All language subtitles for In the Electric Mist (2009)

In the ancient world,
people placed heavy stones

on the graves of their dead

so their souls would not wander
and afflict the living.

I always thought this was simply the practice
of superstitious and primitive people.

But I was about to learn that the dead
can hover on the edge of our vision

with the density
and luminosity of mist.

And their claim on the earth

can be as legitimate
and tenacious as our own.

I hope this poor girl was dead
before he started carving on her like that.

This poor girl didn't have
a whole lot of good luck, Dave.

The murdered girl's name
was Cherry LeBlanc.

Her father had disappeared
after he was accused of

molesting a black child
in his neighbourhood.

I went to Mamou to talk
to her granparents.

I learned little about her
except she seemed

to have been an uneducated, hapless
and fatally beautiful girl.

Busted for prostitution at 15,

dead at 19.

Mr Trajan?

We've been over this
three times now.

Cherry's been working here off
and on for the past few weeks.

She had a night off, she's gonna show up
anyhow to listen to "Hogman" Patin.

That girl had a real thing for Hogman.

Some time around 1, she put her purse behind
the bar and said she'd go outside for a while.

Did you know she'd been
arrested for prostitution?

- I didn't.
- No?

All right.

You hired her cos you thought she
was an honours student at LSU*.
* Louisiana State University.

I can't say I care for the way
you're talking to me, detective.

If I find out you've been holding
back information,

Mr Trajan, I'm gonna come
back here with a warrant,

Mr Trajan, for your arrest.

Did you know Cherry LeBlanc,
little white girl, 19 years old?

She worked here, didn't she?

Do you know if she had a boyfriend in town?

If that's what you wanna call it.
She in the business.

Is Mr Trajan involved?

- Ask him.
- I don't think he was.

Otherwise you wouldn't
be telling me these things.

She was a sad girl.

I told her a pretty white girl like you
could have anything you want

school, a car, a husband working
on one of them oil rigs.

When that girl dress up,
she look just like a movie star.

Who was her pimp?

They come here for her. When they
want her, they come take her home.

Do you know who they were,
what their name was?

They guys ain't got no names.

They drive they big-ass cars up
here when she get off work.

The poor thing gets in.

I don't know nothing else, me.

She wasn't about to give the name

of some rich white man
to an old black woman.

What rich white man?

Some rich white man maybe...

get her out of the business
of selling jelly roll.

She said that just before somebody

done them awful things
to that young girl.

When I was hitting the bottle for months,
I dreamt about a white wolf

who lived in a skeletal black tree
on an infinite white landscape.

At the base of the tree
was a nest of pups.

In the dream, the wolf
would drop to the ground

and eat her young one by one.

I wondered what kind of dreams
the killer of Cherry LeBlanc had.

Or maybe it was better not to know.

Can I see your driver's licence, please?

My what?

Driver's licence. Please take it out
your billfold, hand it to me.

Oh, yeah, sure.

Well... I was a little careless
back there. I'm sorry about that.

- You're Elrod T Sykes?
- Yes, sir, that's who I am.

Step out the car, Mr Sykes.

Yes, sir. Anything you say, sir.

Mr Sykes, I think you've been drinking.

I know you've been smoking marijuana.

Your lady friend just ate the roach.

Well, that wouldn't be good now, would it?

You're under arrest, Mr Sykes.

I'm gonna take you just
down here to the city jail.

I'll send a car for Miss Drummond.

Your car is gonna be towed to the pound.

This is bad news. This is not on my agenda.

- We're just starting a movie.
- I enjoy all your films.

Miss Drummond's, too. Take your
car keys out the ignition, please.

El, do something.

Yeah, sure.

I feel real bad about this.

Can he make a contribution

to Mothers Against Drunk
Driving or something like that?

As an admirer of your work,

I recommend you don't make any
more mentions of contributions.

You don't need to show me any identification.
I really enjoyed Galaxy 9.

- Excuse me, but are you the prototypical macho shithead?
- Especially Part 2.

You stay put.

Deputy will be along in a while
to take you home. Allons.

You're not gonna get sick in my truck, are you?

No, I'm just fine.

I know where there's a dead body.

What?

Looks like a big pile
of gristle and bone.

Where was this?

Way the hell out in
Atchafalaya Swamp.

We had to pick up a scene near
the old Indian reservation.

I went to take a leak. I saw it
sticking out of a sandbar.

Get back in the truck.

That swamp full of old Indian bones.

Sorry, I didn't catch your name.

Dave Robicheaux.

Mr Robicheaux.

Now, if that was an Indian I found, I was wondering
what he was doing with a chain wrapped around him.

Say that again.

It's a rusted chain

with links as big as my fist
crisscrossed around his rib cage.

Can you find that sandbar again?

Yes, sir, I believe I could.

I'm gonna make a confession to you Mr Sykes.

DWIs are a pain in the butt.

If I take you home, can I have your word
you'll be in my office, 9.00 in the morning?

9am, you got it. Absolutely.

Hey, I really appreciate this.

Elrod Sykes and Kelly Drummond?

- I want to go to the set!
- Sykes is a drunk.

- Please!

- His head glows in the dark.

- Please!

Maybe we could get an
autographed movie poster.

Yeah, please!

Not for you, for the
hurricane relief auction.

OK. Cool.
Please, Dave?

Will you hush?

I'll take her and look out for her,

if it's all right with you.

Maybe we could get Kelly Drummond to sign
one, too, pay for somebody's roof.

Please?

I don't know if Mr Sykes told you he's
taking a new prescription for his asthma,

but evidently the medicine
reacted with his system.

- The studio also wishes...
- What's your name again, sir?

- Oliver Montrose.
- Mr Montrose, where's Sykes at right now?

- By this time, they're on location by Spanish Lake.
- Good.

So one hour ought to be enough time
for you to find Mr Elrod T Sykes

and bring his young ass back
here to this office, shouldn't it?

I broke my word, I'm aware of that.

But it cost 25 grand an hour

and we have 100 guys standing around while
a guy like me is trying to get out of trouble.

Let me explain something to you.

Yesterday, somebody raped and
murdered a 19-year-old girl

on the south side of this parish.
He cut her breasts off.

He pulled the entrails out of her belly.

He pushed a cypress branch up her vagina.

Can you understand

why I am not interested in your film company's
awe-inspiring production problems?

Did you ever hear talk of
Confederate soldiers in the mist?

No.

About one guy in particular.

Limps along with a crutch.
I think maybe it's a general.

Thought you were making a movie
about the war between the states.

You know that's not what it is.

It's over yonder.

Hold on there, Mr Sykes.

Best put some of this on.

We used to have a lot
of bats down here,

but the mosquitoes ate 'em all.

Boy's a long way from his
Hollywood poontang, ain't he?

This jackass is objectifying
you, Mr Sykes,

because he's had very little exposure to
the outside world. Don't let it bother you.

How do you reckon those bones
got caught up in those roots?

Hurricane Betsy blowing through here in '65

probably buried him and
Katrina unearthed him.

Why '65?

Hurricanes tear up this part
of the country all the time.

See that left shin bone?

Clipped in half.

That's where they shot him
when he tried to run away.

You a psychic or some bullshit like that?

No, I saw it happen about a mile from here.

You saying some white people

- lynched somebody around here?
- When we get back, you'll have to talk to your sheriff,

get the coroner out here now.

I don't know about y'all
over in Iberia Parish, but, er,

around here, ain't nobody gonna be
interested in nigger trouble that's 40 years old.

What you looking for, Mr Robicheaux?

I don't see any remnants
of a belt on his trousers...

or any laces in his boots.

That boy probably did his
shopping at the Goodwill.

Back then, with no body,
no missing persons report,

that sheriff had no reason to believe me,

much less get off his ass and go to work.

You're not 17 years old any more.

The trouble I have with you is
getting you away from work.

You've done everything that you can.

You have no good reason to beat yourself up.
Now drink your milk and come to bed.

I'm horny.

The sheriff over in St Clair Parish

said thanks a lot for that pile of bones
you found out in Atchafalaya yesterday.

They really appreciate the extra work.

He need to find a new line of work,
he don't like them bones.

He said you're welcome to come
over on days off, run an investigation.

Their coroner's got them
bones now waitin' on ya.

Autopsy report came in
on that LeBlanc girl.

Looks like we're talking
about a psychopath,

somebody wired to the eyes

- on crack or meth.
- Maybe.

I think she knew him.

So, you don't think it was a John?

No. She left her purse at the
bar with all her condoms in it.

Cherry LeBlanc was
a working girl with ambition.

Maybe she misjudged
a business opportunity here.

Who's a girl like that gonna
be in business with?

Baby Feet?

Maybe Baby Feet.

- Cholo. I thought you was in the pen.
- No, man.

Katrina done rinsed my hands clean.

The whole damn crime lab
washed off down the river.

Ain't got nothing on
me in New Orleans.

Doing fine, bro. Besides that,
they ain't even got enough money
to lobotomize guys like me no more.

What's going on, Dave?

- I'm investigating a murder, Julie.
- No kidding.

Y'all worried about me, Dave?

Hell, yeah. How many guys would burn down

their own father's nightclub
with their father still in it?

You got to forgive me
if I get a little upset

by these kinds of attitudes, Dave.

I come home to this shithole.

I'm a prominent man in the
entertainment business.

I talk on the phone every
day to people in California

you read about in
Entertainment Weekly.

They ought to have
"Welcome Back Balboni Day".

Instead, I get treated
like sewer gas by you.

You understand what I'm saying, Dave.

It hurts me.

Sit down while I take a whiz.

Cholo, where's your hospitality?
Get the man a drink.

Here, Lieutenant.

Julie was telling me about the time that
nigger almost popped you with a .38.

Said he saved your life.

Weren't you and Julie
baseball buddies in school?

Take the hint, Cholo.

This guy's not a conversationalist.

You working on that Cherry LeBlanc deal?

What do you know about that?

All over today's paper, man.

Julie and me were just talking about it.

Sounds like you got one
sick fuck on the loose.

My meter's running. I want to talk
about that murdered girl we found.

- Which girl is that?
- Cherry LeBlanc.

I guess I ain't heard about it.

- You don't read the newspapers?
- I've been busy.

I can see that.

We used to be friends, Dave.

I even maybe did you a favour once.

So, I'll line it out for you and any locals
who wanna get the wax out their ears.

Louisiana's flat-ass broke.
New Orleans is a mortuary.

And the bottom of a toilet's got more
appeal than this shithole on the bayou.

So, they best wake up to the fact we are
dropping close to 40 million in Iberia Parish.

They don't like the name Balboni around here?
We'll move the whole fuckin' movie over Mississippi.

See how that floats with those coon-ass
jack-offs in the Chamber of Commerce.

You're in the movie business now?

Yeah. I'm producing White Doves
with Michael Goldman.

What you think about that?

I'm sure everybody wishes you success, Julie.

I'm gonna do a baseball movie next.

You want a part in it?

You can go on in.

You recognize me, Dave?

It's Doucet, isn't it?

Yes, sir, Murphy Doucet.
You got a good memory.

Was with Jefferson Parish's Sheriff
Department when you were with NOPD.

Looks like you're in the
movie business now.

Yeah. I own half of a
security service now,

and I'm still with the
Teamsters out of Lafayette.

So I'm kind of doing double duty here.

- There some kind of trouble?
- Where can I find Mr Goldman?

Right on the other side of them trees.
I'll let him know you're coming.

It's all right. I'll find him.

So, you're investigating a crime.

Seen any crime around here?

Only crime I'm aware of is the
air conditioning in my trailer.

You could fry an egg on
the toilet seat in there.

Then, I've got a lead actor
digging up skeletons in sandbars,

exactly what I need while I'm shooting a picture.

Mr Goldman, is Mr Julius
Balboni producing this film?

Producing?

Yeah. I must've really fucked up
in my previous incarnation.

Maybe I sunk the Titanic or

assassinated Archduke Ferdinand.

I am the only producer.

So, Mr Balboni's lying.

Mr Balboni is investing some of
his money in a motion picture.

- Is that illegal?
- Congratulations.

You in business with the man that hung Fulvio
Raneri's cousin up by his colon on a meat hook.

Do you recognise this girl,
Cherry LeBlanc?

Hogman Patin had murdered,

with a cane knife and in broad daylight,

a white burial insurance collector
who was sleeping with his wife.

He served 17 years in Angola,
had a bunch of knife fights,

was punished on ant hills
and in cast-iron sweat boxes*
* While in jail.

and was brought to salvation by
a Batist preacher in Baton Rouge.

I liked Hogman.

I don't like to have nothing to
do with white folks' business...

but it bothers me

what somebody do to that girl.

I spoke to her about two hours
before she left the juke.

She said, "Hogman, in my next life,
me and you gonna get married."

I said, "Darling, don't let those
men misuse you for no chicken."

She said, "I'm gonna have my
townhouse on Lake Pontchartrain."

She hooked up with
somebody from New Orleans?

Probably some white-trash pimp
told her she's special, she's pretty.

But she done got herself killed instead.

Are you mixed up with that skeleton
they found over in Atchafalaya?

How do you know about that?

When somebody find a dead
black man, black people knows about it.

I'm listening.

A blue jay don't sit on
a mockingbird's nest.

The mockingbird will whoop
the blue jay's ass every time.

What are we talking about here, Sam?

I'm talking about a black man.
No, that ain't right.

This is a nigger I'm talking about.

He was carrying on with a white woman

who husband he worked for.

I think them was his bones you dug in that sandbar.

What was his name?

Who care what's his name?
Maybe he got what he asked for.

I say, "Past is past, and
don't be messin' in it."

You warning me?

What was that white woman's name?

I got to go start my beans now.

Hogman, who feared very little in the
world, looked worried and frightened.

He had cautioned me because of
the discovery of the lynched man.

To him, those events were still alive

with an unforgiven and collective shame.

And the participants were alive too

and could hurt him.

Alafair,

you got to keep this raccoon
out of my fried pie.

Next time, I'm gonna
swat him with my broom.

Don't you dare hurt him.
Tripod didn't do anything wrong.

Why don't you try keeping the
smell of cigars out of the yard?

Alafair.
You shouldn't talk to Batiste like that.

But he threatened Tripod
with menacing violence.

Tripod's a raccoon, baby.

Apologise to Batiste.

Sorry for what I said.
And I'm saying it cos Dave made me.

That's a beautiful child, Dave.

By the time she's 18 years old,

your hair's gonna be solid white,

if there's any of it left.

This is great!

How you doing, Mr Robicheaux?

Hope you don't mind us coming by.

We want to have dinner with y'all tonight.

My wife's already cooking supper.
I'm on my way over take a shower.

Hurry up, we got reservations
at Clementine's, everybody.

The family has plans
for this evening, Mr Sykes.

This is embarrassing, El.

I have a reservation but...

I don't want to cause any problems. We'll just
pick up our liquids at your store and hit the road, OK?

Mr Sykes...

you've been driving drunk, and you've
come to a cop's house to buy more booze.

Why don't you hand those keys
to Miss Drummond and hit the road?

Where's that beer at?

You're a good man.

Y'all need to be real careful.

Elrod's a shitbird,

but I love him.

It's all right.

We'll settle up.
We'll settle up later, yeah?

All right.

Other side.

Come here.

- Elrod!
- What?

He just fell in the Bayou.

Check me out.

- Some more? Made 'em myself.
- Thank you.

Elrod's wearing Dave's jersey.
Can you believe it?

Now, go do your homework.

Something to drink?

- How about a beer?
- I think we're out.

I'm sure there's one in there somewhere.

I'm gonna go feed Alafair's rabbits.
You care to join me?

Sure.

Is Alafair your daughter?

She's from El Salvador.

Dave pulled her out of an
airplane wreck and adopted her.

Do you have kids?

- You ever see lights in the cypress trees at night?
- That's swamp gas.

It'll ignite and roll out across
the waters like ball lightning.

No, sir, that's not what it is.

It's these guys out by the lake.

They have lanterns hanging
from some of their ambulances.

A lot of those soldiers had
maggots in their wounds.

That's the only reason they lived.
The maggots ate out the infection.

You've been drunk a long time.
Soon, all the trees will be talking to you.

A wild orchid sang a song to me one time.

She had the prettiest voice.

Yeah, I wasn't drunk.

This guy, the general,

he's standing on a crutch by the water,
and he said to me,

"You and your friend,
the law man, must repel them."

I think you're delusional. You might wanna think
about going to an AA meeting with me one time.

Maybe I was a little drunk.

I hope you have his adjutant's pistol.

To do what?

The general said, "Your friend

has the revolver of my adjutant,

Major John Moss."

- What is the matter with you?
- Come here.

Look at that.

It says CSA.

No, right there.

J Moss.

It says J Moss.

So what?

Thanks for the call, Lou.

When I saw that electrical tape round her
hands and feet, or what's left of 'em,

I thought about that
LeBlanc case you got going.

Where's she at now?

She's right there, still in that barrel.

She got about 15 big
blue crabs still on her.

Coroner says,

we move her, she's
coming out in pieces.

We'll have a rough time getting an ID.

Maybe by her teeth.

That's the poor bastard who found her.

When did you first notice that barrel?

About four or three weeks back.

Did you see anyone else out there,
on that levee?

Yeah.

About a month ago, in the evening,

I seen a dark-coloured car.

I remember thinkin'...
It was brand new, you know?

Why would anybody want to bring their
new car down on that dirt road full of holes?

Remember what kind of car it was?

No, sir. I'm sorry.

I just wish I hadn't been the
one to find that poor woman.

That'll do. Thank you.

- The officer will take you home.
- Thank you.

Jesus Christ, Dave!

That's right.

I need a tow truck to haul off a limousine.

Can't miss it.
Right in front of Chez Narcisse.

- Right now.
- Copy that.

You get the Roman Army down here.

One division could've knocked off
these squirrel hunters,

had the Civil War over in one year.
Maybe we'll do a Bible movie next.

Yeah, but how do you fight a war
with sandals? That's...stupid.

How did they win wars with sandals?

What's going on, Dave?

I had a long night last night.

Found a girl in a barrel down
in south St Martin Parish.

- She covered up in blue crabs.
- You ought to run her again. We'll have gumbo.

You here for breakfast?

Sit down.

You're pissed off,
so you have my car towed.

Quit parking in front of fireplugs.

Fireplugs? I'm getting this shit because of fireplugs?

No, Julie. I wanna know what you have to do
with a teenage hooker named Cherry LeBlanc.

Who the fuck is Cherry LeBlanc?

You know. You and Cholo were talking
about her before I got to the Holiday Inn.

And you lied to me about it.

Calling me a liar?

You're a mother- fuckin'
lying piece of dog shit!

I think this sweet little town's
starting to rub off on you, Dave.

Gentlemen, could you please
not use that language...

Get the fuck away from my table!

It's OK, Mr Meaux.
I'll be gone in a second.

Oh, sad to hear that.

I don't know none of these girls.

I don't have nothing to
do with your business.

You said some ugly things about me, Dave,

and I'm gonna let it slide.

I'll call a couple of cabs,

I'll pay the fine on my car,
I'll buy some new tyres...

and I'll forget everything
you've been saying to me,

because I got a business to run.

Everybody's been pretty polite here.

Keep it simple, stupid.

It's time for you to let people alone, Mr Robicheaux.

Ease off, Lieutenant.

This ain't good for nobody.

You're losing it, Dave.
You need to get yourself some better tranqs.

What did he do?

Put his hand on my shoulder,
I started tearing him apart.

It was like being in a drunk dream.

Balboni family'll make their movie,
then they'll go away.

Balbonis are the pesticides
all around South Louisiana.

Sister Mariah got 100,000 dollars out of
Balboni for the Hurricane recovery fund.

- How'd she do that?
- Shame and guilt.

Those nuns are really good at it.

Baby Feet don't wanna go to hell.

♪ I'm coming home

♪ Cos I feel you don't feel all so alone

♪ I'm coming back home

♪ And meet my...

Want some cappuccino mix?
Cops like coffee, right? Or a stereo?

You know anybody been
recruiting girls out the parishes?

Try the bus depot, for starters.

But who's gonna recruit? Ever since Katrina,
there's cash on the hoof all over this town.

Maybe this guy does more than just pimp.

Maybe he likes to hurt these girls.

Been two of 'em killed already,
maybe more.

Talking about somebody that operates
at the bottom of the food chain.

You think Baby Feets Balboni might
have something to do with this?

You're using the names of
local personalities now.

It stays with me, Jimmie.

You looking for a guy who likes to kill hookers?

Don't sound like Baby Feet.

His outfit's running girls, all right, but...

they're not worth nothing
to him if they're dead.

Try the bus station.

Three or four of these entrepreneurs
work at the bus depot.

One of 'em sticks out like shit
in an ice-cream factory.

Nothing against coloured people.

What's his name?

Brown.

You ladies seem lost.

You're not from around here, are you?

The inside of the bus depot
reeked of cigar butts

and the diesel exhaust that blew
through the doors to the boarding area.

And I was feeling empty.

Used up after the long night.

wired with too many voices,
too many people on the hustle.

Too many people who
bought and sold other people.

Or killed.

I want you to make a public service
announcement for me, chere.

I know what it's like to run away.
Praise Jesus...

There's a call for Mr Adonis Brown
at the public restroom pay phone.

There's a call for Mr Adonis Brown
at the public restroom pay phone.

This is Adonis. What's up?

Hello?

What you want, man?

Don't do that.
I ain't no threat to you.

Look, I ain't got a gun.
I ain't no trouble.

I want to know who you
been delivering these girls to.

- This room's occupied, by the way.
- I ain't bringing nobody to nobody...

You know the guy I'm talking about.

Don't do this to me, man.

Tell me his name.
This guy likes to hurt people.

Tell me his name,
this'll all be over with.

There's a...bald-headed,
squirrel-faced white guy.

He carries a gun, too.

Nobody fucks with him.
Is that guy you're talking about?

You tell me.

He's got juice.
That's all I know.

I don't know his fuckin' name, man!

He connected?

With the cops or the mob.

He's got to be to stay in business.

That's all I know.

Why you doing this to me, man?

God.

I shit my pants.

I can't go back out there.

That's right.
You ain't ever gonna go back out there.

You're gonna treat that bus
station like it's downtown Baghdad.

Not a good place for you to be.

- Who the fuck are you, man?
- You don't want to know who I am.

What you wanna do is quit doing wrong.

I'll kill you, Adonis.
I'll blow your goddamn head off

if you don't find an honest line of work.

It's called the Home of Hope.

Don't worry, they won't
ask you any questions.

You just ask for Sister Mariah.

Look here, this is all the
money I got on me right now.

You stay gone most of the night.

You don't call.

I'm sorry.

I don't deserve to be
afraid you've been hurt.

No. You don't.

But I'm not gonna nag you.

No, sir, I wouldn't
exactly call it a dead end.

If you have a seat, I'll be right with you.

Thank you.

It's a 100 million dollar contract.

He must have pocketed 60-70 million.

False load slips, bogus waybills.

Balboni Trucking hauled just about
enough debris to fill a Dixie cup.

Yes, sir, we are trying. Thank you.

- Can I help you with something?
- I hope so. This is my office.

Oh, my God, I'm sorry.

A call came in for me on
your extension, and I just...

I'm Special Agent Rosa Gomez.

Everyone calls me Rosie,
so call me Rosie.

It's nice to meet you, Special Agent Rosie.

"Your detective's investigative
missteps will hurt you in November."

That's courtesy of that prick
Bubba Broussard at city council.

So you called the FBI.

The FBI's been trying to nail Balboni for over a year now on
a FEMA scam. And they still have precisely nothing on him.

That's why I think they're hoping there's
more to that Cherry LeBlanc case.

Course, now that they're here,

that gives Broussard somebody else to blame.

Now, Balboni is throwing a birthday bash
for Mr Michael Goldman this evening.

I think you should attend.

I think Cherry LeBlanc knew her killer.

What about the Jane
Doe in the barrel?

She knew him too.

There's 17 unsolved homicides in Louisiana
that share some similarities with this case.

And ten of them share multiple
common denominators.

All show marks from being
bound, all young, all working class.

One was a high school girl, two were waitresses.
Three had been runaways. And four were prostitutes.

The FBI has an informational
advantage over Iberia Parish.

How do you like that
catfish court bouillon?

It's interesting.

If you found the remains of
a black man, and he had no belt,

no laces in his boot,
what speculation would you make about him?

Obviously he'd been in jail,
a parish, or city holding tank,

some place they were
afraid he'd harm himself.

That's what I think.

♪ You're damn right I've got the blues

♪ From my head down to my shoes...

Get outta here!

Baby Feet was having a ball.

Trying to understand how somebody
like him thinks is as productive

as placing your head inside a microwave
oven to study the nature of electricity.

- Oh, what?
- Your name?

Balboni.

With a B.

As in bumbling, journalistic butt wipe
for one bum fuck idiot.

Gotta get yourself some food, it's free.

Thanks, I've already eaten.

See that mad bird dog?

Twinky Hebert LeMoyne.

That's the other half
of my security service.

What's he doing here?

He's an investor in the movie
and he's trying to get laid.

You like doing business
with Twinky LeMoyne?

It's good for me.
For him it's no big deal, really.

If there's a business around here making
money, you can be sure he's got a piece of it.

That man knows how to make money.

Looks like Mr Twinky LeMoyne's
feeling ambitious and dedicated today.

I worked for Mr Twinky 28 years ago.

Back then, you breathed a word to the Union...

I tried to speak with Hogman and failed.
He was evasive. Too many people.

The waiter handed me a frosted
glass filled with Dr Pepper.

I took the cup off the tray and drank it.

I didn't order that.

The ice was so cold it
made my throat ache.

I'm General John Bell Hood,
Commander of the Texas Brigade.

Commander of the
4th Texas Cavalry,

the 5th Texas Cavalry

and the 17th Texas Infantry.

How do you do?

Do you object to shaking hands?

Am I dead?

You don't look like it to me.

You were at Gettysburg.
The war's over.

It's never over.

I would think you'd know that.

You were a lieutenant in the
United States Army, weren't you?

My head hurts. My head, it...

Sure does hurt.

Venal and evil people are destroying
the world you were born in.

It's us against them,
my good friend.

It's gonna be bad, isn't it?

You've survived worse.

Don't compromise your principles,
or abandon your cause.

Do you know what's waiting
for me on down the road?

For one reason or another...

I find I have more insight
into the past than the future.

Try to keep this in mind.

It's just like when they load the
cannon with horseshoes and log chain.

You think the barrage would last for ever,

then all of a sudden there's a
silence louder than the cannon fire.

Please don't be alarmed by
the severity of my comparison.

Have a good night, Lieutenant.

Paramedics who brought you
in said you were talking about

Confederate soldiers out in the swamp.

It was an unusual night.

What's the possibility that one of the
Hollywood characters laced your Dr Pepper?

- Do what?
- The tox screen came back positive for LSD.

I need to talk to the sheriff.

The sheriff was here this morning.
You talked to him for half an hour.

What'd I say?

What'd I say?

Nothing that made any sense to me.

What's that?

A salamander. When you
reel him in through the water,

his little legs and tail
wiggle like he was swimming.

Makes the black bass hungry.

How would you define the
idea of understanding?

Well, it's knowing something
and knowing what it means.

I think there's two ways of
looking at the idea of understanding.

One is, if you don't look,
you never will see.

The other is, if you look a little less,
you might see a hell of a lot more.

You might not be over those
drugs they put in your drink.

Do you think that wad of rubber latex that
conceals a fish hook understands

that it's really a salamander?

Or do you think that salamander understands

that it's nothing more than

a wad of rubber latex
concealing a fish hook?

Jesus, Dave.

I don't know. Ask a black bass.

I know General John Bell Hood of the Texas
Cavalry just like he was my own grandfather.

The general had spoken of a venal and evil man
that would destroy the world I was born in.

Was he referring to the 1965 killers, to the
murder of Cherry LeBlanc or to Julie Balboni?

I was somehow convinced Baby Feet
was mixed up with Cherry LeBlanc and

as Twinky LeMoyne had business
ties with him that made him fair game.

Are you accusing me of
working with the mafia?

When you do business with a
man like Balboni, you create curiosity.

I don't do business with him.
I don't do anything with him!

I'm a member of a group of investors

that have put money into a movie
production in New Iberia.

Investing in the local
economy, that's all.

Are your employees union people?

No, they certainly are not.

You own half of a security service
with Murphy Doucet, don't you?

That's right,
I certainly do!

And your partner in the security service
is a Teamster steward over in Lafayette.

I think you're involved in some
strange contradictions, Mr LeMoyne.

You'll have to excuse me, Detective.
I've got to lock up now.

I have a lot of people
I take care of, you know?

Would you like to have Julie
Balboni for a next door neighbour?

Would you like to have your
granddaughter working for him?

Mr Robicheaux,

I can't express to you
how offensive you are.

Did you get that blonde-haired
girl to lick your leg the other night?

Here's my business card.
Thank you for your time.

Here you go, Dave. Still 1965,
July, September, November.

- Thank you, chere.
- You're welcome.

- How's Alafair?
- Bien bonne.

Great.

A nigger, you say?

DeWitt Prejean.

Black man, name of DeWitt Prejean.

Yeah, I know that son of a bitch.

What about him?

Were you on duty the night
somebody broke him out of jail?

I I was the jailer.

Jailers don't work nights.
They hire a man for that.

Do you remember what
he was charged with?

He wasn't charged with nothin'.

Never got to that.
They busted him out of the tank.

Not according to the newspaper.

Lot of people wipe their
asses with newspaper.

Newspaper said he broke into a white
woman's house with a butcher knife.

Was DeWitt Prejean a rapist?

He couldn't keep his prick in his
pants, if that's what you mean.

Is it all right if I sit down here?

You think her husband
broke him out of jail?

He might have if he could have.

He was a crippled man.
Got shot up in a war.

Where's he at now?

In the cemetery out by
the tracks, east of town.

What about the woman?

She moved away, up north somewhere.

What's your interest in
this 40-year-old nigger trouble?

I think I saw him killed.

Where's the man who was on
duty the night of the jailbreak?

He got drunk, you know,
got himself run over by a train.

Wait a minute.

What'd you say? You saw what?

What you think I saw, Mr Hebert?

I really need your help, Dave.

I really need help.

Go ahead. You go ahead and drown
yourself, man. I don't care.

Dave,

I planned this all week.

The guy already charged
me for the boat, man.

Elrod...

It's going to rain like hell.
Why don't you wait until it quits raining,

and you can go fishing for black bass and
perch and bream out here in the bayou.

When did you last catch
freshwater fish after it rained?

Oh hell, suit yourself.
Want to leave that beer cooler here with me?

It came with the boat, dude.

Sure you don't want to come?

Miss Drummond,

you need to get yourself
off of that boat right now.

Please, it's Kelly.

Watch the bend in the channel.
It's about three miles south.

The water's been low and gill nets are
on the left floating on Clorox bottles.

Hello?

How far down the bayou?

Well, that's that bend
Batiste warned you about.

What you asking me, Elrod?

Yeah, I'll come help you out.

But I am also going
to bill you for my time.

I'll see you in a few.

Dude, I don't want to tell you what to do,

but there's people that's always
going to be asking for something.

It don't matter how much you give.
It ain't never going to be enough.

I got it.

How'd you hit the gill net?

Didn't you see the Clorox bottles?

Man...

I'm an idiot, right?

Thanks, man.

I'm sorry. Want me to
get down in the water?

Get down by the bow

and be ready to push when
I put the motors in reverse.

Are there any alligators around here?

Hell, yeah!

They're not hungry, though.

All right.

Put on a lifejacket, El.

I swam the Trinity River once.

Watch out for water moccasins.

What?!

Don't worry about him.
That water's not very deep.

I've got to give him a lifejacket.
He'd drown in a bathroom sink.

Nothing personal, Miss Kelly,

but I think you're a very fine,
beautiful young woman.

I'm already soaked!

Hey, Mom. What are you doing?
Can I help?

Yeah. You can weed that row
over there, if you want to.

An act of charity,

one as simple as giving
a person my raincoat,

with a hood that obscured her face,

had resulted in her death.

I knew a 19-year-old helicopter pilot from
Galveston who flew missions over the Mekong.

He called himself "the giver of death".

Now I wondered if I had not
taken on that role for myself.

I was burdened greatly by the deaths
of those around me, Lieutenant.

But incorporating their suffering

into our own lives

does not change the way of the world.

The tragic death of Kelly Drummond,
long-time companion of Elrod Sykes

and star of the popular
TV series River Valley,

now appears certain to have
been a case of mistaken identity.

Sources within...

Hello?
You're a hard man to catch.

Who's this?
Sugar, it's Amber.

Don't you remember me?
Don't hurt my feelings.

No, I'm sorry, I don't remember
who you are. What can I do for you?

It's me who's going to do
you a big favour, darlin'.

I'm going to give you
the guy you want.

What guy are we talking about?

The nasty old pimp who's
been leavin' dead girls around.

Meet me at Club Leon in an hour.

I'm sorry about that actress, man.

Thanks for coming out, Lou.

So who is it you're supposed
to be meeting up with here?

Said her name was Amber.

Well, there's a hooker around
who calls herself Amber.

What are we doing tonight?

I'd like you to be here
to cover my back.

It ain't no big deal, I just don't
want to walk into a set-up.

This is a weird fucking
place for a set-up, man.

When'd you start needing
back-up for bullshit like this?

Somebody's been shooting at me, man.

- What are you havin'?
- Amber been in?

Amber Martinez, short skinny Puerto Rican
girl, maybe weighs 100 pounds soaking wet?

No, she ain't been in.
What you drinking?

- Dr Pepper.
- Dr Pepper. Yes sir.

I could call someone who
might know where she's at.

Why don't you do that?

Yes sir, right away.

Hey, Momma T. Amber there?

No word from Amber?

No, man, not a word.

Get back in there!

Dave!

The fuck's going on?

Shooter fired at me twice.

I put eight rounds in that Buick,
I think he's still in there.

Looks like she took
one right in the face.

What do you mean, she?

You just popped Amber Martinez.

There's no fucking gun.

I saw the muzzle flashes,
I heard the shots.

There's no gun, man.

I got this throw-down.

Tell me to do it.

Why would Amber Martinez be sitting
in the passenger seat of her own car?

What did the homicide investigator
have to say last night?

He told me I'm a hell of a shot.

Everybody thinks I killed an unarmed woman.

There's not any bullet holes anywhere,
there's no casings and there's no gun.

It was a set-up, Dave.

What y'all doing out here? You can't
be messing around a crime scene.

I heard you were suspended.
Indefinitely, without pay.

I'm really just an observer here.

- Who's she?
- Special Agent Gomez.

This is part of an FBI investigation.
Do you have a problem with that?

Why piss people off, Robicheaux?

St Martin Parish ain't going to indict you over this,
but if I were you, I wouldn't hang around here.

It might piss me off.

I opened up on that Buick too soon.

You thought your life
was at risk, Lieutenant.

- I hope you don't mind my being here.
- No.

You shouldn't have remorse.

The desire to live doesn't
mean you lack humanity.

Somebody's trying to drive me crazy.

I can't believe what I
see or hear any more.

They say I killed an unarmed woman.

I think that would probably bother me too.

If you'd seen that woman,
back of her head,

her hair glued down to the
carpet with her own blood...

Think about what you just said.

You're an intelligent man.

What does your eye tell you?

I need help.

The wind's out of the south.

There'll be thunder by afternoon.

It'll sound like Yankee cannonfire,

but it'll only be thunder.

General?

What time is it?

What time is it?

People go to AA meetings
because they're drunks,

but they also go there because
it's the last stop on the line

and the only place they'll
find a kindred spirit.

That evening, I was waiting with Lou
Girard for Elrod in front of the AA meeting,

and I was worried about him because
I thought the guy had melted his head.

Julie! You thug! You gangster!

You mafia piece of shit, open up!

Balboni! You no-talent
murderer, get out here!

Come on, man.

If I find out you had anything
to do with what happened to Kelly...

I'll shove a shotgun up your ass!

You're a lucky little
piece of fruit, Elrod.

You're valuable to my business.

See that?

What the fuck you mean, no talent?

Take a beer, baby.

If I can vacuum the Buick,
what are we looking for?

I saw muzzle flashes
coming out that Buick.

I didn't see no bullet
holes in that wall.

See what you can find out.

I don't think your friend's going to make it.
What do you say we go on in?

- Come on.
- OK.

Thank you, Henry.
Anyone else got something to share?

My name's Dave, and I'm an alcoholic.

Hi, Dave.

Dave.

I felt close to Elrod Sykes.

He and I had found a strange kind of bond in
the General and the death of Kelly Drummond.

It wasn't a bond I necessarily wanted,

but we don't get to vote when
the dead decide to direct our lives.

I'm going to miss her, Dave.

You want him to stay here?

Guy's in bad shape.

This is our home!

Mr Sykes just did
the rainbow yawn again.

Go to bed.

The guy needs an AA friend, or
he's not going to make it.

So what? I don't care.

Tell you what, I'll make you a deal.

First time he takes a drink,

he gets 86ed right straight
back to his movie star trailer house.

He pays for his share of food. He does not tie
up the bathroom. He does not come in late.

OK. But only for a few days.

I can't stand that bullshit about
his visions any longer than that.

Do you ever carry
anything but a .45?

No, same .45 I brought
back from Vietnam.

Well, from the size of the wound and the
impact of the round, I'd say a .45 killed her.

How many people know
you only use that caliber?

Not many, mostly cops.

Well, that part would
worry me, if I was you.

Look at her head.

She was a pretty girl.

I only use hollow-point
ammunition, Sollie.

Ain't no hollow-point passed
through this girl's head.

Her hair was stuck to the carpet,
the blood already dried.

Did she die in that car,
you want to ask me?

Her blood lividity tells me that she was
dead before she ever got into that car.

Foul ball!

Looked right down the line to me.

You never were too good on rules and
regulations, boundaries and shit like that.

What counts is the
final score, my man.

There's another glove in the bag.

Hear you've been pretty
busy out at that movie set.

That boy do something to hurt you?

What's your stake in this, Dave?

Elrod Sykes staying in my house.

That's good, Dave.

Why would I want to trouble the star of my picture?
I'm not in this to lose money.

Come on, Julie, even when we were kids you
never could let an injury or an insult pass.

You always had to get even.

What are you talking about?

Save the hand-job, dude.

I knew you when your daddy used
to beat you with a garden hose.

You talking about my family,
I don't like that.

I was proud of my old man.

People ran this town back then
weren't worth the sweat off his balls.

In New Iberia, we was
always wops, dagos, ginnies,

because you coon-asses was too fuckin'
stupid to know what the Roman empire was.

You couldn't hit a bull in the
butt with a bass fiddle, baby.

You hear that?

It's General Banks's artillery
firing from down on Bayou Teche.

He's targeted the
wrong area, though.

There's a community of darkies
under those cannonballs.

Did you see things
like that in your war?

I flew the Mekong.

There was a family of people that
got caught out in the rice field.

When we buried them their
faces were burned off.

They all looked alike.

Then you know it's the innocent
about whom we need to be most concerned.

We just going to leave him here?

He don't look good.

Leave him alone. He's got diarrhoea of
the mouth, maybe he learned a lesson.

That don't mean we can't drop off
the guy at the hospital. It ain't right.

You want to start signing
your own paycheques, Cholo?

Is that what you're saying?

I didn't say that.
Just wipe this off the locals.

Isn't that what you're always saying?

It was a starter pistol.

We found traces of paper
wadding in the upholstery.

The kind they use to seal blank
cartidges in a starter pistol.

I owe you a fishing trip, man.

Red fish, off Pecan Island.

Cherry LeBlanc got nailed
for a prostitution charge

in Lafayette when she was 16 years old.

Now, that means the court gave
somebody a lot of control over her life.

Now, what if a probation
or a parole officer

had her selling out of her pants*?
* Engage in prostitution.

You saw the second victim. This guy
wasn't born, he come out a furnace.

Just the same, I'm going to find out for you
if her PO or social worker's still around.

Why don't you give it up, Lou?

She gon' spend the night.

It is easy enough for you to say.

Your wife ain't no dyke.

Do you like being a movie star?

- It's just a job, honey.
- Really?

It's like Dave.

You think he enjoys enforcing the law, catching
the bad guys, making the good people feel safe?

I like my job.

But you don't catch bad guys.

No, I don't.

But I guess people need to laugh and cry at the
movies just as much as they need to feel safe.

I'd rather be safe.

Well, I'd rather you be safe.

I'm sorry about Kelly.

Me too, honey.

We have, uhm,...

50 posters here from Tears and Diamonds.

I hate that movie.

Well,

50 movie posters

from Tears and Diamonds
signed by Elrod Sykes

will fetch about 25,000. That's four
roofs, eight with volunteer labour.

Here's your felt-tip pen.

It was a call from the
sheriff of St Martin Parish.

Lou Girard had killed himself
with a dog-leg .20 gauge

in the seedy motel where he was
living alone after his wife left him.

I was hoping he had found
peace among the dead palm trees.

There's a half empty bottle of
Bourbon here on the dresser,

and a spilled bottle of Diazepam
there on the coffee table.

You're writing that off as a suicide?

Well, that's the way it looks to me.

He was in bad shape.

Mattress is covered in piss stains.

The sink is full of raw garbage.

Where's the gun at?

By the bedside.

If Lou wanted to kill his self, how
come he didn't use that .357?

Cos he was drunk on his ass?

Not an unusual condition for him.

He was helping me on a case, Doobie.

Maybe he found out something
somebody did not want him to know.

He was trembling,

eatin' pills every morning,
in front of everybody.

There's no big mystery to
what happened here tonight.

He was a good cop.

He was a sorry-ass drunk.

Now, if you want to look at anything else,
hurry up. I'm going to seal the place.

I'd appreciate you waiting
outside just for a moment.

In fact, I'd appreciate you staying
as far away from me as you can get.

Why you leaving?

It's my foolishness, son.

Like you, I grieve over
what I can't change.

Care for your own, though.
Don't emulate me.

We were always honourable,

but we served venal
men in a vile enterprise.

Wind's getting up.
You need to stay here.

Well said.
Absolutely right.

Say, I want you to have
your photo taken with us.

Gentlemen, let's be about this business.

Are we ready, boys?

Atten-tion!

Always amazed at what the sciences
are producing these days.

You won't tell me
what's at hand, sir?

What does it matter, as long as
you stay true to your principles?

Even the saints might take issue
with that statement, General.

The admonition of a veteran.

Be of good heart, sir.

The afternoon air was like a bronze bow and dark
broad-wing birds that made no sound drifted across it.

Hogman had learned about the death of
Lou Girard and he wanted to talk to me.

I started to think
about when I was in the pen.

And your daddy, he brought my mother food

and paid for her medicine up at the store
and such when she was sick.

You got something to say to me, Sam?

What was the name of that nigger
you dug up by the sandbar?

DeWitt Prejean.

He was fuckin' a white man's wife.
Ask what he doing for a living,

and you'll find the people been
causing you all of this grief.

Who's the man I'm looking for?

I said all I can say.

This still the state of Louisiana.

I'm in the movie with Elrod!

We're walking down a road with
plantation burning behind us

- and the...
- She's a natural.

I'm not kidding.
Mickey said the same thing.

Hey, some great work this morning.

I've been talking to that general.

Why you keep botherin' me?

I need to know what kind
of work DeWitt Prejean did.

He done nigger work.

You know, he cut lawns,
cleaned out grease traps,

got dead rats out from under people's houses.
What the fuck you think he did?

Don't sound right to me.

I think he did some
other kind of work, too.

You leave me alone.

You're a good judge of character.

Do I look like somebody
that's going to go away?

It was better back then.

You know it was.

What kind of work he do, Ben?

Drove a truck.

Who for?

It was over in Jeanerette.

I brung her out here
cos she works for me,

cos I can't get in and out
of the car good by myself.

He worked seasonal for a white man,

owned some big sugar mill.
I don't know nothing about him

except he was a brother
of that crippled fella.

That's all I know and nothing more.

You saying I do, then
you're a goddamn liar.

Something else you want to say?

You got a fish on your line.

- Batiste?
- Yo.

How many sugar mills they
got over there in Jeanerette?

Just one.

Dave.
- Come on in.

Stopped by to say goodbye,
give you a going-away present.

Where you headed, Cholo?

Thought I might go to Florida,

maybe open a business
like you got here.

What you doing with all that lawn
furniture in the back end of your pick-up?

The guy at the Holiday Inn wanted me
to take it when I checked out. Said,

I'd kind of be doing him
a favour, you know,

giving him a write-off.

You had some trouble with Baby Feet.

I told him he was a douchebag
and I wouldn't work for him again.

That Cherry LeBlanc girl was right
when she called him a needle-dick.

That's when the son of a bitch
comes across my ... with this big...

Wait.

What's this about Cherry LeBlanc?

If he tells you

he never knew her,

ask him about this.

Julie forgot he told me to take
some pictures in Biloxi last year.

Is that her or not?

Did Baby Feets kill this girl?

Come on, Lieutenant.

You know how it works.
A guy like Julie don't do hits.

He says something to
somebody, then he forgets it.

If it's a special kind of job,
maybe somebody calls up a geek.

Did Baby Feets make that call?

Start a photo album, Lieutenant.

Make up your own mind.

What's Murphy Doucet
doing in this picture?

What's the deal? Lou Girard was
looking at her file last week.

Who busted her on the prostitution charge?

There wouldn't be one officer.
No, it was a state police raid on a bar...

Who sent the arrest report?

Sergeant Murphy Doucet.

Murphy Doucet.

What's wrong, Dave?

Got a loose ignition wire.
You got a knife I could use?

Yeah, I ought to have something.

This should do.

Some Mexican pulled this
on me in Lake Charles.

I didn't know you were a cop there.

No, I wasn't.

I worked highway for the state police.

I retired last year.

That when you got into
business with Twinky?

No, we go back way further.

Thanks for the knife.
I'll just be a second.

All my instincts had been good,

I just hadn't connected
the elements together.

I was looking for somebody
connected to the mob

or prostitution or the police.

Maybe Doucet was all three.

I had to stop him.

What did you think y'all gonna find?

You don't know, Murphy?
You were a cop.

People get careless sometimes, maybe even forget
they had their picture taken with one of the victims.

What are you talking about?

If I'd been you, I wouldn't have let Cholo take my
picture with Cherry LeBlanc over there in Biloxi.

It is a nice photo of you though.

Why the hell are you all here?

We're here because of you, Mr Doucet.

We've been checking all the
unsolved murders of females in areas

surrounding highways during the time
you were working for the state police.

We haven't even begun
to talk about Kelly Drummond yet.

Or Amber Martinez.

Or Lou Girard.

What do you think you're doing?

Rosie, I think we just found the knife
that he used on Cherry LeBlanc.

That knife wasn't there!

I'll say it was and I'll say your
fingerprints are all over it.

I see...

You and this Mexican bitch
are in on it together.

No, Murphy. I'm fucking you all by myself.

Get your hands up! Now! Do you
understand? Get against that wall!

He's setting me up and I don't
even know what this is about.

Think about it. Think hard.

Think about 1965 just
before that hurricane hit.

Remember?

Your mate DeWitt Prejean running with
that chain locked around his chest,

shot his leg out from underneath him.

You didn't notice the boy that was watching
you from across the swamp though, did you?

I don't know how you did it,
but you planted that knife.

Time is always on the bad guy's side, Rosie,

we wait for warrants while they...

I didn't hear what you said.

Jesus, you tore this place to pieces.

You wanna stay
behind and clean it up?

I wanna be nowhere around
here when that guy gets home.

You heard he's out on bond?

Screw that, he could
be here any minute.

We got nothing.

Alfie?

You know where your little girl's at?

She's right here on my knee.

You sound speechless.

Turn her loose, Doucet,
you don't wanna do this.

I'll make it simple for both of us,

you take that knife out of the evidence
locker and you put it in a zip lock bag.

At eight o'clock tomorrow
morning you leave the bag

in a trash can on the corner of
Royal and St Anne in New Orleans.

You listen to me, Doucet,
think about this, you're a cop,

you can skate on this, we've been
jacking you around the whole time.

You lyin' son of a bitch.

You won't rest till you fuck
me up every way you can.

You said only one thing right today,

I'm gonna skate and
you're gonna help me.

Finally lost your mind, Dave?

Young lady, you need to
stay away from this man.

Come on, let's go, get out of here.

Come on, let's go.

Now!

Nothing good on TV tonight, Dave?

Murphy Doucet has my daughter.

You hear what I said?

That's too bad, I don't like to
hear stuff like that, it upsets me.

Maybe you can her face
on one of them milk cartons?

Where's my daughter, Julie?

Where's Alafair at?

I cut Doucet loose.
I got nothing to do with what he does.

You get off my fucking back,
or I swear to God, I'll square this.

Cop or not, I'll put out an open contract.

I'll cowboy your whole fuckin' family!

Your window of opportunity's closing down.
Where's my baby girl?

I'm telling the truth!

I got nothing to do with what he does!
He's a geek!

I don't hire geeks! I run 'em off!

Last by God chance.

He's got a camp out by Bayou Vista,
almost at Atchafalaya Basin.

The deed's not in his name.
Nobody knows about it.

It's at the end of the dirt
road, by the salt marsh.

Alafair there?

I hope to God she's not.

If we find the wrong thing,

if Alafair's not OK, it's not
because of anything you did.

Thank you.

Alfie!

Did he hurt you, baby?

I told him he'd better not.

I just shot a man armed
with a rolled-up magazine.

No, no. He had a gun on him.

You just don't remember it yet.

Are you OK?

Should I call my lawyer?

Mr LeMoyne,

I saw you and Murphy Doucet...

kill DeWitt Prejean
out on the Atchafalaya.

I watched it from across the swamp.

Am I under arrest?

I think Doucet's been blackmailing
you with it all these years.

A lot of bad things happened back
in that era between the races.

But we're not the same people

we were then, are we?

I think we are.

You seem unable

to let the past rest.

It's been my experience that you
let go of the past by addressing it.

Please, leave.

It won't make any difference if I leave. You're gonna
drag this one around with you all day long every day,

like a log chain,

for the rest of your life.

Have you no mercy, sir?

No, sir.

No, sir, I don't.

Outside, the evening air
smelled of wet trees

and night blooming flowers.

I saw a figure standing by
a stagnant reed-choked pond.

He held himself erect in the
wind with his single crutch.

His words lost in distant thunder.

I thought in the morning mists
that curled around the Bayou

I might again see
General John Bell Hood,

just a glimpse, perhaps,
a doff of his hat,

the kindness of his smile,

the beleaguered affection that
always seemed to linger in his face.

Then, as the days passed,

and I began to let go of all
violent events of that summer,

I came to accept that the
General, as Bootsie had said,

was only a figment of my imagination,

there to remind me out of the distant past

that the contest is never quite over,

the field never quite ours.