Devil's Knot Page #4

Go ahead. Hit me. Hit me. I dare you, hit me.

(GRUNTING)

(GLASS SMASHING)

AMANDA:
Mommy? Daddy?

You hear that?

You ain't the only one I got left.

You're supposed to be a grieving mother.

You start behaving like one.

You hear me?

JESSE:
Daddy, they asked me

a lot of questions over and over.

Tons of questions,

and I tried to make them happy.

But I did not do it.

Superior Court of Crittenden

County, come to order.

Since Mr. Misskelley has

retracted his confession,

I presume he will not be

testifying against his co-defendants.

That is correct, Your Honor.

Then I rule his trial be severed from theirs

because they would be denied

their constitutional right

to cross examine their accuser.

- Anything else?

- No. Thank you.

Separate trials.

Jessie's gonna be tried on his own.

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

Murderer! Murderer!

- MAN:
Satan worshippers!

-(CROWD YELLS INDISTINCTLY)

MARGARET:
Hey, I tried you at home.

I need to talk to you

about something, in person.

Will you meet me for lunch tomorrow,

1:
00 at the Arcade?

It's really important. Okay. Good night.

(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPING)

GITCHELL:
Tell me what happened

when you got to Robin Hood Woods.

Jessie started running and caught Steve.

Then Michael and Chris jumped

out of the tree.

Then, um, they took them,

and, um, they killed them.

(REMOTE CLATTERING)

Jessie and Damien picked him up

and put a bucket where he was bleeding.

Then they poured it in a glass

and made me drink it.

And nobody knows what happened but me.

- What would you like?

- May I have a tea, please?

- Sweet or unsweet?

- Unsweet, please.

And you would like coffee, black,

with a glass of water, right?

Right. Thanks, Annie.

- Annie.

- I'm in here a lot these days.

She's very pretty. She likes you.

She just likes a good tip.

Thanks for meeting me.

I know you're very busy.

It's good to hear from you.

What's so important, Maggie?

The State Police.

They called me. Then they came by my office,

and they were asking all these questions

about you, about your past.

They knew everything

about our divorce proceeding.

They knew everything.

It's like they were digging

for something to use against you

and expected me to help, as if I'd be out

to get you because of the divorce.

I was so insulted, I was so angry, and I said

what they were doing was wrong.

I may have even

made some legal threats to them.

I mean, you're a respected man in this city.

You're not on trial here.

It's fine.

Thanks for telling me

about this and for having my back.

Here you go.

(SIGHING)

My attorney said he sent you the agreement.

I got it. I think maybe I misplaced it.

He can send another one.

It's just that with all

the paperwork in the case,

you know, things get jumbled up.

Anyway, I'll find it.

Ron, I'm worried about you.

These boys that you're helping,

from what I've seen on TV

and read in the papers...

The police seem so certain.

Are you sure you want to do this?

Yes. Yes, I am.

It's just that sometimes

you take these things so personally.

You know, you lose perspective.

You get obsessed.

That's right, Maggie.

You know when I see

something like this happening,

when I see a town lose three of its children,

then sacrifice three more for revenge,

then I do take it personally.

And maybe I do get a little bit obsessed.

So I'll just keep doing things my way.

You don't have to worry about me anymore.

You know, if the police are so goddamned

certain about their case then tell me this.

Why are they coming to me,

harassing my ex-wife?

You know, I just remembered,

I have to be in court. Early.

So thanks again for what you did.

And I'll sign the papers.

Ron, please don't.

RIDGE:
And then we followed Detective Allen

into the woods.

All the way down to Ten Mile Bayou.

Near the big drainpipe

behind the truck wash. And, uh...

This trial's a waste of time.

We all know he's guilty.

We ought to just fry him and get it over with.

Then maybe these journalist parasites can go

back to wherever they come from.

...crawled on my hands and

knees and felt along with my hands

and came to a piece of cloth.

This ended up being a white shirt

that was jabbed into the mud with a stick.

I moved further along the

ditch and came to what would be the

second body.

This is the body of Steve Branch

after I pulled him from the water.

(SPECTATORS GASPING)

(WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY)

(MUMBLES INCOHERENTLY)

Stevie.

(SIGHING)

MRS. WILSON:
Who can solve this problem?

- Mrs. Wilson?

- Yes.

- I'm so sorry to interrupt, I...

- That's okay.

I just, uh, found this,

this homework that Stevie did that day.

Before. And I'm just

wondering if you, you could grade it.

- Sure.

- Thank you.

It's perfect, as usual.

He was very good at math.

He studied real hard at everything.

He was a good boy.

Yes, ma'am, he was.

Thank you.

- Mrs. Hobbs?

- Yes.

Inspector, during the course

of your conversation with Mr. Misskelley,

was there a portion of a tape

played for the defendant?

Uh, yes, sir. I played this.

(FEEDBACK FROM MICROPHONE)

AARON:
And nobody knows

what happened but me.

And after hearing the tape,

what was the defendant's reaction?

Jessie immediately stated

that he wanted to tell us about it.

Then he said that he was

present when the boys were murdered.

Now, you got in front of you pictures

of the three boys that were killed.

Now, which one of these three is it you say

you saw Damien hit?

Misskelley has indicated the third photo,

which will be...

Michael Moore.

Are you pointing... Uh, that's the Byers boy.

Christopher?

Yeah. Is that who you're pointing at?

Uh-huh. Yeah.

What time did all this take place?

About 12:
00 noon.

Okay. Was it after school let out?

I... I don't go to school.

These little boys...

No, no, no. They...

(STAMMERS) They skipped school.

STIDHAM:
The little boys didn't skip school

that day, did they, Inspector?

No, the little boys did not.

When Jessie said the murders

took place around noon,

you knew that wasn't correct, did you not?

That's right.

Jessie, uh, what time did the

boys come into the woods?

What, I would say about 5:00 or 6:00.

Earlier, uh, you said 7:00 or 8:00.

What time is it?

It was 7:
00 or 8:00.

It was... Are you... You are sure of that?

Yeah, yeah. it was getting dark outside.

Okay.

And what did they use

to tie the boys up with?

Rope.

How were the boys tied

when the bodies were discovered?

They were tied by their own shoestrings.

Why didn't he know those things?

Why is he wrong?

If Jessie was there, why didn't he know?

It don't matter, Pam.

It does matter.

He did it. He did.

GITCHELL:
...activity which is

common in my 20 years' career.

I'm not talking about Jessie

lessening his involvement in the crimes.

I'm saying is it common

for the police to simply ignore

all those big, obvious problems with his story

and assume that everything else

he's telling you has got to be correct?

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