Just Cause Page #4

...two tourists in Lakeland,

a prostitute in Tampa, and finally...

...he gets sloppy.

Big-time sloppy.

That's murder one.

That's the Row. Death Row.

He's here?

Yes. And what does he find

when he gets here?

A neighbor on the Row

who's in for killing a little girl.

Yeah, a little blonde girl down in Ochopee.

All cut up and thrown in the swamps.

And he says:

"I know you didn't do it, because I did."

Then he starts laughing.

And he says, "You must be

the sorriest f*** in this unit."

I can hear him every night.

Bobby Earl!

Why won't you talk to me?

Shut up, you crazy f***!

Shut up!

It's like a death sentence

on top of a death sentence.

He calls me his last victim.

Who is he?

Blair Sullivan.

You really had me going.

I was starting to think:

"Maybe the man is onto something."

What do you mean?

Funny thing is, you almost pulled it off,

you almost got away with it.

Got away with what?

Your wife, Slick.

"Prentiss" is her maiden name, isn't it?

Yes. Was.

Was before she married you.

Laurie Prentiss, Assistant DA.

What about her?

She was the prosecutor on Robert Earl's

kidnap trial in Dade. Ring any bells?

What you think?

Small-town police

don't do their homework?

Don't know how to access information?

I don't understand exactly what kind of

hidden agenda you got up your sleeve...

...but I'm telling you...

...stay out of my town.

I'd been plea bargaining everything

that came across my desk.

I just wanted to show

the good old boys how good I was.

I was hot for it.

Thought I had the case locked tight.

My star witness, the arresting officer.

He said when he came up on the car,

that Bobby Earl was on top of her...

...in the back seat and she was screaming.

Two seconds into the cross-examination...

...the defense attorney produces

a prom photo...

...with my star witness in a tuxedo

with the victim.

Son of a b*tch admits

they were high school sweethearts!

I didn't want to give up, so...

...I got the judge to grant me

a 24-hour recess so I could regroup.

I came back with nothing

and he threw the case out.

Why the hell didn't you tell me?

I did. I told you when I met you.

Bullshit.

Should've told me

when you read the letter.

- I didn't...

- Why not?

I didn't know if it would influence you.

That you might not take the case,

you might not help this kid.

He paid dearly for what happened to him.

Why? Because he lost a scholarship

and spent an extra night in prison?

No, Paul.

It was more than that.

Later, I found out that they beat him

real bad that night.

He ended up in the hospital.

Listen.

It was my fault.

I want you to help him get his life back.

I want you to make it right for him.

No, Laurie, you want me

to make it right for you.

You're right.

But how does what I'm telling you

change his situation on Death Row?

Okay.

It was called "The Pilgrimage of Death."

It sold many papers.

The guy started with his landlady

in New Orleans...

... a prostitute in Mobile

and a sailor in Pensacola.

Then he got real busy.

A body every 100 miles.

When was Pensacola?

Late April, early May.

It was incredible.

APBs in three states,

FBI flyers all over the place...

...and no one spots him.

Painting, writing letters

to the families of his victims...

...that's all he does.

Yeah, we got a whole other theme park

for Mr. Sullivan.

I'm innocent! I'm innocent!

All right...

...he's all yours.

They don't like me very much.

Really?

Why is that?

Creative differences.

Tape recorder. May I?

Be my guest.

You have quite an art gallery back there.

Thank you.

Idle hands are the devil's workshop.

You believe in Jesus?

Yes, I do.

That's good.

That's very good.

I killed so many goddamn people...

...I can't keep up with my correspondence,

but my question is:

Do you think any of those people

got out of bed on their last day...

...thinking, "Today's my day to die"?

You got to take Jesus into your heart now,

because you never know.

Even if you don't have a condition,

you might have a situation.

You a killer too?

Me?

No.

You never went to war?

Korea? Vietnam?

Never did a hit-and-run with the BMW?

Never told the wifey to get an abortion?

Or that piece of chicken on the side,

"Here's $300, take care of it."

Because you got that look.

You got ice in your eyes.

I can tell.

You're wrong.

Am I now?

Mr. Armstrong...

...let's see whom we're talking to.

Are you married?

Yes.

Kids?

No.

Liar.

House or apartment?

A house.

Alarms on the windows?

Dogs?

Have trouble sleeping?

- No.

- Liar.

You afraid to die?

Don't think about it.

Liar!

That's three lies.

Same as Peter did to Jesus

before the cock crowed.

You should be ashamed of yourself,

lying to a condemned man.

Don't my...

...lies tell you as much about me

as my truths?

Okay.

Would you do me a favor?

Mail this for me.

Thank you.

What do you want to talk to me for?

Ochopee.

Nice town.

What happened there?

You been talking to my old neighbor,

Bobby Earl. Excitable boy.

Did you kill Joanie Shriver?

Did I?

There been so many.

Did you kill Joanie Shriver?

You're starting to get all frantic

and excited, just like Bobby Earl did.

Did you?

You're my first visitor in two years since

those behavioral science boys visited me.

Wanted to know about my childhood.

Did my folks beat me,

abuse me, sex me up?

I told them there ain't no formula

for people like me.

What we're dealing with here

is just a predisposition for an appetite.

You know, good parents, bad parents...

Ain't no cause and effect.

It's just an appetite.

F*** you.

Let me tell you a few things, Armstrong.

One:

I am filled with power!

You may think I'm an impotent prisoner...

...locked in a cell each night and day,

but I am filled with a strength...

...that reaches beyond these bars!

I can touch anyone I want to!

Just as easy as dialing the telephone!

There's no one beyond my reach!

You hear me? No one!

Did you kill her?

I ain't going to tell you if I did or not.

Even if I did, how would you know

to believe me?

Killing is easy for me.

How hard do you think lying is?

Yeah. Go to hell.

I will.

No doubt about that.

What if I could help you find something?

Something important.

Something interesting.

Real important.

Like what?

Where is it?

- Not far from where they found her.

- Where?

They didn't read the signs.

What signs?

The Bible.

The Bible?

Ecclesiastes 11:
1.

You can't miss it if you can read the signs.

What signs?

"Seek, and ye shall find."

- Do you have a Bible here?

- We have plenty. The Gideons love us.

- How'd it go?

- I wouldn't like him as a neighbor.

- He asked me to mail this.

- Not again. Goddamn him.

Wilkinsons.

Sick bastard.

I never send these letters.

Can't even read them anymore.

Hey, Roz, what's up, baby?

You saw Tyrone?

He is not telling you the truth.

You know he's lying.

I saw him with her last night.

Someone is here so I'll speak to you later.

All right, then.

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