Imaginary Crimes

- "Bucking the wind" was Daddy's phrase

for what people had to do together in life.

- At times, life is gonna be stormy, sweetheart.

And when those winds blow,

you're gonna have to plant your little feet,

lean into it, and buck the wind.

- "Bucking the wind" was also Daddy's excuse

on a cold winter night for a quick trip to the corner store

to buy another bottle of bourbon.

I came of age when he agreed to take me along.

How about some ice cream?

In the snow?

That's the best time.

I'll get it.

Evening, Ray.

What can I do for you?

- Carton of vanilla and a fifth of Wild Turkey.

Listen, Vern, I've been meaning to talk to you.

My partner, Edward Atkins, and I

are looking for just the right guy

to go into the business investment of a lifetime,

a man of vision, someone who's not afraid

to step out of the mold, take a risk.

Vern, a man such as yourself.

- Vern looked like anything but a man of vision.

What is it this time, Ray?

NapRenew.

It's a miraculous formula.

A revolutionary new process

which actually enables us to restore the nap

on old and worn serge suits.

I'm telling you, there's a fortune to be made here, Vern.

Cleaning fluids are the investment of the future.

I'll have to think about it.

You do that.

Don't take too long.

An opportunity like this comes along once in a blue moon.

Come on, Sonya.

Let's get home before the ice cream melts.

Hey, Ray, wait up.

That will be 8.50.

Put it on my tab, Vern.

- Years later, this memory would always be

the memory that haunted my imagination,

hand-in-hand, singing in the deserted snowy streets,

me with the father who had the audacity to buy ice cream

on the coldest night of the year.

Sonya?

Sonya.

Sonya Weiler?

You get out of bed this instant.

Come on, sweetheart, rise and shine.

The early bird catches the worm.

Sonya?

We don't want to be late for Edgemont.

Sonya, get up.

Get up, I want to see you up.

I'm up.

That's a girl.

Good morning, sweetie. - Morning, Dad.

- Greta, make sure Sonya gets out of bed.

Okay.

Roxie's packing.

She's leaving us the hair dryer.

She's packing?

What'd she say?

Not much.

She looked kinda mad.

Sonya, I was trying to keep track.

Is Roxie number 11 or number 12?

See ya, Ray.

Knock it off, Greta.

Roxie, wait a minute.

Where are you going? - I'm leaving.

- Why? - You won't pay me my money.

I told you, I'll have the cash

by the end of the week, Rox.

- You've been saying that for months.

Bye, girls!

- Well, you know, usually an employee

gives the employer a notice!

Goddamn son of a bitch!

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!

All right, girls, let's go.

- I told you I had a bad feeling about Roxie, Daddy.

- Sonya, you have a bad feeling about all of them.

- Roxie was number 12, wasn't she?

Now, don't you start.

Well, sweetheart, you're the family historian.

If you say 12, then 12 it must be.

It was 12.

Dad, about Edgemont...

- Look, we've discussed this enough.

A promise is a promise.

Ray Weiler never welches on a promise.

- They're not gonna take me for just one year, anyway.

Miss Tate.

It's such a pleasure to finally meet you.

My daughter Sonya.

Hello.

- I've heard so much about you over the years.

Oh, really?

From whom?

My wife was an Edgemont girl.

Class of '34.

Hardly a day went by without her discussing the school

and the refining influence that you had on her life.

- What is your wife's name, Mr.--

Weiler, Valery Weiler.

I mean, Beecham, when she was here.

Beecham?

1934.

Well, of course I remember Valery.

She was in one of my first classes here.

Do ask her to come see me.

I like to see what becomes of our girls.

Valery died eight years ago.

I'm terribly sorry, Sonya.

Thank you.

- I promised Valery that I would send her

two daughters to Edgemont.

- Mr. Weiler, are you raising two young girls

all on your own?

Oh, that is most admirable.

Sonya's records.

All As.

Mostly all As.

I know Valery would feel that even a year

under your influence would be invaluable.

- Mr. Weiler, why did you wait so long to apply?

Our semester has begun.

Enrollment is full.

- Miss Tate, you can't imagine the pain it causes me

to be sitting here before you like this, at this late date.

But circumstances have not permitted me to do so sooner.

What can I say,

except that I know that you,

with your culture and refinement,

would appreciate the burden, a burden of love, of course,

but nonetheless a burden,

of trying to raise two motherless children,

to try to keep a little home together for them

and inculcate in them the values

that you so steadfastly uphold here at Edgemont.

Miss Tate, if you knew what it meant

to a widower like myself

to be able to entrust his child to your care...

Well, Miss Tate,

I am beyond words.

- Well, I appreciate your sentiment, Mr. Weiler.

And it's most unusual,

but I am willing to make an exception.

Welcome to Edgemont, Miss Weiler.

Thank you.

Good.

Then that's settled.

Now since you're here, Sonya,

you'll start school with the other girls.

Mr. Weiler, you'll need to leave a deposit

for the tuition with our cashier.

- I seem to have forgotten my checkbook.

I'll have my assistant take care of it

first thing this afternoon.

Fine.

- Valery Weiler sits at the kitchen table

dealing herself a hand of solitaire.

That's mostly what my mother did.

She smoked Luckys and played cards

and read paperback mysteries, one after the other.

- I've got some big news for my gals tonight.

Hey, Ray.

Everything lit up

when my father came through the door at night.

- Honey, Weiler and Atkins are about to patent

an invention that's gonna revolutionize the mining industry.

Where's Sonya?

- Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Carmen Miranda!

Hello, amigo.

- Valery, you didn't tell me the Brazilian Bombshell

was playing Portland.

- Sorry, Ray, I was sworn to secrecy.

Daddy, what's under there?

- Baby, you are looking at Daddy's first million.

Now, if you ladies would have a seat.

- He brought a sense of excitement

from the outside world into the tiny basement apartment.

Voila!

Ladies, I present to you the Finders Keepers.

What does it do?

- This revolutionary device is so simple to use,

even a child can strike it rich.

Finally, the little guy will have a chance

up against the fat cat mining companies.

Valery, the market for these babies

is going to be so big and so profitable

that we're just a technicality away from your dream house.

- My mother's one big wish in life was modest.