01x07 - Chapter Seven

[bunniefuu]

- I didn't do it!
- JUDGE: Order!

Don't give up hope.

WOMAN: It's okay.

Once Sister Alice brings Charlie back,

Mr. Bart is gonna drop the charges.

- (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS)

WOMAN : Cops barely
investigated the case.

MAN: Officer Drake.

OFFICER DRAKE: I'm gonna help you.

That's not exactly legal.

You don't have a clean
chain of evidence.

Someone m*rder*d Gannon!

And you're as hellbent as
he is on covering this up!

MAN : Who else can finger you for this?

- You really wanna know?
- No. I want them dead.

- Does that say Eric Q. Seidel?
- Him.

- Mr. Seidel.
- MAN: Who's J.H.?

MAN : What does this have to do
with the defense of Emily Dodson?

WOMAN : I found J.H.
in a place called Girard,

and Herman Baggerly is chairman.

MAN : Ten days 'til Easter Sunday.

WOMAN : We have to run!

WOMAN : This church is mine!

Do you remember saying that?

I'm remembering a lot
of things lately, Mama.

(MUSIC CONCLUDES)

(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

(VOICE WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY)

BIRDY MCKEEGAN: You're
gonna burn your eyes out!

- Alice!
- WHISPERING VOICE: Alice...

Alice!

(MUTTERING) Damn you. Willful little...

- (GRUNTS)
- (ENGINE SPUTTERS)

(VOICE WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY)

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

(CAR MOTOR RUNNING)

(MUSIC FADES)

What's your trouble?

Empty t*nk.

Where you headed?

Next town.

- MAN: Rush Springs?
- If that's what it's called.

- (SIGHS) You're not from here.
- BIRDY: Saskatoon.

- Where is that now?
- Canada.

Far stretch from home.

It is. It is.

I can get you started.
I always carry an extra gallon.

BIRDY: Oh, I don't want
to put you out, friend.

Ah, I wouldn't have stopped
if I didn't mean to help.

Well, I... I... I thank you.

Christian thing to do.

- That your girl?
- Yes, sir.

- What's she looking for up there?
- Oh.

Alice. Come here.

(SCOFFS)

She can get moody.

- (LIQUID POURING)
- MAN: I don't blame her.

I do not blame her one jot.

Well...

That'll get you to Rush Springs.

BIRDY: Do they have a gas station there?

A pump, maybe.

Not much else.

Lawton, now that's a proper town.

How far is that?

(SIGHS) Farther than a gallon.

I can't lie, mister.

We got nothing.

No gas, no food, nor money
to pay for either of 'em.

Well...

I'd surely like to help all I can.

And not ask for much in return.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

- Alice. Alice.
- (MAN CLEARS THROAT)

The Lord has sent this
good man to rescue us.

Go and thank him.

MAN: Hello, young lady.

Hmm. Aren't you pretty.

WHISPERING VOICE:
And may God watch over us...

EMILY DODSON:
And may God watch over us...

WHISPERING VOICE:
... and help us live our days...

EMILY: ... and help us live our days

with thankful hearts and loving ways.

BIRDY: Amen.

Amen.

Something on your mind, daughter?

Just wondering what
the Lord has in store.

Well, we'll know soon enough, won't we?

- Is it all right if I start eating?
- Mm-hmm.

(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

JIM HICKS: Best keep up.

You get turned around in
three paces out here,

and you wind up face down in a ditch.

You think I'm gonna sh**t you?

The thought had crossed my mind.

(COYOTE HOWLS)

HICKS: Pack of coyotes out here.

Lost a good dog and ten chickens.

You see something moving...

(g*n CLICKS)

This was supposed to be
the village for the Olympics.

Way the heck out here.

Whose idea was that?

Herman Baggerly and Eric Seidel.

Bought it up by the handful.
Used a shell company.

Sunroot Services.

Convinced themselves
they'd make a k*lling.

Look at it now.

How'd it end up in your hands?

What kind of man are you, Mr. Mason?

(SCOFFS)

A piss-poor one, if I were to be honest.

I've been a drunkard,
a liar, and a thief.

PERRY MASON: Well, I can
match you there, Mr. Hicks.

What about now?

Let's just say I'm trying
to make up for it.

Sister Alice changed my life.

You won't hear a word
against her from me.

- But?
- HICKS: The ledger you brought.

You understand what's in it?

Well, I know George Gannon
was rigging the numbers.

And I think Seidel
gave him the go-ahead.

But if you know what they were up to,

I wish you'd tell me.

'Cause it would go a
long way to redeeming

a couple of old sinners.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

MASON: What are you doing, Mr. Hicks?

Showing you what you came for.

- (JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Didn't ever think I'd
get you all to myself.

This must be my lucky night.

(CHUCKLES)

Miss Nina, all you had to do was ask.

(CHUCKLES) Ain't so bad-looking
outta that uniform.

You're looking pretty fine yourself.

Mmm, look at you, lying
so smooth. (CHUCKLES)

Feeling better these days?

Still got that stomach bug.

Too bad you ain't been well enough

to get that file outta your desk.

- Thank you for fetching it.
- NINA PREER: Mm-hmm.

NINA PREER: Just so we clear,

my ofay sugar daddy downtown
do anything keep this girl happy.

But that gets locked up again tomorrow.

Yes, ma'am. I hear you,
Miss Nina. I hear you.

(CHUCKLES) Who you
chasing after, anyways?

- Bad man with a badge.
- NINA: Another cop?

Oh, baby, ain't you black
and blue enough already?

Hmm. I guess it's time to
choose one or the other.

NINA: Go catch your bad man.

And maybe next time,
we can meet up for real.

Now, Miss Nina, I'm married.
You know that.

I am too, baby.

But every dog gets let out
in the yard now and then.

- (LAUGHS)
- Go on now.

- NINA: Bye, baby.
- Bye, Miss Nina.

_

(JAZZ MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING)

- (HAMMERING, NAILS CLANGING)
- (GROANS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"

- (HAMMERING)
- (GROANING)

"Father, Father, why
have you forsaken me?"

- (ACTOR GROANS)
- "As the centurions drove

the nails into his bloody palms... "

(EVIL LAUGHTER)

SISTER ALICE MCKEEGAN:
"... into his blistered feet... "

(GROANS)

"Was this his reward
for healing the sick

- and raising the dead... "
- ELDER BROWN: Raising what, Sister?

A record take-in for the collection box?

- TECHNICIAN: Hey!
- FOLLOWER: Out of the way.

- TECHNICIAN: What are you doing?
- FOLLOWER: Move aside. Now.

TECHNICIAN: (MUFFLED)
You can't be in here.

SISTER ALICE: Well, folks,

it seems the Pharisees have found us

in our very own KRA Studios.

Elder Brown, you've misread your gospel.

The Lord threw out the moneylenders,

not the other way around.

- If you'd like to sit...
- Someone's here to see you, Sister.

The doors of the church
are open to everybody,

- seven days a week.
- Surely, you won't deny this man.

It wasn't easy for him to get here.

- (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
- (CROWD MURMURING)

You remember Robert, don't you, Sister?

You healed him a few weeks back.

Brothers and sisters,
the Radiant Hour of Power

- will be taking a short...
- (MIC FEEDBACK)

- Get your hands off of me!
- ELDER BROWN: Robert,

why don't you lift yourself up

and thank Sister for this miracle?

I can't.

The healing didn't take but a few hours.

I was back in my chair the next day.

How do you explain that, Sister?

He...

Why did it fail?

(VOICE WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY)

It failed...

because he lacked faith.

What was that?

I don't think the
listeners can hear you.

Because he lacked faith.

Because he lacked faith!

Without faith, it is
impossible to please Him.

For he that cometh to God must believe.

(MUFFLED) Robert, why
have you lacked faith?

You and I, standing up
there, we all saw it...

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

God is with you!

You could have given me some notice.

It's one thing to surprise the DA,

it's another to spring it on me.

You know what I know.

- What more do you want?
- DELLA STREET: I just want some idea

of where you think
you're going with this.

_

I'm gonna use Hicks to set up Seidel,

get Baggerly to state that Seidel
brought him in on the Olympic deal,

and hammer away at
the , -dollar debt.

You mean, just forget about
Barnes suborning perjury

from the jail matron?

No, he wants me to chase
that down a hole.

No, I'm gonna punch him
in the nuts till he squeaks.

- Jesus.
- What, did I offend you?

Look. Just keep it simple with Hicks.

Don't get tied down with numbers.

- We just need the jury to understand...
- Where's the bag?

I had Hazel bring it up the back stairs.

In case one of Barnes's
men was watching.

Hey, hey, hey! Hey, I'm sorry.
Can I get one from you?

- What?
- I got all the biggest cases.

I got Eddie Hickman,
he m*rder*d that -year-old.

I got Gordon Northcott,
he sawed off the Mexican's head!

Uh, I got Louise Peete,
the Lady Strangler.

The Attic Man! Ma'am, are you...
are you anyone important?

- Me? No.
- Mr. Mason!

- Mr. Mason!
- Yeah?

- f*ck you!
- (CROWD CLAMORING)

(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)

What is the business
of Sunroot Services?

None.

It conducts no business of any kind?

HICKS: It has no physical presence,

it produces nothing, it employs no one.

MASON: Huh. And yet...

the Radiant Assembly of God's
accountant, George Gannon,

often wrote checks to this
shell of a company. Why?

HICKS: So the church could claim
an asset on its general ledger.

Mr. Gannon mailed the checks to himself.

He was stealing from the church?

The church was stealing from the church.

MASON: Could you, in the
simplest terms possible,

- explain this...
- MAYNARD BARNES: Objection.

What does any of this have
to do with Emily Dodson?

Well, uh, Mr. Hicks was the
accountant prior to Mr. Gannon,

and since Mr. Gannon is
no longer with us, uh,

Mr. Hicks, I'm sure,
can tell us of the stress,

the great stress that Mr.
Gannon was surely feeling

prior to his kidnapping plot.

Proceed, Mr. Mason, and hurry the horse.

It's Good Friday, and
we all have families.

Mr. Hicks, why was the
church engaging in such...

shady financial practices?

HICKS: The Radiant Assembly of God
is the biggest house of worship

west of the Mississippi.

It was built in less than two years.

Takes a lot of fast money.

They took out a bank loan?

Several bank loans, with terms
a mobster would blush at.

- Objection.
- JUDGE FRED WRIGHT: Sustained.

Uh, maybe in less colorful
terms, Mr. Hicks?

We got ourselves in a debt
we could never pay back.

And what did the church elders do

when they realized that
the collection plates

wouldn't even cover
the interest on the loan,

much less the loans themselves?

HICKS: They bought a radio network

at similar terms and rates.

MASON: Doubling down on
an already unpayable debt?

If you were just looking at the numbers.

Well, what other way
is there to look at it?

A national salvation of souls.

Sister Alice's voice in every
living room in America.

What's the price on that?

- (CHUCKLES)
- Yes, yes.

And, uh, the church elders,
Seidel in particular,

knew that you had schemes

that would keep their debt at bay?

HICKS: The schemes were Seidel's. I...

just knew how to put them on paper.

Can only spread it around so much, Eric.

That's not what you were saying
a year ago, is it, Mr. Hicks?

"Do not worry yourself," you said!

And you said wait till
she's on the radio.

Well, she's on the radio,
and we're in it twice as deep.

- Fix it. Fix it.
- I won't do it anymore.

MASON: And what happened
when you told Elder Seidel

you could no longer hide their debt?

HICKS: Brought in George Gannon,

had me show him what I was doing...

offered me a plot of land in Girard.

For my silence.

For your silence?

For your silence.

Thank you, Mr. Hicks.

No further questions.

Mr. Hicks, did you know Emily Dodson?

HICKS: I spent more
time than I should have

in the counting room of the Temple.

I do not recall ever
meeting Mrs. Dodson.

And you left the church's employ

prior to the crimes we're
litigating here, correct?

- Yes.
- And in fact,

other than your personal interpretation

of this one ledger,

you have no evidence to
support your wild claims

about financial misconduct
at the church, do you?

I have the books and records.

Excuse me?

The original books and records

when I was the accountant
for the church.

I gave them to Mr. Mason.

You stole the original
books and records?

I copied them out of precaution,

so that when it all came out,
I... I wouldn't be blamed.

- (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
- (GALLERY WHISPERING)

Thank you.

They're right here, Mr. Barnes,

should you wish to look at them.

- No further questions.
- Redirect, Your Honor?

- Yes.
- Thank you.

Mr. Hicks...

are these...

the financial records for
the Radiant Assembly

from to ,

records that would prove

the church was in severe
financial distress

- at the time you left?
- Yes.

And if looked at closely
by a professional eye,

how much debt would these records say

the church was carrying?

Just over , dollars.

(GASPING AND MURMURING)

One hundred thousand dollars.

Thank you, Mr. Hicks.
No further questions.

(WATER RUNNING)

- Go.
- I got Ennis in Denver.

Breaking heads for Colorado
Fuel and Iron in .

I got Nowak there, same time, same job.

Nice work, huh?

I mean, it's not flattering
to compliment yourself...

And I got something else.

Eric Seidel.

Chief Financial Officer,
Colorado Fuel and Iron.

In Denver. In .

He's going on the stand.

I am gonna tie him, Ennis,

and the two Polacks in a knot

so Barnes can f*ck himself
trying to untangle them.

You are gonna keep an eye on
him until I can get him served.

Keep him in a closet if you have to.

You want me to watch
this guy all weekend?

- Yeah.
- I just spent three days in Denver.

And now you're back. What's the problem?

What?

- What's that smell?
- Someone threw garbage on me.

The f*ck's going on in this town?

Do not, do not let Seidel
out of your sight.

Do you understand me?

Hey.

You almost looked like
a lawyer up there.

... and demanding a
, -dollar ransom payment,

- is that correct?
- The kidnappers made it clear to my son

that if we wanted to see Charlie alive,

the police should not be involved.

And when you say, "my son,"
you mean Matthew Dodson,

whose paternity you denied until
it was revealed in the press?

- BARNES: Badgering, Your Honor.
- You damned impertinent...

Consider yourself warned, Mr. Mason.

Herman, isn't it true you used
to be the main benefactor

for the Radiant Assembly of God?

I am no longer associated
with that church.

But when you were a member,

you knew that George Gannon was
the church accountant, correct?

I had no business with Mr. Gannon.

My dealings were with Elder Seidel.

So Eric Seidel...

is the person in charge of
all the Church's finances?

Objection. Again, it's not clear

what the church's finances have to do

- with Charlie Dodson's m*rder.
- MASON: And it's not clear

what this photograph has
to do with your objection.

(GALLERY MURMURING)

(GAVEL BANGS)

JUDGE WRIGHT: The witness
will answer the question.

I'm afraid I've forgotten what that was.

Mr. Baggerly, is Eric Seidel the person

who oversees the Assembly's finances?

- Yes.
- MASON: He relied on you for money

when the Church was
running deficits, yes?

I made donations. A few investments.

Investments like that
worthless piece of land

comprising Woodland Acres?

The land is not worthless.

And yet, you cut all
funding to the Assembly

when that investment failed.

You must have been pretty fed up.

- Your Honor!
- JUDGE WRIGHT: Mr. Mason,

you will cease your
editorializing immediately.

Just to be absolutely clear,
Herman, when was the last time

Eric Seidel asked you for a donation?

Sometime after Thanksgiving.

MASON: And the amount requested?

I don't recall.

Did you give him the money?

I did not.

Early December ,

the single biggest source for
a church $ , in debt...

snaps the lock on the vault.

Three weeks later,

Charlie Dodson,

Herman Baggerly's
grandchild, is kidnapped,

ransomed, and m*rder*d

for an attempted extortion
of , dollars.

- Objection.
- MASON: I have no further questions.

JUDGE WRIGHT: Your witness, Mr. Barnes.

Mr. Baggerly, to be clear,
you did not know George...

What got screwed in the
Bible gets screwed again!

FRAT GUY : "Vass you dere, Sharlie?"

Go Bruins!

- (GAVEL POUNDING)
- JUDGE WRIGHT: Order!

(GALLERY SHOUTING)

Get out of here.

Bailiff!

- MAN: Get out of the way!
- (INDISTINCT SHOUTING)

I'm just asking for a little more time.

BANK MANAGER:
Given the outstanding payments

on the existing loans,
extending additional coverage

for your organization is just...

It's simply not something
that we can arrange.

I am sorry.

(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)

NEWSBOY: (SHOUTING) Extree, extree!

New developments in the Dodson case!

(CONTINUES SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY)

Extree, extree!

New developments in the Dodson case!

Emily.

Just a minute.

Please.

You heard the testimony today.

I just want you to
consider the possibility

that the Radiant Assembly might not have

your best interests at heart.

No one there has ever hurt me.

I'm not sure that's true.

- And come this Sunday...
- Come this Sunday, Mr. Mason,

this will all be over.

And everyone in that courtroom,

everyone in this city,

will beg me to forgive them.

But I don't know if I can.

We think the wisest thing
for you to do this weekend

is stay as far away from
the cemetery as possible.

For your own safety.

You saw yourself what
people are willing to do...

I'm not gonna lose him twice.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

We could have her committed.

- How quickly?
- I was joking.

I think.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

- (STREET VENDOR CALLING)
- (BRASS BAND PLAYING)

(CROWD CHANTING)

(CHEERING)

(CHANTING CONTINUES)

(CHEERING AND WHISTLING)

(MAN SPEAKING IN GERMAN)

RALLY SPEAKER:
... support your families.

f*ck.

(CROWD CHEERING)

RALLY SPEAKER:
We understand that you deserve

not only the compensation,

but also the eternal gratitude

of your country.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(DISTANT CHATTER AND LAUGHTER)

(GLASSES CLINKING)

(SPANISH MUSIC PLAYING OVER RADIO)

I need to talk to you about something.

Okay. Cut me some slack.
I've had a tough day.

You know what happens when you don't pay

your property taxes five years in a row?

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

LUPE GIBBS: There were a lot
of bidders in that auction.

I didn't think I'd get it, but...

I b*at them all.

You bought my house?

It was gonna be sold one way or another.

You bought my house.

I bought it two weeks ago.

Title got transferred today.

When were you gonna tell me?

LUPE: I'm telling you now.

You could've said something.

You could... you... you could've been...

you could've been straight with me.

I said it like times.

"I'm gonna buy your house,
I'm gonna knock it down,

and I'm gonna turn it into an airstrip."

Didn't you hear me?

That's not how you treat...

You... you and me, we were... we were...

A couple?

(SIGHS)

It's never good to lie to yourself.

I... I knew what we were.

I just didn't think you were f*cking me

so you could f*ck me.

- You're a snake.
- I'm a businesswoman, papi.

I'll give you a month.

And I promise,

I'll leave your folks where they are.

Well, isn't that f*cking generous.

LUPE: You're gonna thank me for this.

Not a f*cking chance.

("SWEET SUE" BY JIM REEVES PLAYING)

PIANIST: (SINGING) ♪ Every star above ♪

♪ Knows the one I love ♪

♪ Sweet Sue ♪

♪ Just you ♪

♪ No one else, it seems... ♪

That is the Astrakhan caviar, you know.

Sorry.

Between the smoke bombs
and the raising of the dead,

I'm not very hungry.

Has it occurred to you that
you're too wrapped up in this?

How wrapped up should I be?

Enough to wanna see your client go free.

Not so much that you lose a
night's sleep if she doesn't.

That's how you do it?

- Well, I'd never take this case.
- Why not?

Because the defendant is
just the sort of person

- you'd love to see hanged.
- (DELLA SCOFFS)

(HAMILTON BURGER CHUCKLES)

If that's how you feel,
why did you help Perry?

You asked me to.

So, if you're not gonna eat this...

I need a court order to stop
the resurrection on Sunday.

On what grounds?

On the grounds that it's gonna
get Emily Dodson convicted.

- (SIGHS)
- Disturbing the peace,

public nuisance, incitement to riot,

you can come up with something.

Please, Ham.

Like I said, I wouldn't take the case.

What'd be interesting, though,

would be poking into the finances

of the Radiant Assembly.

I bet there's a nice
little scandal there,

just waiting to be unearthed.

So you can run for DA next year?

Have we decided on an entrée, sir?

Oh. Uh...

I'll have Sweetbread Virginienne,

and my fiancée would like
the Chicken Sous Cloche.

Very good, Mr. Burger.

Thank you.

- (DELLA CHUCKLES)
- What do you think?

I think you wouldn't like the
headline if you got caught.

(SCOFFS)

Besides, isn't he a little young?

Oh. How old is Hazel again?

A gentleman would never ask.

Is that what I am?

(CHUCKLES)

Della, you are the only
person in this town

that I can be honest with.

PIANIST: (SINGING) ♪ I'll be satisfied ♪

♪ So make the most of fun ♪
♪ And laughter ♪

♪ That's what I always say ♪

(MUSIC STOPS)

(CRICKETS CHIRPING)

I don't know what to tell you.

Tell me you f*cked up.

I went up and down every block.

Every bar, every g*dd*mn hotel lobby.

I even went to the church,
staked out his house...

But you f*cked up.

I... I brought you the lead.

I connected Gannon to the books.

Seidel to Ennis.

I helped you steal a corpse.

And now you f*cked up. Just say it.

Yes. Yes, I f*cked up.

I f*cked up, like you
never done times,

and I covered your sorry ass.

Pete, I wasn't defending
someone on a m*rder rap then.

I don't get a second chance.

I don't... I don't get
to stand up in court

and say to the judge, "Do you mind...

do you mind waiting another week?"

I need... I needed that guy.

I trusted you to box him
in, and... and... and...

and you... and you lost him.

But what does it matter?

Just make it up on your
next big capital case.

Read me another chapter
of f*cking Lipstick Girl.

The f*ck's happening to you?

I am fighting for a woman's life!

That's what's f*cking happening!

I can't lose, Pete.

I can't... I can't f*ck this up like...

f*ck.

- (EXHALES)
- PETE STRICKLAND: You're right.

You should put Dinge Tracy on this.

(SIGHS)

- What?
- Officer Drake. You should...

Pay me out...

let him swallow your sh*t.

'Cause I just did it one
time too many, Perry.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)

(MUSIC STOPS)

Excuse me.

Do you know where the manager is?

La oficina.

There's no one there.

Maybe you can help me.

I'm looking for these men.

These?

- Do you remember seeing them?
- MANAGER: We're all booked up.

Oh, I'm just looking
for some information.

About what?

These men. Do you recognize them?

They stayed here around Christmas.

Might've had a baby with them.

Says who?

Says a call to the Los Angeles
Police Department

from a witness.

You're a cop?

I couldn't tell you who stayed here

three months ago.

Can I see your guest register?

MANAGER: There isn't one.

You don't register your guests.

I just look 'em over
and use my judgment.

I bet you do, ma'am.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(ENGINE STARTS)

Those men, I... I remember them.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

- Hey.
- Anyone see you?

No. I... I got off the Red
Line at Ethel and walked.

- Smart boy.
- ELDER SEIDEL: Yeah.

Uh...

I can't get on the stand.

Mason will tear me apart.

He... he got into our records.

He knows.

DETECTIVE ENNIS: He can't
call you if he can't find you.

Here, take this.

Bus to San Diego, train from there.

- You got cash?
- Yeah.

So you're sitting pretty.

My house. I mean, everything I own...

It's not going anywhere.

Let 'em stake it out
until they get fed up.

Meanwhile, you're sipping
juleps on the Crescent Line.

What we did to that baby...

Yeah, no one wanted that.

- We were just trying to help.
- Yeah.

Hop in. I'll drop you at the depot.

Come on. You know you're gonna do it.

Okay.

Uh, hey, Joe,

thanks for...

- (ENNIS GRUNTING)
- (SEIDEL GASPING)

(GRUNTS)

- (BIRDS CAWING)
- (PLANE PROPELLER RUNNING) _

_

Am I interrupting?

The one thing that my
father took to the grave

was that we owned this.

His last acres of San Fernando dirt.

I'm trying to figure out how I tell him

that I managed to lose it.

And then, I thought, what does he care?

'Cause he's been dead for years.

The only person it matters to now...

is me.

(SIGHS)

My father owned two pairs of overalls

and a Liberty Bond he
split with his brother.

You wanna hear what I found?

Sure.

Nowak and Sarecki.

They were holed up at a motor court

outside of Newhall, end of December.

- Alone?
- Not alone.

They had a kid with them.

Wouldn't stop crying.
Everybody heard him.

- Who saw the kid?
- Nobody.

But a third man shows up with his wife.

What?

His Chinese wife. Then no more crying.

Just happy baby noises.

- Ennis?
- Maybe.

And the wife?

She had a lot going on upstairs.

What do you mean, like,
she was a math professor?

No.

And where would Ennis
find a Chinese woman

with special skills?

Madame Jin's.

Here's how I think we should go at this.

You show them your badge, we brace them,

they cough up whichever
girl we need to talk to.

I ain't doing this under the badge.

Why not?

'Cause I got no legal authority here,

- and neither do you.
- They don't know that.

We pull some sh*t, they call
Ennis, and we're screwed.

Is that what you want?

Paul, let me tell you how I operate...

I know how you operate.
It's not how I operate.

All right, let's start
this conversation again.

Here's what I think should happen.

You show your badge,
we brace 'em, they cough up...

Yes. What you looking for?

Pretty silk for wife?

We're here to get laid.

White man only.

- Okay.
- Okay.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER IN MANDARIN)

(WOMAN GIGGLES)

(CHATTER CONTINUES)

You pick one already. Um...

thing is, I'm... I'm looking
for something very, very...

special.

What type? Young? Old?

Uh, uh...

Do you have this? Milk... milkmaids?

Jacklin! (SPEAKING MANDARIN)

(SPEAKING MANDARIN)

Yeah. Yes. Yeah.
Yeah, we'll have... fun.

(SPEAKING MANDARIN)

Sorry.

(DOOR CLOSES)

(WHISPERING) No, no, no, no.
You don't have to do that.

I just... I just wanna talk to you.

Talk... talk... talk to you.

Do you... do you know a
policeman named Ennis?

Uh... um... po... policeman.

Um, policeman.

Nas... nasty, beady-eyed policeman.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

I know.

Uh, okay. Thank you.

Did he take you on a trip?

- Trip?
- Um, did he, um...

Did he drive you somewhere?

There was a baby.

Not me.

Someone else? Someone you know?

(SOBBING)

Tang Yin...

(SPEAKING IN MANDARIN)

I can't... I don't... I can't...

Um, can you say it in English?

Tang Yin.

Is that a name?

He take her away.

One week, she gone.

He come back, then...

She... she uses heroin?

She use.

We all use.

Where is she? Can I...
can I talk to her?

I can... I can help her.

I can make her safe.

He come here other night.

She die.

- You mean Ennis k*lled her?
- (DOOR SLAMS)

MADAME JIN: You not here to have fun!

(GRUNTING)

(GLASS SHATTERS)

(SHOUTING IN MANDARIN)

(WOMEN SCREAMING)

(MASON GROANING)

(SPEAKING MANDARIN)

(SHOUTING CONTINUES)

(MEN GRUNTING)

- (CHAIN RATTLING)
- (GROANS)

(SPEAKING MANDARIN)

(MASON GROANS)

(DRAKE GRUNTS)

- (g*n CLICKS)
- DRAKE: Mm-mm.

Tell me again about how you operate.

(GROANS)

DRAKE: Let's go.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

Who's there?

(CIGARETTE FIZZLES)

I was smoking. I'm sorry.

I know you don't like it.

SISTER ALICE: Who told you that?

Your mother.

Give me one.

I won't tell if you don't tell.

You wanna know a secret?

Yes.

Old Gold Tobacco offered
me , dollars

to endorse their cigarettes
on our radio show.

Are you gonna take it?

Mother thinks we should.
Then we can move on

- to face cream and toothpaste.
- (CHUCKLES)

Who knows what else?

We'd be rolling in it then, wouldn't we?

Aren't you rich already?

You tell me a secret.

I know you have one.

I don't think you're gonna like it.

Try me.

The night they took Charlie,

I... I was on the phone with George,

and he was telling me
how much he loved me,

how much he missed me...

and how much he loved Charlie, and...

like he was his own.

And it... it felt like
coming back to life.

Felt like a miracle.

You're doubting me.

No, no.

SISTER ALICE: Why wouldn't you?

I'm promising you something
that hasn't happened

in , years.

And who am I?

(CHUCKLES)

You're Sister Alice. You're the Church.

But do you think I can talk to God?

Do you think I can hear His voice?

Do you think I can reach into the ground

and bring a baby back from the dead?

What do you know about me at all?

Say it.

Sister...

are you lying to me?

I swear...

after tomorrow,
nothing will be the same.

(DOOR CREAKS OPEN)

- (DOOR CLOSES)
- (SIGHS)

VIRGIL SHEETS: Why do
I even let you in here?

MASON: Because in your heart,
you wanna do good.

No, in my heart, I want
you to leave me alone.

MASON: After this, I will.

Okay. If this one turns
up in a bowling alley

wearing a party hat,

I'm gonna pry open your
skull with a claw hammer.

The way things are
going, I will let you.

Jane Doe, working girl.

Came in last night at : .

No, wait. No, two nights ago.

How do you know she's a working girl?

Oh, gross evidence of
gonorrhea and chlamydia.

Needle marks all down her arm.

Aside from that, just guessing.

Virg, what happens to an infant
nursing from a junked-up mother?

Why are you asking me that?

What happens?

Please, Virg.

He'd suffocate.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

Come on, hurry up!

Come on, let's go, police!

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.

Hey, get... Come on, get out of the way.

Get out of here. Get out of here.

Hey, hey, hey! Get out of here.

Hey, hey, hey! No vehicles past here.

I'm Emily Dodson's lawyer.

I don't care if you're
Clara Bow's lingerie.

Now, turn this thing around.

Oh, hey, guys, come on!
Hey, you, you, you, back up!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(CROWD CLAMORING)

MAN : m*rder*r!

MAN : Rot in hell, you blaspheming...

Emily, can I... can I talk? Emily?

Emily, can I talk to you?

Can we stop this?

- Sister Alice? Can we...
- ... resurrection and the life.

Whoever believes in me...

Will get a free set of dishes

and a year's supply of Ovaltine!

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

MASON: Excuse me. Excuse me.

Hey! I don't like the feel of this.

I've got to talk to Emily.

She won't hear a word you say.

They brought in one
of Madame Jin's girls

as a wet nurse for Charlie.
A... a... a hophead.

He overdosed on her milk,
they were f*cked.

- This isn't the time...
- It's got to be Ennis.

It's got to be. He connects it all.

If I can put him on the stand,
I can break him. I know I can.

Before this mumbo-jumbo
scotches everything.

Excuse me, excuse me.

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

Don't do this. Don't do this.

If you care about Emily,

if her acquittal matters to
you, walk away right now.

Just walk away. Right now! Walk away!

Come back to me. Please come back to me.

(ALL CLAMORING)

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

(WHISPERING) Come back to us.
Yes. Yes. Yes, yes...

(WHISPERING) Yes.
Yes, you are here. Yes.

- MAN : She can't even open it!
- (CROWD LAUGHING)

SISTER ALICE: Yes. Yes.

MAN : Let the baby out, come on!

Yes. Yes.

Oh, order on order.

Order on order, line on line,

a little here, a little there.

(CHANTING IN TONGUES)

(WOMAN SCREAMS)

It's all lies!

(ALL SHOUTING)

You're a liar! Liar! Liar!

- BIRDY: Alice!
- EMILY: Just put me in there.

Just put me in there,
I don't care anymore.

(CLAMORING)

We need to get out of here.

BIRDY: Alice!

Go! Go!

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

(SOBBING)

EMILY: I don't care anymore.

I don't care anymore.
I don't care anymore!

I wanna be with my baby.

I wanna be with my baby.

I just wanna be with my baby.

I wanna be with my baby.

(WOMAN SCREAMS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

Alice! Alice! Alice!

(WOMAN SHRIEKS)

Come on. Go!

(CROWD CLAMORING)

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

(CAR HORN HONKS)

(MASON GROANS)

(HORN HONKS)

- Did you hit anyone?
- I don't know.

(GLASS SHATTERS)

- DELLA: Jesus Christ!
- MASON: Drive faster!

You okay?

Alice. Look at me. Look at me.

Okay. It's just a bloody nose.

Okay? That's all. I'll make it better.

Take a right at Virgil.

DRIVER: Shouldn't we follow
the motorcycles, ma'am?

Do as I say.

Listen.

We can survive this.

There's always a
different story to tell.

But you have to trust me.

Will you do that?

Hmm?

Okay?

- Alice?
- DRIVER: Ma'am?

There's something in the road.

This is where we're meant to be.

(CROWD MURMURING)

You wait. You watch.

WOMAN : Is it okay?

(BABY CRIES)

Charlie Dodson.

I'm Birdy McKeegan.

And this is Charlie Dodson.

Charlie Dodson lives.

Oh, this is a miracle child.

Charlie Dodson lives.

Charlie Dodson lives!

Do you understand? Charlie Dodson lives.

Write it down! Write it down now!

Alice! This is you!

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

This is your miracle.

This is you. You did this.

Alice, hold him.

- (BABY CRIES)
- Hold him.

He's yours.

I know what you're trying to do.

And what you think you want,
but it's not gonna work.

It's not gonna happen.
There's too much at stake.

There's nothing else out there.

Nothing above, below, or in between.

It's just you and me, Alice.

Okay? It's just you and me.

Do you understand that, Alice?

It's just you and me.

Charlie Dodson lives! Alice! Alice!

Alice! Alice!

Alice!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(HORN HONKING)

Charlie Dodson lives!

Delivered from God.
Don't you understand?

Yes! This is a miracle baby.

(FLASH BULB POPS)

(GASPING)

(PANTING)

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC CONCLUDES)

PERRY MASON: I know how Charlie d*ed.

I've never wanted anything more

than to find those who were responsible,

and make them pay.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

Mrs. Dodson, isn't it your
fault Charlie's dead?

This man Ennis, you don't understand,

if he wants you gone, you're gone.

He is a detective that has k*lled!

We have to go after him!

I'm just about out of moves.

You said, "just about out of moves."

Ladies and gentlemen,
find that woman guilty.

I'm not done yet!

(MUSIC CONCLUDES)