04x09 - A Problem Too Personal

[bunniefuu]

♪ In the heat of the night

♪ I've got troubles
wall to wall ♪

♪ In the heat of the night

♪ Yeah

♪ Must be an ending
to it all ♪

♪ Oh

♪ But hold on

♪ It won't be long

♪ Just you be strong

♪ And it'll be all right

♪ In the heat
of the night ♪

♪ In the heat
of the night ♪♪

Let us pray.

Lord, you renew our lives
by this eucharist.

Free anna katarina
gillespie from sin

And raise her
to eternal life.

We ask this
in the name of jesus.

Amen.amen.

This mass was offered
for the repose

Of anna katarina
gillespie,

Born in viterbo,
italy, 1926,

Died, sparta,
mississippi, 1950.

May her soul and the souls
of all faithful departed

Rest in peace.

May the peace of the lord
be with you always.

And also with you.

Mass is ended.
Go in peace.

Thank you.

This was my first
commemorative service.

Chief,
did you remarry?

No. Still alone.

I'm probably
meant to be.

You'll return at noon?

I'll be
someplace else,

But some catholic
prisoners are
waiting for you.

Sunday your quiet day?

I wish it was.

[Telephone rings]

Watch his traps,
now, randy.

Sparta police.

Yes, sir, mr. Yawl.

Emergency's on its way.

8715 Britten way?

Ok, sir. It should
be there any minute.

Luann, it's sweet.

I'm at the gas station
at symons off route six.

Yeah, sweet,
here I am.

Naturally, the thief
on the cycle isn't
on the premises.

Apparently,
him and his girlfriend
busted into a cooler,

Made off with a six-pack,

Then thundered off
into the morning.

Hold it.

Nine on the alarm
board says lambry's.

Is that
the warehouse?

No. Main building
on warren.

Sweet, I think
you're near warren.

Yeah, I am.

Lambry industries'
alarm went off.

I see a piece of it.

Better check it out.

Cars on the north
side, alarm
at 3210 warren.

Lambry again?

You sure it isn't
nambry, the jewelers?

It's lambry's.
Main building.

Okey-doke.

Signal light
just went off.

Yeah, well, last time
that alarm was tripped,

It was an opossum
trying to sneak in.

Let's check out
the main building.

Parker.

He's dead.

We got a dead
security guard.

Radio
for some backup.

Yes, sir.

I'll check the back.

[g*nshots]

Police.

We're going
to get you.

[g*nshots]

Hold it!

Hold it!

Aah!

[g*nshots]

[Engine starts]

Hey.

Stay where you are
and drop those g*ns.

Hold it!

Drop your w*apon!

On the ground.
On the ground.

See the car?

It was a pale blue
olds, two-door.

Driver had his hat
down over his face.

You been shot.

Yeah. A touch, a touch.
I do confess.

Looks like it's
not bleeding much.

The b*llet went through.

Glendon?

Are you vic glendon?

I am.

There's going
to be a lot
of people sorry

To see you
back in sparta.

Let's go.

Every teacher
but four is married.

And every married couple
has kids, except for one.

And the marrieds
have working spouses.

It hardly needs saying,

A city can
get any services

It will pay for.

Well, sparta
ain't willing
to pay for much.

[Telephone rings]

Honey, can you get
the phone? I can't.

Harriet's in there.
Harriet!

What?

Would you
get the phone?

You willing to pay
city income tax?

It might be better
than higher property taxes.

Well, listen
to the voice
of privilege here.

Since when is paying
higher taxes
a privilege?

Virgil! Phone!

Ok.

It's a call for you
from the station.

Hello. Who's this?

Bubba.
What's going on?

Good lord.

Sweet?

Where is he now?

He's
at the hospital.

He's ok.
Just a few stitches.

Where's the white guy?

Infirmary at the
sheriff's station.

And the guard is dead?

The guy
they brought in
you might know--

A vic glendon.

Really?

Mm-hmm. Got his i.d.
In front of me.

Harriet's going to take
this really hard.

Here's the chief.
It's bubba.

Yeah, what?

What's wrong?

I have to go
to the station.

Thought this was
your day off.

Won't take all day.

Something important?

Routine.

Harriet, your son gene's

Getting better looking
every day.

Hi, ms. Eymon.

Hi, ms. Tibbs.
Mr. Tibbs.

How you doing?

Hi. Have
some brunch.

No, thanks.

You ain't ready
to go?

Ain't?

You're very early.

Then you are not
ready?

Uh, gene, why don't you
have something to eat?

There's a lot of good
stuff over there.

You do that.

I don't want
to eat, mama. Ok?

Funny kid.

Not funny, typical.

Harriet, wait a minute,
please.

All right, bubba.
I'll talk to you later.

Yeah. Bye.

Would you follow me?

Uh...

Would you sit down?

Thank you.

Uh, vic is in town.

I know.
He phoned eugene.

He's been arrested
for armed robbery.

One of the security
guards at lambry's
was k*lled.

Harriet, I don't
want you to take
this on yourself.

I think we'd better
tell ted marcus

As long
as he's here.

My god.

Vic's going
to need a lawyer.

Did you know
he was coming back?

All these years,
and never a call or
card or anything?

No. Just some, uh,
cards to eugene.

That's all.

And he didn't...

I don't want
to question you
about him.

Isn't fair to him.

I'm not even
thinking about him.

I'm thinking
about eugene...

And my nephew.

I got to raise them.

I care about our life.

What's this going to do?

Harriet, you're one
of the most respected

And best-liked people
in the whole community.

Mama, I'm going now.

I'll get my bag.

Stay here with all these
people, all your friends.

I'm sure somebody
will take you home.

Maybe he will.

I'm sure he wouldn't
mind that a bit.

Neither would you.

Just remember
aunt natalie.

Aunt natalie
was k*lled
by a white man.

Go on over there.

Did I hear them?

No. They're sound
asleep.

Yeah, but you're not.

I don't know what
to do about harriet.

I wish we could help her.

Well, it's time
to get up.

He could help her.

She could help him.

It'll never happen.

Isn't that sad?

Well, we live in
mississippi, baby.

I know...

But it's 1990.

And years and years
go by...

And time
stands still.

Vic glendon and
jay forlie haven't
said anything.

Who's jay forlie?

Our computer
tells us he's
from orlando.

He's done time
for safe-cracking.

He's a specialist.

He didn't come to
sparta on his own.

Vic glendon
brought him here.

We think
your security guard

Was k*lled by the
man who got away.

I say
vic glendon did it.

Glendon's g*n
carried a different
kind of amm*nit*on.

That don't mean nothing.

All three of them men
are responsible.

I hope the lord lets
me live long enough

That I can see them
die for this.

Chief, the safe is an
old-fashioned quincy.

Vault-type. Blew it
open with nitro.

They knew exactly how to
squelch the alarm, too.

Vic glendon knew,
I suppose.

Call for you,
chief.

Glendon used to be
a big man around here?

After old man lambry,
the biggest.

I'm going
back inside.

No, except for mr. Marcus,

Who wants to know when
he can visit his client.

Yes, he's here right now.

Yeah.

Yeah, I surely will.
Bye-bye.

Mr. Marcus,
can I talk to you?

How much time can I
have with my client?

Chief says take all
the time you want.

He also said this--

The man we want
is the man that
k*lled that guard.

We know it ain't glendon,

But whatever
he can do to help

Would go a long way
in his favor.

He wants to make sure
glendon understands that.

I'll make sure
he does.

Let's go, then.

I'm going to let
you and bubba
handle this.

I wouldn't
want people to
get the idea

That I have any
personal interest

In prosecuting
harriet's
former husband.

Well, why--

Oh, virgil,

You know there's no
accounting for people.

Naturally, I'll be
in the background

Working with y'all.

Harriet's boy
worries me.

Why?

Does he know you?

He's got some
fool notion about
me and his mama.

He's too young
to realize

How ridiculous
something like
that is.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Howdy.

Howdy. You going to
lose that leg or what?

I don't know,
but I'm hopping
out tomorrow.

This is the best
shake in town.

I want a taste
after you have one.

Not now.

I object to that.

Whoo.

I'm sorry about that.

I should have
sneaked it in, I guess.

Anything else I can do?

Yeah. You can
explain something.

Never seen the chief
this miserable
about a case.

What's up
with this one?

You ask the others?

Yeah, I asked
all of them.

What did they say?

They all changed
the subject.

They changed it to what?

To going out and getting
something for me.

That's
a pretty good idea.

I'll get another shake.

Parker!

I'll bring some
chinese food.

Parker, I already had
three milk shakes.

We got him back here.

He's in a bad way.

We ought to take him
to the county hospital,

But I don't think
we can risk it.

Where's the guy
with the machine g*n?

Any idea where
he went, forlie?

Was he traveling
with y'all,

Or is he
a local man?

He can talk, bill.

He's just got that old
jailhouse ailment.

He can ask questions,

He just can't answer none.

The machine g*n
inclines me to think

The other fella
come with him
from florida.

Maybe not.

Quite a few of
those pepper boxes
in this vicinity.

Anyway, I should think
they'd want a driver

Who knows how
to drive around here.

[Store bell rings]

I said I was
going shopping.

If you needed something,
I'd have gotten it.

Eugene!

I've had enough
of this.

When I talk to you,
you answer me.

Go home and wait.

I got nothing
to say to you.

Don't you talk to me
like that, boy.

I said go home.

I got things
to say to you.

Nothing I want to hear.

[Engine starts]

It was on the radio.

Huh?

The lambry thing
was on the radio.

Yeah, man, I know.
I heard it myself.

They think the man
who got away

Is a stranger
in town.

Won't think that
much longer.

Look.

Whoo!

Oh, man.

What am I
into here?

Nothing, if you
stick with me

And keep moving.

Now, I'm
leaving this car.

Get a new car.

Come here.

Let me show you
something.

Open that bag.

I can buy three,
four cars with that.

One for you.

What about my dad?

He'll be ok,

But I can't buy
no new car here.

Where's he
going to be ok?

In parchman's
prison?

Come on, man.

Sure, he's going
to do some time,

But not much because
he's respectable.

He got no record.
It's me they want.

Why didn't y'all
say this sooner?

Your daddy
didn't want to.

I was all
for telling you,
cutting you in,

But vic said,
"not my son."

I can help vic
in lots of ways,

But not if they
catch me, you know?

Mitch nellin.

Left sometime
this morning in a
light-colored sedan.

Came through later
in a dark blue jeep.

Somebody else
was driving.

They know if he was
dropped off somewhere?

Mm-mmm.

Ok, let's go.

He had to be local.
We ever have him here?

No. I found a note
saying nellin was paroled

Back home
from the state pen.

He have family here?

Mm-mmm.
Copiah extension.

He don't live
with them.

Well, somebody
here in town

Is helping him.

Who's close to him?

We're checking
that now.

I'm also
checking to see

If anybody's
close to vic glendon.

Figure somebody
like that

Might be helping
nellin, too.

Ok. Right this way.

It's all right

To talk to
detective tibbs

As long as
I'm here, ok?

How polite it all is.

How completely legal.

I remember
when a lawyer

Couldn't talk to
a black prisoner

For a few weeks

Because the prisoner,
beaten half to death,

Couldn't talk.

You were around then,
weren't you,

Brother tibbs?

I wondered if
you'd remember me.

I never forget anybody.

I never forget
anything.

The chief thinks
the case should
be moved.

So I can't get
a jury that knows me.

The idea is to avoid
a jury and trial.

You go
before a judge.

Pled guilty,

That same day
you leave

To serve
your sentence.

Which is?

With parole,
10 years.

It could all happen
very fast.

And be forgotten
very fast.

Harriet and eugene
won't have to suffer

Weeks or months
of a newspaper mess.

What do I have to do
to earn this big favor,

This sure 10 years?

You, uh...

When mitch nellin
goes on trial

For m*rder
in jackson,

You'll testify
that he shot
the security guard.

Somebody has to
fall, vic.

Jay forlie won't
live that long.

If we don't
catch mitch

And bring him
in whole,

You will fall.

You're the only one
that'll take that
m*rder charge,

And the county will
make that charge.

Don't wait, vic.

If you promise
to cooperate now,

They'll protect you.

No, ted. I don't
trust white law.

I don't trust black
servants of white law.

That means you
as well as him.

I'm not surprised at that.

Vic glendon
is hateful. He's--

He's got no color bias
against hating,

Mr. Tibbs.

No color barrier when it comes
to fornicating, either.

Well,
there may still
be some reason--

No, sir.

I will stand by
my vow to get him.

Sir, what
we intended--

That is how I respond
to his impudence

To mr. Tibbs here.

If he were my son,

I couldn't have
treated him better.

I advanced his fortune

Above any white man
in my employ.

And how
does he repay it?

By having a love affair
with a lovely girl.

She was an accountant
in his department,

And she happened
to be colored,

But that wasn't enough.

He had to have
a white woman.

Mrs. Amos l. Mckerten.

And all the while,
betraying a...

A lovely woman
waiting for him at home

Whom you are trying
to protect

Against the agony of
publicity.

That was our first
thought, ches.

I did harriet a favor
when I fired vic,

And I will now do her
a greater service

By removing him
from her life forever.

I will make no deal.

Mr. Lambry!

Many people thought
when you fired the man

That he'd done
something dishonest.

What is
a greater dishonesty

Than that which I
have just recounted?

If he'd have
embezzled money,

I'd have
forgiven him.

But for this,

I threw him out.

Would you have done
otherwise?

I suppose not, sir.

Would you?

Yes, sir.

I most certainly
would have done...

Otherwise.

Would you, gillespie?

I can't say.

Don't waffle.

Don't waffle!

I know I
would not have
made it impossible

For the man
to approach

Any other
white employers
in this town.

After that,
it was all downhill.

Pretty soon,
he packed up and left.

Told me how
he really felt.

He told me
to divorce him.

[Telephone rings]

No, no.
I'll get it.

And divorce him
I did...

After waiting
for two years.

You showed you
wanted him back.

I didn't
want him back.

His son did.

You tried
your best, baby.

That's all the lord
expect of you.

Eugene always loved him.

Was that virgil telling us
when he wants dinner?

No. It was
the chief.

Joining us
for dinner?

Uh, no. I better
be home with gene.

You know, alone?

So, how's
bill gillespie?

He sounded
a little tense.

He wanted to know
if I had seen you.

I said you were here.

Well, did he--

Did he want to
talk to me?

Mm-mmm.
Just wanted to
know how you were.

I told him
you were ok.

[Telephone rings]

It never stops.

"Ultra save dr*gs."

It was coolen's
pharmacy for years,
remember?

Then doc coolen hired
this good-looking

Light-skinned woman
with a pharmacy degree

From mississippi state.

And the story
going 'round

Was that doc coolen
and her was...

Mixing and carrying on.

She was ethel allroode's
daughter

From marshalburg.

Remember her?

I remember.

Next thing, everybody--

White folk
and black folk--

Stopped shopping
at coolen's pharmacy.

Now it's
ultra save dr*gs.

That's the way
this town is.

I know, etta.

I know.

That's just like
the ones found

At the robbery.

That right there's
the woman
who called us in.

Could be.

Could be?

Let me
tell you something.

If you were
to say to that lady,

"Thanks for
calling us in."

You can bet she'll say,
"you're welcome."

I went to four places.

"No." Each time.

You got to
go there yourself,

Sign your own name
on the registration.

Take me to jackson.

I'll get a new car
with no questions.

I ain't
taking you nowhere.

Then get out.
I'll drive myself.

I'll let you know
where to pick this up.

Hold on to that money.

It'll be
like a deposit.

I don't want money.
Get out this car.

This ain't nice, eugene.
I need your help.

Get your bags out.

Gene...

Get them out!

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Yes?

What news?

He'll live because he's
young and he's strong.

But a concussion
can cause impairments.

That's the doctor's word.

That's only a maybe.

Uh...

We're going to
tell his father now.

Is there anything you
want to say to him?

No.

Well...

Thank you for calling.

Yes.

Thanks. Bye.

Um, this is
eugene's belongings--

His wallet, watch,
license, ids.

Oh, there's also
a police receipt in there

For one item.

What's that?

An envelope containing
25 $100 bills.

Looks like it could be
part of the robbery money.

Robbery money?

Eugene?

I don't know
what to say.

Parker?

Excuse me.

Parker williams.

Uh, well, he's not here.

Ok.

Ok, thanks.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

This is crazy.

Harriet, I know gene.

He's a really good kid.

We'll have this thing
straightened out
in no time.

That was about his jeep.

One of our patrols
is checking it out.

Ok.

Thank you.

Why would a thief leave
keys in the car?

He abandoned the car.

Then stole another one.

Yeah. Yeah.

And the owner of the car

Probably didn't even
know it was stolen.

Yeah. Maybe that owner's
still in that car.

And this all
could have happened

Within
the last five minutes.

Want some?

No. Dead men
don't eat no pizza.

[Tires squeal]

Hey, sir!
Just a minute!

Hold it!

Put the g*n down!

Put it down!

Lord.

Lord.

I didn't want this.

Who are you?

I'm officer sweet.

We met at the robbery.

Anyway, your son eugene

Has got himself
in trouble

With some people.

We're not sure
over what.

Eugene's
in the hospital.

He's going to be ok.

He'll have to
stay there awhile.

What happened?

Sparta
police department.

Uh, yes, sir.

Well, yes, sir, ok.

Uh, well, he's--
he's right here.

Uh, hang on, detective.

Chief.

Detective tibbs.

Yes, virgil.

Well...

I'm sorry to hear that,

But I don't think
you had any option.

The man
had you outgunned.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Ok.

Doesn't the chief usually
tell the sad stories?

I thought sweet
could tell this one

With a steady voice.

Didn't want to face me.

Didn't.

And don't.

Bill,
what happened?

Nothing happened,
harriet.

Don't fuss yourself.

The boy is fine.

I feel like a cyclone
went through my house

And knocked
everything over

And threw things around.

I'm not sure I know
how to pick them up

And put them back.

Everybody will help you.

How long will it take?

A while.

The, um, white fella
from florida

And the other fella
from here, mitch nellin,

They both died
not 20 minutes ago,

So vic is going
to have to stand trial.

But we'll make it.

Your dear friends
will stand by you.

They're all...

So terribly...

Terribly fond of you.