" You got gas money?" " How much?" " Twenty bucks." " Oh, I'm not going very far." "Twenty bucks." "Yeah, all right." "Flowers for a lady?" " Yeah." " Figured as much." "What's a guy give a shit about flowers?" "Some do, I know." "It's all right." "I got them in Augustine, then my car broke down." "Sadness." "You got that 20?" "I figure it's the alternator, so if you could just drop me off... at the next town, I'll go find a garage or something." "See?" "That's smart." "Good thing I came along." "Where you going?" "A little place north of Chartrand." "I'm on my way down to San Antonio." "Helping my brother out." "He came into some money." " How much?" " Thousands." "Tens of thousands anyway." "Found it in the car wash." "The car wash?" "Yeah." "So he tells me." "I didn't believe it either." "What is it?" "Drug money?" "Ill-gotten gains of some sort." "We know that much." "What if whoever left it wants it back?" "That's what my brother's wondering." "But once he gets to San Antonio, those bastards can't touch him." " I thought he was in San Antonio." " That's what I mean." "Why don't you just stop up the road and I'll get out there?" "No, thanks." "This is fine." "You're going that way anyway." "Who in fuck are you to say where I'm going?" "It's just right up there." "And you can leave the plant." "Well, no." "I'm not doing that." "You think I don't have women?" "What do you know?" "I got women in every corner of the globe." "Globes don't have corners." "Fuck you, whore." "Give it." "Hey." "What time is it?" "Around midnight." "I could come back." "No, no, no." "Come on in." "I was just sleeping." "I've been walking in the rain." "So, what happened to your boyfriend, the Canadian guy?" "He went back to Canada." "Sorry." "I remember how you used to play." "In high school." "I would listen to you outside of the music room." "I just had the strangest dream." "Well, one time, I did that." "And I remember thinking... that the sound of it was so mournful." "And I made fun of myself for thinking that word." "Because all I meant was that I liked it." "Do you wanna hear my dream?" "No." "Did things... work out the way you planned?" "Back then, I mean." "I didn't plan." "I don't plan now, hardly." "Well, things did not work out the way I planned." "I should plan more." "Hey." "Do you want me to play you something?" "Sure." "If people really live on in our memories... mare they aware of it?" "And wouldn't it be kind of repetitive?" "Pierre Hunter and I grew up in the Driftless Area... in the town of Shale." "They say the last of the glaciers steered around the Driftless Area... flattened the rest of the Midwest... but left these rocks and rivers and ravines untouched." "Not the greatest place to farm, but good for bow-hunting... gambling, writing poems on rocks." "You know, primal things." "Pierre didn't quite fit in, but this never seemed to bother him." "We didn't know each other that well until one time in high school... when I had to deliver some bad news." "Rebecca's breaking up with you." "She wanted you to be the first to know." "But you knew before I did." "Well, you're among the first." "Why?" "There is no why, Pierre." "It is what it is." "What does that mean?" "Of course it is what it is." "If it wasn't, it wouldn't be." "Well, it's a very popular thing to say." "I never left Shale, but Pierre did." "For a while anyway." "He went to the university a couple hundred miles from here." "He was in a string quartet first semester... but there were creative differences." "His parents died in his third year." "First his mother... and then his father." "When Pierre was 24, he was broke so he came home." "He had a bachelor's degree in science and a job as a bartender." "What happened to Pierre is not a normal story." "It ends in violence and begins with a mistake." "To understand, you need to know about three people." "One is Shane." "He was mixed up with a car rental-slash- methamphetamine operation... down in Chartrand." "He was called an itinerant career criminal... as if that's something you train for... which I guess you might." "The second person is Stella." "One time when we were drinking..." "Pierre asked me, "What if there was a language with only one word in it?"" "Maybe the word is Stella." "Yeah, I don't know where Stella came from-." "No one did." "But she knew Tim Geer somehow." "Tim was...." "What was Tim?" "A hermit, I guess." "Lived on the outskirts of Shale." "Now, you could say that Pierre fell for the wrong woman... or you could say, "What the hell?"" "Depends on who you're asking." "What in the hell?" "Fuck." "Hello?" "Hello?" "I'm just a poor, wayfaring stranger" "And I'm traveling through this world of woe" "And there's no sickness, toil or danger" "In the land to which I go" "Good evening, miss." "Do you mind?" "No, no." "Go ahead." "I've been expecting you." "Do you know me?" "Not personally." "I just had a feeling." "I've been in a fire." "Yeah, I see." "How did you get out?" "I don't remember." "Did you get out?" "Well, I'm here, aren't I?" "Yes, it would appear that you are." "All right." "Here, let's see." "Come on." "You give me your hands." "You have to help me." "See that fire?" "I made it." "It's a good one." "I think somebody made you a fire too." "Does that make a difference?" "Big difference." "This was my aunt's house." "She used to go down there all the time." "And just stand and look at the lake." "I never really knew why." "She made me promise never to live here." "These were my aunt's." "Not the latest items from Paris... but they'll do until we can get you into town for something proper." "Try that." "Start with the bar... and then little by little, we'll add weights." "I'll keep at it." "I got them at the Sports Authority." "And take these." " What are these pills?" " They're herbal." "Take one daily." "And then I'll be all right?" "Well, for a while." "But you want more than that." "Things need to be brought back into alignment." "And basic principles." "Okay, what am I trying to say?" "Balance." " The fire?" " The one who did this to you... he's gotta be made to pay." "Who is he?" "I have no idea." "Then how do I find him?" "You don't." "I don't." "We could try." "No." "Has to be a regular person." "Out of the blue." "Because it takes random to find random." "It's gotta be somebody who knows nothing about this." " Good trip?" " Yeah." "Good trip." "Say... you have a dog in here?" "No." "Hundred dollars for vacuuming if you have a dog." "It's payday, Ned." "The house is gone." "Is it ever." " Do you read the newspapers?" " The horoscopes." "Hold on to your hat, Shane." "There was a woman." "Where?" "She was watching the house." "She burned to death." "She taught skiing." " You ever ski?" " What?" " No." " I tried it once." "Couldn't walk across the snow for the boards on my feet." "But you told me, Ned." " You swore to me." " Yeah, well, guess what." "There are things in this world that we don't know." "Well..." "Hey, hey!" "Easy on the car." "Fuck the fucking car." "In this business..." "In any business, but this business especially... you have to be able to rely on the information." "Hey." "Hey." "Hey." "There's someone down here." "How are you?" "Oh, pretty good." "Grab hold of the rope." "I'll pull you up." " You're okay." " Am I?" "I'm Stella." "Pierre." "Thank you." "We should get you out of these clothes." "I'm gonna get you a robe." "Do you need anything else?" "I'd take a ride if you could." "I don't have a car." "How'd you find me?" "The hole wasn't there yesterday." " Right." " So..." "I figured I'd take a look." "You're a good climber." "Oh, no." "Not really." "How long were you down there?" "All night." "I didn't know." "I would've come sooner." "How could you?" "I couldn't." "I think you saved my life, Stella." "I think you're right." "And now I owe you a great favor... that only I can do." "Is that how it works?" "In the stories." "This is a story?" "So do you live here?" "Yes." "How do you get around if you don't have a car?" "I got a guy who brings me stuff." "A boyfriend?" "No." "I guess I've just been... waiting." "All right." "Take it." "Wise decision." "Yeah?" "Show them." "You have the straight?" "Well, I forget." "They're in here somewhere." "Come on." "It's a friendly game." "We're keeping secrets now?" " You had the straight or you didn't." " I don't know." "I say this in all friendship." "I don't know how you play where you come from." "Simple act of common courtesy." "This is how we play where you are." "I mean... a guy doesn't show, that's just bad manners." "Well, he's right that it's the winner's option." " Some guys will." " Total lack of class." "He always cleans up." "He's that kind of guy." " And he's a tax cheat, by the way." " Oh, I hate that." "Got a herbicide store down on Railroad Street." "Doesn't declare on cash transactions." "Keeps them in his safe in his office." "How'd you find that out?" "My nephew worked for him one time, but it did something to his skin." "Chemicals or what have you." "Where's Railroad Street?" "Runs along the railroad." "Of course." "Shut up." "I knew you'd come." " How?" " You left your binoculars." "Oh, right." "You should lay outwith me." "The sky's an ocean of vitamin D." "I'm not really dressed for it." "Take off whatever you want." "You're a modest guy, Pierre." "I never do this." "You should." "You're pale." "I used to work on farms." "Breaking rocks in the sun." "Then I was tan." "I'll bet you were." "Tan and dirty." "I'm glad you came by." "I've been wishing somebody would come by and check on me." "Or just bring me a book and say:" ""Have a look." "It's pretty interesting."" "I just read a book." "I can give you that." "Is it interesting?" "Well... the idea is that time doesn't exist." "That everything that has ever happened or ever will happen... was here from the start." "And even different versions that will happen, they're all here." "Somewhere." "That's a challenging notion." "But even as I'm reading it, I'd turn the page and think:" " "Well, what is that?"" " Maybe the passage of time?" "But also..." "I can turn the page or not." "That's obvious." "It's a small decision." "Has it already been decided?" "If something's in motion... does it have to happen?" "I wonder the same thing." "All right, ladies." "We got one Twister, one Blue Lagoon... one Fallen Angel, one Stone Fence... and one gin-and-tonic." " There you are." " I ordered the Stone Fence." "Okay, so who had the Fallen Angel?" " Drinks are all fucked up." " No one." "We didn't order a Fallen Angel." "Where's your mind?" "He's in love, with the lady at the lake." " Cheers." " I'm jealous of him." "Hey, don't do that." "Hey." "You all right?" "I'm going home." "How did you get those scars... you don't mind me asking?" "Too much speed one time." "It looks like a bear did it." "I wish it was a bear." "Here we are." "Let me tell you something." "I made a promise to myself one time... that if I ever get a pile of cash..." "I'm going to a surgeon... and make the scars go away." "They probably can." "These days, it's a snap, I bet." "Yeah." "The cash is the tricky part." "Thanks for the ride." "You're welcome." "No, you know what?" "Let me give you something." "Thanks." "It's my lucky rock." "I found it at the sand pits." "I think it was made by heat or something." "Igneous." "Igneous." "Then I quit the drugs." "Now, I'm not saying there is connection... but there is a connection." " You should keep it." " I've had it long enough." "Now it can be lucky for you." "Are we looking for something in particular?" " Do you have roses?" " Do we have roses?" "We have the largest rose selection in the upper Midwest." "This one's called..." "Rosmarin." "Hi, Chet." "I got a young man here looking for a Rosmarin rose." " How many?" " How many?" " Roses?" " Bushes." " We don't sell cut roses." " No." "One bush." "Please." "Be calm." "Be calm." "You've been in an accident." "What time is it?" "It's 7:30." "Is there anything broken?" "Well, not that you'd necessarily know." "Now I'm upset." " I think I'd better call an ambulance." " No." "You can't panic." "These things happen all the time." " I'm gonna need your car." " You're not thinking clearly." "You've been in an accident." "I'm fully aware I've been in an accident so stop saying that... and give me the keys to your car." " You're not threatening me?" " Now you're not thinking clearly." "But... how am I gonna get home?" "I don't know." "Christ, you'll walk, I imagine." "Why is everyone always expecting me to take them somewhere?" "Yeah, I'm about 40 minutes north of you." "That's right." "Well, I could use a place." "A place to think." "I think we all know each other." "We know who he is." "There's a car out front you should get rid of." " Why don't you get rid of it?" " I'll leave it where it is." " Well, here, here." "Let's not fight." " Get the car out of here." "Lyle, move that car, will you?" " Where?" " Take it where we took the other one." "Jean, you follow in the Jetta, bring Lyle back." "I'm on it." "Want some speed?" "Something to eat?" "I'm not too hungry." "Thank you, sir." "Let the cares of the day fade away." "I lost some money." "Jackass kid I picked up on the highway... knocked me out cold, took the money." "What do you know about him?" "Not much." "His car broke down." "His car was on the highway?" "Apparently." "Did you go find it?" "It was broke down." "For the plates and the VIN, dumb-ass... by which you might then locate him." "Shit." "No, I didn't." "That's so basic." "Where can I stay?" "There's a room next door with an exercise bike." "You can take that." "I work out there." "Luanne, you do me a favor and shut the fuck up." "What are you gonna do with the money?" "The money goes to the woman." "Because she gave you the rock?" "She said, don't forget... if she ever found a pile of money...." "And then this happens." "Is that how much it costs, the operation she needs?" "Plastic surgery." "I don't know." "That shit can't be cheap." "The man will come for the money." "Well, let him." "That's what I say." "Takes my 20 bucks, steals my plant... which I went and got for you." "Too bad for him." "And he kicks me." "You're all hopped up." "I won." "I keep thinking about it." "I never even won a lottery ticket." "No, you did good, Pierre." "Can you defend yourself?" "Probably." "Do you have weapons?" "I have a 12-gauge and a rifle... but I don't really think of them as weapons." "Oh, and also a knife that somebody found at the bar." "It's called a butterfly knife, but it really looks nothing like a butterfly." "This is a serious thing." "Why do you take it so lightly?" "What am I supposed to do?" "Kill him?" "People die for less." "At weddings, sometimes." "Things get out of hand." "You don't know what will happen." "I would've killed him." "I was so mad." "I was outraged." "Tore up the rosebush." "We could plant it." "It will grow." "We took care of your car." "Thanks." "Ned said to come tell you." "Noted." "And see if you want anything else." "I'm all set." "Any old thing." "What kind of place is this?" "It's Nedland." "You wanna get laid?" "I'm all hyper." "You don't have to." "Ned isn't anything." " He's my boss." " Where?" "The Rent-A-Car." "You mind if I smoke?" "No, go ahead." "What would you do if you had to find someone?" "First, analyze the information." "Name is Pierre." "He's deceptively simple-looking." "Lives up north." "Has a girlfriend who likes roses." "Not much to analyze." "However, there ain't a ton of Pierres around here." "I'm finding him." "That will happen." "Well, I'll sleep on it." "Stay a minute." "Yeah, why?" "I want you to sit on my back." "Is that a sexual thing for you?" "No." "I think I hurt it when I ran my truck off the road." "Okay." " This is a very good seat." " Much better." "Can you hear the lake from here?" "Sometimes." "Do you hear it?" "I don't know." "Can you hear what I'm thinking?" "You don't want the night to end." "What else?" "Too many things." "What do you do for Ned?" "Various things." "Last job, I burned a house down." "Insurance bid?" "No, it was some couple who got divorced." "She got the vacation house." "He was bitter." "Tale often told." "It was supposed to be empty... but... it turns out... there was somebody there." "Yeah." "And what do you do for Ned?" "Nothing." "I just bump people up." "What's that?" "They come in, they want the economy car... and I..." "And so, what happened?" "To the person in the house." "She died." "Jesus." "Haunts me to this day." "It was not supposed to be that way." "What were you saying?" ""They come in..."" "I just... bump them up to something more expensive than they want." "Different car." "How do you do that?" "It's easy." "I just talk low and slow... and wear a gold necklace with my shirt open a button too many." "And then what?" "That's it." "Just in the appearance?" "Yeah." "Most people in the industry know that." "I think most people kind of wanna be bumped up anyway." "Do you know when it will be?" "Depends on how smart he is." "What do you know?" "Everything that needs to happen is gonna happen." "I wanna do it." "Well, you can't." "I'm strong now." "I'm feeling great." "I don't mean you're not strong." " I mean, why shouldn't the kid do it?" " He doesn't know." "It isn't fair." "Fair to who?" "He could get hurt." "Well, I suppose you could tell him." "I want to tell him." "He won't believe you." "He would." "I feel he would from me." "It would still happen." "Hi, is this bad timing?" "What can I do for you?" "Well, it's a little awkward." "Maybe I shouldn't have come... but I'm Carrie Sloan, I'm a friend of Pierre's." "You're Carrie." "He speaks highly of you." "Oh, wow, that's nice." "Well, you don't have anything to worry about." "You know, him and I are like brother and sister." "When his parents died, he didn't really have anyone... so I kind of took him under my wing." "Or he took me under his wing, you know?" "There was..." "There was wings involved." "That was kind of you." "I know that, you know, you're very special to him." "You are." "Did you know that?" "And I just wanted to say because, you know, I've been hurt before... but I'm not gonna bore you with that." "I just..." "I really don't want that for Pierre." "No." "I understand." "Okay." "Are you all right?" "What are we doing to Pierre?" "You saved his life, Stella." "You know that." "All this has been extra time for him." "Christ, there'd be grass growing on his grave right now... if it wasn't for you." " Don't say that." " I'm sorry." "It's true." "I thought this was what you wanted." "I did too... but I don't know." "Well, if you talk to him, and I see that you will... there's a place for it." "Where?" "It's an orchard." "Hey, reverend." "You need anything else?" "You know that little green convertible your dad used to drive?" "The MG." "Sure." "It went in the house auction." "Dad wasn't very good with money." "I think I saw it the other day." "It was up for sale where they work on my car." "Yeah." "You know, he rebuilt it himself." "The man knew stuff about cars." "Come outside." "Are you serious, John?" "What did you give for it?" "Not much." "I baptized the guy's kids... so he cut me a deal." "What are we looking at?" "This is my dad's car." "Well, it was." "It's yours." "Oh, man." "You can't do that." "It should stay in the family." "Hey, Keith." "You ever have anyone after you?" "After me?" "That wanted to hurt you." "One time." "Yeah." "There was this friend of mine... we were in a bar in La Crosse." "Somebody was giving him a hard time about something and...." "So I tell the guy to shut up." "Not my friend." "The other guy." "And he did." "But then, him and his friends ran across me... a few weeks later at another bar... and they... beat me up pretty good." "So don't do what I did." "I did nothing." "That was a mistake." "So I got it figured out." "I think you should call the fire departments." "Why?" "Firemen know everything in these little burghs." "And say what?" "You gave this kid named Pierre a ride, right?" " Yeah." " You did." "So he left something valuable in your car... and you're trying to be a Good Samaritan." "Valuable?" "What would be...?" "Money is valuable." "Not credible." "You would keep it." "True." "Something valuable to him." "How about a harmonica?" " I had a harmonica once." "Yeah?" " I like that." "And it's, like, fancy, not some dime-store shit." "I printed out a list of fire departments." "I'm Mr. Bromley." "I just got in from Milwaukee." "I should have a Malibu reserved." "Why, yes." "Here you are, Mr. Bromley." "I'll just need a license and a credit card." "Hi, is this the Arcadia Fire Department?" "Yeah." " No." "There's no fire." "I can hold." " Is something wrong?" "No." "I'm sorry." "I'm just confused." "You look so much younger in person than you do in your photograph." " Hey, funny story." " I hope you don't mind." " Security and all." " Picked up this young fellow..." "I can understand that." "I'm in the security business myself." "Well, thank God someone is these days." "When he left, he forgot his harmonica in my truck." "It's a beautiful instrument, all gold inlay and such." " He said his grandfather...." " By the way, we've got a special today... on the CTS, it's a Caddie." "Not trying to force it on you or anything, but a lot of businessmen... like to know because it's just a little bit nicer." "But the Malibu's on the lot?" " Sure is." " Name is Pierre." "It's back by the fence." "Supposed to be very peppy." "What I'm wondering is, do you know of any Pierres in your fire area?" " No." "Go ahead, please." " And how much more is the CTS?" "Twenty-nine dollars and change." " Good, good." " I'll tell you what I'll do." "What will you do, Mr. Bromley?" "And that is how that's done." "With that guy's insecurity, you can see why there's no security." "Which reminds me, I'll be needing a car." "Take the Malibu." "I heard..." "Carrie came by the other day." "She seems very sweet." "I guess... there was a guy here?" "Tim Geer?" "Yeah." "I told you, he brings me groceries and things." "Hey." "There something you wanna tell me?" "Carrie's right." "I've been thinking about me... and I haven't been thinking about you." "You don't have to think about me." "Pierre, listen to me." "Did you ever wanna call something off... but you didn't know how?" "I don't want you to leave me." "I want you to always be right here." "I know it's not real... but that's what I want." "Okay?" "All right, you skinny fucker." "Let's go." "Remember me?" " I..." "No." " Pierre?" "Don." "Don Thomas." "What are you doing?" "You're telling me your name is Thomas?" "Yes, sir." "Donald R. Thomas." "Why does your license plate say "Hunter"?" "Yeah." "I hunt pheasants." "I like to..." "To hunt them." "My girlfriend got me that from the DMV." " Where's Pierre?" " |..." "I don't know any Pierre, sir." "My..." "My grandmother's... birthday party is in Eau Claire." "I'm..." "I'm just passing through." "Goddamn it." "Excuse me." "I thought you were someone else." "I feel sorry for that person." "No." "I'm getting out of the car now." "I'm fully armed, Don." "If you so much as turn your head in my direction... that will be the last thing you do with your head." "I can't see anything anyway." "Well, nonetheless." "What a night." "And it's not over." " What are you doing?" " Undressing you." "Hold this." "I need this shirt." " You need to open up." " So I hear." "I could cut you open." "Then you'd be alone." "Shane." "Shane." "When you ski, you'll fall." "Everyone does it." "There's no shame in it." "The main thing is don't fight it." "Just accept that you're falling." "Hello?" "What in the name of God do you want?" "I want Ned." "Son of a bitch has no consideration whatsoever." "Yeah?" "Whoa, whoa, here, now." "Calm down, calm down." " It's just a kid." " A nightmare..." "Shane, the woman is dead." "You're letting your emotions run wild." "Tell me you'll help." "Please, Ned." "Fuck." "All right." "This is ridiculous." "Where are you?" "What day's today?" " Tuesday?" " Wednesday." "Oh, yeah." "Wednesday now." "I'll be there Friday night." " Why the fuck Friday?" " Because I have a business to think of." " I don't give a fuck..." " Also..." "I want half." "Yeah." "Well, what's fair?" " A third." "It's 30,000 and you get 10." " No." " Ten." "I'll give you 10, that's all." "Ten." " No." "Yeah." "All right." "Our friend Shane's losing his fucking marbles." "Your friend Shane." "I know where we are." "I used to come up here as a kid." "There's an orchard up here." "Yeah." "That's right." "I'd bring books up there to read." "I can picture that." "Watch out." "There's... some busted cattle thing right up here." "A what?" "A cattle guard." "Kept the cows from coming through." "Come here." " Watch your head." " Thanks." "You know..." "I used to keep the books... right here." "What books?" "Wind in the Willows..." "Phantom Tollbooth." "Pierre..." "I'm gonna tell you something now." "Okay." "And it's going to seem strange." "It's going to seem real strange." "Okay." "I died in a fire in St. Ivo." "Okay." "You can look it up." "It was arson." "Now, do you believe all that?" "No." "I think everyone goes from life to life... but they forget." "They dream things and let them go." "Maybe I'll dream this." "I got out of college... and I taught skiing." "That's all true." "I had a client... who was going on a cruise to Alaska... and she needed someone to watch her house." "I loved it at first." "I went around, looking at all the things, thinking:" ""What if it was mine?"" "The night it happened, I had supper and a bottle of wine." "Not all of it." "More than I should have." "The fire wept with the open window." "It was like something alive... that couldn't breathe." "Tim Geer helped me." "He knows about these things." "I keep hearing that name." "I haven't even seen the guy." "We needed someone to find the arsonist." "Shane." "Tim knew you would do it." "How did he know that?" "He just does." "He's very strange." "Okay." "So..." "I find him..." "Did find him." "What's it all for?" "It will make things right." "It will make things right with me." "Jesus." "This is the thing I'm supposed to do." "Nothing says that you have to." "Pierre, go away for a while." "A week." "It'll be over." "I don't wanna go away." "I live here." "You said, "Get ready." I did." "I am." "You aren't." "And I don't think you are ever going to be." "And I don't want anything to happen to you." "I think it's already happening." "Wondered where you went." "I wanted a drink." "How's that going?" "Superb." "Now, Keith...." "What?" "Do you ever think that the future... is, like, someplace you never been?" "No." "Not really." "Like Sydney, Australia." "You been around." "Have you ever been to Sydney, Australia?" "I never have." "Okay, good." "Me neither." "But we wouldn't say that it hasn't... happened yet... just because we haven't been there, now, would we?" "Of course not." "We would say... that it exists." " Agreed." " Well, maybe the future is like that." "It's there." "We're on our way." "It exists, man." "Yep." "Okay." "No offense..." " but I'm cutting you off." " Oh, that's okay." "I understand." "My God, I, of all people." "So, Pierre, I meant to tell you, guy called the station." "Looks like you're getting your harmonica back." "What harmonica?" "Who is it?" "It's me." "Let me in." " Hey." " Hey." "Where you been, man?" "Nowhere." "You wanna go to the play?" "The plays crummy." "That's what I like about it." "Come on." "We always go to the play." "I think I'm gonna skip it this time." "All right." "Well, I guess I'll go to the crummy play... all by myself." "Oh, Jesus Christ." " If you're gonna be that way, fuck it." " Yeah." " Yeah." " I'll go to the play with you." " Thanks, Pierre." " You're welcome." "Hey, maybe this time it'll be good, huh?" "Over here." "I don't know why I got this." "It's so sticky." "Just keep it away from me." "Hey, Pierre." "Okay." "Do you see that guy with the white hair?" "Look." "That's Tim Geer." "This is what people talk about when they refer to having a good time." "Are you?" "Am I what?" "Having a good time." "Yeah." "I'm on cloud nine." "I just... thought that life was gonna be fun." "That was really my impression." "It is fun." "I mean, it's not like Adventureland." "You get to write your poems." "The leaves move." "You get laid sometimes." "That's fun, isn't it?" "The leaves move?" "You know what I mean." "Oh, joy." "The leaves are moving." "I really believe that." "I know you do." "That's the latest model." "I have one at this price." "I'm not seeing a difference." "No table service tonight, gents..." " but you can order at the bar if you like." " Good." "Good." " Is Pierre around?" " He's off tonight." "That's too bad, I'm an old friend of his." " Oh, yeah?" "What's your name?" " Bobby." "Don't remember him talking about a Bobby." "It's been too long." "You're right about that." "I'm just passing through town." "He'd give me hell if I didn't see him." "Well, were it me, I'd check over to the play." "What play?" "Well, I forget what they call it, but it's for Bank Robber Days." "Not much of a drama, frankly, but very popular." " Just go into town." " That where it is?" "No." "It's in the country, but there's signs." "It's a big production." "You're wasting your time, boys, Pierre's out of town." "That's okay." "We like big productions." "I think I left my coat in the bank." "I tell you what, we get out of here, you can buy a coat store." "I think my name was on it." "You think what?" "Hey, we're in the play." " Ma always used to write it..." " Yeah." "...inside the collar." "It's Keith." "This is your problem, and you've gotta figure it out." "Yeah?" "Hang on." "Hang on." "Now, don't get so riled up." "I told you, don't push me around." "We gotta keep it together." " A whiskey, please." " Sure." "Thank you." "Two ciders." "Sure." "Thank you." "Are these even legal?" "What do you want?" " My money." " I don't have it." "Well, I didn't figure you had it on you." "I buried it." "We shall go to the place where it is buried." "Why would I?" "I don't see where you have a lot of choice." "You burn any houses lately?" "You don't know anything about me." "I know enough." "This the guy?" "He says he buried the money." "That don't sound right." "People don't bury money anymore." "It ain't at his place." "We know that much." "You went into my apartment?" "Yeah, we did." "Those are some nice model boats too... but I have to say, you're like a fucking child." "They didn't hold up too well when we leaned on them." " Now, that was wrong." " Shut up and get in the car." "This is going well." "Tell me, where is my fucking money?" "It's in an orchard." "Did he tell you what this is about?" "He tried to steal a rosebush... and for that, he lost $77,000." " How much?" " You didn't say it was that much." " You believe this thief over me?" " We'll count it." "You wanna count it, be my guest." "This is what's wrong with you." "You can count it, recount it, count it together like smart ladies in a bank." "We just might do that." "The cut is the cut as discussed." "Lyle's share..." " comes out of your share." " Let's not argue in front of the boy." "Of all the fucking places to put money...." "You ever hear of a safe-deposit box?" "No, I never did." "You brought it up here and you dug a hole?" " Yeah." "What else?" " How do you know people wouldn't find it?" "Or an animal that smelled the scent of humans?" "Understand this, son." "I think you're a liar." "If that money ain't here, and I don't care why..." "If the hole is empty or you can't remember the spot... or the possums fucking rose up and ate the money... whatever happen..." "What the...?" "Oh, shit." " Where is he?" " Fuck." "It's happening right now in the orchard." "Best thing for you is to stay right here." "I've seen this episode." " The outnumbered guy kills everybody." " Lyle, go around." " Around what?" " Around what?" "The building, for chrissake." " Why would I do that?" " To see if he's there." " Do you see him?" " You fucked this up." "I don't know why you brought him." " Backup." " Are you gonna go around this shed... or do I have to throw you around the shed?" " Go on." " Yeah, okay." "I'll go." " Good, and give me the flashlight." " I need it." "Think." "What is a flashlight, but a big bright target?" "Think, Lyle." " What, you think the money's here?" " I doubt it." " Seems like he had it thought out." " So let's leave." " Car's all mangled." " Yeah." "Well, it's insured." " We'll ditch it and get another one." " You go." "Won't be able to hold my head up, I go back now." " I don't find him." " You know why?" " Because you let him get away." " Yeah, right." "I see." "And you driving your car into a hole in the ground had nothing to do with that?" "Now I've seen it all." "You're not hurt." " Keep it down." " Not hurt?" "You shot him in the fucking heart." "I think..." "I'm gonna go." "That's fine." "I do the work." "Like St. Ivo, I killed the woman, you handled the phones." "Kid's got a 12-gauge." "You taking the car?" "Yeah." "I guess I'll give it a try." "Yeah, that'll probably work." "Shit." "Did you burn the house?" "Do you have anything to drink?" "No." "Did you?" "I didn't know you were there." "Bad luck all around." "You're all full of light." "That's not me." "That's you." "It is?" "Where's Pierre?" "He's around here somewhere." "A friend of Pierre's told me that in one of their last conversations... he expressed the opinion that living is fun." "More specifically, Pierre said that he found it fun... when leaves move." "Perhaps what he meant is that this planet and the lives that we have been given... are opportunities that we do not comprehend." "And so we misuse them... day by day." "We look around in space... and what do we see?" "Nothing." "No leaves, no life... for who knows how far." "And here we are... ..now." "Are we doing the best we can for each other?" "For ourselves?" "Or can we find it in us to be more than we have been?" "Carrie?" "I think we're gonna need to come back on the weekend." "You want a glass of water?" "Sure." "Yeah." "Everything that succeeds creates the conditions for its own demise." "Like a fire." "It burns the fuel that feeds it and goes out." "Supposedly, this will even happen to the sun." "This seemed to be the only philosophy Pierre had... although I'm not sure it was a philosophy." "It meant that nothing sufficiently good or bad can last." "The only things that might last are the things that make no difference." "But I'm not sure I agree." "If the stars go out and the universe collapses in on itself... won't it all begin again?" "I didn't mean to wake you." "What time is it?" "Not late." "I'm walking into town if you're going that way." "I laid down in the grass." "That's the last thing I remember." "Well, it's a beautiful day." "It's supposed to stay that way for a while." "Yeah." "What brings you here?" "That's a good question." "But we have time."