Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) - full transcript

♪♪ [ Rock ]

[ Man ]
♪ I've got a west side baby ♪

♪ She lives way across town ♪

♪ I've got a west side baby ♪

♪ She lives way across town ♪

♪ And when I'm with my baby ♪

♪ I don't want a soul around ♪

♪ Now, she's kind of tall
and lanky ♪

♪ She's always dressin' swell ♪

♪ She sets my soul on fire ♪

♪ When she rings my front door bell ♪



♪ Yes, I've got
a west side baby ♪

♪ She lives way across town ♪

♪ And when I'm with
my baby ♪

♪ I don't want a soul around ♪

♪ Now, Monday morning early ♪

♪ Someone banged upon my door ♪

♪ I knew it wasn't my baby ♪

♪ 'Cause she's
never knocked before ♪

♪ So I laid in bed
and wondered ♪

♪ Who could the caller be ♪

♪ I thought it was
the insurance man ♪

♪ 'Cause he's
been heckling for me ♪

♪ Crazy about
my west side baby ♪

♪ She lives way across town ♪



♪ And when I'm with my baby ♪

♪ I don't want a soul around ♪

[ Pedestrians Chattering ]

♪ Now, she's kind of tall
and lanky ♪

♪ She's always dressin' swell ♪

♪♪ [ Continues ]

[ Man Narrating ]
It was summer, 1948,
and I needed money.

After going door-to-door
all day long,

I was back again at Joppy's Bar,
tryin' to figure out...

where I was gonna go lookin'
for work the next day.

The newspapers was goin' on
and on about the city elections,

like they was really
gonna change somebody's life.

Well, my life had already
changed when I lost my job
three weeks before.

For example,
one of the white guys
pulls a double shift,

says he's too tired to work
overtime‒ you don't fire them.

That's all
you have to say?

No, no, that's not all.
I-I need‒

I need to pay
my mortgage, and eat.

I need a house to live in.
I need to put clothes
on my back, Mr. Giacomo.

I need the job.
I'm sorry, fella.
I gotta get back to work.

My name's not "fella."

Huh?

My name's not "fella."
My name is Ezekiel Rawlins.

[ Man ]
Catch you later, Joppy.

Hey, watch the marble!
Damn it! What'd I tell you?

Joppy, how much you think
they're payin' out there
at Douglas Aircraft?

I don't know.
Don't it say on the‒
[ Door Opens ]

♪♪ [ Blues ]

[ Quiet Chattering ]

[ Joppy ]
Talk to him. Yes, sir.
You can talk to him.

All right.
Easy, come on over here.

I've got somebody
I want you to meet.

Come on. This here's
a friend of mine.

Yeah, Easy,
this is Mr. Albright.

You can call me
Dewitt, Easy.
How you doin'?

- I'm all right.
- Take a seat, Easy.

Mr. Albright and me
go way back to before the war.

Matter of fact, when I was
still in the fight game.

Mm-hmm.
Ever seen this guy fight?

No.
No?

Well, shoot.
Every time Joppy Shag
stepped into the ring,

you knew you was gonna see
some real knock-down-drag-out
fisticuffs.

Where you from,
Easy?
Houston.

Mmm, Houston.
That's Joppy's hometown.

So, I hear
you need a job.

Oh, yeah, uh, Easy's
always tryin' to do better.

He's one of the few
colored men around here
who owns his own house.

He's payin'
the mortgage every month,
just like y'all folks.

Property owner, huh?
These big companies don't
give a damn, do they, Easy?

I got out of that racket
a long time ago.

Look, if you do need a job,
you drop by this address...
7:00 tonight.

What kind of work you do?

I do favors.
I do favors for friends.

Drop by.

Who was that,
Joppy?

Just somebody I know.
Businessman.

Businessman, huh?
Yeah, he is.

Ain't nothin'
to worry about.

[ Easy Narrating ]
Now, when somebody tell me
ain't nothin' to worry about,

I usually look down
to see if my fly is open.

But all the way home
all I could think about was
a chance to make some money.

I first came out
to Los Angeles...

when I got home
from the war in Europe...

with $300 in my pocket
and the G.I. Bill.

Like me, a lot of colored folk
from Texas and Louisiana...
Hi, Easy.

had moved out to California
to get them good jobs...

in the shipyards
and in the aircraft companies.
Hey, Willy!

Now, me myself,
I was a machinist.

And the first thing I did
when I saved enough money
was to buy me a house.

Man, I loved comin' home
to my house.

I don't know. I guess maybe
I just loved ownin' somethin'.

[ Kids Chattering ]

How ya doin'?

[ Kids Chattering ]

Ezekiel, I'm gonna knock down
some of them trees in the back.
No, leave my trees alone.

I ain't gonna take
but five‒
Get on!

[ Easy ]
I was feelin' pretty desperate
that evenin'.

In a week I'd be two months
behind on my mortgage,

and, no, sir, I wasn't
about to lose my house.

But a chill runnin' up the back
of my neck was talkin' to me,

tellin' me I was about to make
a bad decision.

Yeah, Albright made me nervous.

He reminded me of a fella I knew
back in Texas named Mouse.

[ Man ]
Drive to the train yard, Easy.
Let's dump this damn thing‒

[ Easy ]
What did you do, Mouse?
Just drive this son of a bitch.

What did you do?

So...

want the job?

It depends... on
what kind of job it is.

I don't wanna get
mixed up in nothin'.

Hmm. Walk out the door
in the morning, Easy,

you're mixed up
in somethin'.

Only thing that matters
is if you're mixed up
to the top or not.

I'm just lookin' for somebody.
For a friend.

Daphne Monet.

[ Sighs ]
Fiancée of Todd Carter.
She been gone two weeks.

It upset the poor man so much,
he stopped runnin' for mayor.

I never laid eyes on her.

That's a shame.

See, Daphne has a predilection
for the company of Negroes.

She likes jazz and pigs' feet
and dark meat.

Know what I mean?

Predilection, yeah.

Yeah.

I'd go lookin'
for her myself, but...

I'm not of the right
persuasion, so to speak.

What do you want
from me?
What do you mean?

What do you want me to do?

Get a location on her.

Mr. Carter wants
to make up with her.

Hundred dollars.
I pay in advance.

Hundred dollars.

And all I got to do
is tell you where she's at?

That's right.
And that's all?

That's all.

You frequent an illegal club
on 89th and Central.
Yeah, John's.

Somebody saw Daphne there
a few nights ago.

You could start tonight.

Hmm.

♪♪ [ Jazz ]
Whoa, that's enough.
Thank you.

See you later, man.
All right. Yeah.

[ Man ]
♪ I dreamed of heaven
Saw my baby there ♪

[ Horns Honking ]

♪ I dreamed of heaven
Saw my baby there ♪

[ People Chattering ]

♪ She had pearly white teeth
and coal-black wavy hair ♪

[ Woman ]
Oh, I see him!

♪ Hoy, hoy, hop ♪

♪ Hoy, hoy, skip ♪

♪ Now jump ♪

Hey, hey, man.

[ Chattering Continues ]

♪ Hoy, hoy, hop ♪

♪ Hoy, hoy, skip ♪

♪ Now jump ♪

What's your name?
[ Arguing ]

I told you.
This is a grocery store, period.

Hattie May.
Hey, how ya doin',
baby sweet?

Colored brother,
I need you to‒

Mister, you can't be
in here harassin' folks.
I'm not harassing him.

- What's goin' on?
- I just paid these cops off
and they're rousting my customers.

[ Man ] I hear music.
That's what he get for messin'
with that white woman.

Come on, brother.
Don't pay him
no attention, Easy.

I rung for Junior
to take care of that.
I come from Detroit.

Ain't got nobody but Deucy tonight.
It's on me.
Tell 'em I'm your cousin.

Had Holiday on Thursday.
You missed it.
Oh, yeah?

Uh, uh, uh!
Hey, hey, hey!

Junior!
Wait for the cops to leave.
Take Easy on upstairs.

And if he's still here,
throw his ass out.
[ Man Protesting ]

You better be gone.
I'll be here.
I'll be waitin' for you.

[ Hattie ]
Yeah, you just wait.
You just keep waitin'.

Mr. McGee,
there is no upstairs.

Got another one
of them cigarettes?
Sure.

Zapatas. You're
the only Negro in America
smoke Mexican cigarettes.

♪♪ [ Jazz ]
Last time I heard these
fellas was back in Houston.

That night Mouse had to
pull me off your ass.

That's the way
you remember it, huh?
That's the way it was.

When you gonna admit
that you helped Mouse
kill old man Navrochet?

You don't-- Man,
come on, get off that.

You know I didn't
have nothin' to do with that.

[ Crowd Chattering ]

Where are all
the white women at?

I don't pay them
no mind.
I bet you don't.

Just like you didn't help
Mouse kill his stepfather.

Hey, did you help him
kill his stepbrother too?

[ Chuckling ]

[ Man ]
♪ Hey, hey, hey
There's good rockin' tonight ♪

♪ Hoy, hoy, hoy
There's good rockin' tonight ♪

♪ Mmm
There's good rockin' tonight ♪

Alphonso James!

Hey, Easy.

Give me a setup
and a Coke back.

You seen a girl
name, uh, Dahlia, Delilah,
somethin' like that?

White girl. Supposed to be
somethin' to see?

No. But if I do see her,
I'm gonna keep her to myself.
[ Laughs ]

♪ Well, everybody ♪

♪♪ [ Continues ]

Keep the change.

Degan Odell.

Easy.
How you doin'
tonight?

Well, it's goin' all right.
It sure is goin'.

Easy Rawlins,
is that you?
Hey, boy.

Boy, you ain't jumped out
no windows yet?
Not yet, Dupree.

You know Coretta here,
don't you?

How you doin',
Coretta?
I'm all right, Easy.

This is Odell.
[ Dupree ]
Hey, how you doin'?

[ Coretta ]
Odell!
Oh, my goodness.

Can we sit down
with y'all, Easy?

Yeah, sure, sit down.

Man, we miss you
down there at the plant.

And look here,
Benny would've gave you
your job back, right?

All you had to do was go down
there and say you was sorry.

Yeah, I'm sorry, all right.
Give me a pint of that bourbon.

Any man without his paycheck
is sure enough sorry.

[ Laughing ]
Oh, look here, man. I got it.
Your money ain't no good.

- No, this one's mine.
- You the one ain't got no job.

And you the one
ain't got no money.
Ah, baby.

Any of y'all seen a white girl
by the name of Dahlia...

or Delilah,
somethin' like that?

First name
start with a "D"?

No.

Coretta got a job
at the phone company.

That right?
Yeah.

Well, congratulations.
They ain't hirin' no mans
down there, is they?

[ Laughing ]

[ Dupree Continues Laughing ]

♪♪ [ Blues ]

[ Quiet Chattering ]

[ Easy ]
You all right, Odell?

[ Groaning ]

He used to play
till the cock crowed.

That old cock, it don't crow
nearly so much now.
[ Laughing ]

[ Dupree Snoring ]

Ahh. I better
get on home.

You'd be sorry if you go.

I be sorry if I stay too.

Good night, Coretta.

Daphne sleep by now, so...

you can't get
none of that tonight.

Go around here
tellin' everybody "Dahlia."

[ Chuckles ]

Her name is Daphne.

Do you know her?

[ Sighs ]

[ Straining ]

Where you want me
to put him at, baby?

This ain't my house!
What?

[ Stammering ]
This ain't even my house.

Just throw him in there
on the bed.
Shut up, Negro.

[ Dupree Muttering ]
Where my keys?

[ Dupree ]
Careful of the door.

[ Coretta ]
Throwed him out of his place
'cause he couldn't pay the rent.

I shouldn't even let him
sleep here tonight.

Damn, that Negro's heavy.

I know. I know.
[ Laughs ]

[ Easy Panting ]
I need a cigarette.

That all you need?

[ Laughs ]
Girl, that sun catch me
tiptoein' out your door,

ain't no tellin' what
your neighbors might say.

All right, Easy.
All right.

Dupree done
fell asleep on me,

and you just gonna walk out
on me like I was dog food, huh?

What? Girl,
what you talkin' about?

Now, come on.

Coretta, your man
is in the next room.

[ Sighs ]

Why don't you tell me
about your friend Daphne?

Why do you keep askin'
about her? Hmm?

Colored women ain't good enough
for you no more, huh, Easy?

No, that ain't it.

Look, I mean‒

[ Chuckles ]
Shoot.

Well, what if he
was to hear somethin'?

He asleep.

[ Snoring ]

[ Coretta Moaning ]
Ohh! Baby, that's it!
Oh, yes!

Oh, baby!
Oh, baby, that's it!

[ Easy Groaning ]
Ohh! Ohh!
You're hittin' my spot!

Yeah, baby! Ohh!
You're hittin' my spot!

[ Grunting, Groaning ]

[ Panting ]
Easy, Easy, Easy.

I can't give up
that much lovin', daddy.
Not the way things is.

What things?
Come on now. Dupree
right in the next room.

Forget about Dupree, baby.
You done got me goin', Coretta.

It ain't right, Easy.
Here I am doin' this
right in the next room.

All you doin' is nosin'
after my friend Daphne.

Daph‒ Oh, oh, oh.
Oh, yeah. No, baby.
That's just a job.

What job?
Some man
want me to find her.

What man?
I don't know
what man, baby.

I just, you know--
I don't want nobody
but you... baby.

Yeah.

[ Moaning Continues ]

Mmm. Ohhh!

Daphne's my friend.
I can't do it.

[ Sighs, Mutters ]

Huh-uh.
Shit.

[ Whispering ]
Just a little bit more,
okay? Just a little bit.

[ Whispering ]
Just a little bit.
Just a little bit, baby.

Ohhh, just a little bit.

[ Moaning ]

Oh, that's it,
that's it, that's it.

Oh, you're hittin' my spot.
Yeah, baby.

Oh, you're hittin' my spot.
[ Grunting ]

Ohh! Oh, that's it.
That's it, daddy.
Yeah, that's it.

[ Easy ]
Then I went on hittin' her spot
until just before sunup.

I realized later on that
Coretta had found out as much
about what I was up to...

as I had found out
about Daphne Monet.

As it turned out,
Todd Carter wasn't the only man
in Daphne's life.

She was also shackin' up
with some small-time colored
gangster named Frank Green,

and Coretta had the nerve
to charge me $10
for that information.

See, everybody was in business
in Los Angeles.

I spent that morning
waiting for Albright to call...

and trying to feel good about
being able to pay a few bills.

And I mean just a few.

Shoot, a loaf of bread
was damn near 15 cents.

It was easy money.
Too easy.

[ Horn Honks ]

- Bye, Easy.
- Hey, where you goin', Sophie?

Back to Texas.
Too fast for me out here.

[ Boy ]
Bye, Mr. Rawlins!
All right, then.

Hey, get on away
from them people's house!
Get away from that tree!

Get on away
from that tree now!

Go on.
Get away from that tree.

[ Phone Ringing ]

[ Man ] Ricky!
Come on, wash your hands.
It's time for supper.

[ Ringing Continues ]

Ricky!

[ Ringing Continues ]

Hello?
[ Albright ]
Easy, how you doin', buddy?

Who is this?
I hope you have
good news for me.

Oh, Mr. Albright,
is that you?

Sure is, Easy.
What's shakin'?
I got what you want.

Why don't you hold
onto that, Easy. I only
do business in person.

Tell you what, real quick.
You come on out here to Malibu.

Meet me at the Fisherman's Pier
hamburger stand in an hour. Okay?

Malibu?
Look, Mr. Albright--
[ Disconnects ]

Mr. Albright?
[ Dial Tone ]

[ Chattering, Laughter ]

Hi.

It's pretty
out here, huh?

Yeah, it's all right.

I'm from Des Moines, lowa.
Where are you from?

Texas.

Do they have
an ocean in Texas?

[ Boy ]
Hey, Barbara!
Gulf. A gulf in Texas.

Barbara, where are you?

- I think your friends
are lookin' for you.
- Who cares?

My sister brought me here
because my parents made her.

Where is that girl?
All she wants to do is make out
with Herman and smoke cigarettes.

Hey, there!
What are you doin' out here?

- Hey, what's goin' on?
- Leave us alone, Herman.
We're just talking.

- We don't need you
talkin' to her, okay?
- I said leave us alone.

[ Barbara ] We're just talkin'.
about the ocean.
What's wrong?

This nigger's tryin'
to pick up on Barbara.

I don't want trouble.
Just tryin' to be polite.

No, you're not. You're
talkin' about the ocean.

Hey, there!
What do you want?

What's goin' on?
What do you want?

What do I want?
I wanna see your brains.

- Shit!
- Run, man, run!

Sorry, sir.
I didn't mean it.

You sorry enough?
Yes, sir, I am.

Yeah?
Then prove it.

Come on, prove it.
Show him.

Get on your knees.
Suck his peter!
Please. I'm sorry.

I think he's got the point.
He's got the point!
You heard me. Go on.

Do it! I'll kill you.
I'll blow your brains out.

Okay, okay, okay.
Don't shoot me, please.

Now go on.
Go on.

[ Crying ]
All right.

God.

[ Crying Continues ]
Son of a gun.
You're gonna do it?

Sick bastard!

[ Groans ]
Ohh! Oh, God, my eye!

[ Crying Continues ]

Get the hell outta here.

You call the cops,
I'll kill ya!

[ Herman ]
Hurry up, man! Come on!

[ Chuckles ]
I don't think they'd
dare call the cops,

but we better get
the hell outta here
in case they do.

What do ya got, Easy?
Ain't no harm gonna come
to that girl 'cause of me?

Mr. Carter wants
to buy her a gold ring
and live happily ever after.

What do ya got?
Woman told me she was with
a man named Frank Green.

Hang on. Where?

The Skyler Apartments.
Skyler and 83rd.
Skyler and 83rd.

Frank Green. What do you
know about this guy?

He's a gangster, hijacker.
Liquor and cigarettes.
Pretty good with a knife.

Ever seen him in action?
No, I just heard about him.

[ Chuckles ]
Easy.

Here's another hundred.
I'll be calling you again.

Okay.

[ Dog Barking ]

Mr. Rawlins,
I'm Detective Miller.
Mason.

What?
Turn around and put
your hands on the car.

Come with us.
Where?
Why are you arrestin' me?

You'll see.
I got a right to know
why you're arrestin' me.

You got a right
to fall down, break your face.
You got a right to come with me.

[ Chattering ]

[ Man ]
That guy over there?

You got him, huh?
Yeah, we got him
comin' home.

[ Chattering Continues ]

Ezekiel Rawlins.

We can take those cuffs off
if you want to cooperate.

Yes, sir.
I'm cooperating.
Turn around.

Sit over there.
Sit down.

Now, earlier this morning
about 5:00 a.m.

What do you mean?
He means this morning.

[ Sighs, Panting ]
I was‒ I was out drinkin'.

I carried a friend
into his house.

I don't know. I could've
been on my way home.
I ain't look at no clock.

[ Groans, Screams ]

You were drinkin'.
Illegal club called John's.
What is goin' on?

You may as well answer.
You got bigger troubles
than us bustin' some bar.

I don't know
what you're talkin' about.

We're talkin' about
taking your black ass out...

and puttin' a bullet
in your head.

Sit down.
[ Panting ]

Now, what time did you leave
Coretta James' house?
Around 5:30, I guess.

You go back
later in the day?
No, sir, I did not.

You and Dupree Brouchard,
did you have words
over Miss James?

Words?
Did you two argue
over Coretta James?

- Did you argue over Coretta?
- No, we didn't. He was asleep.

Yeah, she went to sleep too,
but she's not gonna wake up.

What?
Where did you go
when you left Miss James?

Wait, wait, wait.
What you talkin' about?

- Where did you go?
- I was‒ I had a hangover.

You had a hangover?
Yeah, I went home.

Oh, he had a hangover.
That explains everything.

[ Grunts ]

Back off! Back off!
Back off!

Here, here.
No, no!
Get outta here!

Let me at him.
Go on, get out!
Get outta here!

Come on,
you son of a bitch!
Jack, get out, goddamn‒

All right. All right.
Calm down. Calm down.

You son of a bitch.
Jesus!

[ Panting ]

[ Door Slams ]

[ Easy ]
They left me alone in that musty
little room another three hours,

till some guy in a suit
about two sizes too big for him
came in and said I could go.

Hey, buddy.
The game of cops and niggers
kept up outside the station,

but I hardly even noticed.

[ Laughing ]
I had seen dead bodies before,

cold, hard,
still as concrete,

their eyes wide open,
starin' up at nothin'.

But not Coretta.

I could still feel
her heartbeat.

Hey, Ezekiel Rawlins.

Hold on, Ezekiel.
Somebody in the back
would like to talk to you.

I ain't got time right now.

Get in.
We'll take you.

[ Horn Honking ]

My boss wants to talk
to you about Coretta James.

[ Horn Honking ]

Listen, if he wanted
to hurt you, it would've
happened already.

Come on.

Get in.

♪♪ [ Woman Singing On Radio ]

You want to go up front
and sit with Norman?

Okay, give me a kiss.

That's my adopted son, Jesus.

I can see the police
roughed you up a bit.

That's a practice of theirs
that has to change, Mr. Rawlins.

That has to change.
Thank you.

She was beaten...
and died of a heavy blow
to the back of the head.

I suppose you
already know that.

No, I didn't, Mr. Terell.

Oh, you know who I am?

I read the newspapers.
You're runnin' for mayor
against Todd Carter.

I am the next mayor,
Mr. Rawlins.

And, luckily for you,
a friend of the Negro.

Coretta worked
for a while for me.

She answered phones
at my campaign office
on 103rd and Western.

So when I heard that
the police had a suspect,

I got out of bed
immediately, personally,
because of my concern.

Was there anyone with you,
Mr. Rawlins?

Anyone besides
Mr. Dupree Brouchard?

No, sir.

A young lady
named Daphne Monet, perhaps?

Nobody.

Of course not.
I mean, why would‒

Why would you tell someone
whom you've only just met?

I mean‒

You can trust me,
Mr. Rawlins.

There was nobody else there.

I believe you. Uh, can we
drop you off at your--

No. I mean‒
I can get out here.

[ Terell ]
Are you sure? This must be
quite out of your way.

No, it's okay.
It's okay.

May I offer you
cab fare?

No, thank you.
Are you sure?

- It's okay.
- Norman.

[ Tires Squealing ]

[ Coretta's Voice ]
Oh, you're hittin' my spot.

Daphne sleep by now, so--

[ Chuckling ]
Go around here tellin'
everybody "Dahlia."

Colored women ain't good enough
for you no more, huh, Easy?

[ Chuckling ]
All you doin' is sniffin'
after my friend Daphne.

Colored women ain't good enough
for you no more, huh, Easy?

[ Coretta's Voice Echoing ]

[ Phone Ringing ]
Man!

[ Ringing ]

Uh-huh.
[ Woman On Phone ]
Hello. Is this Mr. Rawlins?

Yeah, who's this?

This is Daphne Monet.

You're looking for me.

Who told you that?

You know who told me.
Coretta.

She was found
murdered this morning.

[ Sighing ]
I don't know what I should do.

Would you care to talk to me,
or is this something I should
call the police about?

No, no. Ain't no reason
to call the police.

Then why don't you
explain yourself to me?

[ Chattering, Laughing ]
I'm at the Ambassador Hotel.

This part of the hotel
is white only,

so go to the side entrance
in half an hour...

and Louis the bellboy
will sneak you up.

Hello, Mr. Rawlins.

Hello, Miss Monet.

I don't know
if I should think of you...

as a friend of Coretta's
or as a private dick.

[ Laughs ]
Well, I ain't no detective.

No, I was just hired
by a fella that, uh,
works for Todd Carter.

You know, I had to pay Coretta
not to tell you where I was.

Oh, she got you too.

[ Laughing ]

Yeah. Yeah, she definitely
gave me the wrong address.

Where did she say I was?

Said you was out in Watts, over
to the Skyler Arms Apartments
with a fella named Frank Green.

Mm-hmm. What else
did she tell you about me?

What else is there to tell?

Nothing. I make no apology
for my feelings for Frank.

He's very dear to me,
and that's that. Bourbon?

Please. Straight up.

So how well
did you know Coretta?

She was a very close friend.

So maybe you know
why she got killed?

Why would I know that?

You said she was
a very close friend.
She knew about Frank.

Maybe somebody wanted
to keep that secret.

Mr. Rawlins,
if you're thinking‒
You can call me Easy.

Easy, if you're thinking
that Frank had anything to do
with Coretta's death,

then obviously you don't know
very much about him.

Frank doesn't go around
beating people up.

He prefers to use
a knife as his weapon.

And what do you prefer
to use as your weapon?

Why don't you search me
and find out?

Mind if I have
another drink?

Help yourself.

Listen,
Mr. Rawlins‒
Easy.

Easy, the real reason
I called you is because...

I'd like you to drive me
to Todd's house.

Beg your pardon?

Well, you've found me,
and now I want you to take me
to Todd Carter's.

Why didn't you call Carter,
have him send for you?

Well, I have to go
someplace else on the way.

Someplace that I don't want
Todd to know about.

There's a man
named Richard McGee,

and he lives
up in Laurel Canyon.

And he delivered a letter
of mine to the wrong place,
and I need to get it back.

At 4:00 in the morning?
Must be a pretty
important letter.

Yes, it is.

But I need to go there
before I go to Todd's.

I'll pay you.

What time you talk
to Coretta this morning?

I don't know.
7:30, 8:00, I guess.

Uh, listen, Easy,
I don't--

I don't really want to talk
about Coretta just now.

Did you go up to her house?

No.

She called me.

She was in a good mood.

[ Crying ]
She always, uh‒

Look, I didn't mean
to upset you, Daphne. I'm‒

You understand. I‒

As far as I know,
you was the last one
to talk to her.

And I don't mean
to upset you,

but as far as I know,
you were the last one with her
before she got killed.

Now where does that leave us?

All right.

Why don't you go and change
out of that housecoat?

I'll carry you along.

[ Daphne ]
Are you nervous?

[ Easy ]
Nervous? Here I was
in the middle of the night...

in a white neighborhood
with a white woman in my car.

No, I wasn't nervous.
I was stupid.

You make a left
up here.

Gettin' Daphne
back to Todd Carter
didn't seem so easy.

Who was this guy
Richard McGee?

Just park
behind that car.

[ Boy On Radio ]
I'll see ya later, Pop.

[ Man On Radio ]
Sidney! Sidney!
That's all I've been hearing!

Everybody's doin' things
for Sidney! Where are ya?

[ Woman On Radio ]
I'm in here, with Sidney.
In the living room, dear.

[ Man ]
I've gotta get rid
of that guy.

[ Woman ]
Oh, hello, dear.

[ Sidney ]
Sit down, Reilly.
Make yourself at home.

[ Laughter ]

[ Man ]
Thanks, Moynihan.

[ Woman ]
Oh, my, you look
awful tired, dear.

[ Sidney ]
Yeah, Reilly. Pick out
a comfortable chair and plop.

[ Reilly ]
I already picked one out,
but you're sittin' in it.

[ Woman ]
Oh, Reilly, guess what
Sid and I have been playing?

[ Radio Program Continues,
Indistinct ]

Mmm! Ohh!

[ Whimpering ]
Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

[ Engine Starts ]

[ Engine Revving ]

[ Tires Squealing ]

[ Dog Barking ]

♪♪ [ Radio: Jazz ]

[ Man ]
♪ All alone ♪

[ Albright ]
Hey, who's that at the door?
[ Man ] It's him.

[ Albright ]
Oh, yeah?
You fought in Europe?

Easy.
What you doin'
in my house, man?

What happened
to your head, hmm?

What the hell are y'all
doin' in my house?

Y'all ain't got no right
to break into my house.

Where you been
this time of mornin', Easy?

I went to see a girl. Why?
You don't get none, Albright?

I didn't come here
to play, nigger.

Okay?

That's my money
you got in your pocket.

We've been by that address
you gave me on Frank Green.

He's already moved from there,
a year ago.

What do you want me to do?
You don't like the way
I'm doin' my job?

I'll give your money--
[ Gun Cocks ]

Believe in God, Easy, huh?
I'm curious to see if things
any different for a religious man.

Let me show you what I do
to people that say they seen
things they ain't seen.

I seen her.
Where?

She‒
Come on.

She called me.
She had me to carry her
up to the Hollywood hills.

Where is she now?
She-She took off.

Bullshit.
Where is she now?

She took off.
There's a dead man up there.

While I was lookin' at it,
she took off.

Come on in.

Sit down.

[ Sighs ]
Okay.

[ Clears Throat ]
What she do, take his car?

Huh?
McGee.

Yeah.
If you can write, write down
where you picked her up at.

[ Clears Throat ]

Write it down.

[ Sighing ]

[ Albright ]
This bologna gets stuck
in my-- my molar.

[ Man ]
I get that with popcorn.

Get me some whiskey, Easy.

Liquor's in the cabinet.
You get it your damn self.

[ All Laughing ]

He's got balls.
You gotta give him that.

Shoot him.
No, I'm just kidding.

[ Laughing Continues ]

Oh. Easy,
you're a brave man.

I need a brave man
working for me.

You're doin' a nice job too,
but-- Get me a whiskey bottle.

You gotta find Frank Green,
so he can lead us to her.

No, thank you.

Too many people gettin'
killed around me already.

Thanks.
[ Sniffing ]

Easy, you're connectable
to two murders.

[ Clears Throat ]
You're gonna do whatever
I tell you to do.

You find him.
I will be checkin' in.

That's some cheap shit.
Let's go. Come on.

[ Door Closes ]

[ Easy ]
Since Albright liked
surprise parties,

I had a friend of my own
I wanted to invite.

I placed a call to
Etta Mae Alexander in Houston.

Told her to get a message
to her husband... Mouse.

[ Shouting, Cheering ]

♪♪ [ Brass Band ]

[ Man On Loudspeaker ]
Cast your vote
for Matthew Terell.

[ Cheering Continues ]

Vote for Matthew Terell!

Cast your vote on June 11th
for Matthew Terell!

♪♪ [ Continues ]

Hey. Easy.

That girl called me
last night, Joppy.

What girl is that?
The one your friend
Albright is lookin' for.

Uh-huh.
That's pretty lucky.

No, it wasn't no luck
at all, Joppy. It was you.

You and Coretta was the onliest
ones that had my phone number...

and knew I was
lookin' for the girl.

And Coretta was too busy
scammin' Daphne, so it
couldn't have been her.

Maybe she looked it up
in the phone book.

I ain't in the phone book.
You supposed to be my friend!

Why in the hell didn't you
tell the man your damn self?

What the hell you mean
lookin' all ugly like you
think you gonna do somethin'?

I think
I'm gonna do somethin'.

Hey. Hey!
Stop that shit! You‒

Boy! That's my marble!
My uncle left me that
after he died!

Goddamn it, he's about
to get it back too!
All right! Let's talk!

What you
got me into?
She asked me to help her,

'cause I told her Albright
was lookin' for her,

so I figured I could help you
make a few dollars.

She wanted to know somethin'
about you, so I told her,
gave her your number.

Where's she at, Joppy?
I don't know!

- Don't lie to me!
- I am not lying to you!

What's she runnin' from
then?
She didn't tell me!

Easy. Look at me!
I am your friend.

Now... I didn't mean to get you
in no trouble.

I just-- I mean‒
Look, you-you seen her.

I mean, she is
somethin' else, man!

You know what I'm sayin'.

[ Sighs ]
Oh, Joppy.

What?

[ Easy ]
Like Albright said, when you're
mixed up in somethin',

you better be mixed up
to the top.

So that's where I was goin',

all the way to the top.

Everybody was peein' on my head
and tellin' me it was rain.

Guess they figured I was
some new kind of fool,
and maybe I was,

'cause I was ready
to start fightin' back.

And I believed that I could
live through this bad dream
I was havin'...

about pretty girls
and gangsters...

and standin' face-to-face
with the richest man in town.

May I help you?
Uh, yes, ma'am.
I'm looking for Mr. Carter.

I'm sorry, Mr. Carter's
a very busy man.

Too busy to hear something
about that little chippy of his
that dumped him?

Excuse me. Mr.‒

Rawlins.
Why don't you come
with me, sir?

Not very smart talking
about Mr. Carter's business
to a secretary.

I don't wanna hear it. Too much
goin' on for me to give a damn
about what you think is smart.

[ Chattering ]

Wait here, Mr. Rawlins.

Mr. Carter will see you.

Mr., uh, Rawlins.
Mr. Carter.

You've heard from Daphne.
Yeah, last night.

Uh, is she still in town?
She was last night.

[ Inhales ]
And... what did she say?

Wh-What was she wearing?
Uh... blue dress,
high heels.

Mmm. That's her. I'm sorry.
Would you like to come in?

Mr. Carter‒
Have a seat.

Thank you. I just
want some answers.

Would you like a brandy?
Thank you.

I wanna know what
I got myself into.
Beg your pardon?

Well, I wanna know
the real reason
Mr. Albright hired me.

Mr. Albright.
Yeah, the man you hired
to find Daphne.

I think there's
been a mistake here.

I, uh‒
[ Exhales ]

Who are you talking about?

Wait a minute‒ You‒
You didn't hire somebody
to find your girlfriend?

Of course not.

As a matter of fact,
I thought she was hundreds
of miles away from here.

You say someone's
looking for her.
Yeah.

Someone's looking for her.
[ Chuckles ]

Look, Mr. Carter, nothing
personal, but wh-what's
goin' on between y'all?

Nothing.

We were going to get married
and we had a fight,

and it is none of your concern,
Mr., uh, Rawlins.

So someone's after her.
Mr. Albright.

And he says I'm his employer.
You ever heard of a fellow
named Richard McGee?

Who?

Look‒ I‒ Why would
somebody be after her?

Mr. Rawlins, do you think
you can find her again?

It's important.
For her sake.

I'm willing to pay you.

Why'd she leave
in the first place?

It's really none of your
concern, but I am willing
to pay you to find her.

Okay.

Okay.

- One thousand dollars.
- A thousand dollars.

Yeah. Yeah. I'll take
two hundred right now.

I think you're trying
to take advantage of me.
Let me inform you of something.

The incumbent mayor,
the chief of police‒
close personal friends of mine.

They eat at my house regularly,
and my father's house.

That's good, Mr. Carter.
Then they can help us
find her.

No, they can't.

I'll have Baxter
write you out a check.

Mr. Carter, why you stop
runnin' for mayor?
I'll have Baxter write a check.

All right,
why is Matthew Terell
lookin' for Daphne too?

Baxter will write you a check.

I'll take cash.

Here, take it all.
Just take it all.

I'll be in touch,
Mr. Carter.

[ Easy ]
So Albright had lied to me.

Instead of workin'
for Carter, he was workin'
for Matthew Terell,

the man runnin' for mayor
against Carter.

And, for whatever reason,
they was all throwin' money my way
to find the girl in the blue dress.

Anyway, I knew that
her boyfriend, Frank Green,

hijacked trucks
haulin' liquor...

and sold it at half the price
to places down on Central Avenue.

So I decided
to kick up some dust
right in Frank's backyard.

♪♪ [ Jazz ]

[ Patrons Chattering ]

[ Woman ]
Good evening, Smoky.
Good evening. Please.

Your seat.
Thanks.

Now, Mr. Rawlins.
What were you saying?
Frank Green.

Who?
I'm lookin'
for Frank Green.

I don't know Frank Green.
Aw, come on. Why you
treatin' me like this?

I don't know
any Frank Green!
You don't know Frank.

You know me, though,
don't you?

♪♪ [ Continues ]

Hey, I'm talkin' to my man.
He told me to talk to you.
Frank Green.

Who is that?
What do you mean,
who is that?

He told me to talk
to you! Now, come on.

I don't wanna talk
about that--
Well, gimme a beer.

Can I get a beer?
Can I get a beer?

Give him a beer.
Thank you.

Here you go.
Wait, Frank Green told me
that you have pints.

Who's Frank Green?
I have no idea who‒
You know who Frank Green is.

Al! Talk to this man.
Aw, come on. Y'all know
who Frank Green is.

I don't know
what you're talkin' about.
You don't know Frank Green.

Well, let's get him
on the phone. Frank told me‒

Hey, Ezekiel.
Don't need my trees cut.

They--
Ezekiel.

Ezekiel! Ezekiel!

Ezekiel!
What?

There's a man!

[ Groans ]
Ow! Ow!

Damn! Frank,
wait a minute! Wait!

Hold it! Let's talk!
[ Switchblade Clicks ]

Let's talk, Frank.

Frank, wait a minute!
I got $500 for you, Frank!
Rich white man wants to‒

Aaah!

[ Panting ]
Aaah.

[ Gun Cocks ]
Hey.

Want me to shoot this
son of a bitch, Easy?

[ Easy ]
Mouse!
Huh? Want me to shoot him?

No. No.

[ Coughing ]
It's all right.

What the hell
is happenin', man?

- Goddamn, I'm gonna
blow your nose off!
- No, wait! Don't shoot him!

[ Panting ]

Where's Daphne Monet,
Frank?

All right, maybe you don't know,
where she is, but, hey, we can help
each other find her, man.

Nigger,
you heard him.
Mouse, no!

[ Phone Rings ]

Rawlins residence.
Sit down.

No, he's busy right now.
You're gonna have
to call back.

Look.

A rich man is willin'
to pay $1,000 just
to talk to this girl.

A thousand dollars!
That's a hell of a lot
of money, man!

- Frank.
- Wait, wait a minute.
Let me try.

- [ Gun Uncocks ]
- [ Frank Exhales ]

Now, look here, Frank.
It's-It's Frank, right?

- Yeah.
- Frank.

[ Gun Cocks, Fires ]
[ Screams ]

What the hell are you‒
Let go of me, man!
Let go!

Frank!
Damn it!

Don't you ever grab me
when I got a gun in my hand!

Shit.

You got blood
on my coat, Easy.
It's a damn expensive coat!

Where's your bathroom at?
In there?

Whew! We gotta find
that girl so we can get
that money, huh?

Hell, no! We don't
have to go find nobody.

I changed my mind.
I don't need your kind
of help, Mouse.

[ Scoffs ]
Boy, look at you.

Man cut a damn smile in your
neck. You gonna tell me you
don't need my kind of help?

This is the same shit
you pulled when you killed
old man Navrochet.

You ain't even been in my
house five minutes, and you
done shot somebody already!

Come on, Easy!
Cut me in on this thing, man.
Nah.

Easy, I'm tryin' to do right.

I'm‒ I mean, you know, now.

[ Scoffs ]

Man, I can help you. You gonna
need somebody at your back.

I swear I'm gonna
let you run the show.

Let me run the show!
I ain't gonna do nothin'
you don't tell me to do!

[ Laughing ]
You gonna let me
run the show?

You gonna do
everything I say?
Everything you say.

That's the wrong
hand, Mouse.
Oh.

[ Laughing ]

Boy, how you been?
[ Chuckling ]
Easy.

Who was that
on the phone?
Oh, uh, I don't know, man.

Sounded like some white girl.

♪♪ [ Whistling ]

[ Water Running ]

Ezekiel. Came to ask you
a few more questions.

So why don't you
invite us in?
I'll come out.

What happened
to your neck?
Did I do that?

I don't remember
doin' that.

What do you know about a man
named Richard McGee?

A dead white man in a cabin
over in Laurel Canyon.

He just happens to have
a note in his pocket with
"Coretta James" written on it.

You feel a little
more talkative?

'Cause I'll bet you
six bits to a bottle of piss
we're lookin' at a double here.

All we gotta do is place you
in the dead man's house.

I wasn't in
no dead man's house.

We could go down to the station,
send a team over here.

Believe me, they'll find
somethin' that will place you
at that dead man's house.

Evidence has a funny way
of showin' up, you know?

Nah, y'all ain't got nothin',
'cause I ain't done nothin',
and you know I ain't.

You know a lot more
than you're lettin' on.
Tell us, or you're goin' down...

for the murder of Richard McGee
and Coretta James.

There's nothin' to tell you.
I don't know nothin'.
Sure you do.

Let's go.
All right, look. Just give
me a little more time.

Forget it.
Maybe till tomorrow morning.
Maybe I can dig somethin' up.

What d'you think, Jack?
We could do that.
Take the cuffs off.

You got till
tomorrow morning.

Have a nice evening,
Ezekiel.

[ Easy ]
I played along, just like
the cops wanted me to.

It was all a game to them.

But in the mornin'
they'd be playin' for keeps,
'cause a white man was dead now.

And guilty or not,
somebody was gonna
have to pay for this one.

[ Horn Honking ]

Hey, man. Is Dupree's sister's
house off of Compton Boulevard
or Compton Avenue?

I can't find it.
Don't worry about it. We're
goin' somewhere else first.

Oh, did that girl call?

Easy, we gonna go see
that girl?

No.

Hey. Ezekiel?

I been watchin' your house
and seein' all them people‒
I ain't got time.

Just leave my trees
alone! Okay?
You got too many trees, man.

I'm gonna knock
a couple down‒
Leave my trees alone!

You can tell me what you think
when you get back. All right?

[ Dog Barking ]

[ People Chattering ]
♪♪ [ Singer On Radio, Indistinct ]

[ Junior ]
Who's that?
Easy.

[ Junior Coughing ]

What you want?
Let me in, Junior.
It's private.

I ain't got no time. I'm
tryin' to get some sleep.

You better go on
open this door, Junior.
Act like you got some sense.

Mouse.
Go on, fool. Get out the way.
We ain't got all day.

Have a seat.

Y'all want a beer?
Yeah, sure. Thank you.

- What you smokin' there,
Junior? Zapatas?
- Uh-huh.

This one's yours too,
isn't it?
I dunno.

So why you kill Richard McGee?
Huh? What you
talkin' about?

Ain't no time to play, Junior.
I know you the one killed him.

You crazy, man!
[ Mouse ]
Sit down, Junior.

Tell me what happened, Junior.
I don't know what
you're talkin' about!

The police will, when they
find out the fingerprints in
that man's house belong to you.

What fingerprints?
What house?

Hattie had you to pull
that man outta John's bar
the night I was there,

and he was layin' dead
with the same suit on
and a bullet hole in his head!

I ain't killed nobody.
Quit lyin', you big old,
sweaty, thickheaded,

- corn bread-eatin'‒
- Thickheaded your damn self!

Sit down, Junior.
[ Chuckles ]

Go on, sit down now.

Now, you better tell me.
Maybe I'll forget what I know.

Otherwise, I'm gonna
tell Mouse to shoot you,

'cause I don't like your ass
and he don't like you either.

I don't even know who
you're talkin' about.
You just had to rob him!

I didn't touch nothin'
in that man's house!
[ Mouse ] Goddamn, Junior.

[ Laughing ]

Mm-hmm. Sit down.

Hattie had me take him
out to his car.

The man was so drunk he give me
$10 to drive him home.

I know you took that.
Hell, yeah.

Then he was askin' me
about that white girl
you was askin' about.

I told him I seen her
with Coretta. What the hell
I care if he knows?

So you goin' tell him,
but you won't tell me.
I don't like your ass, Easy.

And he give me $50.
Just to tell him that
you saw her with Coretta?

No. To deliver a letter.
I give it to Coretta to give
to her the next mornin'.

You better be
tellin' the truth.

Come on, let's go, Raymond.

I'm tellin' the truth.
I ain't killed nobody.
[ Mouse ] All right, Easy.

That man was alive
when I left.
I-I didn't kill nobody.

[ Easy ]
The letter that was
so important to Daphne...

had worked its way over
to the other side of town...

to Dupree's sister's house
in Compton- I hoped.

And Junior was innocent
like I knew all along,

but I couldn't see no harm
in lettin' the big water-head
sucker sweat a little bit.

[ Easy ]
Hey, now.
Hey.

Tried to call you.
Yeah, cops just let me out
today.

Sister's gone to work,
and I ain't feelin'
much like talkin'.

Raymond!
[ Chuckles ]
Yeah, big man.

Hey.
All right, now.

Them pigs' tails
I smell up in there?
Oh, yeah.

Lula Mae made some
before she went to work.
Y'all gonna have to excuse me.

[ Chuckles ]
Come on.

Dupree?
Yeah?

Look, uh...

I'm sorry.

[ Dog Barking ]
Thank you, Easy.

Why somebody want to kill
her like that, man?
It don't make sense to me.

Did Coretta...

say anything to you
about a letter
she was keepin'?

Letter?
What kind of letter?

From that white girl.

Nah. But I know it
was on account of her
that Coretta got killed.

Yeah?
Yeah.

Everything between Daphne
and Coretta was always
such a damn secret.

That old girl,

she didn't think nothin'
about two-timin' on Frank.

You want some more tails,
Raymond?
Oh, yeah. Thanks, Dupree.

You know she messin' around
with that guy runnin'
for mayor, don't you?

Todd Carter?
Yeah, Carter.
That's his name.

She probably introduced Coretta
to one of them guys she knew.

He probably came over
to the house, saw that Coretta
wasn't that type of woman.

Cops says she fought 'im.
Can you imagine that?

My baby fought 'im.

Fought him 'cause she wouldn't
have nobody but me.

God. I can't sleep.

Huh-uh. I still keep
seein' her face that mornin'
before I went to work.

Junior had just came by the house,
and sh-she come runnin' out,
carryin' her Bible.

She say, uh...
"Keep this for me, baby."

The Bible?
Yeah.

And the police won't even
let me go near the house.

That's the only thing I got left
that belonged to her.
The Bible.

[ Inhales ]
I know it was a sign,
'cause she's so religious.

[ Sobbing ]
Oh, God.

It's all right,
big man.

[ Crying ]
I'm sorry.
No, no, that's all right.

Get you a drink, now.
Go on, now, drink this.

[ Mouse ]
All right. All right.
That's enough, Raymond.

Go on. Drink that.

[ Minister On Radio ]
Let us all say amen.
[ Snoring ]

Amen. Say it one more time.
[ Snoring ]

[ Easy ]
I was scared now...

and sick from what I saw‒

pictures of a much younger
Matthew Terell and children.

Innocent, helpless,
naked children.

[ Snoring ]
[ Whispering ]
Mouse.

I got it.
Come on, let's go.
[ Gasps ]

Is you crazy
or is you drunk?

Come on.
Am I drunk?

You saw me draw that gun.
Ain't no man can outdraw me.
[ Gun Cocking ]

Mouse, put the gun down.
I'm drunk.

I'm drunk; you right.
Gon' put that gun right there.

We gon' see who's drunk.

Now, watch it.
Watch it! Goddamn it.

Right there now.
Oh, yeah.

This fool gonna call me out;
he ain't even got no gun.

I'll kill that motherfucker.
[ Panting ]
No, uh... let him go.

Hmm?
Let him live,

and he'll be scared of you
every time you walk into a room.

Shit, he better be scared,
goddamn it, I'll kill him.

- He will.
If-If he ain't, I'll‒
- You better tell him.

I‒ I will.
Trust me.

I'll tell him.
[ Laughs ]

Right there, goddamn it.
No. Keep an eye on him.

Where you goin'?
That's right.

[ Easy ]
The pictures was eatin' at my
pocket like a cigarette burn.

Albright had killed for those
pictures, to get 'em back
for Matthew Terell.

He had killed Richard McGee,
who had sold the pictures to Daphne.

Time was runnin' out.

But I had some unfinished
business with the girl.

She had called that afternoon,
and all I needed was for her to call again.

[ Phone Ringing ]

[ Ringing Continues ]

Hello. Hello!

Hello.
[ Dial Tone ]

[ Rustling ]

I'm sorry. I broke
into your house, and‒

Please don't be angry with me.

Now, why should I
be angry at you?

M-May I have a c-cigarette?

You know, Coretta's boyfriend
Dupree got out of jail today.

And you need me
to help you find him.

[ Exhales ]
I already got
the pictures, Daphne.

[ Laughs ]

You know, I paid $7,000
for those pictures.
They belong to me.

Matthew Terell might have
somethin' to say about that.

All right, then,
I'll pay you for them.
I'll give you $1,000.

You gave Richard McGee seven.
Then I'll give you
seven.

Damn, what does Terell
have on you, girl?

Nothin'. You want
the money or not?
No.

No. I got two murders
hangin' over my head.

Unless I give the cops
a killer by tomorrow mornin',
I'm goin' to jail.

Now, who killed Coretta?
I don't know.

It was 'cause of them pictures
she was killed, wasn't it?
I don't know.

Your boyfriend Frank Green
killed her to bring you
them pictures, didn't he?

Of course not.
Well, you can tell it
to the police,

'cause I ain't
takin' the rap.

Easy,
put the phone down!
Put the phone down!

Put the phone down.
Easy!
So it was Frank, wasn't it?

He had nothin'
to do with it!
Yeah, sure he did!

There was more between y'all
than back-door romance!

He probably pimped you out
to Carter in the first place!
We goin' to the police!

No! No!
Come on! Yeah,
why don't you scream, huh?

So I can tell the police about
your boyfriend Frank Green!

Frank is my brother!
What?

Our mother is Creole.
We have different fathers.

Mine is white.

And that's what
Terell has on me.

And so far, I've been able
to keep Frank out of this.

Who killed Coretta?
[ Crying ]
It was an accident.

Who killed her?
She threatened to sell
the pictures to Terell.

Who killed her?
Goddamn it!

I just asked Joppy
to go over and put
a scare into her.

Joppy?

I didn't mean
to hurt anybody!

[ Sobs ]
I didn't mean
to hurt anybody.

But Todd and his family,
you know, they had to pull out
of the election because of me.

They really wanted us to get
married. It was just because
of the election that we‒

I'll be a son of a bitch.
Get her, Shariff.

Ow!

No!
[ Easy Groaning ]

[ Albright ]
Come on, get up.

Where are the pictures?
I don't know
what you're talking about.

Yeah? Take her
to the car.

Get up!
[ Grunts ]

Come on! Who we gonna give up
to cover this shit, huh?

[ Daphne Screaming ]

[ Moans ]

[ Tires Squealing ]

[ Easy ]
I woke up Mouse and told him
to drive Dupree's car...

to 34th and Central,

'cause it had come to me
in less time than it takes to think.

They were takin' Daphne
someplace more deserted...

than Albright's office
up in Hollywood.
[ Coughing ]

Someplace where there
would be no witnesses.

And I was bein' left alive
to take the fall.

[ Tires Screech ]

[ Screeching ]

Mouse, give me one
of them guns you got.

What?
Give me one of them guns.
Start up my car; keep it hot.

I'm comin' out fast.

♪♪ [ Speakers: Man Singing ]

[ Gun Cocking ]

[ Patrons Chattering ]

I saw that cow!
[ Drunken Laughter ]

♪♪ [ Continues ]

Come on, let's go.
Let's go!

All right, all right.
Blow your face off.
Let's go.

[ Man ]
Hey, man!
Shut up!

What the hell you doin'?
Shut up.

What is this, Easy?

Just drive, Mouse.

[ Easy ]
Joppy, Albright's got the girl,
and he's gon' kill her.

Tell me where it is,
and you better get it right.
Easy, I don't--

Get it right, Joppy.
Get it right!

There's a-a-a cabin.
Th-Th-That's all I know.
There's a cabin.

Where is it?
It's in Malibu,
on Route Nine.

- Make a right turn at the alley.
- [ Chuckling ] Oh, yeah.

[ Easy ]
You sure this where Albright's
gonna be, right?

I guess so.
Don't be guessin',
Joppy.

Look. He done this
kind of thing out there
before, so I guess so.

What's got into you? I thought
y'all supposed to be friends.

- He killed Dupree's girlfriend Coretta.
- You lyin'.

No.

- Son of a bitch!
- I done nothin' like that!
- [ Gunshot ]

- No! No! Wait a minute!
- [ Gunshot ]

- [ Mouse Shouting ]
- Hold on! We need him, Mouse!

The girl got $7,000!

[ Tires Screech ]

[ Joppy Moaning ]
What?

The girl offered to pay me
$7,000 for them pictures.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my goodness.
Oh, my God!

[ Tires Squeal ]
Oh, my God!

[ Easy ]
How much further is it?

[ Joppy ]
You're comin' up on it.

[ Easy ]
Raymond, there's some rope
in the trunk. Tie him up.

Yeah, all right.

Now, man, come on.

The girl is lyin'
if she told you
I killed that woman.

Who says she told me?
I‒

[ Gun Uncocks ]
I mean‒

[ Grunts Painfully ]

Easy, I was goin'
to shoot him now, okay?

[ Gun Cocks ]
No, don't shoot him.

Don't shoot him.

[ Daphne Shouting In Distance ]

[ Crying ]
Please!

Help me! Help me!
[ Sobbing ]

Help me.

Please!

Help me.

Please.
[ Albright ]
Shut up!

[ Albright ]
Now, you're gonna tell me
where the pictures are, okay?

I don't wanna hurt you,
but you are gonna tell me.
Where are the pictures?

[ Daphne ]
I don't have them.
Easy has them.

I thought you said he had
nothin' to do with it.

[ Sobbing ]
I was lying.

What?
I was lying.

Are you a liar?

Huh? Huh?
I know you're a liar.

You lie about bein' a nigger?

Huh?

Tell me the truth.

What part of you is nigger?
Your leg a nigger?

Your arm a nigger?
Maybe your face is a nigger.

What part of you
is nigger? Huh?

You know what
I'm gonna do?
I don't know. Please.

[ Screaming ]
I'm gonna burn it
out of you.

No! No! No! No!

[ Panting ]

[ Rustling ]

[ Footsteps ]

[ Whimpering, Gagging ]

[ Thud ]

[ Daphne Crying ]

[ Albright ]
Hey, Easy, is that you?

Hey, Easy!

Easy!

[ Screaming ]

[ Panting, Wheezing ]

[ Coughing, Gagging ]

[ Wheezing ]

[ Mouse ]
He gone, man.

Gone.

You all right?

Y‒

Yeah.
Can you walk?
All right, come on. Let's go.

[ Shuddering ]

Where's Joppy, Mouse?

Huh?

Where's Joppy?

Uh, he right there.

What happened?

I ain't had no time
to be tyin' him up, Easy.

What?

Look, you just said
don't shoot him, right?
That's right.

Well, I didn't.
I just-- I-I choked him.

What?
Well, how am I
gonna help you out...

if I'm back here
foolin' around with him, now?

Easy, look, if you
ain't wantin' him killed,
why'd you leave him with me?

[ Exhales ]

Come on, we got to go, Easy.

Easy, come on.
Let's go now.

[ Daphne On Phone,
Indistinct ]

All right, sweetheart.

Listen, Easy.
Think you gonna have trouble
with that dude Frank.

I can just run by, kill him
and take that evenin' train.

No, Mouse.
You sure?
All right, then.

Hey.
All right.
Oh, look here.

I cut you in for half,
'cause I know you was
too big a fool...

to take your share from
that white girl yourself.

All right.
Hey, man. Look.

If you need somebody to run
them streets with you again,
just give me a call.

'Cause you know how to put
some money in a nigger's
pocket. Bye.

[ Daphne ]
No, what upset them the most
is that I didn't tell them.

And then Terell threatened
to go public about my mother,

and that just added
insult to injury.

But when Todd sees the pictures
there'll be nothin' to stand in
the way of us gettin' married.

You sure about that?
Of course. Terell
doesn't want to go to jail.

I'm not talkin'
about Terell.

[ Exhales ]
Todd and I are very much
in love, and in the end...

his family just wants him
to be happy.

[ Easy ]
Daphne had gotten the money
out of a locker at the YWCA.

It was money she had gotten
from Carter's family.

$30,000...

to leave town.

She was still convinced,
though, that her Negro blood
didn't matter...

now that Terell couldn't use it
to keep the man she wanted
to marry out of the mayor's race.

[ Arguing ]
She was in love
and couldn't see for dreamin'...

any better than
the rest of us, I guess.

'Cause even though we had fought
a war to keep the world free,

the color line in America
worked both ways,

and even a rich white man
like Todd Carter...

was afraid to cross it.

Don't walk away.
Don't--
Damn you.

Wait.

Wait.

Please!

Please!

[ Exhales ]

Here's the $800
that I owe you.

And thank you
for protecting her.

You have some pictures.

That puts you
back in the race.

I'm gonna need you
to do something for me too.

I know. You'll have no
trouble with the police.

That's a promise.

Thank you.

Mr. Rawlins.

Just so you know,

I do love her.

[ Exhales ]

You want me
to walk you inside?

[ Easy ]
I dropped her off
at her brother's apartment,

a fourplex on Dinker Street.

She had told me her story
on the way home like a sinner
who wanted to confess.

Her name was Ruby Hanks
from Lake Charles, Louisiana,

and I suppose all she really
wanted was a place to fit in.

A few days later my conscience
got the best of me,

and I went by her place
to bring back my half of her money.

I was kind of excited
about seein' her again.

But when I got there,
she and her brother
had picked up and gone.

[ Children Playing, Chattering ]

[ Dispatcher On Radio,
Indistinct ]

[ Odell ]
Hey, Easy. Find a job yet?

I ain't studyin'
no job, Odell.

Ain't studyin' no job?
How you gonna live?

I got a little money
saved up. Gonna invest
in some real estate.

Maybe go into business
for myself.

What kind of business?
Little private
investigatin'.

You get in trouble doin' that.
Yeah, well, like a man
told me once,

step out your door
in the morning,
you're already in trouble.

Just a matter of whether
you're mixed up at the top
of that trouble.

Yeah. I guess you're right.

[ Neighbors Chattering ]

If you got a friend that
you know does bad things‒
I mean real bad things‒

can you still keep him
as a friend even though
you know what he's like?

You think that's wrong?

All you got is your friends.

[ Kid ]
I will. Bye!

Hey! Hey! Hey!
What are you doin'?

You better get outta my yard.
You get on out!

Hey! Get on away from there!
You know that fool knocked
down two of my trees?

Get on away from there!

You better get on!

You all right?
Easy, is he crazy?

Always up and down
on our street!

If he comes back,
you let me know, ma'am.

You take care.

Hey, Lou.
Hey, man, get
outta the street!

Watch it.

[ Chuckles ]

[ Kids Reciting Rhyme ]

[ Man ]
Look at the camera now.

[ Boy ]
Kathleen, give me some.
Okay.

[ Easy ]
I thought about what Odell
had said about friends,

and it made sense to me.

Odell goes to church
every Sunday, so he would know.

Later on, he challenged me
to a game of dominoes.

Now, what'd he go
and do that for?

We got to talkin' about Texas
and fooled around...

and drunk almost a quart
of whiskey.

And I forgot all about
Daphne Monet, Dewitt Albright,
Carter and them.

And I sat with my friend...

on my porch...

at my house,

and we laughed a long time.

♪♪ [ Jazz ]

♪♪ [ Continues ]

♪♪ [ Ends ]

♪♪ [ New Song Begins ]

[ Man ]
♪ I dreamed of heaven
Saw my baby there ♪

♪ I dreamed of heaven
Saw my baby there ♪

♪ She had pearly white teeth
and coal-black wavy hair ♪

♪ Hoy, hoy, hop ♪

♪ Hoy, hoy, skip ♪

♪ Now jump ♪♪
♪♪ [ Continues, Instrumental ]

♪♪ [ Ends ]