In the Heat of the Night Page #6

Suppose I get word to Packy that you

wanna see him? Have him come here?

Will you let him

bring me a cheeseburger?

Onions?

Now you're talkin'!

(Sam) Uh... Virge?

(footstep)

A little careless, ain't you, Virgil?

Parked in the road, you could get yourself

killed. Anybody'd know where you are.

- You know what this land is?

- Yeah. It's the site for the new factory.

I found a piece of wood in Colbert's scalp.

The lab identified it as pine.

Three people saw Colbert drive by -

alone - on the way back from Endicott's.

Colbert must have picked up somebody

in town and then come out here.

I tell you he didn't pick up nobody.

Sam followed him here, come up behind

him, just like I come up behind you.

- I heard you. Colbert would have too.

- He turned and he got smashed!

He was hit from behind!

If Delores Purdy hadn't come in,

I never would have seen the truth.

I was hung up trying to get Endicott,

for personal reasons.

Do you know what I'm gonna do, Virgil?

I'm gonna take you to Brownsville

and put you on the bus myself.

You aren't taking me anywhere.

You dig? You're holding the wrong man!

The wrong man?! I got the motive, which

is money, and the body, which is dead!

- What makes you so sure?

- Why do you doubt it?!

Because Colbert was killed here!

Then driven back to town in his own car

and dumped on the streets.

Sam couldn't have driven two cars!

What do you want?

Give me till morning.

(Gillespie chuckles)

You know...

You know, Virgil,

you are among the chosen few.

How's that?

Well, I think that you're the first

human being that's ever been in here.

Well, you can't be too careful, man.

You know a lotta things, don't you?

Well, just what do you know

about insomnia?

Bourbon can't cure it.

Well... that's for sure.

Now look. I got no wife. I got no kids.

Boy, I got a town that... don't want me.

And I got an air conditioner

that I have to oil myself,

and a desk with a busted leg.

And on top of that, I got...

this, uh...

place.

Now, don't you think that'd

drive a man to takin' a few drinks?

I'll tell you a secret.

Nobody comes here.

Never.

You married?

No.

Ever been?

No.

Ever been close to it?

Close to it.

Don't you get just... a little lonely?

No lonelier than you, man.

Oh, now, don't get smart, black boy.

I don't need it.

No pity, thank you.

No, thank you!

(knock at door)

- Yeah?

- Chief?

- Yeah.

- You know where I can find Virgil?

Who are you?

Packy, Chief. Packy Harrison.

I'm a friend of Harve.

- You got something for me?

- Yeah.

- Where you goin'?

- Where whitey ain't allowed.

- What the hell does that mean?

- You gave me till morning. Remember?

(car engine starts)

- Here's the car.

- He could have exchanged cars by now.

John, you stick here. We'll keep cruisin'.

You find him,

come back for me, you hear?

That's her place, here.

You want me to wait?

No, thank you, Packy. You go on home.

(bell tinkles)

Mrs Bellamy?

People around here

call me Mama Caleba.

Mama, I'm not from around here.

But you can put me on my train.

You talk crazy. You gin-drunk?

Just homesick.

Lord, Lord!

Whisper two little words,

Mama, and I'm on my way.

Maybe... I don't want to sever

a beautiful child like you right out.

A man's name.

First name, last name.

The man who's paying you

for Delores Purdy's abortion.

You're the boy who works for Mr Charlie.

I thought that's who you was.

Why you wanna do that?

Why you wanna help the police like that?

They stealin' your soul.

They chew you up and spit you out.

I'm not here to lay a finger on you, Mama.

It's the white boy I want.

What you got against him?

He's paying for his fun.

How much? I bet you he's not

paying you more than a hundred.

You know how much he's got in

his pocket right now? More than $600!

That cracker? (chuckles)

- Where'd he come off getting 600?

- He killed Mr Colbert.

You gone crazy out of your mind.

Now listen. Hear me good, Mama, please.

Don't make me have to send you to jail.

A lot you care!

There's white time in jail, and

coloured time. The worst kind you can do

is coloured time.

Child... you promise...

give me understanding.

I got used to better.

You won't take it away?

I won't take it away.

Well... I don't know his name.

But she's coming here tonight.

Get herself straight.

- Leave me alone! Let me go!

- (man) Let go of her!

- Let go of her!

- Let go of me!

Gonna teach you, boy!

No club this time, man?

A gun's not smart. The way

you killed Colbert was much smarter.

You killed Colbert?!

He's crazy. Crazy.

(horn blares)

(thug) OK, n*gger. Your time, n*gger.

Look in her purse.

- What's that mean?

- She's got $100 to pay for an abortion.

Listen to that. That's crazy.

Money she got from Ralph.

You gonna listen to him?

He got her to tell you

that Sam Wood did it.

He made a fool out of you, Purdy.

- Delores?

- Liar!

You stinkin' liar!

(Purdy) Gimme that purse!

You turned my little sister...

into a field slut?

(Delores screams) Lloyd! Lloyd!

- Hey, man, stay back!

- He's got a gun!

He's dead.

(Delores sobs)

When I left her house,

I was going to the diner.

Mr Colbert drove by,

so I hitched a ride with him. That's all.

I said "I sure would like a job in

that new factory once you get started."

And he said "Sure." And I said

"Well, I wonder where it's gonna be."

He said that field we were comin' up to

was it, and he would stop and show me.

I said to myself "Man, he's askin' for it."

I said "Now, Ralph,

all you gotta do when we get out...

is just sneak up behind him

and just... tap him."

"And then just claim that somebody

jumped us from the bushes."

That's all.

I didn't mean to kill him.

Yeah.

All right, Courtney. That's enough.

All right. C'mon, Ralph.

(Ralph on tape) That's all.

I didn't mean to kill him.

Well, got your ticket?

Here you are.

Thank you.

- Bye-bye.

- Goodbye.

Virgil?

You take care. You hear?

Yeah.

(? "In the Heat of the Night"

by Ray Charles)

(guard) Board!

? In the heat of the night

? I've got trouble wall to wall

? Oh yes, I have

? I repeat

? I repeat, in the night

? Must be an endin' to it all

? Hold on, it won't be long

? Yeah, you be strong

? And I'll be all right

? In the heat of the night

? In the heat of the night

ENHOH:

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