05x04 - Wine from These Grapes

[bunniefuu]

George Nelson.

You boys need any help?

Hey, it's your brother!

George!

George!

Who done this?

We don't know.

He's still warm.

Whoever done it is probably
still around here someplace.

We'll check it out, Harry.

What have you got there?

A medal. We found it in his hand.

Let me see it.
It's evidence.

And that's my brother!

Okay.

The only J.E. who'd want my brother
dead is Juan Esparza.

We'll check it out, Harry.

Sure you will. You hold on to that
real good, Sheriff,

'cause that's gonna put a rope
around his rabble-rousing neck.

Hey, look!

Esparza!

Let's get him!

Come on.

Hit the lights!

Hold it right there!

Take him!

♪♪

Now go on home, all of you.

There's nothing you can do around here.

We just want to make sure
that Esparza gets his frijoles and tortillas.

Esparza will answer to the law
and no one else.

Now go on home.

You're Joe Mannix, ain't you?

That's right.

Me and the boys was wondering

why you decided to come home
to Summer Grove all of a sudden-like.

I got a visa.

If you're here to help out Juan Esparza,
forget it.

We got enough outside agitators now.

I suggest you just, uh, move on.

And I suggest you back off.

Looks like we got a live one, Harry.

Yeah, Arnie, it really does.

You just bought yourself a mess of trouble.

Let's get him!

Harry, hold it!

What's going on there?

Nothing, Mr. Apellini.

We're just letting the city boy know
he ain't welcome here.

I told you once, Harry,
and I'm not going to tell you again.

I'm sorry, Mr.-- Joe! Joe Mannix.

Hello, Charlie. These your boys?

Yeah.

I heard you'd expanded, but I didn't think
you'd bought an entire town.

It ain't like that at all.

And Nelson's upset because his brother
George got knifed last night.

So I heard.

What are you doing
back here in Summer Grove?

Visiting your dad?
I'm planning on doing that, too.

No hard feelings?

Next time, Charlie, uh, don't let
your boys out without a leash.

You sure don't take any prizes for brains.

Hello, Mr. Kolligian.

Joseph, my boy.
It's good to see you again.

Leo, it's good to see you.

You know, it's been a long time since I've
had good strong Armenian coffee.

I'm glad you could get away, Joseph.

You know, I don't think
I have a chance to win this one.

Please, sit down.

If you go by just the evidence,
Esparza is guilty.

He was arrested at the scene.
There'd been a struggle.

The dead man had a medal
in his hand with Esparza's initials on it.

He had opportunity, and he had motive.

If you think Esparza's guilty,
Mr. Kolligian,

why did you take the case?

I didn't say he was guilty.

He had opportunity.

Motive? Yes. No man had better.

But Esparza is a strange man--

Strong but not violent.

Is that why you sent for me?

To prove that a nonviolent man
cannot be guilty of v*olence?

I hope so, Joseph.

I certainly hope so.

Joel!
Hello, Cisco.

Good to see you again.
How are you?

Pretty good, I guess.
You gonna help Esparza?

If it's okay with you.
It's okay with me.

Tom!

Tom will take you to Esparza.

Hello, Tom.
Hi, Joe.

I'm on my way to the lab. There might
be some fingerprints on the Kn*fe.

Cisco, when you do find out,
you will let me know?

Sure.

This way, Joe.

Juan?

Mr. Kolligian, I see you're still
determined to waste your time.

Juan, this is Joe Mannix, an investigator.

How do you do?
He would like to help you.

Oh, I thank you for your concern,

but now you will be wasting
twice as much time.

I like company. Please sit down.

Thank you.

Mr. Esparza, I understand
that you and the dead man

were not what you'd call friends.

You did have trouble
some months ago, didn't you?

Trouble? What's trouble?

I met him, yes, a couple of times.

He worked for Mr. Apellini.

And the union is picketing
the Apellini place?

That's right.

Juan, what were you doing
in that field last night?

I was walking.
On my way to a meeting.

Where was the meeting?

At the home of Emanuel Gomez,
the head of the union.

On the old Coach Road.
Mm-hmm.

Where were you before that?

I have told all of this to Cisco.

My story has a big hole in it.

I left home at :.
Cisco arrested me at :.

But to walk from my house to there should
take , minutes at the most.

So why did it take so long?

Did I pause to look at the grapes,
to smell them, to feel the earth?

Did I linger among the vines just to think?

Did I k*ll a man?

I ask you, what--
what kind of alibi is that--

A conversation with the grapes?

Juan, did anybody see you in the vineyard?

It was dark.

See, Mr. Mannix, dear friend Leo,
your cause is hopeless.

I'm grateful for your concern,

but in all honesty, what can you do?

Joe, telephone.

Who is it?
Mr. Apellini.

Juan, I find it very difficult
to help a man who won't help himself.

I'm sorry, my friend.
But that's the way it must be.

Yes, yeah, I understand, Charlie.

Thank you. I'd like to.
I really would,

but, well, I uh, I'd better
take a raincheck on that.

Yes, I understand. Thank you.

What did Apellini want?

Oh, uh, to make peace.

And you took a raincheck?

People change, Joseph.

When a man who has been
married to the soil takes a wife,

you have to expect him to change.

Yeah, well, uh, he did apologize
for the welcome his boys gave me.

And he invited you for dinner?

But you've judged him already.

And you think you're not your father's son.

See, we count three eyes up,
and then we cut.

You hold it close so,
and then with one stroke, quickly! Huh!

Smooth, you see?

Now that is the way we do it.

I see now.
Before I was afraid to hurt the vine.

Sure-- Joseph! Hal

Hello, Pa.

Joseph, how are you? Are you well?

Oh, I'm fine. Fine.
You look healthier than ever, Pa.

Oh! You remember José Alonzo? Huh?

He's a good worker, this boy.

He's only ,
and he knows so much already.

Well, I remember José when he was that big.

And your sister, Maria, Jose.
How is she??

Uh, she's all right.
Got a cold or something.

You want me to finish this row now,
Senor Stephan?

It's time to eat, huh?

Come on, we go in the house
and we talk, huh?

It's been a good season, huh?

The rains came at the right time.

You bet,
and this year I have a good assistant.

He loves the land.

Without that there is nothing else.

I know, Pa.

Come in.

Josito, how's the boy?
Cisco.

Joe.
Did something turn up, Cisco?

The lab checked the Kn*fe.

The fingerprints were smeared.

Can they trace the Kn*fe?
Nope.

Thousands like it.
Sold by the gross.

Then why don't you let Señor Esparza go?

You know he didn't k*ll the man.

The Sheriff is doing his job, José.
Nothing more.

I'm sorry, José.
But the other evidence is too strong.

What? What evidence?

Pa, the dead man had
a St. Francis medal in his hand,

and on the back of it
there were the initials J.E.

But that could be anybody in the Valley.

José.

Julio Escobar, John Evans,
Jesus Espanil, anybody!

That is true, José.

But I do not say the initials J.E.
belong to Juan Esparza.

He does.

He admits the medal belongs to him.

No! You are a traitor to la raza.

The people love Juan Esparza,
and you want to k*ll him.

José-
Get away from me! All of you!

All you want to do is k*ll Juan Esparza.

Joseph, I don't understand it.

Forget it, Pa.
The boy didn't mean anything by it.

He was angry, that's all.

That boy is a good boy, you know.

That man Esparza,
what Kind of a man can that be

can make a boy like José hate so much?

Only a man of v*olence.

Do you think Esparza's guilty?

Does he deny it? Hmm?

Does an innocent man try to run away?

Wait a minute, Pa.

Leo Kolligian said it was you
who asked him to take the case.

I did it for José.

And I did it for nothing.

But now even the boy has run away.

And that man Esparza is responsible.

Because you feel he's responsible,
you decided that he's guilty of m*rder?

Joseph, don't tell me what I have decided.

Stay down.

Why?

It's the way some people
deliver a message, Pa.

That says get out of town,
and that puts a period on it.

Senor Joel

It's me-- José.

I saw him. It was Harry Nelson.

What were you doing out here, José?

I came back to say I'm sorry.

Are you sure it was Nelson?

No. It was somebody in a truck.

But I know it was Nelson.

It was a truck from the Apellini Vineyards.

There was a sign on it.

Pa, could I borrow your truck?

The keys are under the seat.
Yeah, I remember.

I didn't mean what I said.

A man gets angry, he says things.

If you bring in three busloads
of non-union pickers in broad daylight,

you're asking for trouble.

I know that, Sheriff.
That's why I'm talking to you.

There's only me and two deputies,

and that's not going to be
enough, Mr. Apellini.

All right, what do you expect me to do?
Let my grapes rot on the vine?

I'm sorry, Sheriff,
but that's the way it's got to be.

Oh, Joe,

Did you change your mind
about coming to dinner?

It's a business call, Charlie.

Glad you're here, Cisco.

What happened, Joe?

A few minutes ago, somebody used
a shotgun on my father's house and my car.

And that brought you right here.

A witness saw an Apellini truck drive off
just after the sh*ts were fired.

This ranch owns trucks, Joe.

Come on, you gotta do better than that.

Did your witness see who was driving?

Try Harry Nelson.

Send Harry Nelson up here.

I don't care what he's doing.
Send him up here now!

Well, sounded like a fight
was going to start any minute.

Oh, we were just talking
a little business, honey.

Sorry if we disturbed you.

Joe, I'd like to have you
meet my wife Helen.

This is Joe Mannix, honey.
You know the Sheriff.

Hello.
Mrs. Apellini.

Well, a pleasure.

I'm sorry I interrupted, Charlie,
but your dinner is getting cold.

You go right ahead, honey.

I'll be along in a minute.

Al right.

Come in.

You want to see me?
Yeah.

Mannix and the Sheriff here want
to know if you left the ranch tonight.

No, sir. I've been down
in the maintenance shed

helping the boys
with the crating equipment.

Can you prove that?

I don't have to prove anything to you.

You may have to prove it to me.

Tell him, Mr. Apellini.

Yeah. That's right.
I remember now.

I was there a little while ago,
and he was there.

You may have to swear to that in court,
Mr. Apellini, if Joe signs a complaint.

That's his decision, Sheriff.

Joe, you walked yourself
right into a hornet's nest here.

I'd consider it a personal favor
if you'd just let things settle down.

Sheriff Madeiros is well qualified
to handle things here in Summer Grove.

I'll give it some thought.

Gentlemen.

They were both lying.

Nelson I can figure.
Why would Apellini back him up?

To make it look like an open and shut case
against Esparza

and get you back to Los Angeles.

They figure a sleepy small-town sheriff
will let things ride.

They ought to know better.

But there is one thing
you didn't tell me, Cisco.

What's that?
I looked up the records.

You picked up Esparza
about six months ago.

He'd been assaulted, nearly k*lled,
according to the medical report.

Yeah, but Esparza
wouldn't identify his assailant.

You had a suspect?
Sure. But no proof.

Who?
The dead man-- George Nelson.

This was waiting for me
when I came in this morning.

A set of prints I lifted off a hoe handle

that time someone almost
b*at Esparza to death.

These are the dead man's prints.

They match.

Motive? Opportunity.

Solid evidence, Joe.
Everything checks out.

Except for one thing.

What was George Nelson
doing in that field that time of night?

That's a good question.
But I don't have the answer.

And another thing.

Who knows for sure
that Esparza is innocent?

Nobody knows for sure, except Esparza
and whoever actually did the k*lling.

So Esparza's
got to be protecting somebody.

Apellini?

Harry Nelson?

But it doesn't make any sense, Joe.

Why would Esparza want to protect them?

Yeah.

Why don't we go ask him?

Ah.

Blow.

Good.

You know,

when a man stands for something,
something good,

he never really dies.

You understand that?

But what will we do now,
Senor Stephan?

What can I do?

We pray.

We will pray.

In a normal situation,
this file would be closed.

Somebody's counting on that, Cisco.

They figure with Esparza dead,
I'll go home

and you'll start looking
for whoever threw that b*mb

and forget all about the man
Esparza's supposed to have k*lled.

And they'd be right.

On the evidence, Esparza k*lled him.

Esparza's dead, case closed.
Next case.

But on the facts, nothing ties in.

Number , the whole county's divided
into two armed camps because of Esparza.

Number , a lynch mob shows up
looking for blood-- his blood.

Number , somebody threw a b*mb.

Half the town are potential suspects.

Now tell me, how does that tie in

with the man I found
with a Kn*fe in his belly?

You forgot point , Cisco.

Somebody wanted me off the case.
They still do.

As long as I keep poking around,
I'm a thr*at.

And a sitting duck.

There's one thing
about being a sitting duck--

You don't have to find the hunter.
He finds you.

Sure.

Oh. Come on in.

I understand you brought in men
to work in the fields, Mr. Apellini.

No disrespect meant, Sheriff,
but my grapes just won't wait.

Care for a drink?
No, thanks.

No, thanks.

I didn't figure there'd be any trouble.

Most of the union people
are at the services today.

I'm just trying to put and together.

You had labor problems.
For the time being, you don't.

Even the union head's at the services.

The only difference between
yesterday and today is a dead man.

Is that why you came out here?

You figured I had something
to do with that?

Somebody threw a b*mb,
Mr. Apellini.

I'm checking everybody out who purchased
expl*sives in the last six months,

and you're on the list.
And it's all accounted for!

I still have to check it out.
All right.

I keep it in the shed out back.
Come on, I'll show you.

And every stick signed for.

Is he a sworn deputy?

No.

Then he has no business here, does he?

Why don't you go back to LA, Mannix?

You've just about worn out
your welcome around here.

Better wait here, Joe.

Did they leave you here all alone?

Not anymore.

You certainly have got
my husband in a sweat.

But you're barking up the wrong tree,
you know.

He could never do a thing like that.

But he's got people
working for him who could.

You mean Harry Nelson, don't you?

Well, after all,
Esparza did k*ll his brother,

and as the Bible says, a tooth for a tooth.

Except I don't think Esparza did it.

Then who did?
You must suspect somebody.

Everybody.

Including me?

Everybody.

But that's silly.

Where were you on that night,
Mrs. Apellini?

I was visiting my sister in Fresno.
Uh-huh.

Well, then, uh, I guess
I can cross you off my list.

Well, I surely hope so.

You know, my husband says
that you've worn out your welcome.

Well, you haven't.

Harry Nelson checked out
some dynamite yesterday morning.

Said he used it to blast out some stumps.

Ah, now you don't believe that.

I haven't made up my mind yet.

Then where was Charlie Apellini
the night George Nelson was k*lled?

He had an alibi. I checked it.

He was right here.

How about Mrs. Apellini?

He said she was with him.

Cisco, uh, you got a car I can borrow?
Mine won't be fixed until tomorrow.

Sure, take mine.

Where are you going?
Fresno.

What's in Fresno?

Somebody's sister.

Yes?
My name is Joe Mannix.

I'm a private investigator.
I'd like to talk to you.

Is this about my sister Helen?
Yes.

Come in.
Thank you.

Excuse the mess around here.

Mrs. Broderick, was your sister
with you last Tuesday night?

Ah, Tuesday night?

Would you give it some thought, ma'am?

You may have to repeat
what you tell me in a court of law.

She called me a little while ago.

She said somebody might be
checking up on her.

But you know about that, don't you?

I had a feeling she might call.

I am not covering up for her anymore.

And she wasn't with you
last Tuesday night?

No. Not then or the time before that
or the time before that.

I'm glad Charlie
is finally getting wise to her.

He's not going to have to look very far
to find grounds for a divorce.

You're working for a good man,
Mr. Mannix.

Charlie Apellini loves my sister,
and she's just nothing-- nothing but a--

If she wasn't here, where was she?

Oh, I don't know the room number.
It's always the same place.

It's the Holiday Lodge
down there on the turnoff.

Joseph, you must do something.

What happened?
José has run away.

What could I tell him? He's only a boy.

Take it easy, Pa. He'll be all right.
No, no! He has a g*n.

He stole a g*n from Mr. Ohanian's store.

A g*n?
He means to k*ll Harry Nelson.

He believes Nelson threw
the dynamite that k*lled Esparza.

Okay, Pa, I'll, uh, I'll find him.
Yeah, go.

Any idea who was on those tractors, Joe?

Just an educated guess, but I didn't
have time to stick around and find out.

Did you, uh, turn up anything
on the boy?

Nothing yet.
Maybe his sister knows something.

Maybe.

Maria??

Aah!

How is she, Doc?
Can we talk to her?

For a few minutes only.

She's doing all right, considering.

Considering what?

Besides being beaten, she was r*ped.

Maria, it's me-- Cisco.

Where's José?

José is all right. He'll be along.

Maria, who did this to you?

José. Where is José?

Maria, who did this to you?
We must know.

It was dark, so dark!

Was it George Nelson?

Yes!

Yes! And I k*lled him!

I k*lled him!

She was beaten so bad,
she was probably unconscious.

And if she was unconscious,
how could she k*ll George Nelson?

Just like Esparza,
she's probably protecting somebody.

The question is who.

Sheriff. Joe.

Hello, Charlie.

I just wanted to talk to you
for a minute, if I may.

What's on your mind?

I lied to you.

It was Nelson who sh*t up your car, Joe.

He also threw that b*mb.

I didn't know it really for sure until
just a little while ago, when he told me.

I suppose I'm just as guilty
as if I did know.

It doesn't take any four sticks
of dynamite to blast out a stump.

It didn't fool you for a minute,
did it, Sheriff?

It worried me a little bit, Mr. Apellini.

And Nelson just told you about it,
just like that?

Oh, no.

No, he only told me
after I told him to get out.

And he said I didn't have the guts
to kick him out

because I was an accessory to a m*rder.

Well, I kicked him out.

If I'm an accessory to the m*rder,
all right. Here I am.

Where is Harry Nelson now?

I don't know. He's gone.

Stick around, Mr. Apellini.

I may have to talk to you
after I pick him up.

I owe you an apology, Joe.

Also I'm grateful to you.
What for?

For proving to me
that my wife didn't k*ll anybody.

You mean George Nelson?

Yeah.

What made you think she did?

Well, my wife...

she wasn't home all that night.

She said she was going to spend
the evening with her sister in Fresno.

Hmm, she didn't.

I called off and on all night long.

Nobody was there.

And then Nelson told me that my wife
and his brother were--

That they were--

I believed it.

I believed it, Joe.

You understand?
I really believed my wife k*lled a man.

How did I prove she didn't?

She called her sister this morning.

I came in the back door
and overheard the conversation.

She was begging her sister to swear
that she spent Tuesday night there.

You must have shaken her up
pretty good, Joe.

I just asked her where she was that night.

You could have done the same.

Did she tell you the truth?
No.

What makes you think
she would have told me any differently?

Oh, I found out the truth all right.

She was with a guy in Fresno.

Hello, Joe.
Tom.

Joseph, what is this I hear about Maria?
Is it true?

Yeah, it's true, Pa.
And she says she k*lled George Nelson.

That's a lie.

And I'm sick of lies.

You pretend I'm dead.
Another man lies in my coffin.

You make mockery of me.

I'm not a coward.
Why do you make me look like one?

Juan, the authorities are working
with us to keep up the pretense

until we can find out who's behind all this.

With you dead, a lot of worms
are crawling out of their holes.

Of course, if you want to be resurrected,
all you have to do is answer one question.

Did you k*ll George Nelson?

I'm not afraid to die.

He's not afraid to die.

Dying is easy.

It is living that is hard.

How is the girl? Will she be all right?

Physically, yes.

It is as you say, señor.

Living. That is the difficult thing.

Stephan, Joe.

Is that Sheriff--

Esparza.

There is an old Armenian proverb
that goes...

Roughly translated, that means
"There is no reason for w*r

that reasonable men cannot resolve."

Joseph, no sign of Jose?

Not yet.

We must find him.

You must tell him that Esparza's alive.

Please, tell him that, Joseph,
before he does something foolish.

Okay, Pa.

Esparza didn't k*ll your brother, did he?

Did he?
I don't know!

It looked that way, and as long as it did,
I figured I'd make sure it stuck.

I figured Mrs. Apellini had a hand in it.

If she did, I had me a sweet thing
going for the rest of my life.

Then you had to get in the way.

And you're the one who blew up
the jail and k*lled a man.

You're going to have to prove that.

We'll prove it. Now let's go.
Ohh!

Move.

Put down your g*n, Senor Joe.

José.

Put it down! I mean it!

You k*lled Juan Esparza.

Now I'm going to k*ll you, Serf or Nelson.

You just hold on a minute, boy.

You animal! Don't talk to me!

You k*lled Juan Esparza.

José, listen to me.

Esparza is not dead.

Nelson k*lled the man in the next cell.

Esparza is alive.

No.

You try to fool me.

I'm telling you the truth, José.

Let the law take care of this man.

Don't throw away your life.

What good is my life?

Don't you understand?

I am a coward.

The medal, the St. Francis medal
the police found,

it belonged to Juan Esparza,
but he gave it to me.

You?

You k*lled George Nelson?

Yes!

He did--

He did that to my sister.

She tore and scratched him,
but he b*at her,

so I stabbed him.

José.

José, a jury could understand that.

In anger to protect your sister.

But this, José,
this is cold-blooded m*rder.

No. It is justice.

He k*lled Juan Esparza.

Esparza is alive,
and your sister is all right, José.

No. She will never be all right.

José.

José, your sister loves you very much--

Enough to say
that she k*lled George Nelson.

José, she will be all right,
and Esparza is alive.

Believe me.

Leave this man to the law, José.

Please give me your g*n.

Move.

José!

I am sorry I gave you pain.

You're alive!

You're really alive.

Forgive me, Señor Esparza.

I was so scared at what I did to you.

I didn't mean to. I was just so afraid.

I know, José.

We all live with fear.

We tremble through every day of our lives.

No man is free from fear,
yet every man is free to conquer it,

as you will.

You were not afraid?

I was very much afraid, José.

But I had faith in you.

I must go with the Sheriff.

Yeah.

I'll take care of him, Stephan.

And I'll bring him back.