CASS (turning TV down): I believe in God.

SALAZAR: Then what’s your problem?

CASS: I think he’s mean. I think he’s an asshole.

NEWS VOICE (as CASS turns TV up):—crushing themselves through plate glass windows, and shoppers carried by escalators into the flames. Eighty-seven dead have been recovered, and one stretch of hallway remains—

CASS (stabbing the Off button): Carried into the flames. (Pause.) I woke up this morning with somebody’s pistol.

SALAZAR: In bed? It’s fortunate for you you didn’t shoot your weenie off.

CASS: I been on a pretty mean run the last better than a week. My memory’s coming back in drips and drabs.

SALAZAR: I can’t help you there.

CASS: You helped me. You scared me. You jolted my MIND. Salazar—you’re quietly scary. You’ve got a crazy way about you…“You too could have a career in law enforcement.”

SALAZAR: I come in peace. But I mean business.

CASS: Three people set this up—a woman named Kate Wendell, and a guy, I think it’s her boyfriend, his name is Jack she called him. And a guy I never did get his name. Looks like his brother.

SALAZAR: Whose brother?

CASS: Jack’s brother.

SALAZAR: He looks like Jack’s brother. Bill Jenks.

CASS: You know the guy?

SALAZAR: Sure. Brother Jenks? He’s kind of—he started the Children of Jehovah.

CASS: He started? A dealer in quantity drugs?

SALAZAR: He’s a fallible, corruptible human.

CASS: Well, he sure proved that.

SALAZAR: “We are every one frail. Consider none so frail as thyself.”

CASS: Is that a Dead Sea Scroll thing?

SALAZAR: Thomas à Kempis. The Imitation of Christ.

CASS: Well yeah, man, because your boy better put some polish on his imitation…Look, you’re impersonating a cop, and I’m impersonating a thief. Because I ain’t a thief. This whole robbery incident just materialized. All by itself, like a dream. I figured as long as I’m in Houston and I’m kind of putting the fear in this woman, Kate Wendell, well, she’s right here in the phone book. I’m dropping by. This had to do with my sister’s job. Kate Wendell is my sister’s boss. My sister is (with feeling) my—little—sister. My one and only sister. You got family?

SALAZAR: They’re dead to me.

CASS: How’d they die? Wow. Like all at once they got killed?

SALAZAR: They’re dead to me. To me they are dead.

Pause.

CASS: So I bang by, and here she comes to the door. “You Mrs. Wendell?” “Miss Wendell.” “Okay. Miss.” She’s there with the guy, Jack. “Jack, look who’s here.” Because first of all before that I said to her, “Good evening, you homosexual maniac. I’m Marigold’s big brother. We’ve spoken on the phone.” And she says, “And in the Luby’s cafeteria.” I said, “You bitch. You lie. When I eat I sit down and order.” So Jack turns up behind her and leans back his head with a bourbon or something in his hand and kills it off. He’s going to deal with me. That’s what people do, they finish their drink quick and deal with you. But another guy shows up behind him with a satchel and a gun. And this new guy stares at me. Looks a lot like Jack the boyfriend, could be related. He sets the satchel down, kind of confused. He’s staring at me. He shoots the gun.