Original subtitles

[rock music playing]

[song lyrics playing on TV]

[Howard] Tim? Here's a map.

I marked in orange all the places where there's been a fire in the last year,

and the arabber's barn I did in red so it'd stand out.

- Great. - Gonna razzle-dazzle him?

Yeah, we're gonna razzle-dazzle him.

We're gonna show him so much evidence

linking him to this murder, he'll overload.

So long as you don't overload, now.

Bayliss, these are the faxes from the National Crime Index.

- Great. Thanks, Steve. - [Crosetti] All right.

[Munch] Hey, Tim, I got Adena's clothes back from [indistinct]. What do I do with 'em?

Uh, put 'em in the box next to her library books and knapsack.

You got it.

- Whoa, it's freezing in here. - Yeah, well, heat's busted again.

- Not again! - [indistinct]

I wasn't aware that socializing was part of my job description.

We need to work more as a team.

Tim, have you ever been invited to The Wharf Rat?

- I've never been invited. - What, invited?

You don't need to be invited. Everyone just goes.

[Lewis] They're bringing him up.

- What's his mood? - Calm, indifferent.

Okay. This is the third time we've called the arabber down here.

This the tenth time someone's interviewed him about Adena Watson's murder.

We're bordering on a harassment suit.

You gotta what we need out of the man today or it's over.

Starting tomorrow, I'm putting you on regular rotation.

- You understand me? - We'll get a confession.

No matter how long it takes, we're gonna get one.

Tim, we got 12 hours. We take one second longer than 12 hours,

it won't matter if he confesses.

The court will throw it out.

He butchered an 11-year-old girl.

[Pembleton] Maybe.

Let's go. You know the way.

Good luck in there.

I'm not gonna need luck.

[theme music]

but since this is an ongoing investigation, you know,

as new things pop up, we need to... you know.

- So. For the record, your name is Risley Tucker? - Yeah.

- You live at 2003 Green Mount? - Yeah.

- How long have you lived at the present address? - All my life.

Really? No one in the neighborhood calls you Risley, do they?

- No one calls you Mr. Tucker? - No.

- They all call you "The Arabber." - Yeah.

[chuckles] Well, you know, that term "arabber" has caused a lot of trouble around here.

Two other detectives with two other detectives got into this big argument

because one says "arabber" and the other says "A-rab."

You know, both grew up in Baltimore, but they have different expressions for...

- [Risley] Mm-hmm. - I had never heard of either, not being a native.

But it has nothing to do with being an Arab, right?

I mean, you don't look Arabic or Arabian.

- No. - So what does it mean?

We go from neighborhood to neighborhood selling fruits and veggies from a cart.

A horse-drawn cart. We're like nomads.

How long have you worked as an arabber?

- All my life. - How long did you know Adena Watson?

You remember the first time that you met her?

I'm sorry. This Arabic thing, this fascinates me.

Moving about the city, selling fruits and vegetables.

I'm used to going to a supermarket, a Food Time or something, you know?

- Are your prices cheaper? - Nah.

Then what's the advantage of buying from you?

I mean, other than the obvious, you come to people's front door.

People don't have to get in the car and drive 10 blocks.

- It's fresher produce. - Interesting.

What do you think about Adena?

I mean, Frank and I here, we didn't really knew her that well.

What would you say about her personality? Was she feisty?

- Outgoing, energetic? - Yeah.

She worked for you how long, doing what?

Taking care of Magdalene.

- Magdalene? - My horse.

Cleaning up Magdalene's coat with a curry comb,

entangling the mane and the tail.

Sounds like a great job for a girl.

- Why did she stop working for you? - The horse died.

- There's any other reason? - My barn burnt down.

- That's the only other reason? - I stopped being an arabber.

- Any other reason? - There was no more job.

Adena's mother didn't make her stop working for you? Huh?

Isn't it true that Mrs. Watson

was afraid for her daughter because you were getting little too friendly with her?

Is being an arabber a good job? I mean, are you respected in the community?

Most people think of us as vagrants,

but since the economy's gone sour,

you see a lot of people selling on the street.

- Your whole family are arabbers? - All the way back to my great-grandfather.

- When did you last see Adena? - When?

Yeah, when did you last time that you saw Adena alive?

On the Sunday at the barn.

On the Sunday before the Wednesday that she disappeared?

Is it cold in here? Are any of you cold?

- Why'd she come to the barn? - To help after the fire.

Well, now, you know, the first time we talked, what you said is that

you hadn't seen her for two weeks prior to her disappearance,

but now, what you're saying is you saw her the Sunday before.

- Two weeks? - Yeah, you said you haven't seen her for two weeks.

That's what you told us every other time we talked.

We write these things down. It's a habit.

I don't remember.

Do you date?

I mean, who do you go out with now?

[chuckling] I ain't gone on a date in...

- Ever been married? - No.

- Ever been engaged? - Yeah.

But you ain't gone through with it.

Why?

- Because you're an alcoholic. - I haven't had a drink in 16 months.

Got any kids?

- No. - Go to church?

- No. - But you're a Christian?

I believe in God.

I believe in God too. What religion are you?

- I was a Baptist. - You were a Baptist?

What do you think God might do to the man who killed Adena?

I don't know.

Do you think that the killer feels like

God might punish him for what he did to that girl?

I don't know.

You have to ask him.

- What hours did you work on Tuesday? - Last Tuesday?

- Tuesday before she was found. - All day.

- So, you were cleaning out your burnt-out barn? - Yeah.

So you got home about what time?

8:30 or something. 8:15.

- In the evening? - Yeah.

You know, the first that time we talked,

you said that you were making dinner for friends on Tuesday.

- Yeah. - Your brother says you were in Cardiff with him.

- Tuesday? No, Tuesday-- - Yeah, I know.

Which is it? Is it a dinner? Cardiff?

I mean, someone's lying here, right?

And the question is who, and the question is why?

Why would your own brother lie? Huh?

[Pembleton] Maybe you got confused. I'm the same way.

One day bleeds into the next.

You don't remember who you were, what you're doing, who you're with.

Is it the longest you've been without a drink?

- Yeah. - You got it beat?

You never get it beat all the way.

You gotta go to the meetings. I go to the meetings.

I've gone there 415 times in the past 16 months.

- [Bayliss] Did you see Adena any time Tuesday? - No.

- You didn't see Adena Tuesday at all? - No.

You didn't see Adena any time Tuesday at all!

No.

- You ever been inside the Watson home? - No.

Adena...

[Pembleton] Adena ever been inside your apartment?

- Yeah. - What?

What?

- Yeah. - How many times?

- I don't know. - Well, give me a rough guess.

Just give me an estimate here.

- A couple. - When was the last time she was inside your place?

- The day? - Yeah, what day?

- I don't remember. - Was it just the two of you together?

- What did she do? - We watched TV.

You just watched TV, that's all?

- What show did you watch? - I don't know.

- Night time, day time? - Night.

You watch a lot of TV?

Yeah, since I stopped working, that's all I seem to do now.

[Bayliss] How long did she stay?

- I don't know. - Was it late or was it early?

Not too late.

- And that's all you did? You just watched TV? - Yeah.

- That's all? - Yeah.

Let me ask you something.

Where was she sitting?

- What? - That night, you know.

Was she sitting on a chair? Was she sitting on the floor?

On a couch?

- On a couch. - And where were you sitting?

Were you sitting anywhere near her, maybe? Next to her on the couch?

- I don't remember. - You remember where she was,

but you don't remember where you were.

Remember where you sit in your house?

We're not here about where I sit.

We're not interested in where I sit because I sit right here.

[Pembleton] Whoa, it's cold in here.

It's cold. It's chilly. It's freezing.

You have no idea where you were sitting?

- No. - You have no idea at all where you were sitting?

Come on, let's take a break. You want a cup of coffee?

You want a cup of coffee?

Man, I'm gonna have a cigarette. Look at me. I'm like a chimney.

My friend Tim here is trying to quit.

He's trying to get off the nicotine.

- Was she tidy? Was she neat? - Yeah.

- Hm. Very neat? - Yeah.

- Very, very neat? - Yeah!

- [Pembleton] Very, very, very neat? - Yeah.

I got a friend that only smokes late at night after a couple of drinks.

Never feels the urge for a cigarette till then.

Says he just loves hanging out at a bar with a bunch of guys, smoking and drinking.

I envy him. He smokes when he wants, drinks when he wants.

He's been that way since high school.

You would know this. What's that wine they start with?

- What wine? - In high school. It's cheap stuff. Quick drunk.

- Mad Dog? - Mad Dog, yes!

- Do you miss it? - What?

Do you miss drinking?

I mean, I know I would. I couldn't stop.

I mean, I'm not an alcoholic, or anything,

but to get off booze for lifetime, that takes a lot of strength.

Inner strength. I admire that.

What made you quit? If you don't mind my asking.

If you don't wanna answer, don't answer. I'm just curious.

What was the thing, the moment that you said, you know, "that's enough?"

I started to blackout.

- You used to black out? - Yeah.

What would happen? You wouldn't remember where you were?

- Or what? - Yeah.

Did you hear any screams Wednesday morning, early?

Hear anything at all?

At the meetings, these AA meetings, there're any girls?

- You know, girl alcoholics, going through the same program. - Yeah.

- Ever tried dating one of them? - No!

- Why not? - I don't know.

Oh, come on. You haven't been having any sex. What do you mean you don't know?

- Are you gay? - No.

I mean, considering you never go out with women.

- Look, there's nothing wrong with being gay. - [Bayliss] Now listen to me!

You've been here before but you haven't told the truth.

Now we know that.

I'm telling you we know that.

- I don't know anything. - Yes, you do.

Come on, take your chin off your chest.

Look around at these walls here, sunshine.

You don't even know why you're here. You understand why you're here?

- You brought me here. - But do you know why you're here?

Huh?

Because of the girl.

- [Bayliss whispers] The girl. - Yeah.

[whispering] Say her name.

Come on. Come on.

You've been here for one hour already, man. You haven't even said her name.

- Her name? - Yeah.

You know her name.

Say her name.

Say her name!

Say her name.

Adena.

[phone ringing]

[door shuts close]

- There's no one in there. - [Tucker] I know.

- I'll take you over and show you. - I don't care if there is.

[Bayliss] Better sit down right now.

[Bayliss huffs] Hot in here! Heat!

Oh. [chuckles] All right.

You know something, when I was a... when I was a kid,

my friends and I, we'd, uh,

put our hands wrapping around like this, and,

and the first kid to take them away would be a wuss.

[gasps and chuckles]

Oh, boy. Hot!

You ever used to do that, Mr. Tucker? Huh?

Risley Tucker.

Well.

I think you did it.

I think you killed Adena Watson.

I know that.

You know what? You know that you killed her?

That you think I did.

How well did you know Mrs. Watson?

- Adena's mother? - She used to buy from me.

- You and she ever had arguments? - No.

You never had a cross word with Mrs. Watson?

Didn't ever try to wrangle down the price of a tomato, did she?

- Everybody does. - Oh, yeah.

[both laughing]

- You liked her then, right? - Sure.

Yeah, and don't you think that she deserves

to know what happened?

- You took her daughter's life away. - I didn't.

You took her life away.

And I think that you should have the decency

to give Mrs. Watson the peace of mind by knowing what happened.

She's having nightmares.

Raeshaun is having nightmares.

Little Malcolm is having nightmares.

I think you should have the decency for once in your life

to think about someone other than yourself.

- I don't know anything about that. - Yes, you do.

Now you say that you believe in God.

But you're a man of conscience.

I saw you at the church the night of the funeral.

- No. - Wait.

You were at the back of the church. I saw you come in.

- No. - I have a videotape of you leaving.

I had a photographer, a police photographer

videotaping everyone from across the street.

You were there.

- I didn't kill her. - That's not what we're talking about.

Why would you lie to me about being at the church? Huh?

Why would you lie about that?

I don't get you.

I mean, I've heard you talk all about

not taking a drink for 16 months.

I've heard you, you know, talk about

your inner strength, your moral strength.

I look at you and I figure that you are a man of...

a man of decency.

A man of honor.

And a man of honor tells the truth.

So tell me the truth.

- How's it going in there? - They're just talking.

- $8.58. - Tim's paying.

Yeah, right.

Nobody trusts me.

Oh, we've got evidence. We've got tons of evidence, man.

- You haven't even seen all-- - You're not gonna get any evidence against me.

Why? Because you think you cleaned up so well?

You didn't! You can't. That is impossible.

I don't have to clean up 'cause I didn't kill her! That's the truth.

Okay, here we go guys. The finest in take-out delight!

Okay, for you Mr. Tucker, we have one large shake.

A Jim Dandy, large order of fries.

Tim, here's your salad. And my Billy Boy.

[indistinct] Don't be shy.

I'm saying you didn't see her for two weeks before she disappeared.

Now you say you saw her the Sunday before. What is the truth?

You say that on the Tuesday you were making dinner for friends

but then your brother says that on Tuesday you were out of town.

What is the truth?

You say that Adena stopped working for you

because your barn burnt down, but Mrs. Watson says

that she was concerned for the safety of her child.

What is the truth? The real truth? Answer me.

Answer me!

Okay.

All right. You wanna the truth? I'll show you the truth.

You see, we investigated every fire in the Kirk Avenue neighborhood

with an arson expert.

These structures here, right up here in orange

those all had a fire in the last six months.

This is your barn right there in red.

Okay, this is Adena's skirt.

And we have sample of burnt wood taken from your barn.

Now, we sent both of these samples

to the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms lab in Rockville.

That's the finest lab in the country.

And the chemical analyses of the soot from Adena's skirt

and the soot from your barn match exactly.

Exactly.

Let's put the fries aside for a second.

See, these lines here, they show what the soot is made of.

And these here show what we got from your barn.

See? Adena was in your barn when she got this soot on her skirt.

- I told you she came to help me. - Right, right, on Sunday!

But she's wearing the skirt on Tuesday.

You said that she was a neat person. Remember? Very neat.

So what was she doing wearing this skirt on Tuesday?

Either just before or just after she was killed,

she got that soot on her skirt from being in your barn.

I don't know anything about that.

- Yes, you do. - No, I don't.

Then what is that soot from your barn doing on her skirt?

How can that be? How can that be?

I don't know. Look at these lines here. They're exactly the same.

- How do you explain that? - I can't. I don't know.

- Yes you do. Don't lie to me. - I'm not lying.

- Then how do you explain that? - I don't know.

You killed her in your barn. That's how you explain that.

- No! - It's your barn. She's dead.

It's the only way it could've happened.

I didn't kill her. I don't know.

- You're willing to take a polygraph test? - Yes.

Really? You're willing to take a polygraph test?

- Yes. - A lie detector test?

- Yes, right now! - Okay, okay. Okay.

I want a polygraph and I want it right now.

Something tells me it ain't so ducky in there.

- She couldn't be in my barn. - She was there.

- Did someone else put her in your barn? - No one put her there.

- She was there. The report proves it. - No one put her there.

- She was there! - Maybe you didn't kill her.

But maybe you know who did. Maybe you let someone hide her in the barn?

Is it what you're keeping from us? Hm?

Maybe someone else did put something in the barn.

You didn't know what it was. There's got to be some explanation.

Listen, Frank, why don't you shut up?

Tim, don't ever tell me to shut up.

Listen, I'm trying to make a point here.

You keep going in another direction.

Maybe it's because you're wasting time.

You're wasting my time. You're wasting his time.

I'm wasting his time? He does not deserve the time.

He doesn't deserve the consideration. He does not deserve the respect.

He murdered an 11-year-old girl.

You are nothing. You understand me?

You strangled her with a cord.

You strangled her until she was dead. But that wasn't enough for you.

So what did you do? You took a knife.

You took a butcher knife and you cut into her stomach and you pulled out her insides.

Ant then you took the knife, and you stabbed her after she was dead.

You stabbed her six times.

- Then you took a pipe, a metal pipe-- - [Pembleton] Bayliss. Bayliss.

- [Pembleton] Bayliss. - I didn't do it!

Look me in the eyes and you tell me that you did not do it.

- I didn't do it. - You did it! That's not the truth.

Tell me the truth! Tell me the truth!

Now, you tell me the truth.

Tell me the truth! Tell me the truth!

- Tell me the truth! - Bayliss, for God's sake.

- Get your hands off of me! - Tell me the truth!

- Tell me the truth! - [Pembleton] Bayliss!

- She was never in the barn. I didn't do it! - Tell me the truth.

Tell me!

I'll look you straight in the eye...

and I'll say it all night.

Okay, okay.

We've got all night.

[panting]

[Crosetti] What if John Wilkes Booth didn't die at the Garrett Farm?

- What if he escaped? - Hey, Bayliss.

The body's taken to DC under a blanket of darkness.

No one gets to see his body. Not even his mother.

Booth is buried at Green Mount Cemetery. What do you say?

Me and you, we'll take a run out there and dig him up. Huh?

I'd like to very much but it's an unmarked grave.

Now, I'm beginning to wonder why.

You got the results of the arabber's polygraph test yet?

Bayliss?

You got the results of the polygraph yet?

Uh, no, no. I'm gonna go pick them up right now.

All right.

[Crosetti] You got toilet paper over there?

[Lewis] No.

[Crosetti] You got five ones for a five?

[Tucker sighs]

I wanna sleep. I just need sleep.

I need to sleep too.

And we will. As soon as we get to the truth.

I just gotta rest.

I know it's hard being tired.

Not being able to tell the difference between reality...

You know, the mind is an incredible organ,

an incredible instrument but it plays tricks.

You know that from the booze.

Do you know what you've been saying more than anything else tonight?

What one phrase you've been repeating?

- I didn't kill her. - No, that's not it.

"I don't remember."

You said "I don't remember" 100 times in the last eight hours.

"I don't remember."

You were telling me before,

when you drink, you get blackouts.

Did you ever think maybe that night you had a blackout?

Maybe you had a drink or two and you don't remember because you blacked out?

Isn't that possible, Risley?

Isn't that within the the realm of possibility?

You have a block in your mind. The block saying "I didn't do it."

But I can see through that block. I can see that you did do it.

I believe Adena was in your barn that night.

I don't care what you believe.

You were rejected by your fiancé because of your drinking.

Okay, so you got over that.

Uh-huh.

How long's it been since she hurt you?

Uh...

A year or so.

- I talked to her. - Hm?

I talked to your fiancé.

I talk to everybody, that's my job.

Getting to the truth, that's my job.

But having compassion, that's my job too.

She didn't tell me exactly why she broke off the wedding.

I didn't ask.

I didn't think it was right, you know?

She simply said...

she knew you didn't love her...

Love her in that way.

That there was something not quite right.

She said maybe it was because you got engaged late in life.

Or maybe it was something else.

She's worried about you.

She said she's tried to contact you a couple of times

but when she comes over the house, you ignore her.

You sit watching TV. I understand.

I do the same, the exact same when I'm lonely,

and the hours roll by.

- Uh-huh. - Risley.

It's just you and me in here.

You wanna trust me, I know that.

But you're just holding back that little bit.

Tell me what happened.

I'm not gonna write it down or anything.

I'm gonna sit right here.

You see no, I have no pen in my hand.

Nothing up my sleeve.

Please, don't look at me as a cop. Look at me as Frank.

Look at me as a friend, because that's how I'm looking at you.

As a friend. Not as somebody who committed a murder.

Not as a really vicious person, because you're not.

I think a lot of you.

You told me about your drinking

and about being an arabber, and everything else.

I get problems too. Hell, we all got problems.

Tell me what happened.

I'll believe anything that you say.

Did you have a drink that night?

- Wednesday night? - No.

Tuesday night?

- No. - Are you sure, Risley?

I ain't had a drink in 16 months.

Okay.

I believe you.

You didn't have anything to drink that night.

She comes over.

You've invited her over.

You asked her to bring you something, a library book maybe,

or she drops by unexpectedly.

She's standing in your doorway.

You ask her in to watch TV.

You let her pick the program.

She's sitting on the couch right next to you.

She's this close, Risley.

I don't believe that you ever meant her any harm.

I believe that all you wanted to do was show some friendship.

All you wanted was a little love.

That's all you wanted. Just a little love.

And I don't mean sex. Just a little love.

Compassion.

She was an outgoing girl, a warm girl.

All you wanted was a little of that love, and compassion,

and affection, and warmth that she had.

But she rejected you too.

If she was foolish enough

not to be able to see somebody that wanted to befriend her

and show some affection...

I wanna know your side, Risley. I really do.

We're in this thing together, just you and me.

I wanna help you.

- Tell me what happened, Risley. - I--

[stammering] I-- I--

Tell me, Risley.

I-- I--

Tell me.

I didn't do anything to the girl.

Okay.

Fine.

You don't care.

- Okay. - Can I--

Can I go now?

Tim.

You have less than four hours left.

Yeah, I know.

You want to know what the polygraph test says?

Hm? You're lying. You're a liar.

You even tried to hold your breath to cover up.

You know what blew it off the charts? Off the screen? Look here.

Your heart.

Your heart just blew those needles right off the screen.

A man could get whiplash looking at your test.

And this guy says it's the highest he's ever seen.

- This guy is an expert. - Your heart!

Your heart of all things. That's perfect for you, Risley.

Don't you see? Your heart. Because your heart doesn't want to lie.

- Let me see that. - No. This is police property. This is evidence for your trial.

I know enough about the law to know you can't use that in court.

- [laughing] - [Lewis] Uh.

This is Mr. Legal Beagle here. He knows all about the law.

- Is it because you watch the court channel? - I didn't lie.

- [Lewis] Well then, how come you failed the test? - I don't know.

"I don't know." That's your answer for everything.

- It won't work now. - If you weren't lying, why'd you fail your test?

- I was nervous. - [Lewis] Why were you nervous?

- I feel guilty. - You feel guilty, because you did it.

No! Because you made me feel guilty.

No, you failed this test because you are guilty.

If I was guilty and knew it, why would I take the test?

- You tell us. - No, I know why. I'll tell you why.

Because you know we got you. You know it's over, Risley.

- You're going to jail. - You're gonna do time.

- That's right. - Damn, look at his eyes!

- What's wrong with my eyes? - Tears coming out of your eyes.

There ain't no tears coming from my eyes.

- His eyes are brimming with tears. - Ready to burst.

It's gonna get a lot worse. It never gets any better.

- Probably go back to drinking. - Back to being a drunk!

No, I ain't never gonna do that.

[Pembleton] And you'll wind up killing yourself.

- If you're lucky. - I didn't kill her.

- Why you put your head down? - 'Cause I'm tired of saying it again.

- You're tired of saying it because it's not true. - Be a man. Own up to it.

- [both] I would. - Anybody else would too.

- Be a man for once. - Why don't you wanna tell me, Risley, huh?

- Why don't you tell me? - Huh?

- [both] Why? - Huh?

- All right, don't say it. - Don't say it, Risley.

- [Lewis] All right. - Don't say it.

Tell me something.

Did you ever love somebody, Risley?

Did you ever love somebody?

- She was never in my barn. - [Lewis] She was never in your barn?

- Right. - Never? She worked for you.

- You just told us she was there. - You just said never.

Which is? Was it never or what?

- [Pembleton] She was there? She was in the barn? - Yeah.

- She was there in the barn that night. - No.

- You just told us she was there. - No, no, I--

You see this?

That's a fax from the National Crime Index.

- [Pembleton] You got a rape on your sheet. - [Bayliss] Statutory rape.

- A 14-year-old girl. - The charges were dropped.

- 14-year-old girl. - That was 15 years ago.

- Statutory rape. - The charges were dropped.

How do we know you didn't threaten the girl to get her to drop the charges?

- [Bayliss] How do we know? - Did you ever try to kiss Adena?

- No. - That night when you were watching TV, hmm?

- You didn't kiss her or anything like that? - No.

When she was in the barn, you didn't have sex with her then?

- No. - She was never in the barn and you never had sex with her?

- No! - We all know what you're about.

- We all know what you're about. - You like young girls and they like you.

- That's fine as far as that goes. - As long as they keep

quiet about things, you don't have any problem.

You got this one rule, don't you?

The one rule that must be followed.

This one rule that's got be obeyed.

And we all know what this one rule is, don't we?

- If you cry, you die. - If you cry, you die!

- Yeah, that's the one rule got to be obeyed. - If they cry then they die.

You like little girls and you like it when they like you.

- But if they cry then they die. - That's happened to Adena.

She cried and she died!

[Bayliss] You answer me this!

Are you sure that you didn't do it?

Be straight with me.

Are you positive that you didn't do it, in your own mind right now?

[ominous music playing]

Not right now.

I'm not.

[Tucker sighs]

- Did you kill Adena Watson? - No.

Just start talking.

Just say whatever comes to your mind.

Whatever.

Once you start talking, it's gonna flow.

You will say what happened. You'll accept it.

Did you kill Adena Watson?

No.

- Go on, keep talking. - Keep talking?

Yeah, just say whatever comes in your mind. Whatever thought you have.

Where are you from? You're not from here.

- I'm from New York. - New Yoke.

That's how you all say it, "New Yoke."

We say New York.

I've been there once, I ain't going back.

- That's all? - Too many 500!

What's a 500?

That's what my brother and I call colored folks with fortunes.

They look down on the rest of us 'cause they got educated

and got fancy jobs on Wall Street or whatever.

They got suits and limos or whatever.

You know what I'm talking about.

I'm in New York with my fiancé, which she was my fiancé.

We go to this restaurant full of 500s,

somewhere near Times Square.

I'm dressed not like I am now.

I was dressed very nicely. She was just nice.

And this guy at the podium the maître d',

he looks at us and he says, "No."

"No more room." I say, "Okay, we'll wait."

We sit at the bar.

For hours. Forever.

And my stomach is empty, and I'm knocking back Jack Daniel's,

getting more and more teed off.

I look around and see some empty tables.

I go over to that maître d' and I spit in his face.

Man, you should have seen the fight.

My girl left me.

Yeah, you could be one of them 500s.

You got the chill of a 500.

And the way you nail your eyes at me like right now, yeah, you got it.

You don't like niggers like me, 'cause of who we are.

'Cause we ain't reached out.

'Cause we ain't grabbed hold of that dream.

Not Dr. King's dream, the white dream.

That's all?

You hate niggers like me 'cause you hate being a nigger.

You hate being who you really are.

That's all?

[Tucker] Yeah, you got it. Okay?

- Did you kill Adena Watson? - No.

You from Baltimore, right?

Do you say "Bal'imore" or "Bal-timore"?

Come on, say it.

I'll tell you which neighborhood you're from.

I rode these streets. I talk to people.

Say Baltimore and I'll tell you within ten blocks where you were born.

Yeah, you from here. You got that home grown look.

The not-too-southern, not-too-northern,

not in the ocean but still on the water look.

With maybe a touch of inbreeding.

What's that word?

The word for when the white plantation owners raped their slaves?

Yeah, it doesn't matter.

See this?

- This is Adena's diary. - You read her diary?

Yeah.

She mentions you in it.

She writes about you in her diary.

- Wanna know what she says? - No.

Why not? Huh? I'll read it for you.

I got it marked right here, yeah.

- I'll read it out loud, or you can read it for yourself. - No.

Why? What are you afraid of?

You're afraid to find out what Adena really thought of you?

What she really thought of you?

- I know what she thought of me. - Really?

You're sure now, huh? How can you be sure about that?

- Here, let me read you a little something. - No!

Her thoughts are private.

Their own. I ain't got no right to them.

And neither do you.

Ain't you got private thoughts you can't share with anyone?

And feelings,

feelings that can control you, that make you mad,

that terrify you?

As long as they stay in your head, you're okay.

But if you say them out loud,

no, you ain't so good, so perfect.

You got mad at me before.

You got your dark side,

and it terrifies you and it frightens you.

It scares you 'cause it's powerful

and makes you capable of doing anything.

Anything!

Without it, you look in a mirror

and all you see is an amateur.

- Did you kill Adena Watson? - No.

- Tell us the truth. - I've been saying the truth, only you ain't been hearing it.

- Tell us the truth about Adena. - The truth?

What truth?

What is truth?

- Would you know it if you heard it? - Try me.

♪ Strawberries! ♪

♪ Raspberries! Nice and sweet! ♪

♪ My price you can't beat! ♪

Every day I'd see her walking.

Adena?

Adena.

Ever since she came back from the hospital in a little blue blanket.

Every day I'd see her grow big.

Every day she'd come by my cart,

with her friends on her way home from school.

She'd buy a peach.

Always a peach.

She was one of a bunch of giggling little girls.

Then six or seven months ago,

she comes to my cart and I hold out a peach.

She shakes her head and says, "No. I want an avocado."

That's what she said.

Just like that.

You know what I'm saying? I'm telling the truth now.

- No, uh, I'm not... - You know what I'm saying?

I gave her mangos,

apricots,

kiwis, kumquats,

quince, persimmons.

Pomegranates and star fruit.

She's standing in front of me.

Knowing she'd have to pay for it.

She's standing in front of me, biting into the fruit,

slowly stroking Magdalene's mane.

Talking about little things, you know.

Baton twirling and toe shoes and...

that group, that young group that sings and dancing all day.

She always needed to buy things.

Nothing fancy. Female things.

I got her a job for more money than I could afford.

The day before she came,

I made that barn shine.

Every straw in line.

I cleaned it up so good, she didn't have a thing to do when she got there.

[chuckles]

She tied a bow,

a red ribbon round Magdalene's tail.

We laughed! [laughs]

She didn't like her laugh.

Said it made her sound goofy.

But it wasn't goofy.

It was... [sighs]

We worked beside each other.

Laughing.

Sometimes, the radio would be playing

and she'd dance.

She wanted to be a dancer.

She could have been a dancer.

She tried to get me to dance with her.

She'd hold out her hand but...

I never touched her.

I didn't.

I didn't hurt her.

I didn't kill her.

I never touched her.

Not once.

I loved her.

I gotta live with that the rest of my life.

Around my age...

I loved.

[sobbing]

The one great love of my life...

was an 11-year-old girl.

[Tucker crying]

[Tucker sobbing]

Time's up.

See, there's this recycling plant the Mexican government is building on Yucatan.

They take raw waste and they process it into usable fertilizer.

- How? - Worms.

- What? - Worms eat the garbage.

Then out pops this highly rich fertilizer.

- It's a cash cow. - We'll need shovels.

Can't you just play the lottery like everybody else?

- Hey, Gee. See you at The Wharf Rat. - Okay.

- Breakfast is on Meldrick. - Why me?

You're the one who's cleaning up in the worm poop business.

Okay, Mr. Tucker, I'll have a car come pick you up and take you home.

Please, sit down and relax. Just wait here.

[man speaking indistinctly over TV]

[man] ...we put the rest of the sugar into the egg white.

Then we whip the egg white.

Or you can use an electric mixer.

It'll be a little faster.

How did it go?

It didn't. It's not gonna happen.

We were this close, but...

we blew our last chance.

Gee, you should talk to Bayliss. He's pretty down.

You talk to him!

Nothing I say is going to mean as much as it does coming from you.

You're his partner. It will mean a lot.

I'm his partner?

Accept that, Frank.

Tim?

- You're packing up? - Yeah.

You know, Tim, some cases never gel.

- Yeah. - The good-bad thing about Homicide

is we always get another chances to prove ourselves.

Always another murder at the other end of the line.

Yeah?

The important thing is your instincts were correct.

I doubted you at first. I'm positive now.

He killed Adena.

- Yeah? - Yeah.

Well, I'm not so sure anymore.

So hang on.

A couple of guys are going out to The Wharf Rat for breakfast.

- Wanna go? - No.

Okay, let me take this for you.

[phone ringing]

- I'll get it. - No, I'll get it.

Bayliss, Homicide.

[man over TV] To my own taste, I like it when it's nice and creamy.

- Excuse me. - [woman] Yes?

Do you mind if I change the channel?

No, go ahead.

- [man] [indistinct] - [woman] Wow, that was wonderful.

[indistinct conversation over TV]

[somber music plays]

[*]