In the Heat of the Night

Uh-oh, there's the chief.

What'd you stop for, Scotty. The light's green.

Got any objections to us having ourselves a little fun? Huh, nan?

I got no objections to anything you want to do, Scott.

You know that.

Whoo-hoo!

Oh, look. Here he comes.

Well, that's pretty cute, lapeer.

Pretty cute.

We had a bet on, chief, whether you was awake.

I said you wasn't.

I guess I lost.

Get out and go wait over there by my car.

The rest of you pour out those drinks.

Do like I say. Pour 'em out.

Be right back, nan.

Come on. Get out of there.

Won't be a minute, friends.

Chief just wants to see if old Scotty can walk.

Which one of y'all is sober?

I'm not drinking.

Then you're driving. Get up front.

Hey. Hey.

I told you to wait back by my car.

Go on.

You're getting funnier by the minute, Scotty.

This time it's going to cost you.

You're not really going to write me up, are you, chief?

Yeah, I'm really gonna to write you up.

I was just running some red lights.

Ain't nobody up this time, except you.

Now what's the harm in that?

What's the harm in that? Now let me think.

I got it.

It's against the law.

Not to mention, driving while under the influence.

If I could write you up for showing off,

I'd do that, too.

Uh, chief, you are making a big mistake.

Why? For not knowing who you are?

Well, I wasn't going to say it...

Well, then don't, 'cause I know who you are,

and I know who your daddy is. And I know what he is.

Come right down to it, I don't believe I care.

Maybe you should.

You want to see me, Mr. Lapeer?

Yes. Yes, I do.

I don't believe you ever had children, did you?

No, sir. I didn't.

Didn't want any?

Well, I lost one when I lost my wife.

I imagine you wanted to see me about your son, didn't ya.

Did you really find it necessary

to embarrass Scotty in front of all of his friends last night?

Well, if you can show me how to write a summons

without embarrassing somebody,

I wish you would.

He tells me that you spoke to him

in a manner that was uncalled-for.

Scott ran every traffic light

on main street, Mr. Lapeer.

Now, can't you make allowances from time to time

for a high-spirited boy?

High-spirited, huh? He was driving drunk.

Scotty tells me that he can't afford to have this citation

on his driving record.

I want you to Bury it.

I can't do that.

Gillespie, whether you know it or not,

your department is under review

by the mayor and the city council.

You need friends, strong friends.

I hope I have 'em, sir.

Goodbye, Gillespie.

I do appreciate your coming by.

Oh, chief...

On your way down the drive,

you might take a look at the camellias.

They've never been more beautiful.

Ah! Oh!

Ahhh!

Let us all now gather at new Jerusalem cemetery

to put our sister tibbs to rest.

Mr. Tibbs, my name is Jim find lay.

We've never met, but we have corresponded.

Yes, of course. Mayor find lay.

How do you do?

- My wife. - Ma'am.

I want to offer my deepest condolences on your loss.

That's very kind of you.

Well, it's a loss that's gonna to be widely felt, Mr. Tibbs.

I'm sure you know your mama's company catered every wedding,

birthday, and civic event

- in sparta for the past 25 years. - At least.

She was a fine, generous woman

and a true credit to her community.

Thank you.

Uh, Mr. Tibbs,

I hope you won't take it amiss considering the solemnity of the occasion

if I were to ask you

if you might find time to drop by and see me.

- Regarding your correspondence. - Exactly.

Yes, I will.

Ma'am.

Morning, bill.

Good morning, mayor. How are you?

Well, Virgil, it's been a long time.

Couple of years.

Good to see you.

Sorry it has to be under these circumstances.

Your mama was a fine woman.

Yes, she was.

Althea...

This is chief Gillespie.

I've told you about him.

Mrs. Tibbs.

Oh, yes. Chief.

When Virgil came back to Philadelphia

after his last visit here,

he could hardly talk about anything else.

Well... bad as that, was it?

Well, I wouldn't say bad.

Colorful.

Virgil made you sound very colorful.

Well, I guess I've been called worse.

Well, I don't think he meant it in a bad way exactly.

I'm sorry. Excuse me.

Junior, what kind of damn fool are you

blowing your siren as you drive up to a funeral?

We got a body, chief.

Where?

Vacant lot over on meeker street, in the bottoms.

Uh, Virgil, if you have time,

you come and see me before you go, hear?

I want everybody back. C'mon!

It's nan wood all, chief.

Yeah, it's poor little nan.

Call up Hewitt at the camera store. Tell him to get down here.

We're going to need some homicide pictures.

Did you call the ambulance?

They should be rollin', chief. But you know how they are, they take their sweet time.

Call up boatwright.

I want him and Jamison to go over this whole lot with a fine-tooth comb.

It's boatwright's day off.

It was his day off.

Tell him I want to see him here in about five minutes.

I'll tell him. He sure won't like it.

Think she was raped, chief?

I'm not a doctor, am I?

You didn't see me look at the girl's privates, did ya?

No, but she's been laying here a while now.

Then how am I gonna tell whether she's been raped?

You want plaster of Paris here, chief?

Yeah, I want impressions of all those tire tracks.

You be sure you take pictures of them first.

Uh, junior, you just stay here.

Keep everybody else off this lot...

And get one of your blankets

and cover up this child.

Let me by. Let me by, folks.

- Here comes the chief now. - There he is.

That's Gillespie's car.

Yeah, I want to know what's going on. Let's ask him.

Is it true, chief, about nan wood all?

Yeah. I just come from telling her mama and daddy.

We've been talking about it, Gillespie,

and what none of us can figure is, what a girl like nan wood all

was doing in the bottoms.

Isn't that where that boy lives, who used to work for nan's father?

You mean the one her daddy fired for getting uppity?

I remember that. Name was Willie Smith.

No, it wasn't Smith, it was Jones.

I don't even know why we're talking about Willie Jones?

That boy's a good boy. Did some work for me awhile back.

Did some work on my barn. A real nice kid.

You want me to pick him up, chief?

If I did, I'd tell you, wouldn't I?

What are you gonna do, chief?

Well, if y'all let me go into my office,

I'll figure something out.

Chief...

Wouldn't be nothing to drive down to the bottoms

and tell that boy to get in the car.

Wouldn't be nothing for you to change those white socks

and get into uniform.

You could hardly make a mistake doing that.

In our police department, mayor?

That's right, boy. The time has come for change.

I never thought you were serious about that.

Serious enough to be corresponding

with New Orleans and Atlanta,

as well as Philadelphia.

Now, tolliver, 65% of our town is black.

Hell, look at Atlanta. They got a black mayor.

And I bet 70% of their police department is black.

You still thinking about running for congress?