Breathless

---

It's me, hon.

Listen, I'm in a hell

of a bind here.

I got more problems

than I could deal with on my own.

I need you to come on over.

For Pete's sake, it's nothing

I'd care to discuss over the phone.

Would you just

get yourself over here?

It's a fine day today, folks.

It's 1931 --

since our great state of Texas

declared its independence.

And, boy, I got some Texas tunes

to play for you today.

This is 97.9 Country,

coming at you

like a rattlesnake.

Lorna.

I came as soon

as I hung up the phone.

Oh.

For heaven's sake,

whatever's happened

to Dale?

Dale's fine.

I just knocked him over the head

with Mama's cast-iron skillet-

nothing a bag of ice

can't take care of.

Jesus, Lorna.

What did you go

and do that for?

I was just trying

to have a polite conversation

between two married

individuals,

but you know Dale.

You can't have a civil debate with

the man without things turning ugly.

Well, Dale was never one for polite

conversation, that's for damn sure.

Forget about Dale.

I got more pressing matters on my plate

than his bruised head.

What's going on?

It's a wild story, Tiny--

a real wild story.

You ain't gonna believe it.

No, you know me, Lorna.

I believe in stories-

probably why I get myself

into so much trouble.

You hear about this?

- The bank robbery down in Red County?

- Mm-hmm.

It's been all over the news

what happened two days ago.

The police is out still looking

for who done it.

You can't turn on the damn TV

without hearing something about it.

A man wearing a stocking

over his head

just waltzed into

Waldorf Savings & Loan,

tossed a bag on the counter,

pointed a revolver

at the cashier and said,

"Good morning there.

It's your time to shine.

Fill the satchel, hit the floor,

and all will be well."

I heard a heck of a lot of money

has gone missing.

$100,000, all cash.

I didn't think there was that kind of

money in the whole state of Texas,

never mind a bank

in Red County.

- Go ahead, have one of mine.

- Mm-mm, those things will kill you.

Them light cigarettes

you smoke

will kill you just the same,

only slower.

Don't hound me

for trying to buy

a little bit of extra time

on this earth

in case something worthwhile

comes up.

Now tell me about

this great robbery.

I know who went and done it.

You what?

I know who done it, Tiny.

It seems that Dale here

forgot to make me privy

of certain unsavory activities

in the last few days.

You mean Dale

gone and robbed that bank?

That's exactly what I mean.

Lorna, just because a man

held up a convenience store

a couple of times

in his more wild and woolly days

don't mean he's a bank robber.

- Five.

- Five?

He robbed five

convenience stores.

It was high time he graduated

to something bigger.

How are you so sure

he done it?

You know why they call it

Red County?

Why?

On account of the iron ore

in the soil,

makes all the dirt red

down there.

Lorna, now he could have

picked up that dirt from anywhere.

Tiny, the soles of them boots are redder

than an Indian'-s face in the sun.

That is Red County soil,

that's for damn sure.

And Dale's got no business

in Red County,

not to mention

that I only got me

one good pair of hose,

and they're nowhere

to be found.

He went and took his wife's own hose.

Can you believe the nerves

of that man?

He probably expects

I was never gonna find out.

God, if dumb was dirt,

Dale would cover

about an acre.

So I called me Mr. Gale

down at Gale & Sons-

you know, where he works selling

them modular kitchen cabinets.

You know what

Mr. Gale tells me?

I hope you enjoy

Gardendale, Lorna.

Gardendale?

That's near Lamar County.

Seems like Dale here

filed for a transfer

two days ago.

He what?

Mm-hmm.

Ain't that a hoot?

Figured he'd skip town without

so much as raising an eyebrow.

It don't take much

to flee to Mexico from there.

- Son of a b*tch.

- Yeah, my sentiments exactly.

$100.000. Tiny--

that is a hell of a lot

of money.

And he wasn't gonna share

a penny of it.

What are you gonna do

about it?

I figured I'd rather split that money

with a good friend

than let that thieving dog of a husband

get away with it.

I ain't gonna sit here

and disagree with that.

- But one thing.

- What's that?

Where's the money?

That's what I'm fixing

to find out.

What the hell?

Welcome back, hon.

Oh, what's going on?

Sorry, Dale, but we got

pressing matters to discuss

and I need the benefit

of restraints.

You know how you can get.

You get me out of here

right this minute,

or I swear I will kick in every single

one of your teeth one at a time, Lorna.

No need to get

confrontational now, Dale.

I need you to talk

and I need you to be composed.

I will give you composed.

What did I tell you?

- Not gonna give it up without a fight.

- Mm-mm.

What the hell is she

doing here?

I needed a friend.

When you find out that the man that you

love is nothing but a rattling snake,

sometimes a friend

is all you got.

Amen, Lorna.

What are the two of you

on about?

We're talking about the great robbery

in Red County.

What, you didn't think

I was gonna find out?

I--

- Ask him where's the money.

- Where's the money, Dale?

Wh-- what money?

The $100,000 in cash

you confiscated

from the Waldorf Savings & Loan.

I don't know nothing about

no Waldorf Savings & Loan.

You didn't know about the string

of convenience store robberies neither

- three years ago.

- That's right.

Like hell you didn't.

You even went and robbed

Ophenius Dunn's

feed warehouse, Dale.

That was Mama's

second husband.

Did you think he wasn't gonna

identify you?

Well, I did not expect

his identification of me

on account

he wears trifocals.

I did my three years.

I paid my debt to society.

God damn you, Dale.

You promised me.

You looked me straight in the eye

and you gave me your word

you were done with your criminal ways.

I am.

That's a fact.

I ain't in the business

of getting in trouble no more.

I'm straight as a duck

with two good wings.

Is that right?

Cross my heart

and hope to die.

Nothing but the joy

of modular cabinetry

to keep me

righteously occupied.

Well, then you'll gladly tell me

what that is

on the soles of your boots.

What?

Do you know why they call it

Red County, Dale?

No.

On account of the iron ore

in the soil.

Iron ore in the soil?

Ho-ho! Whoo!

You sure got a hell of

a fervent imagination, Lorna.

Did I imagine this?

Where in hell did you get

a peashooter like that?

I got it where I get all the things

you're trying to hide from me--

underneath the floorboard

in the bathroom.

I've never seen that before

in my life.

You're lying.

What would you

base that statement on?

On the fact that you never tell

nothing but lies.

You was lying before you learned

how to talk.

Nothing but the pure gospel truth

ever passed these lips.

So you're telling me

that you don't know nothing

about no robbery.

I know nothing about

the robbery.

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