Perry Mason (2020) s01e03 Episode Script

1
[Barnes] Gentlemen, gentlemen,
I have here the purple prose
of a written correspondence
between Charlie Dodson's
kidnapper, George Gannon,
and his lover and co-conspirator,
the child's mother, Emily Dodson.
Give us a look. Come on.
All right.
We'll allow close-ups in a moment.
But, gentlemen, I suggest
you warn your readers,
because the thoughts expressed therein
are not for the pure of heart.
[clamoring]
Co-conspirator, my shirt.
They didn't have a thimble
of evidence when they arrested
her husband for the same crime. [scoffs]
I proved Matthew innocent
and I shall do the same for Emily.
Those letters are mere distraction
and titillation.
Emily knew her husband
was the bastard son of a wealthy man,
and she was angry
she hadn't received her piece of it.
She expressed this to George Gannon.
N-N-O-N. Get it right.
So the lovebirds worked up
a kidnapping scheme.
George brought in two hoodlums who had
their own snatching ring in Milwaukee,
and, as you can see,
there was a disagreement
when it came time to
divvy up the ransom cash.
- Saved us the price of a trial.
- [all laughing]
And so received their just desserts?
No, gentlemen.
For we, the people, were denied
our right to judgment,
denied our duty
to administer justice as we see fit.
All right, come on up. Get your shot.
Let the next guy get his.
You'll all get your turn.
[E.B.] It's all part
of the game, fellas. You know that.
The DA expects us to play
the sap for him.
But let's use our eyes.
Let's use our heads.
Emily Dodson's no killer.
She's 103 pounds soaking wet, gentles.
Kind neighbor, devoutly religious,
devoted wife.
A whore? No, I wouldn't say that.
I've never heard of a whore
that killed her own baby.
- This is much worse.
- You're charging her with murder?
Conspiracy kidnapping
which resulted in murder,
but should we find it was
Emily's needlepoint
that was used on that blue-eyed boy,
I'll strap on tap shoes and add
a murder charge. Don't you doubt it.
[E.B.] She was conned
by some cons,
and the only reason
she's sitting in jail now is
- Jimmy, don't forget the neck.
- I got the neck. No worries.
Why hair grows there, I'll never know.
No, the only reason Emily's, uh
[sighs]
- She's what?
- Sitting in jail.
She's sitting in jail
because the District Attorney
is eyeballing the mayor's seat
and knows that corpses
don't swing pretty
for a hungry electorate.
[camera clicks]
Her lawyer can rehearse
his defense in the paper all he wants.
I'll save mine for a sworn jury.
Justice for Charlie Dodson.
The noose for his mother.
Got it? Let's go.
Write me good, boys.
[reporters clamoring]
God is gone, I said to myself.
God is gone.
Near 12 years to the day,
leaning beside my mother,
in a three-times broke down
Should I be expecting
another surprise today?
[Sister Alice] It was just
the two of us
I had a little heart-to-heart with
Sister Alice about going off script.
halfway home to Canada.
That hot blue sky so heavy,
pushing down.
Hadn't seen a plate of meat for months.
Do you remember that day, Mother?
Surely do.
Enough money for food or gas.
- [Sister Alice] We had to make a choice.
- [coins clattering]
And that thought,
like a worm digging its way into my ear,
into my heart, into my soul
"God is gone."
And suddenly, everything went quiet.
And brothers and sisters, when I say
everything went quiet,
I mean the wind,
the crank shaft on that Peterson
Everything went absolutely silent.
Just as it is now.
[Sister Alice] And then,
just as suddenly
such a noise in my head.
Like a great swarm of insects
shouting to one another,
or 1,000 trumpets blaring in unison
trying to flatten the world into powder.
I fell out of the car
going 25 miles an hour,
broke my collarbone, laid there,
with the sound taking me over.
That was the voice of God I heard.
Past all my doubt and despair,
there was a voice.
Our Lord and Savior's voice
telling me to pick up my Bible
and head to Los Angeles,
City of Angels.
Actually, he said
"El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora
de la Reina de los Ángeles
de Porciúncula."
[audience laughing]
That was, um that was some eulogy
you gave at the funeral.
Blessed is the hangman.
Big hats in the congregation yesterday.
Hats that sat there
while Emily was arrested.
Nothing big in that, Mr. Mason.
What's in the bottle? Holy Spirit?
Vitamins and saline.
[softly] Right.
[Mother McKeegan] I believe we made room
in our schedule
to talk about George Gannon.
Okay.
Um, George was employed by your church?
Firstly, Mr. Mason,
we are horrified to know
there was someone under our roof
capable of such acts of evil.
- It has shaken our church.
- It's shaken all of us.
[Elder Seidel] He had good references
from his former employers.
We plugged him in
wherever there was a hole.
And what holes other than Emily's
was he plugging?
- [Elder Seidel clears throat]
- I'm sorry.
I have words that outrun
my head sometimes. I apologize.
[Elder Seidel] Mr. Gannon was helping
us organize some of our charity drives.
And he did some bookkeeping
whenever we were shorthanded.
What sort of charity drives?
[Mother McKeegan] We open our doors
to all kinds, Mr. Mason.
Whatever they enter with,
we offer redemption through
the unconditional love of Christ.
You should come by
when you have an hour.
I'm on 21 times a week.
You should save that seat
for someone who's buying.
Maybe you don't know what you need
until you see it.
- I've seen it, Sister.
- But you haven't felt it.
Not in here.
If you had, you wouldn't think
you were so alone.
Is this when you tell me
you have a message
from my dear departed mother?
I do.
She said you should be ashamed
for leaving the house
- with your nails like that.
- [all chuckling]
Thank you for these.
Um, is there someone in the choir
I can talk to?
- That's where they met, right?
- God is with your work.
God left me in France, Sister.
God is with you
whether you acknowledge him or not.
Thank you.
- [whispering]
- [softly] Yeah.
Now, at the arraignment,
you'll be seated up front.
This way, when Emily announces
to the judge that she's not guilty,
he'll see a husband supporting his wife.
That's very important.
Do you understand that?
Now, we caught a break with the judge.
Fred Wright. He's an old friend.
You'll be out of this cell very soon.
Now, Barbara here will make certain
that you're never alone. That's her job.
If any detectives come and talk to you,
just clam up and say you're
represented by counsel.
It's not legal for them to try, but
sometimes detectives don't play fair.
[chuckles] Isn't that right, Barbara?
- Stone-face Barbara.
- [Della] Did you hear that, Emily?
- Yes. Yes, I heard.
- Did you fuck him in our bed?
Let's save that for home talk, shall we?
- No.
- His bed?
- It wasn't like that.
- You're a liar.
Yeah. What about you?
I'm at home stretching pennies
while you're gambling.
- Cry me a river.
- Not at home. Not
Charlie was missing for three days
and you said nothing about
this George son of a bitch.
Enough of this.
If you had said something,
maybe they could have saved him.
They arrested me
and you still said nothing.
They put Charlie in the ground
and I wasn't there.
- You let strangers bury our son.
- Shut up.
You killed our Charlie boy!
Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
Just focus on the task at hand.
Husband and wife together.
We'll have you home tomorrow.
The judge knows me.
[E.B.] Matthew?
[camera clicks]
What the hell is George's body
even doing over at County?
Well, as it happens, his little love
roost is situated across the city line,
so Frank Nance got him
and I got these guys.
This is the exit wound. Yes?
You gotta stop hanging around
so many stiffs. But, yes, exit wound.
- What's Frank saying about George?
- Not much.
Blew his own head off
with a shotgun. Case closed.
Hmm.
- Can we flip him?
- Sure. Get his legs.
- [Strickland] Mmm-mmm.
- [Virgil chuckles]
Well, he won't hurt you, right?
"Come on, Strick. I thought
we were friends. Put her there."
[Strickland] Mmm-mmm.
[Virgil] Boys, he's a big fella.
[Virgil grunts] All right.
One, two, three.
[all grunting]
[Virgil] Did I ever tell you boys
about the night man we had?
Used to dress up like a cherub.
You know, wings and everything.
And when a particular stiff
caught his particular fancy,
he'd do this whole ceremony, see
- [Mason] Verge.
- Yeah?
What the hell is that?
Oh, well, way I figure it,
guy's on the floor
and someone stood on his throat.
And squish goes your hyoid bone.
Verge, we're gonna need their personals.
Yeah, only I can't.
Detectives come, bagged the whole lot.
- Holcomb and Ennis?
- So I'm told.
So that guy, you know, the cherub guy?
He does this whole ceremony, you know,
with the stiff
and the wings and some candles and
- We fucking done here yet?
- Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Verge.
Uh, if you ever need a favor
- Sure. Okay.
- Yeah.
Yeah. Never would've caught him
if it weren't for the mayonnaise.
So, the DA's story is our man George
walks into the apartment,
guns down the Polacks.
- Except the one ain't properly dead.
- Right. He's lying on the floor.
So George
Makes applesauce with his Florsheim.
And then he runs home
and grabs a shotgun.
'Cause he can't live with the sin.
What? And adds suicide
to his list of unforgivables?
Our George was a complicated little guy.
I want you to chase down
those references.
Maybe somebody can throw some
new light on our guy George.
I'm gonna hunt for those
missing personal effects.
Don't E.B. want us bagging witnesses
to talk nice about the Dodsons?
I'm shifting our priorities.
- [typing]
- [indistinct talking]
I don't care what they told you.
All the evidence from that
warehouse mess had been boxed up
and hauled off to the DA.
I'm not talking about stuff
from the crime scene.
They said their personals
had been bagged.
Yeah, yeah, the clothes
and the wallets from the stiffs.
I don't fucking have them.
Hey. Find out where the hell
Broome and Williams are, will you?
You still have
the inventory list, right?
If I had the inventory list,
I still wouldn't give it to you.
- The crime scene report you wanted.
- It's for this asshole.
- I like your nails.
- I like them, too.
Her nails? What? Are you a fag?
Hey, Nina. My coffee's gone cold.
Warm it up and bring it to me in filing.
Is this a joke?
There's barely a paragraph here
and it could be done in crayon.
I wanna talk to Officer Drake.
Christ. You cry either way.
You're welcome. And we're done.
I forgot to mention how fetching
I find your shoes.
Uh-huh. What do you want?
[indistinct chatter]
[bailiff] All rise.
Arraignment part two is now in session.
The honorable
Frederick Wright presiding.
[Judge Wright] Bailiffs,
clear out the standers.
If they can't find a seat, get them out.
Call the case.
[bailiff] This is number one
on the calendar.
The People of the State of California
v. Emily Dodson.
We're doing just fine. Just do as I say.
[Judge Wright] Appearances
for the record, please.
[E.B.] Your Honor,
my client is an innocent woman,
presently incarcerated
on the most risible of charges
Your appearance, please.
Oh, uh My apologies, Your Honor.
Elias Birchard Jonathan
for the defendant, Emily Dodson.
For the People, Maynard Barnes,
District Attorney.
[Judge Wright] Noted.
Arraign the defendant.
[bailiff] The defendant, Emily Dodson,
is charged with conspiracy
to commit the crime of kidnapping.
[grunts] How does your client plead?
Guilty or not guilty?
- Guilty.
- [woman] She said guilty.
- [cameras clicking]
- Order!
- [E.B.] No, no, no. No.
- Order. Order.
- She's not guilty.
- Order!
- [woman] She killed her kin!
- [Judge Wright] Throw her out.
- You got ears. She killed her kin.
- She said not guilty.
- [E.B.] Your Honor, not guilty.
- She killed her kin.
[E.B.] She said not guilty.
Not guilty, Your Honor.
She said not guilty.
[gavel banging]
I'll hear it from her.
You've got to say it loud and clear now.
"Not guilty."
- Not guilty.
- [Judge Wright] Noted.
On the question of bail
Your Honor, the defendant conspired
with her lover to kidnap her own baby,
which resulted
in the murder of said child.
Given these grave charges
and the strength of the case,
the People ask that bail be set
in the amount of $25,000.
[people shouting]
Your Honor, $25,000 is exorbitant.
Emily Dodson is innocent.
She's a hardworking housewife
coping with the death of her child.
We intend to prove at trial
The trial is forthcoming, Mr. Jonathan,
not at present.
Given the seriousness
of these charges
bail is set at $25,000.
[people shouting]
Fred?
[Mason] What was I supposed
to do with those letters, Della?
Like E.B. said,
we had a legal obligation
Oh, please, don't give me
that load of horse shit.
You think I don't know how many times
you've "misplaced evidence"?
- Matthew is innocent.
- And what about Emily, huh?
You cleared Matthew by putting
him at that dice game,
but you handed Emily over anyway.
At her Jesus. Her baby's funeral.
Yeah, look, it wasn't
supposed to happen that way.
Well, then I guess you're off the hook.
Meanwhile, that poor woman's head
is so turned around,
she's ready to hang herself
out of guilt.
She shouldn't have lied.
She should've told us
Matthew lied, too, but no one
seems to care about that anymore
because he's got money and she's a slut.
You're supposed to be on her side.
You were supposed to do better by her.
[scoffs] I'm not the one
that fucked the kidnapper.
- If she's feeling guilty, maybe
- If she's feeling guilty,
it's 'cause every man around her
is saying she is.
Della
Don't you have some windows
to go peek in?
[dramatic music playing]
[Mason] Are you Officer Drake?
- You police?
- Perry Mason. Private investigator.
I read your report
on the kidnapping murders.
Can I ask you a couple of questions?
Private white folk mostly
avoid this neighborhood.
I've seen more than one chalky fella
in a cheap-ass suit
lying in the gutter with his throat cut.
Well, fortunately, you're here
to make sure that doesn't happen.
Mister, you only think you see me.
I just wanna to ask you
about that report.
Get this.
Lipstick calls her mom "Mumsy."
Can you imagine? "Mumsy"?
Ruthie'd shit herself the kids did that.
I'm really not
in the mood for this today.
So, do you remember how
Percy DuMott offered Lipstick
that sales job
traveling all over the world?
No.
Well, she got
the okay from "Mumsy" to go.
But listen here.
"Marcia's freehearted vision of life
included the fact that danger
is within yourself, not without."
[music playing]
Huh? Huh?
What?
She's gonna suck Percy DuMott's
sophisticated cock is what.
[man grunts]
You really should try the steak.
- Is that where the advance went?
- No, no. This is all gonna be expensed.
Based on what I'm about to tell you.
George Gannon,
Mumsy seducer and church warbler,
kept a little secret
from the Bible thumpers.
He counted the take
at Lucky Lagoon for a spell.
- Are you sure?
- Yeah.
It took some digging, but I found a note
from Al Howard himself.
Could be that's where he connects
with the kidnapping Polacks.
I'm thinking me and you
should head out there,
have a little gander,
a few drinks, little roulette.
- You know, try to blend in.
- No, but you can't.
- I can't?
- No, you see,
you have to do the stuff
that gets this fine meal
written off in my little book,
which is dig up every report you can
find written by a cop named Paul Drake.
- Whoa, wait a minute.
- No, no.
I'll settle up here.
You enjoy this fine meal. Great work.
The casino was my fucking lead.
[man grunts]
Drink some goddamn water, would you?
And two pounds of the green beans,
and not the spotty ones.
Look, babe. Peaches.
Are they too soft?
You know I don't like them soft.
Since when?
Since the last time I had that soft one
that was no good.
- They make the best cobblers.
- Well, that's just
Officer Drake?
- Detective.
- I thought that was you.
And this must be the missus.
- My wife, Clara.
- How do you do?
Well, ma'am, I'm just dandy.
Mind if I borrow your fella
for a heartbeat?
Something wrong, sir?
Heard about some private dicks
sniffing around those shootings.
- Know about it?
- Man came up to me on the beat.
Told him I got nothing
to say to him, read my report.
- [Ennis] Perry Mason?
- Yeah.
- Don't talk to him.
- I didn't.
Forgive my impertinence, ma'am,
but you're what, four months along?
About that.
Child's a beautiful gift.
I think this here's a boy.
Sir, give my friends here
anything they need.
In fact, give them more than they need.
They got a little Paul on the way.
- No. That is very kind, Detective, but
- But what?
- It's unnecessary.
- Of course it's unnecessary.
But it's just my way of saying
I'm glad we're friends.
Life can be rough on people
that got no friends.
[reporter] You here to see
the guilty mother, Priestess?
"Keep far from a false charge
and do not kill the innocent
or the righteous."
- Old Testament?
- It ain't Irving Berlin.
[chorus singing] Stay right
Be ready when my Jesus comes
I wanna go to heaven
And I wanna go right
Be ready when my Jesus comes
I wanna go to heaven
All dressed in white
Be ready when my Jesus comes
[Sister Alice] Such a draft in here.
You gotta keep yourself warm.
How are you, Sister?
Mother has got me on a choke leash,
but all I can think about is you
and what they're doing to you.
You shouldn't waste yourself on me.
- Emily, I could be you.
- No, Sister.
- You wouldn't
- Wouldn't what?
[Sister Alice] Fall in love?
I know what it's like to need someone.
And what it's like to be lied to.
Someone like George?
There are a lot of Georges in the world.
And a lot of women like you and me.
No. Not like you, Sister.
[chuckles softly] It's a long road
from Saskatchewan to here.
A young woman can find herself
awfully alone on it
and not know who to trust.
But you weren't alone.
You were with your mother.
You had the Lord.
The Lord can be a hard companion.
And Mother
Mother was always there.
Why did God have me meet George?
I don't know. We can't always
see these things clearly.
Because Matthew, my husband,
said that if I hadn't been with him,
then Charlie wouldn't He wouldn't
- I killed my baby.
- I knew she done it.
You shut your mouth.
This woman is innocent.
- Well, so am I. I am innocent.
- [women yelling]
I am innocent. You're innocent.
Did you steal your baby out of his crib?
Did you press a pillow to his face?
Stitch his eyes open for a bag of money?
You didn't kill your baby
any more than I did.
Bad men did that.
Your husband is mistaken.
[banging]
You're inciting the populace.
I'm only here to pray.
[Sister Alice] Keep me safe, Lord,
from the hands of the wicked.
Protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip up my feet.
The arrogant have hidden snares for me
and set a trap along my path.
You shield my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant the wicked
their desires, Lord.
Do not let their plans succeed.
[Lupe] You know, up until now,
I was pretty sure you were
gonna jump out of the plane
and run back to the farm.
[Mason] Felt like
I owed you a good time.
[Lupe] Well, you do owe me
a decent New Year's Eve.
So here's the plan.
We're gonna get drunk,
we're gonna dance,
and at midnight, I'm gonna count down
from ten and you're gonna kiss me.
- Should I be writing this down?
- I think you'll remember.
I need to powder my thighs.
[woman singing Spanish song]
[men laughing]
Enjoy.
- Two manhattans.
- [Lenny] Excellent choice, sir.
You know, Mason, I never
clocked you for much of a gambler.
Mostly on account
of how you're always broke.
Actually, Lenny, I'm on the job.
Does that mean you might
actually pay for these?
George Gannon worked here a while ago.
What do you know about him?
He, uh, kidnapped
and killed some kid, didn't he?
- You want cherries?
- Thanks.
Okay, okay, look. Don't know much.
He worked in the counting room
and seemed a nice enough guy.
He quit or get fired?
You'd have to ask Al about that.
I was hoping you'd talk to him for me.
A little of his time
would really help me out.
- You're working tonight.
- What? No. No. I was just, uh
[speaks Spanish]
I was catching up with
- Look. This is for you.
- Thanks, sir.
Happy New Year.
[woman singing slow Spanish song]
Why
Why don't we take a break?
I'll get us that bottle for midnight.
- Mason, AI's ready now.
- Really? Now?
- So you are working.
- I have to.
[speaking Spanish]
[Al] I've heard about you, Mason.
Not all of it's bad.
- [Mason scoffs]
- [Al laughs]
- I'm working the Dodson case.
- Oh.
Yeah. Ugly stuff.
Who stitches up a kid's eyes?
DA says George Gannon did.
We must be reading different papers.
Seems to me he likes the slut for it.
- Why did Gannon stop working for you?
- I suppose it was God's will.
You fired him?
I never even noticed he was here.
And then one day, he up and quits.
Talking about den of iniquity,
wages of sin,
what's true in the Bible, blah blah.
His cheap dentures flapping,
spit going everywhere.
I wrote him a solid reference
just to get out of the rain.
When George was here, you ever see him
hanging around the hard types?
I'm quite choosy about my counting room.
I like them brainy
and dull as dishwater.
[soft chuckle]
- Do you mind if I ask around?
- Now, why would I mind that?
[Lupe] Ocho. Help me, boys.
Come on, come on. Come on!
[man] Come on, ten.
[Lupe continues in Spanish]
Does anyone Have you seen my
[all cheering]
[speaking Spanish]
[Mason] How much did you clear?
Enough to buy a shitty run-down dairy
and turn it into a second runway.
Oh.
You can't be talking about my dairy,
'cause that's a historical monument.
- Is that right?
- Yeah.
[Mason] Six of the last seven presidents
made a pilgrimage
just to taste Mason's
Certified Quality Milk.
So, did you find your killer, killer?
I did all right for a night.
[sighs]
You could just tell me
you like me, Lupe.
I want my kiss.
Okay.
- [water splashes]
- [chuckles]
How do you feel, papi?
Wet.
[kissing]
[birds chirping]
- [sighs]
- [door opens]
- [cup clinking]
- [stirring]
[slow instrumental music playing]
[horn honking]
[car door opens, closes]
[knocking at door]
[Della] E.B.? E.B.
You ready to go?
Della. Of course.
Yeah. I was just, uh I was just
[Drake] Got nothing to say to you.
I got a bunch
of your reports, Officer Drake,
and not one of them reads
like that kidnapping write-up.
You've got an eye for detail,
you're thorough.
- You know exactly what should be
- [grunts]
You nosy son of a bitch.
You steer clear of me. You got that?
- Listen.
- Got nothing I want to hear from you.
So you're just gonna play nigger
for the DA and his boys. Is that it?
'Cause George Gannon ain't
no fucking killer and you know it.
You saw something and you
changed something in that
[grunts]
[coughing]
Do you see this?
This means I can kick
your white ass dead
- and no one would say a goddamn thing.
- [breathing heavily]
Reckon that makes you the nigger.
[children laughing in background]
[sighs]
Confucius.
What do you do with that thing
when you wanna eat soup?
[scoffs]
- [clicks]
- [door buzzes]
- [women speaking in Chinese]
- Ladies. Hey, what's for lunch?
[chuckles]
I'd go with her.
You look like a likes-girls-
to-piss-on-him type.
How do, Jin?
You take a room today?
Partner's got the engine running
outside, so, uh, just the paperwork.
[music playing]
[women chuckling]
[speaking Chinese]
[in English] A little light.
I can shut this place down
in a heartbeat.
Mr. Woo Sing is not happy.
Tell Mr. Woo not to worry.
Police asking questions about him
at Lucky Lagoon last night.
What police?
Mason. Something Mason.
[E.B.] Write the truth.
- You'll sell twice the papers.
- [phone bangs]
They're squeezing the Negro cop, E.B.
He is sitting on something.
I'd bet my house on it.
Your house ain't worth
the nails holding it up. Della.
For the 14th time, will you get me
Herman Baggerly on the phone?
I've left him three messages already.
Then that means you've
ignored me 11 times.
Emily is withering away in there.
We need that bail.
What did you get on Gannon?
- Your penmanship is atrocious.
- His church choir called him wallpaper.
He used to be an accountant
at a desert casino.
There is nothing about this man
that makes me
- Wallpaper?
- [Della] Chicago Tribune calling, Chief.
My point is I don't make him
for a throat-stomping gunman,
and my gut tells me neither does Drake.
- Who's Drake?
- The cop that found the bodies.
So, what does the mightiest paper
in the Midwest want with E.B. Jonathan?
[man] Emily Dodson is a murdering gash
who don't deserve nothing but the noose.
That was not the Chicago Tribune, Della.
[E.B.] Della. Della!
Sometimes I think
this is no longer my world. [gasps]
So
my gut tells me Drake
Your gut isn't running this show, boyo.
I tell you what to do.
I tell you what to bring me.
You're making holes in your soles
- chasing after things that I can't use.
- [knock on door]
[E.B.] Maynard is crucifying her
and it's having an effect.
A jury is not gonna give two cents
for what some Negro flatfoot
thinks about dead gangsters
who got what was coming to them.
It's a simple case.
- Holcomb leaned on Drake to change
- I'm talking now. You work for me.
[sighs]
You made me lose my thought.
- A simple case?
- Thank you. Simple.
Emily is in on it with Gannon
or she's not.
Now, this casino angle of yours
may be something I can use.
Did the Poles ever frequent the place?
- What is it, Della?
- It's from Mr. Baggerly.
[E.B.] Oh
Finally. Bring it here.
Are you getting enough sleep, E.B.?
[phone ringing]
I think we got fired.
[E.B. sighs]
- [Clara] That you, babe?
- Yeah.
- I got something to show you.
- [liquid pouring]
[music playing]
- That kind of a day, huh?
- Seems like.
Well, you just put your feet up
and take a look at this.
Baby powder.
Now, I know your mama used cornstarch.
My mama used cornstarch.
Hell, every baby ass on this block
dusted halfway
to a hushpuppy with that stuff.
But I figured, what with all
the money we saved
with getting all that free food,
we may as well just try it out.
Smell it.
- It's real nice.
- [Clara chuckles]
Well, you must have one hell of a nose.
- Shouldn't have taken that food.
- What?
Shouldn't have taken
nothing from that man.
- [sighs] Don't be silly.
- Clara, you seen him.
- You see what he is.
- Yeah, I know what he is.
- Then how am I supposed to eat it?
- With a smile and a thank you.
'Cause we're lucky to have it.
'Cause there's plenty of folks
out there who don't.
It's not luck, Clara.
He got his claws in us.
That's what this is.
Baby, you gotta stop and think.
I beat a man down today, Clara.
He weren't doing nothing, just his job.
Trying to find the truth
and I beat him down.
I'm supposed to be police, not some
What you're supposed to be is my husband
and a father to your child.
Now, I don't know this man,
and I don't care about him.
I care about us.
Paul, you got a good job.
You are police.
Not a porter, not a janitor,
and not busting dirt back home.
So if this peckerwood son of a bitch
wants to keep our bellies full
in exchange for you
doing him a favor, you do it.
Paul
you do it.
Not for him. You do it for us.
[slow music playing]
You need to tell me next time
you visit that girl.
You know we're doing Holy Miracle today.
We're doing three times today,
so you're gonna have to suit up.
I'm gonna kill someone
with that fishing rod one day.
Wonderful. They can put you in
a jail cell with your best friend Emily.
You have never seen
someone more forsaken.
I tried reading, I tried prayer.
Words would not come out of her mouth.
Maybe she has no words because she's
done the very thing she's charged with.
- God is testing us, Mother.
- No. You're just bored.
And you found yourself a new toy.
A frog in a Mason jar.
It's lizards in Los Angeles.
We had a murderer amongst us.
She laid with that man.
It's just my opinion. I'm not forcing it
on anyone in the assembly.
You are the assembly.
You are the Temple.
You are every cornerstone
laid for every church chapter we build.
Don't say that. Even if it's true,
it's not helpful to hear that.
I'm sorry. I don't mean to pile it on.
It's just It's just
It's my way of saying
this woman does not
walk the path of God.
And we need to distance
ourselves from her
- for all the wonder we've made here.
- [knock at door]
[cigarette burning]
You know
- [sighs] I wouldn't be here asking if
- It's a no, E.B.
I'm not
I'm not asking for a gift,
just a small-term loan.
Since everything I've done for you.
You're kidding, right?
Escrow juggling bullshit.
There's no reason to bring up
the particular past.
You nearly got us disbarred.
I'm here as a courtesy,
maybe some hot gossip.
All you've done for me. Fuck off, E.B.
Herman Baggerly has withdrawn
his support.
Baggerly's out?
Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Jesus, man.
What kind of a lawyer would I be
if I can't get my client out on bail?
- Give the girl a plea.
- She didn't do it, Lyle.
Maynard called me.
Said he wanted to talk about
our, uh our old partnership.
- What?
- I told him that I was, uh
It was not in my interest
to discuss the past.
But if he digs, you know
there's something there.
How about this? Forget the loan.
Put in a call to Judge Wright,
see if you can pull
a bail reduction for me.
- Jesus. Elias, you're not listening.
- I can save this girl.
- You can what?
- I just need a little help.
Elias, plead out the case.
Don't fucking drag me into this.
And don't call me again.
[Herman] Kidnappers had a detailed plan.
They knew who you were, where you were.
Had it not been that night,
it would have been
the one before or the one after.
You really think Emily was a part of it?
She laid with the man
that murdered your son.
You heard her say guilty.
Consider the cold light, Matthew.
I came home mean sometimes.
Maybe that's why she went with that guy.
It's in our blood.
We have a weakness
for degenerate femininity.
My mother was not a degenerate.
While you were here living it up,
my mother and me, we did with nothing.
It's not easy,
what we've been doing here.
- Wasn't easy, this deal.
- It was cowardly of me.
It was not Christian,
and I would like to atone for that.
I'd like to show you something.
[drawer drags open]
[chart paper rustling]
- [Matthew] What's this?
- The town of Girard.
It's about 30 miles from here in
the western corner of this very valley.
Help me build a city of faith.
Of family.
Far from the corruption of Los Angeles.
[man] What's she doing here?
[phone ringing]
Good evening, Sergeant.
Visiting hours are
from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
You know me. I have a document
for Mrs. Dodson to sign.
- What kind of document?
- A new retainer agreement.
- Why does she need a new retainer?
- I don't have to tell you that.
Why aren't you with Emily?
- I need to see Emily Dodson now.
- I can't do that, ma'am.
This precinct has been court-ordered
to have a matron with our client
at all times. You can't do it?
I need you to keep
your voice down, ma'am.
I will call Judge Wright's office.
I will call him at home.
I will find him wherever he is
and tell him
that you are in violation of his order,
Sergeant. Open that door.
All right, I'll open the door.
I just need to find the right key.
Yeah. Find me your badge number
while you're at it. Emily? Emily.
- Detectives. Detectives.
- Emily Dodson.
Hey, hey, hey. Stay back. Stay back.
[Emily crying]
[Della] Get the fuck out of the way.
What is this? Is that a confession?
Are you slapping a confession
out of her?
You got the wrong impression, miss.
We got rules here.
She was getting a little hysterical,
so we had to restrain her
for her own good.
I think she wants to hurt herself.
Ain't that so, Mrs. Dodson?
No, no. Emily, look at me.
It's okay. It's okay.
You're all in big fucking trouble.
[music playing]
Come on. It's not like
we never been fired before.
No one's fired.
Yeah? Who's paying us?
Look, E.B. will figure it out.
All right? He's
- He always comes through in the end.
- Well, consider me reassured.
Christ. Ruthie's gonna have
a conniption.
I was working on
the biggest case in the city.
I was getting blowjobs, Mason.
Actual fucking blowjobs.
To Ruthie.
Look, I'm trying to get drunk,
not grow a conscience.
[glasses clinking]
- Happy days.
- Days.
[glasses clink]
[gulping]
This one's really got its hooks in me.
Me too.
Oh. [chuckles]
"The employees of the store
presented Marcia with an elegant
and complete set of baggage.
All matched in dark green
grosgrain leather
and monogrammed in gold.
'My entire life is changed, '
she thought"
Give Ruthie my love.
[grunts]
Jesus. Fuck. Fuck, Mason.
That's my truck there, pal.
- There's no milk in it.
- [lighter clicks]
Only an eighth of a tank
if you're looking to siphon some.
I've been looking for you.
Papers all say Dodson lady confessed.
And from where I sit, looked like the DA
got her rails greased
straight to the noose.
So why are you digging so hard?
Because she's innocent.
- Stupid fucking answer.
- It's the way I play the game.
Blood trail at the crime scene
led onto the roof,
not down like how they changed it.
- Who changed?
- Holcomb and Ennis.
Had me change it how they said,
but the blood trail went up
the fire escape to the edge of the roof.
Down in the alley
I found what I think was dried blood
and this.
What is this? Teeth?
That's it. That's all I got.
And if any of this comes back to me,
I will deny every word.
[Haman] Five miles to Gomorrah,
Captain Cain.
[Captain Cain] I can only see
her golden shores now, Haman.
Hand me over another bottle
of that moonshine-y hooch. Ha, ha!
That's your third one already,
Captain Cain.
[Captain Cain] Hands off Jezebel
and back on the oars, Gommoarahsman.
Captain Cain,
you never let me have any fun.
Well, then show me them gams, girl.
Look out, Captain.
- There's a swell swell approaching.
- Holy mackerel.
I think you meant Holy Miracle.
[camera clicking]
[distorted voices]
[cheering and whistling]
[tires screeching]
- [Strickland] Jesus.
- [Mason] Calm down.
George is dead. He ain't going anywhere.
Yeah. What if they already cooked him?
Then he's still dead.
And now he's just a burned pile of ash.
Hey, car. Car.
- [Strickland] Jesus.
- Damn it. All the contradictions.
The mousy wallflower
who's a cold killer.
The God-fearing Christian
who commits the sin of suicide.
We missed the most
fucking obvious one of all.
- What's that?
- What kind of accountant burns money?
[Elder Brown]
They were drowning in sin.
Now they're bone dry in deliverance.
Bow to stern, port to starboard,
tanning their hides in the light
of our father's kingdom.
Let's sing these sinners
to sturdier shores.
What do you say, brothers and sisters?
[distorted voices]
We're going to need all of our strength
to make it back to shore.
[distorted voices]
[all singing]
[distorted voices]
Do you hear the voices?
Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all this world go free
Alice?
No, there's a cross for everyone
[Mother McKeegan] You're gonna be okay.
Get Dr. Bundy now. Now.
Hey, hey, hey!
[suspenseful music playing]
[bucket dragging]
[Strickland] I can't get
to the ones in the back.
- All right. Help me move him.
- No fucking way.
- Just fucking do it.
- No.
Want me to tell Ruthie about
the hat-check girl?
- Or the cigarette girl?
- Fuck you.
[Strickland sighs] Jesus.
- Fuck.
- [Mason] Shut up.
- They're fucking naked.
- Shut up.
[breathing heavily]
All right, George.
[Mason] Did you kidnap
little Charlie, huh?
You walk into that apartment
and gun those men down?
Or did something else happen?
Something you've been waiting
to tell me?
Something I never thought to ask.
- [clicks]
- [sighs]
Who killed you, George?
[Mother McKeegan] Alice. Alice,
come back to me. Come back.
- [Dr. Bundy] Give me room, please.
- Okay?
Get in there now. Get in there now.
[breathing heavily]
How about that, folks?
Sister Alice,
steering from the rough water.
[Mother McKeegan]
She's going. She's going.
- But sometimes that water
- Get something to drink.
can be a little
rougher than you think.
But this
God's here with us. God's here with us.
This is the good work that we witness,
so let us rejoice. Rejoice.
[all singing] God's got a crown
Made up in heaven for me
Nobody's crown made like mine
God's got a crown
Made up in heaven for me
Mama, we don't have to worry
about Charlie Dodson.
- God told me just now.
- What did God tell you?
[sighs]
I'm going to resurrect him.
[man] Would you repeat that, Sister?
[all singing] And there's a cross for me
God's got a crown
Made up in heaven for me
Nobody's crown made like mine
God's got a crown
Made up in heaven for me
Nobody's crown made like mine
God's got a crown
[music playing]