Deadline Page #5

Up. Now, just what do you

think you're doing?

We're looking at

real estate records.

Just put the gun down. Hold it.

Now, you're all under arrest.

For what?

For attempted theft of

government property.

That's crazy.

This is all public record, so

you can't steal what you own.

Olen, no harm's been done.

Why don't we just come back

when miss patty's here?

Mm, that's up to

judge Buchanan.

He'll be in after lunch.

- Mr. Bullock and I have to be

back in Nashville by 3:00.

Uh huh, well, you should have

thought about that

Before you broke in.

We didn't break in.

It was open.

Oh.

Olen, please, lower the gun.

I promise, we won't go anywhere

Until judge Buchanan shows up.

Why don't I make us some coffee

while we wait.

- You can pour a cup for me.

- Okay.

Braeford Watson started

running girls out of the store

From a room in back.

Workers from the nuclear plant

Were the main customers.

The workers were white.

The girls were black.

The black community hated

what was going on.

Matt and Bullock will

want to know how you know.

My daughter worked there.

She was an addict.

Always needed money.

She's dead now.

Oh, Mary Pell.

You carry so much pain.

I carry a lot.

Mary Pell, do you know

who could have shot Wallace?

Don't know anything

about who shot Wallace.

Did Wallace throw the firebomb?

No!

Do you have any idea who did?

Mary Pell, where are you?

Coming, Mr. Hall.

I've told you everything I can.

Uh...

Y'all get in there.

What do you mean?

Get in the closet.

Just do as he says.

Get in there. Come on.

All right, all right,

all right.

Move.

All right.

- Move.

- I'm going.

Go on.

Mission accomplished.

Lady's slipper, a member

of the orchid family,

A natural sedative.

I brewed it in his coffee.

Cool. Let's get out of here.

Help me out, will you, pal?

Yeah.

Okay, time for little Henry.

Here we go.

Uh...

okay.

It's a double shot, but I

got one bullet in here, so...

heads up.

One shot's gotta do it.

Come on, little buddy.

And you thought this wouldn't

come in handy.

Hey, Bullock, you got a 20?

Yeah.

Drop it here, would you?

Let's get Delana and roll.

Free at last!

Howdy, men.

Have a little dustup, did we?

Anybody facing a felony?

No, it's a misunderstanding.

You were back in Alabama!

We were on our own time.

Do you know

how many subscribers

We have in Amos, Alabama?

Zero!

Look, I know y'all call me

Baxter the Axter,

But this is a waste

of resources,

Reporters wandering around

Alabama, getting arrested.

Nobody got arrested.

If you're gonna be

involved in journalism,

Get your facts right.

Then what are the facts?

The fact is, we were in Amos,

Doing investigative reporting

on our own time

Because The Nashville Times,

is unwilling to.

It made you late.

You're right. I'll put in

an extra hour the day I retire.

I command you to end

your ceaseless thrall

With Wallace Sampson!

You can command our hours

and our assignments

And what goes in our paychecks,

But as long as it's on my time,

I, not you, will decide

when I end my ceaseless thrall!

Wow.

Look at you.

- Yeah!

- Whoa!

Spectacular.

I've seen publishers

told off before,

But I've never

seen it done better.

Sorry, Walker.

Matt, disappear

for a couple days, okay?

Visit your father.

But put Amos on hold,

at least for a while.

- Hey.

- Hey.

Oh, sorry.

Stuff really zaps you, huh?

Ah, not so bad.

I go to radiation after this.

It's no sweat.

Well, it's good to see you.

Nice of you to come.

I actually need your help.

The paper wants to run

a story about me.

I want you to

talk them out of it.

Why?

'Cause the hook

Is gonna be

this multiple myeloma,

And they're gonna make it

sound like I'm dying.

I'm not, so there's no story.

I'm gonna beat this thing.

Please, Matty.

I need your help.

I'll see what I can do.

It's amazing

I still have a job.

Because the fight was public.

Baxter can't fire you

over a discussion

About journalistic differences

without looking like a jerk,

But you're not

out of the woods yet.

He'll find a way

to make it tough for you.

Ah, I shouldn't have done it.

Now, wait a minute.

You believe in your story?

Yeah, of course.

It's important to Mary Pell

and a lot of people in Amos

And it should be to people

in Nashville and Memphis

And Dallas and Denver and

Seattle and New York too, yeah.

Stick with it.

Screw the consequences.

Besides,

you did the right thing.

But how do we pursue it now?

Well, Baxter's got

a thing for obits, right?

Yeah, sure does.

All right.

You don't have to be in

Nashville to do that, do you?

No. The dead don't

interview well.

Exactly. So set up shop

in Amos,

Report your story by day,

do the obits at night.

Baxter picks up the paper,

He sees you and Bullock's name

with bylines...

over the obituaries, no less...

and he's happy.

It might work.

All right. Love you, dad.

Take care.

See ya.

What'd you say to Baxter?

Told him reporters are crazy.

The truth is always

the best defense.

You didn't change his mind

about the story, did you?

Didn't try.

That'd be like trying to talk

sense to an Oklahoma fan.

And I didn't want to win

the battle and lose the war,

And it is a war.

How so?

It's a war for journalism,

and if we don't win,

It's not worth

being at The Nashville Times.

It's a war for the people

we write about

And the people

we're writing for.

Baxter calls 'em customers.

I call 'em citizens.

My dad had an idea.

What if we set up shop

down in Amos,

Cover the Wallace Sampson story

during the day,

And write obits at night?

Yeah, your dad

was always a sly one.

So you'll cover for us?

Just get the story.

Let's go track down

Wallace's girlfriend.

I think we need to

change course.

What?

The last thing

Vanessa Brown needs

Is to be intimidated

by some redneck

Who looks as if he

just rolled out of bed.

Hmm. What about you?

I ain't seen a man

in Amos with a tie on.

What's she gonna think you are,

a Jehovah's Witness?

Let me guess, you want me to

interview another woman for you.

Hi, Delana, how are you?

Am I right?

Yes.

Who?

Wallace Sampson's girlfriend,

Vanessa Brown.

Hi.

Why is she here?

Uh, this is Delana Calhoun.

She's my... friend.

Uh, is everybody

in this town armed?

I got this gun 19 years ago.

Vanessa, do you have children?

Two. Letitia is 12

and Wallace just turned 16.

What a handsome young man.

Thank you.

You must have loved Wallace

very much

To name your son after him.

I loved Wallace more than

anybody I've ever known.

What did you love most

about him?

He made me feel pretty.

He loved me.

He wrote me poems.

It's hard to keep breathing

When you've lost

someone like that.

Y'all ever lost

anyone you loved?

I lost my father

when I was seven.

But Matt...

that's my brother Luke.

He was 15.

He died from a bullet

in the head.

They never figured out

If it was an accident

or on purpose or what.

Heavenly Father,

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