The Gift Page #4

I can... I...

Yes. And,

is that where Jessie is?

Well, that's... that's, all I'm...

all I'm seeing.

This is just mishmash. I told you

this wouldn't lead to nothing.

You're right. It won't.

I can't concentrate.

- I can't do this now. I'm sorry.

- Please, ma'am.

I really do hope

you find your daughter.

But I'm... I'm just not the person

to help you with this.

Hey, Butch.

And it was horrible.

But that same chain that was wrapped

around her when she was floatin',

you know, up in my tree, it was the

same chain that I had in my dream.

- I don't know. I just thought...

- Dave?

Yes, sir?

I could have sworn there

was an eclair in there.

I didn't get it.

Tim was in

a little earlier.

So you saw all this

in a dream?

It wasn't just a dream.

I don't investigate

somebody's dream.

I think she's dead, Sheriff.

And I think she's in a pond.

What do you know about this

you ain't telling me?

You can get in serious

trouble with holding information.

Does it sound like

a place you know?

Yeah,

a bunch of places I know.

Split rail fence, a pond,

a stretch of woods.

- Every raw bone ol' boy got that.

- What about the fiddler?

Well,

ol' Tommy Lee Ballard

plays a fiddle.

But he wouldn't kill nobody.

I've known him since he's a kid.

No, no, it's not the fiddler.

Who are his neighbors?

Well, his closest neighbor

would be...

Well, let me see here.

I guess...

Well, his property borders,

Donnie Barksdale's place.

Do you know

Donnie Barksdale?

Ma'am?

Tim! On the gate!

You did get

a search warrant, didn't you?

I want everything

to be legal and proper.

Didn't have to.

Got permission from the owner.

Donnie Barksdale

gave you permission...

His wife did.

I told her it was routine.

We're checking all the ponds

in the county.

Donnie's gone fishing today.

Excuse me. Sheriff Johnson?

- How much longer y'all gonna be?

- Long as it takes.

All right. You just said you're

gonna be a few minutes.

And we're

going on two hours.

Hey, Pearl!

I think I got something!

False alarm.

It's just an old bicycle.

None of y'all brought a Thermos

of coffee out here?

That day at school.

You looked kind of strange

at me and Jessica.

Did you think

something bad then?

Sh*t.

Come on.

- Donnie, he called. I told him...

- Pearl!

Shut your mouth!

Goddamn it, Pearl,

what are you doing on my property?

I'm on Sheriff's business, Donnie.

I got permission from your wife.

You think I let that

little ninny talk for me?

How'd your arm

get all scratched up?

Stray cat. She didn't like it

when I killed her.

- Now what brought you here?

- Just routine investigation.

We're checking

all the ponds in the county.

- I knew it was you.

- No! You!

Hey! I'm on County business,

Donnie. Don't fool with me.

- Hey, Pearl!

- What?

- You need to take a look at this.

- Watch him.

Hault up, boys!

- It's her!

- Donnie?

Get those hooks

out of my baby!

- Get her off them hooks!

- Cuff him!

- No! No!

- Mr. King!

- No!

- Get an ambulance!

I think he's

having a heart attack!

- I didn't do this!

- Get him out of here!

This ain't right!

Pearl!

B*tch! B*tch!

B*tch! Pearl!

Come in.

Somebody might

come in here.

I guess you better

f*** me fast.

You want some coffee?

Mrs. Wilson?

You want some coffee?

No, thank you.

Have a seat.

Why... Why have you

called me here?

Tomorrow Donnie Barksdale goes

on trial for murder...

and I feel

that we have a powerful case.

In fact,

today the coroner verified...

Donnie's tissue

under the victim's fingernails.

Now, I only have one weak link

I got to worry about.

- What?

- You.

You see, you're how we found out

where the victim's body was.

And how you found out,

well,

that might open up

a real can of worms for us.

Psychic phenomena,

E.S.P., dreams, visions.

The defense

could go to town on you.

And if that's not bad enough,

I understand there was bad blood...

between you

and Donnie Barksdale.

Yeah.

He threatened my kids.

That's what I heard. I also heard

that you threatened him right back.

Told his wife

to leave him.

Donnie's quite

a ladies' man.

Were you involved

with him?

- What?

- I can deal with any revelation...

right now.

But at the trial

there can't be any surprises.

So, is there anything I need

to know about you or Donnie...

or Donnie's wife

or the victim?

No.

Will that be all?

Yes, ma'am.

You know, Mr. Duncan,

the victim had a name.

It was Jessica King.

Mr. Hawkins, how long have you

worked out at AyJay's?

Mr. Hawkins, how long have you

worked out at AyJay's?

About ten years.

Now, were you working at AyJay's

on Saturday night, April 8?

- Yes, sir.

- And did you see the defendant,

- Donnie Barksdale, there that night?

- Yes, sir.

Could you describe the circumstances

when you saw him?

The circumstances were I come

outside to throw out some trash.

And do you recall

what time it was?

About midnight,

I reckon.

Anyhow, I seen Donnie Barksdale

out there by his truck...

havin' an argument

with this white lady.

She scratched his arm

and he slapped the tar out of her.

About that time,

I go back inside.

Is this the woman

you saw with Donnie Barksdale?

- Yes, sir.

- Your Honor, let the record show...

that I've just shown Mr. Hawkins

a photograph of Jessica King.

You just said that your attention

was drawn to the defendant's pond.

Drawn in...

Well, drawn in what way?

Me, Wayne Collins

and Kenneth King...

went to see a woman,

name of Annie Wilson.

What made you think this woman

would be able to help you?

Well, word around town

was that she was a...

- Well, I don't know the right word.

- Isn't it fortune-teller?

- I guess so.

- What did this fortune-teller see...

when she looked into

her little crystal ball?

Well, she didn't have no ball.

She had these, special cards.

What did she see when she looked

into her little special cards?

She didn't actually

see nothing then.

But next day,

she come to see me and...

told me

she had this dream.

- She had a dream?

- Yes, sir.

She'd seen this pond and it looked

a lot like Donnie Barksdale's and...

then she woke up

from her dream...

and she went outside

and looked up in this tree.

I'm all ears.

She seen Jessica King...

floatin' in the tree,

half-naked, with a chain

wrapped around her.

Floatin' around a tree?

Yes, sir.

Floatin' in a tree,

half-naked,

with a chain

wrapped around her.

Thank you, Sheriff.

That little squirrel,

Weems, is just mean and skinny.

Never have known

a Weems worth a damn.

Well, he was

just doing his job.

Mrs. Wilson?

Can I talk to you for a minute?

Just call me later on, okay?

- Oh, okay.

- Okay, bye.

Buddy, I got a lot on my mind.

It's not a good time, okay?

Mrs. Wilson?

You did tell me to do some thinkin'

and talkin'. And I've been thinkin'.

What? What?

Can you tell me why

I do things to myself...

when I think

about my daddy?

All right, well...

Bud, you call me later, hon,

and we'll talk, all right?

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote