The Life of David Gale Page #6

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than had voted him guilty

in the first place.

That just doesn't make any sense.

Thirty pieces of silver.

Just like the Judas guy,

the Jesus kisser...

who was also a prissy dresser.

Without a successful completion

of an alcohol-treatment program...

you can forget visitation.

You'll be lucky

to get a Christmas card.

That's if there even is

a custody hearing.

- What does that mean?

- If your wife convinces

a Spanish court...

that you're a danger to the child,

then you'll never see him again.

He just has to come home.

He's gotta come back.

Hey, Pete, can we have

another round here.

I'm fine.

- I just have to go get him then.

- Europe's not Mexico, David.

They got real borders over there.

You might be able to get yourself

in easy enough...

but getting out

with a six-year-old...

That's a whole different

kettle of crawdads.

Then you get your life together.

- I'm fine. I'm fine.

- Pronto.

Who wants to start?

Hi. My name is David, and...

I am an alcoholic.

Hi, David.

So, Mr. Gale...

tell me three

personal qualities...

that you feel you have...

that would make you

a successful Radio Shed manager.

- Three.

- Three.

Okay. Well...

No, I'm sorry.

I'm...

Oh, I'm sorry.

- Welcome back.

- Thanks.

- You look good.

- I feel good.

Look, there's somethin'

that you gotta see.

Betty Sue Johnson's

been rescheduled.

Her execution date

is set for the eighth.

I have a conference call

with Washington tonight.

If the new national director

will commit to emergency funds...

So Betty Sue gets commuted,

and you only prove the system works.

But I'll save a life.

Hey, where'd you

get that bruise?

Oh, just... doin' chores.

- Is your cowboy gettin' rough with you?

- Ha ha.

Oh, there he is.

Hey, Dusty...

does she ever invite you overand not put you to work?

Hey, David.

All right.

Tell me her story.

She was sentenced at 17.

I really wanna get behind this one.

- She's so articulate.

- Who did she kill?

- She'll put a face

on the death penalty.

- Constance, who did she kill?

- A cop.

- Oh, you're crazy.

Not just your medium-range

"thinks she's Roosevelt's bathrobe,"

but I mean stark-raving, screws-loose,

in-the-belfry insane.

Seventeen... four years before

she could legally drink a beer.

But she killed a cop, Constance.

- Are you gonna help?

- Of course.

Oh. You're burnin' up.

Jo Edna.

- Hi, Mr. Gale.

- How are you, Jo Edna?

It's good to see...

- Caffeine jolt. We deliver.

- Howdy, David.

- Howdy, folks.

- Oh, my, this is service.

- Thank you.

- Gladly. Latte on the left

there for you, Josh.

- Mocha.

- Ooh, thanks.

- She's on the phone to Washington.

- The new national director.

- Uh-huh. That's right.

I'm sure we can get some pulpit time.

Maybe some cable.

Cable's good.

Listen, I need to run.

For now, I agree the first

press release should focus

on the woman's youth.

I'll have the Washington people

look into counsel competency...

though I'm almost sure

she's exhausted this on appeal.

- Let's see what

kind of resources these...

- Uh... John, David's gonna go...

Oh, I almost forgot.

Gale's not around, is he?

- No.

- Good. Keep it that way.

His relationship

with DeathWatch is over.

- Last thing we need is

this rape thing coming back...

- John.

To bite us on the butt,

and these guys don't stay

on the wagon for very long.

- John.

- I'm serious, Constance.

Ban him from the premises.

I realize the two of you both...

- David!

Sharon, pick up the phone.

I'm begging you.!

He's my son, all right?

He's my son too,

and I wanna talk to him.

- You've not let... Hello?

Jamie? Jamie, is that you?

Hey. Hey, little moose.

How are you?

I miss you so much.

It's Daddy.

Yeah. Hello. Don't...

Jamie, wait.

- Wait, wait. Don't hang up the phone.

Goddamn it! Damn!

God... damn it!

Ow! F***!

- Oh, you scared me.

My sheep needs a manager...

a manger.

My sheep needs a manger.

Are you okay?

I fell off the wagon

and I hurt myself.

Come on.

Come on inside.

Do you know why Saint Jude

is the patron saint of lost causes?

'Cause his real name was Judas.

Judas. There were

two Judases...

Judas, who was the saint guy,

and then the other one...

Judas, who was the bad one.

He's the one that ratted out Jesus

and tried to kiss him.

In medieval times, they would

never pray to the good Judas...

for fear of getting the bad Judas

on the line just by mistake.

Ergo, they never really gave him

business unless absolutely desperate.

That's why... And then they

changed his name.

Your mail is blowing.

Constance.

Hey! Hey!

Hey! Oh, sh*t!

- Are you the doctor? What's wrong with her?

- Yes.

- She's gonna be fine.

- How do you know? You haven't looked at her.

- Just calm down.

- She just collapsed. She was opening her mail and just fell.

- Please have a seat in the waiting room.

- I don't know what's wrong.

- Please. Is there a doctor...

- She's gonna be fine.

- Wait here. Professor!

- I have to go with her.

You wanna get arrested again?

- How do you know who I am?

- I watch the news.

Now go wait.

Ah!

- How are we doing?

- Fine. How's Constance?

Sleeping. Mr. Gale, a

leukemia patient's condition...

- is highly susceptible to external stress.

- What? What?

Constance's illness requires

a degree of regularity.

Constance has leukemia?

You didn't know?

Wait. Wait.

No, I didn't.

It's funny how selfish

we can be, isn't it?

When I first heard Constance

was dying, I was so mad at her.

I thought, "How can you do this to me?

You know how hard it is for

me to need other people."

Why hadn't she told you?

She said she was too busy.

I guess, since death was chasing her...

she just wanted to help

other people avoid it.

That's what she did with her life.

Constance...

left this world a better

place than she found it.

It's a small... but difficult thing.

- Good shot! Good shot!

- Geez.

- Let's go.

- So, what'd you get?

- I talked to the Austin prosecutor.

Belyeu's a joke. Actually,

the exact phrase he used was...

"Big hat, no cattle."

- He was sanctioned twice. F***ed up the penalty phase.

- What?

Gale could've got life

on mitigating factors.

And despite major pro bono offers from

some of the top lawyers in the country...

Gale stuck with him all

through the appeals process...

which, by the way, Belyeu

continued to screw up.

So Belyeu's a joke.

Great.

- Anything else?

- Nothing on Berlin.

Oh, we pick up the payola

money in Houston tonight.

- Houston?

- That's what the head office said.

- Overheat light came on twice. Um...

- Come on.

- Ah!

Oh, man! I never knew a million

bucks could weigh so much.

- Half a million.

- Well, it's still heavy.

But a million sounds

better for our st...

Excuse me. Your story. A million bucks.

No, no. Wait. A million bucks in cash.

Just relax, Zack. It's only money.

So, you comin' in?

- Excuse me?

- You wanna come in?

- Please.

- I thought you were into guys with money.

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