The River King

Jeez. Come on.

Dull day.

Look, there's Doreen Barker.

What the hell are you doing?

She's gonna think that was me.

Like that's an awful thing.

She's got a great rack on her.

Abel, we just got a report from 2

kids I think you need to check out.

So what happened last night?

It's not gonna work out.

We want different things.

You can tell all that

from a first date?

You know, all she wanted

to do was talk.

That doesn't mean you have

to set a wedding date.

I live vicariously through you,

Abe. Sad but true.

And you ain't getting

enough sex for me.

Take it up with your wife.

My wife, she's got me

running ragged.

Take a look right there.

I see it.

What do you think

we're supposed to do with him?

I don't know.

Shall we yank him out?

No, we should probably

get a picture or something.

Why don't we get Kenny on the radio

and get him over here with his camera?

The Fotomart doesn't open till 10

and Kenny doesn't have a cell phone.

Keep pulling him, come on.

- Can you believe this?

- No.

You recognize him?

He's gotta be one of the kids

from the Haddan School.

What do you figure

we're supposed to do now?

I don't know. We should wait for

Forensics to come in from across county.

Probably right.

What the hell is that?

Is that blood?

Right, that's weird.

What the f*** is that?

I have no idea.

I don't know,

something doesn't sit right.

This could be a homicide.

I got a feeling.

It could be that

or, you know...

suicide.

You see that?

What?

A kid...

in the woods over there.

No.

I could have sworn

I just saw a kid...

You okay?

Yeah.

Yeah, no, I'm fine.

This place gives me

the creeps. Always did.

I think you'll be okay, Joey.

You got your gun with you.

Murder, betrayal, revenge...

ghosts, witches, sex...

drugs and sword fights

with a few jokes thrown in.

If you can find something with

all of that, that is fine by me.

They found a body

in the river this morning.

Saying it's Gus Pierce.

Jesus.

They're saying

he killed himself.

Who are?

I'm just telling you

what the dean told me.

A bright boy,

no doubt about it.

But he'd been behaving oddly

these last few weeks.

In what ways?

He wouldn't change

his clothes.

Wouldn't go to classes,

stayed in bed day after day.

He was in Chalk House,

you see.

Well no, actually,

we don't see.

What exactly is

the significance of that?

Only that it's our most

venerable boy's house.

We have four.

Sharpe, Otto, Denton

and Chalk.

Everyone wants to be

in Chalk.

Gus was there because of his

perfect scores in his aptitude tests.

There are distinct advantages

to being there.

They have a maid,

for instance.

A maid?

And their own parking area.

So they can have a car on campus.

It seems to pay off.

Chalk boys always graduate

top of the class.

I'm guessing that Gus wasn't

the typical Chalk House boy.

Bit of an outsider, really.

God, you know, I just feel...

terrible I didn't see

how depressed he was.

So moody sometimes, but...

I never thought

he'd commit suicide.

- We're not talking suicide.

- No-one mentioned anything about suicide.

We don't know how

this boy died.

If it's all right with you, we'd

like to take a look at his room.

Yes, of this course.

Are you trying to burn

the place down?

- Not a bad idea.

- Where's Kenny?

He's not coming.

He's over at Fotomart.

- What?

- No photographs? Why not?

Word from the Chief was: "Don't bother him.

Don't take too much time with any of...

- Come on, we need photos.

- That's what the guy said.

Jesus!

What a dump!

Who would have thought it?

And this is with a maid.

Excuse me.

Is this

August Pierce's room?

- Is it?

- Yeah.

Was he a friend of yours?

So, this must be the dead

kid's room.

Does that mean

she knows something?

Nice.

So what do you think we're

supposed to be looking for here?

I have no idea.

Nothing. Don't touch anything,

leave it all to me.

Calm yourself down, Farris.

We're not gonna break anything.

I'm not gonna break

anything.

You know, it's a little weird.

Dean says that this kid was a mess...

and yet he kept his room

real tidy.

Here we go. Bingo.

A little bit of the weed.

Now, do you think the kid smoked the wacky

tobacco, went out for a walk and drowned.

We got a possible homicide, and you

wanna go with the accident theory?

Well, you heard what the man

said. The kid was a loser.

He said he was a loner.

Loner, Joey, big difference.

Excuse me, miss.

I'd like to ask you a favor.

You know, Abe, maybe if you want I

can get her phone number for you.

I don't know, Joey, you're

the one that seems interested.

I can take that roll of film

off your hands now.

I develop my own. But if you

wanna take it, take it...

No, why don't you just drop it

off at the station house and...

make sure you include

the bill.

So, what do you teach here?

Photography and English Lit.

- Did you go to school here?

- No, no.

Nobody from town goes

to Haddan.

We actually don't even like to come on

to the property. Gives us the creeps.

I guess it can be

kind of pleased with itself.

Yeah, a little bit.

You know, I...

saw August Pierce last night.

Where was this?

In the woods. He was with another

student, Carlin Leander...

and they were arguing.

Were the two of them dating?

I don't think so.

- Anything else?

- No.

I just thought you should know.

Well, thank you.

Be careful with Carlin.

She's a good kid.

Yeah, I know, I said

I'd be there, but I can't.

You've gotta make

other plans.

Mary Beth, listen, this is huge,

it's a department thing.

It's everything

we've talked about.

The promotion, the pay grade,

the whole nine yards. Yeah.

Tell your mother I'm sorry.

I gotta go.

Abel?

Abel?

Is somebody in there?

Yeah.

No, I hear you.

Yeah, okay.

We'll be there in a sec.

Chief wants us back

at the station right away.

Great, you guys are back.

Abel, I need you to head out

to the airport right away...

pick up the kid's father and

take him over to the Haddan Inn.

Joey.

I wanna see him.

All right.

Gus's things are all up

in your room.

Thanks for seeing me.

Since you don't know me

or anything.

I'm happy to meet

any friend of Gus's.

He always made out that...

he didn't have any.

I just wanted you to know...

he fell.

It was an accident.

I'm sure.

I'm so sure.

The coat is still damp.

Probably just fall apart.

He got it

at a secondhand store.

We had a fight over it.

Naturally, he won.

He would.

Thank you.

Hey, Carlin.

Are you okay?

You wanna ride back to campus?

No, thanks, I'll walk.

So, tell me about Gus.

What's to know?

It was all my fault.

How do you figure that?

We had a fight.

I was horrible to him.

We called each other names.

I was so mad I let him walk off.

I didn't even go after him.

- You didn't see what happened, did you?

- No.

Well, then we can't be sure,

can we?

He left me notes all the time,

for no reason.

If he'd meant to do it,

he would have written to me.

And this coat, he would have left

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