03x04 - "First Girl"

[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 ♪

[g*nshots]

Hey, uh...bosworth. Good morning.

Good morning.

I thought I heard
some g*nshots.

Well, I did, too,

But it sounded like they was
from across the highway.

I guess g*nshots are
really no big news, though,

Down here
in mississippi, huh?

Where you from?

I'm from alabama.

I guess they're
still using
bows and arrows

Over there, huh?

I know that guy.

He's a cop.

Drive that van
around to the back.

[Ring]

Yeah. What?

Man: chief, we just got a call

A dead body
got dumped from a van
on president street.

Did you call virgil?

No. Why don't
I go down there?

Call virgil. Tell him
to get down there.

Yeah. Yes, sir.

Who's meeting
our new addition
to the force today?

I think parker is, sir.

All right.
Now listen to me.

I want our new officer
in full uniform

At that committee
meeting this morning

With some
message for me

Like it's the most
natural thing
in the world.

Got you. I'll see you.

You should go
in uniform, too.

It's a mistake going before
an inquisition in civvies.

I know what I'm doing.

Let's talk about
the mistake you made

That got you
kicked out.

I wasn't kicked out.
I was not let in.

I'm going to sue her.

She's my landlady,
not wife.

She unlawfully denied me
use of my room.

She judged you unfit
to enter her premises.

Yours is good as hers.
You took me in.

Because my good sense
is leaving me.

Maybe so, if you're
going there in civvies.

That's what
harriet de long

And a few other
council people
want to see--

You out of that uniform,
for good.

That's what
the meeting's about.

My civvies
let them know
they don't scare me.

You better find
your landlady
and apologize.

Keep this in mind.

He who imbibes
the white liquor
of the hills

Loses his standing
in respectable
society.

But he don't
lose his right
to go to bed.

Don't walk off
with my pajamas.

You waiting
for a chris rankin?

Yes. Supposed
to be on this bus.

Just got off.

Nobody got off but you.

There's only one thing
to figure from that.

No.

Yes.

You're officer
chris rankin?

Really?

Really.

You got a car?

Right over there.

Hey, parker...

Ain't you going
to give her a hand?

You guys set me up.

"Parker, pick up our
new rookie--chris rankin."

I don't know
till I meet her that
chris rankin's a female

And a black female.

Oh, that's real funny.

Hey!

You want me
to drive?

Just get in, missy.

There you go.

Things sure have changed
since I sent
my measurements down.

Pants too tight, rankin?

Not bad. It's a goal
to work toward.

$ Advance,
police i.d. Card.

Sign this document.

Sign your name christine
verlina rankin--

"Verlina"?

With middle initial
"v" for verlina

Where your name
with middle initial
"v" for verlina

Is typed. Clear?

If I no longer
like that name,
may I use another?

Only what's typed here.

This isn't the french
foreign legion.

And one regulation mm

With regulation
side equipment.

Not to be worn
socially.

Rankin,
get on down here.

Sign this voucher
for your firearm
and stuff.

Don't let this
deluxe service
go to your head, hear?

Next girl will hardly
be noticed.

If anybody meets her
at the bus, it's you.

Here's the chief's
message.

You know what to do.

My first assignment
is a little playacting,

If I understood right?

Yeah. It also
happens to be
pretty serious.

When you read that,
you'll know what
I mean.

We're like a pack
of hound dogs here--

New ones
slipping in,

Old ones
shuffling out,

The rest
not noticing much.

You being
our first girl,

We're glad
to have you,

Hope you like
the work,

Maybe have some fun.

But more important,

We pray
the good lord will
bless and keep you.

That's right. Amen.

Good luck.

Thank you, fellas.

Thank you, fellas.
Thank you.

All right. Ready? Yeah.

This man has
been laying here
for one hour.

Well, sir,
pretty near an hour.

Well, everybody's saying
the same thing--
nothing.

This man's laying
here one hour.

Everybody's
staring at it,

And it's an hour
before anybody
calls the police.

Miss, did you
call us?

Know who did?

I don't know, sir.

What did you do
when you heard sh*ts?

Didn't hear none.

Yeah. I figured that.

Go on. Go about
your business.

Same old story,
virgil.

No help ever.
Not for me,
not for you.

See, we both
the enemy down here.

Bubba? Hmm?

What makes an enemy?

Say what?

I said,
what makes an enemy?

Oh, virgil, don't start
with that sociological,

Black historical,
whatever it is
you always--

That's not
what I'm saying.

Think about it.

Why don't you ask her
that question?

She can tell you
all about this k*lling,

If she wanted to.

I know it.

[Gavel pounds] the wish
of the city council

Is that this
committee sit down
with the police chief

And work out a practical
plan of action.

Practical police action

Is to respond
to calls quickly,

Even calls from
the black part of town.

Well...
Let's proceed.

During the past month,

We've made four arrests
for as*ault,

Four for burglary,

Three for car theft,

Two for attempted m*rder,
all in the bottoms.

And we got convictions

For only two
of the burglaries

And only two
of the car thefts.

We have a problem
getting evidence.

When it takes police
to minutes

To get to the crime scene--
this comes from the d.a.--

They can't expect to find

Many witnesses
or evidence.

[Door opens]

Do my eyes
deceive me,

Or do I actually
see a woman

Wearing a sparta
police uniform?

And is that
woman officer

Actually a member
of my race?

Black is what
officer christine rankin
wrote on her application,

Which I processed
some weeks ago.

She's the newest member
of sparta's police force.

She's .

She's had two years
of junior college
in vicksburg.

She has people
living around here
over in kenard.

My aunt edie. Her aunt edie, yes.

All right, rankin,
thank you.

Yes, sir.

This message
that officer rankin
just gave me, uh...

Tells me a man
was apparently sh*t
in broad daylight

Down in the bottoms.

He's quite well-known,

But not one resident
of the area

Informed the police
for an hour.

It's very poor
citizen cooperation.

Now, I'm not saying
it's typical, but, uh...

It sure is frequent.

If y'all
will excuse me,

I'd better
get right on it.

Another m*rder?

Why, we seem
to be averaging over
one of those a week.

Well, miss de long,

That figure
is countywide,
isn't it?

What's the answer,
chief?

What do we do
about m*rder?

It's awful hard
to stop it.

You know, the man
contemplating m*rder

Hardly ever advises us
of his intentions.

Hey, you did
very well in there.

Everybody was most happy
to see our first girl.

Where's parker?

He had to go
to jail duty, sir.

He told me to stand by
with your car.

Oh, he did, did he?
Well all right here.

Well, here. Let's see
if this contrary vehicle

Minds its manners
any better

With you
behind the wheel.

Yes, sir. Go ahead.

Now listen, this cadaver
I'm going in to see

Might be busted up,
unpleasant looking.

There's no need for you
to go in with me.

You can wait out here.

I'll come with you,
if I may.

Sure?

Yes, sir. Come on.

Hey, chief.

Virgil, I brought
officer chris rankin.

Chris, this
is detective
virgil tibbs.

Mr. Tibbs. Hi, chris.

Thank you.

Can I see this face?

Yeah.

I believe I know him
from somewhere.

A woman called and
left a message
with parker.

She said ronny pemsey
lived at the crown motel.

He worked there. That's all?

Mm-hmm. Hung up.

He was k*lled
with a submachine g*n,

One of the new
m*llitary types.

He took rounds.

Looks like an U*i, mm.

Like a big-town
g*ng k*lling
in a little town.

g*ng killings usually follow
the main action,

Even to
the smallest places.

Dope?

That's the main action
nowadays.

I'm going over
to the motel,

See if I can
learn anything.

We'll catch up
with you.

O.k.

I'd say
your first day

Hasn't been
lacking in interest.

No, sir. It's been
nothing but fun.

I've never--

I'm sorry.
That was awful of me.

Talking about fun
and a poor man lying dead.

I was taught better.oh, sure, you were.

Your mama and daddy,
did they approve
of police work?

Oh, I didn't have
a mama and daddy.

I mean, I had them,
but don't remember them.

Aunt edie's
all I have,

Outside of all of you.

All of us?

I always make a family
wherever I go--

In school, in the academy,
now here on the job--

Y'all.

You could do a whole lot
worse than us.

I think, as a family,
we're decent enough...

Sober without
being stuffy

And willing
to stand by you.

Come on.
We'll catch up
with virgil.

[Gillespie] look for anything
of a personal nature--

You know, letters,
post cards,

Anything like that.

[Man] this guy wasn't
too into neatness,
was he?

Don't ask me.

You're the manager.
Who else should I ask?

I can only say
what I said.

He wanted to live here.
He had the money.

How many other
employees live here?

No other employee
ever wanted to.

All right.
Tell me something.

How could a second cook

Afford a deluxe double
in a good motel?

Your brother al lives here,
too, mr. Bosworth?

He did when we
first come over
from alabama.

He lives
by the business.

Hey, virgil.

Borrow you a minute?

Yeah.

Second cook.

Was he the fellow
from the dining room
with the hat,

Served good
buffet brunches?

Yes.

Chief!

We got what
we're looking for.

That's cocaine, chief.

He must've had
bags of it in here.

Some of it spilled.

Well, well, well.

The bosworth boys
of birmingham--

One of them
in motels,

The other one
in motorboats,

Both of them
in dope.

I really do
hate it.

I think this is
the m*rder*d man
in the picture.

I saw him
at the morgue.

The girl
from the bottoms

Says she wants
to talk to you.

Bubba, you better
go get the chief.

Yeah.

Got something
to tell me?

Yes, sir.

Are you the woman who
called me at the office?

Is it about
ronald pemsey?

Mm-hmm.

We want to know
why he was m*rder*d.

I know why.

Chief.

This is melva.

Hi, melva.

Lance's brother al
k*lled ronald pemsey.

Why?

Pemsey was dealing
dr*gs for bosworth.

It was a birmingham
operation.

Pemsey decided
to go into business
for himself.

He made a deal with
this new wholesaler

Out of new orleans.

Fatal mistake.

Uh-huh.

This man
in the photo

Looks like
ronald pemsey.

Parker heard g*nshots
around that place
this morning.

I see the bosworths
in this picture.

Who was the, uh,

Who was this
black fella here, melva?

Melva,
please tell him.

That's abe gillins.

Where do we find
abe gillins?

I don't know.

And, uh...

That's poor old ron
over here, isn't it?

Yes, sir.

Everything you told
detective tibbs and me
the truth, melva?

Yes, sir.

Well, I appreciate that.
O.k.?

Melva, thank you.

I do detest the thought
of officers taking fire

From somebody inside
of a building.

I want to bring

Al "machine g*n"
bosworth out in the open

So y'all can take him.

I'm going to use
the yazoo city flush.

Get your men ready
and in position.

I'll make the flush call
from right here.

Yes, sir.

Wait a minute.

Can I go?

The truth is,
we got all the men
we need.

You can always
use another man.

We'll get
a couple more...

Men.

Are you
afraid that

I'll be
in the way?

That isn't it,
sugar.

Officer rankin.

Don't get upset.

I always call
bubba sugar.

Say what?

Can I go?

Unless, of course,

You need me
to stay with you.

Well, no,
I don't need you.

Then can I go?

Yes, you can go.

Why not?

Why, sure, child,
go ahead.

Might do you good.

Go in virgil's car.

There's a telephone
there, see?

Stand by
the telephone
in there.

Don't you
do anything else.

I'm going to be
calling you

On that telephone
in minutes.

Go ahead. Yes, sir.

Well...

Been a good day.

Yeah, good day.

Yeah.

Very good day.

I don't see
any of the guys.

That's the idea.
If you can't see them,

Nobody in there
can see them, either.

Say, chief...
I see you waiting.

Can I help you
with anything?

Yeah. As a matter
of fact, you can.

I wanted to make
a phone call.

Could you
make it for me?

Certainly.

Where to?

Um, to there.

It's your brother
al's place.

Tell him
I have evidence
he knows something

About this case
I'm working on.

I'd like to talk
to him about it.

Tell him
to wait for me.

Do it from
the outside phone

Because I've got
another urgent call

To make
from this one.

Sure. Thank you.

[Telephone rings]

Officer rankin here.

Let the men know
they may be seeing

Our m*rder*r
any minute now.

Yes, sir.

Hold it, bosworth!

Put your g*n down!

Reloading! Me, too.

She's gone.

No, no.

She can't be.

Parker...

Her chest
is all tore up.

She's just gone.

Well...

It's just
like a w*r.

Men are sent into
the front lines
in the morning,

They're k*lled
in the afternoon.

Yes, ma'am.

It is like a w*r.

Chief, we just
got hold of her
aunt in kenard.

Thank you.

Ted, we have to be
getting on.

If you won't say
the hard thing, I will.

It has to be said.

Bill, the whole
council voted.

You've been asked
to put yourself
on suspension.

They want to--

What did they say?

Review the work
of this department
over the past year.

Review?

How long
will that take?

Well, it might take
a great while.

Wait a minute.

Don't we get consulted

Before you make
decisions like this?

How can you walk in here
without notice

Or warning of any kind

And tell us that
our police chief--

Uh, virgil...

I just have
something to say.

I reject the notion
of suspension.

I say if a man isn't
allowed to do a job,

He hasn't got a job.

So...

What I think
I'll do is, uh...

Turn my duties over

To my chief
investigator,
mr. Tibbs,

Who already holds
the rank of captain,

And, uh,
and under him,

I'm going to put
sergeant skinner,

Who will have
the new rank
of lieutenant.

Chief, I don't
want them bars.

I didn't ask if
you wanted them,

I'm telling you
to put them on.

What happened
to that child
was my fault.

No, it wasn't!

I should not have sent
an inexperienced officer

Into a situation

So full of dangerous
possibilities.

Chief, you were
training an officer.

Training, virgil,
is--is no excuse
for risking life.

I don't mean
to break this off

In an impolite
way, but...

I think I've
said just about
all I need to.

The only thing left
for me to do is...

To go in here
and pack up a few
things in a bag.

Lord, I didn't know
this child,

And she didn't know me.

But in her mind,
I belonged to her,

So I'm thinking
it was your will

That she belonged to me...

If only for one day.

She is now...

Serene in your
presence, lord,

I do believe.

And I'm here grieving.

I'm...grieving for
this child of mine.

Help me
with my sorrow.

Here you go.thanks.

We got everything
in the office.

Here are the keys.

Here's the chief.

What, is he
mad at us?

No.

I think he just
wants to put,

You know,
familiar things

Out of his mind.

How come
he asked if we'd
seen anybody...

Bosworth
or abe gillins?

What did you say?

Sweet
talked to him.

Said we figured

Bosworth b*at
the road blocks
to alabama.

So did gillins.

What did
the chief say?

"Maybe that's
the end of it."

He sounded
kind of old.

Sweet.

Well, you know what
I mean--just tired.

[Honk honk]

I found abe gillins.

He's hiding out
at the railway station.

I said
I was coming alone.

He's hiding
in that caboose.

Abe!

This is john.

Abe!

Damn, john!
You brought the law!

I brought
the only man
who could help you.

Now don't run, abe!

You got nobody
to trust but me,

And I got
nobody to trust
but this man.

Abe here
got himself

Into something
he didn't mean to.

He wants
to disappear

Without police
following him around.

I might be able
to help,

But I want
the guy that did
those killings.

Where did he go?

Help the
chief, abe.

He'll help you.

He didn't go nowhere.

He never left sparta.

Where is he?

Inaugural.

Used to be
my mama's house.

Now my sister
lives there.

Bosworth is with her.

With nella? Really?

I don't want her hurt.

She's taking care
of him.

She says when
his leg gets better,

She'll help him get
to alabama or georgia,

But I'm against that

'Cause she's got
to come out west
with me.

Please don't
arrest nella.

She is got to
come out
west with me.

I want to swing
that shotgun
for you.

You can't.

Brother g.,
This ain't right.

You was no john wayne
the best day you ever saw.

Call your station,
take some boys.

He's getting
no chance to k*ll

Anymore of my people.

You're giving him
every chance
to k*ll you.

He'll have to do that
before he kills another cop.

Step out of the way.

I hope he don't
hurt her.

She's my real sister.
I mean really real.

Well?

Go on, son.

Bosworth...

This is chief gillespie,
bosworth.

I hope you can
get up and move,

Because I'm going
to take you in.

Aah!

No! Aah! No! Oh!

Oh, my god!

Oh.

Go call the police.

Yes, sir.

You know,
we could do this

In an air-conditioned
office.

Air conditioning
wakes up all your
sleeping allergies.

That's
why southern people
run around all summer

With dripping eyes
and noses.

Where's
the dragonlady?

Right there,
coming on.

Uh-huh.

Why are we meeting
in a public park?

I always find public parks
very private.

Ah, so...

We meet under the eye
of the general.

Not if you don't like
the old fella.

Why should I
like him?

If he'd had his way,

I'd be calling you
massah

And doing your laundry
for nothing.

We can meet--

Never mind,
never mind.

We are here.

Let's say what
needs to be said.

Chief, do begin.

Oh, yes, ma'am.

The letter
from the council

Was delivered to me
last night.

I read it.

I want to say
that I appreciate

Your vote
of confidence,

But it concludes
this way--

"You are authorized
to fill

"The late officer
rankin's position

"With another officer,
who shall be black,

"In keeping with
the council's policy

"Of making your department
racially proportionate.

The new officer
should be male."

Why?

Bill, in view
of what happened,

We have to think
about community feeling.

People don't
want to see

Another black girl
sh*t to death,

At least
not right away.

Come on.

I'm not finished.

There are people saying
you wouldn't have risked

A white girl's life
so quick.

I will not reply
to that,

But to say
I can't hire a woman

Is to say I shouldn't
have hired a woman

In the first place.

Now, y'all can say that
if you want to,

But I won't.

I will not dishonor
the memory

Of chris rankin.

I want another girl.

And I got one.

Virgil brought her
over from jackson
today.

Miss luann corbin.
She's .

. ,

She's going to be with us
until she retires.

Years?

With us?

Yes, with us...

Until I retire,

And that's
for sure.

Deal?

Deal.

Now, welcome.

Thank you.

This is councilwoman
harriet de long.

Miss de long.
Nice to have
you here.

Councilman
ted marcus.

Welcome.

Thank you,
virgil.

Thank you,
bubba.

And welcome,
welcome.