(The sheriff and one deputy come over a dune to where a police dog is whining and digging, uncovers bloody, torn blue clothes that have been buried in sand among some sea oats. The deputy hands them to the sheriff, who examines them.)
SHERIFF: Oh, son of a bitch. Just keep searchin'. [book excerpt]
(The door on the police car reads FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF [note]. The sheriff is leafing through the love-making pictures while questioning Robert in Sandcastle.)
SHERIFF: We found these... with the little girl's clothes. They're kind of-- intimate--don't you think? How do you reckon she got 'em?
RICHARD: Thelma--the other girl--took them with the camera I gave her for her birthday. Her brother printed them. She was using them to blackmail me.
SHERIFF: A kid of nine?
RICHARD: Yeah, I didn't believe it either until her brother told me. Look, ask-- (Dorothea suddenly enters.)
DOROTHEA: Why have they come back?
SHERIFF: You wanna sit down, ma'am?
ROBERT: Sit down. (Dorothea quickly thumbs through the pictures lying on the table.)
DOROTHEA: Is that all?
SHERIFF: You expectin' something more?
ROBERT: No--that's uh-- We hadn't seen them all, just the ones she sent.
SHERIFF (quietly, putting his face close to Robert's): That why you killed her?
DOROTHEA: Robert?
ROBERT: Elizabeth: They found her clothes buried in the wood.
DOROTHEA: Jesus.
ROBERT (turning excitedly to the sheriff): What about that black kid I saw in your car?
SHERIFF: Little Billy? That's a funny thing. (Stands.) Everytime somethin' goes wrong in this town, somebody blames Little Billy, and I've gotta pull him in, then let 'im go. Now you were tellin' me?
ROBERT: Well, it was--both the girls. They--wanted a hundred dollars. And I was entreated to ?know, said the note. I paid them.
SHERIFF: You still got the note?
ROBERT: I burned it.
SHERIFF (sighing): You got a gun?
ROBERT: Yes, a Charter Arms thirty-eight Police Special.
SHERIFF: Can I see it?
ROBERT: It was stolen. (The sheriff gives an exasperated look.) We were broken into, two days ago.
SHERIFF: You reported it?
ROBERT: Look, I know who stole it. Her brother told me. This morning he told me everything.
SHERIFF (standing up from the bar stool): OK. You can kiss the lady goodbye.
(Dorothea is speechless, her mouth opens. On their wall is a trio of leaping dolphins in gold metal, and 2 hexagonal woven mats placed next to each other.)
ROBERT: Hey. Hey, it's... alright. It's alright. I'll--I'll be back. (Hugs her.) Richard will tell them everything. Just because we were photographed on the beach with our pants down hardly makes it a crime.
SHERIFF: Not in this state.
DOROTHEA: Then why are you taking him in?
SHERIFF: Homocide, ma'am. That Charter Arms thirty-eight Police Special. We found it this mornin', buried with these photographs, wrapped up in that little girl's clothes. There was a lot of blood around.
ROBERT (standing up aggressively and rushing up to the sheriff): You stupid bastard! It was stolen!
(Sheriff knocks Robert in the side with his elbow, and shoves him over to the two waiting deputies, who escort him outside.)
ROBERT: Ah, unh! Ah, unh!
(Dorothea rushes up to the sheriff and starts slapping her arms at him. The sheriff holds her flailing arms as much as possible while talking to her.)
SHERIFF: I don't mind no man showin' off his tail, ma'am, not even in daylight. But I cannot buy a child. DOROTHEA: She's lying! She's laughing at you!
SHERIFF: Now why would she do that, huh? Just to cause some trouble? (Shoves Dorothea to another waiting deputy.)
DOROTHEA (struggling as deputy escorts her out): Agh! Agh!
SHERIFF: You're a mite perkier in the flesh than you are in these photographs. I reckon we'll just take you along. For now. Just in case.
(Thelma's mother brings Thelma into a room at their house to be questioned by the sheriff.)
SHERIFF: Alright, I just wanna ask you some questions.
MRS DAVIES: It's going to be alright, darling. Mommy's going to be right here. (Thelma sits down.)
SHERIFF: OK. You know what we think happened to your friend? (Thelma nods.)
SHERIFF: I'm very sorry. Now, your friend Elizabeth, she had some photographs in an envelope. Do you know how she got them?
THELMA: I took them.
SHERIFF: Why?
THELMA: 'Cause we saw them near the beach.
SHERIFF: But why take photos?
THELMA: 'Cause she made me. She did. Elizabeth.
SHERIFF: How did she make you?
THELMA: She twisted my arm. Like this. (Stands and demonstrates gently on the sheriff.) She hurt me.
SHERIFF: What happened then?
THELMA: She stopped twisting my arm. (Sits back down.)
SHERIFF: After you got the photographs, then what?
THELMA: She sent one to Robert. She asked for money.
SHERIFF: And she collected the money?
THELMA (nodding): We both did. She made me. She said she was going to hurt me.
SHERIFF: What did she do with the money?
THELMA: She kept it.
SHERIFF: All of it? (Thelma nods.)
SHERIFF: She didn't give you any of it? (Thelma shakes her head.)
THELMA: Except for ten dollars for the other pictures.
SHERIFF (squinting): What other pictures?
THELMA: About Robert and Dorothea. Stealing. In the newspaper. (Mrs. Davies turns around confused to look at the deputy behind her.) But she said he wouldn't do the pictures unless we paid for the chemicals.
SHERIFF: Have you still got those other pictures? About them stealing?
THELMA (shrugs): I expect Richie's got them.
SHERIFF (nods): That's fine. Then we'll get 'em from him.
(A waiting deputy holds the sliding door open and Uncle David enters, and the deputy closes the sliding glass door behind him. The sheriff stands up, walks over to Uncle David, looks at him without a word, walks back to Thelma, sits down on the arm of the couch next to Thelma.)
SHERIFF: The last time you saw Elizabeth, where was she headed to?
THELMA: To Robert's.
SHERIFF: What for?
THELMA: To get more money.
SHERIFF: But you didn't go with her?
THELMA: I didn't want to.
SHERIFF: Well didn't she say that she'd twist your arm?
THELMA (nods once): Yes.
SHERIFF: Well?
THELMA: I ran away. She didn't catch me.
SHERIFF: And that was the last time that you saw her? (Thelma nods.)
SHERIFF (stands): You're a lucky girl. We could be lookin' for two bodies. We'll have you bring 'er down later to make a formal statement. (Leaves the house.)
MRS DAVIES (stands, sits down next to Thelma): What pictures was the sheriff looking for? Thelma, I'm asking you.
THELMA (walks up to Uncle David): You believe me, Uncle David.
UNCLE DAVID: Of course I do. Of course Uncle David believes you.
MRS DAVIES: You heard what the sheriff said. I mean it might have been--
UNCLE DAVID (holding Thelma's shoulders affectionately): It wasn't!
THELMA: Can I get some ice cream?
MRS DAVIES: No, no, not now.
UNCLE DAVID: Let her go. We all need a change. Get back to the city. Forget about all this. (Hands Thelma a few dollars.)
THELMA: Thank you, Uncle David.
(A deputy is talking on telephone in an orange telephone booth.)
FIRST DEPUTY: OK, bye.
SECOND DEPUTY: What's happening?
FIRST DEPUTY: We got a call in...
SECOND DEPUTY: Let's go, then.
(The deputy starts towards his police car, stops, becomes alarmed when he doesn't see Robert Burger inside, draws his gun and cautiously approaches the side of the car, opens the door carefully. Robert, ducked behind the seat, flings the car door open into the deputy, runs off.)
SECOND DEPUTY: Damn!
(The deputy in the other car jumps out to chase Robert. The deputy that was knocked over struggles to his feet. Dorothy giggles at Robert getting away. The two deputies run up to an brick building [note], see nothing, and stop.)
FIRST DEPUTY: See 'im?
SECOND DEPUTY: Where is the son-of-a-bitch?
(Thelma, in white hat, is buying an ice cream at the downtown store. Mr. Manny hands her the ice cream.)
MR MANNY: Hey, you all been makin' the news. Naw, you keep it. You be a good girl, now. Have a nice day.
(Thelma looks at the camera ad again, inside the store. Outside, a store sign in the background reads SINCE 1905.)
(The sheriff is riding in the passenger seat of a police car and is talking on the police radio.)
SHERIFF: Bullshit. Just get off your butts and find him. The son-of-a-bitchin' bank clerk.
SHERIFF: You talkin' to me, I don't wanna know nothin'. You just get him back inside.
FIRST DEPUTY: You're laughin' now, lady, but he better show up or he gets his head blowed off.
(Thelma is walking in town, eating an ice cream, Robert is hiding in a church and sees her through the window, coming in his direction.)
ROBERT: Thelma! Thelma! (Thelma stops walking.) Come on, come quick, quickly. (Thelma enters the church.) It has to be quick, I haven't much time. (Seats Thelma in a pew, sits in the pew behind her.) Why did you do it, Thelma? That's all I want to know, kid, why? I gave you the camera, couldn't hurt you, you had a good time with it. Why? I thought we were friends, aren't we? (Thelma nods.)
ROBERT: So what did I do? What? You don't like me? (Thelma nods.) You don't like Dotty? What? (Thelma thoughtfully licks her ice cream.) Ruin a man's life. You can't get pleasure out of that. Why're you ruining the one last shot I had? Maybe you think it's all a game. Well, now it's real life out there. They'll shoot me, Thelma. I don't get to walk home. Let me get rid of that.
THELMA (shakes her head): No! (Slides away slightly on the pew.)
ROBERT: Yes, (Gets up to sit next to her.) but--look. Look, you understand? Yes, I think you do. (Brings Thelma to her feet.) Look. We're going to walk out of here together, with our hands up. And we're going to tell them that you took the gun. And that somebody stole it from you. We don't know who. We're going to tell them the truth. Look, we two-- (Robert stops, kneels by her, holding her waist, looking at her.) --are going to tell them I took a little money from the bank. Well, who was going to notice it? It was--meant to buy a little sunshine for Dotty and me. If I'd had a little girl like you then perhaps I would never have done it. Maybe I would've stayed at home. (Stands, escorts Thelma to the door.) Look, we've--both been bad, you and me. So lets... both... make things right, hmm? Tell them what you did, and tell them what I did. That sound fair? All the sheriff has to do is talk to you. Hey! (Opens the church door.) Maybe they'll find fingerprints on the car. Maybe they'll find out who stole it.
THELMA (pauses, then begins screaming): Eeeh! Eeeh! Eeeh! Eeeh! Eeeh! Eeeh!...
(A deputy is strolling with a shotgun and hears Thelma's screams. The waitress in The Grill Restaurant hears the screams and looks up. Robert goes running down the street towards the front of the furniture store, outside the window where the waitress and deputy are watching from inside. Robert runs towards the police car where Dorothea is sitting.)
BYSTANDER: What the hell's happening?
DOROTHEA (waving Robert back): No! No! No! No! Back! No! [note]
(A police car comes screeching into the intersection and cuts Robert off. Robert reverses direction, runs around a corner just as a deputy does, deputy blasts him with a shotgun, Robert lands on the windshield of the police car in which Dorothea is sitting, shattering the windshield, and then rolls off dead onto his back.) [book excerpt]
DOROTHEA (hysterical): No! No! No-o-o! Uh...! Uh...!
(People are standing outside the businesses watching, one man comes out of a door to watch. Thelma nonchalantly eats her ice cream while watching everything, then wanders off causally, glancing over her shoulder a couple times. Behind the deputies are the corner brick wall, and signs for Marie's Laundryland and Dallas Furniture.)
FIRST DEPUTY (walks up slowly to the car & body): Well, I heard the kid screamin', and he... ran at me...
SHERIFF (as deputy puts a blanket over the body): Well, looks like you just saved the county the cost of a trial. (Waves a police car over, which pulls up with its blue light flashing.)
FIRST DEPUTY: And some dude lawyer collecting his fee. What do you reckon happened to the money he stole?
SHERIFF: Sure as hell won't be comin' to you or me. (Dorothea is crying on the seat of the police car.)
SHERIFF: Come on, lady. Come on outa there, I wanna put you in this other car. (Dorothea gets out, dazed.) Right over here. Put her in.
FIRST DEPUTY: You reckon the D.A.'ll let her go free? (Dorothea gets in the police car.)
SHERIFF: Free as she'll ever be. (Police car with Dorothea leaves, turns on its siren as it rounds the corner.)
("Oyster Blues." Thelma is walking along the pilings at Bob Sikes Channel, eating her ice cream [note], tosses it down on the sand before she is completely done with it. In the distance a fishing boat is entering Bob Sikes Channel, returning from the gulf. Close up, on board the boat, we see Elizabeth sitting on deck, a patch on face and her arm in a sling. The word "SERVICE" is seen upside down and in reverse on the cloth wrapped around her. One of the crew comes up to her--the same man in tan shorts who vaguely heard the shots earlier--pats her on the head, she smiles and talks with him. Freeze on her face. [note] Aerial views of the Bob Sikes Channel at increasing distances, with the fishing boat entering the channel.)
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Updated: February 8, 1999
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