In the Heat of the Night (1988) s01e05 Episode Script

1
In the heat of the night
I've got troubles wall to wall ♪
in the heat of the night
must be an ending to it all ♪
oh
but hold on
it won't be long
just you be strong
and it'll be all right
in the heat of the night
in the heat of the night
oh
Two.
Right this way, please.
Hi.
Well, hey, how are you?
I'd like y'all to meet Steve Vincent,
vice president of epman enterprises.
That's executive assistant, Barbara,
and I've met the chief and Mr. Tibbs at the mayor's office.
I've met miss Dee,
but I've yet to meet Mrs. Tibbs.
Mr. Vincent.
I didn't know you knew the chief.
We're practically related. He's my godfather.
Better be careful of my intentions.
You said that. I didn't.
Well, we're starving. We'll see y'all.
Good night.
Barbara giles is keeping some, uh, pretty fast company.
Well, he's a New York type.
Is that supposed to mean something?
The chief's saying that he's a little uptown
for a kid like Barbara.
No. I think he's saying something else.
Maybe I am.
Could I see you outside a minute?
No, you cannot. We're having dinner.
It's important.
So is dinner.
You keep out of this.
You think you can buy up anything you want.
Some things ain't for sale.
Let me go.
Why don't we go outside and discuss this?
Come on.
Steve.
Virgil, where are you
this is your night off.
When does a cop have a night off?
I'll be right back.
Don't! Hey!
Stop it!
Get off me!
Come on. You want something?
Man: You guys knock it off.
Come on.
Come on.
Calvin, put that thing down!
Put that down.
Get over there.
All right. Now, go on.
Damn boy!
Calvin! Get in the truck!
Y'all stay out of that truck.
You're walking home tonight.
You all got the smell of liquor all over you.
You all right?
It's like I never left New York.
Go on back inside.
Go on.
How you doing?
What are the locksmiths still doing here?
Wallace, what are you doing?
You shouldn't have slipped that lock.
We got no business here.
Locked doors make me curious.
If Mr. Epman's bodyguards catch us,
we're in big trouble, Wallace.
Man alive!
Wallace, don't do this.
God!
Wallace, close it up.
Man
This is the real thing, Eddie Lee.
Must be half a million dollars here.
God.
Wallace, what are you doing?
What do you think?
Wallace, you're crazy. You can't do this.
Did you see how much was there?
They'll never miss it.
This is the real stuff.
More money than you and me can count.
Now, just be cool. Just be cool.
Oh, damn.
Hey, what are you doing?
Nobody told you to change locks up here.
I thought you meant all the doors.
Aw, come on.
We'd be glad to give you an estimate.
Just get out of here.
Go on. Get out.
O.k. We're gone.
Al, stop them. They got into the stuff.
No! No, Wallace!
Wallace!
Eddie!
He hasn't got it on him.
Here's the Van keys. We'll have to lose it.
The boss will lose us if we don't get that guy.
Chief
Eddie Lee tayir's sister
says he didn't come home last night,
but he's working for Mr. Epman.
See if they know anything.
Epman's people say they don't know nothing.
Call Wallace posey. They work together.
Wallace posey's missing, too.
Was yesterday payday?
What?
Those two were probably out on a toot.
Man.
Chief, I heard about buddy
Trent and the detective last night.
Oh, I expected you would.
Buddy Trent's a troublemaker
always was, always will be.
Buddy's got no call bothering
anybody belonging to Mr. Epman.
When you think about what he's going to do for this town
Boy howdy
Parker, tell junior
I got Eddie Lee's Van at 9th street.
I'll wait for him there.
He's on his way. Junior?
I'll go with him.
The detective didn't seem to want to discuss last night.
No. It didn't seem so.
He ain't partial to Richie epman.
He's not?
You didn't know that?
My.
Well, it's been here since last night at least.
How did you know that?
It rained last night.
Ground's wet except under the Van.
Any place around here he might visit?
Friend? Girlfriend?
Oh, no. Hell, this is a white neighborhood.
No offense. Come on, Virgil.
Have it towed in to the station.
Why don't we drive it in?
'Cause it's evidence.
Of what?
I don't know yet.
Morning, brother 9.
Hi, brother j.
Did you get this?
Yeah. These old soldiers' reunions
always leave me feeling sad.
I don't have to travel to feel sad.
Now they want us to go to France.
That's where the action was
And still is.
Think about it.
I'll go if you go.
I come over to talk to you about something else.
This nephew of yours
Wallace.
Somebody wanted to ask him
something, and we can't find him.
What's the matter?
Funny thing.
Wallace was on my mind.
I wanted to talk to you about him.
Well, here I am.
He come over to my sister Rose last night,
and right away I know something's wrong.
He's all shook up, like.
He's dirty.
Clothes all messed up.
Well, maybe he had a fight with Eddie Lee.
Nah. Never been anything like that
between him and Eddie Lee.
They always been real friends.
I don't know what was on his mind.
He wouldn't talk to Rose or me.
Cleans up and out the door.
Rose tries to stop him, he hits her.
Wallace never laid a hand to his mama in his life,
but he did last night,
then took off in his car.
Didn't come back?
Mm-mmm.
It seems Eddie Lee didn't come home last night either.
We did find his Van at the end of 9th street.
I don't like the smell of it, John.
What I want you to do is find Wallace.
Talk to him.
I mean, find him before we do.
You hear what I'm saying?
I guess your mama kept you away from this.
She did her best.
She did her best.
I guess nobody's ever going to change it.
Somebody'd better.
Soon.
The thrill is gone
how y'all?
The thrill is gone, baby
the thrill has gone away
Wallace.
You know you done me wrong, baby ♪
Ermis, they told me they let you out. Was it last week?
Yeah, chief.
Good, good.
The thrill is gone
a whole lot of people been looking for you
and looking for Eddie Lee, too.
Eddie Lee?
We can't find him.
We found his Van. He isn't in it.
Chief, he don't live in it.
He's around someplace.
Where is he?
He don't check in with me
every time he blows his nose.
Come here.
My love's gone away
and I'm goin', too
I been talking to your uncle John.
He says you're giving your mama a bad time.
He says things ain't none of his business.
He never says anything that's none of his business.
I've known him a lot longer and better than you.
You got a job with Eddie Lee. Don't mess that up.
Hang around with ermis,
get a free trip to parchman.
You want that?
No.
You see Eddie Lee, you tell him to check with me.
In the meantime,
go make it up to your mama.
Keep yourself straight.
It isn't hard.
Hear me?
Oh, the thrill is gone
yeah. O.K., chief.
Good.
The thrill is gone, baby
well, we can go.
Someday I know I'll be movin' on, baby ♪
They've been feeding you good in the joint.
You look good.
Thank you, chief.
You know I'm free, free now ♪
That's it, huh?
Yeah. I think it is.
That's all it takes?
Yeah. Wallace will tell uncle John all about it,
and then we'll hear about it.
Because you patted his head like he was a kid?
To me, Wallace still is a kid.
That's the way to talk to him.
Don't tell me. I know kids.
All I can do is wish you well ♪
Huh? You talkin' to me? What did you say?
Now watch what you done
What time the party gonna start tonight?
Hey, baby, you meet Sally Mae?
Where do you think you're going?
I ain't got it.
I didn't want nothing to do with no cocaine.
It was Eddie Lee.
Your friend didn't have it on him. That leaves you.
O.k., o.K., but he made me take it. Honest.
Where is it?
It's hid.
[Groans]
It's hid. I'll get it for you.
I can't take white men where I'm goin'.
You'll stand out like a pig in a suit.
We'll take that chance.
I'll bring it.
I won't run. I ain't stupid.
I ain't stupid enough to risk how smart you are.
You take us to that stuff, or you're dead,
right here and right now.
Hey! Hey!
What's up, man?
Come on.
Start a war down here, and it's really blown.
Well?
We found Wallace, and we lost him.
What?
He's not going anywhere.
He better not be.
That cocaine was never supposed to get into sparta.
If it surfaces, it could blow the operation.
He can't unload it.
He'll have a few toots
and what? O.D. On it?
That stuff's not cut. You know that.
If Mr. Epman finds out
he's not going to find out.
Stop screwing around. I want that stuff back,
and I want that black guy killed.
Hey, Mr. Harper. Ma'am.
Say 'hi' to rusty.
I got a pile of reports on Eddie Lee tayir.
Not one tells me anything.
Every black in the county's been interrogated.
You mean all 30,000 of them?
You know. Nobody knows anything about where Eddie Lee is.
Suppose he left town?
No, I don't suppose.
He worked hard for that Van.
He wouldn't leave it behind.
What do you want us to do?
Get on the horn. Call all the patrols.
Tell them to make more inquiries
and to bring back something more than nothing.
Can't anybody do anything right around here?
Right on it, chief.
Here! Put off
put that fan off!
Buddy, pick up those papers down there.
Put them down put them down here.
I just come by to apologize for the other night.
I really don't know what got into me.
Stupidity, I'd say.
Barbara won't even talk to me now.
You're not surprised, are you?
Oh, Virgil, buddy just came to say he was sorry.
On his knees?
Especially to you, Mr. Tibbs.
I mean, about what Calvin said.
Buddy, listen. Stay away from Steve Vincent, you hear?
Yes, sir.
Didn't I give you an order?
Yes, sir.
Well, get to it. Yes, sir.
You have such a way with kids.
Incidentally, I ran into John reeve.
Wallace didn't apologize to his mother,
he didn't tell John what kind of trouble he's in,
and he didn't go home last night.
Now, Parker,
you put Wallace back on the missing list.
And please, please, don't touch that fan.
Well, the city council is pretty happy.
Why shouldn't they be?
Jobs, higher taxes a politician's dream.
It's the whole town's dream.
Yeah? What's Richie epman getting?
Try to be fair to the man, will you?
Steve gave me good reports.
Good morning. Good morning.
Excuse me. There's somebody I got to say hello to.
Hey, chief!
Chief, how you doing?
Well, well. How are you?
Every time I come to town, I never see you.
Don't know why. I'm not hiding.
Virgil, I heard you're back in sparta.
We'll have to get together soon.
I'm having a little dinner tonight with mayor findley.
To be honest, I'm not up for it.
You come and take the pressure off me.
Well, that sounds good.
Sounds good, doesn't it?
My time's tight now with all the cases I'm carrying.
Oh, don't worry about that.
That sounds fine, Mr. Epman.
We'll come along.
Good. I'll see you tonight.
Yeah.
I'm not going.
What I do on duty is your business.
When I'm off, it's mine.
I wouldn't suggest it if you wasn't on night duty.
I'm not on night duty.
You are now.
Virgil, honey, it's just a dinner.
I'd rather eat with a python.
Then don't go!
I have to.
This all happened 20 years ago.
You're still going on about something
that happened in high school.
Let it go!
I can't.
You mean you won't.
All right, I won't.
Years ago, I never thought I'd enter this front door.
Me neither.
I know this whole place may seem like
a bit much to you,
but it's kind of a childhood fantasy come true for me.
You know what I mean, Virgil?
Yeah.
I mean, hell, I'm still that little punk from mill town
who used to come by here on his bike
oh, no.
And watch the big cars come to the big house.
Remember, Virgil?
Yes, I remember.
I have a good memory.
Now you own the whole place.
Imagine that, huh?
There are more expensive houses,
but this one has always been it for me.
When I seen all the lights turned on and the
And the servants wore all them fancy uniforms
Know why I decided to move back here,
bring my operation with me?
Chief?
Somebody was asking me that about you just the other day.
I didn't have an answer. Guess I'll get one.
Well, see I'm just like Virgil here.
See, I done the big-city life.
And it was great.
But there's always been something missing.
And that something was right here.
Gentlemen, to old times.
I'll drink to that.
To old times.
To old times.
Old times.
Old times.
Old times.
All right, gentlemen.
That was a wonderful dinner.
Thank you.
My compliments to the chef.
A little Brandy, a little cigar?
Virgil, I could borrow you for a second?
John, make these gentlemen comfortable, would you?
Thank you very much.
I won't be but a minute.
Go ahead.
I want to show Virgil something.
Cigar, chief?
I wish I could undo what I did.
I wish I could, but I can't.
I had to get that scholarship.
You didn't have to win it by getting
the exam papers in advance of the test.
We don't know who would have won,
another guy or even you,
with an even chance.
I owe you. I know that.
You name it, you got it.
You don't have anything I want, Richie.
But tell me what is it you want from me?
Your support.
Your respect.
A little forgiveness.
I have to find those things for myself
before I can give them away
to anybody.
I don't believe this.
You're still mad at me.
You've been carrying this around for 20 years.
No. You have.
Now you want me to take it off your back.
I'm not ready to do that.
[Telephone rings]
Sorry.
You have a telephone call, Mr. Tibbs.
Thank you.
Yes?
Mm-hmm.
No, no. O.K., I'll take care of it.
Thanks.
I've got to go.
What?
Wait a minute. Virgil. Virgil.
Wait a minute! Where you going?
Parker says Wallace was spotted down in the bottoms.
Can't the others handle that?
You're a guest here.
I'm also on duty night duty, remember?
On night duty here.
Here, there, wherever there's a need.
No disrespect intended, chief.
What the hell kind of manners is that?
You run out of a home without
saying thanks to your host here.
And what about my ride home?
Sorry I'm late. The dinner party lasted forever.
That's o.K., Steve.
I have to go back to New York soon.
For how long?
A week or so.
I got a place just off the park.
Great view, nice little terrace
Fireplace in the bedroom
What's wrong with a trip to New York?
We'd have a great time.
I could show you the city like nobody can.
You'd love it.
I know I would.
It's just that with my parents away
I'm looking after the house.
Get somebody else.
Want to go, don't you?
Of course I do.
I've never been to New York.
And I love being with you. It's
it's just that it's a big decision.
You understand?
I'll call you tomorrow.
O.k.
Good night.
Night.
Night.
I don't believe it.
I'm sorry, Barbara.
I I just can't keep away from you.
It's tearing me up.
You'd better get used to it,
'cause in two days
I'm flying to New York with Steve.
No, you can't.
Seems it's the only place I can go to get away from you.
Stand back
sound off
make a move on what you really want ♪
stand up
where did you get stuff like this?
Never mind. Got as much as you can use.
You in trouble. You in deep trouble.
Look, you want it or not?
What are you doing?
Right there. Right there.
Right there.
You getting whiter and whiter every time I see you.
And so are you.
So, how come you're throwing all this good stuff
down on the floor?
I don't know nothing about it.
What's going on?
I was just here talking to my friend.
You scared him off.
Would that friend happen to be Wallace posey?
Don't know why you can't be easy on yourself.
Say something, or you're going nowhere.
My lawyer's j.L. Montrose.
I'm saying nothing till he's here.
The rattler knows his rights.
Why don't I demonstrate what he can do with them?
Touch me, you'll be floating in Earl's creek.
Don't you threaten me, boy!
Bubba, cut it out. Cut it out.
There's a time for that. This isn't it.
Stand quiet over there.
Jamison!
Put this human being in a cage, will you?
Come on.
Get on!
Where would he get stuff like this?
Rattler's got all kinds of little games.
Little games?
Chief, this is the major leagues.
This isn't your ordinary street dope.
This hasn't been cut. It's absolutely pure.
There's always been a drug trade around here.
I know my town.
You mean you knew a your town, chief.
With stuff like this around,
things are going to change pretty fast.
Where you going, Wallace?
I told you not to call him.
He's only trying to help.
Your mama's worried, boy.
Lot of people worried about you.
Ain't no cause to worry.
Ain't no cause to butt in.
It ain't your business, and it ain't hers.
Watch your mouth, talking to your mama like that, boy!
Please, listen to him.
What's happening with you, Wallace?
What's going on?
Where's Eddie Lee?
If you got trouble, son,
all we have to do is see the chief.
He's a friend. He'll help us.
No! Stay the hell out of it!
What you got there, Wallace?
Leave me alone, damn it!
Uh, ladies and gentlemen,
if I could have your attention a minute.
Excuse me, sir. Johnny, give me that.
I just want to show you something.
One week from today,
we're going to break ground
for the new epman industries food processing plant,
and we had this little item made up as a kind of a symbol
of what is for me a golden moment,
and I hope it will be for sparta, too.
Isn't that wonderful?
Steve told me they had that shovel made.
It's real gold plate from Europe.
He's been there a lot.
He's actually been everywhere.
He says working for Mr. Epman's a real education.
I expect you'd like to get some of that education yourself.
Well
Now, honey, anyone who serves caviar this good
can't be all bad.
Well, y'all having a good time?
I am. Virgil couldn't come.
I see he isn't with us.
It's great.
Nothing Richie epman can do will get Virgil to smile.
Maybe I've held on too long.
Maybe he's changed. I don't know.
Well. Is this a thaw in the grudge?
I admire a man big enough to admit when he's wrong.
I didn't say I was wrong. I said I didn't know.
We're back where we were.
Sounds like a new, radical position.
Oh, lord, look who just came in.
Findley sees him, he'll have a fit.
I'll have to go down there
no, no, no. Let me handle it.
Buddy, how did you get past security?
It wasn't hard.
Is that what they are over there, security?
Look like goons to me.
That fella Vincent, you trust him?
I have no reason not to, and neither do you.
You're thinking it's jealousy,
but something about him ain't right.
Now, if I could show Barbara
I can't compete with this.
Well, leaving us so soon?
Thought you dropped a rock on old rattler, huh?
Lawyer montrose lifted it up.
Mr. Montrose don't like rattler wasting his time.
Yeah. Well, we'll see you soon, huh?
Judge gave him $500 bail, chief.
Now, how many times have I told you about that?
Uh
It's long distance, chief.
I got to know whether it's business or personal,
for the record.
Oh? Which was it?
Sort of both.
He's talking to his friend with the Philadelphia police,
but he asked him to check on Mr. Epman's people.
He also called the FBI in Jackson
and the DEA in Washington, D.C.
He's running up quite a bill.
Is he? Is he?
O.k. Soon as you can. Thanks.
I suppose Parker filled you in.
Yeah. He says you still insist
on hound-dogging Richie epman.
It's not Richie epman I'm after. It's his security men.
Why?
Because they're hoods.
I spotted Steve Vincent talking to them.
I wish I could spot crooks like you excuse me.
Well, don't look surprised.
You know what I'm going to do.
I sent samples of rattler's cocaine
to the FBI lab in Jackson
since we have no such facility in sparta.
They were impressed with the quality of the stuff.
They want to know all about it.
So does the DEA in Washington.
The DEA man said there were no
major drug-smuggling operations in these parts
I could've told the man the same thing.
That he knew of.
On the other hand, new routes open up all the time, chief.
Smuggling drugs through a little place like sparta
doesn't make any sense at all.
Chief, it seems to make sense to somebody.
Wallace, it's me.
It's o.K., son. Open up.
I know you're in there. I see your car.
Come on, Wallace.
[Gunshots]
It's not that big a town. You were out there.
Why didn't you ask some questions?
Why didn't you, Bubba?
You know what the problem is.
Yeah? What?
Those guys are black.
Odds are they're hiding out in the bottoms somewhere.
What kind of cooperation can we expect down there?
If Mr. Tibbs covered that area
aw, come on.
Chief
let me tell you all something.
You cannot expect cooperation handed to you
just 'cause you're police officers.
Chief! What is it?
You got to come with me now.
Why?
It's John.
John?
John reeve.
I know her from church. I drove her here.
Chief, the doctor said he was critical,
but he's hanging in there.
That's a doctor's word, critical.
I've seen too many guys laying that way. I know.
But I'll tell you one thing
If I find the guy that did that,
he'd never see a courtroom.
There were two cars out by the shack
his and Wallace posey's.
Wallace's car?
John must have driven out there to meet him.
Why there, I don't know.
Maybe 'cause it was John's old fishing shack.
He and I took Wallace out there when he was a kid.
Just those two cars?
Yeah, and the shack was empty.
Parker. Parker.
Yes, chief?
Put out a general call for Wallace posey.
Wallace posey.
Call the state police in Jackson.
Have them inform all counties.
Why do you want him?
I want him in connection with the shooting of John reeve.
And, Parker, do it now.
Don't sit there woolgathering.
Chief, why would Wallace shoot his uncle?
Who knows? He was acting crazy.
You saw him at that bar. Give me an answer.
I will, but you won't like it.
There are two guys missing
the two guys who worked out at the Chamberlain estate.
It's related to the coke.
It's all tied together.
[Telephone rings]
Hello. Sparta police department. Parker Williams.
No, he's not here now. Can I help you?
What's that?
H-Hold on just a minute.
Detective, somebody wants the chief.
It sounds kind of wild.
Hello, this is Virgil tibbs. Can I help you?
This is Wallace. They're following me.
Where are you now?
Bayou road, just along past the crossroads.
Drive slow, and I'll see you.
Hurry! They're going to kill me!
Hello?
Are you still there, Wallace?
[Dial tone]
Parker!
Yes, sir?
Anybody here can go with me?
No, sir.
Hey. Hey, John
You know what they're telling me out there?
They're telling me you're not going to make it.
I laughed in their faces, and I said
John and I, we're going to go to a reunion together
of the 227th military police,
and we're going to go to Paris and have one hell of a time.
Then we'll go to rheims together.
We'll go east to the rhine and walk over that river
Together
Like we did.
And we're going to have some fun.
Wallace!
Wallace!
Wallace, it's me Virgil!
Virgil tibbs!
I came alone!
Wallace!
Wallace, I came alone.
Anybody behind you?
No, but there's an apb out on you.
Here.
I took it from them
Me and Eddie Lee.
That's why they're after me.
They shot Eddie Lee, and they shot uncle John.
You got to protect me.
I'll tell you everything. Don't let them get me.
Wait. Who are you talking about? Who's going
rattler?
They must have followed me.
Wallace! Stay down!
Come on.