Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil Page #11

She is, in fact, an admitting nurse...

...at Chandler Emergency Room.

SONNY:
Mr. Williams, will you describe

your relationship with the deceased?

I met Billy Hanson when he came around

to the house wanting a job.

So...

...I hired him in the workshop

to refinish furniture.

He had some talent,

and I wanted to encourage him.

During this time...

...I developed hypoglycemia. I

blacked-out at times. I don't eat well.

The doctor told me...

...it was not good for me to be alone

when this condition occurs.

So Billy would stay over...

...and take care of me

when I wasn't well.

He did not live at Mercer House,

as has been stated.

Is that the full extent of your

relationship with Billy Hanson?

No. Over time, it evolved

into something less formal.

We became intimate.

Billy could be very charming.

He had his girlfriends and I had mine.

But to me...

...sex is a perfectly natural thing.

It didn't bother me.

It didn't bother him.

It was just an occasional natural

occurrence between consenting adults.

Would you describe to the jury...

...the events

that occurred in your house...

...after the party?

By the time Billy got back to the house

he was quite high...

...and we got into an argument

about a planned trip to London.

I was going to an auction, and Billy was

to accompany me because of my condition.

But he insisted on taking

marijuana cigarettes.

I do not approve of drugs

and I told him he could not go.

He became verbally abusive

and I ordered Billy out of the house.

He went into the hallway.

The argument continued there.

Then he knocked over a clock.

I went to call the police.

He followed me with a gun.

He said...

...and I'll never forget this:

"I might leave tomorrow...

...but goddamn it,

you're leaving tonight."

I saw that Luger...

...and moved.

I reached in a drawer

for my own weapon.

As I came up,

the first shot...

...I felt breeze by my shoulder.

And I fired.

I don't remember how many times.

It was horrible.

SONNY:

We're all Savannahians.

Our paths cross from time to time.

We greet each other.

Smile here, nod there.

But even if we don 't know each other...

...we have one thing in common.

This beautiful place where we all live.

And as one Savannahian...

...to 12...

...I'd like to thank you

for your civic pride...

...for your diligence...

...and here in this courtroom...

...for your rapt attention.

I've watched you taking notes.

The prosecution

started this whole thing...

...quoting someone

by the name of Hobbes.

I don't know who that is...

...but...

...I do know who Perry Mason is.

You watch Perry Mason?

SONNY:

I do.

SONNY:

And I got to thinking...

...if some TV writer...

...was to come to Perry Mason

and say...

..."Here you are, Mr. Raymond Burr,

here's a story like this."

You know what I think he'd say?

I think old Raymond would say...

"That's not a very good story.

I wouldn't have to be

a very good lawyer...

...to get that man off,

now would I?"

SONNY:

He'd be right!

Because...

...by all the evidence,

Jim Williams is an innocent man.

But I'm not Perry Mason.

I'm not some TV lawyer.

So I got to scratch and tear

at the prosecution's case...

...trying to whittle it down to nothing.

And darned if I don't think I have!

Because the fabrication

of the prosecution's case is in pieces.

When you consider

how Detective Boone...

...has consistently lied

about bagging the hands.

Does that surprise you...

...that a detective would lie?

Of course he will.

He's not a bad man.

But how else will he play the cards...

...that have been dealt to him

from a pack of lies?

If Jim Williams...

...is guilty of anything...

...he's guilty of bad association.

But that's not why he's on trial for.

If you don't like...

...or if you don't cotton

to his lifestyle...

...just think about this:

We deal with these people all the time.

Some good...

...some bad.

They're a part of our community.

You can't judge a man for that.

This is God's world.

Let God be the judge of that.

And let you good folks...

...be the judge of this.

Come on, now.

You let this man go home.

He's had enough.

Thank you.

Mr. Foreman,

has the jury reached a verdict?

Yes, we have, Your Honor.

Is it unanimous?

Yes!

Hand it to the sheriff, please.

Pick that up.

Hand it to me.

Give it back to him.

JUDGE:
Defendant and attorneys,

rise, please.

Publish the verdict.

"We, the jury,

find the defendant...

...not guilty."

JUDGE:
Members of the jury,

this concludes your work.

You've rendered great service

to Savannah and Chatham County.

I'm going to dismiss you now

with the thanks of the court.

(JUDGE POUNDS GAVEL)

Congratulations, Jim.

Thank you, John.

MINERVA:

Hey, boy!

What do you got?

Come on down.

We gots to go visit the boy.

We got to make him

quit working James.

Trial's over, Minerva.

Billy can't do anything to James now.

Why I come to you?

Because you...

...out of everybody,

know it ain't over yet.

I know, the boy know, and you know

justice ain't been done yet.

I'll come down for a minute.

JOHN:

I don't know about this.

MINERVA:

That's exactly why you come this far.

MINERVA:

Billy always loved Wild Turkey.

He ain't happy here.

Ain't what he thought it would be.

If you ain't in heaven yet, you want

to get there, don't you, boy?

The only way you're going to get up...

...is if you quit playing with James.

I has influence with the dead.

They can lift you up.

Nobody else can do that for you.

Nobody!

Don't you laugh at me!

You think you had a harsh life?

You got no idea.

Never had no bills to pay...

...no children to feed,

no house to clean.

You had it easy.

You can just lay there.

JOHN:

Where's Jim?

Thanks for dropping by.

I've finished my Christmas party list...

...and you made the cut.

I'm honored,

but I won't be here.

Many will be disappointed.

So, obviously,

you've decided to stay in town.

Yes.

Living here pisses off

all the right people.

JOHN:
What can I do for you?

JIM:
I have something for you.

Yussopov's dagger may have seemed...

...more useful,

given your profession...

...but the painting

somehow seemed appropriate.

I hope you will accept it...

...as an expression of my gratitude.

JOHN:

Newmarket Heath, the overpaint.

Thank you.

JIM:

I'll have it sent along.

I don't want to keep you

from your party.

But one more question, for the book.

Do you want to tell me

what really happened?

Sport...

...truth, like art...

...is in the eye of the beholder.

You believe what you choose...

...and I'll believe what I know.

Good luck, Jim.

Why didn't you come in?

I never enter the office on Sunday.

Bad juju.

I still got a lot of questions.

You know all you need to know.

One thing...

...don't commune so long with the dead

you forget the living.

What's this?

I love you, boy.

But I ain't the only one.

You know that, don't you?

How long's your lease?

Six months.

Welcome to Savannah.

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