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Wetlands (2017)
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[Man sobbing] Can't no more. Can't no more, can't no more! I can't no more! [wind howling] [glass shatters] [sobbing] Help. [gulls calling] [ship horn blowing] [Surfer Girl narrating] All around Atlantic City, you get the wetlands. Miles and miles of this swamp. Everyone knows each other around here. The cops, the surfers, the crooks. The degenerates. So when this stranger came to town that warm fall day, we all noticed. Those few people that move here try to escape their past. One came to chase it. The renter is here. You shoulda met him first, just like I told ya. [clatter] [gulls calling] Hey, dude. Oxy, pops? Get you fully at peace, my man. [phone ringing] [Katherine on TV] Four years to date, Hurricane Sandy ravaged our shores... - Mm-hmm. OK. - ...and not all is dandy yet. We lost our loved ones. We lost our homes. - [Babel] Captain Schmidt? - And my heart goes out to you. [Babel] All right, I got it. [phone beeps] [Katherine on TV] No wonder, folks. We are from Jersey. We are tougher than some wind and rain. Babel Johnson. Schmidt. Sit down. I'm good. Thanks. Florida, huh? Yeah. Yeah, I heard. You know, John and I were in the academy together. He loves you like a son. So I'm gonna do this, for him. But I sure as hell ain't gonna like it. I can do good work for you. Yeah... forget about the work. All I'm concerned about is that crap you pulled up in Philly. From what I hear, you created one major league shit storm up there. So take my advice and keep to yourself, mind your own business, 'cause this is the last stop for you, son. You screw this up... you won't be able to get a job as a night watchman, not in this state. You understand? Appreciate the chance. Drop by the station a week from Monday. I got some old-timers that are turning in their papers. There'll be room for you then. - [reggae music playing] - [patrons shouting, laughing] [music continues] [Man] All right. [music fades] [woman sighs] [exhales] [Savannah] '92. LA was like a Guns N' Roses video then. There was the Roxbury and the Viper Room and a shitload of blow. - And you started surfing. - In Point Dume with the cool dudes. Venice was just a bunch of stupid kids jumping around. I wanna take my boards out west so bad. - I'd sell a ton of 'em. - You know I wanted a Beemer? So I told my dad, "Either you give me a Beemer, "or I'm gonna make a porno and send the tapes to everyone at your club." You bad! Resourceful. He deserved it anyway. - [lighter clicks] - Did I tell you about the idea I had for the logo? Oh, it's 4:00. Do you mind checking on my daughter? I'm too chilled to get up. Hey. What are you doing up so late? I don't like being alone. We were just hanging with friends. A hundred of them? Every single night? Go to sleep, and tomorrow we go to the skate park. Promise? No fail. - [hip hop playing] - [kids shouting] Water, concrete, it don't matter. A board's a board, right? Get up here and take some falls. [gulls calling] [Surfer Girl narrating] And that's me, born and bred in the wetlands, chasing my dreams down the boardwalk. Whoa, hey! Hey, don't hurt me! Don't hurt me, man. I got two, OK? Let's split. I see you round those kids again, I'll fuck you up good. OK. There you go. - [chanting] - [beads rattling] [dog barking] My name is Babel. I was a heroin addict. Had a little girl... called Amy. I love her very much. Have an ex-wife. Savannah. For my daughter... I managed to stay clean for 360 days. Hello, Babel. [Katherine on TV] And as October comes to an end, we can answer the burning question, is Mother Nature going to trick us or treat us? It's safe to say she's treated us. We dodged the big bullet, no major storms. From Atlantic City, it's Katherine Buchanan. I wish a great night to you all. [Woman] And we're out. - [theme song playing] - [crew murmuring] [theme song ends] My time of year, huh? Halloween. Kids think I'm a goblin or something, they love me. Instead you're just a junkie. I'm sorry, alright. I... I'm trying hard, I swear. Sometimes I slip. I won't bother those kids no more, I promise. What kind of name is Babs? Hey, man. Easy, man. [Babel] How you know my name? Well... I know shit. That's my trade. Babel. Mother was a religious type. [Man] That's fucked up. - I can be useful to you. - Do what now? I check things out. You know, we can make transactions, you know? [engine revving] [horn honking] [siren chirps] [engine revs, sputters, dies] Oh, yeah! Oink, oink! [chuckles] Yeah, good idea, big guy, get outta here. [chuckles] Wow, look at you. Man! I tell ya, I love you already. Hey, hey, easy. [Sheehan] Look, I just came by to take you to dinner. I'll tell you everything in the car. Oh, you got a nice sports jacket? Hey, you know what, forget about it. But we gotta roll 'cause we're late. We're late for dinner, we're late for the game. And if we're late for the game, that's a bad omen. It's not good. I got ten big ones on them birds. Eagles, don't fail me tonight. Come on, man, we gotta roll. Are you with me, partner? Come on. Partner? What, the captain didn't tell ya? Jesus Christ. Patty Sheehan, detective. Babel Johnson. [Sheehan] OK, Babs. Good. So... My wife is waiting for us. Man, there are so many people I want you to meet. [laughs] Seriously, you are just perfection. - [Babel] I'm good, man. - All right. [thunder crashing] Signore Lollipop, Signore Coconuts. She's at a table in there. I wanna take care of something on the fly. The feeling is right, Jimmy. The night is right, man. Ah, don't get me wet. [Sheehan] We are gonna fuckin' kill it. Yeah? You better be right, Sheehan. I'm praying for your Eagles. [Sheehan] What's the score? [thunder rumbling] I've been waiting almost an hour. Some dude just shows up at my place? I'm quite familiar with that clown. Do you know who I am? Yeah. Seen you on the TV. Good. Let's order. [blues piano playing] [woman singing blues] Cocktail? I don't drink. Well, well, well. Let the fun begin. ...and brought a new day to me But then you went away It just wasn't in life's plan Now I'm back at square one again You came and gave me love But I was so afraid You said that things would change Cause all my dues was paid [Surfer Girl narrating] The docks. That's where it all starts. With one box falling off a boat. [dog barking] [Surfer Girl] Nine hundred fucking bucks for one bedroom in the jungle? Jesus! [Woman 2] Girl, hello? Maui? Gotta pay for your dreams. Dude, I am that close. Gimme another month, and I'm good to go. [urinating] Why did you just do that, asshole? You know why. This fuckin' bag keeps gettin' lighter. [kicks board] Dude, ain't you had two heart attacks already? Oh, I got seven light bulbs to keep me safe. The Cadillac of heart bypasses. Better watch what you eat. Won't be the pork. The football maybe. What is the countdown? [Sheehan] Three weeks. The most epic game of my life. [Babs chuckles] [Babel] How epic? 75k epic, baby. - Are you kidding me? - Go big or go home, right? [chuckles] You should come by, we'll watch it together. I don't wanna be a nuisance. Well, now you're just avoiding us. What have you got going with the little guy? Ah, nothin' major. I've been paying that little snitch for years. So don't try to fool me. Have you seen 'em? Your family? You can't just roll up on 'em like that. They served some official notice on me up in Philly. Dude, what the fuck happened in Philly? I don't wanna talk about it. A prodigy of a narc comes down here out of the blue, demotes himself to this dump. For what? I mean, I understand the kid and everything, but... how the hell did you pull that off? Told them the ocean breeze was good for my lungs. [chuckles] Yeah, you got some shit on the captain, don't ya? No. I don't know that fool. Yeah, we all got some shit going on down here. Yeah? Really? Goes with the landscape. The loneliness. Melancholy. Fucks with your moral compass. Listen to Joyce. Here comes a fat C-note. [Informant] This is personal. You can make it up to me next time. [Babel] Fair enough. You clean? [Informant] Squeaky. [Babel] Look me in the eye. OK. Go. She's a dispatcher for Coconuts. Fat dude with the tropical shirts. No shit. [Informant] Simple stuff. Pick up at the docks. Bus to Atlantic City. Repeat. - But? - [Informant] But? She's a little thief. A few baggies here and there, downscale clientele, pocket-money stuff. What's the big deal? [Informant] The big deal is he found out in no time. You sell in fuckin' Cape Atlantic, what do you expect? So he takes her to his basement... ties her to a dog cage... keeps her there two days. I'll spare you the details. Goddamn. He's an animal. - And he skims as well. - What else? [Informant] She hasn't learned her lesson. She sold to a buddy of mine in Delaware last week. Not a bright future ahead of her. [lighter clicks] - I owe ya. - [Informant, straining] Don't mention it. There's another boat coming up in a few days. Don't be too hard on yourself. People make choices. [R&B playing on headset] [Savannah moaning] [telephone rings] Stop. Stop, I said. [ringing continues] [Savannah sighs] Who is this? [Babel] That's no way to answer the phone. We need to talk. - Listening. - [Babel] In person. - Phone is just fine. - [Babel] I'll see you in ten minutes. What the hell? You're not authorized, and you know that. [Babel] It's important. I'll see you in ten. Shit. [hangs up phone] - Hubby? - Maniac. Marry a cop, that's what you get. You want me to bounce, just say it. I think it's a perfect time to meet. I don't know, what would you be, my stepdaughter? Amy's tutor? Fuck you, Sav. I can run. Been doing it all my life. I'm good at it. Tonight I want you to tell me about the surf shop, all right? The logo, everything, OK? But now I need you to clean up. 'Cause I don't want him to throw a fit when he sees Amy. [gulls calling] [rock music pounding] - [doorbell jangles] - [sander whirring] [hard rock playing] [sander powers down] Where is she? I dressed up the horses set them loose Something real deep and took in every drop... [door slams] [man strumming ukulele] We need to talk. Guys, this is my ex-husband. He used to be the police, the po-po. Say hi. Hello, Police. Come on, get up. I'm not here on a social visit. Hey, Babs. What's it been, a year? Look, I don't care about your life. You like young girls now, fine. You turn into a hipster, all good, but don't mess with my daughter's life. For the record, my daughter's better off with me than with a deranged addict. Your lover friend's been fucking with the wrong people. How long have you been stalking us? She's stealing from a bunch of animals. She sells a few bags on the side so she can raise money for a surf company, a blog; what's the big deal? Big deal is that next time she gets beaten, raped, our daughter might be around. You make your lady friend stop now. - Roger that. - Do it for our daughter. Fuck you. I have always been there for her. Unlike some people. Those days are part of the past. Good. We might even see each other once in a while then. I moved here. What? Two towns north. Are you fucking with me? Are you delusional? Like, what are you gonna do here? Landscaping? I'm back on the force. They took you back? You're a cop again? I turned a corner in my life. I wanna see her. Well, no contact until further consideration, as per the judge. - I deserve to see her. - Do you? [Babel] Yeah. I'll give it some thought. [Babel] Family Court say it's your call. [lighter clicks] All these papers mean nothing to me. It's the eyes of the man that tell the story. Yours are beautiful. Clear. Thank you. - Means a lot. - Now... What you told me doesn't surprise me one bit. They aren't fooling me. I understand trouble. And is that young lady a mess, huh? All those tats, those rings. Jesus, Lord! Listen, if I was back in Amy's life, I'd... Let's not jump the gun. A court order is serious business. And you still have a lot to prove. I'll watch 'em like a hawk. In these situations, tragedy can strike at any moment. In my line of work, I've seen it happen every time. Anything else, Detective? [Katherine on TV] After these weeks of sunshine, I don't know how to break this to you. This crazy Suzy is slamming Jamaica and is coming our way. A hurricane after Thanksgiving! Sunny side up as usual, hon. Don't you get bored? [Katherine] ...I had seen it all. Let's not pack up quite yet. Boring is good. - We still have a few days left. - [theme song plays] - [knock on window] - That's all from Katherine Buchanan... - Oh, not that thing again. - He's quite a charmer when he wants to be. [Schmidt] The latest forecast is up on the board, check it out. Does not look good. All right, and we're gonna post any updates as they come along. [Sheehan] My bad, chief. Sorry, I had to stop for a latte. [officers chuckle] Oh, no coffee for your new homeboys? [Schmidt] All right, as I was saying, we have never, ever been hit by a storm this late in the season. They have no idea what to expect. Alright, so learn the drill, hear me? - Double down on the Patriots. - Patriots, you fuckin' traitor. Am I missing something here? We got a natural disaster bearing down on us. Deal with the football nonsense later, come on. - Calls it nonsense. - Children and the elderly. We gotta get 'em out of Dodge ahead of time, alright? And the evacuation routes, we gotta keep them open and fluid at all times. How about the looting? This island's too decent for you. Go back to Philly, huh? We're a tight-knit community. We'll look out for each other. Yeah, as long as the bridge is up and the spics don't steal our beer coolers, we'll survive. [Dispatcher] Sheehan, situation at the Taj Mahal, let's roll. [Sheehan] Oh, huge, baby. - Don't shoot your dick off, Red. - [laughter] - [Sheehan] At least I got one. - [scattered laughter] Patriots again. What a bunch of low-lifers you guys are. She goes hopping into the doctor and he says, "What's wrong, ma'am?" She says, "I got stung between the first and second holes!" - [chuckles] - [scattered laughter] [coughing] Ahem. [electronic jingle plays] Small world. Everything's small around here. Yes, Detective, I still have to get dolled up in this shit so I can pay the bills. [inaudible] You good? You still have to deal with the I-talians once in a while. Name of the game. Let's go. [bus approaching] Hi, sweetheart. You make me laugh. [ball splashes] There he is. Hey. I've been thinking. That's a first. [chuckles] I care about my friends, you asshole. I can go to Lollipop and have his little henchman on a leash in two seconds flat. [Babel] You got enough shit going on with that guy. Look... I'll keep you out of it, so the Captain got nothing on you. Don't touch the wrong wire, you'll get burned. Trust Sheehan on this. I like ridin' with ya. I'll be fine. Oh! You see this? She fights the storm and comes home and takes care of big daddy. Mm! [soft jazz playing] He went to shit that fast. Not my fault, I promise. When life gives you a big lemon... Oh, well. Suzy must be number 20? I'd be happy to be fired just so I didn't have to take them anymore. Some are duds, some take us by surprise, like this one. A hurricane, in December. You gotta be kidding me, right? World's gone all wrong, I'll tell ya. We all thought she would die in the Gulf. She slams the Carolinas. Comes right on up at us. - Cocksucker. - [Sheehan] Takes one to know one. You sleazy pig. [chuckles] I'm sorry, baby. I just can't help myself. You never, ever could, Sheehan. [chuckles] You're the first sober cop ever came to my house. [Sheehan] Yeah, he's a special one. We have to find him a nice Jersey girl now. Oh, I got enough worries already, thanks. What's your type? [Sheehan] You know, blond, rich, from the main line? [Babel] I've been there, done that. Is your family ready? It can get real rough down there. I told Savannah to get out, but... zero. Like common sense just don't go through her mind. You know, if your wife and her gal pal get blown away by the storm, your problems kind of take care of themselves, don't they? I can't believe the shit that comes out of your mouth. His daughter's there. [Sheehan] Oh! Wha... No, enough now. And enough of that. It was a joke. Come on, a joke. Don't worry. I ride with your husband every day. The ever subtle Detective Sheehan. Tck! [soft jazz playing] - I left him once. - [Sheehan snoring softly] Serious? It was exhausting. Going on dates. Making conversations with those men. Who has the energy? [chuckles] I should have gone to New York. I could have made it big. [Babel] Don't blow away in the wind. I'm a pro. [hard rock playing] [dog barking] [muffled television audio] [door closes] [barking continues] [child speaking indistinctly] - Hey, sweetie. - Yeah. Oh, yeah, I wanna go to the beach first thing tomorrow and get you some sea shells, OK? - Mommy. - Can I get you the curly ones? [distant siren wailing] [Babel thinking] Got some of that Maryland crab shit, Maryland crab shit... Come on, nigga... [chuckles] Yeah, they know we tight. Thinking me and you is associates and shit. [chuckles] - Yeah. You know I can't have that shit. - [man grunts] Listen, it's nothin' personal, baby. You naughty boy. [Jimmy] You wanna know about this country? Yeah, we got this client, right? She's a soccer mom. Got the corporate husband. The German car and the house, the whole shebang. She breaks her wrist playing tennis at the club and then starts popping pain pills, right? Two weeks later the dumb fuck is hooked. Her husband has no idea, he's fucking oblivious. So now this crazy fucking broad picks her kids up at school, drives with them in the car to Back Maryland. Leaves them in the car while she goes and blows a dozen gang bangers so they can get her high, drives home, "Honey, I'm back!" Then goes in, cooks dinner, bakes a fucking pie... [Babel] Seems like Jimmy Coconuts is the ring leader. No, he gets the dope, they sell it, he gets the cash, keeps a handling fee, Lollipop looks the other way, everybody wins. Not that girl. No. All she wins is a trip to the morgue. Oho! See that move? Boy is fast. That's what growing up in North Philly does. Makes you fast. So how you wanna play this? We gotta do something and you know it. I don't know. Just wanna think it through. Big city, different rules, I get it, but... Yeah, but, man... Look, it's my family. Not yours. OK? Just... let me handle it. Okay. Just don't pull another Philly. Not down here, Babs. Third generation cop. I know where to ask when I need to. This is it. Come on, boys. Come on, you birds! Fly. Fly! [bottle shatters] That bad? [Sheehan] This changes everything. [Babel] Come on, man, let's go. Said tonight I need an escape to Mexico And if I had the balls to walk me There I would go But if I stole the '69... Fancy a little chanel? [woman snorting] [sighs] [Babs clears throat] Thanks for the game. [Woman] You don't want some? - It's all you, babe. - I've got enough to share. There's only one thing left to do [Jimmy] Seventy-five fucking grand. You gotta start paying us back. [Sheehan] Get outta here! Jimmy, get the fuck outta here. Get out. Yeah, go, go! You tell your boss that I'll come around when I say! Now, you better take it easy. [Sheehan] Yeah, you [indistinct] you come around looking for me? Hey, stop treating me like I'm some kind of dope! You hear me?! [Babel] Patty. You're cool. But even if you could You'd probably still... Don't be nervous. It never ends. Sheehan, come on, buddy. Let's get outta here. What the fuck happened to this town? What the hell happened to this city? Come on, let me take you home. He's only gonna be in possession of the narcotics for a brief while - so time is of the essence. - Time is the one thing we don't have. Look, I'm just asking permission to tail him and nail him. It'll be a nice bust. Keep the glory, I don't need none of that. We got Suzy to deal with right now. Look, the boat is coming in before the storm, Captain. It's bad timing. Frankly, Detective, it sounds to me more personal than anything else. Does it affect my family, yes. Do we have a responsibility to do this? This man is a known thug and racketeer, but then, of course, you know that. - I can't allow it. - I respectfully ask you to reconsider, sir. - Get busy with the storm. - [Babel] You got it, Captain. I didn't say a word. - [Schmidt] Leash your dog. - Fuck you, Chief. [horn honks] Nice place, Dad. Back by 8:00. - [car door closes] - [car starts] After the storm's over, we can head out to the Gulf Stream. Whaddya say? How long am I gonna get the silent treatment for? I'm so over fishing. Bull. Double bull. You love it. [Amy] I did, before I lost a father and started living with two lunatics. It's all your mother can give, you know that. Well, what about you, then? Where have you been for a whole year? I was sick. I went away, baby, to get strong again, for you. And I'm back now. Until when, Dad? When will you mess up all over again? I wish it could have gone down differently. I want our old life back. Listen... that's what I came here for. - So we can rebuild. - I miss my friends. - I miss Christmases together. - I know, listen, look... I'm cold. Whenever your mom lets me, I can move real close. Good luck with that. I'm working on it. Just give me some time. - Hey... - [doorbell jingles] I need you to listen to me carefully. I can see you like that girl, but she's in big trouble, so steer clear, you hear me? She's the only one who likes to spend time with me. Promise me you'll be careful. - See that? - It's beautiful. You can keep it. She hates it here. A little adjusting is all she needs. You always think you got everything sorted, don't you? I have a right to follow my dreams. Please. Who are you, Savannah? I'm the rich girl you used to parade in front of your friends. Remember me? Whereas your freedom, your entitlement started long before I met you. - [scoffs] - Did you do what I told you to do? Yeah, I did. I talked to her. Then the message didn't get through. Well, she's done. She'll give the money back. Roll credits, the end. Yeah, right. Retirement, move to Maui? Savannah, they will kill her. They will kill her and then they will come for you, and Amy... - I'm gonna get some rest. - What about us? - What about us? - The judge. The custody deal? [door closes] In spite of this beautiful night, we need to get ready. Suzy is coming. The mayor has ordered mandatory evacuation for Zone A, starting Friday at 3:00 PM. [Woman] Move it, ladies! Move it! Get those asses going! They are not getting any higher on their own! And up, up, up! This is "work your little butts off" time! You are a woman. [screams] How you doing? [laughs] You fucker. I have a gun, I would pull it. Ah, I bet you got one of those tiny ones. Mine's bigger than yours, Detective. [Surfer Girl narrating] As time went by, he kept going back to her. Katherine Buchanan, this tough lady, became his unlikely confidante. It was so clear what was gonna happen. It was just a matter of time. I just kept... thinking what the hell happened to you? I missed you. [Katherine] You're scared, that's what. [Babel] It's wrong, is all. [Katherine] When you get to my age, the line between good and not good is pretty thin. [both moaning] [Katherine] Fuck, yeah! [Babel] How many of those you taking these days? Many as it takes to kill those damn munchies. You look fine without you wasting money on that... Old ladies in the news business, you gotta look the part or they put you out to pasture. How's that going? Either they replace me with that cute Yale cunt or they close the station down altogether. - Why sweat it, then? - [phone ringing] - [Sheehan] Out doing the laundry? - Talk to me. [Sheehan] There's something you need to see. [car starts] This is our ticket out of here. For both of us. [baby babbling] I know, but that life was part of the past, and I'm ready to move on this time. [baby fussing] [sighs] [slams bureau] See you soon, sweetie. Hmm. I must say I'm impressed. Grounded, articulate. Well dressed. It's quite a change from last year. But it's all a pile of horse shit. Coming in here in your cheap Sunday best. Trying not to look like the whore you are? Mocking me? - I have a solid plan. - Silence. Your daughter has to go. Sooner rather than later. You keep away from my daughter. [Social Worker] Well, I should have taken her a long time ago. Fucking witch. You know... a friend gave me these. Someone who cared about me. When you feel like choking, you count 'em. There's 108 of them. Enough to keep you out of trouble. Man, I am the best shaper south of Atlantic City. I can do what all these guys do. [Babel] There's your talent. I just wanna go out west, get away from them. - [indistinct] - So what is it gonna take? A trust fund? Savannah? She'd never help me. She knows I'd just take the money and split. She don't know you got a little daughter, does she? Listen, you can turn all that around. - What do you think I'm doing? - Stealing dope. You'll get yourself killed, and along with it, taking my daughter down with you. I love Amy, and I love my daughter, and they want to take her away from me. You should know how that shit feels. Listen, you're the reason that my family's in danger. Now, before I do anything... Look at me. Before I do something that cannot be undone... - I've been trying to help you. - I'm trying, OK? Nobody gives me a fucking chance! Thank you. [thunder rumbling] [dog barking] Drop, get, go... Get, go... Drop... - [baby coos] - [thunder crashes] [speaking Italian] [cell phone vibrating] Detective? - [Sheehan] She just left. - Uh-huh. OK. [Sheehan] Perfect night for skateboarding. All right, I got it. Hey, sugar! Hey, look, you're all wet. Come on! Come on in. Come on, come on. Come on. Make yourself at home. [gasping] You're a little cunt of a thief, that's what you are. You're a little cunt of a thief, come here. You steal, you get to picking up the shit, oh, you fucking dike. - Fuck you! - I'll break your fucking arm. I'll pay you back, asshole! Get the fuck off me! You... fucking... - Ohh! - [gun cocks] [panting] - [Jimmy] What the fuck you gonna do, shoot me? - You gonna push me around? Let's see you push me around now, huh? You gonna rape me again, motherfucker?! Let's see you do it! Right now! Fuck you! Fuck you! [gunshot] Hey, hey... Hey, hey. Hey, look at me. Easy, tiger. Easy. Let's go down, down. Think of your daughter. Good, girl. Put it down. All right, all right. - What the fu... - Shut the fuck up. [sobbing] Hey, hey, listen to me! Snap out of it. Now, listen. I only got one thing in this life, and that's my daughter. You listening? There's a lot of cash here. All right. Let's just say that you earned it. You earned it, all right? Take it, take this shit. Get on a plane, take your kid. And go to Maui. I don't give a shit. If I see you around Amy again... I'll fucking kill you. [spits] [Jimmy] Fuck you. - We all good here? - No, we're not all good. You just gave away my money. You better watch your family, nigger. What did you say to me? I said you better watch your fuckin' family. [thunder rumbling] - [cocks gun] - Say it again. What you say about my family? Fuck you! [Jimmy] No, no... No! [Woman] Burstin' up above A silhouette, a dove All the beauty rising hiding any traces of... Streets are flooded from both bay and oceanside... ...we left behind Living in a daydream by design Ashes in the ground Daisies grow around Other things will fall back Half a block from where your dreams were bound... [Reporter] Atlantic Avenue is currently under five feet of water... Living in a daydream by design Changing like the seasons and the fashions Fragile hearts of porcelain All the vintage photographs and captions Sprawled across the sun A covenant of one Open up, arise the future's in disguise In the hobo... [wind howling] [murmuring] [glass shatters] [murmuring softly] [coughing] [sobbing] [phone ringing] [ringing] [sobs] [line ringing] [ringing continues] [phone beeping] Yeah. You sound like shit. You survived it. Yeah. Bridge was flooded. There was no way out. [Sheehan speaking indistinctly] In the wetlands? [Sheehan] Yep. I'll be there in 15 minutes. [Amy] Dad. I need you to listen to me. I need you to stay put. I'll be over in an hour. All right? Don't go anywhere. - Amy. - [Amy] I wish you came last night. I was scared and alone. - Look I... - [phone beeps] Amy. [police radio chatter] [geese honking] Check this whole area here. [camera shutter clicking] [Surfer Girl narrating] And that's how it ends for me. One moment I'm out the door with my daughter headed to Maui, and the next I'm dead, floating in the wetlands. We found the shirt over there on the jetty. Come on, the wind swept it around. - Yeah, but look at the stain. - What is it? It's where she shot herself. I know it sounds funny, but that's the last thing you do when you get snuffed. Tone it down a notch, Doc. And he may or may not do something afterwards. I'm not sure yet. Meaning what? Meaning fuck her. See, the pants are ripped. It gets my mind to thinking. Am I dismissed? How the hell does a guy like that get into med school? First the storm, now this. We got lucky with Suzy. Fifty miles up north, it's a disaster area. Yeah, well... At least we know her name. Sheehan tells me you have some sort of a personal connection to her? She and my wife were close. I'd like to tell them myself. All right by me, but you'd better hurry up, 'cause she's gonna hear it from the TV. My old lady's gonna eat this alive. And notify the family. We still need a positive ID. And, Detective, we were all on a state of high alert, and you were nowhere to be found. [Officer] This is bullshit, Captain. Are these your fucking rosaries or not? Recognize those? The deceased had them in her hand. I had a coffee with her. I gave them to her. At the, uh, diner in Wildwood? I heard you two were screaming at each other. What are you trying to say? Nothing. Nothing at all, Detective. You be strong for her now. I need to find who did this. Did she have any drugs in here? Had nothing to do with that shit. Did she stash here? Any dope, cash? Anything? Not that I know of. I need to know where Jimmy Coconuts went after he left the motel. There was a major storm, and I'm not a psychic, in case you didn't get the memo. [Babel] I'm catching heat for this. I told you it wasn't gonna end well. OK? She's straight out of one of those Greek books, that girl. You just keep asking, you hear me? Loud and clear. [crew chatting in background] [muffled audio on playback] Medical examiner report came in, no semen. But he did do something to her. Bottle, maybe. [Schmidt] Jesus Christmas. Oh, for crying out loud. I got a dozen emails from your missus. Would you tell her we're here trying to solve a murder and not make up her next headline? [Sheehan] You tell her, see what she says. [Schmidt] That woman is obsessed with making us look incompetent. [Sheehan] Yeah, she may be right. Schmidt. Let's go get him now. Who? Get who? You know goddamn well who I'm talking about. Your buddy. Jimmy Coconuts. Yeah. Last time I checked, I was in charge of this department. That's the problem. [Schmidt] Keep your nose out of my decision making. Put a warrant on him now. You need to calm down. I'm not gonna tell you again. This is my family you're messing with. If I go down, you're coming down with me. [knock on door] Perfect timing. You wait here a second. You want to, uh, give us a little privacy? Fine. Have it your way. Babs, these gentlemen are from the county prosecutor's office. No shit. We have to look into it, I'm sure you understand. [McCulvey] Dan McCulvey. Sergeant, it's a formality. It's a pain in the friggin' neck but we have to do it. Sergeant Walker and I will be conducting the interview together. [Walker] Howdy, brother. [McCulvey] It's a coffee break, Detective. Babs... First thing, call the union and lawyer the fuck up. Yeah, so that every cop on the East Coast thinks I'm a murderer. Nice. [Sheehan sighs] Threw him under the bus, just like that? I had a hunch, I had to follow up on it. Why don't you busy yourself with your point spreads? The guy's trying to build his life back up and you just bury him under a truckload of shit. Well, my chair, my responsibility, Patty. [Sheehan] Oh, please. For 30 years, you just asked me to look the other way. [Schmidt] You're no saint, Sheehan. I gamble. Big fucking deal. Well, I don't, I can't. I gotta keep order around here. Yeah. And you gotta keep those little brown bags coming your way. Right? Or am I missing something, Chief? You're missing a lot more than something, Patty. Uh, Babel, Babs, Bay... Baa... What do they call you? Detective Babel Johnson. It's an interesting name. A first, I must say. A broken family, mother part religious fanatic, part raging alcoholic. Father hit the road early, or the full ghetto experience... In the army, two tours in Baghdad... [echoing] Mild PTSD... Philadelphia PD. Narc unit, major busts. Several convictions. Great work, Detective. We salute you. Now flash forward to two years ago. Let's call it the "issue." Violent behavior. - Drinking hard. - [Babel] Yes. [Walker] Bullshit. You were using. [McCulvey] You know a man by the name of Clarence La Grange? Every narc knew Big G. [McCulvey] But you knew him better than most. Uggh! He was my main informant. Then why the fuck were you sent to the nuthouse, boy? I had a drinking problem and I went to rehab. My captain helped me out. Then you become a dignified security guard in this fucking dump. Why? Family matters, nigga. You know anything about family? What a shock it must be for a teenager, poor Amy. She like pussy, too? Leave my daughter out of this. Gentlemen, we're working towards a common goal. Let's just cut to the chase. Smart cop, tough guy. Good-looking nigger. Loves a good party. Loves the ladies. Get mixed up with this crazy rich gal. I don't blame you, brother. That vagina must taste like champagne. And you get the American dream. Nice house, white picket fence. But then it all goes to shit. Maybe you hit her. So wifey's summer of black love is over. And she moves to surfer land with a cute young sweet girl. So it hits you. Simple. Get rid of the femme fatale and you can have it all back. Trophy wife and sweet little Amy. Boom. You done? If your wife was an accessory to the drug dealing, your daughter may be placed in the system. An admission of guilt now would make all the difference. Whatever. I'm outta here. I'll frame your ass one way or another, boy. Mark my words! Clarence La Grange! [bottle shatters] - What are you doing, man? - What do you think I'm doing? - What are you doing? - What do you think I'm doing? [La Grange] What are you doing? No! Help! [screaming] [starts car] [Walker] I pressed so many buttons, I thought I was playing pinball with that fella. And you're positive? "Positive" is a big word in our line of business, but my gut says yes. How can you be so sure after just one session? Because we interrogate for a living. All right, well, let's get him for what happened in Philly and then we'll take it from there. Whoever gave a damn about Philly, Captain? A fat black dope is fished out of the Delaware. Nobody cares. We came, we pursued your lead. Eh, it was a hunch, not a lead. [McCulvey] Now it's time for us to go home. You're not hearing me, fellas. If you don't give me a reason to relieve this man of his badge and his gun... Kate! My God. Huh. Uh, gentlemen, let's regroup and deal with this later, huh? [McCulvey] Excuse me. Hmm. Foxy Katherine Buchanan. [Schmidt] Come in, sit down. What a surprise. What, the old crowd's not good enough for you anymore? Yeah, I always found you a raucous, drunken bunch, Will. - Respectfully. - Of course. Oh, by the way, your coverage of the storm was terrific. Though you did look a little tired there at the end. I didn't come here to talk about Suzy, Will. I came here to ask you what evidence you have to pin a murder on a fellow police officer. How did I know this was coming? You tell me. Babs... I mean Detective Johnson... moved here to put his life back together and he doesn't deserve this. We both know that. Oh, you've come to know Babs... I mean Detective Johnson... pretty well, haven't you, Kate? How about you start looking at the big picture? Go after some bad guys, some real bad guys? Show some integrity. Now you're starting to sound like that gutless drunk you married. Kate, you could have done so much better for yourself. You could have made it in New York, you know. Reporters may come around and start asking questions. And it is not going to be dandy. Trust me on that. Am I detecting a veiled threat, Ms. Buchanan? Will, it is absolutely not the case. It's more like... if you don't back off, I will plaster your redneck badge all over the fucking newscast. Captain. You're looking in the wrong direction. - [McCulvey] I beg your pardon. - It wasn't him. Uh, what makes you so sure, ma'am? Because that night I was fucking him. Drive safe, gentlemen. [phone rings] - [Babel] Look, just calm down. - [Savannah] We heard noises, we came downstairs. That's all. I told you everything. - There's nothing else! - Just calm down. Just calm down. Come here, come on. It's all right. All right, listen, do you remember anything? A voice, a detail, anything. It was dark. All right, listen, I want you to lock up, go upstairs. - Wait until I tell you what to do. - What if they come back? Nobody's coming back. Lock up. You leaving? Where are you going? We're gonna go to your grandmother's house in ten minutes. Pack as fast as you can. [blues ballad in background] Your possessions. What you've worked for your whole friggin' life and rightly belongs to you, you hand it over to the only man you really trust so he can watch it, and what does he do? He loses it all. The cash, the dope. - [door opens] - The whole fucking lot. [horn playing jazz interlude] - [switch clicks] - [music stops] - I believe this belongs to you. - [Jimmy] Where the fuck is the money? My family's the only thing I've got. I want you to leave them alone. You talk about family. I had a family myself once. Do we have a deal? - That's a fancy word... - [gunshot] [gulls crying] Savannah! Amy! [Surfer Girl narrating] In the wetlands, years and years go by and nothing ever changes. The tides, the storms. A poet or something once said, "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." [knocks on table] Hey. [giggles] Well, all right. - Come on, let me see! - All right. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Turn around. Wow! A. Johnson, Nurse Trainee. [chuckles] Look at you. Hmm? My little girl. What did your mama say? Madam was nowhere to be found this morning. Hey, it's all right. Come here. [Babel] I'm so proud of my baby. [Surfer Girl narrating] But there was this one thing that he didn't let go of. This one idea that just kept growing inside him all those years. [radio playing softly] [Mike] ...in this sport, and as we're talking about... [Ike] But it's gonna matter to the players more than it's gonna matter to us, he's not leading us. [Mike] No, I know, but he's gotta lead the players to a certain degree. The players have to buy in, and I almost think, again by pedigree, because he's done it... [radio clicks off] A cop. Thought you forgot about your old partner. Ah, shut up, you bloated old mick. It's been busy at the Legion, is all. Haven't seen you in so long. You manage? [Sheehan] I take it a day at a time. It's not like I'm fending off visitors at the gate. Kate's gone three years now. You talk to her? [Sheehan] She don't want to. She gave me the house, so I really can't complain. Wants me to die with dignity. That's what her lawyer said. And you owe her big. She got you off the hook in two seconds flat with those federales. I miss her. I am sure you do. If she wasn't around, you'd be doing life for murdering your wifey's dike. Why did you kill her? You know, it's... funny how the mind works. All along, the truth was right there, and I refused to see it. You identified that girl's body right away. Enough. [Babel] Why did you do it? 'Cause I could. That's why. They wouldn't come after me. Sheehan. The big puppy. Wouldn't hurt a fly. You know how long I had to hear that shit in my life? - You paid all your bills. - Yes, I did. And you gave me the idea. Laid out the whole fuckin' plan. And those stupid Italians, I pay them back with their own money. [chuckles] That's plain sad. [chuckles, coughs] I was gonna do a double slam. I was gonna get her and Jimmy C. together. But your car was parked outside, so I waited. And when she came out and left the motel, I followed her. I gave her some sweet daddy talk and she came along real nice. Her head... cracked like a nut. You know what? It felt good. All the screaming, the begging. I felt like I had the power for once. You were sick, man. [Sheehan] Then when you became suspect numero uno, you deserved it. I was the only friend you had and you would take my wife down some alley and fuck her brains out. My wife. And you think I didn't know. You think I was stupid. Whole fuckin' town knew. I was weak. Not the "born again" shit. Please. Wanna take me to prison? Cop with a bad heart. No. Oh... That's how it's going down, huh? Right here. [cocks gun] [trigger clicks] [Ike] Oh, your special teams? These are the things, these are the ways we won with Torrance Small and Charles Johnson as wide receiver. - [Mike] That's right. - [Ike] I mean, this is the way we won games... Don't keep beating yourself up over those Eagles all the time. There's worse things in life. [sports commentary fades out] |
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