Small Crimes

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1

[man on PA, indistinct]

[door buzzing]

[chattering]

[man exhales]

[man 2] So what do you think, Joe?

[scoffs]

I dont know.

I dont think thats for me to say.

A second chance?

I mean, its a nice idea, but...

But?

- How do you feel?

- Feel?

I feel that I was a nightmare.

I made terrible choices.

I drove my family away. I...

I hurt people.

I didnt mean to, but there it is.

And for all that...

theres a hole inside me now.

It hurts. I carry it.

Like Phil Coakley hurts?

Of course not.

But I know the work Ive done.

Youve seen that.

Yeah.

- Yeah. I have.

- Right.

I got almost six years.

Thats real.

Thats clarity.

I cant do anything about before.

Thats done.

But I can show people Ive changed.

Like with my behavior.

And my girls.

I can be their father again.

And thats what you want?

Thats all there is.

A second chance.

Why not?

I have faith in you, Joe.

- Thank you, Morris.

- [door buzzes]

[guard] Lets go.

Would you like to take communion

before you go?

Oh, no. Im good.

[cabdriver] Yeah.

- [Joe] Keep the change.

- Thanks.

[man] Mothers got

her soup line today late.

I think we expected to see you next week.

- Ah, shed have meant to be here.

- Its okay.

Well, shed have meant to be here.

- [Joe] Wait. Here.

- [grunts]

Retired, huh?

Yeah. I couldnt hump the lines anymore.

Look, uh, you know,

such a long trip up there

and my back being what it is.

- I know.

- Still, we should have.

- I just, uh...

- I know.

[chopping]

They brought some of your stuff back

when they closed your apartment.

Its downstairs in your space

if you wanna...

Sure.

Hmm.

Oh, no.

[dialing]

Hey, baby.

I missed you too.

[automated voice] The number

youve reached is not in service...

- [Joe] Whered they move to?

- [man] We dont know.

We havent spoken to Elaine

since you went up.

[Joe] What about the girls?

Birthdays? Christmas?

We are not in touch anymore.

- You never called?

- She wouldnt accept em.

Well, shes not obligated to.

The settlement was clear...

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

I contested that f***ing settlement.

A clean break now, Joe,

while the girls are young.

Its a shame, but maybe shes right.

Can I borrow the truck?

- Your mother will be home...

- Dad.

Ive been indoors six years. Please.

[engine starts]

[coins clinking]

[beeping]

[line ringing]

[girl] Hello?

Melissa?

Yeah?

Its Daddy, sweetie.

Its your dad.

My dad?

Uh-huh.

How are you, baby?

Hmm. Good.

Hows your sister?

Shes okay.

Thats great.

Um, you know, I...

Ive been away because...

Well, I had to be away.

It wasnt my fault.

Well, it was, but I was sick and...

But now... now Im better, see, and we...

Can you hold on?

Melissa. Melissa, wait. Wait. I love you.

[woman] Joe?

Hey, sweetie.

How did you get this number?

I know.

I just wanted to talk to the girls.

Joe, you know thats not allowed.

- I should be able to speak to my...

- Listen to me.

Youre violating your agreement.

Agreement?

- You call again...

- Why are you...

Ill press charges.

Well, this is...

Joes such a bad boy.

- [man] Sucker.

- [Joe] Sorry. Sorry.

[jukebox:
country]

[pool balls clacking]

[exhales]

Ahhh.

[whistles, laughs]

Joe motherfuckin Denton.

- Sh*t. Scotty. Look at you.

- Look at you.

Goddamn. Its good to see you.

Uh, get one, and put that on mine.

- Thats kind of you, man. Cheers.

- Oh, its the least I can do.

Its the least I can do, man.

I figure you and Billy were...

You were like brothers,

so that makes us like brothers, so...

- Hey.

- To bein home.

And to my brother Billy.

To home and to Billy.

I... I just... I wanted to say hey,

welcome you back.

If you need anything...

- Thanks, man. Good to see ya.

- Give me a call.

You know, I come in here a lot,

and Im pretty sure

Ive never seen you before.

Im new.

- New used, maybe.

- Mm-hmm.

But its whats under the hood

that counts.

- Yep.

- Right?

Not the paint job. The ride is just so...

I get it. Cars.

Enjoyable.

Do you, uh...

wanna buy me a Sucker Punch?

Oh, boy.

I dont know what that is.

Drinks.

[Joe exhales]

[woman] Hey!

[Joe] Hey.

- [woman] Now what?

- [laughs]

No. No.

No, I, uh... I gotta go home.

- [woman scoffs]

- Yeah.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

Thats boring.

Wanna give me a ride home at least?

Please.

Pretty please?

Pretty, pretty please?

[Joe] You sure this is the right way?

Yeah. Its, uh, straight down there.

[radio:
country]

Its right over there.

[man] Whyd you go away?

I told you Id get clean, girl

Okay.

You know...

- [keys jangling]

- [engine stops]

I thought you

were gonna try something with me.

- Im just giving you a lift.

- Hmm.

[sighs]

You didnt ask my name.

Whats your name?

- [thunder rumbling]

- Cara.

[groans]

Cara Coakley, you motherf***er.

Help! Somebody help me!

[man yelling, groaning]

[air conditioner whirring]

[sighs]

Coffee?

Id say its good to see you again,

but I feel sick just being this close.

- Nice to see you too, Dan.

- Lieutenant Pleasant.

Dont you dare use the informal with me,

you f***ing degenerate.

Youre an everlasting disgrace

to this department,

and if Officer Barnett wasnt here,

I would tune you up myself

on general principle.

Let me ask you something.

Did Manny Vassey or any of his animals

visit you inside?

Was it worth it,

selling your soul to them?

You Judas f***.

Wheres the DA?

Isnt he coming?

[door closes]

[Joe grunts]

Look, Phil, this is not how I want...

One of those young men

is in intensive care.

The one with the nunchakus?

His father is an alderman.

I dont give a sh*t if theyre astronauts.

Charge me.

Put those a**holes on the stand

and watch em come apart like wet bread,

because you know exactly what this is.

Theyre parked in the middle of nowhere

with ninja weapons,

precisely where and when their girlfriend

happens to get assaulted?

Come on. Be serious.

Now, your daughter built herself

a cute little frame,

but theres no way this ends

in anything but a civil suit

that buys me your f***ing house.

[Phil] Youre right.

I spoke with Cara just now.

Shes, uh, quite shaken by what happened.

Shes been, uh, angry lately.

She, uh...

Do you wish to press charges?

In light of the statement given by my...

Cara,

regarding the events of this evening...

you have the right to press

criminal battery charges

against the men who attacked you,

- and my office will issue arrest warrants.

- [Joe] Hmm.

Ah, forget it.

Its in the past.

Phil.

If I could change what happened, I would.

But I paid my time.

I just want everything

to stay in the past.

Like you want Billy Caldwell

to stay in the past?

Youre batting zero, shithead.

[door closes]

Goddamn, I miss high school.

I just passed a kid in the lot

molesting his girlfriend

in the backseat of his 82 Datsun.

Kind of impressed that Phils kid

went for hard stuff like that.

She always seemed

like kind of a flake to me.

But then the mother did leave

after the, uh... [whooshing]

So thats gotta be kind of rough.

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