Imaginary Crimes Page #5

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any cash is yours truly.

And I'm getting nervous.

What's the matter?

I thought you were a high roller.

You're not the only one

with something on the line.

Who else?

Bud Rucklehaus...

...for one.

Bud Rucklehaus?

Should I be impressed?

Who the hell is Bud Rucklehaus?

He's vice president of First Federal.

Our kids go to school together.

You better not be bullshitting me.

And the next time I'm looking for you...

...be here.

Take it easy.

Shut up!

Stop!

Sonya, this is for you.

University of California?

Aren't you going to open it?

Come on.

I can't believe it!

I'm going away to college!

I'm going away to college.

They accepted me.

You're going away?

Congratulations.

Don't you dare say anything

until I figure out how to tell him.

What do you think I am?

Hello, girls.

Don't I deserve

more enthusiasm than that?

Daddy has had a rough day.

Has anyone started...

...dinner?

Sonya's going away to college.

What is she talking about?

I got accepted to the University

of California at Berkeley.

What the hell are you thinking about?

College?

Why not?

There are a thousand reasons.

Name one.

Jesus Christ!

Honey...

You don't know what you're talking about.

You're too young to know.

Your daddy knows about college.

Your daddy knows about professors.

I know. Don't think I don't know.

I've been around.

Those pinko intellectuals...

...will distort your values.

And do everything in their power

to turn your head around.

And ruin everything...

...that I, and all decent

upstanding Americans...

...like your daddy, hold precious.

Well.

Precious darling.

Since you feel that strongly about it...

...who is Daddy to try and stop you?

How could anyone's father be so selfish?

Sometimes Daddy would turn

to the housekeepers...

...for advice on how to raise us.

Hi, honey.

I didn't hear you come in.

Svedka and I are having a little chat.

So.

It snows a great deal in Finland?

"My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Once, instead of calling a doctor

when I had the flu...

...he came and sat on my bed

with a Bible...

...held in uncertain hands and faked it

so well that I recovered in no time.

Sometimes he didn't have the answers...

...and there was nowhere to turn.

Daddy, I need some money.

What for?

Just something I need.

Something?

What thing?

It's something from the store.

Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.

Daddy, I need money for Kotex.

Never has a man less-equipped

for parenthood, tried so hard.

I'll be a son of a b*tch.

The guy was being straight with me.

This is private property.

I know. It's my private property.

I'm one of the partners in this.

You're one of the Carver brothers?

I don't think so.

They're twins and I've met both.

You don't even remind me of them.

Wait.

There must be a misunderstanding.

I'm with Ray Weiler.

You know, Unified Minerals?

There's a misunderstanding all right,

but it's on your end.

This property is owned and being mined

by the Carver Brothers.

I remember some talk that another

company was undercut on this deal.

It could have been Unified Minerals.

You son of a b*tch, Weiler!

Anyone in there?

Someone's at the door for Daddy.

You go and answer it...

...and say I am not here.

Say I'm in the mountains

and you don't know when I'll be back.

Don't give me that look.

Daddy wouldn't ask you to do anything

unless it was absolutely necessary.

Come on! For Christ's sake,

get off the goddamn couch! Now!

Go answer the door!

Open up the damn door!

Don't make me bust the damn door!

Open it up!

Hello?

Tell your daddy Mr. Jarvis is here.

He's not home. He's in the mountains.

That's funny.

His partner told me he was here.

He's not. He's in the mountains.

Don't play games with me.

I know he's here.

Mr. Jarvis, you don't understand.

Ray Weiler's a very busy man.

He needs to be away on business.

Yeah, he's busy.

Stealing money from honest men!

He's not here!

What's the rush?

Got a client to meet?

We have business. You owe me.

You'll get your money back.

Your investment will come back, double.

I'm sick of your lies!

They're breaking ground Monday.

We're waiting for equipment.

Shut up, Ray! I've been up to the site!

I met the Carvers

and I phoned Rucklehaus!

It's over!

So don't insult me with your crap!

I want my money by Monday

or I swear to you...

I want my money, plus 20 percent.

That's 20 percent for aggravation.

You get it! You get it, goddamn it!

You got nice girls.

Ought to take better care of them.

It's okay.

I was trying to protect you as much as

I was trying to do the right thing.

If that old geezer hadn't sold out

from under me, it would've been fine.

- I saw a lawyer. I'm pressing charges.

- Oh, Bud. Don't do that.

Think about your daughter.

Please, I'm appealing to you, Bud.

Bud, please, have some mercy.

Daddy, are you all right?

All I needed was a few more days.

These bastards don't know the first thing

about the mining business.

A little bit of trouble, and they panic.

What will we do now?

It's the guys like Bud Rucklehaus

that really kill me.

I lay the deal of a lifetime in their laps

and look what I get.

While they sit in their offices

and never get their hands dirty.

These guys...

...have no guts.

No vision.

They can't pull this sh*t on Ray Weiler.

I found a...

...lawyer for your father.

Your dad will be out soon.

Desmond took care of the bail.

Mr. Webster put up the...?

Don't worry about that. He'll get it back.

You need help.

Your father is charged with grand larceny

and fraud. That's serious.

So what's going to happen now?

Well.

We got a court date in a few weeks.

I'll need you and your sister

in court every day.

It's going to upset Greta

to have to go to court.

Look.

Social Services isn't going to look kindly

on your situation.

She's my sister.

I can take care of her.

I know, but we must do everything

we can to convince them.

Let's go home, sweetheart.

Thank you, sir.

I'll see you.

My father is changing.

I can sense the shifts, the profound

upheavals taking place in him.

He's on the road a lot of these nights,

gripping the wheel of the Ford...

...driving aimlessly

through deserted streets.

I've seen him from my bedroom window,

circling the block...

...as if he were trying to decide

whether to stay with us...

...or to just run away.

I lie awake, watching the clock

long after Greta's fallen asleep.

And while I wait for him, I write.

I imagine the thoughts he must be having...

...as he stares down the darkened highway.

He's watching his dreams unravel.

When my mother was alive,

he'd be bristling with plans.

I imagine that, deep in his heart...

...he thinks he's failed her.

The thought of our future

is always on his mind.

I know he must think about leaving

and letting us shift for ourselves.

But there seems to be something

deep inside him...

...that just won't let him desert us.

Here she comes.

What are you doing here?

Can't a father pick his daughter up

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