Kalifornia

Brian Kessler:
You know, I didn't know this about you, I didn't know you were so prejudice.

Carrie Laughlin:
Oh please, because when someone takes of their shoe and scratches their foot while I'm eating and you call me prejudice?

Brian Kessler:
He can't help the way he was raised. I kinda feel sorry for him.

Carrie Laughlin:
You feel sorry for him. That's so sweet. You obviously didn't get a whiff of that sock!

Brian Kessler:
B*tch, b*tch, b*tch!

Brian Kessler:
I'll never know why Early Grayce became a killer. I don' know why any of them did. When I looked into his eyes I felt nothing, nothing. That day I learned any one of us is capable of taking another human life. But I also learned there is a difference between us and them: it's feeling remorse. Dealing with it. Confronting a conscience. Early never did.

Brian Kessler:
I remember once going on a school trip to the top of the Empire State Building. When I looked down at the crowds of people on the street they looked like ants. I pulled out a penny and some of us started talking about what would happen if I dropped it from up there and it landed on someone's head. Of course I never crossed that line and actually dropped the penny. I don't think Early Grayce even knew there was a line to cross.

Brian Kessler:
I'd always wanted to be a writer, but there's a big difference between writing a magazine article and writing a book. I know I wrote a magazine article. Everything I ever wanted to know about serial killers fit nicely on those four pages. The article got me a book deal with a little cash up front, but between the rent and the convertible the advance was gone. I owed a book and I was stuck. What little I knew about seial killers I learned in a university library. The only thing I knew for certain was that people didn't kill each other in libraries.

Brian Kessler:
What the hell did I know about California? For some people it was still a place of hopes and dreams, a chance to start over. The idea was if you could get there everything would be okay, and if it wasn't okay there, well, it probably wasn't going to be okay anywhere.

Early Grayce:
Tell me, big shot, how you gonna write a book about something you know nothing about?

Brian Kessler:
How many people have you killed, Early?

Early Grayce:
Well, now, how many people have you seen me kill, Bri?

Brian Kessler:
None.

Early Grayce:
That's how many I killed.

Brian Kessler:
If you say so.

Early Grayce:
Damn right I do. Shut up! Eat your food. You ain't never killed no one, have you, Bri?

Brian Kessler:
No.

Early Grayce:
No. Ain't seen nobody killed either, have you?

Brian Kessler:
No, I haven't.

Early Grayce:
No. Tell me something, big time. How are you going to write a book about something you know nothing about?

Early Grayce:
Some day me and Adele be walking down the road and we'll see your book and we'll buy it and put it on our coffee table.

Carrie Laughlin:
Too graphic. Too overt. Not suitable for mass consumption.

Early Grayce:
Cold weather makes people stupid and that's a fact.

Adele Corners:
Will you tell me more about California?

Early Grayce:
Yeah, I guess so. Let's see. One thing, people think faster out there on the account of all that warm weather. Cold weather makes people stupid. That's a fact.

Adele Corners:
I guess that explains why there's so many stupid people around here.

Early Grayce:
It sure does. You know what else? You never have to buy no fruit on account it's all on the trees everywhere you turn. And they ain't got no speed limits. I hear your first month's rent is free, state law. So I'm thinking till we get settled we'll just move around from month to month. How will that be with you, momma?

Adele Corners:
What are we going to do out there, Early?

Early Grayce:
By God the first thing we're going to do is get us ! a couple of six-packs of Lucky Lager and we're going to climb up to that famous Hollywood sign. We're going to howl at the moon, goddamn it.

Early Grayce:
Yeah, just like that.

Adele Corners:
I heard once that there ain't nothing on that old moon except some little golf balls the astronauts left behind.

Early Grayce:
Nah, that ain't right. That's bullshit. The government be sending people there all the time. Just don't want us to know about it.

Brian Kessler:
When you dream there are no rules. People can fly. Anything can happen. Sometimes there's a moment as you're waking and you become aware of the real world around you, but you are still dreaming. You may think you can fly but you better not try.

Early Grayce:
Reebs. That's what we used to call them when we was kids. It's beer spelled backwards.

Brian Kessler:
Early lived in the moment. He did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. I don't know if I was fascinated or frightened by him.

Brian Kessler:
Early seemed harmless. Primitive, but harmless. Of course the fact of the matter was he had killed his landlord less than an hour before we met him. He was even wearing the guy's ring. Who knows what he did with the finger?

Adele Corners:
Early don't eat breakfast. He thinks its a conspiracy put together by the cereal people.

Carrie Laughlin:
He hits you?

Adele Corners:
Oh, only when I deserve it.

Adele Corners:
I like your hair 'cause it's short.

Brian Kessler:
When you first meet people all you notice are the differences between you and them, but as time passes you start noticing the similarities. I guess that's how all friendships begin.

Early Grayce:
Hey, if you switched two letters in your name it'd spell, um... brain!

Carrie Laughlin:
Oh Brian, you've got to be kidding me. Look at them. They look like Okies.

Adele Corners:
Oh Jesus, Early, they look kinda weird.

Carrie Laughlin:
They look like they don't have five bucks between them.

Carrie Laughlin:
Oh, God. Please don't let them be as boring as Brian's friends. Anything but that.

Early Grayce:
Is it just me, or did this trip go downhill since we ran out of Lucky lager.

Brian Kessler:
The answer is primitive psychosis. Not the electric chair.

Brian Kessler:
Yeah, but executing the killer would not bring my mother back now would it?

Carrie Laughlin:
Thank God.

Carrie Laughlin:
He beats her, you know.

Brian Kessler:
How do you know that?

Carrie Laughlin:
Because she told me, that's how I know that.

Carrie Laughlin:
Did you happen to know that he was in jail?

Brian Kessler:
Yeah, for stealing a car.

Carrie Laughlin:
Oh, really! Is that what he told you? He told her it was for carrying a gun! Brian, it could be for murder for all we know!

Brian Kessler:
Would you stop being so f***ing melodramatic!

Early Grayce:
Smells like butt!

Early Grayce:
What is that?

Adele Corners:
That's Lucy. Hey, that's mine.

Early Grayce:
Adele, what kind of cuckoo-brain carries a cactus in her purse? Huh?

Adele Corners:
I don't know.

Early Grayce:
Straighten up.

Adele Corners:
Oh Jesus, Early, they look kinda weird.

Early Grayce:
Will you just smile and let me do the talking.

Adele Corners:
How many times are you going to tell me that?

Early Grayce:
As many times it takes, Adele.

Adele Corners:
You know, I used to smoke before I met Early. But he broke me of that.

Carrie Laughlin:
Broke you?

Adele Corners:
Oh. Yeah. Cos Early don't think women should smoke or drink or cuss. So you know what I do? I spell all my cuss words.

Early Grayce:
I was reading in your deal there how they never caught that Black Dolly killer.

Brian Kessler:
Black Dahlia.

Early Grayce:
Yeah.

Brian Kessler:
They didn't.

Early Grayce:
I was wondering how come. See what I'm getting at? It's like 'Hmm?'.

Brian Kessler:
Well, some people think he just stopped killing and disappeared back into society.

Early Grayce:
That's fine and dandy, but I wanna know what a smart fella like yourself thinks.

Brian Kessler:
I always thought it was the work of a serial killer. You know, anybody who took such time and care bisecting another human being.

Early Grayce:
Bisecting?

Brian Kessler:
You know, he cut them in two.

Early Grayce:
Oh, he hacked them up?

Brian Kessler:
In two pieces, yeah. In half. Anybody who did that much have been enjoying it and he would have done it again and again until someone stopped him.

Early Grayce:
That's good. That's a good theory, Bri. You wanna hear mine?

Brian Kessler:
Sure.

Early Grayce:
OK. Ain't you gonna record it?

Brian Kessler:
Early Grace's Black Dahlia theory. June 23rd.

Early Grayce:
OK. Now, I'm betting his still alive. Real old, living in a trailer park or something, somewheres. But he's alive, see. Now, he's thinking about what he's done, going over it and over it in his head, every night, thinking how smart he is for getting away with it.

Adele Corners:
My God, Carrie. If Early ever saw me in a picture like that I'd be black-and-blue for a week.

Carrie Laughlin:
You shouldn't let him do that to you.

Adele Corners:
You think Early's mean to me? Well, he's not. He may punish me once in a while, but he's not mean. Um, when I was 13 there was these three boys and they raped me in the back of this truck. They hurt me sob bad that I was in the hospital for, like, four months. And I feel safe with Early cos most of the time he treats me really nice. I know that he'd never. He would never let anything like that ever happen to me again.

Early Grayce:
How long have you had your woman, bud?

Brian Kessler:
Three years.

Early Grayce:
Yeah? She's a good one. She's a breeder, you dog.

Brian Kessler:
I'll tell her you said she's a breeder. She'll like that. I'll tell her that.

Early Grayce:
Only thing my old man ever gave me was this goddamn .45. Japanese but it's pretty good. Go on, shoot it.

Brian Kessler:
No, I never did this. I don't know how to do this.

Early Grayce:
Yeah, you can do it. Point and shoot the damn thing. No, bud, you're jerking it. You're all like this. You gotta hold it soft, like your pecker. OK?

Early Grayce:
What's your name, boy?

Walter Livesy:
Walter Livesy.

Early Grayce:
Well, I think I gotta kill you, Walter. How you feel about that?

Walter Livesy:
Not so good. Are you sure you have to?

Early Grayce:
Don't know. Wish I did.

Carrie Laughlin:
Early, please be.

Early Grayce:
Shut up! Goddammit! I'm trying to have a conversation with Walter! Sorry about that, Walter. Where you from?

Walter Livesy:
Vernon, Florida.

Early Grayce:
Don't know it. Any hunting?

Walter Livesy:
Turkeys sometimes.

Early Grayce:
Yeah, turkeys are real smart. Smarter than most people think. Tell you what, Walter. I want you down on your belly. Get on your belly. I want you to stay there a long time after we leave. We got a deal, son?

Walter Livesy:
Yeah. Yes, sir. You mind if I hold onto that Bible over there?

Early Grayce:
What do you want with a Bible, Walter? Huh? He thinks I'm gonna kill him. Now that would make me a liar, wouldn't it?

Walter Livesy:
No.

Early Grayce:
No?

Early Grayce:
Got them both on the dead run.

Adele Corners:
No! No, no, no Early!

Early Grayce:
Come on, momma.

Early Grayce:
Tell me that don't hurt. Here.

Brian Kessler:
What?

Early Grayce:
Gotta put that crippled dog out of his misery. You wanna know about it, you gotta do it, son. Shoot him. Come on, lay it on in there. Come on, mean boy. Come on, mean boy. Do it! Shoot him! Shoot the dog! Time to live, boy. Shoot him. Come on. Go! Go, mean boy.

Early Grayce:
You f*ggot.

Brian Kessler:
Look at his face! It's not your father. Look at him!

Early Grayce:
I know that, you idiot. That's police in a world of hurting. This here's a mercy killing.

Carrie Laughlin:
Oh God!

Early Grayce:
Let's hit the road.

Early Grayce:
You haven't even said thank you.

Adele Corners:
Thank you.

Early Grayce:
Thank you for what, Adele?

Adele Corners:
I don't know, Early.

Early Grayce:
Well, Adele, it's for saving your f***ing life back there! Goddamn! You were this close, momma, from spending the night in the county morgue.

Carrie Laughlin:
He wasn't going to shoot her, you murdering son of a b*tch!

Brian Kessler:
Stop it, Carrie.

Carrie Laughlin:
What are you f***ing insane?

Brian Kessler:
Shut up!

Carrie Laughlin:
He's a monster!

Brian Kessler:
Shut up, Carrie!

Early Grayce:
Momma? What are you crying for? I'm the one who got hit.

Adele Corners:
Cos I decided, Early, I'm not gonna climb up that Hollywood sign with you.

Early Grayce:
And why not?

Adele Corners:
Cos you're mean, Early.

Early Grayce:
No, I'm not.

Adele Corners:
You hurt those people, Early. I don't wanna do it with you. I loved you, Early. You just be quiet. You are mean.

Adele Corners:
Know what, Brian? One night when we was stayin' up late we was talkin' 'bout how much bad luck he must have comin' from all those mirrors he broke, and I swear we came to 449 years it would take for him to work it all off, and he'd have to - after he died - he's gonna have to keep comin' back to earth over and over and over again.

Carrie Laughlin:
Karma.

Adele Corners:
What?

Carrie Laughlin:
Karma. You know, when you do something bad to someone and fate pays you back by something bad happening to you.

Adele Corners:
[blowing a bubble] Is that French?

Early Grayce:
[looking at Carrie's photos, dropping them to the ground after looking at each one] Boring. Boring. Dog sh*t. Now that don't leave much to the imagination, does it? I know him. [photo shows a person with white mask on] That's my daddy. F***er. [drops it and proceeds to the next photo] Boring. [drops it and then pauses a moment studying the next photo. That's you ain't it?

Carrie Laughlin:
Yeah, that's me. Do you like it? What do you think?

Early Grayce:
[studies it a moment longer, jabs his finger through it and then sticks his tongue through it] Dog sh*t! [drops photo on ground] Boring. Stinky. Stinky. [to Brian as he sits back in chair] You gotta learn how to control your woman better. But lucky for you, they take all kinds in California. That's where we'll be tomorrow. California.

Brian Kessler:
[at the sound of a gunshot] What was that?

Adele Corners:
[nervously] Nothing, Brian. It was just the thunder. Oh my God.

Brian Kessler:
[to Early who's dragging Carrie along] Hey, Early, what the f*** are you doing? We talked about this.

Early Grayce:
Oh, Brian. You gonna like this one. Get in. Big fella you riding shotgun. Adele, you drive. [throws Carrie into backseat with him]

Brian Kessler:
What's going on? What are you doing?

Early Grayce:
Come on bud, let's go. Get us out of here momma.

[they drive off]

Brian Kessler:
What happened back there?

Carrie Laughlin:
[crying] Oh my God. He shot him. He shot him in the head.

Brian Kessler:
Who shot who in the head?

Adele Corners:
No, he didn't Carrie.

Early Grayce:
Everybody just shut up! Goddamn, b*tch, quit squawking. Nothing's changed. I'm gonna get you there, safe, to California. [chuckles] That is, if Adele don't kill us with her driving first.