True Detective (2014–…): Season 3, Episode 1 - Episode #3.1 - full transcript

The next installment tells the story of a macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks, and a mystery that deepens over decades and plays out in three separate time periods.

Yeah, 'course I remember.

Not too long ago?

Ten years is nothin'.
I remember everything.

Well, we can't know.

I mean,

what you don't remember,

you don't know
you don't remember.

That's some education
in semantics you're givin' me.

Hey, let's skip the deposition

and I can just take notes
on your lecture.

I brought my case file.



Thanks for comin' in, Wayne.
It's good to see you.

- Alan.
- How's the job?

Still there.

No major cases, but...

get more time with
the wife and kids.

That's good, I guess.

I take time off,
inside three days,

my wife tells me,
"Get back to work."

Well, Detective Hays,

we need you to go back over
the Purcell case. Cases.

Lookin' to overturn
the conviction, right?

You good with that?

I wouldn't be here otherwise.

Why contest it now?
Ten years after the fact?



It's the family doin' it,
I know. But why?

You're having
memory problems, right?

What?

You're having memory problems.

Don't whine about it.

Today's May 20th, 2015.

Henry's comin' with
the people from the TV.

You don't like the questions,
or you don't wanna do it,

Henry'll tell 'em to go screw.

But remember why you're talkin' to 'em.

Figure out how much they know.

You don't need no surprises
this late in the game.

I'm recordin' this on the 19th.

Today's the 20th.
Look at your pictures.

Take notes. Remember.

Remember the nightstand
if you... if you need it.

- Hey, Dad.
- Hi.

They're all set
when you're ready.

Mm-hmm.

I think it's a strong case.

You're paid to think that,
right?

My wife's publishing
a book about it.

Maybe she could help you.

Let's get through this first.

Could you tell us
about November 7th, 1980?

Your timeline of events.

Sure.

November 7th, 1980.

Friday.

I remember it was the day
Steve McQueen died.

Hey, Dad. Can we ride out
to the playground?

What for?

Ronnie's got a new dog
he's bringing out there.

- Home by 5:30.
- Yes, sir.

Hey, Dad.
When's Mom coming home?

I don't know.

Hey, watch out for your sister.

Yes, sir.

Home by 5:30, I mean it!

Y'all be back before the sun
goes down, ya understand?

Yes, sir!

Kids left their house

approximately 4:00 p.m.

This from multiple statements.

Come on, let's go!

Let's go.

- Dude, watch the leather, man.
- Dude, all right.

And what were
you doing that evening?

I was with my partner
at the time.

Roland West.

We were doin' our regular shift.

Following up on a series
of thefts, I believe.

Workin' cases.

You'll get him next time.

Fate spared its shitty rat life,
and it has no clue.

Another way of sayin'
you're slow on the draw.

Steve McQueen died today.

We should do somethin'.

We could go to Miss Minnie's.

Give me a break.
I can't pay for it, man.

It's more honest
than most relationships.

You never bought no Saigon trim
while you was over there?

Guess I'm a romantic.

I'm a feminist.

They want to sell me a piece
of ass, they got the right.

Shit. You're gonna pay for it
one way or another.

You see yourself
gettin' married, Purple?

No, sir.

I'm not a big enough asshole

to put a woman and children
through that.

Hey.

Don't.

Shh...

Dick!

Foxes are predatory vermin, son.

Farmers, I was little,

they gave you a dollar,
you kill a fox.

I'll give you a dollar
for lettin' it go.

Let's go ride around.

Listen to some music.

All right.

Maybe we can find somebody
to beat the shit out of.

Boy, that'd be nice.

I don't think so.
Let me ask him.

Hey, son? Ronnie?

You seen the Purcell kids?
Will and his sister?

- Were they here?
- No.

No, he says
they haven't been by.

You heard from 'em at all?
Were they supposed to come by?

No. I told him he could come by
to see the new puppy sometime.

But he didn't say today.

No, Tom, I'm sorry.
He hasn't heard from 'em.

Yeah, he's been here
all afternoon, since school.

All right.

I'll let you know
if I hear anything.

This fuckin' piece of shit.

I don't wanna eat
no boar meat, man.

Tracked it for two days.

Had to make my own
muzzle-loader for the season.

Why'd you kill a boar,
but not a fox?

Well, you eat the boar.

I only had the one shot at him.

If I missed, that was my ass.

Guess I like
a more level playin' field.

Hmm. Except with rats.

You know how many times
rats almost ended civilization?

How many?

I don't know. At least two.

I hate rats.

What about deer?
You hunt deer?

Only with a bow.

Never in a stand and never with bait.

D-12, over.

D-12, you copy?

D-12 here. Over.

PD in West Finger
called for assist.

Missing persons.

That's 5009 Shoepick Lane.

Copy. We got it.
Be there in ten.

Fifteen.

Shoepick Lane?

Go towards Devil's Den.

You know how to get
to West Finger.

We almost had
a clean night, man.

Turn on the light if you want.

Tom Purcell. Two kids, William and Julie.
Twelve and ten.

Supposed to be home by 5:30,
never arrived.

They not been home
before the sun goes down.

That part I know.

Is this setup OK for you?

Uh, yes. This is fine.

So, you caught the case
back in '80.

Uh, yes.

Big full moon that night,

and...

I remember the moon.

And Steve McQueen had died.

Will and Julie.

I can't find 'em anywhere.

We need a bunch of people
out here right now.

Need to be on every street,
down in the woods...

All right, Mr. Purcell,
slow down, please.

Take us through what happened,
you could,

so we can know the right thing
to do next.

Went ridin' their bikes.
Around 4:00.

Supposed to be home
by 5:30.

They were supposed to go by a friend's
house. Kid says he never saw 'em.

Never occurred to
you he might be lyin'?

'Course it did.

General rule is,
everybody's lyin'.

Period.

First impression, though, no.

I did not believe he was
fabricatin', not about this.

"About this."

Yeah. I mean, I didn't...

check around if he was honest
about his overtime or his height.

What is this, really?

Y'all know something I don't?

Well, we don't know
what you know.

So we can't really answer that.

I was deposed
when the man's family

tried gettin' the conviction
overturned in '90.

Then worked the case again
when it was reopened.

That's when my wife
published the book.

Wish you could've talked to her.

I used to think back then...

it was before 'Nam
and after 'Nam.

But more it's...

before the Purcell case
and after.

And it keeps comin' back.

Here we are.

What is it, 2015?

Come back again.

And your wife's book,
which is now, well,

it's considered a classic
of literary nonfiction.

Yeah. Yeah.

She did a good job.

She was a good...

She was a good writer.

Um, good teacher,

good investigator, really.

She was good at lots of things.

- I'm sorry for your loss.
- Yeah.

A few years back.

We made plans.
I retired and...

Just got me thinkin'.

Phew.

Those kids. My kids. My wife.

I'm sorry.

Guess I'm just
missin' her today.

Your wife, Mr. Purcell.

She expected back tonight?

I think.

I don't know.

Any chance the kids could be with her?

No. No, no chance.

Have you talked to her?

Not since this mornin'.

She waitresses down at The Sawhorse.

She's out with her friends now,
and I can't reach her.

Get the APB out right away.

I need as many troopers
as Highway can spare.

K-9 trackers. If State's isn't
available, check with the sheriffs.

We're gonna search the fields, the
woods, put patrols on every street.

Hi-beams out.
I wanna light all this up.

Ain't you gonna call the FBI?

That's what they do on TV.

Takes 72 hours, sir.

We don't know yet if...

We have to wait on that.

You two.
Start canvassing neighbors.

Ask if they saw the kids,
anything unusual.

Any other relatives
the kids might be with?

No. No, my parents are in Shreveport,

and Lucy's passed.

Talk to Ronnie Ball.
Will's friend.

I could take y'all out to the playground.

OK, sure.

Mind if we look around the house

while we wait on the other officers?

They're not in the fuckin' house.

Yes, sir, but sometimes

might be some kind of clue
where they went,

if they had other plans.

- What? Why would they...
- Just sayin', sir.

It's been known to do some good.

We have to consider
all possibilities.

Yeah.

Whatever.
Do what you want.

- Mr. Purcell...
- Take the house apart, you want.

Flip on the TV.
Grab yourself a beer.

I'm goin' out to find my kids.

I know you want to do that, sir,

but I promise,
we're getting that handled.

We need you nearby,
answering questions

or if somebody calls.

Oh.

You promise.

Huh?

Yes, sir.

Can you take us
through the house?

Please?

That's Will's room...

that's Julie's.

That one you and your wife's?

My wife's.

Well, go on.
Knock yourself out.

Think his wife
left him, took the kids?

I mean, they ain't together.

Think you're right.

I hope you're right.

Expect she'll call by the
mornin' if that's the case.

In fact, our first thought was

the wife had taken off with the kids

and hadn't told the guy.

The marriage wasn't in a good place.

When'd you drop that theory?

About two minutes later.

- What the fuck is goin on, Tom?
- Let me talk to you.

Listen. Come here, god damn it!

What happened?

What did you do?
What did you do?!

Me? Me? You're their fuckin' mother,
where were you? Where were you?!

I am entitled to a life!
All you had to do was watch 'em!

I let them ride bikes
like we done a million times.

Maybe if you were home
and not out lookin' for dick!

Mrs. Purcell.

I'm Wayne Hays.

This is Roland West.

State Police detectives.

We put an APB on your kids, we
got men comin' to search now.

Can you think of anywhere
they might have gone?

Friends or relations?

No. W-We don't have any relat...

Relatives close or nearby.

I don't... I don't understand.

What happened?

You dumb-ass!
You piece of shit!

- You slut! You slut!
- You stupid piece of shit!

Hey!

You been drinkin' tonight,
Mrs. Purcell?

What?

So?
It's not against the law.

- I'm entitled to a life.
- Of course you are.

But you two gettin' mad isn't
helping anything right now.

Need to work together, with us.

OK? For the kids.

God damn it, he's so stupid.

Everything you touch turns to shit.

You been runnin' me down. You been
runnin' me down for ten years.

Hey! Why don't we get some
coffee goin', all right?

Everybody just calm down.

I'll make the coffee.

Kids headed west down the street

goin' to a playground
near the school.

I want three two-man teams
goin' through these fields

between the main roads.

Everybody else

get spotlights up and down
each one of these streets...

Here, here, and here.

Y'all start canvassing...

We're waitin' on dogs,

but let's get goin'.

Yes, sir.

I ain't never seen these before.

You sure?

No judgement.

I read it myself.

Yeah. So do I.

But these are old,
and I never seen 'em.

He had these?

It's not unusual.

No.

Y'all find anything else?

No, sir.

If we could ask their mother...
maybe she could tell us

they have any clothes missin' or not.

Might point us if they run off.

No, I don't think she's in shape for that.

And they didn't run off. I'm tellin' you.

Yes, sir.

But it needs doin'.

Save us time.

I didn't see the children.

But I saw some older boys, teenagers,

in a purple Volkswagen bug.

I wasn't home until after 7:00.

I saw the two kids

riding out toward the park.

But I didn't see any teenagers.

But I know they hang around
at Devil's Den.

I hear things...
about what they do out there.

Yeah, sometimes, like,

out by the ranger tower
at the edge of the park,

people hang out,
listen to music.

That Volkswagen is
Freddy Burns's, I think.

I seen that "Trash Man" fella.
I don't know his name.

Rides around town in a go-cart,

pickin' through garbage.

Everybody knows him.

Patty! What's that "Trash Man" guy's name?

His last name's Woodard, I think.

I saw him ridin' around
when I was lookin' for the kids.

He drives a go-cart
and tows this little trailer.

He picks up trash and sells it
at the scrapyard, I guess.

Been around for years.

I never liked him.

Goin' through other people's trash.

Any idea where he lives?

We're sorry for the personal
nature of these questions, but...

we need to know everything we can.

How long you folks been sleepin' separate?

- Few months.
- About six months.

- Since beginning of summer.
- Hasn't been that long.

Yeah, it has.
Dan left last May,

then I took the couch.

- Dan?
- He's my cousin.

Stayed with us a few weeks
last spring.

He's like an uncle to the kids.

And what's his last name?

O'Brien. Same as mine...
used to be.

Where's he live?

He's up in Springfield, Missouri.

But he hasn't seen the family
in a long time.

- He stayed there on the couch?
- No, he stayed in Will's room,

Will was on the couch.

Would you write down
his contact info?

Phone number and address.

What for?
Been gone since May.

Just have to check out anything we can.

Sometimes, there's tension
between the parents, or...

fightin' and whatnot,

kids'll make like to run away.

They didn't run away, god damn it.

Why don't you go find
that "Trash Man" bastard

and ask him some questions.

- Did you talk to Ronnie Ball?
- We did.

Hadn't seen Will since school.

Parents said he'd been home since 3:00.

But they didn't run off.

Everybody
went home to wait for daylight.

I didn't go to sleep
that first night.

I stayed out,
trying to find a trail.

I was a tracker, you see.

I should stop.

Do I need to stop?

No, uh, we're OK.

Sorry about that.

Please continue, Mr. Hays.

Uh...

had maybe 15 guys out that first night.

They went home after a few hours.

Day would give us better odds.

Get the news to help.

Two children are missing

from a West Finger neighborhood.

Will and Julie Purcell were last seen

riding their bicycles west on Turpin Road,

not far from Devil's Den State Park,

around 4:00 yesterday afternoon.

Police are calling on
volunteers to aid in the search

and are asking all
residents to keep an eye out

and report anything unusual
they might have noticed

or believe might be relevant to the case.

The brother and sister are 12 and 10,

and attend the West Finger school system.

"Tell me a story.

In this century, and moment, of mania.

Tell me a story.

Make it a story of great
distances, and starlight.

The name of the story will be Time,

but you must not pronounce its name.

Tell me a story of deep delight."

What do you think Warren means by that?

Why mustn't you say the name of the story?

Anybody?

Riley?

I teach English,
eighth through twelfth grade.

Will's a student of mine, too.

Do you got a boy
in your class right now,

a senior, named Freddy Burns?

Yes. He's here today.

We'd like to speak with him.

OK.

What are you studying?

The quote.

Uh, it's a poem we're discussing.

Huh.

What?

"What?"

We were just hanging out, ya know?

Go down to the ranger tower, mess around.

What time was that?

Um, maybe 4:30, 4:45
we got there, I think.

And that was you...

Ryan Peters,
and this Lampanella boy?

Anybody drinkin'?

No, sir.

See on the news this mornin'...

about those missing kids?

These two.
You recognize 'em?

Yeah, I seen 'em around.

I think we saw 'em.

You saw 'em.

Ridin' their bikes.

Yesterday.
We passed 'em when we were drivin'.

What time was that?

Maybe 4:15?
Before we got to the park.

You saw 'em riding their bikes
in the neighborhood?

Yes, sir.

Just the once?
You didn't see 'em again?

- No, sir.
- And they weren't out at the tower?

No. No, sir.

What time y'all leave the park?

It was about 9:00, I think.
A little after.

Let me ask you.

What's up with this?

I-I mean, it's...

It's just a band.

Black Sabbath, huh?

What's a Black Sabbath?

It's a satanic mass.

Is that true?
It's satanic?

I think it's just their name.

You see either of these
children yesterday?

- Um...
- What?

Yeah. Yea...

I mean, yes, sir. I...

They were... They were out
playin' in... in the park.

You saw 'em in the park?

Were they up at the tower
when y'all hangin' out?

No. I...

I mean, I-I don't think so.

But you don't know.

I don't know all the kids that
were playin' out there, ya know?

There were other kids out there?

Yeah.
They weren't with us, um...

There were a couple kids
playin' with firecrackers

and younger kids just runnin' around.

We didn't talk to 'em.

You know any of their names?

No.

Anything you can tell me

about Will?

His friends? Family?

Any sense you might've had?

He's a good student.

Quiet, polite in homeroom.

He's very advanced in English.

As far as home, I don't really know.

I don't know either of his parents.

But he's a nice boy.

He has a sensitivity.

You always worry a bit
about the sensitive ones.

Hmm.

There's a few of the older boys here,

you know, they make it hard on the others.

But I never saw Will getting any trouble.

I just...

well, I don't think
he got noticed much.

How long you been teachin'?

- About six years.
- All at West Finger?

Yes, sir.

Hey, you say "sir,"
I start lookin' for my boss.

No, I'm sorry.

Just, you know. Police.

How is it here?

You know.

It's fine.

It's good, really, for what it is.

I hear something now and then.

They're all poor around here.
That's the main thing.

What you hear now and then?

You know...

a word in the hallway or something.

They're careful around me.

What about these boys, um,

Freddy Burns, Ryan Peters,
and Jason Lampanella?

I don't know.

They're kinda their own little group.

They posture a lot,

but I'd say
they're mostly outcasts.

Tough attitudes,

can't talk to girls...
That kind of thing.

And Will's good in English?

Reads at a twelfth grade level,

writes very well,

pays attention in class.

He's a bit shy about speaking up.

And, um...

you from this area?

Fayetteville.

Still live there.

So do I.

Nice place.

Yep.

All right, um...

thanks very much, Miss Reardon.

Well, now you have me
looking for my mother.

Yeah, OK.

I'm Wayne.

Amelia.

OK.

Think you'll find those children?

I've got hope.

I'll let you know
if there's anything else.

Please do.

Anything at all.

Do you have a number?

- I'll be in touch.
- Good.

Think they're lyin'?

I mean, they're lyin', but...

think it's just regular teenage lyin',

or somethin' else?

I don't know.

The one, Burns, lied about the beer.

- There's lots of reasons to do that.
- Mm-hmm.

Put a couple guys tailin' Burns and Peters.

Hit this address up for
the trash can guy, Woodard.

Come back on the teenagers, we need to.

What about that teacher?

You gonna come back on her?

Uh-huh.

After the school,

we, uh...

checked out that guy people called
"Trash Man."

Brett Woodard.

Used to ride around in his go-cart

collectin' garbage.

He wasn't home.

Checked around his place,
the door was open.

Anyways,

you know what happened with him.

Think the backyard was neater.

A lot of guys have trouble,
they come back.

Mm-hmm.

I heard one of
my old rodeo buddies

is on the street in Shreveport.

There's another buddy
went to prison in Oklahoma.

Killed a dude in a bar fight.

You know guys like that?

Couple.

Put an APB on this guy.

I'm ready to go now.

I don't want to be here.

- I need to stop for today.
- Oh.

Um, well, we didn't really
get into the questions.

I understand if it's difficult
to discuss Mr. Woodard...

Not today.

I'm sorry.

- You all right, Pop?
- I think. I don't know.

- Can you get 'em out of here?
- Yeah, sure.

Wanna thank the
volunteers came out with us today.

It's a tough thing.

Check this spot.

Get those fuckin' dogs
away from me.

OK.

What's your partner doin'?

He's got his own thing.

Well, how's that help us?

Man was a LRRP in 'Nam.
You know what that is?

Long range reconnaissance.

Drop 'em in the jungle alone,

come out two or three weeks later

with scalps.

He's like a pathfinder.

Tracks wild boar for fun.

He wanna look alone,
I'm OK with it.

Shit.

Roland?

Copy.

I found the boy.

"What is love?

One name for it is Knowledge."

Dad?

Crew cleared out.

They're gone.

Pop?

There's another one of them dolls,

further back.

Right where the trail got sketchy.

Bag 'em all.

OK.

Leadin' me.

Like a marker or somethin'.

Kid's head looked injured.

Did a little tunnel work
over there, you know?

Almost couldn't go inside.

All right.

There's no sign of the girl.

We have to get back out there
lookin' for her.

OK, man. All right. We will.

You know what I found.

I don't need to go back over it.

I think I'm done for the day, unless
y'all wanna tell me what's goin' on.

What's goin' on is the
wrong man ten years ago.

No shit. But tell me why.

OK, I'll give y'all another
20 minutes some other time,

and that's how we'll do this.

Maybe we'll finish up by next summer.

The girl... Julie.

- Alan, I don't...
- What about her?

Her prints went into the system
when they established the database.

- OK.
- An after-hours burglary in Sallisaw, Oklahoma.

Two months ago.

A Walgreen's.

Somebody broke into the pharmacy.

PD worked the store for fingerprints.

Only one set of prints hit.

Julie Purcell's.

Julie.

- She's alive?
- Apparently.

Jesus Christ.

She's out there.

Where ya goin'?

Back out.

We have to find her.

It's too dark, man.

I don't care.

Male Vocalist:

Everybody was scared.
That included us.

We're gonna have to have
a curfew for a little while.

You questioned people
during this time, right?

Do you know another way to do it?

Vice gave me a dude to look at.

We need you to come with us, sir.

Did you see her get the doll?

There were two ghosts
dressed in big sheets.

I never stopped coming up
with theories about that case.