right?" "And skid marks?" "So, I'm thinkin', what if the killer goes after poor Denise, shoots her in the parkin' lot and then inadvertently gets himself struck by a passin' 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 sayin' is, maybe rather than lookin' for a man you should be lookin' for a car." " We gotta..." " Hiya, Peggy." "Hey, Noreen." "Ed, we gotta..." "Get your coat." "Hi." "What's..." "Hi." "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 gotta deal with the car." "Okay, yeah." "But, just slow down." "I don't understand what your..." "I can't slow down!" "The clock's goin'." "Like I said, there's a theory, so we gotta 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 reopening coming soon." "Reopening?" "Well, we're still open." "Technically, yeah." "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?" "What's got you here at court today?" "Well, sir." "Had a hearing, but it's been postponed." "Hearing on?" "Small bother, uh, back taxes." "Nothin' 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 heard 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, tickin' down to get the typewriters, spaceships really, outta, ya know, hock." "What do ya think?" "He's a squirrelly fella." "Might be worth bringing him down to the station, digging' down." "Yeah, I don't..." "I mean, how many cases she have, our judge?" "Can't go diggin' down on every sad sack." "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." "Thanks much." "Spaceships, really?" ""They're not just for women anymore"?" "Gerhardts?" "No avoiding' it, I suppose." "Rye!" "Come on!" "Open the..." "It's..." "Lemme in!" "And here I was, sittin' on my hands." "Now look what Santa brought me." "A little man." "Whatcha doin' here, little man?" "I'm..." "I'm lookin' for Rye?" "You look like you could use a drink." "Uh..." "Or at least watch me drink mine." "Get so lonely here by myself." "Hell, I may even dance for ya." "Jeez, who's..." "Don't worry about him." "He's boring." "Lemme guess." "You're the partner." "The..." "Rye said, "I got this new deal, workin' with a fella downtown,"" "so I'm thinkin' you're the fella downtown." "No, not..." "I'm..." "My name is Skip." "I just come to pay off some debts." "Gamblin', ponies." "Oh." "Okay, then." "Pay me." "Well, I don't actually have the money on me." "I was just..." "Come by to say, you know, I'll have it soon." "So, you came by to not pay my uncle." "And you 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..." "Ya 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 thinkin'." "Ya want me to do it?" "No." "I..." "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, ya know, insurance don't wanna pay for accidents when you're drunk." "So, he came up with this plan." "Every crackup, 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 ya burned his clothes ya said, so..." "Once the car's fixed, it's..." "We're free." "You been a real paladin." "What's that?" "It's like a knight." "My knight." "Well, I mean, you're my wife." "Okay, so you should probably get out." "Ya got the one shiner already." "Okay." "Watch your toes now." "I mean, what are the odds?" "Black ice and you doin' a 180, hittin' the tree with the back?" "You could run that scenario a thousand 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." "Didn't look like fellas who want to own a half a car." "Need ya to go back to school tomorrow." "Dunlop'll drive you." "No way." "It's gonna get inky 'round here for a while, most likely." "I'd be worried you're gonna catch a stray." "I can help." "Naw." "I promised your ma I'd keep you out of it." "Get ya good and educated so you can make something of yourself." "Am something already, though, aren't I?" "A Gerhardt." "We're not negotiating." "This is a top-down decision." "Grandma agrees." "Uncle Dodd says I..." "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." "Main Car 22." "Over." "This is Car 22." "Copy." "Yeah, Car 22." "Got a situation..." "Not too late to go to the movies." "We can drive along there if you like." " Over." "Over." " Copy that." "Gonna need your guns." "I'll hold on to 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." "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." "Yeah, Judge Mundt?" "Everything okay here, Mom?" "Not sure yet." "Somethin' 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 mornin'." "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 wanna 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 wanna handle this, you need to handle it now." "Or it'll get handled for ya." "Everybody go easy." "You okay, Ma?" "Maude Schmidt's boy here is tryin' to tell me your brother killed a judge." "Nobody killed a judge!" "We own all the judges." "What'd be the point of killin' 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 talkin' like that." "Well, now, to be fair, I'm the one who found the gun." "So I think you're dancin' with the wrong girl." "What'd you say?" "I says, I'm the one who found the gun." "So you should be talkin' to me." "And I'm from outta town, so forgive me if I should be terrified, but in Minnesota, when a police officer says talk, you talk." "You wanna dance?" "Let's dance." "Ben, you need to teach your friend some manners." "How about Mike Milligan, outta Kansas City?" "You know where we can find him?" "Pretty sure he's lookin' for your brother, too." "Uncle Dodd?" "Uncle Dodd?" "Hanzee called." "Not now." "Said it's real important." "He wants ya 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 outta 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 squirrelly." "Hey, I gotta get back, and talk to my boss." "But..." "Sure." "Sure." "...station's just a few blocks if you wanna..." "Sure." "Thanks for showin' me around today." "Yeah." "Uh-uh." "What are ya, havin' a baby in there?" "Hello." "You didn't tell me your family was in from outta town." "Uh-uh." "Whoops." "Gotta ask you your business here." "Maybe I'm the owner." "No." "Met the owner this mornin'." "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've got lost on the way to the lake." "So, where'd you say you saw old Skip?" "At your mother's house, I think, goin' 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 doin' me a favor." "Well, this has been enjoyable, but I better get goin'." "What did Nixon call it?" "Peace with honor." "Somethin' 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 ya don't wanna mention." "I believe their purposes are more benevolent." "As the caretaker to the zoo." "When 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, do you think it worked?" "Today with the car?" "It worked." "I dunno how you can be so sure." "It worked." "Hiya, hon." "Dad's here." "Oh!" "Hank." "That's a go." "Sit." "Let me get you some divinity." "Won't say no." "Go see the Gerhardts, then?" "It's been real High Noon, my day." "Gerhardts, and ran into those Kansas City fellas you pulled over." "Milligan?" "And, yeah, the bathroom brothers." "Yeah." "Yeah, ones that don't talk." "We pointed our weapons at each other for a bit before calling it a day." "Maybe two pieces of cake, then." "Sounds right." "Hiya." "Hi." "You okay?" "Yeah." "No complaints." "Playing cribbage or hold your horses there?" "Yeah." "You-know-who's cheatin'." "Who's cheatin' Dad, huh?" "Come on." "By the way, I looked at your hand..." "Hargreaves was quoted as saying," ""For little green men, they were very friendly."" "Boy, it takes all kinds, doesn't it?" "The cold front will continue for the next week or so, with temperatures well below zero." "Your complete weather, sports, and news update coming up this hour..." "Get back in the goddamn truck." "What are you talkin' about?" "I got him!" "And button up that coat." "You're embarrassing' me." "Yeah?" "You wanna hit me again?" "Is that gettin' ya hard?" "I wanted a boy." "What does God give me?" "Four goddamn girls." "Please, sir." "This is a huge..." "Shut up." "We know about the judge and the typewriters and the taxes." "And we know you were puttin' ideas into his head." "And all I wanna hear outta 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, yellin' 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 gimme a day, two days..." "Lie down." "On the ground?" "Please!" "I'm not the one you wanna..." "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!" "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."