In the Heat of the Night (1988) s01e04 Episode Script
Fate
1
In the heat of the night
I've got troubles wall to wall ♪
in the heat of the night
yeah
must be an ending to it all ♪
oh
but hold on
it won't be long
just you be strong
and it'll be alright
in the heat of the night
in the heat of the night ♪
whoa
Did you get the license number?
Yeah, I got it.
Ok, you see what I did?
He was doing 78.
When a vehicle is within range,
I press this button.
Virgil, I read the manual.
And now you're getting a practical demonstration.
This was not my idea.
Me and one of the boys
usually handle something like this.
Something like this? Yeah.
It's right out of a vintage comic strip.
What?
We're actually waiting for a moonshiner to turn up?
Allegedmoonshiner.
There. Right there.
[Siren]
License, registration.
You know who I am. You know whose Van this is.
You're going too damn fast.
You wasn't behind me, Bubba. You don't know.
Just your word against mine.
You were doing 70.
Explain this to him.
You're letting him talk to you like that?
Word's out on you, boy
spoiling for a white man to show you your place.
It will be me right now.
Hold on, knothead.
Let him go, Bubba.
See if his muscles are as big as his mouth.
First, he'd probably take you.
Second, I'd write you up
for assaulting a police officer.
Hmm? Think about it.
Now, Bubba.
You can't give me a ticket.
Get one more, I'll be fired for sure.
Should have thought about that sooner.
Your mama and mine had the same great-granddaddy.
Where great-granddaddy is now, he won't care.
Daddy opened one eye.
He looked at that doctor and said,
'shows you how much you know.'
Yeah.
You miss him, too, don't you, chief?
Sure do.
I'll miss you when you go to Atlanta.
Atlanta isn't all that far.
Don't take her away, Andy.
City life suits Evie.
It doesn't suit you, Andy?
Well, I just meant, uh
Meant what, Andy?
We're all hanging on your every word.
Evie.
Your daddy was the finest man I ever knew.
Thank you, councilman.
He thought of you, too.
Mrs. Sommers.
Mr. Hayes.
I'm sorry about your father.
Thank you.
This is my husband Andy,
and this is bill gillepsie, chief of police.
How are you? Fine thank you.
And this is councilman Morgan,
who wants to buy my daddy's newspaper
just as much as you do,
though his offer doesn't quite reflect the winning spirit.
Mr. Hayes is vice president of development
for the nordstrander group.
This explains why you were traipsing up to New York
while your daddy was in his final days.
I was there at my father's request.
Daddy was more interested in who'd get his newspaper
than in who was here watching him die.
Andy, see to things for a minute.
There's ambiguities in the nordstrander offer
I'd like to clear up before tomorrow's meeting.
Bill. Evie.
Gentlemen.
I want assurance from nordstrander
that the newspaper won't be sold off for liquid assets.
You are beautiful, Mrs. Sommers.
So are you.
There's the car.
License plate match from last night?
Told you that car would be here.
If you don't mind my asking,
how long you expect to be in sparta?
Long enough to buy the newspaper.
You're pretty confident about that deal?
Tolliver Morgan can't outbid nordstrander.
He knows it. Mrs. Sommers knows it.
She's making the most of it.
Oh? Tough negotiator.
Well, that I don't doubt.
Your car?
Yes.
Your ticket.
Got to watch them radar guns.
I didn't say you shouldn't have given him a ticket.
I know exactly what you said.
If somebody had told me about this job,
I'd have thought twice about it.
Nobody said anything about traffic duty.
You didn't pull traffic duty.
You were trying to apprehend a purveyor of illegal alcohol.
Call it what it is moonshine.
We're after a moonshiner.
Allegedmoonshiner.
Bubba, shut up.
Eric Hayes was doing 78.
We clocked him and got his plates.
You wasn't listening.
I didn't say he didn't deserve a ticket.
You just shouldn't have
served it at howell's funeral party.
Reception, whatever the hell that was.
Detective tibbs ordered me to write him up.
What was I supposed to do?
Bubba, why couldn't you show a little respect?
What were you doing at howell's?
We couldn't pursue him last night.
It seemed like a good place to look.
Why a funeral reception?
Chief Lewis is on the phone.
All right.
Sometimes I get so tired.
Hello?
Yeah.
Ah.
It might interest you to know
I got a phone call similar to this
from chief Mahoney in clarksdale.
He laughed so hard, he'd liked to die over the same thing.
Why don't you two get on the
telephone and entertain each other?
Let me work.
Know what that was all about?
He says, 'I hear you got a moonshiner over there.
'What's a moonshiner look like?'
Now, mace trapnell will not make the
sparta police department a laughingstock.
Bubba.
Mm-hmm.
That man is your kin.
Nobody will let me forget it.
Help us out here, can you?
We searched his Van twice. Didn't find nothing.
What about when he's not working? Where does he go?
Out at belle glade tavern, mostly.
Belle glade.
Why?
He likes good catfish.
Oh.
Thank you.
I hope you like it.
If you don't, I want a divorce.
Dig in.
I can't believe I married someone
who's never tasted a hush puppy.
That's good.
Thank you.
Mmm.
No, no, no.
We're not here just for catfish.
This isn't a social occasion?
Uh, not strictly, no.
What is it, strictly?
Um
Did you take me on some kind of stakeout?
Thea, just eat.
Act natural. I am acting natural.
I won't eat catfish.
What's wrong?
It's got whiskers.
I don't eat any kind of fish that has whiskers.
Hayes. 8:00.
Will probably be a short wait at the bar.
This what the stakeout's for, prevent a lynching?
Come on. You get the same reaction in Philly.
Eat, eat.
Nice, huh?
You like that?
No opinion, tolliver.
I'm not interested.
Her husband left for Atlanta.
They got telephones in Atlanta.
He deserves to know what kind
of fool his wife is making out of him.
Watch how fast he gets back.
This wasn't a good idea.
I'll eat and drink with anybody I please.
Audacious.
Scotch and water for the lady. Same for me.
Who are we watching?
Oh, he hasn't shown yet.
Mace trapnell, last of the moonshiners.
Moonshiners? Nowadays?
You're kidding.
He's caught in some time warp.
I'll check his truck out while the chief buys him a drink.
Buys him a drink?
When I went to New York,
never dreamed I'd find you.
Coming home was the hardest thing I ever did.
Evie, I want you to come back with me.
The gentleman will buy another drink.
You ain't drinking no more.
Not in here! Not with her!
I won't watch no boy drink with a white woman.
Oh!
Oh! No!
Stop it!
Please!
Please! Oh!
Oh!
Hey! Hey!
Come on, guys. Take it outside.
Damn, mace.
Calm down, or you'll tell the judge about it.
I hear you.
Calm down.
If I see you with a white woman again,
you're dead!
Go on. Go on.
Get out of here.
Thank you.
Hayes?
Councilman, something I can do for you?
Yes. You can listen to what I have
to say and guide yourself accordingly.
I mean to have that newspaper.
Whatever it takes, I mean to have it.
What you want and what you get are two different things.
This is business.
To you, this is business.
To sparta, this is our newspaper,
our voice, our traditions.
If you win, we lose.
I'm not your problem here.
Everyone in sparta's against you.
You certainly know how to make a stranger feel welcome.
Now, is that all?
Not by a long shot.
Councilman.
Another ticket?
I'm not here as a cop.
Some coffee, then?
Could we?
Sorry.
I'm not sure you understand
how high feelings can run here.
Well, I've just been told.
It has to do with northern corporations
and southern sensibilities.
We're not turning the newspaper into pravda.
I know that.
They don't.
What I'm saying is, it might be easier
if you were less High-profile.
What I'm saying is, you're not in New York.
I know I'm not in New York.
I promise I'll leave as soon as possible.
Let me ask you something, Mr. Tibbs.
What the hell are you doing in sparta, Mississippi?
I was born here.
Try to tone it down some,
will you, Hayes?
Excuse me.
Messages. Yeah.
That top one's from tolliver Morgan.
So's a couple more in there.
He's anxious to talk to you.
I think it's about the paper.
He wants that paper real bad.
There's something to be said about keeping the herald
sort of in the family.
You still working for this
department or bucking for city editor?
Well, I was just
Enough said.
Now, junior, you and Jamison, you
stay here and keep your eye on things
because we're going out to blackhawk forest.
No. Hold on a minute, chief.
You looking for mace's still?
Chief, I hate to pull rank.
Hate to see you try.
I'm not going out there.
There's nothing there but mosquitoes.
A good place to hide the still.
I'm not going.
I'm chief of detectives. We're trying to detect
a moonshiner.
That's where you fit in.
It's a good idea. That's where I fit in.
Bubba's got some inside information.
See how it all fits in together?
Change your clothes.
There's the usual uneasiness but no serious opposition,
except this guy Morgan.
[Car door closes]
If we up the ante, he'll fold.
I won't have the final figures
before the end of the week
Since Mrs. Sommers is one hell of a negotiator.
Bottom line?
Let's close it.
Right. I'll touch base tomorrow, hmm?
You're so right, Mr. Hayes.
Mrs. Sommers does know exactly what she wants.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Is that where he hit you?
Don't worry about it, ok.?
People like him are one of the reasons
I'm glad I'm leaving sparta.
Sparta doesn't have a lock on stupidity.
There are people like him everywhere,
even in New York City.
I can't wait New York
With you.
[Glass breaking]
Why?
What are you doing?
I'm calling the police.
Don't.
The guy's stupid,
he's mean,
and he's a coward
A bad combination.
We'll be leaving soon. Don't make it worse.
He said east of rawley junction.
How far east?
He couldn't remember.
You're right, chief.
With inside information like this,
it's best to move.
Is this your uncle gillis?
This is cousin Bob Allen.
Uncle gillis is in a home.
He don't know his elbow from his knee
I don't believe this.
We're out here catching yellow fever
trying to put a moonshiner out of business.
Don't you think one of us
should concentrate on keeping
Eric Hayes healthy?
That's what I'm trying to do.
I'm trying to find that still
so I can lock up mace.
You could have done that in that tavern.
No, I couldn't. If I'd have locked him up,
I'd have made a hero out of him.
Moonshining, that's a whole other thing.
You're not the only one who's concerned about Mr. Hayes.
Then mace isn't your only problem.
No, no.
I'm thinking about tolliver Morgan, too,
but I can't lock him up for greed.
Even so, the magistrate would have him out.
What about Andy sommers?
Oh, I'm thinking about him, too.
How you think he's taking it?
Well, how do you think?
I'm sorry, Andy. I did not mean for this to happen.
The piano's being delivered on Tuesday.
I need to be back in Atlanta by then.
Did you hear what I said?
And, uh
The landscaper
I believe he wants to talk to you.
You cannot ignore this.
You have got to listen.
I heard you. Well, then stop pretending you didn't.
I want a divorce.
Please.
Please, Andy.
Please don't make this more difficult than it needs to be.
You know I'm fond of you.
Fond of me?
Is that why you married me?
Because you're fond of me?
I married you because I love you,
but when I think that he touched you
and took you to his bed
he did not force me, Andy.
Just shut up! I wanted it as much as he did.
I'm marrying him. That's the way it is.
No, that's not the way it is!
You've always had everything you wanted.
Daddy couldn't say no to Evie.
Andy couldn't say no. I'm saying it now! No!
No divorce.
Never.
I'm going with him, Andy.
I'm selling the paper,
and I'm going to New York.
You can't stop me.
You don't think so?
You are not running off with that man.
You will not leave me,
and if you try,
I swear before god, I'll kill you both.
He couldn't have meant it.
He will follow us.
He doesn't care what happens to him.
He said so.
He would rather see us dead
than to see us together.
I can't lose you now, Eric.
I can't.
Keeping an eye on me?
No. I'm just checking on Mr. Hayes,
making sure he's safe for the night.
We were just
Now listen.
That, whatever it is, is none of my business
Though I have known you since you were little.
You was always awful stubborn.
Once you got your mind set on something,
even your daddy couldn't stop you, so I can't.
I know what I'm doing.
I sure hope so, because I'm fond of you,
and I'd hate seeing you get hurt.
Good night.
Good night.
[Ring]
Sparta police.
What?
Yeah, I'm listening.
Say that again.
Newspaper plant.
What's going on?
Gunshots at the newspaper.
Who called that in?
They hung up before I could get their name.
Virgil, let's go, now!
Get us some backup. Yes, sir.
Oh, my god.
Virgil!
When you find Dr. Bridges,
tell him I want an autopsy report first thing tomorrow.
Tell him to work all night.
He can cancel his patients and sleep during the day.
Junior, find out what doors are open
this time of night.
Bubba, search that press room for a weapon.
Chief, shot at close range.
Signs of a struggle. No weapon.
That leads you to believe it wasn't suicide.
Chief. Yeah?
What you got here, tire tracks?
This one's big enough for a truck tire.
Or mace trapnell's Van.
Skid marks where he pulled out.
Killing a man will hurry you along.
Photograph those tracks.
Yes sir.
Well, are you ready?
Because I'm never ready for this part.
I'm all right.
Did you see Eric Hayes tonight, Mrs. Sommers?
He
uh, he came by
to pick up the keys to the plant.
So you decided to take his offer, did you, Evie?
That's right, and why wouldn't she?
Tolliver Morgan's offer never came
anywhere near the nordstrander bid.
Why did Hayes go out to the plant tonight,
Mrs. Sommers?
He
he, um, didn't say.
Maybe he went out for one last look around.
And nobody offered to go with him?
We didn't,
but it looks like someone went with him
Or met with him.
Who, I don't know. Maybe we'll never know.
I hate this town. I hate it.
If he hadn't come to sparta
Sparta didn't kill him, Evie. We'll find out who did.
If only he'd stayed in New York.
Well, he didn't.
Gentlemen, as you can see, my wife's upset.
Just a few more questions, Mr. Sommers.
Did you see mace trapnell
since that night at the belle glade tavern?
Yes.
Where, Evie?
I was at the inn, going over some papers
Mr. Hayes We heard a crash outside,
and it was mace trapnell
breaking the windows in Eric's car with a crowbar.
Why didn't you call us?
Eric didn't want to.
He said he didn't want to inflame the situation.
Didn't he do anything about it?
He went outside, of course,
and mace took off when he saw him.
Have you seen him since then?
Mace, that is.
No.
Mace, we want to come in.
Nobody comes in unless they're invited,
and you ain't invited.
You can't ignore a court order.
The hell I can't.
We're taking plaster casts of your truck tires,
and we're coming in.
Then you better bring in the national guard.
Mace, what is the matter with you?
I'll arrest you, and we'll search your house anyhow.
Touch me, and I'll take your feet off.
Always doing things the hard way.
I'm telling you!
Try to cooperate more, mace. Saves wear and tear.
All right, Bubba. All right. All right.
Where were you last night?
Go on, answer the question. Where were you?
Ain't none of your damn business.
Don't touch my guns!
He's got 212-Gauge, a 9-millimeter, and a 180.
Bash you upside the head with this!
Found a 12-Gauge, a couple of .223s, and a 9-millimeter.
You know something, mace? You're pitiful.
You're really pitiful.
How will I defend myself?
From what? Who were you expecting?
An assault team?
How long you think it will take to test fire 622 guns?
There's only 14 guns.
Who needs 14 guns?
A gun nut.
We've got quite a few around here.
The kind of nut who'd go homicidal
seeing Eric Hayes with Evie sommers?
We don't know he did it.
What?
I said we don't know.
He makes a good suspect,
but we got a couple others.
For instance, tolliver Morgan.
Yeah, sure. There's a lot of uncontrollable passion
in big business, chief.
You think he'd murder to get control of a newspaper?
A snake's a snake,
whether he's hiding behind a $60 tie
or a 14-gun arsenal.
We got a report on those tire tracks at the plant.
It was mace's Van.
All right, don't say anything. Don't say anything.
All right, Bubba. Go bring him in.
Get up! Get in there!
Settle down. Settle down!
Y'all read him his rights?
I read him more than that.
Mace, we know you were over that newspaper plant.
Yeah.
What were you doing over there?
I got a phone call.
Told me Mr. Morgan might
take it kindly if I went by the plant
and had a talk with Mr. New York City.
Who called?
I don't know.
You'd kill a man because you got an anonymous call?
Virgil, we got one of those phone calls, too.
Bubba, you happen to mention
to your cousin we got that call?
I don't violate police security, kin or no kin.
We got trouble enough without y'all getting on one another.
Just finished the ballistics test.
Yeah? Fired all mace's guns.
None matched the slug that killed Mr. Hayes.
What did I do?
That was a nice-to-see-you-again-aunt-Hattie kiss.
I'm sorry.
Didn't leave much room for me.
I was trying to find something to take my mind
Are you happy here?
You're not? I didn't say that.
There are wonderful things about sparta.
I could get used to tree-lined streets,
people who have time to talk to you,
not breathing air that weighs more than I do.
I think about raising kids here.
But?
But a man was killed because
he had a drink with a white woman.
Virgil, you had a lot of homicides in Philadelphia,
but did you ever have a case where
the motive was so meaningless?
Baby, most of them,
but we don't know the motive for killing Eric Hayes.
Come on, Virgil.
Althea, it wasn't just a white woman.
It was a married woman. Oh, I see.
Would this town turn homicidal
if I had a drink with Bubba Skinner?
No, but you probably would.
It isn't funny, Virgil.
No, it's not,
but it's ridiculous to blame a
whole town for the act of one person.
What do you want?
You want to move back to Philadelphia?
You want to raise kids there?
Sometimes I forget
there are mace trapnells in Philadelphia.
Oh, baby. Mace trapnell is everywhere.
I think there's a factory somewhere that churns him out.
Besides
Our case against him fell apart.
We'll have to start the whole thing over.
We haven't got any weapon. We haven't got any prints.
All we got is too many people with motives.
What about a gunpowder residue test on all those people?
Huh? Well..
We could send to the Mississippi
crime lab for a quick analysis,
one of those neutron activator kits.
It shows who's fired a gun in the last couple days.
We know he was shot at close range.
I fired a gun in the last couple days.
I think it's a good idea.
I imagine you would, being it's your idea.
Who will ask Andy sommers and councilman Morgan
to put themselves through that?
I will.
Just a few more moments, councilman.
I told you I had nothing to do with Eric Hayes's death.
I trust this test will be the end of it.
If you test negative.
I will.
That'll be all.
Eric Hayes had no business in sparta.
A newspaper's a community affair.
He was an outsider
with no knowledge of our traditions.
This regrettable tragedy holds a lesson for all of us.
At least the others didn't make speeches.
If they test negative, where does that put you?
It puts u s aáback where we started.
Even if mace tests positive, it doesn't mean anything.
Probably can't sleep nights unless
he's done some shooting during the day.
He's gone duck hunting.
Pretty convenient.
Almost as if somebody warned him.
That's two, Mr. Tibbs.
All right. Let's not get off the track here.
No point in testing mace,
but there's one other person we may be losing sight of,
and I'd like to rectify that.
I thought you arrested mace trapnell.
You couldn't find a better suspect.
Sometimes a good suspect also makes a good scapegoat.
My wife and I are trying to finish packing,
and as interesting as Virgil: Interesting?
Your wife has an affair with a black man
who's killed in her daddy's newspaper plant,
and you come up with interesting?
How dare you
we talked to the hotel
where your wife stayed during her business trip.
She spent almost two weeks with Eric Hayes, day and night.
The hotel staff is discreet,
but they're observant.
I don't have to listen to this!
Please, please. Calm down, Virgil.
Detective tibbs is getting carried
away, but we'd appreciate any help, Andy.
I don't know what else we can do for you.
We've told you everything we know.
We have taken your test, and we both came up negative.
Everybody came up negative, except one.
Well, there you are. Make your arrest.
Might be a little hard to do. It was Eric Hayes.
Do you mean He committed suicide?
After having a struggle with himself?
No, I hardly think so.
Can you tell us anything, Evie?
Look at her.
She's very close to the edge.
Please leave her alone.
Why? Afraid she'll tell us
why Eric Hayes has powder residue on his hands?
Afraid maybe she'll tell us you went to kill him,
and he lunged at you, got the gun, and it went off?
You don't understand!
Of course he doesn't understand.
Of course not.
Nobody can understand anything as terrible as this.
Evie
What is it we don't understand?
Is that all?
Not quite.
I can't go in there, chief. I just can't.
Don't you want to help us, Evie?
Don't you want justice for Eric Hayes?
Come on.
Oh Eric!
Oh, my god, Eric!
Get her out of here.
Please.
Can't you see what this is doing to her?
Look, you want a confession? I'll give you a confession.
Just get her out!
How come powder traces were found
on Hayes' hand and not yours?
It's like he said.
We fought over the gun.
I'm lying there, too, Andy.
Can you see me?
Why are you trying to protect me?
Why are you trying to protect the devil?
I asked you for a divorce.
You said no.
You never said no to me.
He said that if I left, he was going to kill us.
We didn't have a choice.
He wasn't going to let us be together. We had to kill him.
I told Andy I was going to meet Eric here on business.
I knew he'd follow me.
Eric was going to shoot him
and make it look like a suicide.
Oh, but Eric wasn't a killer.
Eric
Eric.
Eric had the gun.
Andy grabbed his arm, and they fought.
The gun went off
And we both died.
Chief, what do you figure will happen
on that sommers case?
Prognostication is not in my line, Virgil.
You know what I mean.
It's a real mess.
Well, murder, even murder gone wrong,
bound to be messy.
I guess they could hold Andy on obstructing justice.
Otherwise, he seems to have acted in self-defense.
And Evie?
Oh, well, it would take Solomon to try that case.
How you going to punish a dead woman?
When Eric Hayes took that bullet,
I think poor Evie stopped living.
Well, here comes Bubba.
That's the last of it?
Yes, sir.
Good work, son.
All those people looking, and you found it.
Now we got to arrest your knotheaded cousin,
but I'll send Jamison and four big men to handle that.
Thanks.
Maybe we can get back to the 1980s.
I don't know, chief.
Bubba's got a big family.
In the heat of the night
I've got troubles wall to wall ♪
in the heat of the night
yeah
must be an ending to it all ♪
oh
but hold on
it won't be long
just you be strong
and it'll be alright
in the heat of the night
in the heat of the night ♪
whoa
Did you get the license number?
Yeah, I got it.
Ok, you see what I did?
He was doing 78.
When a vehicle is within range,
I press this button.
Virgil, I read the manual.
And now you're getting a practical demonstration.
This was not my idea.
Me and one of the boys
usually handle something like this.
Something like this? Yeah.
It's right out of a vintage comic strip.
What?
We're actually waiting for a moonshiner to turn up?
Allegedmoonshiner.
There. Right there.
[Siren]
License, registration.
You know who I am. You know whose Van this is.
You're going too damn fast.
You wasn't behind me, Bubba. You don't know.
Just your word against mine.
You were doing 70.
Explain this to him.
You're letting him talk to you like that?
Word's out on you, boy
spoiling for a white man to show you your place.
It will be me right now.
Hold on, knothead.
Let him go, Bubba.
See if his muscles are as big as his mouth.
First, he'd probably take you.
Second, I'd write you up
for assaulting a police officer.
Hmm? Think about it.
Now, Bubba.
You can't give me a ticket.
Get one more, I'll be fired for sure.
Should have thought about that sooner.
Your mama and mine had the same great-granddaddy.
Where great-granddaddy is now, he won't care.
Daddy opened one eye.
He looked at that doctor and said,
'shows you how much you know.'
Yeah.
You miss him, too, don't you, chief?
Sure do.
I'll miss you when you go to Atlanta.
Atlanta isn't all that far.
Don't take her away, Andy.
City life suits Evie.
It doesn't suit you, Andy?
Well, I just meant, uh
Meant what, Andy?
We're all hanging on your every word.
Evie.
Your daddy was the finest man I ever knew.
Thank you, councilman.
He thought of you, too.
Mrs. Sommers.
Mr. Hayes.
I'm sorry about your father.
Thank you.
This is my husband Andy,
and this is bill gillepsie, chief of police.
How are you? Fine thank you.
And this is councilman Morgan,
who wants to buy my daddy's newspaper
just as much as you do,
though his offer doesn't quite reflect the winning spirit.
Mr. Hayes is vice president of development
for the nordstrander group.
This explains why you were traipsing up to New York
while your daddy was in his final days.
I was there at my father's request.
Daddy was more interested in who'd get his newspaper
than in who was here watching him die.
Andy, see to things for a minute.
There's ambiguities in the nordstrander offer
I'd like to clear up before tomorrow's meeting.
Bill. Evie.
Gentlemen.
I want assurance from nordstrander
that the newspaper won't be sold off for liquid assets.
You are beautiful, Mrs. Sommers.
So are you.
There's the car.
License plate match from last night?
Told you that car would be here.
If you don't mind my asking,
how long you expect to be in sparta?
Long enough to buy the newspaper.
You're pretty confident about that deal?
Tolliver Morgan can't outbid nordstrander.
He knows it. Mrs. Sommers knows it.
She's making the most of it.
Oh? Tough negotiator.
Well, that I don't doubt.
Your car?
Yes.
Your ticket.
Got to watch them radar guns.
I didn't say you shouldn't have given him a ticket.
I know exactly what you said.
If somebody had told me about this job,
I'd have thought twice about it.
Nobody said anything about traffic duty.
You didn't pull traffic duty.
You were trying to apprehend a purveyor of illegal alcohol.
Call it what it is moonshine.
We're after a moonshiner.
Allegedmoonshiner.
Bubba, shut up.
Eric Hayes was doing 78.
We clocked him and got his plates.
You wasn't listening.
I didn't say he didn't deserve a ticket.
You just shouldn't have
served it at howell's funeral party.
Reception, whatever the hell that was.
Detective tibbs ordered me to write him up.
What was I supposed to do?
Bubba, why couldn't you show a little respect?
What were you doing at howell's?
We couldn't pursue him last night.
It seemed like a good place to look.
Why a funeral reception?
Chief Lewis is on the phone.
All right.
Sometimes I get so tired.
Hello?
Yeah.
Ah.
It might interest you to know
I got a phone call similar to this
from chief Mahoney in clarksdale.
He laughed so hard, he'd liked to die over the same thing.
Why don't you two get on the
telephone and entertain each other?
Let me work.
Know what that was all about?
He says, 'I hear you got a moonshiner over there.
'What's a moonshiner look like?'
Now, mace trapnell will not make the
sparta police department a laughingstock.
Bubba.
Mm-hmm.
That man is your kin.
Nobody will let me forget it.
Help us out here, can you?
We searched his Van twice. Didn't find nothing.
What about when he's not working? Where does he go?
Out at belle glade tavern, mostly.
Belle glade.
Why?
He likes good catfish.
Oh.
Thank you.
I hope you like it.
If you don't, I want a divorce.
Dig in.
I can't believe I married someone
who's never tasted a hush puppy.
That's good.
Thank you.
Mmm.
No, no, no.
We're not here just for catfish.
This isn't a social occasion?
Uh, not strictly, no.
What is it, strictly?
Um
Did you take me on some kind of stakeout?
Thea, just eat.
Act natural. I am acting natural.
I won't eat catfish.
What's wrong?
It's got whiskers.
I don't eat any kind of fish that has whiskers.
Hayes. 8:00.
Will probably be a short wait at the bar.
This what the stakeout's for, prevent a lynching?
Come on. You get the same reaction in Philly.
Eat, eat.
Nice, huh?
You like that?
No opinion, tolliver.
I'm not interested.
Her husband left for Atlanta.
They got telephones in Atlanta.
He deserves to know what kind
of fool his wife is making out of him.
Watch how fast he gets back.
This wasn't a good idea.
I'll eat and drink with anybody I please.
Audacious.
Scotch and water for the lady. Same for me.
Who are we watching?
Oh, he hasn't shown yet.
Mace trapnell, last of the moonshiners.
Moonshiners? Nowadays?
You're kidding.
He's caught in some time warp.
I'll check his truck out while the chief buys him a drink.
Buys him a drink?
When I went to New York,
never dreamed I'd find you.
Coming home was the hardest thing I ever did.
Evie, I want you to come back with me.
The gentleman will buy another drink.
You ain't drinking no more.
Not in here! Not with her!
I won't watch no boy drink with a white woman.
Oh!
Oh! No!
Stop it!
Please!
Please! Oh!
Oh!
Hey! Hey!
Come on, guys. Take it outside.
Damn, mace.
Calm down, or you'll tell the judge about it.
I hear you.
Calm down.
If I see you with a white woman again,
you're dead!
Go on. Go on.
Get out of here.
Thank you.
Hayes?
Councilman, something I can do for you?
Yes. You can listen to what I have
to say and guide yourself accordingly.
I mean to have that newspaper.
Whatever it takes, I mean to have it.
What you want and what you get are two different things.
This is business.
To you, this is business.
To sparta, this is our newspaper,
our voice, our traditions.
If you win, we lose.
I'm not your problem here.
Everyone in sparta's against you.
You certainly know how to make a stranger feel welcome.
Now, is that all?
Not by a long shot.
Councilman.
Another ticket?
I'm not here as a cop.
Some coffee, then?
Could we?
Sorry.
I'm not sure you understand
how high feelings can run here.
Well, I've just been told.
It has to do with northern corporations
and southern sensibilities.
We're not turning the newspaper into pravda.
I know that.
They don't.
What I'm saying is, it might be easier
if you were less High-profile.
What I'm saying is, you're not in New York.
I know I'm not in New York.
I promise I'll leave as soon as possible.
Let me ask you something, Mr. Tibbs.
What the hell are you doing in sparta, Mississippi?
I was born here.
Try to tone it down some,
will you, Hayes?
Excuse me.
Messages. Yeah.
That top one's from tolliver Morgan.
So's a couple more in there.
He's anxious to talk to you.
I think it's about the paper.
He wants that paper real bad.
There's something to be said about keeping the herald
sort of in the family.
You still working for this
department or bucking for city editor?
Well, I was just
Enough said.
Now, junior, you and Jamison, you
stay here and keep your eye on things
because we're going out to blackhawk forest.
No. Hold on a minute, chief.
You looking for mace's still?
Chief, I hate to pull rank.
Hate to see you try.
I'm not going out there.
There's nothing there but mosquitoes.
A good place to hide the still.
I'm not going.
I'm chief of detectives. We're trying to detect
a moonshiner.
That's where you fit in.
It's a good idea. That's where I fit in.
Bubba's got some inside information.
See how it all fits in together?
Change your clothes.
There's the usual uneasiness but no serious opposition,
except this guy Morgan.
[Car door closes]
If we up the ante, he'll fold.
I won't have the final figures
before the end of the week
Since Mrs. Sommers is one hell of a negotiator.
Bottom line?
Let's close it.
Right. I'll touch base tomorrow, hmm?
You're so right, Mr. Hayes.
Mrs. Sommers does know exactly what she wants.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Is that where he hit you?
Don't worry about it, ok.?
People like him are one of the reasons
I'm glad I'm leaving sparta.
Sparta doesn't have a lock on stupidity.
There are people like him everywhere,
even in New York City.
I can't wait New York
With you.
[Glass breaking]
Why?
What are you doing?
I'm calling the police.
Don't.
The guy's stupid,
he's mean,
and he's a coward
A bad combination.
We'll be leaving soon. Don't make it worse.
He said east of rawley junction.
How far east?
He couldn't remember.
You're right, chief.
With inside information like this,
it's best to move.
Is this your uncle gillis?
This is cousin Bob Allen.
Uncle gillis is in a home.
He don't know his elbow from his knee
I don't believe this.
We're out here catching yellow fever
trying to put a moonshiner out of business.
Don't you think one of us
should concentrate on keeping
Eric Hayes healthy?
That's what I'm trying to do.
I'm trying to find that still
so I can lock up mace.
You could have done that in that tavern.
No, I couldn't. If I'd have locked him up,
I'd have made a hero out of him.
Moonshining, that's a whole other thing.
You're not the only one who's concerned about Mr. Hayes.
Then mace isn't your only problem.
No, no.
I'm thinking about tolliver Morgan, too,
but I can't lock him up for greed.
Even so, the magistrate would have him out.
What about Andy sommers?
Oh, I'm thinking about him, too.
How you think he's taking it?
Well, how do you think?
I'm sorry, Andy. I did not mean for this to happen.
The piano's being delivered on Tuesday.
I need to be back in Atlanta by then.
Did you hear what I said?
And, uh
The landscaper
I believe he wants to talk to you.
You cannot ignore this.
You have got to listen.
I heard you. Well, then stop pretending you didn't.
I want a divorce.
Please.
Please, Andy.
Please don't make this more difficult than it needs to be.
You know I'm fond of you.
Fond of me?
Is that why you married me?
Because you're fond of me?
I married you because I love you,
but when I think that he touched you
and took you to his bed
he did not force me, Andy.
Just shut up! I wanted it as much as he did.
I'm marrying him. That's the way it is.
No, that's not the way it is!
You've always had everything you wanted.
Daddy couldn't say no to Evie.
Andy couldn't say no. I'm saying it now! No!
No divorce.
Never.
I'm going with him, Andy.
I'm selling the paper,
and I'm going to New York.
You can't stop me.
You don't think so?
You are not running off with that man.
You will not leave me,
and if you try,
I swear before god, I'll kill you both.
He couldn't have meant it.
He will follow us.
He doesn't care what happens to him.
He said so.
He would rather see us dead
than to see us together.
I can't lose you now, Eric.
I can't.
Keeping an eye on me?
No. I'm just checking on Mr. Hayes,
making sure he's safe for the night.
We were just
Now listen.
That, whatever it is, is none of my business
Though I have known you since you were little.
You was always awful stubborn.
Once you got your mind set on something,
even your daddy couldn't stop you, so I can't.
I know what I'm doing.
I sure hope so, because I'm fond of you,
and I'd hate seeing you get hurt.
Good night.
Good night.
[Ring]
Sparta police.
What?
Yeah, I'm listening.
Say that again.
Newspaper plant.
What's going on?
Gunshots at the newspaper.
Who called that in?
They hung up before I could get their name.
Virgil, let's go, now!
Get us some backup. Yes, sir.
Oh, my god.
Virgil!
When you find Dr. Bridges,
tell him I want an autopsy report first thing tomorrow.
Tell him to work all night.
He can cancel his patients and sleep during the day.
Junior, find out what doors are open
this time of night.
Bubba, search that press room for a weapon.
Chief, shot at close range.
Signs of a struggle. No weapon.
That leads you to believe it wasn't suicide.
Chief. Yeah?
What you got here, tire tracks?
This one's big enough for a truck tire.
Or mace trapnell's Van.
Skid marks where he pulled out.
Killing a man will hurry you along.
Photograph those tracks.
Yes sir.
Well, are you ready?
Because I'm never ready for this part.
I'm all right.
Did you see Eric Hayes tonight, Mrs. Sommers?
He
uh, he came by
to pick up the keys to the plant.
So you decided to take his offer, did you, Evie?
That's right, and why wouldn't she?
Tolliver Morgan's offer never came
anywhere near the nordstrander bid.
Why did Hayes go out to the plant tonight,
Mrs. Sommers?
He
he, um, didn't say.
Maybe he went out for one last look around.
And nobody offered to go with him?
We didn't,
but it looks like someone went with him
Or met with him.
Who, I don't know. Maybe we'll never know.
I hate this town. I hate it.
If he hadn't come to sparta
Sparta didn't kill him, Evie. We'll find out who did.
If only he'd stayed in New York.
Well, he didn't.
Gentlemen, as you can see, my wife's upset.
Just a few more questions, Mr. Sommers.
Did you see mace trapnell
since that night at the belle glade tavern?
Yes.
Where, Evie?
I was at the inn, going over some papers
Mr. Hayes We heard a crash outside,
and it was mace trapnell
breaking the windows in Eric's car with a crowbar.
Why didn't you call us?
Eric didn't want to.
He said he didn't want to inflame the situation.
Didn't he do anything about it?
He went outside, of course,
and mace took off when he saw him.
Have you seen him since then?
Mace, that is.
No.
Mace, we want to come in.
Nobody comes in unless they're invited,
and you ain't invited.
You can't ignore a court order.
The hell I can't.
We're taking plaster casts of your truck tires,
and we're coming in.
Then you better bring in the national guard.
Mace, what is the matter with you?
I'll arrest you, and we'll search your house anyhow.
Touch me, and I'll take your feet off.
Always doing things the hard way.
I'm telling you!
Try to cooperate more, mace. Saves wear and tear.
All right, Bubba. All right. All right.
Where were you last night?
Go on, answer the question. Where were you?
Ain't none of your damn business.
Don't touch my guns!
He's got 212-Gauge, a 9-millimeter, and a 180.
Bash you upside the head with this!
Found a 12-Gauge, a couple of .223s, and a 9-millimeter.
You know something, mace? You're pitiful.
You're really pitiful.
How will I defend myself?
From what? Who were you expecting?
An assault team?
How long you think it will take to test fire 622 guns?
There's only 14 guns.
Who needs 14 guns?
A gun nut.
We've got quite a few around here.
The kind of nut who'd go homicidal
seeing Eric Hayes with Evie sommers?
We don't know he did it.
What?
I said we don't know.
He makes a good suspect,
but we got a couple others.
For instance, tolliver Morgan.
Yeah, sure. There's a lot of uncontrollable passion
in big business, chief.
You think he'd murder to get control of a newspaper?
A snake's a snake,
whether he's hiding behind a $60 tie
or a 14-gun arsenal.
We got a report on those tire tracks at the plant.
It was mace's Van.
All right, don't say anything. Don't say anything.
All right, Bubba. Go bring him in.
Get up! Get in there!
Settle down. Settle down!
Y'all read him his rights?
I read him more than that.
Mace, we know you were over that newspaper plant.
Yeah.
What were you doing over there?
I got a phone call.
Told me Mr. Morgan might
take it kindly if I went by the plant
and had a talk with Mr. New York City.
Who called?
I don't know.
You'd kill a man because you got an anonymous call?
Virgil, we got one of those phone calls, too.
Bubba, you happen to mention
to your cousin we got that call?
I don't violate police security, kin or no kin.
We got trouble enough without y'all getting on one another.
Just finished the ballistics test.
Yeah? Fired all mace's guns.
None matched the slug that killed Mr. Hayes.
What did I do?
That was a nice-to-see-you-again-aunt-Hattie kiss.
I'm sorry.
Didn't leave much room for me.
I was trying to find something to take my mind
Are you happy here?
You're not? I didn't say that.
There are wonderful things about sparta.
I could get used to tree-lined streets,
people who have time to talk to you,
not breathing air that weighs more than I do.
I think about raising kids here.
But?
But a man was killed because
he had a drink with a white woman.
Virgil, you had a lot of homicides in Philadelphia,
but did you ever have a case where
the motive was so meaningless?
Baby, most of them,
but we don't know the motive for killing Eric Hayes.
Come on, Virgil.
Althea, it wasn't just a white woman.
It was a married woman. Oh, I see.
Would this town turn homicidal
if I had a drink with Bubba Skinner?
No, but you probably would.
It isn't funny, Virgil.
No, it's not,
but it's ridiculous to blame a
whole town for the act of one person.
What do you want?
You want to move back to Philadelphia?
You want to raise kids there?
Sometimes I forget
there are mace trapnells in Philadelphia.
Oh, baby. Mace trapnell is everywhere.
I think there's a factory somewhere that churns him out.
Besides
Our case against him fell apart.
We'll have to start the whole thing over.
We haven't got any weapon. We haven't got any prints.
All we got is too many people with motives.
What about a gunpowder residue test on all those people?
Huh? Well..
We could send to the Mississippi
crime lab for a quick analysis,
one of those neutron activator kits.
It shows who's fired a gun in the last couple days.
We know he was shot at close range.
I fired a gun in the last couple days.
I think it's a good idea.
I imagine you would, being it's your idea.
Who will ask Andy sommers and councilman Morgan
to put themselves through that?
I will.
Just a few more moments, councilman.
I told you I had nothing to do with Eric Hayes's death.
I trust this test will be the end of it.
If you test negative.
I will.
That'll be all.
Eric Hayes had no business in sparta.
A newspaper's a community affair.
He was an outsider
with no knowledge of our traditions.
This regrettable tragedy holds a lesson for all of us.
At least the others didn't make speeches.
If they test negative, where does that put you?
It puts u s aáback where we started.
Even if mace tests positive, it doesn't mean anything.
Probably can't sleep nights unless
he's done some shooting during the day.
He's gone duck hunting.
Pretty convenient.
Almost as if somebody warned him.
That's two, Mr. Tibbs.
All right. Let's not get off the track here.
No point in testing mace,
but there's one other person we may be losing sight of,
and I'd like to rectify that.
I thought you arrested mace trapnell.
You couldn't find a better suspect.
Sometimes a good suspect also makes a good scapegoat.
My wife and I are trying to finish packing,
and as interesting as Virgil: Interesting?
Your wife has an affair with a black man
who's killed in her daddy's newspaper plant,
and you come up with interesting?
How dare you
we talked to the hotel
where your wife stayed during her business trip.
She spent almost two weeks with Eric Hayes, day and night.
The hotel staff is discreet,
but they're observant.
I don't have to listen to this!
Please, please. Calm down, Virgil.
Detective tibbs is getting carried
away, but we'd appreciate any help, Andy.
I don't know what else we can do for you.
We've told you everything we know.
We have taken your test, and we both came up negative.
Everybody came up negative, except one.
Well, there you are. Make your arrest.
Might be a little hard to do. It was Eric Hayes.
Do you mean He committed suicide?
After having a struggle with himself?
No, I hardly think so.
Can you tell us anything, Evie?
Look at her.
She's very close to the edge.
Please leave her alone.
Why? Afraid she'll tell us
why Eric Hayes has powder residue on his hands?
Afraid maybe she'll tell us you went to kill him,
and he lunged at you, got the gun, and it went off?
You don't understand!
Of course he doesn't understand.
Of course not.
Nobody can understand anything as terrible as this.
Evie
What is it we don't understand?
Is that all?
Not quite.
I can't go in there, chief. I just can't.
Don't you want to help us, Evie?
Don't you want justice for Eric Hayes?
Come on.
Oh Eric!
Oh, my god, Eric!
Get her out of here.
Please.
Can't you see what this is doing to her?
Look, you want a confession? I'll give you a confession.
Just get her out!
How come powder traces were found
on Hayes' hand and not yours?
It's like he said.
We fought over the gun.
I'm lying there, too, Andy.
Can you see me?
Why are you trying to protect me?
Why are you trying to protect the devil?
I asked you for a divorce.
You said no.
You never said no to me.
He said that if I left, he was going to kill us.
We didn't have a choice.
He wasn't going to let us be together. We had to kill him.
I told Andy I was going to meet Eric here on business.
I knew he'd follow me.
Eric was going to shoot him
and make it look like a suicide.
Oh, but Eric wasn't a killer.
Eric
Eric.
Eric had the gun.
Andy grabbed his arm, and they fought.
The gun went off
And we both died.
Chief, what do you figure will happen
on that sommers case?
Prognostication is not in my line, Virgil.
You know what I mean.
It's a real mess.
Well, murder, even murder gone wrong,
bound to be messy.
I guess they could hold Andy on obstructing justice.
Otherwise, he seems to have acted in self-defense.
And Evie?
Oh, well, it would take Solomon to try that case.
How you going to punish a dead woman?
When Eric Hayes took that bullet,
I think poor Evie stopped living.
Well, here comes Bubba.
That's the last of it?
Yes, sir.
Good work, son.
All those people looking, and you found it.
Now we got to arrest your knotheaded cousin,
but I'll send Jamison and four big men to handle that.
Thanks.
Maybe we can get back to the 1980s.
I don't know, chief.
Bubba's got a big family.