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and he's made to feel damn

sorry for what he did.

That's where you come in,

Mr. McCormack.

He's your boy.

How do I know what

you're telling me here

is the truth, Ludlow?

Huh?

What proof have you got?

I've got a spent

shell casing

that the Sheriff's office could

probably match to the Browning

if it needs come to that.

But why don't we

just ask him?

Hey, Hon.

Is Danny upstairs?

Yeah?

Could you go on up there

and tell him come on

downstairs to the study?

Tell them I said

right now.

( footsteps approaching )

- ( knocking )

- ( door opens )

Danny:

Hey, Dad.

Hey.

Do you know

this man here?

No. Why?

You're absolutely sure?

Uh-huh.

- What?

- This is Mr. Ludlow, Danny.

Okay?

He's been telling me

a pretty amazing story.

Told me you tried to

rob him yesterday.

That you shot his dog.

What?

Us?

Are you kidding?

Mr. Ludlow is not

kidding, no.

Did you take the Browning

out yesterday, Danny?

No. No no.

We drove to Jenny Lind.

Ask mom.

She saw us take the car.

- With who?

- Us and Pete.

- You go anyplace else?

- No.

You go up to Miller's Bend?

Why would we want to go

to Miller's Bend, Dad?

Oh...

Do you own a T-shirt

that says "Property of"--

- Stolen from.

- Stolen from--

"Stolen from May's Whorehouse"?

You own a shirt like that?

If I did

I'd probably wear it.

But you don't

own a shirt like that?

No.

No, sir.

I got to tell you,

I thought the whole story

sounded far-fetched from

the very beginning, Ludlow.

I got a couple of

good boys right here

that would not

be involved in

something like what you

were describing to me.

I'm sorry

about your dog.

Truly am.

But, um...

You got the wrong pair

of kids and that's all.

It's Harold, right?

Danny said

your name yesterday.

I want to thank you for lying

to your brother about my rig.

Could've brought a couple hundred

dollars or so and you knew that.

Nice of you not to mention

that to your brother.

Now suppose

you tell your dad

about my dog.

I don't know anything

about your dog, mister.

The truth would swallow

a whole lot easier, son.

Yeah, well I--

Mr. McCormack:

That's just about enough, Ludlow.

They said

they didn't do it.

And if they said they

didn't do it,

they didn't do it

and that's that.

I guess you're

just mistaken.

Well, I asked you.

Excuse me?

I said I asked you.

- Asked me what, sir?

- To do the right thing here.

It could have been

the right thing maybe,

if it had been

the right boys.

Oh, I've got the right boys,

Mr. McCormack.

It's you who've got

the wrong boys.

And I think

you probably know that.

Thank you for your time.

Yeah.

What?

You can't prove

attempted robbery.

It's just your word

against theirs.

So what you've got is a case

of cruelty to animals.

Maybe reckless conduct

with a firearm.

- Misdemeanors.

- Misdemeanors? Jesus.

Under the law an animal

is just property.

They have a mandatory

$100 fine.

He didn't just give

the dog a kick, Sam.

He killed it.

It's still just cruelty

to animals, Ave.

That's all the law

has to say about it.

You can ask for up to

but practically speaking,

no prosecutor in his right mind

is going to request more than 30.

And he wouldn't get

more than 10.

The Sheriff could

at least arrest him,

put the fear of God into

the little son of a b*tch.

To arrest the little

son of a b*tch,

the Sheriff would've had to

have seen him pull the trigger.

I'm sorry, Ave.

It's no good.

I still have to try.

All of this time,

work and expense

for an old mongrel dog

you already buried?

That really what you want?

That old mongrel dog

was Mary's gift to me

for my 50th birthday, Sam.

And they made a joke

about killing him.

( radio playing )

There he is.

Hey.

Where's the old mutt?

He's gone, Emma.

Gone?

A boy shot him

Back by Miller's Bend

On Sunday.

Oh My Lord.

- Why would--

- There wasn't any sense to it.

Just meanness.

( creaking )

( car engine starts )

( tires squeal )

Sam:
You know, Ave, last time

we talked it got me thinking.

I know how much that dog

meant to you,

especially after what happened

with Mary and the boys.

Will they prosecute?

All I could get out of them

was a "we'll see."

Which I guess is better

than a "no way."

I'll be over as soon as

I check with Emma.

Fine.

I found out a few things

about McCormack.

- Uh-huh.

- Yeah, he made his money in trucking

just like his daddy.

He had some run-ins with

the law when he was younger.

There was some talk

about government payoffs.

Oh, married a beauty queen.

You see her out there?

Sure did.

Yeah, he married

pretty well,

But I'm not sure he

treats her that good.

Anyway, all in all,

there's plenty of money

and political clout there.

But underneath, McCormack

is nothing but a redneck

one generation removed.

Oh, I also think

I've found out

who your third boy is.

Word is Danny

and Harold hang out

with a kid

named Pete Doust.

Man:

Don't move sh*t around.

With your sewing crap

in the way

I can't find

the remote control.

Woman:

Hey, open the door.

Mr. Doust?

- I'm Avery Ludlow.

- I know who you are, sir.

I guess you talked

to Mr. McCormack then.

Mr. McCormack don't talk to

no out-of-work carpenter.

His boy called my boy.

And?

And what?

Oh, Mr. Ludlow...

Petey says they drove

out to Jenny Lind,

They hung out there,

even bought

a couple CDs there.

Goddamn expensive

couple CDs.

Didn't say nothing

about no shotgun

or no old dog.

Maybe they did drive to

Jenny Lind before or after,

but at about 4:
00

in the afternoon

they were

at Miller's Bend.

And when they didn't get

the money they wanted from me

Danny McCormack

shot my dog.

And your son stood there

with him

laughing about it.

- Look--

- No, hey, Mr. Lud-- Ludlow.

I heard every word of this

and I want to know

just what you think you're

doing coming out here like this?

I mean, if you have a

complaint with the McCormacks

why don't you just

take it up with them?

You heard that your boy was

party to attempted robbery?

That he thought it was funny

that his friend

shot my animal?

He didn't shoot your dog.

He was there.

He saw the boy who did.

I want him to say that.

Maybe he's sorry.

You ever think of that?

How can he be sorry

if he denies it happened?

You're right.

It wasn't your boy

who fired the weapon.

And I'd be willing

to forgive him

if he'd only show

some nerve and decency

and own up

to his part in it

and tell the Sheriff

what Danny McCormack did.

This is my phone number.

I know a boy can be hard

in his heart sometimes

and regret it later on.

I only want

the truth from him.

Tell him to do what's right.

That's all I'm asking.

( car horn blaring )

Got a pie cooling

in the back, Ave.

Might make this go down

a lot easier.

That'll be nice, Gloria.

Thank you.

- Evening, Sam.

- Gloria.

Ave, this is

Carrie Donnel

from KPZS News over

in Portland.

- Mrs. Donnel.

- Carrie will be just fine, thank you.

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