Pinky Page #7

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forget all about it.

But she meant me to have it.

"Expression

of my genuine regard for her...

and my confdence in the use

to which she will put this property."

- What did she mean?

- That don't mean nothin' where

the white folks is concerned.

- 'Sides, you goin'

back up yonder, so why...

- (Knocking)

- Evenin', SisterJohnson.

Evenin', Miss Pinky.

- Hello, Jake.

Well, I just started uptown,

and I thought I'd stop by for a while.

Well, Miss Pinky, I hear as how

you got some property comin' to ya.

- What else have you heard?

- Well, the white folks are sayin'...

you kept Miss Em

doped all the time.

They say she must have been

out of her head, and you must've

made her write that will.

- It's nonsense, and they know it.

- Is or ain't, I don't know.

But it sure spells

trouble for somebody.

If I was you, Miss Pinky, I'd stick

close to the house for a while.

- She's leavin'

frst thing in the morning.

- Goin' back up north?

- Yes.

- That's good.

That's mighty good.

Then Ms. Wooley

get the property by default.

- Everything's fne...

no trouble for nobody.

- Is that the law?

Default? Well, unless you get

a lawyer to fle an answer.

Of course, me, I've had

considerable dealings with

the law, but I ain't licensed.

But even if I was licensed,

I wouldn't touch your case...

for a stack

of hundred dollar bills that high.

I got a nice house

and no fre insurance.

And I'm glad you decided

to be sensible about this thing.

Because if you hadn't, I was gonna make

reservations across the state line...

and go fshin'

for three or four weeks.

Oh, what is it?

What is it, child?

Pinky.

Pinky, tell me.

What are you fxin' to do?

I'll be staying on for a while,

till this business is settled.

Miss Em meant me

to have the house...

and I'm not gonna give it up

to please Mrs. Wooley...

or anybody.

Granny.

Can't do it, Pinky.

You know that I'm retiring.

As judge, yes, sir. But that

leaves you free to take my case.

Frankly, I don't want to get

mixed up in this.

There's too much feelin', too many tales

around about you and Miss Em.

- They're not true, sir.

- Possibly they're not, but...

Say, perhaps you could compromise...

settle it out of court.

- I'm sure Mrs. Wooley would be generous.

- With my property?

- Court'll decide whose it is.

- It won't even come up

before the court...

unless I can

induce a lawyer to act for me.

But you don't want a lawyer

who thinks the will was

ill-considered and a mistake.

All right, sir.

Good-bye.

judge Walker, Miss Em

was your lifelong friend.

Whether the will was a mistake

or not, wouldn't she expect you

to help carry out her wishes?

- I'll take your case.

- Thank you, sir. Of course,

I'll pay the customary fees.

Oh, no. There'll be expenses you'll have

to meet, but there won't be any fee.

I'm a fool to take your case and

the only one who can win it for you...

but if I'm gonna get into a fght,

it'll be on clean ground.

Come see me tomorrow.

(Doc) But it was Miss Em who

owned the property, and she

wanted this girl to have it.

- But that isn't the point. Doc.

- It's the principle.

Dr. Joe?

- Come on. See ya later, Doc.

- Be seein' ya, Doc.

Dr. Joe, could you help me...

help me to fnd a job?

I only need a few days...

to help cover the court expenses...

and I can't ask Granny.

She's been ill lately,

hasn't been able to work at all.

Might as well face it, Pinky.

I couldn't possibly

get you a job now.

A lot of the folks even down

on my neck about this thing...

blamin' me for puttin' you

over there in the frst place.

- If it isn't too much, I could...

- Oh, no, Doctor.

Thank you. I'll fnd a way.

(Nervous Chuckle)

Good-bye.

(Granny Humming)

(Metal Clanging)

Hello.

Pinky?

Yes, Granny?

Tom.

Darling, come here.

Granny.

Granny, this is

Dr. Thomas Adams.

- How do you do?

- Pleased to meet you, sir.

I reckon you got things

to talk about.

Why on earth

are you doing this?

I needed some money.

Granny was sick.

- Could've asked me for it.

- No, Tom.

This is something

I have to do by myself.

I still don't know

what it's all about, Pat...

or why you think it's important

enough to change our plans.

Quite a stir in the papers up north,

Negro papers in particular.

Got ahold of some clippings for you.

I read in one of'em

the trial was set for tomorrow.

Read them.

"Negro Heiress Defes Lynch Law."

Yes, there... there was a reporter here,

but I didn't tell him anything.

"Negro Girl Fights To Hold Her..."

I had no idea

they'd make so much of it.

Why go through with it? What for?

It isn't too late to back out.

- The trial's tomorrow.

- Let it go by default.

We don't need the house.

I got plenty for both of us.

- Be sensible. Pack,

and let's get out of here.

- I can't do that, Tom.

- What are you fghting for, a run-down

house and a few acres of worthless land?

- No.

If I should back out now,

I'd be letting Miss Em down.

I can't do that.

I can't let her down.

I can't let myself down

or... my people.

- They're not your people, Pat!

- What?

Not really. There'll be

no PinkyJohnson after we're married.

You'll be Mrs. Thomas Adams

for the rest of your life.

Tom, you can change your name,

but I wonder if you can change

what you really are inside.

What's behind all this?

You haven't really told me.

I don't know.

I'm not being heroic. I'd hate that.

I just know I have

to go through with it to the end.

You see, they're trying

to steal the property...

steal it from Miss Em

as much as from me.

They'll probably

get away with it.

But I'm gonna make them

do it out in the open...

right out in court

for everyone to see and hear.

It won't be pleasant, Tom. They'll lie.

They'll try to humiliate me.

They'll try

every trick of prejudice.

But I just...

All right, Pat.

I'll be there. I understand.

We also propose to show, Your Honor,

that the defendant, PinkyJohnson...

We also propose to show, Your Honor,

that the defendant, PinkyJohnson...

colored... is of a violent nature...

quarrelsome,

a troublemaker...

that she is capable of executing

the scheme I have described to you...

and that she had every

opportunity of doing so.

The deceased

was unquestionably senile.

The fact that she signed the will twice

is evidence of a confused mind.

She was unduly infiuenced by

the defendant as I have outlined to you.

And she was under

the infiuence of drugs...

administered by the defendant.

Furthermore, this will

was written at a time when...

reliable witnesses will prove

she was of unsound mind.

May I see that will again, please?

In view of these things, we therefore

ask that the will be set aside...

and the property inherited

by the next of kin.

I yield to you, Judge Walker.

(Crowd Murmuring)

Your Honor.

I agreed to act

for the defendant in this case...

because I feared

an injustice was about to be done.

Your Honor, apparently

my fears were well-founded.

Counsel for the plaintiff

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