All right, boys.
You've had your fun, now go on. You just run along home.
Nigger lover.
-I didn't catch what you said. -Get rid of the nigger.
You don't,
we will.
Now, is that a suggestion or is that an order?
That's a warning!
I see.
(GROANS)
Go on and take this trash out of here.
Come on, move it and go!
(GROANING)
Well, finally get the message, Virgil?
May I get in?
-I thought you left town. -Not yet.
Could you follow the same route you followed Tuesday night, same speed?
-Why? -Why not?
-Maybe I'd better check with the Chief. -Maybe you'd better.
I wouldn't want him to slap you down for stepping out of line,
making decisions on your own and all that.
He don't knock me out of my socks.
Let's get rolling, Virgil.
♪ (FOUL OWL PLAYING) ♪
♪ All you little birds better lock up tight ♪
♪ 'Cause there's a foul owl on the prowl tonight ♪
♪ Eey, little lark, get outta the dark ♪
♪ Foul owl on the prowl ♪
♪ Cute little jay stay outta his way ♪
♪ Foul owl on the prowl ♪
♪ You just might be the quail he'll tail ♪
♪ Foul owl on the prowl ♪
♪ You just might be the swallow he'll follow ♪
♪ Foul owl on the prowl ♪
♪ If you hear him hoot (Scoot) ♪
♪ If you pass his tree (Flee) ♪
♪ If you catch his eye (Fly) ♪
♪ Don't wait to say goodbye ♪
Take ten minutes to get myself a king-sized Coke and a wedge of pie.
(CHUCKLES)
That is, if that peckerwood ain't sold out again.
-Can I bring you anything? -No, I'm coming in.
I thought I told you to get the hell out of here.
-I'm not ready to leave. -I was gonna tell you in the morning.
You forget about those four maniacs this afternoon?
I need more time.
-Time. Do I put you on the train myself? -I guess so.
All right, Virgil, just what the hell do you want?
I want to know exactly where Sam Wood was...
at all times on the night of the murder.
♪ If you pass his tree (Flee) ♪
♪ If you catch his eye (Fly) ♪
Virgil, if you get killed, we'll have one hell of a mess in this town.
Do you know that?
♪ Ee's got a yen For a pretty little hen ♪
I know.
♪ Foul owl on the prowl ♪
♪ Ee's hungry for a chick Sir, get home quick ♪
♪ Foul owl on the prowl ♪
♪ Foul owl... ♪
Got some real luscious cream pie for you tonight, Sam.
I mean, Officer Wood. Just like you always order.
Now you know I don't eat that stuff.
The Chief likes his boys streamlined. Ain't that right, Chief?
Why don't you shut up, Sam?
-All right, what'll you have, Virgil? -I ain't serving him.
(FLY BUZZING)
Tuesday night, you walked out of here at 2:40, right?
Right on the button.
Two minutes from now.
That's for him.
What did you do when you came out that night?
(CLEARS THROAT)
-Well, I picked up the radio and called in. -Do it, please.
Go ahead.
Wood to radio. I'm leaving Compton's now.
GEORGE: Sam, you better look sharp. Gillespie's sniffing around.
GILLESPIE: Give me that thing.
I checked with your brother.
He told me I didn't tell him to fix that hinge.
That means I told you, do you read me, Courtney?
-I'll get right on it, Chief. -I'd do that if I were you.
Yes, sir. 10-4.
(ENGINE STARTS)
All right, you can move us, Officer Wood.
(DOG BARKING)
-Why did you do that, Sam? -Do what?
Change your route back there at the corner?
Who says I changed?
Look, I ought to know what I did.
Chief, do I have to put up with this? Do I work for you or do I work for him?
(BABY CRYING)
Goodnight, gentlemen.
I don't know.
-I don't know. -Well, I appreciate anything you can do.
-You know, this is highly irregular. -Yeah, I know that.
Showing our depositors' accounts.
I don't know.
-You sure this is an official request? -Yes, it's official. Yes.
-You willing to put that in writing? -I'll put it in writing any place you'd like it.
On a police department letterhead?
I would write it on the head of a pin if you want it there.
I gotta have something for the file, you know.
I realize that, but I'm in a hurry, Mr. Henderson.
We'll see.
He's had an account with us for several years now.
That so?
Not a large account.
Never more than, well...
$208.
That was back in '62, September.
I am not interested in '62 September. I am interested in yesterday.
Yesterday, well,
according to this, he made a deposit of...
$632.
-Yesterday? -Yes.
Thank you.
That must've been when I was out to lunch.
A deposit that size, I'd remember.
You'll send me that letter for the files, you hear?
I'll tell you something, baby brother.
The Chief didn't like him, not even from the first.
-VIRGIL: Good morning. -Where do you think you're going?
GEORGE: It's all right, let him go.
I've just gotten off the phone with the FBI lab.
We can prove that Colbert was there in that greenhouse.
Endicott's covering up.
(LAUGHING)
I'm afraid you're a little late, Virgil. We already got the guilty man.
-Who? -Sam.
-Sam? -That's right.
Our man is Endicott.
Just think a minute. Didn't you catch Sam in a lie last night?
And yesterday, he goes ahead and makes a big cash deposit at the bank.
If I told you once,
I told you a hundred times that I won that money...
matching quarters and halves, and it took me three years to do it.
Then why was it in big bills? I checked at the bank.
Because whenever I got enough change, I'd trade it in on $20 bills.
When I got up to $600, I took it down and put it in the bank.
All I know is, the day Colbert was killed he cashed a check for $900,
$600 of which is missing.
$300 you left in the wallet as sucker bait for some poor kid, like that Harvey Oberst.
-What kind of man do you think I am? -Now, don't you push me, boy!
Now listen, if you weren't suspicious of Sam here,
why did you question him last night when he changed his route?
-I already knew why he changed his route. -Knew what?
He was afraid I'd see some naked white girl down the block.
-What are you talking about... -Some girl named Delores Purdy.
She parades around in the nude at night to get her kicks. That's...
-How do you know? -I know.
Well, I know, you understand?
I know that Colbert cashed the check for $900.
I know that Sam made a big cash deposit.
I know that you caught him in a lie and I know that's enough for me.
Come on, Sam. Martin, lock him up.
Well?
(CHUCKLING) You're making a mistake.
Don't you bet against it.
You catch your train now, Virgil.
Tibbs, do you think Sam did it?
Where do I find the Chief?
-What's this all about? -My business.
(GRUNTING)
Look, Purdy, now, you got a complaint? Right here is where you file it.
What I got to say, I say to the Chief.
It's about Sam Wood.
All right.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
GILLESPIE: Yeah?
HAROLD: Purdy's out here, sir. It's about Sam.
GILLESPIE: All right, send him in.
She is gonna have a baby, Sam Wood's baby.
Ask her yourself if you don't believe me.
What're you doing here?
It's important that I hear this.
(GILLESPIE SIGHS)
Well, I ain't talking about this with him in the room.
Boy, you don't want a slew of trouble, you'd get.
You be sensible. I'm a police officer.
You gonna get him out of here or do I got to do it?
You ain't gonna do nothing.
You just stand there and shut up.
(GIGGLES)
Sit down, little girl.
All right, now,
you tell me all about it. You just tell me how it happened.
Come on, girl, speak.
-Well, you know how hot it's been. -Yeah.
Nights, they aren't any better.
My brother works nights.
He leaves me all alone.
This particular night, I go out on the porch.
I'm thinking how nice it'd be if I had a fountain drink.
Sam comes down our road,
just like he comes every night,
passing like a lord in that fine, big, shiny car.
Only this time, he stops.
He's got a nice face, don't you think, Chief?
So he stopped.
(EXHALES)
-And he says... -What? I didn't hear what you said.
He says, "Hey, little girl,
"you know what the coolest spot in town is?"
And I said, "No, Sam, I guess I don't."
And he said, "A cemetery, that's where.
"Know why?
"Because they got all of them big, cool tombstones.
"Ever stretch out on a tombstone, Delores?
"And feel all that nice, cool marble along your body?"
He said that?
-You hear, Chief? You hear? -Yeah, I hear.
All right, now. Sam comes along, stops in front of your house,
and stops to talk to you. And what else?
Well, come on now, girl, what else?
-Then I went for a ride with him. -Where'd you go?
To the cemetery.
So Wood took you to the cemetery in the patrol car, right?
And then things went a little bit too far, is that what you're saying?
Did they get a little bit out of line? Come on, now.
Is that what you're trying to say? Come on, girl, is it or ain't it?
-Yeah, they went too far. -Well, fine.
Now, I got one more question, very important.
Did he force you or did you let him?
Don't mean a damn whether she let him or not.
She is still 16. In this state, that's rape.
I checked on that. I know the plain law on that.
I know the laws in the state of Mississippi, thank you!
-Are you sure you're pregnant? -Yes, I am pregnant!
-Courtney. -Yes, sir.
Better get in here with a pad and a pencil.
Come on in. I want you to take this all down.
You had no right to keep that nigger in the room.
Shame my little sister.
You had no right.
-Hey, Virge, what's happening? -Hi, Harv.
-How are you, Virgil? -All right.
Man, you know,
you sure saved my hide.
Listen, Harvey,
if a guy knocks up a girl in this town, where can he go for help?
-Barber shop. -Barber shop?
Borrow Mr. Fanning's razor and cut your throat.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
Let's suppose Mr. Fanning's razor is too dull.
Suppose he's got some real money to spread around.
Well, there used to be a colored girl.
But she kept bumping her price, and I don't know if she's still in business.
-What's her name? -I ain't never had to look her up.
But Packy might know.
Where do I find Packy?
Down at the pool hall. But, man, he wouldn't tell you.
Not unless I say so.
And how am I gonna say so locked up in here?
Suppose I get word to Packy that you wanna see him, have him come here?
You'll let him bring me a cheeseburger?
-Onions? -Now you're talking.
WOOD: (STAMMERING) Virge.
(RUSTLING)
Getting a little careless, ain't you, Virgil? Your car parked in the road like that.
You'll get yourself killed. Anybody'll know where you are.
-You know what this land is? -I know. It's the site for the new factory.
I found a piece of wood in Colbert's scalp. The lab identified it as pine.
Three people saw Colbert drive by their houses alone,
on the way back from Endicott's.
Colbert must have picked up somebody in town and then
come out here.
You got it all figured out, ain't you? I tell you he didn't pick up nobody.
Sam followed him out here in the patrol car,
Sam come up behind him, just like I come up behind you.
I heard you coming. Colbert would've heard, too.
Yeah, he heard. He turned and he got smashed.
He was hit from behind.
If Delores Purdy hadn't come into your office,
I never would've seen the truth.
I was hung up trying to get Endicott for personal reasons.
You know what I'm gonna do, Virgil?
I'm gonna take you over to Brownsville and put you on the bus myself.
You aren't taking me anywhere, you dig?
-You're holding the wrong man. -What do you mean, the wrong man?
I got the motive, which is money, and the body, which is dead.
-What makes you so sure? -Why do you doubt it?
Because Colbert was killed here.
Then driven back to town in his own car and dumped on the streets.
Sam couldn't have driven two cars.
What do you want?
Give me till morning.
(CHUCKLES)
You know, Virgil, you are among the chosen few.
How's that?
I think that you're the first human being that's ever been in here.
Well, you can't be too careful, man.
You know a lot of things, don't you?
Well, just what do you know about insomnia?
Bourbon can't cure it.
(CHUCKLES)
Well, that's for sure.
Now look, I got no wife, I got no kids.
Boy, I got a town that don't want me.
And I got an air conditioner that I have to oil myself,
and a desk with a busted leg and on top of that I got
(SIGHS)
this place.
Don't you think that'd drive a man to taking a few drinks?
(DISTANT TRAIN HORN BLARES)
I'll tell you a secret.
Nobody comes here.
Never.
You married?
No.
Ever been?
No.
Ever been close to it?
Close to it.
Don't you get just...
a little lonely?
No lonelier than you, man.
Now, don't get smart, black boy.
I don't need it.
No pity, thank you.
No, thank you.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
-Yeah? -Chief?
-Yeah? -You know where I can find Virgil?
-Who're you? -Packy, Chief. Packy Harrison.
A friend of Harv's.
You got something for me?
-Yeah. -Where you going?
Where whitey ain't allowed.
-What the hell does that mean? -You gave me till morning, remember?
(CAR ENGINE STARTS)
-He's gone. -Hell, he could've exchanged cars by now.
-Let's go. -You stick here. We'll keep cruising.
You find him, you come back for me, you hear?
That's her place here. You want me to wait?
No, thank you, Packy.
You go on home.
-Mrs. Bellamy? -People around here call me Mama Caleba.
Mama, I'm not from around here. But you can put me on my train.
You talk crazy. You gin-drunk?
Just homesick.
Lord.
Whisper two little words, Mama, and I'm on my way.
Maybe,
I don't want to sever a beautiful child like you right out.
A man's name.
First name, last name.
The man who's paying you for Delores Purdy's abortion.
You're the boy who works for Mr. Charlie.
I thought that's who you was.
Why you wanna do that?
Why you wanna help the police like that?
They stealing your soul.
They chew you up and spit you out.
I'm not here to lay a finger on you, Mama.
-It's the white boy I want. -What you got against him?
-He's paying for his fun. -How much?
I bet he's not paying more than $100.
You know how much he's got in his pocket right now? More than $600.
That cracker?
-Where'd he come off getting $600? -He killed Mr. Colbert.
You gone crazy out of your mind.
Now listen. Hear me good, Mama, please.
Don't make me have to send you to jail.
Lot you care.
There's white time in jail and there's colored time in jail.
The worse kind of time you can do is colored time.
Child, you promise.
Give me understanding.
I got used to better. You won't take it away?
I won't take it away.
I don't know his name,
but she's coming here tonight, get herself straight.
-Leave me alone. Let me go. -MAN: Let go of her!
-I'm afraid. Let go of me. -Let go of her.
Let go of me.
I'm gonna teach you, boy.
No club this time, man? Gun's not smart.
The way you killed Colbert was much smarter.
You killed Colbert.
He's crazy. Crazy.
(TIRES SCREECHING)
(HORN BLARING)
(MEN CHATTERING EXCITEDLY)
- MAN 1: Come on. - MAN 2: There he is.
(CHATTERING CONTINUES)
-Okay, nigger. -Your time, nigger.
Look in her purse.
What's that mean?
She's got $100 to pay for an abortion.
-MAN 3: Listen to that. That's crazy. -Money she got from Ralph.
You gonna listen to him?
VIRGIL: He got her to tell you that Sam Wood did it.
He made a fool out of you, Purdy.
-PURDY: Delores? -Liar!
You stinking liar!
PURDY: Get her purse.
(DELORES SCREAMING)
You turned my little sister...
into a field slut.
DELORES: (SCREECHING) Lloyd!
Man, stand back. He's got a gun.
He's dead.
(SOBBING)
I'm sorry.
That night when I left her house, I was going to the diner,
and Mr. Colbert drove by. So I hitched a ride with him, that's all.
I said, "I sure would like a job in that new factory once you get started."
And he said, "Sure."
And I said I wondered where it was gonna be.
He said, "That field we're coming to right up ahead was it."
And he was gonna stop and show me.
I said to myself, "Man, he's asking for it."
I said, "Now, Ralph, all you gotta do when we get out,
"just sneak up behind him and you just tap him.
"And then just claim that somebody jumped us from the bushes."
That's all.
I didn't mean to kill him.
Yeah. All right, Courtney, that's enough.
All right, come on now.
(TAPE REWINDING)
RALPE: That's all.
I didn't mean to kill him.
(HORN BLARING)
Well, got your ticket? Here you are.
Thank you.
-Bye, bye. -Bye.
Virgil,
you take care, you hear?
Yeah.
♪ (IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT PLAYING) ♪
♪ In the heat ofthe night ♪
♪ I've got trouble wall to wall ♪
♪ Oh, yes, I have ♪
♪ I repeat ♪
♪ I repeat, in the night ♪
♪ Must be an endin' to it all ♪
♪ Eold on, it won't be long ♪
♪ Yeah, you be strong ♪
♪ And it'll be all right ♪
♪ In the heat of the night ♪