American Gun Page #2

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three days a week.

"The pastor told her the best

thing to do was to keep busy.

"I asked my manager

for a leave of absence.

"And he said I could take

as long as I like.

"Who knows if I will have

a job to come back to?

"But after 36 years there,

i don't mind a break.

"There are two kinds

of reactions

"to a situation like this.

"There are those who want to

close the book --

"that's your mother --

"and there are those

who want to study every page.

That's me."

"I told your mother

that I'm going to look for Mia.

"But I don't think

she believes me.

"Perhaps because

we both know in our hearts

that there is someone else

that I must confront first."

Anne:

Martin?

Martin?

Let it be.

Just give it some time.

Time is a great healer.

"Your mother is right.

Time is a great healer.

But how do you heal a person

who is already dead?"

Just a minute.

[ Man speaking indistinctly

on radio ]

Chief?

Here it is.

"Dear penny...

"When the police closed

the case,

"i petitioned for the gun,

and they gave it to me.

I hope you don't mind."

I stopped by the, uh,

the police department today.

And?

Well, they're closing

the case, Annie.

What did you expect?

Well, now it's official.

"There are questions

that I need to answer.

"And I cannot rest

until I have an answer to them.

"The gun...

That was used to kill you

was made at a factory about

100 miles from our house."

Man:
American gun was

established in 1872,

which makes us one of the

oldest gun manufacturers

in the country.

We're also one of the few

that are family-owned.

We make single-action

and double-action revolvers

for both sport

and personal protection.

Peacemaker is

our most popular model.

Many folks refer to it

as a "gun that won the west."

This is the assembly room

where the various parts

are put together

to create

a fully functioning firearm.

There are over 30 working parts

in most models.

Uh, excuse me.

If you'll just follow me.

She was my daughter.

Mr. Anderson...

Listen, I own one of your guns

that you made here.

And I, uh,

i would like to find out

who the original owner was.

Can you help me there?

Well, um, do you have

the serial number on it?

Oh, yes, I do.

Right here.

Yeah, we keep pretty good

track of all of our weapons.

Let's, uh,

let's go have a look.

"Dear penny,

"the gun was manufactured

in 1983,

the same year you graduated

from high school."

[ School bell rings ]

Martin:

hey, there, lady.

Honey, wait.

[ Camera shutter clicks ]

Oh, that's good.

One more.

How are you, darling?

Don't bring her home

too late, now.

[ Chuckles softly ]

When are you leaving?

[ Groans ]

tomorrow morning.

What about work?

I have some time coming.

Why won't you tell me

where you're really going?

I've told you.

You don't have to

blame yourself.

It wasn't your fault.

Whose fault was it?

Why does it have to be

anyone's fault?

Well...

it happened.

It just happened.

No, jus-- don't!

Stop it!

Stop it.

Stop it!

God!

just leave me al--

just leave me alone, please.

Please.

All right.

[ Silverware clatters ]

Do you have enough

underwear?

Yes.

There's more downstairs

in the dryer.

No. I have five pair.

I think that's ample.

Mm-hmm.

You going to call me

tonight?

You took a chance

picking me up.

[ Southern accent ]

well, you looked all right.

Where are you headed?

We're going down to the shore.

Just for the weekend.

What about you?

Fort Campbell.

Ft. Campbell!

You gonna hitch all the way?

No, I'm gonna --

I'm gonna take the train.

Well, I'll take you

to the train station.

That'd be swell.

[ Chuckles ]

Anne:
are you going to

call me tonight?

It might be late.

Martin:

i can give you, uh, a hundred.

You promise you won't tell

my mother that I was here?

Are you in trouble?

No.

Not at all.

[ Martin sighs ]

Penny:
she blames me

for her father leaving.

Martin:

she blames you?

She blames me

for everything.

Man:
what was the roofer doing

inside the house, huh?

Laying down

some new shingles for you?

Oh, f*** you!

[ Slaps ]

Ow!

god damn it!

In my house!

In my own house?!

He was fixing the toilet!

Get out.

[ Door rattles ]

[ Man speaking indistinctly

on P.A. ]

[ Doorbell rings ]

How you doing today?

Hi. I'm -- I'm fine.

Thank you.

Uh, listen, I'm, uh,

I'm trying to trace

the owner of this gun.

It was shipped here, uh,

from the factory.

It's a .357 Magnum.

That's the serial number

there.

From up north?

Yes, I am.

Why are you so interested

in this particular gun?

It killed my daughter.

Wally, why don't you see

if you can find out about that?

We don't generally give

that information out.

Except to the police.

Oh, well, yes.

I-i understand.

But I -- see...

This gun was, uh...

The case was closed on this.

You don't know me, right?

Of course not.

But, uh, thank you anyway.

[ Door opens, doorbell rings ]

[ Rain falling ]

[ Grunts, coughs ]

Sh*t.

Hello.

Looks like you're

overheating, ma'am.

Thanks.

Yeah, Theodore Huntley

at your service.

Chivalry ain't dead

as long as I'm alive.

Risking being obvious,

ma'am,

you carry some extra water

with you?

Unh-unh. No.

Oh, I got everything

in the trunk of the car.

Yeah.

[ grunts ]

Yeah.

you want to hold this for me?

Yeah.

[ Hissing ]

Whoa.

[ laughs ]

All right.

Why don't you open that?

All right.

But first, uh,

just get in my car now.

What?

you must be kidding me!

It's okay, ma'am.

It's not a problem.

Oh!

Just go on the inside.

Don't you --

[ Gasps ]

Just stay nice and quiet,

'cause I could get upset.

Wouldn't want to hurt

ourselves.

[ Muffled scream ]

[ Traffic passing ]

Oh, my.

Yeah.

[ Woman groans ]

Huntley:

get in the trunk.

Ma'am, you got to get

in the trunk.

Ma'am, i-i don't want to make

anything any worse.

[ Woman whimpering ]

[ Crying ]

Be quiet.

Nice and quiet.

[ Screaming ]

oh, no!

Yeah.

[ Breathing heavily ]

There you go.

[ Insects chirping ]

Oh, yeah.

Okay.

...put this down.

Here comes the bride

all dressed in white

[ humming

"here comes the bride" ]

[ Gunshots, Huntley grunts ]

[ Breathing heavily ]

Oh, thanks.

You looking for me?

Are you Jasmine?

Yes, I am.

Well, I'm --

I'm Martin tillman.

Uh, I'd like to talk to you

for a few minutes

if you would like to

sit down.

Uh...

Yes, I'm -- I'm --

I'm trying to find, uh...

Out about a gun

that you once owned.

I've owned a lot of guns.

Uh, this is a, uh...

.357 Magnum.

That's the serial number.

Does it ring any bells?

You a detective?

No.

no, no, no, no.

But I read about the incident

you had with this gun, and I...

I must say,

i admire your courage.

Do you know what happened

to the gun after the incident?

Why?

I think it was the same gun

that killed my daughter

a few weeks ago.

I'm, uh, trying to find

the last owner of that gun.

I never saw that gun again.

The police kept it.

What do you suppose

they did with it?

I don't know.

Do you want me

to find out?

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