♪♪
My name is Carson Phillips.
I'm a P.I.
I like to drink.
I like to smoke.
I like to gamble.
[car door opens]
Sometimes a little too much.
But you know what they say, everything in moderation.
Including moderation.
[door slams]
I figured I could'a taken these guys,
but last time I had uninvited guests, they trashed my place
and frankly Raymond, my cat, still hasn't gotten over it.
[Thug] Nuh-uh!
I'm holding a cat.
- What? - You hold it.
[kick, meow]
[Thug] Agh! Damn it!
[squealing tires]
[Carson] I've been working in L.A. for over 20 years.
Whoever named this place the City of Angels certainly had a
terrific sense of humor.
Behind all the Hollywood glitz and glam, it's just like any
other city, except when the Santa Ana wind blow hot off
the desert, the unimaginable suddenly turns real.
People get a little more jumpy.
Their skin starts to crawl.
And parties end with dead bodies.
But I guess that's entertainment.
Most of my jobs are pretty routine.
Cheating spouses, deadbeat dads, missing persons.
But every once in a while, a case becomes something
I never saw coming.
[Betsy] You brought Raymond to work. Who's after you this time?
Well, you only bring Raymond in when someone's after you
and you gotta hide out.
Aren't you cute when you're not minding your own business.
Take him for a few days.
Sure thing, Carson.
By the way, someone's in your office.
I can see that.
[Mrs Johnson] Mr. Phillips?
You seem surprised.
I was just expecting you'd look much older.
You almost look like you could suit up right now.
You must know a little bit about my past. Have a seat.
I grew up in Galveston.
Oh, well.
I thought I caught a little bit of East Texas in there.
You were something to watch.
Flattery...
- it'll get you everywhere. - [laughs]
I'm yours. How can I help you?
Well, Mr. Phillips, my aunt, Barbara Van Poole
is in a sanitarium just outside of Galveston.
Pleasant Meadows?
Mmhmm, I remember Pleasant Meadows.
A few years back, she had a complete nervous breakdown
and she just hasn't been well ever since.
I used to call and speak with her regularly, but now when I
phone, I just get the runaround.
All I get are some letters in the mail.
Well, you see, I don't typically do out-of-town jobs, so...
Well, it's just that I don't wanna hire anyone from there
'cause I don't know if I can trust them.
How do you know you can trust me?
[Betsy] Hey, Carson.
I think it might be a good idea for you to get
out of town for a few weeks.
We're talking about Galveston here.
What's wrong with Galveston?
Not a thing. Just not for me.
Name your price, Carson.
♪♪
A beautiful woman with a sob story has always been one of
my weaknesses.
Along with her having an open checkbook,
she became irresistible.
The road has always been a fascinating place for me.
The drone of the tires against the asphalt becomes this
hypnotic chorus taking me back to places I rarely go.
There I was back in Texas,
the land of cowboys, beautiful women,
72 ounce steaks-
[Man] You won't be disappointed in these steaks.
[Carson] and the holiest of holy.
[cheering]
A lot has happened since I left Texas.
The Beatles and Vietnam had come and gone.
Armstrong walked on the moon
and I drank enough bourbon to fill the Cotton Bowl.
Maybe I drank enough to finally face the shame of my past.
I ran out on Jayne, the only woman I've ever loved,
faster than I ever ran on the field
after I disgraced myself in that fateful final game.
♪♪
[Geraldine] Hello.
We've been expecting you.
You have?
You're here as an observer from the Institute, aren't you?
Nope. I'm just here to visit a patient.
A friend?
What's your position? Are you a doctor or something?
No. Paranoid schizophrenic.
[Male Nurse 1] There she is.
I have a cat that's paranoid.
- [Male Nurse 2] It's time forsession. - Sorry, sir.
It's fine, it's fine.
[Woman over P.A.] Bingo at 3:30 in the sun room.
Now, don't forget everyone.
Howdy.
[Nurse Melissa] Howdy. Can I help you?
Yeah. Well, I'm here to see a patient of yours
by the name of Barbara Van Poole.
[P.A.] Don't forget, bingo at 3:30 in the sun room.
Something wrong?
No.
The name don't sound familiar. Can you describe her?
Well, she lives here.
I think you'd do a better job than I can.
She's probably in your files there. Just check them.
I'll get Dr. Mitchell.
All right.
He's really busy right now.
If you don't mind having a seat.
All right.
Y'all do electric shock treatment here?
Not to visitors.
Well, that's good news.
[whispers] He's here to see Barbara Van Poole.
[P.A.] Group meditation on the main lawn in 15 minutes.
Group meditation on the main lawn in 15 minutes.
[Dr Mitchell] It's nice to see you again, Mr. Carson Phillips.
Excuse me?
Oh, you don't remember me.
Long time ago.
I was a freshman warming the bench.
Still got splinters in my backside from that.
Playing football. You were out on the field.
You were a senior. You...
Scoring. Setting records.
We went to a couple of classes together.
That is, whenever you showed up. [chuckles]
Miles. That's your name? Miles?
Dr. Miles Mitchell.
A lot of years ago. A lot of years ago.
- True. - Yeah.
You really could have been one of the greats.
Well, you sure did well for yourself.
This is a beautiful place you got here.
Thank you very much. We take pride in
creating a serene environment for our clients.
We service all the greater Galveston area.
All over Texas.
The entire nation, you know.
So, you're here to see Miss Van Poole?
Yes, I am.
Right this way.
All right.
Well then how do you know Miss Van Poole?
You know, just a friend of the family.
I came back to my hometown.
I'm just visiting.
No problem, I trust.
Hey, you're the doctor, you tell me.
No. No. Of course not.
It's just that she doesn't get many visitors.
You rarely see the family.
Well, here I am visiting.
Yeah.
I don't like to neglect a promise so
I told her I'd go visit Barbara and make sure she's all right.
Maybe even cheer her up a bit.
'Course. 'Course, I understand completely.
It's just that you can't see Barbara right now.
She's in a group therapy session.
So, how long are you in town?
Well, I'll wait.
Well, the session goes on all afternoon, and we don't like
to interrupt them.
You see, of course we give them breaks and such
but we need to keep them focused.
But I will call you when she's up and around.
Where are you staying?
Well, why not just come back this evening?
She'll be exhausted, poor thing.
We do like to give the patients time to reflect upon...
- What? - what the group has said.
You know.
They didn't tell me about this group therapy stuff.
I'm curious about that.
Miss Van Poole's a very private person.
On top of that, she is
considerably wealthy, and she has this belief that...
Everybody wants her money.
Well, I can assure that ain't the case.
So, why don't we do this?
I'm staying at the Lone Star Motel.
Why don't you give me a call when Barbara's ready,
and I'll come back.
In the meantime, I say, thank you for your time
and have a great day.
♪♪
I felt the invisible tug of my short hairs when I left
the good doctor, so I thought I'd follow a different tug.
♪♪
Hey, you.
I assume you can still get bourbon here, no?
[waitress] Yes, sir.
[cheering]
You got it.
[player] Baby needs a new Camaro!
[Doc] For shit sake's, Slide.
Call or get out. Enough already.
[Lorenzo] Let's go, cabrón.
[Slide] Only three kind of people wear sunglasses inside.
Blind people, assholes, and blind assholes.
[laughs]
Okay, I raise two hundred dollars.
Lorenzo, you spend all your money on that suit?
[Carson] I like that suit.
[laughs]
[Doc] Oh, my God.
Hey, Doc.
How you doing?
I never thought I'd see you 'round here again.
Look at you. You look like hell.
Well, only you'd know.
I like what you've done to the place.
Well, you know, they demand, I supply.
They get screwed, I get rich.
Not very scientific, but it works every time.
Bing, you remember our hometown hero.
Oh, come on now!
Bing Walsh?
[Walsh] Chief Walsh now.
Oh, Chief of Police. Oh, man, only in Texas.
Don't do this! Don't do this!
I thought I saw a ghost, man.
You did see a ghost.
Deal him in, Mary Sue.
His credit's good around here.
His credit is good.
[applause]
I guess you're up for a nice, friendly game, hmm?
All right. Twist my arm.
[chuckles]
[Lorenzo] Can we play some goddamn cards?
Hold your horses there, slick.
This is Lorenzo Rodriguez.
He's a- entrepreneur.
Isn't that what you call yourself?
[Slide] You know what we call him? El Guano.
'Cause he used to clean out the bedpans at the sanitarium.
[Carson] Is that right?
You're the man I need to talk to.
[Rose] Hey, Daddy.
Hi, Angel. How much you need?
I want just your love and affection.
Carson, this is my daughter Rose.
She owns this joint.
[Carson] It's impressive.
Thank you.
- And this is... - Oh, I know who he is.
'Cause I watch you every week on TV.
[Happy] How's it feel to have all your records broken?
Man, that's what they're made for.
Coach said you used to be the best quarterback he ever saw.
Well, I bet he ain't saying that no more.
You got that right.
What a screwup, huh?
Oh, we're insulting now?
Betting on your own games, shaving points.
Man, you had the world by the balls, and you just threw
it all away. How's that make you feel?
I don't know. Maybe one day you'll tell me.
That's not likely.
I don't have a price, old man.
Oh, everybody's got a price.
So much talk.
[Doc] Yeah. I'm way down here.
Happy, I'll see you later in my office.
See you around, Carson.
All right, slick, let's see what you learned in the big city.
All right.
[Mary Sue] Ante up, gentlemen.
♪♪
[small sob]
[laughter]
Are you kidding me?
Fuck head.
[weeps]
[Carson] So there I was, sitting at a poker table
surrounded by the people I grew up with
and even though I'd been gone for over 20 years
I couldn't believe how easily I slipped back into the pace
and rhythm of my past.
There was Bing Walsh, who I played football with.
I was certain the next big case he saw would be his first.
[Walsh] I'm done.
I'm all in.
[Mary Sue] He's all in.
Then there was Slide, the original hippy.
He probably dropped more acid than Timothy Leary.
[Slide] Sorry, Doc. I'm outta here.
[Lorenzo] All in.
[Carson] Lastly, there was Doc.
He went from being a smalltime bookie to one of the biggest
power brokers in the state.
That in itself had to be respected-
[Lorenzo] Chinga!
considering he was a black man-in Texas.
Only the big dogs left.
[Mary Sue] Possible straight.
[Doc] Check.
[Carson] You know me, Doc-
all or nothing.
That line of thinking tends to lead more towards-
nothing-
than something.
Call.
We live in a world that's full of risk.
[Mary Sue] That makes a straight.
I don't.
[Mary Sue] Doc wins. Congratulations.
Full house beats a straight.
I never lose, Carson.
Mary Sue, cash those chips in for me.
- Yes, sir. - Let's take a break.
I'll buy you a drink. Bourbon, isn't it?
Yup.
[applause]
[Carson] Really sorry to hear about Marie.
Been 12 years now.
Fucking cancer.
Nearly half the town got sick with it.
You seen Jayne yet?
No. No.
Hell, I wouldn't know what to say to her.
She's a widow now.
Got a beautiful daughter, Becky,
married to that idiot.
[Man] I still got guys behind me.
[men arguing]
Oh, hell, here we go.
[punch]
[gun shots]
[man 2] Hey, hey, Happy.
[Doc] Happy, all right!
The hell's the matter with you!
Starting a fistfight on the night before a big game.
You lost your mind? Go home to your wife.
Look. You take a swing at me and I can assure you you'll
lose your spot in the draft. You understand?
Settle down.
Go home, son.
[deep breathing]
[sobbing]
I remember you.
Where's your kittycat?
Well, he prefers L.A.
The sun, the women.
Mr. Gregory wants to speak to you.
I see that.
Turn the fuck around!
Spread...
You really need to get better help.
[Gregory] Where is she, Mr. Phillips?
I have no idea.
I want her back.
Now look, I found her, I brought her home to you,
and you paid me for that.
Come on, she was only home for a few hours,
she packed some things, and she was off again.
And that is not my problem!
Oh, but it is. You were seen at the airport with her,
putting her on a plane.
Now, I want you to go get her and bring her home.
Even if I knew where she was, and I don't, do you
think that I would bring her to you knowing what you did to her?
What did she say to you?
I mean, what, that I abused her?
That she just needed a safe place?
She just once wanted to sleep and not have
to leave the light on?
I thought you were smart.
You're a sucker.
A sucker for a pretty girl and a sob story.
I'd look into that if I were you.
Watch your back, Carson.
Come on, get up!
[Carson] He was right. His daughter had spun
quite a tale to get me to help her get away.
And he was smart enough to know that I was dumb enough
to give her the money.
Once again, a beautiful woman with a sob story.
You figure I've learn my lesson by now.
Not a chance.
[Dr Mitchell] Mr. Phillips.
[Carson] I got tired of waiting.
You never called.
You are not a gentleman.
How's Barbara?
Barbara is fine. She's resting.
It's a game day. I got a little bit carried away with
my affairs, and I'm sorry I did not call. I forgot.
Well, I'm here now, so you don't have to call.
She doesn't want to see anybody.
Now look, it'll only take a minute
and her family is concerned.
I feel like we have had this conversation already,
Mr. Phillips.
We both know what the family wants.
I'm sorry, as her doctor, I cannot recommend that she
sees a stranger. And I'm even more sorry
that you came all this way for nothing.
You know, the whole time that I was sitting here, that phone
didn't ring once.
How do you stay in business?
♪♪
[woman sobbing]
[Nurse] You just hold me. You'll be fine.
[Lorenzo] We have some new client.
Can you handle it?
[Dr Mitchell] I don't have [indistinct]
[Lorenzo] The kid wants more. What should we do?
[Dr Mitchell] You need to step up and take care of that little
problem, Hoss. Go, go, go, go, go.
Okay. Adios. I'll take care of it.
[door slams shut]
♪♪
[rattles door knob]
♪♪
I found her file.
It was empty.
No progress reports.
No med list.
Just my client's address and a few paid statements.
Most of his patients have passed on.
It seemed like the good doctor was also taking bets.
[camera click]
Interestingly though, all the bets were for us to lose.
♪♪
[cracks knuckles]
[crunching]
♪♪
[Nurse] It's a nice day. Listen to the game outside.
[Announcer] It's ball day here in sunny Galveston, where
Happy Chandler hopes to lead his team to a victory.
We're gonna go inside.
You let us know if you need anything, all right?
Happy leads the Conference in TD passes, and his electrifying-
[fart]
[thud]
Did you come from-
up there?
Yes, I did.
Goodness.
Here, let me help you.
All right. Thank you.
- Oh! - You okay?
- Yeah. - A bit wobbly.
You wouldn't know Barbara Van Poole, would you?
Yes. But I've not seen her for a long time.
Any idea where she might be?
No. People just disappear here.
This is a bad place.
[announcer] As we approach halftime, New Mexico still leads
even after that beautiful TD pass from Happy Chandler to...
[ding ding]
[Desk Clerk] What is all the racket out h...
Oh. Hi, Mr. Phillips.
I'm sorry. Would you-
would you mind getting me this film developed?
Oh, sure.
What the hell happened to you?
I fell.
That's fresh dirt.
I can get that cleaned up for you, if you want.
All right. That'd be nice.
Here. Thank you. I appreciate it much.
How's the game going?
Happy's messing it all up.
We're behind by a touchdown, but we're favored by 11.
Well, it's still early.
[announcer] Except for that one breathtaking run, a terrible
game so far for Happy Chandler.
Abysmal passing by Chandler. Five interceptions.
They're gone, Mr. Phillips.
[announcer] Five of 18 on the day.
They said they'd be back.
Who?
Four guys in a black Dodge, California plates.
They friends of yours?
Well, not exactly.
Would you mind keeping an eye on that for me?
[laughs]
They gave me a hundred to keep an eye on you!
No. No-no need.
I took their money, but-
I don't see so good.
[announcer] Oh, no. Happy is still down.
He does not seem to be moving.
The trainer is on the field, and he's waiting for the stretcher.
This does not look good, Chandler being carted off
the field. The crowd has gone completely quiet.
They are stunned.
♪♪
[sirens wailing]
[Becky] Excuse me.
Excuse me.
[Security] Stay back. Stay back.
- That's my husband. - Stay back.
That's my husband! That's my husband!
[squealing tires]
[Carson] I didn't know what to say.
After all these years, it had to be perfect.
And let's face it, the situation wasn't exactly
conducive to small talk.
I thought about Jayne.
I thought about Happy lying on a slab instead of
next to his wife.
I thought about the missing Barbara Van Poole
and the mysterious doctor.
Most importantly, I thought about having a drink.
And not a small one.
[phone rings]
Yeah.
[Jayne Over Phone] Carson? It's Jayne.
Can you come up to the house?
I'd like to talk.
[Carson] Before yesterday, I hadn't seen her in 20 years.
I had pretty much convinced myself that I was over her.
But that's not the first time I've been wrong.
[Emile] How you doing, sir? Please come in.
How are you?
I'm doing good. Follow me.
Have a seat right there.
Thank you.
No problem.
She'll be right with you shortly.
All right.
♪♪
[Jayne] Hello, Carson.
Hello, Jayne.
Would you like a drink?
Well, it's 10:30 in the morning.
The usual?
You did well.
Not really.
Well, looks like you got everything you need.
Looks can be deceiving, Carson.
So, what happened with Charlie?
He died.
Had a heart attack right there in the garden.
I'm sorry.
There's no free lunches.
He wanted it all.
Turns out-
having everything was a little too much for him.
You mind my asking what he did for work?
He was in oil.
Well, that's simple.
It wasn't.
And it isn't.
Like everything too good to be true, it comes at a price.
You've heard enough about me.
How about you? You doing well?
Well, I get by.
Then we have that in common.
I- I'd like to hire you.
I mean, that's what you do now, right?
You're a private investigator?
Yeah, that's what I do.
[Jayne] I'm gonna need all the help I can get.
It's still a small town, and people have nothing to
do but talk.
Talk about what?
Oh, come on. How many 22-year-old athletes
do you see convulsing on the football field?
Well, he got hit pretty hard.
And that happens.
Yeah, well, I've already heard rumors.
They don't think this was football related.
Sheriff Walsh is an idiot.
He'll want a quick and clean answer.
We both know his stupidity is limitless.
Well, how did he get to be a sheriff anyway?
That very reason.
It's a bad place, Carson.
Far worse than you can imagine.
Doc owns everything and everybody.
For years, I hated you for leaving.
Over time, I came to understand that escaping
this place was the smartest thing you could do.
Happy was running around town with that slut, Rose.
My daughter's a scorned wife.
This is the first place they'll come looking.
All right.
Why don't we just slow down, just take one step at a time.
Becky hasn't had it easy these past few years.
All right.
After Charlie died, I-
I admitted myself to Pleasant Meadows for a while.
I've been there, Jayne.
That ain't your style.
You're as tough as nails.
Those nails got rusty, Carson.
Maybe you can help me with something.
Oh, about the woman in the sanitarium?
Barbara Van Poole?
I told you, there's no secrets in this town.
Did you ever meet her when you were there?
Sure I did.
That was a while ago.
Why is it that I'm having such a hard time getting a hold of her?
I don't know.
When I left, I put all my energy into raising Becky.
God damn it, she had to fall in love with a football player!
Does sound familiar.
We were too young, Carson.
Just like them.
♪♪
Emile will take care of your first payment and he
will see you out.
Yes, ma'am.
Oohh.
I reached out to my client in L.A. to give her an update
but oddly her number had been disconnected.
I couldn't say no to Jayne, so I decided my first questions would
be for the coroner
who for some reason chose not to return any of my calls.
[Coroner] Hot dog, buddy.
I have been looking for you all morning.
And who are you?
I'm Carson Phillips.
Oh, yeah. I've been rather busy.
I can see that. My treat.
You don't have to do that.
I need some information about Happy Chandler.
He's dead.
I need a little more information than that.
It's not about the money.
Now, will you please stop!
He took a big shot.
But was it the hit that killed him?
The hit was vicious.
It broke his collar bone, fractured his femur-
- But? - But-
We found extremely high levels of ephedrine and
some yet to be determined chemical substance in his blood.
And what exactly does that mean?
Well, some of these athletes use it as a stimulant.
But we've sent it to the lab in Dallas for a full analysis.
Should have the results back in a few days.
Can I count on you, when that does come through?
Absolutely.
♪♪
Jayne.
Doc.
You get on wonderful.
Well, thank you. So do you.
How about a nice glass of Rosé from my private stock?
Sounds great.
Oh, your place looks lovely, as always.
Not bad for a poor kid from West Texas, huh?
[clink]
You're here about your daughter, aren't you?
And you think I can help.
Doc, you and I both know she had nothing to do
with Happy's death.
Happy's murder.
Fine, murder.
It's bad enough she's a widow at this age.
Now she's the number one suspect?
You have to admit, it doesn't look good.
You could call off Sheriff Walsh if you wanted to.
You flatter me if you think I have that kind of influence.
Oh, please, Doc.
You could affect the tides if you wanted to.
All right, let's say I do call Walsh,
get him to do what you want.
What do I get?
What do you have in mind?
Well, you mentioned the tides.
I'm interested in what's offshore.
I bet you are.
Who do you think kept the State off your late husband?
All those toxicity reports.
He paid for some of this.
So you see-
I've been helping you all along.
How much?
I'll be your partner.
Forty-nine percent.
For you, of course.
My attorney will be in touch.
Good.
Oh, and one other thing.
Your old paramour, Carson-
I know you hired him.
But you have to call him off now.
Get him to stop snooping around.
He could undo a lot of business just by making noise.
And what are you suggesting?
Well-
you can convince him in ways that I can't.
[chuckles]
Now who's flattering who?
I'll do my best.
If you don't-
I'll have to talk to him.
[Carson] Hey, Slide, how you doing?
Honestly, not too good.
[Christina] Can I get you a drink?
- Yeah. Bourbon. - Neat or on the rocks?
Neat. Why is that?
[Slide] Why? This thing with Happy, man.
It's heavy. It's really heavy.
Is that so?
Far out.
You know everything that's happening around here.
Did Happy do drugs?
Happy's drug was Rose.
Couldn't get enough of that sweet ass.
Did Becky know about Rose?
Hell, yeah. We all knew.
How'd you do on the game?
I bet a little and I lose a little.
You know?
How'd Mitchell do?
Oh, shit.
Mitchell, he owes Doc a shitload of money.
Got so bad, he had to let Lorenzo go.
How'd Lorenzo do?
He lost his ass.
[laughs]
You know, for a guy who used to change bedpans,
he has some pretty nice threads.
You know what, I think he's dealing some dope.
No harm in dealing a little dope, is there?
Now, would Happy go to him to get drugs?
Lorenzo?
Nah, he would go to Mitchell.
After all, he's a doctor, isn't he?
Now, why are you asking me all these questions?
Hell, you know me, I'm just curious.
I didn't like the look of the guy at the bar
so I decided to wait outside to see if he followed me.
Instead, I saw Lorenzo.
♪ As I'm getting older ♪
♪ I been thinking about moving back home ♪
♪ To my beloved heaven ♪
♪ I'm tired of this city ♪
♪ And I'm tired of being alone ♪
♪ And I've got folks back there in Heaven ♪
♪ They are all waiting ♪
It was clear to me, that he was a lot more involved in the drug
trade than Slide let on.
♪ Heavenly Oh, yeah, heavenly. ♪
After listening to Slide's fairy tales
I went by the Coroner's office.
Skipping the science lesson,
he said that it was tainted speed that had killed Happy.
[Walsh] Thought you said you were just passing through.
Well, that's changed.
Have you been hired by Jayne Hunt?
Hired to do what?
Oh, come on!
Protect Becky!
Happy's been blatantly cheating on her all over town.
It seems like it's open/shut to me.
How do you know it's not one of those endless Texas blue bonnets
that he was deflowering,
promising he would leave his wife for them and didn't?
I don't buy it.
Or maybe more likely, it's a bunch of people
getting rich off of him messing up on the field.
What are you getting at?
Maybe they made him the same deal they made me years ago.
But they didn't want him dead, they just wanted him to mess up.
You know what I think?
I think all that L.A.
sunshine has done made you a bit loopy.
I think it's cleared my head up.
[thunder clap]
♪♪
[Rose] Light me.
Wanna do a shot?
All right.
Two.
To Happy.
He really was a great guy.
[clink]
Is that your-
mourning dress?
It's black, isn't it?
What there is of it.
[chuckles]
Did you get jealous every time he went home with his wife?
You wanna know if I killed him?
I'd like to know that.
Did Happy do drugs?
Please, no more questions.
You were a football player.
I like football players.
But not so much when they talk.
You like to watch?
Huh?
Do you like to watch?
- Excuse me? - People.
People?
Yeah, I guess I do.
Kind of a habit.
Those boys-
Always whispering.
Being secretive, like we don't know what's really going on.
Well, I had noticed that since I've been gone,
things have gotten a little bit more organized.
Oh, yeah. Daddy's got the whole state wired.
[Doc] Rose.
I'd like to have a moment with my friend here.
Yes, Daddy.
Let's you and me take a ride.
All right.
[Lorenzo] Yo, let's go.
♪♪
Where are we going? Anywhere in particular?
[Doc] You're here looking for that Van Poole woman.
Yup, that's right.
I can tell you where she is.
[thunderstorm]
Well, that would be nice.
But if I do that-
I want you to go home.
I'll give you a healthy going-away present.
Carson, you're a smart guy.
I'm sure you've put most of the pieces together already.
I just can't have anybody poking around in my business.
Honestly, Doc, I ain't interested in your business.
I know Jayne Hunt hired you to keep her daughter safe.
And I know you've been sniffing around Pleasant Meadows.
That's just not gonna work out for you.
Then all right, where is Barbara Van Poole?
She's dead.
She's as dead as Julius Caesar.
[thunderstorm]
And I'm sure she's not the only one.
Rich but crazy family members that nobody ever
gave a fuck about.
Look, you go back to Los Angeles with a police report from Walsh.
I'll have the Coroner give you a legitimate death certificate
and a nice will for her kin.
It's not a bad deal, Carson.
Walk away.
Oh, man.
I can't.
I screwed Jayne over once before
and I just can't live with myself if I do it again.
[deep sigh]
Suit yourself.
Go on, get him outta here.
Doc's goon dropped me off in a deserted part of town,
just to aggravate me. But I guess it was
better than being dropped off the side of a bridge.
[baby crying]
[cocks gun]
[gun shots]
Make a choice.
- No, no, no, no. - Make a choice.
You know what, I didn't even like them sons of bitches.
[baby crying]
All right, what's so important that you wouldn't
talk on the phone?
Carson's in trouble.
So?
Some hitmen followed him out from L.A.
The morgue's filling up. He killed two of them.
Really?
Isn't that interesting.
What you want me to do about it?
Make this his last warning.
And with Jayne?
Keep squeezing.
Better for all of us.
I want every drop of that oil.
All right.
[door closes]
[Walsh] Arrest imminent!
You know, we ID'd those shooters.
They're from L.A.
But I think you already knew that.
They're hitmen.
Wanna tell me who they are?
They're hitmen.
[Walsh laughs]
Don't get cute with me, Carson.
I'll throw you in the hole with them sodomites.
They'll have a good ole time with you, too.
Well, I can take care of myself.
How much money do you owe them?
Fifty thousand.
Fifty thousand? On gambling?
What difference does it make?
Now look, Walsh, I'll make you a deal.
You lay off Becky and I'll leave town.
You'll never hear from me again.
Don't think you're in no position to make a deal.
Oh, yes, I am. With what I know, lay off Becky.
Can't do that, Carson.
Thanks to you, everybody's watching now.
What's that supposed to mean?
That don't concern you.
Oh, it does concern me.
Let me ask you something.
You think helping Jayne is somehow gonna wipe away all your
sins from the past?
The way you just got up outta here and left that girl behind.
My leaving Jayne here was the best thing I could've possibly
done for her.
You do know it's gonna be easy to get a conviction.
Jayne is not very well liked around here.
And why would Jayne not be very well liked around here?
What did she ever do to anybody?
Her husband Charlie's oil poisoned the place.
We've done everything we could do to keep it a secret.
This is a beach town, remember?
Recognize her?
That's Becky.
And you should know that she told me that
Happy beat the hell out of her on more than one occasion.
One time, he damn near killed her!
And why didn't you do anything about it?
Like what, arrest our star quarterback?
I can make your little shootout last night a clear case of
self defense or I can make sure you rot in jail.
This is Texas, after all.
I'm gonna see my client.
Your move.
♪♪
Becky?
[Becky] Hi.
I know that guy.
I seen him before. What's his name?
It's Don.
He was one of Happy's best friends.
Right. Oh, that's where I saw him.
I saw him at the club.
So-
how you doing?
Better.
Good, good.
Would you mind if I asked you some questions?
Would you be all right with that?
Listen, I don't know anything.
Can I ask you how things were going before?
You know, unless you're able to tell me, I can't help you.
Sorry, it's just embarrassing.
Yeah.
He fooled around a lot before we were engaged, but-
Promised he wouldn't do it anymore.
Well, you gotta tell me something.
Was Happy doing drugs?
No. He was a workout nut.
Well, this is the problem, Becky.
We got this crazy Sheriff Walsh, he thinks
you're the only suspect, and that you have prime motive.
I didn't kill my husband.
[Jayne] You okay, honey?
I seen them pictures Walsh showed me.
You never told me that he was hurting her.
That's motive, Jayne. Come on,
if you want me to help you, you gotta tell me everything.
Isn't it clear to you that she didn't do it, Carson?
That's not the point.
Look, everyone in this town doesn't like you.
Why?
Of course they don't. I'm rich.
No. They said that- that your husband
poisoned everybody, or whatever the hell that means.
Look, you gotta come straight with me
and she's gotta get straight with me.
Let me show you something.
From what I understand, Charlie paid off every inspector
in the State of Texas to get this place up and running.
Within a year, people started getting sick.
They tested the ground water.
The reports were inconclusive.
I don't really believe that.
Just more corruption, like everything else in this town.
People die and nobody cares.
I found all this out after Charlie died.
[Carson] Well, that's not your responsibility.
Well, it is.
Why?
I wanted life to be easy for our daughter.
Our daughter.
Carson, she's our daughter.
The hell you talking about?
When I came to visit you before I married Charlie.
Why wouldn't you tell me something like that?
Well, you sure as hell weren't ready for marriage and a baby!
Well, don't I have something to do in that decision?
Come on!
Why'd you leave me in the first place?
You said you'd take me with you.
Why didn't you?
I'm sorry.
[Jayne sobs]
I'm so sorry.
I never stopped loving you.
[Jayne] I'm gonna make sure of it.
♪♪
[Carson] So it turns out I had a daughter.
This trip's just full of surprises.
And I have to admit that I was overcome with the
strangest of instincts.
Strange for me, anyway.
I actually started to think of others instead of myself.
I couldn't imagine what would come next.
[phone rings]
Hello.
Mr. Phillips.
Yup.
It's Michael Townsend, the Coroner.
You asked me to call you when the medical report came in
on Mr. Chandler.
Yeah, go ahead.
It was a high concentration of amphetamines and steroids.
There was also a finding of doxorubicin in his system.
What the hell is that?
Well, that's the odd part.
It's a cancer drug.
Cancer drug?
You can't buy that over the counter.
Oh, no. It has to be prescribed by a physician.
All right. Thank you.
[knocks on door]
Hey, you!
What you got there?
Coffee? [Becky] Coffee.
Well, I'm gonna have to put a bit of bourbon in that.
Oh, come on. Now I'm impressed.
Come on in.
♪♪
She told you.
I'm not dumb.
You could tell a lot just by the way she looked at you.
She never had that look in her eye with Charlie.
I asked her what was really going on.
She said you were the love of her life.
When Charlie proposed,
she went out to visit you in Los Angeles just to make sure.
She made the right choice.
I'm scared.
Don't be.
Ain't nothing gonna happen to you.
You understand?
Come on in.
♪♪
Well, what do you think?
You think I need coffee, or bourbon?
Coffee.
Coffee, huh? All right, have a seat.
Have a seat. Sorry about the mess.
I'm just not very good at taking care of myself.
But you sure are.
You're one- one beautiful girl.
All right now, what do we got here?
You got a coffee regular for you,
and for me.
And what did you buy here?
Donuts.
Oh, I like these.
Here you go.
One for you.
Thank you.
And one for me.
Would you like me to teach you how they eat donuts in L.A.?
Yeah.
I can't.
'Cause they don't eat donuts in L.A.
They eat sprouts.
However, I can show you how they do it in Texas.
You ready?
Dunk.
Maybe smaller bites.
Yeah.
You're too pretty to be dunkin' donuts.
Cheers.
First time I've ever toasted without liquor in it.
[grunting]
What the hell?
It's Slide.
Becky, close the door.
[grunts]
What the hell happened to you?
I went over to see Lorenzo.
To do what?
To collect some money?
You lied to me, Slide.
Becky, get some towels.
Why? Why this game, huh?
A hunch?
You expect me to believe that?
Yeah.
[slap]
What the hell was that for?
Because that girl in there has a lot to lose if I don't
get to the bottom of it.
[Doctor] I did bring your replacement pills.
Oh, thank you.
I'll try not to drop them down the toilet this time.
[sirens wailing]
Damn it.
[slap]
You ain't that tough, Slide. Now just tell me the truth.
- Just do it. - Okay.
[Walsh] Jayne?
I overheard this conversation between Doc and Happy.
Happy owed Doc a shitload of money.
I'll see you later in my office.
See you around, Carson.
Then Doc told him, "The only way you're gonna get even with me
is if you throw the game."
Starting a fistfight on the night before a big game.
You lost your mind?
Go home to your wife.
[Slide] That's the truth.
That's what I thought.
Then Happy got greedy. Very greedy.
[Lorenzo] The kid wants more. What should we do?
[Dr Mitchell] You need to step up and take care of that
little problem, Hoss. Go, go, go, go, go.
Mitchell made all the bets so it wouldn't look suspicious.
And then he killed him.
I knew it.
Jayne?
What the hell are you doing here?
Sorry to interrupt.
Becky around?
No.
Well, we need to talk to her.
Shit! I knew it!
You're gonna help me, though, aren't ya?
[phone rings]
Yeah.
[Jayne] Carson.
Walsh is here with an arrest warrant for Becky.
Put him on.
Carson, where is she?
Now listen to me, Walsh.
You trusted me one time, and I need you to trust me again.
I know for a fact that the game was fixed.
A lot of people could've benefited from it.
And I know who they are.
She was seen stalking him outside of Rose's.
The game was fixed!
Give me 24 hours and I will find your killer.
You better be right.
Else it'll be your tit in the ringer along with hers.
I owe you, Walsh.
And watch your mouth.
That's my daughter you're talking about.
Carson, he's gone.
I heard you went to see Doc.
We made a deal.
He promised to keep Walsh off Becky's back.
I knew I couldn't trust anyone but you, Carson.
Thank you.
[Doc] To what do I owe this surprise?
I know about the fix.
Now relax, it's the perfect reason to keep Happy alive.
Kind of guaranteed your arrangement.
Makes sense.
Now, unfortunately for you, Happy got greedy.
He got a partner.
Now, I know Mitchell was making drugs and Lorenzo was
selling them and expanding and cutting into your business.
And maybe he paid his debt off to you, and you lost your edge.
And maybe you set them both up.
Good theory.
And you make a good point.
I would be happier with those two out of the way,
but I'd rather sit back and watch.
You break up the drug ring, Lorenzo disappears,
Mitchell can't pay me, and Pleasant Meadows
becomes the best resort and 18 holes in all of South Texas.
You want a free membership?
There's a man like me in every town.
We're all alike.
Some are just-
better.
I never lose, Carson.
I'll keep that in mind.
[gun shots]
[grunts]
[deep breathing]
[gun shots]
[thwack]
[clunk]
There you go.
Good job.
My wife.
What were you doing, rolling around in a grave?
[echoing] rolling around in a grave?
She's dead.
And she's not the only one.
That's fresh dirt.
I can get that cleaned up for you.
[Geraldine] People just disappear here.
This is a bad place.
You all right, Mr. Phillips?
Found you.
Good evening, Mr. Carson Phillips.
Miles.
Why couldn't you just get lost?
You were warned so many times.
Just let me guess.
You was billing patient's families after they was dead?
That didn't make you enough money, so you start a new
business with Lorenzo. Is that right?
That's about the slow and skinny of it.
Well, let me congratulate you.
'Cause you're on the way to being the biggest meth dealer in
the State of Texas.
Thank you.
It looks like you saved me some work.
No, no, no, no.
This grave ain't big enough for me.
Come on, you can give me a helping hand.
I can't get my hands any more dirty.
Put the shov... [gun shots]
[Lorenzo] I kill you!
[gun shots]
Aahh!!
[gun shots]
I got you, cabrón!
Aquí vengo!
Ven, cabrón!
[shell drops]
Quieres más?
Tengo más balas, güey!
[gun shots]
Aahh!!
You hear me?
[gun shots]
I'm coming!
[panicked screams]
[gun racks]
[gun shot]
Aaahhh!!
Tú no te me escapas, cabrón!
Aquí estoy, güey!
[gun shots]
[whimpering]
I got you, motherfucker!
[screams]
[wailing]
It's over, Miles.
It's over.
Put the gun down.
Put it down.
Go ahead, put it down.
Now, you be a gentleman.
Be a gentleman,
and just tell me,
you poisoned Happy with them bad drugs.
And that you murdered him.
You tell me that.
Say it.
Sorry.
[sobs]
I always knew you were one of the greats.
[gun shot]
[crowd] Ooohh!!
[Female Patient] Yay, he got what he deserved!
[applause]
[explosion]
♪♪
[police radio chatter]
You wouldn't happen to have a light, would you?
[Walsh] What happened here?
Well, let's see.
You got Mitchell's meth lab that just blew up
and you got a whole bunch of his patients
buried all over these grounds.
I ain't surprised.
What was I supposed to do?
Well, I don't know.
What were you supposed to do, Sheriff?
That ain't the way things run around here.
You should know better.
Where's Miles at?
Miles is dead.
And he told me that he was the one who gives Happy them bad
drugs just to cover his bets, or guarantee they would happen.
I told you Becky never had anything to do with this.
I told you that.
Fraud.
Drug smuggling.
Murder.
You got some case on your hands, buddy.
Some case.
I wouldn't be surprised if you were re-elected next year.
I like the sound of that.
Any holes?
Just the ones you're gonna be digging up tonight.
[chuckles]
You gonna lay off Becky?
Well...
everyone's dead.
[Doc] You look like shit.
Want a drink?
It's 1:00 a.m. Do you ever sleep?
I try not to.
I hate those little snippets of death.
So, I understand you had quite a night.
Oh, you already heard.
So,
my competition is no longer with us.
Now,
I guess I owe you one, Carson.
Well, I'm glad you feel that way.
And I understand that you made a deal with Jayne.
I did.
I'm guessing it has something to do with her oil wells.
Hm-mm.
And I'm sure she asked you to ask Walsh to back off.
She did.
And I asked him.
And he didn't.
He didn't?
Is Becky in trouble?
Not anymore.
Miles killed Happy.
[scoffs]
Says you.
There's no proof.
Just you saying so.
You might wanna let this one go, Carson.
Unless of course you want this whole thing re-opened.
The deal I made with Jayne is between me and her.
There's no end to the lengths a mother will go
to protect her daughter.
When's enough enough?
There's always more.
Thanks for the drink.
I told you, Carson,
I never lose.
Yeah, you told me.
[thunder]
[coughs]
It's all over.
I knew I could count on you.
♪♪
Good morning.
You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you.
How you doing?
Wonderful. You?
Me, too.
Want some breakfast?
Thanks.
What, for last night or for breakfast?
Well, I haven't had breakfast yet.
Get dressed.
Let's join our daughter.
Some things never change.
Oh, man oh man.
♪♪
[pouring]
♪♪
Last night felt like it was 20 years ago.
When we were younger,
and healthier.
How much time do you have, Jayne?
Not much.
You told me you met Barbara Van Poole at the sanitarium.
Now, did you cook all of this up so I would come out,
clean it up, get Becky off the hook?
Is that what you did?
I have no idea what you're talking about.
A mother will do anything to protect her daughter.
Tell me that you did it, Jayne.
It might make you feel better.
[Becky] Momma, what's going on?
Did you kill my husband, Momma?
[Carson] Tell her, Jayne.
Momma.
He was a monster.
He would'a killed you.
Oh, sweetheart.
I knew I wasn't gonna be around to protect you.
There was no other way to save you, honey.
I'm so sorry.
♪♪
In 1971, scientists predicted that a comet named Kahoutek
would pass closer to Earth than any other heavenly body
in history.
Timothy Leary said it was a cosmic windshield wiper
that would wash this planet clean of all its bad karma.
The hippies waited with bated breath, but '71 came and went
somehow Kahoutek veered off into space.
They say we'll have to wait another thousand years
for it to return.
Till then, someone else will have to deal with all this shit.
♪♪
To say goodbye is to die a little.
I wasn't quite ready for that.
I wasn't in a hurry to go home.
Then I realized I already was.
♪♪