Original subtitles

Come on, you said you'd give me the book. I know, and you know what? I went

right over there. I swear I did. You went right over there. I need what is

inside the books.

I was asked by Donald to deliver this to you. It's $10 ,000.

He's taking over the property.

Donald's not loyal to you.

Mm -mm, he's not loyal to anyone.

What else are you doing with the skinheads, huh? What are they talking

Hey, hey, hey!

You got something that your boss is gonna love.

I heard someone was asking after me.

At my place of work. Next time you want to talk, call me direct.

Maybe I'll even take you for a ride out to one of our properties. You could get

lost out there.

What's wrong with you? Don't look in the barrel.

Why? What's in the barrel? It's the books. But it's okay. Don't worry.

Who would do that?

Dad, stop.

He said it's not the books that I wanted. So what's in the books?

is a plant out of place.

Let me repeat that.

A weed is a plant out of place.

I find a hollyhock in my cornfield. It's a weed.

I find it in my yard.

It's a flower.

Wise words from the great Jim Thompson.

And dear reader, in case you are at all confused by my poetic imagery, it's me.

I, Dale Walshburg, am the weed.

My papa's papa acquired this land when he first

laid foot in the territory.

Generations of Walshburgs were raised here.

Many stories were passed down, wonderful to tell.

How my great -grandma kept a pet squirrel on a leash tied to a tree. Or

Cousin Elizabeth went screaming into the forest the first time she saw an

automobile.

My own story began when I was yanked from my mother's womb at 6 a

.m. on a Tuesday.

The deck was stacked against me from the start.

I was born with a cone head, a busted lip, a broken collarbone, and a black

The four sets were unkind to me, as was my mother's canal.

My father's first words when he saw me were, What's

wrong with him?

But my older brother took me under his wing.

Donald always made me feel like I was a part of some great adventure.

When we played cowboys and Indians, we was always short on cowboys.

I was okay being second fiddle.

Unfortunately, that was one fiddle too many for Mom and Pop.

Mom called me Bobo, a truly terrible name, also used to describe an

ass.

As for Paul, well, he grazed me and my Bobo with birdshot.

I have yet to receive an apology or to retrieve all the pellets from my

The extraction process was an arduous one, which requires great dexterity and

keen eye.

Okay, you know how I always tell you that writing is about personal

and you should never compromise for the sake of the reader?

Yes. I take it all back.

Okay, Dad, but come on.

I know it's not great, but the guy is dead. Yeah, so what? That doesn't mean

should stop being honest about his work. I mean, that's just not our main focus

right now.

You're right.

Hey, cowboy.

Where'd you get the clothes you wear?

Hey, cowboy.

You pulling an all -nighter? Looks like we might be here all week. Thank you.

Well, let me know if you need any pancakes, Francis, so I get Bobby to

them. He can make them in the shape of a peethine, anarchy thimble, middle

finger. It's pretty cool.

Well, how about a coffee?

Right on.

Hey, Dad, check it out.

I had an odd experience this evening.

I had just retired to my study to resume work on my opus, The Dust Bowl Kid.

I heard barking from afar.

My dog Sally is my first line of defense, and her message was clear.

I can't believe you're wearing white at night.

Fuck off.

I looked out the window and saw the assassins come out of the tree line like

crazed band of Lakota Indians of old.

They say the 7th Cavalry's defeat took about as long as it takes

for a healthy man to eat a large meal.

They certainly meant to make a meal of me.

I reaped from my revolver and rained down thunder upon them.

These are the skinheads.

The ones who locked me in the trunk. This is the job. They fucked up in Sky.

This is why they got killed.

The skinheads put you in a trunk?

No. Is that why you're all beat up? No.

It was... It's not like... I mean, yeah, technically, but it wasn't a big deal.

Every trunk has a little lever. You just hit it, it opens. I got out. It's not a

big deal. Please don't tell your mom.

Should I be worried?

No. What would you be worried about? No, no.

Skinheads come and go. You know, these ones are going.

Thanks to Ellen.

Wait, the red -headed guy that came by the bookstore the other night?

Oh, my gosh, and I shouldn't be worried?

Okay, the red -headed stranger has nothing to do with us, okay? Nothing.

We're good. We're fine.

I promise.

Yeah.

You want to call it a night? No.

Keep going.

I rushed to inform my wife of this bloody ambush.

I reckoned that she ought to be the first to know.

She claimed to have just awakened from a deep slumber and to have slept through

the entire mess.

When I told her what had transpired, she did not react, which told me all

I needed to know.

I had, as of late, detected a deeper coldness from her of the kind that

precludes something dark and foreboded.

Hey, when's that letter dated?

September 15th. Go ahead. This is from a week before.

I sit here nursing a bottle of wild turkey and a sore right hand.

For the first time in my life, I have struck my brother.

God damn it, Dale! You are not thinking straight!

I came to him in peace to sort this Indian Head Hills issue, but he would

listen. He became angrier and angrier.

Finally, he said the unthinkable to me, a most vile provocation I could not

tolerate. This is something that's not even yours!

Betty Jo put that terrible idea into his head, knowing that it would come out of

his mouth.

She's not even a real washbird, so it's funny her trying to say what belongs to

who.

Betty Jo always called me sensitive.

She meant it as weak, but it really means quick to perceive things.

To me,

That's a strength.

All right, shit.

So a week before the murder, the two brothers have a big blowout.

Which gets blamed on Betty Jo.

Seems a little convenient, but... Yeah, still, she didn't seem to care at all

when Dale told her that the killers came for her.

Yeah, but wouldn't she have heard the shot?

Word on the street is she's a big drinker.

Even so, it didn't seem like news to her.

Like she knew it was coming.

Like she knew it was coming.

Yes.

All right, one.

Indian Head Hills, Old Washburn Land.

Looks like they've been fighting a lot about that recently.

Indian Head Hills.

To a most vile provocation.

What the hell did Donald say to Dale that set him off so badly?

According to Dale, Betty Jo would know.

I've been looking at this from the wrong angle.

I mean, I've always thought that this conspiracy to kill Dale started in some

border. But what if it was, you know, a more private matter?

No, but how did I explain Alan then? Doesn't he work for that Akron company?

Yeah, but Donald could have hired him as a private contractor, right? They

needed some fancy pants benefit.

Donald sees him, you know, and he says, hey, that guy looks like the kind of guy

who might kill somebody for a thousand bucks.

Kill who for what?

Mom.

How was your trip?

It was good. It was fun.

Scooch. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, what's up?

What's up?

I'm here to take her to school.

Monday to Friday.

Oh, yes.

You get your homework done?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I went down to the store and that whaling guy said you were here.

He's nice, right? I think he's a juggalo, Lee.

He's Indian mafia.

Oh, okay.

That's better.

Y 'all look fried.

Were you up all night?

No. Early risers. Yeah. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Right.

Okay. See you around the campus, kiddo. Keep on rocking to the free wall.

Boom. Call me.

Text me. Okay.

See you again.

I love you.

I'll meet you in the car. I'll be right there, okay?

Okay.

She's sitting back there.

It's important.

How may I help you, ma 'am?

That dummy.

Stop.

Johnny asked me to marry him.

Jesus, this guy. I mean, he moves fast.

You told him you swore off marriage, right?

I said yes.

Why would you say that?

I'm happy.

My name is Alan. I'm an alcoholic and a drug addict.

I'm coming up on my two years,

which I should be proud of.

But to tell you the truth, it's been hard staying clean lately.

Someone I work for, someone...

that I let down.

And I haven't been honest with him.

And it's not fair to him because I owe this man everything.

When I got out of Macalester,

He was the only one who threw me a lifeline, and I...

I was... I was at rock

bottom, man. I mean, I probably would have died then.

And he pulled me up, taught me all about

structure.

And goals.

I'm just praying I can stay strong.

And.

Settle. was right again, somehow.

Can I help you?

Yeah. Hold up.

Got something for you.

Where'd you get that?

I drew it.

How do you know Dale?

Why are you giving it to me?

I'm not giving it. I'm selling it.

30 bucks.

Yeah.

Okay. I got you.

Here.

You're the guy who wrote that article about him, right? Yeah, right. It's not

fault he killed himself, okay? It's not.

Yeah, I know.

How do you know?

This is too much. No, no, no. Keep the change.

So how'd you know Dale?

What, are you friends?

Did you know him well?

Actually, I didn't know the dude. Come on, man. I just saw that photo on the

paper.

But thank you.

Hey!

Yo, come on.

Who are you?

Hey, well, you know that guy?

No, he was loitering.

The loiterer.

You see him wailing?

You're talking too loud, they can hear you way up in the sky.

With the days getting darker, coyotes are not.

Time drags on and there's nothing new to say. Lee,

company! Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. Coming to be right there.

Oh, Elijah's here.

He's acting weird. Well, he's a weird dude.

Weirder than usual.

Hey, Elijah.

How you doing?

You good?

Elijah?

You okay?

I'm on shrooms.

Already, huh?

What, just to get through the day?

No, because I was coming to see you.

Really? Also, I thought it was a microdose. It was not.

It hit me. Donald Washberg is suing the Heartland Press.

Apparently you upset him when you cornered him at his brother's memorial.

You know what?

This is great.

The future governor going to war with us is great. Yeah. You saw Debbie Does

Dallas, right? The Beaver film?

The porno.

Don't be ashamed.

It's okay.

I'm not ashamed. In 1978, Debbie Does Dallas comes out. Okay.

actresses were wearing uniforms very similar to that of the dallas cowboy

cheerleaders right so the cowboys get pissed they sue the producers for

everything they got and guess what they win but what happens everybody's talking

about debbie does dallas it becomes the most successful porno in the world

because they were sued he's gonna destroy heartland no lee we're a basic

Non -profit. We're for -profit, but we're only funded by one man's profit.

that make sense?

Everyone's going to get laid off. I'm going to lose my house. You won't. You

live at Heartland Press. Exactly, and I'm going to lose it. I'll be out on the

street eating sandwiches.

You're going to lose your revenue stream. You're going to lose your

This is the greatest day of our lives. Lee.

Donald, lawyers are seeking a restraining order.

If you go anywhere near the Washburn family, they're going to throw you in

When does that get issued?

Hello there, Mr. Governor. Terry, don't you dare call me that. You know how

superstitious I am.

Clark, what are you doing here?

I thought Linda had you on house arrest.

Look at these little onions.

Never trust a man who doesn't get onions on his coneys.

I went to see Betty Jo yesterday.

She's not moving out of the house.

You gave her the money? She threw it back in my face.

It sounds like she's upset.

How did you think she would take it? And how did you think I would feel doing

it?

I mean, I didn't sign up for putting widows out in the street.

Don't be so dramatic, Chubb. We offered her new accommodations and cash.

Can I talk to you as a friend right now?

Well, I hope we're always talking as friends.

I don't know what's going on between you and Betty Jo, but do you really want to

piss her off a month before the election?

She could really fuck up your life right now. No, she's not getting that.

If some motherfucker was kicking me out of my house, I would fuck his life up.

My wife found out.

She's livid.

She's not letting me keep my special friend on the property.

This is what I'm dealing with.

I got to keep Mary Ann happy.

She's a huge part of this campaign.

I love her, and women voters love her.

If Betty Jo starts talking, women voters will have an opinion about that, too.

See, this is why I need your help.

I'm in a jam, Chubbs.

I mean, underneath this strong, confident demeanor is a man who feels

intensely, and I am feeling this pressure that someone in your position

understand.

In my position?

Yes. I'm running for the highest office in the state. I mean, no offense,

Chubbs, but you don't know what this is like. It's an unimaginable burden.

Just the money alone.

You know, I want to help you.

Good. Good.

Because you're the only person I can trust.

Donald.

Gravy is fucking amazing, okay? It's nice, it's thick.

I thought you'd like it here.

No, I love it. Yeah? Mm -hmm. Well, because this is the kind of food you

people like me eat.

People like you?

Mm -hmm.

I know what I'm supposed to be.

Trailer trash who married up?

Yeah. I read your article, Lee. I can read, you know.

I never said.

You implied.

Oh, yes, you did. Which is a coward's way of saying it. People can talk a lot

shit about me. I'm a coward?

No. Elitist? Fuck no.

Cheap shots hurt your feelings, too? Look, have you talked to me for the

article? You know you could have set me straight.

Why would I talk to a complete stranger?

I'm not a complete stranger. I'm a true historian. I'm hunting for the truth.

Yeah.

You want the truth?

Yeah. Okay.

Some dirtbag. reporter wrote a hit piece about my family. Truth.

Then, after my husband died, that reporter shows up at the estate sale

peacocking around. Peacocking? Yeah.

And then, then he crashes the memorial.

Trying to ruin it by screaming crazy shit at my dead husband's brother.

Get ready. No. This is a game to you.

No, it's not a game.

I had my ass kicked. My family was threatened.

By who?

By...

I got it. Let me. I insist.

All right, well, thanks for the meal. My pleasure.

I've been waiting to chew your ass.

I've got to say, you took it like a man.

Mostly.

I am sorry about your husband.

Thank you.

It must have been really difficult.

I don't want to talk about Dale.

All right, no deal.

I want to get a drink.

You buying?

Yeah. Because you look busted.

I always keep an emergency C -note in my boot. Check this out.

Get your boot, baby.

Look, you see, I got the wrong impression of you. I think you got the

impression of me. Let's have a couple shots of tequila and fix it. The

the dancing.

All right.

But I'm only... I stand for one.

Alan.

Hello, Bonnie. What's up, man?

Bill.

What's going on?

I was at the store. I got you these.

Why did you do that?

Thought you might need them.

That's nice. Thanks.

Blackie around?

No. I was hoping you'd seen him.

Well, I haven't.

He wasn't at the meeting today.

You're his sponsor. He talks to anyone he does to me.

You think he'd back on that shit again?

Hope not. But you never know.

An old pile of blackies came by the other day looking for him. Said he was

old cellmate or something.

What pile?

Dude named Johnny.

Never heard of him.

Well, he said he was from out of town.

What did he look like?

Older, kind of handsome.

Stars and bars.

You talked to this guy?

No.

Well, a little.

And what did he want again?

Oh, he was just looking for those two.

He didn't say why?

And you didn't ask?

Well, he was really just like in and then out.

You should have called me.

He comes around again.

Let me know.

Yeah, I will.

That's too good.

Okay, my turn to tell.

Talia. Who?

is not quite as big of an asshole as he pretends to be.

You are not the first person to give that toast.

Oh, it's worth it.

Holy shit.

Well, you're a snob. I'm not a snob. I just... I don't need another ballad. Oh.

Broken heart.

Everybody's heart's broken.

Mm -mm.

All right.

Listen to this. My ex.

Yeah.

The mother of my child. Yeah.

Uh... He's marrying a dentist.

No. You can't fault a woman for wanting stability.

I mean, what does your kid think of him?

Francis is a great bullshit detector.

She's on to him. How old is she?

She's 13.

Mine's 20.

Pearl. Pearl. That's a pretty name.

Yeah, she's a pretty girl.

She's a handful.

Yeah.

Right.

Well, if I talked to my mom the way that she talks to me, I'd be

dead.

And my mom would be on death row.

But... Back to your ex.

Don't put her on a pedestal.

You think people are one thing, and then they turn out to be another.

That way,

could

you do me a favor?

Could you... Oh, God.

Could you just follow me home so I know there's no cop on my ass?

Sorry.

Let me stay for a night, Cap.

I thought that's what we were doing.

No.

Den's that way.

I think ice is this way.

Dance that way.

I took a bunch of shit for having the estate sale so soon.

No one had the balls to say it to my face, but it got back to me.

A lot of this junk reminded me of the night Dale did it.

I was out on the couch.

It was a stupid thing to do.

And selfish.

I got some videos you want to watch.

Oh, look at her. Look at her. Look at her.

She's hot.

She is hot.

She's not as hot as you, though.

You're smoking up there. You know, seriously, rodeo queens always get

with those beauty pageant bitches.

And all they do is stand there and look pretty. We got to ride and wrangle with

a lot of hairspray.

And you were the bell of the ball.

Well,

that was the fun part.

But there was another side of Avamp that I'm glad I got away from.

There's always another side.

Yeah, a lot of those boys, they ended up dead or in prison.

You stay in touch with any of them?

Who? You know, the old A -Bank gang.

What business would I have with them?

a stranger doing in my house.

Hey.

Fuck.

Fucking shit.

Oh, no, I'm sorry.

But you're just, your face.

I almost shit my pants just now. That's not funny. It was Dale's gun and I was

going to show it to you but then I just, I couldn't help it.

Come on.

Damn gun.

It was a joke, Lee.

Don't be mad. It scared me.

Jesus Christ.

Fuck! Fuck! What are you doing? Hey, it's loaded!

What? No!

Yes, I just went off! All right, well, maybe there was a round left, but it's

empty now, see?

I'm putting this away, all right? You are not allowed to touch this anymore.

Fun's over.

Fun's over.

Shh, calm down.

Hey.

Oh.

I'm sorry. Can we just... Can we just... I don't know what the fuck's going on.

I don't.

What? It's gotten weird. Yeah. I said I was sorry, and I wouldn't bullshit you.

You've been bullshitting me all night.

About what?

About finding Dale's body, for one. That was bullshit.

Yeah.

You're going to tell me what I saw?

We both know that he did not commit suicide.

How would you know that?

A couple nights before he's found dead, two guys break in here and try to murder

him. Oh, that's a coincidence.

What, he didn't mention that? Yeah, well... He did.

But I didn't believe him. You don't understand how he was at the end. No,

me. Help me understand.

He was paranoid. He thought everyone was out to get him, including me and his

brother.

But how did you know about those guys? I know that you and Donald are having an

affair.

Huh? Ah. Ah, yeah, I do. With his idea to kill him? Hmm?

Was it? No.

Donald loved him.

Then what was the big fight about?

Big fight?

The big fight about the land, about Indian Head Hills.

I'm not sure.

Betty, don't try to help you out here. I really don't know the details. You're

fucking your husband's brother in a big fight about land. And then he's found

murdered? It's not a good look. Well, God damn it!

The fight wasn't really about land.

And telling Dale wasn't my fault. Telling Dale what?

Pearl isn't his daughter.

I met Donald first, fell in love.

Golden boy and the small town slut.

Never gonna happen.

I knew Dale.

And I really liked him.

He was a sensitive, odd guy.

The day is long.

And his family was... I was just so desperate for him to marry a woman.

Later, when Donald got me pregnant, I fixed it so that Dale thought Pearl was

his.

I got him drunk one night.

Bullseye.

It worked out for everyone.

I was close to Donald.

Dale had his cover.

And Dale loved Pearl.

So much.

They were best friends.

It was why I never wanted him to know.

What did Donald finally tell him?

Well... It was... When they had the fight, Pearl...

Name came up.

Who had her best interests in mind, and... Donald was just at the end of his

rope, and I guess he blurted it out.

It was the worst thing you could say to him.

And I get why Dale hated us at the end.

That's a problem, though.

You probably think I'm a terrible person, don't you?

You did what you had to do.

The question is, what do you do now?

Thank you for the company this evening.

It was the most fun I've had in years.

Hey. Yeah.

Look, there's something I got to tell you.

I dumped something in the river, and I need your help cleaning it up.

Can we meet?

Wow, that's nice.

Some guys really came here to get Dale.

Yep, they sure did.

Who were they?

A couple of shit heads.

I thought he was making it up.

Nope. Somebody killed him.

You don't still think I did?

No.

But somebody did.

Okay.

You don't think Donald...

Might have.

What do you think?

Nothing.

Come on. No, I'm stoned.

You thinking something?

I don't know.

Donald just... He hasn't been himself lately and...

He won't see me anymore.

He was trying to take this house away from me.

But I think he's going to change his mind anyway.

A more cynical person might think you were trying to use me.

Me?

No, how would I use you? I don't know, you giving me a bunch of dirt about a

man running for governor?

No.

Seriously. It would be worse for Pearl, and I don't want that out there.

Okay?

But you know what, Lee?

If I'm going to shake down anyone, it ain't going to be the Washbergs.

They're what you call a cash -poor family.

But I am using you for something.

Also closed until next Thursday.

Over at 244, drivers should expect lane closures, including the eastbound lane

after exit 1D.

On I -44, we have an update.

Things like that. It has been rerouted. And we have...

Remember,

you can always use mass transit.