I do want to thank you
for offering me such a powerful piece
of manpower as Virgil Tibbs.
Yes, sir. Thank you.
Yeah. Goodbye, now.
Oh, it's all there.
We paid for the phone call ourselves.
Now, you are the number one
homicide expert.
- That's right.
- I bet you look at a lot of dead bodies.
Lots.
Well?
- Well, what?
- Well...
I just thought maybe, uh... Maybe you
wouldn't mind takin' a look at this one?
No, thanks.
- Why not, expert?
- Because I've got a train to catch.
Wait a minute.
That train don't leave till noon.
They pay you $162.39 a week just to look
at bodies. Why can't you look at this one?
- Why can't you look at it for yourself?
- Because I'm not an expert...
Officer!
Ten cents, ten million dollars-just
doesn't matter when a man's time comes.
Mm-hm.
I could give him a nicer service
right here in Sparta
than he could ever get up there
in Chicago. And at half the price, too.
- I got a rosewood casket out there...
- (door opens)
Ted Ulam, Chief.
We haven't had the pleasure.
That's for sure.
He's with me.
Hello, Doc.
Yep.
Well...
Uh...
Do you wanna look at it?
(Virgil) New manicure. That's good.
That's very good.
- I'll need a few things.
- (Gillespie) Such as?
Ammonium hydrosulphide,
benzidine, superoxide of hydrogen.
Copper powder, distilled water.
A six-inch celluloid scale.
Thermometer.
Some tweezers.
Callipers. And some toothpicks.
Toothpicks?! Copper...?
What's goin' on here, Chief?
Who is this boy anyway?
I asked him to look at the body.
That's who he is.
It’s 4.45. What time was this man killed?
Sam found him at 3am. The doctor says
it's possible he was killed an hour earlier.
- At two?
- Maybe a little later.
2.15... 2.30?
Would you feel the face and jaw, please?
Am I mistaken, or has rigor begun?
It has.
You'll notice too
that postmortem lividity is present.
So the time of death really has
to be earlier. Wouldn't you say?
Mm.
Well, we'll be able to pinpoint that
as soon as I get a thermometer.
As you know, the loss of heat from
the brain is the most reliable way
of determining time of death.
Right, Chief?
Oh, yeah.
Well...
Which one of you gentlemen
will assist me?
(phone rings)
Ulam's Funer... It’s for you, Chief.
Yeah. Talk to me.
When?
Oh, good. Yeah, yeah. Right away. I've
got a runaway suspect, boy. I gotta go.
Now listen, you. Anything he wants,
man, you better see that he gets it.
Where can I wash my hands?
(dogs barking in the distance)
(grunt)
(dogs barking with excitement)
This here's Shagbag, you hear?
He's headed for the river.
The river, you hear?
He's gonna be in Arkansas.
Shoot.
(train horn)
OK. I got him.
Mrs. Colbert.
- How is she taking it?
- Chief had to leave. She don't know it yet.
Hey! You can't go in there, boy!
- Mrs. Colbert?
- Where's my husband?
What's happened to him? Why won't
anybody tell me what's happened to him?
Why won't anybody here tell me?
I have a right to know if he's hurt,
if he's been in an accident.
I want to know if he is all right!
Your husband is dead, Mrs. Colbert.
Uh...
Somebody killed him.
We don't know who-yet.
It’s, uh...
It’s very hot in here.
It’s very hot in this room.
Sit down.
No.
(sobs)
Would you...
Would you... leave me alone
for a few minutes, please?
(sobs)
(sobbing continues)
Virgil, we don't need you or your
microscopes. Tell that to your chief.
We don't need him-or you.
Mrs. Colbert's in there.
- I've already told her.
- I see.
Here is the examination results from
Ulam's. You wanna know what I found?
No. I don't need to look at 'em now.
May I examine this prisoner?
Yeah, you can look at him.
C'mon, let him look. Go on.
All right, now! Steady!
You finished?
Thank you.
All right, Fryer, bring him with me.
- Now we're grindin' corn!
- You shoulda been there!
lf it weren't for them radios,
we woulda lost him goin' over that bridge.
That old boy highballing that train
like to cut us off.
And old