town where a man can sneeze and not
get his brains beat out. You follow me?
Yes.
Why don't you tell me how you killed
Mr Colbert? You'll feel a whole lot better.
Not now!
I was visiting my mother.
I came in on the 12.35 from Brownsville.
I was waiting to go out on the 4.05.
Mm-hm.
Yeah.
And meanwhile, you killed yourself
a white man and picked yourself up $200!
I earned that money,
ten hours a day, seven days a week.
Coloured can't earn that. It's more than I
make in a month! Where did you earn it?!
- Philadelphia.
- Mississippi?
- Pennsylvania.
- Just how do you earn that kinda money?
I'm a police officer.
Oh, yeah.
- Wood!
- Yes, sir!
- Did you question this man?
- No, sir.
Would you mind taking a look at that?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
I'll check on this wise city boy.
You take him outside and hold him.
Yes, sir.
May I suggest that you call my chief
rather than send a wire or anything?
I mean, it would be quicker.
And I'll pay for the call.
Did you hear? Did you hear him
say he'd pay for the call?
How much do they pay you
to do their police work?
$162.39 per week.
$162.39 a week!
Well, boy! Take him outside, Wood.
But treat him easy,
because a man that
makes $162.39 a week -
man, we do not wanna ruffle him!
No, sir!
Courtney... would you try
and get me long-distance?
Police business, honey.
Chief's on the line.
No. He catch you listenin' in,
he'll run your butt around the block.
- He don't panic me none.
- No?
- Where's the chief?
- You got the pictures of the dead man?
Sure do. I got him top,
bottom, sideways - you name it.
- Good. I'll take 'em, son.
- No, I wanna give 'em to the chief.
- I said I'd take 'em, Charlie.
- Do like he tells you, Charlie.
Somebody owes me
some money for those.
I had to buy paper and film
and developin'.
That's all right. Just bill the department.
Everything will be taken care of.
God Almighty. He sure looks bad.
May I see the man
I am supposed to have killed?
Sure. I don't know why not.
Hey, Sam. He's finished talkin'.
- Here's the photos of the dead man.
- OK.
Got your chief on the phone.
He wants to talk to you.
Hello? Yes, sir. I'm sorry
to have gotten you involved in this.
I really had no choice.
Yes, sir.
You can't be serious, sir. I mean, even
if I could be of help, they wouldn't want it.
No, sir. I'm not prejudiced.
Yes, sir. I am a police officer
and they're police officers, but...
Hello. This is Gillespie.
Yes, sir. Yep, well...
You don't say?
He's your number one homicide expert?
Well, my, my, my.
I don't think we need any help.
We can wrap this up ourselves.
Yes, sir. But 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...
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?
New manicure. That's good.
That's very good.
- I'll need a few things.
- Such as?
Ammonium hydrosulphide,
benzidine, superoxide of hydrogen.
Copper powder, distilled water.
A six-inch celluloid scale.
Thermometer.
Some tweezers.