Stepfather

CRETA STAR

This is Marsha Sanders.

Today is February 19th, 1990.

I'm here with my client.

Okay. State your name.

My name is Leon Banning.

I'm 10 years old.

Why don't we start with why you're here?

I don't know. Why am I here?

You're here because both of your parents

have passed away.

You witnessed both of their passing.

Can you tell me about that?

Well...

Um.

My stepfather, he, um

had a heart attack while he was

beating me.

Why do you make me do this to you?

Why?

I hate you!

You're not even mine.

Call 911.

Please...

Son.

You said it yourself. I'm not your son.

I thought you were different,

but you're just like everybody else.

I'm sorry I had to do this.

This way you can't hurt anybody else anymore.

Aw, Teco,

Teco buddy, it's okay.

It's okay, bud.

It's okay.

Shh. You're gonna be all right.

It's okay. It's okay.

Shh. It's okay.

You're a good boy.

You ate... you ate your supper, right?

So, uh

in about 30 seconds, you should fall out, okay?

Shh. Just breathe.

Just breathe, okay? Look at me. Look at me.

Just breathe. Hang in there. Okay.

It's okay.

It's okay, okay?

Good boy.

Okay.

Fuck.

Okay.

20, 19, 18, there we go.

Let it go. There we go.

There we go.

There we go.

Miss my family.

I'm gonna miss you guys.

Why is this happening to me?

It's okay.

It's okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

So you were, uh...

Just going to the grocery store.

Going to the store.

It was my turn to cook.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I went upstairs.

I checked up on Tina

to ask her what she wanted from the store

because she's, um

when it comes to her food, she's really specific.

And she told me

she didn't want anything specific,

but just to hurry home because she was hungry.

Can you tell me what happened next?

Yeah.

So I came downstairs to check up on, um, Beverly.

She was resting in her favorite chair.

And I kissed her.

I didn't know it was gonna be my last time.

Mr. Hawkins, we can continue this later.

No, no, no. No, no, no.

Um, I went to the store.

Her favorite is salmon and veggies.

That's her favorite.

So I, uh,

so I got the salmon and I got the veggies.

Oh, um, I have the receipt in my pocket.

I bought the salmon and veggies.

I wasn't even gone an hour.

When I came back, I saw it.

Mr. Hawkins,

would you like to cool off a little bit?

Let me get you some water. Would you like some water?

- Thank you. - Let me get you some water.

- I'm sorry for your loss. - Thank you.

So what do you think?

Electrical fire.

- No signs of any foul play. - Uh-hmm.

There's no way this guy did it.

I mean, you should see him.

He's a mess.

If he did it, he deserves an Oscar

for that acting job he's putting on.

The alibi adds up.

Grocery store has him on surveillance.

Well, what do we do now?

We find the bastard who did this.

You know what? This is why it won't work.

I try my best and all you do is complain.

Tim, you have two daughters.

All I ask is that you spend some time with them.

I work, okay?

And if I didn't do that,

I wouldn't be able to provide this house,

the food, the clothes on your back!

Look, I don't need you to throw that in my face.

I can take care of myself if need be.

- Oh, yeah. - I don't need you for that.

Oh, yeah. That's right.

Well, everyone ain't got daddy's money though, Asia.

Some of us have to actually get up off our asses and work!

You're funny. What is that supposed to mean?

It means, since we got married,

all you do is sit around and complain about your life.

But you ain't doing nothing to change it.

All I do is sit around?

All I do is sit around?

I had a life before you!

You are the one who wanted me to be a housewife

and take care of your kids.

And now it's a problem?

Everything's a problem, Asia.

And that's why I'm leaving you.

I can't do this anymore.

I'm worn out from this marriage.

Who the hell is she?

There you go. Assuming again.

Look, I'm not an idiot.

I know when I'm being replaced. Who is she?

You don't know her.

Does it matter?

- And I didn't cheat. - Oh.

Do you think I believe that?

It doesn't matter what you believe.

Because I

she just makes me feel special.

She makes you feel special?

Am I not good enough?

According to you, I'm the one who's not good enough.

Goodbye, Asia.

Mom, can you cook something else tonight?

You literally only cook Spanish food

and we're not even Spanish.

Okay. Well, when you can pay the bills and buy the food,

you can choose to cook whatever you want.

Other than that, we're having Spanish food tonight.

Plus your sister loves it.

Melanie's not even here to love it.

She's in college.

Yeah, well, she'll be back for spring break soon.

So can you make what she likes when she gets here?

What about what I like?

Okay, okay, Sasha. What would you like?

Um, I like hamburgers...

- Hmm. - And spaghetti.

See? Your taste buds is all over the place.

Me and Melanie, we got the same taste buds.

You, you get your non-taste buds from your daddy.

I miss Dad.

So sorry to hear that.

I do not.

Um, please pardon the interruption.

Um, I think I overheard little mama

complaining about the flavor of food.

If that's the case, might I suggest one of these?

So sweet, so flavorful.

That should take care of the issue.

I'm sorry, sir, nobody complains

about the flavor of my food.

- Thank you. - She did.

I'm sorry, what's your name, young lady?

Sasha.

Okay, Sasha.

Um, why don't you convince your mother to listen to me

and have food with flavor as opposed to,

you know, the flavorless stuff that you were

- complaining about? - Uh-uh. Wait.

Y'all not both getting on me about my cooking.

Now, you, you do this all the time.

You, sir, you don't even know me.

You're trying.

No, I don't know you yet.

- Oh. - Darnell Simpson.

Good to keep it real.

- Good grip there. - Okay.

- Asia. - Hmm.

Asia Dixon.