The Client

Two o'clock in Memphis WHBQ.

George TCBing with August Super Tuesday.

The man says H and H, hot and humid all afternoon, now 92.

The heart and soul of rock 'n' roll going for 97.

- Ricky! Son! - What?

Come back here.

Won't be back till late. I want you in by dark.

I want you to watch out for your brother.

- I can watch out for myself. - Can not.

Don't worry, Mom, I'll take care of him.

How come you always have to watch out for me?

Because I'm older, stupid.

Mom, he's calling me stupid.

Would y'all hush up?

Don't be reading any more of them scary comics.

- You hear me, Ricky? - Whatever.

He can't sleep.

Shoot, I'm gonna miss my bus. I'm gonna be late again.

I'm gonna get docked for sure.

There's some macaroni and cheese in the cabinet, okay?

All right.

- Got your lunch? - Thank you, baby.

Keys?

Oh, yeah.

Exact change for the bus?

Oh, shoot, baby. Thank you.

I'd forget my head if it wasn't screwed on.

- You stay out of them woods. - Okay, Mom.

You hear me, Mark?

Bye, baby.

- Come on, Mark, give me a cigarette. - No way.

Mark, wait.

- Catch me and I'll give you one. - I can't run that fast.

Catch me.

Wait up, Mark.

Better hurry or you'll never get your smoke.

We're not supposed to go in the woods.

Go home, I'll smoke them myself.

Come get me.

- Come on. - Wait up, Mark.

Come on, Ricky. Catch me.

Come on, give me one.

No way, pal.

I'll tell Mom.

Tattletale.

- You know the deal. - Yeah. If I tell anyone, you'll kick my ass.

That's right. And if I catch you smoking more than one a day...

- I know, you'll kick my ass again. - That's right.

- How many do you smoke a day? - Only one. I'm smart.

- Will one a day kill me? - Nah!

Not any time soon, but more than that and you could be in deep shit.

- How many does Mom smoke? - Forty.

- And what about Dad? - A hundred a day.

Oh, he's gonna die soon?

I wish. Sit there.

Don't try to swallow the smoke yet, because I know you're not ready for that.

You'll just choke and puke all over the place.

Suck a little and blow.

Told you not to swallow the smoke.

This is easy.

Yeah, that's why you look like you're gonna puke.

Do not.

Where's he going?

What's he doing?

Damn, damn.

Damn.

Damn. Goddamn it.

Son of a bitch.

Jesus Christ, he's trying to kill himself.

How do you know?

I seen it on TV once.

- Why do you think he wants to kill himself? - How am I supposed to know, stupid?

- Well, let's get the hell out of here. - No.

You stay here. Okay? If you move, I'll kick your ass.

What are you gonna do?

Mark.

Mark.

- Come on, let's go. - No. We gotta make sure he's okay.

- Think he's dead? - Don't know.

Damn.

Nothing works. Nothing works.

He is crazy as hell.

Damn it. Damn.

- Let's go, please. Come on. - No, we can't.

If he kills himself and we know anything about it, we can be in all kinds of bullshit.

We won't tell no one.

- Just let him die. - We're not leaving till I say we're leaving.

- Stay down, Mark. - Stay here.

Mark.

Let him die.

You bastard.

You bastard!

Come on.

- Get in there. Get in there. - No.

Get in there.

I said get... Don't you touch that damn door!

Sorry, kid.

You had to be a cute ass.

Had to stick your dirty little nose in my business, didn't you?

So I think we should die together.

Just you and me, pal. Off to la-la land.

Sweet dreams.

- You want that gun? - No, sir.

- Why you looking at it? - I wasn't, sir.

Don't you lie to me!

I'm crazy. If you lie to me, I'll kill you.

Please don't kill me, sir.

I got my mother and my little brother to take care of.

I'll give you a choice.

I can blow your brains out...

and end it now...

or we could wait and let the gas do it.

You decide.

What's your name?

Mark. Mark Sway.

Jerome Clifford.

Attorney at law.

So since we're both pretty tight right now...

you can call me Romey.

Listen. Hear that bird?

I drove all the way from New Orleans to hear those stupid birds. Grew up here.

I played in these woods. Now I'm gonna die here too.

Why are you doing this?

Because if I don't kill myself, he will.

- Who's he? - The Blade.

Barry "The Blade" Muldano.

Why does this Blade guy wanna kill you?

Because I know...

I know where the proverbial body is buried.

Whose body?

See, my client killed Senator Boyd Boyette...

and hid the body.

So now my client, he wants to kill me.

You know where the body's buried? The body's buried...

He hid the body...

He's still buried there, can you believe it?

They haven't found it yet. FBI's dug up half of New Orleans.

They haven't found it, they're not gonna find it, no way.

Yeah. Oh, yeah, Mark, go for it.

Yeah, Mark, go ahead.

Go ahead, Mark, pull the trigger. Yeah. Pull the trigger.

Pull the goddamn trigger! Pull it!

Pull the trigger!

Pull it!

Pretty nifty piece?

Hell, I don't even know if it works.

Let's see if it works.

It works!

- Shit. - It works. Hey, get over here!

- Ricky. - I told you not to go anywhere!

Ricky, damn you, come on.

Hey, Mark! Son of a bitch.

Hey!

Where are you?

Goddamn kid!

Hey!

Mark!

Come back here, kid!

If the Blade finds out what I told you, he's gonna kill you anyway.

You hear me, kid?

Mark, where are you?

- Put my drink on my bill, babe. - All right.

Come on, boys, dance with me.

I've been waiting a half hour. Where the hell's Romey?

- Damn feds are on my ass. - God, Mr. Muldano.

I don't know. He hasn't been in here all day.

Now, Claudette, God hates a liar.

That's what my mother always said.

I'm not lying, honest to God, I haven't seen him.

I don't know where he is.

You know, Claudette...

you're a very pretty woman.

Well, thank you, Mr. Muldano.

You wanna stay pretty, don't you?

Oh, please.

I'm just a secretary.

Listen, honest to God, I don't know where he is.

He doesn't always tell me where he's going...

Put your hand in there.

Put your hand in here!

I don't... I don't know. Honest to...

Put your hand in. Come on, put it in.

Please. I don't know where he is.

Come on.

Mr. Muldano.

You know, Claudette, I believe you really didn't know where he was.

- Lift. - Get another sample here.

Damn.

What's inside here?

- Is this something here? - Check the hood.

Take a look at this.

- There you go. - Watch yourself.

Bring it on through here.

What's up, kid?

What are you so scared of? Did you have a bad dream?

You're scaring your mama. Get your thumb out of your...

Come on, baby. Talk to your mama.

Where have you been? What the hell is wrong with your brother?

What have you done now? What the hell is going on?

- Boy witnessed a suicide, ma'am. - He what?