In the Heat of the Night Page #5

I'm leavin' Compton's now.

(Courtney) Sam, look sharp.

Gillespie's sniffin' around.

Gimme that thing!

Courtney, your brother says I didn't

tell him to fix that hinge, so I told you.

Do you read me, Courtney?

- Oh, I'll get right on it, Chief.

- I'd do that if I were you.

Yes, sir. Ten-four.

All right, you can move us. Officer Wood.

- Why'd you do that, Sam?

- Do what?

Change your route

back there at the corner.

Who says I changed?

Look, I oughta know what I did!

Chief, do I have to put up with this?

Do I work for you, or do I work for him?

Good night, gentlemen.

I don't know.

- I don't know.

- Well, I appreciate anything you can do.

- This is highly irregular.

- Yeah, I know that.

Showing our depositors' accounts?

Hm. I don't know.

- You sure this is an official request?

- Yes. It's official, yes.

- You willing to put that in writing?

- Yeah. I'll put it in writing.

On police department letterhead?

I would write it on the head of a pin

if you want it there.

- I gotta have somethin' for the file.

- I realise that, but I'm in a hurry.

Well, we'll see.

He's had an account with us

for several years now.

That so?

Not a large account.

Never more than... Yeah.

$208.

That was back in '62. September.

I am not interested in '62 September.

I am interested in yesterday.

Yesterday? Well...

Well.

According to this,

he made a deposit of... $632.

- Yesterday?

- Yes.

- Thank you.

- Must have been when I was out to lunch.

A deposit that size, I'd remember.

Oh, you'll send me that letter

for the file, you hear?

I'll tell you, baby brother, the chief

didn't like him, not even from the first.

(door opens)

- Morning.

- Where do you think you're goin'?

(Courtney) It's all right. Let him go.

I just talked to the FBI lab. We can

prove Colbert was in that greenhouse.

Endicott's covering up.

I'm afraid you're too late.

We already got the guilty man.

- Who?

- Sam.

- Sam?

- That's right.

Our man is Endicott.

You just think a minute.

Didn't you catch Sam in a lie last night?

And yesterday he makes

a big cash deposit at the bank.

If I told you once,

I told you a hundred times

that I won that matchin' quarters

and halves. It took me three years!

Then why was it in big bills? I checked.

Because whenever I got enough change,

I'd trade it in on $20 bills.

And when I got up to $600,

I took it down and put it in the bank.

The day Colbert was killed, he cashed

a cheque for $900, $600 of which is gone,

$300 of which I believe you left in the

wallet as bait for some kid like Oberst!

- What kinda man do you think I am?!

- Now, don't you push me, boy!

Now listen.

If you weren't suspicious of Sam here,

why did you question him last night

when he changed his route?

- I knew why he changed his route.

- Knew what?

He was afraid I'd see

some naked white girl down the block.

- What?

- Some girl named Delores Purdy.

She parades around in the nude

at night to get her kicks. That's...

- How do you know?

- I know.

Well, I know. Do you understand?

I know that Colbert

cashed a cheque for $900.

I know that Sam made a big cash deposit.

I know that you caught him in a lie.

And I know that's enough for me.

C'mon, Sam.

Martin, lock him up.

Well?

Well... you're making a mistake.

Don't you bet against it.

You can catch your train now, Virgil.

Tibbs?

Do you think Sam did it?

- Where do I find the chief?

- What's it all about?

My business.

Hey, look, Purdy.

Now, you got a complaint?

Well, right here's where you file it.

What I got to say, I say to the chief.

It's about Sam Wood.

All right.

- (knock on door)

- (Gillespie) Yeah?

(Harold) Purdy's out here, sir.

It's about Sam.

All right. Send him in.

She is gonna have a baby.

Sam Wood's baby.

Well, ask her yourself

if you don't believe me!

What are you doin' here?

It's important that I hear this.

I ain't talkin' about this

with him in the room.

- Boy, you don't want trouble, you get!

- You be sensible. I'm a police officer.

You gonna get him outta here,

or do I gotta do it?!

You ain't gonna do nothin'.

You just stand there and shut up.

(sniggers)

Sit down, little girl.

All right, now.

You tell me... all about it.

Just tell me how it happened.

Oh, come on. Come on, girl, speak!

- Well, you know how hot it's been.

- Yeah.

Nights, they aren't any better.

My brother works nights.

He leaves me all alone.

This particular night,

I go out on the porch.

I'm thinkin' how nice it'd be

if I had a fountain drink.

Sam comes down our road.

Just like he comes every night.

Passin' like a lord

in that fine, big, shiny car.

Only, this time he stops.

He's got a nice face,

don't you think, Chief?

So he stopped.

- (softly) He says...

- What? I didn't hear what you said.

(Iouder) He says...

"Hey, little girl,

you know what

the coolest spot in town is?"

And I said "No, Sam. I guess I don't."

And he said...

"The cemetery. That's where."

"Know why?"

"Cos they got all of them

big, cool tombstones."

"Ever stretch out

on a tombstone, Delores?"

"Feel all that nice, cool marble

along your body?"

- He said that?

- You hear, Chief? You hear?

Yeah, I hear. I hear.

All right. Sam comes along and stops in

front of your house and talks. What else?

Well, come on now, girl.

What else? What else? What else?

- Then I went for a ride with him.

- Where'd you go?

The cemetery.

So, Wood took you to

the cemetery in the patrol car, right?

And then things went a bit too far.

Is that what you're sayin'?

Did they get a little bit outta line?

Come on now.

Is that what you're tryin' to say?

Come on, girl! Is it or ain't it?

- Yeah, they went too far!

- Well, fine!

Now, I got one more question.

Very important.

Did he force you, or did you let him?

Don't mean a damn whether

she let him or not! She is still 16!

In this state, that's rape!

I know the plain law on that!

I know the laws in the state

of Mississippi, thank you!

- Are you sure you're pregnant?

- Yes, I am pregnant!

- Courtney!

- Yes, sir?

Better get in here with a pad and a pencil.

Come on in. I want you

to take this all down.

You had no right to keep a n*gger

in the room, shame my little sister.

You had no right.

Virge, what's happenin'?

- Hi, Harve.

- How are you?

- Fine.

- Man, uh...

- You sure saved my hide.

- Listen, Harvey. Man, uh...

If a guy knocks up a girl in this town,

where can he go for help?

- Barbershop.

- Barbershop?

Borrow Mr Fanning's razor

and cut your throat!

Well...

But suppose

Mr Fanning's razor is too dull.

Suppose he's got some

real money to spread around.

Uh...

Well, uh...

There used to be a coloured gal.

But she kept bumpin' her price,

and I don't know if she's still in business.

- What's her name?

- Well, I ain't never had to look her up.

But, uh... Packy might know.

Where do I find Packy?

Down at the pool hall.

But, man, he wouldn't tell you.

Not unless I say so.

And how am I gonna say so

locked up in here?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes