Deadline Page #7

- Yeah.

Billy Baker, Possum,

was an informer.

He was so high up in the Klan,

He was the best source

we ever had.

He'd tip us off,

Sometimes even get arrested

with everyone else.

Then he'd plead guilty.

That preserved his cover.

We'd make sure

he got a light sentence.

That's an even better story.

You can't write

that one either.

People are still in prison

because Possum put them there.

Why didn't he inform about

the Wallace Sampson killing?

Maybe he did,

and no one followed up.

Well, let us follow up on it.

Ask Possum

if we can interview him

About the killing

of Wallace Sampson.

Oh!

Got a weirdo with a rifle.

"I fell in a hole. "

"100 miles deep. "

"The one that took my daddy"

"And his daddy and his daddy"

"And his daddy. "

"Try as I might. "

"To live in the light. "

"This is all I've seen. "

"This is what I'm told. "

"This is what I know. "

"That the tears of my mama"

"And her mama and her mama. "

"They have flowed. "

One last question, Possum.

How did the feds flip you?

Well, they got pictures

of me and a black woman

And threatened to go public.

And there she is right now.

You live with a black woman?

No, I'm married to her.

Common law.

Why on earth

were you in the Klan?

I was young, raised up stupid.

Liquor might have had something

to do with it too.

Max McCallum

said you'd be in danger

If we wrote

that you'd been an informant.

Probably.

But it's time.

Old cancer's

eating me up anyway.

Walker, we got it.

We're coming in.

Lucas Harper?

- Are you Matt?

- I am.

I'm Dr. Wright,

your father's oncologist.

- Hi.

- He talks a lot about you.

I'm sorry.

I need to tell you that nothing

we've tried has worked.

Uh, what about

experimental therapies?

Interferon or something?

I'm sorry, Matt.

Maybe if we caught it earlier.

Hospice

is your best choice now.

Hospice? How long does he have?

We have... we have things

we need to talk about.

Don't wait.

- Hey.

- What brings you here?

Sorry, I couldn't stop it.

Picture's not bad.

I thought

you'd be upset.

I haven't read the whole thing,

But the headline

certainly looks overblown.

Actually, it's accurate,

But it applies to everybody

on the planet.

We're all nearing death.

Therefore,

not a very good headline.

How's your story?

We got it.

We're going to write

for the weekend.

Thanks for the obit idea.

It worked.

Good job.

Proud of you.

Dad, how come it took so long?

How come you never

helped me before?

Your brother.

What has he

got to do with this?

Luke was...

Luke was gonna be

the next great journalist.

He had the name and the talent.

Lucas Harper the third,

new and improved version.

His death was hard on us all.

Your mother never

recovered from it.

Why didn't you want for me

What you wanted for him?

I didn't want

to screw you up too.

At Luke's funeral,

the reporter came and said

He needed to write the story.

You said, "go ahead. "

Write the truth as best

as you could determine it.

Dad, I thought

Luke's death was an accident,

He was in the garden

killing gophers,

And the gun misfired.

Is that what the story said?

The story said

it could have been an accident.

It also said the police

found evidence

That it might not have been

accidental.

Evidence?

A note in his diary.

It said, "sometimes

I worry that I will be

The first Lucas Harper

not to be famous. "

I couldn't let that happen

to you, Matty.

I love you, son.

- Hey.

- Hey.

Hey, Matt. Have a seat.

- Take a look.

- How's your dad?

Bad.

We need to finish the story.

Walker sent an artist

down to Amos

To do a diagram

of the crime scene.

Photo's taking fresh pictures.

And national's

gonna give up some space.

Partners, the lawyers

are gonna peck at this

Like chickens with a pan

of stale cornbread.

Let's be sure we got it right.

"Baby you can talk about it. "

"You can shout it

in the streets. "

"Yeah you can paint it

on your eyelids. "

"So you don't forget about it

while you sleep. "

"But baby,"

"Mm you better find out

what it is. "

What do you think?

Mary Pell waited

a long time for this.

"Baby you can sit on it. "

"You can hold it down. "

"Get out

your hammer and nails. "

"Put it in a time capsule. "

"Bury it in Memphis"

"Only to be discovered

centuries later,"

"In some alien galaxy. "

"My baby,"

"You better find out yeah"

"What it is. "

"A picture. "

"Put it in a frame. "

"Hang it in the room

to great acclaim. "

"See it in the mirror

when you walk away. "

"Will you forget

what you see today?"

"Oh babe. "

"My baby. "

"Yeah. "

No, great. Thank you.

Appreciate the call.

Max McCallum's impaneling

a grand jury

To consider murder charges.

Matthew.

You and me, buddy.

We're gonna be famous.

Matt.

- Walker, he's gone.

- Sorry, Matt.

Considerate of him to go out

before deadline.

Yeah, he probably planned it

that way.

He was a good man, Matt.

I always told him he was

a fool for the truth.

He thought of that

as his highest compliment.

Make sure it's in the obit,

will you?

You wanna write that one

yourself, partner?

You've gotten pretty good

at it.

Life's funny, man.

I... A week ago, I was...

praying I'd never

have to write another obit.

Now it's an honor.

Thank you, man.

I appreciate it.

Your dad must have been

so proud of you.

And you of him.

You know, Matt,

in the long run,

Truth doesn't need any help.

But in the short run,

it uses people

Like you and your dad

to speed itself along.

There's a "justice

for Wallace Sampson" march

In Amos next week.

I hope you'll be there.

I'll be there.

We'll both be there.

- Hey!

- Hey.

Are you marching?

No, can't.

Journalistic objectivity

and all that.

Reporters aren't supposed

To take sides on a story

they're covering.

Hey, what's with the cross?

Church has a plaster problem.

Cross needs to come down

for a few weeks

While repairs are being made.

- Too bad.

- Yeah, well.

We'll do just fine.

Go back to Africa!

N*gger lovers!

Damn Alabama.

Well, you're as bad

as those rednecks, Harper.

Don't stereotype Alabama.

Trey, Mary Pell,

reverend young.

They're Alabama too.

I'm marching.

You're not supposed

to choose sides.

Truth doesn't have two sides.

Hey,

someone will call somebody,

And you'll lose your job.

I don't care what they think.

I care what I think.

You're a fool, buddy.

Maybe I am a fool.

A fool for the truth.

Fool for the truth.

I'm so proud of you.

I love you, Matt.

I love you.

I owe you everything.

Matt, we've been summoned

to Baxter's office.

What's up?

I don't know, but he's sure

got a burr under his saddle.

Gentlemen, we have a problem.

The New York Times wants to do

a story about Wallace Sampson.

Yeah, The Washington Post

called too.

Well, I'm disinclined

to cooperate.

Um, wh-What's the problem?

I'll not be the black cat

in this thing.

I can see where this is going.

Courageous reporters defy

publisher and solve murder.

Justice prevails.

Well, I don't... I don't think

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