Small Crimes Page #4

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You were in jail.

It was in the paper.

Your picture was in the paper.

Slash Cop, it said, which just is...

What happened?

[sighs] Didnt you read it?

Im asking you.

I was very drunk. Um...

Coming home from a place downtown.

Apparently I bumped into him, the lawyer.

And, uh...

There was a fight, and I hurt him. Badly.

- It said you had a knife.

- I thought he was gonna...

It was dark, and I-I-I, um...

If you knew...

Because I know what it means

to need a second chance.

And I didnt know you

when you did those things.

I know you now.

[cell phone buzzing]

[buzzing continues]

- [phone beeps]

- Hello?

[Dan on phone]

Didnt wake your girl, did I?

I was hoping I wouldve heard

some sort of In Memoriam item by now

about our mutual patron.

I f***ing tried. Junior was there.

- Whoa.

- Yeah, exactly.

I cant get that close again.

If anything other than cancer

happens to Manny,

Ill be the first one he comes after.

Figure it out. [exhales]

Put in some work

instead of gettin your dick wet.

I was working. Shes the nurse there.

- Oh. Good thinkin.

- Yeah. Except that wont work either.

- Why not?

- It just... wont.

Theres no access. Trust me.

[sighs] All that matters is that there

isnt a case brought against you.

Phil is the only one eager to throw bombs,

and everybody else knows that

the Vasseys are good for business.

So if you cant clip Manny,

clip the mutant.

Theres no time left.

Just make it look right, is all.

[thunder rumbling]

[soft footsteps approaching]

- [grunts]

- [hammer c*cks]

[Phil inhales]

[Phil exhales]

[phone ringing]

[Joes mom]

Joe! Pick up the phone. Its for you.

Joe! Joe!

- Yeah.

- [man on phone] Joseph Denton?

- Yeah.

- This is Anthony Getman

with the Bradley Post-Release Program.

You have your office check-in

and urinalysis appointment today.

- [sniffs]

- Hello?

Yes, sir. Ill be right there.

F***.

[buttons clicking]

[line ringing]

- [Scotty] Hello?

- Its Joe.

- I need your help.

- Who is it?

Joe.

- Oh, hey, man. Come on up.

- [door buzzes]

[Scotty] Seriously, Joe, its no problem.

Positive?

The, uh, reserves piss test randomly,

so I, uh...

stick to booze.

- You can keep the cup. [chuckles]

- [chuckling]

- Thanks, man. I owe ya.

- No.

[sighs]

Hey, Joe,

can I ask you something straight up?

Sure.

Back then was there ever any, uh...

I dont know...

Any talk about what happened to Billy

maybe wasnt an accident?

I mean,

we all know he was a lush,

but falling asleep on the tracks?

Wasnt my case, but I knew the guys

who drew it. They worked it right.

Why, um...

Why now?

Phil Coakley called me.

He wants me to come in.

Mm-hmm. He say why?

He said theyre gonna impanel a grand jury

and, uh, reopen it as a homicide.

Based on what?

New information is all he would say.

Its like he wanted to dangle it

in front of my face.

F***in prick.

Whatever Phil says hes got, its smoke.

Hes fishing.

Hes got a hard-on for the Vasseys.

Always has.

There was talk about Junior,

maybe hed been around the tracks

that night.

But they could never back it up.

It was what it was.

A shitty accident, like you said.

Im sorry, man.

I never liked Phil anyway.

I was glad when you f***ed him up.

Thanks, man. All right.

Hey, buddy.

- [electricity zapping]

- [groans]

- Hey, fellas!

- Hey, Dan!

[Joe groans]

Yeah, now he gets it.

[grunts]

Get it all out.

- Okay.

- [retches]

Up you go. Come on.

This thing works pretty good, huh?

Now, I didnt wake up in this mood.

I was thinking, Dont worry. My pal Joey

will carry his water on this thing.

But then I hear, uh, no.

This Caldwell grand jury

is, uh, in motion after all.

- I know.

- Did I tell you time was short?

Did I tell you what was coming?

And what did you do but f*** around.

Ill just take my chances in court.

Buddy, you know I wouldnt be able

to let you do that.

Then Ill run.

Well, that either.

Do I need to recharge your battery?

F-Fu... I cant do Manny. I cant do Phil.

You name a third way or get the f*** out.

I just bought a new gas grill.

Stainless steel.

Got an infrared system on it.

To be honest,

I dont even know what that means.

But if you think that I wouldnt buy

some crackhead n*gger

for 500 bucks

to come into your parents house

and slit their throat while they sleep...

if it meant that I got to keep that grill,

you got me mixed up with somebody else.

Mannys deposition is Monday morning.

Thirty-six hours.

Now, you fix it before then,

or Ill assume that were at odds.

And then... [huffs] goddamn,

everythings on the table.

And I really do like your folks.

[engine cranks]

[phone ringing]

[phone beeps]

Kelleys.

[Joe] Hey, its me.

Hey, hey, hey. How you feelin today?

Do you know, I was thinking

maybe Id want to talk to Toni.

- You mentioned preferentials.

- Yeah.

So you know when she sees Dan then?

Or... Or where?

Dan? I never mentioned Dan.

I was talking about Phil Coakley.

How else do you think that Frankenstein

motherfuckers getting any p*ssy?

[siren blaring]

[Joe] Whered you meet him?

[Toni] English Garden Inn, off 68.

Same room or different room?

He had a retainer on number 27,

on account of its a queen size.

- Can you get him to see you again?

- I dont wanna see him.

A grand.

Thousand dollars?

Cash. After.

[scoffs]

[Joe] I think I can do it.

[Dan on phone] Good boy. Which one?

Neither.

I got a way to freeze Phil out.

Nobody gets hurt.

Oh, girl, did I knock a fuse loose?

I can back him off. No grand jury,

no Manny Vassey. Its done.

You must have a hell of a wedge.

- [car horn honks]

- [sighs]

Bradleys most saintly public official.

Solicitation, on tape.

Ha! Is that real?

Im looking at it.

Ill be goddamned.

Phils still got some gas in his tank

after all.

He is mighty precious

about his reputation,

but, still, blackmails messy,

you aint careful.

Nobody dies, Dan. Its clean.

So long as its chilled.

It will be.

[engine starts]

Thats my boy.

[humming]

Thanks.

[humming]

You seem different.

Hows that?

I dont know.

Lighter.

Mmm.

Things are gonna work out.

Maybe they already have.

[cat mews]

Im gonna have a shower.

All right.

[chuckles]

[phone buzzes]

[beeps]

Yeah?

[Toni] I told him Id see him again

if he laid off the Jesus.

He damn near jumped through the phone.

Great. Ill be right there.

- [knocking]

- Ill call you tonight!

[Charlotte] What?

[camera whirring]

- Taurus

- Wow!

- Its built for speed

- [Joe hums]

Its got what you need

To get from A to B

- Taurus

- Wow!

A cut above the rest

Why you messin with anything

Less than the best?

[commercial announcer]

Taurus is the car youve been waiting for.

Sleek, strong, safe.

[commercial announcer continues,

indistinct]

- Taurus

- Wow!

[commercial jingle continues]

[brakes squeaking]

Taurus

See the new look Taurus

at a dealership near you.

[door closes]

[TV announcer] And now back to

our Friday night presentation.

[indistinct dialogue on TV]

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