1922 Page #2

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or behind the barn that you're a no poke.

Explore all you like

and, you know, rub it with your Johnny Mac

until he feels good and spits up.

But you stay out of the home place...

lest you get locked in

like your mummer and daddy.

[Wilfred] Gotcha.

[Wilfred grunting]

- Get off.

- [groans]

I just wanna go to sleep.

Off you will.

All right.

Nearly there.

[Arlette groans]

[Wilfred] Almost there.

[Arlette grunting]

There we go.

She can't say those things about Shannon.

Oh, but she will.

It's just how she is.

And you know that.

Hell, that's how the good Lord made her.

All right?

And she'll split you and Shannon up, too.

I guarantee that.

If we let her.

Couldn't you get your own lawyer?

You think the kind that I can afford...

could stand up to them lawyers

that Farrington would throw at us?

And she'd want that 100 acres, too.

And she means for them to have it.

This is the only way, boy.

But you've got to help me.

Will you?

I just wish there was another way.

Me, too, son.

[sobbing]

Me, too.

This is our house.

This is where we belong.

Are you willing to fight for it, boy?

Are you willing to fight for it?

Can't you...?

I don't know...

with a pillow or something?

It would be too slow.

Too painful.

She'd struggle.

We'll send her to heaven?

Shh.

[sobs]

It'll be quick.

Come on, boy.

Go on.

Goodbye, Mama.

Goodbye.

[Arlette] No. [Shouting and grunting]

[Wilfred] Hold her down. Hold her down.

Goddamn it.

All right. Get out of here.

- We've gotta move her over.

- [Arlette] Let me go!

[Wilfred] Get out of the way.

[gasping]

[panting]

[Wilfred] In 1922...

I murdered my wife.

My son...

aided me.

[sighs]

This is a thing I regret...

even more bitterly than the crime...

for the reasons

that this document will show.

[Wilfred & Henry grunting]

[Wilfred] All right.

Almost there.

That's no grave.

- That's no grave for Mama.

- Boy...

Henry.

Henry.

Boy.

[grunting]

[panting]

Boy?

Okay, darling.

[Wilfred grunts, continues panting]

Come here.

Go on in the house.

Get both wash buckets out of the pantry.

You might as well get them milk buckets

from the barn, too.

Fill them up from the kitchen pump...

and suds them up with that stuff

she keeps in the kitchen.

Under the sink. Go.

Should I heat the water?

No.

Cold water.

It's best for blood.

Go on.

I discovered something that night

that most people never have to learn.

Murder is sin.

Murder is damnation.

But murder is also work.

I don't think I can go to school today,

Papa.

I think people might see it on my face.

Shannon especially.

You can go to school Monday.

Tell the teacher you had the grippe,

didn't wanna spread it

to the rest of the class.

[Henry breathing heavily]

[sighs]

Oh, sh*t!

Hey!

Get away from her!

In those days,

all sorts of things happened on farms

out in what we called the middle.

Things that went unremarked,

yet alone reported.

In those days...

a man's wife was considered

a man's business.

And if she disappeared...

well, there was an end to it.

Taking them all would have been a mistake.

She had left on foot

and only taken what she could carry.

Why hadn't she taken the T?

Because I would have heard her start it

and stopped her going.

[grunting]

[car approaching]

Wilfred James?

Andrew Lester. Attorney at law.

Well, before I shake that...

you'd best tell me

whose lawyer you are there, Mr. Lester.

I'm currently being retained

by the Farrington Livestock Company

of Chicago, Omaha and Des Moines.

Well, in that case,

you can just go on and put that hand away.

No offense.

How are you, Lars?

Tolerable fair.

But dry. I could use a drink.

Well, go on. You know where it is.

[Lars] Sweet and cold as ever, I guess.

Mm.

I could use a drink myself, Mr. James.

Oh, yeah. Me, too.

Mending fence is hot work.

Not as hot as riding 20 miles

in Lars' truck, though, I'll bet.

Whoo.

My sit-upon may never be the same.

[chuckles]

[chuckles]

[clears throat]

Perhaps we could drink it inside,

Mr. James.

- It would be a little cooler.

- It would,

but I'd no more invite you inside

than I'd shake your hand.

- Hello, Mr. Olsen.

- Henry.

I imagine you're here on business, yeah.

My wife's.

I am.

Well, why would she send you?

Your wife didn't send me, Mr. James.

In point of fact,

I came here to look for her.

Mm. Well, that proves it then.

Proves what?

She absconded, Mr. Lester.

Decamped.

Did a midnight flit.

Whatever you want to call it.

Yep.

But, uh...

I'd have to say...

it sounded to me

like she got as tired of you fellows

as she did of me.

And the son she gave birth to. Good day.

You... You'll pardon me for saying...

but this all seems very strange to me,

Mr. James.

Very strange indeed,

considering the amount of money

my client is willing to pay

for that piece of property.

Let's just say

trying to nail that woman down...

is like trying to nail jelly to the floor.

Could I look in the house?

Oh!

Hey, Henry.

Tell this man where's your mama.

I... I don't know, Pa.

Well, don't tell me. Tell him.

Well... you called me out for breakfast

Friday morning...

and that was it.

She was gone. Packed and gone.

Is that the truth, son?

Yes, sir.

Can I go back inside? Got schoolwork

to make up from being sick.

[Wilfred]

Go. Remember it's your turn to milk.

Yes, sir.

This isn't finished.

Did I do it all right, Papa?

You did perfect, son.

Are we gonna get caught?

Are we going to jail?

- When are we gonna fill in the well?

- Not yet.

[Henry] But why?

[Wilfred] You know...

it's only a matter of time

before he brings Sheriff Jones out there.

A filled in well might make him suspicious

about why it got filled in,

so recent and all.

But one that's still being filled in...

And for good reason.

Turn around and watch her ass.

Come on.

That's it. Come on.

- Come on.

- Pa, we can't...

Come on. [Grunts]

Now what?

[cow mooing]

[cow continues mooing]

[Henry] Make her stop.

Do something!

[gun c*cks]

[sighs]

[Wilfred grunts]

[car approaching]

Good day, gents.

Hard choring this afternoon, is it?

It's my own damn fault.

One of our cows

fell in the old livestock well.

- Is that so?

- Yes, it is.

Glass of lemonade, sheriff?

It's Arlette's.

Did she decide to come back now?

No. She took her favorite clothes but...

she left the lemonade.

Henry, go in our house,

- get the... sheriff a glass.

- Yes, sir. Yeah.

Come on up, get some shade.

Shade sounds good,

but I believe I'll stand.

Yeah, I guess you know

that I'm not out here on my own hook.

I'm surprised you ain't got Lester

hiding there in the back of your truck.

He wanted to come,

but I put the kibosh on that.

He also said he wanted a search warrant,

but I told him he didn't need one.

I said... you'd either let me look around

or you wouldn't.

I didn't let him in the house

because I took against him.

Of course,

I'd have taken against John Apostle

if he came out here

batting for Cole Farrington's team.

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