Cold in July

---

1

Richard. Richard.

- Yeah?

- I think I heard something.

Stay here.

- Richard?

- God...

Ah!

- Damn it.

- How you feeling, son?

Peachy, aside from almost

shitting myself.

Yeah, must have been

a scary thing

for a man like you.

A civilian, I mean.

His name was, uh,

Freddy Russel.

- You know him?

I know sh*t

when I step in it.

I'm gonna have to ask you

to come down to the station,

make out a formal statement,

okay?

- Okay-

- Now what?

- It'll go to the grand jury.

They'll look over

your statement,

your wife's, mine,

and they'll nobill you.

- What about the courts?

- It'll never get that far.

It was self-defense.

- He was unarmed.

- Well, you didn't know that.

It's called "fear of life."

Uh, legally,

he might as well have been

pointing a gun at you.

Look...

He's a wanted felon.

You're an upstanding citizen

without a record.

Sometimes the good guy wins.

- Hmm.

We're gonna have to keep that

awhile, okay?

- Belonged to my dad.

- He was a good man.

He'd have been proud.

Of what?

My finger slipped.

- You Okay?

- Uh-uh.

As I prepare

To lay down

Here alone, dear

I can't help

But to keep wishing

That you were here

I done you wrong

But now you are gone

What can I do now'?

Don't make me live

The rest of my life

Forgetting you now

It's too bad

I didn't realize

Until you were gone

Just what it meant

To have a love like you

For my own

But now that you've gone

I know I can't go on

Living here without you now

Don't make me live

The rest of my life

Forgetting you now

Oh, now

Come on, bud.

Let's go back to bed.

It will be so hard,

I know

But listen, baby

- Jordan, son, stop jiggling.

Now, you can't take that

to school with you.

- Why?

- Just because.

- Because why?

Because I'm your father

and I said so.

- Bang!

- Hey.

- You dead!

- Don't you say that to me.

I don't want to snap at you,

son,

but I don't like that game.

Come on.

Let's go.

- Dane's Frames.

For you, Mr. Dane.

Morning.

- Morning.

Hello?

- It's me.

- Just a minute.

Richard...

it's all over the school.

The students keep asking me

about it.

Sh*t.

Maybe you should go home.

- I can't.

I have to talk

with the police later.

- What the hell for?

Uh...

I don't know.

They-they want a statement

from me.

- How are you feeling?

- Fine.

I'll see you later tonight',

okay?

- Oh, man.

That air conditioner

feels good.

Whew.

I hear you got you one

last night.

Back at the paper, they told me.

I couldn't believe it was you

at first.

I didn't think

you had it in you.

- Hey, take it easy, Jack.

It's not something I'm proud of.

Well, it's nothing

to be ashamed of.

Some son of a b*tch

breaks into my house,

he better be ready to pick

his teeth out of his ass.

Shoot, man, if it was me-

- It wasn't you.

It was me.

Now, Jack, if you got mail,

leave it.

Otherwise, I'm busy.

- Here you go, y'all.

Y'all need anything else

right now'?

When that world

Has walked on me

- Uh, beer.

- Little early, isn't it?

- Not today.

If there's not

Enough money

Well, she smiles

That's all right

- Right this way.

Tells me that's

What your woman

Is for:

- Howdy, Rich.

How you feeling?

Like a bucket of sh*t.

- Shake it off.

- So what happens now'?

- We bury the son of a b*tch.

Only me

- When?

- Tomorrow,

noon, Greenley's Cemetery,

courtesy of the county.

- He got any family?

- He got a daddy

in Huntsville Prison.

He just got paroled.

Sh*t don't fall

far from the tree.

She tells me that's...

And I can get these

installed today?

- Mm.

- Ted.

- Hey, Rich.

We'll be out of your hair

in a little while.

- That couch looks hideous.

- We can take it back.

I thought we agreed

on the floral theme.

I made a decision.

I'm sorry.

I didn't think

it was a big deal.

I thought we made

these decisions together.

Can we talk about something

besides the couch?

- Okay-

Did you see the locksmith bill?

You've reached

the Dane residence.

Please leave your name

after the beep.

Thank you, and God bless.

- Here, looking for the base.

Called safe

by the first base umpire.

Got to try to catch him late-

I guess he ran that

all the way.

One and two...

Outside...

Amen.

So we got to get here

at 6:
00 in the morning...

I am not getting here

at 6:
00 in the morning...

Quiet and peaceful,

isn't it'?

You're. uh.

Dane, right?

Come to watch the sh*t

go in the hole?

Very Christian of you.

I'm sure this doesn't make it

any better for you,

Mr. Russel,

but I'm sorry for what happened.

He didn't give me much choice.

- Yeah.

You're right.

Doesn't make it any better.

Oh, that was a nice picture

of your family in the paper.

Your boy-

he looks a whole lot like you,

doesn't he?

Now, you have a nice day now,

you hear?

Yeah, it's Richard.

Is she free?

Well-yeah, okay.

Tell her not to worry

but to meet me

at the police station.

No, everything's fine.

- Jordan, your dad's here.

- Come on back.

- Jordan.

Hey.

Jordan!

Jordan, hey.

Come on. Come on.

Come with me right now.

We're going.

Come with me.

We're going.

Get in the car.

Come on, son.

Son, come on.

Get in the car.

Did he say anything to you

at the school?

- No, he just waved.

- He waved?

- Yeah.

So what do you want me

to do here, Rich?

- I want him arrested.

- For what?

He hasn't done anything.

- He threatened my son.

He said your boy

looks like you.

It's not a threat.

He showed up

at Jordan's school.

In broad daylight,

in front of witnesses,

and did nothing.

- He wants my son.

I know it.

I want protection.

- That's not gonna happen,

not without a legal reason.

I'll tell you what I'll do,

Rich.

Unofficially, I'll have a car

stop by your house

every couple hours

over the next few days,

give you

a little peace of mind.

He's probably just trying

to scare you.

Don't let him.

- What were you thinking?

Richard.

Why even go there?

- It was a mistake, okay?

I f***ed up.

- I don't like that word,

not in front of Jordan.

What are we supposed to do now'?

Maybe you and Jordan

should stay at your mom's

for a while

until this blows over.

- What if he follows us there?

I don't want to put her

in danger too.

What about your dad's cabin?

- No, it's too isolated.

Besides, that's the last place

I want to be.

- I want a igloo colada.

Son, don't talk

when other people are talking.

It's not polite.

Eat your dinner.

I say we stay home,

take Jordan out of school

for a little while,

let the cops handle it.

We wait him out.

We already got bars

on the windows and-

- But I don't want-

- Damn it, Jordan!

I'll be here

Get back in the car.

- What?

- The lock's busted.

- Oh, my God.

Go to the Fergusons'

and call the police.

Ask for Price.

- What are you doing?

Aren't you coming with us?

- Richard, get in the car.

- Ann, get, now.

- Come with us.

- I said go.

- Richard, don't be stupid.

- Go, Ann.

- Whoever it was

knows his way around

alarm systems.

- We know who it was.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes