"The killer takes the victim on the third Saturday of every October." "That night is tonight." "Reverend?" " Why?" " God's work ain't easy." "Get down Reverend." "TJ, put the gun down." " No TJ!" " No!" " It's my fault." " It ain't your fault." "Don't believe that now." "MeMaw!" "What's so important about this kid?" "Who is he?" "What the hell?" "!" "You goin' forget what you just saw." "It's kinda weird, don'tcha think?" "What?" "Fitzgerald killin' all those kids." "Now the whole town is goin' to his church to mourn 'em." " Yep." " I don't get it." "Well, church means a lot to these people, Hap." "It's their way of reclaiming' it." "Maybe that's what they're talkin' about when they say "God has a plan."" "Never let a nice building go to waste." "Religion." "Some strong medicine." "Strong poison, too." "What in the hell was he thinkin'?" "A preacher." "Man of God." "How could he possibly think anything about that was righteous?" "There's a thin line between righteous and crazy." "I tell ya." "I ain't never been more proud to be an atheist" " than I am today." " Amen to that." "Man." "Come on." "Let's hit it." "Evil is real." "We've all seen the terrible bounty of its work." "But let us not forget that goodness is real, too, and grace is real." "Even though at times like these, goodness and grace are poor substitutes for the smiling faces of our lost boys." "Please accept my... my deepest sympathies" "on your loss... on our losses." "And I would like to publicly thank the LaBorde Sheriff's Office for working so diligently to... to take these monsters off our streets." "I only wish we could've done it sooner." "God bless and keep you all." "Amen." "Amen." "Remind me to shit in his hat when all this is over." "Only if we take turns." " Hey." " Hey." "Looks like Valentine stole your thunder in there." "Nah, it's all right." "We don't need a parade or nothin'." "Speak for yourself." "Parade wouldn't have been bad idea." "Don't think those women don't know who found their boys." "I mean, everyone knows the truth." "Thanks to you, those ladies have closure now." "And what about you, Stella?" "How you doin'?" "You know my son's not here." "But maybe he's still out there." "The only thing I can hope is that he come home again." "Well, you guys take care of yourself now." " And thank you for what you did." " Yes, ma'am." "Stop by the shop, and I'll give you a free haircut." " Hey." "Thank you, Stella." " No, I mean it." "You need a haircut." "Now they sure do make a good couple." "Well, he's just bein' a gentleman." "Leonard, this is Clayton." "Ivan's dad." "Do my best to bring him up." "This is what I get." "He's got his mama ways." "She left him when he was little." "He's just like her." "Let me give you a little somethin' for your trouble," " all right?" "No, come on now." " That's all right." "Hey, we ain't on no payroll." "All right." "My daddy would've tarred my ass I run off like that." "Kid's a smart ass." "His name Ivan." "Give Ivan time." "I'm sure he'll grow out of this, smart ass phase." " Hey." " Hey." "That's my dad." "Yeah, I know." "I decided to go home." "I know that, too." "Come on, boy." "Let's go." "I finished it." "It's good." "Hey..." "Hey." "You remember what I told you now, ya hear?" "Now you look good." "Go on." "You take care of yourself, cowboy." "I always do." "Speaking of cowboys, what the hell happened at the end of that Randy Scott movie?" "Yeah." "Partner left old Leather Lips, tears in his eyes." "Love will do that to you." "Feels like the end of an era." "Don't suppose she taught you how to make her pie." "She tried." "I failed miserably." "Damn." "I loved them pies." "I consider myself pretty savvy, but." "I must say, the Reverend had me fooled." "Yeah." "If it's any consolation, a lot of people felt that way." "It isn't." "Why didn't it work?" "'Tween us?" "You're askin' me that now?" "Under the circumstances." "I-I just have a feelin' I... that I might never see you again, so..." "I like you, Hap." "A lot." "You're... you're funny." "You're smart." "You're a decent guy." "But..." "You're white." "It just doesn't work for me." "I know that sounds terrible." "It's just that I always saw myself with a black man." "I'm sorry." "It's just how I was raised." "I'm not tryin' to hurt your feelings." "No." "No, here was I, thinkin' that it was 'cause I was old, lazy, and could do with a better paying' job." "Well..." "I knew it." "Mostly the other thing, but..." "Well, let's just say, um..." "I'm glad 'bout what happened between us." "You opened my eyes in, um... interesting ways." "Sorry I slugged you." "Just, somethin' to remember you by." "They're beautiful, aren't they?" "TJ's little black angels." "Yeah, I guess so, if you like angels." "He was sweet in his own way." "Hand-painted one every year for the Feast of Archangels." "Never finished this one." "Can I see that?" "Feast of the what, you say?" "Archangels?" "When is that?" "End of September, beginning of October, depending on the year." "Why?" "And 13, you say?" "14, including that one." "14, not 15?" "14." "Why?" "You done real good, son." "Real good." "But your work ain't over, boy." "The one that started it all, he don't match." "He ain't like the others." "You know this." "Leonard." "What if I told you that I don't think Fitzgerald killed BB?" "Me and Uncle Chester was just talkn' 'bout that." "Detective." "What can I do for you?" "We need to talk." "You two knuckleheads really are somethin'." "Just tell us what happened to the red shoes." "You can do that, can't ya?" "Look..." "I'm already on administrative leave for shootin' that boy." "Half salary." "Hanson catch me talkin' to you," "I'll be a rent-a-cop faster'n I can burn these hamburgers." "Well, you... you help us solve BB's murder, you'll get your job back." "Hell, probably get a raise." "Yeah, I don't know, man." "25 years I've been a cop." "Never fired my gun once." "Only pulled it twice." "First time I have to use it, I... shoot a retard." "I don't think they say "retard" anymore, do they?" "Not now, Hap." "That boy should've never picked up that shotgun." "That boy should've never been black." "Had he been white, he'd have been at the hospital with a hole in his knee." "You'd be at the bar, laughing' it up, instead of at home, cryin' in your beer." "Look, why is everybody so eager to lump BB's murder with the rest of these boys?" "And don't you say it's a black thing." "Yeah, are you seriously gonna let Hanson just brush this under the carpet?" "Charlie, you came to see me about the shoes." "Do you remember?" "Not because you didn't care, but because you knew somethin' was goin' on inside the Sheriff's Department, and you couldn't live with it." "You two need to drop this, what you need to do." "You know we ain't never been too good at doin' we 'spose to be doin'." "Who has red shoes, Charlie?" "Just tell us that." "Ain't nobody gon' believe us, Hap." "It's our word against his." "He the county sheriff." "King Valentine." "He killed BB, Len." "And you know it, I know it." "I don't know how, but we are gonna prove it." "And then we're gonna hang it on him." "Get under it now." "Good!" "Good catch." "I hate that man more than I hate disco, but watching' kids play ball ain't illegal." "Yeah, well, probably out scopin' his next victim." "Friendly neighborhood cop." "Florida said they're like that." "Child predators." "Your turn in left field." " Hey, he's on the move." " What?" "Ain't y'all gonna buy nothin'?" "Well..." " Got any..." " Shit." " I love me some jelly rings." " What are jelly rings?" " Those." " I hate those things." " Ooh, chocolate." " Yeah." "Probably gonna sniff his fingers and play with himself later." "I think I'm gonna throw up." "So... you fellas enjoy baseball practice?" "You seemed to." "Hey, darlin', how 'bout a couple of those sweet teas for my friends here?" "Miriam makes the best sweet tea in the county." "You know why?" "It's sun brewed." "Say what you want about the South, but nobody retires and moves up north." "Look, you were right and we were wrong about the Reverend and those boys." "Still ain't gonna make us no friends." "No." "We ain't never gonna be friends." "But we can be friendly-like, can we?" "We're having a shindig up at the big house tonight." "Pig on a stick." "Why don't you boys stop by?" "Put my soul at ease about things in the past done and... and past changing'." "Hope to see ya." "I think I'm gonna need a shower." "That man could charm the fangs out a rattlesnake." "Y'all done with these?" "Thank you, ma'am." "Thank you." "Hap." "Leonard." "What's up?" "Sorry to bother you at home, Miriam." "Could we get a minute with you?" "In private?" "'Bout what?" "Please, Miss Miriam." "It's impo'tant." "Now what's so important that got you comin' all the way to my house when I see you at the diner every day?" "My God." "BB?" "No!" " No." " I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "No!" "No!" "No, BB." "It can't be." "No!" "No!" "No!" "Two years since he's been gone." "Been praying for him, you know?" "Prayin' he's alive." "That he'd come home." "That somewhere... somebody was holdin' on to him." "That as soon as he could get away and remember me..." "And..." "Um..." "Miss Miriam." "This the big tree down by the church?" "That's his secret place." "He called it his hideaway." "Said he kept all his treasures there." "Silly things children come up with." "Your son ever have anything at all to do with Valentine Otis?" "The sheriff?" "The sheriff?" "No." "Why?" "Y-you sure?" "Is there any way at all they... they coulda known each other?" "No." "I mean..." "I mean, BB probably saw him at the diner." "The Sheriff come in there." "But I don't think..." "What do you mean, did he have something to do with him?" "What are you askin'?" "It's a simple question." "I think you're insinuatin' somethin'." "What?" "Never mind." "Don't wanna know." "Don't care." "You should leave." "I don't wanna talk about this." "I can't." "Miss Miriam, why are you so frightened of Valentine?" "I'm not." "I just..." "Please." "J-just go." "Thank you for your time, ma'am." "Man." "What's that?" ""For my Best Boy."" "Best Boy?" "Yeah." "Think the son of a bitch would've signed it." "Here." "Hell, no." "Now see, this is all the proof we need." "Yeah." "It's still gonna be our word against his." "I'm gonna look that murderin', sick son of a bitch in his eye, and he'll know that I know." "Maybe I could sleep good at night, and maybe he won't." "I don't think it's such a good idea to go see Valentine tonight." "Why not?" "'Cause I think I might snap his goddamn neck soon as I lay eyes on him." "Why do I feel like I'm goin' back in time?" "That's because things change, Hap." "People don't." "Can you take this for me?" "Thanks, hon." "You see what I'm talkin' 'bout?" "Hey." "Look like someone ain't enjoyin' the celebration." "Let's go cheer him up." "Let's." "Been waitin' for this my entire life." "What do you want?" "The truth." "Let's start with you tellin' us about them red sneakers." "We know whatcha did." "Yeah?" "What do you think you know?" "That you are a piece of shit." "You're the kind of man who preys on children." "And you killed that boy, BB." "I'm a lot of things, Collins." "Some bad and some worse." "Not so bad I would kill my own son." "Your son?" "That boy was the most beautiful thing to ever happen to me." "He was all the things that Beau isn't." "Smart, athletic, he was a good-lookin' kid." "I couldn't claim him 'cause the color of his skin." "I didn't love him any less, and he loved me." "Miriam's inside just crying, crying her eyes out for a child that she'll never see again." "That's why I took those sneakers, so she could get up every morning with the only thing that she had left in the world... hope." "And you took that away from her." "You took her away from me." "You hear this bullshit?" "If you came here to get revenge for what happened to your daddies, consider it done." "We're even now." "My only regret is that preacher blowed his own head off before I could do it for him." "Well, there's another thing we know that you don't know." "That preacher, he didn't kill your son." "What are you sayin'?" "Goddamn it." "What the hell are you sayin'?" "Until two minutes ago, we thought you did it." "Who the hell would want to kill my boy?" "What reason would anyone have to kill that kid?" "Everyone loved that kid." "Everyone." "What?" "What?" "What do you want, Beau?" "Um, it's almost time for the fireworks." "What are them two doin' here?" "What have you done, Beau?" "I didn't do nothin', Daddy." "What are they tellin' you?" "What have you done?" "You did it, didn't you, Beau?" "No!" "No." " You killed BB." " Daddy, don't listen to them." "Why?" "Why would you kill my boy?" "I want the truth." "I want the truth or I'll skin you alive." "I want the truth." "You hear me?" "!" " Well, I..." " Why?" "!" "Why?" "That's enough!" "The way you doted on him!" "And you treated me like I was less." "He never did nothin' to you!" "Listen, here." "You listen." "Daddy, I'm your son." "I'm your best boy." "He was your blood!" "He was your brother." "And he was my only son!" "Aah!" "Now..." "Ain't that the berries?" "What do you want?" "Just a little of your time, about 20 years." "What do you want out of this deal?" "A little security for my children." " You ain't got any children." " Someday I might." "Read it yet?" "We done good, old man, didn't we?" "Better take my coat." "It's cold out..." "You busy?" "Chicken got teeth?" "Nice truck you got." " Your dad would be proud." " Get in." "I'll take you for a ride." "Careful with those crumbs." "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "New neighbors?" "Yeah." "Somethin' like that." "Probably open up a coffee shop." "They could sell their little fancy lattes." "Here." "Full circle." "Full circle." "You know..." "In the end, it's always me and you." "Just like the Lone Ranger and Tonto." "Yeah, well..." "Come on, Tonto." "Let's take this bad boy for a ride, see how she gallops." "How come I'm Tonto?" "Because, Hap, I'm the cowboy." "Yeah, but..." ""Yeah, but..." what?" "Okay, we're gonna have to talk 'bout this whole Lone Ranger, Tonto thing." "No, no, talk about what?" "No, we gonna talk right now, Hap." "You see, you always insinuating some shit." " Insinuating?" " Open the door, goddamn it." " What the hell?" " I ain't insinuatin' nothin'." "Aw, shit." "Come on!" "Damn."