Storm Warning Page #4

I thought that

you being a stranger in town

might have better eyesight.

in fact I thought you might be willing

to tell us what you saw.

- Are you in town on business?

- No, I came to visit my sister.

- Your sister?

- Lucy Rice.

Rice. Rice. Hank Rice.

He works at the mill, Burt.

And it's his wife?

Yes.

Mr. Rainey, the firm I work for

doesn't know I stopped off here

and my job depends upon my being

in Riverport this afternoon at 2:00.

- So, if you'd be so...

- Im sorry. We'll be as brief as we can.

This is your baggage check.

The stamp at the time machine,

one minute.

Two minutes later a man was killed.

You were near the jail,

heard shots, screams.

You didn't see anyone running?

I told you I couldn't see anyone

because they were all covered.

Covered?

Wearing hoods, white robes.

Like this?

Yes, that's why I couldn't

possibly identify anyone

or recognize anyone

because they were all covered up.

Im sorry, Miss Mitchell.

You'll have to remain for the inquest

at 2:
00 this afternoon.

But why?

What could I possibly say that would...

Just tell them what you saw.

That they were wearing Klan robes.

All right, I will if you want me to,

but as I said,

I couldn't recognize anyone.

Mr. Rainey, my job depends upon

- my being in Riverport...

- Miss Mitchell.

...this afternoon...

- A man has been murdered.

We won't hold you

any longer than we have to.

Get us a subpoena for her, Walt.

We'll send a car for you

at 2:
00 this afternoon.

What happened? Everything okay?

What did they do?

- Well, nothing. Nothing.

- Are you sure, Marsha?

- Yes.

- What did you tell Rainey?

That it was dark

and that I couldn't see anybody.

- Did he believe you?

- Well, he let me go, didn't he?

We'll take you to Riverport.

No, I have to wait around now

for the inquest.

The inquest? What for?

Well, I don't know,

but that's what Mr. Rainey wants.

What are you gonna say?

Look, take your hands off of me.

We can't talk about this now, anyway.

Look, I asked you something.

What are you gonna say?

Well, what do you think Im going to say?

Look, Mr. Rainey doesn't know

that I saw you or anybody else.

Its just a legal procedure. Now, forget it.

Lucy, you take the car and drive her home.

- Where are you going?

- Never mind, just drive her home.

- Hi.

- Boss wants you.

Its all taken care of. Everything's okay.

- They got her, huh?

- I know.

But as soon as the inquest is over,

it's over for good.

My sister-in-law ain't gonna say

nothing about us.

They're holding her for the inquest.

- She ain't gonna say nothing.

- She's going on the stand?

What do you think?

You think she wants to get me in trouble?

Wants to get me hung?

That don't make sense to you, does it?

I just saw her. Take my word.

Charlie.

What's the matter?

Rainey is subpoenaing a lot of people

for the inquest.

Deputy Sheriff, Athens, his wife,

everybody who locked up early.

He's making quite a party of it.

You're getting a subpoena, too.

Me? That smart guy,

what's he trying to pull?

He's going to get an indictment, he says.

- Against who?

- The Klan.

Where'd you hear that bull?

Barnet's nephew works at the courthouse.

He got wind of it.

Look, Ill tell you what you do.

Get up a committee, see Rainey.

Set him straight.

You know how to do it.

You got the looks, dignity, gab.

Tell that...

He can't indict the Klan.

- He thinks otherwise.

- He thinks.

There's no substitute for evidence.

Who has he got to say it was the Klan?

Me, you, Adams?

Before he can tie the Klan in

with the shooting...

Charlie, he's no fool.

He wouldn't go ahead like this

without a witness.

Could be.

If anyone does put the finger on the Klan,

Rainey can subpoena

the entire membership.

- Put them on the stand.

- That'll get him no place.

Let's not fool ourselves, Charlie.

You know the boys.

Without those white hoods to hide in,

they're no heroes.

That's why they need

the hoods in the first place.

Put them under fire, legal fire,

and you will see a rat race

like you've never seen before.

They'll squeal, they'll cry,

they'll run like rabbits.

And get it straight, Charlie.

You know why you were so anxious

to rush Adams out of town.

You know how close he was getting.

If Rainey gets that indictment,

if he gets the hands on those books,

where will we be?

in jail serving time for income tax evasion.

- Bull! Nobody's going to jail.

- All right.

Let's not worry about the law.

What about the members?

What do you think they'll do

when they find out how much

of their money went into your pocket?

Drop it.

Initiation fees, insurance, insignia sales,

- Klan regalia, dues.

- You got yours, too, didn't you?

Yes, Charlie,

and I don't want to be exposed, either.

So maybe we'd both better run

while we have time.

- Burn the books and run.

- Im not running.

I worked hard for what I got.

You think Im gonna throw it all away,

like garbage?

I don't have to,

because Rainey won't get his indictment.

Nobody's gonna talk.

Nobody.

Rice, come here.

Where is she? Your wife's sister?

Where is she?

Turn, honey.

- Is it even all the way around?

- Yeah.

- Marsha, Im just mad about this.

- I knew you'd like it.

You better wear it a lot because,

you know, pretty soon...

Yeah, Im gonna start gaining weight,

you mean?

- You won't be able to get into it at all.

- Do I show yet?

- Well, I wouldn't exactly...

- Hi!

How do I look? Marsha gave me this.

- Oh, hello, Mr. Barr.

- Hello.

This is Mr. Barr, Hank's boss.

This is my sister Marsha.

Marsha, he wants to talk to you.

Marsha, you got to listen to Mr. Barr.

You got to.

Miss Mitchell, what did you tell Rainey?

- Nothing.

- You see, just like I told you.

She don't want to start no trouble.

Do you, Marsha?

Look, miss, don't hold out on me.

Its important.

You said something to Rainey.

Something that lit a fire under him.

I didn't identify Hank, or you.

You were there, too, you know.

That's not what we're talking about.

You told Rainey

it was the Klan, didn't you?

You shouldn't have done that.

But it's all right as long as you don't say it

under oath at the inquest.

Got that straight?

You're asking me to lie.

Yeah, and even go to jail, maybe.

Look, I want to help my sister,

but that doesn't include your Klan.

Your Klan murdered him, you know.

It was an accident. We're all sorry about it.

You have to think of all the good

the Klan does.

You have to think of what it would be like

down here without us.

Without us, a girl like you wouldn't be safe

on the street at night.

You have to think of that.

What about Adams?

Yeah, and what about my sister?

And what about me?

What am I gonna be if I lie on the stand?

You better worry about this

stupid brother-in-law of yours.

Mr. Barr.

We didn't go there to kill Adams.

Just to scare him out of town.

Only birdbrain here lost his head.

He did it, not us.

He is the one who shot Adams, ask him.

Hank, you didn't tell...

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